#the Titans are all so friend-shaped I love them so much

[nadas-dirthalen]

Dragon Age: the Veilguard Was Packed with Lore — But Many of Us Overlooked It

— PART ONE —

Welcome back, friends and travellers. If you've been here a while, you'll know that I wrote 30,000 words of predictions in the week and a half before DA:tV released. But here's the most surprising thing—I was right, for the most part.

I spent my first Veilguard playthrough grinning (and then sobbing) at all the lore reveals. And here's the thing: I think most of us missed a lot of them, including even me.

So let's begin with...

Titans: Dark and Light, Compassion and Rage, the Eternal Hymn and its Endless Listeners (1/2)

This is your warning: This post will contain spoilers for the entirety of Dragon Age: the Veilguard, and all Dragon Age content made before Veilguard.

Alright, pals. If you've been here a while, you know how this goes. I always start by listing what we're going to cover, like anyone who's never fully recovered from academia.

Today's Discussion:

What Veilguard (Re)Taught Us about the Titans

The Titans the first Shapers of the known world.

The Titans are beings of the Abyss.

The Titans are sleeping, dormant—but alive.

Dwarves are the Titans' children, created to tend them.

The Evanuris mined the Titans' bodies to create people.

The Titans—the Earth—fought back.

What Veilguard (Re)Taught Us about the Titans

The best thing about Dragon Age, as someone who loves the series to death, is that its worldbuilding is consistent, but also bears the unique quality that we, as players, are not aware of it all. Our protagonists in each game don't know everything; the people they learn from also don't know everything. We learn what we can through codices that are all biased and need an extra layer of decoding. This is a feature, not a bug.

It also means that we did not know how to understand the Titans before. Even my 30,000 words of theorycrafting, especially my piece all about the Titans, had elements of speculation. I had to check that speculation against other sources like the Chant of Light, which is a source that we REALLY did not know how to decode when it was revealed piece by piece in DAO, DA2, World of Thedas, and Inquisition.

Here, I'm going to break it all down, piece by piece.

The Titans were the first Shapers of the (known) world.

It is said in the Descent DLC that Titans are enormous beings whose singing shapes the world. Their existence predates much of Thedas, if not all of it. The Titans are called the first Shapers for this reason, and in Veilguard it is restated several times over that they did, indeed, shape the world—for instance, by Cole in Inquisition.

"Their ancient shapers were mountains drawn of all their wills, walking their memories into valleys of the world." —Cole dialogue.

Inquisition told us so much more about the Titans than just that, though. The Titans have a realm all their own, a counterpart to the Fade, mentioned over and again in the Chant of Light and referenced as a quest name in Inquisition.

Here lies the abyss: the well of all souls.

The Titans are beings of the Abyss.

Now, it's important that I mention right here that the Chant of Light has existed long before Inquisition. In fact, its tale is what opens DA:O as the game begins. Recently Eurogamer stated that BioWare has had a massive lore document for the 20+ years of its existence, and I believe that there is no truer example of this than in the Chant of Light itself.

The Abyss, for a long time, was a mystery to us. Inquisition cleared it up a lot—not only with its game content, but with World of Thedas' publication shortly thereafter.

Not only is the Abyss referred to in many elven codices, but we go there. The key locations of the Descent DLC—the Forgotten Caverns, Bastion of the Pure, and the Wellspring—are in a region called the Uncharted Abyss.

Now, with Harding, we go deeper into the Deep Roads than the average dweller. The same is true in that instance: venture down far enough, and we reach a Titan's heart.

We find a Titan's heart there. But the Titan does not wake—none have before DA:tV, and even then, they have not fully woken. Because, for as long as we have known...

The Titans are sleeping, dormant—but alive.

"It's singing. A they that's an it that's asleep, but still making music." — Cole dialogue.

There is so much Cole dialogue in Inquisition that speaks on the sleeping Titans, on their old songs that once sang the same, on how they will never wake up, that it would be folly to try and post every codex here. Suffice it to say: Cole knows of the Titans, knows of their songs, and knows they are asleep. He is one of the pathways to our knowledge of the Titans in Inquisition, and his words are peppered throughout the game.

The Chant of Light also makes reference to a mountainous Maker, who oft speaks about a forgotten mountain. When Andraste meets the Maker "in darkness unbroken," specifically, these words are used:

The Maker Appears to Andraste (7) Eyes sorrow-blinded, in darkness unbroken There 'pon the mountain, a voice answered my call. "Heart that is broken, beats still unceasing, An ocean of sorrow does nobody drown. — Andraste 1:7

Heart that is broken, beats still unceasing — a being who has been broken, but whose heart still beats. We can hear that, in the Descent DLC.

Veilguard confirms that both sources are true through Harding, her personal quest, and the codices for the Dwarven people.

Records that exist outside of Orzammar mention "great sleeping Titans" and "the First Ancestors." — Codex Entry: Harding's Notes: Orzammar and Titans

Harding's experiences in Veilguard, in this way, serve to prove Cole right. That is a deliberate narrative choice: BioWare's way of saying, Yes, this is true. Yes, you should take Cole's take on Titans as correct.

We also know, from Cole, that this state of being is permanent. Not only are the Titans asleep, but they don't know how to wake.

Songs screaming far away. It wants to wake up but can't remember how. No one should be here. — Cole dialogue.

This becomes crucial information in Veilguard, and central to the main plot. It serves as the backdrop for what actually matters most to the characters living in Thedas right now, which is...

Dwarves are the Titans' children, created to tend them.

By now, a lot of people have seen this reveal in the art book: the dwarves were created to tend to their Titan hosts/makers. But we knew this before—we just didn't know it in context, and therefore we did not believe it to be objectively true of Thedas.

In truth, we've known about the elves and the dwarves' origin since the Chant of Light came out in full with World of Thedas volume 2.

At last did the Maker From the living world Make men. Immutable, as the substance of the earth, With souls made of dream and idea, hope and fear, Endless possibilities. — Threnodies 5:5

I talk about it in more depth in my Chant of Light dissection, but what this verse says in context is that the dwarves (the Maker's second children) are beings crafted by the maker: bodies made of lyrium, souls made of the same "dream and idea, hope and fear" as the original spirits.

This concept has already been massively hinted toward with both Valta (who has become The Oracle in DA:tV) and Dagna, who both connect to isatunoll during Descent and Inquisition's base game, respectively.

We've known about the Evanuris' horrible crimes since before Inquisition, as well, for the same reason and from the same verses in the Chant of Light.

Until, at last, some of the firstborn said: "Our Father has abandoned us for these lesser things. We have power over heaven. Let us rule over earth as well And become greater gods than our Father." (8) The demons appeared to the children of earth in dreams And named themselves gods, demanding fealty. — Threnodies 5

With the context given to us by Trespasser and Veilguard, we know without a doubt that the Evanuris are those "jealous spirits" that comprise the Maker's first children.

And just like the Chant describes, they sought to conquer the earth: the realm of the Titans.

The Evanuris mined the Titans' bodies to create people.

Trespasser taught us so much of what we needed to know about the Evanuris' and Titans' conflicts. Its codices in the Deep Roads outline how it was Mythal, specifically, creating some of the first elves in the coffins found in that zone. The Temple of Solasan features coffins of the exact same kind.

Ir sa tel'nal Mythal las ma theneras Ir san'a emma Him solas evanuris Da'durgen'lin Banal malas elgara Bellanaris, bellanaris. — Codex: Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 3

My (updated) translation: Isatunoll Mythal gives you dreams Lyrium within Becomes Solas evanuris Little stone boy You give nothing to the Titan (anymore) Forever, forever.

Trespasser reveals that Mythal mined the bodies of slain titans and rendered their demesne unto the People: she conquered Titans and used their bodies for her own ends. The hints about these actions, however, are not exclusive to Trespasser, nor to Solasan. These seeds were planted all the way back at the Temple of Mythal.

Elgar'nan, Wrath and Thunder, Give us glory. Give us victory, over the Earth that shakes our cities. Strike the usurpers with your lightning. Burn the ground under your gaze. Bring Winged Death against those who throw down our work. Elgar'nan, help us tame the land.

This codex to Elgar'nan makes reference to Elgar'nan giving victory over the Earth (capital-E, the Titans). Trespasser would follow this up with much context—that it was Mythal who was first known to have slain Titans, "rendering their demesne unto the People."

I theorized that Mythal's mining of Titans for lyrium to make elvhen bodies was what angered the Titans, based on codices in Trespasser and the Temple of Solasan. (I go into much more depth there!) Veilguard confirms this theory in Solas' Memory #4: A Memory of Manifestation.

Solas: I have the Fade. Besides, this talk of taking on a solid form. When you took the glowing stone to build your body, did the earth not shake? Mythal: The lyrium gives us the strength we had when we were of the Fade. We are the best of physical and spirit.

Mythal's crime was what took the war with the Titans in a new, darker direction. It was what would set off the chain of events that would change the very nature of the world—and it was foreshadowed, back in Inquisition, by Cole.

The Titans—the Earth—fought back.

"They made bodies from the earth, and the earth was afraid. It fought back, but they made it forget." — Cole dialogue.

In this post, I theorized that it was Solas' creation itself that caused the first Titan to "go red." That is to say, to change its nature and fight back. I used codices from Trespasser and Solasan to get there, as well as one paragraph from World of Thedas and this codex on Fen'Harel that describe the Forgotten Ones as "beings of terror, malice, spite, and pestilence."

Thinking about those words, and specifically terror, I read the codex in the secret Deep Roads room in Trespasser with fresh perspective.

For a moment, the scent of blood fills the air, and there is a vivid image of green vines growing and enveloping a sphere of fire. The vision grows dark. An aeon seems to pass. Then the runes crackle, as if filled with an angry energy. A new vision appears: elves collapsing caverns, sealing the Deep Roads with stone and magic. Terror, heart-pounding, ice-cold, as the last of the spells is cast.

Terror. The first of the turned Titans. The fire/plant/ice imagery also caught my eye, and when I went back to Solasan to check, there were many hints that this was, indeed, where Terror came into being. (For more, go look at the most recently linked post in this section!)

Huge implications for Solas aside, what this codex taught me is that Titans' natures could change. This was confirmed in Veilguard many times over, yes—but my point here is that Inquisition taught this to me, just a few days before I gained the context of Veilguard. This was never a retcon! However, this lore plays exactly to BioWare's rules: we did not have the full context, and so almost no one read that Deep Roads codex as it was meant to be interpreted—including me, the first few times I read it!

It was only when I'd seen the achievement icons before Veilguard's release that it all clicked for me. All of the lore of Inquisition and everything before it made sense. That was never a bug, never a retcon, but a genius twist on BioWare's behalf: one that almost no one guessed at for an entire decade.

One that changes everything.

Titans, we know for certain now, behave as spirits. Obscure hints in World of Thedas, Inquisition, and the previous games have been confirmed in Veilguard. This new understanding changes not just the Titans, not just the dwarves, but reframes everything we know about the entire history of Thedas and how its magic system works.

______

Thank you for reading! It means a lot when people engage with these. And don't worry: I'm not nearly through with them. It's taken me a while to compile everything, but with more of Veilguard added to the wiki every day, it's a lot easier to compile things for these posts!

(Immense thanks to the wiki staff, of course. <3)

Up Next: Titans and Spirits are far more similar than we think, and it means everything.

[jet-teeth]

Been playing the other funny robot game again, now that the servers appear to be working again! Yippee Been a while since I drew any of the titans! Scorch is my fav/main, easily Bonus Orb Friend:

[luvfy0dor]

Bites or Hickeys? Various x GN!Reader ੈ✩‧₊˚

Warnings; suggestive, obv biting, hickeys, perhaps ooc,

Fandoms; Bungo Stray Dogs, Death Note, Attack on Titan, Obey Me

A/n; ogs remember when I was purple, but anyways happy 1 year of writing to me!! I'm super proud of my account and I'm so insanely thankful for all the love I've received and acquaintances/friends I've made. Thank you guys so much <3 even tho there have been times where I really thought I'd quit, I kept going and I'm so grateful I did

Bites ★

The feeling of their teeth sinking into your skin makes them feel almost electric, as if a spark has been lit inside their chest and cause an explosion of carnal desire. Some are softer with it, kissing and licking over the imprints of their teeth to soothe the mild pain it might have caused, but others just bite and move on to the next unoccupied spot. They can't help how desperate they are for you and to prove to themselves that they have you, and their affectionate gestures prove that theyre yours. After all, they'd never do the same for anyone else. Ofcourse after the heat of the moment died down, whether they were gentler or rougher earlier, they'd kiss over the indents and whisper soft praises and murmurs about whatever came to mind. Moments like those were their favorites- second to the actual rendezvous, ofcourse.

• RANPO, Dazai, Akutagwa, Kaji, Twain, Sasha, Zeke, Pieck, MELLO, Belphie, Satan, Leviathan

Hickeys ★

They prefer giving hickeys, sometimes because they think it's classier than biting, and others because they don't want to hurt you by biting too hard. They will, however, make you look just as ravaged, littering your pretty skin with dark, organically shaped marks. Their hands pin your wrists above your head while they suck and lick at your neck, humming as if they were enjoying a meal made by a world-class chef. Their eyes would flicker up to meet yours every now and again, lips curling upwards as they shove one of their knees between yours, allowing you to grind against their thigh while they make quick work of undoing your top and belt. They're far more shameless when they're leaving them along your thighs, so shameless that you almost look like you were bruised- no one was going to see them anyways, so why should they be modest? They'd be lying if they said being able to claim you in such a way didnt turn them on. ♡⁠˖

• fyodor, Sigma, Kunikida, Ango, Mori, Fitzgerald, Fukuzawa, Margaret, Poe, Erwin, Mikasa, Reiner, Historia, Lucifer

Both! ★

They simply can't choose, whether adorning your neck and thighs in dark, dotted half-moons or burgundy splotches, they can't get enough of you. They usually leave them in concealed places, but sometimes it's so difficult to not mark you up all over, especially when you're writhing underneath them and clinging to them like a vice because their lips and mouth just feel that good. You'd intertwines your fingers in their hair, pulling them closer or tugging them away when you're lying breathlessly in the wrinkled and messy sheets. They'd ask you if it's too much, rubbing circles into the sides of your hips with a wide, cheeky grin. God, you looked so good underneath them, all bashful and shy with your eyes half lidded and your lips slightly agape. Your labored breaths and quiet sighs were like music to their ears, so really, how could they choose just one when they could give you both and double the fun? ♡⁠˖

• NIKOLAI, Chuuya, yosano, bram, Oda, Atsushi, Lucy, Mushitaro, Tecchou, Tachihara, Eren, jean, Connie, Armin, Hange, maybeee levi, Ymir, Matt, Matsuda, Misa, im torn between both and neither for L, Mammon, Asmo, Beel

Neither ★

They prefer not to leave a physical mark on you, but rather give you a good time to remember them by. A mark will fade quicker than a memory. ♡⁠˖

• Nathaniel Hawthorne, Light, Jouno

A/n: hey chat I didn't realize today was my anniversary so I kinda speedran the characters, it might not be SUIUUPER in character so I'm sorry 😞

[hanjisungslag]

attack on titan headcanons #13

synopsis: they love you but, you love their best friend.

characters involved: eren, mikasa, armin, sasha, connie, jean, reiner, bertolt, annie, levi, erwin & hange

notes: i made my first ever lengthy fanfic! first 3 episodes are out so, go check it out!!

☆ eren jaeger - armin arlert

his heart is crushed to smithereens but, he’ll never ever show it because as long as your happy, that’s all he can ask for in this dreadful world plus, i’m sure armin would be happy for you so… it’s a bonus. i guess. he’ll be fine watching you two get together (no he won’t) (he’ll cry and punch a lot of things).

☆ armin arlert - mikasa ackerman

he gets it, mikasa is way better than him in several different ways but also, stronger than him. she has the resilience for what it takes to survive in this world, she’s not called a 100 man army for no reason! she can protect you and probably love you better than he could. finding out this news takes a huge toll on his self esteem to be honest 🙁.

☆ mikasa ackerman - eren jaeger

oh, TRUST ME! she’s been there and done that, she gets it, if not more than anyone. she feels very conflicted because she got over eren… developed feelings for you… now, you like eren? it genuinely just feels like someone’s playing a sick joke on her.

☆ jean kirsten - connie springer

okay this actually kind of shocked jean because he thought was IN, he was complimenting you, you seemed to be liking it and taking them well plus, you spent a lot of time together! but then, he found out from reiner that you were gossiping with the girls, giggling about connie… maybe he’s funnier? kinder to you? more… handsome?!

☆ connie springer - sasha braus

wow. he loves sasha but cmon, SHES SO STUPID😭. he starts being really mean about her, not to her face, but he’ll make a sly comment here and there in front of people. oh, she messed up on the training? god, she’s so incapable! she tripped and fell? god, she’s so unaware of her surroundings! how stupid, amirite? don’t fret, jean is always there to wack him over the head and tell him to shape up. he only does it because it genuinely really upset him. he liked you a lot.

☆ sasha braus - jean kirsten

oh! i mean i guess that makes sense, sasha is just kind of a kind of silly food lover but jean… jean is ambitious, strong and motivated. maybe that’s what you want in a partner. she definitely changes her habits just out of feeling sad, like not eating as much, being more quiet, becoming less playful etc. everyone’s super worried but she barely realises she’s doing it.

☆ reiner braun - annie leonhart

well i be damned 💀. reiner never thought he’d see the day but here we are, you like annie and he likes you. he likes annie, don’t get me wrong, and he totally sees her good traits but like… really? you have a CRUSH on annie leonhart? he’s more confused than anything. honestly he’s grateful after a while (not really) because you’re a devil (you’re not to him, you look like you’ve fallen from the heavens) and he has to kill you (he would never).

☆ bertolt hoover - reiner braun

deep sigh. deepest of sighs. QUICK EVERYONE ACT SURPRISED! bertolt has always been in reiners shadow, just because he’s more reserved doesn’t mean he’s any lesser than reiner, cmon! but, he realised that maybe you just want someone like reiner, someone’s who is extroverted and manly.

☆ annie leonhart - bertolt hoover

well then, this is quite the turn of event. annie and bertolt were so close, she can totally see why you’d like him and it’s a TOTAL weight off her shoulders. she would’ve never confessed, girls got too much going on so, thank god your eyes wandered somewhere else. but, it doesn’t make it any less harder watching you and bertolt…

☆ levi ackerman - hange zoë

yeah no, like he totally gets it 😂😂😂. you totally didn’t break his heart FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME IN THIS MANS LIFETIME. bro cannot catch a break… it’s chill though. he’s chill, your chill, everyone’s chill (i’m so upset i have to write this) although, he will act more irritated with hange, even more than usual, he’ll act like they’re a pain in the arse. but, it’s understandable hange is, after all, more fun, talkative, intelligent and an all round better person to be with.

☆ erwin smith - levi ackerman

SECOND PERSON THATS BEEN SNATCHED FROM ERWIN but, at least it’s not nile dok again. he totalllyyy gets it like, it’s the levi ackerman. the worlds strongest soldier? hello?? he may be short but he’s strong, fearless, can protect you and goodness gracious he is handsome!! it’s hard for erwin to watch however, he makes sure to bottle it all up and focus on the task at hand.

☆ hange zoë - erwin smith

erwin smith… wow. maybe hange was just too… annoying for you? that’s the only solution they can come to. you still come to visit them and ask about titans and what not, it’s so hard to hear you talk about all the time you’ve been spending with erwin when you used to spend that time with hange. they’ll divulge fully into their work and become more recluse for a while.

[navybrat817]

A little steam to power you through your Monday?

I barely made it, but I will take him. And a little something because I appreciate you.

Strike a Pose

Pairing: College!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: You get a front row seat to your roommate's latest photoshoot, which happens to feature your boyfriend.

Word Count: Over 1k

Warnings: K-I-S-S-I-N-G, college AU, nicknames, Bucky Barnes (yep, he's a warning)

A/N: A little more Titan and Starshine that no one asked for!❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

You were a bit surprised when your roommate, Roxy, messaged you to come to her recent photoshoot. A photography major who captured exquisite images, she was hardly ever without her camera. But she typically didn't ask you to show up for a session unless she specifically told you she planned to take photos of you. She hadn't in this case. She also ambushed you at the door of the studio and you wondered what was going on.

"Is everything okay?" you asked as she ushered you inside. 

"Just fine, but wait. Before you go any further," she replied, stopping you before you could take another step. "Did you talk to Bucky this afternoon?"

You raised an eyebrow and tried to get a read on why she was asking. You didn't go a day without talking to him and it still made you giddy that he usually reached out first. "Yeah, we're supposed to meet up in an hour. Why?"

"You know how I'm doing an athletic spread for my next project?" she asked before you nodded. "Well, one of my 'models' got sick today and I bumped into Steve and I asked if he wouldn't mind me taking some photos of him and he also suggested Bucky and-"

"They both agreed?" you guessed. It made sense that she asked. Steve and Bucky, especially with his boxing background, were both in amazing shape and certainly had the looks of models.

"They did. Steve should be here in a bit, so it's just Bucky and I for now."

You didn't feel a surge of jealousy or nervousness. There was no reason for it. "Unless you're hitting on Bucky, I don't see what the problem is," you teased. You trusted them and hoped you hadn't given either of them a reason to think you didn't.

"Hey! I take offense to that. I know he is your man and we both want you here," she huffed, making your heart flutter. Bucky Barnes was your guy. "He keeps looking at the door to make sure you're coming. He's down so bad for you."

That made your heart beat faster. He was waiting for you? "I was kidding about you hitting on him. I know you wouldn't do that," you assured her. You didn't want to hurt her feelings with a bad joke.

She flashed you a huge grin after a moment. "I know you were kidding. I was just giving you shit," she teased. Of course she was. "But speaking of your man, it is my duty as your roommate and friend to prepare you as much as I can: He's going to ruin your panties. I'm not kidding. Soaked. And it's only fair that as his girlfriend you should witness him in his glory before the film develops."

You almost sputtered as she practically dragged you further into the studio. "You act like I haven't seen Bucky... Fuck. Me."

"Right here, Starshine? I'm game if you are," Bucky winked.

Your boyfriend sat in the middle of the room surrounded by steam, looking the part of a young, modern king. It was unbelievable how he looked so commanding and he wasn't standing. Was it the sleeveless shirt that accentuated his muscular arms or the way.the light made his brown hair shine? Or was it confidence in his blue eyes as he unashamedly looked you up and down?

The whole package.

"Told you. Soaked panties," your roommate said as she checked her camera. "And for the record, I haven't seen Bucky fuck you, but if he keeps eye-fucking you like that, I just might."

"I can't help myself," Bucky said, licking his lips as he beckoned you closer with his finger. Your feet moved forward on their own accord. "She should be the one being photographed."

Your stomach did a funny flip. While you wouldn't say you lacked confidence, you wouldn't call yourself glamorous either. "I'm no model," you protested. 

"You could be," he said, taking your hand the second you were close enough. "You're so beautiful and I don't have enough pictures of you. It isn't fair. You're depriving me."

"You're ridiculous," you giggled before he pulled you into his lap. "This is an athletic photoshoot."

"Should we show her how you can put your legs behind your-"

"No!" you giggled more. 

"Okay," he chuckled, bumping his nose against yours. "But you really could be a model if you wanted to. Or maybe a ring girl."

"You'd let me walk around the ring in a bathing suit with no objection?" you asked, knowing Bucky would support you if you really wanted to. Lucky for you, he was the right kind of possessive boyfriend. He treated you with respect instead of like an object. 

"I would because I know you're leaving with me at the end of the night, Starshine," he said.

"Whatever you say, Titan."

You inhaled when he gripped your chin and forced you to meet his gaze. Your cheeks were so hot you were shocked you didn't burst into flames. You could try and blame it on the steam, but it was all him. 

Your Titan.

"Wait! Hold that pose!" Roxy ordered. "Ahh! This might be my best shoot yet!"

With Bucky as her model, you knew it would be. 

You paid no attention to the camera going off as you continued to gaze at Bucky. Beneath the flirty surface was tenderness in his eyes, a private moment amongst the flashing lights. Maybe you could get Roxy to make a couple of copies of the photos. One set for you and one set for him. 

"Now KISS!"  

And there was no hesitation when Bucky surged forward, capturing your lips in a devouring kiss. You moaned softly as he moved his tongue with yours in a heated dance, having to remind yourself that the two of you weren't alone. There was no way for you not to crave him though. 

Isn't that part of what young love is all about?

Except you hadn't said that word yet. 

Soon.

Oh, these two. More of them here. 💙 Love and thanks for reading! 💙

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[lynchs-finch]

Hands-On Viewing Experience

An N$FW Ross Lynch x gn!Reader Fic

Sum: You've known Ross for a while, albeit as a friend-of-a-friend. Though he's always been friendly and respectful (and pretty damn attractive,) you two haven't spent much alone time. However, when all of you and his friends cancel on the night's plans and he invites you in for a movie night, the two of you become much closer than you ever expected. Word Count: 4,362 Rating: Mature (Oral Sex, Language) A/N: This is my first real shot at any xReader stuff, so I hope you like it!

Ross stood in the doorway in front of you, in nothing but the pair of gray briefs he swore he was gonna throw out for being too small. A T-shirt and jeans wasn't underdressed after all, it seemed.

“Oh, what’s up?” A small grin broke on Ross’s otherwise tired face as he rested his hand on the door frame. “I didn’t think you were coming over. Everyone else cancelled.”

“Yeah, but I was really looking forward to all of us hanging out again,” Though you spoke fairly evenly, your thoughts were all jumbled up with a scantily clad Ross in front of you. His skin was a light pink all over with a slight glow to it. Maybe it was your imagination, but his muscles all seemed to pop more than usual. “Sorry, I should’ve texted first.”

“It’s chill. Actually, I just finished working out and was gonna have a little movie night with myself.”

“Oh, right,” You responded with a quick smile, expecting him to ask you to leave, “Well, I-“

“But, since you’re already here,” Ross nodded his head upwards, gesturing towards his home, “I wouldn't say no to a little company. Especially not yours.”

You take a moment to respond, just a little caught up on the fact Ross was inviting you in like he wasn’t half-naked. You and him were close enough, sure, and it was impossible to have an objectively sexy pop-rock star friend and not see him in his underwear from time to time, but Ross had never been one to just be half-naked in front of you.

When you glanced up at Ross, though, you got the impression he knew this just as well. His amber eyes, trained solely on you, glistened in a way familiar to you from all your nights out on the town. The look a half-drunk, half-dressed, wholly-horny Ross gave to whoever he decided would be that night's mistake. 

"Sure, why not?"  Considering your friendship, you might be shaping up to be Ross's and your biggest mistake of all. Still, as you watched his muscled frame step aside to let you in, you couldn't be more grateful neither of you were perfect.

As you walked through the doorway, you felt warm skin against your neck as Ross draped his arm over your shoulder. With his side hugged firmly against yours, you could feel him humming My Heart Will Go On  as well as you can hear it.

"Celine Dion? What, are we gonna watch Titanic or something?" You asked as Ross guided you into his living room. Even though you'd been to his place enough to know your way around, you didn't mind him guiding you around if he was this close.

"Don't judge me, okay?" Ross pleaded as you both came to a stop. He turned his head to look down at you, an exaggerated pout on his face.

"Of course not, it's a total classic or something," You responded, trying your best not to giggle. It was no secret Ross was more sentimental than the average guy, which was certainly something you loved about him, but it always struck you as a little humorous when he would recommend shows or songs that your grandma would criticize for being too sappy.

"Whatever, dude," Ross scoffed, removing his arm from your shoulder and patting you twice on the back, "I'll go grab the movie. In the meantime, you can sit here and rethink your taste in movies."

Despite his instructions, you found yourself standing still as Ross walked down the hallway to his room. Just like the rest of them, his back muscles seemed to bulge out from his body with a post-workout glow. Your eyes followed every muscle from his shoulder and down his spine, imagining how it'd feel to run your hands over them. Hard to the touch as your body would be pressed against his, something to grip while he shakes the bed f-

You shook your head, coming to your senses as he turned the corner. He was just your friend and nothing more, a fact you reminded yourself of as you went to sit down.

Ross's living room was comfortably familiar to you. Supported by hardwood flooring and surrounded by white walls, the living room housed brown leather couches and a small wooden coffee table. Against the wall behind them was a desk, flanked with two large black bookshelves, filled with photo albums, DVDs, and of course, books. 

The leather of the couch stretched as you sat down, and you stretched in kind, grateful to be sat anywhere after the walk to Ross’s place. Straight across from you was his TV, on top of a glass tabletop with two rows of shelf supporting it. Several gaming consoles, devices, and board game boxes sat atop them.

After a minute or so of shuffling coming from Ross's room, he returned, a DVD box in hand and blanket over his shoulder.

"Got it," Ross held the DVD up to show you, then tossing it up in the air and catching it with his left hand. With his right, he pulled the blanket off himself and tossed it to you.

As you spread the blanket over yourself, your eyes again drifted to Ross as he took the disc out of the box went to put it in. He bent down to the DVD player, sliding the disc in.

Though Ross claimed his underwear were two sizes too small, you didn't mind the snug fit. Not when they were practically tearing at the seams trying to hold his ass in them. You could see both cheeks clearly, big, round, and bouncing as Ross jostled his DVD player. 

"Piece of shit!" He grunted as he smacked around the poor device. Turning his head slightly, he added, "Sorry, it's a little slow. We've had this thing since my R5 days."

You probably mumbled out something like a response to Ross’s comment. Not like you would remember if you did, considering what started jiggling as Ross started roughing up his DVD player.

His dick was heavy. It had to be, considering how it had been saugging in his underwear since you'd gotten there. Now, with the aggressive motion of Ross smacking his DVD player, it swung up and down with such weight it pulled his underwear down a bit. Had the machine not been such a little bitch and began functioning, you might have gotten to see everything.

"Alright, it's working for now," Ross huffed, pulling up his underwear and resting his hands on his hips. So much for finding out why he was cast as Austin Moon. "Hopefully it'll hold out long enough for us to watch the whole thing. You thirsty?"

"What-?" You blinked several times, assuming you'd been called out for your not-so-subtle staring. You didn't think you were looking anywhere indecent, but his whole body was a minefield of places you could get lost daydreaming about.

"Are you thirsty? For a drink?" Ross tilted his head, a little confusion in his voice. "I just got sponsored by this sports drink company and they gave me more juice than I could ever want."

"Oh! Sure, yeah, totally," Affirmatives stumbled out of your mouth as you felt your face grew hot. The only thing keeping you from bursting into actual flames on the spot was the knowledge that you avoided the thousand-times worse situation of Ross knowing you were checking him out.

You somehow salvage the name of your favorite flavor from of the housefire of embarrassment that was your brain, telling it to Ross. With a smile as relaxed and charming as always, Ross gave you a nod and went into the kitchen.

Not more than a minute later, Ross returned, two cartons in hand. 

“Heads up,” He called, tossing a carton to you and opening his red mixed-berry drink. Although you fumble it into your lap, Ross gives you a supportive thumbs up anyway.

The cap to the drink was unnecessarily complicated, taking all your focus to figure out and open (un-latch, un-hook, push down and twist? It's a surprise you didn't have to answer an algebra problem, too.) You were so focused, in fact, that you didn't notice Ross coming to sit next to you until he was practically on you.

Ross's couch was a three-seater, with room for two more people than that. With all that space on the sofa available to him, Ross chose to sit directly next to you. Not elbow-to-elbow close, not even arm-to-arm close, but him-slinging-his-arm-over-you-and-pulling-your-body-into-his close.

Even holding you against his barely clothed body, Ross was as nonchalant as ever.

"Okay," Ross sighed, seeming to lean against you as he settledhimself into the couch. After navigating the Blu-Ray menu to the "Play Movie" button, he turned his head to look at you, "Comfy?"

His face was inches from yours now. Minuscule details about him became clear to you- his stubble, the dimple on his right cheek, and several tiny blemishes on his face normally concealed by makeup. Things you hadn’t been able to see before, things most people never would, glowed in the dim light of his TV as his warm, minty(?) breath grazed your face.

"Yeah," You whispered, "I am."

For the most part, you and Ross were quiet after that. Though your focus was mostly on the fact that Ross and you were so close while he was so naked, the parts of Titanic you did focus on were pretty alright (even if all your investment in the story came from imagining Ross as Jack and yourself as Rose.)

After about the halfway point of the movie, (that is, an hour and a half of him cradling you against his body,) Ross began to slide his arm down your back. Casually, while he made some comment about the film. He rested it low on your body, his forearm wrapping around your waist and hand exerting a slight grip on your hip. His index finger played around with your waistband, like it was waiting for your permission to rip your pants clean off.

With the suggestive placement of Ross's hand, your mind started swarming with the same thoughts it had been earlier. Feeling you up, watching Titanic, being half-fucking-naked alone with you- if he wasn't trying to communicate he was into you, then he was communicating how in-sane he was.

So, you rested his head on his shoulder. Considering how close you were, it was barely more than a slight tilt, but Ross noticed. He rested his head on top of yours, giving your hip a light squeeze.

“Y’know, I’m actually kinda glad everyone else cancelled on us,” Ross spoke, his voice low and quiet, yet still reverberating through your head, "I'm glad we're spending some one-on-one time together."

"Me too," You responded, your hand finding a comfortable spot on Ross's thigh, "I can't remember the last time it's been just me and you."

"It hasn't," Ross responded quickly, then following up with an awkward, "I mean, you were my brother's friend first, so we usually only hang out with him around."

Before you could appreciate the fact Ross was as fixated on the fact you two were alone as you were, you felt his head turn until you could hear his slow, deep breathing in your ear.

"That's why I never made my move before," With every word, the soft skin of his lips brushed against your ear. Though his voice was even lower than before, it seemed a thousand times louder than the movie playing in front of you.

It took every ounce of boldness within you to turn your head too. Nose-to-nose with Ross, you could tell he’d let you kiss him right then. Still, you couldn’t resist letting this moment go on a little longer.

“Well, he’s not here now,” With every word, your lips brushed against Ross’s the slightest bit, “But you haven’t done anything yet.”

Ross broke into a smile, “You think I haven’t made a move tonight?”

“I think you haven’t made the move tonight.”

Ross opened his mouth, which you presumed was to speak. Anticipating his next words, you were surprised as the banter between you both was cut short by Ross kissing you on the lips.

For a second, didn’t register it was happening. He barely had to move to reach your lips, and you didn’t move at all. It was two or three seconds before you even thought to kiss back. It was nice, but Ross pulled away too soon for you to appreciate it fully.

“There,” Ross ran his hand through his hair, “That better?”

"A little," You said. Amazingly, even as heat rose through your chest and face, you played it cool. 

"A little? What, you want more?" Ross responded, not really a question or offer. Just a statement of fact, plain and simple.

Paying Ross back in kind for catching you off guard before, you leaned in and kissed him in place of a response. You shimmied your hand up his back and placed your hand behind his head, making sure he wouldn't pull away so quickly.

The best part of kissing Ross wasn't that he was objectively amazing at it. It wasn't his silky hair in your hand or soft lips on yours. It wasn't even him caressing your lower back under your shirt. It was how he smelled.

God, he smelled good. More than good, intoxicating. His woodsy deodorant mixed with his post-workout musk filled your nostrils he pulled you in closer, driving you crazier with every whiff you got.

Eventually, his lips weren’t enough for you anymore, and you began to kiss him across his cheek and jaw, settling on his neck. It was thick and smelled strongly of Ross's cologne- of Ross, that every ounce of restraint escaped your body along with desperate breaths and yearning moans.

You felt Ross’s deep moans vibrate in his throat as you took bits of loose skin between your teeth and ran your tongue over his larynx destabilized by heavy breaths. Your free hand roamed his chest, rock-hard just as you predicted, eventually finding it's way down to his navel. Without hesitation, your fingers began to tug at the waistband of his underwear, and questions of whether your prediction about what was underneath were as true as those about his abs.

"Take 'em off," Ross spoke in an authoritative tone you'd never heard before, "I know you want to."

You wanted to, more than Ross could ever you did. The second Ross raised his hips up to allow easy removal, you yanked his underwear down to his knees.

You stared at his cock. Gawked, even. How could you not? You'd been daydreaming about it for the past 90 minutes daydreaming about it.

It was more than everything you thought it'd be. So thick it couldn't stand up on its own, Ross's dick rested against his stomach. You couldn't tell it's exact length, but experience and intuition told you it was comfortably within the ballpark of 8 inches of length. It was a couple shades  lighter than the rest of his body, with the head and balls a light shade of red. A couple of veins ran across it, the most notable being a thick, jagged line from the head of his dick to the bottom of his shaft. If you weren't so dead set on getting it into one or more of your holes, you'd find yourself intimidated.

Ross tilted your head upwards, shifting your gaze from his cock to his smirk. He didn't have to use his words to ask if you liked what you saw, and you didn't have to use yours to tell him you did. Instead, you both found yourself leaning into another kiss.

It felt natural, the way your bodies turned to face one another's, even though your first kiss with him wasn't five minutes ago. Arching your back and leaning into him, Ross wrapped his arms around you and laid on his back, pulling you down with him.

With the help of gravity, Ross's cock was pressed up against your chest. Though you weren't getting any skin-to-skin contact, you still felt the massive mass of meat below you. Arms gripped tight around you, Ross jerked your body upwards and downwards, creating friction on his dick that caused the vibrating moans you felt leave his mouth and enter yours.

Soon, you realized once more that Ross's lips weren't enough for you, and you knew his neck wouldn't be either. Once Ross's grip on you loosened, you moved from his mouth to give a quick kiss on his neck, then finally biting his left nipple.

"Shit!" Ross bucked his hips into your chest, but your mouth remained sucking on his nipple. You kept kissing and biting it, moans vibrating in your chest as Ross grinded his cock against it.

By the time you moved on, licking every single one of Ross's abs and the space between them. The lower you got, the fewer places you could lick that didn't have some hair bristling pleasantly against your tongue. Your shirt was wet with precum from Ross's rock-hard dick, stil rubbing up and down against your neck. With the sounds and movements he was making being so desperate, you knew exactly what he needed from you.

So, your tongue continued its journey down Ross's body, until it was finally at the base of his cock. Your tongue ran in half circles around Ross's shaft, a little less hairy than his navel. His hips were continuously pumping up down slightly, grunting like he was trying to keep himself calm and failing miserably.

You gave a few teasing licks to the bottom of his shaft, right over his vein, before pulling away and pleasuring his balls instead. His hips shot up as your tongue touched the skin under his balls, and he shouted a couple explosives as you continued licking.

Finally, he yanked your head away, reddening and gasping for breath as he told you, "Just- Fuck- Just focus on my dick, 'cause that's- that's too fucking much for me right now."

You nodded in agreement, promising yourself to return back down there to make him cum. With the power to completely unravel Ross, to leave him blushing and creaming and gasping for air, it would be criminal not to use it.

In the meantime, you did what he asked of you and lifted your head upwards, leaving less than an inch between your lips and the head of Ross's cock. It glistened, already leaking precum like Ross was ready to blow. A firm lick could've finished him off, but you intended on making this last.

You tasted Ross's precum, pressing the tip of your tongue on the head of his dick. He whimpered, placing his hand on the back of your head without exerting any pressure. The liquid was warmer than his skin, citrusy and rich with a flavor you'd never tasted before, that left you wanting more and more.

Running your tongue all over the head of Ross's cock, you lapped up all rest of the precum as Ross released soft sounds of pleasure. His hips rocked up and down ever so slightly, like his body was moving in a pleasure-driven trance that slowly intensified as you explored his cock further. His body jolted each time your tongue explored somewhere new, returning to an increased pace of thrusting right after. From under the head, down his shaft, and around the base, your tongue had thoroughly mapped out Ross's cock before your lips even touched it. He was moaning and pumping his hips, but you were just getting started.

After quickly licking off the precum on Ross’s cock again, you took the head into your mouth. You only intended to put a little into your mouth, but Ross bucked his hips into the air, and before you knew it, you had the head of his dick against the roof of your mouth.

“Mmfph!” You exclaimed, mouth full of cock. It wasn’t uncomfortable, nor was enough of it in that you couldn’t breathe, but it did surprise you. Readjusting quickly, you made space in the back of your mouth so that Ross could continue thrusting up and down without triggering your gag reflex.

From the sounds he made, you were putting him and heaven. He grunted and groaned, barely taking time to breathe between each noise. Cursing and moaning your name, you felt his hand press your head further down on his cock.

You took the extra length in your mouth in stride, gripping your left thumb and hoping for the best. Almost all of his dick was in your mouth, air coming into your throat every spare second Ross was out. 

It wasn’t the action of sucking dick that brought you pleasure, though. It was Ross’s reaction, becoming ever more frantic and aggressive the longer you had him in your mouth.

“Holy fuck, you’re fucking-“ Ross gasped, unable to finish his sentence before letting out a shuddering moan. He hadn’t said anything, but you could tell he was close.

After another few seconds, you pulled your mouth off his cock and licked his shaft once again. Predicting his upwards thrust at the change in sensation, you only licked halfway down his dick, letting his sudden motion bring the base up to your tongue. As his hips fell, you lowered your head with them, running your tougue around and under his balls.

Like before, Ross's reaction was explosive, but you were prepared this time. You wrapped one hand around his cock and stroking, pressing down on his abs to keep his hips from jumping too high as he cried out with pleasure.

"Oh my g-" Ross, gasping for air, wriggled ferociously even as you held him down. Your tongue would've quite literally driven him up the wall were he standing.

A waterfall of expletives and precum flooded out of his mouth and cock respectively, and you could tell by the tension of his cock in your hand that his climax was near. The more intensely he grunted and cussed and thrusted his hips, the quicker your tongue ran all over his balls and your hand jerked off his cock.

"I'm g- I'm gonna-" Ross yelled, and you jumped into action. Your head rose up and you put as much of Ross as could possibly fit into your mouth. 

Five ropes of thick, citrusy cum fired into the very back of your mouth as Ross fired off every exclamation he knew of. His face, you could see, was redder than the carton of mixed-berry he'd guzzled down earlier. His mouth gaped and his gaze was trained straight onto you, brimming so thoroughly with lust that you wondered how he contained it for as long as he had.

As more ropes shot into your mouth, you felt Ross push your head even further down onto his cock and say your name. A whisper at first, but he repeated louder and louder as his load just kept coming. 

You locked eyes with Ross and, even as you began to feel the need for air get to you, you felt like you could be there with him forever, being filled with cum, attraction, and even the slightest hint of love.

Finally, Ross released your head and you pulled away, swallowing all his cum in one gulp, followed by as much air as you could. You coughed a little as Ross sat up across from you on the couch, running his hand through his hair dampened with sweat.

With a still-reddened face, all he could say was your name with a contented smile and look of adoration.

"What?" You teased, keeping your cool in spite of everything. Rather than respond with words, Ross crawled forward and kissed you, pushing you over with his body weight. 

You were fully prepared for him to return the favor when you heard a car pulling into the driveway.

"Shit, that's Rocky," He muttered, leaping off of you and searching the floor for his underwear, "I thought he'd be out longer."

Once he found them, Ross scrambled into his underwear and rushed to his room. Obviously, you watched his butt jiggle as he ran away.

"Act normal!" He called as he turned into his room.

Moments later, Rocky walked in through the door, eyes widening as he saw you.

"Hey. Didn't think you'd be over," He said, glancing at Titanic still playing on the TV. "Where's Ross?"

Before you had to make up some lie, Ross reemerged from his room, now in a lavender t-shirt and shorts, smiling casually like nothing happened between you two.

"Sorry, I spilled some juice on myself and had to go change," Ross walked up to his brother and pulled him into a side hug, "How was the dentist?"

"Shitty. I thought I could watch some Golden Girls to relax, but if you guys are busy..."

"No, it's okay," You spoke up, face flushing with heat, "I was just going anyways."

Ross looked surprised, "You were?"

You gulped. You really, really wished you could stay, but everything you wanted to with Ross would be made awkward with the knowledge his brother in the house. Besides, if you stuck around Ross too long, you were certain Rocky would catch on to whatever was happening between you two.

"Yeah, I... gotta get up early tomorrow."

Ross looked disappointed, but walked you out to your car, standing close enough to you that your hands brushed repeatedly.

"I'll see you around," You told Ross, sticking your key in the car. 

You turn around to face him, and he pulls you in for a kiss. A quick one, though the way he lingered pulling away told you he wanted more.

"Make it soon, okay?" Ross grinned, checking you out one last time as he turned around, "I owe you some head."

You watched him walk away one last time, the butterflies in your chest running wild as you stepped into you car. Though you couldn't tell what you had just yet, you knew it wasn't ending any time soon.

~~~

A Little More Ross for anybody interested

[noonblight]

Arven, And The Habits Built By Parental Neglect

So I was going to make this big song and dance post about Arven’s entire arc and character psychology but I think other people have picked that one apart better than me. However I DO still want to talk about something I haven’t seen addressed too much.

As much as I think the phrase ‘love language’ is a gross over-simplification of psychology (and also not real, go look it up, the guy who made it was awful) it’s actually a really fitting term for the thing I want to talk about, which is how Arven has built up a habit of caring for others despite the neglect his parents showed him, and made it a core part of his personality. In essence, he’s deemed himself the ‘mom friend’ because he never had that kind of support growing up.

You can see this throughout multiple parts of the game, but here’s my list of favourites:

• If you pick the dialog option and say that you’ll go along with Arven’s quest-line before he explains what you’ll be doing, he exclaims that you have no sense of caution for your own safety. That you shouldn’t just go brazenly dashing into agreements like that.

• He is always looking after Mabosstiff so tenderly, and while a lot of this is due to them growing up together, I think it’s the way he shows his care for Mabosstiff that communicates my point.

• After noticing Miraidon eat your sandwich, he begins to make extra ones so that you don’t go without one. He even splits his own sandwich with you after Miraidon steals the first one you ever make together.

• He mentions that he cleans his dorm every day he’s there because Maboschiff sheds fur a lot.

• Post-Game, he admits that he would like to be a chef who can make good food for others.

Basically, I adore the tiny writing detail that even Arven’s positive traits are still shaped by the parental neglect that he went through, because it’s surprisingly realistic for the writing of a kid’s game.

He’s messy, he’s allowed to grieve and be confused about his feelings openly, he’s allowed to be irritable and strange in the eyes of others. But the game also never lets you forget how much he truely cares for others, even those he doesn’t know very well.

This can also be subtly inferred from just how amazingly fast Arven manages to raise a team that is arguably the only bordering-on-difficult fight in the game. Arven claims to not be a good trainer and claims Mabosstiff was his only pokémon before the events of the game (we can infer this from how he mentions after your first battle with him that he only just caught that Skwovet)

But just look at how fast he manages to make a team! Your trainer is always complimented for their rapid success, but man, they should look at Arven who doesn’t even have that much skill at the start of the game. I like to think this improvement is a direct result of his care for his Pokémon, and his desire to help and protect others. It’s no wonder why he claims in the post-game tournament that he’s been working super hard to build a team that can protect his loved ones, he really means it.

Arven also has a terrible habit of attempting to do most things by himself until the absolute last minute. He refuses to ask Nemona for help with the titans despite knowing she has the skills for it. He only asks you when he’s at his wit’s end starting to lose hope in Mabosstiff, and notices that you had the skill to work with Miraidon.

Even more than all that stuff I mentioned before however, I adore the end cutscene of the game for taking Arven, this character who displays all these little quirks, and then turns around and says ‘it’s your turn to be cared for by people who care about you, you don’t need to do this alone’

Nemona tells the group to take the scenic route home.

Penny suggests snacks.

Miraidon gently pushes Arven toward the group.

And the last scene in the game is so important for that reason, Arven is finally having others care for him. After everything that has happened, he has at least a few people who will support him and show him that care his parents lacked.

So anyway happy holidays, have that shoddy analysis <3

[brucewaynehater101]

i want you to know that i scroll through your posts and interactions just to find all your fic recs and open new ao3 tabs.

your tim parenting Bruce au has destroyed me and I love it so much thank you for your service.

do you have any more particularly gut wrenching aus cooking up in your genius noggin?

Heeeey. How'd you know I had a new AU I haven't released yet?

But before we get into that, thank you for the compliments. Angst is my favorite flavor.

As far the AU, you know the saying, "You either die as a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain"?

I feel like that could fit Tim so well.

How I imagine the AU to start out would be Tim as Robin. He's in the batcave with Bruce as the man is showing him a particularly devastating case. Bruce, his mentor but not his father, turns to Tim with a grimmace.

"There's a reason we have a code, Tim."

They both glance at Jason's memorial and Bruce's hands start to shake.

"As much as we may want to give in to our desires and emotions, we can't stoop down to their level. There needs to be lines we won't cross, even for the greater good."

Azure eyes snap to arctic ones, begging for the younger to understand.

"We do this to protect others, even those who are twisted and foul. We aren't the judges or executioners."

Tim nods in agreement, and Bruce's shoulders lose a little of their tension. The older man pats the teen's shoulder in pride before his attention goes back to the murder case.

Tim, as Robin, had many interactions with Bruce that shaped who he was as a vigilante. How much force to apply when fighting, what lines to cross, and acceptable codes of conduct were taught to the kid in several instances. It didn't matter that Bruce himself had broken them or that, on very rare occasions, Dick also broke them. They were rules Tim was expected to follow, and they were reasonable lines. Of course, Tim did everything he could to meet those standards. He may have trained with Lady Shiva, and YJ may get into so whacky ordeals, but there's no excuse to go outside of those bounds.

It became difficult, though, when Jason beat Tim into the floor of Titan's Tower. When Jason, after hurting several family members, was welcomed back. It became a strain on Tim when Bruce enacted the 16th Birthday present fiasco or Tim found out about what the man had done to Dick (the bruise he left on Dick's face after Jason's passing). It was demanding to follow those rules when Damian came into the picture and when Dick handed him Robin.

When Tim found that painting of Bruce, when Dick and the JL turned their backs on him, when YJ wasn't there to support him, some part of Tim said "fuck it." Why should he follow standards he had to leash Bruce into obeying? The man wasn't even here anymore.

He still tried, but he gave less effort to it. He didn't want Bruce to find out when he returned after all.

But Tim? He never returned from that desert. As far as the Bats become aware after Tim sends them the data for Bruce and then blows up the bases, Tim died in the explosions he caused.

And the rest of the AU goes into Tim exploring how the guidelines Bruce gave him were bullshit, so he slowly starts to let more and more go until he has no moral bounds anymore. He's seen Bruce, Jason, Damian, Barbara, Alfred, and Dick all break one or more of these "rules" that were placed on Tim. So why should Tim go along with it?

What does it matter if he betrays, manipulates, tortures, and kills if it saves the most people? What does it matter if he commits suffering if he's helping people?

Until, one day, Bart and Kon are on the other side of the battlefield from Tim. While Bart is steadfast in defeating Tim (no matter how much it pains him), Kon is devastated that Tim never told him he was alive. He doesn't even care that Tim is a villain. If he had just asked, Kon would've joined him.

It's too late now. Bart needs Tim to stop, Tim can't let Kon join him, and Kon is torn between his duty and his friend.

So Tim does what he always does, he sacrifices himself. He allows them to take him into holding, executes his plan to murder all villains left, places restrictions on the JL (so they'll never hurt anyone the way they hurt Tim and abandoned his friends again), and then Tim disappears. Bart opposing Tim was the sign that Tim was in the wrong. He knows that. If he wasn't, Bart would've been on Tim's side no matter how morally grey he got.

Tim had crossed into the black.

He became what he always feared he might one day be.

[tiredfox64]

Hi! I hope you are having a good day/evening! 🤩

If it's okay with you, I'd like to see a Shang Tsung (MK11 or Titan! Shang) x afab!powerful! reader fic. I was thinking of a character who is kind to friends, so much so that she seems harmless, but lethal to enemies 💚🐍

I ask you to imagine their first meeting and how things might evolve from there, trying to avoid the non-con as much as possible (I don't feel comfortable with it 😢)

Give vent to your imagination! 😍

Beauty Like A Butterfly, Pain Like a Wasp

Yip notes: Ugh we love gorgeous gorgeous men with a very petty attitude.

Pairing: Shang Tsung (MK11) x Afab reader

Warnings‼️: None...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Could a creature ever be friendly but also deadly? Shang Tsung believed something like that was impossible. Perhaps a dog fits the criteria but never a person. He truly means friendly and kind. Not humble and peaceful like Liu Kang would portray. Someone who will make people smile with no ill will. Someone who draws people in with their aura and demeanor. But alas, he has never once found a person like that.

That was until Shang Tsung set his eyes on you.

You were as graceful and bloodthirsty as a butterfly. As kind and cuddly as a bumble bee with a wasp’s wrath. He has only seen such beauty in Sonya Blade, but never the same warm aura that you radiated. He believed your friendliness was a façade or a trick just like he would portray. But that mask never slipped off during the time you and him spent together.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Shang Tsung’s first encounter with you was unforgettable because of how unexpected it was.

He journeyed through realms trying to find souls that might be a great addition to his collections. He hoped to find someone worthy to either trick into being his pawn or feasting upon their souls But all he could find were regular beings who had nothing extraordinary about them. Sure, some people looked like they had amazing strength but it was nothing compared to Goro or Kintaro. There was definitely nobody around who seemed to wield any magic. No one stood out just yet. He needed to wait. His patience would be rewarded.

You stood not too far away. You were among your friends, laughing and making them smile whenever you gained the chance. To them, you were the equivalent of an angel. You were the sweetest thing the gods could have given the world with your friendly demeanor and ability to make anyone your friend. The emo girl who usually sits alone is as much your friend as the guy who keeps going to jail for things he “supposedly” did. That’s the kind of person you are.

However, not everything about you is on the surface. Secrets lie even in honest and sincere people. They may not seem like secrets to you but to others, they believe they are since it’s a shock to them. This secret of yours will be revealed to Shang Tsung. Would you like some Netherrealm demons to help bring it out? They will show up in about 5…4…3…

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!”

…now.

You swiftly turned around and heard the ground crumble as many hands started clawing their way out. Soon, horns of many shapes and sizes emerged from this burning hole. There should be no reason for demons to emerge in the streets. But creatures from Netherrealm don’t play nice. If they want to invade a realm so badly they would. And right now they want to bring hell upon your home.

Fuck that noise.

You pushed your friends in a certain direction and told them to run without looking back. You watched as people ran around with these demons roaring and growling like the ferocious beasts they were. A switch flipped inside of you and that bright, cheerful attitude turned into one of aggression and hostility. Shang Tsung was not too far from the spectacle he was about to witness.

You bent down to grab a rock, no bigger than the palm of your hand. You observed it to make sure it would be stable enough for what you were about to do next. You reeled back like a baseball player while keeping your eye on the demon with the biggest horns.

The sound of meat being squished was heard as the demon fell to the ground, a hole blown through its head. The bits of rock went flying before landing in the puddle of blood that came seeping out.

This was…unexpected to say the least. Shang Tsung was not ready for that. He wondered if he blinked at the wrong time and missed what you did. Taking in context clues, he was able to determine what happened. You chucked that rock at Mach speeds and killed the demon on impact. The demon was dead in a matter of a millisecond. When he looked back up he saw you gesture to the rest of the pack to come at you. You were ready to eliminate the rest of them.

Shang Tsung kept a close eye on your display of ferociousness. These demons, who were much larger and were more muscular than you, were falling like flies. Hearts being ripped from chests, horns being used as weapons, skulls being smashed in, oh the blood bath was endless. Shang Tsung didn’t realize he was smiling at the performance in front of him. Even as you grew tired from the amount of demons you were dealing with he was delighted by the effort you were putting in. You were a rodeo bull who did not back down, you wanted to knock that rider off.

He felt like being nice that day so he decided to use his sorcery to help you out. You watched some of the demons burst into flames or being kicked down into pits of fire. You had no clue what was happening until Shang Tsung came into view. He moved fluently as he dodged everything the demons threw at him. Soon the pack of demons were nothing but corpses on the ground. Shang Tsung finished the job by opening a portal and sending the remains back to the Netherrealm. You stared in astonishment. You had no clue what just happened. All you knew was that this man near you was not normal.

“Uh thanks, stranger. I’m not sure what you did but it sure helped finish the job.” You tried your best to not sound confused since you thought it would be rude.

“That, my dear, was sorcery. It is clear to me that you do not need sorcery since you seem like a competent fighter. I watched you from the beginning and I must say, your performance was deliciously cold-blooded.” He spoke to you with a hypnotic voice that was luring you in ever so carefully as he circled you.

“Uhm, thanks?” You weren’t sure if you wanted to take that as a compliment.

He let out an amused chuckle at your confusion and possible innocence. He already sensed you were not someone faking their goodness like Sindel would do. You were clueless and that can be seen as cute at times. He stopped circling you like a vulture ready for prey to die and walked up to you.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Shang Tsung,” He took your hand and kissed the back of it. “May I ask who you may be?”

Both of you were hooked on each other for one reason or another. You gladly told Shang Tsung who you were. You saw this as a possibly interesting friendship if Shang Tsung would allow it. Will he actually be your friend or will he use you as a stepping stool to his supposed destiny?

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What have you done to this man? How can he be weakened like this?

Originally, Shang Tsung thought he would use you as another obedient subject that he could use as leverage to get his way. If he could trick Shao Kahn and Sindel, he could easily trick you as well. You would never view him as just a dog that had to listen to his master.

But that was the problem. You didn’t view him as anything negative.

Perhaps it was because he never involved you in his schemes to get Kronika’s crown or spoke about his distaste for certain people. Whatever it was that made you see him in a good light, he couldn’t believe it. All those who “trusted” him knew of his deceptive nature or they fully believed he would aid them all the way in their malicious plans. They were fools and risk-takers. He believed you were one of them until he started realizing the differences you portrayed.

You never asked for assistance on anything even if his sorcery could help. You trusted him fully without much thought of possible deception. If you weren’t acting like the others why are you still here?

Because he was your friend in your eyes. You gave him attention. You showed interest in his sorcery. Even when you two would spar you never got sore about losing. He was sore though after enduring millions of punches from you. He should never forget how powerful you are.

One of the moments that Shang Tsung thought about a lot was the first time he brought you to his island. He showed you his many treasures and special artifacts that he stored on the island. Many items caught your eye such as gold, jewels, and shiny stones. Something told him to test you and see how much you would take. You could take what you wanted, within reason of course. However, your words caught him off guard.

“Isn’t this yours? Why would I take it?”

You stumped him. He was silent as he looked at you with his eyebrows raised. He let out a little ‘hm’ before walking off. You caught up to him, wondering if you made the wrong decision. You actually made a decision he never knew was an option. He knew at that moment that you were just a friendly person. During the rest of the time on the island, you never took a piece of jewelry or a gold coin and pocketed it. You entered the island and left the island with the same items in your pockets.

You had cast an imaginary spell on Shang Tsung. A spell he could never do but you did it without effort. His image of you changed. You were no fool or a pawn. You weren’t a useless subject that he couldn’t use. You were just a woman who gave people chances. That must be why Shang Tsung began to fancy you.

He would invite you to his island multiple times, growing upset occasionally when you had to decline for something reasonable. He would even allow your friends to join you just so he could have a chance to be close to you. Of course, some areas were off-limits. Nobody should find out about the flesh pits.

This would result in your friends teasing you to no end. They would ask you why you haven't made him your rich boyfriend already. He has a freaking island and treasures. But you always told them you were fine with being friends with him, much to his dismay. You’re not blind though, you’ve seen how Shang Tsung’s attitude towards you has been changing. From his choice of words down to his tone, he has become more flirtatious and alluring. He wanted to give you many gifts and spend more time with you. It didn’t even matter if you were sweeping his feet with a kick or listening to him talk about a new trick he could pull off with his sorcery, he wanted you close.

This is ridiculous. He is acting like a coward. It’s time to be bold and officially make you his.

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Another visit to his island, what will you two do?

Shang Tsung surprised you with a dress the moment you walked into his throne room. The dress was gorgeous. It matched your preferred style and was in your favorite color. This was your dream dress that you never knew you needed.

“I had this dress made just for you. It was sewn by the finest designers in Outworld. I think you should try it on.” He laid the dress across your arms.

The material was soft velvet with the inside being smooth silk. The textures were comfortable for you. You smiled widely before running out of the room to try on the dress. After about five minutes he heard the door open. You walked in slowly as you looked down at how the dress hugged your body. You looked up at Shang Tsung with that same wide smile being present on your face.

“I think it looks perfect on me. What do you think?” You asked.

He walked closer to you, his eyes taking in your natural beauty. His heart beat harder against his chest in a way he had never felt before. It was a mixture of attraction, excitement, and possibly…love. He can’t say for certain since love is foreign to him. He is only going off of the fact that you are the only one who has made him feel this way.

“Such beauty…” He whispered, “It is so rare, yet I was lucky enough to find it.”

He took your hand into his. The cold metal of his clawed glove grazed over your delicate skin before he brought your hand up to his lips. He kissed the back of your hand just like the first time you two met except this was different. This was not a formal introduction but a display of his interest in you. Even when the kiss was done he didn’t let go of your hand. You didn’t mind at all. It made you feel warm in your cheeks and tingly in your heart.

Your eyes stared into his. You never realize the light that began to show in his dark eyes. Even in the moonlight, they seemed to shimmer at the sight of you. If you knew who he was before you met him you would realize there was no cocky tone in his smile. There was no hint of judgment or aggression with the way his eyebrows were positioned. He does not look down on you. You are as equal as him.

You will be as powerful as him once he creates his New Era. Everyone else will be his subjects that he will use to conquer the realms. But not you. Never you. He would not dare change a thing about you. You are perfect the way you are. You will be his perfect wife who will rule all the realms by his side. Whatever you want will be yours.

Still gotta make her your girlfriend, genius.

“We should put that dress to good use. What do you say?” He suggested.

“Wait, was this your way of asking me out on a date?” You asked in a playful tone.

“Perhaps it was. That is up to you, my dear.”

“You are a tricky man, Shang Tsung. But you are also very charming. I think a date would be a wonderful idea.”

Alright, now the cocky and smug smirk has come back. You know how to get him started. He loves some good praise.

“Excellent choice. I will make sure you will never regret this.”

Yap notes: I'm going to eat his flesh. Adiós!

[streets-in-paradise]

The Trial of Achilles

Troy (2004) Reader insert fanfiction / Achilles x Mycenaean Princess! Reader - Part 25

Word Count 20 K (yes, i am insane and writing this was a titanical task, but that shows you how passionate for this story I am. )

Warnings: Troy (2004) in brand anachronicisms here and there.

Summary: The chaotic circunstances of his arrival to the island, as the motives for the secretive trip, demand from Achilles some accountability. Fooling Odysseus in his own land is a temporary feat of short span, so he must try to work things out with his old friend. While in the task of proving himself to him and appeal to the good sight of his wife, the warrior gets confronted with his recent past.

So much had changed since he allowed himself enough time to be with the one lady he end up falling for, but it all was too abrupt. As the manifestations of the effect she had on him get tested to captivate the royals, retold memories of his old ways and the natural concecuencies of the dangerous fame he had pridefully crafted reach her as cautionary tales from those with sensical reasons to sustain horrible opinions.

Notes: There may be some typos unchecked because of how long the final word count is. I feel this one turned out more dialogue heavy than usual, but I had to cover so many interactions in order to advance the plot.

Credits to @creativepromptsforwriting, for a prompt I used in the dialogue. This has taken so long to write that I don't remember which prompt list it belonged in, or where was it placed, but still wanted to give my thanks for it.

References: The full neck-covering bead idea was inspired in this one. I like to imagine Penelope has one similar, even if maybe a bit less fancy, cause it's very queen-like.

Tags: @yerevasunclair @mysticaldeanvoidhorse @spideyanakin @spideyanakin-interacts @awakenedevildays @alaysha-of-middle-earth @zoegarfield @helie-brain @legendarypiratecheesecake @felicialawrence

Mischief may have gone too far, but he was after all in the land of the trickster king.

Observing the reception of Paris to his subtle intervention after hearing from him the trojan interpretation of his welcoming act made it irresistable. Achilles could have choosen to be more responsible in his playing, but letting the rumour spread was way more fun. Comparisons with gods were a riskfull game, but he wasn't afraid of feeding a misconception. Incapable of explaining the corpses he left behind in a rush of anger, it turned out trojans were already attributing it to divine wrath.

It was flattering to hear the little brother of Hector implying he suspected of him as a mortal disguise, but if he was going to be mistaken for a god he preferred to mislead the theory in direction of the one he represented the best. Let them say that the Princess of Mycenae was wanted by the god of war and the trojan prince would be a dead man if he intended to have her. Far from the truth, yet metaphorically close to it. Not the god, but his best mortal servant.

Across his years of fighting he had plenty of memorable moments, but never terrified the enemy enough to be mistaken by it for a god taking human shape. Suspicious attitudes and rumours regarding his divine heritage were allways there, but the trojans took that incredibly far. One small proof of the destruction he was capable of causing awakened religious fear in them.

His superiority as a fighter over Hector was inquestionable, confirmation of the fact that helped to boost his infamous pride. It was a calming detail to ease his mind from the circunstantial betrayal of Odysseus trying to match the trojan prince with the princess he loved. He could then feel sure he didn't even need to meet Hector in order to prove he was the best, because the evidence of his work spoke for him.

The lady made him promise he wouldn't mess with him and he had to stick to his words for her. It was clear that over the course of their meeting she had adquired an appreciation for the heir prince of Troy. From what her telling suggested, Hector was not shy to adress her capacities and treated her as a leader of equal rank. They were becoming friends in the way of royals, yet for as innocent as that sounded he got a stronger sense of unease regarding that than while hearing Paris cassually admitting he had lusted after her. The expressed frustration of the youngest prince in the persistent failure on winning her over was like a bad joke to Achilles, but hearing her praise his brother was sometimes more serious to him than it should.

Through her mind games she reassured him despite he never asked her for it, masquerading her confession of wanting to be his wife no matter the cost that choosing him implied. Rejecting a bright future as the queen of a new nation that would unify the world was not the great loss for her that by logical reasoning should be. Whatever Hector had to offer was not enough to make her reconsider it despite talking wonders about him in her descriptions.

Unspoken understandment between them allowed him to leave her for the day feeling a sensation that almost resembled peace.

As soon as he lost sight of her, Achilles started planning their next encounter. Instead of making any prior arrangements on when and where they would see each other, he preferred to keep her guessing because finding the way on his own was an exciting challenge. Exactly like the old stories of lustfull gods developing incredible strategies to cheat the protections surrounding some unsuspecting beautifull maidens, but playing out as a romantic game. She would be waiting for him the entire time, allways excited for the clandestine surprise, while to everyone else he would be invisible like the golden rain of Zeus.

At risk of taunting the lines between an innocent trick and sacrilegy, he wanted them to believe and affirm she was woman fitting for a god. It was the kind of twist that her fame needed to grow on its own, away from the accidental overshadowing of Helen or the control of Agamemnon's expectatives. Fantastic tales would also elevate their union in epicity, for who would dare to deny Achilles to have a woman rumoured of being watched by Ares?

It seemed a perfect move to make, untill returning to the hideout remembered him that he wasn't acting in complete secrecy. There was a campfire already started and the King of Ithaca awaiting calmly like in the scene of a post battle afternoon.

Achilles felt as if they would be about to have dinner in a militar camp commenting on the last bad strategical choice of Agamemnon to prepare for the next battle. That wasn't the case, but Odysseus probably wanted to recreate that ambiance in order to secure a calm discussion.

Smiling at him as allways, he later invited him to approach with a nice salute.

" Welcome, my friend! The men are delayed getting food for us, but they should be back soon. "

Achilles smiled back, but followed him hesitantely with the certainity of fearing a trick.

" How did you find me? I didn't send any heralds to the city announcing my presence. "

The myrmidon knew that his friend would never miss a chance to show off about his cleverness, and so he did.

" I got the message you wrote with blood in the shore of Asteris, I honestly should have guessed sooner that you were going to come because I have something you want. The rest was easy to figure out: you don't know my country better than me and the peculiar way in which you choose to arrive makes clear you would want to hide. This place is the only good hideout I showed you, and if your intentions match my guesses, you don't have time for explorations of the island. "

Before giving him any chance to debunk the claim, he dropped four words forming a well known sentence that Achilles received like a verdict.

" We need to talk. "

The cheerfull arrogance of the hero faded away for an instant as he sat next to the king.

" Odysseus, it's not what you think … I love her. "

Disbelief was the most inmediate reception that his very serious confession got, Odysseus was barely able to hide his chuckling by glancing at the opposite side of the natural shelter to do it before facing him again.

" Like you loved the daughter of Lycomedes? If it wasn't for me stepping in at the ríght time, you would have ruined the life of that young princess … It's all a game to you, isn't it? Seeing how far you can go untill a king will put you in place for touching his daughter? You are lucky I didn't tell her about Scyros, that would have broken her heart."

The weak light of the fire enhaced the anger of the warrior.

" You can't compare them! Back then I was a lad with no idea of what I was doing. "

Odysseus gave him a skeptical glance.

" In that sense, Achilles, you haven't changed much. I never saw you with the same woman twice, so I'm baffled to hear you speak of love. What can you possibly know about that? I heard you mock men who dream with a wife, saying they are sentimentalists conforming with few that will allways find obstacles to reach true glory. Hector is one of those, he wants to be a married man. Wouldn't you rather leave him remove the obstacle for you? "

Being comfronted with his attitudes of the past through that weaponization of his saids showed him in a drastical way how much had changed in such short time. He no longer recognized himself in that.

In fact, the mention of the woman he loved as some problem for his personal ambition that he needed to get rid of upsetted him.

" I have never been more wrong in my entire life, does that satisfy you?"

Odysseus wasn't convinced, but he wanted to keep digging in his perceptions. If what he heard was correct, an old friendly discussion that started the very first time he recommended him to settle down was closing in his favour.

" What happened to your secret advantage against all greek heroes? The man with no nation fighting for himself, living for fighting and having no one else to live for. Wasn't that your plan to outlive us all in history? "

Achilles heard the victorious taunting with exasperation, since it made very frustrating to try explaining himself. Elbows resting on top of his spreaded tighs as his hands covered both halfs of his face untill reaching the strands of hair falling at the sides. One stayed on top of his forehead for a moment, then he released a quick grunt before replying.

" I can't be without her, long distances and uncertain times bring me suffering. I need to know she will be mine, that I will get to keep her by my side. Perhaps you are right and I don't know anything about love, but I can tell she is the onlyone I ever loved. "

Strong words that managed to impress the one currently judging, but weren't enough.

" Can you clearly separate love from a whim? Do you love her or have obsessed with her because she is the only woman in the country strictly forbbiden to you? This could be just the natural evolution of your private battles with Agamemnon. "

The myrmidon answered the question with a counter-offensive ask.

" I love her and I know for sure that she loves me. Why can't you spare two lonely fools that had once rejected love over ambition thinking they weren't meant to fall for anyone untill they found each other ? "

Heartfelt yet sensical argumentation, but it ignored a pivotal detail.

" Can't do it if their foolishness has the potentiality of unleashing a war. "

Odysseus forced him to pay him serious attention before proceeding.

" Achilles, you will never get her without spilling blood. Killing to obtain what you want is not of concern to you, but the consequences would impact harder than you expect. Even imagining you consider this a serious relationship, Agamemnon will never accept you as the husband of his only daughter. You know this, there is no legítimate way for you to formalize an union with her. If you didn't came to steal her today, you will do it tomorrow, and the angry father will release his armies across the country looking for you. Ithaca will be the first place they would check, after Phthia, because he knows I am a friend of you both."

Achilles stood up out of sudden.

" Look arround you!!! Do you think he will ever stop? At least I won't be fighting for him If i become the cause of the war. "

Witnessing a classical reaction of his friend, the king confirmed some things were never going to change.

" Your love for her will destroy the fragile unity that keeps Greece standing, while the prince I found her could be our political salvation. I am still your friend, Achilles, but I won't put my family at risk supporting your madness. "

The myrmidon began to pace like a caged lion.

" Then I want an an audience with Penelope! I bet she still remembers her father hates you. "

The furious mention of what Achilles considered an hipocricy got the first passional response out of Odysseus.

" Penelope chose me and her father understood she would have hated him if he wouldn't have let her following me. He hated me, but proceeded as a caring father listening to his daughter and letting her feelings decide. It's precisely what Agamemnon is incapable of doing! His hate for you will allways come first, even at the cost of her happiness. "

Once again Achilles was sick of hearing things he had been thinking about all along.

" Do you think I feel at ease knowing that my fate is in the hands of Agamemnon Atreide? I will talk to him, I have the intention of doing things right for her. At this point you have to see that i'm trying! Do you know how many times has she offered me her body? How easy it could have been for me to irresponsibly enjoy of her love? I didn't do it because I care for her, and I can't imagine what that monster would do if he finds out of us the wrong way. "

Controlling his impulses was the biggest hardship Achilles had in most aspects of his life. Odysseus usually identified the source of all his problems in his extremely fearless attitudes and incapacity to restrain himself, constants in his healthy advices for the hero. Precisely for that, and despite the young lady had already mentioned that aspect of their relationship, surprise gave the tale some credibility.

Like never before, the invincible warrior felt fear and thought of taking precautionary measures before recklessly following his instincts for the sake of blind courage.

" I've heard of your awakened prudence, and i'm glad to find out it's not an unreliable result of her narration. If I wouldn't be so preoccupied, I would say i'm proud. "

Achilles smirked, giving a few cocky steps towards him.

" You better be, it's a hard challenge. Helps to keep me motivated, but I discovered that self control is even harder when you have real feelings for the woman of your desires."

Odysseus took his hands to the back of his neck, innocently stretching for a moment while matching the pridefull energy.

" First time, eh? I do can tell you what's like."

Achilles chuckled silently, allowing his friend to pat him on the shoulder as he sat down again to hear the description of his experience.

" When I am at the guest of some greater King, like the Atreides, they offer me all what their hospitality can grant. If it's someone who doesn't know me well at least, in which case they get surprised because I don't accept to take pleasures from their girls. They shrug their shoulders thinking is just one more excentricity from the brillant madman, a quirck of Odysseus no normal man should try to understand. If they ask why, I give them a joke matching their sensibilities because I know they don't care for the truth. It's a mundane mistery … How the king of liars could have choosen to be faithful? "

He leaned closer, as if they would be sharing some well kept secret seiling another step in their friendship.

" It's not a moral obligation I assume, but the effect of truest love in my appetites. I would never cheat for meaningless gratification because I want no one else other than my wife. Penelope was made for me and no other woman can compare to her. Those girls exhibiting themselves on command of their masters don't do much to me, what they can offer could never match even the memory of my wedding night. "

The myrmidon remained surprisingly silent, encouraging Odysseus to get more daring.

" Does any of this resonate with you, my friend? Has your insatiable desire been tammered and now you don't recognize yourself anymore? One woman didn't use to be good enough for you, not even one at the time."

The friendly teasing didn't made him proud neither offended him.

" Loyalty is easier than I thought, the problem is being without her. My fame preceeds me and she may be virginal, but she is not naive. Rumours about my bedroom adventures have reached her and I can tell she fears not being good enough for me. She speaks as if i'm sacrificing for her ignoring all the others, but I don't struggle with that. If Aphrodite herself would want to tempt me, she would have to take her shape. "

Odysseus had a hand on his chin, covering part of the mouth in meditative gesturing before composing himself to conclude.

" Something has clearly changed in you and there is no way I can deny that. The disaster of a man we all love and cherish would be making fun of the grounded man I have in front of me. "

The smile Achilles gave him did show pride that time.

" He is still a mess, only a lovesick one. For the first time ever, … at this age. I should be over it by now, this kind of feelings are for kids. "

Focusing on his own experience, Odysseus was quick to debunk.

" There is no age in which you become invulnerable to love. I'm trully glad it has finally found you, but I can't ignore you complicated things for everyone. "

In the progressively more friendly level the conversation was reaching, Achilles finally felt confortable to bring up the most controversial aspect without fearing he would loose control.

" Your trick failed, Hector doesn't want her. "

The glance of the ithacan king adquired a mischievous shine to the provocation.

" That's what she says, but you must know by now that the the gaze of men falling on her is the limit of her sharp perceptions. She used to believe you would never look at her that way. That's how she tried to tranquilize me back in Sparta, but I was perfectly aware she had caught your attention. Now you have fallen for her after just one visit to her palace … What makes you think the same won't happen to Hector? "

The flawless logic raised some concerns on Achilles, who untill then believed himself above petty feelings of jealousy.

" Spill now anything you think to know … "

Getting rid of any will to trick him, the king spoke with what was the true of his perceptions in the observed interactions between the young royalty.

" He may not be in love right now, but after a year of living with her in Troy? He would, I'm so sure I would bet gold on it. "

It wasn't exactly what he expected, but he tried not to reflect that. At least in the outside, Achilles kept calm encouraged by the fresh memory of her words.

" He will never get that far, not with my princess."

The determination in the saids encountered more teasing.

" Since when do you acknowledge the authority of Agamemnon? To claim her your princess, he has first to be your king."

" I won't submit to him, my feelings for her don't change my hatred. The only merit of that vile man is her, but he can't even see it. Ironic how the one who lightens my days came out from his darkness. "

Odysseus nodded affirmatively with a quick movement of his head, raising his eyebrows to match a surprised smile.

" She made you soft … "

Achilles experienced a silent amazement with himself realising the description didn't make him feel as insulted as it should.

After so many years of crafting a very specific reputation that was the opposite of softness, privately admitting vulnerability to his friend was somewhat freeing.

" She made me enjoy life a lot more. And I don't see anything wrong with that. "

The king believed him, but he still had many questions that needed to be answered. Achilles proved himself, but that only complicated the position of Odysseus. As friend of both parts in the pair, he celebrated the positive effect of the princess in the warrior. However, the danger he perceived from his perspective of king in their forbbiden love could not be desestimated. His concerns of protective friend watching over the inexperienced girl were eased, but not those he had as a watcher of the greeks.

It was the start of an understandment, but he would not take sides so easily.

In the palace, his wife was dealing with the remaining tensions the best she could. If his scheming worked in at least one of its goals, that was the undeniable fondness of the mischievous princess that Hector showed in her surprisive absense. Already horrified by the images of death he saw, the sudden dissapearance of the girl awakened his protectiveness. Odysseus begged him not to interfere, while Penelope had to comfort him with logical reminders of how no one would easily vanish from the small island and men who knew the territory better than him would easily find her.

To the surprise of everyone, she received her from the hand of Paris.

Far from an endangered victim, the young lady had the sparkling cheer of one returning from a refreshing walk in nature. When she approached to salute her, the falling locks near her face difficulted the physical aspect of the gesture. Penelope tucked some behind her ears in order to kiss both of her cheeks and noticed her getting abnormally tense, attitude that the queen read quickly.

The loose ends of every mistery conduced again to that girl.

Since Paris was behind them at a prudential distance and his glance would only reach the girl from the back, she was free to do what she had to. In a surprising move, Penelope exposed one of the shoulders of the girl and her eyes easily found the love marks she attempted to hide.

It felt like the image of a mother about to scold her daughter, something she was clearly unused to.

" Paris, darling.Can you search for your brother and tell him of her arrival while I solve this with her? "

The prince smiled and obbeyed, doing a gallant reverence for the queen before leaving them alone.

Penelope was terminant, showing her fast mind had already connected everything.

" This is a reckless mistake, unless your lover painted that on your skin for a reason. Paris is very perceptive for those things, it's a miracle this has a escaped him. "

The mycenaean observed her with admiration.

" You couldn't have possibly … ? Are you … ?"

" The men Hector was after were brutally murdered and there are signs of passion in the inner side of your neck … What kind of fool would i be to not realize what's going on? That poor man lost his mind thinking you could be in danger, we all did! This whole palace was turned upside down, but turns out you were on a romantic adventure with your secret lover. "

The young lady glanced innocently at her before defending herself.

" I had no idea! He lured me near the river and I couldn't refuse. I tried to make him reconsider and follow me here, but he wanted me alone and all for himself … "

Pride in her voice on the last sentence evoked a negative reaction.

" For your own sake, I hope he knew when to stop himself. If you get deflored here, Odysseus will get you married before the disgrace could be traced back to us. "

The warning scared her slightly coming from someone who knew him so well.

" We are not fools, neither animals. "

The queen showed hilarious skepticism, holding her chuckles to not allow her any corner of tension relief.

" Are you sure of that? He knew exactly what he was doing when he did this to you, which is very irresponsible. Now is up to me finding a convincing way to help you cover the evidence of his jealousy. "

Her relative returned the courtesy of her doubting ways.

" He missed me! And he is a man of intense emotions, that doesn't mean he is jealous. "

" Then why did he feel the need of marking you like this? Why did he took matters in his own hands solving the problem of Hector in his bloody way? Perhaps because he wants him out of here as fast as possible. "

The girl chuckled, amused.

" It was a mere coincidence. Those men angered him and paid the price, but he didn't know anything of Hector's motives with them. "

Penelope didn't want to hear any more excuses and simply expressed her verdict.

" I will call your very concerned handmaid so you can tranquilize her, then make a bath be prepared for you in order to fix the suspicious signs in your appearance. Later, you will present yourself to Hector and apologise for the worries you caused him. "

It sounded like an order, not advice.

" … I thought you supported me, but perhaps that was part of your husband's plan all along. "

Penelope noticed the brief shade of dissapointment in her face.

" I still intend to help you, but that doesn't mean I will let you forget your responsabiities. "

Standing in front of the queen made her feel small.

" I owe myself to you and Eny, but Hector has no business in this. He should be starting to prepare his speech for the council that will be mandatory after what happened, not worrying in finding me when I was never lost to begin with. "

Far from worrying for the protest, Penelope remained firm.

" You will do as I say because you still need my help. I enjoy playing the role of your confidant, yet unlike Helen, I can be strict when the situation demmands it. "

The ithacan queen was capable of being quite frightening, but that didn't stop the mycenaean princess from admiring her. Even when she would have to reluctantly obbey her commands, her presence was inspiring.

" … I wanted to keep his scent in me at least for one night. "

Penelope chuckled because she found the frustrating plead relatable.

" If you use your head and handle things carefully, you will someday have it for the rest of your life. "

The mycenaean groaned, but accepted it as the most convenient choice.

Cheer returned to her as soon as she saw her dear friend rushing through the halls. Ereny hugged her like a preocupied sister would and she felt inmensely sorry for the pain she caused her.

Before she could ever get to say it, the servant girl scolded her in an intimate way that would have ashamed any other lady if the would have had the chance to hear it.

" I can't believe you did this to me!! Do you know how hard it was returning here without you after you never came back to me? I told you to get back … Why couldn't you? We could all have been punished, and you could have died ... OR WORSE! I saw the curse coming to terms in your recklessness. See where your madness has taken me? I almost side with my king!!! "

Lena, who had arrived shortly after by walking at a normal pace behind her, showed silent support for the callout that Penelope intercepted.

" Eny, I am so sorry. " The princess apologised in the meantime, caressing the cheeks of her friend. " I take all the blame, you know I would never let any sort of punishment come to you. I would never forgive myself."

She looked at her in the eye and placed a tender kiss on top of her forehead.

" It was important, I wouldn't have left you otherwise. "

Ereny showed her a brief smile and that encouraged her to whisper her a coded phrase that was going to provide all the explanations she needed.

" … The lion came down from the hills. "

For as much as they would try, the presence of the ithacan servant difficulted any more sharing beyond the specifical code talking. The royal handmaid of the mycenaean seemed to forget her rightfull vent in the light of such shocking revelation. It was clear she wanted to know everything about it, but the tasks comanded by the queen didn't allow proper secrecy to share stories.

Precisely because she knew there was something to hide, Penelope wanted secrecy and only one of her maids was there to remain asisting the lady's bath. Lena offered herself for the task and refusing would have been suspicious, but was cleverly ordered by the princess to remain behind her back in order to avoid any accidental peeking of her neck marks.

The mycenaeans giggled to each other when, during one distraction of the ithacan as the lady tried the water, she showed those to her handmaid with a pridefull smirk.

Noticing some inside joke that excluded her was going on, Lena responded with sharp teasing.

" Did you found what you were looking for? "

Too centered on thoughts about Achilles, the princess almost forgot the context of her dissapearance.

" No, I never got to the thief. It doesn't matter, I realized I endangered myself for a meaningless thing. "

The ithacan provided a comeback nobody was ready for.

" That piece of clothing belonged to Achilles, so I understand why you had it in such high regard. It must have been dificult to steal. "

The eyes of the princess went wide with surprise, soon pointing daggers at Ereny for momentarily thinking that she could have shared her secrets with that new servant friend of hers.

Ereny defended herself with an imperceptible negative nod, and her lady started playing her spoiled princess character to deny the claims.

" That is an insane accusation! How you dare?? I think seeing me being soft with Eny has confunded you into believing you can disrespect me. "

Lena didn't back off due to any sudden fear and responded logically.

" I was in charge of his room the last time he visited, I recognize clothes I already washed. I knew it all along, back in the rivershore i tried to make you confess."

The mycenaean instinctively took locks of wet hair to the dangerous spot.

" I don't owe you any explanations, only the respect for this house that my love for your royal family inspires. "

Lena rested her shoulders carelessly against the wall, abandoning her servant-like posing.

" I' ve heard you tell his tales in the great halls, pretending you like to scare the trojans speaking of him because you are the weird daugther of the tyrant used to horrors. Excellent work deceving the men, but I see you are obsessed with him. I can picture your tighs squeezing under the table while your mouth describes his atrocities. I don't doubt you must have instructed one of your servants in Mycenae to get that small treasure for you from his room when he visited. "

She glanced mischievously at Ereny, who didn't have to fake in order to look clueless.

" Was it you, her most loyal one? Doing it again the next time would be too suspicious and she knows you can't replace it, that's why she was furious enough to try going for it herself. "

The handmaid found the guesses hilarious, but her princess felt more offended than she would have been if the cunning slave would have shown full awareness of the truth.

" Excuse me? What makes you think he wouldn't have given it to me? Why do you assume I had to steal it and I couldn't get it after laying with him?"

It made her laugh in disbelief, taking that alternative as a joke.

" You aren't the kind of woman he targets. No mean to offend, but you are too princess-like. The delicate palace flower would break in his hands. "

The lady was furious, even her friend feared she could loose her mind to the accidental provocation.

" I AM A PRINCESS!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOT EMBODY MY RANK?"

Realising she trully angered her, the slave attempted to explain herself.

" That's not what I mean, you are so up you are untouchable. No matter how beautifull you are, nobody in the country thinks of taking you to bed. You are the precious little virgin of Greece, while Helen is its whore."

Bringing up her aunt was crossing limits, and she warned her of it.

"Be carefull of who you insult, or I will make you regret it. Helen can't be blamed, men only imagine her as a temptress because everyone wants to have her. "

Lena took an instant to rephrase before replying.

" Since when has truth prevailed over the collective imagination of men? She is a whore in their fantasies and that shapes her fame. In their minds you exist to provide contrast as a pretty girl of virginal grace that can't, and shouldn't, be corrupted. If your father thinks he is Greece, then you are the country's daughter. They want you married and having flourishing offspring, but nobody wants to think of your defloration. That's why you have better luck with the trojans, and why they want the son of Troy at your side. "

Ereny mediated the discussion with some harmless logical commentary that could calm her lady.

" Achilles considers himself a rival of Agamemnon despite they fight on the same front. If there is someone here open to fantasize with her corruption, that should be him. "

It wasn't enough to convince the conflictive part.

" That bastard cares for only one thing and he wouldn't hope to find it in a pretty girl deprived of it."

The princess uncovered her shoulder and was about to turn back, only stopped by the eyes of Ereny pleading her not to do any more reckless movements.

" How quickly you declare yourself an expert in the matter! What makes you think you know what he wants?"

The answer was short, but crushing.

" I slept with him. "

Words falling on the mycenaean like a splash of cold water. Despite it was realistic to think someday she would stumble with one of his past lovers, she didn't consider it before, and certainly wasn't expecting it then.

It was a slap in the face.

" Should that impress me? "

She did a good work hidding her real feelings, diving a bit deeper into the bath water as she awaited for the answer.

" You won't take it, little princess … And even regardless of that, If I were you I would pick Hector over him anytime. Achilles may be like a god in the bedroom, but the cold treatment you get afterwards is not worthy. The trojan prince is a real man where he has to be, you can see it in his daily behavior."

Although initially insulting, she sounded well intentioned. A healthy warning from someone who believed herself in a position of better knowledge.

However, the man Lena described hardly resembled the one she knew. His expert performance of passionate moments was a fact they could agree in, but he was never ever cold to her.

" Maybe it's a privilege of my rank, but he has been quite sweet with me from the start … "

Lena didn't believe it, not even for an instant.

" You break my heart, so take this from someone who has been in the spot you crave to occupy. You would be a fool if you reject the chance for an engagement to Hector following your absurd infatuation with that vain piece of rubbish who thinks the world is at his feet. "

The mycenaean responded with some playfull splashing of water, comically exaggerating the disdain to make Ereny laugh.

" Can you be more specific on what makes him so terrible? That description is fitting for every single popular hero in Greece. "

If brutal honesty was what she needed in order to pay some real attention to the advice, the slave had no issues with going for it.

"Once it was done, he didn't let me touch him again. I thought with him it was going to be different, that he wouldn't treat me like it's usual among warlords and palace servants, but I felt like waste afterwards. Is that what you want for yourself, your highness? Is you fantasy to be with a self absorbed man that will turn his back at you when the pleasure runs out? "

Explicit references about intimate details were the last thing she wanted to hear. The maidservant of Penelope was complaining to her about her dissapointment with him, but that didn't make her feel better.

In the tale Achilles was a cold heartbreaker not much different from the men she liked to make fun of with her friends in Mycenae. Her faith in him was being questioned by someone who had valid reasons to do it.

The mixed feelings inspired her and she turned back to face her in order to observe the effect of her own advice for the servant girl.

" At least he gave you a taste of his passion, Hector has nothing for you. Do you think I didn't notice that, from all those excited maids trying to convince me about him, you were the loudest? Your fantasy isn't any less hopeless than mine. Hector is as less likely to take the palace slave of the foreign kingdom as Achilles is of courting the daughter of Greece. "

Being provoked surprised her a bit, but she took it as a good sign.

" I know my place, princess. Being too aware of yours may made you believe that you are special, that you would be the one making him act differently … But you won't, so who of us holds the greatest delusion? "

Silence reigned, since there wasn't much she could refute her with that wouldn't compromise her situation in the action. All the servant girl knew was that the mycenaean princess had an infatuation with the myrmidon warrior, but still remained far from thinking it could be a required one.

The last command Lena fullfilled before being released from her duty was presenting a golden bead, borrowed piece of jewelry that Penelope gave up to help her young relative cover the tracks of her lover from public sight.

Once the right clothing for it was picked and the lady got dressed, her maidservant invited her to sit and secured the jewelry arround her neck.

Noticing she needed some encouragement, she kissed her cheek from behind right before providing a spirit lifting reminder.

" Achilles may be a very physical man, but you are not to him an empty body to be filled. He loves you, and no one else knows how he is like in that situation. Feelings may not transform him in esence, but change the circunstancies of his choices. "

She placed on hand on top of her shoulder that the lady caressed while turning back slightly to show her a brief smile of thankfullness.

" I know, my dear, yet I can't stop the hurtfull thoughts. What if after fighting so hard to be together, he discovers I am not good enough for him? What If I can't satisfy him on my own? He has never been man of one woman … Even if he is making an effort for me, perhaps that will not last forever. "

Understandable doubt that she had to refute.

" Who cares about his wants of the past? That man is loosing his mind for you right now! He misses you so intensely that he has followed you here. "

Back in her original position, the princess toyed with the piece following the curious patterns of the gold with her fingertips.

" ... Lena said he refused to let her touch him later, but In my bed he so quickly falls for caressing that leaves nowhere. "

Ereny started to work on her hair, sounding like the voice of reason from her working placement behind her.

" She tried to disuade you based on her experience and you should be proud she felt safe with you in order to speak so honestly. Remember when you used to say you didn't want to be the jealous wife punishing the slave because the husband called her to his bed? "

The lady felt called out.

" SHE SAID I'M TOO DELICATE FOR HIM!! … That I will break in his hands and nobody has erotic expectations of any kind to place in me. "

Her servant was quick to explain the evident logical contradiction.

" That's just the reputation you crafted, and hers were the words of a stranger who knows nothing else. "

She remained silent for a brief instant, then confessed herself.

" … It hurted my pride coming from the lips of a woman that warmed his bed. I don't doubt she must have meant well, but she made me feel wrong… Inadequate, not fitting for the man of my aspirations."

Ereny twirled her finger in her locks, pressing softly.

" Achilles is a warrior, he may come back home with a war prize girl someday even if he wouldn't have in mind to sleep with her. What will you do then? Try to force him of selling her because you are too jealous? "

It was a good point to think about, if the princess wouldn't have spoiled it with her clever comeback.

" My father is his commander and he allways takes the girls for himself. "

The servant girl pulled her hair, grabbing with the right amount of harshness to show her dissaprobal and making her groan in protest.

" It was a joke! I know you are in the right, that girl is not my enemy … just as Achilles must be aware Hector isn't his. Although that is different, because Hector never touched me and he is not out there talking nonsense about him based on his fame."

She caressed the top of her head as an apologise.

" We are talking of Hector Priamide, any man with serious intentions on a lady shall beware. He charms daughters and their fathers without even realizing of his effect on those who know him."

The description got some chuckles from the princess.

" Penelope said she thinks he is jealous … "

" He has solid reasons! While you worry about his fleeting nights with palace servants, he has to hear of your meeting with a prince known for being an embodiment of the ideal husband. "

The clarification mattered very little to her.

" Achilles is the only one I want. "

" … But he must know he is not the kind of man wealthy families want for their daughters." Her servant friend interrupted, making a guess. " No matter how great his fame becomes, most think he is a brute. Your father speaks of him as if he was a stubborn beast. "

Reminders of that prevalent misconception brought her back to the times when she started encouraging him of rejecting the simplistic aspects of his legend.

" They know nothing of the man he is, Achilles uses that in favor of causing fright among them. "

She stopped for an instant, reconsidering something that had to be asked.

" Do you want to know what really happened to the enemies of Hector?"

It was the startpoint of her tale, what allowed her to share with her close friend most details of the encounter.

Once the question found its answer, Ereny insisted on their need to find a way of letting the prince know the truth, or at least an approximated version of it. Knowing of the mysticism that surrounded the facts and how tense the situation had made him, she considered he deserved to get some sensical response. However, both of them agreed in feeling that to tell him everything would putting too much trust in him. Even if he was an honorable man worthy of it, the secret was too intimate.

Through their bonding process, the princess got to start considering him a friend of some kind, but that didn't mean they were the kind of friends willing to tell each other everything.

Shared excitement temporally faded that concern, specially when she got to tell her close friend the most romantic details. It was easy to notice her loosing herself in the narration as the fresh memories would come back at her, particularly impressing the small audience with the anecdot of the tavern. Hearing that Achilles broke the rules of The Judgement playing by instigation of Paris was to Ereny like a confirmation of their common theories about him, reinforcing the belief of her lady.

His need of her was as strong as his thirst for glory, two mad dreams connected by his intense desire. Which one he intended to obtain first remained a mistery to her, but Achilles made her very aware with his answer that he had her in his highest regard. In the light of the honest advice against him from his past lover, the feeling of exceptionality that evoked became even more remarkable, but also a bit unconfortable. She began to wonder what would exactly mean to be his exception to the rule in the long history of his relationships, and if more girls like Lena shared with her the regretfullness.

Being the one he loved was an inmense privilege, the only of her advantages bringing her joy and one she worked hard for. Still, the invitation to think she could be the meaningfull among the meaningless implied he could have once wronged many of the women who came before her and that thought wasn't beautifull.

Facing duty hushed the will to meditate on details as she searched for the heir prince of Troy in order to calm him with her presence as Penelope requested. It didn't take much, since the trojans were gathered for dinner in an internal yard of the palace near the section of it they were staying in. Their own servants and the ones obbeying the royals of Ithaca were working together to settle the place.

A heated discussion was going on among the men, reason why they didn't realize of her untill she made herself be noticed.

" … I've heard you were looking for me. "

Her soft deviation hushed all the voices as the curious glances followed her, giving her the strange impression that something must have made them look at her as if they were examining her in a different light.

Paris smiled from afar, inmediately raising her suspects, but the brief visual contact with him broke as his brother approached her.

Hector seemed relieved, perhaps even happy to see her.

" … I searched for you as soon as I got the good news of your return, but the queen told us you didn't want to be seen in the state of your arrival after getting lost in the woods. What i find understandable, for a pridefull lady such as yourself. "

Instead of providing a further clarification to the excuse, she deviated the topic with an inconexed reference.

" Sorry about the wasted clue, Paris told me you got there too late. No one would have seen it coming, so I hope you aren't blaming yourself for the failure … Did you at least found any copper in their load? "

The apology was sincere, a prioritization of his problems in order to show she felt bad about causing him any troubles.

Hector smiled, expressing partial acceptance of the gesture.

" There was also amber, found in greater quantities, and luxury ítems of various kind. No signs of captivity in any of the corpses we found, so I can at least feel comfort in knowing no innocent prisoners of the criminals were slaughtered. "

With complete disregard for her situation, she intended to advance in order to find a spot among them and participate on the argument.

" Any leads to the responsible for this massacre? For what Paris told me, the situation remains a mistery, yet that doesn't mean we can't elaborate conjectures. "

Hector stopped her, grabbing both of her hands in an attempt to make her react.

" An army, for as small as it could be, leaves any sort of track. Whoever did this was alone and faded away with ease … When we were back we thought you dissapeared and I feared the worst."

She followed him, but tried to calm him by resting importance to his worry with jokes.

" Let me guess: you thought this asassin kidnapped me and Agamemnon would have made you responsible for it. That must have been frightening for you, it's certain that he would play the grieving father and fake the love for me he never had just to have the war he allways wanted. "

Although well intended, the tease didn't suit well with the prince.

His warm glance searched for hers and once she dedicated him her full attention he spoke with unmistakable seriousness.

" It was never about him, I feared for you … "

Defensive disbelief was her initial reaction and she tried to free herself because of it, but Hector had for her only reassurance of his caring affection.

" … My friend was lost in the woods while a deranged murderer remains on the loose. "

He released her hands only to bring his to the back of her shoulders in a brief hug that she accepted hesitantely knowing well that his men were watching behind them.

" The wellbeing of Troy is a more rational reason … "

He looked down and chuckled, partially agreeing with that yet not seeking to encourage that interpretation.

" … I care, that's who I am. Why do you allways need to unveil some greater motivation when someone shows concern for you? "

She shrank one shoulder, looking at the side as if the answer would come to her from the audience.

" Men claiming they want to protect me are usually protecting themselves, so I am naturally distrustfull. Even Odysseus, a man I love and respect like a father, has his own interest calculated ahead when it comes to me. I won't judge you for it, I believe it's your problem to think I would. "

Perhaps because the situation had limited his patience, Hector scolded her with no filtering in his phrasing choice.

" It's not my problem if every single man on your life has failed you: from now on and for the rest of this journey I will protect you untill you will get used to not endanger yourself. "

It made her back away, nervously observing the reactions.

" … Stop! Your men are staring, and for comments like that one people tend to think we should be … "

He cutted her off before she could finish the warning.

" Married? Do you think that worries me now? After the terrible day I had? And it keeps getting worse! My countrymen now believe we have been warned by an angered god. "

She advanced in slow placing towards them, stiffling a chuckle to avoid upsetting anyone.

" That can be debunked very easily! … Polydamas, what is your profesional opinion? "

The seer noticed her directing him a teasing smirk, indicating she was sure of trusting his verdict.

" I've heard the specific details on the horrrific scene, and the men who escolted you here seem to confirm the thoughts of Prince Paris regarding the strange events concerning you… It's hard not to suspect an omen of some kind. "

Vague reply that didn't satisfy her.

" And of what kind would this one be?"

Paris raised from his seat to confidently proclaim his conclussion.

" The god of war is seducing you, showing off his mighty strenght to prove he is superior to Hector because he must have heard the wrongfull gossips. He caused the accident that got you lost, probably hoping to introduce himself. I came in time to save your honor, so he appeared to us in the shape of the man in the tavern who, let me remind you, never told us his name. "

It was hard to believe the prince could have been so wrong and so right at the same time. Quite close to the truth, yet incredibly distant in his assumptions.

No god was coming down from Olympus tempted by her beauty, but she had the love of a mortal man who embodied all the atributes of the son of Zeus

" Ares? Paris, he was just joking! It was a game that you iniciated, so you should be aware of that."

Hector felt encouraged while hearing the first skeptical voice near him.

" Before I could possibly make him understand the implications of his words he had already spread the insanity everywhere."

Paris remained unbothered and ready to mock his disbelief.

" Laugh now, while you still can, because you may have to marry her pregnant and raise the child only so Agamemnon wouldn't unleash against us a demigod son of Ares raised to admire the brutality of Achilles."

The warning must have made sense to his brother in some extent, because the horror in his eyes spoke for him.

Lysander had abandoned his spot only so the mycenaean could sit in between the seer and the young prince while continuing the debate.

" For a man getting consistent rejections from me, I am very dissapointed by your lack of faith in my resistance. Did it never occured to you that before ruining your brother's life I could reject the god and suffer the curse for it? "

Paris tapped her shoulder with playfull friendlyness.

" I saw you melting with delight to the attention he was giving you, and I don't blame you. When he showed his face I stopped feeling the most handsome man in the room and that is not normal. "

Hector was amused of that clarification never presented to him before.

" Must we believe you saw a god in mortal disguise only because he made you stop staring at your own reflection? "

" He seemed very strong too, the type of man that could fight you and have chances of surviving." Paris cleverly clarified. " How many possiblities are to find a vulgar traveller in a tavern matching my virtues and yours without suspecting he hides a greater identity? "

The thought was clever, but the princess knew the truth and despite she wouldn't reveal it to them all, she wasn't going to allow the madness to escalate.

" Gods don't come down to fertilize princesses like in the old tales anymore. In fact, the House of Atreus hasn't seen a demigod since its foundation and for the sake of your upcoming meal, I will not remind you of how that ended. My misterious admiror is most likely to be a simple man, maybe a mercenary that uses Ithaca as a passing point in his travels. "

" … But you are the daughter of the most powerfull militar leader in Greece! " The young trojan insisted, too proud of his theory to give up. " Your father unleashes war everywhere he goes, feeding Ares like the most loyal worshipper. It would make perfect sense for him to visit the beautifull daughter of the king that keeps him so well served. "

" The god of war is also the protector of wronged women. If he cared to take a look on my family, he would have exterminated the bloodline generations ago. "

She caressed the hair of Paris as a soft calling for his attention as she concluded her point.

" It's very flattering that you think of me this way, darling, but I will have to dissapoint you. No amount of weird dreams or bird signs would convince me of such thing."

The leader of the trojans appreciated her intervention against the strange belief of his brother in the respecting terms she delivered it.

" We don't have any certainity of dealing with the same man, this shameless seductor could not be the murderer we are looking for. Finding him for interrogation could be a good first step, but it may lead nowhere because there is no clear connection. "

Standing right in front of them, he directed his following words to the girl.

" I sincerely hope it could be a coincidence. because If he is responsable for those horrors, I wouldn't want that beast near you ever again."

The sweet concern brought some superficial heat to her face, certainity embarrassement for being too aware of how wrong he was yet how unused she remained of having his protectiveness of friend.

" I can take care of myself, Hector. I am a grown girl. "

He didn't expect any less of her, but insisted.

" That doesn't mean you have to be alone for everything. "

The callout hurted her pride and she responded according.

" I don't want to get too used to have the helping hand of a friend that will leave soon feeling in peace with abandoning me. "

Hector took her hand, gesturally debunking her teasing.

" Who says I won't miss you?"

Paris was quite impressed and didn't miss the oportunity to mock them.

" I don't doubt this is the start of a beautifull friendship, but stop doing that if you don't want me telling bad jokes with Menelaus at your wedding. "

In the spirit of that playfull warning the contact was broken by mutual iniciative.

Under her deliberate request, more tales about the strange news of the day emerged from other members of Hector's crew. She listened with intense attention, having fun while looking invested in the mistery by faking amazement despite she had all the answers. At times, the prince dedicated her secretive gesturings of mutual understanding supporting her disbelief that made the advice of Ereny wander in her mind.

With no consideration for the pragmantical reasons, he reacted like a good friend. Keep lying to him while his men were descending into religious fear due to their inability to explain what happened wasn't easy seeing that Hector trully cared for her. The chaotic situation could be fun, but it was also very unfair for him.

The temptation of trusting in him was there, but fear of his reaction was too great to think of trying it. Like her, Hector had the goal marrying for love, but his context was the opposite of hers. Andromache wasn't for him a forbbiden choice, they were a well fitting couple to the eyes of his people and family. Greed and political ambitions were temporally difficulting things with the finding of another princess that was a better pick for those interests, but Troy wouldn't be too affected if the heir prince would reject that in favor of his romantical feelings.

Even the one act of selfishness Hector was going to allow himself wasn't, in fact, that much selfish. It was understandable to wonder if he would be as tolerant of a more threatening situation where chasing love could affect the political life of the kingdom. París, in the other hand, would support her without hesitation, but she doubted more of his capacity for secret keeping.

For the rest of the night she locked herself in her room to avoid any possibility of facing Odysseus untill the next morning. Preoccupations faded falling asleep to thoughts of her beloved, excited under the inability to predict when and how he would come back to her knowing they were separated by such short distances. The words exchanged with the maid of Penelope still haunted her at moments, but were not completely ruining her bliss.

Doing the riskiest bet of her life placing all her trust in him could turn out disastrously wrong, but he never gave her any reasons to think that. For as much awareness as she had of his fame being a heartbreaker, the man he was alongside her didn't resemble at all those rumours or the dark warnings.

Sunlight brought to her another challenge, given it was evident she wouldn't escape the king for long. Finding him by herself and showing courage to prove her determination was the best option for a start. Approaching the wrong claims of the trojans with irony, she left her room in a red dress with golden borders that matched perfectly with the nice necklace Penelope had given her. A dark robe finished the trick to perfectly hide the problematic area of her skin from public sight.

Unceasing barking and cheerfull screaming guided her in the right direction, eventually finding Odysseus in the middle of playing with his child and their beloved family dog. With them were the trojan princes, probably dragged into the situation for being passive bystanders.

It was the childish simulation of a combat, and Telemachus played in his father's side as if they had developed an ambusch for the brothers. Paris had already fallen in the grownd, his comedically nervous yelling was the echo she had heard before. Odysseus attempted to drag him, but Hector was capable of containing him while playfully fighting the child, scene that made her laugh on the spot.

Her chuckling caused a distraction that allowed the little prince a precise swing of his toy sword. Hector managed to stay in character, pretending a fatal wound that was leaving him in agony.

Proud of himself after sharing a glance with his father, the kid added.

" Worry not, I shall take Priam the corpses of his children. Let no one say the son of Odysseus wasn't taught of mercy! "

Being the onlyone who dared to acknowledge her presence, Odysseus received the myceanean with mockfull inclussion in the game.

" Look over there, my son. It's the maiden of Ares!"

Accepting the gesture anyways, she composed her own character.

" In fact, I am a servant of Hecate, and the goddess sends me to rise this brave heroes from the dead."

She reached Paris first, assuming he was the first one to go, and bent down next to him as if she attempted to check him.

" This will be a work of necromancy. They will wake up as the undead, revenants. Walking corpses obbeying my will, nothing that resembles their past self will remain there. I was commanded to create an army of the dead and I'm resurrecting these fine gentlemen to gross its lines."

The younger trojan stood up clumsily, holding hia chuckling the best he could.

Observing she was taking things into obscure territory, the father of the little boy had to interrupt.

" That's frightening! What's wrong with you? Apart from being raised by Agamemnon, of course. "

The accusation amused her.

" It's not the first time that happens, when I was a kid Nestor used to bring who was then his youngest child to play with me. Antilochus didn't use to appreciate my creativity."

" I wonder why, you are a delight. " Hector commented ironically while rising up. " That was not disturbing at all and I am not fearing for the fate of your future children asking you to play with them. "

The tease inspired her a way to indirectly annoy him and Odysseus at the same time.

" You don't have to, they won't be yours. If I am as lucky as your brother believes, my firstborn will be fearless from the crib exactly like the father. "

The provocation ended the fun for the King, but his curious kid was ready to ask her on the matter.

" Are the stories true? They are saying Ares is in love with you."

She dissapointed him with a vague explanation, lammenting the cuteness of his amazement with the rumour.

" Some people also say Helen was born from a swan egg result of the union of two deities, then her parents just adopted her. They only invented that because they like her, but they don't like my mother."

Paris attempted to rephrase her words in order to help the situation.

" It means she doesn't believe it to be true, for her it's just gossip I created. "

" It's an expiatory explanation for her misbehavior from yesterday. " Odysseus added, closing the topic. " I want the real one, but for that I have to make sure you won't be there to defend her. "

Telemachus understood what that meant in his childish way, guessing his father wanted to scold her, and gave him free space to proceed.

"You are in trouble, cousin."

He made a sound that worked as call for the dog and the animal followed him, getting waved with a cute hand movement by the mycenaean in their way.

Once the distant was enough to not be heard, she deviated the topic sharing her impressions on the kid with Paris.

"I don't know where he got that. ... Maybe it's because our family relation is too distant and confusing. Such a sweet boy, as the only prince he feels the outside pressure from other boys to grow up faster. Good to know he still has spaces to play. "

He showed a weird approval of her words.

"Boys used to mock me all the time, ... the men they have became still do. "

They shared a few chuckles untill Odysseus turned his attention once more at her, denying her of any deviations knowing well she was trying to soft him with a talk about his son before they could get to the controversial matter.

" Are you well rested, little one? My wife suggested me to let you get enough sleep after I came back home late last night. You were nowhere to be found, may I ask how that occured to you? "

She glanced at Hector right behind the king as if she begged for salvation, but the prince was equally interested in the answer.

"One of the clothes I was washing got stolen and I tried to chase the thief, but got lost wandering hopeless untill Paris found me. I'm baffled to hear you didn't return earlier thinking I could have found the way guided by some of your nice subdits. Did Hector convinced you that I could have been abducted by a madman? "

Troubless-looking through the whole exposition, she directly referenced that in order to test if Odysseus would reveal to have found Achilles.

"The search wasn't in vain, I ended up stumbling with an old friend and invited him dinner to talk about his problems. "

Bitting her lip to not show enthusiasm, she paced in direction to the opposite wall pretending to admire a fresco about sealife.

" I hope you were able to work things out with him."

Odysseus chuckled, amused by her confidence.

" Something has changed: I used to think he was stubborn and whimsical, expanding his wants beyond his posibilities just to play with limits. Now I know he is commited to a cause meant to fail from all rational standpoints."

It made her smirk, silent taste of victory.

Aren't you going to berate me for causing this mess? You told me to stay inside, but I gave a walk into the woods and got lost. "

Concern aside, he was impressed by her capacity to keep the conversation so precise yet coded to the banned audience that the sons of Priam represented.

"We are beyond that point, young lady. Warning you has proven to be pointless, so I will take action trusting you to a watcher. One whose vigilance you won't be able to cheat."

Some angry yelling would have been preferable, she was perfectly able to stand that and ignore it. Turning back inmediately, she found the king approaching the trojan leader and muffled a scream.

" Hector! I know by experience that she mocks the surveilance of mycenaean guards for fun, but I believe she won't be able to fool you. "

It surprised him as much as her, even despite he was getting used to the excentricities of Odysseus.

" I won't deny you are in the right, but what am I supposed to do? "

"Entertain her, but keep her at a prudential distance from Paris. He would collaborate in her schemes if he remains unwatched. If it suits you well, we can celebrate council by nightfall when you will be free from her."

Curiosity iniciated by the reprehensive hints made Paris be the first rising voice.

" Nightfall? Do you have any other greater problem requiring you today? "

The lady parted her lips in a soundless gesture that threatened the king with the chance of her spilling the truth.

" My friend will come for an audience and I would rather keep my obligations of domestic kingship separated from our common matters. "

The younger prince insisted.

" What can be so urgent to delay a call for council? "

Odysseus replied him to respond the excitement he guessed would be roaming the girl's insides knowing her warrior would be in the palace.

"He is a noble in decline that wants to claim right to a woman that doesn't belong to him, a beautifull maiden from Same of a greater noble family that would destroy him if they knew he enamored her. The request of audience is mostly to see my wife, he believes his luck will improve convincing her. If we don't give him an answer, he will proceed to do his will without my support. Since both families are from different corners of my kingdom, the conflict demands my arbitration. "

Incapable of perceiving any serious threats in that, Paris simply laughed untill the subtle sanction of his brother made him stop.

" That shouldn't be an issue, you are their king. Just bless the union and her parents will have to accept it."

The princess remained silent, but smirked in support and as a mock to Odysseus.

In the meantime, Hector tried to solve the misunderstanding caused by the blissfull ignorance of his younger brother.

" Paris, the political branching of mundane problems on the local life can have terrible concecuencies. Nobles can pick sides, and those can turn into militar fractions, each of them with the conviction that a fundamental right of theirs is being violated. "

His explanation was flawless, but overturned the greek girl's hopes of finding understandment in him and that got a bitter addition from her.

" ... And the next thing you know is my father comes to invade you taking advantage of the political unstability. Under the promise to bring order, peace and prosperity, his armies would loot your people."

Hector was confused by her cocky tone, product of a dissapointment he didn't know to have caused.

"Precisely the kind of comment I would avoid to not make you uncomfortable, but it's nice to get reminded of your critical awareness."

Odysseus had one last mock for her under the lines of his talk with the prince.

" Good to see you are having fun already, she is all yours."

Almost too angered to pretend, she tried to approach it giving back the same irony.

" Do you call this a punishment, Odysseus? That's very insulting for your foreign guest. "

The king approached her as the precise mix between an older friend and a father.

" I know you better than Agamemnon ever will, depriving you of involvement and information to act as the company of a nobleman is the worst I can do to you. "

He caressed her shoulder as if he intended to comfort her, ironical contrast with the core of his next premise.

" Young princes, mind to await for an instant as I put the child in place? "

He was playing with her, aware it would make her histerical.

" I AM A WOMAN! "

" Not legally untill marriage! " Odysseus mocked her while hugging her sideways, making her walk with him searching for a more private environment to discuss. " In the meantime, you are a responsability of the men in your family and I am the only one available here. "

The hall leading to the throne room wasn't too far from there and the slaves weren't occupying it on any cleaning, so it was good enough to at least whisper her a few words.

She released herself harshly as soon as no one was staring, ready to complain.

" You can't send me away with Hector while Achilles will be here defending our cause! In war and council you enjoy of fooling all sides, but this is different. "

He grabbed both of her hands, softly caressing the wrists indicating the gesture was secretive and not aggresive.

" I heard what he had to say, and the situation is worse than I thought: you were absolutely right. He has fallen for you, madly in love like I've never seen him."

Joy made her give a little jump with the upper side of her body, but he kept her still as insistence in the need for her to stay serious.

" Do you think I don't wish I could celebrate with you? Two dear friends of mine falling in love should be a motive for cheer, but I can't relax knowing the risks … The torches leading to your nuptial bed could as well set Greece on fire!! Achilles doesn't care, he is ready for everything with the hope of having you. "

She couldn't help to keep smiling and, for an instant, he almost considered telling more than what he should.

" Ever since I first meet him, I've allways been able to talk him out of serious trouble. For the first time in all our years of friendship, I doubt he would listen. The way he speaks of you had us both talking about love. "

Inspired in the sudden rush of hope his words gave her, she rushed to hug him.

" I knew you would be rooting for us!! "

Odysseus didn't deny the claim, but tried to remind her that his feelings remained in contradiction.

" What you have done of that man, your impact on him … It's beautifull, I am terrified. "

He kissed her forehead before concluding.

" I can imagine why Penelope must have made you wear her bead seeing that it covers most of your neck, but the image doesn't help to ease my will to protect you. Being honest, you look like a vision of the future showing the princess we didn't conceive yet. "

Traces of her anger were fading to such tender statement, so she pressed to make the hug stronger and later released herself complaining.

" Liar! You just want to make me cry. "

" It's true! Do you think I picked Hector for you only based on political convenience?" He sweetly insisted. " I knew the rumours about him, and turns out everything was right. That is the man every king would dream for his daughter."

She rolled her eyes, sick of hearing that description of the trojan prince, and the king defended his point.

" Don't get me wrong: Achilles is a great friend. I trusted that man with my life countless times and would keep doing it, but if a man like him would be courting a daughter of mine, I would probably loose my mind. "

It made her chuckle, what help her hide the brief dispair that a reminder of the warnings brought her.

" That is my curse, one of your slaves said I am the country's daughter. Most greeks must see their daughters when they look at me."

She looked down, but his glance followed hers untill it did the way back up.

" You are a wonderfull girl, and all I do isn't just for myself or the wellbeing of the country. I do it because the Achilles I know isn't worthy of you, and through this new side of him I discovered he will have to prove me that he can be the man I believe you deserve. "

The sweet exhortation invited her to twist the logic, as if the trial of Achilles could only take place under the secrecy provided by her working as a distraction for the trojan leader. In such terms she accepted, but that didn't calm her expectation for it. Being excluded was unfair, and the worse part of it was being left to wonder for the fate of the encounter.

Once the king settled the space for it and they were left alone reluctantly by a very amused Paris, Hector suggested her going to the beach for a long walk talking of anything she preferred. Given that a council was already scheduled, he even offered himself to share a short summary of her thoughts on her behalf through his speech with hopes of appeasing the anger he witnessed earlier.

A chance fort subtle inclussion in the political activity she was formally banned from didn't get her as excited as he expected. Although physically there with him, she barely paid any attention. It lead him to assume that she remained upset, because he couldn't think of any positive motives for bewilderment keeping her in dreaming state.

The single bother she took before following him was leaving behind the fancy jewelry innapropiate for the situation, while he had fully changed to casual garments. At least during the first instants walking out, Hector noticed her constantly fixing her robe in what he believed to be an attempt of covering her cleavage from any fails in the dress underneath. Particularly odd behavior, never before she had feared of his eyes and, unlike his younger brother, he never gave her any reasons for that.

Intending to ignore it to avoid awkwardness worked for a while, but her vague or simplistically affirmative responses to his attempt of discussing his speach invited him to step in.

"It seems that you are not with me today, or otherwise I wouldn't be talking alone."

He stopped walking out of sudden and her glance, priorly fixated in the sea, was once more back in him as she followed him.

" Forgive me, Hector … What were you saying? "

Exasperated by the situation, he released his frustration in a short groan while turning back.

" Are you still upset because I accepted this? Stop acting as if we were on a date you are determinated to ruin, it's most likely I would have seeked to stay close to you anyways because I am worried … If my brother is right and all facts are connected, there may be a man out of reason following your footsteps. "

The assumption, although partially right, was still very amusing for her.

" Is that how you choose to adress the god of war? So disrespectfull! "

Ignoring the tease, he presented his alternative interpretation.

" I am more inclined to believe we are dealing with a dangerously obsessive man that found his chance in your first long trip away from home. "

The very wrong description had a shade of accuracy, but she made fun of it anyways.

" Now that is talking nonsense! Do you mean a ' you will be mine or everyone else will suffer' obsession?… Please, Hector! If you find a single man in this country caring that much for me, tell me where. I may marry him. "

He turned back to face her only in order to tear down the cynic claim.

" You are a princess! Possibly the most unreachable one for most greeks. It's an unconfortable truth, but you must be aware that many men could be admiring you in silence. The more idealized your fame becomes, the easier is for a madman to pick you as an object of his obsession. "

Her jokes became more agressive, seeking to disgust him in order to close the topic.

" My own suitors wouldn't include me in their fantasies. They probably think of the mountains of gold, the countless cities to rule and all the gorgeous, perfectly trained concubines to satisfy their every need in their kingly bedroom."

The intensity of his eyes forcing her to keep staring back proved her strategy had failed.

" Nothing of that matters!! Disgusting men of nobility are the less of our concerns now. I suspect of a mercenary or professional assasin, something close to a warrior that lacks the virtue and discipline of a good soldier. This man probably frequents nobility circles in a downgraded position from where he lacks proper access to you. He came here knowing his prize would be less custodied, but not anymore … "

The act of theorization on itself, aside from the brillant result, was getting him too invested.

She was impressed, but still needed to do something about it.

" You expanded the idea I gave you! I like how your mind thinks, but I will have to dissapoint you. "

Adquiring some sudden secretive manners, she got too close to him in order to whisper her conclussion.

" Unfortunately, I only know of one man that merely resembles that description and he doesn't waste his time stalking princesses … If he wanted me, he wouldn't have stopped untill having me, and I wouldn't be a maiden anymore. Odysseus and Agamemnon would have no virgin bride to try selling you. "

Far from falling in her game, the prince followed her in his terms switching the logic of her words.

" That is dissapointing, i judged you a clever negociator. Regardless of who would be the man to be arranged for you, purity is your currency for the nuptial transaction and giving it away to that fool would be an irrational waste. "

She briefly raised her eyebrows and settled back the normal distance with a playfull smirk before replying.

" You speak too confidently for a dead man, because that's what you would be if he could hear you insult him. "

Skeptical of the advice, Hector could only share his mind with her.

" Obtaining glory for the sake of glory itself it's a vain, frankly stupid, motivation for a fighter. A so claimed invincible man that lives for the moment of his death? If Achilles doesn't want to be taken for a fool, he should stop acting like one. "

Nature provided her a decent seat on the rocks remaining at a considerable distance from the water and she headed there.

" You don't need to misjudge him in order to prove you don't underestimate me. Achilles allows nobles to think he is a fool, some mindless brute usefull only to do the bloody work that increases their wealth, but he is brilliant. The man knows his worth, no matter how hard Agammenon tries to devalue it in order to exploit him. If you talk to him, he would claim he doesn't care about politics. He was brought there just to fight, but he pressures the powerfull ones with the vital, deadly resource that he provides. Even if he doesn't dispute power in its traditional conception, he is an active political player. It's fascinating to observe, I believe you would benefict from conceiving your advantages in a similar sense."

A sudden realization, or perhaps just his will to tease her over the displays of admiration, guided him in the right direction.

"This silent admiror of yours we are theorizing about ... Would you wish it was him? I thought you were joking the first time we had this talk."

It occured to her that keeping control of the truth and revealing it on small pieces could be smarter than confessing herself to him.

" It doesn't matter, Achilles would never look at me that way. I am just the daughter of the king he hates, his approach is only a game to upset my father. While i'm lifelessly sitting on my throne of princess at the feast, I can only watch as his attention goes to the round of concubines performing their dances. "

Hector took her hand as if he intended to comfort her and she looked down to visually follow the gesture while he deepened it with speech.

" I am relieved, if that is the case. No matter how charming he may appear to you, that man is only famous in base of his rage and violence. His lack of control for anger and rumoured brutal nature could be a threat for your safety."

The observation surprised her not only. because its conclussion was unthinkable for her, but also due to how his argument was strictly directed towards her. From him she could have expected a callout centered on her duty of royal and the need of supressing a possible cause for internal war, or perhaps some dissapointment. If she feared to talk with him about it, that was never imagining his dissaproval could have personal reasons.

In his own contextually misinformed way, Hector tried to give her the advice of a caring friend. However, the wrong assumption made her flinch with disgust.

" I know how it looks, but he is not that kind of man. "

" How can you tell? Sometimes nobody knows untill it's too late. " He replicated, trying to accomodate beside her. " In one way or another, men that live for fighting take the fight home. It's a code of conduct I disencourage on my men: I want soldiers fighting for their country, not ruthless killers that can't survive without war because they need it to release violence that otherwise would be unleashed somewhere else. "

He looked up for an instant, as if he seeked relief or divine inspiration, then glanced at the waves crashing.

" I have heard too many of your horror stories … Do you want to hear one of mine? "

She agreeded wordlessly, simply by accepting to lean closer to him.

" Back when I was a lad, even younger than the young friend of yours you always tell me sbout, one of the many teachers instructing me for combat married this beautifull lady. From time to time we would receive them in the palace. They didn't have kids and Paris was still a child, so she used to stay playing with him while her husband would be training me. He was a formidable warrior, fearless and dedicated to his service. It was as if for him the battlefield was his natural place to be. He married a wife of his choice that had also chosen him and they seemed a normal marriage ... Untill one tragic night of winter in a particularly calm year, they shocked the entire city. "

He made a brief pause, respectfull silence that left implied what kind of tragic end the story had.

" After the funerals, father told Paris the tale of how Hera blinded Hercules with madness into killing his wife and children. It's the only explanation he found: a god that hated his success and happiness drove him mad. I didn't question it, but later in life as a commander of the army I found out there can be excellent warriors that abuse from the secrecy of domestic life to make of home their battlefield when there are no wars left to fight. Not all of them can be victims of divine induced madness."

His sensitive conclussion moved her as strongly as the story and she raised her head to look at him.

" I let you speak because I was intrigued, but your assumptions have gone too far ... Why are you telling me all of this? "

He grabbed her jaw, as softly as he would do to Paris when warning him about his choices.

" Because I would rather marry you, with all the loss that implies for me, than finding out in years to come that you shared the fate of that woman."

He caressed her cheek to soften the impact before concluding.

" In the descriptions I have heard, the infamous rage of Achilles is dangerously close to that image of sudden madness: fury that can't be stopped by any rational means. Before complaining of being invisible to him, wonder what would be of you if you make him angry."

She grabbed his hand to release herself.

" I appreciate your concern, but I need no savior. A lifetime alongside a ruthless man gave me a trained eye to see the difference between a soldier touched by war and a monster. I do not fear the fury of Achilles, it can be nothing worse than what the anger of Agamemnon has showed me. "

" … And don't you think you deserve better than distantly admiring a man that constantly fights with your father because he resembles him too well? "

She raised up harshly.

" Are you trying to provoke me, Hector? You have proven yourself a man I can call my friend, but you have no business in the wants of my heart."

Hector kept a calmer tone in a more practical speech.

" if your wish would come true things could turn out even worse, and this is the honest advice of a friend. I would speak on the same terms to my cousin, or sister, If I had one. "

She intended to walk to the sea, but his words made her stop in her tracks.

" I may appear a functional orphan, but I am not alone. Agamemnon and Menelaus are not my only family. I have others looking after me: Hesione, Helen, … Penelope and her husband. "

He looked down and smiled.

" Unwanted protection comes with the price of being my friend. "

She chuckled and turned back to give one step towards him.

" I know you won't believe this, but Achilles resembles you more than you could imagine. What I like the most about you can often be found in him. He may be your opposite in the sense of picking war over politics, glory over sacrifice, or never listening to kings, but he is loyal to his loved ones and very protective of them. "

Hector didn't seen impressed with the lovefull defense she made. The excuse of Odysseus, very plausible before the findings, was adquiring another meaning in his thoughts.

" I'm willing to pretend we never had this conversation, if you try the water with me. "

For as innocent as he made it sound, she was back in a state of calm looking alarm.

" I wasn't really planning to get in the sea today, just walk and get fresh air. My clothes are not appropiate. "

Hector stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders, barely leaning his hands on top of each while avoiding to effect any strong pressure because that wasn't his intention.

The robe, his fingertips were placed at each side of it.

" For how long would you try taking me for a fool? I know you are hidding something, you have been acting strange all day. An excellent liar like you wouldn't commit such mistakes if not struggling with the wish of being discovered."

Her eyes looked at each side, paying carefull attention to the movement of his hands.

" I told you about my secret infatuation … What else could I be hidding? "

He smirked before replying, amusing expression of his disbelief on the innocent claim.

" You have been unreasonably fearing my eyes since we stepped out of the palace, blame me for believeing this could give me a clue … "

He slowly uncovered her shoulders, revealing the dress underneath the robe, and inspected her carefully.

" … Odysseus has been teasing you all along, it's you crushing in one of his friends. The reason why I disregarded Achilles before was his absense in your tale, believing you would recognize him if you would have seen him. Not by chance you just confessed your feelings for him to me: for the very first time you feel guilty of your lies. "

Her hair fell back to one more delicate movement, with such bad luck that the side choosen by the prince to expose revealed her love marks inmediately. Hector had enough experience to recognize what the sight implied and she had no option but confessing.

" … I can explain, … I wanted to talk to you, but I wasn't sure if I could trust you with something so important. You know well that if my father finds out … Agamemnon would kill me, he won't care to hear reasons. "

Hector covered her again by himself. Once his eyes found hers she found will to go further.

" I love him, … And I know he loves me back. So passionately yet so tenderly. This? I believe it to be effect of his frustration in our intimate moments because he insists in keeping me preserved to avoid the punishment of my father when he can't be there to protect me. That's why you are here, Odysseus thinks he will fix it sending me away"

He released her completely.

" I want to be furious at him, but my anger is stained of understandment. He wanted me because I am the only one you could be trusted to if Achilles is chasing you. Not even him would dare to climb the trojan wall and steal my wife from my chambers. "

Before she would dare to object, he reinforced his leading of the moment.

" I need you to tell me everything that concerns both of us. No more secrets and no more half truths. Regardless of what the terrible reputation of that man makes me guess of him, you know I 'll never endanger your safety. "

Standing heat for the sake of discretion wasn't neded anymore, so she took off the robe.

" I will, but you have to stop talking nonsense based only on his fame. He is an unstoppable force of raw violence in the battlefield, and also a good man ... In his own terms, with a moral code that's the opposite of yours. You will see it if you get the chance, and you may. As it must be clear to you now, he has followed me here."

As her time for true confession approached, she had less oportunity to wonder for the situation in the palace. Facing the judgement of Hector had left her in a similar position to what she imagined Achilles to be enduring in the audience with the royals of Ithaca. Being friend of the couple wouldn't make it easier, precisely because they would be expressing their well intentioned concerns.

It was usual of him to show up in defense of his actions with no speech prepared. Either when insipiring his men before the fighting, or arguing in the council for expressed call of Agamemnon questioning his choices, Achilles would allways let words flow from the passion of his heart. He wasn't famous for the power of his words, but that overlooked quality of his was the delight of the myceanean princess. Far from self perceiving as a sweet talker, proud man of actions over words, she exposed him to a side of himself he didn't conciously cultivated.

Beating Odysseus in the field of words was an impossible emprise, but the basic understandment they had achieved kept alive the hope of convincing him. On a personal level, the loving husband who adored his wife valued the perpective he gained after falling in love. Appealing to that side by keep reminding him he was just another man in love was the best idea, something that would be easier in the presence of his wife.

The good sight of Penelope was an even higher priority for the warrior, since she wasn't a mere influence factor on her husband. As the eldest woman in the family of the girl he wanted to win, her opinion mattered with individual weight. If Helen was already counted among his allies, convincing her cousin would close the circle of undeground support on the level of familiar relationships. While the spartan queen had chances of influencing her husband in his favor, Penelope was the only woman of the family that Agamemnon trully respected.

When the gate leading to the throne room was opened for him, the sight he found was the opposite regarding his last encounter with Odysseus. His friend awaited the arrival keeping the kingly manners, yet smirking at his radiant wife sitting in the throne beside him. The handfull of soldiers that accompanied them the prior night, only subjects of the palace that were aware of his arrival, acted as escolt untill the king ordered them to retire.

Achilles smiled at the queen and she returned the gesture with sweet politeness, something between a ruler in a serious context and a hostess receiving a friend she haven't seen in a long time. When his eyes followed the way to her husband, his expression adquired a certain playfull cockyness.

No matter how he would try to replicate an audience enviroment, Odysseus would never represent the powerfull yet demeaning image Achilles had in mind when thinking of a king.

" I know that we tend to see each other only for war and this is what you do the rest of the time, but it doesn't fit you. "

Odysseus covered his mouth to hide a few chuckles and scratched his chin before replying.

" You requested an audience instead of a feast for your formal welcome to my country in this ocassion. Odd petition of these strange times! I've never imagined you would come to us sneaking like a thief in the night. I underestimated your passion, unforgivable mistake. I should have remembered that the ladies in the lineage of my Penelope can drag men into unbelievable places with their charm. "

The queen thanked the flattery with a soft glance, then interrumpted.

" His particular choice will surprise Greece, I have no doubt. Everyone has been looking at the wrong threat, now we have him here claiming ownership of the last unwed lady in the family ... Marking her like a possesive beast protecting its territory. What do you have to say of that, estimated friend of this home? Is the introduction to a foreign prince enough justification for such irresponsibility? The woman you pretend to obtain is a princess, and her body is under constant scrutiny. What's the point of preserving her for her safety, only to expose her to the doubts of gossipers talking down? "

Achilles accepted his guilt, even despite he was still a slightly proud of being discovered.

" I never meant harm to fall on her, but I must admit I wasn't carefull when I pampered her with my passion and that isn't entirely casual ... I do wish for those who praise the son of Priam with insistence to find something else to talk about instead of pressuring my princess to aim for the throne of Troy. They will know Hector didn't do that, he frustrates them because he wouldn't touch her."

Penelope measured her words with the right amount of care to warn him without angering him.

" His brother would, everyone knows he tried to seduce her during his first days here. Only once he gave up they gained authentical friendlyness. Has she told you that the prince is giving her shooting lessons? Paris behaves properly now, but it would be easy for people to assume that he kisses her neck from behind to reward every good try. "

" Prince? That man is a joke. " Achilles recalled in a mock. " He has no chances, frankly it's hilarious to envision so I didn't consider it. If rumours would point at him, Agamemnon would suddenly see I am not the worst option and the brilliant scheme of your husband would be over, because Hector wouldn't be available anymore. "

Odysseus did his contribution using his own argument against him.

" What would have been more clever and usefull to your cause than making Paris believe you are the mortal disguise of the god of war. One thing I learned about trojans is that their religious sensitivity is higher than ours: they are loosing their minds. "

" All of them, except for Hector. " Penelope corrected. " You may have alarmed him, but not deceived him. That is not enough to make him run to his ship and go home. "

She made a brief pause before getting into more intimate territory with her questioning.

" What is wrong with you? I know you enough to assume you are allways looking for a challenge. Why is it different now? "

Despite she aimed at his feelings, Achilles read it as questioning on his courage and directed towards her with arrogant pace.

" Hector has never harmed me, and I would never fear him simply because I fear no one. I don't waste time occupying my thoughts with childish jealousy, but I resent his presence because the popular perceptions of him damage my chances of fair judgement to get the right to my bride the way it's meant to be. Answer yourself with this question, queen. If she was your daughter, which one of us would you want for her? "

The smile in her face, product of circunstantial amazement, showed contrast with the answer he expected. Instead of listing his lacks, Penelope valued his intentions.

" Hearing you speak of her as your bride is a delight … Don't you remember how I used to warn you that this day would come? I once promised you make a peplos for your bride, and you responded me with some sarcastic joke about how you were never going to get married. Don't you think Odysseus had rational reasons to believe you could be taking advantage of that girl? We responded looking for a prince that would be safe marriage for her once you would flee. That doesn't mean we don't have faith in you. For as long as you denied the posibility to yourself, I always knew that someday the fine daughter of an achaean would tempt you with it."

Her encouragement was a relief for his heart.

" I didn't lie, never before I imagined we would be having this conversation, … but I fell in love with a princess and that changes everything. I know what I have to do if I want to be with her. Odysseus has his doubts, but I am not the lad he saved from the wrath of the King of Scyros. "

The speech pleased her, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her.

" Would you marry her because you want to or because you have to, Achilles? There may be no relevant distinctions for you, but I believe the implications can lead to completely different outcomes. "

" I want her in my life for as long as I have left of it to live. " The myrmidon replied terminantly, staring then the flow of words for his improvised, heartfelt defense." When I think of how I wasted two years since our meeting being already aware that I liked her … Maybe back then I suspected that she could be my temptation, that opening that door would make me vulnerable to wants I had for so long denied to myself. I returned home pretending nothing happened, but she didn't. For those years that sweet girl dreamed of me. … She was waiting for me, but I didn't show up, and instead of facing dissapointment she searched her way to me by herself even when she expected nothing. "

His voice adquired a sweeter undertone as he revisited for the judges his side of the story.

" I received her in my home for one day with its night and part of the next. That's all it took for her to remind me of how much I liked her once, and to make me like her even more. The chance came for me to find hospitality retributions, and as the unconfortable guest of her father I found the fate I used to reject more than death. Love of the real one, the kind of human feeling that turns a mortal woman into a goddess in your eyes. Now I dream of her, but lack of her blessed patience. "

Applying the same brutal honesty he had for everyone else on himself for the exceptional ocassion, his speech concluded directly for the queen.

" I was a coward, Penelope. In the time I spent running away from that sparkle between us your husband noticed ahead of everyone she could have been arranged to someone else. If he would have acted then, her wedding could have been our next opportunity to see each other again after Helen's. I won't risk that, her waiting is all what stopped me from losing the right time to discover her to my own foolishness. "

His intensity was not only a matter of introspective justification, but an impulsive release of repressed thoughts.

" She had strenght to remain silently infatuated with me while I was far away despite hearing the gossips about my lovers. Her only hope was seeing me again, believing I would never be for her. Now it's my turn and I can't wait, even if I know she is mine. I don't want any new princes arranging playdates with her, or gossips discussing of who should occupy my place. If someone else convinces her father before I would get the chance of doing the proposal, I will lose my mind. "

After such honest and extensive exposition of his case, the royals shared a complicit glance as if they would be guessing each other's thoughts. Penelope felt more inclined to use her judgement of woman and Odysseus, despite famous for his rationality, didn't have a heart of stone.

She abandoned her seat, standing right in front of the warrior.

" The fabulous descriptions we have heard from her fall short. "

In her brief pause she proceeded to kiss both of his cheeks, formal salute of welcoming friendliness.

" As a firm believer in marriages of love like the one I was blessed with, It is my personal will to support you. As the queen of this kingdom, I accept you need to provide us with some securities for our deal to be completed. "

Odysseus followed the interaction carefully untill she released him, aware that she wasn't trying to deautorize him. Her fair words where the bridge between the two extreme positions: letting Achilles walk free with the girl on the sake of love, or give her away to someone else before he could start a war against Agamemnon. After hearing the most intense speech his friend had ever given in his presence, conciliation of interests was the only wise option.

" Prove that you will not cause any more massacres in her name and I will seriously consider advocating for you to the father. If you want my full support, you must understand victory is not granted. I failed when endorsing Diomedes' proposal to Helen, and compared to yours, his goal seemed possible at the time. Used as you are to be invincible, you have to face the posibility of defeat ... "

He stood up, facing him close for his conclussion allowed by the distance that Penelope allowed to leave him space.

" ... No bloodbaths if Agamemnon's will works against you, Achilles. "

The myrmidon looked at the queen as if he aimed for a second opinion, but her reprobatory smirk let him know he was alone in that aspect. Even if he didn't believe much in it, the first try would have to follow the way of the king.

Surrender wasn't in his nature, so the forbbiden option wasn't completely banned.

" If she allows me to do it, or if he picks an old pig over me, I reserve my right of killing him for her honor. I am not Diomedes, no oaths will stop me. "

Odysseus let loose of his crossed arms.

" Seems fair to me, we shall reserve it as an extreme resource in case the vileness of the myceanean king may surprise us all. "

He gave him a path on the shoulder and they chuckled together like the old friends they were.

Penelope celebrated their agreement inciting their closeness with sweet encouragement.

" If the new perspective challenges you and you find yourself in need of advice, Odysseus is the best husband you can consult. The bright of his reason illuminates paths that remain dark for most men, and his eyes are the light of my life. "

Absolute adoration transformed the semblance of the king and Achilles resisted the urge of teasing him about it.

" I know I am not, by any means, the man a princess should want to marry. Never before I pictured myself as someone's husband, there is a lot to learn, … but I want to do it."

" A lifetime of training doesn't make her any more ready than you. " Odysseus comforted him. " We have talked about it. Being a wife used to be a natural part in her future she accepted with resignation, not a matter of love … I guess that, if our emprise succeeds, she would have to learn from the best wife to ever bless a husband with her love in the land of the achaeans."

With the formalities extinguished, Penelope approached her husband for a fleeting peck on the lips. Twirling later so she could face upfront with him embracing her from behind, she confessed herself to the guest.

" I am already taking care of it, girls get curious when love strikes. "

Achilles had a vague idea of what she meant that kept him gratefull and excited.

" What a bliss that you are, pendant of every detail. Although it surprises me you haven't allowed her to participate of our defense. "

Odysseus lightly confessed his own guilt.

" There is nothing she could add I didn't hear before, so I sent her on a playdate with Hector. They will be back for the pacted time for council I will celebrate with the trojans. If you act with discretion, she is yours for the night. "

The proposition pleased him and for so he showed himself willing to ignore what otherwise could have upsetted him.

" No palace maids or nurse slaves sent in your behalf to control me? "

His clarification didn't shock his friend, who calmly delivered a precise instruction.

"You know me enough to be aware that If you deflore her before marriage in my own home that will be the last time you would be welcomed in it for a long while. I don't care for how serious your intentions would be afterwards."

He didn't expect any less, but it was quite sweet to see his care for the girl was so genuine.

" Does Agamemnon know that you parent his daughter for him? "

Teasing was more in his style than admitting the process had made him feel like a suitor asking for permission of the father when talking to his own friend. Only the commentary of Penelope was helpfull to remember contexts, particularly in the progression of her seriousness fading. Their trial staged for him on that audience worked practically as a personal test. Surviving the critical judgement of Odysseus was hard, but nothing compared to the self centered, capricious mindset of Agamemnon already fixated on his hate for him.

Victory wouldn't be granted, but every small triumph deserved its celebration.

He couldn't wait to be with her and the waiiting felt too long knowing she would be back by sunset, but Penelope insisted on entertaining him with proper hospitality arrangements in the private comfort of her lounges. His deal with the royal marriage implied he had to remain in obscurity untill their matters with the trojans would be on a relative state of order the next day. Then, he would repeat a colorfull lie explaining the confussion he had caused without mentions of his romance with the princess.

Only one slave girl was trusted to his service on the ocassion. Old keeper of the secret, the loyal friend of the mycenaean lady attended him like if he already was her prince. Achilles took his chance of apologising to her for the concerning disruption and cheered her with news of Eudorus. Nothing of his conversation with the rulers of Ithaca was divulged, fearing she could accidentally spoil the surprise, but he made her an accomplice sharing her his plans for the night.

A pacted liberation of the zone for him would occur at a specific time safe to steal her for a while under the noses of the too distracted foreign guests. Once the door of the throne room working as agora of late hour council would be shut down in her face, she would be found there trying to catch details of the political arguments with intense curiosity.

Hidden once more as a stalking shadow when the moment to strike presented, Achilles observed the guesses coming to life. He easily spotted his girl walking like an intrusive presence among the trojan cortege. The form of her body was completely buried in a long, loose robe secured in the chest with a brooch, sight that made him smirk thinking of his passion driven mischief from the day before. He paid attention to the men she followed, noticing Paris walking beside her and shortly ahead of them the leader of the march participating of their conversation.

Distance from him was difficulting the communication and, given she was placed right behind him, at moments she would get closer to speak directly with him. Her rush looked like excitement, but his demeanour to reply was calm. His every gesture irradiated a sense of sophisticated confidence that was drastically different from what he had observed in Paris. Far from that hedonist ellegance, the royal bearing of a man born for kingship.

Achilles realized that his first sight of Hector matched the usual descriptions, except he seemed slightly taller and better looking in person.It was a temporary conclussion obtained from a very brief look before he vanished inside the room to be followed by all the men, when he catched him smiling at the lady as if he intended to reassure her for something.

An accord of some sort closed between them, he believed it to be probably of political nature.

The gates were custodied by two of the soldiers that saw him enter that room earlier in the day. Their presense was blocking her hearing of what was going on inside and they commited the crucial mistake of trying to expulse her from the spot. Watching her behavior escalate to their negatories was quite funny, specially because as he approached he got to hear her powerlessly talking down to men. Soldiers following the orders of those arguing inside, her closest outlet for protest.

When he emerged in arrogant pace, the argument had her so absorted that she didn't notice him heading right behind her as she kept critizicing the guards.

" … By the laws of our country I am banned from speaking, but nothing forbids me from listening … So I'll stay here untill you'll get sick of staring at my face in front of you. "

Achilles showed for the men a playfull smirk of complicity and their amused reactions confused her enough to realize something had changed.

" You will get tired first, pretty princess. "

She froze, turning back inmediately to find her beloved warrior smiling at her. In her eyes he appeared even more handsome than the last time she saw him, wearing a short black tunic that matched great with his long leather footwear.

" What are you doing here? "

Despite she knew of his arrival to the island, some of her surprise was genuine in the sense of not expecting to see him there at that precise moment.

" I came to see you, turns out I can't get enough of you. "

Achilles leaned a hand on her shoulder and sneaked the other to her waist, gently pushing to bring her closer.

" Leave her to me, brothers. I have it easier applacating her. "

With that trust sounding inside joke he dragged her away avoiding further questioning.

Nightfall kept most of the servants occupied on the kitchens preparing the meal that would follow the council. Depending of the halls choosen to navigate, desert spaces could be found while deciding which door would hide them that time.

He haven't had released her through the walk, but instead deepened the contact rounding her waist sideways with one arm. Everytime she tried to scape, he mockfully squeezed tighter.

" Odysseus didn't want to tell me about the audience, or where you left afterwards. " She finally spoke in clarification for her reaction" He said I would find out the result later … Now I see what he meant with that."

He proceeded to tell her the good news with some of his usual humor.

" He will support us only if I prove him i can behave … How was the playdate with Hector? Has he fallen for you already? "

The reminder made her chuckle a bit louder than usual.

" He found out about us, I had to tell him everything after he discovered the not so subtle gift you left me with yesterday. "

Better outcome than what he ever expected. It took him only one instant of peeking for any intruders in their moment before he pushed her against a wall so he could rip off the brooch and make her robe fall to the sides, observing his work with pride.

" Good, now he knows who you belong to. Is he afraid of facing me? "

He placed one delicate kiss in the affected skin, soft like a caress from his lips.

It made her giggle, covering herself later to resume the walk.

" Not at all. At best, he thinks you are a fool. At worst? That your violent tendencies and irrascible temper would become a dangerous problem for me if awakened during our arguments. "

The implications in that sentence shocked him, what kept him wondering out loud with certain frustration.

" Why everyone always expects the worst of me? "

She took his hand and assumed the lead, picking the next hallway that would take them to her room.

" It's a downside of your reputation, my love. For years you encouraged tales about your anger and brutality. When they describe you for him, most talk of you as a killer beast he shall beware of."

She gave him a peck down the cheek, reaching the side of his jawline, then concluded.

" Don't worry, he is aware of his mistake because I spent the afternoon telling him plenty of examples about how wonderfull you are … At least with me, I started to think I am an autentic privileged among the unlucky women that stumbled with you. "

The ironical tone in the strange phrase made him suspect something was wrong. His first guess was believing that his friend told her some unflattering stories he knew, maybe the one of his first failed adventure with the islander princess.

The tone of his voice adquired a sudden seriousness that was absent from the moment since the very begging.

" Whatever Odysseus told you, I can explain. "

She tried to be honest without compromising her informational source.

" He didn't have to, I had a close encounter with one of your girls. By far she doesn't recommend you. Aparently, you made her feel used after you were done with her. "

He tried to do a concious effort in remembering, but no idea of who was she talking about came to his mind.

" I've been in bed with many people, often drunk at some point of the action. "

The answer was quite frustrating for her.

" Is that your brilliant excuse? You dissapointed her so badly that as soon as she found out i have intentions on you she questioned my inteligence. "

They reached the right door just in time for his defense.

" My sentimental life was a sad mess before you came along, Odysseus made me realize of that when we talked. If I acted like a bastard, it's probably because I was avoidant of romance … I never gave myself the chance of properly meeting a woman I liked, untill you made it impossible for me to get away. And I am glad you persisted, because you opened my eyes to something new ."

[sea-you-in-paradise]

♡  a o t   l o v e   l a n g u a g e s  ♡

summary - attack on titan characters’ love languages 

word count - 2.217

setting - any! (canonverse, modern au, etc)

features - armin, connie, eren, hange, jean, levi, mikasa, reiner, & sasha

genderneutral!reader

warnings - none

a r m i n 

expresses his love through quality time. armin goes through life feeling like there are never enough hours in the day. he just has so much stuff to get done that tasks get pushed off because he overbooks himself. since his time is so valuable, blocking out time for you and planning how you should spend it is not something that he takes lightly. this doesn’t mean that every date is extravagant, he just wants to show you how important you are to him. he does his best to put effort into thinking of something you could enjoy together, even if it’s just reading in near silence. always shows up. you are a top priority.

armin needs words of affirmation to feel loved. he has a hard time believing that he is deserving of good things, armin really appreciates reassurance. hearing you, someone he has so much admiration and care for, insist that he matters reminds him that maybe, he is worthy afterall. tell him how lucky you are to have him in your life. armin is one of a kind and should be appreciated for it. “simple” affirmations are important too; “that sweater looks great on you,” “i missed you today,” etc. remind him that he is so, so loveable.

*bonus* - armin could tear up at an act of service from a friend. he is always willing to help with whatever you need, even if deep down, he doesn’t really feel like it. like i said, he always shows up. the moment you show up for him without him needing to ask is the moment he feels important. you could literally just pay attention to how much he is working/studying and making tea accordingly. he’ll never forget about it. 

c o n n i e

is all about gift giving. but not because he spends all his time/money on it. he just finds shit that he thinks you would like and gives it to you. expect to acquire a (genuinely interesting) rock collection. he would have specific reasoning as to why he picks each one, like if they’re shiny or heart-shaped. 100% picks wildflowers for you whenever he sees one. if he gets bored and there’s paper nearby, he’ll make “origami” (he can make the basic swan and then everything else is up to interpretation). also buys some smaller items when he’s just out and about, but he goes all out on important occasions. rarely gets you food despite buying it for sasha though. 

connie wants to hear words of affirmation. tell this man every single positive thought you’ve ever had about him. this might cause him to make some jokes at your expense, like teasing you for being “all obsessed” with him, but hearing such thoughtful things coming out of your mouth gives him the much needed reminder that people care about him. you care about him. there’s a reason he makes so many jokes, and it is not (just) because he is a funny guy.

*bonus* - connie likes having physical touch in his friendships. he just wants to platonically hold hands on walks with his friends (Jean has slapped his hand away more than once). he wants greeting and goodbye hugs whenever you have plans to hang out. expect him to give you hair ruffles/head pats and playful shoulder punches. he wants you to take turns giving each other hand massages. he’s also down if you ever need a piggyback ride, but keep in mind that he’s expecting one in return.

e r e n

is a quality time guy. eren is a fan of deep conversations. can these get depressing sometimes? yes. is that one of his favorite things about them? also yes. if you can handle that shit, then he knows you’re the one for him. he is a small talk hater, and if you’re taking the time to understand his deepest, darkest thoughts and let him in on yours without making light of it, he’ll feel very connected to you. of course, no one can keep that up all the time and while he isn’t a fan of small talk, he likes really bizarre hypotheticals, comfortable silence, and head scratches.

eren is so grateful when you lend him a hand. this man is by no means lazy, but he is 110% a procrastinator when it comes to any practical facet of his life. he’ll be so focused on doing his tasks for work that his home is just a total wreck and it never seems to get better on its own. to be frank, he would not notice if you helped him with a little bit of everything. but if you helped him with one specific task, like doing his dishes or making him a grocery list, he would be elated. of course, he would never use the word “elated” or allow his face to show that emotion, but it would relieve a lot of his stress when he gets home. please remind him that every task is an accomplishment, no matter how small. 

h a n g e

is dying to get their hands on you. take that any way you want. scientifically, romantically... very romantically. there’s lots to experiment with. all jokes aside, hange is a physically affectionate person with most people (probably more so if she wasn’t friends with levi and erwin, the least physically affectionate duo ;-;), but mostly in a proximity sense. like, they’re the kind of person who comes to sit beside you on the sofa and their thigh is basically on top of yours they’re so close. they also get closer when they talk to you, like if you back up, you will end up walking backwards to the other side of the room by the end of the convo. but in a relationship, hange is three times more intense. expect them to actually sit on you when you’re on the couch. hugs when they’re super excited, forehead kisses when they’re sleepy, shoulder rubs after long days. if you’re sitting in a chair, they’ll come up behind you and wrap their arms around you

hange loves that you spend time listening to them. to have a successful relationship with hange, the key is paying attention. they have a lot to talk about and they need someone who will not only listen, but expand upon what they’re saying. if you demonstrate even an ounce of critical thinking on one of the subjects of their interest, expect hange to be visibly excited. they will shake you by the shoulders with excitement before taking your face in their hands and calling you smart and looking in your eyes, and- well, the rest is up to you.

j e a n

jean wants to spoil you. he thinks you deserve nice things and he wants to be the one to provide them. as someone who has always yearned for a taste of luxury, he feels that the best way to show his love is sharing that taste. he wants to take you to fancy dinners, buy you flowers every time you’re feeling down, and take you shopping (he totally loves it when you try on outfits for him. he gets all blushy, but plays it “cool” ofc). and if he’s really in his feels, he might even draw a little something for you. pretty please put it in a special place in your home.

jean feels closest to you when you’re touching. he feels like there’s nothing quite as intimate as being physically close to someone (hence why he’s quick to slap connie for trying to initiate platonic hand holding). knowing that you want him close to you, so close that you have to touch him, makes jean feel important. he seeks comfort in your hugs and kisses, knowing they provide a level of safety and compassion he can only get from being near you. there’s something very exclusive about it for him.

l e v i

loves through acts of service. his acts are often masked by what some (levi included) might deem as “ulterior motives.” for example, washing/ironing your clothes because he didn’t feel like having dirty/wrinkled clothes around. mostly cleaning service tasks: something like brushing the dirt off the soles of your shoes or organizing your drawers (says he has a thing about privacy, until it comes to cleaning). he assumes that you’ve never had any organizational system in the first place. he will not explain the new system to you. he thinks it’s obvious. but sometimes, when you don’t wake up to him reordering your stuff, you wake up to a cup of tea or a plate of toast. be sure not to make a big deal out of it though or he’ll get embarrassed and "misplace” your birth certificate next time he’s cleaning.

levi secretly craves words of affirmation. frankly, “words of affirmation” might even be a stretch for what he desires most. he doesn’t need to be told how good he is at his job or how much others care about him. he wants you to pick up on little things about him that he hasn’t even realized. tell him if you like the way he pronounces a certain word or how lovely he looks while he’s focusing on the newspaper. he doesn’t let people get close to him easily, so by approaching your position as his partner with such attention to detail, you’re reminding him that he made the right decision letting you in. not even levi is immune to compliments.

*bonus* - levi’s friendship love language is quality time. let’s face it. the only way you’re getting close to levi is if you spend a lot of time together. the problem is actually getting that quality time with him. for levi, this would usually mean doing independent tasks like reading or doing paperwork together. also, doing group tasks (cleaning, cooking, etc) in comfortable silence. being friends with levi is the definition of being alone together. perhaps when you get really close you can have a little conversation with your tea. 

m i k a s a

will jump at the chance to perform an act of service. she loves to feel helpful, and since emotions aren’t something she is super comfortable expressing, she finds that assisting you with your day-to-day tasks is a good way to show she cares. she especially likes helping out with physical activities. after years of hanging around armin, she knows how vulnerable they can be, so it’s her own special cheat code. besides, she likes that her strength is useful for a variety of reasons.

mikasa feels seen when you gift her something. the fact that you saw something and thought of her makes her happy beyond comparison. mikasa’s typically focused mind will definitely wander to giddy little thoughts of you. how often do you think of her? what kinds of things would you like? what can she do to make you know that she cares? she’ll try to center herself, but part of her is glad to have something so wonderful to be distracted by. gifts are never wasted on her. she will treasure whatever you get her, even if it’s not something she would typically buy herself.

r e i n e r

loves spending quality time together. honestly, he just wants to talk. reiner wants to know your thoughts on everything. he wants you to play with his hair while he lays his head in your lap as you tell him about your day. he gives (somewhat) good advice and always remembers small details. he views the people you tell him about like characters and gets invested in your stories.

reiner is eternally grateful for the acts of service you perform. putting out his slippers in the morning, making him a plate for dinner, asking if he needs anything while you’re up/out. he also views the anticipation of his needs as a huge act of service. for example, if he tells you that he doesn’t need anything, but you come back with a blanket because he looked cold, reiner will never stop thinking about it... or you.

s a s h a

will hype you up with words of affirmation. it’s not even something she does super intentionally, and frankly, her encouragement is not something that she provides exclusively for her partner. however, every time sasha has something nice to say about you, she will say it. and since you two are together, she has a lot of really nice things to say. she has a feeling personality, so of course she’s going to gush over you! plus, she thinks that the way you react is really cute and she wants to keep seeing the look on your face as often as possible.

sasha feels appreciated when you perform acts of service. obviously this woman will go feral if you cook her food. that is no secret. but she will also be completely enamored with you if you help her out with other things as well. fold her laundry?? sasha is raving about it for a week. offer to brush her hair? she will give you little kisses all over your face. for sasha, devoting your time and effort is the kindest thing someone could do.

[spaceprincessem]

last day for robstar week and im pretty excited about this one. still set in that time of when the brotherhood of evil plot was going on. this is based around the song creatures in heaven by glass animals (which is such a good fucking song) and feels very much like a big robstar song so please go listen to it! also more robin angsat heh @robxstar

day 7 - playlist

it tears through my head, does it haunt you too?

never really said that i loved you, too

lucky, lucky you, 'cause i'm fortune's fool

such small words but they hit so huge

He’s almost there he’s almost there he’s almost there—

“You never said their tower shimmered.”

Robin’s hands come to rest gently at Starfire’s waist as he pulls away from the crook of her neck. There’s a mark in the shape of his teeth blooming beautifully against her tanned skin he desperately wants to trace with his tongue, but he tilts his head and looks out the small, attic window.

In the distance the Eiffel Tower is lit up in gold, sparkling against the Paris night sky. It’s memorizing to watch, even more so when Starfire is silhouetted in the light. She’s soft and warm beneath his touch, his fingers digging a little harder into her skin if only to hold onto this moment just a little bit longer.

He feels a little drunk.

Both from the champagne they bought and the taste of the alien space princess still hot and heavy on his tongue. 

It’s nearing three in the morning and their time is running out. Different missions on nearly opposite sides of the world hang over them like a cloud of doom. They were able to see each other only by chance and a little bit of luck and while Robin likes to follow rules when it comes to these sorts of things Starfire always seems to be the exception.

As soon as his ship lands his communicator is in his hand, the dial tone grating against his ears. 

It was a trap. 

All of their hard work — their sleepless nights and weeks apart — mean nothing now. The Brotherhood was always one step ahead, always lurking around the corner, and they were always going to beat Robin at his own game.

He has no one to blame but himself.

“Starfire,” his heart is in his throat, “are you okay?”

“I am,” she responds quickly, but slightly confused, “but I fear Argent is not.”

He waits for the rush of relief to wash over him, but it never comes. They are all in very real danger and he’s on an island in the middle of nowhere.

“Robin,” Starfire says after a moment, breath catching in her throat in the way it does when she’s nervous, “there is no one here.”

Stay where you are, I'm coming for you — is what he wants to say, but he never gets the chance. 

“I wish we had more time.” Starfire murmurs, finally looking away from the lights.

Her hands move to cup Robin’s face and he pulls her closer, the sheets falling into a messy pile around them. 

“It won’t be forever.” He says, has been saying the last couple of weeks.

Because they can’t keep living like this. It’s not good for them or any of the Titans. He knows they’re all ready to go home. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s the only thing getting him through the thought of leaving this tiny bed in an attic room in the middle of Paris with Starfire. 

“I know.”

Their foreheads touch, eyes fluttering close. 

They both have to go soon.

Robin thinks he should give them a better show. 

He should beat and pound at the glass until his knuckles are ravaged and his nails bleed. His blood should smear the prison they’ve put him in; a sign that he’s going to fight until the very end. 

Except, he’s alone right now. 

He can hear the fanfare going on through the wall and it won’t be long now, but he doesn’t really have the energy to give it his all, at least not until he’s out in the open. He’s always been a natural performer. 

Right now he lets himself fall apart.

He failed the Titans around the world. He failed his friends. He failed Raven and Cyborg and Beast Boy. He failed Starfire. And there’s some part of him, that deep aching part that lives right in the marrow of his bones, that tells him not to give up, but he’s tired. 

He lost.

Maybe he deserves this eternal punishment.

“I think I will be quite bored when all of you Titans are gone.”

Robin grits his teeth, hastily wiping at his eyes before Madame Rouge can see just how fragile he is. She waits for him to turn around, a knowing smile spreading across her face when he finally does. He’s surprised one of them has waited this long to gloat in private. He supposes the Brain wants a more public humiliation.

They don’t say anything for a while, the silence only broken by a chorus of insidious cheers from the other side of the wall. Robin’s not here to give her anything else, not that he has anything to lose anymore.

“She really was beautiful.” Madame Rouge says after another moment of heated silence. “Did you tell her that you loved her too?”

Robin’s jaw quivers with rage. 

This doesn’t belong to anyone but him and Starfire. 

He swallows back all his anger and hurt, but it doesn’t have anywhere else to go, so it sits like a weight in his stomach, threatening to drag him down to the core of the earth where he will vaporize into dust. 

“I love you,” Starfire says, kissing the corner of his mouth, “I love you.”

Robin kisses her back. He holds her tight and kisses her deeper, harder. The sweet taste of champagne mixes with the briny salt from the tears trekking down his face, but they don’t stop, they don’t stop.

“No?” Madame Rouge’s grin twists into something wicked. “Pity.”

She disappears before Robin can scream or fight or tell her to fuck off.

It’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair. Because he does love her. He loves her so much it terrifies him sometimes. It’s always been so dangerous to love another person like that and not just because they’re heroes. Robin knows grief; it follows him like a shadow. He knows what grief can reduce you to, the monster it can make you become.

But loving Starfire is worth it.

He loves her.

He loves her.

He watches her leave through the open window, their fingers intertwined until the very last second.

It’s not until the shimmer from the Eiffel Tower catches his eye does he realize he never said “I love you too.”

Robin closes his eyes, fate accepted.

He told them it wasn’t over. That he wasn’t giving up.

But he gave up the moment Starfire was gone.

I love you too.

[salsaseth]

After hearing my friend, James bring it up in a call, we started watching Lily Orchard's video about Pokemon to see all the bad takes in it.

When she starts playing the DS games, she uses a mod to smooth out the aliasing and uncap the game's framerate to 60. And gah damn does it look fuckin bad. Even worse is during the 3D games where she uses another mod to smooth out the 3D models and it looks like peeled oranges. Unnaturally smooth. But it does get funny when she talks about the game running like garbage when she's fucked with the game's logic. Like no shit, it's running at a framerate it was never meant for.

Something really funny also begins in the DS games. I don't know why, but she replaces one of the starters with Ralts, cuz she's got some favoritism for Gardevoir. All well and good, but you know, Ralts is weak as shit until it learns confusion and it's still frail. So it gets its ass kicked all the way until it evolves into Gardevoir. But because of how much asskicking it receives, and I swear this is true, she suspects the game is artificially raising the strength of the enemy pokemon, as a way to explain for why's she losing.

Almost as if the game is designed to use a stronger than average pokemon to get you through the early game. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) Still, I don't fully understand why she refuses to use the regular starters. Especially when you can catch Ralts and Kirlia for most of the games. save for black and white. Speaking of.

One takeaway I've had from listening to it is what she says is more revealing about herself than what is intentional. The most telling thing is when she's going off about the Black and White characters for speaking about their ideals and opinions. I mean, she mashes through that with the A button (VISUAL NOVEL HATER SPOTTED), so it's when she's paying attention. I don't know if she just doesn't know what the game is supposed to be going for, or if she's just purposefully ignorant for the sake of contrarianism, but the game's themes are about truth and ideals. The truth is out there, but the ideals we have shape our perspective of the truth. Even Cheren, who represents the truth, is still shaped his ideal. It's a little more deeper than, 'Characters excited that they all have opinions,' but what do i know?

She rails against these characters, N in particular for having opinions and speaking them out. Meanwhile in X&Y, which its cast and characters are there to mostly stroke the character's dick, she vastly praises and prefers these characters to the ones in B&W. Hmmm. Characters that have opinions and speak them out are hated, while those that don't and heap praise on her are loved. I wonder if this says anything about her?

The video gets pretty boring the longer it goes on. The hot take well starts drying up and it quickly becomes a bad screenshot let's play. "Then I did this, and then I did that!"

That's all I got to report. Besides the shoehorning in of lefty takes. I don't know if it's because she's not funny or if she wields everything with as much subtlety as anvil-nunchuks, but when there's an opportunity to make a joke with a leftist-slant, it's as heavy handed as a Titan's ballsack and as funny as stale bread. I'm a leftist bastard myself, but every time the jokes were shoehorned in, I'm like, "The funny? Where is it?!" Especially when it was about Looker and Nanu. I get not liking the police, but this isn't the time or place for it. Leave the jokes to the professionals. Like my friend Plate. Several unemployment jokes were made at Lily's expense, and each one was funnier than the last.

I'll report back if there's anything worth commenting on. Me and the friends got to the end of Sun and Moon, so we have SwSh and SV left.

And if you had time to read this 'post', Lily, I think you had time to 'post' your resume to get a job ;D ;D ;D

[juniorig0327]

Thinking about Sally and Percy in my AU (spoiler alert for something I haven’t written yet, but it has to do with Sally and I may or may not have mentioned this on a post prior to this)

Because subconsciously or not Percy sort of equates Sally as a God, because Sally was a source of hope throughout all the suffering he went through as a child.

And then stuff hits the fan and she just, dies. She’s gone. The Minotaur ran his claws through her and he never saw her again and his salvation is gone.

And from there, things don’t really get better for him, because after the incident tm with Jason, he doesn’t feel like he belongs. (Plus all the gang related activities he’s apart of inbetween pre CJ and right before CHB)

And then he goes to CHB and things are going decently, then his first quest he gets two people killed. But he stays, because he has friends, he has people to find, and eventually he finds friends worth staying for and his life is getting better then BoTL and Titan War happen and he basically loses everyone, all of his friends (and self sabotages and self isolates from anyone who could help him) and then gets hooked on drugs because now it’s back to the real world for him, he has to go to school because it’s the last, plus it’s CHB. He has to get a job because how else is he going to live somewhere with lights and a place to sleep? He joins the shittiest team at CHB because he has to constantly keep his body in shape somehow (he’s too paranoid not too).

And eventually (kinda a spoiler alert but i desperately wanted to yap about this) after all that, plus everything post kidnapping, she’s alive? That Hades was just holding her for all those years, that she’s been trapped? That she wasn’t really dead? That the Gods were so cruel to him they kept his mother away from him when he was at his lowest because saving the world was not enough for them?

And so she’s back, but neither of them really know how to act. Percy desperately craves those warm arms to protect him, but he doesn’t know how to be protected without trying to claw on the cage that’s trying to protect him (he can’t tell if someone’s trying to protect him or trying to trap him anymore).

Sally is just as awkward, she’s missed so much of his life, her little boy has grown weary and tired and this entire time she couldn’t help him.

Sally being hesitant to give him love, not because she doesn’t love him but because it isn’t as easy as it was when he was younger, she doesn’t know him anymore. Doesn’t know if he still eats blue food, or likes her hugs.

Percy desperately wanting love but being too afraid to ask for it, too hesitant to receive it, to even ask.

Sally trying to be a parent but due to circumstances out of her control, she’s years too late to do anything.

And maybe one day they get into an argument. Sally trying to be a parent and Percy picking a fight with her, nearly yelling at her before just, breaking down. He tells her how hard it was without her, how desperately he wanted her.

So they start from there, atleast once a week Percy tells him something from his life, no matter how big or how small and they learn each other. They are both tired and weary, but not too tired nor too weary to love each other.

[newtknewit]

Hey I love your art so much!!

Some quick questions about the cinderkin au,

1. What is Luz going to look like

2. Does every member of the hexsquad have “signature outfits”?

3. Will you be planning to make it a comic at all?

So excited to see what’s in store for thissss whhsgqqjgejw

Aaa thank you so much! Luz will remain human with a few small differences in her design just to spice things up a bit, like a slightly different hairstyle or something. I'm thinking by the end of the 'series', she would start to grow very small scales and horns, since in this AU, humans sorta absorb the magic from the isles the longer they stay there. - Which is also why Belos is gonna be very spiky and draconic, since he's been there for 400+ years. Neither of them will ever be able to grow a tail, though, which sets them aside from true cinderkin. Luz will also gain a titan form at the end, with the titans' designs being slightly more draconic than they already are. Not sure what you mean by signature outfits. If you mean their own unique outfits representing their individual selves, then yeah! Sadly the only outfit I've really done so far is Hunter's Ashen Warrior (or, Golden Guard) uniform. I have been messing around with outfits for the other characters in the meantime, but nothing has really stuck. I hope to get my butt back in shape and work on that again soon :D I doubt I'd ever have the motivation to do something as complex and high-effort as a comic, but I do really want to write a fan fic at the very least! Writing can be stressful on me too though, but hopefully by time this AU is done and ready to be written out, I'll be fine :) I don't think I've ever written this out publically before, but here's the basic plot I'm going for. Things may be subject to change, of course, as it's only a heavy WIP right now: Lilith Clawthorne, an ice-breathing cinderkin and Head of the Emperor's Dynasty, mysteriously vanishes and is pronounced dead later by the Emperor. Hunter must take Lilith's place as Dynasty Head, being in next of line. Luz, who has just arrived on The Boiling Isles a couple weeks prior, notices some odd and distressing behaviour from Eda, who feels both immense guilt for Lilith's disappearance as well as anger at the sister who had cursed her so long ago. Despite Eda's confusing emotions, Luz decides to head out in search of information about Lilith's disappearance, as the sudden-ness and silence of the situation is beginning to arouse suspicion in both her and her mentor. Her first suspect: The Ashen Warrior. From what she knows about him and his constant squabbling with Lilith according to Eda, she believes he may have had something to do with this. It doesn't help his image, either, that everyone knew he was second in line if anything were to happen to Lilith. Perhaps he was power-hungry, and murdered her for his own gain, to move up even more in the Dynasty's hierarchy. Or, is there something bigger going on here? Luz and her friends take the risk that no one else will, to find out what's really going on here.

[elfecassepied]

hellooooo!!!

yap to me about your Dsmp x Epic AU!! I'd love to hear about it!! :DDDDDD

Yeeeesss *vibrating*

Me with this au right now:

Ok so. I'm a big fan of the Odyssey and Epic the musical, the story of the AU isn't a 100% copy of these sources materials mostly characters like and lore like. For what I've seen now the narrative course is the same than the musical until the Vengeance Saga (the Vengeance Saga rocks but I want to do something a little different and maybe closer than the original Odyssey. I'm not sure yet but I just love the Phaeacians so much I will do something including them). I don't really care about the Troy war (I mean in the au, I love classicals Iliad included) so I didn't bother matching dsmp's characters for Iliad's characters, like Diomedes, Aganemnon, Helen and all.

Dream is the reigning king of Ithaca(™) who is dragged, literally, in the L'Manberg war away from his family. George is his wife (we don't believe in gender in this house) and I chosed Tubbo to be Telemachus (inspired by one of the dynamic I sometimes see in fanfiction were Tubbo and Dream are brothers coded).

George gets a little more, proactive role I would say, in defending his house from the suitors. Suitors started to come since 11 years or something like that. He can't really fight all these men who are youngs, well equipped and full of energy when himself runs a kingdom low on resources and men where the current military force is young and unexperienced (missing the prev generation to teach them). So he uses more sneaky ways, and it's not so rare than some suitors suddenly change their mind and leave or were never been seen again after getting a little to bold. Callahan is George's confidant and "right hand man" and yes he helps him hide the bodies. George also has an ongoing deal with the god HD (Hera's role).

Tubbo doesn't know what's going on but George said him to always tell me if one of the men was rude to him (the ones who threatened his son always disappeared first). But he tries to help is own way which mostly translate by being a little shit and sometimes got into fights with the assholes, like the small feral gremlin he is.

On the other side of the sea, Dream just lost around ten of his men including his little-brother/almost-son figure Ranboo to the hands of an angered cyclop, Ponk. And follows it by having a fight with his protector god and perceived friend Technoblade, resulting in the god leaving him alone to face the new challenges on his way: especially the wrath of the god Sam, who was Ponk's boyfriend oops. He will encounter threats and allies equally, including: the god Philza and his crows minions, the shape-shifting enchanter Quackity on his island of Las Nevadas, visiting the underworld to have a chat with the prophet Karl Jacob, slaying some sirens and feeding the sea monster Nikki with some of his own men.

At first I wanted to make a parallel between the human trio Dream, George and Sapnap (Eurylochus), and a god trio XD (Zeus), HD (Hera) and PVP (as Apollo or Ares I wasn't sure). However I changed my mind, made Punz Dream's best friend and right hand man and yeeted PVP to make Sapnap himself a god because I wanted to have an unnecessary Karlnapity storyline in the background. Take it, it's free.

Also I separated Wilbur in two characters: L'Manberg Wilbur/Ghostbur named William who was the crown prince of L'Manberg and died in the war before the beginning of my story and Pogtopia Wilbur/Revived Wilbur who I call Wilbur and who is an exiled titan, ancient friend of Philza and Technoblade, playing the role of Calypso. Tommy was William's little brother and a literal toddler Dream killed by throwing him from L'Manberg's walls.

I have an ongoing theme with how mask/hiding face is linked to inhumanity and how gods or godly beings Dream will meet on his way will somehow hide a part or their full face ; and how he himself started to wear his iconic mask as he chose the path of monstrosity ; and at the same time George assassinated suitors in silence, wearing a veil and pretending to grief his husband ; while Technoblade even if he said he was done™ with humans will be befriended by Tubbo until he stops wearing his mask around him because he's growing closer to humanity. So yeah shits like that.

I will end this little vent with a non-fixed list of the gods I talked about and their domains:

XD (Zeus), king of the gods, god of order, power, lighting, possibilities and civilization

HD (Hera), queen of the gods, god of night, sleep, oaths and destiny

Sam (Poseidon), god of sea, strength, earthquakes, energy and creativity

Technoblade (Athena), god of blood, battles, vitality and strategies

Philza (Aeolus), god of winds, tempests, travelers, sailors and change

Sapnap (Apollo), god of the Sun, fire, protection and loyalty

Wilbur (Calypso), titan of music, song, chaos and free-spirit (for now *wink*Fundy*wink*) (ex titan of fire and war)