#the one whose descendant tries to be king later

[amoratearte]

🐉 Targaryen Family Tree

“Gaemon’s son Aegon and his daughter Elaena ruled together after his death. After them the lordship passed to their son Maegon, his brother Aerys, and Aerys’s sons, Aelyx, Baelon, and Daemion. The last of the three brothers was Daemion, whose son Aerion then succeeded to Dragonstone”

[abbyfmc]

Plot Idea #4:

A girl named (Y/n) was the daughter of a war general whose family always served closely to the royal army, having contact with the king himself. Her mother, on the other hand, was an old childhood friend of the queen of that time so she would bring her children to the castle for visits.

Thanks to this, (T/n) met the yandere prince when they were children, (without any of them being aware that this was only to arrange a marriage for them years later) so they spent a lot of time together playing and talking.

(T/n) was not an only child, as she had more siblings who due to medieval times, died due to diseases such as tuberculosis, including her mother. This saddened her to the point of making her a lonely person. Her father, having her as the only descendant in his lineage and little time to even get married; overprotected her due to fear of losing her, to the point of not letting her accompany him to the palace and leaving her at home in the company of her sisters ([Y/n]'s aunts) and governesses.

The yandere prince had already grown attached to her, as (Y/n) took him out of his monotonous prince life and her absence worried him, to the point of asking (Y/n)'s father repeatedly about his daughter. He knew about the loss of her siblings and mother due to tuberculosis, being the cause of her distancing herself so much due to depression.

He sees that she is not only more beautiful than before and how lonely she is, but how shy and distrustful she has become; he was also the one to blame for distancing himself from her due to his hard and arduous upbringing. He spends time with her and realizes that he is wanting her more and more, while she is still insecure. On the other hand, the old king is very proud of the educational and military work that (Y/n)'s father has done, so in his last days he not only arranges the marriage between (Y/n) and the yandere prince, but also promotes (Y/n)'s father and his family to a very good and high economic, political and social rank.

When the king dies, he leaves his queen a widow and the yandere prince is not only married to (Y/n), but is promoted to yandere king (and thus [Y/n] is promoted to queen). At first (Y/n) didn't want to get married and tried to protest to her father over and over again, but he told her:

-"Listen (Y/n), I don't like this very much either. At first your marriage wasn't a big deal even though the old king had proposed it, but now things are different. Your older and younger brothers, who are the ones who could bring this clan forward, have passed away along with your mother and for that reason our family only has you as a hope. I myself am getting old and you know it, and if something happens to me, there will be no one to look after you once I'm gone. I'm sorry, but we all have a responsibility to fulfill; that is yours and there are no other options."-.

While it was true that her father was getting old and he was quite right, she was nervous and insecure. On the other hand, the yandere prince was delighted with the marriage whose ceremony was finally very close. He promised to take care of her at all times, to the point of not stopping to watch her through guards or by himself. The yandere king introduced her and showed her off to everyone, but he also overprotected her from anyone the yandere king considered a threat, to the point of only allowing his father-in-law to visit her in the palace.

-The End.

Yes, you can use my ideas, just give me credits.

[2af-afterdark]

Who does Solomon/MC actually have pacts with?

Original posting date: June 1, 2024

Most recent edit: October 20, 2024

I just realized something. Excuse my lack of screenshots in places but... I am not in the mood to go searching for everything at the moment. You're just going to have to trust me in some places.

Based on the order of events being established in the events, it's getting really questionable which devils Solomon made pacts with (and therefore which ones MC has to break and reforge).

Facts we know/Timeline:

Tartaros is established as a kingdom (it is confirmed to be the oldest of the seven kingdoms). How long ago this occured is unknown.

Leviathan escapes from Heaven.

Metatron starts a coup, kills Papa!Mammon, and imprisons Child!Mammon. Serveral years later, Mammon is an adult and breaks free to reclaim his kingdom. At this time, he also manages to imprison Metatron.

Satan tries to establish Gehenna. During this time, he managed to find Sitri and sent him off to train in Hades (meaning Hades must already be an established kingdom).

Solomon met Satan and hijinks ensued.

While in Hell, Solomon made pacts with the noble devils and kings. He also become friends with God.

God played favorites and gave Solomon (and his descendants by proxy) the right to touch or have anything.

Solomon disappeared at some point, leaving all of his pacts in tact and limiting the devils' powers.

God disappeared shortly after Solomon did

Lilith also disappeared around this time, meaning no devils could have been born since.

The (at the time) 5 kings of Hell got sucked into another space due to Metatron's machinations, seemingly leaving much of Hell defenseless. At this time, this event has not been fully explained and where it fits on the timeline is unknown other than it occurred before Lucifer's fall.

After God disappeared, Lucifer ripped out his own wings and fell to Hell where he met the dragon Gamigin.

Two Hell years after Lucifer ripped out his wings, he would officially fall and become a devil, taking his place as king of Paradise Lost.

Some nebulous amount of time after that, Belphegor wakes up in Niflheim and starts his campaign to become king.

Three years and one terrifying, world-destroying transformation later, Belphegor is officially the king of Niflheim.

Some time after that, MC is targeted by Gabriel and is saved by Satan. Thus begins their journey through Hell.

Given that timeline, there are some devils with questionable pacts status. I have broken this list into four sections: those whose pacts have been confirmed either through MC reforging them or the in-game dialogue referencing them, those who have not been confirmed by the game but most likely have a pact due to knowing Solomon when he was in Hell, those who (due to the timeline or other reasons) may or may not have made a pact with Solomon, and those who literally cannot have made a pact with Solomon.

Confirmed: Satan, Sitri, Leraye, Paimon, Zagan, Belial, Mammon, Bimet, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Marbas

Likely: Astaroth, Eligos, Valephor, Barbatos, Foras, Glassyalabolas, Orias, Asmodeus, Phenix, Dantalian, Ronove, Morax, Buer, Bael, Amon, Naberius, Gusion, Bathin, Andrealphus,

Questionable: Gamigin, Belphegor, Beleth, Vassago, Agares

Impossible: Lucifer

I will now explain the Questionable and Impossible status characters.

Lucifer cannot have a pact with Solomon given the current timeline because he did not fall until after Solomon was already missing and didn't officially become a devil until 2 years after his fall. This means he and Solomon, though they could have possibly met when Lucifer was still an angel, could not have formed a pact. Unless Solomon formed a pact with an angel somehow?

Gamigin has a questionable pact status because the Gamigin we know is a technically a dragon, but he inherited everything from the devil Gamigin. If the devil Gamigin had a pact with Solomon, the dragon Gamigin may have inherited that too.

Belphegor was technically around when Solomon was, but he was asleep for a very long time. We know that Belphegor is acquaintances with Satan, but we do not know when this happened (either in the three years he was awake to establish Niflheim or before that). It is unclear if Belphegor and Solomon met. EDIT (7/19/24): Belphegor (Selfie) confirms that Belphegor and Solomon have indeed met.

Beleth is, like Lucifer, a fallen angel. However, we do not know when he fell. He may or may not have met Solomon when he was already a devil depending on when he fell. Even if he was a devil already, he may not have formed a pact for reasons that will be refrenced in the next section.

Vassago and Agares are technically members of the 72 but the place they live was not a kingdom at the time Solomon was in Hell. If Solomon was able to journey to the trash kingdom and form pacts with the devils that lived there at the time is unclear. If Vassago and Agares would have even formed a pact is also questionable given they seem to have a lot of resentment for those who have power but were not there to protect their home during this unknown calamity. If this even happened before, during, or after Solomon vanished, we do not know.

Realistically, this is just me trying to think through how the timeline works and who MC even needs to reforge pacts with since I noticed some weird events on the timeline.

So, uhhhhh, yeah.... If I missed something or you have information that moves a character from one group to another, just let me know.

[fanfictionismyaddiction]

A Tyrell in the Lion's Den (Part 6)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Word count: 3.4k

Pairing: Tywin Lannister x Tyrell!reader

Summary: Tommen and Margaery's wedding serves as a backdrop for Tywin Lannister's strategic maneuvering to form alliances while addressing the rising influence of the Faith Militant. In a private moment, Tywin confesses to Y/n his past misjudgments

_________________________________________________

I awoke to the faint light of dawn streaming through the grand windows of our chambers. Tywin was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed, half-dressed, his mind clearly at work on whatever scheme or strategy would occupy his day. He had always been a man who thrived on discipline, even in the quiet moments of our life together.

I reached out and placed my hand on his back, feeling the tension there, the weight of his responsibilities. “Are you already thinking about what comes next?” I asked softly.

Tywin turned his head slightly, offering me a rare, fleeting smile. “Always,” he replied. “But today is different.”

“How so?”

He stood and began fastening the rest of his tunic, the crimson and gold of his Lannister sigil standing out starkly against his broad frame. “Today, we announce our intentions for the future. The court will see that our union isn’t just a marriage of convenience but the start of something much greater.”

I knew what he meant. Our marriage wasn’t just a consolidation of power—it was a statement. Together, we would rule over King’s Landing as the hand of the King in ways that others had only dreamed of.

But for all of Tywin’s careful planning, there was something weighing heavily on my mind. His children, specifically Cersei and Jaime, remained a wild card in our future. Cersei’s hatred for me was evident, and though Jaime maintained a polite distance, there was a coldness in his demeanor that could not be ignored.

And then there was Tommen—innocent, sweet Tommen, whose fate now intertwined with Margaery’s ambitions. The future of our families lay before us like a delicate web, one that could easily unravel if not handled with care.

When Tywin and I descended into the throne room later that day, the courtiers were already gathered, their eyes flickering between us with a mixture of curiosity and thinly veiled jealousy. I had grown accustomed to the murmurs that followed me wherever I went, the whispers of power and influence that came with being the new Lady Lannister.

As we approached the Iron Throne, I could feel the weight of their gazes upon me. Tywin, ever the strategist, walked with the confidence of a man who had already won the game before it had even begun. He had no need to flaunt his authority—it was understood.

The small council had gathered, along with the nobility of King’s Landing, each eager to see what would unfold next. I stood by Tywin’s side, my hand resting lightly on his arm, a silent display of unity.

Varys, standing in his usual place at the foot of the throne, offered me a small, knowing smile. The Spider had already tried to warn me about the dangers of the game, and though I had not heeded his advice, I was acutely aware of the risks involved in my new position. He would no doubt be watching closely, waiting to see if I would rise or fall.

Cersei stood near the dais, her face a mask of indifference, though the tension in her posture betrayed her feelings. She hated this new reality—hated that her father had taken another wife, a younger wife, who threatened to upend the delicate balance of power she had fought so hard to maintain. I knew better than to underestimate her, but for now, she was simply another player in this endless game.

As the days passed, preparations for Tommen’s marriage to Margaery began in earnest. Margaery was already deeply entrenched in Tommen’s affections, her gentle manipulation working wonders on the young king. I had seen her in action, her sweetness never failing to bring a blush to Tommen’s cheeks, her laughter like music to his ears.

There was no doubt that Margaery would be the perfect queen for him—ambitious yet nurturing, capable of guiding Tommen without him ever realizing he was being led. I admired her skill in that regard; it was a delicate dance, one she performed with precision and grace.

Tommen had taken to me as well, his shy affection for his new grandmother a refreshing change from the coldness of his siblings. He often sought me out in the quieter moments of court life, asking for advice or simply enjoying the company of someone who, unlike Cersei, did not seek to dominate him.

One afternoon, as we walked through the gardens with Ser Pounce trailing behind us, Tommen turned to me, his youthful face full of earnestness. “Do you think I’ll be a good king?”

His question gave me pause. He was so young, so innocent, and yet the weight of the crown already rested heavily on his small shoulders. Taking his hand in mine. “You are kind, Tommen. That is something many kings lack. And you have a good heart. That will guide you when times are difficult.”

He looked up at me with wide, trusting eyes. “And Margaery?”

I smiled gently. “Margaery will help you. She is wise beyond her years, and she cares for you deeply. Together, the two of you will rule with both strength and compassion.”

Tommen seemed comforted by my words, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness for him. He was the future of the realm, and Margaery would ensure that future was bright.

As Tywin’s new wife, it was expected by him that I would sit beside him during meetings of the small council. Though I had no official position of power, my presence was a statement in itself—one that reminded the court that I was not merely a decorative piece, but a partner in Tywin’s ambitions.

One such meeting took place shortly after our marriage. As the council gathered to discuss the state of the realm, I could feel the eyes of each member flickering toward me, gauging my influence. Tywin, ever the master of control, did not openly acknowledge my presence, but he made sure I was seated at his right hand, a subtle show of support.

As the meeting unfolded, talk turned to Dorne and the fate of Myrcella. Oberyn Martell’s death had left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Dornish, and there were whispers of rebellion stirring in the south. Some of the council members urged Tywin to recall Myrcella, to bring her back to the safety of King’s Landing.

Tywin, however, remained resolute. “Myrcella will stay in Dorne,” he said, his voice brooking no argument. “The Martells may be unhappy with recent events, but they will not harm her. She is their future queen, and they will not jeopardize that.”

There was silence in the room, and I felt the weight of Tywin’s decision settle over us all. It was a bold move, one that would either solidify our position in Dorne or lead to further unrest. But I trusted Tywin’s judgment—he had never steered the Lannisters wrong before, and I had no reason to doubt him now.

______________________________________________________________

The day of Tommen and Margaery's wedding dawned bright and warm, the skies over King's Landing a rare, cloudless blue. The air was thick with anticipation, for this wedding was not just a union of two young people, but a carefully orchestrated display of power. As I prepared myself for the event, donning a gown of deep emerald and gold, I felt the weight of it—the significance of every detail, every whispered conversation, every strategic alliance that would be formed beneath the guise of celebration.

The Sept of Baelor had been adorned in flowers, tapestries, and banners bearing the sigils of both the Lannisters and Tyrells. Margaery had spared no expense, and the result was a breathtakingly beautiful scene—designed to distract from the undercurrent of tension that ran through the court. Every noble in the realm had gathered to witness the marriage, and though the smiles and laughter were plentiful, there were whispers of darker things on the horizon.

Tommen stood at the front of the sept, resplendent in his regal attire, the weight of his crown almost too much for his youthful frame. Beside him, Margaery was radiant in a gown of pale gold and ivory, her beauty and charm undeniable. She had captured the heart of the young king, as she had intended, and now the Seven Kingdoms would witness the formal cementing of her power as queen.

I sat with Tywin in the front row, my hand resting gently on his arm, a subtle reminder of our unity. Around us, the small council and prominent lords and ladies of the realm observed the proceedings with a mixture of awe and calculation. Tywin's gaze was unreadable, though I knew his mind was already working through the next steps—how to secure the future, how to eliminate threats, and how to ensure the Lannisters' continued dominance.

But as I watched her glide down the aisle, her beauty and grace captivating every eye in the sept, I knew this wedding was only the surface of the true game being played. Beside me, Tywin's gaze was steady, his mind likely working through the intricate webs of alliances and rivalries that today’s ceremony masked. He would make his moves soon, aligning the right houses to ensure Lannister control. Yet, amid it all, I sensed something darker stirring beneath the surface.

After the ceremony, we were seated at the grand feast that followed, the hall filled with music, laughter, and the clinking of goblets. I could feel the weight of the court’s attention on us—on me, especially. As Lady Lannister now, my role had shifted, and every word I spoke or movement I made would be watched with interest. I was not only the wife of Tywin Lannister, but also a vital piece in the future he was building.

Tywin wasted no time. I watched as he spoke quietly with my father, their conversation quick but full of meaning. Lord Randyll Tarly, a man known for his loyalty to the Tyrells, was engaged soon after. Tywin knew exactly who needed to be reminded of their place, of their ties to the Lannisters, and he did it with the grace and subtlety that only he possessed.

As the evening wore on, Tywin turned his attention to something we both knew had been festering for some time—the Faith of the Seven and its growing influence. The High Sparrow, though not present at the wedding, was a name whispered with increasing frequency, a man whose asceticism appealed to the poor and the discontented. Tywin leaned close, his voice a low murmur that only I could hear.

"They are gaining too much power, these fanatics. If we do not deal with them soon, they will become a threat far more dangerous than any army."

I nodded, knowing that the Faith's sudden rise was no accident. "What will you do?"

"I'll speak with the High Septon," he replied, his tone cold. "He will be reminded of his place. If he cannot control his flock, we will find someone who can."

His determination was clear, and though I agreed that the Faith could not be allowed to grow unchecked, a part of me worried. The High Sparrow, from what I had heard, was not a man easily swayed by gold or power. This would not be a problem solved with a simple bribe or threat.

As the music continued and the guests danced, Tywin's mind was already on the next steps. The marriage between Tommen and Margaery was secured, but the threats to the realm were multiplying. He turned his gaze eastward, toward a danger far greater than the Faith of the Seven—Daenerys Targaryen.

"She is coming," Tywin said, his voice thoughtful yet firm. "With dragons, no less. The girl is gathering an army, and when she crosses the Narrow Sea, the realm will be plunged into chaos."

"Do you think she has enough strength to take the throne?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the thought of the young queen with dragons at her back.

"Not yet. But she grows stronger each day. We will need to form alliances with those who stand against her—if she reaches Westeros with her dragons, she will be unstoppable unless we act quickly."

His words were heavy with foresight, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Tywin's enemies were many, but Daenerys, with her claim to the throne and the magic of her dragons, was something different entirely. His mind was already working through the strategies needed to defeat this new threat, but I could sense that Daenerys' dragons presented an unknown factor that unsettled even him. The Lannisters had ruled with wealth and military might for generations, but dragons were a force beyond mere politics and armies. Yet I knew that he would face her with the same cold determination that had seen him through every other challenge.

As the night deepened and the feast reached its height, the court began to turn its attention to the long-held tradition of the bedding ceremony. Whispers spread among the lords and ladies as they anticipated the moment when the bride and groom would be carried off to their chambers, but I knew that Tywin would not let such a display happen at our grandsons wedding. When the courtiers made their first crude jests, suggesting that Tommen and Margaery should be “properly bedded,” Tywin rose from his seat. His presence alone silenced the room, and he spoke with the authority of the Hand of the King, the Warden of the West, and the father of the realm’s most powerful family.

“There will be no bedding ceremony tonight,” Tywin declared, his voice cutting through the revelry like a blade. “The king and queen will retire with the dignity befitting their station. Anyone who dares challenge that will answer to me.” The room fell into a hushed silence, the threat implicit in Tywin's words hanging heavy in the air. No one dared to contradict him, and Margaery flashed him a grateful smile, clearly relieved that she would be spared the indignity of the ceremony.

As the evening wore on, I could feel the eyes of the court upon me. As Lady Lannister, I was now a central figure in the power dynamics of King’s Landing. The courtiers watched my every move, eager to see how I would adapt to my new role. Some sought my favor, hoping to align themselves with the most powerful family in Westeros. Others viewed me with suspicion, wondering if my loyalties still lay with the Tyrells.

Margaery, ever the master of courtly games, had already begun to weave her own web of influence. She and I exchanged knowing glances throughout the night, a silent understanding passing between us. We were allies, bound by our marriages and our shared ambitions. But we both knew that, in the end, we played our own games.

As I moved through the hall, accepting congratulations and well-wishes, I could sense the shifting allegiances around me. The court was a dangerous place, and I would need to navigate it with care. But with Tywin at my side, I felt invincible.

As the night drew to a close, I found myself standing beside Tywin on a balcony overlooking the city. The lights of King’s Landing stretched out before us, and the distant sound of the feast still echoed in the halls behind us. “This is only the beginning,” Tywin said, his voice low and full of purpose. “The realm is ours now, but we must secure it for the future.”

I turned to him, my hand resting on his arm. “And what of the threats we face? The Faith, Daenerys, the unrest in the North?”

Tywin’s gaze was steady, his resolve unshakable. “We will deal with them, one by one. The Faith will be brought to heel, Daenerys will be stopped, and the North will be subdued. The Lannisters have ruled for generations, and we will continue to rule.”

I nodded, knowing that he was right. Together, we would shape the future of Westeros. And no one would stand in our way.

As the first light of dawn began to break over the horizon, I knew that a new era had begun—an era of Lannister dominance, with Tywin and me at the helm. And I was ready for whatever came next.

______________________________________________________________

As the celebrations for Tommen and Margaery’s wedding faded into memory, the quiet of our chambers enveloped us like a soft blanket. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on the walls, creating an intimate atmosphere. I sat beside Tywin on a plush chaise, feeling the weight of the day’s events still lingering in the air.

He had been unusually contemplative after the feast, his mind clearly occupied with thoughts beyond the revelry. As the door closed softly behind the guards, sealing us in our private sanctuary, I turned to him, curious.

“Tywin?” I asked gently, seeking to draw him from his thoughts.

Tywin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a rare vulnerability flickering across his features. “What many fail to understand is that I once underestimated her, Daenerys i mean” he admitted, his voice low and steady. “Years ago, when she was still a child, I believed her to be inconsequential—a pawn in a game of thrones played by her brother, Viserys. I thought her exile meant she would pose no danger to us.”

What do you mean?” I pressed, intrigued by his revelation.

“I had the opportunity to eliminate the Targaryen bloodline entirely. Had I acted then, when she was weak and alone, I could have extinguished any spark of rebellion before it ignited,” Tywin confessed, his tone grave. “But I believed her to be just a girl, incapable of rising to any challenge. I failed to see her potential, the fire within her.”

His gaze grew distant, lost in the past. “Now, she has dragons—real power—and an army of followers who believe in her cause. She is no longer just the last remnant of a fallen dynasty. She is a threat.”

I felt a chill run down my spine at the weight of his words. “Do you regret that decision? That you didn’t act when you had the chance?”

Tywin’s eyes met mine, and there was a flicker of something I hadn’t seen before—a hint of doubt. “Regret is a luxury I cannot afford. Every choice has its consequences, and I am a man of action, not one to dwell on what might have been. However,” he added, “I am now painfully aware that the Targaryen legacy cannot be dismissed lightly.”

The realization of his earlier miscalculation resonated deeply within me. “So what will we do about her?” I asked, my heart pounding at the thought of confronting such a powerful adversary.

“We must be prepared. She will seek to reclaim what she believes is rightfully hers, and we cannot afford to underestimate her again. Our alliances, the support of the lords, the strength of our armies—these will be crucial.” Tywin’s voice took on a sharper edge, fueled by the urgency of the situation. “And we must use this wedding to our advantage, solidifying our position while keeping a watchful eye on her movements.”

I could see the wheels turning in his mind, strategizing how best to navigate this new threat. The tension in the room felt almost palpable, yet there was something else—an electric connection between us, a shared understanding of the battles that lay ahead.

“Tywin,” I said softly, wanting to bridge the gap that had grown between our shared ambitions and the personal bond we were forging, “I know you will do what is necessary to protect us. But remember that you are not alone in this. We are a team now, and I will stand with you.”

He turned to me, his expression softening for just a moment, and I could see the flicker of appreciation in his eyes. “I know that, Y/n. Your loyalty and strength are invaluable. But in this world, it is often the ones closest to us that can become the most dangerous. I cannot afford to lose you in the midst of this chaos.”

In that quiet moment, the weight of our shared responsibilities settled between us, but so did an undeniable bond. Tywin reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers in a gesture that felt both protective and possessive.

“We will face whatever comes together,” he vowed, his grip firm, grounding me in the reality of our situation.

As we sat together, the shadows of the chamber danced around us, but within that darkness, I felt a flicker of hope. Together, we would navigate the intricate and treacherous path that lay ahead, united in our purpose and the promise of what we could build together—a future that would not be easily extinguished.

Taglist: @mamawiggers1980

[batpham-discord-highlights]

2024 April fools and Anniversary Event Prompt List part 3

See what the event was and it's rule here!

Hero! Prompts:

Hero Kiss King of Gunned Bugs

Damian glared at the front of the classroom, specifically at the teacher in front of the whiteboard. Mr. Nightingale. "Call me Dan, for Ancient's sake," he had told them early in the year, was a curious man. He was one of Gotham Academy's more.... unorthodox teachers, less formal as well. He was a science teacher, and despite the urgings of Admin, he never coached for any of the sports GA offered. He was half certain Nightingale was a villain in his career's infancy. All Damian had to do was stop him.

Hero Owen

"Dick!” Tim shouted out his older brother, cringing at his voice. Well, actually it was Dick’s voice, but his brother decided to be an idiot so it’s going to be his voice for now. “You said to grab it!” Dick shouted back, from his spot inside Jason’s body. “WHY ON EARTH WOULD I SAY TO TOUCH THE GREEN GLOWING OBJECT?!” “I DON’T KNOW!” “GUYS!” Jason screamed. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is! The fucking problem is that now I’m in Steph’s fucking body and she’s a foot shorter than me!”

Tim Drake is a descendant of an ancient hero known only in modern day as Phantom. What happens when this hero comes back from the dead, possessing is next of kin?

Hero One Spooky Boy

Danny seriously hates the Justice League. He tried calling for help in Amity once, and they completely dismissed it as a prank and didn't even attempt to check it out. Something about knowing how ghosts worked and they didn't work like this. Anyways, the Justice League turned up in Amity Park to investigate the GIW and Danny is not having it.

When Danny dies for the first time, he sees something. A masked city with a caped crusader of the night, and a man with a grotesque grin and green hair holding a crowbar over his head. He doesn't find out until years later that his ghost half is the ghost of Jason Todd, keeping him alive.

Villains! Prompts:

Villain BreKitten

Look. Danny didn't mean to fall through the floor and into the cave underneath Wayne Manor. It just happened! But, well. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek, right? Right. Just a little look around the frankly ginormous cave wouldn't have any consequences at all.

A magic user manages to get down to the Batcave. Luckily, no one is hurt, but a stray spell hits the dinosaur, making it come to life.

Villain Non-Malicious Animalization

Something's out in the Kansas woods. Something dripping green, something defensive.

Gotham rogues quickly learned the rules of aposematism. This has resulted in some parents taking the risk of dressing their kids like Robin. This makes most low-level thugs avoid them, but can be a risk when it comes to the bigger rogues and the batclan itself. (Please feel free to make this an inhuman batfamily AU. Preferably not vampires or something. I like it when vigilantes are their own species. They're territorial.)

Villain Ky

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Jazz is the one who’s put all the actual realms biology stuff together, not danny. So when it comes down to defeating misinformation, Jazz and Phantom team up to give the…. world’s most awkward schoolwide presentation?

If anyone wants to use and post with these prompts the Ao3 collection link is here, or post with #April Fools event 2024

[fairune]

Xanthos aka AZ's little brother aka Lysandre's ancestor aka the guy who tried to throw a coup d'etat in Ancient Kalos but failed which ended up leading to war. Sad! I wanted to try doing "official" art for him even tho I'm not that good at imitating official art... Tho I think I did a decent job here 😭

Some extra info under the cut (tw for mentions of a sui/cide attempt and drowning)

Xanthos' team... I wanted his team to be similar to AZ in that it's all "ancient" Pokemon, so he has an aegislash (very old possessed sword), a relicanth (a pokemon once thought extinct!) and a shiny Golurk... AZ created the golett that later evolved into this Golurk. Btw.

After the war was ended, AZ entrusted Xanthos to restoring Kalos... (I say entrusted because that's the word AZ used too, but it was more like "Xan wasn't given any other choice" 😭 I like AZ being a sympathetic character who still did some objectively cruel things if that wasn't obvious). And so, Xanthos became king... It would've been exciting for him to get what he had wanted all along, but Kalos was completely ravaged. He did what he could to help restore Kalos, but... It wasn't enough. Kalos' enters a dark age during this period, and doesn't see stability again for many, Many years.

AZ during this time period was in Hoenn. To be blunt he had attempted to drown himself, not realizing he was immortal And undying at that point. He spends a very lengthy amount of time at sea before eventually washing up on the shores of Hoenn 😱 he ends up forming a life for himself over there as a wood cutter... This is where he picks up his torkoal, too.

Xanthos had three sons of his own at some point. The oldest son is the one whose lineage continues into Lysandre. The second son is whose lineage established Parfum Palace later on. And the youngest son had a lineage that immigrated to Paldea at some point. In modern times, Lucerne, a descendant of the youngest son, was adopted by the late owners of Parfum Palace.

[iwaoiness]

Tooru's love life

Oikawa has become a public figure whose name has gone around the world. He has been featured in a multitude of magazines, both sports and fashion. He has appeared on various talk shows and participated in some entertainment programmes. He is the new face of Nike and every week he promotes world-renowned brands on his Instagram account (with almost 9M followers). On TikTok (with more than 6M followers) he usually shows his daily life and joins the funniest and most extravagant trends.

He is charismatic, intelligent, flirtatious and charming, and journalists are dying to get the tiniest tidbit of information about his private life, especially his love life, because Oikawa Tooru, despite everything, has learned very well (too well, in fact) how to dodge questions about his non-professional life, which he wants to keep under lock and key. The only thing that is known for sure is that he is originally from Miyagi and studied at Aoba Johsai, otherwise everything is a mystery (in fact, they tried to interview some of his former classmates, unfortunately running into Mattsun and Makki whose answers were a repertoire of "maybe yes", "maybe no", "I don't know", "who knows", "will this go live?", "Oikawa likes milk bread although he doesn't tolerate lactose, isn't it funny?"

But one day everything explodes.

Oikawa's name becomes a worldwide trending topic for weeks, millions of his fans flood the social networks with screenshots and kilometric threads, gossip magazine journalists go crazy camping outside the luxury flat block where Oikawa lives to corner him and bombard him with questions, his manager (who is torn between asking for a pay rise or an early retirement despite his 30 years old) tries to control and defuse the situation.

And the reason is his new TikTok video, with the black and white filter, where he appears lying face down on his king-size bed, recording his reflection in the room's wide mirror. Behind him, with his head resting on his bare back, is Iwaizumi Hajime, gently and slowly caressing his back, alternating those caresses with small kisses on his skin.

A song plays in the background for the first seven seconds until Tooru speaks and a soft Hajime comes from his lips. Iwaizumi lifts his head and, when he sees Oikawa with his mobile pointed at the mirror, he looks at the reflection of both and smiles (the playful, lopsided smile that turns on Oikawa as fuck) before winking. His hand, always firm and warm against Tooru's skin, slowly descends further down, his fingers tracing over the bare skin until they reach his nike sports shorts, caressing the fabric of the garment before his hand opens and wraps around his ass.

And there the video cuts off and starts again. In the caption, it reads: upss hehe (ノ≧▽° )ノ

Days later, when everything is still on fire, Matsukawa and Hanamaki are (surprisingly) called again to be interviewed by a young intern (judging by his dark circles under his eyes, the dried coffee stain on his pants and the endearing stammering in his questions) for a program about celebrity scandals to be aired later. This time, however, they decide to be more benevolent and Issei and Hiro look directly into the camera, with an aura of mystery and secrecy.

"Well, Tsubaki-kun"

"I-it's Subaru, Matsukawa-san."

"Well, Subaru-kun, you're in luck, we actually came with the intention of bringing a very, very important exclusive."

"R-Really?" Subaru blinks, incredulous as Makki nods energetically.

"It's something that even Oikawa himself isn't aware of, right, Issei?"

"Totally, Hiro. Are you ready, Subaru-kun, ready to know the truth and only the truth?"

Both, Subaru and the silent cameraman, nod their heads, totally expectant of what two of the people closest to Oikawa-senshu may finally reveal.

"Well, here we go, Hiro. Do the honors, you're the best at this."

"You flatter me, honey, it will be my pleasure." Makki clears his throat, cricks his fingers, exhales and inhales deeply, squares his shoulders, settles back on his seat and finally opens his mouth to say "Did you know that Oikawa Tooru is dating Iwaizumi Hajime and, exactly five days ago, Oikawa uploaded a TikTok (very un-family-friendy if you ask me) where he confirms their relationship? It's scandalous, right? I'm sure no one saw that video, but know that it exists."

That same night, during the weekly video call shared by the four former Seijoh members, Tooru's ramen comes out of his nose in a fit of laughter and Iwaizumi is unable to control his when Mattsun and Makki recount how they were banned again for the rest of their lives from (now) eight TV stations and two radio stations.

[jacksgreysays]

"soldier, poet, king" + POV of team 7 from someone in the far future, maybe through the lens of a distant descendant build off surviving myths and historical texts

Dear anon, I hope you don’t mind, but I took a gentle step sideways and backwards with this prompt. In my search for all of the royalty!AU posts, I refreshed my memory about Foundation of Yesterday in which DoS/the Elemental Nations is the extremely distant past of FFVII. Coupled with the SOLDIERs of FFVII and my assigning of which member of Team Seven corresponds to which character of FFVII, I think it all combines well with your prompt. Additionally, I couldn’t tell which members of Team Seven I would assign soldier, poet, and king. But it was easy for me to assign solider, poet, and king to their FFVII descendants and then reverse engineer from there. So we get Cloud, obvious Soldier, descendant of blue-eyed blonde, storm and strife. Yuffie as King, inheriting a pendant that summons a sleeping goddess in times of need. And Vincent is less obvious as Poet, but you can probably get into a sort of meditative philosophizing of working for tyrants and falling in love with a scientist only for her to betray you and then going into hibernation and maybe meeting your distant ancestor who is Chaos? Unfortunately, I don’t actually know that much about FFVII—as I’ve never played it, nor the remake—except for what I’ve gleaned from fanfiction and cultural osmosis, lol. And then this does get into the problem, similar to the Fear to Tread (a world unseen) post in that the primary setting/POV of the fic WOULD be the world/characters that I am less accustomed to writing and then making up the history of the world between the events of DoS and FFVII. So I’m going to continue with my gentle sideways and backwards steps and give you this, instead:

~

(king)

When Yuffie finally activates the strange summon materia she inherited from her father, everything goes dark. At first she panics—maybe something went wrong? did she not have enough mana? was she cursed with blindness?—but then little pin pricks of light appear, like distant stars coming ever closer.

She doesn’t see what the summon does exactly, the battle ends so quickly after that, but that doesn’t matter too much considering the summon just… doesn’t leave.

The Shikabane-hime—once the tendrils of star-filled shadows have done their damage and tucked themselves away out of existence—looks human. Like one of Yuffie’s people, a girl far from home, displaced from Wutai, just like her.

But as the other members of the party shift and stare, uncertain as to what it happening, she remembers who exactly she’s looking at. What she is looking at, that is: a summon, inherited from her father, who only showed up now after her homeland has been ruined by ShinRa.

Later, when they have made camp for the night, when the Shikabane-hime has still not disappeared, even though Yuffie’s original mana offering should have long run out, she confronts the summon.

“Where were you?” Yuffie asks in Wutaian so the others can’t understand her. She tries to make it accusatory, tries to sound authoritative, like a proper Princess of Wutai, but she’s afraid it comes out more hurt, plaintive, like a child who realizes that legends are nothing more than stories, than lies. Like the legend that the Shikabane-hime would come in Wutai’s time of need.

The Shikabane-hime tilts its head, gaze sharp but not unkind. Yuffie thinks for a moment, perhaps it can’t understand her, what language do summons speak? Please not Midgarish.

But then the Shikabane-hime answers, “Your father never called for me.” Its gaze, somehow, becoming sharper but also more kind. Concerned, maybe. “Perhaps he did not believe. Perhaps it was not enough of a threat.”

“Not enough of a threat?” Yuffie shouts.

The rest of the party turn their way, hands on their weapons, except for Vincent whose attention had been on the Shikabane-hime the whole time. He waves them off and the others, with reluctance, stand down.

“What do you mean not enough of a threat? ShinRa invaded our homeland. It is a shell of itself! My father—” she cuts herself off before she can say anything else. Before she can realize what else in her childhood is a story, a lie.

“In the future, you will reclaim it, rebuild it,” the Shikabane-hime says, too casual for a command, too simple for a prophecy. “But first, we must ensure there is a future.”

—

(poet)

When Shikako meets the almost familiar red eyes of Vincent Valentine, she does not say the following:

Is he doing okay in there? How did he manage to survive so long? If you could let him know I’m sorry, I miss him. Tell him thank you from me for holding on so long. Too long. Tell him he can let go, that he doesn’t have to stay if it hurts. If he needs to move on, it’s okay. I’ll meet him there when I’m done. And I’ll bring Naruto with me. You can rest now, Sasuke, I’m here now. I’ll see you soon.

When Vincent looks at the Shikabane-hime—

(Kako, Yuffie introduces it as, trying to play it off as just a late coming fellow Wutaian. If the other members of the party make the connection between the godly manifestation of starlit shadows and the normal looking woman following them blandly, they aren’t making a fuss about it, so neither will Vincent.)

—the Chaos inside of him settles into peace.

—

(soldier)

“You resemble your ancestor quite a bit,” Kako says to Cloud during a quiet stretch of their travels. It is the first thing she says to him.

Cloud nods, because what else can he do in response to that—

(Of course nobody believes that Kako is just a normal Wutaian woman, but they’re up against the biggest superpower in the world and also an ancient evil and also an undying Sephiroth while the Planet riots in its attempt to save itself, like a fever willing to burn everything up to stave off the infection.

They’ll take any help they can get, imposter or no. And it’s not as if he has room to talk about that anyway.)

—but he does notice that her eyes are closed as she says this, implying her remark isn’t about a visual resemblance but something else, something deeper.

“He was named after a storm,” she says, and for once her tone changes, the apathy gently flavored with fondness, “but he was truly more like the sun.” Her expression, too, shifts: a small, sad smile gracing her face.

And because Cloud knows what it’s like to lose someone you admired—in both ways, the aching grief of losing an admired person, and the sharp lance of a hero no longer being admirable—he asks her, stumbling “Were you—did you know them well?”

Her eyes open at this, an assessing glance sent his way. Her smile melts away, as if it had never been.

“Yes,” she says, tone flattened once more. “He was a good man and the Planet turned him into a WEAPON.”

Cloud startles. He looks to Aerith as he does whenever Planet and Cetra stuff are brought up, but he finds her face turned away, as if guilty, not wanting to meet his or Kako’s eyes.

“But no need to worry,” Kako says, voice not so much reassuring as it is grimly determined. “I will ensure you do not follow his path too closely.”

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Faith of Many

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched round them for seven days.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated – 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. — Hebrews 11 | New International Version - UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 4:4; Genesis 5:21; Genesis 6:9; Genesis 12:1; Genesis 12:8; Genesis 17:9; Genesis 23:4; Genesis 24:6; Genesis 27:4; Genesis 39:20; Genesis 47:31; Exodus 2:10-11; Exodus 2:13-14 and 15; Exodus 2:22; Exodus 3:15; Exodus 14:22; Exodus 18:4; Joshua 2:1; Joshua 6:15; Judges 4:1; judges 6:2; Judges 14:6; 2 Samuel 12:31; 1 Kings 17:22-23; Job 36:21; Isaiah 14:32; Matthew 12:36; Luke 9:31; Luke 14:33; Acts 7:20; Romans 8:24; Romans 9:7; Hebrews 1:1; Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 12:23; James 2:21-22; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 20:8

What is Faith?

[ilargizuri]

Three Things in One Creature - Part 1: Dragons, Harpyies and Sphinxes

In my introduction, I tried to explain why I consider prophecies in the world of ice and fire to be warnings. Now I want to talk about another constant that appears in all books. The beings from the legends and stories of ancient mythology. All representatives from this book series have been taken from Greek mythology and two of them are slightly changed. Dragons have a fiery breath in Greek mythology, but mostly no wings, in addition, they are mostly the antagonists and always the reason why the hero moves out to save a princess. Incidentally, this motif of the noble knight, who frees the princess from a dragon, originates from antiquity. The Greek dragon from antiquity often has several heads, due to the little evidence from this period, only two examples are known by name, the hundred-headed Typhon and the nine-headed Hydra. The idea of a dragon with several heads is also directly from this time. The harpy is in Greek mythology a bird being with the body and head of a woman. In the books, however, the harpy has alongside the human torso and head, bat wings, eagle claws and the tail of a scorpion.

»In the center of the Plaza of Pride stood a red brick fountain whose waters smelled of brimstone, and in the center of the fountain a monstrous harpy made of hammered bronze. Twenty feet tall she reared. She had a woman’s face, with gilded hair, ivory eyes, and pointed ivory teeth. Water gushed yellow from her heavy breasts. But in place of arms, she had the wings of a bat or a dragon, her legs were the legs of an eagle, and behind she wore a scorpion’s curled and venomous tail. « - Daenerys 2, A Storm of Swords.

The last character from our mythology is the Sphinx and here it gets more interesting. Because both the dragons and the harpy were changed by Martin to fit the realities of the story he wrote, why one has to give the tail of a scorpion to an ancient wind spirit, which was under the command of the King of the Gods Zeus, I do not know and I do not care. The dragons were led by the obstacles of the hero, to the allies and the harpy to their enemies, which is especially interesting because the harpies in many stories are destructive wind spirits and according to Hesiod these harpies were the descendants of the hundred-headed dragon Typhon after Zeus imprisoned Typhon. It makes Harpies the sisters of the nine-headed Hydra and the Sphinx. The sphinx was not changed at all, but if you search for sphinxes in Google, you first get to see the Egyptian sphinx. Which is important, because this sphinx has no wings. Unlike Martins.

»It had been Lazy Leo who dubbed Alleras „the Sphinx.“ A sphinx is a bit of this, a bit of that: a human face, the body of a lion, the wings of a hawk. Alleras was the same: his father was a Dornishman, his mother a black-skinned Summer Islander. His own skin was dark as teak. And like the green marble sphinxes that flanked the Citadel’s main gate, Alleras had eyes of onyx.« - Prologue, A Feast for Crows.

Just like the harpy from our mythology, the original that Martin was probably inspired by, the Sphinx is a daughter of Typhon, so also a kind of dragon. Later Sam mentions that the sphinxes that Lazy Leo mentioned in the prologue had snake-headed tails. This is not from Greek mythology, but an interpretation of archaeologists who dug up statues of sphinxes and recorded descriptions of them in writing. And the rods were described as they looked like serpents; which is not wrong, the pictures of such statues show, that due to erosion and the way the artists shaped these, the snake comparison is quite comprehensible. As in our mythology, sphinxes in Westeros pose riddles like Roone mentioned in the prologue of A Feast for Crows.

»“The day you make them all is the day you stop improving.” Alleras unstrung his longbow and eased it into its leather case. The bow was carved from goldenheart, a rare and fabled wood from the Summer Isles. Pate had tried to bend it once, and failed. The Sphinx looks slight, but there’s strength in those slim arms, he reflected, as Alleras threw a leg across the bench and reached for his wine cup. “The dragon has three heads,” he announced in his soft Dornish drawl.“Is this a riddle?” Roone wanted to know. “Sphinxes always speak in riddles in the tales.”“No riddle.” Alleras sipped his wine.« - Prologue, A Feast for Crows.

It also suggests that the Sphinx in the stories of Westeros also has a guardian function like the Sphinx in our mythology. The figure of the Sphinx was thus not changed in any way by Martin. But then Maester Aemon makes an interesting statement in A Feast for Crows, which many fans take as a reason for speculation. This is this passage.

»When he woke he’d call for Sam, insisting he had to tell him something, but oft as not he would have forgotten what he meant to say by the time that Sam arrived. Even when he did recall, his talk was a jumble. He spoke of dreams and never named the dreamer, of glass candles that could not lit and eggs that would not hatch. He said the Sphinx was the riddle, not the riddler, whatever that meant.« -Samwell 4, A Feast for Crows.

Many fans think that this is an indication that Alleras is not who he pretends to be, but Sarella Sand, one of Oberyn Martell’s bastard daughters. Especially because Alleras mentions in the prologue the sentence which is otherwise only said by Targaryens and the Undying of Quarth. In addition, Sam meets him at the end of A Feast for Crows and Alleras is very interested in what Sam has to say about Maester Aemon. In my opinion, the enigmatic Sphinx is not Alleras, but a reference to the heroes in this story, which is not Azor Ahai. Several times we are reminded by the Targaryens in this story that the dragon has three heads and Aemon regrets that he is not younger to help Daenerys.

»„Daenerys is our hope. Tell them that, at the Citadel. Make them listen. They must send her a maester. Daenerys must be counseled, taught, protected. For all these years I’ve lingered, waiting, watching, and now that the day has dawned I am too old. I am dying, Sam.“ « -Maester Aemon, Samwell 4, A Feast for Crows.

Aemon also says in this chapter that he and Rhaegar always misunderstood the prophecy. This is a motive that we have more often in the story, people who receive a prophecy, try to interpret it and make mistakes. In addition, their obsession with this prophecy leads them to overlook the things that are happening just in front of their eyes. The best example of this fact is Daenerys and Cersei, not because they are both women, but because they are the only characters who really receive a prophecy. Cersei searches all the time for the woman who, according to the prophecy she received from Maggi the Frog, is responsible for her downfall. Daenerys constantly searches for the three traitors announced to her in her prophecy. Both overlook the obvious, what is happening right now. Daenerys always worries about the traitors, while there is a Civil War happening around her and escapes a poison attack, only because she does not eat those sweetened locusts that are offered to her. Cersei tries to disable the younger and more beautiful Queen, who she believes is Margaery, and does not realize that she has a far more dangerous opponent with the High Sparrow, who she believes to be her ally. Prophecies are warnings, but the figures in the story are obsessed with them and see the fulfilment of their prophecy all around them. And the reader follows the thoughts of the characters and takes them for bare coins although we as readers should see the bigger picture and therefore assume a less biased position than the figures that concern the prophecy.

But the Sphinx and the Dragon with the Three Heads are not prophecies only images, and analogies that put the characters before puzzles that misinterpret them or answer them incorrectly. So Sam asks Alleras if he knew what Maester Aemon meant by his pronouncement.

» Sam fumbled for a penny. „Are you a novice?“ „An acolyte. Alleras, by some called Sphinx.“ The name gave Sam a jolt. „The sphinx is the riddle, not the riddler,“ he blurted. „Do you know what that means?“ „No. Is it a riddle?“ „I wish I knew. I’m Samwell Tarly. Sam.“ « Samwell 5, A Feast for Crows.

This scene and what happens afterwards is often seen as an indication that the riddle that addresses Aemon must be Alleras. However, any attentive reader of these books, already noticed in the prologue that Alleras is the disguised Sarella sand. After all, Doran Martell mentions that Sarella is in Old Town and he can do nothing to get hold of her. In addition, we learn that she is the most curious and read by Oberyn’s daughters and we know that the citadel does not accept women. So if Sarella wanted to study in the citadel, she has to dress up as a man. Moreover, Aemon has never met Alleras or even heard of him, so why should the pronouncement refer to him?

[theeclecticwitchblog240]

~~~~~Medusa~~~~~

~~~A Sea Deity~~~

~~Origin~~Ancient Greece

~~Dominion~~Wisdom, Feminine Blood Mysteries, Sexuality, Protecting.

~~Symbols~~Snakes, green, black & red, Hematite (Bloodstone).

~~Tarot Card~~Death, Queen of Swords

~~Workings~~Administer justice, protection, banishing, beauty, transformation, aiding in divination, awakening sexuality.

~~Other Titles~~Ruler of the Sea, The Ruler

~~Offerings~~Serpent figurines or images, snake skin, blood, red wine, coral ornaments (avoid buying real coral as it is endangered), sea water, sea salt, driftwood, green or black candles.

~~~Significant Dates~~~

~~Dark Moon: A potent time to tap into inner knowing.

~~Waning Moon: Associated with banishing and destruction.

~~Night Time / Darkness

~~~Medusa~~Who is she??~~~

A Serpent haired Gorgon whose gaze turned men to stone

Medusa was a Gorgon, a creature described as having a scaly head, protruding eyes and tusks. The introduction of the iconic serpentine hair wasn't introduced until much later. Medusa's parents descended from the primordial Greek earth Goddess Gaia, and Pontus, the personification of the sea. Phorkys, her father was called by ancient poet Homer 'The Old Man of the Sea' while her mother Keto was described as a sea monster. Their union produced monstrous triplets Stheno, Euryale and Medusa. These Gorgon sisters were hideous; to gaze upon them would petrify a person to death. The word Gorgon derives its meaning from the Greek word 'Gorgo', meaning 'grim one'. However, of these sisters Medusa was the only mortal. It could be inferred that Medusa's mortality gave her a human appearance in contrast to her frightening sisters. As we piece together the fragments of Greek mythology, we see discrepancies and variations like this. Ovid, the Roman writer described Medusa as a great beauty stripped of her charms in a vengeful curse from the Goddess Athena. He tells us that Medusa was raped by Poseidon at Athena's temple; in what seems an unreasonable act of retribution, Medusa is punished for the actions of another.

Although Medusa has a divine bloodline, she was not worshipped as a deity within Greek tradition but rather feared as a villain. Her main myth pertains to her death at the hands of Zeus's demigod son Perseus and is preserved in the writings of Homer and Ovid. In the ancient city of Argos, King Akrisios receives a prophecy that his death will be at the hands of the child birthed by his daughter Danae. The King tries to cheat his fate by locking Danae away so that she may never take a lover. No mortal prison can deter a God though, and Zeus soon enters Danae's chamber as a shower of gold. This unusual encounter leaves Danae pregnant. Unable to kill her, but happy to exile her to almost certain doom, King Akrisios locks Danae in a trunk and sends her adrift on the open water. Miraculously, mother and newborn son Perseus wash up alive and well on the shores of Seriphos where they are taken in by King Polydektes. Over the years, the relationship between Perseus and the King sours as Polydektes tries to force Danae to marry him. When the King eventually takes another to be his bride, Perseus promises the King the head of Medusa as a wedding gift. Goddess Athena, perhaps still holding a grudge against Medusa, aids Perseus on his quest. Athena explains that he must only look upon Medusa through a mirror, so that her gaze can't turn him to petrified stone. Perseus acquires an unbreakable sickle, Hades cap of invisibility, winged sandals and a shield polished to a mirror shine then sets off on his quest. Upon arrival, Perseus finds Medusa and her sisters slumbering in a jumble of bones and petrified bodies. Swiftly he decapitates the sleeping Gorgon and places her head in a sack. From her spilt blood, Pegasus the winged horse and Chrysaor are born, presumably fathered by Poseidon. Medusa's blood is said to have potent healing properties; Athena later gifts a vial of this blood to the healer Asclepius. Perseus carries Medusa's head with him, using it to turn his enemies to stone. Eventually he gives it to Athena, who places it upon her shield.

Alternative myths suggest that the once beautiful Medusa was a priestess of the virgin goddess Athena. Medusa was proud of her beauty, her flowing hair her most glorious feature. Poseidon, God of the Sea was enraptured by her, but she rejected all of his advances. Not to be denied, Poseidon took Medusa by force at the temple of Athena, desecrating a sacred place and robbing Medusa of her dignity. In anger, Athena punished Medusa by transforming her magnificent hair into living snakes. It seems unjust that Medusa paid the price for Poseidon's crime. However, some have reinterpreted the myth to infer that this curse was in fact a gift, intended so that Medusa would never be vulnerable again.

Medusa is strongly associated with the spiritual wisdom of serpentine energy, a recurring motif in human history. Dwelling in cracks and fissures beneath the earth, the snake is seen as an Underworld creature. A keeper of hidden knowledge, an emblem of creative and sexual energy. The shedding of its skin is a perfect metaphor for transformation and healing, stepping out of the old to emerge renewed and reborn. In this way, the serpent represents death as much as it symbolizes rebirth; its venomous fangs making it a fearsome predator.

In the myths of earlier cultures such as the Sumarian people of ancient Mesopotamia, the snake God Zu was a benevolent deity linked with fertility. Over time, the snake came to be vilified as evil and treacherous as can be seen with Eve's encounter in the Garden of Eden. This vilification can be viewed in Medusa's myth; punished for Poseidon's transgressions then hunted and beheaded as a trophy.

Coral was said to be the petrified blood of Medusa that had spilled into the sea

Greek myth portrayed the Goddess as the archetype of the 'devouring mother', a dark aspect of the feminine psyche that consumes and destroys. In spite of this, Medusa teaches us to own this shadow. No part of us should be denied, no matter how displeasing it may look at times, for it is necessary to have a fierce side if we are to protect our personal boundaries. If this dark aspect can be harnessed for empowerment and protection then it is valuable and worthy.

Medusa has experienced a revival as a patron of abuse survivors; she can be seen as a protectress of the vulnerable and called upon in defensive or banishment workings. She represents the unfairly demonized and avenges those who were denied justice.

Feminine sexuality, along with any sexuality not considered mainstream, has been repressed in the past, forced to conceal itself in shadow as something unsightly like the serpentine Goddess herself. For all that, Medusa encourages us to own our sexuality, to embrace the Kundalini energy so that we can release the creative, regenerative spirit that lies within us. She calls us to tap into our inner knowing, trusting the innate wisdom of our intuition. Medusa helps to heal our insecurities and embrace every aspect of ourselves. She asks us not to be afraid of disapproval, encouraging us to show our true face to the world.

~~~Devotion to Medusa~~~

Blessed is she with serpentine hair,

Immobilise foes with a deathly stare,

Your dark wisdom is misunderstood,

Embracing the shadow can be for the good,

Spirit of sea, the divine protector,

Beauty transformed to a frightening spectre,

Guardian to all that are shunned and rejected,

Returning the energy that's merely reflected.

Blessed Be!

[aglaean]

a kiss to distract ( could be to hide from someone looking for them, or just to distract one of the two! )

Cabin fever; Febrem Cameram, or as L'Arachel knew it, the desire to be rid of this saint-forsaken place sooner, rather than later.

This most pestilent of diseases, truly, the reserve of only the most unfortunate of layperson had descended upon Garreg Mach with glee and, without anywhere to go, all it had done was spread. Students were running off into the snow, and worst of all, the teaching faculty had become significantly less tolerant of L'Arachel's esteemed interjections in class. Which was really, a shame and an injustice beyond all comprehension. No doubt, her classmates would rail against it to the full extent of their powers, were they not also incapacitated by the desire to be anywhere but inside.

Perched on a chair, L'Arachel writhed, doing a passable imitation of a recently revived revenant; desperate to find some sort of position that could suit her simple needs, really. She merely wanted a quiet space to read! And yet, nothing was working.

She'd tried your basic sit. All it did was remind her of stuck she really was. Stuck inside, stuck in this ridiculous chair, stuck in this monastry without her bosom companions to whittle the hours down with their usual, complete admiration.

Next, she'd tried her hand at a few more oblique, but still, of course, stately poses. Had the dancers of Jehenna seen her, they would've asked her to join their troupe. Not that she would've agreed to - dancing was a distraction from holiness. The honour of such a recognition could not be worn down by religious doctrine, though. She could picture them, smiling and handing her prizes: For me, why I could't possibl- She stifled that thought rapidly as her burgeoning irritation continued to fizz through her veins. This would not do.

There was the crouch (which hurt her back, and her pride), the reverse (she nearly fell over trying to get her legs to rest on the head of the chair), and something she'd dubbed 'The Recline of Rausten' in the hopes it would elevate it beyond just sitting, but sideways. It did not. Latona could not have asked more, or done better.

Before she could strain something, in her next, and most daring attempt yet to read in comfort, the door to the common room swung open and in marched the King of Renais. Ah. Just the person to stave off some of this unsightly boredom! She slammed the book she had been feigning interest in shut, and glanced at him expectently.

There was a moment of silence.

Then another.

The fire continued to cheerfully pop and burst in the grate of the fireplace, as if nothing had happened. Because, to Ephraim, it seemed, nothing had happened.

Why, she was glad his faculties were sharper when Rausten was invaded. Had she been an expert assasin (a role, she unquestioningly believed she very well could fulfill, despite a complete lack of training, and a tendency to announce her positon to friend and foe alike), things could've been quite dire!

Now, that was entirely too macarbe. Spending this long indoors was really beginning to wear her thin.

As glad as she was necessity no longer forced her to turn darling hero of the people, she missed travelling like a romantic hero of yore, dashing in to rescue stranded travellers, and camping under the stars, all whilst, of course, maintaining to near perfection, her garb and gait. Being frozen indoors had not been how she had envisioned her arrival at Garreg Mach.

Ephraim, naturally, seemed to agree. No surprise really. To L'Arachel, the very wind whispered 'yes', and 'do go on', the trees bent in bows of acquiesance, and the rocks rumbled accords gruff, insensible, but emphatic - a chamber of advisors all muttering 'aye'. So of course, Ephraim agreed too. The path in the carpet that was slowly forming around his pacing feet attested to that much. He too was not one for confinement, it seemed.

But really, not noticing someone as arresting as herself, whose every limb had been moulded by divine hands, each finger, every discarded eyelash, a letter of her magnificence, all inscribed by greater power, was not permissable. Even in these trying times, goodness should not go unappreciated, unsung!

That being said, she rose, and tapped his shoulder. Far from shrinking under the returning glare, her lips twitched, almost betraying a grin. That was a familiar face. He'd made that exact expression when she'd almost single-handedly dismantled his tent. It had been entirely his fault, of course. Why on earth was the tent pitched where she had taken to practicing dressage!

The familiarity emboldened her, even as it was clear he still hadn't quite registered her dazzling visage. Entirely off in his own little world!

'Ephraim'. She inclined her head. Normally she'd have been a bit more formal about the whole thing, but lingering resentment at being ignored ripped any titles and simpering epithets from her mouth. He needed to be distracted from this hazy, far-off look right now. It didn't suit him in the slightest!

She took his offered hand. Now, what would shock him out of this uncharacteristic silence? Perhaps she could dust off one of her carefully stowed jokes? Or...?

Muscle memory of courtly greetings, all the bowing and scraping, took the reins as her mind mulled over the possibilites. Before her better judgement, which was often delayed by at least a couple of hours, could catch up, she dipped her head and planted a kiss on the top of his knuckles.

'Well, farewell!' And she was out the door.

Oh. Why. Why in Latona and Ivaldi, and all the five warriors of Magvell AND the sacred stones they wielded, had she done such a thing! All she'd wanted to do was distract! From the cold outside, from the gnawing claustraphobia inside, from, well that strange seeing-through her jest he was pulling! Well, she'd secured a powerful distraction for herself alright. Cabin fever was altogther burnt away by the ensuing blush that stubbornly clung to her face for hours to come.

[vulpixbookpix]

5 out of 5 stars

I received this earc from Netgalley via Library Journal in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, when I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be silly and lame due to the way the characters spoke and interacted, but I was pleasantly surprised as characters developed over the course of the book and the plot ramped up towards the end.

Gwen (as in, Gwendoline, not Guinevere, thank goodness) is a princess whose father took the throne of England and moved everyone to Camelot as an attempt to please the Arthurian cultists who tried to cause an uprising. Arthur is a descendant from Arthur Pendragon and his father just so happened to be one of those cultists, but fell into the good graces of the king enough for Arthur to be Gwen's betrothed when they were children.

Arthur is supposed to come spend the summer with Gwen and her family to prepare for their eventual nuptials. However, they hate each other with a fiery passion. Gwen just wants to be left alone so she can quietly pine after Lady Bridget LeClair, a female knight who gets booed at the tournament, but kicks ass.

And Arthur... well, Gwen happens to catch him kissing a servant boy. As a compromising blackmail, they both agree to put up a charade of slowly falling for each other while queerly lusting for others.

Shenanigans ensue.

The characters annoyed me at the start. I thought Gwen was going to be bratty the whole time and Arthur just be absolutely arrogant. Yet, they had massive amounts of character development and several of the side characters did as well.

Gabriel, Gwen's brother, is the future heir to the throne who wears the title with an exhausting burden. He just wants to read books, not learn how to be a king, but he completes the tasks at hand with effectiveness (and dread.) He has a gentle heart and a brilliant mind.

Sidney is Arthur's manservant and partial bodyguard / lookout. He puts up with Arthur's excursions and attempts at wit, but he is a loyal friend, for sure.

Agnes is Gwen's lady in waiting who eventually becomes a close confidant to the princess.

And, of course, there's Bridget LeClair, the knight who Gwen has a MASSIVE crush on. She is no-nonsense and punch first, ask questions later. She's great.

Overall, I really loved the book at the end. There are some chapters with serious action that mentions how bloody warfare can be and that wasn't something I was expecting when I started the novel. I enjoyed it, though.

The ending was rather abrupt, but it didn't bother me because I feel like it ended well.

[kinglyisms-archived]

𝑪𝑬𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑼𝑹𝑺𝑬𝑫 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵

origin: Abarith Mountain

gender: Male

age: 2000+ (appears 20's-30's)

height: 5′8"

Birthday: October

Sexuality: Pansexual

Eye color: Blue

Hair color: Silver

Family: Chyrvin

Scars: A complex dark seal across the entire length of his back.

Gift: Dark Dragon, shadow manipulation & corpse manipulation (sealed).

ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ

A dragon whose energy is rooted in darkness, Ceto can be a little cold and unwelcoming at first. Despite that, beneath the rough exterior, he cares a lot for people (mainly his brother) and is easily manipulated into helping people if he's fed a sob story though it will be reluctantly. His brother is often the one to convince him to help, giving him tears and pleds that break through his standoffish personality the cold shoulder he portrays. No one is more important to him than Chyrvin.

ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ

   Ceto and Chyrvin were born to a nest that existed on the Mountain where Abarith’s Castle now stands. Their family was rather small, and the two of them became more attached to each other than any of the other hatchlings. Their magic being quite opposite of each other, Ceto’s strength being in rather darker things and Chyrvin’s in healing, they tended to balance each other out. Chyrvin was a very soft and kindhearted person where Ceto had a more standoffish personality. 

   When the war between the humans and the supernatural creatures broke out, the claim for the land that would later become Abarith, the dragons fought not for either side but simply to protect their own territory. Ceto and Chyrvin’s parents gave it everything that they had, attempting to protect the nest, but when it was clear in the face of so many other creatures and magic that they were going to lose–they told Ceto to protect his younger brother and run. 

   Ceto fled, dragging his sobbing younger brother behind him, and didn’t stop until they were somewhere safe, somewhere that he could protect his younger brother with everything that his little body had. 

   For a while they wandered, Ceto hunting, stealing and foraging to keep the two of them alive. Chyrvin learned to cook, making potions, further his healing talent. He became quite skilled, enough he could even run a little business out of their cabin in the woods and try and keep Ceto from getting in trouble for stealing in the town. Rumors of his talents spread to the Kingdom, the King himself, a talented healer lurking in the woods. 

   The soldiers came knocking at their door, a request for help from the Castle. Despite Ceto’s protests Chyrvin shook him off cheerfully and went to the Castle to try and heal the King. Unfortunately, what the King had wasn’t curable and didn’t take too kindly to Chyrvin telling him that. Anger, rage, humiliation. The King locked Chyrvin away in the dungeons in magical shackles and kept him down there for days. No food, water, care. 

   Ceto, who grew concerned the longer Chyrvin didn’t come back, finally went to the Castle to try and find his brother. Met at the door with anger, shoved away, forbidden entry, he knew something was very clearly wrong and when the dark fell he used his manipulation over the shadows to sneak his way inside. Though it took him a while to find Chyrvin, the condition in which he found his brother was enough to make him boil. 

   Crows descended on the Castle, corpses rose from the ground, Ceto gave everything he had into the darker magic and stormed the Castle. He slaughtered guards, destroyed the place, and when he was met by the King even threatened to make his head roll. The fight that broke out was long and tormenting, Chyrvin tried his best to calm his brother’s anger but it simply wasn’t enough. 

   The King, who was stronger than him, with an army at his side, won by playing dirty and having them attack his brother. Pinned, threatened to be murdered, Ceto finally ceased his unrelenting attack. The guards claimed him, held him down, and with his life hanging in the balance–the King showed mercy. 

   With the magic they had they sealed Ceto’s dragon side. His ability to shift, fly, use his magic. They grounded him, a worse punishment than even death in their eyes. Then, banished them from the Castle and dropped them back off into the forest where they had come from. Pain and humiliation still coursing through Ceto’s veins. 

   Chyrvin feels deeply responsible for what happened to his brother and has since in the hundred years that have passed, have tried to find a way to break the curse that still pulses through his brother’s body. 

[elohim61]





Hebrews 11

 

NIV 

< Hebrews 10

Hebrews 12 >

Faith

111 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away."[1] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[2] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."[3] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 23 By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[4]

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[5] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

[sweetfeet87]

Cinderella: What? (Lady Tremaine appears in the doorway) Oh! Oh, dear! (Lady Tremaine closes the door and locks it) No, please! Oh, you can't! You just can't! Let me out! You must let me out! (Jaq and Gus squeeze out the door) You can't keep me in here! (Lady Tremaine puts the key in her dress pocket and descends the staircase)

Cinderella: (Starts sobbing) Oh, please...

Gus: No, no! She can't do it! She can't lock up Cinderelly! I'm going to---- (Jaq stops him)

Cinderella: Oh, please let him catch a fish. (Weeps)

Jaq: We have to get that key, Gus-Gus. We just have to get that key!

(Later, the Grand Duke is sleeping as the coach pulls up to the chateau)

Coachman: Whoa! (The Grand Duke saves the slipper as a fanfare sounds)

Jaq: He's-a here, he's-a here! A Duke-Duke!

Gus: Duh...duh...a who?

Jaq: A Grand Duke with a slipper! Must get that key, run!

Gus: Zuk-zuk, key-key, run-run.

Anastasia: Oh, Mother, Mother. He's here! He's here!

Drizella: The Grand Duke! (the stepsisters stuff themselves) Do I look alright?

Anastasia: I'm so emotional, I just--

Lady Tremaine: Girls...now remember....this is your last chance. Don't fail me. (opens the door)

Messenger: (sounds a fanfare) Announcing His Imperial Grace, the Grand Duke. (steps aside for the Grand Duke)

Lady Tremaine: You honor our humble home, my Lord.

Grand Duke: Ahem. Quite so.

Lady Tremaine: May I present my daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. (the stepsisters curtsy)

Anastasia: Your Grace.

Grand Duke: (Winces at Anastasia's homeliness) Yes. Charmed, I'm sure.

Messenger: His Grace will read a royal proclamation. (Brings the proclamation)

Grand Duke: (clearing throat) All loyal subjects of His Majesty are hereby...notified by royal proclamation in regard to a certain... (yawning) glass slipper. (The messenger uncovers the slipper) It is upon this day decreed--

Drizella: Why, that's my slipper!

Anastasia: Well, I like that! It-it's my slipper!

Gus: No, no, no! Cinderelly's slipper! Sit!

Drizella: How can she---

Lady Tremaine: Girls, girls! Your manners. A thousand pardons, Your Grace. Please continue.

Grand Duke: Yes, quite so. (reading) It is upon this day decreed that a quest be instituted throughout the length and breadth of our domain...the sole and express purpose of the quest to be as follows...that every single maiden in our beloved kingdom, without prearranged exception, shall try upon her foot this aforementioned slipper of glass. (Jaq and Gus sneak over to the pocket) And should one be found upon whose foot said slipper shall properly fit...such maiden shall be acclaimed the object of this search and immediately forthwith shall be locked upon as the one and only true love of His Royal Highness, our beloved son and heir, the Noble Prince. (Gus lowers Jaq into the pocket) The Noble Prince will humbly and upon bended knee beg, request, or if need be, implore the maiden, that they grant her hand in marriage. (Jaq tries to push the key out, but Gus stops him as Lady Tremaine checks on the key) Well...whereupon, should the aforementioned-made look with favor upon his suit, but shall the happy couple pledge their troth...on...and in just dues, upon the inevitable demise...of His Most Gracious and August Majesty, the King, succeed to the throne, there to rule all over the land...as Kingsland Queen of our beloved kingdom. (Lady Tremaine pats her pocket, inadvertently hitting Jaq with the key) Oh...so be it. (The Grand Duke sits down on a chair)

Lady Tremaine: You must be quite fatigued, Your Grace. May we offer you some tea? (Gus, hiding in the teacup, sucks his stomach in to prevent tea from pouring on him)

Grand Duke: What? Tea? Thank you, madam, no. We must proceed with the......the fitting.

Lady Tremaine: Of course, Anastasia, darling. (The messenger tries the slipper on Anastasia's foot, and it seems to fit)

Anastasia: There! I knew it was my slipper. Exactly my size. I always wear the same size. As soon as I saw it, I said-- (it's revealed the slipper fits over her big toe) Oh! Well...it...it may be a trifle snug today. You know how it is.....dancing all night. I can't understand why. (the messenger pounds the shoe) It's always fit perfectly before. (Jaq pushes the key out while Gus ties his tail around the teapot's spout) I don't think you're half trying! Mother, can you--

Lady Tremaine: Csendes. Be silent, my darling. We mustn't disturb His Grace. Young man, are you sure you're trying it on the right foot?

Gus: (a drop of hot tea falls on Gus' butt) YOW!!

Anastasia: Oh, it's the right foot, but it must have shrunk or something. A glass shoe isn't always reliable.

Jaq: C'mon, Gus. Hurry! Up the stairs! Up the stairs! (the two attempt to get the key up the stairs until they hear discordant notes as Anastasia kicks the messenger against the piano)

Anastasia: Why can't you hold silent a moment?

Grand Duke: (awakens) Oh, my word! Enough of this! (the clamor stops) The next young lady, please.

Jaq: (the two mice have reached the top of the stairs) Hear that, Gus? Hear this?

Gus: Yup.

Jaq: Run! Run! Must hurry! (They make it to the tower staircase) C'mon, c'mon! Hurry! (Gus looks up at the staircase, and faints from exhaustion) Gus-Gus, Gus-Gus. Aw, c'mon. Look, look. Just up there! C'mon!

(At Cinderella's room, Cinderella keeps weeping since Lady Tremaine locked her up. All of a sudden, she hears noises from Gus. Cinderella looks through the keyhole and sees Jaq and Gus, who get the key)

Jaq: Us a-coming, Cinderelly. Us a-coming! Us a-get you out.

Cinderella: You've had the key. How did you ever manage--

(Lucifer traps Gus under a bowl)

Cinderella: (Gasping) Lucifer! Let him go, Lucifer! (Lucifer snickers) Please, let him go! Let him go.

Jaq: Let him go! Let him out! Let him out! Here! Here, R-ucifee! (Bites Lucifer's tail. The other mice fight back, but Lucifer fights off their forks and blows out their battering candle. The birds drop dishes on Lucifer while Gus remains trapped)

Cinderella: (gets an idea) Bruno...yes! Bruno! Run, get Bruno! Get Bruno! (two bluebirds fly out the window to fetch Bruno)

(Meanwhile...)

Drizella: (the messenger is yet trying to get the slipper to fit on Drizella) Oh, of all the foolish little idiots! (hits the messenger with her shoe) I'll do it myself! Get away from me! I'll make it fit! (deforms her foot where it fits) There!

Lady Tremaine: It fits!

Grand Duke: It fits? (the slipper flies away and the Grand Duke manages to catch it with his finger) Whew!

Lady Tremaine: Oh, Your Grace, I'm dreadfully sorry. It shan't happen again.

Grand Duke: Precisely, madam.

(Meanwhile, Bruno follows the birds to the stairs and once he's at the top, he growls at Lucifer, who's frightened out of his wits and jumps out the window)

Jaq: (he and the other mice lift up the bowl to see Gus is grasping the key) C'mon, c'mon!

Mice: Get up, Gus-Gus! Get up, get up!

Gus: No, no, no, no, no!

Jaq: C'mon! Let go of me! (uses her key to unlock Cinderella's door)

(In the foyer....)

Grand Duke: You are the only ladies of the household, I hope-- (catches himself) I presume.

Lady Tremaine: There's no one else, Your Grace.

Grand Duke: Quite so. Good day. Good day!

Cinderella: Your Grace? Your Grace! Please! Wait! May I try it on? (descends the stairs)

Lady Tremaine: Oh, pay no attention to her.

Anastasia: It's only Cinderella.

Drizella: Our scullery maid.

Anastasia: From the kitchen.

Drizella: It's ridiculous. Impossible.

Anastasia: She's out of her mind.

Lady Tremaine: Yes, yes. Just an imaginative child.

Grand Duke: Madam, my orders were every maiden! Come, my child. (he pulls up the chair for Cinderella)

(The Messenger comes with the slipper, but Lady Tremaine uses her cane to trip him, causing him to drop the slipper and shatter between Cinderella and the Grand Duke)

Grand Duke: Oh, dear! Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, dear! This is horrible. (suddenly becomes fearful) The King! What will he say? What have we done?

Cinderella: But maybe, if it would help----

Grand Duke: No, no. Nothing can help now, nothing.

Cinderella: But you see, I have the other slipper.

(Cinderella pulls the slipper out from her apron, horrifying her stepmother and stepsisters, but filling the Duke once again with joy and hope. The mice cheer. The Grand Duke slides the slipper onto Cinderella's foot, and it fits perfectly)

(Later that day, Cinderella and the Prince are married. Cinderella loses her slipper on the stairs again, but this time, the King puts it back on and waves a farewell to the newlyweds as their coach arrives for the honeymoon while the mice look on with pure joy, as well as her pride for giving Cinderella her happily ever after)

Chorus: (Sings) Have faith in dreams and someday, your rainbow will come shining through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come truuuuue!

(The book's closed. The end)