#i like to imagine this would be the kind of outfit her noble family would have her wear sometimes

[bg3screenshotdump]

those poofy shorts are sending me

[blues824]

Once Upon A Dream

Gender-neutral reader, a tad self-indulgent. References a train, but could reference a dress, tailcoats, a cape of some fabulous sort, etc. 

Use of the word officiant, but I meant it in a way where he marries the two of you, and I did not use any religious traditions; just headcanon fae traditions. Also uses the word bridesmaids, but I did not describe reader as a ‘bride’.

Pricking of fingers on a spinning wheel, blood.

Malleus Draconia

It was a joyful day within Briar Valley. Everyone was rushing to put the finishing touches on their homes and stores, decorating with the most beautiful flowers anyone has ever seen. The whole town was bustling with excitement and magic. Farmers from the outskirts of the land were coming in on their wagons filled with even more flowers so no one would worry about running out.

You looked outside of your window in your silk pajamas to see all of the preparations being made for your big day. You took a huge whiff of fresh air, and you could smell the freshness of the floral arrangements. Someone then knocked on the door, and you smiled as you gently opened the door to reveal a maid and a manservant holding your attire. Just seeing the outfit brought joy to your heart and a smile to your face.

For years, you had been imagining this day: your wedding day. 

The maid helped you bathe and moisturize and spray perfume on, before helping you into the wedding attire. It had a bit of a train in the back, so she had to call over the manservant to help hold the train in place. Your hair was arranged with a crown of blossoming flowers, and you were given a bouquet. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you let out a gasp at how different but similar you looked.

The servants who were helping you get ready were all very friendly and excited, despite you being human and they being fae folk. Actually, a lot of the citizens within the town and all of the land of Briar Valley thought you were beautiful and kind, just like your friends back at NRC did… just like your fiancé did as well. 

Oh yes, everyone was making a big deal of the wedding that day because you were marrying Malleus Draconia, the Crowned Prince of Briar Valley. Queen Maleficia herself approved of this match, as she had never seen her grandson so in love and so happy with someone by his side, and said that after your wedding ceremony, she would relinquish the crown to the prince so that he would be King and you would be his Spouse and Co-Ruler.

Unfortunately, your bridesmaids would be some of the ladies you had made friends with here in Briar Valley. All of your family were still back in your world, a place you still couldn’t get to yet. It didn’t sadden you too much, though, because you could start a whole new life here in Twisted Wonderland.

You had already been through the training and lessons on how to be both a person of the court and a ruler. However, you did not see your fiancé for much of that time. Instead, you became quite close to both the current Queen and Lilia. You went through a lot of harsh history lessons, mostly consisting of the disagreements between humans and faes.

Your marriage would be one of genuine love between human and fae kind, not one of convenience or alliance.

The sentence was heavier on your head than the floral crown you were wearing, probably because of the truth it held. You loved Malleus with all your heart, which is why you dealt with walking with books on your head, with sword fighting, with saying hello to multiple different nobles within the kingdom, with not seeing him as you were in training…

You had no magic, and you were fully capable of doing all of this to prove your love and dedication not just to your husband-to-be, but the kingdom you were going to rule. It was enough for the people and the Queen to be proud, because you cast aside your differences and tried to learn.

Eventually, the maid that made her appearance this morning led you by the hand out to the castle’s entrance while the manservant followed behind, holding up the train of your outfit. The other servants were all at the sides of the corridors and halls as you made your way, congratulating you and wishing you good fortune. You would see them later, at the actual celebration once the ceremony had commenced.

One thing that was part of fae culture, specifically with weddings, was that the newlyweds had to prick their finger upon a spinning wheel so as to bind their beings together as one whole. You saw a wagon being loaded up with such a wheel. It was going to be the front of the procession, as you made your way to the meadow where the wedding was taking place.

The maid helped you onto the unicorn (yes, a unicorn), as it would have been a bit of a walk in the shoes you had on. You let out a gasp at how beautiful it was, and you ran your hand through its soft mane before you were joined by Sebek and Silver (dressed in the groomsmen attire) at your sides. They were on horseback, and they were there to make sure you made it to the altar safely. After all, Malleus and Maleficia would have their heads if you were kidnapped or harmed at all.

You looked and saw that Sir Zigvolt was close to tears, and you, with a smile, asked if he required a handkerchief. This just made a hint of a smile appear on his and Sir Silver’s face as he wiped away his tears. No matter how much pressure you were put under, you always managed to put your friends first as well as maintain a sense of humor. 

Lilia rode up next to them and told them to straighten their posture. He was in his more mature form, taking you a bit by surprise. In all of the years you have known Lilia, you would never have described him as serious. But here he was, in his general’s formal attire, hair long and tied up in a ponytail, commanding a small battalion to trail behind you.

This was a bit much, wasn’t it?

Well, it was too late to ask, since now your handmaidens and manservants had taken their place right behind you and in front of the battalion. Then, the procession started. The castle gate rose to let you and your parade through, and all of the citizens of the town were making their way to the same meadow you were going to right now. All of the decorations upon the houses and stores were so beautiful up close, rather than when you saw them on a balcony.

Looking forward, you saw that you were coming upon the gates of the actual city where the castle resided. You forgot how big the entirety of Briar Valley was. It hit you extra hard when you realized that this meant that the lords and ladies would be there as well. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and even the common folk. The entire land would be there and attending the festivities that would come after you and Malleus pricked your fingers.

On the side of the road, there was a little child who pulled at his mother’s skirt and pointed at you in amazement. You gave a small wave and he squealed in excitement, making you smile. But, you continued onward through the main street. It wasn’t too long before you reached the edge of the forest.

Inside the forest, there would be a green meadow where everything should be set up, aside from the spinning wheel. You’ve been there when you and Malleus were planning the wedding, and it was one of the few times you were actually able to see your fiancé. He looked very happy to hold you in his arms again… even if it was just for about five minutes.

Yeah, they were very strict on you both not seeing each other too much, as it could cause a distraction for either of you. You slept on entirely different ends of the castle just so the two of you wouldn’t be up to anything suspicious. However, you were able to dine with each other in the dining hall, as there were servants who were monitoring the both of you. It was very annoying, but once you and him were joined in matrimony, you would see each other much more.

The trees were beautiful, and covered with moss. The sun shone through the leaves in little patches of sunlight on the ground. Whenever you passed through the rays, it made you feel its warmth upon your skin. Seeing all of the green made you feel more and more excited about what was to come in a few short moments.

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

Malleus had to admit that he had never been more nervous than how he was now. He was standing, awaiting his fiancé at the altar. Everyone was making their way to their seats, excited for the reception after the ceremony. None of them could see how sweaty the prince’s hands had gotten in the short amount of time he had been there.

Perhaps you had second thoughts? It was understandable, considering this would be a huge responsibility placed on your shoulder as a magicless human, something you were kind of used to but also very tired of. But you expressed such excitement when he proposed to you, so that wouldn’t be very reasonable.

What if you were kidnapped or hurt on the way here? Oh, if something happened, someone would die. Whoever would have been audacious enough to rob him of his wedding day to his beloved would pay the hefty price. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his grandmother looking up at the sky to see a dark cloud that was forming. Malleus shook his head to snap out of it, when he heard the ‘all rise’.

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

You took a deep breath and stepped forward into the meadow from off of the path. The sun was shining bright, and you were fighting for your life to try and see where you were stepping. There were gasps as you got to the row furthest from the altar, which is when everyone stood up. The spinning wheel went first down the aisle and was placed on the left side of your groom. The wheel was followed by the groomsmen and bridesmaids. 

Speaking of, your heart fluttered upon seeing Malleus waiting for you. You could feel yourself tearing up as the realization hit you once again: you were getting married. Suddenly, all of the eyes on you didn’t matter. All that mattered was Malleus, since you both would be bound together as one for all of eternity.

Then, you started walking down the aisle. More gasps sounded, and you laughed while tearing up even more. Your fiancé also started tearing up a bit, smiling. Queen Maleficia thought the scene was absolutely adorable, reminding her of her wedding to her husband oh-so-many years ago. She wished you both the same amount of happiness in your marriage that she had with her true love.

Once you made it to your spot at the altar, your very-soon-to-be-husband whispered to you that you looked like you were getting married, trying to distract you from the tears that were swelling up in his eyes. You giggled as you said that yeah, I’m getting married to you. His smile said a million more things than words ever could portray, and the officiant started performing the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Crowned Prince Malleus Draconia to Y/N L/N, for the betterment not only of themselves but also for the Kingdom of Briar Valley. Now, without further ado, Your Royal Highness, if you wouldn’t mind taking off your gloves and pricking your finger upon the spinning wheel.”

You watched as the dragon fae removed his black gloves and leaned over to prick his finger. A spot of blood remained on both the wheel and his finger, and he brought his digit to his mouth to lick off the blood. He saw you watching him and gave you a wink. 

“Y/N L/N, if you would please prick your finger now.”

Your hand was shaky as you reached it to the wheel. Memories of a certain film you watched in your childhood flashed in your mind, and you smiled as you recalled what happened to Princess Aurora when she pricked her finger. However, the two of you were living two completely different fairy tale lives. You see, your knight in shining armor was the dragon.

It brought a bit of a sting to your finger, but nothing absolutely painful. You also brought your finger to your mouth, before denying Malleus any look at you (with love, of course) as you turned back to the officiant. 

To anyone else in the audience, you both were taking this relatively well for a couple who was about to be married. However, both your hearts were pounding against your chests. This was the most excited either of you have been, even more so than when Malleus first asked to court you and then proposed to you years later. 

“This spinning wheel is magic, and it turns typical wool into gold. This is a metaphor for the memories you both will make from this point onward. Any injustices suffered before you pricked your fingers shall be washed away and never repeated as you go forward in your marriage and make golden memories. May your happiness and love be eternal.”

At this point, Sebek and Silver lifted up the spinning wheel and walked back down the aisle to load it on the wagon before going back to their spots behind Malleus. At this point, there were a few stray tears running down your face and your husband gently wiped them away. You then turned back to the officiant so that everything could be wrapped up.

“Now, you may kiss your spouse. Congratulations.”

Malleus wasted absolutely no time in dipping you down and kissing you with such burning passion, it left you breathless after. The fae folk and your former peers from NRC all cheered in absolute excitement before he pulled you back up and helped you stay balanced. Then, he offered you his arm for you to wrap your own around before he gently led you back down the aisle.

You were followed by a procession of people; Queen Maleficia was first behind the two of you, then the bridesmaids, and then the groomsmen. Everyone headed to the reception area, excited to dance, party, and eat. You were excited to have a dance with your new husband, and to see him dance with his grandmother. You would be dancing with Professor Crewel, since he was a close father figure to you.

However, once you reached the area, Malleus pulled you to the side to kiss you again. The excitement and pure adoration in his eyes made your heart melt, and you couldn’t help but kiss him back in return. 

“My dear, I have waited many years for this. I’ve foreseen this once upon a dream, but I had no idea that it would come into fruition.”

“As have I, my love. Now, I believe everyone is waiting for us at the banquet table,” you giggled before you both made your way to your spots at the dining table.

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch2: Welcome to Cordonia (Pt. 3)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Riley travels to Cordonia, but what will await her there?

Word Count: 2.2k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

Pulling along her suitcase, Riley followed Maxwell to the front doors of the palace. Maxwell nodded in acknowledgement to the officers of the King’s Guard dressed in their black uniforms as they opened the doors for them.

The coffered ceilings of the castle were much higher than she imagined they could be with beams laid in a grid which created a pattern of recessed squares. There were rooms leading to sitting areas that had furniture and objects fancier than she had ever seen with plush velvet couches, dainty bouquets in vases, intricate gold and glass centrepieces, and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

“I thought the outside was amazing on its own, but being inside…” Riley wondered aloud, her head swivelling around as she lost her trail of thought.

It was only until she entered the palace where she realized how different her world was from Liam’s. He had grown up here, learned to follow his father’s footsteps as a prince, met all kinds of nobles, and possibly brought fancy socialites home after dates. This was his childhood home; his whole world seemed to embody glamour and prestige.

She, on the other hand, had grown up in a cramped but cozy apartment with her mother and father. It wasn’t much, but the love her parents had for her and each other was more than what most people were lucky to have. With her American upbringing, her Korean mother’s roots, and her father’s Filipino culture, she was grateful for the homes she would forever have in the U.S., the Philippines, and South Korea.

They showered her with love and reassurance, frequently reminding her that family was the most important thing to cherish that motivates and grounds you at the same time. She never felt like she had lacked anything in her life, not when she had the most loving, supportive parents anyone could have.

At least that’s what it felt like before she lost the two people she loved the most in her life. But that was a story for another time, one for where there was less pressure and anticipation facing some of the most important people in Codonia.

A small piece of doubt began to spring up once again in her mind. Based on her appearance alone, it was clear that she was not from Cordonia, much less part of the country’s nobility or highly-respected citizens. She didn’t want to let Maxwell and his brother down from her upcoming representation of their house.

But in a split second, as she’d done everyday since they were no longer in her life, she heard her parents’ words in her mind saying, One day at a time.

“It’s like a whole other world, huh? Don’t worry, you have tons of time to roam and explore and get used to it,” Maxwell reassured her, as he followed her gaze landing on all lighting and fixtures. “After all, you’ll be here for the next few months of the social season.”

They made their way to the grand staircase with gold handrails decorated with artistic panel inserts of flowing swirls. A large velvet red carpet regally covered the steps leading up to the top platform where it separated into two staircases that led to the left and left wings of the castle.

“So, what’s the deal with Drake? Why is he… so jaded?” Riley questioned, fixating on the elegant staircase she had only ever really seen replicas of in movies. Seeing all the luxury decorations and furniture reminded her of Drake's annoyance with her fascination with all the new sights she was seeing. “Is he always like that?”

“I can get that for you,” Maxwell offered, implying Riley’s suitcase as she willingly handed it to him. He lifted it up as they climbed the staircase together, before answering her question, “Oh, don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in. He doesn’t like court as much as others love being part of it.”

“Not used to courtly life?” Riley suggested, glancing at Maxwell for confirmation.

“Definitely not. Technically, he’s a commoner. He grew up here at court with us, but he’s… always been an outsider here in a way. Even if he is Liam’s best friend,” Maxwell responded, even though it was something he wondered himself as well.

With a nod, Riley pondered his answer. It made sense why he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb compared to Liam and the others, although it didn’t seem plausible that someone would choose to stay in a place where they would only be somewhat excluded.

She questioned, “But if he’s not fond of spending time with royals and nobles, is there a reason why he tries to tolerate it so much? Besides being there for Liam, I’m guessing.”

“Beats me,” Maxwell responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Sometimes it’s hard to know what he’s thinking. He’s pretty much known for being mysterious and antisocial to almost everyone, so I wouldn’t take it personally.”

At the top of the stairs, Maxwell and Riley turned down one of the many elegant corridors of the castle. The ivory marble floors were decorated with intricate designs of mosaic art and sophisticated medallions. A gleaming chandelier glistened from the sunlight peering into the hall through the arched glass windows. The gold accents on the walls brought out the pastel blue that brightened up the space.

“Your room’s here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple rooms away,” Maxwell informed her, as the two of them walked past several large wooden arched doors.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. For some reason, Maxwell struck her more as an only child with his keenness for adventure and love for the spotlight. She wondered if his brother was as easy-going and laid-back as he was. Riley curiously commented, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell answered with a smile, although his last sentence had a hint of uncertainty that Riley hadn’t noticed. He already had a slight idea on how his brother would react, and well... let’s just say they would have to brace themselves.

Maxwell stopped short in front of a magnificently ornate door with the dark wood accentuating the designs. As Riley stood beside him, he turned the doorknob. Oh, boy. If this didn’t get her even more excited than he was about solving House Beaumont’s problem of not having a suitor, he would run down the corridor and do three cartwheels in a row.

“This is it… Here’s your room!” Maxwell revealed, with a giddy edge to his voice.

Riley entered a lavish guest room with a gold and dark magenta palette accompanying full-length paintings and gilded ceilings. Two end tables with beige and gold accents to the solid wood foundation were placed on both sides of the queen bed with understated white lamps on top of them. A shiny gold candle chandelier hung daintily above Maxwell and Riley, where they stood underneath it beside the bed with silky cream sheets and dark fuchsia pillows matching the ottoman nearby.

“Wow…” was all Riley could muster, as her neck craned high and low to take in the simple, regal style of the bedroom.

It was official; she had fallen asleep and dreamt of being in an alternate universe where she was treated as if she were royalty. Even if it was only temporary, she could only imagine what her younger self would do if she knew how lucky she was to be where she was now.

“As a royal guest, you’re spared no luxury,” Maxwell said, matter-of-factly as he observed her walking out the balcony where the cool, fresh air blew in peacefully.

Looking over her shoulder back at him with a hint of mischief to her smile which he recognized as resembling one of his own, Riley asked, “So nothing’s stopping me from jumping on the bed?”

“There’s not much anyone can take away from you by doing that. Maybe only your dignity.” Maxwell guffawed, watching as her shoulders rose up in anticipation.

As her smile turned up even more in delight, Riley clasped her hands together and simply said, “Perfect.”

With a running start, Riley rushed over from the balcony and leaped on to the bed with a soft plop. As she sunk into the mattress and felt the smooth silk sheets over her, she sighed happily. When was the last time she had ever been able to let out a true peaceful sigh in a very rare calm moment? Due to school and work, it seemed she hadn’t been able to rest easy in years.

“Ah… this is so much better than memory foam,” Riley complimented, snuggling with a fluffy pillow and allowing herself to close her eyes to cherish the peace and quiet. “I feel like I could sleep here forever.”

“Just one of the perks you have as one of the Crown Prince’s suitors,” Maxwell remarked, laughing in goodhearted nature. He walked away from the bed towards the door. “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight.”

Immediately, Riley’s eyes opened in shock at his words. What did he mean? She sat up in surprise, calling after him, “My what?”Maxwell stopped at the door, before turning back to Riley with a nervous smile. Whoops. He knew he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to all this. Things are always complicated around here when it comes to special events like this, but we’ll take it one step at a time,” Maxwell reassured her. Riley’s shoulders relaxed a bit, so he continued to clarify, “The first event of the social season is tonight… The Masquerade.”

“Oh… it sounds important,” Riley commented, fiddling with her fingers. Her knowledge of fitting in with socialites and moguls was limited. She couldn’t help but think about how out of place she might look in front of the finest nobles of Cordonia. She thought she would have had a little bit more time to prepare. “I’ve never been to an event like that before. Are there scheduled activities I need to prepare for in advance?”

“Compared to the balls held to welcome nearby countries, not really. Sometimes, they go full-out with the masquerade theme where everyone takes off their masks at midnight. Then, networking goes on for hours,” Maxwell explained. “This ball, though, is where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Most people at court already know each other really well, so it’s less uptight in a way. Just good music, dancing, and food.”

“Does that mean the guests have to be in specific costumes with masks prepared tonight?” Riley questioned, finding the idea of attending a masquerade for the first time interesting.

Shrugging his shoulders, Maxwell replied, “Not everyone dresses in costume, but some people plan months finding one to wear for it. You can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam’s attention will be pulling out all the stops.”

For a split second, Maxwell glanced doubtfully at Riley’s modestly-looking suitcase. When they were at her apartment back in New York, he watched as she hurriedly packed her most essential belongings. Among her things in her suitcase were keepsakes and books as well as her quintessential New York attire.

“I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if you’ve got a costume or fancy ballgown in there,” Maxwell joked, although he was seriously racking his brain trying to remember if she stuffed one or two in there as a backup.

With a sheepish smile, Riley lifted her suitcase on the bed. She unzipped the main compartment where she pulled out a flowy, floor-length dress as blue as the calm Cordonian sky. “I packed a dress.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I’ve made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you’ll find something you like better there!” Maxwell cheerfully informed her.

For once, he wasn’t scrambling to fix things; he was actually preparing in advance. Bertrand would be so proud of his initiative. Maxwell just knew it.

Tucking her dress back into her suitcase for the meantime, Riley replied, “I’ll check it out. There’s nothing wrong with another option or two.”

“Remember, tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else. If you’re going to leave a lasting impact, you might as well stun them with some style,” Maxwell responded, with a hint of cool confidence in his last sentence.

Triple S’s and alliteration? Man, was he on a roll with smooth words. Maxwell could definitely shimmy his way into being a reality TV show host. Maybe The Bachelorette or The Bachelor could use a new host in the near future…

An eager grin made its way on her face, as Riley reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

~ ~ ~

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Tag list: @kingliam2019 @princess-geek @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

[ddoxhan]

from afar

if I could be by your side I'll give you all my life, my seasons

word count : 1.7k words

genre : royalty!au; when you meet the princess because of white camellias; commoner! reader x princess! winter

t/w : mentions of violence(?), gore(?)

a/n : I started reading webtoons again and I am obsessed with fantasy romance ones that are set in the medieval times cause the details on the outfits are immaculate :3 so here's one with my baby, enjoy !!

you knew someone like her should never be seen around someone like you. someone so pathetic, it'd attract groundless rumors that may hurt you more than her. since the princess is always such a strong person, and you love her more than you could imagine. so much, you wished you had never sneaked into the imperial garden that night.

when you heard that guards would stand close to the diamond banquet hall, the most prestigious and gem-studded of them all, you figured it wouldn't hurt to get a closer look at the white camellias that were just so rare to come across where you were from. you've had a connection with flowers ever since you were young, and knowing it was a chance, you took it.

it was somehow brighter than usual, as the sapphire moonlight shone the gardens, bringing out the beauty of the white camellias to your unworthy eyes. mesmerized by the camellias, you didn't realize there was another flower that could ever make your knees buckle, perhaps even kicking the white camellias off the first spot on your list.

"what could you be doing at such a late hour in my garden, commoner?"

there was no way you were mistaken when your eyes met with hers. the very same pair gazing lovingly at you right now. the way they glitter when you brought her chocolate (which was deemed 'unroyal' if it does not come from the imperial family's personal chefs). the way they'd graze over your lips when you pull apart from a passionate kiss. the way, those eyes seem like they were meant for you, when clearly you should know your place.

before you could even process what was happening, your reflexes told you to scream out loud, as if you were not avoiding the scanning from the guards by the halls. as we all know, the princess is a very wise and remarkable member of the imperial family, hence the wise action of her slapping her hand across your gaping mouth, in hopes of shutting you up before any of those guards whip their heads to your direction. it was either you'd lose your head or have your body fed to the hunting hounds, so either way you'd die for sneaking into imperial grounds.

you are then reminded of your status once again, a commoner. so common, you wished to have at least be a noble, maybe even just gain some status with a successful business. but of course, all you could ever be was just a worker at the local market for a kind old lady who sold flowers. which was why you gained interest in flowers, finding such solace when you held them in your hands. that was before the old lady passed away and once again, you were thrown on the streets with nothing. you don't blame the lady, for in fact you were thankful for her patronage to have you under her wing.

"do you want every single noble and imperial member of Callune to find you standing in my garden?"

you shook your head, knowing death awaits if that were to happen (one that is more painful). it didn't take you long to calm your nerves, and it took you a second to realize the princess' beauty under the moonlight. maybe, that was when you knew you were damned, damn in love with Princess Winter, the precious granddaughter of King Tylor of Callune.

seeing how you calmed and would not be screaming your lungs, she slowly removed her hand that was over your mouth and proceeded to pull you along with her by your wrist. you had no idea where she was heading to but something told you to trust her, though you swore to never have any feelings of 'trust' after the old lady's passing. when you met the old lady, you were so sure she had been a blessing in disguise in your miserable life and she really was. just that it didn't last very long.

"I have no excuse to put forth, your highness. I have sinned greatly by trespassing your grounds, especially when I am of no status to be granted to do so. if I shall be beheaded or become feed, then it shall be."

kneeling instantly and not daring to look at the princess in the eye, you quickly ended your own fate although you clearly do not have the right to. much to your surprise, the royal in front of you knelt to match your level before flashing the very endearing smile that made you fall harder than you already did. cliché but it was what it is. (though you never miss the sighting of the princess when she made her appearance at royal events open for viewing by commoners, technically it wasn't your first encounter. otherwise how would you have recognized her.)

nonetheless, forget seeing her this close, you even made contact with her. you were quick to question what you had done in your past life to be given a chance to be so close with a royal family member.

"so beautiful..."

it was softly murmured under your breath but of course the Princess Winter didn't miss it. you swore that was totally unintentional, especially making her turn red from anger. that was what you had assumed at that time, when really, she was just embarrassed from the sudden compliment.

you jolted in your spot, realizing she had knelt to your level, immediately stooping lower than she was.

"I'm sorry, your highness! I didn't intend to anger you!"

all this while, the princess herself had not said a single thing and was just enjoying herself from the free entertainment that you had voluntarily offered. she was intrigued when she spotted you hugging your knees as you seemed so smitten by the white camellias in her garden. Princess Winter was so bored of all the formal greetings she was forced to sit through when she decided it was enough, she made her way to the garden (sneakily).

when she finally saw you with those big doe eyes startled at her appearance, she felt a tight tug at her heartstrings. she couldn't figure what caused it, so here she was with you to find out. a little further from the banquet hall by a lake, where she comes to take a breath after dealing with her tiring royal duties.

"I'm not angry."

three words and she had you looking up at her, astonished by the fact that she didn't manhandle you herself into the lake to drown and be forever forgotten. she instantly noticed the crease along your brows, leaning closer to ease them with her fingers. it was hard to not flinch from the soft and delicate touch, but you soon found yourself leaning towards it and calming your anxious self. all the contrary had you confused because clearly, this was not the direction you thought things were going to go.

"what were you doing in my garden?"

the princess offered her hand and you were more than honored to accept. taking a seat by the lake, you told her how you ended there.

"white camellias... are rare?"

"extremely, it's hard for them to flourish on the infertile land from where I am. well where I was as of now."

"then what's stopping you from planting them on your land?"

"I... don't have a home."

"what? that's impossible, Callune tries our best to provide a living for every citizen out there."

"I'm not from Callune, I barely escaped from Hethlio so that makes me an intruder, especially a threat to your kingdom."

you didn't know why you were so fluent with your past, in front of a royal member whom you just met about an hour ago at that. and she has the authority to banish you back to that hell. Hethlio and Callune were never on good terms for many years and it had just worsened when war broke out the last decade. however, Callune won and Hethlio had closed off its gates so whoever who tried to escape, never saw daylight again. but you barely made it out, keeping that worthless life of yours intact till now.

people of Callune despise people from Hethlio, even if it were those who escaped. how could they not when it was Hethlio that declared war against them and killed thousands of their people. you never revealed to anyone in Callune that you were from Hethlio because of that, even more that to royalty of Callune. something about the princess told you that she would not judge you from where you were, and you were right.

"but that doesn't make you a threat, as of what I can see, you seem like the nicest person I've ever met."

you tried so hard to pick your words of gratitude but none seemed fitting for you were more than grateful that someone appreciated you for once in your entire life. she just met you yet she saw you as someone worth to live, regardless of what status you and her are. she meant that as human to human.

"may I hold your hand?"

"you are granted the permission to."

you clasped hers in yours, feeling the coldness but a surge of warmth filled your heart. her words meant so much more to you than she ever though it did. she didn't know what to do when she saw your tears trickle down your cheeks, but felt relieved when she realized it was tears of happiness as the widest smile had plastered itself upon your lips for the first time in a very long time.

"thank you, Princess Winter."

your grip tightened as you felt overwhelmed, in a good way, with whatever was going on. she had never thought of anyone as her own when she had always been faced with people who were jealous or against her from a young age. given the fact that she was the only, and rightful heir to the throne, she knows her cousins are waiting, very impatiently, for her to be gone. but her instincts told her, you were one of her people and she could let herself be herself when she's with you.

"call me minjeong, that's my real name. and do drop the honorifics, you're officially mine now."

[amorest-viesse]

[Your Warm Hand in Mine] - Chloe SR Card Story Translation

Ft. Figaro (Akira and Western wizards mention in card episode)

A Line for the Lady - Chapter 1

[Weeping Princess’ Castle]

Chloe: May I have your hand, my lady?

Chloe: …No, that’s not right. Maybe it needs to be more gallant.

Chloe: To ensure you’re not swept away by someone else, may I have your hand, my lady?

Figaro: Ahaha, how forward of you, but by all means.

Chloe: Whoa! Where did you come from?

Figaro: Oops, sorry for the scare. You just seemed so serious, I thought it might help to have a partner.

Figaro: Although, it doesn’t look like things are going too well right now.

Chloe: Ahaha… You got me there.

Chloe: Truth be told, I just can’t get the hang of this escorting thing. No matter how much I practice, I always get nervous and totally freak out.

Figaro: Really? I never would’ve guessed from the number of times I’ve seen you invite the Master Sage out. 

Chloe: It’s totally different with them though!

Chloe: We’re basically BFFs, so if I goof up, we can just laugh it off!

Chloe: I can’t exactly do that during a ceremony with strangers though… If I leave a bad first impression, it’s totally over for me!

Figaro: Hmm, I see the dilemma now. Well then, what if you did this?

Figaro: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and try treating it like a game.

Figaro: You Western wizards are always doing that kind of stuff right?

Chloe: Think of it like a game? You know, that might just work!

Chloe: Oh, but what should the setting be? A ball? A birthday party? A theatrical production?

Chloe: What do you think, Figaro?

A Line for the Lady - Chapter 2

Figaro: Let me think…

Figaro: What if… you were the heir of a noble family meeting your betrothed for the first time, and you needed to take her out on a very special date?

Chloe: Me? An aristocrat?

Figaro: If the situation is too difficult to imagine, I could always turn into your beautiful betrothed for practice sake.

Chloe: Eh!? You? As a noblewoman!?

Chloe: As much as I’d like to see that… I wanna give it a shot on my own first.

Figaro: Ahaha, fine by me.

Chloe: Alrighty then, here I go. …Ahem.

Chloe: …It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, my fair lady. I have been eagerly awaiting this day. 

Chloe: Dressed in dusky blue with luminous diamonds about your neck, you’re the very vision of a star, descending from the heavens to grace us with your ethereal presence…

Chloe: Now, may I have your hand, my lady?

Figaro: …

Chloe: So? How did I do?

Figaro: It was even better than I’d expected. You really are Rustica’s apprentice.

Figaro: I think you’d charm just about anyone like that.

Chloe: Really?

Figaro: Really. Every word was elegantly and beautifully delivered.

Figaro: Although, it was funny to hear you compliment your partner’s dress and accessories without them actually being there. I’m sure no one but you could’ve come up with a line like that.

Chloe: Ehehe, I’m glad to hear it! I think I can totally take on the real thing now.

Chloe: Thanks so much for helping me out, Figaro!

We Gotta Go All Out! - Card Episode

[Manor Living Room]

Chloe: This should go… here. And the fabric should be gathered here…

Akira: Good afternoon, Chloe. Is that a new dress design?

Chloe: Oh, Master Sage! Great timing!

Chloe: This is super random, but what kinda dress do you think would look good on Rustica!?

Akira: This is for Rustica, you say?

Akira: Um, I feel like he could make anything work, but maybe… He’d like one with a bluebird embroidered on it.

Chloe: You think so? Alright then, I’ll keep that in mind.

Akira: Did Rustica request this?

Chloe: Ehehe, these outfits are actually for a special class session.

Chloe: When I told the other Westerners about how nervous I was during the mission, they offered to give me a special lesson on escorting…

Chloe: We’re using transformational magic so I can have practice with both men and women!

Akira: Oh I see now! That sounds like a lot of fun.

Chloe: Right? Figaro also gave me some really good advice during the mission.

Chloe: Which is why he’ll be there too as a special guest instructor!

Akira: (A Western wizard lesson with Figaro in attendance… I’m really curious now…)

Akira: …Hey, do you think there’s room for one more? I want to see how your lesson goes.

Chloe: Of course there is! In fact, you should join us as a participant!

Chloe: I’ll make sure to design you the most beautiful dress and dashing suit ever!

Home Screen Voice Line

“Ehehe, do you remember how I gave everyone presents to show my appreciation the other day? Well, as a thanks for the thanks, some of them gave me a gift back. I totally wasn’t expecting it, so it made me super happy. W- Wait, you’re giving me one too!?”

[nagirambles]

Hi I was wondering do you have any HCs or theories on Mira , Laxus or Erza as guild masters ? All 3 of them have potential Mira cause she likes how rowdy the guild is , plus she worked with the master as well , Laxus he had character development as well as wishes to be the master while Erza did come the master for a short time we never seen what type of master she would have been. Hope this ask ok,hope your doing ok and ignore the haters ,their just losers. sending love your way🎂

This sounds like a fun idea! I talked about Laxus being Guild Master before so here, I'll focus on the other two this time then.

I really do think any of the prominent characters in the guild becoming guild master would be a good finality to the character arc for them, and I really love that about Fairy Tail. Other than these three I can think most notably of Cana having an amazing reign as Master. But we're not here to talk about that.

Starting with Erza! She pretty much did become Master but Mashima was a coward I'm joking so. I honestly think she could become the honourable female leader that Knightwalker couldn't be post-Edolas. Revered, respected, and beloved in Magnolia--- noble, humble, and graceful. Honestly, I think she'd most fit the image of a 'guild master' that we expect to see in fantasy stories. The badass woman in the back of the guild, whose sword can destroy continents, who everyone fears and relies on. She lets everyone run wild in her guild, she joins in and encourages brawls, sometimes she even starts them! She beats you up with a smile on your face. But when danger comes, she's the front of the line, roaring to declare the charge. I suppose when the generation comes around, she'll be known as 'greatest female swordsman in the nation, the guild master of Fairy Tail', and she would be such a prominent draw. She's the kind of character you see in fantasy stories set up at the end goal or something, and she undeniably lives up to the name. Fairy Tail will definitely start growing more into its name with her as the Master, and I really do feel it's such a fun way for the guild to advance and live on with Mavis' whimsical spirit.

Erza becoming guild master means a lot to her as a character. She comes to the guild to chase after the remnant of Grandpa Rob, and it's so fitting for the message of 'putting yourself at risk to protect what's important to you/family' that FT represents. She has this dilemma the most in the guild, it's a struggle she constantly reminds herself to overcome from TOH to Tenrou (you don't die for your friends, you live for them). She stops Jupiter, she stops Natsu vs Gray with her bare hands. She sacrifices all her feelings to hand Jellal over to the council in Nirvana, and later helps Wendy out of the same broken heart. Remember when Rob died to protect her, and Makarov (almost) died to protect Fairy Tail at Alvarez-- it seems fitting that this selfless desire to see the next generation persist all lives on in her. She continues a parallel, and the position just seems right. She has genuine character growth that doesn't discredit her selfless nature as dumb and unnecessary-- she slowly grows to learn what's worth sacrificing for, what's worth living for, and when to make tough decisions, and all of that are great building blocks to becoming someone that can lead the next generation of selfless idiots.

Onto Mirajane! I envision Mira being so unsuspecting honestly. Imagine the boss of a big company coming by in a janitor's outfit, cleaning the floors. She leads VIPs to the empty master's office and serves them tea and stares at them from the doorway. She waits until a full ten minutes has passed before cracking up and telling you she's the Master, actually, how do you not recognize the person you have a meeting with? That's Mirajane. That's Mirajane, poster girl and barmaiden of Fairy Tail, who serves everyone beers and cocktails day in and out. She has so much patience she lets the guild absolutely wreak itself to pieces, she'll rebuild it, it's fine~ she wouldn't even react if you accidentally destroy a whole upper floor. Total ara ara character, unbeatable big sister energy. Everyone worships her and hails her like a goddess. Because of this, I also see people underestimating her/thinking her position is something earned from being pretty, especially when her she-devil stories fade to history.

While I think Erza would continue taking plenty of missions everywhere, Mirajane would stay where she is in the guild, like Makarov, staying there and being the one consistent face that always welcomes you home no matter what you do, how long you've been gone, and what hour you've returned. She would wish you a safe journey as you go, and you can always be back with a warm meal and a dear song and party. (Just like how they all welcomed Lisanna home.) She becomes the living symbol of home and love and family to everyone in FT, and I think that's very fitting for the character that's always symbolized motherhood and big-sisterhood to me in Fairy Tail. She has the most love and warmth in the guild that she extends to anyone (Yukino, for example) and she's definitely the kind to pick up stray children and bring them into the guild. Of course, when mom's angry, everyone better pray for their lives!

That's all! Thanks for the ask!

[nuwanders]

2 from each category for the long character ask game? :) for whoever strikes your fancy

thank you sarah! :)

What would your character wear if they were told they had to gussy up?

will do jórunn for this one as i had a lot of fun imagining her thalmor embassy outfit. my main inspiration was this dress made by historical fashion youtuber bernadette banner. she recreated this (i think?) 15th century dress on the right, using historical methods, and i thought the result was gorgeous.

for jórunn's dress i imagined the colour to be different, like an aubergine purple in place of the red. and for her hair i was picturing something like this. :)

What gift would your character give to someone they didn’t like but felt obligated to?

this goes for all my Dutheri characters, as the family would be expected to present gifts to visiting nobles and dignitaries. for velothi recipients, i can see the Dutheris bestowing either a worthless title or a 'tamed' kagouti upon recipients they didn't like. the kagouti would be expensive, difficult, and potentially dangerous to try and maintain, but to turn it down or renounce it would show weakness.

for non-velothi recipients, i think they would gift them with either a relatively cheap or commonplace commodity (assuming that the foreigner wouldn't know any better), or a velothi 'delicacy' that foreigners tend to find unpalatable :)

Would your character prefer baking, cooking or mixing drinks?

raydrin is my only character who would really engage with any of these activities, and it's cooking that he loves the most! he is experimental and creative, so cooking suits him more than something like baking, which is less easy to play around with.

Has your character had a meaningful encounter with an animal?

mathyas has a fear of spiders after one crawls on him during his first episode of sleep paralysis as a child, and this phobia stays with him into adulthood. the incident contains a lot of narrative significance and symbolism (to me, at least)

What is your character’s favorite kind of social event?

cassathra always hated the parties that her family would be expected to throw and attend as redoran nobles, but she comes to love parties after running away to skyrim. she loves dancing, drink, games, meeting new people etc -- so to enjoy these things outside the confines of familial expectation is a great joy for her

Are there particular sounds your character is fond of?

soppy, but jórunn really comes to love the sound of raydrin's voice, in particular when he is reading to her. his voice is soft, low, slightly raspy, and his narration is steady and level. on the road during the events of skyrim, their little reading sessions are some of the few times jórunn can truly relax <3

Does your character have a secret hobby?

raydrin is a secret poet/writer! he is terrible at committing to anything but always dabbled here and there. he starts taking it more seriously after solstheim :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Glorious masquerade interlude:ms raven having to deal with a conspiracy theory that came out of nowhere the whole time while rollo later goes mad

[Related Posts: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6]

Sooo the progression for the conspiracy theory (running concurrently with the events of Glorious Masquerade) sounds like this?:

Raven gets sent to the symposium along with the other 14 (I’m including Grim, Yuu, and Trein in this count), perhaps as a representative of the headmaster? Noble Bell College should also prepare a unique masquerade outfit for Raven--

She meets and greets Rollo. “You are... Crowley-dono’s niece, correct? It is an honor to host such an esteemed guest.” Raven feels like she should be flattered, but Rollo’s gaze lingers for a little too long for her liking.

She has a fun time exploring the city and learning about its history and culture! I think she’d focus a lot on local folklore and stories, as well as the cuisine and the rare flowers (she can pluck a few to experiment with while brewing new enchanted ink colors).

The entire time, she feels like someone’s watching her (wait, is that Sebek and NBC’s student council president staring at her from behind a convenient brick wall?!). (Like, maybe the topic of Raven came up when Rollo met up with Malleus’s group for a brief tour; then both Rollo and Sebek got sidetracked trying to see if Malleus and Raven are secret distant relatives 😅)

While the NRC boys get involved in a festive dance, I think Raven would feel more comfortable observing. She doesn’t like to get too involved in these kinds of showy events; that’s when Rollo can pull her aside for a little chat (probably misreading her introversion as disapproval of using magic in this way). You know, ask about her lineage, as well as get her opinion on the use of magic for such frivolities as a celebration.

Raven could explain a little about herself, like how she used to be a regular bird without the confidence to channel any magic of her own--and now that she has a ‘proper’ body, she can experience a lot of things she wasn’t able to before, including making new friends (with the NRC kids). In a way, those new experiences are like “magic” to her, so she’s content as she is.

I’d imagine that this is kind of a shock to Rollo (but in a slightly different way than how he found Yuu’s answer shocking)? Maybe he gets it in his head that she would be better off without magic too, returned to her natural environment instead of stuck in the “bird cage” that is NRC. Maybe he thinks of her as a kindred spirit, someone who might be able to understand his perspective (especially upon hearing her start off with “meeting people is magic in of itself”; implying she could be happy without having magic itself). But why is she like this? Why would she willingly go inside the “cage” of NRC, allow magic into her life? Why would she find happiness in it, find happiness among magicians? Rollo cannot understand it, and that frustration only adds to his sinister ambitions. (At this point, he could assume Raven and Malleus are related, because perhaps a family member would want to defend another family member? In that case, he’ll have to be rid of Raven as well.)

And then when Rollo finally reveals his plot to everyone and Idia + Ruggie suggest “every man for himself” 🤔 I can see Raven joining Trein in shaming them (since the RSA boys sacrificed themselves).

When they decide to stay and fight back, I can see Raven wanting to help but some people not taking her seriously. Sebek would probably act all high and mighty, demanding to know what skills and abilities she has to offer that qualify her as a tactician or a warrior.

An argument ensues, but Malleus cuts in to basically tell everyone (but mostly Sebek) that they need to take everything they can get, else he will never be able to exact his revenge on Rollo for deceiving them. Because it’s his lord commanding him, Sebek has no choice but to relent. I’d like to think that Raven is able to say something to inspire confidence as well.

We don’t know where the story goes beyond part 3 right now, so I won’t go into detail about what Raven exactly plans... but Sebek could have an epiphany while they’re having the discussion (Raven at the helm and/or being a major contributor to it), realizing that she has some leadership qualities similar to Malleus. He wonders if he’s just imagining it or if it’s a sign that Malleus and Raven share blood--

“There’s no time to waste. We must stop Rollo-san before the crimson flowers engulf all of Twisted Wonderland.” Raven looks to him, her expression dark. “We need you, Sebek. Do not let us down.”

His next words come out reflexively. “Yes, milady!” He wonders if it is the ties of blood or the ties of their bond that inspires the people to act—or perhaps it doesn’t matter, for their souls shine all the same.

[elspethdekarios]

For the 30 Questions ask meme about Tavs!!

Elspeth - 6, 7, and 26 👀

I spent entirely too much time on this...

6. How would the player go about meeting them in Act 1? What is their introduction?

As a companion, the player would find Elspeth by the docks close to Astarion–east of him, south of the nautiloid. She would be searching through discarded crates to find more sensible clothes. Canonically, she was abducted while running away from a party, and she’s wearing a silky blue dress and heels. She ditched the heels on the nautiloid, but her dress is ripped and stained, and it’s not at all practical for being stranded in the wilderness. I image you’d come upon her rummaging through a crate, and it would go something like this:

Elspeth: “Ugh! There’s got to be something other than dirty rags in here…. Hmm, this might work.…”

Player: 1. “What are you looking for?” 2. Step into her line of sight. 3. Leave.

Elspeth: “Oh! Pardon me–I didn’t see you there.” 

(response to option 1): “I’m searching for something to wear. As you can see, my current outfit isn’t exactly suitable for such conditions.” - then she asks if you were on the nautiloid/response to option 2

(response to option 2): “Wait… weren’t you on the ship? Corellon’s grace–someone else survived! How?” - player answers - El gives some kind of “Same for me” response - then she explains she’s looking for clothes/response to option 1

Elspeth: “I’m Elspeth, by the way.”

Player: “I’m ___.”

Elspeth: “Pleasure.” with a polite smile/head nod.

Elspeth notices a wound/scrape on the player - player looks down and notices it for the first time (I imagine it’s not actually shown, just implied that they didn’t realize it was there until she said something.)

Elspeth: “Nasty scrape you’ve got there. I can heal it, if you’d like?”

Player: 1. “You’re a healer? Can you remove the tadpole?” 2. “I’m not exactly inclined to trust a stranger.”

Elspeth: (option 1): “I am a healer. Unfortunately, I have no experience with mindflayer parasites… I wouldn’t even know where to start. But I do have ample training in healing wounds.” (option 2): “Understandable. I recognize my word isn’t much to go on, but I am an experienced healer. Unfortunately, I have no experience with mindflayer parasites… I wouldn’t even know where to start. But I do have ample training in healing wounds, if you change your mind.”

Player: 1. Let her heal it. 2. Refuse.

Elspeth: (option 1): “There we go. Good as new.” (option 2): no special dialogue, straight into next line that happens regardless of player’s choice: “I’m determined to find a solution to this tadpole predicament, and it appears you are too. Our odds are much improved if we work together.”

Player: 1. “You’re right. We should team up.” 2. “I don’t need your help.”

Elspeth: (option 1): “Let’s get going then.” (option 2): “Oh. Well… best of luck to you, then.”

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

El’s arc would have a lot to do with forgiveness and belonging. She has a very strained relationship with her family, and was surprised by some upsetting news moments before being taken by the nautiloid (full story here). She has literally zero time to process this before the tadpole becomes, by far, the worst of her problems. I imagine that El doesn’t want to flaunt her noble status to her newfound companions. It’s not that she wants to keep it a secret–she just doesn’t want to create a rift between herself and the others. It’s hindered past friendships and she’s noticed that people talk to her differently when they know who her family is: they’re more respectful, almost TOO respectful, and less authentic, like she might think less of them just on principle. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. El has never fit in with her family, and while she knows that she’s privileged to have been raised in a noble household, she doesn’t connect with the upper class like she’s expected to.

Anyway, she doesn’t bring it up at all until you meet Wyll (if you choose to not interact with Wyll, you’ll learn about it in Waukeen’s Rest when you hear about Duke Ravengard). Wyll is about ten years younger than Elspeth, but they ran in the same circles before his father exiled him from the city. She hasn’t seen him since then. They recognize each other immediately, and the rest of the party is like “y’all know each other??” and that’s when she mentions her family.

El’s storyline would be pretty chill until act 3. Acts 1 and 2 would be mainly talking to her, learning about her, getting her to open up about her troubling family dynamics. When you get to the Rosymorn Monastery, she has a short cutscene where she’s reflecting on her faith (she’s a cleric of Corellon, but has always had a liking for Lathander–dawn of a new day and all that). Here, the player can get a little snippet of her past, how she became a cleric, why she feels like the disappointment of the family, etc.

Act 3, though, would be the main plot/action of El’s storyline. Her sister’s name is on the list of victims left behind by the Bhaalists. Elspeth cannot stand her sister. Hate is too strong of a word, but they do not get along. Ariadne has always gone out of her way to make El feel belittled, ever since they were kids. But she can’t let her sister die, can she? 

I do think that this is where El can be led down a darker path if the player chooses. She’ll never be full evil or anything, but if the player chose to steer El towards being bitter and resentful towards her family in earlier conversations, she’s more likely to listen to the devil on her shoulder in act 3. She’d never agree to let her sister die, so that’s not an option, but the quest to save her sister involves some espionage, sneaking into a masquerade party, the party hiding their identities because Gortash has named them Public Enemies™ of Baldur’s Gate and we all know how the patriars love ole Gort. Anyway, long story short, the Bhaalists have planned for 2 murders to happen at this party: El’s sister and the young daughter (about 10 years old) of the party’s host. There is a way to save them both, if you’re able to be super stealthy and/or charismatic. This is the best option, obviously, but the player would be able to convince Elspeth to focus on one or the other. She feels immense guilt either way, but if she saves her sister at the expense of the child, it will haunt her for a long time, if not forever. Despite her sister being alive, this is the darkest path for her, as she blames herself for the child’s death. If she saves the child at the expense of her sister, she still feels immense guilt, and it will haunt her, but she takes solace in the fact that it was, objectively, the right thing to do.

26. Give us one of your tav's secrets!

When she was a young teenager, El took home a vial of oil from her potion-making class–an oil completely scent-less to humanoids, but a strong attractant for birds. She put a few drops of the oil into her sister’s perfume, just to see what would happen. Ariadne was bombarded by birds every time she went outside for weeks. She never realized it was the perfume, and El never told a soul. (Well, she’s probably told Gale by now lol)

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

I'm shaking things up. Imagine if Jon, Chris, Conner and Kara went on a little super family/siblings adventure together:

1: what adventure would they be on?

2: how would it be after a while?

3: what sort of sibling chaos with those four get up to?

4: how much metaphorical and literal trouble with they get into?

5: what roles would each of them play (and to clarify like who's responsible older sibling who plays the voice of reason those type of things. But but like who would play What role on their little adventure)

6: after their adventure do they go back to the farmhouse or another place?

OOOOOOOOOOO

1. I see the four on patrol across Metropolis and/or National City when they suddenly spot long time mad scientist Ultra Humanite up to no good. In this case, he reverse engineers one of Luthor’s old Time Machines and his plans for its use to, you guess it, take over the world. Usually, this’ll be something they have to wait until Clark gets involved, but the four Supers have no time to wait for the Big Blue Boy Scout so they charge in to stop Humanite, successfully derailing his plans but inevitable getting zapped all across back in time. Kara ends up in the trenches of the First World War, Conner in the Old Wild West, Chris in Sengoku Jidai Era Japan, and Jon in the Far future of the 31 at Century where he meets up accidentally with the Legion of Superheroes

2. While the Four are off unintentionally in their grand scale adventure, Clark arrives at the scene too late to find them, only finding a defeated Ultra Humanite. He calls up the rest of the Justice League to aid him in finding his family across space and time.

3. The four in their respective time periods try to adapt and blend in best as they can, without invoking too many drastic changes in the space time continuum lest they risk seeing an unfamiliar present day back home. Kara secretly uses his powers as a medic which saves many lives in the battlefield; Conner defends a small town from some outlaws and a corrupt sherif who are empowered by advanced almost futuristic tech with a bit of help from Jonah Hex; Chris becomes an assistant and aide to an at first cold blooded and apathetic samurai warrior, whom over the course of their adventure thanks to Chris’ kindness and compassion, manages to reform the warrior into a more noble one, just as they work together in a climatic grand battle against a cruel daimyo; and Jon aids the Legion in taking down long standing enemy the Time Trapper which also involves meeting other Superboys across space and time, among them being not just a future version of himself but also the Silver Age teenager version of Clark.

4. Once they do finally get back home after their respective adventures, Kara helps vouch to explain what happened and why they rushed in instead of waiting for Clark. Though Clark this time let’s them all go for the most part since what does matter in this case is all of them being safe and sound.

5. I can see Kara be the one curious about the time period she is since she is not that familiar with Earth in the 1910s but is responsible enough to keep her suit’s colors and powers mostly secret as she works to save as many wounded lives as possible in the war torn battlefields of Europe; Conner while blending in via a cowboy outfit that matches his usual colors, he would be the type that would try to smooth talk or flaunt his aura of charisma with the outlaws, resorting to his powers if need be; Chris would be very much be reluctant type, sticking to the shadows and distant from everyone in the time period best as he can try ouch once under the tutelage and service of that samurai warrior, he quickly learns Japanese to be dutiful and helpful best as he can without revealing his powers. It serves to take his mind off how much he misses his family. Then there’s Jon who’s free to fly around and be very openly friendly with his Dad’s friends from back in the day. He’s very curious and adventurous about the time period he finds himself in

6. Most likely they regroup at the Kent Farm to explain their respective adventures to Lois, Clark, Martha and Pa

@we-cross-universe-king-relate @spider-jaysart @theredheaded-stuff @camo-wolf

[narzissenkreuz-ordo]

@elegyofthemoon sent a few numbers from that oc ask meme to answer abt nikolai but since my art side-blog has my old url tumblr sent it there instead fjdklsfjds

1. does your oc have any motifs?

ok so i have some thoughts on this because. my first drafts for nikolai were back in july 2022 (i got into the lore then but didnt start playing for another year) and one of the first videos i remember watching was the teyvat chapter trailer where all the nations are outlined and after seeing lyney & lynette for fontaine i knew i needed to make a circus ringmaster oc (which started my circuscore phase that never ended. i actually made acrylic charms outta nikolai in lil circus outfits) at the time tho we knew NOTHING about fontaine so he was really undeveloped besides from 'son of a fontainian noble family who was sold to a traveling circus because of his physical mutations' so now the main fontaine story is over and done ive had a lot more material to work with and changed his character direction around so some of his existing motifs are: -circus based design/aesthetics -has a very strong moral code & sense of justice in his personal relationships, regardless of any faction loyalties -hates fontaine's corrupt justice system that failed him (though that hatred manifests more towards neuvillette rather than furina, now)

2. describe your character's voice. do they have a voice claim?

i dont do voice claims at all. because i find it rlly hard to imagine how my ocs would talk outside of my mind fjdkslfjd for nikolai its even harder since theres like two different versions of him existing in my head, because he was a lot more unhinged and leaned into the unnerving circus freak identity pre-fontaine but post-archon quest i've been able to develop his backstory & interactions with others further and hes much more mellow & somber. and they both sound Very Different. unhinged cannibal niko still exists in my heart even if its not canon anymore

6. what is the thing your oc likes the least about themselves?

initially, it was 100% his appearance and disability since it led to him caged like an animal to be put on display. but after being let out of the cage & later being taken in by arlecchino, he dislikes how cowardly he feels. unable to even set foot in fontaine and show his face again to face silvaus again. he was originally really angry that silvanus didnt somehow step in and save him but when the other house of hearth members start giving him updates about silvanus' health condition after they nearly worked themself to death while building a case against their parents in court. to make sure nikolai got his justice even though silvanus had no idea if he was dead or alive. he could be angry anymore but uses the 'i dont need to complicate her life after everything she went through for my sake. she deserves closure' excuse to never talk/see her again

7. what is the thing your oc likes the most about themselves?

he knows that hes a good personal with good values, even though he knows the fatui in general have unsavory practices but its a means to an end to make the world a better place. he knows that his values of individual people>group led him to be very good at forming connections will all kinds of people regardless if theyre for or against the fatui. his personal ideals bring value to the fatui so that they can change the world for the better

[arjaandsimoni]

Snakes Along the Riverfront

The Ohio Riverfront, Newport

Stephanie huffed as she walked through the Newport riverfront with Stephy, the young boy eager as always to get out of his father’s house for multiple reasons. For one, the abusive nature of his alcoholic widower of a dad, for another it was the only time he could really let himself, well, be himself… or herself? He was still debating that bit. Loren still used ‘she/her’ but Loren could also bench press a Buick and if some politician used her to earn points with his base he’d be taking his teeth home in a bag.

While Stephy knew he could use magic now, he lacked the confidence to use it on his own. It was just easier with Stephanie backing him up. It was easier to do a lot of things he thought, glancing down at his outfit. A girl’s tank top, a loose black skirt, and sandals. He was terrified at first, but as long as he didn’t draw attention to himself nobody noticed, just another kid in the crowd.

Still, at least it was a nice night out this time. Isolde was likely still fuming back in Arcadia over the hedge beast’s destruction and after a scene that had left several cars smashed and several more upside down all along Madison Avenue they could use a quiet night. How the mundanes missed THAT one he’ll never know, he imagined glamour must have been involved somehow.

“I just…” sighed Stephanie suddenly, “I know where she’s coming from, but… I mean for me giving up my magic would be like you giving me back all those outfits I let you have.” she huffed, “… and your magic. It’s the djinn and the bottle. We let it out, can’t demand it goes back in.” she nodded.

Stephy thought about that, then winced and nodded, “Yeah… that… I definitely don’t wanna do either of those.” he replied, looking down at himself. It was a rather plain outfit, but the minute he’d put on one of Stephanie’s old skirts he knew he preferred them greatly over pants, jeans, or anything like that. Given the chance he’d wear them forever.

“Oh well… I got some of my allowance left, wanna check out the aquarium? Not much else to do out here since Barnes & Noble shut down.” she nodded. There were a few restaurants, but most of them were the kind of upscale places intended to draw the suburbanites and city-dwellers out and were well beyond a kid’s allowance, where the Aquarium could offer reduced admission for anyone under eighteen and got a tax break for doing so.

“Yeah okay.” he grinned, “Always like seeing the penguins swim. It’s more like they’re flying underwater really…” he nodded.

“Yeup, penguins can fly, they just gotta be in the water to do it. Kinda like you ‘n dresses.” she teased.

Stephy blushed, shoving her arm playfully as they got up and Stephanie took the admission out of her fanny pack, being rather careful to make sure the rest of the contents stayed hidden. Her ‘witch kit’ contained more than a few items that a young girl shouldn’t be carrying, at least according to adults anyways.

As they went inside a long slim figure silently crossed the roof of the aquarium, opening an air vent on top and slipping down inside it…

Meanwhile, Inside the Aquarium

Arja and her father were walking through the exhibits following his meeting with the executive board of Proctor and Gamble. They wanted to look into some business interests in India and needed premises to build and there was land available near his hometown of Jaipur that his family happened to own. The meeting was a pleasant enough affair for him, but for his daughter ‘excruciatingly boring’ might be a better way to describe it, nevermind she had to dress up to impress a bunch of old white men with his ‘lovely exotic little girl.’

She grumped at that, you think they’d never seen someone wear a saree before. Still, the wrap was back in the car and she was just wearing the red tube top and pair of baggy pants she wore under it with her sandals now. No more ‘prim and proper daughter to the powerful and important Rajesh,’ she could just relax for a bit.

Currently she was admiring a section of the aquarium set up to mimic the swamplands common to states like Louisiana where they kept their alligator exhibit. “Huh, so this is what the more rural parts of this country look like. Bet there’s some neat stuff to hunt here.” she grinned to her father.

Rajesh chuckled, “Indeed. I visited once or twice in my youth. Alligator meat is surprisingly pleasing to taste. Perhaps I shall have to find a local Cajun restaurant if we have time.” he nodded.

She nodded back and looked back down, then blinked. “Huh… hey where’d it go…” she muttered. The gator had been serenely floating near the surface, pretending to be a log as it would to lure in prey… then suddenly the water erupted in splashing and angry snarling causing the patrons of the aquarium to jump back in shock!

Arja tensed, staying near her father as slowly the water darkened… a coppery scent filling the air. “Oh no… did someone’s kid fall in?” she whispered… then the corpse of an alligator bobbed to the surface, its head floating up several feet away, and the screaming began.

“OH MY GOD SOMETHING TOOK ITS HEAD OFF!” came a shout from another visitor.

“Get the kids out of here! Someone call the attendants! What the hell just happened?!” came another as they tried to pull their loved ones back out of the exhibit.

Several kids began crying, more than a few were just stunned by the sudden brutality, but Arja wasn’t. The young Indian girl’s eyes scanned the water’s surface. She’d seen this sort of thing before back in India… “Dad… we need to get out of this exhibit…” she whispered.

Rajesh nodded to his daughter, “Yes, right no- LOOK OUT ARJA!” he shouted, shoving her to the left as he dove and rolled right with an agility that one might not expect from a well-dressed businessman as the water behind them erupted… and then the screaming really began!

Emerging from the water was a massive serpent, like a huge cobra, but with an all-too-human like face and muscular arms, a sword with a wavy blade gripped in its clawed hand crashing down right where Arja and Rajesh had been standing moments before! “DAMNED ALLIGATOR!” it hissed in fury, “Ruined my ambussssh…” the serpent glared, its yellow eyes locking onto Arja. “I’ll ssstill complete my tasssk… THE LINE OF THE VANARA KING DIESSS TODAY!” it roared, the long serpentine body bursting out of the water.

Arja glared, and the air around her seemed to shimmer in a heat haze. “A naga… you followed us all the way here?!” she snarled, flexing her hands, “Dad! GET BACK!” she shouted, and suddenly her teeth changed into fangs. She took a deep breath, bending backwards as her cheeks seemed to glow from within like she was holding a lit lightbulb in her mouth.

A moment later flames erupted down the hallway!

Further Back in the Aquarium

Stephy and Stephanie glanced at each other as people fled back through the aquarium tunnel, then the fire alarms all went off at once. “Well, that’s probably not a good sign.” said Stephy, glancing at his cousin.

“Yeaaaaaaaah, we should look into this.” she nodded, “But… be careful, remember what I told you about our magic indoors.” she warned, slipping her hand into her pack and taking out her silver dagger, holding it backhand, then rushing towards the source of the noises.

Stephy nodded, “Yeah, it doesn’t work as good if there’s no natural wind.” he replied, a bit anxiously, then followed quickly behind her.

The duo rounded the corner and skidded to a stop. The naga had wrapped its long snake-like body around the bridge through the exhibit, the other alligators having swam for cover as the flames erupted, and standing between it and an Indian man was…

“A monkey?” muttered Stephanie.

A golden furred monkey girl, sparks coming from between her fangs, her tail lashing behind her. “Who sent you?! Who has the BALLS to try to kill us in public like this?!” she snarled at the naga.

The serpentine woman hissed at her, “It doesssn’t matter child of Hanuman, NEITHER OF YOU WILL LEAVE HERE ALIVE!” it shouted, then quick as lightning it launched itself at her, mouth outstretched and fangs glistening, dripping with a green caustic liquid!

Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded and it ran face-first into the same wind-mine trick that had taken down the hedge beast! Its head snapped backwards with a pained cry as Stephanie and Stephy scrambled past it.

“Outside! Get outside!” she shouted to the man and his monkey companion, “We can help but we can’t fight as well indoors!” she nodded frantically.

The monkey girl looked at her in confusion, but a furious hissing sound got their attention. The attack had only stunned the serpent momentarily! “You heard her Dad! GO FOR THE EXIT!” she shouted as the four of them bolted for a nearby fire exit.

Rajesh shoulder-checked the door open and they all bolted out into the cool evening air scattering back as the naga erupted from the doorway a moment later. It didn’t care if anyone saw it or not, as far as it was concerned this was a suicide mission, but one it had accepted. It had made peace with that and trusted its next incarnation would be a reward for dying for its cause.

Stephanie nodded to her cousin, quickly putting her dagger back, “Stephy, transform! We’re outside, she can’t reach us in the air!” she nodded, the two of them spreading their arms as feathers burst from their skin, their knees snapping back as their legs turned into bird-like talons.

The naga’s eyes widened in fury, “Garuda?! HERE?!” she hissed, then narrowed her eyes, “… no… no you are not of their flock… what are you?”

Stephy blinked, “Garuda?” he asked, looking to Stephanie.

“Ask later fly now!” she shouted, letting out a bird like cry as she shot up into the air. “Stephy, stay near the man, I’ll back up the monkey!” she called to her cousin.

The monkey was just as surprised as the naga however, “Huh… western garuda?” she muttered, then looked back to the naga as it glared down at her. It reared back, raising its sword as the monkey snarled, conjuring a fistful of flames in each hand, before slamming its sword down as she rolled back, then pitched both fireballs at the snake’s face.

The creature dodged with uncanny agility however, “Pathetic! You cannot match my ssspeed!” it spat back at her.

“How about mine?” shouted Stephanie as she dove suddenly, her talons outstretched. They may be more like a raven’s than anything, but with her size they were good and sharp… and that naga had very large eyes.

The naga was caught by surprise, unable to dodge in time, and the talons bit home, slashing deep into its face!

“MY EYE!” it roared, glaring up at it as its hand clapped to the right side of its face, blood and ocular fluid seeping between its fingers, “I’LL FEAST ON YOUR FLESH, GARUDA OR NOT!” it snarled, only to meet a blast of flames coming from the other way as the monkey ran for a nearby tree. Quick as a blink she was up it and lept onto the roof.

“Hey! Red-hair-garuda… thing! Girl! Over here!” she shouted. Stephanie banked over to her and the monkey leapt, landing on her back with a loud oof from the girl as she wobbled in midair, then whistled to right herself. “Listen! I dunno what you are, but your magic is a lot like some friends of mine from back in India. Ever work with a fire-user before?” she asked.

Stephanie shook her head, “No, why?” she asked as Stephy circled over Rajesh, but it seemed the naga only had eyes for the monkey and his cousin now.

“Yanno how you feed flames with a bellows or a fan? Wind magic and fire magic can work together! We can take that thing down, but I’ll need your help… gimme wind and I can make a fireball too big for it to dodge!” she grinned.

Stephanie thought, then grinned back and nodded, “Got it!” she replied.

The monkey raised her hands over her head, conjuring a fireball as Stephanie hovered as best she could in midair, then let out a sharp eagle-like cry as wind rushed towards the flames. The monkey gasped and almost fell off as the fireball suddenly went from the size of a basketball to the size of a beachball, then kept growing. “HEY HEY NOT THAT MUCH! We’re not trying to torch the whole aquarium!” she shouted.

“S-sorry! I’ve never done this before!” she called back.

“It’s okay, this’ll do… just… FINE!” she snarled, then hopped up on Stephanie’s back and leapt, smacking the fireball down towards the naga like she was spiking a volleyball.

The naga hissed, but the area was open enough… it could still dodge! But then Simoni whistled sharply several times in succession, making a quick melody, and when the naga dodged right it slammed into another wind mine, which blew it into another, which knocked it into two more.

The stunned serpent shook its head, the sudden blasting back and forth rattling its brain. then the fireball landed and EXPLODED! There was a loud furious scream, the serpent’s body suddenly engulfed in flames, and it darted northwards! Howling in pain and anger it dove into the Ohio River, landing with a massive hiss of steam!

Stephanie caught the monkey’s hand in her talons, carrying her down to the riverbank, but there was no sign of her attacker. Either the naga had drowned, died of its burns, or fled to safety in the water.

“Well… that was new…” muttered Stephanie, shedding her feathers and scales and straightening up. “What the heck was that?” she asked the monkey girl.

The monkey frowned, then slowly her fur just… un-grew as her tail shrank back into her hips, her teeth going from fangs to normal human teeth. “A naga, one of the kin of Sulochana, daughter of the king of serpents. My ancestor helped kill her and her husband in a war centuries ago and they’ve held a grudge ever since. This isn’t the first time I’ve had one of them come after me, but they never did it outside India before.” she huffed, then looked at her, “Forget that though, what the heck are YOU? You fight like a garuda, but I’ve never seen one with red hair and black wings!” she said.

“Garuda? I’m a witch of Clan Fullmoon!” she giggled, then held out her hand, “Stephanie Fullmoon specifically, nice to meetcha… um…”

The monkey girl looked at her hand, then grinned and clasped it with her own. “Arja Barjar, descendant of Hanuman, King of the Vanara.” she replied.

“Huh…” blushed Stephanie, “Um, well… nice to meet you.” she replied. This girl was something else. She fought that monster without even hesitating, and she fought it well… and Stephanie could tell by her hands she was a good fighter, she felt athletic…

Arja glanced down, the girl blushing a bit herself, “You… can let go of my hand now.” she tried.

Stephanie blinked, “Buh…” the eeped and pulled her hand back, “Right right sorry! Just… still a bit shook up, never fought a naga before. I mean they’re not unheard of in the US, but its mostly just this one tribe of Hopi Native Americans and they live way out west of here and they don’t call theirs naga and…”

Arja chuckled, grinning at her, “Huh, so your country has them too…” she nodded, “Neat.”

Then suddenly Stephy swooped down, “Hey um… guys? Hate to interrupt but we got like a dozen cop cruisers and three news vans out there and a ton of mundys screaming about a snake monster and a fire-breathing monkey girl.” he warned, shedding his scales and feathers and changing back to fully human as well.

Arja and Stephanie winced together, “Yeaaaaaaah…” blushed Stephanie, “A giant explosion like that is hard to miss…” she muttered, “We should probably get out of here…” she nodded, “Um, nice meeting you though…”

Arja grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave, “Hey, Stephanie. Before you go… I’m gonna be in town for a bit and it’d be nice to, yanno, have someone my own age to see the city with. I mean, dad is great and all but, well, he’s a dad.” she shrugged. “And you’re a local, you probably know the best parts.” she nodded.

Stephanie blinked, “Uh… yeah? YEAH oh okay sure yeah!” she nodded, “Its summer vacation so I don’t gotta worry about school or anything, yeah sure!” she grinned back, fishing her phone out of her fanny pack as Arja got hers out of her pants pocket.

The two exchanged numbers, then Stephy glanced up, “Getting a looooooootta cops up there…” he warned again.

“Yeah, we need to leave, if we’re lucky they didn’t see us…” she winced, “Um… I’ll text ya when I get home?” she offered.

Arja nodded, “I’d like that.” she grinned back.

Stephanie hesitated, then nodded back, then she and her cousin rushed off down the riverfront on foot. Best not risk any shapeshifting with all the cameras around.

Arja watched he go with a grin and raised eyebrow, “… witch huh?” she smirked to herself. “Heard of witches, saw that Oz movie… didn’t know they could be cute too.”

Stephy and Stephanie slowed to a walking pace as they got nearer to the bridge between Newport and Covington, heading to the bus stop so Stephanie could get home without arousing any more suspicions from the locals. Finally, Stephy spoke up, “Soooo… care to tell me what that was?” he asked.

Stephanie didn’t respond at first, then seemed to snap out of a daze, shaking her head, “Huh? What?! What what what, er was? What what was?” she asked.

Stephy raised his eyebrow at her. “Steffi… your face is all red, and you barely noticed me when I landed and warned you about the cops. You’re usually the one telling me how to handle stuff remember?” he asked.

“Was I? I mean… it was just that naga and that Arja girl and all that… I’ve never seen anyone do stuff like that before and it just kinda threw me…” she replied.

Stephy nodded, glancing away, “Yeah, I thiiiiiiink it was more that Arja girl than anything else…” he replied.

Stephanie blushed bright red, spinning to face him, “W-what do you mean by that?!” she demanded.

Stephy smirked, “Steffi, c’mon… you’re standing next to a boy in a dress.” he giggled, “Do you really think I’m going to judge you?”

She glanced away, coughing a bit, “She was… just… I dunno… something about her just kinda… I dunnoooo…” she flailed her hands a bit, “Just… forget it…” she muttered.

Stephy grinned and slipped his hands behind his back, “Suuuuuuuuuure… sure. Whatever…” he giggled, thinking ‘so this is how it feels to be on the other side of this’ to himself.

That night after Stephanie got home she flopped into her bed, then picked up her phone and texted Arja's number.

‘Hay, want 2 go see a movie tomorrow? Sonic is still showing.’

After the longest ten minutes of her life so far her phone buzzed and she snatched it back up.

‘Sure! Txet me when u ready! :)’

Stephanie re-read it five times, then laid face down on her bed, pressed her face into her pillow, and took a deep breath. A minute later the tree outside almost blew over.

Next Story

Previous Story

[pathofemblems]

Ship bias Hapi and Beruka please!

✶ @blairscorned › send ❛ ship bias ❜ & i will share up to 5 ships i have a bias for for my muse!

somehow, this ask made me think hapi/beruka could be a thing if beruka was in fe3h… （´・｀ ）♡

◦ hapi ›

01.) hubert — similar to yuri, i also shipped hapi with hubert before i even shipped her with any of the ashen wolves, like a day after the cindered shadows dlc dropped. i think hapi finds his spookiness dumb in a charming kind of way, and i felt from the get-go like he’d be obsessed with trying to help her either get rid of the sighing spell or use it to her advantage. three hopes expanded on him wanting her to sigh more in combat because he thought it’s what she wanted, and he respected her decision not to, like the gentleman he is. also, coffee parties.

02.) yuri — i mentioned it in another ask about yuri’s ships, but their dynamic felt the most natural among the ashen wolves for me. a true friends-to-lovers dynamic that really clicked well and was satisfying.

03.) constance — they’re so stupid funny together, i love how they’re just always thinking of each other and hanging out in their free time. ugh, and the way coco just stands up for hapi to other nobles! it’s swoon-worthy, it’s beautiful, and obviously hapi would ruin anyone’s day if they messed with her coco. i do think they’d be prone to petty arguments, but that’s kind of fun, since they sound more like an old, bickering couple.

04.) hilda — i have no idea where this one came from, but i always liked the idea of the both of them immediately being interested in one another after balthus introduces them. the banter would be cute, and hilda fawning over dressing up hapi in pretty outfits is a super adorable thought.

05.) marianne — she believes she’s cursed, hapi actually is cursed, and it’s related to demonic beasts. there’s something soft and cathartic, and maybe a little tragic about the two of them together.

◦ beruka ›

01.) camilla — words cannot express how much i love these two together. the fact that beruka was assigned to kill camilla, but failed her mission simply because camilla asked her to work for her instead… shut up, it’s love! as asocial as beruka is, she does genuinely come to love and respect camilla, and it’s evident camilla feels the same, regardless of if those feelings are familial, platonic, or romantic.

02.) oboro — it’s hard to get the full extent of how tragic their connection is in their supports, but i imagine it must’ve taken so much more resolve for oboro to forgive beruka after her parents assassination, and for the two of them to build up an actual trusting friendship that could lead to something more. slowburn at its core, i love it.

03.) laslow — beruka? falling for laslow’s skirt-chasing shenanigans? still not very likely, but them slowly falling for each other while beruka was stalking someone and laslow interrupted each attempt with date suggestions is golden. top tier romantic-comedy material. i’d watch it if it was a movie, and i usually don’t like rom-coms!

04.) niles — he’s a fucking slime ball, but i do think he actually cared about beruka, and vice versa. they’d make each other worse instead of better, both intentionally and unintentionally, but it really just works so well.

05.) peri — another example of a duo who make each other worse instead of better, but somehow, i think their childhood traumas would bring them close. and i love the contrast of how stoic beruka is versus peri just being batshit insane. they’d be the most adorable pair of girlfriends.

[cantillat-moved]

The princess’ presence was a welcomed one regardless of the situation he found himself in and Shirou would be remiss to don’t acknowledge how grateful he was that it had been Sonia who found him. Out of all the national lines he could have crossed, all the allies he could have stumbled upon, it is very likely he owned his life to her right now or at least his continuous safety. It was such a ridiculous amount of luck that he doubt that even the so-called Ultimate Luck would be able to pull something so outrageous. Still, he would rather not question it and merely be grateful for her assistance. Bless her heart. ❝ I believe I heard the pot calling the kettle black. ❞ the barb was gentle, displaying his concern. Whilst Shirou admitted to be a stubborn man who have been following the path he created for himself in almost obsessive fashion he also knew how devoted the princess was, oftentimes neglecting her own physical and emotional needs in order to help others. The biggest difference, of course, is that she was in a fine outfit out of a high class dinner and he was stitched up in bed wearing pajama pants and little else (he should probably be content to be wearing anything at all, but rather not think too hard about it).

The cute roar from her stomach caused him to chuckle. ❝ That brings me memories. ❞ it were his instincts of procuring meals for famished blonde royals that led to their fateful meeting that day. ❝ Not many things beat comfort food, no matter how fancy the meal might be. ❞ the young man actually had a stint as a chef during one of his many jobs – one of those noveau rich families trying to pretend to be highest of high class would demand him to use all the finest ingredients and make the best meals “like in Europe” they would say but would actually express dislike towards properly prepared elaborate meals and be head over heels about something seasoned with simple store-brought mayo and ketchup. It was downright mortifying and ridiculous at the same time – how come a real princess to be far more humble than some people ? Shirou knew the answer for that, something that he’d known for a very long time: Sonia was a good person.

❝ If you ever wanted to know why I haven’t joined the Mage’s Association, that’s why. ❞ he mentioned upon hearing about her misadventures during dinner ❝ You have my deepest sympathies and, knowing you, you showed them that Sonia Nevermind isn’t someone to be underestimated or taken lightly. I’m sure it was fruitful for your project. ❞ Shirou kept smiling, imagining a room full of snobbish nobles and important individuals underestimating her for her young age and beauty and being severely outsmarted. The grace in which she usually carried herself even when treating those working under her were admirable but he knew Sonia wasn’t someone to be taken lightly – and could be rather stubborn in a way that makes one compelled into giving in. At least in his experience.

After watching quietly the exchange between the princess and the footman, he decided to comment: ❝ Maybe they should be trained about what to expect when a certain friend of yours shows up out of nowhere. To his credit he kept his cool pretty evenly. ❞ it was a jab at his own expense, of course. ❝ Should we start making plans for the next time I happen to show up at your doorstep without warning? ❞ his smirk as short-lived upon the mentioning Tohsaka.

❝ … Let’s say that her lungs are in perfect working condition; I didn’t even had to put it on speaker. ❞ yes, she was beyond herself, yelling at him, calling him an idiot and crying. Every time he caused that kind of grief made Shirou profoundly upset, the last thing he wanted was to have Rin or anyone sad because of him – he was doing all of that for a world in which no-one would have to cry anymore. ❝ In any case she’ll handle things on her end, call in a few favors to throw the people who were after me off my scent and they’ll never come to your doorstep. ❞

As soon as he tried to get up, Sonia was at his side, offering the use of her hand, or arm, or whatever he needed to pull himself upright. With the stitches still a bit fresh, she figured it would be a bit of a struggle to get himself into a seated position. But once he was, she turned on the lamp next to his bedside before sitting down in the cushioned chair nearby.

“You can hardly be surprised if that’s the case,” She chided him, though her smile was enough to indicate that she had no interest in actually reprimanding him. “You work very hard, physically and emotionally alike, to help those you can with the talents you possess. Eventually, it catches up to you: often when you least expect it and when you need it most, even if you cannot tell at the time.”

If one rumble from her stomach was embarrassing enough, a second was all but mortifying. Considering she had every luxury available to her, Sonia really had no reason to justify not eating her fill. Barring, of course, the only reason: luxury itself. She blushed fully for a moment before shaking her head, laughing at her own predicament. It was one of the only ways to deal with it. “Well, regardless, it smells heavenly,” She told him. “And fancy can be overrated quite often: I’m just thankful tonight was simply ridiculously small portions of elegant food and not a night of pure molecular gastronomy. Those can be fun, but you’re almost guaranteed to feel peckish afterwards.”

She paused, reaching to press a small button mounted on the wall near his bedside table. A buzzer of sorts, though it wouldn’t sound like anything to the two people currently in the room. “And it wasn’t the easiest: it never is, when dining is instead a debate and both parties have very different projects in mind. There are some deals where the price is too high, even for land that would be put to good use.”

Something she’d get an earful from her mother about later. The sons were, for the most part, perfectly agreeable in temperament and possessed impeccable manners, and their father was offering far more than what the land was worth in exchange for her romantic favor for any one of them. That had been the problem, with the roasted fowl and with the men: they’d been perfectly agreeable, nothing more. There had been nothing in the way of flavor or spice, nothing like the lamb Shirou had been treated to. It wasn’t long until a footman had entered, bowed, and asked what was needed.

“I’d like whatever lamb and lentils Mr. Emiya hasn’t eaten, in a bowl, sent up on a tray with a bit of yoghurt on the side mixed with honey and crushed nuts, please. Oh, and a suitable bottle of wine. Chef’s opinion is fine, no need to ring the Castle sommelier.”

“A..are you quite sure, Your Royal Highness?” The footman asked. He was young, younger than she was and relatively new to the post. He’d certainly been trained never to ask questions about any requests made by the family, but in this case, Sonia guessed it was purely shock that drove him. “And on a tray? Are you sure you wouldn’t like a setting in the dining room?”

“A tray will suit me fine, thank you,” She assured him, giving a pointed, don’t-ask-questions smile that she usually reserved for troublesome members of the aristocracy. “Ask the butler to find a folding table and ask another footman to accompany you in with it, along with Mr. Emiya’s own yoghurt. That will be all.”

 A quick nod and the young man left, presumably to hurry down to the kitchen with the request. Sonia sighed: soon enough, the entire household would be made aware of how poor her evening had been at the Marquis’ residence. Her own staff wasn’t immune to one of the most pressing gossip in the country: would the Princess of Novoselic finally meet her match?

“So, how is Tohsaka-san doing?” She asked. For the meantime at least, she could ignore the fallout from her evening. “I’m sure she had plenty to say regarding you going so long without contacting her.”

[raspberryranpo]

announcing your engagement

fire emblem three houses: blue lions

i made a mistake and tapped post instead of save so i’ve had to start again 😭 this is in response to @angel6776 ‘s ask!! sorry!!

DIMITRI

dimitri probably wouldn’t even want to announce his engagement, only to one or two of his closest friends and then just send out invites to more people when you’ve both set a date for the wedding

but he’s the king of faerghus, and later fodlan, & the entire country deserves to know about the new monarch on the throne

all of your closest friends and family know beforehand, but the official announcement comes during a speech to the entire country, spoken from the balcony of the palace looking over the city

he’s talking about the new tax laws or something boring, and he then says something along the lines of, “my partner and i will…”

of course, the city takes notice of this and everyone gasps at the same time

dimitri then realises that not everyone knows about the two of you, and so he says, “it is with great pleasure that i announce my engagement to….”

and the city goes WILD. there’s parties everywhere. everyone celebrates yours and dimitri’s engagement, as well as the new realisation that the king has come out of his depression

DEDUE

the announcement & the wedding date is sent out on little cards to your closest friends and your family, decorated with little flowers and sparkles and whatever else goes on cards

each person who has received a letter has personally come to your shared home and has asked about whether the card is the truth or not

with a small blush and an even smaller smile, dedue nods and takes your hand, looking at you with a tender look in his eyes

dimitri was obviously the first person to know. in fact, dedue made sure that the two of you took the invitation to him personally

dimitri almost cries when he reads it, knowing that his friend has grown up and has realised that he’s not the big bad monster he made himself out to be

in fact, he’s so excited for his friend that he’s running around and telling everyone who’ll listen - not that dedue minds, of course, because he’s much too smitten with you to realise what’s actually happening

SYLVAIN

definitely the one to stand up in the middle of an important meeting and just scream it

it happens during one of the monthly meetings the nobles of fodlan have, during which they discuss (or rather argue over) all of the issues the newfound country has

they’re in the middle of discussing something like child poverty or something actually really sad when sylvain stands up & clears his throat, drawing all attention to himself

he has the biggest grin plastered on his face, and with all the satisfaction in the world, he just yells, “I’M GETTING MARRIED!”

you’ve got some like mercedes and dimitri, who quietly clap, genuinely happy for our resident ginger, but then you’ve got the ones like felix or ingrid, who promptly grab him by the ear and drag him down, yelling about how inappropriate that was

the look he gives you from across the table tells you that he doesn’t regret almost having his ears pulled out of his head

FELIX

brings it up quietly to annette, ingrid, ashe or mercedes, seeing as though they’re the only people whom he doesn’t feel would judge him, and they’re the only people he’d feel comfortable telling

the only way that sylvain and dimitri find out is through those four. they aren’t really formally told. felix does kind of hope that they find out, even though he refuses to outright tell them

he, mercedes and annette constantly talk about it - the girls because they love talking about weddings and decorations, felix because he secretly enjoys thinking about you dressed up in a wedding outfit

eventually, the entire monastery knows, simply because dimitri overheard annette taking about it, & he immediately yelled, “WHAT?! FELIX?! ENGAGED?!”

the poor lad would get incredibly flustered the second someone would bring it up with him but you can tell that he’s not embarrassed to be engaged to you

if anyone asks any questions about it, he won’t hesitate to blab on about it for three hours straight. they’ll be bombarded with him constantly singing your praises

ASHE

it’s like chinese whispers. he says it quietly to dedue, and dedue, not wanting to keep things from his king, tells dimitri, but dimitri doesn’t understand the concept of secrets and tells felix, felix laughs and tells ingrid, ingrid tells sylvain and sylvain tells the entire population

upon being asked about his engagement, ashe’s smile extends from one ear to the other, and he talks for a very long time about how pretty he thinks you’ll look & about how excited he is to actually be married to you

he decides to formally announce it because neither of you have actually said anything - the only way everyone knows is because of something someone else has said

he announces it at a formal dinner party the blue lions have every so often to meet up together. his chair scrapes the floor as he quickly stands up and the room goes silent

it’s very awkward, but he blurts it out with a smile on his face anyway. everyone is incredibly proud of the both of you

MERCEDES

the second you’re engaged, she runs to sing it from the rooftops. except she doesn’t sing, but she quite literally yells it from somewhere high up in the monastery

she’s full of laughter and immediately pulls you into her arms after she’s done, and doesn’t stop kissing you

omg imagine she yells it in the middle of the night & all you can hear is felix in the distance going “SHUT THE HELL UP”

everyone won’t stop talking about it the next day. turns out, everyone heard it, and mercedes is incredibly embarrassed for the entire day

her face is red and her left hand doesn’t leave her cheek, but her other hand stays on top of yours, every so often running her thumb over the ring on your finger

ANNETTE

imagine you propose to annette & she just screeches. it’s the most unholy screech you’ve ever heard and it gets everyone’s attention

that’s how it’s announced. annette makes the most primal scream ever heard to man & the entire monastery runs to her aid, wanting to know what’s going on

she slowly turns to the small crowd of people silently watching the two of you and very loudly says, “i’m engaged??????” and she sounds so unsure about it

everyone’s kind of unsure about whether or not you’re both engaged but after a long period of her being quiet, she starts laughing like a maniac, jumping up and down and crying about it

it’s all she talks about for the next year and a half. even after you’re both married she doesn’t shut up about you proposing

INGRID

tries to stay as quiet about it as possible before she tells all of her friends at once at one of the many blue lions reunions

she wraps an arm around your waist and everyone is shocked at the purely sunny look she has on her face

even her voice has a cheerful lilt to it as she happily announces, “we’re getting married!!”

everyone’s shocked at how genuinely happy she sounds since normally she’s quite serious, never really showing anything other than that

she immediately regrets acting like that because for the next few weeks it’s all everyone goes on about and she’s so humiliated

[theodora3022]

Bloody Rose(Sebastian Michaelis x Vampire F!reader)

Request: Sabastian with a female vampire s/o? Can be yandere or not! You choose.

Notes: I made this in headcanons form and I’m typing on mobile during witching hours, so bear with me dear anon-

I decided to go with fluff since I am in a soft mood today~~

Warnings: Fluff, mentions of blood

To others, you were a tailor owning a small haute couture shop, a spinster who make her living by making outfits. But they won’t know you been doing this since the Georgian times.

You move from county to county, around England every decade or so, to avoid suspension. Luckily no vampire hunters has ever been on your tail: you consider yourself as a good subject to the crown despite being a blood drinker. You only consume animal blood, which made you a harmless vegetarian. Being a forever maiden is not unpleasant by any means, apart from being banished from sunlight. You miss being able to run around in the sun freely. When you do go out during a sunny day you cover yourself in fabric as much as possible, resulting you with overly pale skin.

Contrary to common belief, you slept until the afternoon, opening up the store even during the day. You had forced yourself to change your biological routine to fit in the human society. Although your bed resembles a traditional coffin in shape, it is never an actual one. The mirrors in your shop were not backed by silver, so you can still see your reflections.

You happened to be at late Victorian London when a mysterious murderer decides to drain the blood of thier victims like a vampire would, how unfortunate.

You were one of the suspects, so Sabastian and his lord were obligated to pay you a visit. Although they did not put you as priority to begin with: you never done things like this. 

You welcomed them to your store with a polite smile and warm greetings, as any good saleswoman would. 

Ever since transforming, you had not drank a drop of human blood. However, you can still smell the scent of their blood even through skin. It feels like...a natural perfume to you, to describe it at best. Some are sweeter then others, like tempting sweet delights, and you had to make sure you are well fed before going near them. 

That little lord’s blood is sweet and tempting. The butler, however, his blood just...is that even blood? You thought to yourself. It reminds you of the mighnight, danger lurking underneath the peaceful surface.This man is no ordinary human, you can sense that much. You had never delt with a demon before, therefor your knowledge is rather limited, only from books and theaters. 

Vampires are demons are cut from the same cloth, in a way right? Both can only venture in the shadows for eternity, trying to get by without being slain by those self righteous dastards. Sebastian had met some of your kind over the centuries, albiet none of them are as lovely as you are. You still act like a young human woman, if not for your overly pale skin you would be considered as normal. He wonders what made you this way, as all vampires, save a selected few, are humans before something happened. You seem like a kind lady, not one of those blood-hungry lowlifes he had seen before. 

You showed Ciel your collection, took his measurements when he demanded, never flinching away from the young lord’s cold attitude. When you went into the inner chamber to retrive more material choice, Ciel decided you are most likely not the murderer they are looking for, and Sebastian agrees. There is not a single scent of human blood on you or anywhere in sight, as demons can smell such things even one uses the finest soap to cover the traces.  Even though you are a vampire, if you are harmless to others Ciel is not intersted in fighting you(he has a demon for butler, so?).

“But she is a fine tailor, right milord? Maybe you can just make this a normal shopping trip.” What an unsual person you are, thought Sebastian. He might just take a little more time to observe you. It has been forever since he met another immortal being that does not irritates him.

“Very well. This would not be a complete waste of time then. I need a new suit for the social season anyway.” The young man tsked.

When they asks you to deliver the order yourself, you were hesitant about going outside. Your ususal customers send their servents to collect their orders, as you insisted so. You know what sunburns can do to you, but they offered you a down payment you cannot refuse. It is a risk you are willing to take. Even vampires needs gold to survive, if you do not wish to massacre humans for food.

The moment you stepped onto the estate, covered in a long hooded cloak and gloves, you can sense great calamity has occured in this location rather recently. But that is none of your concerns, the customer’s private life is nothing to pry about.

The servents...they are an odd flock, to say the least. They might seem clumsy or even impotent, but you know that butler knows better then to hire three imbeciles.  

After you made your delivery, Sebastian insists on you staying for the afternoon tea. You wanted to decline, since normal food has been tasting like wet paper ever since that awful day, but you find it hard to say keep saying no to such a comely man. He is the most goregous male you ever seen, and you say that as an immortal. The term “devilishly handsome” is like a tailor made suit for him. 

To your surprise, you can faintly taste the refreshement’s fruity flavours. When you were human yourself you have always loved food, missing it much when all you can taste is blood. So you helped yourself to quite a few tarts and biscuits, not knowing the demon had added special ingredients just for your vampire taste buds. You were so focused on your plate that you missed Sebastian’s calculating smile. 

That esclated rather quickly, soon you found yourself promising to tailor more clothes for Earl Phantomhive, therefore being on their premise more. 

Sebastian would always treat you to a plate of mouth-watering refreshments before you depart. Soon you find yourself answering his somewhat intrusive questions, as it is only fair to give him some compensation for those delicious treats.

The questions are surfaces ones at first. What is your favorite color or your preferred weather. Then to more personal territory, such as the reason behind your spinsterhood or what in a man that attracts you the most. You would blush madly, a feeling you have not felt in years fills your empty soul, and tell him your little answers.

How endearing. Compare to werewolves who behaves like canines, vampire leans closer to the feline side. You reminds Sebastian greatly of the black cat he encountered last spring. Your nonchalant and cheerful attitude are identical to the lovely creature. Oh and how he loves petting her soft fur. He wonders how your hair would feel under his hands. He initially might just be curious of how an odd vampire you are, but now the demon had found you to be quite an entertaining presence.

It has been so long since you had any friends, so you opened up to him quickly, disregarding the risks. You even revealed your identity to the man in black after he swears on his heart to not tell a soul. 

“My entire family was slaughtered by venegeful vampires. My father used to work as a vampire hunter for the mad King, therefore he made enemies of many. Ironically I survived, only to found out I turned into this. A creature who can only hide in the shadows forever. I swore I would never be like those blood suckers, I would never kill someone just to saitate my blood lust. Thank you Sabastian, for all those delicious cakes. They made me feel human agian once more. Also thank you for listening to my rambles, it has been so many years I confided in someone.” So you where a noble lady once. That is where your fine but antiquated manners originates from.

What a calamity you had suffered, yet you remain strong and lighthearted nonetheless. Moving from place to place, afraid to be burnt for your youthful appearance.You deserve to be cherished as the treasure you cleary are. No more hiding and running, not if he can help it.

You gladly accepted Lord Phantomhive’s offer to serve as the household’s tailor, the pay is generous and working for one person greatly reduce the risk of being discovered. Plus you get to spend more time with your new friend Sebastian! It is an offer you cannot turn down.

Sebastain is in a contract right now, but Ciel could only live so long. Prior to meeting you, he never thought about the future after his contract is completed. He imagined the two of you traveling across the European contient as friends, or something more, for the rest of your infinate lives. He has always been alone whenever he was not in a contract with humans, but the idea of being with someone forever is rather appealling to the demon. 

Even though he does not let his emotions discract him from his duties, you can still feel how he smiles whenever you enter the room. You would curl up your lips jovially in return, sometimes even teases him for having a charming smile. 

For now, Sebastian would be your good friend, always lend an ear to you for anything, or offer his shoudler should you need it, as long it does not get in the way of his duties to his liege. But who knows what would happen after the contract is completed? The world is yours to explore, with infinate amount of time, with him by your side.