#prince Quintus

[fortheloveofaminorcharacter]

The Stormhold Princes in Stardust (2007)

[yougetoneshot]

Stardust: Royal Pains

Chapter 2: Danse Macabre

Summary of Body Swaps:

Primus - Septimus (Can’t walk)

Secundus - Quartus (Constantly Shivering)

Tertias - Primus (Can’t talk)

Quartus - Secundus (Can’t move)

Quintus - Sextus (Can’t touch anything or their skin will stick to it)

Sextus - Tertius (Intense chest pains and shortness of breath)

Septimus - Quintus (Memory impaired)

Chapter 1

The seven brothers glared at each other in tense silence for a while. Secundus, who currently possessed Quartus, finally spoke up through his intense shivering.

“W-what k-kind of m-m-ma-magic can d-do thissss?!”

“The ironic kind?” Quartus smirked from Secundus’s broken body.

“How are any of us living right now?” Primus frowned through Septimus’s brows. “These bodies are broken- some more than others.” He’d look over at the body of Secundus.

“I don’t mind. I can’t feel any of it.” Quartus gave a self satisfied smirk from Secundus’s body. “Besides, whoever hired these goons to bring us back must know a way to fix us.”

“Even if they do, I’ll just have to kill you all again seeing as I’m king now.” The other brothers looked over to Septimus possessing Quintus’s body.

“You’re n-n-not king.” Secundus growled.

“I found the stone. I’m king.”

“Septimus, you’re dead. Our nephew, Tristan is king.” Primus explained.

“Who is Tristan?! Which one of you had a son?!”

“Una. Don’t you remember?”

“Of course I remember… who is Una?”

“I think that axe wound might be treating your memory poorly.” Quintus smirked from Sextus’s body.

“What axe wound?” He lifted a hand to feel the gaping hole in his head then back down at his hands before looking over at his body staring at him. “Why is my body looking at me?!”

“Because our souls are in the wrong bodies. I’m Primus.”

“Why did it have to be you?” Septimus grumbled and Primus sighed heavily.

“Why couldn’t you have been in my body- then you’d at least be quiet.” Primus looked over at his body who he knew from process of elimination must be possessed by Tertius who was glaring at him angrily.

“Una has a son?” Septimus whispered and shook his head. “I traded Una to a witch over a decade ago how does she have a son?”

“You sold off Una?!” All the other brothers glared at him.

“..what? I didn’t kill her.”

“We all loved Una, how could you do that?!”

“Because you loved her! She made us all soft! I never could have killed Quintus if she stayed around.”

“Una didn’t deserve that, Septimus. Your quarrel was with us, not her.” Primus frowned and Septimus became even more irritable at his own face glaring at him.

“I should have killed her.”

“If you had, we’d all be stuck as ghosts right now.” Sextus growled from Tertias’s body.

“As opposed to these broken bodies?!” Septimus growled back before clutching his head and blinking a few times before looking up at Primus.

“..why is my body looking at me?”

“Oh here we go again.” The other brothers groaned.

“Keep it down back there. We’re approaching the castle.” One of the cloaked figures yelled back to them. “We don’t need to concern anyone with you all looking.. like that.”

The princes grumbled but all silently agreed they did not want to be seen in their current states. The wagon was pulled into the castle and escorted to the royal stables. The cloaked figures came around to the back of the wagon once it was stopped. “Alright, let’s go.”

Septimus furrowed his brow at the cloaked figure and saw the stone they were holding. “That’s my stone!” He reached for the crystal but the cloaked figure backed up just out of his reach. Septimus leapt from the back of the wagon, bat wings unfurling from his back and fire slipping out the side of his mouth as he snarled. “Give me the stone!”

“Oh no, he’s going full dragon.” Quintus looked over at Primus. “You’ll have to stop him before he gets too heated and burns the place down!”

Primus barked at his brother as he painfully drug himself to the edge of the wagon. “Septimus! That’s not the stone!”

Septimus turned around and furrowed his brow. “Who are you?!” He stormed towards Primus and lifted him from the wagon and shoved him against the nearest wall.

“I’m your brother! Primus!”

“You expect me to believe that?!” Septimus spat small sparks of flame.

Primus grabbed onto Septimus’s arm and looked over to Quintus who nodded. “Sorry brother.” He bit hard into Septimus’s arm- which was really Quintus’s. Septimus howled as he was bitten by his own body, feeling the sharp pain of his second layer of teeth. The cloaked figures came over to help Primus but as the did, a burst of flame shot out of Septimus’s mouth and into the air. The crystal one of them had been holding fell to the ground and shattered causing all the princes to fall unconscious to the ground.

“Well… that went well.” The shorter cloaked figure quipped.

“Let’s just get them inside before they cause any more trouble.”

[dragonborndigitalart]

The Stormhold Princes

[isalisewrites]

hello ms. isalise !! suddenly i had a thought so i wanted to ask, if members of the knights of walpurgis were a deadly sin, who would be which one in your opinion and why do you think that if that's not too much of a hustle!! <3

Nah, not a hassle at all! I love this question and I took the time to really think about it. I limited it to Terrible, But Great's Tom and Slytherin dorm gang, choosing not to duplicate a sin. And I didn't give one for all of the Knights. I also added an eight extra sin, just for fun. It'll make sense, haha.

SO. I'm going to explain these as fatal flaws to their character.

Tom Riddle is Pride.

This one is self explanatory. Tom's fatal flaw is pride, which was his downfall in the canon timeline. If he's not careful, it'll take him down again. It's through his humbling that he becomes a better and stronger person. When he stops viewing himself above others, he's able to make beautiful connections with his friends, with adults who care about him, and with Harry.

Alphard Black is Gluttony.

I almost picked Sloth for Alphard, but Gluttony don't suit Simon at all. Gluttony is the fatal flaw of overconsumption. The Deadly Sin is in reference to food specifically, but in the case of Alphard, he can go a little overboard on things. He'll sleep too much and because he's so good at noticing nuances, he can push people's buttons extremely well, even more than Quintus would - we just haven't seen him fall into his fatal flaw as much yet, but we will in the future. (Specifically when he finds out about a certain pair of newly dating boys.)

Quintus Prince is Greed.

This one reveals a lot of Quintus' inner workings. But Quintus does secretly value pureblood status. While Alphard has broken off his engagement, Quintus has not. It is this fear of losing what he has that holds him back from abandoning his status as the heir of Prince and wholeheartedly embracing his relationship with Alphard.

And he will suffer for it.

Roland Rosier is Lust.

Despite Al and Quin's innuendos, Roland is the most sexually promiscuous of the group. He's free and wild about it. He hasn't cared about how he's gone about having sex with other girls, until now. He's met Edith. If he wants to be with Edith, he'll have to change this fatal flaw.

Simon Avery is Sloth.

This really suited Simon the most, interestingly enough, even though I didn't realize it at first. He is generally content with maintaining the status quo. He observes more than he interferes and it wasn't until chapter 51 that we got to see him push beyond his fatal flaw. He'll slowly grow out of this inaction over time even more.

Sebastian Lestrange is Wrath.

This boy has the quickest and meanest of the tempers in the entire group, more so than Tom or Harry. When I started writing TBG, I labeled him as a bastard. He isn't nice, at first. He can easily cause fights and problems because of his temper. As he's grown throughout the story, we're seeing him calm down a bit through Harry's selfless friendship. If Sebastian doesn't keep working on his wrath, he won't be able to be an effective adult in Tom's inner circle.

Marcus (or Maia) Mulciber is Envy.

As Marcus hasn't transitioned at this point in time, I will still address Marcus with he/him pronouns. Marcus' fatal flaw is envy. He wishes he could escape the chains of his pureblood duties and live fully as a woman, but he believes he can't. In the beginning, he was cruel, cranky, and mean. But when someone (Harry) acknowledges his desire and honors it, we begin to see his envy fading away.

And, for fun, Harry Evans (Potter) is Chaos/Disorder.

Harry is the epitome of chaos. He's very ADHD coded and that's both a blessing and a curse for him. It's his chaos that gets him into trouble, but also leads him down the path he was always meant to traverse. The key to overcoming this fatal flaw is harnessing his chaotic energy, rather than letting it carry him off.

This was an amazing ask. Thank you so much! <3

[goldenboywrites]

looking out for you

His last night in Adros comes in waves when he wakes up. 

Quin remembers leaving the throne room in a panic. He remembers stumbling through the castle for somewhere to hide until he could compose himself. He remembers Renly seeking him out there. He remembers the fight they had after he told Renly he wouldn’t go with him anymore. Then he remembers darkness. 

Until he wakes up in Vivec. 

He doesn’t wake up in the castle but outside near a forest and a small pond. Renly is nowhere to be found and Quin’s head is throbbing and his hands and feet are tied. There is a small fire burning out and the smell of food nearby. He knows he’s in Vivec by the flags lining the road they were on and he recognizes that they are not far away from the castle. This is where he grew up, this is what he knows. However, what is baffling to Quin is that the flags posted are not of his family’s colors. They’re black instead of deep emerald. The sigil is the same. 

His uncle’s color. 

Quin needs a plan. He needs to get out from under Renly’s thumb and he needs to get in and out of the castle undetected. He needs the letters and Max and then he can return to Cesare before he burns the fucking world down looking for him or worse, believes he willingly left. He tests the restraints and determines it’ll be a waste of time to attempt snapping them. Instead, Quin shuffles closer to the fire and hovers his feet over the flames. The flames lick at his clothing, and he can smell his skin burning but very quickly the rope breaks through. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispers whines as he stands up on shaky feet.  He doesn’t have time to feel the pain so he keeps moving towards Renly’s house which is tied off around a tree. He turns around, back facing the horse, and uses his hands to blindly reach into the satchel. His fingers fumble against a metal dragged and he grips the handle in the palm of his hand, pulling it out of the bag and maneuvering the blade until his hands are free. Sweat drips down his face, his curls sticking to his skin. But he can’t stop. 

He runs towards the castle. 

___________________

It is night when they approach the gates of Adros and for the first time, Xander feels like he can breathe. Since he smuggled the King of Vivec out of the country, he had been running on autopilot. His only goal was to get Maximus to Quin and Cesare and now, as he gazes upon the gates, he knows he succeeded. 

“Please,” he calls out as the guards line up, swords drawn behind the high spiked metal gate. “Please get the King and Prince Cesare and the prince of Vivec. I am Alexander Dupont. I am Prince Quintus’s personal guard. I have the King of Vivec wounded in the back of this cart. I need to get him a healer as soon as possible to check over his wounds. I need to speak with all of them immediately. Please.” He pleads as the guards glance at one another and he sees each grip on their swords tense. They don’t believe him. Something is wrong. Alarm bells ring off in Xander’s head and he fears the worst. 

Did he get Maximus to Adros just for them to die in front of the castle gate?

He hears Max whimper in the cart. It wasn’t the ideal mode of transportation but it was a split-second decision. He laid the King on there and covered him with hay and spare fabrics. It took them almost three days of travel to get here. Xander didn’t stop. He didn’t have supplies to wash Max’s wounds. He could barely afford to stop and feed both of them. The roads from Vivec to Adros were too open and there were too many people along the way who could have recognized them. 

“I know how this sounds but your prince knows me very well. I will stay out here beyond the gate so the royal family is protected but I promise if you go and get him he will correctly identify me. Just send one guard, everyone else can keep an eye on me. I swear to you all here that if you don’t and you kill me as I stand, you will also be killing the King of Vivec.” Xander took a step back, raising his hands to prove he did not have anything on him except for his sword clipped to his waist. “I will stand here very still until you bring me Prince Cesare.”

@magiclwritings

[whencyclopedia]

Laocoön: The Suffering of a Trojan Priest & Its Afterlife

The sculpture group of Laocoön and His Sons, on display in the Vatican since its rediscovery in 1506, depicts the suffering of the Trojan prince and priest Laocoön (brother of Anchises) and his young sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus and is one of the most famous and fascinating statues of antiquity. In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder states that the Laocoön, created by the eminent Rhodian sculptors Hagesander, Polydorus, and Athenodorus, “is a work of art to be preferred to any other painting or statuary” (36.37). Among art historians, the sculptural group has received near-universal acclaim ever since its rediscovery under questionable circumstances in 1506.

Is the statue famously shown since its discovery in the newly designed Belvedere Garden at the Vatican Palace actually the ancient sculpture mentioned by Pliny, or rather a clever Renaissance forgery? If the latter, who may have contrived this masterful deception? If the former, is it an original, or a marble copy of a Hellenistic bronze made for a Roman patron?

Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts

In the most famous version of the story, as told by Virgil (70-19 BCE) in his Aeneid, Laocoön had warned his fellow citizens against the Greeks “even if they bear gifts,” and had tried to expose the true nature of the wooden horse by striking it with a spear (the wooden horse in question, of course, being the notorious “Trojan Horse”, left by the Greek forces on the coast so as to provide access into the city to the troops hidden inside the construction). When later two serpents emerged from the sea to kill the priest and his sons, the Trojans interpreted their horrific deaths as an act of divine retribution and promptly decided to move the wooden horse into the city, believing the contraption to be an offering to Minerva (Athena).

According to Arctinus of Miletus, the earliest tradition of the tragedy (surviving only through later citations), Apollo had sent the two serpents to kill Laocoön and only one of his sons; while the later author Quintus of Smyrna maintains that the serpents killed both sons but spared the father.

Servius, another late authority (c. 400 CE), tells us how Laocoön managed to incur the wrath of Apollo by sleeping with his wife before the cult statue in the god's temple. An even later source, the Byzantine scholar Tzetzes, adds that the scene of Laocoön's death took place in the very temple of the Thymbraean Apollo – appropriately setting the punishment at the scene of the crime.

The 5th-century BCE Greek playwright Sophocles produced a tragedy on the subject, of which only a few fragments survive in later citations. Apart from the sources mentioned above, Hellenistic poets Apollodorus and Euphorion, the historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus, the Roman novelist Petronius, the Latin fables attributed to Hyginus, and a few other fragments, all provide various details of the tragic story.

Despite this appearance in ancient literature from the post-Homeric to Byzantine traditions, artistic representations of Laocoön's suffering are few and far between. Depictions appear in some Greek vase paintings (5th to 4th centuries BCE) and in two frescoes at Pompeii (c. 25-75 CE). The marble statue group of Laocoön and His Sons, therefore remains the most exceptional portrayal of only a handful of ancient works illustrating the suffering of Laocoön.

Continue reading...

[autumnslance]

Werlyt in Lorebook 3

So Werlyt gets a page expanding on its location and history a bit, to be expected as the new Encyclopaedia Eorzea 3 goes over both Shadowbringers and Endwalker content. What they do with its history as an Imperial province again paints Gaius in a better light...in ways we already knew were IC for him as established in earlier content, while also being straight up out of Machiavelli's The Prince in a way that makes complete sense for the Empire when dealing with conquered provinces, and how we've even heard before how some of them are ruled very much like native Garlean regions.

See, one of the oldest tricks in the literal book is you conquer a province, and especially if it proves unruly, you give it a nasty governor. Use them to root out the rebellious factions, while also tearing apart the old systems, stripping resources, crushing the populace, etc. THEN you send in a Reasonable Guy to take over who ousts the bad vicious leader, restores order, treats the people well, and so on. Now that new governor--and by extension his emperor for sending him--looks better in the eyes of the people, a problematic political/military rival has been killed/broken politically, the unruly elements have already been culled, and the people are just grateful for a reprieve from their misery. More acquiescent and "this isn't so bad after all."

Another famous literary example (and with a new movie a few months out) is Dune; once Harkonnen takes back Arrakis, he sends one nephew, Raban, who is literally nicknamed "the Beast", to be a horrible bully of a governor. His job is to root out the remaining loyal Atreides and quash the local Fremen. Then once Raban's atrocities were at their peak, Harkonnen meant to send in his heir, Feyd-Ruatha, to be the golden prince who would get rid of the problematic Raban (lethally if needed) and be accepted by the people as a decent leader. Of course, Dune's story rolls out differently, but the play is the same.

The Garlean Empire did the exact same thing in Werlyt.

For 30 years the subjugated nation was oppressed and stripped of resources. When the Empire's attention moved toward Othard and the military presence thinned enough a rebellion rose up, it was still crushed, but not before the previous viceroy was killed in the revolt.

Then Gaius van Baelsar came in and restored order. We already knew Gaius had a habit of appointing the right people for the job, regardless of race and social standing; he continued that in Werlyt, and was otherwise a good governor, working to ensure the populace was cared for, administered properly, even improved education and literacy rates. So after a few decades of crushing abuse...now Werlyt had a "reasonable governor" who treated them like people and took care of them, if still under the auspices of the Empire. They made it look like a better deal, and the previous guy was a mistake that shouldn't have happened.

This also tracks with pre-Praetorium Gaius as the "true believer" of Garlemald's Imperial mission of taming the "savage" lands and ushering them into the "civilized" ways of the Empire and adding those peoples' knowledges, cultures, skills, and might to the Empire to make everyone better. That "unity" aspect he and other leaders like Quintus van Cinna spouted while missing the hypocrisy. Gaius was a good governor because he thought that was the entire point--and then also led to his opposition of the Meteor Project. He never wanted to wipe Eorzea out, he wanted to bring it under Imperial control and govern it as he had Werlyt.

So for twenty years, Gaius was the reasonable governor getting good grades in cultivating Werlyt as a respectable and flourishing province of the Empire. Then he was sent to Ala Mhigo to conquer that, and through it the rest of Eorzea.

...And then Valens van Varro took over Werlyt and pretty much overnight undid everything reasonable a decent governor would do because of his jealousy over Gaius and his own ambitions for power, especially after the civil wars left the Imperial throne vacant. Also cuz again, they have to spend this branch of story making Gaius look better by making Valens cartoonishly bad at everything. Rather than trusting what they already wrote about a complicated man who truly believed in his mission until forced to see how he had been a pawn sowing misery his whole life. But they've tended to rewrite Gaius and his on screen characterization a lot as it is, and with Garlemald not getting an expansion of its own (they had considered it but ultimately worked its fall into ShB and EW), it feels like they hammer this point in Werlyt to speed run what was supposed to be an actual rehabilitation arc for the character.

And then it once again frames the quintent as rebellious heroes who thwarted Valens plans to use them and the Weapons project for his own ends and sure we'll let that go cuz the folks in Werlyt need something. They do have a named leader (Talbot Hunte) and a government set up and none of it really mentions Gaius, though we know they put him in charge of their military. Cuz yeah, he was one of their conquerers--but they also know that they can work with him and that he knows how to run an army effectively.

Also all the quintet are literally named "aan Baelsar" in their entries, though the main thing I noticed there was that Milisandia did in fact dye her hair red to account for the discrepancy in her child appearances in the various flashbacks. Apparently it was cuz she noticed Alfonse seemed very fond of one of their caretakers at the orphanage, and so Milisandia changed her hair to be the same color to try and get his attention, quietly pining for him for years but never letting him know about her not-quite-sisterly affections.

[morganaux]

Out of all the plants that grew within the ever-expanding imperial gardens, it was neither the lush trellises of morning glories nor the winding labyrinths of hedge mazes that captured the Prince-Consort's heart, but instead, the humble rows of rolanberries.

They had been presented to the royal family as a gift from a Corvosi merchant during the reclamation of Locus Amoenus— a peace offering meant to serve as a symbol of the friendship that would surely blossom between their people. There had been many offerings of such nature that filled his greenhouses, but the simplicity of the rolanberry's white flowers and the fruit they would eventually bear filled him with an inexplicable sense of bliss just thinking about them.

How he wished he could thank this kind gentleman for his generosity in person, but alas, the Emperor would not grant him permission to leave for their ancestral home. It was not safe for him to travel there now. Perhaps someday it would be, but not now. And until then, Phoebus would take care of his beloved rolanberries, hoping that one day, he could share their fruit with the man who had given them to him.

Today, the rolanberry flowers had begun their first bloom, and it was time for Phoebus to trim them to ensure they had time to properly take root before bearing their first harvest. And when Quintus would find him, Phoebus would be busy with a pair of clippers in hand and a basket filled with tiny white flowers in the crook of his arm, head filled with thoughts of a warmer, kinder future for Garlemald.

But to untrained eyes, it would seem that the Prince-Consort had a personal vendetta against his berry plants, brows furrowed he went about his work decapitating every flower that fell under his gaze. It was only when he heard a stammering voice call out to him that his expression began to soften.

Peering through the leaves toward the source of the voice, he would find a young soldier— barely an adult, he surmised— who appeared to be quite out of his element judging from the way he moved.

It was rare for Phoebus to be seen smiling, but if it would help this boy feel at ease, he would do it. Clippers still in hand, he gave a gentle wave in the boy's direction, greeting him with the warmest smile he could bring himself to wear.

"Were you the guard sent to watch over me?" he asked, pausing momentarily as he scanned over the soldier's face, wondering why he seemed a bit familiar. Perhaps he was related to someone he knew? "Worry not for my protection. I can take care of myself, but the Emperor is always fretting over my safety. While I have little need for a guard at the current moment, I am in dire need of someone to help me trim away all these flowers. Do you think you would be up for such a task?"

No matter how often Quintus found himself within the vast halls of the imperial palace(beyond the soldiers' barracks), it never ceased to amaze him. It was breathtaking and intimidating in equal measure, and he found himself stopping more often than he cared to admit in order to gaze in awe at the architecture and decor. But the young man of sixteen summers had been given his first important mission as a soldier of the Ist Imperial Legion, and he would not disappoint his father or the Emperor by dragging his feet along the way to his appointed station. The palace gardens, or rather greenhouses given the harsh climes of the land, were not the place he had been expecting to find himself today, he would admit. But the moment he stepped through the threshold and into the large area full of all sorts of flora, his breath was taken away yet again at the magnificence of it all. The colors, the arrangements, the variety… Never had he seen so much greenery in all his years, least of all not in one place. His extensive combat training thus far had prepared him for many things… This was certainly not one of that number. Once he had finished gawping, or had pulled himself away as much as he was able to, the soldier shifted his focus to seeking out the one whom he had been instructed to watch over and assist: the Emperor's Prince-Consort. Pale blue eyes scanned around before he tentatively stepped forward, and began to wind his way through the seemingly endless rows of abundant foliage. "H…hello?" He called out, attempting to stifle the surprise and trepidation nudging its way into his voice. His father would surely have scolded him to hear it, and he mentally cursed himself in much the same manner.

@morganaux

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Two Young Men: Interlude

Quintus' grave was the newest one in the enclosure. Kneeling before the freshly turned dirt, Reinhardt reached out to place a hand on the mound. A small scattering of flowers--secured by rocks--was on the top. In front of the flowers was a piece of wood, acting as a makeshift altar for a flask and an incense burner. The latter the dragoon recognized.

"They let you near him?" He asked, surprise flickering over his features.

"It helped that I talked quickly." Smoothing out her healer's robes, Riven Sadler joined Reinhardt. "Also, the lot of them were shell-shocked. I said I could enchant a shroud to keep him from decay until everyone's in their right enough minds to do whatever the norm is for funeral rites." Blue eyes settled on the flower and rock pile, then roamed over the other graves.

"All their hopes were pinned on the Xth." She said softly.

"They say anything more on what happened?" Reinhardt asked. The scholar nodded.

"The radios.” She began. "Luck, fate, the gods - somehow they had more of them than the Illrd. Anything before that..." Riven mimicked an explosion with her hands, adding a sound effect for extra emphasis. "Varis’ return to the capital and the prince's miraculous recovery resulted in very many public, brutal and bloody assassinations. When he died and Nerva put in his claim for the throne, many of his followers were out for blood.”

"You kill my friend, I kill yours." Reinhardt murmured in understanding. "It snowballs from there. Especially if your command's injured to the point where they can't fight anymore.” That was a blow to both pride and honor Reinhardt could understand. Quintus might have been able to continue leading his troops, but to not be able to avenge fallen comrades or even his Emperor…

"There were some attempts to establish neutral zones, to keep some basic rule of law going for the civilians. But that didn’t last long and the rest…”  Riven trailed off, exhaling. “We know.”

"One scream and three-quarters of the entire country gets tempered." Reinhardt finished. "Including the entire lllrd Legion and members of the Ist that weren't near a radio." He sighed. "And they've been like this for months.”

"This isn't even the first graveyard they had to put together." Riven said. She watched as the dragoon shifted his weight, drachen-mail clinking softly. He extended a hand towards the makeshift altar.

"Got any charcoal on you for this?" He asked, picking up the incense burner.

"I have exactly one disk left." Riven reached into a pocket, taking out the charcoal. She watched as Reinhardt dumped the ashes of the previous offering to the side, then set the empty burner back on the wooden plank. Reaching into one of the two pouches strapped to his armor, Reinhardt took out a cigarette, along with flint and tinder.

"I'll hold the disk, you get it burning." He said. Riven obeyed, a small spark of flame coming to life from the striker.

"Not in the mood to get haunted?" She asked, bringing the fire close to the disk.

"Last thing I need is his ghost getting pissy that I used magic at their grave."

"He'll be coming for me first, not you." Riven removed the flame as the charcoal started to glow red. Reinhardt set the flat circle in the burner, Picking up the cigarette. He carefully unsealed the paper, sprinkling the chopped-up tobacco on the charcoal. A sweet, earthy-like smell began to waft into the air. Reinhardt set the lid back on the burner, rocking back on his heels as wisps of smoke began to rise from the little metal vessel.

"You were a bastard." He said aloud. "But you kept your men going and were able to save countless lives. I'm sorry that this is all I have to offer." Reinhardt bent forward, his head all but touching the ground in front of the temporary grave.

"I will bring better when your countrymen properly inter you."

-----

The next morning Jullus found he couldn’t muster the energy to get up. In the back of his mind, he halfway expected the Eorzeans to come charging in, demanding that he get up, get dressed, get to…whatever work they’d decided would be appropriate slave labor. But instead he was left alone—save for a young healer dressed in yellow and green robes who stopped by his cot with a tray of food.

“Special for you from Healer Bishop.”  She said, her voice soft. “Eat it while it’s hot, hmm?”  Jullus frowned, taking in the covered plates. “Also, orders from Commander Junius. You and yours are on unofficial limited duty for the time being.”

“Limited duty?” Manius said. It sounded as if he was a bed or two away, Jullus noted. “Why...?” The healer turned to face him, tight brown curls springing with her movements.

“Because the lot of you aren’t fit for anything at the moment.”  She said, crossing her arms. “Thus, it’s medical checkups and stuffing you full of food. Also, I’d imagine proper baths would go a long way in helping you get back on your feet.” Murmurs rose from the other cots surrounding Jullus.

“I’ve been dreaming of a shower.” The soldier in the bed next to Jullus whispered. “Just…hot water, scented soap…fluffy towels…”

“Can’t promise you on the scented soap and fluffy towels, but the water’s nice and warm.”  The healer said, smiling. Her teeth were a sharp contrast to her dark skin. “Can’t loiter for too long, too many people in the lines for the baths as is. And—ah, Nophica cut me, I damn near forgot!”  She spun about, pointing a finger at Jullus.

“You’re to report to Healer Bishop after the baths! He wanted to check you over personally.”  The statement cut through Jullus’ confused malise, and he sat straight up in his cot.

“Wait, what?!”  The memory of the scowling medicus flashed through his mind. “Why?”

“It’s not my likes to ask what the Warrior of Light and his kin want.”  The healer replied. “I’m just the messenger. Now start eating that food before it gets cold.”

-----

Previous chapters of Two Young Men here

Also credit to @saesama for her idea of the cigarette in the pouch, first mention can be found here

[best-nun-tournament]

Round 1, Match 3

Krauss, Eva, Rudolf and Rosa Ushiromiya (Umineko) vs The Princes of Stormhold (Stardust)

Propaganda under break

Krauss, Eva, Rudolf and Rosa Ushiromiya

The four children of billionaire Kinzo Ushiromiya. Every year, they return home to Rokkenjima Island for a family conference. With Kinzo's health declining, to the point where he hardly ever leaves his room, the only topic on their minds is how to carve up his fortune.

Krauss is the eldest, and Kinzo's successor. Even if he's not the smartest of the siblings, his position as heir and imposing physique let him push them around. He even used to beat his younger siblings. Now, they suspect him of abusing his position as Kinzo's caregiver to embezzle their rightful share of the family fortune.

Eva is the second child, and incredibly resentful about it. She despises the fact that despite being so much more intelligent than Krauss, he's always above her just because he's older and a man. She's devoted her whole life to usurping Krauss' position, and then devoted her son's life to becoming the next heir instead of Krauss' daughter. When not scheming against her brother, she loves finding ways to torment and cruelly provoke her siblings, sister-in-law, and the servants.

Rudolf is the third, and with little hope of becoming heir, became a conman and a playboy (though he eventually settled down as a married man and white-collar criminal). Suffering from his sibling's bullying, he turned all their physical and emotional abuse on his sister Rosa. Though unlike Eva, he's stopped being cruel to her as an adult.

Rosa is the youngest sibling, and she's had a terrible life. Even as an adult, she's still terrified of Eva and acts dumb around her for fear of provoking her. But if she was given the opportunity, she could easily make them pay for what she's suffered.

The Princes of Stormhold

(Primus, Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, Sextus and Septimus)

The last male descendant of the King gets to become the next king. So the brothers all go off killing each other so they can inherit the kingdom. they are pretty terrible to each other in that respect, but also a kingdom based on such succession is not going to be thriving like it could be.

(luckily they have a sister)

[darkandlightdance]

Well, that implies that the dreamer is Varis. Well Primal Varis…well, Lunar Primal Varis probably.

So Jullus…tropes imply that he is some kind of hidden prince but I'm not sure how true that is in this case. I kinda doubt it because he has a commander who is not trying to use him as a political chesspiece. And by his words it seems like he's our local guide rather than hidden royalty. (though it could be both)

Every Garlean we've met has been paranoid about why we're here. And while it is understandable from their point of view from ours it is outright paranoia. It also seems like its a position of power. Where any power not used is a loss. Also a cultural thing.

Jullus seems young. It seems he understand the desperation better than his commander though. Poor guy has to deal with the twins being helpful and trying for peace and just not what he expects. Also did the command realize that his hostages are going out ceruleum hunting with his assistant?

Its kinda heartbreaking that we're the monster to these people.

The way Solus (Emet-Selch) shaped the Empire means that they don't believe that anyone other than a fellow Garlean is civilized. And if so then those other people will not act in a civilized manner and then they are savage barbarians. Who would believe savage barbarians came to help.

So I don't know what kind of communication they've had since the civil war but I'm honestly not sure if anyone is going to respond to them. The commander has said that the legions out conquering are going to come and support their retaking of the capitol but I kinda doubt that. Wouldn't they have come sooner if they were going to?

Quintus is not holding up as well as his men think. He's fixated on restoring the Empire. And believes that everyone else is against any Garleans. And while some people are it's not everyone there are enough that just won't care if it doesn't effect them.

But fueling war machines before heater is just shitty management of resources. Unless you've given up on the refugees. And that last bit before the meeting did not sound good. Poor Jullus having to deliver the news that the twins have been upgraded into real hostages. :( That was cruel of the commander.

I don't think that the supposed transportation specialists have the right mindset for that role. They are much more kill all the 'savages' kind of people…which give some idea of that that phrase actually meant.

Did we tell Jullus that the radio was what saved those people untempered? Or had the Garleans figured it out before we came?

Also the way he's acting…He knows he was sent on a suicide mission. Hes questioning if his commander cares or just for the Glory of Garlemald.

Oh, ouch poor kid. That would be a very good reason to deny the tempered could be cure. If they can be cured then why did he have to do that.

The situation sucks but Alisaie scooting over looking like she's hoping Alphinaud would meet her halfway is cute. Alphi needs a flick on the forehead about not meeting her halfway though.

Huh, the tenth actually gathered the others and tried. Didn't expect that.

Oh shit that is a suicide. Fuck the kids are going to walk in on that and the aftermath of what that does to everyone else there. And they're so fucking optimistic right before that. That is much more bloody than previous expansions have gotten.

[telestictroublemaker]

i don't normally post about my fallout oc, but i had the funniest fucking idea. quintus' entire life has been predicated on the search for knowledge. it's what keeps him alive, so he seeks it to a fault. i COULD use this to set up some greater arc about him learning that some things are better off not being learned, and tie it into new vegas' overarching theme of "old world blues" i COULD but i think it's funnier if this also manifests in him asking very personal questions as a comedic note without even realizing he's being offensive (our autistic little prince) he will be the person to ask if ghouls can ejaculate. he will ask several follow-up questions that makes the situation even worse.

[ladykailitha]

Look, do I know I have 12 billion AUs already? Yes. Are they getting written any time soon? Eh....maybe. But have another one anyway.

Stardust AU

Steve as Tristran. (We're going to have swap Jonathan and Steve's canon backstories for this but shush!) the shop keeper's son, left on the man's door step.

Nancy as Victoria, the woman Tristran is in love with, but has a boyfriend who is about to propose. But is only really interested in his wealth.

Joanthan as Humphrey, the rich toff.

Eddie as Yvaine- the falling star.

Robin as Captain Shakespeare- she's been dressing up as a man to be captain and chase women. The party is her crew (mainly because the rest of this cast are pretty much bad guys).

For the witches we would have Henry, Billy, and Tommy who want Eddie's beauty for themselves.

The prince brothers would be the same. Primus, Secondus, Terius, Quartus, Quintus, Sextus, and Septimus.

Hopper as the Wall guard, but the rest of the cast is filled with the characters from the story, because like I said this story is very thin on the ground when it comes to good people characters.

[isalisewrites]

ive been reading terrible but great since 2021 ive been reading tomarry since i was like 12 reading fates favorite. i dont rly interact bc my main fandom and presence is so far apart that my little circle deeefinitely doesnt gaf abt tomarry or hp and wld in fact be scandalized . so i was really regretting that i dont have anyone to cry to about how spectacular and lifechanging that was and then i guessed i cld jst anon u since thats a thing.

ur a hero. just the exact, perfect, seriously right amount of lead up because if there was more i really wld snap under the pressure of tom being too thick because then it wld just piss me off instead i was spellbound. u provided a genuine .. i swear masterpiece u were providing like a parent oh wow ..... like how people want sweet treats every now and then i never had to go searching. its 1 am for me and ive had sadly late nights this last few weeks since winter break began and it happened the other day that it was 5 am and i had two beautiful long chapters of terrible but great waiting for me when i woke up. and when i tell u oooooooooooh god i sobbed like a fucking baby last night reading that. harrys heartbreak my god. my goodness. this kind of emotional turmoil probably doesnt exist so far at this extent in any other tomarry im following. that doesnt matter i wont need it because wow. truly incredible.

hes finally a bit. understanding of himself. he knows hes in love now. wow . i am a small puddle

oh and how i cried for voldemorts passing. u have no clue like i had snot all down my throat i was under my blanket like i was twelve again or something. seriously i cried because not only did u craft that so excellently but i was as attached to him as harry is . because i care so much for every little thing in this story because ive practically grown a bit with it . wow its 2025 now you know. 47 minutes since the clock went 12. so its been four years of your writing this piece anyway and ive been blessed. so thankyou i cant share my overwhelmed incandescent happiness with anyone else in the world at all sadly tragically its my own fault anyways for not tomarrying right. but its personal for me so i dont mind that im only sharing it with u. thankyou so so much.

and my favorite thing ever in this fic besides their bitchfight and toms revelation that harry is his own personal dr who is probably fleamont potter god bless him may he marry euphemia and harry officiates or at least flowerboys for him. praise the lord and isalise for this fleamont and euphemia.......... they bring me SOOOOO MUCH FUCKING JOY wow. im gonna go reread all the fleamont moments. and then im probably gonna reread the last chapter. and then im Prrooobably gonna get it tattoed on my chest. have a good one isalise u absolute unit

FATE’S FAVOURITE NAME DROP.

Fate’s Favourite and Past’s Player are some of my foundational Tom/Harry stories, even though they’re platonic in this series. There’s a fight in Past’s Player that was the spark of my desire for a huge duel to the death, aka The Twink Fight, for Terrible, But Great. I love the fight in Past’s Player, how Tom drugs Harry for information and the two of them have a feral fight. But my story, I wanted something immense.

After all these years, I still remember my favorite line from Fate’s Favourite.

“You have very pretty eyes… They’d look good in my collection.”

Zevi Prince was the reason I wanted Quintus Prince to exist.

you belong to me (i belong to you) sparked the idea of a more complex relationship between Harry and Death in Terrible, But Great. I adore Harry in this fic so very much.

So many others were foundational fics for me. 

DMAY

Of Your Making

A Dangerous Game

No Glory

A Dangerous Game and No Glory were trigger fics, as were Fate’s Favourite and Past’s Player. What I mean by that is they were a catalyst in pushing me to write Terrible, But Great. Let me be EXCEPTIONALLY clear: they are all beautifully written and exactly what they need to be in terms of the story they’re trying to tell. They are S Tier stories and truly beloved.

But they weren’t what I was looking for exactly in a Tomarry story.

They scratched a few itches, but not all of them. (I actually have another idea for a Harry/Voldemort fic that was triggered/inspired by If Paths Diverge, but I'm not writing that idea at this time.) I needed something else. Honestly, these kinds of fics are the best because they’re always the source of creating something else. These types of fics are so vital to fandom life in all other fandoms, too.

I wanted a Harry who was equal to Tom, who challenged him. I wanted a Harry who stood up to Tom. I wanted a Harry who was still a Gryffindor, who was still self sacrificing, but also gave into his shadow side for Tom. As Harry grows a little darker, Tom grows a little lighter. (One of my favorite shounen ai manga does this. No.6)  I’d read so many fics where Harry was always giving something up for Tom/Voldemort, while Tom/Voldemort never did. Harry was always sacrificing something and Tom was always taking. The inequality grew to hurt too much. I wanted to see a Tom/Voldemort so very smitten, so very much in love that he would do anything for his Harry.

I got a comment on chapter 52 complaining about TBG Harry losing his spine and conviction, that the two of them didn’t feel like equals anymore.

Chapter 53 completely shows otherwise. Tom is willing to do anything for Harry in return. Tom is willing to sacrifice one of his greatest desires, finding out his heritage in the Chamber of Secrets, for Harry. They are equals. Terrible, But Great is a story of sacrifice, but from both of them.

The emotions of Harry realizing he’d do anything for Tom, even stay at his side while he spirals downward is a scary, sobering realization to have. It’s terrifying. He’d have to watch Tom lose himself. Though he’d stay at Tom’s side, he would inevitably watch Tom spiritually die right before his very eyes.

I was crying a ton while editing chapter 52, especially when I added the sections of Tom’s dialogue from previous chapters. UGH, MY HEART. I’m so glad those emotions carried across to you. That’s truly what I wanted. I wanted heartbreak in the most perfect way, one where it was okay in the end.

Thank you so very much for sharing your love of Terrible, But Great with me. It fills my heart so much. I can’t wait to continue on with Arc Three and beyond, to have you all share in more powerful emotions with me. Those boys still have a lot to learn.  And don’t worry, we’ll get to see more of Monty and Effie soon. You can look forward to a lot of growth for Harry and Tom in Arc Three and, yes, in Arc Four as well. 

Isa

[goldenboywrites]

northern attitude

"I have never once blindly followed your brother." He countered, letting the cloth roam through the water for a moment. He could see where Quin would have gained that thought. "When we see him after all of this I'll have him tell you of them time the pair of us first snuck out from under your parents' noses." And while it was a light hearted memory, it wasn't the only time. He sighed again and began to wash the other side of Quintus' back, watching the suds mingle with whatever bits of dirt and sweat that were released from his body. He couldn't disregard what the other had said. And he hadn't but he truly just wanted a moment where they weren't looking over their shoulders. Slowly he washed the rest of Quintus' back and opted for a bottle of oils and soap for hair. He suds up the concoction between his already wet hands, kneeling up to hover just over the other. "I know it isn't safe." He admitted, working his fingers through the other's hair. This wasn't the moment he'd intended to have. In fact he was fairly certain this would have been the last thing to ever happen. But you don't bite the hand that feeds you. And be it because he was truly exhausted or Quitus didn't mind this. Whatever it was, Cesare couldn't stop the smile that crept up on his face. "I know it is very hard for you to even see safety should it grace you. But ..." And he knew it to be a fool's wish, but couldn't it be something? Just once? "I don't know. I just .." He sighed, feeling himself starting to get a little ahead of where he needed to be. "I just thought the first time you came here it would be ... enjoyable." It was stupid the way he felt about it. And he knew that it wasn't truly his fault or Quin's. But wouldn't it have been nice to let Quin really see this place. It'd been at the forefront of most of his thoughts as of late. Not that Quin would know that. Thankfully Max wasn't here to rub it in his face. Though Gods knew he wished that were the case. "I understand though." He finally conceded, finally satisfied with how clean the hair was going to be. His fingers untangled from Quintus' hair and he leaned over the tub, grasping the tall pitcher next. The water flowed out as he brushed through the other's hair and he smiled so softly as he watched the eyes flutter shut and it looked for a moment as if there were some peace in that room. "If it's unyielding fealty you're after from me ..." His tone soft as ever. "You've had it for quite some time. And if it means I need to trust you completely then I will." He set the pitcher down and moved to the side of the tub, toweling off his hands and forearms. "I'm always going to give my opinion to you. I'd never second guess you openly but so long as you at least hear me out then I can follow your lead." He wasn't sure he'd actually get that agreement but he knew if it was at least said then it was up to Quin as to what he did with it. "Besides." He continued, drawing himself up onto his knees once more. His arms crossed over the tub's edge and he found himself of the newly cleaned man. "Tonight there isn't much to be done. Father's going to insist we mingle regardless. At least for a little while. You can feign exhaustion and I'll help you to your quarters." He shrugged, it all sounding perfectly innocent to him. "In the morning we can plan out our next move. Whatever it may be." He chewed his lower lip nervously, his head dipping slightly. "Deal?"

If it’s unyielding fealty you’re after from me you’ve had it for quite some time.

Quin gasped softly at Cesare’s words, which shocked him to his core. Never, aside from his brother, was trust given to him so willingly. If anything, everyone around him seemed to air on the side of distrust. Part of his uncle’s strategic manipulation, no doubt. But to hear Cesare say that, in that moment, was everything. 

He turned to look at the prince and only saw sincerity in his face. It warmed his cheeks. Cesare continued to talk about trusting Quin. About doing this his way as long as Quin accepted hearing the prince’s opinions. Which he could do, begrudgingly. It was everything he had wanted to hear and more. It was like Quin had been waiting for his moment his entire life. Where he finally didn’t feel alone. He had someone who would follow his lead, who would help him, someone who would have his back. 

Quin leaned forward and reached for Cesare, wrapping a wet hand around the back of his neck and pulling him forward as he leaned in to meet him halfway. Their lips crushed together, Quin’s tongue running along Cesare’s bottom lip until he allowed him entrance. He heard water hit the floor as he leaned further out of the bathtub. He could imagine Cesare’s pants soaked with his bathwater but it didn’t matter because they were kissing. Quin could have this. Quin would have this. Finally, he could trust enough to have a normal relationship with someone he had been in love with for years. 

He shook himself out of his daydream. Realizing that he had been staring at Cesare’s lips and hadn’t moved or spoken in a handful of moments. His hands hadn’t reached for the man, their lips hadn’t met. There wasn’t a waterfall of water spilling out from the tub in between them.

If only it could be that easy. If only he were brave enough outside of his mind to kiss the prince. But their reality was that he wasn’t. He couldn’t. Despite what Cesare was saying, their engagement was off before it even started. The probability of Quin even living to the end of this was slim. He cleared his dry throat and turned away from Cesare, leaning his back against the tub again. Quin tried very hard not to be distracted by Cesare’s hands hanging over the edge of the tub. “Fine,” He said, avoiding Cesare’s gaze because he was irritated at himself and knew if he looked at Cesare he would take it out on him. “I accept those conditions.”

Quin could feel his toes pruning from being in the bath for so long but he couldn’t very well get out after imaging kissing Cesare due to a particular problem he was having below the water. He had already reached the boundary of his privacy by allowing the prince to bathe him. He couldn’t push himself any further. “I’ll manage through tonight’s activities just fine as long as you keep your cousin away from me. I will not offend your father or your people by leaving early. I need them all to see that I am not what my uncle has made me out to be so when he comes here to collect me they’ll be on my side. I lack support in Vivec because they believe I made an attempt on Maximus’ life.” Quin inhaled sharply at his own words, hating the fact that it was even a thought in his people’s heads. “If I fuck up here I might as well serve myself up on a platter for my uncle. I’ll be out of options.”