#knighton news

[knn-official]

Here's the latest on the knighton news network!

me and herb herbertson are getting a divorce.

[spryfilm]

DVD review: “Magnum P.I.: Season 4” (2021)

“Magnum P.I.: Season 4” (2021) Television Twenty Episodes Developed by: Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim Featuring: Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill and Tim Kang Detective Gordon Katsumoto: “Still don’t get why you guys are doing this.” Thomas Magnum: “Mike and Terry wanted to free these people, and it cost them their lives. We didn’t know them but…

[icy-watch]

Well, that stone monster is the new king. Good luck, Knighton!

[kitty-buster-moon-simp]

Inktober Day 19 ~ Kissed By Jestro's Henchman

Esp:

Hoy Les Traigo La 19na Semana Del Inktober 2024, Hoy Hice Este Dibujo De Cora Williams-Rolls (Nuevo OC De Lego Nexo Knights) Siendo Besada Por Tom Cinnamon (Otro OC De Nexo Knights), El Ex Secuaz Y Sirviente De Jestro, Ahora El Caballero Gato De Rollos De Canela, En Una Hermosa Colina En Knighton. Cora Es La Hermana Menor De Hugo Alberto Williams (Mi Otro OC De Nexo Knights) Y Le Confesó Sus Sentimientos A Tom Cuando Aún Era Secuaz De Jestro, Ella Es Como Nya (De Ninjago) O Nezuko Kamado (De Demon Slayer/Kimetsu No Yaiba), Ya Que Es Hermana Menor De Hugo Alberto, Pero Ella No Fue Convertida En Demonio, Ella Junto A Sus Padres, Fueron Secuestrados Por Monstrox, Dejando Solo A Hugo Alberto Y Le Hicieron Creer Que Sus Padres Y Su Hermana Habían Fallecido, Y Eso Deprimió Mucho A Hugo Alberto Ya Que Fue A Cora A Quién Cuidó Desde Pequeña Y Con La Que Tanto Sonrió Y Jugó. Tiempo Después, Hugo Alberto Se Entera De Que Secuestraron A Sus Padres, Y Se Reencuentra Con Cora, Su Hermana Menor, Y Ella Le Revela Que Se Convirtió En Tío, Ya Que Ella Y Tom Tuvieron A Caterina Y A Tom Jr Cuando Aún Estaban Secuestrados, Pero Tom Tenía Que Fingir Hacerle Daño A Cora Para Que Jestro No Lo Despidiera De Ser Su Secuaz Y Sirviente. Por Otro Lado, Tom, Cuando Era El Secuaz Y Sirviente De Jestro, Era Forzado A Hacer El Aseo, Limpiar Los Pies De Jestro, Peinarlo, Lavarle Cierta Parte Del Cuerpo, Ayudarlo A Crear Monstruos, Atacar A Los Residentes De Knighton Y Más Cosas Crueles, Pero Jestro Lo Despidió De Ser Su Secuaz Y Sirviente Cuando Cora Le Confesó Sus Sentimientos Románticos Y Cuando Tuvieron Hijos Y Después De Ser Despedido, Clay, Aaron, Axl, Lance, Macy, Hugo Alberto, Kissy, Candy Y Terra Lo Animan A Unirse A Ellos, Y Animan A Tom Y Cora A Unirse A Ellos Y Así Fue. Lo Sé, Mucho Texto XD, Pero Bueno, Espero Que Les Guste Este Dibujo Que Hice^^

Eng:

Today I Bring You The 19th Week Of Inktober 2024, Today I Made This Drawing Of Cora Williams-Rolls (New Lego Nexo Knights OC) Being Kissed By Tom Cinnamon (Another Nexo Knights OC), Jestro's Former Henchman And Servant, Now The Cat Knight Of Cinnamon Rolls, On A Beautiful Hill In Knighton. Cora Is The Younger Sister Of Hugo Alberto Williams (My Other Nexo Knights OC) And She Confessed Her Feelings To Tom When He Was Still Jestro's Henchman, She Is Like Nya (From Ninjago) Or Nezuko Kamado (From Demon Slayer / Kimetsu No Yaiba), Since She Is Hugo Alberto's Younger Sister, But She Was Not Turned Into A Demon, She And Her Parens Were Kidnapped By Monstrox, Leaving Hugo Alberto Alone And They Made Him Believe That His Parents And His Sister Had Passed Away, And That Made Hugo Alberto Very Depressed Since It Was Cora Who He Took Care Of Since She Was Little And With Whom He Smiled And Played So Much. Some Time Later, Hugo Alberto Finds Out That His Parents Were Kidnapped, And He Meets Cora, His Younger Sister, And She Reveals To Him That He Became An Uncle, Since She And Tom Had Caterina And Tom Jr When They Were Still kidnapped, But Tom Had To Pretend To Hurt Cora So That Jestro Would Not Fire Him From Being His Henchman And Servant. On The Other Hand, Tom, When He Was Jestro's Henchman And Servant, Was Forced To Do Grooming, Clean Jestro's Feet, Comb His Hair, Wash A Certain Part Of His Body, Help Him Create Monsters, Attack Knighton Residentes And More Cruel Things, But Jestro Fired Him From Being His henchman And Servant When Cora Confessed Her Romantic Feelings To Him And When They Had Children And After Being Fired, Clay, Aaron, Axl, Lance, Macy, Hugo Alberto, Kissy, Candy And Terra Encourage him To Join Them , And They Encourage Tom and Cora To Join Them And So It Was. I know, A Lot Of text XD, But Well, I Hope You Like This Drawing That I Made^^

[ginandoldlace]

A service was held at The Cenotaph to mark  Anzac Day the annual day of remembrance for Armed Forces personnel from Australia and New Zealand.

Representatives of the UK Armed Forces paid tribute, with wreaths laid by Defence Minister Andrew Murrison and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton.

Today we remember the courageous sacrifice of all Australian and New Zealander personnel who gave their lives.

[joyfulmagic]

Muse List

[Updated 01/15/2025]

Canon & OC Superhero/Spy/Marvel/DC-Based:

Harley Quinn circa the Harley Quinn cartoon, The Suicide Squad, and Birds of Prey —> FC: Ma.rgot Ro.bbie Clark Kent circa My Adventures With Superman —> FC: H.enry Ca.vill [Agath.a Hark.ness — MCU / Marvel-616] —> FC: Kathry.n Hah.n & Helen Mirre.n [Lady D.eath — MCU/Marvel 616] FC: A.ubrey Pl.aza

[Illya Kuryakin - Canon Divergent from The Man From Uncle 2015 with heavy MCU/616 influences]

[James “Bucky” Barnes - MCU + 616 Mix]

[Arina Bondar- MCU/616 + TMFU (2015) OC]

[Adeliana Bondar-Kuryakin - MCU/616 + TMFU (2015) OC] [Atom Eve — Am.azon Pri.me’s Invincible]

Fantasy & Mythology-Based OCs:

[Farah - The Tower]

[Jane - High Priestess]

[Rosie - The Empress]

[Relta - Temperance]

[Aislin - Death] —> @reginamortuorum / @reginapeccatorum

[Keife - The Hanged Man] Disney/Fairytale: 1. Hercules (Hercules 1997) —> Sa.m Heu.gan & Hen.ry Ca.vill fcs 2. Flynn Rider (Tangled 2010) —> Seb.astian St.an 3. Dmitri (Anastasia 1997) —> De.rek K.lena 5. Prince Adam de Valois (BATB 1991 & Historical influences) 6. Grand Duchess Anastasia (Anastasia 1997) 7. King Consort Kristoff (Frozen 2013) — Aaron Taylor-Johnson 8. Prince Hans (Frozen 2013) — Ruairi O’Connor 9. Queen Briar Rose / Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) — Saoirse Ronan 10. Kronk (The Emperor’s New Groove) — Xolo Maridueña 11. Queen Belle (BATB 1991) — Emily Bader 12. Queen Elinor (Brave & Fate Be Changed) — Emily Bader & Catrina Balfe

History/Mythology/HOTD/ASOIAF/Medieval or Ancient Eras Based:

[Catherine of Aragon’s Muse Bio & Verses]

[Mary I’s Muse Bio & Verses]

[Relta’s historical verses] * [Prince Alastair] * —> @monarchofthedamned / @princeofbrokenhearts [Lady/Princess Madeline] *

[Lady Marguerite of Gisborne — BBC’S Robin Hood / Sherwood OC]*

[Maid Marian of Knighton — BBC’s Robin Hood / Sherwood by Meghan Spooner] * [Lady Jane Grey — Amazon’s My Lady Jane] * [Lady Zenobia — Demigoddess OC]* [Chloe de Soilel — Demigoddess OC]* * = modern verses available

TV Show & Movie Canon Based:

[Hetty — CBS’s Ghosts]

[Flower — CBS’s Ghosts]

[Thorfinn (“Thor”) — CBS’s Ghosts]

[Sir Guy of Gisborne — BBC’s Robin Hood, Canon Divergent] [Shego — Disney’s Kim Possible, Canon Divergent/Headcanon Based]

Greek Mythology:

Queen Hera — Simone Ashley

Queen Persephone — [Spring/Summer] & [Fall/Winter]

King Hades — Keanu Reeves

Lady Aphrodite — Keke Palmer [Spring/Summer] & Keira Knightley [Fall/Winter]

King Zeus — Jonathan Bailey & Paul Hollywood

Lord Ares — Fabian Frankel & Jon Bernthal

Norse Mythology:

Freyja — Freya Mavor

[soragawanaeru]

I'VE FINALLY MADE SOME DRAWING YESSS!

AAAAH!! CLAY WHY YOUR HAIR IS SO HARD TO DRAW SKSKSKFITK?!

Anyway this is just my take on Clay Moorington. Sorry but I can't draw armor (//YEAH NAERU YOU STUPID A**)

If you ever complained about the skin, lemme tell you reason why:

1. This artist is confused about darker skin color, but he's not that bright okay actually. I'm just too lazy to draw that pic so I just put random color using Pen (Fade)-like brush.

2. This design will be the checkpoint of my NEXO KNIGHTS X PROJECT SEKAI AU. In PROSEKA, there's no chara's with darker skin, sorry. But yeah, if you want him to be drawn as your version, go on. I'm safe for your HCS.

What the main checkpoint for my Clay design is the hair color -- the correct one is on chibi on the left, and eye colors.

1. During S1 until S3, Clay's eyes color are blue, his normal and natural one.

2. After being struck by Monstrox (S4E2), his eyes color are bright lemonish yellow (Chibi on left) and Grey Knight has same color as the stone color. Oh, don't forget that his eyes are lifeless.

3. During his awakening from stone, Clay's eyes color turned into normal blue, but added with orange (?) peach (?) whatever that highlight below (Him in the middle) This is inspired by a Korean artist who drew a chibi of how Clay's eye color and they made the eyes color like that, but they made them yellow. Clay's eyes remained that color for eternity. His eyes can turned into that yellow back if he's in trauma or having panic attack or anything that made him couldn't control himself and his magic.

(I too tried to make it yellow when I put in Screen mode it turned into that color so I just kept it like that. Besides, after some Tumblr-exploring and found a post about how magic in NK works, I think this color better because orange is quite color of Knighton)

4. He wears his blue gloves back, huzzah! Also he wore pendant. Explanations more on below when I rant about N25! Clay design.

And I made a lazy chibi of Clay in NEXO KNIGHTS X PROJECT SEKAI AU. Remember that I said he'll be in N25. Well, when I still work on plot, lemme give you some designs. (Drawn with zero motivation, sorry)

Some important things about his design.

1. In PRE-3RD ANNIV -Brand New World- Clay just wore kinda suit and vest, with black and blue colored ribbon. This followed with PRE-3RD ANNIV N25 original designs (that quite bland according to me)

.

2. In 3RD ANNIV and POST-3RD ANNIV -Brand New World- I put details on his design as what drawn. And I put some texture to follow the members design and added lotus flower on his robe just to follow the canon members' (As I rembered that Kanade and Mafuyu have iris flower, Ena has lily flower, Mizuki has germanium flower (?))

.

3. His eyes color followed what I designed him before. During beginning S3 his eyes still blue like before, during Grey Knight his eyes turn into stone-colored (As he turned into stone) and sometimes can turn into lemonish yellow color like above. After that, his final color is the same as checkpoint that I made for him.

.

4. Important things about 3RD ANNIV design:

A. His inner shirt actually have frills.

B. He wore blue pendant. At first, I don't know what type so some possibilities are tanzanite, sapphire, blue zircon, and aquamarine were the closest one. Tanzanite is meant a gemstone of transformation, symbolizes Clay's transformation in all aspects in his life. Blue zircon has a meaning to clear one's mind, symblolizes Clay's clearing mind from evil during turned into stone. Saphire symbolizes nobility, truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. Aquamarine symbolizes hapiness, hope, and everlasting youth. Yeah... You can think what type of gem that Clay uses.

C. If you saw clearly, the pendant ribbon and the veil whatever on his red shoulder had color of N25 members. The ribbon had reddish color, symbolizes Kanade's icon color. The veil had gradation of brown, purple, and pinkish color, symbolizes Ena, Mafuyu, and Mizuki.

D. He wears gloves on one side (Unlike PRE-3RD ANNIV design that he didn't use any glove, or the intial design from the first picture that he wears on both) If we follow the equality during NK stories, during S3 Clay thought it just for aesthetics. But after S4, Clay realized that it was to cover his glowing hands (IYKYK)

E. Don't forget, two garter belts on his left thighs. Just for details and accessories, no particular reason.

F. The robe he wears has gradients and textures following the N25 members design, and actually has 'cut' on his back so it's look like branched.

Wait... Okay, then that's it. I have initial HCs designs for the other Knights too and their PRSK unit clothes. I'll draw them when I have time and idea. So yeah, thank you.

[ukrfeminism]

The number of women dying from alcohol-related diseases has soared in recent years, new figures show, with experts blaming the rise on brands deliberately targeting marketing at women.

The latest data reveals the number of women who lost their lives this way in the UK increased by 37 per cent in five years – surging from 2,399 to 3,293 between 2016 and 2021 and marking the highest levels since records began.

While more men than women still die from alcohol-related diseases, the Office for National Statistics figures show deaths are rising substantially quicker for women than for men, with the latter seeing a 28 per cent in the same period – from 4,928 to 6,348.

Professor Debbie Shawcross, a professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King’s College London’s Institute of Liver Studies, said liver disease was a particular problem in female patients. 

“Women tend to present with more severe liver disease, particularly alcohol-related hepatitis, and do so after a shorter period of excessive drinking and at a lower daily alcohol intake than men,” she said. “This can be accounted for by differences in body size and composition – less muscle mass.”

Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change, claimed the main factor causing the surge is the “incessant marketing of drinks towards women” as he called for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising.

Abigail Wilson, from WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health charity, described the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease as “very concerning” as she argued alcohol was as damaging as heroin and crack cocaine. “Women generally are less likely to die of alcohol-related causes than men. There is always a gap there but the gap is closing, and that is really concerning.”

The Independent can also report that:

The number of deaths among women attributed to alcohol-related liver disease in England increased from 1,533 to 2,190 deaths between 2015 and 2021 – a 42 per cent rise

The total number of male deaths linked to alcohol-related liver disease climbed by 34 per cent to 3,870 deaths in the same timeframe

Recent research from 33 countries found that British women are the biggest female binge drinkers

Exclusive polling from WithYou shows almost two-thirds of those who seek support online are women, with more than half seeking support for their alcohol use

Roxanne Knighton, who lives in Staffordshire, told The Independent of the pain of losing her mother Melanie to alcohol-related liver disease in March 2022. She was diagnosed with the illness in her late forties.

“All the earliest memories were mum drinking,” the 34-year-old recalled. “She was alcohol dependent – it made her function.”

Ms Knighton said her mother never went to the doctor and was in denial about her drinking. So Ms Knighton made the call instead. 

“It was me who called the doctors as she couldn’t get up off the sofa – she was full of fluid,” she added. “It had gone into her belly, she had to be drained, they got 12 litres from her.

“I was looking after her each day. It was four years until she died. It still hurts. I didn’t just lose her, I lost her to the alcohol first. You lose them twice.”

Raising concerns about the “feminisation” of alcohol marketing, Dr Piper highlighted annual reports of major alcohol brands which reveal they are deliberately targeting women.

“This is leading to deaths,” he said. “The second reason would be pricing – alcohol is more affordable now than it has been at any point in the last 20 years so people are drinking more.” 

He called for ministers to introduce tighter rules on alcohol marketing and roll out minimum unit pricing for alcohol to make drinks with higher alcohol content more expensive.

Other campaigners warned it is harder for women to get support for alcohol misuse due to services often being tailored towards men. Women routinely do the lion’s share of childcare, meaning they cannot physically find the time, they say.

Helena Conibear, chief executive of the Alcohol Education Trust, attributed the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease to a significant increase in binge drinking in the late Nineties and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Prof Shawcross argued women who struggle with alcoholism endure greater “cultural stigma” than their male counterparts, which may deter women from pursuing help. 

Alcohol-related liver disease often has no symptoms for many years, she added, while women also have lower levels of the enzyme which breaks down alcohol.

Vanessa Hebditch, of the British Liver Trust, said: “With alcohol becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, as well as more ingrained in our culture, more women are drinking to levels that put their health at risk.”

Siobhan Herbert, a project manager, told The Independent she started drinking a bottle of wine a night – and sometimes two bottles on weekend evenings – around 20 years ago.

“When I went out, I drank less,” the 52-year-old added. “I was a bit of a closet drinker. At home, there would be nobody around to witness me getting trollied. My mother was an alcoholic, she was exactly the same. You would have thought growing up, seeing all that through my teenage years, it would stop you, but it is very addictive.”

Ms Herbert said she eventually stopped drinking in June 2022 due to growing fed up with the impact alcohol was having on her physical and mental health.

She added: “I wasn’t putting Baileys on my cornflakes but every day I felt awful. I felt tired and anxious. 

“I am a whole new woman now. I feel alive. I have more energy. I am sharper. I do not have anxiety. My depression is gone and all of the problems I was blaming on the menopause have massively improved.”

Sandra Parker, a self-professed “classic binge drinker”, said she would struggle to know how much alcohol she had consumed due to blacking out and would sometimes be in bed for two days afterwards.

The 54-year-old, who stopped drinking in 2018, now coaches women to help them stop or cut down on their alcohol consumption, describing her clients as successful professional middle-class women who are secretly drinking harmful amounts of wine at home.

“They may have a single drink when they are out with people from work, or they may not even drink, but they come home and they have a bottle of wine,” she added. “They have learnt that when they have a drink, they feel less stressed, and it becomes a dependency where they really crave that feeling each night.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said. “Alcohol misuse can ruin lives and destroy families, which is why we are acting to support those most at risk.

“We’ve published a 10-year plan for tackling drug and alcohol-related harms and are investing an extra £532m between 2022 and 2025 to create places for 50,000 people in drug and alcohol treatment services. We are also funding specialist alcohol care teams at one in four hospitals in England, based on those with the greatest need.

“Our 10-year women’s health strategy sets out our plan for improving care and support for women.”

[knn-official]

Here's the latest on the knighton news network!

Alice can you please come pick me up my hovercar is out of power and my mom is refusing to pick me up. :(

[misc-oc-cauldron]

Yo, yo, yo! Nice to meet ya’ll! Our names are Judas and Mella

We’re indie music producers who want to make it big, and spread our tunes to every nook and cranny of the realm!

Here, we’ll post little moments of our life in Knighton, whether that be WIPs of new song lyrics or any random shenanigans that we might get ourselves into

Here’s a little something about us—

Judas🤎☕️- They/She/He: I Grew Up in a small village outside of Knighton. My parents almost always argued about what they wanted me to be, and their ideas always clashed against each other, and I was stuck in the middle, never even getting the chance to speak my mind and chose what I wanted to be. It also didn’t help that I was born intersex, and my parents choosing where or when I would be a boy or a girl. So, as soon as I became eighteen, I moved out and into the capital of Knighton, Knightonia! I started writing little poems and lyrics to vent out my frustrations, and eventually started writing full length songs and stories! I’m now proud of who I am and I want to show the rest of the kingdom of Knighton that they can be whatever they want to be, and to not let anyone tell them otherwise~

Mella ToneInn🩷🍓- She/They: Hello, hello! I’m a squirebot who was made to tend to the students at the Knights academy, specifically the more restless ones. After a rather unpleasant incident that left my main core mechanism, two tiny spray dispensers that would spray a soothing melatonin-like substance, practically useless, I was no longer of use at the academy and reluctantly let go. I was no longer able to do what I was built for(which is extremely frustrating, especially if you’re a robot). However, after a while of being homeless, I was lucky enough to be found by Judas, who gladly took me in. They taught nme the I don’t need to be restricted by my original code and that I can do whatever I put my mind to… and I want to help anyone, whether they be made of metal or flesh, recognize that!

We’re so happy to be here and we hope you enjoy your stay~

[OOC— Roleplay/ask Blog for my Nexo Knights ocs! I’ll mostly post silly story and art stuff related to them here. Hope you enjoy! Main blog is @xzbat-loverzx ]

[birdy-the-tweet]

Character Catalog

Sir Macy

Macy Halbert is a devoted, headstrong asset of the Nexo Knights and heir to the throne of Knighton. She serves as the Crimson Knight and wears the crest of a dragon on her chest.

Family and History

Born as the only child to Eggred Halbert and his wife, Hama Halbert, Macy would spend her entire childhood knowing she would someday inherit the throne, and she hated it. She didn’t want to wear fancy dresses and learn what spoons went with what meals; instead, she found interest in watching the knights train vigorously in the courtyard and would develop a fondness for the dangerous life of the realm protectors.

But his father, bless his heart, couldn’t bring himself to endanger the life of his only daughter, nor would he resort to finding a new wife and bearing another child. After Hama became infertile after the birth of Macy, he perished the idea of a replacement child. He loved his family too much to even consider a backup plan and would devote his life to guarding his small but mighty girl.

And so, Macy would be banned from entering the Knights’ Academy or subject herself to perilous situations. A guard was always at her side to keep her from getting hurt, and most of her young teen days were spent at royal lessons and “field trips” to political meetings with city elders such as the Richmonds of Auremville. Her life became miserably lonely, for she could hardly speak to anyone without being reminded of her birthright. Any companions she made outside the palace walls couldn’t play for very long. She would always be ushered away so she could attend a class or keep her dress clean. To say she craved a friendship that valued her actual desires and courage rather than her surname would be an understatement. For a time, Macy fell into a pit of depression and remained silent and reserved at all times, even at the dinner table. Her parents believed the installation of custom made squirebots would help their daughter’s state of mind. Instead, it seemed to make it worse.

What did help, however, was her rebellious tendency to sneak out of the castle and explore the world beyond Knightonia. Days and nights were spent in forests and villages, and she wandered the realm for so long, searching parties had to be sent to find her. It would be during this time where she met Clay Moorington, a strange boy in the woods who knew nothing of her heritage and had seldom seen a town during the day. The two became inseparable, playing games in the wilderness and sharing their paralleled passion for the knights. If only it were that easy to join the ranks.

To surprise her best friend for his sixteenth birthday, Macy took him to secretly watch the Battlebration of a class of young knights, only to watch him fall directly into the Joustdome. Unable to help him from her place at the other side of the wall, she instead risked getting caught by her parents by cheering for Clay and disabling the power in the building. She unfortunately was scolded by her father who accused her of reckless behavior, but Clay defended her and convinced the king to drop the subject.

When Clay was offered a position at the Knights’ Academy, Macy pleaded with her father to join him but was denied. Even when Clay told him either they both attended the school or neither of them did, he refused to risk his daughter’s life at the hands of swords and war. It took months of persuasion and heated arguments from the combined efforts of both Macy and Hama who gradually grew faith in her child’s abilities, but eventually, he finally allowed her entry into the academy. Hama even gave her a mace to “knock ‘em dead”.

Personality

Strong willed and kind, Macy values her strength and honor as a knight over her wardrobe of bland gowns and her royal etiquette. She internalizes her struggles with her father’s paranoia and lack of faith, and she vows to prove him wrong one way or another. When she joined the academy, she seized the opportunity and worked equally as hard as Clay to become second highest ranking student in her grade.

Her drive to exceed her father’s beliefs originate from a mixture of low self esteem and the fear of losing hope in her dreams, emotions that occasionally express themselves through a short temper and sarcasm. The only person who’s properly seen her at her lowest state of mind is Clay, and she intends to keep it that way. Perhaps her reluctancy to open up is what keeps her in a state of self disappointment.

Much to her dismay, she actually enjoys the beauty of regal architecture and men’s attire, but she would never admit that aloud.

Trivia

• Macy’s first name is a pun off the word “Mace”, the weapon she primarily uses, and the surname Halbert is also themed off the halbert, but both weapons have a sharp contrast. Maces are designed to function like clubs and are ideal for strength based fighters, whereas halberts resemble a spear and are best used by the dexterous.

• Now I may be wrong, but Eggred and Hama are also puns to breakfast foods. I could be wrong though.

• Her body type leans more to strength based combat but is softer when relaxed. She is 5’11” and weighs 170 lbs.

• Her lower body strength is nearly unrivaled. She makes a habit of carrying Clay on her back like she’s his personal horse. He pretends to be opposed but genuinely enjoys being held.

• Halberts have beautiful storm blue eyes that shimmer during thunderstorms. They also have partially slitted eyes.

• The crest of the red dragon has been a prominent symbol of the Halbert family for centuries, ever since the dawn of the bloodline.

• Macy is a direct descendant of King Augustin Halbert, the first king of Knighton and leader of the Order of the Eight.

• Contrary to the academy’s beliefs, Macy has no romantic feelings for Clay.

• She grew up enjoying more boy themed stuff rather than fashion or dolls. Her room has a shelf filled to the brim with comic books from her childhood obsession with The Golden Castle, and she also has a blazer given to her by Clay hidden in her wardrobe.

• Though the Halberts are religious, Macy has never taken prayers to the Thunderbird seriously. She thinks it’s a hoax but will never say that in front of her family or Clay.

• When she was seventeen, during the academy’s Candlelight Winter Dance, a group of classmates attempted to rip off Dauntless’s mask. She retaliated by ramming her skull into one of the boys’ faces, breaking one of her teeth in the process. The student was left with multiple tooth fractures and a near concussion as a result. To this day, she is proud of that achievement.

• She’s always wanted to venture into the countryside villages and try their local foods. When asked, she’ll say that the simple home cooked things just sound like they taste better than anything made in the palace.

• She has a deathly fear of falling and has punched Aaron for dragging her onto his board and pretending it malfunctioned in midair.

• She has never seen a real dragon but is secretly grateful. Dragons sound too monstrous for her liking. King Eggred spent most of her grade school years telling fairy tales of scary monsters and dragons that kidnapped and devoured princesses, and she had nightmares for months.

• Macy is demisexual and goes by she/her.

• Skilled primarily in a mace but is capable of wielding a warhammer. But she was banned from wielding it after shattering Principal Brickland’s trophy case during a sparring match with Clay.

[icy-watch]

New season, new reason to be mad at Monstrux.

First episode of s4 is Weekend at Halbert's.

The title is clearly a joke on Weekend at Bernie's (1989). I'm pretty sure I've seen it at least once, but I mostly know the parody episode from the Simpsons, "Weekend at Burnsies".

But I know the bare bones premise of the movie. 2 guys go to their boss's house, find him dead, and try to convince everyone their boss is alive.

I'm thinking that the knights might try to do something to convince Knighton that Clay is alive and well and doing just fine somehow. I'm not sure how they'd go about it, bc of - you know - Clay being a statue and all. But maybe there's some armor lying around and they put it on someone who can pretend to be Clay. Or Robin invents something that allows them to control the armor.

And it's going to all be revealed in front of the King and Queen.

...I think I remember more about Weekend at Bernie's than I thought I did.

Alright, on to the episode!

[foreignemotion]

Lye Soap & Lavender Fields

Summary: Sir Guy of Gisborne has been absent from Locksley for several months; you have only recently joined his household and are yet to meet him. Upon his return, you form a fragile bond, one that only becomes stronger day by day. He returns from Nottingham one night, wounded, and you fulfil your urge to dote on him.

Relationship: Guy of Gisborne/Fem!Reader

Tags: Alternate Universe-Canon Divergence, One Shot, Reader-Insert, Strangers to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Tending to Wounds, Bathing/Washing, Hair Washing, First Kiss.

Word Count: 7.4k.

Dedicated to: @puggledy-huggledy-is-not-a-pig, @loupsgarou and @emmyspov <3

This fic was also posted on AO3, which you can read here.

Despite being employed at Sir Guy’s estate in Locksley, you had never met him. You’d heard of him, of course, but had not laid eyes on him. He’s in the Holy Land, you were told months ago when you had arrived in Nottinghamshire from London. A woman of your standing would have turned her nose up at being sent to Nottingham, classing it as a demotion from working in the bustling capital.

            Not you, however. You enjoyed the countryside, with its golden wheat fields at the turning of autumn and drooping snowdrops in spring. It would be different, of course, but a welcome change. There were enough ghosts in London for a lifetime.

            You had arrived in Locksley at the approach of Christmas and the air was bitterly cold when you stepped down from your carriage. Your family wasn’t rich by any means, but your father had been adamant that he would not send his eldest daughter over one-hundred miles, alone, to a household that may not have needed her by the time you arrived there. You had conceded, eventually.

            Locksley Manor, in Sir Guy’s absence, was presided over by the housekeeper, James, an elderly gentleman of welcoming disposition. Yes, the manor needed a maid but, he admitted sheepishly, that he was also lacking a personal attendant to the Lord of the Manor. Sir Guy had made an enemy of the women when he’d been living here, and they had fled service when they realised he would not return from his journey to the Holy Land for several months. That made no difference to you. Work was work, regardless of what you were doing or who you served.

            And so, the days rolled into weeks and weeks into months. You were in good company at the manor, and the townsfolk of Locksley were endearing enough. You soon learned that the Sheriff, too, was in the Holy Land, as well Marian of Knighton and the legendary Robin Hood. News of the Sheriff’s absurd taxation rates had travelled to London by the time you’d left, as well as Robin Hood’s efforts to give it back to the poor, and you imagined that the town’s good mood had aligned with the absence of their governor. Their lives were far from easy, but they were relaxed and, thus, were you.

It was an unnaturally warm day in February when the news of Sir Guy’s return arrived. You were sweeping the Lord’s bedchambers when James appeared at the doorway, clearing his throat to make his presence known.

            “His lordship has sent a notice of his arrival this afternoon.” The man’s hands were trembling, the note in his clasped hands fluttering like a panicked bird. “Could you finish up here and then sweep the hall?”

            You nodded in assent, returning to cleaning when the man had disappeared. Although the house was alarmed by this news, you felt calm and collected. You were to meet your employer after two months of unsupervised service, that’s all this was to be. No self-deprecating questions rose unbidden in your head, no fear as to whether Sir Guy would like you or not. Those were girlish questions, for the childish and insecure.

            Sweeping Sir Guy’s chambers did not take long for most of the floorspace was taken up by the four-postered bed and then a table with two wooden chairs. It seemed as though he had left in a hurry all those months ago; his papers and clothes had been strewn about the room. Since then, you had organised his manuscripts, folded his shirts and breeches, changed the sheets, and made the bed. It was the least you could do. Satisfied, you left the bedroom and descended the stairs to sweep the manor’s main hall.

            The setting sun stretched the shadows long and still Sir Guy made no appearance. The hall was as clean as you could make it with the knowledge that an entourage would soon be traipsing through the manor. You had just set your broom side when a horse’s high-pitched squeal was heard. It was as if the whole town were holding its breath for what came next. Thundering hooves began to shake the ground; the townsfolk let out a shaky exhale and prepared for the worst.

            “Come, young lady.” James stretched out his hand, as if she were a cat that needed coaxing from the corner, "Sir Guy shall want to see you.”

            The horses came into view as soon as you stepped over the threshold to stand beside your fellow servants. Your hands smoothed over your dress, trying to swipe the dust from it. You would have to do.

            A sharp jerk of the lead horse’s reins pulled the creature to a stop; its mouth foamed around the bit after a too-hard ride. The man atop wore a tattered leather coat and matching trousers, but its shine had long been lost. His hair was a tangled mess, shoulder-length black curls strangled around themselves. His nose was strong, as were his jaw and cheekbones. His pale gaze swept over the small crowd, but they didn’t reflect the happiness of homecoming. Instead, they were dull and lifeless. This was a man who, also, had seen too many ghosts in his time.

            He swung his leg over his mount, dropping to the ground with a grunt. His features momentarily tightened into a grimace before falling back into passivity. He thrust the reins out to the stableboy, who took them with a shaking hand, before striding forward to push his way through the gathered servants and into the manor.  

            “Sir Guy,” James called after him, voice wavering, “There’s someone I want to introduce you to. You have a new woman in your employ.”

            Guy stopped abruptly, hands curling into fists as he glanced over his shoulder, hair screening his face from view.

            “Who is she, then?”

            James beckoned you forward, and you dipped into a curtsy on instinct. Guy scoffed through his teeth, and he turned his body to face you completely.

            “Do you have a name?”

            You nodded and told him. His face did not change, and you were unsure if you had spoken out of turn. You met his gaze and held it. A crease deepened between his eyebrows and his lips pulled back in a snarl.

            “She’ll do.”

            He turned on his heel and pushed his way into the manor. Your eyebrows were raised in surprise before you could school your face into indifference. No one had claimed Sir Guy was charming, but it did not dampen your shock at learning he far from it.

It was as if Sir Guy had not returned, for he stayed in his bedchamber for the remainder of the afternoon. The manor crackled with tension as if too many logs had been thrown on the hearth. Afternoon bled into dusk. The table was set for dinner, but still the master of the house did not show. You stood to the left of Sir Guy’s chair, wine jug in hand in preparation to pour, until the chilled liquid had turned warm from the warmth of your palms. No one dared clear the table until the evening had darkened completely into night.

            “Would you take a plate up for him?” James asked when you, alongside the other servants, had taken the uneaten food to the kitchens.

            “Of course,” you said obligingly, “But only if you promise me that it the remaining goose won’t have been eaten without me.”

            The housekeeper chuckled and consented, offering you a plate of sliced meats, roast potatoes, carrots, and turnips to take upstairs. Your mouth watered at the sight of such a full platter. With that in one hand and a fresh cup of wine in the other, you exited the kitchen and ascended the stairs.

             You paused before the master’s door, taking a breath before intending to make your presence known.

             “Sir Guy, I have a plate for you.”

             A moment of hesitation, and then you pushed open the thick wooden door. You stopped short just beyond the threshold.

             Guy sat hunched over on his bed, shirtless, face in his hands. Newly stitched wounds littered his shoulders and back alongside aged, silver scars. The muscles in those shoulders were tense with the sobs that wracked through him, muffled by the palms of his hands. You stood there for one moment more before finding your voice again.

              “Sir Guy, I brought—”

             The man’s head snapped up, fixing you to your spot with reddened eyes. His tangled hair hung limp in front of his face, and his lip curled back in that same grimace he first fixed you with that afternoon.

             “Get out.”

             “But, sir, are you not—”

             “Did you not hear? I said leave me be!” His voice, made rough by crying, cracked halfway through.

             “I apologise. I shall leave these—”

             You caught the instant Guy moved, jerking forward to grab a pottered mug. You only had the sense to duck and cover your head before the mug was dashed against the wall above you. The plate and chalice fell from your hands, clattering to the ground.

             You glanced up at Guy from your crouched position, and saw that instead of remorse, his face was painted with enjoyment, a harsh smirk slashed across his features. Now, you saw him as he truly was, a man who lived for retaliation, who lived for a fight, and for glory.

             You would not give it to him.

             Without speaking, you picked up the ruined food and the now-empty chalice. The wood would stain, but there was little to be done about that now. The ruined pot you would leave, but out of the corner of your eye you spotted Guy’s discarded leather coat. You hoisted that over your shoulder and turned to leave.

             “I shall launder this for the morning, my lord.”

             Only then did you meet his gaze; the smirk had disappeared, replaced by irritation, confusion, wonderment. You spoke in a tone that invited no criticism.

             “You will not do that to me again.”

The next morning was different from any before it. You awoke before dawn, this time after a particularly late night of cleaning and polishing Guy’s leather overcoat, and then set the table for the lord’s breakfast. Once again, you stood to the left side of his chair, ready to be called upon to pour his drink.

            Guy was not subtle in his own home. He must have just pulled his boots on because he could be heard through the floorboards. He carried his sword and scabbard in hand as he descended the stairs, passing you by with no more than a glance. The spurs on his boots chimed with each step he took, silencing only he took his seat at the head of the table. He did not look as though he’d slept well. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his hair remained tousled and dull. You approached his side, ready to pour ale into his chalice, when he held up his hand to ward you off.

            “I don’t drink ale in the mornings.”

            You dipped your head, keeping this in mind for the next morning, and found yourself speaking before you could help yourself.

            “Can I get you anything else, Sir Guy?”

            “No,” and as if it were an afterthought, “Thank you.”

            You dropped back, handing off the ale jug to another servant to await Guy’s next order. He ate quickly, and then announced his departure to Nottingham. Your eyebrows furrowed at this. Could the Sheriff not give Guy more than a night’s rest before returning to service? It seemed absurd to you, to return back from the Holy Land and only be rewarded with one night’s inadequate respite to recover.

            “���coat. Where is it?”

            You blinked rapidly, returning to the present. Guy was standing before you, looking expectant, yet he did not appear angry at your inattentiveness. With a jolt of panic, you remembered that the overcoat was still folded on the stool at the end of your bed.

            “I shall get it for you, just give me one moment.”

            “I’ll come with you. Save you the trip back.”

            You forewent an answer and led Guy to the servants’ quarters. They were small, admittedly, but most of the staff lived in the village proper. But you, without property or a wealthy family name, had to make do at Locksley Manor. It was fine, more than fine, albeit a little lonely.

            Guy’s coat was exactly where you left it. You lifted it by the shoulders, letting it fall to its full length but careful not to let it touch the floor, holding it for the man to shrug into. He stood admiring the leather’s revitalised shine before he put it on, a smirk quirking at the corner of his lips. This one was the opposite of the cruel smile he provided the previous night, and you were, strangely, happy to see it.

            “I wanted to speak with you, lady, about last—”

            It was your turn to hold up your hands, shaking your head softly.

            “A lady I am not,” you scoffed, but the sound of it was not unkind, “And you do not need to explain yourself to me, Sir Guy, but I shall reiterate that you shall not throw pottery at me again.”

            The firmness in your voice halted Guy’s next words. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, before closing it again and leaving the way he’d come.

Sir Guy’s good mood soured more and more with each passing day he returned from Nottingham. At first it was excusable; flippant comments were often made after a long day when one had not slept well the night before. But as the days dragged on into weeks, he was becoming unbearable. He did not speak to his servants, but rather shouted at them, causing them to flinch away from him which only provoked him further. At mealtimes, it was much the same. He snapped his fingers at the servants’ and was angered by their so-called incompetency, at the inadequate food, at the too warm wine. Despite it all, he held true to your command, and never aimed his anger at you.

            One evening proved to be the spark that provoked wildfire. Guy’s mood was so dour when he returned from Nottingham that you thought it best to avoid him as much as possible. Over the past few weeks, you had formed a fragile bond with the master of Locksley and did not want to compromise it.

            When one of the younger servants set Guy’s plate before him, his elbow toppled his goblet of wine. Guy was a blur of movement, on his feet with his fist raised to crack against the boy’s cheekbone. Without thought, you stepped forward and grasped his wrist, your thumb pressing hard against his thundering pulse. His gaze softened, only for a breath, before he yanked his wrist from your grasp and pushed away from the dinner table. You moved to clear away the ruined tablecloth when a deep voice murmured close to your ear. Guy was so close to you that you noticed that he smelled faintly of lavender.

            “Not you.”

             You turned and followed him up the stairs silently, awaiting his wrath as he shut the bedroom door behind them. You would have been ready if he’d shouted, but instead his voice was a quiet husk.

            “Do not embarrass me in front of the servants again.”

            “So, I should have let you hit that poor boy?” You shot back, your temper flaring for the first time in your employ, “He did not mean it.”

            “He was a fool! I should have taught him a lesson.”

            “He learned it the moment the cup fell. You do not need to use violence to earn half-hearted respect.”

            “Well, it certainly worked for you, didn’t it?”

            At this, you stalled, turning your head to look out of the open window. You crossed your arms over your chest, defensive, your hands clutching the sleeves of your dress.

            “I respect you because I care for you, not because I’m afraid of you.” The words came haltingly, your tongue tripping over itself. “I have come to care for you because I see you when you return from Nottingham, and I realise that the Sheriff works you like a dog. I care because I know a man who rode home from the Holy Land and cried the night he returned. I care because I recognise a man who has nowhere to put his anger, who has been beaten and scarred, who picks for any fight he might have a chance of winning. You may not treat us excellently, but that does not mean I cannot care for and respect you.”

            Guy openly stared at you, his silence deafening. His eyes wandered over your face, awe capturing his features in reverence.

            “You can tell all that?” His words were barely above a whisper.

            “Am I incorrect?”

            In the silence, you heard Guy’s throat click when he swallowed. You turned your head to see him staring to the middle-distance. His answer was hoarse when it came.

            “No.”

“Well, I am neither blind nor stupid, Sir Guy.”

            “I did not say—!” Only then did his temper flare, a frustrated sound leaving him before he could finish his sentence. “I did not say that. I only meant… that no one has put my circumstances into words as easily as you.”

            You could not deny yourself a small smile at this. Guy saw and matched it. A smile suited him well. His hair was tangled as ever, but his blue eyes were gentle, and his shoulders were relaxed. You could get used to this, you decided.

Spring made way to summer, to crickets playing fiddle in the fields of wild grass, to tall sunflowers shielding you from the sun when you took an evening stroll. Guy’s mood mellowed, the longer hours easing his temper. As the months melted away into March,  April, May, you found sprigs of wildflowers on your pillow more days than not. You would wear them in your hair, earning a satisfied smile from Guy when he thought you weren’t looking. He was pleasant enough at mealtimes, if a little begrudging to give compliments to the other servants and although they were wary of Guy’s changed disposition, your fellow servants were happy enough to accept it.

            The first time Guy asked for your company, you had been fearful that he had misjudged your affections. You made your way to his chambers after dinner, knocking gently before entering. Guy was removing his new leather doublet, his fingers deftly unhooking the multiple belts across his chest before shrugging the garment off. His black shirt underneath was only loosely tied, exposing more collarbone than you should have thought reasonable. The Sheriff’s return from the Holy Land had obviously lined his coffers well and he had commissioned Guy a new wardrobe. You liked this doublet; it suited him well, accentuating his broad shoulders and trim waist. The leather long-coat you had so lovingly polished a month ago now hung abandoned in his wardrobe.

            “Good evening, Sir Guy.” You dipped into a curtsy, earning a soft tut from him.

            “Enough of that.” Guy waved his hand to dismiss your action before settling himself at one of two chairs before the low-burning hearth. “Guy is more than fine.”

            “If you wish.”

            “I do.” He motioned to the chair beside him. “And I also wish for you to join me.”

            You could not deny him nor help yourself and, so, took your place by his side. You fiddled with the fabric of your skirt before you found your voice.

            “Did you want us to make conversation, or for you to bask in a woman’s presence?”

            Guy’s eyebrows pinched, the tendon in his jaw flickering as he stopped himself from spitting out a retort. Instead, he turned his body towards you.

            “I wish for us to get to know one another better.”

            “And why is that?” You needled him, “I am merely your servant.”

            “Because I want to. Is that not enough?”

            It was more than enough.

That evening, the words began stiff and unsure of themselves. He asked of your family, your upbringing and was pleasantly surprised to learn that you had roots in York before your father’s move to London.

            “The Gisborne name is from Yorkshire,” he said wistfully, “On my father’s side.” Ghosts were flitting across his irises, his mouth pulling downward into a frown. You resisted the urge to place your hand on his forearm.

            “What about your mother?”

            That was the wrong question to ask, you quickly realised. The persistent crease returned to the space between his eyebrows, and his voice was sombre. “She died when I was sixteen.”

            “Guy, I—”

            “Do not say you’re sorry.” The hard had edge returned to Guy’s voice. “It was a long time ago.”

            Your words died, but one question still prickled in the back of your throat.

            “Did your mother have lavender fields?”

            Guy’s face went slack, the crease disappearing. His lips were parted in awe and reverent eyes roamed your face. “How did you know that?”

            You couldn’t stop the bashful smile that tugged at your lips, and you dropped your head to hide it. You could feel heat creep up your neck and blossom on your cheeks the longer he looked at you.

            “It was a guess.” The memory of Guy’s closeness returned to you, and you clasped your hands together to stop yourself from fidgeting with your skirt. “Tell me about your home in France.”

            Guy was happy to oblige and reached forward to put another log in the hearth before he started. He told you that he was from central France, the ‘Val de Loire’, where his mother’s garden had been filled with rows of lavender, bordered by manicured, verdant hedges. Different parts of the garden changed with the seasons, hellebores replaced the lavender in the winter to replenish the soil, and wisteria curled up the sides of his family’s châteaux in springtime. He recounted the summers he spent there, of the antics that he and his sister, Isabella, got up to in their youth.

            You raised your eyebrows at the mention of her; he had never mentioned that he had siblings.

            “Where’s Isabella now?” You asked quietly. The fire had burned low in the time Guy had been speaking. It was your turn to place a log to revive the embers.

            “I have not seen her in nearly twenty years,” he admitted, swallowing thickly before continuing, “I sold her to her husband for a fair price. It was either both of us die of hunger, or secure both our futures with one simple transaction. She hated it, detested the husband more so, but I was barely the beginnings of a man, and I did what I thought was best.”

            You remained quiet at this revelation. You felt for Isabella, for a young woman forced into a loveless marriage. You felt for Guy, a young man who did not have a better option available to him.

            “Do you regret it?” You asked, voice quiet in the space between you.

            “Yes,” Guy murmured, “But I would do it again if it meant she’d survive.”

            That was all you could ask for, to find that he showed remorse. He was redeemable.

            The conversation between you continued long after the sun had set, until the last log had been eaten by the flames and the embers glowed an unenthusiastic amber.

Summer nights belonged to you and Guy. He continued to ask for your company until he no longer had to. You went to him as eagerly as a butterfly to nectar. He would make you smile until your jaw ached, until your cheeks coloured, until laughter drew tears to your eyes.

            Smiles came easier to him, too. He lashed out at the other servants less and less, until he hardly did so at all. James drew you aside one afternoon, asking what you had done to change Guy’s attitude. You could not answer him, as you did not know. You could only simply say, “He’s changing.”

            The one constant was Nottingham. He would bid farewell to you in the mornings before he rode away, his smile morphing itself into something intensely private, a fondness that had not been there before.

             Every evening, Guy would return a little more worn. He would dismount unsteadily, leaning heavily against his horse for a moment. He would hand off the reins to the stableboy, entering the manor with a stiff gait, retreating to his chambers without a word.

             One evening, he returned late, and you found him sat on the end of his bed, elbows on his knees, head dropped between his shoulders. Silently, you laid a hand on his shoulder, urging him to shrug out of his doublet. He did so, body weary, fingers clumsily undoing the straps at his chest. His black cotton shirt was stuck to his sweaty back, betraying a day of overexertion by the Sheriff’s command.

             “Would you like me to pour you a bath?” Your voice felt loud in the quiet room.

             Guy shook his head, bedraggled curls obscuring his face. You contemplated pushing the matter for his sake, but you knew he was as stubborn as a donkey. Instead, you retrieved another from the wardrobe and handed it to him.

             “Change,” you said firmly, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

             Guy looked up at you, blue eyes pleading. His hands twitched, as if he were about to reach for you. You mouthed ‘I promise’ from the door and retreated. You collected a water-filled bucket, a half-used bar of lye soap and a cloth before returning upstairs. Guy had swapped shirts by the time you’d returned, leaving the old one discarded on his bed. He eyed the supplies you’d brought back but still did not speak.

             You settled yourself in one of the two chairs, the one you’d both silently agreed as yours, picking up his shirt on the way. You lathered the soap between your hands before dunking it. Guy watched you with barely concealed interest. He shifted, choosing to lay on his back with his head hanging off the end, and closed his eyes. You paid him little mind, focused on the task at hand.

             You had just hung the shirt out to dry when Guy, finally, moved to sit in the opposite chair. You picked up his doublet, the leather warm in your hands. You did not dunk it like the shirt as that would crumple and ruin the garment but dipped the cloth and began to clean it that way, concentrating your attention to the clasps and stitches to spy for anything amiss. Guy’s voice cut through your focus.

             “Someday, I won’t be under the thumb of any man.”

             You dismissed it as tired rambling. Guy often said overindulgent thing when he was tired, daydreaming of his return to France or of his settling down with a wife. This was no different, you thought. The two of you remained in companionable silence for the rest of the evening.

A week passed and Guy went to and returned from Nottingham as usual.

             Until he didn’t.

            The evening was pleasantly humid, promising rain in a day or two. You had finished washing linens, your arms tired from using the scrubbing board, and was awaiting the tell-tale gallop of Guy’s horse to announce his return. The sun continued its journey towards the horizon, but he did not show. The kitchen staff had prepared one of his favourites, wild duck pie with currants, to celebrate the nearing of summer’s end. They had been so proud of their creation and had purchased the perfect wine to pair it with. Their disappointment was easy to pinpoint when another hour passed without Sir Guy’s return.

            Night fell. You lit tapers in Guy’s bedchamber, and it took great effort not to stay and wait for him. No, you told yourself, it would not be right. It was different when Guy was there to invite you or if he were already at home, but you would not allow yourself to indulge, no matter how much you yearned for it.

            You returned to your room in the servants’ quarters, a place you were spending less and less time, and readied for bed. It was not late by any means, but you reasoned that an early night would do you good. You lit a taper before undressing, swapping your day clothes for an embroidered, cotton shift, the neckline and hem decorated with autumn leaves. It had been a gift from your mother before your departure to Nottinghamshire. It was these lonely evenings without Guy’s presence that you missed her most.

            You settled into bed. The room was quiet, your bed was warm, and it did not take long for you to slip into a fitful sleep.

A hand on your shoulder shook you from sleep. You were awake in an instant, pulled from instantly forgotten dreams, but your body was sluggish. Your name was being said as fervently as one would a prayer. You reached up to your shoulder, grasping the person’s wrist to let them know that you’d heard, when cold fingers clasped your own. The gesture shocked you into complete consciousness. You turned your head to see Guy, light eyes reflecting the low candlelight, his hair brushing your shoulder. Your heart was suddenly pounding. He moved back when you sat up, grimacing.

            “What’s wrong?” You asked in the semi-darkness.

            “Do you have a needle and thread?” Guy’s voice was low and thick with pain.

            “Yes. Are you hurt?”

            He stood and began to turn away. You grabbed his hand before he could, imploring him to answer with a look of concern.

            He sighed. “Come upstairs.”

            You didn’t need further convincing. You flung the covers back, forgetting your state of undress, and rifled around through your belongings. Guy withdrew, his gaze lingering on you before he left. With your sewing box and a cloth in hand, you went to the kitchen to pick up a bucket of water and a block of lye soap before moving to the stairs. Guy had just reached the top, leaning heavily against the banister. You followed.

             You pushed the door of his bedchamber open with your shoulder, leading him inside. The tapers you’d lit had burned low and the edges of the room were shrouded in semi-darkness.

            “Sit.” You commanded, waving a hand vaguely to suggest he sit in whichever chair he preferred. You readied the fire, arranging the kindling so that it would both catch fast and burn bright. When you held a candle to it, it did just that, flames eagerly licking up the logs. Only then did you turn to Guy, who had settled himself into your chair before the fire, eyes heavy-lidded.

            You took the time to look over him in the growing light of the fire. His hair was tangled, and a purple bruise was beginning to bloom on his cheek. His doublet was scuffed and, in some parts, torn. His finely stitched trousers had a wet gash at the thigh. Your eyes widened at this discovery. You returned your gaze to his face and realised he’d been watching you.

            “Who did this to do?” Your words were barely audible over the fire’s crackle.

            “The Sheriff,” Guy answered lowly. He watched your expression change from shock to anger, your lips curling back from your teeth. He held up a hand to placate you. “He’s dead.”

Your mouth dropped open. “What would drive you to kill him?”

            Guy’s jaw tightened. “He threatened Locksley. He threatened you.” You opened your mouth to argue that you were not worth being fought over, but he silenced you with another gesture. “He called you my little leper friend, the leech of Locksley sucking me dry.”

            The lewd allusion was not lost on you, making you grimace. You wrung your hands, fidgety with nervous energy. You were glad the Sheriff was dead; if not, you would have ridden to Nottingham yourself to drive a poker through his eye.

            “I don’t know how he came to know of my affection for you,” Guy continued, “But he kept trying to turn me against you. I could not, I cannot, and I will not.”

            Your breath caught in your chest. Guy lowered his gaze, the fire setting his pale eyes alight. You took two steps to him and took your face in his hands. Immediately, his hands came up to encircle your wrists, holding you to him. His face was cold despite the warmth of the fire.

            You leaned forward and pressed the gentlest of kisses between his brows. He melted, an exhale leaving him in a rush.

            “You have affection for me?” You asked, lips moving against his skin.

            “Yes,” he whispered, reverent, “Yes, yes. How could I not?”

            You could not answer him that. You felt immeasurably happy, more so than you had felt in a long time. You could only, in that moment, show it through your actions.

            “Let me tend to your leg and pour you a bath.”

            Guy nodded, pulling back so that he could roam his eyes over your face again, his lips pulling up into a smirk. There was no contempt in it as there once had been, only adoration.

            You helped him undress, taking his doublet from him and hanging it on the back of the other chair. He handed over his armguards before his scabbarded sword; he had never trusted it to you before, and you propped it against the bed gingerly. He stepped from his trousers, wincing when he put all his weight on his wounded leg. He slumped back into the chair in just his shirt and undergarments, and in any other situation you would have revelled in the intimacy of it.

            You picked up the soap, scrubbing your hands and dunking them into the pail of water. Satisfied that they were clean enough, you took up your sewing box. You knelt at Guy’s side, adjusting yourself so your shadow didn’t obscure your view of his leg. The stab wound had stopped bleeding, was now only oozing, yet it would not heal on its own without intervention. It was long and deep, made with obvious intent to hurt, or even maim. You exhaled heavily, rifling through your sewing box for a new needle and thread.

            “You’re lucky the Sheriff didn’t stab you somewhere more important.”

            Guy began to chuckle, but the sound was cut off by a grunt of pain as you sunk the needle into his skin. His hand flew to your shoulder, his thumb pressing harshly against your collarbone. You winced but didn’t move out of his grasp. Sharing a little pain with him was the least you could do. You worked quickly, your free hand grasping his thigh to limit his movement, fearful that his leg would jolt and tear the fragile skin even more.

            By the time you’d finished, his face was sheened with sweat, hand shaking where it had released your shoulder. You tied off the thread, your fingertips bloody, before flinging the needle into the fire. You remained knelt beside him, taking his hand from your shoulder, and interlacing your fingers with his.

            “Are you alright?” You whispered, reaching up to brush a dark curl from his face.

            “Better now,” He murmured, squeezing your hand in response, “Thank you.”

            You pressed kisses to his knuckles. You were insatiable, hungry for the warmth of his skin against your own. Only when a log popped from the heat of the fire did you snap from your desire.

            “Come,” You said, gently pulling him to his feet, “I’ll ready your bath.”

It took multiple trips to the kitchens to fill the wooden bathtub; by the time you had filled it to your satisfaction, your arms were aching. You had brought in the chair from Guy’s bedroom, upon which he sat as you filled the tub. You waved away his offerings to help, warning him against tearing his stitches. You found, also, that you wanted to do this for him.

            “It’s ready for you,” you said, turning your body away so that he could undress fully.

            Guy shucked off his shirt and undergarments, stepping into the bath. As he lowered himself into the water, a soft groan pushed past his lips. His eyelids slipped closed, mouth parting in sudden serenity. You watched his body unwind, shoulders dropping, hands unfurling from fists. He was, in that moment, tranquillity incarnate.

            He took a breath and sunk below the water. He remained there for several moments, air escaping his lips in a steady stream. You settled the chair beside the bathtub, sitting back just as Guy surfaced. He tugged a hand through his waterlogged curls, hissing with pain when his fingers tangled between the strands. You couldn’t help but snort, earning you a look of mocking contempt from him.

            “Is it my nakedness that makes you laugh?” Guy asked, his eyes alight with amusement.

            “No,” you replied, “It’s that your hair has been a tangled mess since the day I met you. I’ve always wondered why you never cropped it short.”

            “It used to be shorter,” Guy conceded, “It grew out while I was in the Holy Land, and I never found the time to cut it.”

            “I like it.” The words were loose before you could rein them in. In a quieter voice, you admitted, “It suits you.”

            Guy grinned, then, his teeth bright in the dim room. You returned it without thought; how could you deny him? You allowed yourself to indulge in an urge that had gnawing away at you the longer you’d stayed at Locksley.

            “Let me wash your hair.”

            His smile fell away and you feared that you had upset him. You gave up ground by averting your gaze. He surprised you, his voice the softest you’d ever heard it.

            “Please.”

            You swallowed, throat dry. You nodded and told him you’d return in a moment before fleeing to the servant’s quarters to grab a wide-toothed comb. The house was cool, raising goosebumps on your arms; you were happy to return to the warm steam of the bathroom.

            “You’ll have to come to the other end of the bath where I can reach you.” Guy was happy to oblige you, manoeuvring himself slowly so that the water didn’t slosh over the edge. He sat with his back to you, arms resting on the tub’s rim.

            You’d brought the lye soap in from the bedroom, and now you gathered suds in your hands. You took a steadying breath before you tangled your fingers in Guy’s wet hair. You lathered his scalp, alternating between scrubbing with your fingernails and massaging with your fingertips. His tense muscles relaxed under your hands, his head beginning to tip back in ecstasy.

            It pleased you immensely to see him to utterly at ease. There had been so many nights when his temper would spark as easily as dry kindling, when he would not speak a word to you, when he was so tired that he would fall asleep fully clothed. Now, his skin was hot against your hands, and he would occasionally reward you with a hum of satisfaction. You would not have it any other way.

            You dipped your hands into the water by Guy’s shoulder, cupping enough to tip over his head to wash the suds out. The action was welcoming repetitive and warmed your hands in the process; it was then that you wished you’d brought a shawl from downstairs.

            Once Guy’s hair had been rinsed, you began to tackle it with your comb. You worked from ends to root, taking care not to tug. After every lock that you untangled, you curled it around your finger before letting it fall into place. When he could, Guy watched your hands in his periphery. He was enthralled by your actions, his heart beating hard beneath his sternum. It had been so long since he’d felt loved by another that he had almost forgotten the sensation.

The longer the silence settled between you, questions began to rise up within you like the tide, slow yet inevitable. You allowed yourself to ask one.

            “What happened in the Holy Land?”

            Guy went still under your hands, and he resisted the urge to tug his head away. In all the months that he’d returned from the Holy Land, no one had asked him about his time there. He’d buried those memories in the sand alongside the woman he’d loved.

            “A lot of things.” The answer was begrudging and equally unsatisfactory.

            “Tell me, Guy. You returned from that place with too many ghosts in your eyes.”

            He took a shaking breath and clasped his hands together beneath the water. He suddenly looked impossibly small.

            “I destroyed her. I destroyed everything.”

            “Her?”

            “Her.”

            You pulled the comb through the final lock and set it aside, heart pounding. You waited for Guy to explain further, but he was staring into the shadows of the room, teeth chattering despite the warm water. The woman’s ghost had come to visit him, it seemed.

            “What was her name?” You spoke into the unsettled quiet.

            He seemed to choke, his tongue working against him. “Marian.”

            The puzzle, finally, slotted itself together. Knighton had been quiet for the past few months; you’d been too absorbed in Guy to see it.

            “Why did you kill her, Guy?”

            The harshness in your tone made him flinch as if you’d struck him.

            “I loved her and—”

            “And she did not?” The words were rose thorns. “Should I worry for my life, that you may run me through if I don’t love you?”

            “No,” Guy whispered, turning himself in the water to face you, “No, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

            “What makes me different to her? That I can give you affection you crave?” Your fingernails were carving red crescents into your palms.

            “You never plucked my heart like a harp. You never kissed me so that another man could escape from Nottingham. You never said you would marry me when your heart was with another. You have never betrayed me.” Guy had pushed himself to his feet, dripping water, body carved in shadow as he loomed over you.

            You were livid with him; you could not deny that you loved him. You could not deny that the thought of Marian using Guy for her own gain made your blood boil, made you glad she was dead that she could no longer hurt him. You and Guy were as good and as bad as each another.

            “You are different to her,” Guy murmured, his hands reaching up to cradling your face, “And I could not more thankful for it.”

            You pushed up on your toes and pressed your lips to his. A groan hummed at the back of his throat, his lips parting to chase your mouth with his own. Your hands came to rest on his hips, stuttering his breath before he found your lips again. He was a man parched, and you were ravenous.

            You pulled back, and his head followed without thought. You brought your fingers to his lips, now reddened and swollen, to bring him back to the present. His eyes were pools of ebony when he opened them.

            “Stay with me tonight,” he murmured, voice rasping.

            “Yes.”

            His lopsided smile returned. He stepped from the bath and took your hand in his. The manor had not stirred the entire night, and that did not change now despite the soft laughter between you. The candles in Guy’s bedroom had almost gone out in the time he’d spent in the bath. Now, tiredness seeped into your bones, willing you to get into bed.

            Guy had dropped your hand to pull on a loose nightshirt, before pulling back the covers for you. His damp hair would dry at odd angles if he slept on it now, but you did not mind; you would fix it for him if he asked.

            You climbed into bed, the sheets finer than any you’d slept on before. Guy was behind you, his warm body pressing against your back. His arm hovered above you, indecision making him hesitate.

            “May I?” He asked, his voice so close to your ear that you had to suppress a shudder.

            “Please.”

            Guy’s arm curled around you, pulling you ever closer; you interlaced your fingers with his.

            You watched the candles burn themselves to smoke. As you drifted towards sleep, you remembered that you’d once told yourself you could get used to a life like this. If it were anything like this night, you’d be happy until the end of days.

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics U.S.A. roster

Archery

Brady Ellison (Chula Vista, California)

Catalina Gnoriega (Mexicali, Mexico)

Casey Kaufhold (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)

Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez (Ciudad Mexico, Mexico)

Athletics

Capers Williamson (Greenville, South Carolina)

Kenneth Bednarek (Rice Lake, Wisconsin)

Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas)

Noah Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia)

Erriyon Knighton (Tampa, Florida)

Christopher Bailey (Atlanta, Georgia)

Quincy Hall (Kansas City, Missouri)

Michael Norman; Jr. (Murrieta, California)

Bryce Hoppel (Midland, Texas)

Hobbs Kessler (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Brandon Miller (St. Louis, Missouri)

Cole Hocker (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Yared Nuguse (Louisville, Kentucky)

Grant Fisher (Park City, Utah)

Abdi Nur (Phoenix, Arizona)

William Kincaid (Littleton, Colorado)

Nico Young (Newbury Park, California)

Freddie Crittenden III (Shelby Township, Michigan)

Stanley Holloway; Jr. (Chesapeake, Virginia)

Daniel Roberts (Hampton, Georgia)

C.J. Allen (Mason County, Washington)

Trevor Bassitt (Richland Township, Ohio)

Rai Benjamin (Mt. Vernon, New York)

James Corrigan (Los Angeles, California)

Kenneth Rooks (College Place, Washington)

Matthew Wilkinson (Minnetonka, Minnesota)

Quincy Wilson (Gaithersburg, Maryland)

Leonard Korir (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Conner Mantz (Smithfield, Utah)

Clayton Young (American Fork, Utah)

Salif Mane (Bronx, New York)

Donald Scott (Apopka, Florida)

Shelby McEwen (Abbeville, Mississippi)

Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi)

Chris Nilsen (Kansas City, Missouri)

Jacob Wooten (Tomball, Texas)

Ryan Crouser (Clackamas County, Oregon)

Joe Kovacs (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

Payton Otterdahl (Rosemount, Minnesota)

Joseph Brown (Mansfield, Texas)

Andrew Evans (Portage, Michigan)

Curtis Thompson (Florence Township, New Jersey)

Daniel Haugh (Marietta, Georgia)

Rudy Winkler (Sand Lake, New York)

Heath Baldwin (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Harrison Williams (Houston, Texas)

Zach Ziemek (Addison Township, Illinois)

Malcolm Clemens (Oakland, California)

Vernon Turner (Yukon, Oklahoma)

Jeremiah Davis (Lee County, Florida)

Jarrion Lawson (Texarkana, Texas)

Russell Robinson (Winter Garden, Florida)

JuVaughn Harrison (Huntsville, Alabama)

Sam Mattis (East Brunswick Township, New Jersey)

Graham Blanks (Athens, Georgia)

Christian Coleman (Fayetteville, Georgia)

Courtney Lindsey (Rock Island, Illinois)

Kyree King (Ontario, California)

Vernon Norwood (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Bryce Dedmon (MIssouri City, Texas)

Melissa Jefferson (Georgetown, South Carolina)

Sha'Carri Richardson (Dallas, Texas)

Twanisha Terry (Miami, Florida)

Brittany Brown (Upland, California)

McKenzie Long (Pickerington, Ohio)

Gabby Thomas (Northampton, Massachusetts)

Aaliyah Butler (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)

Kendall Ellis (Pembroke Pines, Florida)

Alexis Holmes (Hamden, Connecticut)

Nia Akins (San Diego, California)

Juliette Whittaker (Laurel, Maryland)

Isabella Whittaker (Laurel, Maryland)

Allie Wilson (Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania)

Emily Mackay (Union, New York)

Elle Purrier-St. Pierre (Montgomery, Vermont)

Elise Cranny (Boulder County, Colorado)

Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa)

Weini Kelati-Frezghi (Leesburg, Virginia)

Alaysha Johnson (Houston, Texas)

Masai Russell (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Grace Stark (White Lake Charter Township, Michigan)

Anna Cockrell (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Jasmine Jones (Atlanta, Georgia)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Dunellen, New Jersey)

Valerie Constien (Vail, Colorado)

Marisa Howard (Boise, Idaho)

Courtney Wayment-Smith (Layton, Utah)

Dakotah Lindwurm (St. Francis, Minnesota)

Fiona O'Keeffe (Davis, California)

Emily Sisson (Chesterfield, Missouri)

Tara Davis-Woodhall (Agoura Hills, California)

Jasmine Moore (Grand Prairie, Texas)

Monae Nichols (Winter Haven, Florida)

Tori Franklin (Chicago, Illinois)

Keturah Orji (Mt. Olive Township, New Jersey)

Vashti Cunningham (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Rachel Glenn (Long Beach, California)

Brynn King (Montgomery County, Texas)

Katie Moon (Olmsted Falls, Ohio)

Bridget Williams (Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania)

Chase Jackson (Los Alamos County, New Mexico)

Jaida Ross (Medford, Oregon)

Raven Saunders (Charleston, South Carolina)

Valarie Allman (Longmont, Colorado)

Veronica Fraley (Zebulon, North Carolina)

Maggie Malone-Hardin (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Annette Echikunwoke (Pickerington, Ohio)

DeAnna Price (Troy, Missouri)

Erin Reese (Elk Grove Township, Illinois)

Taliyah Brooks (Wichita Falls, Texas)

Anna Hall (Douglas County, Colorado)

Chari Hawkins (Rexburg, Idaho)

Whittni Morgan (Panguitch, Utah)

Parker Valby (Tampa, Florida)

Rachel Tanczos (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

Jayden Ulrich (Wood River, Illinois)

Aleia Hobbs (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Tamari Davis (Gainesville, Florida)

Kaylyn Brown (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Quanera Hayes (Hope Mills, North Carolina)

Shamier Little (Chicago, Illinois)

Badminton

Joshua Yuan (Fremont, California)

Howard Shu (Los Angeles, California)

Vinson Chiu (Milpitas, California)

Zhang Beiwen (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Annie Xu (San José, California)

Kerry Xu (San José, California)

Jennie Gai (Fremont, California)

Basketball

Wardell Curry; Jr. (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Anthony Edwards (Atlanta, Georgia)

LeBron James (Akron, Ohio)

Kevin Durant (Rockville, Maryland)

Kawhi Leonard (Riverside, California)

Tyrese Haliburton (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)

Jayson Tatum (Creve Coeur, Missouri)

Joel Embiid (Gainesville, Florida)

Jrue Holiday (Los Angeles, California)

Edrice Adebayo (Pinetown, North Carolina)

Anthony Davis; Jr. (Chicago, Illinois)

Devin Booker (Moss Point, Mississippi)

Canyon Barry (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Jim Fredette (Glens Falls, New York)

Kareem Maddox (Ventura County, California)

Dylan Travis (Bellevue, Nebraska)

Jewell Loyd (Niles Township, Illinois)

Kelsey Plum (La Jolla, California)

Sabrina Ionescu (Orinda, California)

Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Chelsea Gray (Manteca, California)

A'Ja Wilson (Columbia, South Carolina)

Breanna Stewart (Cicero, New York)

Napheesa Collier (Jefferson City, Missouri)

Diana Taurasi (Chino, California)

Jackie Young (Princeton, Indiana)

Alyssa Thomas (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

Brittney Griner (Houston, Texas)

Cassidie Burdick (Matthews, North Carolina)

Dearica Hamby (Norcross, Georgia)

Rhyne Howard (Cleveland, Tennessee)

Hailey Van Lith (Wenatchee, Washington)

Boxing

Roscoe Hill (Houston, Texas)

Jahmal Harvey (Prince George's County, Maryland)

Omari Jones (Orlando, Florida)

Joshua Edwards (Houston, Texas)

Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas)

Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho)

Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, California)

Morelle McCane (Cleveland, Ohio)

Breakdancing

Jeff Louis (Houston, Texas)

Victor Montalvo (Kissimmee, Florida)

Logan Edra (Chula Vista, California)

Sunny Choi (Queens, New York)

Canoeing

Casey Eichfeld (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Aaron Small (Seattle, Washington)

Jonas Ecker (Bellingham, Washington)

Evy Leibfarth (Sylva, North Carolina)

Nevin Harrison (Seattle, Washington)

Cycling

Marcus Christopher (Canton, Ohio)

Cameron Wood (Great Falls, Montana)

Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho)

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Arizona)

Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, New York)

Grant Koontz (Houston, Texas)

Riley Amos (Durango, Colorado)

Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colorado)

Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, California)

Daleny Vaughn (Tucson, Arizona)

Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Indiana)

Olivia Cummins (Ft. Collins, Colorado)

Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska)

Jennifer Valente (San Diego, California)

Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Florida)

Haley Batten (Park City, Utah)

Savilia Blunk (Marin County, California)

Perris Benegas (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Hannah Roberts (Buchanan, Michigan)

Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa Township, Illinois)

Alise Willoughby (St. Cloud, Minnesota)

Diving

Andrew Capobianco (Holly Springs, North Carolina)

Carson Tyler (Moultrie, Georgia)

Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Missouri)

Greg Duncan (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Daryn Wright (Plainfield, Indiana)

Sarah Bacon (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Alison Gibson (Houston, Texas)

Delaney Schnell (Tucson, Arizona)

Kassidy Cook (Montgomery County, Texas)

Jessica Parratto (Dover, New Hampshire)

Equestrian

Marcus Orlob (Palm Beach County, Florida)

Steffen Peters (San Diego, California)

William Coleman III (Madison County, Virginia)

Boyd Martin (West Fallowfield Township, Pennsylvania)

Kent Farrington (Chicago, Illinois)

McLain Ward (Southeast, New York)

Caroline Pamukcu (Springhill, Pennsylvania)

Adrienne Lyle (Coupeville, Washington)

Laura Kraut (Camden, South Carolina)

Fencing

Colin Heathcock (Beijing, China)

Filip Dolegiewicz (Park Ridge, Illinois)

Nick Itkin (Los Angeles, California)

Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, California)

Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, California)

Miles Chamley-Watson (New York, New York)

Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Massachusetts)

Mitchell Saron (Ridgewood, New Jersey)

Anne Cebula (New York, New York)

Hadley Husisian (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Margherita Guzzi-Vincenti (Delafield Township, Wisconsin)

Lauren Scruggs (Queens, New York)

Tatiana Nazlymov (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Portland, Oregon)

Elizabeth Tartakovsky (Livingston Township, New Jersey)

Maia Chamberlain (Menlo Park, California)

Kat Holmes (Washington, D.C.)

Jacqueline Dubrovich (Maplewood Township, New Jersey)

Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Kentucky)

Maia Weintraub (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Field Hockey

Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pennsylvania)

Abigail Tamer (Dexter, Michigan)

Ashley Sessa (Royersford, Pennsylvania)

Megan Valzonis (San Diego, California)

Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pennsylvania)

Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pennsylvania)

Madeleine Zimmer (Derry Township, Pennsylvania)

Amanda Golini (Randolph Township, New Jersey)

Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pennsylvania)

Elizabeth Yeager (Greenwich, Connecticut)

Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Alexandra Hammel (Duxbury, Massachusetts)

Sophia Gladieux (Olney Township, Pennsylvania)

Karlie Kisha (Hamburg, Pennsylvania)

Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas)

Meredith Sholder (Alburtis, Pennsylvania)

Soccer

Patrick Schulte (St. Charles, Missouri)

Gabriel Slonina (Addison Township, Illinois)

Nathan Harriel (Oldsmar, Florida)

John Tolkin (Chatham, New Jersey)

Maximilian Dietz (New York, New York)

Caleb Wiley (Atlanta, Georgia)

Walker Zimmerman (Lawrenceville, Georgia)

Miles Robinson (Arlington, Massachusetts)

Francis Tessmann (Birmingham, Alabama)

Djordje Mihailović (Chicago, Illinois)

Jack McGlynn (Queens, New York)

Gianluca Busio (Kansas City, Missouri)

Benjamín Cremaschi (Miami, Florida)

Paxten Aaronson (Medford Township, New Jersey)

Duncan McGuire (Omaha, Nebraska)

Taylor Booth (Weber County, Utah)

Griffin Yow (Clifton, Virginia)

Kevin Paredes (Loudoun County, Virginia)

Alyssa Naeher (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

Emily Fox (Loudoun County, Virginia)

Korbin Albert (Avon Township, Illinois)

Naomi Girma-Aweke (San José, California)

Trinity Rodman-Moyer (Newport Beach, California)

Casey Krueger (Naperville, Illinois)

Crystal Soubrier (Hempstead, New York)

Catarina Macário (San Diego, California)

Mallory Swanson (Chicago, Illinois)

Lindsey Horan (Golden, Colorado)

Sophia Smith (Windsor, Colorado)

Tierna Davidson (Menlo Park, California)

Jenna Nighswonger (Newport Beach, California)

Emily Sonnett (Marietta, Georgia)

Jaedyn Shaw (Frisco, Texas)

Rose Lavelle (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Samantha Coffey (Mt. Pleasant, New York)

Casey Murphy (Bridgewater Township, New Jersey)

Carolyn Campbell (Kennesaw, Georgia)

Croix Bethune (Alpharetta, Georgia)

Katherine Hershfelt (Marietta, Georgia)

Lynn Williams (Fresno, California)

Golf

Wyndham Clark (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Collin Morikawa (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Xander Schauffele (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Scottie Scheffler (Dallas, Texas)

Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Florida)

Lilia Vu (Fountain Valley, California)

Rose Zhang (Irvine, California)

Gymnastics

Asher Hong (Tomball, Texas)

Paul Juda (Vernon Township, Illinois)

John Malone (Sarasota, Florida)

Stephen Nedoroscik (Sarasota, Florida)

Fred Richard (Stoughton, Massachusetts)

Aliaksei Shostak (Lafayette, Indiana)

Simone Biles-Owens (Houston, Texas)

Jade Carey (Corvallis, Oregon)

Jordan Chiles (Los Angeles, California)

Suni Lee (Auburn, Alabama)

Hezly Rivera (Plano, Texas)

Evita Griškėnas (Orland Township, Illinois)

Jessica Stevens (Howard County, Maryland)

Judo

Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, New Jersey)

John Jayne (Chicago, Illinois)

Marie Laborde (Kenosha, Wisconsin)

Angelica Delgado (Miami, Florida)

Pentathlon

Jess Davis (Bethlehem, Connecticut)

Rowing

William Bender (Norwich, Vermont)

Oliver Bub (Westport, Connecticut)

Ben Davison (Inverness, Florida)

Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan)

Chris Carlson (Bedford, New Hampshire)

Peter Chatain (New Trier Township, Illinois)

Henry Hollingsworth (Dover, Massachusetts)

Rielly Milne (Woodinville, Washington)

Evan Olson (Bothell, Washington)

Pieter Quinton (Portland, Oregon)

Nicholas Rusher (West Bend, Wisconsin)

Christian Tabash (Alexandria, Virginia)

James Plihal (St. Louis, Missouri)

Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania)

Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Connecticut)

Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Nick Mead (Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania)

Clark Dean (Sarasota, Florida)

Azja Czajkowski (Chula Vista, California)

Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisconsin)

Kristi Wagner (Weston, Massachusetts)

Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, Rhode Island)

Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas)

Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellsley, Massachusetts)

Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Connecticut)

Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas)

Emily Delleman (Davenport, Iowa)

Grace Joyce (Northfield Township, Illinois)

Lauren O'Connor (Westfield, Massachusetts)

Cristina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Claire Collins (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Margaret Hedeman (Concord, Massachusetts)

Kara Kohler (Clayton, California)

Jessica Thoennes (Madison, Wisconsin)

Mary Reckford (Millburn Township, New Jersey)

Michelle Sechser (San Luis Obispo, California)

Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio)

Charlotte Buck (Orangetown, New York)

Olivia Coffey (Elmira, New York)

Meghan Musnicki (Naples, New York)

Regina Salmons (Methuen, Massachusetts)

Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wisconsin)

Rugby

Aaron Cummings (Grand Haven, Michigan)

Orrin Bizer (Montgomery County, Texas)

Naima Fuala'au (Hayward, California)

Malacchi Esdale (Newark, Delaware)

Kisi Unufe (Provo, Utah)

Matai Leuta (Seaside, California)

Marcus Tupuola (Carson, California)

Kevon Williams (Houston, Texas)

Stephen Tomasin (Santa Rosa, California)

Madison Hughes (Lancaster, Massachusetts)

Perry Baker (Port Orange, Florida)

Lucas Lacamp (San Diego, California)

Ariana Ramsey (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Sarah Levy (San Diego, California)

Alexandria Sedrick (Herriman, Utah)

Alena Olsen (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Leyla Kelter (Anchorage, Alaska)

Ilona Maher (Burlington, Vermont)

Kayla Canett (Fallbrook, California)

Kristi Kirsche (Franklin, Massachusetts)

Lauren Doyle (Macon, Illinois)

Naya Tapper (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Samantha Sullivan (Fayetteville, North Carolina)

Stephanie Rovetti (Reno, Nevada)

Sailing

Noah Lyons (Clearwater, Florida)

Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Florida)

Ian Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)

David Liebenberg (Richmond, California)

Hans Henken (Laguna Beach, California)

Stuart McNay (Marion, Massachusetts)

Dominique Stater (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)

Sarah Newberry-Moore (Miami, Florida)

Daniela Moroz (Berkeley, California)

Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisconsin)

Maggie Shea (New Trier Township, Illinois)

Lara Dallman-Weiss (Miami, Florida)

Shooting

Sgt. Ivan Roe (Manhattan, Montana)

Will Hinton (Dacula, Georgia)

Conner Prince (Burleson, Texas)

Henry Leverett (Bainbridge, Georgia)

Sfc. Keith Sanderson (Plymouth, Massachusetts)

Derrick Mein (Paola, Kansas)

Vincent Hancock (Ft. Worth, Texas)

Katelyn Abeln (Douglasville, Georgia)

Ada Korkhin (Brookline, Massachusetts)

Ryann Phillips (Borden County, Texas)

Sgt. Sagen Maddelena (Woodland, California)

Mary Tucker (Pineville, North Carolina)

Alexis Lagan (Boulder City, Nevada)

Rachel Tozier (Pattonsburg, Missouri)

Austen Smith (Dallas, Texas)

Dania Vizzi (Pasco County, Florida)

Skateboarding

Gavin Bottger (Vista, California)

Tate Carew (San Diego, California)

Chris Joslin (Cerritos, California)

Tom Schaar (Malibu, California)

Jagger Eaton (Mesa, Arizona)

Nyjah Huston (Davis, California)

Ruby Lilley (Oceanside, California)

Minna Stess (Petaluma, California)

Paige Heyn (Tempe, Arizona)

Poe Pinson (Fernandina Beach, Florida)

Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, California)

Mariah Duran (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Swimming

Caeleb Dressel (Orange Park, Florida)

Chris Guiliano (Amity Township, Pennsylvania)

Jack Alexy (Mendham Borough, New Jersey)

Luke Hobson (Reno, Nevada)

Aaron Shackell (Carmel, Indiana)

Kieran Smith (Ridgefield, Connecticut)

Robert Finke (Clearwater, Florida)

Luke Whitlock (Noblesville, Indiana)

David Johnston (Lake Forest, California)

Joseph Armstrong (Dover, Ohio)

Ryan Murphy (Jacksonville, Florida)

Keaton Jones (Gilbert, Arizona)

Nic Fink (Morristown, New Jersey)

Charlie Swanson (Richmond, Virginia)

Matthew Fallon (Warren Township, New Jersey)

Josh Matheny (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Thomas Heilman (Albemarle County, Virginia)

Luca Urlando (Sacramento, California)

Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas)

Carson Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Chase Kalisz (Harford County, Maryland)

Ryan Held (Springfield, Illinois)

Matt King (Snohomish, Washington)

Brooks Curry (Dunwoody, Georgia)

Drew Kibler (Carmel, Indiana)

B.J. Pieroni (Chesterton, Indiana)

Ivan Puskovitch (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

Jaime Czarkowski (Calgary, Alberta)

Keana Hunter (Issaquah, Washington)

Audrey Kwon (Seattle, Washington)

Jacklyn Luu (Milpitas, California)

Daniella Ramirez (Miami, Florida)

Ruby Remati (Andover, Massachusetts)

Megumi Field (Cerritos, California)

Anita Alvarez (Buffalo, New York)

Simone Manuel (Sugar Land, Texas)

Gretchen Walsh (Nashville, Tennessee)

Alexandra Walsh (Greenwich, Connecticut)

Kate Douglass (Pelham, New York)

Torri Huske (Arlington County, Virginia)

Erin Gemmell (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Claire Weinstein (White Plains, New York)

Katie Ledecky (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Paige Madden (Mobile, Alabama)

Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Katherine Berkoff (Missoula, Montana)

Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minnesota)

Phoebe Bacon (Chevy Chase, Maryland)

Lilly King (Evansville, Indiana)

Emma Weber (Denver, Colorado)

Alexandra Shackell (Carmel, Indiana)

Emma Weyant (Sarasota, Florida)

Erika Connolly (Cornelius, North Carolina)

Abbey Weitzeil (Santa Clarita, California)

Anna Peplowski (Metamora Township, Illinois)

Mariah Denigan (Fairfield, Ohio)

Rock climbing

Zach Hammer (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Colin Duffy (Broomfield, Colorado)

Jesse Grupper (New York, New York)

Sam Watson (Southlake, Texas)

Natalia Grossman (Boulder, Colorado)

Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, Colorado)

Emma Hunt (Woodstock, Georgia)

Piper Kelly (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Surfing

Griffin Colapinto (San Clemente, California)

John Florence (Honolulu County, Hawaii)

Caroline Marks (Melbourne Beach, Florida)

Carissa Moore (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Caitlin Simmers (Oceanside, California)

Table tennis

Kanak Jha (Milpitas, California)

Rachel Sung (San José, California)

Amy Wang (Mantua Township, New Jersey)

Lily Zhang (Redwood City, California)

Taekwondo

Carl Nickolas; Jr. (Brentwood, California)

Jonathan Healy (Houston, Texas)

Faith Dillon (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Kristina Teachout (Palm Bay, Florida)

Tennis

Christopher Eubanks (Atlanta, Georgia)

Taylor Fritz (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Marcos Girón (Thousand Oaks, California)

Tommy Paul (Boca Raton, Florida)

Austin Krajicek (Plano, Texas)

Rajeev Ram (Carmel, Indiana)

Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Florida)

Cori Gauff (Delray Beach, Florida)

Emma Navarro (Charleston, South Carolina)

Jessica Pegula (Boca Raton, Florida)

Desirae Krawczyk (Palm Desert, California)

Trialthlon

Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colorado)

Seth Rider (Germantown, Tennessee)

Kirsten Kasper (Boulder, Colorado)

Taylor Knibb (Boulder, Colorado)

Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, California)

Volleyball

Andy Benesh (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Miles Partain (Los Angeles, California)

Miles Evans (Santa Barbara, California)

Chase Budinger (Carlsbad, California)

Matt Anderson (West Seneca, New York)

Aaron Russell (Howard County, Maryland)

Jeff Jendryk II (Evanston, Illinois)

T.J. DeFalco (Huntington Beach, California)

Micah Christenson (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Maxwell Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Micah Ma'a (Honolulu County, Hawaii)

Thomas Jaeschke (Wheaton, Illinois)

Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, California)

Taylor Averill (Portland, Oregon)

David Smith (Santa Clarita, California)

Erik Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Taryn Kloth (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Kelly Cheng (Fullerton, California)

Sarah Hughes (Costa Mesa, California)

Jordyn Poulter (Aurora, Colorado)

Avery Skinner (Katy, Texas)

Justine Wong-Orantes (Cypress, California)

Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Illinois)

Jordan Larson (Hooper, Nebraska)

Annie Drews (Elkhart, Indiana)

Jordan Thompson (Edina, Minnesota)

Haleigh Washington (Clear Creek County, Colorado)

Dana Rettke (Riverside Township, Illinois)

Kathryn Plummer (Aliso Viejo, California)

Kelsey Cook (Hanover Township, Illinois)

Chiaka Ogbogu (Coppell, Texas)

Water polo

Adrian Weinberg (Los Angeles, California)

Chase Dodd (Huntington Beach, California)

Ryder Dodd (Huntington Beach, California)

Johnny Hooper (Los Angeles, California)

Marko Vavic (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Alex Obert (Loomis, California)

Hannes Daube (Long Beach, California)

Luca Cupido (Newport Beach, California)

Ben Hallock (Los Angeles, California)

Dylan Woodhead (San Anselmo, California)

Alex Bowen (San Diego, California)

Max Irving (Long Beach, California)

Drew Holland (Orinda, California)

Tara Prentice (Murrieta, California)

Jenna Flynn (San José, California)

Jewel Roemer (Lafayette, California)

Emily Ausmus (Riverside, California)

Jovana Sekulic (Newtown Township, Pennsylvania)

Ashleigh Johnson (Miami, Florida)

Maddie Musselman (Newport Beach, California)

Rachel Fattal (Los Alamitos, California)

Maggie Steffens (Danville, California)

Jordan Raney (Santa Monica, California)

Ryann Neushul (Santa Barbara County, California)

Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, California)

Amanda Longan (Moorpark, California)

Weightlifting

Hampton Morris (Marrieta, Georgia)

Wes Kitts (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Jourdan Delacruz (Wylie, Texas)

Olivia Reeves (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Mary Theisen-Lappen (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)

Wrestling

Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wisconsin)

Spencer Lee (Murrysville, Pennsylvania)

Zain Retherford (Benton, Pennsylvania)

Kyle Dake (Lansing, New York)

Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Maryland)

Kyle Snyder (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)

Kamal Bey (Oak Park Township, Illinois)

Joe Rau (Chicago, Illinois)

Adam Coon (Handy Township, Michigan)

Sarah Hildebrandt (Clay Township, Indiana)

Dominique Parrish (Scotts Valley, California)

Helen Maroulis (Marquette, Michigan)

Kayla Miracle (Iowa City, Iowa)

Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, California)

Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Illinois)

[isadomna]

The triangle Constance of Castile, John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford

Part three

In spring 1381, a group of rebels marched on the city of London, attacking houses and towns on their way to confront the teenage king Richard II, an event that became known as the Peasants’ Revolt. Gaunt’s property, the Savoy Palace, was destroyed. Two leading politicians had been beheaded by rebels in London, and Gaunt was left on the Scottish Borders for weeks, waiting for news from the king regarding his fate. It is unlikely that Katherine Swynford had been in London to support her lover during these difficult weeks. She had probably just emerged from childbed, and the capital would have been a dangerous place for her, given her connection with the most hated man in England. Probably she had remained at Kettlethorpe, and would not rejoin John until the crisis had well and truly passed.

The events of 1381 put an end to their love affair. Both Thomas Walsingham and Henry Knighton state its termination was necessary to placate ‘the Lord’s anger’ and, in doing so, John of Gaunt ‘humbled himself in every respect’. Henry Knighton recounts that Gaunt vowed to God to ‘remove that lady from his household, so that there could be no further offence’, and it appears that, after 1381, Katherine was no longer in his employ.

The termination of the relationship was not painless for John of Gaunt. He ended their affair out fear of the repercussions if it continued and to restore amity with his enemies and critics – namely, the Church. Continuing their adultery after the violence of the Rising – the murder of his men and the destruction of his property – could invite further rage, attention and attacks on his character, possibly even jeopardising the welfare of Katherine and their children. The priority – following the Rising – was to mend old feuds, not fuel them and according to Henry Knighton, Gaunt did his best to redeem himself in the Church’s eyes. Knighton implies that John imparted his fateful decision to Katherine in person before sending her away. We can only imagine that excruciatingly painful interview and the devastating impact his renunciation would have had on her. Not only had she lost her royal lover, but she was also to lose her position in the Lancastrian household.

John did, however, offer Katherine his continuing friendship, protection and dutiful care; neither she nor their children would want for anything and she continued to command his respect thereafter. Katherine eventually left her home at Kettlethorpe and took a house in Minster Yard, Lincoln, an isolated and secure home for herself and her children near a monastic community. She and Gaunt remained in contact and she continued to receive gifts and grants from him, such as wine for her household.

As Gaunt terminated his relationship with Katherine, his attention was drawn to the welfare of his wife, Constance, who was waiting for him at Knaresborough Castle after a stressful journey north. Terrified in case she herself become a target of the rebels, Constance had fled north from Hertford and sought refuge in Pontefract Castle, only to find the gates barred to her by its faint-hearted – or perhaps over-cautious – constable, who said he did not dare to admit her. Hearing this, many of her frightened servants deserted her, so, ‘smitten in her heart with great fear’, and with only a small escort, she rode by lanternlight through the night and the forest, braving footpads and outlaws, to Knaresborough Castle, where to her relief the castellan afforded her a sympathetic welcome. This experience had left her thoroughly frightened and vulnerable, and she now looked ‘to find safety under the wing of her lord’.

Seeing the Duke approaching, and with her retinue drawn up behind her, Constance went to meet him. There, on the road, she prostrated herself three times before him. Quickly he dismounted, raised her up, took her by the hand and kissed her, then listened compassionately to her woeful tale, while she in turn expressed sorrow at the perils and misfortunes that had befallen him. At length, John asked her pardon for ‘his misdeeds to her’, and ‘she forgave him willingly’. That evening, they repaired to the Bishop of Durham’s strongly fortified and moated palace, ‘and there was great joy and celebration between them, and with their companions that day and night’.

John of Gaunt’s long-cherished dream of winning the throne of Castile was never going to come to fruition. Finally accepting this, he agreed terms with King Juan I, and at Trancoso, in July 1387, a settlement was proposed whereby, in return for a cash payment and an annual pension, John and Constance would relinquish their Castilian claims to their fifteen-year-old daughter Catalina and enter into negotiations for her marriage to Juan’s son Enrique. John of Gaunt lost interest in his wife after returning from Castile. The Duke continued to provide generously for her, but there was to be no more pretence of marital felicity. John and Constance were now living apart.

Constance’s withdrawal had left John and Katherine free to rekindle their relationship, and it is possible that they had become lovers once more, although if this was the case, they must have been very discreet about it, for Katherine was openly visiting the Duke, attended by an entourage, without attracting adverse comment.

At the end of March 1394, Constance of Castile was administered the last rites, surrounded by her loyal ladies in waiting. It is likely that she fell sick and deteriorated swiftly, as Gaunt was absent in France on the King’s business, and would have dutifully returned to his Duchess’s side had he known of her illness in time. Gaunt gave his wife a magnificent funeral and she was buried at Newark in Leicester. The cost of Constance’s obsequies and her interment in the established mausoleum of the House of Lancaster strongly suggests that John wanted every honour paid to the memory of the woman who had been his Duchess for twenty-two years.

After John had obtained a dispensation and completed a period of service as duke of Aquitaine, he returned to England and married Katherine Swynford. The wedding took place in January 1396 in Lincoln. Cathedral. Their marriage provoked far more scandal than their affair, for it was unheard of for a prince to marry his mistress, and many aristocrats felt that he had married far beneath him. The great ladies of the realm refused to acknowledge Katherine, who was now, for the brief period before Richard II remarried later that year, the first lady in the land. But gradually, by her tactful and dignified behaviour, she won them round. Early in 1397, parliament legitimated the Beauforts, elevating them to the status of princes of the blood royal.

Sources:

Alison Weir, KATHERINE SWYNFORD: THE STORY OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND HIS SCANDALOUS DUCHESS

Helen Carr, THE RED PRINCE: THE LIFE OF JOHN OF GAUNT, THE DUKE OF LANCASTER

[soragawanaeru]

So Asuki (@sokai-asuki) did something suprising me. They (IDK the pronouns so I use general pronoun) made a Main Story of NEXO KNIGHTS X PROJECT SEKAI from the AU that I made! Though it's just the beginning. Use tag : #nexo knights x project sekai au (My tag) and/or #lego nexo knights x hatsune miku colorful stage (Asuki's tag)

Now I'm going to explain the world system of Knightonia (NEXO KNIGHTS Universe) <--> Sekai <--> Shibuya, Tokyo (PRSK Universe) and took some from Sokai-Asuki's story too. Some are canon but some I made it by myself to corelate to the story.

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So first, what is PROJECT SEKAI? PROJECT SEKAI or full name is PROJECT SEKAI: COLORFUL STAGE! Feat Hatsune Miku or Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! (JP: プロジェクトセカイ カラフルステージ！ feat.初音ミク, HEPBURN: Purojekuto Sekai Karafuru Sutēji! fīcharingu Hatsune Miku), abbreviated to PJSK or Proseka, subtitled Brand New World from its 3rd anniversary, is a rhytm game developed by Colorful Palette, a studio of CyberAgent's Craft Egg, who also was involved in development before it shifted to Colorful Palette, and published by Sega Corporation. (Source : WIKIPEDIA)

Set in the real world where Virtual Singers only exist as fiction, the characters come across another world called "SEKAI," where various "true feelings" are projected. Here, there are 6 VOCALOIDS (Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, Megurine Luka, KAITO, and MEIKO) along with 20 characters. There are some servers, but commonly used are Japanese Server (of JPSEKAI) and Global Server (ENSEKAI) that released around a year later from JPSEKAI.

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Back to the topic, I read Sokai-Asuki's story and took conclusion how NEXO KNIGHTS can go to SEKAI (PRSK Universe), but to comprehend the Sekai Concept and the story, better read PRSK Main Story. You don't have to download the game, you can watch it on YT. (But if you want to play the game or an gacha addict, download it)

In gap between 5 SEKAI (or in JP, Sekai No Hazama) someone reside there -> She saw yellow dust from one of the SEKAI. As we know, yellow or golden in NK Universe always symbolized with magic power, so it means some magic make NEXO KNIGHTS able to access SEKAI.

I don't want to spoil the story, better read it by yourself. But the VOCALOIDS -- or in PRSK Universe they called VIRTUAL SINGERS reside in SEKAI according to one's feelings. The main one is Hatsune Miku. So Miku make a concept named 'UNTITLED' and gave it to respective SEKAI's residents to their phone by a folder. Press them and boom! You can go there!

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So let's simplify it by corresponding it to PRSK Universe:

SEKAI created from ones' feelings -> VIRTUAL SINGERS reside there -> Hatsune Miku send message to the person by folder 'UNTITLED' -> 'UNTITLED' was sent to person's phone -> The person pressed folder 'UNTITLED' -> Lights make them transported to SEKAI

Understand? If don't then read PRSK Main Story then. Okay, continue. So, the concept of NEXO KNIGHTS to SEKAI was same, by pressing 'UNTITLED' on their phone. But why? Because of magic of course. That exist in a yellow dust and made some 'bug' that make things from different universe able to connect each other. If you can enter, how to exit? Just press that play button of 'UNTITLED' on the phone to pause it.

Okay, how to go to SEKAI, check. But how NEXO KNIGHTS members able to go to Shibuya, that was actually a PRSK Universe? The SEKAI acts as a location that connects to two universe -- Knighton and Shibuya. Press twice (or in PC, click on right mouse) to enter the alternate universe. (Yeah, I make this idea, like I want two parties to explore different universes and have experiences)

I simplify how to go to three realms:

1. Knighton <--> SEKAI and Shibuya, Tokyo <--> SEKAI

Press 'UNTITLED' folder that available on your phone. Press play button on the folder to exit SEKAI.

2. Knighton <--> Shibuya

Press twice of click on right mouse on 'UNTITLED' folder

Not only NEXO KNIGHTS members that able to go to Shibuya, the 20 characters of PRSK also can go to Knighton! (I want to make all of them extend the interactions like that)

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The story how NEXO KNIGHTS able to access their SEKAI, I put faith to Asuki. (I believe in you) While which unit and SEKAI each NEXO KNIGHTS members enter are on my account (But you must have effort to scroll that, trust me, you'll see it)

But mainly, I'll handle this AU too, like interactions, facts, or maybe fanmade events?! I also will handle the NEXO KNIGHTS unit design clothes, either from the beginning or 3RD ANNIV -BRAND NEW WORLD- version. I've done Clay's but I will make the rest of the members.

So, yeah that's it and enjoy! I accept questions if you have something to be asked about this AU. (I also confused about the connection but yeah whatever)