#i had waited a long time to visit the fairy castle

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle

[majorlysapphic]

It's mind splurge time once again... :)

Dearest reader, today I am presenting a charminghearts soulmate AU with a (generous) sprinkle of violence. :))

(Taking inspiration from Sabrina Carpenter's new song/mv 'Taste'. @uhhhh-em-draws-stuff since you wanted to see something like this, please consider this AU as a gift/thank you for your wonderful art in the community :)) ).

TW: violence and murder.

Now, without further ado, onto the story idea!

Auradon is a land of fairy tales and idyllic love stories, so it's no shock that soulmates are a well-known and incredibly common aspect of life. So much so that it's considered taboo to not have a soulmate (especially among royal families).

Now, you may be asking: "how do people know if they have a soulmate or not?".

Well, first I'd like to establish that in this AU, some people don't have their destiny-appointed soulmate from birth. The experience of having a soulmate is varied, and sometimes fate takes a little time deciding who your other half is (especially since once your souls are 'linked', it's set in stone for the rest of time). How someone can discern whether they have a soulmate is through the notion of mark-sharing; whenever your soulmate is physically injured, your body bares the same marks left behind on their body (typically in a colour that best represents your other half). The stronger the bond between your souls, the more obvious and long-lasting these marks are.

Now, let's get onto Red and Chloe's lives prior to the start of the main story!

Throughout her entire life, Chloe has been raised on stories about her ancestors finding their 'true loves'. The Charming family bloodline are known for very strong bonds and picture-perfect soulmates, almost acting as the blueprint example throughout all of Auradon's history about how intense a soul-bond can get. So, it's logical to conclude that Chloe can't wait for the day she finally finds her soulmate.

Frustratingly, for the first ten years of her life. Chloe bares no soul marks, however on her eleventh birthday, she's ecstatic to find a bright red soul mark had appeared on her right knee. And whilst she feels bad that her soulmate must have tripped and scraped their own knee, Chloe is elated to know that her soulmate is out there in the world. She spends the rest of her birthday showing off her soul mark to everyone in the castle, and bells are rung out in Cinderellasburg in announcement and celebration that their young princess has reached this renowned milestone of life.

And when the soul mark fades, Chloe's sad to see it go of course. But she doesn't get to miss it long before more start blooming up, and after a month of knowing she has a soulmate, she's sure she's bonded to the clumsiest person in all the kingdoms. And you'd think this inkling of information would help her find her soulmate faster, but it doesn't. So once again, Chloe becomes a frustrated hopeless romantic, documenting every new mark and it's corresponding date and praying to her fairy godmothers she'll find her other half sooner than later.

And at seventeen, she does. At least that's what Chloe thinks.

I'd like to imagine that there are a lot of celebrations going on when the anniversary of the formation of Auradon arrives, so every year a different kingdom hosts other royal families for two weeks of celebrations/peace talks/gifting. So when Chloe was seventeen, it was Cinderellasburg's turn to host. There she meets Zellie, the crown princess of Corona, and Chloe falls hard. The pair get along right off the bat, and there's a spark of hope in Chloe's heart that this is it, especially given the other princesses clumsy nature. But it would be abrupt and extremely against royal decorum for Chloe to investigate whether Zellie is her soulmate or not, so she forces herself to remain patient and see where the future takes them.

Based off of those two weeks of celebration, they start writing letters and visiting each other, and soon enough, Chloe and Zellie are dating. One month into the relationship, Chloe thinks she's never been more happy, her love for Zellie isn't as "all consuming" as her parents described what it's like to be with a soulmate, but Chloe doesn't mind a quiet love. But, she doesn't want to freak the other girl out too early on, so she plans to broach the topic of being each others soulmates when they reach the four month mark of their relationship (though that doesn't stop her from dropping some not so subtle hints about her suspicion every now and then). Unfortunately for Chloe, she never does get to ask, because a week before their four month anniversary, Zellie breaks up with her.

Chloe's heart broken to put it lightly. She doesn't get where this came from, and soon enough she's wallowing in self pity once the communication between her and Zellie becomes more and more infrequent. But after all of this, it doesn't stop her resolve. So like the hopeless romantic she is (unwilling to give up on a girl who surely is her soulmate), she's planning on trying to win Zellie back on the anniversary celebration of Auradon's founding, now being hosted in the Kingdom of Corona.

It should be noted that Chloe will sort of meet Red at Corona's hosting celebration. But before I go into what I mean by 'sort of', it's time to give Red's life some context.

Wonderland citizens are just as likely to have soulmates as those who live in Auradon (who they aren't cut off from in this AU, but their borders are incredibly strict), but it's a topic that's kept behind closed doors given their reigning queens hatred of anything to do with the subject. Growing up, Red knew of the concept of soulmates, but she wasn't too fussed about the idea - so after ten years of her life with no soul marks, she concluded she didn't have a soulmate and moved on without a care. After all, she was much busier occupying her time by trying to prove herself as a worthy crown princess to her mother.

At first, this meant Red had remained studious and proper at all times, but eventually her exceeding academics and royal etiquette were no longer subject to adoration and instead expected as a bare minimum. Frustrated and still seeking her mothers approval as a young kid, Red takes up the habit of somewhat spying on whatever's going within her castles walls. This is where she'll start to realise how much violence and deceit is involved in ruling Wonderland (this is where she finds out that being sentenced to a beheading is the kindest her mother could ever be in judgement). But who is she to question things when all her life her mother has been presented as the ideal standard for what a queen should be?

From this moment on, something clicks into Red's head (perhaps even a bit too easily/quickly, but after growing up surrounded by violence, a girl tends to grow a bit desensitised to it all). She can be a picture perfect princess, but what her kingdom (and her mother) truly needs is someone willing to get their hands dirty for them. And a bit after she turns eleven, Red's able to prove it.

The first time she kills a man, she didn't exactly plan it.

All she knew that there was a young diplomat, perhaps only a few years older than her, who posed a threat to Wonderlands trades (ego, her mothers power). She remembers her mothers angry shouts from behind the doors of a meeting room when meeting with him. She remembers seeing him storm out of the room. She remembers seeing her mother whisper into a trusted guards ear before they rush off to the kitchens. She remembers realising that the diplomat would be dead by dinner time...

It's a slight morbid curiosity that gets Red moving. A growing want to see a soon to be dead man. To try recognise his faults and pinpoint why he deserved to be sentenced to death. So, she sneaks into the wing of the castle made up for visitors, locates his room and enters. There she sees him, looking out from the balcony, lost in his own stressed thoughts given his rigid stance.

Want to know a fun fact? Wonderland doesn't care much for safety standards, much preferring aesthetics.

So, when Red slowly creeps closer, listening in on this diplomats worried mutters, she feels a certain urge. A swift motion would be enough to prove herself. Just one powerful shove could change everything about how she's perceived. There'd be glory, praise, and responsibility. But of course, Red hesitates. This is a big decision, and the more she dwells on it the more troubled she becomes. But soon her decision time is up, and this diplomat is turning around, surprised to see the young princess standing behind him with a far away stare.

She's been caught lurking. Red panics, and the next thing she knows she's launched herself forward. Red's fall lands her on the edge of the balcony, scraping her knee pretty badly (it takes a few more seconds for Red to hear the diplomats fall end on the ground below).

The palace guards find her frozen there an hour later, replaying the events in her mind. Her mother is soon alerted and comes round, she looks to Red and then peeks over the balcony. She knows what's happened now and Red can never take this back. Though once she sees her mother looking down at her for the first time with a gleefully proud smile, Red's concerns seem to wash away.

From that moment on, Red was not only seen as the heir to the crown, but also as a powerful attribute towards Wonderland's power. Her mother was quick to place her in extra classes and training sessions (for more under the table political schemes), and whilst it may have been a harsh learning curve, Red's never felt so alive. Though it should be noted that because of her training sessions, Red tends to get a lot of injuries. It's a regular aspect of her life now, so she doesn't give the bruises and scars too much thought. But this also means that when her soulmarks start appearing in various shades of blue, they blend in well enough to be perceived as bruises.

For the next few years of her life, Red is given 'political tasks' within Wonderland. And the more justified havoc and death she spreads, the better Red becomes. Much to her mothers dismay, this means Red also starts getting restless on her missions, making her restless. And so after a simple recon task ends up with a manor in flames, the queen is left with a decision: take back the freedom she's given Red, or find a way to let the girl explore her true potential and carry on serving her.

The latter option is chosen, and on Red's sixteenth birthday she's presented with an enchanted, golden locket in the shape of a stopwatch. This object is the key to greater, more inconspicuous missions, as once Red places the golden chain around her neck she's disguised from anyone tracing back this version of herself to her true self (I'm imagining in reality, Red's appearance will just switch to Kylie Cantrall's real life look and the extra magic allows the anonymity enchantment to work).

From then on, Red is sent out to Auradon to do more of her mothers dirty work, and during her time there she burns down various historical sights and takes out a few important politicians. It isn't until she turns eighteen is when she's given her biggest and most risky mission yet: assassinating the crown princess of Corona, Zellie. She doesn't ask for the reason why, she just accepts.

This is a delicate mission, and Red figures the best way to get closer to her goal is to hide in plain sight. Slipping on her locket, Red enters the kingdom of Corona masquerading as a viscounts daughter from a faraway kingdom, simply travelling and making memories. Eventually, she meets Zellie at a boring ball and she get's to work charming the unsuspecting princess. It's back and forth flirting, and Red is getting closer and closer to her goal. Soon enough, Red's got the other girl completely enamoured especially after a moment of vulnerability where Zellie tearfully admits to not having a soulmate. Red doesn't see the big deal, but she plays the part of empathic 'friend', and when she tells Zellie that she doesn't have a soulmate either, she sees a flicker of hope in the other princesses eyes. Red pity's her for it, but she's not dwelling on what she feels when she's so so close to finishing her job. She just needs one moment without guards stationed out the door and a clear exit route.

That moment doesn't come immediately as she's called back to Wonderland on 'urgent news' regarding inner kingdom conflicts. But she's quick to assure her mother that she'll have the job done soon enough, since once Zellie found out Red had to leave, she personally invites her, with lovesick eyes, as her guest of honour to Corona's celebration of Auradon's formation.

Red accepts the invitation and returns to Corona two months later for the festivities, with a collection of hidden weapons and her trusty enchanted locket. And that's where she meets Chloe for the first time, after all, its hard not to notice the girl glaring daggers at her as she enters the first ball of the celebrations on Zellie's arm.

During nearly all the events going forward, Chloe is seething with jealousy. She's so sure that Zellie is her soulmate, how could she stay calm when there's another girl by her side? And whilst the two say they're only friends, it doesn't take a genius to work out there's something else there. But, so long as they're still considering each other as friends, Chloe's still able to try win Zellie back.

Though that doesn't sit well with Red. Soon enough, both girls are competing against each other.

They both are trying to dance with Zellie at a ball? They try spoil each others attempts and somehow end up getting partnered with each other for the rest of the dance (and despite the fact that Red can move with the agility of a cat, she all of a sudden can't stop 'accidently' roughly stepping on Chloe's feet during all the dances).

Both of them are trying to sit next to Zellie at an opera? Somehow both end up getting seated in a private booth and end up quietly arguing for the entire performance.

They carry on fighting and thwarting each other. It feels electrifying to be at each others throats like this. Chloe can't seem to get enough of her dynamic with Red, so much so that she starts getting excited to see the other girl. And soon enough, Chloe realises that when she's gripping a champagne glass and gritting her teeth as she watches Red and Zellie dance across the ballroom, her eyes are following Red instead of who she came to Corona for. Thus, leading to the realisation that what she had with Zellie may have been an overexcited puppy love, and despite the fact she doesn't actually know who her soulmate is, she doesn't care all that much when her focus is centred on Red.

During Chloe's new revelations, Red is slowly going insane as her assassination attempts keep getting prevented.

Her plan to waltz Zellie under a falling chandelier? Annoyingly intricate to set up and unsuccessful. Her plan to give Zellie a poisoned flute of champagne at the opera? Knocked over by Chloe in a rush to get to Zellie's side. Her plan to push Zellie off a balcony? Stopped when Chloe steps out with them.

(Red refuses to admit this is the most fun she's had in her whole life).

Red knows Chloe is doing this on purpose, and she starts panicking on whether Chloe's somehow seen past her lockets enchantments and knows the reason why she's here. So, the simple solution? Red has to kill Chloe.

At an ornate masquerade ball, Red finds a way to lure Chloe into an empty servants passage. She's intent on a little interrogation prior to anything, but Red soon forgets about the sharpened blade strapped to her thigh when her back meets the wall and Chloe's lips are on hers.

Okay. That didn't go according to plan. The worst part of it all? Red doesn't seem to mind Chloe's lips on hers. In fact, she rather likes it given the way her heart skips a beat and how she tangles her hands in Chloe's hair.

And by the end of their tryst, Chloe's feels as if she's walking on clouds (she got the girl after all) whilst Red is internally panicking, having never felt so fucked in her life.

The next few days go by in a blur, Red should be focusing on Zellie, but she always seems to gravitate towards Chloe. Soon enough, Red acknowledges that she's going to have to cut her plans short and get her job done by the end of tonight before Chloe messes up her judgement even more.

So in another mind numbing ball, she asks Zellie to meet her in her room once the main dances are finished. Zellie agrees (blissfully unaware and thinking this is the moment she'll get to confess to red and/or vice versa). Once Zellie slips out of the ballroom, Red follows thirty minutes later.

But of course, there's one person in the room Red can't escape the attention from. And who's to blame Chloe for following her? They've been flirting and more, but haven't talked about what exactly they are. She better take this opportunity to talk to the other girl.

Going through the castle's hallways, she searches for Red. And she finds her, though she wasn't expecting to find the other girl in such a state. Because Red's in her ornate ballgown with a dagger clutched in her grip, absolutely drenched in blood. The blood of Chloe's first love (and friend), who is collapsed on the floor and very much not alive anymore after one vicious swipe against her neck.

They're frozen, staring at each other. And then everything happens in a blur and they're fighting. Chloe lands a good few hits in attempt to restrain Red, but her swordsmanship classes don't amount to the same skill Red has gotten from experiencing real fights. Next thing the girls know, Chloe's pinned to the ground and Red's got a dagger digging into her throat.

Chloe's staring up at Red with a multitude of emotions. Sadness. Grief. Anger. Disbelief. It's a rollercoaster of emotions that's expected, though what's got Chloe in absolute heartache is seeing a clean, blue soul mark line appear on Red's throat, perfectly mirroring the cutting edge of the blade Red has on her.

They stare at each other. The wait is agonising, why on earth can't Red take the final blow? She doesn't know, and she's losing time for her escape. So as the clocks chime to signal midnight, Red uses the hilt of her blade to knock Chloe out.

She rushes to change out of her ballgown into a set of clothes that will make fleeing the scene and climbing walls much easier. But she's panicked on her miscalculation with her timing, so once Red all but flings herself out of the rooms window, she doesn't seem to notice that her locket's chain has snapped and fallen to the ground.

It's a small while later that Chloe wakes back up into her sickening reality, realising it wasn't all a sick dream after all. With an aching head, she stumbles into the hallway to go ring an emergency bell. Castle guards will be where she is soon enough, and despite the fact she should stand still and rest, she re-enters the room.

Shivering, she notices how Red didn't even attempt to hide Zellie's body. In fact, this entire crime scene is a chaotic mess, the murder weapon abandoned in the middle of the room. Going towards the only open window, Chloe notices a locket on the ground. The very same locket that she had noticed Red always wearing during the short time she knew her.

Fate is the most cruel thing Chloe's ever dealt with, she decides then. She didn't expect to relive her parents experience (albeit, hers is a lot darker), let alone be in her fathers role, but here she is with her soulmate fleeing the scene after midnight, leaving behind only a blood speckled locket as a reminder of her existence.

Hours later, when Chloe's being interviewed after being treated for her injuries. She doesn't mention the locket, even when the lie makes it feel as if the lockets burning a hole in her pocket. She knows she's being selfish, but this locket is hers to do with as she wishes. So with a determined heart, Chloe ignores the pitying looks of everyone around her as the months pass and the tale of the gruesome murder of Corona's heir is shared.

She's busy trying to find a way to track down Red with this small piece of jewellery. And when she finds her, she's not sure what she'll do. Whether she wants revenge or something else. All she knows is her old self with a head full of fairy tales is fading, and she's willing to do anything to get her hands on the other girl.

A year passes.

Red has long since been banned from going back to Auradon after her mother found out about her various mistakes (though she made sure not to mention Chloe). She can't say she's too mad about it, the situation rattled her more than she expected (especially when she returns home, to find a thin blue soulmark across her neck. She's not an idiot. She knows who it's linked to. She doesn't say anything to anyone about it).

So, she sinks back into her oldest routines as crown princess. But one day she comes into her mothers study to find out that Wonderland is entering some form of political alliance with Cinderellasburg.

Two weeks later she's sat by the dining table of the Charming's castle, refusing to make eye contact with anyone or even contribute to the discussion. During the same dinner, Chloe hasn't taken her eyes off of Red once, unable to shake the feeling that she knows her from somewhere.

Red can only hope that she can stay as far away from Chloe as possible during the alliance (given that once it's established, regular communication and travel between Wonderland and Cinderellasburg will begin).

Chloe's starting to think that she should try find a way to get to know the crown princess of Hearts. Perhaps she'll enlighten Chloe about Wonderland's magic (the very same magic Chloe has figured out is weaved into the locket she carries in her pocket everywhere).

[lipglossanon]

♔ 𝔉𝔦𝔳𝔢 ♔

• A Dozen Roses • Fairy Tale AU •

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, dead dove, incest, father/daughter incest, possessiveness, kissing, groping, thigh riding

Dawn does not break. A summer storm overtakes the early morning sky and overshadows the sun with pounding rain that comes down in sheets as lightning forks in the distance. Your chamber maids dress you warmly for even inside a chill is persisting along the stone corridors. 

Your father is nowhere to be found. Off with his fellow knights on a hunt, waylaid by the weather. That’s what the stable hand tells you as he points out the empty stall where your father’s steed usually rests. You frown out across the wide terrace as the maids usher you back inside. 

The day passes slowly, your ladies trying to distract you with music and sewing. One even whispers to you about the most recent gossip floating amongst the gentry. That your father has already chosen you a suitor— someone he was to announce after his hunt. 

“Is this so?” You murmur quietly, eyes seeking the window and yet only seeing the storm. 

She nods, threading her needle, “Yes, Princess. But tis only a rumor, just another tale to spread for those with too little responsibility.”

You smile at her, “I suppose that’s true enough.”

The talk turns to other things, letting you fall back into your thoughts. The book containing your mother’s story lies tucked against your side. Your grand plan of speaking to the King this morn dissipates like mist in the light. The day drags along and after supper, you visit her portrait hoping to glean more insight into this ghost. 

Refreshing her wilted lilies, as you have countless times before, makes your heart race with longing. Magic is all well and good but it seems to only have a place for you in the shadows of your heritage. Gifting her a single red rose, you place the thorny stem in the middle of the lilies and take your leave. Your ladies-in-waiting walk with you back to your chambers, bowing and bidding you a goodnight as you part from them at the door.

Once you’re completely alone, you light a candle and read over the words and secrets left behind in the diary until they swim across the page. You hear loud movement coming from beyond the door, leading you to creep across the cold floor to press an ear to the wood. The deep voice of your father can be heard but you are unable to parse what is being spoken. 

When you’re sure the hall is empty once more, you climb back into bed, hand reaching for the book you set aside. Eyes gaze unseeing upon the leather cover. The King has known everything all of this time and yet kept his distance. It hurts you. Makes you seek him out now regardless of the late hour, book in hand as you enter his rooms uninvited. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He’s seated in front of the fire, dressed down for the night in a simple tunic and breeches. His hair and clothing are soaked from the storm still raging outside. You suddenly realize you’re in your nightgown and how improper it was to walk through the castle in such undress as well as to be standing in the King’s antechamber. 

“Tell you what?” He tilts his head, eyes dark and heavy as they drag down your immodest shift—fists clenching where they lay against his thigh, “tell my precious little princess she holds magic in her blood?”

“Yes,” your voice turns pleading, “why hide from me what is my right?”

He shakes his head, “Twould do no good,” standing, he walks over to you, water dripping from his hair to the straight line of his nose, “would you have had me toss you off to that forest witch to be raised?”

Chills race down your back as he brushes stray hairs away from your face, “You are my daughter, my property... my responsibility.”

“You never cared before,” words burst from your lips like overripe fruit. “You paid me no mind until this summer, Father.”

“Because you look like her,” he growls, eyes flashing in the low light, “you could be her.”

He grasps your upper arm and walks you over in front of the looking glass; his free hand reaches up to cup your chin roughly, forcing you to gaze at the mirror image. You clench your eyes shut and he chuckles, a low mean sound, against your back. 

“Look, my naive daughter,” his calloused hands pinch into the skin of your jaw and you meet his eyes in the reflection, “you have given me a most precious gift— a second chance with my dear beloved.”

A gasp spills from your lips as the King lets go of your arm to cup your mound through your thin nightgown. 

“Have you been good while I’ve been away, Princess?” He murmurs against your ear, fingers rubbing slowly against the heat gathering at the apex of your thighs. 

“Yes, Father,” your brows pinch together, body leaning into his touch. 

“Good girl,” his thumb rubs across your bottom lip. 

That hot shivery feeling you sometimes get overtakes you, eyes darting to the King’s mouth. A yearning cavern opens in your chest, a hollow echo of loneliness making your lips part. It’s the same feeling that you had when he took it upon himself to confirm your purity, his mouth hot and wet upon your cunt. 

“You should check, Father,” the damning words whispered as if that would soften the indecent request. 

He presses his thumb past your lips, pushing against your tongue as you suckle the digit. 

“I should,” he rumbles, gaze hot on your mouth as he turns your head to the side, “just to be sure your chastity is in place.”

A chaste kiss is dropped to your mouth, fleeting like the brush of a butterfly's wings. Whining, you tilt your head further, bodily asking for more. He presses another kiss against your lips, so different from Lord Winters. Your father claims your mouth for his own. He makes you sigh and gasp against his lips as he tastes you deeply, tongue stroking alongside your own. 

Your legs nearly give out and he wraps his broad arms around you, holding you to his firm chest as he kisses you heatedly. Head fuzzy, you sink against him, letting the King kiss you senseless. Pulling away, he shushes your whining before tugging you to the armchair in front of the fireplace. 

Once he is seated, he pulls you into his lap, indecently straddling one of his legs as your gown shifts leaving your bare cunt to rest on his trouser clad thigh. He pets your sides, a strange little smile hovering over his lips.  

“I never thought I would have this again,” he murmurs, “come, kiss me again, my sweet daughter.”

You’re much too eager and uncouth, but he takes it in stride; slowing you down, guiding your lips and tongue until you’re moving in sync with him. It’s addicting, like eating sun warm strawberries from the garden. Forbidden but so so sweet. The juice sticky and syrup thick, filling your mouth with decadence. 

His sword calloused hands grip your hips, guiding you into a rocking motion that makes you bleat and moan against his lips. A rare warm chuckle from him makes your mind buzz. You follow his motions until he’s able to squeeze and pet your hips as you rock against his thigh. The sharp bolts of pleasure make you leak until his trousers are soaked, sticking to the soft lips of your cunt. 

“Want me to teach you?” He whispers hotly in your ear, “teach you all the ways to feel good, my precious princess.”

“Please, Father,” you mewl quietly, kissing him needily.  

“I’ll show you,” he promises, voice dark as his eyes, hands grasping your gown to delve underneath, fingers skimming across your bare hips, “teach you like I did her—such gorgeous witches I’ve owned.”

Thoughts too hazy to pay attention, you sigh and gasp when his hands drift under your nightgown to grasp your breasts, squeezing the soft fat with a groan. The King’s mouth drifts along your neck, lips soft as he kisses the sensitive skin. Chills race down your body, your mind a haze of wanton need. He kisses your breasts through the nightgown as he pinches your nipples. 

Whimpering at him, you tangle your fingers in his still damp hair. Your body is hurtling to that peak that whites out your thoughts, pleasure curling up like a sated cat in your stomach. The rough fabric of his trousers rub against your soft, wet heat as you rut back and forth on his thigh, making you moan softly. 

“My sweet witch,” he pulls away to gaze up at you in satisfaction, “my beloved made whole again.”

Bringing your face closer, he kisses you far sweeter than before. This surprising show of tender affection brings you to your climax. Your voice stutters out, a broken cry lost in his wet kisses. The fire in the hearth roars to life like dragon’s breath as glasses on the mantle shatter only to land as glittering diamonds on the floor. 

Your father chuckles warmly and it sends a frisson of heat pulsing at the apex of your thighs. 

“Such a gift, my precious princess,” he brushes his thumb across your swollen bottom lip.  

The expulsion of magic makes you tired. The King keeps you on his thigh, the rough material of his breeches bringing you to climax again and again as he kisses the moans from your mouth. Never pushing it further, he makes a promise to show you everything with each time you clench on nothing and cum on his lap. 

It’s cock crow when you finally pull away from your father’s embrace. Lips and cunt swollen from his rough touch and yet your body and heart ache for more. 

“I shall escort you to your room,” he helps you stand on trembling legs, wrapping one of his heavy riding cloaks around your body—his smoky scent surrounding you. “I’ll make sure you have the morning to yourself for resting.”

You hum, exhausted in more ways than one, and easily follow the King back to your room. As he tucks you into bed, you pout and grasp his shirt, seeking another kiss before you fall into slumber. 

“Sleep well, beloved,” he murmurs, kissing your temple before pulling away. 

Although you wouldn’t realize until too late, it’s the end of your old life. 

[judesmoonbeauty]

2024 Villain’s Festival: Jude Jazza Bonus Story Part 2 ♛

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do NOT post my translations elsewhere. *I don't know what happened today, but I was exhausted and for some reason, part 2 was extremely difficult to translate. I had to edit the entire thing three times, so I apologize if the translation isn't as smooth as it could be. But I hope you still enjoy our sadistic fairy in part 2 ♥︎

In the meantime, Jude and I decided to have breakfast, so we visited a nearby park.

I sit down on the grass with a good view and take a bite of the bread that was just handed to me.

Kate: Mm….delicious!

Kate: The bread served at Crown Castle is good, but I like the buttery flavor of the bread here!

Jude: Well, good for ya.

Kate: By the way, Jude, you know a lot about the bread I like, don’t you?

Jude: It's a basic part of business to learn people's tastes and preferences. Ya were just in my head because ya were being so loud.

Jude: Instead, there's no hope for ya, I'll take ya around on my own today.

(Jude is willing to spend time with me, even if it's for money.)

Jude would be able to forcefully take the necklace from me.

But instead of doing that, he is following the rules and trying to steal my heart.

(Jude is a man who keeps his promises, no matter what they are.)

Kate: Jude, I'm going to make some  conditions for you to take my heart.

Jude: Conditions? You're so high and mighty, tellin’ people what to do. Since when did ya become such a big woman?

Kate: Because the heart is invisible, so I think it's better to have some kind of clear goal.

Jude: Tell me.

Kate: Food that I will never forget, food that I’ll truly enjoy, and will want to continue to eat. 

Jude: Find this…….

Jude: That’s too many conditions.

Kate: Because with fewer requirements, you would find them too quickly Jude.

Jude: Tch…..Let’s go.

From then until sunset, Jude took me around to various shops.

Jude: Oi…. You've got to stop this. Why can’t I pass the review?

Kate: Jude, It's true that the food at the restaurant you introduced me to is delicious, right?

Kate: However, if you ask me if I would go there myself, I would say...

The shop Jude introduced me to has slightly higher prices than the shops I usually go to.

Of course, the taste is guaranteed to be worth the price, but it's difficult to buy it myself so often.

(However, since he spent so much time introducing various things, I guess it would be better to let him pass the review...)

(It's already late and I'm getting full from eating so much...)

Kate: Jude, thank you for your time today.

Kate: Well, as a thank you for keeping me company all day, I'd like to give you the necklace... ....

Jude: That’s different from the first condition. There's no point in acceptin’ it like that.

Surprisingly, Jude did not accept my necklace.

Jude is very rule-abiding and disciplined.

(But I'd like to give something back…..)

(….that’s it.)

Kate: Jude, we've been walking a lot, so why not have something cold to eat at the end? My treat. 

I told Jude to wait for me and bought some ice cream from the street corner.

Kate: It's much cheaper than the food that you introduced me to today Jude, but...

I handed one to Jude, who accepted it without a word.

Kate: Hm…delicious! After a long day of walking, something cold and sweet hits the spot. 

Jude: Well, that's about right.

When I was looked at Jude from the side, our gazes collided with each other.

Jude: Isn't it bad manners to stare at other people eatin’?

Kate: Because I was so happy to see your ‘it’s delicious face’ that I just couldn't resist, Jude.

Kate: It's cheap and easy to buy, so you can eat it like this over and over again.

Kate: Next time I eat it, I will surely remember today!

Jude: You're such a long-winded princess, aren'tcha?

Kate: What?

Jude: The conditions have been met.

I didn't mean to say much, but Jude chuckled.

Jude: Food that you’ll never forget, food that you’ll truly enjoy, and will want to continue to eat.

Jude: I've met all three. I wasn't told it was my job to find them.

Kate: Haha…

Jude: There's nothin’ to laugh at.

Kate: When we first met today, Jude had changed the way he spoke, and I felt very uncomfortable.

Kate: Just….I'm so relieved to see that you're your usual self Jude.

Victor declared, "The supreme evil that steals her heart will be the winner.”

The title of the greatest evil is worthy of the current Jude, who never gave up on winning until the very end.

Kate: Please. It's the necklace I promised you.

Jude: Hah....... I can't believe it took me this long to get here, I didn't attack this right the first time.

Jude: Ya weren't satisfied with the kind young man you see in romance novels.

Jude: You'll be happy if I torture ya like I always do, won’tcha?

Kate: That’s an improper expression!

Jude: There's no such thing as an improper expression, is there Princess?

Kate: It’s differ….

I hastily swallow the denial that almost leaves my mouth.

(Because if I deny Jude's words now.….)

(……I was satisfied, not because I like to be tortured)

(I liked Jude as he was, not as a nice young man.)

Jude: I knew it.

Mr. Jude throws a ridiculing look at me as I remain silent.

I gave my heart to an arrogant fairy who shot me with his gaze.

[Previous] [Master List]

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Shapeshifting Dragons

I sometimes see people wonder if the idea of a dragon that can take on a fully human appearance is a modern fantasy invention. Or solely inspired by (East) Asian dragons, which are almost invariably noble and frequently appear human. Because European folklore is more well known for “dragon slayer tales”, in which the dragons are purely beastly. But! Slavic folklore absolutely has dragons who are capable of transforming themselves into (beautiful) humans!

The dragons from Slavic fairy tales still have typical “western” dragon characteristics (wings, scales, claws, maw), but they often act far more human than animalistic. They frequently live in castles, use weapons, sometimes even ride horses, write letters, or get married to humans. And some are described as fully shapeshifting into humans:

Dawn, Evening, and Midnight (Afanasev, 1866, trans. Guterman, 1946)

Three princesses are abducted by a whirlwind and three brave brothers Evening, Midnight and Dawn set out to find them. Dawn finds the youngest princess in an underground realm in a castle. She greets him, feeds him, gives him strengthening magic water and then: “At this moment a wild wind arose, and the princess was frightened. ‘Presently,’ she said, ‘my dragon will come.’ And she took Dawn by the hand and hid him in the adjoining room. A three-headed dragon came flying, struck the damp earth, turned into a youth.” The princess puts sleeping potion in the dragon’s wine, picks the lice from his hair (implies he is still human) until he falls asleep. She calls Dawn and he cuts off the dragon’s three heads (implies he’s full dragon again) and burns the body. He then rescues her sisters from a six- and twelve-headed dragon. The three princesses marry the three brothers.

The Footless Champion and the Handless Champion (Afanasev, trans. Guterman)

Two champions, Marko and Ivan, decide to steal a priest’s daughter to be their sister and housekeeper. Once they go on a week long hunt and when they return the girl looks ill and thin. “She told them that a dragon had flown to her every day and that she had grown thin because of him. ‘We will catch him,’ said the champions. (…) About half an hour later, the trees in the forest suddenly began to rustle and the roof of the hut shook: the dragon came, struck the damp earth, turned into a goodly youth, sat at table, and asked for food.” Ivan and Marko seize him and thrash him until he begs for mercy, promising to show them the water of life and the water of death. He tries to trick them into jumping into the lake of death, so they throw him in “and only smoke was left of him.” They do bring the priest’s daughter back home before carrying on with their other adventures. [The concept that a dragon’s presence can drain a maiden of her life force shows up in other stories too, but in this particular context it almost seems like the dragon is just? eating her portion of the food? Also the fact that she was abducted from her home by the two supposed heroes and the dragon is only visiting and asking for lunch really puts this into a weird perspective.]

King Bear (Afanasev, trans. Guterman)

A tsar’s son and daughter are abducted by the King Bear but eventually escape with the help of a magical bullock who conjures a lake of fire that the bear cannot cross. They live by its shore for a while in a fine house and Ivan hunts for their food. “Meanwhile Princess Maria went to the lake to wash clothes. As she washed, a six-headed dragon came flying to the other shore of the lake of fire, changed into a handsome man, saw the princess, and said to her in a sweet voice: ‘Greetings, lovely maiden!’ ‘Greetings, good youth!’ ‘The old wives say that in former times this lake did not exist; if a high bridge spanned it, I would come to the other side and marry you.’ ‘Wait! A bridge will be here in a trice!’ answered Princess Maria and waved her towel. In that instant the towel spread out in an arc and hung above the lake like a high and beautiful bridge. The dragon crossed it, changed into its former shape, put Prince Ivan’s dog under lock and key, and cast the key into the lake; then he seized the princess and carried her off.” When Ivan finds his sister missing and his dog locked up he goes to ask help from Baba-Yaga, finds the dragon, kills him, and takes his sister home. [This story ends with the standard “they began to live happily and prosper”, but it really seems like Ivan should have asked Maria if she was even in need of rescuing.]

So there we are! Proper folklore roots for all our mysterious strangers with a hint of scales around their flickering eyes~

[junkiepunkie]

Marauders fic snippet?

Hey so I thought I’d put a lil snippet of the first chapter of my new marauders fic here and ask people’s thoughts? (For context, the fic is set during prisoner of Azkaban and onwards)

this excerpt comes right after Remus finds out Sirius has escaped Azkaban:

Remus thought about laughing, he really did, the type of exasperated laugh that people let slip at the worst of times, but he couldn't. Everything he had tried so desperately to forget for the past 12 years was crashing into him at once, and he was drowning in it. Could he even go to Hogwarts again? Could he ride the train without James? Or eat in the great hall without Pete? write in a classroom without Lily looking over his shoulder? He didn't know. It was moments like this where Remus most wished he still had someone who knew everything about him. Someone he could really hash these big questions out with. well, Remus didn't quite know anyone who knew his childhood anymore, but he knew just who he needed in this moment. 

He hauled himself with the last ounce of power he thought he could muster that morning and put on his worn, brown Mackintosh coat, and dragged himself out of number 7 Godric's hollow and to the train station. He needed London. now. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus triggered the cafe door bell upon entering. He smiled for the first time that day at the sound. He had scrapped his plans to visit the job centre and taken a day trip to Camden, where his favourite coffee shop lay hidden down a fairy-light laden alley. "Macdonald Coffeehouse" was painted moss green and burnt orange, with brick peeking out where the wall was chipped in the corner. As he entered, Remus bathed in the warm light and shed his distress for a moment, frozen for the time being in a melancholy hopefulness. He walked up to the counter like an eager kid and waited for a minute before finally caving and letting out a small "hello" to alert those in the backroom that someone was present. 

"oh shit- erm ONE SEC!" a melodic female voice shouted through from the store room.

Remus Laughed. "s'alright Mary its only me!" 

A relieved face peeked out from behind the door. Mary was glowing, six months pregnant and flashing her eye-reaching smile. 

"Well, if it isn't my favourite customer." she grinned waltzing over. "god, you came the one day I made Jill take a break!" 

Remus sighed happily, Jill, Mary's long term girlfriend was a workaholic to say the least but Remus knew that she wasn't long after her top surgery, no wonder Mary was refusing to let her work. 

"Yeah you'll have to tell her I said hi." 

Mary rolled her eyes "tell her yourself! Just come over again sometime. It's been ages." 

Remus bit his gum to keep from tearing up. "actually... that's kind of what I came here to talk about."

Mary raised her eyebrows and pouted the way she always did when she knew Remus was going to say. Without a word she held up her finger to him and started preparing his usual -cinnamon latte- with a laboured sigh. Remus sat at the nearest table and prepared himself for a debrief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus held his middle finger up to Mary in a fit of laughter. 

"I can't fucking believe you! i'm trying to make a serious decision!" he told her.

She snorted "fuck off with your 'decision' shit! 'oh i've just been offered a job in a mansion in Scotland where I get free food and housing and get to do my dream job, but oh no Mary! it's so far from you!' yeah that a real hard choice."

"uh- it's a castle actually." Remus mocked

Mary stuck out her tongue before she glanced at the shops clock. 

"Christ okay, i can't chat for much longer hun, you know how weirdly busy this place gets at night."

Remus smirked. 'Weirdly busy' was code for Mary's 'herbal tea' hours being mobbed. "of course-"

"No wait. Before you leave we are going to get to the bottom of why you really don't want to take this job."

Remus groaned. He should've known he couldn't hide from Mary, she knew him too well.

"right," he started "You remember I told you about my school? and um... what happened after school."

Mary looked to the floor and she sipped her tea "yeah, the gunman."

"exactly." Remus choked on his lie but recovered as he always did "well, this- this school is my school so going back.."

"feels like taking a trip down memory lane." Mary finished "yeah, you know what I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. I reckon i'd crumble."

Remus frowned gently "nah, you wouldn't. You'd move on.”

the fic is called “we were laughing” on ao3

[dira333]

Who am I and how many?

Midoriya Izuku x Reader

Words: 1872

Reader has a quirk that allows her to travel through different alternate Universes. She can steal from there or drop and leave people stranded there. She can go through undetected or let herself be noticed but it is very taxing on her energy.

warnings: a little bit angsty at the end

@revasserium I used the 31 AU Challenge as inspiration for this.

When you were four, you got lost in another world for three days. 

You weren’t that scared, really, because you knew that world from your books, the little red hood you were wearing looked exactly how you had imagined it and even the wolf looked less scary as he lay in bed, answering your questions.

The scary part was returning home and realizing that no one had noticed you’d been gone.

When you were ten, you brought back a single white feather that was as long as your arm. You used it to write sometimes and hid it well from your grandmother who seemed to understand that your quirk wasn’t about being invisible but something else.

When you disappeared, you did it wholly.

But you did not like to tell others where you went. Or who you met with.

His name is Izuku.

In every world you visit, he is there. 

Sometimes you have to look for him, and sometimes he comes looking for you, but he exists in every universe.

Izuku becomes your North Star, the light that calls for you.

No matter where you meet him, no matter how he lived, there is always a kindness to his features and words that makes you want to be the same.

There is a strength in his smile that inspires you to keep fighting.

In the fiery pit, he calls himself Ku, the only kind soul around to guide you.

He takes your hand when faceless creatures sneer down at you and something ugly and inhuman crawls towards you, talking about eating you.

“Sometimes,” he says and manages to sound wiser than his age, “Hell is the other people. But you can’t let that bring you down.”

Izuku likes everything green. 

He teaches you how to fly, how dreams can lift you, how to follow the second star, and made you fall in love with being a child.

“I don’t want to go home.” You tell him and he holds you close, the two of you bound over the knowledge that sometimes, a home is not a home.

Sometimes, home is a person.

By the time you’re fourteen, you met him in so many places and have lived so many lives.

They call you quirk “wandering” and ask you to teleport. Yourself, others, things. 

Your mother once asks you to get her an expensive bag, pointing at the live stream of a runway show playing on TV. “Give it to me.” She orders and you disappear, but not to the place she wants you to go.

Instead, you spend a week selling potions, living in what once used to be a school bus, and feeding parts of your dinner to a talking cat and a little green bunny that likes to cuddle with you at night.

Your mother has forgotten about her demands when you return but the warmth of the bunny in your arms never leaves your memories again. You’ve called it Izuku because it looked like him and felt like him. Sweet and unobtrusive yet bringing you a warmth that feeds the fire in your soul.

By age twenty, you’ve learned about the Izuku of your own world. 

Midoriya Izuku. Deku. Hero of this world. Hero of all your worlds.

Whenever you slip into another world, you wait for him to show up, to find you, to let you find him.

He is King Midoriya. 

He is the sweet boy next door.

He is a waiter in an old-fashioned roadside diner.

He is the writer and you’re his muse.

You’ve danced a ball with him, kissed him over a milkshake and a burger in a dingy roadside diner, and made love to him in the bedroom of a castle that belonged to him, high above a land that listened to his every word.

You’ve had him call you a witch and a fairy, a princess and a commoner. 

You’ve seen him kill and heal, use magic and superpowers, be tiny and a giant, an idol and the boy next door.

By the time you’re twenty, you’ve learned to master your quirk.

You know where each door leads, know what steps to take and what to skip.

In the morning, you skip the morning commute in favor of walking through a world where you make coffee for a living.

You sit for a while, sip a latte you ordered from yourself and watch as your other you flirts helplessly with a flustered Izuku. He’s so cute in this world and would you have less sympathy for your other self, you’d go over there and get his number.

From the coffee shop, it’s only one step into the agency that you work in.

Four hours of work until you can take another step and find yourself in a big cafeteria.

Izuku sits at a large table with his friends. 

One of them is Kachan, you’ve learned. He doesn’t like you at all.

But you’re not there to talk to them. Instead, you grab yourself lunch and take a seat at the table closest to them, content to watch them interact with each other.

The Izuku of this world is carefree and happy. It’s soothing to your soul to see him like this.

You don’t exist in this world.

Eventually, you have to get back to work. Four more hours and a round of patrol before you can make it back to your apartment.

You long to take another step, a quick detour through a world you haven’t yet experienced, but you’re drained, tired and if you’re not in control, you won’t be able to come back when you need to.

The only possible relief right now is the bright lights of a convenience store, its warmth welcoming you even at this late hour.

You walk through the aisles towards the back for a drink and a snack, anything to get you in a good enough shape to make it home.

As you stretch to reach a bottle on the upper shelves, a scarred hand takes the bottle from you.

“Here.” The voice is warm, the syllables melting together with exhaustion. You recognize his voice first and his hair second, but his eyes are what steal your breath. 

“Izuku.” You whisper, a shiver moving over you as you realize where you are. This is your world. He doesn’t know you here.

“Oh, do we know each other?” He smiles and your heart flutters in sync.

Maybe it’s the late hour or your exhaustion, his appearance, or your loneliness, but you can feel a well-known pull. Your quirk is in control and not the other way around.

There is not much time and you open your mouth to tell him good bye for now, at least you hope you’ll see him again, but he must sense something, because his hands grab your shoulders and you’re a little too slow to open your mouth or a little too tired of having to leave him again and again, but there’s darkness and there’s light and Izuku blinks against the warm golden light of the morning sun.

“Where are we?” He asks, hands moving off you. You grab his shoulders instead.

“If you let go of me,” you tell him, “You will be noticed.”

“What?!” There’s a note in his voice you haven’t heard before. It’s a mix of fear and attention and something entirely new.

“Turn around. Slowly. Do not let go of me.”

You know this world well. You exist in this world. 

Or rather, you once did.

Izuku is a writer here. Gifted with the terrible fate of experiencing life in all it’s vivid detail, all emotions raw and intense to him. He’s cursed to bring all of it to paper.

He married you, loved you, and built a home for you.

You died in his arms a few years ago.

When you met him, you’d stayed invisible. The pain in this world touches even the corners of your heart that have scabbed over, that are numb from the past. 

Only when you’re really lonely do you travel here and keep Izuku company. 

Sometimes you come to him in a dream and remind him that you loved him.

Sometimes you let him nap with his head in your lap and tell him to go out and love again.

Tonight he’s sitting at the window, gazing out into the world that’s sunkissed and lovely.

You wonder what he sees. 

Izuku, your Izuku, strains for the desk and you move with him.

You don’t want to hurt any of them and them meeting cannot go over without any hurt.

“What is this?” He asks and you allow him to pick up a page. He reads quietly, his lips move as he reads. 

No other Izuku moves his lips as he reads and you’re fascinated, thrilled and scared.

How do you explain to someone that you’ve met him in every world there is, in some form or another?

How do you explain to someone that you’ve loved him in a thousand different lives before?

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Izuku’s voice is deep and rich, vibrating with emotions.

You look to the window, knowing who has spoken.

“You brought me myself.” He says and gets up, tall, but beaten by life. 

“Let me introduce you to my world.”

You need two days to gather enough strength to find back home.

Four days in the world of a writer and its muse, a muse so vibrant and loved that her spirit lives on even after her death.

Izuku, your Izuku, has been quiet and attentive.

He’s listened to this other version of himself, has not once urged you to hurry.

Your exhaustion must have been evident or maybe he’s too enraptured with meeting himself.  He’s read through every page he could find. He has watched you with careful eyes when you fell asleep on the giant bed in the middle of the room, knowing that a different you had slept there before, knowing that a different version of him has slept there with you.

“I am sorry,” you tell him when you step back into the convenience store as if only a few minutes have passed. “I wanted to warn you. I would have been fine on my own.”

“How many of me have you met?” He asks instead.

“I have lost count.”

“Show me.” He says but he does not sound like your mother, demanding, or like your father, begging. 

He asks like someone who’s going to give you the world in return if you dare to give him your hand.

You are old and grey, but Izuku recognizes you the moment you step inside his room.

Izuku, the writer, is waiting for you. He seems to not have aged a day but now you realize that he’s only ever been a little older than you, a little bit further in life and experience.

It’s not the age that made you come back for him. It’s the loss that you both now share.

He opens his arms for you, welcoming your pain, happy to ease your misery.

“I loved him.” You say and he nods into your hair, lets your tears soak his shirt.

“We loved you.”

My Kofi if you want to tip me

[jiliansky-blog]

I will find my way back to you. Chapter 9. Proposition

Pairing: Morpheus x FemaleReader

Rating: PG

Words: 2000

A few days passed, and there was no sign of Morpheus. You felt betrayed, hurt and abandoned. You wanted to cry, and you let yourself cry, just for one day. And then you decided that you couldn’t fix anything with tears. Your book almost stuck. You wanted to write something heartbreaking, but you couldn’t bear it.

One day, when you were writing, Calliope joined you again. For a few minutes, she was watching your desperate writing before starting a conversation.

“I told you it would be that way,” she said softly.

“It doesn’t help,” you admitted.

“So he broke with you,” she said.

“Yes, and it seemed I made him angry,” you said. “But he made me angry first. He didn’t even try to find the way. Yes, he looked in the books, but that’s it.”

“He was always stubborn,” she admitted.

“And he seems to love his misery,” you said.

“Did you give up?” she asked.

“No!” you said. “But I cut out off his library. Unless you can advise something. Do you know how I can get immortality?”

“It always ends badly with mortals,” she said.

“Not for all of them,” you said. “His friend is doing just fine.”

“Death gave him the immortality,” Calliope replied. “That’s different.”

“Are all supernatural creatures that mystery?” you asked. “You all tell riddles instead of talking normally. Can you just say?”

“I want to say you shouldn’t try to find other ways to become immortal,” she said. “It can end badly. And I don’t want, for some reason, for you to be hurt.”

“That was nice of you to say,” you sighed. “But what will I do?”

“You know, I think that you should give up,” she said. “I know he changed, but still, it’s still too dangerous, and your heart can be broken another time.”

“Very optimistic,” you replied.

“I’m sorry,” she said, standing to leave.

“Wait!” you said. “Can you ask some of your immortal friends?”

“I will try,” she said uncertainly. “But no promises.”

“Thanks,” you sighed, and she went away.

A few more days passed when someone else found you. It was a familiar, blonde young man. He sat across you.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi,” you said carefully. “I saw you somewhere. Did we know each other?”

“No,” he smirked. He was beautiful, but there was something disturbing about him. And you understood something: he has pointed ears.

“You’re a fairy!” you said.

“We don’t know each other, but I saw you,” he said again. “Don’t you remember?”

And you finally remember: He was the fairy that was watching Morpheus’s castle.

“You are the fairy that came to Morpheus,” you said. “What do you want? He said you can’t be trusted.”

“Oh, did he?” he asked. “And where is he now?”

“The question is the same,” you said. “What do you want? Are you here to gloat or what?”

“No, I am here to offer help,” he said softly, like he was talking to a child.

“And why?” you still didn’t know what he wanted.

“Because we think that you can…be a good friend to fairies,” he said. “And help Morpheus as well. Even if he doesn’t say this.”

“And what do you suggest?” you said, still not quite sure.

“We can offer immortality,” he replied. “One sip from our source, and you will become one.”

“What's the catch?” you asked. “There is always another side.”

“It can change you,” he said.

“How?” you asked.

“It’s different for everyone,” he said. “I can’t tell you for sure.”

“Do you have other mortals that become fairies?” you asked. “I heard it ended badly for them.”

“We had it a long time ago,” Cluracane replied. “You can meet them and ask. They still live in our realm. If you want to visit.”

“I need to think about it,” you admitted finally.

“Of course,” he said softly. “You have three days to consider everything. That time I stay in your city.”

“How can I find you?” you asked.

“I will find you,” he smiled. “Don’t worry. Until we meet again.”

And he went away, while everyone in the café was watching him. What a strange week!

“What has happened to you recently?” asked Miranda. “You are not as cheerful as always. Did your stranger appear to be just like a dream?”

“Perhaps,” you said.

You didn’t want to stay, just like a dream. You don’t want to forget him. And you suspected that Cluracane’s intentions were not good.  Something was just…off. On the other side, it can be your only chance to get what you want. To return Morpheus. Unfortunately, you can’t ask anyone but Calliope. And you were waiting for her the next day.

“You were waiting for me,” she asked in the café the next day.

“I can ask only you,” you said.

“About what?” she asked.

“One of the fairies folk came to me,” you replied.

“What?” she asked, confused. “Why?”

And you told her everything. How did he see you in the Dreaming. And about his offer:Calliope didn’t look convinced in his good intentions, too.

“You can’t consider this serious,” she said. “He should have hidden motives.”

“Yeah, I know,” you sighed. “I know that they probably have some plans for me. But what else do I do?”

“You know what I think about it,” she replied.

“Did you find out something new?” you asked.

“Not really,” she sighed. “But you can’t trust him.”

“I can’t,” you said. “But it is either this option or life without him. I really love him. And I hate this universe that made us apart.”

“Then you need to remember everything and be very careful,” Calliope said. “Only they know what they’re planning. They may hold some grudges against Morpheus. I heard he had an affair with the queen once.”

“Is that so?” you asked.

“You don’t look surprised”, she noticed.

“I had thoughts,” you admitted. “Perhaps, Morpheus didn’t want me to find out about this.”

“Perhaps,” she nodded. “So, does that mean you made your decision?”

“What choice do I have?” you asked. “Besides giving up. But I promise, I will be careful. I know that they can’t be trusted.”

“Then let the fortune be with you,” she said. “Farewell.”

And she went away. You were very nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if you forget something or change? What if it doesn’t return you Morpheus? But you need to try, otherwise you won’t forgive yourself.

So you wait for him in the café the next day. He was smiling, like he already knew he had won. But you need at least some assurance.

“Before I agree,” you said. “I need to know all the information you can tell me. How can I change? What should I do?”

“I told you,” he said. “That’s different for everyone.”

“Tell me how,” you said. “I know fairies can’t lie, but can hide the truth. So let’s see.”

“You are a cruel girl,” he smirked. “Alright. You can forget something. Or became different. More fairylike, if you know what I mean.”

“What else should I should know?” you asked.

“Well, you will stay with us until you get used to your new self”, the fairy replied. “And you can stay forever if you want”.

“What should I do for this?” you asked. “Some trials?”

“Nothing like that,” he laughed. “You should take a sip, as I already told you, from our well and you’re immortal.”

Something was off, but perhaps it was just your nerves. You can change that, what can happen. What if you lose your love for Morpheus? And that your sacrifice would be in vain. But if it works out, you will be with him as an immortal fairy.

“So, what is your decision?” he asked.

“Alright,” you sighed. “But I need to pack my things.”

“You don’t need to take a lot of your human stuff with you,” he replied. “You can get whatever you want in our castle.”

“I just want to take my favorite things,” you said. “And also to make everything feel like I go to rest somewhere and not just disappear. In case, I return.”

“Alright,” he agreed. “But don’t make me wait too long for you.”

And you went to your flat to pick up some things. You packed some books, favorite dresses, photos, and notebooks. You weren’t sure if your laptop would be working there. But you take it anyway. You want to write, for sure. You wrote a note to your friends and parents that you want to take a vocation and return as soon as possible. And then you took your pretty big bag and left the flat.

“Are you ready?” he asked when you came to him.

“Yes,” you replied.

“Good,” he smirked. “Time is up.”

Morpheus

It was raining in the Dreaming. I wondered why I should break my own heart again and again. And why does it hurt so much? I know that it ends that way. But the knowledge doesn’t save the pain, I suppose. And her words are still echoing in my mind.

“My lord?” Lucienne asks carefully.

“Yes?” I replied.

“Someone wants to see you,” she said.

“Who?” I asked without any interest.

“Calliope, my lord,” she replied, and I looked at her.

It was unexpected. I didn’t wait for her either for a long time. What can bring her here?

“I asked her to my throne room,” I said.

“Alright, my lord,” she nodded, leaving the terrace.

Lucienne left, and I returned to my throne room as well. Calliope came here in a minute. She looked well, but she was nervous.

“Calliope,” I said. “I didn’t expect to see you soon.”

“I know,” she said. “Don’t worry, it’s not something concerning me or us. It’s about her, Y\N.”

Something twisted inside of me. Something is going on.

“What about her?” I asked.

“I’m afraid she can get into trouble,” she said.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“She talked to me,” Calliope replied. “One of the fairies came to her and offered her immortality. And she is desperate.”

“She knows better than to trust him,” I said, but an unpleasant feeling of anxiety stayed.

“Did she?” the muse asked. “Probably she does. But she still wants you back. You picked an inconvenient time to break her heart. Fairies probably want something from her. Or you.”

She was probably right. I shouldn’t let her go after Cluracane asked about her. But can I do it now? Should I come to her?

“Oneiros, you better come there, to their realm,” she said. “Before they do any harm to her. They won’t kill her, but…”

“But they can play with her,” I finished. “Thank you, Calliope, for telling me.”

“Good luck, Oneiros,” she said and went away.

I was such a fool! I should send Matthew to watch her, so she would be alright. And I underestimated her desire to be with me. I was so overwhelmed with my decision and pain that I couldn’t think logically. I need to find her.

“My lord?” Lucienne returned. “Are you alright?”

“Y|N is in trouble,” I admitted. “Fairies want something from her. They offered her immortality. And I didn’t see the connection when they saw her and asked about her.”

“They probably want to get to you through her,” she sighed.

“Indeed,” I said. “It’s my fault. I should save her before she does something stupid.”

“Would it be wise, though?” she asked.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked. “I thought I did the right thing, but I made a mistake again and destroyed everything. Because of me, they are interested in her.”

“Alright,” she nodded. “Perhaps you should check her at home first. She is a clever girl. She couldn’t go with them as soon as she left the Dreaming.”

“I’ll check,” I said. “Thank you, Lucienne. Will you take care of everything here?”

“Of course, my lord,” she nodded.

And I came to her home. I knew where it was from her dreams. But she wasn’t there. I found a lack of her things and a note. I was late.

@shadowqueen1318 @mypsychoticlove @justathirstyhoe​ @ladymoztaza @sapphireonline @deniixlovezelda

[only-lonely-stars]

Hair As Gold As Straw (Chapter 4 - Entry to the Mountain)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 3 of 9] // [Chapter 4 of 9 - you are here!] // [Chapter 5 of 9] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of the @ninjago-fairy-tale-au!

Summary:

Once upon a time, Princess Vania of Shintaro lived in an ivory castle in an ivory city. Her father, King Vangelis, kept her safe in her tower, where no one could hurt her and she could not hurt herself... until the day when she ran away. A Colania Snow White retelling.

Chapter summary:

Who knew that Prince Charming was just... a man? Can he manage a task that others have already failed?

For a time after the three adventurers were sent below the city of Shintaro, there was no news. Their visit was forgotten as monotony set in, cushioned by the luxury of the ivory city. The people lived their lives without ever knowing of the adventurers' fate, Hailmar assumed his poorer role, and the king stewed. He sent no more guards below, instead choosing to wait for the next adventurer to come.

One evening, however, the monotony was broken.

A figure dressed in black and armored with gold entered the city. His face was masked so only his dark eyes were visible, and on his back he carried a shining golden scythe. He moved with purpose, treading the ivory flagstone streets toward the castle, the sun to his back. Every eye turned to him, and he in turn looked at the city's opulence with appreciation.

At last, he came to the castle gates, and he rapped on them loudly.

"Let me speak to the king! I'm here to answer his summons!"

-----

The king welcomed the stranger in his throne room like he had welcomed the previous three.

"Welcome, stranger, to the city of Shintaro. What is your purpose here?"

The black-clad man bowed. "I'm here to save your daughter, your Highness. I heard about your request."

The king nodded. "Very well. Please, take off your hood so I may see your face. Tell me who you are."

The stranger did so, revealing black hair and tan skin, which shone in contrast to his golden armor.

"My name is Cole," he said. He stood tall with an imposing presence.

"Are you seeking a reward?"

"Not really. Getting your daughter back is just the right thing to do," he said with a smile.

The king nodded amenably. "You are the first to come with such noble intentions, but rest assured that you will be rewarded handsomely." He came to stand before Cole and put a hand on his shoulder, almost fatherly. "Tell me, Cole. Are you the sort of man who cannot stay in one place?"

"That depends on what you mean. I haven't stayed anywhere long since I left my father's house."

"Then let me amend my question. Do you believe in the value of having a home?"

"Of course."

"Then I am sure you understand why I am so anxious to have my daughter returned to me." The king stepped away from him. "All others who have tried to rescue my daughter have failed. To aid your journey, I will give you a valuable artifact."

The king reached behind his throne and retrieved a wooden box. He opened it and took out a mirror, putting the box back. He put it in Cole's hands, and its silver frame felt frozen in his hands.

"This mirror will show you my daughter, to guide you around the dangerous pitfalls below. All you must do is ask it to show you. Use it wisely."

Cole accepted it hesitantly. "Thank you." He put it in a pouch on his belt. "I will bring your daughter home, no matter what."

"I am sure you will. When you do, I would like to propose an arrangement."

"What would that be?"

"When you bring my daughter home, you may have her hand. She is intelligent, but unfit to rule, like many royal women tend to be. She will need a strong husband to guide Shintaro– a man of action and of courage."

Cole hesitated. "You want me to marry your daughter?"

"When you bring her back, if you will have her. It is a fitting reward."

Cole stepped back, shaking his head. "No, your highness. It's a flattering offer, but I just want her to be home and safe. That's enough for me."

"Are you certain?" Vangelis asked pointedly.

"Yes. I don't want to be tied down, and she deserves a chance to be independent."

The king hummed noncommittally. "Very well. Regardless, you will be well rewarded. For tonight, rest yourself, so you may make the hard journey."

That night, Cole rested fitfully. He dreamt of his father, of bones, and of captivity. He woke several times, imagining he was locked in his room, but found nothing. Regardless, in the morning he awoke and prepared for his venture below the mountain.

-----

Cole steeled himself against the cold as he entered the mines. Behind him, two of the king's guards re-fastened the gate, blocking any unlikely Shintaran entry and likewise closing him in. He took one look behind before turning to the dark and raising his torch.

The cold and dark of the tunnels enclosed upon Cole, but he walked forward anyway. He did not fear the mountain nor the dark– instead, he forged ahead, feeling in every way like he was coming closer to what he sought. Into the blackness and dark, every guideless step took him deeper, farther from all company.

Eventually, he came across a fork in the path. The tunnels were identical, both stretching into faraway blackness. For a time, he thought about he paths, trying to choose one to take.

After some consideration, he reached into his pouch and brought out the mirror. It felt warmer than it had previously, but it unnerved him. Regardless, he gathered his courage and spoke to it as the king had instructed him.

"Show me the princess."

The mirror glowed a fluorescent green, which faded into an image of Vania, hefting a pickaxe. In bemusement, he watched as she dug, speaking to someone he could not view as she did so. Above her, stalactites glowed and shined with moss and gems. Slowly, the image disappeared, leaving nothing but Cole's reflection behind.

With more questions than answers, he stowed the mirror away, resolving himself to find her once again. He looked between the two identical tunnels, having no more guidance than before he used the mirror. He turned to the tunnel on the right and began to walk again.

While he walked, the knight was engulfed with memories, if only to break the monotony of his trek. He thought of his mother, whom he had lost, and her last words to him. His father, grieving and sinking into his work, had sent Cole away to a faraway school. Cole had left that school as quickly as he came and found a master to teach him his ways, learning all the things his father would never teach him. Then still a boy, he had learned all the ways of chivalry and stealth his master would teach, achieving greater things than those which his father dreamt for him.

Continuing on, Cole thought of the places he had lived and learned since his master's tutelage and of his aimless travels. In his mind's eye, they were as vivid as when he had lived those days, with blazing sun and burning sand. As he was preoccupied with his reminiscence, he did not see how the ground opened up in the middle of a passageway, and stepped in.

Cole stumbled and fell into the hole. He cried out, trowing out his arms to grasp anything that would keep him from falling, but felt nothing. His yells echoed through the tunnels, the sound of air rushing past his ears deafening. Just as he re-oriented himself, he winced as he hit against something elastic which bent and snapped beneath him. He hit another and another, each reaching the same fate, before he finally fell against one that did not snap.

Cole laid on his back, catching his breath. He opened his eyes to see a high stone ceiling riddled with webs in every crevice, blanketing it in enough white to turn it a faint gray. After a few moments, he looked around and was filled with dread, seeing an enormous web beneath him and multiple bodies and skeletons. Some were webbed up, like they were trapped by spiders, while others were simply stuck to the strands and stared off into oblivion.

Cole struggled against the web's stickiness, trying to pull himself free. It clung to him with surprising strength, restricting all movement. Finally, he managed to sit up so he could look around, only to see a spider the size of a large boulder sleeping on edge of the web.

The spider was the largest creature the knight had ever seen. It was hideous, having large mandibles and teeth, as well as many closed eyes. Its legs were long and jointed, tipped with blade-like ends. Its enormous thorax rested against the cave wall, showing off fearsome markings. Beneath its body ran a line that went under Cole, which made him wonder why it did not awake from his fall. However, he disregarded that fact in lieu of the current issue; freeing himself.

Cole slowly pulled himself free of the adhesive, grimacing at the disgusting feeling of it pulling at his clothes and armor. Slowly he pried himself away. He searched for a suitable, non-sticky place to stand, but was unsuccessful. In exasperation, he resolved to slowly walk off the web into a corridor near one side.

The corridor was bedecked in webs, but Cole entered it anyway, feeling braver once he touched solid ground as he always did. He walked carefully, looking for holes and webs, but found none to trip him. An opening came up, and he passed through it to find a smaller, less-webbed cave. Inside this cave was another sleeping spider, but it was much smaller than the other. Its marking were purple to the other's gray-black, its legs were much shorter, and it had strange white markings on its head. It sat in the middle of the web, but that was also different. Cole noted that it lacked the bodies and bones of the previous.

Cole sighed and examined his surroundings, looking for another exit besides the tall ceiling above the spider's nest. He could not turn back, nor could he scale the smooth walls. However, just past the web was another corridor, which was much less webbed than the one he had just come through. It was doubtlessly the best option, if not for the fact that it required passage over the web in order to access it.

The knight pulled his hood over his head, determined to be stealthy. The skills he had learned from his old master served him well as he crept across the web, approaching the spider. Halfway across, however, his foot slipped on a non-sticky thread, and he fell.

The spider started away and looked around frantically, searching for the intruder. Cole laid still as it relaxed and then spotted him. The spider seemed startled, as it jumped away from him and skittered to the edge of the web. Cole pushed himself up as best he could, fighting the stickiness as he reached for his scythe. The spider, to its credit, backed away. It held up its two front legs, as if to show its innocence, before shooting a web upwards and pulling itself away from Cole's reach.

Cole watched it ascend. The spider, for whatever reason, did not want to hurt him. All around him were discarded web wrappings, as if they had once encased creatures which the spider had preyed upon, but there was no evidence of any human death. The thought of safety from the spider eating him was comforting, but he did not stay; instead, he moved as quickly as he could and left the cave, watching his back. He kept moving, trying to find his way back to larger caverns.

-----

Hours after his altercation with the spider, Cole was only marginally successful in finding the princess. Once or twice he had spotted the luminescent moss, living on cave walls or stalactites, but it was never the surroundings he had seen in the mirror. Eventually, he tried the tool again.

"Show me the way to the princess."

The mirror glowed much like before, and gave him a new picture. In it, strange teal creatures fought in a room with a long and low wooden table. It was a banquet table, the size of which he had never seen. The creatures shouted silently and threw things, hitting each other with clubs. A wooden throne was at one end of the room, and a female creature of their kind sat in it, looking bored. She spoke inaudibly to someone next to her, looking bored. Just as she got up to shout at the other creatures, the image faded, and Cole saw his reflection again. He put the mirror away.

The way seemed obvious enough; find the creatures and the moss, and the princess would be there. He resolved once again to find her and bring her home, and set off through the tunnels.

-----

Another hour passed, and Cole found himself once again at the fork in the tunnels that he had reached earlier that day. By all estimation, it was likely afternoon or evening outside the mountain, but he did not stop to rest. Instead, he took the other path at the fork and continued walking.

After only a few minutes, Cole knew that he was on the right track. The moss showed up in little patches and only glowed faintly, but it was still what he had seen. He followed its trail and eventually came upon a door set into the wall. He slipped inside and found a large cavern, filled with mud and stone buildings that lined the walls all the way to the ceiling. Tools and weapons were everywhere, as were bones and dirt, giving the place a feeling of messiness. Cole found it almost comforting as he snuck through it.

Eventually, he found a group of the teal creatures. One was talking to a few others and hefting a pickaxe. It acted as if it was telling them a story, and as he crept closer he caught a few words.

"Then it was urgh, and I did agh, and the rocks fell! Many gems behind."

"Many gems, but Mimble still have more," another said.

"No, Molt does!" a third replied, hitting the second on the head with a club. "Molt have all the gems Munce need today."

Cole's foot hit a bone, and it clattered against the ground. The creatures turned and looked at him.

"Another from above the mountain!" one said. "Like Korgran!"

Cole looked at him warily. "Who are you?"

"I am Murt! Best miner of the Munce." The creature looked proud.

"I'm Cole. Have you seen a girl anywhere? Pale skin, yellow hair?"

The creatures muttered to themselves. "Why ask?"

"I'm looking for her. She needs to come home."

"She is no Munce. She is not here," Murt said.

"You're called Munce?"

"Yes. Better than the nasty Geckles!" Murt cried.

His friend elbowed him. "They are not nasty, Murt. Mimble knows."

"Right," Cole said. "Do you know where she is?"

"We can not tell you," Mimble said. "She does not want to leave."

"Why not?" Cole asked.

Mimble shied away like he had said too much. "No telling. You find no help from Munce."

"You won't tell me where she is?"

"No. Munce no help."

Cole sighed. "All right. That's fine." He turned to leave them behind and spotted a pair of tall doors. "Where do those go?"

Murt put a hand on his shoulder. "We no go there. That is the way to Geckle caverns."

"I'll take my chances." Cole went to them and pushed them open, slipping through and closing them quietly as the three Munce protested. The passageway had many more stalactites covered in moss, and he looked up at them, as if they showed the way. Sure enough, at the end of the tunnel was another pair of doors, which were closing. As he approached he spotted a flash of white, as pale as the princess, in the doorway.

"Princess Vania?" he called. The door shut hastily with a resounding thud.

"Princess Vania, wait!"

[purpleprincessonfyre]

We've seen Liane's 'ending' so to speak but how did she end up in that dark twisted tower to begin with? Here is the start of Liane's twisted journey as The Dark Fairy and a little bit of context in the Modern World too after Ethan discovers who's been digging up dirt on him.

OUAT AU - I'm The Problem, It's Me

Characters: Mal!Liane, Prince of Hearts!Ethan, The Dark Prince!Alexander

Also mentioned: Sleeping!Petra, King!Scott Summers, Belladonna St James

Themes: Depictions of violence, implied abuse

IB: Once Upon A Time, Maleficent and Antihero by Taylor Swift

The fae woodland was in tatters. Beautiful tall trees reduced to ugly stumps, the land torm up by footfalls, every sign of life and beauty was destroyed. Fairies lay dead on the ground, some on the verge of dying as a lone fairy walked through the wreckage, her large sweeping wings hanging limply from her shoulders as she tried to help her fellow fairies.

"Please, please be okay..." she whispered, scooping up an injured flower fairy. As she brought the fairy closer to her face she saw her struggling to breathe, fighting for her life.

"I tried to stop them...Liane I-"

"Shhh it's okay, I'll fix this. I'll find those men who hurt you."

"No Liane, please...don't stoop to their level."

And as the Fairy took her final breath, she slowly went limp in Liane's hand. A rage started to build up inside her as she gently placed her fellow fairy down on the ground, fire in her eyes as she surveyed the land she called home left to die. She screamed, an earth shaking scream that sent ripples of fire across the barren landscape, the ruined stumps set ablaze and the ground burning around her in lavender flames. The men would pay dearly.

----

Liane St James heard the doorbell in the middle of an episode of Grey's. She paused the TV and got up to answer the door and saw Bella's biological father Ethan standing on her doorstep, his jaw set, his green eyes boring holes into her head. Liane gulped and smiled nervously.

"Surprised to see you here, Mr L-"

"You've been spying on me?"

"I-"

"I went to your office to ask if you wanted to go and get coffee and saw all these pages on your desk about me and my 'chequered' past. Care to explain?"

"Ethan I-"

"I should've known. Everyone in this town is crazy! You just want to get rid of me, don't you? So you get Belladonna all to yourself-"

"Ethan!"

Liane yelled, that firey rage building up inside again like a furnace. He stopped, his eyes cold with contempt. She stepped out of the doorway to let him inside so she could explain. She was going to tell the truth. It was the least she could do after her actions got him thrown in a cell downtown. She offered him a drink but he stayed silent, sitting at the table, waiting for an explanation. Liane sighed and sat down across from him, ready to talk.

"It's a long story."

-----

Liane took to the skies in search of someone she had hoped to never cross paths with again but that she knew could help her in her needy hour. She no longer wanted justice or peace. She wanted revenge. And she knew just who could provide it to her. She scoured the skyline until a dark castle came into view, a torn flag flapping in the battlements. The Castle of the Dark Prince.

Liane landed at the gates and demanded an audience with the Dark Prince, threatening the guards with a scorching fate if they denied her. Just as the guards tried to attack her, the air turned cold as a figure appeared in a high up window of the castle.

"Men! Let the Dark Fairy in. We have business to discuss." Came the voice, laced with venom, as the guards opened the gates to let her in. As Liane entered, the Dark Prince himself, Alexander appeared at her side.

"My my you've grown...not such an ugly duckling now are you my dear?"

"I assume you know the reason for my visiting?"

"That I do....you poor thing. All those dead fairies and trees, humans are truly scum of the Earth. But you don't want them back...you don't want your home back. You want to watch them suffer....that I can help with gladly." He smiled, his teeth looking rather malevolent in the dim candlelight.

The Dark Prince led her to a tall tower filled with magical objects and such, directing her to a chair and then sat down himself, playing with a very dangerous knife playfully.

"Revenge is a delicate matter. A massacre would certainly be fun but do they even deserve death? That would be over and then there would be no way for them to suffer. I have just the thing." Alex stood up, walking towards a cabinet of cursed objects and pulled out a rather wicked looking spindle. Liane eyed it with awe.

"Poisoned?"

"Cursed my dear, not poison. No the fate of the poor soul who pricks themselves on this will be far more painful. A sleeping death, where they are still alive but are locked in a living nightmare but can never, ever awaken! But who do we curse? The king? His wife? Or his precious heir..."

The Dark Prince turned to a globe sat atop his table and waved a hand over it to reveal a sweet young princess playing in a garden happily, no older than at least 10, running around gaily with her maid.

"The Princess? She's just a child!"

"Her father ordered his men to destroy your land and your people! Why should his daughter have peace and happiness?"

"I..." There was doubt in the Dark Fairy's eyes so Alexander changed tactics, offering her a smile and taking her hand.

"I will give you much more than this curse if you want to do this. This crystal ball will give sight on anyone in the world instantly. This cloak will hide you in plain sight anywhere. And this staff will grant you some simple spells to convince others you have more power than they think."

"But-"

"You want revenge, right?" Alexander muttered, his eyes turning dark. Liane nodded, rage still blazing in her eyes. He smiled, knowing he'd got her. He handed her the spindle.

"Now I don't do any of this for free so I will need something from you...you probably won't miss it. You understand right?"

Liane nodded, blinded by her hunger for revenge as The Dark Prince circled her carefully, pulling out his blade swiftly. His grin turned wicked as he eyed her body, his gaze landing on her beautiful feathered wings.

"Now those...should do nicely. They'll look beautiful on my wall. Easy, right? And if you succeed then you can come and get them back, instantly. But if you fail...you work for me. You will do as I say, when I ask, no questions asked. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal, sir." Liane uttered, taking hold of Alexander's outstretched hand, shaking it as the contract was sealed. He was still grinning as he brandished his knife devilishly.

"Don't you worry, you won't feel a thing..."

------

"And he's been blackmailing you ever since? Shit...."

"Well not blackmailing just-"

"You're a lawyer. That's blackmail right there. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because he's the most powerful man in town. He could take away everything I love so easily, you don't understand!"

"He's a monster-"

"Ethan..."

"No he is! Holding something like that against you all these years later? We all make mistakes!"

"I know..."

Liane swiped away a tear from her cheek harshly, wishing the ground would just swallow her up. That twinging sensation ran down her back again like knives in her spine. It never seemed to stay for too long but it would show up every so often like a curse. She winced in pain and this time Ethan noticed. His eyes were full of concern as he watched her stumble to the cupboard for pain killers.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine, my back's playing up."

"Do you have arthritis or something?"

"The uh...the doctors don't actually know. I got tested a bunch years back but they never found out what causes it. I'm fine really." She rubbed her back, swallowing down pills quickly as she got back to her chair.

"You need to tell him no."

"I- what?"

"You need to tell him! Say you quit or you're done with this shit, you clearly don't enjoy prying. He shouldn't have this power over you for God's sake!"

"But what if he threatens me again?"

"Do you really care if he releases that information?"

"No..."

"Do you think Bella will care?"

"No."

"Then maybe you shouldn't care. This town is tight, they won't shun you for this. You're only human."

Liane's eyes filled with tears again as Ethan took her in his arms and hugged her gently, careful not to hurt her. This town was out to get him, but now he knew who was the ringleader. And he wouldn't hold it against his daughter's adoptive mother any longer.

-----

Liane awoke inside a dark room, dimly lit by a few smoky candles. As her vision adjusted she started to see the crystal ball on a table, the cloak hung on a stand, the staff leaned against the dirty bricks and a number of bottles and vials lining the wall. As she tried to stand she suddenly felt strangely lighter than usual, struggling to keep her balance. As she reached for her wings to try and steady herself she felt nothing but two jagged stumps on her back, the edges raw. And then she remembered the deal.

Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to her feet, taking hold of the staff to steady herself, looking out the window. She was now surrounded by a thick dark forest of trees and briars, in a tall tower that was just for her. She'd given up her wings for revenge. So now she had to hold up her end of the deal. She looked at the crystal ball and whispered to it.

"Show me the Princess Petra."

The ball filled with smoke and revealed a young Princess surrounded by gifts and guests, giggling and smiling. Her tenth birthday. The King was smiling too, grinning like the cat that got the cream. That made Liane's blood boil. Her eyes turned dark as she slipped on the cloak and looked at the staff.

"Take me to the Royal Castle of King Scott."

In a flash she appeared in the centre of the party, the guests falling quiet, the birthday girl turning to face the new stranger, the King's blood running cold as he saw the eyes under the hood, horns jutting out of the hood.

"Well well, what a glittering assemblage, Your Majesty. I'm quite disturbed to have not received an invitation to the darling child's birthday..."

"You weren't wanted, you vile woman!" The King spat, urging guards to approach.

"Ah ah, manners. I too wish to bestow a gift upon the sweet child. Before the sun sets on her 16th birthday...she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleeping death! From which she will NEVER awaken!" Clouds of magic and smoke swirled around her as she raised her staff, the spell sticking to the young Princess as she spoke.

"Her only chance of waking...if she receives true Love's kiss! Enjoy what few birthdays you have left little Petra!"

"Get her!"

But as the guards descended on her she disappeared again, back to her tower. Now she had to wait. She really hadn't thought this through. But True Love's Kiss didn't exist so she would succeed. And as far as The Dark Fairy knew, everything was going according to plan.

Meanwhile, back in the dark castle, Alexander surveyed the scene from afar, smirking to himself at the Dark Fairy's actions.

"Poor naive fairy. If only she knew..." muttered The Dark Prince softly, stroking Liane's wings gently. And then he broke into a laugh, a cruel laugh that echoed through the entire castle. She wasn't going to get away that easily.

Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for the next part of Liane's Villain Arc where the tables are going to turn rather quickly....

Tagging: @gcthvile @jackiequick @blueboirick @rooster-84 @cherrysft @meiramel @missstrawbs2001 @askstevella @ask-missparker @ask-starrk @therealdaydreamstark @thechoooooosenone @wizzzardofoz @finlayholmes @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh

[realmadridfamily]

“I was in the hotel after the national team match (Belgium 2-0 England) and a photo of Mishel with a dog popped up on Instagram. I only watch profiles that I follow and I didn't know her but she suddenly popped up. I thought it was a very sweet photo and commented, "Cuties" not intending for her to respond to me. But it worked." - recalls Thibaut Courtois. It was November 2020, in the middle of the global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and no one, not even themselves, expected that this whim of fate would turn them into the heroes of a love story. «I saw the message and thought, “Okay, fine. – I will answer you. And I wrote : "Thank you." He immediately asked me how my day was, how everything was going, and I thought: "This guy is cute." - explains model Mishel Gerzig.

From that evening on, they started talking non-stop. Every day. Until almost six months later, in April 2021, they saw each other for the first time in Madrid. “And we never parted again.” she says, stroking his hand, and the bouncer smiles knowingly in response. This is the first joint session after the wedding, which took place last July in a fairy-tale castle on the French Riviera, and after a serious knee injury that has kept Tibo off the pitch since August. During the session, they share confidences, smile, hug and kiss between photos... They are in a state of absolute happiness that cannot be hidden.

ELLE : Your relationship started long distance, but what was it like the first time you met in person?

THIBAUT: It was in Barajas, at the airport. You could fly to Spain from France, so she first flew from Israel to Paris and from there to Madrid. Right after landing, she told me that she had a problem with her passport and that they wouldn't let her into the country. It was a joke, but I was shocked and started thinking about how I could solve it. I couldn't believe it, I felt terrible.

MISHEL: (laugh). I thought of this joke to break the ice because I was very nervous when I saw him.

T: She was traveling with her best friend and they spent the night at my house. But we slept separately! (laugh). We had been talking on FaceTime all the time for months, we knew each other very well, but we needed to meet in person. We didn't plan much. We went for lunch, dinner, walked, talked for hours... I tried to get a friend to accompany me to training or a match. In fact, Mishel sometimes visited Di Stéfano, where we were playing at the time. And everything came out naturally, it worked. She brought a suitcase for two weeks because she had the idea to go to Amsterdam to work and then she never left (laugh).

M: That's true! The pandemic started and I was in Israel. When I had the opportunity to travel, I wanted to resume modeling, but my plans changed (laughter). I planned to stay here for two weeks, but I stayed much longer. That's because we had so much fun together. We already knew that we understood each other well remotely, but we tested each other in person and our relationship was even stronger.

E: So much so that you quickly became engaged.

T: And I wanted it to be even earlier (laugh). In January 2022, I went to buy a ring with a friend and thought: "I want one too." We had only been together for a few months, but I knew Mishel was the love of my life. I decided to wait until June to do it in a unique way. She loves the sea, so I found the right moment, improvised during a trip to Positano and asked her. We didn't want to wait so long to get married, but due to the World Cup and other commitments with Real Madrid and the Belgian national team, it was difficult to find an earlier date.

E: Thibaut is an international football star. Did you feel dizzy when you entered his world?

M: At first, yes. I thought about how I would cope. Tibo attracts a lot of attention and generates a lot of noise, but I slowly got used to it. It's beautiful to see all the love it awakens in people.

E: Shortly after the wedding, an injury occurred. How did you survive it?

T: The first day was difficult. I wrote to Mishel: "I think I broke my knee in training."

M: I quickly took the car and drove to Valdebebas.

T: We went for an MRI, which quickly showed that I had a serious injury. I was still inside and they had already told Mishel and the physio what happened. When I came out, I cried, but then I felt people's support and I started thinking positively. You can't go back. Mishel helped me a lot, especially in the first month when I was limping and could barely move. Now I'm working hard to come back as soon as possible and be 100% healthy.

E: How did this situation change your daily life?

T: Now I spend more hours training, but I also have more flexibility when it comes to being with my children and Mishel. The good thing is that they adore her, so we spend a lot of time together. The injury made me look at everything from a different perspective. I love football and I miss it, but there are other things I love and want to do. This year I'm going to start my Master's in Sports Management and hope to graduate. We also have several businesses (he invested in the production of plant milk, in Neat Burger, vegan burgers, in which Leonardo DiCaprio and Lewis Hamilton are also partners; he has a Formula 4 team, TC Racing, and Mishel is preparing to open a beauty salon in Madrid), it is worth develop mentally and learn new things. We are both curious and excited.

M: I'm lucky that in my job I can move deadlines freely. Previously, I did it to be with him at important matches and support him. When he got injured, I changed my schedule to spend more time at home to help him. And now, when I feel much better, I have gone to work in the United States. For me, balance is the most important thing because I want to do both, have time for work, but also for my personal and family life.

E: Speaking of family, your Mishel lives in Israel. How do you deal with what's going on there?

M: All people who were born there have been up to date with the current conflict throughout their lives. It's not that you get used to it, but you grow up having it in your everyday life. I served in the military for two years, so I know this up close. It's very painful to see what point this has gotten to. My family and friends are seeing and hearing terrible things as we all know people who have been killed or injured.

T: When I was a child and saw this conflict on TV, I didn't understand anything. This is a delicate and complicated issue for those of us who are neither Palestinian nor Israeli. Now I have family and friends there, so I experience it more closely, but I am Belgian. I show my support and respect every opinion, as long as it is expressed in a polite manner. We are all human and no one wants innocent people to die. This is the most important. But now there is a lot of hate, especially online, there is a lot of division and it is very difficult. These are things that cannot be allowed because we all want peace.

M: I have been living with this confrontation for 26 years, but I want to be positive and believe that peace will come and that all innocent people will be safe.

E: How did your careers start?

M: I started when I was 13, participating in a beauty pageant in Tel Aviv. At the age of 16, I worked outside Israel for the first time, on shows and campaigns in Milan and Miami.

T: I have been playing football since I was a child. At the age of 16, I was lucky enough to join Genk, one of the best teams in Belgium. When I was 18, we won the league and that made me grow. Chelsea signed a contract with me and loaned me to Atlético Madrid. I didn't speak Spanish, but I felt it was time to leave, even though almost no one around me was supportive. The first weeks were difficult, but I immediately felt the warmth of the people. The crowd and the team welcomed me very warmly and that made me fall in love with Madrid and Spain. When I had to go to England, it was very difficult for me to adapt because I missed Madrid. That's why I was happy to come back in 2018.

E: First you were at Atléti and now at Real Madrid. Do you think people understand this?

T: I know this is hard to understand for someone who loves Atléti. For the three years I played there, I gave everything I had to win. But I'm an athlete, it's my profession and I have to improve and fulfill my dreams by making bold decisions. Of course, I respect my past and never forget about it.

E: What are your plans for the future?

T: Growing the family, that's the first. And helping people, and that's the most important thing to both of us. To come back well after the injury and be in the best shape. Develop businesses and continue to enjoy life together in Madrid, with family and five dogs. I love sports and will always be involved in it, but when I retire, I see myself coaching youth teams rather than senior teams. It's too much pressure and too much time away from home. I think Mishel would throw me out of it (laugh).

[the-restricted-section]

Bracing for Impact

Gen. 2,697 words. During the holidays, Professor Sharp and Professor Fig discover a gift left by the player character (Dylan Fairchild).

First Hogwarts Legacy fic! Hope you enjoy~

Christmas at Hogwarts was always an extravagant affair, usually involving more merriment than sense. Three times this week Sharp had been forced to quell illicit brewing in his class, with twice as many attempts popping up during lab times. A stolen fwoop feather was one thing, but attempting the complex Amortentia underneath their cloaks? Plans to slip a bit into a crush's drink, with dreams of an early holiday gift dancing in their heads? Honestly, when he wasn't keeping his students' limbs intact he was bemoaning their lack of decorum, to say nothing of overall sense. Sharp couldn't remember the last time a student had truly impressed him.

No... wait. That wasn't quite right anymore, was it? Their newest fifth year may have only been with them a few months, but already they'd made quite the name for themselves. Sharp had entered the faculty room back in September with the intent of subtly bragging to the others that he'd finally found a potions prodigy - or at least someone with enough diligence and critical thinking skills to make use of his instruction. He'd been more than a little surprised to find the others already singing their praises: competitions won in Charms, duels in Defense, the delicate handling of plants in Herbology, and excellent flying skills to boot, if their little joy-ride around the castle was any indication.

Well, at least he wasn't the only instructor the cheeky brat was inclined to disobey.

Then, of course, there was the matter of their mysterious arrival and the rumors surrounding the journey. Dragons, ruins, even a death...

Only one other person was aware of the truth. Luckily for Sharp, he appeared determined to hound his every step tonight.

"Do you really intend to follow me all the way to the dungeons?"

Fig smiled, taking leisurely steps that somehow managed to make it look like he wasn't slowing his pace to match a limp - a talent Sharp's pride was disgustingly grateful for. He took a moment to look up at the garlands strung across stone, brimming with white and red flowers. Raising his wand, Fig added fairy lights with a murmured incantation, successfully brightening the otherwise gloomy journey. He turned to Sharp with that same smile still in place, eyes softer than they had any right to be when looking at a bitter, grizzled ex-Auror in a perpetually grumpy mood.

"Come now, Aesop. Can't I accompany my colleague on a late night stroll? Wish him the tidings of the season?" Fig's smile grew. "Perhaps weasel a nightcap out of his personal stash?"

Sharp snorted. "You know damn well I've only cheap liquor. Do you prefer dust, or spider webs as an additive?" He'd grappled with his fare share of vices over the years, no doubt about it, but drink had never been one of them. Sharp had learned early - and brutally - what could happen to an Auror perpetually inhibited by drink and he'd sworn, all the way back in his training days, that he'd never travel that path. Not even the pain of his leg had driven him to go back on that promise.

Speaking of the blasted thing... Sharp hid a grimace as they descended another flight of stairs, the fake snow that fell from the ceiling doing nothing for his precarious balance. He must have lost some of his subtly alongside his reflexes because Fig's smile dropped. He vanished the snow with another sharp wave of his wand, pocketed it, and offered Sharp his elbow.

To the man's credit, he weathered Sharp's glare like the expert he was, only dropping his arm a long moment later. He huffed.

"A drink would mellow you, my friend," Fig muttered, but there was no bite in the remark. If anything, Sharp's shoulders relaxed. Better that then pity. "I stand by what I've said. Why should I need an excuse to visit you? Especially during the holidays?"

"But...?" Sharp prompted dryly.

Fig sighed. "But I thought it prudent to take this time to discuss our rather... illustrious student. While the others are busy making merry, you understand."

"I see." Sharp's eyebrows rose. "You will tell me all?"

"No. But I will tell you enough to help. Hopefully."

He didn't like it. Old instincts urged Sharp to draw his wand and level it at Fig's throat, demanding information in the name of a civilian's safety. But the sad reality was that he likely would have lost such a threat - yes, even to a professor of theory - and, far more importantly, this was no Dark Wizard playing games with an innocent's life. If Fig thought the information too dangerous to offer up, even to him...

Sharp swallowed the bile that wanted to rise up his throat. Perhaps he'd need a drink for this conversation after all.

"Whatever you can offer," he grunted, knowing it was the best he was going to get. Fig's inclined head spoke of his gratitude.

The final stretch to his classroom - and the quarters beyond - were particularly uncomfortable, despite the warm glow of the torches and the companionable silence beside him. Sharp had been cataloguing his student's... oddities for weeks now, from their tendency to arrive in class sporting a number of worrisome injuries, to their uncommon proficiency in Wiggenweld. The potential combinations of the two -  a series of wounds so deep and frequent that the potion couldn't fully heal them, or else a life filled with such danger that they simply forgot to rid themselves of the occasional burn or bruise - was what had kept Sharp up late into the night lately.

He knew both experiences too well. No fifteen-year-old should be grappling with such things, no matter how talented.

He'd just set his mind to pressing Fig after all when they opened the final door and found an unexpected obstacle blocking their way. Sharp's wand jumped into his hand, still eagerly loyal. Fig merely blinked from behind his shoulder.

"Another decoration?" he asked.

Sharp shook his head. There, placed neatly in front of his classroom door, was a box. Wrapped in silver with a green bow, 'present' was likely the more accurate term, though someone leaving him a gift was a laughable theory. Even his colleagues knew better, Fig included, and a dozen possibilities had run through his mind by the time Sharp had finished his first detection spell, from a prank of Peeves' to far darker possibilities. The diagnostic came back clean though. As did the second, and the third. He'd worked his way through a number of lesser known charms taught only to The Unspeakables (he'd had his connections back in his youth, carefully nurtured and then exploited) before he finally noticed Fig leaning against the dungeon wall, looking annoyingly amused.

"I don't know which impresses me more," he said. "Your spell repertoire, or your paranoia."

Sharp shot him a glare. "It's not paranoia if it's warranted."

"And is this? Warranted? A gift at Christmas time - how mysterious!"

"You would be wary too if the last gift you'd received was when top hats were still in style."

Fig's smile fell. "I know I can be a bit scatterbrained at times, but do remind me to fix that. Well, if you're so sure you're not the recipient, why not prove it by looking at the card?"

...fair enough.

With a sigh Sharp levitated the package and brought it into the classroom. It was with a wave of self-recrimination that he realized he should have done that from the start: the wards up around the student's tables, woven to contain all manner of foolhardy mistakes, would have stopped all by the darkest of magics - certainly any schoolyard pranks. With a shake of his head and a promise to train come morning, Sharp cleared a space and separated the card, unfurling a surprising amount of writing.

His eyes narrowed. He knew those quill strokes.

"Ah," Fig murmured, that blasted smile coloring his voice. Sharp ignored him, instead turning his attention to the slightly sloppy handwriting - evidence of a teen still learning their way around a quill.

Dear Professor,

Happy Holidays! I don't know what you celebrate, if anything, so please accept any and all tidings of the season.

By now you've no doubt noticed the gift I left (...Of course you have. Not sure why I wrote that) and I just want to begin by saying that I am offering this with the upmost respect and intended goodwill. I assure you, this is not a prank, or an insult, but if after opening the package you decide to light it up with a particularly vicious 'Confringo,' I'll understand. Just know that I only ever wanted to help. Truly.

See, coming to Hogwarts after growing up in the muggle world has given me the opportunity to compare the two and I've come to the conclusion that wizards tend to over-complicate things. (Please don't ever tell Sebastian I said that. I'll never hear the end of it!) What muggles lack in magic they make up for in innovation and I honestly believe that if we spent a little less time feeling smug about our supposed superiority, we'd notice how much their world has to offer.

For now, I decided to bring a piece of that world here. With some modifications, of course. We can't be too simple.

I hope it helps, Sir.

With love and season's greetings,

Dylan Fairchild

"Would someone please explain to me," Sharp murmured, "why this child seems to be under the impression that I will flay them for their attempts at a gift? Have I truly acquired that heinous a reputation?"

Fig chuckled, though there was little humor in it. "Frankly, my friend, I would pay more attention to the trust they've placed in you. Or do you think them so careless as to mistakenly mention their knowledge of a restricted curse?"

Sharp's gaze honed in on that "Confringo." Yes, he'd noticed that too. "You did not teach it to them?"

"Certainly not. Nor have I encouraged a merging of their muggle and magical lives, though in retrospect perhaps I should have."

At Sharp's nod Fig had taken the top off the box. Inside lay a... contraption of sorts. At first, Sharp didn't know what to make of the thing. It appeared to be a mess of buckles and strips of leather, forming two vertical lines with a connection on each side, bendable through a hinge. Worn and clearly second-hand, it was nevertheless well cared for. On the side of each buckle was a small, metal medallion with WF embossed in the center.

Fairchild. A former possession of a family member, perhaps?

Though interesting in its oddities, what truly drew Sharp's attention were the enchantments. The piece thrummed subtly with magic and at Fig's urging he cast a quick modification of 'Revelio,' similar to what a mediwitch would use to catalogue past diagnoses. Above the box in a golden script of his own handwriting appeared a list of charms, each more impressive than the last: durability, lightness, cushioning, self-cleaning. There was spellwork to gently nudge away a person's notice, another that - oddly - appeared to have traces of 'Levioso' in it. Sharp let out a soft, frustrated breath when he came across the strings of 'Protego.' It wouldn't block a curse as an actual shield would, but this thing would withstand more damage than the average garment. Perfect for an ex-Auror still stumbling into trouble.

"There's no way the child did all this on their own," Sharp muttered, eyes scanning the list. "What is the blasted thing even for? I--"

He stopped, settling on the final enchantment, woven in last for prominence: a modified 'Eliminata.' Unbidden, the definition from old textbooks reasserted itself.

Eliminata. Charm. Colloquially known as The Numbing Spell. Capable of eliminating mild to moderate discomfort for short periods of time. Though it provides momentary relief for the sufferer, it is not a substitute for healing. Seek out a licensed mediwitch after using.

Sharp's leg gave an answering throb.

"They didn't do this on their own," he repeated, knowledge of the gift's purpose settling over him. It was easier, really, to lean into the horror of that. His student discussing his private, degrading affairs with another professor. Or worse, some outsider just as likely to run to the gossip rags. Sharp could feel the angry flush worming its way up his cheeks as he pictured it; the itch of his wand hand, very nearly succumbing to temptation and blasting a cathartic hole in the wall--

A hand on his arm stemmed the tide before it could overflow.

"Think carefully now," Fig said, fast and low. "Remember the worry in their letter? The trust? The intent? I'd wager Hecate had a hand in this - I'd know that spell signature anywhere - and you are aware that she guards others' privacy even more diligently than her own. Besides, does Fairchild strike you as the type to go about this thoughtlessly?"

Sharp swallowed. Shortcuts only ever lead to shortcomings. They were one of the few who had truly taken his advice to heart.

No sooner had he remembered that then the letter burst into flames. He flinched, already on high alert, but all the parchment did was curl in on itself, no doubt timed to self-destruct once it had been read. Sharp watched the fire take with it all evidence of who had left the gift - and what it was for.

A gift. He'd very nearly forgotten that part.

"I'm not fit for mentoring," he sighed, lowering his wand. Sharp rubbed at his eyes a moment, the action more punishing than soothing.

Fig gave his arm a final pat, pulling away. "The only thing you're unfit for is gauging your own flaws. I assure you, a cautious nature and desire for privacy are not it."

"Oh? What then?"

"Trying my patience, for one. Are you trying this thing on or not?"

After some lighthearted teasing about that privacy, Sharp retreated to his quarters to shed jacket and trousers, now faced with the daunting task of getting it on. In the end though, that complex spellwork came to his rescue. It moved like one of Gladrags mannequins, twisting and then gently tightening until one band was secured around his thigh, the other around his calf. The hinge still allowed his knee to bend, but there was a... resistance now.

Sharp tested the new feeling. It was odd, but not unpleasant. In fact - he realized with mild shock - he was able to put more weight on his leg than usual, despite it being the end of a long, tiring day. The combination of support, featherlight charms, and the mild, soothing tingle of Eliminata accomplished what all his rare research had failed at.

He wouldn't be running after Dark Wizards anytime soon, but Sharp was undeniably standing easier than he'd been a moment before. Did it matter then that the picture remained as ugly? The cavern in his leg now dressed in an absurd muggle contraption. Sharp sneered briefly at his reflection, usually something to avoid.

"What am I going to do with you?" He wasn't sure if he was talking to himself, or Fairchild.

When Sharp finally returned - the gift now hidden beneath the pants of his suit, its outline only noticeable if you knew what you were looking for - he found that Fig had entertained himself by adding garlands to the cupboards and berries to the cauldrons. He met Sharp's halfhearted glare with a shrug and didn't even blink as he re-donned his coat, their conversation postponed.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, smile infusing his words. "Climbing more stairs at this time of night?"

Luckily, Sharp was already out the door, his own smile hidden. "I'm off to find our wayward charge. If they have the time and talent for this, clearly I haven't been challenging enough in their assignments."

A laugh followed him down the dungeon corridor. "Be kind now - it's the holidays!"

Kind? Rarely. But Sharp understood pride and he was willing to dole out a hefty portion tonight.

Giving into the smile, Sharp traversed the halls with a limp and a spring in his step, ready to walk the whole castle, if necessary, before the night was through.

Fin.

A/N: The brace is based off of Edward's in Our Flag Means Death. If you haven't watched that gem of a show pleeease go do it. Also, apologies if these two come across as OOC. They've got hard voices to nail, especially when it feels like I haven't spent much time with them yet 😬

[anxiety-elemental-kay]

The Red Dragon’s Hoard

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:Multi

Fandoms: Trigun Stampede (Anime 2023), Trigun (Anime & Manga 1995-2008)

Relationship: Meryl Stryfe/Vash the Stampede/Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Characters: Meryl Stryfe, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Vash the Stampede (Trigun), Milly Thompson

Additional Tags: fairy tale AU, I get to put a dragon in my current hyper fixation this is the literal best, Mashwood Week 2023, Prompt: Fairy Tale

Language: English

Words: 1,839 Summary: The story goes like this: there is a princess, a dragon, and a knight. Everyone knows this story. Note: Another fic for @mashwoodweek 2023, this time based on the day 4 prompt Fairy Tale AU. Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48448891

The story goes like this: there is a princess, a dragon, and a knight.

Everyone knows this story.

—

Princess Meryl let out a frustrated yell as yet another bramble tore at her clothes.

She’d changed into a set of light leather armor she used during weapons training, the most practical clothes she owned. At least she thought they were, but her armor was still decorated with fine fabric trimming, until every little thorn and branch began to tear them all out. Ruined clothing or not, she couldn’t go back, couldn’t give up, because a dragon was terrorizing her kingdom, and no one had been able to stop it.

Everyone knew the stories, even Meryl, sequestered in the royal castle. The sight of it on the horizon was so terrible it sent both humans and animals fleeing before it. When its wings beat it brought down howling winds and vicious rains. Its flaming breath, bright as two suns, scorched everything beneath it.

It had taken months for her to steal enough intelligence and rumors from around the castle, to pinpoint a possible location for the dragon’s lair. No one else had been able to stop the dragon, and she wasn’t going to lay back and do nothing, not ever again.

Meryl grumbled, and looked up at the mountain before her, her guide on her journey. Her thoughts wandered back to her handmaid, who had promised to tell everyone she was sick with something horrifically contagious and deeply embarrassing. The princess needed to be quarantined, and would only allow Milly to visit her, to preserve her pride. Brave Milly Thompson, Meryl hoped she was okay.

An hour and many more torn frills later, she arrived at the mountain’s base, and the mouth of a large cave. Its sole inhabitant was waiting for her there

The dragon towered above her, red scales glittered like rubies in the afternoon sun, and it looked down at her with slitted blue eyes. Bright gold spikes lined its head and down the back of its neck. It was missing its left front leg, the stump scarred. Its hide was pockmarked with broken scales and scar tissue, this was a creature that had survived many deadly battles.

The dragon tilted its head to one side and blinked at her slowly.

The gesture reminded her so much of a cat she could only stare, stunned at the allegedly vicious creature. This couldn’t be the dragon that had been terrorizing the kingdom!

“Hi there?” said the dragon, like a politely confused guest at a party.

“Um…” Meryl boggled. Dragons could talk?

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to slay me,” the dragon said, shuffling its feet. “Swords and spears hurt, you know!”

“Oh!” Meryl snapped back to reality, reminding herself that she was at her destination, the end of her quest. “No, I’m not here to slay you!” She tried to puff herself up, so she looked less like the petite princess and more like someone deserving of respect. “My name is Meryl Stryfe,” she lied with confidence. “And I want to talk to you!”

—

There is a princess, a dragon, and a knight.

They each have a role to play.

—

Nicholas was a knight.

He wasn’t given a choice.

“Sir Wolfwood of Hopeland,” said King Bernardelli from his throne, “My daughter has disappeared, possibly taken by some foul man or beast!”

A long time ago, he’d been plucked from the orphanage because a knight needed a squire, but couldn’t find a willing apprentice. That was enough to make him a knight now, because that’s all it took. You had to be chosen by the right person.

Kneeling before the king, Nicholas responded, “I will find her and bring her home, Your Majesty.”

It didn’t matter if he’d been trained by the knight with the worst reputation, once Wolfwood ended his training and passed all the royal trials, he became a knight of the realm. He became a part of the upper crust, was invited to fancy parties and grand tournaments. Wolfwood was the kingdom’s shield, the king’s sword, forged in flames to be a weapon of war.

“Go now, loyal knight,” the king commanded. “Do whatever it takes to bring Princess Meryl Bernardelli home!”

Nicholas he rose to his feet, and bowed. “By your will.”

He had a job. It kept him fed, and protected the orphanage he was stolen from. He had nothing else. Believed he needed nothing else.

—

There is a princess, a dragon, and a knight.

Everyone knows how this story ends.

—

Their lovely conversation was ruined when a knight appeared at Vash’s den.

“Hey, you!” said the knight, lifting a massive claymore in two hands. “By the authority of King Bernardelli, I have been commanded to…” he trailed off. Though his face was obscured by a black metal helmet, Vash could still see the knight lean forward to examine the spread between him and Meryl. “Are those… pastries?”

“Yeah!” Vash said, with a delighted wag of his spiked tail. “Meryl found a great bakery in a nearby village! Want one?”

The knight only gaped, the point of his sword landing in the soft dirt. Vash took the opportunity to use his long tongue to take another donut from his plate. Meryl had been the one to introduce him to this particular human invention, sweet on his tongue. Humans were so clever!

“I don’t care what the king says,” Meryl said still sitting comfortably on Vash’s collection of mismatched fabrics. She lifted her chin as she addressed the knight, used to others obeying her authority. “You can leave, you will not lay a hand on this dragon.”

“I’m here to rescue Princess Bernardelli from whatever wicked creature captured her!” the knight said, in a tone that was less ‘confident rescuer’ and more ‘walked into the wrong room and has no idea what’s happening’.

“Wait, princess…?” Vash turned to Meryl, who was dressed in nicely made if plain looking leather armor. Sure it had some frills that were torn as she’d gone through the woods, but she looked no different from the average adventurer. “You’re the princess?” Vash said with a startled flutter of his wings.

Princess Meryl groaned, and put her head in her hands. “People act weird if they know I’m a princess, and I wanted to know who you really were!”

“By lying to me?” Vash said, giving her what he hoped she understood to be a playful grin. Humans sometimes had trouble reading his face. Meryl picked up a scone, and tossed it at him. “Hey!” Vash protested as it bounced off his scales. “Don’t waste good treats like that!”

“Don’t ignore me!”

Both turned their attention back to the knight, still standing at the mouth of Vash’s den. Even clad in full armor, his presence was more flustered than menacing. Vash gave a smoky laugh.

Delicately, using the tips of his claws, Vash picked up a plate with chocolate chip cookies, and held it out to the knight. “Would you like one?”

—

There is a princess, a dragon, and a knight.

They don’t care about the rest.

—

“Oh my!” Milly stared in amazement and wonder. “I can’t believe my eyes! I knew you were serious ma’am, but this?”

She had been so worried for her friend, with no word from her months after helping the princess escape the castle. Milly knew her princess was strong and clever, and trusted in her plan to investigate the dragon plaguing the kingdom.

Secretly, Milly had been afraid she’d never see her best friend again. Then, weeks later, a very strange letter arrived.

She followed the directions carefully, until she wound up somewhere she’d never expected to see and live to tell the tale! She’d gone through the forest to the foot a a mountain, and a natural cave dug into its side. It was a dragon’s den, with Meryl waiting for her inside. Nearby, the dragon himself sat like a cat, legs tucked in neatly, with a man in knight’s armor, minus the helmet, tucked in against his side. The knight frowned down at his whittling, it looked like he was carving a bird.

“This is Vash,” Meryl said, indicating the dragon, who gave Milly a wave with a large paw. She waved back, enchanted. “And this is Wolfwood,” Meryl indicated the knight, who didn’t acknowledge her presence.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Vash, and Mr. Wolfwood!” Milly chirped.

“Sir Wolfwood!” he corrected. “I’m still a knight!”

The dragon responded to this assertion with a playful whack with his wing. Wolfwood answered Vash’s vicious attack by sitting his woodworking down to grab the limb and give it a tug. Vash whined, his struggles playful, careful not to genuinely hurt the human who was so much smaller than him. It was the last way Milly had ever expected to see a dragon and a knight fighting.

She took in the sights of the den around her: It was decorated with human knick-knacks, from incomplete paintings to scrap fabrics to broken farm tools, the detritus of humanity collected in curiosity and reverence. What she assumed was new were two spaces near the back that looked as if they’d been recently carved out from the stone. One was sparsely filled, containing only a leather pack and a helmet laying on a pile of blankets, the other filled with metal trinkets and books, her own makeshift bed twice as large as the knight’s was.

“I didn’t think a dragon’s home could be so nice!” Milly said in earnest admiration.

“…Thank you?” said Vash, with a cute draconic frown.

Meryl put a hand on her friend’s arm. “You understand why I can’t go back.”

“I do,” Milly said, taking her friend’s hand. “What should I tell everyone?”

Meryl bit her lip, and Milly ached for her. If Milly told the kingdom their princess was staying with a dragon, the king would raze the whole forest to rescue her from her ‘ensorcellment’. If Milly told the kingdom their princess was dead, the king would raze the whole forest in his search for revenge on the dragon. If she told the kingdom nothing about their princess, the king might raze the whole forest anyway in his desperation to find his daughter.

There were a lot of ways the king might raze the forest searching for Meryl. She didn’t think anyone actually wanted that.

“We’re still figuring things out,” Meryl admitted, squeezing Milly’s hand. “Please, trust me. We need time. There’s still another dragon out there, the one that’s really attacking people.”

Milly looked back at Vash and Wolfwood, who’d made some kind of truce. Wolfwood returned to his whittling, though now he was sitting directly on Vash’s long snout. “That sounds scary, but… I’m happy for you too. He’s very handsome.” Milly shrugged, and added with a grin. “And I guess the knight is okay looking too.”

“Shut up!” Wolfwood snapped without any real heat. Beneath him, Vash giggled.

Dragons could giggle! Milly thought she couldn’t smile any wider.

[clarktooncrossing]

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK! There is a madness deep in the dark catacombs of Castle Clarkenstein. For years these claustrophobic corridors have been the home of the ghoulish giraffe himself, watching as the world passes by. He prefers it this way. It gives him more time alone with the voices. The voices tell him many strange things. Yet they always come back to one: make more monsters! Everyday they tell him this. Everyday he is unable to comply. Hey, being a mad scientist on a budget means he can’t afford the fancy scientific equipment needed to breathe life into newborn abominations. Guy’s gotta afford pizza somehow. Luckily, he has discovered a way of sorts to please the voices. During all those years of watching, Dr. Clarkenstein noticed a particular pattern. Every night during October saw artists posting new pictures based on peculiar prompts. Many of them based on children of the night. While the spotted specter might not be able to craft new zombies, he can sure as heck sketch’m! As such, I provide this friendly warning to you all now: Be afraid. Few people can survive the horrors that are DUDELZ of the Damned!

By that I mean I decided to do my own take on Sketchtober this year just minus the prompts. Anybody gotta problem with that? Tough, cuz I already drew this crap so you might as well check it out.

Deep in the forests of France is the home of the fae folk or fairies. Many travelers have wandered through the woods to find them, few have ever found it. Save for a visiting Italian pizza maker searching the forest for fresh ingredients. He knew for sure that Escargot Pizza was gonna drive folks wild! What he didn’t know was that he was being watched. After days of being stalked he finally met his follower, Villa, the Queen of the Faes. In no time at all the two had built up a rapport, enough for the pink fairy to show this yellow stranger the hidden gateway to her world. Sadly, it was this show of affection that led both lovers to their doom. Discovering that the pizza maker discovered the secret to finding the Faes, they kidnapped him and used him as leverage against the Queen. Either he forfeit her friend’s life or show them where her kingdom lied. In the end it was for not. Once the hidden world was revealed, the Italian was butchered along with all the fairies, their magic siphoned off for various elixirs and tonics. Now the Queen was truly alone. And angry. She set out to find the poachers in order to give them a taste of their own medicine. To this day it’s said you can hear their screams echoing throughout the forest, their killer still mourning the loss of her beloved.

My, what a dark story. Especially since Fairy Villa originated in a humorous little follow up to 10 Minutes on Halloween. Not wanting Pizza Monster’s girlfriend to be left out of the fun, my friend Fantasynarium quickly made a comic where the ice cream monster had a surprise for her boyfriend waiting at her creamery. Said surprise being this awesome costume that nearly gave PM an aneurysm. Despite the awesome design developed by my friend, I only drew Villa in the ensemble once afterwards. As such I knew I had to bring the Ice Cream Fairy back for this year’s DUDEL event. My goal was to tweak as little as possible given how lovely the original outfit was. In the end it turned out great, especially with the choice in colors. Like the other DUDELZ the rule is only one color allowed, meaning everything else had to be grayscale. Doing so here gave the character a kind of goth look that I oddly dig. I may have to draw more goth Villa in the future. For now though, I hope you all enjoy this long awaited return of Villa!

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[rosie-b]

How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ball

Chapter 3: The Heirs' Ball (Links to Ch. 1, Ch. 2)

Summary: Marinette crosses into the fairy realm for the first time and attends the heirs' ball, where the prince's soulmate will be announced.

As always, you can read the whole chapter below or on AO3 using the links above!

On the evening of the ball, Marinette spent about two minutes getting dressed and ready. 

It would have taken her even less time, but the instructions written on the tiny acorn she’d gotten in the mail were a bit hard to decipher, and Marinette wanted to make she didn’t say the wrong thing and accidentally tamper with the premade spell’s effect on her outfit, so she spent a minute and a half checking to make sure she had all the words right.

Standing in front of her mirror and wearing only what she wanted underneath the gown, Marinette took a deep breath and pictured her hopes for the dress one more time. With a single whispered sentence, she unlocked the enchantment in the acorn, and as Marinette held it, it began to grow, stretching out to become a long bolt of red fabric, which wrapped around Marinette and began to shape itself into an elegant gown. On Marinette’s feet, two slippers formed, and when she looked in the mirror, she saw that they were made from a red-hued crystal, strong and unbreakable but comfortable to wear. Marinette allowed herself a private smile. She knew getting an outfit from the fae would be exciting!

The fabric continued to shape itself around Marinette, spreading out into a sleeveless A-line gown with a Queen Anne neckline. The bodice was made of a red silk taffeta with black diamonds sewn in it, reminiscent of the ladybug-inspired dress Marinette had designed all those years ago, the first time she met Chat Noir. As the taffeta ruffled out and ended just past Marinette’s hips, a black tulle layer formed under it, creating the base of the full skirt. To finish, a golden glow of magic rushed up past Marinette’s shoulders, twisting her black hair into a low inverted bun and adding a thin layer of makeup to her face. The magic tucked a golden flower pin into her hair, and then it rushed down again to Marinette’s hands, manifesting as a thin card with her name on it. Marinette knew from the second letter she’d gotten from the castle, after she sent a letter accepting her invitation, that this card was to be presented at the main fairy gate, where she’d meet her assigned Seelie guard and cross into the fae realm for the very first time in her life.

Marinette felt a thrill race through her as she thought about it. For all her years interacting with Chat Noir, Alya, and various other fairies or mixies, Marinette had never yet had the chance to visit their home realm. 

There’s nothing that special about it, Marinette told herself. It’s just that everyone there has magic, and you might finally get to meet the real Chat Noir, who you are in love with, and his family after you leave the ball. Yeah. No big deal.

Brushing an imaginary speck of dust from her dress, Marinette headed downstairs, where her parents were waiting to see their little girl off.

“Marinette! That must be the dress they sent you, isn’t it?” Marinette nodded shyly at her papa’s question. “I had trouble believing that an outfit could grow from that acorn, but here the proof is in front of my own eyes! You look so grown-up,” Tom said, wiping a tear from his eye.

Nodding her head in agreement, Sabine pulled her daughter into a short embrace, pulling back and resting her hand on Marinette’s cheek. “You look simply beautiful, Marinette. I’m so proud of you,” she said.

Cheeks turning a light pink, Marinette looked down at her mother with a smile. 

“All I did was get a random invitation, Mama,” she insisted. “I didn’t even have to do anything but accept it.”

“Maybe, but the fact that you might be the prince’s soulmate speaks for itself!” Tom boomed excitedly. “I’m sure he’ll fall in love as soon as he sees you. But you don’t have to marry him, sweetie,” Tom said earnestly. “If he turns out to be a jerk like Chloe, dump him and come straight home. Okay?”

“Okay, Papa.” Marinette said, turning to give him a hug too before she left.

“Ah-ah! Hold on, Marinette, we need a picture before you leave! That dress is absolutely stunning, and you look gorgeous in it,” Sabine said, walking over to grab the camera from off the table.

“Mama,” Marinette protested, but she stood still for the pictures anyway, a radiant smile on her face. Afterwards, both her parents encased her in another warm hug, offering to walk with her to the gate and making sure she had a ride home after the ball, since they both had to go to bed soon after she left so that they could the bakery on time the next day.

Finally, Marinette was on her way to the fairy gate. A collection of about a dozen or so girls was already gathered by the gate, some of whom she recognized and most of whom she did not. One blond girl with a pixie stood out from the crowd, though.

“Rose?” Marinette asked when she drew close enough to confirm her suspicions. “You got invited, too? I thought you were dating Juleka.”

Rose turned to face Marinette, a bright smile on her face. “Marinette! You look gorgeous,” she exclaimed, running her eyes over the details in the red dress. “I am dating Juleka, so we both figured that I’m not the prince’s soulmate. Even if I do turn out to be his soulmate, I’d obviously choose Juleka over him anyway. I’m just here for the ball,” Rose laughed. “There are going to be so many pretty dresses to admire, and I’ve heard the palace ballroom is full of famous art. I promised Juleka I’d take pictures.”

“That was nice of you,” Marinette smiled. “I have to admit, I’m mostly here for the dresses, too. Although, I have a friend in the fae realm I’d like to meet when all of this is done,” she admitted.

“Oh, that’s right! Alya Cesaire, the mixie you introduced me to! She made me a potion for my throat after it got sore from practice once.”

“That’s her,” Marinette said, unsure if she wanted to keep up this facade or not. Technically, it wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. “She promised to guide me back from the fae realm, actually.”

“That’s so sweet of her,” Rose cooed. “Oh! Marinette, you have to meet Celestine; she came all the way from Duxford, England when she got her invitation. There are girls here from all over the world!”

“Hello, Celestine,” Marinette said, offering the redhead a hand to shake.

“Pleased to meet you,” Celestine said, taking the proffered hand. “I was really excited to get the chance to come here. Even if I don’t turn out to be the prince’s soulmate, this is still a great chance to see the fae realm! Parisians are so used to having their own fairy gate, but the rest of the world has to wait for the fae to visit them, or come here if they want to cross realms. I’m thrilled to be offered this chance.”

“I’ve never crossed realms before, either,” Marinette said. “It can be dangerous without a Seelie guide. It’s true that Parisians have it easier than most, but we’re all very lucky to have this opportunity!”

As the town square’s clock struck seven, the Seelie guides arrived through the gate, finding the girl they were assigned to escort and crossing with them to the fairy realm.

“Celestine?” a dark haired guide called. Celestine raised her hand, and the guard stepped over, checked her name card, and bowed, offering an elbow for Celestine to hold as they crossed realms. As they headed through the gate, another guard appeared by Marinette, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hello?” Marinette asked, turning around to see who it was.

“Hello, Marinette,” a voice belonging to a boy who looked to be about her age. Greeting her with a warm smile, the guide held out his hand, waiting for Marinette’s card. She handed it to him, eyes searching the guide’s hazel eyes as she wondered how he already knew her name. “Alya told me all about you, but I don’t think she’s mentioned me by name to you yet. I’m Nino Lahiffe, guard to the prince, Seelie guide on the weekends, and recently promoted to being Alya’s boyfriend.”

Marinette’s eyes widened as Nino briefly checked the card over and released the spell on it, leaving a magicless acorn in his hands. The dress remained on Marinette, a permanent gift from the Seelie rulers.

“Oh, that’s how you knew my name! Alya did mention you to me, but she refused to tell me who her new beau was until after the first date. Did you have fun together?”

Nino smiled, tucking the acorn into his pocket with a far-off look on his face. 

“I think we did,” he said wistfully. “She agreed to meet me again on Tuesday for coffee, so it can’t have been a bad date, right?”

“I don’t think Alya would have agreed to another date with you if it was,” Marinette laughed. Taking Nino’s elbow, the two of them stepped through the fairy gate, and the human realm vanished behind Marinette as she entered the fairy realm for the first time.

The gate stood in a park near the Seelie palace, partially to show the humans’ acknowledgement of the fairies’ right to rule the realm and partially to cut down on the number of Unseelies that came through the gate. Not many of them fancied going near the Seelie palace, but sometimes one or two would pass through to the human realm and cause some mischief. A misplaced wallet here, a possessed goat there, the damage was recorded and undone by the Seelies as soon as it was caught, but the gate’s placement helped to cut down on the frequency of these incidents. Since the palace was so close to the gate, the girls’ guides were really only a formality. Still, you never know when an Unseelie will pop up, so it is best that we stay on the safe side, Marinette mused.

Stepping through the elaborate gardens that made up the south part of the park, Marinette admired the different kinds of flowers and shrubs that were carefully trimmed and kept by magic. All kinds of songbirds made their homes in the arboretum nearby, their songs filling Marinette’s ears with sweet music. 

This is definitely more impressive than the human side of the gate, she thought with a trace of embarrassment. Maybe she could bring the issue up to the mayor sometime and try to convince him to improve the town square a little to show more respect for the alliance.

As Nino and Marinette left the park and approached the palace itself, she stared unabashedly at its size and grandeur. The white brick walls were decorated with gold designs, and the doors were made of a strong mahogany. Several turrets stood on the outer walls of the palace, and Marinette walked by a large fountain near the front gate of the palace. Nino opened the door for her, and she took a step inside, but before her slipper could touch the soft carpet on the floor, Nino pulled her back. 

“Wait,” he said. “There’s a quicker way to get to the ballroom.” Touching the doorframe, Nino closed his eyes and concentrated, and a green glow surrounded the pair. 

“There,” Nino said, brushing off his hands. “Now, when we step through, we’ll transport right to the ballroom. After that, you’re free to enjoy the ball. Alya’s mom was in charge of catering, so you’ll get a chance to try some of her special recipes while you’re here”

Marinette cautiously stepped over the glowing threshold with Nino, marveling as the scenery around her changed once again to a large ballroom with violet-painted walls and fine art.

“Woah,” she whispered, turning to admire the room. “This place is gorgeous!”

Nino smiled at her tourist-like wonder. “It is a pretty cool palace,” he said in agreement. “Hey, if you get bored during the party, you can come find me and Alya; we were invited as guests since we work here. Just don’t forget to meet the prince before you leave the ball,” Nino said with a wink. “I have to get back to the gate now; there are a few other girls I’ve been assigned to guide over. Enjoy the party!”

Marinette smiled. “Thank you,” she said, eyes shining in the candlelight of the ballroom. “I think I will.”

Nino turned to leave, and Marinette walked over to say hi to some of the other guests she knew. The music hadn’t started yet, since Marinette was one of the first guests to arrive and was technically early. The refreshment table was already set up, so after Marinette greeted Alix, who was wearing a suit and had somehow influenced the magic to give her shoes with collapsible roller blades, she wandered over to try the crudités. Oh, they have asparagus! Marinette noted. It’s out of season in Paris right now, but I guess with magic, they can grow it whenever they want.

As Marinette sampled the various appetizers and mini foods, the rest of the guests arrived, and the band finished tuning their instruments, beginning to play a soft waltz as the guests mingled and waited for the prince and his parents, the queen and king, to have their grand entrance. As the guides and other guests arrived, a few couples began to dance, Alya and Nino being one of them.

Eventually, a swell in the music signaled that the royals were arriving, first the king in purple robes, then the queen in an elegant blue feathered gown that swept down to the floor, and last of all, the prince, all announced by a fairy who stood by the band and used magic rather than a microphone to make their voice carry across the room. Though Marinette was already in love with Chat Noir, she had to admit that the prince was handsome. His bright golden hair was swept back in gentle waves, and the green accents in his black suit complemented the grass green of his eyes. His gaze swept over the crowd as he made his way to the small dais in the far corner of the room, and as his eyes seemed to catch and linger on Marinette, a radiant smile spread over his face, leaving a gentle pink blush on his cheeks. Marinette fought the shivers running down her spine and furiously reminded her treacherous heart that she was already in love with one boy, and that was hard enough for her to deal with, thank you very much.

“Each invited guest will have the opportunity to meet the prince in turn, one by one, until Prince Adrien’s soulmate bond forms and the conditions of the kwamis’ blessing are fulfilled,” the announcing fairy boomed. “This Heirs’ Ball, you will be going in alphabetical order. Because there are so many of you here, we ask that you please wait to join the line by the dais until there are only a maximum of five girls ahead of you. To aid with this, I will cast a spell which will allow you to see your place in the queue written over the back of your left hand. As the queue moves along, the number will change accordingly. While you are waiting, we have a table with refreshments set up by the west side of the room, and of course, you are more than welcome to dance along with the music provided by our talented band! I hope you all enjoy the rest of the ball!”

Breaking off the spell that had allowed her to increase her voice’s volume, the fairy spoke another spell, and Marinette turned her left hand over to see a golden ‘9’ appear over it, like a tattoo in a fancy font. It seemed Marinette didn’t have long to wait until she got the chance to meet the prince.

She’d played down her excitement in front of Chat Noir when he talked about it, and certainly she didn’t care about the possibility — which was really no possibility, Marinette thought — that she was the prince’s soulmate. But Marinette couldn’t deny that it was exciting to meet the future ruler of the fairy kingdom. Prince Adrien Agreste was not very well known in the human realm, and he’d only visited Paris twice in all his eighteen years, once last summer, and once the winter before, on diplomatic meetings with his mother. Queen Emilie was a more familiar face to the humans, and she met frequently with the rulers of the human world. Her taste in fashion was impeccable, and Marinette had always looked up to the designs she wore. Marinette had heard a rumor that King Gabriel, her husband, had designed them all, but she didn’t know if it was true or not.

Marinette finished her cup of sparkling lemonade and returned the glass to a waiter, smiling her ‘thank you’ to them. As the number on her hand switched to an eight and then a seven a few minutes later, Marinette felt grateful that she had an early place in the queue. It meant she would get to sneak out sooner to find Chat Noir. The last time they’d talked, he’d seemed tenser than usual, especially when she insisted that she’d rather spend time with him than stay to talk with the prince for longer. She’d managed to get him to agree to meet her in the main courtyard sometime past eight, but now she was feeling nervous. What if he couldn’t slip away from his father? Or worse, what if he didn’t want Marinette to meet him at all while he wasn’t disguised as a cat? What if he was embarrassed to be friends with someone like Marinette, who didn’t want to fall in love with the prince?

Marinette stole a glance at him over the heads of those dancing in the middle of the ballroom. He seemed nice enough, but a bit distracted. As the girl he’d been chatting with bowed and walked away, a sad look on her face, Prince Adrien’s eyes lifted, and happened to meet Marinette’s. Shocked, Marinette’s face turned red as she realized she’d been caught staring, but the prince quickly recovered from his surprise. Raising one of his brows at her, his mouth twisted into a smirk. Marinette’s mouth fell open at his audacity, but then a pair of dancing girls whirled past her, obscuring her view. Marinette took advantage of them and disappeared into the crowd. A few minutes later, the number on her hand shrunk into a five.

On the other side of the ballroom, Alya and Nino were keeping an eye on both Adrien and Marinette as they danced across the wood floor in a style that theoretically resembled a waltz. 

“Do you think he’s going to tell her?” Nino asked, his voice a whisper against Alya’s ear.

“Oh, he definitely will,” she said, lifting her arm to let Nino know to twirl her around. “They’re both smitten,” she remarked after her skirts had finished flaring out and back down again. “Adrien isn’t even trying to hide it. He’s taking as little time to meet with the other girls as possible, and his father is starting to catch on. He won’t last a minute without telling her,” she laughed.

“Hopefully he won’t need that long,” Nino said. “Once their soulmate bond forms, she’ll have to figure it out, right? I’m still new to this star-crossed romance of theirs, but I think that telepathy would be a fitting bond for them to have.”

“That way, he can tell her everything without his father’s influence, before she panics and has the chance to run away,” Alya mused. “Not a bad idea, Lahiffe!”

“Alya, we are literally dating,” Nino said with a roll of his eyes. “Are you really going to keep using my last name?”

Alya grinned. “Yes,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

The pair waltzed past Marinette as she looked down at the three on her hand, working up the courage to go over and join the short line of girls by the prince. It’s okay, you’re still being loyal to Chat, she told herself. You’ll be able to look into those emerald eyes and smile and not fall in love. Easily.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette walked over to stand in front of the dais, waiting nervously behind the only other girl in line. As soon as Marinette took her place, three other girls walked up behind her, making Marinette blush as she realized she’d forced them to wait longer than they’d wanted to to join the queue.

 Soon enough, the fairy in front of Marinette was walking up to greet the prince, who was standing on the first step of the dais, his parents watching from their thrones on the top level. The girl bent into a deep curtsy and waited for the queen’s signal to rise. When Emilie raised her hand, the girl straightened and stepped closer to the prince, taking his hand in hers to kiss his signet ring, a silver band bearing the crest of the Agrestes. 

The announcer, who was standing to the left of the dais, motioned for the girl to introduce herself, and she gave her name to the prince— Victoria Dubreuil, daughter of Eloise and Maël Dubreuil from the Southern province.

The prince greeted her politely, and Marinette realized she was close enough to hear their conversation, though she tried to tune it out in politeness. She supposed it was too late to move the entire line back now. That probably meant the girl behind her would be hearing her conversation with the prince, too, Marinette thought in mild panic. Everyone would be able to know if she slipped up! She should have studied fae etiquette more carefully before the ball.

Overwhelmed by her anxious thoughts, Marinette nearly missed the end of Victoria and the prince’s meeting. As Victoria left, a bit disappointed by how rushed the conversation had felt, the king motioned to the announcer, who motioned to Marinette that she should move forward. Catching her signal, Marinette took a lurching step forward, her heel catching on her long skirt as she moved. Eyes widening as she pinwheeled her arms in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, Marinette realized that she was going to fall, here at the dais, in front of everyone… including the king and queen! And the prince!

But Marinette didn’t fall very far before she was saved from hitting the floor. 

“Falling for me already, Princess?”

Marinette’s head snapped up as she looked around for the source of the familiar nickname. But the only person in front of her was Prince Adrien Agreste, smirk back on his face as he supported her with both hands on her upper waist. He’d stepped forward to catch her, resulting in Marinette falling with her hands squarely on his chest. She stammered an apology as she pushed herself off of him, face turning red as she realized that this was much, much closer than she’d ever thought she’d be to the fairy prince.

“You’re sorry, I mean I’m sorry, Your Highness! It’s chest— just! I’m so clumsy, oh kwamis, I am so sorry—”

Adrien chuckled, a warm, deep sound that sent a thrill through Marinette. “It’s all right,” he said. Reaching down, he gently took her right hand and raised it to his lips. “I’m pleased to officially meet you,” he murmured as his lips brushed over her skin.

“Guh,” Marinette said intelligently, staring down at her hand. Where Adrien’s lips had been, a dark mark was beginning to form, and Marinette scrunched her brows together as she looked at it. Was it some sort of magical sign, to say stay away from this girl and do not let her into the fairy realm ever again, she committed crimes of klutziness against the crown prince ? Marinette shuddered at the thought of being tossed out of the fairy kingdom, a dark stain against her reputation literally on her hand for the world to see. What would she tell Chat?

Then the dark swirl on her hand began to clear, and Marinette blinked. It wasn’t a sign, after all! There were no words forming on her skin, only a silver tree with rust marking the edges of its boughs. A silver fairy gate, like the one hidden in the woods.

“W-what?” Marinette breathed, pulling her hand out of Adrien’s to look at it more closely. Sure enough, there was the secret gate, down to the rusted keyhole in the center! “What is this, what does it mean?”

Brushing his hand against hers, Adrien locked their fingers together, looking down at Marinette with a reverent expression.

“It means we’re soulmates, Marinette,” he said. 

Marinette’s mind went blank. Stepping away, she pulled her hand out of his, hardly sparing a cursory glance at the prince, who looked like a kicked puppy. 

Flexing her right hand, Marinette looked down at her mark again, her hand shaking slightly as she stared at it.

“We can’t be soulmates,” she whispered. “How could we be soulmates? Unless…” The mark on her skin had to mean something. Why would a picture of a rusting old gate make the prince think he was her soulmate?

“Princess,” floated through her mind. Adrien had called her Princess when he caught her. But that didn’t make sense. Only one person called her that!

“Marinette,” the prince said again, his voice soft and tentative. And that was wrong, too, she hadn’t had the chance to introduce herself! He shouldn’t know who she was yet… but he did.

Marinette paused, looking up at the prince’s open expression, his green eyes that seemed to be familiar, somehow, echoing the expression Marinette often saw on Chat when he talked about his hope for the future; how fragile it was. She looked behind the prince, at his parents, responsible for raising and protecting the country’s only heir. Wouldn’t they want to keep him where they could know he was safe at all times? Inside the palace, where the secret gate’s entrance was, hidden in one of the courtyards. Marinette inhaled sharply, peering closely at the prince, her lips forming a question she already knew the answer to.

“Chat Noir?”

Adrien’s face brightened suddenly, smiling hopefully as he looked at Marinette.

“Yes, Princess?” 

There was no doubt about it now. The prince’s cadence was just like Chat Noir’s, every inflection was exactly the same. 

“Oh, kwamis,” Marinette breathed. “It’s really you!”

Adrien laughed, glancing back at his mother, who was leaning forward in her chair with a hand on her chin, intrigued by their meeting. “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, a flash of uncertainty showing through the smile glued to his face.

Marinette stared at him. “No, but there go all my plans for the evening,” she said, trying to wrap her brain around the fact that for over six years, the crown prince of the fae realm had followed her around Paris and pretended to be her pet cat. He purred , she realized. Prince Adrien Agreste purred.

“Well, I think that we can make accommodations for whatever it is you wanted,” the queen said, rising up from her throne. Giving her husband a poke in the shoulder, she urged him to get up and meet their son’s soulmate. “Adrien, darling, could you remind us of your sweetheart’s last name again?”

“Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien said with a smile. “One member of the best family of bakers I’ve ever met. No offense, Marlena,” he said, and the woman, who’d come closer to the dais with the rest of the crowd, smiled and waved a hand dismissively.

“None taken,” she said with a laugh. “I know where my strengths lie. And I’m still the best chef this country’s seen.”

“That’s the truth,” Queen Emilie said with a laugh. “Now, Marinette,” she said, her voice falling to a lower volume, “About those plans of yours? We won’t take up much of your time with formalities tonight, though in the future you can expect a good deal more of them if you agree to marry my son. I’ve gone through this too, you know, I’m not planning to overwhelm you with duties. What was it you were hoping to do tonight?”

Marinette swallowed. “Um. I-I was going to steal your son away,” she said sheepishly.

Standing by Emilie’s side, King Gabriel looked taken aback. “What?”

Marinette smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t know who he was then,” she said, as if that explained everything.

“Because you wouldn’t let me tell her,” Adrien said, slinging his arm around Marinette’s back as they faced his parents together.

Emilie sighed. “You have to admit that it was for a good reason, son,” she said. “At first, at least, when we didn’t know much about the strange girl you’d met in the forest. And then, our rule was necessary to hold you back. Your soulmate bond hadn’t formed yet, but that extra distance between you and Marinette, your secret identity, was the only thing keeping you from throwing three thousand years of tradition away for the chance to date a human girl. Not that we hold it against you, dear,” she said, turning to Marinette. “We don’t have any problems with you being human, either. My son is just a little impatient sometimes, and it is our duty to make sure the kingdom survives.”

Marinette pursed her lips. “I see,” she said simply. “You’re talking about the kwamis’ blessing, aren’t you?”

The queen nodded. “It can feel like a curse sometimes,” she said, ”but it keeps our country strong. I apologize for any strife it has caused you and my son.”

Marinette bobbed her head in a jerky nod of acknowledgment, aware of the crowd’s stares like daggers at her back. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the way his parents had gone about it, but it was obvious that they thought they were doing what was best for Chat Noir. For Adrien.

Finding his hand by her side, Marinette took it in her own and squeezed it tightly. “So, now we know what my soulmark is,” she said, turning to look up at Adrien (and not down at Chat Noir. This was weird.) “But what about yours?”

“My guess is that it looks just like yours,” Adrien said, raising their joined hands to kiss hers once again. “But it hasn’t shown up yet, which means ours is probably a kiss-triggered bond. Wherever you kiss me for the first time is where my mark will show up.”

Marinette blushed. “Oh,” she said, feeling her cheeks become flaming hot. “W-well, where do you want it, then, kitty?” Marinette realized too late that that was probably an inappropriate nickname for the crown prince, but if the smile on his face was anything to go by, he didn’t mind it at all.

“In the same place as yours,” he said softly. “That way, anytime I look down to sign a paper or reach for another bite at dinner, I’ll be reminded of you.”

“You’ll carry me with you wherever you go,” Marinette said, heart pounding in her chest.

Adrien smiled warmly at her. “I already do,” he said, his gentle voice soothing the last of Marinette’s fears away.

“Silly kitty,” she said as her blush deepened again. “Just give me your hand.”

“In marriage? Gladly,” he grinned, presenting her with his right hand. Behind them, a few coos rose from the crowd as they watched.

Taking Adrien’s hand in hers, Marinette pressed a quick kiss to it, marveling as the silvery mark appeared over his skin.

“We really are soulmates,” she breathed.

“We are,” Adrien said, sounding immensely happy and a little relieved as he clasped both of Marinette’s hands in his and looked into her eyes.

Emilie stepped over to the two heirs, placing one hand on either of their shoulders. “Are you ready?” she asked with a smile. Adrien nodded, and Marinette decided to trust him, giving his hand a squeeze as she agreed. Loosening his hold on one of her hands, Adrien turned with Marinette to face the crowd as Emilie stood beside them, raising her hand to show them off in a grand gesture.

“Fairies and humans, I present to you the kingdom’s heirs!” she said in a strong voice. “Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. May the kwamis’ blessing keep them strong, and may this kingdom continue to know peace and stability into the future.” 

A healthy round of applause rose from the crowd, and Marinette blushed again at the attention, wanting to hide her face in Adrien’s shoulder. At the front of the crowd, Alya and Nino were cheering the loudest of anyone, and Alix caught Marinette’s eye to give her a grin and a double thumb’s up. Standing beside her, Rose had to pause her clapping to wipe a tear from her eye as she smiled for her friend. I just love romance, she thought happily.

Adrien bent down to press a kiss against Marinette’s cheek, and a smile spread over her face. She pulled him back down for a second kiss, her lips brushing against the edge of his mouth. They stared happily into each other’s eyes as someone in the crowd started a second round of applause and the king came down to stand on the other side of his son. Emilie gave him an approving smile as cameras and magic began to flash, capturing the image for future years.

The realm’s future was in good hands.

__*__*__*__*__

Several years in the future, Adrien sat on a velvet couch in his room with Marinette. She rested halfway across his lap, hands caressing her belly as they took advantage of the first calm moment they’d had since announcing to the kingdom that they were expecting a child.

“What do you think you’ll name them?” Adrien asked, pressing a kiss to Marinette’s cheek.

Marinette turned her face to her husband, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I suppose it depends,” she said. “Your grandparents got rid of the old naming conventions, so there aren’t any rules for us to follow. Now, there are almost too many options for us to choose from,” she said with a laugh.

“I have to admit, though,” she said slowly, her hand over Adrien’s as it rested on top of her barely-there baby bump, “When I was younger, I had three names picked out for kids, in case I married you.”

Adrien grinned. “You did? Princess, that’s adorable,” he cooed, pulling his wife close as she struggled in protest. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“It’s embarrassing,” she groaned. “And I knew you would tease me about it.”

Adrien gasped. “I would never make fun of my wife,” he said in false outrage. “That would make me nothing but a royal pain!”

Marinette giggled. “That wasn’t even good,” she said, poking Adrien’s arm.

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, grinning up at Marinette. “That pun was my crowning achievement!” At Marinette’s unimpressed look, Adrien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, loosening his grip on his wife as she slowly pushed herself off his lap.

“If you’d rather keep punning than listen to my name ideas you seemed so interested in, I can just go,” she said teasingly, making as if to leave the room.

“Nooo, Princess, come back,” Adrien whined, dragging her back down onto his lap. “I want to hear all about the names you came up with for our babies!”

Marinette smirked as she let her husband fold her tightly in his arms. “It’s just that there are so many of your ancestors with this name already,” she said with a sigh. “I never knew it was so popular. Seventy-four rulers named some variant of Louis in just over a hundred generations? You have to admit that’s a little ridiculous.”

Beneath her, Adrien froze, his arms loosening their grasp around her. “You were thinking of naming our daughter Louisa?” he asked, green eyes fixed on Marinette’s.

Marinette frowned. “We don’t know their gender yet,” she said. “But yes. If it was a boy, I wanted to name my firstborn Louis, and either Louise or Louisa if they were a girl. But I won’t be doing that now.”

“Princess, I’m telling you it’s going to be a girl,” Adrien said confidently. “I might not be able to see the future, but I can feel it in my bones. Comes with being a cat for so long, you know. And I think Louisa is a fine name,” he said. “It is a little weird that it’s popped up so often in our history, but it’s a good name. I had a theory about it as a kid.”

Marinette raised her eyebrow, settling herself into a more comfortable position on her husband’s lap. “Really?” she asked. “A theory? I want to know all about it.”

Adrien blushed. “It wasn’t a very detailed theory,” he said. “It was just, in history class we kept learning about all these Louis figures, and I figured it must have something to do with the kwamis’ blessing. They made the deal with the very first Queen Louisa,” he said. “Maybe that’s why so many of the heirs they secure are named in a similar fashion. The magic still recognizes who the original pact was with, so it influences the king and queen’s minds so that they’re more likely to choose Louisa for a name. If it’s a boy, then the name becomes Louis, and if it’s a girl but the parents want to follow Parisian naming trends, they’ll choose Louise as a name, instead.”

“Really,” Marinette said, pursing her lips as she considered the possibility. “Well, I guess there’s no point in trying to change my mind, then,” she remarked. “This poor baby was doomed to be named Louis since the magic influenced my name choices in collège.”

Adrien smirked. “You had their name planned since collège, you say?” he asked, nuzzling his nose against Marinette’s. “We were still so young and you already wanted to have a family with me! You’re right, that’s embarrassing,” he said, a teasing lift to his voice.

Marinette scowled and pushed his face away. “See, I knew you’d tease me about it,” she said with a huff. “Although, do I need to remind you that you’re the one who fell in love with me first? You weren’t even a teenager yet,” she said with a grin on her face. “ That’s embarrassing.”

“How is falling in love with your soulmate embarrassing?” Adrien asked with a laugh. “I’m just lucky that you fell in love with me right back. You know, I dreamed of having a family with you, too,” he said, lashes tickling Marinette’s cheek as he pressed a kiss to her jaw. “I wanted four kids, all with gorgeous blue eyes and dark hair like yours. That way, they’d be as pretty as you are.”

“Flatterer,” Marinette said, tilting her head back to give Adrien better access as he trailed kisses down her neck.

“An honest one,” Adrien murmured as a rumble like a purr started up in his chest. He kissed the hollow of Marinette’s shoulder. “And only for you.”

Lifting his head back up, Adrien pressed a lingering kiss to Marinette’s lips, smiling as she eagerly deepened it. 

“I love you,” he said breathlessly, after she eventually pulled back.

Marinette smiled, looking radiant in the light from the afternoon sun as it streamed through the window in the room.

“I love you, too,” she said. “And… I think that four kids sounds like a lovely idea.”

Adrien’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?”

A smile tugged at Marinette’s lips. “Really,” she said. “But first, we have to see how raising Louisa goes. You have to prove that you’re a good father.”

“I’ll be an amazing father,” Adrien said, cupping his right hand over her cheek. “I’ll even let my kids jump down a well, like I did. As long as I’m there to catch them.”

Marinette laughed. “They’d be hard-pressed to find a well to jump down,” she said. “Your father closed off the old gate for good, remember? Now all that’s left of it is a pile of magic dust.”

“And our soulmarks,” Adrien said, holding Marinette’s hand out so that the light shone on the image of the gate.

“Yeah,” Marinette said wistfully. “We do have our soulmarks.” She watched as Adrien pressed a kiss against her hand, smiling.

“When I ran off from the palace all those years ago,” he said, “I wasn’t expecting my little escape attempt to work. I didn’t even know the gate existed; I just remembered about the old well and decided it would be a good place to hide from my guards. But they were starting to check the courtyards, and I knew my cat disguise wouldn’t fool them for long, so I took a chance and tried the gate to see if it would work. And, Marinette,” he said, “I’m so glad I did. I know I would have met you anyway because of the kwamis’ blessing, but spending those six years alone, waiting for a soulmate and hoping that they’d be easy to love, instead of seeing you every weekend and falling more in love with you each time, like I got to do? It’s unimaginable.”

“I’m glad you found the gate, too,” Marinette said, brushing a kiss against her husband’s lips. “Looking forward to seeing you every Saturday was the highlight of my teen years.”

“Really?” Adrien asked. “Because you have a very impressive résumé from those years. Designing for Jagged Stone, interning at Style Queen’s Paris location, starting your own online boutique… you have quite a lot to be proud of. I’m honestly surprised I was able to convince you to marry me,” he laughed.

“Adrien, I’ve been in love with you since we were fourteen and you know it,” Marinette said with a smirk. “I’m only surprised it took you so long to propose.”

“Well, everything had to be perfect,” Adrien defended himself. “And I wanted to make sure you were comfortable enough with where your career was going first.”

“I have to admit, becoming co-ruler of the fae kingdom was never on my list of dream jobs as a kid,” Marinette agreed with a laugh. “I’m happy I was able to keep designing on the side.”

“Me too,” Adrien murmured. “I’m glad you have a job that makes you happy.”

“You make me happy,” Marinette said, smirking as she looked deep into Adrien’s eyes and lazily traced his chest with one hand. She leaned in for another kiss, the golden sunlight from the window bathing the couple in its warm rays.

Adrien closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tight around Marinette, unwilling to let go of this perfect moment. It had taken over a decade of dreaming and hoping, but against all odds, he had this happily-ever-after with the woman he loved. It was better than anything he could have imagined, Adrien thought, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

[granvarones]

i dreamed about my mother for the first time in a long time last night. waking from those all-too-real dreams used to leave me wallowing in the quicksand of regret over the loss of control over things we had no control of. but not this time. i spent the rest of the day watching shows she loved, like “murder she wrote” and “matlock.” i listened to the music she loved, like donna summer and the pointer sisters. and then i was reminded that my taste for all things queer can be traced back to her.

my mother loved divas. dionne, diana, patti, liza, and tina turner. my mother loved all these women because of the unwavering resilient energy they radiated. beyond their musical prowess and ability to set every stage on fire with their electrifying performances, even as a young music lover, i recognized that they were all an emblem of strength and inspiration – even if i could not communicate why and how. but i knew by watching my mother scream aloud during tina turner’s now legendary 1985 grammy performance, where she so fiercely walked down a staircase that looked as if it was ascending from heaven, that tina turner was the queen of queens. a queen of rock that reigned supreme.

my love for tina officially began upon the release of her single, “we don’t need another hero.” featured in the post-apocalyptic "mad max beyond thunderdome" motion picture starring mel gibson and tina herself, "we don't need another hero," and its accompanying music video captured my imagination in ways that no other diva did before or after. her striking woman warrior presence in a dystopian world refusing to wait for a savior, coupled with the song’s somber sonic tone and powerful lyrics, resonated with me as a queer kid who was ruthlessly teased in school and teased in family circles because of my mother’s struggle with addiction. the song was a kind of rallying cry because even at such a young age, i knew that saviors and messiahs were often simply fairy tales.

out of the ruins

out from the wreckage

i can't make the same mistake this time

we are the children

the last generation

we are the ones they left behind

“mad max beyond thunderdome” and “we don’t need another hero” were released in july 1985, just as the nuclear cold war era was coming to an end. the movie’s theme of communities attempting to rebuild in the aftermath of nuclear war appealed to moviegoers during a time when the cold war era was coming to an end after years of nuclear war between the us and russia. while there was a budding hope in the air of nuclear disarmament, Black and latinx communities were left behind just as the onslaught of the AIDS crisis and crack epidemic was annihilating us. our communities were left out of the vision of a peaceful world.

looking for something

we can rely on

there's got to be something better out there

love and compassion

their day is coming

all else are castles built in the air

tina’s brilliant vocal performance encapsulates her indomitable spirit and invites the listeners to be defiant in a crumbling world. and, for me, the most powerful and compelling part of the song at its climax when she powerfully sings, “all the children say!...” and the children’s choirs beautifully sing the song’s hook:

we don't need another hero

we don't need to know the way home

all we want is life beyond the thunderdome

decades after its release, "we don't need another hero" holds significance in history, pop culture, and my personal story. the song serves as evidence of not just the worlds my mother and myself survived but the new worlds built and rebuilt by those in our communities. it is a lesson of not needing heroes as much as we need each other. maybe that’s why my mother visited me in dreams. to remind me, this is one of the reasons why tina is queen. because her voice changed how we hear, see, feel, and experience the world.

all hail the queen.

rest in power, tina.