#he's gonna fight the prince hand to hand combat

[mycroftrh]

Okay this didn't get notes but I'm still fascinated by the idea because

This is an incredibly feminine-coded use of power. He's not using his money, not directly using his social power, not using his fists or his combat abilities, not using any masculine form of dominance. He's casually ruining a family's lives by acting as a femme fatale. (Which is much harder for Gotham's elite to fight against.)

The experience of being that prep kid is one of unsettling and probably traumatizing psychological horror, yeah, but the flipside of the psychological horror is the odd heartwarmingness. Because Bruce has been the weird, bullied orphan at Gotham's snootiest school. And by god none of his kids are gonna be. It doesn't matter how petty the schoolyard argument was, he is fully ready and willing to go completely nuclear and ruin the lives of the Gotham elite because their kid called his kid a mean name.

It's also worth noting that, while he's leveraging his social power in an extremely feminine way, Bruce is leveraging it. On the one hand, he's taking advantage of his reputation as a dim slut, to give himself plausible deniability and make it impossible for people to reasonably blame him. But, on the other hand, he's also the Prince (Princess) of Gotham, and he's throwing that weight around like nobody's business. That hedge fund manager, that member of the Court of Owls, that Old Money "I went to a gala with the President's daughter last week" asshole who thinks he's untouchable - Bruce Motherfucking Wayne steps in and says no. In this city? I'm the Prince. I am at the absolute top of the social hierarchy. I just generally choose to exercise noblesse oblige. (You went to a gala with the President's daughter? Good for you - guess who was hosting that gala, and guess who the President's daughter went home with that night?)

I'm also intrigued by the, like… the generational trauma, the unspoken fear of Gotham's elite. Because yeah, at any given moment, you can laugh condescendingly at Brucie tripping over his own feet and spilling champagne all over Lex Luthor's $700,000 suit. But also… at least one person in that room has had their family life ruined by him on what barely amounts to more than a whim. You know too the families that aren't there, you know Malcolm Roswell was the hottest up and coming thing last year before the messy divorce and scandal and lawsuit and he'll never show his face at one of these events again. Maybe you're one of those kids, grown up, and you laugh at idiot Brucie Wayne but also there's a little child part of you that remembers that look and remembers what happened afterwards, and also a part of you wondering how many other people here have experienced that, too.

Imagine being a student at Gotham’s most snooty school. You get into a fight with a Wayne kid and he looks dead into your eyes - there’s something about the look that chills you to the bone - and says “My dad’s gonna fuck your mom and give her a child she’ll actually love.” Maybe you laugh uncomfortably and walk it off. Maybe you punch him in the nose.

A week later you’ve almost forgotten it, either way. Until you hear a clatter in the hall in your snooty house. You open your bedroom door, and there is Bruce Wayne, drunk, stumbling over furniture, doing the most obvious Walk of Shame you have ever seen. Suddenly he cuts off mid-giggle and turns to you. A familiar shade of lipstick is smeared over his face as his eyes cut into your soul. It’s a look you know. It’s a look you felt last week and may now never forget. And you know. This is your fault.

this is an experience dozens of Gotham preps have had over the course of generations

[callmegaith]

Hi welcome to my silly doodles

[pinkiemachine]

Diana Prince and Steve Trevor

Okay, okay—yes—I am taking a lot of influence from the 2017 live action film, but I thought they did a pretty good job (minus the moustache. If you know, you know.) Anyway, I did make some changes. First off, Steve is British. There was a very distinct difference between the mindsets of the soldiers depending on which country they were from, and I’d prefer to explore WW1 through the eyes of a British soldier rather than American. I’m also still deciding whether or not to keep him a spy or to make him a pilot because, while at first glance at the movie, the idea of him being a spy sounds all cool, it really only serves one purpose and it’s at the beginning of the film and then him being a spy almost loses all meaning (except for that one scene at the party). I then thought that making him a pilot would be a better option because, hey, he crashes onto Themyscira in a plane, doesn’t he? And come on, you do need to be taught how to fly those things. Anyway, that aside, Steve’s personality: He’s a relatively stand-up bloke who just wants to go home and take care of his mum. It’s 1917, which means it’s been roughly three years since the War’s started. His dad’s already died in the service of his country. His older brother too. He can’t risk dying now, someone’s gotta come home to his mother and take care of her.

When his brother and father enlisted, they were all for serving. Everyone was. They were promised an easy war. A noble war. An opportunity to stand up to tyranny and let righteousness prevail. What they found instead was Hell. WW1 was unlike anything the world had yet seen—some of the things—the weapons—invented and used in this war are downright creative in their ruthlessness and twistedness. Steve’s done. He wants out. He’s not coming back.

Diana, on the other hand, still has not seen active combat. She’s battle ready and gung-ho to jump into the middle of this war… but Steve rebukes her. Their story is one about maturity and the nature of right and wrong. Is it right to fight? What’s the right way to fight? Is WW1 really justified when you look at how many men had to die? Just the nature of war, in general. A big topic, I know. But if you’re gonna write a WW1 story, write a WW1 story. And you know something, after reading about it all, the Wonder Woman movie seems downright PG by comparison.

Diana proves to Steve that there is still good in the world, while Steve teaches Diana to be wary of those who are not so good. Diana helps to bring a little joy back into Steve’s life after everything he’s been through, and Steve teaches Diana about some harsh realities of the 20th century. They balance each other out nicely.

[inamindfarfaraway]

I can’t wait to see Ezran’s reaction to Callum wanting to free Runaan, and then Runaan himself. We all know that he’s a kind, wise kid. He strives for peace, sees the best in people, prefers diplomacy over combat and applies respect and compassion to everyone he meets. He'd rather show mercy than take prisoners. He wants to avoid his father's mistakes of pursuing hatred and escalating conflict. His power is literally enhanced communication. Compared to the much more ruthless Prince Callum "Stab, stab, bye-bye, bad guy!" of Katolis, he seems pretty 'pure of heart'.

But he has anger inside him. He resents the pain and injustice he's experienced and holds grudges, like Harrow before him. He admits to his people that he is learning to forgive and move forward alongside them. And it isn’t easy.

"We are angry! I am angry. I have been hurt. ...We all want peace and we all want love, but violence tests us. In a twisted way, it converts us to its cause. Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside, you want to hate, you want to hurt someone else."

Callum would kill to save his loved ones, but not to avenge them. One of the first things he does in the show is condemn the self-perpetuating cycle of revenge as irrational, unhelpful and needlessly destructive. He forgives Rayla and Soren. He jumps on board with liberating Runaan, his father's killer, because it's what Rayla wants, even though she's actually willing to put it aside for now. When she steals Runaan's bow he used to commit the crime, he exhibits no hard feelings.

But when Ezran finds the arrow Runaan fired to inform the Dragon Queen of Harrow's death, he breaks it out of rage and spite.

So when he discovers that his dear brother is trying to free the man who murdered their father and stole his childhood, to allow him to experience life and be with his loved ones when Harrow can't? He's not gonna like it.

This arc seems wonderfully plausible in Season Six becaues this franchise adores its parallels and foil dynamics, and Claudia's most likely motivation in Season Six is "The heroes killed my dad and I'm going to make it everyone's problem!" It's telling that his speech about the cycle of pain, bitterness and vengeance I quoted is layered over Claudia fighting in the name of her own murdered father.

The beautiful symbolism of Ezran having his crown forged from the steel of Harrow’s sword... on one hand, he's destroyed a weapon because he never wants to use it. He's choosing a narrative of love over a narrative of violent strength. But on the other hand, he carries the weight of his murdered father's weapon, which did spill blood and take lives, with him all the time as a symbol of his identity, specifically his identity as a powerful authority figure and Harrow’s successor. You see how that’s a little troubling, right? In a show so concerned with generational trauma and history repeating? Ezran? Are you okay?

[mochathelion]

hey goopers and gunkers, here is, drumroll please

All of them council quotes from my quotebook (ft markiplier)

"Your blood is worms" -slimecicle

"Eenie meenie miney fuck you" -gillion tidestrider

"This is not the becoming of a prince. This is the becoming of a monster" -shilo bathroy

"I have a lot of opinions, none of them matter" -chip

"You must have confidence in yourself peter. Only then will you slay pussy like you slay gods" -thanatos

"IM GONNA MIGHTY BLOW YOU" -slimecicle

"PRETZEL! JUST A FEW MORE FEET PRETZEL! ITS NOT EVEN A MULTIPLE OF FIVE PRETZELLLL!" -gillion tidestrider

"I've never met God, but when I do I'll break him." -William wisp

"Great rune of the unborn? What is that, like an abortion perk?" -slimecicle

"What if you were like oh let me just check if the floor is real and you kicked it one day and it just disappeared, you'd probably be like of fuck I shouldldnt have done that" -slimecicle

"What do you really want? And just say it so I can fight for it" -gillion tidestrider

"Welp, you know what they say! When life gives you wolves, kill them. Also what? " -slimecicle

"Oh my Lord I smell estrogen" -slimecicles chat

"I'm beans mother fucker" -slmccl

"I'VE MET WAR CRIMINALS MORE DELIGHTFULL THAN YOU" -bizlybebo

"Two Mommy?"-Gillion Tidestrider

"This Jesus guy seems really cool!"-Gillion

"I can't wait to k*ll myself!" -Jay Ferin

"That girl just bit me. and I think I was into it?"-Jay Ferin

"If you zoot one more time im gonna choke you."-Rumi

"…Zoot~"-Peter

"Yippe"-Dakota Cole

"I'm just gonna kms and its gonna be your fault!" -Bizly ooc

"Ahhghduhiejbagci wa"-Kian Stone

"Julian the groomer… has a nice ring to it" -julian

"Its.. sewer ravioli!"-Dakota

"i didn't really think destiny was a thing before i met you, you know everything i had in life was just kinda a shitty hand . i really think it was you that made me feel like we were right where we were supposed to be, you're my friend you know- id drown the world for you" -chip

"CPR THREE LETTERS, WHAT DO THEY MEAN? COMBAT. PATIENT. REPEATEDLY. KICK HIM THREE TIMES GET HIM BACK UP, HE'S GOOD. CURED. Think he had cancer, not anymore" -slimecicle

"That must have been a slant rime because she seemed pretty tilted" -slimecicle

"Be the beans you wish to see in the world" -slimecicle

"A vagina with fangs? Bitchin… What? It sounds stimulating" -grizzlyplays

"Even If it was all inevitable… I'm glad we were written into the same story" -Gillion Tidestrider

"Niklaus is making a deal with russian Goku rn"-Bizly i believe ooc if not Chip

"PRIME DEFENDERS AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION" -William Wisp

"Fuck my fucking gay ass life" -condifiction

"SKIBOMBAY" -gillion tidestrider

"I WAS DRINKING YOU PRICK" -bizly

"He looks like a stop sign and has an ass disorder Its not my fault" -William wisp

"Dude you've GOTTA get advantage on this, dude is built like an among us" -slimecicle

"Beans. Beans. I grow my own beans. They are local and they are green. If you taste them you won't be mean. Come on now and try some beans. If you mean business, then trust my bean business. Have a legume, it won't be your doom. Have a legume, you will enjoom. I see your attitude is kind of mean, but you know what cheers me up? My beans. I grow em in the garden, they don't grow far from my home. Beans. I'm in the BEAN ZONE." -slimecicle

"WHAT THE FUCK??!!! FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S?!??! AEEEEEE AEEEE AE AEEE" -slimecicle

"NO NO NO NO YOUR NOT REAL GO AWAY! AMOUNGUS????!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD" -slimecicle

"I am weaponless but not defenceless" -slimecicle

"Don't play the game, eat the dirt, win." -slimecicle

"FATHER, SON, HOLY TROUT COME ON GET US THE FUCK OUT" -gillion tidestrider

"I WILL ABSORB THIS DEMONNNN. IT IS MY MEALLL!" -dakota cole

"You underestimate the power of SEX" -slimecicle

"aHgiA- FORTNITE" -slimecicle

Demonic rambling -slimecicle

"People will say eating chicken nuggets is bad for you, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS BAD FOR YOU? BEING A LITTLE BITCH. WHAT ARE YOU SPONSORED BY SALAD?" -grizzlyplays

"That's right I got two extra hearts and a wooden sword what the fuck are you going to do about it god" -charlie slimecicle

"I'm grabbing bed knife and I'm grabbing bed spear and I'm duel wielding that shit" -markiplier

[hms-no-fun]

so, (SPOILERS FOR FIONNA AND CAKE but its relevant to the question but im gonna put a bunch of line breaks just in case lol)

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so fionna and cake ended with fionna basically being like, you know, youre RIGHT god, if magic came back my wish would simply be twisted and it would suck, there will be no rule breaking miracles! I will now work as a struggling minimum wage employee in seattle and Be Happy about it. i sure am glad the threat of losing everyone i know and love set me straight!! sorry to send u this really random thing the ending just felt like such a slap in the face and i wanted to ask someone who knows that exact Seattle Struggle. this is absolutely me appealing to the Writing Gods to back me up that the ending wasnt very good lmao but if i have a direct line to the craftsgoat i simply must use it for something stupid at least once

FULL SERIES SPOILERS FOR FIONNA & CAKE AFTER THE BREAK!!!

i really disagree with your read on the ending. it didn't feel like "just struggle with seattle minimum wage forever and be happy about it" at all to me! the whole instigating incident was that fionna wanted to transform reality into something that she personally thought would be better, without taking into account the fact that other people exist and have internal lives just as complex as hers. she comes back to her original world to find marshall and gary holding hands, explains to them the magical adventure she's been on and the fact that their world is about to transform into something unrecognizably magical, and they receive this with abject horror! fionna doesn't know whether simon becoming ice king again will erase marhsall & gary's burgeoning relationship, which makes her realize that in her quest to escape the boring, oppressive reality of working odd jobs to make ends meet, she's only ever focused that energy on how to make things better for her.

i really want to dig into this because it's a key theme of the show. there is a destructive selfishness innate to the "heroes" of this universe, who feel entitled to the joyous empowerment of being able to defeat anyone and everyone they see in open combat. cake has a whole musical number about this! simon's arc in the last two episodes was betty grabbing him and shaking him until he finally asked himself, how would my life have been different if i'd just once let the woman i loved steer the ship for a while? and then of course we see the lich in a reality where he succeeded in eradicating all life, only to find himself desiccated and without purpose, begging the god of chaos for an answer it cannot give. brian david gilbert's ice prince seems perfectly put together and successful, until the reveal that he's outsourced his madness to someone who didn't accept the terms of the crown's curse. this didn't solve the fundamental problem, it just inverted the roles of its expression by making princess bubblegum into the mad candy queen. nothing about the status quo has changed, simon has simply given himself a more dignified role in it.

this is a story about what happens when people in struggle behave as though they are the protagonist of reality. when fionna says "this is the world i want to fight for" she's not fighting for the right to get another shitty minimum wage job. i think you've really missed something by accepting that conclusion when cake the cat is right there saying that her magical self IS the version of herself she wants to live as. being a normal house cat for her was, arguably, a form of body dysmorphia, and the show lets her keep that magic at the end! the thing is, their world IS changed by the events of the show! the status quo is altered!

like, what do we actually see everyone DOING when the credits approach? we see this entire disconnected community banding together to rebuild the city together, and we see a huge crowd of protesters outside marshall's mom's place demanding that she lower rents. we see people connecting with other people, including three outcasts from other universes escaping to this more boring one for their own safety. i loved this ending honestly, because it felt to me like an attempted refutation of the very idea that you can magically transform reality into something better overnight. if fionna'd gotten her original wish and made her world into, like, candy world, then... what? let's say they play it as like, at last people are freed from the shackles of capitalism and everyone just gets to be weird funky critters going on adventures or whatever. what would that, as art, actually say? what would that mean to us in the real world? if we're going into this cartoon looking for some kind of revolutionary energy (which IS present in the text, much to its credit), what actionable or symbolically resonant message are we supposed to take from a story that resolves its problems with magic? at that point, it ceases to be relevant as anything more than pure fantasy, because it has abandoned any connection to the material reality WE are trapped in.

i don't want to magically transform the world overnight. this whole show goes out of its way to explore how trying to transform the world overnight, in a world where such a thing is possible, is a really fucking bad idea for a whole host of reasons. regardless, such things aren't possible in our world. so going into the finale, my worry was that they WOULD turn fionna's world into another candy world and just say, ah, the revolution is when you think the right things so hard that the material plane bends to your will.

that's neoliberal thinking. that's like the essence of the failed leftist project of the "end of history" era from the 90s onwards, when marxism was systematically rooted out of academic cultural analysis and replaced with the delusion that if you can just get people thinking the right things, you can affect change in the world. well here we are, it's 2023 and all that magical thinking has got us is a world on fire and a civilization of human beings so thoroughly disempowered that they would literally rather pretend to be a tortured anime protagonist than exist in this boring, shitty, violent reality. you can't think your way out of oppression. raising labor consciousness is, at best, step one. you want to know why unions are winning big right now when they've been completely useless in this country for decades? it's because they've stopped giving a shit about optics they can't control and remembered that the boss's value does not exist without labor. you do not necessarily need marxism for this, marxism is simply the most accurate articulation of the fact that workers who make the things a capitalist sells can kneecap the capitalist by refusing to make the things they want to sell. change doesn't happen with the publishing of a book or whatever, it happens when enough people in real life press their material demands hard enough that someone in charge is left no choice but to listen.

so for me, fionna & cake ending the way it did was a huge relief, because it wasn't espousing magical thinking. the solution to fionna's ennui and economic anxiety was not to just get another job and be happy to live in the world as it was-- it was to create a sense of shared community and struggle, uniting the not-seattleites in their survival of a near-apocalypse and using it as a jumping off point for fundamentally transforming the state of that world as it exists. fionna had to realize that her problems are everyone's problems, and that making her life personally better at the expense of everyone else's agency is just an act of kicking the can of responsibility down the road indefinitely. no one who gets their wish in this show is happy to have gotten it, or avoids punishing others who didn't ask to be involved.

the "canonization" of fionna & cake felt like a reaction to the idea that we in our world are permanently isolated from the fictional realities we create where change seems to come so easy, and the powerlessness that can engender. instead this show is saying, okay, let's say we are in continuity with these fantastical realities. what do we actually DO with that? how do we make this world more fun, more interesting, more fulfilling for everyone to live in? the answer is the same as it's always been, and no other answer would ever feel satisfying: you do it by organizing the workers against the current arrangement of the state with the explicit goal of transforming it for the better.

what does simon do at the end when he gives fionna her world to her? he says that no one person should have that responsibility, that it's been in one person's hands for too long. so he gives it to her in the form of a dandelion, whose blown seeds merge with and become part of everyone trying to survive the scarab's attack. the idea here is that while no single person ever possesses the power to transform the world on their own, the world itself belongs to all of us, and it is within our power to transform it together. those who hoard power want us to believe that this is not the case precisely because the basis of their power is fraudulent and maintained through the violence of the state.

as someone who does live in seattle for better and worse, as much as i do wish i could make literally anything better right the fuck now by whatever means necessary... the fact is i can't. and it does no one any good to labor under the assumption that i or any other individual has that kind of absolute transformative power. the solutions are all right there, and they are simple, materialist propositions whose only difficulty lies in how successfully we've been propagandized to think that the individual is God, or at least speaks on His behalf. there's no thinking our way out of this pickle, and no one's gonna do the hard work for us.

as to the question of how you actually get people in real life to get together and do all that hard work... well, personally i think it's unfair to ask a 10 episode cartoon show to give you any kind of actionable advice on that front. i might even go so far as to say that such an expectation is an expression of the very same magical thinking which the show tries to push back against! in any case i liked it quite a lot and i hope this rambling answer encourages you to revisit the show and reconsider some of your takeaways

[velvetydream]

꒰ :🥀 [ The start of a new journey - Welcome to Aurora ] ”♡ᵎ꒱ˀˀ ↷ ⋯

Part 3 - The start of a new journey

Summary : After leaving your kingdom hell breaks out, while you are trying to get used to the life on the sea with the crew.

Pairing : Pirate! Hongjoong x Fem! Reader

Word count : 1952 Words

Genre : Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn

Warnings ➵ None

a/n : Next part of our journey on Aurora! I'm so hyped to continue this story since this and the next chapter are ones I wrote in 2021, but I got so many ideas for this story!♡

《 Masterlist 》

┌───────────────────────── ·  ·  ·  · ♡

Hell broke loose in your kingdom, after your maid wanted to wake you up, finding the bed empty and cold. She immediately started to search your room but couldn't find anything, now in a panicking state, she rushed out and into the thrown hall, where the king and queen were talking to the young and handsome prince.

"The princess! She is gone!" Screaming as she entered the room, everyones attention now on her. "What do you mean she is gone?!" The king speaks up, an angry tone in his voice. "I wanted to wake her, but she is gone! Her bed is empty and cold! She must've left the night!" The maid explains to her king, who was by now furious about that information.

"Every guard search the whole entire kingdom! And do not stop until my daughter is found!" He was mad to say the least, he was embarrassed that her fiance had to hear about this, this could be the end.

"Me and my guards will also help find her your majesty, she is my fiance afterall." The prince exclaims, making his way out of the castle, followed by his guard. Leaving behind a furious king and a desperate queen, who was by now crying for her daughters safety.

Meanwhile you were following Seonghwa around the ship as he starts to speak up again, : "You will be starting to train in hand to hand combat today, including the sword and other hand-to-hand fighting. Of course we'll also teach you how to shoot, but one step at a time. Your teacher for this today is Yunho, Jongho will help the two of you." Seonghwa explains, as you two arrive by said two man, one smiling at you, the other one not that much.

"Hope you're ready, I won't be gentle, just because you're girl." Yunho says, after that he pulls out a sword from his belt and hands it to you. The handle felt quit cold at first, the sword heavy in your hand. "We're gonna start with the sword, we'll learn more about daggers later." Now teaching you how to hold the sword, how your stance should be and a few others things. Right after teaching you, he threw you in the cold watter with saying that you should try to fight Jongho.

"I won't hold back." Were Jonghos words and he definitely didn't, you werent injured badly after the training but had a few scratches from falling to the floor and a few slits from his blade. At some point Yunho stopped the two of you, Jongho didn't even have one little scratch, while you were full of them. "Go to Yeosang, he'll help you clean those up, it's enough for today." Following his directions, you make your way to Yeosang, who was currently in the kitchen.

"You don't look so good, let me guess Jongho was your training partner." Was heard from Yeosang, as soon as you entered the kitchen, making you groan slightly at how obvious it was. "Come sit down, I'll help you clean up, newby." Sitting down on one of the chairs, you look around the kitchen for the first time now. It looked pretty chaotic, the middle of the room stood a large table, probably for preparing the food, behind it were a lot of counters and a oven, to the left was also a door, probably where they keep the food and supplies.

Yeosang now stood in front of you with a bowl of water and a rug in his hand, starting by cleaning your hands and arms, going up to your face. "I hope he wasn't to harsh on you, but those cuts look pretty mean, maybe you should get Seonghwa or San as a training partner next time." Yeosangs words made you smile slightly, you weren't hurt by those cuts but rather by your sore muscles. Never having to learn how to fight had it's downsides. It was always your brother Jae learning how to fight in battle, along side his two best friends Wonpil and Brian, who were both in training to become guards and later on being your brothers personally assigned guards. A small tear rolls down your cheek thinking about your brother, he was the only one you were missing from the castle.

"I think someone needs a piece of pie, it normally is for the main crew, but you really need my piece now." After cleaning up your face, Yeosang hands you a piece of pie, making you smile slightly. "If you want to talk, just talk, it's probably hard for you." Yeosang tells you, while getting back to preparing the food for the dinner. "I don't miss my parents, but I have to admit I miss my brother and his friends, they were the ones I considered family, I just hope they are alright." Opening up to Yeosang about these thoughts made you feel a little bit less sad. "I don't know him, but I think he would want you to be happy and if this ship is your happiness, then I bet he is happy for you." Smiling back at Yeosang you give him a little nod.

He was right, your brother would want you to be happy and if that meant to be with these people, who by now were a better family than your old one, then so be it.

Bidding your goodbye to Yeosang, you make your way up again, breathing in the fresh sea breeze.

"You don't look so good little princess!" San calls out to you from behind the steering wheel, getting out a little laugh from you. "Yeah Jongho really didn't hold back one bit." Making your way up to San, you sit down on the railing of the quarter deck. "I can see that he didn't hold back, hope you're not to hurt." Shaking your head, you instead answer how your sore muscles are way worse right now, making the man in front of you laugh.

"Yeah it's hard at the beginning, but you'll get used to it sooner or later, we all did." Sending you a warm smile, while having his hands on the wheel. Your eyes glide over the ship, it looked lively and warm, not how you imagined a pirate ship. You always though they would be just bad people, but this crew made you change your mind.

"How long are you on this crew already?" Curiosity is getting the better of you again, you were really curious to hear how long each of them was on this ship already. "I've been on this ship for around a year now, Jongho is the newest before you, he still is only been here for half a year now. Yeosang and Wooyoung came on this ship together two years ago from what I heard. The captain and Seonghwa are here the longest, they were the ones to start this crew four years ago." Understanding a bit better now, you nod your head. You didn't know that this crew has already started to form four years ago, always gaining a new member.

"You two seem to enjoy each other." The voice of the captain and also the clicking of his boots against the little staircase was heard, before he was standing next to you and San. "I'm taking over for now, go and help one of the others, Yeosang needed help if I remember it right." Changing positions now, San made his way down, leaving you and the captain to stay back. Not knowing if you should stay or not, you stay seated and start to fumble with your fingers slightly.

"If I'm being honest, I don't know if this was the right decision or not, but I set my trust in Seonghwa and Wooyoung." Hongjoong speaks up, making you look at him. You had a feeling he wasn't really fond of you, same as Jongho for a reason. "I'm still very thankful, that you allowed me to stay." Your voice was quiet, his words still in your head, knowing that he probably wanted to say no to you, but said yes for the sake of his two crew memebers. "I can see that, but you probably also didn't think this through, you will never be able to go back, also . . The sea and life of pirates is no buisness for a princess, it's going to be dangerous and bloody." A shiver runs down your spine again from his words, it's know that pirates aren't the most morally right people and that they plunder and murder. Just now realising that you in fact, really didn't think this all through. But it's better this way, than to be sold of and locked away in a unfamiliar castle and kingdom.

"I can see the look on your face, you're not sure about yourself, maybe even regret your decision. Or maybe you're even scared of us little princess." Spoke the captain in slight mocking way, making you frown. "I am for sure not regretting anything, nor am I scared of you, Captain." Speaking the last word with venom in you voice, you stand up and march away from the captain.

How could he say that, he has no idea who you are or what you're feeling, what and asshole of a captain.

Meanwhile in your kingdom the search for you continued on. "We are sorry my king, but we couldn't find the princess anywhere. Even her jewellery is gone, we searched the whole kingdom." A guard speaks up to his king, who was sitting on his big throne, his queen pacing around, while the young prince stood a bit off to the side. "What if she was kidnapped? Or . . Even murdered! My poor daughter!" The queen crys out, worried for her only daughter.

"So. . How is the princess holding up?" Wooyoung asks you, shoving another spoon full of his food into his mouth, making you smile slightly. "Beside Jongho and Hongjoong being a pain in the ass, everyone seems to be nice, even the other man on this ship are quit friendly." Your answer gets you a laugh from Wooyoung again. "Jongho can be like that at the beginning, maybe he is also jealous of not being the youngest and newest anymore, as of for Hongjoong, he knows the danger of bringing a princess on board. . You know . ." Wooyoung started to talk, as another voice was heard in a disapproving tone. "I don't think Hongjoong would like for someone to spill out his secrets Wooyoung, show a bit more respect for your captain." Seonghwa scolds the man approaching you two, taking a seat beside you on the railing, a plate of food in his hands. The three of you were sitting a bit further away from the rest of the crew, longing for a bit quietness.

"She is not dead, we'll find her." The older child of the queen spoke up. A tall and handsome prince, who would rule this kingdom in the future. "Maybe she is on board of a ship trying to flee out of despair, Brian is getting a ship ready, we'll set sail and search the ocean nearby." Jae tells his mother softly, wiping away her tears. "I will also get a ship ready and help with the search of the princess." Chris now speaks up, wanting the princess, his fiance, back just as much as her mother wanted, but getting worried that they had not one clue of the whereabouts of the young princess.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung definitely awakened the curiosity inside of you again, what kind of secret did the captain hold, that only the main crew was allowed to know.

"Don't break you pretty little head over the captain, he will warm up to you." Seonghwa smiles, patting your head slightly, before he continues to eat again. Keeping quiet now, you did the same, the thoughts of the captain not leaving you though.

[lxdymoon0357]

Can I request for a general dating headcannons with Father, I Don't Want This Marriage???? thank chu!

Father, I don't want this marriage! X Reader HCs

Jubelian Floyen

♢Dating Jubelian is a very cute experience, I’d say, she’s so caring and sweet, she also always shows affection and she’s pretty! So many plus signs.

♢You do have to go through a suspection made by her father, but it’s fine, cause once he accepts you, you’re his child too, so yayyy! One more baby for him to spoil.

♢Random kisses on your cheeks and lips, maybe on knuckles when you’re holding hands around the manor or when you’re walking around the garden.

♢She learnt to make flower crowns when she was young, so she makes tons of flowers crowns for you and even taught you how to make them and so many dates when you both sit in the garden and make flower crowns with each other.

♢She has you sneak in her room so many times, even after Regis had three guards outside on her balcony, you still somehow sneaked her out and they found you both cuddling in one of the extra rooms they have.

♢Most dates you both have include you and her learning self-defense from Regis, because he doesn’t want your relationship to end up like his and Amelia’s, so he trains you both along with Max and it always ends up with you both giving each-other pecks and giggling like little kids.

♢Regis was really doubtful of you at first, that he tried to set up a scene where Jubelian was kidnapped and you ended up breaking down in front of him, while holding a knife covered in blood of the guards who kidnapped her, while Jubelian who knows about her dad’s scheme is mad because how dare he make the love of her life cry! >:((((((

♢If you’re larger than her, she would love it if you carried her on your back or princess style, but if you’re smaller and weaker than her, she would love to carry you all over!

♢You’re also have a lot of respect from not only nobles, but also many servants and many other people because you’re dating a Floyen, so many gifts so they can suck up to you!

♢You both have many dates where you both have a picnic with some trusted guards, maids, butlers and her father right near a lake or a waterbody, and after you all are done eating you all throw stones in the waterbody!

♢If you say you like something to eat, she will learn how to make it herself to surprise you and she always makes them with high-quality ingredients!

♢She also remembers many things you even gave a hint of liking; she has a scrap-book with you, in which she writes, and draws things you both did that day or something you want to do in the future or after you both are married

♢She loves card games, so it’s a routine where you both play card-games before bed, until you both fall asleep in each-other’s warmth because the room is too cold…

♢You and Jubelian always wear matching clothes everywhere, parties, banquets, balls, going out, sleeping, on dates, dancing, walking around, etc….So all the maids know what to do, your accessories also match!

♢Now dating Jubel is like having your personal fashion designer, whom one second will make you many clothing which are gonna make a new trend in the empire and in the next will be making out with you on her bed.

Maxmillion Ashet

♚ You are spoiled as fuck! Maxmillion is a crown prince and being a crown prince means many gifts so nobles can suck up to you, so when he finds a gift he doesn't like, but he know you'll enjoy, he removes everything that says that it for him and gives it to you, saying he had a noble got it for you.

♚ Max is also very physical with you, hugging, kissing and touching you, though they're mostly subtle in public and in-front of people, in private, he won't stop at only kissing or hugging.

♚ He would have you train with him, because he doesn't want you to be hurt by assassins and people who want to hurt as to get revenge on him, Regis is always happy to train you for sword-fighting, hand-to-hand combat and arrow-shooting.

♚ He learnt flower language for you and often coveys his feelings using flowers!!! He has brought many flowers and often you were confused, because you don't know why he chooses a certain scheme of colour and types of flowers, until one of your maids suggested him using flower language and upon inspection, it was indeed true!!!

♚ He probably sits you on his lap while he does something he is annoyed about like polishing his swords or doing some paper-work, cause it's comforting for him.

♚ He would take you horse-back riding every weekend for a date, if he's too busy, he'll improvise and get you your favourite foods as lunch while he does his work.

♚ He would buy you earrings, or any jewellery you like but he buys your earrings the most, because he for some reason, he loves earrings and they're always made with beautiful and special crystals.

♚ He built a statue in your honour, it is a statue of you, in a beautiful dress with a bunny in your hand, it's kept in the grand hall of the palace, it is decorated with multiple jewels and maybe it is a secret door to a private chamber.

♚ He gives you piggyback rides and loves to carry you if your feet are hurting or if you're feeling a little lazy, tsundere about it though....But it's okay, cause we love tsunderes in this households!

♚ He loves to feed into your hobbies, he doesn't care what it is; painting, sword-fighting, archery, crocheting, reading, swimming, gymnastics, even if it's deemed as unfeminine by society, who looks down upon women who do this, he's a feminist and he ain't gonna let you take shit from anybody!!!

♚ Also, though he is kind of a tsundere, he won't be afraid to show his love to you, in front of people or fanboy in fact, he don't care, he has his hands wrapped around yours or he's having his hand on your waist.

Regis Floyen

☽ The head of the duchy, he's such a sweetheart and so is his daughter, you three make the perfect family! You're so pretty, Regis with his amazing skills and Jubel with her kind nature!!!

☽ He loves to dance with you, late at night, if you aren't as tired that is, he is very careful about your health and often gives you his main priorities.

☽ Kind of needs your reassurance that he is doing the correct thing, if there is something you don't like, please say cause when you do things passive and aggressively, it makes him overthink things....

☽ He would teach you how to sword fight, even in heavy dresses and large heels because honestly in my opinion, he would find it to be super hot to see his wife fight someone in dresses, heels with make-up fully done, if he has a wife that is. If you're another, he would love to see you fight him, because hot husband and spouse vibes....

☽ Dating Regis is also dating Jubelian, because you have breakfast and lunch with her everyday, Regis joins you both for dinner, you dress up with Jubel, make flower-crowns, go on parent-daughter dates, put on make-up, go out to eat something or go shopping with her, you spend more time with Jubel then with Regis....

☽ I think Regis also has quite a talent in painting, if he does, he would love to paint you and Jubel dancing together or doing something together as parent and daughter, he would also love to do family portraits!!!

☽ Just like Jubel and her S/O, he is going to be wearing matching clothing with you, no matter what you do, when you're going to bed, you're doing work, you're at a banquet, meetings or what not, matching accessories and also his sword is matching a dagger he gave you!

☽ Also, he would love to see you rock anything, wearing dresses as a man or wearing a suit as lady! He'll find them hot anyway and he wants you to feel comfortable in your own skin and anyone who makes you feel otherwise is quite frankly a little, insecure bitch ass! So you go boo! Do what you want, wear what you want, he's there to handle all the scandals and rumors and he and Jubelian are scaring anyone who is staring at you weirdly!!!!

☽ He would love to kiss you randomly throughout the day and no-matter where or what you're doing, they is going to be a *smooch!* places on your cheeks, lips, neck, ears, hand, hair, forehead, nose, on top of head or wherever he wants to kiss

☽ He would take on dates whenever he can and it could be the most random time as long as you're completely 800% okay to do it, it can vary from 3:56 am at night to broad daylight of 2:45 pm in the afternoon....It don't matter!

☽ HE CANNOT STAND YOU BEING UNCOMFORTABLE!!!!!! I've said it once and I'll say it again, he cannot stand you being uncomfortable, whether it be your dress, accessories, person, view, position or anything it is, he will do anything in his power to make sure you're safe and sound and comfortable!!!!

☽ My man loves to carry you around in his arms like a koala and maybe he takes you like that to the training grounds and there he sits you down somewhere comfortable while you watch him train shirtless :P.....

☽ C O F F E E A D D I C T S. You both are most likely coffee addicts and he not only has then types of coffee, oh no! He has over hundreds type of coffee stored in one of his warehouses....

☽ He would love for you to model your outfits for him, he love to see how hot, cute, beautiful/handsome/alluring you look in them, he obviously has matching outfit with you, but your outfits fit your aesthetic or style and his outfits match his style and so you have similar outfit, but of different styles!!!

☽ He loves to bath with you, after he has finished training with Maxmillion an the is all tired and sweaty and needy for all of your attention on him and him only!

[apomaro-mellow]

King&Prince 12

Right after breakfast, Steve went to the first part of his schedule, which turned out to be music practice. His actual duty was just corralling the more stubborn ones and making sure they went. After that, he was to be with Nancy. She brought him to her study, which seemed equally devoted to academic knowledge and weaponry.

"What exactly are your intentions here?", she asked, point blank as she sat behind her desk.

There was a chair, but Steve wasn't sure if he could sit. "I don't really have any. I just...I can't go home."

"Bullshit. Even if your dad is some kind of asshole, he wouldn't let his heir just sit and rot here." Nancy's eyes were as sharp as her tongue and it clashed with her soft face.

Steve looked away. "He doesn't give a damn about me. If I go back, I'll just be another prisoner. Maybe even worse off than I am here."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Nancy looked him up and down. "Even if you have the king's protection, there are plenty in this castle and out who see you as an enemy."

"Does that include you? You think I have a secret plan to assassinate King Edward?"

Nancy stood up and walked around her desk. "I know you couldn't lay a hand on him. My issue is having a royal from a nation we've been fighting against walking free around the people I love. People who don't know how to defend themselves." She stepped up until she was nearly toe-to-toe with Steve. This close, he could see how small she was, and yet that didn't diminish how intimidating she was.

"So let me say this one time. If you touch a single hair on their heads, you better hope that Eddie gets to your first. At least he'll make it quick."

Warned sufficiently, Steve was dismissed and the next thing he was tasked with doing was being extra help in the kitchen. Dustin's mother, Claudia, had him on vegetable peeling duty.

"My spells can do the trick most of the time but the potatoes I like to leave some of the skin on. And the enchantment either does it completely or not at all."

Steve's only experience in kitchens had been the food that came from them. He was never really involved in the process of making the meals. Which meant by the end of kitchen duty, he had a few cuts and scrapes on his hands.

"How are you so good with a sword but you nicked yourself peeling carrots?", Lucas asked, doing some warm up stretches.

"Two different skillsets", Steve said, doing some of his own stretching. "By the way, why do we have an audience now?"

Just outside of the training arena, sat Will and Max, looking far too interested in it for people not at all interested in combat. Steve had already asked if they wanted training too and they denied.

"We're just here for the show", Max said.

Done with stretching, Steve began to teach Lucas some basic forms. In his head, he was already thinking of matching Lucas with different weapons. Swordplay was always the go to but not everyone was meant for it. It was a good place to start though.

After that first session, he could already see the promise in him. And there was a spark to be better too, even when he fell or dropped his sword. Steve didn't know what was driving him, but it must be important.

Once that finished, they washed up and went down to the kitchens to meet up with the others for lunch. Mike had been late to the meal, barging through the doors in his excitement to give the news.

"You're not gonna believe this! Eddie's actually performing at the Sunrise Festival!"

"No way!", Dustin exclaimed.

"This is big", Will said.

"Do you think this is why he's making us take music lessons?", El asked.

At that, many of them groaned, the loudest of all being Dustin. He'd made it very clear his opinion on playing music. But it was also true that he appreciated it.

"I think it's great we'll get a chance to play with him", El said.

"Nothing's set in stone", Max said. "And Eddie's not going to let us play if we're not up to par with him."

"Is he really that good at playing music?", Steve asked, speaking up finally.

"He's like a musical genius", Lucas said.

"Like a god", Dustin seconded.

It was hard to imagine someone like the king playing an instrument. He couldn't imagine any one fitting him, he didn't seem musical at all. After lunch, his schedule was to basically be Robin's assistant and it turned out she was a jack of many trades. In addition to being the one teaching the kids music, she was also in charge of the library, and was taking the lead on some of the activities for the Sunrise Festival.

As far as Steve could tell, it was to celebrate the coming of spring, which was difficult to think that this place had after only hearing of it being a dark, desolate wasteland. But he saw the sun everyday and even got to feel some of its warmth on his face. He couldn't deny it anymore. At the end of the day, he had dinner with the king and his inner circle, which included Nancy, Jeff, Robin, and two others he hadn't met until now, Gareth, and Franklin.

"So", Eddie started as he sat down at the head of the table. "How was your day, little prince?"

"It was...busy... My schedule's pretty filled up." Steve was sure he had Nancy to thank for that.

"Get used to it", Nancy said.

Eddie grinned. "She's right. It only gets more busy from here. Mark your calendar, Harrington. The festival is in two weeks."

Part 14

Tag Team

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent @snakeorsquid @ignoremyworld @theclichefortunecookie @goodolefashionedloverboi @just-a-tiny-void @0body0disphoria0 @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @samsoble @jamieweasley13 @y4r3luv @xtkxkrzrizir @un-knownperson @greekgeek24 @justdrugsformethanks @potato-of-the-lord @notaqueenakhaleesi @swimmingbirdrunningrock @queenie-ofthe-void @nebulainajar @lil-gremlin-things @nicememerino @robininblue @hornedqueenofhell @anne-bennett-cosplayer @moomkin77 @here4thetrama @bookworm0690 @autumncrocusandladybug

[akemii14]

Disclaimer: This is just my imagination. But if you want me to release it as a series...

Okay, guys! I'm gonna make Obey Me fantasy au! Synopsis, characters that confirm to be release and additional characters that should be in Obey Me, but did not get released:

Synopsis:

You woke up in the forest. You should be in Devildom with the others, but you end up waking up in the forest. Lucifer amd Mammon looked alike found you sleeping in the forest (and yes, you still saw yourself as Mc sheep)

Characters confirmed (since they are not actually demons, they had human names except Barbatos, Diavolo, Mephistopheles and the other Archangel name. Archangel is actually a human, though)

Lucy:

Human Lucifer Morningstar, just like his demon self, he's strict, hard working, single momm- I mean brother of his siblings. Lucy learned black magic from Prince Diavolo, but he mostly use lightning magic, also he's a magic swordman, Magic Swordman.

Moon:

Greedy guy who cares about money, gambling and bribe. A dumbass, clumsy of Lucy's little brother with Delinquent slang (talk like a delinquent.) But he's the most fun, entertain and kindest person ever (a little bit Tsundere like Mammon- Wait! He is human Mammom!), care about his brothers, actually.

He usually use a guns or small knife in combat.

(Unfinished character concept)

Levi

A shut in human who always stay in the bedroom, alone. Since it was a fantasy era... What is he doing inside his bedroom again? Reading comic?

He did not like to fight against enemies, but if he had to, he will be water mage.

(character concept of Leviathan im Fantasy Au)

Ann

Human Asmodeus, the most non gender specific guy who cares about his beauty also his sibling's looks. A bit of Narcissism, but encouraging 'ugly' peoples that they are actually not ugly, they just not too confident with their looks.

I think he's the best written characters in my A.U because he learn healing power after their little sister died. He also befriend with the young sorcerer, and when his friend disappear, he try his best to find his best friend. Still... A bit Narcissist, likes to shopping for clothes, nothing changes.

Abel

Giant, also the youngest (?) siblings of the five (?) brothers. He build the houses by himself, single handed carrying enormous wood by himself. He did not have any expression because he feel like losing half of him. He get hungry easily, nothing changes, still Beelzebub but human.

(The second important characters/ side characters in Obey Me)

Barbatos

So called 'Demon of Time' or 'God of time' because he was born when the time created. From wandering demon who keeps walking with no purpose to stop until he met Demon King. He is now a demon butler who took care of Diavolo like his own son. (Also Barbatos also doesn't have gender specific, but prefer to be called He/Him because everyone hates intersex gender on that era.)

Diavolo:

Demon Prince, bright, positive and happy go lucky demon. A demon who aim for humans and demons to lived harmony, but the Demon Shadow Armis refused and decided to go havoc. He blame himself because of not stopping the Demon Shadow. They are the causes of death, strange illness and world imbalance.

Simon:

(will add the character profile soon. But for now, Lucy's actual blood related little brother)

Luke:

Simon's adopted son. He does not understand much on how the world works because he's just a kid, hates Lucy and the brothers because they decided to help demons. He thought demons are all bad.

Side characters:

Mephisto:

Nothing changes, he is a trickster magican and also Diavolo's childhood friend. He is against Diavolo and Lucy 'dating scandal' because he loves Diavolo, until... He use rod (?) and hat for combat.

Thirteen:

A grimm reaper bossgirl (Won't update until one character reveal) She mock ____ because he does not use Synthe right. Other than that, she likes to set a prank and really like Mc's pure souls.

Now, the Tenth Magic Council name:

Grand Magus Sol (13th Solomon) - Often the highest-ranking member, the leader or head of the Magic Council.

Councilor Eldorin - A senior member of the council, often advising the Grand Magus and participating in decision-making.

Archmage Elara - A powerful mage who serves on the council, specializing in ancient magics or arcane lore.

High Enchanter Thalia - Responsible for overseeing enchantments and magical artifacts within the council's jurisdiction.

Master Illusionist Silas - Specializes in illusion magic and is often consulted for matters of deception and perception.

Diviner Seraphina - Skilled in divination magic, responsible for foreseeing threats or potential future events.

Transmuter Garrick - Specializes in transmutation magic, adept at changing the form or nature of magical and non-magical substances.

Summoner Aria - Master of summoning magic, responsible for controlling and regulating summoned creatures or entities.

Chronomancer Ezra - A mage who studies time magic, responsible for time-related matters and temporal anomalies.

Enforcer Captain Maris - Leads the council's magical law enforcement division, ensuring magical laws are upheld.

And now, the the Six Light Occult member that had Archangels name. Their purpose is to stop the Demon Shadow... In a wrong way:

Michael

Uriel

Gabriel

Selaphiel

Raguel

Barachiel

Missing or erased characters:

Bell, Raphael and ??? (literally have no name because he just born and then disappear)

Extras:

Why 13th Solomon?

Solomon is original corrupted King. They do shady things such as S.A, support war , etc. The 13th Solomon, however against it and killed his own so called father to end the corruption.

From first to twelveth, they are all the same soul, but different vessel. Before they use the last Solomon's body as their vessel, Solomon against. However, he got beaten up, almost die until Barbatos found him. They make a pact only to completely kill the evil king (Solomon the 12th)

(Day 0 of editing)

I'm done for today. Will update soon. You need to always check this for future updates.

(Day 1 of editing)

I'll add other characters concept in the future. For now, I add Leviathan. Please keep checking because I will always update if I have time.

[queer-ragnelle]

Oh, no, what happened in The Altar of the Legion? 😭

It was a very good book, 5/5 stars from me! But it's Arthurian, it's a tragedy. It was very satisfying though and I highly recommend it. Full spoiler break down and review of The Altar of the Legion by Farnham Bishop and Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur below. It's gonna be long.

It all takes place post-Camlann. King Arthur has been defeated and Owain mab Urien is now an old king of North Wales/Rheged. The story follows Owain's two children, Princess Gwenlian, a brave and courageous girl whom the court believes would make a great sovereign, and Prince Meriaduc, a jolly kid who fears the sight of blood and would rather be a minstrel than soldier and heir to the throne. The people of Wales require help from the last remaining Roman city in Britain as Owain's Ravens, his black-leather wearing fighters, have been reduced in numbers and can no longer combat the Saxons alone. However when Gwenlian falls ill, Meriaduc dons her gown to take her place as ambassador for Wales. During this time Meriaduc, as a princess, seems to develop complicated feelings about gender and the role a prince is supposed to play.

Every one loved the merry prince. But Meriaduc was fifteen, and at that age in King Owain's land a man must be a man. But this man, a king's son, chose to be a woman, and in that guise was even now about to enter Legionis Asa. All in the service of his hard-pressed country, it was true; and there was no doubt that a beautiful, high-spirited princess would have more influence than a prince who could not fight.

On top of that, Meriaduc doesn't merely enjoy the time spent passing as a woman, but fully embodies it, and seems to fall in love with Roman-Briton Drusus, a prefect of the last Roman city in Britain, although there are some half-hearted attempts to deny/prevent it.

Meriaduc, in the midst of his mischief, was feeling that sense of security and fraternal content the presence of Drusus inspired in him. The young prince did not want a love affair on his hands, messing up his more serious business.

This romantic nature of attraction is observed from multiple outside perspectives, including Niall, the Irish captain of the Ravens and the princess's escort, the only one aware of Meriaduc as Gwenlian.

Niall of the Sword, picking his teeth with a dagger, watched the two with open satisfaction. He saw and understood the prefect's ready sympathy, his interest in the pretended Gwenlian's beauty, touched to radiance as it was by the fire of patriotism. He saw the quick response of eye to eye, of smile to smile, of serious mood to serious mood; the spontaneous friendship of two young, wholesome souls.

This mutual romantic interest is so pronounced that Tullia, Drusus's cousin, becomes openly jealous, and teases him about the whole situation. His aunt Sophonsiba also doesn't like Gwenlian!Meriaduc flirting with her nephew. All of this Meriaduc noticed, found hilarious, and continued to exploit throughout the story.

The elf of mischief, never far from the surface of Meriaduc's soul, chuckled ever so softly. Was Tullia jealous of him?

And Drusus, for his part, defends Gwenlian!Meriaduc, even when she isn't there. He's a good guy! Calling out his aunt's racism!

He forced a patient smile. It was little use, he knew, to argue with Aunt Sophonisba. "The Princess Gwenlian is scarcely a skin-clad savage," he answered kindly. "But her eyes!" exclaimed his aunt. "And her manners! The girl is a little barbarian, affectedly trying to live up to her new surroundings. And I do not like the way she looks at you, Drusus. She is playing with you, twisting you about her finger, for the sake of your influence with the Senate. And you why, this very morning, the little Welsh flirt kept you so engrossed that Tullia spoke to you thrice without receiving an answer. You will break the child's heart." So that was it? Square chin raised, Drusus met his aunt's eyes almost angrily. "This is folly !" he exclaimed.

At last the honest and honorable Drusus decides to aid the Welsh even if the political powers and his family won't. Tullia argues against him, accusing Gwenlian!Meriaduc of bewitching him. Drusus won't hear it.

But Drusus, carried away by his own eagerness, was not to be checked. "The Quæstor dares not arrest me," he answered. "If he did so now, the troops would march on the city. I am no traitor, Tullia. I am a Roman Briton, one who loves his country and would see her follow the honorable course. If the Senate refuses to let me call for volunteers, I will proclaim myself dictator, seize the city, and form an alliance with King Owain." The curtains parted, revealing the supposed enchantress, flushed with excitement, in the doorway.

It's at this point Meriaduc completely loses the plot and the lines between the role of princess and truly embodying a woman in love begin to blur.

"I am sorry," said Drusus simply. He shrank from trying to understand his emotional cousin's conduct. "Tell her I will bring back a Saxon standard for her," he added. "That is a proper gift! " exclaimed Meriaduc, all Gwenlian again. "I wish you had made me such a promise." "I shall bring you a sword, red with Saxon blood," Drusus responded gallantly. It came so suddenly, Meriaduc staggered a step backward, caught Niall's glance with its message of "You see!" On that he straightened proudly, and smiled gratefully at Drusus — every inch a princess.

Anon they are simply in love I don't know what else to say. Just look. At this point the story finally gives us an Owain pov chapter. He misses his kids. :^( And tragically, he never gets to see them again, as he falls in battle with his men, unaware of Gwenlian's illness or that Meriaduc has succeeded in the mission too late to save their father.

However this is where things get really interesting because Gwenlian, recovered well enough from her illness, is now dressed as Meriaduc in an attempt to make it to the city and complete the mission she has no idea her brother has already followed through on. The group does catch word of this though, telling Meriaduc!Gwenlian that his sister, Gwenlian!Meriaduc, has made it safely to the city and rallied troops.

Deep was Gwenlian's wonder. Meriaduc? How could that be? Yet anything could be if Meriaduc were concerned. She decided to keep her own disguise till she met the pseudo-Gwenlian.

While Tullia continues to complain about Drusus and Gwenlian!Meriaduc's budding romance...

It irked her almost beyond endurance to live in the same house with the British girl, whose manners were so un-Roman, who seemed to take perverse pleasure in speaking of Drusus with familiar affection.

There’s toxic yuri potential here. By the way. Anyway Meriaduc!Gwenlian finally makes it there and the siblings reunite!

With cries of joy, the brother and sister were clasped in each other's arms. Tullia considerately withdrew. "Gwenlian!" breathed the one in woman's gown. "Meriaduc!" sobbed the one in mail. The disguised lad laid a finger on his lips. "Not so loud," he warned her." Here I am Gwenlian. And you, it appears, are Meriaduc! Let me look on myself." He held her at arm's length. "Not bad, Gwenlian; but I do you greater credit, I think." And he walked a few paces away from her, trailing Tullia's gown of blue and white across the green carpet of grass, with simple and entirely feminine grace. He turned, expectant of his sister's admiration. She tried to smile, but was too wrought up by the situation. "What shall we do? " she implored. Meriaduc returned swiftly to her, and took her protectingly in his arms. Gwenlian submitted, though the experience was new to her. But laughter had come again into her brother's eyes. "Saints, what a jest!" he whispered, against Gwenlian's hair. "Owain's son comes as Owain's daughter, and plays his part so well that Tullia Marciana is jealous! Owain's daughter comes as Owain's son —“ "But I cannot play the man, as you have played the woman, neither do I like it. I but did it for greater safety on the road. Why are you here at all, Meriaduc, and not with our father?"

I could write an essay about this page alone. The contrast of the evidentially cisgender Gwenlian, sobered by the gravity of impending war and unhappy living as a man, with the potentially transgender Meriaduc so euphoric from passing as a woman that it's somewhat overshadowed the original intent. Now you'd think here they could switch back. But Meriaduc insists it's safer for Gwenlian if they remain swapped. There's a creepy senator Ventidius who's been trying to hit on Gwenlian!Meriaduc that Meriaduc wants to protect her from. But considering the events that unfold later, I don't know that it really mattered, but the prince got to stay a princess just a bit longer than was strictly necessary.

"Gwenlian!" he said, and for a moment could say no more. "Gwenlian, for once you must be guided by me. I must still be Gwenlian; you must remain Meriaduc." "I will not I cannot," she replied. "We can explain to our friends here." "Blessed Saints!" replied Meriaduc, overcome. "We cannot, Gwenlian. We must go on as we are. I understand the situation. There are considerations. Oh—" desperately — "Ventidius is in love with you — with me — that is —" He collected himself. "You must be protected from him. That can be best done if I am Gwenlian."

So from here some political/battle stuff happens that is all interesting but less so to me than Gwenlian’s and Meriaduc’s storyline so in summary the politicians had been plotting with the Saxons and selling people into slavery (shocker) which Drusus and Niall uncover. One of the other British kings, a redhead like Drusus, is struck down so it gets back to the city that Drusus died although he didn’t. Fast forward to Drusus attempting to reenter the city, and the evil older politician Ventidius has is forcing Gwenlian!Meriaduc to marry him in exchange for men to supply Owain’s army. All of this culminates in Drusus riding his horse into the chapel and crashing the wedding.

Down toward them bounded a huge horse, backed by a tall rider in faded cloak and rusted mail. Beneath the raised visor of his helmet his eyes glared with unearthly fury. Awed and frightened, the crowd drew back to yield him room. They breathed the rider's name in running whispers, instinct with the horror of living men for the ghosts of the dead.

"Drusus!" "Drusus!" "Drusus!"

Then immediately after this…

"In the name of the Holy Trinity," [the bishop] called boldly, "I conjure you, if you be ghost of hell, go back to the fiend who sent you! But if ye be living man, then speak, Marcianus Drusus, and cease to perturb the holy sacrament of marriage!"

No sooner had the prefect's name rung out upon the startled ears of the group before the altar than they turned with one accord, to meet the blazing eyes of Drusus himself. Sophonisba shrieked. Tullia's proud, beautiful face turned white. But the graceful figure in the white linen of a bride, ran to meet him with a joyful cry, deep-throated and rich, and looked up at him with eyes which spoke unbounded relief and trust.

Drusus took the bride's hand and looked over her head at the bishop.

"I live," he answered, "by the grace of God and my good men! I live, to restore the honor of my people, and to prevent this unholy marriage!"

Chat Drusus came back from the dead to rescue Gwenlian!Meriaduc. I LOVE ARTHURIAN GHOST CHARACTERS/UNKILLABLE MFS!!!!!

But after this a battle ensues as Ventidius has the city police try to arrest Drusus for this. He and Niall start retaliating with swords but there are too many of them. Drusus is about to be killed when…

Niall had met his man with the edge; but before Drusus could disengage, the third was on him. Caught between the point and the pillar behind him, Drusus could only await the blow. As the short sword stabbed upward, the prefect thrust out one foot, dashed the blade aside with his greaved ankle, and drove his heel into his enemy's stomach.

A tense, slim figure in loose-hanging policeman's mail, clutching a policeman's short sword, hovered about Drusus, never striking with his weapon, but seeming ever ready. It was Meriaduc.

…….Meriaduc overcomes the fear of blood and changes back into the clothes of a man to rescue Drusus in return. And what does Gwenlian think of this?

Oh, why was the gay, the brilliant Meriaduc born under the necessity of being a soldier? She whose courage made her the darling of her people now trembled, and all but wept, in the grip of imagined terrors, and in despair of the helplessness of women.

Wow. It’s literally a tragedy that Meriaduc has to be a solider. It’s not something the prince takes any joy or pride in, and the princess knows this too. And only Niall knows they switched places, so after this, when Gwenlian dresses as herself, and Meriaduc resumes the princely role, it means that Drusus has effectively become a stranger. The little romance abruptly cuts off. Devastating. Worse still, after all that, Ventidius kidnaps Gwenlian and tries to flee by ship to Brittany only for Saxon pirates board the ship, kidnap the kidnapper and hold Gwenlian as hostage, but they burned the ship too. So by the time Drusus, Niall, and Meriaduc arrive, they have nothing but a handful of half-drowned men to fish out of the water. Winter is coming and they have no choice but to turn back.

"What will you do?"

"Put back to Bellerium. It is all we can do. But when the spring comes — then woe to Wessex!" The despairing eyes of the two Welshmen, tender youth and hardened soldier, strained across the dark waves to the burning Cygnus. Meriaduc wept.

"See, Niall," he said, "what comes of my trying to be a soldier! Would that I had not changed back into myself!"

Drusus overheard and thought the boy daft with grief.

All this and Meriaduc can turn to no one for comfort. I’m unwell. Drusus doesn’t know. He doesn’t know!!!

So Gwenlian and Ventidius are prisoners of war over the whole winter. They even have Owain’s sword kept on the wall as a trophy. It’s so messed up. Ultimately Drusus, Niall, and Meriaduc are able to make it to the Saxon kingdom, sinking a bunch of ships along the way, and Gwenlian is brought to the top of the castle and an exchange is arranged of her life for the Saxon prince’s. That part was crazy because Gwenlian was shouting down that the security of Wales was more important than her life, kill the enemy! But they didn’t rescue her and return to Britain.

After that, Gwenlian essentially assumes the role of Wales’ sovereign. Meriaduc is there here, but not as good at it as Gwenlian.

"Their homeland lies east," insisted Meriaduc.

Gwenlian was on her feet, asking to be heard.

"I remember," she said, "the words of Ceawlin to Ventidius, just before I was taken to Sorbiodunum. The traitor urged the king to move against Bellerium by sea, but Ceawlin refused, thinking he could crush you in the field. Now that they have taken ship together and sail west, there can be no doubt but that Ventidius has prevailed. Beaten in open battle, the Saxons have but one hope: to overwhelm Legionis Asa in your absence."

"You should have been a man and a soldier!" Drusus complimented her. None observed Meriaduc sigh at the dictator's words.

Meriaduc my darling that sigh speaks a thousand words. This lovesickness continues as they all return “home.”

The two bronze lamps still glowed at the portal of Drusus' house; and, with a gulp, Meriaduc regarded the façade with the affection of one who returns to his own loved home.

Goddamn Meriaduc. So from here, plans are made to combat the Saxons who are riding on the Roman town. Things turn extremely bad very fast because an earthquake happens and ruins all the plans of everyone. Gwenlian and Tullia are at home and buried under the rubble of the house. Gwenlian finds herself alive but trapped, and can feel blood seeping into her little alcove. Straight horror novel scenario.

Gwenlian awoke with a sense of strangling, to find herself in the dark. She was lying with aching shoulders on a mass of broken cement. Stretching out her hands, she felt about her and her heart sank. She was imprisoned, closed about with heaped-up timbers.

Her fingers groped about her prison. The house had fallen in upon her in such a way as to pen her in without crushing her. She was in a sort of tent of piled-up woodwork.

Tullia! Where were Tullia and Sophonisba? Had they too survived, or were they crushed under the ruins? She called again and again, but no answer came to her. Her fingers, fearfully exploring the peaks and hollows beneath her, touched something warm and wet. She screamed in horror.

As if she hasn’t suffered enough!! Meanwhile Drusus is trying to hold the bridge with the help of Niall and Meriaduc. Drusus is losing and pulled from his horse. He passes out right before the Saxon strikes and… this happens…

Drusus saw a dim vision of the Saxon's dagger hanging above him, and then saw and heard no more.

When his senses began to clear — he was being held and lifted in mid-air. His outstretched right leg touched something smooth and familiar — a saddle! They were lifting him on to his horse. Instinctively his knees gripped and his body straightened. The two who had helped him turned and sprang on their own mounts, as Drusus opened his eyes.

He looked to the left and saw that the wagon barrier had been burst apart and bent inward. Through the ever-widening gap poured the triumphant Saxons - and facing them, single-handed, stood the stripling Meriaduc! Niall of the Sword lay wounded unto death a few paces away. Meriaduc's shield was split, his crest shorn away, all his armor red with the blood that revolted him so. Yet he had held back an army long enough to save his friend, who in turn would save Wales — Britain.

Such was the thought in Meriaduc's heart as he stood there, fighting tensely, blindly, wildly — killing — hating it even in his frenzy, but doing it for Drusus and Britain. One instant Drusus saw him standing there, saw Niall struggle half to his feet and then sprawl, helpless, arms outstretched toward his prince, across a heap of dead and wounded Saxons. Then the barricade was swept utterly away by the onrushing heathen host, and the Captain of Ravens and Meriaduc of North Wales were no more. Drusus' heart heaved so that he could hardly breathe.

I knew it was coming. Of course it was. But… it still hurts. Sick and twisted authors!!!!!! I was really hoping Meriaduc might come back, but it didn’t happen. Ultimately Drusus ends up fighting Ventidius AGAIN because Venti pulled Gwenlian out of the wreckages of the house and is trying to kidnap her AGAIN but finally he dies for good.

Gwenlian and Drusus end up fleeing the city as the tsunami/flooding that comes as a result of the earthquake wipes out all the Saxons and the last of the town. They’re stuck on the peak of a hill with only a handful of people for days until a random boat comes along and rescues them. It ends on a slightly hopeful note as Drusus vows to retreat to Wales with Gwenlian and pick up Owain’s cause once more.

Anon I’m devastated. It was a very enjoyable read but I’m fantasizing about an alternate version in which Meriaduc and Drusus at least kiss. I might even write it who knows. ;^) So yeah life changing, I’m so glad I read it. I hope more people do and tell me there thoughts, especially since I cut down the plot quite a lot, entire characters omitted. But all of them were interesting so any thoughts subsequent readers have, I’d love to know! Okay that’s it. Have a good day anon.

[rexcaliburechoes]

i'm having so many feelings about alm + berkut // literally no one asked

i'm having to many feelings about alm and berkut. they are my sons, baby boy baby, sweet children of mine. i want to wrap them up in blankets and give them hot chocolate and a place to scream their troubles and be heard.

thoughts under the cut because this got long.

one of the things that stick out to me the most about alm is how responsibility is thrust upon the poor kid. he knows he's getting into a war, he knows what a war with rigel will bring. he knows how the people suffer, and how something must be done, and the only way to do that is by a war. in order for any change to happen, sometimes force is the only path. he needs to throw off the yoke of the old gods and let the people live by their own hands, he needs to stop the suffering, and if it is war that will do that, then so be it.

alm has responsibility thrust upon him, when all he's really stated before is how he wants to help the people, and that's practically it. he doesn't necessarily want to wage war. i've read a really good fic outlining to celica (through lukas) how, "if there were another peaceful solution, alm's sword would be first on the pile", and i genuinely think this is true. the boy has been only taught the practical skills (combat, strategy, weather and terrain, etc) and not the finer points of leading. he acknowledges how much he has to learn when he prepares to right back against rigel, sure, and he does learn to lead, but as the quote in hamilton goes, "dying is easy, young man, but leading is harder."

when clive comes to him and just makes him leader, he practically says "hey wait are you sure this is a good idea??" and even later, everyone assumes he's gonna be king at the end of the war

and it hurts, because if you think about it, he's never been taught how to handle the court, how to handle nobility, any of this high aristocracy bullshit. and celica's right. he has no idea how the hell any of this works. he says he's not a farmboy, but he is. he's a country bumpkin from the southern most tip of zofia, hailing from a truly backwater village.

and sure, he has celica to rely on, and clive to rely on, and mycen to rely on. he's forgiven celica already since their fight, and loves her. but she's right. and clive just thrust the title of "leader of the deliverance" and later "king of valentia" onto him. and mycen, mycen isn't truly his grandfather, and all the man does is chide alm for every single decision he makes since leaving the village.

and it's not fair!! it's wholly unfair and sad and painful to think of how alm must step up to the mantle that was pushed upon him. mycen was right. "once you march on Rigel, you place yourself in the hands of destiny. You won’t be able to stop the events that unfold. No one will wish you well. Many will even try to stop you; unexpected tragedy is sure to follow. That is the price of what you are about to undertake." and he's right, and alm said he was ready for it, but even so!!

"and what of my peace?!" he screams to the uncaring world. "what of my personhood?!"

and the world keeps turning on its axis, cold and unchanging as the rigel winter.

"this is not the time for mourning or self-pity, boy." the world tells him. "you cannot be a person, for you are the leader, and leaders must make sacrifices."

and this theme, this arc of alm's fits incredibly well with berkut's. it fits so well and i'm so incredibly sad.

because berkut... berkut was a gentle child. according to the valentia accordion, he was so timid that even riding a horse could make him cry. berkut, being the nephew to the emperor, being in line to the throne only because his father's brother is the emperor, who has no children... he has never was supposed to become emperor in the first place, either. his worldview is deeply shaped by rigel's culture, by how "a prince of rigel cannot possibly be weak". i've discussed this before, about how berkut is an unfortunate product of his upbringing.

but it hurts. it hurts how, no matter what he does, he can't ever be recognised for his accomplishments, that he fails so horribly to a farmboy- a zofian country bumpkin, a weak soldier compared to him- that the only person he has to look up to (much like alm, as mycen keeps ripping him apart, and clive only wants him to lead and also tells him off throughout the story, and celica, who's an entire ocean mass away) finds him a disgrace and leaves him out to dry, because he's simply not good enough, not even when he's been forced to walk this path.

"uncle!!" he screams to the retreating figure of the red-clad emperor. "please tell me i am good enough for you!! please tell me my own pain wasn't for nothing!"

and the silence is deafening, just like crackle of flames that drown out even the cries of the one thing he truly cared for most.

[beanghostprincess]

Sanuso T4T hits so good no matter in which direction. Canon adjacent transmasc Sanji and Transmasc Usopp? They literally laid eyes on each other and just went “Wow, what a dreamboat” they get each others insecurities, they both work on figuring out what being a man means to them instead of relying on someone else. Transmasc Sanji and Transfem Usopp? Sanji is her biggest cheerleader. He lays it on extra thick with her and she loves it, thinking he’s just indulging her and trying to make her feel good (it’s working) but he’s actually so deeply in love with her and he shows it in the only way he knows how to. Meanwhile he’s her Prince Charming, not only the most handsome man she has ever seen but also her best friend and such a good person even tough the world has been so awful to him. If anyone makes him feel like less of a man she’s gonna fucking snipe them immediately. Transmasc Usopp and Transfemme Sanji? Make way for protective boyfriend Usopp who just immediately knows when his girlfriend is doubting herself and has been trough something like this before, so he is more than ready to lend an ear and share his experiences and she’s just so overjoyed because while it’s not the same there are some things where Usopp just GETS it. And other times he doesn’t quite get it but when she starts to spiral downward he just always seems to know what to do and how to make her laugh and just kick her self doubt straight in the ass. Meanwhile he’s just as equally smitten and wants to give her the world. Transfemme Sanji and Transfemme Usopp? I feel like there’s not even much I can add here because there has already been said so much but goddamn the transbian experience of it all. The soft butch four futch or the high femme for butch or hard femme for femme or WHATEVER the energy they have it’s just all lovely and perfect and I wish girls were real! They are so in love. The love each other so much and their crew loves them so much and Zeff shed manly tears when he walked his “idiot eggplant daughter” down the aisle I just know it .

Basically, Sanuso is great in any shape or form because they have so much chemistry it works with every gender and sexuality you headcanon for them. My personal favorite is either Transfem Sanuso (I like women a lot, don't laugh at the lesbian here. I have my reasons) and Transfem Sanji x Transmasc Usopp because those headcanons are my favorite for them and I think that they'd be the cutest fucking thing in the universe of ships. "Protect traditional marriage" when Sanji screams and cries when she sees a bug and Usopp moves it away (never kills it) for her. And "Girlboss x Malewife" whenever Sanji kicks somebody's butt for her boyfriend bc big big monster wanted hand-to-hand combat and Usopp is not built for that type of fight. They fit the whole "I'll do what you can't" thing perfectly in this one, I think. My beloveds.

[time-to-write-and-suffer]

Seven snippets, seven people

Was tagged by @lonsdalewrite forty bazillion years ago, finally have enough material and spoons to actually share stuff. Thank you for the tag!!

Gonna do the elf marriage wip (Nettle and Song if you're pretentious (and I am)) cuz it's the freshest one

Tagging (lmk if you want off this ride or onto it)

@hanna-writes, @nabanna, @croaceian, @angelofthemornings, @descent-of-stars

@rrrawrf-rewrites, @scribble-dee-vee, @forthesanityofsome @meanceclosetohell and YOUUUUUUU!

Putting the snippets under a cut cuz I can't be bothered to edit them rn but I might feel up for it later also it got kinda long oops

1

“Relax. As long as you don’t murder anyone, these talks will be the most peaceful interaction we’ve had with humans since the war ended,” Del mumbled while they waited. “It’ll be fine even if you don’t speak. Or smile. Or make any sort of positive impression.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure they’ll love giving their princess away to the meanest-looking asshole in the Given Earth.”

“Meanest-looking? No-no, dear prince, you’re a pretty elf boy. Humans find elves irresistible, you know. Just pout and bat your little eyelashes, and they’ll let you get away with just about anything.

Roel grimaced, hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

“Wonderful.”

2

Mother sat down next to Teddy, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Nobody can force you to marry against your will, Theodosia. No matter who says what, no matter the so-called political benefits or diplomacy. You are not cattle to be traded.”

Mother glared at Elias, who winced, “Stop. I didn’t bring Teddy up to trade her.”

“Then why did you?”

“And why not? Is this better? What’s left for her here, where she’s not allowed into the royal palace without an invitation? Where her own mother and siblings can’t see her without sneaking behind the king’s back like criminals? She didn’t do anything wrong!”

3

“Ted? Is everything alright?”

He put rubbed her back gently. It made the tears sting harder, and she blinked them away stubbornly. If people noticed Efra, they’d notice her and her expression, and that would lead to gossip. Better to have the elves be the main talking point rather than the queen’s rejected child having a crisis.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she sighed deeply.

“Are you sure? I could tell them to wait.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just remembering some things. Nothing to worry about.”

She forced a smile. Efra didn’t seem convinced, but this wasn’t the time to figure out Teddy’s emotional traumas. He had to drop it almost as much as she.

“The elves are ready to meet me, I assume?” she said when he kept staring at her with that worried expression.

“Yes. But I’d rather come up with an excuse than have you break down in front of them.”

“’Break down’?” Teddy scoffed. “Please. If I were breaking down, there would be casualties.”

4

“I forgot that humans welcome women in combat,” Del said thoughtfully. “Androel, would you consider this a virtue or a flaw in a woman?”

Roel hated his brother in that moment, when Del forced all eyes to land on him.

He grunted vaguely, “Depends on who she’s fighting.”

5

“Do you have magic too, Lady Frye? Were you blessed by your goddess?” Roel wondered, genuine curiosity softening his tone.

Lady Frye smiled demurely. “I have been blessed by Etheme as well as any other member of my family, Your Highness. Even if it was never quite so obvious as those of my siblings, I am still grateful for it.”

“For what?” Roel pressed.

Her smile took on a strained edge. “One must be grateful for everything Etheme deems fit to give. My only gifts were a full belly and a loving family.”

So she hadn’t received a blessing, then. She had no magic. Wasn’t that so much easier to say than whatever other nonsense she’d been going on about?

The song was coming to an end. Soon, they parted, and Roel bowed along with the other men. She curtsied deeply.

“Thank you, Prince Androel,” she said. “I hope we can dance again sometime.”

He didn’t.

6

“But don’t you want to choose who you marry?” Mother asked. “What if they demand heirs? What then?”

Teddy hadn’t thought that far. Or rather, she hadn’t wanted to think that far. The idea of simply sharing a bed with Prince Androel made her queasy enough, but imagining touching him? Or him touching her? It made her want to peel her skin off.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. If we get there. Aren’t you worried a little too prematurely? What if Prince Androel says no?”

She half hoped he would.

Mother shook her head, “I spoke with King Roendel. The prince is willing.”

Oh. So it was really happening.

After that awful first meeting, too! It seemed the prince must’ve had his own reasons for accepting, since he was openly disgusted with her.

And every other human.

And everything in general.

7

“How long do I have to stay?”

“There is no time requirement, Your Highness, and you may leave whenever you please. Though I would recommend staying for the better part of an hour at the very least, if you cannot tolerate a whole night.”

“Can you?” he challenged.

“I don’t see why not. I’ve a good book, some hot tea and biscuits, and it’s a warm summer night. There are worse ways to spend an evening.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“In the bed.”

“And where will I sleep?”

Theodosia pursed her lips, her cheeks bursting with sudden color. “I’m sure the bed can accommodate two people.”

“Which part of ‘I am not touching you’ escapes your understanding?” Roel sneered.

“If at least one of us is awake when physical contact accidentally happens, we each would be able to stop it. And if it happens while we’re both asleep, what difference does it make?”

[shamelessliarkickapow]

Arrvatarr! The Last Arrbender!

It's a Zutara pirates au!

Chapter 1, part 3/3

Read the full chapter on AO3

Or read it on tumblr:

Part 1 Part2

“Uncle, no!”

Katara could tell from the widening of those asymmetrical yellow eyes and the tenor of the Fire Prince’s voice that he genuinely loved this old man. It might have been sweet, that affection for his elder relation, had it not been coming from what was obviously one of the worst people on the planet.

“I am Iroh, a venerated general,” the old man went on without a glance at the prince, “and the Fire Lord’s only brother. He is sure to pay handsomely for my safe return. You should ransom me and let my nephew take his ship and leave.” 

“River boat,” Sokka corrected. “Because we’re sinking the ship.”

That aged face bowed slightly in acceptance. Katara could not read the careful mask of his lined features. 

“Toph,” Suki asked, never taking her eyes from the enemies before her. “What do you think?”

Toph was frowning, gripping the gunwale behind her with her unburned hand. Katara could see how red that burned palm was where it hovered near her belly. Not blistering yet, and not scorched, but it must hurt terribly. Healing had to wait, though.

“He’s...” Toph’s unseeing eyes narrowed like what she was getting was confusing, but then her expression relaxed and she smirked very faintly. “A little truth, a little lies. But who cares? Why don’t we just ransom them both?”

“Good thinking,” Sokka said with a spreading smile. “Double ransom! I love it almost twice as much!”

The old man, Iroh’s eyes were flicking between them, taking them in with shrewd cunning. They paused on Aang and finally came to rest on Katara. “Is one of you the captain,” he asked mildly, “or is this some kind of collective or something?”

“There’s no captain,” Katara said quickly before Sokka could launch into his twelve-point lecture on why he should be in charge. “We don’t need a captain to come to a consensus.” She looked back at Sokka and Suki. “Double ransom works for me. Suki?”

Suki went on watching the old man closely. “I don’t like the idea of two firebenders in the brig. Twice as much trouble if they get loose.”

“Well,” Aang weighed in carefully, still finding his feet in the group dynamic, “the Fire Nation - I mean, you know, historically - highly values honor and an honor-bound oath is generally considered unbreakable...”

“Nice!” Sokka turned a wide, knowing grin on the two firebenders in question. “Swear on your honor that you won’t try to escape.”

“No,” the prince sneered. “How stupid do you think we are?”

“I swear on my honor that I will not attempt to escape,” the old man said.

“Uncle!”

Toph grinned. “Oh, he means that. What are you gonna do, Prince Pretty-hair? Let this old guy get taken hostage on his own?”

“Don’t call me that! It’s Prince Zuko, you uncultured little boor!”

“Actually, Toph’s a boar,” Sokka corrected, delighting in his own clever wordplay and peering around at the rest of them with a ‘get it?’ look. “As in flying? As in Bei Fong?”

Aang laughed. “Good one, Sokka!”

“She’s almost too cultured to be a pirate,” Sokka went on smugly, “but we gave her special permission because she’s so cool.”

“Yeah,” Toph said and spat on the deck. “I’m a fancy lady just like you.”

“Rraugh!”

Katara watched the prince roar out dazzling flames that briefly drove back the night and lit up his furious face and the strong column of his throat and his pale, muscular chest between the bands of steel that held him. He really was cut like a statue, his body a weapon well-honed for combat. 

She wasn’t, like, attracted to him or anything; he was evil and he represented everything she hated and sought to fight in the world... but the sight of him - the hot spark of his element in combination with the precise, powerful movement of his body - was... kind of exciting. 

And watching him get teased into a fury was amusing, too.

Abruptly, Katara realized the old man was watching her. Whatever he saw on her unguarded face, it must have been telling. His eyes were a little wide in surprise that swiftly morphed into a sort of contained delight. Before Katara could become fully embarrassed, Iroh spun around to peer up at his nephew with wide, guileless eyes, holding out his hands beseechingly.

“Prince Zuko, you must see reason! Surely you will not leave me to suffer alone at the hands of these dastardly scoundrels!”

The prince broke from his rage to gape at his uncle in stunned incredulity. Then he huffed and rolled his eyes and ground out words through his clenched teeth. “No..! Uncle, I wouldn’t leave you, but-”

“Then you must swear on your honor to not attempt an escape,” the old man cried, clutching his hands to his chest. “After all, we will only be held captive by these ruthless criminals for the time it takes the ransom demand to be answered.”

There was something in the prince’s eyes. Confusion, reluctance, hurt. “The Fire Lord-”

“I know, my nephew,” he said more gently. “His response is sure to come quickly. I have no doubt we will be free again in a matter of days.”

Katara glanced at Toph and found her squinting, still reading the conversation. Whatever subtext was passing between the two firebenders, she wasn’t picking up on any outright lies. But still, it was kind of a weird exchange.

“Perhaps,” the old man went on, “if we cooperate, these ruffians will not subject us to any cruel misuse.” Slowly, he turned a speculative eye back on them - and paused on Katara in particular. “But who can say with pirates?”

Katara screwed up her face and shrugged combatively back at him as if to say What did I do?

“Tch. They’re hardly pirates at all,” the prince muttered testily. 

He followed his uncle’s stare though and Katara felt again the prickling warm wash of his scrutiny. 

Katara was very familiar with lustful stares. She had blushed under the eyes of a great many boys and men in her long journey with Sokka and then Suki and, later, Toph. She had explored and pruned attraction into friendship with so many steady Earth Kingdom boys. She had watched desire fade from the eyes of Northern tribesmen when she so much as hinted at her ambitions. She had endured predatory assessments that came at the front end of a fight and wilted away by the end. (The heat snuffed right out of most firebenders when they realized she was the stronger bender.)

Not this firebender, though. Even when she beat him, he wasn’t beaten. Not really. He simply refused to be done. So annoying. 

So exciting.

The way this prince, Zuko, looked at her... it was subtly different from any of those other men or boys who came before. His eyes didn’t linger obviously on her body. He didn’t undress her with his eyes. He didn’t lick his lips or hitch a brow or smirk knowingly or secretly stroke his stalk of grass with his tongue. There was almost no sign at all that there was desire there. But Katara could feel it when his yellow eyes fixed on her and narrowed. It was just there, like seething coals tucked under swaddles of ash in the cook pit, ready and hungry and waiting to be stoked... should an inferno become desired.

“Fine.” Prince Zuko said it with a hard, sardonic quirk of his lips, as if this was all some pointless exercise, the end result of which he already knew. “I swear on my honor I won’t try to escape.”

Katara, for reasons she hadn’t entirely hammered out yet, smirked.

[borom1r]

AAAAAAAA @theshakespearetrash sent me another whole ass ask meme for Faramir/Éomer!!!!!! tysm im 😭🥰 (link 2 th meme)

1.)  When did they realize that they were interested in their partner?

I am a strong proponent for “Éomer fell head over heels the moment he saw Faramir,” and the more he learned the more that feeling grew 💛

I think Faramir took longer just bc of how much fucking Baggage he’s carrying. definitely thinks Éomer is hot but is unlikely to even acknowledge that as a possibility for a time. I do think he kind of throws himself at Éowyn at first skfhsh (there’s genuine love there from both parties dgmw but You Know My Feelings On The Book Scene. I think Éowyn sitting him down + going “hey. I care about you. But I am a Shieldmaiden and I fought long and hard for a place of respect amongst the Riders, which I won’t happily give up. I would be content with you, but not HAPPY. I want happiness for both of us, Fara” is when it kind of sinks in that he’s like, still very much trying to appease the expectations of. Gondorian society?? His dead father?? Both? These things that never made him happy??? + that’s a bit of a wake-up)

2.)  Who confessed? How?

Éomer confessed for sure. I don’t think it’s very grand or anything, more just “I have feelings for you and I intend to court you. Are you comfortable with that?” — which I do think Faramir quite appreciates (both in the sense of He Doubts Anyone Could Truly Be Interested In Him, so the open declaration that Yes, Éomer IS Into Him is just very nice?? but also the respectfulness of Asking if he’s okay with being courted)

3.)  Describe their first date.

Éomer steals him away to Rohan for a week for SURE. Fully just “I need to get this man out of Gondor if I’m ever going to see him truly relaxed.”

takes Faramir swimming in a river + Éomer fishes for their lunch (bc nothing tastes better than catching your food + cleaning + eating it all right there, man). I do think it’s very nice for both of them, bc Faramir’s a ranger yeah but Éomer’s a Rider?? A man used to spending most of his life on horseback, sleeping in the dirt, etc— much like Faramir. so there’s an immediate sort of understanding there, and an ability to shrug of the expectations of King and Prince

4.)  Describe their first kiss.

The first kiss Éomer initiates? I think Éomer is very open with physical affection when he’s not in Soldier Mode. If you grew up with an older sibling Actively in combat and a younger sibling DETERMINED to fight as well, you’re not gonna waste moments to show that you care. Lots of arms around Faramir’s waist, kisses pressed to his shoulders, his cheeks, his nose, taking his hand and kissing his knuckles— anything that’ll make Faramir smile or blush. I think Éomer’s first kiss was very casual, probably passing by Faramir while he read and just kissed the top of his head.

The first kiss Faramir initiates.. I do like to think it’s on their “first date,” sometime while they’re in Rohan together for the first time. Faramir probably thanked Éomer for this, the vacation— and Éomer, just “there’s nothing to thank me for, I want to see you happy. your smile is thanks enough” + Faramir NEEDS to kiss that man in that moment. Tender + full of everything he doesn’t have the words for, their foreheads resting together when they separate..

5.)  Describe their first time having sex.

NERVES ABOUND, BABY!!!!!! Éomer, who desperately wants it to be Good by like, Gondorian Prince standards, but who’s only ever rolled around in the proverbial hay with other Riders? Panicking. Faramir, with all the fear of “this man is extremely hot and I want him so bad but I Am Transgender, will he be normal about that?????” Also panicking. Both trying to hide it. Both definitely a little tipsy, absolutely drank more than they should’ve at dinner.

Éomer bangs his shins on the bedframe. Faramir trips over his own clothes trying to get out of them. Both of them are, at least, laughing at that point. And I think, like— this is sth I’ve touched on in various posts discussing Rohirric Gender Conceptions but your Lik (body) + Hamr (appearance) not matching is a normal thing that happens, so Éomer has none of that Fun Gondorian Weirdness around Faramir’s body. Fully just, “ahhhhh okay I see why you were nervous— you’ve been in Gondor too long. what will make you comfortable? I want you to feel good”

and I do think Faramir was winding himself up for the worst and it takes a moment for it to click that like. Éomer just. sees him as another man? full stop. no need to justify his body, not being treated like a trophy to claim, just. He Is A Man. and at the same time Éomer is acknowledging that yes, they are both men but they DO have different Liks. where can he touch Faramir? what feels best? does Faramir like to be penetrated or should they do something else? and Faramir just, again, like.. augh. Earth-shattering for him tbh

6.)  Who cooks?  Describe their cooking.

ÉOMER COOKS!!!!!!!!! Faramir can cook the basics over a campfire to survive. Éomer definitely joined his mother (+ later his sister) in the kitchen just for fun. I think he likes cooking a lot when he gets the chance to do it; if he can turn out a good roast?? oh baby that’s everything!! lots of grain dishes with ale, duck soup, creamy fish stews too, yummmm (as per the usual, when I think of Rohirric food I am thinking of Iron-Age Norse food. I’ve had the fortune to be at multiple viking feasts hosted by a chef who specializes in recreating that era’s recipes + it’s ALL insanely good)

7.)  What do they like most about one another?

Oh don’t get Éomer started, he could wax poetic about Faramir for hours. Unendingly patient, beautiful, kind, whip-smart, insanely witty when he’s comfortable enough to joke around???? Man of Éomer’s dreams for real. Not to mention he’s great with horses!

Faramir loves how open Éomer is. He’s so strong, yes, an excellent soldier and leader, but he is also so deeply caring and so free with his emotions. He knows when to rein that side of himself in, but he also knows when to reassure his men, when to take a moment for mourning, when to celebrate. He’s open, and he’s willing to learn and understand— he may not have to patience to sit and read compendiums of elvish poetry, but he’ll happily sit and listen while Faramir discusses it. because if Fara is passionate about it, he’d like to know about it too

8.)  What do they like least about one another?

Éomer talks in his sleep. That definitely took Faramir some time to get used to skfhhdh

I do think Éomer also got frustrated at first when Faramir would go nonverbal, more from his own inability to HELP than directly at Faramir, but all the same. he starts trying to learn Gondorian sign so he doesn’t feel quite so useless in those moments

9.)  What is the most common cause of conflict between them?

Miscommunications, for sure. Éomer is extremely direct and is used to getting directness back; Faramir grew up in Gondor with Denethor for a father and does carry that suspicion of ulterior motives, waiting for the other shoe to drop, bc surely Éomer will eventually realize he’s The Worst Person Alive and leave him??? takes some time to unpack all that. (it does help when Éomer eventually learns More abt Denethor and it kind of clicks, and he tells Faramir “if I was upset I would not hide it, that’s not the kind of man I am. You never have to fear that from me.”)

10.)  What is their sexual dynamic like?

Éomer’s a Rider for a reason 👀

jk, but I do think Éomer’s the one to initiate most of the time. + he is reeeeeeaaaally enthusiastic about Faramir’s strap. as he should be!! I do also think it reaches a moment where Faramir’s just kind of amused by how much Éomer desires him. definitely teases Éomer about how all the stories abt the Rohirrim they tell in Gondor are true

Faramir’s sitting at his desk surrounded by papers, hair done up in a messy bun w ink smudges on his hands, his nose, definitely got a little in his hair somehow + Éomer just. “I need you so bad it makes me look stupid” meanwhile Faramir is laughing like “this is the least attractive I’ve looked all day, what are you talking about???”

11.)  How do they express their love?  (Some people are physical, others rely on compliments and gestures, some give their time, etc).

Éomer is physical affection, Faramir is gestures + they both express it thru time spent together

12.)  What is each partner’s favorite kind of date?

Quiet time together tbh :) that’s always been Faramir’s favorite; Éomer does still like going Out with Faramir, but he’s grown to appreciate the quiet intimacy of a night in with no other worries

13.)  What do they do together on a day in?

A day in with no pressure/responsibilities? Lazy breakfast, bathe together. Faramir will sit and read, maybe they’ll spar together (partly as an excuse to get back into the bath together, if Éomer’s being honest), equally lazy lunch + dinner, share some mead and talk or just rest by the fire

14.)  Who do they talk to when they want to complain about their partner, or when they have a relationship problem?

Faramir goes to Éowyn lmao. “You will not BELIEVE what your brother just did!!!” + Éowyn, always willing to hear more dirt on her brother, “👀 do tell?”

Éomer complains to Aragorn tbh. Realistically he isn’t gonna complain to his men bc he doesn’t want them to think poorly of Fara, who’s already an outsider, and he KNOWS as much as Éowyn WOULD help him, she’d also be a little shit about it. Aragorn at least can be unbiased and well understands the Layers Of Gondorian Bullshit that need to be unpacked. bc Boromir is ALSO unpacking said layers of bullshit. they commiserate together

15.)  How do they spend their weekends?

Out In The Wilderness. Riding the sprawling plains of Rohan, or exploring the forests of Ithilien— depends on where they are, but these men are definitely out in the dirt somewhere

16.)  What kind of couple’s vacations and getaways do they prefer?

ndjfhshfjn responsibilities generally prevent long vacations, but Faramir HAS taken Éomer to the coast of Dol Amroth ☺️

17.)  What is each person’s type?  Does their partner meet this, or are they an atypical match for them?

oh they are Definitely each other’s type lmao.

18.)  How do they complement one another?

they balance each other SO well. Éomer is genuinely great at bringing Faramir out of his shell, patient + understanding enough that Faramir feels comfortable, but dogged enough to still nudge Faramir forward. + Faramir is excellent at softening Éomer’s rough edges, reminding him he CAN relax (even though there’s still danger in the world, yes, it is greatly diminished and the people he loves are all very capable. things Will be fine)

19.)  What physical trait do they like most about one another?

me 🤝🏻 Éomer + loving Faramir’s nose. I also like to think Faramir is a shoulders guy

20.)  Assuming they move in together, who asked whom?  

Éomer asked Faramir. I think he got fed up with seeing the shift in Faramir’s demeanor every time he returns to Gondor, the way he draws in on himself.

21.)  Should they marry, who proposes?  How?

teehee, I wrote a fic abt this already :3 technically Éowyn proposed on Éomer’s behalf to Boromir, who accepted on Faramir’s behalf lmao (it’s Bad Manners to make the proposal yourself + worse still to make it directly to your lover)

22.)  Describe the wedding.

RAGH I could talk for way too long abt Rohirric custom and sword exchanges and everything so I’m just gonna Link The Fic

23.)  Where do they live?  What is their home like?

They live in Meduseld, in Rohan— their personal quarters are very cozy. Lots of furs, wool blankets in reds and golds and greens. Wooden furniture; Éomer had shelves installed for Faramir so he would have a place for his favorite texts, a little writing desk. I hold that Meduseld, because it’s a rich hall, would have horn-paned windows (soaked and sliced into thin panels), which cast rooms in a really soft, hazy warm light. It’s just a very cozy set of rooms