#she sacrifices most of her choices in her wedding other than her choice of groom

[redlegumes]

The most fantasy moment of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Toula- We can`t get married. Not like this. lt`s like, when l`m with you... l`m so happy. But my family is so unhappy. And our wedding should be this joyous thing... but it won`t be for them, because it can`t be at our church. So let`s just go somewhere. Please, let`s just go. Let`s just go!

Ian- l love you.

Toula- Why? Why do you love me?

Ian- Because l came alive when l met you.

Toula- But my family...

Ian- You`re a part of your family... and l`ll do anything, whatever it takes to get them to accept me. Because you`re my life now, you`re my whole life now. We`re not going to skulk off and get married... as if we were ashamed of ourselves.

🏛️🏛️🏛️

A partner that accepts you despite your family

Found the gifset! from @cinematv

[oh-saints]

You could write something like friends with benefits with Ruben Dias but he really falls in love w reader 😬 ? you can decide the rest just make it angst

you really can blame back to december (taylor's version) for this. who's ready?

saudade

(portugese) a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent; desiderium.

it was a word rúben only learnt in front of his oldest flame. his favourite flame. however, between the two of them, did time heal everything?

rúben dias x doctor!reader word count: 4.5k prompts: above + summer fling + @julianalvarez9's post here (sorry, girlie, gotta twist your idea a bit) tw: explicit foreplay but suggestive smut 👀 note: y'all can blame ms. swift's newly released album, okay? well, aside from the depressive mood lately and recent work stress, the particular song kickstarted me to write my arse off like i just broke up with my ex (when it's an old news already lol). but as usual, i happen to write this at dawn so not beta-read yet. song: back to december + all too well

“oh, there she is!”

oh for the love of god, you know you were late, okay? when you hadn’t stopped running back and forth for two consecutive days straight to save everyone and their mother’s lives, it was pretty understandable to take the chance of hibernating the first thing you had a day off, right?

“after an eon of disappearing,” the groom—your favourite cousin but god did he love basking attention—raised his glass towards you, and you could only smile his way through the gritted teeth. “I’m glad you decide to grace us with you presence, Your Majesty.”

but of course your family wouldn’t understand that, for they lived a totally different lifestyle to yours, despite begging you to enrol yourself to the most prestigious medical school. ironic now that they were the ones who always begged you to come home when you felt like you’ve moved to your home the moment you got accepted to the most reputable cardiology and cardiothoracic department in the country.

so you smiled wider—for the appearance, of course—but you said nothing back.

you were still regulating your breaths, palpable by your huffs and puffs as you took the empty seat—god if the bridezilla got mad because you took the wrong seat, you’d fight her because it was already a sacrifice on your end to drag your ass to this weekend full of wedding festivities—and before you could do anything else, a glass of water was shoved your way gently.

“you look like you need one.”

you were not surprised by the voice. he sounded like he looked like—rough, buff, strong, bulk. you were rather surprised at the small smile thrown your way when he handed you the crystal, filled with clear liquid.

oh, the choice of drink, too, by the way. in a weekend that would soon be filled with endless flow of champagne and other alcoholic and questionable options, he chose still water.

realising you were still eyeing the glass in his hand, his demeanour changed slightly. “not a fan of water?”

“I thought you’re kind of a beer guy.”

your response sent him into a laughing fit because honestly, rúben was expecting you to throw a flirty banter. with an evening gown that rocked a thigh slit as high as the bride’s ego, you looked more ready to have some fun from the get-go.

but the sound of that deep, masculine laugh did wonders to you. heat immediately run through your entire body, and you immediately knew you liked it more than you thought you should because you kept wanting more. more of his laugh, more of his voice, more of his smiles, more of his scent. more of him.

“it’s too early for that, no?”

with the way he lifted his eyebrows teasingly, you almost questioned your decision to become a doctor. you’d definitely been missing out this special specimen beside you, due to burying yourself in between your patients’ body—literally, in order to save their lives. you really need to go out more often.

or maybe, you need to step up the game while you can before hospital took your fair share of fun as soon as you landed back home. shivers ran down the underside of your arms at the last thought.

fuck it, then. if there was one thing hospital taught you the hard way, it was to might as well enjoy things while it lasted.

you grabbed the glass of water from his hands—his skin felt exactly like it seemed—before signalling for two flutes of champagne. the server went to grab your request as you shoo away your thirst with the water and then proceeded to down the champagne when the server was back in the vicinity, all while never straying your eyes from his. “in Italy, nothing’s too early, no?”

and that was another laugh you’d come to like. god, if coffee did no longer work on your bloodstream, someone should get her that as her daily fix of adrenaline dose before her night shift started.

the man in front of you took his portion of champagne and said his thanks, his eyes held yours like there was no tomorrow. despite the roughness in his facial features, stubbles and all, his smile was warm. and for you, the whole combination was what made your knees weak.

how could someone look so sexy and smug in all his friendliness?

“it’s rúben, by the way.”

with the small smirk slowly tugging the corner of his lips as he sipped the champagne, rúben should really consider himself lucky you didn’t jump on him and replaced the crystal flute under his lips instead.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

despite your initial dislike towards the bride—purely because you thought she had a severe princess disease—you tried so hard not to rain in her parade. no matter what, it was still her special day, probably one she’d been dreaming since she was a toddler.

also, have you mentioned that the groom was one of your favourite person on earth?

so you didn’t even dare to move anywhere outside the safe sanctuary of your table because you knew you’d be bombarded by the elders for how rarely you showed your face again in family functions like these, or for how you could not even show up with a boyfriend in tow. amongst the lineage, you were the only one left without a lover or some sort, but instead of draining your energy to explain how exhausting it was to live so that other people can live too, you stayed put.

that, and the fact that rúben provided 1001 reasons why you should stay behind with him. yes, sexiness aside, you found yourself able to converse so many things outside the medical jargons and it kind of made you miss it—the ordinary life everyone else was leading. you missed talking about the latest blockbuster movie, you even missed wearing something else than the hospital scrub and your favourite crocs for more than 10 hours straight.

you even missed the flirting phase, thanks to rúben’s impeccable ability to chime in some subtle but straightforward seduction. rúben himself already exuded some hotness, his laugh and words managed to shoot some warmth throughout your body, and the champagne tripled the heat all over you.

rúben was only downing another glass of negroni and you were only watching the liquid move from his mouth to his throat, but you needed to excuse yourself. your brain was no longer cooperating with every other organ intact to your body—you couldn’t shouldn’t think all of these forbidden thoughts inside of your mind because rúben had been nothing but a gentleman, yet you were the one who kept wanting to cross the line.

yes, rúben might’ve dropped some not-so discreet touches down your arms, on top of your knees, under your knees. yes, he twirled with your unkempt hair, tucked them behind your ears. but the groom used to do that all the time with you, just to tease you around, so what made this time different?

“I thought you hit the jackpot or something.”

and there was rúben again, his voice matched the concern written all over his face. even in times like this, when her inside was a mess all over, rúben managed to think of her well-being. damn it, he really made it so hard for you to contain the burning desire.

there, she said it. desire—a word so foreign in her dictionary recently, for she’d momentarily lost her want to study the human anatomy since the moment she walked into this party late.

“what, you’d run away or something if I did?”

despite you hyperventilating earlier, as you ran towards a balcony of this huge Italian castle looking for air, you were sure rúben couldn’t see a trace of it anymore. you were already sporting the provocating look you’d come to realise only come into the surface when stirred right—aka only rúben managed to do so by far.

and only rúben could take the outmost pride in enticing such vixen from her hiding place. you wouldn’t have braved the face to sport such dangerous dress if you didn’t have the energy in you, and he was more than glad you ended up taking your seat beside his, despite knowing you were supposed to be seated somewhere else later into the night, for he could satisfy himself with the sly and slightly naughty look you only threw his way whenever he wanted.

he’d be the worst liar on this planet if he said he wasn’t tempted to kill distance between your lips and his, so many times tonight. but his father taught him courtesy, and to do such radical act in a room full of other people’s guests would be an insolence and disrespect to the bride and groom.

but now that the matter of prying eyes was gone…

“I’d brush your teeth, of course,” a small gasp from you didn’t escape his ears. “what do you take me for?”

you smiled but you were shaking your head disapprovingly as you folded your arms in front of you. “when are you going to stop being a gentleman, rúben?”

“why should I?” the man stepped closer to you, and you wished he was still wearing the dark blue vest because you certainly couldn’t handle those specs ghosting behind the white shirt. “do you want me to be a bad guy?”

but you couldn’t also deny you’d want to see those chiselled chest. combined with that smirk and fascinating kind of mirth dancing in his eyes, would you be dead and sent to heaven? “can you?”

you were both now so close, rúben only needed to lift your chin towards his face to claim your lips. “oh, is that a challenge?”

he could easily did, by the way, with the way your lips were gaping as soon as he gripped his chin gently. but he decided to tease you more, as his nose reached down to touch yours while his body pushed you to the railing, giving him the excuse to catch your body in his arms.

your brain was now completely unwired, your limb was moving the way rúben orchestrated yourself like a maestro to his favourite instrument. all you remembered was to hold on to the back of rúben’s neck and the side of his strong arm, as he gathered you in his sturdy embrace, and chanting don’t fall, don’t fall to your now-airhead.

when he finally tipped your chin to his desired angle and your lips caressed one another, your breath turned shaky and it gave him an immense sense of pride. he’d been wanting to have this, dropping hints here and there so you’d let yourself free of expressing your inner self, because he knew you wanted the same thing too.

“what do you want?”

if anyone went wet at his usual voice, wait until you heard this version of rúben.

you could already feel yourself turning into a weak excuse of a puddle. your brain was melting, your inside was evaporating.

“tell me what do you want, baby, and I’ll give ‘em to you.”

it wasn’t that you were shy to voice them, but it was because you couldn’t find the words. funny how you could read endless words and medical jargons and yet, gone was everything inside and outside of yourself, including your so-called dignity you were often praised for when you were doing your rounds, when he dropped the word baby to call you with.

so you raised yourself on your tiptoes and pushed yourself towards him.

“uh, oh,” damn it, you forgot he was a footballer. he was paid to use his reflexes on weekly basis. avoiding your advances were nothing against his job. “words, baby.”

“you,” you managed to breathe out the simplest word you could find in the currently short-circuited brain of yours, but the very word seemed to please the man, whose smirk went wider oh-so sexily. “want you, rúben.”

if it wasn’t for the fireworks going off at the background five minutes later, rúben would’ve succeeded in making you fall apart in record time. but rúben didn’t know the word give up so while he kept to himself for the remaining of the night, he’d come looking after you as soon as the party ended and everyone went back to their respective suites.

you, too, certainly didn’t see this coming. but when rúben immediately kissed you senselessly as soon as you opened the door—well, as soon as he pushed you inside and opened your pathetic excuse of bathrobe, that is—you weren’t complaining. you even helped him shed the rest of your fabrics before unbuttoning all of his, all without separating yourself from him, because the last time you did, you never got the chance to chase your high.

“but, rúben, tomorrow’s the wedding!” you squealed as he lifted your body, your legs immediately locked your position against the large man, as he walked you both to your bed. “we’re so gonna be late, rúben.”

he was peppering your neck with kisses as he placed you down the mattress, rousing giggles from your end. “that will give them a story to tell, no?”

“you’re crazy—oh, oh,” the crispiness of your laughter was interrupted by the sensation of rúben’s tongue devilishly sucking your sensitive spot. “oh, fuck! fuck, rúben, fuck!”

if his tongue wasn’t twirling the bruising skin so well to soothe the pain, you’d smack the smile you felt against your skin. “well, they say that what happens in Italy, stays in Italy.”

“I think you’re mistaken for what happens in las vegas, stays in las vegas—oh, fuck, rúben…! don’t fucking stop.”

“is that so?” oh, how dare he stop?! you sat up when rúben halted the wet ministrations of his tongue against your breasts, about to protest the footballer, when he pinched your budding nipples. your head immediately fell back to the pillow, surrendering yourself instead. “can’t seem to remember. you keep distracting me, meu anjo.”

the sensation of his warm saliva against the coldness of his fingers’ pads were unlike no other that you mewled out the loudest moan you’d ever done. so disgusting you had to bring down his lips towards you to shut yourself up. “should we go to las vegas instead?”

“tonight?” rúben popped a now-hardened nipple of yours, and the sight was definitely something you could not erase from your memory. “I can call my plane.”

“don’t tempt me, rúben, because we know this weekend is going to be boring from the looks of it.”

“let’s bring las vegas to us, then.”

long story short, rúben brought you las vegas and its glory every chance he got during the weekend.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

“must we go back to reality tomorrow?”

the giant central back chuckled at your submission. you were tucked under his arms, your fingers were drawing air on his chest, and somehow he knew you were pouting as you did so. it never ceased his wonder how you could be a temptress for a minute, then turned into a cutie-patootie—your words, not his—the next second.

it never ceased his wonder too as to how you’d always spurt out the same question all over again, every weekend you both got the chance to escape reality, despite knowing the definite answer of yes, we all have a life to lead tomorrow from him.

many of your colleagues had inquired about your relationship with the familiar face they’d seen over the weekend on their TV screens, but you didn’t know what to answer them. you were texting and flirting all the time but you were certainly wasn’t dating. you had sex, and you happened to repeat them whenever things got tough for either of you.

it was starting to become a vicious cycle, you and him. it was an impending doom, escaping the harsh reality only to seek for harsh and explosive sex instead of facing them head first.

he should’ve said no to every of your calls, but you crying over another life you failed to save wasn’t something in his card to ignore.

you should’ve said no to every of his calls, purely because you knew you were another rebound or another anger fuck from the losing game, but you didn’t have the energy in you to think of any reason to say no, not when you’ve racked your brain to save the failing life of your patients.

you both became a constant fixture, the only thing guaranteed good, when all else failed in your respective lives.

including the romantic aspect of your life.

but how could it not fail when rúben always picked up your calls when you had a bad day—that bad that you didn’t have the energy to have sex with him? he’d listened to you crying before stopping yourself, he’d listened to the silent you gave him because you were processing things. he’d listened to them all before offering to pick you up from work, no matter how stupid it looked like for him to slide in his vehicle at 5 in the morning when he had to be back at the training centre at 9 sharp.

when he couldn’t be around when you were having a mental breakdance, rúben would send you and your team a mini buffet for your lunch so you could share happiness the same way you shared him your devastation. so you could be back on your feet in no time because time is of essence for your job, your patients need you to be strong and healthy so they too could do and feel the same.

rúben—bless him—even spared his time to visit your patients when december came around the corner. he’d cheered them up, like the way he always did around you and for you, and even gave the kids and their caretakers gifts so they didn’t feel bored spending the festive holiday at the hospital. the next week, he brought over his entire football team just because one of the elder patients said he was a fan of his team.

he did all that, like a true gentleman you’d met the first time at your cousin’s Italian wedding, only to drop you the biggest nuclear bomb right on top of your head, right on christmas eve.

it was a dinner hosted by one of his teammates. he’d asked you to come because he knew you didn’t prepare for any last minute plan when your surgery schedule fell through—the patient died before you could save her—and thought the merry atmosphere would turn your sour mood to a better one.

you, from the beginning, didn’t want to go because you didn’t feel like intruding. and maybe, you shouldn’t have come.

the host, rúben’s captain, asked what kind of relationship you both were having, just as you were about to call for the men to join the women in the kitchen because the food were all ready to be served by now. but you never joined either side because of rúben’s answer.

“I’m getting married,” you remembered vividly. “she was nothing but a good fuck.”

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

but that was—what, five years ago?

you’d moved on with life, and that included moving far away from home to london. you obtained your specialist degree and was now under the tutelage of the best cardiovascular professor in town. you were often credited as prof. nagelsmann’s golden child because of how much the professor adored you, for your vast knowledge and eagerness to learn, as well as your hardworking attitude.

if people knew that you were studying till you broke your neck and had constant nosebleed till exhaustion took over your body at first only to put your mind somewhere else…

well, they didn’t need to know that. people only needed to know that you lived and breathed for the hospital now, because you’d now come to terms that life and death was two of the things that you were sure of to happen. nothing else were as definite as those two.

well, maybe also the jinx when you stashed away your hospital scrub for ordinary clothing as you clocked out of your shift.

as soon as your junior called your name, just five steps beyond the hospital territory, not even your car in sight yet, you knew you had to go back inside and save your kdrama marathon for another time. “code blue?”

your junior nodded and immediately jumped to describe the dire emergency. you were also handed the patient’s medical record. “male, 35 years old with CoA[1]. his stent’s infected so we have to do replacement but his CT scan shows hemothorax[2] and raptured aorta as well.”

your legs wanted to give away when your eyes spotted the name.

it’s ivan dias.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

rúben couldn’t believe his eyes.

there you were, explaining the whole procedure his brother would be going through. clad in your hospital scrub with no make-up, you were still as beautiful as he’d remembered. not even signs of time grazing your skin, as if the cold temperature of the operating theatre froze away the concept of time from your face.

your natural look was what initially drew him into you. in a room full of people caking their faces in the latest make-up trend, you definitely stood out in his eyes. you even outshone everyone else, including the bride, if he was being honest. and when he found out you were more than a pretty face, it didn’t take him another minute to settle his decision to make you stay behind in the table with him, so no one else could take you far away from him.

possessive, people would say to him. a trait he thought he’d hated in everyone else, but a trait that turned out to be something that showed up only whenever you were concerned.

but god, did rúben want you. so bad he felt like he could kill anyone else who casted you a seductive glance, despite you not acknowledging them.

and it made him hate himself because he was turning to be everyone else he’d come to hate. he didn’t want to be selfish, he didn’t want to push everyone else for what he solely wanted. he didn’t want you all for himself—he shouldn’t want you all for himself.

you both were only friends after all.

at least, that was rúben used to think of. because who the hell listened to another person crying for hours, if not for friends? who the hell picked up another person at 5 in the morning, if not for friends? who the hell reminded another person to eat so they could take care of their patients, if not for friends?

so he did everything he could, including dating around till he painted the town as red as the possessiveness he wished to hide, in hope he could diminish this niggling feeling that was bothering him day and night. he sought help and read endless books, just so he could validate the peculiar emotions he was feeling, that only vanished when you were around.

but nothing satisfied him. nothing was the answer to his long-standing question. even when he decided to jump the big gun and got married with someone else that didn’t even understand a simple arithmetic question, rúben still felt the gnawing hole inside of him, that was still thirsty of something he didn’t know of.

the hole grew into a big, black, gaping hole as his marriage went on. the hole even swallowed the existence and the idea of the two of them, the couple that could perfectly plaster the covers of bridal vogue, into a mere memory, burned to ashes and blown to the sky.

even then, too, rúben only wanted to see you. because being around you always brought strange waves of calmness to him.

so he did, only to find you go off the grid for good. he’d asked for you to everyone he knew and everyone he thought could possibly knew of your existence, to no avail. he’d thought of going to your home and asked to your parents but he decided to go against it because he respected you and your decision—he always does from the first moment he met you.

he remembered he didn’t even want to touch you until you succumbed yourself entirely to his palm, and he promised you he’d do that and he intended to keep his end of words, be it when you were around or not. he could only pray to God to meet you again in due time and course, when you were ready to see him again.

but now… god, did he want to scream out loud in happiness. you were still as gentle as ever, having handled fragile lives in your hands of both the parents and the guardians. your voice still reminded him of an umbrella under a blazing hot day, as you elaborated ivan’s condition to his parents. your hands still reminded him of a silk handkerchief tucked properly under one’s suit, as you touched his parents in reassurance.

only then did he realise that this sharp feeling inside of him, only you could provoke such intense emotions like a dagger stab to his heart, was longing.

he’d longed to have you in his arms again, despite having you there all his previous times with you. he’d longed to have you around him again, despite being around you. no distance was still a distance per his standard. and he realised he’d made the biggest mistake by not proclaiming you when he had the chance.

fuck possessiveness, he wanted you back.

after all these years, he still wanted you so bad.

“I knew you’d succeed,” rúben sat down with two cans of your choice of beer. “I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you. congratulations, by the way.”

“thank you,” while you flashed him a smile, you smiled rather awkwardly and scooted further away from him. like you were scared of him. like a child was scared of what a stranger had in their hands. “i—”

he didn’t like that you were getting further away from his reach. he couldn’t launch his old moves on you again if you did. “I hope you still like Budweiser.”

“I do, but I’m sorry, do I know you?”

but it seemed like he’d lost you now, the way he’d lost you years ago.

[1] coarctation of aorta; a birth defect in the aorta, where it is far narrower than normal, blocking the blood flow to the body. on severe cases, it is so narrow that it can back up the blood flow to the left ventricle, forcing the muscle there to work twice as hard in order to distribute blood the way it’s supposed to be.

[2] hemothorax; a presence of blood is detected between the chest wall and the lungs. commonly, may be caused by blunt trauma or by complication of a disease.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

raven-san, can we please have a wedding crashing where jade needs to marry this girl from another crime family to consolidate power and become the next head of the leech mob :)) but floyd's like I'M BORED and annoyed that his brother's being snatched up by a random chick, so he asks basketball bros, and azul, to help save jade?

This one is super long, so I added some extra sections and placed the rest of the wedding crashing below the cut!

***Spoilers for Jamil and Floyd’s Unique Magic!!***

"I object to this wedding...!"

Pre-Wedding Jitters

A call comes for the twins in the dead of night, without warning. It’s their parents with exciting news: they’re naming Jade as the next Don Leech. The catch? The Leech mob’s in the middle of a merger with the Worm mob, and he’ll have to marry Don Worm’s daughter to secure the deal.

Jade, ever the dutiful son, is honored by his future title and calmly agrees to the arrangement. On the other hand, Floyd’s annoyed by the idea, and can’t keep quiet about his irritation. He calls out to his twin in the darkness.

“... Ne, Jade.”

“Ee, Floyd?”

“Are you really okay with going through with this? You’re just gonna do what they said? Even though you don’t know the Worms at all? Even if you’ve never met that girl before?”

“It is a request coming directly from father and mother. How could I refuse them? And, furthermore... If I do not undertake this task, then it would fall to you, the next choice to inherit the title of Don Leech. I cannot allow that to come to pass--fufu. You do so enjoy your freedom, yes?”

“... Jade, you’re so dumb sometimes. What’ll happen to your freedom, then? Will you get so busy with being the big boss and being married... that you won’t have time to play anymore?”

“... Perhaps. But that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”

That thought doesn’t sit well with Floyd--not at all.

“I trust that you will make your own fun of the situation,” Jade reassures him. “You always do.”

As the weeks pass, Floyd sees less and less of Jade around, since he has to prepare for the wedding. Jade reassures him that he’s doing just fine, but Floyd can see right through his lies. He can tell that Jade’s more frazzled than usual--there’s a lingering to his words, and a longing in his eyes, savoring every last bit of autonomy he has before his fate is forever sealed.

Floyd hates it. He hates being lied to by his own brother, and he hates feeling powerless to stop the wedding. Floyd’s so angry that he develops this murderous aura in the weeks leading up to the wedding, which makes everyone around him shy away.

One day, he gets sick of being in the water--it’s a reminder of the wedding to come--so Floyd plays basketball on land to vent. He ends up chomping down so hard that he deflates a ball, then dunks another basketball so hard, he breaks the net.

He sprawls out on the ground and angrily shouts at the sky. His basketball bonks him on the head... and that’s when an idea hits him: maybe he can’t stop the wedding alone, but no one said he couldn’t phone some friends.

Assembling the Dream Team

Floyd first dials up Azul, who agrees to help after some whining and signing a contract agreeing to pay Azul handsomely for his services (... although truthfully, the octopus does want to help Jade, but doesn't immediately agree to do it because of his pride as a businessman).

Floyd also calls his old basketball buddies for help! Jamil and Ace are much more adamant than Azul, but Floyd strongarms them into pitching in. ("Umihebi-kun, Kani-chan, if you don't help me rescue Jade, I'll get suuuper mad, you know? I don't think you'll like me when I get mad. Moray eels are strong hunters, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me to track you guys down and give you a good squeeze~" "OKAY, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT!!")

Together, the four boys meet up to scheme of a way to disrupt the wedding without jeopardizing the Leech mob's future. Floyd actively leads the discussion, allowing his hidden genius to come to the surface.

Ace doesn’t contribute much to the strategy (laid out by Azul), but he does keep the spirit up with some jokes. Meanwhile, Jamil provides snacks for them when they work late into the night (though he keeps passing semi-glares to Azul whenever the octopus compliments him or tries to be friendly).

In preparation for the crashing, Azul brews some potions to give Jamil and Ace so they can take on temporary merforms. After all, the wedding will be underwater, in the Coral Sea, and they’ll need tail fins.

The date of destiny draws ever closer... and Floyd's never been so excited to cause chaos in his whole life.

The Crashing - Team Azul & Jamil

They split into two pairs on the day of the wedding—Azul and Jamil, and Floyd and Ace. Floyd uses his position as the future son-in-law to Don Worm to arrange a meeting between himself and the don... except Azul and Jamil will show up instead.

Don Worm shows up to the meeting in his finest clothes (which is very little, given that he’s a merman), sounding a bit annoyed the sudden summoning. “Make this quick, I’ve got to go see my baby girl’s big day... Wait. You fellas aren’t the F. Leech boy.”

“No, we aren’t, sir. We are his representatives... Proxies, if you will,” Azul insists, giving his warmest and most welcoming smile. He uses a tentacle to tug on Jamil’s tail, forcing him to smile too. “You see, there is an important business matter we needed to discuss with you on behalf of Floyd.”

“Hoh? And what would that be?”

“I believe my business associate would be better off explaining the matter than myself.” Azul gestures to Jamil, who has his head down.

“Oi, what’s with you? Don’t you know who I am, boy? It’s rude to not look your elders in the eye when they are speaking to you!! Show me the respect I deserve, from one professional to another!!”

“My apologies, sir.” Jamil looks up, locking eyes with the mob boss. “... Is this better?”

“Yes, that’s...”

“Snake Whisper.”

Don Worm suddenly goes glassy-eyed and slack-jawed. Azul claps at the sight, showering his partner with compliments. “As expected of the talented Jamil-san! Even one look from you can bring a mafia lord to his downfall. Truly, your Unique Magic is most impressive!”

“Save your flattery for later.”

Azul’s lips curl into a smirk as he whips out a golden contract from his briefcase and offers it to the don. “Now then, if you wouldn’t mind, sir... sign on the dotted line.”

The Crashing - Team Floyd & Ace

Ace and Floyd rush to the wedding venue, their tails cutting through the water like knives as they swim at a breakneck pace. Ace can barely keep up with Floyd, who surges far ahead.

“H-Hey, should we really be barging in like this?! Don’t mob families have weapons and other dangerous stuff? Is there a backdoor we can take instead? Hello?! Floyd-senpai, are you listening to me?!” (He isn’t.)

The open, underwater comes into view, and Floyd barrels in without any hesitation, tearing right through some decorations and knocking over the wedding cake with his tail. A loud CRASH! echoes through the waters, drawing eyes to him.

Jade stares at his brother from the altar—wide eyed, but a mirthful smile on his lips. Floyd waves to him, and then to his mom and dad in the crowd of guests. “Hiii, Jade! I’m here to pick you up now.”

The Worm girl starts sobbing, wailing something about how her special day’s been ruined, and where is her papa to put an end to this? At her signal, security guards, and some of the rougher looking guests—Worm family associates—lunge at Floyd, claws and teeth out. A few of them have produced wands, and what seem to be guns—loaded with harpoons.

“Bind the Heart!” Objects and stray magic go flying in all directions, hitting both people and wedding decorations. Cloth tears, columns crumble—but it’s one man against many, and he can only bind so many hearts before the blot starts to stack.

Ace makes it just in time, sending their foes and their weapons hurtling through the water with a blast of wind. “This is why I said to be careful, dammit! Your Unique Magic’s such a crapshoot—don’t just use it whenever, or you’ll be sushi!!!”

“Ahahahah! Kani-chan’s being all heroic today! That’s so cute. Don’t worry, I can play my part, too...!!”

Using his tail, Floyd hooks around a drifting merman and chucks him straight into another. They collide with a CRACK!—but Floyd barely registers it. He’s already bolting off, grabbing heads and smashing them together, slicing through others like a knife through butter.

There’s a crazed, frenzied look to him, gleeful laughter cutting through the waters and mixing with the Worm bride’s screeching. I forgot how scary Floyd-senpai can be, Ace realizes. (Jade and Floyd’s parents are cheering for him from their seats.)

Jade looks quite proud of his brother, even laughing along to the brutal slaughterfest. His bride stares at him incredulously. “Stop that brute! He’s ruining MY special day!!”

“No,” Jade replies calmly. “I don’t think I will. This is far too amusing to let it end so soon.”

She lets out a frustrated scream and launches herself at her groom, hands going for his throat. The Worm girl is slammed back with a strong hit to her gut, courtesy of Jade’s tail.

She flies back, slamming into a column—and feels a tail wrapping around her and squeezing tight. Constricting her to the point where it was difficult to breathe. A livid mermaid glares down at her, teeth bared in a snarl.

“No one lays a hand on my children,” Mama Leech declares. “No one.”

From the corner of her eye, the Worm girl can see that Jade has cast off his bow tie and flitted over to Floyd, embracing happily in a battlefield adorned with red ribbons trailing through the water. Her vision is abruptly blocked off by a broad-shouldered merman wearing a grimace.

“Now then, what shall we do with this one?” Papa Leech wonders aloud—though from his tone of voice, he has nothing good in store.

The Aftermath

“You’re all fish bait when daddy hears about this...!” the Worm girl warns, her words raspy. “Th-The merger won’t go through...! There’ll be war between the Leeches and the Worms...!”

A loud throat clearing comes from behind. “Fortunately, that won’t be happening.”

Azul and Jamil make their appearance, the octopus merman smugly showcasing a contract. “Ashengrotto—Azul Ashengrotto, legal and business extraordinaire at your service, Don Leech and Lady Leech.”

Papa Leech grunts. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“This?” Azul’s smirk widens. “Why, it’s a prenuptial stating that, in the case that an act of violence is enacted by the bride toward the groom, the marriage is considered null and void... and the bride’s family assets are to be claimed by the groom. Signed by Don Worm himself.”

“Wh-What?! Impossible!! How did you get daddy to sign such a stupid deal?!”

“Oh,” Jamil says nonchalantly, “we have our ways.”

“So... Uh, Jade-senpai’s still gonna be the next Don Leech?! And he’s gonna be in charge of an even bigger and richer family... How is that any better than the situation before?! You’re just giving him more resources for committing crimes!”

At that moment, two hands come down on Ace’s shoulders, causing him to freeze up.

“Kani-chaaaaan! Everyone!! Thanks so much for your help~”

“Yes, you have my sincerest thanks, Ace-san, Jamil-san... Azul.”

“It is my pleasure to assist such VIP clients. Ah, but there remains the matter of my promised payment—” (Jamil and Ace internally groan at Azul’s words.)

“Payment?” Don Leech scoffs. “After the ballsy operation you boys pulled off today... I’m more inclined to give you job offers instead of a one time sum. How do you lads feel about being hired as the Leech family’s personal lawyer, interrogator, and... well, whatever the heart one is good at.”

“My, my! Such a generous and lucrative offer—“

“There is no way I’m accepting that, especially if that means working with Azul.”

“Oi, I’ll have you know I’m good at lots of stuff!! I’m the one that saved Floyd’s tail fins, is no one gonna acknowledge that?!”

“You did amazing, sweetie!!” Mama Leech chirps—her tail grip tightening until the Worm girl passes out. Ace leaps back in fright. “As a reward, why don’t you let me give you a hug?”

“S-STAY BACK!!”

“Ahahahah! Everyone’s getting along so well, Jade. Isn’t this fun? You wouldn’t be able to enjoy this if you had gone to get hitched.”

“Fufufu. You are correct, Floyd. How sad it would have been if I were to miss out on touching moments such as this. From the bottom of my heart... I thank you for thinking of me, and for rushing to my aid. I could not have asked for a better brother.”

... What Floyd doesn’t know is that this was all according to keikaku Jade’s own machinations. He would never take the order to marry lying down—but he couldn’t outright defy it without immediate consequences, either.

Thank the Great Seven Jade has reliable puppets friends to help him out of a pinch. I’ll be certain to put the additional funds we have gained to good use... Perhaps to start a little mushroom farm.

[ckneal]

About a month ago, I had a fairly random revelation that Lilith was to Lucifer what Adam was to Michael. Not in the sense that she was ever his vessel, as all humans capable of serving that role are purportedly descended from Adam and Eve, and, while it’s never specifically confirmed to be true for the Supernatural universe, most lore surrounding Lilith sets her up as being too old for that.

And I also don’t necessarily mean that Lucifer and Lilith were in love—Lucifer is too egotistical and arrogant for me, personally, to believe he’s capable of a true romantic bond, and it is twice stated that he lost his virginity to Kelly Kline, in settings that leant themselves toward his credibility on this subject (musing aloud to an uncomprehending Kelly in the privacy of their bedroom, and awkwardly grappling for something to say in his first unplanned meeting with Jack, respectively)—leading me to believe that the recognizable sleazy substitute for love (lust) was not present between these two either. But, I do think that there was a connection there, and I do find myself curious about it.

After all, Lilith was willing to die to set Lucifer free from the cage. And yes, I am aware that she had made a deal with Michael to help set off the apocalypse, and she was obligated to carry out her part, but has anyone ever wondered what exactly Lilith got out of the bargain? She’s not exactly written like Eve, from season 6. She is not mothering toward demonkind. I can’t see her sharing Michael’s motivation to bring God back. The one who stood to benefit from her sacrifice, was, in fact, Lucifer. (And Michael, obviously.)

I think that the bond Lilith and Lucifer formed was a bit similar to what Adam and Michael had, in that it came from a lack of choice. I firmly believe that Lilith and Lucifer spent a decent amount of time together in Hell, just the two of them. Likely for a much longer period of time than Michael and Adam did in the cage. We don’t know exactly when Lucifer made Lilith, but we do know that he was out and moving around for awhile after the apple incident that Gadreel was incarcerated for—after all, Cain was a grown man when he caught Lucifer circling Abel and agreed to take the Mark. And bible ages are a little strange, but let’s say that that’s a good couple of decades in earth time. That’s much longer in Hell. Assuming that Lilith was turned prior to Cain, that’s a long time with Lucifer and Lilith being the only two occupants of Hell. (Well, except for Ramsey and her hellpuppies; remember she was pregnant when Lucifer saved her from extinction.)

And I wonder if in that time, the two of them could have developed a begrudging sort of friendship? Just from the forced proximity—Michael was clearly capable of decimating Lilith on sight if she went back to earth, and there weren’t exactly a lot of humans wondering around that early on in the species to provide her with cover—not to mention a meatsuit. She was pretty much stuck there, while Lucifer was presumably laying low, while he got his schemes together. Setting up the horsemen, binding Death, somehow getting and hiding the demon tablet, creating the Princes of Hell, and such. . .Just a lot of stuff, and where he used to have a vast multitude of siblings to talk to, he now just had this snarky little corrupted human soul, and I think—I think—they became friends.

And Lucifer considers this to be the filthiest thing that he’s ever done—on par with the most torrid, disgusting affair that anyone has ever had, and he still hates everything about it to this day. That’s why Lucifer never once talks about Lilith. He is nauseated by the fact that they were the original frenemies, completely disgusted and powerless to resist their intense conversational chemistry, and if they saw each other tomorrow there’s a tiny part of him that will still light up because no one has ever been more thoroughly on his level.

And it’s fucking mutual. If they saw each other tomorrow, they would exchange the most vehement of insults, maybe even physically attack one another, shouting their hatred at full volume—and then a few hours later be spotted at a coffee shop, passionately talking trash on Sam Winchester, and set terrible, terrible plans in motion that will plague Sammy’s life for the next several years. When they part ways, they would both feel intensely dirty, telling themselves that this will never happen again—but Lucifer has never been one to resist temptation, and at 3am finds himself sending that text message he knows he’ll regret later. . . “So what are your thoughts on Dean? ;)” And off they go again, all night long.

And that’s why Lilith was willing to lay down her life to set Lucifer free. And it’s also why she had her moment of doubt, when she nearly got Sam to agree to that demon deal. She had a moment of realizing that she was about to die for an asshole she doesn’t even like.

I personally like to think that Michael was the archangel who nearly came blasting in to defend Chuck that night, when Dean pulled the plug on the deal Sam was about to make (and before you try to tell me that wasn’t a real deal because Lilith was planning a trap—rewatch that scene, Sam was the one who played dirty by reaching for the demon-killing knife; Lilith was busy eyeing his crotch through his jeans and feeling up his chest). After Lilith smoked out of her meatsuit, I like to think that Michael followed her and gave a kind of prep talk, telling her that it’s important that they remember their motivations, shameful though they might be

At which point, Lilith just bursts into tears, crying, “Oh god, you’re right. . .He’s my best friend—how did this happen? How did this—Oh god, oh god, oh god, I’m going to be sick!”

Lilith sobs into Michael’s wings, while Michael is just sort of stuck standing there, because Lilith is gripping one of his four heads with both hands as she cries, while the other three are looking around for help, intensely confused because he, of course, was talking about bringing God back, and now he has no idea what to do to get out of this uncomfortable social situation that he does not understand.

And thinking about Lucifer and Lilith and Michael and Adam as parallels, it gets me asking these questions about how things would go if the roles were reversed. Would Adam willing lay down his life to free Michael from the cage? As a fanfiction writer, I enjoy the idea of saying yes.

In fact, I’m a little enamored with the idea of a parallel world where everything is flipped. Where it’s Michael in the box, and Adam running around breaking seals, Adam on that final, fateful night—after having had his moment of doubt in which he’d lured Ramiel into a secluded spot and offered to stand down and nearly banged Ramiel’s brains out in the bargain—but that’s all past, and now he’s firm in his resolve. Adam standing in front of a mirror—but instead of the white gown that Lilith wore, Adam’s in a black suit, dressed as if it were his wedding day, though he’ll never see his groom. And Raphael appearing at his elbow, looking concerned—instead of some random follower of Lilith’s, and Adam telling Raphael to be happy. Everything is going to be okay.

And it’s Adam reclining against the alter, all serene anticipation as Ramiel—the second Prince of Hell, who rejected his place in the succession because all he wanted was to live out a quiet life with his fishing gear, well away from the Pit and the Life—comes storming into the church with Zachariah at his side, assuring Ramiel that he’s trained for this, he can do it—only to have Azazel come bursting in behind them, shouting, “NO, RAMMY! IT’S WHAT HE WANTS!”

[thecandywrites]

Blood For Gold Chapter 22

Woo, let the healing begin matters to be set right! 

Thanks to @kriskukko for again, letting me borrow her regency era orc art and her regency era troll art too! Let’s bring Count Javyn Jabire back in shall we? And see what he thinks about all of these changes and let Sierge reflect on his own behavior and not let him get off the hook so easily. 

@punkhorse96​ you’re gonna love it!

Blood For Gold

Chapter 22

“So what kind of wedding did you have in mind?” You asked Demsey at dinner. 

“Whatever kind of wedding you want, if you want to go full Dorierran, I will happily comply and pay for whatever you want. I want you to be happy and satisfied with everything. I know the Morrigans tried to make you as “English” as possible. So especially since your family is here and your friends are here and even more are coming in, you make it however you want it to be. I’ll happily submit and concede to anything you want, as long as we get married, the when and how and other details don’t really matter to me. Your marriage to Edward was all about him, This is your wedding, it should please you above all else. To hell with everyone else and their expectations, if they don’t like any particular thing, they don’t need to come.” Demsey reassured you. 

“Really?” You asked as your tears glassed over your eyes. 

“You mean that? You’re not just saying that to…” You began, almost afraid to believe him. 

“No I absolutely mean it, this is your wedding and you’re marrying me for love, it should be exactly how you want to be.” He insisted. 

“Thank you.” You thanked him before you announced to the table of what Demsey just told you and how you wanted it to be as Dorierran as possible before you changed your plans, how you were going to use the moura temple in London, instead of the church of the Voyambi’s choice as Demsey had no qualms about informing and insisting to his parents that because your marriage to Edward had been “his way” how it was only right that your wedding to him be all yours and that it should embrace you and your family and heritage and asking you to sacrifice anything was completely out of the question which his mother took as a surprise but the more she thought about it, the more “right” that became. 

“Oh Zax and Axal, invite the Raymonds, Axal, I want you to enjoy my wedding with Ramsey, Octavia and Drina by your side. Yalin and Charlotte have always been genuine and I know that Zax will want Charlotte to be there too. I think since they were generous and hospitable with us, that we should be the same with them.” You told Axal and Zax who both teared up but their smiles were beaming. 

“Thank you, I didn’t know how you felt so I wasn’t even going to ask.” Axal admitted. 

“Me either.” Zax added. 

“Well they’re kind of like family at this point and I want this to be a small, private, family and very close friends kind of affair, so of course they should be invited. But that also goes for you Demesy, you should invite your friends too.” You urged him. 

“I will, I plan on having Javyn Jabire be my best man, he’s been my closest friend since we were boys.” Demesy smiled. 

“Well in that case, will any of you be willing to help Demsey with his wedding suit? It needs to be gold because my wedding dress is gold because in the Hanging Garden Quarter which used to include the Sultanate Quarter and the Shiek and Shah Quarter, the bride and groom wear matching color schemes, I got some fabrics in from Dorierra that should help because I don’t know if the unstitched suit that was already made to go with it will be big enough for him.” You asked hopefully. 

 “Oh absolutely, after dinner, we can go back to your house to get it all and then we can spend all day tomorrow making him a suit, no worries.” Leumeni reassured you as the other male members of your family eagerly agreed to help as well which made you practically glow with gratitude. 

“Thank you.” You thanked them gratefully. 

After dinner though you made a stop at the moura Masai Temple and inquired about using it for your wedding as you were happy to see the same people who had been at the Kamoba battle as the band and orchestra also played music here at Masai Temple as they were all happy to see you marry the man who had the balls to kiss you in front of not just Royalty but all of gentry as you immediately made plans and orders for a “Sirerinna Wedding” later in the week for when they had the availability which would be in only five days which they assured you was more than enough time to put that kind of wedding together, because sometimes they usually only had a few hours notice but they were impressed that you had enough self control to wait a whole five days for it which made you and your family laugh. 

They assured and reassured you that a lot could get done in a matter of days and that they would take it as a privilege that you, the Violet Viper would be married from Masai Temple as they asked you what colors you would like as you happily told them gold, turquoise and purple which for them made a lot of sense as Demsey happily paid them their asking price for it all and then some to make it ‘extra special’ which they happily accepted as Demsey, just by the looks of the entryway of the temple, he was in awe of it’s splendor and he didn’t need to see the rest of it to know that he was in for a treat to be married from here and after that, you took note of the moura dress shop- Corasura, that had a whole back room full of moura wedding attire that could either be bought or rented but because it was so late, it was decided that if the party needed anything, they would come in the next day to pick what they wanted or needed from there. 

Then you brought everyone back to your house and went through all your trunks and got all the supplies you wanted and all the other items had been put with your wedding things for your future groom, whoever he might be as you noticed that there was already so much in these trunks that your family had put in here when you had left home two years prior, they were basically a wedding in a box, or in this case, three boxes or trunks in total, one of items for the groom, one for the bride and the last for the couple and the ceremony. Even the powder for all the white and gold henna was in there, only needing a special water and oil mix to mix it up and set it up to paint you head to toe with it along with other members of your family along with a copy of a henna design book, the most illustrious and amazing copy of the book available. 

But Demsey of course refused to actually see your wedding dress because he wanted to at least honor that tradition and not tempt fate and superstition by seeing the bride’s dress before the wedding itself and wanted to wait until he saw you in it walking down the aisle. Which you couldn’t blame him for, even though he was informed that you weren’t going to be walking, you were going to be dancing down the aisle, your whole bridal party would be because that was traditional for a Sirerinna Wedding.  

But Leumeni, Coravien, Storren, Brima, Zax, Axal and Rian as well as your hier father’s sons all took notes about the shade of gold and the more intricate details of the dress so that when they helped make Demsey’s wedding suit as well as their own since you had dozens of bolts of yards and yards and yards of fabrics of all kinds, enough to make all the men in your family as well as Demsey’s proper Dorierran wedding suits. Your brothers wanted to make especially sure they would have the same details on Demsey’s clothes as well as their own so that he would match you in an exquisite manner as they took all they could and asked you about what traditions you wanted to keep as you repeated that you wanted the quintessential “Sirerinna Wedding” which in marinai and in Dorierran culture meant ‘true love match wedding’. 

The Sirerinna Wedding was reserved for when a bride would settle down for good and it would hopefully be the last wedding of her life and it wasn’t just because you were already pregnant, but that you felt it in your bones that this is what it should be and you were so happy and relieved and thrilled that Demsey was ok with all of this and was essentially, just along for the ride of it all and was embracing all of you, including your family, your home and your traditional culture before all the men in your family and friends departed so they could get to work tonight at the Voyambi’s house which the whole Voyambi family were more than happy to have them although they did insist that all of the gentlemen uphold the rules of decorum and decency which they were all happy to agree to. 

The next day the Bellafonts, the Raymonds and the Voyambis met your family back at the moura dress shop, Corasura as all the Bellafont, Voyambi and Raymond women along with Jane, were fitted with traditional Dorierran Hanging Garden wedding celebration dresses as they marveled at them and happily traded them for the bolts of fabrics from Dorierra and charged only a small fee for the actual seamstresses to sew them together and to tailor the other dresses to the ladies and especially once they saw the unstitched wedding suit and actually pinned it to Demsey, found that only needed just a few more inches on the sides as your brothers showed what notes they had taken of your wedding dress and repeated that the two match together before Count Javyn Jabire came into the shop at Demsey’s instructions in the letter Demsey had penned and sent to him the night before. 

“Count.” You greeted happily, seeing him again, he had been there for the Kamoba battle and had of course bet on his friend and when Demsey had caught sight of him had talked with him during lunch while you and your family were talking with the Royal Family. 

“You still sure about this?” Javyn questioned as he stood on the pedestal and got fitted for his own wedding suit. 

“Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind.” Demsey grinned. 

“And this doesn’t seem too sudden for you?” Javyn questioned as the tailor made his measurements and walked away to write them down. . 

“Nope, actually,” Demsey began as he gestured for Javyn to lean his way. 

“She’s already with child, my child, time is of the essence.” Demsey revealed in a low whisper before putting his finger to his lips to keep that revelation a secret. 

“Ah, I see, you celebrated her victory in style did you?” Javyn couldn’t help but chuckle softly. 

“Something like that, a gentlemen never…” Demsey began. 

“Oh I know, I know, I would never say anything anyway. But congratulations on both counts then.” Javyn offered amiably as this suddenly made a lot more sense to him. 

“Then I take it that the saying is true that ‘mouras have been bred to be irresistible’.” Javyn teased as Demsey made a series of noises and facial expressions of agreement.

“So this couldn’t be helped then?” Javyn noted. 

“No it could not, thankfully.” Demsey beamed happily. 

“Well I’m happy for you and I wish you the best.” Javyn offered. 

“Oh just wait, Audra invited several of her friends who are flying in and will be here hopefully by tonight, I saw a troll or two that might catch your eye.” Demsey teased back. 

“Don’t bring me into temptation, I can barely keep Lady Wollworth and Lady Castana at bay as it is. I take it Lady Whitesale is not taking this news well.” He furthered. 

“No, I don’t suppose she is, that’s actually why you do not see Princess Benyana in the mix. Benny tried to betray Audra and myself to the Whitesales by making up the most egregious lies and did Sierge heinously wrong.” Demsey informed him before he told his best friend some of the more nasty particulars. 

“So in my experience, Benny was the outlier, the other mouras are perfectly amiable, it’s individuals like her that give the whole lot a bad name. So I wouldn’t take her and her conduct as an indicator on mouras, if anything, take Audra or Calla as your cue onto the true moura’s disposition.” Demsey reassured his friend before a herd of other customers came into the shop, but they were all new faces to everyone except your family as you and they all hugged each other tightly and received them happily.  

“Your housekeeper told us where to find you, here, as you asked.” Jenniverre offered you a fig as they were all still in their riding leathers as you started laughing as you hugged them all and thanked them for coming as they all handed you figs of all kinds as you happily took them and eagerly inhaled the figs in between introducing your friends to the Voyambis and Count Javyn Jabire who stared at the moura troll in front of him in awed wonder because she was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. 

Her name was Jenniverre Saphairines, she had the most gorgeous pastel indigo skin which matched with her gold moura marks was a heavenly contrast. Her hair was a gorgeous platinum blonde and the way that leather riding suit hugged her voluptuous body was threatening to send his body into a tizzy because he had never, in his life, looked at a more gorgeous creature in his life. 

Meanwhile Sierge was in a similar state, staring at Adrilody. If Benny had been beautiful, Adrilody was exquisite. Where Benny felt like a force like a hurricane, all wild and alluring in her air of danger which had been exciting at first. But she was all together different. Like the calm and beautiful rainbow after the storm. All pleasant and calm and her energy was happy, upbeat and peaceful. She was just...darling and he could tell she was all sweet like honey without the sting of the bees. 

“So where’s Benny?” Adrilody asked as she noticed her biggest rival and cousin was not in attendance. 

“She left by train to go home last night, she was no longer welcome here.” Your mother informed her. 

“Ah, I take it from your tone, she lived up to her reputation.” Adrilody gathered. 

“What’s her reputation now?” You asked curiously. 

“Oh she’s known as Benny the Bitch now, she’s gone to three different courts to try to court different bachelors just in the last year, and she’s all about the quick fix and the immediate payoff and she’ll burn any bridge if she thinks she can get a better greener pasture at the other end and benefit in any way. She has gotten banned from five different courts in total, she keeps having her grandmother do a purification spell on her so that she can regain her virginity over and over again, she’s lost it, I don’t know how many times now. She only took this invitation because it came with the promise that her rank would not suffer and the super high pay out, because before now, her rank has suffered, does anyone know what rank she has now?” Adrilody explained. 

“She tried to manipulate Audra into getting a Dowager status.” Loreiris revealed as all the new comer’s eyes grew wide as they all grimaced. 

“She didn’t get it.” You reassured them as they all blew out a breath of relief. 

“Does anyone know what she did get?” Adrilody asked. 

“Tavnit.” Leumeni revealed with a smug grin. 

“Oh thank the gods! Finally!” They all exclaimed as you could only just shake your head. 

“What does tavnit mean?” Sierge asked. 

“It means “no master” it means that a bride is no longer allowed to be in the bride system because she will do more damage than good and that she is beyond her welcome in it. I know this because I have Tavnit, because of the mourkatili.” You answered as they all gasped, most of them in outrage. 

“It’s ok, I’m relieved I have it honestly. It means I’m not a slave to the system. I mean I’m having a Sirerinna Wedding for crying out loud. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m getting a happily ever after with the love of my life, the system can hang itself for all I care.” You insisted with a laugh. 

“Don’t be offended, just be relieved that none of you have to contend with her anymore, but she did leave behind one last victim. Sierge.” You said as you gestured over to him. 

“Oh I’m so sorry.” They all offered Sierge. 

“Well, like the saying says, ‘when something seems too good to be true, it usually is’.” Sierge commented as he did his best to keep his composure as the others gave him apologetic looks before they went from the dress salon to the moura jewelry shop called Orianna,  that was right next door to get jewelry and other accessories for their wedding suits, even though Demsey didn’t need much of anything because your trunk of goodies had already set him up really well for all he needed or even wanted. 

“So once we are done here, we have a lot to do, we need to preserve all those figs and then we have henna to do, so much henna.” Your mother suggested once everyone got what they wanted and needed from both stores. 

Javyn suddenly, uncharacteristically felt that his business didn’t need much of any attending to as Demsey did all he could from his home office as Javyn did the same, trying to do as much business as quickly as he could from Demsey’s office too, as Javyn asked to come and stay with Demsey for the week since once your henna was done and needed to set, the girls came to apply the henna mixture to the boys and the rest of the Voyambi family after doing Myra Bellafont’s family and Jane and the Raymonds of course. 

“So why is it white? I thought henna was usually black or even dark red?” Sierge asked as Adrilody applied it to him as he was more than happy to be in a state of undress, in only his breeches that came down to his knees but was otherwise naked and only hoped she liked what she saw as he had gone through the book and picked the design that appealed to him the most. Of course having to be shaved clean and scrubbed so that the skin was clean and fresh also made a big difference too. He wasn’t wild about losing his chest hair but having Adrilody attend to him, he’d happily go bald head to toe if it meant she’d be the one to do it because having her near was sending him into a tizzy again. 

“Because for millenia, purebred mouras could capture light into clouds, long before electricity. Well when mouras would do this in the light of the full moon, they created what’s called “black light clouds” and they’re this most unusual shade of indigo violet purple but more blueish. When all the lights are off but a black light cloud is turned on, everything white glows a light blue and other colors can glow too. The white will make your body glow in the light. Audra is covered from head to toe in it so her whole body will glow, even through her clothes if they are sheer enough. It’s a tradition in many cultures for the women having henna are exempt from any housework or chores or anything for as long as the henna lasts. But the moura twist on this is there’s an aphrodisiac in the henna and it’s a sign of very good fortune if she falls pregnant before it wears off. Like an ink stain on your hand. But since she is already pregnant, she’ll just enjoy all the extra sex regardless.” Adrilody grinned as she focused on her work and did her best to ignore the handsomeness of her subject. 

“And why am I being painted in it then?” Sierge asked as he watched her work in awed wonder, she was clearly an artist and it was a great honor to have himself be her canvas. 

“Well, that’s another tradition everyone in all the friends and families involved in the wedding party get it done on them, it’s seen as very good luck if a wedding plants seeds of metaphorical love in others who attended the wedding and are wearing the henna get married to others wearing the henna too, we just came from The Palace of Windsor and applied some to the Raymonds and Ramsey, Octavia, Axal and Drina all got matching henna so when the black light turns on, the four of them make up a romantic unit, which here might be untraditional but in Dorierra, it’s not unusual at all, and of course Charlotte got a specific pattern that I also applied to Zax so it’ll show up on them too and even Jane, I did her hands and feet cause that’s all she wanted but Rian got the same so that even they will show up as a couple too. So that part of the tradition is already being played out, so you’re off the hook in that respect, but you are part of the wedding party, closest brother to the groom, so of course you would have a fair amount.” Adrilody explained as she kept looking at the book and then back at her handiwork on his chest to make sure she was still applying this correctly, using the right technique and following the design because if she looked into his eyes too long, she felt like she could get lost in them but she had to bide her time because she had heard from Calla what Benny had put Sierge though and she knew she needed to give him time to heal from the hurt Benny caused and hoped that Sierge wouldn’t be against mouras all together because of Benny.

And Adrilody, believed that the design chosen was indicative of the person and had watched Sierge closely as he went through the book to find a design since Sierge could pick out any design he wanted while Demsey was getting the same exact designs from your mother and grandmother as they painted him with the henna too while also casting specific spells in a chant like song and poem while they did it to ensure that Demsey would never raise a hand to you in anger or say a mean hurtful, cutting remark or let his eyes wander from you and be faithful to you in all things and of course satisfy you in every way he could. 

However the design that Sierge picked out was telling to Adrilody. In her experience, men who had been wounded but were trying to tough it out usually got this design. The proud lion’s head showed strength, bravery and regal confidence but betrayed hurt and battle scars. 

“So do you want this exactly how it is in the books or do you want any kind of twist with it?” Adrilody asked. 

“You know, I really like the design in the book but you’re the artist, take whatever liberties you want, I’m sure it’ll come out better than the book if you do.” Sierge answered as Adrilody smiled happily as she finished the lion’s head and began to work on the mane and no longer needed to look back at the book and went head first in her own unique design. 

“So what design do you think you’ll get?” Sierge asked her. 

“I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet, I usually do most of mine in a mirror except for my back which I can’t reach but Jenniverre, Calla and Audra are really good at this and Jodhaa and Loreiris are just as much masters at every art including henna as they are the art of wielding the blade. I’m sure Audra especially will give me something awesome, she’s like me, she takes the traditional and gives it a twist and a spin and makes it so much more and so much better than the original. That’s why she’s such a good fighter, she shows great creativity and ingenuity but never at the cost of her own integrity.” Adrilody answered. 

“Whereas Benny doesn’t.” Sierge realized. 

“Nope. But I hope you won’t use Benny to judge us all and think that because she’s that way, that all of us are, because that’s not true. I mean she’s my cousin for crying out loud and even I am ashamed of her behavior and usually avoid her at home and she may technically be family but she is far from being a friend and much closer to being a foe to me personally, she likes to say that family should stick together but she backstabbed her own brothers in the Kamoba but still demands their loyalty which is wrong. She’s tried to burn me a few times in every sense, that’s why I and everyone else steer clear of her. She’s the exception and nothing like what a good moura bride should be, she takes every bad trait and turns it up to its maximum, thinking she’s being original but sadly she’s just being cliche. She had promise in the beginning but her obsession at being the biggest baddest motherfucker in the room has obviously led to her downfall. Audra was the standard for many good reasons and Benny always resented that she couldn’t reach it and instead wanted to set her own standard. Too bad it was just in the wrong direction. I’m just sorry you got mauled in the process and I wish you were the first and last but sadly, Benny leaves a trail of carnage wherever she goes and I had hoped for Audra’s sake that this place would have been the exception that even Benny would have realized that betraying Audra when she was already being betrayed by everyone around her should have been a step too far, but unfortunately, no. Just be grateful she is now far away and hopefully you’ll never have to see her again, let alone deal with her. Honestly I don’t even want to go back home if she’s going to be there raising all kinds of hell and stirring up family drama and all kinds of trouble trying to put the blame for her own consequences on anyone but herself. Honestly, you dodged a bullet not being bonded to her as did every other guy who she did the same thing to. You deserve better.” Adrilody offered apologetically. 

“Thank you.” Sierge thanked her as her words were like a healing balm for his heart that she was painting over. 

“Why didn’t you accept the offer to come here?” Sierge asked. 

“Because the royal family could only afford for two to come “officially”. Honestly with the communications cut between Audra and the rest of us back home, we didn’t know what to think. First she leaves, then a year later we hear that she’s widowed and has shakan status and then nothing again until only a few weeks ago when only her family was invited to see her but when they called back during the messengerari’s it was the most horrific news until only a couple of days ago when she contacted me directly. A lot can happen in two years. But the chance to come to her Sirerinna Wedding, which in marinai is a true love wedding, like you’re marrying your soulmate, till death do you part, grow old together, kind of wedding because moura brides in the system usually have three to four weddings in their lives and Sirerinna is supposed to be the last, the biggest, most important in her life, it’s the one that counts for everything, none of her real friends would ever turn that down, that’s why so many of us came as fast as we could get packed, we will happily pile onto a bed or sleep in a stall with our griffins for a chance to go to that if it’s for her because we know that she would do the same for us because she has always been the best of friends to all of us and for Benny to do her so wrong just shows how awful Benny is, not Audra. From what she’s been through, it’s the least we can do and to hear what she went through while we were painting her with henna this morning, to hear it directly from her, it was heartbreaking and it’s a miracle she’s alive and she deserves better than she’s gotten so now all of us are just hoping your brother does right by her and treats her lovingly from now on.” Adrilody revealed. 

“So are you married?” Sierge asked. 

“No, I’ve just entered the system and just got my own classification, I’m actually a few years younger than Benny, I haven’t even gotten any offers yet, let alone get seen by any potentials yet and even right now, my mother is negotiating my proper asking price with the stable masters. But with Benny getting a tavnit status from here and with how badly she did not just you but this whole court because the Raymonds related what she did to the Royal Family who were not pleased at all, they were quite angry actually and from what I heard from Mama Yalin when I was doing this to her this morning, they were talking with the stable masters and when Benny gets home, who knows what kind of punishment she will face. Because you have to understand that every bride who leaves Dorierra, everyone is looking to her to judge her and the whole system by her and her conduct and that’s usually why most brides have to behave in such a way that is above reproach, except for Benny apparently, and because she’s come here and made a muck of it, now any bride who comes through has to be her opposite, they have to be extra good to help overcome and overcorrect the damage she’s done to repair the damage to the moura brides system’s reputation. And those brides, oof, they’re a just a different kind of severe and they’re just on the opposite end of the spectrum and make us out to be perfect, innocent, guileless, nonthreatening saints who would never dream of being clever because clever and conniving are too similar to some and that’s not fair either, because I can tell you right now that if the masters implement that protocol, none of the brides you see now would be welcome back here because all of us are classified as Rissa, which is middle of the road- too clever for the innocents, too soft hearted for intrigue and not sharp enough in wit to survive the most extreme of attacks but too witty for the simple minded and easily offended, like that saying, ‘a jack of all trades is a master of none but better than a master of one’. But my parents have always encouraged me to just be the best version of myself that I can be and at this point I’m just hoping that the right suitor will look at me and just accept me as a I am and not cut off parts of me that are inconvenient or that he doesn’t like, like the way Edward did to Audra, taking a square peg and cutting it to try to force it into a round hole, but Demsey is doing his best to mend the damage and cuts and at least try to glue on all the cut off pieces to try to make it whole again, which helps quite a bit and reassures us a lot.” Adrilody mused as she finished up with the mane of the lion and continued to fill in as she went, letting her hands practically discover the pattern that seemed to bloom in her head as she did it. 

Like a writer discovering a story as they write it or an artist or architect discovering a design as they work on it as she scooted closer and let her arm rest on the other half of his chest to help brace herself and her other hand as she seemed to hyperfocus on the task at hand and that was to make Sierge’s chest her own mural as Sierge reveled in the close contact and the feel of her breath on his chest as his imagination was sweetly torturing him of fantasies of either her over him or her under him and bringing her to ecstasy and fantasizing about how much sweeter she would taste. 

“Ok, if you’ll excuse me I have to refill, I’m getting low.” She excused herself as she got up to refill her piping bag with more mix. 

“So how’s it going?” Jenniverre asked Adrilody in Marinai as she was there at the bowl refilling her bag too. 

“It’s going good, he chose the lion, so he’s obviously trying to play it tough, Benny hurt him something deep. To kill his unborn child like it was a weed in a flower garden. That has to hurt something awful, but he’s been giving me free rein so it’s turning out really nicely. I always do my best work when I’m given free rein.” Adrilody answered. 

“Mine is half way to falling for me I think, he keeps asking me all these questions about myself and what quarter I’m from and what traditions and culture I’ve been brought up with. He told me I’m his first moura troll he’s ever seen before and I think this mix is a little too heavy on the aphrodisiac powder if he’s like this with just the base work on his skin.” Jenniverre revealed. 

“Well if you want him, you better snatch him fast, because with Benny tearing through here and setting this court on fire, I doubt us rissa’s will get a chance to come back, it’ll probably go to the aquiras.” Adrilody reminded her friend. 

“Ooh, I didn’t think of that.” Jenniverre realized before she added another spoonful of aphrodisiac powder to the mix both in the bag and in the bowl and another few drops of the liquid pheromones in the carrier oil and another spoonful of glitter and tried to casually stir it in to make it look like she was adding more glitter to the mix before she hastily refilled her piping bag and returned to Javyn as Adrilody had already filled her bag with the mix before Jenniverre “enhanced” it.  

“So what do you think you own price will be?” Sierge asked Adrilody curiously as she came back over and settled back into her rhythm of her work. 

“Psh, I have no idea. A lot of factors play into the price. But my advice to you is do not try to find another moura bride right now or right after your brother’s wedding, not until you fully heal from the damage of the last. And don’t try to find a better “nicer” version of what you just experienced, because that’s not fair to you or to her.” Adrilody advised him in all seriousness. 

“And honestly, look at the service Benny did for you. What Benny excels at is finding someone’s weaknesses and exploiting them and working them like a horse to the plow without any reward of food or shelter or any other necessities but instead their wants in that moment but nothing else which in the grand scheme of things, usually is nothing of real lasting value or consequence. Now that you know your weaknesses as does anyone and everyone else. Work on yourself, build up those weaknesses so that they can never be your downfall again. Because even though your family isn’t saying so, there was still a breach of trust between you and your family. Especially Demsey and even your parents. You’re grown so your father isn’t really permitting your mother from really chastizing or disciplining you for even giving the smallest of half truths to Benny in the first place. You should start by re-earning every bit of trust and respect back from everyone in your friends and family and don’t let everyone put all the blame on Benny and make yourself out to be the biggest victim and shirk any responsibility or any guilt for whatever part you had to play in it. And don’t take your winnings in the Kamoba to do that for you, money can be won or lost as quickly as it rains then shines. And also realize that there was truth in Benny’s criticisms of you too. She wasn’t just saying whatever hurtful thing she could think of. The truth when not paired with tact can hurt someone’s feelings and someone’s sense of self just as much as a lie can. Benny doesn’t mince her words when she doesn’t need to. She can be very direct and brutal in her honesty. So maybe take that to heart too and use that as your stepping stone to rebuild whatever she damaged in you too and then refortify her damage and turn her truths into an inaccuracy. That’s always the best revenge is when a harsh criticism while rooted in the past reality- no longer holds true in the present. Use this to grow yourself and your personality. That would be my advice.” Adrilody suggested as Sierge was awestruck by how profound she was in bestowing such wisdom and realized, she was right, about everything. 

He had a lot of work to do on himself to be worthy of a bride like her. If anyone deserved a dowager status, it was the woman in front of him now and while it was true, he was comparing her to Benny, she had a point, that wasn’t fair to her. He really just needed to look at her and see her, not anyone else. Not a fantasy, but the reality and he had a lot to make up for and needed to make this right, because everyone deserved better from him and he shouldn’t have been so caught up in his own sexual pleasure, that he traded in his own family’s trust and respect for it. No wonder Benny went after him first, because he made himself easy prey to her. He practically rolled over and put his own throat in her jaws and had the audacity to be surprised when she bit down. 

Once she was done with his chest, she moved onto his back and started humming to herself as she continued to work, pulling elements from many of the designs in the book and blending them together beautifully as Sierge was just happy and content to be her canvas and welcomed the peace that her company brought him before your mother and your grandmother came over to check up on her handiwork. 

“Wow, new design Lody?” Your mother appraised as she looked over Lody’s work on Sierge in awe and appreciation. 

“Yup, he let me have free rein, so I’m taking advantage, come back here,” Adrilody invited as they came around and they all gasped when they saw the impressive design radiate from the center of his shoulder blades out, like a huge mandela as your mother and grandmother took keen notes of it and looked at each other while giving each other meaningful looks with scheming grins as they each praised Lody for each well executed element of the design as Lody had to refill her piping bag twice now. Although she tried to gather the mix from the outside of the bowl where Jenniverre hadn’t “enhanced” it too much. 

“You are blessed to have such an artisan as her to do your henna such as this. It’s a one of a kind work of art.” Loreiris praised Sierge which made both Sierge and Lody smile happily. 

“We will have to do the same on her.” Your grandmother whispered to your mother in marinai. 

“Don’t you dare.” Lody practically sang out back in marinai, trying to keep her voice and tone pleasant so as not to raise Sierge’s suspicions. 

“Why not?” Your mother asked curiously. 

“Can you imagine what my mother would think? For me to receive Benny’s damaged leftovers? Benny mauled his heart, mind and soul, I don’t need him thinking I’m a nicer version of Benny and I have enough problems with people thinking that about me as it is. I do not wish to be in her shadow any more than she liked to be in Audra’s. I am my own unique person. And I need my mate, whoever he may be, to see that, not see me as another her or constantly compare me to her either for my elevation or decline. Plus I’m sure Benny was brutal in her truths of criticisms, and they are still truths and I would much rather have an honorable man who would not give his self respect, much less the faith and trust of his family over to an enemy parading around as his lover and confidant for his own sexual release and momentary happiness, I’m sure he had his own motives for doing it and until I know them, I can’t trust him and neither can anyone else, so don’t you dare match my henna with his.” Adrilody repeated with a smile like “fuck you” was written on her teeth and a determined look in her eyes. 

“That is true, you’re right, I apologize.” Loreiris offered. 

“Thank you.” Adrilody accepted. 

“So...I feel like you’re talking about me.” Sierge murmured. 

“We are, we are discussing the meaning of the henna you chose and what that means about you as a person. You chose a lion, a male lion specifically. It means regal dignity, power and strength.” Adrilody revealed as Sierge seemed to puff his chest out proudly. 

“It also means, that you’ve been hurt and you’re making a show of strength and confidence in trying to remain composed as you conceal your real hurt and that the mane is a defense to keep you from garnering any more battle scars. You have gotten mauled by the wolf so the lion, is an appropriate reaction.” Loreiris deduced. 

“Exactly.” Adrilody nodded in agreement. 

“Wait, do all of these have meanings like that?” Sierge asked. 

“Oh yes, mouras are bred to read into meanings behind preferences which there has been countless years of science and research behind it in Dorrierran custom. Red can mean passion, or rage, lust or danger, it is an extreme color, the color of war and death or carnage or the color of a blush. Depending on the shade or hue. Blue can mean peace, or inaction, even laziness, tranquility or depth. Like the ocean, peaceful one moment but can be caught up in a storm the next. Green can mean life, vibrance, or the other extreme, sickness or decay, like bread mold and gangrene, again, depending on the shade and hue. Black can be mysterious, or deadly, secretive yet seductive because it shows shape but hides intent. White can be lifeless, devoid of life and color just as much as it means innocence and a fresh new start, like a piece of white paper, just waiting to be turned into a piece of art that is the purpose of the white henna, to indicate a fresh new start, it is simply a thick liquid in the bowl, but when used with intent and intelligence, can create works of art, like what is on you right now. Gold can be opulence and all consuming greed. But greater meanings is the symbolism of the patterns and animals chosen as well. A panther is strength true, but lonesome, solitary. A tortoise is slow, but deliberate, and can endure. An elephant is large, with an exceptional memory and strong family ties, but like the tortoise is slower, much more deliberate and cautious but couragous enough to go into war just as much as it is willing to help it’s rider build, moving beams with it’s trunk. An eagle is proud but aloof, a hawk is a keen hunter with great speed, but not soft or comforting. An owl is wise and long living, but detached. A viper is deadly, yet protective and demands respect and will bluff before it bites, trying to warn anything that threatens it. You chose a lion, lions like to hunt in prides, be close to families, they are defensive of their territory and will die defending it. The lion in the artwork is strong, brave, courageous. Who’s strong clean lines invoke respect and admiration. But little creativity or a willingness to bend before they break. But you did not stick to the design in the book but in fact you are open to new designs and change and even now with the softer curves in the lines that Adriolody has given the design, shows she is encouraging you to bend your will and accept that your will has to bend before it’s broken completely. You must yield for now. But will gain your strength back and be stronger than you have ever been before,  which is good, you are letting go of some old to embrace new, but you still have a long way to go.” Loreiris sagely explained before she and Jodhaa left to gather the remaining henna for their own designs. 

“Holy shit, does she always hand everyone’s ass to them on a platter like that?” Sierge asked Adrilody over his shoulder which got her snicker laugh and nearly snot all over him. 

“Yes, be grateful she went easy on you. She has this test, where she hands you a bunch of colored squares painted on thin pieces of wood and asks you to pick your favorites and your least favorites of all the colors. For every color you love yet hate has a meaning and she will outright fuck your mind up with how accurately she hands you your ass and shows you yourself in the most accurate mirror there is- that has nothing to do with your outward appearance. She has taught many this test and what each color means whether that person likes or hates it but once she teaches you the meanings of the colors, she will not read for you again because you’ll of course choose the colors based on their meanings, not on the colors themselves to try to throw the test off, trying to get the best result. She says the best and most honest results are when someone takes it for the first time, thinking it’s just a fun little game.” Adriolody murmured in a low whisper before she finished the design on his back and moved to his arms. 

“Would you do the test on me?” Siege asked curiously. 

“I didn’t bring it with me, and I doubt anyone else did either. But it’s usually a fun little “game” that is played with the groom before the wedding, and the positive is shared with the groom, but the negatives are shared with the bride so that she is given a heads up so to speak about what kind of man she is marrying and what she should look out for.” Adrilody revealed in a low murmur as his arm was up and she could get a whiff of his pheromones. The henna is supposed to be affecting him, not her. It wasn’t even on her but here she was, thirsting over him. Not only did he look good but smelled heavenly to her too, it was going to be hard for her to fight the attraction once she was painted with the henna too. If only she had met him before Benny mauled him and if only he had met her before Benny. Adrilody reminded herself that once again, it was not her job to heal her cousin’s hurt. And if there was ever going to be any hope for any kind of friendship, let alone a relationship between the two of them, there had to be no confusion, conflict or distraction in his mind or heart, and right now, there was much of all three. 

Once she was done she had Sierge stand in front of a messengerari to capture her work, having him slowly turn since her mural in henna stretched all around him and down his arms and was made in such a way so that even when his arms were up or down, they added to it. 

“This is your best work yet Lody.” Your mother and grandmother and all the others praised as they looked it over. 

“Sometimes when you give a wild horse it’s rein, it’ll show you secret lakes in the mountains.” Jenniverre quoted from one of the holy books. 

“So true, she has made you into something extraordinary Sierge. Part of me thinks you shouldn’t be in the bride system Lody, Dorierra needs a talent like you at home to do this to the other brides in the Hanging Garden Quarter if not many more.” Jodhaa complimented. 

“Thank you, but now my hands are tired and sore, not to mention the rest of me. I should get back to Mirador with Audra and take a bath and rest. Audra’s henna should be dry and be ready to be washed off by now, I look forward to any art she decides to bestow upon me, Audra also does her best work with free rein.” Adrilody suggested before they left, all the guys trying to stay still while they waited for the henna to dry and to stain their skin and were told to leave it on for at least an hour or two. But Audra’s henna, was supposed to be stay on all day so that when it washed off, she would practically glow.  

“That looks amazing Sierge.” Amara and Kiera praised since their henna had been done first upstairs in private and only had it on their hands, feet, legs and chest, so they could still walk around as usual as Callie had wanted practically her whole body done. 

“Thanks, hey, can you get Ma’ma?” He requested before they nodded and informed their mother that Sierge wanted to see her. 

“Hey, oh wow, Adrilody did an amazing job with this design! I didn’t see it in the book, if I had, I would have requested this one.” His mother Gwendolyn praised. 

“Thanks, all I told Adrilody was that I wanted a lion but that she could have free reign on how she gave it to me. And she did a fantastic job. And we got to talk while she put it on me and she made some really good points as she did it. She told me what lions meant in her culture and what they symbolized and she was really accurate. And she made the point that even though I was “mauled” metaphorically speaking by that bitch wolf. It was partially my fault for willingly laying down and offering myself up to be her prey. And I never should have put my own pleasure at the cost of everyone’s confidence and trust in me. I’m sorry. I’ll happily submit to any discipline you see fit.” Sierge offered to his mother who almost burst into tears. 

“You should definitely apologize to your brother. And whatever he decides, you should do, since your offense was against him and Audra. You can make it up to her by keeping her condition a secret and make whatever amends she wants.” Gwen advised before Sierge came over to Demsey and did just that, offering a sincere and heart felt apology. 

“Honestly, it’s going to take time to learn to trust you with anything again, and the fact that you gave her even as much as you did, means that I now know your price for our brotherly bond, which should have been priceless and it should have been sacred enough for you to never breach it and the moment you had the inkling that she was trying to jeopardize that, you should have backed off and quit her and put as much distance between her and yourself as you could, she had you ignoring the head on your shoulders by squeezing the one between your legs. And now because of your conduct, that put this family’s loyalty and integrity into question, I had Audra’s mother and grandmother literally at my throat, questioning me and my own loyalty and integrity and faithfulness, you saw what happened with Benny’s own brothers, how the moment they knew she was working you, they distanced themselves from her as did Calla and her brothers and Audra. You should have picked up on all of their cues and don’t go running where everyone is fleeing from.” Demesy lectured.  

“Yeah, I hear you. I agree. I should have been more careful and read the signs of fire, instead of being enchanted by the glow of the flame.” Sierge answered, quoting from a holy book himself. 

“Exactly.” Demsey smiled in relief that Sierge seemed to get it. 

“I like the alicorn though.” Sierge complimented, appreciating the art on his brother’s body in turn. 

“Thanks, apparently, that’s what Audra got, she’s always been a unicorn in the wild, untamable sense, the Morrigans shot her down and broke her horn, but according to her mother and her grandmother, I helped her up and gave her wings so she can take to the skies and fly right along side me. Which I thought was really sweet.” Demsey grinned as he looked at it all. 

“That’s interesting, Adrilody said that all the designs have meanings and Loreiris confirmed it. Loreiris said the lion meant that I’m making a show of strength to conceal my own hurt from the mauling Benny did and, she of course was right.” Sierge revealed. 

“Well damn, I wonder what the alicorn means then?” Demsey asked as he looked at it in a handheld mirror since his chest hair and the chest hair of all the guys had to be shaved off and their skin scrubbed to make the skin ready to take on the henna. 

“I think Audra will tell you when you see her on your wedding day.” Sierge ventured. 

“I know I can’t wait to see Jenniverre, I imagine you’re anxious to see Adrilody too, I wonder if she’ll get anything that matches yours, because Jenniverre said that I picked what she always gets herself, the stingray and that they mean peace and elegance.” Javyn practically giggled excitedly as he appraised his own henna and was delighted that it was such a clean, crisp contrast on his dark midnight blue skin as he just couldn’t stop marveling at it. 

“I hope so.” Sierge found himself grinning and quite liking the thought of that. 

“So? How was it?” You asked once your family came back. 

“Javyn got a stingray, so who wants to put a stingray on me?” Jenniverre squealed excitedly. 

“She likes him a lot, she upped the dosage of the isla in the mix,” Lody murmured in your ear in marinai as your eyes grew wide and gave her a meaningful look that she returned. 

“Mom, grandma, how about you two do Jenni, I’ll take care of Lody, on my own.” You suggested as you let them take the remainder of the mix to put on Jenniverre so you could mix up fresh henna for Lody. 

“So what did Sierge get?” You asked as you mixed it together thoughtfully, making sure it was the correct and was in balance. 

“A lion.” Lody answered as she undressed and got into the special henna seat. 

“Oooh, yikes,” you sucked in a breath through your teeth with a grimace. 

“I mean Benny mauled him bad.” Lody defended. 

“True,” you had to admit as you poured the mix into the bag. 

“But he did let me have free rein, so I made the most amazing kick ass lion I’ve ever made, I captured it and saved it to the messengerari, here, do you have a hand held one?” She said before you handed what looked like a special hand held mirror as she opened the handle and rolled out the special typer on it and keyed in the code to bring it up. 

“Wow! That’s exquisite, I hope you can duplicate it for your book. If that were in the book, everyone would get it, that is amazing!” You marveled. 

“Now, please, don’t match it.” Lody requested. 

“The shadow?” You guessed cryptically because when reading the meaning of henna designs or colors and their meanings, there was “the light” meaning the positives, and then “the shadows” meaning what was hidden by the light shining upon the object, when one read into the meanings of the designs and one knew the lights as well as the shadows, it helped decipher the meaning and much more importantly the intent of the person you were working with. 

“Yup, the shadow.” Lody nodded in confirmation.  

“Well do you mind if I still use elements and hints of this? Because this is epic and I want to try to do this justice but I promise I won’t give you a lioness or copy it faithfully, still give you something unique and one of a kind, but can I do a jaguar or a leopard, tiger perhaps?” You asked hopefully. 

“Tiger.” She decided. 

“Yes! Tiger it is.” You said as you had her keep the picture up to draw from as you worked diligently, trying to copy the style and the details but not the overall design as her own pattern seemed to bloom on her skin as you discovered it just as she had done with Sierge, making her whole body a mural of greater beauty than what she had done, having to refill the piping bag several times over, careful not to make sure the mix was correct and not out of balance. 

“So I have a theory.” Lody noted as you were doing her arms. 

“I’m all ears.” You answered. 

“Because of Benny, I think this court will go to the aquiras, the same way they did in the others she tore through.” Lody murmured quietly. 

“And what are you? Did you get your classification?” You asked. 

“Rissa,” She answered. 

“Did Benny steal the nescia status because of the other maulings in the other courts?” You asked. 

“I think so. The stable masters were hoping if the whole family had a disciplinary action, that the whole family would get after her, and we tried, but, like a wolf, she mauled us too and had every excuse in the book and then some to validate her actions. I’ve already seen others come and demand audiences and auditions with my other sisters and cousins, demanding a nicer version of Benny and retribution. Thankfully Mama Chikati saw that they all had revenge and retribution in their hearts and that they meant harm and would not allow us to go to them. She instead happily took the downgrade to keep us from ever being the prey to them, knowing that they were hungry lions, simply looking to devour a poor dog in place of the wolf that mauled them.” Lody confessed. 

“Although I’m happy that Sierge chose a lion whose mouth was closed, it showed that he is not actively looking to devour, simply, trying to be stoic while his wounds heal.” Lody noted. 

“Now I worry for when the winter comes, I worry he will be frozen in such a state and waste away. Some chill will calm the burn and the rage, but too much will freeze and then burn again. What he needs is the comfort of his familial pride, to heal to recover, but once he is healed, hunt again, but not for the closest, easiest prey. And not to become pray to anyone else. But hunt for a prize of his own. Once he realizes his own distaste for being in the shadows of others, coming into the light, will help, of course seeing you shine in the light, your stripes a sharp contrast to the solid black coat of that bitch wolf, the black will remind him that you are like her in a few ways, a capable hunter, cunning and clever, but never at the downfall of others but purely for the survival of yourself and your den, but that you stand out and don’t wait until dark to do anything, but instead can choose to move in broad daylight and still have stealth, you do as you please, independent from a pride.” You murmured as you continued to use a striped pattern on her skin with gorgeous mini patterns both in and out of the stripes. 

“Only you would see the truth of the choice, both in the light and in the shadows.” Lody praised you. 

“Well all big cats share similarities, at least you didn’t go full wild dog, or a shark, seagull even.” You laughed, teasing her. 

“Oh my god, don’t you dare put any of that on me.” Adrilody cackled. 

“People like to say pigeons are rats with wings, nothing compared to seagulls. Those things will bite your hand for the bread and then crap right in your hair.” You barked a deep belly laugh. 

“True, although they have no fear, opportunistic as they are.” Lody noted. 

“That’s what Benny should be, no black wolf, just a greedy gaul.” You teased which made both of you erupt into deep laughter as you smudged and smeared the henna as you tried to quickly wipe it up and clean it before it stained that way. 

But you could see, even in this moment, that Lody was fighting as you couldn’t help but feel some sense of dejavu.

“I remember when I first met Demsey, and there was that first interaction and instant attraction. But being in such a polite society. These English men, they like to think they have such high manners, such polite society. It’s pretty words and a show of civility. But pretty words can hide a silver bladed tongue, it can be the same here as it is in the orientals, where your manners are judged just as harshly. But once you find a gentle man who is gentle in any light or shadow, then you have something special. That’s what Demsey has always been, the same man in every light and shadow, he has the same kindness and affection in his eyes and in his touch in private as he does in a ballroom and never once has his touch ever had any hint of harm. Desperation from passion? Absolutely. Love and tenderness? Always. Respect, admiration and adoration? From that first moment on. First impressions are the hardest to break. Please don’t judge Sierge too harshly. He’s suffered and he is not at his best, but I’d gather close to his worst and the fact that he’s persevering and trying to remain composed, says a lot about his character too and yet you are fighting your attraction because your own pride is incensed on Benny’s behalf. I think if your attraction to him stays with you after the henna wears off and if your attraction to him stays long after the henna because your attraction started before the henna was ever a component. Don’t let Benny put a distaste in your mouth for this place or of him, much less his family because you do not want the same from Benny.” You advised. 

“Deal, if he will like me enough to approach me at the stables, and never bring up Benny, I’d consider it.” Lody decided.  

“Good.” You grinned. 

[mostlycompetentwriter]

You Can STAY - Part 5

F/M Main Pairing: Y/N x Lee Felix (Side Pairing: Y/N x Stray Kids)

Genre: Fantasy AU; Scarlet Heart AU; OT8 SKZ

Word Count: 6K

Warnings: Language

Summary: Seungmin’s wedding and the consequential aftermath...

Tag List: @angelphantomlove​​​ @moonlightracha​​​ @jjabbur​​​ @pinkchcn​​​ @straykidbaby​​​ @moonnstars90​​​ @dru-shadow​​​ @skzooyeet​ @xiaojunssmile​

The problem with arranged marriages, in my limited experience, was often the lack of interest from one or more of the involved parties, and it was quite unfortunate when you had to witness an unrequited love.

Seungmin’s bride, who happened to be the General’s fiercest and eldest daughter, was infatuated with Seungmin - that much was apparent. During the days leading up to their marriage ceremony, I relegated myself to the honor of watching over the bride and groom, especially whenever they interacted with one another. It was blatantly obvious in those moments that Seungmin was not interested in his bride, but I just wished that he would leave my name out of their conversations.

“I’m saving myself for Y/N,” Seungmin had declared during an afternoon of tea, glancing over in my direction while I pretended to be looking anywhere else.

It was embarrassing to be announced like that, and Hyunjin and Jisung liked to tease me about it all the time, and I had spent far too many afternoons in the company of the younger Princes only to hear them cooing over Seungmin’s undying love for the Castle Mage. “That’s enough,” I had tried to intervene, but they weren’t so easily deterred, even in the face of the magical parlor tricks that I used to try and dissuade their attacks.

But Seungmin’s arranged marriage wasn’t the only problem in the Castle, and I was troubled by the negative reaction of my heart when I heard the King talk about Prince Felix’s eventual return to the Northern Kingdom where he would wed one of the daughters. “It’s the least he can do,” the King offered as explanation. “For all the trouble he’s caused throughout the years.”

“He brought back the rain, your grace,” I said without thinking, realizing too late that the response might be considered aggressive.

Yet, the King simply laughed in response. “Yes, but it’s made him far more appealing as a suitor.”

I nodded my head because I wouldn’t speak out of term more than once. Especially since everyone was in agreement that the arrangement would bring peace to our rival Kingdoms. Even at the great sacrifice of Felix’s youth.

However, Queen Lyra was ecstatic when she learned that Felix would be marrying a Northern Princess, and Chan told me in private that his mother wanted nothing more than to send Felix back to that dreadful place. “He doesn’t want to leave,” I said in an unexpected defense of the rebel Prince.

“He has no choice,” Chan replied, and we both dismissed the conversation when Ella had called for my name.

Tragically, in the weeks leading up to Seungmin’s ceremony in the Throne Room, Ella had rapidly declined in health, to the point where even I lost my enthusiasm for the treatments. “When I’m gone,” she told me one afternoon. “Please watch over Chan for me.”

I remembered looking up in surprise when she said that, and there was a knowing look in her eyes that I hated to see. 

But there wasn’t any time to weigh the consequences of her words, and I was far too preoccupied with Prince Minho’s return to entertain the possibility of what keeping an eye on Chan might entail.

Because the King’s chosen successor was doing his best to corner me alone, but I was just as adept at staying away from him, especially in lieu of our last conversation together where he had subtly declared his intentions to marry me. It wasn’t something that I wanted, and it was easier to ignore Minho rather than face him head-on and decline his affections. After all, the Prince had every obligation to choose his bride, and I was nobody to turn him down.

But even Minho knew when to back off, and he too seemed swept away by the planning of Seungmin’s wedding, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief for the time being. Because I had no doubt that a confrontation between me and the chosen Prince was inevitable, but I was determined to delay it for as long as I could. And Seungmin offered the perfect distraction, which is a big part of the reason why I chose to shadow the couple, even if it meant putting up with his constant flirtations.

“You know, Y/N,” Hyunjin said one day while he walked next to me through the gardens. “Seungmin really does like you.”

I glanced up ahead at the younger Prince who was trying his absolute best to ignore his bride while she pointed out the flower arrangement. “It’s no good for him to resist his father’s wishes,” I said. “He should start opening up to the General’s daughter.”

“He’s stubborn,” Hyunjin replied with a fond smile. “When he sets his mind to something, nobody can stand in his way.”

“It won’t change his fate,” I said, looking at Hyunjin with a frown. “You aren’t planning to entertain his whims? After all, his feelings towards me are likely nothing more than a passing crush.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Hyunjin agreed. “But Seungmin will still resist until the very end.”

“Yeah? Well, he has no choice in the matter,” I said, and we both stopped when Seungmin muttered something at his bride before marching away in the direction of the Castle.

The wedding was to be held in the Throne Room, and the Castle’s servants had been working non-stop to prepare everything on time. Because of the hectic nature of the King’s demands, even I found myself helping out with the other servants as we decorated and prepared enough food for the impressive guest list consisting of names that I hadn’t the faintest recognition. But I’m sure the King had plans to invite monarchs from distant kingdoms, especially since a marriage was always celebrated as it symbolized the growth of a lineage and Seungmin would be expected to present an heir of his own.

Tragically, in this case, it was still heartbreaking to watch a Prince meant to look his strongest walk down the red-carpeted aisle with a despondent look and slouched-over posture on the night of his wedding. I could tell that Seungmin’s mother wasn’t pleased by her son’s behavior, but she had no right to call him out for it when the music began to play from the organ.

Seungmin didn’t even bother to look up when the doors opened and his young bride stepped onto the carpet, arm tucked between her father’s as she wore a huge smile. Her grown was long and beautiful, sweeping across the floor as she walked down the aisle with her gaze trained on Seungmin. I observed them both from the side of the room where I had taken my post to keep an eye on things and provide extra security, but it was still enough of a vantage point that I could see her disappointment when she realized that Seungmin wasn’t paying her any attention.

But regardless of Seungmin’s indifference, the priest conducted the ceremony with embellished motions, and he spoke about the positive direction of the Kingdom and the miracle of the Prince's union. “Now, let’s proceed with the presentation of the rings. We can start with Miss. Rose.”

The General’s daughter giggled in response, and she reached out for Seungmin’s hand before sliding the ring into place with a gentle touch. Meanwhile, Seungmin snatched the ring intended for Rose away from Jisung before roughly jamming it on her finger with a bored expression. “Then, it is done,” the priest concluded, and his final statement was met with applause from the other guests.

“There will be a reception in the other room,” a guard whispered to me. “Will you continue to watch with us? There doesn’t appear to be any signs of trouble.”

“Of course,” I agreed, studying the way Seungmin refused to hold Rose’s hand as they left the Throne Room.

“If it’s alright with you, then perhaps you can keep an eye on the main floor?” the guard suggested. “Your magic will be far more useful.”

“And I’ll have a better view of the Prince,” I said while nodding. 

It was tradition to end a wedding ceremony with a reception where the bride and groom could speak with guests while celebrating their nuptials. However, on this occasion in particular, I took great care to observe Seungmin from afar, studying him as he dismissed most of the guests with a curt nod or bored response. The gestures were far from the expectations that our nation had of their Prince, and I was disappointed that he insisted on throwing a tantrum regarding his royal duties.

“There you are,” Hyunjin said, breaking my intense concentration as he came to stand next to me. “I brought you something.”

“Thanks,” I said, accepting the wine glass from him even though I had no plans to drink.

“That poor girl,” Hyunjin said. “She adores my brother, but he still has eyes for someone else.”

“He’ll get over it,” I insisted. 

“It might help if you took a husband of your own,” Hyunjin remarked, and I looked at him in surprise.

“Why?”

“Well, Seungmin won’t have any hopes left for a union between himself and the Castle’s Mage if she’s engaged,” Hyunjin said. “And I know that my older brother has also taken an interest in you.”

I found myself seeking out Prince Minho on instinct, locating him on the opposite side of the room talking with his father. “I suppose I have no right to refuse him.”

“Since you’re all about duty,” Hyunjin said, and I frowned because he had turned my own words against me. “Minho will be thrilled. I know he plans to confront you tonight. Do try not to make a scene.”

“Have you come over here just to taunt me?” I asked.

“No, but it is rather easy these days,” Hyunjin said with a teasing smile, and I watched the young Prince vanish into the crowd with a heavy feeling of dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

I could hardly take anymore of the drama from the evening, and I briefly entertained the possibility of leaving the Banquet Hall without being noticed by the others. Of course, the opportunity passed quicker than my mind could process a plan of escape, and I stood my ground when Prince Minho took over Hyunjin’s previous spot, looking down at me with a kind smile.

“Prince Minho,” I greeted him with a gentle curtsy. “I’m glad to see your safe return.”

“Really?” Minho grinned. “I never noticed because you tried so hard to avoid me.”

I took a deep breath at the accusation. “I’ve been busy shadowing Seungmin and his bride.”

“Yes, but you could’ve found time to speak with me,” Minho countered. “Nevertheless, I have your attention now if you’ll do me the honor of the next dance?”

“How can I refuse?” I returned, although the question was meant to be rhetorical because I understood the situation all too well - taking Minho’s outstretched hand as he pulled me onto the dance floor.

“We can talk without raising suspicion,” Minho said, and one of his hands dropped low around my waist as he led us around in gentle circles. “But I think you already know what I plan to ask.”

“I could take a few guesses,” I replied.

“I’m sure you might feel compelled,” Minho said. “However, I simply wish to make a suggestion: a union between us that I can bring to my father for his blessing.”

I inhaled sharply at the idea, but there wasn’t an ounce of resistance left in the Mage who had decided to accept the inevitable. “What benefit could I bring to you?” I asked. “If you don’t me asking.”

“Of course not,” Minho said, and we continued to glide together across the floor. “I know you saved my life that day during the tea ceremony, and I won’t lie and say that my position as King would be far less objected if I had someone with your power next to my side.”

“Then you think of me as a political pawn?”

“Y/N, you’re so much more than that,” Minho said. “I can’t believe you still are incapable of seeing it.”

“Seeing what?”

Minho smiled, and even I had to admit that it was a sight for sore eyes. “How special you are,” he said, and there was a moment when time stood-still as his gaze fell to my lips.

But just as quickly, that moment was interrupted by the presence of a man who had also been asking for more and more of my attention. “Can I cut in?” Chan suddenly inserted, and Minho looked two seconds away from cursing his brother as he reluctantly offered him my hand.

“Your highness,” I greeted him, shivering when his hand replaced Minho’s around my waist.

“Y/N,” Chan said with a teasing smile - clearly, he did not consider the use of our formal titles to be appropriate. “Would you believe me if I told you that I felt the highest of necessities to intervene between you and my brother?”

“Why is that?”

Chan laughed, and it was a sound that I hadn’t heard from him before. “I was insanely jealous.”

“Jealous?” I repeated with wavering hesitance, wondering what the eldest Prince meant by that.

“Well, I suppose those feelings are ill-suited for this moment,” Chan said, and he was far more serious when he switched topics. “I want to thank you everything that you’ve done for Ella.”

“I wouldn’t stand aside and allow her to die,” I insisted, but Chan was already shaking his head with a morose expression.

“Ella won’t make it past this month,” Chan whispered, and I swallowed hard as I felt his body fall against mine as if he had already given up. “She weakens as we speak.

“Then, we should try something else-”

“No,” Chan said with a sigh. “I think we’re all tried of pretending there’s hope.”

I felt my heart break in two at his dejection, and I wasn’t nearly as stubborn as Seungmin, reading the defeated look written across Chan’s expression as a sign that not even Magic could stop Death in its tracks. “I’m so sorry,” I said.

“There’s no need for apologies,” Chan said. “Not when you’ve done so much to change her fate.”

“It still breaks my heart,” I said.

“Yes, but don’t misread your grief as guilt,” Chan insisted. “We can mourn the loss of a good soul, but your kindness can never be repaid.”

“I would do it all again,” I said with determination. “I can’t let anyone suffer.”

“I know,” Chan agreed, and there was a faint glimmer of something warm reflected in his eyes. “You’ve shown me true spirit, Y/N, and I will remember your undying support for the rest of my days.”

“You flatter me too much,” I said, but Chan shook his head.

“I can’t do enough for you,” he replied. “But I’m sure someone of your character can remember my wife’s final request of you?”

“Oh?” I asked, closing my eyes as I held tighter to Chan. 

“She asked you to watch over me,” Chan said, and his gaze was intense as he pulled back from me. “I guess I’ll just have to keep you close.”

I trembled at his words, stepping out of his arms when the song playing overhead concluded. “Excuse me,” I murmured, bowing once before stumbling into the surrounding crowd of couples.

I guess I’ll just have to keep you close?

It was a difficult verse that continued to play itself over and over again inside my confused head, blinding me to the people I was bumping into as I sought an escape from the rest of the guests. My heart was palpitating at a rapid pace, and there was an ugly haze lingering at the edges of my vision - the beginnings of a panic attack as I tried to keep myself from drowning in the vicious expectations following me like a persistent touch.

I had almost made it to the door when a rough hand grabbed my shoulder, pulling me backward to meet the haggard gaze of Prince Jisung. “Seungmin is looking for you,” Jisung said with a pained expression. “He refuses to dance with anyone else until he has you first.”

Not him too! My mind screamed with impatience, and I reacted without thinking about the consequences.

“Tell him I started to feel ill,” I said, ignoring Jisung’s repeated attempts to stop me as I quietly snuck away into the darkness outside.

Immediately, I was relieved by the crisp cold of the night, taking in several deep breaths to ground myself as I paused at the edge of the coy pond near the Castle gardens.

“What just happened?” I whispered to myself, wondering what I could’ve done to earn the attention of the Castle’s Princes.

It seemed difficult to fathom, especially for someone of my position, but it was becoming harder to resist their obvious advances. But what could I do? For a Mage like myself, this was beyond the expectations that had been laid out by my ancestors.

I took a deep breath as I curled my arms around my torso, keeping my gaze focused on the calmer waters, especially when I heard rustling from the trees behind me. And I had gotten awfully good at detecting the presence of a Prince who continued to confound me.

“Did you follow me out here?” I asked, holding myself even tighter as I chanced a look over shoulder.

“You were a popular guest tonight,” Felix replied, and I watched him come closer - studying the intensity of his gaze.

“I noticed,” I said. “But I’m not one to seek their attention.”

“Oh, I know that very well, Y/N,” Felix said, and he chuckled as he came to stand next to me. “But I’m not here to question you.”

“Is that so?” I wondered, peering at him from the corner of my eye. “Then what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?”

“I think there are many reasons,” Felix said, and I took a moment to admire the fierce color of his red-hair because it was glowing under the moonlight. “But one of them stands out from the rest.”

“Felix-” I started, but the young Prince was an effective interruption, reaching out for my arms to turn me around to look at him and no-one else.

“I think actions speak louder than words,” Felix whispered, and he was leaning in closer before I had a chance to react. Instead, I gasped against Felix’s lips as they descended over mine, shivering at the touch of his tongue against the seam of my own. Unlike before, there was no resistance against him, and the kiss was both unexpected and familiar - like coming home from a year-long journey to receive the ones who loved you the most.

I could feel Felix’s heart in his breath-stealing kiss, the affection of his gentle caress as his lips dominated our elegant exchange - precious oxygen passed between us as the wind started moving even faster in the background. There wasn’t a soul around us to interrupt, but there also wasn’t a single part of me that desired such an interruption, and I was a prisoner to the mysterious Prince Felix. The son who was scorned by the King and Queen, and outcasted by his own blood. 

It was both right and wrong, and I hesitated when he pulled back to look into my eyes with a smoldering gaze. “At this point, Miss Y/N,” Felix said, voice deep and raspy. “You’ve made a habit of stealing my heart.”

“Felix, I can’t,” I insisted, attempting to move away from him, but that only made his hold even tighter. “Your father will never allow it.”

“Do you think I care?” Felix growled. “The same man who sent me away when I was only a boy, crying and screaming for his mother?”

“You're positioned to marry a princess from the North,” I said. “To secure an alliance for Cle.”

“I do not serve my father’s whims,” Felix said, winding an arm around my waist. “I will never marry that girl, with or without your consent.”

“But I won’t allow it!” I cried, detecting the unruliness of my magic in reaction to my uncontrollable emotions. “I won’t be responsible.”

“You must,” Felix said and I froze when I saw a single tear slide down his cheek. “Y/N, you have complete possession of my heart. To have you turn away from me because of my father or my reputation would destroy me.”

I shivered at his words, implying that I could hold so much power over a boy who single-handedly fought an entire battalion of invaders in the North. “What do you want?” I asked him - a loaded question that gave him far too much advantage.

“I want you,” he answered, lips finding mine once again in the narrow space separating our bodies. But this time, I didn’t allow myself to get carried away by the sweet sensations of warmth and love, and I retreated even further back as I glared at him.

“Don’t do this,” I warned him, but before he could say another word, we both startled at the rustling of the grass from the direction of the party, revealing Prince Changbin as he gave us both a knowing look. 

“This is hardly the time for these interactions,” Changbin said, and I could feel my heart skyrocket because he might ruin everything.

“What are doing here?” Felix asked, attempting to stand taller as he narrowed his eyes as his older brother.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” Changbin said, tsking as he brought himself closer to us. “And I’m disappointed in you, Felix. Because I thought you already knew that I planned to ask for Y/N’s hand in marriage.”

“What?” Felix exhaled, and even I could hardly believe the nonsense coming out of Changbin.

“You didn’t know?” Changbin gasped, and it was obviously meant to be mocking. “My poor little brother, he’s hardly allowed to know anything around here.”

“Stop!” Felix growled, taking an intimidating step towards Changbin. “Tell me what you intend to do.”

“Perhaps I want to take the Mage for myself,” Changbin threatened, circling around Felix and I with calculating eyes. “Father will be pleased if I ask for her hand.”

“She’s mine,” Felix snarled, and there was a vicious anger sharpening his features. “You will never lay a hand on her.”

“Is that so?” Changbin asked, and he seemed unusually pleased with himself when his eyes found the place where Felix’s hand was holding mine. “We’ll see about that.”

The remainder of the evening passed like a shadow, and I hardly remember anything else after returning to my room. I was shaken by all of my encounters with the Princes, and I fell asleep much faster than usual in an effort to escape those problems in my dreams. But much too soon, I was woken up again by a gentle hand shaking my shoulder.

I blinked open my eyes, finding Anna standing over me. “What is it?” I asked, noting her troubled expression.

“The King demands your presence in the throne room,” Anna said, greeting me with a sheepish look. “He sounded...tense?”

I shivered at the description, wondering if I had done something wrong. Or, even worse, if Changbin had told his father about my rendevous with Felix at the edge of the pond? How we kissed under the moon while Felix declared his affections for me.

I shook my head at the thought, thanking Anna before getting dressed because it was never a good idea to keep the King waiting. 

Under any circumstances... 

But I could hardly stop my feet from dragging across the floor as I walked in the direction of the Throne Room, stumbling in my steps as I thought about all the potential things the King could tell me. Especially when I paused outside the door and could hear so many voices speaking from the other side. “Calm down,” I whispered to myself, pushing open the doors and immediately attracting every eye in the room to my person.

“Ah!” the King announced, and I was somewhat relieved when I realized that he was smiling. “There you are! Come up front for me. I have a very important announcement.”

“Of course, your grace,” I said, and I tried to ignore Felix watching me with that intense look as I knelt down on the floor in front of the King.

In actuality, most of the King’s sons were standing in the room, along with so many unfamiliar faces who were watching the drama unfold. It was somewhat humiliating, even if the King’s announcement worked in my favor. But I was cautious as I stood there, trying to appear more put-together than I felt.

“Stand for me,” the King said.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, and I returned to my full height to meet the King’s curious gaze.

“Well, I suppose I can understand,” the King said, and I was confused as he turned to address the rest of the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, my son Changbin, at his own discretion, has chosen to wed our dearest Castle Mage,” the King announced. “And he has my blessing in full support.”

I faltered in my confident stance, feeling the entire room sway around me. “Sir?” I whispered, but it wasn’t loud enough to be overheard over the ensuring chaos. 

Instead, there were immediate murmurs and whispers filling the Throne Room upon the announcement, and I watched from the corner of my eye as Felix stormed past the guards in a dramatic exit. Meanwhile, multiple pairs of eyes were looking in my direction, and I was trying not to sink under the weight of their judgement. They were probably wondering why someone with my status had been given such an exclusive honor, but there was no answer to give them in return to satiate their curiosities.

Or, they were like Chan and Minho, standing with their other siblings while wearing two completely different expressions, but they both conveyed their mutual dislike for the King’s announcement. For example, Minho’s scowl was enough evidence for his underlying anger, and there was a slight hint of betrayal somewhere in his eyes, wondering why his younger brother beat him to requesting my hand. And then there was Chan, the picture of someone who was entirely conflicted, staring at the King with an tense gaze like he wasn’t quite sure how to react, but his first instinct was to presume the worst.

“We shall try to conduct the ceremony as soon as possible,” the King concluded, and he remained opposed to the rumors running rampant through his court as he joined his guards at the door.

And I was left standing at the front of the room, surrounded by hostile voices, meeting Changbin’s gaze as he offered me a sinister smile.

For the remainder of the day, I kept to myself and avoided everyone else who lived inside the Castle. The decision was for my own sanity because I knew that anyone who might choose to confront me would only create even more unnecessary stress. And that was the last thing I needed.

Thus, when the moon rose in the sky, I made my way back to my quarters after an entire afternoon of wandering the gardens and attending to my regular duties. I was feeling better after spending time away from the others, and my mind was pleasantly refreshed in that moment, listening to the sounds of my footsteps against the cobblestones.

It also seemed like most of the Castle occupants were also giving me space, and I figured there would be no further disturbances. Which explained my surprise and confusion when I stumbled upon Seungmin’s bride sitting alone in the empty corridors.

“Princess,” I said with a nod in her direction. “Might I ask why you’re wandering the halls so late at night?”

“It’s Seungmin,” she whispered, refusing to meet my gaze. “I can’t find him.”

“Really?” I asked, eliminating the remaining space between us. “When did you see him last?”

She sighed, shaking her head with a disappointed look. “I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because he doesn’t love me,” she replied with fresh tears. “He can do whatever he likes.”

“Nonsense,” I declared. “Seungmin has an obligation to you as your husband.”

“No he doesn’t,” she said with a shaky tone. “I thought I could convince him to love me, but he’s resisted every step of the way.”

“Then that is his fault,” I said. “Because, as far as I can tell, you’re perfect for Seungmin.”

“I wish he felt the same,” she said. “It would make things easier.”

“Perhaps he can after a while,” I said. “Give him time.”

“But it’s so hard,” she whined. “There isn’t any reassurance that he’ll change his mind, and I can’t keep pretending that I’m happy.”

I sighed at that, realizing she was right. “You should never feign your happiness,” I agreed. “However, there’s no chance you can give up at this point, so please allow me to find him for you.”

Rose looked at me with a curious expression, but she simply nodded in response to my request. “Okay.”

“Return to your room,” I said. “Hopefully, this won’t take long.”

And I waited until Rose had complied with my orders before turning my sights to the gardens once again. Because Seungmin had a preferences for the orchards, and I figured that I might find him amongst the hedge mazes seeking reprieve of his own.

But at least the gardens were peaceful at this time of night, and I enjoyed the cooler air as I tried to locate Seungmin. How stubborn could someone really be considering all that had happened? I could understand resistance at first, but would it make a difference in the long term? 

“There you are,” I grumbled, stepping deeper inside the complicated maze because I had spotted Seungmin’s familiar dark hair against the endless green of the vegetation. “Seungmin!” I yelled, and the young Prince immediately paused when he heard my voice. “What are you doing?”

I could see his shoulders lift up and down around a sigh. “I’m just walking.”

“I can see that,” I said, placing one hand on his shoulder. “But shouldn’t you be inside with your bride?”

“Why?” Seungmin scoffed. “So I can pretend to be her husband.”

“Seungmin,” I said. “You are her husband, and there’s no leaving the arrangement.”

“It’s bullshit,” Seungmin growled. “I don’t even love her, and she only thinks that she loves me.”

“Really?” I questioned him. “Then why is she wandering the Castle looking for you?”

He hesitated at that, searching for an explanation. “What?”

“She loves you a lot,” I insisted, looking at Seungmin with a severe expression. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Seungmin replied. “I can’t return her affections. I wasn’t the one who demanded our union.”

“But you’re the one who can make the most of it,” I said. “Seungmin, like it or not, you’re married. You can’t escape that responsibility, but you can learn to accept it sooner rather than later. You can lead a good life, and have lots of children to continue your lineage.”

“Is that all that matters?” Seungmin said. “Having heirs to rule the Kingdom?”

“No,” I said. “However, the road you’re on is up to you to decide, and the one you’re treading right now is very dangerous.”

Thunder rumble in the background at my bold claim, and even Seungmin was shaken from his despondency. “Y/N-”

“Stop,” I interrupted him. “This won’t help change your future, and I refuse to let you ruin something that could be so good.”

“It’s not what I wanted,” Seungmin repeated, and I remembered Hyunjin’s cautious warning that his little brother was stubborn to a fault.

“At least stay with her at night,” I said. “She doesn’t deserve to be left alone searching the Castle for you.”

“I guess so,” Seungmin begrudged, and I rolled my eyes because the young Prince would be difficult to break.

After ensuring that Seungmin was safe in his quarters, I thought that I could return to my room. However, that idea was quickly abandoned when I spotted Felix and Changbin walking in my direction. But before they could notice me, I darted back around the corner, peering around the wall to watch them enter Changbin’s quarters.

The situation was suspicious, and I couldn’t resist the temptation of following them to stand outside the doors, holding my breath as I listened in on their conversation. “You want the girl?” I heard Changbin begin. “That can be arranged.”

I shivered when I realized that they were talking about me, and I waited for Felix’s response with bated breath. “You’re despicable,” Felix growled. “You planned this from the beginning to manipulate me.”

“It took you long enough to catch-on,” Changbin said. “How else was I supposed to secure my little brother’s alliance?”

“I am allied to nobody,” Felix declared, but Changbin laughed in response.

“Well, you might change your mind when you learn that the girl of your dreams is contingent on helping me,” Changbin replied.

“What do you want?” Felix asked.

“I’m glad you asked because I’ve been planning this since Minho’s ceremony,” Changbin said, and I could practically hear his arrogance. “I’m planning a coupe to take the throne.”

Felix was silent in response, and I resisted the urge to intervene because there was a threat against the one I was meant to serve. “What are you going to do?” Felix eventually asked.

"First, we’ll have to wait for that old fool to die. Anyone with eyes can see that his health is failing. Then, we get rid of Minho, and I take my rightful place on the throne.”

“You?” Felix chuckled. “What makes you qualified?”

“You doubt me? Over yourself?” Changbin snorted. “Do you really think the people will sit aside and let a misfit like you lead their nation?”

Felix was rendered silent once again, and even I recognized the truth in Changbin’s statement. “You’re seriously planning to overthrow Minho?”

“Of course,” Changbin said. “I deserve it more than him. It’s been my destiny since I was born.”

“Who told you that? Your mother?” 

“Does it matter?” Changbin returned. “It’s my birthright, and I need the support of my brothers if I want to succeed.”

“Changbin,” Felix said. “This is very serious, and the King already doesn’t trust me. Why should I risk everything for you?”

“Because, when I’m King, I’ll give you and the Mage my blessing to be wed,” Changbin replied. “I have no interest in the Castle’s Mage. Our current arrangement is only a formality - a placeholder for you.”

“Fine, but I want your word,” Felix growled. “She’s mine, and I won’t stand for anything to hold us back.”

“Of course not,” Changbin purred. “I swear on my life, Felix. You and the Mage get your happily ever after, and I will fulfill my destiny.”

I swallowed hard at the proposition, holding my breath and waiting for Felix’s response. “I will help you then,” Felix agreed, and my entire being was crushed at the admittance of his betrayal.

Thereafter, I was running through the Castle’s corridors, eyes blurred with tears as I tried to escape from the wickedness surrounding me. 

I should’ve known better when it came to Changbin, and I had severely underestimated Felix’s interest for me. The two brothers were planning the downfall of their own father and brother, and I was feeling torn apart because I couldn’t possibly see myself hurting Felix, but the idea of betraying my duties to the Castle?

I shook my head at the thought because the entire foundation of my purpose at the Castle was falling apart beneath my feet, and I almost felt weightless without that purpose grounding me. But what was I supposed to do about Changbin and Felix? Could I forgive myself if I stood aside and allowed the plot to unfold? Where did my loyalties exist if the entire royal family was split in half?

The questions were numerous, and I almost ran into Jeongin in my haste to escape to my quarters. But the younger was only startled for a second before his eyes lit with recognition. “Y/N,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you.”

His eyes were full of sadness, and I wiped away the final reminders of my tears because I wasn’t sure if he needed comfort. “Is something wrong?”

“Y/N,” Jeongin said with glistening eyes. “Ella is dead.”

[hozierandco]

1917 imagine - Reader x Will

William's POV

All through the battlefields that I had walked, all I could think was Y/N. In Somme I was walking as a dead man, crying my soul away as I crossed by the bodies of my brothers. The only way I found to carry on and not to shoot me instead of yet another German man was to keep Y/N on my mind. When I met Blake, it was as if I had found a second Y/N, a second confidant I could truly relate to. The trenches were not a pleasure cruise but as I had more and more chances to end this war in a hearse, I was more and more desperate to see Y/N again. When Blake died in my arms, I could not stop but imagining me, dead and unable to say goodbye to her.

Last time we saw each other, we were nearly engaged. There was not one day we did not meet for a walk and it had been thus for the past ten years. There was not one single thing I did not know about her or that she did not know about me. I had long dreamt of calling her mine and to end my life peacefully in her arms. Most of the nights, I would fall asleep thinking of her lips brushing mine.

After my mission completed, Tom's brother moved heaven and earth to send me home safe and sound. I had thought of this happening to me many times before and now it came true, I was reveling. I had kept her last letter on my bosom and after ten days, still knew it by heart. I had been surprised to get a letter from her again for lately, her missives were more scarce. Before getting to her house, I had chosen to meet Blake's mother and sister as I had learnt he used to live not too far from Y/N's house.

Once on my way to Y/N's house, I was having all those ideas wandering. Why hadn't she send me any letter? Why were the rare letters I got not demonstrative? What if she was not interested anymore? What if she had never been at the first place? It is with a bad feeling that I knocked on her door. As I took a foot back, a posy in my hands that I had done with flowers I found on my way, her mother greeted me. She had never been too fond of me but was it my grimy face or the sad look upon it, she let me in.

Inside, the warmth of the household covered me with its rays. Y/N appeared by the handrail of the staircase. Her face seemed off. I knew something was wrong the second she reached out for me.

"Will...", her voice broke. It was as if she was holding tears in my mouth.

She looked as magnificent as I had remembered if not more but I could sense a feeling I only knew too well. She was terribly alone and sad. She took me outside and before she started talking, a silence had invaded the long distance between us two.

Omniscient POV

Y/N had been engaged to Stephen Collins, the son of some self-made man and the wedding was due in just ten days. From the second she saw William after so long, she gained back all her feelings for him. Well, in fact, they had never left. Now, how could she tell him the news when her too was not fine about it?

As the distance became unbearable for the both of them as they had craved for this encounter to happen for so long, they hugged before Y/N decided to speak. The longer she would wait, the worse it could get, she thought.

"I'm to be married, Will..."

William looked at her as to make sure he had understood it well. He had fantasized about getting home, getting married and then they would settle after years of eloping. Now, that pipedream had turned into a nightmare.

"I wish things were different. I tried to postpone it for the longest time and I... The whole village thought you had been killed when we heard about Tom... I had no way out...", Y/N said, almost panting and as if she had stepped away from her own body and only remained as a shadow.

She had never wanted to get married to anyone else than Will but her family had alwas had the final word on everything. She knew how many sacrifices Will had gone through and felt terrible that she was tying the knot with some iddle man she barely knew.

"When?", Will simply asked to put an end to their misery.

"Sunday in ten"

"Just tell me you're happy with him and I'll go. I need to know if he makes you happy to wake up every day", Will scoffed to hold back his tears.

"It's harder than this... I've been told I would learn to be. That's-that's what marriage seems to achieve"

"Are you happy with him now?"

"I... I... No, I suppose not"

"Don't marry him then", he whispered almost begging "Marry me instead"

Those words hurt Y/N more than they offered comfort. If she had burnt alive right this instant, it could not have been any way more terrible. Y/N was not a renegade and could not just walk away but seeing Will that way and knowing her heart, she burst into tears.

"I can't. You know I can't", she simply replied in the midst of her grief "Don't make it harder than it is, Will, please...", she added by getting back inside.

Will remained stupefied for a few seconds, staring at the door. Why had he come back? He wished he had died instead of his brother in arms. Surely that was less painful.

xxx

Y/N was getting ready by putting on the white dress her mother had worn before her, she looked at her face in the mirror. She could barely recognize her own features as a severe deprivation of sleep and the memories of her past conversation were showing up.

Y/N only wanted to dive in Will's arms and never to let go of her lover. She walked down the aisle will all the strength she could gather to look happy. By the altar was a man she did not love and probably never will. That man could never be Will.

On that morning, Will had one choice to make: would he attend Y/N's wedding or not? He could not possibly see her getting married to anyone else than himself but he felt like it was the best, a last chance to see her.

As Stephen, the groom uttered his vows, Y/N's eyes wandered around the crowd attending. Half of it was sobbing. She thought that she should be sobbing by now too. And then, then she saw Will sitting on a bench from afar. He came and was doing his best not to cry out loud.

"Y/N Y/L/N, do you take Stephen Collins as your husband"

The last sentence had put Y/N out of her daydream and staring at Will. All it would take now would be two words. Or she could run away with Will, never to come back. She could choose freedom and living as a renegade.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Ready or Not

I’m so glad the horror-comedy is having a Moment, because it’s one of my favorite genre mashups. The heightened emotions of both flavors come together beautifully when done well, and that tasty combo is what Ready or Not is striving for. The story of Grace (Samara Weaving) and Alex (Mark O’Brien)’s wedding is an unusual one. See, Alex belongs to the Le Domas family, a wealthy clan who made their fortune in board games, and any time a new person joins the family through marriage, everyone has to play a game at midnight on the wedding night. However, if one specific game is plucked from the box of possibilities, the poor new bride or groom is the victim of a human sacrifice to keep the Le Domas family in money and dice for another generation. The things they don’t tell you before you sign a prenup, am I right? And wouldn’t you know it, Grace picks precisely the wrong game. Now it’s a race against time as she tries to hide from Alex’s family until dawn lest her “I do” turns into “I die.” Sounds pretty original and darkly funny, right? Hard to screw up a premise that solid, don’t you think? Well...

In this case a solid premise is elevated by a stellar script from Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy (I know, I was just as shocked as you are) to create of the most fun and entertaining films I’ve seen so far this year. Strong performances from a winning ensemble cast and a wicked sense of black humor makes this a hell of a time at the movies and one I can’t recommend highly enough.

Some thoughts:

Samara Weaving is Hugo Weaving’s niece and now that I know that information I can’t unsee the resemblance, particularly in the eyebrow region.

Weaving’s performance is a huge part of what makes the movie work. It’s a tightrope she has to walk and she does it so well - innocent enough that she is sympathetic but not cloying; scrappy enough that you’re rooting for her at every turn; and with a snarky streak that makes her likeable but not cold or brittle. She’s a fighter at every turn and she really goes THROUGH it, but you believe a girl like Grace would keep going and never surrender. 

I sure have missed Andie MacDowell. I know she gets a lot of flak for that line in Four Weddings and a Funeral, but there was a time in the 90s when she was THE leading lady and I was very into it. She’s great matriarchal material here - I wish she had a little more to do than try to get her son to come back to the family.

And Adam Brody! Playing himself, as per usual! I confess I am still not tired of his charm and I found him and his character’s arc just the right amount of twisty-turny is he good is he bad, and I was pleased with his overall resolution. He plays world-weary-verging-on-alcoholic-to-deal-with-his-trauma much better than I expected and that boyish amiability is still in ample supply.

One thing I appreciate here is well-done exposition. Exposition is a tricky thing because when it’s done poorly it stands out like a sore thumb, but when it’s done well it’s invisible. There’s some really elegant characterization of Grace as she’s being introduced to Alex’s family - she grew up in foster homes and never had a family to call her own. It becomes clear that marrying Alex was so vitally important to her to have this sense of family and permanence. There was no other option for them to escape this family curse in Alex’s mind and he IS between a rock and a hard place.

That being said, Alex could easily have told her the truth and let her choose whether to take the risk (or whether to think he was simply crazy). He takes away her choices because he can’t lose her - it’s about what HE needs. The thoughtful choices that go into each character’s arc, particularly Grace, Alex, and Daniel, is just really smart, sharp writing and I was delighted and entertained to see it.

Same with Charity (Elyse Levesque) and her comment that she’d rather be dead than poor again. On the surface, you want to just hate her because that’s disgusting, right? But considering the way poverty ravages lives - particularly women’s - is the notion really that unreasonable? Her savage certainty when she makes the statement certainly tells you a lot about being poor in this country.

I call bullshit that Alex’s wrists aren’t tore UP. That’s an oversight in the makeup department for sure.

Aunt Helene is a stone cold bitch and I love her. Fucking SAVAGE.

The Hide and Seek song is simultaneously the most amazing and creepy thing I’ve ever heard. This is some A+ worldbuilding.

OK, Grace, you hid for like...30 seconds. I get that you don’t understand the gravity of the situation yet, but like have you ever played hide and seek. It’s not that hard. The rules are in the name of the game. 

I’m not going to spoil the ending - all I will say is that it’s probably been since the first Kingsman film that I found a movie’s end so delightful in every way for wrapping up the bad guys’ plot.

Though billed as a horror movie, it’s really more suspense than scares, although it is very bloody. If you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, beware.

Did I Cry? No, but I certainly felt strongly about the characters and I was really rooting for Grace hard all the way.

This is probably going to end up in my top 10 of the year. Just really great fun with enough brains behind it to be worth remembering.

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[hunterartemis]

The Assistant: (Appendix 2): The Making of Maxine Valois

Like many fanfiction writers, I spend a lot of time thinking about forming different types of Original Character, and the drafts I have mentally done for Maxine was difficult each time. I have noticed from my habits that I spend a lot of time thinking about what the character looks like and not how the character feels. In terms of Maxine it was completely opposite--I had basic features in my mind, Long and black wavy hair arranged everyday in flapper-style chignon, silk clothes, tall and willowy, pale, sharp and symmetrical features, thin lips and black eyes.

“What’s in a name“? well, when it comes to my story or when I am writing--everything? I had spend a lot of time to name my OC. My first thoughts were really stupid, I went from 1920′s names to classic French names, but none matched her temper, thus I looked into some Latin names feeling that I should make her lineage a little more prominent. My choices were Claudia, Dido, Aurelia, however they sounded too serious; suddenly it clicked that Maxine sounds very regal and powerful, while ‘Max’ sounds very modern, tomboyish and playful which summer up her character in my mind. Coincidentally Letter M and N comes one after another.

Her surname is Valois, in French it means “from the valley”. The Valois name is historically relevant, and I characterise the family as the authoritarian oppression of society on women. Both the houses where Maxine was born and lived were former prisons. This signified that her entire life has been spent as a prisoner--something that clashed with the name ‘Maxine’: the greatest.

I had given her three names: Maxine, Adrienne and Odessa, each representing three aspects of her characters. “Maxine” means ‘greatest‘, ‘Adrienne’ is a French name meaning ‘dark‘ and ‘Odessa’ is just a female version of Odysseus. The Second Epilogue of The Assistant was the homage to her ‘Odessa’ name: Nostoi, on in Greek “homecoming“. When she was born, she was not welcome in her father’s home, neither in the three schools she studied: Durmstrang, Hogwarts and Mahoutokoro, nor in her Auror office as Theseus’ Vice Head, nor as Newt’s lover--a role she sought after so greatly. Her homecoming was possible by acknowledging her feelings for Theseus which she ran from which resulted her encounter with Newt.

The name “Adrienne” seems quite non-symbolic in my story, but this name was specially implemented by me with a very specific intention. ‘Adrienne’ is the French variation of the Greek name ‘Ariadne’. The most popular versions of Ariadne is ‘Ariana’ and ‘Adriana’ but I didn’t want that. The reason I selected one of Maxine’s middle name after Ariadne needs to be elaborated with the myth surrounding Ariadne.  Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete, who helped King Theseus cross the Maze to kill the Minotaur. After the matter was over Theseus had a brief relationship with Ariadne. He abandoned her leaving her deeply heartbroken for the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. 

JK conspicuously sneaks Greek and Roman myths into HP stories. The dynamics of Leta, Newt and Theseus seemed very ‘mythlike’ to me.By remaining Virgins fro perpetuity, Amazons sacrifice their motherhood which was quite symbolic in Leta’s mistake that killed Corvus Lestrange. Leta could easily be the diminutive of ‘Hippolyta’ the Amazon Queen. Amazons are loyal to both Artemis and Ares, which can easily be compared with Leta’s earlier attachment to Newt, (One of Newt’s middle name is ‘Artemis’). Hippolyta’s status of getting married to Theseus is a transition from Virginity to the subjugated of a King, which can easily be seen in Leta X Newt and Leta X Theseus.

How does Maxine fall in the story? King Theseus abandoned Ariadne for Hippolyta, and Ariadne was loved by Dionysus, God of Wine and revels. Maxine, just after her full name was revealed, was already showed falling drunk on the floor. Her usual material ‘excesses’ is very Dionysian in nature. After their rift with Theseus, Maxine sought comfort in her usual ‘excesses’ because I had imagined that’s what an ‘abandoned’ Ariadne would do. I also often wondered what if King Theseus repented and Ariadne caused him pain just to get a revenge on him? The union symbolizes penance of Theseus for abandoning Ariadne. 

It is not only for narrative sake, the ‘Ariadne’ name also describes Maxine’s nature. Ariadne is associated with threads and Mazes; Maxine is deliberately seen messing and tangling with the threads of relationships--profession, familial, sexual and romantic. Ariadne, with her thread left a trail throughout the maze which would later help King Theseus to get out of the maze. Maxine was proposed by Theseus right after Leta’s death. Maxine broke it off and Theseus followed her trail to her first in Newt’s apartment and second in Japan--wherever Newt and Maxine were--Theseus was always present--either physically or mentally. Her character is the most confusing array of emotional mazes. I would describe her character as ‘onion-like’: there is mask after mask: under the face of Audrey there was Maxine; under a face of employee was a crushing lover; under an envious woman was a desperate want of love... if all the masks are removed, there will be nothing left--she is essentially a hollowed out creature. 

“Tricksters“ are abundant in literature and media. We have Loki, Joker etc. who are often identified with this type: physically not very strong but highly intelligent who challenges the norms of society just to prove that strength, beauty and authority isn’t everything. We don’t often associate women when it comes to this particular archetype and this made me think about it--women can be mischievous and equally chaotic when they want to so why not! In 1920′s when women can either be Flapper party girl or a modest matron, I chose Maxine as someone different. I imagine her to be capable of walking into a party into her lingerie just to irk the “uptight official people“. Her very introduction is the testimony of her Tricksterdom--she challenges and fools the authority (Theseus) in the support of the Alternative (Newt), she combines her intellectualism with her sexuality, a point which makes Theseus readily fluster around her: snatching his wand and suggesting that she had concealed it between her breasts is not only standard-defying but also an open declaration of feminine sexuality; furthermore she later threatens that she will have Theseus’ wand “for realment”-- it could indicate either “real wand“ (indicating Theseus’ manhood) or “wand“ ‘for real‘. This play of words is so ambiguous that it makes the hearer confused and unpredictable.

It has been indicated that Maxine’s upbringing was very strict where she was constantly reminded of her inferior status: her illegitimate birth. This made her dissociate with her family and compelled her to spend more and more time developing the ways to defy them. This not only brought signs of magic in early age, but made her the innovator that she was. I imagine that she would spend her days creating spells to trick people or to harm people but also to keep her busy in the head. Tricksters are often very imaginative as their character requires it. However in one manner Maxine defers from the Trickster type. Tricksters never change in their heart; they are constant reminder that Exceptions Exist. However a change in heart occurs when she sees her mother and father being killed in front of her, which made her realise that like dynastic curse she will end up finishing herself and Newt in the process. She surrenders and accepts her punishment, something a trickster will never do. At the end she finds the reasons to submit, something she defied doing for so long, but her triumph comes when she almost scares the wedding guests and the groom Theseus to death by answering to the wedding vows “or do I?”

When we are talking about how ‘trickster-ish’ Maxine is, her name “Odessa” is meant to be under scrutiny. Homer’s Odysseus is considered a Trickster hero, whose wickedness of fooling Polyphemus cost him twenty years of detention in the sea. Maxine’s wickedness had cost her too: expulsion from Durmstrang (for murders she committed under Anatole’s manipulations), transfer from Hogwarts to Mahoutokoro (before she finished her Seventh year; only after her detention in Mahoutokoro she gets the graduation from Hogwarts), persecutions at her job etc. More than her it had cost other people: it almost got Newt, Theseus and Tina killed, imprisoned and off their jobs, the Bulgarian secretary in the party was hurt by her and Charlemagne almost lost his job (and life) for her. Her actions patronised people like Anatole who kept feeding off Maxine’s weakness and assumed British Ministry office using her as a bait. However despite all the facts, she continued to use cunning, manipulation and a pretended innocent facade to get to “home”, like Homer’s Trickster hero Odysseus did.

[dudence-blog]

Just when I thought I was out...

What does it take to get me to do this again?

This.

It took this.

I just love dogs: I live in the downtown area of a gentrifying city. I have worked intentionally to become part of the community I joined, while respecting its roots—supporting local business, volunteering, etc. I know I have lots of unconscious racial biases, but I try hard to listen and not cause harm.

Dear I Love Dogs, this question goes on FOREVER.  You unironically use the phrase “dog parents”.  You also wrote “I usually operate with a fairly high level of emotional intelligence...”   Jeebus fuck, find a physician who can undo your rectal-cranial inversion and have your head extracted from your fifth point of contact.  Maybe they do think you’re a racist.  They certainly think you’re an asshole.  You should write them a note and slip it under their door so you can remove all doubt.

Sigh.  Okay.  Frustration is gone.  Now for useful advice.  Don’t write a note.  NuPru’s advice to apologize is spot on.  Since “apologize” didn’t pop into your head before “explain how I’m not really racist” I also suggest you do a little self-reflection on just how high your EQ really is.

Cousin: My cousin “Fred” and I grew up together. High school was very rough for him, but college is even worse. Fred has always been overweight and struggled with the opposite sex. His high school girlfriend broke up with him when she got accepted to a different college than he did. Fred hasn’t had a date since. He dresses like a slob, doesn’t shave, and does nothing but play video games and watch porn.

Dear Cousin, you don’t need to procure women for Fred.  Ignore NuPru’s advice about what you need to tell Fred.  Fred’s greatest limitation is not his misogyny but the fact that he is romantically unpleasant in every other way.  Don’t get me wrong, having video games and masturbating as a hobby isn’t a bad choice, but all things in moderation here.  Fred needs to become a person people want to be with if he wants people (read: ladies) to want to be with him.  Being overweight, not conventionally attractive, demeaning towards women, engaged in a lot of gaming and self-love are not, by themselves, barriers to getting laid.  But when you bring in the healing power of And to these traits you’re going to be doing a lot of self-love.  Straight-forwardly tell Fred that you’re not going to hook him up with anyone because right now he’s not someone you’d want anyone you know to hang out with.  You can be as kind or mean in this delivery as you wish.  But it’s a message that needs to be delivered.

Forgiving a May-December marriage: A few years ago, one of my closest friends started dating an 18-year-old girl. The relationship creeped me out because even though nothing seemed “wrong,” he was not anywhere close to being 18. I couldn’t see past it, so I pulled away from our friendship. Now it’s several years later, the couple is still together, and they’re talking marriage. The girl is now an age I consider old enough and wise enough to take care of herself, despite the age gap. Was I wrong to judge?

Dear Forgiving, see, this is question where Prudie’s recent joining of the patriarchy is failing him.  He sees “Older man dating young, but legal, adult,” and can’t wrap his mind around the idea that, sometimes, there are men who like young women, and there are women who also, like those older men.  So, where you’re seeing the okay to do something you want to do, he’s breaking out the “Maybe he was grooming her!”  First off, you know what, I’m going to say that you were wrong to judge them and to pull away from your friend due to this judgmental attitude.  But, we’re past this now, you miss your friend, your friend misses you, and you’re now comfortable with J. Howard and Anna’s relationship.  Re-engage with them, and if the topic of “why did we drift apart?” comes up, lie.

Heathen with hurt feelings: One of my best friends, “George,” got married this past weekend. We’ve been friends for about five years. I love his wife, “Alice,” too, who is kind and fun. They are a great match. I was around for a lot of the wedding planning, and I was aware they were planning a traditional Catholic ceremony as this was incredibly important to Alice’s parents and, to a lesser extent, Alice, who is a progressive practicing Catholic. George was raised Catholic but is now not religious. He made it clear to me that the ceremony was for Alice and her family. He expressed often how ironic he found it to be getting married in a Catholic church after he had distanced himself so much from the religion. Though I was expecting a traditional ceremony, I was honestly blown away by how regressive, patriarchal, and homophobic it was. It contained multiple, overt references to marriage as a union for a man and a woman. The theme of the homily was marriage as not about one’s own happiness but about servitude and sacrifice.

Dear Heathen, annnnnnnnnnnnd here we are.  The question that made me have to remember a Tumblr password.  “It contained multiple, overt references to marriage as a union for a man and a woman.”  Yes, because you were in a Catholic Church seeing two Catholics being married by a Catholic priest.  I was going to make a cheap-shot about your marriage recently ending and you taking a homily about sacrifice in a marriage, but that isn’t fair.  However, yes, a happy marriage does involve a good deal of sacrifice and servitude.  A marriage is not about you, or them, and if you make it so then you’re probably going to be disappointed.  But that is neither here nor there.  You wanting to have a conversation with George because his wedding to the woman he loves made you feel bad is an incredibly self-centered move.  You’re basically asking “How can I make one of the most important days of my friend’s life about how it hurt me?”  Actually, you know what, you’re not “basically” asking that.  That is what you’re asking.  You should totally ask him that verbatim.

No.  Don’t do that.

Ignore Prudie.  There is about zero approaches you can approach this issue in a way that is not an attack on George and Alice.  

[lavender-lovers]

my story.

In eighth grade, I began consciously recognizing the concept of being lgbtq. At the time, I looked at people who were with other people of the same gender, and I thought, “That isn’t me.” I believed that I knew who I was, and I believed that I would never be attracted to girls. I didn’t hate the community, I just didn’t see myself in it.

My story isn’t going to be a fun one. It started with fear, with rejection and yes, with repulsion from myself. I kissed a girl and I was scared and then I went back and I kissed her again and for weeks I was scared and repulsed and unable to accept myself.

It took me a long time to allow myself happiness with another girl without hating my own actions. But then I did, and I was able to fall in love, and that was the most important thing that has ever happened to me. My first girlfriend was my first love story, and I was able to accept myself at a relatively young age. I was fifteen, and I liked girls. That was my introduction.

I didn’t tell anyone else for a very long time. It was easy to keep it as just me and her. And then I grew up more, and I learned that telling people is more difficult than I thought it would be. I learned that silent homophobia hurts just as much as outspoken hatred, especially from people you knew as friends.

Telling my family has been a long journey, and it’s not over. I told my sister first, a few months after I started dating my first girlfriend. She was fine, happy for us. It wasn’t hard. My cousin accepted it a few months later, barely batting an eye when I told her who I was dating. I told my aunt a year after that, and I told my grandfather a couple months ago. It was always fine.

Then I told my parents.

I’d known for a long time that my mother wouldn’t believe me if I told her. I knew that she believed young people experimented, and that they didn’t “really know” until after college. I knew she’d be like that towards me, if I ever shared with her that I didn’t only like boys. I knew she wouldn’t really believe me, and I didn’t want to share who I am with her until I knew that she would accept that that was who I am.

I’d always suspected that she knew about me and my first girlfriend. We were in love; it was difficult not to be obvious. For a long time, I had assumed that she and my dad already knew. My father had certainly dropped enough hints that I could tell him. I knew that my parents weren’t homophobic, but I didn’t want to come out only to not be believed. So I waited.

Two years after accepting myself as bisexual and one year after my first relationship with a girl had ended, I told them. And their reaction was just... awkward. They didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t really know how to come out, but I figured gay cakes were nice, right? So that’s what I did. And after telling them who I was, came the unexpected part.

I was right. My mother had known. But she had thought it was a phase.

I never considered that. The first time you fall in love, it just feels like everything, and mine had lasted for a year and a half. And she had looked at all that and thought phase. I never expected that.

A month later, she casually mentioned that she’d prefer I marry a man, if given the choice. “Just because of grandchildren,” she said, and later mentioned that she just didn’t understand it. Never mind adoption, or the fact that I’d be marrying a person, not their genitals. I didn’t tell her that I strongly felt that I would marry a woman.

She still doesn't believe me. I've spent years listening to her talk about how my sister doesn't understand that she's not really lesbian. I knew what my coming out would mean. Even though she doesn't say it, I know she thinks I don't understand myself either. I know it by the discomfort and silence every time I bring it up. I want to talk to my mom about liking girls; I wish we could discuss it as casually as we do boys, but it doesn't come naturally to her. I know she's waiting for me to tell her that's not really who I am.

I get it. She thought she was having a baby girl who would grow up liking boys and only boys. She wanted a daughter she could relate to, and she never thought the term LGBT would ever extend to her own family. I know she doesn't believe me, that she thinks sixteen is too young to be in love and seventeen is too young to know who you are.

This is my mother. She is an amazing person, and she’s done so much to better this world and help sick children and heal families. She’s made sacrifices for her family and kept us all running for so many years, no matter what life has thrown at us. She’s incredibly strong and intelligent, and she’s long been my biggest role model, the one person I look up to more than anyone. This is my mother, a warm person who supports lgbt people and offered to take my sister through a pride parade, who hates homophobic jerks and loves rupaul's drag show. This is my mother, who heard me and my sister excitedly pointing out things in the city during pride month and say, “Look, it’s gay!”, and who turned to my father and pointed to something, saying, “Look! It’s straight!”

It doesn’t matter that she said it humorously. Her whole world is made for straight people. What matters is the nights I have stayed up, afraid because I know that being with girls means hatred from strangers. Holding hands with a girlfriend in public, and hopefully my wife someday, will draw hatred out of people we don’t even know, for no other reason than because I found love in someone whose gender is the same as mine. I will never understand why that matters so much to them, why even walking around disney with something gay makes me enough of a target for homophobic strangers who have no idea who I am.

I haven’t had much freedom to express who I am or explore what I like. I’ve only had two relationships. One lasted for over a year with a girl I was incredibly in love with. The other was with a guy, that lasted three weeks. He was nice enough, but I hate that I allowed myself to be in a relationship that I didn’t want. That wasn’t too long ago; clearly, my self-discovery is far from over.

And that should be okay. I’m still young. I should be allowed to explore and embrace who I am. But that’s “only okay as long as you aren’t gay”, for some people.

Sometimes, a girl will come up to you when you’re fifteen and tell you that the reason you aren’t invited to her birthday slumber party is because you like girls, and it would be “weird” if someone who liked girls was there, and she’ll act SO apologetic and SO guilty and say that she’s SO sorry, because she just feels SO bad. And then she’ll expect you to comfort her and accept her for her outright homophobia.

Sometimes, you’re young, and everywhere it’s the bachelor party, the little groom and bride on the wedding cake, the husband and the wife. That was always just what it was going to be, when I was growing up. Eventually I’d find a guy, and that would be it. But now I realize that I don’t want that. I don’t want a husband for the rest of my life. I want a best friend, a wife, someone I can love with all of myself, and I just know that I can’t find that in a man.

It’s scary leaving this website where being gay is so normalized and celebrated, and hearing someone use the word gay as an insult or a joke. This isn’t always a safe world for people who aren’t straight or cis to exist, let alone find happiness. We still have to be afraid of all those hateful people just because of who we love. They don’t understand it when I say I love the person, not the body they come in.

So no, my story won’t be a fun one. But I hope it will end happily, with someone I love. Someday, I’ll be old enough for my mother to believe who I am. Someday, I’ll fall in love again. And someday, hopefully, I will get married. But this wasn’t a choice, and I won’t apologize for who I am, no matter what that results in.

[airbookworm]

Wedding Day

~with Tenzin and Jinora~

Tenzin

Tenzin couldn’t help but to smile - his eldest daughter was getting married. He couldn’t be happier, especially since the groom had his upmost approval. Tenzin genuinely loved Kai like a son, and now he was about to be his son-in-law. It was right before the ceremony, and he was looking for Jinora to see how she was doing. If this was anything like when he and Pema got married, he knew that she would be freaking out by now. They had roughly an hour before the ceremony.

Walking through the corridors of the ceremony hall, Tenzin walked towards where all the girls were preparing. Since he didn’t have much to prep (just his clothes), it didn’t take him long to get ready. He was excited to see what Jinora would be wearing. Jinora wanted to keep it a secret, only Pema knew, so the chances of Kai finding out were low.

Eventually, Tenzin approached the room that the ladies were in, and knocked loudly on the door. He didn’t want to enter if somebody wasn’t decent.

Jinora

There was the sound of movement, what may have been someone knocking something to the floor, before Ikki opened the door a crack. Seeing it was their father, she opened the door further, motioning for him to come in.

“Mom went to check on the boys and make sure they weren’t causing trouble. Jinora is.. Well, Jinora’s kinda freaking out, I think. She locked herself in the bathroom,” She explained softly, closing the door and moving to another door on the other side of the room and knocking gently.

“Jinora? Dad’s here, won’t you please open the door already?”

Tenzin

“Jinora, honey. Do you mind opening the door so I can talk to you?”

Honestly, if Jinora wasn’t freaking out, then Tenzin would’ve known that something was even more wrong. It was almost a relief that she was hiding away. This brought him back to his own wedding. His father told Tenzin before he passed away that Katara had to give Pema a similar talk.

However, he needed to talk her out of it soon if she wanted to have time to actually prepare to look as decent as she probably wanted. Tenzin didn’t know much about make up or anything like that, but if anything, he knew it takes a long time to do.

Jinora

There was a long moment before the lock disengaged. Ikki, recognizing the opportunity, quickly excused herself and left the room, off to help Pema and the boys, leaving father and eldest daughter alone.

Inside the bathroom, Jinora plopped herself down on the edge of the tub, keeping her eyes on her hands instead of her father. She was wringing them together, one thumb repeatedly rubbing over the tattoo on her other hand, a clear sign she was very worried about something. She was in her dress, and her hair was styled sans the hair ornaments, and she had done just enough of her makeup for it to be clear that she’d been crying.

“Dad, am I making a mistake?” She asked quietly after another long moment.

Tenzin

Tenzin got down on one knee and brushed a stray hair away from his daughter’s face, wiping away a single tear that falling from her eyes. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have approved of Kai if I thought it was a mistake.” He smiled warmly at her.

“Your mother actually had a similar situation on our wedding day.” He chuckled, “Your Gran-Gran had to give her a talk of inspiration. I guess it’s my turn to do that for you.”

“Jinora, you and Kai have a beautiful relationship. You love him very much, and I can tell that you mean everything to him. This is your time to show everyone how much you truly love him. This is a celebration of your love for each other, and you’ll look back on this day as the best of your life.”

Jinora

“I do love him,” Jinora replied, finally looking at her father and managing a smile. “There’s no doubt in my heart that I love Kai, or that he loves me. He’s my best friend, I couldn’t be happier.” Her eyes dropped again, and she rubbed at her tattoo harder.

“But.. Am I making a mistake, getting married now? We’re not teenagers anymore, but we’re still young. Our entire lives ahead of us. I’m a master airbender, granddaughter of Avatar Aang, and good friends with avatar Korra. I’ve got a duty to the world, no matter how small in comparison. Should I be focusing on my duties more than I focus on my personal life?”

Tenzin

“It’s okay to focus on yourself, Jinora.” Tenzin tried wiping away some of the smeared make up. “This is your time to be yourself. Yes, you have a broad future ahead of yourself, but now you’ll have your best friend at your side.” Tenzin rested his hands on her shoulders.

“I know you can do this; and I know that you’re making the right choice. You’re able to spend the rest of your life with the man that you love.” He smiled at her, “You both can figure out your duties together now.”

Jinora

“Is it okay, though?” Jinora asked, her words coming faster as her thoughts flew. “I mean, is it really okay to focus on myself? There’s so many things in the world that need doing, so many people that need so much more than I. As an airbender, a master, it’s my duty to help them. Service and sacrifice, right?”

She stood abruptly, still wringing her hands. She made to move for the door, still talking quickly. “I need to stop this, we need to tell Chief Beifong that the wedding’s cancelled, this isn’t right.”

Tenzin

“Jinora!” Tenzin reached for her arm, stopping her, “I think it’ll be a mistake for you to cancel it.” He took a deep breath, “I promise that you aren’t making a mistake by marrying Kai. Now is the right time. You both are young and can explore the world together. Trust me, it’s easier with a partner by your side.”

“There would’ve been multiple times that I would’ve failed without your mother next to me.” He pulled her into a hug, “You can do everything you need to do as a master Airbender, and a wife, and maybe in the future, also as a mother. If your grandmother could do it, if your mother could do it, you can do it.”

Jinora

“It’s so much, though,” Jinora responded quietly, trying very hard to keep her voice from shaking. Her mind was so jumbled, she had no idea what to think, she almost wanted it all to just stop. Her hands clenched tightly into fists in hopes they wouldn’t start shaking as well.

“What if I’m not strong enough? What if I’m not good enough? What if I can’t divide my time well enough, and be where I need to be at the right time? GranGran survived an entire war before she married Grandfather, she always knew what she needed to be doing. Mom.. is Mom, she’s just amazing, she survived a war while pregnant and raising three young kids, and me? I’m just some dumb kid who had enough luck to become a master. I haven’t done anything, to help make a difference or better the world, I’m just… What if I can’t do it?” She ranted, words coming quick, slowing as she neared the end, her voice breaking under the mental pressure.

Seemingly seconds away from tears again, Jinora tugged her arm to try and break from her father’s hold. “I need to tell the Chief, tell Kai, I can’t do it, I’m not ready, not right..”

Tenzin

Tenzin shook his head, “Jinora, I wouldn’t have let you become a master at such a young age if I didn’t think you were ready. You are one of the strongest people I know.” He gave a confident smile, “Honestly, being your father has been one of the best blessings of my life, and I am so glad you’re marrying someone as great as Kai.”

“As for your grandmother surving a war with your grandfather, you and Kai have survived multiple conflicts as well. You survived through both the Red Lotus and Kuvira. I think that’s pretty outstanding. Not only that, but you’ll survive through other conflicts as well.”

Tenzin inhaled deeply. He was running out of things to say, and hoped that his words worked this time. He knew that deep down in his heart that this was the perfect time for Jinora to get married.

“Besides, marriage doesn’t change your life as much as you think it does. Sure, the symbolism is amazing, but your day to day life will essentially stay the same; you’ll just have an extra person with you to make it easier and better. While it’s a slight change, it’s a change for the better.” He chuckled, “You’ll be grateful to have Kai by your side, especially when things do get rough.”

Jinora

As he spoke, Jinora had calmed down some, and had situated herself in a hug with her father. She clutched the back of his robes tightly, something she hadn’t done since she was very young and scared. A few deep breaths stopped her tears and for several long moments she stood there, simply soaking up the offered strength.

Slowly, she nodded, speaking as she pulled away to look in the mirror. “You’re right. I can do this,” she said firmly, wiping away the messy makeup with a hand, giving herself a strong look in the mirror. “I can do this. I’m not a kid anymore. I might stumble through life, but I know I’ll always have someone to count on if I ever need help. I can do this.”

Another deep breath, as if to cement her words, and she reached for a makeup item. Her fingers paused before touching it, and she drew back just an inch. She suddenly felt like a little girl again, playing dress up with Ikki. Looking up into the mirror again, she said something she hadn’t since she was probably six years old.

“Daddy.. Will you promise me something?”

Tenzin

Tenzin held Jinora close, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You’re right, Jinora. You CAN do this.” He was relieved that he was able to convince Jinora that she was making the right decision, “You’re so strong and brave. I believe in you. And I’ll be right there for you during the ceremony. I promise you’ll feel better after it’s done.”

In all honesty, Tenzin was excited that the ceremony was back on. Most fathers will admit to dreading this day, marrying their daughters off, but he couldn’t wait. His little girl is grown up, and he’s excited to see where life will take her. He wants to see how much more she will continue to grow.

As she asked her question, Tenzin couldn’t help but feel his heart melt. Jinora hadn’t called him Daddy since she was a small child.

“What is it, sweetie?” He would capture the moon if that’s what she truly wanted. He’d be willing to do anything for his children, especially in their time of need like this. He would support her no matter what.

Jinora

The young bride bit her lip, nervous for a second. It was gone as quick as it had come, replaced with a small smile, as if she had a special secret to keep.

It was a simple request, but meant so much. Something she instinctively knew, but wanted to hear anyways, if only for the chance to commit it to memory and to always hold it.

“Don’t let me fall.”

Tenzin

Tenzin couldn’t help but to chuckle at her request. It was a simple enough question in theory, but it held so much deep meaning. He placed a gentle kiss on Jinora’s forehead.

“I’ll never let you fall.” He said with a strong tone.

Walked Jinora back over to the make up table just as Pema was getting back from checking on the guys’ side. “Now, I think you should work on your make up. We have 45 minutes until the ceremony. We can’t have a bride that looks like she just cried, now can we?”

He was proud of her.

[fourtrisheafanfic]

A Werewolf Among Dragons (Part III)

GoT fanfic: A Werewolf Among Dragons (completed)

Tumblr - JONERYS Appreciation Week

Day 7 Prompt: free choice (I picked a werewolf/jonerys story)

Rating: Mature (M)

Read Part I here (X)

Read Part II here (X)

Read full story on Ao3 here (X)

Summary: In a world where the rules that governed the werewolves for centuries are tested and bended, many are forced to sacrifice for the needs of The Pack. Some asked to sacrifice more than others.

Ordered-Mating (ôr'dər’ed mā'tĭng): The predetermined conveniently arranged pairing of a male and a female for the purpose of reproduction and protecting and preserving a royal pack.

Part III: The Wolf Within

++o+ Kings Landing +o++

+o+ The Wedding +o+

As Dany walks down the aisle towards her groom she fights to keep her face neutral. The pressure of the day had finally hit her earlier. She stayed in her chambers for hours crying sadly. Only allowing Missandei in to tend to her. She can’t help but wonder if this is how her mother felt about her own wedding day. The sadness of not having her mother with her also weighing on her shoulders as she wishes Queen Rhealla were still here.

Dany has accepted there is no turning back. She takes solace that she has never found her true mate. He will be safe, once she has mated completely with Jon, the pull between true mates will be dulled. She says a silent prayer that her true mate forgive her weakness, and that he have a full and good life. That is filled with love and children even if not with her.

Jon stands stoically waiting for the princess to arrive to the front, he is expecting a cold sneer or even an eye roll. But instead sees how very sad and broken she looks. Jon feels a pang in his chest.

Arriving to the beautiful outdoor altar, she glances at him once before quickly averting her eyes to the ground. The ceremony takes place outside of the castle, open to all the werewolves across their land. The wedding of the heiress of Pack Targaryen is the most celebrated event for this generation.

As the ceremony continues, both young wolves are still wearing their protective gloves. They repeat the vows, neither looking at each other. Once they are pronounced man and wife both steal a glance at each other, neither wanting to kiss in front of all these people.

So they don’t.

They sit next to each other at dinner, quietly resigned to their union. The Alpha King advises that he had their things moved to a cabin at the edge of their lands so that they could have privacy in order to fulfill their duty.  After confirming she knows which cabin he speaks of, Dany asks if they will be having guards, Jon immediately thinks that she wants to make sure her Daario-lover will be close.

Does she plan to bed another man while on their honeymoon?!

As the reception continues the silence between them is noticeable to all. Jon has no intention of bedding her tonight, or any night soon. He smiles with satisfaction, the longer he denies her the longer she and her lover will need to wait to screw around.

“Why do you look so smug, husband,” Dany asks softly, feeling a deep sadness.

“Nothing I care to discuss,” Jon smirks to himself. At least he can get a little bit of pleasure out of this. He relishes in the tiny bit of control he has left in his life.

Dany frowns at her husband, he is probably thinking about one of his whores. She wonders if he returned to the brothel today, while she sat on her bed and cried.

She opens her mouth to ask, no longer caring about pretense, when suddenly the screams break out.

Dany’s eyes widen when a Wildling suddenly charges at her, knife in his hand. Without hesitation Jon pulls out his sword to defend the princess. He takes down the Wildling with one swing. Dany gasping with relief.

“Thank you, Jon,” she whispers as he holds her gaze and nods. In that moment he realizes, no matter what – she is his wife and he will defend her.

“Your highnesses, we must get you both back to the castle!” Jorah yells, running over with his blade out.

Dany grabs a cutting knife from the table and stands by Jon’s side.

They begin to follow Jorah when Jon sees his father fighting off Wildlings. Jon feels torn.

“Jon, your father. You have to help him,” Dany says firmly. Jon looks at her with surprise, he was not expecting that from her. In that moment Jon senses danger and sees a Wildling woman aiming her bow and arrow directly at the princess. He pulls Daenerys behind him, shielding and moving them both out of the way.

Jon grunts as he feels the slice of the arrow that has skimmed his arm.

“You are hurt!” Daenerys cries seeing the slow trickle of blood wet Jon’s shirt.

Both Jon and his bride examine his wound when suddenly Dany reaches past Jon with her right arm. Turning behind him, Jon is shocked to see she stabbed a Wildling in the neck with her dinner knife.

She doesn't seemed phased as her eyes dart left and right searching for their next threat.

Jon grabs Dany by the hand and rushes her past the fighting. Jorah following them while calling for more knights.

“Father! You have to take cover,” Jon yells when they pass Ned Stark.

“Jon, Daenerys! You are the future of the werewolves, and the Wildlings know it! You have to leave here and hide until the fighting is over,” Ned says firmly.

Ned whispers to them, “The honeymoon cabin, it’s location is a secret from everyone. You must go there. Daenerys, the cabin was a safe house that your mother once took you to. Do you remember it?”

“Yes, Alpha Stark but how can we leave you and the others?” Dany begins, she is torn. She was trained to fight, her people need her. Her wolf is desperate for release.

Dany longs for her dragons, she could mind link them but knows they would not arrive in time. It is hunting season and they've most likely traveled at least a week's journey in distance by now.

“The best thing you both can do is run! Jon, you must protect your bride,” Ned tells his son, grabbing his shoulder. “Your mother and siblings are safe already, you must take care of your family. Take your wife from here, she is the one the Wildlings are desperate to kill.”

“We must go Daenerys, once they realize both you and Jon are gone they will give up completely and retreat,” Jorah says, agreeing with Ned and preparing to escort the new prince and princess. A deep concern etched on Jorah’s face as he looks at the princess.

Jon nods and they are about to depart, Ned stops Jorah. “They will have a better chance alone, let her go, Sir Jorah.”

Dany is oblivious to Ned’s double meaning, never once having imagined that Jorah is deeply in love with her.

Jorah nods with understanding, then turning to Jon. “Take care of her, she is very special. You will learn this, I do not doubt it.”

“I will,” Jon nods, then pulling Daenerys along as they run towards the tree line. They look back once, relieved to see that many of the Wildlings are already retreating.

++o+ The Edge of Kings Landing +o++

+o+ The Cabin +o+

“You are injured, will you be able to release your wolf?” Dany asks, her voice shaking.

She almost sounds concerned for him, Jon thinks to himself before answering. “Yes, it is only a shallow cut. Once in wolf form I will follow you to the cabin.”

To Jon’s shock Dany stands next to him and begins stripping off her clothing. She starts with her gloves, and then the thin silk bolero jacket that covered her arms. When she unzips her dress and begins to wiggle out of it she notices Jon’s shocked expression. And that he hasn’t even begun to undress.

“What is it?” she whispers, worried the Wildlings will somehow trail them. They are still trying to kill them.

“Nothing, sorry,” Jon mumbles as his cheeks flush deeply with warmth. He quickly diverts his eyes while she continues to take off her dress.

Is he serious, he is shy about nudity? We are werewolves. Dany wonders as she openly watches her husband undress. He has his back to her so she can only admire part of him, she will admit he has the most amazing butt she has ever seen or imagined.

Once both release their wolves they stare at each other in awe and admiration. Both wolves are strong and large, a sign of royalty. Dany’s is midnight back with eyes like amethysts.  While Jon’s is a pure white, still with his grey eyes. Immediately realizing he was the white wolf she saw running, she gives a low whine. Her wolf drawn to him. His wolf hears her call and instinct draws him closer to stunning creature.

Hearing screams from the reception area Jon’s wolf turns towards the woods. Their moment ending. Dany takes off as Jon follows closely behind his Ordered-Mate.

The run is long but also takes them far from the attack. Having to dodge through numerous streams and hidden pathways through greenery and trees, it takes them hours to arrive. Both Jon and Dany run the perimeter of the hidden cabin, ensuring they are indeed alone and safe.

Running to the front of the cabin both change back to their human form. Jon making sure to avert his eyes. Dany quickly steps forward to find the hidden key and unlock the door.  

Jon wonders if his new wife has brought her lover here in the past. This cabin would be the perfect place for them to be alone.

“You look about ten years older when you brood like that, Jon,” she sighs, feeling the sudden shift in his demeanor.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. So forget it,” Jon snaps sullenly.

Once inside Dany grabs a silk robe to slip her arms into, she can see that Jon is not as comfortable with nudity as she is.

“Forget what? What could possibly have put you in a foul mood this time?!” she snaps, exasperated. She is just relieved to still be alive, and he is being ornery.

“Fine, I was just wondering if you bring your lover, Daario, to this cabin!” Jon coldly spits at his new wife.

Dany steps back, completely shocked. So shocked she didn’t even finish tying her robe closed. They stare at each other, frozen for different reasons.

The robe lays slightly open, exposing the space in between her breast, down past her flat stomach. Jon catches sight of her beautiful body but then turns away exasperated. Discussing his wife’s lover is not a turn on for him, even if she is beautiful and bare for him to see. Which just infuriates Dany even more.

Turning away, Jon finds his bag with clothes and throws on dress pants. Dany trembles with fury at being dismissed.

“I can see that my naked body does nothing to excite you! Why would it? I can only imagine what kind of whores you enjoyed while at the brothel yesterday. Tell me, did you go back today too?!” Dany hisses at him, she is furious now.

Turning to face her Jon’s mouth falls open, how did she even know about that?!

“Lovely, that’s what I thought. You make me sick!” Dany says angrily, tightening her robe as she moves to walk away.

Jon holds his dress shirt in one hand and used the other to hold her by the elbow, the soft silk of her robe almost allows her to slip out of his grasp.

“I don’t know who told you what, or what you saw…But all I can do is tell you the truth,” Jon begins, this time Dany turns to face him. “Robb and the Lannister brothers felt that if I, well they thought…”

Jon looks so flustered, unable to express himself.

“What? Just say it, Jon,” Dany demands.

“I have never laid with a woman, not once. So yes, they did take me to the brothel, without my prior knowledge of where we  were going. They wanted me to have an education of sorts from a whore, so that once we were married I would be able to make you happy in bed,” Jon blurts, looking mortified at his confessions. “They thought it would help lessen your hate for me.”

“So you didn’t take a whore in your arms? You swear to me?” Dany asks carefully.

Jon meets her gaze confidently, “I swear it!”

Dany releases the breath she had been holding, surprised at how pleased she is that this man did not betray her.

“My turn. The knight Daario, how long?” Jon deadpans, bracing himself for her answer.

“Daario,” Dany mumbles, as a look of distaste appears on Jon’s face. “How long what? How long has he flirted with me?”

Jon looks at his wife, “I saw him flirting with you two nights ago at dinner. But that is not the issue. I heard him in town yesterday morning, he was talking about you with another man,” clearing his throat before continuing. “He said that you have been loves for a while now, but you’ve been waiting until our marriage was consummated so that he could lie with you and not fear an unwed pregnancy.”

Dany’s eyes narrow as her demeanor changes, sending a chill through Jon.

“You personally heard him say this, you are sure?” Dany asks, her voice cold. She begins to put the pieces together. It was Daario that originally planted the seeds about the scheduled brothel and insisted on bringing her to witness Jon entering with her own eyes. Daario most likely did believe that Jon was there to enjoy a whore or two.  

After Jon confirms, Dany is honest with him. “Daario is a terrible flirt but I always felt he was completely harmless. But now I am seeing that he has crossed the line. I hope you will hear me out, I believe he also played a role in leading me to believe you were having sex with whores.”

Dany explains calmly and Jon listens. She looks him in the eyes and he believes her. He also plans to deal with Daario when they return. Dany agrees that he needs to be dismissed, having him around will not be good for their marriage. Jon is pleased to hear that she wants to protect their marriage, he wants the same thing.

“What you should know about me, one of the reasons that I’ve been so angry with you…  I have always dreamed of finding and loving my true mate. My fated-mate I mean…not this thing we have here,” she admits slowly, her eyes shining with tears.

Jon reaches out to touch her cheek but Dany pulls away instinctively, “Please, let me explain first. My mother died of a broken heart, my parents had a terrible marriage. Nothing like what Catelyn and Ned shared with us,” Dany pauses painfully. “I am literally a product of rape, it is a terrible feeling.”

Jon aches to comfort her, but he won’t until she allows it.

“So let me assure you, I have not let anyone touch me or defile me in anyway. I’ve never even kissed a man. I had always hoped I would find and marry my true fated-mate,” she finishes, Jon nods understanding so much more about her now.

“So here we are,” Jon says softly.

Dany laughs in response, “Yes, quite the pair aren’t we?”

The newlyweds share a smile, genuine and peaceful.

“Dany, I am sorry that we were forced into this marriage. To be honest I never really thought about marriage nor a family either way. But now that we are married, I need you to know that I would like to make it work. Hells, more than just ‘work’ - - I want you to feel safe with me! I want to us to be happy, and make a real family. Together.”

Dany’s eyes glisten with tears, realizing what she has been ignoring all along -- Jon is a good man, with a good heart. Unable to verbalize her feelings, Dany can only nod in agreement with her new husband.

“We can start slow. Dany, I’d like to get to really know you, I also want you to know who I am. Maybe we can be friends first?” Jon offers his wife cautiously.

Dany smiles, telling Jon she likes that he calls her Dany. So she will allow it, Jon laughs. She realizes that she likes his laugh too. But she keeps that to herself. The couple decides to start slowly as friends, no one will need to know that they have not consummated the marriage. They agree that can happen later, when it feels more natural to them both.  

Grabbing his shirt to finish dressing, Dany calls to him from across the room. “Jon, your arm. Let me help you clean it before you finish getting dressed,” she says softly.

Draping his shirt over the back of a chair he nods in thanks, leaning against the kitchen counter as she approaches with disinfectant and bandages.

She slowly cleans his wound, it is already almost healed. They smile at each other. Each noticing how incredibly attractive the other is. Both wondering how long it will be before the other is ready to move things along in the romance department.

“I just want to say, that I’m sorry for the ugliness that has been between us,” Dany whispers while using the clothes to wipe away the last of the dried blood from his arm.

Jon nods, smiling softly at her. She knows she has already been forgiven. He is very expressive with his eyes. “I also am sorry, and I am glad we will put it behind us.”

Once Jon’s wound is cleaned up Dany smiles and picks up his shirt to hand to him, it is then that their fingers accidentally touch. It is the first time that flesh has touched flesh, with fingertips. The instant their fingers touch a current runs through both of their bodies, more powerful than anything either has felt before.

Gasping their eyes meet, and then they know in that exact moment.

Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Stark are indeed true bonded-mates. Fated to love each other forever.

Dany drops his shirt and Jon leans forward and grabs her face to crash his lips to hers. She immediately whimpers at the feeling of his lips touching hers. Neither imagined such a powerful connection before.  

“Dany, Dany,” Jon croons in her ear as she pulls him close to her. “My beautiful princess.”

Tears fill her eyes, the love she has always dreamed of. The love of her wolf. The one she is destined to be with.

“Jon,” she whispers and the tears fall down her face.

In that moment Jon feels his heart strings pulling, is his mate in pain? Why is she crying? Jon knows in that moment he would do anything to make her happy.  

Dany laughs happily and throws her arms around him, kissing him with a passion she has never felt before. Jon grabs her hips, pulling her to stand directly in front of him, his cock has never been so hard. Dany moans as she feels him pressing into her stomach, she instinctively tries to pull him even closer to her.

“I don’t like to see you sad, it pains me, Dany,” Jon biting her lower lip as she gasps, feeling a sharp zing of pleasure directly to her core.

Dany squeezes her thighs tightly to relieve some of the pressure she feels, Jon grabs her hips and smiles at his mate. He knows she wants him, just as he wants her.

“You are mine, all mine. Forever,” Jon says roughly. Holding her neck and kissing her roughly.

Dany cries with need, she also feels possessive over her mate. “And you are mine. I want you to know, Jon, I will kill you if you even look at a brothel building.”

Jon’s eyes widen, smiling at his jealous she-wolf. He knows she is going to be a handful. Which he welcomes, he is completely devoted to her, and was raised to be an honorable man for his wife.

“Also, if you actually enter the brothel and spend time with one of those women...I’ll ensure your death will be slow and painful,” she promises sweetly while whispering in his ear. Finally giving him a gentle nip on his earlobe.

“Yes, dear,” Jon agrees. Dany sees in his eyes that he has no intentions of betraying her, his beloved mate. She is also aware that she is the very jealous type, poor Jon.

Jon smiles at his mate and moves his hands under her butt and lifts her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Suddenly both lovers are frantic, holding each other tightly while kissing. Dany’s silk robe opening wider as Jon’s eyes get dark with lust.

“I want to tell you that I love you, but those words do not even begin to describe what I feel for you,” Jon stares deep into her amethyst eyes. All he sees is her love for him staring back at him. “I love you Dany, I love you.”

“I love you, Jon,” Dany promises him and she pushes the top of her robe off her shoulders completely to offer her breasts to him. Jon grunts with with passion as he licks his lips, he needs to make her his. His wolf is desperate to complete their bond.

Without saying a word Jon carries her to one of the back bedrooms, entering and then kicking the door shut behind them. Laying Dany down on the bed and opening the rest of her robe, Jon stands back and looks at her, with a predatory, hungry expression on his face.

Mine.

Dany bends her legs so that her knees are pointing to the ceiling, “Jon,” she whispers. Offering her entire body to her mate.

Although Jon did not touch even one of the whores nor let one even get close to him, thanks to the Lannister brothers he was forced to listen to some very detailed and graphic information about how to pleasure a woman. Also given specific tips about making sex pleasurable for a woman’s first time.

“Just to be clear, the whole ‘let’s start as friends’ and ‘let’s wait to consummate our marriage’ thing…” his voice trails off as he stares as his wife with adoration and hunger. If she wants to wait, he will honor her wishes. But he prays she wants to have him now.

Dany smiles up at him as she sits up and pulls her wolf closer to stand by her at the front of the bed, slipping her fingers into the top of his pants. Causing him to inhale sharply. Looking into Jon’s eyes she unbuttons the first button, and then the next and the next until his hard cock springs up, poking out of the top of his pants.

Dany smiles at him shyly, “I want to complete our bond now, But I am nervous--” her voice trails off.

Jon pushes his pants down the rest of the way to the floor and then stepping out of them. His eyes hooded with lust as she takes her hands and roams them up and then down his chiseled chest and stomach, she smiles as she slowly touches his shaft and then the tip of his penis.

He leans down to kiss her gently, his tongue slipping into her mouth. “Let’s go slow my love, we have all night,” Jon assures her.

Jon pulls them both to lay down on the bed, facing each other as they kiss and hold each other. Their hands begin exploring each other slowly as both become more and more aroused

“I want to make you mine, I want to be inside of you,” he croons in her ear making her whimper at the thought.

“Yes, I want that too. Be gentle, please. But take me, Jon,” Dany begs.

Jon pushes Dany to lay on her back and then slowly begins kissing down her body. Stopping to adore her beautiful breasts, she must realize how stunning she is. He caresses and gently pulls her on nipples, making her gasp with pleasure. He continues to kiss down as his hands remain on her breasts to pleasure her.

It is only when he spreads her legs and places them over his shoulder that Dany looks down, perplexed, trying to understand what he is doing. Jon begins by kissing her thighs, at one point sucking and biting so close to her core that she growls, aching for him in a way she didn’t know possible.

“Mine, you are mine and this is mine, Dany. Never forget this,” leaning down to taste his mate’s sweet pussy. Dany gasps at the feeling as her back arches off the bed.

“Yes, yes, yes, Jon!” Dany confirms, every part of her indeed belongs to her wolf.

Jon buries his face and lavishes attention her sweet core as she gasps and writhes under him. She desperately grabs at his black raven curls. He gently sucks on her clit as her first orgasm rolls through. Dany shakes and cries, overcome with emotion, loving the feelings and adoration from her mate.

“Jon, please. Make me yours, I want consummate our union.” Dany cries out desperately.

When Jon moves to face her while lying down next to her she throws a leg over his hip, basically opening herself up to him. He kisses her roughly while rubbing the head of his penis in her wet folds, his hand trembling slightly with nerves. She whimpers and scoots even closer to him, hoping to encourage him. She trusts him.

Jon kisses her again, their tongues moving together adoringly. He then rests his forehead against hers. He slowly begins to slide his shaft into Daenerys. Inch by inch, but ever so slowly. Dany pants nervously and whimpers, closing her eyes to give into her wolf.

“Jon, please -- I want to feel above me. My wolf desires you to take me. I need to feel the weight of your body on top of me!” Dany pleads, although he is partially inside of her, she needs him in a different way.

Jon kisses her roughly, slipping out and rolling with her onto the bed so that she is beneath him. He quickly pulls her knees up and opens her sweet core to him. His wolf needs to be inside of her sweet pussy.

Dany arches her back and begins to encourage him to make them one. Once again he begins slowly sliding his dick into her slowly. It’s when he meets resistance that he pauses.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jon whispers. His body shakes as he controls himself from taking her roughly in the manner in which his wolf needs.

“My wolf needs you to take me, Jon, look at me, I want you as badly as you want me,” Dany whispers, rubbing his back, his sides, encouraging him to make love to her.

Jon groans loudly as he slowly but firmly pushes into his wife, she trembles and gasps loudly as he is now fully sheathed. He kisses her neck, licks it, gently rakes his teeth along her skin. Reminding her that he will mark her shortly. She groans, needing it from her mate.

After a few moments she rocks her hips against him to signal she is ready and he slowly begins making love to his little wolf. With her arm wrapped around him, their kissing is slow and sensual as they match the rhythm of his deep thrusts.

As she gets closer and closer to her climax her wolves canines extend.  Jon shows her his have done the same. Resting their foreheads together Dany gasps and moans as he makes love to her.

As they both reach climax their eyes meet and both nod in agreement, not needing to exchange words. Feeling his seed release inside of Dany, Jon simultaneously bites the soft skin where her shoulder meets her slim neck. Dany screams loudly with pleasure, another orgasm rolling through her to combine with the delicious pain of his mark. She scratches his back and she trembles and shakes under him.

She rolls him over to his back, his cock semi-hard slipping out of her as she straddles him. She begins rocking her very wet core against his shaft until he quickly grows hard again.

“Make me come Jon, help me.’ she demands as she frantically lines herself up with him and both of their hands fumble to push his tip into her. Her head falls back and she groans wantonly as she lowers herself down so that he can fill her again. Dany begins riding him, both now groaning and panting.

Jon had never seen a more beautiful vision then his princess riding his cock. He never wants to leave this cabin.

As her orgasm approaches she cries out loudly, her teeth elongating. Jon holds her hips as she grunts and cries with satisfaction. As her orgasm hits she leans down to complete the mating-bond. Jon loudly comes again as her canines break his skin, marking him. She licks and kisses his mark after to soothe him as he had done for her.

The closeness they both feel is incredible. Dany rests her head on his chest, panting quietly.

Off and on they sleep that night, as they make love again and again each time they awake.

The two true-bonded wolves found each other, against all odds and were happy and in love.

++o+ Story End +o++

[premiercarriageuk]

All You Need To Know About Wedding Limo Hire

Your wedding day is the ideal opportunity to indulge and travel in style, which is the reason couples opt-out to hire the service of a wedding car rental provider. Picking a limousine is a stylish approach to make an entrance to your wedding ceremony in Dorset, apart from being classy there are also realistic explanations for hiring this luxurious and roomy car, especially if you are travelling with you bridesmaids to the wedding venue.  Here is some advice when hiring a limo for your special day.

It is always wise when you live in Dorset, to book your wedding transport vehicle well in advance.

The reason it is important not to leave your limo hire to the last minute is because you could be left disappointed with a fewer selection of vehicles – wedding limousines get booked up very fast in a busy wedding season. The earlier you book in advance, the more choice you will have and getting the car of your dreams will become a reality. Once you and your partner have made up your mind on a wedding date, book your wedding vehicle immediately.

Don’t overlook the importance to choose a vehicle with a high capacity, especially if you want your bridal party to travel with you; this is a great way to avoid costly expenses of hiring more than one car.  A stretch limo can seat approximately ten individuals, however, when the bride has a large trail or princess dress, you should ensure that she has two seats to spread her gown across if needed.  You don’t want to crease the dress at this early stage in the day.

When booking your limo, remember to give yourself ample time. It may be more expensive to keep the limo longer on your wedding day than you planned. Many times, these cars are booked for other events as well.  To ensure that your day will run smoothly book your limo at least one time longer than you would actually need it.  This will cut back on stress and will give you enough time to take some gorgeous pictures after the ceremony.

It is worth noting that a lot of pictures listed on wedding car rental providers website are just for illustration purpose, make sure the rental company is specific about the limo you will be travelling in on your wedding day.  It is always best to see the actual limo beforehand

Don’t sacrifice quality for cost when choosing a wedding vehicle for that special day that usually just comes once in your life.  You might find a more sophisticated vehicle, and a more professional chauffeur, from a reputable wedding car rental provider, than a general car hire supplier.  Your wedding transport will play a crucial role on your day and will feature in a lot of photos, so make sure it suits your needs, desire and taste.

Don’t forget about the groom! Give him the opportunity to travel in style as well.  As the wedding rental provider to pick up to the groom and his best man and drive them to the wedding venue first. Afterwards, they can pick up the bride and her bridal party.

The majority of couples search online when it comes to looking for a wedding rental provider.

This is an excellent approach to evaluate suppliers. When looking for a professional company in Dorset, make sure to find out if they pictures showcased on their website is from the actual limos that they provide.  Find out if your supplier is an accredited transport supplier.  This will give you peace of mind that the driver is highly skilled and guarantee you that your wedding transport will be flawless on your wedding day.

About Us

Since inception in 1996, Premium Carriage has gained itself a stellar reputation in the wedding transport industry.  As one of the most notorious wedding car rental providers in the United Kingdom, we have more than 750 vehicles for hire, ranging from vintage cars from the ’20s, classic cars from the ’50s and ’60s, and modern luxury cars. Being in the trade for 24 years, we have gained a wealth of professionalism and experience and successfully arranged transport for more than 18 500 weddings across the country. We have ‘Premier’ in our name for a reason, let us show you why!  For more information visit: https://www.premiercarriage.co.uk/.

[sandiegojewelry-blog1]

Diamond Wedding Rings As a Symbol of Love

Best Diamond Wedding Rings As a Symbol of Love 

 A ring is a circle that defines no end, no boundaries and no limits. It goes on and on. It is a simple token that represents love, commitment, fidelity, friendship and appreciation to human kind. Wedding Ring symbolizes timelessness, undying and enduring love between the wife and the husband. It has a lot of meaning and significant to every couples life.

If a man wants to proved his love to his woman, the best thing to think of is a ring. A man who's willing and ready to live his life to the only woman he loves, will proposed and marry the love of his life. It goes beyond or is more than just the material value of that piece of jewelry. More than just the cost itself. There are emotions, happiness, memories and great deal of sacrifice associated on it the moment it is given to you.

Both the bride and the groom are pronounced as husband and wife after the sliding of their 

Wedding Ring Designs

to each others fingers.It has a lot of symbolic value. It is a sign of their love. An inherent of a marriage or wedding ceremony. It is also considered as the most important part of the wedding. For the pronouncing part as husband and wife follows after the sliding of both rings.

Stunning Lab-Grown Diamonds and Sustainably Sourced.

Both man and woman has a responsibility to take good care of their wedding rings for they will be wearing it until the day they die. It speaks about the couples, life history, love story, life's experiences and couples desire to be together. It is believed that if a man is not wearing and is keeping his wedding ring, that means he is up to someone. For a man with a Diamond Rings Designs on his finger is considered as faithful. A woman wearing her wedding ring publicly displays that she is already in a commitment and that she's no longer available. Wearing of wedding rings measures how faithful your spouse is to you.That's how magical it symbolizes in every individuals life.

Sometimes, it is the cause of couples misunderstanding and argument if one forgot to wear or worst lost his or her wedding ring. It is irreplaceable. Literally speaking, it can be replaced by the same and new one but nothing compared to the original Solitaire Diamond Ring worn with a blessing during the wedding. The memories and sentimental value can never be put back no matter how expensive the replacement ring is.

Marriage is bind to last forever. Couples prefers to have a lasting wedding rings than can last longer as their relationship or even for a lifetime. The most popular wedding rings are gold and white gold, platinum and titanium. Each has it's unique characteristics to be considered as great choices for wedding rings. Various of styles and settings are available for any type or rings you desire. If you want to express each others personality and finds is hard to choose, you can personalize you and your spouse White Gold Wedding Ring Sets Engraving or carving of your personal message, name, memorable dates etc.is possible

For More Information to Visit Our Website - https://www.diamonddistrictblock.com/rings

[awed-frog]

Sherlock: The Six Whatever

To be honest, I was planning to write a very different meta today, because I really do love the show - a lot. And then last night I was so angry, I thought I wouldn’t write a meta at all. I went to bed literally seething with rage and righteous outrage. And now I’m awake again and I’ve got a couple anons in my inbox asking me what was wrong with that episode - an episode which, judging from the first page of my dash, some of you actually loved. So, well - I don’t want to ruin your morning: severe wank under the cut, proceed at your own risk.

I’d start by saying how excited I was to tune in to the BBC last night, but I’m sure I don’t need to describe any of it. You know what it was like, right? Right.

And it did start well. Like, Mycroft photoshopping Sherlock out of that shooting - that solved all the problems from his point of view, and also took away from Sherlock something incredibly important - probably what he perceived to be the first genuinely selfless gesture of his entire life, and the only way he could tell John how much he cared about him (how much he loved him). By killing Magnussen, Sherlock had very clearly given his blessing to John and Mary’s relationship - he’d let John go, and invited him to be happy - with someone else, if necessary. Which, wow. Especially coming from him.

(And John - John takes it. There is little doubt John knows Sherlock is going on a suicide mission at the end of season 3, but he’s too much - well - too much himself to do anything about it. He was a soldier, after all - respect for authority is in there somewhere. Sherlock broke the law - Sherlock killed a man - Sherlock must pay. And John - John would have gone with him if circumstances were different, but like this - with a pregnant wife in tow - yeah. It’s too late is what it is, which is why it’s not even worth it to get those complicated feelings out of his heart and lungs. It’s over.)

And the thing is, this scene - and this trick - was unnecessary. There were a hundred other ways Mycroft could have erased Sherlock’s responsibility in that murder, and they never needed to show us any of them. Instead, the scene is there, and Sherlock behaves as a petulant child throughout (and no wonder: Mycroft is basically taking his agency away from him) and it’s also the excuse to have several mentions of the word ‘love’ in two minutes: someone in that room is code-named Love, Sherlock loves ginger nuts and thinks it’s a lovely day for a stroll and he always, always knows when the game is on, you know why? Because he loves it.

So, all in all, a solid and suitably Johnlocky beginning.

And, next, you know - more subtext - the usual kind of deafening subtext we’re now used to, like John picking Sherlock over Mary on the bloody day their daughter is born (and, really?), and Sherlock creating an ideal world for himself where Mary is an obese and selfish spy who doesn’t love John at all and will soon go far, far away from them both. 

And, again, we’ve got that issue of control - of how you can be in the driver’s seat and still die, alone and unnoticed, because life is fundamentally unpredictable and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying (found you because he’s tracking you, and not because he can actually understand any of it).

(Also, Sherlock very nearly having a PTSD-induced flashback at the sight of Margaret Thatcher was quite funny. Points there.)

But the more we went into the episode, the more that thing between John and Sherlock - textually or subtextually - started to fray at the borders. John is sleep-deprived and lowkey angry and frustrated by Mary and how his life turned out? He finds himself a nice girl on the side instead of spending more time with Sherlock, and what he does with her is what he used to do with Sherlock: more texting than sex (if any sex at all). Because it may seem strange for two people who actually lived together and worked together most of the day, but John did text Sherlock a lot, and Sherlock always replied (“He’s Mr Punchline,” John almost shouted at Irene back when things were hopeful and bright). Now, however - now Sherlock doesn’t reply at all. John keeps texting him, and Sherlock deletes his texts. So, yeah. And the reason Sherlock does that is because he’s still preparing himself for a life without John. This thing they’ve got going on - a weird threeway relationship and bringing a baby to crime scenes - yeah, not even Sherlock’s such a sociopath to see that can’t work long-term.

(Hell, not even Mycroft is, and he did try to warn Sherlock about what John’s wedding would mean.)

So Sherlock falls back into old habits - he tunes out John so completely he can’t even tell when John leaves (he keeps talking to a balloon instead), he goes for skill over sentiment by dragging Mary on cases, and in the end he even comes out and says it: John is a bit like that dog - Sherlock does like him, but it’s not like that changes anything. 

(It’s not like that makes John essential.

The dog is not.)

No, instead of focusing on John, Sherlock steps back into his own self. He basically lies to Lestrade to keep him close (“Trust me, she’s not right for you - she’s not the one.”), he’s obnoxious with police officers and rude to clients, and he keeps his brain going and spinning and working at all times, so he won’t have to think about - about what? About the fact he’s a sitting duck for Moriarty? Sherlock doesn’t care about that. No, presumably what he’s trying so hard to avoid is that there’s no way out of this. Rosie’s here now, so even if Sherlock fails (because, as Mycroft says, ex spies don’t have much in a way of a lifespan), it’s unlikely that John will come back full-time (will come back to Sherlock). And if Mary lives, then at some point John will walk away. That’s just life. Sherlock’s literally living on borrowed time, and he knows it. Appointment in Samarra, and all that.

Now, to me, the problem with how they solved that conundrum (even leaving aside the fact the actual murderer was an older woman with no husband and cats who acted out of pettiness, and, ugh - worst reveal since The Da Vinci Code) is that by killing Mary the way they did, they killed any possibility of anything happening between John and Sherlock. And my problem is that they twisted their own characters beyond recognition in order to do so. And my problem is - I don’t even care if they never get together - I can enjoy a tragedy and a story about missed opportunities as much as the next person - but the thing is, since the fact they clearly loved each other was never acknowledged by anyone other than a spiteful prostitute, for most people this is not a story of a tragic love which didn’t survive a fall. No, this is what it looks on the surface - two blokes doing things, friends sticking together and friends falling out, and nothing more. By ‘going where the story takes them’, to borrow Supernatural terminology, this show has fundamentally invalidated the very story they’ve been telling for three seasons.

Look at the whole Mary thing - it didn’t make any sense. What we know from the previous season is that Mary used to be a trained assassin - that she’s cold and selfish, basically a psychopath - that she’s got no moral compass whatsoever. We still don’t know how she and John met, but I find it hard to believe that relatonship was a coincidence. With his proposal, John basically admitted Mary had groomed him, so I find it natural, really, that many people spent the hiatus wondering what the hell Mary was really up to. And now we know: Mary wasn’t up to anything, because the writers stripped her personality and replaced with Appropriate Female Character™. Mary is now a loving mother and a loving wife. She supports her husband in every way despite the fact it’s clear he’s not invested 100% in their relationship (even leaving aside the fact he missed the delivery of their child because he was off having fun with Sherlock, do we really think a top class spy wouldn’t notice John texting some mystery woman?). And not only she endures all that (because she loves John, because she loves Rosie, and *pukes*), but when it’s clear she can’t stay without putting her family in danger, she sacrifices her own heart by leaving it all behind.

Right.

So this was the woman who had so little understanding of what love is, and cared so little to find out, that she shot Sherlock point blank, in the heart, to save her own skin and her own cover.

Uh uh.

When John and Sherlock find her in Central Asia or wherever, it’s, again, very clear that the main problem in this relationship is that there are three people in it - and the writers can code Sherlock as John’s child all they want - Sherlock’s still the one who’s able to understand John’s wife better than John does, and the one who stays in the room as John and Mary discuss private couple stuff. Because, yeah.

Still, the damage is done. Because of this complete character transformation, it’s all over. If Mary had been evil, John could have loved Sherlock again. If she’d left because she didn’t care - if she’d been arrested - if she’d decided their marriage was a sham and walked out - John would have found his way back to Sherlock. But as it is, here are the facts: Mary was loving and perfect and devoted to her family in every way, and Sherlock’s obsession for theatrics (John’s inability to step away from Sherlock’s world) killed her dead. Rosie will now grow up without a mother because both John and Sherlock were too selfish to give up their addiction of choice. If John had worked as a GP, if Sherlock had come round every now and then for supper instead of basically living inside their couple - if John had been capable of being a good and honest husband (a good and honest man) instead of this person Sherlock turned him into - then Mary would have lived. It’s as simple as that.

So, look - I’m not saying they’ll never be friends again. I’m fully expecting John to come around because Sherlock will now start to do even more extreme and dangerous things - also, this is the season we finally find out how the third Holmes brother died, right? - but the thing is, there is no way John can go back to Sherlock romantically and still remain a likeable character. Sherlock will never not be a private detective - he’s not capable to have a normal life - and if John goes back to work with him now, it’s not only himself he endangers, but his daughter. Sherlock’s ‘cases’ have a habit of putting Sherlock and the people he loves in danger, remember? So the next time John ends up with a bomb strapped to his chest, that’s a little girl who’ll grow up in foster care if he dies. And the next time the Villain of the Season decides to kidnap a child, that child could be Rosie because Sherlock cares about her.

(And the thing is, John is not Batman - he’s not key to keeping the whole city safe. This is not an I’ve sacrificed my family and I hate myself for it, but I know it was necessary because I’m a hero kind of situation. Sherlock may need John in a thousand different ways, but he certainly doesn’t need John to solve cases. He solves cases perfectly well while John is in the kitchen, filling in a sudoku grid with Mrs Hudson. So John’s got no excuse to stick around, really.

Or, the excuse would be: all those different, other ways Sherlock does need him, but if he gives in to that, John would be putting Sherlock’s mental and emotional health ahead of Rosie’s actual survival and happiness. So, whatever.) 

But: I said, no way that I can see. And I’m not a writer for the show. I’m not anyone, really. So maybe there’s a SUPERMEGATWIST in store that will tie up all these loose ends. Maybe I’m dead wrong - and God, I’d love to be dead wrong. But until then, I think I need to wake up and face reality here: whatever love story they told, it was always subtextual, and it’s now become a selfish and twisted and dark thing and it’s also - as far as I’m concerned - over.