#let them call it a sin

[darkmagyk]

Part 4 of Let them Call it a Sin

3 hours ago, it was midnight I was like "no writing today, but that's fine." And then I wrote this in the middle of the night. So that's fun.

Percy had been in an absolute panic for days. He’d been to war as a squire for the first time at 12. This was worse than a battlefield, worse than seeing a sword swinging at his head. Worse than being young and unprepared. And at least at war disquiet was expected.

The queen was giving birth. And the Duke of Thera would be expected to hhow basic concern, but not the deep, soul crushing anxiety that was currently his constant  companion.

Annabeth, the woman he loved, was giving birth to his child. The most dangerous time of a woman's life, and he could not be with her, could not express his deep worry for her, could not truly tell anyone of his fears for the baby. 

He wished he could see her again. Before the king court arrived three weeks ago he'd had three months with her, three months of play acting house.  It was a domestic bliss he could never have, for how would he ever love any other woman more than he loved his Queen. And he would settle for no less

He wished she could see his mother. His mother knew his dark secret. And he knew she could offer him comfort. But unlike Percy, Lady Sally was allowed to attend the queen. That was its own comfort. For their was no one better placed to help Annabeth. But the separation still hurt.

He'd gone riding yesterday, to the farthest ends of his estate. He hadn’t gotten back until dark.  But he couldn't bear to be that far away today. What if something happened? He prayed nothing would happen to the baby. And he tried not to think about anything else, because if something happened to Annabeth he truly did not know how he would go on.

He should have gone and found his father, the King was likely to be first informed if something went wrong with the queen, but he couldn't stand the man's apathy right now. Anymore than he could stand his own deception.

He was hiding in his Library. The last Duke of Thera, or perhaps the one before that, had been a great scholar. It was a well-stocked, beautifully decorated space, full of comfortable couches and intricate tables. Annabeth had loved it when they had first toured his house,  she said it reminded her of home, both her father and uncle kept excellent libraries. She'd sometimes fall asleep on one of the couches,  and it still smelled like her.

Sometimes he threw himself down to be surrounded by her scent. And sometimes he flung himself away, afraid of never smelling it again. 

He was on the couch now, trying to think of anything else he could do with himself.  He nearly screamed at the poor page who knocked on the door, interrupting his brooding. If the boy had entered without knocking, which some of the Royal pages had taken to doing, he might have. But the boy knocked, so Percy kept his head and called for the boy to enter.

The boy was wearing the king's livery,  and bowed to Percy, who rose to greet him. 

“If it pleases, Your Grace, the King has asked for you to attend him. The queen gave birth and he wishes to have a prayer to the Gods for the baby's health.”

“ The baby is born?” Percy said, feeling an entirely new form of shock. His child was here. Real and present and not just a growing phantom in a belly. “Is the queen all right?”

“The Princess was born,” The boy said. A princess. Percy had a daughter, “ and the queen's alive.” 

 Percy would take the lack of a ‘for now’  on the end of his sentence to mean at least no rumors of her imminent death were spreading below stairs.

He would content himself with that right now, and see his father. 

***

He at least made it through the prayer service without crying or attacking the king when he bemoaned, just to his bastard son,  but he’d wanted a boy. 

Though after he said that he'd pause and gave Percy a long. considered look. If Percy were younger, or perhaps had more respect for his father’s intelligence, he might have feared the king figured him out in that moment. But he just stared back, wondering what the King saw when he looked at his son and tractor. Then the king clapped his shoulder, and said “I've got two strong sons already. A daughter can be useful, can she not?”

Percy had enough control to agree, “ Yes sir.” and then, perhaps boldend by a year of Annabeth's tutelage, added “Lady Sally gave birth not so long ago, also to a girl. She will be of an age with the princess,  perhaps if Lady Sally were giving some charge over her nursery, Lady Estelle would be a fitting playmate.”

His father considered him again, and Percy wondered if he thought it was some sort of bad trick to get his mother and father back together. A silly idea. King Poseidon was married as surely as Lady Sally was. And he wished his father on his mother no more than he wished his father on Annabeth. Though Queen Annabeth and Lady Sally were both too linked with him to truly escape.

“A sharp idea, lad,” his father said, “I really need no more sons when I have one as sharp as you, do I.” 

“I'm glad to serve,” Was all Percy responded. He did not like the look his father kept giving him. Too much of the King's attention often worked out for Percy, it had gotten him titles, lands, and important military campaigns. But in these circumstances that made him all the more uneasy.

“What will you name your princess?”

“Oh yes,”  the king sighed, “ I suppose I hadn't really thought about that. I could name her after my mother.” Princess Rhea was not as pretty as Princess Annabeth or Princess Sophia, but it would do. Percy was sure he would learn to love it as much as he loved the girl. ”But I'm not sure. Maybe I’ll leave it to the queen to decide. It will save me the trouble of thinking of it. As I learned from your mother, women often have some sort of ideas about that.”

“That would be very generous, Your Majesty.”  Percy said, and could not suppress his smile at the thought of his little Princess Sophia, “ I'm sure the queen will love that. How fairs she?”

“She's not dead,” Poseidon said like he was commenting on the weather, preferring a sunny day, but knowing a raining one would not ruing his day, “and I'm told there's no worry, yet,  that will change.”

“I will pray for her continued good health,”  Percy choked out, “and that of my new little sister.”

He was not able to excuse himself until after luncheon.  Luckily his father did not dwell on either the queen or princess. It made Percy despise the man if you never had before, but it also meant he did not have to think on it over much, and come up with things to say that we're not professing his love.

His father wanted to know about the estate and the Duchy of Thera. Percy was able to speak on that. On hearing petitions from his peasants and speaking to the Lord's under him. How his steward Grover had many ideas about the crops and how to get the best yields for many years to come, and how Percy was considering collecting taxes this year. His father nodded in approval, and Percy had never once cared about his approval less.

He finally got away when the king called for his pipe. Claiming exhaustion and thinking he would need to have someone seriously air out this room when the Royal Court finally vacated it, so he did not wonder about Annabeth and the baby.

He did not want to return to the library, but with so many members of court crawling around his house, he’d ended up having his steward make the library up as his bedroom so he would not have to figure out exactly where among the Dukes and duchesses he was supposed to be  housed. 

He’d brought the third best bed for those purposes. Leaving the first for Annabeth and the second for his mother and Paul. The king traveled with his own. And Triton would just have to make do. 

He splashed some water into his face and spent a few minute heaving over the chamber pot, just to make sure he wouldn’t throw up anywhere else.

Then he said his own private prayers for Queen Annabeth and Princess Sophia.  

His mother found him kneeling on the bed after the sun had gone down, and his valet had brought him his meal.

“She's all right,” she assured him as soon as the door had closed behind her, “and the baby as well. Both have gone to sleep right now, and I imagine after one more night and a hearty breakfast in the morning our Queen will be able to get out of bed. The wet nurse said the baby took her food well. So you have nothing to worry about.”

“They could take a turn.”   Percy said.

His mother sighed, sitting down on the bed next to him, and taking his hand, she squeezed it.

“My boy, tomorrow you could take a turn. Do not invite that worry into your life early. Both mother and child are doing well, all evidence suggests they will continue to do so. Perhaps as soon as tomorrow you shall see the queen.” Her eyes narrowed, “but you will give her several months rest.”

“I had not even thought…what do I need to do too…”

“Perhaps the three of us shall discuss that later. Right now I think you need to rest.  it's been a hard few days for you.”

“Yes mother,” He agreed. He would rest. He would say his prayers and rest and dream of his love and his daughter. 

***

He did not see Annabeth the next day. It was three days when she put in an appearance, sitting next to the king briefly. She looked pale and tired. But in good spirits.

He did not get to speak to her for over a week. But he knew his father would have him into a private reception after the baby’s naming blessing, so he would be able to speak to her there. 

She looked a bit better then. In a new gown, he thought, a beautiful blue that brought out her eyes. The nursemaid behind her, carrying Sophia wrapped in blue and purple. A royal princess. 

“He will still be the king’s blood.” Annabeth had told him once, some months ago. He’s has always known he’ll have royal grandchildren. The fact that he does not already should shame Triton.” And Percy knew that it did. And caused the King quite a bit of worry and anger. “We are taking nothing which was not our due.”

It felt a little too pat, Percy thought, and he did not think the words would sway the executioner's blade. But it wasn’t entirely untrue. 

Percy was not with the royal family for this event. Triton was standing on the dais with the Priest, King, Queen, and baby Princess. Normally he didn’t care, not really. But right this second he would give anything to be so close to his daughter. 

“We are gathered here today,” the Priest started, “to ask the gods to bless this child, and to name her for their work.” 

It was a routine speech. Percy had been asked by several of his vassals to serve as witnesses to a naming blessing, A high honor. So he knew what to expect. 

Each of the 12 ruling gods would be named, and their blessings asked for in her life. She would be introduced to all of them by name. And then she would be considered ready to grow up, protected by the gods. 

He hoped Poseidon had not changed his mind about letting Annabeth name the baby. Percy had spoken to him several times, and he’d said he’d told Annabeth she could. But he could always change his mind. 

“To the king of the gods,” the Priest was saying, “We present you Princess Annabeth of House Atlantis and ask that you…”

He looked up sharply, and from the dais, Annabeth caught his eye, smiling. She’d not named the child Sophia, she’d used his name.

Annabeth had let him name his daughter.

His little Annabeth. 

He could not have loved either of them more if he tried.

[decepti-geek]

tbh an important part of my take on the 'don't be like Sentinel' question is that hours earlier D16 had very decidedly assumed leadership of the High Guard, after which any attempt at resolving his very understandable personal trauma via murder was also, on a wider affects-everyone/your-new-power-means-something scale, inherently going to count as a military coup.

yknow. the thing Sentinel did to assume power/hand it over to the quintessons in the first place

[frogayyyy]

wake up babe hildegard von blingin pink pony club bardcore cover just dropped

[apple-grass-and-smiles]

I present: a fun parallel!

One of the first real defining Chenford moments is Lucy convincing Tim to not compromise his morals by tampering with the coke for Isabel in 1x07.

The moments that made him choose to end his relationship with Lucy are all about him compromising those morals by tampering with things (reports, evidence, the truth by lying like crazy…). Add in both scenes taking place by their parked cars where Lucy is waiting to see what choice he’ll make, knowing he’s in an impossible situation.

S6!Lucy, girlfriend!Lucy seems to have no issue letting go of (what Tim considers) poor choices/his compromised integrity. She’s eager to help him rebuild after he lies to IA. But I think he knows that S1!Lucy, the rookie who was idealistic and pushed him to be better at the risk of him cutting her from the program for interfering, would have told him to do the right and moral thing, regardless of the cost. (Which he seems to believe would be telling the truth and losing his job. Whether S1!Lucy would agree with that is up for debate.) Tim can’t be with S6!Lucy now, can’t enjoy being her boyfriend, can’t talk of building a life with her, because he believes S1!Lucy would be disappointed in his choices. And Lucy deserves a boyfriend who makes all those iterations of her proud and Tim believes he can’t be that.

[radicalit]

The christians have found my anti porn post and are now talking about it in terms of sin. Girl i dont care about religion, I care about women. I want to protect women.

[flufflecat]

happy pride month, im so glad to see people doing fun new varieties of ace discourse this year -_-

[ksuhi13]

Me run with letter: Dear Santa, please forgive me for the confusion, I know you are very busy, but I ask you to listen to me about the gift. I know it’s quite late but listen, 11 years ago on this very day...

Santa instantly climbs out of the pipe: I don’t know how to resurrect the dead understand already a stupid creature, dear deer save me

Me: Oh no, I already understood that I just need a little apocalypse so that Arthur can come back we people haven't ruined everything enough

[birb--birb]

What kind of love are you?

Violet: Love as a Threshold

Your love does not ask for much. Your love does not take. Your love is free, and unquestioned, and here for wherever needs it. When you fall in love, it is as gentle as a breath in the night. It is quiet, and it is effortless. It is tender. If your love was a house, it would readily welcome all who come through. If your love was a hearth, it would warm the hands of whoever stopped by, whether for a day, a month, a year, or forever. When you fall for someone, it is without strings, without conditions, without need. You love for the sake of loving, for the sake of caring for those who need it. You love with a giver’s heart and a giver’s hands and are made so much stronger for it. Being loved by you is to always feel at home. Your love may not always be well-received by those unprepared to linger, but it is unforgettable all the same

The second I saw this answer for Violet I knew it was perfect. Their entire romance with Astarion was about patience. Waiting for him to realize that he's truly safe with them, that they doesn't expect anything from him, that he is in the lead here and they'll follow only when he's ready and okay. And waiting without judgement, Violet knows these things take time and they were more than willing to wait, to be there, to just sit and exist with him while he figures shit out. And when he truly let Violet in, I like to think it was like with a comforting sigh, the feeling of coming home, that feeling when all pressure is lifted and you can just *exist* without fear, without judgement.

Violet has seen violence and hatred and yet chooses to show up for those they love as a place of calm and stability, without judgement, without expectations. Violet's love is patient, it doesn't expect anything back but will give you everything just because we all deserve to feel warmth and safety. They feel so much warmth in their heart that they were able to help Astarion get to a place where he feels safe. I think even if they didn't fall in love or end up together, Violet would have still shown up for him in the same way. They know what suffering is like, they've gone through enough of it themselves and come out the other end alive. They know how much it hurts, but also how much easier it is with someone to lean on.

tagged by @cleric4vampire ty for enabling so many feelies about my bbys

Tagging: @justabiteofspite and @dragon--sage (I know yall were already tagged but doing so again for funzies cause I'd love to hear about your Tavs/Durges) and anyone who wants to join in, please do!!

[darkmagyk]

40 and 41 plzzzzzz

40) Almost Kiss 41) First Kiss This is an AU I've been thinking about. A lot of different prompts kind of fit into it. And this was a really obvious place to start.

Percy had not looked at her in a week. He didn’t dare. What had happened last week was treason.

He knew it. And she knew it. And thank every god no one else knew about it, because treason.

He’d almost kissed the Queen.

It wasn’t so surprising. Queen Annabeth was beautiful. 17, just like him, with gold hair and silver eyes. Adorned with jewels and silks and velvets.

A month ago, he’d called on her in the evening, after Prince Triton had tried to embarrass his new stepmother, a girl who was 20 years his junior, by parading King Poseidon’s favorite courtesan in court at the dinner the night before.

The tittering had seemed to cover the whole hall. And he had seen the Queen’s face go white when one of her ladies had explained who the woman who Triton and King Poseidon was dancing with, was.

The lady, some Baroness Percy couldn’t place, and seemed all too happy to inform her mistress. And Percy had felt awful for her.

He knew what it was like to be on the outside of the court. And he couldn’t help but feel like it was doubly awful for her. He was a bastard; his mother had once been one of the King’s favorite mistresses. They were supposed to be always a little bit on the outside, always a little bit mistrusted.

Queen Annabeth was just that, a Queen. But she had shown up in a home of an old man. Had found herself between a father and son constantly in a battle of wills. And a court who found Poseidon’s third wife to be a stupid waif they shouldn’t have to waste time on.

So, he’d gone to her. He’d meant to offer some friendship, make herself known to her women’s court. But he’d found her alone save for her lady’s maid. She’d said all her own ladies had left for the night, and that they rarely called on her in her chambers.

And so he called again and again. Promised he’d speak to the king. It was well known that though King Poseidon and Crown Prince Triton were often at odds, King Poseidon dotted on his bastard.

And between his recent Military Success, well praised on a boy of 16, and the elevation in title his father had given him, he knew that the Duke of Thera was not a bad ally for the young Queen to cultivate. And she seemed to know the same.

He learned, in his meetings with her, that she knew a great many things. The history of the country, a great deal about how court operated, though not always current gossip. Trade and war and diplomatic relations.

She was smart. Much much smarter than his father probably realized.

He could have made great work of such a queen, but King Poseidon was an old man, and did not seem to want that anymore. He had outgrown strong women the second Percy’s mother had decided she did not want to be his dismissed jewel. She wanted a part to play, or to be released to something better.

Percy wasn’t even sure why Poseidon had married again. And why he’d gone with a wife so very young. He had his heir.

But maybe that was it. He wanted a spare. And more than that, he wanted to remind Triton of his replaceability.

Percy was, frankly, glad he was a bastard. He had a title, and he had the lands and estates his father had gifted him. Enough so that he might always be comfortable. Might have means to care for a wife and children. But he would never have to play court.

Or, he shouldn’t, unless Triton decided to do something stupid.

But Queen Annabeth didn’t have the same option. She had to play court. And so Percy had offered his services. He was just starting to provide her with information, and make suggestions on who and how she might talk to various people.

She had been attentive and shrewd with all the information he told her. And she’d been a charming hostess, always offering ale or wine and cakes.

And this last time…this last time had seemed normal. It had been normal, really. They had been sitting and talking, she’d gotten them cider, something new and delicious she said came in a shipment from her uncle earlier that day. Her uncle, Percy knew, was a king of a land in the far north. The wedding was something of a peace offering to prevent raiding.

She had been melancholy, likely because of the reminder of home.

And as they had spoken, they had found themselves closer and closer. Until he could feel her breath on his face, until her soft hands were in his own, until her curls, unconfined from her cap, brushed his cheek.

He had only pulled back when he his lips were a hair’s breadth away from hers. Enraptured and horrified in equal measure.

He’d sputtered an apology, giving a very formal bow. And then practically flew from the room. Thank all the gods that his bastard status, plus his ducal title meant that his apartments were in the Royal family’s wings. He was able to put nearly a castle between the two of them.

When at court, he dared not look at her. And it had mostly worked. Until now.

The King had had entertainment tonight. A set of clowns, then the trouvere Chappelle De Rohan, and then some tumbling. The queen was more or less required to attend. And Percy had been requested by his father.

Triton looked furious at his inclusion; a fact Percy found almost comical. You would think after 7-years, the prince would be used to it.

And Percy spent the whole time not looking at the queen. He wondered what she was thinking. What she might have said about him to the king. Or anyone else.

Probably nothing, given that he still had his head. But who knows when that might change.

They were enjoying some after dinner refreshments, and his father, in full view of the Queen, was eyeing one of the serving maids, when Queen Annabeth yawned loudly.

Poseidon noticed, despite her attempts to hide it.

“You are tired, my lady?” He asked his young bride.

“Forgive me, majesty,” she said, “I am. I’m afraid I am one of those women who requires her beauty rest.”

Triton snickered, Percy couldn’t imagine why.

“Of course,” Poseidon said, glancing around the room. “You should get to bed, a young lady like yourself.” Percy thought he noticed a wince in her face. “Percy!”

“Sir?” Percy was already looking at his father and the Queen, but he found himself sitting up straighter under his gaze.

“Escort the Queen back to her chambers, please. I assume you will not want to be present for the next round of amusements.”

“No, your majesty,” He agreed, he father’s eyes were starting to get a little red already, and the prettiest of the serving girls were around. He did not want to be here much longer.

“Good, my boy, walk the Queen back to her rooms and then you may retire yourself.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Percy agreed, bowing, and then swallowing. Walking up to Queen Annabeth and offering her his arm. She smiled at him. No hesitation in the silver, and took it. He led her out of the room. None of the royal guards followed them. Which seemed a horrible oversight.

She sighed as soon as they turned down the corridor, “He is an easy man to manipulate, thank goodness.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Oh, I suppose I shouldn’t speak so of your father,” She said, “But then, I got exactly what I wanted.”

“What you wanted?”

“You’ve been avoiding me, Your Grace,” She said, which was very very true. “So I endeavored to get the king to dismiss us together. Now you simply must walk me to my chambers.”

“You have been wanting to see me?”

“I have,” she agreed. She said no more the rest of their walk. There was a guard standing outside of the royal wing, and he bowed low to the queen, and then again to Percy, even though he was not considered a member of the royal family. Despite no question of his paternity.

He led her to door, but she did not remove her arm as she pushed the door open and walked inside. Only letting go to turn the lock.

“I can guess why you’ve been avoiding me, Percy…” And she’d never called him that before. Your Grace normally, Lord Perseus occasionally. Never just Percy. Very few people did at court. His father, of course, a mark of affection. Triton as an act of diminishment. If he was to call at his stepfather’s estate in the country, the whole family would have called him it. Same with his old tutors and childhood playmates. But at court now, it was a rarity.

“You are my queen.” Percy said, a little desperately, “and the king is my father.”

“Yes,” She agreed, leaning close to him again, “The King your father. I am of an age with his younger son. But luckily, we are friends.”

“Are we, my lady?”

“I want to be, Percy,” She said, and then her lips touched his. Just for a moment, the lightest brush. His first kiss. “I want to be very much.”

He initiated the second kiss. It was much much longer.

[starrysharks]

i usually just post about reassassination and ultimate excalibur alongside less developed stories/universes but brother i have a LOT of stuff that i either hardly talk about or never talk about at all publicly ,,, mostly because they don't have any character designs done yet 💀

[theholidayslingerlikebadperfume]

it's wild to me how because so many people are part of an organized religion, we're not allowed to call it for what it is (a cult). people will try and defend organized religion against cult allegations like the BITE model isn't readily available for anyone to google.

[angeloftrumpets]

It’s so cool to think about how life would be if you met literally any of the angels

[tourmelion]

She had 7 kids and didn't think to properly research the medicines they might need. Still feels intensely irresponsible, she has finally seen reason, but she wasn't supposed to do this in the first place, she's supposed to protect her kids, they could all die from her negligence, I feel nothing for this idiot, good you finally saw reason, but she shouldn't have had kids if she was going to be so reckless and ignorant about their health. Children are a massive responsibility that you take on yourself, it's your job to look after them, and she just did not give a toss, any doctor will tell you to vaccinate your kids, but no, great that she's now against misinformation, but, you shouldn't have had any kids without researching what they need, if a tiktok mom convinced her water is good for infants she would have been so irresponsible to follow that advice, but she basically did the same thing but with vaccines. They should be allowed to re-home kids for this shit, or at least make the kids get vaccinated, or at least check if they have allergies to it before starting. And I can understand Pfizer shit, cause it's Pfizer, but just pick a decent brand and do it. All her kids could die rn from her ignorance, I feel like 'seeing the light' after so much recklessness shouldn't save you from the blame, it's good she is working to stop misinformation, but you still had kids and performed reckless abandon, you had them without caring for their well being, cause if you did care for their well being you would have gone to a doctor about it before your first child

You don’t say.

[nenoname]

......kinda wild peeking at the reddit and seeing folks go nuts over dipper ships lmao

[lollylandgirl]

For some reason today I got Very Emotional about RiderQuill and thoughts were thought and randomly I have now the headcanon that Gamora was the one that proposed that Rich and Pete needed to be together in the memorial statues that appeared at the end of The Thanos Imperative.

[itsalwaysdark]

the connor room glowup (above is my washington room below is my now room ^_^)