#night court meets the autumn court vibes

[drinkingcoffee-inthedark]

a court of flames and shadows

[prythianpages]

Just A Girl | Eris x Rhysand's Sister

series masterlist | summary: Your father throws a ball in your honor. When Beron belittles you, you decide to show him what you're capable of, catching the attention of his firstborn.

word count: 2K

a/n: Hi guys! It's been a hot minute since I've written anything and I feel rusty lol (kinda like when you stop riding your bike and have to relearn type of feel.) Anyway, this is entirely based off no doubt's just a girl bc I felt like it gave off Rhys's sister vibes and then I thought why not incorporate this into an au I had planned for an Eris x Rhys's sister one shot??

“When I’m High Lord, I’ll go–”

“I’m sure you’ll go far,” you interrupt, a half smile playing on your lips as you look up at the first born of Spring. With his luscious blond hair, striking green eyes, and well-defined jawline, he's undeniably a sight to behold. Unfortunately, his personality doesn't match his looks—dull yet somehow arrogant and miserably misogynistic. 

You don’t have it in you to spare him a moment longer, especially not when his overbearing pride is becoming overwhelming for your senses. You push past the desire to call upon your abilities and manipulate his emotions into something more humbling. He is not worth exposing your powers.

With a pat on his shoulder–too harsh for his liking– you add, “and I really hope you stay there. It was nice speaking with you, Heathen.”

“It’s Heath.”

You give an uninterested hum before making your way to the refreshments table, desperate for something to soothe the tension between your brows. A silent prayer is sent to the Cauldron that no other male approaches you with a lame attempt at conversation. If they are interested in you, they should at least be able to hold a good one. One that doesn’t incorporate any microaggressions toward you.

Fortunately for you, it is your brother who approaches you next. He takes your–what was it? fourth or sixth, you can’t remember– champagne flute from your grasp with an effortless ease. A glare settles upon your features as you watch him chug it before fixing your gaze straight ahead, to the dais where your father and mother sit. 

Your father occupies the grand throne, while your mother sits beside him in a smaller, less ornate chair. The Lady of the Night Court—magnificent and burdened with countless responsibilities—receives none of the praise that is lavished upon your father. Despite her contributions to your court, she is not held in the same regard… simply because she is a female.

It leaves you to wonder what your destiny is.

Rhysand looks at you with sympathy, and you realize that in your moment of vulnerability, you've let your mental shields slip. “Please, save your breath,” you mutter.

Sensing Cassian and Azriel approaching, you flash them a small, relieved smile. “And please, stay by my side,” you say, your eyes scanning the room where multiple pairs of eyes are fixed on you. You feel so exposed and though it’s no surprise, it leaves you unsettled. When your gaze meets that of one of Autumn's sons, you quickly look away and strengthen the shield around you.

“I could use my scary brother privileges right now.”

“Who are we scaring, princess?” Cassian asks, flexing his muscles as he pretends to adjust the cuffs of his dress shirt, rolled up to his elbows.

Azriel lets out a snort, but his keen eyes are already scanning the room, easily locating the Autumn male. The red-haired male immediately cowers under his cold, hard stare.

“No one.” Rhysand replies, shooting them both a warning look. He then turns to you and you don’t need his daemati abilities to know what he’s about to say. “y/n–”

“Don’t you think I know exactly where I stand?” You interrupt him with an exhausted sigh.

Tonight was a celebration–a ball to honor you and all you’ve done for the Night Court during the war. When the war started, you were twenty-three and deemed too young to participate. Though, at that age, Rhysand had already completed the bloodrite and was esteemed a formidable warrior. You were fortunate that your father allowed you to train and even more so that he allowed you to join the Night Court council.

You quickly mastered the politics of war and the intricacies of the Prythian courts. Midway through the war, your father entrusted you to visit the war camps and delegate on his behalf. There was no doubt that it was a privilege you were granted due to your powers. Still, you embraced it eagerly and tonight was the night you would officially be recognized as an emissary.

But of course, many–especially the sons of the High Lords–confused tonight as your debutante ball. You were in your third decade, after all. While your brother was recognized as a fierce warrior and heir, you were regarded as a highly sought out bachelorette. 

Lucky you.

“I am meant to be pretty and docile,” you continue, gesturing to yourself. 

The dress you wore was far from your usual preference. The bodice, adorned with intricate beadwork and sequins, featured a sweetheart neckline that teased a glimpse of your breast—but not too much. The skirt of the gown was voluminous, made of layers of soft tulle that shimmered delicately with every step as the light caught the scattered sequins. It was a beautiful black ball gown, crafted by your mother's talented hands. Yet, you much preferred dresses that clung to you like a second skin, revealing more of your figure.

To put it frankly, you felt quite suffocated in this gown. And you rather not even get started on your makeup. You were transformed into a perfect painting of a sweet and innocent princess. Not the daring and powerful female you knew yourself to be.

“Desirable but not too attainable.”

 “However, that does not mean I need to be consistently tortured by dull conversations and hungry stares from controlling males,” you finish, crossing your arms against your chest with a scowl. “No one has even asked me about my role in this court.”

“Oh, yeah. How is it being an emissary to the Night Court?” Cassian asks, earning a smack to the back of his head from Azriel.

“Just splendid,” you reply with a sarcastic smile.

“You played a significant role in establishing peace between Spring and the rest of the courts after the war. I’m sure your efforts will not go unnoticed,” Rhysand assures you.

“Perhaps I played my role too well. Heathen has seemed to have taken an interest in me.”

It’s as if he heard his name being called, for the blonde male’s gaze meets yours across the ballroom. He winks at you with that stupid, cocky smirk of his. A grimace crosses your face. You had been hoping your conversation from earlier would deter him. It seems it has only spurred him on.

“He’s... pretty,” Rhysand starts, but then trails off, struggling to find a compliment for Heath. “Pretty full of himself,” he finally manages, shooting you an almost apologetic glance.

Both of you erupt into laughter.

“It could be worse,” Azriel comments after a moment, a futile attempt at making you feel better. “It could be the heir to Autumn. As the by-product of growing up under Beron’s cruelty, I hear he’s pretty ruthless. Might even turn out to be crueler than him. At least Heath isn’t as bright…”

“Ouch,” Cassian says with a playful wince, almost feeling bad for the Spring heir.

Your eyes find the male in question. Eris Vanserra. His vibrant red hair makes him and his siblings easy to spot in a crowded room. Surprisingly, Eris hasn't made any attempt to approach you tonight. Unlike his brothers. Instead, he stands by his mother's side. She appears uncomfortable and weary, her arm linked with his as she rubs her swollen, pregnant belly.

 As you focus on him, you feel a mix of anger and concern. “Somehow, I doubt that,” you voice your thoughts out loud, following the trail of emotions. Your eyes land on the recipient of his anger. Beron. The High Lord of Autumn stands amongst the other High Lords, engaged in conversation with your father.

Sensing your gaze on him, your father looks up from where you stand. He holds a hand up, summoning you and your brother.

“Time to shine,” Rhysand says, holding his hand out to you.

**

“Ah, my son,” your father greets with a smile as you and Rhysand come to a stop before him and the other High Lords. He then turns to you, violet eyes alight with pride that has your chest swelling with warmth. At least your father recognizes your worth and you don't dare to wonder if he'd see you the same if you weren't blessed with your power.

“My daughter, the guest of honor," he introduces, reaching for your hand to pull you to his side. You offer a polite smile and curtsy to the High Lords. “Y/n has done a lot for this court and all of Prythian. Tonight is a means to show my immense gratitude and present her with the official title of lead emissary of the Night Court.”

It is the High Lord of the Winter Court who speaks first, offering a slight bow of his head. “I look forward to continuing working with you, Lady y/n.”

“A wise and thoughtful member of the Night Court.” High Lord Thesan says with an amiable smile, the High Lords of Day, Summer and Spring sharing his sentiments.

However, the same cannot be said for the High Lord of Autumn. His lips curl in distaste, the thought of having to interact with a female tasting sour on his tongue. He had tolerated you before but only due to the war.

“You expect me to welcome her to my court to discuss important matter?" Beron huffs. "She’s just a girl.”

You don’t speak. You don’t even make a sound. But the look in your eyes…the look in your eyes was downright murderous.

Memories begin to flood your mind of you being berated and undermined. The box in which you had locked away your emotions can no longer contain them. A wave of anger and frustration begins to surge forth...

Rhysand knew exactly what was about to happen, his hand silently reaching out for yours. To hold you back.

But it was too late. Your mind was like a wall of steel. Impenetrable.

All you saw was red, your wings bursting forth from your glamor, unfurling behind you. They tore through the seams of your dress, provoking gasps. Swiftly, your magic mends the fabric, accommodating your true form.

Tendrils of darkness emanate from your outstretched hands, weaving through the air like sinister ribbons. Your gaze, unwavering and intense, remains fixated on Beron.  With each movement of your fingers, the room plunges deeper into shadow. The once-illuminated space is now consumed by a thick veil of darkness. Even Azriel’s shadows, accustomed to the darkness themselves, cling onto him like a second skin.

As the last glimmer of light fades into oblivion, the ballroom becomes a chamber of obsidian night. With a mere thought, you tap into the emotions swirling within the hearts of those present. Careful to be subtle upon the intrusion as you do not want to expose the true extent of your abilities.

You summon only the most negative emotions like a maestro orchestrating a symphony. Screams erupt, drawing your lips upwards. You can feel resistance against your power and whether it is from your father or brother or even one of the other High Lords, you can’t tell.

Gathering all your pent up frustrations, you use it to fuel your strength, wanting to hold onto this moment of mayhem just a bit longer. It is only when you feel Beron’s heart racing, feel the trace of fear threatening to dim the fire in his veins that you let go.

In the blink of an eye, your tendrils of darkness disperse, succumbing to the resistance. The faelights adorning the ballroom shimmer to life once more and the moon’s light seeps back into the room. It casts an ethereal glow over you, revealing the calm and cool expression on your face. Yet, your eyes remain seething with the fury of a dark, raging storm.

Beron's scowl deepens at your display. He parts his mouth in disbelief, looking towards your father, who says nothing. Beron then looks back at you.

For once in his miserable life, he is at a loss for words. Pride swells in your chest and you push against the talons raking across your mind, wanting to bask in your small victory.

“I’m just a girl,” you finally say and then give a nonchalant shrug of your shoulders before turning to leave.

Reveling in the animosity radiating off of him, your smirk deepens as you recognize a faint trace of humiliation somewhere among the fire of his wrath.

The assembled crowd parts before you, their gazes a mixture of disdain, shock, and fear. You keep your head held high and eyes focused straight ahead. Dread begins to settle in, the onset of a headache from overexertion threatening to break your composure.

Still, you carry on, feigning nonchalance. The only sounds echoing through the room are the hushed whispers and the sharp click of your heels against the marble floors.

Yet, amidst the sea of wary onlookers, one figure stands apart.

Eris.

The heir to the Autumn court is leaning casually against the wall near the exit doors, his mother nowhere to be seen. The corner of his lips are upturned into a smirk, amber eyes alight with amusement and curiosity and perhaps, even something more.

Your steps threaten to falter as your eyes meets his. He looks back at you, holding your gaze with a searing intensity, it sends a shiver down your spine. He looks at you in a way no one ever has...as if he can see you for you who you really are.

Because you aren’t just a girl.

You’re the daughter of the Night Court. A shining star. A force to be reckoned with and one he finds himself irresistibly drawn to.

series masterlist

a/n: I honestly don't know how to feel about this one. I guess it's kind of a prequel to my upcoming one shot. Also, you can't tell me Eris wouldn't find anyone besting his dad like reader did in this hot lol

general tag list: @scooobies, @kennedy-brooke, @sillysillygoose444, @lilah-asteria

[mermaidsirennikita]

Recently read the wallflower series because I remembered you raving about it and I l loved it! Maybe not so much daisy but it wasn’t that bad. I somehow skipped over Annabelle’s book so I still have that but so far I think I liked the Again the Magic and It Happened One Autumn the best. wanted to know if you have any recs that matched the vibes of Aline and McKenna or Lillian and Westcliff

I'm glad you loved it! Minus Daisy lol. Honestly, I feel like a lot of people are a bit mid on her book. Me included. It's perfectly nice, but that's kind of just it... I wouldn't call the first three books in the series (four if you count Again the Magic) or the relationships perfectly nice.

Definitely reads Secrets of a Summer Night! It was honestly WAY better than I remembered when I revisited it recently. Simon's more on the McKenna side of Kleypas than the Matthew Swift side, if you catch my drift lol. And Annabelle is delightfully snobby.

So, I would definitely recommend checking out, as far as KLEYPAS books go:

Seduce Me at Sunrise. This is the second Hathaways book (and has guest appearances from Annabelle and Simon... the hero and heroine Do Things at their party... right in front of their damn salad...) and while the hero isn't an Industrialist Type, he is lower class than the heroine and they've known each other since childhood and been in love since they were teenagers, like Aline and McKenna.

Married by Morning. This is the fourth (?) Hathaways book, which I recommend on the Lillian/Westcliff side because Leo and Cat just go for each other's throats lol. You can even see it in Seduce a bit. He's not at all like Westcliff (if anything, he's more like Gideon) but the banter and heated sexual tension is right on the money.

Then Came You. This is older, and I call it "proto-Westcliff/Lillian" for a reason. Alex is a stiff, proper, and judgmental. Lily is wild, rebellious, and scandalous. They hate each other. In this case, he's also courting her sister and Lily is determined to make sure he doesn't marry her. So there's that!

And non-Lisa:

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean is a good one for Again the Magic vibes. The hero and heroine were childhood friends, separated, and though it wasn't her fault, she's a key part of his revenge plot when he returns and so he forces her to marry him and kinda royally fucks up... which leads to a grovel, of course!

A Scoundrel of Her Own by Stacy Reid is another Again the Magic vibe. They knew each other as kids, she was rich and he was poor, they broke apart... Now, years later, her family is down on their luck and she's literally singing for their supper, and he's this wealthy success who sort of swoops in for partial revenge reasons.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe for Westcliff and Lillian on steroids lol. One of my favorites of all time, the Duke of Lockwood is very proper in the streets and a freak in the sheets (for real) whereas Nellie is rebellious American new money and they try to one-up each other for like a year before finally hitting the mattress. Hard.

The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy. Another "uptight earl meets American woman who isn't impressed and they hate each other" book! In this case, the heroine also wants to monetize his ancient family home in order to offset the costs, lol. And he's HORRIFIED. It's so GAUCHE.

Wicked in His Arms by Stacy Reid. The one where he hates everything about her because she's flirty and a little unconventional! And he's stuffy and conventional! And so he has sex with her! Oops arrange the marriage!

[libraryofcirclaria]

23 October 1260

Library of Circlaria

Third Level Society: First Version

Story Five: Oscar Lehman

The stress from the previous two weeks pales in comparison to this week.

The Federal Estates Prime Minister election is still being debated in the courts; that of course sets a chaotic backdrop for the things that came to pass in the Third Level Society Caucus Chamber this week, even though we are an independent organization not associated with external politics.

Apparently, between my meeting with him and the evening of Wednesday October 21, Karlin actually met with Terrings, and, together, formulated Terrings' idea into an actual proposal. Wednesday night, Dungeonmaster Karlin Maryk delivered this idea in a speech.

Everything he presented, including the problem he saw with the "overcrowding of the Realm" and the solution he saw in conjunction with Terrings, was what we discussed in my meeting with him. Except, being in the form of a formal and stately Dungeonmaster speech, his discussion was very structured, at least very much so in contrast to his loose thinking-on-the-spot vibe that I know him for when it's just me and him.

It was during that speech that I reminisced upon the existence of two Karlin Maryks: the one I know as a close friend; and the other as a public figure standing at the front of the Caucus Chamber.

As soon as he finished, the division in the Caucus was very apparent. There was definitely a share of Members who seemed undecided. But there was sharp division between those excited about the Terrings reform and those dedicated to preserving the balance fostering the "Steamster" culture of which we have been known. 

There was a lull in my course schedule on Thursday, as there always is every Thursday. I took that opportunity to take a boat out onto the University Lake to Fellowship Isle.

An interesting place this is. The wide-bodied creek feeding into it and the one draining out of it have always been there. In fact, until 1235, it had all been a creek. During the 1234-35 academic year, however, the University Council, as part of its early University Construction projects, voted to dig trenches along a part of the creek on campus property West of the Playing Field and dam up the creek where it crossed the Southwest corner of the premise. Thus, the University Lake formed in due time. Aside from that, terraforming efforts formed Fellowship Isle, where stands a Lodge serving as a good venue for parties, weddings, or simply informal gatherings.

That all takes place in the summer. During this time of the year, the place is deserted due to the cold weather. But on this day, though cold, the sky was clear and the Sun illuminated the brillant colors of autumn. That, with the silence, was perfect for me.

So I sat and unwound. The shimmering waters were beautiful out here on the Fellowship Isle. And the great Campus, with the Great Clock upon the mighty Fleming Tower in the background, cast a beautiful scene behind the shoreline cabins with the autumn trees.

I will remark, though, the Meon Bell, a former Member who left Cabotton before I came, and who, in fact, encouraged me to come to Cabotton, was right about the ugly new buildings. I am referring to the Schools of Language and Literature, History and Politics, Design and Engineering, and Service and Hospitality. Those are taller than the other buildings and are quite bland; and the intimidating darker shade of red to each of these new buildings does not diminish the ugly modernity of their appearance.

You see, I've noticed two types of modernity: beautiful modernity and ugly modernity. And I see both at Cabotton University. The older buildings, like Fleming Tower, the Five Houses, the Library, the Planetarium, the Council Building, the Administration Building, the Assembly Hall, and even the College of the Arts, are symbols of beautiful modernity. In contrast, the four new schools, which, if I remember correctly, were built about eight years ago, represent ugly modernity. Those cast a vibe of "dark industrialism" like what one sees in the authoritarian regimes of East Hobland. Meon says that the "Four Dark Towers," as he calls them, "do not belong at Cabotton University and never will."

Initially, I dismissed his sentiment, but now I understand. It took Terrings to propose his idea, a change that is ugly, for it's appearance is completely foreign to what the Third Level Society stands for. And this change is poised to destroy the Society and deprive it of the aspects that make it beautiful.

The "Four Dark Towers" have not done that to Cabotton University, per say. So long as no more blemishes appear, the University should remain beautiful. However, I do not know how confidentally I can say the same for Terrings and the Society.

<- 17 October 1260 <- || -> 13 November 1260 ->

[lady-of-dusk-and-bones]

Another hc for Spring Court / Tamlin's family is that his dad was a dick. And because Tam himself says that he was as bad as Beron, I headcanon that himself and Beron would have been close - not really, but rather close in the sense that if they had High Lord meetings, then Spring would ally would Autumn, and Autumn with Spring.

I suppose the only good thing about Tamlim's dad is that maybe (MAYBE) he was good to his Mate. I don't want to call him a grey character or have anything good about him besides this fact - that he treated his wife and lady and mate well. (I mean he gifted her a garden as a mating present - and I THINK Tamlin spoke fondly of the garden to Feyre, or maybe I'm just making things up in my head idk it's been some years since I read the books.)

But anyways, I headcanon that because Tamlin's dad was kinda like Beron, he actually pushed for Tamlin to befriend Rhysand. And Tamlin was glad to be of actual use to his father - its the second son trope but make it third son who yearns for acceptance and purpose and will do anything to be liked by their superiors.

Now anyways, Tamlin was like k I'll be his friend (??I mean, weird, why would my dad want me to be the heir to the Night Court's friend?? Like he'd understand befriending a son of Beron, but the Night Court???)

Anyways Tamlin is dumb as fuck, and his older brothers aren't of much help, only telling him not to question the reasoning behind their father's orders (which Tamlin doesn't, he's just like k idek why dad wants this but imma do it anyways), and Tamlin's mum is like maybe he just wants you to make friends with other courts ? But Tamlin's dad would never in hell have a son of HIS be an emissary or MESSENGER to/of other High Lords. (I mean, that just spells embarrassment for him and his son.)

Anyways so I first was like nah Tamlin's dad would have been threatening to Tamlin and force him to befriend Rhys and essentially spy on him... but now that I think more on Tamlin, damn, this guy is dumb and his will is easily swayed. (See: Ianthe.)

So I just think Tamlin, being young and happy and excited to have successfuly made friends with a boy his father wanted him to be friends with, just went to his dad and mum and told them EVERYTHING Rhysand told him, if only because omg the night court is so different from us they have these winged beasts but I can't call them beasts because rhys's mum is one of them but they have WINGS! Rhysand doesn't tho but anyways Rhys has a little sister and SHE has wings and anyways Rhys goes to the beasts who aren't beasts they're called Illyrians and they love to fight with each other and generally their home gives war camp vibes because the men train their all the time (all Tamlin's dad hears "the High Lord of the Night Court has an army in wait and in constant training")

And yeah shame Tamlin is just dumb - he actually gives Modern Family Luke Dunphy vibes

[tcub123]

LoA (2)

>be me, Andras >just crossed the wall again, heading to the human town to find the Children of the Blessed >basic glamour on to hide my fae features >was never good at magic so one person is my limit >keep Janet close to me and wrapped up to avoid attraction >no one pays attention to us anw cause everyone's busy with stuff >notices a group in the middle of the town square, ignored by most people but a few came to watch them >worn clothes, dreamy-eyed, plus they wear silver bracelet and preaching about the cult so thats gotta be them >damn, people are being real nasty to these kids >still >wait until the crowd disperses and they start packing up >approach them slowly, dont wanna spook them or get unwanted attention >one of them notices me, and nudges the others >try to appear harmless >"hi, heard you might be able to help me" >they're understandably cautious, but curious, "what do you want?" >"heard you might understand someone from... somewhere else." >explain I'm looking for shelter and some help with the baby, don't mention Prythian or fae stuff yet >they seem sympathetic, invite me to their meeting spot >a rundown building at the edge of town >door creaks >it's surprisingly cozy inside with lots of books, fae tribute and idol >they even have an altar in here, some of the symbols are from Winter, Day and Autumn, the rest look made up tho >Janet's quiet, good girl >leader is a girl with sharp eyes >"so, you're not from around here. What are you running from?" >"not running", I lied about that but it's true i didn't even know what i'm running from yet >"I'm looking to return, but i need help with the baby. She just lost her father and well, I'm in no shape to take care of her." >their interest peaks when i drop my glamour >explain to them without throwing out too many details, need to make sure they're really on board >"I'll leave her here and come back every night with supplies. I can hunt, build, get you some rare stuff, just need to clear things up a little on my side and then we'll get out of your hair." >they agree, more eagerly than i expected >still had to stay the first night to see how things go but i'm feeling pretty hopeful, trustworthy vibe from these people >some of them ask me questions about life beyond the wall >didn't tell them about the recently transpired events >tell them all the nice things i could recall about my court instead >can see they eat up every word >tell them that the court is also dangerous for even fae at the moment and thats why i need their help with Janet >night time rolls around >Janet is sleeping soundly in an old but clean blanket the Children provided >I lie next to her, can't sleep >Illyrian dagger in my hand the entire time >morning comes, nobody tried anything, good sign >was worried they were into blood sacrifice thing for immortality, esp a fae child

[mcrcki]

Was that [SAMARA WEAVING]? Oh no no, that was just [MORRIGAN], a [CANON CHARACTER] from [A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES]. They are [FIVE HUNDRED+] years old, use [SHE/HER], and [ARE] aware that they are not actually from Washington DC. Too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here

mor's been here for about six months

what is your character’s job

she's rhysand's press manager, and HE IS PUTTING HER TO WORK RN, god pls why are we engaged to someone who is not your mate

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom

for funsies, she's actually from the end of acomaf! she remembers feyre returning to the spring court with tamlin, and being told that she's her high lady -- she's learned about what happened afterwards by now, but her memories end after leaving hybern

has any magic affected your character

nope! she's totally the same!

and any other information you might find useful for us and the other members to know!!

acotar really sparked me into loving to read again and i fell so in love with the characters and the story and specifically mor from like page one of meeting her i was fucking heart eyes at her. i just think she's neat and so fun and strong and i could probably ramble about her for six hours , but don't you dare ask me to explain what her powers are

morrigan is rhysand's cousin, growing up in the court of nightmares, but she never felt as if she belonged there. her dreams were too big for hewn city, but her family could tell that she was more powerful than a regular fae and she spent her whole life being worried her father would sell her off to the highest bidder

that came true when there was a deal with the autumn court to have mor marry eris , and she didn't want it, she wanted her life to be her own. so she did the only thing that she could think that would make her less desirable in marriage, she slept with someone else first. that happened to be cassian, and she still is grateful to him despite all the trouble it caused.

when she returned and eris called off the engagement bc she was no longer a virgin (ik its so outdated but alas, politics) , her own family was furious as hell about it and her father tortured her, he dumped her as she was basically dying with A NOTE NAILED TO HER BODY that she was the autumn court's problem. azriel is the one who found her and returned her to rhys where she's stayed since.

during the first war, she helped fight on the side of the humans and assisted in forming the original treaty.

she is now rhys' third in command in the night court :)) she is also the overseer of the relationship between the court of nightmares and the court of dreams, along with running both velaris and hewn city

she keeps the court running during the time when rhys is stuck under the mountain, and is the first person to know that feyre is rhys' mate after he returns

my girl loves feyre from day fucking one, she wants her to feel welcome and loved. she knows what the spring court can be like

she is there for a few dinners , being someone that feyre can trust despite everything going on. she is also the one who goes into the spring court to take feyre out of the manor when tamlin locks her in.

listen, if anything, she's just happy to have someone to mess with the boys with her, she loves amren but she knows am isn't going to tease with her like feyre will

basically mor has big older sister vibes always and she loves her court so much, the inner circle is her family through and through.

for mor right now, like i said, the last thing she remembers is going to hybern, watching the king bring feyre's sisters into the cauldron, feyre "breaking" the bond between her and rhys before being taken back to the spring court, while mor took her sisters back to the night court and they took cassian and azriel back to heal. she did try to kill the king after az and cass were attacked but at the risk of one of them dying, she stopped.

now that she's here , she's been filled in on what happened, though she is still a little bitter about the whole thing, she really just likes to mess with feyre about everything that happened

mor works for rhys here as well, though at the moment, she wants to strangle her best friend, considering his memories are only up to acotar. she is doing everything in her power to hold together the ic while it feels very much like everything is falling apart.

she is struggling a little but she doesn't want to talk about it, and would rather just pretend that she's only having one glass of wine when it's really more.. but that's a problem to handle after the family is back to normal

connections :

✩ co workers

like i said, she works for rhys but that means that she's around the political scene a lot, so she would absolutely know a ton of people in that line of work

she loves to be social so she would 100% have struck up a conversation

✩ past flings

mor has been in the city for a while now, and loves to go out and enjoy what the world has to offer. she's started to focus on one girl specifically but in the six months she's been here she absolutely wouldn't have been alone

mor is a lesbian so pls offer appropriately !!

✩ drinking dancing friends

mor loves to go out dancing, she would just love to have some friends she can drag to bars to go dancing with !!!

[mmiscbutterflies]

personal headcanons for acotar:

• elain at some point cuts her hair. like super short. like buzzed

• when azriel and gwyn first get together, he starts talking so much to her that he loses his voice periodically. everyone thinks it’s hilarious, except gwyn thinks his raspy voice is sexy as hell

• nessian have an inside joke that no one knows what it is but every once in a while cassian will point to something and nesta laughs so hard she has to sit down

• cassian is a dog mom. i’m talking dog stroller, little rain hat and boots, family photo shoots dog mom

• gwyn is a cheek kisser. everyone. all the time. good idea? cheek kiss. saying hi/bye? cheek kiss. happy to see you? cheek kiss. cheek kiss? cheek kiss.

• feyre would absolutely obliterate everyone in bumper cars. i don’t have any evidence it’s just vibes.

• helion, lucien, elain, emerie and tamlin are left handed

• nyx has a lisp until he’s like 9 that’s adorable. when he’s older and he gets upset or excited sometimes it slips back out a bit.

• at some point there’s elain on a balcony and lucien in the garden below having a romantic moment a la romeo and juliet but with less death and more yearning

• azriel is a blanket hog

• mor is scared of heights. don’t tell anyone.

• eris is good at drawing. like sketching and doodles. everyone thinks he take meticulous notes in every court meeting when he’s actually just filling up pages and pages of doodles. he thinks it’s a secret but his mother has a box somewhere where she holds on to some of his sketches. she looks at them when she’s having a bad day.

• rhys never has matching socks. he likes the idea of having some part of him (that no one can see) that’s not perfectly put together

• kallias and viviane have a boy around the same time as nyx is born, and the two babies grow up to be best friends, which means that night and winter remain the closest of all allies bc no one is willing to sacrifice these kid’s friendship after they’ve all sustained such loss for such a long time

• LoA mercs beron. i don’t know the how, when, or where, but it’s mega badass and becomes one of the legends told to future generations of autumn court females to remind them that if the LoA won’t tolerate abuse, neither should they

• tarquin had a stutter before he became high lord that he works so hard to control bc it’s hard enough being the youngest, newest high lord, and he doesn’t need one more thing to make others think less of him

• tamlin doesn’t know how to braid hair

• nyx’s favorite family member is amren, and no one (including her) knows why.

• gwyn and emerie get some kind of traditional illyrian tattoo marking them as carynthians and it pisses the illyrians off to no end. it was rhys’ idea.

[uwuyangin]

a promise well broken (minho x reader)

✩ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: if anyone was certain of one thing, it would be the fact that both you and minho were a two in one deal. never would somebody see one and not the other. since the beginning of your friendship, you promised each other that no matter what, you would never lie. pinky promises were forever right? that is until you meet hana, the one person that had the potential to tear you and minho apart.

✩ 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚/𝐧: this is a request! bff to lovers! plot ahead. cussing as well so be warned. song rec: i hate u, i love u by olivia o’brien & gnash. thank you for requesting this, lovely! 

—

the autumn of twenty-eighteen was the worst year of your life.

why? because that was the start of your first year being a freshman in college. nobody had warned you about the university life, and it always looked so easy. then came week two where you learned the hard way that the readings actually were important. or that you should never leave your laundry in the laundromat without supervision. again, these were things you had to learn as an adult and it sucked.

but, you’ll never forget the day you met him; lee minho. 

you had accidentally spilled coffee all over his white shirt in that over-crowded starbucks down the street from your apartment. he had joked you owe him a new shirt, however he then laughed at his silly remark. hearing that laugh made your heart melt in a way you couldn’t describe. nonetheless, you offered to buy him his drink of choice, to which he denied. instead, he asked for your time and the rest was history.

you two were inseparable ever since. even when you needed to study, minho would drop by and annoy the hell out of you. it had become such a routine that you would be surprised if he didn’t accompany you to anything. in a way, you were dependent on him as he was to you. some would say this was unhealthy, but you admitted to yourself a long time ago that a life without lee minho was not a life wanted. 

however, because life was never perfect, you couldn’t expect your relationship with him to be. because you were utterly in love with someone you never thought you could have. so much so that your heart swelled at just the idea of him and that damn smile. his tsundere personality attracted you the most because that only made the intimate moments more meaningful. like when he would hold your hand in public if you were anxious, or the way he complimented your work ethic. those small, simple gestures filled your stomach with butterflies. as much as you loved him showing you affection, it also broke your heart because it always stirred up false hope. and nothing hurt more than that. 

you wished you could confront him on this. you hated hiding anything from minho. it was your number one rule between each other; no secrets, no lies. he always had a deep-rooted insecurity of being lied to, and you promised him that you would never do that no matter what. you’ll never forget the way he looked at you then; full of trust and happiness. each night when you lay awake in your bed, your chest clenches at the thought of telling him you’ve been surpressing these feelings. would he rejoice or be disappointed? it was a risk that you weren’t willing to take.

that promise meant everything to you. apparently minho thought otherwise.

it had been exactly one month since you met park hana. minho introduced the two of you after walking out of his calculus class. he had made a new friend, which didn’t surprise you because who wouldn’t want to be friends with him? however, at the sight of her, your stomach dropped. she had locks of honey brown, obviously artificial but beautiful nonetheless. her eyes always shone with a light you never thought you’d see. she was outgoing, intelligent, and funny. god, she was so funny that she made minho roll over in laughter at a study session that was supposed to be explicitly between you and him. you envied her. you wanted to love yourself the way she did, but everytime you looked in the mirror, you would only see flaws. what would minho see in you that he wouldn’t see in her? 

you tried to be her friend, you really did. on multiple occasions, you invited hana to coffee or to the movies, and she always declined. if you brought it up to minho, he would only shrug it off that it wasn’t serious. this didn’t cease your uneasiness towards her, though. it could just be your jealousy speaking but you knew yourself better than that. 

you were going to try again, though. if she meant something to minho, then she meant something to you as well. 

you lay on your bed with a small smile, scrolling through your phone to find minho’s number. a simple face time would be fun as you didn’t feel like texting. you also really wanted to see his face. after finding his number, you tapped on it and felt excitement rising in your system. it was only a video call but this is what minho did to you. as the phone rang, you were met with disappointment as you noticed that he wasn’t going to pick up. that wasn’t like him as he typically picked up within the first three rings. 

“what the heck? ugh,” you grunted to yourself, heading over to text message. 

you were tempted to text him alone about your idea of hanging out, but you knew that if you were going to make an effort for hana, you would need to text the group chat. you began to text out your plans, sending it with a large grin. 

you: heyyyyyyyyy bishes! i’m thinking of heading to the mall later today, and i’d love to hang with y’all. what do you say?? maybe we can get dinner as well. i finally don’t have homework lmaoo 

soongiedoongiedori: aw can’t today :( hanging out with sungie

hana: same, i’m busy! maybe next week? 

you: ok :’) </3

releasing a sigh, you felt your excitement deterioriate. you weren’t expecting them to turn you down so quickly, especially minho. you knew it was wrong to be upset at them for being busy but you couldn’t help how you were feeling. hana did suggest next week . . . that would have to do for now. 

as you sighed once again, you heard your door swinging open. you snapped your head up, hoping it was minho pranking you, but you were only met with your roommate, yeri. 

“whoa, calm down. i’m not gonna kill you,” she joked. “i was just checking to see if you’ve eaten today and if i should buy takeout.” 

groaning, you shook her head and hung an arm over your head. this made it clear to yeri that you were upset, making her concerned. you two were close since the beginning of the school year. normally you were a cheerful person. if you were acting like this, then something was definitely up. 

“what’s wrong?” she asked, sitting beside you on your bed. 

you peeked out from behind your arm only to drop it and sigh for the third time. that’s all you could really do at this point. 

“well, it’s going to sound dumb-”

“no it’s not. stop doubting yourself, now tell me what’s up.” yeri interrupted.

you rolled your eyes but smiled a small smile. “i texted minho and hana to see if they wanted to hang out today but both of them are busy. it just really sucks because i feel like every time i make an effort for hana, she doesn’t make an effort for me. i’ve tried telling lino this but he thinks i’m being dramatic. am i being dramatic?”

yeri hummed at your response, furrowing her eyebrows. you watched in silence as she pondered about the scenario in her mind. this put you on edge because she didn’t immediately reassure you it was nothing. she must’ve seen something fishy as well or else she wouldn’t be thinking about it. or you were assuming the worst.

“they’re both busy?” she checked. 

you nodded, making her shrug. “i wouldn’t think much of it, (y/n). what’s the rule between you and him again? no secrets, no lies or something like that? i don’t think he would lie to you.” 

that was true; nobody took that rule more seriously than minho. for a moment there, you felt guilt because you knew it was wrong to immediately doubt his intentions like that. hana as well. yeri inspected you for a moment as she took in your composure. surely her advice should’ve been enough to warrant ease, however, you were still stiff.

“i’ll go to the mall with you,” she offered. “i was thinking of stopping in sephora or something. i’ve been meaning to go for awhile but never had the excuse.”

you snapped your head her way and bit back a smile, trying not to be too enthusiastic. “really? you’re not just saying that, are you?”

yeri nudged you playfully before standing. “of course not. now get up and ready, or i’ll regret my decision.”

-

“did you really have to buy all three palettes? they look the exact same!” 

yeri rolled her eyes as the both of you exited the store with you holding one bag, and her with two. you had only been there for twenty minutes and you already spent more than you would’ve liked. then again, you didn’t really care because you were looking forward to this for awhile. friends that enable each other stay together, right?

“well, that’s where you’re wrong. this one is peachy nudes, then there’s the golden nudes, and this one is neutral nudes. seriously, (y/n), don’t underestimate the power of nudes.”

the both of you let out a laugh, leaning into each other for support. yeri had made this experience way more fun than you thought it could be. not one thought of minho or hana had entered your mind. the mood was lifted tremendously as you strolled through the mall, window shopping at a few stores until you found the one you wanted to shop in. however, as you were going to enter a store, your stomach did a little growl. 

“whoa, calm down tiger.” joked yeri as she patted your stomach. 

“i guess i forgot to eat today . . . do you wanna stop by the food court before we continue shopping?” you suggested.

she nodded, realizing that she was hungry as well. “i think it’s this way.” 

nearing the corner, you continued on towards the food court with excitement. mall food always had a different vibe to it and you were very much looking forward to devouring some lo mein noodles. as the food court came into view, your walk began to speed up. the excitement that was building up inside of you halted as yeri stopped in her tracks, causing you to run directly into her back. 

“hey-” you started but yeri whipped around, shushing you. her hands grabbed onto your arms and dragged you to the side where you were no longer out in the open.

“what are you doing?” your voice was not loud however it still wasn’t at yeri’s liking as she shushed you again.

“(y/n), look over by mcdonald’s. isn’t that minho . . . and hana?” 

your heart stopped as you heard those words, immediately looking where yeri had instructed you. there sat minho and hana, laughing obnoxiously while sharing a meal. you watched the way she fed him a fry, with him then returning the favor. your heart tugged at the sight because that was something you guys always do to each other. it would then follow with you offering him a bite of your mcflurry and then booping him on the nose with the spoon. the tension grew as you saw him reaching for the spoon of his mcflurry, raising it out towards hana.

“please, please, please. do not pat it on her nose,” you whispered to yourself.

tears welled up in your eyes as you watched the way she took a bite, then giggling as he gently patted her nose with the spoon. that was the icing on the cake and it’s all it took before you turned your body around, rushing to the exit. 

yeri called out to you but you weren’t listening. the scene that played before rewound itself in your mind like a vhs tape. and you would pause at the way he looked at her, like she was so special. those glances were always reserved for you. was he tired of you? did he know how much he meant to you? he broke your one rule, the one thing that meant everything. your friendship was based on this and yet it was now abandoned. your breathing became labored as you tried calming down, staring at the ground with wide eyes and endless tears. never did you think minho would betray you. maybe it was naive to think like that.

“(y/n), wait up!” puffed out yeri as she met up with your figure at the exit. her chest heaved from the run she had to do to catch up.

neither of you spoke as yeri tried to find the words. “i’m sorry.” her voice was soft, almost afraid of breaking you any further.

-

nearly a week had passed since the incident at the mall. and you would be lying if you said you were alright.

every night you were reminded of what minho did to you as he sent you texts relentlessly. the spamming began after day one with him asking if you wanted to come over. when you didn’t respond, he continued to blow up your phone to see if you were okay. all the missed calls and texts drove you insane because you wanted so badly to reply. but you weren’t going to give in so easily. he hurt you in ways you couldn’t describe. it didn’t help that you were helplessly in love with him. seeing him give affection towards another female was inevitable, but you never thought it would hurt like this.

you weren’t surprised when you didn’t get any notifications from hana. you wanted to believe so badly that she was a good person but something felt off. you didn’t want it to be your jealousy speaking but you also didn’t want to be in denial either. this felt wrong because you and minho had never been so separated. but with each passing second, you felt yourself growing further part from him. you continued to drown in your depressed thoughts until a knock on your door interrupted.

“yes?” 

“oh, you don’t sound so excited to see me.” joked a familiar voice as they stepped in, closing  the door behind them.

you grinned, immediately sitting up and opening your arms for your friend, han jisung. the boy wasn’t shy in returning the hug, laughing at your brightened expression.

“sungie! what are you doing here? you didn’t even think to call me?” your voice was nothing but playful, nudging his arm in the process.

jisung took a seat beside you on the bed and chuckled. as he made himself comfortable, he spoke up. “i felt like being spontaneous.”

the air was always light when it came to jisung. he was able to make everyone feel welcomed despite his social anxiety. the contradiction always made you love him more, as a friend of course. you admired him for a moment, feeling somewhat calmer. it was obvious to jisung that something was wrong, though. minho might’ve told him to check up on you because if you were ignoring him, then he knew you wouldn’t let him into your home. but jisung could also tell from your face that you weren’t okay.

“hey, what’s going on? you can tell me.” 

his sudden change from bubbly to concerned shocked you, making you freeze in your spot. you hadn’t even noticed the smallest of tears that were forming in your eyes, finally being able to unleash any form of disappointment that you were holding in. jisung was not prepared to see you falter so quickly as he reached forward, holding your hands in his lap as he let you cry for a moment in silence. as soon as you were ready to catch your breath, you laid the truth on him.

“minho lied to me. and to make matters worse . . . he lied to me with hana.”

jisung was taken aback at those words because minho? lied to you? there’s no way. he snorted, shaking his head as he was in disbelief. however, as he studied your expression again, he noticed that you were still crying. the boy clenched his jaw as he was now visibly angry. he knew how much that rule meant to you and minho, as it meant something to jisung as well. he was there when minho got his heart broken, when he was the one who was lied to. and now minho had completely ignored that because of someone he barely knew. you didn’t deserve this, no one did. 

“(y/n), i’m so sorry.” much like yeri, that’s all he could say. 

because he knew how much this hurt you, and there was nothing that he could say that would change how you were coping. he wanted to ask what happened, but he also didn’t want to push you. 

“why are you sorry? it’s him that should be sorry.” you replied bitterly as you wiped at your eyes. 

you thought you looked pathetic, but jisung thought the opposite. he couldn’t even imagine what you were going through, and he always knew how close you two were. deep down he also knew how you felt about minho. this was more than just your best friend lying to you, no. 

ring ring ring

the sound of your phone ringing made you snap out of it, immediately searching for it so that you could read the caller id. once you had it in your hands, your eyes widened in shock.

“it’s hana . . . should i answer it?” you whispered.

“sure, but i don’t know why you’re whispering.” you reached over and swatted his arm at his sass.

without thinking much of it, you swiped right and pressed the phone to your ear. jisung didn’t think that you would actually do it, considering you had neglected minho’s calls. although he did believe it would be easier to speak with hana as you weren’t as close with her. after holding in your breath for a long second or two, you released out a greeting.

“hello?”

“mhm, (y/n)-ah. i’m glad you picked up. i’ve been meaning to talk to you.” 

something about the way she spoke didn’t sound genuine, and jisung could notice it from a mile away. you furrowed your eyebrows as he pointed at your phone, mouthing the words ‘speaker phone’ to you. you decided to risk it as jisung would be your witness for whatever would go down. you switched it to speaker.

“oh, hi hana. what did you want to speak with me about?” you said straightforwardly. 

there was a chuckle on the other end that sent chills down your spine. “i’m not stupid, (y/n). i know you saw minho and me at the mall together. i don’t blame you for acting the way you are, i would probably do the same.”

both you and jisung looked at each with wide eyes. you didn’t expect her to be so blunt with her thoughts, however you were expecting something bitchy. biting on the inside of your cheek, you listened to her continue.

“i mean, you should be jealous. minho asked me on a date, and he told me he loves me. we are now dating, and we are very happy. he’s very happy. and now that we are together, i’m telling you to stay away from him.”

you could feel the fresh wave of tears pooling in your eyes as you heard her read out your worst nightmare. minho was in love with someone else, and to make matters worse, it was with hana. everything inside of you clenched painfully as you felt your heart sink to your stomach. this was way worse than having minho lie to you. you prayed to any god or deity that the situation couldn’t get any worse than it already was but they refused to listen to you. the universe was against your idea of sharing love with minho as it did everything in its way to tear you two apart. you should’ve kept count of the time you had left with him until he was taken.

but hearing her say that you needed to stay away from him wasn’t an option in your head. you can handle him lying, and being in love with someone else. it hurt, god it hurt so badly, but you could handle it if it meant he was happy. you would rather have minho happy instead of not having him at all. you were passionate in that belief, and you weren’t going to let hana tell you otherwise.

“no.” 

“i wasn’t asking, (y/n).” her tone was more intimidating than before, yet you held your ground.

“i said no. i’m not budging on this, hana. i’m not letting him go.” you protested.

there was another pause in between the conversation, and you thought you had won for a second. but hana was always a step ahead of you, planning her attack head-on like she had rehearsed every possible outcome in her head.

“why are you still holding onto him? you’re just a burden, don’t you see that? he’s only pitying you. now that he has me, he doesn’t need to keep having you around. you should learn to take a hint.” 

she spat her words at you, shooting her venom in your most sensitive spots. for a moment, you had entirely forgotten that jisung was still in the room. you tried not to let her words get to you, but they did. hearing that he was only pitying you sent you over the edge as you hung up the phone, throwing it at the floor angrily. your hands formed into fists as you closed your eyes, trying to catch your breath. but with each inhale, you felt as if you were suffocating. you wanted to wake up from this terror but you knew it was just a twisted reality. you didn’t even notice how your form was shaking from overwhelming emotions until jisung had reached over, pulling you closer into a side hug. he was just as speechless as you, if not more.

he shushed your cries, knowing it was the only thing you could do.

-

a few hours had passed at this point, and you didn’t even notice how you fell asleep with jisung. normally you two would split between the floor or the bed, but it was clear that you were exhausted. the afternoon had turned into nightfall, your open curtains inviting the moon. if you weren’t so out of it, you would’ve admired it’s beauty. you peered over as jisung was curled up beside you under the sheets, one arm wrapped loosely around your shoulders and the other over his face. he was such a good friend that you didn’t know how to thank him. he did not need to stay here by your side yet he did. he would never admit it, but he was incredibly selfless. as you tried adjusting your sight, you realized your eyes were puffy from crying, and it honestly hurt to try and focus in the dark.  you laid your body back down, snuggling deeper into your comforter before trying to head back to rest. without warning, your door swung up to reveal a worried minho.

“what the fuck is this?” 

his voice boomed through the room, causing you and jisung to bolt upright out of bed. your attention turned to a frantic looking minho clutching his phone in his hands. there was a vein popping out on the side of his neck from how stressed out he was, and his hair was disheveled from constantly running his hands through it. anyone would be able to see how fucked up he was over this. not to mention minho was worried sick because you still were not answering your phone, and now jisung wasn’t. when he called yeri to check up on you, she revealed that jisung had slept over. minho was furious, but for what?

“why haven’t you been answering your phone? do you know how worried i’ve been about you, i thought you died!” he started, then pointing his finger at jisung. “and you, what the hell do you think you’re doing in (y/n)’s bed?”

jisung gulped in fear as he avoided eye contact, trying to find the words to reply. never had the older male raised his voice like that at anyone, much less jisung. minho could be scary when mad, but you weren’t going to let behave like this. you believed he didn’t have a right to be so upset. because you weren’t going to let him do this to you, act like he was the victim and that you hurt him. he hurt you first, didn’t he see that? or was he really that blind? 

“first off, i don’t need your permission to have anyone stay the night so don’t talk to him like that. two, i don’t need to answer to you or anyone else but myself.”

minho chewed at the inside of his cheek, a death stare focused on you. “excuse me?”

“i said that i don’t need to answer to you. shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend anyway? it’s obvious you care more about her than you do about your friends. go, we don’t want you here.” you sneered at him, placing your hands on your hips firmly.

“what are you talking about, (y/n)? i don’t have a girlfriend. you’re not making any sense-”

“do not lie to me a second time!” you yelled.

both jisung and minho froze as they heard you raise your voice. minho knew what you could be like when you were furious like this, but he never thought you would be like that with him. it hurt a little as you stared at him like so sternly, so unwelcoming. for once in your friendship, he felt like he was trespassing. that shouldn’t be an issue between you two. minho tried to process his thoughts until he caught your words again, repeating it over and over in his head. guilt began to settle within him as he pursed his lips, thinking of saying something. however, nothing came out. all he could do was stare at the ground with shame digging itself into his skin. you deserved better than this. minho promised you so many things, and he had broken every single one. it was ironic, really, for someone who feared a broken heart. 

“(y/n),” he started hesitantly. “it’s not what it seems. let me explain.” 

you snorted while rolling your eyes. “really? because from what i remember, you promised me. you promised me you would never lie to me, or keep secrets from me. you lied to me!” 

your throat became thick as you tried swallowing any sobs that were bound to come up. you had pent up all of your frustration that this was finally the time you let minho have a piece of your mind. you wanted to scream at him, fight him, and hurt him. but all you could do was unleash the pain you had been holding in. 

“i never thought you would do this to me, minho. i never thought- i never thought you could just give up this friendship to someone who barely knows you! i always pictured you’d be with someone kind and full of love but she is a monster, don’t you see that minho? she is a bitch and-”

“wait, wait, wait. are you talking about hana? why are you saying these things about her? i know you’re upset with me, but don’t pull her into this.” he defended her, folding his arms across his chest.

your heart sank a little further as he didn’t immediately deny the fact that they were dating. instead, he defended her actions, and her role as his girlfriend. you were devastated; so it was true. you should’ve seen it coming, but you never thought it would be this soon. 

“hyung, (y/n) is telling the truth.” jisung tried to interfere, nevertheless, minho glared daggers at him.

“i’m not speaking to you right now. quiet.” he demanded.

his voice was eerily calm, making jisung cower in fear. you were not going to do that, though. you were going to stick up for yourself and the hell that hana had unleashed onto you. there is no way that minho could be so dull to not see the true colors of this girl. or maybe you were far too used to overestimating him.

“why is it that when it’s her word versus mine, you automatically defend her? am i not your best friend? i feel like i mean nothing to you anymore.” 

minho scoffed. “you’re being overdramatic. hana means a lot to me as well-”

“no, it’s obvious she means more to you. do you know what she did to me today, by the way? she told me to stay away from you, to never see you again or else. does that sound like someone you want in your life, lino?” 

you waited to hear reassuring words from your best friend, but instead, all you heard was the love of your life pushing you out of the way. his nostrils flared slightly in anger as he clenched his jaw, and his instinctively formed fists. never had he thought to raise his voice at you, but that was pushed away when the words left his mouth without control.

“you listen to me, and you listen carefully, (y/n). i don’t want you to ever speak of her like that ever again,” he pause to take a deep breath.

“it’s really low of you to be this jealous that you have to tear down the people that matter to me. i thought you were better than that.” he clicked his tongue, giving you a stare of disappointment. 

you couldn’t decide what hurt more, the fact that minho defended her or that he didn’t believe you. jisung wished to speak up and to let his friend know the truth, but he didn’t want to be scolded once more. the silence in the room was chilling, leaving goosebumps to arise on your arms. this had to be fake; this wasn’t the minho you knew and loved. tears had fallen past your eyes and onto your scorched cheeks. that sinking feeling returned to the pit of your stomach as it swallowed you whole. minho stared back with just as much intensity, knowing he hated seeing you cry especially when he was the cause. but he refused to back down from his word. instead he shook his head, turning around to walk out the door. you could hear the slam of the front door from your room, making you jump in fear. you were still unable to move from your spot as shock filled your system. did that really just happen?

you hadn’t even noticed the way jisung chased after his hyung. he pushed his short legs to run faster until he was now out of your apartment and near the parking lot. minho was walking rather fast with his stance intimidating but the younger boy didn’t care. he needed him to know the truth, and to know that you weren’t exaggerating.

minho felt a shove at the lower end of his back, causing him to trip a bit in front of him. when he whipped around to view who it was, a growl slipped his lips.

“yah, do you have a death wish?” jisung was not surprised to hear that.

“no, but do you? do you know what (y/n) has been going through ever since this hana girl entered your life? hm? do you? she’s telling the truth, i was here with her when that call took place.” 

minho chuckled bitterly. “i can’t believe you’re on her side here. i thought you were my friend.”

jisung’s eyes softened, showing just how upset he was over this. minho was not prepared for what came next, however, as the dongsaeng questioned every motive he had. 

“i am. and do you know what i value most in our friendship? no secrets, no lies. isn’t that the same promise you were supposed to keep with (y/n)? and here you are, breaking that promise. trying to validate what you did is inexcusable, man. why would she lie?”

the older of the two was at a loss of words as the guilt he faced earlier returned. it swirled around his body like an uninvited wind, reminding him how cold he felt in the situation. there was no reason for you to lie, so why was it that you would make something up like this? that’s the thing; you would never make this up. the realization was beginning to settle in him as minho came face to face with reality. he had hurt you, and made it out to be your fault. he took the side of someone he barely knew over you. over his best friend. over the love of his life.

“shit,” he muttered while throwing a hand to over his face.

this made jisung smile sadly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “maybe you should fix this. just maybe.” 

letting out a groan, minho cursed at himself. he had fucked up so badly. jisung was quick, though, to ask a question that was still clearly in his head. “are you really dating hana by the way?”

minho shook his head and scoffed. “no.”

minho glanced up from his solemn expression and nodded.normally he would come back with another scary remark but he didn’t have the energy to do it. he made his way back to your apartment with each step being heavier than the previous one. owning up to his mistakes wasn’t something he was used to. never had he hurt this badly before, so he was bound to face something completely new. taking all the courage he could, minho opened your door to see a vacant front room. yeri must’ve been somewhere else, which he wasn’t complaining about. no doubt she would’ve chewed his ass out. minho continued on until he was right outside your door. as his hand went to turn the golden knob, he heard a heartwrenching sound.

you held a hand over your mouth as you sobbed in your bed, your body curled up to offer any form of comfort it could. the words of your best friend replayed over and over until you could no longer bare it anymore. you were broken into pieces, scattering yourself so that they would be hard to find. but minho had the power to put you back together, despite how long it would take. 

you felt a body weigh down beside you on the bed, immediately reaching its arms around you. as your eyes fluttered open, the sight of him was made aware, making you sob harder. minho shushed you, combing back your hair from your eyes as he held you in place. you didn’t fight him, you didn’t scream at him, no. you let him hold you so that he could mend your broken pieces back together. this was his damage he had caused, it only seemed right to take care of it. 

“i’m sorry. i’m so sorry.” 

you shook your head almost instantly. “you’re just saying that. don’t lie to me-”

“i’m not. hey, look at me,” he whispered.

your eyes met his again, making you shiver. it had been so long since you were this close to him. it felt familiar, like home. because that’s what he was to you. nothing could ever change that, even if he had crossed you. 

“i will never lie to you again. you mean so much to me.” 

unlike his tsundere personality, his voice was soft as it wavered in the air. those words alone made your heart begin to beat again with a sense of excitement you thought you lost. that excitement began to build as he grew closer, his face fearlessly nearing yours. his eyes never left yours, and you felt the overwhelming urge to close the gap between you. and so you did.

your lips molded against each other in a way you couldn’t describe. you were exploring new found territory, having experience something you never deemed possible. it was gentle, but powerful. his hands caressed your lower back as he held you closer to himself, chests up against each other. fireworks were an understatement. it felt like the universe was finally aligning again to ensure your happiness. it was a comforting hug that let you knew everything was going to be alright. it was minho showing you that you were more than hana would ever be. 

as he drew back, he pressed his forehead against yours. he couldn’t help but to say the words he had been holding back on ever since the day you met.

“i love you, (y/n).”

your eyes bulged as you looked at him in disbelief. these were words you were wanting to hear for so long. but were they genuine? or to make you feel better? you grew defensive before letting your heart speak any truth.

“i don’t need you to patronize me, minho. if you’re just saying that . . . “

“i’m not. i sincerely love you, (y/n).” 

“what about hana?” your insecurities were back at it again, and doubting anything that minho had said to you. you heard him chuckle as he responded coolly. “i was never with hana. i love you.”

a smile broke out on your lips. “no secrets, no lies?”

“no secrets, no lies.”

soooooo this is really shitty and im really sorry :/ I’ve been writing this for so many weeks and this is all i got out of it lmao <333 might make a part two with smut HA let me know if y’all want that thanks for the request @minholuvs

[seasonsreads]

Finally reading ACOSF and maybe its the stuff I saw recently about Rhys not being such a great romantic lead after all or maybe its just seeing it all through Nesta's eyes but I don't like him and feyre anymore! Feyre especially seems to dress in 2010 autumn chic (or my brain imagines it as such after her dress sense in acofas) and its like GIRL u are in a fantasy universe act like it! And I find their approach to Nesta troubling. A few chapters in it is clear Nesta is self destructing from so much trauma from her transformation, the war, the loss of her parents. Did they ever try to talk to her about these things? It doesnt seem like it! So what Feyre wanted Nesta to join their little club and extended every invitation to their home and the luxury of their riches etc. And then scold her for her bad behaviour or hold big interventions to "help" the symptoms of her problems without ever really trying to get to the root of it. I feel like any ordinary group of friends would have a shared trauma having met the end of the world and an incredible war that changed everything, but Nesta has kept that all buried. But the thing is it really should be quiet obvious. Like the girl has been through aLot and isnt coping well. Shes not just an alcoholic cos she feels like it. And feyre and the inner circle wna act all high and mighty crying at breakfast how hard it will be to finally cut nesta off after letting her sabotage herself for a year and only being like "wtf nesta why r u doing this its almost like u have devestating trauma we all dont talk abt ever"

But none of these characters seem haunted by the events of book 3 except Nesta? Feyre and her court of frost and starlight tumblr chic aesthetic and her overly ostentation house that from the description doesnt sound very homely just a glare of wealth. Feyres tastes are so basic just a mansion from beverly hills sjm saw on pinterest. Like picture a mansion thats what it looks like yippee, theres nothing greatly wrong with it I just dont find it very imaginative and paired with Feyre's fashion sense she just comes of as a rich white american girl and not the high lady of the night court? Like perhaps have that motif spread out through your home? Cant she even have a pet that represents her night court high lady vibes? She was meant to be the dark queen but she doesnt actually fit at all. But I do admit when I read the story from Feyres point of view I really liked her (mostly) rhysand was my king! And i ate the whole thing up!

But again the whole approach w nesta doesnt sit right w me and I dont think sjm even intended for it to come off that way.

Theyre Probably not affected as nesta because Rhys, Azriel, Cassian and Amren are 500+years old and have done it 12,000x and the age gaps have suddenly really hit me like.... Nesta and Feyre are like 21/22 yrs old. Feyre was 18 when Rhys prowled on her. I was 18 when I read the book so I didnt care but now that Im older I dont like that ageless old man in a young fae body anymore! How could they meet this 18year old traumatised girl and make her their queen. Yh i guess shes pretty and smart (debatable) but she didnt even get powers till book 3....Anyway thats where im at with this book we'll see if they have an actual emotional and psychological heart to heart to help Nesta instead of controlling a trauma victims life in a very rigid and confrontational manner that imo if it were me I wld absolutely lash out against. Like how about Feyre had this conversation in private with Elaine present, instead of Rhysand and Amren that Nesta doesnt like glaring down at her and randomly being told that Elaine wasnt on her side either. Its a bit toxic and badly handled.

[houseofhurricane]

Why Vassien Is Endgame: The World Peace Theory

At the end of ACOWAR, all of the characters are focused on healing from the war with Hybern and creating peace in their world. One major aspect of this peace is High Fae, "lesser" faeries, and humans all living at peace with each other. In ACOSF, we find out that the terms of the treaty that would broker this peace are not going well -- particularly on the side of the High Fae. (Established power's never going to give up its power quite so easily, but I digress.)

This is where Lucien and Vassa come in. Lucien is the heir to the Day and/or Autumn Courts, with the potential for a claim to Spring if Tamlin were to die without heirs. (I mean, I don't know how Prythian's inheritance laws work, but it seems like a strong possibility.) Vassa is one of the seven human queens who rule the human realms, and could end up as the only queen if the betrayal of the others were to come to light.

Imagine how much easier peace in Prythian would be if there were a realm ruled by a human queen and her High Fae consort? Or a court ruled by a High Lord and his human High Lady? I know the Night Court has a formerly human High Lady, but now Feyre is a High Fae with a lot of power. The Night Court is a remote destination, nearly impossible for humans to reach. Its pro-human attitude is mostly symbolic. But Vassa as a co-ruler of the Day Court, the brave and brilliant human queen who broke the enchantment of the death-lord Koschei? Lucien, a powerful High Fae and rightful heir to at least one Prythian court, divesting of his power in favor of supporting his beloved human queen? Those stories are powerful. That's evidence that a better world is possible. And the High Fae, petty and politicking as they are, might actually be moved by it, just enough to consent to a treaty that makes life better for everyone.

Vassien already has immaculate vibes -- the beauty, the snark, the meeting of the minds! -- but throw in world peace, too? It's got to be endgame.

[wsgeon]

hey everyone! ummm this is peyton (also the mun of lee hyeon) taking a second shot at a second character — i have a lot of muse for this one, so i swear he’ll be around for a while… 🥵 this is ryu geon, yes his name rhymes with hyeon’s & no i do not care ♥️ he’s the lead guitarist/vocalist of meta and also the son of a former nobody rockstar, but i’ll get into all that below! like this post if you’d like for me to come into your ims to plot, click the read more for more info on geon, and/or click here to be taken to his pages: CAREER, DOSSIER, PINTEREST.

HISTORY.

born in autumn ‘97 to a “budding rockstar” (translation: “no yeah i swear our band’s really starting to take off, we sold twenty-three tickets to our last show!”) & a woman with commitment issues ♥️ geon’s dad always told him that his mom left because she had some dire matters that needed to be taken care of and SWORE that she cried the last time she held her dear baby boy, but all of his dad’s bandmates say that she was just some groupie and had to be persuaded into carrying her child to term… who can say for sure?

naturally, there are no pictures of this mystery woman. there was one (1) of her holding infant geon, but then he found out that that was actually a sound tech who worked for his dad’s band… and he just never corrected geon’s assumptions LOLLLL

anyway! he was always really close to his dad, considering they were a two-person family. he has a set of grandparents, an aunt and a couple cousins but they were never involved with geon’s life because his dad is the #blacksheep of the family. geon and his dad against the world, am i right?

uhhh geon was also kind of a black sheep growing up, but he didn’t really notice? he was a happy kid, very energetic and enthusiastic. a lot of adults in the area looked down on him & his dad, but he was SOOOO blind to it because his dad’s a god in his eyes and HE’S always been nice to everyone, so why would they not like him??? because his clothes smelled a little like dad’s cigarette smoke??? big deal

wasn’t troublesome (beyond talking too much), but a lot of people still expected bad things from him :/ “his father’s a dirtbag, i’ll be surprised if that boy doesn’t end up in jail by 20”, “he won’t amount to anything without a proper role model in his life”, “his dad is teaching him how to slack off”, “he won’t contribute anything to society”, etc. he kindaaa picked up on this as he got older but pretended not to because it was more rewarding to play dumb and keep being a good kid(tm) to prove them wrong

was basically a mini version of his dad. same style, similar features, birthmarks in the same places, same “live today, die tomorrow” approach in life, same affinity for singing & playing rock music. ummm he loved his dad a lot. a lot. a lot. wanted to make him proud SO BAD, started his first band when he was 15 and they sucked so bad but his dad was their biggest fan… you know how it is. a lot of people misunderstood him, but he was a very good guy and such a great parent

TW DEATH unfortunately he passed away just shy of geon’s 18th birthday and your boy still hasn’t forgiven the world for taking his dad when he was in the middle of his angsty teen phase — had he known that their time together was dwindling, he would’ve been so so so much better to him END TW

his dad’s band actually rocketed into the charts after he passed & suddenly they were getting loads of publicity, lots of “what a shame that he went under-appreciated” which pissed geon off SOOOO bad because why couldn’t they have had that energy when he was still alive? he’s still mad about it five/six years later

this is getting kinda long, so uhhh tl;dr, he ended up staying with the drummer of his dad’s band until he was old enough to live alone/READY to live alone, but he changed quite a bit. was really going through it, quit his band, stopped putting effort into school. barely graduated. went from being a social butterfly spending every weekend at a gig or with friends to spending all of his time on a pc or in front of a tv, playing console games. the internet comforted him when nobody else would/could and then he met the future members of meta <33333333 #newbeginnings

present day geon is still struggling, has to go to counseling bi-weekly but he’s coming back out of his shell! he wants to fall in love with life again, just wants to tread carefully... outgoing & will talk to absolutely anyone, but he still spends most of his time alone. hard to reach by text, so if you wanna talk to him, you better call/facetime LMAO. talks a mile a minute, especially if you get him going abt something he really likes. laughs a lot, smiles a lot, more habitual than actual signs of happiness but yk. ummm he has a really loud voice, mostly controlled nowadays but he still gets carried away sometimes. an absolute menace during long drives/flights, sorry meta.

funny but only when he’s in large groups. feeds off of other peoples’ energy, really good at reading a room and breaking the ice/making everyone comfortable, but if you meet him 1-on-1, none of his jokes land quite the same.

i envision him as being the kind of guy who carries himself in such a way that you’d assume he’s really popular/out of reach/maybe even full of himself, but he’s... not like that... at all... in fact, he’s kinda irritating when you get to know him. the personification of a flood followed by a drought and vice versa, always either too much or not enough. gets used/ghosted/dropped/dumped/whatever a lot because he’s soooo fun in the moment (if he isn’t in his feelings), but draining long-term.

really emotionally intelligent, in touch with his feelings in a way that a lot of people never thought he would be (probably thanks to counseling tbh). he’s very very rarely the type of person who will make you wonder what your place in his life is — he’s communicative, kind, honest. ummm he thinks that intimacy between friends needs to be more common, so he’s really affectionate with the people in his life. type of guy to tell you he loves you every chance he gets (calling you when he’s drunk, sounding like a clingy ex type beat) & greet you/depart with a hug. losing his dad kinda fucked him up in the way that he won’t leave/hang up until his friends say “i love you” back, gets kinda (re: very) upset if he’s denied that and/or a hug.

TRIVIA.

has been playing the guitar “longer than he’s been walking” (not really, but he swears it’s true).

uhhh he really likes nail art, but he’s kinda hesitant in what he tries? mainly sticks to black polish (or other plain colors), but sometimes he’ll get little designs added in as well. mainly does it himself because he still doesn’t feel comfortable in salons... if his work looks bad, leave him alone <3 he’s trying

inspired by people like kurt cobain, nicky wire, yungblud, billie joe armstrong & damiano david in the fact that he’s not against wearing dresses or skirts on stage. doesn’t do it ALL the time, but often enough that it doesn’t go unnoticed. some people say that he does it for attention because he doesn’t dress like that elsewhere and tbh they’re probably kinda right

interested in history (only SOME... dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, specialized areas like the history of circuses/clowns/skateboarding/punk, stuff like that yk), stand-up comedy & documentaries. could spend a whole day watching documentaries and would say he had fun, has a lot of useless knowledge that nobody gives a fuck about and is kinda dumb when it comes to things that matter

when it comes to music, he prefers playing really fast and heavy rock or punk over anything else, but he actually listens to a lot more soft indie on his own time... he’s too tense these days to be listening to anything else RIPPP

the vibe: homemade tie-dye, ripped slipknot t-shirts, frosted tips, neon crocs with alien & peace-sign charms, chipped black nail polish, calloused hands, cheesy pick-up lines used NOT to land a date but to pull a smile, driving until he’s lost, stupid socks paired with pressed suits, dramatic poetry in an iphone note, etc. 

PLOT IDEAS.

people he met through online support groups about coping with grief

uhhh an on & off relationship that’s been going for who-knows-how-long. the reason for this is up for discussion, but i imagine that he hasn’t given up yet because the constant highs and lows are a good source of inspo 🤪 artists must suffer for their art!

opposite side of the coin — someone he’s interested in, but he’s NOT disloyal so it’s a pattern of persistent courting when he’s single vs intense friend-zoning when he’s not and they’re getting tired of trying to figure out what he wants from them

someone else who likes nail art & can convince him that NOBODY cares if he goes to a salon

someone (probably female but doesn’t really matter tbh) who feels like his feminism is entirely performative… maybe they attack him directly for it or maybe they just REALLY don’t like him and they’re super vague about it idk. either way, please tell him that activism is much more than recommending one female artist a year and saying “clothes have no gender 🤪” so he can be praised for the bare minimum (his heart is in the right place but his skull is empty)

someone super introverted who comes out of their shell with geon! uhhh maybe they think that he’s the one doing them a favor, but in reality spending time with them has been doing wonders for his mental health

other people who like to skate. let’s congregate at the local skatepark and scare the middle schoolers away

someone who inspires him musically, for whatever reason. lots of late nights in studios, idly strumming his guitar and writing lyrics that definitely aren’t about how their eyes look in these dim lights… umm maybe he thinks he has a crush on them but really doesn’t and ends up hurting them eventually, maybe he really DOES have a crush but will (probably) never do anything abt it or maybe it’s entirely platonic and he just admires them a ridiculous amount

someone who likes to make music as a hobby, prob won’t publish/release any of it but it’s fun to imagine. spontaneous meetings with geon in the middle of the night, recording songs together and keeping the WORST takes for the laughs. there’s probably a diss-track of them going in on each other floating around somewhere even though geon can’t rap for shit

night owls who keep him company on the phone, even if they can’t be there physically. them talking really quietly vs geon shouting at them while he plays games LMAO

gaming buddies. come over, maybe you can carry geon through his game of the week or you can both fail but have fun while you’re at it… or you can scream while he fends off that hoard of zombies behind you

i’m typing this at the last minute (literally) so i’m gonna stop here, but i will get a proper plots page put up asap with a wider variety of connections!!! but as always, please do let me know if you have any other ideas. i’m always happy to plot and write with you all 🌚

[background-noise-headache]

Hurt the Bard, but like, Emotionally/Non-lethally

Um, terribly painful Jaskier-whump idea. (This has some Geraskier elements in it, but in a pre-relationship, developing friendship way, featuring a lot of Geralt openly caring for Jaskier because that’s my head canon, Geralt speaks with actions and his eyes, not his words. 

I know the fandom likes to play with the idea of Jaskier’s parents being distant or abusive or neglectful. Which I do enjoy, but I vibe more with the idea that Jaskier had very supportive parents and that’s why he’s so confident and open and affectionate.

So, this: The court mage’s apprentice is bitter and angry seeing all this love that annoying brat (only a few years younger than him) gets. The jealousy is eating at him. Jaskier goes to Oxenfurt then sets out on his own to become a bard with the encouragement of his parents even if it’s not what’s expected of a viscount.

Somewhere between when Jaskier meets Geralt to the djinn incident (I imagine after Cintra) Jaskier is home for a while, telling his family about his adventures and being showered in love and sharing that love back with them, he’s missed them so much.

The apprentice is now the court mage and that anger has never gone away, just been buried and smothered because dude does not have the best coping mechanisms, no one ever taught him any. Asshole decides to cast a curse on Jaskier:

“Every kind word will cause you pain and make you rot on the inside, but no one will see the pain they cause you. It won’t kill you physically, but you’ll swear you’re dying. Every kind word, every compliment, will make you rot until the only relief and joy you get is when someone insults you. You’ll beg for them to hate you, beg for them to spit in your face.”

By the next day it’s clear how effective the curse is.

(Okay, trigger warning for body horror, skin issues, medical wounds. This is honestly me coping with a terrible nightmare I had a few years back that I never completely got over and sometimes I need to talk about it. So, bear with me, or skip to my line of astrisks)

(You know what, additional trigger warnings for toxic relationships and emotional abuse between Jaskier an characters only mentioned in the show but never seen. You know the ones)

By rot, I mean that when Jaskier looks at his skin it looks like it’s bruising, and then cracking, bleeding, pealing away. It’s molting and pussy and awful (that is specifically what it looked like in my dream, the skin on my left arm was molting.) But nobody fricken sees it! Jaskier can point to the wounds, groan in pain, nobody sees the cause. It’s not actually there, it’s technically in his head because that’s what the curse does, it won’t kill him, just rot him. 

So immediately Jaskier realizes he has to leave home because every time he sees his parents and his siblings and his neices and nephews they’re excited and happy and loving. They’re quick to realize something’s wrong, but Jaskier knows they can’t see the way his skin is turning. He leaves without saying goodbye because he can’t explain.

He travels, avoids his friends and familiar places where he’s known. But when he performs his audience will tell him how wonderful his songs were and patrons will flirt and it’s all pain. It’s less painful to avoid performing, but harder to survive without it. But he can’t always bear the pain, it’s just too much sometimes.

He runs into an old classmate. He and Valdo were never close, several years apart in age. They chat, they flirt, they go to bed together. Valdo is sparing with his compliments, and very observant. Because Jaskier gets irritable with pain and too many nice words makes him lash out, but insults stir a fire in his eyes that Valdo enjoys. He thinks he knows what Jaskier really wants. He’s not sure how he feels about it, but Valdo can’t remember the last time he had a fling so interesting and contradictory.

They travel for a while. Jaskier becomes a backup for Valdo’s performances, getting a share of the coin to get by and minimal attention. It’s better this way, he tells himself.

One drunken night he tells Valdo about the curse. To Valdo it makes too much sense and it’s so tragic and the tragedy makes it more romantic. The relationship is downhill from there as Jaskier realizes the kind of situation he’s gotten himself into and how he’s becoming dependent on Valdo’s cruelty, and how much crueler it feels if Valdo says something nice.

He leaves.

He meets the Countess. She flirts with insults and thrives making people feel lower than her. She pays him a lot of money to play for her and takes him to bed and rarely has a kind word and if he avoids drinking too much he’ll never fall into the same trap he did with Valdo.

And then a song begins circulating about a poor bard cursed to long for pain and cruelty, who will never know love again. Which fucking hurts worse than any of this shit before, the message that he’ll never be loved again burns.

The Countess grows bored and kicks him out. He travels for a few weeks, to tired and burnt out to perform and goes through his money fast. He also had jack-all in the way of travel supplies, not even a bedroll, so it’s a rough few weeks after he can no longer afford a bed under a roof.

And then he meets Geralt on the bank of the Pontar. Gods it’s nice to focus on someone else’s problems for a moment. And then the fillingless pie comment, and it’s the first time in a Gods-know-how-long time that he finds no relief in the insult, only annoyance. And that old habit of bickering with Geralt kicks in because even if it’s been a few years they’re still friends. 

(Yes, they’re friends. I head canon that Geralt says they’re not friends 1. because he has obvious abandonment issues and self loathing problems, as the fandom well knows, and 2. every time he says he and Jaskier aren’t friends, Jaskier insists they are with more and more evidence to prove it and it makes Geralt feel warm and fuzzy. Eventually they had that conversation and Jaskier knows what Geralt actually means/wants to hear when he says they’re not friends)

(also Geralt has been plagued with insomnia for weeks or months on end, and I’m telling you, you would be cranky too. Not getting enough sleep gives me migraines, worsens my snow vision, makes my ADHD worse, and makes me irritable. That’s why Geralt is so grumpy on the river bank)

So for a few minutes he forgets about the curse and the festering rot on his skin. And then the djinn, and he’d really like to get back at the two people that have hurt him the most recently, and then break this stupid fucking curse already.

No such luck.

And after all the djinn nonsense, Yen makes the offhanded comment, “Where’s your cursed bard run off to.”

“He shouldn’t be cursed any more.”

“Oh no, he was cursed long before the djinn.”

“Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I didn’t see it until you left.”

“And you didn’t break it?”

“It wasn’t killing him. The djinn was. One problem at a time. The djinn needed to be solved before this curse.”

So, yeah, Yennefer and Geralt find Jaskier outside and they have a long talk about it. Yen needs a day to prepare for breaking the curse because she’s already used a lot of chaos today and she needs rest. (And those two idiots need to talk, she can see it and it’s giving her a migraine she needs to sleep off)

Jaskier tells Geralt about the last year or so of his life. It’s fucking shit.

The curse is broken. There’s no sign of rot on Jaskier’s skin, no pain when anyone says something kind, like “we are friends” and “I missed you” which is a relief.

But the emotional changes won’t go away overnight. Jaskier responds to kindness with hostility and takes insults in silence. And Geralt isn’t doing well watching someone he cares about act... act like Geralt. Self-hating and believing they need cruelty to be normal. And there’s no traveling therapist either. So they’re doing the best they can. But it’s a rough few years as Jaskier unlearns all that shit.

It kind of convinces Geralt to get his head a little more out of his ass and stop hating himself so much, realizing how painful it must be for Jaskier and his brothers and Vesemir and Yennefer to watch.

The mountain is just a really awful few days. Jaskier takes Geralt’s lashing with minimal resistance. A comment that it’s not fair is a vast improvement from 5-6 years ago, but nothing like his younger self would have responded, all puffed up dramatics until Geralt realized how ridiculous he was being.

Geralt and Jaskier have an awkward, stunted few days hiking down the mountain, during which Jaskier decides he needs to go to the coast and sort himself out. He’ll see Geralt next spring.

He goes home and spends that autumn with his family. It’s the most healing three months he’s ever had. The mage has long since left, and Jaskier’s not sure he’ll ever get that closure, but he’ll take what healing he can get now. He’s more like his old self than he’s ever been since the curse broke.

And then Geralt shows up on the edge of winter, limping with an exhausted child surprise and a wounded sorceress by his side. Jaskier gives them shelter for a few nights but they can’t stay, they’ll in danger as long as they’re stuck down south.

The night before they leave, Geralt and Jaskier talk, clear the air. Geralt asks if Jaskier is happy. He is. So Geralt decides not to ask Jaskier to join him. Yennefer is the one to ask, because fuck that idiotic bullshit and Ciri already knows him from a few winters spent at Cintra and adores him, and he’s already great with kids, a skill Yennefer and Geralt can’t claim yet.

Jaskier’s family supports him, of course they do. He promises to return home soon.

* * *

So like, I was going to pose this as a writing prompt and offer it to anyone who wants to write it. I didn’t intend to develop it so much, but getting it out of my system helped a lot. I needed to get all those ideas out.

If it speaks to you, feel free to run with it, but please include a link to this original post or mentioned me. My ao3 is Shadowmightwrite17

(yeah, tbh, that nightmare still haunts me. I told my parents about it immediately, but I didn’t open up about it to anyone until last summer when I told my best friend about it. I was like, “did I ever tell you about that one nightmare I had where my skin was molting off my arm?” and he was like, “no. no you did not. wtf” But there was also a thing last week when I read a vaguely body-horror sentence in a Witcher fanfic about something moving under your skin and I remembered again, so like, I needed to talk about it somehow)

[texastheband]

Texas V Wu-Tang Clan

Interview by Steven Daly Photography by Peter Robathan Taken from The Face - December 1997

It’s the pop story of ’97, the most unlikely end to a weird year: TEXAS collaborating with the WU-TANG CLAN. First, a Scottish rock band on the verge of slip-sliding away into a tasteful obscurity was reborn via a slew of hit singles and a glut of stylish imagery. Now, in New York, their Brit-cool meets hip hop in a mutually beneficial deal. For everyone concerned, it’s all they need to get on…

Sharleen Spiteri took the call in her front hall. "Yo, Peach," growled a strange voice over transatlantic wires. The gentleman caller was none other than Ol’ Dirty Bastard, court jester of New York hip hop dynasty the Wu-Tang Clan. Apparently Mr Bastard fancied working with Spiteri and her band, Texas. It all started in August, with one of Texas’ managers discussing Land Rovers with someone called Power in New York, who turned out to be the manager of the Clan. A video of Texas’ "Say What You Want" was dispatched, and prodigiously gifted Wu-Tang chieftain RZA signed on to do a re-recording of the single for a prospective single project. Original rapper OI’ Dirty Bastard was replaced by Method Man, the next Clan member with a solo album scheduled.

The hook-up with the Wu-Tang Clan is the perfect climax to a year that’s seen Texas rise from a tumbleweed-strewn grave to grab the pole position in British Pop. A year in which Glasgow’s Sharleen Spiteri has stared out, defiantly remade and remodelled, from every magazine cover and TV show. From a media point-of-view, Texas’ – Spiteri’s – reconfiguring of music and fashion has been the year’s dream ticket. Ever since Bryan Ferry took the innovative step of getting Anthony Proce in to design Roxy Music’s wardrobe in the early seventies, successive phases of pop’s history have thrown up performers who use the fashion photographers, stylists and designers du jour to present The Package. It is these performers who most often capture the youthful mood of their time: that’s why you can see the vulgar glamour of the Seventies in the cut of Ferry’s sleazy lounge-lizard jib; the naive aspiration of the early Eighties in the box-suited and pixie-booted "style" of Spandau Ballet; and the onset of the late-Eighties mixing and matching of different cultures in Neneh Cherry’s Buffalo Stance. When we look back at 1997 we will see in Texas’ sound and vision a new mix, all to do with living the high life but keeping it real. Catwalk and street, the designer and the understated, Prada and Nike; the slick and the cred. Ten years’ gone Scottish guitar outfit and this season’s bright young labels (in both senses). The setting too, has helped. Fashion, again, is big cultural business. Clever pop stars (Goldie! Liam!) want to be seen by the runway and hanging out at fashion parties; young designers yearn to be visible on the stage or the podium (viz. Antonio Berardi’s autumn London show at Brixton Academy). Factor in a paucity of self-motivating, button-pressing, songwriting, photogenic women in British music, and you have a ready-made media phenomenon.

Sharleen Spiteri is holding court at a New York restaurant with a gang of Calvin Klein employees who’ve just accompanied her to the VH-1 Fashion Awards. The annual ceremony is a mutually convenient arrangement, a TV cluster-fuck where the music and fashion industries exchange credibility and cachet. Texas are contemplating just such an exchange themselves, having recently been given the OK by CK. (Tommy Hilfiger has also made overtures.) Spiteri is to have an audience with Klein himself; she’s already been bribed with a trunkful of CK merch, including the streaked black dress – "inspired by [the artist] Brice Marden" – she’s wearing tonight.

Someone suggests that Texas would be perfect for Fashionably Loud, an MTV special where models strut on stage as the hot bands of the moment rock out. "Forget it," quips Spiteri. "there’s only room for one star up where we play." If Spiteri were to join Kate Moss and Christy Turlington on the Calvin Klein payroll it would not, as she sees it, detract from Texas’ music. "Fashion and music have always been connected, and now more than ever," says the singer. "You couldn’t have one without the other. If there’s shit music at a runway show it just doesn’t work."

Meanwhile, there’s the songs. With "White On Blonde", Texas’ fourth album, the music takes care of itself. Radio-friendly unit-shifters abound, helped on their way by producers Mike hedges (manic Street Preachers) and Manchester’s Grand Central. The singles have been, in sequence, nu-soul fresh ("Say What You Want"), springy pop ("Halo"), Motown-sunny ("Black Eyed Boy") and winter warming ("Put Your Arms Around Me"). The B-side remixers have covered all bases in these dance-savvy late Nineties, ranging from of-the-moment talents like the Ballistic Brothers and Trailerman to old stand-bys like Andy Weatherall and 808 State. Texas, patently, lost their dancefloor cherry by cherry-picking the brightest and the best.

Of course, while the singles have all enjoyed heavy airplay and gone top ten, and while "White on Blonde" has sold two million copies (more than its two predecessors put together), the remixes haven’t necessarily helped those sales. As the go-faster stripes of credibility on the solid saloon car, though, they’ve still been essential to The Package; all part of the thoroughly modern mix.

So now, the Wu-Tang Clan. To many, though, this latest development could smack of opportunism. One group are renegade roughnecks who mythologise themselves in epic hip hop anthems; the others are fastidiously tasteful Scots with an eye for perfectly modern consensus-pop. The Wu-Tang Clan are certainly among the aesthetically correct names that Texas always drop in interviews, but can there possibly be a legitimate connection between the two? "A lot of the Wu-Tang backing tracks have the feel of soundtracks, and we’ve always gone for a cinematic sound," says Johnny McElhone, Spiteri’s genial songwriting partner and bass player. "And I’ve always liked Al Green, and they use a lot of Willie Mitchell, Al Green, that whole Hi Records sound, and make it modern. And Marvin Gaye: Method Man, in that duet with Mary J. Blige, used ‘You’re All I Need To Get By."

Having dominated the charts in Europe this year, Texas are now, logically, turning their attention to America: the country that has always inspired them, whether it’s the dusty, pseudo-roots sound of their first three albums, or the iconic-soul and post-soul sounds of Memphis and Staten Island that they give props to now; the place where success has always eluded them. Yet given the commercial momentum of "White on Blonde", their approach to the Wu-Tang Clan is surely not driven by desperation. They are, then, viewing the collaboration with a combination of fan-like wonder and disbelief.

"Method Man is just a wicked, wicked rapper," enthuses Spiteri. "I can’t wait to hear the combination of my vocals and his – I‘m really excited about it. I have a kind of sweet, virginal thing going on, and he’s got this dirty sex vibe. It could be the perfect marriage."

It’s a Saturday night in Manhattan, and ten storeys above Times Square, Sharleen Spiteri sits on the floor of a recording studio, tinkering with her latest high-tech gadget, a Philips computer about the size of a TV remote. Across the street, three ten-foot high electronic ticker-tapes provide testimony to Monday’s stockmarket crash. No matter how much Spiteri plays with her new toy, there’s still that nagging worry: what if the Wu-Tang Clan won’t show? They’re supposed to be on a tour bus returning from a gig in Washington, DC today, but these, after all, are the original masters of disaster. The crew whose normal modus operandi seems to be chaos. The band that recently quit a national tour because only five of the nine members could be relied upon to turn up.

The studio has been booked since six, so Spiteri and McElhone breathe signs of relief when RZA and his posse finally roll in around ten. Among the dozen-strong throng, they’re surprised to see Wu-Tang member Reakwon, a stout fellow with a Mercedes cap and a Fort Knox of gold dental work. Several cigars are hollowed out, their contents replaced with weed; bottles of Cristal champagne and Hennessy are passed around as the air grows thick with smoke.

Half an hour later, method Man makes his entrance. Stooped over, he looks deceptively short – maybe only six-four in his Hilfiger fleece hoodie. "I’m John-John," he tells Sharleen, referring to his alias, Johnny Blaze. Pulling out the big blunt from behind his ear, Method Man considers the job at hand. "She got a nice voice," drawls the laconic giant. "This band not exactly my type of listening material, but they going in the right direction, if you ask me, by fucking with us. I’m waiting for RZA to put down a beat, hear how the vocals sound melded with the track before I come with ideas. I’m one of those guys."

As his friends get on with the serious business of partying, RZA goes to work, feeding a succession of sample-laden discs into a sampler. He has a diffident, genius-at-work charisma about him as he sits with his back to the room, keyboard at side. With a flick of his prodigiously ringed hand he reaches out and conjures up a brutal bassline. The speakers pulse violently. RZA takes a sip of Hennessy. "Record this, right here!" he tells the bewildered-looking engineer.

RZA has decided to dispense with the original master tapes, shipped over from Britain. He wants a completely new version, recorded rough-and-ready without the standard safety net of a time-code. This convention-trashing, wildstyle approach to recording elicits some consternation from the studio’s engineer, a central-casting white guy who warns RZA: "You won’t be able to synch to this, you know." RZA waves him away and turns to Johnny McElhone. "This riff is in E," McElhone tells RZA. "Maybe we should try it in the original key, D." "What are you saying? I understand no keys," says RZA. "You want me to sing the whole song straight through?" asks Spiteri, trying to divine RZA’s intentions. He orders the lights turned down, and offers Sharleen some herbal inspiration. She politely declines and walks to the vocal booth. "What’s her name? Sheree?" asks RZA as Spiteri warms up. The engineer wants to know if he should maybe start recording. "Always record everything!" exclaims RZA. "Ready, get set, go! Play and record, play and record!" Spiteri rattles of a perfect new version of ‘Say What You Want’, grooving along by herself and passionately acting out every word, even the ones borrowed from Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing". Now it’s time for Method Man, who at this point is so herbally inspired that he can hardly open his eyes. He jumps up and lopes around the main room, running off his newly written rhymes and clutching a bottle of Crystal. Method walks up to the mic and opens his mouth, and that treacly baritone sets a typically morbid scene: "Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest…" The Texas duo just look at each other, shaking their heads in awe.

The hours and the rhymes pass. Around 6am, things are starting to get a little weird. As Method Man snoozes on the sofa, RZA bounces off the walls, dancing like a dervish. "These are the new rhythms," he yells. "These are the new dances from Africa. I learned them when I was there last week!" McElhone and Spiteri crack up. The engineer probably wishes he were in Africa right now; he further draws RZA’s ire by making a mistake as he runs off some rough cassettes. As everyone says goodbye, RZA decides that he’s taking the studio’s sampler – he already has two of the $3,500 items, but at this point it’s all about the wind-up. The engineer, though, having last seen the end of his tether a good few hours ago, has had enough. By the commencement of office hours that morning, the rest of the session will have been cancelled and the band and Clan banned from this studio.

After a few frantic phone calls later that morning, a studio is found that is prepared to let the Wu-Tang Clan through the door. With one precondition: only two of them are allowed in the studio. Now it’s midnight, and four-fifths of Texas watch a trio of RZA-hired session men go through their paces. They shift effortlessly through a handful of soul and funk styles, and the Scots mutter approval. These are the kind of players that are so good they can get away with wearing questionable knitwear.

Soon, another couple of Wus pop in. Then another couple. In the control room RZA orders up a bottle of Hennessy and talks about hearing "Say What You Want" for the first time. "I didn’t fully understand the sound of it," admits the soft-spoken maestro. "It was obviously a popular song, a radio song, and my sound is the total opposite. But I thought that the artist had something, so I thought: "Let’s take her and rock her to my beat."

"Sweet soul, that’s what her stuff sounded like to me. Smooth. It reminded me of the Seventies: in those days, they did songs that would fit anywhere. If you went to a club getting high it would fit; if you was cleaning up your house it would fit. That’s when you’ve got a real great song right there." Whether or not "Say What You Want" is a great song, it’s not quite coming together tonight. Despite the best offers of the studio management, a full complement of Wu posse members ended up in the house. As the night drags on the trio of musicians don’t get with the track, and by eight the following morning there is little in the way of usable material. But everyone stays upbeat. Texas will work on the track in Glasgow, and send it back to RZA to finish, along with a new song based around one of his samples. After vowing to stay in touch, everyone stumbles out into the Manhattan morning light together, the Scots with an American name, and the Clan without a tartan.

From a distance the collaboration will continue. But it’s only a different kind of distance. Culturally, creatively, the gap between the Wu-Tang Clan and the old twang clan is considerable. Yet so it goes, this cross-cultural exchange programme. Whether it’s The Stones copping blues movies, Bowie digging the Philadelphia Sound, Lisa Stansfield getting soulful with Barry White, Sting getting doleful with Puff Daddy… Whether it’s Todd Terry reviving Everything But The Girl or Armand Van Helden making Sneaker Pimps the unwitting jumpstarters of speed garage, naked opportunism and risk-taking innovation have always been confused. Now, with genres blurred and tricknology proceeding apace, anything is possible and everything is permitted. Perhaps it is this, the sheer unlikeliness, that makes the Texas-Wu experiment the most illuminating collaboration of the year. Whether it works or not.

"If you play her stuff in a club, everybody be dancing, but it’s a clear room and you can see everybody’s face," RZA reflects on the departing Sharleen Spiteri. "But if you play mine, the room is smoky." And perhaps it is here, among the clouds and the clarity, between the smoke and the mirrors, where a new sound and vision lies.

Text originally posted on texasindemand.com

[camillemontespan]

the golden boy [interview with leo rhys]

I wrote this a month ago and after editing, think I’m ready to post it. No reason for this other than it’s Leo!

@fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @pug-bitch @moonlightgem7 @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @ibldw-main @emichelle @katedrakeohd  @notoriouscs @thecordoniandiaries @gardeningourmet @dcbbw @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @be-still-my-aching-heart @rainbowsinthestorm

*********************************************************************************

When I come face to face with Prince Leo of Cordonia, his smile reminds me of the quote from F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.

Leo has that smile. It lights up his face and makes me feel all gooey and warm. We meet on an Autumn day at a coffee shop on the square and he enters the shop wearing a brown leather jacket, black woolen sweater, jeans and boots. He looks like an off duty model, not a prince. He ignores those who turn to stare at him and greets me with that smile and a kiss on the cheek.

'Sorry I'm late,' he says, before settling down on the chair opposite me. The waitress comes over to take our order, blushing as she asks what he would like. 'I'll have a latte,' he says, giving her the same smile he gave me, 'and the lady will have?' he gestures to me. I ask for a cappuccino.

'Sorry, I did read your email but I've forgotten your name,' he tells me, wincing apologetically.

'Carmen,' I say. He flashes me a wolfish grin. 'Nice to meet you, Carmen.'

I gather together my notes but can't help but feel like he is watching me. I look up and he is, his arm draped over the back of his chair, that smile on his face. He is all golden skin and golden hair; a Greek god come to life. I clear my throat and ask how he's settling back into Royal life after spending years away travelling.

'It feels good!' he enthuses. 'Honestly it's nice to kinda be settled and spend time with good people. It's awesome seeing my little brother again.'

His little brother is King Liam. Three years ago, Leo was the one with the crown on his head until he suddenly announced he was abdicating. He left Cordonia and his brother took the throne and crown, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Leo has the decency to look guilty when I bring the subject up. When the waitress comes back with our coffees, he looks relieved for the distraction.

'Okay, I'm an honest person,' he says. 'An open book. I'll tell you anything and to be honest, I do regret leaving my brother in the lurch like that. But I was in no way fit to be a king. I never have been.'

I ask if he could elaborate. He fixes me with his forest green eyes. 'Carmen,' he says, 'look at me. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. I'm a reckless irresponsible asshole who would have run Cordonia into the ground if I was given absolute power. Trust me, I may have gone about it the wrong way but I made the right decision.'

Leo is the party boy of the Royal family. Much like Prince Harry in the UK, he spent his early twenties drinking, running around with girls and acting like there was no tomorrow. Leo smirks at the comparison with Prince Harry.

'Thing is, Prince Harry was the second born, the spare. He is never going to be the king which was why he could pull all that shit when he was younger. That said, I don’t condone dressing up like a WW2 figure -you know who I mean- Jesus, have some fucking decorum... But I didn't have that luxury of being the spare but I sure acted like I did. It should have been Liam going out till 7am every night but it wasn't. It was me.'

Prince Harry is in his thirties now with a wife and baby. Has Leo grown up?

'Do you see me with a wife and kid?' he jokes. He smiles and sips his coffee before answering.

'I think I've turned over a new leaf but don't quote me on that.'

He had been engaged to Duchess Madeleine but that ended abruptly, at the same time he abdicated. Has he seen her since he's been back? Leo runs his hand through his blonde hair awkwardly.

'Okay so you know how I said I'm an open book? Yeah, scratch that. Maddie is off limits in this conversation.'

He must still care for her if he calls her Maddie.

'Actually, I don't,' he says shortly. 'We've moved on. She's dating, she's happy. I just don't think she would appreciate me talking about her. She likes her privacy.'

I feel myself turn red. He's told me off. His eyes soften and he gives me an apologetic smile. 'Sorry, Carmen,' he says. 'I didn't mean to be a dick.'

We brush past the awkwardness and I ask him if he's dating. He chuckles. 'I'm seeing people.'

People. So not just one. Clearly, he isn't settling down just yet.

'I can't be pinned down,' he says. 'I'm actually a terrible boyfriend.'

I ask how.

'Ugh, God. I make promises I don't intend to keep. I believe the best way to fix an argument is just buy the girl something sparkly instead of talking about feelings. I take forever to answer texts. I choose a night out with the guys over a romantic night in. I’m always late. Shall I go on?'

So this new leaf he thinks he's turned over. If he's not settling down, what's changed?

'I'm actually staying in Cordonia permanently,' he answers. 'A year ago, I would have hated the idea of putting down roots and settling but now, I'm happy to be home. I want to make up for lost time and make amends to my brother. I know I can be an asshole but I am actually a good person underneath it all. I've learned the hard way that my actions have consequences and I don't want to treat those I love like shit again.'

He gives me a happy smile. ‘Liam is doing so good,’ he says. ‘I’m honestly so proud of him. He’s really turning Cordonia into a modern place and he listens to the people, you know? He genuinely cares. I’m glad I’m back with him.’

Who is he close with at court aside from Liam?

'Maxwell Beaumont is the fucking MVP,' he says, a broad smile forming on his tanned face. 'Honestly, he's the best. We bonded over his love for planning a Beaumont Bash. You know I love a party. We've joked that we should start our own party planning business.'

He then begins to list other famous faces at court. 'Drake Walker is my brother’s best friend but we get on well. He's changed so much since I was away, I mean he's married now! I always thought he would end up living in someone's basement like a weird uncle.. But no, he's married to Camille [the Duchess of Valtoria] and they have a baby. It's insane.'

I ask if he's close with Olivia Nevrakis, Liam's childhood friend. He smirks. 'Define close?'

I blanch at his suggestiveness. 'Are you guys..'?

He laughs and takes a swig of coffee. 'Ha! As if I'm telling you that! I mean, I would but Olivia would castrate me with her favourite dagger if I said anything.'

There wasn't any denial. Leo sees me trying to work it out and chuckles. He chuckles a lot by the way, like he is in on the joke and just waiting for everyone else to catch up.

'I'm dating people, she's dating people,' he says. 'Why label anything? What is the good in doing any of that? I've had so many women believe they could change me, make me into the boyfriend they wanted and needed. They always asked me about a month in if we could talk about ‘what we are’ you know, like, define the relationship. Nothing terrifies me more than that conversation.’

I tell him that sometimes, it’s just nice to know where you stand with someone. Leo throws his hands in the air, becoming really animated now. ‘But surely, the fact I’m taking you on dates and having sex with you is enough of an indication! Why are women like this?! If I’m fucking you, then be happy.’

‘Sometimes, women want to know if they’re dating a man or a boy,’ I say. 

‘Are you saying I’m a boy?’ Leo asks me, raising an eyebrow - he is smiling though. He launches back into his subject.

‘I've started to just be brutally honest from the get go. I'm not the guy you can come to for deep conversations. I'm not going to text you good morning. If you want mindless fucking with some fancy dinners thrown in, I'm your guy. Otherwise, I'll just end up disappointing you.' His voice goes quiet .'Why deny the inevitable?'

His expression turns dark until he sees me and smiles again. 'You dating anyone, Carmen?' he asks me. I say no. He gives me a wink.

'They're missing out,' he says. He then gets serious again. 'As I said before, I learned the hard way that my actions have consequences. That's also why I'm now honest with women I might date. That new leaf again. I used to not be honest and go along with it, string them along but that's cruel. There's no need to be that kind of guy.`

Is he a feminist?

'Women should rule the fucking world,' he announces. 'Honestly, you guys are brilliant. I love women. The ones I know at court are strong and independent, they are powerful. Besides, if you believe that women and men should be equal, then you're a feminist. If you think women deserve to miss out on a promotion or pay rise because they have vaginas, then you're an asshole.'

So if he loves them so much, why does he treat women and relationships like they're nothing?

He blinks at my bluntness. I think I've definitely overstepped, until he leans forward. I catch the scent of his cologne. He smells expensive.

'Maybe I used to treat women like crap because I wanted them to dump me before I hurt them,' he whispers. 'Think of it like a weird armour.'

Has he got any chinks in this armour of his?

He gives me a wry smile. 'I love it when a woman challenges me. I like women who go toe to toe with me, who don't take my shit. Its refreshing. And so fucking sexy.'

His green eyes are steady on mine. I ask who his celebrity crush is. 

‘Ha, what am I, thirteen?’ he laughs. Shaking his head, he smiles. ‘Fine, I’ll bite. Jessica Rabbit.’

I blink. ‘Um, she’s fictional..’

‘She’s still famous though. You think I’m kidding? She’s a fucking babe.’

I note that he didn’t pick a real life woman. I wonder if that’s because he doesn’t want to admit feelings for someone real, even if it is just a fun game. He sees me studying him and sips his coffee before interrupting my thoughts. ‘Carmen, there’s no use in trying to analyse me. There’s a lot of fucked up shit going on in here.’ He points to his head and chuckles. 

I change the subject. He has been travelling for the past three years. What's been the best place he's been to?

His face lights up. 'Aw man, so many! Okay, so I went to Bali for a month which was incredible. Prague is pretty awesome, really cheap beer, I love Havana for the laidback vibe and how it’s so untouched. They have the best cars. I also tried a cruise but Jesus, that was really weird..'

Does he prefer to travel solo?

He nods. 'I can just do my own thing. There's nothing better than waking up in your own camper van with a view of the mountains in front of you and no plan. It was so freeing.'

Leo would have felt trapped as the king of Cordonia. That is obvious. Is that why he always flouted the rules?

Leo smirks. 'Rules are meant to be broken baby.'

I ask him to be serious. Leo sighs. 'Yeah. I hated this gilded cage that I was born into. A life of decorum, etiquette and restrictions is not a life I wanted, I never did. But I know there's so many people out there who have been dealt shitty cards. You've got poverty and homelessness. They've got it worse. So I shouldn't complain. But I just always wished I could be normal.'

Leo being a commoner? I can't imagine it.

Leo corrects himself. 'I tried to act normal given my life situation. I went out with girls, got drunk, did non-princely things. But being who I am.. It doesn't fit. I will always be Prince Leo, one time King of Cordonia. I will never escape that. I will never be a normal guy... It just look me a while to realise that. '

Does he regret any of his partying and the constant headlines? He nods. 'Yeah, I do. It wasn't easy for Liam. I think me acting like I did forced my brother to grow up quickly, which was unfair. As I said though, I'm back to make amends.'

I ask if he'll live in the palace. He shakes his head. 'No. I know I should but I don't like the place anyway and besides, when Liam is trying to be a king and command attention, I don't want people to look past him and at me. The abdicated king. No thanks. I've got my own place. It's got a beautiful view over the harbour.. You'd like it.'

He gives me a wink and I hate to say it but I blush. I actually blush. Leo gives me a grin. 'Tell you what, Carmen..' he says, 'anything you want to ask me, you can, but it has to be off the record and over a drink with me.'

I tell him we're drinking coffee. He chuckles. 'I meant something stronger.'

He looks at me steadily for a moment, waiting for my response.  I shake my notes, trying to look professional. Leo grins and raises his hand in the air. 'Can we have the check please?'

                                                     ******

As this article goes to print, we must inform our readers that we have had to dismiss Carmen Cortez for inappropriate behaviour with her interview subject and failing to uphold our values of journalistic professionalism.  She now works at TV Guide.

[zombiesurvivalcommittee]

Questions and answers

•What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned

I am very fond of my sweatshirt with the wendigo on it (the purchase went towards a YouTuber I like) and I am also fond of a large white shirt I have because it’s very comfortable and looks like an undershirt from the 17th century and I’m down with that.

•What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?

I’d love to go to Paris again, or just France in general since I’ve heard the countryside and other major cities are marvelous. I’d love to hit up Ireland too since I haven’t been there and I’ve got family there. I would also love to go back to Australia and hopefully see the Great Barrier Reef this time.

•What’s your favorite drink?

Jones green apple soda, water, and coke if I’m sick and need to clear my throat out.

•What do you consider to be your best find?

I’m really good at finding stuff that fits whatever aesthetic I’m vibing at the moment. But I’d have to say my faux fur full length coat. My wrought iron plant hanger and my obelisk.

•What takes up too much of your time?

Maladaptive daydreaming. It started as a coping mechanism for abuse as a child and it literally fills 85% of my waking hours.

•What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?

Completely depends on how I’m feeling. It could be anything from staying in bed all weekend to crafting to going hiking or out to museums.

•What is the most annoying question that people ask you?

Can I call you court? No you can fucking not thank you very much. Fuck off with that.

•What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you?

Probably that I’m not fuckin’ dead yet. I keep getting hit in the head with heavy shit like wheelbarrows or kayaks. So much so that I actually have perminant brain damage from it. Besides that? I’d say meeting the friends I did, they’re remarkable people and I wouldn’t be the same or have been as stable as I am without them.

•What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Learning my new job more and settling into that roll a bit. Figuring out what new plants I’ll get this summer so I can start collecting seeds for spring. More crafting and hopefully getting to know some people better. I’d like that a lot. ☺️

•What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well?

Probably standing on my cat tree to change the lights in my place (my stepstool wasn’t tall enough.) I managed to get the light changed but man on your tiptoes on a wobbly cat platform is... not a safe feeling.

•What is something you will NEVER do again?

Eat calamari. I want to like it but it tastes like I’ve licked the bottom of the ocean and I want nothing to do with it.

•What is one of your favorite smells?

Leather and woodsmoke. Yankee candle also has a scent called autumn leaves that smells exactly like fall that I adore.

•What risks are worth taking?

Falling in love, trying a new skill, pushing yourself past your comfort zone to expand your horizons

•Personality trait

Loyal, kind, humorous

•What gets you fired up?

Willful ignorance and the removal of rights from groups without cause (lgbtq, Native American, immigrant, etc)

•What are three interesting facts about you?

1) I sing pretty well

2) I have central Heterochromia (where the center part of your eye is a different color from the outside)

3) I can make a range of animal noises which are hilarious to wake people up with.

•What’s the best thing about you?

I am kind

•What would be your spirit animal?

As I am not a member of a tribe that uses spirit animals I do not have one. If I had a patronus however it would be a dragon.

•What’s the most illegal thing you’ve done?

Smoked pot, owned a lizard in a state they were illegal in (no idea why, it’s not like it’d survive the winter even if it got out)

•How can someone win a gold star with you?

Be genuine, be sweet and for the love of every god under the sun be straightforward. Most things go right over my head because of my previously mentioned brain problems. So if you like or don’t like something I’m doing please be direct about it to me so I can adjust my behavior. Doing that will make me appreciate you so much more.

•What energizes you and brings you excitement?

Crafts or new crafts. Also cleaning, especially if it’s either a big mess at someone else’s place or I know where everything is going.

•What would be the creepiest thing you could say while passing a stranger on the street?

Probably roar at them, or say “sorry about the dream last night.” And leave them wondering

Tagged by: @theoneandonlylestat

Tagging: @mariustheroman @redwintersbucky @exosevenfalcon whoever else would like to do this.