#i’m sorry to simba and simba only

[famouslysleepy]

having to Juggle the EXTREMELY and HIGHLY understandable and very FUCKING normal-ass to reaction to be Full Of Fear over getting SEVERAL National and Weather Warnings about a potentially life threatening tornado/thunderstorm passing through your specific fucking county

with the ever-rising frustration and rightful anger of the people in your immediate vicinity treat your emotions like a fucking joke while, you make frankly meager attempts to be semi-prepared for the worse to happen

is NOT at all fucking fun I’ll tell you what

[the-casbah-way]

i feel like everyone is going to eventually get annoyed at me for still being sad about simba or still talking about it but posting abt it is easier than telling someone because i don’t know how to do that and i’d rather be annoying here where people can scroll past and ignore it and not feel obligated to reply

[verstappen-cult]

GWEN’S RADIO MESSAGE. I saw the notification and ran to Instagram only to find these photos. And when I tell you that I couldn’t stop looking at them for at least five minutes. . . so, you know I had to write a silly little drabble.

You come home after your early pilates class to find Charles snuggling with a puppy on the carpet in the living room, cushions perfectly scattered around to simulate a comfortable bed. When Charles sees you standing there with a puzzled look on your face, he just pouts, hugging the little dog tightly against his chest, and looks at you from beneath his eyelashes.

“What is that?” You ask, eyebrows raised. You know what is is, you simply don’t know what is a dog doing in your apartment when you don’t have any pets.

Charles cheeks are colored a light pink when he says, “Remember that time you said how much you wanted a puppy?”

“That was ages ago!”

“But look at him!” Charles grabs the puppy with both hands and shows him to you just like that scene in The Lion King with Simba being presented to all the animals in the kingdom. “Look at those eyes! We can’t send him back to the shelter.”

The dog isn’t even looking at you, too busy licking your boyfriend’s hand.

But Charles is right.

You can’t send him back to the shelter when you can give him a better life. And is not like you are actually mad that he decided to adopt a dog without your consent, it’s more about the surprise to see him lying on the carpet in his $2,000 white designer sweater with a dog, when in the past he’s gotten angry when you haven’t hung it up how it is supposed to hung.

You drop your bag and take off your shoes to join him on the floor. The little guy jumps from his hand and walks over to you, sniffing your hands and giving you side eyes until he feels safe enough to climb in your lap and let you hold him.

“Aren’t you cute,” You say, giving his little head a kiss. “I guess we need to give him a name, no?”

“About that,” Charles plays with a dog toy to avoid looking at you. “I already named him.”

You huff, “Of course you did.” You can’t be mad, not when Charles looks so shy and happy with the cute puppy walking around and exploring his new home. “What is his name?”

“Leo Leclerc.” He says it so proud, the corners of his mouth curling up that you can’t help but smile too.

“It suits him.” You agree, leaning closer to Charles. He immediately opens his arms for you and you rest your head on his chest, looking at Leo trying to climb on the sofa. “You’re a dog dad now, Charlie.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t asked you before adopting him,” He turns his head to get a better look at you. “and I’m sorry I used you wanting a puppy as an excuse when in reality I feel in love with him the second I saw him through the window.” Leo walks back to you and finds comfort between Charles legs. “I don’t want him to be just mine. I want him to be ours.”

You sit up, eyes looking between Charles and, what is now, your puppy. Your boyfriend looks expectantly, waiting for an answer that comes in the form of a squeak and a kiss.

“I can’t believe you went to get groceries and ended up adopting a dog.”

“About that,” Charles scratches the back of his neck nervously and you know what he’s about to say. “I saw him and forgot about everything else! But I can go to the grocery store this afternoon. He needs more toys, after all.”

“Oh, he’s gonna be so spoiled!”

[turcott3]

goes without saying

matt rempe x fem! reader

warnings?: cursing, fluff, talks of anxiety, kissing

masterlist

-

“thanks mom.” you say hopping out of the car.

“now let’s hope he shows up huh?” she teases, waving to you as you walked to your ballet studio. it was being your boyfriend to class day, except you didn’t have a boyfriend. so you invited the next best thing, your highschool best guy friend. whom you’d also had a major crush on for the last few years.

you asked him to come, which he agreed, but said he’d have to come straight after his post practice shower and who knows how long that could be. and he was your ride home.

you stood awkwardly in class as everyone chatted with their boyfriends, one of your class friends included. you checked your apple watch a few times hoping for a text or something and your anxiety only grew as you got nothing. a few minutes later class had begun and you sighed. knowing you’d have to be standing in the back practicing something else, since this week was all about lifts for big performances, being in class was almost something you dreaded these days. ballet being something you love while also tearing you apart. you began warm ups at the barre as normal, still holding out hope that he would come. you continued your warm up, making it all the way through barre and out into center, eventually accepting that he wasn’t gonna show, before the door creeped open, matt peering in to make sure he was in the right place, smiling once his eyes landed on you.

“so sorry i’m late ma’am, lot of traffic.” he smiles at your teacher as he joins you by your side.

“i heard you play hockey? and you were coming here after practice.”

“yes maam.”

“well good, means you’re still nice and warm. when did you two get together, i feel like i’ve never seen you together.” she teases, him taking it extremely well as he dropped an arm over your shoulder.

“well, i don’t really think there’s a date, we were friends and then suddenly we just knew we were more than that. and now here we are.” he replies and your heart jolts in your chest.

he made up that lie on the spot, to spare you the embarrassment. you shook it off knowing you were never actually more than that, even if you maybe have thought at some points you were.

“thank you for coming, i was so nervous to be the only person without a partner.”

“come on y/n, i told you i’d be here. i’ll always show up.” he giggles.

“alright now that we have everyone we can begin our simple lifts.” your teacher states. you were nervous because you had never done partner lifts before, and matt is 6 foot 7.

“oooooh i’m lifting you.” he teases.

“i’ve never done lifts before, im scared.”

“you know i’d never drop you.”

“i know, i know.” you said grabbing comfortably on his arm.

this class was not going to help your feelings toward him at all. you’ve had a crush on him for quite sometime and now he’s gonna have his hands planted on you for at least the next hour. the two of you stood and listened, soaking in the instructions of a simple lift. simply picking you up and holding your chest in line with his forehead, to get a feel for how the rest of class will go.

with ease, he picks you up, chest to eye level.

“don’t be looking.” you smile.

“i am respectfully looking because your black leotard is all i can see.” he says, practically feeling the vibrations of his voice on your ribcage.

“now if you’re feeling frisky, hold her up higher.” you teacher suggests, matt instantly boosting you up above his head like simba in the lion king.

“holy shit.” you yelp, grabbing harshly onto his arms.

“relax, everything is gonna be fine.” he giggles, bringing you to him as he brought you back down, standing flush against his chest.

“alright now let’s try holding her above your head like you’ve just done, but with her in arabesque. your one hand will grab hold of her thigh and the other on the hip somewhere between the bottom of her ribcage and her hip bone.” your teacher says.

“which leg do you like?” he asks, asking great questions.

“right.” you said, lifting your right leg off the ground, his hand softly cupping underneath.

“this feel okay?” he asks, referring to the hand holding your inner thigh.

“yes, it feels good.” you nod as he places his other hand on your hip.

“okay, are you ready?” he asks and you agree, him steadily lifting you off the ground. you found yourself in the position high above his head, adjusting your position to be more comfortable. you began to shake in discomfort, him dropping you slightly but instantly catching you, a giggle leaving his lips as the teachers voice rose again, his arm placing delicately around your waist, his hand rested gently on your hip. in response, you rested your hand on top of his, giving his hand a light squeeze.

by the time class was nearly over, you became more comfortable with him picking you up. the last lift you tried being the riskiest, you still trusted him, catching you every time you began to fall.

this class was not helping your case.

“now let’s come center for reverence.” your teacher says, matt placing you carefully back on the floor.

“i am not graceful at all.” he mumbles as you both followed her curtsy.

“this is why you don’t do ballet matt.” you giggle, concluding your class. matt began to walk away before you grabbed his hand, pulling you up close to the teacher and thanking her.

“oh uh, thank you for having me maam, i had a lot of fun.”

“well thank you for coming! i don’t think i’ve ever seen y/n smile this much during class. keep it up matt, you seem to be good for her.” she smiles, thank you both for attending before you exit the building out to matt’s car.

“im sorry again for being late.” he says, taking your bag from you and tossing it in his back seat.”

“it’s okay, i’m just glad you came.” you replied as you both sat in his car.

“i had a lot of fun.” he smiles.

“you know, you didn’t have to lie to her about us being together. you didn’t have to spare my embarrassment.”

“well i said it because i wanted to, not just to spare you.” he says pulling out of the parking lot.

“what do you- what do you mean?” you ask, spiraling.

“i guess that was me trying to make it known that i really fucking like you, and i was excited when you asked me to come do this with you.” he replies. you reach for his hand that rested on his thigh and moved it to your lap, intertwining your fingers as you smiled to yourself, his thumb brushing softly back and forth on the back of your hand.

“i like you a lot too matt.” you say, looking at his perfect side profile.

“glad we’re in the same page.” he giggles, bringing your conjoined hands to his lips, pressing a sweet kiss to the back of your hand. a blush burned on your face as he returned your hands to yourself lap.

“what a relief.” you giggle, giving his hand a little squeeze which he returned.

“do you really not ever smile that much in class?” he asks genuinely.

“well not really, i don’t really feel as close to my classmates and stuff. i don’t know, it’s stupid.”

“no no y/n, it’s not stupid. i get it. well if you want, and if you can, how about i come pick you up after your class every week and i take us out to eat? yeah? anything to keep you smiling.” he offers kindly.

“i mean, that would definitely be okay with me.” you reply.

everything he was doing made your heart leap in your chest, knowing now how much he really cared for you.

“do you wanna come over?” you ask abruptly.

“like tonight?” he asks, pulling to a stop at the restaurant you’d agreed to eat at the day prior, it being both of your favorite restaurant.

“yeah, like do you wanna stay over? listen i’m trying to be bold, i don’t really know if it’s working.” you giggle nervously. smoothly, he closes the gap between you, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

“it’s working.” he smiles, pecking your lips one more time before you both get out of the car.

you spent the dinner gushing over each other, adoring how much he spoke lovingly of his family. the closer you got, the more your feelings grew for the boy.

“matt you don’t have to pay for me.” you say lowly, the server asking how to do the check.

“i’m paying for it, sorry for the confusion maam.” he says to the server, turning his head back to you as he walked away.

“why are you paying for me?” you ask sternly.

“because this is a date isn’t it? it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me to not pay.” he giggles, signaling for you to take his hands in the table, much to your dismay, you found your hands rested in his large ones.

“let me take care of you. i know you aren’t doing the best right now y/n. i may be a man, but i’m not blind, especially when i see a girl i really fucking care about struggling, okay?” he says firmly, sighing with contentment as he finished his sentence.

“okay.” you reply softly, letting go of his hands as the server returned with the check.

-

“you really are letting this thing get to you huh?” he asks as you lay on his chest, tracing circles on his skin as you cuddled innocently, both in your pajamas ready to sleep for the night.

“yeah i guess i am.” you reply, telling him about how torn you were about ballet.

“well how about this, you tell me when your next performance is, i will be there front row to watch you. i want you to keep going pretty girl, i just know you’re incredible. i wanna help you.” he says, running his gentle fingers up and down your back.

“thank you matt. i think just from class today that’s a big stride.” you giggle.

“i hope so.”

“anyways, why don’t we talk about something other than me before we go to sleep.”

“well why would i want to, i could listen to it all day.” he teases, a hint of genuineness behind his teasing tone.

“no, it’s selfish.” you giggle. the two of you spent the rest of the night talking about hockey, giggling over your favorite movies and shows and him listening to your college gossip. all stuff he didn’t know about but loved to hear anyway.

“i think it’s about time we go to sleep y/n.” he giggles after hours of chatting lovingly with you.

“yeah i guess your right.”

“but i can’t let you go to sleep like this.” he replies and you cock your eyebrow. he pulls himself away from you, laying on his side to face you.

“i have a question.” he says and your stomach drops.

“okay?”

“would you wanna maybe fall asleep tonight and wake up tomorrow, and like maybe spend forever and more as my girlfriend?” he smiles slowly as the words left his lips.

“yes matt, i would love to.” you giggle, your hands cupping his cheeks.

“sorry if that was tacky, i didn’t wanna be basic.” he giggles, pulling you toward him.

“it was perfect, thank you m’love.” you say pulling his lips to yours anxiously.

“anytime. now you better keep a smile on your face from now on, and i mean it. if you have any problems just come to me, you know i would never in a million years judge you, and also, i would love to come to ballet class again, it was a lot of fun.” he says resting his head on top of yours.

“i will matt, i promise you. and i will definitely let you know, who knows you may be the next big thing.”

“well i know i have a b-“

“now is not the time for a dirty joke asshole.” you giggle smacking him on the arm.

“i mean after all i AM just a man okay? dirty mind and all.” he scoffs.

“and it doesn’t change a single thing i feel for you.” you laugh as he kisses you one last time before you both drift off to sleep.

[sunsetkerr]

SAY HI! | s.kerr

summary: sam shows off your son to the crowd after her game against TPE.

pairing: mum!sam kerr x fem!reader

notes: something nice and short for my love @iinsertblognamee before I fall sleep, based on this image!

THREE GAMES, FIVE GOALS, one step closer to qualifying. sam has been having the time of her life in perth over this last week and a half. she finally got to come home to her family and friends again, and win three games of football; all whilst having her wife and son right there behind her. 

henry was only little, born just five months ago. he was the best thing to ever happen to you both and sam was absolutely obsessed with him. he had been to his first game at just a few weeks old, he got to watch his mum play in the matilda’s 0-1 victory against france. there was no doubt that henry would grow up to be football obsessed.

the girls finished their last game against chinese taipei, 0-3 with sam putting away a goal. sam tried to hold her patience as she signed everything and anything for fans against the barriers, but she really only wanted to get to the end of this particular section. "hey there little man!" because at the end of this section, was her son.

"did you miss me? did you see mum's goal?" sam reached out to take henry from one of her friend’s jasmine. she had been watching henry for sam all night long, her wife home too sick to leave the house. so, to give her the night off, sam brought henry to the game to sit with jas. 

"you should be asleep right now" sam propped henry up under her arm, bouncing him slightly. henry gave his mum a tired smile, but his eyes were still open wide because of the bright stadium lights. "you're so cheeky" sam rubbed his cheek. 

she noticed as the crowd began to film her interaction between her and her son; and sam loved to show off, especially her son. sam smirked a little before lifting her son up to the crowd, shouting ‘simba’ out to jas who was also filming the pair. as sam brought henry back to her chest, she noticed the studio’s camera just next to her, broading casting her and her son. sam knew you would be watching at home, tucked away in your bed.

"look, wave to the camera" sam reached down and gently grabbed henry’s little hand. "mummy's watching at home" she waved it up and down, smiling at her son. "say hi!" she whispered to henry, who was only fussing in response. sam chuckled as she realised him getting fussy with the situation he was in.

"aw, henry!" sam turned as she heard alanna’s voice. she had a big smile on her face as she came over and grabbed his little hand with hers. "hi baby" she cooed. 

"it's aunty lani!" sam chuckled, but henry wasn’t having it. sam watched as he jutted out his lip and began to cry. 

"awh, buddy" alanna pouted, “i’m sorry” 

"mm, you're so tired" sam brought henry down slowly so he was resting his head on her chest. "come on little mate" sam kissed his head a few times before turning back to the crowd, looking for jas. "i'm gonna take him into the rooms!" sam called out to her.

she was met with a thumbs up from jas before walking back through the tunnel with alanna, tameka following behind.

she cheers from the crowds only echoed through the tunnel. henry continued to fuss, only crying harder. "shh.. i know it's loud isn't it?" sam cooed, holding her hand over henry’s ear. "shh" she shushed him again as he wailed louder, "oh, buddy" sam pouted. sam entered the change rooms and tried her best to bounce henry back into a state of comfort in her arms. "you're so tired, it's too late for you" sam nodded softly, patting his back rhythmically. 

after a while, jas was let into the change rooms and offered to take henry from sam. "do you want to grab a quick shower before you head home?".

“nah,” sam shook her head, not handing over her son. “he’s happy, i think i’ll just shower at home. it’s really late, i don’t wanna keep him out much longer” sam explained, looking down to notice her son drifting to sleep as he listened to his mother’s heartbeat. 

“i’m gonna take my boy home and go see my wife” she smiled, looking down at her little world. 

[sagethegaywitch]

Dimensions: Savanaclaw

Male reader

TW: twisted ankle, knocked unconscious, yandere behavior, memory erasing

Genre: yandere

Here's the link for my other Dimensions: Twisted Wonderland Overblots works.

The story will take place in the Pride Lands of Tanzania, the one from the original “The Lion King” that the Savanaclaw dorm is based on.  As the overblot eats away at the characters, they start to resemble and act more like the Disney characters they are based on.  The reader will be called Y/N and Simba, and they will be a lion hybrid.

f/f = favorite food

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An uncomfortable heat prickles on your skin as a bright light burns your eyelids.  You groan, but just turn over on your side, trying to shade yourself from the unforgiving sunlight.

You’re only startled awake when a hand shakes your shoulder and a voice says, “Get up.”

You open your eyes and bolt upright as you come face-to-face with an unfamiliar man.  He has sunkissed skin and dark long hair with braided portions, but the most jarring fact is that he has lion ears on the top of his head.  He’s wearing mostly black clothing with a fur neckline and a loose gray skirt with an orange scarf wrapped around his waist (Leona will be wearing his overblot outfit), but you’re also focused on the tail that swishes behind him in irritation and the orange glow of his left eye.

“Gosh, I thought you went ahead and got yourself killed,” he mutters with disdain and disinterest in his voice, but it doesn’t quite match the concern that flashed in his eyes for a second.

You look around to see that you’re at the bottom of a dusty gorge, but you can’t remember how you got there.  You look up at the other male and he just looks at you expectantly, like he wants an explanation.

“I’m sorry, I-I don’t remember what happened,” you tell him as you continue to look around for anything familiar.

You look down at yourself, and you’re dressed in puffy brown pants with geometric orange details and a dark yellow smock that has red designs along the edges.  You feel uncomfortable in them, like they’re not your usual wear, but you brush it off when the other male grabs your chin and makes you look into his eyes.  He turns your head to each side before ruffling through your hair a bit, probably looking for a head injury of some kind.

“There's no lump or blood, but you don’t remember what happened?” he asks.

You shake your head and he nods before asking if you remember who he is.  You scrounge your memory for anything involving the familiar male, but a pounding headache stops you from digging further.  You shake your head and he lets out a low hum before nodding to himself and tells you his name is Leona.

“Well, Simba, we better get you back home,” he says before kneeling on the floor.  “Get on my back, cub.”

You hesitantly approach him and climb onto his back, and he hoists you up before starting the trek up the gorge.  He puts in little effort as he scales the edge, but you’re too concerned about why he called you that Simba.  Somehow you know it’s not your name, but you just can't seem to recall what you used to be called.  When he reaches the top of the gorge, you expect to be let down, but he continues to walk toward a large rock structure in the distance.  As you near the rocks, you can see other animal hybrids, like lions and hyenas, wandering around, but they all pause and make way for Leona as he gets closer.  You almost jump off Leona’s back when a loud voice exclaims loudly by your ear and you quickly turn your head to see a shorter male with hyena characteristics.  You observe him as he laughs at your reaction, and you notice the brown shirt he wears, the black leather jacket, the dark pants, and a seemingly signature yellow scarf around his neck.

“Where were you, Simba?” the newcomer asks as he ruffles your hair.  “Even Leona was worried.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Ruggie,” Leona growls, walking a bit faster to get away from the hyena.

Ruggie laughs again, settling in a steady jog to keep up with Leona’s longer legs.  Ruggie tries to make conversation with you, talking about a blue bird that he tried to hunt earlier to the different animals he saw at the water fountains today.  Leona only starts to slow down a bit when he approaches a very lavish looking white clay mansion.  There are hyena guards stationed at the entrance, but they take a quick glance at Leona and Ruggie before letting them inside.  You're carried through the carpeted hallways of the building, and you get a better view of the town you're in as you pass the large glassless windows that line the exterior walls.  You're brought to a moderately sized room, and Leona unceremoniously dumps you on the soft bed in the center of the room.  The blankets are soft but somehow scratchy at the same time, and you almost go flying as Leona flops down next to you.  He lays on his side and pulls your back to his chest before you feel something wet on your head.

"Ah!  What are you doing?" you exclaim as you thrash in his hold and try to see what he's doing.

"Hold still, you're filthy," he mutters as he holds onto you tighter and continues grooming you.

You only then realize that he's licking you like a lion would a new born cub, but it's also when you realize he's not licking your head.  You jolt upright, startling Leona and Ruggie, who quietly made himself comfortable in the corner of the room, as you grasp at your head.  You feel fluffy ears in your hands and you yelp as they twitch when you poke them.  You quickly grab at your tailbone, surprised to find a wagging tail that lazily swishes side-to-side.

"What's wrong with you?" Ruggie asks, his tone judgemental and teasing.

You don't really know what's wrong.  These people seem to know you, but you can't remember them and you can't recall ever having lion parts attached to your body.

"I-I don't know.  I don't remember anything," you stutter out truthfully.

"Did you hit your head?" Ruggie asks as he approaches the bed and grabs your head to check your scalp.

"I already checked, he's fine," Leona yawns before grabbing you back from Ruggie.  "Let's take a nap, Simba.  You don't need to worry about anything, you're with your pride, we'll take care of you."

His voice somehow calms your nerves as he cuddles behind you, holding onto you like a body pillow.  You manage to slow your breathing and all the excitement from earlier causes you to feel sleepy as you close your eyes and quickly fall asleep.

~

You wake up to someone shaking you awake, and as you sleepily blink your eyes open, you smell some delicious food.  You fully open your eyes to see Ruggie smiling down at you as he pulls his hand away from your shoulder.

"Good evening!  I brought some food," Ruggie exclaims before gesturing to a trolley filled with plates covered with meat.

You're so distracted by the smell that you didn't notice a wolf hybrid wearing something similar to Ruggie standing beside the trolley until he moves and passes you a plate.  You quietly thank him before looking down at the roasted pork neatly placed and decorated on the plate.

"Don't be afraid of him," Ruggie tells you, sensing your discomfort.  "Jack may look scary, but he's harmless."

You nod and offer the much taller male a small smile before Leona's voice behind you causes you to turn your head.

"Oh, Jack, you're back," he comments offhandly, holding out his hand for his plate.  "I thought you were talking more time off to spend at home."

"I did, but that was two weeks ago, my vacation ended already," Jack says bluntly as he hands Leona a plate before giving one to Ruggie and taking one for himself.

"Right.  Well, Jack this is Simba, Simba this is Jack, my bodyguard," Leona gestures as he digs into his meal.

Jack gives you an acknowledging nod before eating his dinner.  You're about to use the knife to cut into the pork, but you're quickly stopped by Ruggie who says that children should not play with sharp objects.

"But I'm not a child," you object, but you're quickly shushed by Leona who also comments you're still too young to properly take care of yourself.

You find yourself watching Ruggie cut your food into bite sized chunks and he helps feed you by holding the fork up to your mouth.  You grumpily take the food, not wanting to starve, but you're still not happy about the situation.  After you've cleared your dinner, Leona asks Jack to take you out to get some fresh air.  Unlike Leona, Jack lets you walk by yourself as he guides you out of the room and down a hallway to an open balcony.  The wind breezes past your face as you soak in the night air.  The sun was scorching hot earlier, so the dark sky feels cool against your skin.  You gaze up at the clearly visible stars, something you know you were unable to do in your past, and enjoy trying to find or make constellations.

"The stars tell the tales of those who have passed one," Jack suddenly speaks, his harsh sounding voice startling you.

He looks at you for approval to continue as he points out a constellation that resembles fire, "That's Falena, Leona's older brother who was king before Leona was.  He passed recently in a wildebeest stampede.  The fire represents his red hair and his bold personality."

You gaze up at the formation again, watching as the stars twinkle and wink back at you.  Jack points out a few more prominent constellations and gives you a brief history lesson before you shiver in the cold air, the smock doing nothing to keep you warm.  Jack notices your shiver form and slowly edges towards you before wrapping you in his arms.  He seemed unaffected by the cold probably because he lives here, but you two watch the stars some more, even catching a few shooting stars before your yawn interrupts the peace.

"Ready to go back to Leona?" he asks and you rub your eyes and nod your head.

You follow him as he guides you back to the room you were resting in earlier to find it empty.  Jack reassures you Leona is probably out doing some kingly business and will be back soon.  He offers you a good night before leaving you alone in the dimly lit room.  You stumble over to the bed and flop onto it, almost falling asleep instantly.

~

In the morning, a random sunbeam from the window shines in your eyes, forcing you to wake up and try to reposition yourself, cuddling closer into your warm blankets.  A chuckle causes you to lazily open your eyes and gaze up at the owner of the sound, and you quickly push Leona away, coming to the realization that he was the blanket you thought you were using to warm yourself.

“Sleep well?” Leona smirks, his tail swishing with amusement behind him.

You nod but look away in defiance as he offers you a rare smile, “Let’s go find Ruggie so we can get some lunch.”

“Lunch?” you ask, wondering why breakfast didn’t come before lunch.

“You slept through the morning.  It’s like 12:45pm,” Leona says.  “But it’s fine, we can do whatever we want.”

You seem hesitant as you get out of bed, worried that your oversleeping might have caused him to miss out on some important king stuff.  You follow Leona through the door and you see Jack standing guard and holding the door open for you.  You give him a thankful nod as he closes the door and trails behind you as Leona guides you down the hallway, somehow still yawning and looking tired.  At the entrance of the mansion, Ruggie is sitting on the stairs, seemingly waiting for something.

“What are you doing here?  I thought you had business this afternoon,” Leona comments, causing Ruggie to spin around and stand up.

“I took care of it this morning,” Ruggie shrugs as he leaps over to you.  “Good afternoon, Simba, I bet you’re hungry.”

You want to shake your head, not wanting to be a burden, but your growling stomach betrays you, causing Ruggie’s smile to grow.

“Don’t worry, I got you covered.  I’ll take you to the Farmer’s Market in town and I’ll buy you something to eat,” Ruggie offers, grabbing onto your hand and dragging you down the stairs.

“Just bring him home safely,” Leona tells Ruggie before pausing to think.  “In fact, Jack, you go with them.”

“Will you be alright by yourself?” Jack asks Leona, but he only receives a shrug as Leona walks back into the building, another servant telling him he has a meeting of some sort.

Jack jogs to catch up with you and Ruggie, and settles into a steady pace a few steps behind you two.  Ruggie rambles about some cool stalls he saw earlier that he wants to take you to after you’ve eaten as you walk past a few other hybrids wandering around town.  Finally arriving at the Farmer’s Market, you can see stalls lined up in a large plaza, colorful signs and banners advertising their products, and people yelling and encouraging the customers to visit their stall for the best sales.  You’re overwhelmed by multiple smells, all of them making your stomach grumble and drool starts to form in the corner of your mouth.  Ruggie laughs at your face before letting you look around the market to see what catches your eye.  Eventually, you find a stall that sells f/f, and you linger in front of it as Ruggie and Jack come back with their own food.

“Want some?” Ruggie asks as he reaches into his pocket for his wallet.

“It’s okay, it’s too expensive.  I’d feel bad making you pay for it,” you let him know as you try to leave the stall and find a cheaper alternative.

“Who said it’s my money?” Ruggie snickers as he goes up to the booth and orders your food.

You look at Jack for answers and he sighs before responding, “It’s Leona’s wallet.  You shouldn’t feel too bad, Leona’s the king, he has plenty of money.”

You still feel a bit guilty and Ruggie skips back with your food and hands it over to you.  You all move towards a nearby wooden table to eat your food, and you quietly look around the market, soaking in the experience.  The noisy environment and the good food reminds you of something else, like a noisy cafeteria or school, but you just can’t seem to pinpoint it.  You all finish your food, and Jack walks off to buy some dessert, returning with some cookies that he lets you munch on as Ruggie shows you around the merchandise stalls.  From clothing, herbs, bags, jewelry, and more, Ruggie makes constant comments about how certain things would look great on you.  Finally, while you’re distracted with holding a gray shawl up to Jack, saying it would suit him, Ruggie sneaks behind your back with a gift in hand.

“You shouldn’t have,” you exclaim.

“Don’t fuss, it’s my treat.  Consider it a welcome back present,” Ruggie objects as he passes you a drawstring bag.

You take the bag and gingerly pull apart the strings to reveal a beaded necklace with a golden lion emblem of dangling from the center.

“Oh my gosh!  It’s gorgeous,” you tell him as Jack helps you put it on.

“I knew you’d look great in it,” Ruggie smiles.

As you admire the necklace for a bit longer in the setting sun, Jack makes a comment that you all should return home soon.  You skip along, in a much better mood and definitely more comfortable with your friends, and you can’t help but to be excited to rediscover this land.  Returning to the mansion, you let the others know that you’re still full from lunch so you won’t be joining them for dinner.  Ruggie nods and runs off to find Leona while Jack offers to walk you back to your room.  You two enjoy a comfortable silence as you walk, and he offers you a head pat and wishes you a good night as you enter the room and close the door behind you.  You feel safe knowing he’s standing watch outside, and you quickly zone out and fall asleep on the soft bed under the warm covers.

~

You're startled awake in the middle of the night by an odd scratching noise.  You sit up in the bed, noting that Leona has not returned, and you sort of miss the warm presence of Leona’s body.  You scan the room, seeing nothing out of place but suddenly, a chair gets pushed forward.  You let out a yelp as you notice glowing blue eyes staring at you from under the moving chair.

“Human, is that you?” the eyes ask.

“Wh-What are you?” you question, your voice barely above a whisper.

“It is you!” the eyes exclaim as they get out from under the chair and under a beam of moonlight.

You can see clearly now that the eyes actually belong to a weird gray cat thing that has fiery blue ears.  It’s not a human-animal hybrid, but it walks on two legs as it hops onto your bed and approaches you.

“What happened to you?  Did they do this to you?” Grim asks as he pokes at your stiff tail and alert lion ears.

“No, I’ve always been like this,” you respond, more confused as the cat continues to talk.  “Who are you?”

“Who am I?!  You’ve forgotten about the Great Grim!” the cat bursts out, but he quickly notices his volume and switches to an angry whisper.  “What is going on with you Y/N?”

Y/N.  The voice rings a bell in your head and you’re suddenly thinking clearer than ever.  Your name is not SImba, it’s Y/N.  You’re also not a lion hybrid, you’re a magicless human that goes to Night Raven College.  You fell into the Savanaclaw dorm when the mirrors shattered during a school-wide overblot event.

“Grim…I remember you,” you start slowly, taking time to process this new information.  “I’m Y/N, and we need to get out of here.”

“Exactly, glad we’re on the same page.  They’ve been tracking me down all day,” Grim shivers at the idea, but he’s happy he’s finally gotten you back.

“We can’t go out the door, Jack’s outside,” you murmur, rubbing your chin as you try to think of another way out.

“I came through the window.  This room is on the second floor, but you can walk across the first floor roof and jump down,” Grim informs you, gesturing to the open window.

You walk over and take a peak, seeing the roof right under your window sill.  You throw both legs over the edge, sitting on the window sill when an abrupt knock alerts the both of you to the door of your room.

“Simba, are you okay in there?  I hear yelling,” Jack’s voice asks as the doorknob starts to turn.

“Go!” Grim urges as he frantically pushes you over the edge and you let out a scream as you slide down.

You barely manage to grab onto the edge of the roof as you almost slide off.  There is an uncomfortable stretch in your arm as you support your and Grim’s weight.  As you let go to land safely on the nearby ground, you make eye contact with Ruggie who has paused in the conveniently placed first floor window right in front of you.

“Simba?” he says in disbelief his eyes wide as he watches you fall.

You land roughly on the floor, feeling a sudden pain in your ankle causing you to cry out.

“Get up, we have to run!” Grim declares he helps you stand up.

You can only take one step before collapsing, the pain in your ankle is too great.  Grim notices the issue and grabs a nearby stick, instructing you to use it as a crutch.  You know you have to leave, so you push through the pain, tears prickling in the corner of your eyes as you try to get as far away from the mansion as possible.  Unluckily for you, Ruggie was able to alert Jack of what was happening, and you’re suddenly tackled to the floor again.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Jack growls in your ear, as he holds you and Grim down by the back of your neck.

Your face presses roughly into the dry and sandy ground as you hear Ruggie’s frantic voice and angry footsteps come closer.

“Thank the Sevens you’re okay,” Ruggie pants as he crouches down to your levels and inspects you for any major injuries.  “Though we’ll have to take care of that ankle, it’s swelling already.”

“On the other hand, I’m very disappointed in you,” Leona’s voice says as he crouches down next to Ruggie.  “We gave you all you could ever ask for, and this is how you repay us?”

“Just let us go, Leona, we need to fight off the overblot and report to Crowley,” you desperately plead, but Leona shakes his head and reaches for the stick you were using to walk.

“I don’t think so,” he tells you, menacingly hitting the stick into the palm of his hand.  “You’re meant to be Simba, my Simba.”

Those are the last things you hear before the stick comes crashing down on your head, rendering you unconscious.

~

A constant pounding on the back of your head awakens you from a deep slumber, and you groan as you toss and turn in the plush bed.  You open your eyes, momentarily blinded by the bright light that shines through the window.  You try to lift yourself out of bed, but the pain in your head has you crying out and falling back down.  Your noise of discomfort must have alerted the people waiting outside because the door opens and reveals three hybrids.

“How are you feeling?” the wolf hybrid asks, standing at the foot of your bed.

“My head hurts real bad, Jack,” you tell him truthfully, the name flowing off your tongue with ease.

“Well that’s what happens when you take a nasty tumble down a gorge,” the hyena scolds the lie flowing easily as he lifts up the blanket at your feet and shows you your bandaged ankle.  “Plus a pretty nasty twisted ankle.”

“But you’re back home now, you’re safe here,” the lion speaks, sitting down next to your head.  “Don’t worry, we will take good care of you from now on.”

Leona leans down and swipes the stray hairs out of your face before kissing your forehead, “We’ll protect you and keep you safe from all the dangers of the world.”

“Welcome to the pride, Simba.”

[ohimsummer]

OBVIOUS?? I DID NOT KNOW MERFOLK EAT HUMAN PEOPLE HELP??);&:&

OMG NO I MEANNTTT 😭 us, as in... our... coochie 😞

okay bf i go further detail into a hc of mine about this—yesss, i think little fishies are reasonable and seaweed food for them. i can see merman!satoru being like "fish are friend, not food... until i'm hungry 😁" and i agree w the hunting bigger types of fish like sharks. it's a way to show his dominance 😈 he's alpha like that

anyway, about us being the obvious food !! (yapping activate) — i hc merfolk don't really eat the pussy equivalent of mermaids, bc anatomy and stuffff. i don't think it's possible, or like just reallyyyy difficult to get around w, but mostly the former

soooo, imagine merman!satoru's surprise when u tell him humans can 'eat out' women and he's like "humans what 😧!?". once u explain it to him, u teach and let him try to do it w u

next thing u know, u've accidentally created a monster. he's damn addicted to it and u can't even be mad bc he's so good at it. ofc he is, u taught him after all !! 😍

sorry for yapping so much, um... have a good day, snookums <333

OH….yeah yeah I….i knew that…….🌚

PLS merman! satoru thinks little fishies are cute but he also Torments Them…chasing them down in the water (for them it’s a high-speed chase and for him it’s more like…whatever their version of a brisk walk is) he out here cornering the fish n got em scared for their lives just to be like ‘nahh I’m just messing with ya 😼or am I….NAHHH I’m kidding I’m kidding….👀” he is a menace both on land and in water 😭

him and merman! suguru out here tussling with sharks for fun as kids…do you guys know that lion king scene when they’re in the elephant graveyard and then the hyenas chase after simba and nala. okay that has happened to merman! stsg because they were some BAD ASS LIL GUPPIES IN PLACES THEY SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN‼️exploring a whale graveyard and got caught by some sharks. satoru was beefing with sharks for years after that smh

I forgot where I saw it but I am stealing the idea—female merfolk have their mermussy as like, a slit on the front ? Sort of like in the area where the coochie would be but it’s on the front (I am going to say also well-disguised with scales so their mermussy isn’t just. Obviously Out 🌚. idk. maybe they only use them for reproduction and not really for pleasure. idk 😭)

ORAL WILL BE HIS DRUG!!! I am imagining merman! satoru with a slightly longer tongue so whewwww….yes he is a PRO!!!! might not even really know what he’s doing but his tongue is long and able to get some REACH so it doesn’t matter. he’s waiting for you at the dock every time you come to visit him. You’re trying to get info about merfolk life and he’s just rushing through the questions because he knows you’ll let him eat you out at the end.

[dragon-creates]

Royally Screwed!

Read on AO3

1/2/3/4/5

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, there was a lot of issues going on and it took out a lot of energy from me. But it's here now and I hope its worth the wait. Hope you guys enjoy! Also I tried to edit it as much as I can but I'll go back is there's any spelling mistakes, but other than that, here's chapter 2!

2. Irish Eyes

Kaufmo groaned as he pressed a hand to his lower back, tonight’s show hadn’t been kind to him in the slightest. The ringmaster has suggested a few new stunts for his act to make the audience go crazy. Now usually that would be fine…if the ringmaster hadn’t announced it while performing. It gave Kaufmo no time to warm up or prepare before he saw an anvil failing for the sky and aiming right at him. He managed to dodge it just in time and had earned him some good reception, but he had twisted his body the wrong way while ducking, leaving a pretty bad sore spot on his back.

He sighed, at least it was over now and he could have a better chance tomorrow morning to prepare for that new trick (and anything else the ringmaster hadn’t told him about yet). He was going to head to his tent for the tight when he heard light sniffling from the lion cages. He turned and tried to peak through the shadows to see who was inside of Ragatha’s lion’s cage…oh, it was Pomni.

The child was the newest member of the cast, and the youngest. Now that Kaufmo thought about it, no one had joined the circus at her age before, so the experience must have been so much more jarring for a young girl. And she was only five years old, the poor thing.

The girl was patting each lion’s mane as she tried to control her tears, the large animals providing as much comfort as they could. She had been quite nervous around the two felines when she first met them, but after seeing how tame they were, they were a great source of security for her in times like this. Times when she felt overwhelmingly homesick.

Kaufmo tapped one of the bars, alerting everyone of his presence. The lions let out a growl when Pomni let out a startled gasp, only to calm down once they saw the clown. “Easy, it’s just me,” he said reassuringly as Pomni gripped tighter to one of the lions. “Hey kiddo, sorry for scaring you.”

Pomni wiped her eyes as the clown climbed in, sitting on the wall opposite her with one of the lions between her. The other lion came back to sit beside her, nudging her hand for more scratches.

“Huh, Simba and Kovu seemed to have taking a liking to you,” Kaufmo mused. Despite their large size, both of the large felines were rather friendly to the rest of the circus. Give them a snack and scratch their favourite spot and you were practically their best friend.

“Yeah, they’re nice,” Pomni whispered, harshly rubbing her the tears off her cheeks to hide the fact that she had been crying. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, the show just finished up and I was gonna get back to my tent,” he explained, “But, then I heard someone wasn’t feeling that great.”

Pomni paled, hiding her face in Simba’s mane. “It’s nothing!” she mumbled into the fur, “I just had something in my eyes, I’m fine!”

Kaufmo hummed. Pomni seemed to be quite a particularly panicky child, one wrong move and she’ll be shaking like a leaf, in fear for her life. He had to approach her carefully, she had already been through enough. “Here,” he pulled out a handkerchief. Pomni stared at it cautiously. “Don’t worry, it’s joke free. Clown’s honour.” He put a hand to his chest with a mock serious expression.

The child smiled, taking the little white fabric and wiped her cheeks.

“I know you’re scared,” Kaufmo said, “I understand. We’ve never had anyone as young as you join. Well, ‘join’ might be a might of a strong word. And you have every right to be scared, upset, angry. It isn’t fair what the ringmaster did. If you need to scream, scream.”

“Maybe not scream,” she muttered, “But the ringmaster said we’re not allowed to get upset.”

“That’s because he’s void of any emotion and doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he placed the tips of his fingers on her hand just in case she wanted to pull it away. “Pomni, you’re five. Cry if you have to cry.”

Suddenly, a wall had crumbled and the dams were loose. The child latched herself onto the clown, muffled cries escaping her and tears soaking his costume. He instantly wrapped his arms around her. “Shh, there, there,” he whispered, “It’s gonna be okay kiddo, I got you.”

“I want my Ma and Pa!” she wailed as he stroked her hair. “I wanna go home!”

Kaufmo sighed. She was way too young for this. Curse the ringmaster and his void heart. “I know kiddo,” he hugged her tighter. “I know.”

They remained like that for a moment, Kaufmo letting Pomni cried while he stroked her hair before the child pulled away, her cheeks tear stained. “Sorry,” she sniffed.

“There’s nothing to apologise for,” he reassured her. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, would that cheer you up?”

“Um, okay,” Pomni nodded. “I…I like to sing a little bit, my ma used to teach me.”

“Huh,” Kaufmo lit up, an idea forming. “You know, I like to play guitar, I used to play it a lot.”

Pomni beamed, crawling closer to him, “Really?!”

“Heck yeah,” Kaufmo chuckled, “How about I go get it and I can show you what I can do?”

“Yeah!” Pomni cheered, giggling and falling back, a lion catching her with the side of his body.

“Okay kiddo,” Kaufmo grinned, “You just wait there. I’ll be right back.”

The clown had never run so fast in his life. He couldn’t recall the last time he played his guitar, but he remembered how much he loved it. Once he made it to his tent, he picked up the instrument from the side of his bed and ran straight back to Pomni, the little girl was playing with Kovu’s mane before gasping with excitement when she saw the guitar.

“Okay, it’s been a while,” Kaufmo told her while tuning it, “But I think I remember this.”

He began playing a simple chord, rummaging through his mind before landing on a song he hadn’t sung for anyone.

You can't take my past

You can't take my history

You could take my Pa

But his name’s a mystery

Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping

Oh nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping

“Wow!” Pomni looked absolutely awestruck, it was the cutest thing in the world. “That’s so cool!”

“It’s not finished yet,” he admitted bashfully. “I haven’t really had the time to.”

“I can help finish it?” Pomni suggested shyly, “And maybe…you could teach me too?”

Kaufmo’s eyes widened, not only had he not played for someone in so long, but it was the first time a person asked him to teach them. For the first time, someone didn’t want to now the clown that Kaufmo played, but rather the part of a person that the ringmaster had forced him to bury so long ago. “Yeah,” he nodded, “I think that can be arranged kiddo.”

He carefully placed the guitar on her lap, the instrument was comically big for her little body, but she managed to hold it properly. She giggled with excitement as her guided her hands on where to go. “So, if you put your fingers here, it makes a makes a C chord,” he told her, her fingers making the shape and strummed the strings, her face brightening after playing her first ever note. “Atta girl, and just make this shape and you’ll get a G chord.” He shifted them again, grinning as she played the second note.

“I’m doing it!” she exclaimed.

“You’re doing great kiddo,” he grinned, “Now, have you got any ideas for lyrics?”

The child nodded so fast that he was afraid she’d hurt herself. With a gentle voice, she began to sing.

You can't take my charm!

You can't take my humour…

.

.

.

Twenty Years Later

Kaufmo hummed cheerily as he walked through the inn the rest of the cast and himself were staying in. They were here for the rest of the week to perform, but everyone had really wanted to explore the rest of the town. And who was he to stop them?

Ragatha had wanted to see if they had any good treats for her lions, Zooble wanted to buy some flowers for Gangle, and Moon and Sun had wanted to wander with everyone and see the sights. Kaufmo decided to stay, wanting to take the day to rest. However, there was one person who didn’t say anything about wanting to go or stay.

Pomni.

Despite last night’s fiasco with the prince, she seemed to be in a good mood. He was heading to her room, just to check up on her and see if she wanted to go out as well. He was about to knock when he heard the faint strums of a guitar and a female voice singing along with the tune.

My mother says I have Irish eyes

Irish eyes, Irish eyes

My mother says I have Irish eyes

They go ever so blue under stormy skies

But they're never so blue as when I let them cry

Kaufmo smiled, Pomni’s voice was always so heavenly whenever she sang. Every song she wrote, he would always be excited to hear. He cracked the door open a little, seeing her standing with her guitar in hand as she sang. She wore a simple shift with brown stays adorned with pink stitched flowers and a light green skirt that reached her black boots. She looked a little bit like spring itself.

My father says I have English hair

English hair, English hair

Brown like the bark of an oak somewhere

Like the bed of a lake where the hemlock grows

Like the thorn in the stem of an English rose

She began to twirl happily, dancing along with her song without a care in the world.

I'm a map of the world and the ones before

One foot in sea and one on shore

Every step, every hope flung high

I'm a map of them all with my Irish eyes

She jumped, whipping round when she heard the sound of clapping, only to soften when she saw that it was Kaufmo standing at the door. “Don’t scare me like that,” she giggled, putting her guitar away.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you kiddo,” he said, “Is that a new song?”

“Yeah, I began to write it when we were on the road,” she confirmed, “Decided to give it a whirl before I went out to town.”

“You’re going out?” Kaufmo asked hopefully. Pomni wasn’t normally someone who liked to be out in busy places when she wasn’t performing but seeing her actively wanting to go out was quite a big step for her. While it left him protective, it left him proud of her as well.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Gangle wanted to go look and see the dresses here so I wanted to go with her as well. Ragatha and Moon should be with us as well.”

“I’ll come too,” Kaufmo said, “Just in case you want to leave early and come back.”

“Kaufmo,” she sighed, “I’ll be fine.”

“I have no doubt about that,” Kaufmo reassured her, “It’s just, you know…It’s always going to be my instinct to protect you.”

Pomni smiled, walking over and wrapping her arms around the clown, with Kaufmo doing the same. “I understand, what we went through was…its over now,” Pomni said, “I wanna be able to go into towns without being terrified of who I run into, enjoy my time with my family. With my Pa.”

Kaufmo patted her cheek, she never failed to amaze him. “Well then, what are we waiting for?” he asked, “Let’s go have some fun.”

Pomni patted his hand back before Kaufmo let it fall to his side, both of them leaving the room and heading downstairs to greet everyone else before going into town.

.

.

.

Jax paced back and forth in the dining room, dressed in a simple white blouse, blue waistcoat and black slacks. The room had been cleared earlier after breakfast, but he needed the space to pace and think about his plan to woo Pomni. She was going to be tricky – if her outburst was anything to go by – so he had to tread carefully about this. Motley watched the prince go back and forth, the kitten perched on the table experiencing the most brainstorming that Prince Jax had ever done in his life.

How would one win over the heart of a spitfire? A being so beautiful and entrances you with its song and dance but can easily scorch you if you make one wrong move. But it was that danger that pulled him closer to her. Only a woman like her deserved the best when it came to courting. But where to start, what should he do?

Queenie and Kinger watched their son’s pacing from the slightly ajar door. The staff had alerted them of the prince’s peculiar behaviour, so they wanted to investigate it for themselves – from afar of course.

“I still can’t believe it,” Kinger muttered, “Never would I have though the day would come where Jax would be so entranced by a girl.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Queenie mused, “I’m not surprised it was the jester that stole his heart. She does seem to be such a darling. Although, I will admit, I am slightly concerned with what Jax has up his sleeve with this one. His mind is quite…devious after all.”

Kinger hummed in agreement, “That is true. He always has these great plans when it comes to playing tricks on the servants or his escape attempts. Part of me doesn’t want to know what type of plan he comes up with for courting her.”

“Yes,” Queenie nodded, thinking to herself for a moment. The jester, Pomni was her name she believed, seemed like such a sweet young woman. While she was glad her son was in love, Queenie was completely aware of Pomni’s outburst with him they other day (after all she was outside tent when it happened, and was able to hear every single word). “How about you let me handle this Kinger dear? I’ve had my experience when it comes to men falling to a woman’s feet before. I could help correct him with the proper ways of how to win a girl’s heart.”

Kinger blushed, memories of himself as a young prince falling for a lord’s daughter many moons ago flooding back to him like a tidal wave. “Uh, y-yes darling,” he stuttered slightly, “I believe that would be for the best. The last person he needs advice from is his old man who laned face first into mud when trying to court the person he admired.”

“But I fell in love with you because of that dearest,” Queenie teased, giggling at Kinger’s flustered expression. “Now, if you excuse me. I have a son to steer away from making a fool of himself.”

“Good luck,” Kinger gave her reassuring thumbs up. Truth be told, when it came to Jax (especially since he was in love) she probably needed that luck.

Queenie took a breath, opening the door further and entering the dining room, though it seemed that Jax didn’t notice her presence, still caught up in his planning and muttering. Motley did though, letting out a happy mewl and ran over to her, climbing up her cloak and settling himself in her arms. The queen let out a small laugh, running a finger over his head as she walked up to her son.

Jax jumped as soon as he heard the sound of a throat clearing, exhaling when he saw that it was only Queenie. “Holy shit!” he cursed, placing a hand on his chest, “You scared me!”

“Language young man,” Queenie reprimanded him, “I just wanted to see if you were alright, the servants said that you haven’t left this room since breakfast.”

Jax sighed, the moment word about anything happening to him got out, his mother would instantly be by his side to make sure he way okay. It was one of Queenie’s most admirable qualities. “Yes, I’m fine mother. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“I see,” Queenie hummed, her eyes giving off a teasing glint. “It’s definitely not the jester from last night’s performance.”

Jax was so sure that his fur had changed from a periwinkle purple to a cherry red as he whipped round to face his mother, a smug look curved upon her features as she eyed her son knowingly. “M-mom!” he nearly choked on his words.

“Careful now dear,” Queenie chuckled, “The last thing we need is for our heir to suffocate on himself. Besides it was quite obvious, you immediately trailed after her like a loyal pet the moment her performance ended and are still infatuated with the girl despite her verbal lashing with you. Yes I’ve heard it, I’m sure most of the kingdom did too.”

“I can’t help it,” Jax rubbed the back of his neck. “The moment I heard her singing, my soul was bewitched. I had to listen to her song, her voice was telling a story and I wanted to learn it word for word until she’s ingrained into my memory. And her beauty, I don’t think I’ve met another person who radiated starlight just as much as she did. She’s a book that I can’t put down, I need to know more about her! I have to let her know that she’s the one for me!”

Never in all her years did Queenie think her son was capable of being bashful. Everything about Jax, from the way he spoke to the way he strutted down the hall screamed nothing but self-righteous confidence. What type of magic tricks did Pomni possess to reveal this new side of the prince? “Well, well,” Queenie breathed, “It seems that you’re very taken with this girl.”

“Oh, she definitely stole my heart and run off with it,” Jax sighed, “I just need to know what to do that will make her realise just how perfect I am for her!”

Queenie cringed, she had a feeling this was coming. The last thing Jax needed was his ego sabotaging any chance of Pomni liking at least a quarter of him back. After all, it was his arrogance that made him receive her angry and biting tone with him, if he continued down this road he would ending up kissing any plans of courting her goodbye. “Now Jax, I understand the butterflies that come with meeting someone that has you ‘bewitched’,” she spoke carefully, hoping that her son’s head wasn’t already full of outlandish plans already. “However, Pomni has already made her opinion of you quite clear. I will support you if you want to make amends with her, however I will put a cease to that if you try and force her to become yours.”

“Force her?!” Jax gasped, flabbergasted at his mother’s suggestion. Women would throw themselves at him without Jax doing nothing more that blink, how on earth did she think he was going to force Pomni to be his? “She’ll come running to me when I show her how charming I can be, before she leaves she will practically be begging me to marry her. It’s just as easy as that.”

“Jax,” Queenie shook her head with a disappointed frown, “Are you even listening to yourself? You barely know anything about having these types of feelings, how on earth do you plan on courting a girl if you don’t take them time to access yourself first?”

“Well judging how you and father say sappy crap to each other all the time and don’t end up gagging by how overly sweet it is, it’s probably not that hard,” Jax shrugged. His heart sunk at Queenie’s crestfallen expression. He went too far there. Motley gently purred into the queen’s chest, providing comfort for her hurt state.

Despite the saccharine display his parents put on, Jax could tell how much they treasured their love for one another. To insult their bond was an insult to his mother as well, and he hated making her feel awful. “I…mother forgive me,” Jax exhaled slowly, “I got caught up there, I didn’t mean that-”

The door burst open as a guard entered into the dining room, “Your highnesses. The markets have new products after the recent shipment. Would you care to be escorted into town today, or shall I have the servants search for something that you need?”

“I, I suppose it would be nice to go into town today,” Queenie turned to her son, her eyes giving a soft forgiving shine. “What do you think Jax?”

They were okay, Jax nearly sighed with relief. Seeing his mother upset was his own personal torture, and he hated every bit of it.

“I also wanted to inform you that the circus cast from last night are also in town today,” The guard informed them, “In case you have any words to say to them for their performance.”

Jax practically beamed at that, his grin nearly splitting his face. He cleared his throat, putting on a suave look and straightened his back. After all, he had a jester to court. “Well there’s no harm in saying hi to them, now is there?” he smirked, “I think a little trip sounds just delightful.”

Queenie paled. She recognised that smirk, Jax always wore that smirk when he was up to no good. “Jax…” Queenie drawled warningly.

“Go alert my father that we plan to leave as soon as possible, in case he wants to join,” Jax commanded the guard.

The soldier in question raised a brow at that, familiar with the young prince and his antics, before turning to the queen for her verdict.

Queenie sighed, once Jax’s mind was set that was no point in trying to change it. Besides, she really wanted to go out today. “Inform Kinger that we plan to leave soon,” she said, “I would hate for him to miss out on this.”

“Yes, your majesty,” the guard bowed, turning on his heel and walking out the door.

Queenie gave Jax a glare, a silent threat to not do anything stupid.

The prince gulped, whenever Queenie sent him that look it gave him nothing but sinking dread in the pit of his gut. He had a lot on the line today, not only risking it all to win Pomni’s affection, but also to make sure he didn’t suffer from his mother’s angered wrath as well. “D-don’t worry m-mother,” he stammered, “I promise that I have nothing but good intentions going forward.”

Queenie raised a brow as Motley let out a meow – Jax swore the little shit was mocking him. “As for you,” He picked up Motley and set him on the floor, “You’re staying here. The last thing we need for you is to get lost and become someone else’s pet.” Motley mewled, pawing at Jax’s leg with a pleading look on his face. “Nope, I’ve made up my mind. Your tricks aren’t working on me today.”

He turned to his mother, offering his arm out to her, “Shall we?”

Queenie sighed, letting out a little laugh at her son’s outlandish behaviour, “I suppose. But you better behave, got it young man?” She nearly growled.

“…Yes ma’am,” Jax whimpered pathetically.

Queenie patted his cheek, “Good. Now then, let’s go find your father before he chases after another butterfly for his collection. We don’t need a repeat of…last time.”

Jax shuddered at the memory, despite his own bug-like pranks, he certainly didn’t want to do what his father was capable of. “You and me both mother,” he nodded.

He hid the dopey grin that stretched on his features the more he thought about the jester, how he was going to spoil her, give her everything she could ever hope for and more, to do anything to make her his and his alone. He couldn’t wait to see her again.

.

.

.

To tell the truth, Pomni was nothing but nerves when to came to public situations. It was different whenever she was performing, she knew that by the end of the day – as long as she put on a smile and a good show – everything would turn out according to plan. When it came to actually being in a crowd full of people, she always felt like she was going to be sick. It wasn’t easy to put on a façade when there was no pre-planned performance. The thought of being around so many people, not knowing what they were like or what they would say, she could make one slight mistake and everything could go wrong.

She was a bit glad that Kaufmo insisted to come along, to read the signs on her face in case she had to get out of here. But another part of her felt guilty for doing that. She wanted to enjoy herself put in public, to not fear the next person coming here way, to not fear if they had any other ulterior motives. Why did her mind have to be like this? And she hated how she always dragged Kaufmo down with her, he deserved to have one day where he wasn’t constantly worrying over her, how did he not see her as a burden? She just wished could be…normal. But someone like her could never be normal, not in this lifetime anyway.

Still, she wasn’t going to waste her time dwelling on misery, life was too short for that. She remained glued by Moon and Ragatha’s sides, Kaufmo trailing behind them like a guard dog (a rather colourful guard dog but the intention was clear). She wanted to have fun, have a day to just be Pomni, not worrying about the performance for tonight and if it was perfect enough. That was for later, this was now.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Sun marvelling over cakes at the window of a bakery, his mouth watering at each flavour presented through the glass. Gangle and Zooble were at a flower stall, with the latter buying a rose the same colour as the ribboned woman and gifting it to her, making Gangle blush. Pomni smiled at the couple, maybe one day she would find someone to share a bond with like Zooble and Gangle.

She heard a small gasp, turning she noticed two young girls pointing at her while whispering excitedly. Pomni shook her head fondly, they must have recognised her from the show the other night. She gave them a small curtsy, the children become even more excited before bounding over to her. She was a little bit nervous with the sudden closeness and enthusiasm from the children, but Moon and Ragatha were behind her, making sure she was alright.

She was fine, all she got was a fright. “Hello,” she waved at the two girls, “Hope can I help you?”

“Hi miss!” The first girl squealed, “You were so pretty last night!”

“Why thank you,” Pomni cooed, “Did you two enjoy the show?”

“Yeah!” the second girl cheered, “You were my favourite! You were so sparkly and twisty!”

Pomni giggled, they must have been referring to her costumes and her dance flexibility on the aerial silks. It was the main highlights of her performance and what boosted audience numbers. She wasn’t surprised that the girls liked it so much. “I’m so glad you two had fun,” she grinned, her chest fluttering at the girl’s collective beaming faces.

“What you like one of our flower crowns?” the first girl asked, “It has pretty daises!”

Pomni placed both hands to her chest in a flattered manner, “I would love to have one of your flowers crowns.”

The girls jumped with glee, fishing into one of their satchels and pulling out a delicate daisy chain tied into a circle. Pomni lowered her head as they placed it on her hair, the whole interaction made her feel giddy and warm. After all, who didn’t love flower crowns? She never got to do that at their age, so there was something bittersweet having a chance to do this now. She was about to open her mouth to thank the girls for their gift, when a loud and brash voice made her flinch.

“I knew a crown would look good on you,” Prince Jax’s voice made her wince, “Just have it in gold and you’ll look like a real princess.”

Pomni took a breath, plastering on a face of fake kindness and concealed annoyance as she turned to the prince – Moon and Ragatha were protectively standing on each side of her as Kaufmo stood from a distance, ready to intervene in case anything happened. “Prince Jax,” she spoke through gritted teeth, “To what do I owe the pleasure.”

“Your presence is enough for that little lady,” he grinned as she bristled at the nickname, “I was just making my way through town and decided to stop bye and say hi.”

“Well, now you did, so you can go now,” Pomni rolled her eyes and turned to face the girls again. Moon and Ragatha smirked while Kaufmo’s chest puffed proudly.

Jax faltered a bit, he didn’t want this conversation to end so soon! He ran up to her, dodging the ragdoll and Moon, ignoring Kaufmo’s icy glare and shoved himself in front of Pomni’s eyeline. “If you like, I could get you a little souvenir,” he offered suavely, “After all, daisies die pretty fast. Kind of a pathetic gift if you ask me. A little gold chain with a diamond would like nice around that pretty neck of yours.”

Pomni scowled at him, her anger growing more as she heard the two little girls’ sniffle at his insult. They were young, yes, but she knew about much effort must have gone into making this crown. And the fact that she never got to do this as a child only added fuel to the fire. “You have some nerve insulting the talents of your people,” she poked him harshly in the chest as a look of fear spread across the prince’s face. “This is a gift made from the gentle hands of the next generation of your kingdom, don’t you dare degrade this is present in front of them. And even if it were to die quickly, it only means I must cherish it more before that happens.”

“I-um,” Jax stammered, he was barely a minute into talking with her and he was already screwing up. He had to try a new tactic. With quick thinking, he ran over to the flower stall, blindly picked up a bouquet, slammed a few coins down and ran back over to Pomni. “Here,” he shoved the flowers into her face, making her splutter. “As an apology.”

After Pomni regained her bearings, she took a proper look at what was shoved in her face. Taking a note of the flowers in his hand, she gave him a deadpanned look, “Orange lilies and yellow carnations?”

Jax gave her a smug grin, looking as though he won the lottery, “From Prince Jax himself. You’re welcome.”

“They literally symbolise hatred and rejection,” said Pomni. Jax’s face fell, as though lightening struck through him at the realisation. “I think I’ll stick with my daisies.”

With that, she gave him a tight-lipped smile and walked away – but not before giving the two girls a warm hug and reassuring them that she loved her new flower crown.

Jax was about to go after her, until he was stopped by the death glares of Ragatha and Moon, as well and a tight grip on his shoulder. His eyes followed the hand attached to the arm, all the way to the furious gaze of Kaufmo. “I don’t give a damn if you’re royalty or not,” the clown growled, “But you will not disrespect my kid in front of me. Do I make myself clear?”

Jax gulped, the last thing he needed today was to be murdered by an overprotective clown, “Yes sir.”

“Good,” Kaufmo took his hand off, brushing it on his suit and walked away to find Pomni, Ragatha and Moon in tow.

Jax let out a breath, he never knew clowns could be that scary. He froze at the sound of a throat clearing, he groaned as he looked at Kinger and Queenie, disappointment etched on their faces with the royal guards standing behind them. “I ask for one thing Jax,” Queenie muttered, “One thing. For you to behave, and this is what you do?!”

“To be fair…this is me we’re talking about,” Jax gave them a nervous chuckle.

The couple’s expression didn’t change. “Come on,” Kinger sighed, “You’re sticking with us for the rest of the day.”

Jax whined, crossing his arms as he followed his parents and the guards. Queenie stuck by his side though, leaning up to whisper in his ear, “You know, the next time you want to impress a girl, keep the snide comments about simple gifts from children to yourself. You aren’t going to get anywhere if you keep up that attitude.”

Jax grumbled under his breath. But his mother did have a point though, they were just kids, he didn’t have to stoop so low. His stomach churned, hearing those whimpers from those little girls struck him in the heart, how could he be so cold-hearted? “You’re right mother, that wasn’t the best choice of words,” he admitted. Queenie’s eyes sparked a little bit, perhaps her son was finally taking the right step- “That’s why I’m going to spend so much fortune on Pomni and gift her anything she could ever ask for without commenting on the boring stuff she likes!”

Queenie’s face fell. Nope, Jax was still up his own ass.

.

.

.

The minute Jax was back in his room, he started writing a list. He wrote down everything he knew about how to woo a woman, and as someone who was quite popular with the ladies, he felt pretty confident with his abilities. Truly, he was a master of his craft. Once he was satisfied with his plan, he got to work, with Motley watching the trainwreck preparing itself from afar.

Firstly, he went to the best broker he could find and purchased the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind diamond that he had ever seen in his life. It was just as striking as Pomni’s perfect eyes. He had a servant deliver it to her, content that within a day’s time she would be coming to the castle to visit him. However, the servant had come back and instead of his jester, he returned with news that Pomni had sold the diamond to a local jewellery shop, where it was smashed to pieces and turned into lovely necklaces for the other women of the village.

Okay, so she wasn’t a fan of shiny things. It doesn’t matter, he still had a few plans up his sleeve.

Next, he took out a deposit of his spendings (it was at least enough to buy ten castles) and requested it to be sent to Pomni in her name for her to do what she pleased with it. His heart skipped a beat when he found out she accepted it, only for him to choke on his tongue when he found out that she had donated it all to the orphanage of the village. The only thing he received from her was a note telling him to ‘do something beneficial with his spendings since he had so much of it’.

He swooned over the fact that his little jester was so charitable, but he couldn’t ignore the irritation that came with it! He was going further beyond for her, yet she wouldn’t even spare a glance at him. What else did he have to do to make her notice him?!

It continued like that, he would send her the most lavish, expensive gifts that would make any man or woman swoon, and every single time she either gave it away or returned it. Jax was starting to get on his last nerve, she was going to notice his affections one way or another. He still had one more plan, and if this didn’t work (which it would!) then he was truly at a loss.

The next day, he gave instructions to the royal announcer. A royal banquet was going to be held at the castle tonight, with Jax wanting nothing more than to have Pomni to be his plus one for the evening. Maybe it was a bit of a jerk move to announce this publicly, but he was just so desperate to see her again, he was willing to do anything just to catch a glimpse of her lovely face.

He awaited patiently, so sure that his plan was going to work. When the announcer came back, there was a smug grin on the prince’s lips, expecting for him to say that his jester would be attending tonight. However, the situation was much more different than the prince had hoped. When the news went out to the public that Prince Jax wanted to invite Pomni to the banquet, she had merely given the announcer a simple bow and replied:

“I appreciate the invitation, but I will have to decline the prince’s offer and his lack of planning ahead.”

Jax felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach.

She rejected his invite! In public no less! It was one thing to reject an invite to such a regal occasion, but to reject a royal? That was the biggest humiliation that anyone could ever do to royalty! It would leave a mark on his reputation! The only prince known in all the lands to be rejected for all the kingdom to see.

And this is where it left him now, alone at the banquet, swirling a glass of wine as he mumbled to himself. “It was the diamond, I should’ve gotten her the ruby,” he muttered under his breath, “Diamonds are overrated anyways. I don’t understand, I’m great with courting, how could anyone-”

“You know, you can tap a cocoon as many times as you want, the butterfly still won’t come out,” he jumped at the sound of his mother’s voice as she walked up to him.

“Mother,” he gasped, “You can’t keep surprising me like that!”

“Just like how you can’t keep pushing this girl to be with you,” Queenie crossed her arms over her chest, “Honestly Jax. Out of all the ideas you have had in your entire life, announcing to the public to make Pomni join you for tonight has got to be your most ridiculous one yet! Honestly, I don’t blame her for rejecting you, someone had to hit you with common sense eventually!”

“I-I, but!” Jax stammered, but deep down he knew his mother was right. Karma had to hit him eventually, and it hit him with the most alluring, beautiful, one-of-a-kind songbird that fluttered into his heart, only for her to be completely out of his reach. He sighed, “I just… I never felt this way for anyone before.”

“Really?! I couldn’t tell with the way you were constantly making a fool of yourself!” she ignored Jax’s gaping mouth towards her, continuing her speech. “She has expressed to you multiple times that she isn’t interested with what you have to offer Jax! Either you cease these attempts or you actually find something that will let her see you in a different light!”

“How?! If this is all that I can offer her, then it’s already too late for me. You know it, you see it! I’m nothing but a reckless prince who keeps ruining things for myself,” Jax’s shoulder’s tensed, taking a breath while feeling his heart twist in his chest as his eyes drifted down to the ground. “For the first time something finally good came my way and I already messed it up. But I don’t want to let her go.”

Queenie’s shoulders sagged, her face twisting somberly, “You already have so many good things Jax. I wish you could see it too.”

Jax was about to open his mouth to ask what she meant, but Queenie was already walking away. He stared at the wine in his cup, watching the bubbles rise to the top. Through the glass, he could see the other guests spying on him, whispering to one another while pointing at him.

He knew they were talking about his most recent blunder with Pomni, and as much as it hurt, it wasn’t the first time the upper class had gossiped about him. Even before his pranks, before his reputation as the ‘disaster heir of Laphria’, ever since he was a child every lord, duke and count always had their opinions and comments about of him, none of them friendly.

Jax scoffed at them, he didn’t care. At least now that he was older he had a reason for them to talk nothing but rubbish about him, instead of simply being a child.

He took a swig of his wine, it was going to be a long night.

.

.

.

My nana says I have travelling feet

Travelling feet, travelling feet

Slippers for princesses don't fit me

But I dance to my own drum, bright and bold

And my travelling feet always get me home

Pomni strummed her guitar in the dressing room, fully decked in her costume and waiting for the performance to start later. She always got nervous before a show (especially after the public invite she received from the prince) but her music always calmed her down.

My sister says I've a restless soul

Restless soul, restless soul

Easy to catch, but I'm hard to hold

Like a song on the wind that you caught one day

I get under your skin, then I slip away

Gangle, Zooble, Moon and Ragatha were in there as well, adding the last touches to their costumes while listening to Pomni’s song. The girl had come a long way, for better and for worse, but her music was one of the things that gave the circus members hope. After what they went though, they could all use it.

I'm a map of the world and the ones before

One foot in sea and one on shore

Every step, every hope flung high

I'm a map of them all with my Irish eyes

“That’s coming along really well Pomni!” Gangle clapped as Pomni finished up.

The jester smiled, resting her head on the side of her guitar as she faced the rest of the group, “It still has some polishing but it’s becoming a new favourite of mine.”

“I’m glad you have something to focus on after that whole mess earlier,” Moon sneered at the memory of the announcer, feeling nothing but fury at the prince for trying to pressure Pomni to join him. “It took bravery to decline such a heavy offer Pomni.”

Pomni cringed, “I don’t understand, what on earth does the prince see in me for him to keep running back! I mean, you’d think he’d take a hint after what I said to him the first time I saw him! But no, he just wants to keep being annoying. Ugh, men are the worst thing in this realm.”

“Agreed,” Ragatha nodded, “Men are only born with half a brain with not a lot going on in there.”

“I don’t know,” Zooble shrugged, “Granted, women are better. But you seem pretty passionate about someone you find annoying Pomni.”

“W-what?!” Pomni stuttered, nearly dropping the guitar, “What is that supposed to mean?!”

“You know, if you really hate him Pomni you wouldn’t be talking about him this much,” Zooble grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Gangle gasped, an excited grin gracing her mask, “It’s true! Pomni, you can say you like him, we won’t judge!”

“I-I, no! I don’t ­like him! That’s absurd!” Pomni stuck her tongue out in disgust.

“Exactly, there’s no way that prince even deserves Pomni,” Ragatha nodded.

“Honestly, you and Zooble might be so head over heels with one another that you both are making up stories in your head!” Moon frowned, shaking her head.

“Or maybe we’re able to see the obvious,” Zooble chuckled.

“No! No! You don’t see anything!” Pomni squeaked. “Besides, Jax is not my type at all! He’s so loud and rude. And has a terrible sense of humour. And struts as if he owns the place. And he has untamed, wild eyes…that shine. And he’s always smiling no matter what’s thrown his way. And his smile, its so…” She trailed off, whipping her head up when she noticed Zooble’s shit eating grin, Gangle’s giddy face and the shocked looks that Ragatha and Moon shared. “…It’s so annoying! I mean come on!”

Her eyes darted between everyone, no one was buying her excuse. “I’m getting some air!” she huffed, setting her guitar down and running out of the dressing room.

Once she was at a good distance, she climbed the nearest rope connected to the ceiling, balancing and swinging on it slightly before jumping onto a nearby trapeze swing. She sighed with relief, despite her anxiety, the vertigo from being up so high was enough to distract her. She smiled a little bit, from up here she could see half of behind the tent and the audience were starting to flood the seats.

Her mind went back to what Zooble said, more so what they said about Jax. Her?! Like him?! How could she ever like him?! They were so different and he oozed nothing but a ‘higher than thou’ attitude, something she despised. She hated him, yup that was her final verdict, she hated him.

But unfortunately Gangle was right, she couldn’t get him out of here head.

She groaned, why couldn’t the rabbit prince get out of her head?!

“Did you hear about Prince Jax?”

Pomni perked up, looking down at the crowd. There was a group of young adults around her age, from the fine fabrics and jewels they wore that had to be belonging to quite prestigious families.

There were two young women and men, each one of them wearing vicious smirks. “This has to be his most embarrassing blunder yet.”

Pomni frowned, she didn’t like their tones at all.

“As if he wasn’t an embarrassment enough,” the first man sneered, “Honestly, I can’t believe that the crown will be going to him.”

“Marriage into the crown is the only saving quality of that man,” the first woman giggled, “That and his parties.”

“Imagine how low you have to sink to be like that,” the second man cackled, “Only being good for parties and nights in the sheets.”

The second woman whacked his arm with her fan, “Don’t talk about such topics in public!”

“He isn’t wrong though,” the first woman pointed out, “He was so desperate to lose his virtue, such a pig!”

Pomni’s heart sank. She only heard the village talk about the prince, his recklessness and pranks and all that, but was this how the upper crust talked about him? He probably had to spend every day with these types of people coming into the castle, did he hear every bit of it in the hallways?

“What else do we expect from an orphan bastard,” the second man sneered, “Only taken in because the royal family felt pity for him. Only one with peasant blood could act so foolishly.”

Pomni saw red. That was the final straw. To think so lowly of someone just because they had no blood relation to royalty, out of all the things to not like about the prince, that was what they hated the most?! He couldn’t control not being born into status! And each comment that they made was an indirect insult to the king and queen taking in a child from the kindness of their hearts!

In fact, having this knowledge made her understand Jax a little bit more, was this why he acted out the way he did? From hearing these comments all the time? After all, she knew better than anyone about being taken care of by someone with no blood connected to them, she didn’t know if she would even be here today if it wasn’t for Kaufmo.

She glared at the ignorant cluster below her, she wasn’t going to let them get away with this.  

She looked up, on the platform next to Moon and Sun’s tightrope, she could see the bucket of water that was typically dumped onto Kaufmo’s head at the beginning of his act. She titled the swing, giving it a bit of momentum before swing over onto the tightrope. She jumped, balancing carefully before tiptoeing over to the platform. She picked up the bucket of water, searched for the group again before dumping the water over them, soaking their clothes and makeup.

They let out ear-piercing screeches, demanding who did this. Pomni jumped back onto her swing, hidden in the shadows as she bit back a giggle. That would teach them a lesson for their vile little words.

She froze when she heard a throat clear, looking back behind the tent, she saw Kaufmo with his arms crossed while frowning. Damn it, he saw what she did.

“Uh…the water was dirty?” she gave him a nervous laugh.

His face didn’t move a muscle. Oh I’m in big trouble “I’m sorry Pa.”

.

.

.

There was so much smoke.

So much fire.

She couldn’t breathe, the smoke was too much.

There was no one there.

Where did everyone go?

She couldn’t be alone.

She can’t be alone.

“Ma!”

There was no answer.

No body

No life.

“Ma where are you?!”

Pomni woke in a cold sweat. She took in her surroundings, she was in the inn, sleeping after another show. She wasn’t a five-year-old girl anymore, she wasn’t stuck in a burning town with faded memories. She was here, she was safe.

She rubbed her face, the nightmares would always change, but they would never become dreams and they would never go away. There had been nights while she was more than willing to sacrifice her sleep, but it only resulted in passing out during the middle of the day. Nothing but a viscous cycle that she couldn’t escape from.

She contemplated getting her guitar out, but she didn’t want to risk waking anyone. She hated it when she got like this, she was nothing but a burden that everyone else was forced to carry. She was weak and stupid and a coward and-

Smash!

She screamed when the glass of her window smashed, a hooded figure climbing in with a knife and rope.

Pomni’s stomach sank. No, no I can’t go back.

She reached under her pillow, pulling out a knife of her own. The hooded man came forward to hit her, she blocked his attack and kicked him away. He let out a yell as he was pushed back. Pomni jumped off the bed as he began to stand back up, slashing her knife on her arms every time he lunged to her.

She raised her knife again, only for her door to be kicked down by another figure. They grabbed her arms, forcing her to drop the knife. The first stranger handed the rope to his associate as they reached into their pockets for something else. “Thought you had her under control,” the second figure spat.

“Don’t blame me,” the first one retorted, “Caine didn’t say how much of a spitfire she was.”

The name sent a shiver down Pomni’s spine. “Help! Somebody hel-” her cries were cut off when the first figure wrapped a gag around her mouth, muffling her screams.

“The pay before make up for this,” the second growled, “I got every mind to cut this little bitch’s fingers off.”

“Easy, Caine said he wanted her in one piece,” the first told him, “Just keep your eyes on the prize and we’ll be fine.”

Pomni heard more screams and crashes coming from outside her room. The others, they were in danger to. She tried to escape from her captor’s hold, but they were too strong as they wrapped the rope around her wrists and dragged out of the room.

She paled as she saw the rest of the circus crew being dragged out of their rooms, with staff members of the inn trying to stop them. In the midst of the ruckus, her captors managed to drag her away and outside into the pouring rain. The first figure pulled him onto his horse, with the second one hoisting Pomni behind him.

“Remember,” the second one spoke, “Meet Caine in the middle of the woods, that’s where he’s doing the pick-up.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” the first nodded, whipping his reigns and taking off.

Pomni could only struggle as she watched the inn grow smaller and smaller, while her heart spiked and panic washed over her.

She can’t be a prisoner again.

She can’t let that happen.

She won’t let that happen.

.

.

.

The royal family was awoken in the middle of the night, an emergency was afoot and it needed their full attention.

Jax rubbed sleep from his eyes as he followed his parents into the throne room. This had better be good if he was rudely awoken.

“Your majesties,” a guard bowed, “The innkeeper has requested immediate help, her inn is under attack.”

The fur on Jax’s neck stood, that’s where Pomni was.

“Word has it that they call themselves the gloinks, a group of bounty hunters that has raided many kingdoms before,” the guard continued, “We managed to send over as many as we could to arrest them and they managed to intervene before anyone was hurt. But one already got away with a victim.”

No, no, no, no, no, no. Please don’t tell me its-

“They took the jester from the circus.”

Jax was numb, the rest of the world falling silent.

From the corner of his eye, he could see his parents worrying and giving out instructions of what to do. But Jax? He already had a plan. Get Pomni back.

And so, he ran.

“Jax!” Kinger yelled out to him, “Jax!”

“Jax where are you going?!” Queenie shouted.

He ignored them, he had to. Someone kidnapped Pomni, and they were going to pay.

He ran all the way to the stables, pulling a nearby coat off the rack as he took out his horse. He didn’t bother with a saddle, he had ridden plenty of times without one. Maybe he would get in trouble for disobeying his parents later, but he didn’t care. What mattered right now was Pomni’s safety.

He took hold off his horse’s mane as he took off, running out of the stables and towards the gate.

“Open the gate!” he shouted to whoever was there.

At his command, they opened.

“Come on boy,” he told his horse, “We gotta go!”

The horse galloped faster and faster, running past the gates and into the town.

He had to pick up the pace, Pomni’s captor was probably reaching the edge of the village. There was one thing he knew, tonight, he was getting Pomni back.

.

.

.

Pomni struggled with her binds, her kidnapper’s horse was starting to near the forest. She couldn’t go back to Caine, not when freedom was at her grasp. She closed her eyes and focused, blue mist levitating from her hands. She focused on the knot on the rope, letting the mist carefully pull it out. It took time and patience, but she managed to get it to slip out.

She pulled the rope off, taking the gag off and was about to jump off the horse when an arm grabbed her. “Oh no you don’t!” her captor growled, “You ain’t getting away that easily!”

“I’m not going back!” she screamed, “You can tell Caine to go fuck himself!”

She raised a hand, scratching him in the face, leaving behind three bleeding streaks across his skin. “You stupid cunt!” he screamed.

He struck Pomni across the face. The momentum sending her off the horse, hitting the back of her head on a rock. “Fuck!” he jumped off, going over to her, “Shit, Caine’s gonna kill me!”

“Not before I kill you first.”

A fist grabbed the back of the captor’s hood, and he met the striking yellow and furious eyes of Prince Jax. He swore death was staring right back at him.

Jax used his other hand to grab the captor by the throat, lifting him above the ground. Jax grinned as he watched writhe in pain, scratching at his hands for air. He felt no mercy for this son of a bitch, he put his filthy hands on Pomni. He was going to pay. He slammed the captor against a tree, his head collecting with the trunk as he passed out. Jax threw him to the ground, he would deal with him later. There were more important matters at hand.

“Pomni!” he rushed over to her, kneeling to the ground and putting her head on his lap. When he pulled his hand away, his heart twisted as the sight of blood on his fingertips. Carefully lifting her head, he saw a nasty gash bleeding in the back of her head. He had to get her to a healer and fast. He pulled his jacket off, tearing off a sleeve and wrapped it round her add, making sure it applied pressure to the wound and ceased the bleeding.

He slid his arms under her waist and back, pulling her into his embrace and let her head rest on his shoulder as he stood. He carried her over to his horse, lifting them both up as he cradled her. He could see the rest of the guards coming, they could deal with her captor. For now, Pomni needed medical attention.

Without missing a beat, his horse tore off back to the castle, Jax keeping one hand on his mane and the other wrapped around Pomni to steady her. “Come on boy, come on!” he grunted, the horse snorting back as he ran as fast as he could.

Relief flooded him the moment the castle gates were in sight, opening at the first sight of the prince. Jax jumped off the horse as he slowed to a spot, keeping Pomni in his arms as he ran to the doors of the castle.

The guards positioned outside immediately opening the doors once they saw the royal and the injured jester, not wasting a moment so he could get her inside.

“Medic! I need a medic!” Jax yelled out, running up the marbled stairs.

The servants rushed out at the sound of the prince’s voice, gasping at the sight of Pomni and led them both quickly to a guest room.

Jax gently lay her on the plush bed, a few maids rushing over with bowls of water and towels. “She hit her head,” he told them, “I tried to add pressure to stop the blood but I’m not sure if it did enough.”

He unwrapped the makeshift bandage, tossing it aside before grabbing one of the wet towels to press it against the wound. A maid took it from him, pressing against it instead. He didn’t want to stand there doing nothing, Pomni was hurt and he was hanging around like a useless fly. “Blankets, do we have blankets?!” he turned to another servant, fear and desperation in his eyes.

They must’ve noticed, for they didn’t waste time pointing to a nearby cupboard. Jax rushed over, pulling out every blanket he could find and placed it on Pomni’s shivering body. “Hang in there Pomni,” his hands began to shake, there was more blood. He couldn’t lose her, not after treating her the way he did. His mother was right, now he was paying the price.

A doctor rushed in, medical bag in hand and ready to get to work. Jax’s stomach flipped when he heard Pomni letting out a whimper in her unconscious state. “Be careful with her!” he growled.

He felt a hand pulling him back by the shoulder, he flinched, shoving it away, only to soften that it was his father with his mother behind him. “Pomni is in good with hands with the doctor,” Kinger placed his hand back on Jax’s shoulder, “You got her here in time, let him do his work.”

“I can’t do nothing,” Jax interrupted, “Not when she’s hurt like this! I have to, I need to-”

“Ma,”

Everyone turned to the voice. Pomni wasn’t awake, but a tear slid down her cheek as she shifted in her slumber. “Ma,” her voice cracked, “Ma I’m stuck. Where are you?”

Jax’s heart shattered into a million pieces. Seeing and hearing Pomni so vulnerable, stripped of the glam and sass she wore, leaving behind a broken and frightened person instead. It made the guilt ten times worse. He felt himself sway, his head was pounding and his heart was threatening to burst out of his chest from how hard it was beating. Queenie immediately noticed, already wrapping her arms around her son and led him to a cushioned chair in the corner of the room.

“Pomni, she needs my help, she…” he murmured.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’ve done enough,” Queenie reassured him, running a hand over his ears, “Rest, she’s going to be okay.”

Jax wanted to protest, to insist that he was fine, to be by Pomni’s side. But the promise of sleep was too strong to ignore. And so, he shut his eyes. He’d wake up later, then he would help Pomni.

.

.

.

Kaufmo couldn’t stop trembling. When the inn was under attack, he was roughly grabbed out of his bed and shoved against a wall, leaving him with a bleeding forehead and a black eye. The blood was ringing in his ears and his vision was blurred, but what he did notice was Pomni screaming and tied up as she was dragged away.

He wanted to reach out for her, to give hell to those who hurt his kid, but the pain was too much and his attacker was too strong to escape from. Just hearing the cries of his family, and the fear of…him finding them. It was too much.

He thanked whatever god was up there when the palace guards came, saving them from the gloinks. But it was short-lived, with Pomni being the first thing on his mind. Out of everyone in the circus, it was his kid who had the highest bounty on her head.

He nearly cried when the news of Pomni being safe at the castle arrived to him, but what shocked him was who saved her. Prince Jax. Never in all his days did he think that the arrogant prince would care for anyone’s wellbeing other than his own. Nevertheless, Pomni was Kaufmo’s first priority, he wanted to get to the castle as soon as possible.

And this was where he stood now, in the throne room with the rest of the circus behind him, all praying for Pomni to be okay. The king and queen trekked into the room, Kaufmo running as soon as he saw them. “Where’s Pomni? What happened to her? Is she okay?” tears were streaming down his face, but he didn’t care, his kid was all that mattered.

“It’s okay,” Queenie spoke, “Pomni is safe, she hit her head but we had a doctor attend to her and she is recovering in a guest room.”

Kaufmo let out a giant sigh of relief. All tension leaving him the second the news was told to him. Pomni was okay, they got to her in time.

“However it does leave a question,” Kinger said, his tone serious and avoid of any other emotion, “Why were the gloinks targeting Pomni directly? What’s going on with you all?”

Kaufmo paled, the rest of the circus matching his expression. They had a feeling that after what happened, this question would arise. After all, this wasn’t a normal attack. The gloinks were infamous for their bounty hunting, always demanding the highest pay for whoever that had to go after. So why go after a simple jester?

“Kaufmo?” Ragatha walked towards him, placing a hand on his back, a silent question if he really wanted to get into this mess.

“It’s okay, they have to know,” Kaufmo took a breath to prepare himself, he could so this. “Our circus wasn’t always like this, and I wasn’t always the ringmaster. Many years ago, I wanted to be a clown for my whole life. Performing in a circus was always my dream. But no matter who I went to, they would never hire me. I was going to give up until I met a man named Caine. He was starting a circus of his own and he had everything, except a clown. He practically hired me on the spot, I was so excited that I was willing to look past any warning that were blaring.

It was fine at first, the audience liked my jokes, it was good pay and I got to travel all over the land. However, after a year of being there, I was ready to go home and see my family. But when I tried to leave, that was when I saw Caine’s true colours. The moment I stepped out of that tent, I was attacked by Caine’s hunters. It was then when I learned that no one could leave, and even if you tried, Caine would send his men after you. Either you get attacked, but if you attempted to leave multiple times…I know many members who chose death rather than stay.”

“That’s how Caine tricks people,” Moon spoke up, “He offered me a home for me and my brother. I even fell in love with him. But when I saw what he was doing, I tried to get help. I made it about three feet before his hunters came after me.”

“He said he would help my family,” Ragatha rubbed her arm nervously, “We were poor and he said he would pay for anything as long as I stayed in the circus. I haven’t seen my family in five years.”

“I wanted to run away with the circus, escape from the harm that was in my town,” Gangle sniffed, Zooble wrapped an arm around her, “I never thought how much worse it could get.”

“It went on like that for so long,” Kaufmo continued. “For years we were nothing but puppets for Caine as he fed off our talents. If we weren’t sleeping, we were either rehearsing or performing. And if we showed the slightest sign of fatigue, he’d unleash his fury on us. It only got worse when Pomni arrived. Pomni…I’ll let her tell her story. But she was the youngest out of all of us. She was five when Caine stole her. I took her under my wing, protecting her from Caine. But Pomni was different than the rest of us, her talents are…unique to say the least. It was what attracted audiences however, and as long as Pomni had that power, there was no way Caine was ever going to let her go.

“That was where I came in,” Zooble spoke up. “When the circus arrived in my area, I already had my suspicions. That was when I met Gangle, she told me what happened and I knew I couldn’t do nothing. So I came up with a plan to get them out. I would pretend that I wanted to be in Caine’s show while trying to get everyone out. It took a few buddies of mine and some help from my village, but it worked.”

“We managed to get the enforcers of the town and alert them of what was happening and then managed to detain Caine…at least for a while,” Kaufmo’s face fell. “A while ago, we heard news that Caine had managed to escape, but what really scared us the most was that he didn’t want any of us. Just Pomni. She was irreplaceable, so we’ve been on the run ever since. As long as Caine’s out there, none of us are free.”

Queenie and Kinger stood there, shellshock keeping them frozen in place. How could anyone react any differently to that information?! They wanted to so badly to ask about Pomni, but they knew that they shouldn’t pry her story from others. It was hers and only hers to share. “I appreciate you telling us this, I can’t imagine what you all have gone through,” Queenie told them, nothing but kindness and sincerity in her tone.

“Rest assured,” Kinger straightened up, “We will do everything in our power to make sure Caine doesn’t come near you ever again.”

“But how?!” Kaufmo cried out, “We’ve done everything in our power to get rid of him and he still manages a way to find us! We’re lucky to be alive at this point!”

“Believe my husband and I when I say that Caine will not get away with these crimes,” Queenie informed them. “For your safety, including Pomni’s, we advise you to stay within the castle walls under Caine is no longer a threat. Our soldiers are highly trained to deal with these types of threats. Worry not, your freedom is going to be granted soon.”

Kaufmo opened his mouth and closed it. Freedom? Was it really that possible for him? Would his daughter finally be rid of that monster? Maybe he was getting his hopes up, but by the end of the day, it was still hope. And as long as Pomni was safe, he would take it. “Thank you, your majesties, thank you,” Kaufmo shuddered, feeling a sense of happiness he hadn’t felt in a long time.”

“Of course,” Kinger nodded, “Once Pomni has arisen, we’ll let you see her. As for now, we’ll have your belongings transferred over to the castle. Please, breathe, you are all safe here.”

The circus members looked to one another, was it really possible? Would they finally have a life without fear? All they knew was one thing, as long as Caine didn’t get his hands on Pomni, then they could all finally breathe.

.

.

.

Pomni stirred lightly, her head thundering with pain. She was half tempted to go back to sleep, this bed was the softest she had ever slept in. She eyes shot open, the bed at the inn wasn’t normally this soft. When the bleariness cleared, she could see that she was laid upon the most luxurious sheets she had ever slept in, along with sleek silky pillows that cooled the heat rising upon her flushed skin. As her eyes travelled, they landed upon red wallpaper with embroidered gold stems and leaves, her gaze drifted to the side as she spied some type of curtains tied to each side of the bed.

She lifted herself up into a sitting position, ignoring her throbbing head as she took in more of her surroundings. She was still wondering how she got here, in fact, her memories were just as fuzzy in her. Then, in a flash, it came back to her.

The nightmares.

The break in.

The cries of her family.

The fear of seeing Caine.

The agony of her head hitting the rock…

And then Jax was there. His touch soft and his voice gentle as he lifted her and carried her back to the castle. Jax…saved me.

Pomni turned, gasping faintly as she saw the prince in a chair next to her. The castle she realised to herself I’m in the castle. Jax’s head was resting on the side of the bed as his breathing evenly flowed in and out. She smiled a bit, he looked so innocent like this. Stripped of his brashness and confidence, a small glimpse of Jax was peeking out to her. She was half tempted to brush her fingers through the fur of his ears, but quickly decided against that. He was a prince for goodness’ sake, how improper would that be.

She flinched at the sound of small pattering feet. She had a feeling she was safe due to the heavy protection surrounding the castle, but even that couldn’t keep the nerves at bay. She held the blankets closer to her, as though they would act as some sort of shield. All that worry melted away into awe once she saw the sweet brown eyes of a kitten starting up at her as he wandered into the room.

“Aw!” she cooed, “Hi little kitty!”

The kitten meowed, his tail wagging slowly as he made his way over to the jester. Pomni patted the bed, gesturing for the feline to come up. His claws caught into the sheets, making his way up until he joined Pomni on the mattress. Unable to resist, she scooped his up into her arms, with the little kitten rubbing his head against her cheek as he purred. “You’re just the sweetest little thing, aren’t you?” she scratched behind his ears.

Mew

She pressed a small kiss on his nose, he was just so cute!

Unbeknownst to the duo, the movement and noise that they were making made the prince stir a bit.  

Jax let out a low grumble, the back of his neck aching after sleeping in this horrible position. But he didn’t want to leave Pomni’s side for a moment. Just in case she woke up or something happened to her in her sleep. No, he had to be here. Even if he resigned himself to sleep in a terrible way, Pomni mattered more.

He could feel something move next to him, along with the sound of coos and tiny meows. Wait a minute, he recognised those meows. He straightened up immediately, ignoring the neck ache. Pomni jumped at how quickly got up, hugging Motley closer to her.

“You’re awake!” Jax’s mouth split into a relieved grin, “Are you okay, nothing hurts does it? Do you need anything? Another blanket, water?”

Pomni blinked with confusion at the prince’s many questions. He seemed so…sweet? He did save her life, but still, seeing this side of him was so jarring. “Um, I’m fine thanks,” she smiled awkwardly.

He ran to the door, not wanting to waste a single moment longer, “Doctor! She’s awake!”

It wasn’t long before the doctor came in, checking her over and making sure she was alright, informing her about her extended stay in the castle and the search for Caine. However, all her focus seemed to be on Jax. When the doctor asked for a cool towel for her flushed face, Jax was eager to fetch it. When a breeze through the window made her shiver, he was quick to close it. And when the maid was setting up a tray of breakfast for her, Jax dropped everything to help her. Even the servants and doctors seemed perplexed by his behaviour. What happened to the mischievous prince who made sure to make his crudeness his reputation?

When the buzz died down, the doctor informed Pomni to stay in bed and that he would fetch her family.

Her family. They were safe, it relieved some tension that she didn’t even know she had. It was when Jax turned to leave that she did something that puzzled both of them. “Wait!” she called out. The prince turned back, did she want him to stay? “I-I just…why did you save me?”

Jax was taken aback by that question, staring at her as though the answer was obvious, “I couldn’t just let them take you. Bounty hunters invaded my kingdom and kidnapped one of our visitors. Besides, you hold value to your family and circus. They need you in their lives.”

“R-right, well what I wanted to say was…thank you,” her smile made his heart turn to melted gold. So soft yet so delicate and beautiful. It was burned into the prince’s memory.

“Y-you’re welcome Pomni,” Jax stuttered, sitting himself back down on the chair. He gulped, not once in his life did he get so tongue-tied over another person. It was certainly an interesting feeling to say the least. “And I should apologise for sending you those gifts and the announcement in the town square. Please believe me when I say that I didn’t aim to make you uncomfortable. How does my mother put it? My heart can be bigger than my brain sometimes. But I’m sorry that you had to witness it.”

It was Pomni’s turn to be taken aback. She had never heard words so genuine and sincere, especially with it coming from someone she always saw as pompous and crude. She cleared her throat, “I appreciate the apology your highness. It may take me a while to fully forgive you, but you’ve made a good start already.”

“Jax,” he said.

She hummed questioningly.

“Call me Jax,” he clarified.

“Oh! Well, thank you Jax,” she ran her fingers along the kitten’s fur, listening to him purr to fill the pleasant silence.

“Ah, I see you met Motley,” Jax poked the feline’s nose.

“Motley?” Pomni tilted her head.

“My cat,” he clarified.

Pomni let out a gasp, excitement washing over her. “This is your cat?!” she beamed, holding the kitten up to her face, “He’s adorable.” She pressed little kisses over his small face, Motley purring louder at the affection.

Jax grumbled, ignoring the twinge of jealously, “He’s an obnoxious little shit.”

Pomni scoffed at him, “No he’s not! He’s a sweet little gentleman.”

“He broke in here and decided that this place was gonna be his home,” Jax retorted back, “I didn’t get a say in the matter.”

“But how could you say no to this cute face?” Pomni held Motley closer to Jax’s face, the kitten pressing a paw to the prince’s nose.”

“He’s quite…persuading. But you won’t like him when he’s taking a bath, trust me,” Jax said.

Pomni rolled her eyes, cuddling the kitten again. Jax smiled softly, it was sweet to see her bonding with Motley, after what happened she could use this little interaction to help lift her spirits.

They paused for a moment, Jax letting Pomni take small bites of her breakfast while he prepared some tea for her. He had requested chamomile from the maids, it was what helped him for whenever he had a sick day and he hoped it would help Pomni as well. Once Pomni’s plate was cleared, he gently put the mug in her hands and took away the breakfast tray. She hummed appreciatively at the warm drink, watching Jax’s carefully stack everything together and taking it to the door. It was quite the sight to see, a prince waiting beck and call for a commoner. But she wasn’t complaining, it was rather comforting to be taken care of.

Throughout the silence, simple questions being traded back and forth between the two. “So tell me, how do you know so much about flowers?” Jax asked, “You know, after my abysmal attempt of trying to give some to you.”

Pomni laughed, it was quite funny looking back at it now, “My ma-…my family always loved flowers, they taught me everything there was to know about them. My favourite was always roses, it might be cliché but there are so many meanings to come out of one flower depending on the colour.”

“I see,” Jax murmured, even the smallest thing about Pomni meant the world to him. She was just so fascinating.

“And you,” Pomni spoke, “What is your favourite pastime?”

“Well…I have a passion for reading,” he told her, “Ever since I was young I’ve always had a fondness for books about adventures and swashbuckling pirates! Every page was a new journey and I wanted to devour it all! I wanted to live that life more than ever.”

“That does sound amazing,” she mused, “I haven’t been to a library in so long…” she trailed off. Jax’s face fell slightly, reaching his hand out to her. Pomni noticed the sudden change in mood and smiled again, “But it’s alright, I’m sure I will one day.”

Jax nodded, keeping her sentence locked in his mind. He’d have to come back to that later.

Pomni bit her lip, another question had been burning at the back of her mind and it had made her more curious than she thought she should be. She turned to Jax, “I have to ask, why did you want to see me so badly? What did I do that made you so infatuated?”

Jax blinked, resting his arms on his legs as he clasped his hands together. He took a breath, his face serious as he answered her, “I know it might sound ridiculous, and you’re allowed to laugh. But in all honesty, it was your voice.”

Pomni perked up, her eyes wide, “My voice?”

“Yeah,” Jax nodded, “The moment you started singing, I just wanted to know more about you. You were telling a story simply through song, but you were only telling the first chapter. I got impatient and wanted to read more. From the first note, I knew that there was more to you that I had to know. I just…didn’t go about it the right way at first.” He let out a nervous chuckled, only to freeze when he saw a tear slide down her cheek. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you!”

“No, no, you didn’t,” she let out a choked laugh, wiping the tear away, “In fact, you said exactly what I needed to hear.”

Motley rubbed his head against her arm, offering as much comfort as possible. Jax placed his hand on hers, “Pomni, if I act or say anything stupid just say the word. I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m a massive idiot.”

Pomni giggled, her face twisting into one of mock surprise, “Really, I had no idea!”

Jax rolled his eyes fondly, “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up short stack.”

She snorted, about to say another word when the room was suddenly flooded by the circus members. Each one of them fretting over her and checking if she was okay. “Guys! I’m fine!” she reassured them, Motley scrambling out of the crowd and ran over to Jax.

The rabbit picked him up, giving the circus cast their space as they reunited with Pomni. “You scared me to death kiddo!” Kaufmo squeezed her, “I thought they got you!”

“I’m okay Pa,” she rested her head on his shoulder, “I gave them a piece of my mind before Jax saved me.”

Kaufmo froze, slowly turning to the prince. “You saved my kid?” he asked.

Jax gulped, he still hadn’t forgotten the clown’s terrifying threat, “Yes?”

Kaufmo hummed in thought, it seemed that he judged the prince a bit too harshly. But only a little bit, he didn’t regret chewing him out. “Thank you, your highness,” he gave Jax a simple bow, “It’s good to know that our safety is taken seriously by you.”

“O-of course,” Jax stuttered. He had fought and won battles against much more frightening opponents, how did a clown seem worse than that?

Kaufmo turned his attention back to Pomni, running his hand over her wound and cringing at the sight. He sat on the bed next to Pomni, the girl leaning into her father’s hug as the rest of the circus members watched over them.

Jax decided to take this as a que to leave and give them their privacy. He was just about to head out the room when he was stopped by Pomni’s voice, “Jax!”

He paused, turning back to her.

“Thank you, again,” Pomni smiled at him, “For what you did.”

Jax grinned, feeling a sense of pride fill him. But it wasn’t the usual arrogance he’d come to expect, there was a warmth to it, and a flutter of butterflies in his stomach. Holding Motley in one arm, he gave the jester a bow, “Always. If you’d like, once you’ve recovered, I could give you a tour of the castle?”

“I’d like that,” Pomni nodded.

And with that, Jax took his leave, fully aware of the stabbing glares of Kaufmo, Moon and Ragatha on his back, never did he expect to feel such danger from a circus crew.

Pomni bit her lip shyly, fisting the sheets below her hands before looking up to meet Gangle’s giddy smile and Zooble’s teasing gaze. “So, you got yourself a date with the prince huh?” Zooble chortled.

“S-shut up!” Pomni threw a pillow at him, making them laugh harder. She sighed, that prince really wormed himself into her heart, didn’t he?

Song Credit: Irish Eyes by Rose Betts

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Redacted Incorrect Quotes Pt. ?

Haha you really thought my lazy ass was gonna work on WIPs? Nah. Have some redacted incorrect quotes based on tweets I saw, either on the app or screenshots of.

No I don’t care if the dashes are uneven.

Redacted Masterlist

----

Angel: *Flirting poorly with Davey at the grocery store* Hey so do you eat food often?

----

Sweetheart: Curious George is not a monkey because he has no tail. He is an ape. He will grow into a silverback gorilla and kill the man with the yellow hat in a display of dominance.

Milo: I’m literally just trying to read to Aggro.

-----

Milo: I love when kittens yell, but their heads are too big so they squint.

----

Guy: Roommate broke up with boyfriend that cooks for us. Excuse me while I go die.

----

Angel: In 1920 we took children out of the coal mine. In 2020 the most popular game on the market is minecraft. 

Baabe: Children yearn for mines.

-----

*3 AM*

No one:

LITERALLY no one:

Asher, in wolf form: I wonder if I can break the record with how loud I can lick my paw.

-----

Darlin: If civilization crumbles, I have a little flashlight in a drawer somewhere.

---

Sweetheart: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is about friends practicing magic but when someone walks in they have to play it cool.

Milo: No. It isn’t.

Sweetheart: *starts singing* The moon is bright, the spirits up. We’re here tonight, and that’s enough. *whispers* This is the part where someone comes in. *Continues pointedly* Simply having a wonderful christmastime!

----

Angel: My husband gives people a thumbs down instead of flicking them off when driving. He reports that a thumbs down makes them a lot more angry.

----

Adam: I would be such a good “dead wife”. Like, can you imagine how good I would look in a dead wife flashback sequence? Someone make me their “dead wife.

----

David: As a kid I thought Simba was crazy for running away after the death of Mufasa. But now watching it as an adult, I get it. It did look pretty incriminating of him leading Mufasa to that gorge. Witnesses saw him singing “I just can’t wait to be king.” A persecutor could do some real damage with that conviction.

----

Honey: I don’t like the saying “don’t speak ill of the dead”. It always struck me as disingenuous. People are multi-layered. Yes, I did light up a room. But I also stole my roommate’s milk to make mac and cheese blackout hammered. Let’s acknowledge both sides.

----

David, giving a pep talk to the pack: For anyone feeling down, just remember Velveeta cheese has been on the market since 1918. If trash cheese can succeed, so can you. And for anyone who likes Velveeta cheese, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you like trash cheese.

----

Angel: Lying awake thinking about the time I ordered a giant magikarp plush from Japan but then got refunded because the plushie got crushed under a shipping container.

----

Asher, and maybe Guy too: I’m here if you need moron support. It’s like moral support but I’m stupid.

-----

David: If I have to throw a party for my pack, it will be breakfast. Not lunch. Not dinner. It will start at 8:30 am so there is a valid reason for no one to come and I can kick them out before noon because I only promised breakfast, not lunch. The introverts will win even if it kills me.

----

Milo and Ollie: My cat has no responsibilities, but all day he walks from around the house, from room to room, with this sense of purpose, as if he has a long to-do list of tasks no one asked for. Just a weird small furry dude going about his little cat errands.

----

Freelancer: Aww my microbiome fancies some high quality fermented foods, does it? A little kombucha perhaps? I don’t give a shit. I’m a megabiome, I do what I want. I’m having a fanta lemon. I’ll swallow coins.

-----

Lovely: I would be an awesome drug dealer. Like, can you imagine? *giggles* We don’t have coke, is pepsi okay?

-----

Freelancer: Math professors be wildin like “a man tossed a coin, find the probability of him getting a head?” BRO WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GOT A H-

Huxley: I wanna reply back same to my data analytics professor so badly!!

------

David, at the pack solstice parties: I, myself, am understaffed at this time.

----

Milo with Marie watching Aggro for him:

-----

Asher: Fuck your zodiac sign, what button do you press when it says “press any button to start”

[whorangi1104]

Ghoap AU: Frozen Hearts and Electric Souls

Chapter 5: Tea

(I didn’t update last week so y’all can have this a day early)

“Mactavish.”

Shite. Soap’s face burned as he turned around and saw his lieutenant looming over him, probably the very last person he’d like to find searching their room, and a crash came from under the bed where he was looking.

“Uh, how ye doing, LT?”

“The fuck are you doing in my room?”

“Well, Cheeto ran out and went through yer cat flap, and-” *Another crash came from under the bed.

“I see. Can you not get him out?”

“He’s really far in there, and I can’t reach him.”

Soap watched as Ghost sighed and lay down on the ground, reaching under the bed and gently pulling out the reluctant prowler and handed him to Soap. looks like long arms really help in this situation. 

“Thanks, Simon.”

“Don’t call me that, sergeant.”

“Sorry sir.”

“Anything else you need, or are you done invading my room?”

“I’m finished here, sir.”

“Then you may go.”

Soap left his lieutenant's room, to see Gaz leaning against the wall a few feet away with a harpy eagle on his shoulder, grinning at him.

“You went into the lieutenant’s room, and you came out perfectly fine. Told you he’d warm up to ya.”

Soap snorted, “he paid me a visit and threatened me for lying, that’s called being warmed up to?”

“Don’t sweat it, he investigates all the recruits he has to interact with, it’s normal procedure for him by now.”

“Great, it’s real comforting that he’s got all our files memorized.”

Gaz snickers, “Well, I actually came for you to meet my prowler, Zephyr. She’s a harpy eagle.”

“Does she ever fly off?”

“Rarely, and usually only for a good reason, so she hangs around with me most of the time.”

“Does she get along with… felines?”

“Some of ‘em. Just hope for the best.”

“Yeah, my cheetah prowler is Cheeto.”

Gaz looks down at the cheetah in Soap's arms, and raises an eyebrow with a smirk, “A tiny Cheeto Puff you’ve got there, I see.”

Soap chuckles, “Maybe I should make that his last name.”

“Yeah maybe you should.”

—

Ghost checked his emails and found one with specifications on the next mission in Mexico. They were going to enlist the help of a local team along with Shadow Company, since there had supposedly been over 65 attacks by the ‘Apollyon prowlers’ as they were being called. The surprising thing was, even with so many attacks, there was little information. Appearance: blurred darkness. Speed: unknown. Size: changeable. Destruction power: limits unknown. Type: | Shadow / Mythical / Soul / Mind / Absorption / Control / Matter / Multiply / Illusion / Mystery / Shifting / Possibly More | Ghost had never seen a singular prowler with so many assets, the most basic prowlers had one, as with 78% of all prowlers, while only 13% of prowlers had 2-3, and 8.9% 4-5, and 0.1% with more. This was unheard of, even with the ability to add assets on a prowler through a difficult and long process which often took over half a century. Victims of the Apollyons were found either dead yet perfectly untouched, living as a shell of themselves, or vanished completely. No blood was ever found at the sites, the only trace left behind by the Apollyons were the cold air that they were surrounded by. Ghost considered this information, unable to connect it to any sort of leads to why they had suddenly appeared, or how the hell they were even supposed to dispose of them. What they might need was a light gifted to combat the shadow, but light only shines so far, and he didn’t know any such people anyways. His thoughts wandered to Johnny, electricity and light were similar enough, and electric bursts were more powerful than light. The fuck Shadow Company was gonna do he didn’t know, but Johnny was something, and maybe the Mexican forces could be enough. He pondered for hours before seeing that it was 1650, and went to the kitchen to make tea, where he coincidentally saw Roach, their animal gifted, also preparing his own cup with his lion prowler, Simba.

Ghost grabbed his cup from the cabinet and started filling a kettle with water, “Hello Roach.”

Roach got the tea leaves and honey, nodding in acknowledgement.

Ghost boiled the water and poured it into their cups, while taking a spoonful of honey and dissolving it into his tea. He scratched behind Simba’s ears and sat down at an empty table, rolling up his mask to his nose to enjoy his tea, 1700 on the dot. Roach sat at another table with Gaz and Price, listening in to their conversation. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor was heard as the chair opposite him was pulled out, then occupied by the new sergeant. 

“Having some five-o-clock tea, are ye?”

“Best part of the day.” Ghost eyed Soap’s drink, “Can’t say I like coffee as much though.”

“I’d say the same fer yer tea, ye fucking brits.”

“My tea doesn’t taste like shit, for one.”

“Oi! Me coffee don’ taste like shite, ay dinnae call yer tea shite tae yer face, dae ay?”

“English, Mactavish.”

“Go fuck yer tea, coffee’s great.”

“To you Scots.”

“An the res’ o’ the fuckin’ world, ye sulkin’ bastard.”

Ghost resisted the urge to roll his eyes and went back to enjoying his tea while Johnny discussed his thoughts and theories on the upcoming mission, most of which Ghost had already considered, but it was good to hear it from another perspective. Since they weren’t informed if the Mexican forces had prowler, Ghost spent most of the time listening to speculations about what kinds of prowlers they might have, including- 

“a taco lizard, why not?”

“Johnny, that’s not an animal.”

“My ma said if ay didn’t finish my food, a lizard would steal it. Legends and myth class, ya know.”

“There’s no taco lizard legend.”

“Said who? Ye an expert on legends and myths now are ye?”

“What do you even call it?”

“A taco lizard?”

“A walking taco.”

“...please no.”

“knock knock.”

“No-”

“That’s an order, sergeant.”

“...who’s there?”

“Interrupting ghost.”

“Interrupting ghost who?”

“....”

“...wow. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it.”

“Feeling stressed? Make a nice, big cup of hot tea. And use your enemies as a tea bag.”

“...what the fuck?”

“you know my dad is in the garden.”

“Really?”

“You’ll have to dig to find him though.”

“Si-”

ending on a happy note 😊

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Some replies! Mostly about our recent posts + about some hcs.

Anonymous asked:

How high do you think Idia and Ortho's record could get for an absolute max? (like, no matter how much more they practice, Idia just can't go any longer)

(related to this drawing)

Forever! To infinity and beyond! If they hit the ceiling, they should keep trying until they break it! Or something else that Ortho would say though lol

In reality, I think they wouldn’t go over 10 min... Maybe 9.46 is Idia’s limit. But he would only hit it once, his tongue gets very tired...

Anonymous asked:

Perfect Ace! Now take off his clothes and leave him there naked😈

(related to this drawing)

This honestly sounds like something Ace would do. It’s a matter what’s going to win in his head: his desire to humiliate Riddle or his desire to do something else to Riddle~

thestarlightfae asked:

What happened between Ace and Riddle before this?

I think Ace fucked Riddle’s shit up, i.e. beat the shit out of him...

Anonymous asked:

"He would survive a horror game, his ego wouldn’t."

Lol

(quoting this post)

Leona’s ego is legendary lol But not the strongest out there!

Anonymous asked:

Seeing you talk about Mufasa/Scar during the Faleleo ask reminded me of how sexually charged the scene where Mufasa confronted Scar on his absence at Simba’s party thing was 😩

Spiciness aside I’m actually really curious to know if you have a favourite among the movies that the TWST boys are based off! Such as Alice in Wonderland, Lion King, Little Mermaid etc.

(related to this post)

Anon, it was very sexually charged. We just rewatched it the other day, and I giggled as if it was my first time seeing it. Never gets fucking old, absolute perfection.

To answer your question! It’s ironic considering me not really liking Leona, but The Lion King is my absolute all-time favourite, and Scar is my most favourite Disney villain. That’s very basic of me, but I can’t help it: as much as I love all of them and absolutely adore some of them, the petty cat is unbeatable.

Some others faves would be Hercules, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty. Of course, I love Ursula too...

Anonymous asked:

How do you feel about mpreg? If it is ok, could you share preg hc for the bottoms/omegas?

Sorry, Anon, we’re not really into mpreg + the theme of pregnancy altogether in anything other than some weird horror, and even this is very rare :( It’s really not our cup of tea, so I can’t give you any hcs.

[devilbeez]

Headcanon collection #13

Twst boys + staff with kids

Would have kids:

Riddle (I like to think his mom taught him he HAVE to have kids cause legacy and other r/arethestraightok thing and stuff but now he just wanna take care of someone and it just make him happy to raise new life into the world better than his mother did)

Trey (obvious choice)

Cater (he have kids for the magicam /j/j)

Deuce (he want to be like his mom and raise a child with love and support)

Jack (not necessarily want kids but if his lover ask he’d be more than happy to)

Floyd (what can I say I like the headcanon that he’s good with kids)

Kalim (I feel like his family request for this and he’s definitely one of those that was never ready to be a dad then as soon as the kid come he shape up and realize “oh shit I can’t depend on Jamil and everyone else anymore I have to take care of a child—“)

Rook (pray for his kid’s friends man this child not gonna come out normal)

Lilia (already have one)

silver (following his dad footsteps plus he want Lilia to get to hold his grandchildren)

Malleus (need heir for the throne and he would be more than happy to take care of someone and make sure they don’t feel the same loneliness he felt)

Would not have kid but is happily married

Ace (he can barely survive with just him he doesn’t think he’s ready to be a dad)

Leona (hate children but if he ever got kid i guarantee you the kid gonna be the most daddy boy/girl you’ll ever see cause how much this mf spoiled them)

Azul (business first what can I say)

Jade (also business first and he want to be the fun uncle)

Vil (this man want his career to be first and he never like the mindset that a complete family is one with 2 parents and a child)

Epel (man want to focus on his family business, he never thought of kids)

Sebek (he left room for lord and savior Wakasama, literally he prioritize protecting malleus and his family he doesn’t have time to start his own)

Would not have kids and is happily single

Ruggie (man is the fresh out of jail uncle and he love it that way)

Jamil (man want to live his freed life the the fullest, he might date but he don’t wanna be tie, if anything he’d just eloped and just live with the person with no marriage)

Idia (I mean come on— and if the family want a heir I will guarantee you he will literally build one—)

Ortho (he’s a child and a robot—)

Bonus: the staff

Crowley, would have kids already have kids worst dad ever in term of responsibility best dad ever in term of fun

Crewel, wouldn’t have kid but would be happily married, man have his dogs he’s set

Trein, already had kid and already married

Vargas, depressed and single I’m sorry sweetie—

Sam, happily single and crotch goblin free, man is being the fresh out of jail uncle along with Ruggie and living his best life

Bonus bonus:

the uncle that spoiled their friend’s kids, nieces and nephews: Azul, Jade, Vil, Idia, Ortho, Crewel, Sam, Cater, Kalim, Lilia

Bonus bonus bonus: Dads who show off their kids:

Riddle but the kids will never NEVER find out

If Leona have a kid somehow he will show them off only because they’re a little shit

Azul just to capitalize off it. “Aww look aren’t they cute, golly I hope our business able to make enough money to send them to good school 😔😔”

Lilia, full on circle of life simba up in the air style

Malleus, only because how much the kid look like his lover and how cute the kid is

all the staff would also do it too but it would be secretly in like "my child is the best fuck you" way with each other

[welcometololaland]

Because I suck at originality, I’m going to ask you your top 5 Disney movies in exchange for you making me suffer and pick books! You’re lucky ily 💜💜

oh no i'm sorry for causing you pain lmao! love you!! thanks for the ask!

so i don't watch disney that often, and i need to caveat this by saying i have not yet seen the new little mermaid and i desperately want to! so i'm going to answer this ask with my favourite 5 disney movies from childhood (because it's more unhinged). also, i haven't seen so many of the new disney movies incl. moana, frozen, encanto etc. i know i'm behind! i hope you don't mind!

1. the lion king 2: simba's pride (1998) - it's no coincidence that my favourite animal is a lion, and it wasn't until the lion king sequel that my obsession with big cats became fully realised. now, i hear you ask: 'lola? why would your favourite movie be a direct to video sequel?' WELL. my parents didn't watch a lot of tv when i was young, and we didn't get a vcr player until dvd's were just about to make them obsolete. but the one vcr i had was lion king 2 and i used to take it to my grandparents house like once a week and watch it. i watched it so many times the tape went funny. i could literally recite this movie, and i haven't watched it in YEARS. ALSO it doesn't have an elton john slapper but it does have: he lives in you, not one of us and that zira's lullaby which i can't get out of my head now. certified bangers. don't knock it 'til you try it.

2. the lion king (1994) - i don't know if i even have to explain this. the first seventeen times (approx.) i watched this movie i had to hide in the scary parts because it's so good but also i was probably like 4 and didn't understand that movies are the same every time you watch them. kickstarted the obsession with lions. scar's be prepared song is liked on my spotify.

[interlude for a controversial opinion: i don't like toy story. don't come for me.]

3. lady and the tramp (1955) - a classic movie for a dog lover (not JUST a cat lover, turns out i just love animals). i used to be completely obsessed with how cute lady was and i wanted a dog called lady SO BAD. the spaghetti scene is so iconic. lady's sidekicks are so funny. the pound puppies make me cry SOMEONE ADOPT THEM!!! this movie made my parents regret ever letting me borrow something from the video store because i wouldn't stop harassing them for a dog.

4. the incredibles (2004) - still fucking pissing myself at this movie like why did they make the mom have such a dump truck booty??? the dad is hilarious. the kids are lowkey annoying but i do like them. frozone is my favourite character: 'HONEY, WHERE IS MY SUPERSUIT??!'

5. the parent trap (1998) - lindsay fucking lohan made me want to get my ears pierced so bad and i only chickened out like five times before i finally got them done. this movie made me wanna be a twin. i kept giving my sister sideways looks and questioning whether we could pull it off (spoiler: we couldn't).

thanks for the ask, this was fun!!!

[wickdcreatures]

          From the outside, she seemed at least semi-functional. She’s been going to the studio, going out with friends when invited, stopping by her favorite stories and overspending — all things considered, normal Heather behavior. What’s missing is spark — heart — anything that makes her actions her own. She’s on autopilot, doing things that people ask as though letting them take the wheel. Her friends, her bosses, everyone else gets to tell her how to dress, how to act, what to eat and what to do and she follows, no questions asked. It’s easier that way. That way she doesn’t have to think.

At least at first, from the outside she seemed semi-functional. But the longer she pushes her heartache down the more the cracks begin to show. She doesn’t eat unless she’s reminded, she only brushes her hair once someone points out how messy it is. She only visits @ohfiendangelical when he starts blowing up her phone asking where the hell she’s been. She’s haggard, gaunt, and disheveled, and if she allowed herself to feel anything at all her chest would be aching unbearably. 

          “ I’m sorry baby, I’ve been neglecting you — ”          she says as she walks through the door, pulling off her heels and leaving them lazily thrown amongst Felix’s perfectly lined up shoe rack. She gives Simba a few quick scratches as she walks further inside,          “ I’ve been really forgetful lately. You can totally be pissed but come kiss me first. ”

Her smile is hollow. 

[antvnger]

I'm feeling kinda down for some reason. Have any happy or fun stories to share?

Aaaw, I’m sorry you’re feeling down, Anon. I think I got a story or two that will hopefully cheer you up.

Story #1 - When Cassie was like 2 or 3, I introduced her to The Lion King. It’s my favorite Disney movie; I had to.

She loved it. More specifically, she loved the first like 5 minutes of it. The Circle of Life, because it showed all the animals. You’d have thought it was as good as a zoo trip. She’d point to the screen and shout the name of the animals. She got a little bit confused, of course, like she called the wildebeest a cow and the antelope as reindeer. Close enough since she was little, but whatever.

And she loved baby Simba. Every time he came on screen, she’d tell me, “He’s so cute, Daddy!” And she’d giggle every time he sneezed and go “Aaaaaawwwww.” I mean, I really can tell you word for word her Circle of Life commentary. As soon as the song was over, she’d clap excitedly and go, “Again!” We’d only watch the Circle of Life at least 4 times in a row.

There was also one time where I held her up like Rafiki does with Simba, and she was giggling so hard through the whole thing and kept squirming. She thought it was the best thing ever.

Story #2 - Fast forward to my house arrest era. Cassie was over for the weekend, and Luis had just eaten a large, satisfying meal and fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie. I mean, this dude was out.

And he’s a heavy sleeper too. The heaviest I’ve ever met. He has one of those alarm clocks that the loud and obnoxious ship’s foghorn that would wake me up on the other side of the house back in the day. And it took at least five minutes of it to blare before it finally pulled Luis out of sleep. It was awful.

Anyway where was I? Oh yeah! So anyway, Luis is asleep and Cassie and I were feeling kinda bored and restless, and for us? That equals trouble. And since I have a good set of art supplies, that can equal trouble too. We gave Luis a full face paint job, and Cassie painted his nails light purple. I think that’s lilac or lavender or whatever, you get the idea. He slept through all of that. And then some.

When he finally woke up, he went to the bathroom first, right? I can still hear Luis’s scream in my head. I wish I could play it for you honestly 😂😂.

[shiny-jr]

To the user that sent in the art about character design, thank you! Sorry I couldn't reply to it properly. It was a submission and I've never replied to one before so I had no idea on how to proceed with that, but I saw it! Here’s just me talking about what inspired the designs for the Savanaclaw outfits. 

For mc, this was easier because I tried to go for something simple, something lacking color and fitting the desert vibe to align with their role among the hyenas and fit with the rocky environment that’s right on the edge between the kingdom and desert. Also it had to be something easy to movie in, which is why I took inspiration from two outfits. This one and this one.

For Ruggie, it had to fit a similar style to mc. It wouldn’t be anything lavish or colorful, both because he can’t afford it and because he prefers to blend in with his environment like most of the other hyenas. I had two images for him too, but I can’t find them. I can only find one similar enough, so here it is. 

It was hard to find images for Jack, so all I had as inspiration was an image from Black Panther. Under his armor, his outfit is actually rather casual looking, maybe even similar to Ruggie (but Ruggie has a brown coat thing) but darker although maybe way better quality considering he worked for the palace for a while with Leona. Inspiration.

I try not to dip too much in the cultural aspect, because I’m afraid of offending someone. But I have my hcs, so you’ll see the occasional info based on those hcs. For the Lion King, I like to imagine Leona as something akin to Swahili or to be more vague, East African, because Simba and Mufasa have Swahili meanings. I know I described him wearing an agbada which is West African, at least to my knowledge, and the reason I went with this for his outfit is purely because I saw fanart of him wearing one and it was all I could imagine afterwards.