#my old rage just got activated for this series
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dovewingkinnie · 11 months ago
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im listening to old fnaf songs again and just got reminded that i never really expressed my opinion about the fnaf movie because i stopped doing fnaf content so here is my full opinion where the fuck was phone guy. like im so serious right now, where was he. words cant describe how disappointed i was that he wasn't in the opening of the movie saying 'hello hello' like what were they thinking they can ruin the original trilogy of the games, they can ruin purple guy, they can ruin everything that fnaf was, but they cant fucking do this to phone guy 😭 dont give me excuses or reasons why he wasnt in the movie i do not care!!! there are no excuses for this!!!!! "oh but william was like the phone guy cause he had the phone and-" NO SHUT UP i wish i could've enjoyed the movie more, but im dead serious when i say phone guy not being in it killed the experience for me, they better redeem themselves by putting him in the second film i feel insane because no one else is talking about this as far as i've seen, where are my phone guy fans please tell me i'm not alone
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novankenn · 1 month ago
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Panic to Relief to Panic
A snippet from "a Mafia" AU
"Find her!" Athena Nikos screamed at top of her lungs as her entourage "For fuck's sake find her!"
"We're trying Mistress Nikos, but her scroll is not on, and all our contacts are just saying, she's... around."
"What the fuck does that mean!" Athena raged, grabbing her empty glass tumbler and shattering it against the wall. "Find her before Prismeya unleashed those cursed Sisters of Mercy... or worse!"
Her small entourage of five all froze. The Sisters of Mercy were the stuff of legend. Fast, brutally efficient, and rumored to be fanatically in their service of the Arc family. It was said when Prismeya "retired" the Sister vanished, in to thin air.
Of course everyone knew what the "worse" statement, or rather who it referred to. The Cleric. If the Sisters were legendary, the Cleric was mythical. He or she didn't take contracts, she was given contracts... contracts that of were on entire organizations. Pledge breakers, those that dealt in the anathemas of the families. She or he was sent in when to remove a problem would be to spark a full out gang war.
While it was doubtful the Cleric would even take a contract featuring a single target... the threat still remained, and even if she was out... Prismeya still had sway and clout. Hence the "meeting" a couple of days ago.
"What were you thinking Pyrrha!" Athena screamed in anger and desperation while shattering a second glass against the wall. "I'm going to tan your hide when I get my hands on you!"
"Mistress?" a shaking voice young woman with red streaked hair, addressed her superior, the head of the Nikos family.
"What?" Athena snarled.
"I have a call for you. Private line, she says she has information about your wayward daughter."
"Did they give their name?" Athena asked as tried to calm herself, as she shakenly reached for the offered scroll.
"No, mistress." the young woman, informed her. "She just said wayward daughters complicate things... in interesting ways."
"What the fuck?" Athena swore before, taking the scroll and holding it up to her ear. "Athena Nikos here. Who the fuck is this."
"Such hostile language for an old friend." came the soft voice. "Especially considering I've got news about your baby girl, juicy news."
"Kali?" Athena choked down her anger. "So what has my daughter done, to make this situation worse?"
"Yes, Athena, it is me... and do you have Prismeya's contact information?"
"I have a way to reach out to her, but why?"
"Well, the info about my daughter was correct, she's actually working at Pumpkin Pete's"
"You daughter is working a retail job at the gods awful store?"
"Yes, and she apparently has a girlfriend..."
"That's nice and all Kali, but what does..."
"Well from a source, a reputable source, Jaune and Pyrrha are the Arc and Nikos... couple."
Her scroll fell from slack fingers, followed shortly by the entire body of Athena Nikos.
"Mistress!!!" came a course of shouts, "Get her on the bed, and call a doctor!"
Kalil heard it all through the still active call. The shuffle of feet, someone yelling into a scroll. It was almost two minutes before someone picked up the scroll.
"Miss are you still there?" the very timid voice asked.
"I am my dear. Please let Athena know she can call me when she feels better."
"Of course Miss."
The call then ended.
(A/N - FYI... if you want to jump to the master list to catch up on any posts to do with this series... every title is a link to it.)
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the-lark-ascending69 · 9 months ago
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I just got an idea for whump Ronance.
What if Robin and Nancy gets captured by Brenner?
Like, they end up becoming his new lab rats. Thry get tortured and abused just like El was.
What do you think?
(Also, what kind of powers do you think they would have respectively?)
Anon I am so sorry i wrote a long asf response to this and then it got deleted and I was so mad I didn't want to do it again but now I feel inspired and motivated to give it another try.
SO. Wonderful concept! I love it! Let me share my thoughts!!
So what I came up with is:
At age 15, they both get lost in the Upside Down. They only vaguely knew about the other's existance from school but when they found each other down there, they became inseparable. This is an AU in which Will never went missing. Anyway they're terrified and starving and exhausted but at least they have each other, and they hold hands almost the entire time because they both desperately need the comfort.
Eventually, they make it out on their own after finding a gate... and it's in the Hawkins Lab. They come out on the other end before the unbelieving eyes of dozens of scientists, who were convinced no one would survive a minute in there without the proper equipment. Yet these trembling, starving young girls covered in grit survived with only the clothes on their back for a week.
Brenner recognizes them immediately - Nancy and Robin, the two girls from the missing person posters circulating through town. Everyone already thinks they're dead. They made fake bodies of them, for Christ' sake, he's not letting this opportunity go, especially after the disappearance of his only remaining test subject, 011.
This will be a new experiment. A different one. They are given different numbers for ir - A01 for Nancy and A02 for Robin. They get that tattooed in their arms. The purpose of the experiment is to study the effects of short-term exposure to the Upside Down on humans of their height, s.ex, age, health status and weight. They call themselves doctors. They give them separate rooms and run a series of tests daily on them. They try to be subtle at first as to not scare them too much - they don't want another 011 - so they call them by their real names for a while. They ask questions about their lives before the Upside Down and reassure them this is meant to test radiation levels - a standard procedure, before they can return them to their parents.
They immediatelly call bullshit. Why can't they talk to their parents now? Why can't they see them through a glass, at least, or a camera, if radiation is what they're worried about? Why won't they tell them what that place was or why it led back to the Lab? Do their families know they're safe? What is going on? They ask so many questions about every procedure ran on them, resisting in more and more extreme ways until the scientists need to tie them down and drug them whenever they want to do anything.
Brenner notices similar brain activity in them to that of his old test subjects, and he suspects the Upside Down might have given them some kind of ability. He keeps them in the rainbow room, hoping each other's company will help them develop their powers, yet for a long time nothing comes. They can't move objects with their mind, or astral project, or open gates. Even despite everything they do to them. Despite every horrible procedure they perform on them. Drugs of all kinds, leaving them delirious and weak for days. Electrocompulsive therapy. Hypnosis. Pain tests. Sensory deprivation. Solitary confinement. Brenner wants to activate their powers in one way or another, desperate after losing subject 011.
(It's terrifying each time. Nancy is invaded by pure rage while Robin is paralyzed by fear. Whenever they take one for a procedure, the other waits impatiently for her return, fully concious of what they're doing to her - or so it seems. Nancy, at least, thinks she knows what they're doing to Robin. She thinks they do the same things they do to her - tie her to a chair, put an IV in her, maybe, or stick a needle into her neck. Brenner will do this while casually telling her she'll only feel a small pinch, before doing such a monstruosity to her that she'll be woken up by seizures at night. It takes Robin some time to tell Nancy the truth).
They seem completely useless for a long time, but that changes the moment they capture a russian agent.
He was a scientist, working from an unknown location beneath Hawkins, trying to get intel from the Lab when he was caught and tortured to extract information from him. Robin wasn't usually allowed to wander the halls alone, but someone left the door unlocked and she was curious, and soon she found herself in front of a closed door, hearing panting and ragged breathing after this man received the beating of his life. He was talking to himself - curses and meanderings about death and whether or not he'd see his family again. Robin, despite having never learned Russian, understood everything, and in a perfect accent she began to talk to him. She didn't know why - she didn't even realize they weren't speaking English. For a moment he thought he was being rescued, and he shared with her a lot of information.
Brenner caught her in the act and severaly punished her. Solitary confinement for one week. She would only see other people when they ran tests on her, and even then they wouldn't speak to her at all. He ended up not living up to his threat when, not two days after the event, he noticed her brain activity going wild. He has fascinated, and he asked her what had happened, if that russian spy gave her something like a drug. "Russian?" she asks, only then understanding what had happened.
They believe her powers are related to xenoglossy, the supernatural ability to know a language without having ever learned it. Something extremely useful in that specific historical context. She'd be an incredible spy, and oh, Brenner can't wait to experiment with this. They kill the spy after she tells them everything he told her.
They begin to give her a special treatment over Nancy - not exactly for the better. Brenner wants to understand this new ability, developed not in the womb like in other subjects but when subject A02 is a teenager, possibly caused by exposure to Upside Down radiation, though that's not confirmed. Maybe it had more to do with their experiments. He thinks he hit a dead end when it's revealed Robin already knew intermediate-to-advanced French, Spanish and Italian from before being captured - she'd be just a regular poltglot in that case, a prodigious one, right, but with nothing of interest for Brenner. But he quickly realizes this is not the case. Robin didn't know a word of Russian before, and he develops a hipothesis he'll spend the following year testing. He tries her ability with different languages, escaling on rarity, complexity and distance from English. From reading a single short text, Robin becomes profient in Finnish - a non-indoeuropean language Brenner doubts she's ever had any contact with. Proficient, but not fluent. It seems like she can very easily extract a language's grammar from a short sample text, applying it to terms she's familiar with, but she can't magically "guess" vocabulary of grammatical rules not present in the material she was given. For example, by reading a text in which all 15-16 grammatical cases of Finnish are present, she will be able to apply them to any noun in nominative case she knows, but she can't do it with nouns she doesn't know, and she can't use grammatical cases not present in the sample text given to her. She also can't guess spelling or pronunciation without both text and audio samples, and she can't speak in accents she hasn't heard (though she can easily switch accents in a way native speakers of the language can't, a skill that is curiously not translated (lol) into her native English). She learns faster with audio than with text, but even faster with a real-time conversation. Brenner brings a colleague who is fluent in Japanese to test her and he's amazed by how quick her progress is. His hipothesis, seemingly now proven, was that hers was an entirely mental skill, not a supernatural one, since she doesn't magically have access to languages she never had any contact with. This would make her ability not real xenoglossy.
A few more fun facts about her "power":
Her pre-existing skill with Spanish, French and Italian didn't improve until she was exposed to these languages again after being captured. She becomes incredibly skilled at solving puzzles and cracking codes. Brenner believes her power developed thanks to her intensive studies in languages through her childhood. Her brain activity is similar to that of non-native speakers of a language during the few first minutes of having contact with a new language, but in less than an hour, it will be the same as with native speakers. She's confused by some reconstructed languages, but not others (Proto-Indoeuropean was easy for her to learn, Proto-Uralic took her some time before learning more finno-ugric languages than just Finnish. If this were happening in the 2000s, when the Dené-Caucasian theory was already formalized, then Proto-Dené-Caucasian would have sounded like absolute gibberish to her).Some of Brenner's colleages hipothesize that her knowledge of living languages help inform her of the grammar and syntax of proto-languages in an extremely accurate way, to the point she subconciously knows when a reconstruction is wrong. This would make her an amazing paleolinguist. Brenner is less interested in the reconstruction of ancient turkic languages in Siberia and more interested her use as a spy and code-breaker - though it wouldn't have hurt him to take a second look at the idea of turkic languages, because that Russian agent, he was from a region of Russia called Tartary, and he spoke another language aside from Russian, the Tartar language, though he never got to speak it in Robin's presence. Brenner and his colleagues, not familiar with the vast diversity of languages on Earth, spend a long time working with an incorrect hypothesis because they couldn't notice Robin speaking Tartar to herself as a distinct language from all the others they were teaching her. A year and a a half passes before someone spent enough time listening to her to notice the difference. It's a discovery that shatters completely Brenner's first hypothesis on the absence of a supernatural element in Robin's ablity, and he's once again fascinated when he discovers it. His new hypothesis: Robin's power grants her access to a person's mind through speaking to them in a strange, confusing way, and he can't wait to destroy her, pick her brain apart and figure out how it works even if he kills her in the process.
In fact, he does. Literally. He does it over and over and over again, and Nancy has to watch it happen time and time again.
Because here's the thing: Robin wasn't the only one to develop powers, and in fact, she wasn't even the first one.
If you've heard of the videogame Life is Strange, anon, then you'll understand Nancy's power here: she can rewind time. Her power is pretty much the same as Max's in LiS - she can rewind time up to a certain point, though it causes a great mental strain, and eventually, she will discover she can time travel to specific points in time through photographs she's present in, as her younger self.
She discovers her powers the first time Robin is killed.
Misbehavior got her punished - solitary confinement after a long testing session. She had an overdose in her cell, and no one noticed in time. Nancy barely remembers what happened then, other than the horror she felt, before the events of the day flashed backwards before her eyes and she was brought back to Robin - warm, alive, breathing - in the rainbow room.
She begged her to do as they said, to behave, to not fight back. Robin is confused but Nancy is in tears and she agrees to do as she says.
This time, when she has an overdose, they treat her on time. She was in a comma for a week, but soon she was back on her feet and back in Nancy's arms.
It keeps happening - over and over again. The time she swallowed her own tongue during a seizure because Nancy didn't hold her right, and she had to try over four times (and watch her choke and die four times) before she got it right. The time she didn't die - but she lost her ability to speak after hours of electroculpulsive therapy, and she had her fake an illness so they would submit her to less aggressive procedures. It happened again when, after a similar trial, she forgot her own parents and thought the scientists were her parents. But she mostly just died. Over, and over, and over again. Mostly from overdose or brain damage during seizures, but one time, she was purposely asphixiated during a test. To this point Nancy still isn't sure what was it that they wanted to test with that. She suspects it was just torture for the sake of torture. To break her, somehow.
Nancy is terrified of long-term effects of all of this on Robin's health. She's scared the damage will cross the point of no return too early, to a point she can't go back to, a point in which she can't stop it. She can hold Robin's head during a seizure but she can't stop the seizures, and the lasting damage they leave.
Robin is aware of Nancy's powers. Nancy didn't even have to prove them to her - she believed her immediately whe she told her, and she trusts her judgment completely. If Nancy tells her it's better to do X, you can bet Robin will be doing X. Robin doesn't tell Nancy about her newfound ability immediately - she doesn't want her to worry about something she can do nothing about. But she does share it with her, after some time. She felt the need to explain to Nancy why the sudden interest on her. Nancy worries about her Robin so much, so so much, because she's just become Brenner's favorite new toy, and he'll do anything and everything to exploit her. She's in much more danger than Nancy is, and Nancy wishes she could take her place, make herself into Brenner's toy, draw attention away from Robin, but they both know the best they can do for their safety is to keep Nancy's invisible power secret. Nancy hates herself for not being able to take Robin's pain for her.
They escape one day. It's a complicated plan including short-distance time travel, manipulating russian spies through a stolen radio, several forms of treason and going out the same way they came in - through the portal. Nancy does her best to keep them safe with her power as they search for the other gate, the one they first crossed three years ago. And then, they're out. They're found unconcious on the side of the road.
They wake up a few days later in the hospital, surrounded by their families. Nancy's brother, Mike, has a new friend - a quiet girl with long brown hair and a 011 tattoed on her wrist, and she knows she needs to speak to her desperately, but she's exhausted, so for the time being, she'll sleep for some time, feeling almost at peace now, knowing Robin is safe and in the good hands of doctors.
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I'm trying to put it into words. And I can't. But I'm still gonna try.
It absolutely breaks my heart watching people tear this book to shreds, and not because I somehow think it was perfect or void of problematic elements.
But I was active in the fandom when HOH came out. And maybe you were too and you still feel differently than me, that's fine. But to me, the reason I feel so fiercely protective over tsats is cause I remember the absolute shitstorm that came after HOH. After Nico came out/was outed. I remember the joy, the rage, the support and the condemnations. I remember articles critiquing the book for it's "strong homosexual themes" when it was literally just a fourteen year old boy confessing to having a crush on another boy. I remember it all so fucking vividly. And I especially remember the very real fear a lot of us had that Rick was going to kill off its then only gay character. And instead Nico actually got a love interest! This was so huge! And yes it was sloppy, and rushed, but to a lot of us, we were just grateful that a queer character in a popular children's book series got to be happy! And out in the books, and not just after it finished.
Idk. I'm probably not explaining this well but I guess part of me is still stuck in that mindset. Of just being happy, cause with all the homophobic backlash HOH received it could have gone very differently. So to now have a book specifically centered around Nico and Will and their relationship...it's really special to me. And it's such a fucking bummer to see all this hate.
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i-am-a-bad-influence-writes · 10 months ago
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゚☾ ゚。⋆ The favorites ⋆。゚☁︎。
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Author's note: This is my new favorites list. My old ones are still available through my old masterlist. This one is just updated and I cleaned up the links that didn't work anymore. Sorry to every writer who gets another notice that they have been mentioned, do know that I still love you very freaking much. I'm just going through a re-brand and cleanup phase :)
* = smut
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♡ Arthur Morgan ♡
*Thursdays by @the-karma-cafe Summary: in which the boys are curious where Arthur runs off to every thursday night
*Big Iron by @grugruel
*Bold as love by @woman-of-balnain Summary: reader is jealous after seeing mary and arthur hanging out.
*As far as dreams go by @serawritesthings Summary: While Arthur found sanction in his dreams, you would fret about them every night. While he longed for the sweet caress of your hands, you were unknowing, fooled by his stoic facade as your dreams only brought you nightmares. (There is a part 2)
Captive by @queenxxxsupreme Summary: On your way back to camp, the O’Driscolls attack.
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♡ John Marston ♡
Dating golden boy John Marston HC's by @devnmon
*It's certainly heaven if you're here, Darlin' by @2dmenenthusiast Summary: You're life with John was constantly filled with ups and downs. Hopefully you can both make it together in one piece.
*Summer love at Bighorn Ranch by @holyratrimony Summary: After his divorce from Abigail, John Marston is a mess. A series of rash decisions lead to John purchasing a rundown piece of land called Bighorn Ranch. As the ranch grows, so does the need for extra hands. When you show up, ready for your new job, John is immediately taken with you. When you get caught in a thunderstorm and show up on his doorstep, soaking wet, will he be able to keep his feelings to himself, or will he confess everything? 
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♡ Joel Miller ♡
*Say you love me by @thot-of-khonshu Summary:  Red wine. Rage. Regret. Reunions. When pride separates you from the man that got away in 2003, you thought you’d never see him again. But when going to tie loose ends for Bill and Frank, you see him and a young companion.
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♡ Henry Cavill ♡
L’aurore by @fvckinghenrycavill Summary:  a fluffy morning with Henry and his beard that he has to shave.
*Drunk in love by @angrythingstarlight Summary:  Drunk Henry comes home wanting a little taste of his favorite snack.
Love bite by @delicate-moon-princess Summary:  It was just a little love bite. Who knew Henry could be so dramatic?
*Doctor and Mr. Cavill by @ramp-it-up Summary:  Kal’s favorite Veterinarian, nerd activities and Henry.
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♡ Henry Cavill's Sherlock ♡
Jigsaw by @andsheloved Summary:  as you wonder what it would be like for him to return your affections, Sherlock finally understands what he would sacrifice to fit within your world.
We’ll be alright by @love-strawberry Summary: in which they fight but there's no doubt that they'll end up alright.
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♡ Clark Kent ♡
*Need by @aimless-imagines-for-fun Summary:  A little make out session between you and Clark gets heated and this time, you two get to go all the way.
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♡ Captain Syverson ♡
*And so much more... by @sillyrabbit81 Summary:  After a disappointing date, your best friend's older brother picks you up to take you home.
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♡ Carmen Berzatto ♡
*After hours by @ilongfor-the-arts Summary:  Reader is a friend of his or more of a coworker but she finds Carmy attractive and one day someone says something about him, just for a laugh, nothing really mean and reader chimes in with a “ I’d totally sit on his face”?
*You’re my girl by @ilongfor-the-arts Summary: The meat delivery guy flirts with you and Carmen doesn’t like it.
*“Bad“ at this by @ilongfor-the-arts Summary: They like each other but neither wants to admit it. Tension builds until the kettle starts screaming.
*Learning in public by @ohcaptains Summary:  you didn’t think he’d enjoy it that much. didn’t think he’d want more, too.
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♡ Halsin ♡
*Oh, to be alone with you by @galacticgraffiti
*In need of a healer by @scratchandfriends
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♡ Love and Deepspace ♡
*Top tier eaters by @syluslovies
*Eating you out by @rose-tinted-kalopsia
*Favorite positions by @shomatoriashi
*Shot, shot, shot, shot! by @aeyumicore Summary: what happens when the four love and deepspace men get drunk and jealous? there's only one cure and it's in between your legs!
Princess treatment by @mephisto-reporting
*"Is it in yet?" by @cute-little-crow
*NNN by @jinwoosbabyboo
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♡ Xavier ♡
*Delicious Desire by @lostinlads Summary: after a heavy makeout session, xavier finds out that you've never been eaten out. he takes it upon himself to bless you with his mouth
*Xavier is an insatiable little freak by @missaengg
*No restraint by @aeyumicore
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♡ Jeon Jungkook ♡
*miss taken by @junghelioseok
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worlds-oldest-teenager · 2 years ago
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Kind of controversial but why are people acting like TSATS is Rick Riordan's first queer book? Like Magnus chase who? Trials of Apollo?
Warning ⚠️: Long rant under the cut. It's not very tsats friendly so please scroll if you don't want to read.
Idk it just feels like sometimes the fandom doesn't really view queer rep as valid unless it centers around romance. Completely biased as a toa fan but toa had so much rep. The bi mc, the gay geysers, the kindly old lesbian couple taking in unwanted kids, ace characters, characters struggling with comphet, characters crushing on people of the same gender and none of it being taken as something out of the ordinary. It just wasn't centred around romance.
The toa fandom has always been pretty small and chill with activity spiking everytime a new book releases. Then suddenly when Tower of Nero came out there were so many people. So what changed, what brought in so many people who weren't even interested in the premise of the book?
It was Solangelo.
I like solangelo as much as the next person (minus the year of seething rage when they were dominating the toa tag) but the way that people discount an amazing series about change, growth and overcoming abuse with some of the best casual queer rep I've seen and consider the only thing of value being a minor mlm couple with a few pages of screentime leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
Magnus chase is another book. Alex fierro isn't perfect rep (stop calling Alex slurs holy fuck) but it was revolutionary to have a gender fluid character in a children's series and this was back in 2016. Fierrochase is pretty popular but I wonder sometimes if Alex and Magnus would be as popular as they are if they never got together. They're still not as popular as solangelo but in good faith that might be because people became too fatigued to read mcga.
It just feels sometimes that these books are viewed as lesser queer books just because there's no shipping or it's not a (I'm so sorry don't kill me ) heart stopper esque gay couple. Idk if im taking this too personally as a potentially ace *slides nsfw art under desk* person whose gender is wonky but it's just my thoughts on this.
But I just feel like the focus should be on the countries banning and censoring the book instead of people with perfectly valid criticism of it. There are so many of his books with queer rep and most of the criticism I've seen have come from LGBTQIA+ people that like these books or at least put the same energy into scrutinizing them too. Idk why people assume anything bad said about TSATS was a bad faith reading done out of homophobia.
All that being said, tsats is definitely being marketed as the first queer book. It's banned not very accessible in my country despite all the others going through- which sucks. It's being treated like the first queer focused book Rick has written and it's coming out at a bad time for everyone but especially people in the US apparently. So I understand why any reactions would be taken as the fandoms reaction to the first queer book.
So who is more homophobic? The person who doesn't like a queer book or the person who holds a queer romance as the pinacle of queer? The answer : no clue man it's complicated and it's sucks that we're all so on edge in these trying times that we automatically assume the worst. There's nuance that a smarter person than me can elaborate on but I am not he.
Sorry for writing something so divisive during pride month but it is a conservation that should be had and what better month than one celebrating queer identity and representation. Hope everyone has a great pride month and stays safe.
Peace and love ✌️🏳️‍🌈💜
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sarandipitywrites · 9 months ago
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Happy WBW, Saran!
Please pretend it's Wednesday, because I just found a single spoon on the floor and am gonna use it before it's gone: So your DRDW is based on a video game I know absolutely nothing about. How much of the game did you keep? Is it the same setting, same world, or something new?
Happy WBW, Elli!
"I found a single spoon on the floor" is such a mood though (I'll get to your other asks at some point, I promise - this just looked like one I actually had the brainpower to answer lol)
The quick answer to this is that the essentials (characters, setting, magic system, some plot beats) are there, but very heavily changed and expanded upon, to the point that I don't actually think you'd need to know anything about the games to understand what's going on in DRDW. The long answer is... a lot longer lol
(Putting the rest of this under a read more for spoilers for a 20-year-old game and because infodump mode was activated)
The Jak & Daxter game series is - and i say this with all the love in my heart - completely fucking bonkers. In summary: in the first game, Daxter (a human) falls into a pool of Evil Magic (dark eco) and turns into an orange otter-weasel-thing, which sends Jak on a quest to change him back. While they don't succeed at changing Daxter back, they do find a time machine (?!) which they take into the future, where Jak is promptly arrested and subjected to magical mad science experiments and injected with dark eco (this is the start of the second game). This does not, notably, turn him into an orange otter-weasel-thing, but does give him the ability to turn into a demon (and anger issues. It also gives him anger issues). He then uses these powers to overthrow the dystopian future government and save a kid who's destined to save the world because the kid is also Jak (because Jak's originally from the future, of course). He then sends the kid back to the past to repeat the cycle.
I won't get too into the third game (except for how you find out that the otter-weasel-things are actually a race of spacefaring gods, and Daxter has technically been a god all this time because Reasons?!) because DRDW doesn't cover that, but i can assure you that it is also a trip.
DRDW was originally meant to follow the canon a lot closer than it actually does. As it stands, though, I've scrapped pretty much all the events of the first game (Daxter in DRDW does not turn into a weasel god, although he did get to keep a bit of magic-ability-worldbuilding i gave him as an explanation for why dark eco would turn him into a rodent instead of a rage monster), including the time travel.
For the setting, this means that I smashed together the settings from two different time periods into one map, as well as moving things around and adding new locations where it made sense. As far as time period goes, I went for the Jak 2 time period (a little bit of 'recovered ancient tech,' but mostly modern-futuristic tech).
Without the time travel, the kid being young Jak doesn't make sense, so his story got completely changed. A couple characters didn't have anything to do, anymore, so they've been excluded (although I'm considering bringing them in for other roles in another story). This also affected how the main characters (Jak, Daxter, and Keira) grew up a lot more significantly than I expected, so while the core of their characters is similar, there are significant differences from the canon (plus i wrote them as being more explicitly neurodivergent than they are in the games [although in the games they're already pretty heavily ND-coded, in my opinion]).
In this version, Daxter also takes a bit longer to find and rescue Jak (because. Look. You give me an excuse for prison/experiment/post-whump, I am going to run that shit as far as I can, ok) - because of this, Jak is pretty much stuck in magic demon mode. So plot-wise, there are a lot of parallels to the plot line of the first game as they try to find a way to change Jak back (but it's complicated, because of course it is).
The magic system got a total overhaul - in the game, magic (eco) is very... well, video-gamey. Green heals you, blue makes you go fast, dark turns you into a monster/orange rat, etc. I put a frankly unnecessary amount of work into figuring out what eco *is* - where it comes from, how it forms in different environments, how it interacts with people, how it's used in connection with technology, etc. Tbh I spent so much time on this part that it made me consider spinning this whole story into original fiction. But when I tried, it just Felt Wrong so I put it back 😂 Really though, I think the magic system rewrite is one of the bigger factors in making this fic actually kind of comprehensible without knowledge of the games - I'm really proud of it 😊
Thank you so much for the ask (and the chance to infodump about my favorite games and favorite project 💜)
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abybweisse · 2 years ago
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Hi there! I recently finished reading the Black Butler manga for the first time and I’m completely blown away!!! One thing I’m curious about and would like to know from a long-time manga reader: When did people start to seriously theorize that Ciel had a brother? I binge read the manga in less than a week and all of the foreshadowing/clues went completely over my head, so I would love to find out what made people start to get suspicious and what kind of theories started to pour in! 👀
Wow, that's a lot of reading in less than a week! I would have missed a bunch of little details, too, if I had tried that! 😯
When did 2CT start?
Well, I didn't join the fandom until sometime in 2015, and some people were already talking about various hints that there was probably a twin brother. @kurotwins and @akumadeenglish who are both not active here anymore (at least not on those blogs) we're talking about it, as well as some others I'm not as sure about. Apparently, the Japanese chunk of the fandom didn't really debate there being a twin; it was sort of accepted very early-on. It might be a matter of translation issues, like "sons" translated to "son", etc.
Anyway, I recall reading a bunch of their posts, and then I started paying more attention to a scene in ch1. Chlaus shows up with the packaging for a game called "Mouse3" by "Ninkyodo". Well, that's a parody of Mother3 by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on April 20, 2006. Unlike the previous two versions of the game, Mother3 never got localized as part of the EarthBound series. Which is why Chlaus tells our earl the "game" was so difficult to find in Italy. Of course, that packaging contains the drug evidence that our earl needed to show Scotland Yard. To put Azzurro Vanel (and potentially the Ferro family) away.
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The irises are used in both Victorian flower language and Japanese flower language to mean a few different things, but one meaning they share in common is something along the lines of "I have a message for you." Well, that message is the game packaging shown on the very next page.
Mother3 is about mirror twin boys who deal with tragedy soon after their birthday (9th or 10th). Their mother is killed by a monster, and their father is so distraught about her death that he goes into a rage and end up in jail for a while. Soon after the dad gets out of (escapes from) jail, he finds out the older mirror twin had gone off by himself to kill the monster, but now he has gone missing. Everyone is searching, but no body has been found. However, the player of the game can see Claus' broken body at the bottom of a cliff. It's understood that he's dead. The main characters still don't know, though. Not for another three, almost four, years. After losing his wife and being unable to find his older son, the father becomes kind of useless. Notice that the guy in Kuroshitsuji is Chlaus, and the older twin in Mother3 is Claus.
Three years later, Lucas (younger mirror twin) is about 13 years old, and he sets off on his own quest for revenge, along with the loyal family dog, Boney. The rest of the game takes place during this one year, then it ends just before his next birthday. The last thing Lucas has to do before he can "win" is defeat his own older twin brother, who had died, been turned into a Fascinating Chimera, and had been pitted against him.
So, I started coming up with my Mother3 theory for Kuroshitsuji back in December 2015. Back then, I was already theorizing that not only is there a twin brother, but he's a mirror twin. The missing twin is older, dead, reanimated, and will pop up again as an adversary.
Soooo, idk how long some version or other of 2CT has been around, but a very specific version of it came to me (and became very serious to me) in December 2015. And it's canon now: mirror twin brothers; one lives while the other dies; the dead one is reanimated; they end up having to confront each other.
Even Sebastian gets to parallel the roles of both the loyal family dog, Boney (under contract) and the Dark Dragon who must be given your "heart" to follow your will (as the demon who demands a soul as payment).
That's why I'm so into my Mother3 theory, which started out kind of small and grew and grew... because the similarities don't stop there. Not even close. Numerous characters and plot lines have strong parallels to Mother3 characters and plot lines, while a few are better paralleled in Mother and Mother2. The timelines are essentially the same between Kuroshitsuji and Mother3, too.
Maybe check out my "Why I theorize" post and my "Masterpost 1" for more on that, to get more into it. There are several masterposts and addendums, plus a few more masterposts on the way... eventually. When I first started posting about it, I didn't expect it to be such a big finding, but here I am, still talking about it! 😆
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objectingtotheobjects · 1 month ago
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One Piece Episode 150
So they kidnap the birds to find the island and the birds hold contempt over this? The bird controls the bugs with its call. And pigs some how?
Spring spring just needs a kick into the sea
I feel like no one in this series is this over the top evil without some intense tragic backstory though. Everyone is justifiable in their own eyes at some point
The straw hats are on kill a man mode. Luffy can handle it in an hour and a bit
UPDATED WANTED POSTERS!! THE CREW FINALLY GET TO SEE EM!! (Or not maybe just the town)
Let's go 100, 000, 000 bounty boy
Episode 151
If looting is what pirates do, don't object when your ass is handed to you and you are looted
He's great at taking a hit, but he's even better at handing em out
Is this fight gonna be kinda funny and goofy? Please? Springy boy and rubber boy sounds so silly
Nope he's getting mad. This is about to be badass
Oh the hit
OH THE IMPRINT AND THE BLOOD DRIPS
10 minutes of some of the best art I've seen yet in this series. Love the simplicity of the fight, love the pure casual violence that really proves luffy is dominant when it comes to power in the area. Really gotta love the effective threat from the remaining blood on his had when he points to the sky, this is just such good main character energy from a character who let's me forget hes the main character in certain side character driven episodes
WELCOME BACK MIHAWK
I LOVE YOUR TINY SHIP
7 warlords, I should pay better attention here. Doflamingo intro!!
Bartholomew bear man!
Someone has strangling powers
White beard looks different than I'd pictured. A lil taller
Lafeet belongs to blackbeard pirates, is that who the familiar guy from before is?
Yes apparently
He's got a D too? Cool, I hope he's not a problem
Episode 152
Do they finally go up in this epsiode?? I feel like Larry in the silent film from VeggieTales (that's a mildly niche reference that maybe doesn't overlap here much, oops) I've been waiting so long
SHE GOT A MAKE-OVER (yay ship Dr appointment)
A chicken goat is my new favorite Mythical creature in one piece
LOVE the pile of stress cigarettes beside old man chestnut
Never stop believing!! No one has ever disproved it as much as no one has ever proved it
The Going Marry is so tiny compared to the new average of ships we see, so cute
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The bird is tormented by its biological compulsions vs petty urges and rage I relate though I don't point south
RIDE A SEA KING UP BOYS, YOU DONT NEED THE STREAM. USE A MONSTERRR
(Jokes on the straw hats, this was a long con to destroy the boat so monkey bros can salvage it, they never had good intentions haha)
OH I LOVE HOW SCARED THEY ARE I LOVE HOW THAT DROPPED
Go chicken marry!
FLY!
Or not
Cockblocked
They finally know!! Yasssss!!
AND NOW WE FLY!!
Oh this feels good. I like this clima
THEY REALLY FLY
They left the jet stream! Oh this is hype!!
Episode 153
Everything takes so long to do but it also always feels like a big pay off
Blackbeard's pirates are good natured and evil and I love them for it
Did Usopp just do a suicide
Would the devil fruit water weakness activate in clouds? Or is that still submerged in water? The characters seem to think so but has it been tested?
👁 SHE CAN PUT HER EYES ON THE HANDS WOAH WHAT DOES HER DEVIL FRUIT ACTUALLY DO????
Monsters made of air to float in the sky ocean? Are they balloon monsters? Sky fish apparently
And they're tastey
It's hard to fight in thin air. Luffy should be able to expand his lungs. I like the soldier for hire
White sea, blue sea, white white sea
Got it.
So its pretty much "Yeah we rawdogged up the ancient way" most of them should have died??
I love sir sky knight and Pierre. Pierre is an abomination ♡♡
The scenery in this place is so pretty
That's a gate alright. YAY AFTERLIFE METAPHORS
"Can we say all of the above" got a solid cackle from me. They are truely there for an all round experience
Do they have to count chopper as a person? They could get a discount (also lucky they added those wing handles for Mr grabby hands the lobster)
I love this angel's voice ratting them out to make them go on evil rollercoaster to heaven
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khoicesbyk · 8 months ago
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The Royal Romance.
Forevermore.
A/N: this is the next chapter in the journey of my OTP. Follow along for the fun.
Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual. Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.
Current Word Count: 8,600 words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)
If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or DM me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘
This series is rated Mature and/or Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!
Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!
Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations
TW: mentions of child cancer, child death, trauma, mentions of murder. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!
Chapter 6.) Auld Lang Syne. Part one.
January 2024 came in like a lamb and left out like a lion. 
Many in the kingdom were still buzzing about the arrest and pending murder trial of Countess Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux as well as the active eviction of the former King and Queen of South Cordonia. 
While many nobles decried the eviction, there was ultimately nothing they could do about it. Especially when they were evicted for helping Countess Alicia evade being arrested and charged with murder. 
The day before the trial’s official start, Their Majesties were having a breakfast meeting with Carlo, the prosecutor, to discuss the case. 
“Charging another female noble with murder? You’re beginning to have a knack for these things, cousin.”
Marquise snorted into his coffee. 
“I wouldn't have to charge them at all if these female nobles would quit killing their husbands out of rage, spite, or jealousy.”
“Hmm I don’t know, I think you got a kick out of charging the soon-to-be former Countess.” Shanelle quipped. 
“That's only because it pissed off her step-sister. Which brings me joy.” 
Carlo turned his smirk to Shanelle. 
“And you, my Queen, have evicted the former King and Queen of South Cordonia from their home?!” he asked in feigned shock. 
Shanelle shrugged nonchalantly. 
“First of all, Your Highness, that's MY palace to begin with. I gained control of it the day I said I do to your pigheaded cousin. That means I can evict anyone I choose from there at any given point and/or time. Secondly, they wouldn't have gotten evicted so abruptly if they hadn't instructed the palace guards to prevent The King’s Guardsmen from removing Countess Alicia from the premises. And besides, all they did was move from the old palace to Genevieve’s duchy. Thank you very much.” Shanelle said matter of factly.
Marquise arched an eyebrow at his wife. 
“Oh please! You have been dying to throw them out of the old palace for years. And second, who are you calling pigheaded?” Marquise asked her.
“You! Who else?”
Carlo just snickered.
“I love seeing you two together.” 
Marquise shook his head. 
“Now we should get down to business.”
“Indeed Your Majesty. Now have either of you seen the security footage from the night of the murder?” Carlo asked them.
Shanelle shuddered. 
“Yes, we have. And it's absolutely gruesome,” she replied. 
Marquise nodded. 
“Indeed it is. Part of me doesn't want you to show it but the Parliament needs to see the footage.”
“And what of their youngest daughter Alexis? The one who found Lord Amos?” Carlo asked. 
Marquise paused. 
“If you have to call her as a witness, please be gentle in your questioning. She's only 12.”
Carlo nodded. 
“Very well Your Majesty. I will go prepare my opening statement, and see you both at the trial tomorrow.” Carlo said before taking his leave. 
Shanelle looked at her husband. 
“Are you sure calling that little girl as a witness is a good idea? She's already been through enough.”
Marquise sighed. 
“I don't like it any more than you do but to know the full story the Parliament will want to hear from her. Which is why I told Carlo to be gentle in his questioning. I don't want to put her through any unnecessary trauma.”
Shanelle nodded. 
“Okay. Thank goodness my parents are here until June. With Khari at school, they'll happily keep the boys busy.”
“Indeed. So get ready my love. This will be another trial of a lifetime.”
“How long will this trial be?” she asks. 
“Standard week-long trial,” he replied.
“I will be ready for the start of the trial tomorrow.”
“As will I, my Goddess.”
The murder trial of Countess Alicia started promptly at 8:00 AM the following morning. With many in attendance wanting answers for the Earl’s death. Especially his daughters. After opening statements were made Carlo took two days and went to work laying out the very tumultuous marriage between Earl Amos and Countess Alicia. Including revealing that the youngest three weren't Earl Amos’s biological children and playing the full security footage that showed the murder of the deceased. Even hearing his youngest daughter’s pleas. 
“Help! Help! Someone help! My father is bleeding!” she yelled as the video rolled on. 
“Mama! What did you do? Why did you do this?” she begged her mother. 
“Please, Papa! Hang on! Please don't leave me!” the poor girl cried. 
When Shanelle looked over to her, she had her head down and her eyes closed. It broke Shanelle's heart to see her.
“As everyone can see, while young Alexis tried valiantly to save her father, it was too late. By the time Emergency Services got to the estate, Earl Amos had died. He unfortunately bled out in his youngest daughter’s lap.” Carlo explained as he stopped the video. 
“Marquise, I don't like this. I don't like seeing that poor girl like this. She shouldn't have to be here,” Shanelle whispered to her husband. 
Marquise rubbed her knee in sympathy.
“I know you don't. I don't like it either. But at least now the world knows what happened that night.” he whispered back to his wife. 
“It is now where I’d like to ask Lady Alexis Barbaroux to the stand,” Carlo announced to the room. 
Shanelle had a pit In her stomach. 
“Marquise, don't do this to her. She's been through enough.” Shanelle said quietly to her husband. 
“I don't have a choice, my love,” he said back to her. 
The 12-year-old apprehensively walked to the stand. When she looked up at Their Majesties, she was scared. 
“She's terrified! Stop this!” Shanelle pleaded. 
“Carlo. Remember my warning. You get to ask no more than three questions.” Marquise warned Carlo. 
Carlo nodded. 
“Of course my King,” he replies before turning to the little girl with a warm comforting smile. “Hello, my lady. Thank you for being brave enough to join us today. As I promised His Majesty, I won't take very long. Okay?” 
She simply nodded. 
“Now can you tell everyone what you remember from that night?” 
The little girl fidgeted with her hands before speaking. 
“I…I was in my room. Practicing for my solo recital, when I heard Mama and Papa arguing. But that was…that was…it was nothing new.” she said before letting out a small sob.
Carlo nodded with sympathy.
“I promise I’m almost done. Is there anything else you remember?” he asked.  
Alexis nodded. 
“They always argued and I started to ignore it, until I heard Papa scream. And when I went to see what was wrong…that's when I found him on the floor. And Mama was standing over him with a bloody…”
“Letter opener?” Carlo asked. 
Alexis nodded tearily. 
“Yes. She stabbed him. I tried to help him. I tried to…save him. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save my Papa…” the little girl broke down and cried. 
That's when Shanelle had seen enough. 
“Enough Marquise! End this now!” she demanded. 
“Carlo! It's alright. You don't need to question Lady Alexis any further.” Marquise said to him. 
Carlo nodded. 
“Yes, my King.”
Marquise looked to the Countess’s oldest daughter. 
“Baroness Amanda. Take your younger sisters home. There is no need for them to be here anymore.” he instructed her. 
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” the Baroness replied. 
That's when Lady Alexis looked up at Marquise.
“May I…may I speak to my mother?” she asked. 
Marquise nodded. 
“Go ahead.” 
The little girl nodded to him before getting up and walking gingerly to her mother. 
“Mama?” she asked gently.
Countess Alicia finally looked at her daughter. 
“Why did you do this Mama? Why did you take Papa away from us? Why couldn't you love him like he loved you?” she asked her mother. 
“Alexis…” Alicia said softly. 
“I love you. Despite everything you've done. I still love you. I forgive you, Mama. I forgive you.” Alexis said before sobbing. 
That's when her older sister came to get her. 
“Come on sweetheart. Let's get you home. Okay?” Amanda said to her sister. 
“Amanda, wait!” Alicia said to her. 
When the Baroness looked furiously at her mother.
“Don't you dare speak to me!” she snapped at her mother. 
“Amanda, I didn't–” she started to say before her daughter cut her off, “You didn't what? You didn't mean to ruin the lives of your children? You didn't mean to kill my father? Too little too late!”
“You don't understand Amanda.” Alicia tried to explain. 
The Baroness scoffed. 
“Oh, I understand perfectly. I understand that you murdered my father. I understand that you chose your own selfish, self-centered greed, over your children! How could you? How could you be so cruel, so cold, so goddamn callous? Do you know that because of your actions, I now have to raise YOUR children? Because as we all found out the girls were never his. You and especially your step-sister and brother-in-law forced him to raise another man’s children. On top of having that innocent man executed. Just so the world wouldn't know how much of a no-good whore you actually are!” The Baroness said to her mother. 
Alicia went to speak but her daughter cut her off. 
“I've known for years that you and Papa didn't always get along. It was something I just accepted and lived with. But never did I think you'd blatantly cheat on him let alone kill him. And for what? My father was killed for nothing! No wait. I take that back. He was killed because you couldn't get over being rejected by Her Majesty’s father. It's a good thing he chose Duchess Shantel over you because I can only imagine the hell you would've put poor Prince Damien through if he had actually gone through with the betrothal and married you.”
That's when Genevieve stood up furious.
“How in God’s name can you speak to your mother like that?!” she asked her niece. 
“Simple. Because of you and Uncle Edward. You two may not have put the letter opener in her hand but you certainly contributed to the way she acts! You enabled her to treat my father like shit! When without him she’d just be another noble whore. There's a bunch of them in this kingdom. Your husband would know.” the Baroness replied. 
Genevieve just seethed. 
“You know Aunt Genevieve, growing up I used to think Uncle Edward was the only sniveling coward in our family. Turns out I was wrong. That title now belongs to her.” The Baroness said to her aunt. 
“Amanda, please! I’m sorry!” Alicia cried. 
But her daughter wasn't having any of it. 
“No, you're not. Because being sorry means you're remorseful for what you've done. And we both know you're not the least bit remorseful about killing my father. You’re just mad that since your sister can't save you, you now have to face the consequences of your actions. Because of your actions, I was forced to not only bury him alone but now I have three more children to raise. All while you tried to hide out at the old palace to avoid facing justice. So please spare me the crocodile tears and lengthy excuses.”
The Baroness turned to leave before saying one more thing. 
“Alexis and even my sisters may forgive you, but just know that for the rest of my life, I will not. I will never forgive you for being such a callous, coldhearted bitch. You took my father from me! You murdered him for no other reason than your incessant greed, self-centeredness, and bitter selfishness! You had a good life and a good man. But you just had to ruin it. Because that's who you are. You're no better than your step-sister, grandfather, and especially your mother. May the latter two rest in hell. I will never again look at you and ever see my mother. All I will ever see is the monster you turned out to be.”
With that, the Baroness led her younger sisters out of the courtroom. Shanelle let out a breath she had been holding in. 
“And now I rest my case,” Carlo announced. 
“I think we can take a rest now,” Shanelle whispered to her husband. 
Marquise nodded. 
“Here is where we will stop for the day and reconvene tomorrow.” he said as he addressed the room, "Lord Pollard, as the defense, I expect you to be ready to present your case to the Parliament in the morning.” 
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Lord Pollard replied. 
“Very well. Everyone is dismissed for the afternoon.” Marquise announced before leading Shanelle out of the courtroom. 
When they got to an alcove Shanelle sat down, rubbing her temples. 
“Are you alright?” Marquise asked as he sat down next to her. 
“Physically? I'm fine,” she replied with a sigh, “but that was just awful to have to sit through.”
“I know. I wish it didn't have to come to this but unfortunately, this is the situation we find ourselves in,” he said as he rubbed her shoulders. 
“I shudder to think what the defense will come up with.”
“More than likely they'll look for a scapegoat.”
“You mean my mother?” she asked. 
“I would hope not. But I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't try to blame all of this on your mother,” he replied. 
“I swear to God if they dare…”
He kissed the top of her left shoulder.
“Let us worry about tomorrow when it comes.”
Shanelle nodded. 
“I still need to warn mom.”
“Later. Right now I need a drink and you, my gorgeous wife, you look like you need a nap.”
“Only If you carry me to bed.”
His Majesty happily obliged. Lifting his wife off her feet. 
“I will never get used to that,” she said with a chuckle. 
“The day that you get used to me adoring you is the day I know I've failed as your husband.”
Shanelle playfully rolled her eyes. 
“Lead the way, my knight.”
“As Her Majesty commands.”
He carried her from the courtroom across the palace to their bedroom with ease. Later that night after her children were asleep, Shanelle spent time with her mother. 
“How was the trial butterfly?” Shantel asked. 
Shanelle groaned. 
“In a word? Absolutely horrible.” Shanelle replied. 
“That's two words, baby.” 
The two laughed. 
“My heart breaks for those girls. Especially the younger ones.”
“What happened?” Shantel asked. 
Shanelle gave her mother a rundown of the trial. 
“Not even their oldest daughter knew?” Shantel asked. 
“No. No one knew. All thanks to your brother-in-law and his wife. But you should've seen The Baroness. She let her mother have it.” Shanelle replied. 
“I can only imagine. She was lied to. On top of the fact, her father was killed by her mother. Hell, all of those girls were lied to. It's a sad situation all around.”
“Yeah, but that's not what's worrying me.”
 “What is it, baby?” Shantel asked. 
“I’m worried that the defense will use you as a scapegoat,” Shanelle replied. 
Shantel rolled her eyes.  
“It wouldn't be Alicia if she didn't try to blame it all on me.”
“I will do all that I can to make sure that doesn't happen.”
“No need to baby. I can handle myself. Let her come after me.”
Shanelle shook her head with a smile. 
“And people say I never know when to back down.”
“You must've never met my mother. You used to call her Grammy.”
Shanelle snorted. 
“Fair.”
“Even if her defense does try to blame me for her actions, I didn't put the letter opener in her hand. And I certainly didn't force her to stab the poor man to death. Those were the decisions she made so those are her demons to face.”
“True.”
“Don't worry about me butterfly. I'll be just fine.”
“I know you will.”
Over the next 3 days, it was the defense’s turn in the trial. And as expected they went after Shantel and named her as the cause of Alicia’s spiral. They even alleged that Earl Amos was physically and mentally abusive to the Countess. And that she only stabbed him because she felt it would be the only to keep herself and their children safe. Even calling Queen Genevieve and King Edward as star witnesses. Once the defense rested its case, it was turned over to the Parliament. After 3 days of deliberation, they came to a decision. 
“Have you reached a verdict, Duke Ramsford?” Marquise asked. 
“Yes sire. We have.” Bertrand replied. 
“What say you?” Marquise asked. 
“After much discussion, and an 18-2 vote, the Parliament has decided to convict Countess Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux of malicious intent of murder,” Bertrand replies. 
Marquise nodded as many sat stunned by the news. 
“No!” Alicia shouted. 
“This is not right! My sister doesn't deserve this!” Genevieve proclaimed.
“The Parliament has spoken, so shall it be.” Marquise said to the courtroom before addressing Alicia, “Countess Alicia, you have been convicted of murder, and will be sentenced in the coming days.”
“No! No! No! I don't deserve this!” Alicia cried. 
“Guards, you can take her away,” Marquise said to the guards.
As the guards went to escort Alicia out, her step-sister tried to block them. 
“Get away from her! You will not lay a hand on my sister!” she snapped at them. 
Shanelle rolled her eyes. 
“Since Queen Genevieve wants to join Alicia so badly you can arrest her as well,” Marquise instructed the guards. 
That's when Edward stood up shouting. 
“Don't you idiots dare touch my wife! Or I will have your heads!” He yelled at the guards. 
Marquise groaned while rubbing his brow.
“Hell with it! Arrest him too! And for the love of God, gag him!” he commanded. 
Many watched as the three were taken out of the courtroom screaming at Marquise. 
“Now that the circus is over, I want to thank the Parliament for your time and service to this trial and your kingdom. You are all dismissed.” Marquise announced. 
He and Shanelle watched as everyone filed out of the courtroom. Leaving them alone. 
“Well that's finally over,” he said. 
Shanelle nodded. 
“To be honest I half expected them to come back split down the middle.” 
“True. But I’m glad that they didn't. Otherwise, we would've been here for a few more days than I wanted to be here.” 
“When will she be sentenced?” Shanelle asks. 
“Before we leave for Paris,” he replied. 
“Paris? Why are we going to Paris?” 
“I mean do you not want to go to Paris Fashion Week, my love?”
Shanelle squealed happily. 
“Yes, I thought you might.”
True to his word, Alicia’s sentencing was the day before they were set to leave for Paris. Before issuing the final sentence, Alicia’s three youngest daughters asked to speak publicly on their mother’s behalf. 
“While we understand what our mother has done is wrong and unforgivable. And that our Papa is dead because of her, we ask you, Your Majesty, to be lenient in your sentencing.” her daughter Allyson read in a statement, “we have already lost one parent, we don't want to lose another. Instead of sentencing her to death, we are asking you and Her Majesty to sentence our mother to solitary confinement in the dungeons of the old palace if Her Majesty will allow it.”
Marquise looked at his wife. 
“Well, my Queen? Shall we honor their ask?” he asked her. 
Shanelle looked at him then to Alicia and finally to the girls. 
“As a mother, my heart breaks for you girls. You have been robbed of your father by your mother’s greed and bitterness. Your lives have been destroyed. I can't imagine what you girls must be feeling. Anger, sadness, shock, disgust, and maybe even resentment. As a Queen, I must decide with His Majesty that both serves justice and keeps the people safe. This was not just a random mistake. Your mother poses a great threat to us all. I can not overlook that. But since you three have bravely come forward to ask, I will allow your mother to be held in confinement at the old palace. But only for the sake of you three girls.”
Marquise nodded before looking at Alicia. 
“Very well. Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux you have been sentenced to life in solitary confinement within the dungeons of the old palace. You will be under 24/7 guard and will only be permitted to visit with your daughters. Supervised visitations will be three days a week for only 4 hours each day.”
He then looked at the girls.
“I want you girls to listen very carefully, while you will be permitted to see your mother, you three will not take advantage of this opportunity. You will not abuse this opportunity. Because if I hear that you have, I will revoke it from you and your mother will then be sent to the prison island of Grandevarea. Is that understood?” 
The three young girls nodded. 
“Good.” he said before addressing the guards, “you may take her to the dungeons and will await further instruction.” 
After everyone watched as Alicia was escorted out of the throne room, the couple stepped off the daises.  
“You did good by them,” Marquise whispered to his wife as they walked to the side entrance. 
“I had to. Those girls have been through enough. They don't deserve to have to suffer any more than they already have.”
He brought her right knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss. 
“And because you've done good by them, you deserve a reward.”
A slow smile started to break across her face. 
“Mon amour. Paris attend sa reine.”
“I can't wait!” 
“Let's go!” 
After saying goodbye to their little ones, The Royals were on a flight to the city of Love. 
Paris is one of their favorite cities in the world. And being there during Fashion Week has always been a dream of Shanelle’s. A dream her husband made come true. They were standing on the rooftop deck of their private residence enjoying the sunset view of the Eiffel Tower. 
“I love Paris,” Shanelle said with a contented sigh. 
He wrapped his arms around her with glasses of Lowyn Prosecco in hand. 
“I love you in Paris,” he whispered in her ear as he handed her a glass. 
“You love me everywhere.” 
“Guilty.”
They smirked at each other as they clinked their glasses together. 
“I'm sad we got here too late. I would kill for a ham and cheese omelet from our favorite brasserie.”
“I will have one here first thing in the morning.”
“You're a sap. You know that right?” she teased him. 
“Always and forever. Especially for you.”
“That's not how the song goes.”
“Improvising.”
Shanelle snickered. 
“Your improv needs work.”
“You are such a damn critic.”
“And your biggest fan.”
“I'm sure Khari would have objections to that.”
Shanelle rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
“This view is perfect. And here I thought you were going to this home into one of those AirBnB things.”
“Nah. I decided to keep a few places the family owns to myself. Although the AirBnB idea isn't bad. I'm glad I thought of it.”
“I would pinch you but I like my jaw right where it is.” 
“Smart man.”
The pair watched the sun go down and the moon rise in the sky before it became a tad too chilly for Shanelle. 
“Are you cold love?” he asked. 
“A little bit.” 
He wrapped his jacket around her. 
“Let's get you inside.” 
The two walked inside and down the steps to the main living area. Where bags of groceries and their guards were waiting.
“As requested, my Liege.” their guard Geraldo said to them. 
“Thank you,” Marquise replied
Shanelle became slightly curious. 
“What's in the bags Your Majesty?” she asked. 
“Guanciale, Pecorino, Parmigiano, grani di pepe nero, aglio, rigatoni e uova,” he replied. 
“You're making Carbonara, which is Italian food mind you, in France?” 
“That a problem?”
Shanelle shrugged and grabbed the bottle of Prosecco.
“Hurry up and get that sexy ass of yours in the kitchen!”
“By your command my Queen.”
She sat at the counter with a glass in her hand as she watched him roll up his sleeves and lay out his ingredients. 
“I love watching you cook.”
“If I remember correctly my cooking is what seduced you in the first place.”
“True. Now I get the guanciale, the cheese, the garlic, the black pepper, and I even get the eggs, but why Rigatoni? Especially when you normally use Bucatini?”
Marquise shrugged. 
“I thought I’d try something new.”
“Your daughter made you watch someone make it like on TikTok again didn't she?” she asked. 
Marquise cut his eyes at her. 
“Like I said earlier, you are a sap.” 
“Whatever.”
She watched as started the process of making his Spaghetti Carbonara. 
“Yay! You’re not dicing them into small lardons this time.”
“I should because those will render faster but I also want us to have something to snack on.”
“That works for me!”
“And now! We slice the garlic!” he announced.
“Like Goodfellas?” she asks. 
“Yes! Razor thin! You want it to almost melt into the guanciale fat.”
She watched him slice the garlic and then separate the eggs, grate the cheeses, crack the pepper, and whisk it all together. 
“This is gonna be so good!”
“Indeed. And now we add the guanciale to a cold pan and heat it slowly so the fat renders and we have snacks.” 
Shanelle clapped happily. 
“Enjoying the show beautiful?”
“Don't I always?”
“True enough,” he said as he opened a new bottle of Prosecco and poured himself a glass. “God this stuff is good.”
“We will be drunk by the end of the night.”
“With full bellies.”
“Why don't we do this all the time?” she asked. 
“Kids.”
“That's why we don't do this all the time.”
She loved watching him be so at ease. It had been a stressful time and she was happy to be able to spend time alone with him. 
“A snack for the lady,” he said as he passed her a small bowl of cooked guanciale.
“Mmm! I swear this stuff is like bacon!” she said as she popped a small handful into her mouth. 
“It is pork cheek so…”
“True. It still amazes me that a King can cook. And cook quite well actually.”
“I had to eat somehow while I went to Harvard.”
“You coulda just bought the meal plan.”
Marquise scoffed. 
“No thank you.”
“Why not? Were there no caviar and foie gras options for the Prince?”
He snatched her bowl away.
“Gimme my bowl back!”
“No! You just insulted me!”
“Gimme!”
Marquise cut his eyes at her before handing her the bowl back. He left a little bit of fat in the pan to fry off the garlic. 
“Ahh! Finally, it is time for the marriage of egg yolks, cheeses, cracked pepper, guanciale fat, and pasta water!”
While the meal normally didn't take him long to make, he enjoyed giving his wife a show. Plus both of them were halfway through their third bottle of Prosecco and feeling it. 
“And with just a smidge more pepper and more Pecorino on top dinner is served!” 
“Shut up and pass me a fork!” 
He handed her a bowl before they went and sat down on the couch to enjoy each other’s company and their food. 
“Okay I like the rigatoni but I think I prefer bucatini,” Shanelle said in between bites. 
“Agreed. Although I won't complain about this.”
“Not at all. You have mastered the art of Carbonara. Y’know if this whole being a King thing doesn't work out you could be a chef.”
Marquise snorted into his glass. 
“And give Jenna a reason to boss me around even more than she already does? No, thank you.” 
Shanelle snickered. 
After dinner was done, they laid on the couch under a handmade quilt. 
“I am sated, satisfied, drunk, and happy about it.
He kissed her forehead. 
“Anything for you.”
“Thank you for dinner babe. It was delicious as always.”
“My pleasure. It was a last-minute shopping request I sent out to the guards here.”
“I’m glad you did.”
She snuggled against him. 
“This is why I married you.”
“Why?”
“Because of these little romantic moments. You didn't have to cook for me.”
“Well, I sure as hell wasn't about to sit here all night and starve.”
Shanelle snorted. 
“Besides you know I love cooking for you.”
“I know. It's one of your most redeeming qualities.”
He smiled softly. 
“You know what?”
“Hmm?” 
"I can't stop thinking about kissing you."
"And what are you going to do about that?"
“This…” he said before he leaned and captured her lips in his for a soft sweet kiss.
“I hate it when you do that.”
“Why?”
“Because I always wind up agreeing to anything.”
“Good.” 
He kissed her again. Slower and more sensual than before. A slow smile crossed her face. 
“Stop.”
“Make me,” he whispers against her lips as he tightens his arms around her. 
As they lay together, she started to get sleepy. 
“I think it's past your bedtime, my love.”
“But.”, she said with a yawn, “I don't want to move from this spot.”
“Very well. This is where we will be until the morning.”
“Fine by me.”
“Goodnight beautiful.”
“Goodnight handsome.”
He watched her slowly drift off to sleep in his arms before going to sleep himself. 
They spent the next few days attending various shows. While Marquiss didn't understand many of the runway looks he saw, seeing his wife have the time of her life was worth it to him. As they flew home, she was still gushing about their trip. 
“That was amazing! I loved everything. And when I say everything I mean everything!”
“I noticed. Which show was your favorite?” he asks.
“Schiaparelli. Hands down. They were amazing. And all the outfits I got!” she replies. 
“As if your closet isn't big enough as is.”
Shanelle rolled her eyes.
“But in all seriousness, I am happy you enjoyed yourself.”
“And what was your favorite part of the trip, Your Majesty?” she asked.
He merely tapped the diamond cufflinks on his wrist. 
“You know I never come to Paris without seeing Pierre François.”
“True.” 
Once back at home, it was back to normal for them. Or so they thought. 
Their daughter had been having bad stomach aches for days but no one could figure out why. It wasn't until she started to catch a fever that they became concerned. 
“Marquise, she is on fire,” Shanelle said to her husband. 
Khari moaned in pain. 
“Mommy…”
Shanelle rubbed her forehead.
“I’m right here baby,” she said to her daughter before speaking to him, “call Nadia. Now.”
Marquise nodded. 
“I'll be right back.” 
“No Daddy. Don't go, please.” Khari pleaded. 
“I won't be gone long, my love.”
“Noooooooo!” she whined. 
“Come here, my angel. Come here,” he said as he scooped her up into his arms.
“I don't feel good Daddy.” Khari cried. 
His daughter was in pain and it broke his heart to watch. 
“I know you don't. I will only be gone for just a second. I have to call Nadia. I'll even leave your door cracked. Okay?” 
“You promise?” 
He kissed her forehead. 
“I swear it on my life.” 
“Okay.”
He gave her back to her mother. 
“I'll be right outside,” he whispered to Khari. 
Marquise stepped out to call Nadia when Damien walked up. 
“How is she?” Damien asked. 
“Her fever has spiked. So I’m going to call Nadia.” Marquise replied. 
“What do you need from me?” Damien asks. 
“To stand here and keep me calm. If you don't mind.” 
“Consider it done.”
Marquise nodded and called her pediatrician. When he hung up with her, he had a look on his face. 
“How bad is it?” Damien asks. 
“She wants us to bring Khari to the ER at St. Michael’s,” Marquise replied. 
“Go. I will handle the day-to-day here. And don't worry about the boys. Their grandmothers will keep them company.” 
“If I don't say it enough, thank you, Damien.”
Damien nodded. 
“No need. You forget I have a daughter too.”
“I know.”
“Go on then. I'll go let Shantel and Margo know.”
Marquise stepped back into his daughter's room. 
“Who was that Daddy?”
“Your grandfather, my love. He was coming to check on you.” 
“What did Nadia say?” Shanelle asks. 
“To bring her to the ER at St. Michael’s.” 
“Okay. I'll get her dressed. You call the car.”
Marquise modded before kissing his daughter’s cheek and leaving the room. Once Khari was dressed they were off to the ER in the wee hours of the morning. When they got there Khari wouldn't leave her Daddy’s arms after they were settled into a room. 
“Hello hello everyone. We have got to stop meeting like this. I need my little ones to be okay.” Dr. Nadia said as she entered the room. 
She looked at Khari who was clinging to her Daddy as she sat down. 
“Hello, sweet girl. What's wrong?” Nadia asked. 
“My tummy doesn't feel good,” Khari replied in tears. 
“Oh, you poor thing. Well, I’m here now. And I’m going to make sure we find out why your tummy hurts so bad and we’ll make you all better. Alright?” 
“Okay,” Khari replied quietly.
“That's my girl.”
Just then there was a soft knock at the door. The head of the ER Dr. Hadley.
“Your Majesties, do you both remember Dr. Hadley?” Nadia asked as he walked in.
They both nodded.
“Yes, we do. It's good to see you, Doctor,” Shanelle replied. 
Dr. Hadley nodded politely. 
“It's good to see you both as well,” he said to Shanelle before addressing Khari, “and it is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances though.” 
“Hi doctor,” Khari said quietly. 
Dr. Hadley smiled at her.
“I know you don't feel well but that's why your great-aunt and I are here. We're going to find out what's bothering you and make sure you get all better. But first I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?” Khari asks. 
“I need you to be big and brave. Can you do that for me?” he asked.
Khari thought for a moment then nodded. 
“I can do that,” she replies. 
“Atta girl! That's what I like to hear. Now we're going to get you changed, get an IV going, and get some scans done. Okay?” 
“Okay.”
Dr. Hadley looked at her parents. 
“She’s doing great. And Your Majesties, you both have my word, she will be well taken care of while she's here.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Marquise said to him. 
“Alright, sweetheart. Let's get you changed.” Nadia said to Khari. 
Once Khari was changed into a hospital gown, a nurse came in to start an IV and had a wheelchair. 
“Princess, Your Majesties, this is Yvonne. She's one of the nurses here. She's going to start Khari’s IV so we can get some pain medicine in her then take her down for an X-ray and CT Scan.”
Yvonne bowed. 
“Your Majesties, it's an honor,” she said to the couple. 
“Can my mommy and daddy come too?” Khari asked Nadia. 
“Sure they can. But they'll have to wait in the waiting room. Okay?” 
“Alright.”
“Good girl. Now let's get going.”
Once Khari’s IV was in, she was in the wheelchair and they were off. While they took Khari back, her parents sat out in the waiting area. It's when they sat down, that Shanelle broke down in her husband's arms. 
“I know. I know. You’re scared. I am too. But it's gonna be okay. Khari is here and she's safe. And she's with some of the best pediatric doctors in the world. Shhh. Don't cry.” he whispered to her. 
“I’m trying to be strong, I promise. It's just…” Shanelle tried to say before her words were choked off by a sob.
“I know. I know you are,” he said as he rubbed her back. 
“Your Majesties?” a voice asked softly. 
When they both looked up a woman was standing in front of them. 
“Please pardon my intrusion. But I was sitting over there in the corner and I couldn't help but overhear you both say that the Princess is here.”
“Yes, she is. They just took her back. Who are you by the way?” Marquise asked. 
“Oh pardon my manners. I'm just a little nervous. My name is Lady Selene De Michele-Charroux. My daughter Elena is in school with the Princess.” the lady replied. 
“She's one of Khari’s classmates?” Shanelle asked. 
“Yes ma'am. They took her back before you all got here.” Selene replied. 
“If you don't mind my asking, why?” Marquise asked. 
They watched the lady wring her hands nervously. 
“My lady, why don't you sit down? You look about as stable as I feel.” Shanelle said to her. 
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Selene said gratefully before sitting down next to them, “to answer your question, my King, my daughter has a rare form of neuroblastoma. She's had it since she was 8 months old. She was being taken back for an MRI.” 
“Oh my God! I'm so sorry!”
Selene nodded gratefully to Shanelle. 
“Thank you, my Queen. When my daughter was at school a few months ago, before she got really sick, she was being picked on by another group of children. And the Princess stood up for her. She told the children picking on her that if they didn't stop picking on my daughter, she was going to tell her father. And she told them that her father doesn't like bullies.” Selene explained. 
Marquise just shook his head with a smile while Shanelle chuckled softly.
“For the record, she never told me.”
“I’m sure she didn't but it was the thought that counted for my daughter. She considered your daughter her only friend. And I just wanted to say thank you to you both for raising such an amazing young girl.”
“Thank you, my lady. You said your last name was De Michele?” Marquise asked. 
“Yes. It's my maiden name. You probably don't remember but I went to boarding school with Leo.”
Marquise nodded. 
“That's why your name sounds familiar.”
“Yes. As it just so happens you went to school with my cousin.”
“I did?” he asked. 
“Yes. Does the name Jean-Marc Archambeau ring a bell?” she asked. 
“As in Commander Hervè Archambeau?” he replied. 
“Yes. He and my mother Countess Gladys De Michele are brother and sister. According to him, you two were always butting heads.”
Marquise chuckled. 
“Yes, we were. How is Jean-Marc?” he asked. 
“He’s doing well. Thank you.”
“I haven't heard that name in years. I was told they had moved. What happened?”
Selene cleared her throat. 
“Your father is what happened to them.”
Marquise groaned. 
“What did he do?”
As she was about to answer, both little girls were wheeled out.
“Mommy! Look! My friend Elena is here too!” Khari squealed happily. 
It made Shanelle smile. 
“Hello, Khari’s mommy and daddy! It's very nice to meet you.” Elena said to them. 
Marquise bowed to the little girl.
“Hello, my dear. How are you?”
Elena smiled at him.
“I’m doing good.”
Selene tapped Marquise on the shoulder. 
“Your Majesty, is it okay if we speak privately?” she asked. 
“Of course my lady,” he said to her before turning to his wife and daughter, “you two go on back I'll be there soon.”
Shanelle nodded as she and Khari left.
“I'll be right there sweetheart,” Selene said to her daughter. . 
“Let's have a seat,” he suggested to Selene. 
They sat down. 
“I’m sure you didn't want to have this conversation in front of them.”
“Yes sire.”
“Now what happened?” he asked. 
Lady Selene cleared her throat. 
“Do you remember getting into a fight with my cousin?” she replied. 
Marquise thought for a moment. 
“Yes, sort of. We were 15 and if memory serves, and it was over a score at a football game,” he replies. 
“Yes. He swears you stole a goal from him.” 
Marquise snorted. 
“Oh geez! Now I remember.” he said with a chuckle, “And for the record, I didn't steal the goal from him. He was being too slow and I took the shot.”
“I believe you. Anyway, you two had words, started shoving each other then fists went flying and you gave him a black eye and he busted your lip.”
“Yup. I remember now we had to be separated. And Headmaster Boisseau gave us each a tongue lashing before we were suspended for a few days.”
“Unfortunately for my cousin, it didn't end there.”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“What should've been handled by the school, was handled by your father.”
Marquise let out a breath. 
“What did he do?” 
Selene paused for a second. 
“He had my cousin arrested and charged as an enemy of the crown.”
Marquise was shocked. 
“What?! Over a petty fistfight?”
“Yes. He sent a summons to my aunt and uncle and demanded an audience with them after he was arrested,” she said before taking a deep breath and continuing, “When they had their audience with him and Regina, he told them they could either pay a fine that would've bankrupted our whole family, be exiled, or worse, he would execute my cousin.”
Marquise groaned. 
“My God.”
“King Constantine said he sentenced him to exile because my cousin assaulted an active member of the Royal Family. But my uncle knew the real reason why.”
“What was the real reason?”
“Revenge.”
Marquise nodded. 
“Because of Sebastian. He still blamed your uncle for the ambush that killed him.”
“Yes. I'm sure you didn't know.”
“No, I didn't. But now that I think about it, his not coming back to school makes sense.”
“I swear I didn't tell you for sympathy I promise. But you deserved to know.”
“Thank you, my Lady. If you don't mind telling me, where is your cousin now?”
“Norway. They moved there after they were exiled. My aunt was originally from there.”
“And what about your uncle?” he asked. 
Lady Selene went quiet. 
“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”
“No no. It's okay. He passed away after my daughter turned 2.” 
Marquise nodded before pulling out his wallet.
“Here. Take this.” he said as he handed her a small business card, “have your cousin contact my office as soon as possible.”
“Yes sire. Thank you so much. I wish you and the Princess all the best.”
Marquise shook her hand. 
“The same to you and your daughter as well my lady,” he said before they went their separate ways. 
When he got back to Khari’s room, they and his aunt were waiting. 
“I’m so sorry I took so long. I didn't mean to make you all wait.”
Nadia smiled. 
“It's alright nephew. You’re just in time. I have the results of Khari’s scans.” 
Marquise sat down next to his wife and daughter. 
“As it turns out, Khari has a ruptured appendix,” Nadia said to them.
“What's that?” Khari asked. 
“It's one of your organs, sweetie. It's one of the things we all have. Except for your dad.”
“Daddy doesn't have one?” 
“No. He had his appendix taken out as a teenager. I would know. I had to treat him.”
“I wasn't that bad.”
“Hmm…I don't know about that.” Nadia teased. 
Khari giggled.
“Now because it's ruptured it has to be taken out. That will require surgery.”
“What's that?” Khari asked. 
“It’s where a doctor has to make a small cut in your stomach.”
Khari reared back.
“No! No!”
Nadia laid a reassuring hand on hers.
“It's not bad my dear. I promise. You won't feel anything. You'll be asleep the whole time.”
“I will?”
Nadia nodded. 
“And I will be there with you every step of the way.”
Khari chewed her bottom lip.
“Do you remember what Dr. Hadley asked you?”
“To be brave.”
“Can you be brave for me?”
Khari nodded. 
“Yes, Aunt Nadia. I can be brave. Very brave.”
“That's my girl. Now I have to talk to your father for a second outside okay?”
“Okay.”
Nadia pulled Marquise outside. 
“She’ll be transferred upstairs to a private room for surgery prep.”
“When is her surgery?”
“Because it's the weekend, it'll be tomorrow at 9:00 AM.”
Marquise nodded. 
“Thank you, Nadia. I appreciate it so much.”
She patted his arm fondly. 
“Of course, nephew. I'll see you tomorrow.”
When Marquise returned to his daughter and his wife. 
“What did she say?” Shanelle asked. 
“She said that Khari’s surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 AM so she’ll be sent upstairs for prep.” 
Shanelle nodded as she held Khari. 
“Okay. We’ll be ready.”
“Indeed we will.”
There was a knock at the door. It was the transporter. Marquise recognized him. 
“I remember you,” Marquise said to him. 
“Hello, Your Majesties. My name is Sammy. I'm here to take the Princess upstairs.” the transporter said as he introduced himself. “I was here when His Majesty had his surgery when he was 16.” 
“It's good to see you again.”
Sammy smiled. 
“It's good to see you too, Your Majesty.”
Sammy turned to Khari.
“Are you ready Princess?”
“Yes sir.”
Khari climbed into the wheelchair. 
“And off we go!” 
Once Khari was transported and settled into her room, it was time to meet her surgeon. 
“Hello! Hello! Good morning Your Majesties, and to you too, Your Highness. My name is Dr. Gaston Cormier. I am the head of surgery here at the hospital. It's good to have you all here. Although I am pretty sure one of you swore to me years ago they'd never come back.”
Marquise shook his head with a smile. 
“Hello again doctor. Thank you for coming to greet us.”
“And now that you all are here I want you all to know that the Princess is in very good hands. We will do everything in our power to make sure this process goes as smoothly as possible. And Princess you have my word, I will be very gentle. You won't feel a thing. Okay?”
Khari nodded. 
“Yes sir.”
“Very good.”
“Will I be able to eat?” Khari asked. 
“Yes. You can eat until midnight tonight but no later. Alright?”
“Okay.”
“Now I have some consent to surgery forms that I will leave for you both to sign and I will see you all in the morning.” Dr. Cormier said before taking his leave. 
After signing the consent forms, Shanelle let out a breath she had been holding in.
“You look exhausted, my love,” Marquise said to her. 
“It's been a long morning.”
“Indeed. Why don't you go home and get some rest?” Marquise asked. 
“I can't. I can't leave her here.” Shanelle replied. 
“It'll be okay. I'll be here with her.”
Shanelle shook her head no. 
“No Marquise. No. I'm not leaving.”
That's when Khari spoke up.
“It's okay Mommy. You can go. Besides the boys need you, they're probably wondering where everybody is.”
“But baby…”
Khari held her mother's hands. 
“We gotta be brave Mommy. Just like Dr. Hadley said. We have to be big girls. Okay?” Khari asked. 
Shanelle took a shuddering breath. 
“Okay.”
“I'll be okay. I'll get to boss Daddy around while you’re gone.”
Marquise made a face. 
“You always boss me around.”
“I know but now I get to be extra bossy.”
Shanelle shook her head. 
“Okay, you and your daddy win. I'll go home and check on the boys. But I'll be back later okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.”
“And I'll bring you your favorite things.”
“Yay! Thank you, Mommy.”
Shanelle kissed her daughter on her forehead. 
“I'll see you later Peanut.”
“Okie doke! Now we can eat!”
“How can you think of food at a time like this?” Shanelle asked. 
“The same way Daddy always does,” Khari replied with a shrug. 
“I beg your pardon madam!” he protested. 
Khari giggled. 
“Alright, I’m going. I love you, baby girl.”
Khari hugged her mother. 
“I love you too Mommy.”
“I'll walk you out love,” Marquise said to her. 
Marquise walked his wife outside before calling for a guard. 
“Take Her Majesty home,” he told the two guards outside. 
The guards nodded curtly. Marquise’s phone buzzed in his pocket. 
“Who is that?” Shanelle asks. 
“Your father. I texted him to put a statement out about Khari being in the hospital,” he replied. 
Shanelle checked her phone. 
“Thank you for naming him the new herald of the Monarchy.”
“He was happy to accept the job. Now let's get you home.”
Marquise pulled her into a loving hug. 
“It'll be okay my love. Khari is a big girl. And she's brave. Hell, she's braver than you and I will ever be. We should hold on to that.” he whispered. 
Shanelle held onto her husband. 
“I know. And I’m trying. It's just…I want to scream. And I just wanna hold her and make the pain go away.”
He kissed below her left ear. 
“I know you do and so do I. Now go. Go check on our boys. I'll hold down the fort here.”
Shanelle smiled at him before leaving with the guards.
You have reached the end of part one! Stay tuned for part two!
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sapphire-weapon · 1 year ago
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I'm the anon that asked about the backstory before and I can't believe the mafia thing is in the main section if the wikia page like it is canon, but it's like, the only one in there. I knew it wasn't canon because I saw it mentioned before but people really act like it's some well established thing and not something from an ad. I guess it's only good for pictures at this point. x.x
real talk if I didn't have a full-time job, I'd try to be diligent about keeping the wiki clean. it's been eight years since the circumcision incident. it's time for old guard to come back -- especially RE old guard, since we have so, so many new members of the fandom.
but I just don't have the time, man -- and, probably, neither does anyone else. because we're all in our 30s and 40s now and just can't dedicate ourselves to that kind of stuff anymore.
and that just sucks. it sucks for you new folks so fucking bad. it's not fair to you, and you all deserve a better fandom experience.
all I can do is keep screaming into the tumblr void and keep hoping that I can start attracting eyeballs to this blog somehow.
I want you guys to be able to enjoy RE in a way that my generation never got a chance to. we were always arguing over canon back in the day, because so little of it was clear, and new shit was coming out all the time, and it was so hard to keep up.
RE isn't that series anymore. we get a new game every few years and maybe a CGI movie and that's it. it's so easy to keep track of the canon these days, and it really is such a fucking bummer that there's people in the fandom actively trying to make it harder for you.
it's a very easy formula these days to understand this canon:
numbered game entries are the most canon. numbered game entries will always have the final say. period.
spinoff games starring the recurring cast* (Revelations, Code Veronica, etc) are the second highest tier canon.
CGI movies starring the main cast are the third highest tier canon.
spinoff games not starring the main cast (Outbreak, Dead Aim, etc) are the fourth highest tier canon.
anything else should be ignored.
*spinoff games that have a story, that is. things like The Mercenaries 3D and RE:Verse clearly don't count and are there for fun gameplay purposes only.
in an instance where things on the same tier contradict each other, the most recent installment wins out.
so, Sherry's age in RE2 is 10 because RE6 said so -- even though OG RE2's manual had her age listed as 12. her age of 10 years was then also reaffirmed in RE2make. so she was 10.
and Gaiden's not canon, despite it starring Leon and Barry, because RE4, RE6, and Revelations 2 do not acknowledge it as such.
it is very easy to follow this canon if you follow that recipe. please don't let bad faith actors lead you astray.
and please send people over here, if you can. despite the fact that I spent like 16 hours today raging out over the whole Adam Benford thing, I will still always be open for questions if anyone isn't sure if a thing they heard about is actually a thing or not. I will always cite my sources and explain why a thing is or is not canon if I need to, and I will even provide screencaps if I can. the wiki will not do this. because the wiki is being written by assholes.
also don't forget that I have an essential canon list already typed up and ready to be handed out. please use it as a resource. please.
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mokonahapuuuuuu · 11 months ago
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Abridged
Note: So basically, I was thinking of writing COTT the abridged series, but why not try and get my feet wet and abridge one of my own fics. Not to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm proud of myself with 'Box of Beauty' since I got through my ADHD and the story came across like an episode of the show.
Anyways, here it is...! If I do try to abridge episode one of the show, yay for me.
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“This is the millionth time we’re fighting Cronus…!” shouted Jay.
“It’s to keep the episodes going,” said Odie on the PMR. “How else are the cast and crew going to get employed and put food on the table?” 
The teenagers clamoured around Cronus as he beat them all off one by one. “Beating up teenagers is so much fun…!” 
He looked around. The God of Time beat all the teenagers. 
“I am Xena Warrior Princess! Hear my war cry!” Belle raged on on Pegasus. 
“You know, you’re just an OC in part of a fan fiction,” the Time God mocked. “You’re not really apart of the whole show.” 
“Take. That. Back.” Belle’s eyes were raging. 
Cronus got out the poison and slammed it against his sword. “Never!”
Belle’s face was scared badly. 
“Burn…! Literally.” 
—— 
It was pure bedlam. 
Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. 
“Belle has been poisoned and scared!” exclaimed Theresa. 
“She can’t bear the responsibility of being the next Zuko!” shouted Herry. 
“I’m not ready for a life changing trip with Belle…!” breathed Atlanta. 
“Where is the honour?” 
“Belle needs the Box of Beauty to be cured of her scar, and the Box is in the Underworld,” began Hera. “But since we use you teenagers as child labour and basically send you out to your deaths, we thank you for not suing us. Especially for complete disregard for your safety. Thank Zeus your parents don’t know what happens at this school.” 
“Um, since I’m the only sane one here, I’ll go get the Box of Beauty for Belle myself,” said Neil. 
“Just go already, we don’t care about you!” exclaimed the rest of the team. 
—— 
“Ooh, the Underworld…” Neil looked around him. “I’m sure I can take on anything that comes my way, ahh!” 
A bunch of skeletons came after him. “Halloween isn’t until eight months…!” 
There was the mausoleum in front of him with the silver box. 
“This must be the Box of Beauty,” began Neil. “I must take it so I can use it to save my love…” 
He felt himself grew older, and he saw himself become an old man. “What, no I don’t want to be an old man! I don’t wanna drink prune juice!” 
The Underworld echoed as he said ‘juice’. 
As Neil walked up to the surface, he saw all his friends greet him. 
“This old man, he played one, he played knick-knack on my thumb…” 
“Archie, okay, I get it, I’m an old man! Shut up!” 
Belle’s face was restored thanks to Neil and the Box of Beauty, and he accomplished his mission. 
“Neil, since you are literally nothing without your good looks, and the show can’t continue on with you as an old man, Aphrodite and I decide to reward you since you saved Belle,” said Poseidon. 
“Reward me with what?” 
Their hands touched Neil. “God powers, activate!” 
Neil was back to his good looking younger self. 
“Aw, man, I really wanted to give him prune juice…!” said Archie. 
Belle and Neil were at the roof patio. 
“You know, I’m beginning to realize a lot of young adult fiction is basically teenagers getting into a lot of dangerous fights,” began Belle. “I mean, look at Harry Potter. If half the things like what happened in the books happened at an ordinary high school, the school would be closed down.”
“That’s the point of it,” began Neil. “It’s just fiction. Plain fantasy. That way, no one gets hurt.”
“So you’re saying that we’re just fictional made up people in a fictional made up world?” she asked. 
Neil nodded. “Basically.” 
Belle looked out into the horizon. “I’m having an existential crisis right now.” 
“Don’t worry,” he kissed her cheek. “I still love you.” 
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formulatrash · 2 years ago
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While we are loosely on the topic of IndyCar, I've been getting into other racing series and am planning to actively follow some more this year and the culture shock as a fan is real. I can actually ask questions about IndyCar and FE without getting some smart ass "DTS fan" response, coincidentally with them still being unable to answer my question themselves though. Generally people just stay in their lanes and focus on the teams/drivers they support instead of wasting so much time and energy on the teams/drivers they passionately hate. Death threats and harassment aren't normalized. Maybe the haters aren't the only ones who want to see my favs get "demoted" to IndyCar or FE because they're genuinely so much more chill to follow as a fan. With F1, you can do all the blocking and unfollowing not just on Tumblr, but on websites with a lot of grown 50+ year olds and still come across some of the most file shit you've ever encountered. I've met some great friends through F1 and as a STEM student, love the engineering aspect, but the 24/7, 365 fighting and drama amongst fans doesn't make it fun to follow, it gets old and annoying pretty quick.
in all honesty, it's that lack of exposure thing. people are excited to see other people getting into the smaller series we like cus there aren't very many of us, innit. gotta have people to blorbopost with. love to get the moots in on my nonsense.
(this was, in short version, how I ended up writing about Formula E for years)
the sheer scale of F1 fandom has always been one of its issues, like football fandom. there's no sort of curated community areas where everyone's decent to each other cus there's so many people involved. and there's lots of ways in which the media is responsible for that
I'm glad you mentioned the 50+ year olds cus honestly, it's always been this way. and particularly if you're from any of the demographics not assumed to be somehow naturally an authority on F1. I say 'any of the demographics' - you know exactly the one that gets the pass and then the rest of us can waste our lives proving we know anything and drive ourselves insane or just accept you have to love it in spite of it all.
ultimately, it's on F1 to actually call off the dogs in the sense you can absolutely start effective comms campaigns that address harassment and exclusion. you can breed healthy dialogue, you can put a less combative and rage-fuelled version of the sport out there. but what's happening right now is doing numbers for a series that - and remember this was as recently as 2018 - was absolutely on its knees.
shrinking, ageing viewership was impacting sponsorship while costs escalated, manufacturers all threatening to pull out, brands questioning the point of being involved, media coverage that was shrivelling up and dying, no social and digital presence to speak of, very little visibility outside specialist channels.
F1 has, by a combination of luck and a sort of 'try pressing every button at once and see if something works' managed to reverse those fortunes and now the influencers it didn't understand 5 years ago are clamouring to get in the paddock. that's a good thing! F1 desperately needs attention or else, like a Tumblr user, it will literally die because sponsors are only interested in paying for exposure and F1 needs such vast amounts of money.
so: I'd love F1 to have more fans. my friends who've suddenly got into or back into it the last few years rock. but with great capacity for sponsorship deals comes a huge hot mess of governance, calendar bloat and subterranean discourse.
although Extremely Online F1 Fandom is only a small slice of it all, regardless, which I kinda try to remember.
main thing is: enjoy things how you want to! engage with and boost content you like! block everyone annoying, life is too short.
(I genuinely wish more people would just block me when they find me annoying on Twitter or whatever rather than turn it into a strange obsession. think I'm an idiot? cool, block me. massively more peaceful for us all)
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ursarangler · 2 years ago
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hiya!! U⁠^⁠ェ⁠^⁠U my name's Kenneth!! I'm a cage fighter who's been scrapping it up in the Johto region longer than most of y'all have been alive!!! I'm gonna try to be active on here, buuuut my phone is kinda old and I can only log onto desktop mode when I'm at the net cafe, so we'll see how that works out. currently hanging out near the Lake of Rage if anyone's dtf!!! (down to fight lmao (⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ᴥ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ⁠ʋ⁠) ) just be warned that I take my sport very seriously. I don't lose.
currently don't have any pokemon owned, buuuuut that's not a problem!!! haven't met one I couldn't beat myself yet!!! (⁠◠⁠ᴥ⁠◕⁠ʋ⁠) I prefer to fight hand-to-hand with my gauntlets, buuuuut I'm also pretty good with bladed weapons, blunt weapons, and firearms too!!! whatever's needed to win the fight, I've got it covered!!! U⁠(⁠。⁠・ᴥ⁠・⁠。⁠)Uノ
not looking to make friends!! just fights!!! V⁠●⁠ᴥ⁠●⁠V rivals, enemies, horrible creatures that I can drag down to hell with me! things like that
members of organized crime interact at your peril.
((I usually don't make OOC content, but it's gonna be necessary for this guy. Kenneth is a sadist who lives entirely for the thrill of bloodsport. If you interact closely with him, there is a fair chance he will try to fight and severely injure your character or their pokemon. By getting close to him, you consent to high-ultra stakes events happening to your character. I will let you know exactly once what you're getting yourself into if he sees your character or their pokemon as a good fight in the making. This will be your one chance to back out before shit hits the fan.
Kenneth is in possession of superhuman strength. He can take down strong high-level pokemon in hand to hand combat, and he usually kills his opponents. If you've ever played the Yakuza series, think Kiryu or Saejima in terms of power. Yes, his power has limits. Yes, he does have to worry about severe injuries. No, your Lucario will not stop him. Come into every fight expecting an uphill battle that you are likely to lose. If you need a character killed off, DM me and we can hash out an event for it.
Blanket CW going forward for high stakes, pokemon death/abuse, death in general, gore, and violence. It'll usually be of the written variety. If this content isn't for you, my other three blogs, @skygodtraumabond, @skippthecredits and @teamcuriosity, are way less intense.
Trainer Card Template by @roserisen !!!!))
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loisfreakinglane · 2 years ago
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What are your oldest ships that are still active for you? Do you still read fic for them? And is your love them still as intense as it was before, or has it lessened over time?
omgggg HAPPY VALENTINES WEEK MY LOVE THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME THINK ABOUT ROMANCE!!!!!!!!!
gosh i'm trying to even think, what of my current otps are OOOOOOLD ASS OTPS. I'm only gonna say ones that I'm still hardcore for, and I am gonna exclusively point to OVER 20 YEARS OLD otps, to lol. keep this concise. THIS IS OFF THE CUFF ANYWAY I'M SO SORRY TO THE ONES THAT I'M SPACING ON
clark/lois, obvsly, since the 90s and lois&clark, superman, animated shows- i couldn't tell you which fried my clois4ever brain first, but one of my earliest memories is sitting on my dads lap while he tells me SUPERMANS ABOUT TO LOOK AT YOU!!! at the end of the first movie, so probably that one
gotta spare a moment for smallville's clark/lex, babys first slash otp. those first few seasons really weren't playing around! and much as i have an assortment of smallville otp's, clex is the one i will still occasionally check ao3 for- so many lies, so many secrets, so many potential SECRET AND FEELINGS REVEALS fic (tbh the fic that most lives in my brain is probs the rosetta au fic where clark finds himself incapable of speaking anything but kryptonian and is forced to play pictionary with lex in the caves)
max/liz, og roswell. this is one where i never really got into fic for it- my attempts over the years usually just turned up either a. michael/liz, which is not my thing but ya kno have fun friends, or b. LIZ IS A SECRET ALIEN TOO AND THEY WERE IN LOVE ON ANTAR which does not really do it for me personally. i will eternally tho cling to this one fic that still lives in my soul and i do revisit every so often, where liz fucked future max before he disappeared and wound up pregnant, leading to a lot of fun drama for all (i will say that i also am constantly badly ficcing at sara about a world where future liz used the granolith to time travel and fix everything but just got stuck in the past instead of disappearing like future max did- i'm not a writer but i AM a daydreamer)
BATCAT. animated series was my og love obvsly. the birds of prey show helped negl, even without seeing them onscreen together (and also gave me helena/jesse which i shipped like BURNING but i haven't revisited that show in many many years so i can't call that a current otp). gotham shockingly gave me a baby batcat i really appreciated. and then obviously the batman 2022 gave us theeeeeee greatest live action batcat I STAND BY THIS I'M SORRY
lmao can I say shawngela when my main emotion these days is rage and spite? WE DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE POST BMW CANON IN THESE HERE OTP PARTS
mai and i rewatch drive me crazy TOO OFTEN for me not to bring up chase/nicole, eternal otp from the most underrated teen romcom of all time. it also has at least one CRAZY GOOD postmovie fic on ao3 so like. that helps
I LOVE HOW MUCH TUMBLR STILL TALKS ABOUT BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM BC IT WILL TRULY NEVER EVER LEAVE MY BRAIN. babys first BUT WAIT AREN'T THEY GAY??? WHY IS THIS UGLY MAN HERE WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS
(every iteration of cinderella and her prince...................)
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theadventurerslog · 2 years ago
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King's Quest VI: Heir Today Gone Tomorrow | Part 1
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The Adventurer’s Log
King’s Quest VI: Heir Today Gone Tomorrow Part 1
Release date: 1992 (1993)
Introduction
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King's Quest VI puts us back in the shoes of Alexander. It's been a few months since Graham saved them from Mordack and Alexander is pining for Princess Cassima. He's heard no word of her and has found nothing to tell him where the Land of the Green Isles is.
Valanice tells him it's been months and he essentially should move on and think of other things to which he sort of reluctantly agrees and she leaves. But then the magic mirror activates! As it does.
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And Cassima's voice can be heard calling for Alexander and then he gets a vision of her. She 'feels so alone and doesn't know what to do. Alexander...'
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You know, the chest of infinite gold and the shield that were the other two treasures Graham got back in the first game never come up again, but this mirror is sure getting its use. It's been in every game in some capacity except for V.
I'm about to get cranky for a moment, and I don't want that to give the wrong impression because I am excited for this game and have already had a great time with my first session, but this is one of the reasons I was cranky about the ending of KQV. They were deliberately building to this game, so why did they make the meeting between Alexander and Cassima that rough with such a poor first impression of Alexander? I can suspend my disbelief for this game for love at first sight (as silly as it is), especially for this series where it's a very common thing, but from Cassima's point of view, especially with the trouble currently going on there as we'll learn about, what is there for her to think about in regards to Alexander now? Just argh.
Anyway, this is enough to get the smitten Alexander going and he gathers a crew and ship and sets sail to find the Land of the Green Isles.
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After three months of sailing certain lands are spotted, but when they get close night falls and a storm starts raging. They're dashed upon the rocks and ship wreck...
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Title screen! Look at the 3D text.
And the adventure begins as Alexander wakes up on the shores...
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He got his men safely to lifeboats but wasn't able to make it himself. And we have text again! Voice and text thank goodness.
I poked around a bit and lifted the plank to find a broken chest underneath that contained one single Daventry copper coin. Alexander's insignia ring was also on the beach.
Then there was one tradition to fulfill. Out into the water you go, sir!
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It actually warns you of the undertow when you first enter the water, so you have a chance to back off, but you know. Gotta do it once. He gets swept out to sea and...
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Well, down he goes. Sorry Alexander.
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Fancy death screen in this game!
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And snarky narrator message. I really quite like the narrator in this game. Did I mention this game has actual voice actors now?
Once I was done drowning poor Alexander (what do you think of your choices now, Cassima?) I set off down the path to find a branching path.
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I've got a town in one direction a castle in the other. I went for the town first.
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We've got a pawn shoppe, a book shoppe and an old man selling old lamps for new. I talked to him and Alexander questions his business practice to which he explains that 'there's always a chance he'll find a genie and be richer than a king! And there's always a roaring business in antique illuminaries.'
Unfortunately, newly washed up and all, I have no new lamps for him, so there's nothing to be done at this point.
I went to the pawn shoppe next to a very familiar voice because the shop keeper is voiced by the same person who voices King Andre in The Curse of Monkey Island and it's a very recognizable voice. When I first heard it in the let's play I perked up like 'I know him!' It might be silly but I always get happy recognizing a voice actor. It's just fun.
Like this pawn shop is fun!
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There are so many things to examine and so many good descriptions.
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I love this hatchet spiel. It's just an axe lodged in the floor, but off he goes...
And then! Examining the shelves brings up all kinds of jokes relating to the past games such as:
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And
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And a 'golden bridle finder, for finding those nearly-invisible golden bridles', a box of 'cat-cookie mix. "Play tricks on your friends," the box says' and 'self-adhesive emeralds. "What you use when you don't have honey." and something I greatly needed: "stairs traction pads; "Stop slipping off those narrow staircases." And there were more! But I won't list every single one.
There were also potions and things like "a bottle labeled 'Owl Courage Potion," for spineless owls.' and 'a small box of "Enchanted Sorcerer's Flea and Tick Collars." Among other goodies.
The shop keeper was surprised to find Alexander didn't know where he was and explains he's landed on the Land of the Green Isles. We made it! And Alexander explains how he reached here, following the stars...
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He sure is. With Princess Cassima! For the best reaction.
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He has a little more information: Cassima is in a dark time, things aren't well between the islands and the ferry is no longer running. Otherwise there isn't much info to get from him but he does have items on the counter the copper Daventry coin can be used on. Get one item but able to exchange it for one of the others any time. There's a mechanical nightingale, a flute, a tinderbox and a paintbrush. None of which there is currently a known use for, but I snagged the flute for fun. There's also a bowl of free mints for customers and I grabbed one.
I moved onto the book shop next.
Books! And more information to be had! But first there was a little table with bargain books.
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Of course I had to take it, especially being free and everything. What could it be?
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Very very confusingly boring. When I later tried to give it back to the owner he was aghast--he was trying to get RID of it.
The cloaked man wouldn't talk but examining him notes that he seems to keep watching you. He may have refused to talk, but the fire will be friendly instead.
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I tried talking to it. There's a number of things that give you some kind of response if you use the talk command. I'd tried it on the Daventry coin earlier too and being a coin of Daventry had King Graham's face on it, so the message was something like 'only if King Graham were here to ask for his advice.'
Anyway the little book on the table was about court entertainment. One shelf had some silly guide books and the next had a book of poetry that Alexander had to read. There were a few he seemed to appreciate but then one in particular 'hit close to home' and he was quite taken by it. The page falls out when putting the book back the shop owner lets you keep it because he's already had to repair it twice and doesn't want to do it.
The poem in question:
I wanted to record it because this narrator reads it with so much gravity. And this boy is truly lovesick.
The shopkeeper had some more information. He also notes the ferry no longer runs between the islands. There's been much political unrest and it's been too dangerous to travel. He also mentions at least three islands but there may be a fourth. And that the Land of the Green Isles is said to exist on the boundaries of this world and the next. He mentions a ferry man to talk to and that's all for now here. Time to find the ferryman.
Passing through the archway in town led to this house with many roses along its gates and walls. There was a lady outside tending the flowers.
Before I could talk to the lady another woman came out and berated her a bunch and she went back insider after her. Very Cinderella and evil step-mother situation there.
The screen after has the dilapidated ferry. And a boy swimming in the water who tells Alexander to come on down. He claims he can show Alexander the way to the other islands.
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Surely there's nothing suspicious here and we've had no bad experiences with the water already. What could go wrong? Obviously I jumped in after.
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Yeah, it goes about as well as expected. Alexander drowns.
Reload! The boy keeps nagging you to come in but if you wait just a little he'll disappear in time.
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Nothing to worry about there I'm sure. Ferry time!
The ferryman is willing to talk and invites Alexander inside. We learn a little more about the seeming weirdness of this place, though he doesn't much believe some of the wilder stories. He speaks fondly of Cassima and her mother Queen Allaria and how he used to take them to the other islands to help people. The King and Queen served their people. Then things got bad between the islands and the vizier shut down travel. Even if he wanted to travel now the ferry isn't seaworthy anymore. However, there is word of a map that may help that the pawn shop owner may know something of... He also let me take his old rabbit's foot and with that I left.
I stopped in at the book shop again and this time the robed man was gone, but a newcomer was there.
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He wouldn't talk at first until showing Alexander's insignia ring and he recognizes the name thanks to Cassima telling him of a Prince Alexander of Daventry. He's the clown to the royal court and had seen her briefly when she returned. Unfortunately, Cassima's parents, Queen Allaria and King Caliphim, died a few weeks before her return. They say it was due to heartbreak and he's afraid she's blaming herself. She's sequestered in mourning, an apparently outdated tradition that isn't required, but the vizier says she insisted out of respect. He doesn't trust the vizier and is only staying at the castle to keep an ear to the ground. He wishes he could get a message to Cassima, but the only way he knows to do so would be through her pet nightingale, Sing Sing, but he doesn't know where she is, so he can only wait. He'll try to come back here in the future so we can talk more.
We have information and a contact!
With that I carried on to the pawn shoppe where the robed man was also. He still wouldn't talk.
The shop keeper indeed has a magic map that will enable one to teleport to the other islands as long as the user is near the sea. He would normally want a magic item in return, but with business bad due to the islands being closed off to each other, he's willing to simply take something valuable instead. Alexander offers his insignia ring :(.
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It's enough, but the shop keeper does offer to keep it for him for a few days, so that if he finds something else valuable he can get his ring back.
After the exchange the robed man darted forward and snatched a mint and ate it. Then he started wobbling and acting drunk, staggered out.
Leading me to a "Seconds later, in the castle..." and a scene elsewhere!
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The Master here gets mad at him for eating mint and had told him to stop that. With some effort he gets the information out of this fellow, who's name is Shamir, that Prince Alexander of Daventry is here. He knows that's the man Cassima met at Mordack's castle, so he knows of that, hmm. And that Alexander found a magic "smap". He's not happy; he thought he'd taken care of the only mode of travel. He orders Shamir to 'go to the other islands and tell them...' and the scenes fades.
Trouble is afoot!
But for now I have a magic smap, er, map, as well as a castle to go check out, which will be my tasks next time!
--
Points: 22/231 Deaths: 2 Time: 1:15
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