#i am so very much loving dungeons and drag queens!

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (2-8 Jul 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Crawling on Back to You (rainbow_nerds) - 109K, steddie - a canon-divergent everyone lives AU, lapsed childhood friends-to-lovers steddie

😍Lima Charlie (One-EyedBossman (desert000rose), SecretFandomStories) - 71K, Differently Okay Local Idiots #9, modern no-powers stucky - reread, when a new episode comes out I always have reread the prior ep, these stories are so packed with emotion

😍This Sacred Trust (One-EyedBossman (desert000rose), SecretFandomStories) - 71K, Differently Okay Local Idiots #10 - 'kintsugi' is the word that comes to mind when I read this series - they're seeing how their very jagged edges fit together and making something strong & beautiful out of them

💖💖 +106K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

mission parameters (shipyrds) - DCU: SuperBat, 33K - fake relationship for a mission! actual feelings! that's the good stuff!

WHO IS EDDIE MUNSON FUCKING (beetlesandstars, witchjeons) - Stranger Things: steddie, 2K - absolutely hilarious 'eddie accidentally sexts the group chat and now everyone is determined to figure out who he's fucking' - reread, someone reminded me of this story and I love it so

If I Could Stop the Clock With You Tonight (Voylitscope_speed) - MCU: stucky, 10K - modern no-powers AU - Natasha gets Steve a private chef for his birthday, but there's something familiar about him…

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Speed

Nimona

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Independence Day [my dad's tradition is to watch this every 4 Jul]

Clue

D20: Dungeons and Drag Queens - "Queens on a Quest" (s18, e1)

D20: Adventuring Party - "The Illuminati Invented Sandwiches" (s13, e1)

D20: Dungeons and Drag Queens - "Welcome to the Underworld" (s18, e2)

D20: Adventuring Party - "The Bloods and The Crypts" (s13, e2)

Um, Actually - s8, e8

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books - 569. Romance in Libraries with Robin Bradford

ICYMI Plus - The Subreddit Teeming with Crime, Complaints and Candles

⭐The Sporkful -The Enslaved Chefs At Monticello Who Created American Cuisine

⭐Vibe Check - Vibe Check LIVE! Featuring Penn Badgley

What Next: TBD - The Trouble With TikTok Songs

Stuff The British Stole - Bottles in the Basement

Radiolab - The Cataclysm Sentence

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Trans Representation In TV And Film

Dear Prudence Plus - I Hate My Fiancé’s Mustache—but He Refuses to Get Rid of It. Help!

Into It - A Messy 2023 So Far: Ranking Celebrity Breakups and Songs of the Summer

American Hysteria - Hot Dog Urban Legends with Comedian Jamie Loftus

Endless Thread - Best of Summer: Swimming Hole - The man, the myth, the leap

⭐Ologies with Alie Ward - Curiology (EMOJI) Part 1 with Various Emoji Experts

ICYMI Plus - How Reddit Turned On Its Creator

Re: Dracula - July 8: Method in His Madness

Radiolab - Man Against Horse

Welcome to Night Vale - Bonus Episode: The Process

You Are Good - Twister w. Niko Stratis

Re: Dracula - Bonus 4: Queering the Gothic

99% Invisible #543 - In Proximity: Ryan Coogler and Roman Mars

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Dancing Queen [Cher] {2018}

Cher

Presenting Johnny Cash

[superineffable]

let me yap for a bit. i'm tired but have thoughts so i'm gonna let it out here.

i've been a member of dropout for only 5 months so far (been a fan longer but decided to buy a membership as a birthday gift to myself 💙 best gift ever) and i knew i wanted to get into d20 because i keep seeing out of context clips for it and i find them so funny even though i've never had any interest in dnd or any ttrpg content. so i started watching fantasy high because it was the first released season for d20 and because junior year was being posted/teased at the time. my thoughts were that by the time i finish the two seasons of fantasy high i could get to junior high in time for the finale. unfortunately, i did not expect to have my attention span challenged 💀

i loveee the characters (gorgug is so beloved to me) and i love the stories and the quests but sometimes the lore takes a serious turn for way too long than i can pay attention for and i zone out, so i'll be honest, there are parts of the story that i only piece together by context clues. but i enjoyed s1! and i'm still at s2. it's a bit harder to get through because there aren't any of the props or editing they had back then and it's a full livestream so i'm taking longer than i expected to get through the episodes. but i'm liking the story (though there are still some moments where i don't pay attention haha)

anyway! that really ruined my plan to watch junior high around the same time everyone else was watching it. prior to realizing junior year was ongoing, my plan was to watch the d20 shows in order of release, but, evidently, that isn't possible! i cannot pay attention despite wanting to 😭

i decided i'll finish fantasy high on my own time, put all the other d20 shows on hold because i cannot handle them together (i promise you, i don't think i fully understand the mechanics of the game yet). then watch one of the following once im done with junior year: dungeons and drag queen (cause i saw that clip of twyla and her thinking she's invisible), mentopolis (first d20 ep i watched when it was one free ep + i liked that clip of alex's character selling newspaper to a pretty aggressive man), starstruck odyssey (cause it sounds so cool), or a crown of candy (probably my first choice of the list, genuinely what i think would be my favorite based from clips i've seen of d20)

so tell me why d20 decided to do an action based story during a time in my life when i'm binging through action movies for no reason other than i felt like watching actions movies?! i had gone through the realization i didn't enjoy action movies as much if there's no comedy in it, so they really made sure to make an action comedy themed d20 show for me to enjoy (though i know brennan made it for izzy which makes this 100000x better). when i saw the trailer i kinda lost my mind, which was so weird because i genuinely haven't kept up with d20 shows except when i figured out which one was best to watch. then i made the decision to watch the first ep when it came out and i laughed so much 😭 it was the first d20 ep where i was genuinely devastated i finished an episode because it hit me that there isn't a next one until the next week. and then i was again devastated because it was only going to run for a couple of episodes 😭😭

but i am soooo obsessed with nsbu! paula is my everything and izzy plays her so wonderfully i am laughing as much as all the players when i'm listening to the show which is not good since i listen at work 😃 there's still very tiny moments where i get lost but i get swept up in the action again and it's soooo fcking cool and funny and i love all the characters so much oh my god im so happy there's another episode soon sjfhwknskks this really ruined my plans to watch everything in order, but i cannot hate it. i love this show so much.

i'm still watching sophomore year in between! almost donee !!! because i'm watching ally playing on nsbu & sophomore year at the same time, i really get the comments that are amused about the irony of ally being the one to keep the table on track. (actually wanted to watch d20 shows in order of release because i liked seeing someone's growth in learning a skill and wanted to see ally slowly get better at playing, but this is real good too.)

ok this went on too long i am Exhausted now. i really just wanted to say how much i love nsbu and that it's given me a whole new appreciation for d20 & other ttrpg (even though i think they mentioned they've done something different mechanics-wise)! if there's anyone who also wants to enjoy this veryyy long shows but get lost in the deep lore or the serious moments sometimes pls give nsbu a try because this is one of the most fun things i've watched in a while 💛

edit: also very cute i'm watching d20 live and they keep saying "when you're here, you're family" and i keep hearing nsbu saying "la familia" in my head

[motsimages]

A thing I am enjoying about Dungeons and Drag Queens is something completely unrelated to role playing games or this adventure but that is human nature: copying skills.

It is a thing we all do but we don't notice when we are doing it and it is how we learn. I love seeing people learn so this is extra fun for me.

You can see how Bob quickly picked up the describing from Brennan as soon as they began and you can see how little by little throughout the episodes, Monet starts to feel more confident in describing actions and feelings too the way she sees Brennan, Bob and Jujubee doing it.

You can also feel how the rules of body language and jokes develop because they copy each other. There is the obvious things like wishing together for a 20, and there is the more subtle things like actually impersonating your character or gesturing in a certain way.

Brennan sets the tone, invites them to describe and participate as they see fit and, each at their pace and ability, do so. Sometimes it is very subtle and for some it comes easier than for others but it is interesting because when you are playing, you are busy playing, you don't notice that everyone at your table is also doing this.

And this actually happens in any setting. You see how people do things around you and you follow them as you perceive it and understand it and feel confortable with it. Some people are fast in copying, so much so that it disguises the fact that they may not be as fluent in whatever it is their doing (Bob), some copy fast regardless on how well they are understanding or disguising the process of learning (Jujubee), some start slow but firmly pick it up (Monet) and for others it is confusing for a long time or maybe it is not really their thing or they don't know how to apply what they are seeing to themselves (Alaska), but it is always there and it comes quite naturally to humans in general.

So yeah, unexpectedly, one of the things I'm enjoying the most is that I am being able to see one of my favourite things about learning in action.

[takaraphoenix]

My Ranking of D20 Campaigns

So I actually managed to watch all of them (or all that are out so far; not counting the still ongoing Junior Year yet) and since I like making lists, I drafted this post early on to keep track of which I love the most and how that love changed whenever I started watching a new campaign.

A Starstruck Odyssey

The Seven

A Court of Fey and Flowers

The Unsleeping City: Chapter II

The Unsleeping City

Mice and Murder

Burrow’s End

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year

A Crown of Candy

Pirates of Leviathan

Escape From the Bloodkeep

Coffin Run

Dungeons and Drag Queens

Mentopolis

Misfits and Magic

Fantasy High

Ravening War

Tiny Heist

Neverafter

Shriek Week

This was actually really, really hard, because the recency bias usually has me go “this is SO SO GOOD”.

I started watching D20 back in April last year, Misfits and Magic was the first campaign I watched - and The Seven was, I think, maybe the fifth or so? And it was my number one for the longest time. I love the girls, both the characters and the players, I love the plot, I love everything about that campaign. It is so heart-wrecking with the emotions it goes through for them all.

But then I watched A Starstruck Odyssey and it just hit all the right spots - the found family crew of a spaceship having wacky space-adventures is just something I deeply, deeply love and these characters were so much fun - and has the benefit of being longer and giving me more to fall in love with, I suppose. Still though, the difference between first and second is very narrow.

And I consider 4 and 5 a tie, to be honest. The Unsleeping City is one story, to me, I know the seasons are very distinct, but the flow of it and also my love for both is near equal. This campaign has the highest concentration of favorite PCs for me, like, when I made a list of my favorite Intrepid Heroes characters, their TUC characters all came in as either first or second place. Sophia Lee is the best Emily character ever, I will fight for her.

I am so madly, deeply in love with A Court of Fey and Flowers, which features my favorite PC romance so far, plus an impeccable cousin dynamic between Lou and Emily, also... there’s no fighting. While most fights are somewhat entertaining in DnD, I still remain Just Not An Action Gal and could skip on those in favor of more roleplaying scenes of character development and relationship exploration. And this campaign absolutely hit that spot just right. Plus, the fantasy fairy setting, and Aabria’s wonderful storytelling (how is this woman so talented? She was my first introduction to DnD as a DM, and then I got to see her as a player in the Seven and Pirates of Leviathan and she makes such great choices as a player too).

This list was ridiculously hard to make, because I look at it and I see Mice and Murder only on 6th place even though that definitely was the campaign where I had the hardest time to stop watching, I pulled an all nighter to watch half of it because it had the greatest grip on me, but then I look at the ones I placed higher than it and I can’t find it in me to move any of them lower either.

Recency bias definitely made placing Burrow’s End very hard. Not to repeat myself, but I am madly, deeply in love with Aabria’s storytelling. Combined with talking animals, the family focus, Brennan playing a mom as a PC (moms are my favorite Brennan characters), I have a lot of love for this campaign and I hope so badly that we’ll get a second part.

And here’s the reason why I couldn’t count TUC as one. Because Fantasy High: Sophomore Year ranks so much higher than the first FH for me. This was such a fun, ridiculous story, and it introduced my two favorite NPCs of all campaigns; Ayda and Garthy. It set the bar for FH3 really high and I am looking at Brennan to keep up the great work.

A Crown of Candy is well-placed in the middle. I am not the biggest fan of tragedies and definitely not into character death, but the characters and the world, are so very compelling still, even if I prefer the ones that died over the replacement characters - and that’s what puts it in the middle. Good, but could have been better.

Pirates of Leviathan was short but the characters, the players. Aabria is so so so good in this, it kills me. And she’s not alone. Bob is one of the greatest PCs of Dimension 20, to me, and that is vastly due to Krystina’s talent.

Escape From the Bloodkeep is one of the most surprising campaigns for me. This is a LotR parody that turned out to be way too heartfelt and much more found family than expected and it is great.

And Coffin Run is honestly one of the funniest D20 campaigns and I am wildly in love with about every single decision Izzy Roland made in this campaign. I am also entirely and absolutely gay for every decision Erika Ishii made.

Dungeons and Drag Queens was a very... standard adventure, but the players were so much fun to see. This would honestly be such a good campaign to start your D20 journey with, because the way Brennan eases them in and explains everything is so wonderful, and the excitement and joy of everything new they’re trying is contagious.

Mentopolis was cute, though I’m not big on noir and detective stories so that factors into why it ranks relatively low for me, even though the players and the characters were amazing. Dan Fucks is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

And though the very first campaign I watched, Misfits and Magic didn’t make it too high. Some of it is the bytaste of HP, which I have come to just... not be able to stand anymore even though I am well aware that it’s a parody of it, and the other factor is the length. It’s hard to compete with 10 to 12 episode campaigns, that had so much more time to flesh out dynamics, worlds and characters and make me fall in love with them all, and that’s not really a reflection of the quality of this campaign.

I remain not much of a fan of the first Fantasy High. Maybe because I watched The Seven before this so when I watched FH, it gave me more of a feeling of “why is there a prequel spin-off about Zelda’s boyfriend who never had a proper appearance anyway? My girls should have bigger roles in this??”, but I largely feel that FH1 was more set-up, and the Bad Kids and their story really took off for me in the sequel, which I greatly enjoyed.

While I enjoyed the characters and the players’ dynamic in Ravening War, I am just... I guess I’m generally not much into “and it’s all futile anyway because I know how the story continues and these guys are not in it”? Matter of taste, I guess, but if that has to compete with others, it will lose.

Honestly, I enjoyed Tiny Heist when I watched it and I don’t dislike it, but it’s just so short and didn’t have anything that incredibly stood out to me in a manner that gripped me, so it had a hard time competing with other campaigns that gave me something I deeply fell in love with. 

I don’t like Neverafter, it had some good characters in it but on the overall this absolutely did not vibe with me. Which is a huge disappointment for me as a lover of fairy tale crossovers, but the dark horror approach does not work for me at all.

The only thing that was easy was the bottom of this list, honestly. Shriek Week was, hands down, the only campaign I absolutely did not enjoy. The storytelling was a mess, even before watching the Adventuring Party for it, it was clear that the whole ~villain plot~ was improvised and I still wish it had just... not... been in there.

[stromuprisahat]

For a moment Saera was at a loss for words, but only for a moment. Then she gasped and said, “My Sweetberry? Truly? She…oh, what has she done? Oh, my sweet little fool.” If Septon Barth’s testimony is to be believed, a tear rolled down her cheek. Her mother was not moved. “You know perfectly well what she has done. What all of you have done. We will have the truth from you now, child.” And when the princess looked to her father, she found no comfort there. “Lie to us again, and it will go very much the worse for you,” King Jaehaerys told his daughter. “Your three lords are in the dungeons, you ought know, and what you say next may determine where you sleep tonight.” Saera crumbled then, and the words came tumbling out one after another in a rush, a flood that left the princess almost breathless. “She went from denial to dismissal to quibbling to contrition to accusation to justification to defiance in the space of an hour, with stops at giggling and weeping along the way,” Septon Barth would write. ... “What have you done?” the king said, when at last the princess ran out of words. “Seven save us, what have you done? Have you given one of these boys your maidenhead? Tell me true.” “True?” said Saera. It was in that moment, with that word, that the contempt came out. “No. I gave it to all three. They all think they were the first. Boys are such silly fools.” Jaehaerys was so horrified he could not speak, but the queen kept her composure. “You are very proud of yourself, I see. A woman grown, and nearly seven-and-ten. I am sure you think you have been very clever, but it is one thing to be clever and another to be wise. What do you imagine will happen now, Saera?” “I will be married,” the princess said. “Why shouldn’t I be? You were married at my age. I shall be wedded and bedded, but to whom? Jonah and Roy both love me, I could take one of them, but they are both such boys. Stinger does not love me, but he makes me laugh and sometimes makes me scream. I could marry all three of them, why not? Why should I have just one husband? The Conqueror had two wives, and Maegor had six or eight.” She had gone too far. Jaehaerys rose to his feet and descended from the Iron Throne, his face a mask of rage. “You would compare yourself to Maegor? Is that who you aspire to be?” His Grace had heard enough. “Take her back to her bedchamber,” he told his guards, “and keep her there until I send for her again.” When the princess heard his words, she rushed toward him, crying, “Father, Father!” but Jaehaerys turned his back on her, and Gyles Morrigen caught her by the arm and wrenched her away. She would not go of her own accord, so the guards were forced to drag her from the hall, wailing and sobbing and calling for her father. ... The king was angry and unyielding, for his shame was deeply felt, and he could not forget Saera’s taunting words about his uncle’s wives. “She is no longer my daughter,” he said more than once. Queen Alysanne could not find it in her heart to be so harsh, however. “She is our daughter,” she told the king. “She must be punished, yes, but she is still a child, and where there is sin there can be redemption. My lord, my love, you reconciled with the lords who fought for your uncle, you forgave the men who rode with Septon Moon, you reconciled with the Faith, and with Lord Rogar when he tried to tear us apart and put Aerea on your throne, surely you can find some way to reconcile with your own daughter.” ... That very night, Princess Saera sealed her fate. Instead of remaining in her rooms as she had been instructed, she slipped away whilst visiting the privy, donned a washerwoman’s robes, stole a horse from the stables, and escaped the castle. She got halfway across the city, to the Hill of Rhaenys, but as she tried to enter the Dragonpit, she was found and taken by the Dragonkeepers and returned to the Red Keep.

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

... and the Academy Award for the best actress in 84 AC goes to ...

Fragile, scared Daella HAD TO be married off at fifteen, but her younger sister's not even betrothed at seventeen? No wonder she felt like she's overlooked and she's "acting out".

Why is it such an issue Saera is no longer a virgin? It's not like she's wrong. She's a princess- give her some tea, wait a few months and marry her off. This is one of those cases that nicely show Jaehaerys was very comfortable with Westerosi traditions, and he was more than happy to view women as walking,- annoyingly also talking- cunts.

Men are so quick to disown their children. Is it because they didn't carry them? Does zero investment at the beginning make it so much easier to cut the losses?!

You know what?! I wish Saera had managed to claim a dragon before she got caught. How did Rhaena "start a tradition of giving dragon's egg into Targaryen cradle", when whole generation after, none of the children got it?! Is it because there was so many babies? They weren't worth the effort?!

[roxy206]

Live In Chicago From The Historic Auditorium Theatre — 03/27/2023 | watch here | listen here

THE KATYA VOICEOVERRRR

No because this intro is amazing

THE SHOW CLIPS!

Ngl I do miss seeing them walk out onto stage

The two seconds it takes for Katya to mention her short dress lmao

Thank youuu, thank youuu You’re welcome

I’m in my tanning phase at the same age that you were, when you were in your tanning phase

The two of them saying the hoops 😂

Love wins Love wins

Of course Trixie went for the small dick joke lol

If you’re born naked & the rest is drag how do you criminalize it? 🤣

Okay so you really don’t know about drag queens because we are self-centered assholes

If drag really didn’t heal the world the conservatives wouldn’t care, but because it’s working they’re like we need to stop this

So if anybody knows a youth pastor — seriously though

Katya winking pleaaase

You wouldn’t understand what I’ve been through No, I couldn’t possibly! You’re so brave 😂

Katya laughing at herself is so !

I would but I won’t

I don’t drive so what’s gonna happen to me, d’you know what I mean?

You’re really doing responsibility

Katya talking about being an introvert

I’m sorry but Trixie knowing what story Katya is about to tell … I get immense pleasure out of that

It’s like looking up at the rain but reverse

I started getting a huge boner

Now excuse me I need clarification here on whether Katya literally heard Trixie while she was showering or imagined hearing Trixie

I was in the shower — different time — thinking about this person — 👀👀👀

Dungeons & Dragons bitch

Katya wanting to look exclusively for cuddling on Grindr

Am I nuts like if I just want to like kiss, just a man to kiss & hug?

I didn’t tell you [gasp] New information!

I’m so ashamed to admit that I immediately got hard — Trixie’s reaction 😂

When I ordered Noodles & Company upon your suggestion — AHHHH!

MORE LIVE PODS MORE LIVE PODS MORE LIVE PODSSSSSSS

No I’m gonna tell my dentist story for the twelfth time

Okay wait is it a Massachusetts or New England thing to call it a johnny because … yes that’s what it’s called (I guess so lol)

I don’t want no — I do want scrubs

Do you think he was putting the feelers out? How could you not?

Aww Trixie’s guidance counselor 😭

Trixie looking at Katya saying the bog

I was already feeling emosh & I can’t deal with Katya saying there’s something very poignant & touching about it 🥺

Not them doing a BFF quiz

The fucking irony that Trixie did indeed call her assistant when she was out running & shit her pants

Hold on hold on, Trixie shaved Katya’s back?

What do you MEAN oh you’ve seen me in the back of the bus eating pizza

There’s too much to process here I’m going to need to rewatch this one

What did he say? Cheese. Which is exactly what I would have said — Katya’s laugh when she says cheese 😂

I’ve had a colorful life

Is there a difference? You tell me

I didn’t think anyone knew it was a blowup doll

You told me to watch that movie & I haven’t watched it either

It’s 50 First Dates up here at this point

I can’t believe I haven’t told you this

Wait I can finally tell you this story too!

JAME!

This pod episode was lit

[safely-in-vhagars-belly]

Pillars of salt, pillars of sand (Aegon x oc, Aemond x oc) Chapter 6: A shadow of a conquerer

You were once a princess, now you are Aemond's prisoner. You are taken to King's Landing to bend the knee to Aegon. POV From Aegon.

WARNINGS FOR READING: This fanfiction is dark. It will contain themes as: Non-con, dub-con, dom/sub themes, murder, torture, blood, graphic descriptions of sex, graphic descriptions of murder and graphic description of torture. As well as animal abuse, war crimes, genocide, massmurder, sadism, power-abuse and incestious relationships. Warnings will be updated as the fic goes on.

Aegon’s pov.

I watch, as they drag the princess brat outside to the gardens. My sister went there earlier, with my permission. I could not care where Helaena goes or stands but it was her idea to have Maella in the gardens when we plan her wedding.

It is ironic, in a way. Aemond and I found her repulsive growing up. And yet I would be a fool to not see what a beautiful and fierce woman she has become. The spitting image of a warrior queen. The way she stood up to me and my family, in spite of being my hostage...

It is inspiring and maddening at the same time. I wish I had something, anything that I felt that was worth fighting and dying for. A purpose perhaps. Something to give my empty life meaning.

My grandsire smiles at me as if I am a little boy who can be bought with kindness and not his king. ‘’Aegon. Maella is of age. She is your sister's daughter. You will make her a hostage in this game-’’ Or a deadly enemy.

‘’I do not wish for another wife.’’ I tell him, honestly. ‘’Helaena has done her duty. As have I. If you like her so much; you may take and wed her yourself, Grandsire. You do lack a wife.’’ I spit out at him, in anger.

Otto had a habit of hitting me and Aemond when we were younger and misbehaving. This time he wisely wavers before hitting me. I scoff. ‘’Hitting your king is an act of treason. I would highly advise you to lower your hand, right now.’’ I command him.

He does so and lowers his hand and his eyes.

Aemond mumbles under his breath. He must think me ungrateful. He said before he would marry Helaena had mother asked him. He thinks himself very noble and dutiful. The brat would make a better king.

I tell my grandsire once more that I have no desire in marrying any half Breeds. ‘’It is the truth. I am already busy with one, and keeping seven kingdoms under my belt.’’ I play with the rings around my fingers. A habit from when I'm nervous. ‘’A new wife would complicate things.’’ She would complicate the line of succession even more.

My little brother snaps at me, speaking with more anger than usual. ‘’You won’t have any kingdoms if you won't wed her. What will you have us do with the girl, hm? Keep her in a dungeon until she passes of old age? You should feel honored you are allowed to take a second wife.’’ So many would die for a chance to have two women. Yes. But that is the issue. I don't have these two women. They don't love me. They won't give me love or desire. They will do their duties as will I and everyone will be miserable in the process and we dance as puppets on a string until we all fall to our doom and deaths.

‘’The conqueror had two.’’ Aemond says as if it's an honor. I already carry his sword, his crown and even his name. I feel as if I am forced to relive his life. I feel as a cheap lie, a bastard who will never measure up to his ancestor or any king before him. It is not a king I like being compared to.

I grit my teeth, ignoring the weight of my crown. ‘’You are half-blind, brother, so let me educate you on something: My new wife does not want me. She wants me dead. And all of you as well. We are putting everything at risk with keeping her alive.’’ That is a sensible argument. Maella will stab us all in the back the moment we think she has bent her knee. She will.

My hand stares full of shock. ‘’You want to kill her?’’ It would be an easy road. A clean, nice death. She would not need to suffer. A cup of poison will do.

I nod. ‘’It’s the safest option.’’ We already fed Vhagar Lucerys. What is one more?

My brother turns on his heel and glares at me when scoffing at my plans. ‘’For a coward, yes.’’ He dares call me a coward. I straighten myself and stare him down challenging him to speak any insults to me at all.

‘’Aemond, leave us.’’ Grandsire barks, fed up with us. Aemond's face betrays that he feels insulted that he was sent away as a little boy.

I smirk adding to the insult. ‘’Your king commands you to stay in your rooms for the remainder of the day for your insult.’’ He glares at me.

He marches to the doors before slamming them shut so hard that a few of my banners fall down. ‘’Gladly!’’ He shouts before walking away.

I feel for him. In a way I do. In others not so much. He is always upset and angry since they took that eye from him. He was annoying before, a twat. But I would do anything to get that twat back and see this monster vanish. Which I know will never happen.

My hand moves closer speaking to me as my grandsire. As man atop of a pyramid that can crumble to dust any moment. He makes his voice a low begging threat foreshadowing my future. ‘’If you do not take Maella, your sister will take your throne.’’ I scoff. As if I care who sits that iron old thing. I never wanted duty. I never wished to rule. And now that I have done it a few weeks I can safely say that it is not for me. It is not my destiny. I am living someone else’s. I am the king, yet I am the man with the least power in the realm.

My grandsire reads me as if I am a mere book. He folds his hands on his back and sets a few steps, thinking when he paces around me. ‘’That maybe never mattered to you, but tell me one thing.’’

He looks me in the eyes and I turn away as a coward. ‘’Do you care about us? Do we matter a little? If so: You will do your damn duties and marry that girl. You will force her on her stomach and breed that woman until her belly is swollen with your child.’’ It causes unnecessary images in my head. My brother's other eye poked out before he was fed to Syrax. My sister Helaena who cries as Rhaenyra slays our children with a sick grin on her lips and my mother Alicent who is raped by Daemon for all the insults she had done to him and his family.

Some of it is not rational. Daemon never eyed my mother with anything less than disgust. Any fool can see that he loves Rhaenyra. But fears aren't always rational.

Some of it won't come true. Some of it might. But it does not matter. I won't let it come true.

I walk to the window that overlooks the gardens, and see how Helaena does her best to comfort a crying Maella. I am intrigued by her real self. This woman shows her true feelings. I doubt I will ever have the pleasure of meeting the real Maella. Us royals rarely show our true selves. We live in palaces but hide behind ugly yet pretty masks made of porcelain and gold.

Grandsire takes my attention away from the raven haired beauty. ‘’Because if you do not: Rhaenyra will take your throne, and put all of us to death. Your mother, me, your sister, your children and Aemond. All of us will die if you don’t do this.’’ He knows just what to say to make me take my duties seriously. I do not care much, safe for them. They are my whole world. If I need to rape a princess for to keep them safe, I will.

Grandsire becomes desperate as he begs me to take her to wife. I begin to crumble and to doubt. ‘’You can pretend to fuck another woman. You can beat and degrade her as much as you like but you will consummate your marriage to her.’’ He knows of my perversions. I am slightly disgusted that my own grandsire knows that. Even if he is eager to use our spies and even if he is my hand he should not know my sexual preferences. What I do with a woman is my business no one else's.

‘’When am I to marry her?’’ I ask him, my mind wandering. We must do it quickly. She is a princess. With her purity she would make a strong ally and a pawn. I see that it is my task to take it from her. No matter how unpleasant it will be.

Otto is always planning and today is not any different. ‘’A grand ceremony will be held in the sept over a week. Royalty from other countries and rulers will be invited and Maella will be prepared for the event and be taught what to say-’’ I can imagine how they will teach her. The same way my grandsire taught me and Aemond.

I sharply interrupt him speaking over him as if he is a mere fly. ‘’There is one demand for my consent in this marriage. You will do well to keep this in mind. I will marry her. I will take her as my wife and bed her.’’

‘’As her king but also as her husband. If anyone has an issue with her attitude or anything else, they will come to me and I will discipline the young princess. No one else will even touch her hair unless I allow it. Is that understood?’’ I demand him.

He has big eyes and is impressive as if he is truly seeing the monster he created finally stand up. ‘’Yes.’’

I chuckle. ‘’O, grandsire. You consent so quickly. You see. Would you change your mind halfway through and..allow guards to touch her, I will divorce her.’’ I promise him.

‘’That would be not advisable.’’ All good things aren't. Drinking is not advisable. Fucking three women at once is not advisable. Riding a dragon when drunk is not advisable. There are fools who live their lives in fear of their own shadows, and there are fools who try to reach the sun until it burns them.

I am the second one. I always am, in a way. My father's second child. The second of my name. The second choice. Always.

Maella is sobbing outside of the court. ‘’Now, as for the time of the ceremony...I want to change the time. I do not wish to marry this week, next week, or the month after that…’’ there is simply no time for all of that. We don't have time for Daemon and Rhaenyra to steal her back. We don't have time for traitors and all the other parades of drama and intrigue. We have no time for any of it.

She will be heartbroken. She once was in love with me. She called it that way. She was a few years younger than me, and it was more of a crush. She had just learned the concept of marriage and was convinced I would make a perfect husband. She would stalk me and bug me and one day I snapped and threw her doll into the river.

She never spoke to me again. Until today. ‘’I wish to marry her tonight.’’ I say my voice is unchallenged. I need to marry her as soon as possible.

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

- Blue Eye Samurai (TV) - Heard a lot of buzz around this and decided to check it out with my family, which in hindsight I do not recommend doing (Lots of sex). While I'm not sure I agree with everyone who put it on the top of their best of 2023 lists as it's currently incomplete story and slight tonal issues don't lend it to masterpiece status, I do see the hype - I quite liked it. The art direction was incredible and Mizu's character design and presentation were peak, It was engaging throughout with a lot of good dialogue and reveals, and the fight choreography was fire. I might do a rewatch sometime soon as I think it lends itself well to one.

- Pokemon Legends Arceus (Video Games) - Played while on vacation, mostly during the plane rides, in order to finish up some quests I had unknowingly forgot post game. It was fun to revisit, though I don't quite want to replay it anytime soon. Anyway I still really like a lot of the hisuain designs and animations even if the games visuals weren't exactly top notch.

- The Gray Man (Movie) - Vacation watch with my dad, mediocre action movie with a decent premise but lackluster end. Chris Evans was clearly having fun so good for him and I did like how often they switched locations but overall the movie was pretty predictable with not a lot of interesting characters or themes or anything. Still it was fine, nothing offense just nothing deep.

- The S classes that I Raised (Webcomic) - Yup yup.

- Cyberpunk Edgerunners (Anime) - Not much to say yet but I like the animation style and instrumentals so far.

- Delicious in Dungeon (Anime) - Lovely so far, makes me very hungry while watching and as a fellow monster lover Laois being an autistic boy with a monster hyper-fixation is great. I've been told the world-building here is really great and the story gets surprisingly complex so looking forward to that, though I like the simplicity and gradual details of these first episodes as well.

- Mage and Demon Queen (Webcomic) - Still reading, still cute.

- One Piece (Anime) - Going through a little bit slower thanks to a one week vacation to Arizona, but we've made it through the Time Skip and Fishman Island arc. I am excited to see the New World and everyone's new abilities, but I'm pretty disappointed in how almost all of the time skip designs are downgrades from the originals - why are they all so white?? Oh well at least they change outfits frequently. Fishman Island was fine, I think it dragged quite a bit and the villain was lame but I like Jinbe and getting more world lore and downtime with the straw hats.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - Was happy to see some Yanfei crumbs in the last event, looking forward to Lantern Rite.

Listening To: Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall, How Did You Love by Shinedown, The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives, Bad Idea Right? by Olivia Rodrigo, Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift, Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan, All the Boys by Panic! at the Disco, Can’t Catch Me Now cover by Annapantsu, Better Than I Know Myself by Adam Lambert, As it Was cover by Reinaeiry

[fangirlshrewt97]

D20 - Dungeons and Drag Queens Ep 2 Notes

Oh man, I am so far behind. I will try to finish the other two episodes within the next week if possible. Let’s see. 

---

I love Jujubee placing herself in the middle of the group. No one will come at her first

"But you're the oldest one here trying to die bitch" LOLOL

"But I'm not dead. [...] And since I'm not alive...Bitch!" That is Jujubee's second retraction after accidentally eating the magical seed. Love the table just falling over themselves at these antics. "What did you roll a one?  A one on steath?"

"If you roll a one, we are going to end up with a guppy.: Bob with the incredible quips once again.

"Did she lose her sense of fashion" Brennan just losing it while Monet just looks so done and disappointed.

Alaska's expression whenever she goes into character is top notch, that growling face

"Dinner is served!" "Is she going to fucking eat us...we're rotting?!" LOL

Monet jumping into the explanation before Brennan even asks her to. So excited, so cute.

Gertrude's attack was so cool.

Here we go with Brennan making all his players cry again. This man's storytelling abilities are awe-inspiring

"What the going gets tusk, the tusk gets going." All of these character taglines are so on point.

Awww this uncle is so sweet.

Lol Troyan forgeting the spell letting them take characters across the river is so perfect.

Them rushing to write down the name of the Goddess is also very nice. They are great first time DnD players!

Damn Nyruth is handsome too. The character artists for this season really went all out (But then again, they always do at D20).

Oh my god Jujubee is so chaotic, the others spend half the show just trailing behind trying to clean up their mess. Brennan must love her for it.

"I wanna get wet." Brennan stop! God why does it always make me blush when he just says stuff like that!

Jujubee is so proud of the Monet X Change pun lololol

"I can disguise myself as a flashlight" Lol, I don't know how much jujubee genuinely wants to play, and how much she just wants to cause chaos, but I love her for it.

I kind of wish we had gotten a chane to see Brennan's expression as the Queens are discussing this double crossing plan.

Unbelieve Brennan, oh my god. Just playing on the Paula Abdul bit.

I like the flash cuts to Alaska's reactions to the antics of Bob and Jujubee, where she is just mentally rolling her eyes, like what is happening right now?/are you serious?

Oh my god, "Dispel his Dispel Magic". So convoluted

Holy shit, three ones! Oh no that jack that is going to eat them.

Did Monet just try to trick Brennan the DM abut what dice to use? Lol

"D'Hamia - Snatched and Thirsty" the captions are superb

"I pour your tea in a bucket" Glad to see them all remembering Princess's size lol.

All of them playing out what's the best plan is actually so nice. Like they are really leaning into the RP this season, because for newbies, a ton of combat would be heard. And it's nice seeing the Queens trying to logic out what would be the best moves to do. Even if their dice don't always let them.

"4" "Hundred" Twyla is so chaotic, my god, she always just does the most insane choice. ...I really want her to play with Emily (RIP their poor DM)

Ooooh Troyan's mom is only saving herself...

"She sounds like an alcoholic" Brennan has been wheeze laughing so much this episode, it's delightful

Oof, brutal revelation

"It wasn't like 'Hey girl!'" Brennan's expression is so funny

D'Hamia interactions with Princess are great

"We are going to pimp out our orc friend." Bob is just killing it with the one liners.

---

Oh god this preview is so dramatic lol

---

That was a good episode! I can see the campaign will likely be very light in combat, which makes sense, the Queens are making the RP and character choices that are so entertaining and fun to watch. Excellent season so far.

[deelovesbooks]

so i only started watching d20 this year and i started with Neverafter man what a ride! I loved it so much and I'll be back to watch it again sometime I love little red and my frog man so much lmao

and then once that was finished, I decided hmm let's do A Crown of Candy that seems fun! And this was of course while I'm in the middle of 3rd year so I don't have A Lot of time and honestly just added to my extremely high stress levels already. (I haven't actually finished the campaign yet 😬 classes ramped up and it much stress abounded lmao I think there's like 4 eps left? After the betrayal and jet dying and meeting Frostwhip and rescuing Jawbreaker I believe I've seen the episode after jawbreaker is rescued and that's the last. I will come back eventually when I'm less stressed and farther from metal breakdown lol)

And then I watched the first and I think second? episode of dungeons and drag queens. And I truly enjoyed it! I will return to watching it and finish it for sure I just got very deep into school and had no time and then breakdown era lmao

Then I watched Mentopolis! My friend and I both watched and talked theories and honestly I loved it. Just so good, I believe made me cry. Will likely rewatch.

And now I am Obsessed with Burrow's End. Like, I don't even know how to put it in words. (Is it probably because Im mentally unwell right now and under vast stress and strain and have been since September? Lmao probably a small contributing factor) but like I have rewatched episodes already in this season it's that fucking good.

And now while waiting for the weekly episode to drop rather than doing any of my truly enormous list of Extremely important and Critical things to do, I decided I haven't had enough of d20 and I needed more Aabria DM in my life rn. So now I am honestly plowing my way through a court of fey and flowers and I'm in love. Ok Chirp and Squawk are truly marvelous and play off eachother so damn well I am in love with these birds and all the bird puns and references they make endlessly bring me joy. And fucking K P Hob omg 😭 truly going to make me cry this fucking goblin man. I don't really know much about this campaign or what happens but I stg if Hob and Rue don't end up together I will be heartbroken. I just finished the hedge maze EP and honestly up to this point just fucking heartbreaking. But like Holy shit honestly the whole cast is killing it and Aabria bringing the fucking thunder and not even like just A game the fucking A+ extra credit graduate early with honors game holy shit. Like I'm not big into regency, I've never read p&p or seen Downton Abbey or Bridgeton but I've read a few books set in that era and have knowledge of the media and like the cadence and tropes of the genre, so like when I say I'm invested so much I'm like sooo invested. I love all the mechanics with the tokens and the letters and the rumors especially it's amazing. Truly revolutionary and groundbreaking and in the least creepy way possible I would give Aabria a kidney her work is just so amazing.

Anyways! The point I started making this with was that I can't wait until I finish acofaf so that way I can actually go through the tags without getting spoiled!

[takoichigo]

Haven't written in a while. Honestly it's hard to string thoughts together now without getting distracted halfway through or rambling on forever.

I watched an entire season of RuPaul's Drag Race today. I'd never seen an episode but since watching Dungeons and Drag Queens I have had my curiosity piqued. I don't typically watch reality competition shows (unless they're on Food Network) but I really liked it a lot. It also made me have some thoughts about my wardrobe, and about making things, and generally I feel a little inspired. It's much more creative than I expected and I love that. Also, I love shiny things and colors and I'm trying to learn a bit more grace and femininity.

Pain has been pretty bad lately if I'm honest. The last week or so have been very rough. I turned down company yesterday because I had a fairly traumatic releasing of the contents of my colon in the morning, and it took me all day to not hurt anymore. Hurting constantly is one of the worst things about this. Like the pain when I go to the bathroom is worse, but it goes away. When it just aches all day and I don't get relief from it, it's hard to even just watch something. It's exhausting. I'm pretty sure yesterday I was nearly totally blocked up. It hurt in weird places and I felt really nauseous beforehand. Nothing has really made me nauseous up til this point. I was a little this morning too, but overall it's been a little better today. I think I need to be really careful about eating when I take my meds, and I definitely don't think jumping in the tub is an option in the morning anymore, the heat made everything way worse.

Home health is coming tomorrow afternoon to get me started on physical therapy, which I am looking forward to a little bit. Anything to get me feeling normal again, please. Everything is so empty right now and I feel lonelier than I think I ever have. The endless shaking my legs do is really getting bothersome. It's like they don't want to hold me up anymore. Even when I'm laying down they shake. And my left knee needs to stop locking up. I've had some really bad scares this week from it doing that. It's also really fucking painful.

I'm still always tired and I really can't do much of anything for myself. It's a challenge to even walk through my apartment to get from my bed to the bathroom. I don't regret moving my bed to my living room; the bedroom in my apartment is too small to fit a queen mattress with anything else, but the extra walking distance is not great when your body is screaming at you and you can't walk very well.

I think I want to take up crocheting again, I could probably do that while laying down. I kinda want a new laptop too, or a tablet so I can maybe draw while lying on my stomach or something. Something not messy that doesn't require too much effort to set up or set aside.

Things are going to get better. I have to believe that they will. It's hard when I'm all alone. And I do have good friends that have been helping as much as they can. But not the ones I expected. I'm pretty sad about that. Haven't seen either of the people who volunteered to be my medical POA in at least a month. Not in person anyway. And one of them maybe hates me now. And that's making me really upset. I can't think about it or I cry. It's easy to make me cry anyway (shit I did it like 5 times watching Drag Race and twice in the bathroom today at least just from feeling bad and being afraid) but I don't really want to cry. I don't want to have these stupid hot flashes either but that's what we get for cooking my ovaries with a big radioactive beam I guess.

I was tired a little while ago and I thought if I wrote out my thoughts it'd help me relax a bit more so I could sleep, but now I'm just overly warm and sad. And my neighbor across the hall is being really loud. And I didn't get any of the stuff done today that I wanted to get done, except for taking a shower. And then I had a hot flash anyway and was drenched in sweat again a couple hours later.

I hate this all so much. I just want to feel normal again. I want to drive and see my friends and go do things and enjoy my life. Because this isn't life. It's just waiting, either for good news or for death. And while I have a lot of patience with humans, I don't have the most for feeling bad and being alone all the time.

Anyway. I'm gonna mindlessly scroll for a bit now and hope something bores me enough that I get at least a couple hours of sleep.

[thewritingowl]

Ah! Thank you so much for tagging me! Goodness, I'm gonna have to think about some of these...

The last song I listened to was:

I love the Crane Wives so much lmao. If I'm not hyperfixating on a specific song then usually I'm listening to something from the Crane Wives. They have No Bad Songs I love them so very, very much.

Currently Watching:

Dimension 20 bby! I'm finishing up the Dungeons & Drag Queens season and then am going to start the newest season once that's done. I'm just a huge sucker for Actual Play shows/podcasts. I also recently watched TMNT: Mutant Mayhem and it was so good. Like, an absolute fucking TREAT of a movie, just my new favorite thing.

Currently Reading:

So I'm gonna be honest I haven't really been reading anything lately--I just finished my last content class that required a lot of reading so I've kind of left a lot of it on the backburner (fanfic is always the exception but I cannot remember the last one I read lmao). So I'm gonna substitute this with what I've been playing recently bc I have been playing some video games, and I've been playing the fuck out of Tears of the Kingdom and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. :)

Current Obsession:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, lmao. I mean, I've been working a lot on my different dpxdc fics (especially as I only have so much time before I start my internship), but I have definitely been on a huge tmnt kick. With the new movie that came out on my birthday (that I actually went to see on my birthday with my Lesbian Mom Friends) and all of my friends getting me tmnt flavored gifts, I've been v tmnt focused lmao. I just. I love my turtles, they're such blorbos.

Apologies if I double tagged you! Also if I tagged you, don't feel like you have to play! You can absolutely ignore this. :)

@midnightenigmados @nightshiftshenanigans @die-erlkonigin6083 @tathartiel @pizzaintensifies @nikki-pondtheauthor @theredshirtsarecoming @summerssixecho @vaguelyethereal

Nine (or so) People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

I've been tagged twice in this game, so I should probably finally go ahead and do it. First by @drivingthesehillsaway like a week ago. Sorry I didn't reply sooner! I was in the middle of something and sent it to my drafts and then forgot about it. And I was tagged again today by @stealingyourbones. Both threads had a lot of replies, so I figured I'd just make a new chain.

Rules: Answer the 4 questions and tag 9 people you'd like to know better.

Last Song You Listened To:

It's a fantastic song. Everything by this artist is amazing and I cannot recommend him enough.

Currently Watching: I'm part of the way through a rewatch of Good Omens Season 2 because holy shit.

Currently Reading: Excluding fanfic, I'm most of the way through an audiobook of Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. I took a break to watch Good Omens, though, but I think I can go back to it. A lot of exciting things are going down.

Current Obsession: Well, it should be pretty obvious that the main one is the DPxDC crossover fandom. But there's also Good Omens. And my hands are itching to pick up my crochet hook and finish the second panel of the blanket I'm making. It doesn't take much to rekindle my obsessions for Jane Austen, Newsies, and the Bandstand Musical, either.

And 9 people I'd like to know better! I'm gonna tag people I don't talk to very often (or ever) because this is who I want to know. (No pressure, though.) In no particular order, and this in no way encapsulates all of you:

@gremlin-bot, @addie-lover-of-stories, @sangotori, @sjrose1216, @vythika96, @thederpclub, @georgelight, @foxachu, @serasvictoria02

[takaraphoenix]

Heyyyy, just curious cause I know you like dimension 20, are you watching Dungeons and Drag Queens? I finished the first episode and I really liked it

YES, I AM! Ravening War was the very first D20 campaign I got to live-watch as it aired and this is the second one, because I really did enjoy the suspense of having it drawn out over weeks and sitting with it longer. I kinda... mass-consume the finished ones, because it's so hard to stop. xD

I did make a post after the first episode about how much I love Jujubee, because I do. Her reactions were so genuine and adorable. Like, they were all fun to watch, but she was so fucking precious I love her.

But I think that was the only thought I put out so far?

I love what they did with Brennan, visually, and heaving him talk about enjoying the dress-up too and how it reminds him of his LARPing days makes me a little hopeful we will get more dressed-up Brennan in the future? Even if to a lighter degree?

The art is so freaking cool!! Most seasons had art I appreciated (not Neverafter. Didn't... vibe with that), but this is really hitting the spot for me and the character designs are so... peak. Just, absolute peak. I want to watch the 10 episode cartoon about them, these characters were designed to be in a cartoon.

It's also always fun to see Brennan play with newbies. I honestly feel like THIS is a really good season to start with? Like, he's very patiently explaining basic mechanics to the newbie players that is super helpful for someone watching who knows nothing about it?

I know Mice & Murder was the second campaign I watched and it was helpful that there were many who hadn't played before too, but this has more explaining.

ANYWAY, this is going to be a real fun, high-energy season and it's going to be fabulous.

[darling-i-read-it]

My King

Nikolai Lantsov x fem!reader

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: burns, violence, injuries

Author’s Note: This was so cute omg, I hope you enjoy love!

Requested; by anon, Hi love I absolutely adore your writing and I was wondering if you could request the ‘who did this to you trope’ with Nikolai please Thank you

Summary: the request!

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

Nikolai Lantsov, King of Ravka, was the only man in this world that could make you actually visibly flustered. Boy did he love that. He used it to his advantage whenever he could and even managed to make you laugh here and there.

You stood behind him, looking down at his radiant blonde hair. You brushed through it carefully, making sure there were no tangles. He looked at you through the mirror and you pretended not to notice.

“You have to talk more with the suitors today,” you muttered, focused on combing through his hair.

“No I don’t,” he said. “I’ve picked my Queen.” You rolled your eyes. He caught it and couldn’t help but smile softly.

“I can’t be Queen Nikolai.” You met his eyes through the reflection. He looked effortlessly handsome, though he always did. You were always amazed at his stunning looks. Nikolai was a regal man and if nothing else, looked like he was fit to be a King.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because I’m not royal.” You put your hands on his shoulders and leaned down, tilting your head to see him face to face. He met your gaze, that charming look in his eyes. “And you won’t get any prospects from being with me. You won’t get any money. You won’t get any land. You’ll get only me and that is not enough.”

“It’s plenty!” he protested. “I don’t need land or money or prospects. I just need you.” You shook your head and turned around, walking over to his bed. You handed him the clothing that his people had picked out for him to wear.

“No you want me. Ravka needs someone suited for the job.” Nikolai hated when you brought Ravka into this. If he was a low servant boy the two of you would have been married ages ago. He stood and turned around, holding his clothing in his hand.

“I will convince you.”

“No you won’t,” you muttered absentmindedly. “I have to call Genya to get things prepared for next week. You get dressed.”

“I won’t get married to anyone else.”

“We can have an affair on the side, will that make you happy?”

“No. I will not produce a bastard and make our child suffer the way I have,” he grumbled. You met his eyes kindly.

“Who says I want children with you?”

“You can’t keep your hands off me, I’m fairly certain your actions betray your words.” You rolled your eyes and put your hand on his chest as you walked past.

“Get dressed Nikolai. I’ll be with Genya if you need me.”

You left the room and he was left alone with his mind and his clothes. He stared at the door for a second, shaking his head. He knew that you were right. He knew that you understood this situation better than most. But he also knew that as long as you were alive, he could never love another person. He didn’t want to and he didn’t need to. You would make a wonderful Queen.

He would convince you one day, he was sure of it.

====

Genya held a clipboard in her hand. You wondered briefly if she had different colors to match what she wanted to go for that day. You almost never saw her without some sort of planning ability.

“I wish you would just marry him, save us all the trouble,” Genya said softly. You rolled your eyes.

“Trust me, if I could I would.”

“You’re completely able. You aren’t repulsed by him like some of the women coming. You aren’t his cousin, you aren’t underage. You’re both in love and that should be enough.”

“It’s enough for him. Not enough for Ravka.” You let out a small sigh and was about to say something else when a guard entered the room. You raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t announced himself or anything which was unusual. You are one of the closest to the King and usually was shown that respect. But this man looked very worried.

“There’s a Grisha at the gates, demanding to come in.”

“Do you know who it is?” you asked. He shook his head. You pursed your lips and spared Genya a glance. You were a very talented Heartrender and could use your power for defense if necessary. “What kind of Grisha?”

“Inferni.” You let out a soft sigh. That wasn’t great news.

“Should I find Zoya?” Genya asked. You shook your head.

“Zoya isn’t in Ravka.” She was out with Nina, hopelessly spying on others. She had protested quite often but you made her go. She could do good out there and could come back to lead her post later. You turned to the guard. “Come.”

===

You didn’t bother stopping to tell Nikolai. You could handle this yourself, you were sure. It was one Grisha. You had fought plenty before. You could handle one Inferni. You did wish you hadn’t told Zoya to go though. She was much more powerful than you.

You reached the gates and saw the fire immediately. Your few Tidemakers were doing their best to battle the flames but the Inferni looked skilled. You wondered if they were a member of the Second Army before the war.

You saw him standing at the edge of the gates.

“Let me see the King!” he yelled at the guards, shooting flames aimlessly. You focused, slowing his heart rate at your will. He looked frightened as he realized what was happening to him. You approached cautiously.

“The King is busy today,” you said. He clutched his chest. “Can I help you?”

“I want…” he breathed heavily, “to kill the King.” You shook your head.

“That isn’t going to happen today.” He looked up at you and before you knew it he had shot a ball of fire in your direction. It knocked you down, causing you to lose your focus. Pain flew to your limbs as you put the fire out. You raised your hand to him and crippled him down to his knees more harshly this time. You took the air from his lungs, your own body singed and smoking as you did so. You guestered to a Tidemaker and some guards. “Take him.”

They did as they were told, dragging him to the dungeon. He gasped for air until he was out of your sight.

You sat in the courtyard for a moment, reveling in your pain. No one approached you for a moment, unsure if you were able to stand on your own or not. You wobbled to your feet and guestered to a guard.

“Send for Genya Safin.”

“Should I get the King?” the guard asked.

“Saints no,” you breathed.

You walked back inside the castle and soon enough saw Genya rushing towards you. Her eyes went wide in horror.

“Why didn’t you ask for a Healer?” she exclaimed.

“I wanted you to take me there,” you breathed, laughing gently. She held you up and started to walk towards the nearest Healer when you saw Nikolai coming down the stairs, a guard trailing after him. He ran up to you, putting his arms around your waist and holding you up. Genya let you go into his grasp. Your eyes narrowed on the guard. “You disobeyed me.”

“He insisted on knowing whenever you were hurt,” the guard said quietly. You shook your head.

“Who did this to you?” Nikolai almost growled. You tried not to think of the monster inside him as he spoke in an animalistic tone.

“Inferni at the gates.”

“You should have called for help.”

“I can handle myself.” He turned to Genya.

“Take her to the Healers, I’m going to see this Inferni.” You gave him a look as he put you back into her care.

“Nikolai don’t do anything stupid unprotected,” you muttered, wincing in pain.

“He’ll get what's coming to him,” Nikolai muttered as he walked away from you.

====

The Healers tended to your wounds quickly and were able to avoid having any serious burns. You had gotten lucky. Nikolai was right though, you should have sent for help. You rested in your room, bandages over your various injuries.

The door opened without a knock which meant it was no one but Nikolai. You looked over at him.

“What did you do?” you asked evenly. He quickly sat at your side, grabbing your hand in his. He leaned forward and brushed your hair out of your face.

“He will be tried for high treason.”

“He didn’t commit high treason. He can’t even be tried for an assasination attempt, he never got close to you.” Nikolai smiled slyly and met your eyes.

“First off, I’m the King and I get to say who is tried with high treason. Second off, it was not an assassination attempt on the King of Ravka, it was however an assassination attempt on the future Queen of Ravka.” You went completely silent for a few moments, his words hanging in the air.

“You didn’t tell him that, did you?”

“I did. In fact, I told Genya to stop planning for the suitors' arrival next week.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Then I told her to get an official announcement prepared.”

“Nikolai-”

“Be quiet for a moment,” he said, meeting your eyes. “You got rather lucky today. You’re very lucky actually that you happened to be at the castle where there are the best Healers around. If you hadn’t been, your burns could have been much worse and you could have died.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch.”

“Shh!” He cleared his throat. “I won’t lose you. You are the most fit to be Queen and we will secure the Lantsov line with our children.”

“I’m Grisha thou-”

“Darling, if you interrupt me one more time I will poke an injury.” You smiled a bit and rolled your eyes. “My decision is final. I am your King and I have made my choice.” He paused. “If you’ll have me.” You had a feeling that he was telling you the truth. There was no way to talk him out of this. Truth be told, you wanted nothing more than to marry him. You had wanted it since the moment he laid eyes on you. You closed your eyes for a moment and shook your head, laughing gently.

“Fine. Yes, Nikolai, I will marry you.” A bright smile went over his face as he clapped his hands together and then turned to you, kissing you gently. You moaned in pain and he pulled away.

“I’m sorry. Just excited. Oh Genya is going to love this. She’ll have a ball planning our wedding. Oh and I have so many ideas for the honeymoon, you’re going to love it.” You grabbed his hand and couldn’t help but feel equally excited.

“We can talk more about it in the morning. Right now, I’m exhausted.”

“Oh yes of course. Scoot over.”

“Nikolai, you have things to do today.”

“Scoot.” You rolled your eyes and did as you were told. He laid on the bed beside you, putting his arm around your shoulder. You rested your head on his chest.

“Goodnight my darling,” he whispered, kissing your forehead.

“Goodnight my King.”

Grishaverse Tag List: @elisaa-shelby

@chameleon-junkie

[nerajaana]

Hello, not your recent rude anon. I just wanted to drop in and say that I love your work! It's so gorgeous, I don't have enough words to describe how good it's. I envy your talent (nothing malicious tho). Also, you make this fandom a better place so thank you. (Definitely envy your irl friends too) I was just wondering what are your favorite moments/scenes with Arya since she's your favourite.

Nonnie staaahp you’re wayyy too kind pls thank you ily💚💚💚

Arya, oh how I adore her my darling girl🥺💓😩😭💕 George for the love of all that’s in existence at the very least release the braavos novella as a companion piece to twow or something I need some happy Arya chapters gimme Arya hanging out with her friends in the marketplace

I just realized I had answered a similar ask a while ago😅 but I think I’ll do a part 2 (there’s just.....so many moments argh how I love her, she owns my heart istg)

In no particular order:

Arya screwed up her face in a scowl. “Jaime Lannister murdered Jory and Heward and Wyl, and the Hound murdered Mycah. Somebody should have beheaded them.”

Ned stopped and looked at her. “Arya, what are you doing?” “Syrio says a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.” Her hands flailed at the air to steady herself. Ned had to smile. “Which toe?” he teased. “Any toe,” Arya said, exasperated with the question.  (Too cute I cri)

When at last she slept, she dreamed of home. The kingsroad wound its way past Winterfell on its way to the Wall, and Yoren had promised he'd leave her there with no one any wiser about who she'd been. She yearned to see her mother again, and Robb and Bran and Rickon . . . but it was Jon Snow she thought of most. She wished somehow they could come to the Wall before Winterfell, so Jon might muss up her hair and call her "little sister." She'd tell him, "I missed you," and he'd say it too at the very same moment, the way they always used to say things together. She would have liked that. She would have liked that better than anything.

Yes, it’s you who ought to run, you and Lord Tywin and the Mountain and Ser Addam and Ser Amory and stupid Ser Lyonel whoever he is, all of you better run or my brother will kill you, he’s a Stark, he’s more wolf than man, and so am I.

"Lommy, you keep Weasel here." He grabbed the little girl by the hand and pulled her close. "What if the wolves come?" "Yield," Arya suggested.

She would make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave [Gendry and Hot Pie]. They were her pack, her friends

Alone, she slid through the shadow of the Tower of Ghosts. She walked fast, to keep ahead of her fear, and it felt as though Syrio Forel walked beside her, and Yoren, and Jaqen H'ghar, and Jon Snow.

“Harwin, it’s me, don’t you know me, don’t you?” The tears came, and she found herself weeping like a baby, just like some stupid little girl. “Harwin, it’s me!” Harwin’s eyes went from her face to the flayed man on her doublet. “How do you know me?” he said, frowning suspiciously. “The flayed man … who are you, some serving boy to Lord Leech?” For a moment she did not know how to answer. She’d had so many names. Had she only dreamed Arya Stark? “I’m a girl,” she sniffed. “I was Lord Bolton’s cupbearer but he was going to leave me for the goat, so I ran off with Gendry and Hot Pie. You have to know me! You used to lead my pony, when I was little.” His eyes went wide, "Gods be good," he said in a choked voice. "Arya Underfoot? Lem, let go of her.".... "She broke my nose." Lem dumped her unceremoniously to the floor. "Who in seven hells is she supposed to be?"…........"The Hand's daughter." Harwin went to one knee before her. "Arya Stark, of Winterfell." (Ugly sobbing)

The Tickler backed away. Arya could smell his fear. The shortsword in his hand suddenly seemed almost a toy against the long blade the Hound was holding, and he wasn't armored either. He moved swiftly, light on his feet, never taking his eyes off Sandor Clegane. It was the easiest thing in the world for Arya to step up behind him and stab him. "Is there gold hidden in the village?" she shouted as she drove the blade up through his back. "Is there silver? Gems?" She stabbed twice more. "Is there food? Where is Lord Beric?" She was on top of him by then, still stabbing. "Where did he go? How many men were with him? How many knights? How many bowmen? How many, how many, how many, how many, how many, how many? Is there gold in the village?" Her hands were red and sticky when Sandor dragged her off him. "Enough," was all he said. He was bleeding like a butchered pig himself, and dragging one leg when he walked. (Only pain nothing else)

Arya watched and listened and polished her hates the way Gendry had once polished his horned helm. Dunsen wore them now, and she hated him for it. She hated Polliver for Needle, and she hated old Chiswyck who thought he was funny(he was laughing about participating in gang rape). And Raff the Sweetling, who’d driven his spear through Lommy’s throat, she hated even more. She hated Ser Amory Lorch for Yoren, and she hated Ser Meryn Trant for Syrio, the Hound for killing the butcher’s boy, Mycah, and Ser Ilyn and Prince Joffrey and the queen for the sake of her father and Fat Tom and Desmond and the rest, and even for Lady, Sansa’s wolf.

Arya stared at the face carved into its trunk. It was a terrible face, its mouth twisted, its eyes flaring and full of hate. Is that what a god looked like? Could gods be hurt, the same as people? I should pray, she thought suddenly. Arya went to her knees. She wasn’t sure how she should begin. She clasped her hands together. Help me, you old gods, she prayed silently. Help me get those men out of the dungeon so we can kill Ser Amory, and bring me home to Winterfell. Make me a water dancer and a wolf and not afraid again, ever.

Winterfell, she might have said. I smell snow and smoke and pine needles. I smell the stables. I smell Hodor laughing, and Jon and Robb battling in the yard, and Sansa singing about some stupid lady fair. I smell the crypts where the stone kings sit, I smell hot bread baking, I smell the godswood. I smell my wolf, I smell her fur, almost as if she were still beside me

Even sewing was more fun than tongues, she told herself, after a night when she had forgotten half the words she thought she knew, and pronounced the other half so badly that the waif had laughed at her.  My sentences are as crooked as my stitches used to be. If the girl had not been so small and starved, Arya would have smashed her stupid face.  Instead she gnawed her lip.  Too stupid to learn and too stupid to give up. (My baby is the the epitome of perseverance)

"Thank you," Sam told the girl when they were gone.........."Are you truly in the Night's Watch? I never saw a black brother like you before." The girl gestured at the barrow. "You can have the last clams if you want. It's dark, no one will buy them now.”

Have a lovely day ahead nonnie💛

[themadauthorshatter]

WHUMPTOBER DAYS 1-5

I got in speed to do this by a Discord server I'm in, and I'm behind 4 days.

So, confession time: I enjoy whump. Idk, why, but I do. My problem is, though, is I’ve never been able to grow a backbone enough to actually come up with my own contribution.

UNTIL NOW!!!

YES, I am four days behind, but I’m putting them all here. You will get whump every day for February as my gift to you, because I have been slacking on these.

I am not limiting myself to one fandom, either and if you are sensitive to whump, DO NOT READ THESE POSTS!

I’m also following the prompt list by @febuwhump

And I've never really written whump before, so bear with me.

With that out of the way: LET THE FUN BEGIN and PICTURE IF YOU WILL:😈

Day 1: Head Wound (from the Red Queen Swap AU; the one where Cal is the villain, not Maven)

- During SOME part in this AU, Maven goes toe to toe with his brother to buy Mare and the Scarlet Guard some time.

-While he does fine at a distance, Cal soon gains the upper hand and, in full soldier mode, aims his hits more toward Maven’s head than body.

-Maven is very quickly disoriented, as he begins to see stars, his vision goes silver (because that’s the color of his blood and a vessel broke), and he is unable to stand properly, which becomes impossible when he kicks a roundhouse kick to the temple that sends him to the ground, ears ringing, head throbbing from the onslaught of pain, blood covering his face and unable to do much because his brain is now is ‘shutdown’ mode. And because Cal, caught up in the emotions of being everyone’s least favorite and knowing he screwed up in the worst way possible, kicks him while he’s down, even kicking him in the face, even stomping on him because he’s that caught up. 

-Maven is saved by Shade, but he’s left unconscious for about two days and is missing a few teeth that a rescued Healer puts back.

Day 2: Failed Rescue Attempt (From the Clipped Wings fanfic for Good Omens; Chapter 7 is almost done, btw!!)

-Crowely races through the ‘dungeon’ section of Hell, trying to ignore the shouting from Hastur and even other, lesser demons that saw him. 

-He has a purpose here, and its name is Aziraphale, whose cell he finds and opens, shouting that they need to leave before they’re sent to do paperwork for eternity. 

-He does find Aziraphale, but he’s unconscious and in the, oh, so loving arms of Lucifer, who greets Crowley with mirth and welcomes him home right as Hastur comes up behind him and slams a club or baton against his head, sending Crowley to his knees and leading him to be dragged away.

-Lucifer has the other demons throw Crowley in a different cell, as he wants to spend more time with Aziraphale, and Crowley kicks and screams as he’s dragged away, crying Aziraphale’s name, though the former angel only catches a glimpse of him as the devil closes and locks the door to his cell. 

Day 3: Blood Loss (From the School for Good and Evil. SPOILER ALERT FOR ANY NEW READERS! SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FULL SERIES!)

-Tedros, after encountering a fight with Rafal, is severely injured and unable to do much other than breathe and try to focus as Agatha freaks out and begs him to stay awake. 

-She does try to help him stand up and get him to her house in Gavaldon, where Callis can patch him up, but he’s exhausted from all the blood he’s lost and barely able to keep his eyes open as Callis gets to work of cleaning and patching his wounds. 

His body is extremely heavy, everything is cold, he can’t really feel the wound anymore, and he’s seeing his father from where he’s laing on the table, Arthur shocked and horrified to see him so soon and shedding tears as he sees how much Tedros has grown.

-In his semi-dying haze, Tedros asks his father why he left Tedros alone for so long, why he just gave up after Guenevere left him for Lancelot, why he chose to drown himself in alcohol until it killed him rather than let himself feel the loss of Gwen with his only son. 

-Gwen leaving hurt Tedros as well, and, sure, he’s not good at dealing with it, but he’s more upset about the fact that he was left to deal with those emotions on his own with next to no one to help him through any of it. 

-While in his head Tedros shouts at Arthur in a field in Camelot, in reality, his face is contorted from all the ugly crying he’s doing and he’s covered in tears, snot, and blood, the latter he’s coughing up because of his wound. 

-Agatha leaps to his side and holds his hand, begging him to calm down and promising that she won’t leave him alone, not after everything that’s happened.

-He calms down and goes unconscious, but Callis confirms he’s alive, and that he has some MAJOR daddy issues (don’t we all?)

Day 4: Nightmares (From Red Queen, like the actual series. No AUs this time)

-In magical, fantasy dreamland, Coriane Jacos is giving a speech to all of Norta with a grown Cal standing at her left and Tine standing at her right. 

-As she addresses the country, everyone in the crowd begins to glare at her, though when she turns to Tibe so he can talk, he only gestures for her to continue, as he believes she can do this. 

-He is SO wrong when the crowd begins to mutter amongst themselves as some even openly wonder why and how Coriane is still the queen of Norta. Two of these people are Julian and Sara, who are silent, but say over a thousand things in the way they gaze disapprovingly at Coriane. 

-There are more comments and one of them asks why she has the spine to silence her son, but not be a better queen. At this, Coriane turns to Cal, who’s been facing the crowd blank faced.

-She puts a hand on his shoulder and he turns, revealing that he has no mouth, like from his nose down the skin is smooth and unbroken, so he kind of looks like a mannequin.

-While Coriane is terrified, Tibe is unbothered, urging her to continue with the same warm smile that she’s memorized by heart.

-Well, he’s actually smiling because it’s entertaining to see the crowd turn on her and hiding behind him is Elara, who puppets Tibe and the crowd and saying, “Long live the Queen, Lady Jacos,” before she makes Coriane pick up a handgun and point it at Cal, who stays resolute.

-Just before she’s forced to pull the trigger, she wakes up in a cold sweat and races to find a barely year-old Cal, who’s fast asleep in his crib, safe and sound. 

-Overcome with relief at seeing him alive and torn apart by her nightmare, Coriane falls to her knees and cries, only stopping when she accidentally wakes up Cal and holds him in her arms to calm herself. 

Day 5: “Let me See” (From my Dad!Charles X Toppat!Henry AU (Another part 7 I’m in the process of making) inspired by @bambishy)

-After a meeting, and after screwing with Charles a little bit, Henry goes to visit Cameron in their cell, though he finds that they’ve destroyed the placed and are lying on the floor with their hands close to their chest. 

-Henry first chides them on making a mess before kneeling down and asking them to look at him. 

-Cameron snaps at him to “[Eff] off,” and Henry catches a glimpse of their hands, which are blood stained and a little mangled.

-Henry turns Cameron on their back, growing increasingly alarmed and annoyed.

- “What did you do to your hands? Let me see. Show me what you did!”

-Despite some opposition from Cameron, Henry eventually finds out what they did:

-Both of their hands are broken, mainly at their knuckles, which became bloodied and raw from punching the door and are now broken, their wrists swollen and both arms shaking from the pain. 

-Henry pulls Cameron onto their knees and asks them why they did all of this, why they’re acting like such a child and being a little nuisance. 

-When Cameron is silent, Henry SOMEWHAT goes off on them, asking if he needs begin tying their hands behind their back, if he needs to fully restrain them in a real cell that has no bed and has none of the comforts that they’re literally taking for granted, if he has to actually BE the bad guy and hold a gun to their head in order to do the simplest things, even snapping at them to say something when they’re quiet. 

-Cameron, naturally (because they got yelled at), stays quiet and even begins crying. Henry isn’t really amused or concerned and sighs as he sits up, pulling Cameron up by their upper arm and telling them to follow him the infirmary so their hands can be fixed; Charles will throw an even bigger fit, if he sees his kid injured. 

-Subdued and out of options, Cameron agrees, something that actually gets a smile and a side hug from Henry. 

- “I know all of this isn’t easy to adjust to, but you’ll get there. I think you and I will get along just fine.”