#red banquet spoilers

[hopalongfairywren]

red banquet but c!sam says "et tu Hannah?" in his dumb pathetic sadman voice

[thenameswinterfics]

SCIAMACHY

Fandom: House of the Dragon Pairing: Cregan Stark x DragonDreamer!Reader Settings: Season 2 and post season 2 Summary: As the second child of King Viserys Targaryen and Queen Aemma Arryn, your father arranged your marriage to the young Lord of Winterfell, Cregan Stark, in the guise of an arranged marriage that would strengthen the bond between your Houses. But you are haunted by visions of a bloody war shaking the Seven Kingdoms, and the seeds of your doubt are sown when your sister's claim to the throne is challenged. Word Count: 4,4 K Warnings: Angst, mention of death, mention of grief, mention of character(s) death(s), mention of child loss, mention of sibling loss, major spoilers from the book "Fire and Blood" (if you're only following the show please do not read this fic). A/N: I'm back! (sadly for you) This is my very first fic I've written for the HOTD fandom and the very first fic of Cregan. I'm nervous, maybe even more than when I posted my first Sihtric fic, probably because the fandom is vast. It came out different of what I've planned in my head and I lowkey hate the last part, but I hope you still could enjoy it! A special thanks to @foxyanon and @zaldritzosrose for helping me with clearing my outline and for the title, and for her and @legitalicat for the quick beta reading.

Dedicated to my beautiful Cregan wife @sylasthegrim

ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE. I APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE FOR MY GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY MISTAKES.

Header & dividers by @zaldritzosrose

READ IT ON AO3

Sciamachy: (n), a battle against imaginary enemies; fighting your shadows.

An unfamiliar chill ran down your spine as you walked through the dark corridors of the Red Keep, the place you were born but never called home. The soft crunching of the snow under your boots was the only sound you could hear as you juggled in the darkness, the faintest light in the form of rays filtering through the cracks in the walls and allowing you to see a little. 

The sight was vivid, far too vivid, and all you could do was rub your eyes vigorously, hoping that when your vision cleared you would find yourself surrounded by the crackling fire and warmth of your room in Winterfell, the place you were sent against your will but would be forced to call home once you became its new lady. 

But no matter how hard you tried to clear your vision: you would still recognise the long, oppressive corridors you had walked as a child, emptied of the countless soldiers of the Kingsguard that guarded it. Each step became an echo of the memories you thought you had buried with time, but which rose to the surface like a breath of fire from the dragon's jaws. 

You could still hear the voice of King Viserys, the father who despised you from the moment you took your first breath, guilty of stealing your twin brother's life and living in his name. A father that neglected you for not being born as a man.

You could still hear the voice of your sister Rhaenyra, sweet as honey and warm as a mother's embrace you had never known. You were the little sister she always wanted, the glimpse of freedom amidst her duties to the Crown and the relief from the pain of losing a childhood friend. And it mattered not that you were the quietest of her family, avoiding banquets and receptions in the throne room and sneaking out whenever you could, collecting the brightest bugs and muttering meaningless words, flinching when someone touched your hand: you were still her perfect little sister in her eyes. 

And her love was all you wanted right now. 

Your bittersweet thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar from outside, the sound so loud it made your head spin and your stomach churn. You quickened your pace, hoping to find a larger crack in the wall to see what was happening outside. And there you found a vision that made you freeze.

You saw two dragons, an older one and a younger one, chasing each other across a stormy sky, their dragon scales glowing under the lightning and thunder as their bodies pursued each other in a majestic yet macabre dance. It seemed an innocent game between them, but the claws and talons of the older dragon prevailed over the younger, and you watched helplessly as he fell to the ground like a comet from the sky, swallowed by the sea.

You walked on, your eyes never leaving the scene outside, wanting to help the little dragon disappear into the water. But the more you crossed the corridor, the heavier the air you breathed became, and roars of pain, of burning lands and clashing swords filled your ears like a cursed chant. 

You covered your ears and closed your eyes, stopping your journey towards the throne room. When you opened your eyes again, you saw a room far different from the one you were accustomed to: the vibrant and noisy ambience turned into a ghostly one, the faint rays of moonlight illuminating the Iron Throne. A bloody crown, Jaehaerys' crown, lay abandoned on the throne, rivulets of blood running down to your feet, two dragons lying restlessly behind it. Two children stood before it, their backs to each other, holding each other's hands; you could feel their tortured gaze as they watched the bloody chair, and your heart broke at the sight. 

As you approached, trying to touch the crown, soft footsteps made you turn and you heard a wolf howling in the distance.

And then you woke up. 

Duty is sacrifice. It eclipses all things, even blood. All men of honour must pay its price. 

These were the words that came out from Cregan Stark's mouth as he escorted Jacaerys to the Wall. They were a testament to how the men of the North were bound by his rigid code of values and honour, and how none of them had ever forgotten or wavered from an oath. 

And when the Stark were called upon to renew their allegiance to House Targaryen, nothing would make them waver.

His father Rickon had already done so when he was summoned to King's Landing and bent the knee to Rhaenyra Targaryen, and a few years later it was Cregan's turn to renew the oath by accepting King Viserys' offer of marriage to the new lord of Winterfell. The young wolf had recently been freed from the regency of his zealous uncle Bennard, and an arranged marriage to a Targaryen princess would strengthen the bond between the two houses since the times of Aegon the Conqueror and Tohrren Stark. 

But when he saw the melancholy in your lilac eyes, Cregan realised that politics was nothing more than a sweet lie masking a more sinister purpose: you were no longer welcome at the court of King Viserys, no matter how much your sister begged to keep you under her protection, or how much Alicent Hightower dared to show a glimmer of mercy. You would have been a young dragon raised by a pack of wolves, and as his future wife it would have been his responsibility to look after you.

And now he was called to be sworn to House Targaryen again, on the brink of a civil war that could involve the North in Southern affairs. 

“The realm will soon tear itself apart if men do not remember the oath sworn to King Viserys and to his rightful heir,” Jacaerys announced solemnly, walking through the narrow corridors of the Walls, Cregan at his side. The Lord of Winterfell was holding Ice over one shoulder, the sword as heavy as the title inherited from his father. 

“Starks do not forget their oaths, my prince,” Cregan retorted, occasionally bowing his head to some members of the Night’s Watch, “But you must know that my gaze is forever torn between North and South,” he added, a hint of heavy responsibility in his voice. The threats in winter were much greater than in summer, with the Night's Watch and the men of Winterfell stepping up their activities on the Wall, ready to turn back any outside threats. Furthermore, it was rare to see the intervention of the North in matters concerning the South, but Cregan could not ignore that oaths were broken. And traitors had to pay for it.

“War is coming to the whole realm, my lord,” it was the Prince of Dragonstone’s turn to retort back, “Whilst your men plan to raise guards against wildlings, the Hightowers plan to usurp the throne. My mother’s claim has been compromised, and little I believe your lady wife could turn her gaze away,”

The words that escaped Jace's mouth left Cregan in a state of astonishment, his brows furrowing and hardening his already stern face. He had never expected the prince to use his wife so cleverly, even though she was a trusted member of his house whom he had sadly never met in peaceful circumstances.

“The Queen has not forgotten the love she has for her sister, and King’s Landing will welcome her again once my mother succeeds in keeping the realm united,”

“My lady wife has her sister's fate very much at heart,” Cregan continued, his gaze softening a bit at the thought of you, “and you arrival put her in a state of worry, my prince,”

The two young men then stood on the Wall, looking out over the untamed land, now covered in white snow. A biting wind whipped around them as Cregan explained how such powerful creatures as the dragons refused to cross the spaces beyond the Wall, highlighting the dangers of the unknown that folded these lands, while he and Jacaerys negotiated the number of men willing to aid Queen Rhaenyra's cause. Cregan himself knew the importance of keeping an oath to a man's moral integrity, and while his duties were tied to the Wall and the threat of the wildlings, he could not ignore the dispute over the king's word. 

“My lord,” one of Cregan’s men arrived, forcing the two young men to interrupt their conversation, “Urgent news from Dragonstone,” 

The Wolf of Winterfell took the parchment in his hands, and from the brief glance he shared with one of his men, he knew the contents were far from frivolous. He let the paper slip from his hands to read the message, and a sense of astonishment struck him like the chill of the North: his lips curled into a grimace, his eyebrows furled slightly as his grey eyes scanned the words printed on the paper. He could have thought it was an unfortunate joke, but the seal of House Targaryen only confirmed what he had read: 

"Prince Lucerys Velaryon has met his death at Storm's End, slain by Prince Aemond Targaryen.”

Cregan lifted his gaze to rest on Jacaerys' brown eyes and watched as the young prince's face contorted in confusion, then grief as he glanced at the parchment in Cregan's hands, and hot tears watered his eyes, streaming down his sharp face until two small rivers crossed their path on his chin. The young lord watched helplessly as the Prince of Dragonstone staggered backwards, clutching his chest in a tight fist as if trying to hold it together; it was a sight familiar to Cregan, for he had also lost his younger brother and remembered the same sense of helplessness creeping through his veins. 

But as Jacaerys collapsed in grief, a new weight hit Cregan's chest, a sense of dread blossoming in the centre of his stomach as he steeled himself for what was to come. 

He would have to inform you and to bring the news of Lucery’s death. And it wouldn’t be easy.

The bright orange sun hid behind the imposing mountains of the North, its last rays illuminating the tops of the peaks and tinting the snow a soft pink. As the light faded, a few amber rays filtered through the windows of your chambers, illuminating them with a soft glow - the gentle warmth of the sun blending with the heat of the great fire in the centre of the room, accompanied by the soft crackle of the wood.

You sat quietly at the foot of your bed, embroidery hoop in hand, watching your son Rickon play with his wooden toys beside you. A few handmaids moved about your chambers, preparing the large table for the dinner you and Cregan would share that evening. Your lilac eyes rested on the small figure of your son, who returned them with a broad smile. But as you raised a hand and gently rubbed his swollen cheeks, you were seized by a sense of unease. 

It had been a long time since you and Cregan had been married, and from the first night you spent in Winterfell your mind had been haunted by dark omens hovering over your family name. Glimpses of what had happened in the past and what would happen in the future passed before your eyes like dancing shadows, sometimes appearing even when you were fully awake. You could still hear cries for help filling your ears, dragons fighting in the sky with claws and breath of fire, and sinister whispers plotting an overthrow of power, the image of your father's bloody crown on the throne still vivid in your mind. 

The people of Winterfell had always regarded you with suspicion, for you were far from the Targaryen princess they had always imagined. But Cregan had never dared to question your tastes, however strange they might sound, and whenever the duties of lordship allowed him a moment's respite, he would gladly accompany you to the far reaches of the North and catch whatever bugs you wanted. In winter, when the temperatures were too harsh and the bugs were nowhere to be found, he would wrap his great arms around your form and listen to your strange rhymes as he gazed into the fire. 

Your prophetic dreams ceased after you gave birth to Rickon, but they returned when a raven came from Dragonstone with grim news: the death of your father the King, the usurpation of your sister's claim by the Hightowers, and the loss of Rhaenyra's only daughter. Fear settled in your heart as you remembered the figure of the young dragon swallowed by the waves of the ocean, and you wondered if even innocent children would fall victim to this dangerous game of power. 

The doors of your chambers swung open and Cregan appeared. The handmaids greeted him with a nod of respect, and you gave him a small smile as you watched Rickon rise and reach his father, who scooped him up with his free hand and kissed his little forehead.

But it was when he looked at you that you realised something was wrong. His eyes, softened by the sight of you, held a pain that seemed to be fighting him. It was as if he were carrying a burden too heavy for him to bear, heavier even than his duties as Lord of Winterfell, and the sight surprised you: you had never seen Cregan so troubled by anything.

"Leave us alone," your husband's voice echoed in the room, once again wearing his mask of severity, "I need to have a few words with my wife in private,” 

The handmaids bowed their heads and quickly left the room, one of them holding Rickon in her arms. There was an unspoken tension in the air as Cregan cautiously approached you and sat in front of you. He had always been an attentive and protective husband, showing a side that differed from the stern image he gave his men.

“You seem quite troubled, husband,” you spoke softly, your voice faltering slightly. Cregan replied with a heavy sigh, covering your hands with his larger ones and rubbing them with his calloused thumbs.

“Dreadful news came from Dragonstone, my love,” Cregan said in a hoarse voice, choosing his words carefully, as if talking to a wounded puppy, “Your sister, the Queen, lost a child again,”

You felt the ground beneath your feet, surroundings had become as muffled as your husband's voice as he recited the contents of the parchment:

"Prince Lucerys Velaryon has met his death at Storm's End, slain by Prince Aemond Targaryen.”

Feeling like you were about to pass out, you rolled over onto your side and gripped the wooden footboard in a tight vice. You immediately covered your mouth and looked down at your feet as your mind slowly processed the news, but the shock was so strong that no tears came. Your mind raced back to the dream you'd had weeks before Jacaerys' arrival, seeing pieces of a puzzle you couldn't quite understand until now: Lucerys was the dragon that fell from the sky, and Aemond was the other one who sank his jaws into his flesh.

You felt Cregan's worried gaze on you as one of his hands moved to your arm, rubbing it gently in a soothing way. “It pains me to see you so devastated, my sweet wife,” he spoke quietly, breaking the wall of silence between you, “but you must know that House Stark will stand against-“

“I need a moment, please,” your trembling voice interrupted him as you found the strength to stand at your feet, your thick robes swooning with every step you took in the room. You paced back and forth, one hand rubbing the bridge of your nose while the other supported your lower back, grief and confusion mixing in your head as you felt like you were about to succumb to madness: for a moment you wondered if Rickon would fall victim to the Dance as well, but no bad omen was attached to him and that brought you a moment of peace.

Your restless walk ended as you approached the large window of your chambers and saw Vermax flying restlessly outside. It pained you to see such a magnificent creature as a dragon so distraught over the loss of his kin, and it pained you even more when a flash of his fate crossed your eyes as you saw the dragon dancing among hundreds of arrows.

“It is said that dragons can feel their masters’ emotions,” a rough voice came from behind, and you saw Cregan looking outside like you, “They feel their pain, their turmoil, and they share the same grief.” 

“He is preparing for his last flight,” you murmured quietly, turning your head slightly and locking your lilac gaze into his grey one. You felt Cregan’s hand resting on your waist, allowing him to pull you closer and join your foreheads together. 

"Winter is coming, my love, and I need my men here to defend the Wall," he spoke softly, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt the warmth of your skin against his, "but House Stark will pledge its support to Queen Rhaenyra by sending her thousands of Greybeards to fight in her name. Your sister's claim will be upheld and your nephew will succeed her," 

"Jacaerys will never be King of the Seven Kingdoms," you confessed defeatedly, looking down at your feet, "the only kingdom he will see is of sea and salt. He will never see his mother sitting on the Iron Throne. I have seen it,"

Your words brought a heavy silence to the room and you both withdrew into your thoughts. You saw how quickly Cregan and Jacaerys had bonded, how they spent their days hunting and drinking together while they negotiated the terms of war. Luke's death would not be an accident, and you hoped your words would reach your husband, that he would understand the destructive force dragons could be once they went into battle.

Instead, Cregan's only words were his arms wrapped around you, sealing your body in a protective embrace. He whispered words of comfort, kissed your temple and promised victory over the usurpers.

But deep in his heart, he knew it would not be easy.

Grief and anger were the emotions Cregan felt as he rolled the parchment in his hands, his eyes darting over the words written in pitch-black ink. He cursed himself for not believing the signs of your dreams, for thinking that fear had created them for you. But even this time you were right.

The Battle of the Gullet had been costly for the Blacks, and the death of Jacaerys Velaryon was a low blow the queen would not forgive her usurpers. It was Cregan again who had the task of bringing you the unfortunate news, and his eyes would forever be haunted by the sight of your grief: he saw you holding Rickon as the news of blood and cheese reached Winterfell's ears, and those same dull eyes came back to you as you leaned against the wall at your nephew's death.

Not even the news that King's Landing had fallen into the hands of Rhaenyra and Daemon could ease the paranoia you lived with, but it only served to fuel your dark prophecies. Few letters were exchanged between Cregan and Rhaenyra, with the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms constantly asking for her beloved sister and inviting her to return to court and serve if she wished. But Cregan always refused her invitation. 

For the truth was that you were safe in the great lands of the North, surrounded by nothing but the love of Cregan and Rickon, far from that viper's nest that was the Red Keep. It took time for you to adjust to the harsh cold of Winterfell and the coldness of its people, but your calm and gentle nature opened a breach in the heart of his hardened lord, and with it, the people began to love you. 

The night was cold, and the heat of the fire was not enough to protect them from the blizzard raging outside. Cregan could not sleep, tossing and turning, hoping that the Old Gods would grant him some much needed rest. It was only after tossing and turning on his side for the umpteenth time that he saw you awake too, your platinum curls falling gently to your shoulders and your lilac eyes gazing absently at the small bed where Rickon rested. 

The young wolf wrapped his naked arms around your waist and pulled you close, his chest pressed against your back, the layer of your nightgown the only thing separating your bodies. "Sleep seems to have left you too," he said in a harsh voice, his lips brushing against your neck. You closed your eyes and let out a shuddering breath. 

"I have no reason to be asleep, dear husband," you replied absently, the softness of your voice melting his heart. Cregan knew that your mind was far from him, and he feared that your prophetic dreams had imprisoned it again. He let out a long sigh before speaking again.

"A raven came from King's Landing in the morrow," he spoke quietly, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Rickon, "your sister will be pleased to welcome you to the capital and give you all the honours of a Targaryen princess,”

He felt a small chuckle escape your mouth and lowered his head, resting his newly bearded chin on your collarbone, "If it is your wish to reach her, I will order some of my men to arrange a safe journey south for you." Cregan went on, his voice faltering at the thought of leaving you alone while Rhaenyra dealt with her opponents. But you were his wife and the light of his eyes, and if you wished to regain your lost time with your sister, he would accept it without objection.

But the slight shake of your head surprised him, "It wouldn't change anything. Rhaenyra would be dead the moment I reached King's Landing, and the gods know what horrors await there.”

Cregan's brow furrowed, and for the first time he seriously considered the words of your prophetic dreams: if the Dragon Queen was indeed about to die, what would happen if he left his wife alone in the grasp of the Greens? A shiver ran down his spine, anger boiling in his chest at the thought of you being taken prisoner by Aegon the Usurper. 

"That will probably not happen," the Lord of Winterfell scoffed, tightening his grip as if he secretly feared you would disappear in his arms, "You have nothing to fear, my dear woman. Your sister is Queen now. Once the usurpers and the breakers of the oath have paid for what they have done, there will be a reign of peace and prosperity. 

"It will not be her," you murmured, rolling to the other side to face Cregan. You leaned your hand against his cheek as you looked at him with your melancholy eyes, "Rhaenyra is the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, but a crown of ashes will adorn her head and a cloak of fire will wrap her body.”

Cregan leaned into your touch, but he could not quite relax at the grim revelation you gave him: he wanted to find comfort in your presence, but your words were as hard as boulders, carrying a heavy weight he wanted to lift from your shoulders.

"I can hardly see it," he murmured, his voice tinged with doubt, "Rhaenyra is a strong woman, gathering as many noble men as she can for her cause. The kingdom will be stable under her leadership."

You shook your head slowly again, your eyes filled with sorrow, "But the Dragonfire is stronger than she is, and what she has built will crumble with her," you paused for a moment before continuing, "A throne of iron swords will give way to a wooden one, and only when the cripple breathes his last will a child step in, wearing Rhaenyra's crown like a burden.”

Cregan closed his eyes and tightened his grip, a mixture of emotions flickering across his face as he slowly digested what you had told him. He had learned over time that your dreams were not mere hallucinations of a daydreaming mind, but a prophecy destined to come true, no matter how hard you tried to alter the course of events. The deaths of Jacaerys and Lucerys were living proof. 

“I swear on my honour that I will keep raising my banners for the rightful queen, no matter how gruesome our fates will be,” Cregan retorted, lowering his head more until your foreheads met again, “What will be of us?”

"You are bound by your honour and will fight for Rhaenyra until your last breath, my love," you murmured, absently tracing circles on his cheek with your thumbs, "The wolf will cry in the dragon's nest, and his wolf will be heard in the darkest hour. And only when order is restored will the wolf return to his pack."

Cregan stood in silence, his chest rising slowly as he held his breath, the realisation dawned on him: the intense activity on the Wall and the organisation of the harvest had always prevented him and his men from making a proper march on King's Landing, hoping that the Greybeards he had sent would be enough to fight for Rhaenyra's cause. But your words have confirmed that his men will march on King's Landing, and he hopes to find a less devastated city than the one his wife has described.

“Cregan,” your gentle call awakened him from his thoughts, his head resting on your hands, “promise me you will come back to me and Rickon. Swear it,”

The young wolf stood silent for a moment, his eyes drinking in your beauty: it would be painful to leave you behind, but if your prophecy came true, he would be forced to honour his oath and fight for his queen. And so he took your head in his hands, closing the distance and sealing the promise with a long, bittersweet kiss, tasting of farewell but full of hope.

“I swear it.”

If you've come this far, thank you so much for reading my fic! Hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave a comment if you want to be added in the taglist or be removed.

Cregan Stark Taglist: @sylasthegrim @legitalicat @zaldritzosrose

[sweetlywriting]

Allegiance

Feyd Rautha x Reader

Part one Part two

Warnings-Dune II spoilers, minor violence, enemies to mutual respect to fiancés(?)

Synopsis- Your planet is rich in horticulture and resources but faces the growing fear of imperialism from other houses. A solution presents itself when you are offered to marry their heir to house Harkonnen, Feyd Rautha.

You entered into the colosseum-esque arena, fascinated with the way the sun cast a veil of black and white onto everything within its grasp. It was subduing, and you felt as though you were in an old imperial painting-where all was colorless but the expressions of the people in them.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy this. Feyd Rautha wanted you to arrive today so you would be able to see the show” The Baron said in his mangled voice, gesturing a pale hand towards you.

“I am honored to be in attendance Baron, especially on such an important day.” You said, musing on how it was rather generous for the Na-Baron to allot your visit on his own birthday.

You were excited, no one had told you quite what the entertainment was but you could imagine great performances and exotic animals in the Na-barons name. A lighter part of you also wished to see what he looked like, how he held himself, the tone of his voice-though surely upon the prospect of marriage it was rational to take into consideration.

A crease began along your mouth as three staggering men in chains were pushed into the arena along with who you could only assume was the Na-baron. Your temperament quickly changed realizing the entertainment was a fight to the death. The discontent grew seeing that two of the weren’t even truly conscious, stumbling and flailing. ‘A cowards move’ you thought pursing your lips.

You felt more foreign than ever, closely observing the calm and jovial nature of the Harkonnens around you, cheering at the calamity. It frustrated and confused you deeply, unable to stand the senseless violence. The intense smell of blood lust made your eyes water and their rims turn a bloodshot red. Why would your house choose you for him? Your home planet and house was far smaller than Geidi Prime but held traditions of peace and neutrality strong. Yet your family wanted you to marry this man? Live on this planet? With these people?

You turned to your attendant and motioned them to sit beside you.

“What were they thinking sending us here?” You whispered softly in your foreign tongue to them.

“The future of our planet my lady.” They whispered back, head down.

You felt uneasy, but understood that without some influence or power your house would soon slip into irrelevance or face threat from stronger houses. You wore the duty only for the love of your people.

You were snapped out of your reflection when the crowd started to roar again, the bodies of three atreides prisoners lay limp on the floor while the Na-Baron raised his bloodied weapon in victory. Bile rose to your throat. ‘How very difficult this will be’ you thought.

***

A banquet was held for the Na-Barons birthday and you were glad that there was no loss of life involved in simple meals and dance.

You roamed in a corner of the large room, dreading having to present yourself and your gift to the Harkonnens, wary of their violent nature, but it seemed the Na-Baron had beat you to it.

“Lady y/n” The Na-Baron said as he approached you. Up close you couldn’t deny that he was frustratingly handsome with sculpted features, tall gait, and skin like the white marble only seen in Kouros sculptures.

“Na-baron” You said, bowing lightly and offering your hand.

He took it, but rather than shake like on your home planet he kissed it. A polite gesture, but a bit rougher than you would have liked. His teeth grazed your hand, and left light marks. You tried to smile and brush the thought of getting some painful infection on foreign planet over something this irritatingly trivial.

“Call me Feyd. I heard you made it in time to see the Arena festivities” he said with a wolffish grin.

“Yes.” You said curtly, knowing if he asked how felt about them you would not be able to lie.

“Did you enjoy them?”

“I . . . thought it was rather brazen, an unecessary power play. All know your house is very strong and affluent, why spill more blood to reinforce something all know to be true.” You said this slowly, choosing your words carefully and hoping to sound more flattering than judgmental and unhappy with the injustice.

His smile dissipated and you could tell this was not the answer he wanted or expected, and a part of you feared the same fate of the Atreides prisoners would befall you. Luckily he seemed to find it humorous and laughed.

“No one has ever told me such an odd thing. Pity for prisoners! Very curious lady y/n, very curious.”

Perhaps he was interested, but you could still see venom where you hurt his pride and aroused his anger. You didn’t miss his arm clutching the sheath of his dagger as he laughed, and the way his smirk was more of a snarl now.

“I do not mean to disdain your traditions, I simply don’t quite understand them.” You said mildly when his laughter had faded.

“It’s alright. I like honesty and I like you too.” His eyes glimmered with malice and charm.

“It is true you have come as a prospective bride, yes?” He said.

“Yes. . . I have brought you a gift” You said, firmly thinking of the kind but worn face you your people as you rehearsed the proposal speech in your head. You motioned for one of your attendants to bring a sachetel with a cluster of flowers inside. You felt less reassured about your gift knowing Feyd’s character but presented it nonetheless.

“This is a heliolaris flower, it blooms yellow even in extreme conditions and without the light of the sun. It will hold its color even through the conditions of your planets black sun. Its species was created specifically for you and Giedi Prime. My planet is minor but we have plants that hold powerful miracles and arable land beyond compare. If you went through with our alliance . . . All of that would be yours too”

He peered inquisitively at the plant. He seemed unsure by the gift and your proposal but it only took a minute before his snake-like manner returned.

“I will plant these flowers. If they bloom in color as you say before the fortnight I will marry you, if not you will surrender your life to the arena that you so seem to despise.”

[nmr0709]

Lucid dreaming

Aka Caleb's standard myth

Spoilers:

First off- why did every myth not have a satisfactory ending?! Infold, you'll put every single girl in depression. I wasn't over Sylus's dragon myth and then this?

Onto main-

MC visits Skyhaven, for a mission with Farspace fleet .

Caleb is super smart. Hell, he'll give even Dr.Zayne a run for his money. Fucking sly fox this guy is.

He guesses her purpose, invites him over to his place.

Beautiful house. Beautiful place.

Long story short, he's nominated as a new Commander of Tuum fleet, with the previous commander and soldiers being placed under him. MC is there to investigate this and he gives her the files for clearance.

MC notices that things ain't adding up. People who were hostile, after medical examination are now docile. Before she can catch one person, Caleb comes in with food and tells her he has a meeting.

Caleb- knows MC better than she knows herself. And has planned down 20 steps ahead of her. Never give this man chess to play. He'll wreck everyone hands down.

Cue MC snooping around( again) and getting caught( again). Really girl? Really? Why the hell .... There's a reason you're on field and never in covert ops..but Pls Learn Subtlety

She manages to steal a chip and access his files before being revoked access and Caleb confronts her. Says either you be happy and stay out of this mess or I'll be dragged to HQ and questioned.

At this point- Caleb is shady af. Like so shady he makes Sylus pale in comparison.

Next up mega banquet to celebrate Caleb's promotion.

Caleb is attacked by the previously demoted colonel and company, he sends MC away to safety while he deals with them.

Guy has no qualms about manipulating her just so she can stay safe?! Like red flag but also green?

MC waiting for him realises she's been duped, and self implants a chip without him knowing.

The man that he is- goes to her- tells her she is his forever- and faints in her arms.

Guy is scary fine but absolutely down for her. Like yandere tendencies and controlling and possesive...gurl you down bad for him? It's toxic but...idk at this point. She enables him a lot ngl

Next- Caleb faints, has a seizure, and loses all his memories thanks to his chip

MC- she plays him and tells him he is hers. Gives no in lination of telling him anything about his lost memories. ( GURLL WHATT?!!)

They go to an amusement park- she faints thanks to her chip- turns out Caleb had all his memories and was playing her.

What in the 5D chess is this??!! Caleb my man. My amazing hunk of revived corpse and flesh. Wut. I'm shook. But very very impressed with your tactics ngl. Extremely well played.

MC is taken to infirmary to get her chip removed forcefully - she will lose her memories but will retain some recall of it.

cue her throwing a fit- refusing it- Caleb somehow convincing her ( slight gaslighting?)

She's done with him. Removes his tie and coat.

Those bite marks on his hand? Hers. Apparently he gives her his hand everytime she's sick so that she doesn't accidently bite her own tongue off. ( So sweet man but don't distract me)

MC is ultimately forced to have the chip removed. Has little recollection of ehatvexactly happened on Skyhaven. And goes back.

End note-

Infold I will curate every single myth and play it on loop till you cry.

Point is- amazing amazing portrayal of Caleb and backstory. Human experimentation for the ultimate weapon, Caleb being chosen and put through it( not all details revealed yet in myth) , him being forced to give up his emotions and humanity and yet, he never forgets MC.

Caleb is the walking red flag of LADS but.. idk even at this point. Guy's like the morally grey character with a solid backstory and reasoning for it. Can't wait for more.

To the fans thinking Sylus is a red flag? Brothers and sisters, compared to this Bucky Barnes inspired persona, he's a green forest.

More on analysis and emo dump later.

Toodaloo!! And thanks for reading this monster of a post.

[rainee-da]

🍀 Lay Down in Their Lap [1]

CHARACTER ❥ Doom 🪞 / Famin 🃏 / Epidem 🍮 / Delisaster 🍾 / Domina Blowelive 💧 / Cell War 💎

W A R N I N G ⚠️ PG-13 and heavy on fluff / BIG SPOILER!!!! / might be too OOC for you.

D O O M 🪞

It was later in the afternoon. He just finished his training and was resting up on the nearby bench at the training grounds before you came and suddenly plopped down on his lap.

His whole body tensed up slightly at the sudden contact before relaxing back as he realized that it was just you.

"Tired, my dear? has your day been rough?" he said with a soothing voice as he ran his hand on your hair, a soft smile forming on his lips.

He learned his whole life to predict other people's movements using all his senses, but you never failed to surprise him with your antics.

And it never fails to lighten his day, to bring sunshine to his world that is devoid of pictures.

The two of you spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with each other, with his hand brushing through your locks idly.

As you talk about your day, he listened quietly. Take note of your shift in tone and the quiet thumping of your heart.

He didn't mind doing this for eternity, with you.

F A M I N 🎪

He was in a bad mood as he sulked on the sofa, teeth gritting and eyes twitching. One more flick to his nerves and his place is going to be a bloodbath.

Knowing so, his aides understandably decided to keep their distance.

Not you tho, because you were somehow brave enough to stride to his place with a book in hand and plopped your head on his lap.

"... What do you think you're doing?" he said with a strained voice, punctuating every word. You simply answered him with a shrug as you started reading your book.

His aide is looking from the distance, mortified. One of them is making preparations for a quick mass funeral, just in case.

They instantly passed out in fear as their boss started to move, thinking the massacre was going to happen. They missed the fact that Famin had actually moved to hug you, not to massacre you. Or anybody.

His rage already evaporated into thin air, seeing you on his lap.

Get ready to be in his lap for hours lol. He won't let you go now.

E P I D E M 🍮

"... And the texture is all wrong! It's a blasphemy I assure you. Pudding is supposed to be a soft, silky cuisine and the shop can't even differentiate that with a freakin jelly! Honestly-"

You lay on his lap as you listen to him go on his tangent. Your hand slowly caresses his thighs to soothe him down.

Being his lover, you're used to this kind of temper tantrum it could be worse after all.

In fact, you prefer this to his scientific tangent. You can barely understand the other one after all.

But since he has been going on for more than an hour, you're understandably getting tired and you can feel yourself getting sleepy as your eyes fluttering and closing.

Noticing that you no longer saying anything, he stopped and looked down to check your face.

His face softens, seeing you sleeping on his lap. His body finally eases down and he caresses your cheek gently. His mind is in a state of tranquility.

Though you’re gonna wake up with a bite mark on your cheek lol. It’s just that soft after all.

D E L I S A S T E R 🍾

Everything about it is embarrassing. You're embarrassed, his aide pities you, and his family gives you a strange look, the only one who is not embarrassed is Delisaster.

How could you not be? It's a big, fancy banquet being held by Innocent Zero with so many nobles present. And here you are; laying on one of his son's lap.

And you can't escape either, because his hand is gripping your side tightly while his other hand is sipping some red wine, ready to tickle the hell out of you if you made any attempt to escape.

Too bad he's big into PDA too. More than once did he lowered his head to peck your nose or smooch with your lips. In front of everyone.

"Do you want some?" He offers you his glass of wine casually as if it didn't hit him yet that he's being cringy as hell embarrassing you.

He lets out a hearty laugh every time you pout and whine about being embarrassed, clearly finding it to be amusing.

"Why so shy? you're my bae! N' best bet I'll show it to everyone! Gotta show them to whom you belong, after all~"

Rest in peace, you poor soul...

D O M I N A B L O W E L I V E 💧

It's nearing curfew time. You opened the door of his dorm slowly, making the light from outside permeate through the dark room.

You can see the hunched shadow on the bed jolted in surprise and the light from outside highlighting his face shadow.

"Go away," Domina stated coldly as he lowered his head, and you managed to catch a glimpse of the tear stain on his cheeks.

You didn't say anything. But knowing him, you decided to go against his words and walked to his figure before locking the door.

You startled him as you plopped your head on his lap, burying your face in his stomach while your hand rubbed his lower back gently.

This simple action successfully breaking the dam in the pink-haired man's eye as he started sobbing his heart out.

He started blabbering out his thoughts while his shaky hands hugged your head tightly, sharing the insecurities and the fear he held inside that had been tormenting his soul.

"Please don't go..." he said with a broken voice, as he caressed your face, "I love you... You're all I have... please, promise me to never leave me... Please..."

Both of you ended up sleeping while cuddling together, content smile formed on his sleeping face.

C E L L W A R 💎

"Stop it, I have to go," he whines, trying his best to push you, who is currently nuzzling your face on his stomach, off of his lap, "I have to meet Master, he'll be furious if I'm late!"

You quipped to him that the appointed meeting is still an hour ahead, and he groans in frustration, unable to refute your words.

He knows that the meeting is still an hour away, and it only took him a quarter of an hour to reach the location. Meaning that he had plenty of hours for himself. 

But he just can't help to work hard. He wants to please his Master!

"You're such a brat..." he grumbled as his hand moved to pull off the thorn crown on his head, and he leaned back to relax on the bed.

Your sheepish smiles earned you a soft chuckle from him. He stares at you with eyes full of meaning as his hand strokes your hair gently.

He wants you to find someone better, but he can't think of a life without you by his side. For him, you're his oasis. Anything you did seems to bring his dead heart back to life.

'I guess it's okay to relax once in a while... for you.'

Work has been abusing wearing me out and I didn't have too much time to open social media lately so this one will be shorter than the previous one. Honestly can I just be reincarnated as a seal? please please please please-

I also wrote a similar prompt for Walkis Academy students. If you happen to like this one, you might also like the other one! Maybe, I mean, I dunno...

Anyway, thank you for reading! 🍀

[manachiichan]

To see the world that you are so proud of...

Synopsis: Growing up obediently following your empress' shadow, your horizon broaden the moment you met a pirate doning a strawhat who somehow ended up on your island.

Pairing: Monkey D. Luffy x Kuja!Reader, Platonic!Boa Hancock X Fem!Reader

Spoilers from the Amazon Lily and Marineford arcs. Reader is a pure sunshine who is both kind and naive. Having mixed feelings with Luffy now.

|| One Piece Masterlist ||

|| Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

You didn't know what happened after you were forced to leave the arena. You were placed on a cell with two of your fellow warriors guarding as you waited for the outcome of the battle.

"Please! Atleast tell me, Is Marguerite alright...? What about the other two? Sweet Pea and Aphelandra..? Are they alright.?"

"I'm sorry, (Name). But we can't disclose anything to you. All we can say is that the Gorgon sisters are battling that strange man as we speak..."

You sat there in the cell for what it felt like hours. You didn't know what had happened until you were finally allowed to be freed.

However, as soon as you left your cell, you found yourself face to face with one of the Gorgon sister, Boa Sandersonia towered over your form as she gestured you to follow her.

"(Name), Our older sister ordered for you to appear before her."

"May I ask the reason why?"

"You'll see when you get there."

You can see how hesistant her tone was as she refused to look at you in the eye. By her body language alone, you can tell how uneasy and nervous she was being. So to avoid making her uncomfortable, you decided to refrain from talking until you reached the snake princess' bed chambers.

"Oh! It's you!"

Luffy pointed his finger towards you as soon as you entered. His shock expression soon changed to excitement and relief, a grin appearing on his face.

"You're okay! I got worried when they took you away, glad to see that you're not hurt."

You gave him a gentle smile of acknowledgement before focusing your attention towards your empress who sat on her snake, Salome. She was staring directly at you, observing your interaction with the only man in the room.

"Come closer, the two of you..."

She commanded. Unlike Luffy, who approached her without any care, you cautiously took a step forward, expecting for a scolding, a punishment even.

Only for your eyes to widen in shock as she revealed her bare back on to the two of you.

"Snake Princess, but that's-! What about the curse..?!"

You immediately shielded your eyes. Hers and her sisters' backs are a sensitive subject that the whole island knew about. And here she was revealing it for you to see, was this your punishment? For you to turn to stone for disobeying her orders and allowing Luffy to live? Even going far to defending him back at the arena.

"I trust you, (Name). And it is about time you know the truth..."

There on her back, was a symbol dyed in red, circular center with four triangles resembling a claw. At that moment, you see how her shoulders trembled as you observe her mark.

"Is...is it alright for you to show it to us...? my empress, it is something you forbit anyone from discovering..."

You can see how it pained not only her but also Marigold and Sandersonia. Grandma Nyon encouraged to reveal the story, and after a few moments, you finally understood everything.

It was the mark of authority far more superior than of the Pirate Empress. The Celestial Dragon's mark, specifically the mark of slaves that belongs. Everything she experienced and the sufferings she has to endure with her sisters, she revealed it all to you and Luffy.

You stayed silent as Luffy was escorted out, him being invited to the banquet that was host whenever the Kuja Pirates return to the Island with a huge haul. You stayed behind as you felt like you shouldn't leave Hancock alone after everything that had been revealed.

"Has your view of me changer after finding out that I was a former slave...?"

"Can I really speak out my thoughts, Snake Princess? My most honest thoughts?"

You asked, revealing her secret doesn't mean that you should carelessly speak up. Boa Hancock is still the Empress of Amazon Lily, the ruler of the land you were born in.

"I will allow it."

"Then, I will reply with a No....No, I don't think any lesser of you, my empress. In fact, I think....that for to you endure such torment and rise above it is truly admirable. My respect for you just got deepened."

You spoke with true genuine in your tone. Yes, you were anguished with what you just heard. The sufferings of the people who look up upon brought pain in your heart.

"I think that...your past doesn't defy who you are. It just shows how truly strong you are."

For the first time in your life, in years of serving the Pirate Empress. This was the first time you ever saw her smile with tears in her eyes.

It was then night time when Hancock dismissed you from your duties, having kept you around for a longer conversation. You found out the truth about your mother, yet you only found yourself slightly upset. You don't really remember what she look like nor what her personality were when she was alive, however, you could still remember the warmth she emitted whenever both of you share a tender embrace as she on board the empress' ship.

Hancock's attitude around you seems to have slightly changed now. She was more vocal of what she feels and treats you better than she did before, asking for your opinions and outlook of the village. The conversation began changing to how managing the island whenever she was out.

"As you now know, my presence here is somehow a threat. I'm a pirate with a bounty so great, continue doing your duties as usual."

She was more comfortable with you now. Just by thinking about it, made you smile as you nodded at her orders. Eager to aid her with everything.

"Yes, my empress... You can always rely on me."

you immediately went back to the village where the banquet is being held. Now in a more casual clothing, you entered the room and immediately sense the tense atmosphere among the women present there.

The center of their attention was Luffy who was sitting, eating his heart out as dishes were served on his table.

"What's going on?"

"(Name) is it really okay for a man to be present on the homecoming banquet.?"

One of the warriors asked, a look of concern is visible on her face, glancing at Luffy with skeptism.

"The Snake Princess already favors him, therefore we will treat Luffy with hospitality."

Just as you said that, Luffy stood up on the table with a ladle and wok pan, demanding that the women should sing and dance since it is a banquet.

A small smile made way on to your lips, covering them as you let a small giggle of amusement.

In that instant, the atmosphere changed into a lively one with the women eventually joining in, copying Luffy as he danced and pranced around.

Lively to the point, they all got comfortable around him.

"Hey now. Everyone, that's enough."

You scolded, seeing how they all gotten too comfortable around him to the point they all have been reaching towards his rubbery skin.

"Hey!"

Soon you found yourself looking for Luffy as the women all went after him in hopes of touching his skin.

"There you are, Luffy..."

You found him crouching on a building roof. As soon as you said that, his long rubbery arms stretched and grabbed you by your waist towards him.

"Geez...What's the matter with you guys?!"

"I apologize on their behalf. It's just... we barely seen a man this close before..."

You gave him an apologetic smile. Seeing that, he soon let out a laugh as he told you that it was fine.

"I never really got to thank you for defending me in that arena earlier."

"I...just did what I thought was right...."

You told him, slightly ashamed on your actions yet you never regretted it. Yes, you felt guilty for disobeying the Snake Princess, but you couldn't find it in yourself to just allow them to kill Luffy when it wasn't his fault that he ended up stranded on your Island.

"Say Luffy...What does the outside world looks like...?"

You asked. Your curiosity resurfaced after many years of trying to supress it, was it because of Luffy being here? But after becoming Boa Hancock's closest aid, you devoted yourself to follow every command without questions. Your loyalty overcame the curiosity about the world outside of Amazon Lily.

"Are....the seas really that vast? Are there really more islands out there?"

Back then, Hancock barely spoke to you and you could only rely on either Sandersonia or Marigold to tell you all about what they had seen while traveling through the seas. Brief conversations that could never satisfy you. It was thirst of wanting something that you know you will never have.

After all you have a duty to serve and protect Amazon Lily as it's devoted warrior.

"I dunno. Our adventures are always been exciting that I never really cared how big the sea is. But I do know that the Grandline is huge! I can't wait to sail and see everything with my crew!"

Luffy told you about his recent adventures. From his entry to the grandline, meeting Laboon the huge whale, up to his battles on Thriller Bark.

"There are Islands in the sky?!"

"Yeah! I even beated up this guy with long earlobes!"

"Woah..!"

Luffy grinned as he stared at your sparkling eyes that was looking back at him with wonder and admiration. He was reminded of Chopper just by staring at you. He wanted to see his crew badly now.

"I'll sail through these seas and become the King of Pirates!"

"I'm sure that you'll be able to do it!"

You encouraged, getting all hyped up from just his words alone. Luffy's aura reminded you of the sun and its brightness. That's how you felt just being near him.

Warmth.

"You know, you could just get on board that pirate ship your Empress have. You'll see how big the grandline is, with your own eyes."

You faltered at his words, he seem to have noticed and started to frown.

"What's wrong?"

"I just....feel like I have a sense of duty to stay here. And the snake princess said it herself. I'm not ready to leave the Island just yet."

"Why? You're already strong..."

"I can't disobey the Snake Princess, Luffy..."

Why can't you disobey? Was it because obeying her was something that you already drilled into your mind at a young age...? Or is it because you can't make decisions for yourself without having someone tell you what to do.

You grew up never knew how to say 'No'. It was always you doing what you have been told without ever complaining whether the task is easy or difficult. Because you hated to disappoint not only your Empress but also your fellow warriors.

"I see..."

Luffy just looked at you as if he already knows what was going on, yet he didn't say anything. His eyes stared at your tense and slightly trembling form. He then went through his pockets and pulled out a chunk of meat that he managed to save right before he was chased after by the Kujas.

"I do what I wanna do, I'm captain of my ship. Not even my crew can stop me!....Well maybe Nami. She's scary like a demon."

He took a huge bite before looking back at you with a grin. Seeing bits of meat stuck on his teeth made you laugh slightly. Luffy is really is a silly man.

"It doesn't hurt not to listen all the time. You went to defend me even when you know that you'll be in trouble. You do what you think is right!"

Your words from earlier came back towards you. You couldn't help but grew fond of him, hearing his somehow meaningful words as he feasted on the meat was holding without a care in the world.

He doesn't even seems to realize the effect his words he had on you.

"Thank you, Luffy...."

You stood up from your place and immediately waved discreetedly towards Marguerite who spotted you right away.

"Hey...! What are you doing?!.... They might see me and chase me again...!"

"You need a place to hide, right? Don't worry, Marguerite knows what to do. She'll take you there."

When Luffy came back from Marineford, he was gravely injured. You could only watch from the distance as the men wearing white boiler suits docked at the far side of the Island.

The last time you saw him was when he left in a hurry to save his brother Ace from execution. Your Empress gave you a brief summary of what had happened and gave you temporary management of the warriors while her and her sisters sailed off.

"(Name)...Keep watch over those men on the far side of the Island. Report back once Luffy regain conciousness...please..."

The Snake Princess looks very distraught, so you immediately agreed upon hearing her request. Not a command, but a request. You could never deny a request.

Two weeks. That was how long you kept watch. The warriors back at the village would often bring you meals. By following the rules with the exception of Luffy, you kept your distance from the men and hid on top of trees.

Eventually, Luffy woke up. You were happy and was about to report until you noticed something odd.

Luffy went on a rampage.

"Hey...Can you report this to the Snake Princess in my stead? Tell her that Luffy regained conciousness..."

You asked a fellow Kuja who happens to be nearby. From the distance you could hear distant shouting of intense agony and destruction.

"Luffy!"

You stood on top of a tree branch, watching in absolute shock, as Luffy destroys everything around him. Trees and boulders. Nothing was left untouched. You began to worry that he might reopen his wounds.

Fortunately, the blue fish-man managed to calm him down. But the sight of Luffy crying made you feel a sudden ache from within too. As if you could feel his pain. Luffy lost his brother, and it somehow hurt you too.

"It must have hurt so much....doesn't it...Luffy?"

You were hurting for him. You want him to show his usual sunshine smile like he always have. Crying is not something you want to see Luffy do yet you don't even know how to comfort him.

"I want to approach and say something but..."

You weren't naive. You know of the snake princess' illness and how much she needs Luffy if she wants to live long. So to spare your own feelings you decided at that moment, to stay away from him even after growing so fond of him. How much you wanted to be there for him now that he needed someone to lean on as he suffers.

"The....empress' happiness comes first..."

So now, you could only watch on a distance as your heart breaks from hearing his cries.

© manachii 2024 ~ all rights reserved. please do not repost, copy, etc. any of the works I made.

[staar5384]

PLEASSEEEE PART 2 OF CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS 🙏 COUNTING ON YOU

champange problems 2

neuvillette x gn!reader

hurt/no comfort - pure angst yet again - implied wriolette - they/them pronouns - light spoilers for 4.1 at the end

you ask and you shall receive! here's the highly request pt. 2! here's pt. 1 for those interested

You weren’t aware how long you had left Fontaine when you returned. After you rejected Neuvillette’s marriage proposal, you disappeared without a word. Guilt and shame ate away at you, and you couldn’t bare to face him after you had humiliated him in front of the entirety of Fontaine.

You took a vacation down to Mondstadt, where you spent your days wandering the vast wilderness and your nights drinking your sorrows away in the taverns. You made friends with a few of the locals in your drunken state. You blubbered and sobbed about how much you missed Neuvillette, and how you regretted throwing him aside the way you did. They all told you the same thing each time; “If you love him so much, go to him.”

After some convincing, and a lot of pondering, that’s exactly what you did. The journey back was excruciatingly long. Each day you weren’t back home trying to reconcile with your lover was another day your heart ached for him.

You had hoped that when you returned, people would have forgotten about the events that took place that night, but you were wrong.

Everyone stared at you as you walked the streets. They threw disgusted looks at you, whispered amongst themselves. It wasn’t undeserved, but it was uncomfortable.

You arrived at your shared home with Neuvillette, unlocking the door, and stepping inside. Adeline, your Melusine made, took notice of your arrival, “You’ve returned,” She said, her voice soft. “It’s been so long. The Monsieur and I have been so worried!”

“I’m sorry to worry you, Adeline,” You gave her a smile. “Speaking of Neuvillette… Is he here?”

She shook her head, “No he’s in a trial right now. Then there is a banquet tonight he’s attending.”

Unsurprising. There was always some sort of event happening thanks to Furina. “Thank you, Adeline.”

“May I ask a question?” 

“Of course. What is it?”

“Forgive my intrusion, but why did you say no to the Monsieur?”

You shouldn’t have been so surprised by the question, but it still caught you off guard, “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

You had decided you would find him at the banquet tonight. You dressed up in your finest clothes, then headed for the Opera Epiclese. Just like your walk to your home, this one also consisted of stares and whispers. You kept your head down as you moved along. 

The guards outside stared at you for a moment. You weren’t invited, you knew that and they did too, but they didn’t try to stop you.

The building looked just as beautiful as the night you left it. The purple and blue hues were replaced with grays and reds of varying shades. The flowers that once symbolized love were replaced by strings of stones and crystals that shone in the dim lights of the opera house.

You could feel all eyes on you as you walked around. You picked up a drink offered to you by a Melusine. You thank her, looking down inside. It was a purple color, and it smelled almost floral. You took a small sip. It was iced tea. Confusion struck your face. Since when has anyone ever served tea in the Opera Epiclese?

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Furina. She was ascending the stairs with a black haired man in tow. You vaguely recognized him; he stayed down in the Fortress of Meropide. The two were speaking, the man chuckling as she spoke.

Furina turned her attention toward the crowd below her. She glanced out at everyone, scanning the crowd until her eyes locked with yours. They widened, then she nudged the raven haired man. He focused his attention on you, his eyes narrowing as he looked at you.

You felt your body warm in embarrassment. Why did they have to draw so much attention to you?

You placed the half empty glass of tea aside and rushed into another room. The room was fairly empty, only a few people resided in it. You found a place in the corner to tuck yourself into. All you wanted to do was find Neuvillette, but instead you’ve attracted the unwanted attention of every person there, including the Hydro Archon.

It was going to be a long night.

Neuvillette had spent weeks planning this banquet for his friend, Wriothesley. The man had been his rock after you left, and he deserved the recognition for the hard work he did in the Fortress of Meropide. 

He looked at himself over and over again in the mirror. Was his hair a mess? Did his face look flushed? He had just finished a trial and had no time to stop at home and wash up, so his appearance felt off.

“Checking yourself out?” 

Neuvillette jumped, turning his head to see who was there, “Wriothesley, you startled me.”

Wriothesley leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. “Who would have thought I could scare the great Chief Justice?” He chuckled, pushing himself off the wall and approaching Neuvillette. 

This gave Neuvillette a chance to look him over. The man was dressed in a deep gray suit with a maroon tie that hung loosely around his neck. The suit shirt hugged around his chest, leaving none of his features to the imagination. “You’re staring, Neuvi.”

Neuvillette’s face turned a deep red, “Ahh yes, sorry. You look good tonight. That’s all.”

Wriothesley laughed, “And so do you. Stop freaking out over it.”

“How did you know?”

“Only a person worried about their appearance stares so deeply into the mirror. Well, except Furina. She does it because she’s a narcissist.”

Neuvillette let out a breathy chuckle, “Oh Wriothesley, be careful. She may hear you.”

As if on cue, Furina burst through the door, “Wriothesley! Did you tell him!”

“Tell me what?” Neuvillette glanced at the man.

“Oh. Right. Umm-”

Furina cut him off before he could speak, “They are here.”

Neuvillette’s heart sunk deep into his chest. A wave of emotion rushed through him. “What?”

“We saw them in the crowd. They were entirely alone, but I think they were looking for you,” Furina replied.

“We can kick them out,” Wriothesley shrugged. “They technically weren’t invited.”

“No,” Neuvillette said. “Let’s not worry about them. This night is not about me. It’s about you, Wriothesley.”

“But how can I enjoy my night if you’re uncomfortable?”

Neuvillette was slightly taken aback by his words. He cleared his throat, shaking his head gently, “I’ll be alright. Let’s get out there and have a good time. I’ll pretend as if they don’t exist.”

Wriothesley and Furina just glanced at each other, before giving in. The three left the room and began to engage with the party. 

Wriothesley stayed close to Neuvillette, his hand lingering against his waist, hand, or any other part of Neuvillette’s body. The two were incredibly close, not moving away from each other for longer than necessary.

Furina took notice of this, of course she did, she loved the drama of Neuvillette’s ex being here as she watched what was most likely a blossoming romance.

The night continued on, and so far, Neuvillette had not seen you. Thanks to Wriothesley, he rarely even thought about you being here. 

You had been wandering around the opera house in search of Neuvillette. Has the damn place always been so big? 

People began to take less notice of you as their attention drifted towards the festivities. You were thankful, as it made your night a lot less stressful.

“Where could he be?” You mumbled to yourself before you saw him across the room. He was seated beside the man from before, and he looked so content. 

The two men were chatting and laughing. You saw the man’s hand rested on top of Neuvillette’s, their fingers intertwined with each other. 

You stared at them for a moment, unable to process the scene in front of you. Another person was holding onto Neuvillette’s hand, another person was making him smile in ways only you had been able to. 

Were you too late?

Wriothesley noticed you first. His grip tightened on Neuvillette’s hand as he stared you down. It was almost as if he was challenging you to act.

Neuvillette noticed the sudden tightness of Wriothesley’s grip, “Is everything okay?” He glanced at him, then in the direction he was looking in. There you were.

Tears were in your eyes as you were unable to fully process the scene in front of you. Time felt like it had stopped and there was nothing but you and the two men in front of you.

Neuvillette rose from his seat, releasing his grip on Wriothesley’s hand. He whispered something to him, then began making his way to you.

As his figure moved closer, you almost ran once again. Your heart hammered in your chest almost painfully, as if trying to beat through your ribcage.

Once he was in front of you, the whole room turned its attention to the scene. Neuvillette cleared his throat and waved his hand, “Let’s go somewhere more private.” You nodded, and the two of you left the room together.

Now you were entirely alone. No guests, no Furina, no random man holding Neuvillette’s hand. The silence was uncomfortable as neither of you knew where to start or what to say. 

“Why are you here?” Neuvillette asked, keeping a good distance between you two.

“I,” The words were trapped in your throat. “I’m here for you.”

Neuvillette let out a sad chuckle, “You know, months ago I would have loved to hear those words, but now,” He turned his head away from you. “They mean nothing.”

There was a sharp pain in your chest as he spoke. It felt like dragging a blade through your heart. “Neuvillette, please. I-I’m so sorry,” You tried to move closer, but he raised his hand to motion you to stop.

“Your apologies won’t repair the damage you caused. Do you know what it was like to stand on that stage, watching your lover run away from their heartfelt proposal? Do you know how it felt to become the talk of the city? I was pitied by everyone. I leave my comfort zone to throw a beautiful party, give you an emotional speech in front of so many people, and you not only reject me, but you disappear entirely,” His voice was getting louder, and you could see his hands shaking. “So on top of the heartbreak you caused me, I spent every day and every night worried sick for you. You left without a single word. You could have died and I would have never known. And you only just now feel sorry?”

You could hear the rumbling of thunder from outside, and the sound of rain hitting the roof of the Opera Epiclese. You stood there in silence with your head hung low. Shame, guilt, it was all bubbling inside you. 

“Nothing to say?” He said, his voice cracking. You still said nothing in return. He scoffed, running his hand through his hair. “After everything I said, you can’t say a single word.”

“I shouldn’t have rejected you like that. I should have talked to you about my fears. Instead, I ran away like a coward. I spent so much time sulking and feeling sorry for myself, but I couldn’t bring myself to fix the damage I created.”

“And now you want to try? I fixed it myself, so don’t worry. I don’t need your help. Not anymore.”

Tears were falling from your eyes, your face flushing as you cried, “I still love you, Neuvillette.”

“Well, I’m sorry to say I don’t feel the same.” There was a flash of lightning outside, illuminating the empty room. “I suggest you leave. You were not invited here, and do not expect an invitation again,” Then Neuvillette spun around and left.

You watched the door open and close, leaving you alone in the empty room. A minute passed, then another, and two more after that. Your body and mind had completely frozen. The beating of your heart was painfully fast and hard. You silently cried, listening as the rain fell from the sky.

When you finally had the courage to leave the room, you made sure your exit was quick and unnoticed. Rain was pouring from the sky as you left the Opera Epiclese. You knew why it was raining, and now you had to walk back to your once home in your ex lover’s sorrows.

a/n- i feel way less confident in this than the first part, but you requested a part 2, so i had to deliver. i almost went the less angsty route, so maybe i can make an alternate ending that is actually happy. also i tagged everyone who was interested in a pt. 2. i hope that's okay!

taglist- @soggywafle arccanejj erosdevil just-a-fuegoleon-fangirl @heartfatelust 

[cocogum]

The Great Wave - Chapter 7 Review

‼️SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER‼️

Warning(s): unhinged behavior, fat shaming, unnecessary use of foul language, osamodas slander

This chapter made the stupid decision to edge me.

We come back to Yugo having an episode from the poison he just drank and he is going through it hard.

My guy is coughing up blood, eyes are turning red, body is shaking like a mad man, screaming in agony, and his wakfu antlers are even going crazy…

To top it all off, he’s now having a series of igniting explosions because of the dofus residing in him. Like you can’t make this shit up, my guy is literally creating explosions from the inside out. Look at the damages.

(damn, amalia is carrying this whole banquet. look at her saving these ppl what a queen ✨)

Which clown decided it was a good idea to poison a demigod in charge of six dofus and expect nothing abnormal or deadly to happen?????

Oh yeah, the blue-skinned cows.

I don’t care what anyone says. The osamodas family was in charge of the poison attempt, I don’t care if it was that Sadida woman’s idea since it’s obvious she’d know more about poisoning. The osamodas are at fault, the osamodas king told Aurora that they should wait and let them enjoy this last happy occasion. He also told Aurora that they knew about the marriage but weren’t invited?? Come on, they’re clearly at fault here!! They’re the ones who told the Sadida servant to do something about it and she improvised! But what these two bozos didn’t know, was how it would backfire on them. This is stupid to think about because they KNEW Yugo wasn’t a normal person. Poisoning Yugo is like trying to poison a deadly cobra. Or in this case, A FUCKING DEMIGOD. Either way, you’re gonna get jumped.

Like, OF COURSE Yugo’s gonna have a freakout and fuck shit up when his body had been messed with a deadly substance.

OF COURSE, he’s gonna hurt a lot of people around him if he’s around anyone.

OF COURSE, he won’t fucking die cuz of his divinity status.

OF COURSE, he’ll start ruining the kingdom these two fucking dumbasses want for no reason.

You can’t make this shit up.

These two are so bad at being villains, they don’t even know what the fuck they’re doing to people they don’t bother knowing more about. They don’t even know who their target is.

After understanding what kind of poison Yugo drank, which was the belladone, we now know why Amalia knew what was in the cup. She probably recognized the smell of it.

Amalia: “Adamaï…The belladone is the worst of poisons…”

According to how she describes it, this poison is so deadly that it kills the person or animal who drinks it in under ten seconds. The victim first drinks it and then foams at the mouth before collapsing and dying.

We’ve seen the same thing happen in another era of the World of Twelve and that was back in the Cire Momore backstory which was an event around the Dofus era.

The daughter of a queen tried poisoning her for all the suffering she’s endured and had the help of a painter to do it.

Gustave (painter): “I found the berries at the exact place you indicated.”

Princess: “Perfect. Do not forget to carefully wash your hands. The belladone is highly toxic.”

Based on this passage alone, we’ve learned that the belladone are purple berries that are so toxic, that they can even damage you if you don’t properly wash your hands after you pick them.

After that, during the banquet, the princess secretly poured the poison into her mother’s wine. But just before she could drink it, her dog suddenly jumped at her, causing her to drop the wine, which made the pet drink it from the ground instead.

The results were exactly what you expected to happen.

Once the dog drank it, he foamed at the mouth and collapsed, immediately dying from the drink.

So when we compare this instance to what happened to Yugo, we can see a huge difference.

Unlike what happened to the dog (or any mortal), Yugo is still standing but is terribly shaking, coughing blood, and having an episode. His body is trying to get the poison out of his system by coughing but his body is still alive.

The only thing Yugo can say while in this situation is “It hurts”. My guy is in severe pain but he’s still breathing, I don’t think anyone in the history of the krosmoz has ever taken the poison like this, let alone a divinity of all people.

Yugo: “Sor…ry. The…pain.”

Bro even has the time to say sorry while kneeling on the ground and holding his stomach. He’s literally at death’s door, grasping for life, his body trying and struggling to reject the poison, and he still finds the time to apologize for something that wasn’t even his fault.

What a chad.

Amalia: “Yugo…He should already be…”

Adamaï: “My brother isn’t like everyone! He possesses the six primordial eliatrope dofus, if he manages to take hold of himself, then he can take it…”

Even Amalia is shocked that Yugo is still breathing. But Adamaï over here is telling her that he WILL survive this if he can perfectly control it with the eliatrope dofus.

And we all know how that ended up for him the last time he used them…

So Adamaï flies in and takes Yugo away from the banquet before he actually hurts somebody.

Adamaï: “Yugo, you have to focus. Or else you’ll destroy your kingdom or end up killing someone!”

But bro is not listening cuz the second Adamaï pulls him up, dude just overcharged himself before exploding AGAIN.

JUST LOOK AT THE DAMAGE!! THAT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE A CRATER!! You can even see how perfect the circle looks from this shot.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

AMALIA FUCKING GROWING SOME BALLS AND JUMPING ON THE OSAMODAS.

Nah cuz this scene was what we needed! THIS was the moment we wanted to see ever since that blue-skinned woman started breathing in front of our screens!!

As soon as Yugo caused another explosion, this was it for the stupid clown ‘royal’ family. They signed their death sentences and Amalia is fed up with their bullshit.

Cuz trying to make her marry one of their relatives, being disrespected by them while her brother did nothing, getting told to leave her home and kingdom, being told that she should be replaced, sure she could manage all that.

She can take it. But seeing her husband being poisoned like that on the same day that a wedding was supposed to happen AND having the osamodas randomly being there to witness it, was the last straw before she finally fucking snaps.

She had just lost her whole family in a short period, she wasn’t going to lose her husband to some clowns.

(Also what the fuck were they thinking of poisoning her husband when she had already lost so much?? Did they really think this whole thing wasn’t going to backfire on them??? What a bunch of amateurs.)

And look at them just standing there looking 😮😱😱😱😧😮 LIKE OF COURSE SHE WAS GONNA KILL Y’ALL, YOU BOTH LOOK LIKE THE ODD ONES OUT HERE ‼️‼️

They even looked caught off guard when they saw Yugo causing explosions.

You got Aurora over here with her dumb ugly bat pet looking all shocked, covering her mouth as if she was surprised to find out her dad’s shenanigans wouldn’t work. And then you got animal king over here realizing he fucked up.

And right when they get confronted for their repetitive bullshit, they see literal death looking back at them with the most bloodthirsty eyes they had ever seen before.

Amalia’s so pretty in this shot ready to rip them apart 🥰🥰

Like yes queen, cut them to pieces, we’re about to have a barbecue 🤤🤤

As soon as they get caught red-handed, that’s when they suddenly turn soft and act like victims.

Fatty: “Stay back my daughter, this girl has lost her mind.”

“StAy bAcK mY DAUghTEr, ThIs gIrL hAs-“

Shut yo dumbass up little boy you knew something like this would’ve happened stop playing with me.

He’s over here acting like a random passerby when a second ago he told Aurora that they should wait a little more for something to happen.

So when he gets cornered by the very same girl who he had disrespected and ignored in Season 4 and wanted to be replaced so his useless trophy daughter can take the throne, now she’s suddenly “lost her mind”???

Fuck you.

Amalia: “YOU MONSTERS! I WAS READY TO CONFIDE YOU MY KINGDOM!”

Fatty: “I don’t know what you’re imagining, girl, but…”

That useless fat fuck KEEPS PLAYING THE CARD VICTIM EVEN WHEN SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BLAME HIM.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

WTF IS WRONG WITH THEM?!!?

She has EVERY RIGHT and he’s over here HEARING HER say that she was ready to give him the kingdom but this fatso is too high up his own ass to hear her cuz he’s still delusional and telling her he didn’t do shit. Even when she was this close to giving it to him, this guy was not budging from the victim card.

If I could spit at anyone in my life, it’d be him. What a sad excuse of a man. I bet my own kidney Chibi can take him in a fight.

This is literally my favourite panel of this WHOLE volume so far.

Amalia: “You poisoned my husband.”

I love it so much ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

LIKE YES FUCKING KILL THEM RIP THEM APART THEY’RE JUST STANDING THERE LIKE PROCESSED MEAT READY TO BE CUT‼️‼️‼️‼️

DO IT ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

I just love how the more Amalia becomes enraged, the more her speech bubbles tremble and shake, implying that she’s slowly but surely becoming more unhinged and losing it.

Fatty: “Crazy girl…”

Takes one to know one, bitch.

This chapter genuinely edged me, I WANNA SEE SOME BLOOD ALREADY‼️‼️

YOU’RE CO CLOSE JUST KILL THEM‼️‼️‼️‼️

DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT-

I PRAY that these poor excuses of antagonists DO NOT appear in volume 2. The chapter cover of the tenth chapter only features the Sadida servant who poisoned Yugo and she looks completely calm, almost like Yugo’s explosions and Amalia and Aurora’s fight have calmed down.

SO PLEASE TOT PLEASE DON’T PUT THEM ANYWHERE ELSE ANYMORE.

Seasons 3, and 4, and the great wave’s first volume are already enough. So cut it out. Let me have a day where I don’t get a migraine just thinking about what kind of dumbassery these fake osamodas will do in the next chapter.

[zorosangell]

⛥ﾟ・。 protector: chapter twenty-two

synopsis: " you were supposed to stay a crewate, just another back to watch, " he tightened his hold, " i didn't even notice the change until i woke up one day and realized i'd take a bullet for you "

cw: violence, gore, fighting, mature themes, profanity, MAJOR/MINOR ANIME SPOILERS, follows the plot of the anime, slowww burn.

a/n: reposting from another account

After the battle was won, the crew, as usual, celebrated with a huge party in the castle, complete with a fully stocked banquet, music, and your usual Strawhat shenanigans.

But all good things must come to an end, and after taking a free bath, the crew hightailed it with all the food you could carry.

You gave Vivi the option to sail with you, but as nearly everyone guessed, she decided to stay back and help rebuild Alabasta.

Though that didn't mean you couldn't give her a proper send off.

After wishing Vivi goodbye and departing from the desert island, the crew discovered a stow-away on the ship.

Miss All-Sunday.

Or Robin, as she liked to be called.

With nowhere to go and nowhere to return to, she asked to stay with the crew, and Luffy complied.

So the crew set sail, soon realizing that the log pose was pointing towards the sky.

Nami was stumped, but after a ship nearly crushed you all to death, you discovered a map to a place called Skypiea in the wreckage.

And after enlisting the help of a couple trash collecting monkeys and the descendant of a liar, the crew traveled up the Knock Up stream and finally landed on the Sky Island.

And after a couple run ins with the locals, and a kidnapping from a runaway lobster, you, Zoro, Robin, Chopper, and Nami were now stranded on an altar in the middle of the Upper Yard.

A place sacred to the god of Skypiea.

"I can't believe that overgrown crustacean just dropped us out in the middle of nowhere," Zoro huffed, annoyed, as he watched the creature swim back to who knows where.

"Does anybody know where we are?" Chopper asked, taking a seat on the rail.

"One thing's for sure," Nami sighed, "we're definitely somewhere in the middle of the Upper Yard."

"This seems to be an altar for sacrifices," Robin stated, taking note that the Merry was now perched on top of a large, decorated stone.

"Wait, sacrifices?" you cocked a brow.

"Nami, what's a sacrifice?" Chopper asked. 

"Y'know, It's... like an offering to the gods."

"Oh, that's all? I thought it meant being boiled alive in a big stew or something."

"Actually, that pretty much it," you nodded.

"WHAT?!"

"Regardless of the method, the thing being offered is generally someone's life," Robin agreed.

"Are you tryin' to tell me we're all gonna die here—WHOA!" Suddenly, the reindeer lost his balance, falling off the rail and tumbling down the steps of the altar.

"Chopper!" Nami exclaimed.

"Dammit!" Zoro groaned, jumping off the edge to go after him.

Robin managed to sprout some arms at the bottom of the steps and catch him, but just as he took a breath of relief, a shark jumped out the clouds below, ready to attack.

Chopper screamed, but Zoro was quick to his aid, tackling it back underwater.

"Oh no! What is that?!" Nami squealed, eyes wide.

"A shark in the sky," Robin answered, quizzically, "A skyshark?"

"Zoro! Zoro!" Chopper called, running back up the steps.

"That idiot better not get himself killed under there..." you bit your cheek, the slightest hint of concern in your voice as you peered over the edge.

He needed air at some point.

"What if he's eaten?! It's all my fault!" Chopper cried, nervous.

"If he was eaten, the clouds would've been stained red," Robin assured... in her own way.

"How can you stay so calm at a time like this?!" Nami exclaimed.

Just then, Zoro and the shark burst from the clouds, the swordsman having uppercut the life out of the fish.

Literally.

'Thank God... should I still say that here?'

"I can tell you one thing," he groaned, walking back up the steps, "We are not gonna make it across by swimming."

"What kinda swordsman punches a shark 'stead of using his blade?" Nami cocked a brow, unamused.

"Fish probably didn't like him 'cause he was too dense. Dumbassery makes you chewy," you rolled your eyes.

"I can hear you two!"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Chopper smiled, taking a deep sigh of relief.

"Whatever happened to your precious swordsman's pride, huh?" Nami teased.

"Would you give it a rest for once?!" Zoro shouted again, removing his soaking shirt.

'DAMN!'

You could feel your face heating up at the sight, the water providing a dewy glow to his incredibly toned chest.

You had seen him shirtless a couple time before, but the image always got to you.

It was honestly a little embarrassing, as if you were a young girl with a schoolyard crush.

"You might want to close your mouth before he sees," Robin smirked, snapping you out of your stupor.

You glowed with embarrassment, letting out a flustered scoff as you quickly composed yourself.

"Shut up..."

"There's a whole school of them!" Chopper screamed, taking note of all the dorsal fins popping up from the clouds, "What are we gonna do?!"

"I'm not sure," Zoro sighed, "But if that first one was any indication, we're not gonna have much luck fighting them off."

"We've got to do something. We can't stay here forever," Robin added.

Zoro shook his head, ringing out the water from his shirt, "If leaving us here was that lobster's idea of a joke, it's not very funny."

"Perhaps this is the Heaven's Judgement we've been hearing so much about..." Robin stated quizzically, peering over to examine the altar again.

"'Cept you'd think this God would try somethin' a little flashier, ya know?" Zoro shrugged.

Nami tossed the swordsman a blue tank top, muttering something about cutting off all your distractions so you could get her out of this mess.

'Jerk.'

"Eh, couldn't say. Never met the guy," the scholar turned to you, "What about you, (y/n)? You have the Angel-Angel fruit. Certainly you've seen some manner of God before..."

You paused for a moment, thinking back to see if you could remember anything about when you first got your devil fruit.

It was so long ago, and apparently traumatic, that your brain blocked out most of the event.

"If I did, I wouldn't remember. I got my powers a long time ago," you shrugged, "All I do remember is hunger, then a horrible taste, and a sudden pain in my back. No God."

"Either way, I'm not sure what the solution is. We definitely can't set sail with the hull looking like this," Zoro turned towards the ship, taking note of the damage the lobster left, "Hey, Chopper, try to figure out a way to fix the ship."

"Uh, okay!" Chopper nodded.

"Why should he fix it? Are you going somewhere?" Nami asked, raising a brow.

"I'm gonna find a way into the forest," he nodded, throwing on the shirt, "We should probably make this our base of operations. You guys can keep lookout. I'm sure Luffy and the others are headed this way." 

"Zoro, if you wanna go into the forest, well, I guess that's okay with me. But you haven't really told us what for..." Chopper asked.

"There's supposed to be some kinda God on this island—I wanna meet him."

"Wait, that's a terrible idea!" Nami exclaimed, "I mean, what are you gonna do when you actually find him?"

"I don't know. Depends on if he behaves himself," the man smirked.

Your brows flattened.

'Seriously...'

"Zoro, you're the bravest person I know," Chopper marveled.

"And the dumbest," you rolled your eyes, "Keep talking like that and you'll be smited before we even get there."

"We?" he raised a brow.

"Someone's gotta make sure you can find your way back. I let you go by yourself and we won't see you for weeks," you teased with a smirk.

"Hey!"

"What about his priests?! You guys gonna beat them up, too?" Nami scolded, placing her hands on her hips, "The last thing we need is you two pissing off a God!"

Zoro turned to the girl proudly, "By the time I'm done with him...this God is gonna bow before me."

'Dork.'

"Dork..." you rolled your eyes, outstretching your wings.

"Yay! Go, Zoro!" Chopper cheered.

"I don't believe in him, anyway. What do I care about pissing him off?"

As Nami said her prayers, you began packing your day bag, which was complete with a loaf of bread, some water, and ten bottles of sake.

'Perfect.'

"Secret Technique: God's Messenger, Six Point," you whispered, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath.

Just like that, about six of your feathers popped off, floating in the air.

"Stay with Chopper in case he needs help. Let me know if he's in trouble."

They gave a quick wiggle before zipping off to the top of the mast, perching there to surveil from all angles.

"That vine looked pretty sturdy," Zoro noted, looking up at a low-hanging branch.

"Ah, excellent idea," Robin nodded, "Mind if I tag along?"

"Sure. Long as you promise not to slow us down," he shrugged.

"Wait a minute! Where do you think you're going?!" Nami shouted

"At least a thousand years have past since this altar was built," she smiled, "The sense of history here is amazing. You feel it?"

'Not particularly, no.'

"A place like this is sure to be filled with all kinds of old relics. Imagine all the valuables we could discover. The possibilities are endless."

"I'll join!" Nami smiled, nothing but money on her mind.

Robin used her hands to bring the vine into reach, and the three of you climbed up to the crow's nest for a jumping point.

Zoro took the vine in his hand, clearing his throat for an oddly long time.

You cocked a brow, "The hell are you doing?"

He took a deep breath before swinging over, making Tarzan noises the whole way.

"It's official. He's lost his mind," Nami sighed.

A couple chuckles slipped from you, "That man is an idiot."

Robin grabbed the vine on its journey back, and swung over herself, Nami doing the same thing once Robin made it.

"Be careful! If you fall, you'll most surely die!" Robin called.

"Is that your idea of helping?!" Nami glared.

Below, the skysharks circled the dead one, each taking turns eating the creature.

"She's right... I'm dead if I fall..."

"Uh, Nami-" "Alright, I'm goin! If that's what you want!"

She jumped off, screaming the entire ride.

You couldn't help but laugh.

And it was a good thing Robin went before her because she prevented Nami from becoming a splat on a tree.

"Thanks for catching me," Nami panted, dropping to the ground.

"Anytime," Robin nodded, turning and starting off in the forest.

"You realize I could've just flown you over, right?" you smirked, landing next to her.

"You tell me that now?!"

"I was trying to tell you!"

"AHHHHOOOAAAAAHHHH... is what you should've done," Zoro shook his head.

"THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!"

"Long-sword..." you stated, mapping out the image of it in your head, before making appear out of light in your hands.

"Kunai knife."

"What're you doing?" Zoro asked, brow raised as he watched you.

You had been at this since the group left the ship, and he didn't remember you having this ability a couple days ago.

"Back in Alabasta, I discovered I could make weapons out of light," you started, forming the kunai in your hand, "I made a bow and arrow and defeated the blue haired woman. So now I'm training myself to be able to come up with whatever I want instantly. That way, I can be battle ready in a second."

Zoro nodded, taking a quick moment to process the information.

"Need help?"

You cocked  brow, a little confused, "You wanna help?"

"It's always good to level up your skills," he shrugged, "And the stronger you are, the easier my load'll be."

You turned to him, a sly smile on growing your face at the teasing opportunity.

"If you wanted help just 'cause it was me, you coulda said it."

His breath hitched, and his cheeks lit up in crimson.

He didn't expect you to pick up on that.

He didn't even realize that's what he was doing until you said it.

It was almost as if his body went on auto-pilot when he asked, like it knew that's what he wanted to do before he did.

"Shut up!" he loudly scoffed, "You want my help or not?"

"Okay, okay!" you laughed, holding out your open hands, "Don't give me any warning. Just say any kind of weapon and I'll make it appear as soon as possible."

He nodded, taking a moment to get a list going in his head.

"Ready?"

"Yup."

"Katana."

It took you a moment, but you made it perfectly, using Zoro's as a reference.

"Faster. Flail."

That one took you a little longer.

"C'mon, faster. Axe."

You got it instantly.

"Good. Arrow."

You also got it instantly.

"Keep it up. Whip."

That one took you way longer than it should've, the image taking time to come up in your head.

"C'mon, don't slow down now. Bow."

You got that sooner.

"Good. Mace."

You got that one instantly.

"I think I have a suggestion," he chimed, hand on his chin.

"Lay it on me," you panted, catching your breath.

You were now discovering just how much energy it took to make the objects, especially one after the other.

You would definitely need more training.

"It looks to me like the quickness of the object's appearance depends on how familiar you are with how it looks. It's why the mace was conjured faster than the flail," he started, "So to train that, you should probably try to memorize the images of weapons you'll frequently use while doing one of our training workouts."

He turned to you, handing over his water thermos.

"Training like that should help you up your strength and speed at the same time."

"Thanks," you smiled, accepting it gratefully and taking a couple good swigs.

"We should probably stop for now. Can't have you too tired if we're gonna keep exploring this jungle."

You nodded in agreement, handing him back his thermos, when he suddenly got an idea.

"But one thing..." his smile grew, making you raise a brow, "Do ya think you could conjure up some sake?"

You snickered, "It's light, Zo. I doubt you'd be able to drink it."

He blushed at the nickname, but quickly played it off.

"Damn..."

"You can take a couple bottles out my bag if you want 'em," you offered, turning to show your backpack.

"A couple? You mean you have—CHRIST, WOMAN! Did you pack anything else?!" he exclaimed as he opened the flap, your supplies ninety-five percent alcohol.

"I brought bread! ... And a thermos of water..."

"Dehydration's gonna kill you before any skyshark will..."

"Hey! I—" you stopped your sentence at the sound of a faint whistle, along with a feeling of dread rolling down your spine.

'Huh...'

"What's wrong?" Zoro firmly asked, resting his hand on the handles of his swords at your sudden stop.

The dread was from one of your feathers.

'CRAP! ALREADY?!'

There was a look of fear and worry in your eyes, as if you were seeing something he couldn't, and it was beginning to frighten him.

"Is she alright?" Robin asked, she and Nami stopping to turn around and check the commotion.

"(y/n)!" Zoro exclaimed as you suddenly went limp, catching you by your shoulders and holding you up.

One by one, your feathers were disappearing, sending a burning sensation echoing through your back.

"Fire... Priest... Merry," you muttered staring up into the sky as the images came rolling through your head, eyes flicking through each new one.

Your feathers had never done this before, and it was honestly quite frightening.

For both you and Zoro.

The swordsman overheard you leave some feathers on the Merry just to be safe, but he had never seen them give you such a physical reaction before.

Was it because of your increased strength?

Suddenly, the image of Chopper being burned flashed in your head, before quickly disappearing, your last feather gone.

"Chopper!" you gasped, breaking free of Zoro's grasp and jetting off at top speed in the direction of the Merry.

"(y/n)!" Zoro called after you, a nervous pit sinking in his stomach.

'Dammit, take me with you!'

Judging by the few words you muttered, what you were running into sounded like it was serious.

And he wanted to be there to back you up.

"Robin, can you sprout one of your eyes on the Merry to see what (y/n)'s seeing?" Zoro sharply asked, turning to the dark-haired woman, "I wanna know what she's up against."

"I'm afraid the ship's too far out of my range," Robin tried, but failed, "Her reconnaissance is one of the many things she has me beat at."

The scholar did her best to fight back her smile, knowing that this was not the time nor place.

But you and Zoro's adorably romantic interactions had amused her since she first joined the crew, and she made getting you two together a little passion project of hers.

So if she had a chance to talk you up, she would.

"Damn it," he grunted, turning back to the direction you disappeared in, "We gotta go after her."

"Now, hold on a minute," Nami stopped him, grabbing his arm, "If getting this far took us this long, then imagine how long it's gonna take us to get back to the Merry, even if we run the whole way."

Robin sighed, slightly saddened that she wouldn't get to see Zoro's grand gesture, but accepting that what Nami had to say was logical.

"(y/n)'s the fastest out of all of us, and incredibly strong. She'll get there and defeat whatever's attacking the Merry, then use her feathers to be back in no time flat. But for us, we'd only slow her down. We should keep moving forward, instead. We're sitting ducks just standing here."

Despite the objections of his heart, his head knew that Nami was right.

"Fine," he grumbled, starting back on the trail, now eager to get the trip over with so he could get back to the ship.

He knew you could handle yourself.

He was confident you could handle anything thrown at you.

You were a strong and independent woman.

'Dammit...'

So why was his first instinct to be your protector?

[hopalongfairywren]

now that its tumblr betrayal day can we talk about the various dsmp betrayals pls? Like how 2/3 of them were bedwars players and people should talk more about c!hannah at the red banquet and her parallels with eret and-

[thedeafprophet]

The Captivating Princess: An Overview

As I have been pondering that most content around The Princess is not easily accessible, I have decided to do a little write up on who she is. This will not be unbiased - many are aware of my in depth views here- but hopefully it will provide a good summary.

I will try to keep it light, but there will be some ES spoilers in here. Discusisons of information from: The Gift, Say It With Flowers, Reunion, and A Crown Of Thorns, plus some references to Sunless Skies. I intend to mostly focus on who she is in Fallen London though, not in skies.

Who Is She?

'At the very front, cross-legged on the floor, sits the Playful Prodigy. She has the cheeks of a cherub and blue, mischievous eyes. In her arms is a baby, wrapped in a black swaddling-cloth: presumably the Captivating Princess.' - The Gift

The Captivating Princess in universe is The Traitor Empresses' youngest child. Unlike the other royal children, she is an entierly fictional character, and does not have a real world counter part. She was born the year of the fall, 1862, making her around 37 in 1899 (or more accuratly, 40 as of 1902).

She is the most social of her family, frequently seen outside the Palace while her siblings are not . She can be found in both upper society functions, and sauntering down into the.... less savourey locations in London. She does so love to mingle. She is throughougly beloved by the people despite her collection of scandal, and is an extremely popular figure within society - captivates them, if you will.

The player can become aquainted with her at The Feast of The Rose, should you wish to spending some masquing at the Duchess' Banquet. She is also who helps you return to court in the making your name: persuasive arc. She does so have a penchant for the arts...

Most of all she is noted for her habit of honey - both the rumour of her having her own honey-den in veilgarden... and other, less savoury aspects around such.

The rest of the overview below the cut will be going into more detailed, more spoiler heavy, and dark matters

Content warnings: Child/infant endangerment, drug use, torture, bees mention

Matters Of The Palace And The Honey

'No one will tell you what happened, but the word 'traitor' is whispered in the palace corridors. You cry for your mother, and someone gives you a jar and a spoon to quiet you.' -A Crown Of Thorns

One cannot begin to go into the rest of The Princess' character without first going over the issue of the red honey. To go over the entire lore surronding red honey would be a whole post on its own, so i will give just a brief run down here.

Gaoler's honey, which is called red honey for the colour of its hue, is an eviler version of prionser's honey. It is made when bees crawl through people's mind, made of their memories. It is excrustiatingly painful for the victim, who relives the pain every time the honey produced from them is consumed. The Palace contains its own set of 'cage gardens' where people are imprisoned and their memories collected. Cheery, right?

The Princess and her family have all consumed the red honey, the whole of The Palace seeming to have taken to if very soon after the fall. How they got it so quickly after the fall, I don't know, but they seemed to have a lot of it going around.

Its likely The Princess was fed it from infancy, alongside her siblings and other family members. Text implies in general the children in the palace were heavily neglected after the fall, even being given the drugs to make them be quiet. Its...well, an utterly horrible image of how those kids were treated.

Oh yea and it turned all The Princess' siblings into horrifying monsters. The details around what happened are unclear, but it seems to be some connection between the frequent consumption and a 'bad batch' that did Something to the royal children, turning all but The Princess into physically monstrous forms. And most are still consuming it. 10/10, another great move by the british royal family.

It is very likely it is why she is as she is today. Whatever she is, she's not exactly human. She continues to consume it regularly, and on occasion 'shares' it with others.

What Exactly Is She

'Only the Captivating Princess looks as she did in the mirror. Among the nightmares, her beauty is worst of all. It rakes your eyes like fire. ' -The Gift

 "The change imposed by the Red Honey was a gift. As it was to me. The rest of our family proved... inadequate to the wonders on offer." - Reunion

I don't... know. Not really. Sunless skies has her shedding her skin and revealing a bee-like monster underneath, but that was after some considerable other lore stuff and in a different game, and i dont consider it directly applying with in FL.

Within the neath at least, The Princess is quite powerful. Not just for her political role and image as the beloved princess, but also for her seeming power of persuasion and adoration. Her beauty is considered maddening, everything pales to her existence, and its hard not to just immediatly fall to your knees and do every single thing she's asked of you~

Which while i'm sure is a common experience for some around pretty women, is clearly an indication of some sort of mental power here.

She's also considerably stronger then she looks, and i surely do not believe most would stand a chance against her in a physical fight. Nor do i personally believe simple weapons would do much to harm her.

'The Princess' expression curdles. She shoves the table, which sends plates spinning to the floor. She treads on meat as she advances. She has dropped the knife. She does not need it.' - Reunion

Matters Of Morality And Personality

'She points at the Spinster. "I had to compel her from retirement. Since her fiancee is my maid, I had leverage. She should have just done as I asked. Clearly, there's something wrong with her." - Say It With Flowers

The Princess is entitled, cruel, and uncaring towards others. Everything you'd expect from a british royal, but with the added effect of being literarly monstrous instead of just metaphorically. She evidently always expects to get what she wants and has a tendance towards aiming for suffering just for the sake of watching others suffer. And thats without getting in how her frequent use of red honey is directly causing extreme harm to the victims.

All of this tends to be hidden under her vaneer of sweetness. She acts so lovely and sweet and kind, and would do as she was sentencing someone to death. And that is something she'd be inclined to do. She has a penachant towards pet names, and is overly touchey/doesnt seem to care much at all about boundaries. Why would she?

'The Captivating Princess holds your chin in her sharp nailed hand. She stares, intently, at your face. ' - Say It With Flowers

'A happy voice rouses you. Delicate fingers are stroking your hair. "I knew you'd be perfect. So curious. So bold. So resolute. Thank you, for exceeding my estimation."' -The Gift

The Princess is also quick to change moods, becoming angry if she doesnt get her way, or becoming extremely bored rather quickly. If she's not interested in something, she's inclined to leave right away or ignore it, or find some other matter to entertain herself. She also doesn't get along with her family, having an intense rivlavry with one of her brothers (The Brooding Captain), and will often aim to sabotage and manipulate her siblings and other family members. Not to even get into what rumors surrond her suitors, most notably around their deaths...

The things and way she is in skies is all the more.... extreme.

Aims and Motivation

While its hard to say why she does a lot of other things, The Princess does seem to actually have an interest in the arts. When she ran for mayor in 1896, her slogan was “Make London Magnificent For Me.”, and her platform was pushing more for the public arts. Indeed, throughout her appearances in the games, art does seem to truly be an area she's interested in.

Beyond everything else though, The Princess is completely, and utterly bored. She cares little for the lives of those around her, and seems to take great pleasure in the suffering of others, and seemingly this is all related to The Princess' aim for entertainment.

'"Honestly? I'm entirely bored. I am either fawned on or feared, or – worst of all – pawed at by the infatuated. Everyone believes they know me, because of my family."' -1896 Election text

and.... well. If i'm to put my own word in here, I think in her own way, The Princess is lonely.

'And..." She hesitates for a moment. Her last words are hurried. "This is not a gift that should be borne alone."' - Reunion

The earlier line from the election speaks of being pawed at - that her boredom comes from either being fawned or feared, implying no one is truly looking at her. Two of her storylines tentivly involve trying to make another character be What She Is, that she not be alone in this.

She has done many cruel and vicious things, that is of note, but one can't help but think of the inherent tragedy of her character. Never once having a chance to be anything other then she is, being raised in a household that found it suitable to give drugs to children to get them to stop crying. Of never really having anyone like or love you, to everyone fawning at you immediatly with no true level of connection.

In short: The Princess is a horrible cruel woman, and there is an inherent tragey in the fact that she exists the way she does at all.

[alkhale]

OHH MY GODDD THE ENDING WHERE LAW SHAMBLES A CRATE OF APPLES....

MADE ME THINK OF HOKU!!!!!

Kid: *wanting to give a crate full of apples to Hoku to have browny points*

Luffy: *sees meat steals meat*

Luffy and Kid fighting

Law: *shambles crate of apples to give it to Hoku instead*

Hoku: *draws while daydreaming of apples........apple hair Shanks*

MILD SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE WANO ARC BELOW

Kid paused for a moment as something rolled across the ground, knocking lightly into the side of his foot. He glanced with half a scowl nearly tattooed across his lips, narrowing his eyes at the disruption while Killer hauled the next crate of supplies over his shoulder.

The people of Wano were ensuring with everything they had that the pirates currently preparing to leave their hidden shores would be stocked and ready for whatever lay beyond them. Kid didn’t care for their generosity and blubbering—they’d take what they deserved and have their fill. There was nothing else to it.

He didn’t care much either, for the way the other two crews encroaching on his space handled things. Namely one crew in particular, and specifically one ridiculous, mouthy, cowardly, irritating—

(“We can’t take all of this!” Hoku laughed, her voice grating against the side of his ears as he watched her over the lip of a sake jar, scowling beneath the fluttering shadow of light from the lanterns strewn across the street in victory above them. “You all have to eat enough to make up for all these years!”

“But supplies! You need more!”

“We’ve seen how your captain eats!”

“We saw you back in the banquet hall!”

She tossed her head back and laughed. It rang and echoed, the faint flush of joy against the tan of her skin.

“Then let’s eat it together! Lu!”

“Hoku don’t you dare! The two of you will end up clearing all our supplies before we even leave!”

“Hoku Honey! If you’re hungry, I’ll make something for you right now!”

One of the brats leapt from the ground, arms wrapping around that damned woman’s neck as she continued to laugh, eyes swallowing the sight of joy before her with a bright sort of greed—drinking her fill before they skipped across the street and met—)

Kid angrily hefted the stuffed crate of supplies. The bright, shiny red apples rolled against each other. Wrapped hunks of meat were placed haphazardly on top. He looked forward beyond Killer’s shoulder to where that damned woman sat now, looking useless as always as she leaned back against a stack of crates, idly drawing into her book.

He’d already mocked her for being lazy and lounging around, but she’d simply bit back with an arrogant sniff that their tangerine haired devil woman of a navigator had ordered her to stay put.

“You’ll end up falling into the dock or worse,” Nami said. “Just sit there and look pretty.”

Kid had scoffed at how she’d pouted, ambling through the stacked crates of supplies trying to poke her nose and help here and there until she’d tripped into a grain barrel and Roronoa Zoro had fished her out by her scruff.

He’d unnecessarily slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her visage completely unbothered—as though this ridiculousness was normal—while Zoro walked around with her slung like that and kept lifting crates and helping stack goods.

What an idiot.

Kid’s boots stomped against the ground as he grew closer to that stupid woman now. His scowl deepened into a sort of sneer, grip tightening on the crate over his shoulder. He was in a good mood. He’d fool around with that idiot. She was easy to rile up if you knew what buttons to press. Kid had started to learn from their encounters so far.

He’d even pretend it was a peace offering—watch her face comfort into dumbfounded confusion—maybe he’d trip her into the same crate he was carrying—hah! What a load that’d be.

(She could easily fit into it, he thought carelessly, not even really thinking much of it. Right into that crate. They’d toss her into the ocean. On board. Into his cabin. )

A familiar twang sounded off like a snap by Kid’s ear and he abruptly stopped, whirling around the same moment grubby fingers pulled free an entire hunk of smoked meat from his crate. Straw Hat Luffy shamelessly shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

“Hey! You looking for a fight Straw Hat?” Kid dropped the crate to the ground with a thump! Luffy immediately stood at his raised tone, grinning impishly. “Keep your grimy hands off!l

“What’d you say Jaggy?”

“Come down here and I’ll beat it into ya!” Kid snarled. Killer continued peacefully without him towards the ship. “Less you’re scared.”

Luffy landed nimbly before him in an instant. Kid’s hackles raised and the two of them began to shout, hollering childish remarks back and forth while one calm, unbothered gaze finally set his finished newspapers down. He raised his fingers instead, curling them slightly.

“Shambles.”

Law stood up with the crate in his arm with ease. He made his way down the same way Kid originally intended, making it quite a fair distance before either of the two idiots realized what had happened and they were now shouting and spitting at him across the docks.

“Hoku-ya.”

Hoku looked up with a bit of a jump from her drawings. Law raised a curious, fine arched brow when he noticed her not-so-discreetly attempt to shuffle one of her papers back. “Torao! What can I do for ya?”

On any other occasion, Law would’ve ignored it. Meddling further with this woman usually ended up with more than he intended, and even teasing her to some degree either sailed over her head or ended with him having a headache.

But he was in a good mood today. Law felt…tactful.

(“Our captain’s still a bit of a sadist at heart,” Penguin said. “Don’t forget that!”)

A blue film enveloped the two of them and Hoku jumped, looking surprised and confused until she glanced down to her hands where a handful of bright red apples now sat.

“Hey!” Hoku’s lips started to turn into a grin. “Aw, don’t tell me you’re feeling sentimental! C’mon, is this your way of being sweet? Or wait, are you doing a whole one apple a day—“

Hoku abruptly broke off, watching Law flip casually to the page she’d been hiding. Her sketchbook now sat loosely in his grip.

Hoku paled. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed as she shot up, cradling the apples still. “Wait—“

Law promptly stilled. He blinked once, slowly, and then finally looked back to Hoku with judgement clear in his gaze. His expression attempted disinterested disdain, a usual look, but his fingers twitched against the sketchbook, a quiet whisper of something else.

Law made the tactical decision to ignore that.

“Really?”

“S-So what?” Hoku snapped. Her cheeks flushed a red as deep as the apples in her hands. Law briefly traced it down her collarbone—her blush always carried down her neck, against her back—but his scowl deepened instead. “It’s just a drawing! I can draw whatever I want! I like drawing pretty things! That’s perfectly normal! He’s a handsome man!”

Law gave her a look somewhat reminiscent of disgust and disappointment.

“Did I ask?”

“No! But I can tell you’re judging me and I don’t wanna—“

“Are you fucking kidding me? This some kinda sick joke doll?”

“Shishishi! That’s a good one Hoku! He’d love it!”

“Beat it Straw Hat! I’m about to throttle this—“

“Throttle? You’re talkin’ hot shit for a loser.”

“Loser? Did you go blind? I won—“

“I’m still 2-0 with ya, Kiddo.”

“Kiddo?”

“Eustass-ya pipe down.”

“Shut it—“

A breeze ripped the page from Law’s fingertips—he absently let it go, better off to the winds—but the four gathered continued a mix of shouting, condescending speaking—

Nami watched Robin pluck the paper from the air as it drifted by them. The two women leaning over the side of the ship.

Robin carefully smoothed the paper out, humming in amusement.

“Our dear artist has dangerous taste.”

“I just don’t get it,” Nami sighed with a pitiful shake of her head. “She’s hopeless, that one. The seas are endless and she picks one of the scariest men in the ocean to have a crush on?”

“Hopeless,” Robin echoed playfully, glancing thoughtfully toward where they could barely see Hoku’s bright white hair peeking out from the three bodies surrounding her. “Hopeless indeed.”

Nami sighed in pity when she followed Robin’s gaze. “Something tells me this is going to come back and bite us. Should I send Zoro? No, Sanji would be better…”

“No harm in letting them play a bit longer,” Robin said smoothly. The breeze fluttered the paper in her grip and she glanced back to it.

“Well,” Robin turned the picture perfect portrait of a grinning, fearless Red-Haired Shanks. Even the glint of his eyes seemed particularly fond to Robin. “She does draw him very handsomely.”

“Hmm… I’m going to make Hoku draw a portrait of me now once we set sail.”

“Mm, did that make you jealous? Though, that does sound rather fun. I think I’ll have to make Hoku do one for me too…”

[witchthewriter]

𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐃 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: minor spoilers, everyone is over the age of 18. Their names are linked with my fancast as well xx

Warnings: kidnapping, well more so mentions of kidnapping?

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ        

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

𝐑𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐫𝐚

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Confident & Flirty (Rhaenyra) x Has Never Been Flirted With Before, Thinks They're Just Being Nice (You)

・It was her father’s idea to cease the feud and move forward. To start fresh. 

・To have the both of you ... spend time together. 

・ You to visit King’s Landing and Rhaenyra to visit your home

・Rhaenyra was adamant that she was still able to choose her partner, so this is what Viserys came up with 

・Platonic, romantic, it didn’t matter what came out of the time together, just as long as things were learnt and traditions were honoured 

・Daemon wasn’t happy with this, but Rhaenyra...well she was fine with it

・Until she realised just how sheltered you grew up, and knew you weren’t going to be as wild as she

・There was a mutual understanding about your new “friendship”, that you both played along while everyone was watching but when their backs were turned, you acted as you pleased

・Both of you thought the other was weird in some way

・But with time, you... fell into platonic love

・Protecting the other from slanderous accusations as well

・You did each other’s hair, picked clothing for one another

・Opened up about your thoughts, your feelings - not just about this situation but about ... everything. The world and all its wonders, its evils. 

・Talking about your maesters and what you’ve been taught - how you’ve been taught, what your favourite things are/your special interests

・The absolute best thing that happened was riding Syrax though

・The dragon, a gorgeous burnt orange beauty, was hesitant for the first half an hour. 

・It was well known that Syrax was a tad ... moody

・The weather had to be right for her to go out flying

・So when you sat down on the sandy, dusty ground of the dragonpit and ...spoke to her, she was rather startled

        “...had a good sleep Syrax?” 

・You said it so casually

・Rhaenyra burst into laughter, but made sure you wouldn’ be able to hear her. She wasn’t expecting this interaction. Her fearsome dragon, crouching down to look you in the eye, her tail flicking back and forth. Like some sort of interested cat.

・But you continued on, not caring about the world around you

  “To be honest, I didn’t. I’ve been a bit nervous about today. And it’s completely okay if you don’t want to take me up.”

・But Syrax was more than happy to take you flying, in fact, she flew farther and longer than usual

・It was one of the best experiences you had ever had 

・And soon Rhaenyra’s romantic love followed

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Excited ALL. THE. TIME. (Harwin) X Oh God I Cannot Be Falling In Love With This Dipshit (You)

(think Jamie x Claire from Outlander)

・Harwin saw your family’s feud as kinda stupid. He isn’t the type of guy to hold grudges. 

・So when you came into court, with a scowl and a mean look in your eyes, he knew you were going to be fun

・He wouldn’t leave you alone 

・This hulk of a man, with a tinge of red on his cheeks would always find you during feasts and banquets - any reason for celebration, he would be right by your side

・You were fighting feelings inside of you every time Harwin was around

・The way he winked at you from across the hall, always asked for a dance during feasts (even when no one else was dancing), even when you were outside sitting on one of the benches; he would silently sit down beside you and bump his knee to yours 

・It was an internal fight every. single. time. 

・In the beginning you thought maybe he was just teasing you, trying to rile you up, get a rise out of you. Maybe even get you into his bed and then shame you 

・But Harwin was ... so different. To all the other men at court. Or that you’d met. Even different to your family; your brothers, your father. 

・You knew there was some sort of golden light, or ... good seed, inside him. You knew you could truly trust him

・And so you did

・You started to open up to Harwin; stopping the insults and cold exterior

・He didn’t even make fun of you for it - 

・For changing how you interacted with him. Because he knew something about you too. That you were different; like him. 

・You were thankful for that. There was something about opening up that was difficult for you. And having that grace was one of the reason’s why ... you loved Harwin

・There were times when Harwin’s father shook his head and sighed, knowing that your own father (who was the enforcer of the hatred toward the other) would explode if he found out 

・And one day he did

・But you knew exactly who you needed to go to. You knew exactly where to run

・Harwin’s arms were waiting for you, as soon as he saw your face he knew

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐬

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Menace To Society (You) x Living Moral Compass (Jace)

・You Confessed Your Love When Thinking He Was Unconscious. There was a lot of history between the two of you - not family related, but friendship related

・You were set to marry someone else and Jacaerys felt like his heart had shattered well and truly

・It was your wedding night, and right before you were going to say your vows, the enemy had hit 

・They took the wedding as the weakest moment to attack

・And the pillar that had crumbled atop Jace made you scream

・Running to him, nearly tripping over the rocks on the floor, you pushed everything that was on him to the side and started to cry 

・You sobbed and sobbed, while holding his body in your hands

・The blood running down his face, you used your clothes to clean him up

     “Don’t die on me, don’t you die on me Jacaerys Targaryen. I love you too much.” 

・Magic words

・Fated words actually

・Because it was destined that the two of you were to be together. Although no one but the stars and the ancestors knew

・Your fiance was shocked by your confession; disgusted, betrayed, but they understood. To some degree, they understood. 

・After the battle had been won, thanks to Daemon and Caraxes, Rhaenyra smiled at the memory. The way you so desperately needed Jace to live. 

・It wasn’t until Jace was in recovery, conscious and healing when Rhaenyra told him what you’d confessed. He had been completely out of it when you’d said those words. 

・Before he had woke, you’d visited him everyday. Bringing flowers, momentos, things you thought he’d like

・You sat and spoke to him, read to him

・But when he awoke, you couldn’t bear to see the look on his face. To look him in the eyes. 

・Rhaenyra had to practically drag you to see him

・Yet, when you did, you ran to each other and embraced so strongly that you nearly fell over

𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Both Wary of Love & Don’t Think This Can Be Real

・Wary doesn’t describe how distant Alicent was with you

・She truly thought of you as an enemy. And when Alicent sees someone as such, well, the interaction is never pleasant

・Because when the two of you were together, something lit up

・It was a pull from both of you; magnetism, and it took everything not to take each other when you were alone 

・But your families had a firm disdain for each other. Which didn’t make sense for the Hightowers’ as they tried to get on with everybody

・And it wasn’t until you and Alicent kept up your interactions that your family were forced to confront their hatred

・You and Alicent continually went behind their backs because your curiosity outweighed your dislike

・Why did your families hate each other? Where did it start? Why can’t it stop?

・The usual obedient Alicent was heavily influenced by you. Who had a warriors heart - you were brave, braver than many family members who came before you

・And you built a bridge with Alicent. 

・Even if she didn’t want to, you were adamant that you could rectify the wrongs that had plagued your family for generations

・Because if you didn’t, then your family would crumble into nothing

・Alicent didn’t know this. That you had more motive than curiosity to build friendship

・And she did eventually find out the true meaning behind your interactions

・But instead of being angry, she shocked herself by being ... impressed

・You had a drive that she had seen. But that drive wasn’t to better yourself, but to keep your family alive

・She loved it. Ambition, but not for yourself. For the ones you loved. 

・And that’s why she went against her father’s wishes, and kept seeing you. 

・The two of you were practically super sleuthing as neither of your family members’ would tell the same version of events

・So digging up you went, searching for answers, interviewing family and trying not to be too suspicious

・And during this time, Alicent started to develop a crush on you. A hardcore crush on you... 

・Otto soon found out and banned you from seeing each other. 

・But one taste of rebellion and that’s all Alicent needed to go against her father’s wishes ... again

・After finding out what actually happened, you went to Alicent to show her your findings and when you explained what happened, she flung her arms around you and gave you a kiss

𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Complete And Utter Badass, Rather Monstrous (Daemon) x Their Ray Of Light Who Has Them Wrapped Around Their Finger (You)

・Only someone as badass as you could grab Daemon’s attention and hold it (not that you cared much for it)

・He had seen you on the battle field, a bow and arrow in hand

・Taking down enemies left and right, and when you entered the battle, every strike ran true. There wasn’t a man alive whenever you swung your sword

・There was something so invigorating about seeing your body move in such violent and graceful ways 

・Daemon knew that no matter where you came from or who you were, you were going to be his 

・So it was a shock to find that you were on the opposing side of the battle

・You hated the Targaryens, namely Daemon who had inadvertedly taken your family from you

・But Daemon saw your abilities and knew he could make you into one of the best fighters there ever was 

・So he ... kidnapped you

・Only to explain why he thought you’d be one of the best warriors Westeros has ever seen

・Under his guidance of course

・It wasn’t until the third night that you accepted. He thought it was because of the ... benefits, that you had accepted. But no, it was because you secretly wanted to slaughter him and his entire family

・However, you played along. Under the gauise of wanting to expand your prospects. You had terms, and the main was that he was never to come near you with desire 

・All was going well; he taught you a lot. Not just about combat, but about yourself, the world and challenged what you thought you knew 

・Your family history wasn’t as straightforward as you had believed. And what more, was that the Targaryens barely had anything to do with your family’s downfall. 

・It had been your own kin who had slain one another

・Brother had turned on brother, and it left you with nothing but a fable 

・Daemon had given you this information because he knew you weren’t training just for the sake of glory. You had something planned and he needed you to know the truth before you took action

・It was difficult to deny your feelings growing for Daemon, whose personality seemed to mesh with yours so well, that even Viserys saw a difference in him

・It was astonishing to see what a focused Daemon could do, and the worries that Viserys had were gone, when he saw how far you’d come

・You became a beacon for Daemon; someone he could go to not to talk, but to train. To let off steam, to go on adventures with (under the pretense off “teaching” you something)

・Caraxes became very familiar with you, and would actively seek you out as well, as he was so disliked amongst the other dragons, that companionship was sparse

・The bond between both beings meant that you often forgot your hatred, which had lessened with each day 

・You soon saw Daemon as a companion, a friend; someone who saw all of you and didn’t shy away. He saw all your darkness, your rage, your violence, chaos, confusion. Everything. He saw everything. 

・And he didn’t shy away

・What brought you together was that you reciprocated this

・You saw Daemon’s violence and didn’t blink an eye (NEVER towards you though)

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐚

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Always Bringing Them Rocks They Think They Would Like x Keeps The Rocks

・Your grandfather had a long lasting hatred for the Targaryens. It was personal, but it kept your family at a distance 

・But your fascination with the Targaryens was always prevalent throughout your childhood

・And whenever you brought them up, your family would shush you. Telling you that you aren’t supposed to ask anything about them

・But it wasn’t until after your grandfather’s death that your family was invited to court by Viserys

・As it turns out, Viserys had been sending invitations for years but your grandfather was declining every single one

・And when your family finally accepted, Viserys ordered there to be a huge feast awaiting for your arrival

・You weren’t expecting this, but your eager eyes were looking for something in particular. 

・But you didn’t expect that certain thing to be kept chained in a pit 

・When you were in the throne room, being introduced to Viserys’ children, the news about the dragons was disappointing

・And a young Targaryen woman shared that same disappointment 

・Around the same age as you, the two of you would have quickly been pushed together. To get to know each other, but both your families knew how ... peculiar you both were, and were adamant that the two of you should be left apart. Since they were scared their offspring would say or do the wrong thing 

・But somehow you bumped into each other in the castle halls, and in the garden, and somehow ... in the dragonpit 

・Soon you came to know Heleana. Both her physical and emotional quirks

・ And gods, Heleana was one of the sweetest people you have ever met. She wasn’t like the rest of the people you had come across. 

・She understood how your brain worked and you understood hers

・The white-haired woman’s love for you came about because you actually listened to her. You always wanted to know what she thought, what she felt. 

・You actively asked her about her visions, and you believed her. 

𝐀𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝

(𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒘)

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Tough on the Outside, Soft on the Inside (Aemond) x The Top (You)

・Aemond was never the type of person to go against his family’s wishes - especially his mother’s. 

・So when he found you underneath his bed, waiting to attack, he found it quite amusing. 

    “Your name, what is it?” He had snarled, still in his night clothes. 

“My name is of no importance to a dead man.”

   “I see no dead men here.”

・And then somehow he had you pinned on the floor, knife at your throat and white hair like a curtain. All you could see was Aemond’s face; pink tight-lips, pale face, his one good blue eye and his other eye socket was empty, his sapphire orb lay on his bedside table. 

・Your body reacted in a way you did not wish it to 

・You blushed

    “Big bad assassin,” Aemond whispered, the cold blade still pressed against your throat. You could feel his weight and as you started to whisper back, you used it to your advantage. 

・Moving your legs so they were around his waist, you stunned him with a kiss and in one fluid moment, you flipped him over and pinned his arms above his head

    “Remember,” you panted, “I’m always on top.” 

・It was then that Aemond realised he was in trouble

・Because your blade didn’t slice, nor did it cut. It clattered to the side as you got up and left 

・The next day your House was introduced to court and Aemond did everything he could not to react

・You were the direct heir to your House, and when you spotted Aemond in the Throne room, all you could do was smirk. He had no idea. No idea that you were now going to live in King’s Landing - in the castle itself

・Those months were excruciating for Aemond, not just because he thought you were going to kill him at any moment, but because you acted as if he was nothing at all. Nothing more than a Prince. 

・You bowed when you walked passed him, stood when he entered a room

・It became a common occurence for Aemond to look under the bed. To see if his little nightmare was real

・And all the while, you watched from afar, a delighted smile on your face

・It took 6 months of Aemond to make his move. It had to be well thought out of course

・He couldn’t just try anything. No. It needed to be the perfect plan, one that would both out and villainise you

・But again, unbeknownst to the One Eyed Prince, you were three steps ahead

・He hated you; he loved this game even though he tried to hide it and in turn ... he ... loved ... you

・It was a horrible realisation. One that Aegon, of all people, pointed out to him

・And Aemond avoided you (yes, like the plague)

・It took two weeks, that’s all he could bare - of not looking at you, not hearing your voice, your laugh 

・And when he went to leave his chambers to seek you out, you were already at his door...

𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Arranged Marriage

・He had been sent to Oldtown and had no idea that you would be there too

・Otto had arranged your marriage; your father agreeing to it only under the circumstances of equal opportunity

・You were emblazed with anger

・And on your wedding day, you had screamed and cried and fought until it was time to walk down the aisle 

・Your father explained how important this marriage was. This alliance would bring safety to your House, and it was in that moment that you knew what you had to do

・You had never seen Daeron before, but heard of the story of how he got his name, “The Daring.”

・And the fact that it was nationally know that he was the most likeable out of the Targaryen brothers... 

・You knew your father had bargained for him rather than Aemond, who was harsh and unforgiving 

・Daeron stood at the end of the aisle, a charming smile on his boyish face. 

・ I can do this, you thought triumphantly, I can, I will. 

・When the ceremony was over and the reception was done, you were escorted to your marriage bed with Daeron, who had made every effort to make you feel comfortable 

・While alone together, in your shared room, with the fire blazing, Daeron’s kind smile did not change. There was no flip of personality or loss of kindness. 

・You soon realised that what you saw in Daeron is what is truly there 

・And you felt safe with him

・Which made it even harder to hate him. 

・With each insult you slung his way, he seemed to side step it

・And when you realised that the Prince wasn’t going to hurt you, or take you away from your family or traditions...things started to change for you. You saw him as he is. Golden hearted. 

・Life with Daeron is full of sunshine, blue skies and love

・Meeting Tessarion was a big experience and one that you will never forget. 

・Through the bond she knew your relationship with Daeron, and was apprehensive about you but allowed you to clamber onto her anyway. 

・Considering she was one of the younger dragons, she had incredible speed and stamina. 

・That ride bonded all three of you. Making you feel closer to Daeron, wanting him...the seed of desire had started to grow

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S2 Ep 11

The last two reactions took a while, since I was doing a lot of sketching and writing a one shot after listing to the latest Epic livestream on Ytube now let’s get to it!

-Innocent children outside of the palace were spared from the Banquet’s massacre

-It’s the same elderly man from Ep 9!

-You know this Ep’s gonna be awesome once the animation’s upped it’s ante

-The CGI background effect!

-It’s the outer wall of Ba Sing se from ATLA Book 2 Earth, (subtle worldbuilding spoilers from The Scrap Immortal and the Avatar)

-Barren land outside of the wall…

-Hua Cheng’s wraith butterfly

-*takes a really deep inhale* HAAAAAAAH!  It’s the same butterfly from 5 Eps earlier who landed on Xie Lian’s palm as the others swarmed towards FX and MQ!  *Gasps again* He must’ve landed on XL’s hand because of the length he went to locate him in Yong’An’s area.  So if he failed to find him, the butterfly was exhausted, and since he was tired, he rested on Xie Lian’s hand

(I had to slip this in)

-Through the eyes of a butterfly

-It’s a tunnel!

-It’s the secret tunnel from ATLA Book 2

-Lang Qianqiu and Mengyou!

-He’s staked Fang Xin into his tomb

-The reason Qianqiu never removed Fang Xin’s mask is because he never knew who he was behind it all is life…

-What was that coffin cover made out of?!

-Back to Yong’An to finish grieving and keeping the kingdom in tact

-Getting staked in a stone coffin is a whole lot worse than being trapped in a Iceberg for a century

-The blood is spreading like vines and branches

-How long was he in that coffin???

-I can see why people in the fandom wrote fics about his recovery from the Yong’An crypt.

-Another intense and long cold opening

-“SAD CHILD!!!” still got chills from the last episode 

-Damn

-“NO!  It’s my fault!  Everything is my fault and I’ve only made it worse!” There’s that raw emotion

-Still want dessert after the delivery last episode.  Great!  Now I’m craving egg custard tarts and red bean buns, dim sum dessert!!!

-Hua Cheng took accountability for his actions

-He sat down next to him!

-“You did good” that’s exactly what I need to hear right now

-There’s always a cost

-Howard is still eating it up in the next ep!!!

-Comfort him!

-History’s still repeating to this day…

-Lian Cheng Ci’s playing again!

-It was no one’s fault!

-He finally removed his mask!

-XL had a chance to end An Le right there

-Thank you HC!

-No XL you’re not a worthless insect, I actually see you as more of an adorable rodent and so does Hua Cheng

-He destroyed the weeping statue!

-It took him that long to stop his breakdown???

-“As you wish” has James Cheek read the Princess Bride?

-Ghosts and Humans are fleeing the mountains

-And Qi Rong’s goons easily folded under Hua Cheng’s thumb

-Did anybody else hear Broadway from Gargoyles in the large purple goon? Kictor and Stitch said he sounded like Patrick Star

-Let’s just say Hua Cheng always does his homework right

-Aww the animation when Xie Lian caught up to the Crimson Rain

-Hong Jue once more!!! YEAH!!!

-They’re outside the mountain!

-His small laugh!

-“Idolizing someone for afar is understandable, but once you get close, when you really get to know them, that perfect image of them you made will shatter.  When that happens it just hurts.”  That is a really good and inspirational quote

-“For some the mere existence of a certain person in this world is hope.” Another great quote!

-“San Lang, who are you?” He said it so softly!!!

-“Don’t tease!” Oh yes he will~!

-He’s starting to realize!!!

-Whoever did this season’s soundtrack really deserves a raise

-They got cut off!

-Hi Qingxuan

-She’s so slay

-Hi Feng Xin

-Just imagine a montage of Qingxuan and FX trying to role the right number to XL’s location

-The way he summoned his arrow!

-It’s a standoff!!

-XL’s facepalm!

-HC just tugged his sleeve again!

-What’s she doing?

-Are they acting?

-The eye contact!

-He’s talking about Ming Yi

-You got that right on the rescuing, he carried XL off in style!

-Literally how you send an email and update in the online message board

-“She gets it” that means they’ve bonded

-QX gets close and FX moves like 6 feet back

-She knows his weakness

-And FX’s frantically waving his hand 

-The snap!

-*Qianqiu has left the chat*

-I know who the minor official is

-Even FX dissed Qi Rong

-It took him that long to realize???

-The family ties are really something, Qingxuan

-That anime spiral on the thumb!

-Hua Cheng roasted Feng Xin

-He is egging him on

-Hua Cheng roasted Heaven again

-Another standoff!

-Aiaigasa!  It’s Aiaigasa people!!!

-And Qingxuan casually backs up

-IT’S RAINING WET KETCHUP!!!

-Really weird weather they had tonight

-Now XL giggled!!!  It added 3 more years to my lifespan!

-FX looks like he got a bowl of marinara tossed over him

-Qingxuan it’s not a mop!!!  It’s a cultivator whisk!  It took me a long time to realize it when I bought the first novel

-You two aren’t helping!

-Have you seen HC help fix up your temple?

-He knows him so well!

One more Ep left!

[seledkamari]

Infopost about AU #1: What is happening and how did it all start?

Before I tell how it all started, a quick explanation:

The hotel, mines and castle are located in the state of California, USA

All entities except some - People who died in the hotel/mines/rooms/backdoor

Figure, Glitch, Jeff and Bob – ZX Lab Test Subjects

Red Light and Haste–Born from this Place

____________

So where did it all start? Once upon a time, there lived an aristocratic family, and that family did not do the best things, for which a curse was sent to them: Those who died within the walls of their possessions with some chance turned into monsters... however, this worked very slowly, until one moment.

In an accident at the mine on June 16, 1825, two miners, David and Evan House, died, and then the curse turned them into crazy monsters—the Grumbles.

Then the souls of the other two dead, Laidine and Hatsu Libern, were turned into saviors for those who wandered into the abode of those two. They were called the Guiding Light and the Curious Light. Which disappeared after the closure of the mines.

Let me explain: Now the Guiding and Curious souls of other people - Eran Deckard and Kyle Lament.

A little later, in 1832, the luxurious Gate of Light hotel was built and opened. Hundreds of rooms, banquet and ballrooms, its own mini-museum, garden, greenhouse and much more. The huge, majestic building was very popular among the upper class, although later people with lower incomes also joined it. Despite all this majesty, according to prophecy, a terrible fate awaited the hotel...

"159 years after the hotel opened, three innocent souls will become monsters and begin a series of horrors that will never let this place go"

In order to avoid this, a protector without a name was created, which we now call the red light (Spoiler: According to the statue of a faceless angel in the garden, it depicts him)

But as you know, it didn't work out for him.

And so, June 1990. in two days, on the 15th and 16th, three employees died, were killed and turned into monsters... and the soul of the last one, poor Rosarine Green, began a nightmare that will never end, and the hotel’s defender fell... he was replaced by new souls.

That's all for now, you will learn more about what happened, about the ZX laboratory, about the entities and their stories in the following posts. Thank you for your attention and those who read to the end and see you in the next posts! ^^

[melodywritesstuff]

Nothing more than a relic (The Shepherd King Missing Scene)

There isn't nearly enough content for this fandom, so here's my humble offering. Hope you enjoy this brief missing scene set at the end of Two Twisted Crowns (spoilers ahead!).

(Ao3 link above, but it's so short I thought I'd put it here as well)

Summary: Elm and Ravyn destroy the final Scythe card.

Words: 640

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Elm tried to ignore the way the stairs to the palace vault felt all too like the confines of the dungeons. The same cold stone and stale, underground air pressed in on him. The cold tore at him, though it was hardly frigid here with torches casting a warm light along the walls. Elm fixed his gaze straight ahead, the way he always did in the throne room. He focused on the sound of Ravyn’s steps behind him.

At the vault doors, he pulled out the keyring he had begun carrying and opened the locks. The box where the king had held his Providence Cards was exactly as Elm had left it, untouched since his last visit, but for one addition.

His father’s Scythe sat on the top of the stack. Drops of dried blood marred one edge, barely discernable against the red velvet, and Elm knew it was his own. He picked up the card and for a moment, its familiar feel was almost comforting. He twirled it between his fingers.

"You destroyed Hauth's Scythe," he said to Ravyn without looking up. "And mine was used to unite the deck. If Brutus Rowan's was destroyed-"

"This is the last one." Ravyn finished his train of thought.

Elm wavered for a moment, then held out the card.

"I want you to destroy it," he said.

Ravyn didn't move to take the card. His brow creased.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and Elm hesitated.

For so long, the Scythe had been his shield, his crutch. His protection from Hauth and from the world. It had been his armor, but also his prison: the fear of what Hauth could do to him- could make him do.

The reason for an education in pain.

Elm remembered lying in the road, in agony, praying he had held on long enough as the card took its toll.

The far greater pain of standing immobilized, utterly helpless, as Hauth drove a dagger into Ione's heart.

"I'm sure," he said firmly. “I refuse to be another Rowan to rule Blunder with fear.”

Ravyn took the card and, as easily as if it were a simple piece of parchment, tore it in two. He handed the pieces back to Elm.

Elm thought for a moment of putting the halves back in the box, or even of burning them. Instead he tucked them into his pocket; nothing more, now, than a relic- a reminder of a life past.

He closed the box, leaving the remaining cards, and turned towards the door.

Ravyn was looking at him thoughtfully.

"You're a different man than you were when I left, Elm," he said. "Confidence suits you."

"And happiness suits you," Elm replied. "It's nice to see the way you smile when you look at her. Who would have guessed that Ravyn Yew, fearsome Captain of the Destriers, was a romantic."

Color rose in Ravyn's cheeks, but his lips twitched into a sheepish smile, and Elm laughed.

"Trees, even thinking about her makes you blush," he teased. Ravyn gave him a playful shove.

"I could say the same about you," he said, and it was Elm's turn to grin.

"I suppose we're both love-struck fools," he conceded.

“Fools who have a banquet to attend,” Ravyn nodded gravely, throwing his arm around Elm’s shoulders. “I’m sure people are waiting to speak with their king.”

Elm groaned.

“Perhaps I could stay down here, say I lost track of time…”

Once, he would have done it without hesitation- to spite his father or simply because he wanted to- but they both knew that that Elm was gone. He was king now, and he had every intention of doing the job well. And of course, Elm thought as he followed Ravyn up the narrow stairs, the pageantry was infinitely more bearable with his family at his side.

---

->Everything belongs to Rachel Gillig, this is just for fun! :)