#royal guard! billy

[autistic-shaiapouf]

do you think meruem's royal guards have like, a single brain cell of which they pass around each other like a hot potato?

This is the EXACT thought I've had about them for a very long time 😭 pitou is the only one that unlocked the full potential of the brain cell, youpi got pretty close as well, Pouf mishandled the brain cell every time he got it 😔 only one of them is allowed a coherent thought at a time and it is absolutely beautiful

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for Octopus behind the cut; Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“I mean, unless you’d rather have gotten a tutor or something, I guess, probably Batman could’ve helped me find you a tutor,” Billy says, shrugging a little awkwardly. He used to help other foster kids with their homework a lot, though, and he taught a couple street kids he knew some bits and pieces of stuff, at least. And also–“Wisdom of Solomon, you know? It’s, um, kinda a thing. Anyway, I’m gonna help you with your powers, so it’s the same kind of thing, right? And it’s normal to read to your kids, too.”��

“I don’t need to read to be a weapon,” Lynn mutters, still looking down at Tawky. “Not if I’m being deployed with a team, anyway.” 

. . . Billy thinks maybe he could just go ahead and burn down whatever’s left of Cadmus. Like. Morally, and all. Ethically. Whichever. 

“I’m not helping you with your powers so you can be a weapon,” he says firmly, making himself keep his voice even so Lynn won’t think he’s mad at him. Or, uh–royally fucking pissed at him, more accurately. That’s Cadmus. Like, definitely it’s Cadmus that he’s royally fucking pissed at. “I’m helping you with your powers so you don’t get hurt or accidentally hurt anybody else. Like–so you can use them however you want.” 

“I’m the thing that gets used,” Lynn says as he folds one of Tawky’s ears back and forth, voice and expression both just distant enough to make Billy hate literally everything that’s made Lynn feel like that. 

He is definitely gonna put in a request with the League to let him burn down whatever’s left of Cadmus. Either that, or there’s gonna be a real convenient thunderstorm concentrated right on top of it, and a whole lot of equally convenient and equally concentrated lightning strikes. 

And if that fails, then there’s gonna be a twelve year-old “civilian” sneaking in with some matches and lighter fluid, and he’s just gonna commit arson the old-fashioned way. 

“If anyone ever says that to you again, I’m gonna make them sorry for even thinking it,” he says as evenly as he can. Lynn’s mouth tightens. He keeps his head down. 

“. . . why would you have read to me?” he asks, the question a little guarded. “That wouldn’t have taught me anything.” 

“It would’ve taught you that I’d read to you,” Billy says. Lynn–frowns, like maybe he doesn’t understand what he means. Billy’s not sure he understands what he means, just . . . 

His dad read to him. And his mom too. 

And Uncle Eben definitely did not. 

And Cadmus didn’t read to Lynn either, he’s betting. As far as he can tell, all Cadmus ever did was jam a really biased education into his head and lie to and mind-control him, in fact. 

Cadmus was just really awful to Lynn in general, as far as Billy can tell. 

Lynn thought they’d have kryptonite here, so . . . yeah. Cadmus was definitely awful to him.

Billy really, really wants to make sure that Lynn’s first thought is never something like that again. Or at least, that his first thought is never something like that when it’s about him. 

About the person who’s taking care of him, he means. Lynn should–he shouldn’t–

Billy always felt safe with his dad. With both of his parents. He wants Lynn to feel that way too, because Lynn deserves to feel that way too. Like no matter what tries to hurt him, it’s gonna have to go through somebody else first, and somebody who’d never just stand by and let it get to him. 

Billy doesn’t know if Lynn’s ever felt safe in his life, all things considered. He grew up in a pod being lied to and woke up to mind control and more lies and got attacked by, like, a giant mutated jerk of a doctor who’d been controlling and hurting him all his life already, and then he left the only place he’d ever known just because he thought it was the right thing to do, and . . . 

Yeah. Billy can’t imagine “safe” is a feeling Lynn’s all that familiar with yet. 

Can’t imagine he’s ever really felt it at all, at this point. 

He–swallows, a little, and then makes himself smile at him again. Lynn’s still not looking at him, but Billy figures he’ll hear it in his voice, if nothing else. 

“I’ll read to you anyway, if you want,” he offers as he links his hands together behind his back, his voice coming out a little awkward; a little quiet. He doesn’t mean for it to, but . . . “Even if you can do it yourself.” 

Lynn doesn’t say anything. He rubs the pad of his thumb across one of Tawky’s paw pads and then squeezes it, just a little. Billy doesn’t blame him for wanting to hold somebody’s hand right now. It’s–a lot, probably. All this is probably a lot. 

All this is definitely a lot, and Billy doesn’t blame Lynn for anything he’s feeling about any of it at all. When everything changes all at once like–when somebody’s whole life changes and they lose everything and everyone they had before, and . . . and . . . 

It’s just a lot, he knows. 

Like–yeah. 

Of course it is. 

“. . . sure,” Lynn says, and glances up–not at Billy, exactly, but in his direction. He’s looking at his shoulder more than anything else, Billy’s pretty sure, but that’s fine by him. He brightens instinctively, resisting the urge to float up a little in excitement. 

“Cool!” he says. “Um–okay, yeah. Cool.” 

Lynn ducks his head again, looking more towards the wall now. He’s still holding Tawky’s paw, though, and he didn’t, like, go run off and hide in his room or get mad or anything, so Billy thinks things are going okay, really. Even if–even if some of this is a little harder to talk too much about, maybe. 

He really does want Lynn to feel safe with him, though, so he’s gonna have to be able to talk to him about the harder stuff too. 

He can do that, he promises himself. Or–he’s gonna do that, anyway. He’ll figure it out, one way or the other. 

Lynn deserves a dad who can do that, and Billy’s already decided he’s gonna be the kind of dad Lynn deserves, so–yeah. 

He can do it. 

He wonders if his parents ever felt like this with him. Felt like–like it was hard and scary and weird, but like they still needed and wanted to figure it out and do it right, whatever it took. Like it was more important to do it right than . . . than anything else. 

He doesn’t know, obviously. And he’s never gonna get to ask. But . . . but he hopes he’s at least doing this right enough that they would’ve been happy about it. Been–proud of him, for taking after them. Being like them, even just a little bit. 

They were both really good parents, and he just . . . they’re gone, and he’ll never see them again, and no one really remembers them the same way he does. No one loves them the same way he does. Not anymore. 

So–so if he can be a good dad to Lynn like they were good parents to him, then maybe at least there’ll be a little bit more of them left in the world. A little bit more that they got to do; got to make happen. Make matter. 

And maybe . . . maybe that means Lynn will love some part of them too, technically, if Lynn ever loves him. 

If Billy does this right, anyway. 

“Do you wanna walk to the library too?” he suggests. “It might be a little farther away than the diner, I think, but not too bad. And, um, we’ve got super-stamina and all, so yeah.” 

“. . . I’ve never walked that far before,” Lynn says. Billy blinks, wondering how Lynn knows that. He didn’t say how far it was for sure, just–

Oh. 

“You’d never walked as far as the diner before?” he realizes. Lynn nods stiffly. Billy’s chest sort of–hurts a little, maybe. “Did you like it, or was it too much? I know it’s kind of exposed and there’s a lot more people than you’re probably used to and all, so it’s okay if–” 

“It was fine,” Lynn cuts in, and then hunches his shoulders a little. “Uh. I mean–it was fine.” 

Billy’s own shoulders slump a bit in relief, and he smiles wider at him. Okay. That’s–okay, yeah. 

He really likes Lynn. Like–Lynn’s really easy to like, he means. He’s glad about that. Not that he was gonna take anything back or send Lynn back if he was hard to get along with or anything, obviously, but . . . he’s still glad, yeah. 

Really glad.

[williamlandon]

VERY LATE IK BUT HERES MY SECURITY BREACH MERMAY PROJECT :D

——————————————————————————————————

( I’ll make a Roxanne and Freddy drop eventually bc I am very proud of this AU and their designs so dw. )

:——————————————————————————————————————————————————: Lore:

-Monty is the appointed royal guard for Chica, who is a princess over a sector of the Atlantic Ocean. -Chica loves going out on adventures and just being free, which also results in her neglecting her royal duties.

-Monty takes his job very seriously, for he has been training to become a royal knight since he was little. So he ends up taking the bullet when it comes to Chica’s shenanigans, thus the amount of scars and bruises on his fins. -Despite the constant chaos between the two, they are best friends. Chica enjoys his company while Monty is thankful she gave him this position he worked so hard for (merfolk saw him as a little too dangerous to be within castle walls due to his rare breed, but when Chica was little she saw him as a friend and was able to convince her parents to give him a chance, therefore making him feel incredibly in-debt to her despite her telling him constantly to not worry about it).

-Chica’s parents were hunted by pirates and were killed in an attack on the kingdom, so Monty feels even more pressure to keep her safe at all costs.

-Listen to the new Billie Eilish album that shit goes hard it so pretty oops off track uh

-Some people think they are a secret couple and they hate it, but that doesn’t stop them from being the bestest of friends.

-Chica’s dream is to explore the Surface, or as the merfolk call it the Land Within the Sky, but Monty forbids her to even get close due to the attack 14 years ago. She finds this as his incredibly annoying trait but he genuinely fears for her life. -In an attempt to somewhat calm her desires relating to the Land Within the Sky, Monty decides to look for some kind of treasure or trinket from the Surface to give to her, not realizing he will find a more conniving evil…

:——————————————————————————————————————————————————: These two are the sweetest bunch and I’m in love with this AU. Just wait till the others join oh hoho :——————————————————————————————————————————————————:

( I completely forgot but I’ll get into the jewel lore later I’m too tired rn and I’ve got a gay furry couple week to complete. )

[rocksibblingsau]

If the branches (Canon, Rock, Classical, Funk, Country, Techno) invite they're friends to play in they're SMP

In a scale of died first to defeated the enderdragon without any preparation. How would you rank them?

Here's how the Branches do:

Canon: absolute completionist and totally prepared for anything. Mastered redstone and has a secret bunker with hidden rooms.

Rock: the fighter, has all the cool armor. fought the warden and won. Also does a lot of mining.

Classical: he's building a very fancy house. has stores of every decorative block in the game.

Funk: potionmaker, redstone master, speedrunner. knows every trick and exploit of the game.

Country: homesteader. He's making farms and breeding animals. doesn't know what the nether is

Techno: tnt trapping people and running around having a great time. Starts his own nation and pays Rock Branch to be his military.

His friends:

Poppy: getting an army of wolves and picking flowers

Val: joins Rock!Branch in his fights

Petra: miner

Demo: does a bit of everything but his main task is running tools and food to the miners and blocks and ores to the builders

Barb: spends her days killing Billy

Billy: spends his days being hunted by Barb. his house is a dirt hut with a creeper hole right next to it

Dante: other than building a music block contraption no one really understands what he does

Lownote Jones: logs on once in a blue moon and everyone is really excited to see him. he doesn't have a house and he has wooden tools.

Holly: adds a cooking mod just so she can cook lots of recipes

Gust: tries enforcing rules to cut down on PVP

Synth: is the reason they had to turn keep inventory on. he gets lost almost immediately. Rock!Branch tries to guard him but somehow every mob sets their sights on poor Synth

Trollex: trying to steal Techno Branch's prized axolotl to crown him the royal pet of his own kingdom

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Here’s Why Everyone Is Talking About A Pirate Drama That Ended In 2017

Black Sails has been described as Game of Thrones with pirates

If Black Sails kicked off in 2020 instead of 2014, it certainly would have thrown fuel on the raging fire that was TikTok’s sea shanty obsession. The reality is that this TV series aired on Starz from 2014 for four seasons, coming to a close in 2017. So why is everyone talking about it now, a decade after it began?

Black Sails is coming to Netflix very soon, triggering its fans to emerge from the woodwork and promote the show online. ‘I am SO excited for people who’ll be watching this show for the first time,’ one user wrote, with many others recommending the series to fans of Game of Thrones. With House of the Dragon still a few months away, here’s why you should tune into Black Sails this month.

New To Netflix: Black Sails

What Is Black Sails About?

Black Sails transports us back to 1715 – aka the Golden Age of Piracy. Set in New Providence, an island in the Bahamas, we meet the feared Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) who brings a new younger crew member into the fold (‘Long’ John Silver, played by Luke Arnold) as his crew continues to fight for survival and negotiate their space on the island.

Is Black Sails Based On A Book?

Black Sails was written as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island (1883).

Is It Based On A True Story?

While Black Sails isn’t based on a true story, it does trace real events. The first season focuses on the hunt for the Spanish treasure galleon Urca de Lima, a real ship that sank in 1715 near Fort Pierce in Florida (where it still lies). Season two traces the fallout of Urca de Lima’s treasure being stranded in Florida, strictly guarded by Spanish soldiers while pirates prowl the shores. The subsequent third and fourth seasons then look at the war for the control of New Providence between the pirates and the British Empire – a la Pirates of the Caribbean.

Likewise, some of the characters are based on real people. Real pirates fictionalised in the show include:

Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson)

Anne Bonny (Clara Paget)

Benjamin Hornigold (Hakeem Kae-Kazim)

Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz)

Charles Vane (Zach McGowan)

Ned Low (Tadhg Murphy)

Israel Hands (David Wilmot)

Meanwhile, Captain Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts) – who represents the British Empire in seasons three and four – is based on a real English sea captain and slave trader, and subsequently the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas.

Was Captain Flint A Real Pirate?

Captain Flint is a fictional character who was first created by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island. He has since appeared in multiple works of fiction, including A. D. Howden Smith’s Porto Bello Gold (1924), John Drake’s Flint and Silver (2008), Pieces of Eight (2009) and Skull and Bones (2010), and J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy (1904).

Where Was Black Sails Filmed?

Black Sails was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, mainly inside at Cape Town Film Studio. Because the real city is so different today than it was in the 1700s, Nassau – the capital of the Bahamas, located on New Providence island – was built from scratch in a studio over a period of four months, as were two large water tanks to house the series’ two ships. Some scenes were filmed outside in and around Cape Town when new terrain was required, but most of the series was filmed on set.

The Cast

The cast of Black Sails is incredibly large, but key characters to know include:

Toby Stephens as James McGraw/Captain Flint

Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie

Luke Arnold as ‘Long’ John Silver

Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max

Tom Hopper as William ‘Billy Bones’ Manderly

Zach McGowan as Charles Vane

Toby Schmitz as Jack Rackham

Clara Paget as Anne Bonny

Mark Ryan as Hal Gates

Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Mr. Scott

Sean Cameron Michael as Richard Guthrie

Louise Barnes as Miranda Hamilton/Barlow

Rupert Penry-Jones as Thomas Hamilton

Luke Roberts as Woodes Rogers

Ray Stevenson as Edward Teach

David Wilmot as Israel Hands

Harriet Walter as Marion Guthrie

The Trailer

Interested? Here’s the trailer for a taste of the action.

WATCH

All episodes of Black Sails are streaming on Netflix from 17 April 2024.

Source: Country & Town House

[steddiebang2024]

Royal Pain  |  E |  50k

Author: @penny00dreadful

Artist: @arelliann

Beta Reader: @hbyrde36

[A03/Tumblr]  |  [Link to art]

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham

Tags: Alternate Universe – Royalty, Alternate Universe – Medieval, Enemies to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Queer Eddie Munson, Royal Steve Harrington, Advisor Eddie Munson, Advisor Robin Buckley, Billy Hargrove is His Own Warning, Arranged Marriage, Royal Chrissy Cunningham, Steve Harrington Takes Care of Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, No Homophobia Universe, Protective Steve Harrington, POV Steve Harrington, Attempted Sexual Coercion, Near Death Experiences, Near Drowning, Sword Sparring, Hehehe, Minor Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Anal Sex, Jousting, Fanart, Podfic Welcome

Trigger Warnings: N/A

↳ Keep reading below for a summary!

Summary

Steve had always known it was a possibility... Marrying as a business transaction, rather than for love. It was part and parcel of being born a royal.

A simple fact of life.

But meeting Chrissy helped to ease his worries of what his life was soon to become. She was sweet. She was kind. Even if they never grew into romantic love, he knew they would be very good friends as soon as he could whisk her away from her cold and harsh kingdom.

Now if only he could convince her Royal Advisor and resident guard dog, Eddie Munson of that.

[baambastic]

Woo Be Upon Ye:

Medieval fantasy TimKon AU where Kon is a half-dragon prince of the realm who elevates commoner Tim to the Royal Guard on a whim. Also has Bart as an apprentice mage, Donna and Cassie as Themiscyran ambassadors, many of Tim’s school friends as Royal Guards, Wildcat as a mentor, the Daily Planet staff as the royal council, and more! Planned as part one of a four-part series.

Bernard Dowd vs. The World:

After hearing Tim’s many, many, many stories about his friends, Bernard realizes that almost all of Tim’s guy friends were hitting on Tim at multiple points. Failing to convince Tim of this, however, Bernard makes it his mission to obtain written testimonies from as many of said friends as he can to support his case. Such friends include Superboy, Danny Temple, Sebastian Ives, Lonnie Machin, and more.

Two for the Price of Them:

In this AU, Tim’s 100th cloning attempt is a success, and so clones of both Kon and Bart are created. Partway through the artificial aging process, however, an agent of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. (overhauled from the same metahuman-abduction organization from the New52) attacks. Tim is forced to go on the run and off the grid with the two clone babies.

The World Didn’t Stand Still:

When Kathy Branden plugs a Phantom Zone Crystal into her teleportal and visits the Phantom Zone, she comes back with a young Krytonian boy, Chris Kent, who claims to be the foster son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Effectively taking pre-boot Chris from after his debut story and transporting him into post-Rebirth continuity. Part of a planned trilogy of fics centered on Chris. Guaranteed that they will not end with Chris getting punted into the Phantom Zone for an unknown length of time.

The Dichotomy of Lor-Zod and Chris Kent:

In post-Infinite Frontiers continuity, Lor-Zod begins getting flashes of a life before his own, of a life where he was family to the loathsome Kal-El of the House of El. Lor’s father, Dru-Zod, convince Lor that his affliction must be the machinations of the Justice League’s Martian Manhunter, a psychic attack meant to weaken New Kandor for invasion. Along with Non as a chaperone, Lor-Zod goes on a quest to hunt the Martian Manhunter, though he’s really on the path to restoring his pre-boot history and identity, and all the internal conflict that comes from the contradictions between his two selves. Effectively how I would approach reconciling the current iteration of Lor-Zod with Chris Kent. Guest-starring Martian Manhunter and M’gann M’orzz.

The Cola Caper:

Upon hearing the devastating news that an embargo on the island nation of Santa Prisca will halt the distribution of Zesti Cola in the United States, Dick and Tim go on a mission to infiltrate Santa Prisca and abscond with as much Zesti as they can, and maybe even the secret recipe if they’re lucky.

Stray Little Tiger:

A Billy Batson-centric fic placed in a Stray!Tim Drake AU. Selina Kyle, on her way home from a caper, comes across a lightning-struck boy in an alley. Clearly homeless and in need of help, she decides to take the boy in until he’s healed, though the lightning seems to have severely damaged his vocal cords. She doesn’t know that this boy is Billy Batson, that he’s Captain Marvel, or that there’s something deeply wrong with the Rock of Eternity. This story is told mainly from Selina’s POV, with occasional sidetracks to Tim’s POV, but never Billy’s POV. Identity shenanigans, found family, magic problems, and more.

A Single Word Spoken:

A girl in the shape of a weapon is brought to Fawcett City, where she fulfills her purpose for the first and last time.

The girl who can no longer be a weapon hides from her wielder in an old subway and finds herself transported to a place of great magic.

There, the girl who wishes to be more than she was made to be finds a Wizard, who sees the girl for her heart and not for the blood staining her skin.

The Wizard teaches the girl a name.

Cassandra speaks her first word.

And in so doing, she speaks power.

Also featuring Cass navigating the anachronistic Fawcett City, befriending Billy Batson, codependency issues, an old man who’s also a Bengal tiger, ancient grudges, a different old man who’s barely qualified to give Cass life advice, and more.

Fake it For the Win:

While on a cruise, Tim and Kon decide to fake being married in order to compete on an onboard game show for married couples. When they actually win, though, they have no choice but to keep up the act for the rest of their trip. Fake dating to real dating, with a focus on comedy.

Crossroads of Fate and Eternity:

JLI-era fic with a couple of canon-divergent indulgences. Kent Nelson, helped by Khalid Nassour, decides to take Billy Batson under his wing as a student of the mystic arts. Magic lessons, Tower of Fate and Rock of Eternity shenanigans, Bromfield family stuff, an ancient entity and an ancient demon, philosophy, and other such tidbits.

A Little Ways Along the Family Tree:

When a villain travels through time to the future and accidentally takes Robin with him, Damian Wayne must team up with Mar’i and Jake Grayson to defeat the villain and return Damian to his proper time.

A High-Speed Romantic Tryst on an Open-Water Murder Shack:

When a couple of thugs steal a houseboat belonging to one of Tim’s marina neighbors while he and Bernard are hanging out, the two of them give chase in Tim’s own houseboat. Comedy, crack treated seriously.

[crookedteethed]

STORM’S be heavy soon (1) Billy the kid

Pairing: Billy the kid x Rich girl reader

Summary: Billy is hired to be the bratty Y/N Bristow guard on a five-day trip to Macon, GA; who knows what may happen on the long trail?

WARNINGS: Original characters, Cursing, reader's last name is "Bristow", mentions of guns, gun usage, reader is snotty, Eventual smut , (gonna add more warnings as I go)

Authors note: Typically I don't write for this show, but this idea popped into my head a few nights ago. Also, I haven't watched this show in months, so I'm just going off my imagination/what I remember. Enjoy!! <3

Word count: 2k

Divider cred → @saradika-graphics

New Mexico, 1881

On Ovid Bristow's hand-crafted cherry wood desk lies the sand color sack of silver dollar coins he'd just offered Billy.

The sack had been plopped on the desk and sat there untouched for a whopping two minutes, two minutes in which Billy been debating if he should take Bristow's offer.

Surely, Billy wanted the money. He could use a new rifle--ou--two new rifles, afford a new pair of boots, and maybe even a new horse--a quarter horse since quarter horses were the best for ridin'.

However, Billy had a sinking suspicion of immorality towards Ovid Bristow a sinking suspicion that boils in the pits of his stomach whenever he sees the aging, gray haired man with a deceitful smile on his face (Billy always smiles back, though). A sinking suspicion that's been brewing in his stomach for a while now.

But to mention this "sinking suspicion" Billy had wasn't suspicion at all; everyone knew Ovid Bristow was cruel; Bristow himself knew he was a cruel man, so he couldn't blame his wrongdoing on his ignorance.

It was just last week Billy had been playing cards with Ovid, along with several other aging gray-haired potbelly men, inside Ovid's new Saloon and Brothel (it used to be the old church house, but Ovid paid the church house's landlord twice as much as Pastor David did to own the building.)

Normando something (Billy had forgotten the man's last name, but it doesn't matter now since he's dead.) claimed he won the game, showing all the men his hand. A royal flush, he had one 10, one Jack, one King, one Queen, and an ace of spades.

Poor Normando; if he hadn't been smiling so hard and gloating about his win, he would've seen it when Ovid drew the gun from his holster. And then that was the end of Normando something, shot in the head by a colt revolver. Ovid said Normando had been cheating; he saw the stash of cards underneath the table.

No one doubted this, as you don't want to provoke the man with a gun in his hand.

In the present moment, Billy thought of this: how cold Ovid had been to murder someone over a card game (a card game?!). Billy imagined what Ovid would do to him--how worse his punishment would be if he: "Lost sight or let anything happen to his darlin'."

And that's where Billy resides in the place of dubiety.

"What? Did ole' Ovid Bristow scare you?" Bristow laughs, a flock of seagull-type laugh; when Billy doesn't join in on the laughter, Ovid suddenly becomes serious.

"Look," Bristow says, standing up from his desk, now face to face with Billy. "I'll give you some more money if that makes you feel any better."

He goes into his left breast jacket pocket, pulling out a rolled-up wad of cash. Bristow tosses the wad of money onto the sack of coins.

"1,500 in total." He says. "It's all there, you can count it."

As callous Ovid been, Billy knew he wasn't a liar. He believed that the sack of coins and the wad of cash had amounted to 1,500.

Billy stayed silent, as silence is the loudest response.

"C'mon, Billy, I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't trust you, you're one of the only men I trust, let alone trust you being around my darlin'."

Ovid sits on the edge of his desk with disdain, his stare not particularly on Billy but just above Billy's head.

"I see how those bastards look at my little Y/n at the Saloon, they look at her like she's one of those harlots at the whore house." He spats. "How I wish I can put a bullet through every one of those no good lookers head."

Ovid stands to his feet again.

"But you Billy, you don't stare at my daughter like she's a piece of meat, to you Billy my daughter ceases to exist. I like that about you."

Billy seemed calmed on the outside, but in the inside, he heard the bells ringing in his head.

Of course he looked at you, every man looked at you when you walked by. You were enchanting, the most beautiful woman Billy had ever saw.

Billy did most of his staring when you or your father hadn't been looking. Most of his staring had been from the corner of his eyes or below his hat.

The first thing Billy noticed about you was your bright eyes. They were a pretty shade of (your eye color) that matched your pretty crimson-colored lips and rosy cheeks. You were light on the makeup, which Billy had liked. You'd done your makeup in a way that almost seemed like you weren't wearing makeup at all; Billy liked that about you too. He also liked your elegant collarbones that sat right before your cleavage.

What Billy liked the most about you was that you were educated. You were going to college soon, the first woman Billy had known to do something like that--hell, the first person.

But if it weren't for you getting accepted into Wesleyan College in Macon, GA, Billy wouldn't have been asked to escort you there.

"It's only a week there and week back." Ovid told him at the beginning of the conversation; then Billy had his mindset that he wouldn't take you.

But now, thinking about you--thinking about anyone but himself taking you to Georgia, one of those no-good lookers Ovid described somewhat infuriated Billy.

What if one of them were to take advantage you? Or try to harm you? What if one of them were to kidnap you, take you to one of the many enemies Ovid Bristow have made and hold you for ransom?

Ovid had said it himself, he trusted Billy, so if the job was to be done, Billy was the one to do it.

So as Billy left Ovid Bristow's office, he had the 1,500 stuffed down in his pockets.

Walking Billy to the door, Ovid had his arm snaked around Billy's neck, with a wide smile on his face.

"I knew you wouldn't let ole' Ovid down." He says. Ovid then instructs Billy to arrive at his manor tomorrow by a quarter till seven and pack lightly, as the rest of the wagon is reserved for his "sweet darlin'. "

Leaving Ovid's office, Billy thought he might've seen you inside the waiting room, but it was just that harlot--the one that works at the Brothel that looks like you.

It was 6:45--a quarter till seven when Billy arrived at the Bristow's manor.

Ovid Bristow's riches had been by pure luck. He used to work in the fields, digging holes to plant crops, and one day, he accidentally struck oil. The best kind of accident that could happen to a man.

Ovid Bristow was the Rockefeller of New Mexico.

Approaching the manor, Billy was greeted by a heap of men and women, all housekeepers, butlers, maids, and landscapers, all of whom had been waiting to give Y/n Bristow a farewell. Plus there been a marching band of all men standing at ease.

He didn't know if he could go inside the manor to tell Ovid he'd been here right at a quarter till seven and was lightly packed, because the doors had been locked shut.

So Billy waited with the rest of them, alongside the coachmen who was to take you and him to Georgia. He slips his sack into the back of the wagon.

"Warner." The man introduces himself as, he was a fellow old enough to be Billy's grandfather, Billy questioned Warner's ability to ride for five days straight day and night.

Your entrance was rather grand, ostentatious.

As soon as the white and gold doors flung open, the marching band began to blow their trumpets and bang their drums.

You stood in the doorway, a demure smile on your face, until the marching band's song (which sounded like a bunch of commotion) ended.

"Farewell, my good people, as this is yours truly last day on Bristow's Manor." You spoke dramatically. "Goodbye Nettie, I'll never forget that day you yelled at me for breaking that vase, and then I nearly gotten you fired for raising your voice at me." You waved to an older woman in a maid's uniform, who looked like she was suppressing an eye roll. "Goodbye housekeepers, whom I've never learned the names of, Goodbye Landscapers who kept planting thorn bushes even after I pricked my finger on one when I was five, Goodbye…"

As you continued saying your goodbyes the word "Shallow" was on the tip of Billy's tongue, but he hadn't want to make his judgement. Though he saw you around town, normally accompanied by your father, he hadn't spoken to you yet.

He'd been too scared he'd get shot or beaten by Ovid for simply saying a "Hello" to you.

Ovid had been beside you as you said your goodbyes, carrying a round pink leather suitcase, presumably yours. Behind the both of you were two butlers carrying the rest of your luggage—ten suitcases in counting, all pink, some round, some rectangular.

"Jesus Christ." Billy mutters to himself.

"Goodbye--" you stop in front of Billy, scanning his face--those dark curls and dark blue eyes--wondering what was his occupation on the manor. He'd look familiar to you, but then again he didn't.

Trashman? The stableman? Daddies assistant? No, he was to ruffian like to be Daddies assistant.

Then you suddenly remember--yes, that's who he is.

"Farewell, stablehand, I don't have any memories of you, but I shall wish you the best of luck cleaning shit for the rest of your life at Daddies stable." You smile.

A scowl had formed on Billy's lip.

That shallow bit-

His thinking is cut off by Ovid's laughter. "My sweet darlin, this isn't the stablehand, this is Billy. Billy here's a gunslinger. I hired him to keep you safe on the trail to Georgia."

You hum, a slight smirk on your lips. You raised your dainty hand to Billy and introduce yourself.

Billy puts his rough hands in your warm, smooth ones. You feel a jolt run through body, you wonder if Billy felt the jolt too.

It wasn't like you didn't know his name now, so Billy just tipped his hat and called you “Misses.”

"Fantastic," Ovid says with a deceiving smile. "Darlin', why don't you make yourself comfortable inside the wagon while Billy and I exchange a few words," Ovid tells you. "And gentlemen, why don't you start loading up darlin's luggage," Ovid instructs the butlers.

As you get onto the wagon (with the help of Warner) and the butlers start loading your things, Ovid pulls Billy to the side by the scruff of his neck.

"Now, remember yesterday I said I trust you, Billy. Darlin's all I got, Billy, it be a shame if something were to happen to her while she's in your care… It be even more of a shame what'll happen to you." Ovid says in a calm voice.

"Promise me that you'll take good care of her during those five days, promise me that Billy."

"I promise, sir." Billy says, looking at you from afar, you yell at the butlers for "manhandling" your "valuables."

Ovid catches Billy staring. "Also, Billy hear this, I know my daughters a pretty girl--she gets her looks from her late mama--god rest her soul, but I swear if you even must lay a finger on her with the intent of lust; I'll have you castrated, you got that boy?"

Billy thought about it , walking around town without his manhood, be known as the man without a cock.

"Y-yes sir." he sweats.

"Good!" Ovid exclaimed, letting Billy go.

"Daddy!" You yelled "I'm not getting any younger here!" You say impatiently.

Then, as you, Billy, and old man Warner left the gates of Bristow Manor, the marching band played another loud commotion. The blaring drums and tubas still ranged in Billy's ears as you all were 2-3 miles down the road.

Billy looked at you, cocking his head--you'd been filing your nails.

A Rose thorn bush, Billy labeled you--so amusing to look at, tempting to touch; when he felt the courage to touch it, he'd realize he gotten pricked and was starting to draw blood.

*I plan on making this a two part series*

[creepswrites]

Hi, sorry for disturbing.

I read some of your FICS here on Tumblr and i just adore your style!!

Can i request something?

A billy loomis x reader (angst )

Thank you

you guys really like my billy and stu huh? hope you enjoy this!!

Billy Loomis w/ a GN! Reader

WARNING: angst (duh), mentions of violence/stalking, Stu/Billy undertones, cheating

You and Billy had been dating for awhile now and you were happy

He was an attentive boyfriend but he'd been quiet ever since the horrible murders that happened at Stu's house

Everyone had died and he and the other boy had been left for dead and your heart couldn't help but ache for him

He never told you what had really happened that night, after all

So the trauma bond those two had was to be expected, according to what Billy said his therapist had told him

When he wasn't with you, he was with Stu

Then he started canceling plans, citing he was busy

Then he started not answering your calls

Your friends warned you Billy Loomis had struggled in his relationship with Sydney because she "wasn't putting out" so you assumed that was wrong

You decided to dress up cute and go to his house, despite him canceling plans with you

As you were walking to Billy's house, you froze when you saw Stu Macher had already beaten you there. You ducked behind a tree as Billy stood in the doorway, looking absolutely irresistible in his thin white shirt and plaid lounge pants. "You sure took your sweet ass time." Billy shot at Stu with a smile.

It wasn't like the smiles he gave you. Practiced and perfected. It struck you deep in your stomach that Billy looked at peace. Like Stu was the one he felt the most comfortable around. And that made you feel dizzy with jealousy.

"Sorry, sorry, had to stop and get his royal highness the snacks he wanted." Stu laughed, thrusting a plastic bag into the other boys' hands.

Billy surveyed the contents before his smile grew. "Forgiven. Your offer is accepted, you may enter." He said with a dramatic flair. Stu just laughed as he entered the house, shutting the door behind him.

You were left outside, pressed against the tree as you felt hot tears fall. Was Billy having Stu over every time he skipped plans with you?

You had to know.

So you would sneak over to watch his house whenever he rejected plans with you. And, sure enough, Stu came over every single time. Sometimes they'd go out somewhere, Billy's legs propped against the dashboard as he let Stu drive, or they'd stay in - probably watching horror movies. Despite everything they'd been through, the two still loved those horrible movies.

You never really liked scary movies.

Everything came to a head one afternoon. You were out with your friends at a mall just window shopping for the most part. As tempting as blowing your whole paycheck was, you wanted to pay for your gas this month. Your little group had settled into the food court and you were left to guard the table.

Your eyes caught two hooded figures sitting together at a table a ways away. Tucked into a corner, whispering to each other and brushing their fingers together. It was a little bit cute, you thought with a wistful look. If only your boyfriend would do that with you instead of ditching you for his friend.

Once food was brought to your table though, you promptly forgot about the two and focused on eating. After all, they weren't anyone to you. It's not like many of Woodsboro would travel this far for this particular mall.

Until the taller one leaned over and kissed the shorter one. You let yourself smile a little. But, before you could look away, you watched the hood slip off the shorter person's head.

You felt like all the blood left your face and your body ran hot and cold all at once. Squeezing your eyes shut, you turned your back on the couple - no doubt they were a couple left in your head.

Because Billy - your boyfriend - was making out with his friend only a dozen or so feet away from you. And they had no idea you knew.

You stopped calling Billy, stopped trying to spend time with him. As far as you were concerned, you were over. But he didn't know you knew. So he persisted. Which led to him going to your house to confront you. Which led to an argument, because it wouldn't be Billy without him trying to manipulate you.

"I saw you." You finally confessed, shaking as you sat on your bed. "At the mall." You clarified when you saw his confusion.

Slow realization dawned on him and you saw fear and anger war in his eyes. Anger because you'd caught him in his lies, caught him in his months of ignoring you and making you second place to his best friend. And fear because you'd caught him. You'd caught him with a boy.

And when Billy was afraid, he got angry.

"You think I care about you? At all? You're nobody!" He spat. "You're not even real to me. A toy to play with, at best." His voice was like venom - venom that acted quick and stung in your veins.

"You don't mean that." Your voice wobbled, desperate for him to be lying again. He'd gotten so comfortable doing it, surely he was doing it again-?

"People aren't fucking real. You're fake." Billy hissed, backing up to your window.

"And Stu is real?" You shot back, bitterness evident in your face. "Realer than me?"

Billy laughed. "Obviously. After everything he and I have been through, he's the only fuckin' real person besides me."

You felt the welling up tears fall in hot streaks down your cheeks. "Then why did you date me? Why me and not just- just go straight after him? Why would you string me along like this Billy?"

He looked at you as he went for your window. He paused for just a moment before he smiled. "It was fun." You let out a sob and he only smiled wider. "And if you tell anyone what you saw, I will make you very sorry."

Then he left. Left you alone to cry and nurse your broken heart in your room. And you couldn't believe you'd lost to Stu Macher of all people.

His last words sat with you as a horrible thought crossed your mind: had Billy orchestrated the events at Stu's house?

No, surely not. It was just the traumas he'd gone through, you reassured yourself. He'd be back. He'd apologize. He'd reassure you whatever he was doing with Stu was nothing compared to what he had with you. Surely.

But he wouldn't.

[anawrites3]

Hello, I woke today wondering whether Slade and Dick sleep together in royal au and when they started sleeping in one bed at all 👀 Did it surprise Dick etc

Have a good day 💕

Hi, love!! Thank you for asking -3-

At this point of the story (the one on tumblr of course) they haven't shared a bed yet! As big of an asshole Slade is, he is anything but well prepared and so he knows Gotham customs pretty well - he just chooses to ignore them most of the time. He knows that Dick could actually start to hate him if he forced him to sleep in his bed before they got married and as tempting as it is, he gives Dick his own rooms.

Dick was meant to move into Slade's chamber after the wedding, where they'd consummate the marriage and then Dick would just stay there permanently. Buuut as you know, in the last part Dick got stabbed so he wasn't really in a shape to do anything of the sorts. After Villian allows Dick leave the hospital wing, Dick returns to his old rooms. They should be sharing bed at this point, yes, but Slade wants to make sure that Dick's wound is healed properly. Instead, Slade visits Dick in his room pretty much everyday :3

So, the short answer is: they haven't slept together yet and they start sleeping in one bed after Dick is completely healed 💕

A short scene because this just got into my head:

------

Dick walked further into the garden, wrapping his cloak more tightly around himself. The snow was reaching his ankles even in the boots with thicker soles and he cursed Defiance's weather under his breath before quickening his step.

He wanted to talk with Slade and he had to do it now, before he lost his confidence.

Just as the guards told him, Slade was sitting by the now frozen fountain in the middle of the royal gardens, like he often did since their marriage celebration. No one really knew the reason for those outings but Dick suspected it had to do with him and the fact that they still didn't know who sent the man responsible for the stab wound in Dick's chest. The cold, biting air was a great way to clear one's head and help you think.

That is, as long as it wasn't turning you into an icicle, like it was happening to Dick right now.

Only, when Dick got closer to where his husband was, he noticed that Slade wasn't actually alone. Sir Wintergreen was sitting at the bench a few steps away from Slade, talking to him with a smile on his lips that was almost completely covered by his mustache.

Dick was about to turn away and go back inside the castle - he didn't want to interrupt them and it's not like his case couldn't wait - when Slade looked up. Their gazes met and Dick's breath left his lungs in a white puff.

"Richard?" Slade asked, visibly surprised to see him there.

Dick sharply inclined his head, "Your Majesty."

Wintergreen glanced at Dick with a knowing look in his eyes. He got up from the bench with a little groan of effort and patted his king on the shoulder with a smile.

"I'll leave you two to it then." He said.

"Oh no, sir Wintergreen, I didn't want to interrupt you." Dick said hurriedly. "Please, continue. I can come later-"

"Nonsense, Your Majesty." Billy waved his hand dismissively. "I was about to head back anyway."

"I'll see you later, Billy." Slade nodded at him and before Dick could try to protest again, Wintergreen disappeared behind the hedge.

"I apologize, Your Majesty." Dick said quietly, watching Slade stand up as well. "I wasn't aware you had company."

"Don't worry about it." Slade stopped before him to take his cheek in hand, stroke his thumb along the skin. Despite sitting outside in the snow for at least an hour now, his skin was still warmer than Dick's. "Did something happen? You don't usually seek me out like this."

"No, I just-" Dick started then stopped quickly and pressed his lips together. He searched for the right words in his mind because everything he wanted to say earlier suddenly disappeared from his head.

He could back out from this. Say something completely else and Slade would have no idea about what was going through his head in the first place. But Dick knew that he would never gather enough courage again if he didn't say it now.

Beside, Slade had an annoying habit of always knowing when Dick lied.

"You shouldn't stay out in the cold for so long." Slade scolded him, not unkindly, after another moment of silence. He adjusted Dick's cloak. "You're shaking, little bird."

"I'll be alright." Dick smiled. "I should be getting used to this kind of weather anyway."

Slade's lips twisted in a frown as he shook his head. "It's not good for your health. And specially now, when you're still healing. Let's go back inside."

"A-actually..." Dick stopped Slade when he tried to guide him back towards the castle. He took a deep breath and felt the cold air dance in his lungs. It was now or never. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm completely healed now. Villain said so himself. So now I'm... I'm finally good to move into your rooms, Your Majesty. The way it should be after the celebration."

For a moment Slade just looked at him. If he was surprised by Dick's words, he didn't show it in any way. He just looked at Dick without saying a word and if it weren't for the cold wind already biting at Dick's cheek, the young consort would surely blush.

"Your Majesty?" Dick breathed out.

In asnwer Slade took his own cloak off his shoulders and carefully wrapped it around Dick. He leaned down to press his lips to Dick's cheek. "Walk with me."

"B-but you... aren't you cold?"

Slade smiled. He reached for Dick's hand and intertwined their fingers together. "I'll be alright." He echoed Dick's words. "Walk with me. We'll worry about moving your things later."

And so, Dick allowed him to guide them through the garden.

[misslavenderlady]

My prediction for the Dead Meat Kill Count of The Lost Boys!

(inspired by a post from @canadianhottmess)

- The set James has will include the Chinese food box/chopsticks, a milk carton, a comic book (might specifically be Destroy All Vampires), bulbs of garlic, a stake and a boom box

- James will either be

A. Dressed as Michael because he's the easiest to dress as

B. Wearing a lost boys T-shirt and then when he does the numbers segment, he'll lose the shirt and do the oiled up sax guy joke (I'm guessing this because there's a teaser image of it)

- He'll make a reference to the Horror Royal Rumble he did and how David won when he brings up the hairstyle he has (and how kiefer said he looked like a bad wrestler)

- Absolutely will mention Jason's father and his role in The Exorcist

- Obviously will mention 24 for Kiefer and how he has a connection with Corey Feldman after working with him in Stand By Me

- For Billy he might mention Bodysnatchers and his episode on Charmed

- For Alex he'll definitely mention Bill and Ted, but I think he'll focus more on the special effects makeup he did in Freaked and Destroy all Neighbors

- I can only see him maybe mentioning Thrashin for Brooke. He may bring up the bond he hand with Corey Feldman but who knows

- Will talk about the Coreys having their first duo movie in this

- Will absolutely GUSH about Ve Neil and her vampire makeup

- I really really hope he mentions the crew having to lift up the dog and fuckin THROW him at Brooke.

- just....sooooo much info about the special effects and behind the scenes stuff. Will definitely include how Kiefer's tear was on accident from the contact lenses and that Alex almost lost his vision when the kids accidently kicked dirt in his eyes during the stake scene

- the numbers will only have one female kill (that being Shelly, the girlfriend of the Surf Nazi).

- Golden Chainsaw for coolest kill: The Surf Nazis because it's super brutal and gory and it's the first time we see their vampire faces

- Dull Machete for lameness will go to the security guard for him not knowing how to open a damn door

Feel free to add on!

[kairoot]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈: Suitors’ Rounds | 𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚’𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱.

PAIRING ▸ prince!hongjoong x princess!female!oc

GENRE ▸ royal au, arranged marriage, strangers to lovers, angst, fluff

WARNINGS ▸ scolding i guess?, mistreatment, let me know if I can add anything

MILAN’S NOTE ▸ enjoy the first chapter ! :p wc: 5.2k

SECTION SONG — my future by billie eilish

italics indicate flashbacks!

"How many times must I remind you, Loria?!" Lady Valenti had grabbed the poor girl by her arm, dragging her into her bedchamber.

"But, Mama, I was only-" Loria started, only to be interrupted by her grandmother seeing her way into the room with a nod to the guard outside the large double doors.

“You should not be so hard on her Adela, you were once her age.” She spoke, her tone calm and reminding as she stopped a few feet in front of the door and glanced at Loria before turning to look at her daughter.

"Is this how she will act when she is to present herself to her suitors in the future? Will she behave like an untrained canine while she is being courted?" Lady Valenti asked, rhetorically questioning her mother as she slowly turned around to meet her gaze.

Loria diverted her gaze to the floor, tears instantly glazing her vision. Her mother had been treating her this way ever since she’d expressed to her that she wanted to be a kingdom archer and not a princess. To which her mother- of course, quickly disapproved of.

She was also no longer in the pale baby blue dress her mother had sent her off in during the early hours of the day where, she’d been with her daughter, but she was now fitted in Khaki shorts and a ruffled white polo shirt- that was no longer spotless but now littered with the remnants of her time in the fields where she’d been carelessly pulling dirt and rust covered arrows out of their targets. Even her knee length socks looked as if they’d been spat on by the mud monster itself.

The preteen turned around in her seat, her curls that she’d sloppily tied into a high ponytail swayed with her movements as she faced her bedside table.

“She is not to be courted for another 7 years, why are you urging your concerns of marriage onto her at such a time?” Loria’s grandmother asked, her face subtly displaying her confusion.

“Because she wishes to be a knight.” Loria’s mother deadpanned.

“I wish no such thi-” Loria cut in, attempting to defend herself from her mother’s false claim.

“Quiet Loria! You are not to speak unless you are spoken to directly, do you understand!?” Lady Valenti raised her voice, no longer able to hold back her frustration as she turned to glare at her daughter.

Loria shrunk back down into the position she was previously at, returning her gaze back to the floor as she nodded wordlessly at her mothers outburst.

Her grandmother shook her head as she silently stared at her daughter, disappointment now evident on her features.

“You are exaggerating, Adela.” Her grandmother said, her frown only becoming more apparent.

Lady Valenti was still as she stared at her daughter through the vanity mirror that she sat in front of. She felt the slightest bit of pity for a moment, watching as her daughter frowned at the polished marble floors, and fought back her tears. Despite her tick of pity a disappointed scowl remained upon her features.

“You are of no help to the cause either, Mother. She wishes to play with weapons and practice in the fields as though she is training to be in battle, as though she is a prince! And you are teaching her how to do it as if it will be useful to her in her future. I will not allow her to trash her rank and attempt to be something she is not.” Lady Valenti said with finality as she turned her head away from the mirror and towards her mother.

Tears welled up in Loria’s eyes once again, threatening to spill but she held them back. Hearing those words and receiving that kind of treatment from her mother was nothing new to her. It was not the first time she’d done this and it surely wouldn’t be the last.

“Your Majesty!” One of Lady Valenti’s hand maidens came hurriedly into the room, distress and concern written all over her face.

Both Lady Valenti, and her mother diverted their attention to the girl. They wordlessly waited for the girl to continue and explain her sudden urgency, worry making its way onto their own faces.

“It’s- Qu- Queen Minjae of Aurora, she has been transported to the medical wing, she’s been wounded- fatally!” The girl stresses.

The last few words of her sentence were barely processed through Loria’s grandmother’s head as she immediately made her way out of the room. Urgency in her steps as a guard made his way behind her, barely catching up as she turned a corner heading straight towards the palace’s medical wing.

Loria looks up at her mother, confusion and worry written all over her face.

“Watch over Loria, I will go see to her Majesty. Do not let her out of your sight.” Lady Valenti says to the hand maiden that had remained in the room after giving her the news.

“Yes, your Majesty, as you wish.” The girl bowed in obedience as she turned her gaze to Loria, who watched as her mother hurried out of the room.

Minjae, it was a name she had heard before but wasn’t familiar with. But Loria assumed she must have been pretty important considering the title she held. Queen Minjae.

-

Even now, 7 years later- her mothers mistreatment and emotional abuse remained consistent. Loria was 20 now, and with that the threats and lectures were only getting more intense. However her mother’s nagging wasn’t all that remained.

Loria's passion for archery did as well.

She stood in one of the many grassy meadows of Aibira, one not far from the walls of her Royal estate, her curls hanging loosely in a low ponytail as they danced with the breeze.

Her arms were occupied with the large bow that she was steadily pointing towards one out of 3 targets standing a few yards before her, her form perfect, her body still and one of her eyes squinted closed as she aimed for the perfect 10.

Loria took a deep inhale, her index finger ticking in preparation to release the arrow she held.

"Your Highness!" A shaky, almost panicked voice called out.

The sudden intrusion startled the princess, resulting in her releasing the arrow carelessly. The arrow flung sharply in whatever direction it wanted rather than the one she’d so carefully calculated.

Loria's head snapped in the direction of the anxious tone, hearing the subtle “thwump” of the arrow she’d released hit what she hoped was one of the targets.

A young woman ran towards her, the edges of her washed blue dress bunched into her fists so that the skirt of her gown would hang above the threatening grass.

"Helena?" Loria questioned, making eye contact with her one and only lady in waiting. Questioning her by a simple call of her name and a confused expression to top it off.

"Loria!" Helena called for her by her first name when she got closer. The maiden stopped abruptly, bending over slightly as she tried to catch her breath. She exhaled before speaking again.

"Lady Valenti, your mother.. Wishes.. Wishes to see you." She managed to get out, her breathing slowly but gradually stabilizing.

Loria scoffed in disapproval, intending to ignore her maiden's message the second the words “Lady Valenti” had left her lips. She turned back towards the targets she’d been practicing with and smirked to herself.

"Bullseye.” She whistled proudly, observing the arrow that she thought she’d inaccurately released, pride bubbling in her chest as she looked at how the fine arrow pierced the target before reaching for her quiver to retrieve another arrow then walking a little ways to line up with the next target.

"Loria, she-" Helena started, but was interrupted by Loria’s taunting question.

"Do you think I could stick another one like that? Shall I close my eyes this time?" She asked with a small smile before closing her eyes and pretending to ready her arrow for the target. Whatever it is her mother wanted could wait. She was almost positive it was something about her royal duties or some other lecture that she could not stand to hear right now.

Helena swallowed hard, trying her best to urge the Princess back into the palace where she assumed her mother was growing more and more impatient until the point where she’d eventually-

"Loria Valenti!" Loria’s mother wailed, nearly shoving poor Helena as she stomped her way over to her daughter.

Loria groaned to herself before turning around once again to face her “evil” mother’s wrath.

"Mother.. I-” She started, closing her eyes with a sigh before they shot back open at the feeling of her Mother’s polished nails digging into the uncovered flesh of her arm.

"I recall telling you to return to the castle before 12, or was I hallucinating. Or perhaps I was talking to the WITCH pretending to be my daughter, hm?” She spat gritting her teeth, anger evident in her voice as she yanked Loria back towards the castle.

Loria’s breathing was heavy as she attempted to release herself from her mother's clutch. Her struggles only resulting in her mother’s grip getting harsher, her skin was tan but the bruises from her mother’s nails would surely be visible.

Her words of protest were left unheard as her mother forced her into the palace. Helena followed sheepishly behind the two.

"I cannot, to this day, fathom why you must partake in such hobbies, Loria. It is not princess-like, you are behaving like a prince in training!" Lady Valenti yelled, shoving Loria towards the stairs that were routed to her bed chambers.

"It is not about being “princess-like”, it's about being me, Mama! Indulging in my passion and my gift!" She retaliated, trudging up the steps.

"Will you inform your husband of such intentions, then?" She retorted, walking past Loria and making it into the room before she could.

Loria scoffed, stomping into her room with irritance evident in her body language. Helena entered behind the two with her head slightly lowered.

Lady Valenti called for the dress maidens by a ring of a bell. One by one 4 maidens made their way into the large room. One for her hair, one for her face, another for her scent selection, and the other for dressing and fitting.

Loria slumped sideways in her vanity chair, groaning and covering her face with both hands. She was slouching, which her mother was quick to notice and reacted with a stinging smack on the girl’s arm.

Loria purposely delayed her reaction, the sting of her mother’s hand only irritating her more as she cut her eyes at the woman, anger brewing in her gut.

"Will you sit like a man as well? Straighten your back and align your shoulders as you were taught Loria."

"Perhaps I will." Loria mumbled, earning her another smack to the arm.

“She is due for a bath, clearly. Wash her and have her dressed by 3 pm. Her suitors will be arriving by 4.” Lady Valenti ordered, turning towards the dressing maids and glancing at Loria once again with a disappointed scowl before leaving the room.

She slouched in the seat once again, sighing while fighting back a dramatic scream of frustration.

“At least you’ll be a Queen, Lo.” Helena gave her a small smile before stepping back to allow her room to stand.

“If she isn't dead by the time I am crowned she will continue to nag me. Though I don't doubt that even by the means of death she will resume her haunting.” Loria responded, an unamused look on her face as she walked down a shorter hallway towards her bathing room, all 5 maidens following behind.

“My lady, I’ve heard through the grapevine that Prince Evrin of Kairos will be on your list of suitors today.” One of the dressing maidens spoke with a fond smile as she ran the plush sponge across one of the princess’ shoulders.’

“Who is that?” Loria asked, her sarcasm seeming to have flown over all the lady’s heads as they all paused in hesitation for a moment. Letting an awkward silence settle over the room before Loria spoke up once again.

“I’m only kidding..” She clarified.

The maidens forced their laughter before resuming their activities and conversation.

“He’s really dashing isn't he? I’ve yet to see him in person but I hear he's quite handsome and polite.” Another comments, nearly swooning as she imagines him as the perfect prince charming.

“Right.. well. I’d rather get this whole thing over with as soon as I possibly can.” She sighs. “I dread spending over 5 minutes with any man no matter how dashing.” The princess said, disinterest heavy in her tone as she suddenly stood up, water splashing and startling the maids who stood up just as quickly after her.

“Shall I be dressed?” Loria asked, throwing a thick chrome laced robe over her shoulders before slipping into her slippers and exiting the room.

“Of course, my lady. As you wish.” Helena said, nodding at the dress maidens towards the direction of which she was headed.

-

Staff shuffled around the Valenti home like mice. Loria sat on one of the plush seats in the sun room. Doing breathing exercises as she struggled to exhale properly, the corset and tight lining splayed across her torso making the task more difficult than usual.

“Quickly, everyone. Everything must be perfect.” Lady Valenti announced wearing a proud almost eerie smile on her face, seeming to be enjoying the torture and pure agony of her eldest daughter.

Frustrated wasn’t even the word to describe Loria’s current mood. She attempted to pull the dress as far away from her chest as she could, eventually giving up.

“Cheer up, flower.” Her grandmother spoke across from her. She gave Loria a reassuring smile, the girl’s face straining as she tried to return her grandmother's kind gesture.

“The stabbing corset and itchy pearls and diamonds will all be worth it, bloom.” Her grandmother said, turning to look out towards one of the many windows in the room.

Loria gave her grandmother a gloomy look, trying to see things from her perspective. Or in other words figure out what exactly she meant by that. No matter how old Loria got, she’d always see marriage the way she always had.

A trap. Prison. Something those of royalty did only for power.

She wanted to be free. Free to do whatever her heart longed to do.

“Will Father be here?” She asked her grandmother, but her mother answered instead.

“Your Father will not be joining us today,” Lady Valenti said.

“He has many things to do.”

“But when does he not.” Loria grumbled, adjusting in the hard chair.

“What was that, dear?” The Queen hummed, fixing her hair in the main room’s mirror.

“Nothing,” Loria scoffed. “Where is Celine?”

“Off to her pianoforte lesson.”

“And Jade?”

“Latin lesson.”

“And will my sisters be joining me today?” Loria asked, folding her arms.

“Dearest, Loria. Your questions will stir up a headache if you continue. Now— Helena, did I not tell you to pin the girl’s hair up?” Lady Valenti’s eyes nearly popped out of her head seeing Loria’s curls cascade down the sides of her bosom.

“Your Majesty, I—“ Helena started, getting up from her place next to the main room’s table. She put down the bowl of fruits, rushing to the Queen’s side.

Lady Valenti’s hands came to hold the sides of her daughter’s face, examining her head.

Two thick strands of hair were pulled back into a flowery ribbon with the rest falling past her shoulders and wavy bangs separated, framing her face.

“Mother, stop!” Loria swatted at the Queen’s hand, trying to move away from her touch.

“It was my idea. Not Helena’s.”

“I should have known.” She scoffed, standing back up straight.

“Uhm, Your Majesty. The suitors have arrived.” One of the servants spoke, peeking their head through the rather large doorway.

The Queen gasped, hurriedly taking her place next to her daughter’s seat.

She cleared her throat, smiling, “Please, bring them in.”

The servant nodded, turning to the doorway. He beckoned someone towards the room before taking his spot again.

“Now presenting, His Grace, The Duke of Aldric.” He announced just as a man with piercing blue eyes walked in. His hair brown and curly with some strands lighter than others.

“What on Earth would a Princess want with a Duke?” The Queen mumbled, giving the Duke a strained smile.

He wore a cocky smirk, standing a few feet away from the Queen and Princess.

“Your Majesty. Your Highness.” He bowed slightly, his smirk growing even wider now.

Loria gave the Duke an uneasy grin, watching him step closer to her. He held his hand out to take hers, to which she hesitated a bit before forcefully bringing her hand up to meet his. He gently took it and brought it to his lips.

She nearly hurled but kept herself together by a gentle smile and nod of her head.

The Queen stepped to the side, giving them both some space.

“I hear you are the athletic type.” He squats down to where her legs are, but not before letting his eyes roam her form on his way down before meeting her eyes.

Loria hummed, raising an eyebrow. She leaned away from the Duke slightly, the uneasiness in her stomach refusing to subside.

“I mean, I’ve seen your form in the garden.. So your stamina should be great, yes?” The Duke smiled, comparing two completely unrelated circumstances just to be a pervert.

Loria gasped, her hand raising to land a harsh smack to the Duke’s cheek.

“Loria!” Lady Valenti exclaimed, immediately standing from her seat.

The Duke was dismissed as he quickly walked out, holding the side of his cheek, face beet red.

“His question was rather inappropriate, Mother. Was it not, Gram?” Loria turned to her Grandmother who seemed to be more interested in the book in her hand than her granddaughter’s dilemma.

Loria scoffed as her mother shook her head. She signaled for the servant by the door to let in the next suitor.

This one was a Duke as well but seemed a bit older than the last. He appeared solemn, walking in long strides.

He did a quick neck bow before heading straight toward the Princess.

Loria’s eyebrows raised in surprise, stunned to see the man in such a hurry.

“Your Highness,” He began, his voice deep and gravely. “I’ve heard many say you find joy in archery. Is that the truth?”

Loria cleared her throat, “Yes, it is the truth. Did you think otherwise?”

She was only 2 suitors in and already wanted to send all of them out on their heels, whether they got to see her or not. She knew that their questions would just be on the topics of her athleticism or whether she was able to carry a child.

“Yes.” He replied honestly, flaunting a nearly forced smile.

“And may I ask why that is your Grace?”

“Well, because you are a lady, Your Highness. A weapon should be left in a man’s care. Wouldn't you agree?” He asked.”

“If I agreed, I wouldn't prefer to be out in the fields practicing, rather than spending my time talking to you right now, would I?” The princess responded, giggling at herself as the duke awkwardly chuckled along with her.

Her mother squinted at her, fighting back a scowl from her place not far from Loria’s side.

“I’m only kidding, but I am curious as to why you’d think such a thing. Is it because you believe a man is more capable of handling deadly weapons and poisons rather than a woman, I suppose?”

“I-“

“Have you ever wielded a bow and arrow, your Grace?” She asked, tilting her head. A smile slowly crept onto Loria’s face as she watched the Duke quickly grow embarrassed from being put on the spot.

“Well, um-“

The Queen sighed from her place beside Loria, her hand coming up to pinch her nose bridge. She shook her head once again before waving the Duke out, the servants coming to escort him.

Loria felt exhaustion creep up on her. She was ready for the day's end already. The dreadful day that consisted of her drowning in expensive jewelry with a dress that nearly crushed her ribs and deflated her lungs. The day where her freedom would be taken away from her. Just to please everyone but herself.

She leaned her head against her hand, rubbing where the tension grew in her temples. It was going to be an eternity before she could see the green fields again.

The next few suitors did just what she thought they would do. They questioned her actions as a lady, wondering why she would rather be outside climbing in trees than remaining inside with her lady in waiting, sipping black mint tea and wine while eating fancy midday meals.

Some asked how fertile she was, wondering how many children she could bear. If her personality was not up to par they'd settle for her womb instead. All of it was making Loria want to vomit but she wasn’t surprised in the slightest by their words. Men in general were one of the many reasons she refused to be married. They were so simple minded and all wanted the same thing from what she’d seen.

She was hardly responding to any of them, humming only when she needed to as she hardly made eye contact with the least of them, she was growing bored. Not like she wasn't from the start but even more so now.

“Now presenting, His Highness, Evrin Remington, the Prince of Kairos.” The volume of the servant’s voice knocked Loria out of her trance as she sat up in her seat, readjusting her posture. Noticing how even Helena did the same from the corner of her eye. Even going as far as to smooth her dress out and cradle her breasts before pushing them up.

Even her grandmother diverted her attention from the book she’d been so immersed in to look towards the double doors. Loria rolled her eyes at this.

She glared towards the doorway, her nose flaring in frustration. She was tired of sitting still. The weariness was getting to her.

Her eyes widened slightly and a crumb of the heavy exhaustion she was previously feeling wore off as she made eye contact with the rather tall man making his way into the room.

It wasn’t his height that caught Loria off guard but the way he carried himself. In confident strides. Much different from the others she'd seen. He walked with actual confidence rather than cockiness. The smile he wore was not one of faux pride but gentle, welcoming even.

His skin was dewy and bronze, melanin glazing his tone as if he'd been kissed by the sun goddess herself. The golden earrings he wore complemented his tone quite well.

His jaw and eyes were as sharp as one of Loria’s arrows, making his face appear well-sculpted. He looked as if he were conceived from true genuine love rather than just a loveless session of intercourse with only one intent of bearing a child for an heir.

After giving a polite greeting to her mother and grandmother he finally turned and made his way over to Loria, holding her gaze as he greeted her. He walked toward her slowly, one corner of his lip curved into a small smile.

Loria noticed the ink that was etched onto his hand in multiple different yet repetitive patterns when he reached for hers. His lips met her skin just like it did with the Duke. Only the Prince’s lips were softer, more pillow-like and didn't smoosh sloppily onto her delicate skin. His deep cupid’s bow pressed to the back of her hand multiple times.

“Your Highness,” The Prince spoke with a strong accent rolling off his tongue. “It’s an honor to be here with you.”

Loria didn’t respond but she kept her eyes on his. He smiled at her borderline dumbfounded expression, taking a seat next to her.

“Princess,” He held onto her hand tightly. “I will be crowned King soon. I’d like you to rule by my side..”

“Straight to the point huh..” Loria’s inner monologue said before her eyes widened a bit once again, “Um, I don’t-“

“Think about it. We’ll talk more when I’m courting you.” He chuckled at her expression. Her face remained the same, confusion spread across her features. He seemed sure that she was going to pick him.

He stood up after admiring her for a few seconds. Bowing one last time, he turned to leave.

Loria noticed a section of white curls that ran among his natural dark ones, had he dyed it? She wouldn't dare to say it outloud but she found it rather enticing. Her eyes remained on the spot of hair until the Prince turned to look at her again. He sent her one last smile before disappearing out the door.

Everyone in the room seemed to exhale at once when the prince was out of view, except for Loria. She glanced over to her mother who was already looking at her. She was hiding her grin behind the book she was “reading”, her eyebrows raised with a knowing look.

The Princess shook her head a sigh escaping her for the 10th time.

The next suitors were just as annoying as the first few. Though, this bunch was an older group. Older than the second Duke that approached Loria about being a lady.

Most of them looked old enough to be her grandfather.

“Can we just bring in the last one please? I’m exhausted, Mama, we’ve been here for at least 3 hours and I’m in dire need of rest.” Loria’s body slumped in her chair as she fanned herself with her manicured hand.

The Queen sighed, handing her daughter a nearby paper fan.

“I suppose we could. Send everyone out and bring in the last suitor, will you?” Lady Valenti said, knowing full well she’d only agreed because she was sure her daughter had chosen Prince Evrin.

The servant obeyed with a quiet “Yes, your majesty” before entering the halls to escort everyone else out. Loria giggled at the sound of middle aged men groaning and protesting.

They had all been sent home without meeting the Princess.

The servant entered the main room again, standing closely by the door.

“Your Majesty. I present to you, His Highness, Hongjoong Kim, the Prince of Aurora.” Even the servant seemed to have grown tired from announcing all the names and putting up with the suitors’ nonsense.

“What a lovely name.” Loria mumbled to her mother. The Queen hummed, going back to her book to give privacy.

In walked a male with jet black hair. It was sleek and straight, two strands laying against his forehead while the rest was pushed back.

His face was on the softer side, and he was much shorter than most of the other Princes she'd encountered but he still appeared intimidating nonetheless.

There was a large distance between him and Loria as he didn’t want to intrude on her personal space out of respect.

“You don’t have to stand 2 yards away from me, you can come closer.” She giggled, signaling for the Prince to move closer.

He let out a small chuckle, walking with his hands tucked behind his back.

He stood in front of Loria for a moment before taking her hand and giving a slight bow. She expected him to kiss it like everyone else, but he didn’t.

Her hand did linger in his for a moment as he examined it, sending sparks through her body. She shifted, the foreign feeling confusing her.

“So you’re into archery?” He finally spoke, dropping her hand gently.

There was a short silence as she lingered on how his gaze had settled on her hand for a moment before he released it, perhaps he was looking for scars or grime? Or was it for another reason.

“How’d you know?” She tested, seeing if his obvious question and his focus on her hand had any correlation.

He smiled, tilting his head and squinting a bit.

"Well it is the talk of the town, about how the Princess of Aibira is much more interested in having an arrow between her fingers rather than a ring. But any experienced archer would tell based on how the joint on your left index finger is slightly calloused, probably from your arrows, no?” He raised an eyebrow. Loria’s eyes widened slightly at his attentiveness. So that's what he was looking at.

“You also pointed out my distance from you in yards.. Rather than meters, which people typically tend to measure in."

She smiled slightly, clasping her hands together.

“I do have a passion for archery. But from your knowledge, I’m assuming you do as well?”

He hummed in response, his hands retreating to their place behind his back.

“Of course he does, he is a prince, Loria.” Her mother cut in with a kind smile towards the prince, but Loria could see the pure spite behind it. She was trying to say something.

Loria ignored her mother, not even looking her way, “Do you really? Or are you just saying that to sway my favor?” She squinted her eyes in suspicion.

He raised one of his hands, showing where his finger had been cut by multiple arrows.

Loria was stunned once again, her mouth opening to speak.

“Well, I think it’s time we wrap things up. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Majesty?” Loria’s Grandmother had interrupted her.

“Hm. All this bow talk is giving me an agonizing migraine.” The Queen set her book down, standing from her seat.

Loria’s eyes remained on the Prince. He gave her a nod before bowing to the Queen and turning to leave.

Even hours later, at dinner and when she was preparing for bed, Loria’s mind wandered to her last suitor. She didn't get a chance to say all she wanted to say but she was sure she'd see him again.

“So, do you have someone in mind?” Helena asked, brushing the Princess’s hair.

She looked in the mirror, her eyes meeting Helena’s.

“I’m not sure. But my interest is piqued. Surprisingly.”

Helena hummed, continuing her gentle strokes.

Later that night, Loria went out into the garden during one of the few moments the castle was still and quiet.

She sat the dim lantern next to her in the grass as she lay on her back.

Looking up at the twinkling stars, she couldn’t help but to think about the Prince of Aurora. About their conversation.

He was the only one who’d seemed to capture Loria’s attention but not only because of his looks. Everything about him.

He didn’t bombard her with questions about children or being the new Queen. He didn’t question her athleticism just to tell her she wasn’t ladylike. The Prince had observed her without even speaking.

She’d never found herself thinking about any other man as much as she thought of her father.

TAGLIST: @telail (message or comment to be added)

SYNOPSIS ▸ Loria B. Valenti III, the crown princess of Aibira harbors a deep passion for archery along with a strong disinterest of marriage. Loria faces the pressure of needing to find a beneficial royal suitor by the wishes of her family, in hopes of bringing the Kingdom of Aibira an increase in alliance and power. The princess meets 2 potential suitors, but only one of them seems to get her attention. Hongjoong Kim, crown prince of Aurora succeeding in his goal of courting her highness by his reciprocated passion for the arrow between his fingers. Much to his dismay the other suitor, Evrin Remington crown prince and king to be of Kairos is adorned with wealth, knowledge, power, and his heir to the throne appeals to the royals of Aibira. His and Loria’s marriage would bring many benefits to her and his country. Despite the circumstances Evrin has yet to give up on Loria, his greed and desire for the princess drives him to form an alliance with those closest to her, the goal being to remove Hongjoong and make room for himself. Will they succeed?

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[blacksailspolls]

🏴‍☠️ BLACK SAILS EPISODE BRACKET

ROUND 1, GROUP 2

SUMMARY

XVII. (2.09) — While Flint's ship waits in the Charles Town harbour, Vane overtakes the ship. However, Billy remains faithful to Flint's cause, and Silver remains on board, hiding with a few of the survivors. In Nassau, the remaining traitors that were not captured join forces to take Eleanor as hostage. They deliver her to the British Navy so that they can receive their ten full pardons for their actions as pirates. Flint prepares to accept the conditions of Peter Ashe, the Carolina governor, which are to expose his whole story to London and allow an inspection of the pirate port of Nassau. However, Miranda comes to the realization that it was Peter who betrayed them so many years ago. She retracts her deal with the governor and demands that Peter be hanged for his betrayal, leading to Peter's guards capturing Flint and killing Miranda. Flint's trial is later announced. Upon hearing the news of Flint's upcoming trial, Vane suggests an alliance with Billy to save Flint.

XXXII. (4.04) — The pirates have taken over Nassau as news of Captain Berringer's death reaches Rogers who is en route back to Nassau. 42 captives from Teach's crew are being transported to Port Royal, but have plans of taking control over the ship. Billy and Silver have words as they discuss the plans for Nassau going forward. Madi tries to talk the former slaves of the Uphill plantation into joining the pirates, but they have reason to worry as a new threat to their success is born.

[tina-aumont]

Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights is a 1942 adventure film directed by John Rawlins and starring Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Sabu and Leif Erikson. The film is derived from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights but owes more to the imagination of Universal Pictures than the original Arabian stories. Unlike other films in the genre (The Thief of Bagdad), it features no monsters or supernatural elements.

This is the first feature film that Universal made using the three-strip Technicolor film process, although producer Walter Wanger had worked on two earlier Technicolor films for other studios: The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936) at Paramount and the 1937 Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 for United Artists.

Plot (it may contain spoilers)

In ancient Persia, the young women of a royal harem read the story of Sherazade, unfolding the film's story. Sherazade, a dancer in a wandering circus, captures the attention of Kamar, the brother of the caliph, Haroun al-Rashid. Kamar's infatuation influences his attempts to seize the throne from Haroun and make Sherazade his queen. His revolt fails, and he is sentenced to slow death by exposure, but Kamar's men storm the palace and free their leader. Wounded and forced to flee, Haroun chances upon Sherazade's circus and is spotted by the young acrobat Ali Ben Ali. Aware of Haroun's identity, Ali hides him in the circus. Later, upon awakening from his injuries, Haroun beholds Sherazade and falls in love with her.

Meanwhile, Kamar assumes the throne, but Sherazade is not to be found. He orders the captain of his guard to find her, but a scheming grand vizier, Nadan, approaches the captain with the order to make Sherazade 'disappear.' After finding them, the captain sells the troupe into slavery. When the captain is found out, Nadan murders him in order to conceal his treachery. Haroun, Sherazade, and the acrobats escape the slave pens, but are found by Kamar's army and taken to a tent city in the desert. Kamar reunites with Sherazade and proposes, but she has fallen in love with Haroun instead. Nadan, recognizing the caliph, uses this knowledge to blackmail Sherazade into helping him remove Kamar from the throne, in return for safe conduct for Haroun out of the caliphate. In secret, however, he plans to have Haroun killed once he has crossed the border.

Upon learning of this insidious scheme, Ali and his fellow performers rescue Haroun, who then decides to free Sherazade with the help of the acrobats. But Haroun and the others are quickly captured, and Sherazade finally learns his true identity. Kamar engages Haroun in a swordfight, while the acrobats set fire to the tents; and the arrival of the caliph's loyal troops, summoned by Ali, triggers a massive battle. In the end, as Kamar prepares to deliver the deathstroke to Haroun, Nadan assassinates Kamar. But as he prepares to do in Haroun, Ahmad and Ali interfere, forcing him to flee. Nadan is stopped by a thrown spear and dies inside a burning tent, leaving Haroun, Sherazade, and their loyal friends to celebrate victory.

Cast

Jon Hall – Haroun-Al-Raschid

Maria Montez – Sherazade

Sabu – Ali Ben Ali

Leif Erikson – Kamar

Billy Gilbert – Ahmad

Edgar Barrier – Nadan

Richard Lane – Corporal

Turhan Bey – Captain of the Guard

John Qualen – Aladdin

Shemp Howard – Sinbad

William 'Wee Willie' Davis – Valda

Thomas Gomez – Hakim

Jeni Le Gon – Dresser / Dancer's Maid

Robert Greig – Eunuch

Charles Coleman – Eunuch

Emory Parnell – Harem Sentry

Harry Cording – Blacksmith

Robin Raymond – Slave Girl

Carmen D'Antonio – Harem Girl

The film was released on 25th December 1942.

Photos from ebay and text from wikipedia.

[apomaro-mellow]

Part 4

Dustin kept his promise to help teach Steve how to find food. Sources were getting scarce though. And after some time, Dustin decided his energy would be better suited to finding out where the fairy prince lived.

"If I can find him, he can get you home."

"Or you can find my home. Or better yet, fly me there", Steve suggested.

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Look at this wingspan. I'm lucky if I can carry a twig with some berries. Strength is not my forte. But finding things is. I've already found you twice. Maybe this Eddie guy is just bad with directions."

"Go, leave me here to fend for myself."

"I thought you were supposed to be the adult between us. Don't die!", he said as a reminder before taking off.

--------------------------

Steve's mother Lina waited as one day turned into two, then three. She waited as more of the leaves changed colors, and as the first frost appeared. While others prepared, and later celebrated the fall season, she waited by his bedroom window. She didn't make the dresses she normally did for the girls to dance in. Instead she spent her days making new outfits for Steve. One lucky aspect of having such a small son was that she needed very little material.

When night fell and it was too dark to sew by, she kept his window for as long as possible, singing lullabies, hoping he could hear and follow her voice home. Sometimes she looked to the book of tales, still open to the page with the fairy prince.

Steve's prince had promised to return him. Lina believed in chivalry and love. But she was also aware of how difficult to small people looking for each other in this big world could be. Steve could be right in the garden or a whole town over and she wouldn't know.

Tonight snow was falling and a powdery blanket was beginning to cover the ground. Feeling helpless but not hopeless, Lina closed the window for the night. She'd get started on a new blanket for him tomorrow.

-------------------------------

Eddie pushed Honey on, even as the winds got colder. Royal authority didn't give him the power to stop the seasons, even when he asked. He heard a commotion going on closer to the ground and flew in to see what it was all about. There was a toad, so he counted his luck.

"Hey!", he called out when he landed and hopped off his bee. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the guy I'm looking for. About yae high, beautiful brown hair, was last seen in blue?"

The toad sneered at him. "I ain't got nuthin' to tell a fairy. Buzz off." He turned to stomp away, muttering something about a Carol and a wedding.

Eddie flew past to head him off. "Wait just a second, I'm not done. Now I've lost someone and he could be in danger."

The toad was about to tell him off when his expression changed to something more conniving. Eddie got on his guard. This could very well be the toad that had taken Steve.

"Lost someone, you say? Maybe he just didn't wanna be around you", he said with a harsh shove, nearly knocking Eddie over.

"I don't want any trouble. Just some info."

Then he felt someone grab him from behind, arms surrounding his neck in a chokehold. Eddie immediately launched but was surprised when his assailant didn't fall behind. Instead they cackled and he also heard the sound of beetle wings. They wrestled in the air before Billy got the upper hand and threw Eddie against a tree.

He was disoriented as Tommy picked him up and shoved a knee in his stomach.

"I think if we wanna get our hands on that princess, we better keep a hold of the prince", Billy said.

"Yeah, but I'm not babysitting him."

Eddie regained just a bit of his fight to whistle, ordering Honey to bulldoze right into Billy. Tommy pushed at Eddie to get out of the way, making him fall into a deep puddle.

His wings weren't much use in the water. And he was fatigued from searching endlessly. He felt himself moving slow but it wasn't just his body. The water froze around him, sealing as he reached for the surface.

Honey hovered before she was shooed off by Billy. "Looks like we got some crown royal on ice", he grinned.

-----------------------------

To his credit, Steve felt like he did pretty well for a while after Dustin left. Still, there was no beating the cold when you had zero walls to shield you. By luck he was able to find a discarded holey sock to wrap around himself. His shivering only stopped when he passed out, praying he'd awaken in the morning.

When he did wake up, it was to warmth, so he was sure he was dreaming. He stretched out and instead of a worn sock, he had a much nicer cloth on top of him. This was nicer than the toad's barge, but he was so over waking up in unknown places.

"Oh good. You're finally awake."

Steve looked to the side and saw that he was in the presence of a weasel. A smartly dressed weasel at that.

"Did you bring me here?", Steve asked, looking around. The space was small, but that made it easy to keep warm. Which seemed to be accomplished with a stove.

"That I did. I'm a doctor around these parts. You can call me Brenner." He was stirring a pot as he spoke. "Are you hungry, Steve?"

"Starvin-wait, how do you know my name?"

Brenner chuckled to himself. "It's a small forest. I know all about you. How you were being courted by those toads and all. How you turned them down because of your previous engagement with the prince."

"We're not quite engaged", Steve took the cup that was offered to him. He didn't know what it was but it was warm and smelled of spices. "But, I suppose something like that was on my mind."

"Mhm", Brenner went back to stirring the pot. "Of course with him being dead, your plans must've changed."

Steve barely got a sip before the cup dropped out of his hands, startling the doctor.

"Certainly you knew about that?"

"No....", Steve whispered. He backed away until he came to a wall. Suddenly the cozy space felt much too small. "Eddie can't....he can't be...de-" His voice broke off with a weak gasp.

"My apologies. I assumed you knew."

Steve sunk down to the floor and pulled his knees up this his chest. If Eddie had been looking for Steve, if he had died out there while on the search...he could never forgive himself.

"Good food and good company can get your mind off that terrible dreariness. Come now." Brenner took a piping hot tray out of the oven. "We're going to take these to a dear friend of mine."

Steve didn't get up. "I'm really not up for visiting anyone right now."

"The way I see it, I just saved your life. And you can't muster up the energy for a stroll to my closest neighbor?"

Steve didn't even want to move. He thought his heart broke at the idea of never seeing Eddie again. Him dying was so much worse. It felt like his heart had been ripped out and left a whole in his chest; like he would never be full again. Brenner was looking at him expectantly though, so slowly, Steve rose to his feet. The weasel did bring him in from the cold and revive him. And it wasn't Brenner's fault that Steve was lost or that Eddie was...

His body moved on its own as Brenner put the pan in his hands and led him through a small door. The tunnel was dark and Brenner filled the space with whoever this neighbor was. A Mr. Henry Creel apparently.

Little did he know, Dr. Brenner had his own ulterior motives for Steve.

Part 6

Tag Team

@telidina

@novelnovella

@ajeff855

@mars-the-witch

@ceejay-955

@punctualhowell

@child-of-cthulu

@estrellami-1

@cupcakesnwhiskey

@spectrum-spectre

[alarrytale]

Hi Marte. Do you think it is harder for male popstars and actors to CO than female popstars and actresses? Because fans of female popstars and actresses are mostly gay men and straight women but fans of male popstars and actors are mostly straight women who sexualize and fantasize about them. Billie CO hasn't impacted her career at all because she doesn't have a thirsty audience but it would impact Harry and Shawn's right? Due to having a female audience who fantasize about sleeping with them. Well Ricky Martin managed to do it but he waited until later in his career. I hope we don't have to wait that long! How would a male artist go about CO if he has a female audience? Do you think it's possible? I'm talking gay male artists by the way, not bi. Bi it would be easier to CO as straight women will stick around.

Hi, anon!

I agree with you that it's harder for gay male popstars and actors to come out because of their target audience. For gay male popstars, coming out will kill the fantasy and het women will lose their chance to project their wants, needs and use them for their heterosexual exploration. For gay male actors they will maybe lose the chance to play het romantic roles and action movies, or other hyper-masculine roles that het males project onto. They're afraid they'll loose het male respect and recognition.

It's totally doable to come out to a female audience as a gay popstar. Like gay men love popstars like Lady Gaga, Madonna and Beyoncé, female heterosexual women love gay men the same! There are plenty of straight women who are larries, plenty of straight women who read gay fan fiction, and plenty of older women screaming about Elton Johns flamboyant outfits.

Gay men can still be fashion icons, trendsetters, influencers and role models to women when they come out. Even if they can't deliver on het female fantasies anymore. Gay men are more relateable to women, less misogynistic, feminists and more supportive and understanding of females than straight men are. Women might not want you anymore, they now want to be you. They still want to know who you're dating (is he hot), which celebrity friends you hang out with, what brand you're wearing and what festival you're playing next.

If Harry (and Louis) start to age up and act their age, they will stop attracting so many teenagers as fans and continue keeping fans their own age, and grow and older fanbase. Most people will stop projecting their sexual fantasies onto celebrities when they grow up (or at least realise that you won't marry them). When you've been around as an artist on top of world for a decade, your fans will also have grown loyal to you. They won't stop buying your music or going to your concerts because you come out as gay. People will have grown up alongside you, you're a part of their childhood and you will always have a place in their hearts. You can’t love someone so much for so long and reject them just because they come out. You can still attract teenagers as fans, but they will be fans for other reasons than you being someone to project onto. Teens love the cast of Heartstopper, Young Royals and RWRB for example. As long as you stay relatable, iconic, cool, inventive and explorative, and be someone to admire and look up to, you'll be fine.

If the coming out is done right, slowly and by seeding, your fans will get the picture and start rooting for you to come out. They won't be taken off guard and will come to accept it, little by little. Boil the frog. I also don't believe going from a straight image to totally changing up everything to exaggeratedly show off your queerness is the right way to go in order to keep your longtime straight fans loyal and supportive (i'm looking at you jojo siwa and sam smith...). If finally being free and doing whatever you want is your main goal, then by all means. But if you still want to maintain your fanbase and level of fame, then don't change everything up and make the artist your fans know and love totally unrecognisable to them. It's too much. Don't do a personality transplant. Show that you are still you. That basically means still catering to heterosexual women. They are still your biggest target audience. You will automatically now also appeal and cater to queer people. I think that's a good way to do it. With time and more acceptance, you'll be able to be more and more your authentic self and self express the way you wish. Your fans will have gotten used to it and not notice it. Boil the frog.