#please don't let him be secretly evil it'll break my heart

[atomic-taco-muffin]

Kingdom High Chapter 17

Warnings: some more fluff this time

Rating: SFW

Welcome, fairytale friends, to spring at Ever After High.

Where following their true hearts is the only thing on students' minds.

Royals with Royals, and Rebels with Rebels.

Well, it may not be as straightforward as that. Look at Hunter and Ashlynn! Ashlynn giggled as Hunter built a table and perfect date spot out of wood. Back at the school, Apple had entered.

"It's Apple!" a student said.

"Hey, Apple! Oh, hey," another student said. Meanwhile, Duchess held her hand out in expecting that boys would court her too.

"Hi," a goat said. Meanwhile, Raven tried being nice to schoolmates however they picked up and dart out. Raven slumped in her seat.

"Oh! Run, everyone!" a student said. Dexter tried offering Raven roses, which Cupid mistook for hers. Cupid held her hands out in acceptance but noticed that they aren't for her. Lizzie walked past Dexter and cut off the flower heads.

"Off with their buds!" she said.

It seems that hearts and destinies don't always move in the same direction. In the library, Cupid was doodling in her book and fantasizing over Dexter.

"Cupid and Dexter Charming," she sighed.

"Cupie, and Dexie!" she said. One of the step-librarians cleared her throat in warning. Dexter entered with a pile of books which he dropped on the table.

"Hey, Cupid! Anyone sitting here?" he said.

"Yes...I mean, no! No one is sitting there, and yes, you should sit there," Cupid said as she pointed to the chair.

"Thanks!" Dexter flinched at the shrill voice of the step-librarian.

"Shh! Quiet in the library!" they said as they slammed the desk.

"The evil step-librarians are so wicked!" Cupid whispered.

"Yeah! Last week, they made me re-catalog the entire Forbidden Books section," Dexter said.

"Shh!" The step-librarians said as they eyed the two of them.

"Well, look what I found," Dexter said as he held out a book. Cupid gasped in surprise.

"The History of True Hearts Day? Thanks, Dex! You are such a sweet—" Cupid said. The step-librarians stood next to them and slammed the ruler on the table.

"Shhh!" they said. In his office, the Headmaster was playing with pony figurines, a podium, and a figure of himself.

"And so, each time a fairytale is told—" he said.

"Headmaster!" Cupid said as she loudly slammed the library book on his desk. Milton panicked to pack his toys away.

"My dear, I am writing my speech for—" Milton said.

"Love never waits!" Cupid said.

"What are you going on about?"

"True Hearts Day!"

"Where-" Milton cleared his throat.

"—did you find that?" He asked as he tried grabbing the book but Cupid took it first and flipped through the pages.

"It tells all about this totally hexcellent holiday that encourages everyone to follow their true heart's desire. But it hasn't been spellebrated in years," she said.

"And never will be, again," Milton said. Cupid gasped.

"That holiday is dangerous!" he said.

"But...but—" Cupid said.

"Some students might see it as a sign to break from their destinies!" Cupid started reading a few lines from the book.

"Maybe True Hearts Day is—" she said. Milton cleared his throat.

"You are not to talk about this to anyone. Do you understand me?" he said.

"Yes, sir. I won't say a thing," Cupid said as she lowered her head. In the Charmitorium as a meetup place with Briar, Cupid decided to spread the word on the secret holiday. She started by pointing at the book.

"True Hearts Day? I don't get it," Briar said.

"Oh," Cupid said. She suddenly came up with an idea.

"Charades," she said. Cupid held out her fingers for the word count and started doing various actions. The first part was the introduction to the holiday and the Headmaster Grimm's opinion and how she wanted the holiday to be celebrated in secret anyway.

"Forty-eight words. A holiday that used to be spellebrated in the fairytale world that encourages us to follow our true heart's desire, but Headmaster Grimm doesn't want anyone to know about it, but you think we should spellebrate it anyway and throw a secret underground True Hearts Day dance?" Briar said. Cupid sat next to Briar.

"Why didn't you just say that?" Briar asked.

"'Cause, Headmaster Grimm told me not to say anything!" Cupid said.

"Secret dance...What if Grimm catches us?"

"He won't! Come on. It'll be happily ever awesome!"

"I do throw the most hexcellent parties..."

"Yay!" Briar tried to shush Cupid but she didn't listen.

"We're having a secret True Hearts Day dance!" Cupid said. It accidentally echoed through the school.

"Shh!" Briar said. She kept her voice low and held onto Cupid's arm and lead her out.

"Um, you might not wanna shout that. You know, being a secret and all," she said. In the woods, animals were being startled as Sparrow entered the woods with a blaring guitar and his voice.

"🎵Sparrow! He's the hottest guy, oh, in the fairytale w—🎵" he sang. Duchess snatched on his guitar and pulled him out of the open.

"Woah!" he said.

"Stop that! Come on, they went this way," she said. She tugged onto his arm and they walked together.

"I'm finally gonna get some proof!" she said.

"Why do you even care?" he asked as he shoved her off of his arm.

"I care 'cause it's not fair! Ashlynn is breaking the Royal rules with her secret romance, but she still gets a Happily Ever After and I don't!"

"So you got a plan?" he pointed to Duchess.

"I mean, it's not like we're just gonna find them in some romantic mo—" Duchess pulled open a thin vine wall, and coincidentally, she found Ashlynn and Hunter there.

"ment," Sparrow said. Hunter fired an arrow at flowers atop of a tree. A flower crown fell out of it and Ashlynn let out a giggle. Going unnoticed, Duchess and Sparrow swam in the lake and planned to catch the couple in surprise. Before transforming back into a human, she shook off the water on her leg and took out her phone.

"Say cheese!" she said.

"Ah, curses," Hunter said.

"Oh, hey, Duchess! Sparrow! We didn't see you!" Ashlynn said. Hunter laughed nervously.

"What's going on?" Ashlynn asked as she looked around awkwardly.

"You two are totally busted!" Sparrow said. Duchess flinched at the sound of Sparrow's blaring guitar.

"Ashlynn, Hunter, I think the real question is what are you doing here?" she asked as she danced over to them. Duchess interrogatively appeared behind Ashlynn.

"Having a secret romantic rendezvous?" she asked as she hooked her arms around the couple.

"We gotta find a better place to picnic..." Hunter said.

"Please...you two can't tell anyone Hunter and I are secretly dating!" Ashlynn said.

"Um, yeah! Wow, well, I'm gonna!" Duchess said as she pointed to her phone.

"Ash, this is gonna knock you down the Royal rankings," she sarcastically pouted.

"But don't worry, I'll take your place! And your Happily Ever After," she said as she pointed at Ashlynn in a threatening manner. She then walked away.

"Bummer, princess-to-be! Ah whoa, wha—" Sparrow said. Duchess, Ashlynn, and Hunter stood up around him.

"Stop that!" they said. Back at school, Cupid's MirrorCast show was streaming live and she got a first comer.

"Now, my love tale-friends, this is the part of the MirrorCast where I try to solve your romantic problems. So, Fragile-In-Fairyland, what's in your heart?" she said.

"Um, well, I, I..." Dexter said. Noticing the broadcaster's eyes on the pixelated screen, she recognized Dexter's eyes.

"Dex!" she said.

"I kind of, uh...no, I do, I do have a crush on this girl named Raven," Dexter said.

"Raven Queen? You have a crush on Raven Queen?" Cupid asked. Everyone gasped in shock.

"Uh, I mean, Rachel! Rachel, yeah, I like a girl named Rachel," Dexter said.

"Uh, okay, Rachel," Cupid said as she expressed the disappointment in her voice.

"So, you like her. What's the problem?" she asked.

"Well, whenever I'm around her I get really, uh, tongue-tied," Dexter said.

"Huh. Okay." Cupid found her doodle of Dexter on her desk.

"Look, how about putting down your feelings on parchment?" she asked.

"That is a great idea! I'll write her a love po...em, uh," he said. The students turned around and gasped.

"Thanks, Cupid, you're the best, bye," Dexter said and ran off.

"No problem," Cupid said and sighed.

~Le Time Skip~

Ashlynn was in her store and she found the flower crown Hunter gave her earlier. She sighed lightly.

"It's Apple White!" a student said. Apple walked inside the store and sat down next to Ashlynn.

"True Hearts Day! Aren't you just totally hexcited? It used to be such an important holiday on the Royal calendar. Ah, love, finding our predetermined princes..." Apple said.

"Um, sure, yeah..." Ashlynn said. Apple put her hand on Ashlynn's shoulder.

"Oh, sweetie, what's wrong? You can tell me. I mean, we are friends forever after," she said.

"I'm not sure you'd understand," Ashlynn said.

"What? Is it boy trouble?" Ashlynn perked up and backed away.

"Oh, wow! Hey, I am thirsty. Um, I'm gonna go get us a couple hocus lattes! Double foam, extra apple caramel, right?" she said as she sheepishly ran out.

"Eh, you work here? I want these in a size seventy-four," a troll said as she wiggled her toes.

"Oh," Apple groaned.

And so, Dexter finished his true heart's poem for Raven. Now, he just had to wait for a response.

"What's this? I-It's a love poem," Rave said as she used her magic to pick up the note.

"Ooh, a secret note! Is there anything more hat-tastic?" Maddie said.

"That's so sweet. I wonder who it's from," Chika said.

"'D. Charming'?" Raven read.

"A ha ha ha ha ha!" Daring laughed. Raven, Chika, and Maddie turned around as he winked and flashed a smile to them.

"Ladies," he said.

"Daring? I had no idea he felt this way," Raven said.

"Looks like the cards are in your favor now," Chika said.

"'Sup, brother?" Daring asked as he ruffled Dexter's hair.

"Oh, gort," Dexter said.

Love is very...

Complicated.

Yes, complicated! Raven, Chika, and Maddie walked off together as they reread the poem.

~~~~

Sakura and the girls had entered the shop and began their search for their dresses for the ball. They soon found them and returned home to show their families.

"Aww, you girls look fabulous!" Kairi said.

"Thanks mom," Eimi said.

"Alright, got my camera. Say cheese!" Sora said.

"Dad!" Akaya said.

"What? Am I not allowed to take a picture of my daughter before she goes to prom?"

"It's not prom, dumbass. It's a ball," Vanitas said.

"Whatever. Do you girls have a way to get to the school?" The girls nodded in agreement.

"Alright, go have fun," Sora said. The girls smiled and headed off to the school.

[thesalvationofdoriangray]

Friends

Writing to Sleepy Fish- Space Cadet

Basketball always is my highlight of the week no matter how it goes. Kevin Gao is funny. Couldn't stop laughing with this guy. He wears these flamboyantly short shorts and jiggles his thighs in a way where it makes this hilarious sound. I call him the quadzilla because dude is not shy about showing off his quadricep muscles. I remember one time when Kevin came to Bible study wednesday night. He was asking very rudimentary questions about his faith and he was very serious about learning. I remember two people there that were laughing at him in a joking way but there wasn't anything funny about his questions. Seemed sincere to me. I recall Greg saying," What is so funny you guys?" I hope he was able to continue seeking and find what he was looking for.

Nice armpit hair Ray. Just a beast in his natural habitat. Ray always cracks me up. We always break out in laughing fits. He's going to move soon and marry Joyce. They make a mighty fine couple. Ray's got this innocent childlike personality that is hard not to love. I still remember when I first met him, we were laughing about something silly in the garage at OPD. I'm going to miss this kid when he's gone.

We had a conversation today about guns and he wants to go shooting with me. He said Joyce refuses to have a gun in the house. I mean these are honest, prim, and proper folks we're talking about here. Statistically they won't need a gun. But you never know. My boy Harvey is prim and proper and Mexicans shot at him while robbing his house in a nice neighborhood. Ray says in a home invasion, all he has to do is comply. Plus he doesn't want to put bullet holes in the way. This guy is asian as hell lol. Always thinking about saving money even in a life or death situation. He most certainly will be the first to become rich out of my circle. The hearts of men can be evil, they might put a bullet in between your eyes just to leave no witnesses. Plus all this is hypothetical. If shit hit the fan, I know he would be thinking about protecting Joyce. He will understand when he gets married. I love Ray. When I climb out of sheoul and meet the love of my life, especially if I have a kid, I'd kill every single intruder in that house to protect my family. Don't give me this pacifist BS about how I should have faith in God and how my fate is in God's hand. My puny brain is too minuscule to comprehend the wonders of God but I know for a fact that's not how he operates. I've been home invaded by masked men and on another occasion taken for over 22 grand in crispy one hundreds. What did David do when his wives, livestock, and spoils were taken by the Amalekites after the burning of Zilkag? He did what every man should do. He marched out with 400 out of 600, slaughtered them and retrieved everything. Nothing was missing great or small. I'll never forget being tied up and the way it felt when a crowbar was sliding against my teeth. Perpitrator quietly mutters in my ear, "Do you want your teeth? Tell me where your stash is located." Even when I hear random sounds in a house, it'll send off red flags if I can't identify them right away. I'm the way I am from my past. I will always be in support of firearms and it is our right to bear arms. When I die, I don't want anything ridiculous like spreading my ashes in the ocean. Just bury me next to my parents with my Bible and my pistol.

Pete got me the Apocrypha. He's known that I've always wanted to read it since it has the books of Maccabees in it but it was not allowed in OPD. I still remember secretly reading The Essence of Christianity by Ludwig Feuerbach and making it my mission for apologetics because it's actually a book defending atheism. Anyways, the Maccabean dynasty was an era between the last prophet and Roman occupation when Judas the Hammer emancipated the Jews from the evil Greek king Antiochus, one of Alexander's four generals after his death.

My landlord made me Ning Chi hotpot. This man spent a 1 hr and 45 mins talking to me a few days ago. Vincent is full of lot of wisdom and he's also a believer. He really put things into perspective. Jesus once said the light of the body is the lamp of the eyes. Essentially it winds down to how I look at things. My mentors in my early adulthood were dope fiends, drug peddlers, and criminals. I'll never forget my friend Mickey, miss him but he's probably doing hard time again. It's a blessing now that I have so many mentors who are men of God and I must give thanks.

Tammy invited me to watch The Chosen with Vertigo people. I have social anxiety right now. It's better to admit it then pretend I'm some kind of pillar of strength. I got some demons I have to decapitate. Let me keep it real even if it's embarrassing. If I'm embarrassed then good. Like my mentor said, "You remember this moment the next time you deviate from the righteous path." When I become a pillar of strength, I won't have to say anything. People will just know and believe me, that moment is in the near future. I'm tired of living in denial and either in 1st or 2nd Peter, it says the truth will set me FREE.

Sometimes I'm not sure why people think about me. I'm practically a ghost. I guess that's the love of God working through them and for that I'm thankful. I'm use to people calling me for dope and the moment they get their fix, they disappear. I guess I'm going to have to relearn what healthy friendships are.

Heavenly Father,

You are the most gracious and almighty Lord of the heavens and earth. You are the father of lights, the source from which all things came. Even when it is cloudy, you hold the the world in place emanating light and life. There is nothing out of your reach. There is nothing that's impossible with you by my side. I pray that you take this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. Help me to love and feel loved again. Please instill in me a heart of humility so that I may always see things truthfully. I give gratitude for all these wonderful people that you have strategically placed in my life. Each with a specific purpose and spiritual gift to show me about you and myself.

In the precious name of Christ, Amen

[thatvampireenthusiast]

raven: don't tell magus neron i got bit okay hero: sure and then magus neron clocked her as soon as she walked in the fucking door because he's a) not stupid and b) been researching vampirism and lycanthropy for years