#man am i still obsessed with these kids

[all-pacas]

Ages ago @timeturner-jay semi requested a fe3h claude/byleth arranged marriage fanfic and anyway here’s the first part of it like two months later 👋

-

The Old City and the Imperial Palace were, in practice, one and the same: a palace complex so large it had become a town in its own right, and then a city, housing ministers and courtiers and warriors alike. It housed the customary three temples, the royal mint and treasury, four kitchens, countless dining halls, twenty seven courtyards, three baths, dozens of offices, two libraries, a dungeon, and, of course, the throne room, which spanned half the length of the Grand Hall alone.

Khalid had seen it crowded with supplicants during the day; teeming with dancers and audiences by night.

Empty, it is endless.

His feet ring against the tiled floors despite his efforts to walk softly. His father’s throne sits alone, raised higher than anything else in the hall. Sometimes, Father would sit on the lower steps or the edge of the dais itself: today he did not. The Queen was present; she stood, her expression unreadable.

Khalid bows. He waits, a million excuses ringing through his head. It was Shahid’s fault. It was Rhada’s. Rezza started it. He taps his heel anxiously on the marble. He forces himself to wait.

“On reflection,” Father, leader of the seven clans, chosen of the skies and hundred lords, Prince of Arshwan and Lord of Daifan and King of all Almyra, says, “I have decided you are correct.”

Khalid looks up shortly, his stomach plunging into his knees. While normally he loves being told he is right —

“Almyra has neglected her western... neighbor, and you are well suited to take the issue in hand.”

He loves being right.

...And yet the feeling of dread remains. Father is sitting on the throne, and Mother is silent.

“You will be wed in a fortnight,” says the King.

His bride arrives in the Old Capital four days later, which means that Khalid’s fate had been decided weeks before he was informed of the result. She is the Fódlani Archbishop’s daughter or granddaughter, arrived with a small party of lady’s maids and bodyguards, and, according to Shara, the sister Khalid dislikes the least, is quite lovely.

He does not verify this for himself. There was never any use in arguing with his father, and even less with his mother. Khalid allows himself a day to sulk, and then sets to work organizing and burning his papers and letters, putting plans aside, and trying to think up new ones.

Fódlan has only one god — goddess. The Archbishop, a sort of high priest, has no real political power over the petty kingdoms of the continent, but a good deal of soft power in acting as a broker for negotiations and alliances. It is customary for all nobles of a certain rank to spend two years of their youth attending some sort of school on the high temple — church’s — grounds.

This Khalid had known. He had even briefly debated finding a way to Fódlan to attend for himself, once: all of Fódlan’s future leaders in one place was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Being wed to the Archbishop’s heir might have been nearly as good in that regard... but there was no way someone tied to some backwards continent so firmly would ever be allowed to take Almyra’s throne for himself.

Unless...

Well, he didn’t know. Yet.

He’d wanted to explore the possibility of connections to Fódlan, sure. But not be chained to it.

Khalid goes to the training yard one evening, tense and looking to blow off some frustration. Men are hard at work drilling, a few sparring with blades or axes. Khalid claims the archery range for himself, waving off the man-at-arms — it isn’t really the practice he’s after but the motion of it, draw-pull-release, the world shrinking to his arrow and his target and the ache of his arms.

A commotion pulls him out of his trance.

A group of foreigners, loud and garish, are gesturing at the man-at-arms, who is yelling in turn. Khalid lowers his bow. The foreigners are speaking Fódlani, and while it has been a few years since it was his and his mother’s private language, he still understands it well enough...

He shakes out his stiff hand. They’re distracting him.

“This is the garrison training yard,” he says in Fódlani, ignoring the master-at-arm’s muttered curse at hearing the foreign tongue out of the mouth of one of his princes. “You’re not allowed to be here.”

“Then where do I go to train?” The speaker is one of the Fódlani. One of his fiancée’s bodyguards, Khalid supposes: a woman with unkempt, dark blueish hair and a blunt manner.

You don’t, he thinks, pettily. But it’s a fair enough question. “There are courtyards you can make use of.”

“But not training yards.”

Khalid shrugs. The woman’s expression does not change. Her companions share uneasy glances.

“Tell the bastard foreigners to leave and not return,” says the master-at-arms in Almyran. “This place is not for them.”

Or me either, I’m sure, Khalid thinks. It shames him. Hasn’t he always chafed under being an outsider in Almyra’s palace, despite his blood? He runs his tongue over the tops of his teeth.

“They are guests of my father who is King,” he says in formal Almyran, the sort used by nobility and priests. “They shall have the yard for their own use.”

“You —“ the man spits, angry but unwilling to defy.

“You may use this yard,” Khalid says in Fódlani.

He turns back to the archery range.

He’s hardly notched his first arrow before the woman follows him. “Thank you,” she says.

He lowers his bow again.

“Almyra is not friendly to foreigners,” he tells her.

“You were.” Her tone is matter of fact, her eyes wide and blue and guileless.

He’s half a foreigner himself. He hates bringing his father’s name into these things.

Hates that it works, and hates that he’s called bastard more than by name. He flexes his fingers around his bow, his joints stiff and aching. “That wasn’t friendliness,” he says.

“You’re the prince Khalid,” his fiancée’s bodyguard remarks.

“Was it the accent or my skin that gave it away?” he asks, joking, but still feeling bitter and sulky.

“The bow,” she lies, politely. He laughs, surprised. “You’re very good.”

Her companions have remained a few yards back, talking quietly in Fódlani and glancing over every now and then. Khalid doesn’t see any archers among them.

“I am good,” he says. Archery is prized, one of the three Noble Arts, but axes and swords are more prized still. Archery is considered safe, perhaps a bit cowardly. More noble to risk getting your throat cut in a melee. The woman has a sword at her hip.

“Does my noble wife-to-be fight?” he asks. Her guard blinks. “Tell her she’ll be better off in Almyra if she does.”

“You should tell her yourself,” she says calmly.

“I’ll have many happy years to discuss these matters with her,” he says. “Forgive me for enjoying my last days of freedom.”

He draws his arrow and takes a shot.

“Why did you agree to the marriage?” she asks.

“Because I am being punished,” he says frankly: if the rumors haven’t reached his fiancée yet, her companions aren’t doing their job, and if they have, this shouldn’t be news.

“For what?”

He wonders if this is all a set up. Go to the training yard while he’s there, create a meeting. It wouldn’t have been too hard to predict he’d involve himself: Khalid grimaces at the idea. Often, information is spread through servants and pages and retainers and carefully chosen gossip. But Khalid doesn’t trust his servants or use them to gather or disperse information on his behalf.

“I wished to invade Fódlan,” he says blandly.

He hadn’t. Not really. He’d debated attending the Officer’s Academy there. Going incognito to the Leicester Alliance. Told his mother it was an opportunity to learn; his father it was a probe of Leicester’s weaknesses, both arguements he’d believed correctly tailored. And then he’d gotten Nader involved, and then his brother had found out, and...

“Why did your master agree to such a bad match?” he asks sourly.

She regards him calmly. “Almyra is a mystery to Fódlan. I thought perhaps that could be changed.”

I...?

He realizes then, and stares at her in horror.

Her expression doesn’t change. The granddaughter of Fódlan’s Archbishop. A woman three years older than Khalid. Supposedly beautiful, pale and blue-eyed.

“You’re —“ he chokes. Clamps closed his mouth.

His fiancée nods. “I’ll leave you to your training,” she says blandly. His face is red. He nearly misses his next shot.

But only nearly.

[dukeofthomas]

Jason Todd's the aroace guy who doesn't realize he's aroace but is also not oblivious to how big a driving force sexual attraction is for other people. He's the type to dislike and judge men for thinking with their dicks so much and kind of think himself better than them because of the fact that he doesn't

[ymdslf]

duality of man is knowing both frozen and the rocky horror picture show both word for word by heart and being able to recite them at any given time

[vally-vall-vall]

Hello, Forgive me for spamming your blog. I saw your pfp was tfp megatron and then realized your blog was as high quality as the pfp. 👌

My ask is whats your fave transformer and from what universe?

Ah, no worries! I'm glad to hear my blog is filled with scrumptious content! About who is my favourite tansformer. Well, it would be easier to answer who isn't my favourite ifbvkdjfv

I'm a TFP girlie through and through. Prime has been my comfort show since like 2011 and I continue to rewatch it year after year even now. I have indulged in other Transformers media, too, most notably the Bay movies, War for Cybertron, Robots in Disguise and the OG series, tho nothing would come even close to my love for TFP. I truly do think this is the best Transformers incarnation in franchise ever created.

About the fav character (aside from the obvious picks like Optimus and Megatron), this is mega hard for me because all of them are so good dfhvbihvfb. I think I could narrow it down to a few, neither is placed higher or lower than the other because I love them all for different reasons.

Ratchet. Absolutely love this grumpy old fart. He's what started my love for the "grumpy character who pretends they don't care but actually care A LOT" character archetype. He's everything I love and nothing I don't, plus I do think that Jeffrey Combs was made to be his VA in a similar way Robert Downey jr. was born to play Iron Man

Starscream. I will be honest, it actually took me some time before I started to like his character instead of just seeing him as an annoying bootlicker. I mean, he's still an annoying bootlicker, but I came to enjoy him! OG Starscream walked so TFP Starscream could run. He's all of his old traits but amplified and made better. His scheeming, cunning nature, inability to shut up to the point the show itself calls him out for it (Operation Bumblebee) but at the same time, he's a pathetic coward. A wet cat of a man, soggy af. I do think if the show came out in recent years that tumblr would have a field day with him. 10/10 I miss Starscreams like him

Smokescreen. This may or may not be a hot take because he's apparently pretty unpopular with the fandom?? At least he was in like 2012-2015 when I was most active in the fandom. I actually really do enjoy his recklessness and immaturity, it makes him feel more like a youngster that's yet to see the horrors of war. I love how quickly he grows throughout the episodes when he comes to realise their fight isn't about personal glory, it's about survival and about doing what is right. 9/10 because I hate the updated painjob he got in season 3

Miko. Also kind of a hot take, since she seems to be the least favourite among the kid trio. I gotta be honest, TFP is the only Transformers incarnation where I actually like the human companions, and Miko I love the most. She's reckless and bold and immature, like any "punk" teenager of her age would be, and I also absolutely adore the bond she has with Bulkhead.

KnockOut. My first ever experience with a character that was so violently queer-coded it rearanged by neural pathways. Loved him since his very first scene. The sass, the execution, his mad doctor persona, obsession with looks, surprisingly scheeming nature, he's just so full of personality. I also love how he's actually canonically married to BreakDown. My only gripe with the character is that I wished he was depicted to mourn BreakDown more instead of, like, just mentioning he's annoyed that he now has nobody to buff him. But also this was a pre-Steven Universe show back when queer characters weren't as prominent in kids media, so I get why it wasn't implimented. I'm still salty about it though

Arcee. Arcee I had to grow to love, and it didn't happen until several years after the show has ended. At the start, I found her to be a deeply unenjoyable character, grumpy and cold and dismissive towards everyone (and especially Jack) and not in the fun way Ratchet was. However, as I aged, I came to realise that she's not just being an asshole, she's grieving. This is one of the key reasons why I love TFP. It tackles serious topics like death and grief very well for an animated kids show that was mostly made to promote a toy brand, and Arcee's character really shines here. I deeply enjoy seeing her come out of her shell after Cliffjumper's death and slowly form a deep loving bond not only with Jack, but with everyone else too. Also how she helps Miko out with her own grief after Bulkhead gets seriously injured. You know what that is? Growth. Nothing but growth and healing for my sassy two-wheeler.

"Funny. At first I never thought I'd get used to Cliff's constant chatter. But now? Now there's nothing louder to me than the silence."

Bro, this sentence is burned into my memory. Forever. It altered my brain chemisty, I swear. Arcee and her grief over Cliff and Tailgate are so well portrayed and it makes one of the best written characters on the show and I will die on this hill!!

[anon-unofficial]

hey so. um. i was told that lmk didn't have any pain. and. haha. haha. haHa...what the f

[nexus-nebulae]

just realised that the first media we consumed that made us REALLY sympathetic for the monster was that fucking point and click Mystery Case Files Ravenhearst game. bc that entire game i was legitimately fucking TERRIFIED of the ghost lady in that game but the second i found out her husband was abusive i doubled down on trying to help her escape. and the ending of that game Did make me cry out of fear but hey at least i did in fact help her escape

[cuntwrap--supreme]

Rewatching Bleach because why not and it's very odd watching as an adult. Like. The amount of "hey I'm 15 but look at my bazongas" shit going on is.... uh.. concerning, to say the least. Last time I watched anything from this franchise, I was younger than the characters, so it didn't feel creepy and was probably funny. But now I'm just like... someone should check Tite Kubo's laptop.

[neon-danger]

hello tunglr, this week a guy I told I didn’t want to see anymore followed my Instagram

Again

[demigirl-demigod]

I’m at an Owl City concert and they’re playing the instrumental music he released as Adam Young before it starts and I am living! Also wondering how many people have realized what is playing

[infizero]

grgrhgahahh i wanna read more pokespe but i cant do it on my phone and im not unpacking my stuff until the morning

[eveninglottie]

.

[explomb]

in our defence, 3am fanfics always hit harder

bitches be like “this is the best piece of literature i have ever read” and it’s either a book that took them six weeks to finish or a fanfic they read at 3 AM

[wp100]

ok last post i swear. the other day, i decided to search up bolvar fordragon and i forgot how hot he was and is.

i feel like i have abandoned my boy for... a bond villain. lmao /jk i can juggle two fictional characters at once without going insane right? right? (thinks about bond and trevelyan and explodes)

[fragmentedblade]

.

[trashbatistrash]

,

[chaoticwriting]

New Gotham Rouge

Okay, in Danny's defense, it sounds like a very good idea when he thought about it. Danny is currently laying on top of the clocktower looking at the smog filled sky. A few stars can be seen occasionally while he is staring and thinking about his decision.

When Danny is outed as Phantom. He ran away as his parents tried to capture and cut him open. He hid in a nearby cave for a few days as he thought of what to do when he suddenly had a brilliant idea. Let's fake his own death!

Danny stole a few parts and materials around Amity Park and made a makeshift bomb and rushed towards the GIW base. He freed all the ghosts and made a cinematic scene of exploding himself thus taking the whole building with him.

Danny also sends the ghost to set up a few bombs in his house after making sure Jazz, Sam and Tucker are not there. Just as he 'exploded' himself, the house also exploded destroying the portal and all the remaining research paper about anything ghost related.

Danny dove into the ground as the explosion distracted everyone and chose one direction to fly towards. A few hours later, he found himself in Gotham and surprisingly there is a lot of ambient ectoplasm in Gotham. He flies around invisible while looking for a place to stay and he lands on the clocktower to rest after flying for so long.

Now, Danny doesn't know what he should do because he realizes one key component in staying alive for him. Obsession. Contrary to popular belief (Sam), his obsession is not protection. It is love. Love as in any act of love will fulfill his obsession. Him protecting his town is an act of love towards his town people. Him loving and studying space is an act of love towards himself. Him not taking revenge against his family and people that wrong him is an act of love towards humanity.

So, long story short, he needs to find a way to fulfill his obsession. He is laying on top of the clocktower and suddenly a very good idea comes into his mind.

A few weeks later

-Batcave-

Dick: Are you still searching for the glitter thief?

Tim: Yes. And it's driving me insane how little clue there is of this thief. I even tried asking Selina and even she is impressed by this thief's MO.

Steph: Are you sure you need to be stressing about this thief? It's probably a group of kids stealing glitters just because they can.

Tim: Are you telling me a group of kids can do a heist better than Selina? And this thief or group of thieves for some reason only stole biodegradable paint and glitters from all across the city without us finding where they store them? There must be something I am missing.

Suddenly, an alert appears at the batcomputer and catches everyone's attention. A live broadcast is showing Joker standing in front of a switch as Commissioner Gordon hanging from a rope on top of a pool of acid. Every single batfam suits up and rushes into Gotham to find the Joker before anything can happen.

Joker: Hahahaha. Good evening Gotham and Bats! Today, I have a dear friend of yours playing my game. In front of me is a switch to activate a time bomb that will explode a whole district if not dismantled. You have 20 minutes to dismantle the bomb and with every minute that passes, I will slowly lower the Commissioner into the pool of acid.

Joker then walks slowly towards the switch and flips it.

Joker: Your time starts now! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Batman and the crew rushes towards Gotham as they turn Gotham upside down for the bomb. 5 minutes passed and they become desperate enough that they even roped in some of the rogues like Penguin, Harley, Ivy and Croc. But no matter what they do, they can't find the bomb.

Just as the last minute passes, everyone expects a big explosion engulfing Gotham. Except there is no sound at all. In fact, it is eerily quiet. Everyone turns on Joker live broadcast to see even the man is confused. He turns around and sees Gordon having his feet inside the pool of acid like nothing is happening.

Suddenly a giggle appears. Everyone that hears the giggles starts to get goosebumps as suddenly, a kid with a half clown facemask at the bottom of his face, a green leather jacket, black jeans and white hair appears behind Joker. His hands are holding his stomach as his giggles turn into laughter that is eerily similar to Joker.

???:Hello everyone. I am Trickster. And I am here to crash the party.

Everyone: ????

Trickster: Hehehe, it's so funny to see everyone's confused expression. But no worries I am here to have fun. See, I even have your toys with me.

The Trickster phases his hand into his body and pulls out a very familiar brick. He throws it to Joker and the Joker runs away screaming and trips on his feet falling down the stairs.

The Trickster: Hahahahaha. Do you see his face? Hahaha. Oh boy, I should have recorded this. Hey this is a live stream right? Someone clip that. Anyway, I have defused the bomb. And the acid isn't actually acid. It's just colored water with a light beam at the bottom. I still can't believe he doesn't check the acid pool first.

The Trickster then goes towards Gordon and pulls him down from the rope. After Gordon touches the ground, he unties him and pats Gordon's shoulder.

Trickster: Well I guess this is good enough for the apology.

Gordon: Apology?

Trickster: *Rubbing his neck* Yeah, about that. I was the one that glitter bombed your office last week. I mistook your office for another corrupt policeman and accidentally placed it on your desk. I am also technically the cause of you getting caught today. In my defense, you shouldn't startle me like that.

Gordon: Wait, you're the kid that punched me.

Trickster: I'm not a kid. I'm 16. Plenty old if you ask me. Whatever, here is your phone. Go call Batman to pick you up. I want to go back to sleep after having fun tonight. Adios.

Gordon: Wait-

Trickster then disappears into thin air like he is never there in the first place. If not for his phone in his hand and later confirmation from everyone that watched the live stream, Gordon might have admitted himself into Arkham.

That is merely the start of the many incidents involving Gotham's newest rogue the Trickster.

Part 2