#so they don’t scare the people off but then one of the rich nobles get murdered and the whole mansion gets locked in so thalia is now the

[swordmaid]

playing dress ups in piccrew with my ocs as one does and now I am thinking up of a regency or victorian era based murder mystery au with thalia as main char or something ,,,, anyway chars go from thalia left shri’iia right

then yves as creepy nun and wren as the one sole dude in this line up

[dittoapokemon]

The major discourse I see about Saltburn is whether it’s about class or queer obsession. Surprise! It’s both! Spoilers below.

So at the start it’s definitely about queer obsession. Ollie is enthralled by Felix and as we learn at the end is happy to play the hapless little damaged boy to get his attention. We see a lot of affection and intimacy between the two. And at this point Ollie has never seen Saltburn. He knows Felix is rich and has a castle but that’s it. @magicspeedwagon7 has a great post about how we get a tour of Saltburn but not really. The whole scene is focused on Felix. He points to things out of frame and we don’t see them because we are watching him through Ollie’s eyes. We see him impressed by the house but once Felix is in the room he is all that matters. Here is where we see the major theme being his obsession with Felix.

And we see this building obsession with Felix. Leading to the bathtub scene. I think here and the grave scene is where we see Oliver at his truest. His most uncontrolled. He just can’t stop himself. He is alone and can act on pure emotion and simply do whatever he desires. He doesn’t just love Felix. He wants to ABSORB him. He wants to become one with him. Of course these are interspersed with scenes of him manipulating the family. This is when we see him desire both the house AND Felix. And the way to get the house is through Felix. We see the mingling of both themes, his obsession with Felix and his obsession with having more in terms of wealth and status.

He is being taunted constantly that Felix will throw him away because he simply enjoys broken toys until a new, more broken object comes along. He tried to disregard it. And then Pamela dies. And he watches how easily the family disregards her. She had lived with them for months and they threw her out.

Before I continue this whole thing hinges on the mirror scene. We watch him meticulously wrap his hand and then punch the mirror. Most people would just punch the mirror in a rage by Oliver takes the necessary precautions but in all that time still can’t calm himself. He still has to react with emotion.

And then his lies are revealed. And he tries to talk to Felix and he’s not having it. We see him cry alone, not for an audience, twice and one is when Felix first rejects him. He blows him off so he follows him to the maze. At this point he’s already dosed the bottle. So even though Felix is showing some tenderness. Even though he nearly kisses him. He shows concern. Ollie can’t see it. He has acted meticulously, dosing the bottle, taking a drink, throwing up, but he is acting on pure rage and fear. He’s been rejected by Felix and that’s driving him insane. And he’s scared that this is it, he’s being thrown away so Felix can go find his next fix. He can’t stop himself at this point. He can’t see the tenderness through his own emotion.

And so Felix dies. And Oliver doesn’t know what to do. The object of his desire is gone because of him. He killed him after being rejected. And he can’t handle that. He can’t accept that he reacted based on emotion. No! He’s a mastermind! The puppet master pulling the strings! But the only other time we see him cry while alone is over Felix’s death. All the times he cries in privacy are over Felix. He desired Felix and Saltburn and now there is only Saltburn. We have gone through him being obsessed with Felix, to being obsessed with Felix and Saltburn, and finally obsessed with Saltburn and convincing himself it’s always only been Saltburn.

It’s important to also understand the Cattons aren’t just rich. They’re British nobles. Oliver could only become one of them through marriage. And there’s a tendency of the middle class to appropriate the lives of those poorer while constantly desiring to the top of the food chain. Keeping up with the Joneses. They want to be the top 1% but while in America it’s possible to get there from the middle class (not easy, usually you still have to be born into that but you can do it) in Britain that’s the nobles. You can have more money than God you’ll still never be able to be them without marriage or birth.

It’s also worth noting that while killing the Catton women Ollie has no problem getting his hands dirty. He slices Venetia’s wrists, and he pulls out Elspeth breathing tube. But the men? James he simply waits to pass, I think he knew he’d never truly get an opportunity to kill him and not get caught. And Felix he poisons. He kills him in a way that not only requires no physical violence but one he also doesn’t have to witness. And he doesn’t kill Farleigh. He gets him kicked out. I think he knew Farleigh was the one who could truly see him. Not entirely, not the darkness, but he knew something else was going on there. So he was the biggest threat. So instead of neutralizing him himself, he convinces the family to do it.

Well Ollie has lost the man he loved/was obsessed with. Who could’ve been his ticket into this life. And he can’t stand he lost him to such a disgusting display of emotion. So he convinces himself it’s part of his plan. See he wanted the house. Never Felix, just Saltburn. Like so many middle class men he just wanted more. Greater. To be a part of that elite social class he never could. So he keeps going. Devising a plan to get everyone else out of his way. He’s willing to play the long game now. And if taking Saltburn allows him to also retain pieces of Felix, well that’s fine by him.

And he gets what he wants. But there’s the rub, he owns Saltburn. And all the money he could want. And he will still never be noble. He can never bridge that gap. The only way to become noble is birth or marriage. Because he lost what he truly wanted: Felix.

[black-quartz-sphinx-judge-my-vow]

Just finished part 2 A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I kind of want to stop reading.

Lucy won, Snow gets shit canned, that’s a happy ending to me.

Really don’t want to witness what I assume will be the spiritual or literal death of Lucy Grey.

But gotta say thus far, what an incredible book. Honestly loving it, I think it adds such richness to the world. Part of the reason I love it, is because it’s extremely fucked up. We see how the acts of rebellion or defiance from the main characters gets twisted to suit the system. Lucy Grey performing, her dress. The better part of the next century are shaped by her defiance and spirit. Now tributes will be forced to sing and dance and act like these horrible games are exciting. It’s a horrible perversion, and great commentary on capitalism. Anything that rises against the system will eventually be commodified and incorporated in the structure.

Even just the train that brings them in, feeding the tributes, Snow’s distaste for the train, the zoo, the starvation gets transformed into luxury cars, and feasts, and suites. He addresses the symptoms, the things that make him queasy, not the whole horrible system.

That’s great writing, that’s why he’s not a hero. We get to see where he gets the dynamic of never lying with Katniss he steals it from his own abuser. The doctor.

Also just great insight into how fucked Panem is politically. It just seems to be run by goons. Their military service last an insane 20 years, and is a punishment, for debtors and criminals. It’s probably so long because no one wants to be in it. Fucking kids from some prep school are running the show at a national event. It’s fucked! Whenever someone in class questions the system they just get brushed off. One was told their objection to the question was irrelevant and for another they were just told to assume an incorrect premise was true. They just use thought canceling instructions whenever challenged.

Snow himself can’t even conceive that a government could have the backing of it’s people. When he writes his paper he naturally assumes people will break the law, and then turn against the government. So facism is their only course. When of course the obvious answer is to just have a government that shares a consensus with it’s people. Their assumption that they’ll always be at war with the districts is insane and wrong. By the time Katniss comes around the war could have been a distant memory regulated to the few living old guards. Prosperity could have come to the whole continent. Institutions and barriers could have been torn down, and wounds would have begun to heal, have healed by the time she’s a woman. But these people chose to keep themselves and the districts traumatized and scared for 75 years.

It’s also good to see the children who are awake enough to know the hunger games are evil. Outcasts now but perhaps they build the groundswell that will eventually lead to the revolution.

The book also does a good job with snow. We can see how he eventually becomes the fuck head he becomes, but we can also imagine all the off ramps he has to escape on. He’s a sociopath everyone thinks their dealing with the real him, but he’s gaming out every interaction to his benefit. All his actions seem noble enough from the outside, but we know his thoughts, we know why he does what he does, and it’s because he’s an animal.

So far it has been stellar.

[kazuahhh]

There was a ballet performance today. And rin couldn’t care less about it. His parents pestered him to come because they are, of course invited. By the owner and organizer of the theatre.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I’m inaz, your emcee for the night. Today we are all gathered here to witness one of the biggest show ever created since decades ago! I won’t be making this long, can i have a round of applause before starting?” The said emcee gave a polite bow and smile before disappearing in the dark. Along with the claps of the audience.

Whispers were shared among the noble families. Afterall— this event is secured for the rich ones. Fending off money here and there, you cannot attend unless you have connections nor the money.

You’re shaking, anxiously. Your hands are sweating, you do not know what to do. You kept on pacing back and front, left and right. Until that is you felt a hand on your shoulder. You jumped at the sudden contact. “Goodness! You scared me.” You gave a shock look at your best friend— anri.

“Chill girl, you’ve got this. I’ll be watching okay? Just don’t mess this up. Especially with the royal family watching the performance.” Anri spoke with a warning but reassuring tone. Which helped you a bit.

Right. You’re one of the ballet performers. Picked out by the organizer of the event themselves. You are of course, a princess from C/N (country name). Meaning you’re not from here. You have foreign features. Which doesnt give away the etherealistic beauty that you have.

You are gorgeous. You are wearing a white corsen and a sparkling white tutu. A white ballerina dress. Representing a white swan. (IDK WHAT THE BALLERINA OUTFIT IS CALLED SORRY 😔)

Suddenly, you guys were called. Pulling you out of your trance, meaning it’s start of the show. Anri gave you a pat on the shoulder and a hug. “Fighting.” She smiled holding her fist up and so did you bump it with yours. You gave her a nervous smile before stepping off to the stage.

The whispers shared among the audience was quickly shut down when the lights went black. Which means the event is about to start.

You were the first one to step out. With a white headwear glistening among the crowds that shines so perfectly, with a simple make-up on that makes you stand out so much more. Perfectly complimenting your skin and features. Your heart was beating so fast. So fast and loud. But you payed it no mind.

Smiling and giving a bow before starting tour perfomance. While rin, was in his seat. Bored.

The performance started off perfect. You in your own pace, quickly forgetting about the thousands of people watching you. Ah. This. This is it. This is where you perfectly belong, your body sways with the music ever so elegantly. Making spins in the air right here and there, twirling in your own grace. You are a natural. And you exceed at your own potential.

While rin was watching you, well— pretty much cliché but you caught his interest and attention when you started dancing. Beautiful. He thinks, he is pretty much entertained until the other ballet dancers joined you. But you still stood out among them. Beautiful.

You are at the center. Spotlight is yours. Beautiful. He again, thinks.

The performance was over soon enough. Rin wants more— he craves more. More of you. You are so beautiful. So addicting that he cannot get enough. He hurriedly left his seat to go to the backstage. He wants to see you. He NEEDS to see you.

His parents calling off to him while he ignored them, his two feet dragging him much faster than it ever could. Why of course, he’s one of the countries pro footballer. A prince and a football player. Athletic.

You let out a sigh of relief, finally, it’s over. Countless of sleepless nights, whole day of practice until midnight. It is finally over. The audience liked your perfomance. A big— very big round of applause echoed throughout the whole theatre. It continued for about a solid 3 minutes. Nice. They weren’t disappointed.

You frantically left the backstage to meet up with your childhood friend whom you missed so dearly. Afraid that you wouldn’t be able to catch up to her. Dragging yourself outside you spotted her at the end of the corridor. Unaware of what’s about to happen.

Ouch. Hard. Stone-hard.

Before you knew it, you had bumped into someone, your butt on the floor and the gift you are holding was scattered around. “I am so sorry, i didn’t look where i was going. Please pardon my rudeness.” You bowed before getting up to pick up the gift.

You look up and saw a boy. He is about your age you think? He’s got defined and sharp features. His eyelashes more visible on the bottom of his eyes. He is

Beautiful

The both of you thought.

Rin’s breathe was stolen away from him. You are so

Beautiful.

“Um, mister? If you’d please move, i still have matters to attend.” You looked up to him. He is very tall. And rin snapped back to his senses. You are so cute. So so pretty, doe eyes, plump lips, tall but soft nose.

The perfect image of innocence.

Rin awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, feigning a glance at your cleavage that seems to want to get out of the tight corset. Making them very visible. He felt his face go red.

“I apologize, miss?” “Y/n” you shoot him a cute smile.

Beautiful.

“Miss y/n,” a ghost smile appearing on his face. The way your name rolled of his tongue got a whole army of butterfly dancing around your stomach.

Weird. You thought.

Beautiful,

Even your name sounds beautiful,

He thinks, yet, again.

“I saw your perfomance at the stage, it was wonderful, i love the way your body sways with the music. You looked very beautiful out there. I would pay to see that kind of performance again.” He complimented.

“Oh—! Uhm thank you, your majesty.” Of course you know him, the one and only, rin itoshi. You’ve heard of him.

“You’re very welcome, y/n.” A rare smile was planted on his lips. Which disappeared in a flash. Right. You were in a hurry. The gift placed between your oh so tiny hands.

Beautiful.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but i got to go, see you around your majesty.” You left with a quick bow. Not long enough, he yelled out a wait.

“Yes?” You turned around. “If it’s not much of a bother, i’ll see you later tonight at 9, yeah? I’ll be waiting backstage, and um maybe we can grab some dinner right after.” He recommended, followed quickly “that is, if you don’t mind, of course.” his voice was fast and kinda shaky.

You get what he meant.

“Sure, i’ll see you later, rin.” You flashed him a toothy smile and went off to your friend.

Rin could feel his heart thumping so loud. So fast. Out of his chest, letting out a tiny chuckle. He went straight back to the backstage. Glancing at his wristwatch which reads the time, 8:31.

He doesn’t mind waiting, after all, it’s you.

Note: pic is mine.

[brattyfrenchvampire]

I’ve started to reminisce about some things that will probably never make it into the books as it’s not relevant to the story as a whole. Besides I don’t foresee the rating going up haha.

Before I had steady companions, that eventually turned into partners, I used to frequent the brothels. I know, I come off as the type to have a preference for men. You would be correct in that assumption, I’m not exactly in the middle of the Kinsey scale. Close to it, but leaning towards homosexual tendencies. There were a few men I had picked up at pubs. They were usually fumbling drunk and not very enjoyable. The men around my age were timid and scared of their desires. The older men…let’s just say there were skill issues and I know their wives were unhappy.

The women I have fallen for, I’ve really fallen for. None of them were the prostitutes, though I had a fondness for them. Society frowned upon them, meanwhile they were providing a very wanted service. I heard and saw some of the things they had to put up with and it made my blood boil. It could be in part because of my own background. But I despise the whole societal hierarchy. These women deserved to be treated like people, not objects. They should have been paid better too. I was pro sex workers then, I’m still pro sex workers now. But I’m getting side tracked…

One of the pluses about prostitutes, they didn’t ask questions about me leaving my gloves on or worse give that look of pity when they’d see all my scars. A handful of them had scars of their own. There were two women that stood out to me, they were my favorites. I never knew their names. As most brothels, names were whatever seemed exotic, “Rose” or “Moonbeam” or whatever. (Actually, I think there were a few that used those exact names in my troupe.) Not that I gave them my name either. Both struggled to have a steady flow of clients. They had a few weirdos that saw them as novelties. Others would be offended to be paired with them. Most didn’t see either of them as people. I’m not some noble person, but I think everyone is deserving of respect. That should be the minimum.

The first woman I was ever with was an amputee. She lost one of her legs in a carriage accident. The infection almost cost her life. Her leg ended at mid-thigh. She had a prosthetic but it was heavy, on bad days she would drag it more than walk with it. She was a nice girl. Close to my age at the time, around 17, and wanted to travel. Though unless she eventually married a rich man, she didn’t have much to look forward to. She wasn’t completely uneducated, but not enough to be an exceptional woman at the time. Her beauty was “flawed” by her leg. She was a bit too fond of the bottle and dabbled with opium. (I should have known then it was like standing in front of a damn mirror.) While I was there for sex initially, we did enjoy each other’s company. There were times that most of our session was spent talking. An escapism. We never ventured too deep into subjects unless it was about our dreams. We could pretend for a while at least that she really could go somewhere and that I had all the time in the world and wasn’t dying. (Not that I let anyone know the last part.) I was probably the closest thing she had to a friend, though I did not deserve that title. After a couple years, I never saw her again. I can only hope life treated her kinder one day and she got her prince charming.

The other woman was intersex, though they used other unkind words to describe her. I would say she closely resembled someone that was AFAB but on T for a few years. She was petite, built straight up and down, and hairy all over. She shaved her facial hair but that’s it. She had strong facial features, dark hair and equally dark eyes. She was gorgeous, though I guess she was deemed too masculine for most of the clientele. Their loss. (You’d think she would be more popular seeing as she was infertile so there was no risk of pregnancy.) She was very adamant that she was a woman but some still called her ‘it’ and a ‘thing.’ She wasn’t much for words and didn’t do kissing. (I do hope that was what she genuinely wanted and not that she felt forced to act a certain way based on how others treated her.) She brought out something in me that I didn’t know I had. Until her I hadn’t thought I could be submissive or that I shouldn’t allow it. (It was rather tame in comparison to what I got up to later. But it was the first time I let someone have some control over me after what had happened in the lab.) I had felt safe. I don’t know if it was because she was heavily scarred as well or I felt a kinship of being something other than what your body projects. While our interactions were only physical, she helped me to trust again. I don’t think I could have pursued my relationships if it wasn’t for her. I was told one day she left the brothel. I can only hope that is what really happened. The madams never talked about the murders, it’s bad for business.

I eventually found myself in a romantic and sexual relationship with both Jeanne and Noé. I had a difficult time allowing myself to be naked in front of either of them. Even after Jeanne saw everything in Gévaudan and Noé assisted in dressing and bathing me a few times when I was ill. They weren’t being paid to deal with my body…compensated for having to look at me or touch me. I was ashamed of my body, the scars, the mark, too many memories attached to it all. I often took off as little clothes as possible while intimate with either of them. Somedays I refused to get undressed at all and just attended to them. It didn’t want to spoil the mood. I didn't want to be seen as a person if I were fully nude, it was easier if I was just objectified. I had to be in a certain headspace.

[twilightmalachite]

Altered - Angels and Devils 12

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiyori, Eichi, Tsumugi, Nagisa

Translator: Mika Enstars

"You’re obscene. I’m not happy you’re fond of it, Eichi-kun. It’s like finding a dead frog inside my birthday cake."

Season: Spring

Location: Yumenosaki Academy Auditorium (LIVE)

⚠️ This is an import from a unproofed Twitter Livetweet!

One week later, at the Yumenosaki Academy auditorium, fine’s debut live…

Hiyori: I have a feeling I’ve been completely set up!

Look’s like the Five Eccentrics have been invited to fine’s debut live as a guest!

Eichi: Do you have a problem with that? You seem very dissatisfied.

Hiyori: To look so happy in the face of a losing battle, you must be a fool or idiot, or a traitor who is getting along with the enemy.

Eichi: Oya, do you lack the confidence to win against the Five Eccentrics? Preparing to lose even before the fight, are you?

This isn’t like you to be saying something like that, who’s always bursting with confidence and claiming to be the best of the best.

Hiyori: I came here in the first place instead of running away because being provoked like that pisses me off so much.

Which is exactly why I feel like I was set up. You’ve always been this way, Eichi-kun.

Is it fun to play with others in the palm of your hand like this?

You are vile.

Eichi: Fufu, despite being constantly deceived and humiliated by me, you never fail to take me up on my provocations, though.

Does that make you a very dumb person, or perhaps even a very good-natured person?

Hiyori: I should be there for this “pathetic child” of a companion at the very least.

If anything, me being here for you is what’s preventing you from poisoning any other innocent person who doesn't know any better.

I’m doing what I can to protect everyone. It’s my duty as a noble.

Ah, how wonderful I am! To step up to be a sacrifice myself to the evil monster!

Eichi: I truly applaud you for that. You have the ability to do anything you put yourself to, and yet you’re always giving yourself up to somebody else. Whether it be to me, or your big brother, huh?

A benevolent protector of his people, a way of life truly worthy of being called a noble.

Not one akin to a dignified knight, but a life more like a princess from an old-fashioned fairy tale.

Like sacrificing yourself for your house. Very antiquated.

Hiyori: What’s wrong with devoting yourself to what you love? If anything, I pity you who cannot find a companion to devote yourself to in such a way!

Eichi: Fufu, that’s right. You’ve always been the only one who’d feel sorry for me.

Me, the heir to the Tenshouin Zaibatsu, one of the worlds largest mega-conglomerates.

You see through to true natures and pity, even if you despise them.

The clarity you have of it all is sometimes too advantageous for me to bear.

Hiyori: You’re obscene. I’m not happy you’re fond of it, Eichi-kun. It’s like finding a dead frog inside my birthday cake.

Eichi: Okay. I fundamentally hate you as a person. There, feel better?

Tsumugi: How can you guys carry on such a vicious conversation with such cheerful smiles on your faces?

Eichi: Aristocrats have to be capable of separating their innermost thoughts from their surface. Isn’t that right, Hiyori-kun?

The life of a noble is but an endless masquerade, where we exchange extravagant rhetoric while masks hide our true faces.

Tsumugi: I may not fully get it, but it sounds like even the rich have rough times…

Just, let’s not be so tense. Not only is it our propitious debut live, but Nagisa-kun is frightened too.

Nagisa: …Mhm. I’m, a little scared.

…Sorry. I’m, not used to such raw emotions, from other people.

…I’m, a tad dazed. I mean, a little disoriented.

Hiyori: Ahh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Everything’s okay, alright, Nagisa-kun? I just want Eichi-kun to die early is all, I don’t mean any harm towards you one bit, ‘kay!

Eichi: Isn’t it because you pamper Nagisa-kun like that his personality will remain the same like an infant, never weaned from his mother?

Hiyori: I will not forgive you for bad-mouthing Nagisa-kun and I!

Eichi: You guys are as close as ever.

Eichi: (And that’s why I can move Hiyori-kun, and Nagisa-kun will move following suit, and vice versa.)

(Not only that, but while I do not know if it is a blessing or a curse… To me, Hiyori-kun is a childhood friend, who I have known for many years.)

(I know exactly where to hit him, and how he will react. Hiyori-kun strives to be someone of simple design, and he adheres to that character of his.)

(He will not bend his way of life for the sake of his pride.)

(He has no flexibility. But that is exactly the vulnerability I need to manipulate him, someone who is greater and smarter than I am to begin with.)

(Yes, at first I wasn’t sure how it would go, but fine appears to work exactly the way I wish it to.)

(The problem is however, that the Five Eccentrics are out of my control. No matter what angle I look at it from, I don’t think I can manipulate them…

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[aeoki]

Toyland - Chapter 5

Location: Shopping District Characters: Hinata, Touri, Yuuta & Yuzuru

TL Note:

Ama no Iwato is a cave from Japanese mythology. It’s said the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu, had hidden herself inside and took all the world’s light with her. To entice Amaterasu out of the cave, a few gods threw parties and made a fuss. Curious to see what was going on, she finally stepped outside and the world was once again bathed in light.

For those who don’t know, Touri’s surname has the kanji for “princess / 姫 (hime)”, hence the variety of nicknames he has associated with it.

“Momo” is the Japanese word for “peach”.

Yuzuru: Young Master. I’m aware you find it fascinating, but please don’t look at everything around you with such awe. It’ll be too late when you bump into a passerby and hurt yourself.

Touri: Oh geez, how many times do I have to tell you not to treat me like a little kid!? I’m not a baby that can’t do anything without your help, Yuzuru.

Yuzuru: …I apologise. I hope you will overlook my impertinent behaviour.

Touri: Hey, don’t make such a sad face.

What happened to the Yuzuru who would nag me about every little thing like a mother-in-law?

If you’re not feeling well, then you don’t have to accompany me here. I’m just taking a look in advance before the toy store is open.

We’re not meeting with them on official business so me and the twins will be fine on our own ♪

Yuzuru: That is very much correct, however, I apologise for obstructing your growth.

I’ve only just learnt that supporting you at your side by filling in the areas you lack is not the only form of love… But the personality I have developed over the many years will be difficult to change overnight.

Touri: ……? I don’t really get it but you’re you, Yuzuru.

I don’t think you have to force yourself to change your personality and I’d be thrown off if you suddenly had a change in character.

Anyway, you’re fine the way you are! Well, sometimes I do wish you were nicer.

Yuzuru: You tend to be quite carried away when someone spoils you, Young Master. Therefore, it’s best to treat you in a kind but strict manner.

Hinata: Heey, how long are you guys gonna talk for~? We can’t go in by ourselves. You guys need to go in first and tell them why we’re here.

Touri: Woah, don’t pull my arm, commoner! My legs are shorter than yours so you should be walking at my pace! …Hey, are you listening to me~!?

Yuzuru: Fufu. Just as I’ve had a change of heart after deepening the relationships with my classmates on the school trip…

It seems the Young Master is also changing.

…It does make me somewhat sad, but I too must grow up into an adult.

[ Location: Toy Store ]

Hinata: Oh, there’s a toy made of wood! I wonder if it’s a horse~ Clip clop, clip clop! ♪

Touri: Don’t touch the products~! I’m scared you might break something. If you do, you’ve gotta pay for it, okay?

Hinata: Sure thing~

…It’s that expensive!? What’s with this price!? It’s just a wooden horse. This is a rip-off, Hime-kun~

Touri: Don’t say that! It costs that much because it uses domestic wood. If anything, this is a fair price ♪

Hinata: Say what~? There are people out there who pay this much for a toy~?

Ah, you can buy the toys over here with just one coin. Now that’ll be easy on my wallet~♪

Touri: Not everyone is as rich as me.

I guess Yuzuru helped pass the message along, but Papa asked me for some ideas so this booth is the result of one of them. 

Squeezing out every penny from the commoners isn’t something nobles do, after all.

Someday, I’ll be the head of the Himemiya family and I’ll have to lead everyone. I’ve gotta be a good leader who takes every single one of the commoners into consideration.

Hinata: Ohh~ I see you’re actually thinking about the future, huh. Good job ♪

Touri: Hey, stop patting my head! I know I’m cute but if you keep doing that I’ll start biting back! Grrr!

Hinata: Ahaha, he’s like a playful cat. That’s so cute~ We have a cat at home so I think we’ll get along pretty well. *Tickle tickle* ♪

Touri: Whaa!? Don’t tickle my chin~ Wahahaha!

*Pant~ Wheeze~...* A-Are you trying to kill me!?

Ugh, my tummy hurts so much from laughing~ Anzu, Hinata’s being a bully so hide me!

Hinata: T-That’s not fair~ You can’t hide behind Anzu. Yuuta-kun, how shall we get Hime-kun out of the Ama no Iwato cave[1]?

Yuuta: What? You’re making me come up with something again…? I’m sure he’ll come out if you ask him to.

Hime-kun, he won’t tease you anymore, so come on out, okay?

Touri: …………

Yuuta: Oh no~ He’s stuck behind Anzu-san and is hiding his face. This is quite tricky.

Should we have some fun without Hime-kun like they did in the story? Or…

Heheh, I’ve come up with a better idea ♪

Yuuta: “Why don’t you come play with me, Princess[2]? ♪”

Touri: Who’re you calling “Princess”? …Huh?

Yuuta: “I’m happy you finally showed your lovely face ♪ I’m a teddy bear who doesn’t have a name yet. Could you give me one?”

Touri: …You’re definitely not as lovely as me. I’m not gonna fall for your tricks.

Yuuta: “Do you hate me, Princess…?”

Touri: Uuu… I know it’s Yuuta saying all this, but I can’t ignore you if you sound so sad like that~!

Uuu~... If you really, really want one, then I guess I don’t mind giving you a name!

Hinata: Yuuta-kun has successfully got him to come out. Ahaha, you’re so easy, Hime-kun~♪

Touri: Don’t call me that! Now that I think about it, you look a lot like “Momo[3]”.

Hinata: Momo? Uh, is that a cousin of yours or something?

Yuzuru: No, not a relative… You can see a soft toy sticking out of the Young Master’s pocket, yes?

He gave it the name of “Momo” and cherishes it very much.

Hmm. It seems the Young Master didn’t cause any issues while I was away on the school trip.

So perhaps I shall make the Young Master his very own “teddy bear” as a reward.

You’re also interested as well, you say, Anzu-san? Fortunately, it seems the Young Master is busy talking with the Aoi brothers, so let’s discuss the details before they notice.

← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[schrullesworld]

Prince Makai of Sulani proposes to Crown Princess Amber of Windenburg. They did get married out fear of the medial backlash of Amber being a single teen mother. Disclaimer: My royal teens are not rich, their parents are. They get allowance, probably more than the average commoner or noble, but not enough to buy expensive engagement rings. They get their full money when they turn twenty-one.

Prince Makai (M): Sorry about cursing at you before, I was just very shocked. Crown Princess Amber (A): Don’t worry, part of me is glad I don’t understand all hawaiian. M: Isn’t your dad from Sulani? A: Yeah and he taught me some stuff, but not like cursing.

M: It is not like cursing, per se. More like a shocked reaction. I meant that bomb you dropped on me here. A: I am sorry. I just... M: Hey that’s okay, I am glad you told. And your parents? A: Haven’t told them yet...I am a bit scared of their reaction.

M: I am sure they are fine. A: You don’t really know my dad? M: What? He seems like a chill guy. Even though he probably could rip me in half. A: I doubt he does that, but he will definitely do something.

M: [goes down and holds her hands] Well, while we are at pissing off our parents. A: What are you doing? M: I can’t have people think you are a single mom and that I am not here. So we get ‘married’ of course only on paper. The big wedding can still happen. A: You could also just be my boyfriend? M: True, but I prefet it that way.

M: So well I pictured this totally different you know, less rushed. A: You have a ring? M: From a vending machine. A: [laughs] Best ring ever. M: Hey, I am not as rich as people asume I am, I get allowance.

A: [smiles] I think it is perfect. M: That is good, I can’t afford more anyway. You have to take what you can get. A: I think now my dad will kill me, if he finds that out. M: I am sure he won’t. You know, I can double that, my mum will kill me.

A: [lies against him and looks at the ring] How much did the ring cost? M: Ten simoleons. A: My friends will be so envious of my ten simoleon ring. M: They better be.

[grin-reapers]

ONE

Lumine wakes up to the taste of scourging metal on her lips.

Or rather, to Tobias’ slap across her face. “Glad to see you’ve woken up from your little nap,” he says, with his everlasting frown and taste for sarcasm. He presses a handkerchief against her mouth, which she realizes is now throbbing. When she draws the cloth back, it’s burned crimson red. Just great. As if the dull pain at the back of her skull wasn’t enough. She can blindly remember snippets of what happened before this; a chase, a glinting diamond, a girl with white hair, her landing on the cold hard pavement.

“Where are we?” Lumine asks with a wince, pulling herself up and taking in her surroundings. She had seemed to have passed out in an alley, the beautiful brick streets of Zenith still wonderful even when hidden between buildings. No signs of squalor to be spared even in the shadows; ridiculously divine.

“Near the city square. After that thief knocked you off your feet blind, she made a beeline towards the factory town.”

Lumine winces, one hand on the kerchief against her mouth, the other dusting off her black, two-sizes-too-big jeans. “North? Damn it. I know exactly where she’s headed.” 

Tobias yanks her up, his frown deepening. Lumine had never seen the man with anything other than a look of distaste on his face – excusing his varied displays of boredom, mild disgust, and outright disgust. It’s a shame; she’d heard rumors across the city that the prince of Zenith has a hypnotizing smile. “Don’t tell me she’s headed for Na-”

“We’re heading to Nadir.” Lumine grins, slapping the side of Tobias’ cotton sleeve with the bloody kerchief. His expression shifts to that of outright disgust. “Aren’t you excited, Toto! Your first journey underground! What joy it is for every Zenith citizen to finally descend into the dumps!” she said, whistling as she started walking towards the direction of the nearby factory town.

“I’m not heading down with you, if that’s where you’re headed. We’ve agreed on that.” said Tobias, catching up with her. He’d yanked his mask up his nose, a frail attempt to hide his identity. “I’ll do this crime fighting stuff with you, as long as I never step foot in Nadir.”

“Why? You scared?” Lumine said, flashing her teeth in a toothy smirk. “Should’ve just said so.”

“I’m not scared. I’m just not idiotic.” Tobias protested, as they dove into the city square. The sparkling city of Zenith was bustling with preparations for the annual ball to take place next month, with colorful, heavy streamers hung overhead, the center fountain adorned with decorative diamonds, and real, pure gold lining the very brick steps they’ve trodden upon. Lumine had tried to dig them up once; she’d gotten electric-shocked in return. 

“What? Isn’t going down to Nadir, like, a rite of passing for you folks? Oh rich people, come see the reality of the world outside gold pavement and castles!” Lumine said, with a mocking wave of her hands. “Or come get your dirtiest desires, your addictions, whatever your perfect city would sooner kill themselves over than to provide!”

“Keep your voice down, you fool,” Tobias said, shoving the kerchief against her mouth as he looked around to see if anyone noticed. Luckily, everyone was busy with either shopping, selling, or talking. The handful of nobles careening around are on their carriages, yanked by fat, gem-flecked show horses. “It’s like you’re trying to get caught.”

“What? Like they’d know I’m from Nadir.”

“You dress like a bum. Believe me, they’d know.”

“Oh, like they wouldn’t know you with that stupid mask on? You’re dressed in half the city’s economic value, get real.”

“It’s custom-made, they wouldn’t know that.” Tobias sniffed. “That aside, I can’t go down with you, alright? It’s dangerous, I might die, and if someone down there recognizes me, that’s the end of it. The entire city will rejoice in the scandal.” he shuddered at the mere thought of it; of his face plastered across newspapers and televisions all across Zenith. “I’d rather the Grim Reaper himself show up at my doorstep than embrace the shame of it.”

“Yeah, because a little scandal is the end of the world for you princesses. In Nadir, you wouldn’t even want to know what’s the worst that could happen to you.” 

“See? You’re proving my point.” They pass by a group of teenagers, who throw Tobias a curious look, heads scrambling to wonder why he seemed so familiar. He keeps his head down, pulling Lumine to a less populated alley. “Damn it. This is ridiculous at this point.”

“Oh, why are you so uptight about your shitty face? Acting like you’re some kind of prince or something.” Lumine said, taking off her cap and shoving it against his chest. “I’m pretty sure whoever your bigshot dad is isn’t that big of a deal, come on now. I know plenty of kids with merchant parents who aren’t as fussy as you. I bet half of these people don’t even know your name.”

With a scowl, he put it on and caught up with her. “For starters, I’m not fussy. I’m just being safe. I may just be some merchant’s son, but that doesn’t mean I’m allowed to roam the streets fighting people whenever I want.”

“You know, you wouldn’t have to worry about all that in Nadiiir.” Lumine teased, like dangling a carrot on a stick. “No one would give a damn about you down there. You could practically reinvent yourself! Name yourself Carlos and work at a random secondhand bookshop. Freedom.”

Tobias entertains the thought for a few seconds. “Tempting, but no.”

“Almost had you there.” Lumine sighs. “You know, it’s funny. We’re opposites. No one gives a flying crap about who I am up here, but down there, everyone loves me. Hey, you know what? I’m practically Nadir’s princess! Well, minus the wealth, castle, blatant authoritarianism, capitalism, slavery, and royal balls.” 

“They don’t love you. They love your superhero act, Little Miss Nightwalker. Stupid name, by the way.”

“One, rude, screw you, and two, who cares? Identity masked or not, I’m still their hero.” Lumine says languidly, a satisfied grin on her busted lip. “Nightwalker, Nadir’s number one crime-fighter, because the mandated police from Zenith don’t do shit! Phew, I’ve gotten so good at my job that sometimes, even Zenith itself needs my help!” she narrated, eyes starry with exaggerated sways of an arm. “Imagine that; the city of angels itself, needing the help of a filthy Nadirian! It’s practically a poverty-porn movie producer’s wet dream.”

Tobias rolls his eyes. “Like hell we do. You just like sticking your nose in everyone’s business.”

They took a left into a dark tunnel, leading up into the factory town of Zenith. As the manufacturing hub, it was filled to the brim with busy laborers hollering at each other, dragging items across the street. Lumine headed away from the hubbub and ducked into a dilapidated building, seemingly forgotten in the midst of rising towers of smoke and concrete dust. Once they were both inside, she let out a loud huff, echoing throughout the dark interior of the run-down factory. “You work out, right, Toto?” she said, mapping a path as her gaze traveled upwards, scanning the broken stairs, wobbly bricks, and splinting wood. 

“None of your business. Why?” Tobias said, watching as Lumine started to tie her long dark hair up in a frazzled ponytail.

Lumine grinned. “Try to keep up, then.”

And then she was off, hoisting herself up and climbing upwards to the second floor, using concrete bricks sticking out the wall to support herself. With a loud sigh, Tobias followed suit. The duo leapt over obstacles and ducked underneath metal beams, leaping across broken gaps between floors and stairs. Lumine, used to maneuvering the broken-down city of Nadir, was effortless in her stride, keeping a steady rhythm with confident movements. It’s only been three years ever since she started fighting crime in Nadir as a personality, but her dexterity and skill almost matches that of a trained Zenith general. Perhaps even better, thought Tobias, pulling himself through a broken window. I wonder if anyone has ever trained her?

Tobias and Lumine haven’t known each other for a long time. They met six months ago, and they’ve worked together ever since; both for their own benefits. Lumine needed a cover up in the big city, and Tobias had enough of his boring routine. Despite their easy banter and teamwork, however, they rarely know much about each other. All Lumine knows is that Tobias is some kind of rich merchant’s son in Zenith, and all Tobias knows is that Lumine’s some Nadir rascal who acts as a hero called Nightwalker. They’ve been able to pursue their personal goals with their easy, surface-level relationship so far, but he wonders how long they’ll be able to keep this up.

He cuts his arm on a shard of glass on the wall, and he flinches. The blood oozes out brown skin, staining the cuff of his coat sleeve. “Damn it,” he murmured. Mother will kill me. 

Even more so if she finds out I’m running around town like this.

“Tobi! What’s taking you so long?” hollered Lumine’s voice from above.

“Just a second.” he said, pressing his sleeve against the wound to staunch the bleeding. He can’t remember the last time he’d bled. Perhaps when he was a child. The pain shoots up his arm, like crackling sparks, and it’s so terribly unfamiliar that it makes his heart race in excitement. When was the last time he’d ever gotten to get out this much? To put some sort of meaning in his life again?

But I can’t possibly go down. All this crime-fighting business in Zenith is dangerous enough as it is. If he goes down, that’s a whole different story. Excusing Nadir’s adamant penchant for chaos, it’s infested with Zenith nobles. The very nobles I exchange smiles with at masquerade balls. Tobias mouth draws back into a straight line, weighing his options. Either he does the right thing and turns back now, or he jumps off the deep end.

Neither are particularly inviting.

He’s not even sure if he can trust Lumine. Lumine, who showed up on his window pane on a stormy midday. With her wild, wavy mane of obsidian hair, and eyes as grey as steel, she asked him to join her. And although it was completely out of character for him, he found himself saying yes. The reason behind his sudden impulsiveness is still for him to ponder, although he finds that he doesn’t regret the time he’d spent with the delinquent. These past six months have been the most alive he’d ever felt in a long time.

“Tobias!”

“I’m here,” he said, hoisting himself up the final step. They found themselves in a dark room, filled with nothing but a run-down elevator in the center. Lumine scampered over and yanked open the grate, inspecting the broken lock on the floor.

“Well, now we certainly know where our little thief went.” she said with a sigh before punching the elevator button. “But luckily for us, she unlocked it already. I won’t have to dial up someone I know to get the elevator up and running again.”

“I thought the bullet trains were the only ways to head underground,” said Tobias. 

Lumine shook her head. “Bullet trains are only for the Zenith folk, cause they’re the only ones who can afford it. Everyone else is forced to the bridge, which is rampant with checkpoints. Even if you get there, they catch any Nadirian who they deem suspicious and turns them away.” she said. “And it takes hours to get there. It’s literally impossible. That’s why these elevators were made. Secretly. They’re illegal, but that’s how the select few of us rascals get between cities easily.”

“And how were you able to find one of these-”

“Shh. Nadir princess, remember?” Lumine grinned, just as the elevator arrived with a shaky halt. The doors opened, leaving a cloud of dust and dirt in its wake. “Well, let’s go.” she said, stepping in.

Tobias stood in place, staring at the broken-down elevator. His ticket to the underworld. This may be his only chance to enter Nadir; to truly see it, aside from the stories and nightmares illustrated to Zenith children by their parents and mentors. It’s said that once a Zenithan entered Nadir, they don’t come out the same ever again.

Is he willing to risk that?

Lumine noticed his doubt, crossing her arms. “Hey merchant boy, we don’t have all day. Make the choice. You gonna go to hell, or stay in paradise?” she teases, knocking the rust-addled grate.

But what Lumine does not understand is this; Zenith is already his hell.

“I’m coming,” he says, ignoring Lumine’s wide grin, “as long as we’re back before dinner.”

“Okay, kindergartener. Any more demands?” she says, pressing the broken button down.

“Just one.”

“Yeah? Shoot.”

“I’m not naming myself Carlos.”

It took Lumine a second before she burst out laughing, just as the elevator rumbled shut.

[zuko-always-lies]

Ty Lee is a Free Spirit, but She Doesn’t Value Freedom

It’s a common assumption that Ty Lee values freedom above all else and doesn’t like being controlled. However, this is heavily contradicted by Ty Lee’s actual actions and behavior.

To start off, Ty Lee is a free spirit.  As Azula’s comments reveal, running away to join the circus is extremely abnormal behavior for a Fire Nation noble girl, and most people in that category would never, ever consider it.

However, that does mean that Ty Lee actually values personal freedom. Although she preferred staying at the circus to joining Azula’s mission, Ty Lee seems to be perfectly happy acting in a subordinate role once she’s forced into joining. There are even a couple scenes where Ty Lee clearly acts in anticipation of what Azula’s orders might be(in “The Guru” and “Boiling Rock, Part II”), rather than waiting for Azula’s orders. Ty Lee only becomes uncomfortable with the control Azula exerts over her and Mai when Mai dangerously pushes the boundaries.

Then we get “The Beach.” I’ll only very briefly mention that in the one scene there were Azula acts in a very controlling manner, Ty Lee seem perfectly happy to comply with Azula’s wishes.  More importantly, this is what Ty Lee says when she airs her deepest issues:

Ty Lee: Do you have any idea what my home life was like, growing up with six sisters (cut to shot of Ty Lee) who look exactly like me? (she stands up) It was like, I didn't even have my own name. (she falls to the ground crying) I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least, I'm different now. (close shot of teary-eyed Ty Lee) Circus freak is a compliment! Mai: (sarcastically) Guess that explains why you need 10 boyfriends, too. (Cut to shot of Ty Lee looking angrily toward Mai and putting her hands on her hips) Ty Lee: I'm sorry, what? Mai: Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so (looking downward) you're trying to make up for it now.

Note that Ty Lee’s issues don’t center around needing freedom or disliking being controlled, they center around needing attention and wanting to be unique.

Finally, Ty Lee ends ATLA’s narrative by joining the Kyoshi Warriors, a hierarchical group of child soldiers, presumably in the most junior position. This strongly suggests that she doesn’t mind being ordered around.

Is there one of the Dangerous Ladies who heavily values freedom?

The Beach:

Mai: (Cut to wide shot of the four of them. Mai lays back carelessly on the rock she is sitting on) What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. (close shot of Mai) I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved...(cut to shot of the clouds above) and sat still...and didn't speak unless spoken to. (cut to shot of Zuko listening) My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. (Cut to wide shot of the four of them around the fire) We had my Dad's political career to think about. Azula: Well, that's it, then. (close-up shot on Azula) You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself. Mai: (close shot of Mai) You want me to express myself? (she stands and yells) Leave me alone!

Return to Omashu:

Mai: There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred for this place. (Cut to a wider shot to show Mai walking next to an older woman carrying a baby. They are being escorted by Fire Nation guards down a tunnel or passage.) Governor's Wife: Mai, your father was appointed governor. We're like royalty here. Be happy, and enjoy it.

Later:

Mai: (somewhat surprised) I thought you ran off and joined the circus? You said it was your calling. Ty Lee: (releasing Mai and smiling widely) Well, Azula called a little louder. Azula: I have a mission (she puts one of her hands on each of their shoulders) and I need you both. Mai: Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place.

Yes, but it’s Mai who values freedom and doesn’t like being controlled.

[youryanderedaddy]

I like your posts, it's always cool. May i ask a yandere concept between an innocent, protected princess and a prince who obsessed with her from the first time they met, and force against her will. Thanks so much, love your writing :3

Thanks, anon, that means a lot <3 If you haven't noticed, I am oBseSSed with royalty stuff so I rlly enjoyed writing this. It's slightly different tho, but the idea is there.

Title: We all fall down

tw: female reader, non - consensual touching, obsessive behavior, coercion, implied forced marriage, war mention, abuse of power

It was cold when you woke up, terribly so. The room was spacious enough, there was bright sunlight coming from all four windows on each wall and you were sure that your sheets were warm and puffy even without looking down at them, yet it still felt freezing. You soon realized the place wasn’t simply cold, it was different too. It looked nothing like your own room back at the Southern Palace with its countless colourful pictures, books shattered all over the ground and a fireplace just across the queen – sized bed. Before you had a chance to sigh in annoyance, a quick glance to the other side reminded you of the bigger problem. Him.

“Good morning, princess.” The man greeted you cheerfully, his voice still deep and husky from the early hour. He was laying against the wooden doorframe, the sly smirk you had grown to hate over the years once again adorning his red lips. You stared at him for a moment, then rubbed your eyes to chase the fatigue away, fruitlessly so. You were too tired and sleep – deprived to play – pretend, which of course didn’t go unnoticed by the nobleman.

“You don’t look too well, princess.” He teased with a cheeky grin and walked towards the bed, stopping just before his legs hit the edge of the frame. You puffed softly, but remained quiet just so you wouldn’t have to answer him just yet. “And look at your state, darling…” The heir continued, clicking his tongue in a mocking “tsk, tsk,tsk”. “Your nightgown is a mess, I can see all of your beautiful curves.” The heir paused to lick his lips in a disgusting, suggestive way, and you had to repress the need to vomit all over the beautiful yellow sheets. “In our kingdom such appearance counts as an invitation, did you know that?” He added, smiling sharply, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, satisfied at the way his words made you embarrassed, flustered and jumpy so early in the morning.

“Your Highness, I would like to properly remind you that it was you who forced me to drink and dance all night.” You responded heatedly, all while fixing the straps of your silky dress to at least cover your cleavage. “You wouldn’t let go of my hand for a second. It’s your fault that I look like this.” You remarked, slightly offended by the man’s jokes, despite being used to his terrible humor after all those long years of shared parties and celebrations.

“If that is really so, my lady, please let me make it up to you.” The prince replied in the same smooth, carefree voice of his, the one he used before while talking to the maids and the peasant girls he wanted to bed. It made you sick to think of yourself as just another of his conquests, even though it couldn’t be further from the truth – you couldn’t stand the dark – haired male, his arrogance and absolute ignorance. “Join me for breakfast and I shall have our best cook serve your favorite meal.” The heir announced and winked at you before turning on his heels and finally leaving the room without hearing whether you agreed to his offer or not. You didn’t even have the chance to ask him how he knew what your favorite dish was or why he entered your room without permission, such a lack of manners was unsuited for a soon-to-be king. Perhaps you could use his inconsiderate behavior as an excuse to stay in bed until lunch but deep down you knew it was pointless. The egotistic little bastard knew you had no choice since you two had a lot to discuss.

---

The breakfast, if not anything else, was rich and delicious, each bite tasty and mouth – watering. The sweet aroma of cinnamon tea, vanilla and powdered sugar filled your senses with ease and a little bit of nostalgia for your childhood. The hardest part was yet to come, you wanted to deal with it fast and go home as soon as possible. As for Arthur, it was the first time you saw him serious with his brows arched and his thoughts all over the place. The uneasiness came back with full force.

“I think you know what we want, princess.” The male declared sternly after looking at the map for a while. His eyes were blue and clear, piercing in the way they were focused on you and you alone with no one else in the hall to act as a barrier between you and the monster. You understood why it had to be only you two, but these deals were always an open secret in both kingdoms, so there weren’t many reasons to keep the tradition going. “We want our territory back. We want you to surrender.” The heir hissed eerily under his breath, his pupils fixed on your frame, burning the skin underneath the thick layer of rough fabric.

You didn’t know how to respond to this – the dynasty’s requests had always been ridiculous and far – fetched, but never as impossible as this one. Yes, your land used to belong to the East centuries ago, but after several long, bloody, sacrificial wars where many of your men lost their lives, it was won fair and square. Now all your subjects lived there happily and freely, rightfully so.

“Your Majesty, please don’t dwell on the past. It will never come back.” You responded shortly after, laughing nervously at the end, hoping that would be enough for Arthur to drop the subject. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.

“Is that so, dearest? You have two weeks then.” The prince said coldly, narrowing his eyes like a fox. You opened your mouth to speak but quickly got cut off. “Prepare your troops, train the soldiers, announce the incoming war to your people.” The man chuckled darkly and threw the map all the way across the room. “You better get ready for a thunderstorm.” He added just to mess with you some more, just to see your face turn white from the shock and the panic.

“You can’t do that!” You shouted out suddenly and stood up from your chair, feeling cornered and suffocated. You hated the prince’s constant teasing and flirty remarks but you would have never guess him to be a cold-blooded conqueror. “This is too cruel even for you!” You screamed, the tears already blooming down your cheeks, hot and wet. Arthur spared you one condescending look before moving closer and trapping your body against the table, towering over you both physically and metaphorically, as if saying “Let’s see who has the stronger mind.”

“I will get what I want no matter the cost and there is little you can do to stop me, princess.” The heir pronounced slowly, tilting your chin up so you had no choice but to meet his hard gaze, full of intense yet unreadable emotion. There was nothing left of the sly cheerful boy standing against your doorframe, teasing you about meaningless little things, and you almost missed him now. “But what you can do is stop the needless violence and bloodshed, Y/N.” You despised the way your eyes lit up at his words, but, as always, your duty was above your comfort and happiness. “What can I do?” You uttered quietly, a part of you too scared to hear the answer, the other anticipating it.

“Marry me.” The prince stated in a deep patronizing voice. His eyes were dark and sharp, just like before, and there wasn’t a trace of his usual gleeful smile. He grabbed your wrists in a painful grip and pulled them up, holding them against his broad shoulders. “We can unite the kingdoms and live our Happily Ever After. No one has to die.” The man whispered surprisingly softly, his chest heaving with each passing breath. “I can make you happy, dearest.”

You gasped in shock as soon as the proposal left his lips. Every fiber in your body was frozen still, your whole being shaken up by the unexpected offer.

“Why do you want to marry me?” You asked frantically, squirming to loosen up his grasp on your hands just to feel it tighten up even more. This was going to bruise for sure. “Isn’t it obvious?” The noble exhaled slowly, staring at you, trying desperately to find the compassion and affection he hoped you had grown to hold for him over the years. His heart broke once he realized there wasn’t any, but it didn’t matter. Feelings could change in a matter of minutes.

“I’ve loved you since day one, my princess.” His attention drifted to your open mouth, especially your soft full lips. Oh, how much he dreamt of taking you and relishing in the whines and moans you would surely let out once he decided to claim you as his own. “All I’ve ever wanted is you.” The heir confessed, his face moving closer and closer to your own, forcing you to arch your back more and more until it hit the table. Before you knew it, he was pinning you to the hard wooden surface, caging you in, kissing you violently, furiously. You couldn’t breathe.

You couldn’t say no.

[shepherds-of-haven]

In an alternate Blest where the Endarkened never returned thus there was never a need for the shepherds to form, what would the main cast be doing?🧐 Would any of their paths have crossed otherwise? For those who are not from Haven would they have any other reason to travel there?

Holy shit anon, this is such a great question that I've literally sat on it for six weeks thinking about it... Let's give this a try! 🤔💭

Beware! Heavy alpha build and overall spoilers below! Read at your own risk, or do not read if you haven't played the alpha fully!

Blade: well, if things had gone exactly the way they had, just without the need for the Shepherds in the mix, he'd be dead! But if we ignore that particular detail, he'd still be working as an assassin for the Ket Rebellion, and he'd probably be a colder, crueler person as a result of it. He would still be a frequent visitor to Haven, plotting you-know-what and taking on various jobs and assignments in the meantime; and he and Trouble were friends before the Shepherds were formed, so they'd still be merc buddies and occasional partners on bigger jobs where they'd need someone to watch their back! But they probably wouldn't be as close. He'd probably spend the rest of his life working as the tip of the spear for the Ket rebellion, the left hand and living weapon of his brother. It'd be an okay life, but he'd never truly be independent!

Trouble: he'd likely still be a mercenary or soldier-for-hire, sort of wandering around the Continent with Haven as his home base. For some reason, I could see him being talked into joining the Army of the Sun and becoming a military man once he was older and tired of the merc life; he'd probably like the order and structure and camaraderie of it for a time, but he'd clash with his superiors and the culture so much that he'd probably eventually wind up discharged! At that point, he'd probably leave it all behind and go West to start a new life... maybe he'd become the sheriff of some small town out there, or a farmer, or an airship mechanic in Lindell!

Tallys: she'd probably work as a hunter for hire, usually working for the farms out in the Sun's Embrace or guarding their livestock from wolves and predators, or possibly as a 'van guard for Elvish caravans. She volunteered at poorhouses and Elvish clinics in Ashtown before joining the Shepherds, so she'd probably still be doing that. I think her life would be a sort of haze of just... existing, looking for a purpose or some way to help people but feeling like it's all a bit futile. She'd probably do some self-destructive things to make her forget the emptiness inside of her, and if things reached a boiling point, perhaps she'd simply disappear into the wind one day...

Shery: hmmmm, this is an interesting question! Shery met up with the Shepherds because her parents sold her into an apprenticeship that she didn't want and she ran away, and by coincidence she happened to come across the group and Blade offered her a job as quartermaster because she was good at book-keeping. If that didn't happen, I don't know what would have happened to her?! She alludes in the game that she saw how prostitutes by the docks were living and was scared that that was the only option open to her if no one would hire her, but I like to think she would have found a job as like, a librarian or a bookshop clerk or a merchant's assistant. I almost feel like she could have somehow run into Riel and joined Merchants Guild as one of his assistants alongside Aerin! So I feel like she would have been okay, though her life would have been very quiet and domestic and humble, and unless she worked for Riel, she likely would have never earned enough to have more than a little dingy apartment all to herself (and some cats).

If things hadn't worked out so well, she likely would have returned home and faced her terrible parents, and probably would have lived under their thumbs for the rest of her life as atonement! :(

Riel: he'd still be master of Merchants Guild, and doing just fine! I think he'd just continue to garner wealth, power, and influence, and likely would have been made a minister or some sort of politician within the Consortium when he was older! Not sure yet if he would have taken that offer, though! If the Endarkened didn't exist, I wonder if Merchants Guild and Thieves Guild would have had any particular bone to pick with each other, as they largely ignored each other's existence... Chase's thieves typically targeted the aristocracy and the obscenely wealthy before the whole Black Sun thing, so they might never have crossed paths!

Chase: he'd still be master of Thieves Guild, also doing just fine! I can't really imagine anything about his life changing that much; he would have continued to steal, nettle, and harangue the denizens and criminal underworld of Haven until the ecosystem could no longer sustain it and the Thieves Guild would have to pack up and move elsewhere to elude capture (probably to Conte); or he would have developed such a monopoly on crime in Haven that he would have gotten bored of the power, handed control off to Ari and Kato, and peaced out to parts unknown... realistically, in that scenario, his luck would have to run out at some point, and he'd probably sleep with or double-cross the wrong person (probably both) and get himself into a corner he couldn't back out of alone...

Red: he'd still be Archmage of the Veiled Circle, and they probably would have remained at Capra for longer, since there wouldn't have been the Endarkened to draw attention to their activities as pointedly as Quiial did. Still, they would have had to leave to evade the Inquisitors eventually, and probably would have settled somewhere else; and Red probably would have passed off leadership of the Circle to someone else, maybe a promising instructor who joined later or Pan or someone. Basically when he'd felt he'd put in the time and wasn't abandoning the Circle to its fate, he'd leave and go off and do his Traveler stuff he'd always wanted to. But it'd be a lonelier, more solitary life, and his letters home or his jaunts back to the Circle would drop off as he became more and more engrossed in his research, and people would worry about him or his health, not having anyone to watch his back on the road. He has a 50/50 chance of marrying someone nice that his family set him up with after like a concerned intervention on their part, or he'd probably drop off the face of the earth and no one would know where he went!

Ayla: she'd still be working as a wilderness guide, taking rich people around on tours and guiding parties and caravans through dangerous stretches of wilderness. She would have gone to Haven to visit as a tourist, but probably wouldn't have stayed long; a handful of weeks, at the most. She'd spend her life scrapping, fighting to stay alive, and watching her own back, but it would be an empty life, pretty much devoid of meaningful connection or meaning. At some point she'd probably get fed up, return to Jalis, and launch a single-woman campaign against the warlords there, just because she could!

Briony: hmmm... okay, she'd still be in that shipwreck, but would slavers have found her if there was no gladiator arena, since there would be no Endarkened to have created it?? I feel like she would have woken up, still an amnesiac, and staggered to the nearest town eventually (which I think would have been Courtshore or one of its outlying, smaller towns/villages). After recovering a little, she probably would have put herself to work as a mercenary or as a street-fighter working for bets (so like a gladiator... but on the street!). She probably would have been taken in by a kind innkeeper or family and allowed to rent a small room with her bizarre story of not having a memory. Or she could have taken up something simpler, like working as a barmaid in the inn or something like that! She probably would have had a relatively happy, peaceful life once she got used to things and it all settled down... but given her proximity to the shipwreck, her past would have caught up to her way faster, and the fallout would have been... intense...

Lavinet: she'd still be in Lockwood, and the Elementals would still be an issue, since that wasn't tied to demonwork! What probably would have happened: things would have deteriorated, and the families of the besieged nobles in Lockwood would have grown impatient and would sent in their personal armies to deal with the situation, most likely without Lavinet's consent. The ensuing conflict would have been devastating, with the Elementals most likely winning. In response, the Autarchy would have mobilized the Army of the Sun and absolutely annihilated the Elementals--but Lockwood would have likely burned, caught in the crossfire. Lavinet would have to spend the rest of her life with that shadow looming over her, and while she'd still harbor ambitions to attend the Sun Court and rise in the ranks as a Sun Courtier, there would always be that stain on her reputation, or she wouldn't have been able to leave Lockwood, having to help it rebuild after its destruction. Or she would have gotten kidnapped by the Elementals far earlier and might have been killed then!

Halek: he would have stayed sol of the Reach, and I have no idea what would have happened... he probably would have married Moonsilk and just have been absolutely miserable... probably would have popped out a few kids and just... existed! Or maybe he might have run away and left Naolin holding the bag and become like a guilty drunkard in some random town, though it's hard to believe they wouldn't have tracked him down eventually...

[blzzrdstryr]

Yan!Beidou x fem!reader

This drabble has been heavily inspired by @ddarker-dreams yan Beidou hcs and I am not a native English speaker so bear with me

CW: Childhood abuse, unhealthy relationship

Drop by drop the sea is drained - is what your mother used to say, when you acted disagreeable. There were plenty of instances, where your parents enforced a certain behaviour model on you - don't run, don't be rude, don't play with servants' kids. They wanted a proper lady, you were anything but. Once your goal was set - climb a tree for apples, skip boring manners lessons, or play with peers - you stopped at nothing until you reached it.

Being put in a corner, losing privileges and even whipping did little to deter you, just making you silent for a day or two, while you looked at your parents with angry and resentful eyes. With years you learnt to mask your grievances and indignation to avoid unnecessary punishment, but still you couldn’t bring yourself to agree with their ideas or become the person they wanted you to be. 

I am not the ever changing sea, I am a tall cliff standing amidst it, you once thought to yourself, when your parents decided to lash you twenty times more for disobedience and haughtiness, gritting your teeth and preparing for the incoming pain, I will continue standing.

In the end, they failed at molding you into the perfect daughter and you ended up disowned, once you publically broke off the engagement arranged years ago. Seems that their desire for perfect reputation in high society was stronger than whatever remains of love they still had for you, their child. A mix of horror and relief washed over you that day, you were free to do as you please, but had nowhere to return to.

That's how you found yourself in Liyue harbor doing odd jobs - working as a translator, performing on instruments, teaching other noble kids; skills that you acquired in your former rich life were now used to get by. And then you had the misfortune of catching Beidou's gaze. 

You were playing an erhu at Heyu teahouse that day. After Liu Su finished his tale of Guhua Brotherhood and left the stage to rest his throat, you took his place, ready to play on the strings of the instrument and hearts of your listeners. It produced a sad yet hopeful wordless tale of love, as your fingers of one hand were flying over the strings, while the other masterfully directed the bow. Some visitors closed their eyes, some gazed into the distance with a faraway look, too consumed by their thoughts and feelings, but Beidou’s stare never left you for once.

She looked just like Liu Su’s stories portrayed her: gorgeous and terrifying and you were almost enchanted. To you. Beidou looked like a hero straight out of fairy tales: with steel hard muscles, skin coarse from sea winds contrasting with surprisingly silk soft hair and a great claymore strapped to her back, a legendary captain just waiting to slay unimaginable levianthants and discover unknown lands.

She approached you, right after you finished and full of praise and mora to gift. Her loud, boisterous voice described every little detail of what she liked in your music, enough to make your cheeks feel warm. Beidou even joked at the end, that your mastery of the music was alike to the beauty of Xi Shi, enough to make fish forget how to swim and sink below at the first notes of your erhu, and even promised that she will attend your every performance when she is on land.

And Beidou did hold her word, her intimidating figure seen in the audience as you played on erhu or guzheng or pipa, ready to shower you in compliments and gifts. It was charming at first, but then the constant attention started to feel tiring, yet you still entertained her, as you felt bad for receiving countless treasures, enough to provide you for years, just for playing music.

To be honest, it wasn't that she was bad company, her straight-forward and honest nature was what drew you in, captain was everything people in your former life were not. Her laser focus on you was what initially bothered you - eye following every movement and she always remembered the littlest thing you said, something that made shivers creep up your spine. 

Despite that you still followed Beidou when she offered to show you the Crux. She boasted about all the adventures and battles she had, while her crew intently observed you. You paid them no mind, thinking that they stare because you were an outsider to their ship. 

The Crux suddenly moved, creaking and swaying on the waves, as all anchors were lifted - you almost fell from the sudden rocking, but Beidou caught you in time, confusion written on your face. You treated it all as a tasteless joke at first, after all Beidou was known for her eccentricity, but it wasn’t. Harbour was getting smaller and smaller as the ship headed into the open sea where your cries of indignation could be heard by none who would help. 

In the first weeks you cried and shouted at her, tearing your now shared cabin to shreds, constantly defying and testing the captain. You prepared yourself for the violence she will lash out and punish you for defiance, for not being the person she envisioned you to be, but she didn’t. It would be better if she matched your expectation, making it easier to hate, to defy, to continue standing strong, but she surrounded you with love and care instead.

Beidou is a great wave, overwhelming and unfairly strong, inescapable and insatiable.

Now you are locked up in her cabin, a spacious room filled with treasures Beidou acquired during her travels, and you feel like one too - the most beloved yet meaningless trinket, meant to be possessed and hidden from others’ eyes. She spends the whole night with you, keeping you close in the inescapable hug, as her breath fans your neck she’s nuzzled in.

You still lash out at her when you are awake, albeit with less spite and fire in each insult, as if your determination started to slowly wash out. Beidou doesn’t seem to mind it, as she still forces her love in you, smothering and drowning your entire being with unwanted affection. In this regard she looks like the owner of a wild cat to you, kissing and hugging you, when you still thrash in her hold, hissing and clawing at her face.

Unintentional comparison with a pet does nothing but produce dry and humorless laugh out of your lips - deep down you are scared.

You feel it in your bones, how there’s less and less energy in you to fight back - nothing you did was of any use before, so where is meaning in further resisting? You noticed how you sometimes let Beidou have her way with you and how you started to eye the skilfully made erhu she left to you in hopes that you will play once again.

You are a cliff, standing among the raging sea, proud and alone - there’s no one on this cursed ship that will help you - and Beidou is the waves, slowly chipping away at your will.

Water wears away any stone with time and looking at yourself you can’t help but wonder when will you accept that you are nothing but treasure to be kept.

[xxdragonwriterxx]

🔥You Are Human, And Damn It, You Are An Important One!🔥

A/N: Hey everyone! I’m back! It looks like my tags finally decided to sort themselves out so I wanted to (finally) post a new story! I’m still working on requests though, so don’t worry, those are coming soon! I just wanted to post this in the mean time while I edit those and test if my tags are really fixed on one of my originals so that any requested fics will actually be seen later should an error occur. Thank you so much for your continued support and patience, you guys are so amazing! I hope this makes up for my temporary hiatus! This one actually has a bit of a heavier tone to it but I think I’m finally happy with it! Thanks again for the support, and don’t be afraid to talk to me! Shoot me a message or just spew random bullshit and I’ll still respond 😂. Enjoy!

(Warning: themes of non-con & abuse. This is set in a brothel, but there’s nothing explicit, it’s just mentioned or implied. Just wanted to put it out there! Viewer discretion advised!)

🐉Song Recommendation: “The Gardener” By: Sarah Sparks 🐉

Word Count: ~7k

~~~

It was that time of year. The time of year that Levi hated the most. The Underground Market Festival. It was the time of year in which merchants from all around would come down to the Underground City, away from the prying eyes of the Military Police, and sell anything and everything to the nobles who weren’t exactly looking for orthodox materials. The normally filthy, mostly empty streets would be filled with members of the wealthy, dripping in jewelry, cash, and lavish clothing as they paraded around the sorry excuse for a city, boasting of their wealth and privilege as they bought enough food and luxurious goods to feed three times the number of people in the Underground while sharing none of it.

The days were starting to blur together. Levi honestly couldn’t tell if it had been a day, a week, or a month as the drugs in his system continued to work just like the brothel owners wanted them to, rendering him practically inoperative and perfect for use. His head pounded, swimming with confused thoughts. His gaze was unfocused, warped, and his whole body felt suffocatingly hot despite his lack of cover, his legs shifting as his body instinctively searched for a relief he didn’t even want. But that was exactly how they wanted him.

The sound of his door being unlocked made him look up slowly, his eyes taking a few seconds to fully focus on the man standing in the entrance of his room, a wide, malicious grin on his face. Levi couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose in disgust. The man smelled of sweat and stale alcohol, and his unkempt appearance made Levi itch, even when drugged out of his mind.

“Oh, Levi…” the man cooed, making Levi shudder. “I have another customer for you.”

Even though Levi had been through this time and time again, even though he had been trapped in his filthy room since he was caught stealing from a merchant friend of the brothel owner at age twenty, even though the drugs in his system were making his body scream for what this new customer could give him, he still couldn’t help the wave of dread that washed through him, the fear. Levi didn’t fear much, having grown up on the streets of the Underground alone since he was abandoned by Kenny at the age of ten, but this? This he was scared of.

He thought back to the wretched old man that had abandoned him as a small child and wondered what he would think of him now. Would he be disgusted? Unsurprised? Angry? Not that it mattered. Levi knew he would never see him again. But even so, his brain couldn’t help itself from going down those roads, asking questions of “what if?” no matter how many times he reminded himself that it didn’t matter. He was just some bastard thug turned whore in the Underground. Nobody was going to even remember him, let alone care about who he was or who he may be in the future.

Levi was once again brought out of his daze when the pig in the doorway moved to the side, letting a noble woman saunter into the room. She had a wicked grin on her face as she approached him, ignoring the brothel owner as he slammed the door shut behind her, giving them some privacy. She was covered in glittering jewelry, and although the dress she wore was extravagant, it was very tight fitting and low cut, barely considered decent, her large breasts one breath away from spilling out over the top. Her hair was pinned up in a lavish braided style, twisting and coiling tightly, and held together with real gold pins that Levi knew must’ve cost a fortune.

“~Well, hello sexy,” the woman purred as she approached the raven-haired man.

Levi had to force himself not to grimace, even with the effect of the drugs, when she slithered her way over his thighs, her hands reaching up to cup his face. The smell of whatever custard perfume she had on was overwhelming, making his eyes water and his throat close up. Her hands felt clammy from all of the lotions and creams she had slathered over her skin to make it look shinier, making them feel like dead fish rubbing against his cheeks.

“Well? Aren’t you going to ask my name?” The woman demanded in a sickly sweet voice, making Levi close his eyes in barely suppressed agony.

“What is your name?” Levi asked in a low voice. He felt the woman preen above him at the sound of his voice, knowing she thought his deep tone was for setting the mood rather than the effect of his despair.

“My name is Lady Clarissa! What’s your name, hmmm?”

“Levi,” He said quietly.

“Oooh, Leevviiii, I like that,” Lady Clarissa practically moaned. “Say, Levi, you were quite expensive. That must mean you're really good at what you do. I can already tell that you fulfill my personal tastes in terms of appearance, so why don’t you convince me of the rest and give me a good time. Don’t make me regret spending my good money on you. Don’t make me punish you.”

Levi gritted his teeth when she ground her hips into him, trying his hardest not to fight back. He knew it would be difficult, the drugs making his movements and mental processes much slower, but at that moment, all he wanted to do was shove her off of him. Swallowing the bile in his throat, Levi reached for her as she leaned down to force her tongue into his mouth.

It was that time of year. The time of year that (Y/N) hated the most. The Underground Market Festival. It took everything in her to avoid groaning in annoyance as the people she was expected to call her friends dragged her down into the filthy Underground City for a day of “fun”. (Y/N) would much rather be back at home, reading a book in the library, or relaxing with the horses in the barn, or secretly practicing her sword fighting skills with the guards of their estate. But her father had forced her to go when her friends had shown up at the house, begging for her to come with them. He claimed she needed to get her priorities straight and actually present herself, show the honor and pride that came with being part of the (L/N) family. (Y/N) thought there was very little honor and pride in parading their wealth around like they owned the world, especially in front of people who constantly struggled to survive on a daily basis.

(Y/N) walked slowly down the worn cobblestone streets, suppressing the urge to gag at the sight of other nobles walking around, looking and acting as if they were rulers of the walls. She barely looked at anything, only stopping to occasionally buy food when she noticed the hungry children hanging around, looking for a scrap to steal. She could tell they were wary of her, but she never stopped trying, always offering them the food in some way, even if it meant leaving it in a secluded space for them to find later.

Her friends constantly tried to get her to engage, running up to her with crystal jewelry, silk clothing, and delectable foods, attempting to entice her, only to get pushed away. (Y/N) wanted no part in any of it. Even her attire spoke volumes about how little she wanted to be there. She knew that to the people of the Underground, the dress she wore would be considered something of utmost value, but when compared to the nobles around her, she looked underdressed and plain. She wore nothing more than a subtle red dress covered with a black leather jacket, paired with black combat boots and matching gloves, no jewelry to be found except for the simple white earrings she wore in her lobes.

Her father had been less than pleased with her appearance, but stopped arguing when she announced she was leaving, the lord just happy she had at least agreed to go to the festival. She knew he was disappointed in her, annoyed that she wasn’t like the other noble ladies who loved to flaunt their luxurious lifestyles and bend to the every whim of the lords around them, looking to marry early for money and power. (Y/N) wouldn’t be surprised if the entire reason her father wanted her here was so she could possibly win over the affections of a single lord milling about, one that was rich and influential. It was for that possibility alone that (Y/N) had originally thought to wear something that made her look underdressed, having to swallow the bile that rose in her throat at the prospect of catching some snobby noble’s attention.

“Yeah, her name is (Y/N)! She’s the one right over there, I think she could use a good time.”

(Y/N)’s head snapped up when she heard her name, her eyes shooting over to where her friends were standing in a group in front of a large building. All of them were looking at her, covering their faces with their hands to hide their giggles. Dread filled her to the brim when she saw the sign in front of the building, her face paling in horror.

“That one, eh? I think we can arrange something like that,” the brothel owner said, a smug smile on his lips as he stared at her, his grin only widening as her cheeks flushed a brilliant red. “Don’t worry, I’ve got one in particular that could give you a good ride. He’s expensive since he’s my most popular, but he’s worth it.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to argue, her cheeks on fire as her brain fought to think of something, anything to get her out of this situation. She didn’t want to fuck some random stranger for no reason, but she especially didn’t want to have sex in a brothel. She found them vulgar, repulsive, and horrible. The way they treated their “workers” was appalling. Just as the words finally reached the tip of her tongue, one of the girls she had come to the festival with cut off her impending argument.

“Damn, I’m jealous! If he’s that good I’m almost tempted to take him myself. But she needs this. She hasn’t loosened up the entire time we’ve been here and I think this might help. She’ll take him.”

The greasy man smiled and wrote her name down, happily accepting the roll of cash her friend handed him before getting up, supposedly to let the man know that he had another customer on the way. (Y/N) tried to escape when she could, but her friends rushed up and caught her before she could slip into the shadows, dragging her over to the brothel and shoving her towards an open door where the brothel owner stood, a creepy smile still plastered on his face.

“Guys! I don’t want this!” (Y/N) whispered frantically as she was dragged towards her doom.

“It doesn’t matter if you want it or not, you need it!” One of her friends said with a laugh. “Besides, you’re going to have a fun time. Don’t make us regret spending that money for you!”

(Y/N) was practically thrown into the room, stumbling as she fought to catch her balance, before the door was slammed shut behind her, the loud sound of the lock being latched reverberating around the room with the finality of a death toll. Huffing in anger, (Y/N) stood and brushed herself off, smoothing out her dress and straightening back up to her full height, fighting off the panic slithering up her spine.

A low groan of pain coming from behind her made her whirl around in surprise, her eyes landing on a shorter, pale skinned man with stunning silver eyes and raven black hair. Gods he looked pathetic. She could definitely tell he was attractive, it made sense now as to why he was a popular choice, but he looked sickly, his cheeks hollowed out, dark circles under his eyes, and a muscled yet neglected body starting to wear thin from years of hunger and constant overuse. The sight made her want to be sick. How could anybody be cruel enough to force themselves onto this obviously abused man? How could anyone willingly pay money to fuck him rather than help him?

“Um, hello,” (Y/N) said quietly. “W-What’s your name?”

The man raised an eyebrow, not used to the soft, kind, almost shy way she asked for his name. The women and occasional men he dealt with most of the time were demanding, controlling, and sadistic, knowing they paid for a man they could use, and their voices usually projected that. Yet, this woman looked as if she had been forced to do this, further supported by the way she had been nearly thrown into the room by whom he assumed was her friends.

“Levi,” he said quietly, waiting for the usual routine to start, no matter how much his gut twisted in disgust at the thought.

“Hi, Levi, I’m (Y/N).”

“(Y/N)...” Levi murmured softly, training himself to memorize it despite his swimming brain, knowing she would want him to scream it out later. Whether in pain or in pleasure, he wasn’t sure yet.

“Um…” (Y/N) was about to speak, her mind scrambling for something to say when her eye caught sight of a large bruise on his neck. Her eyes widened and suddenly started scanning his entire body, her stomach roiling more and more the longer she stared. Now that she was really paying attention, (Y/N) could see painful bites, hickeys, and splotchy bruises littering his neck, jaw, chest, and thighs. Her eyes narrowed on the long, bloody scratches running down the length of his chest and back, and she noticed blooming red patches of skin all over him that were raw and aching from being slapped hard and rough over and over again. 

He was wearing a loose pair of worn boxers as his only cover, and (Y/N) could only imagine what other horrors the thin cloth was hiding. Glancing down, she saw him shift uncomfortably, his boxers tented by his arousal. The sight made her growl in anger, knowing that to keep him going after he had already had so many customers for the day, a drug was being used to make him insatiable, forcing him past the point of pain and probably clouding his judgement and mental process as well. It made her want to go cut up the brothel owner and serve him to a pig.

Without thinking, (Y/N) rushed to him, reaching out to him, only to freeze when he flinched. She heard him curse at the involuntary movement, knowing it was his job to appear as unaffected and sexually appealing as possible, and it made her heart clench even harder, her hatred for this place and the people who ran it increasing tenfold.

Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) immediately slowed her movements, trying to appear as calm and unhurried as possible. Her gaze softened and glazed with unshed tears when he closed his eyes, his arms reaching out as he prepared for her to sit on his lap and have her way with him like she knew every other man and woman who used him did. Gritting her teeth against the fury she felt, she carefully slid her way across his thighs. She felt him force himself to relax under her as he leaned forward to let her kiss him.

When he felt nothing, and heard something click, Levi cracked open his eyes in curiosity, only to have them fly open all the way when he felt something cool and wet against his neck. Looking down at the woman in his arms, his lips parted in shock, watching in confused awe as she leaned back and soaked a small cloth in some water from a bottle, rinsing the fresh blood from the fabric. Looking to the side, he saw a small first aid kit by her feet, the container open to reveal a variety of medical tools inside.

(Y/N) leaned forward again, raising the towel to his neck to dab at his abrasions, washing them carefully, reverently, almost... lovingly. Levi opened and closed his mouth but no words came out as she continued to work on him, delicately cleaning his jaw and neck before carefully moving on to his chest. Was this some kind of strange ritual she always performed during sex? Did she just find him dirty and want to clean him up before putting her lips or her pussy on his skin? His mind was running a million miles a minute as she worked on him in silence, only pausing when he hissed quietly at the feeling of his gashes being washed.

(Y/N) frowned as she gently swiped the cloth along the red gouges in his skin. They were deep, most likely caused by the long, sharp nail extensions some ladies liked to wear, or the dull blade of a man with violent tendencies. It didn’t surprise her, a lot of the men and women who used people like this did have sadistic qualities, but it didn’t help to quell the now roaring fire in her blood, wanting nothing more than to fight against the injustice of this man.

“W-What are you doing?” Levi finally managed to ask.

“Cleaning your wounds.”

“Why? Is this some kind of-”

“Preparation? No. We aren’t going to do anything. I just want to help your injuries heal.”

Levi felt like his brain was full of static, like his mouth was stuffed with cotton. He wasn’t complaining, far from it, but he couldn’t get a reading on this woman. Why would she, a noble from the surface, want to help him, a hopeless whore from the Underground?

“Wha-”

“Before you ask what my intentions are, I’m just going to tell you that I didn’t even want to do this. I was forced to come to this festival because my father wants me to become more of a proper noble woman. But since I wasn’t too thrilled about having to be here, the people I came with thought I could use an opportunity to loosen up, and paid for me to do this with you in the hopes that I’d start having fun with them afterwards. But I have no intention of doing any of that. I hate how everyone in the Underground is treated like shit, and the last thing I want to do is take advantage of someone who obviously isn’t in control of his situation. I just want to help.”

Levi closed his mouth, all of his protests dying on his tongue. He still had questions, a lot of them, but he decided those could wait, her explanation making him feel surprisingly relaxed for someone who had trained himself to never take the word of a noble at face value. He had never met anyone like her. Even before he was forced to whore himself out, all he had ever known of nobles was their complete lack of humility and egotistical sense of self-importance. 

It was silent for a moment, but this time, the silence was more comfortable, both of them starting to relax a little as (Y/N) continued to patch him up. Levi felt himself loosen up a bit, his muscles unwinding as his hands settled on her waist, keeping her securely balanced on his lap as she worked. Pride swirled in (Y/N)’s chest as she felt his tense muscles soften, her eyes sparkling as she started to work her way towards earning his trust.

“What’s your happiest memory?” (Y/N) asked suddenly.

Levi quirked an eyebrow in suspicion, “Why should I tell you, brat?”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head and stifling a giggle at the nickname. “I only asked because I figured we may as well talk while we do this. Not only that, I feel like you could use some happiness right now. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so if you don’t want to talk to me, you don’t have to.”

Levi was silent for a minute, the cogs in his mind turning as he tried to make what he believed to be the right decision despite the fog clouding his judgement. Just as she had promised, (Y/N) waited patiently, not pressuring him to answer, or even bringing up another question. She merely sat in silence, her clear (e/c) eyes narrowed on his injuries as she worked to make him feel better.

“There was a time when I was with my friend Farlan, a few years back. We were doing a job, trying to get rid of a troublesome merchant for a client of ours when we found out the merchant had a cat. We were hiding around the corner, waiting to strike when that damn cat jumped up onto Farlan’s lap. I’m fine with cats, but that was the day we found out Farlan had some kind of allergy to them. He was trying to hold back his sneezes but finally lost control right when the merchant came around the corner, and Farlan ended up sneezing really violently in his face. That merchant got so scared he must’ve jumped at least three feet in the air, and even managed to piss himself before he took off. We still had to finish him off later, but in that moment, when Farlan was mortified and our target was running for the hills because of a cat induced sneeze, I couldn’t help but laugh a little.”

(Y/N) had paused in her work to listen to him, and couldn’t help but smile when he finished his story. Going back to work, (Y/N) didn’t ask what happened to Farlan, not wanting to drag him back down after she had finally gotten him to talk to her, about something so personal no less.

“What about you?” Levi asked.

“Hmm, I think I’d have to say when I got my horse for my birthday,” (Y/N) said. “I was never around the horses, wasn’t allowed to be in the barn because it wasn’t “proper for a lady”. But I loved them, loved seeing them on the streets when other nobles would come visit my father or when the soldiers from the Survey Corps would come back from a mission. I couldn’t stay away, so no matter how much my father tried to squash my love of them, it just wouldn’t happen. My mother eventually convinced him to let it go, and surprised me with a little chestnut filly that I named Sashay when I was about sixteen years old. Now, she’s my best friend. We’ve been through everything together, and she’s the only one who doesn’t try to force me to be something I’m not. Aside from the royal guards, I guess. They learned a long time ago to stop trying to get me to sit still and look pretty when I beat all of them in the sword fighting ring.”

Levi’s brows shot up into his hair at that, his lips parting in surprise. “You know how to sword fight?”

(Y/N) chuckled. “Yeah, not what you were expecting, huh?”

“No,” Levi said. “I’ve never heard of a noble woman who could fight, let alone with a blade. Are you any good?”

“I tend to think so, but that all depends on who I’m up against,” (Y/N) said with a cheeky smile.

For some reason, Levi couldn’t help but smile back for the first time in years. His lips felt chapped and strained from disuse, but it felt good, a light feeling flooding his chest with warmth. “You said earlier that your horse’s name is Sashay,” Levi said, suddenly changing the topic.

“Mm hm.”

“That’s weird.”

(Y/N) giggled at his bluntness, making another fluttering feeling swirl in his chest. He had never met anyone other than Farlan who saw his language as something other than rude.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” (Y/N) said. “But I named her that because she is a sassy chestnut mare. I like to imagine that if she were human, she’d be someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, someone who wouldn’t take shit from anyone, but would do so with a spicy attitude. So I named her accordingly.”

Levi huffed a laugh at her response but almost immediately regretted it when the movement of his chest caused the rough gauze at her fingertips to brush against his injuries a little harder than before, the stinging sensation making him hiss in pain.

“Sorry!” (Y/N) said, quickly retracting her hands and holding them up, waiting for him to give her the signal to continue.

“Not your fault,” Levi mumbled, motioning that it was alright for her to get back to work. “Thank you, by the way. I don’t think I said that before.”

(Y/N) shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me. I want to do this.”

Levi wanted to ask her why but remembered what she had told him at the start of this and decided to trust her word, swallowing the question and instead changing topics. “Why do you even have this? Do you always just carry a first aid kit around?”

“Only when I come to the Underground. I want to have it available for those who really need it.”

“You do know that at least half of the people down here would kill you without a second thought to get to that medicine. Or they’d kill you if they thought you were pitying them.”

“I know, but I’d like to think I can handle myself a bit more than the average person. Even so, I usually keep it hidden unless I really want or need to use it on someone, and it’s only for quick patch-ups anyway. I can’t really fix anything major.”

(Y/N) finally finished with his front and carefully slid off of his thighs, moving slowly to begin working on his back. She made sure he was okay with everything she was doing before settling herself down onto the edge of the bed behind him, her hands reaching up to start her work once more.

Levi wanted to know more about her. He felt as if he could talk to her for hours, as if he had known her for years. He wanted to know what made her laugh, what made her cry, what her vision was for the future. It was insane, so much so that Levi idly wondered if he’d fallen off the deep end. But he couldn’t deny it. She was just too intriguing, so surprisingly kind, so genuine.

What was your childhood like? What are your favorite things to do? Do you come down here often? When will I see you again?

The questions continued to rattle around in Levi’s head as they once again lapsed into a comfortable silence but he forced all of them back, not wanting to seem either too desperate to get to know her, or be seen as coming on too strong.

After debating with himself for a while, Levi finally settled on, “You’ve mentioned your father a lot, and how he doesn’t want you to be yourself.”

(Y/N) tensed a little, her face twisted in a grimace behind Levi’s back. “Yeah… he used to be better about it, but ever since my mother died, he’s been like a tyrant. He’s upset he didn’t get a son in the first place, but now that he’s stuck with me for a daughter, he’s even more disappointed that I’m not someone he can easily make profits off of by marrying me off to someone. Not only have I been adamant about not allowing it, but no nobleman wants a woman who can think for herself. A woman who can ride a horse, go toe to toe with her soldiers, has an opinion, and is knowledgeable about current conflicts. They want someone who will dress up all pretty for them and be in bed, ready to satisfy them when they get home from gambling and drinking all day while sitting on their parents’ money.”

Levi scoffed and (Y/N) huffed in agreement. “I’m just not that kind of person. Every suitor that has ever met me has run away from my casual attire and sailor’s mouth.”

“Your father wasn’t like this when your mother was alive?” Levi asked.

“He was, but he wasn’t as bad. My parents were in an arranged marriage, but they got along alright. At least my father loved my mother enough to listen to her most of the time when she told him to lay off of me. I honestly think she’s the reason why I have such a strong fighting spirit.”

“I’m sorry she’s gone,” Levi said awkwardly, not used to providing words of comfort.

“Thanks,” (Y/N) said genuinely, a warm smile gracing her beautiful features.

“I didn’t know my mother that well,” Levi said haltingly, still unsure why he felt comfortable telling her about things he hadn’t even talked to Farlan about. “She died of a disease when I was four years old. She was a prostitute, like me, so I never knew my father. When she died, I was picked up by a man named Kenny, who I thought might’ve been my father for a short while, but as I grew older, I realized he wasn’t. I don’t have any proof, I just know. When he abandoned me at ten, I was alone for a few years before I met Farlan.”

“So… you didn’t get stuck doing this because of your mother?” (Y/N) asked carefully, almost afraid to ask in case it made him shy away from her.

“No,” Levi said slowly. “I was twenty years old when I was caught stealing from a rich friend of this brothel owner. I had made a mistake and there was no way out. He figured out who I was, a thug who was known at the time for carrying out favors for people, whether that meant stealing or killing depended on how much they were willing to pay. Unfortunately, this led them to Farlan, and he gave me a choice. Me, or my best and only friend.”

“And you chose to save your friend at the expense of yourself,” (Y/N) finished for him in a hoarse whisper, filled with horror and unbridled fury at what this man had been through. She figured she should’ve been alarmed, he had just admitted that he had blood on his hands. He was a thief, a thug, a criminal, a murderer. But (Y/N) knew those things were nearly requirements for living in the Underground and no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t think of anything that would make this man deserve what he was going through.

(Y/N) opened her mouth to say something just as she put the last bandage in place when a loud pounding on the door startled them both. “Time’s up, you two!” The brothel owner shouted through the door.

(Y/N) shot up from the bed and rushed around to where the water and first aid kit sat, quickly packing up the little box of supplies and splashing her face with water, trying to make herself look sweaty enough to look convincing. Once everything had been packed away, (Y/N) stood and shrugged off her leather jacket, throwing it to him.

“Here, take this, it’ll keep your boss from seeing the bandages and trying to get rid of them. It’ll also give your injuries a little more protection from the bacteria in this room.”

Levi wanted to refuse, tell her he couldn’t accept a gift like this, even if it was temporary, but no words would come out as he watched the beautiful woman in front of him mess up her hair and swipe her fingers across her lips, trying to make herself look as wrecked as possible. When she finally looked the part enough to seem convincing, (Y/N) made her way to the door, turning one last time before she opened it to throw him a wink and a sweet smile.

“~Goodbye Levi, I hope we can see each other again soon.”

The lilt in her voice was fake, an act for anyone who may be listening on the other side of the door, meant to be taken as a sickly promise of more sexual endeavors to come, but he could feel the genuine emotion in her statement.

“I hope so too,” Levi said quietly after she had already left, the once comforting quiet of his room now making him feel lonely and empty.

The sound of pounding on his door woke Levi abruptly, making the raven-haired man growl in anger and annoyance. It was rare that the poor man got to sleep, not only because customers could come in at almost any time, day or night, but also because of the horrible insomnia that often plagued him. It made him even more irritable to be woken up, his body sore and his mind groggy as another round of pounding roused him further and prompted him to swing his legs over the side of the small cot he was provided when not busy fucking, and make his way to the door.

“What?” Levi snapped when he swung open the door, genuinely surprised that the pig who owned him hadn’t just burst into his room like he always did, raving about yet another customer for Levi.

“Get your shit, you’re going to the surface.”

Levi blinked. This had to be some kind of joke. The brothel owner never let anyone under his foot leave the brothel, let alone the Underground. Even the highest class noble women couldn’t request for him to come to them, the old man not trusting his prostitutes to be sent back. Especially Levi.

“Oi, your ears gone to shit now? Grab your pathetic bullshit and get out of my sight,” the man snarled, his small, watery eyes narrowed on Levi like he was the scum of the world.

Shaking himself out of it, Levi didn’t hesitate for another moment, rushing back into his room to grab the pitifully few things he had with him, including the leather jacket he had gotten from (Y/N), draping it over his shoulders to hide his healing injuries just in case it was a trick. The festival was still going on afterall, this could just be some ruse the old man set up to make the experience more interesting for the men and women who paid for him.

When Levi returned, the man pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and jerked his head, signaling Levi to follow him. Levi knew better than to risk running. In his full health he could’ve easily escaped from the man’s clutches, but with little more than a half hour of rest, his injured body, weak muscles, and the remnants of the drugs still working through his system, Levi didn’t trust himself to outrun a bullet, and knew the pig wouldn’t hesitate to fire, no matter how valuable Levi was to him. 

Even though Levi kept expecting the brothel owner to turn down a secluded street and lead him right into an ambush or trick of some sort, he never did, leading Levi right to the stairs exiting the Underground. When they reached the guards at the base of the stairs, the man took two slips of paper from the inner pocket of his worn brown coat and showed it to the guard. When he was cleared to continue on, the brothel owner turned and motioned for Levi to stay close as he stomped his way up the stairs, grumbling incoherently to himself all the while.

Breaching the surface, Levi brought an arm to his face, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the sun as it attacked his face with warm, bright light. He eventually got used to it, slowly lowering his arm and rushing to catch up with his boss, who was impatiently grunting for him to hurry up.

Passing through what appeared to be a busy market square, Levi followed the brothel owner along the lively cobblestone streets until they reached a quieter part of the town, stopping along the edge of a beautiful flower field, the grassy meadow filled with colorful blossoms that secretly took Levi’s breath away.

The sound of horse hooves caught his attention, and Levi looked up only to have the air fly from his lungs when (Y/N)’s bright face came into view, the stunning woman seated astride whom he assumed to be Sashay and flanked by two armed men.

“Right on time,” the brothel owner grumbled, his little pig eyes narrowing when he saw her passive aggressive smile.

“Of course I’m on time, this is my deal, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the man growled. “Are you sure you want this one? He’s my most popular, I’d hate to lose him.”

“Yes, he’s the one I want. Besides, I believe the money I’ve paid you has far exceeded the profit you have earned from having him around. I’m sure you will be able to manage.”

The man sneered at her but didn’t respond, using the muzzle of the gun to push Levi forward and digging in his pocket to fish out the same pieces of paper he had shown the guards on the stairs, handing them to (Y/N).

“Thank you, sir. I believe we are done here.”

The brothel owner slunk off, casting dark looks at her but refusing to argue as he hunkered off to head back down to the Underground, where he would continue to rot like the rat he was. Levi watched him go before turning to (Y/N), surprised by the bright smile she flashed him when he met her gaze.

“(Y/N)? What’s going on?”

(Y/N) smiled even wider and held up the pieces of paper she had been handed. One of them was the file labeling him as a slave to the brothel owner, keeping him from escaping, and the other was a bill of sale. His eyes widened when he saw her signature on the bottom of both pages, officially registering her as his new owner. He opened his mouth, about to speak when she took both pages in her hands and ripped them in half, letting the torn pages float onto the street below, forgotten, useless.

“There, you’re free now.”

Levi was at a loss for words, his mouth gaping open. “(Y/N)? What-”

“Before you ask me what my intentions are, I’m just going to tell you that I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I couldn’t stop thinking about your life, your sacrifice, your pain, and I decided I could do something about it. You are human, and damn it, you are an important one! I couldn’t just leave you there. Now, you won’t have to work for anyone but yourself. You won’t have to cater to anyone else’s needs and you can fulfill whatever dreams you have.”

“But, that must’ve cost you a fortune, to cover more than the amount of money he’s made off of using me? What about-”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Levi. I want to use my funds for good, put them towards the people who need it the most. That includes you. Especially you. I couldn’t bear the thought of you having to stay in that shit hole for even a second longer than necessary.”

“What do I do now, then?” Levi asked, trying to focus on keeping his voice steady.

“Well, you can do whatever you want now. You’re a free man, you can find a house and settle down somewhere, or you can go back to the Underground and pick up your life where you left off. You can join the military, or you can start a small business here in the square. It’s anything you want. You get to choose your life now.”

“And what if I don’t want to do any of those things?”

(Y/N) couldn’t help the smile that flashed across her face then, her heart filling with warmth. “Like I said, it’s your choice, you can do whatever you want, carve your own path, but if you want to come with me, you’re always welcome to.”

Levi’s lip twitched and he took a step forward, reaching up to pat Sashay’s muzzle as he got closer. “Alright, I’ll follow you.”

(Y/N) beamed before turning around to nod at each one of her guards, dismissing them. When they had left, presumably returning to (Y/N)’s family estate, she reached down for him, her hand extended for him to take. Placing his rough palm into her warm hand, he allowed her to help him up into the saddle behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist to keep himself secure as (Y/N) kicked Sashay into an easy canter. Sighing blissfully, Levi let himself relax, his chin coming down to rest on (Y/N)’s shoulder as they made their way home, together.

Levi had never expected to see the day when he would willingly go with a noble, but then again, he never thought he’d ever meet a noble like (Y/N). Now, as he felt her warmth soak into his chest, he knew he’d made the right decision.

Levi finally felt the remnant effects of the drugs in his system fade away as the sun beams broke through the fluffy clouds in the sky, leaving his mind clear. He was making this decision all on his own, nothing left to impair his judgement, and no matter what, he knew he would never regret the path he chose to take just so long as (Y/N) stayed by his side.

[hantii]

Whitley and bravery

Traumatic events can often reveal the true nature of a person. Fear and risk of death or catastrophe takes down all the walls people build until we get to the core of their being. Their actions under extreme stress speak more about who they truly are than any other instance. So I think this is the perfect time for Whitley’s ‘change of heart’. Until now he has been a manicured copy of his father. Not evil in any sense of the word, but somewhat guilty in his silence. Now, with his father arrested, home alone, Atlas under attack and his home under attack, his change of heart is extreme, and finally, fucking finally, we get a whole lot more information about who he is as a person rather than as a victim of his father’s abuse. 

In light of this, Whiltey experiences instances of terror several times in the recent episode. He sees Atlas being attacked

and his response is how to help those stuck in the crater

This is the biggest change of heart we’ve seen in him and the biggest thing it shows is that he is not someone who will watch others suffer when he has the power to help. He is helpful by nature. We also saw this when he called for Klein to help Nora. Weiss sent him to his room but he knew he could help and he was proactive. 

He then goes through one the the most intense experiences I’ve seen in the series when hiding from the Grimm in his father’s office. Like, I got big Jurassic Park vibes from that scene (and Jurassic Park scarred me as a child. I used to be scared that raptors would eat me in my sleep). It’s made so intense by the contrast between him, someone without an unlocked aura and no fighting ability, and by the hound which is the strongest Grimm by far in all of RWBY. 

We haven’t seen him in the proximity of a normal Grimm, let alone a speaking one. And we can see the terror in his expression:

What an intense scene! I thank crwby for including it. It is jarring to see him suddenly in this life or death situation when all we’ve seen of him before is simple gloating and dialogue. 

What does he do with the chance to escape, when Willow comes to rescue him? He makes sure that the order he issued to the computer is registered. Honestly, that must have taken immense bravery to run back towards the hound, and I don’t think any of us expected him to act so compassionately to people we assume he would have seen as ‘below him’. 

And then he and his mother watch as the hound wrecks Penny in such a brutal way

and they are terrified. Honestly, he is a sheltered 14 year old whose introduction to combat is this. And AGAIN he thinks in his toes on how to defeat the Grimm, acting selflessly, again, to save the others. 

I know he isn’t as outwardly heroic as the main characters, but we have to give him credit for fighting for others when he is physically weak and defenceless. The horror he experienced in the last episode was a vessel to convey to us that he isn’t just a selfish rich boy, a copy of his father. That was indeed an act he put on in order to protect himself from his father’s abuse. When his father is taken away and he’s shown a dire situation in which he can help, he helps, with astonishing selflessness. I am so excited to see Whitley grow into who he truly is. Because if I’m honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if Whitley is just as astonished at his actions. As I said earlier, fear and stress unveil who we truly are, and they near tore the veil off of him to show us who he could have been all along if not for fucking Jacques. 

So Whitley, I am so proud of you. I’m so glad that I saw in the earlier volumes his potential, because it is incredibly gratifying to be right about him. Though even I didn’t expect him to be so noble and altruistic. 

I hope we see more  of this boy in the next few episodes. 

[inarizakibabe]

Changes

As the first prince of his country Suna had just about everything his heart could want. Riches, fine silks and linens, and more food than he could eat. One would expect with a life as luxurious as his he would be happy. Unfortunately his father could see the sadness deep in his son's eyes. Maybe he needed  new hobby or more servants to boss around? Then again looking at things carefully the king noticed his son avoided the servants as much as he could. Just what could cheer up his son and bring back the joy in his eyes? Oh! Maybe that could work.

"You called for me father?"

"Yes Rintaro. I've noticed your sour mood these past few months and I think I know what could make it better." the king smiled down at his son. "I remember entering a funk as you young kids say and your grandfather threw a ball in my honor and I ended up meeting your mother."

Suna fought hard to hide the disgust creeping onto his face. Surely his father didn't really think he wanted to meet someone.

"So that's why three days from now we will have a ball and invite all eligible maidens to attend. Maybe I'll be able to see you smile again,"

"Um father with all due respect I don't really see how a ball will improve my funk as you called it. Maybe if I took a ride around the forest I'll feel better?" Suna hoped his father would get the message but knowing how stubborn he was he'll most likely be engaged three days from now. "I'll even bring my attendants to make sure I'm alright."

"Nonsense going for a ride isn't what you need. Trust me on this Rintaro. A ball is exactly what you need. You're dismissed. You have a ball to prepare for." The king said before turning back to the papers on his desk.

Suna sighed and left his father's office. Maybe if he ran away nobody would miss him. Or the entire kingdom would be put on lock down until he was found. He couldn't put his people through that so there was only one thing to do.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day Suna found himself taking a walk in the garden. If all goes to plan he wouldn't have to propose and maybe he could get the freedom he was craving. Sure castle life was fun but when you have people constantly telling you how to live and doing every thing fro you it can get tiring. Before he turned eighteen he didn't have as many responsibilities as he does now. Life was simple he would take lessons during the day and after a certain time he was free to do what he wanted until dinner time.

Now he's stuck behind a desk everyday taking on the tasks of the kingdom he father didn't want to do. If he got to leave the castle anymore it was for business and once all was settled he'd come right back home and behind the four walls of his personal office again. His home had become a prison and his office his cell.

"You know if you continue to frown at the ground it's less likely to open up and take you away from here."

Suna looked up and found one of his attendants speaking with him. He had two personal attendants who miraculously happened to be twins. They met each other at the age of six and have been together ever since. The one speaking to him now was the blonde one Atsumu which meant his brother Osamu, with gray hair, was most likely harrassing the kitchen staff.

"That sounds like a dream come true right now. Don't you feel suffocated here? You've lived here your whole and trained to work for me. Was it something you always wanted or was this chosen for you?" Suna asked.

"Sounds like someone is scared of their responsibilities. Alright Rintaro tell me what's wrong." Atsumu offered Suna an encouraging smile until he noticed the deadpan look on Suna's face. "You don't have to look at me like that you know."

"No offense but, actually take as much offense as you can from this but last I checked advice giving wasn't something you were capable of. Where's Osamu?"

"Looking up one of the maid's skirts. Now what do you mean I'm not a good advice giver? I happen to give great advice to people in need." Atsumu huffed.

"Right right remind me again why ten percent of the palace guards quit after you left 'inspiring' words with them." Suna mused.

"Be glad you're a prince." Atsumu muttered dejectedly.

"Threatening the crowned prince? That's grounds for dungeon time. Let me know if you want gray or white sheets." Suna laughed as he continued in the direction he was headed before.

"I'll take green. Look the fact of the matter is you're clearly not happy about something and as one of your attendants it's my job to fix that. I can get your horse saddled if you want and tell your father you had an entire platter filled with cheese." Usually Suna would grimace at the mention of cheese but a ride through the kingdom sounded more like what he needed.

"Thanks but no thanks, after the last time my father would kill me if he found out I ran off again. If you did want to cheer me up you could figure out a way to get him to cancel this ball he's throwing in my honor."

"You know as well as I do just how stubborn your old man is. You'd have better luck raising the dead than changing his mind. Look on the bright side. There'll be cake." Atsumu smiled at Suna who in turn frowned at him.

"For saying that you get purple sheets."

"Wait! Let's talk this out!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The following day Suna found himself in his room being fitted for a new suit. In the twenty minutes he's been standing there he's been pricked by pins three times.

"Last warning tailor. The next time you hurt the prince you'll be charged for treason." Today Osamu was keeping Suna company

''Forgive me your highness. You're more built than I'm use to dealing with. Rest assured this suit will be the most beautiful suit you'll ever wear." the tailor put another pin in the fabric he was working with and prayed he hadn't pricked Suna again. "If I may ask, what occasion is this ball in honor of? The last celebration we had was your eighteenth birthday and I believe your birthday isn't until next year so what's the joyous occasion?"

"You'll find out the day after the ball until then please focus on leaving skin on my body." Suna sighed.

"Of course your highness my apologies again."

"Tsumu talked to me yesterday. What's going on with you?"

"He talks too much. He simply saw me walking in the garden nothing else."

"Oh yeah? I heard that princess you met in Shektor is coming tomorrow. Should I make arrangements that she's your first dance of the evening?" Osamu smirked at Suna who scowled at him. "Oh dear your highness what an expression. Be careful Princess Tsumaki doesn't see it she might think one of the wind goblins is tickling your nose again. In fact I'll write a letter to her right now to bring her special medicine to cure you!"

"Osamu you bastard! Ow! Alright fine enough I'll answer both your questions just stop tormenting me! I should have both of you locked up for treason." Suna growled trying to keep the parts if his sanity he still had.

The tailor and Osamu smirked at each other as Suna began to speak again. "I just felt trapped behind these walls recently. Is everything I'm doing really important? I sit down and sigh papers all day either about farm rations or mining and I just don't see the need to do any of that. The people know what they need to survive and they know how to do what they need to survive so why should I waste time looking over it for them? They're not children who need to be supervised they'd be well off without me. The again if I don't do that then what is my purpose here? What am I suppose to do with my life? Am I just the face the people use when they need something? No wait that's my father's job so I'm just here. I make agreements and trade deals with other countries and attend diplomat meetings my father can't make it to. If I didn't do any of that then I'd be a regular boy in the kingdom maybe doing stable work. Sounds better than being the one everyone blames for everything if things go wrong. My father apparently doesn;t know me very well and thought I was lonely so he's throwing a ball for me to find a wife. What's not to love about that?"

Osamu sighed and pulled one of Suna's cheeks. "First don't talk about yourself like that. Like it or not this is how you were born and there's literally nothing you can do about that. It doesn't matter what kind of job you do even if all you did was tell someone to move a chair you still did something and it benefited somebody in the long run. You can't see yourself for the things you do but me and everyone else around you can. You just need to look at things from a different point of view."

Suna looked away from both of them and sighed while taking in Osamu's words. Maybe all he did need was to view things from a different perspective. Yeah maybe that could work. "Ow!"

"You didn't have to stick him again Mori." Osamu sweatdropped.

"Nope that time definitely was an accident. Please try not to move your highness." Mori smiled innocently.

Or maybe his tailor would take him out first. Whichever came first he guessed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day of the ball finally arrived and carriage after carriage arrived at the castle holding nobles and royals from near and far. Suna was in his room again watching from the window as carriages entered the palace grounds. Maybe if he's lucky he could make a run for it during the party and jump the fence to get away from everybody to maybe save himself for a little while. Or maybe one of guards sees him and tries to follow him and ruins his plans.

"Just sit through the ball and I'm sure your father will let you leave for an hour tomorrow."

"Yeah right after his engagement announcement. Listen Rin if you don't want to do it then I don't see why you should."

"Don't listen to Tsumu. We'll help you if you need a breather every now and again but we can't cover fro you the entire night."

"Or eat these two slices of cheesecake right now and be excused for the rest of the night." Atsumu suggested wiggling his eyebrows.

It was a pretty solid plan but a night of pain wasn't worth missing the ball. His father might only postpone it and he'd be confined to his room until everything passes.

"Well gentlemen it's my last night a single man. If I'm lucky Tsumaki won't be my future bride. The small bout of freedom I had was nice but it's time for me to be a big boy and do what I have to. Once I'm king the first thing I'm doing is making sure Asami doesn't go through this." Suna sighed.

"I doubt she'd have a problem with it. Which girl doesn't want to be entertained by a handsome man? Bonus points cause he's rich." Atsumu shrugged.

Suna's eyebrow raised in confusion, "Are you calling the princess a money whore?"

Atsumu chuckled softly and smiled at Suna. "You and I both know that's not what I meant. You're really the only person who has a problem with palace life. Asami is actually looking forward to her happily ever after which is something you need to start doing. You can hate it but if it's something that has to be done then you have to suck it up and get it over with."

"You can say that because it's not your life. I need to teach Asami about how dirty boys are. Osamu you'll be the example for what you and Mori did yesterday. Who could've imagined my attendant and the tailor conspiring against me. The mutiny." Suna shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Be disappointed all you want. I did what I had to do. Now you have to get ready for tonight. If you need us you know where we'll be." Osamu left with Atsumu right behind him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*

Night fell quickly and two hours into the party Suna finally met all the young women his father had invited. Many were kind and some more beautiful than necessary but all quickly looked away when Princess Tsumaki approached him. The night continued on as his father hoped with Suna being forced to mingle with everyone present. Eventually his social meter began to run out and he retreated to a hidden balcony for air.

A sound close by caught his attention and Suna found a young woman who seemed to be in the same situation as him. If he remembered he remembered her name was (y/n) third princess of a neighboring country. Suna tried to sneak away before you could see him but alas luck wasn't on his side.

"Your highness good night."

Suna counted to three then slowly faced you with a friendly smile, "Good night my lady. I hope you're enjoying the party."

"It's lovely and so is your country. Please give your father my thanks for inviting my family."

"I can assure you he'll give his thanks for attending. If I'm not being too forward may I ask why you're out here instead of enjoying the food?" Hopefully pressuring you like this will give Suna the quiet time he was hoping for.

"Forgive my rudeness but the amount of people inside made the room a little stuffy. I came out here for a little air." you smiled at him.

"Fair enough. I hope the air is to your liking."

"With all due respect your highness it's been a long night and it's exhausting speaking like this so if you don't mind we can call each other old acquaintances and speak like old friends would. It would be an honor if you would call me (y/n)."

Suna blinked at your request and fought the grin trying to rise on his face. "If that's so then feel free to call me Rintaro. Blame my father for taking things the wrong way and forcing us all to go through this."

"We can't really fight what our parents want us to do. Comes with the title really. You seemed upset earlier should I assume that you don't really want to get married?"

Suna sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't mind getting married I just don't think I should get married because my father thought I was in a funk as he called it. Sounds cliche but I actually believe in meeting someone and falling in love."

You blinked at the prince and giggled. "You're very cute Rintaro. I like to believe everyone wants to fall in love that way. Nobody wants to have their partner chosen for them. What good is being married if you're gonna be miserable everyday."

"If it means I don't have to sit through marriage consultations and weird balls like this one then I may just prefer the other way."

"Careful what you say. I think we both know your father is capable of that. I saw princess Tsumaki looking for her Rinnepoo earlier. Maybe I should let his majesty know you've chosen someone." You looked up to find Suna pouting at you. "Careful your highness they may send you back to etiquette classes for making such a face."

"Good evening Prince Rintaro. It's a pleasure to make your aquaintance tonight. I do hope that-"

"Ok! That's enough! Don't you dare repeat that."

Suna smirked and hid his mouth behind his hand. "Pardon me princess. I just found your greeting to me this evening amusing. I mean no harm it's just you were so cute. How many times did you practiced that?"

"Whatever. Let's see what you would do if the roles were reversed."

"Sorry princess but this isn't about me." Suna giggled.

"So you can smile and laugh. I almost thought you were emotionally constipated. Is that the funk your father thought you were in?"

Suna sighed being reminded of the situation he was in. "It's more than that but nobody would understand."

You smiled at him encouragingly. "The whole you're royalty so you have absolutely no reason to not be happy thing?"

"Exactly that. It's gonna sound stupid but I guess I miss the freedom I had before I turned eighteen. Well more I don't see the need for me to do the things I'm doing."

"Ah you feel monarchy should be abolished. Look at it this way crackers taste good on their own but with cheese the taste is elevated. Cheese and crackers is superior to just plain old crackers by themselves or just cheese by itself. Yes your kingdom could probably prosper on it's own but there are situations the people shouldn't handle on their own. Budget distribution, land distribution, diplomatic matters and many other things. We exist to keep harmony in the kingdom. Imagine leaving children to raise themselves. Many would unfortunately die before reaching a certain age. Think of your kingdom as your very own children. They're self sufficient yes but without you to guide them in the things they don't understand they'll be hurt. You can still do the things you love but your children come first. If you don't take care of them then someone may just take them away. "

Suna sighed. "I can understand that but I just don't understand why it has to be me."

"I don't understand why it can't be you. Anyone could've been chosen for the job but you were chosen. I don't know you well enough to speak on certain things but I have heard rumors that you basically run half of your kingdom on your own. The fact that nothing has fallen apart shows that you're more than competent to do your job. You need to have more confidence in yourself. I've only known you for a short time but I can already tell you're a wonderful person. Don't sell yourself short." You smiled at Suna who looked at you unsure.

Suna shrugged, "If you say so (y/n). Are you hungry?"

"I'm alright for now. But I do think we need to get back before someone misses us."

"What's the rush? You know the reason for this party."

"Is that you asking for my company your highness?"

"I didn't hear a no princess." Suna smirked when you giggled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few months later Suna found himself sitting in his office again. He was hard at work but this time with a slight smile on his face. A knock on the door took him away from the work he was doing and Atsumu stepped into his office.

Atsumu placed a sandwich and a cup of tea on the table in front of Suna "You seem to be in a better mood these days. What's your secret?"

"Sorry but secrets are secret for a reason."

"Keep your secrets then. Simply means I can't tell you the one I just heard." Atsumu smirked.

"I heard the dungeons don't have heat." Suna shrugged.

"Really? Just make sure my sheets are red."

Suna laughed and shook his head, "You little turd nugget. What's going on?"

"Alright fine but only because you asked so rudely. I heard your favorite princess is coming by later today. Maybe if you finish all your work you can be at the doors to greet her."

"Lucky for me this was the last page I had to look over. Prepare two horses and I'll make sure your sheets are maroon."

"And you call me the turd nugget." Atsumu rolled his eyes. "His majesty said you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day once you stop keeping him in suspense."

"Sounds good. Thanks for lunch."

Things were definitely starting to look up and with one simple question later tonight Suna's life was about to change again. This time for the better.