#v. we'll always be royals

[changbunnies]

After The Rain With You (18+)

♡ Pairing: Farm Boy!Changbin x Princess!Reader

♡ Genre: royal au, historical au, fluff, initially intended to be light angst but i got carried away with emotion like i did with the minho fic lol, forbidden love (i cannot help myself with this trope it seems), ending is sad / bittersweet (i'm sorry !!) but also leaves hope that they'll live happily ever after ;v;

♡ Word Count: 13.9k (this was intended to be under 10k but here we are lmao oops)

♡ Summary: Y/N, a princess bored and lonely, craved nothing more than to experience the world outside of the familiar 4 walls of her bedroom in the castle. Conjuring her bravery, she snuck out of the castle walls, eventually meeting a man that would change her life forever. Changbin, a local farmer who didn't realize she's the princess, formed a close relationship with her that ineveitably turned into a budding romance. But now, met with her last moments of freedom, she prepares herself to have one final sweet moment with him before they are torn apart.

♡ Warnings: references to a parent being deceased, discussions of feeling trapped and alone, strict toxic parenting

♡ Smut Warnings (contains spoilers): reader is not a virgin during the smut scene in this but changbin is the only person they've ever had sex with, bin vaguely has a southern accent / speech style because thats how i pictures farmers talking lol, petnames (sweetheart, darlin', gendered language such as good girl), lots of kissing, biting / marking, loose dom/sub dynamics, nipple play, oral (f rec), unprotected piv, multiple orgasms, creampie, pretty self indulgent ngl lol

♡ Notes: i got the title from a short pokemon novel, iykyk. this was intended to be finished before the new year, but instead it's my first fic of 2024 and i hope you enjoy!

♡ Disclaimer: please read responsibly, and remember that this work is fiction and meant strictly for imaginative fun. the idols used in fics are more accurately faceclaims and personality outlines for imaginary characters, and should not be interpreted as factual representations of existing people.

Freedom; something simple in definition, but not in practice, those in high positions of power always holding it out of the reach of those below them who yearn for it. It's intangible in concept, something you will never be able to see with your own eyes or grab with your own hands, but it was something you always yearned for, more than anything– and in the short time you had it, it was pure bliss.

You never considered yourself a rebellious girl, always dutifully listening to your elders, commiting manners and elegance to memory, never questioning the role you'd one day be made to accept. But in the past year, you'd found yourself having a bit of a rebellious streak– in secrecy, of course, because you knew very well that there'd be consequences to pay should your mother find out.

It's not that you ever hated being the princess, or that you dreaded the responsibility you held to your kingdom– you just wish you'd been given more freedoms. Freedom to speak your mind, freedom to feel the grass beneath your feet and the sun's rays on your skin whenever you wished, freedom to explore, to make mistakes, to learn and grow and love the way everyone else in the world but you seemed allowed to do. 

For years, there'd been a blindspot in the castle's defenses, a small patch of broken wall that guards were never ordered to defend or monitor closely, as the country had not seen war or received threat from neighboring countries in your entire lifetime.

"We'll repair it someday," your father always said before his passing, though it never came to fruition. It was not because he passed that the wall never received construction, but simply because your parents always preferred to delegate funds to something more pressing than a relatively small breach in the outer walls of the castle.

Sure, the hole was unsightly when noticed, but it was outside line of sight for the townsfolk, and much too small to accommodate an army through– one person at a time, maybe two if you squeezed, could fit through at most. Apart from that, the fact that your father never used taxes to pay towards selfish things such as unnecessary castle repair gained your family high favor, with most commoners considering your father to be the kindest king the country had in centuries.

During the time your father was still alive, you often walked the streets as a family, talking to the commoners regularly and enjoying your time out on the town together, and you remember how it always felt like you were as normal a family as any other, too young to realize there was any difference between you and them.

You can still remember how your mother smiled then, when she held your hand while your father held the other, the townsfolk always doting on you, and how cheerfully your every day had been spent. Your mother was quite different now; she never smiled anymore, and when she did it felt so.. forced, sad.

Like your father took a piece of her joy with him when he went, and she was unable to reclaim it. And it was at that time, when she took on all of the king's responsibilities by herself, that she'd begun to treat you differently. Stricter on your studies, never allowing you to step foot outside the castle, shutting down any talk of letting you out on the town or interacting with anyone outside the castle's walls.

And now the whole kingdom, who considered you to be the country's most beloved princess, could scarcely remember what you looked like; and even those who could remember would likely no longer recognize you. You were a child when you were last allowed outside, and now you were a grown woman, still confined by her mother's strict rules.

Despite the reclusive life you were forced into, many of the commoners still thought of you fondly– at least according to word of mouth from the castle's maids and knights.

You were the daughter to a king and queen that were practically revered as saints, and many imagined that the reason you were always holed up within the castle was because you were studying dutifully, imagining that when you came to power someday, you'd be just as benevolent, kind, and intelligent of a ruler as your father was.

You certainly intended to live up to those expectations, because as stated, you don't hate being the princess by any means. You recognize that you have privilege, responsibility, and that people put their pride and faith in you even now, before you've ever even come close to touching the throne. But all that being said, it didn't stop your heart from wanting just a little bit more out of your life.

Simply put, you found it incredibly dull sitting inside the castle all day, the same lessons being reiterated day in and day out, as if you didn't already have them memorized by the age of 10. Eventually, your mother realized you had no further need for a tutor, and requested that the woman in charge of your education stop coming, but that didn't mean your afternoons suddenly became enjoyable; quite the opposite in fact. 

The joy you initially held over no longer having to spend your afternoon listening to the same drivel you'd heard countless times from a pedantic old woman evaporated with the realization that even without a tutor to occupy for time, you'd still be stuck in the castle all day long. Your mother never permitted you to leave, even if you promised you'd stay close to the knights that would accompany you, pleaded with her to let you do something other than sitting inside all day. 

But still, her stance on the matter never changed. You'd begun to resent her sentiments, to hate that you were stuck with nowhere to go and nothing to do. The country wasn't under any threat, your fathers death was an unfortunate accident, and as far as you knew you were well loved, so what did she need to be so protective for? Especially now, when you weren't even a child anymore; you just couldn't understand.

You’d spend your days staring out your window listlessly, wondering what the grass on the horizon would feel like beneath bare feet. It’s a shame that you don’t know; you were always scolded for taking your shoes off if you weren’t within your own room, and besides that, the ground is littered with dirt and cobblestone all the way up to the gates of the town, which you had never gone past.

Shouldn’t your youth be full of experiencing things like this? Why couldn’t you explore now and then settle down in the castle later in life? It didn’t feel fair that you were so clueless about the basic truths of the world, and instead had your brain filled to the brim with knowledge of etiquette and politics.

It was with those thoughts in mind that you planned to find the answers to all your questions and sate your endless curiosities by sneaking through the hole in the castle walls that had gone unattended to.

After the first time you successfully snuck out to experience all you’d been missing (which took months of diligent watch and preparation to ensure you wouldn’t be spotted from a distance by patrolling knights), you’d slowly made your way further and further away from the castle, testing the limits of how far you could make it each day, gauging how long it would take for someone to notice your absence.

To your delight, because you spent most of your days alone in your room, no one seemed to notice you’d ever been gone as long as you made it back before dinner was to be served. And so, you'd stay out until sunset, exploring the town you'd grown to only ever see from your window, making sure to wear the least expensive looking gown in your wardrobe, doing your best to blend in with the commoners.

Thankfully, the task was easier than you'd expected given that none of the townsfolk had seen you up close since you were a small girl. You were perhaps strange in behavior as compared to them, given how much you questioned what was around you, but certainly not one person suspected you were the princess– just a sheltered, perhaps eccentric, young woman.  

As you became more comfortable, and got closer to the town gates with each passing day, your excitement would grow exponentially; the world beyond the gates was so foreign to you, even more so than the town itself had been. From your bedroom window, the fields that lied beyond the town gates appeared so miniscule, and you only knew what lied beyond because you’d been told about it, not because you’d seen it for yourself.

It was this determination to discover what lied beyond your limited world view that lead you to meet the man who'd come to hold your heart for the first time. You remember how your heart raced when you first approached the town gates, how your eyes darted to every corner to try to take in every minute detail.

The cobblestone became sparse, leaving nothing but dirt road to walk on, the wheels of countless carriages and horses hooves indented in the path, leading both to and away from town. You’d been told numerous times that beyond this point lies the farms that fueled the town with their food, and resources such as leather and wool to create clothing, blankets, and the upholstery on your furniture.

And for the first time in your entire life, you were about to see it all up close with your own eyes, instead of vaguely from your bedroom window.

You knew their work was vital to the prosperous existence of your country, and you’d always found yourself wanting to know what it was like, to learn about how the world works not from a dull lecture or written text, but to experience it yourself, to truly understand the lives of the people you would one day govern beyond what you’d been told.

To say you had a curious mind was perhaps an understatement; you were always full of curiosity about the world around you, but simply being told about the world wasn’t enough for you to be satisfied. 

To experience with your own eyes, to feel with your own hands– that was what being alive was truly about, wasn’t it? You didn’t feel your life was meant to be spent wasting away in your room until the day you became useful.

If you spent your youth seeing the world, learning about it from your own lived experiences, wouldn’t that make you a better queen some day? To know the plight of the common man because you lived it for yourself? 

That’s what you wanted– the freedom to explore, to learn, to grow, and when the time was right, you’d accept your duty gracefully, and play the role you were meant to. But until then, there was nothing more you wanted than to feel the earth beneath your feet, to understand what a blessing it truly is to feel the warmth of the sun beaming down on your skin, to learn what it is that makes life beautiful to live. 

With a deep inhale to steady your racing heart, you took your first step outside the town gates, trying your best to not appear too nervous and draw undue attention to yourself. You conjured all the confidence you could muster into your steps, your short heels sinking into the pure dirt before you.

It was a clear spring day, the sun welcoming you warmly, as if confirming that this was a decision you were meant to make, that following your heart and exploring the lush earth is what your true purpose was. 

You recall how different everything felt once you were fully outside the town– it was almost unbelievable how green, pretty and vibrant the outside looked when compared to the dull, monotonous grays and dirty browns you'd met with inside the town walls. And even the castle interior, while still pretty and not devoid of color like the town often seemed to be, still didn't compare to the nature that lied before you.

You saw children running through the grass without shoes, freely giggling as they play what you assume to be some sort of game, one you'd never had the chance to play. They were utterly carefree, and so full of life; how you wished you could be the same– just kick off your shoes and prance through the fields and the trees without a care in the world, with nothing to weigh you down. What a joy it must be, to live innocent and free, knowing nothing but laughter and love. 

You took time to admire naturally growing flowers, to lean down to carefully caress the petals, to feel the grass on your fingertips since you’re much too scared to actually take your shoes off despite how bad you’d have liked to. Following the road, past the sprawling fields where the children play, you eventually came to the occupied farm lands, and it was there, just before the fields turned into seemingly endless forest, that you met him for the first time.

His was the last farm for you to observe, and it held a surprise that made you positively gasp in delight; animals! You'd always thought the farm animals you’d seen in your books looked so cute, and you always wanted to feel their fur or feathers, wondering if they were truly as soft or as coarse as they were described to you.

Was a sheep’s wool still soft before it was knit into a blanket, or woven into clothing? How did a chicken's feathers feel before they were stuffed into a pillow? It was something you were endlessly curious about. 

However, you certainly knew better than to just waltz up to an animal that doesn't know you, and especially not one that is on someone else's land. So you settled for quietly observing them from outside the farm's sprawling gate, a huge smile on your face as you watched the animals graze.

Even at your distance, it was still the closest you'd ever been to an animal other than a horse, and you simply couldn't get over how cute and soft they looked. Sheep, cows, chickens, ducks– all impossibly cute, and how you wished you could go and hug them.

You propped your arms up on the wooden fence, resting your head against them as you simply watched. It was almost funny how something so simple and normal to someone else's everyday life could instill such joy and wonder with you. And that's when you saw him; a single man walking out from his quaint cottage towards the back of the land, attending to the animals and filling up what you assumed to be their feed troughs.

His home, you noticed, was put together the same way most of the town was– with stone and clay, a simple but well constructed wooden door, and a decent sized chimney on the left that you were well aware was necessary to funnel out smoke from fireplaces in homes such as his. And it fascinated you how his home could look so different from yours when it was comprised of the same materials.

When put down simply to its parts, there was nothing that separated the castle from a commoner’s home other than the sheer size of it. Your mother would often tell you not to compare yourself, or the splendor of the castle to that of commoners or their homes, but you never saw any harm in doing so. 

You’re all human, and the only difference between you and them is that you were born into a royal family and they weren’t. You think she focuses too much on title, when to you title is worth nothing beyond a name. Still, while you recognize that while you aren’t different from anyone else in a biological sense, you are when it comes to status, and you wanted to use your privileged position for good when the time came.

That is another reason you wanted to see the country for yourself, to put yourself in the shoes of the people and understand them. How can you be a good queen someday if you understand nothing of how the world truly works, or if every decision is fed to you from someone else? 

Really though you have to admit, apart from all the good reasons you had to sneak out, you equally had selfish ones. But was it so wrong to indulge your curiosity? You’ve tried many times to push aside your thoughts and to understand why you must stay solitary in the castle all day, but try as you might, this is all you want.

To see, to experience, to feel; why was it only wrong for you to want that, and not for anyone else? Even if you’re the princess, you should still be allowed basic human freedoms– that’s what you believe, anyways.

You lost yourself in thought for a time, simply staring out at the scene of the man caring for his animals in front of you. You wondered if he was happy doing this everyday; was it monotonous, or did he take pride in it? Did he love his animals, or were they strictly the avenue he'd taken to provide for himself?

You also wondered what you would be doing if you weren't the princess; would you be a farmer's daughter, spending all your days in the fields with the animals like he does? It was oddly fun to ponder on, to picture yourself leading a different life than one you'd led up to that point.

Maybe it was a form of escapism, and maybe you had more grievances with your upbringing than you'd let yourself believe at the time. Either way, a smile once again made its way to your lips as you pictured yourself feeling the fluffy wool of a sheep beneath your fingertips, as warm, soft, and comforting as a blanket in your imagination.

The man took notice of you after only a few moments, because realistically, how can he not notice a girl blatantly propped against his fence, staring at his land? He was sure he didn't know you, didn't recognize you from any of the farming families that have homes adjacent to his, and he didn't go into town nearly enough to have made friends outside his small bubble.

So who were you, and why were you staring at him like that? "Do you need somethin', miss?" The burly man called out to you as he started to approach, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm.

"O-Oh, uh, no, I apologize," you stuttered out, feeling instantly intimidated as he came closer; not because he was an intimidating person per se, because while his eyes are sharp, they also have a unique softness to them.

It was his size that made you shrink back and feel small; you didn’t realize just how large the man was until he was practically face to face with you. Even the knights you’re met with daily, who undergo strict, intensive physical training, pale in comparison to the muscular physique of the man you in time came to know well.

You remember how he looked at you curiously, head tilting to the side as he watched you straighten your posture and take a step back from his fence. “I was just.. curious, about the animals. They’re very cute,” you explained and the man chuckled a bit, wiping his dirty hands on his worn trousers before stepping up to his fence.

“I take it you’re from the town then? Can’t imagine you bein’ that curious about my animals otherwise,” he replied pleasantly, a warm, sort of prideful smile on his face. It confirmed his suspicions as well– you were definitely not someone he’s met before.  

"Yes, I've only ever seen them in books," you explained further, a bit timid now as you suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over you. You were sure a commoner of your age would never be as fascinated by the animals as you were; they see them every day, it's a normal part of life for them.

And you recall scolding yourself, really feeling that you needed to do a better job of hiding your lack of worldly experience when meeting new people so you'd stop having interactions like this. “I apologize again, I must appear very strange..”

“No need for that, sweetheart. I think it’s nice– I’m so used to bein’ around ‘em, that I don’t really stop and take it all in anymore. Reminds me of what I got, so thank you for that,” he replied kindly, his smile spreading an unfamiliar warmth through you in that moment.

He was very, very kind, and you appreciated that he didn't judge you or find you to be a fool for your innocent curiosity. "I could show you around, if you'd like. Let you meet them," he offered, and you positively beamed, though you really should have shown some restraint in the matter.

"Could I really?" you couldn't help but ask eagerly, eyes sparkling with pure wonder and excitement at the prospect of seeing so many things you'd never encountered before up close. “Course, just come ‘round to the front” 

With no hesitation, you eagerly turned and began to sprint (in quite unladylike fashion, you might add) to where you saw the gate to his property some time earlier. You could hear the man's laugh carry even as you ran (not advised in the shoes you were wearing, but you carried on nonetheless), stopping just in front of the small, modest gate.

You waited for the kind man to catch up to you, not wanting to do anything rude or presumptuous by stepping onto his land without being specifically directed inside. "You took off so fast, you didn't give me a chance to introduce myself," he laughed as he approached you again, and your face immediately flushed, embarrassed by your excitability over everything.

"Name's Changbin," he introduced himself warmly after he opened the gate for you. You smiled timidly, giving him your name as well and a polite bow after you crossed the border onto his property. “Pleasure to meet you, Changbin.”

"Likewise," he smiled as he closed the gate behind you, and it was then that your first true friendship began. In hindsight, it occurred to you that you should've given him a fake name; and while he did ponder on why your name seemed familiar to him, he didn't ever appear to put together that you were the princess.

What was clear to him was that you were from a wealthy family; after all, that was the only explanation he could reach to decipher some of your "odd" behaviors.

Your boundless curiosity, your utter excitement for the mundane, an unmatched passion for all the small things in life that he'd never seen before in anyone else. A light in your eyes as bright as the sun, filling him with warmth and adoration, your wonder and inquisitive nature both pure and infectious. 

He asked you once, what it is your family does, if being from the "high society" part of town near the castle is what made you live a sheltered life, why you seemed so (respectfully) clueless about things beyond the scope of inner-town workings and politics.

You were surprised when he asked, and confirmed what he suspected, though you left out some of the very important details. After all, how could you tell him that the girl he's become friends with over the past few months, didn't just live near the castle– her home is the castle.

But you divulged what little you could, confided in him that your mother has high expectations of you, that she doesn't know you spend your days with him at his farm, that if she did know she certainly wouldn't approve, and he seemed to understand.

While he may not be a high born man, he's no stranger to how haughty they can be, what with their superiority complexes and luxury goods, as if it's not working men like him that provide them with what they consume in the first place.

You weren't like that in the slightest– you were good, pure natured, with an infectious zest for life that he couldn't help but find his own joy in. Seeing you interact with the world, the happiness you gained from the simplicities in life, the wonder and curiosity you held for all things, both small and grand– it was a trait of yours he'd come to adore.

You learned from him just as much as he learned from you, and you truly reminded him how beautiful life is, how there is magic even in the mundane, what a gift it is to have, to be, and to feel. Changbin introduced you to so much, shared so many parts of his life, and you were truly the happiest you'd ever been, always looking forward to the next day you could go out and see him again.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?" he asked one summer afternoon when you were in stables together, you sat on a hay bale while you watched him care for Dolly, a beautiful, black and white dappled horse that belonged to his mother, whom she named such due to 'her mane being as beautiful as a porcelain dolls.'

"Does being escorted in a carriage count?" you asked, and he laughed, shaking his head in amused disbelief. "No, darlin', a carriage don't count," he said, smiling as you pouted ever so slightly.

You were still a child the last time you were even in a carriage, given the fact that your mother never permits you to leave. You wondered what's more enjoyable; your memory of your last carriage ride is so faded, you wondered if you could even compare the experiences, were you to ever ride a horse.

As if sensing your thoughts, Changbin made an offer that once again made you beam, radiating joy and excitement. "I could teach you how. Or let you ride with me," he offered and you were eagerly nodding without a second thought, jumping straight to your feet.

"I'd love that!" Changbin returned your smile, promising that once he got Dolly situated in a saddle, he'd take you for a ride while telling you everything he knows and answering any question you may have about it, no matter how small or seemingly silly and "common sense."

He helped you up onto her back, making sure you sat comfortably on the back of the saddle, both your legs dangling over one side of her body due to the fact that you were wearing a dress. Changbin got up onto the saddle with ease, carefully not to accidentally hit you with his leg while making his ascent. After he was settled in front of you, he instructed you to wrap your arms around his torso, as it takes time to become adjusted to the movement of the horse and naturally find your balance.

You wondered if he could feel your heart race when your chest was pressed against his back, how your palms grew sweaty from holding onto him, how your face flushed every time he called Dolly a "good girl." You wondered what it'd be like if he said the same to you, if he praised you after he encouraged you or taught you something new.

The more comfortable you got, the more he allowed Dolly to pick up speed, until she was going around the enclosed pen in a brisk trot, your arms squeezing Changbin as you giggle joyfully, feeling the wind brush by your ears and pull back your hair. It was so fun, so new, another experience Changbin granted you that you wouldn't otherwise have ever had the chance to have.

When you were finished, as the sun was beginning to set and it was time for you to get home, lest your mother send a maid to summon you for dinner and find you absent, he jumped off Dolly first. He then held out his hand to you, offering for you to take it, promising he'd make sure you got down safely.

And he did, letting you squeeze his hand as you made the unfamiliar leap off, his opposite hand coming to your back to ensure you were stable on your feet after you landed. His hand lingered on your back even after it was apparent you were steady, and yours did as well, still holding onto his other hand even though you no longer had need to.

It felt as though there was a shift between you– both staring carefully at one another, a suggestion that you could be something more than this, that there was a connection beyond that of just friendship. Slowly, with the same smile for you he always had, he pulled his hand away from your back, but didn't make you part from his other hand, letting you hold it even as he walked you to his gate.

And you felt a stutter in your heart, unlike any you'd ever felt before then, returning his smiles happily, your cheeks dusted pink as you thanked him for the afternoon and bid him goodbye. Every once in a while you'd turn back just to see him still watching you, offering a soft smile and wave each time your gazes met again.

Then, there was the time you were inside his chicken coops with him, Changbin having taught you much about how to properly care for the animals in your time near him. And after weeks of observation, you wanted to help, to really try your hand at it! You did well, for the most part– your error came when trying to get a hen away from a freshly laid egg.

You tried your best to follow Changbin's instructions carefully, but still, your inexperience was greatly apparent, and you ended up upsetting the poor thing. When she flew up in protest, it startled you so much that you fell backwards. But Changbin caught you, one of his strong arms wrapped around your back and holding you upright as if you weighed nothing at all.

You blinked up at him in surprise, face growing red as he asked if you were alright, your heart unexpectedly pounding. You muttered out an apology, voice much meeker than you wanted it to be, but he simply smiled. He helped you steady yourself again to stand on your own, ensuring you that it wasn't your fault, and that he could tell you were genuinely trying your best.

"No one gets it right on their first try, don't be discouraged. You did good, sweetheart," he said, and the words somehow made your heart race faster, face growing even pinker. You were certain then– you liked him as much, much more than a friend.

You wanted him to always praise you, to console you, to call you sweetheart in a way beyond platonic. You wanted him to look at you romantically, to call you by such sweet names in a moment of love and passion.

When you returned home that day, lying in bed after finishing dinner and washing up, your thoughts were plagued by him– much more than they usually were, and in completely different contexts. How would his strong arms feel under your fingers while he held you up, supporting all of your weight as he took you in every way conceivable, across every surface of his home.

You'd had.. less than pure thoughts before of course, so it's not like this was new to you– what was new was having an explicit object of desire, someone you wanted to lie with, someone you imagined touching you everywhere. And you wanted to touch him too, to pleasure him in all the ways he'd surely pleasure you.

There were many times you watched him work, sweat collecting on his forehead, dripping down his brow, his breath growing heavier with labor, his broad chest rising and falling quickly with exertion– would he look the same atop you, under you?

You could imagine him, his body heavy between your legs, pressing you down against his mattress. And you could imagine him staring up at you, those same grunts of effort he makes while working pouring out for new reasons, for your hands all over him.

God, you were driving yourself crazy thinking about it. Changbin noticed, on another summer day where the sun was high and hot and leaving him sweatier than usual, that your face too was hot and red. What he didn't realize was that it was for reasons beyond that of the sun beaming down on you.

"C'mon sweetheart, let's go inside. It's hot out here, ain't it?" he'd said, deciding it was time, for both your sakes, to take a well deserved break. You agreed, thankful beyond words he thought it was simply the sun making you a heated mess, and not how absolutely divine he looked chopping wood in preperation for when the weather would change in a month.

You sat on his sofa together, sipping on lemonade he made himself by hand, thankful to be out of the unforgiving sun (and to have something to focus on besides how attracted you were to him.) "You seem to be thinkin' a lot. What's on your mind, darlin'?" Changbin asked after it was quiet for a time, your cup of lemonade held in your lap as you stared off at unfixed location.

"I've.. come to like you quite a lot more than I expected. As more than a friend, I think," you answered honestly, though you didn't expect him to do anything with your feelings.

While he was your first real connection with someone, you were sure he's lived a full, experienced life. You felt that there was no reason for him to like you as you like him, but still you told him. You already hid enough about your life from him, and you didn't want your thoughts and feelings to be another one of those things you keep from him.

"I'm fond of you too. More than a friend, and more than you probably know," he replied with a soft smile, setting his empty cup to the side. You blinked, cheeks turning pink as you practically gaped at him. "Do you mean that? Sincerely?" you asked, heart thumping loudly as you too carefully set your cup aside.

"I wouldn't lie to you darlin'. 'Specially not about matters of the heart," he responded earnestly, carefully moving closer to you. You met him halfway, slowly, your eyes timidly meeting his as his hand comes towards you, resting heavy but soft on your cheek.

"Tell me truly," he almost whispers, face coming close enough to yours to feel his breath tickle your skin, "Do you want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss you?"

"Yes," you breathed out, and not even a full second later, his lips were on yours, plush and soft, butterflies filling your stomach and truly, you couldn't ask for any greater joy than that moment.

You kissed a lot after that– in greeting and in parting, sweetly, slowly, carefully, sometimes even urgently, needily, passionately. You'd help him with as much of his daily work as you could manage, so he could finish faster and you could spend the rest of the afternoon holding one another close.

Hands exploring anywhere and everywhere, both eager, both seeking more and more and more. Both indulging in the feeling of not just pleasure, but of closeness, intimacy beyond just the physical, the love and care you share for one another.

But as quickly as your happiness was obtained, it was taken away; unbeknownst to you, on an afternoon in mid fall, shortly after breakfast, a knight had seen you squeezing through the hole in the castle's wall, eager to spend yet another day with Changbin. He didn't think you were sneaking out at first– he thought maybe he was just mistaken on what he saw.

But when he stepped over, and it became clear that you were now nowhere to be seen, he had to inform your mother, as was his duty. And there are truly no words to describe how devastated you felt when suddenly, as if from nowhere, countless knights were surrounding you, pleading with you to return to the castle, lest they have to drag you back by your mother's command.

It became a spectacle in the street, commoners whispering amongst themselves as they tried to piece together what they were witnessing. Was the sweet, smiley girl they’d seen exiting and returning to town everyday for months really the princess this entire time?

You felt as if your entire world was collapsing as they escorted you back home, your heart squeezing painfully in your chest, knowing your mother would be positively furious when your eyes next met. But no, she wasn’t just furious– she was livid, the angriest you’d ever seen her in all your years.

You pleaded with her to understand, assured her that if you were truly going to run away from home and abandon your responsibility, then you wouldn’t have returned every single time you’d left. You didn’t want to be stuck here all day, every day, bored, alone, depressed, when there was an entire world out there to see, people to talk to, experiences to be had.

You’d do everything expected of you as a princess, and later as queen, but please– just this one thing, allow me this one thing. But no, your pleas fell on deaf ears, your mother completely dismissive of your feelings and unwilling to bend her iron rules.

And so you once again became a prisoner inside your own room, tears streaming down your cheeks as you stared at the edge of town from your window, Changbin so near, yet impossibly far. Your mother didn’t know of him; you didn’t tell her, nor would you ever, as things stand now– but how you wished you could tell her, “I’ve found love, and now I understand how truly a magical thing it is. I don’t want this to be the end of my joy.” 

Weeks passed, and while the pain never left you, you learned to manage it well enough, hopeful that you’d be reunited with Changbin someday soon. But then you saw them– carpenters, working diligently to fill the hole in the castle walls that you had repeatedly used for your daily escapes.

The color drained from your face, your heart sinking into the very depths of your stomach. Your plan to simply be an obedient daughter long enough for your mother to lessen her watchful eyes on you, to one day again leave the castle once her constant vigil had relaxed, was being thwarted before it could ever truly begin. 

You anticipated to be in this act for the long haul, knowing very well it could take months, or even years, to rebuild your mother’s trust in you, but you’d never imagined she’d take away the very source of your hope mere weeks after confining you away to your room. To call a hole in the castle’s defenses your “hope” may seem foolish to most, but it was all you had– a symbol of escape, of life beyond these four walls that had become your permanent home. 

The day it was filled would be the day you’d lose everything; your freedom, your friendships, your joy, your hopes, your dreams, everything. Even as you are now, a canary trapped in her gilded cage, the promise that simple flaw in the walls gave you kept you going– the promise that someday, even if it was years and years from now, you’d be free again, doing what you loved most, being with who you loved most. 

You know your mother cares for you, she wants the best for you, and the loss of your father, the king, much too soon has deeply scarred her. She fears for you, she keeps you ever at arm’s length because she can’t bear for you to part from her, to leave her behind the way your father had, but surely this isn't the answer. Surely there was something better than this, something that didn’t necessitate you being a prisoner in your own home. 

Fear of loss and devastation ruled her life, made her trap you lest you decide to leave and never return, failing to realize that it was her very actions and treatment of you that gave those fears of hers room to become reality. But to know heartbreak is to know truest love, and even should loss plague your life, you will never regret having discovered love.

You had no desire to abandon your family, your kingdom, or run from your responsibilities, but if that was the only way to be free, if there was no other conceivable way to experience life’s joys and warmth, then.. What else was there for you to do?

Ironic, how your mother had unwittingly created a self-fulfilling prophecy when she forbade you from living a life of your own, her own actions resulting in the very outcome she feared most of all.

You have to do something, anything, now, before it’s too late, and you are left with nothing but the fleeting memories of the man you hold so dear. You bide your time, waiting until nightfall when the carpenters have left for the night to make your move.

Your mother has posted knights to the spot now, instructed to keep a watchful eye should you try again to leave the premises, but you think with the right timing, you can slip out unnoticed. There’s a small window of time where, when the knights standing guard rotate shifts, the hole in the castle’s walls will have no one standing in front of them.

It’s risky, and if you’re too slow you’ll be spotted by the new knights taking over for the ones who departed, but it’s the only chance you have, so you need to take it. As soon as the knights previously keeping watch over the area get far enough away, you dart for the breach in the castle.

The hole is definitely smaller than it was before, but you still manage to squeeze past just fine, with seconds to spare. You hear the sounds of the new knights approaching as you begin to sprint away, luckily having not noticed anything amiss.

The streets are much different at night, the subtle illumination from the candles in the surrounding buildings hardly enough to point you in the right direction. You look to the horizon instead, hoping that the dark line of trees on the horizon will be enough to guide you to the gate leaving town.

Some who notice your desperate run call out, concern evident in their voice, but you can’t stop for them, can’t stop until you’ve made it to Changbin’s side. And though it is not without struggle, you do, eventually, thankfully, find your way out of the town.

You’re panting, chest heaving as your heart pounds and your lungs desperately try to suck in air once you’ve made it completely outside the town gates– but still, you aren’t where you need to be, so you can’t stop yet. Pushing yourself to your very limits, even as your legs scream at you and harsh cold pricks your skin, you can finally make out Changbin’s land in the tree-lined horizon.

Reaching the gate to his property, you push it open in haste, taking hardly any steps past the threshold before you collapse to your knees, the ache and exhaustion refusing to be ignored any further. You bring a hand to your heart, taking a few seconds to calm yourself and breathe before you attempt to rise back to your feet.

But your legs refuse the action, much too weak to support you beyond what they’ve already done. It’s good enough, you suppose; they’ve carried far, with much more urgency than you’d ever thought possible. And now you’re right here, so close to where you need to be– and despite being a princess, you’re not above crawling your way over to Changbin’s door if you must.

Once more, you try– and though weak, and unsteady, you are able to rise once more. You can’t run, can hardly even walk as sore and as exhausted as your legs are, but they carry you as far as they can, recognizing the urgency you feel, aiding you as much as it can in your last, desperate effort.

Your throat is dry, it hurts, but you call out Changbin’s name regardless, hoping he’s awake, hoping he hears you, hoping he’ll wrap his arms around you, kiss you, console you, even if it’s just this one last time.

It’s been over a month since the last time Changbin saw you, and there’s so many questions he can’t help but ask himself, that he wishes he could ask you, so he didn’t spend all his hours distracted with worry and self-doubt. There had been gaps in the time you spent together before, but never for this large of a duration of time– a week usually at most.

Did he do something wrong the last time you were together? Or did your strict mother finally learn of your deceit, and now made you keep away, unable to return to his side though you may have wished to? He just wishes he knew for certain what it is, so that even if he was saddened, he did not have to have his mind consumed by what if’s and uncertainties.

There was a time, even, where he considered going into town and asking of you, but he was worried that doing so would only create more problems for you if the wrong person caught word of his inquiries. So all he could was wait– wait, and hope, that you would return again before year’s end, and that he would have the answers he so desperately craves to his questions.

Most of all, he just hopes you’re well; you’d expressed more than once that you loved your life and your family, you just didn’t want to feel trapped. You wanted to have choices, to feel like your thoughts and opinions matter, to be allowed to live as most other people do when they are not burdened with what their future will be.

Whenever you spoke of home, he always found it unfair, and he felt for you. You loved your mother, dearly, but he could see how you struggled with her rules, how sadness lingered in your eyes and resent bubbled up within you despite how you tried to not feel such things. 

And though he understood why you could not, he wished at times that you could simply stay with him– to not have to depart the moment the sun began to sink, to lie in bed with him all night, to have breakfast and dinner together, to live without worry together.

He’d work hard for you, even harder than he does now, and it’d be worth it to see you smile at him as you always do, so bright and full of light, keeping each other company on your loneliest days and nights. Changbin sighs, exhaustion plaguing him as he sits before the small fire he has going in his living room, head falling back against his sofa.

He hasn’t slept well these past few nights– he just can’t help but think of you at all hours, and every time he closes his eyes to sleep, he’s met with the image of you. It keeps him up, though not all his thoughts of you are plagued by unpleasant worry– sometimes it’s simply just the image of you smiling or laughing, and he feels nothing but warmth, even as he is reminded how much he truly misses you. 

Should you never return again, for whatever reason that may be, he doesn’t think he would ever regret having known you and given his love to you. Short-lived though your romance may be in the grand scheme of his life, and all the years he may be blessed to live, it was of the utmost importance.

He’d be remiss to let those memories become tarnished or devalued. You reminded him of how much joy there is in life, how grateful he is to have what he does, how much beauty there is in even the smallest of things. 

Another sigh leaves his lips as he lifts his head, rubbing carefully at his weary eyes– he should probably try to rest soon, though he feels sleep will likely stay out his reach for some time after his head hits the pillows. He stands from the sofa, preparing himself to extinguish the fire and head to bed, when he hears a strange, unfamiliar sound from outside his door.

A thud, almost– as if something with a not insubstantial amount of weight thumped to the ground. It couldn’t be his logs; he knew the sound of falling logs well enough to recognize the distinct sound made when one toppled– and often times when one fell, more followed.

This was unlike that entirely, only one sound followed by silence, and the sound itself was still too dense to be one of his pieces of chopped wood. The sound felt more.. concentrated; an animal perhaps? And if it was an animal, he couldn’t let it go ignored– especially not if it was one of his own. 

As Changbin steps closer to his door to investigate the sound, he hears something else entirely unexpected– a frail voice.. your voice..? Rushing to his door now, he opens it in haste, eyes darting to find the source of what he heard. And there, he sees you, collapsed to the ground before him, looking up at him with a mix of relief, exhaustion, and anguish.

Your name leaves him in a gasp as he leans down to you, concern evident in his voice and expression. His hands reach out to touch you and shit, your body is freezing; you are woefully ill dressed for the late fall chill, and who knows how long you’ve been out in it with nothing but your dress. 

Quickly, he picks you up, carrying you inside and using his foot to kick the door shut behind him. “Just sit here a minute,” he says as he sits you down on the sofa, rushing to his room to grab all the blankets and pillows he can carry.

He prepares a sort of makeshift bed on the floor in front of the fireplace, laying down all the blankets and pillows he collected, his intention being to have you lay by the fire and spread some much needed warmth through your chilled body. Changbin scoops you back up when he’s satisfied with his work, very carefully laying you down a close (yet safe) distance to the fire, nestling beside you after and laying an additional blanket over your bodies.

He has so many questions, his mind is racing, but they can wait– making sure you’re not going to suffer frostbite is of much more importance. He lets you use him for warmth, not complaining a bit when your cold limbs tangle with his, letting you sap his warmth and take it for your own. 

He brings his hands to your face, warming your cold cheeks in his palms, looking you over carefully. You looked unhurt, thankfully– he has no idea what you’ve gone through, but he’s glad you’re here now, and looking well, all things considered.

“Do you want to tell me what’s happened?” he asks softly, pushing the fallen hair away from your eyes, letting him meet your gaze without obstruction. You swallow down your bubbling emotion, wanting to be clear and concise, to leave no room for confusion or error. 

“My mother is very strict, as you know.. She enforced her rules more harshly after she discovered how I’d been spending my time. I had to sneak out again just to be here,” you answer, and his brows furrow.

“Again..? Have you been sneaking out to see me all this time?” he asks, and you nod, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. Changbin knew your mother had strict rules, he knew she didn’t approve of her daughter meeting with those of lower class, but that wasn’t the extent of it? 

This whole time, he thought your lie to your mother was simply that you exited town– not that you left home entirely. He was under the impression that you were still allowed out on the streets, at the very least; not that you were caged up inside all day like some sort of bird. But this.. This was outrageous, cruel. To not let your daughter out of the house at all? That’s what you’d been dealing with this entire time? 

Relationships with parents are complex, but he almost can’t even believe you still love her after all this, that you still want to uphold whatever ambitions it is that she has for you; if it were him, he doesn’t think he could stand it. He followed in his parents footsteps because he wanted to, not because he was forced to.

And he doesn’t imagine you’d be much different from him in that regard. Naive though you may be at times, you had a strong sense of responsibility, and were intelligent in matters he was clueless on, a completely different kind of intellect from his own. Surely she didn't have to be so strict with you.

“You can stay with me,” he wants to say, “I’ll never make you do a single thing you don’t want to do, you’ll always be respected and happy.” But he knows you’d refuse, your sense of pride in yourself and responsibility simply too strong to abandon just because of one obstacle, harsh though that obstacle may be.

In equal measure, you don’t think you could ever ask him to stay with you. How much would he have to give up to be with you? You don’t want to ask that of him– to make him give up his home and all he holds dear just to be stuck in the castle with you. He doesn’t even know you’re the princess in the first place.

And though you love him, it’s painfully apparent that you’re in two separate worlds that may not be destined to converge though you wish them to. “I don’t want this to be the end,” you say, hot tears finally starting to fall as you the emotion unleashes itself from the depths of where you’d pushed them down, “I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.”

God, Changbin feels like his heart is shattering. It’s so painful to see you reduced to this, you who is always so bright and vibrant in her joy, brought low to tears and heartache. Why must you endure this? Does your mother truly not understand how much pain she causes you but not allowing you to simply live?

“Don’t think like that. If you say it’s the end, then it will be,” he whispers, the pain in his own voice evident despite how he tries to hide it behind a mask of strength for your sake. The tears flow from your eyes and you let him rub them away with his thumb, let him fill your head with impossible, sweet promises.

Your whole life was clouded in dreadful, dreary rain, and there’s nowhere you wanted to be more after the rain cleared than with Changbin. What a ray of sunshine he was, even without intending to be– the light that illuminated your otherwise dark existence. And how painful it was to know that come morning, it would all become nothing but a memory from your youth. 

You lean forward to kiss him, tears continuing to leak from the corners despite having your eyes closed now. You want to tell him you love him, but you fear that saying so will only make the act of parting that much harder and painful.

You fear that no matter how much time passes, the name of your first love will forever be written in your heart, that you will never stop loving him even should you lead lives separate from one another. And still, you have no regrets, because for a time you felt truest joy and love, and what a gift it was to share with him. 

Taking his hands from your face, he pulls you closer, your entangled limbs being woven together more complexly, your torsos now completely flushed to one another. His arms wrap around and hold you tight, as if lessening his hold on you would cause you to dissipate.

And you will disappear, but not now– not while he has you like this, not when you are where you long to be most. Your tears slow, eventually receding completely as your lips touch. If this is truly your last moment together, you have decided you will not spend it wallowing in sorrow– you will enjoy all you can, you will memorize every detail, you will etch it in your very soul.

“Are you warm enough?” Changbin asks after he separates from you, though still close enough that his breath lingers on your lips. “Could be warmer,” you answer and he chuckles softly, kissing you again, his hands roaming down the expanse of your body, to your hips. 

“Want me to add more to the fire?” he asks, a playful lilt in his voice as he knows that’s not what you’re insinuating. While you normally speak quite openly and honestly, you become.. meek within intimate moments.

Changbin always finds it incredibly cute, how you dance around what you mean, waiting for him to get the hint and give you what you want. He always gets the hint, but it’s adorable to see your blush grow hotter, to see you stumble with your words when he plays dumb about what you mean, or purposely misunderstands just to make you state what you want clearly. 

“It certainly wouldn’t hurt, but..” you trail off, chewing on your lip nervously as you meet his eyes again. He raises his brow but says nothing, smiling patiently as he waits for you to speak your mind. It makes the blush on your face flare, how he always waits for you to say it directly when you want to be intimate with him.

However, he doesn’t intend to waste too much time making you flustered like this; it’s just.. If this is the last time like you seem to believe, then he wanted to see it again now, before the opportunity was lost to him. 

“I’ve missed you a lot, you know. I want you to touch me,” you finally answer and his smile brightens, furthering the embarrassment you feel as heat rushes to your face. But better than being cold like you were earlier, you suppose; maybe you should welcome the way his reaction makes you feel, since it never fails to make your face and body hot.

“You missed me, darlin’? I missed you too,” he smiles, kissing your face, your lips, your jaw, your neck, “thought about you every damn day.” His low voice near your ear makes you shudder, his soft kisses down your neck, to your shoulder, furthering the feeling.

You never let him mark your skin, afraid of what consequences would come from your mother finding out what you’d been doing, but you’re tempted to let him tonight– if you’re going to be punished regardless, why not be selfish, go out with a display?

“Binnie, leave a mark on me, please,” you shamelessly plead, calling his name in the way you know he loves to hear you speak. Changbin lifts his head from your shoulder, meeting your gaze with uncertain excitement. God, he’d love to, but..

“Are you certain? What of your mother?” he asks carefully, pushing your hair behind your neck to expose more of your skin. He may be apprehensive out of concern, but the minute you make it clear you have no reservations, he’s obliging without restraint, giving you everything you ask– anything you want, you’ll have it. 

“I don’t care what she thinks anymore, I want her to know that I.. have someone I love,” you answer sincerely, and he smiles, his heart feeling like it’s expanding in size. “You love me?” he asks, and you return his smile as you nod, because though you were scared to tell him, you are glad you did. His reaction to the information was completely worth it, his eyes sparkling with deep emotion and fondness for you. 

“I love you too. More than you probably know,” he says, mirroring what he said when he confessed that he liked you too, and he lets you pull him into a kiss, your affection radiating. There’s a soft giggle that escapes him, not being able to help how giddy your love makes him feel, how you love him despite what people in your life expect from you.

If he could, he’d assure them all how well he’d take care of you, how he’d make sure you never suffered a day in your life because of him. He suspects your mother doesn’t care much about your happiness, but if she did, if she gave him the chance to prove it, he wouldn’t rest until he gave you the entire world, until she could see your love as true. 

You lay your head back to the pillows, tilting it comfortably so that Changbin has more access to your skin. His breath warms you, and you all but tremble with anticipation when you feel his lips on you again, knowing your skin will finally bear his mark after all this time.

You’ve seen such a mark briefly on your maids that you know to have lovers, how they try to hide them with their hair or makeup, the sort of shame and embarrassment they feel when they realize you’ve noticed it. You will have no such shame; you will wear them proudly, in a show that is simultaneously of love and rebellion.

"I have and I know love, and that is all that matters." And people will certainly have opinions, but you’ve sacrificed enough to them. If there is only one day you can live selfishly for the rest of your life, you want it to be this day; and even as the marks fade, they will serve as a reminder of what you once had. 

He plants open mouthed kisses to your neck, the feeling of his tongue and teeth grazing you adding to the anticipation you feel. Your fingers tangle in his dark, unruly curls, as he carefully, almost gently, sucks and bites at your supple skin, leaving behind a string of beautiful, red, blue, and purple bruises.

There’s a tinge of pain, yes, but the excitement grows beyond the subtle sting, transforming it almost entirely into pleasure. When Changbin’s finished with one side, he lies you on your back and does the same to the other, your eyes fluttering closed as you tilt your head for him to have more room to work.

You unintentionally tug on his hair when his teeth meet a particularly sensitive spot, and you would’ve apologized had he not groaned in delight from the feeling. You learned something new about him every time you were intimate, and this discovery in particular had your stomach flipping.

“Want you to take it off,” he mumbles in reference to your dress, pulling at the fabric that had begun to bunch up at your thighs. You hum, detangling your hand from his hair and letting him sit up, watching as he lifts his own shirt up and over his head, tossing it aside.

In all the times you’ve seen Changbin’s skin bare, you never stopped being amazed at how divine he looked. He was so big and strong, it always left you breathless, his cute, soft stomach a direct contrast from the bulk in his arms and chest. And then there was the small patch of hair that led from his belly button to the waistband of his trousers that always left you hungry to see the rest of him. 

Still feeling a bit weak from your exertion prior, you ask Changbin to help you remove your dress, which he is more than happy to do. He’s careful with the fabric, though you’ve decided you don’t care about it at this particular moment, and he sets it aside with much more care than he did his own clothing. What a gentleman he is, you think, taking the extra time to care for your clothes even when he’s met with you bare before him.

Well, not entirely bare– you still have your undergarments on, and after deciding you’d see Changbin today no matter what, you purposely wore your prettiest pair. A beautiful, intricate and delicate white lace, one you might aspire to wear on your wedding night. He looks you over in awe, taking in all your details. You were always beautiful, but your choice in clothing somehow enhances it, drives his excitement even further. 

“Fuck, you’re stunning. How did I get so lucky?” Changbin questions aloud and you smile, a soft giggle escaping you as he leans back down to kiss you. “Take your pants off too, otherwise it isn’t fair,” you playfully complain and he grins, letting out a giggle of his own as lifts himself back up.

“Maybe I spoil you too much, giving you everything you want so easily,” he responds to your complaint with one of his own, trying not to smile so that he appears serious– though you are easily able to read that he’s playing around, just as you were. 

“You give me everything I want because I’m a good girl for you though, right?” you ask and he whines audibly; you admitted early on in your sexual relationship that you were curious about being called such things. When he tried it out, it was discovered that he liked saying it just as much as you liked being called it.

It’s not just saying it to you that he likes either– hearing you call yourself one, saying it’s just for him.. that’s what really gets him going. And while he doesn’t want to be presumptuous and say you belong to him, especially not after all you’ve suffered through, he definitely belongs to you.

You don’t anticipate Changbin pulling his underwear down with his trousers, but the sight of his cock is never unwelcome. It’s already hard and leaking, and when he leans down to you once again, you can feel it pressing against your bare thigh, smearing its fluid on your skin. It always excites you how hard he gets from your body, always enjoyable watching him get riled up just from looking at you bare or from saying a few sweet words. 

“You’re dangerous,” he says with a small huff, and before you can come back with more words to make his cock throb, he’s kissing you again, this time with much less softness, quickly shoving his tongue past your lips.

You welcome it, opening your mouth for him, letting his tongue lick yours. The feeling always makes you light-headed in the most delicious way possible– it’s intoxicating to put it simply, and you would kiss him for hours and hours if given the chance. 

His hands come to your bra, unhooking it easily after all the practice he’s had, and though he could easily toss it aside, he breaks away long enough to set it down gently. You giggle at how he’s still treating your clothes with care even while this hard and eager, but that’s what makes you love him so much.

Returning to your mouth, he nips and sucks at your bottom lip, and you mewl at the sting, which Changbin always gladly soothes with his tongue before repeating. His fingers roll, pinch, and tug your nipples, not too hard, but enough to have you whining and squeezing your legs together.

They were always so sensitive in Changbin’s rough, calloused hands, and there were times you felt you could cum simply from the stimulation of them alone– especially when he used his mouth at the same time. And he did just that when he pulled away to stop kissing you, though not right away.

He kissed all over your chest, leaving love bites and sucking small, almost delicate bruises onto the sensitive skin of your breasts, not yet touching your nipples with his tongue and teeth. You told him to mark you, and it seems he was determined to do it everywhere– not that you had any objections. It was a bit strange, seeing your chest bitten and the color of your flesh changed, but you equally enjoyed it, loved the physical proof that Changbin was on you. 

When his tongue finally swirled around one of your nipples, you let out a breathy moan that quickly turned into a drawn out whimper when he used his teeth. He made sure not to hurt you too overtly, to just give you enough of that sweet sting you found so enticing and pleasurable, and in return you gave him that same delicious feeling by tugging on his hair every time you felt good. 

Your panties were soaked by the time he stopped giving your breasts attention, and though you hadn’t reached your peak from the stimulation, you felt so close. Resuming his path down your body, Changbin’s cock throbs and twitches when he’s met with evidence of your excitement, your white panties darkened by how damp they’ve become.

He doesn’t pull them down right away– he kisses your legs first, and then your thighs, leaving behind the same kisses and marks he gave to your chest and neck. Your inner thighs are especially sensitive, and it causes you to jolt and whine when he sinks his teeth into the meat of them.

He’s got you so impossibly worked up, you feel like you could cry when he finally gives your neglected heat the attention it craves. He praises you before he slides your panties down your legs, and there’s a relieved sort of noise coming from your throat that makes Changbin chuckle. 

You keen when his tongue finally slips between your folds, licking and sucking up everything you have to offer him. There’s an enthusiastic hum that leaves his lips when your fingers tangle in his hair again, followed by a moan when you pull and tug. Your legs are trembling and twitching so much, constantly threatening to close around his head, that he has to push them down to keep you how he wants you.  

It’s when his tongue meets your clit that you really start to lose yourself, your hips jolting up and back arching, legs quivering when he wraps his lips around it and sucks. You’re panting, begging him for more, incoherently mumbling and babbling about how close you are, and within seconds you’re seeing white, eyes rolling back as further arousal gushes on his face.

He licks your release up with another eager hum, dragging out the feeling until you’re a quivering, overstimulated mess beneath him. You release your hold on his curls when you finally come down from your high and your body relaxes, opening your eyes to see Changbin grinning at you, evidently proud of the fact that he got you to cum so intensely.

He kisses you softly, quick and chaste, not trying to hinder you from taking any of the breaths you need, just wanting to show his affection. “What do you want next, darlin’? Since I’m givin’ you everything you want,” he asks, rubbing soothing circles on your skin as he awaits your answer.

“W-Want to be on top but.. I’m still feeling pretty weak. Especially after that,” you reply with a slight blush, and he giggles again, cooing at you as if you’re just so sweet and cute (and to be fair, you are– you always will be, at least to him.)

“S’okay sweetheart, I can help you,” Changbin says sweetly, giving you one more kiss before he’s lying down on the makeshift bed and pulling you on top of him. Your legs are on either side of them, his hands on your hips, looking up at you with pure affection. 

“This good? Comfortable?” he asks, and you hum with a nod, smiling just a bit as you lean down to kiss him again. Normally, given how thick he is, Changbin would prep you before having you take his cock, but given how wet and excited you are, he doesn’t think the prep is as necessary (and you might not be patient enough for it after all the build up to this point regardless.)

He helps you line yourself up with his cock, both of you letting out your own shaky noises as you sink down on him. “Atta girl, keep goin’, just like that, sit on me all the way,” he encourages you, and you do just as he asks.

Your hands tightly gripping his biceps to ground and support yourself as you sit flush with his body, the back of your thighs meeting the top of his. He rubs your thighs and legs, trying to show soothing affection as you adjust and settle, listening attentively to all the trembling exhales and noises you make. 

You look so beautiful atop him, illuminated in the gentle, warm glow of the fireplace, your hair having fallen in a way that messily, yet somehow perfectly, frames your face. He can see everything– your breasts, your stomach, your thighs, beautifully painted with all the marks he left behind. You can feel him twitching and throbbing inside you, but he doesn’t rush you along, lets you take all the time you need. 

You feel him twitch again when you lean down to kiss him, and it’d make you giggle if it also didn’t make a wave of pleasure shoot through your body. You move your hands to his chest to support your own weight better, rolling your hips as you coax your tongue into his mouth.

He lets out a moan from deep in his chest as you move, his tongue wasting no time in meeting and dancing with yours, his fingers squeezing at the already tender meat of your thighs. You lift yourself back up to begin moving in earnest, your hands still planted firmly on his chest for support as you slide yourself up and down his length.

The slow pace, while it still feels good, isn’t enough for either of you, and soon enough you find yourself practically bouncing on his cock, the sound of your thighs repeatedly slapping down on his echoing into the room. Changbin curses, biting his lip as he watches you, using his hands to help guide you up and down, trying to ease some of the ache in your legs. 

He thrusts upward into you when your pace starts to stutter and lose rhythm, and you gasp, eyes rolling back as he hits the perfect spot again and again. It reaches a point where his hands simply hold you in the right place while he exerts all his effort, feet planted firmly on the ground while he does all the work from below. Your nails dig into his skin, head falling back as you feel your release building up again. 

Changbin effortlessly flips your positions, though he is careful not to hurt you in his haste. He just wants to make you fall apart again, and it’s easier to do that if he doesn’t have to control your movements– just his own. He resumes the pace he held from below, bringing two of his fingers to your clit and rubbing in quick circles, unable to help the way he moans when he feels you clench around him even tighter in response. 

“B-Bin, please, Binnie, so close,” you babble and whine, your hands twisting the blankets beneath you. “I know sweetheart, let go, be a good girl and give it to me,” he grunts out, and again, you feel white hot pleasure coursing through your veins, your vision blurring and mind growing fuzzy as you let go.

“Good girl, just a little more, just need you to hang on for a little more,” he both instructs and praises, pulling out just long enough to flip you to your stomach, pushing back into your heat just as quickly as he left it. You whimper loudly, fingers clutching desperately at the pillow your head rests on, Changbin bringing a hand around your body to lift your hips ever so slightly.

He was hitting your spot deliciously from this angle, the pleasure so great that tears once again pricked the corners of your eyes, threatening to fall with each gasp and whimper you released. You turn your head back as much as you can, delighted in the visage of Changbin’s head thrown back in pleasure, 

He always got rougher when he started to get close, his hands always tightening their grip, his thrusts, while growing less rhythmic, became harsher and faster, almost desperate, and it was always a treat to experience. You loved watching him lose himself to the pleasure, loved that it was you and your body that brought him there, loved how his grunts and moans transformed into higher pitched whimpers and whines. 

You bring your own fingers to your clit, wanting to let him enjoy and focus on his release since he already spent so much time on your pleasure. He leans forward, his chest pressed into your back, his hot breath hitting your ear, his whines and praises pouring directly into it.

“Fuck, sweetheart, feel so good, ‘m gonna- fuck, gonna fill you up,” he stammers out, and it sends a shiver down your spine, your stomach erupting in countless butterflies, driving you to speed up the motion of your fingers. 

You release again with a strangled cry, gushing around his length and on your fingers. Changbin follows closely behind, the feeling of you clenching and squeezing around him as you cum for the third time sending him over his peak. He releases in long, drawn out spurts, both of you breathless and exhausted when he collapses next to you.

You both know you should get cleaned up, but you’re both too tired to care, and he can always clean up his messes in the morning. For now, he just wants to stay close, here in front of the fire, with you. This very well could be your last night together, but he doesn’t want to believe it is. He wants to believe that the two of you can find a solution somehow, that after all the hardship, you’ll be smiling at him in the end.

There’s a part of you that doesn’t even want to fall asleep at all– you want to stay up all night, to not waste a single moment you have left, to stare and feel and love until the very last second, so that you’ll remember him clearly always. You do your best to not become teary eyed again, having promised yourself you wouldn’t spend your night with him wrapped up in your sorrow and dread.

But oh, how you wish there was more time, how you wish that your mother would understand you, that you could have just this one thing. But you suppose for a girl with immense responsibility, happiness is too much to ask for. You sacrifice your happiness so that others may have it instead– as noble an act as any, but you selfishly wish you could have both; the people’s happiness and your own. 

The idea of running away still leaves you torn, even after all this time. You don’t want to let anyone down.. but still, you have to ask yourself, is doing what’s right for your kingdom and future worth all this heartache? If it’s what is right, why does it make your heart feel as if it’s been shattered like glass? You’ve been told in life that the right thing to do is never the easiest, but you can’t imagine that in this case, walking away from either side is right. 

You want both. Is that truly so wrong? You want to be a ruler worthy of her name and title, and you want Changbin. Why must you choose one over the other? As far as you’re aware, even now, Changbin doesn’t know you’re the princess.

He’ll likely find out soon– every knight in the town will be floundering to find you come morning, once they realize you’re gone. You should slip away before then, lest your lover be met with undue scrutiny and unfair treatment from your mother and other nobles if you're found here. 

But looking at him now, even still.. you don’t want to leave. You’ll never want to leave. “Sweetheart,” Changbin calls softly, his hand reaching up to leave comforting, lingering touches to your head. “I can tell what you’re thinkin’. But don’t be sad yet, not ‘til we’ve said goodbye.”

You blink away the accumulating tears with a nod, swallowing down the lump in your throat the best you can and burying your face into Changbin’s welcoming body. You’re so, so tired, and you know he is too, but he’s trying his best for you. And he’s being the strong one despite how much his heart aches with yours.

He rubs your head, kisses your temple, tells you he loves you. Your heart breaks and mends all at once; how bittersweet this moment is.. If you’re lucky, you'll have about 7 hours until anyone realizes you’re gone. Maybe you can sleep for just a few, just enough to get some of this ache out of your body, and then you can spend the rest with Changbin. 

You’ll cry, you know, as soon as you depart back home. You’ll cry when the hole in the castle’s defenses is completely sealed. You’ll cry when you look to the fields his home sits on from the bedroom window. Still.. you do your best to uphold your promise to yourself, and now to Changbin.

You won’t cry, and you won’t be upset– not yet, anyways. Not until you’ve actually parted ways. For now, you’ll continue to lie in his arms, continue to express your love for him, continue to smile and laugh as if this isn’t the end, until morning comes and reminds you painfully that it is. 

How beautiful it was to love Seo Changbin, to learn and to grow and to really live with his help, patience, and care. How fondly you’ll miss him in every moment, how lovingly you’ll always hold his memory. Brief though your love together is, much shorter than it should have been, it has changed you for the better, and you’ll never regret it, even should your heart ache.

And maybe Changbin is right; maybe there is room for hope, and maybe you’ll see each other again much sooner than you allow yourself to think. But no matter what lies before you, there is one thing for certain; Changbin is and always be will your first love, forever be etched in your heart– your lover, your deepest connection, your closest confidant. And how grateful you are to have known him.

[amethyst-halo]

Tangled au: Brozone role possibilities

JD - Royal Guard as you specified

Spruce/Bruce - current heir/reigning monarch seeing how he'd be married to Brandy and having a few kids to continue royal line

Clay - lead bandit in the Snuggly Duckling asking with Viva and other Putt Putt Trolls and the snack pack, Clay "abandoned" the family to collect any form of information about the missing brother, and ended up joining the "wrong" crowd to do so

Floyd - traveling minstrel/informant. Like Clay he left the royal family to seek any information concerning the missing brother, everyone has a story to tell, and if he embellishes the truth about what happened that fateful night to hear another take, well... There's always some truth to fairy tales.

oooooh omg these are super good :O

i do enjoy floyd being a traveling musician it fits him v well, i can see him coming home for the lantern celebration as well as other occasional times!! n he would looove telling tales to kids and is def a little :[ bc he misses branch since she was taken as a baby............

clay running the snuggly duckling and the thieves guild is so fun bc creek is part of it while also keeping branch a secret so when he finds out clay's gonna rip him apart lol; i do still want him to come back to the castle for the festival so mayhaps there's rumors he's going to abandon the family for crime but he isn't going to Actually do so idk!!!! i will think on it mhm mhm mhm

i do like the idea that bruce is set to inherit the crown bc it would make sense for him since he has brandy n the baker's dozen (maybe not All Of Them yet we'll see), esp bc i can see it being like jd not wanting the Whole Leadership Position while clay and floyd were also not keen but didn't have to worry about it yet aksjdhjdf

gooood and all four of them have their own ways of looking for branch......... jd clay and floyd all Going Out to look while bruce is staying back and getting the political stuff sorted to see if any other leaders know anything.................. ouh............

i also could see bruce n brandy being like. not a political marriage but they were prob gonna be set up if they didn't fall for each other first askdjhjdf bc connecting kingdoms n such omg its so fun

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Rec 39

Another Sunday, another fic rec list! Next week will be my 40th list, so there will be some non Superbat/Batfam/DC recs on that list (not sure what yet though, we'll find out TOGETHER).

Anyway, on to the fics!

pinion by starshotplagues - Superbat, complete. Clark thinks he's dying and Bruce thinks that bullshit. Shenanigans ensue.

Talk Science To Me by profoundalpacakitten - Superbat, complete. Clark has an intimacy problem due to him being indestructible. Bruce does science to fix it. Clark finds that sexy. There is also a PowerPoint (very important).

hit 'em up style by TheResurrectionist - Batfam, complete. Steph asks Bruce to get her some tampons. He becomes very concerned when he starts reading the labels. Shenanigans ensue.

To Hear, To See, To Smile by JUBE514, SalParadiseLost - Batfam, complete. Bruce adopts creepy eldritch children. He adopts another one when he finds Tim :)

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! Tim is recovering at the doctor after eating something he's allergic too :(

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions - Superbat, wip. SECRET IDENTITY SHENANIGANS MY B E L O V E D. The first chapter was so much fun to read!! Drunk Jimmy is a GEM.

Patroclus by widow_account - Superbat, wip. An update of the ''Clark gets kidnapped to Warworld and Bruce goes to save him" fic. Every time I see an email notification for an update to this fic, I do a little happy dance :) :) :)

Good Morning, Sweetheart by InkpotSprite - Batfam, complete. Bruce was late sending Jason his good morning text AND he forgot to add the heart at the end (not like Jason cares, what are you talking about). Jail for Bruce, jail for 1000 years!!!!!

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the omegaverse Superbat fic. Clark and Uncle Lex go to visit Jason while Bruce and Alfred do some overdue pack bonding 💖💖💖

Sealing the deal by orphan_account - Batfam, complete. Bruce gets kidnapped and Jason saves him. Also, Jason is a selkie and in seal form the whole time. Shenanigans ensue.

over easy by shipyds - Superbat, complete. ALIEN BIOLOGY CLARK!! Bruce is very into this, sexy times ensue :)

Make an Ass of U and Me by Huntress79, Sevidri - Superbat, complete. Clark is jealous of the attractive young man that keeps visiting Bruce, name of Dick Grayson. Misunderstandings and shenanigans ensue.

when doves cry by Scarlet_Ribbons - Batfam, complete. Tim is Not Doing OK after his parents die. Suprisingly, Jason helps.

The Seats of Stars by JUBE514, SalParadiseLost - Batfam, Superfam, (secret) Superbat, wip. More of the centaur batfam and royal superfam fic!!!

What is Dilf? by Speechless_since_1998 - Batfam, and a little bit Superbat, complete. Tim asks Jason what a Dilf is and why the Green Lantern is calling Batman that on Twitter. Shenanigans ensue.

It's Always Bring Your Robin to Work Day by audreycritter - Batfam, complete. Snippets of Tim visiting Bruce in the office throughout the years.

Happy reading!

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

Hello, i am here with a take that people might hate me for but we'll see.

Xander is the worst sibling out of all of the siblings and Ryoma is better in quite a few aspects (keep in mind all the siblings are my favorite characters and both these two are rather low on my list of fave sibs)

Don't get me wrong i don't hate him, i actually really like him, i might out myself saying this but one of my fave ships of Xander is with my favorite sister and one of my favorite characters in the game, Hinoka; it's great support that give actual royal courting vibes and he is very nice with her it's just sweet.

But, besides the fact he becomes obsessed with killing us in Birthright, being Takumi's counterpart, in Conquest he is not really that better. Besides the fact he attacks us in his reintroduction after a (for me, i'm not that great :,v) lowkey traumatic battle just to "keep us in our toes" like bruh read the room.

The siblings in general but specially him wait UNTIL THE LAST FUCKING MINUTE TO KILL THESE ANNOYING PIECES OF SHIT IAGO AND HANS WHEN THEY COULD HAVE EASILY DONE SO FROM THE BEGINNING-

Like it's a lot more beliveable if we killed Hans in like chapter 10 and being like hey thems the breaks and kill Iago after than waiting until winning the conquest and being like "oh we missed a rogue soldier and killed them" like bruh you are so dumb and Garon would have given literally 0 fucks, maybe bring some new people but if we kill em too he would be like oh i guess my pawns- wait sorry, children are just built different, like honestly-

Which connects to my other point, his speech of Justice is an illusion infuriated me because, taking the upper point in consideration and the fact he does have a lot of power in goverment is a fucking joke, CEO crying when people complain about them without doing anything to make their employes lives better type of pathetic.

He is not a good brother in general, a parentified brother maybe, but not a good brother, everytime he would say "i am always on your side, nothing could ever change that" it just boiled my blood, i was just mentally screaming YOU FUCKING- LIAAAAAAR like that one Kardashian clip everytime cuz WTH that's a fucking lie.

Ryoma's reintroduction is him defending us of a Bully basically (in this case it was Leo and like come on both Leo and Takumi are, they are the same guy) and his interactions in story are just so nice man, he just screams big brother and in Conquest he continues, his sacrifice fucking broke me because he really cared for us.

"Oh but his obsession of bringing us back is weird because we are not blood related" I hear you whine and, my sibling by the gods, you do not understand this family dynamic and that's sad for you; but if you take into consideration that Mikoto was not only married and loved Sumeragi, she most likely loved and married Ikona as well, since both Sakura and Takumi are younger than Corrin. They had a very close knit family relationship and they were, in fact, chosen siblings in a way.

In general people have a lot more empathy towards the Nohr siblings than the Hoshidan siblings which i think it's fucking stupid because not only is all of Hoshido martyred and victims of crimes AGAINST HUMANITY (worse than war crimes) like everyday, their family was ruptured by an assasination and a kidnapping on the. Same. Day.

"Oh but he is very detached from Sakura and Takumi" Of course he is, he is taking care of a fucking kingdom in the middle of a war, as we see he has a lot more responsabilities and say in everything relating to the kingdom than Xander since the beginning AND in their supports he really comes through in fixing his mistakes, unlike Xander that fucking SPAT at Elise's sacrifice when he could have done so much more and in his supports with her he is, honestly, a little bitch that doesn't want to listen until the last support where he sees results and he is still like uh idk if i should choose peace or whatever.

I get yall want to ride this conqueror, rizzless, white man dick, i get it. But don't say he is better than Ryoma, i do see his flaws but also, just like Takumi and Leo, they are the same guy.

EXACT

SAME

GUY

Just one is white and the other asian (yes i just spoke of their differences but i know you guys WILL get counterpoints from mine and that will prove this last point, they are very balanced!

They are at most on the same level and honestly I still don't see it, I think Ryoma is just better.

-🧟‍♀️Zombie anon out

HOSHIDO 4LIFE

/

[wild-as-a-winter-storm]

Ahh this ep was so good!!!

The opening scene, syrax and seasmoke talking to each other, very cool.

Alicent's "nothing is clean here"!

The daemon stuff was sooo good! Him and Viserys, will always love that dynamic ❤ and him getting owned by Oscar tully!! I loved Oscar this ep, and just such a good scene with them in front of all the riverlords- the tension, the acting, the fact that you know what's coming, daemon's face at the end!

Omg the rhaenyra and Jace scene, so good! And "we'll raise an army of bastards"!!

More aegon and viserys parallels, yay :D

Alicent's stuff was cinematically gorgeous, and although I agree that the writers don't really know what to do with her (and indeed she's not supposed to be a key player at this point), it was an interesting parallel to rhaenyra in season 1 ep 3, being sick of the court and going off into the woods with a single kingsguard.

Ooh them encouraging ulf to go and claim a dragon! Good thing he's not going to die or they would feel very guilty!

But yeah, let's get into the meat of things, the sowing :D God it was so well done, and horrific to watch. This really started to feel like what I wanted from the dance- it's what it's all about, innocent lowborn people being slaughtered en masse by the fire and blood of House Targaryen. (okay there are other elements, Targaryens destroying each other and their dragons, and of course the gender aspect, but yeah, the smallfolk being fucked over by their royal family is v important).

I know they came of their own free will and were warned they might not survive, but I definitely don't think they were informed properly of how dangerous it was, and the way Rhaenyra retreated to her little viewing platform and the guards wouldn't let people out.... chilling. (I still love Rhaenyra as a character though, don't get me wrong.)

And then the big moments of the dragons picking their riders... wow. The fact that they were so different was really cool! Hugh roaring at vermithor, some amazing shots there!! (also him being Sara's son and claiming jaehaerys's dragon!! his mum telling him he is no different to viserys and daemon! yes!) Meanwhile ulf's face when he realises he's escaped one dragon only to stumble upon another 😭

And then ulf flying over king's landing and scaring the shit out of aemond! The final shot of rhaenyra!! Oof she's just like how dare you come near my house after what you've done bitch

and the dragons just generally looked so good this ep, such quality cgi, and they feel and behave so like real animals

Overall, very good, very exciting, can't wait for next week! The only thing I'm sure of is with the finale is that it'll have rhaena claiming sheepstealer, other than that it's a mystery really, as they don't seem to be going for either of the endings I was thinking of. It would make sense to show the Hightower contingent and stuff, and it sounds like tessarion is going to be featured, but no daeron casting has been mentioned... hmm. also, thought we'd get some aemond at harrenhal content this season, and him and alys, but it doesn't seem likely.

Sad it's nearly over!

[the-sun-princess]

Emi Plays Revue Starlight: El Dorado Part 1

yeah sure why not i'll reblog my thoughts. we'll see how it goes lol. i havent done a live reaction On Tumblr in Years. block #emi plays el dorado if u dont wanna see it

so their last summer....and ofc hikari has already disappeared. tsk

ah class B....are we just gon be a rando class B member that's fine. amemiya backstory! she kinda reminds me of mashiro and tomori lmao just kinda....sorta wrote stories/lyrics n then got urged to make them a real thing. not nearly as shy as them tho

....amemiya and masai and the teacher seem to be narrating from a first year standpoint despite us being shown the 3rd year classroom? lmao masai was a lil fangirl of amemiya's script. cute

huh masai says she wants to be a director but her og interest seems to be set design. which obv they go hand in hand but still

awwwww they fans of each otherrrrr cuuute. they both go 'partner pls? partner?' AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES. I never did think about class B's dorm situation lol.

ok yeh it is 1st year baby B's

i mean it wouldnt be starlight if it wasnt gay immediately. shion and kiriko like i Technically knew that but also i tend to mess up who is who. snort

amemiya just goin to 'masai' with 0 honorifics and when masai is taken aback she's like 'AM I MOVING TOO FAST?'

then masai just immediately goes with shion-chan lol

girls girls i already ship u ur killin me

tbf me shipping them has nothing to do with the VN lol. tho i might end up having to actually draw them for once

stop acting like summer is 'right before' the seisho festival its not i Know the stupid festival takes place late feb/early march

THEY HAVE A PET AXOLOTL?? gimme its name. now

masai is not a morning person. tho at least she slept ksjhksjdhf

el dorado is the new national troupe specialty huh....no wonder mahiru/maya/futaba prob wanted to do it

oo i wonder if sakura or her friends will be in this. or at least mentioned

opening time doo doo

YAY WE START WITH MAHIRU she wants salvatore it's her dream role. well. if im in charge mahiru. i agree. u can have it

maya wants alejandro

futaba salvatore. sorry futaba but since u three are the ones goin to the new national troupe whoever is the 3rd most important i'll give to you. or maya.

salvatore: mahiru, futaba, claudine, kaoruko, junna

alejandro: maya, nana, karen

so many people are going to go for claudine salvatore and maya alejandro first huh

kjhsf kaoruko wants salvatore bc as a kid futaba always gushed about the role. wants futaba to praise HER salvatore

damn nana are u that bitter about junna crushing u in your revue skjdhf i THINK this happens after the movie revues.

yeah this def happens after the movie revues since junna's actin diff than her lil showcase for the newbies. so is karen

sjkhf kaoruko wanted judy's role zulfikar. she does like bein the villain

mm so hikari Did go back to the royal academy. i mean i knew she went back to london but that doesnt mean she went back to the school. diff terms after all

i assume we're technically masai + amemiya in this so i am kinda interested in who the other chiefs are gon pick

alejandro salvatore

karen (didnt care til mahiru oops) futaba | (i THINK art?) nana | (lighting) mahiru (music) maya | (props) kaoruko (stage setting) claudine (production) junna (costume)

kjkjxh props chief maya didnt even AUDITION for salvatore but ok yeah wants her as alejandro now

music chief gushing over mahiru :)

truly mahiru has the best appeal

u cannot follow up a vote for mahiru with a vote for KAORUKO kjhjhdf

kaoruko's niceness doesnt often feel Genuine lmao

alrighty now I get to choose

WHY IS MAHIRU V NANA CROSSED OUT. EXCUSE ME. THIS IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO DO FIRST. E X C U S E M E

starlight sure knows how to be homophobic to Me Specifically

well now i dont even care so whatever i guess i'll just go down the list.

i am upsetti spaghetti

mahiru angy. same

poor futaba gets the shortest stick tho even when she's a lead role she's not the one she auditioned for.

snort nana sounds in awe that junna's salvatore. maya meanwhile is like 'aijo-san if u dont give it ur all i will kill you'

so kaoruko is lord cavallero. papa. futaba is carmencita-

....how tho. nana's miguel. snort. futaba shoots back with a 'it seems fitting youre an assassin' which is hilarious

claudine is columbus, maya is luigi

that does leave mahiru as isobel but no ones metioned it and now im even grumpier. how dare. evil.

:( no its not that jun jun-

kjhkjfhsf junnna

'stop with the gay drama already i s2g'

YEA CALL HER OUT JUNJUN

skjfhsf gon get revenge for karen beating her TWICE at the auditions. valid. i support u junna

junna: i'm vindictive and stubborn like that karen: aha you really are junna: >:O

well that's enough for now

part 2>>

[the-wales-5]

"In another life..." 

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

29th April 1931.

The newlyweds Catherine Murray and William Howard just left the little church in the village where they tied the knot surrounded by their close family and friends. The bride was a part of an aristocratic Murray family but she still wanted to keep a low profile so instead of having a rather huge ceremony in London with King George V attending, she decided to have a small wedding in her favourite part of Wales and to wear a crown made of her favourite flowers instead of an expensive tiara from her family's vault.

William was looking at her with love as if she was the only woman to ever exist on the earth and that was something she considered her biggest achievement and joy in life.

"I cannot believe we did this at last" Giggled her as she looked at her now-husband. They'd been together for almost 10 years at that point, having met each other when they both were 18.

"It is real, Lady Murray-Howard" William whispered and kissed her on the lips, causing their guests to cheer.

"Promise me that we'll never be separated" she whispered as she took his hand in hers.

William smiled without replying to her and just squeezed her hand more as they walked to the car driving them to their house in North Wales where a small wedding reception was about to start.

*

1939.

Their life was almost idyllic, with two children and a dog living in Wales, until September 1939 when Germany declared the Second World War against Poland and therefore other countries as well.

"You know what they say.. about the war.. and you are the pilot, they may need assistance from planes.." said Catherine as they were coming back from a horse ride with their 7-year old daughter Mary.

"Yes indeed" William nodded and then he noticed his wife's fearful facial expression. He told Mary to go inside the house and then approached his wife "I will join the forces if that will be necessary. No need to elaborate on that, Catherine"

"Are you serious?" She scoffed, "We've got two children!" 

"And our country may soon experience war. We both have seen what it means to live in a country at war, haven't we? My father died during the First World War in 1919 and if I have to, I will defend my country just like he did"

"So you want to die as well?" Catherine murmured and chuckled with sorrow "Just to defend your country and keep his memory?"

"Do not be ridiculous" he sighed as he approached her "I am aware that we have children. I will not be risking my life on the front line if that won't be necessary to protect our nation".

He kissed her on the forehead and held her hand, helping her to get off of her horse. Catherine hugged him and then they shared a kiss. Mary and her brother Patrick giggled as they ran towards their parents.

 Back in London, the royal family lived their lives, attending official engagements while ordinary people on the streets, the same as Lady Howard and her husband were talking about the possibility of war coming to the United Kingdom.

*

1944. 

Three words. 3 words she dreaded to hear for the last few years. "I am leaving". She didn't even have to ask "Where?". She knew. 

The war. The front line. He was needed for the operation near Normandy where the Alliance forces were fighting with the Nazis. An easy way to die and leave her and their children for good. Seeing him saying "goodbye" to Patrick and Mary made her curse his abilities to fly in planes even if she always used to admire that in him. 

William was about to travel to France by train. Although he told her to stay at home, Lady Howard traveled to the station with him. The media knew about this but they were unusually respective and didn't bother the couple at all. 

"You never promised me that we'll never separate. Not during the wedding, nor later. You knew that it was coming" She whispered with pain in her voice as they were looking at each other right before he left.

"I don't know how to explain it, darling"

"No need for an explanation. Just take it" she handed him a dried-up white "Sweet William", her favourite flower, a part of her wedding's flower crown worn in April 1931.

One picture of her wiping tears upon leaving the train station was published by the press but Catherine's father The Earl of Pembroke forced them to erase it. Otherwise, both the photographer and the author of the article titled "LADY MURRAY'S FAREWELL TO  HERO WILLIAM HOWARD AS HE GOES ON WAR" would have faced a law prosecution in London's court for invading her privacy.

As she was sitting in the car that drove her back to her small cottage, Lady Catherine Murray was looking at his picture but her thoughts were not about him but about someone else. A baby. She and William's third baby that she was carrying. Nobody knew besides her and her doctor. Her pregnancy got confirmed the same day when her husband decided to leave for France to "defend the country". Therefore, she had no time to tell him about their new "bundle of joy". By all these days leading to his departure, she has been wondering if telling that would perhaps keep William at home. Her heart was telling her to do exactly that but her mind was consumed by thoughts like: "That would make me a selfish person" .

Her sense won against her heart and now she was regretting it. A few hours later when she was in the bedroom, she touched her bump for the first time ever and whispered "He will return to us. We have to believe it".

Then, she pulled a picture of her husband out of her purse and began to pray. She used to do that often years ago when her then-boyfriend was attending a military academy to get his pilot licence and also when he was a rescue pilot back in the very beginning of the Second World War between 1939-1942. It finally began to sink into her brain. It was not just assistance in helping injured soldiers anymore. Now he was a soldier too. This thought was enough to make her cry after only one minute of her prayers.

*

Weeks passed and William Howard was getting used to his new routine of being a pilot during the war. Despite only two months of warfare, a majority of people serving in the same battalion whom he met on his first day in France were killed off. He knew he could not give up. Every single time when he doubted if all of this was worth its price, he was immediately 'brought back' to London's train station full of other soldiers saying their goodbyes to their families.

 Every night, he was thinking of his children, and of his wife's teary eyes and had been falling asleep while inhaling the 'scent' of that dried-up white flower which she gave him.

"Catherine, I will come back to you. I promise". Those words seemed like a prayer for him. He often told himself when there was danger close to his battalion or in the air. 

*

Lady Murray-Howard had to keep herself busy so as to not worry too much about the ongoing war. She has been attending many charity events founded to help the families of men who were fighting on the front line. She was attending almost all of them despite her tiredness. She wanted to show her unity with other waiting women even if that meant crying while hugging her husband's pillow after coming back home.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Her father asked. He was about to join an event like that with her for the first time. 

"Obviously yes" Catherine weakly smiled as she was finishing putting on her make-up in front of the mirror "It is an amazing initiative, you will see it for yourself, papa"

"I have no doubts about that. It's just--.. Catherine, let me tell you the truth. Do you still believe he will return? It's been weeks and he can already be deceased! Nobody knows what is happening there!"

Lady Murray rolled her eyes but spoke up: "Let me tell you a story of a woman I met during a meeting in Leicester last week. Her husband Richard has been a soldier for four years now. Four years, not weeks. Last year there was news about Germans bombarding the battalion he was in. That woman I met went through a nightmare trying to get even a small piece of information, first about the whole incident, and then about her husband's condition. He suffered from brain injury but survived and even remembered his wife during their meeting in the hospital! It is truly a miracle and I know it is just one of many! You cannot think only of the worst-case scenarios possible".

"But this is the cruel reality of war, Kate. You must accept the fact that happy endings happen to just 1% of soldiers and their families" Michael, The Earl of Pembroke said.

Catherine closed her eyes and after taking a deep breath she said with confidence in her voice: "I'd rather believe in happy endings than sink into depression after imagining the death of my husband and other men!" .

Michael sighed. He was now facing the window as if he was afraid to tell his daughter the following words while looking at her face: "The moment you revealed you are engaged to a person from the middle class I had a feeling that it will only bring us problems. If William was a nobleman, he'd never go to war! He would stay at home and defend the country in a civilised manner, by donations to charities".

Catherine was speechless for a second. At last, she replied: "Oh, thank you for confirming how much you despise my husband. You needed almost 15 years and a war to admit it. Wow" she chuckled with sorrow and her eyes narrowed as she added: "You know what, papa? If William's manners are not good enough then let me tell you that yours aren't good either right now. These poor women do not need your appearance during this meeting this afternoon, nor do they need your 'donations'. I'll go there on my own! Stay with Mary and Patrick, if you have enough time for it" she scoffed and left the house with furiousness.

Five weeks passed since Lady Murray's last conversation with her father. She was attending yet another charity meeting in Cardiff when all of a sudden a man from her father's office came in. She had no slightest idea what it could mean but she listened to each word he said, getting paler within seconds.

"No.. It's impossible" she mumbled at last and fainted.

*

48 hours earlier.

He looked for 'one last time' at the white dried-up flower.

"I am so sorry, Kate," soldier William Howard murmured and closed his eyes.

*

Michael arrived at the hospital where his daughter had been taken after losing consciousness during her meeting. He already knew what happened to his son-in-law and considered it a blessing to Catherine. In his mind, The Earl of Pembroke already imagined his daughter's second wedding taking place. A wedding with a Welsh, noble, wealthy man whom she "deserved".

"Lady Murray-Howard is such an unlucky person" one nurse said to another standing in the hospital corridor.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked but without hearing their answer he entered Catherine's cabin. She kept her hands on her stomach while looking through the window.

"I've lost them both" she whispered through tears when she noticed Michael's gaze.

He had no idea about her pregnancy, therefore the fact he just realised struck him like lightning.

~~~

'Why is this bloody war so cruel to me? Why is the whole universe against me? Losing him would have been easier if I had our third baby close to myself, that thought would console me a little. C. Howard, 1944." 

~~~

That was her first note weeks after getting to know about her husband's death and her miscarriage. Now, after a year since writing it out, she was looking through old notes, finding that particular one from 1944. As she was closing her notebook, her father watched her.

"Your life has been surrendered by anxiety since he left for France. It was quite predictable that you would lose your child sooner or later" he said

"Your grandchild," Catherine remarked and looked at her father with narrowed eyes "How can you be so heartless? I lost my husband and a baby and you say that it was 'predictable'? I am lost for words, papa".

"Think of the positivity that comes from this situation. Soon, you will finally find a man who will not be risking his life at war"

"You mean you will find him for me, right?' She scoffed. "It has been more than a year and so far there is no luck. I am so sorry for being such a disappointment for you but.." she stopped to take a breath and continued: "But I will always love William. Only him. You can even try to organise my meetings with as many potential future husbands of mine as you want. Just know that I will reject every single one of them." she emphasised each word "No matter how much money they will keep in their houses or how handsome they will be. It does not matter to me at all. Your attempts will all be pointless, as they have been until now".

"I am constantly giving you a choice, Catherine. If I was to threaten you, I'd force you to get married a month or perhaps even a day after we got to know about William's death. In my mind, there was a possibility of a wedding ceremony with the first nobleman I could think of. Be kind enough and notice how I was, and how I still am letting you get used to life without Mr Howard and get to know someone of your choice. Moreover, you are not held hostage here either so do not exaggerate this situation" he said louder.

"I'd rather be held hostage than have to think about 'someone new' in my life, papa" she murmured and closed her eyes "Leave my room, please".

"Lady Catherine Murray, soon you will see for yourself that living in the land of the dead takes you nowhere. The hurtful truth is that you are wasting the greatest years of your life now'.

"No. I am not Catherine Murray, papa. For almost 15 years my surname is Howard. It will always be Howard, not Murray nor any other name of an unknown, noble man" she hissed, yet she had confidence and determination in her voice "Papa, let yourself accept that in 1931, on the day when Lady Catherine Murray got married, she died and instead she became Mrs Catherine Howard.

Accept that it is my surname now and please let it be written on my gravestone in the future when I will, at last, join my husband".

She finished and looked at her father with 'sharp eyes' so he left to go to the garden where his grandchildren were waiting.

 Catherine watched Patrick and Mary through the window for a few seconds. Then, she closed her eyes and burst into tears. After she calmed down a little, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, noticing a silver locket which had been hanging from her neck since the day William asked her to become his happily ever after.

There was no ring or other expensive jewellery for the proposal, just that locket which he found in his teenage years in an old box with his family belongings in the attic and which he then named "A piece of jewellery for my future wife". 

A silver locket with a small blue stone and two pictures of them were both put there by William himself days before asking her to be his wife. Simple, yet meaningful.

She promised to wear it always. Now, though, she took it off and opened it for the first time. "I cannot keep it with me forever. I guess my father is right. I must leave the land of the dead. I spent too much of my time there. But no worries, my William" she weakly smiled, closing her eyes "I will not marry anyone else. Remember that I will always love you. Your Catherine Howard" she whispered and put the locket into a wooden drawer in their bedroom. As she was closing it with a key, she was not even trying to hold back her new tears.

*

France.

"Where am I?' A soldier asked one of the nurses working in a hospital minutes after waking up from a type of coma that lasted more than a year.

"You are in the hospital, Sir. Your battalion was attacked in 1944. A year ago. It is truly a miracle you are alive"

'So there's still an ongoing war."

"No. It ended two months ago, Sir. Today's date is July 20th, 1945"

"My son's birthday is in two days," William said and weakly smiled.

His doctor did a checkup but it seemed like he remembered every detail of his life The names of his children, his family members' birthdays, the date of his wedding and he remembered her. Catherine. His wife and someone who kept him in her memory all this time. He assumed that she married someone else meanwhile so he did not try to write a letter. "I do not want to ruin her life".

*

On the day of her son's birthday, Catherine couldn't help but think of her husband again. She still thought that he was deceased on that day in France back in 1944.

"Do you think he is looking over us?" Mary asked her mum as she stepped closer to Catherine and put her hand around her

"Yes, certainly," her mother replied and smiled as she looked up to the sky. She felt quite worried about her father now because he was late for Patrick's birthday party.

 The Earl of Pembroke was attending an 'urgent meeting' in England, regarding the situation of his son-in-law. He knew everything all along and despite that, lied to Catherine and her kids. "The most convenient solution for this would be to keep it all a secret, and in case he would try to return to Wales and Lady Murray's life, then you must take steps to kill him" he commanded without a blink of an eye.

*

25th August 1945.

William was able to leave for home after the long hospital treatment. Home. He wondered where to go. His old house was destroyed in the war back in 1942 and the home where he lived with his wife and children was no longer his. The decision he made not to come back to Catherine's life was upheld. All of a sudden, he noticed a familiar silhouette of a man.

*

Catherine Howard tried to find the strength to keep going through her life, bring up her children and had hoped to find peace. She kept her promise of not marrying anyone else and cared for her two children and charities. Nothing of that had given her the liberty she desperately needed but she knew she could not leave. "He left and that caused us enough heartbreak. I cannot leave as well" she thought to herself over the years when been getting suicidal thoughts.

On his deathbed, her father who died due to cancer in 1950, had given her a letter without explaining it. Catherine opened it three days after his funeral.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My beloved daughter,

I apologise for not having enough courage to tell you about it before. Your husband survived. He survived the attack on his battalion six years ago. I am sincerely sorry for keeping it a secret. All along since 1921 when I met William, I thought you made the biggest mistake of your life. It turns out you were right and I was and will stay the worst possible father and grandfather ever.

William was the victim of war but also a victim of my eagerness to make your life better. I met him once after the war ended. It was the day him being discharged from the hospital. I had wanted to make sure he would not try to return to your life. Consequently, I told him that you met someone and got married for the second time. I mentioned a pregnancy that you miscarried and I blamed him for it. I was astonished when his reply to that was: "I assumed her second marriage a long time ago. Tell her I am sorry for making her life a misery and that she and our three children were my everything above all". 

He was run over by a car driving at a high speed right as he walked away from the spot where we met. I am certain it was not an accident. I killed him. I wanted it for years and yet when it was announced to me by a doctor in France I was in a state of shock, almost sadness even. His gravestone is located close to the church where you two got married. Nobody knew it was his funeral, only me. You can find it. -8 / 1945- is all that's written on it..

Patrick, Mary and you are victims of my selfishness and greed. I understand completely if you won't be able to forgive me, Kate. But remember I loved you and cared for you and your children. I've made huge donations to all those charities you supported over the years. Last year, I also made several secret visits to a few of those, just like you always wanted me to. It is not enough and I am aware of that. I have not left money or any other sort of inheritance. You and your son are owners of our family estate, so you can keep it or sell it to get money from it as I once told you. But there is something that you would probably like to keep with yourself. Look inside this envelope. "Something that saved me during the war now is supposed to keep her safe" were his last words to me.

I, most likely, will not get your forgiveness so I can only hope for God's forgiveness.

Your father - Michael".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs Howard was shocked to bits after reading the letter. It dropped from her hand onto the floor while tears appeared in her eyes. "It is insane.." she murmured and broke down crying. While doing so, she looked inside the envelope as her father told her to. Almost yellow now, dried up flower "Sweet William". A 'talisman' she had given her husband back in May 1944, something that "saved him during the war" did not manage to do that for the second time because he returned it to her father, almost as if he did not want to live anymore. 

Catherine Howard quickly wiped her tears when her son came to her room. 

"Mum, is everything alright?" He asked as he approached her. She sniffed and with all her possible strength she hugged her son.

In the evening, that 'talisman' in an envelope was put right next to Catherine's locket with two pictures of her and William Howard. Her father's Welsh property was sold three months later and she and her children moved out of there as soon as it was possible. The Earl of Pembroke's daughter did not want to stay there as she considered it cursed because of him.  She had taken all the significant things with her to another, much smaller house in Wales. She also ordered William's full name to be written on his gravestone.

Mrs Howard witnessed the wedding celebrations of both her & William's children, had become a grandmother three times and lived in her second home until her death at the age of 79. A white flower "Sweet William" was put inside her hand and a silver locket with two photographs was again put on her neck on the day of the funeral. The location of her grave was right next to one of her dear husband William. "Catherine Howard" was the name written on it, just like she wished years before.

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

2010.

Prince William and his fiancée Catherine Middleton entered their first real house in Anglesey, Wales.

As she stepped into one of the rooms, she felt something weird, as if the spirit of someone 'checked' what she was doing there. For some reason, it did not scare her but instead made her open an old drawer with a key.

"What is this?" She whispered as she took something into her hands and slowly opened.

It was an envelope with one petal of "Sweet William" and a piece of paper with words:

"Life is too short to love you in one, I promise to look for you in the next life".

She knew this quote was by William Shakespeare. It made her feel confused and amazed all at once. As she stared at the letters on paper and dried petals of "Sweet William", her future husband put his hand on her shoulder.

"What is this?" He asked

"I wanted to ask you the same question now" she startled and showed him the envelope and what was inside it. William was astonished as well but as he read the sentence by Shakespeare a few times and looked at the petal of one of his wife's favourite flowers, he looked at her and kissed her on the lips. 

The air surrounding them had a familiar scent. The scent of flowers which years before were a part of Catherine Murray's flower crown on her wedding day to William Howard.

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

THE END.

[oplishin]

hey, I’m really enjoying your charlotte flair/becky lynch fics! I don’t know a lot about them though and I haven’t seen any primers or descriptions of their whole deal or things like that that I’ve seen for other feuds/pairings. I’m not asking you to make one, that would be a huge amount of work, but I’m curious about your favorite charlynch moments!

hi anon! :D lucky for you i love rambling.

charlynch guide

kind of a timeline w/ a lot of rambling discussion of moments i like. i'm sure i left out a bunch of things because this is a NINE YEAR long feud + some more nxt stuff on top of that. if anyone has corrections/ further input please say so.

NXT (2013-2015)

this era is COMPLICATED: the 4HW's alliances changed constantly, and i don't have a great handle on it. there a couple of moments i think are relevant for both of them, though.

charlotte debuted as a perky pink volleyball player, which is farrr from what The Queen gimmick is today. (fun fact, she debuted in a match against Bayley!) there are 2 bits that i feel like crystallized her character. 1) being the first person to turn on bayley 2) beating natalya in a harts v flairs match to crown the first NXT women's champion. that's about when she started using a remix of thus spake zarathustra, ric flair's theme. these moments are important to Me because they show that charlotte's a cutthroat nepo baby, but she's also a very emotional/sensitive person. she cries and thanks nattie after the match, and it's very sweet.

her most important feud from NXT is against Sasha. it continued onto the main roster. these two specifically were presented as the very top of the division, only matched by each other. charlotte's nepo baby status is very relevant to all of this.

becky debuted w/ the irish jig gimmick, which SHE does not want to remember, so we'll move past it! she kind of floundered until she stumbled into a steampunk rocker gimmick. an important match is one she had against sasha even though she panicked about screwing something up, the audience got majorly behind her. she's just always had this natural connection to the audience that's hard to define and analyze. babyface magic idk

Main Roster Call Up (2015)

Sasha, Becky, and Charlotte got called up in mid 2015 (bayley got left behind in NXT because otherwise, the women's division there would just not exist). Becky and Charlotte aligned with Paige to form the creatively named team PCB. I honestly don't find most PCB stuff very interesting. The moment where they debut is great. Paige gets really, uncomfortably mean before she eventually turns on charlotte and becky. it's a moment i think probably shouldn't have happened but i'm happy to include in my charlynch canon lol. i've fudged the timeline on this a bit, don't mind me

actually, there are a million cute charlynch backstage promos from 2015 (this is a bad example). becky is bright-eyed and punny, and charlotte begrudgingly loves it. the fact that they were real life best friends seeps through all of it. their best friendship is also so, so real. they rode together everywhere, shared hotel rooms, took a million cute selfies that are all over the internet. there's a very cute wwe ride with me episode with them.

Post Paige (2015)

charlotte gets the diva's championship and soundly defeats paige in their feud. as always happens in wrestling, her ego starts getting the best of her. the charlynch backstage promos get uncomfortable. ric flair starts showing up everywhere, and he drives a wedge between the two of them. like he would in real life a few years later! i hate ric flair. eventually, becky wins a match against charlotte, and instead of supporting her friend, she turns on becky. theyyyy. honestly did not have much a feud after this. they had a smackdown match + a royal rumble one and That's It

becky and sasha had a number one contenders match, which charlotte interrupted so she could have a facedown with Just Sasha. there are photos of becky crying next to the ring because honestly, such a dick move from the writers.

she eventually got written into the WM 32 match, and it became a triple threat.

for some reason, charlotte won that triple threat! and that's when the charlotte-hatred from the fandom really starts. the perception from the audience is that she gets stuff just because she's ric flair's daughter. i... agree, like she's a 14 time women's world champion and no one's even CLOSE to that record for a reason. however, i will go to the grave saying that charlotte is a very good wrestler.

in becky's book, she describes a moment where she and charlotte promised to never let the business get in the way of their real friendship which 🥹 i'm going to fumking cry. they did NOT succeed lmfao

Post WM 32 (2016-2018)

they both go off to do their own thing, mainly. charlotte feuds with sasha, becky becomes the inaugural smackdown champion and gets given a garbage reign. becky is consistently shunted off to the side by the writers, and the audience picks up on it. she becomes a fan favorite underdog, while the criticism against charlotte grows. especially when she's the person who ends asuka's undefeated streak at wm 34

Their proper feud!!!!! (2018)

at some point, they become friends again. i don't think it's. really explained lmao. becky has a match at summerslam against carmella for the world title. to becky's chagrin, charlotte enters that match, and she wins it. after the match, becky turns heel on her, only, she doesn't really because the POP she gets???? insane. generational moment from a generational babyface.

the writers cannot get the audience to boo her despite their best efforts, so they're forced to write them both as tweeners. they build off of the real life frustration with charlotte's neverending push. Becky tells Charlotte she's gotten everything handed to her, etc etc. they have some really good matches together, my favorite of which is the last woman standing match at Evolution 2018. their promos in this time period are all FIRE, and you should check them out. becky is an incredible mic worker.

The Man

in the build to survivor series, nia jax famously shoot-punches becky in the face and breaks her nose. Becky gets covered in her own blood and just fuckin grins into the audience, and that's a crystallizing moment for her. the audience loves her, and she's an awesome fuckin badass. the man is a much more serious character than her previous character, and i will always mourn her puns. The Man forever changed Becky's career and made her the most successful/famous female wrestler Ever.

A big part of the Man's character was being deeply snarky on twitter. this unfortunately included a lot of body-shaming Charlotte in now-deleted tweets. both of these women have very fraught relationships with their bodies. of course, wrestling's primarily male audience ate that shit up, as they always do. their friendship fell apart in real life, and becky cites that as one of Many reasons. real life rebecca quinn is a complicated person, and she's very candid about that in her memoir.

Oh god, the build to Wrestlemania 35

the writers originally wanted to build to charlotte v ronda at wrestlemania, but becky's momentum was sooo undeniable at this point. a lot of convoluted bullshit happened. it started as becky v ronda, then she started feuding with the authority, then she randomly became friends with charlotte again (a story decision neither of them liked), then she got kayfabe injured, then charlotte replaced her in the match, then she ??? idk fanagled her way back into the match. it's a triple threat now. no one is happy that charlotte is here. if i've fudged the timeline here it doesn't matter because honestly the WRITERS did too

for some reason wm 35 is 7 hours long, but at the end becky wins in the motherfucking main event of wrestlemania. fuck yeah. ronda did botch the ending, but what can you do.

2019-2021

they feud a little bit because becky pinned ronda to get charlotte's title, then they move on from that. Becky's run continues until she gets pregnant in june 2020 and vacates the raw title. charlotte does a lot of very cool NXT matches. Becky returns and takes the title of Bianca in about 7 seconds flat, which no one (including becky) is happy about lol!! she comes back as a heel, now with the gimmick "big time becks." big time becks is my absolute favorite character from her. it's during this time that you can really tell she and seth have the same stylist. at some point, ric flair tries to sue becky. it's complicated and stupid.

there's a deeply bad and uncomfortable storyline from 2021, where ric starts flirting with lacey evans. charlotte has an uncomfortably real argument with him backstage, and it's honestly. God, even though the storyline is Conceptually Rotten and they should not have done it, it's an interesting kayfabe way for charlotte to reckon with Ric flair's real life crimes. Charlotte's acting in that segment is Way Too Good. i have a lot of feelings about her relationship with ric, but. whatever!!!

oh, there's also this cute moment from 2020. they're cute.

we're back (oh god, we are NOT back)

in november 2021, both of them hold a world title, but for the opposite brand. therefore, WWE has them do a dumb, convoluted title switch. during this, charlotte drops her title on the ground in an unscripted moment. it's deeply awkward, and both becky and sonya (the gm organizing this moment) become visibly frustrated with her. like, the implication is that she wanted becky to get on the ground and pick it up in a humiliating moment. they had a backstage altercation, and now they real life hate each other. charlynch is fucking DEAD

wwe did a very good video package about this. it includes my favorite ever becky promo, where she tells charlotte she's going to beat the living piss out of her. i can't find the actual promo because youtube search is useless, but! yeah.

but at least this results in my favorite match they've ever had!!! survivor series 2021 is a deeply emotional match. after winning, becky gives this really sad backstage interview, where she cries and talks about their friendship falling apart. it's a promo that makes ME cry tbh.

2021-2023

nothing charlynch related really happens lmfao. they do not fuck with each other anymore. at least, nothing happens in kayfabe. becky turns face again, returning to The Man character. (her feud with bianca is so fucking good!!!!) Charlotte also ends up as a face by the end of 2023, which is where things happen again.

Survivor Series 2023

charlotte asks becky to join her team for survivor series. they do the can I trust you rigamarole, and i'm so invested in it. they have a moment where they pinky promise, like they did way back in those old PCB 2015 promos. charlotte's bright-eyed delight at being forgiven vs becky's sober mistrust. god.

and they win at survivor series, and they hug, and it's sooo fucking awesome seeing this 9 Real year old friendship rekindle through forgiveness and communication. i'm emotional about it.

at the post SS media scrum, they talk about their relationship, and describe it as "we're dating again" because they hate me specifically. they're so fucking cute i cannot handle them

wow, what happens next???

charlotte explodes her knee and gets put on the shelf for 9 months, and she's still out now. :(. she actually has the exact injury seth got in 2015 lol. also, becky is currently out on hiatus, so who knows when they'll interact next. at least we ended on a good note

[myheartalivewrites]

Tag someone you want to get to know better.

Thanks for tagging me @bitbybitwrites ! ❤️

favorite color: no clue! I look particularly good in pink, white, navy blue so let's go with those!

last song: playing on my Spotify just now: Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper, which... yeah, I stand by it.

last movie: the last film I saw in a cinema was Red, White & Royal Blue at the London premiere. Actually, now that I think of it, I took my kids to the Super Mario Bros movie more recently, but that can't be my answer, so we'll stick with RWRB.

On the tv it was Love at First Sight on Netflix, which was alright.

currently watching: rewatching Sex Education before diving into season 4. Watching the current seasons of Taskmaster and Only Murders in the Building as they air so I don't get spoiled.

other stuff I watched this year: if I was a goldfish I wouldn't even be able to find my way around my fish bowl, by which I mean my memory sucks and I can barely remember what happened on a show from week to week. I watched Succession. Loved the second season of The White Lotus (I think that was this year 😬). Season 2 of Heartstopper. Strange New Worlds. Queen Charlotte. The Night Agent. Good Omens. Starstruck. Rewatched Schitt's Creek. I'm sure there's more

shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: I started on The Americans, forgot I was halfway through but I want to get back to it. Abbott Elementary I've been dipping in and out of when I need a v chill evening. Same for What We Do in the Shadows and somehow pretty much everything I like that's on Disney+ I keep forgetting to finish. Res Dogs, Grey's, Station 19, Fleishman is in Trouble. That's weird.

currently reading: I just finished The House in the Cerulean Sea 🥹 and now I'm reading Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit bc I like to alternate easier books with more challenging ones 😂

Oh, and fic wise, this weekend I started With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes

currently listening to: my most highly in rotation playlist atm is a very poppy one filled with BSB and N'Sync and Britney and other bangers including Nobody Like U (from the film Turning Red) which is fucking excellent and will always be famous to me 😍. It's out of character for me, but it peps me up!

currently working on: a few attempts at expanding recent fics. My south of France fic. Something original that I'm hoping to really dive into come October, if the fic brain worms leave me alone.

current obsession: def still RWRB ❤️

Tagging @daisymae-12 @inexplicablymine @historicallysam @gwiazdziarka @letloverule1111 @kiwiana-writes @celaestis1 and if YOU too feel inclined to overshare on the dash why not do it and tag me so I can read it? 😁

[mrvictive]

Act VII

Day 13

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can Never Go Back...

13 Ultra Royal Committed Days,

Today is A Land Mark. 🚩🚩

We Finished 3r Module of Js. DOM and Events Fundumentals. 🧑‍💻

عملت 2 games كيوت جدا و مستني انزل اجازة والعبهم ل My Cute nieces.

لو سالتني قبل كدا ايام Act V ايه اكبر مخاوفك؟ كنت دايما بجاوب اني اقع تاني عشان انا دا اعظم version انا فيها حاليا ,و انا مقدرش a Lose this....... I can never go back..

حاليا معنديش اي مخاوف. لو وقعت I will Stand Up More Stronger. More Fierce. مش هقع دا شيء انا متاكد منه. بس اللي متاكد منه اني كل يوم ب Stand Pain اكتر من اليوم اللي قبله.

Building The Toughest Version Of Vicious Mr. V.

فيه record تاني النهاردة حطمناه اللي هو علمنا Push Ups 71 في مرة واحده وكان Total اليوم 251 ولسا قبل ما انام كمان.

بنتكلم النهاردة في ال Dark Room عن ال feelings و ازاي هي بتسيطر علي الانسان. ف انا كنت بقول اني ضدد خالص ان شوية مشاعر مهما كانت تاثر علي الانسان. وكان ضددي محمود اني شخص بلا صعب. قولتله مش بخلي مشاعري تاثر علي هدفي.

النهاردة في الشغل توصلنا ل 3 كورسات كل ��احد منهم لما نخلصه تكلفة الامتحان الواحد 1000$ بس دي خطوة صعبة بس وقتها لسا جاي السنة الجاية. اخلص ال target بتاعي في ال Coding وبعد كدا اخد كورسات تاني في مجالي الرئيسي.

I'm Going to be the Best Version of Myself,

Where we will, we'll always Rise and Survive....

To Be Ultra Royally Continued

Mr. Act V

[finnglas]

hmmmMMM Kaide and Tali (and Lyna if you want??), gardening

[this fits their Inquisition canon v well]

Herbalism is one of the many things the clan tried to teach her, but Ines hadn't truly been interested until Kaide had pulled out his fancy scissors while they were on a ride to harvest a lovely seeding bit of royal elfroot. "These will be nice for growing," he'd told her, carefully scraping out a pod but leaving plenty for the wild animals and wind to scatter. "We'll plant them in Skyhold's garden."

Which was how Ines had become interested in the courtyard that Kaide had claimed for his own space, with one corner for healing herbs and one for poisonous ones, and one for the ones that could go either way. The last corner was for the seedlings Ines was growing herself under Kaide's patient tutelage, and that is where Taliesin finds him, kneeling in the dirt, the sun catching at the fine teal velvet of his sleeves and picking out the red highlights in his hair.

"These are almost ready to harvest," Kaide says as Taliesin approaches, sounding worried. "She was so excited to get to do it herself. Have you heard from Lyna at all?"

Ines has been traveling with the clan for the past couple of weeks, spending time with her mother, mainly, although she had promised Taliesin she'd also speak to the Keeper about the possibility of vallaslin. Maybe.

"Not since the last one, but the clan should be passing close by any day now, so--"

"Ada! Papa!"

Kaide is on his feet faster than Taliesin has seen him move outside of battle. Ines hits him full-force at a flat out run and nearly takes him down, and Taliesin spares a moment to rub his bad knee and be grateful it wasn't him.

"Easy," Kaide laughs as he pats her on her back. "Your deadly nightshade is almost ready to harvest. You're just in time."

"Ooh, can I borrow your scissors? Hi, Ada." She interrupts herself to give Taliesin a hug, and over her head he sees Lyna coming through the courtyard gate that Ines had flung open.

"Hi, Bee," he laughs, kissing the top of Ines's head. He'll ask her how her time with the clan was later.

"Can I borrow your scissors to harvest them?" she asks Kaide again. Those fancy little things. Taliesin still thinks she only learns about herbs to get to use them.

"We'll, no," Kaide says, and Ines looks positively crestfallen. Taliesin tilts his head; it's the first time he can remember Kaide denying the girl anything. But then he reaches into his coat and pulls out a leather bundle, grinning. "Because you'd probably rather use your own, right?"

The sound Ines makes has the horses snorting and stamping from the other side of the wall, and a dog barks nearby, alarmed. Kaide helps her unwrap the little belt pouch, and inside is a set of herbalist tools, maybe even fancier than the ones he carries.

"I couldn't get back to Ostwick to get a set like mine," he's explaining, "so these are from Val Royeaux."

"How much did those cost you?" Taliesin laughs, and Kaide shrugs.

"Oh, Ines, hang on - gloves. The 'deadly' part of the name isn't for decoration."

While they go off looking for a pair of gloves for Ines, Lyna finally makes it to Taliesin's side.

"Are they always like this?" She's smiling, though. She's told him before that she's perfectly happy to have a third parent in the mix. Taliesin hasn't told her that Kaide has been discussing making Ines his formal heir, with a title and land and everything.

"They're thick as thieves. He gave her a pony within the first month she was here with us," Taliesin says by way of answer, chuckling. "I think he'd give her all of Val Royeaux if he could."

"I'm glad," she says softly. "It eases my heart to know the two of you have someone looking out for you who loves you so much."

"You know, he's offered to invite you to stay here, too."

But Lyna is already shaking her head. "It's a generous offer, but I'm not made for staying in one place. I'll visit, though. Perhaps next time, I'll plan to stay for a bit." She grins slyly. "I noticed a handsome young blacksmith on my way in today. Perhaps I'll stop to speak to him."

Taliesin snorts. "Good hunting," he teases, as Kaide and Ines come back into the courtyard, properly gloved this time, Kaide apparently talking her through the fine art of making poisons. Just what he needs.

Kaide pauses near him to say hello to Lyna and kiss Taliesin briefly, lingering with his arm around Taliesin's waist as they all watch Ines - carefully, for once in her life - harvest the nightshade and transfer it to a bottle. Taliesin foresees her interest in the hobby waning quickly, now that she has her own scissors and has accomplished her goal of growing a plant, but he also knows Kaide won't mind, will just cheerfully keep enabling her along whatever path her interest takes next.

Lucky, indeed, all of them.

[ilearhmajeste]

Elon Musk SAYS blame it on yourself so your the witness

I produced M.B. and the Squad! W,eDeim. AM. CNN

IBM owned it, they're a publisher.

That's how the cookie crumbles.

His mom's publicly on his side for emphasis.

Not like he lives with her choices.

Elon Musk SAYS I'm better than error.

Chris Cuomo:Co Sounder of the Linkiing Project and Other of the Devil Rick Wilson

We'll figure out what to do about this baby. Lady how long have you been confusing which states require you to name your offspring IN HOSPITAL CARE before departure...it's been tracked so far in two states with legal abortions but "politicians" from those states IN DC claim to be fighting Republicans to protect late term abortions. Huh. People are watching your shit KatyT,

Rick wilson:he could say the sky is blue and it'd still be a lie....A CNN moderated debate stage? Like, a sound stage like... he knows Katy know what he's talking about I know about lying

-Richard, from Google translate

A FACT IS AN ABORTION! Have you not watched anything Larry Smith has reproduced. He's who you watch and "faq but that's just your job, that your supposed to do, thanks for screwing around!

Then it's this rando in the corner no I do not want to join Steve Cornaki

You know im not susceptible to your national laws right... do you not I understand that what is going on right now is testing how badly you are infringing the national boundaries of Countries with functioning federal governments...is your phone disco na na Connecticut

Let's see

Non stop lies

3 minutes of fact checking

When Ugat Knocked dwnUgeg bakuDthreethreeo

Umm m.y bronovich;that's a legal scholar. So are people with bullet holes in there head but that's just a theory, a game theory, thanks for your admissions

All of a sudden your a cadaver expert?

AND EEEEK:on a gaudy stage...

And whose up

Sarah Longwell: I'd like to focus on the moon video la piscine je dor lap is in. SunscreenTowels bathing suit those ladders towels.

Seriously lady, a constitutional right is I say so. That's constitutional rights. Thanks for the heads up

Just typical bowling alley talk

Japanese is sexual healing

Hey chocolate curl, did you want to know, a secret, cuz I'm filming Eric Swalwel farting

Mah Ria Ah. C her lil lip line;German Scream!

Hum V makes big boar in Army Funding

And I know when Elon changed his name from Alan Orange.

It was always pronounced Keifer, like Greek yogurt for some odd reason, they always put up his whole name when he was interviewed, I don't think he realized that.

He was head of the FBI

Army was Mueller... then it became immunity Yada Yada yada they managed to get their hands on a Caroline Fischer and the isles released JKRtolk4.Ver

*drum roll* the ironic canadian varcom Royal Canadian Air Farce Presents

furious^:)you are so serious

Luba

...it was supposed to be Muller on the stand, not Molly in a coffin after a corn field. That's murder.

[wildaboutmnhockey]

2, 13, and 30 for your ask game?

2: What’s your feel-good movie?

All time? Don't really have one but I have watched Red White and Royal Blue 3 times since it came out so we'll say that's the current one.

13: What’s your comfort food?

There's a Mexican restaurant in town that I always order from when I'm feeling stressed, burnt out, etc. Specifically I always get the 3 soft shell tacos, a giant thing of queso, and a giant burrito. The queso goes 50/50 to the tacos v the burrito.

30: What reminds you of home (doesn’t have to mean house… just things that remind you of the feeling of home)?

Not to sound insanely Minnesotan but lakes and large bodies of water as a whole. I cried once when I came back home to visit after living in Georgia because I saw a lake and didn't realize just how much I had missed the sight of them.

[synchodai]

This is my biggest disappointment with the show — that they seem to be wholesale pushing the concept of Targaryen exceptionalism by shoehorning Aegon I having a prophetic divine mandate.

It's a fantasy story so it's not unlikely that Targaryens do have magic genes. But the chaos of the Dance showed that the Targaryens aren't exceptional. Non-Valyrians, bastards, and lowborn people can control dragons just as well, if not better, than royal Targaryens. If this bastard dragonseed also has a dragon, why not crown him instead if he's offering us more rights and protection?

Rhaenys herself, with her Velaryon last name and non-Valyrian features (in the book), was a threat to the concept of Targaryen exceptionalism. Jaehaerys had worked so hard to sell the Doctrine of Exceptionalism to the Faith, of couse he would prefer Baelon over her regardless of gender.

Because the Targaryens aren't held up on a pedestal because of masculinity or patriarchal values — it's always been about "the blood of Old Valyria." The books do well to problematize and explore this through Danaerys's journey and the many, many people calling out their eugenicist practices.

Aegon V himself, having spent time with the smallfolk in Dunk and Egg, thought the Doctrine of Exceptionalism was bull. Exceptionalism spread these myths that Targaryens couldn't get sick, that they themselves were as powerful and special as dragons — and he knew that wasn't true. He knew that without the raw power of actual dragons, a Targaryen was a human being like anyone else.

But HotD, on the other hand, is just accepting Exceptionalism wholesale. Of course a Targaryen should rule because of a magic prophecy. Of course Rhaenyra is the true queen because of the divine/magical mandate she inherited through her purer blood. Of course the king's word must be taken as absolute regardless of how it goes against other institutions because.....that's just how feudalist monarchies work, right?

(Spoiler: They don't. Most medieval European rulers' legitimacy and right to rule comes from the endorsement of the Church, the power of their armies, or the support of their vassals (who can give them armies and endorse them). A royal lineage by itself doesn't mean crud without any of these things. They could just replace you with another noble family that the Church can give their divine mandate to.)

Of course, we'll always have viewers and readers who uncritically accept the Targ's inherent exceptionalism because the fantasy genre is filled with super-special, unquestionably noble "true" kings chosen by magic/god/ladies in lakes. People have been conditioned by centuries of nationalist epics, religion, and pop culture to love that sort of thing. The narrative that some are entitled to rule over others due to some inherited superiority is ingrained into human history through colonialism, imperialism, and all the other -isms, and there's just no escaping it.

But what I love about A Song of Ice and Fire is how it pushes back against this trope. It shows the reality of a what a magical royal bloodline would look like: resorting to incest to keep their power to themselves, their empire and family cannabilizing itself, and desperately using the glory of a long-gone, imagined past to justify their rule.

I'm hoping that once the show focuses more on the dragonseeds, we get more perspectives being critical of the Targaryen dynasty. But I do think it's going the right direction with giving time to the smallfolk and emphasizing the food shortage (the Dance is followed by a 5-year winter where most of fields have been burned and men of working age were killed in battle). Praying for more Team Smallfolk rhetoric (let's go, Lady Misery!) on the show.

HBO's Continued Insistence on Dumbing Down Westerosi Politics

So there have been countless thinkpieces already on how GOT simplified the feudalist politics of Westeros (by giving a lowborn sellsword lordship over The Reach, by having no consequences for destroying the Sept of Baelor, etc.), but I haven't seen a lot of people talking about that for House of the Dragon.

The worst being that the show presupposes that Rhaenyra is the lawful heir when the books showed there are plenty of lawful arguments why she wouldn't be.

Mind you that I've been enjoying the show a lot so far. This is just to vent out my frustration with the writers' failure to fully engage with the values and protocols of the Middle Age-inspired setting. The show seems uninterested in laws of the Realm in a story ostensibly about politics, save for when they're using it as an excuse to amplify depictions of sex and violence.

Blacks vs Greens wasn't a matter of misunderstanding of who each side thought Viserys wanted on the throne. It was the Targaryens' belief of their absolute authority clashing with the Realm's established traditions. Everyone always knew who Viserys chose as heir. In Fire and Blood, Grand Maester Orwyle said as much when he was parleying with Rhaenyra on behalf of the Greens.

Rhaenyra heard his terms in stony silence, then asked Orwyle if he remembered her father, King Viserys. "Of course, Your Grace," the maester answered. "Perhaps you can tell us who he named as his heir and successor," the queen said, her crown upon her head. "You, Your Grace," Orwyle replied. And Rhaenyra nodded and said, "With your own tongue you admit I am your lawful queen. Why do you serve my half-brother, the pretender?" Munkun tells us that Orwyle gave a long and erudite reply, citing the Andal law and the Great Council of 101. Mushroom claims he stammered and voided his bladder. Whichever is true, his answer did not satisfy Princess Rhaenyra.

(For non-F&B readers: Munkun is the Grand Maester who served Aegon III, the king who came after this civil war. Munkun's book, The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling, is one of Fire and Blood's source texts. Mushroom is the King Landing court jester from Viserys I to Aegon III's reign. One is a source written with academic rigor but is secondhand at best. The other is a firsthand eyewitness account but is from a literal fool who will take every chance to make things more scandalous and sexual to please the crowd.)

In House of the Dragon, they replaced Orwyle with Otto and Orwyle's discussion of legal precedent with Otto handing Rhaenyra a book page from Alicent. It's quite evident here that the writers, much like Mushroom, thought a discussion on the actual laws of the Realm were negligible in this story about a succession war.

Even Alicent made no pretense that Viserys chose Rhaenyra over her children and I have no idea why the HBO writers decided to make her mistakenly think otherwise. Maybe they thought a queen regent pushing her son to take the throne over another woman made her appear unsympathetic as a character, but if anything, this only makes show!Alicent less politically savvy and more delusional than her book counterpart, fully believing an addled king's vague muttering on his deathbed was sufficient grounds to change heirs last minute.

Book!Alicent following Andal laws instead of her husband's wishes makes sense given her Andal upbringing, her devotion to the Faith of the Seven which enforces said laws, and her desire to protect her children from Rhaenyra given that Rhaenyra has shown she's not above murdering family (see: Laenor).

In the books, there was a long discussion between the former king's council on who should succeed Viserys.

Here are the arguments for Rhaenyra:

Rhaenyra was older than her brothers and had more Targaryen blood

the late king had chosen her as his successor, that he had repeatedly refused to alter the succession despite the pleadings of Queen Alicent and her greens

hundreds of lords and landed knights had done obeisance to the princess in 105 AC, and sworn solemn oaths to defend her rights.

Here are the arguments for Aegon II:

many of the lords who had sworn to defend the succession of Princess Rhaenyra were long dead [...]

Ironrod, the master of laws, cited the Great Council of 101 and the Old King’s choice of Baelon rather than Rhaenys in 92

the hallowed Andal tradition wherein the rights of a trueborn son always came before the rights of a mere daughter

Ser Otto reminded them that Rhaenyra’s husband was none other than Prince Daemon, and “we all know that one’s nature. Make no mistake, should Rhaenyra ever sit the Iron Throne, it will be Lord Flea Bottom who rules us, a king consort as cruel and unforgiving as Maegor ever was [...]”

Should the princess reign [...] Jacaerys Velaryon would rule after her. “Seven save this realm if we seat a bastard on the Iron Throne.”

Once again, the show chose to cut out this long political discussion. Instead, the council had already made up their mind and decided to stage a coup (when in their perspectives from the books, it would definitely not be a coup).

For all their marketing how two sides are equally grey, HotD is actively delegitimizing Aegon II. The strongest argument for him is how his claim follows the laws of the Realm, but the show doesn't care about the laws of the Realm. They didn't even cast a master of laws.

Instead, the show focuses on Viserys's relationship with his daughter and the mysticism of the Targaryen bloodline. In doing so, they emphasize Rhaenyra's strongest arguments for succession — that she's more of a Targaryen than her half-brother and that her father prefered her.

And what for? Because in our modern-day, we don't have male-prefered inheritance and people can only imagine misogyny as the only injustice here? What about the injustice of a monarch exercising absolute control, thinking that his "superior" heritage makes him above the established laws of the native people?

This is not to say Aegon II is unquestionably the heir. Precedence isn't the end-all-be-all of succession.

But this is to say that the show removed the political nuance of why people are questioning in the first place. By glossing over the boring bits of social world-building and historical precedents in favor of salacious scandals and shoehorning a magical prophecy justifying the Targaryens' right to rule, they follow in the steps of the fool Mushroom instead of Fire and Blood as a whole.

[swcrdiisms-blog]

i only have a couple of drafts, and a few memes to work on, so like this for a lil starter later on tonight!!

[heavenblooded-blog]

“I fear for the feet of the women who agree to dance with that man. He's awful, have you seen?” He murmured quietly to the prince whilst refilling his glass.

@maxielightwood