#the courtship deception

[mariaofdoranelle]

The Courtship Deception - Part 3: Curtain

Fic Masterlist

Written for @throneofglassmicrofics

Warnings: moderate alcohol intake

Words: 923

“You can’t hide behind the curtains all night, Princess,” Fenrys said, both of them in the kitchen staff area while Aelin peeked at the party from behind the wooden doors that separated them.

Aelin sighed and smoothed her hands down her black silky dress. Her father thought that arranging this huge party was a good way to “rekindle” something with her suitors—she tried to argue that she dated Chaol for a month when she was eighteen, and never even got to call Dorian her boyfriend, but Rhoe was as dense as a rock, completely blinded by the prize that came after the wedding.

Not that Aelin would marry either of them, but her father didn’t know that yet.

She didn’t know most of the people attending this party, though she knew some names or at least remembered seeing them at some point. They were Rhoe’s guests, even if the party was initially planned for Aelin. She scanned the crowd, trying to find a familiar face, until she found a remarkably singular silver head.

Aelin stiffened, her heartbeat faster as she recognized this particular guest. There was no way he could be here.

“Fenrys.” She lightly tapped his arm. “Go get me a drink.”

The second his back was to her, Aelin turned around, that silver hair guiding her. She hated to deceive her friend like this, but as much as he liked to help her schemes, Fenrys was still her father’s employee, and they were currently being watched.

“Aelin.” A gentle hand on her elbow stopped her, and she turned around to meet Dorian’s concerned gaze. “We need to talk.”

She softened at the sight of him. It’d been a while since they last spoke, and a conversation was needed indeed. Dorian was her friend first and foremost, no matter what arrangements their fathers put them through.

“Of course, I…” A peek at her goal just to check that she didn’t lose him in the crowd. “I’m just gonna get a drink first.”

“Let me get it for you,” Dorian said, disappearing before she could stop him.

Well, at least it worked for her. Aelin politely made her way through her father’s business partners, just brief greetings so she wouldn’t lose that loner figure sitting—

“Thank Mala I found you!” Chaol stopped her, one hand on her shoulder. “Look, we—“

“I need a drink!” Aelin interrupted, voice loud and blunt. She hated to ditch three of her friends like this, but a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do.

“Absolutely.” Chaol nodded, and off he went.

Her footsteps were hurried, knowing she had three men in her tow, but the closer she got, the more certain she was that it was really him. They’ve exchanged flirty texts here and there over the phone, but she hadn’t expected to see him tonight.

“Did Fenrys invite you?” Aelin asked as she sat beside him with no invitation.

Rowan cocked his head, eyes glinting. “I can let myself in.”

“I bet you do.” She took the drink from his hand and took a sip, sending him a witchy look from under her lashes while trying to ignore the bourbon burning down her throat at the same time.

Rowan raised an eyebrow at her. “You did dodge my questions about when I could see you, so I thought I’d get my answer in person.”

She smiled, so very busted. Sneaking out to see a boy required some maneuvering Aelin couldn’t afford with her dad’s new plan and him watching her so closely because of it, but she wouldn’t disclose all that to him.

“Just so you know, I was avoiding that question because I still need to find a time I’ll get that friend of yours off my back.”

“But why?” Rowan asked, smirking. “Taking Fenrys out on a date sounds just lovely.”

Aelin had one palm supporting her chin on the table and another holding Rowan’s bourbon, not knowing where to look—to his gorgeous face or the tattoo on his wrist that his sleeve didn’t manage to cover up—when someone cleared his throat next to them.

It was Fenrys, intrigued onyx eyes focused on her, with Chaol and Dorian next to him. “Your drink, Aelin—all three of them.”

“You took so long that Rowan already got me one,” she said with a straight face, twirling his bourbon in her hand.

Chaol huffed and left, Fenrys placed her Manhattan on the table and positioned himself to watch her from a certain distance, and Dorian watched the scene unfold as if its sight held all answers he sought.

He sipped the drink that was meant for her, then raised it in a greeting. “Prince Rowan.”

Prince?

She widened her eyes at Rowan, just to watch him give Dorian a curt nod and say, “Havilliard.”

Weird. No common person just nodded at a crown prince. Aelin tilted her head, trying to make sense of it.

Rowan’s panicked look under her scrutinizing one sparked the realization, her blood racing.

She should’ve known from the unique silver hair and pine-green eyes combo; even from how Fenrys would refuse to talk about him the same way he did with his job with the Doranelle’s royal family. Aelin felt so dumb for taking days to realize it, but the Whitethorns were so many, it was impossible to keep track of all of them—from the youngest generation, Sellene and Enda were the ones the tabloids focused on.

“You wouldn’t have to keep crashing parties if you weren’t so secretive about your identity, Whitethorn.”

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TAG LIST

I couldn’t tag the people in bold, sorry!

@aelinchocolatelover

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@bookcide

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[victonair]

Courting Azul Ashengrotto: A short concept (and a result of brainrot)

Intro: In which you propose to court Azul right after your confession, and surprisingly, you succeed in this endeavor.

Author’s Note: Hi! This is my first time posting on tumblr and despite this being just a short blurb, I would appreciate feedback and constructive criticism! I based this concept off traditional Filipino courting methods, but the reader’s race is ambiguous.

-

Courtship is a delicate process that has two meanings: to win the favor and affection of someone who you’ve chosen to solely dedicate yourself to or the process of putting in the effort to win someone’s romantic favor with the intention to marry them. Now, in this case, it would obviously be the former - considering you and Azul were still teenagers. But who said, you weren’t aiming for the latter as well?

The moment you proposed the idea of courtship to Azul; it became a fairly pleasant surprise to you - seeing his face turn completely red with his hand held up to his mouth in surprise and taking a step back. He looked so faint, especially right after the confession.

Initially, he was hesitant - considering he wanted to take the role of spoiling you first like what he’d done a good amount of times within your friendship, he had not made it obvious of course or lest he risk the discovery of his feelings for you back then. But now? He was at free reign to do as he pleased after listening to your heartfelt confession. Weirdly enough, it felt as romantic as an engagement proposal, with you preparing an entire well-worded speech to deliver the most romantic words he’d ever heard in his life - incomparable to even the ones the most talented script writers and actors had given.

The moment you had proposed the idea, words of disagreement were on the tip of his tongue until he saw the determined, longing, and absolutely charming look in your eyes. Effectively, that immediately shut him up, because of course, you only had the capability to do that.

And so with a meek nod, he had agreed, unable to resist you entirely. At that moment, he had not known the consequences of agreeing to your actions.

To put it short, it was nothing but being showered with affection at least once a day. Despite not having as much money as him, you always found a way to give him flowers once a day or every other day. He suspects that someone had given you access to the botanical gardens because not only were the flowers always fresh, but you always sorted them and left a handwritten note on why you picked them and the meanings of each arrangement.

Everyday was a surprise for him: from flowers, handwritten love notes (regardless of your handwriting), and gifts ranging from different varieties like trinkets and additions to his collection of coins. He could see the amount of effort you were putting into courting him.

It was an endless amount of affection that was a testament to your deep feelings for him; it was the fact you worked so hard in doing odd jobs and put in effort to every gift and each thing you presented to him with the most smitten smile on your face, like you were the one receiving a gift instead of him.

It left him speechless and always deep in thought about you; he often thought about many things: the mostro lounge, the amount of work that needs to be done, but most of all: he thought about you the most. It was no deception or lie that he was the happiest when with you - practically anyone could see the genuine smile on his face or flustered expression when you showed up, spent time with him, or gave him one of your courting gifts once more.

Even Azul could see that you were smitten with him, and that was something that was impressive. He was no stranger to insecurity and self-deprecating thoughts: it haunted him and made him think he was incapable or not worthy of you - but whenever you looked at him like he hung both the moon and stars just for you, his heart couldn’t help but just melt at the sight.

The most memorable experience of his in fact, was you serenading him with a traditional courting song from your culture - you ended up inviting him to Ramshackle late at night, when the fireflies were out, telling him to go to the balcony in the letter. At first, he was initially confused when you weren’t there, but when the soft sounds of a guitar started playing accompany with a sweet serenade of your voice from below - he immediately looked down to see Ace, Deuce, and you - you were singing with a guitar in your hands, strumming the strings to a soft beat whilst singing a tune that practically sang of charm and romance. Ace, on the other hand was carrying a sign that said, ‘Please accept my feelings’ - and Deuce was carrying another guitar that followed different yet similar beats to yours.

It was one of the many moments that Azul realized his feelings ran deep into his veins and with each beat of his heart. By the time you had finished singing and serenading him, he was a mess of emotions that were all positive in every sense. And when you went up to the Balcony to meet him, after telling Ace and Deuce to give both of you space - that was the first time you had kissed him, despite it only being on the forehead.

It was a magical moment that had been engraved in his head, something he’d never forget.

However, it wasn’t only the fact that you put in effort into the traditional courting gifts and methods; it was the fact that you made the effort to recognize the feelings he felt at times when he was overwhelmed or when he felt anything akin to a negative emotion; you always took the initiative to comfort him and do the best you could to make him feel better, whether it be aiding him with words of comfort or giving him space he needed, you always tried your best to help him with his emotions. It was clear you cared for him so much and if the gifts didn’t communicate that; then it was every moment you held his hand, and did your best in each situation to do as much as you could for him.

It didn’t matter if you were merely giving him a trinket or surprising him with a bouquet of flowers right after class and walking him down proudly down the halls; he was smitten with you in every action you did and everything that showed you…ever so remarkable and sweet you. He may not be sure of the future to come, but all he knew is that he wanted you in every path that would alternate from his decisions. He would take you hand in hand in every twist and turn, and when time is right, he’ll take you as his forevermore.

You can’t blame him if he never lets go of you; his greed is unmatched and he could never bear to have you out of his reach when you were the one who provoked feelings that no one on this earth had ever awoken. Do take responsibility, won’t you?

And although you were courting him first, you wouldn’t mind if you took your hand off the reins and let him take over, right? After all, rewarding you for the amount of effort you showed in order to prove that you loved him would only be the only viable option in this situation. So sit down, and let him spoil you with flowers, dinner dates, love letters, and more - just as you’d initially had done.

[cherriecove]

A Courtship of Politics and Passion (Part 2)

Jacaerys Velaryon x Hightower!Reader

Summary: Cannon divergence, Rhaenyra Targaryen is queen after the Dance of The Dragons. In order to secure peace and ensure her son is able to take his rightful place on the throne after her she decides to make allies out of previous enemies. Cherrie's Note: Thank you so much for the love on the last post! Any more nice words and i might fall in love with yous ngl. Hope you enjoy.

Masterlist | Previous Part | Next Part

The days after the royal feast were dripping with tension, as Jacaerys Velaryon and Lady Y/N Hightower found themselves annoyingly entangled in each other's company far more often than either would have liked. This, of course, was all part of Queen Rhaenyra's grand plan—a delicate little game of matchmaking disguised as diplomacy. She had hoped that a few shared walks and awkward conversations might bridge the bloody, betrayal-riddled chasm between their families. But, alas, Rhaenyra had sorely misjudged the depth of their mutual disdain. Every word they exchanged was polite, sure, but underneath the civility, each syllable was laced with the venom of old grudges neither of them could pretend to forget.

Their favoured meeting spot became the Red Keep’s gardens—a lovely place, in theory. It should have offered peace, with its fragrant blooms of roses and jasmine filling the air, but even the most enchanting flowers couldn’t mask the simmering hostility between them. One fine afternoon, under a deceptively serene, bright blue sky, they strolled side by side, their pace deliberate, every step as calculated as the sharp words lingering on their tongues.

Jacaerys had been brooding in silence for most of their walk, clearly troubled, stealing glances at Y/N when he thought she wasn’t looking. She, of course, was the picture of composure, but the tightness in her jaw and the rigid set of her shoulders betrayed the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior. Eventually, Jacaerys couldn’t keep it in any longer. His voice, low and brimming with resentment, cut through the silence like a blade.

"I wonder," he began, his gaze steady and unflinching, "do you feel any guilt for what your family did? For nearly spilling blood in their attempt to steal my mother’s throne?"

Oh, and there it was—the blow he’d been itching to land, his accusation hanging between them like the sword of Damocles. Y/N’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, but she didn’t avert her gaze. No, she was prepared for this—had seen it coming from a mile away, even if it stung just the same.

"I am not my father, Prince Jacaerys," she replied, her tone measured, though the steel in her voice was unmistakable. "And I am not responsible for his choices."

Diplomatic, perhaps, but Jacaerys wasn’t fooled. He heard the defensiveness in her words, a shield hastily raised against the guilt he wanted to drape over her shoulders. He stopped walking, turning to face her fully, brow furrowed as he pressed on.

“Yet here you are, sent in his stead to smooth over the wounds he created. How am I to trust you? How do I know this isn’t just another Hightower plot to weaken my family?”

The question hit like a punch to the gut—raw, accusatory. Y/N’s carefully crafted mask of composure slipped, just for a moment, and anger flashed in her eyes. She had anticipated this confrontation, sure, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to swallow. Even so, her voice remained controlled, though it quivered ever so slightly with emotion.

"I came here for peace, not to reopen old wounds," she shot back, her tone firm but not harsh. "My family’s past is far from clean, I won’t deny that. But I’m not here to repeat those mistakes. This marriage could mend the rift between our houses if you’d stop seeing me as the enemy."

Her words were sincere, yet Jacaerys couldn’t easily brush aside the memories of war, treachery, and all the chaos that followed. The Hightowers had nearly torn his family—and the realm—apart. The pain was still fresh, the betrayal too sharp, too real. His mind flashed back to the darkest days of the conflict, when every move felt like a step closer to the abyss, and the crown was slipping through his mother’s fingers.

He halted again, turning to look at her fully, his voice quieter now but still strained with the weight of his past. "It’s hard to forget that your bloodline tried to destroy mine."

Y/N stopped as well, standing just a few paces away from him. The space between them felt more like a chasm than the mere feet that separated them. But instead of retreating, she stepped closer, surprising him with her boldness. Her eyes were fierce, burning with a fire he hadn’t expected.

“And yet,” she shot back, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade, “here I am, ready to forge a new path. Can you say the same, Jacaerys? Or are you content to be forever shackled to the past?"

The intensity of her words hit him harder than he anticipated, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze. The beautiful garden around them faded into the background, their conflict overshadowing everything else. Jacaerys could feel his heart racing—not just from the argument, but from something deeper. He saw, in that moment, more than just a Hightower standing before him. He saw a woman weighed down by the same burdens he carried—the weight of legacy, the expectations of bloodlines they hadn’t chosen, both trapped in a tangled web of history.

"You talk of forging a new path," he said slowly, his voice softer now, more reflective, "but how can I be sure? How do I know this isn’t another Hightower scheme?"

Y/N’s gaze softened, though the fire in her eyes remained. "You can’t know for certain, Jacaerys. Trust, like peace, has to be built. Brick by brick. Moment by moment. But it has to start somewhere. If we let the past dictate everything, we’ll be trapped in it forever."

Her words struck something deep within him. For the first time, he saw her not as an adversary, but as someone who understood. Someone who, like him, was navigating the treacherous waters of family, legacy, and expectation. There were no guarantees here, no easy solutions. But maybe… just maybe… there was a chance. A small, fragile possibility that they could build something better, together.

“I don’t know if I can forget,” he admitted quietly, vulnerability creeping into his voice. “But maybe… you’re right. We can’t keep living in the past.”

Y/N’s expression softened further, and she nodded. "No, we can’t. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy."

For a moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of their words hanging in the air like a heavy cloak. The tension hadn’t completely disappeared, but something had shifted—a tentative understanding, perhaps. The beginning of something neither of them fully understood, but couldn’t entirely ignore.

As they resumed their walk through the garden, the hostility between them eased, replaced by something quieter, more uncertain. A possibility, fragile but real, that they might yet carve out a future that was theirs—beyond the legacies and bloodlines that had divided them for so long.

Taglist: @rafslytherin

[thedemonofcat]

A newly married Geralt and Jaskier embark on a journey to the Skellige Islands, where Geralt is hired to deal with a Siren infestation.

One of the Sirens attempts to lure Geralt by taking on the appearance of Jaskier. Though a part of Geralt senses the deception, the possibility that it could be his husband compels him to approach the Siren. It's only when the real Jaskier calls out to him that Geralt snaps out of the enchantment and slays the Siren.

However, Jaskier concludes that Geralt's susceptibility to the Siren's lure means he feels inadequate as a husband. Now, in bed, Jaskier focuses intensely on ensuring Geralt's pleasure, neglecting his own. Geralt, attuned to Jaskier's emotions, senses his sadness and becomes worried. Determined to rekindle their initial spark, Geralt plans to act as he did during their courtship, even attempting the emotional gestures he’s never been good at.

[writers-potion]

Do you have any tips on how to name a story/book? Bc I’m really struggling to come up with something good

Book Title Ideas!!

Fantasy Book Titles

"The Chronicles of Eldoria"

"Realm of the Shadow King"

"Echoes of the Lost Kingdom"

"The Crystal Throne"

"Legends of the Eternal Dragon"

"The Hitman's Apprentice"

"Sorcery of the Silver Moon"

"Beyond the Enchanted Forest"

"Tales of the Arcane Isles"

"The Last Guardian of Light"

"Crown of the Winter Realm"

"The Fireborn Chronicles"

"Winds of the Wandering Mage"

"Secrets of the Starlit Citadel"

"The Frost Queen's Curse"

"Whispers from the Ancient Tome"

"Sword of the Celestial Knight"

"The Phoenix's Prophecy"

"Echoes of Eternity"

"The Shadow's Embrace"

Romance Book Titles

"Swiping Right"

"Romantic Vibes Only"

"Coffee Shop Confessions"

"The Social Media Sweetheart"

"Chasing Sunsets"

"Love Notes and Lattes"

"Lost in Translation"

"The Dating App Dilemma"

"Love in the Fast Lane"

"City Lights and Romance"

"Instant Chemistry"

"The Modern Love Story"

"Love in the Clouds"

"Swipe Left for Heartache"

"Heartstrings and Harmony"

Mystery Novel Titles

"The Enigma of Midnight Manor"

"Murder on the Moors"

"Whispers in the Shadows"

"The Secret of Willow Creek"

"Death at Darkwater Bay"

"The Puzzle of the Poisoned Pen"

"Ghosts of Greyhill Mansion"

"Vanishing at Verona Villa"

"The Mystery of Moonstone Manor"

"Murder in the Misty Woods"

"The Case of the Crimson Cipher"

"The Secret of Sapphire Springs"

"The Silent Suspect"

"Echoes of the Old Mill"

"A Lethal Legacy"

"The Mystery of Midnight Hollow"

"Murder Among the Magnolias"

"The Cryptic Conundrum"

"The Haunting of Hawthorn House"

"Deadly Deception in Dahlia Valley"

YA Novel Titles

"The Echoes Between Us"

"Invisible Constellations"

"Catching Shadows"

"Threads of Serendipity"

"Bloom and Blossom"

"Growing Pains and Paper Planes"

"Dandelions in the Wind"

"Whispers in the Quiet Hours"

"Crossroads of Everlasting Echoes"

"Forgotten Names"

"The Color of Tomorrow"

"Redefining Normal"

"Footprints in the Sand"

"The Art of Glowing Up"

Paranormal Book Titles

"Mystic Bonds"

"Wolfblood Chronicles"

"Twilight's Enchantment"

"Soulbound Serenade"

"Nightfall Destiny"

"Nightshade Kisses"

"The Crimson Courtship"

"Bloodbound: A Tale of Moonlit Passion"

"Witchcraft and Whispers"

"Enchantress' Embrace"

"Heartbeat Hex"

"Welcome to the Coven of Desire"

"A Moonlit Affair"

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[streets-in-paradise]

Troy (2004) Masterlist

Requests for this movie are permanently open.

Pending requests - 6

Oneshots

Battle Scars  - (Platonical) Hector x Sister Reader 

Our Strenght Lies in Family -  (Platonical) Paris x Sister Reader x Hector 

Imaginary Feats - Patroclus x Trojan Princess Reader 

Silent Pray  -   Part 1 - Part 2 - Chryseis and Odysseus centered movieverse retelling of the Illiad’s startpoint / oneshot spreaded in two parts. 

The Daughter of the Priest -  Part 1 -  Continuation for “ Silent Pray.” 

Fool - ( Pre War) Paris x Healer Reader 

Songs of Sailors -  Platonical (Family) relationships of the trojan royals and allusions to different romantic pairings. 

Pairings Mentioned: Helen x Paris (most mentioned), (Implied) Patroclus x Trojan Princess Reader, (Implied) Achilles x Briseis, Hector x Andromache. 

Faith or Facts - Hector x Greek Seer!Reader (Female) 

The Insolence of Beauty - Post quarrel, Agamemnon centered. 

For Honor and Love - Helen x Paris (requested) 

Into a New Life - Paris x Spartan Servant!Reader (requested) 

For a Love Like This - Paris x (fem) Warrior!Reader (requested)

Undying Legends - Achilles x Princess!Reader (requested)

Accomplices - Patroclus x GN Reader (requested)

The Last Challenger - Ajax x Fem Reader (requested) 

Borrowed Bride - Achilles x (fem) Trojan!Reader 

A Thousand Times - Paris x Fem Reader (requested)

Anonymous Hero - Hector x Fem Warrior!Reader (requested)

Personal Guard - Eudorus (Fem) Shy Reader (requested)

Third Fate - Achilles x Fiancee!Reader (requested)

Things that will grant me your love - Paris x (Fem) Reader (requested)

The Curse of Poseidon - Paris x Helen Merman AU (requested)

Concealed Fighter - Hector x Wife!Reader / Achilles x Captive!Reader 

The Veiled One - Ajax x (Fem)Reader (requested)

Our Fight - Hector x (Fem)Reader (requested)

Artists of Deception - Odysseus x Wife!Reader (requested)

Eternal Courtship - Achilles x (Fem)Captive!Reader (requested)

Matured Desire - Achilles x (Fem) Reader smut (requested)

By Duty and Chance - Hector x (Fem) Reader (requested)

His Weakness - Achilles x (Fem)Reader 

A Man of Honor - Odysseus x Trojan Princess!Reader (requested) 

From the Deepness of the Sea - Hector x Siren!Reader (requested)

The Wave’s Caress - Achilles x (Fem)Reader (requested)

In These Arms - Achilles x (Fem) Reader

Headcanons

Achilles’ Type (requested)

-Achilles + Patroclus’ turnoffs/dislikes (requested)

- Achilles reacting to a Belle-like town’s freak (requested)

Preferences

- Reactions to your singing

- How they comfort you when the war is bringing you down 

-Their Types (Fem partner version)

Achilles x Mycenaean Princess!Reader Series

Part 1 - The Bride’s Misery 

Part 2 - Fame and Tales

Part 3 - The Veil Trick

Part 4 - To Make a Difference

Part 5 - Family Matters. 

Part 6 - A Curse, a Plot and a Rushed Farewell 

Part 7 - Invisible Influence

Part 8 - The Rejected Side

Part 9 - Consecration. 

Part 10 - Royal Treatment

Part 11 - Aligned Improvements. 

Part 12 - The Weight of Words. 

Part 13 - Occulted Relic

Part 14 - Goodbye Encounters 

Part 15 - Separations, welcomes and the story of an avoidable disaster 

Part 16 - Service to Good Judgement. 

Part 17 - Galatea and a Maenad fighting in the second front

Part 18 - The Enygm of the Horse Emblem

Part 19 - No Space for Loneliness. 

Part 20 - The Games.

Part 21 - The Man of Aphrodite 

Part 22 - Diverted Course

Part 23 - Golden Chains

Part 24 - Loving in the Shadows

Part 25 - The Trial of Achilles

Drabbles

Calm After the Storm - Odysseus x Reader 

Divine Beauty - Paris x Reader 

A Breath of Life - Patroclus x Gender Neutral Reader (Requested)

The Right Way - Achilles x (Fem)Reader (Requested)

[ashleyfableblack]

A Mother's Day Eternal Courtship Jam. Love is complicated. Love takes work. For a Big Mama Bughorse with a family spanning several species it can take alot. A hard tale about love and family some may find all too familiar. TW in hashtags

"THERE'S my SPECIAL Boy..." Chrysalis beamed a grin of gleaming, razor-keen fangs at Pharynx as the guards shut the balcony bay doors behind them. She levitated a bunch of grapes from a nearby table of assorted dishes and goblets, offering them. "MY Pharynx. Come. Sit with me. Something to eat?" Pharynx politely refused with a reserved smile. "No, thank you, My Queen." Purple grapes. Very plump, ripe ones at that. He wasn't surprised that she knew his favorite fruit. Though he'd gotten to spend very little time with her since The Exodus of their people, he had little doubt that her agents were still hidden among his Lovebug kind. She likely knew more of their affairs than he did. Making his way to the heap of cushions she was lounging upon he climbed the pedestal and sat. "Happy Mother's Day." He gave a sheepish grin. After last years celebration he hadn't been sure what to expect from her. 'Mother's Day' wasn't a changeling concept. Every Day was Mothers Day as far as The Hive was concerned. His people's decision to adopt the pony holiday as a lovebug tradition was received awkwardly at best. But Chrysalis was a Queen and the Mother of her entire race and she was certainly making a go at it for her sons sake. She was looking healthy. No doubt she was eating very well. Her pony wife had made it very clear that she alone would give her wife all the love she needed. She had always been large, so tall, beautiful and majestic in an indefinable way, by changeling standards. But she seemed larger still, these days. Her chitin gleamed, dark and smoky. The pitting of her limbs seemed reduced. Her mane of spidersilk seemed more like the hair of a pony. Her shape even seemed different. Her plot, in particular seemed rather... round. He wondered if she was unconsciously adapting her form to suit her wife or maybe to fit more closely with their pony subjects? It was a common enough trait among changelings in deep-cover. Her eyes shifted between her two sets of irises as she looked him over, examining him both visually and taking note of his emotional state. "I trust your trip was well. Hmmn." She could see he was particularly troubled but spoke nothing of it. Decorum was to be observed. She was a Queen. "Where is your idiot brother?" Pharynx chuckled. "Heh. He got pulled into a discussion on some artsy-craftsy garbage about 'decorative baking' with one of Queen Twilights advisors. The bubble-headed pink one." "Ah." Chrysalis nodded. "That would be Pinkie-pie." "That's the one. Ugh." Pharynx shifted uneasily on the pile of assorted cushions and royal-blue throw rugs. Some creatures would say that all ponies looked alike. He knew this to be untrue. Though he was a lovebug he still had a changelings eye for fine detail. Ponies of any tribe were very distinct, visually. Their personalities on the other hoof, on that he could definitely see their point. They were all so cloying, so irritating. They all just blended into one big blur of annoying, bouncy, frivolous children to him. Tasty as food but still, annoying. "I told him to just go on with her and he could meet us later. Seemed just as well."

"Indeed." She pursed her lips, studying him. The Queen took a sip from an ornate silver goblet. "She has a way with most creatures, one I would imagine fitting your brother's demeanor all too well." Pharynx regarded the view. He could see why his Queen-Mother had chosen to make this balcony into a receiving area. From here, New Canterlot castle had an impressive view of the surrounding land. From the peaks of far-off Yak-Yakistan to the tides coming in off the Celestial Sea. This perch was as tactical as it was deceptively pleasant. She could plot out an entire campaign from here as easily as charm unassuming diplomats. He sighed. He missed those days as a changeling agent. Chrysalis broke his drift into the past with her sharp, multi-tonal Hive voice. "But you desired a private audience." It wasn't a question. She knew. "Yes." He cleared his throat, straightening himself. "Yes, My Queen." Her emerald snake eyes stared expectantly. Most of his life those eyes had been a place of comfort to him. She was his Queen-Mother, the source of all life for his people. However, in this moment, he would almost be anywhere else than in their gaze. Still, he had planned. He had prepared. This was the time and this was his moment. He was going through with this. "I wished to speak with you on a personal matter, My Queen." Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Pharynx, it's not like you to be so nervous. Speak." "I needed to-" he paused. His deep, gravelly voice cracking, he cleared his throat. He couldn't believe it but he was actually trying to recall Thorax's 5-5-5 rule for dealing with his anxiety. Or was it 3-3-3? UGH. He would have to punch him when he saw him next time- more than he usually did. "I needed to apologize... to you, My Queen."

Chrysalis furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" She adjusted her irises to study the shimmering pattern of emotions emanating from her lovebug son. Guilt, radiated from him like smoke from a oil-fire, guilt, shame and a deep, black loathing. She craned her neck and drew slightly closer. "You've nothing to apologize for." Pharynx visibly shrank. The words and the feeling behind them hit him like fists. "Respectfully, My Queen-" his lavender eyes glanced to her "I feel I do." Pharynx sighed hard. It had been years in the build-up. He'd finally opened the door. Nothing to do for it now but walk through. "Mother... I failed My Hive. I failed our people. I failed myself. Most of all, I failed you." His lips pursed as her struggled to contain the breaking dam inside his chest. Chrysalis straightened herself. She narrowed her eyes, her intense gaze could cut through stone. Her ears flitted as she listened intently. "Continue." Pharynx stared into the floor. His eyes looked to the same past his voice spoke from, a time some decades ago now. He could almost see the timeline in front of them, the chain of events which led him to this moment. "Look after her." He paused. The word, the identifier, it stung his tongue to say it. "That's what you said to me. The first thing you ever said to me. Look after her. You ordered me to protect my idiot younger sister, my broken, faulty twin." Pharynx sighed. "She was born wrong. You knew it. I knew it. She wasn't like the rest of us. From the moment I crawled out from our egg and looked back at her, still wobbling around, she was silent in the hive-mind. Not a ghost, not a whisper, just nothing. But rather than just leave her to our sisters to be eliminated, you ordered me to protect her. You seemed to value her, maybe me as well, if by proxy." He looked into his hooves as if searching for the secrets of his past in them. "You didn't give us designations like our sisters. We were different. We got names. I would be Pharynx. She was Thorax." He bit his lip. The dam was stressed but holding. "I wanted you to be proud of me. My Queen. My Mother. So, I protected her, the idiot. The coward. The weakling. Our sisters knew she was born wrong and they hated her, wanted her gone, if not dead. She was not of The Hive. She smelled wrong, tasted wrong. None of us could hear her in the Hive Mind." Pharynx gritted his tiny nub fangs "But I protected her from them. I kept her safe. When they bullied her, I fought her fights. When she failed missions, I cleaned up her mess. When she betrayed us, ran away like the traitor she..." He paused, the words caught in his throat. The dam was cracking. "The traitor he was. I still obeyed. I kept the patrols from finding him. I guided any incidental seekers from his pathetically obvious hiding spots. I even masked the scent of his fear in the air- THAT took ingenuity. But All for you, My Queen. All for The Hive. I protected him even up until..'" Pharynx shuddered. He hesitated to even say the words. The name his changeling people had given to the day of their near-genocide. The day their home was destroyed and the lovebugs were born. "The Exodus. I could have stopped him. I could have stopped all of them. The cowards." He gritted his teeth, hooves clenched against his thighs like fists. "The ingrateful, treasonous scum. The filthy pony intruders, that stupid draconequis-thing, my traitorous brother. I could have stopped them but I didn't." Pharynx looked to his Mother, His Queen. He owed her the respect of looking her in the eyes when he said this. When he admitted to the price of his shame. "I had a choice to make. In that moment I had to choose. To be the perfect daughter for you like I always wanted to be..." The weight of his guilt was crushing. The dam was breaking. Held back for the last thirty years The edges of his eyes moistened. "Or be the... the worthless... Son... I always knew I had needed to be."

His shoulders shook with the pressure of containing the tears. Gritting his teeth he continued. "I hated him. He wasn't a Changeling. He wasn't one of us. I hated him for being weak. I hated him for being different. I hated his stupid smiling face. I hated his stupid feelings, his selfishness, his self-important, self-righteous- OH, he was SO much better than the rest of us, he was better than The whole HIVE. He was so special, like those stupid pathetic little ponies. But I-" Pharynx choked. "He... He was braver than me. He was Thorax. He was... your son. And I made my choice." His lips quivered. The hot stinging droplets formed. His vision blurred and he looked away, sending the tears to patter against the cushions. "I could've stopped him, Mother. I could've saved you from all that. I could've saved all our sisters. I should've stopped him. I wanted to. I... I wanted to be strong for you. I swear I did. I swear I- but I couldn't- had to- I had to be- Ff- Ff- Ph-" Years of self-loathing buried the rest in a mass of sobs as he pressed his face into his hooves. The dam was broken now. Pharynx was broken. His chitinous body convulsed as he wailed. Like a tiny foal, he shrieked, loosing out the tears of self-hatred he'd held deep inside for decades. The venom within him had rotted away, cold and black, like tar on his heart for years. Pouring out from his eyes now, it burned, searing like fire. His lips curled back, baring his tiny lovebug faux-fangs. They were not the fierce, dagger-like sabres of a changeling. He chattered them together, trying to finish his thoughts but all that came out was a gibbering, wailing mess. To his shock Chrysalis pulled him to her barrel. Without thinking, he threw his hooves around her, hissing his tears into his Mother's chitin in thick, painful sobs. Several minutes passed as years of hate poured forth, drenching her chest. Not as The Changeling Queen-Mother but as his Mother, she held him firm and steady. Several minutes passed as years melted away between them. Finally, enough of the pain drained off, Pharynx found his words again. "Mom? Do you... hate me?" Chrysalis stared back at him with her giant serpents eyes. In all these years, he had never called her that. No drone had. 'My Queen'. 'Majesty'. 'Excellency'. 'Queen-mother.' 'Perfect One'. 'Exalted One' 'Our Beloved Perfection.' Never 'Mom'. She considered the question in silence. Her horn glowed. In a small eruption of emerald flames a trinket appeared in Pharynx lap. Her multi-tonal voice cut through the tense silence between them. "Do you know what this is?" He looked to the trinket. A fine golden chain set around a series of opaque transparent flakes of shimmering, almost crystalline material, chitin from a changeling. As many times as he'd seen his alicorn mother-in-law wear it, of course he knew what it was. "This is the wedding token you gave to Queen Twilight." "And its significance?" He swiped away a bubble of snot with the back of his forelimb. "It's an ancient pony practice- unicorn, specifically, to give an expensive token of affection to a mate." She starred expectantly.

He expanded- "Adapted during the fusion of their 3 tribal cultures to include the Terrestrials... Err... colloquially, 'Earth Pony' tradition of an exchange of a family heirloom ... one holding a more personal value than one dependent on the unicorn system of material worth." Chrysalis nodded. A smile began to warm her lips. "And what is this?" "It's your token to your mate- Queen Twilight." The Queen gave a small huff of impatience, touching the article with her pitted hoof to accent each word. "What. Is. This?" Pharynx wasn't certain what his mother was asking him. He lifted the article carefully in his hoofs and examined it. He'd never actually seen it this close before. He could see now the small plates of chitin were quite old. He had always thought they were just tiny clippings his Mother had made from her wings, emulating the pegasus practice of giving their mate one of their primary feathers. But that couldn't be. They were far too old for that. Their translucent quality was caused not by their age, but by their structure. No only that, they were slightly curved and shaped irregularly, each slightly smaller than the last. They were fitted plates. "These are..." he straightened as the realization dawned on him, suddenly taking even greater care to be very gentle with the artifact in his grasp. "These are the plates of a grub's first molting." She nodded again, her smile growing to expose her fangs. "They're yours."

Chrysalis draped a hoof around his shell. Pharynx fought to find the words. "Mine? But... How? Mine? They're... How did y-" "Your idiot brother saved the discards of your first molting. Don't ask me how he secreted them away or where he hid them. None of your sisters ever knew." She looked from the tiny bracelet to the astonished Pharynx. He stared at the jewelry as if it were speaking to him in a foreign tongue. "I've never found the knowledge in the Hive Mind, anyways. " She gave a wistful sigh. "I remember. You had both just completed your nymph molt a few days before. He came to me, all puffed up and smiles, and presented me with a set of baubles he'd made. A necklace and a bracelet. He'd managed to cobble together the materials from one of our caches of acquired valuables. I'm still not sure how he learned the skills required to craft them, half-dumb as he was. Still, he did. A necklace from his own remnants..." She lifted the trinket in her green flames. "...and this, from yours." In an implosion of magic the matrimonial token vanished, teleported back to Twilight's dresser. Pharynx stared in silence. She'd held onto such a thing, all these years, in secret. With a gentle touch of his angular cheek, Chrysalis regarded him. "I gave this to Twilight, my immortal love, as an act of trust, to honor the ancient custom of her people. It was only a thing but it was my most precious of things. And if I could trust her with this thing I could trust her with my hearts." She stroked his cheek, drawing close. "I am your Queen. I designate you all with purpose." Her snakes eyes held him like a helpless little grub. "When you hatched, I knew it. You were never born wrong. But you were born different. You weren't like any of our kind, ever, more like..." She paused, catching herself as if to keep a secret. "Yes, I named you. I knew what you were, as I have all my children from the dawn of our kind. Your foolish, flighty brother, he was Thorax, 'my heart'. You..." She smiled in a warmth he had never seen from her before. "...you were stronger, fiercer stuff. Pharynx, 'my voice'." As she smiled down at him the tears came again. He didn't fight them this time. "I've never hated you. In all The Hive, I've thousands of drones. Infiltrators, Warriors..." She wiped at his cheek with her pitted hoof. "But I've only one Pharynx. One you. You are my son."

He returned her smile, wiping at his cheeks.

They sat in silence. Maybe for the first time in their lives, they were truly Mother and Son, as Pharynx would see it. "Any other questions?" She gave a playfully irreverent smirk. still draping a hoof over his shell. "Heh... Maybe... Another hug? My Q-" She cut him off, pulling him into her hooves and squeezing her son tightly. He embraced her in return. He could almost taste the love in the air around them. It was an unusual feeling, this warmth. Was this 'acceptance'? It was alien but certainly not unwelcome. If this was what Thorax was always going on about Pharynx could get used to this 'family' business. The balcony-bay doors creaked open. A guard broke the tender silence of their moment with her announcement. "My Queen. Prince Thorax awaits Her Grace." Chrysalis looked to the guard, then to Pharynx. He smirked, making to hop up. "I'm gonna go pound him." The Queen rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Don't pick on your brother." Pharynx sniffled and froze. He had an almost pouty quality to his silent obedience. She sighed in resolution. "Fine. You're brothers..." Pharynx leapt up with a burst of energy and sprinted for the door. From the halls Chrysalis could hear the sounds of things being broken and shouting of various slurs of endearment. She chuckled and took a large mouthful of the grapes, chomping them down hungrily with a smug, self-satisfied smile. "Best. Mom. EVER."

[gortash-did-nothing-wrong]

Enver Gortash Musings 10

Warnings: arranged marriage, slightly tense conversation, brief mentions of Enver's time in Avernus.

During the early days of your brief engagement to Enver, he had arranged every outing of your courtship. The first was a rather traditional outing, a nice walk through an upper city park. Your mother and father came, lingering far enough away that they couldn't hear you and Enver speaking but could watch the two of you. They had done similar things with your siblings when they started their courtships.

This wasn't the same as your sibling's courtships, though. Your parents didn't hover. This was a done deal. The courtship was just a formality. Your father had promised you to Enver weeks before you met the man. Your mother had broken the news to you calmly, let you cry out all the shock and nerves of it, and then assured you that your life with him would be comfortable and Enver himself was a charismatic man who would surely treat you well. He was respected and well liked by most nobility, and he had wealth beyond even your mother's family coffers. You had only heard good things about him, and yet you still were nervous.

When Enver greeted you at the park, he offered you his left arm, holding an ornate but sturdy looking cane in his right hand. No gentleman had ever offered you his left arm but given the visible disability he had you didn't hold it against him.

"Your father tells me you like dahlias." Enver said. It was the first thing he had said to you directly. He nodded further down the trail. "There's a bed of them up ahead."

"I know." You said. Embarrassed that might have come across as snobbish you quickly added, "Sorry, I come here a lot. I like that flower bed very much. Last year they had to replace a lot of the dahlias, they got some type of fungal disease."

Enver looked at you, a smile on his face without much interest behind his eyes. "You must enjoy nature, to be so familiar with the garden."

You grimaced. "Not really... I just like being alone."

"Not much of a socialite?" He asked.

"Not at all. If I'm honest, it's... It's a big reason why I don't want to marry you." You said softly. "I'm sorry, I just... I needed to say it."

Enver leads you to a stone bench by the bed of dahlias. "Arranged marriages often start out rocky. I'd be a fool to assume you were bewitched with me before ever meeting me."

You sit down on the bench, and Enver sits next to you. You notice his right leg is positioned somewhat oddly compared to his left. You assume it must be because of his limp.

He noticed you staring, and the look in his eyes causes you to shrink back a bit. He wasn't happy. Why would a powerful man be happy about someone staring at his injured leg? No one would be.

"I'm sorry." You say quickly. "I'm... I'm curious. Is it okay to ask you about it?"

Enver smiles again, but there's a tightness to it. "You are to be my wife, there's nothing you shouldn't be able to ask me."

"How did it happen?" You asked softly.

"I injured it when I was a much younger man." He explained. "An accident in the forge."

Your mother had trained you from a young age to know if someone was lying or not. Enver wasn't a bad liar, in fact he was quite good. He maintained steady eye contact, breathed evenly, and kept his voice reasonably steady. But there was a slight elevation to his voice, a slightly higher pitch that you found enough to pin point a deception. You didn't think this was a lie, but it wasn't the full story.

"It must have hurt..."

Enver chuckled, "Falling hammers often do."

His voice was low and steady. That part was true. A falling hammer had injured his knee. "Don't they have safety guidelines for working in forges?"

"They do, but accidents happen. The idiot wielding the hammer didn't hang it up properly, and so it fell." He waved off.

That slight elevation was back. For the whole statement, this time. You were beginning to doubt it was an accident.

"I hope the idiot was punished." You said, smiling jokingly.

Enver's smile was tinged with something dark and gloating. "Thoroughly."

A silence settled over the two of you and you used the time to observe Enver's demeanor. His fingers twitched, the nails of his gauntlet tapping quietly on his cane in a pattern you couldn't quite memorize. But one that he seemed confident in. His eyes wandered over the scene of the park, watching the people rather than nature. But rather than seeming to enjoy watching them, there was judgment in his eyes. A cold detachment.

"You don't like parks." It was obvious he was bored. He was hiding it as well as one could though.

Enver's eyes flickered down to you, a bit of surprise to them. "... You know, most find it difficult to read me."

Shrugging, you bent down to shoo a lizard away from your foot. "I like being alone. It lets me get a break from... Reading people."

Enver looked at you for a long while, before speaking. "You don't want to work."

You sighed, "That's not it. I don't want to scheme and manipulate people. I know how, it's quite easy for me, but it's so exhausting. And I often feel guilty after doing it. My mother is fantastic at it, it's how my father has been kept from the gambling dens. Honestly, I'm surprised it was my father you met with to arrange-"

There was a flicker of something in his eye, a twitch of his lips, and you narrowed your eyes. "You met with my mother before meeting with him, didn't you?"

Enver's smile turns into a bit of a smirk. "She's a wonderful conversationalist. A bit stubborn, but that's expected with age."

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. "I should have known."

"She refused to discuss any match for me other than you." Enver admitted. "You have an older sister that is a more appropriate age for me, but she insisted you'd be a better fit."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "Leara likes to be in control and in charge. She needs a submissive husband."

Enver sighs, "Allow me to praise my God for helping me to avoid that fate."

You scowl at him, "Don't expect me to roll over for every order like some trained hound."

Enver smiles, "You will."

You narrow your eyes, "if you so much as-"

"You'll enjoy your life." Enver says casually. "All I ask is that you be by my side for public appearances, help persuade certain families in my favor through your connections, attend charity events in my stead, and provide me with at least one heir. Other than that, you will be free to do as you wish provided it does not shame me. You will have your run of my estate, servants at your beck and call, a substantial allowance, and plenty of luxuries."

"... You're offering me the life of a normal noble woman." You said.

"Far from the life of a scheming puppeteer you've been groomed to be." Enver said. "All I ask is your submission. All I will ever ask you to do is to be my wife and one day mother of my children."

You are quiet for a long moment, thinking about his words. You didn't want a marriage like your mother's where she had to manipulate and micro manage your father. You didn't want the responsibility of being the head of the house like Leara wanted. You wanted a life of... Well, a normal life for an upper city woman.

"... Next time, can you take me somewhere you like?" You asked timidly.

Enver raised an eyebrow. "The places I enjoy being aren't exactly entertaining."

"That's fine." You said dismissively. "I... I just want to get to know you better."

[swallowedbyfandom]

Had Anthony known the hell his dumbest brother and sister were about to unleash upon themselves he would never have invited Miss Featherington over for tea. In his defense he and mother had only wanted to speak with her regarding the announcement of her acceptance of Lord Samadani's courtship. Unfortunately Colin and Eloise decided to crash the meeting.

Really he should have expected it, neither of his problem siblings have ever handled Penelope turning her attentions from them well. He should have remembered how aggressive and short tempered they were getting. Most of all he should have made sure they were not in the house when he invited her over. Perhaps then he

would not want to consume his family's entire stock of spirits. He could have sailed off with Kate for their third honeymoon blissfully ignorant of the mess his family had become.

They had all barely settled in with their tea when Colin and Eloise stormed into his study to confront Miss Featherington. Miss Featherington and mother both seemed to be unsurprised by their actions. Mother had quickly risen to lock the doors behind them, while Miss Featherington had calmly set her teacup down.

Colin began to rant almost instantly.

"Tell me it is not true? Tell me you have not been deceiving me all these years. Tell me you are not Lady Whistledown! My god, I asked you to marry me! I courted you! You have made a fool of me! I will never forgive you this! Do you even care about the lives you have ruined?

Mother Anthony noticed did not appear surprised.

Miss Featherington did not cower away from his brother's temper to his great surprise. She simply looked Colin in his face and responded defiantly.

"I am Lady Whistledown. What great deception have I committed against you? What rights do you believe you hold over me that would make you entitled to my secrets? I shall remind you that you are not my brother, father, or my husband! I did not owe you my secrets. I shall also remind you that I turned your proposals. Had you taken the time to court me properly, there would have come a time I would have told you about Whistledown. I would not call your abysmal attempts at shallow conversations and floral arrangements courtship. That is the bare minimum for a gentleman caller."

"The question you should ask yourself Colin, is why you did not see I was Lady Whistledown? I have never hidden my distain for the hypocrisy of society from you. Nor have I hidden my wits or barbs from you.

We have exchanged corresponded at least half a hundred times! No one should be more familiar with my writing style than you! How am I to blame for your refusal to acknowledge that I am no longer the small child you first met."

Eloise scoffs in disgust, while beginning her no doubt long winded rant. "You ruined me! You ruined me for profit and spite! You ruined your family for profit . You ruined Marina out of jealousy. You tried to ruin Daphne out of jealousy. I will not let you take advantage of my family any longer. I have freed us from your poison quill."

It is remarkable to Anthony, watching the wrath that takes over Miss Featherington's demeanor. Were he not so startled by the change he may have moved to gain control of the situation. Instead he watches wide eyed as Miss Featherington stands and drops a gentle kiss on the crown of his mother's head.

"I apologize for everything you shall learn here tonight, Lady Bridgerton."She whispers sadly to his mother.

Then she turns to Eloise with the coldest stare he has ever seen.

Her tone while composed is so full of condemnation he cannot help but brace himself for what revelations she would reveal.

"I did not ruin you. You ruined yourself, eagerly in the hopes of what? What Eloise? Recognition? Adventure?an attempt to free yourself from boredom? You want to speak of lies, of poison? Let us be frank then. While you were painting me the villain in your sad little tale, did you tell your family that you were a day away from committing treason? Did you tell your family how you were hours away from getting their titles, lands and wealth stripped from them? Did you tell your family that your desire to uncover my identity had you cavorting about unchaperoned with a common boy? Did you mention by chance that your meetings with said boy, was what lead the Queen to believe you to be Lady Whistledown?"

"No I imagine you left all that information conveniently out of your story. My publication was the only thing that kept you out of the gallows. You can scoff at me all you want, you ridiculous child! I saved you and your family and all it took was exposing your most minor offenses. Offenses you committed of your own free will. Actions I warned you against. I was not the poison that almost ended nine generations of the Bridgerton legacy. You were, Eloise!

Eloise released a cry of outrage but she was quickly cut off by Miss Featherington.

"No. You will be silent, now! I am not done speaking! You have laid your accusations, I will answer them. Not because I owe you anything, but because I tired of your incessant belief that you have any moral high ground here."

"You speak of profit as if you have any understanding of what that word even means. As if you have ever had to do more than hold your hand out to Anthony and simply ask. All while complaining about how the brother whom funds your lifestyle expects you to comport yourself in an appropriate manner in public. As if that is an unreasonable request in exchange for having your every whim fulfilled. As if behaving as a lady is some grand hardship to endure in exchange for safety and the well being of your family. You have everything in the world and all you do is complain about it."

"Do you have any idea the financial hardships you have created for those paperboys whom had to quit working because of the attention you brought down upon them? 10 families now go with out the security of the increased wages I negotiated for them! All because you had to meddle in affairs beyond your understanding."

Anthony was shocked by her unexpected defense of him. Mother he can see watches Penelope with such sorrow and pride. He knows mother has always counted Penelope as one of her daughters. Penelope he can see now is lost to their family forevermore. It is a wound he does not believe his mother will ever truly overcome.

It is only his years of exercising control that allows him to remain quiet. His rage is an inferno as he thinks about how close Eloise came to destroying their family. He cannot allow himself to think on it just yet for he will lash out. He will have her shipped off to Australia if he acts right now. She should prepare for the reckoning he plans to rain down on her. Before he can descend into madness Penelope continues to speak.

"Lady Whistledown is not some hobby I created to buy myself pretty babbles. Lady Whistledown is the Featherington family's primary source of income. It is the livelihood that has allowed me since the age of seventeen to pay off my papa's debts. It is the sole reason my family did not end up losing our estate. It has clothed and fed my family and staff for three years. It has generated the dowries for both my sisters. I did that and I cannot even lay claim to it because I am a woman! You will not shame me for keeping secrets necessary to ensure the safety of that income."

Anthony had not thought it was possible for a voice or a stare to contain so much vitriol, but little Miss Penelope was expanding his knowledge on the hidden rage a lady can conceal. God lord, had Penelope shown him this fire before he met Kate he likely would have ended up with a much different Viscountess. Even now as a married man he was stirred by her intellect and passion. He quickly made to cross his legs before his problem became evident.

"Since you are so concerned for poor innocent Marina allow me to set the record straight. She came to us already ruined and proud of it. Her courtship with George Crane was a prolonged affair. They courted over time. He was not some feckless fool, he was honorable. He offered to marry her before he left off to the battlefield. She did not want a rushed affair at Greta Green, so she denied him. She wanted to wait to have a grand wedding. Still that didn't stop her from engaging in marital relations. 5 days later he went off to war."

"Before I knew she was with child I tried to help her avoid her more persistent suitors. I helped her send and receive her letters from George. I thought it wildly romantic. That she was waiting for her solider rather than allow her Papa to sell her off to fill his coffers. She took advantage of my naivety. I can see that now. I did not see it then."

"Once it was discovered that she was with child my mama tried to send her back to her family. She locked Marina away and forbid my sisters and I from speaking with her. I do not know what blackmail Mr. Thompson had over my papa but he would not send her away. It mattered not how my mama pled or cried. It mattered not that our reputations would be destroyed by housing her, my father would not be moved. He said he had to marry her off to a titled family or else. My parents made quiet and quick arrangements for several older lords whom were in need of heirs and willing to ask no questions to meet with Marina. She refused them all, rudely."

"Still I tried to help her. I send off her letter to George. I tried to convince her to contact the Crane family, so they could hurry things along. She refused. I could not understand why she would not just contact the Crane family. She carried the heir of their heir under her heart. Surely they would come for her? Then a letter came from George denouncing her. She finally agreed to marry for the safety of her children."

"Do you know why she picked you, Colin? I do. You see she confessed her grand plan to me later that night, after you cut in and saved her from Lord Rutledge."

His brother released a growl like sound.

"Pen, please. Do not."

"No you are still so quick to believe the best of her, all while being so happy to believe the worst of me. You hold on to this fantasy version of her, where she is just some helpless maiden. Marina was many things good and bad. She was not helpless or simple minded. She made her choices, for good or ill."

"You have accused me. I will tell you the whole truth. The details I withheld to spare your already shattered confidence. She said you were so eager, it would be easy to get you to propose. That you did not know how to play the games that most men play. She was so excited. She did not understand why I did not share her excitement."

"Did you know my mama actually tried to stop her from going after you and your family? Of course you don't, you believe my mama the mastermind that forced Marina into it. I tried to stop her. I pled with her, not to involve your family in her mess. I pointed her to several young wealthy men whom would quite enjoy a lavender marriage. She was already too far along by that point. She told me she needed the Bridgerton name to protect her child. When I would not feed her information about your family, she stopped playing at kindness."

"Marina became cruel in a way I had not thought ladies could be. I do not know if she was always cruel or if desperation made her cruel but the result was the same. She took pleasure in holding our reputations hostage. She took pleasure in blackmailing Madame Delacroix to conceal her pregnancy. She took pleasure in besting me every time I pointed out her lies to you and you brushed it off. Maybe she was just lashing out I did not know and by then I did not care."

Anthony watches helplessly as Penelope cried silent delicate tears. He can tell this is something she needs to reveal to finally move on from it. It breaks something in him to hear her talk about it. Mother moves to take her hand.

Penelope releases a shuddering breath before continuing hoarsely.

"Mama was so nervous and panicked, all the time. It frightened me to see her drink and lose sleep. I overheard her and Marina fighting. She gave Marina a deadline. One week to get a proposal or she would force her to marry one of old Lords still willing to take her. Marina agreed, she told mama she was going to seduce you, so you would be honor bound to marry. Then she could past the child off as yours. My mother thought her foolish. She claimed Marina was 6 months away from child birth 7 if she were lucky. The next day you walked happily into her trap. You proposed, publicly."

He can hear his brother throw a glass at the wall. Penelope still does not stop talking.

"I tried to tell you about Marina at the engagement dinner, once again you brushed me off. Do remember that, Colin? Almost a decade of trust built between us and you would not hear me. You just kept cutting me off. I found out that night that mama and Varley forged the letter from George Crane."

"I went to Marina with proof that George never denounced her only to find that you were both to elope the next morning. I will not get into the cruelties Marina spewed against me. However she made it clear she cared not for you, she cared not for the ruin my family would face, and that once you realized the child could not be yours it would be too late. She was confident you were too gentle and besotted to ever turn her out on the streets."

"She was right, you are too kind. Anthony however is not. I knew if Marina succeeded in marrying you only to deliver a child 5 months later your family would be ruined. Your sister's marriage prospects would have been ruined. Anthony as Viscount Bridgerton would have been forced to disown you to protect your sisters and your family's position in society. God Colin, neither of your brothers had heirs. My family would never have survived his rage if he had to do such a thing."

"Everything I know about sacrifice, about ruthlessness, and about tactics, I learned at Anthony's knee. Why on earth would I ever allow some distance cousin to come in and pit my family against him? I am loyal. You may like the shape that loyalty has taken but I stand by my decision."

"So you see, I exposed Marina and I would do it again. I did it to protect my family. I did it to protect your family. It was an impossible situation, Lady Whistledown felt like the best way to control the fallout for both our families. I knew that my family would be tarnished by the scandal that was unavoidable. She lived in our home. I knew my mama would take the blame but I knew my mama would happily take the fall to protect my sisters and I. I believed that we could recover from it, with time. I did not believe my family could ever recover from Anthony."

She locks eyes with him then and asks,

"Would you have believed me if I had come to you? If I spoke as Penelope Featherington? Knowing I did not know how a Lady comes to be with child?"

Anthony ponders her question for a second before answering her honestly.

"No. I would have thought you too innocent to understand such matters. However I have always known you to be sensible. I would have had the matter investigated. It may have been too late by then."

She deserves more than his siblings have given her. He gentled his tone before continuing.

"You are also correct in your belief that your family would not have survived my ire.You made the right call Miss Featherington."

She gives him a small sad smile.

"Thank you for your honesty, My Lord."

"I did not try to ruin Daphne. I have never held any ill will toward her. She is all things lovely,kind and most importantly cunning. Every jab I took at her was light and meant to provoke her. Daphne was drowning under the pressure to play docile debutant. I wanted her angry enough to find her fire again. There was no way to avoid writing about Daphne without raising suspicions as too many people were gossiping about her. I printed the kindest of the talk and helped your mama run Berbrooke out of town so Daphne could be safe."

"You both may believe yourselves above reproach, but neither one of you have the experience necessary to scold me, to question me, or to judge me for the sacrifices I have made to keep my family safe. While I have been harsh on my family in the society papers, I rather the Ton laugh at us than have them prey upon us because we are without the protection of a Lord. Until either of you are responsible for more than your own entertainments I will not hear you try to deride my choices."

He cuts in then because his siblings appear to be gathering their second wind.

"Eloise you will remain quiet."

"Colin if you can collect yourself mother will remain here with you and Miss Featherington, so you may speak. I should not need to say that everything that has been discussed tonight is to never be spoken of outside this room."

He drops kisses on the crown of his mother and Penelope's head before dragging Eloise out of the study.

Colin wishes he had taken the time to control his temper before speaking but all rational thought had left him once El had spilled Pen's identity. He can see now that Eloise's motivations were spite driven. He cannot however make his peace with this version of Pen. She was not supposed to join the ranks of people whom overshadow him.

He loves her. Or at least he loves the version he thought he knew. His sweet girl. His dearest friend. Has she ever really been his? Was any of it real? He had thought himself her white knight. Was she just humoring him this entire time? What need did she have for him? He must appear so childish in her eyes.

He cannot bring himself to speak with her. He is too angry. He is too confused. He cannot bring himself to make it real. If he opens his mouth now, he will say more things he will regret later. So instead he closes his eyes and shakes his head.

He hears the sound of ruffled skirts, vague whispers, and light footsteps before he hears the door open and shut once more. He hears his mother return to her seat.

"Do you wish for tea, dearest?"

He finally opens his eyes to stare incredulously at his mother. There she is serenely pouring herself tea. As if Penelope had not been revealed to be a liar! As if Pen has not been putting herself in danger for years!

"How can you be so calm about this?" He asked.

She gives him a small smile. While pouring him a cup of tea.

"Oh, Colin. I know all my children. Penelope has never hidden who she is. Not truly, not with us. I have long suspected Penelope was Lady Whistledown. I chose not to ask questions because discretion is her best protection. After her and Eloise stopped talking it was obvious to me they must have fought over the article. I trusted that if Penelope exposed Eloise, then it was necessary. Was I happy about it? Of course not. However, I know Penelope's heart. She is not one to act without due consideration. Her position in life does not afford her the option to be reckless."

"I know you are hurt dearest. You will unfortunately always carry this hurt with you. If you are ever to heal and move on from this you have to be honest with yourself. Penelope has made mistakes but so have you, my love. Allow yourself to grow from your mistakes."

He cannot tolerate her sad eyes any longer. He nods at her before heading to his room. He needs to be alone.

[mcchipisfried]

I'm watching Hannibal for the first time and I'm not gonna lie I had my doubts. (Currently on Seaon 2 Episode 11)

(ALSO SPOLIERS BELOW though I think I'm the last person on tumblr who HASN'T seen Hannibal)

My forefathers forgive me, I had doubts. So so many doubts. I wanted to go into this show decimating everyone's reasoning that Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham would work as a couple (romantic or otherwise). I wanted to be fed a story about murder, deception, manipulation, betrayal, and maybe even a little but of cannibalism. And don't get me wrong I have gotten this, but I've also been fed a romantic comedy.

I went into this show not wanting to find reasons to want these two together, I wanted to think "Oh the people of tumblr probably pieced a bunch of subtext together and I probably will as well but it'll hardly be anything that I could write about to my friends who haven't seen the show"

I was so fucking wrong.

Really it should have been the moment where Alana and Hannibal were having a ✨️moment✨️ while Will and Margot were also having a ✨️moment✨️ so the way the whole scene played was very. Well. Not what you would expect from a guy that should have every reason to shoot Hannibal on sight. The fucking framing and cinematography got me to send a 3 minute long vm at 2 am to my friend who really doesn't care about Hannibal.

Or maybe it should have been every single time tweddle dee and tweddle dum are even remotely alone together and decide to start eye fucking each other while also making death threats.

But no what got me was when Alana described what was done to Freddie Lounds' body the second time around as a demonstration of a courtship (best way I can phrase it without just explaining the plot that led us here)

Really, its such a small moment.

But the way the two idiots are standing there looking at each other and Alana shouldn't have been as funny as it was nor should it have instantly reminded me of an early 2000's movie where the couple is secretly dating because they just can't help it and some third party, maybe even one the main couples friends discovers them while trying to NOT make it a Big Deal™ because they are in public except y'know, this is happening over the body that Person A burned to a crisp and sent rolling in a wheelchair while Person B got said body after the funeral and made it into an effigy.

Anyways TLDR: I thought the Hannibal x Will stuff was all very insignificant subtext but actually it was just text and it was screaming. I would also like to thank my film, cinematography, scriptwriting, lighting, and storytelling college classes because as it turns out you did do something for me. You made me realize that whatever is happening between Hannibal and Will is not platonic and I will be consulting AO3 to further expand my understanding of these characters as soon as I finish watching the show.

Also yes I know at some point someone says Hannibal is in love with Will. But now I'm starting to believe that.

[early-twentysomething]

I really want to see a Edwina and Prince Friedrich spin-off since Queen Charlotte was such as success.

I want to see a jaded, cynical and angry Edwina back in England after a year abroad; looking to marry only to ensure her security. I want a war weary, but still kind as ever Friedrich who is only looking to marry to produce an heir for The Prussian Empire.

Then I want them to go into their courtship indifferent of each other, then fall hard, to bond over their intellect and shared compassion. I want to delve into Edwina’s identity crisis, the fact that she clearly has unaddressed abandonment issues. I want to explore the idea of Friedrich dealing with PTSD following the Napoleonic wars. I want political intrigue, deception, a power struggle. Friedrich is 3rd in line for the throne, what drama arises because of that?

QCABS proved that the Bridger-verse can handle darker topics, while still focusing on a character driven narrative, and It’s something that I think should definitely be explored in both the main show, and any other potential spin-offs.

Also, mandatory Kanthony + Lady Danbury + Charlotte appearances for at least 2 episode.

[mariaofdoranelle]

The Courtship Deception - Part 1: Morning

Fic masterlist

Written for @throneofglassmicrofics

EEEEEE I’M SO EXCITED!!!

Warnings: none?

Word count: 983 words (I got it under control in the next parts, I promise 😅)

The wind in Aelin’s hair brought a rare sense of freedom, and it only got better the more she picked up speed. Tipping her head back, she felt weightless in this quaint little avenue—

“You’re supposed to be watching the road!” Fenrys shouted in the passenger’s seat. He was usually much cooler than this, but her favorite Personal Protection Officer was being handsomely paid to ensure not only her safety, but her dad’s convertible’s too.

“I’m feeling the road, Fen!” Aelin said, head tipped back into the tangled mess her hair became in this drive.

“That’s not— Fuck. We’re here!”

She slammed her foot on the breaks, tires screeching while their bodies were thrown forward. The force in which the seatbelt pressed against her collarbone was near bruising, but Aelin was laughing when the car stopped.

“How did I do?”

Fenrys threw his head back, cackling. “Fucking awful, Princess.”

Aelin’s father never allowed her to have driving lessons because he believes it’s an unnecessary waste of her time. Now, at the ripe age of 21, she finally convinced one of her babysitters to cross Rhoe’s orders, and her skills were getting less lethal each day.

Out of the car, she waited for Fenrys to parallel park—the spot was small, and Aelin was still getting the hang of it—and took in the charming residential street. An array of colorful little houses facing a park. It was Orynth in June, so the cool breeze brought the freshness of blooming trees, the late morning sunlight burning into Aelin’s skin and feeding into her soul, much like the flowering scene around her. Her bodyguard mentioned to a white and green house with a tiny but well-kept garden up front.

When Fenrys said they’d meet his secret tech guy, she expected something a lot more sketchy than this.

He said a few things to a camera by the front door, and it automatically opened. Um, rude? She didn’t expect a butler, but even in mafia movies there’s someone to answer the door.

After locking the front door and going through the living room, Fenrys led her into another one, and the amount of screens was far from being the most surprising thing.

“Rowie Bowie!” the bodyguard called, arms up, happy to greet his friend.

The mysterious man looked up, and it knocked Aelin’s breath out of her lungs. Holy rutting Mala. When Fen told her about this ‘grumpy tech guy’, she expected a weird-looking smelly nerd, not a scary-looking tattooed hottie. She immediately straightened, one hand subtly attempting to realign the bird’s nest that her hair became after the drive.

“Don’t bother,” scary-looking tattooed hottie said, piercing green eyes briefly assessing her before they were back on the screen. “You look pretty disheveled like this.” And he smirked. Her poor panties.

“So…” she trailed, leaning on the nearest desk. Smooth. Be smooth. “Rowie—“

“Please, don’t call me that.”

“It’s Rowan,” Fenrys added, “But Rowie is much better.”

He rolled his eyes. “Absolutely not—“

“Rowan.” Aelin cleared her throat. “Did you get past the security system?”

Of her own house, she meant. Her father was strict, so it was easier to get an illicit second phone than to get past all the monitoring her official phone was under. But Aelin had just bought a new iPhone, which meant she needed someone to make this phone fly under her dad’s radar—Mala forbid if someone finds an undetected wireless device within the walls of her mansion.

“All six of them, yes.”

“SIX?” Fenrys’ eyes were wide, caught by surprise.

“Yes,” Rowan replied, “Wireless detectors, frequency scanners, NLJDs, all six of them. And my job would be a lot easier if you knew your own workplace before hiring me.”

Poor Fen. His main job was to guard Aelin, he never got into the thick of Rhoe’s security system.

Rowan extended the new phone towards her, but took it back when she reached out. “I took the liberty to download something to get around your…” a small wince. “security cameras. You can crop some previously-recorded footage make make it look like it’s live. You’ll see it in the tutorial.”

How sweet of him. Aelin smiled. “You didn’t need to, but thanks.”

Her dad had security cameras installed in her bedroom—not in her closet or bathroom, but it was still annoying. Lorcan, one of her father’s men, was in charge of it, but Aelin terrorized the guy out of watching her footage. After a stunt she pulled a year ago, it’d take a nuclear explosion to get him to check the cameras on her bedroom.

“How much was it again?” Fenrys asked, his eyes widening when he saw the price, then complained, “That’s not what we settled for.”

“Agreed.” Rowan’s eyes, aimed at the bodyguard, were hard as steel. “You made my work sound much simpler than it actually was.”

She frowned. “How much is it?”

Fenrys sent her an apologetic look. “Half the Hermès we were buying after this.”

It’s not that money was a problem for Aelin, but her access to it was rather bureaucratic. She couldn’t go out, spend money on a “shopping spree”, and come back without shopping bags.

She waved him off. “What’s the point of getting a new purse if I don’t have a phone to put in it?”

Still upset, Fen turned around to focus on the payment. With his back to her, Aelin got closer to Rowan, both hands on his desk.

“I might have some trouble with this new setup on my phone,” Aelin lied.“So, I was wondering if you could give me your number, in case I have any questions.”

“Sure.” Rowan’s eyes sparkled, not leaving Aelin’s as he got her phone back. “Anything else?”

“Actually, yes.” She tilted her head, a fake helpless look from under her lashes. “I’m not as good with online instructions, so you might need to come find me sometime.”

The dark look Rowan gave her sent a shiver down her spine. “Let’s say I do. Does your guard dog come in the package deal?”

Aelin smirked, not bothering to keep up with the naïve facade anymore. “I guess you’ll have to find out.”

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[cilil]

𝓞𝓒 𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷:

ִֶָ࣪☾. Írilómë ~ the illusive and impenitent incubus ~

So I've featured Írilómë in a few ficlets before, but neglected to introduce him so far. Until I throw together a full doc, here's a summary of his character and story. Enjoy!

☾ In the beginning, Írilómë was a Maia of Irmo, concerned with the domain of desire rather than dreams or visions. From his lord, he learned much about the hearts and minds of those around him and the desires hidden within and found great joy and pleasure in exploration of and shameless indulgence in such matters.

☾ Closest to him was always his twin sister Írima who served Estë and was also concerned with matters of the heart... though in a more physical sense.

☾ What many don't know is that the twins have another brother, Airilin, youngest among them and a Maia of Ulmo, but they have never grown close to him and became estranged, leading him down his own dark paths.

☾ Around that time, Írilómë appeared as a beautiful young man of great, lithe statue, with purple hair, pink eyes and a silvery sheen to his skin, as he has always preferred the gentler, softer lights of Illuin and later Telperion and the moon and would often sleep during the day. However, he was ever swift to adjust his shape to appear beautiful to whoever he desired at the moment.

☾ It was rare for Írilómë to feel greater or more permanent attraction to anyone, particularly on the romantic or emotional side. When he found himself not understanding the courtship preferences of his peers, Irmo explained to him that there is no shame in not feeling romantic attraction to anyone, but that he must always be mindful, respect the partners he chooses and not close his heart to any feelings that may come in the future, but never have to.

☾ In time, it came to pass that Írilómë found Tilion as he rested and slept in Irmo's gardens and desired him, more than he had ever wanted anyone before. He approached him and set out to charm him, yet for the first time in his life was rejected; for Tilion already loved Arien and told him that his love can only ever belong to one at a time. Out of love for him, Írilómë was thereafter often seen growing a pair of silver horns on his brow.

☾ However, he didn't understand what Tilion meant, never having felt that way himself, and he thought him a fool for pursuing someone who didn't love him back and rejecting another who would have him. When he brought this matter up with Irmo, however, his lord warned him that he had to respect Tilion's choices, no matter what he thought of them.

☾ Dissatisfied with the advice he had been given and unable to comprehend how anyone could resist his charms in favor of another, Írilómë shared his frustration with his twin and found that she had encountered Melkor as he sought out servants of other Valar for his cause. Írima, too, had gotten into trouble with her lady, as Estë forbade her from conducting any experiments on the Children that would awaken soon.

☾ Thus the twins turned to Melkor instead and he gave them the answers they wanted to hear, promising Írima that, in his service, she would not be restricted by silly morals and concerns and Írilómë to teach him how to seduce anyone he wanted.

☾ What Melkor taught him was deception and coercion, but Írilómë had always been a fickle and impulsive creature, viewing the wills of others more as a challenge than a boundary, and was happy to mess with their minds as he pleased.

☾ However, his treachery was soon discovered by Irmo when he caught Írilómë invading Tilion's dreams whenever he came to his gardens and he was shocked and upset that one of his beloved Maiar had preyed on another while they were vulnerable. Even though he wished to correct Írilómë's mistakes and help him, he felt as though it was too severe a transgression to allow him to roam his domain any longer and he was angered by what had happened, so he banished him instead.

☾ Írima joined Írilómë when he left and together they joined Melkor who welcomed them among his Maiar and used their talents to assist the others as well as prey on the Children once they awoke. Írilómë was responsible for many that went missing without a trace, luring them away from their peers and bringing them to his new master.

☾ He was, however, still not over his failure to seduce Tilion and developed an obsession, seeking to study the mysteries of love, the bonds it formed and how they could be twisted and broken. His particular area of interest was what the people of Middle-earth referred to as soulmates, wondering if desire could overcome destiny, and he was ever in search of such pairs to study and mess with them.

☾ It was at this time that Írilómë's eyes turned from soft pink to a bloody red and his silver horns darkened, but he kept his original fána and, as he had always done, shifted mostly to please and seduce his targets.

☾ He stayed loyal to Melkor throughout all the wars, fearing Irmo's wrath if he returned to Valinor, and remained in Middle-earth together with Írima after his lord's final fall. Legends of dangerous incubi and succubi who visit people in their sleep and drain them of their energy can be traced back to the deeds of Írilómë over the ages and he still wanders this world, sometimes hunting, sometimes standing still to watch the moon.

 ˚ ੈ✧̣̇·˖ 　˚ .　　　✶ ˚　　✦　. 　 ˚　.　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔　.  ˚　

☽ Etymology: Írilómë means "beautiful twilight"

☽ Post-canon: It may be that, as ages pass, Irmo feels that he bears responsibility for Írilómë's crimes and seeks him out himself, wishing to mend the rift between them and bring him back to the right path. If so, he may be asked by Estë and Ulmo to search for Írima and Airilin as well.

☽ Ships: Aside from unrequited Írilómë/Tilion, his current main ship for post-canon verse is Amarëa (@urwendii's OC, daughter of Mairon and Arien, who by that time has grown into a beautiful and sassy Maia lady who takes no nonsense from an Úmaia like him).

I'm open to shipping him with other OCs as well :) (he's great for one night stands lol)

☽ About Írima: She is not mine, she belongs to my dear friend @edensrose who kindly allowed me to feature her in Írilómë-related writings💕

[dreamofmetoday]

ASTRO BASICS #2: UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ASCENDANT (RISING SIGN) REALLY IS

the ascendant is the window to your entire natal chart. it is the window in which the native "looks out" of to see the world and in which others "look in" to see the native.

it is the worldview, philosophy and chosen life map of the native, the ascendant is what your soul chose* for you to aid you in this lifetime so it is through the ascendant in which the natal chart operates. 

in more grounded terms this means the ascendant affects the native's entire approach to life, what they think is the correct way to live and what they think is valuable in living a fulfilling life. 

because the ascendant is our chosen life map it means the solar return ascendant is the main focus of a solar return - the sign your solar return ascendant is in shows what you will be forced to focus on throughout that year. 

you will usually have a deeper understanding or appreciation of the sign the ascendant was in when you solar return ends, having learnt the lessons you needed to. often you will also meet someone important that has their sun or moon in the same sign as your solar return ascendant that affects you in some way (even if they're only in your life for that year), or you will suddenly begin dealing a lot more with someone of that sign.

while the ascendant is complex, you can find the main themes of the ascendant simply by looking at what house the sign rules:

aries - first house: the self - assertion and expression of the self, beginnings, habits.

taurus - second house: self-worth, money, earthly pleasures (food, sex, material belongings), comfort, luxury, security, five senses, habits and work ethic.

gemini - third house: thinking, opinions and communication, theory work, siblings and close friends, community and neighbours (what's "close” to you), early education, short trips.

cancer - fourth house: where we come from, early life that shaped us (what shapes us - emotional and psychological foundations), self-care, home, family, subjective thinking, comfort zone and comfort (coziness).

leo - fifth house: joy, hobbies, creativity, romance (courtship stage), fun, games, spontaneity, sex, children, self-expression, vacations, gambling, fashion, drama and theatrics.

virgo - sixth house: service to others (needing to feel useful), being served, health and disease, fitness, pets, work habits, daily routine, organisation, analytical thinking, co-workers, work environment, self-improvement, labour, enemies, sacrifice (“selflessness” house).

libra - seventh house: one-to-one relationships, attraction and repulsion, sharing, politics, blind spot (where we are self unaware).

scorpio - eighth house: intimacy and merging (including sex), other people's resources and shared money, death and transformation (rebirth), taboo, mystery (and deception), deep emotions.

sagittarius - ninth house: experience, expansiveness, higher education, religion and philosophy (continued learning and search for meaning - the need for something bigger than one's self), travel, wisdom, ethics, cross-cultural understanding.

capricorn - tenth house: career, achievement, longterm goals, purpose, public relations, public perception and social standing, reputation (needing a "brand" - what we want to be seen as), responsibility, authority figures.

aquarius - eleventh house: collective consciousness, groups, friends (acquaintances and networking), organisations, hopes, dreams, wishes, society and social awareness, technology and internet, humanitarianism, idealism.

pisces - twelfth house: dreams, unconscious, subconscious, spirituality, secrets, sacrifice, solitude, enemies, confinements, hidden things, self-undoing, confusion, karma, deep emotions, impressionability.

i recommend checking your previous solar return ascendant and asking yourself where life kept taking you and what you learnt, seeing how it relates to you - i believe this can help give you deeper understanding of the ascendant overall, both natal and solar return.

*even if you don't believe in life before earthly life or past lives, it is good to keep this in mind when considering how the ascendant works.

[triptychgrip]

Now complete: The Katsuki-Nikiforovs Take Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Test

My story covering Yuuri and Viktor's appearance on Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Game series -- with Yurio, Phichit, and Otabek tagging along -- is now complete! Read the second chapter (covering Yuuri's turn in the hot seat, from Viktor's POV) here. Be prepared for some major feels along with the laughs.

Below is an excerpt that I hope piques your interest in this story, or my other Yuri!!! on Ice work:

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“As we’ve shared with our fans more and more candidly over the years, I was rather shameless in the early part of our courtship.”

He let his lips quirk at Phichit and Otabek’s slightly muffled laughter, and Yuuri’s cautious smile.

“Your ‘Yuuri on Ice’ Free Program is a very taxing one, and right after the first training session during which I joined you for successive run-throughs of it – with the full jump layout in addition to max difficulty on the step and choreo sequences – I made a big show of collapsing right outside the entrance to Yu-topia. I then begged for you to help me up the stairs to my room. You were so attentive and sweet that, naturally, I couldn’t resist the temptation to milk this opportunity in the following weeks.”

With only a brief flicker of guilt (what else was he supposed to have done?! Desperate times, as they say…), Viktor kept his eyes glued to the page and continued reading.

“At strategic points over the next month or two, I may have played up my fatigue, or orchestrated a few sympathy-induced falls when feeling particularly touch-starved. However, there were a few hints that cropped up now and then to suggest that you knew about my deception. And yet, you appeared to have no problem indulging me, anyway, practically carrying me every time that I whined about my pitiful stamina, or my achy knees.”

He looked up. Yuuri’s cheeks were charmingly pink, and Viktor’s fingers itched to poke at them.

“So, that being said, anata: did you know about my little charade, back then?” he asked, already aware of the answer but eager to see his love’s reaction, nonetheless. “And if so, why did you let it continue?”

Yuuri began to scratch the back of his neck, his flush growing even rosier.

Viktor nearly cooed.

How was he so cute?!

Even after over two years of marriage and four-and-a-half as a couple, Yuuri still grew adorably embarrassed around some of the particulars of their early beginnings.

His spouse gave a tiny cough and kept his gaze affixed to the table they were seated at.

“Maybe not from the very beginning, but eventually? Yes, I knew,” he responded, and from the slight upturn of his lips, Viktor could tell that he was reminiscing. “And you know exactly why: your little scheme started before we officially began dating, so it gave me an excuse to be close to you and to take care of you, for a change.”

Yuuri glanced at him and his face changed, as if he’d suddenly realized what he’d said.

“Not that you had asked to be taken care of, in so many words…but I liked having the roles reversed, so to speak, at least for those brief exchanges,” he went on, without a trace of levity. “You were doing so much for me, and it felt nice to be able to make sure that you were ok, too.”

The subsequent awwww’ing was somewhat drowned out by the way Viktor proceeded to half-stand and envelop him in an eager hug.

He giggled at Yuuri’s yelp of surprise.

“My Yuranya is sooo sweet!” he cried, swaying them back and forth. “And I love that you take care of me. You’re very good at it.”

There was a brief pause, but then his embrace was being returned with equal fervor. “I try my best, Viten’ka. You deserve it,” his husband replied, sounding so earnest that it made Viktor’s heart skip a beat.

“Sit down, geezer! That half-standing position can’t be good for your arthritic back!” Yura called out, the caustic words only slightly intruding on his bubble of bliss.

“Careful, Yura!” he challenged, good-naturedly, after breaking out of Yuuri’s hold.

“Off-season or not, I can still put restrictions on your diet at dinner tonight if I want to.”

Viktor allowed himself a smirk when his student seemed properly dejected at the prospect of this threat.

“Ok, so no lies, so far, right Funmi?” he asked, to which she gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

[shy-blue-blossom]

Language of Flowers

Which Flower?

Bluebell - Anthony Bridgerton

• Everlasting love; Humility; Regret; “you have put a spell on me”

Dahlia - Sherlock Holmes

• Everlasting commitment; Celebration of love and marriage; Elegance

Gladiolus - Tewkesbury

• Love at first sight; Strength of character; Sincerity

Heliotrope - Colin Bridgerton

• Devotion; Eternal Love

Lilac - Tewkesbury

• First emotions of love; Youthful innocence; Purity

Pansy - Colin Bridgertone

• “You occupy my thoughts;” Romantic thoughts; “Think of me”

Snapdragon - Sherlock Holmes

• Graciousness; Courteousness; Deception during courtship

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Books I used as a reference for the information about the flowers;

• The Secret Language of Flowers by Samantha Gray,

• The little book of Floriography the secret language of flowers.

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Masterlist