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heli-writes · 1 year

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A marriage of convenience, part 1: The deal.

Pairing: Yoriichi x you

Summary: Yoriichi's friends think that Yoriichi is too lonely and needs a wife and family to take care of him. They propose a marriage of convenience to a woman who's in need of a husband. The arrangement of the marriage is simple: both parties live their lives as before, y/n takes care of Yoriichi as a wife and Yoriichi keeps unwanted men (and demons) away. Love is not required, friendship is appreciated. However, how detached can one be when living so close to each other?

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Series Masterlist

*~*~*~*~*

It's been six years since Uta has passed. Six years in which Yoriichi lived in the same house he found his beloved wife brutally murdered. Since then, he's never been the same. He's never been someone to be cheery or social but after Uta's death, he got even more cool and distant towards people. His demon slayer peers hoped it would get better, that the grief and the pain somewhen would fade and Yoriichi would find back to himself one day. But so far, that never happened.

"Maybe you should get married again, Yoriichi." The burgundy-haired man doesn't reply to his friend's remark but only stares deeper into his teacup. "What he's trying to say is that we're worried about you, Yoriichi. You're all alone in that house. No one to look after you." another demon slayer quickly adds. "I am fine. You don't need to worry but I appreciate your concern." Yoriichi stiffly replies. "For now, but what when you grow old? When your body doesn't work as it used to? We have children to look after us when this happens. But you?" Yoriichi's friend tries to argue. "We're not saying you should replace Uta. No one could. We're saying you shouldn't live alone. A wife would be the simplest solution to that." "I am fine," Yoriichi repeats, shifting in his seat. He clearly feels uncomfortable in this conversation. When his friends asked him to join him for a cup of tea, he did not think that this was their intention. "Look, we know a nice woman who lives a village over from here. You should take a look at her, get to know her." Yoriichi scrunches his eyebrow. He doesn't like how the other man talks about this woman as if she's a puppy up for sale. "I don't need to get to know anybody.", he argues. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but here's the thing: y/n lives alone in a cottage in the woods with her six-year-old son. She's a healer who provides the nearby villages and slayers with ointments and other medicines. Her living situation is common knowledge around here and it keeps on happening that men try to bother her in her own home. She is in need of a husband who keeps the unwanted attention away." his other friend explains. "Also she's like really hot.", the first slayer adds grinning. "In that case, I'm sure she'll find another man who is willing to help her out.", Yoriichi answers. "True, but these men have certain expectations in return. Like you, y/n lost her family a while ago. She isn't trying to start a new one, she just wants to live her life in peace. Doesn't that sound familiar to you?" Yoriichi leans back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It would be a marriage of convenience. You'd keep her peace, she takes care of you in return. And since there's already an heir, you'd both be taken care of in old age.", his friend points out. "And no need for another child if that's not what you want.", the other man adds. Yoriichi stares into his tea and thinks about what the men said. "We get you're not convinced about this but you could just meet up with her and see how it goes. What's the harm in one meeting?" Yoriichi takes his cup and finishes his tea in one gulp. "One meeting and after that I don't want to hear anything about this anymore.", he concludes.

*~*~*~*~*

They've set up the meeting at her house. On a sunny spring day, one of the slayers takes him to the cottage in the woods. The cottage lies about half an hour on foot from the nearby village. Very far off for a woman living alone, Yoriichi thinks. The cottage is not like he expected it to look. He expected a Japanese-style wooden house with slide doors. But the house looks like anything he's ever seen before. Western style, he assumes. They are a few feet away from the house when its door suddenly opens. A young woman leaves the house. She wears a traditional kimono but doesn't wear any shoes. Her hair is also not in an updo as most women wear it but it falls loosely around her head. As they walk up to her, Yoriichi feels uncomfortably under her watchful gaze. "(Y/n), it's good to see you. Thank you for inviting us. This is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the man I've told you about." Yoriichi bows politely to the woman in front of him. Her unreadable facial expression doesn't change but she bows too and says: "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've prepared tea for us."

(Y/n) leads the two slayers into her home where she set up a table with tea and some biscuits. Yoriichi looks around her home as they sit down. The main room of the cottage includes a kitchen and a table. There are multiple shelves on the wall that are filled with different-sized bottles which include colorful liquids and dried herbs. A cord is strung across the room to which bundles of different plants are attached to. "Probably to dry them before she works them into her medicine.", Yoriichi thinks. (Y/n) notices his glance and explains: "I grow these herbs in my garden in the back.". "They smell nice.", Yoriichi notes. At that, (y/n) smiles softly for the first time since they've arrived.

*~*~*~*~*

"So, what do you think of (y/n), Yoriichi?" his friend asks. Yoriichi stares at the path in front of him. "She's not unpleasant.", he concludes. "Well, I hoped for better feedback but I suppose it's a start. Do you want to meet her again?", his friend laughs. Yoriichi hesitates for a moment. "I don't know yet." His friend nods. "You don't have to know yet but I am glad you're giving this a chance." They continue their way home in silence.

*~*~*~*~*

It's been a long night. The demons he hunted weren't hard to deal with but it was a long walk back home. Yoriichi enters his home which lies in dead silence. For a moment he stands in the doorway listening for movement inside the house. He doesn't hear anything. For the first time in a long while, he's not sure if that is a good thing. He walks into his bedroom and leans his sword against the wall. He prepares to go to sleep but once he's inside his futon, sleep doesn't want to find him. His thoughts slip back to his friends and (y/n). (Y/n) is a kind woman, he concludes. During their tea, his friend led most of their conversation. (Y/n) answered all questions, even asked some of her own but never tried to push the conversation further. While his friend talked a lot about marriage, (y/n) not once used the word herself. Taking it slow, Yoriichi thinks and turns to his side. The pale moonlight falls onto his sword. She is looking for a man who can protect her, he thinks. I've failed to protect Uta. How could I possibly protect her? It's best to point this out to her before she actually sees me as a potential marriage candidate. This was his last thought before he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

*~*~*~*~*

The path to (y/n)'s cottage is small and overgrown with weeds but Yoriichi unmistakenly recognizes it. Walking the path alone without his friends has something peaceful. He's so far out from civilization, the only noises he hears are some songbirds and the rustling of leaves in the soft spring breeze. Soon, a sweet, heavy smell fills the air indicating that the cottage is close. (Y/n) must be baking bread, Yoriichi thinks. He steps onto the meadow on which (y/n)'s cottage stands. A young boy with bright blond hair stands in front of the cottage with a ball in his hand. This must be her son, Yoriichi notes to himself. Last time, (y/n) was alone in the cottage. She sent her son off to play with the boys from the village. The boy watches Yoriichi closely as he makes his way to the cottage. The boy must come after his father, Yoriichi thinks. He shares no facial features with his mother at all.

"Hello, boy. Is your mother around? I need to speak with her." Yoriichi calls out to the boy. The boy only looks up to him with big, round eyes. Yoriichi notices how he grips his ball just a little bit tighter. Yoriichi shifts uncomfortably on his feet. "Is she inside? It smells like she's baking bread.", the burgundy-haired man asks again, his eyes fixed on the boy. "This is (y/s/n). He doesn't speak.", he hears (y/n) say. He looks up seeing the woman standing in the door frame to her cottage. "I see.", Yoriichi says. "I've come to speak with you. Is that alright with you?", he asks her. "Of course. Please, come in.", (y/n) says giving him a small smile. (Y/n) leads him inside and points towards the table they sat at last time. "Sit. I make tea for us." Yoriichi nods and takes a seat. The boy followed them inside but he hides behind the doorframe to the living area. (Y/n) starts making tea and silence falls over the three of them. Yoriichi isn't sure whether it's a comfortable or uncomfortable silence. He feels awkward about what he has to say.

"Would you like some bread with jam? The bread is fresh out of the oven.", (y/n) asks. Yoriichi looks up and meets her gaze as she is turned to him with her upper body. "Sure, it already smells great." Suddenly the boy enters the room and hugs his mother's legs. "Do you also want some jam, (y/s/n)?", she asks him. The boy nods. (Y/n) strokes over the boy's head and the boy smiles, hugging her legs tighter. When he lets go of her, (y/n) walks back to the table with a tray. "Please, help yourself.", she says. The boy still stands awkwardly in the kitchen. She turns around and says: "You don't want to sit with us? That's alright. You can take your bread outside if you want to." The boy nods and walks to the table. (Y/n) hands him a piece of bread and he leaves through the backdoor.

"So, you've come to talk to me?", (y/n) attempts to start a conversation with the man in front of her. Yoriichi shifts awkwardly in his seat. "Yes," he begins, "I assume you're aware that my friends introduced me to you for a reason." "Of course," she answers, "After all, I asked him if he knows any kind men who are looking for a wife." Yoriichi nods. "Well, I am sorry to disappoint but I am not really looking for a wife." (Y/n) leans back into her seat. "So he told me. But I am sure he also told you I am not looking for a real husband either." "Yes," Yoriichi replies, "he explained your situation. However, I am not sure if I am fit for what you're looking for. I can't protect you." There's a sharp spark in (y/n)'s eyes. "I'm not sure I can follow." (y/n) says. "I've never said I wanted a husband for protection. I simply need a man in my household. In today's world, a woman living alone apparently is an open invitation for some people. A man simply living with her is enough to keep the unwanted company away." Yoriichi nods staring at the bread in front of him. It looks delicious. (Y/n) sighs. "My fiancée passed seven years ago, together with my sisters. At the end, I was only able to protect myself. I guess, I don't really need anyone's protection when it comes to a physical fight. So don't worry about this.", (y/n) concludes. "If we were to wed," Yoriichi tries to argue, "It would still be my responsibility to protect you." (Y/n) looks at him. "This wouldn't be a normal marriage, so normal rules and expectations wouldn't apply. When you can't fulfill your duty to protect me, I don't have to fulfill other wifely duties. It'd be fair and there are things I don't want to do with you anyways." Yoriichi gets what she's hinting at. "I wouldn't have asked that of you anyways," he points out, "I am not looking for someone to replace my deceased wife." He feels slightly insulted by her implications. (Y/n) nods. "Apologies. I didn't mean to assume things but it was important to me to get this out of the way first.", she explains. "Also, I don't want to replace my fiancée as well", she adds quickly. "So what you're looking for is...", Yoriichi pauses. "... is a simple arrangement. But your friend surely told you about this. It's not a secret I am simply looking for a marriage out of convenience." she ends his sentence. Yoriichi nods again but remains silent. (Y/n) sighs once again. "If this doesn't work for you, I take no offense. It's why we met up before making a decision."

Yorrichi remains silent for another minute. "Where would we live?", he asks her. "I would prefer to stay here but I am ready to accommodate." He's glad she says this. He wouldn't want her to sleep where Uta has slept. And maybe, he's tired of looking at the spot where Uta has died. "What about (y/s/n)?", he asks further. "You're welcome to take part in his life but you don't have any responsibilities. I only expect of you to show him respect and kindness.", she answers. He nods again. "You would continue your work as a healer?" "Yes, and you can come and go as your work requires you to.", she replies. "And you take care of the household?", he asks. "Yes, I will. I might need some help when it comes to repairs around the house or heavy lifting." "That's alright. I can help with anything you need. What else?", he continues. "Money.", she answers, "By law, after the marriage everything that's mine is yours and the other way around. Do you want to keep it like this or do you want to keep it separate?" Yoriichi shrugs and says: "It would make sense to put everything into one pot when it comes to bigger repairs or purchases. But I'm fine with both." (Y/n) nods. "I agree, as long as we both get a say in where we spend money on. I don't want a man who wants to have financial control over the household." Yoriichi straightens in his seat a bit. He gets where this is coming from. It's not easy being a woman these days. "Don't worry. With your business, you probably understand more about money things than me. I'd even be okay with you having control over things.", he concludes. (Y/n) looks content. "So, we have a deal?", she asks. Yoriichi ponders the question for a moment before answering.

"Yes, we have a deal."

#demon slayer #kny #kny x you #kny x reader #yoriichi tsugikuni #yoriichi x you #demon slayer yoriichi #yoriichi #yoriichi x y/n #yoriichi tsugikuni imagine #yoriichi imagine

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anonymityisfunwriter · 8 months

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The Heir and The Spare - Part 1: "Familial and Strangers"

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader Summary: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heaviest is the head that was always second best.

The Heir and The Spare Chapter List | Steve Rogers Masterlist

Your nails impatiently thrum against the hard leather of the common room's chairs.

You check your watch again.

23 minutes late. 23 minutes of time and money. 23 minutes he could hold over your head. 23 minutes of power.

Power was all that existed in your relationship with Tony. His constant grabs for power. His need to remind you that you would always be second to him. It was the only language either of you spoke.

Dramatic, but true.

The whole room was so very Tony Stark. Ostentatious. Ultra modern. A nose dive into the future. And not a person in sight. No doubt Tony sent all his precious team mates away. How convenient. Heaven forbid any of them actually meet you.

You have half a mind to leave. You know Tony. This whole waiting game was one big power move to prove that he could summon you and you would appear. You shouldn't have come in the first place.

He didn't have the courtesy to call you, not that you would've answered in the first place. No, he sent Happy to tell you that he needed to speak to you. You weren't invited. You were summoned.

And now, he was making you wait. Just to prove that he could.

You've half convinced yourself to leave when an unfamiliar man stands in the very corner of your peripheral. He meekly waves, clearing his throat, "Um... excuse me, can I help you?"

With a bored, borderline unimpressed look, your eyes flicker up, "No."

He clears his throat again, that polite smile never faltering as he rubs the back of his neck, "Um, well, ma'am, this floor is closed off to the public. We don't allow Stark Industry guests or visitors up here."

You look up at him again with the most polite smile you can muster, "It's fine."

"It's not, ma'am," he insists. "It's a security issue."

You offer another, tighter smile, but patience was never your strong suit. "I'm waiting for Tony. It's fine."

You almost feel bad for your curt tone, it's not this stranger's fault for your terrible mood. It's Tony's.

"Well, the thing is, Tony is well aware of the protocol. It's his building after all."

You snort at the statement. Tony's building. Even if it weren't for the way the building stuck out like a sore thumb on the New York skyline, the Stark name in bright lights, the whole building screams Tony Stark. Stark Tower makes your head hurt as much as Tony Stark himself.

You resent every second you're in the building.

You hate being here as much as Steve Rogers hates you being here.

You tilt your head, quirking an eyebrow at the man, "Do you just take care of imagined security threats or is there something you actually do here?"

Steve quirks an eyebrow back at you, resting his hands on his hips with a bemused smirk, "I never said you were a security threat, a security breach, absolutely."

"And how did you deduce this?"

"A strange, mild mannered yet very attractive woman is sitting in a restricted area of Stark Tower. I, someone who does have authorization approach, and said women tries to distract me -"

"Is it working?"

"What?"

"Am I distracting you? Keeping you from going about your day? What exactly is it about me that you find distracting?"

"Well, you're very - hold on a minute, you just did it again," Steve points out with a wry grin.

"The way I see it, Mr. Rogers-" You stand up out of your chair, heels clicking onto the sleek marble floors of Stark Tower.

"How did you -"

"You have two options." You hold up two fingers, spelling it out for Steve. "You can go and get Tony and let him know that I'm sitting here waiting for him or you can sit here with me until Tony pulls his head out of his ass and waltzes out of his office - just to make sure I'm truly not the security threat you imagine. Your choice."

"Or, third option, I can call security and have you removed," Steve challenges you, a triumphant smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

You return the smirk, resting on the arm of the leather couch. "You can certainly try."

He chortles, "Are you always this stubborn?"

"I prefer insistent. And yes, I am." You plant your hands on either side of you, teasingly shrugging your shoulders. "If I'm bothering you so much, why don't you remove me yourself?"

"I would never put my hands on a woman, and I never said you were bothering me, I only said that you're not allowed to be up here."

"I've given you your options. Take your pick."

The elevator dings before Steve can choose either option. Happy steps out of the elevator, looking like his normal frantic self.

Steve sighs in relief as Happy bustles over in your direction, "Happy, can you let security know that there's an unauthorized person in our residential quarters?"

You look over your shoulder at Happy, "Happy, you can let security know they aren't needed. Mr. Rogers is currently having a senior moment."

"Got it," Happy nods, immediately agreeing with you. "Have you -"

"What?" Steve guffaws, "Happy, don't -"

"You're a lot less charming in person," you blithely observe. "Has anyone told you that?"

"Have you talked to Tony yet?" Happy asks you. "Please, tell me he didn't leave you here waiting this whole time."

"Not yet," you scoff, looking down at your watch. 31 minutes late. "He's been more than content to keep me waiting here with Mr. Rogers as my companion."

"I'm not your -"

"Ah, speak of the devil and he shall come," you mutter, rolling your eyes as Tony strolls through the common room as though he's not over 30 minutes late to your meeting. "Brother."

"Sister," Tony coldly greets you from a distance.

"Sister?" Steve squawks. There is no warmth in the greeting. If Steve didn't know any better, he would say that a frost entered the room when Tony did.

"30 minutes late, Anthony," you chastise. "Maybe I should get you a watch for Christmas."

"Really? I thought you were too busy stealing Christmas from Whoville to celebrate," Tony quips.

You purse your lips at Tony, folding your arms expectantly, "To what do I owe the displeasure, Tony?"

"Maybe I've just missed that sparkling personality of yours," Tony sarcastically retorts.

"Jealous that actually I have one?"

"I'm so confused," Steve whispers, mostly to himself.

"Happy, fill in Capsicle, we have some business to attend to," Tony instructs, wasting no time before turning on his heels and heading to the conference room.

"On it. Do I need to call Pepper to mediate?" Happy calls after you. He shakes his head with a furrowed brow like the answer is obvious. He mutters to himself, "Never mind, I know the answer to that."

"What just happened?"

"You just witnessed the eighth wonder of the world, the warm and loving relationship of the Stark siblings." Happy claps a hand over Steve's shoulder, dialing Pepper's number with the other hand. "Consider yourself lucky to have come out unscathed."

"The Stark siblings? Since when are there two of them?"

"Sometime after you went into the ice but before you came out," Happy sarcastically replies. He shakes his head, taking a moment to fix his suit as he looks at Steve with an apologetic glance, "Sorry, their stress becomes my stress and stress is one of their favorite pass times."

"Uh..." Steve awkwardly lilts.

"Look, they aren't exactly on good terms."

"They're siblings," Steve chortles, dissmively rolling his eyes. "All families fight, Happy."

"There's a reason Tony doesn't talk about her. Just like there's a reason that Miss Stark doesn't come here."

"So they got into a fight, they'll make up eventually."

"They got into a fight two decades ago. I wouldn't hold my breath." Happy turns on his heels, pacing back and forth as he dials Pepper's office. "And I strongly suggest that you don't mention that topic to either of them. It's a bit of a touchy subject."

"I'm still confused."

"Tony Stark," Happy begins, dialing Pepper again. "Oldest child of Howard and Maria Stark. And a whopping 12 years younger is the youngest Stark, the second child and first daughter of Howard and Maria Stark. And I feel like I need to say this again because I don't think it sunk in the first time, this should not be brought up to Miss Stark because this is a very sensitive subject."

"Why?"

"Pepper, please pick up the phone. The last time they were left in a room alone, I was plucking shards of glass and splinters from my suit for a week," Happy rambles into the phone. He drops the phone with an aggressively exasperated groan, "As you can probably tell, they don't exactly have the closest or warmest or not hostile sibling bond."

"I'm still confused on the why?"

"I feel like you're not hearing the very sensitive subject of it all."

Steve apologetically winces, "Sorry."

"Let me offer you some advice, whatever you do, whatever superhero compulsions you may have, don't get involved. Not even a little bit. I promise you, nothing good comes from getting between those two."

"Alright, I'm hearing you," Steve acquiesces, raising his hands in defeat.

"Are you?" Happy questions. "Because I am strongly considering going to find a football helmet before I walk into that room. Let's not add a super soldier to that mix."

"I'm hearing you."

If only he had actually listened.

Next Chapter AnonymityIsFun Masterlist Steve Rogers Masterlist

As always, let me know what you think! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 💛

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ellas-journey · 4 months

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It’s time of another history nerd moment in Demon Slayer

In the 1st episode of the new season, we see an anime inedited scene. In the 1st minutes of it we see Iguro Obanai and Shinazugawa Sanemi following an Oni to a faraway province, were they found an abandoned castle that turns out to be the entrance to the Infinity Castle. Obanai proceeds to tell us that “After the castles got worn down from the Restauration, this one being in such a remoted area must’ve been abandoned and forgotten” this is, once again, a reminder of the times were Demon Slayer takes place.

The moment that I saw the castle I was immediately reminded of the Edo Castle.

Let’s take a step back to remember the Edo period, also known as the Tokugaea Era. After his rise to power and successfully obtaining the Shogun title, Tokugaya Ieyasu installs the Bakuhan - a military way of ruling the country. As a way of supervising the Daimyo, the land was distributed regarding the convenience of the shogunate. There were also a lot of rules that the Daimyos has to follow: every time one Daimyo ascended to the position it had to meet and swear fidelity to the Shogun; They would also have to meet various times and follow the written rituals; Every marriage has to be accepted by the Shogun; Each daimyo could only have one castle, as well as a small army; And the most famous rule in the Shogunate was that a Daimyo had to had a family member, better of an Heir, residing the Shogunate state.

This vigilance tactics would also be applied to the Imperial Family, were they were manipulated and humiliated by the Shogunate. Even if they had some territories, they would receive money from the Shogunate house as a donation. Some military offices would be placed at the entrance of the Imperial State, just as 2 figures called Kufe would enter the household staff to basically spy on the royal family. There would also be build an extra castle, to act as a country house to the Tokugawa family, and it was purposely placed next to the imperial estate. Also, every marriage, chief priest and household staff has to be approved by the Shogunate. Just as the marriages between the Tokugawa and Imperial family were basically forbidden.

Japan would then start to see the birth of big cities. Even if the shogunate tried hard to maintain the status quo and an idea of a “time stop”, the stability that was created was the perfect place to create new structures and creations. Since the circulations were now easy, we start to see migrations to the urban cities. From the moment that someone from de daimyo family needed to be in Edo, there was a new demand for necessities like food, clothing and art sources. This all happened at the shadow of the Shogunate, a Japan that would evolve insteed to be stuck in time.

But talking about the castles: there where 2 main castles in the Tokugawa era that clearly are the inspiration for the castle in Demon Slayer.

Tokyo, or better, Edo, was just another region in Kanto. The town would develop after it was passed town to Tokugawa that had a clear plan for its planning. The Tokugawa estate was devided in various citadels: Hamaru, Ninomaru, Sannomu, Nishinomaru, Nishiomaru-shita, Furikiage and Kitanomaru. The inner compounds – Sankinkotai- were the residencies of the daimyo. Because of this, in the outskirts the people that migrated to the city to start businesses also started to build small towns. Like so, the Shogunate started to build defense buildings like stone walls, watchtowers and palaces. The central castle, residence of the Shogun was then designed by Todo Takatora. And since the estate was such vast, even after calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and wars we can today see some of its ruins, even if what remains of the castle refletcs the later alterations. A fire consumed the Edo palace in 1873 and the area around the old keep after the Meiji restauration, would be adopted by the Imperial Family to become the new Imperial Estate.

The other castle would be Osaka Castle.

Funny enough, the palace was built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku Jirai. His vision for the castle was a better version of Oda Nobunaga’s castle in Azushi. Since he was obsessed with gold, he wanted all the interior decorations with it, but also some reflection of it in the exterior. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt during various times. Like in 1660 lighting ignited the gunpowder warehouse which resulted in a explosion that set the castle on fire. By 1665, lighting struck again burning down the Tenshu. In 1843, after decades of neglect from the bakufu it got a repair. The most recent reconstruction in 1928, being able to survive the WW2.

A lot of castles were built during the Sengoku Jidai, and it would give birth to a new architecture, that would turn out to be one of the most iconic ones in Japan. Before the Muromachi period, the military fortifications were made out of wood that would then develop to permanent strongholds that would turn out to be the residency of the daimyo and his army. They were built on hills, and the crest would turn into the tenshu (meaning the highest tower) having as an exemple the keep on the European castles. The other basic component would be the stone wall that would follow the hill’s slope.

“Above all, palace-castles such as Azuchi, Momoyama, Osaka and then Edo were a stage set that proclaimed the power and importance of their lord” (Manson,2004)

INSIDE OSAKA - Osaka Castle [https://insideosaka.com/osaka-castle/]

JAPAN ENDLESS DISCOVERY - Edo Castle. [https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1734/#:~:text=For%20260%20years%2C%20Edo%20Castle,are%20open%20to%20the%20public.]

JCASTLE - Edo Castle [https://www.jcastle.info/view/Edo_Castle]

MANSON, Penelope. 2004 - History of Japanese art.

OSAKAINFO - Osaka Castle [https://osaka-info.jp/en/discover-kansai/osaka-castle/]

#anime history #anime #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer from history to fantasy #obanai iguro #sanemi shinazugawa #infinity castle #history #research #castle #muzan kibutsuji #kamado tanjiro

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theghostwife · 3 months

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Daemon vs. Alicent

So I saw a post on Twitter stating that if Daemon is responsible for Jaehaerys, then Alicent is responsible for Larys killing Harwin and their father and I have so many many thoughts about this. Firstly, I hate that fans of the show constantly attack Alicent. I'm not saying she's a good mother or a good person but blaming her for the acts of the men around her makes little to no sense. Normally, I'd just ignore tweets like this but the parallels I saw could not be ignored and so here I am.

Disclaimer: I'm not going to name the Twitter account I saw. I just don't want them to get attacked or anything.

First of all, their defense of Daemon stems from the fact that we never see him tell B&C to go for anyone else and because those words never left his mouth that we could see, they took it as it's not his fault. However, it was heavily, heavily implied that he did. Cheese asks what should they do if they can't find Aemond. The show allows us to fill in the blanks like we're playing hang-man. The sentence is there, the order is there, we merely need to fill it in.

Then we have his reaction to the news. Did we see surprise on his face? No. Did we see a bit of remorse for a 4-year-old getting killed in place of Aemond? No. He was pleased with the news.

In fact, when Rhaenyra turned to look at him, he was smirking.

He knew exactly what was going to happen and he's happy that at least someone was killed. It didn't matter that Aegon did not send Aemond to kill Lucerys. It did not matter that Jaehaerys is not Aemond's son. It did not matter that Jaehaerys was a child who had no part in the war or conflict. He was collateral damage. Even with all the feelings and expressions of horror around him, including that of Rhaenyra, he did not care.

At least until Rhaenyra spoke to him herself.

When she first confronted him, he says that he sent the Queen's vengeance for her son.

—————————————————————

Rhaenyra: "What did you tell this vengenace? What did you say to him? Daemon? That a boy lies dead and I am accused of killing him."

Daemon: "Mysaria provided me with names and subterfuge. I was clear in my instructions. Aemond, the brother of Aegon the Usurper. I cannot be responsible—"

Rhaenyra: "Cannot be responsible?"

Rhaenyra: "If Aemond was not to be found, what were your instructions then?"

Daemon: "They did not concern in any way that of a little child."

Rhaenyra: "You said it was your aim to spill Hightower blood. If not Aemond, then anyone would do."

—————————————————————

Despite the fact that he denies her accusations, she then goes on to say she doesn't believe him. Then there is this little number.

Now, here they get to the argument of Daemon, his resentment and bitterness that he was passed over as heir for Rhaenyra, and the fact that Aegon now sits on the throne. Even in the book, Daemon hates his nephews solely because they pushed him down the line of succession, so this one sentence here matches up perfectly with how Daemon truly feels.

It wasn't just "revenge" for Luke. It was revenge on the Targtowers, specifically, anyone in their family, any male. The death of Luke, Rhaenyra's declarance just served as a convenient excuse. If Aemond was not to be found, Daemon could have easily told them not to harm anyone else if he truly cared for Rhaenyra and her claim.

On a side note, I think this is really funny considering just before Rhaenyra accused him of using her as an excuse to kill Jaehaerys, she flat-out asked him if she was merely a tool he used to grasp at his stolen inheritance. It seems that in the show, Daemon using her as an excuse has come up more than once. Hell, even Viserys accused him of doing the same. It's just an interesting thing.

Anywho, let's compare this to Alicent and Larys Strong now shall we.

Unlike Daemon who commanded Blood and Cheese to kill Aemond, Alicent gave no such order. She didn't command anyone to be killed, nor did she want anyone to be killed. She merely stated she wanted her father back in King's Landing.

She lamented the fact that there was no one in King's Landing on her side. So what was Larys's response to this?

Larys took her words and acted on his own which resulted in the death of both Harwin and Lyonel. Alicent literally had nothing to do with it so I find it funny that someone compared the two together.

Then they mentioned that an episode later, Alicent rewards him. She wasn't rewarding him. Larys intentionally trapped Alicent with his deeds by stating he did it for her, in her name. If she were to ever expose him for his crimes, all he has to do is say she ordered him to do it in order to have her father back as Hand to the King and he would be believed.

As proof of this, in the next episode, Daemon accuses Alicent of killing Harwin and Lyonel anyway, without much justification other than her and Otto gaining from it. If Daemon thinks this, who else already believes either Alicent or Otto had something to do with it?

Later on in the same episode, Larys once again offered his services and Alicent knew better than to deny him, especially after she attacked Rhaenyra with the dagger, which damaged her reputation with the nobles and Viserys. That was Alicent accepting that she may in fact need his special brand of help later on but it's clear from her face, that she does not want it.

Also, to add to this fact, I think another reason why she said,

—————————————————————

"But your devotion has not gone unnoticed. These are dangerous times. The day will doubtless come when I require such a friend. With not only skill but discretion as well."

is because right before this, Larys subtly offered her the eye of Luke.

"If it's an eye you want to balance the scales, I am your servant."

—————————————————————

So that was her way of leading Larys away from maiming Luke but still allowing him close to her. Alicent with Larys is stuck between a rock and a hard place. This is very evident with him forcing her to sell herself, even if it is just her feet, he gets sexual satisfaction from both her feet and the act of sexual coercion as it gives him power, for basic information.

So the comparison between Daemon with B&C to Alicent and Larys with Harwin & Lyonel is in fact not at all comparable. I'd say that Alicent plays a similar role to Rhaenyra in that aspect and that is the parallel I saw. Saying one thing, making one wish/demand, and having a rogue man take your words, twist them to fit their own intentions and actions, and then say they did it your name while you bear the brunt of blame.

Speaking of the foot scene, this one could be a little different. Larys offers to have Mysaria killed because of her spy network which Otto is aware of but has left in place. Of course, here Alicent knows what will happen and essentially...pays Larys by showing him her feet. It's still an act of sexual coercion but in the end, Alicent says,

—————————————————————

"I assume this task falls within your expertise."

Which Larys responds with,

"If you wish it… it will be done."

—————————————————————

However, I don't think Alicent wanted the entire brothel to be up in flames but we never see her reaction to it, although I have a feeling she could have already known how Larys planned to solve that problem. Nonetheless, had the person on Twitter used that event in particular, it would have been a better comparison.

#house of the dragon #hotd #hotd season 2 #alicent hightower #daemon targaryen #jaehaerys targaryen #blood and cheese #larys strong #harwin strong #lyonel strong #harrenhal #rhaenyra targaryen #mysaria

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chillbusinessax · 4 months

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Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 10 analysis & Implications

Sarada vs Hidari & the Mangekyou of Sarada: As we know, the fight between the last survivors of the Uchiha lineage is approaching: Sarada & the Shinju of Sasuke. Sarada’ll face a Shinju that’s absorbed Sasuke’s chakra & powers, plus the power of the Ten Tails. It’ll undoubtedly be a fight that’ll offer one of the most impressive battle choreographies & 'll foster necessary character development as she faces a formidable enemy. The first time Sarada encounters Hidari, he automatically attacks with Chidori. Sarada dodges & counters with Chidori. This symbolic act kicks off the fight, as only two living people can execute Chidori: Sasuke & her. However, she’s confused; although it’s clear her opponent possesses Sasuke’s chakra & powers, Hidari isn’t Sasuke. (This topic’ll be addressed in another section of the post). Sarada holds one of the most important positions & stories in the manga, being the heroine of the story, heir to the Uchiha power, immune to omnipotence & possessor of the Mangekyō. Why have 10 chapters passed & nothing has been revealed about the Mangekyō? Even the rebirth of the Kyubi was revealed before the powers of the MS; the answer is simple: the abilities Kishimoto’ll grant Sarada in the Mangekyou’ll be convenient to the story’s context. When the power of that Mangekyō is discovered, it’ll be a pivotal axis that’ll mark a before & after in the narrative of Two Blue Vortex. The Mangekyou Sharingan is meant to be a decisive point in the plot. To contextualize, among the special abilities known so far in Mangekyou users, there are dangerous & high-level powers like Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi & Kamui. Theoretically, Sarada should awaken with the Mangekyou two special abilities (they can be both new & those already mentioned, for example, Itachi & Sasuke had Amaterasu in common), in addition to the Susanoo (considering the divine weapons of Susanoo). The Sharingan is a dōjutsu of Ōtsutsuki lineage that comes from the Rinne-Sharingan; it was Indra Ōtsutsuki who awakened & bequeathed this ability to the Clan descended from him, the Uchiha Clan. It’s important to highlight that, with just the Sharingan three tomoe, definitive techniques like Izanagi, a technique based on Hagoromo’s Banbutsu Sōzō no Jutsu, & Izanami, both Kinjutsus characteristic of the Uchiha clan, could be used.

The last thing to discuss in this section (which’ll likely generate antagonistic opinions in the fandom) is the fact that, observing how events are unfolding in chapter 10, where Kawaki had (and was the only one who could) intervene in Himawari’s fight against Jura, the complexity of these enemies, representing not just an individual but a collective problem, being a monthly manga & mainly, the way Boruto is (and has always been) emotionally involved with Sarada, I wouldn’t be surprised if, sooner or later, he joins in Sarada vs. Hidari. He knows the danger these enemies pose & won’t hesitate to support the fight. Only two people have, on an emotional level, the authority to intervene & support this fight: Sakura & Boruto. This position of Boruto is something Kishimoto has made clear from the beginning of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, just as Sarada intervenes without regard for her own life when Boruto needs her. This feeling is mutual between them & is fully justified. Although some of the fandom may see it as a regression in Sarada’s character, it’s actually an enrichment of the characters & an added value by Kishimoto, a shōnen where, beyond the fights, bonds & expressions of human feelings are valid to show & are present. Additionally, it would allow us to see quite an interesting team battle choreography, as Boruto & Sarada have always formed a formidable combat team. The heir of the Hiraishin & the heiress of the Mangekyou united in battle.

2. The Shinjus: They’re still a mystery. In fact, they don’t even know exactly what they are. Hidari asked himself & the other Shinjus: “Exactly What… are we?” We know they’re the result of a “claw grime” absorbing a person’s chakra. They’re a divine tree evolved & self-aware, produced by Code’s Ten Tails, created from the chakra of the person they’re absorbing, but the implications of this are still unclear.

We also know that the people the Ten Tails has absorbed are still alive. However, how long’ll they remain alive after the “claw grime” absorbs them? Will there come a time when Sasuke & the others sealed’ll die if not released? If Sarada kills Hidari, or if someone kills one of the Shinjus, does the person get released or die? And when releasing the person, does the Shinju die? These are questions still without definitive answers. Only time & the plot’s development’ll provide us with more information about these mysterious beings.

We could see this as the birth of a new species, or rather, the Ten Tails’ species becoming conscious. Moreover, they have a goal linked to the person from whom they’re absorbing chakra, which, if they manage to fully absorb, they’ll find a higher degree of evolution. The powers of the Ten Tails, the human abilities of the “sealed” person, the Rinnegan, the ability to launch bijudamas with their eyes, & even their wisdom & thirst for knowledge, make these enemies something totally unknown & formidable. Keep in mind that, in addition, their main goal after their “target” is to devour an Ōtsutsuki, therefore, they have the capacity to face enemies with levels of power that humanity isn’t capable of facing.

It won’t be a short battle & everyone’ll probably have to support each other to achieve something against this threat. Kawaki, upon learning that Himawari was in danger, quickly headed to the battle. Boruto, due to the resonance between the Karmas, can’t be near Kawaki, so he’ll likely assist in the battle within Konoha.

The battles against these enemies’ll be fought in teams & will likely be more than one confrontation. Although symbolically each Shinju has its target, it’s clearly a global problem, so it’s normal for third parties to be involved, even mixing scenarios. Everyone is in a conflict on the scale of the Fourth Shinobi World War, where everyone had to ally to achieve something against the common enemy. But, to summarize, the protagonists of the battles go like this:

Kawaki & Himawari vs Jura

Sarada & Boruto vs Hidari

Konohamaru & Team 10 vs Mitsuri

Eida & Daemon vs Bug

3. Himawari & Kurama: It’s interesting to see how they’ve imprinted on her the concept they initially had with Boruto (Byakugan + Kyubi). With lineage from Hamura’s line (Hyuga clan) & Ashura’s line (Uzumaki clan), & now with the Kyubi, she’s placed among the most powerful characters with raw chakra of the new generation. It’s surprising that Kurama’s return has caused astonishment in readers, considering it’s predefined that the tailed beasts don’t die definitively but reincarnate. A precedent for this is Isobu. Moreover, there’ve been hints (especially in the anime) that Himawari would somehow be related to the tailed beasts. She’s always shown interest in them; she even coexists with Shukaku in an anime episode.

The relationship between Kurama & Himawari started on good terms. Kurama retains his memories, including his time with Naruto, with whom he formed a bond of friendship & familiarity after they understood & accepted each other as equals. This precedent opens the opportunity for a friendly & mutual collaboration between Himawari & the Kyubi. An interesting fact to consider is that Kurama retains his past memories. There’s a possibility that they haven’t been altered by omnipotence, & if that’s true, he could convey to Himawari that her brother is actually Boruto, & that all the experiences she believes she shared with Kawaki (before omnipotence) were lived with Boruto.

Some believe that Himawari’s suspicions are due to the hidden power in her (the Kyubi), but that’s not the case. Sadly, Himawari was affected by omnipotence, & the fact that she feels Naruto & Hinata are alive & that “Boruto” would never harm them is because, due to the effect of omnipotence, her experiences lived with KAWAKI make her believe they were actually with Boruto. In short, what’s really being conveyed to the reader is that Kawaki would be incapable of harming Naruto, & that’s why she feels Naruto & Hinata are alive. Remember that omnipotence exchanged in people’s subconscious the memories & concepts they had of Kawaki & Boruto, but it didn’t alter reality.

4. Regarding Inojin: Another event that caused a stir is that Inojin was impaled by Jura. There’re already people who’ve prematurely concluded that Inojin is dead, but the truth isn’t definitive.

If Inojin survives, this’d mean 2 things:

Himawari might use some special power of the Kyubi to heal Inojin.

Inojin could be saved by the ninja medical unit, or by interference of ninja technology, although it’s important to understand that ninja medical jutsu & ninja technology have their limits.

Otherwise, it’d bring many implications to the plot. It’d be an emotionally shocking blow for many characters, starting with Ino & Sai, the Ino-Shika-Cho team that was raised as siblings, & other close friends of Inojin. It’d be the first character from the descendants of Naruto’s generation to die in battle just as the conflict begins, showing how dark the situation in TBV could start to turn. For Himawari, already the fact of losing her parents hardened her character, seeing the death of a special friend for her, who also died trying to protect her, would awaken a deep desolation.

For others like Boruto, Sarada, Sumire, & Mitsuki, who’ve known & shared time with Inojin at the academy, & Sarada & Boruto who’ve known him since childhood, it’d be an important before & after. It’d show them that no one is safe in the situation they’re living & that they’re facing dangerous enemies who don’t value human life. For Boruto, it’d be a hard blow to know that he might’ve helped, but the activated karma didn’t allow him to do anything in that situation. For the older generation, the loss of Inojin would make them aware that they failed in their mission to bring an era of peace to their children & the new generation, & the harsh reality that a new war has begun.

5. Boruto & Kawaki: Kawaki identified Boruto’s weak point in the previous chapter. It’s impressive that all of Boruto’s shinobi feats in the first 9 chapters were due to his pure training, without relying on the power of Karma. This is a great source of power, but at the same time his greatest weakness. Something must’ve happened over those 3 years that led Boruto to radically avoid karma. That fear has to do with Momoshiki, who finds a way to materialize & take over Boruto’s body by channeling through karma.

As we know in advance, in the battle Boruto vs Kawaki on the faces of the Hokages, Boruto can already activate his Karma at will. That is, by that point, Boruto’d probably have full control of his powers. But, seeing that Kawaki noticed that Boruto’s weakness is the activated karma, a possible scenario is envisioned: The cause of the destruction of the Shinobi era & what subsequently leads to the last confrontation between brothers is that Kawaki exploits Boruto’s weakness, causing him to lose control & Momoshiki to cause destruction. For some reason, Boruto regains control of his body & enters battle to defeat Kawaki.

Considering Boruto could lose control of the Karma at any moment & is emotionally affected by it, you can be sure that Sarada’ll be the one to help him channel those emotions. She’s the person he calls home, the intact fragment of his past, & she’ll be the one to show him he has the strength & will to stop Momoshiki. Sarada has always been a light in his life & was the one who thwarted Momoshiki’s plans to take over Boruto. The fight against Momoshiki is a battle waged on the plane of emotions & wills. And rest assured, Sarada won’t let Boruto fall into darkness; she’s the love that’ll turn Boruto’s vortex into a spiral. As always, Kishimoto gave us a great reference to this in Minato’s one-shot: Sarada is to Boruto what Minato was to Kushina & what Hashirama was to Mito.

There’re many more points that could be discussed, but this is what I wanted to highlight from the chapter. Boruto TBV is just beginning, there’s a lot to go through before drawing definitive conclusions.

Before closing, I’d like to point out that to know what ideas & projections Kishimoto has for the characters & their interactions, it helps to know chapter 700 of Naruto, “Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring”, & the novels belonging to Boruto’s timeline, some of which are written by Kishimoto & others directly supervised by him. These fit very well with how the characters are behaving in TBV. After Kodachi delegated the writing back to Kishimoto, a change in perspectives is noticeable. TBV is a pure concept of Kishimoto, so for those who like to theorize, analyze, or simply have a more complete understanding of the work, I suggest reading those stories that are part of the canon.

And lastly, beyond criticizing or causing fights in the fandom, enjoy the canon! Kishimoto has great things prepared.

#boruto #boruto two blue vortex #borusara #boruto uzumaki #sarada uchiha #himawari uzumaki

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haleswallows · 5 months

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Chapter teaser:

If Danny didn’t know his brother better, he would say Dan was excited for the final request. In fact, Danny had expected the League to interject before he even got this far. A part of him had been hoping the conversation would get caught up in one of the more important pleas, that he wouldn’t need to bring up the final request at all.

Ancients, this was going to be awkward.

Danny took a moment to gather himself. There was one last request. The throw-away, the one he most expected to be quickly declined. He hoped it served its purpose to make the other pleas more reasonable. King Clark’s hand clenched as the silence in the room grew bloated. He could do this, Danny coached himself. He had come too far to bail out now. He had already voiced the things he needed. This last request, silly and as embarrassing as it was, was easy compared to everything else.

Oh, fuck it. Get to it, High Chief, Danny scolded himself.

“Our final petition is a union of ruling families. To establish a long future of peace, new alliances and shared cultures, we would propose a marriage of convenience. I will act as one party - we request an heir of Justria be the other.”

All air was sucked from the room. “What?” King Wayne hissed.

#dc x dp #dc x dp crossover #my writing #dead tired #tim drake/danny fenton #Fantasy au

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jimblejamblewritings · 2 years

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riddle means misery | part 1.

Summary: Y/N Riddle. Not much more has to be said. Everyone hates her. She’s evil... she has to be.

Warnings for the Series: 18+, this series is dark. Manipulation, dubcon verging on noncon, abuse of power, violence, ed mentions, death, blood,

Pairing: unknown yet x black!reader

Word Count: 4.6k

A/N I: Hopefully this goes without saying but neither me as the author or my readers condone these acts in real life. We enjoy these scenarios in fiction to explore dark thoughts or for escapism or for whatever reason. If this makes you uncomfortable then please protect yourself and do not read BUT any hate towards my readers who enjoy this story will not be tolerated. Once again, fiction is fiction and we do not condone any of this disgusting behavior in real life!!

A/N II: This is the (hopefully) final, darker version of Sunshine/Princesse de Mort. Hopefully, y’all enjoy and we reached the proper darkness of the fic. Obviously it can only be so dark since this is supposed to have a happy ending but I’m confident we will all be pleased with this.

A/N III: Vote on your guy for the future pairing. A post about the poll can be found in an answered ask posted before this post.

(Series Masterlist)

A little grunt escaped your mouth as you tried to grab your book that was currently floating away. It wasn’t even your book. Standing up from the table, you went to chase after it. You were all but three steps past your table when you tripped over your suddenly untied shoelaces and your hand landed conveniently on some lionfish nettles. Hissing, you sat up to pull the nettles from your now bleeding hand. The book wasn’t even in your sight by the time you picked them all out.

You could hear laughter from far away when you ran outside to catch up to your missing item. So it was a Ravenclaw messing with you this study hall period. You needed the book. You couldn’t afford a replacement. Money wasn’t something that ran abundantly. The little money in your family’s vault was frozen by The Ministry. Not that it mattered to your father. Lord Voldemort didn’t pay for anything. Most of your things, you never liked to think about where they came from and tried to get rid of them once you quickly found a decent replacement.

Everything else came from money you earned helping the house-elves at Hogwarts. You lived at the castle year-round. You had ever since you were eleven. Voldemort didn’t make his presence known— you were escorted to Platform 9 and ¾ by one of his followers with a wand and a letter in hand. Hogwarts was where he grew up. He still saw it as a place to hone magical talents and wanted you to go. He also requested— demanded— that Dumbledore keep you there. His heir wasn’t meant to get herself killed in a war.

You were meant to become the second most powerful wizard, after only your father, and rise up to take his place in the new wizarding world order when the time came. Dumbledore couldn’t have denied you if he wanted to. The moment The Ministry found out, you were practically forced to be there. They couldn’t throw you in prison when you hadn’t done anything but house-arrest at Hogwarts until you were an adult was good enough for the moment.

You crawled under the table to grab your wand before going to chase the book out of the Great Hall. The book kept flapping like a bird, just out of your reach. You thought you might be able to grab it as you headed outside before hitting a body and falling to the ground. A boy grabbed the floating book.

“Here— oh, here you go, Padfoot. Riddle’s little book.”

You pulled yourself up from the ground to see some of your least favorite people. The Marauders were the oddest puzzle to you. Their torment was tame in comparison to everyone else. It felt more like bullying than torture. But, everyone seemed to respect them despite it. If they made you their target for the day then no one else did because they hoped they would be there to see your humiliation. You looked at James as you smoothed out your scarlet and gold tie. He watched your hands, noting one bleeding slightly.

“Still not sure how you tricked the Hat into putting you anywhere but Slytherin.”

“I didn’t tri— can I please just have my book back, James?”

“What book? Wormtail, do you know what book she’s talking about?”

“No clue, Moony?”

“Haven’t seen a book, Padfoot?”

“Are you talking about that book over there?”

You looked behind Sirius to see a small fire. You ran over to try and put it out but it was too late. Sirius must’ve set it on fire the moment James handed it to him. You groaned in exasperation. It was a library book. The librarian already looked at you with so much disgust for even daring to step foot in the library. She’d be livid. You realized, as you still patted at the book, that you’d have to give up some shopping money for it. A hot sensation creeped close to your skin before a sharp bit of pain. You looked down to see the bottom of your skirt on fire, quickly scrambling to put it out. The Marauders laughed and high-fived Peter as they walked away.

You gave the boys a look as they left. Your first stop tomorrow would be to buy the book at Hogsmeade and give it to the librarian. In the meantime you went back to the Great Hall to try and get all your stuff. It was covered in ink that you suspected wasn’t coming off easily. Another night of staying up late to complete homework. You weren’t even sure why you bothered doing your work. It wasn’t like you were on anyone’s nice list. Even Dumbledore, who once had faith in Tom Riddle being a good wizard, didn’t care much for you. But multiple school years later and you still had faith. There was still a chance for everyone to see the real you before you all went out into the world.

The book was the first thing you bought in Hogsmeade. A small meow garnered your attention as you left the bookstore. You looked in the bushes to see a tiny kitten that seemed abandoned. The little thing that you immediately named Finnegan made no protest to you scooping her up. You walked through the village and back towards the castle. You needed to get back before everyone else woke up and went down to the village. When you made it to the front doors of the castle, you could hear four sets of footsteps behind you and sighed as you waited for one of them to say or do something.

“Princess!” That would be James.

He took to taunting you with the Slytherin’s Princess nickname. Peter and Sirius both preferred Little Dark One. Remus liked Ring Leader. You turned to face them, wrapping your cardigan around you.

“Yes, James?”

“Where are you going?”

“I just want to go back to my room. I don’t wa—”

“Potter!”

You closed your eyes at the voice behind you. It was Evan Rosier which meant Severus and Mulciber were definitely with him. The cackle behind you let you know that Bellatrix and Narcissa were with them. They were the Death Eater posse— everyone had no doubt that they would join your father’s side. You tried to stay away as much as possible but they always found you. They made it a mission to be your personal bodyguards and whatever else they thought you needed.

“Bloody hell,” you whispered.

“Rosie!” James sneered. “What do we owe this pleasure?”

“Fuck off, Potter” Evan whipped out his wand.

You scurried out of the way as Evan practically threw himself to take your place in an impromptu duel. That was always the scariest part for you. Dueling. You didn’t want to think about what would happen if the school found out you were a squib. It just looked like you refused to perform spells— and none of the teachers ever bothered to make you try. No one really wanted to see you perform magic anyway. You had more magic than most squibs but it still wasn’t enough to get past second, maybe third year of school. It certainly wasn’t enough magic now.

You could still hear footsteps following you. The stride sounded so calm compared to your scurry. A hand grabbed your shoulders and pulled you back, almost slamming you against the wall but stopping just shy of doing so. Remus gave you a smile that would seem so sweet if it was on anyone but him.

“You know they’ll just duel you later, might as well just stay and take it now, Ring Leader.”

“So you can dangle me from the ceiling like you all did to Severus last week?”

“Snivellus came up with that jinx, not everyone else’s fault if it caught on with all of us. I’ll let you down after a few minutes, won’t be nearly as long as Snape was dangling from that tree.”

“I'd rather not have my knickers shown to the entire school, it’s the one thing you haven’t made fun of yet.”

Remus eyed the skirt of your dress, one hand moving to grab the bottom of it. “They have little hearts on them?”

You wormed your way out of his grip and kept going towards Gryffindor tower. Remus laughed.

“So they do have hearts on them!”

You acted like you didn’t hear him as you walked. You silently cursed as the staircase moved, giving the Marauders the opportunity to catch up to you.

“Princess got herself a kitty. Rosie and Snivellus were not nearly as fun to duel,” James started as he boxed you in between the four of them. “Let’s set a date for it, Princess.”

“I’m not Princess, stop calling me that.”

Peter laughed. “I think all the little Slytherins at your beck and call say otherwise.”

“I don’t ask them t—”

“It’s not like you have to,” Sirius cut you off. “Why wouldn’t they follow the head Death Eater?”

“I’m not, how many times do I have to say I’m not a Death Eater?”

“Y/N Riddle. I think that proves everything we need to know.”

You felt a gust of wind and found yourself pushed down, holding out a hand so you wouldn’t squish Finnegan. Peter pushed you back down as they walked past you. If you weren’t in the same House, you would walk in the opposite direction but you had no choice aside from continuing.

Skirting past everyone in the common room, you practically ran towards your room. Finnegan seemed to like your space. It was weird. Your bed was surrounded by enchanted things and runes to stop your roommates from ruining your stuff. But Finnegan didn’t care about all the weird shit, hopping right over one of the cauldrons that was always filled with a bright blue liquid. You scratched between her ears and hung up your cardigan on the little jacket hooks near your bed. Sitting at your desk, you finished a few essays for Defense Against the Dark Arts until it was time for lunch. Your cat came with you when you grabbed your blanket and left your room. The hallways were empty as you walked through them.

It was safe to go outside. Moments like this were your favorite. They made you think of summer when the castle was almost completely empty, even Dumbledore didn’t stay around all the time. It was the most peaceful time of year for you.

The Marauders spotted you as you quietly walked into The Great Hall holding a blanket and your cat. They weren’t going to mess with you, having had their fill earlier. But they did stare as they watched you grab some finger food from the serving tray closest to the door and then make a quick exit. Peter snorted.

“It’s a bit pathetic, isn’t it?”

Remus mumbled an agreement through a mouthful of food. You ate in your room, splitting some with Finnegan. Before any of your roommates could come back, you decided to take a nice shower. Only once did you ever use the bathtub. It took too long and left you too vulnerable and naked no matter how many locking enchantments were put on it. You quickly got ready for bed and stayed up reading a fiction book until you were tired enough to go to bed. The curtains were drawn around your room in hopes to make your roommates forget that you existed.

Sunday was your reprieve. Everyone had to take a break from messing with you at some point. You grabbed your journals and headed to the Dark Forest. It was technically forbidden without teacher supervision but no one ever stopped you. You had two main expertises of magic— Darks Arts and Potions.

Your magic wasn’t strong enough for dueling but it was strong enough for simple charms and spells needed to make potions work. You figured that you were pretty good at Herbology but that was only because you had to be for Potions— same for being decent at Care of Magical Creatures. Your journals held studies for all your work.

You wanted to head into the forest to collect samples of unicorn blood and compare it to various saps from fairy fruits. The goal was to see how much the fruit could mimic unicorn blood. You were expecting the blood sample to be ready in a few days— two unicorns were about to give birth and two were almost dead. If you couldn’t get the blood from the birth, you could collect it from the dead unicorns without hurting them or cursing yourself. The fairy fruits could be collected today. You wanted to sketch them and then mark the saps in the journal. You nearly jumped out your skin when you made it back out the forest.

“Is this the Charms homework from Thursday?” Sirius grabbed your journal.

You scrambled to try and get the book back.

“What’s so good that you get top marks?”

“Hand it over, Padfoot.” Remus stuck out his hand.

Your eyes widened in horror at watching the journal be torn to shreds. It might have been a new journal but it still had three months worth of research in it. Studying for new potions and dark arts didn’t just happen overnight. Quickly, you shoved the other journal into your bag before they could go after it. James twirled his wand in his hands as he stared at you with a tilt of his head.

“You ever consider a haircut?”

You shook your head as you started to run back towards the castle in a zigzag fashion. The Marauders laughed at how ridiculous you looked. Being bored for the day, they decided to follow you. You were headed to the owlery anyway and see if there was a letter. You hadn’t responded to your father after the last two which meant you should respond to this one. As expected, there was the letter. You read it over. It wasn’t very different from the last one.

He hoped you passed your last homework assignment and were studying hard for your OWLs, he’d send you something for Valentine’s Day to keep up with the tradition that your mother started before she wound up in prison and then died, and the marriage list at the bottom was updated. You hated that list more than anything. Arranged marriage and specifically with a man your father chose was absolutely horrid.

You frowned at seeing Lucius Malfoy now at the top. It must be because of the rally he’s planning on having. Your father really liked Lucius. He was pureblood, rich, and just as arrogant. He liked how Lucius didn’t hesitate to hex someone in your first year of schooling if they tried to mess with you. You hated that the eleven year old you did used to cling to Lucius when you didn’t know if you could handle everybody’s bullying. He probably told that story and it got back to your father. You would have to correct that right away in the next letter that Lucius shouldn’t be at the top of his list. You wanted to put that there should be no list. Two names that frustrated you to no end were also back—

“Why the fuck is my name there and Reggie?” Sirius had snatched the letter out of your hand.

You hadn’t even heard them coming because of how loud the owlery could be. Peter pointed at the letter.

He smirked. “You should start dating, Pads, won’t that make dear Daddy happy?”

The other boy scoffed. “Wouldn’t even fuck her with a bag over her head.”

“I want my letter back.”

They laughed when you tried to snatch it back, Sirius quickly pulling it out of your reach.

“Why?”

“Please.”

Sirius whistled and his family owl came flying to him. “Dump it wherever, maybe somewhere in London.”

The owl took the letter in its beak. You could do nothing but watch the owl fly out of your reach and through the window. You purposely shouldered the boys as you walked past— your back quickly slammed into Remus’ chest as you pulled you back. The arm around your throat, pinning you to him, got a little tighter. He pulled your wand out of your back pocket and held it right in front of your face. The wood looked like it was bending a little under his grip.

“Try getting bold again and I’ll break this into pieces. Understood?”

You caught the wand before it landed on the stairs. Quickly, but not too quickly so no one else would notice you, you made your way back to Gryffindor Tower. You penned your father a letter telling him about your new cat and your classes. You only left to return to the owlery when you knew that James started quidditch practice because all of them would most likely be there.

The four boys caught you looking at them on Monday morning. You tried to sit at the end of the table closer to the professors specifically because of Mondays with the Marauders. Normally they messed with you by this time of day. They had made sure of that. Monday morning, every morning since second year was there spot for taunting. Their favorite joke was making every bit of food or drink you tried to put to your mouth disappear. Lily and Marlene scoffed when you squinted your eyes.

“Do you want something, Riddle?” Marlene yelled.

Your head immediately ducked down as snickers started from around the room. You kept eating your breakfast until suddenly your face was slammed into the bowl of porridge. You looked up to see Dorcas putting her wand away. It was clear to you that the students decided your breakfast was over. You didn’t even bother getting something else before leaving even though you were still hungry.

McGonagall didn’t even look at you as she entered the classroom. You were used to being ignored by her. Floating you scroll to her desk with one of the few spells that you could do, you waited for her to grab your homework. McGonagall simply looked at it and didn’t bother picking it up. Her entire demeanor changed when Lily walked in followed by the others. She, and surprisingly the Marauders, set their homework done and McGonagall simply beamed about how lovely it was that they did it early.

You sunk down in your seat. No one sat at your desk. The only time you ever had a desk partner was if Gryffindors were paired with Slytherins and one of the Death Eater posse had the same class period as you.

Your nose scrunched at the smell of burning fabric. In a panic, you were fishing all of your supplies out of your schoolbag. The bag was ruined. It wasn’t just burnt but there was a giant hole in the bottom of it. You knew that you should’ve soaked the bag in the fireproof potion before you used it right away. You had to carry your books to your next class, waiting until your free period to go back to your room and turn a headscarf into a sack to carry everything. The only thing getting you through the day was the idea that in two days it would be Valentine’s Day.

Was it wrong to look forward to getting presents from your dad and the Death Eater posse? Yes, but it was the only nice stuff you ever got. The real question was when would you get the presents. The posse would probably just show up at Gryffindor Tower or escort you to Slytherin but you’d have to go to The Great Hall or the owlery to get the gift from your dad.

In the end, you figured that you’d have better chances in the owlery. The one thing no one would do was push you out the tower so it was infinitely safer. You got the parcel left before anyone else could show up. You went to the library to browse for some books. It was funny. You didn’t even like reading all that much but it was all you could do. Read and research for potions. You had no friends to talk to, no sports to play, no clubs to attend. It sucked because you really wanted to play quidditch but the old captain aimed a bludger at your head. She was graduating and would be here next year but you were too scared to try-out again with James as captain.

The books on the romance shelves called to you as you passed by. They were some of your favorites to read. Romance and found families. Sometimes you wanted to roll your eyes at yourself because it was sort of sadistic to keep reading about what you were never going to get. You grabbed a few and debated what to do next. Safety was found in your bed. But you really hated being cooped up. You weren’t meant to stay inside and cramped up all the time. Finnegan poked her head out of your old tote bag that you patched up until you could buy another school bag.

If your cat wanted to be outside then you would be outside as well. The Black Lake pier seemed nice enough. The wind was a little biting but still nice when you sat down. It blew at your long red skirt that kissed the top of the water. You were in red and pink to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Finnegan was walking up and down the pier, sometimes swatting at a merperson that wanted to look at her, while you went to look at your presents.

Regulus, Bellatrix, and Narcissa all chipped in for fancy chocolates. The Carrows got you a small pad of parchment that was covered in hearts. Others got you cards. You opened the parcel from your dad to see another stuffed bear, some chocolates, and nail polish. There was also a bracelet, earrings, and a necklace. Your mouth dropped open. It was some of the most beautiful jewelry that you ever saw which made you upset.

If it wasn’t jewelry that you bought, you always sold it to the second-hand shop. You couldn’t wear something that was potentially taken off someone he murdered. Your hand paused when you saw the letter. The earrings, bracelet, and necklace were from Lucius. A pout crossed your face. You didn’t want to really have anything from him— especially because you were positive he knew he was top of your father’s marriage list. But at the same time, if Lucius got you the jewelry, then you knew for certain it was bought and not stolen. You never really owned pearls before. You loved pearls but they were always stolen or you sold them for money. The set was too pretty to give away. You’d probably write to Lucius just once to thank him.

You were putting in the earrings when your head practically spun from getting hit with something hard. You felt warm liquid run down your face before the metallic taste hit your tongue. Before your hand was in front of your face you already knew that what you were touching was blood. Sitting in your lap was a bloodied stone. You almost screamed as another rock hit you. On the side shoreline, a group of students were throwing rocks. You scrambled to get up and grab your stuff to leave.

Suddenly, you felt yourself hoisted into the air. Your screams to be put down were cut off by a mouth full of water. Panic ran through you for a moment when you found yourself sinking instead of floating because of the abruptness of landing in the lake. Your lungs burned when you reached the small sandy shore by the pier.

Water and vomit hit the sandy ground. You rolled in the other direction to avoid getting in it. A hand ran over your face. At least the bleeding stopped although you had a headache that you would need to get something for… if Madame Pomfrey actually listened for once. Fingers flitted to your ear. You sat up immediately and crawled back towards the water, pulling out your wand.

“Accio earring! Earring! Accio! Acci…”

You gave up. One of the merpeople must have grabbed the piece of jewelry. Either that or it was too far down for your magic to work. Considering the summoning spell was supposed to be useful no matter how far away an object was, you figured this was probably the limitations due to your squibness. Giving up, you went back to the pier to gather your things and leave. Finnegan, who had been hiding in a bush, followed behind you as you left wet footsteps through the castle. Coming outside fucking sucked.

You continued to read in your room until it was time for the feast. You wouldn’t go but holiday food tended to be the most delicious so you would suffer through all the hearts if that meant you got nice food. The book, chocolates, and nail polish all came with you. Dinner was calm for the first half. No one could do too much with the adults around.

The professors never protected you but even they knew that they had a responsibility to laws which meant you couldn’t be hurt with them watching or they’d have to step in. All bullying was relatively harmless at meal time. You charmed your book to stay upright and flip when you were finished reading a page. It gave you the chance to eat and move on to eating your chocolates and painting your nails. They were all painted pink except for one on each hand that was red. You switched to smaller brushes so you could paint heart details. You gasped when the nail polish bottle was tipped over, panicking when your book started to float away as well. It was impossible to stand up. Only your eyes could move as you watched the book leave. They really petrified you at dinner? You were used to it happening at lunch or breakfast so you could be made late to class. You felt a hand grab your face and turn it to look at them.

James chuckled. “You were wrong, Moony. She likes the hearts on her nails, not her knickers.”

They laughed as you went wide-eyed and felt your face heat up. They walked off but didn’t remove the charm. No one removed the charm. Slowly, students and professors alike exited the hall. You would just have to wait the few hours it took to become unpetrified. Little by little, you felt control of your limbs. A large sigh left your mouth as you practically flew away from the table. You desperately needed to use the bathroom. You didn’t even care that the closest bathroom was Moaning Myrtle’s stomping ground.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

The last word that left your mouth was no before you hit the floor. You heard Dorcas’ voice and felt yourself turned over to see her as well as the rest of the Marauders and their friends. They were sitting on the steps just watching you. Sirius was holding your cat and you weren’t even sure how he got Finnegan from your room.

“That was a very large glass of water, Y/N. And the pumpkin juice and the tea. We have a bet. Me, Lils, Wormtail, and Griff don’t think you’ll last more than two minutes. The others say five. Do us a favor and go quickly. We’ve got some galleons on the line.”

If you could shake your head you would. Peter brought out a timer. You just had to make it past five minutes and you’d be let go. That was easier said than done. Your eyes shut as you heard the scoffing laughter and felt a puddle forming underneath you. Peter tapped the timer.

“Three minutes and twenty seconds, pay up.”

(part 2)...

PERMANENT TAGLIST:

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#marauders x reader #dark!marauders #hogwarts #Harry Potter fic #marauders fic #marauders imagines #marauders smut #remus lupin x reader #sirius black x reader #james potter x reader #peter pettigrew x reader #marauders era

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eliteseven · 5 months

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Hi, so sorry to bother you, I absolutely love Serena, but sometimes I feel I don't know her very well. I've been able to pick up bits and pieces from your fanfictions and some of the asks here, but sometimes I feel I might be missing a few secrets, fears or motivations in that beautiful head of hers. If it's not too much trouble and if you get the time I'd love to know more about her, maybe some neat HCs or other such things that maybe aren't talked about as much. I just love her so much and I wanna hear more about her (not that I don't absolutely LOVE hearing about her adorable interactions with Shadowheart) 👉👈 🥺

🥹 it’s no bother! Thank you for asking!! I’m so flattered you’d like to hear more! I try not to talk about her as much as Shadowheart because she’s the one we all have in common, and I don’t want to bore anyone with OC lore 🫠

Unfortunately, I simply cannot shut up about OC's once asked. So anyway here's her life story: (this is so long I’m so sorry)

Her past:

-We all know her past: she grew up in a partriar family, as the product of a marriage of convenience. She enjoyed a life of luxury, is learned in history and etiquette, but always craved a life of adventure.

-As a little girl she was so curious, and got into trouble often for exploring where she shouldn't, for being late to her lessons. As she grew older, the severity of her punishments increased. Her once kind father turned on her; he sought to kill that “rebellious” streak in her- to make her a proper heir.

-Her father was heavily abusive, getting worse with age. He succumbed to his vices. He gambled the house into debt. He unilaterally decided to marry Serena off to recoup some losses, to join his house with another. And so at 18/19 she and her mother fled to Cormyr with next to nothing to their name. She became a knight, they were avidly recruiting for rebuilding efforts as defense. For a decade, she dreamed of facing her father, getting revenge, getting the estate back for her mother.

-She eventually returned to Baldur's Gate, only to find her father had died a while ago, but not before taking a mistress and a child and leaving the estate to them! Ouch! She...cannot bring herself to take anything away from them, let alone let them know she exists. She decides to return to Cormyr, completely lost, when she's taken by the mind flayers.

Her wants/needs:

-Serena's main purpose was to secure a home for her mother, to regain what their father had taken from them, and to confront the man who terrorized her for so long. Of course... that didn't work out.

-Her new purpose is ridding herself of the tadpole and surviving with this weird, rag-tag group of individuals. It's through this journey that she realizes that they're kind of like a family- and that's something she never had. Her mother and father were always practically at war, everyone around her was fake, a bootlicker to her father, or interested in wealth and material gain only. She realizes she craves close companionship, domesticity. More than that- intimacy. She's had lovers- but only had one lover that she actually got to know. Until…along comes a sharp-tongued, very enchanting Sharran. Not the poster child for domesticity and love, but...Serena sees something twinkle in her eyes, when she looks at animals, at children. She wants to bring out that side of Shadowheart, to protect that kind streak she’s seen in her.

-I think Serena's motivations are simple. She was a frightened little girl, with no agency, and no means to protect herself from her own kin. She never wishes to feel that way again. She wants to protect and provide for her loved ones. She wants to have loved ones. She wants to bring her mother back from Cormyr and give her a home.

-Her fears are also simple: She fears being weak. She fears being vulnerable like she used to be. She fears losing her loved ones- her mother, first- and eventually, Shadowheart, when they fall in love. Not necessarily losing them in the sense of them dying: her father changed. She watched a once decent man grow crueler with each passing year. She fears change, in a sense, or abandonment of the emotional variety.

-She really fears returning to high society in Baldur's Gate- as you will see when she attends that feast Wyll is having at High Hall. She remembers the scorn her family faced in their later years, she remembers the cruel whispers behind her back as she and her mother were nearly swallowed whole. She does not have fond memories of those times, and does not want to attend. She's noticeably very nervous about returning and doesn't want to bear her own last name (which Shadowheart thinks is RIDICULOUS because it's her name and she earned the right to be proud of herself, and it).

Personality:

-She's even-keeled, and kind, just like her mother. She’s generally approachable and easy to talk to- residual effects of all that time spent socializing. But she’s been humbled into this kindness. She knows what it means to struggle. She’s been at the figurative top of the mountain and rock bottom. She couldn't fathom not helping the tieflings. She makes a good leader because she isn't too hot-headed and seems to understand that people have intricate, complicated pasts.

-She's still very much a noble at heart lmao. Just because she's had to rough it, doesn't mean she's lost her taste for finery. She spent almost eighteen years in luxury! She takes care with her appearance (Lae'zel definitely mocks her for this at the beginning)- she holds her wine cup with her pinky out subconsciously (everyone mocks her for that except Wyll lol)- she's still soft and posh sometimes, hardened as her edges become.

-Her best friends are Wyll and Karlach (aside from Shadowheart ofc). Wyll knew her growing up in court- and though he's younger, they bond over those memories of festivities and other gatherings at High Hall.

-She can be playful- sharp tongued, but not like Shadowheart- she's much kinder. She's a traditional romantic- as seen in the fics. She's nowhere as experienced as Shadowheart. Her flirting style is just being honest and having a lovesick look in her eyes, tbh. She's oblivious to her own charm- but really, she's been a little too occupied to notice.

-She's so patient. She has a certain grace that never seems to go away, even as a soldier. She has a posh accent that was a dead giveaway for her in Cormyr.

-Conversely- when she’s upset, she can make cold, cutting remarks. She retreats into herself, bottles it up. It takes a lot to get her there, but she can be feisty when provoked. After all- she knows how to wield words as a weapon- surrounded by both diplomats and scheming politicians in her youth.

-She has forsaken religion (but she secretly prays to Selune). She was technically raised a Selunite, but her father's cruelty made her skeptical. He never worshiped anything other than coin and ale. He used to joke about how they ought to worship Umberlee, when nearly half of their trade fleet never made it back to the docks. When she helps Shadowheart along with her faith- that's when she returns to Selune, quietly. She prays for Shadowheart. Not even herself.

Obligatory gallery if you made it this far:

#oops wrote a dissertation #nls series #oc: serena tavyndír #anonymous #ask #my hcs #Tavyndír family history

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beliscary · 9 days

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@necromycologist #<< Prev. who is this guy i need to know more rn

omg. okay.

so there's a supporting character in a videogame called final fantasy 16 and he has like THE most wonderful two hours of screentime, a potential ally with noble intentions amongst antagonists. that's Prince Dion Lesage. and then there's his boyfriend Sir Terence w like 8 minutes. and at this point I've glued his face on top of a prayer candle in my heart

I have to set the scene a bit first. this is broad strokes I hope it makes sense.

calling them catholic is a shorthand but their religion is ehhhh basically that. their emperor is the pope and also conceptualized as god on earth. they live in a world that's dying from overconsumption of magic as a resource(accessible materially through mined crystals)—crops failing, the land being blighted, that kind of thing. people who are born w the ability to draw on magic are enslaved, branded, and used up for their power/the convenience until they die from it (they turn to slowly to stone! it's very painful and visual dehumanization! the whole thing is awful!)

Dion is one of these people who can use magic, but he's extraordinarily powerful and in a position of some privilege bc of that. but also he's trapped by it. So like, dragons are sacred in their religion, and Terence's boyfriend Dion (I have to point out that I don't say this glibly, they are together) can transform by his magic into their Sacredest Dragon, whose entire thing is Light and Hope and Deep Religious Obligation, etc etc.

this power is a once in a generation thing that happens to a single individual (there are more of these godlike lineages for other elements like fire, ice, darkness, etc scattered across the world, as well as massive crystals to mine. you can see where this might lead to some instability and power jockeying esp with massive areas of land rapidly becoming blighted and unlivable. so he's kind of also the empire's nuclear deterrence.)

he's trying desperately to believe that by fighting wars and using his power he's doing good for his people who are trying to survive in this dying world, but his dad the god emperor is the resource hungry warmongering ruler of an expansionist slave empire with bloodline supremacy at its heart. so. (also dad had another kid that he likes better because that kid's not a bastard. as though that's dion's fault. a golden boy bastard imperial prince who upholds evil bc he Has to be a good and dutiful son.... ugh)

he's been at war since he was like 15 and he's 28 now. and his father just keeps sending him out to fight. like whatever he's already got another heir to inherit it all, and now dion is the spare. dad can reaaally use the bomb without worrying abt the continuation of his line now.

SO. boyfriend Terence. he's 2nd in command of Dion's holy knights, and we learn he climbed his way up through the ranks to get there. and he did this just to be able to be near dion and support him through all these wars and most likely watch him suffer and die horribly anyway. bc Oh Yeah none of the phenomenal cosmic power exempts dion from the turning to stone thing.

so anyway, in the 8 mins we do have of them together, we see Terence:

-subtly chastise his prince for his recklessness and then pray for his safety

-deliver a missive intended for his prince which he clearly already opened & read. just so he can soften the blow of the bad news himself as dion reads through it

-bandage and salve his man's arm, showing us they both know and see the inevitability of the slow creeping death dion keeps throwing himself towards

-suggest dion rely on his army rather than his magic, gently defying dion's father (whose word is holy decree)

-kiss his prince

-smile and yearn and make a sad face so cutie cute cutely

-declare very purposefully to the man who is constantly ordered around and used as a weapon that he will always be his servant, while on his knees. concise! thorough!

(i hope I'm establishing a pattern here that it appears when it comes to His Place In Society he knows the boundaries perfectly but also knows the location of every single hole in the fence)

-crack a joke about the death of a titan being a small mercy. king 👑

-shoo a messenger one piece of bad news away from getting his head bitten off out of a tent with Perfect economy and comedic sensibility

(god this is small but huge TEW ME... you see him react to bad news by lightly balancing his fingertips on a table and thinking carefully... this is in contrast to Dion throwing a guy around, punching a table, and having to visibly count backwards from ten)

-nearly throw down with another god-lite and only halt on his boyfriend's command. it's immediate too he's got great brakes !!

(seriously if you pay attention this man has like nooooo respect for authority or divinity on their own so-called merits and yet he's so calm and polite and steady and measured and kind in his demeanor and we KNOW he still prays too. it's. it's GAP MOE)

-continue to call dion His Prince. even after dion has been removed from any chance of ascending to the throne officially. like yes he is technically still a prince just not crown prince so it is a proper form of address but atp dion's purpose is pretty much expected just to be an obedient weapon of conquest who will die if ordered to, with no hope of that changing. so it kind of feels Pointed.

-like, yeah no, I heard what "god" said. but my prince is My Prince. he earned that. you can't tell me shit. my prince can't tell me shit about my prince either. what are you gonna do, fire me? that won't stop me either, my prince.

-get asked by THE sacred dragon if a coup is the right course of action. should the opinion of a mortal matter at all to a god? hm well it does to this one

-functionally do 300 wife nod dot gif in order to:

-support a coup against the newly declared emperor (the not-bastard brother) (who is, amen I say to you, theologically god)

-👆 do this without ever once telling his ordered-around-used-as-a-weapon/seen-as-the-symbol/the-potential-of-his-power-rather-than-as-a-man boyfriend what he should or shouldn't do

-seriously terence had all of dion's power laid down at his feet like frodo offering galadriel the one ring and what he ends up saying is p much 'whatever you choose to do, your men are with you'. even starts with an "I" statement and then cuts himself off and starts over!!! CONCISE. THOROUGH. KING 👑 POWER REVEALS!! AND IT HAS REVEALED terence has always wanted dion to have control of his own life and choices 🥺

-the rest is deep spoilers but My God. He's the Patron Saint of Smiling Through Tears. also and most importantly he's nobody he's doesn't even get a last name he's not even an important noble he's got no magic to speak of he's just a guy w a sword kneeling in front of a man asking him to stop killing himself for nothing (or, more accurately, an evil that undermines all the light and hope he thinks he champions--),,,,

(there was a loredrop later that explained they were childhood friends to lovers and had been together for 10 years by the majority of their in game scenes... terence had been in love with dion since they were both young and was gonna be quiet about it forever until dion took a blow defending him in battle at age 18. and I almost died in real life bc I had assumed it was a mutual agreement that the good of the People always took precedence and dion would never choose terence over that. but he almost died to save this one guy. he was ready to give up everything he could do for the world with his power... for his boy best friend. and they hadn't even kissed yet)

anyway yeah I Like Them I Like Putting Them Under A Magnifying Glass And Into Situations 🥰

#SORRY I'M SO LONG WINDED FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS LMAO #you can see where I might also be pouring my Wallmaker Feelings all over human weapons/the use of power turning you to stone #A Lot of his character is filtered through my interpretations and inferences obviously!!!!#but yeah if you bury a statue of sir terence upside down in your yard you will have quiet strength and unbelievable dodging skills #long post #spoilers #this is like oops all spoilers except the most endgame of the spoilers. if that matters.

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themculibrary · 5 months

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Arranged Marriage AU Masterlist 2

part one

A Marriage Between Realms (ao3) - professnerdiness loki/sylvie E, 16k

Summary: “She and I are both the offspring of Kings. The son of Laufey and the daughter of Odin. Two children whose fathers have been mortal enemies for millennia. They stole us from each other when we were babes, and raised us far from our lands and people. And now, we’re being married in order to reunite our families and bring peace to the Nine Realms.”

Prince Loki of Asgard and Princess Sylvie of Jotunheim are wed in a marriage of convenience and political necessity. Can they find something deeper between them?

A Sylki Arranged Marriage AU

A Promise of Peace (ao3) - neonheartbeat loki/sylvie E, 107k

Summary: Sylvie Odinsdottir knows her duty as a princess: to place Asgard above her own wants and desires. But when she meets the Jotun prince she's been promised to marry since she was young, she finds her loyalties begin to shift, and trust is a luxury she may not be able to afford for long...

Arranged (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight steve/tony T, 8k

Summary: Royalty AU-- Howard arranges a match between Tony and Steve, but when Tony tries to run away with Tiberius instead, Steve goes after his betrothed and brings him home. Things are difficult between the couple at first, but an impulsive kiss leads to softer moments, and finally the arranged pair find happiness together.

Come lay with me, You're safe with me (ao3) - annunziatina tony/bruce M, 48k

Summary: In exchange for a military contract that would save his family from financial ruin, Tony Stark is forced to abandon his desire for love. But the reclusive scientist to whom Tony is promised is far from the army grunt he imagined. And maybe love isn't really out of reach.

everybody wants to rule the world (ao3) - bevioletskies peter/gamora T, 109k

Summary: Peter is the one and only heir to the Celestial throne. Gamora is expected to successfully lead the Titans to conquer the galaxy. A political alliance is in the works, and there may or may not be wedding bells in the air.

Alternately: Peter and Gamora find themselves in an arranged marriage and want nothing to do with it, but might need each other more than they think if they want to escape their genocidal fathers forever.

heavy is the crown (ao3) - Anonymous steve/tony G, 17k

Summary: “Why did you pick me? As a match. Howard forced you to marry, but you had - there were other options. Many of them.”

“Maybe I wanted to help you,” Tony says. “To help - anyone, for once. Your people needed it.”

Oh, Steve thinks dully. So it wasn’t about him at all. It’s - a comfort, in some ways. In others, it’s… less so.

“And-” Tony hesitates. "Everyone said you were kind. I thought… if I had to marry, I’d prefer to marry someone kind.”

(Or, Arranged Marriage AU.)

I’m With Him Until the Death Do Us Part (But It Doesn’t Do for this Hungry Heart) (ao3) - Just AnotherMarvelGirl wanda/vision E, 4k

Summary: I really tried to come up with a better summary, but I keep going back to the basics: an arranged marriage royal AU, with cheating, smut, and murder.

In the Hall of the Mountain King (ao3) - Hippiebuckyharrington steve/thor, background bucky/tony E, 26k

Summary: Thor doesn't mind taking the throne when his father dies. He doesn't mind giving up his partying ways with his brother in order to be the responsible King Asguard deserves. What he does mind is having to marry the prince of the neighboring kingdom of Midgard. He doesn't need a spouse to run his country, and he isn't ready to settle down.

Steve really would just like love, a family maybe, and to not be stuck watching his newly married brother mooning over his new husband. And he'd rather be painting anyway, so an arranged marriage is not the worst idea. What Steve doesn't want is to be married to the strange almost barbaric King, who shows up spectacularly hungover to their wedding. Now he's alone, and scared in a place miles from anything he is used to, saddled to a King who doesn't want him.

But maybe, maybe all hope is not lost, even with the disaster their wedding turns into. Maybe, just maybe, there is something to be salvaged from the less than ideal circumstances that brought them together.

just wrong enough to make it feel right (ao3) - thelilacfield wanda/vision M, 7k

Summary: “This is Vision. He is my personal guard. And he will be yours, my lady, whenever you ask.”

She thought that coming to the kingdom would be the end of all her troubles. Marrying a king would be her happy ever after. And yet, as Vision steps forward and shyly bows to her, she can’t help thinking that troubles are only just beginning with the way her heart flutters when those blue eyes meet hers.

Marriage and Mate Chases (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight steve/tony, bucky/natasha, sam/clint E, 439k

Summary: A Regency-ish AU:

Strict, stern Alpha Captain Steve Rogers is firmly in control of himself, his army, and his life and intends to marry an Omega who shares the same ideals while wild, flighty Omega!Tony loves to flaunt Howard's rules, society's expectations and has no intention of settling down.

An arranged marriage forces Alpha and Omega together, but Steve's constant disapproval and Tony's refusal to compromise leads to anger and arguments, missed heats, harsh ruts and a lack of bonding bites. Vicious rumours fly about the Omega's fidelity and the Alpha's ability to control his mate and when Steve runs away to war to distance himself from his unpredictable husband, Tony turns to new friends and illicit activities to hide his hurting heart.

Steve returns from war a changed man ready to be a good husband, dedicating every minute of every day to winning Tony's heart back, but Tony is tired of being ignored, busy with his own projects and unwilling to give the Alpha another chance.

With outside forces plotting to ruin what little happiness they have, are Steve and Tony doomed to be unbonded husbands, married but never truly mates?

marry the sunset (ao3) - becuille t'challa/m'baku E, 5k

Summary: On the night before his wedding, T’Challa is not surprised by his inability to sleep. He is plagued by thoughts of M’Baku from years ago, pushed back in his memory like a long forgotten dream.

Of Broken Dreams and Mended Hearts (ao3) - Kellyscams steve/bucky, peggy/gabe, clint/natasha, pepper/tony, bucky/rumlow M, 354k

Summary: When the House of Barnes is left in massive debt after the death of George Barnes, their oldest son and heir, Bucky, is forced to sacrifice his own hopes and dreams by entering an arranged married to Steve Rogers. Steve seems kind enough, has a prominent job in the government, and was even voted Society's Best Catch. But the House Rogers is significantly higher in status than Bucky's family, which means Bucky is marrying up in Society, and marrying up doesn't only come with rewards, it also comes with certain...expectations and losses--some of which Bucky might be willing to do anything to avoid. And those opportunities might come his way.

Unless, of course, he actually starts falling in love with his new husband...

Seasons of Time (ao3) - ABrighterDarkness, britbrit99 steve/thor T, 56k

Summary: Thor hadn’t put much thought into what marriage and bonding might look like for him. The consideration only ever went as far as acknowledging that it was something that would need to happen, that was expected of him. He certainly didn’t ask questions or press for answers he was wholly uninterested in hearing.

Someday he would be required to court potential mates that would inevitably lead to marriage and, of course, bonding. He would be expected to have a child, at least one, preferably born with an Alpha designation, who he would then be expected to raise to take his place some many, many years down the road.

Someday, the time would come where he would need to conform to the role of King that he would eventually fill and that included the aforementioned expectations.

The Norns Write Right in Crooked Lines (ao3) - Anny_Franny loki/tony T, 17k

Summary: Two princes are forced into an engagement to form a military alliance and save thousand of lives. Thor and Tony had everything to be a happy couple: they were friends, they liked to drink, they knew how to deal with their weapons. Maybe they didn’t love each other, but hey, given time, who knew? Except…

Well, except Tony kinda fell in love with his hot dickish brother-in-law.

The Robot King (ao3) - betheflame pepper/tony T, 27k

Summary: Howard Stark has been a narcissistic control freak for a long time, so no one should really be surprised he added his son’s betrothal to a business merger, even when said son is 4 at the time.

Pepper and Tony are soulmates and all is looking peachy, until a tragic car accident, a well-placed lie, and years of emotional abuse conspire to force them apart.

Can they make it back to each other? And despite Howard’s indifference, find true love?

+++++++++++++

(Of course they can. I only write happily ever afters.)

Basically, this is Lion King, which means it's Hamlet, because evidently I only write AUs now.

The Selection (ao3) - worrisomeme steve/bucky, riley/sam, peggy/angie, clint/natasha M, 20k

Summary: The Department of Spousal Selection. Anyone not married by age 25 gets a spouse assigned to them by the government. And it’s fine, really. The matches are almost always a perfect fit. Steve Rogers is a successful tattoo artist who’s about to have his world turned upside down when he’s matched with a one Bucky Barnes. As they navigate their new life together and learn to deal with each other’s baggage, will their match prove successful, or will their inner demons tear them apart?

we deserve a soft epilogue, my love (ao3) - zashizawa tony/natasha N/R, 9k

Summary: "Love. . ." She trailed off, brows furrowed, "Love isn't always enough to make someone stay, Tony."

His eyes met hers, the green shining from the weak streetlights nearby, and he wondered when that had become his favorite color.

"It can be." He argued, because he knew his parents loved each other, and that was enough for them. He didn't know why, but they did.

"But, not always." She replied pointedly, looking between him and her. He knew where she was coming from.

They'd gotten closer, he didn't know how, but he could feel her leg brush against his under the water.

They both locked eyes for a moment, and Tony found himself gravitating closer. "It can be." He murmured yet again, his fingers brushing delicately against her bare side, his eyes flickering from her eyes to her lips.

"It can be." Natasha finally agreed, looking at him just as intensely as he stared at her.

(Or, the arranged marriage au nobody asked for)

What Comes on the Stage (ao3) - buckybarnesdeservestobehappy (hutchabelle), chaosmanor steve/bucky E, 11k

Summary: Living in Wyoming Territory in the 1880s, recently widowed Bucky Barnes needs a wife—someone to help him on the farm and bear him children. When he arranges for a bride from the East Coast to join him on his homestead, he’s met with a surprise. What he doesn’t foresee is falling in love, especially when Steve Rogers isn’t at all who Bucky expects to step off the stagecoach.

wish you were the piece to get me out of the game (ao3) - disaster_energy loki/mobius T, 10k

Summary: “It is only courteous of us to propose an option as well, the peace between the realms would-”

“Propose me.”

-- Or; King Mobius is looking for a consort among the Nine Realms. Loki discreetly throws himself as tribute.

#themculibrary #marvel #mcu #masterlists #arranged marriage #arranged marriage masterlist #au

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ryuichirou · 1 year

Note

So I just had a silly crack!idea for the Kalijami Sultan AU

What if the equivalent of the royal council is pressuring Jamil for what seems like the 100th time that he needs to convince Kalim to have an heir. Jamil in all his utterly DONE glory proceeds to jinx himself and the council in the most ridiculous fashion.

Jamil*with all the rage of the sun*: Do you think I haven't been trying?!!! At this rate, I'd have better luck giving him a child MYSELF!!!!

Council of Elders*sarcastically*: Well in that case, you two better get started then.

Timeskip to a few days later. Kalim and Jamil need to go on a long business trip. It lasts for 1 year 🤭🤭🤭

Everything goes smoothly until an incident happens on the way back. Kalim helps out a genie or some other entity in disguise. Entity sees the pining!Kalim and decides to reward him with a baby without needing to bother with the other stuff. Entity hands him a beautiful flower that Kalim gladly accepts. While back at the hotel they're staying, Jamil and Kalim get pricked while investigating the plant. Luckily there doesn't seem to be any side effects so they decide to deal with the mystery flower in the morning and sleep for now. When they wake up the next morning there is a lovely baby girl in place of the flower that suspiciously looks like them. They bring the child with them.

Tests are made and the results confirm that she is without a doubt their lovechild. Kalim is ecstatic while Jamil is having an existential crisis beside him. Conveniently the Council of Elders were present at the time so they're getting flashbacks to the conversation above and side-eyeing Jamil in shock and disbelief.

Council of Elders *internally*: Man really went ahead and did it himself 🤯

I'd like to know if you have any headcanons for this. Seemed like an amusing idea and it would be fun if you elaborate on the it or to know what you think would happen next. Like how would everyone react, what baby girl is like, and Kalijami as parents.

Lol, the only way Kalim is going to have children is if there is some kind of magic involved, honestly, this is probably true. And of course Jamil would end up being involved one way or another, since the heart wants what the heart wants….😭 You’re a mother now, Jamil, better get used to it (he’s been parenting Kalim for his entire life, so it’s nothing new)

First of all, we are very happy that you enjoy our AU, Anon! It’s always great to hear from people who get invested in them and want to hear more from us. But unfortunately, we can’t really elaborate much on the idea, since writing about characters having children and parenting isn’t really our thing: we rarely have any ideas or interest in this topic. I can only imagine that they’d get tons of unsolicited advice from every single character: NRC is full of opinionated people who are certain they know better. Also, Lilia. Just Lilia.

Once again, thank you for sharing with us and thank you for liking the AU!

Sorry for a disappointing reply, and have a great day.

#replies

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kwancat7 · 2 months

Text

|| Rival Hearts | Joshua Oneshot

You have hated Joshua Hong since high school. It’s been seven years, and that resentment still burns brightly. Joshua, the heir to one of the most prestigious families in Korea, was always the arrogant, untouchable figure in your life. The mere mention of his name would send you into a fury.

Back in high school, you were the girl who stood up to him, the one who called him out on his privileged behavior. He, in turn, was the guy who enjoyed making your life difficult. The rivalry started with petty arguments and escalated into full-blown confrontations. Your disdain for him was so palpable that your friends often joked about it.

—

When you found out that your family’s financial troubles had reached a breaking point, you were devastated. Your parents had always been supportive, but their debts were too overwhelming to manage alone. The final blow came when they announced their plan to marry you off to Joshua Hong in a desperate bid to save the family from bankruptcy. You were horrified and refused outright.

“No, I will not marry him!” you shouted, your voice trembling with anger and fear.

Your parents tried to reason with you. “It’s the only way we can save the family from financial ruin. Joshua’s family is offering a substantial amount of help in return.”

You shook your head. “I don’t care about the money. I can’t marry him. You know how much I hate him.”

But despite your protests, the marriage was inevitable. The wedding was arranged, and it became a media frenzy. The Hong family’s reputation and your family’s desperation intertwined, creating a spectacle no one could ignore. Your anger simmered beneath the surface, and Joshua seemed just as indifferent, his smile always radiating that same smugness you despised.

The day of the wedding arrived, and you walked down the aisle with a heavy heart. The ceremony felt surreal, and every moment was a stark reminder of how far your life had shifted. Joshua’s gaze met yours with a mix of curiosity and amusement, his eyes glinting with that familiar arrogance.

As you exchanged vows, you felt trapped. Your voice wavered, but you held your ground, determined not to show weakness. Joshua’s responses were polite but detached, and the ceremony ended with the expected fanfare of a celebrity wedding.

The first few days of married life were stifling. Joshua maintained his distance, his behavior as cold as ever. You avoided him whenever possible, focusing on your own routines and trying to adjust to the new reality. Your feelings of resentment were matched only by your loneliness.

—

One evening, you were sitting in the living room, reading a book, when Joshua entered. He looked different—his demeanor was softer, his expression more contemplative. He hesitated before speaking.

“Do you mind if we talk for a moment?” he asked, You glanced up, surprised. “What is it?” ,“I know things have been rough between us,” Joshua began, sitting down on the opposite couch. “I’ve been thinking a lot about our high school days and how I treated you.” You raised an eyebrow. “Really? After all this time, you’re suddenly feeling reflective?” , Joshua nodded. “Yeah. I was a complete jerk back then. I thought I was above everyone, including you. I’m sorry for everything.” ,You were taken aback. “You’re apologizing? Why now?”, “Because I don’t want us to keep hating each other,” Joshua said earnestly. “I know I messed up, and I want to make things right. I’m trying to understand you better and not just be the guy who married you for convenience.”, You were silent for a moment, processing his words. “You think saying sorry will fix everything?” ,“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But it’s a start. I want to show you that I’ve changed. I want us to at least be civil, if not more.” , You studied him, noticing the sincerity in his eyes. “Alright. But if you want to change things, you need to start by actually getting to know me.”, Joshua’s face lit up with a small smile. “Fair enough. How about we start with dinner tonight? Just us, no pretenses.”, You hesitated but then agreed. “Okay. But don’t expect me to be friendly right away.”

The dinner was a mix of awkwardness and tentative conversation. Joshua made an effort to ask about your interests, and you found yourself surprisingly open. As the days turned into weeks, his gestures of kindness, though small, started to chip away at the walls you had built.

—

One evening, as you sat together watching a movie, Joshua spoke up. “You know, I never realized how passionate you are about your hobbies. I always thought you were just another girl with a grudge against me.” , You chuckled softly. “And what did you think of me then?”, “A bit of a troublemaker,” Joshua admitted with a smile. “But now, I see there’s more to you than I ever gave you credit for.”, You were beginning to see Joshua in a different light. “And what about you? What do I see?”, He looked thoughtful. “Maybe a guy who’s trying to make up for past mistakes. Someone who’s not perfect but is trying to be better.”

—

As the weeks passed, the animosity between you began to fade. Joshua’s efforts to connect with you slowly transformed into something deeper. Conversations became easier, and you found yourself laughing at his jokes and enjoying his company. The barriers you had built began to crumble, and you realized that your feelings were changing.

One evening, after a particularly enjoyable dinner, Joshua looked at you with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. “I know this is sudden, but I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”

“What is it?” you asked, curious. , “Do you think we could give this—us—a real chance?” Joshua asked, his voice earnest. “I know it’s not going to be easy, but I really want to see where this could go.” You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of your past resentment lift. “I’m willing to give it a try. But it’s going to take time.” , Joshua’s face softened, and he reached out to take your hand. “I’m willing to wait. I just want us to start over, and this time, to do it right.”

As you looked at Joshua, you realized that the journey from enemies to lovers was not only possible but also genuine. The love that had emerged from the most unlikely of places was something you both cherished, and you found yourself hopeful for the future.

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