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dreamfyre03 · 9 months ago

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A Dragon's Love

Warnings: violence, threats of violence, mentions of kidnapping

Dividers by: @zaldritzosrose

Header by: @zaldritzosrose

Chapter 14: The Wrath of Aemond Targaryen

After returning to King’s Landing, and informing the council of Lucerys’s death, he wanted nothing more than to be in Daenys’s arms. He longed to inhale her scent of jasmine and lilies, to hear her soft voice comfort him, after being screamed at by his mother, and yelled at by his grandfather. Thanks to him, the first strike of war had been landed. The greens made the first move.

He took the tunnels to her rooms, and when he entered, he stood there briefly, stunned. Her dresses, her books, her parchments and perfumes, all gone. Nothing of hers was left, except the lingering scent of her in the sheets. With a rage he was becoming more familiar with every passing second, he stormed the council room for the second time that day, jolting them all in surprise, and asked darkly, “Where is she?”

Aegon looked at him confused, while his mother and grandfather exchanged a look. “Where is she?” He yelled, slamming his fists onto the table, as his eye darkened with anger.

“Where is who?” Aegon asked, genuinely puzzled. “Our sister.” He spat, and Aegon sat up in concern. “She isn’t here?” Aegon paled as he said the words, no doubt thinking the worse.

His grandsire rose, and said, “She is safe. She is off acting on behalf of the crown.” Aegon stood, his face serious. “How can she be acting on behalf of the crown? I certainly haven’t sent her anywhere.” He said to the Hand. “Where is my sister, Lord Hand?” Aegon asked again.

“Clear the room.” Aemond addressed the council. They hesitated, glancing back at Otto, then Aemond. “You heard my brother. Clear the fucking room.” Aegon said harshly, his gaze never leaving their grandfather. The men of the council scrambled out of the room, leaving the brothers alone with their mother and grandsire.

“Tell me where she is. Now.” Aemond drew his sword, much to the horror of his mother. “Aemond, please!” She cried out, looking to Aegon desperately, but he ignored her. “She’s on her way North. To wed Cregan Stark.” His grandsire finally said.

Aemond felt his blood run like fire. No, no, he wouldn’t let this happen. She was his, no one else’s

“You grant yourself the power to decide my sister’s marriage without so much as my input? She is sister to the King, and you do not even deem it necessary to inform me of my sister’s departure?” Aegon shouted angrily.

Aemond stood there, in silent rage, his mother watching him fearfully, no doubt praying for her father’s life. Good. She should be. “Your sister knew what she had to do. We need the north’s support, she will do her part to get it for us. I made her understand this, and she is willing to do her duty. As we all must.” His grandsire said stiffly. “Your forget which of us sits the throne, and wears the conqueror’s crown. Get out.” Aegon said lowly. His mother and grandfather looked at him, no doubt in shock to see him actually act like a King for the first time since he was crowned. “Both of you. Get out!” He yelled.

They both walked out briskly, and when the brothers were alone, Aemond said, “I won’t let her marry Cregan Stark.” “I know.”

“Someone else must have known she was leaving.” Aemond mused. They both seemingly thought the same thing, and quickly made their way to Helaena’s rooms.

As they burst through the doors, they saw Daeron, who just arrived, sitting with her, as they talked and played with the children. “Did you know?” Aemond cut them off. Helaena shook her head. “My maid gave me this letter the moment you were spotted returning on Vhagar. It is for me, Aegon and Daeron. This one is for you.” She handed him a letter, where he recognised his sister’s familiar cursive scrawl.

His heart pounded as he opened it, and Aegon sat with their sister to read the other letter. My love,

By the time you read this, I will be on the roads to Winterfell. I want to apologise, for leaving without saying goodbye. I was ordered by your grandsire to not tell any of you, I sense he knew our closeness would prompt unwanted resistance, and he wanted me to leave and secure the North’s support through a marriage alliance as soon as possible. As much as it pains me to admit, he is right. Aegon needs as much support as he can get from the noble houses. I have spent the days since his coronation flooded with nothing but worry and fear for all our lives, helpless to do anything. Do not for a moment think that my leaving has to do with the feelings in my heart changing. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You spoke the truth, brother, when you said the gods made us to burn for each other, together. I realise that now. But I cannot bear the thought that me forsaking my duty means a greater chance of losing our family. Although I am to be Lord Stark’s wife, my heart, my soul, my desires, are forever yours. I pray that the passage of time allows you to forgive me, so that when we meet again, you hold no ill will against me for leaving. I would rather us be apart, but know you are alive, than watch you die knowing I could have prevented it. My darling brother, my love, my dragon. We will meet again soon.

-Your beloved sister,

Daenys.

Aemond let out an angry shout as he punched the wall, making his niece and nephews jump in fear. He didn’t even hear Helaena instruct her maid Diana to take them out to the gardens. Aegon sat across from Daeron and Helaena, the conqueror’s crown off his head, and on the table between them. “What did yours say?” He asked them. “That she’s sorry she left without goodbye, that she loves us all, and is doing her duty to make sure Aegon’s claim is stronger against Rhaenyra. To keep us safe.” Daeron answered quietly, as Aegon seemed to be staring into space.

“She’s always been looking out for all of us. Our whole lives.” Aegon said suddenly, breaking the silence that had descended upon them.

None of them responded. The truth hung over them all as they realised that she was gone, off to marry to try and keep them safe, something she had tried to do all her life. While their grandsire used them as pawns, and their mother often followed his stead, she was there, since they were children, at for every injury in the training yard, every argument, every flight atop their dragons, always with her kind smile and loving heart, even when some of them didn’t deserve it. He remembered when Daeron was first sent to Oldtown, how his little brother cried, and Daenys soothed him, promising to write to him as often as they both could, for just because he would be somewhere else didn’t mean she would forget him. And she never did, writing to him all the time.

Helaena sniffled, crying silently at the reality of their sister being gone all the way North, not knowing when they would see her again, knowing they wouldn’t see her smile everyday, or hear her laugh, watch her fly Meraxa, or play with the children.

Daeron wrapped his arm around their sister, quietly soothing her, and Aemond heard Aegon say, “I couldn’t give a shit about the North’s support. She doesn’t want to marry Stark. Her place is here, and that is where she must stay.” “I’m going to get her back. I won’t entertain this for another moment.” Aemond said, and as he was about to leave and go to mount Vhagar, their mother entered, with a seemingly battered and bruised Ser Arryk.

“Something’s happened.” She said quietly, unable to look at them. Aemond felt his heart clench.

Ser Arryk looked between Aegon and Aemond nervously, as Aegon instructed the man, “Speak.” “My King, I was with the guards escorting the Princess Daenys to Winterfell. We were ambushed, and I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, the Princess was gone.” He revealed.

Aemond drew his dagger, and had the man backed into the wall, his dagger pressing against his throat in a flash. “You mean to tell me, the Princess was kidnapped? Under your watch?” Aemond growled, pressing the knife in deeper, feelings great satisfaction when he saw blood begin to seep through. “Aemond!” His mother shouted, pulling him off the knight.

“This is all your fault!” Aegon shouted angrily at her. “You sent her away, without even telling your King, and now, my sister might be dead, or gods know what else!” He continued.

“Leave, mother. Aegon and I will decide what to do from this point on. If our grandsire so much as lifts a finger, I will cut it off myself.” Aemond warned her. She nodded, and quickly left the room with Ser Arryk behind her.

The siblings were left alone again, nothing but the sound of Helaena’s sobs muffled as she wept on Daeron’s chest filled the room. “I will find her.” Aemond vowed.

As he spoke, the siblings heard Meraxa screeching and roaring out painfully into the sky. “I will rain down Fire and Blood on every man, woman and child in this Kingdom, but I will find her. And whoever took her from me will know my wrath.”

Daenys awoke with a pounding sensation in her head, and she groaned as she sat up in the bed. As her eyes opened, she took in her new unfamiliar surroundings, the walls grey and carved of stone, with rich tapestries adorning the wall. She could hear the waves crashing into rocks outside, so she knew she couldn’t be in Winterfell. Her dress was slightly torn, and she looked in the mirror, and saw bruises on her chest and a cut on her forehead. Where was she? She went to the door, and tried to open it, but it was locked, and she banged on it with her fists, shouting at her unknown captor to let her out. There was no response, and after shouting and screaming for what felt like hours, she gave up, with nothing to show for her efforts but a hoarse throat. She ran over to the window, and saw the ocean stretching out into the distance, and black, sharp, jagged rocks on the ground below her. The door opened, and she turned around to face her captor. “Rhaenyra?” She gasped. “Sister.” Was her cold response. Her sister seemed to have aged rapidly in the days since she last saw her. Her eyes bore dark circles, her eyes red, her skin dull and tired. She wore their father’s crown. “What am I doing here? Where am I?” She asked. “You are on Dragonstone. You are here, because you are a traitor to the crown.” She answered. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about your plot to wed Cregan Stark on behalf of our traitorous brother, and win the North’s alliance?” “Sister, please understand-“ “No!” Rhaenyra shouted, angry tears brimming her eyes. “Any kindness and understanding I might have extended to you for our father’s sake died when you stood by our half brother’s side when he stole my crown. They killed my baby, then they took my son!” She yelled, and Daenys just realised the bump of Rhaenyra’s belly had disappeared, and tears filled her own eyes as well. “I’m so sorry, Rhaenyra-“ She began but her sister wouldn’t hear it. “I don’t want your apologises. They took my daughter, then my son. Aegon will pay for this, they all will.” “Your son?” Her mind immediately went to Jace.

Her sister laughed almost manically. “Oh have you not heard? The brother you love so, who dotes upon your every word for all to see, he and his dragon killed my son in the skies above Storm’s End. My son, my Luke,” Her sister wiped away her tears, willing herself not to cry. Daenys approached her carefully, and said as she too wept, “I am sorry for your loss, sister.”

Rhaenyra looked at her with angry eyes, as if stunned at her words, then raised her hand and slapped her, and Daenys felt the stinging sensation as she heard the sound echo throughout the room. “You do not get to mourn him. Or cry for him. You love our traitorous brothers so much, perhaps I’ll send your head back to them. Either way, get comfortable, sister. You aren’t going anywhere.” Rhaenyra said cruelly as she got up and shut the door behind her.

Leaving Daenys alone, with nothing but the pain in her heart and the bruises on her body.

#aemond fanfiction #aemond smut #aemond targaryen #aemond x oc #alicent hightower #house of the dragon #helaena targaryen #aemond fic #aegon ii targaryen #hotd #a dragon's love

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eri-pl · 1 month ago

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Silm reread 24B (the long-expected continuation): the gifts

or: the Rings of Power & Third Age

Another Sauron recap. He was particularly dangerous because he could shapeshift. But as we've seen before, he was not the only servant of Morgoth who could do that, there were some unnabed others. I suppose sauron was just the best in this and/or most convincing.

After Morgoth's defeat he bowed to Eonwë. So yes, it is probably about the same time when M&M send the letter demanding the silmarils. As I noticed in the WoW chapter reread, they don't go themselves, but still, maybe their emissary could have bumped into Sauron. It would be interesting to see this in a fic.

Maybe Sauron meant it, maybe not, we are left without a clear answer. But he was too ashamed and humilated to go before Manwë and afraid of a long punishment. He was not even afraid that they'd throw him in the void too, just didn't want a long penance, becasue he liked having power. Yes, indeed, you took a lot after Idiot#1. :(

OK, so here we are told that the Eldar could return to Eressea or Valinor. Mixed canon again. But i like them being allowed back into Valinor.

Something something map, Elven kingdoms, the Gwaith-i-Mírdain were better jewelers than everyone except Fëanor. Cool.

Sauron intrigues among the elves for a long time. Also, he badmouths Elrond and Gil-galad. The usual "we can make this land as pretty as Valinor, but yours" spiel. I mean, yes, this works :(

The Rings, nothing new in the reread…

Imladris! It's build during the war of Elves and Sauron for the Rings.

Sauron put some of his malice into the 16 rings too. The seven were made of gold, if I read it correctly. Also, the Nine allow to see the unseen but Sauron can editwhat is seen.

Also, he is still able to look fair at this point, but he prefers to rule by terror. We've seen this pattern of behavioral change before. :(

Again, the people in the South and East are evil and worship Sauron :F

The wording in this chapter suggests that it was the Valar who destroyed Númenor, I guess we're in a different narrative frame?

(Who even gave the in-world editors the information of what actually happnned? Gandalf?)

Elendil&co arrive. The seven palantíri, we get a list of their locations. The palantíri allow seeing things distant in space and in time, most easily things happening near another seeing stone.

Sauron is sitting in the darkness, thinking (Fic potential: what is he thinking about? He just has gotten a full-on divine punishment out of the blue. He's got a lot to think about.) until he makes a new form for himself. Aaaand no, the thinking did not work, he puts on his ring and here we go again.

We get the names of two important evil Númenoreans (but not necessarily the ones with rings).

The Last Alliance (yes, the whole army!) spends some time in Imladris. (Fic potential!!!) They are compared to the army of the West during the War of Wrath. There's a big battle. Fun fact: all the animals split so that every army has some of each species. I really wonder why? what worldbuilding or literary goal does this sentence serve? It seems so random.

They besiege Mordor for seven years. Again, important nmbers are important.

Third Age begins. Mordor is guarded, kind like Angband had been in FA.

Things happen, Isildur dies, what is it with broken swords "loosing their sheen"? First Anglachel and now Narsil. Does it just mean it became dull for some reason? What is it?

Also, Elrond does prophecies. Cool. Well, ok, he does one prophecy but still.

Eärnur, the last king of Gondor had clearly read too much about Fingolfin. And not enough about Maedhros. Protip: when Sauron challenges you to a duel, he is not going to duel you. Just to capture you. And nobody knows what happenned to him. Fic potential. But dark. :(

Also, does Sauron have a checklist with a neat header "things Melkor had done" and just goes along it???

So, Imladris. Elrond lived there for the whole TA, along with many wise beings of various kinds. Which, i think, implies Dwarves, Men (of course), and maybe an Entwife. And likely something I forgot about. also the remaining Noldor generally live there and in Grey Havens.

The fact that Elrond and Galadriel have Elven Rings is not spoken about but most Elves figured it out from the observable clues.

Also, Rivendell is described as a place "above which the stars shine brightest" XD

We get an info about the Istari, it's the version where Saruman arrives first. Also, I forgot that, but Saruman spent a lot of time with Men. He was less of a loner than I remembered.

Also, we are told that he best knew Sauron's earlier deeds. Huh. Did he study them or what? This makes the "Saruman envied Sauron from very early on" idea more likely.

Gandalf ran away from Dol Guldur. It made 100% sense, but still kind of funny. Elrond seems to have better foresight than Gandalf, at least when it comes to figuring out that Saruman is wrong. Makes sense.

"A strange chance" XD Sure Elrond you can't see it, Men are often fuzzy with fate (and Hobbits are Men), and I guess Gandalf's logic is "OK, this can't end that bad, but I can't see a way either, therefore it must lean on one of the elements which I do not see well". He is wise. (Not that Elrond isn't.) and further we get recap of LotR but from the backstage.

Aragorn is 39th heir of Isildur… which means he's 40th of Elendil. And he is very much like Elendil. So 40 is the number to look at here, not 39.

Well, ok, 39 in the sense of "let's recontextualize this number and the concept of Dúnedain form Pharazôn's madness to something good." But I'm not sure Tolkien enjoyed the idea of recontextualization. so maybe it's just "39 looks cool because 3 and 9 and also I want to say he was 40th after Elendil but I don't want it to look like a blatant ripoff".

The last Noldor sailed, so you may argue about Maglor here.

And the book ends.

#silm #silmarillion #tolkien legendarium #the silm #the silmarillion #silm reread #sauron #so many feelings #rings of power #not the series #just the thingies #celebrimbor #gil galad #lord of the rings #24a was more interesting to do tbh

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silentmoths · 2 years ago

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As Fragile as a Brick wall

Masterlist||First||Previous||Next

It's me, pulling my ass out of writers block hell to stress write a chapter because everything in my life is in boxes and I hate it.

Chapter 6: You really thought asking her out to dinner was a good idea, huh bud?

Zhongli x Afab (fem pronoun) Reader

NSFW elements in later chapters

Multi-chapter, Royal AU, angst, mentions of death, eventual fluff, eventual smut, hurt/comfort (Wonderful header image made by the wonderful @ainescribe)

You had definitely cracked a rib.

The blooming bruise, the pain when you breathed in, moved too quickly, or gods help you, sneeze? It was a dead giveaway.

You were no damsel though, funnily enough, your ex-fiance had once shown you how he went about bandaging himself up after a particularly rough tussle with the captain of his own guard. So with little time on your hands, that's what you do. Strapping your torso in a way that prevented too much movement, but was also easily enough hidden beneath your clothing for the evening.

Between your thigh and your rib, half of you didn’t particularly want to attend this dinner with the king…but there was a part of you, that scared, lonely teenager who had lost her rock to lean on, that needed to know.

You stubbornly hide your limp as you make your way to the dining room. When was the last time this room had even seen use? You weren’t too sure. Not since your mother had died… none of you could stomach being in the same room as one another lest insults begin to fly.

Seems even Zhongli’s touch had blown away the dust and dreary that had long since settled here. Dingy greys are replaced with warm reds, rich golds and warm, soft velvets. The room was…inviting, for the first time in many years. The table is set for only two, it seems he wanted to speak with you in confidance, though you had somewhat hoped that your place would be at the opposite end of the table, no such luck. One place set at the head, and the other to the left.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d ordered old favourites. Roasted duck and candied orange, root vegetables, stews, the kitchens freshest rolls and hand-churned butter, smells from your childhood that flood your senses and make you feel warm and soft. Zhongli looks up from the scroll he had been examining and smiles, warm, bright and hopeful.

“I’ll admit…I’m surprised you came…” He murmurs as you slowly sink into your seat with a slow, quiet exhale from your nose; like hell you were about to show weakness, no matter how badly your torso throbbed beneath the bandages. “But I’m glad… You must have many questions.”

“Well you’re certainly not wrong.” You grunt, occupying yourself by washing back a flagon of mead, hoping the drink would dull something, anything.

“Shall I start from the beginning?” He asks, his warm smile and kind gaze never once leaving you, even as he takes a bite of his dinner.

“Well, I’d assume that would be the logical option.” You know you’re being short with him…but considering, well, everything, you felt like you at least had that right.

Zhongli nods, taking another slow bite of his food.

“It was the day your father started torturing innocent civilians…” he begins, lacing his fingers together as he stares deeply into the cup of red wine before him, watching his reflection distort back at him. “I had known for many months at that point that your father had truly begun to lose himself…but that day…something in his eyes…any semblance of the man he used to be…gone.” “You say that as if my father was ever a good man.” you reply, trying to recall any fond memories you had of the man…scant after the birth of your twin brothers. “I never said he was…but there comes a point in one's life where you can learn to ignore some of the atrocities…but then he reached a point where I could no longer…” Zhongli sighs, “I began searching for ways to dethrone him peacefully…but anyone who could potentially hold such power was so afraid of his wrath…if not his, then his sons…even the archbishop proved useless; and I as one man could not overthrow him.” “So you left.” you spit “you abandoned your kingdom-” “I had not intended to.” He pushes, letting one hand fall to the table, lightly brushing against your own before you pull it away with a sharp look “An opportunity arose and I took it…but I had never intended to abandon the kingdom…abandon you like that, your highness.”

“Well you did.” You hiss quietly “you abandoned this kingdom and left us…all of us…to the hands of my father… Do you know how powerless I was? Once you left I was nothing but a bargaining chip!” You feel the way your ribs throb in your torso and you grit your teeth, taking no small amount of pleasure in the way his eyes widen, it was nice to see his facade crack now and then.

“You left… and he got worse, because he didn’t have you here to keep any sort of lead on him.”

Zhongli’s gaze falls again, unable to look you in the face as he considers his response, clasping his fingers together and unclasping them again.

“At the time…it seemed as if my presence was no longer doing anything to hold him back… He became…hungry for more power, hungry to show your brothers what they would inherit…What atrocities he would allow them to commit… But when he began declaring war on everyone who would even look his way..I knew things had gone too far… you should eat before your food goes cold.”

You blink at him, and then down at your food before shooting him a look, he smiles in return, but you can see a hint of sadness behind it, a change form the usual warmth…for the first time, Zhongli looks…tired. The longer you look at his face, the more you notice it, the faint bags beneath his eyes, the tired haze…had it always been there?

“On the field during that battle…I came across Xiao…a young child who was never meant to be on the field…but his knight commander demanded it…he was beaten and abused…but he fought like a god… when I killed his previous commander…he immediately bent his knee to me… it wasn’t long after that I met Ganyu… Ganyu actually hails from the outskirts of Liyue, but she and a small group of people had already begun to band together to do something about the king…I saw this group as my chance…and so.. “

“So you left…” you mutter, pushing a roasted potato around your plate. Were you angry at him? Or at yourself for being angry at him? It was hard to tell.

Zhongli nods with a soft noise “I had…never intended to remain away as long as I did… but if I stood any chance at overthrowing him… I needed to make sure those who came with me could handle it…Xiao is an excellent fighter, but at the time he lacked control, he could lose himself easily… I am just…grateful that when the night of the siege came… my old guard still remembered me…and you were not here to witness it.”

“Oh, what? So you could have forced me to marry you then and there?” you scoff, stabbing at the potato you had been victimising. “Glad I was away playing dignitary in Sneznhaya with the Tsaritsa and her overbearing little prince?”

“I-I would not have forced you to marry-” Zhongli starts, but you interject, slamming both hands onto the table as you haul yourself from your seat to glare daggers down at him.

“So you would hold my twin brothers hostage and trade them for my hand instead!?” You holler, dignity and grace be damned. “You knew I never once cared for their existence and yet you somehow thought I cared enough to trade myself for their freedom when you know damn well they never would have done the same.”

“I…I know.” he sighs, he remains where he is, staring up at you with amber eyes swimming with so many different emotions it’s hard to read. Regret? Grief? Sadness? “I will admit…I had, as Ganyu called it…an inflated ego-”

You snort a howling laugh, it was all you could do to keep the tears of pain at bay, even if you couldn’t quite pinpoint if it was physical or emotional pain that was making your eyes sting. “I’ll say! I’m sure I made such a wonderful impression, slicing those traitors heads right there on your brand new carpet.”

“You are angry-” “Angry? …Angry!?” You devolve into full on shouting, shouting loud enough that any attendants manning the doors eyes widen and they quickly shuffle from the room. “You have some fucking gall, your majesty.” you spit at him “thinking you could manipulate me into marrying you after you take the kingdom by force.”

“I never wanted to manipulate you.” Zhongli rasps, actually shrinking back at the sheer force of your rage. “That was never my intention…”

“Then what was Zhongli!?” You seethe “You got what you wanted, the kingdom was yours, I never needed to be a part of your ideal! So why!?”

His next words fall from his lips without hesitation, his resolve strong as stone as he looks into your fiery gaze.

“Because I had made peace with my feelings for you many years ago, because I wanted to share this victory with you.”

“Wh-”

You blink and step back. It takes a moment to process, and when the words finally settle into your skin, they don't feel right. Too sincere, too honest.

Too true.

“Don't lie to me-” you rasp, but Zhongli shakes his head softly.

“I am not.” He tells you simply “Is it really all that surprising that after all the years I spent with you as your appointed knight did not culminate in my feelings towards you becoming more than just that? Your mother tried so very hard to keep you safe from the harsh hand of your father…and when she passed, I took that role without hesitation…because your smile was all I wanted.”

“S-stop it-”

“If it were not for the fact your father already had plans, I would have asked him for your hand many years ago.”

“S-shut up!”

“You deserve to be a queen.” He presses, slowly rising to stand as you take a step back, emotionally? You had no idea where you were, why you were; but you needed to get away from him. “If anyone deserved to inherit this kingdom it was you.”

No, nope, nuh-uh. You couldn’t take that…sincere look in his eyes. You hated him, you hated him for leaving, you somehow hated him even more for coming back. You hated his handsome face and his silky hair and his pretty eyes. You hated it.

Didn’t you?

“I know you do not trust me. Not after all I have done…but please…little love…let me earn it back from you…let me prove myself to you, like I did when I was assigned as your knight.”

Little love.

You hadn’t heard that name since your mother had died.

Words refuse to form on your tongue, you can’t think straight. Your ribs and leg are throbbing and he offers you his hand. You hated him.

You also happen to hate how the edges of your vision are beginning to blur, and how short your breath was becoming. Perhaps you had tied the bandages a little too tight, and only made them worse with your sudden movements.

You hate how Zhongli’s brow creases in concern. “Are you alright? You look whiter than a ghost-” his words are cut off when you take a step away and your knee buckles. Just like when you had fallen from the tree earlier in the day, he’s there to catch you, strong, but gentle arms wrap around you as you feel your world fading off for a short while, Zhongli’s wide, amber pools being the last thing you see.

At least he looked scared.

Serves him right.

Taglist: @stygianoir @meimeimeirin @ainescribe @dustofthedailylife @theheartshaker @rjssierjrie Want to be added to the list? shoot me an ask~

#Silentmothwrites #moth is not silent #moths fragile as a brick wall #Zhongli x reader #Zhongli x reader smut #(eventual)

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aajjks · 2 years ago

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Your King (MYG)

synopsis. He was your King, while you were nothing but his possession.

warnings: YANDERE, T*XIC BEHAVIOUR, extreme YANDERE, mentions of blo*d, obsession, unhealthy possessiveness, he’s emotionally ab*sive, mentions of killing, crying.

disclaimer: THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP, DO NOT ROMANTICISE THIS BEHAVIOUR AT ALL, I do not CONDONE this behaviour at all? viewer discretion is advised, this type of content can be dark and triggering.

HEADER CREDITS TO MY ONE AND ONLY @introgfx 😭🫶

note. SHARE THOUGHTS??? ❤️❤️

“Did you take me for a fool, my dearest?” Yoongi hummed in a bored tone, sitting on his large golden black throne as his stare wasn’t focused on you but on the sword that he stared at.

Your knees were weak as you stood infront of him, unshed tears layering against your tired eyes, your heart begging to have him spare you a glance.

But your mind knew Yoongi better than anyone. He never liked to look at your wet crying eyes, that made him weak.

And yoongi didn’t like to be weak.

“P-Please Yoong- It’s my king to you now, sweetheart.” Your heart broke into a million pieces at his words, a wave of fresh tears welled up in your eyes as you looked down at the floor.

His anger was invisible on his face but you could feel it’s heavy heavy presence, the blood drops on his sword were the proof of his wrath.

“B-But m-my king please! Y-You were mislead! H-He was like my brother!” You cried, your voice wavered with fear as you felt the weight of his eyes fall on you.

You fell onto your knees.

Those horrific images of his body laying in his own pool of blood haunted you.

“H-He was my brother!” A choked sob left you. Yoongi was not speaking a word, only listening to you.

It scared you. “That’s enough, Y/N.”

Your heart skipped a beat, filling you with near waves of fear when you heard his footsteps coming towards you.

He rarely called you by your name.

“You dare to defend him even in his death?!?” A growl from him was the sign of his calm demeanour breaking.

“I don’t like it when you defend and cry for him like this… you are so stupid, my love.” Yoongi’s raspy voice was almost blocked by the sound of your own heartbeat.

“He may be like a brother to you,” you could see his reflection in the marble floor, as he crouched down to your figure.

You shuddered.

You couldn’t stop your tears. Yoongi noticed your panic, his large hand coming towards your face to caress it.

His touch burned.

“He didn’t see you like a sister though. You see, sweetheart, men can’t be trusted.” A laugh full of cruelty left him.

“Trust me I’m a man after all.” His touch was tender, so not like him. It was like this was not your king.

This was a crazy man. A killer.

“You’re my most prized possession, you know? I’m a very possessive person, I don’t like it when someone even looks at you. I feel a rush of murderous rage whenever you were with him.” His laugh vibrated around the large throne room.

“You should know that, right?” The pad of his thumb swiped against your trembling lip.

“These lips.. they’re too precious.” He squeezed the meat lightly between his fingers.

“But they feel so filthy to me whenever you utter his name.” You silently cried. “You’re my purest possession… you make me happy, dearest.”

Yoongi carefully lifted your head up, your eyes met his void ones. They were dark yet empty.

Completely empty.

“You know I don’t like to see you cry. You know everything yet… you like to test my limits, hmm?” He smirked, wiping away your fresh tears.

“Even these tears are mine. Why don’t you cry for me only?” He licked his lips, inhaling a deep breath. “Sweetheart… stop crying for him.”

Yoongi’s patience was running thin, you could tell.

“Before I make you cry for me.”

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eldritch-spouse · 2 years ago

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Santi masterlist

The smooth brain incubus.

First appearance (there is no intro post but do we even need one?)

M-M-Motorboat (ignore the balls, I've decided to revoke his balls privileges for a slit instead)

hOw DoEs He PuT cLoThEs On? (He doesn't, he's a whore)

For you? It's on the house.

Santi doesn't want your soul

Can it fit down your throat?

Do Santi's customers die?

Nipple piercings

Getting hugs from Santi

Marriage and Santi- Part 1; Part 2

Random Santi headcanons

Santi with a s/o who just wants be his his housewife

Being Santi’s obsession

Fail sex

Virgin season yeeehaww

Santi's kinks fluctuate according to customer preferences

Santi's s/o has doubts about his love

Santi with a blind client

Santi and parenthood

You make a salt circle because you're upset at him- Part 1; Part 2

A more in-depth look on how his powers affect sexuality

Santi with a frigid client

How far would Santi go without his obsession?

Would Santi sleep with his coworkers?

Sir, this is a Wendy's...

Explaining the bond between Santi and Grimbly + backstory

His client has a bigger dick/more than one dick

What if Admin had the perfect aura?

What does Santi's mark look like?

Santi, Patches and Admin (you) have a good time

Santi's heat

"Centi" + "CUNTY"

NSFW drawing based on a reverse yandere scenario

What if another concubus had claimed you already?

Santi's younger years (*young adult*)

He has a bobble

Can Santi disguise himself as human?

Santi enjoys Nebul's pet

""Santi Claus""

Santi with a s/o that's jealous about him sleeping with clients

Virgin killer

Cover them up, slut

SFW activities with him (and Vesper)

Heeheehoo, you can buy him (AU)

Please don't try to fight him

Santi with a Sherlock-type obsession

How to fluster him

You ask Santi to pretend to be your boyfriend for a party

What does Santi do when you abandon Grimbly during his transformation?

Lust King Santi

What if you met Santi in the past, when he was less... Charming?

How does he like to celebrate his birthdays?

You've been given a marker, raise Hell

Bidding on Obsession

Santi finds you on Morell's chopping block

"Life comes in you fast."

You ask him if you can be his "sex pet"

New Year's (2024) Santi art

You're insecure about your nethers

Santi pitches the concept of possession to you

Lust!King Santi returns for Valentine's Day!

Lust!King Santi header for February

Zombie apocalypse AU

Some clients catch feelings...

You take a trip to Lust with Santi to visit King Vesper

Santi puts on his old clothes

He's got a bit of Wrath blood in him

Santi with a match who gets off on his violent side but won't admit it

It's hot outside

How does Santi (and others) handle subdrops and the like?

You summon Santi again after banishing him, he makes you apologize

#pinnie's masterlist #pinnie's art #Santi oc

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geekcavepodcast · 3 years ago

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DC Comics Announces “Batman - One Bad Day” Comic One-Shots

DC Comics has announced a series of 64-page one-shot comics under the header Batman - One Bad Day. The comics will feature The Riddler, Two-Face, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Bane, Clayface, and Ra’s al Ghul.

Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler hails from Tom King and Mitch Gerads. “Edward Nygma’s meticulous rules and systems go out the window when he kills seemingly at random, but Batman isn’t buying it! This tense intellectual thriller sees Batman unravel as he tries to decode the Riddler’s motivation!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler goes on sale in August 2022.

Batman - One Bad Day: Two-Face hails from Mariko Tamaki, Javier Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire. “Is Harvey Dent back to save Gotham City?” This “tragic noir Two-Face epic will flip that iconic coin...on its head?!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Two-Face goes on dale in September 2022.

Batman - One Bad Day: The Penguin hails from John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto. “When the Penguin’s criminal empire is stolen by a former associate, Batman faces both Cobblepot and THE UMBRELLA MAN on the burning streets of Gotham!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: The Penguin goes on sale in October 2022.

Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze hails from Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera, and Dave Stewart. “Years ago, Gotham City experienced a winter so icy that Mr. Freeze could live without his containment suit!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze goes on sale in November 2022.

Batman - One Bad Day: Catwoman hails from G. Willow Wilson, Jamie McKelvie, and Tamra Bonvillain. “A brooch Selina Kyle's mother once pawned for pennies is now part of a high-bid auction! The stakes are personal, and Catwoman will steal it back at any cost.” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Catwoman goes on sale in December 2022.

Batman - One Bad Day: Bane hails from Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, and Tomeu Morey. “The man who broke the Bat returns for the last vengeance of Bane!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Bane goes on sale in January 2023.

Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface hails from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Xermanico, and Romulo Fajardo Jr. “Clayface’s dream was to be famous, but Gotham's stars don’t always shine bright! Batman chases Basil Karlo to L.A. where Clayface is killing his way to fame.” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface goes on sale in February 2023.

Batman - One Bad Day: Ra’s al Ghul hails from Tom Taylor and Ivan Reis. “You know his name, the Bat will know his wrath!” (DC Comics)

Batman - One Bad Day: Ra’s al Ghul goes on sale in March 2023.

(Images via DC Comics)

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dienamights · 3 years ago

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𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓 𝕽𝖆𝖎𝖉 | 𝕶.𝕭𝖆𝖐𝖚𝖌𝖔𝖚 | 𝔓𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢

Desperate to escape the wrath of the all too powerful magick wielding Sizithian ruler, your father sends you off to wed the king of the Protectorate of Sha, upon his daunting request.

For the very first time, you set off outside of the confines of your home, traveling east to resentfully start your very unwanted life. But beyond the walls of your kingdom is more than what meets the eye.

The world you live in isn’t as peaceful as you always thought it would be, the mythical creatures whose stories you used to recall to the children of the kingdom stare you in the eye, elves, fairies and mermaids alike. It was also then that you witnessed the full capability of the dragon’s wing to summon an eclipse as it flew over the land below it. And just like all the stories you knew about; the untold tale of the dragon raid will inevitably lead to the greatest war of all.

✎ Protagonists: Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

✎ Word count: 3.6K

✎ Caution(!): None for this chapter

✎ Taglist: OPEN

✎ Author’s notes: I'm pretending this isn't a billion years too late lmao, hope you enjoy! Scrapped it too many times that I had to shut myself up and just say fuck it. Plus I have extra time on my hands so yes every chapter will have its own header >.>

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯. ꀤ⤇

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived the fierce, cold-hearted dragons of Vidin, vicious and monstrous, killing and devouring anything in their path; it didn't matter if they were people nor even animals, wrecking their homes and scorching their lands as they pleased.

Despite all the havoc they created along with them, the dragons wanted to be free, they were always under the order of the Vidian king. He was mean, and oddly enough was even more bloodthirsty than the monstrous creatures, with magick hands that spit fire and flame-throwing dragons on his side. He was dreaded -even by the dragons- for he was an unstoppable killing beast.

The dragons couldn’t disobey him, he was in possession of the horn of Azgaar, misleading them into believing he was the true possessor of the horn, the one and only dragon raider, promising to spare their worthless lives if they bid by his rules. The dragons were led by fear, fear of the king ending their lives if he blew into the horn. They had no choice but to devour, spending their lives ending those of humans.

For all those years living around the dragons, the Vidians got used to their company, some greedy enough to snag a baby dragon for themselves, knowing no dragon would dare attack a Vidian in the presence of the raider, chaining them down and raising them as pets, a true testimony to their greed in wanting -and getting- what they shouldn’t possess.

During the great war all these years ago, the Vidians rode on their backs and led them to fight on their side against the Szithian Empire, so many of their lives were taken, alongside the Vidian king. The dragons lost their family, they watched in horror as the Emperor of Szithian slashed their wings, skinned them, and wore their scales as armor, prideful in spilling their blood, right before he decapitated the Vidian king’s head off of his neck, deeming it the hassle-free choice to perceive the horn that hung around his headless neck. The elder dragon, with the name Vlad bestowed upon him by the Vidian king, was a disaster, a cataclysm, a living force of nature, his fight against the Szithian Emperor was what seized the war, losing the horn that has never been found.

From that point on, the dragons swore to never bow down to a Vidian, for they were insatiable and perjurers, quick to make empty promises and never keep them. The dragons gave up trying to get back the horn of Azgaar, carving out their own island from the Vidian’s territory and separating it from them, deeming it as their den and retreating back to it, it is known for its molten lava floors, with no alive being brave enough to step foot into the bubbling earth.

No one but the true dragon raider, the only one who gets to blow the horn of Azgaar, the one who ends the lives of the dragons, while they are to this day waiting for their inevitable doom.

But sometimes, on a still night just like this one, their hunger knows no bounds, gluttonous to the flesh of humans, spreading their endless wings to fly over to the land of humans, diving low to snatch all the little kids out of their beds, dense enough to stay awake, only to end up as little nibbles for the hungry mouths of the-

“No!” A kid perched on his bed screeches, a loud disappointed boo noise following his outburst, his friends huddled up with him under the blanket cowering when the silent tense atmosphere is suddenly cut short. The candle flame that illuminates the room sways, dancing to the music of the children’s screaming. Settling back in an amber when they quiet down, the sound of one wiping his booger with his sleeve echoing in the room.

“What?” You snap at him, looking at the seven kids eyeing you whilst on your chair, their three beds pushed together to accommodate all of them. They lean closer to you, holding onto the edge of the beds as they balance themselves on it, one of the girls almost falling over, if not for the little boy clutching on the back of her dress to stop her from doing so. “It says so here in the book.” You huff, pointing at a line in the leather-bound book in your lap, crossing your arms back at the boy when he does it at first.

“No, it doesn’t,” He argues, standing on the bed and pointing an accusing finger at you, the children huddled together on either side of him shaking in their shared blankets as they look up at him, a proud expression and a puffed chest, gloating as if he figured out a riddle.

“You've read us this story a hundred times, two nights ago it was eating children who go to bed without washing up after supper, last week it was children who don't help around the house.” With sudden realization, all the kids look back at you with glares, when one thinks about if looks could kill, their looks can, well, tickle you... a little bit.

They all have their mean pouts on, lips wobbling and eyes glazing as their doe eyes look at you in plead, to debunk the story you are reading to them, none of them tutored enough to expose your lies hidden between the lines of the story.

“Yeah well, next time it's gonna be about eating children who talk back, how about that?” You hum teasingly, closing the leather bounded worn-out book and tying it firmly before getting up. The children reach up to hug you when you sit on the edge of the bed, patting their hair and kissing their cheeks goodnight, laughing lightly and reassuring them that nothing will snatch their cute little bums while they’re asleep.

Someone clears their throat at the doorway, the children stiffening when it reaches their ear, all dejectedly pouting and whining at you to not leave while laying down on their beds when you cover their bodies with their blankets, promising to see them again in a few days, chuckling when the first kid - Koda - asks you to promise him to steer away from telling the story’s rendition about the dragons eating children who talk back.

With a final wish of a good night's sleep, you blow out the candle, closing the door with care before you turn around to meet the intruder.

“Your Highness-” Your huff cuts her off as you straighten your dress, fixing your hair before facing your companion. “Yui, you know how the children feel about you, especially when you refuse to change attire for their sake.” You furrow your brows, staring at your bodyguard. “I am aware, please pardon me,” she bows slightly, her armor clunking loud in the silent hallway upon her movement and you urge her to stand up straight again.

“Alas, His Majesty asked for your immediate presence.” She informs you, following you as you wave goodbye to the bowing caretakers of the orphanage, dropping them a bag of gold to help them take care of the children’s needs for the next couple of days until your next arrival.

You stare back at the building when you leave, Yui hot on your heels to assure your safety walking around during nighttime, a frown tugging at your lips when your gaze shifts over to the rundown building, tightening the shawl wrapped around your shoulders when you recall how cold, damp and dark it is inside. Scoffing at how it's warmer and lighter outside the home than what's within its walls, despite the settling of the night. The windows, although present, are very small openings with wooden shutters that are closed during bad weather, or in this case, at night.

You remember the day these children first stepped foot into the kingdom, huddled up with their tattered clothes and blistered feet as they cried by the gate, begging, pleading for a place to hide from the Szithian army, after relentlessly scurrying away from them on the meadows that stretch past the castle walls.

You were barely a teenager when your father allowed them to enter the premises, stuffing your drawstring pouch with assortments of food after supper, distracting your parents before leaving the castle walls, running off to the rundown building deemed their home with the bag in tow, only to end up delivering pottage-soaked bread and vegetables due to the troubles of your journey.

The children wouldn’t talk to their caretakers, opting to wait for your arrival every few days to speak to you about their escape, how their escape started with ten of them and ended with seven making it through, the others stabbed and slashed to death by those monsters. How they cowered and wailed in horror when one of the knights came over to usher you back into the castle whenever they found out about your fleeing, frightened by the clanking of the metal that will forever be engraved in their memory.

The walls surrounding the kingdom seem cloud chasing when you raise your head to peek at its top, sturdy rocks stacked one on top of the other, encircling the town and you always wondered why your kingdom was limited to its cage -for the lack of a better term- when you had so much free land around it. The question rose when you started developing an interest in geography, begging your father for your own map that you could mark whenever you embark on your own journey into the unknown, you won’t ever forget the way he laughed, what seemed in an endearing way then, now just a reminder how ridiculing it was in reality.

He sat you down and proudly traced his kingdom, piquing your interest as your eyes followed the motion of his finger, asking him what lies beyond it. His scoff still rings in your ear, before hearing his words that you now know broke something in the little adventurer that resided within you.

‘Why should it matter, everything the light touches is my kingdom, not like you can step foot beyond it.’

Blinking back into reality, you turn your head to observe the rest of the buildings residing in the neighborhood that seemingly look haunted on this specific day, the houses that have thatched roofs and are easy to destroy. You recall that one incident where you had begged your father to build the people’s houses with stones, like the stones that make the castle walls, instead of the usual timber frames and twigs. Fires were and still are a constant problem in your people’s homes. Because to this day, when you’re tossing and turning in your bed, you can still hear the screams of Mr. Taneo in the distance, the man that was devoured by the flames of his own home, just like many of your people.

Scoffing to yourself when you recall how he started explaining to you stuff that a child your age would and could never understand, how the shaping of the stones was difficult and expensive, how stones were used sparingly, except for the houses of the rich and royals, like the castle walls or the walls that surrounded your father’s kingdom, the walls you never got to experience life outside of them.

You tried to argue about how a just king would try his best for the benefit of his people and his kingdom, otherwise, he wasn’t deemed worthy of either of them -his exact words to you when you were a child, ironically. Alas, that night, you were sent to bed without dinner.

“Did he tell you why he wanted my presence?” You turn to face Yui, catching the way she shifts on her feet at your question. “I wasn’t informed,” she answers, and your eyes meet for a second too long before she turns away, using it as an excuse to guide you back to the castle walls.

You pet the mane of your horse, smiling slightly when it lets out a guttural rumble of a breath at you, then shaking its head when you step back to stuff the book in the pouch on its saddle.

You hold onto the saddles to brace yourself to get on your horse, you throw your right leg over the top pommel while your left leg hangs down, pressing your thigh against the low pommel and fastening your foot in the stirrup, making sure your dress lays over your legs and not to expose them.

“C’mon Kaoru,” you pat him on the neck, hearing him puffing his breath out of his nostrils before he trots back to the castle, back to the stoned walls of your home. You turn your head left and right, trying to catch sight of some of your people as you ride your horse back home, calling Yui when you weren’t able to find them to wish them a good night like you did every time you came down to the town.

“Is everything alright?” She voices her concern, her horse matching the speed of your own, worried at how troubled you look, yet anxious of the inevitable question leaving your lips. “Where’s everyone?” She breathes out at your question, thankful you still haven’t turned around to face her, knowing how difficult it is to lie to your face. She’s already aware of how doubtful you are about her reply to your previous question. She clears her throat before informing you.

“At the castle gate,”

“Why?” You’re alert, back tense as you turn sharply to face her, uncovering whatever façade she hides behind when your eyes meet.

“They, uh, were astonished by the carriages, and um, followed the carts to the castle gates.” She sucks on her bottom lip. “It, it looks like a proposal parade.” and honestly, you don’t need to hear anymore, leaning forward and kicking the stirrup, Kaoru breaking into a gallop as you hear Yui calling for you, the clopping of her horse getting louder the closer she gets to you as the gate guards make way for you to enter.

The castle has been your home for decade upon decade, your own world all on by itself. Yet when everyone turns their head when the clopping of Kaoru overbears their hushed mumbling, your name is on hundreds of lips, you’re more aware of what your world really is, all the endless space you thought you had is now as throttling as it can be. The world that you exist in, as maddening as the truth can make you, as real and as vulnerable as you could be.

Citizens cheer left and right, throwing petals at Kaoru’s feet as you tug at his reins to slow him down, worried about hurting anyone, waving at them softly when they call your name, heat coursing through the back of your neck as they’re already congratulating you, wishing you a pleasant life outside of the kingdom. Your body can’t stop trembling, legs wobbling when you jump off of the saddle, shaking hand barely miss when you toss Kaoru’s reins in one of the guards' hands, demanding he is put back in his stable before you lift your dress to stop yourself from tripping when you speed up the stairs.

Your heart beats faster when the maids bow down to you, giddy and joyful as your lady-in-waiting drags you off to your chamber, demanding you ‘take off that tattered wear at once, you are to make the best impression to a prince if you are to be wed.’

It takes some serious convincing and mutual tugging for you to let her handle you, unlacing your corset and allowing you to breathe a sigh of relief, only for you to choke on it when she tightens another one, before kneeling in front of you to fluff your new dress.

“There, now off you go, Yui is escorting you to the council chamber.” You snort ungracefully, “I know where it is,” but she just tuts at you, fluffing the back of your dress one more time before you leave, you are able to snatch the shawl off of the chair before you do, wrapping it around your shoulders again before exiting, not waiting for your guard to follow, blindingly trusting her to have your back.

No matter how big the castle halls are, no matter how endless the ceiling feels over your head, this time you feel constrained, almost like every step is weighing you down, your gut telling you that you don’t wanna see whatever is behind that giant wooden door.

The clunking of Yui seizes before you reach that door, and you turn around to see her already bowing down, “His majesty requested only for you and uh, the prince…” you’re bothered by her tone, “Prince?” she smiles softly at you, slipping your shawl off of your shoulders before leaving.

“Ah, y/n, great of you to join us,” your father calls, standing from the head of the table -with your mother on his right side- to greet you, and just like you have been taught all those years ago, memorized like the back of your hand, you sweep one foot behind the other, holding your skirt out from your body to curtsy.

“More like dragged to join but go on,” You mumble to yourself, head still bowed down as to not get caught before you stand back upright, pressing your lips together in what you hope is a smile at your parents.

You eye the council table, flinching when the chair’s screeching echoes in the silent large room, finding the one person occupying the round table, other than the king and his queen. The young man stands straight, right hand resting on where his heart is before lowering his head in an offering of a neck bow. Greeting you with a soft “Your Highness.” His voice is as stoic as his face, not leaving any room for you to decipher his emotions, and you envy the way he’s able to hide how he truly must feel, while you already feel your smile drooping.

“His Royal Highness,” A well-built guard announces, gaining your attention for a second, brows twitching at the sound of your parents gushing, before directing it back to the prince. “Shoto Todoroki, Prince of The Protectorate of Sha.” Your breath catches in your throat, you’re not sure if it's because of where he came from or when you take notice of the scar that is poorly curtained by his bangs. Yet, with your instinct, you perform the same curtsy, repeating the greeting to him.

“Your highness,” he starts, clearing his throat after a few moments of complete silence when you don’t offer a reply, the tension palpable as you refuse to let your guard down and continue to stare him down, lips that were pressed together in a smile now slowly morphing into a grimace.

“Prince Shoto has journeyed from afar to seek your hand, y/n.” your mother, who has been silent this whole time, gushes, ushering you all to sit back at the table, both of you on either side of your father while the prince fidgets in his seat in front of you, tugging at his collar to ease his breathing when he feels the three pairs of eyes staring, one of them basically glaring but he’s trying not to focus on that.

“Oh, I know where Sha is...” You assure, jaw clenching and you only then realize that you’re not sure why you’re so disheartened, is it because everyone is already assuming you’re accepting his proposal? Or is it because you envy that he is able to leave his home? Not confined by its suffocating walls, not having his choices made for him, not-

“A very impressive youth.”

“And a prince as well.” Your parents discuss with themselves, paying no mind to the daggers you’re shooting the duo-haired prince as he, after much trouble, pulls out a worn-out scroll from his vest, handing it to the guard that stood by him to deliver it to you.

“What, like this is some sort of deal?” You scoff, voice getting sharper with every word when the scroll reaches your side of the table. “Like I am some sort of prize to be won, like some produce to be bought? Forget it, I refuse whatever you’re offering.” you place your hand firmly on the table, pushing the chair back to stand up.

The change in Prince Shoto’s demeanor makes you halt in your step, a shift in aura as he hisses, an odd sound to be outed by a royal. Yet you pay the noise no mind, flinching when he pushes his bangs back, the whites of his eye nonexistent when the ink in his pupil bleeds into it. The captivating sapphires of his left eye now a golden glare, and you squint at its glint, even with you being far away from where he’s seated. You plop back in your seat, your knees giving out on you when you feel enchanted by it. Too caught up in your own horror to notify your parents, who are engrossed in planning where the wedding will take place.

“Actually,” he breathes a few after he calms down, the indifferent mask he wore now fallen and chipped apart, and you don’t know if his voice is pleading or coercing.

“I am not here to ask for her hand in marriage, I am here on behalf of my father, Princess y/n is to wed His Majesty, Enji Todoroki, the King the Protectorate of Sha.”

⤶ Back to The Dragon Raid Masterlist

⤶ Back to my Main Masterlist

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maddiesflame · 2 years ago

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King of Wrath headers

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hiloedits · 2 years ago

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— eliava headers

like or reblog if you use/save.

#book headers #book header #romance headers #romance header #eli king headers #eli king header #ava nash headers #ava nash header #legacy of gods headers #legacy of gods header #eliava headers #eliava header #god of malice header #god of malice headers #god of pain header #god of pain headers #god of wrath header #god of wrath headers #rina kent

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autumnslance · 4 years ago

Note

What was it like going from World of Warcraft to FFXIV? As someone who has never played an online RPG before FFXIV I am often :0 ?! when I hear that some people found getting into FFXIV hard because of the mandatory main quest when they just want to go to endgame content as soon as possible. Is going endgame ASAP a regular thing in most online RPGs?

Have a header image of a FFXIV version of my original WoW Main, Discipline Priest Lirriel F’sharri.

Me, a concise answer? Hahaha! Sorry. This got long, so behind a cut it goes and hopefully I answer to Nonny’s satisfaction, taking the questions and breaking them down:

Is going endgame ASAP a regular thing in most online RPGs?

In a lot of games it can be, yes. WoW doesn’t really have a linear overall storyline; each zone has its own story, and each expansion has its own story arc. Nowadays, with how long it’s been running and how big it’s gotten, WoW has revamped their questing so that you decide if you want to go through 1-50 in a specific expac (Burning Crusade, Cataclysm, Wrath of the Lich King, etc), and then catch up to the newest expac for the newest levels, since they also recently did a “level squish” as well as a stats squish, as they had gotten well over 100+ levels in the last couple expansions. Numbers are a problem for long running games (which is why experienced MMO players nodded and some even sighed in relief when the stat squish for Endwalker was announced).

I don’t think FFXIV will be able to do anything similar since their overarching story is so linear; it’s more like playing a single player traditional JRPG with some MMO features attached. I can see them perhaps scaling experience point gain with quests the way they have with the side quests in Shadowbringers, or with Beast Tribe dailies; that would work going forward I think. Unless we get the option to start with the new storyarc starting in 6.1; that could be interesting!

The only other time I had a linear story to go through similarly to FFXIV was early days of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which I played briefly at launch. Even then, each planet had its own storyline, the overall storyline was the individual class questlines. There was, I think, an overarching plot, but it didn’t really come into play until level cap? I don’t even remember and never got to cap because the grind in that game at launch was awful.

And that’s a thing about many MMOs; the leveling experience is learning about the world, introducing characters and setting, but it’s mostly filler until you get to the endgame where the raiding is--and in WoW, the story is only completed via seeing it in raids (thank goodness for Looking for Raid) and was the main focus mechanically as well. WoW didn’t really have an overarching story in Classic, it was a lot of disparate elements setting up and holdovers from the original RTS games and led to random raid content. Burning Crusade gave us an overarching plot with going to Outland to face Illidan--which honestly wasn’t all that well done storywise. BC is remembered fondly for the quality of life changes and allowing smaller groups to raid, rather than requiring wrangling 40 people. And the raids were challenging and fun--or frustrating, but mileage varies there. But the impetus for “the Dark Portal opened and Illidan’s in Outland being bad” was...pretty much it? Later expacs like Wrath had much better story setup and throughlines as they went, and my one friend described Shadowlands as having something like an MSQ. There are, however, a lot of retcons and putting necessary plot information in supplemental material, which was always frustrating. I’ve likened it before to “imagine going from defeating Tsukuyomi at the end of 4.3 and all the separations and set up there...and then the next patch picking up with getting warped to the First because everything that happened in 4.4 and 4.5 occurs in a novel.” That’s too often been WoW’s method of connecting expansion stories while players languish for a year or more in the last raid content.

I wish I was kidding. FFXIV having a set, quick release schedule, that they keep to so consistently with such good quality--and cosmetic and RP stuff added too!--is astounding to me. I worry for the devs’ health at times--then I hear things like Yoshida turning down requests for crunchy overtime to keep said devs from burning out, hence why the next Ultimate is pushed to 6.1. I appreciate that greatly. Getting anything not pertaining to endgame raid and PvP content in WoW was often impossible, coming with complaints from the raiding community that frivolous additions for sheer fun cost them whole tiers, and seriously 18 months between patches was not unheard of.

What was it like going from World of Warcraft to FFXIV?

I started FFXIV at the beginning of Heavensward...but I was still playing WoW. FFXIV was my side game, as I was still invested in roleplay and raiding with my WoW friends. So I mostly enjoyed playing through the story at a leisurely pace, but I didn’t finish ARR for like 2 years. When Stormblood came out I was hitting burnout in WoW despite mostly enjoying Legion, and the quality of life changes for StB really invigorated my interest and ability to play. The longer GCD for FFXIV was actually one of the biggest challenges for me, especially since I had primarily tanked and healed in WoW. I am not an aggressive or competitive player, nor very manually coordinated, so DPS has always been a challenge for me. I find DPS easier in FFXIV thanks to the longer GCD--I’m still not great, but I don’t feel overwhelmed by trying to hit my rotation buttons instantly. It’s taken me a while to get used to tanking, and I still don’t do it in 8man content, except once or twice with my friends. Mostly cuz I’m just enjoying my DPS jobs, really, so haven’t invested in learning.

...And some of my old fear of random roulettes as a lone tank/healer; WoW’s LFG was a toxic pit for various reasons FFXIV has mostly avoided and even my worst day in FFXIV’s roulette is better than a good day in WoW’s, which gave me anxiety and I stopped doing without friends. FFXIV has no Public Test Realm that people expect you to get on pre-patch to not only spoil story moments, but also learn all the fight mechanics ahead of time and if you don’t know them Hour 1 Day 1 of a new patch release you’re deserving of abuse.

I won’t say never, but I just haven’t found myself interested in going back to WoW or feeling invested in that story, though I do sometimes miss my RP characters (and may write more stories for them sometime). I do keep track of certain beloved NPCs and events--a friend streamed a beautiful moment in Ardenweald for me because I did play through what happened to that character in Legion, sobbing the whole time. I’m tracking what’s happening to Anduin Wrynn closely; we’ve literally watched that character grow up in real time over the years from boy prince to king of Stormwind and I’m still a bit heartbroken about his father. But I play for story and characters, and Blizzard’s way of telling those stories and handling those characters lost me, and with how the Acti-Blizz execs and higher level devs act lately (Hazzikostas keeps striking me as out of touch), they don’t give me much incentive to go back. I may not even pick up Diablo 4 at this rate.

So FFXIV’s story hits the right narrative and character focus for me, especially when I buckled in and replayed...and then replayed again...and now have NG+...Anyway, I like how they build the lore and characters and while it’s far from perfect and they have their own flaws, coming from WoW, it’s a lovely change of pace. Not to mention just how Yoshida and his team interact and communicate with the player base, and see the players’ trust as paramount post-1.x.

...I hear that some people found getting into FFXIV hard because of the mandatory main quest when they just want to go to endgame content as soon as possible.

Some people play only to raid; they like mechanics, and challenges, and feeling powerful at max level with the best gear. They don’t care about the overall story--in some cases because they don’t realize it’s so in depth and linear and sensible after/compared to the constant retcons and revamps in games like WoW!--and are just here to play with friends. Cool for them, if that’s what makes them happy! If that’s how they relax and have fun, power to ‘em so long as they aren’t being nasty to others less advanced/able/willing to put in the time and effort for gameplay. But for me, story and characters are far more important, and I raided quite a lot in WoW at various levels of difficulty and raid size. I am old and tired and want to relax and have fun with friends and write stories that get away with me when my characters get a mind of their own. So I rarely do more than Normals, avoiding Savage and Extreme cuz that grind doesn’t interest me. I’ll do stuff I can do on my own to get my progress fix for my brain (like leveling jobs).

The trouble we’re running into now is FFXIV’s linear story is well over 100 hours long. Even with the ARR revamp cutting a lot of chafe, there’s a LOT to get through to reach HW, and then a lot to get to StB, and then to ShB. And there will be a bunch to get through to EW. That’s JUST MSQ, not counting all the side content a new player may also want to catch up on, like the Alliance and Normal raids, PvP, Relics, Hildibrand, side quest stories like Mail Moogle, Beast Tribes, Crafting...the list goes on and on!

Content in a successful MMO must be varied for multiple styles and preferences for the long term health of the game. Roleplayers and story-focused folks tend to be the ones who stick between patches, farming content at a slower pace to get rewards they want for RP or to see story info, as opposed to raid-focused folks who push new content at release for the challenge and glory. Some of those folks also RP or like story though, so go back to farm between blowing up new content. There’s room for all kinds, and there has to be, and while I am sometimes annoyed by people who skip story (or outright dislike it!) while demanding to know how X works or why a character did A thing, they play their way and pay their sub to keep things running same as me and my obsessive need to know the lore and see it for myself. I can certainly understand those players who story skip that much content to get to where their friends are, if that’s the primary reason they play is to raid with pals, and with New Game+ it’s easier than ever for someone to go back and catch up the story later anyway.

#Lyn Prompts #About Me #Blogging #World of Warcraft #Final Fantasy XIV #Anonymous

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come-on-shitty-boys · 4 years ago

Text

// the king. oikawa tooru //

Warnings: mentions of death

Word Count: 1.9K

Notes: This is the final installment of the mini-series “Soldier, Poet, King” influenced by the song of the same name by The Oh Hellos. I might make a second part to this or maybe just do a little drabble to finish it off?? i have to add the header later because my dumbass F O R G O T to make one and i wanna sleep ;-;

“You’re a monster.”

“I don’t care if you’re my husband. I want nothing to do with you.”

“I refuse to sleep in the same bed as you.”

“You’re just like your father, only caring when it benefits you.”

Each hateful comment that you threw at him pulled the air from his lungs. He’d never been talked to in such a way, but now, hearing those words drip like poison from the lips of his own wife was like a punch to the stomach. Tooru knew going into the marriage that things were going to be rocky, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad. He thought that given a few weeks, he’d be able to win you over with his charming personality and the two of you could enjoy a happy life together, ruling over one of the most powerful nations.

But, that was so far from the truth. Any attempts at physical contact were shoved away. Conversation was cut short by a snide remark from you, leaving the young king to sit with all of the gnawing guilt in his chest. Because, every word that you uttered, he believed to be true. He was a monster. Well, maybe not him specifically, but his family was a completely different story.

There was a reason that the Oikawa family was the head of such an immense kingdom, one that stretched farther than one could ever fathom. A feared kingdom and one with riches beyond your wildest dreams. An intimidating military with ranks upon ranks of well-equipped soldiers. Yes, that was the Riviere Kingdom, a kingdom that burned fear into its people and a king to match that scary demeanor. The king that had worn the crown before Tooru, his father, was as ruthless as they come, building the once small kingdom into the powerhouse that it is today. Smaller surrounding nations were on their knees, begging to be spared, but they were only swallowed by the overwhelming military force before there was even a chance to protest. And that was the game for years. Smaller nations were taken in, allowing the nation to swell in size and power, allowing it to move on to even bigger targets. It was monstrous.

But, it wasn’t like Tooru could do anything about it now. What did you want him to do? Give everyone their land back and let them break off into their own countries again? They would starve and die. People had become reliant on the aid of the kingdom, so who was he to just whisk that all away from them? Everything was years in the past, he had barely been born when his father's rampage had reached its peak and he was only seven when the final obstacle was conquered, too young to think any ill of his father’s ways.

The Gledria Kingdom had been the goal from the very beginning. It was the biggest and best, but late King Oikawa couldn’t have that, could he? Tooru could remember that overwhelming swell of pride that his father carried as the royal family of the newly-fallen kingdom knelt before the king in defeat. A king with weary eyes, dark circles and heavy wrinkles from years of stress, a queen with gentle features and lips that probably had the potential to carry the sweetest smile, and between them knelt a young girl, likely no older than the young prince himself. Her eyes were puffy and there was a glisten of snot streaming from her nose, the fear evident in her body as she knelt there trembling.

“I’d like to make a deal,” the fallen king states simply, his voice as commanding, steady, as if he was the one in charge. “Your son, is he betrothed already?”

Tooru’s cheeks turned hot, the attention suddenly being turned to him. “He’s not.”

“Then I would like to offer my daughter’s hand. Before you refuse, I want you to think about what this could mean for you. You are free of the burden of an even grander kingdom by letting us walk free and rebuild our home. Not only that, we are now aligned with you, your majesty. Our children will act as the peace treaty between our two kingdoms.”

It had been a tempting offer, one that was not refused. And for ten years, the deal remained in tact. The two lived in harmony, only engaging with one another when it was necessary. But, things got boring and the death of King Oikawa was coming sooner rather than later. It was his last mission. Put an end to the Gledria Kingdom.

Tooru could still remember the look on your face when you were dragged into the castle on that fateful day. You had been so eerily easy. There were no tears, no pain, just emptiness hidden behind those deep eyes. Your dress had been tattered, hair had been matted and tangled. You looked like some kind of creature that Prince Tooru had only read about. He could do nothing but watch as the handmaids took you away to clean the blood of your people off of your shell of a body.

Even now, years after the fall of your home, there was still hate and bitterness, but Tooru couldn’t even blame you. On the night of your wedding, you had refused to speak to him, let alone consummate your marriage. Shortly following the death of his father, when Prince Tooru was given his new title of King and you were crowned as his queen, there was nothing. No words of celebration, no smiles were shared. The tension in the air surrounding the young pair never dropped. If you ever looked at him, it was only through narrowed eyes. If you ever spoke to him, your words stung like a thousand wasps. You were cold to him, refusing to even give him a chance, refusing to believe that he was not his father, refusing to believe that they were anything but the same.

The people noticed it in only a matter of months. It was like the clouds had opened up and the sun was finally able to shine through. After years of war, there was peace in the kingdom once again. Aid was given to those who had lost everything and King Tooru was adament on purchasing his silks and fabrics from within the Riveire Kingdom to help support his people in an effort to get them back on their feet. Festivals that had long since stopped from fear of the late king’s wrath, now filled the squares all over again. From within the castle, there were nights where the merry cheers and laughter of people down in the village carried on the summer air as they rejoiced in a new sense of freedom that they hadn’t felt in a long time.

And it was those nights that he was able to feel closest to you. It wasn’t much, but every night that the music could be heard, he could find you on the balcony that extended from the bedroom that the two of you were meant to share. Your hair would sway gently in the warm breeze, face aglow with moonlight, letting the night consume you in all of its beauty. If he listened closely, he could hear you humming along to the tune of some song that he had heard you hum a million times, but would never tell him the name of. Some nights, if he watched you long enough, Tooru could watch you slowly start to sway as you get lost in the song that echoed in your head.

“We should go,” was all he had said to you.

It caught you off guard. There was a sudden abruptness to his words, but the gentle tone that he always used when talking to you never left. “What are you talking about?”

“A festival. We should go sometime. It could be fun, don’t you think? Mother would never let me go when I was younger. She thought commoners were filthy and when my father started his reign of terror, the festivals and parties stopped all together.” Tooru leaned on the rail of the balcony a few feet away from you, giving you your space, while still being near you. The fact that you didn’t immediately move away felt like a win in his book. “Have you ever been to one?”

You simply nod. You’re silent for a long time, he thinks the conversation is over until he sees your mouth open. “We used to go all of the time. If my father knew there was going to be a festival, he would take me. We would dance and he’d lift me up and spin me around. He would buy food and drinks for everyone there, so every single person could have a good time and not have to worry about expenditures.” Tooru looked over at you as your words trailed off. A soft smile graced your features. It was the very first smile that he had ever seen from you, but it fell quickly. “But that was before-”

“Yeah. I know.”

“I really don’t think you do. Do you really understand what your father did to us? To every single kingdom that fell on their knees before him? My people were slaughtered, Tooru. I watched my parents die because your father betrayed them and you stand here and genuinely expect me to see you in a different light. You may not be your father, but you’re still an Oikawa. You carry all of that bloodshed on your shoulders now. You could be the kindest king in the world, but nothing is going to reverse the past.”

“You’re right and I wish that there was something that I could do to fix everything. If I could go back and stop him from doing what he did to your kingdom, I would do it in a heartbeat, but we didn’t know that it was coming either. But, Y/N, we can’t keep living like this. If you don’t want to love me, I can live with that, but I beg that you let me show you that I am more than just my father’s son. I’m an Oikawa and that’s something that I can’t change, but I can change the feelings that come with hearing that name. I wish nothing but the best for my people, our people, but that has to start here.”

“What are you saying?”

“Let me take you to one festival. We can dance until your feet tire so much that I have to carry you home. I’ll spin you around until you’re so dizzy that you can’t see straight. We can eat and drink and laugh until your stomach hurts. You don’t have to say yes, but I want to show you that I am King Oikawa Tooru and I am not the same person that my father was. So, what do you say? Will you do me the honor of being my dance partner for just one festival?”

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