#my mother is not a ruthless dictator

[popcorn-plots]

stuck at home, my mother has ordered it and driving is painful at the moment (so I can't leave lol)

I have all the blocks. writers, art, reading (?). I only have Netflix as a streaming service.

what movie should I watch

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog - Dofus, livre 1 : Julith [PART 23]

I think after this it's kinda natural that Joris will never ever put his trust into anyone that isn't Kerubim or Atcham ever again.

I am once again asking why Kerubim has these books and what was he doing at devil's sacrament.

He's never beating those necromancy allegations.

There's a canonical name for the evil-ass looking huppermages.

Once again, this is Them in Dofus 2 when they reveal to Joris that they framed Julith or something. (source: my beautiful mind)

The Dessous comic implies that Marline bought this stuff from Kerubim which is so funny. It's beautiful how little of a shit the man gives for the safety of others.

I may not like Khan in his present form, as a macho gobbowler, but I like the idea of him. Joris, and his little "ghnhnn I have to do what's right, I have sacrifice my happinesss for other people" complex needs someone like that in his life who will buy him alcohol and help him run away from home when he's 14-16.

I'm sure if given another movie, or a show, Ankama's plan would have been to make Khan more likeable. He seems like a ride-or-die friend.

A scene ago he was in Julith's arms. So, she found it important to get him into the arms of this dofus-powered doll. Personally, I like to think that he started thrashing and maybe even bit her.

What did she lie about though? Liking him? Not wanting the Dofus? Being a competent person and not a fuck-up? (I love Bakara and say all of this with affection)

Once again, I empathize, that Julith was gloating about this to Bakara. That she doesn't really care about Joris (and by extension, Joris's feelings.)

She is killing a thousand people, who did nothing to her. These are civilians who came to watch a sports match. How many mothers are here with their sons and daughters who just wanted to look at their idols? If Joris never had Grougalorasalar's soul, if he and Kerubim never learned of her plan, THEY would have been among these viewers.

Julith is a very interesting character because she's ruthless, she has no morals, absolutely no understanding or compassion for others, — even Bakara or her own son, — and yet she is driven by love almost entirely. And that's her one redeeming quality.

But also — does it really change things, when you're driven by love to kill a thousand innocent people? To ruin your son's life? Because it doesn't really change much, to me...

I think there's a tragedy in that. She does love the idea of Joris. She loves what she sees of him, his voice, his face, and eyes. If she learned more about him, she'd probably love the parts he didn't show too. She'd love to see how he grew up.

She'd love how committed he is to those he loves. She'd love his ruthless march towards what he thinks is right that will allow him to close his eyes as he does unforgivable things. The only thing she would dislike is his loyalty to Bonta.

But the reverse will never be true. Joris can become a warmonger, a dictator, and a war criminal, but he would loathe to place his needs above those of others. He wouldn't do horrible things if he didn't think it was for the greater good of mankind.

As a 600yo man, Joris has lived through two apocalypses, — and yet people like Nox and Julith will lose 1-4 loved ones and go insane, killing people. I doubt he feels much for her, except for disgust.

Their friendship is so important to me. But also, somewhere out there, Tatak is crying.

I think one of the great tragedies of Joris's character is that he is doomed to break his own moral code, slowly but surely.

One must imagine Joris Jurgen living happily with the blood of innocents on his hands, because the alternative is more haunting.

One of her main issues is that she projects the actions of a few onto literally everyone in Bonta. Which is a very crazy fucking reach.

But I understand how she arrived at this reach to begin with: I don't think she was ever happy, before Jahash, and when she finally was happy, for once in her entire life, they took even that away from her.

You wanna know who else in this scene is going to have only 2 people who give meaning to his life? Jo—— [I am forcefully restrained by the police]

I just really like pointing out the similarities between Joris and Julith, — and the way these similarities underline their differences.

Once again: she doesn't give a shit about anyone's opinion. She is betting everything onto a nebulous future where Joris and Jahash and Bakara forgive and forget everything she did, and they live as a happy Fambly (in Brakmar, because that's a GOOD city and they will LOVE to move there, after being no longer welcome in Bonta due to the 1000 dead people.)

(Guy whose very emotional and Julith and Joris voice) guys I think she's starting to realize that their familial relationship is going to be unfixable.

Joris and everyone present here are quite aware that stopping this will kill one of them.

They are also very aware that one dead person is better than a thousand.

[wilcze-kudly]

The parallels between Lin and Opal

Young Opal was more like Lin than Su. And theres actually a lot of similarities between Lin and Opal as an adult, too!

The greatest value for both Lin and Opal is loyalty. They're willing to disregard their own moral codes to defend those they see themselves as caring/ responsible for.

very weird that Opal wanting to break the oath to save her family from a ruthless dictator is seen as a bad thing while Lin breaking the law to save her subordinates from an insane cultist is cheered on but oh well we don't have time for the double standard rn

The parallels between Lin and Suyin's relationship and that of Opal and Kuvira have interested me for a while and I'm sure I've rambled about it many times already. And they're so obvious, but for some reason I only see people comparing Kuvira to Lin, which feels very surface level all things considered. Kuvira and Lin share their determination, however Opal is also prone to showing strong determination. I think most people just see Kuvira and Lin as "the loners of the family" or base the percieved similarities only off of both Kuvira and Lin being "against" Su.

Opal and Lin, however have very similar arcs.

Both Lin and Opal dealt with having their needs sidelined and their hurt dismissed by their mothers in favour of the troubled kid who acted out with no consequences. Suyin's 'soft spot' for Kuvira is an interesting parallel between her and Toph which makes sense. Suyin's whole thing is second chances. She jumped at the opportunity of taking Kuvira back in.

Despite both being harmed and neglected by their mothers, Opal and Lin do both strive to please their mothers, believing that this will win them more of the affection they so desperately crave. Here, their paths divide significantly. For Lin, it's a straightforward "I'll be just like my mom, so she'll be proud of me" thing.

Opal, however was born a nonbender, and was unable to fully live up to what her mother might want of her. This also adds to the tension between Opal and Kuvira. It would be easy for a young Opal to see Kuvira, a talented metalbender, getting taken into the family sort of like having a replacement brought in. I'd be mad too.

Opal tries to please her mom in other ways, for example keeping herself from going to the Air Temples, despite this being something she so desperately wants.

Lin even notices this and talks to her about it. (I adore Lin and Opal's relationship 😊 Lin is so awkward and doing her best Awwww)

The one huge difference between Lin and Opal is their relation to family. Lin is an outsider, while Opal was very closely tied to her family. I find it interesting that Old Wounds (while not handling the Beifongs the best) has Lin and Opal 'moving' in seperate directions. Lin starts reconnecting with her family, while Opal finally flies the coop. Its fascinating to see how Lin's isolation and Opal's assimilation set them on different paths in life, yet ultimately still allowed them to be incredibly similair personalitywise.

I really like their bond and find it absolutely delicious how Lin and Suyin's unresolved trauma skipped down a generation.

Opal is one of my favourite characters of the legend of korra and I find that the fandom often does her a disservice. I've also never seen her very obvious connection to Lin explored.

[atlas7seo]

Arcane Season 2 spoilers***

Bruh I love Caitlyn so much. She has rocketed up to be my favorite. It's really refreshing to see people letting their characters be bad. Like I love me a good redemption arc, but downfall arcs just hit different ya know? She's grieving and her reaction just felt so realistic! You can see how her mindset slowly changes. She knows about how one person can make you form an us vs them mentality. Cait makes it clear to the audience about that effect, but as the act progresses you can see her succumb to the very thing she's trying to avoid.

The most fascinating part is that it feels like the story pivoted where Caitlyn and her mom stand in opposition to each other. In season 1 Caitlyn was more of a moral compass character despite being naive, and her mom was framed more as a ruthless individual especially adding on to the fact that she was on the council. But the way they completely flipped that dynamic is amazing. "They deserve to breathe." Caitlyn heard those words her mother left and still used the Gray in the undercity.

Plus it adds to the narrative about police brutality already existing in season 1, we watch in real time what can make someone with good intentions turn ruthless.

And it's even deeper because Ambessa saw Caitlyn. Council member with the messed up legs whose name i don't remember acted like she wasn't good enough, he wanted to get her out of the way. But literally Caitlyn stood up to Mel. She went behind her back, made hextech weapons, and deployed a team. Ambessa seeing Caitlyn as the greatest tool against Mel makes so much sense.

I love Caitlyn Kirammen, i mean she's kinda a bad cop now/maybe military dictator, but like...she's my fav....

[flameobitch]

Sooo

Few people remember, but my friend and I had a dark version of history, where Izumi became a dictator, and Bumi her loyal general and secret husband. Recently we decided to redraw a couple of old works and I got the idea to draw their family portrait (without Bumi's face, of course, this is illegal).

• Bumi and Izumi are passionate lovers, ready to go to any cruelty for each other. In this story, they made the wrong choice, choosing the path of war and blood to be together and take the throne together. In this story, Izumi is against a fictitious marriage with a stranger, and Bumi is the one who saves her.

Bumi renounces his family and swears allegiance to the new Firelord, his secret wife. He also tortured Zuko for years, who forced Izumi to marry against her will for the sake of preserving his own honor. In the eyes of everyone, Bumi is a madman who blindly believes in an equally crazy dictator, but in the eyes of their family he is a caring father and husband who understands how far they have come, but is ready to go to the end.

• Hina (we like this name more than Mizuki) is a more coldly aloof version of Azula, who respects her older brother, but is ready to take the throne at the behest of her mother.

• Iroh II, on the contrary, as in the canon, is more like his father and does not want to take on such a big responsibility. He is a ruthless warrior, forced to fight for the idea of his parents, but once in the temple, he renounces the throne and his family.

After the fall of Iroh's army, he is presumed dead, which finally drives his parents crazy. Now they aim to achieve the initial at any cost - to enslave all continents.

[vickyvicarious]

Today's entry is so much about trust and connection. The complete erosion of it, that is. It starts right away, with Jonathan's seeming certainty that there are workmen in the castle but for the first time no effort given to even trying to communicate with them or seek any kind of assistance or opportunity for escape with their presence. Instead, they are fully aligned with Dracula's plans:

The Szgany are quartered somewhere in the castle and are doing work of some kind. I know it, for now and then I hear a far-away muffled sound as of mattock and spade, and, whatever it is, it must be the end of some ruthless villainy.

This is of course the result of Dracula's efforts to sow distrust by clearly telling Jonathan one of them returned his letter to the Count, and reinforced by their laughter in the last entry. Jonathan no longer trusts the other people around him, not after being burned twice. At least not enough that he is pinning any kind of hope to it. Sure, he didn't get a chance, but in an earlier entry you can bet he would have said something about watching for one to speak to these workers he hears far off in the castle, or to check for an open door nearby them, etc. None of that is on the table anymore.

Moving on, a new scheme.

This, then, is his new scheme of evil: that he will allow others to see me, as they think, so that he may both leave evidence that I have been seen in the towns or villages posting my own letters, and that any wickedness which he may do shall by the local people be attributed to me.

Side note — here's another example of Jonathan being very clever and immediately connecting dots. He realizes instantly just what dual purpose Dracula stealing his identity serves. I mean, of course he must have been thinking very hard on why the Count took his belongings, if there was any extra purpose outside the obvious, but even so he is very quick to pick up on both the significance of the bag being carried (visible) and the implied purpose of delivering letters (invisible) as well as how both those will reflect on him.

Back to the point about trust though, this dual purpose is designed to make Jonathan seem more and less reliable at once. It's a backup to ensure his letters, if questioned, stand up to scrutiny. His written word can be trusted, it was definitely him who sent those letters! Of course this is predicated on a lie from the start since those letters were dictated, but now there is witness testimony to back up the paper trail, so to speak. (Yeah, I recognize the irony of Dracula prepping like this in the same entry that Jonathan laments his lack of access to legal rights that even criminals have. He doesn't have them but even if he did Dracula is basically framing him to get him 'convicted' regardless.) And then dressing up as Jonathan to abduct another child is the way to fully discredit him. Dracula made sure he was seen as Jonathan doing this - I think it's not just that the mother was uniquely determined to get her child back, but Dracula let her (and maybe others) see him-as-Jonathan taking the child away. He ensured the locals' belief that Jonathan is a lost cause, that he too has become a monster. If someone ever questioned them further about him they wouldn't want to help them find him. Not for any kind of rescue, anyway. More to the point though - if Jonathan tries to escape, they won't help him. Not anymore

It is a mirror to Jonathan's own opinion of the other people working in the castle. Just as he, due to Dracula's manipulations, sees their actions in the worst light - just as he aligns them fully with the Count's evil plans... so too will the locals do the same for Jonathan now. This is proven by the mother's response to the sight of him:

When she saw my face at the window she threw herself forward, and shouted in a voice laden with menace:—

"Monster, give me my child!"

On top of just being incredibly cruel to everyone involved - Jonathan being blamed like this just after hearing her child die, her seemingly coming face-face with the monster who stole her baby and yet unable to reach him at all, and of course the kind of casual cruelty inherent in Dracula not even bothering to kill her himself but just sending his wolves after her - on top of all that, this moment serves a distinct purpose. It ensures Jonathan has no one to rely on but Dracula, no one at all.

.

...and yet, that's proven to be not entirely true in this same entry. Or is it? There's some interesting nuance here with the vampire ladies' second attack:

Something made me start up, a low, piteous howling of dogs somewhere far below in the valley, which was hidden from my sight. Louder it seemed to ring in my ears, and the floating motes of dust to take new shapes to the sound as they danced in the moonlight.

Jonathan is shocked out of his trance by the sound of dogs howling. Only partially, sure, but it awakens him enough to fight back to full awareness and then flee the scene. The fact that he says it is distant dogs howling is such a kick in the gut. Because he encounters wolves again later this same entry and mentions them howling there. So he isn't just mistaking wolf howls for dog howls, he is noting two distinctly different sounds.

Dogs are not wolves. They aren't the wild beasts that prey upon people, the children of the night, the monsters in the dark - no, they are loyal and domesticated. They represent people, civilization. They are diametrically opposed to wolves and thus to vampires, and are shown to be instinctively opposed to Dracula.

So this means that Jonathan is symbolically saved by sounds of humanity. And yet there's a disconcerting element which undermines this brief bit of security. Because what makes the dogs howl? Dracula. Dracula kidnapping a child, in Jonathan's guise at that. And so the moment that rescues Jonathan from the vampire women once again... is once again linked to Dracula, once again substitutes another victim in Jonathan's place. This ambivalence is summed up in the final line of this section:

I fled, and felt somewhat safer in my own room, where there was no moonlight and where the lamp was burning brightly.

Jonathan feels safer in his room, where he is protected from the wild monstrous moonlight by the reassuring light burning brightly, a sign of civilization and humanity. And yet the reason his room is safe comes down in the end to, not the light, but Dracula designating it as a 'safe space'. As if to drive the point home even more, not two lines later Jonathan finds that his sanctuary has once again become a prison: he's locked inside and cannot leave to try and save the child he can hear being killed nearby.

Because he is surrounded by Dracula's influence, because he is fully under Dracula's power, any link to humanity is inevitably tainted. Jonathan cannot maintain any connection to civilization or trust in any people. His best chance is a vain feeling of false security. (Excluding his journal, of course - the diary is unknown by Dracula, and thus outside his influence. And Jonathan so clearly relies heavily upon it to keep up his hope, his sanity, his resistance.) At least, not while he is in the castle, the seat of Dracula's power. And unfortunately, there seems to be no way out.

[ae-cow]

Bulletproof Corset

#2 of the 1818 series, Jay of Enhypen

Warning: NOT AN ACTUAL STORY, THIS IS JUST A IDEA OF MINE. This is a work of fiction with nothing to do with the idol's actual life. I do like some feedback. If you ever feel like "Hey this is very offensive." do tell me.

Pairing: Jay of Enhypen x fem! Oc

Summary: General Jung Kiara or Princess Kiara is the third heir to the throne, After her sister Queen Jung Kiyeon and niece Princess Lee Leia. Being a royal wasn't what she was known for. She was the ruthless General of the royal guards. Others look down on her because she is a princess who needs to be protected rather than being the protector.

She meets their royal tailor. Who doesn't mind making the princess/general a gown that could make her elegant but also swiftly move in action.

Word Count: 1.3k

A/N: Hi hi everyone. I got inspiration from Bridgerton. These were ideas I had since 2022 and I would like someone to write a story based on this lol.

Written: 6 May 2023

1818 Series Masterlist Here

Masterlist © ae-cow. Do not claim, steal or repost. All rights reserved

The Royal Gardens were serene, a tranquil escape from the regimented world of military drills and royal duties. Princess Kiara walked alone among the blooming flowers, her thoughts weighed down by recent frustrations. Though she took pride in her position as General of the Guards, the shadow of her elder sister, Kiyeon, seemed to loom larger with each passing day.

Kiyeon, dressed in her refined and elegant royal attire, made her way through the gardens, her demeanour graceful and poised. Her eyes soon fell upon Kiara, who was seated on a bench, her posture rigid and her gaze distant.

As Kiyeon approached, she couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between her regal ensemble and Kiara’s practical, military uniform. The elaborate embroidery and fine fabric of Kiyeon's gown highlighted the difference in their roles and lifestyles.

“Kiara,” Kiyeon called gently as she drew near. “You seem troubled. Is everything alright?”

Kiara looked up, her expression a mix of surprise and frustration.

“It’s nothing,” Kiara replied bluntly, though her eyes betrayed her inner turmoil. “Just the usual.”

Kiyeon took a seat beside her, her gaze softening. “I can see it’s more than that, You’ve been distant lately, If something is bothering you, please tell me.”

“Oh please, distant? You’re the one who’s distant,” Kiara shot back, her voice laced with frustration.

“I am the Queen, Kiara. You should understand the demands on me,” Kiyeon said, her tone carrying a hint of weariness.

“You know what I don’t understand?” Kiara retorted. “Everyone’s always talking about how great you are, how regal you are, how much better you are at everything—even training. It’s like I’m just the shadow to your spotlight.”

Kiyeon’s face flushed with frustration. “I don’t think you understand,” she snapped, her voice sharp. “I used to be a carefree girl,” she continued, her voice tinged with bitterness. “That was until I turned eighteen, That’s when Father decided I had to go through military training and then, at twenty-three, I was married off to Duke Jeno—a man I barely knew.”

Kiara was taken aback by the intensity in Kiyeon’s voice. Before she could respond, Kiyeon cut her off, her anger boiling over.

“Have the former King and Queen asked you to do any of that?” Kiyeon demanded, her voice rising with indignation. “Have Mother or Father ever forced you into a role you didn’t choose? No! You’ve never had to sacrifice your freedom or your desires, you get to live your life with choices, while I was thrust into a role I didn’t choose, with every decision made for me from the start.”

Kiara’s eyes widened as she absorbed her sister’s anger and frustration. “I—”

“Do you have any idea what it’s like?” Kiyeon interrupted, her voice shaking with emotion. “To have every aspect of your life dictated by duty, to have no say in the path you’re forced to follow? I don’t get to choose my future. I don’t get to make mistakes or have regrets, I am bound by expectations and protocols, and it’s suffocating!”

Kiara stared at her sister, her anger fading into a deep sense of empathy. “Ki-”

Kiyeon stood up, not batting an eye “Be ready for the ball tomorrow, that's an order.”

-

This is the ball of the season, the Debutante Ball where debutants show themselves to society so that others know that they are ready for society and to find a husband.

Every Season, the royal family would host the very first ball. The grandness of them all. Everyone will be there, even the captain of the guard.

The grand ballroom was resplendent with extravagance, its high ceilings adorned with sparkling chandeliers that cast a warm, golden glow over the attendees. The air was filled with the soft murmur of conversation and the elegant strains of a string quartet.

Princess Kiara, in her striking red gown and crown adorned with countless jewels, stood out amidst the crowd. The room buzzed with excitement as debutantes in their finest attire mingled with nobility and distinguished guests.

As she made her way through the crowd, a young man, clearly not accustomed to the high society, approached her. He seemed nervous, his eyes darting between Kiara’s regal appearance and the formidable guards stationed around her.

“M'lady,” he began, bowing deeply

Kiara turned, her voice tinged with irritation. “Excuse me?”

The young man looked up, slightly puzzled, and then glanced around, noting the impressive line of guards behind Kiara. “Does this look like a lady?” She asked

One of the guards chuckled softly, drawing the man’s attention. “That’s Princess Kiara.”

The young man’s face flushed with embarrassment. “"Oh!" He bowed lower this time "Your Highness, My apologies, I did not know."

"You're standing there with a crown bejewelled with billions, a red dress probably the only dress in the whole world, and with guards next and behind you," Her guards laughed at his comment

She steps her heels on one of the guards' shoe

A mix of embarrassment and frustration. “That’s not what I meant,” she said sharply. “I’m General Jung Kiara, captain of the guards. And—”

She hesitated, her voice softening. “—I am the second daughter of former King Kihyun.” She was embarrassed, she never wanted to be considered as a princess cause factually speaking she is third in line to the throne. Her older sister, the Queen with her daughter next in line after her.

Her guards, observing the interaction, exchanged amused looks. The young man, now visibly anxious, nodded quickly. “I see, Your Highness. I’ll remember that.”

"My role as General is more known than that is of a Princess who is merely only a third choice in the family."

"Who are you may I ask?" Kiara asked

"Park Jongseong or Jay, I'm the new royal tailor." He accentuates the word royal

She laughs "Just add the word royal and it will sound good."

"I'm only here as Princess because this is a Debutante Ball and everyone needs to see all the royals dressed up," She plays with her dress

"If I had a choice I would've been here as general protecting my family," She looks at him

"Behind the expensive things and title, we are still people and they are my family, of course, I want to protect them."

-

The Promotion in full swing, Princess Kiara stood, visibly distressed, as Park Jongseong, confronted her with concern.

“You are a princess, Kiara,” Jay said earnestly, his voice gentle but firm. “A princess shouldn’t be the protector but protected.”

Kiara’s eyes flashed with frustration. “I was the General for three years. There won’t be any changes, I spent years training from the lowest ranks to the highest, I am fully qualified to serve as General for a fourth year.”

Jay shook his head, his expression serious “Yes, but you should remember that you are a royal, You need to be protected, We cannot afford to lose an heir.”

“I am third in line to the throne, just a spare...” Kiara’s voice cracked as she whispered the last part, her frustration giving way to tears.

Jay’s heart ached at the sight of her distress. “Why do you care about me so much, Jongseong?” Kiara’s voice trembled as she looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

Jay stepped closer, gently wiping away her tears with his handkerchief. “Yes, you’re the third heir, but your life is precious, Princess, more precious than you can imagine.”

Kiara looked up at him, her eyes red and filled with confusion. “And how is it precious when I am only seen as a replacement if my sister dies?”

Jay’s face softened with a mix of urgency and tenderness. “Goddammit, Kiara! You are precious to me and will always be, you are a precious diamond, your existence means more to me than anything else.”

Kiara’s breath caught in her throat. “Wait, what?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper

Jay took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. “I love you, Kiara. Do you love me too?”

For a moment, the world around them seemed to stand still. Kiara’s eyes searched Jay’s face, seeing the sincerity and depth of his feelings. The weight of her own emotions and the burden of her royal responsibilities seemed to lift, if only for a moment.

[papermatisse]

As You Are || C.BG

♧ pairing: regency!choi beomgyu x reader

♧ genre: angst, fluff

♧ word count: 6.7k

♧ warnings: depression, historical anecdotes, misogyny

♧ synopsis: a lady is expected to wed early, lest she grow out of a desirable age before meeting her significant other and producing offsprings. so what happens to someone who manages to surpass this narrow age range without having married?

♧ (a/n): hello! this is an old fic of mine I wrote for my friend biaswreckingfics on her birthday! I was revisiting some older works, stumbled upon this forgotten fic, and decided to bring it back. since it was written for my friend in mind, her features are taken into consideration (so tall reader). hope you like it!

check out my friend's works as well! she has a new sangyeon fic in the making!

main masterlist

It is a rather saddening truth, that a woman's worth is determined by her eligibility in finding a suitor worthy enough to bring honor to her family name. Because of these circumstances which our protagonist finds herself in, girls are raised to be the perfect contender in the ruthless competition of matrimony. Childhood seems to end in a single breath, and by the next inhalation, they've traded their dolls for cooking utensils and sewing kits, training for their inevitability. This is how it is, and this is how it shall always be. And yet some just seem to never quite grasp these universal truths.

From the moment she gained sentience, it seemed as though (y/n) was just another breed entirely. The kitchen became more a wasteland than anything else. Her embroidery could be identified by the specks of crimson blood adorning her incomprehensible cross stitch. The laundry would somehow return more filthy than when it had first been collected. It's known that girls are naturally taller than boys at a young age, though (y/n) continued to surpass the boys of her age group in height, her legs extending to the point that she deemed it superfluous for her to continue her waltzing lessons with such clumsy, gangly limbs—at least that's what she insisted, pushing aside the fact that she never really understood the basic maneuvers in dancing even before she had grown so tall.

Indeed, (y/n) seemed to be a lost cause. And after seven failed suitors, her mother finally gave in and accepted the fact that her first born daughter was to be an old maid till the end of her days. And so here lied (y/n), writing away in the privacy of her room, her one safe haven from the pressures of society and the expectations of her family. Seated at her desk, freshly inked quill in her hand as she jotted down her stories, the chill air of autumn seeping through the window she faced, and the only sounds filling her room was the scraping of her writing implement against the smooth parchment. If only this could forever be her world. Away from those inhibitions which plague her life, left alone with just her thoughts in tranquility. Though this peace lasted for no more than a few moments before she heard the telltale light footsteps descending down the stairs, followed by the familiar rapping at her door. And as per usual, (y/n) hadn't but a moment to gather her thoughts before the door was pushed open, and in came (y/n)'s youngest sister.

Their family consisted of three girls. There was the eldest, that being (y/n), of course.

The second eldest was named Eleanor, meaning light-hearted and shining. She was soft spoken with a melodious lilt to her voice which seemed to enrapture anyone in the room. So it wasn't a surprise that she was the first, and so far the only one, of the three to be married.

The youngest was called Aurelia, a name which carried as much grace as she displayed. Golden one was what it meant, and she seemed to naturally fit into this title bestowed upon her. Refined in how she acted and portrayed herself, and she was as delicate and dainty as a lisianthus.

And as elegant as her name dictates, Aurelia came waltzing into the room, her steps as light as air and a bright smile adorning her face.

"Oh, (y/n)," she sighed. "I couldn't be happier than I am at this very instance."

"And why's that?" Aurelia all but collapsed onto her sister's bed, yet another story escaping past her lips.

"I had yet another wondrous rendezvous with Beomgyu."

Of course. Yet another spiel regarding her potential fiance. Why had she even bothered to ask? All Aurelia talks about these past few weeks is Beomgyu. He was the son of a Lord, and a gentleman among men. Though (y/n) wasn't aware of the circumstances in which they first met, Aurelia insists it was love at first sight, and that she had finally met the man she wished to spend the rest of her life with. As absolutely delighted as (y/n) was for her sister, she couldn't help but feel that familiar twinge of envy within her. That she supposedly wasn't suitable enough for the happiness which comes with sharing your life with another soul, a natural phenomena which has been occurring since the dawn of man. The thought that her ancestors, whom all married and given birth to her other relatives, have managed for so long only for her to be the end of their efforts.

"And as we walked through his estate's garden, he told me that I was fairer than any flower could ever possibly hope to be."

(y/n) controlled her expression, wanting so desperately to cringe at the repulsing display of affection, choosing to hum in acknowledgement. Who in their right mind has the gall to say such outlandish words as that?

"Aurelia!" Their mother's voice sounded from the first floor, garnering both of their attentions. "It seems you have a guest." Aurelia all but bounded off the bed and down the stairs as (y/n) slowly followed after. As she neared the steps, she could hear the shrill tone of her sister's excited voice, as well as an unfamiliar male one responding. Once (y/n) rounded the corner where the steps now faced the front door, she could see the source of this additional person. "(y/n), come meet our guest."

A man stood at the entrance of their abode, greeting their mother whilst having his arm entrapped in Aurelia's embrace. As he turned to face her descending the stairs, (y/n) felt her heart stutter in surprise.

Never before has she seen a man as ethereal as he. He seemed to not only easily tower over her disappointingly short sister, but also herself, a rarity in her community as she is usually the one to have to lower her gaze upon meeting a person. His hair was rather long, brushing against the back of his neck as well as curtaining much of his ears and forehead. Beneath the veil of brunette locks, however, lay a set of round eyes, deep yet as saccharine as the shade of chocolate they obtained. His nose was tall and straight, sloping down into a rounded tip which further softened his already rather youthful appearance. His rose-like lips spread into a jovial grin, round eyes crinkling endearingly. (y/n) felt absolutely stupid as he introduced himself, bowing his head ever so slightly in a respectful manner.

"Good evening to you, Lady (l/n) . I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"As am I," (y/n) warily spoke, attempting to keep her facade. Hoping to not reveal how genuinely awestruck she was to see such a handsome man. "To you, of course. Not my own acquaintance."

At this, Beomgyu burst into a fit of enthused laughter, intermingling with Aurelia's giggles from below them both.

"Isn't my sister such a delight!" Aurelia squeezed his arm to gain his attention, causing the two to drop their heads to acknowledge her. "Let's all have tea together! I know you only came to drop off my gloves, but I'd love for two of my favorite people to be familiar with one another."

And so there they sat in the parlor, an otherwise peaceful encounter if it weren't for (y/n)'s inner panic. She had never been good at etiquette, and never had to really use her limited knowledge, as she remained in her room rather than becoming a socialite much like her sisters. And so she kept a careful eye on Aurelia, attempting to follow her lead as best she can, concentrating so intensely that she had completely abandoned the conversation at hand.

"Would you agree, (y/n)?"

"Pardon?" She raised her head to where the two across from her sat staring back at her. "I apologize, my mind was elsewhere."

"Oh, that's entirely understandable, and also kind of takes us back to the topic at hand." Aurelia smiled once more, cradling her teacup and saucer close to her. "In which I was explaining how difficult it is to combat what your body naturally desires. For instance, the way your body just seems to follow along when a familiar tune plays," she slowly raised the teacup to her lips, "or perhaps correcting muscle memory." As she sipped her tea silently, her eyes traveled up to (y/n), though failing to meet her eyes. Instead, her gaze landed upon (y/n)'s hand, holding her teacup as well, though without a saucer, as well as extending her pinkie. She quickly tucked the finger back against her palm, just like her sister, which placed the joy back unto her face. "Isn't this delightful!"

"Indeed," (y/n) sighed out, tossing her head back and finishing off the tea in her cup. When she placed her dishes unto the table between them, she looked over once more to the two. They both had smiles across their face, though Aurelia's was in an attempt to hide her shock at (y/n)'s crude etiquette while Beomgyu's was pure, unadulterated enthusiasm, having to duck his head down at one point to conceal his amusement.

"If you'll excuse me," Aurelia stood up, hands neatly folded in front of her. "I need to powder my nose." Once she exited the room, Beomgyu burst into laughter once more, a sound unlike anything (y/n) has ever heard. It was full of vigor, uncaring of his environment, and just absolutely buoyant. It was so different to what she had heard from the front door before. This felt genuine, perhaps the first dose of honesty she's experienced from another person.

"Pardon me," Beomgyu wiped at his eyes, as if having shed a tear from his moment. "I've never seen Aurelia so close to snapping, that was absolutely hysterical."

"You're not offended?" (y/n) asked, softly chuckling in disbelief at the display before. Beomgyu lost the rigidity in his spine, now strewn back on the sofa cushions like a ragdoll.

"By what? Your lack of etiquette? I thought it was quite hilarious, in all honesty." (y/n) leaned back on the sofa as well, following the casual demeanor he was now exuding.

"Well, most people do indeed think my etiquette is laughable, though not in the good way."

"So be it. Etiquette is vexing in itself. I've never been a fan of learning it."

"Neither have I." He glanced over upon hearing her response, the edges of his lips twitching up ever so slightly. Though they remained silent afterwards, there seemed to be an air of comfort shrouding them, a feeling which (y/n) thought only possible in her own fiction. To be so aware of another person, entrusting of them, that the barriers which had been forticated for as long as she could remember began to slowly crumble, brick by brick. To voluntarily lay out what she's kept to herself for years, and to look at another person and not find ulterior motives beneath their mask of regality, concealing any and all signs of their humanity as they paraded about in luxury and grandeur. It felt so... relieving to (y/n) to have found another human amidst a world of mannequins.

Though once Aurelia returned, the masks were once more put up, backs straightening as she made her way back to her suitor.

That's right. Her suitor. The thought pained (y/n) in a way, though she brushed it off, savoring the last few moments with her new associate before he had to return to his own estate.

"Thank you for the tea," Beomgyu stated, bowing once more as Aurelia returned his gesture with a quaint curtsy.

"Thank you for the company." He then turned to (y/n), that same gentle smile from before gracing his features as he bowed his head to her.

"It was an honor to meet you."

"And you, as well." With one last nod of his head, Beomgyu departed.

"Isn't he just the sweetest soul you've ever met?" Aurelia squealed as she closed the door. And though she had already walked away from the foyer, (y/n) stood for a moment more, face heating up as she couldn't help but agree with her sister's query.

Days had passed, and the autumn chill had devolved into the winter cold. (y/n) spent most of her days bundled in blankets beside the fireplace, going through book after book in her collection. She could barely even turn the pages from her numbed fingers, let alone attempt to continue her writing. And beside her was her sister, similarly wrapped in a plethora of coats and layers, though the one difference between the two was the rather apparent distaste of the temperature on (y/n)'s part. Aurelia reveled in the cold, absolutely abhorring the sweltering heat of summer, and though she very easily became freezing with just the briefest of breezes, she still loved the frigid sensation which overwhelmed her body.

Which is why (y/n) now found herself away from her beloved fireplace, left shivering out in the unforgiving frozen hellscape because her sister wanted to celebrate the first snow. To make matters worst, Beomgyu stood beside (y/n), watching Aurelia frolic in the snowy landscape to her heart's content.

(y/n) was still shaken from her encounter with the man prior. She had assumed the event would have been long forgotten after a good night's sleep, though that did not come easy, as the boy had found a comfortable spot at the forefront of her mind.

She felt disgusted with herself. How easy it was to conjure the sounds of his laughter, like a lullaby placing her in a state of tranquility. How the coy grin he wears so often manages to set her heart aflutter. How she was so capable of etching his face into her memory. The guilt she felt every time she closed her eyes and envisioned him looking upon her with those doting eyes of his.

This was her sister's suitor. She needed to ground herself. Settle back into reality. Move past this sudden infatuation she has with him.

"I've always despised the cold." Beomgyu broke her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to see him looking down at her, that smirk on his face once more.

"So have I."

"Oh, so it doesn't run in the (l/n) blood?" (y/n) chuckled at this, shaking her head and turning back to Aurelia, already beginning to make a snowman.

"Absolutely not. My sister and I have both loathed winters."

"There is indeed beauty to a winter, though I agree. That beauty is rather surface level, and the further in you dig, the more suffering you'll uncover."

(y/n) huffed out a breath, watching it condense into a wispy cloud before fading away.

"Indeed."

A comfortable silence fell upon them once more as they watched the snowman slowly come to life. Naturally, (y/n) seemed to lean closer to Beomgyu, the heat of his body radiating off him in waves and seeming to lure her to him. Though she must've been rather obvious in her pursuit for warmth, because Beomgyu cleared his throat, startling her away from him.

"Here." He reached up and began unraveling the scarf around his neck, causing (y/n) to shoot her hands up and grab his wrists.

"No, please, keep it on."

"I insist. I would hate to hear that you became sick after this." He continued in removing his scarf, but (y/n) persisted.

"Well, I would equally hate to hear you have gotten sick." Beomgyu paused, widening his grin as he faced the snow beneath him. After a moment, seconds after (y/n) believed she had won the battle, he turned to her.

"Then it's only fair I at least share my scarf with you."

(y/n) stared at him incredulously as he offered the loose end of his scarf, though after she remained frozen in her place, Beomgyu reached over her, gently wrapping the other end around her neck. He had grown significantly closer to her, his nose almost skimming the skin of her forehead. The warmth of his breath fanned against her face, and she hoped that he'd assume the blush creeping up on her cheeks was nothing more than a result of the bitter winds.

He stepped back once he completed his work, though not far at all, laughing as the material tugged them back together, shoulder to shoulder. His scent was imbibed in the knitting, a warm sensation of cedar and coffee, seemingly swarming her in a sense of solace. Another glance to Aurelia, and it seemed her snowman was very nearly done, having donated her own scarf to him. She began making her way back to them, and (y/n) panicked, attempting to convince herself to remove herself from Beomgyu, though staying perfectly still as she approached.

"(y/n)! May I borrow your mittens?" She asked, supposedly unbothered by the display before her. As if by muscle memory, (y/n) shed her mittens, handing them over to her sister, who gratefully accepted them and made her way back to her creation. Though the mittens themselves weren't doing much to protect (y/n) from the cold, she still missed the near damp material that she believed was keeping her warm. Before she could even slip her hands into the pockets of her dress, a warm hand suddenly enveloped her own, tugging her closer to snatch the other one as well.

"What are you doing?" (y/n) questioned, the rosy tint of her cheeks increasing tenfold as he rubbed his palms against her clasped hands.

"Preventing you from getting sick." He explained. Before she could refute him, he raised their conjoined hands, breathing out unto her skin. The heat traveled up from the pads of her fingers directly to her chest where her poor heart seemed to thud away in nervousness. As if to make matters worst, he leaned in ever so slightly, eyes still trained on his task between them. "I like the way your hands fit into mine."

(y/n) yanked her hands away in a panic, staring back at Beomgyu who proceeded to only laugh fondly at her actions. Just as she untangled herself from his scarf, Aurelia returned, smiling brightly at the two of them.

"I've completed him! Let's have tea now." She linked her arm with Beomgyu, who shot (y/n) another glance before turning back and continuing his walk with Aurelia.

For weeks, it continued on with interactions such as this. Beomgyu approaching (y/n) only to have her scramble away in fear. Whenever Aurelia was busy, whether that be out shopping or spending time with the other ladies of high society, (y/n) found herself in the company of Beomgyu.

What had first begun as coincidences, him visiting only to be met with the absence of Aurelia, soon became frequent occurrences, to the point that it'd almost seem like he was only visiting on days he knew she'd be gone. He also had begun just automatically asking for (y/n), not even attempting to see if Aurelia were present.

What once was simple home visits became full fledged outings as Beomgyu insisted on taking her out once the snow had dissolved away. Though the air was still crisp and the threat of snow still lingered, it already seemed like winter's grasp on the land was begrudgingly weakening by the day.

So now here she sat in a rowboat, gripping a parasol as Beomgyu gently rowed them down the river. Though she had at first refused, Beomgyu continued to regale her with the forecast, telling her she'll never see a day as beautiful as this one. That he wanted ever so badly to share this splendor with her. At this point, (y/n) knew she was developing feelings for the boy, and she sensed he knew this and was using it against her. Yet her grumbling has all but ceased as she basked in the glory of the day.

It seemed as if spring had decided to make a brief appearance in January. The sun was out, its rays seemingly encompassing the earth in a golden haze. Sage greenery greeted her with every turn of her head, aside from the clear water below her that murmured with every jostle of the boat. And even as nature displayed its grandeur in such a way, her eyes still lingered upon the one who dragged her out of her house.

It was quiet between the two, with only the trickling sounds of water surrounding them, and yet (y/n) has never felt so at ease. Her heart ached at the thought of Beomgyu. How close, and yet so impossibly far from her he was. Because no matter how much she yearned for his touch, his affections, his everything, he was still and always will be her sister's.

These thoughts still lingered in her head, even as Beomgyu brought the boat back to shore and helped her out with the offer of his hand, she felt the immense guilt clutching at her, refusing to release her as long as she still saw him in such a way.

She glanced down, seeing how he was still holding her hand as he led her away from the shore. He often did reach out for her at times, and though she'd occasionally allow him to, she'd also pull away if it lasted too long. Though at this very moment, she couldn't find it in herself to slip away from his touch. As if noticing this, he stopped walking, turning around to face her.

His eyes were so soft, that same gentle brown she was becoming more and more obsessed with. Warm and smooth like melted chocolate, as if she could dive in and never resurface, though she wouldn't ever complain. The corners of his lips pulled up in a smile, and the grip he had on her tightened ever so slightly, as if hoping to keep her from slipping away again.

"What are you thinking?" (y/n) asked, snickering at Beomgyu's sudden expression. He paused for a moment more before exhaling through his nose in a subtle laugh.

"It's just much easier to look upon you," he whispered, though they remained the only ones in the general vicinity. "Yes, you do indeed give my neck some relief from craning downwards always," the two of them shared a giggle before he proceeded, "but I also find you... incredibly charming."

"Charming, you say?" (y/n) questioned, continuing to walk forward and cease the conversation, though Beomgyu still held her hand, not allowing her to abandon his touch.

"Charming. Fascinating. Endearing." He pressed on, tugging her in a way which caused her to spin back and face him. "Unique. Ambitious. Genuine." He stepped closer to her, so close she could once more feel his breath against her skin. "Lovely. Beautiful." His forehead leant on to hers, noses brushing together. "Flawed in the most perfect of ways." His voice gradually dropped until it was no more than a murmur under his breath, though his words revolved around her, muddling her mind with inner conflictions that all seemed to corrode away with just the mere thought of him and the way his hand was now resting on the side of her neck, thumb brushing against her cheek as he leaned in more and more.

She lowered her head, feeling the warmth of his lips brush against her forehead as she narrowly evaded his kiss.

"We can't." Beomgyu remained quiet for a second more before quirking his head to the side, attempting to meet (y/n)'s gaze now trained on the grass between them.

"We are both capable adults." She squeezed her eyes shut at how casual he was taking the situation, cursing him as she was forced to suffer the past few weeks because of him.

"I can't."

"Why not?" At this, she tossed her head back up to look at him, brows furrowed in confusion as he continued to smile.

"Are you mad? My sister adores you."

"Yes, she does." He confirmed with a nod.

"I will not hurt my sister's feelings in such a way." Beomgyu's expression faltered, his smile vanishing as his eyebrows lowered in confusion.

"And what of my feelings? Am I to be condemned to her side 'til death knocks upon my door? Are my feelings not any of your concern?" He squeezed the hand still in his, pressing his forehead once more onto hers. "I adore you, (y/n). You're correct, I am mad. Mad to have once believed for a second that I could marry Aurelia after having met you. Mad to have thought I could lock my true feelings away. Mad to have fallen so deeply, endlessly in love with the one person out of my grasp." Moisture welled up in her eyes, her lips quivering as tears freely cascaded down Beomgyu's face. "(y/n), I am so madly in love with you." With shaky hands, he lifted her own to his face, pressing his lips unto the vein of her wrist before laying his head in her palm, his eyes remaining shut as his tears had begun soaking into her gloves, the moisture which seeped through sending jolts of anguish through her. Her body wracked with silent sobs, never before having endured such a painful experience. She wanted so badly to accept him, to kiss his tears away, embosom him to her and reassure him that she wouldn't ever leave his side. And yet, she found herself retracting from his touch, despair shuttering out of him in a broken, defeated sob which cracked her heart like glass against the floorboards.

"I can't."

She hadn't known what was left in her, what had compelled her to continue forth with this narrative she was keeping to. She hadn't known what motivated her to turn and walk away, abandoning the boy who willingly gave her his entire being, leaving him as but a shell of his former self.

At some point, she knelt down on the ground, knowing she was out of his sight, though still close enough to hear his cries which filled the atmosphere. Her body quaked with emotion, stomach churning like snakes twisting and coiling, Her jaw had dropped, though no noise left her, caught by the lump which formed in her throat. Her body wept for the boy she had let go, and though every fiber of her being seemed to claw away at her, demanding she turn back for him, she proceeded to drag herself back home.

The next few days had been torturous. As if tormenting her already darkened mind, the snow had returned, though rather than the fluffy whiteness she had spent with Beomgyu, it was practically black outside. The winds beat against her window, demanding entry as she fought her demons. She couldn't even will herself to lay beside her sister beside the fireplace. Her dear sister.

Aurelia was constantly checking upon (y/n). She didn't know what seemed to plague (y/n), though she persisted in taking care of her. Collecting every blanket in the house and layering them all on top of her. Bringing her food and insisting she eat. Even pulling aside her writing chair to keep her company, away from their precious fireplace just to ensure (y/n) wasn't lonely. As sweet as this all was, (y/n) couldn't help but ask her to leave her be for the time being. The mere sight of her sister reminded her of what she had done those few days ago.

Due to the storm, luckily, Beomgyu hasn't visited, allowing (y/n) some comfort in knowing he's most likely safe and warm in his own home. Her heart ached, the last image of Beomgyu being his most vulnerable, broken self. She knew she'd eventually see him again, but she dreaded that moment. She still loved him. She couldn't face him. Not like this.

More days passed, and the snow seemed to lighten up a bit. However, the mood of the house seemingly shifted whilst she was locked away in her room. The halls were quiet, the parlor empty, it seemed the only life in the house was the few servants moving to and fro.

No Aurelia in sight.

It had only taken a day for one of the maids to answer (y/n)'s questions. Aurelia had received a letter and hasn't come out of her room since. She rarely ate, rarely ever moved from her bed. It seemed the depression which had struck (y/n) had transferred to her younger sister. And so here she stood, at the top of the stairs leading to the attic where Aurelia resided. She knocked, though there was no answer.

"Aurelia?" She called out, knocking once more. Nothing. She bit her lip, clenching her fist in anticipation. "Aurelia, I'm coming in. Okay?" Silence.

She pushed open the door, greeted by the cold air which struck her upon entry.

Having been further from the main area of the house, this room was always the coldest, though Aurelia had insisted she was fine there. Even after Eleanor had moved out, she said she didn't want to tamper with Eleanor's childhood room. Always so considerate of her sisters, yet had been left on her lonesome.

The air was still, a stale scent lingering as if the room had been left empty, though the lump under the bed proved that false.

"Aurelia?" (y/n) whispered out, approaching her sister's limp body. Her shoulders moved steadily, as if in deep slumber, but her eyes remained opened, red rimmed and puffy, the only sense of color to her otherwise pale complexion. Her hair lay lifeless over her, her lips chapped from the frigidity encasing her. (y/n) brushed back her hair, wincing at how cold her skin was. "Aurelia, what's the matter?"

The only indication of her having heard the question in the first place was the shutting of her eyes and a slight shift in her blankets. Nothing more. (y/n) stood up, ready to go retrieve the necessary items to take care of her before she saw a letter lying haphazardly on the center of the floor.

(y/n) went to pick it up when she suddenly froze. The first word to have caught her eye as she got closer.

Beomgyu.

She gulped, crouching slowly to pick up the letter, hands shaking as she grew closer. The edges of the parchment were crumpled, and a few letters blurred with water damage, though the contents of the letter were still apparent.

A breakup letter.

His penmanship was sloppy, word choice even worse, and though the letter was absolutely a travesty, worthy of hatred from any person who received it, (y/n) couldn't help but feel her heart wrench at his words.

I've fallen in love with another. And I cannot find myself marrying anyone else. Nor would that be fair for you to have to manage me, a hopeless case. I sincerely apologize.

"He didn't love me." A voice croaked behind (y/n), gravelly from lack of use. When (y/n) turned, she was greeted by the same image as before, unmoving as she continued to speak. "What had I done wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong." (y/n) insisted, shuffling on her knees back to Aurelia's bedside. "None of this is your fault." (y/n) rubbed her hand along her sister's forearm, both in an attempt to relieve her and warm her. "Emotions are a complicated manner. Some may spend their lives devoting themselves to their loved ones, while others will merely accept said love and be on their merry way." Aurelia remained quiet for a second until speaking.

"What does Beomgyu's love feel like?"

(y/n)'s blood ran cold, perhaps even colder than the state of the room itself. Aurelia rolled over, her empty, sunken expression now facing her. She stared expectantly, awaiting the answer from the only person in the world who could answer it. And though (y/n) felt the compulsion to play it off, pretend she hadn't any idea to what her sister was eluding to, she could see it would've been redundant, as Aurelia knew.

"He unquestionably gives his entire heart when in love," (y/n) began, unsure why Aurelia would want to torture herself more, though still abiding to her request. "Thinks more of the other than himself. The simplest way to appease him is to allow him to show you his devotion, whether that be accepting his every word or just merely giving him a hand to hold." (y/n) allowed the memories of Beomgyu she had been forcing back to play once more in her mind, tears returning to her own eyes at the thoughts of the sweet boy she had met this winter. "He's someone that, although he can be insufferable at times with his shenanigans, you wish to spend your every waking moment with him until your last breaths."

She gazed back at Aurelia who observed her with hollow eyes, absorbing every word spoken. Though she remained still, (y/n) could practically see the gears turning in her head.

"You refused his love on my part, and so I now insist you reciprocate his feelings for my sake," Aurelia grumbled, groaning as she pushed herself up. (y/n) helped her along the way until she was now in an upright seated position.

"What do you mean?" (y/n) asked, breaths became more shallow as she anticipated her sister's intentions.

"Well, who am I to come between true love, wouldn't you agree?" She spoke in a dry chuckle, placing her hand atop (y/n)'s. "Go on. You deserve to pursue your happiness. Thank you for everything." As brief of an encounter as it was, (y/n) felt the emotion seeping from Aurelia, the acceptance hidden beneath her layers of apathy.

So (y/n) found herself trekking through the snow, coat upon coat protecting her from nature's assault upon her. Though the further in she got, and the closer she was to her destination, the lighter the snowfall seemed to get, as if the forces of the universe were cheering her on in her endeavor. She ignored the ache in her feet, the shake in her arms, the numbness upon her face. When the manor had come into view like a beacon in the night, she pressed on, huffing as she attempted to increase her speed through the tracks of snow in her way.

She flinched as she knocked on the door, unsure if she were too loud or too soft, though before she could attempt to knock again, the door swung open, revealing a startled maid upon seeing her—a tall figure encased in snow and fabric, seemingly a creature crawling forth from the shadows. Before the maid could truly process what was before her, a voice from behind startled them both.

"Who's at the door?" (y/n) peered in through the crack of the entrance, spotting Beomgyu approaching the two. She called out to him, voice muffled by the five different scarfs wrapped around her neck. And with only a glimpse at her eyes, Beomgyu widened his own, reaching for her sleeve and tugging her in. "Heavens, what in the world are you doing parading around in this storm, you could've died. You could've gotten lost and I wouldn't have been able to find you. That's rather reckless, you should know better, you're an intelligent wom—"

"I love you," (y/n) interrupted as Beomgyu had peeled off her final scarf. He froze in his spot, blinking away his shock at the sudden confession.

"You what?" He asked, voice low, afraid his volume would startle her off and shatter this dreamlike aura.

"I love you. From the moment I first heard you laugh to right now, and until death knocks upon our doors," she laughed in reference to his own words, shuffling closer to him as he warily raised his arms to drape around her. "I love you, Beomgyu. I love you with as much love contained within me and then some."

"(y/n)," He laughed in disbelief, tears already escaping his eyes, pure wonderment at the situation at hand. "(y/n), I love you."

He leant in, finally pressing his lips to her own. His warmth overwhelmed her, starting from his touch upon her frozen skin to the depths of her heart slowly healing from his absence. He cradled her to him, as close as he could with the fabrics built between them. Even as her ice like fingers pressed against the nape of his neck, he continued to push on, the two pouring into each other the adoration they had been abstaining from revealing, reveling in the light airiness of their now reciprocated feelings. Even as they pulled away, noses nuzzling together, embracing their first few moments as a couple, (y/n) could feel her heart throbbing in joy.

She'd finally found her one true love.

[watsittoyah]

Namor x Black OC

Hate That I Love you..

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, unhinged behavior, sexual content but later on in the chapter also slight changes to the gods I talk about in the story, this is all for fun and fiction.

Warnings: Possessive behavior, oral sex,

Obsessive behavior, stalking, dark Namor

Nakeya’s Pov

Age: 10

“Mother, tell me a story.” I ask as my mother brushes my long black hair. “Which one?” My mother asks. “Tell me about how the goddess Hunab-Ku.”

“Ah, I should’ve known, you love that story. Come lay on my lap and let me set the scene.” I lay down and hear her hum a sweet melody.

“It is said that she was the priestess of Talong, a kind and loving woman. But her people were dictators and ruthless rulers. The king was her younger brother and he was the opposite, he wanted war, he wanted chaos and he wanted to rule with an iron fist. If he had it his way he would have ruled all of Talong, Talokan, and Wakanda. She couldn’t stand there and watch the king shed more blood of innocent people, so instead she prayed to the gods and they had answered her prayer by giving her the flower of life. And with that she crushed the flower and consumed it giving her the gifts of controlling the water and the creature that inhabit it. Before the king could invade Talokan she had drown him and his army. She made the remaining people of Talong promise that they would not raise a hand of war to the surrounding nations. For if they did, the priestess would unleash her wrath among them. The people soon after called her Hunab-Ku, the goddess of water. She had lived over one thousand years, and passed down her gift to her child, and that child passed down that gift to theirs. And so on and so on.”

“Mother, will I be like her? Will I keep the peace among the nations?” I ask my mother. She leaned down and kissed my temple gentle. “My little one, you will do great things for this nation. For it was told before you were born.” I smile at her words and raise my pointer finger causing the water in my cup to swirl and dance on the ceiling. “I hope I will be the best priestess to this nation.” I whisper as the water forms into a flower…

🐢🐢🐢

Four hundred years later…

“Tet-uke! Ride the wave!” I tell my racing turtle as I catch up to my brother. “Nakeya you won’t win! Just go back to mother and read your boring books!” Ordain taunts as he gets a further lead in the race.

“You’re going to eat those words.” I hiss as I take a calm breathe. I feel the waves under me jump high and I raise my hands. The water crashes down on Ordain and I win by default. He comes up for air and I kiss Tet-uke on her head. “Good girl.”

“You cheated!” Ordain yells as he comes up for air. “Cheated? I did no such thing you never said no powers.” I say with a smirk. “That was implied Nakeya! I want a rematch!”

“Name the time and place you big baby.” Ordain flares his nose at me and before I could retort we both yell in pain as we hear our mothers siren song.

“Let’s go.” Ordain winces as he dives under water. I click my tongue and Tet-Uke dives down. I sign to Ordain that we don’t tell our mother that we were turtle racing, and he signs back that he’s not stupid. He won’t tell anything.

As we get to the throne room, we both kneel before our mother as she stops her siren song. “Why are both of you so winded? Were you two racing above the surface again?”

“No mother.” I lie. She gives Ordain a raised brow. “Yes, mo-“

“You snitch!” I snap at him. Our mother clicks her tongue and I go silent. “Ordain, go put on your ceremonial clothes and meet your father in the emerald room. And as for you?” My mother grabbed my ear making me wince.

“Mother, mother. Mother please, you’ll rip my ear off.” I beg. “You come with me we have much to prepare.” As I walk with my mother she lets my ear go and Ordain gives an apologetic shrug. I rub my ear and roll my eyes at him.

“Mother, do I have to be part of the dinner? I’ve never came before.” I ask her. “Yes, Nakeya. This is very important. Your father is having this dinner as an olive branch to the leader of Talokan. Our people may have been in peace for many years but there is still animosity. Now, you will put on your ceremonial dress and be on your best behavior. And Nakeya?”

“Yes mother?” I ask as we stand in front of my door. “Behave yourself. No water magic and Tet-uke stays in her stable.” I sigh defeated. “I will behave, I promise.” I say as I cross my fingers behind my back. “I saw that.” My mother says as she goes to swat my ear. I duck and run into my room.

In there I see Via smiling. “So we have to put on the corset?” She nods knowing how much pain it is going to cause me. “Can I pay you in gold to not put that on me?”

I take very small breathes as I try to breath in my tight dress. My chest seem to swell in the top. “If the leader of Talokan is blind, he is going to see clear as day when he sees me in this dress.” I mutter as I make my way to the emerald room.

I open the doors and see someone standing there, they turn as they heard me and I freeze. “Where is everyone?” I whisper as I enter the room. The person I seen was a man. He had a gold chest plate on his body, heavy emerald earrings with a matching nose piece. I look down and I see wings on his ankles.

He seemed to study me as I entered the room and I bow my head slightly. “You must be the priestess of Talong.” He speaks in a gentle tone. I look up at him and my throat becomes dry.

“You’re beautiful.” I blurt out. I see his lip twitch into a smile and I recover quickly. “How do you know I am the priestess?”

“Because your eyes are as Grey as stone and your tribal markings…they are unique to Hunab-Ku.” I feel myself blush and bite my bottom lip. “And you must be K’uk’ulkan, I’ve heard many stories about you from when I was little.”

His eyes trail down my body which only makes me bite my lip a bit harder. “And what stories have you heard, little priestess?” He asks as he takes a step towards me.

I swallow hard, hating that I can’t breathe properly. “I heard that to your people you are a god, you have protected Talokan for many years and you want to have peace like my father.”

He nods and he reaches out, moving a lock of my hair behind my ear. His touch made my skin burn in a way I couldn’t describe, but I wanted him to touch me more, I wanted him.

“You know little priestess, I’ve heard how powerful you are. And I must say your beauty in person can not be described in words.” He leans in close causing his breathe to tickle my ear. I swallow a moan and when our eyes meet, I knew he would either love me or ruin me so that no other man could satisfy me.

The doors behind us open and K’uk’ulkan moved away from me quickly. And looked past me. “Ah, my friend, I see you’ve met my daughter, the priestess.” My father says on a boastful tone. K’uk’ulkan smiles and walks past me to greet my father. I turn and see Ordain giving me a look but I ignore him.

My mother motions me over and we sit down at the long table. My father and mother both sitting at the head, my brother sitting beside me. Two of K’uk’ulkan’s guards stood behind him and he sat right in front of me.

His eyes did glance at my chest and I find myself sitting up straight to give him a view. “Don’t be such a Kaaye' dorado.” (Gold fish) Ordain hissed in my ear. I kick his leg under the table and he jerks back in pain.

Our mother gives us a glare and we both straighten. I mouth my sorry to her and I sit there listening to the boring conversation between my father and K’uk’ulkan.

“…I have many plans for this union King Odess. And to have our two nations join together as allies would not only strengthen our numbers but would prolong the life of the people. Especially if we combine our vibranium together.”

“Yes, Talong and Talokan would benefit greatly. But since Wakanda had revealed themselves it is rumored that the land dwellers are trying to seek if there is more vibranium. And they are now searching the waters. I am sure King K’uk’ulkan that you would agree that that isn’t a wise idea to allow this. Or for them to discover us. We must act now and keep both of now nations as such, a secret.” He nods in agreement with my father.

“Mm, I have also heard that there may be a device helping the land dwellers to find our vibranium. That must be destroyed. I have put my strongest warriors together and I would like to invite you and your people to join our forces on the front lines.”

“Wouldn’t that be a barbaric idea?” I speak, causing my parents and brother to give me a dirty look. “I apologize for my daughter’s outburst, I have spoiled her and allowed her to speak her mind when no one has asked.” My father says as he takes a drink.

“It is fine. I like compelling conversations. What would you suppose we do, priestess?” K’uk’ulkan asks as he stares deep into my eyes. I glance at my parents and then back at him. He nods letting me know to speak.

“I believe that in union of the two nations would be a great idea but the resources we have can help keep peace. Our people have lived over thousands of years, we have no illness. We have a way to help those on the surface. I want them to understand that the vibranium we have here shouldn’t be weaponized. But put to better use. I know that the goddess would want that for not just Talong, but for your nation as well, King K’uk’ulkan.”

He looks at me and as he was about to speak my father laughs breaking whatever words I had spoken into pieces. “Nakeya, you live in a fairytale, and I do envy that. Now king K’uk’ulkan, I would like to speak more about my people joining the frontline.”

I look down at my fingers keeping back the tears, because I know the goddess in me doesn’t like the talk of war, she wants to prolong the peace.

I hear my mother clear her throat and I look at her. “King K’uk’ulkan, I’m sure that the priestess would like to show you her gift.” She nods and I stand.

“If everyone is done with their drinks, I would like to show you all a vision I had last night.” I take a calm breathe and feel my eyes roll back. The liquid in everyone cups rises up and I move my hands to orchestrate the liquid in my image.

“I saw a nation, a nation where the ancestors would be proud.” I smile and the liquid turns into a great big kingdom. I glance around the room and everyone was in awe.

When my eyes rest on him, he was staring at me. Not like a magician, but he was staring at me as if I was the answers to his prayers. I feel my magic shift a bit and it swirled around him making sea flowers dance around his head. He smiles at that and I raise my hands to help the liquid disperse into the air. Everyone claps and I bow to thank them.

As I sit back down I hear my father call to King K’uk’ulkan. “Now that the party tricks have been displayed, I would like you to invite you and my son to talk in a more private setting.” The three of them stand and leave the room. I look after K’uk’ulkan and sigh. “Nakeya, come. Let us go do your studies.” I feel myself try to slouch as she mentions my studies to me. “Yes mother.”

🐢🐢🐢

“Finally I can take off that corset, thank the goddesses.” I say as I stretch my torso and take a deep breathe. I’ve been studying for the last three hours and I decided to take a break. Via had peeked into my room for a moment. “My priestess would you like anything?”

“No I am fine, Via. Tell me are they still talking in the private room?” She shakes her head. “No, King K’uk’ulkan has left and the our king is in his chambers with the queen.” For some reason it made me a bit sad that he left without saying goodbye to me.

Then again who am I to expect him to say goodbye to me?

“Ah, well I’ll just take a break and get back to studying, thank you Via. If I need anything I’ll call for you.” She bows and leaves my room. I sit back in my chair, bitting my thumb nail thinking about how I can get out of studying.

Tap tap tap

My head snaps to the left and I see a dark figure outside my window. I gather water and create a spear, ready to defend myself.

I peek out the window and lower my spear. K’uk’ulkan bows and I open my window. “I thought you left.” I say to him as I splash my water spear away. He gives smirk. “How could I leave without wishing you a farewell, little priestess?” He leans in and I feel a blush on my brown cheeks.

“You know the king doesn’t respect you.” He comments. “My father is a good man, complicated, but a good man.” I say defending him. “Are you sure? He dismisses your title, he tears down your dreams of peace. If you were mine, I would treat you as such.” He says to me.

If you were mine. I repeat those words in my head and feel my heart flutter.

“Treat me like a little priestess?” I say teasing. “I would treat you like a goddess. Because that is who you are. I would never allow someone to disrespect you let alone treat your gifts as if they were mere tricks.” He says as he studies my face.

I suddenly feel small in front of him and I twiddle my fingers. “Don’t do that.” I say looking down. He lifts my chin making me look at him. “Don’t do what?”

“Make me feel important. Make me feel as if I can do anything. I know the goddess is inside of me. She is strong, but I don’t feel strong.” I try to look away from him but he doesn’t allow it. “I see a strong goddess, I see a ruler, a queen, and if you’ll allow, I see you as mine. And my gift to you is to give you the peace that you crave. There will not be another drop of blood after the gathering. I promise you that.”

I swallow hard. “How can you promise me that? How could anyone promise me that?” He strokes my cheek and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “Because I know I can keep that promise. And you’re worth keeping that promise to, my little goddess.” He leans in and I feel my eyes flutter close, waiting for his lips to meet mine.

But the kiss never comes to my lips. Instead of kissing my lips, he kissed my forehead. “When I keep your promise I will kiss your lips. I must go back to Talokan now.” He whispers against my head. He moves back and I nod as he leaves

in the shadows.

“Until next time my little goddess.” I hear his whisper and I watch until he is gone. “His little goddess…I like the sound of that.” I say with a smile gently playing across my lips.

🐢🐢🐢🐢

“I don’t like the thoughts of you out there on the front lines, Nakeya.” My mother tells me ask she takes my dark hair and braids it back into a crown. “Mother we’ve spoken about this, father wants me to come only so I can keep anyone from dying. I should be grateful that he sees me as such.” My mother lifts my chin after she tucks my braid in.

“Little one, I don’t want you to think you have to please your father just to have peace. You can always tell him you don’t want to go.” She leans her head against mine and I close my eyes. “Mother, if this is how I can help then this is how I do so. Besides, I have these gifts. Why not use them.” My mother kisses my cheeks and calls Via over. “She is ready for her tribal face marks. And Via be sure to tell Aya that he is to make sure my children and husband don’t get caught in bloodshed.”

“Yes my queen, I will send the message.” She tells her as I sit still for my marks. In my gut, I knew this wasn’t the way. I know we could get the land dwellers away from our vibranium without hurting them. But my pleading has gone on deaf ears.

I meet my father and brother in the ready chambers along with our best warriors and I take a few deep breathes. “Ready to go see your boyfriend?” Ordain asks as he makes kissing noises. I narrow my eyes at him and flick my finger causing him to trip on water. “Hey!”

“Enough you two! Nakeya up front.” I march up to my father and he takes me aside. “How are you feeling?” He asks me. “I am fine.” He gives me a look and points to my fingers as I twirl them. I drop my hands by my sides and he gives a chuckle.

“You know your great grandfather use to do that. Whenever he was nervous he would play with his hands. He said if his hands weren’t playing together they would have caused the Talon nation to fall. I know I don’t treat you like your brother. But I want you to know you are my greatest treasure.” I look up at my father in shock.

“Don’t be shocked, Nakeya. I know you want peace but this is necessary. You haven’t seen these land dwellers. They are savages, they mind the golds of their lands and they kill each other for them. This is for the nations. This is a good thing.”

“Father, I understand where you are coming from. But I just know if we can show the land dwellers the right way, the nations could be stronger. I know it.” He touches my cheek and nods. “When we get back, I would like to hear your ideas.” I smile at him. “I look forward to this talk, father.” He nods and gives a smile. He turns and that is when the other warriors enter the room. I look past them seeing, king K’uk’ulkan. I haven’t spoken to him since the night we first met which have been a few days.

When I look at him all I want is for him to make me his. I crave his attention and I feel that he has bewitched my dreams ever since that day. I even imagine his kiss on my lips. I stare at him longingly and I feel a light shove to my shoulder and I turn to see Ordain. “Stop staring it’s creepy.”

“You’re one to talk. Akari said she’s hoping you lose a leg so you don’t approach her any longer.” Ordain scoffs at this. “She’s just playing hard to get. Careful little sister, she’s going to be your sister-in-law soon.” I roll my eyes. “Then I’ll take your leg just to protect the poor girl. I’ve seen how you look after a long nap, ugh it’s not pretty.” Ordain puts me in a headlock and I jab him in his rib cage making him yelp. Everyone looks at us and we quickly stop.

I see King K’uk’ulkan looking at me and my heart skips a beat. He looks away quickly and I wonder if I did anything wrong…

🐢🐢🐢

We were all in position. Waiting in the dark of the ocean. As the land dwellers continue with their search, I could feel Tet-uke become restless. I coo her and stroke her head. “I know, the waters do not like this. And you can feel it. Soon there will be peace. I know it.” I kiss her head and we dive under the water.

I swim with Aya by my side and we get close to the massive ship. Namora had signed to us to now do our siren song. I look back at my father and brother as they moved across the waters and my eyes land on him. He was looking at me and I feel my chest swell.

Our heads quietly break surface and our siren song rings for every land dweller to hear. They stop what they are doing immediately and one by one they drop into the waters.

I hear the warriors break the device that the land dwellers were using to help them find the vibranium. More land dwellers crash into the water and I feel calm. But that feeling lasted only a second.

Somehow some of the land dwellers hadn’t heard the siren song and started to shoot at us. We duck in the water and I click my tongue to tell Tet-uke to go under the ship.

I hum and more sea creatures answer my call. I raise my hands and they begin to slam into the ship causing it to tip on it’s side.

“Jump ship!”

“Over board!”

“Swim!”

The land dwellers scream out. Two had manage to get into an air craft, ready to leave. “They mustn’t get away to tell anyone about us!” I hear my father scream.

I open my mouth and release my wrathful cry. Causing the waters to shake. Under me I feel the slick tentacles of my greatest creation. I click my tongue twice and his tentacles shoot out of the water grabbing the air craft out of the sky.

I blow in the water and my kraken snaps it in half and eats it. I shut my eyes hearing the land dwellers screams of mercy.

As our people make sure each land dweller has drowned, I find Aya frozen still in the water. “What?” I look where he is looking and he grabs me. “My priestess, please do not look, for I have failed you.” I push away from him and I see my brother holding something in his arms.

“No, no, no, no.” I feel my entire body become cold as I see my father’s lifeless body. “Ordain, bring him to me! I can save him!” I yell. I see the sadness in my brothers eyes and I rush to him. Grabbing at my father.

I feel a pair of arms wrap around me and I let out a cry. “Let me go, I can save him! Please!” I scream in agony as I look into my father’s lifeless eyes. “Shh. I am sorry my goddess. Your father fought like a great warrior. And his life was cut short. We must mourn our fallen now.” K’uk’ulkan whispers in my ear. I cling to him and bury my face in his neck. “I can save him..” I say as my vision blurs. “I know…I know Nakeya.” He says as he holds me.

🐢🐢🐢

It has been over a month since the loss of our people and the loss of our king, and the pain still feels fresh. My mother has loss much weight, my brother is to be next in line but he doesn’t want it. As for me?

I feel nothing now. I am numb. As the nations mourn with us, I just nod, telling them thank you for coming. I don’t want to speak anymore so I excuse myself and go sit in my fathers chair in his private study.

“We might not have been close, but I’d lie if I said it didn’t hurt that I won’t see you anymore.” I say as I inhale my fathers scent. I sit there in silence take a shaky breathe.

I don’t want to feel sadness, or pain. I need to push my emotions down the furthest pit and watch them whither away and die with my people, with my father.

“I figured you’d be alone.” I jump and look up to see K’uk’ulkan standing beside me. “I didn’t hear you come in. I apologize.” He shakes his head. “No need, you are hurt and I didn’t want to interrupt….” He kneels down so that we are both eye to eye.

“I will keep my promise to you. You do remember it correct?” I nod and wipe a tear that had threatened to slip down my cheek. “I remember.” I whisper. He touches my wet cheek and he searches my eyes.

“I wish I could’ve been more help. So that you’d wouldn’t cry.” I give him a sad smile. “You know, I keep playing that moment in my head, how I could’ve saved him, or how if I had been fast enough. I know we mourn and then we let their spirits go into the heavens with our ancestors, but I am selfish. I do not want him to go. I don’t want to let this go. I want revenge, I want the land dwellers to pay for what they have done to us. I was wrong to think they could be peaceful.” I hiss.

He touches my hand and I calm a bit. “Land dwellers are nothing but a cancer to the world. When the mourning period is over I would like to propose a plan to secure our waters. But I will not go forward until I get your blessing.”

“Why me?” I ask. “The way you can control the waters to your whim, the way the creatures of the sea obey your words. I would be a fool to go against you, little goddess.” I smile at his words and he seems to stare a bit too long.

“I have something for you. In case you ever need me…” He takes out a conch shell and hands it to me. “Just blow on this and I will come to you no matter what.”

“Why are you so kind to me?” I look up at him from the conch shell and my throat dries because he looks as if he wants to take me away. “Did you know that my people were once land dwellers? I know, it’s a very shameful thing to say right now, but when my mother had passed, she wanted to be buried on her native land. So I granted her wish, a few of my people and I had walked on the land and there we saw the land dwellers. They were not inviting to us, in fact they attacked us. And so I did what I had to do. I’ll spare you the details of the massacre. When all was done, there was only one man left. He looked at me and called me a child without love, and with one strike, I had ended his life. When it comes to my people I am their god, I am K’uk’ulkan. But to my enemies, I am Namor. I am kind to you because I can see myself in you. We both want justice for our people, we both want peace, we both…”

He leans in close and pulls me in. “…want our nations to be joined together and become something great.” He whispers against my lips.

He places his hand on the back of my neck and he pulls me close. Our lips touch and I sigh into the kiss.

At first the kiss was gentle and sweet, but it turned into hunger and passion. It was as if we couldn’t get the distance between us any shorter.

He sucks on my tongue and I moan, clenching my fingers in his hair. He picks me up off of the chair and sits down, having me straddle his lap. I feel his erection against my clit and I groan moving my hips. He holds them in place and I feel him grin against my lips.

“Such a greedy little goddess. Do not worry I will give you all of me.” He says as he presses his erection against me harder. I open my mouth to give a ghost of a moan. “Shh, we must be quiet. Let them mourn while I worship you.” He moans as he allows me to pleasure myself on his erected cock. He grabs the back of my head and yanks it back, exposing my neck to him.

He gently bites and I let out a groan. “Let me worship your body, let me be your only pleasure my goddess. No one else can have you, no one else can even look at you. You’re mine.” He bites harder and I grab onto him, humping him harder. “I’m gonna cum.” I moan out loud.

“That’s it, I want your orgasm. But not this way.” He yanks me up and he knees before me. I try to stand but my knees and legs are weak. “I’ve got you.” He whispers as he lifts my dress above my belly button. I feel his mustache tickle my pubic hair and his breathe caresses my clit.

“A follower gets on their knees for their god when they want to worship them. I get on my knees for you so you can speak tongues to yours.” He lifts my leg, placing it on his shoulder and my eyes roll back as he twirls his tongue against my clit. I grip his hair and throw my head back.

I buck my hips fast, feeling my orgasm build up again. Just as he predicted, I start speaking in tongues as he fucks me with his tongue. He grabs onto my ass as he licks me faster. I look down and he was staring at me with lust in his eyes.

I stutter that I’m coming and he keeps pace making my body shake violently. I feel him give one more suck and I moan out his name, falling into his arms.

He licks his lips and leans down to kiss me. I taste myself on him and suck his tongue causing him to moan. I place my hand on his chest and I feel a shock to my body. My eyes roll back and I see K’uk’ulkan in front of my father.

It was the day his life was cut short. I was watching through K’uk’ulkan’s eyes. “They mustn’t get away to tell anyone about us!” I see my father yell. I then see a stone blade in K’uk’ulkan’s hand and he grabs my father shoulder, impaling the blade deep into his chest. The chaos of everything going on made this is perfect time for this act of betrayal. The gasp my father gave made me want to throw up.

“W…why?” My father whispered. “Because this nation only needs one king.” He removes the blade from his chest and lets it drop in the water. My father tries to hold it together. “My daughter will end you! You demon!” K’uk’ulkan leans in close to my father. “I’m not worried about your daughter, she will soon be my wife and we will rule over this nation. It’s a shame you won’t see her vision come true.” And with that he snapped his neck killing him quickly.

I gasp out of the vision and I push myself away from him. “Are you okay?” He reached out to me and I jerk back but remain calm. “I am fine, I just remembered my mother asked me to help her with the burning ceremony. Thank you for the distraction.” I turn and before I take a step he grabs my wrist and it took all my strength not to snatch it away from him. “Don’t forget this.” He hands me the conch shell and I take it. “Thank you.”

“I meant what I said, call me anytime and I will come to you.” He says as he releases my wrist. I nod and leave. I try not to run out away from him but I manage to get to my room. I throw the conch shell and wipe my lips angrily.

I keep getting flashes of my father’s betrayed face. The blooded blade falling in the ocean. My fathers neck breaking. Before I knew it I had felt my knees give out and I threw up. I wipe my mouth and I scream in anger. I just had that monster touch me intimately, the same monster who murdered my father.

Via had ran into my room and she saw me angry cry. “I know my priestess, we all miss the king.” She had helped me up and told the servants to clean up my floor. She had drawn a bath for me and I didn’t even feel the hot water on my skin.

“I’ve got it Via.” I tell her. She leaves me alone and I lay back in the water letting myself sink to the bottom of the bathtub. I make a water form of K’uk’ulkan and with a swift move of my finger I decapitate his water form.

“Your enemies call you Namor, well I’ll be calling you amongst the dead very soon.”

[not-your-npc]

To start, JOL is great - good acting, costumes, storyline, etc.

My point, though, is the topic of equality that comes up.

First off, countries need a government. The emperor, as the manipulative shit that he is, actually knows how to run a country properly and is able to conduct proper checks and balances.

Fan Xian is a prime example because his fathers all want him in important positions. And without proper balance, Fan Xian will become the next dictator, whether or not he chooses to.

In this case, the emperor keeps Fan Xian's power in check by removing any chances of strong political support. (Hence, the execution and exile of ministers)

Secondly, the position of women in such a society. (It is a male-centric story, after all.) The women are either unnamed; e.g. only known as Madam <Husband's surname>, or Lady <Father's surname>, or given childish/babyish sounding names, with the exception of Li Yun Rui, the Elder Princess/Princess Royal, whose name actually has some meaning - her 'Rui 睿' means astute, 睿智 means wisdom.

The women are not allowed to become court officials. The women are not allowed to be in the running for the throne.

Fan Ruo Ruo is acknowledged to be a female scholar, but she can not take the national exams nor hold a court position. Li Yun Rui is as cunning and ruthless as the Emperor, but is not allowed to sit on the throne.

The ruler of Beiqi, the head of a nation, has to present themselves as a man to be acknowledged as a ruler.

For all his talk about following his mother's footsteps and fighting for equality of all humans, has Fan Xian never looked at the court and wondered why there were no women there?

[sarcastic-pun-master]

wip supercorp royalty fic lol

pt2

There is a searing pain coursing through her entire body. Kara wants to scream, but there is hot, viscous blood coming up her throat. 

She falls to the ground, choking and gasping for air. 

The pain doesn’t subside, but eventually, Kara begins to feel a coldness spread through her. She knows what this is. She closes her eyes. 

***

Kara wakes up in her childhood bedroom. She is fourteen years old.

Again.

***

Alex was just as she remembered. Kara fell into her arms, letting out a breath. She shuddered, almost crying.

“Kara… my dear, sweet Kara,” Alex whispered, kissing the top of her head, “I’m so sorry.”

Kara finally pulled back. Eliza was standing behind Alex, a look of worry on her face. Kara bowed to her. Everyone around stared in shock. Kara was a princess, no, she was the Princess of Krypton. And yet, here she bowed to a Count. 

“Countess Danvers… If you would accept, I would like to become a ward of your estate.”

"I gave up my right to the throne to Kal-El. Until he is of age, my aunt Astra shall be the regent. My only wish is to remain with the Danvers.”

Kara stepped towards Eliza. “My mother always brought me here for a reason. She never told me explicitly, but I’m sure you’ve realized, she trusted you and Alex with my life implicitly. She knew you were good people. I would like to spend the rest of my days with you. If you’ll have me.”

Eliza stepped forward, wrapping Kara in a hug. “Of course we will, dear. Of course we will.”

***

At night, Kara dreamt of green eyes and a cruel grin.

She woke up in a fearful sweat, her heart aching.

I won’t fall for your tricks again, Kara.

You lied to me. Over and over!

I can’t believe I ever loved you. 

Kara clutched her chest, wishing she could stop these memories. But the harder she tried to suppress them, the more they seemed to come back.

She saw her smile, I love you. 

She saw her scream, I will never trust you again. 

Kara cried. She allowed herself this small mercy, to cry her heart out in the darkness of this night. When it was just her, where no one else could see her. She sobbed for hours over her heartbreak that no one could understand. By dawn, Kara had no strength left. She opened the curtain to let in the sun. 

Kara steeled herself with the breeze coming in through the window. No more tears. 

Kara began re-writing her life in her head. She would not cry over the things of the past. She would not be used as a pawn in this life. She would not be so easily manipulated. Never again. She would live her life the way she wanted to, spending her days with Alex and Eliza by her side, away from all matters of the court. 

I will not keep a hold on things of the past. I will not allow it to dictate my actions in this new life. 

Kara told herself this over and over again, every day and every night. To let the past go, to forget it as if it was a bad nightmare. 

But she knew that those green eyes would haunt her forever.

***

Kara hadn’t seen Kal-El in this lifetime since he was a baby. 

He looked the same as he did when he was a prince, although, he didn’t have that same air of arrogance about him. Kara had made the right decision, not ceding her throne to his father. It seemed that without the pressure of Jor-El, Kal-El had grown into his own man.

“Princess.” Kal-El stood tall, but there was a worry in his eyes. “We’ve lost the war against the Luthorians.”

Kara pretended to be shocked. She knew how tenacious and ruthless Lena could be, it truly was no surprise to her that she’d won. Kara was curious as to why Lena had decided to wage a war in this life, when she’d never been tempted to before. Lena had no interest in what Krypton had to offer, aside from their science - which Krypton was happy to share with the Queen who had married their Princess.

Sometimes Kara wondered if that was the only reason Lena had stuck with her for so long.

“That is… unfortunate,” Kara replied to Kal, “But, Your Majesty, did you come all this way simply to inform me about the war?”

“Princess,” Kal grimaced, sighing. “As I’m sure you know, the winning side has a right to demand spoils of war.”

“Of course. What has Queen Luthor demanded?”

“...Kara, before I tell you, I need you to know. There was no other way. I am grateful for everything you did for me. I know I would not have this position if it hadn’t been for your grace. And I tried to protect you as much as I could, but neither I nor the court can see a way around this-"

“Kal-El,” Kara said with authority, disregarding titles for the moment. “What did you give them?”

Kal-El looked at her with remorse.

“You, Kara.”

***

Kara had to take deep breaths as she entered the tent. 

Green eyes. 

Kara knew she was staring, but seeing her again, it seemed to knock the wind out of her. 

“Your Majesty,” Kara finally said, bowing. “It’s an honour to meet you.”

“You say that as if we have never met before,” Lena said, crossing her legs and smirking at Kara. “Don’t you remember our times spent together as children?”

“That was then, Your Majesty, and this is now. We are no longer children. A certain decorum should be expected.”

Lena hummed, leaning back in her chair. “I take it you’re here to accept my proposal, then?”

“Yes. Although… I do have my conditions.”

“Conditions? Princess Kara, I don’t believe you understand the situation we are in.”

“I know that it seems the alternative to me rejecting your proposal is our kingdom having to kneel to you. But I have a proposition. I will marry you, but I want a divorce.”

If that caught Lena off guard, she didn’t let it show. Her jaw clicked as she repeated, “A divorce?”

“Yes. Marry me, and divorce me a year later. In return, I will give you my lands.”

“What use do I have for your lands?”

“Though I renounced my throne, I still retained the lands my mother’s family kept. We have mines rich with gold and libraries full of knowledge no other family in Krypton has access to. I will give it all to you, on the condition that we divorce a year later.”

“Why?” Lena asked. Kara picked at her fingers behind her back. 

“I do not wish to be held as a hostage.”

“Hostage? I have no intention to keep you as a prisoner.”

That confused Kara. “If you are not taking me as collateral to ensure no retaliation from Krypton, then why send a proposal at all?”

Finally, Lena seemed to flinch. She turned her face away from Kara, sighing. Lena didn’t answer her question, instead she called for someone to bring her a pen and paper. 

“I’ll accept your conditions, Princess Kara.”

[corellianhounds]

Putting this one under a cut because it’s more off-the-cuff complaining/rambling about my opinions than it is a well-worded/edited breakdown of my criticisms of a character:

The way that I’ve taken to writing Anakin is that I’m going off of the effect his character should have had on the audience and rewriting the circumstances that would have made him that person in canon. Reverse engineering him if you will

George Lucas’s intention was to write a (somehow fun) war trilogy showing this man’s origin, rise to power, and fall from glory, ending on a tragic conclusion but one with the people around him having some hope for a possible future despite the outcome of the war and what Anakin became

Anakin’s character is supposed to be the person who became Darth Vader, a genocidal dictator and evil sorcerer serving/compelled to serve another evil sorcerer, so you have to have more compelling visual evidence foreshadowing and laying the groundwork for that inevitability. If you want to make the person Vader used to be impressive, sympathetic, and tragic with that inevitable, narratively compelling, logical bridge to his subsequent character of Vader, you need to write a story that shows the audience a strong, personable, intelligent, charismatic but ruthless and impressive warrior who is a cut above the rest, placed in a truly unique position and forced to react to the circumstances both in and outside of his control.

We don’t see an impressive visual evidence of Anakin doing anything somebody else who is an expert in that field couldn’t do; yes he’s an impressive pilot and mechanic and was impressive at a young age, but those are skills that can be learned and I’m more inclined to think he was just a prodigy. If he’s some incredible fighter, military tactician, and martial artist, you need to show a more involved part at the front lines of the war, and you can’t just hold all of that to a cartoon you won’t make until years after you’ve finished that trilogy. If he’s supposed to be a prophesied Chosen One and the most powerful Jedi the galaxy has ever seen, you need to show him using Force powers stronger and more impressive than the rest of the Jedi around him, and you need to show him doing things nobody else can do.

Have him creating and controlling weather on Tatooine, his and his mother’s home surrounded by this inexplicable greenery and midday rain showers. Have him using the Force to command a rock slide during the Boonta Eve Classic, pulling canyons down around his opponents, summoning sandstorms that bend around his vehicle while sweeping the rest away. Have Shmi talking about the uncontrollable, unexplained phenomena that happens when he loses his temper. Show him levitating massive objects with ease with no training at all while the rest of the Jedi struggle.

And then when he’s older and he’s starting to rely on darker or even just more dubious uses of the Force when in tight spots or pivotal battles, bring that back. Have him at the eye of a wind- and thunderstorm, lightning crackling around him as his eyes glow and he shields several hundred soldiers and civilians, narrowly cutting through their enemy’s defenses and wiping them out. Show a clear use of clairvoyance when he casts his sight across a battlefield and takes control of the minds of enemy generals from miles away, puppetting them against their will to destroy themselves before they’ve even reached the Republic army. Show some definite and clear foreshadowing to the man he’s going to become. Ruthlessness is a necessary quality in war, and an intelligent and capable tactician like he was supposed to be will make the difficult calls and snap decisions other people are spending time debating the ethics of. Time is of the essence, and Anakin’s going to make judgment calls based on the information he has, and when he’s able to back his argument up with evidence and sound reasoning, everybody else is going to be left wondering “Maybe he IS right.”

Add to that that he’s charming, sociable, good with people, and genuinely wants to protect those who can’t protect themselves, and you’ve got a hero of the people the Jedi council and military have a hard time pushing back against, especially if all of his calls either turn out to be right or he has incredibly sound justifications for what he does. Give us hints of his temper, his anger something simmering just below the surface, and show him regaining an eerily quick control over it when he does lash out. Have him smile and apologize, give a politician’s answer to the argument, smoothing the mask back into place until the other person’s back is turned, but then show him also charming diplomats, soothing tensions between bickering parties, playing and laughing with little kids, being chivalrous to people of every station. A true white knight. Someone genuinely good but with understandable flaws who tries to do the right thing, and just happens to fail because the circumstances he’s in are ones that truly force the best and worst out of people. If you want for Vader’s turn to be tragic, you have to show that AFTER the audience has seen the polar opposite in what he used to be.

All of this sets him up to be strong, admirable, down-to-earth, likable, and capable, a guy’s whose qualities are at the ROOT of who Darth Vader is as a character. You have to lay the groundwork of impressive powers, intellect, strategy, cunning, ruthlessness, and skill in order for that guy to become the already established character your audience has seen.

Additionally, once you’ve made him a more interesting and likable person, you’ve also made him into a better love interest. He’s a white knight who’s also a bit of a bad boy, BUT he’s also been hopelessly in love with the same girl his entire life. This Anakin always politely rejected the interest of other people interested in him, chided the padawans and knights flirting with propriety and shirking their duties, never spoke of romantic interest at all as a teenager, so OF COURSE the council doesn’t see a problem pairing him with this young, beautiful, influential woman as her bodyguard. They have no idea he’s been harboring the same crush/obsession for ten years, and if he plays his cards right and keeps that love close to his chest, maybe they won’t suspect a thing.

Making Anakin interesting, intelligent, and physically impressive/capable makes him a more understandable and compelling choice the audience can obviously see Amidala is falling for from the beginning of their reintroduction. You want to have circumstances keeping them apart, building tension because something always inevitably comes up and interrupts them? Keep the assassination plot on Coruscant for the second movie where there are always people watching, there’s security cameras and social decorum and both of their ever-present responsibilities right at the forefront. It’s a whole lot hotter when people CAN’T act on their desires. Have an assassin trying to kill her in broad daylight, ‘forcing’ Anakin to physically shield her with his body (protective, valiant, shows quick reflexes and a willingness to put himself in harm’s way, forced proximity, hot pose with one hand against the wall she’s backed up against as he surveys their surroundings and all she can see in front of her is him). Use the setting to your advantage, have their conversations outside the door to her quarters just baaaaaarely this side of propriety as they hide what they can’t say within what they can. Show Amidala watching him in a crowd of a thousand, and him turning to find her exactly where she is across the room. Show the reactions of Padme’s body doubles, include them in the plot. Keep Obi-Wan around as a complication for Anakin, show his friendship with Padme too and introduce the idea that Obi-Wan already has his own suspicions, and that Anakin will have more reason to think Obi-Wan is capable of turning her against him at the end.

The war and their respective stations and their obligations to others and the people around them are keeping them apart. It’s a classic storytelling device. Use it to create tension and you’ll automatically be able to come up with more interesting events than frolicking around Naboo doing whatever in seclusion with a narratively unnecessary “will they, won’t they,” considering there are no people or circumstances or limitations keeping them apart and nothing that really makes 19-year-old Anakin all that appealing to a woman several years his senior who allegedly still sees him as a kid.

For this entire trilogy, we should have seen more hints that the Dark side is bleeding through him. The Tusken massacre is only one (contrived) event that isn’t mentioned again and doesn’t carry through in a narratively compelling way. If you’ve shown him to already have that temptation towards needing control, if you’ve shown him making selfish decisions in secret and being quick to wrath and ruthlessness, and if you’ve shown him as capable and willing to wield the Dark side, thinking he can control it and won’t fall prey to it’s temptation or power over him, then you’ve set him up with the pride and arrogance that drives all of his negative qualities to their breaking points. By the third movie the war is much more serious and the circumstances of all of Anakin’s relationships are under constant strain; Padme telling him she’s pregnant is the fault line that drives his actions from that point forward.

The Chancellor shouldn’t have had complete control and orchestration over Anakin’s entire life because taking that active involvement from Anakin isn’t narratively interesting and makes for a weaker character. Palpatine’s an opportunist with contingency plans upon contingency plans; all he really needed to be was in the right place at the right time, picking up on this guy’s exact weakness and exploiting the flaws Anakin was responsible for in the first place. The best analogy I have for writing a more compelling Anakin is if you characterize him like Boromir, a true hero of the people on the front lines defending one of the last kingdoms of men, a man who thinks their side should be willing to take advantage of any resource available to them in order to end a war that’s been raging for years, who thinks he’s strong enough to resist whatever negative side effects this corrupt source of incredible power might have on him because he thinks he’s different, he can control it, he’ll use it for good.

Reverse engineering Darth Vader to figure out the Anakin (I think) George Lucas was going for shows a different person than who he is in canon, which means his canonical character and those circumstances need rewritten since I find Vader in the original trilogy more compelling than Anakin in the prequels. Setting Anakin up this way creates a much farther fall from grace and really drives home the tragedy of his character because up until the point he truly chooses to go all in, we should have seen a compelling argument for how he could have resisted the call of the Dark side, if he made that conscious choice. Characters driving a story is almost always stronger than circumstances moving those characters around and taking out their involvement in the cause and effect of the plot.

And that’s difficult to do with a war/story that happens the way it does. It feels like Lucas had an outline of “These are the plot points that have to happen to get to the point of the original trilogy, and now I have to write my script around that,” which in my opinion doesn’t usually result in very smooth or organic writing if you aren’t willing to throw things out that don’t work as you go along

[bethanydelleman]

The Times Women Don’t Know Their Hearts

I was thinking about my proposal analysis and it occured to me that there are two instances in Jane Austen’s novels where women don’t know how to respond to a proposal, and in both, cases, the problem is actually the influence of other women.

Emma has already been trying to turn Harriet off the Martins and on to “real gentlemen” by the time Harriet gets the proposal from Robert Martin. She ends up not knowing her own mind:

She [Harriet] was so surprized she did not know what to do. Yes, quite a proposal of marriage; and a very good letter, at least she thought so. And he wrote as if he really loved her very much—but she did not know—and so, she was come as fast as she could to ask Miss Woodhouse what she should do.—” Emma was half-ashamed of her friend for seeming so pleased and so doubtful.

Emma then clearly influences Harriet’s decision and it is implied that she also supplies her with the words of refusal. (One high point of Emma 1972 is that she actually begins to dictate Harriet’s response). So Harriet���s inability to know her own heart was Emma’s doing. It’s pretty clear by the end that if Harriet had not been led astray by Emma, she’d have accepted.

We also have Janet Ross in Mansfield Park (a friend of Mary’s):

Poor Janet has been sadly taken in, and yet there was nothing improper on her side: she did not run into the match inconsiderately; there was no want of foresight. She took three days to consider of his proposals, and during those three days asked the advice of everybody connected with her whose opinion was worth having, and especially applied to my late dear aunt, whose knowledge of the world made her judgment very generally and deservedly looked up to by all the young people of her acquaintance, and she was decidedly in favour of Mr. Fraser.

From Mary’s overall behaviour (the wish to marry for wealth and consequence), we can infer that the late Mrs. Crawford said from Mary’s words: “We were all delighted. She could not do otherwise than accept him, for he was rich, and she had nothing” What Mary doesn’t seem to grasp is that Janet must have known on some level before accepting the proposal that she wouldn’t have been happy with Mr. Fraser. Yet, she is able to be influenced and all her friends assured her it was a good idea so she went for it.

And then we have Anne Elliot, who does accept Wentworth’s first proposal, but then on the advice of Lady Russell (we know that Sir Walter didn’t have a huge hand in this), was convinced to break it off. This decision is a little trickier because in all honesty, I think Lady Russell was giving good advice. Like, maybe don’t marry a penniless sailor at 19, you might be a widowed mother in the next year... but it is ultimately a decision that Anne regrets. In hindsight, we know she would have been happier if she married him.

I also want to mention Maria Bertram, who raised by aunt Norris, has been taught to value wealth above her own happiness. We are not directly told that Mrs. Norris influenced the match, but she was instructed by Sir Thomas to conceal the engagement until he returned and then did the opposite, making it harder for Maria to call it off the marriage if that was her preference.

The only man who influences a marriage decision is Mr. Brandon Sr., who locks Eliza Brandon away until she agrees to marry his eldest son (Colonel Brandon's older brother). Jane Austen never really shows a heroine father manipulate their daughter/ward so directly, forcefully, and obviously. The closest is Sir Thomas with Fanny but even he isn't ruthless. The bigger danger for women in these novels is much more subtle influence.

I feel like the overall message here is that you need to be careful who you let influence your decisions. Or who you befriend. Anne is able to reject her father’s disapprobation, but she has more trouble with her mother figure. She forgets, perhaps, that Lady Russell is also a little too conscious of rank. Harriet and Janet both have friends who lead them down the wrong path. Fortunately Harriet gets back on track, but Janet ends up in a very unhappy marriage. 

And the worst part is, all of these influencers, Emma, Mrs. Crawford, and Lady Russell (and even Mrs. Norris), think they are doing the best thing for their friend. They cannot see their own folly.

[texasthegreatdestroyer]

Bioshock!Qrow.

For context, I run a discord rp server dedicated to the world building behind the setting of the first two Bioshock games, Rapture, and for those who haven't played the games, Rapture is an underwater city.

Following Head canons/server canons are:

-Qrow is a luke warm christian. He's a man of god, though he doesn't heed everything in the bible, in fact he finds the book rather ridiculous and that a man made scripture is not an accurate representation of god's will. Swearing like a sailor, partaking in ilicite substances, and his swinger tendencies, along with a career riddled in assination and other crimes during his time in the mafia, Qrow is far from the ideal christian, but he is a man of righteousness and and he will always stand by what he believes in and fight for what he believes is right.

-Qrow is a mercenary for hire, though most of his jobs tend to be bounty hunting. As a result of this as well as his past as a ruthless killer for the mafia, Qrow is a well known and greatly feared man.

-He's a bisexual man with polyamours tendacies.

-In the image above, Qrow is slowly disintigrating into a flock of birds, that isn't a cool, edgy artistic choice. When I made this bioshock version of Qrow, my adaptation of Qrow's ability involved a plasmid based on the Bioshock Infinite's Vigor called Murder Of Crows, which allows the player to summon a flock(murder) of crows. Qrow's plasmid is unique from the vigor when it comes to how the birds are summoned about. Similar to his shape shifting abilities in RWBY how Qrow can turn into a single crow, this plasmid allows him to split his body up into a murder of crows ranging up to 5-8 birds depending on the seasons. Additionally, the more of his body he sacrifices to the crow(s), the more durable, violent, and destructive they are, as well as how strong his conciousness is instilled into them. Additionally the potentcy of his sacrifice is split between birds, so if he were to fully transform into a single bird, full body, it would cause him to have an insatiable blood lust, go berzerk, and be very tough to take out for a crow, and that's not accounting for evasive abilities that come with being a bird of flight. However there are flaws to this plasmid, if a crow is killed in combat, it reflects back onto Qrow and causes him physical harm. The severity of his injuries are dictated by how many crows are killed, and how much of his body is sacrificed to the crows. If Qrow inserts full body into the murder/crow, and all birds or the single bird is killed, Qrow will die. Safe to say, he has to be strategic about how he uses this plasmid.

Backstory: TW of suicide, abuse, gore, and torture.

-Was born in rapture, He was raised up to the age of 12 in a strict, Christian house hold. That came to an end abruptly and violently when his homophobic father found out that he was gay (Obviously being 12, he didn't fully understand what it meant to be gay, he thought it just meant that he liked boys, not accounting that he like boys and girls.) and as result of this being physically assaulted. This caused his mother to step in, and in a revelation, his father learned that he was being used as a cover-up for his lesbian wife, and as a result of this revelation, his father grabbed a revolver and shot his mother, got Raven in the arm as the two tried to flee, and ended up taking his own life out of grief. Raven and Qrow barely escaped with their own lives.

-The twins were found by the head of the local mafia of Rapture and their soon to be adoptive father. He raised the twins and trained them to kill. They would later on be the body guards for the children of two well regarded henchmen to the head of the mafia. Those children are Summer and Tai Yang.

-A few years later, the twins are all grow up long with the mafia children they protected, and they're all good friends. Eventually Tai and Raven get together. A drunken accident leads to Yang being born. Raven, not ready to be a mother, ends up taking on a bulk of head hunting work. Her absense leads to Tai finding solace in Summer. The two get married and bring Ruby into the world. Unlike his sister, Qrow is present for both girls, and is a rolemodel and parental figure to both of them.

-three years later, Raven is asked to escort Summer and Tai to a formal party being thrown by a major financial supporter of their mafia group. Qrow stays with the kids, and the parents are out enjoying themselves. The party ends up under attack by a rival gang, and by the end of it, only Tai makes it out. Raven is never found, and Summer goes missing as well, only turning up 3 weeks later in pieces, likely murdered by the rivals. Raven is still never found.

-Qrow and Tai take up the role of raising the girls together, both of them dealing with the grief of their missing loved ones.

-Yang is 17, and Ruby is 15 when the family of four are attacked by a group of highly trained mercenaries of which is lead by the once missing Raven. The four are handed over to a scientist in return for Raven getting a handsome sum of money. studying the affects of ADAM and plasmids. The four were experimented on.

-By the end of it, although having odd powers, Tai and and Qrow are the only ones to come out of it unscaved. Qrow manages to break free, using a rifle the scientis kept on hand to kill him, and free Tai of his imprisonment. The two men find Ruby and Yang. the girls aren't fairing well, having fallen into a zombie like state. They're morbidly disfigured by the experimentation, and are in great pain.

-Realizing the girls have no quality of life to look forward to, Qrow opts to do the most painful thing he could ever do, and that's to put the two girls out of their misery, but Tai fights him back, struggling with him for the gun, only when failing rushes over to the girls, sheilding them with his body.

-As Qrow tries to explain the gravity of the girls' situation to Tai and how it's the right thing to do or else they would suffer. This ends up not working. Instead the girls turn savage, and they end up tearing into Tai, ripping out his throat and intestines. Tai ends up dead. Seeing what happened to Tai as a result of letting the girls live, Qrow makes the painful decision to kill both of the girls.

-The after math of this event lead to Qrow's alcohol addiction. There was a short period of time in Qrow's grief where he attempted to track down Raven and to exact vengance for her betrayal, before finally realizing his attempts were futile, and eventually settling down and doing primarily bounty hunting for a living.

As for Raven? She's somewhere. No one knows what happened to her after that night. All that is known is that she was there when Summer was captured, and when she couldn't save her, she turned tail and ran out of fear of what would happen to her as a result. She only came back when she was in need of money, and when asking Tai for money proved futile, she resorted to more extreme measures. The selling of her own family to a less than ethical scientist.

Obviously this isn't very well written and there's a lot of details left out, but this isn't made to be a super detailed backstory it's a summary.

So this is Qrow if he were adapted to the Bioshock universe. Feel free to ask questions.

Additional Headcanons I forgot about when initially writing this:

-Qrow's tattoo is a memorial piece for his fallen loved ones. As of now, it consists of Yang, Tai, Ruby, and Summer, but Qrow does intend to extend the piece to include imagery that represents his mother.

[bluedevilsrpg]

LITTLE MISS RED

SCHOLAR. W. ( 30 ) Stav Strashko. TW: implied abuse, violence

HISTORY

WHAT BECOMES OF KNOWLEDGE WHEN IT IS ALL-CONSUMING, THE FATE OF INEVITABILITY CREATING A CHASM OF ENDLESS DESPAIR. You were born into an extravagantly wealthy family with a legacy of horror - one that only permitted your existence through cruel tests of worthiness. It was a family that prided itself on its many children, and you were nothing more than another extension. You will never forget the tragedies that you were subjected to, the rigorous trials and the desperation to survive. And it was in that very hell that something new was born in you, the flicker of a fractured soul cracked into mirrored pieces. It was you but divided into halves. One where your temperament was sweet and childish, as if you had never accepted the loss of your youth, fluttering brightly like the wings of a butterfly. This was the you that was protected from harm and adored by your porcelain doll-like mother, the you that believed in fairytales and dreams where books were your companions and intellectual thought your sparring partner. 

But look again when it becomes dark, when the candles fade and there is nothing left but the reflection of yourself, your hair stained with droplets of bright, crimson blood. Everything heightened when you were required to fight for your life - for the permission of existence. Here you were a more terrifying version of yourself, where ruthless calculation and precision played out in perfect, melodic harmony. Gone was the visage of a loving daughter, you had to prove yourself and your purpose to your deranged father. He made his empire in the artistry of murder and you have every desire to inherit. Without it, you will be mere ashes in an urn. So you learned the craft of death, the knowledge of everything your ears could reach. You do not hesitate to exhibit ruthlessness as you act with sadistic joy - a vicious, merciless mistress dressed in blood, dressed in red. 

CONNECTIONS

BELLS OF HELL ⌱ MY HEART SPLINTERED IN THE DECAYING FLOWERS OF MY RIBCAGE

You never had the chance to live a good life - not since the moment you were spawned in a household that signed its name in carnage. You had little to no hope of becoming something more until she stretched out her hand for you to hold. BELLS OF HELL was a rare face that was permitted within the proximity of your family sheerly out of her own stellar reputation. She became your friend, your confidante and eventually, your dearest lover. You promised to take her through the galaxies to witness every star. You adored her. Your painstaking love was shattered one day when she left you in the cold when you awoke. You remember little of the events that followed, only the terror driving through your bones while you walked every trial and tribulation for the chance to see her again. But when you survived through Hell to catch the attention of your angel, she had forgotten you completely. It dawned on you that perhaps the love you treasured had been nothing more than a machination of a game your family dictated. You dislodged your chest of love, sparing nothing but the desire to kill her for the agony she has caused. 

CHILD OF FLAMES  ⌱  STITCHING TOGETHER THE WORDS BETWEEN THE TRUTHS AND LIES

Their lethality was one that was sharpened over the years. When you first approached them, they were hardly the horror they’ve now become. You know the part you have played in indulging the lunacy of their wicked ways. You provided them with wealth and an accommodating life while they in turn showed you how to slaughter like a butcher, like a killer. Each new trick was enough to sate the loyalties of your family but just when you had believed you had crossed the safety line, they challenged you to push further. So you had no other choice but to do the same to them. It wasn’t long before you watched them succumb to a madness that reminded you of your own father. And like your father, they turned their back towards you and you were once again reminded of your unworthiness. They pledged their loyalties to another stronger sibling, while you were left to fend for yourself like a cockroach amongst the dirt.

MOON BLADE ⌱  I RETURN WHAT IS GIVEN TO ME, WITH THE FURY AND PRECISION OF A THOUSAND SUNS

It all went to hell when you discovered the death of your favorite brother. He was the one who had always protected you from the grasp of your other family members. He was the knife that you stood behind, the only time when you were given peace and safety to breathe and simply be. And yet, all that shattered when he had left you. There were so many questions left unanswered until you began to probe through the unknown and you found the culprit at her side. MOON BLADE, who worshipped her sister like you did your brother, would do anything to keep her sister safe and sound. It was your brother who was deemed wrong in his ways and for that, it cost him his life. The pain you felt was incomparable and thus, to return the feeling, you too showed her what it was like to lose a part of her life.

MADAME MASSACRE ⌱ DECAY IS WHAT YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WILL RETURN TO

You weren’t blind to the way she looked at you - the way her nostrils flared in indignation and the clenched fingers that shaped themselves into a fist. You see a girl who has been left to be consumed by soil and rot. She underestimates you like all the others in your family. Your harsh upbringing has always served as an incompetence and MADAME MASSACRE further reminds you of all your faults with her nails and tongue sharpened to remind you of your idiocy. But looks are deceptive and you find envy lodged in your throat - what would life be like if you burned with bellicose umbrage at every turn? You imagine if you had been like her - would your father have approved? You hate her for being so naturally inclined in strengths that you so desperately yearned for. Perhaps to understand your enemy you must become her. You’ve clawed your way out of the history that has written you into existence and you can’t bear facing the demons in your memories.

LITTLE MISS RED IS CLOSED & THEIR SPECIAL STAT IS MAGIC.

[unhingedselfships]

More Yakuza!Kadokura KimiKura Songs

Coffin - PVLATINUM

“'Cause I'm about to spend a Month's pay on cocaine Fuck a bitch who got a boyfriend Spit in his face Take a motherfucking 9M to my brain Put my body in designer in my coffin”

Watch Me - Bludnymph

“Fives, tens, hundreds, ones Girls want cash, girls wanna have funds Getting drunk off your attention Stacks so long it make a girl run That's that shit that I love Throw it so fast you got a paper cut Bought out the club, now, it's just us Sip straight from the bottle like”

Mr. Dictator - Saint Motel

“Everybody tends to disagree On just how evil A single human being should ever be And all your bones they scream for more”

Pain Killer - Sickick

“Fuck your intervention I just want to feel your high I don't think I'm quitting Tell me you won't leave my side Nothing really matters You're all I need Nothing really matters But you and me”

Devil in Paradise - Cruel Youth

“I wanna be where the sun don't shine Where the birds don't sing and the kids don't smile They say, I saw the Devil in paradise I wanna be where the night is day Where the roses die and the thorns ain't fake And they say, I saw the Devil with a smiling face"

Hayloft - Mother Mother (Crypto, Jake Daniels cover)

“Young lovers and they are not sleeping Young lovers in the hayloft With his gun turned on, Pop went a-creeping Out to the barn, into the hayloft My daddy's got a gun”

Breathing Fire - BAD CHILD 

“Where the time go, I don't know People come and people go,  Stick around I'll keep you close Go ahead call it unconditional 'Cause we're fire breathers You're a violent creature 'Cause we're fire breathers Yeah, you know I need you”

Bodies - Bryce Fox

“I'm just bored trying to drown the anxiety Wanna see if you got somethin' ugly up in the psyche All I'm sayin' is we got two types of blood Tryna mix it up, is you afraid or what? I mean, away we go, are you gon' pass the love? I'm just diggin', are we on the same page or not? I mean, I'm like my past, I'm wasted”

Definition Forbidden - DNMO, Bijou Dream

“I don't even know your name yet Still, I am fixated Love the way you tell me what I want to hear Love the way you don't love me But still, hold me close without judging”

Sweet - Unlike Pluto, Mister Blonde

“I'm only sweet when I'm high In class, I learned to lie To pretty boys, to pass the time 'Cause I got that good shit, American pride Kiss the kids goodnight and take the Harley for a ride”

Montero - Lil Nas X (Rain Paris cover)

“Cocaine and drinking with your friends You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend I'm not fazed, only here to sin”

Fake - The Tech Thieves

“Please don't fake it, show me what you're all about I got wasted, learning how to let it out I can't take it, kiss me with the lips of doubt Please don't fake it, fake it, fake”

Demon Mode - Stileto, AViVA

“Went to Hell and met some friends You know, it's not that bad Cocktails and cigarettes For sins I don't regret”

Vicious - Bohnes

“She's a little bit twisted, little bit wild Little bit fucked up, that's my style Little bit ruthless, little bit raw Razorblade tucked inside of her bra Lovin' that pain, she roughin' me up Guess I do too cause I'm stupid in love”

Roses - SAINt JHN (Banks Arcade cover)

“Turn up baby, turn up, when I turn it on You know how I get too lit when I turn it on Can't handle my behavior when I turn it on Too fast, never ask, if the life don't last, done been through it all”

Maraschino Love - EZI

“Your lips, a sugar rush Like candy on my tongue Once I got a taste, I couldn't stop Wanted every drop, give me all you got I'll sip you out the bottle, you're so sweet like cherry pop Was like, Oh my God, my new favorite drug You go down like liquid velvet, maraschino love”

Heart Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand) - Marilyn Manson

“And I don't mind you keeping me on pins and needles If I could stick to you and you stick me, too Just don't break, don't break my heart And I won't break your heart shaped glasses”

Borderline - Tove Lo

“Good people do bad things too Pretend they don't know, but they do It takes one to know your mind You and me we are one of a kind, it's true I like to feel my bones when they crash into my heart I like the taste of blood when you're tearing me apart I like to push you to the edge as long as you say you're mine”

Mary on a Cross - Ghost

“But through all the sorrow We were riding high And the truth of the matter is I never let you go, let you go We were scanning the cities Walking to greater dues But besides all the glamour All we got was bruised”

Desperado - Rihanna

“Desperado Sitting in a old Monte Carlo A man whose heart is hollow, uh Take it easy I'm not tryna go against you Actually, I'm going withcha Gotta get up out of here and You ain't leaving me behind”