#swordskills

[azul-nova-24]

Just got a sword, now need to figure out how to use it properly so I can be a adventurous lady knight off to find her dragon bestie.

[skillscheck]

“ You lack the skills. ” (probably playing the video game)

four word sentence prompts

HE DOESN'T REMEMBER WHEN THE TWO OF THEM DECIDED THIS WAS THEIR THING. however, it's nice to have someone understand his love for video games. there was something appealing about it all especially when it involved power-ups, utilizing certain skills, & getting to the final boss. it does take a lot of work & countless hours spent with lack of sleep. it's also nice to have someone not yelling at him for once since he tends to let the paperwork & other duties of the job pile up. it's the evening & hasegawa can't touch him tonight, maybe tomorrow he'll come barging in the room, but he was currently playing against the vice captain.

instead of his normal ps5 being hooked up on his tv, today his switch is in full control. there was something about super smash brothers that gets his blood boiling, paired with the quick taps from narumi's hands as he tries to unleash a combo on hoshina are all that's heard in this room. narumi lands a quick one before dodging. he's glad that his blanket is draped around him, albeit loosely as they continue playing.

a few minutes later, he finds himself grumbling, glaring at the screen at the obvious victor. he's confused on how hoshina could steal the clutches of victory from him. narumi finds himself thinking he's back in the orphange, playing with some of the legos before a kid snatches it & dismantles all his hard work. narumi's legs find hoshina's before wrestling around them before a small, ❛ tch,❜ as his response is finally said. ❛ no that was only the first round. i'm telling you, best two out of three. what do you want to wager?❜

he was determined to beat hoshina or else he'd never hear the end of it. he can feel the slight annoyance start to rise up with the way temperature raise with significance over the summer. ❛ better get comfy, hoshina. i can play against you all night.❜

@swordskills gets gamer narumi

[animerhythm]

A captivating social media reel showcasing the stunning photos of ASUNA YUUKI, the beloved character from the SWORD ART ONLINE anime. Dive into the world of fantasy and adventure with this mesmerizing reel!

[skillscheck]

❛ listen, it was all that came in my head at the moment. but there are better words! ❜ his lips pull into a distinct pout before he grumbles at the way hoshina is reacting to him. this was their normal, at least how they were at first until it turned into this. narumi can't exactly define it. it's different from the old man giving him the first division, a placeholder to call his own home, or else he'd be nothing but a stray cat roaming the streets uninterested in most things. he supposes aside from the geezer, the only other person he could thank is hasegawa. hasegawa being the first person to trust him enough to command himself & then eventually the entire force. ❛the only one having fun is you.❜ so what exactly is this purple haired fox giving him?

DEFINITIONS. he could read the whole dictionary if he chose to, in fact narumi has a myriad of words in his head. his high marks in school & within the force speak for itself, but the perplexing situation the both of them are in is something else. narumi takes the moment to take another chance at winning his second bet. he would have to rub it in hoshina's face in some capacity. he observes that the other didn't look thoroughly entertained with the idea that he was on the receiving end of being teased. ❛ what's wrong hoshina? not having fun now that i'm yanking your chain.❜

he makes no acknowledgment about the old man & getting complaints about narumi. he's probably heard it all about narumi since the higher-ups wanted nothing to do with him. they were simply waiting to replace him like a used up battery. for the most part, narumi is aware the world is not black & white. instead he sees the varying degrees of the ideas of right & wrong. for him personally ? he would do what needs to be done & he didn't care if he made everyone his enemy doing it. narumi watches hoshina wear the mask of frustration, one that he wears often when it comes to the other. he decides to take the reigns & deplete hoshina of his last life.

there's a triumphant grin on his lips, no matter how small the victory is narumi would celebrate his own. however, the expression hoshina wears on his face captures him. the affirmation that hoshina was more invested in him brings more joy to his excitement & stokes the flames of his ego. his hand doesn't move away from hoshina's cheek, instead he cups his chin. crimson occulars settle into looking at the other man, not caring about his own victory screen. for him? the prize is right in front of him. ❛ just focus on this instead then. ❜

he delves in without another word, a swimmer breaking into water & swimming to make time against his competitors. instead, his lips capture hoshina's & he knows right then that he wouldn't mind drowning in him. narumi is not very forthcoming about his feelings considering the many ways the world had been unnecessarily cruel to him. he doesn't care about the game at this moment when all he really wanted was to kiss hoshina & explore whatever findings they might have in the introspection of their relationship. the truth of the matter is, when there is hate or dislike, there is also passion. he pulls the other closer now, more than they had been, arms tangling around hoshina's neck. he adores the feeling of hoshina's mouth against his, feeling his energy become boosted after several hours of waiting to get his refill.

the third division vice captain has to know how he's feeling now with the way his kiss makes himself dizzy. swimmers have to come back for air at some point, right? there's a small whimper as he breaks away but he remains in the other's hold comfortable. ❛ the only other thing i wanted. ❜

“what kind of word is mocker,” sōshirō giggles to himself, and shakes his head lightly. narumi's childish ways will never be unamusing to him, whether it's them bickering or being playful like now. however he does have a point, hoshina thinks with a subtle smile. “well of course, they're supposed to be in good fun, you know? the mocking that is.” but no, the small compliments hoshina would drip into their conversations here and there were nothing more than his heart leaking out unexpectedly.

hoshina knows with the way he carries himself that it's probably hard to tell when something genuinely bothers him. he had long since learned at a young age how to hide his emotions of hurt and personal suffering. his father telling him to give up this dream and years of being told that his skills weren't enough to do anything in the force as an officer were enough building blocks for sōshirō to learn when to put up an imperceptible smile. just smile the pain away, as he always has done; he finds it a little harder to do so around narumi. “hum, i suppose i'll have a talk with the director then.”

hoshina wears a soft frown, slightly frustrated with being on the opposite end of being teased. he huffs softly, turning his full attention back to the game so that he can send narumi's character flying. right, he had a bet to win, but at what cost? he wanted to see just where things would lead them if they just discarded the dumb thing honestly. determination settles back on his features as he grabs a healing item, ready to sweep under these dire circumstances, when he feels narumi's hand taunt him. it should be a crime as to how fast hoshina's attention was snatched.

his face is closer now, or had they always been this close? there's a warmth akin to heating water in a bath; the longer the water is left running, the hotter it gets. perhaps this would be next to boiling with the way hoshina stares at narumi. “i won't lie and say i'm not interested,” he answers honestly. “you ain't even tell me what else it was you wanted, besides calling you my favorite.” hoshina chances a hand off his controller, gentle hands brushing the fringe away from narumi's face so he can get a better look. what's losing his last life to chance?

is he hoping for too much?

“narumi, i've been focused on you the whole time,” he huffs softly with a smile. “whatever, you're unfairly teasin' me now, i don't care if i lose.”

[botwstoriesandsuch]

Why does Link a skilled swordman ever do a spin attack to begin with?

Sometimes a guy's gotta do a little dance to assert dominance on the field

[drysdalesworld]

the sun & it’s shadow

pairing: percy jackson x fem!nike!reader (platonic)

genre: fluff, angsty, & violence

word count: literally no clue. started to write it on here & was on a role & never transferred it to goggle docs

warning(s): NOT PROOF READ! (i will do it once i have time), mention of reader death (so sorry), timeskippy (first part takes place in the pjo show season 1 & the second takes place during the 5th book), mentions of sun!reader & shadow!percy, mentions of blood + traitor siblings + murder

note: i tried to make this poetic but very much failed at it so enjoy my attempt :) <3

The sun is many things. In realistic terms, it’s a glowing ball of gas in the middle of our solar system. In metaphorical terms, it is something that gives life and provides warmth for those on Earth. It’s a vital source of life that humans cannot live without. And for Percy Jackson, (Y/N) (L/N) was the sun.

She was one of the first people he met at Camp Half-Blood.

(Y/N) had been on her way to sit with her half-siblings when she noticed a petit blond boy sitting by himself during dinner. He had been left abandoned by the Hermes cabin as they did their nightly offerings to their godly parent. Occasionally, he’d stab his fork into whatever was on his plate and push it around, clearly disinterested in what was in front of him. (Y/N) quickly changed course and decided that she was going to sit with the lonely boy instead. Her siblings would see her later in the night anyway.

Percy felt her before he saw her, blue eyes darting up from the mashed and jumbled food in front of him to the figure approaching. The light hair on his eyebrow bone furrowed together in confusion at the sight. But before he could express his confusion, the girl opened her mouth and began to speak.

“Hi, I’m (Y/N). You must be Percy, right? I’d say it’s a pleasure to welcome you to Camp Half-Blood, but it never really is. Especially on your first day”.

The young boy let out a small snort at her saying, a small, but genuine, smile painting his lips.

“Nice to meet you, (Y/N)”.

During the entirety of their conversation, Percy swore he could see literal light shine from the body of the daughter of Nike. Maybe even a little more whenever she smiled. She produced such a warm and comforting aura that Percy found himself seeking solace in her presence nearly every day. She was a comfort that was not being provided anywhere else at Camp Half-Blood. He truly believed that she was a literal interpretation of the sun, even from the first moment he saw her.

He often bugged Luke about her. Requesting that she be the one to show him around and show him how to properly fight. Albeit Luke being basically the best option of being Percy’s mentor, the boy only wanted the sun. He used the excuse of her being the literal daughter of Nike, Goddess of Victory. She surely had to have better, if not as good, swordskills as Luke. The elder son of Hermes eventually gave in, only for a week though, then it was back to business.

“Your elbows too low. It needs to be level with the hilt of the sword,” she’d speak to him in such a gentle voice that his mind often wondered to his Mother and her tenderness. “Your grip needs to be loosened. It’s too tight”.

The more she spoke, the more Percy found himself soaking in her advice and actually listening to her. She made it easy to listen. Her voice was as soft as honey and as sweet as his blue gummy candy. She never raised her voice nor scolded him when he got something wrong. Her touch was so soft that Percy barely felt her fingertips brush the point of his elbow as she corrected his stance as needed. He flourished under her watch and it was noticeable.

“Your skills are improving,” Luke heaved, picking back up his sword as the young son of Poseidon managed to disarm him within minutes of them dueling. “Your lessons with (Y/N) are really paying off huh?”.

Pride swelled within Percy’s chest at Luke’s comment, a smile spreading across his lips. He was proud of the improvement he has made in such little time and the only person he could think to thank is you.

“If I’d know any better, I’d say she’s a better mentor than me,” the son of Hermes grinned, slight disgust and jealousy tugged at his stomach. He felt Percy slipping through his hands and he needed to act quick before he lost the demigod for good.

“Perhaps,” Percy smirked, happy with the result.

When it was time for his first quest, the young twelve-year-old found himself at the Nike cabin, asking for you when one of your siblings answered the door instead.

“What’s up, kelp boy?” (Y/N) croaked out, voice still laced with sleep. She rubbed her eyes as she leaned against the door frame of her Mothers cabin.

“Sorry to wake you,” Percy spoke, teeth tearing at the dried skin on his lower lip. “I just – I just wanted to ask you something”.

“Shoot,” she replied.

“Have you ever been on a quest?”.

“A handful, I’d say. Why? Are you nervous for yours?”.

The tone of which she spoke was so sweet and soft, Percy found himself already at ease, shouldering relaxing from their prior tense state.

“I won’t tell you not to be because that’s not very helpful. But I will tell you to be careful. Don’t get too over in your head or you and the others won’t end up back home. Just because you’re the son of Poseidon and got your first ever quest at the ripe age of twelve doesn’t mean you’re immune to what’s out there. Remember what you’ve learned throughout your stay here and hold steadfast, Jackson. You’ll be just fine”.

And he was. He was fine, at least for some parts of his quest. Percy often found himself thinking back on your words spoken that night. How you unknowingly repeated the same phrase his Mother told him before being taken by the minotaur. How you had unwavering faith in him and his, limited, abilities as a new and fresh demigod. The blond often found himself thinking about what you’d do in this kind of situation. Of how’d you approach the entire situation. Of how’d you hold your sword in your hands. Of what you’d say in the times he’d need it most. He found himself shaping and molding hisself to what you’d do. A perfect making of a protégé.

When he arrived back at camp, you were the first to pull him into your arms, nearly squeezing all the air out of his lungs as you did so.

“Welcome back, kelp boy,” you’d whisper, teary eyed and thankful to the Gods that twelve-year-old Percy Jackson was brought back safe and sound.

And he never left your side much after that.

He’d go wherever you’d go. He was your shadow and you were his sun.

And it stayed like that for years, even throughout all the losses and defeats and Luke and his growing Titan army. But, it came to a final halt during the Great War.

(Y/N) had been too busy aiding the wounded and fighting for her life to notice the glittering sword blade of her traitor half-sibling. It being too late as the weapon sunk it’s entirety into the back of Nike’s daughter.

A gasp had been the only thing to alert Percy and the others of her demise, the sound of ripping flesh and gushing blood being the next.

Poseidon’s son let out an angered scream, rushing towards the person he looked up to the most. He gathered her into his arms as she practically went limp in his hold, his pale hands coated in her blood as he tried to stop the seemingly never ending flow.

Percy’s cried pleas where the only thing that echoed throughout the now quiet night. He begged her not to go and that she was going to be okay because she had to. She had to or he didn’t know who else was going to make sure he remembered to eat breakfast or make sure his swordskills were always refined and perfect.

The horrible realization that she had been gone the minute her body hit the hard concrete had settled into Percy Jackson’s bones as he let out an anguished roar, holding the body of his sun close to his chest as his salty tears made streaks down her dirt covered face and droplet marks in her battered orange Camp Half-Blood shirt.

At the end of the war, Percy had made his way back to the body of someone he considered a familial figure. The sight of her Mother gently stroking the cheek of her slumped over body brought fresh tears to his eyes. He wasn’t able to bring himself to carry her body back to camp. He left it to the children of Apollo, making sure they treated it with the upmost care.

The days following her passing, Percy found himself in the Nike cabin most nights, sleeping on the floor next to (Y/N)‘s bed, for he was too afraid that the smell of you would disappear too quickly due to his presence on the sheets. He found himself finding you in a multitude of things and it always shattered his heart into pieces once more. Everything served as a reminder of you, even the actual sun, for he missed the warmth and comfort you brought wherever you went.

And with the sun gone, it’s shadow would forever search for it’s source of light, destined to never find what it so desperately craved.

[star-rie-watches-anime]

kagehina fantasy au where hinata is a shapeshifter and kageyama is a crowned prince and theyre competing to be the world greatest swordsman kageyama is already king when he lost his family to an incident but oikawa is the current ruler because kageyama is not yet of age.

kageyama is very bitter and closed off ever since then and no one like him. he is very lonely his whole life meanwhile hinata comes from a family of shapeshifters but theyre hunted down and now its only him and his sister natsu. theyre struggling to survive

hinata favorite thing to shapeshift is a crow. kagehina had different histories w swordfighting but theyre obsessed with it. w kageyama it felt like home, he has nothing to look forward to other than this one thing hinata can protect her sister w it he also feels like he can make a living out of swordfighting. but kagehina really thinks its fun.

wait- scratch best swordsman, they want to become the greatest knight in the land

kagehina branches out to different weapons, but mainly they use swords. kageyama likes the bow, while hinata secretly not so secretly uses magic/tricks. hinata looks suuper unreliable from the outside bcuz his swordskill sucks but usually he saves everyone at the end of the day

oh and magic is band because sorcery is evil!!

[ladyinred2248]

The Scottish Princess, Finan x Reader, Part 6

Warning: Mature. Minors DNI. Angst.

“I won’t leave you, I swear it.”

You woke just after dawn wrapped in the furs and entangled in Finan’s arms, feeling such calmness and happiness that you practically launched out of bed as Finan laughed.

“What’s gotten into ya?!” 

You giggled and came over to him, tickling his sides until he was forced from the bed in a panic. He jumped off the bed and grabbed you with his strong arms, throwing you over his shoulder. You still tried to tickle him as you dangled over him, until he swatted your arse with his strong hand as he chided you.

“Quit!” 

Something about Finan’s accent when it was stern was just too much for you. You giggled uncontrollably as Finan carried you to the door, still dangling you over him. He had a deep grin on his face that you couldn’t see, but you could hear it in his voice.

“Come on, woman. Let’s go to the river.”

Weeks and then months had flown by effortlessly as you adjusted to a simple life in Coccham, assisting the Lady Gisela with various tasks, watching the men as they practiced swordskill, cooking and hunting with Finan, and playing games with Osferth, Sihtric, and the children. You seemingly fit right into their lives, developing bonds with everyone and the closeness with Finan growing by the day, until you were practically inseparable.

Finan brought you over to the river, finally setting you down and tearing his clothes off. You watched as he revealed himself to you, a tease per usual with a smirk on his face. You loved admiring his body, so you had no complaints. He jumped into the water, hissing through his teeth at the frigid cold when he emerged at the surface before shouting to you from a distance.

“Do ya remember when ya cut the bottom of your foot at the camp outside of Winchester?”

You laughed. “Of course I do! That was terrible.”

Finan chuckled as he looked at you from afar, his deep accent amplified with a louder voice. “I think ya were just tryin’ to see me naked!” 

You laughed and shook your head as you took off your dress and joined him in the water. 

The two of you embraced each other with Finan’s hands coming across your bare back only to be interrupted by Uhtred’s voice, Finan holding you against him to shield your bare chest from view.

“Finan! …Oh, uh…Sorry, you two…”

Finan chuckled. “What is it, Lord?”

“…join me in the hall when you’re finished. It’s important.”

Finan rolled his eyes, thinking that Uhtred always had something dire to worry about, never catching a break from his oath to Alfred. Finan hadn’t minded so much before, but now that he had spent time settling back into Coccham with you by his side, he had welcomed the reprieve from harsh battles and Wessex politics. 

After your bath in the river, Finan left you with Gisela and joined Uhtred in the hall. When he entered, Uhtred was sitting at the long table carving an apple with his dagger while Sihtric sat to his left and Osferth to his right.

“Lord,” Finan said as he took a seat at the table next to Osferth.

Uhtred looked up at him for a moment, then back down to his apple as he spoke softly. “Alfred is traveling to Coccham for a visit.”

Finan rolled his eyes while Osferth adjusted himself in his seat nervously. Sihtric looked ahead unphased. Finan was the first to speak, in a silly and sarcastic manner.

“And what occasion is this for us to be graced by his beaming presence?”

Uhtred smirked. “It could be anything. Perhaps he wants to see if your Princess is still here.”

Finan groaned and placed his elbows on the table and his palms together seemingly in prayer.

“Dear God, please grant me the strength to not kill the King of Wessex.”

The men laughed, Uhtred shaking his head with a grin.

After receiving word from Alfred, King Constantin and your cousin Domnal had assembled over one hundred men to journey to Wessex on your behalf.  Domnal was able to convince your father that he had no need of sending word to King Alfred of their impending arrival - it would give them an element of surprise to see the true situation. It would be a long journey, but it was worth it for them as their concern grew for you.

Meanwhile, King Alfred had grown increasingly impatient at the lack of return correspondence from your father. He sat in his study, trying to preoccupy himself as thoughts plagued him of you and Finan, his strong jealousy rearing its ugly head. He imagined Finan’s hands over your naked body, taking you as he pleased, and worst of all… you wanting him to. Suddenly a knock came at the door from Father Beocca, jarring Alfred from his thoughts.

“Forgive the intrusion, Lord. One of your spies has returned from the North.”

Alfred turned in his seat to look at Beocca. “What is it?”

Beocca came closer and shut the door behind him before he spoke. “King Constantin is in Northumbria, traveling south.”

Alfred contemplated this news for a moment. “Thank you, Beocca. Tell the men to ready the horses. We are to make a visit to Coccham.”

Beocca left Alfred to his peace, and Alfred suddenly felt very accomplished in his plight. Alfred was a calculated man, one of his greatest strengths as a King. But he was unsure of his next move when it came to the situation regarding you, his emotions clouding his better judgment.

When Finan returned to you he relayed Uhtred’s message regarding Alfred’s impending arrival and you immediately became perturbed. You had grown accustomed to living with Finan in a calm state of bliss, far away from any of your past conflicts. Your hands trembled, and when Finan saw your trepidation, he came over to you swiftly and grabbed your hands.

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” he comforted, “You don’t have to face him.”

You shook your head. “I won’t hide away like a child.”

Finan brought your hand to his lips, giving it a soft kiss before wrapping his strong arms around you. You let your head rest on his chest for a moment until you pulled away to speak.

“Finan.. I think I need to rest.”

Finan looked at you with concern in his eyes. “Of course, are ya okay?”

You nodded, pinching your lips together.

Finan looked into your eyes attentively, cupping your face in his hands. “I would prefer for ya to let us handle it, lady. When he arrives, stay here. For now.. Let’s get ya comfortable, hm?”

Finan laid down with you in the furs, holding you tightly against his chest and stroking your hair until you fell asleep. 

Finan opened his eyes just after dawn, and laid there with you until he heard commotion outside. He slowly got up from the bed, tucking you in so that you would stay asleep. He came over to the window to catch sight of what was going on, and there he was, King Alfred and his men. He cursed under his breath and decided that he should stand with Uhtred regardless of his recent contempt toward the King, even if it meant leaving your side as he worried for you. As he turned to leave, he saw that you were still sound asleep and closed the door quietly, praying that you would sleep through the ordeal. 

Finan joined Uhtred and the others in the hall, standing proudly as Uhtred’s second in command as King Alfred and his men approached. Gisela catered to the King, offering him a seat at the table and anticipating his needs, to which Finan rolled his eyes. Everyone joined at the table and had settled into discussion, until Finan’s eyes widened as he watched you walk through the doors of the hall. His instinct was to jump up from the table, almost knocking over a servant in the process as he came over to you, speaking in a hushed manner. “What are ya doing here?! I told ya to stay put.” 

You shushed him and interlaced your fingers with his, guiding him back over to the table and taking the seat next to him as the others stood and bowed at your arrival. Alfred glared at Finan and then looked at you with an insincere smile.

“Your Highness. Pleasure to see you.”

You nodded to Alfred, breaking from his unyielding eye contact as he spoke to you again.

“My correspondents tell me your Father travels South to Wessex with his men. I look forward to seeing him, it has been entirely too long since he has graced our presence.”

Your stomach dropped as you met Alfred’s gaze again, your hands beginning to tremble and your heartbeat increasing. Finan squeezed the hand that remained interlocked with his underneath the table and gave Alfred a stern look. After a long, awkward silence at the table, you gained your wits about you, reaching for your glass of wine with your other hand to take a sip before you spoke.

“Pleasant news, Lord King.” Was all you could muster. Your intuition told you that your father would never travel South unless absolutely necessary. You knew Alfred was behind it.

Conversation ensued between Uhtred and Alfred, the other men chiming in here and there. Alfred insisted that Uhtred send his men to the border of Mercia and East Anglia for scouting, to which Uhtred tried to dissuade him. Uhtred knew in all likelihood that Alfred had summoned your father, and now he was aiming to send Finan and the others away as quickly as possible. It was pitiful how obvious his intentions were. You could tell that Finan’s patience was waning, hearing him quietly scoff at many of the King’s words. He finally looked over at Uhtred, who met his gaze and read his mind, giving him a nod. Finan grabbed your hand again and stood from the table, excusing you both as he led you outside. When the two of you were alone, he groaned and turned to face you.

“That was intolerable.”

You nodded, taking his hands and pulling him closer. “Please… you cannot leave. Alfred wants to separate us, you cannot leave!”

Finan shook his head, bringing your palm up to give it a kiss. “I won’t leave you, I swear it.”

Tears filled your eyes, and Finan quickly took you into his arms. When your emotions settled, the two of you returned home in haste.

 Uhtred and the others were aware of Alfred’s plot, so Sihtric took it upon himself to spy on the King after the gathering was dispersed. Alfred and his men remained in the hall long after Uhtred and the others had gone, talking amongst themselves. Although it was a quiet discussion, Sihtric could hear Alfred speak to Steapa.

“I want her seized in the morning. She will be with us in Winchester when her father arrives, so that there is no doubt of my good intentions. She has played wife with the Irishman long enough. And if he makes this task difficult…kill him.”

Steapa looked disturbed, but agreed hesitantly, ever loyal to his King. 

Sihtric made haste to Finan’s home after witnessing the conversation between Alfred and Steapa, his knock on the door urgent and causing both you and Finan to jump. 

“Jesus, what is it?” Finan said as he opened the door to see Sihtric.

Sihtric came in swiftly, closing the door behind him. “Alfred is a snake. He wants to seize her and take her to Winchester again, so that he can hand her over to her father. Steapa has been ordered to kill you if you resist them, Finan.”

You looked at Sihtric, your heart racing as he gave you sympathetic eyes. Finan crossed his arms, deep in thought for a moment as you all held a deafening silence. Finan suddenly paced the floor, fidgeting his cross pendant in between his lips. You couldn’t bring yourself to speak - you felt defeated. At every turn, Alfred sought to ruin your happiness and it felt impossible to breach from his harsh grasp.

Sihtric witnessed the fear in Finan’s eyes and nodded to him, patting him on the shoulder. “Osferth and I will accompany you. We have to leave now.”

While Sihtric and Osferth prepared the horses, you packed up what little you could while Finan sought out Uhtred and told him of the situation at hand. Uhtred sighed, running his hands along his face as he sat at the table in the hall, Lady Gisela seated next to him, while Finan desperately pleaded with them to allow you both to escape before the King could give his orders.

Uhtred spoke sternly as his concern grew.

“Finan, it would be a betrayal if I let you leave.” 

Finan came over to sit close to Uhtred, grabbing his arm as he pleaded. “Lord.. I will return, I swear it. Please don’t let them take her.”

Gisela looked at Finan with sadness in her eyes, then looked to Uhtred who met her gaze. “We can act as if we were unknowing? That they left in the dead of night without warning us?”

Uhtred nodded in contemplation to Gisela, then returned his gaze to Finan. “And what of her father?” 

Finan pinched his lips together as he looked away. He looked back to them when an idea came to mind. “We can seek him out before he gets to Winchester, perhaps. Make him aware of the situation?”

Gisela leaned over the table, taking Finan’s hand. “And what if he is already close by? You’ll never make it to him before Alfred does.”

Finan shook his head, his heavy emotions coming through clearly in his eyes as he looked back to Uhtred.

“Take her to Aethelflaed at Saltwic. The two of you can hide there and I will help in any way that I can,” Uhtred said. “But the two of you must go alone. Alfred may dispatch us to Mercia. And in that case, we will ride to you and give you word when we have it.” 

Finan stood from his seat, Uhtred joining him. Uhtred embraced him with a firm pat on the back, Finan giving him a grateful nod before swiftly leaving the hall.

Sihtric and Osferth helped you both prepare for the journey, then disappeared into the night inconspicuously.

You grabbed Finan’s hands as you prepared to mount your horse, your eyes searching his desperately for affirmation as you trembled, the fear taking hold of you as you realized what consequences Finan could face by helping you to escape once again.

“Finan, let me go. I won’t risk your life for this!!”

Finan shook his head, meeting your gaze with his dark brown eyes and bringing your hand up to bestow a kiss. “I will never leave ya… And you will never leave me. I forbid it.”

Finan gave you a soft smile before pulling you in closely, giving you a passionate kiss.

You and Finan left in the middle of the night on one horse, little belongings, and only a full moon to guide the dark road.

As Constantin and Domnal rode on their horses that night together, your father was not his usual self. He was deep in thought and pondered what would have been his upcoming plans for you this Autumn when you returned home from Wessex.

Domnal looked over to him curiously. “Uncle, what is it?”

Constantin laughed. “I was just thinking about the Princess. When she returned to us, I was going to introduce her to the son of my late friend and offer a betrothal. And now… we are here.”

“Who is it?” Domnal asked.

“King of Ulaid, in Irland. It's ironic that she has seemingly found an Irishman in Wessex… But he should be no match for this union.”

Domnal cringed, knowing the man your father was talking about. “I thought that eager bastard already had a wife?”

Constantin hummed. “She just recently died. It would give us a noteworthy alliance with Northern Irland, hm?”

Domnal shook his head before he spoke. “You think she would bend to that agreement so easily? And with the likes of him? I would say not.”

Constantin laughed. “She has yet to meet him. Perhaps he could put his charms on her. He has already requested a meeting. In fact, I sent word for him to meet us in Mercia. It’s only right that her soon to be betrothed aid us in her retrieval.”

Domnal sighed. “I don’t like this, Uncle. And I know Conall, he is not a good man. You said you would never force her into such an arrangement.” 

Constantin raised his voice suddenly. “And that was before the Danes came knocking at our door every other week this Spring! She has been untamed for long enough.” 

Domnal nodded. He was not looking forward to what was to come. He knew you would never agree to a forced marriage. And with the man your father was proposing… you were destined to a life of misery.

>>>> Part 7

Taglist: @gemini-mama @persephones-journey @justanother-sihtricgirlie @bhxrdy

@ficnation @bcon24 @alexagirlie @whitedarkmoonflower @itbmojojoejo

[rlaehrwk21]

yeah, he's a fucking nutcase, but have you seen his swordskills???

[eldhuug]

AH i finally settled on some designs for the main charas in the rdr2 witcher au I have in my head :-)) if youre interested in some more details, keep reading!

Arthur: Wolf witcher who struck out of his old school alongside his two father figures, and has been standing by their goal of funding their own witcher school. Not very up to date with what they’re doing, but is their main source of stable income. Meets Charles on his travels and falls in love inbetween the growing political intrigue he’s forced to try to understand. Jack of all trades kind of fighter, but has especially beautiful swordskills.  Charles: Bear school witcher who has lived a really long time on his own, and took a chance doing work alongside a kind of witcher he knew roamed in packs. grew fond enough of Arthur to help him fund a place they might both call home. One of the few witchers who hunt animals as much as monsters, and uses very few signs. Molly: A down on her luck sorceress trying to find a noble kind of adventure, scorned by her family as she’s attempting to join in on the aspirations of Dutch. Struggles to not be the only magic wielder in the group, and her isolation and fear of both being a burden and being unexeptional drives her to loose controll of her magic abilities. Lenny: A man with an almost impossible level of luck, Lenny survived the trial of the grasses by the skin of his teeth despite being concidered too old to have any change of living through it. An exeptional sign user, he’s an academically minded young witcher who does a lot of research on both enhancing signs, and brewing new types of potions. Both Hosea and Dutch view him as their protegee, and he juggles the expectation to be a researched and a future leader as best as he can.  Dutch: Struck out from the school of the wolf in a dream to create his own stronghold for witchers where they would view each other like a family and treat their fellow men with compassion and kindness. His drive to cement his legacy as one of historys most impactful men hounds at him, and as his dreams keep expanding his desperation grows alongside it.  Hosea: Used to primarily be a potion teacher before he struck out with Dutch to see the ability of proper future for himself and the love of his life. Initially incredibly sceptical of the endevour and Dutches insistance of letting anyone of any school join their group, he tries his best to leave a legacy through Lenny and their shared research. 

[keiteiken]

my bloggos~

@getsusekaii - future something blog @yorehhs - new mumu blog @fiendmuse - csm multi @10-ace - future hintana shoyou blog @swordskills - hoshina soshiro blog @kingyo-no-ha - chihiro blog @enigmatic-mouse - jane doe blog

also a low key blue lock blog and wind breaker blog

[iamumbra195]

The other day I saw someone say that the plot of Bleach is mainly driven by the distrust and lack of belief in their friends’ character most of the main cast has in their friends, some examples being Chad and Orihime thinking that Ichigo will run away from the war if given the choice when Urahara told him to do what he believes is best despite Ichigo giving them no reason to doubt him And uryuu not telling anyone what he was doing with yhwach and the other Quincy despite obviously knowing before hand, thus making bleach very different then most shounen around the time it was created, given that those were driven by the trust and friendship the main characters had in one another. Even Ichigo himself refuses to rely on others, a fact of his character that’s made obvious in the arrancar arc where he think Rukia and Renji won’t go to heuco mundo with him to save Orihime and even refuses Ishida and chad’s help at first

and for some weird reason my mind has been fixated on a crossover between one piece and bleach where ichigo and Rukia end up in the one piece world

this is basically an AU where aizen attacks again after yhwach’s gone and everything goes kinda bad

ichigo ends up on an island near punk hazard three years before canon and five years before the timeskip (I’m making it up on the go). The island is a black smithing place where Mihawk’s Yoru and several other swords were made. Not going into details but it’s basically ruled by a tyrant and based of something in mythology

Rukia ends up at a revolutionary because a) I think she’s a great contrast to Sabo since she went from street kid to noble while sabo did the opposite and b) she’s a soldier in a corrupt military organization, the irony of having her end up with ppl who directly oppose an organization similar to the one she served, and being forced to acknowkedge the twisted corruption of the marines, a military organization headed by nobles. sound familiar? (Central 46 and the Gorosei)

like she technically knows that the soul society aren’t exactly the good guys they’re just the lesser evil most of the time so yeah, I think it’d be a great character arc also I think her sabo and koala would be a cool trio

you know what’s even more fun, neither of them have their original shinigami powers (yes, I nerfed them but I kinda have the reason why planned). They have their base swordskills and stuff but none of the fancy powers they had before, No zanpakuto, no kido. Just the basics.

They spend the next like five years adjusting, learning haki and or in Ichigo’s case, learning how to make a sword from the man who made Mihawk’s sword after making a deal to save the island from the tyrant

I love him and the weirdly fast way he learns everything so I’m applying it to this, where he wants to learn how to make a sword because none of the ones he tries feel right in his hands and he wants zangetsu back but obviously doesn’t have him so he goes about making a sword and eventually manages it after like four years

rukia on the other hand, gets her hands on a devil fruit in the second year since her arrival there— the cold cold fruit, the opposite of that Oven dude in Whole Cake Island. Obviously she eats it and learns how to use it. She’s not too creative with it at first because she misses Sode No Shirayuki but after a while she breaks that habit. The awakening would be something like her bankai because I love it and I really love her ice vibe. Also once again contrast to sabo’s flame flame fruit

blah blah blah, timeskip stuff happens and the straw hats, Law, and our favourite samurai hitch hikers get caught in a storm on the way to dressrosa and get blown into Ichigo’s island. More blah blah blah stuff that I haven’t planned and then Ichigo joins them. anyways back to my original point, the straw hats trust each other in a really great way like yes, they’ve had some bumps here and there but they would trust each other with their life AND lay down their lives for one another in the blink of an eye and that’s like a direct contrast to relationships in bleach and I think Ichigo would probably benefit from the knowledge that there are ppl that fully trust him and that he can also put his trust in

some one said in another post that luffy doesn’t have daddy issues, he has daddy solutions because he makes everyone’s daddy issue go away and Ichigo needs that shit on his life

also I think it would be really cool that since Ichigo’s whole life had been surrounded by the idea of death and a large part of his character arc in bleach is accepting death as part of life and finally moving on from his mother’s death, it would be another great character arc for him to genuinely start living his life as he likes and Luffy, the embodiment of freedom and working towards achieving your dream so you can live your life without regrets, is the best person to make Ichigo finally start living his life

this part is pretty much AU and kinda based off a fic but Ichigo’s dream in this AU would have to do with his fascination with languages and that he wanted to see the whole world to explore it and soothe the itch to run into the unknown headfirst. Pretty much wanderlust ichigo + language nerd ichigo

since he’s a blacksmith/sword smith as well, his conversations with zoro, Franky, nami, and robin would be cool plus his dad is a doctor so he’d have some medical knowledge as well so he and chopper would get along

also how could I forget the man himself, soul king brook? Brook knows there’s something fucky going on with Ichigo cause his soul is weird and brook has an awareness of souls as seen in canon. He’s basically a plus soul that’s piloting a skeletal body in a way. He’s able to see hollows and all that weird shit

this is such a fun idea I could talk about this for hours 😭😭

[skillscheck]

hoshina cups narumi's face, smiling softly. “didja know it's international kiss day?” he peppers small kisses along his cheek, missing his lips to kiss the other side. “gotta leave lots of 'em on you today, don'cha think,” he purrs questioningly, then kisses him deeply.

narumi is used to the one making his affections known considering they are as apparent as an upset child crying. he finds himself unexpectedly on the receiving end this time around when fox eyes decides to clutch his face with his hands. his attention is now solely on hoshina considering the way he was greeting him. the game he was currently engrossed is now on pause, there's a glimpse of his party members, but they are long forgotten. ❛ oh? ❜ his countenance hint at amusement with a brow raised, waiting to see what the other would do.

he knows the other's reflexes are lightning fast, but he thinks hoshina isn't playing fair. his lips coast along his face, small kisses are nothing more than a tease to what he truly wants. it seems hoshina has the same idea. ❛only if you let me do the same thing❜ fingers take the time to wraps his arms around the shorter male. the sigh of relief that leaves his mouth as he finds his lips planted against his. narumi takes the moment to relinquish one of his hands before gripping onto his shirt.

there is something sugary about the way hoshina is open to making his adoration known. the way his lips drizzle slow honeyed kisses, imparting the knowledge that narumi is his & that he's wanted. narumi finds himself matching it, fire needing to burn bright as he gets lost in the intensity of it. narumi feels dizzy with the way hoshina makes him feel, light-headed with fondness that could only be made for him. so he escalates it further once his sharp teeth sink into the bottom of hoshina's hair, he takes the initiative to tug on plum strands of hair. he will get lost in this kiss, he didn't care much for national kissing day so long as it ended with the other kissing him.

@swordskills

[swordskills]

❛one day i told my dad, 'i want to be a defense force officer.' i expected him to give me a pat on my head, like he always did. instead he called me into the tatami room, and with a melancholy expression...❜

#swordskills: an independent, private, mutually selective, dash only blog for the character hoshina sōshirō from the manga kaiju no. 8. written by rubii (they/21+)

❛give up on that sōshirō. you won't be able to protect anyone or anything with blades alone in this era.❜

[thedarkprinceofulaid]

"Oh Finan." I cup his cheek. "Your heart must be working double time." I whisper. "Come let us sit, have a cup of wine and speak." I invite him to the bench in front of my home, so we can watch Sihtric and Jari practise at swordskill.

Finan nods, sitting at the bench with you and interlacing your fingertips as he holds your hand on the table. He smiles as his gaze drifts to Jari, dancing around Sihtric and defending himself from his lunges.

“My heart is sick, there is no doubt. How foolish of me to think Hild would give up her Christian vows for me.”

[stormscall]

Domination is the name of the game when it comes to Nillida's desires Humiliating rivals, turning grand heroes of the free cities into slaves, having a personal harem, dominating her foes though her swordskills and though warfare, the works. Her ego wouldn't allow her to do anything else!