#we'll be royally gagged

[torturedpoeta]

Girl escaped from asylum to attend grammys and to announce ttpd.

[edenesth]

Scarlet Requiem

Pairing: emperor!Baekhyun x empress!reader

AU: historical au (Goryeo era)

Word Count: 4k

Summary: In his reign, Baekhyun strived to be a virtuous emperor, all for the sake of his kind-hearted empress, steadfastly resisting the temptations of power that had corrupted those before him. He held onto the belief that this was the key to securing her eternal presence by his side. Yet, he learned, to his heartbreak, that this very resolve would lead to the cruellest loss of all.

Genre: heavy angst

Trigger Warnings: major character death, violence, gore, lots of blood

MAIN MASTERLIST

"Capture that demon before she flees!"

Her hands trembled as she gazed at her reflection in the ornate gold mirror. Once healthy skin now bore a sickly pallor, brown eyes turned crimson, tears staining her cheeks red. Even her jet-black hair had transformed to snowy white. Confusion and fear gripped her as she struggled to comprehend the inexplicable transformation.

As guards roughly seized her arms, she pleaded, "No, please! I've done nothing wrong! I don't understand any of this!"

"Of course, you'd deny it, Your Imperial Majesty," sneered the Minister of Rites, one of many who had urged her husband, the emperor, to accept their daughters as concubines. "Little did you know, those potions you received from the royal healer for the past month were meant to reveal your true nature by shedding your human guise."

Horror pierced her heart as realisation dawned. The tonics meant to maintain her health had been a ruse. She had been poisoned, it explained the sudden and alarming changes in her body and health.

"You," she whispered, the weight of the truth settling heavily upon her. "It was all you."

She was not naive; she understood the ministers' discontent with her influence over Baekhyun throughout his reign. Their persistent attempts to sway him, offering their daughters as concubines to bolster their own power and threaten her position, had not escaped her notice. Their frustration must have reached its zenith when her husband adamantly refused their advances, steadfast in his commitment to her as his one and only empress.

"Hm? I'm not sure I understand what you're implying," the man smirked, his deceptive tone belying his words. "We've long suspected there was more to you, Your Imperial Majesty. It appears you're indeed a demon, effortlessly manipulating the emperor. Surely a man of his stature would desire more than one woman by his side?"

Struggling against the guards' grasp, she retorted weakly, "You vile cowards. You'll rue the day my husband learns of this..."

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place, revealing their sinister plot. They had bided their time, seizing the perfect opportunity amidst the chaos of war. With Baekhyun, the virtuous emperor she had wished him to be, leading the army, they saw their chance to poison her, framing her as a demon to eradicate her while he was away.

"Or perhaps we'll witness the rise of the ambitious emperor we've long awaited. He will finally be able to reach his full potential without you here obstructing his path," he sneered, gesturing towards the approaching healer with another bowl of poison. "Just comply and drink your tonic, Your Imperial Majesty. Your suffering will soon end, and our nation will thrive under the rule of a new emperor, liberated from your naive ideals."

As the sinister men tightened their grip, she sobbed in agony, the relentless headache from the past month resurfacing with a vengeance. Each touch felt like a dagger through her skull, each word a cruel reminder of her plight.

With an apologetic bow of his head, the healer cupped her jaw, his hands trembling as he forced the bowl of poison towards her lips. "Forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty," he whispered, his voice trembling with remorse. "This will be the last one, I promise."

She gagged as the bitter liquid slid down her throat, burning with each swallow. Crimson tears streamed down her white face as she choked on the vile concoction, feeling her strength wane with each passing moment. In that desperate moment, all she could do was pray for salvation from the nightmare consuming her.

As the healer finally released his hold, she felt despair engulf her. The bitter poison settled within her damaged insides, coursing through her veins like a silent killer, slowly consuming her from within.

"It is done, my lord. The empress will not survive through the night," the healer declared, his voice carrying a finality that chilled her to the bone.

The minister's grin widened with satisfaction. "Excellent. Arrange for someone to confirm her death by dawn. Let her enjoy her final moments in the comforts of her own chambers. His Imperial Majesty will surely be grateful we've rid him of his treacherous demon of a wife upon his return from war."

Laying limply in the centre of her grand chambers, the very space she had once despised before ascending to empress, memories flooded her mind. She recalled the scepticism that clouded her heart when she first found herself falling for the crown prince of the nation. After all, history had taught her that no happy endings awaited the women who loved emperors. But Baekhyun was different—he was loving, caring, and considerate, going to great lengths to prove his devotion to her.

He swore never to take concubines, to resist the allure of power, and to remain hers, and hers alone. Despite the admiration of the entire nation, he remained committed to prioritising her above all else, even if it meant drawing the ire of his ministers and officials. Their accusations of his partiality towards his empress over his nation only served to strengthen his resolve, his unwavering loyalty to her.

But now, as she lay weakened by poison, she realised the tragic irony of his goodness. It was his very commitment to righteousness that led him to the battlefield, refusing to let his men fight in his stead. And it was this decision that ultimately sealed their fate, leaving her to face the consequences of his noble intentions.

As the darkness closed in around her, she couldn't help but wonder how Baekhyun would react upon returning to find her lifeless form in this state. Would he succumb to the poisonous words of his ministers, believing their accusations that she had been a demon all along? Would he entertain the notion that she had bewitched him, clouding his judgement and leading him astray?

Or would he remain firm in his loyalty, unwavering in his belief that this was nothing more than a cruel ploy to rid him of her for good? In the depths of her fading consciousness, she desperately clung to the hope that he would see through the lies, that his love for her would prevail over doubt.

On the brink of death, she yearned to trust in his endless devotion to her, to believe that he would never doubt the love they shared. It was a fragile hope, but in that moment, it was all she had to cling to as she slipped further into the darkness, awaiting the inevitable arrival of dawn and the fate it would eventually bring.

"Forgive me for not being strong enough, Baek," she whispered into the stillness of the chamber, her voice barely a breath against the heavy silence. "Please don't blame yourself for any of this."

As the darkness threatened to swallow her entirely, she couldn't help but reflect on the warnings of history, the cautionary tales of women who loved emperors, only to meet tragic ends. Once again, it seemed, she had fallen victim to the same fate.

Her vision blurred with crimson tears as memories flooded her mind—moments shared with Baekhyun before he departed for battle, blissfully unaware that they would be their last. Each memory stung with bittersweet intensity, a painful reminder of what could have been, had fate been kinder.

As her life ebbed away, flashes of cherished moments with him flickered through her mind like scattered stars in the night sky.

Wrapped in the warmth of silk sheets, doubts clouded her mind one morning, questioning her husband's resolve to remain faithful amidst the pressures of his position.

"Would you truly refuse to take any concubines, Baek?" she inquired, her voice laced with uncertainty. "You're aware that the ministers and officials desire it, and perhaps even the citizens of our nation. For all we know, the people might have grown weary of this same dull empress who has yet to bear you an heir."

He drew her close, pulling the silk sheets higher to shield her bare form from the chill seeping through the open windows. Pressing a tender kiss upon her head, he smiled reassuringly. "Never, my love. I do not care for their political machinations. I won't forsake my vow to you. You will remain my only wife, that is final. I did not ask to be emperor, the role was thrust upon me. Now that I am here, they should at least be grateful I am fulfilling my general duties."

She chuckled, nestling into the crook of his neck as he added, "Besides, if the ministers and officials are so displeased, they could just dismiss me. That would be even better; we could live in a quiet little village, just as we've always dreamed."

In another memory, standing before her reflection, plagued by insecurities instilled by the scheming ministers, his unwavering admiration melted her fears away.

"You look beautiful, my empress. You always do," he reassured, approaching from behind to envelop her in his arms.

"Not as beautiful as those young maidens, I fear. I am old," she confessed, feeling a twinge of self-consciousness after witnessing the ministers' attempts to seduce the emperor with their daughters.

Baekhyun gently turned her to face him. "If you're old, then I must be ancient," he teased. "I believe it's only fitting that I am with someone my age, and that's you, my empress. I have no interest in marrying children or anyone else for that matter; I am a taken man. Don't you dare compare yourself to anyone else again, you hear me? You're the most beautiful woman in my eyes, and that's all that matters."

In the final embrace before he departed for war, hearts heavy with the uncertainty of his return, they clung to each other.

"I will be back before you know it, my love. You'll wait for me, won't you?" her husband murmured against her neck, his arms tightening around her.

"Where else would I go, you idiot? Of course, I'll be waiting right here," she retorted, tightening her hold around his shoulders.

Amidst tears and laughter, he leaned in to kiss her deeply, pressing his lips against her soft ones over and over again to imprint the sensation into memory.

"I love you, my empress," Baekhyun whispered against her lips before pulling away, his eyes full of love and determination.

In the quiet of her chamber, she found solace in the fleeting recollections, clinging to them as the darkness threatened to consume her entirely. And as the crimson tears clouded her eyes once more, she resigned herself to the inevitable, silently bidding farewell to the life she once knew.

"I love you too, my emperor."

"I will not ask again, where is she?!" the emperor's voice thundered through the throne room as he stormed back into the palace, abandoning the battle upon learning the shocking revelation. According to the Minister of Rites in his letter, the empress had been discovered to be a demon all along, concealing her true nature under human skin to manipulate him and bend him to her will.

The eunuch panicked and fell to his knees. "Th-the empress is confined to her grand chambers, Your Imperial Majesty!"

Without uttering another word, Baekhyun stormed over immediately, his heart thumping loudly against his chest as fury overtook his being. Betrayal flooded his veins; he was seething with anger.

"You will regret lying to me," he growled under his breath, his vision zeroing in on the path towards her chambers, the place he frequented more than his own. "You will regret deceiving me."

Upon reaching the entrance of her chambers, he turned to the eunuch. "Gather all the ministers and officials who played a part in discovering the empress as what they claimed her to be in the throne room. I wish to speak with them soon."

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," the eunuch hurriedly replied before darting off to carry out his orders. Baekhyun steadied his breaths, his hand resting on the door as he prepared to face her once more. Under his breath, he vowed, "I swear, you will all regret it. How dare you accuse my wife of being what you are—demons."

I'm here now, my love.

Stepping into the familiar room, the emperor's heart raced with anxiety as he mulled over a perfect apology. He needed to express his deep remorse for not being there when she needed him the most, for failing to shield her from the treachery of those vultures. Reflecting on his actions, he realised he should have never left her behind. In his rush to leave for war, he had neglected to arrange proper protection for her. In hindsight, he understood that he should have never left her side in the first place.

Determined to make amends, he vowed to do better. He resolved to never again allow those ministers or officials the opportunity to torment her in his absence again. From now on, he would be her shield, her staunch protector, and her unending support.

But it might be too late for any of that.

His steps faltered, his breath caught in his chest, and his heart skipped a beat as he beheld the sight before his eyes. The sword in his hands slipped, clanging loudly as it hit the ground, and he sank to his knees in disbelief at the last thing he expected to see.

His shock deepened as he took in his wife's unrecognisable appearance. Crawling towards her limp form on the ground, he pulled her into his arms, his voice trembling with anguish. The horror settled within him like a heavy weight as he tried to imagine what atrocities these monsters had dared inflict upon her while he was gone. His mind raced with images of torture and torment, each one more gruesome than the last.

"Oh god, what have they done to you?" he whispered, his heart fracturing into a million shards as he struggled to comprehend her pale skin, her white hair, and the blood-like tears staining her cheeks. With shaking hands, he gently cupped her cold cheek, his fingers tracing the contours of her face as if seeking reassurance that she was still there, still his beloved wife.

"Please wake up, my love. This isn't funny, stop scaring me," he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. "You promised to wait for me. You promised..." His words trailed off into a broken sob as he refused to accept anything but the truth, shaking his head in denial even as he searched desperately for a pulse, even when she remained unresponsive.

"No, no, no... this can't be real. It can't be," he murmured, his mind reeling with the unimaginable horror of what he had found.

Despair and regret enveloped him as he sobbed painfully, holding her lifeless body tightly against his chest. The realisation that she was truly gone, that her final moments were spent alone in the very room she despised just to be with him, weighed heavily on his heart. He grappled with the bitter truth that he had failed her, just as she had feared when she hesitated to be with him.

Gradually, his sorrow gave way to seething rage as he recalled the faces of the ministers and officials responsible for this atrocity. They had callously taken her life, foolishly believing he would be deceived by their feeble attempt to frame her. With trembling hands, he picked up a shard of the shattered bowl nearby and brought it to his nose, recognising the metallic scent of mercury.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

They had poisoned her with lethal doses of mercury, causing a myriad of symptoms—tremors, headaches, muscle weakness, kidney damage, and breathing difficulties. And the deliberate administration of such high doses to turn her hair white revealed their sinister intent from the outset.

Just how much had they fed her? It was evident they had intended to kill her from the start. Anguish and fury surged within him as he vowed to make them pay.

Gently caressing her cold cheek, he leaned in to kiss her unmoving lips, his own trembling against hers. He blamed himself for everything that had transpired. Perhaps if she hadn't been with him, she would have lived a better life—a normal life with a normal man. She wouldn't have to endure such a painful and cruel death.

It was all because of him.

Regret hung heavy in his heart, but dwelling on what could have been served no purpose.

"I'm so sorry, my wife," he whispered, his voice thick with grief. "Just hold on a bit longer, alright? I'll join you soon, but first, I'll make those bastards pay. Wait for me—I won't let you face this alone. Not again."

With resolve hardening in his heart, he retrieved his sword and sheathed it once more before lifting her lifeless form into his arms. Like a man burdened by death itself, he trudged towards the throne room where justice awaited. Kicking the doors open with a forceful thrust of his leg, he was met with a sea of horrified expressions from the ministers and officials. Clearly, they hadn't anticipated the emperor's dramatic entrance, cradling his beloved empress in his arms.

Ignoring their shocked gazes, he strode past them, his eyes fixed on the throne at the far end of the room. With careful tenderness, he laid his wife down upon the ornate seat, arranging her robes and ensuring her comfort as though she were merely sleeping. Pressing a solemn kiss upon her cold forehead, he turned to face the assembled council, their unease palpable in the air.

The guilty culprits remained frozen in their places, uncertain of what awaited them.

As the emperor's gaze swept over them, the ministers and officials for the first time felt a cold shiver of fear trickle down their spines. His expression was unreadable, his appearance wild and dishevelled compared to his usual polished demeanour. Specks of blood and dirt stained his robes and skin, his hair a tangled mess, half tied up in a disarray that mirrored the chaos within him.

Gone was the warm smile that often graced his features; instead, a slow, unsettling grin crept across his face.

"My dearest ministers and officials," he began, his voice low and laced with an eerie calmness. "Your message has been received loud and clear. I hope you're satisfied now that you've succeeded in eradicating the empress, as you so desperately desired. I've given it some thought, and perhaps... you were all right."

The Minister of Rites, attempting to feign nonchalance, cleared his throat. "A-about what, Your Imperial Majesty?" he stammered.

Baekhyun's eyes gleamed with a frightening intensity as he smirked, his demeanour bordering on madness. "About what this nation truly needs," he replied, his voice carrying a chilling edge.

"Not a good emperor, but a mad one."

Without giving the men before him time to register his words, all Baekhyun saw was red. In a split second, he unsheathed his sword and transformed into a bloodthirsty animal, cutting down anyone and everyone in his path. The Minister of Rites tried to flee but to no avail. He watched in complete horror as his colleagues dropped dead one by one, their blood splattering over the grand walls of the throne room, their screams echoing.

The emperor went on a rampage, leaving no man behind. The Minister of Rites, who had been behind the idea of poisoning the empress, smearing her name by labelling her a demon, and executing her, was now filled with regret. They had turned him into the mad king his empress had feared. Perhaps they had finally achieved their goal, but it wasn't what they were prepared for.

The minister collapsed to his knees before the emperor, realising that His Imperial Majesty had saved him for last. Trembling, he rubbed his hands together in a desperate plea. "P-please, everything I've done, it's for the betterment of our nation."

Baekhyun's humourless laughter echoed through the hall, sending shivers down the minister's spine. "You truly believe that, don't you? Of course, that includes subjecting my wife to all that torment. Yes, because that is exactly what the nation needs. Unfortunately for you, I am the emperor, and I determine what's best for the nation. And in this case, I think it's better off without traitors like you. See you on the other side," were the last words the minister heard before his head was severed from his neck, rolling off to join the others on the floor.

The emperor finally turned back, his eyes softening as they landed on his beloved's lifeless body. Making his way back towards her, he knelt down beside her, tears streaming down his face as he reached for her hand. Holding it to his cheek, he missed the warmth it once had.

"I'm coming now, my love," he whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry you had to wait for so long. I'll be there with you soon."

"Yes, I understand His Imperial Majesty's orders not to enter, but it's been hours. Surely, any assembly would have concluded by now, wouldn't it?" With apprehension and curiosity, a senior court lady pushed open the doors to the once-bustling throne room, expecting to find His Imperial Majesty and his council of ministers. Instead, she was met with a horrifying sight—a scene of bloodshed and chaos spread across the grand hall.

Her piercing scream echoed through the silent room, jolting nearby palace staff into action. Rushing to the scene, they were met with a scene that chilled them to the bone. At the end of the room, amidst a sea of lifeless bodies, lay the empress on the throne, her appearance shocking all who beheld it. Beside her, her husband remained, his head cradled on her chest, their hands tightly clasped together. A gaping stab wound marred his chest—it seemed he had taken his own life before joining her in death.

Following that, the next prince in line promptly ascended the throne and found himself compelled to appoint an entirely new cabinet of ministers and officials. The entire nation descended into chaos, particularly since it was still embroiled in a war, with endless theories circulating about the events. While some speculated that the emperor succumbed to madness and killed his own council, others whispered of a conspiracy, suggesting that the ministers had orchestrated the demise of both the empress and the emperor.

Amidst this uncertainty, the new prince faced the daunting challenge of restoring order to the kingdom. With a heavy heart, he pledged to uncover the truth behind the tragic occurrences and ensure that justice was served to those responsible.

In the end, the truth of what truly occurred remained shrouded in mystery. All those involved had departed from the realm of the living. As centuries passed, that chapter in history became known as the Scarlet Requiem, a haunting tale that lingered in the collective memory of the kingdom. Despite countless efforts to unravel the enigma, the events surrounding the tragedy remained obscured by the sands of time, leaving future generations to ponder and speculate about the dark secrets of the past.

"What do you think really happened?" a woman asked her boyfriend as they studied a painting depicting the throne room scene in a museum dedicated to the events of the Scarlet Requiem.

He pondered for a moment before responding with a shrug. "It's hard to say. But judging by the way he's holding onto her, it seems he must have truly loved her. Let's hope they've found peace and happiness, whether in the afterlife or their next life."

She nodded in agreement, leaning into his comforting embrace. "Yeah, I hope so too."

He flashed a mischievous grin. "I'm just saying, if I were him, I wouldn't have left her for war in the first place."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful smack, though a smile danced on her lips. "I'm sure you wouldn't. I bet it's because the empress was described as beautiful as a celestial being."

He scoffed. "Doesn't matter to me how pretty she was. I'll stay only if you're my empress."

Unbeknownst to them, the couple had been contemplating their own past lives. Perhaps the emperor and empress had indeed found each other again in another existence.

Believe it or not, this has been on my mind for months ever since seeing those AI-generated photos of Baekhyun. I had an epiphany while looking at them again yesterday and just had to write this. It's my first EXO fic, and I hope it's decent hehe~

As always, thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts! <3

Master Tag list:

@the-kpop-simp @itstheghostofmypast @green-agent @vantediary @tinyteezer |

@hollxe1 @pandabur666 @lilactangerine @oddracha @evidive

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[theamityelf]

Uma answers the phone, and it's the standard "We have your boyfriend!" ransom call.

For a second she just stands there with a thoughtful look, like she's doing mental math. "Uh-huh..."

"Now, if you ever want to see him again-"

"No, shut up for a second, I'm tryna think."

"You...What?"

She thinks for another second and then gives up. "Alright, you're gonna have to tell me who you have. If it was Ben, you'd have said you have the king; if it was Harry or Gil, I'd be impressed..."

"It's not me!" Gil calls out helpfully from another room. "And Jay's sitting on my lap."

"And it's not Jay," she adds. "So, who'd you catch?"

The voice on the other end of the phone grunts in annoyance. "You know, the blond guy."

"The blond guy's here; that's what I just said."

"No, the-! Cinderella's son. I forget his name; he hasn't been on the news in a while." There's an offended noise, ostensibly from a gagged prince of Cinderellasburg who didn't appreciate the comment on his diminishing spotlight.

"Oh my gods," Uma groans. "You got Chad? He's not even my boyfriend; he's my girlfriend's boyfriend. Did he say he's my boyfriend?"

"He said we should think twice about holding him for ransom because the queen of the sea was going to destroy us."

"Well, yeah, but only because it's the cool thing to do." Uma is putting on her sword belt and jacket at this point. "I mean, Audrey would be pissed if I just let him be kidnapped. Is there a reason you called me? He told you I'd destroy you, and you thought 'I have an idea, let's call her?' How'd you even get my number?"

"Listen closely! We took him because we thought the royals of Cinderellasburg would pay a hefty price for his return. But now that we know he's valuable to the queen of the sea as well, we'd like to make a deal. If you sink the ships of our enemies, we'll return the prince to you with all his fingers."

"Dude, I don't even know who your enemies are. Do you have nautical coordinates?"

"There are five ships we'd like you to sink. I'm sending you the first set of coordinates now, and if the ship is not destroyed within the hour, the prince loses two fingers."

"Got it," Uma muses, glancing across the room at Carlos, who gives her a thumbs up.

"And before you think about attacking us, you should know we're landlocked!"

"Yeah, for sure. I hear you." She's putting eyeliner on in the mirror.

"The first ship, now! When you're done, we'll send the next coordinates."

"Great, yeah. Okay."

The phone hangs up.

"That was long enough to get his location, right?" she asks over her shoulder.

"Yep, we got him," Carlos answers. He's in bed, but he pulled his laptop onto his lap as soon as the matter of hostages was mentioned.

"Cool. Guess I'll go get Chad and...I don't know, kill that guy?"

"No killing. Remedial Goodness."

"Oh, like the crown isn't responsible for-...Whatever. I'll just break his knees."

Another thumbs up. Jane, sitting next to Carlos, looks slightly bewildered, but she hops up to grab Uma's hat for her as she heads out the door.

[fletchingbrilliant]

TEXT TRANSCRIPTION (CW: Katie Killkoy-typical homophobia, lite)

Hello, bitches! Katie Killjoy here with a royal doozy of a story!

The First Annual Hell Hungry Games (unofficial slogan: “We Aren’t Actually Doing This Every Year, Are We?”) are now underway! Somewhat hastily put together by Hell’s favorite distaster Princess Charlotte Morningstar as a dipshit attempt at a large scale hotel “trust exercise” based on a series of human novels her -gag- female companion mentioned to her once, the Hungry Games (unofficial slogan: “No, Babe, It’s Hunger- You Know What, Never Mind!”) will test Sinners and Hellborn alike - whether they’re affiliated with this stupid hotel or not! - with a series of survivalist challenges as they team up at random and, hopefully, don’t sabotage each other in the process! Why did she believe this was a good idea? How did she get the Vees, a Goetian Prince and his daughter, and two Deadly Sins to agree to participate? Why the fuck are there angels here? Who will end up fucking and how disgusting will it be? And who will emerge as the first ever champion of this stupid, stupid contest? Tune in to find out!

(END TEXT TRANSCRIPTION)

So, throughout August, I will be releasing images and text detailing the events of a very silly Hunger Games-esque event involving 24 unfortunate souls from the Hellaverse.

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

We are using the BrantSteele Hunger Games Simulator to generate the events that will take place.

This information is going to inform the events, but we will be taking huge liberties in order to make it more interesting, make it flow better, etc.

The event will play out the way it plays out, through a combination of random chance and the creative choices of the writers/artists (myself and @zaebeecee)

We will NOT be taking suggestions. The cards are gonna fall how they fall.

Some of the "deaths" will seem utterly nonsensical! WE DO NOT CARE. We will make it work. That is part of the fun. Try not to get hung up on whether or not 'that would happen'

Just enjoy things, this is not to be taken seriously

That said, given the nature of the source material, there will be some dark concepts represented. We will do our best to balance respect and comedy, but will also provide content warnings for anything that might be triggering/uncomfortable/excessively unpleasant to folks. We'll start introducing the teams next! Stay tuned!!!

[jungle-angel]

Morning Moon (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: Never smack a bull first thing in the morning

Warnings: Sex, SMUT (no minors allowed 18+ only), Rhett showing his naked ass to the world

Tagging: @floydsmuse @withahappyrefrain @rhettabbotts @sebsxphia @attapullman

You lay in your shared bed, you and Rhett still naked from the shenanigans of the night before and breathing in each other's scent. Outside it had grown warm, typical for May, but the early morning haze settling over the Abbott land. Amy had gone to have a sleepover at Joy and Martha's, her and Rosie able to run around and play with each other before their last day of preschool.

"Rhett?"

"Hmm?"

"S'fuckin hot in here," you mumbled, burrowing your face in the curve of his neck.

"Gimme a sec," he said.

Rhett gently moved you but you scooted over to his side of the bed. He was still naked, running his hands over his face and letting out an obscene groan as the light spilled in through the windows. When he rose up off the bed, there it was, Rhett's naked ass in all its morning glory.

*SMACK!*

"JEEZ WOMAN!!!!"

You could hardly contain your laughter, even as Rhett scrambled back into bed, pressing his weight on top of you. "What.......have I told ya'll.......about smackin my ass?" he growled in your ear, delivering a sound smack to your own rear.

You and Rhett went at it, laughing and giggling the whole entire time. He rammed his red hot shaft right into you, drawing one obscene moan after another out of you. His name fell off your lips with every moan, drawing him further and further into his high and causing the bed to shake, squeak and clatter against the bedroom wall.

When Rhett finally released himself into you, you both fell against each other, laughing and kissing. "Shit darlin ya'll are amazing," he chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to your neck.

Your intimate little moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bed in the other room clattering against the wall. Rhett made a face and turned bright red. "Oh my God are they......?"

"I hope not," Rhett said, faking a gagging noise.

He pounded a fist on the wall, loudly to the point where you were afraid he was going to put his fist through it. "Who the fuck is disturbin the peace?!" Royal bellowed on the other side of the wall.

"Your son, that's who!!"

"You wanna pipe down over there? You guys are bein kinda loud."

"Loud?!" Rhett bellowed. "Loud?! You wanna hear loud? I'll do ya one better and pray your ticker doesn't explode!"

"Then spin the wheel horny toad! Cause it's on like Donkey Kong!"

"Are you serious?" you whispered.

"Give it a few and we'll see," Rhett whispered back, kissing you.

****************************

"It's quiet over there, I don't like it," Royal remarked.

"You're the one who talked him into it," Cecelia told him.

"Sugar Bear, I did no such thing."

"Bullshit you didn't."

Royal rolled his eyes. "Hey where'd ya'll learn how to do that anyways?"

"In the back of YOUR old '76 Firebird," she told him. "Now get back down here and fuck me like you mean it!"

Neither of the two rooms remained quiet the rest of the day.

[scarasimping]

love-avoidant princess

pirate!scaramouche x princess!reader

synopsis: scaramouche’s crew had been planning this heist for years prior, and finally, they dock ship at the most heavily guarded kingdom on this side of the world with only one goal in mind: infiltrate the castle and steal the crown used for the coronation ceremony. The only setback? The princess had already stolen it, so now he has to go through her. 

tags: fem!reader, allusions to medieval sexism, you know how that is, mentions of blood like once, alcohol also mentioned a couple times, i believe that’s it for this part!

author’s note: ITS DONE omg, this took way longer than i thought but I guess that’s what happens when i try to throw myself in to writing actual pieces for the first time in three years instead of taking it slow. and it only ended up being 3k words TT but this is not the end, i have way more in mind for these two, this is honestly more like...a prologue of sorts!! hope you all enjoy !! so glad we actually have a plot now instead of me posting random hcs hshshshs also yes, his crew is most of the anemo characters because I said so

word count: 3.63k

One can only see the same garden of flowers so many times before becoming bored of the sight. You have walked through here on so many occasions that you're sure that you could list each plant by its scientific name in the order they appear, from the front of the garden to the back.

So, really, it shouldn't come as a surprise to your retainer when they watch you leave a meeting with a potential suitor halfway through your millionth walk through the garden.

The suitor was confused, calling out to you and running to keep up with your fast-paced steps.

"Princess! Did I do something wrong?" He shouted, but you shook your head, an unimpressed and uncaring look painting your features.

"I apologize for saying this after you made the long journey here, but this simply will not work between us."

And thus, another man was rejected by the unromantic princess.

Known for turning down every suitor imaginable, you had gained the reputation of being entirely against romance. Even though you were clearly not interested, this only made people want you more, and your father, who was eager to get you married off, agreed to let everyone interested in you meet you, as long as they were of high enough standing. This included royalty from other kingdoms, wealthy businessmen, and other government officials or their sons who were your age. 

None of them even came close to winning your heart.

It’s not that there was anything wrong with them. To be honest, even you weren’t sure why you were so bored with every man or woman you met. It seemed to be more the life you would lead with them than the suitor themselves that made you gag. No first-born heir of a royal family wants to be married off; they want to have the throne! And if your parents weren’t going to give it to you, then you wouldn’t make it easy for them to send you away.

As you gracefully left the heartbroken businessman behind, the retainer assigned to watch over you hurriedly followed, barely keeping up with your pace.

"Princess, this is the seventh suitor you've met. Please tell me, what is wrong with this one?" he pleaded. In truth, he was scared to report more bad news to the king and queen, but frankly, that was not your problem.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I just do not see myself having a life with him," you replied, staring straight ahead and hoping he would stop following you. After forcing yourself to be nice to these suitors, all you wanted was to lay in bed and nap, or maybe practice your sparring skills with your sword.

"We'll have to tell your father about this," he gave you one last warning, but your mind was already made up.

"I understand, but I'm not altering my decision."

Just as you and your retainer thought, your father was not pleased, going on one of his long-winded rants about how you should get married quickly because it’s “better for the kingdom” and “what a princess should do.” All the while, your mother sat and watched, not saying a word because she knew that she did the same thing when she was your age. It was how your parents met in the first place, after all.

"At this rate, your little brother will have inherited the throne before you're satisfied with a man." The king ends his rant with this statement, huffing angrily as he furrows his thick eyebrows in your direction. There it was, the constant reminder that you, the eldest heir, were not to inherit the throne, which should rightfully be yours, all because your parents favored your younger brother.

However, who would dare question the king? When he makes an order, it is carried out, and what he demands is brought to fruition. So if he says your sibling shall inherit the throne, he will, and when he finally gets fed up with your high standards and simply makes you marry someone of his choosing, you will have to obey. Such is the life of a princess.

With a heavy heart, you bow to your father, asking to be excused. He sighs and waves his hand, allowing you to leave, to which you immediately turn on your heel and pace quickly toward your chambers.

When Scaramouche's crew docked at the pier, they knew the welcome they would be given wasn't going to be a warm one. It never was, wherever they stopped. It was no secret that wherever this ship docked, well-known valuables would soon go missing and trouble would follow, yet no one could prove it was them.

Still, seeing every guard on patrol look at them with a noticeable glare and watch their every move was more than unnerving. All Scaramouche was doing was going for a stroll, after all.

But, so were his crewmates, Kazuha and Heizou, in separate parts of the city. And it's not their fault if they happen to notice which areas are more guarded than others, when the guards switch shifts, or which buildings have the least amount of foot traffic coming in and out of them. It's all coincidental, of course, not on purpose at all.

It's definitely not intentional when Heizou reports that the only guards that step into the tavern are always there to get so drunk after their shift that they won't remember what they say.

And who's to shame Scaramouche if he wants to step in and have a drink or two, and happens to run into a guard who's slurring his words and would have fallen over if he ever tried to stand up in this state?

"And that princess…god! She's so stuck up.." the guard ranted, taking another swig from his pint. Scaramouche listened with faux sympathy to the drunken man in front of him, but he wasn't sure how much more he could take from this man. He too often leaned too close as if whispering a secret, the stench of sweat, metal, and cheap booze radiating off of him. 

"That princess! She keeps rejecting every suitor who's interested in her! Do you know who has to deal with the king's fury after she does this? Us!"

He leans in once more, and Scaramouche gets a whiff of his rancid breath  "I hear….the king wants her married off to someone wealthy because he's in debt…but she just wants the throne instead! Can you believe it? Too stuck up to let her brother be the heir to the kingdom…."

It seemed all this guard was going to reveal was pointless rants about the king’s only daughter, and today he was not going to get any information that would be helpful to him. After all, if this princess was to be married off, it’s unlikely she would be able to get hold of the crown that was to be used in the coronation ceremony when the prince came of age.

Like an answer from the heavens, his doubts were quickly proven incorrect when the guard’s voice drops to a whisper, and he leans across the table to speak in Scaramouche’s ear.

“I hear…that she got so jealous, she stole the crown. The king says it just got lost, however, we guards know the truth. But what grounds could we present that would warrant a search through the princess’s private quarters? It’s useless…”

And just like that, Scaramouche knew whom he should target. 

The captain stands from their booth in the corner, excusing himself. He buys the guard another drink as thanks for the “lovely conversation” and to ensure he really wouldn’t remember the information he spilled.

The next few nights, Scaramouche and other members of his crew alternate between taverns to gather as much information as possible. Each night, a different person hit a different establishment to not raise suspicion. This heist was going to be big, and after it was pulled off they wouldn’t be able to dock for months to avoid being caught and interrogated.

Stealing the crown from the most heavily guarded kingdom on this side of the world was no easy task, but it had been Scaramouche’s dream ever since he started his life of piracy. Something like this would earn them respect like no other on the seven seas but also put a huge target on their back. His crew was prepared, of course, they wouldn’t have docked here if they weren’t. It’s not like they couldn’t fight, either. They were notorious for many reasons: their crimes that left no evidence behind, the sheer intimidation their crew gave off, and the fact that no crew member lost any duel they were challenged to.

After a couple weeks of solely gathering information, Scaramouche’s crew was ready to take things to the next level. They learned that the princess was unable to leave the castle without supervision, which only occurred on rare occasions. She lived a secluded life and many of the kingdom’s citizens didn’t even know her face. His first mate, Kazuha, who was always good with his words, even managed to get one of the guards to reveal which terrace on the castle belonged to the princess’s room and that the staff had recently increased security in the city and outside the castle because of a suspicious ship that had docked at the pier, which lessened the amount of military inside the building.

Kazuha was always better with people than any other crew member, and Scaramouche was forever thankful he was a part of his crew, even if he didn’t show it.

However, it seemed no one was able to learn that the princess provided enough security for herself, not even needing guards.

Scaramouche quickly learned that when he was finally ready to attempt to get inside the castle, scaling the walls during a shift change and approaching the terrace he was informed about prior.

A candle on your bedside and the illumination from the moon were the only sources of light in your quarters at this time of night. Every other member of the royal family was asleep, but not you. Far too frequently would you stay up reading a novel you “borrowed” from the castle’s library, even though books weren’t supposed to leave the area. 

All was silent except for the wind blowing outside and the rare footsteps in the hall, metal clashing with each step from the guards’ armor.

Though silent, and easy to miss, a sound from outside your window caught your attention. 

Breathing, silent steps getting closer, the scraping of someone climbing the walls and terrace.

You turned, blowing out your candle so that whoever was coming wouldn’t know you were awake. With the time it took for them to reach the glass door that separates your room from the balcony, your eyes had already adjusted to the darkness and you had your sword out from underneath your bed, drawn and ready to be used.

The door cracked open, slowly, and it was obvious that whoever was there was trying to use the element of surprise. They must not know you, considering they thought you wouldn’t discover them. One hand pushes the door open all the way, then pulls the person inside. It was a man with indigo hair and eyes. Everything he wore was black - his boots, high-waisted pants, and tricorn hat, - besides his shirt, which was a white poet shirt with purple and black accents tucked into his pants. Adorned on his hat were feathers that spewed from the back and gems which were sewn on, each one catching the light from the moon. He was obviously a pirate, and based on the whispers from the staff in the castle, he was probably from the ship that docked recently and made everyone nervous. The captain of the guards had even told you to report anything suspicious you happened to see, which told you they were no joke, Normally, if there was a threat, you wouldn’t even be informed. 'No one wanted to worry the princess, of course' is what they would say, but you know they just think you can't handle it.

Before he even has time to process you're there, you point your sword at his throat, the tip pressing against his flesh, but not hard enough to draw blood. Just enough so that he knows he made a mistake.

The pirate stares down at the sword at his neck, his gaze following the blade to its holder; the very princess he intended to come in here and threaten. It's a funny thing how easily the tables can be turned. He eyes the princess warily, one eyebrow raised and an awkward smile on his face, knowing he's been caught so easily.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" He chuckles to himself, raising his hands up beside his head in a phony sign of surrender, but your sword never wavers.

"What do you think you are doing here?"  You demanded, sword to the pirate's throat. The captain remained silent, weighing his options. He could try to talk his way out of this or use his cunning tactics to somehow overpower the princess and make a break for it. Whatever decision he made, it could mean the difference between life and death.

"Sure, as soon as you put that sword down. I'd rather have a conversation than an encounter between your blade and my jugular if you don't mind," he reasons, staring right back into your eyes with a look that screams mischief. Still, you sigh, and lower your sword, taking a step back and never loosening your grip on its handle. 

"Speak." 

He chuckles, lowering his hands and letting a cocky smile spread across his face.

"You see, princess, there's a rumor going around that you've stolen and hidden the coronation crown. I'm here to simply…take it off your hands," he explains. Everything about him seems sly, and even though it seems he's at a disadvantage, he's acting like he has the upper hand. There's not an ounce of fear on his face.

Your hold on your sword is steady, ready for combat at any moment, and it seems he's thinking the same thing.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do so. I can, however, offer you a deal. Leave now and I won't report your attempt to rob the royal castle and have you thrown in prison."

The pirate shrugs and sighs, his hand reaching for the sword that hung from his belt. 

"Oh well, looks like there's no other way."

And with that, he draws his sword from its scabbard, a sleek, steel sword with a curved blade,  and lunges forward, dealing the first strike. Blades clash and the sound of metal on metal echoes throughout the room as you parry his sword, pushing him back further. He doesn't let up, dealing strike after strike, yet landing no hits nonetheless. 

While the pirate’s blows are strong and aggressive, his attacks powerful and relentless, yours are both quick and agile with fast and precise strikes.

He expected the princess to be less of a hassle, yet here you were, not only putting up a good fight but winning too. Similar to him, there wasn't even a hint of sweat dripping from your brow, no signs of exhaustion as you dueled him in just your nightgown and slippers.

Your sword comes down once more towards his chest, and he raises his own to block it when suddenly you change your direction and aim to land a hit on his arm instead.

Ever quick on his feet, the pirate steps out of the way, dodging an almost fatal attack, but not before your blade can tear through his shirt and leave the faintest wound on the flesh of his shoulder.

He hisses as he feels the sting of his skin splitting, looking down as red stains the sleeve of his shirt.

"Not bad," he mumbles, his eyes sharp as he glares at the princess, a cocky smirk adorning his face. "Haven't struggled this much with an opponent in a while."

"Likewise," you muse, tightening your grip on your handle as you raise your eyebrows, almost taunting him.

"Tell me, pirate, what is your name? I want to know what to call my attacker before I slice your throat." 

He chuckles, rolling his wounded shoulder back and getting into a better position to keep fighting.

"Oh, I don't believe you really could. Wouldn't want to get your pretty hands dirty after all." He, once again, swings his sword, but to no avail. You continue trading blows with him, barely giving each other a chance to breathe. No matter what he tries, he can't seem to get the upper hand. Mentally, he wants to blame it on the fact that he was caught off guard, or that the way the silk of her nightgown hugs her body when she twists and turns to use her sword is distracting, but really he knows he's just finally met a well-matched opponent. 

"But the name's Scaramouche, consider this knowledge a gift before I beat you at the game of swords.”

It was then that the sound of armored footsteps approaching rapidly caught both Scaramouche and the princess’s attention. You bite back a laugh, glancing at the door and then back to the pirate in front of you.

“Looks like that will have to wait, Scaramouche.”

His name spilled from your lips easier than you’d like to admit, sounding almost natural when it came from you. Scaramouche noticed this too, stiffening as you say it and running his tongue along his cheek. It was annoying whenever he found himself having to make an enemy of an attractive woman. He takes one last look at the princess, before stepping away towards the glass door he came in through. He keeps his sword pointed at you as he backs away, not taking any chances.

“This was lovely, princess. I’ll be seeing you again very soon, but for now, I bid you adieu,” He takes his hat off, bending his arm at his waist and bowing overdramatically before opening the door and launching himself over the fence of the terrace, disappearing into the night.

As the footsteps get closer, you kick your sword under the bed, praying it wasn’t damaged, and toss yourself onto your mattress, throwing the covers over your body just in time for the door to swing open. A few guards peer inside, seeing nothing but you sleeping soundly in, your back turned to them as your body rises and falls to the rhythm of your breathing. There was no sign a fight had even occurred, despite the noises that multiple knights had heard coming from here.

As they close the door, the sound of their footsteps moving away from your room, a giddy smile creeps onto your face. After all, if no fight happened in their eyes, there would be no reason to increase security and you could see that intriguing pirate again.

After Scaramouche escapes down the castle walls, he books it for the treeline that separated the castle from the ocean. It was just past there that his ship resided, where his crew was eagerly awaiting his return with good news. A sinking feeling resides over him whilst he runs through the trees, kicking up dirt and leaves with every step. There is no reasoning he could possibly give that would excuse his failure. Not when he knows it’s caused by his own faults as a man. He, just like all of her numerous suitors and admirers, simply got distracted by her appearance. At some point, he had to stop as his head became too muddled by his thoughts, leaning against a tree, taking a deep breath, and trying to calm his thoughts.

Before, when hearing about rumors of the princess and all of the men interested in marrying her, he assumed the stories all came with a tinge of exaggeration.

Yet, after seeing her and fighting with her, he knows each metaphor and story told of her had to have been nothing but the truth. Tales of her beauty were honestly an understatement. It’s not often he finds himself this distracted by a woman, especially a princess, and he can’t help but feel ashamed in a way. He just failed to execute the plan his crew had been working on for years prior to docking it this kingdom, but all he can think about is her smile when she taunted him, her confidence because she knew she could fight, or the way her nightgown revealed the shape of her body, expensive silk clinging to every curve of her flesh. She was a princess rarely even seen by the public, but he got to see her in such a private setting, and god was it worth it.

He starts running again, her face in mind doubts infecting his every thought. His heart pounds heavily in his chest, and his lungs burn with each breath, but he doesn’t stop running. He would much rather face his crew than the entire royal army. He was sure the princess had reported what had happened by now, and he didn’t want to stick around so they could remember his face.

As he runs, he starts to feel the ocean breeze brushing along his face, and it reminds him that he’s almost home. His crew is smart; they’ll be able to come up with a new plan together. Maybe next time they’ll send a different member of the crew. 

As soon as the thought of someone else seeing her like that enters his mind, he quickly shoos it away. 

Just for now, he’d like to keep the image of her to himself.

taglist: @danfelions @bleachisfood @klanxii @nillajhayne @call-me-nayo @pinkiepiescanonn @etherisy @kazuuhhaaaa @featuredtofu @ulquiorraswife @skyoverkill1 @wandererskitten   @lxkeeeee

[viaviv124]

Cotl Unity AU

Okay because we all know i will never start, let alone finish, writing this we'll do the same i did with the orphan AU and give a plot summary. I won't go too much into the politcs of shit here, many outside relationships that arent crucial or make time to explain small easter eggs/gags i put in so feel free to ask if you wanna know! I'd love to yap more! Same goes for questions in general!

Alright lets start!

So there's this country/kingdom called Dagas and the royal family, currently consisting of 5 siblings, the oldest taking the crown as the monarch/ruler, are viewed as gods and worshipped by the church. Narinder is the 3rd prince and 23 years old. He's pretty invested in the military and handles a lot of politics having to do with fighting, earning him the title God/Prince of death (allthough this also comes from his ruthlessness and cold demeanor). One day Shamura tells him he's betrothed and that his fiance will arrive in two weeks, that day being a royal ball to publically announce it. Narinder tries to fight this arrangement but fails, much to his dismay. The decision is final. He knows nothing about his fiance, only that they're slightly younger than him, allthough still an adult.

The ball comes, Narinder is not amused and keeps ranting to his siblings, and around an hour or two in a carriage arrives and the guards escort the fiance inside, a lamb in precious, simple white robes and a red camelia in their wool. They bow in front of Narinder, introducing themself as Nanda from Venzor, a rather small village. They're a commoner, Narinder is less than thrilled, allthough for appearances he gives himself as charming and interested, allthough his face is deadpan for the crowd cannot see it. He extends a hand and Nanda kisses it, not recieving the same courtesy back allthough he should've. Narinder tells them to rise and despite eye-ing Narinder for a split moment, Nanda smiles politely and says how much of an honor it is for them to stand in front of him like this, allthough lowkey passive agressively. Narinder takes that personal and decides he doesn't like them even more. They have a dance because, again, appearances, and allthough Nanda cannot dance they manage to keep up impressively well. During dinner with the rest of the royal siblings it is revealed that the reason for this engagement is that Nanda is indirectly from the church. Allthough not officially a priest, they've caused a small, abandoned church in their village to blossom and bloom, causing even a lot of travelers to move to this village in order to devote themselves to faith. Nanda's talent/achievements within the church, which is lowkey controlling the loyalty of the commoners torwards the royals hence why it's so important, combined with their sharp wit it would be a good match with Narinder's military upbringing. Narinder doesn't protest but silently hopes that Nanda will just be an obedient believer who won't get in his way.

And that works, for the first week or so they do as they're told, work wise, and everything seems fine. Until Nanda realized/learned they can be casual around the royals, they cannot get rid of them or harm them unless they commit a respective crime, so they start relaxing and showing it in their attitude. What pushes it over the edge for Narinder is that Nands dared ordering him around. Well actually they just asked him if he could get something for them he was closer to but alas, who is to understand the mind of that prideful cat? (Nandas words) From that day on none of them held back. They bicker and bicker with no end, every so often it'd escalate into a fistfight too. They can barely sit in room together without one deciding to provocate the other for absolutely no reason. And hence their dynamic is born.

Around a month since Nanda arrived Narinder has to leave for a week or two. When he comes back and steps out of the carriage or leaves the ship or something everywhere around them are screams of pain and agony. It is caused by Nandas hand, ss they've killed people that seemed previously hidden. Once the acts are committed Nanda goes blank with this horrifyingly odd look in their eyes, making everone believe they lost it. They didnt hurt anyone else though and they didn't resist arrest. Narinder, accompanied by a guard for safety, decided to interrogate Nands himself. They reveal that these people were plotting to kill Narinder the moment he came back, providing a few letters exchanged in secret by the perpetrators they managed to steal as evidence. They never intended to kill them, but they couldn't help but see red. If they should be executed for their crimes they won't resist. Narinder believes their story and demands Nanda free. When asked for his reasoning he says that these letters were the real deal, for he knows Nandas handwriting enough to say so. Nanda saved his life so they get pardoned. Narinder doesn't understand why this drove Nanda so far they could only see red, this starts changing his view of them ever so slightly positively, allthough this doesnt stop their constant fighting.

Their normal life goes on until 2 months later they have to go to Venzor, Nanda's hometown, for various reasons. There Narinder meets Ratau, Nandas mentor and the one who arranged the engagement together with Shamura, allthough Nanda didn't find out until the day they had to leave. In general Narinder meets a huge culture shock, for as the common folk seem to greatly respect Nanda, calling them leader (which they've only seen Corey do sometimes) and in turn treating Narinder all casually despite being aware of his Status. During their stay he sees a very kind and mature side of Nanda, also seeing their skill in delivering sermons and in general doing work preists usually learn their whole lifes to do. On their trip they also need to clear out a nearby forest of monsters, creatures that greatly plague Dagas' safety and that Narinder frequently goes fight for a hobby. There he learns that Nanda is not only skilled with swords and daggers but also posesses black magic, making him re-evaluate each time they fought and in theory they could've just ended him right there.

In general both of them they realize they make a great team and work greatly together, be it about their actual work or fighting together. Especially after their visit to Venzor they also fight less. (allthough still very frequently, this is just their thing. Most of the malice is gone.)

Narinder learns Nanda is plagued by nightmares around two weeks after they return home. He found that out because he demands small cuddle sessions every now and then (obviously totally not romantic at all or anything, the grumpy kitty just needs his big plushy). Surprisingly the nightterrors become less when Nanda's with him so they end up sharing his bed. Over the span of the next 2 or 3 months the two of them (allthough mainly nanda) open up more in general, telling the other personal things and things that trouble them. For Nanda this includes telling Narinder their nightmares and that their birth family is dead. Over that time the two of them also begin sleeping with eachother on a regular basis.

For the next bit i have a semi-written out scene, with that i mean dialogue, so here you go:

It's late at night. Nanda is prone to overworking themself, especially just working deep into the night, and this day is no other. Narinder enters their office, leaning at the doorframe. "Come to bed." Nanda shakes their head "I need to finish this." Irritation starts filling the prince's voice, allthough with no real heat "I am not repeating myself, lamb." "What, can't sleep without me?" "I've no use for someone sleep deprived." A scoff "I don't need to be useful to you." "As a commoner thats your purpose, even more as a religious figure. You’re supposed to devote yourself to me." "Baah, i never did that. It’s dumb. I just use the scriptures as my own and take from it what i want and need. Now be quiet and follow your own advice and go to bed, prideful cat." "Excuse me?" "You heard me." Despite the bickering Narinder's interest was piqued. After a bit back and forth he gets Nanda to elaborate, who proceeds to tell him their story. Nanda grew up in a small village, not Venzor, with their family. However, that place was pillaged when they were around 12. From their family they are the only survivor and had to flee. In order to survive they had to resort to theft and violence, also getting with some very bad people i won't get into here. This went on for around 3 years when they met Ratau. He took them in and brought them the holy scriptures closer, saying that he himself also doesn't believe in the gods but that the morals and allthat are good to follow if you have nothing else to believe in. Surprisingly this worked for Nanda too and they got a lot better, the traveling with someone trusted who wouldn't hurt them also helped. Eventually they came across Venzor, a small miserable village. Nanda decided to teach the people what Ratau taught them, that even if they don't believe in the gods they could take whenever they need for courage, comfort and guidance from the scriptures. The people found hope in that and the rest is history. As Nanda was talking Narinder moved to the chair himself, keeping the lamb on his lap. They kept talking, telling stories of their travels or telling anecdotes from the villagers etc. As they were talking they finally fell asleep. Carefully Narinder took them to bed, holding them especially close that night.

From then it only took like a month before the two of them finally admit their feelings. They're on the balcony of Naridners (by extension Nandas, they barely use their own room anymore) chambers on a beautiful, moonlit night. Nanda is very deeply in love with Narinder, but still believes Narinder dislikes theme so they keep quiet, the prideful prince however has run out of patience and decides to do it right then and there. He kisses Nanda tenderly, saying "There is no need for me to proclaim my love, as you are already destined to be mine to wed." Nanda tears up and hugs Narinder tightly. They kiss once more, then Nanda sobs in Naridners shoulder, then they kiss again. It was a very happy and tender night for both of them and the first day or two they full on embraced the honeymoon phase, actually going without bickering. However, they very quickly return to the status quo because that's just their thing and how they're the most comfortable.

Around 3 weeks later the two of them go to yet another crusade, that's how they call their monster hunting, and they come across a small, dilapidated village. They're on guard as they look around, allthough no soul is to be seen. Not until a man comes to them with painful cries. His soul is damned and incased in darkness. He begs for help and mercy. Narinder is ready to strike, as this old man is about to turn into a monster sooner or later, but Nanda stops him. They turn to the man and extend a hand, cleansing his soul with their magic. He thanks them very much before quickly leaving this damned place. Not long after a bigger crowd of damned people drag torwards Nanda, begging to be healed to. Selflessly they do so. By the end of it around 200 people are cleansed and went on their way, meanwhile Nanda's own light left their body, leaving their body slowly blackening as they collapse. Alarmed Narinder catches them in time and rushes back to the palace. They won't wake up and each healer, each cleric, declares they cannot be saved. They had sold their soul for black magic, this is the consequence for the magic kept gnawing at Nanda's soul and this overexersion made their fate final. They won't survive this. Narinder is heartbroken and doesnt leave their side. He barely eats, won't talk to anyone, he just stays as Nanda'a side, holding their cold hand or body tightly. On the fourth night Narinder recieves an anonymous letter. The letter talks about how there is a cure, but people using light magic deem it as unethical, as it requires a new soul, be it through sacrifice or a shared one. It requires the soul of someone very close to the afflicted, like family, very close friends or a lover, as a stronger connection will increase the success rate. Unless an entire soul is given no one will die. If Narinder is willing to do this, all he has to do is break the tooth in the envelope. The letter is signed with "the teeth in the darkness". Without much hesitation Narinder breaks the tooth. The next day he wakes up next to Nanda, they still show no sign of waking up but their body feels warmer and the blackening went back. Sorrowfully he whispers “how dare you leave me after i’ve finally made you mine? You promised to stay, yet you’re a liar.”, words he has said multiple times since Nanda fell ill, that now feel even heavier. Around an hour goes by, Narinder lets no one inside as he mourns his lover, when suddenly their breath slowly speeds up again. They move. Slowly they wake up. Narinder embraces them tightly. Both cry. It is a very overwhelming and emotionally raw moment.

Nanda makes a full recovery and the wedding is held a few months after.

And that's pretty much it! Again, in the background is a lot more going on but this is already long enough. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

[daftdrac]

OKAY, HERES THE SCENE I WROTE. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS LOWKEY OLD AND UNEDITED. (Minus the editing im doing rn, which is changing names into their actual names so everything makes more sense for y'all)

@astronautbeans

A soldier greeted Robert and Sean with a snarl when they approached the entrance to a building the two could only assume houses the king's quarters.

Sean opened his mouth to speak, but was instead cut off by Robert. He glared.

"We're here to speak to Legundo, the king of your people." The guard seemed suspicious.

"What could you two possibly want with our king?" He snapped, looking them up and down as if assessing the threat. Sean noticed a keyring on his belt, and nudged Robert, who nodded. He tried, and failed, to conceal his smirk.

"Well, sir, we have a message from Shadow, our-," Sean tried not to gag, "king." The soldier seemed amused by this- the action and the message.

"Well, I'm on the king's Royal Guard, surely I can be trusted with such a message to be relayed to Legundo." Robert stepped forward at this reasoning, clapping his hands into the guard's shoulders. He tried to flinch away, but Robert's grip was far too strong.

"Listen, man. This is an urgent and important message, and if it doesn't get to the king as soon as possible, your kingdom is basically doomed. Let us talk to him, or Shadow will have his- and possibly even your- head on a pike." The soldier seemed to find this amusing.

"King Shadow? The damn pacifist? I doubt it."

"Did you know he poisoned his parents to gain the throne? That he ended up killing King Kenton too? Oh, and, if you're that uneducated on the history of the continent- that little boyfriend your king has, Sneve? That's Sneve's dad." The soldier froze at the revelation, staring with his mouth agape. "That's what I thought. Let us in."

"I- can't do that. My king and the rest of the kingdom are at Sir Sneve's castle, halfway across the continent- I.. was entrusted with the duty to guard the kingdom. You tell me, or no one will ever know. Oh, and, if you don't deliver that message, I doubt your king will be happy with you." Sean sighed heavily, surprising the guard- he seemed to have just reappeared- though he couldn't remember him disappearing..?

"Fine," Sean spoke, "Shadow, Ryan, and I all decided we'll be invading the camp you and the rest of your people set up outside the abandoned citadel. Shadow decided we might as well warn you, because a sneak attack is practically impossible in those plains anyways, and we overpower you by a long shot. It'd only be fair to give you time to gear yourselves up. You have 3 days." Robert took a step back when Sean finished, hinting at the end of the interaction.

"We best be on our way now. Farewell," his sly smile seemed almost audible in his tone.

Him and Sean didn't make it 6 yards before the guard realized he was missing his keys. After they heard the shouting behind them, they hurried into a sprint, laughing freely. Sean felt alive for once in a few years- it'd been a while since he'd been able to pull something like that on his own father's castle guards. He closed his eyes, feeling the icy breeze in his hair and the wind in his ears. He made it outside the kingdom's walls, bright smile fading as he turned and couldn't find Robert beside him. Panic set in.

Suddenly the breeze felt cruelly cold. As he ran back through his own track, back to the place he'd just escaped, his heart nearly stopped at the sight of snow stained red. Getting closer, he saw the man they'd been fleeing from, stood over Robert, sneering as he shouted.

"Where are my damn keys?!" Robert flinched away, shaking his head. Sean's head spun at the sight of the guard's sword, blade dripping the red of Robert's blood. He threw the keys at the guard.

"No- you- it was a joke! I was going to give them back!" His voice cracked, and he fell to his knees at Robert's side, the snow melting and soaking him. "Why- why?! He didn't do anything!" He shouted, looking up at the man who seemed not to care with watery eyes. He turned and left.

Sean's attention snapped down to Robert as he sucked in a breath, attempting to move closer to Sean. "Rob, Rob- please don't. Don't close your eyes, keep them open, come here-" He grabbed Robert, hoisting him up onto his lap, "Stay with me Robert, you're not allowed to go- I need you, Rob, please,"

Robert chuckled, wincing as blood flower from the wound in his back. If fucking enraged Sean. How could he be laughing right now? How could this be funny? This was a scenario straight from the horrible nightmares he used to have when he was still a young prince. Roberts eyes were open, only a sliver- it took much of the little energy he had left.

Sean tried to lift him to no avail, settling for propping him up and supporting his back with his arm. "I don't want to die sad," Robert frowned.

"No, no you're not dying, Robert," Sean shook his head, tears falling from his eyes for what might've been the first time since he was crowned- he was unsure. Rob scoffed.

"Don't.. don't lie to me, Sean," he wheezed out. "I don't want to die sad, Sean; please, tell me something happy." Sean sat in silence, glaring down at Robert through blurry, teary-eyed vision that obscured his features. He didn't know what he could possibly say to cheer up a dying man, but it became apparent after minimal thought. There was only one thing he could say now; one thing he'd wanted to say for years but never let himself admit, something he'd tear himself apart over if Robert never got to hear it. It was something he'd never get to act on, either, if this kept going the way it was currently.

"Rob, I-.. no, Robert, I," he was shaking, could practically feel his voice wavering. "I love you, Robert, too much- it hurts, it hurts and it has for years; you can't die now, I need you, Robert," Sean admitted through sobs, holding his love close. Rob smiled, and leaned into the embrace.

"'Course you do." He quipped, giving a content sigh. He let the silence wrap around him for a moment, before looking up at his king. No matter who legally owned what land, whatever people, Sean would always be Robert's king. He was loyal to a fault, even before Sean was king, even before he'd become the leader of Sean's Royal Guard. That wasn't going to stop now. "Could you do.. one thing, for me?" He asked, his voice rough, his eyes soft and glazed over, like he was lost in thought.

"I'd do anything for you, Robert, you know that," Sean breathed. He placed a hand behind Robert's head, idly playing with his hair. Rob smiled.

"Don't you dare let me hold you back, Sean. Move on. Let yourself let go.. when I'm gone, love someone else. Live; we were never meant for each other. Never meant to work out."

"Don't say that." Sean retorted, sniffling, and roughly wiping the tears in his eyes on his sleeve. "You aren't going to die, Robert, I'm not going to let you." Robert sat up, his smile gone.

"I told you not to fucking lie to me," He snapped. Slowly, he relaxed back into Sean's arms.

"How am I supposed to love someone else?" Sean asked, his voice cracking. "You're perfect, Robert." His words made Rob sigh.

"Heal. Please, don't get hung up on me." They both went quiet, the only sounds being the wind around them and Sean's sobs as he clung to Robert, the light of his life, the reason he pushed on; hoping, somehow, he could give him life. Then, Rob moved, turning towards Sean and wincing when the gash in his back twisted. He reached a hand up, cupping Sean's face. A weak, small smile tried to provide comfort, but failed. He did what he'd wanted to for years.

A quick kiss, not nearly satisfactory for all the time they'd spent pining, loving so much it pained them. Not nearly satisfactory for all the time they'd be forced to spend apart. But it was something; and something helped, even if just a bit.

"I-.. I was made to love you, Robert. How- how do I let you go?" Sean pleaded for an answer.

"you're such an idiot," Rob laughed in response, the breathless sound that escaped him warning Sean's heart for a moment, before he remembered he wouldn't get to hear it again. "I love you. I love you, Sean, don't forget me, please?"

His last words came out quiet; Sean could tell their conversation was over when he felt Robert turn to dead weight. He sat in silence, holding the corpse of the only man he'd ever loved; his right hand's blood staining the snow around him. Staining his own hands.

- ACTUALLY WTF .. WTF... I KINDA FORGOT HOW GOOD THAT WAS .. If anyone wants more context for my GOT au I will GLADLY infodump 🙏🙏😋

[chloe-spade]

Frozen Heart Prologue: Beware the Frozen Heart

Na na na heia na

Na hi ja na

Na heia heia na

Ja no a Na ha

Ha na hei o Ja na

No a na ha ha ja Ha ha ja

No a no Na ja

No a heia no Na va ja

No a no Na ja va na

No a heia no

No a no Na va ja

No a no Na va

Na na na heia na

Na hi ja na

⛄

This was a tale of two brothers, each unique in their way. The eldest, Malleus, exuded a calm and revered aura, while the youngest, Silver, was gentle and caring, especially towards the animal friends he had made. Yet, amidst these differences, their love for each other and the affection their father bestowed upon them remained unwavering.

But there is also one more difference that the brothers had.

⛄

Do you want to build a snowman?

C'mon let's go and play

I could cover this whole place in snow

I'm not supposed to though

Yeah, just do it anyway

Do it for your brother

Malleus, please, oh please

I can't do the things you do

⛄

Malleus was born with the extraordinary power to create snow and ice, a gift that set him apart from others. However, with his brother's unwavering support and the joy he brought to Silver with their shared snowman creations, Malleus learned to embrace his magic. This acceptance and the bond with his brother filled him with pride and empowerment.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Cheered Silver as he felt the magic around them.

⛄

You really want to build a snowman? ("You know I do!")

We'll stay up late and build that snowman! ("Yes!")

Me and you

Na na hi ja na

Na na hi ja na

Once there was a family beloved by all

A king, and two princes

And the story starts when they were small

⛄

"Boys, what have you been up to?"King Lilia laughed.

"Nothing!" The brothers called out mischievously as they watched the nanny waddle with her frozen butt, a sight that never failed to make them burst into laughter.

"I wish I had your powers," Pouted Silver.

"Me too."

King Lilia was the boys adoptive father, both under odd circumstances. Malleus's mother was unfortunately poisoned when Malleus was barely a year old, and Lilia was her proudest knight, especially her general. But on her deathbed, she made Lilia King of her kingdom and the father of her young son, Malleus.

He found Silver a few years later when Malleus was only 103. He was a young baby stuck in an unfortunate snowstorm, and his hair was as white as the snow around him. Lilia took him under his wing, and he took him in as his own for Malleus' amusement.

⛄

Malleus was a special child

From his first frozen tear

His magic filled his parents' hearts

With so much love and fear

⛄

"Malleus, no!" Lilia gasped. "What did we say?"

"Magic must stay a secret," Malleus sighed, "I'm sorry, Father."

"And there's just some things we can't do in public," Lilia added, sighing.

"Like run naked in the breeze!" Silver joked.

"Silver…"

⛄

Let the sun shine on

Let our hearts be light

Like this perfect, happy, shiny, summer day

Let the sun shine on

'Cause it's all alright

Together we can keep the storm at bay

⛄

King Lilia couldn't help but worry about Malleus's magic later in life, especially since he seemed to manage it quite well. However, the future can be very uncertain, and he hopes that one day, he can learn why Malleus was born with such an incredibly magical and potentially dangerous gift. He did promise Malleus's late mother that he would before her passing.

"Handshake time!" Silver announced, grabbing Malleus's arm.

"Okay, ready?"

⛄

One, two, three together

Clap together, snap together

You and me together

Knees together, freeze together

Up or down together

Princes crown together

Always be together

You and me!

Once there was a family

With secrets to keep

As rulers in a land

Where respect for the crown runs deep

⛄

"Freeze my butt!" Silver suggested, laughing.

"No way!" Malleus gagged.

⛄

And so the royal family is ever on display (Na na hi ja na)

And people loved the princes (Na na hi ja)

And watch them as they play

Let the sun shine on

Let our lives be free

Let the promise of our land be sure and strong

Let our hearts be warmed by this melody

All of winter long

No a no Na ja

No a heia no Na va ja

No a no Na ja va na

No a heia no

Na va ja na va

Let the sun shine on

Over Arendelle

Let the crown be strong

And let your love be true

Bless our children fair

Who we love so well

We will look to you

⛄

Stars appeared as Malleus and Silver played on the floor; underneath them were full of snow and ice figurines that Silver had made to create a small castle.

"And do you think we should have a royal stable?" Malleus pondered as he started to create some horses.

"Oh, most definitely." Silver nodded. "A prince always should have a horse; I heard it's supposed to be very princely."

Malleus laughed as Silver directed him to create the stables and the horses, but he couldn't complain. He loved his spunky younger brother and his crazy ideas; they gave him some reason to practice his magic and learn what he could do.

It always made him feel happy.

But that fun was shortened as Lilia walked in and couldn't help but laugh at the two on the floor.

"Oh my," Lilia giggled. "I can see why Silver loves horses so dearly. And always wants Malleus to make ice horses," he cleared his throat. "Alright, boys. It's time for bed. You know we have to meet up with the Kingscholars tomorrow morning."

"Ugh, not them again." Malleus groaned. "Leona's always so mean to me."

"Yes, but in order to be in peace, we have to get along," Lilia smiled and helped the boys onto their beds. "I can promise you that tomorrow will be much more fun than last time. But we need our boys nice and well rested."

Silver huffed. "Yeah, you can not get me to sleep."

"I can't?" Lilia challenged.

"Never!"

Lilia giggles as he takes Epel in his arms and starts to sing.

❤️‍🔥

Where the North wind meets the sea

There's a river full of memory

Sleep, my darling, safe and sound

For in this river, all is found

❤️‍🔥

Lilia smiles as she hears Silver's tiny snores. He kisses his forehead before tucking him into the bed, then turns over to Mallues, carefully holding him in her arms, and sings more.

❤️‍🔥

In her waters, deep and true

Lie the answers and a path for you

Dive down deep into her sound

But not too far, or you'll be drowned

Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear

And in her song, all magic flows

But can you brave what you most fear?

Can you face what the river knows?

❤️‍🔥

Malleus always loves his mother's old lullaby. He doesn't know why, but he always gets good dreams whenever he listens to them before bed. His mother always ensures he's tucked in, which makes him feel even better. He stared at Lilia before he slowly drifted into sleep.

❤️‍🔥

Where the North wind meets the sea

There's a mother full of memory

Come, my darling, homeward-bound

When all is lost, then all is found

❤️‍🔥

Lilia smiled as they watched his sons fall asleep deep into the night.

Or so they thought.

🌷

Silver couldn't help but wake up. But he noticed the sun's peak through the dark sky, still yet to rise. And as his father's says, as soon as the sun's awake, so does Silver.

So, it wasn't a surprise that Silver decided to bother Malleus at the peak of dawn. It was always hard to wake up his older brother, but he knew that jumping onto him worked, as he noticed Malleus's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, creaking one eye open.

"Silver," he yawned. "Go to bed. You know that today's important.."

"I know, but the sun's awake, so I'm awake! I need to play somethinhg!"

Malleus pouted as he pushed Silver off the bed. "Go play by yourself then. I need my sleep."

Silver, now on the floor, pouted. But his eyes brightened with an idea that Malleus could not refuse.

So he climbed back onto Malleus's bed, using his hands to force Malleus's eyes open.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Malleus looked at Silver with a sly grin. Even if he wanted to say no, Malleus couldn't pass up an opportunity like that. So, much to Silver's excitement, he got up and quickly and quietly went into the throne room, only the lights from the windows illuminating it.

"Come on!" Silver urged. "Do the magic!"

Malleus giggled and swirled his hands together, creating a snowball floating midair.

"Ready?"

"Yes!"

Malleus releases the snowball into the air, and with a burst, snow begins to fall. Silver jumped up and down, cheering excitedly.

"How about this?"

The floor becomes ice with a stomp on the ground, and they can skate on it. Malleus watched as Silver began to slide away, making him giggle, but that was only the beginning of the night.

"You know," Malleus hummed, "there’s a recipe to making a proper snowman."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh!"

❄️

A little bit of you, a little bit of me

A part that loves to dream

A part that swings from a tree

A little like me, a little like you

A part that’s nice

A part that’s naughty too

A loyal friend who is there no matter what

A big round belly

And a big bouncy butt!

He’ll love warm hugs and the bright sunlight

And he’ll really love the summer

But he’ll melt!

Yeah, You’re right

Oh! So we’ll build him back together

Yes, together, that’s the key

‘Cause he’s a little bit of you and me

⛄

"Okay, time for bed." Malleus laughed as he started to walk towards the door.

"What? No!" Silver gasped and went in front of Malleus, blocking him. "Time for more magic, please, and thank you!"

"Silver, you know I’m not supposed even to be doing this!" Malleus reminded. "And father will-"

"But your magic is the most beautiful, wonderful, perfectful thing in the whole wide world!" Silver complimented, his eyes looking amazed.

"Do you really think so?" Mallues pondered, feeling honored.

"Yes! So do it, please, before I burst from inside to outside!" Silver cheered and jumped.

"Okay, okay, don’t burst!"

Against his better judgment, Malleus created more snow, recreating mountains of it for sledding.

"Whoa!"

⛄

A little bit of you, a little bit of me

You do the magic, and I get to see

A little bit of fun

A little bit of fun in the middle of the night

A little bit of magic and it all takes flight

⛄

Malleus continued with Silver's urging. He couldn't help it, as it may be the last time before hiding his powers forever if his parents ever so desired, and it's nice to have fun with his younger brother.

Silver started to jump onto the mountains of snow, with Malleus creating more for Silver to jump on.

⛄

La la la lala lalala la la

This is so amazing! More, more, more!

A little bit of you!

Magic! Magic! Do it, Malleus, do it more!

A little bit of me

Me me me me me me me

Little bit of you, little bit of me!

Yippee!

⛄

Malleus laughed, but due to his excitement, he slipped down on the ice as Silver jumped again. Malleus, panicking, tried to create a new one, but with a slip of his fingertips, a sliver of ice magic zoomed toward Silver, striking him in the forehead. Luckily for Malleus, Silver landed on a new smaller amount of snow but was unresponsive.

"Silver!" Malleus cried out, rushing towards his unconscious brother. "Papa!"

He began to hold Silver close, the ground frozen as the snow crumbled around him. He watched as Silver's silver hair streak became a pale blue.

"It's ok, Silver, I got you," Malleus whispered, holding his brother close.

The doors slammed open as Lilia emerged, rushing towards his sons.

"Malleus! What happened?" Lilia asked. "This has officially gotten out of hand."

"It was an accident," Malleus whimpered."I'm sorry, Silver,"

Lilia picked up Silver and gasped at the sensation of his skin. "He's ice cold. What should we do," Lilia paused. "I know where we need to go, but we need to rush!"

Grabbing Malleus and a nearby horse, they zoomed toward the forest and onto the rocky mountains. As they began to walk, leaving the horses, Malleus looked around and saw geysers spilling warm mist into the air.

"Where are we?" Malleus gulped.

"The home of the trolls," Lilia explained. "They can help Silver."

Malleus nodded as they walked through. He clutched onto his father, trying to control the ice that formed beneath him, but it was futile.

"Hello!" he heard his father say. "Please, you have to help my son!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Malleus whispered.

The shuffle of rocks collided with each other as they quickly zoomed past the family before revealing themselves as trolls. Trolls are known for having magic that extends generations, and they often help the unfortunate, so it was a good idea to bring Silver to them.

"What is the problem?" Asked The Elder Troll.

"My son, he was accidentally stricken with ice magic," Lilia explained, bowing down for the troll to feel Silver.

The Elder Troll raised his hand over Silver, feeling his cold forehead.

"It's not too serious," he mumbled, "but you should be lucky it wasn't his heart. This can be fixed by magic."

With the waves of his hand, The Elder Troll created various memories of Silver and Malleus playing in the throne room full of snow, but with the wave of his hands, each memory was transformed into a snowy mountain with formal winter wear.

"I have to get rid of each memory of magic," the Elder Troll explained. But you shall not worry; though he may not remember the magic, I will remain the fun."

"But he won't remember that I have magic?" Malleus asked. "That's unfair."

"I know," Lilia sighed. "But it's for the best."

"Oh, dear Malleus," The Elder Troll spoke up, leading Malleus towards him. "You, like your mother, have extraordinary magic, but with magic like yours…it's a gift, but it's an unfornate curse."

The Elder Troll waved his hand to create a view of Malleus using his magic, creating a magical snowflake. However, once he mentioned the word 'cursed, ' it turned red, and black mist created different mobs surrounding them.

"With dangerous magic, it can cause trouble. And with people who do not understand it," The Elder Troll explained. "They will find any ways to destroy it."

Malleus watched as the mob surrounded him and went to attack him, which caused him to rush towards Lilia in fear, now crying.

"Please, do not scare my son," Lilia lectured. "This will be avoided. We will do whatever it will take for him to control his magic. Malleus, do you understand?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then we shall be careful. We have to limit your contact with some of our people. No one should know," Lilia explained. "You will practice controlling it until you are ready. Until then, we have to do what we must….which means you and Silver.."

"Have to be seperated?"

"Only for the time being, I'm sure." Lilia smiled. "It's only for his protection. And don't worry, there will be times that you two will be together."

"I worry it could be a lifetime," the Elder Troll spoke. "But I do trust your judgement, King Lilia. Please to see it that Malleus is in full control of his powers."

"I will."

❤️‍🔥

"Mm," Silver groaned, nuzzling into the blankets.

"He's awake," Lilia announced. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Good morning, Father," Silver yawned. "What happened last night?"

"Oh, you were playing with Malleus and you hit your head," Lilia laughed and kissed his forehead. "Now, rest up and the maids will bring you tea in a moment."

"Thank you," Silver yawned. "Where's Malleus?"

"Getting ready for the day," Lilia answered. "Now sleep my son."

Lilia smiled and exited the room. Sighing, he walks over to Malleus's room, who is sadly staring at his mirror.

"You know this isn't permanent," Lilia said. "It's just until you can handle it. And I trust that you can, Malleus. Just hang in there."

"I will…I hope I can," gulped Malleus.

❤️‍🔥

A year has passed, and winter has arrived. Silver watched as the snow fell onto the ground excitedly. Silver rushed over to Malleus's room.

"It's snowing! Malleus!"

Silver grinned and knocked on the door.

🌷

Do you want to build a snowman?

C'mon let's go and play

I never see you anymore

Come out the door

It's like you've gone away

We used to be best buddies

🌷

Silver pouted, looking down underneath the door frame, trying to look for Malleus. But he couldn't find his older brother.

🌷

And now we're not

I wish you would tell me why

Do you want to build a snowman?

It doesn't have to be a snowman.

🌷

"Leave me alone, Silver."

Silver sighs and walks away, very upset.

"Okay, bye."

Malleus sighed. He was distraught that he made Silver cry, but it was for his protection. he didn't want to hurt Silver in the future, but he wouldn't if he practiced.

"I'm doing everything you said, Papa, and the gloves are helping!" Malleus grinned, happy.

"That's Good, but there will come a day when you have to stand before your people without them. You must be prepared for everything, Malleus. Now again," Lilia instructed.

"Conceal it, don't feel it," Malleus started.

"Don't let it show." Both finished.

Five years have passed since then; Silver, now only ten, rushed back towards Malleus's room, knocking on it again. He knows it's a loss, but he wants to try again. However, he was relieved that Malleus had started to hang out with Silver like he used to.

🌷

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Or ride our bikes around the halls?

I think some company is overdue

🌷

Malleus gasped as he saw Silver slumped onto the knight, pouting. He quickly rushed out to see Silver in the art gallery, jumping on the couches.

🌷

I've started talking to the pictures on the walls

Hang in there, Joan

It gets a little lonely

All these empty rooms

Just watching the hours tick by

🌷

"And what are you doing?" Malleus hid a laugh. "You look ridiculous."

"Letting the clock tick," Silver sighed sadly. "Oh! Malleus!"

Silver gasped and hugged his brother.

"It's great to see you too," Malleus laughed. "I can't believe you would talk to paintings all day."

"You're not around," Silver pouted. "So you don't have a say of what I do during my past time."

"Reading a book is a better idea." Malleus chuckles. "I hope you know that."

"Oh hush."

Malleus laughed, but his smile turned into a frown as he felt the ice beneath him. But he managed to keep his composure.

"How about we go outside together? Like a picnic."

"Yes! I'll ask the chef to make more sandwiches for us!"

Malleus watched Silver leave the room. Malleus groaned, upset that ice was forming around him.

"It's getting stronger! I can't laugh, I can't cry, I can't dream, I can't live without it bursting out!" Malleus hissed to himself. "Ok, Malleus, you got this. It's for Silver, remember that. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. You got this, Malleus..you got this."

"I got it!" Silver came back from the basket. "And I got your favoirte drinks as well, as it's hot outside."

"Yet, you ask me to build a snowman?"

"You like that question," Silver teased.

"I do. I do a lot," Malleus admitted.

"And besides, it does make me feel a little better with Father gone and all."

"It's only a few weeks, Silver," Malleus smiles. "You know Father, a strong and capable man who could survive a little war. He always writes to us."

"I know," Silver sighs as they enter the gardens. "I just wish it was all three of us, like old times."

"I wish that too." Malleus sat down. "Now, how about you tell me about your day? Other than talking to paintings?"

As Malleus listened to Silver, he felt worried about his powers. He wasn't supposed to be out of his room to talk to Silver, but what's the problem with being with his younger brother, even just for a short while?

"I'm so sorry," Malleus thought. "It's my fault we can't hang out like this like we used to, but once I manage my powers, I will. I know I will, I just have to pratice. But I hope that one day I get to tell you that you being here really helps my powers at bay. I am so lucky to have a brother lke you."

"Malleus!" called out a maid. "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be in your room studying!"

"But, ma'am, it's just a small picnic, really." Malleus gasped as the maid dragged him away.

"I know but I am sorry, Malleus, but your father instructed that you stay in your room until your father has returned!"

"But-," Silver protested.

"Ah, let's not argue, Silver," the maid said. "Lest you also want to stay in your room, too?"

Silver backed up and looked down. "No, ma'am."

"That's what I thought."

🌷

Lilia came back only a few weeks later, but he was so severely injured that he was in a coma when he came back. When he woke up, he was happy to see his sons, both incredibly worried about him.

"My boys," he laughed. "I am so happy to see you again."

"I was so worried," Silver spoke, wiping his tears.

"So was I," Malleus added. "We thought you might've perished."

"Of course I wouldn't," Lilia laughed. "I have two sons that I still want to see. But I do have some unfortunate news."

"How unfornate?"

"Well, my advisor advised me that once Malleus become King, I will retire and step down as King. But that's not for a while, hm?"

"But I'm not ready," Malleus gasped.

"That's why I need to train you more than ever, Malleus," he said. "But don't worry, I'm still here. And look at you, managing yourself while I was gone. I am so proud of you, Malleus and you made a great king."

"I promise that I will work on it."

But the news made Malleus nervous, to the point that his room was covered in ice and snow. As he promised, he practiced his coronation every day. He was so busy that it was futile when Silver tried to get his attention.

Time had passed, and now Malleus was of age and ready to take care of the kingdom. He was still nervous, but he needed to calm down. Maybe he should take a walk?

He jumped as he heard a knock. It was Silver again.

🌷

Malleus?

Please, I know you're in there

I'm just wondering how you've been

Do you maybe want to take a walk

Or sit and talk or let me in?

Are you ready for tomorrow?

It's your big day. Is there anything I can do?

🌷

Malleus, against his better judgment, opened the door.

❄️

Do you wanna build a snowman?

❄️

Silver grinned and took Malleus's gloved hand. "How about a quick trip to the libary? Just the two of us?"

Malleus looked back at his room and nodded. "Perfectly fine with me."

[missamyrisa2]

There should be a salon your followers can sponsor for you.

"Welcome in Miss Risa, we've got your padded chair all ready for you. Now let me just strap you in as I go over today's course. We have a soft sugar exfoliate and wax for your underarms, followed by vibrating makeup brushes and tongues. You must have really given someone the giggles because they ordered a full session nipple polishing, or should I say royal buttons? I think our other clients would feel royally tickled at that tease. Speaking of, a very devoted fan requested only the highest of navel cleanliness. Foaming giggle bubble cleaner, brush exfoliating, and deep oil probing- I mean belly button massage. Now, as usual, the vote on your feet is, "the works till she bursts." Oh! And this is new! Apparently Tyna is going to perform her reserved, "cutie bootie squeak and squeal gluteus relaximas message." So we'll have flavored gags available upon request. Now let's get you leaned back. I'm going to massage in some leave in conditioner before I get your headphones on. It's the "Autumn Amy Teasing" album!"

Okayyyyy apparentlyyy it's wreck me monday because ghmpphhh!! I suppose after that tease I had it coming but cmonnnnn the salonnnn? Nooohooo you ghhaa I can't takeee being pampered I squirm and writhe getting my hair washed and styled! And I've never been waxed but I'm sure I would be screeeeaminggg for sooo many reasonsssss even when it's just being applied I mmmhh~! And going right for the buttttonssssss!! I can't stannndddd the polishinggg I fall apart from a wiggling finger over them it's ridiculous that's whyyy I have to tickle alll the buttons before mine can be tickledddd it's sooo muchhhhh my fan base is the worst but so beautiful and lovely and amazing but ghhhhhh I'm gonna wreckle each and every one of you for thisssss! Okayy okayyy it is beyondddd evil to cleanse my bbbbellyyybutttonnn and then touch my feeeettt I can't take that sort of attention on either spott but they're soooo connected you're sooo abusing the synergy of those spotsssss! I don't burst you can't make me burstttt don't make me makeeee sparkle fireworks it's the worstttt you can't even knowwww how tinglyyyy overloading it is to be tickled on my spotssss down thereee until likeeeee the pressure just keeps coming and coming and thennnnnn I can't hold it backkkk!!! And headphoness nooooo nonooooo I mmmhhh that's a teaseeeee that's such a teaseeee and I'm gonna be out of screamssss so if that's okay with you crazyyyy I'll just soundlessssslyyyy be mouth agapeeee as I try so much to reach for nothingnessss~~

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Grand Slam

And I ain't talking Denny's. As much as I'd love to use the "Aspect" part of our title (I have a feeling there'll be other moments) and a riff on planets aligning...it's baseball season. Following "Bases Loaded" with a chapter that has four big points for me? C'mon. Wonder if Oda's been in on Ohtani fever? LA Dodgers picked up an incredible Japanese player who's been a big deal over there. I like to think about that occasionally when I watch Dodger games, though the KC Royals are my main team. At least they're not the New York Yankees...which gets me back to One Piece. Let's do three of these today, I like keeping the cover on its own. Do remember everything that follows happens in the shadow of Gear 5 running out here.

York! Please get this girl an emotional support burger. She needs one. We've talked before how this big-eyed blonde shook out to being a great little contrast to Okiku. Now look at this scene in particular, it's great how cute York is all chapter but this one shows it best to me. Your story right now is a combination of Yamato's story with the bombs in the Raid and that Bakura Town element between Kiku/Hawkins of trying to usher the big monster not make the entire place collateral damage. Smooth right? That aside, York's great and great this chapter. We'll get back to her in a sec but our next runner coming home is another favorite we haven't touched on in a while:

All the subtlety of a baseball bat to the head. Hi Stussy! You're lovely and it's not just because you and Kiku have very similar faces. It's also because you're a blonde and I love that your cover story was running whorehouses. Because that shit is cool, almost as cool as fitting in that whole deal of the Urashima Taro story being scattered around different sharp New World ladies. Stussy is trying to Bon herself. Not only that, but when the crew learns of it? Hammering that theme of respecting her decision to stay behind and lower the dome.

I still think if we have one more cutaway segment, you have all the right elements in play. Springboard with Stussy and her clone story as the lead-in but through the OG Buckin being with Marco bend it back to pulling a Kuma and showing our gaps in Wano. That pairs pretty damn nicely with our last segment today for one major reason:

So this is obviously a trap, right? But the way it's framed we've also taken the two people who might be able to pull something like this off in the background off the table. And is that the damn special snail Uta had!? Like...reasonable guess that's how Vegapunk intended to do a worldwide broadcast. Speaking of...I wanted more goofing but the continuation of the Vega Coffee gag was awesome. Type of gag I'd always want more of, still dethrones Nami's fearsome Future Kick as my favorite Egghead joke.

Mars though. It's suspicious as hell the antenna snail is just chilling on the floor in this dark room. Like the idea the gurgle sound is massive Vegapunk brain in a vat. Would rather it be the other fairly popular one someone is about to ambush him with a bubble gun. A minute before we go live. It's a perfect setup if we're gonna flip this on it's head, hijack the broadcast against the Gorosei more directly.

[alleyskywalker]

I don't know if you're still getting prompts but if you are

Theon/Robb + reversed power dynamics

"Kneel before the Prince, greenlander scum." One of Theon's men pushes their prisoner down to his knees onto the stone floor. The young man makes a dull, repressed sound of pain around the gag, but for a long moment, he does not look up at Theon.

"We've caught ourselves a wolf," Theon tells him men. "And not just any wolf. A royal one." If this doesn't make his father understand… He's certain Asha will be furious, at least. He's willing to bet she had hoped their plan would go poorly. Instead it has gone remarkably better than Theon could have expected. She doesn't know Stark the way I do, Father, Theon had insisted at the last council before they laid the trap. Besides their my hostages. I'd rather kill them than let you waste them. He's relieved his father had listened, first and foremost because Theon seriously doubts he would have actually found the strength to kill the boys. Rickon's fucking four. Drowned fuck.

Robb has now finally deigned to look up at him. The hatred in his eyes takes Theon aback for a moment, although…what else had he expected? For a moment, he considers removing the gag, seeing if Robb will try actually bite him. Then decides against it. "Everyone out," he says, instead. The men hesitate, but it only takes a glare from Theon to usher them out. They've come to obey him, at least, at this victory has done him some good on the Respect and Admiration scale too.

He turns his attention back to Robb, who's still glaring at him. His legs aren't bound but his arms are securely twisted behind his back, and the gag has been fashioned as muzzle in such a way that it probably obscures his breathing some. He won't try anything. "You came for your brothers," Theon says, shaking his head. "I knew you'd come for them in force, the way you couldn't for your sisters, but even I didn't think you'd come yourself, you absolute idiot." He feels a bite of pity at that.

Robb's eyes narrow and for a moment, he strains against the gag, then stops, likely reminding himself it's useless and humiliating to try.

"What do you think will happen to you?" Theon approaches him now, touches a hand against his cheek. Robb leans away sharply, almost falls over. "We could kill you..." Theon muses. "But that would be a waste. I don't think, however, that we need all three of you."

Robb's eyes go wide. In a furry he tries to stand, but Theon shoves him back down. Fascinated, he watches the change of emotions on Robb's face - anger fading into pleading. Theon can almost hear him saying, kill me but not my brothers. For some reason, this makes Theon want to hit him. It must have shown on his face, because Robb closes his eyes, visibly bracing himself. "You think I'll hit you?" Theon scoffs, pretending he hadn't thought it. "That's no way to treat highborn hostages."

Slowly, Robb opens his eyes now to stare at him with confusion. "Well, we're not letting you go," Theon explains, in the tone he'd use with a child. "Once the terms are signed, we can probably send Bran back. The boy is crippled and no military mind. He'll never lead men himself. More importantly, he's old enough to remember both you and Rickon and not wish to put your lives in peril." And clearly doesn't have the personality for that sort of decision. "You and Rickon will remain hostages to ensure your brother's and the North's good behavior." Theon smiles at him, almost tenderly. He can't keep the heavy layer of irony out of his voice. "We'll treat you well."

[neoninky]

TWST Fanfic: 'Her Lost Voice' - Ch. 4

Chapter 4: If Only

It had been about three days since Elise suddenly disappeared. A series of events had happened but once the twins reached the surface...everything seemed weirdly peaceful from what they could tell. Jade silently swam between the wooden pillars of the pier where they first found Elise after her encounter with Rielle. Floyd was checking along the waterways inside the city walls. Everything seemed exactly the same: the same boats, the same faces coming and going, but the prince was nowhere in sight. The twins reconvened by a small forest of seaweed just off the coast where Elise was quietly hiding. Azul didn't want her tagging along with the twins at first, for safety purposes, but she insisted. Adamantly. Azul was a fast learner and if the past couple of days taught him anything it was to not get in the way of a woman on a mission. 

"Anything, Floyd?"

"Nah... No one seems worried about Octi-chan at all. They kept talking like she was still around. It's weird."

Elise's eyes dropped to the sand that her front tentacles seemed to be nervously playing with. Jade watched her for a moment before turning to his twin, "I think we need to get closer to the villa itself. Miss Elise, is there a waterway or something hidden to help us perhaps?"

Elise's brow furrowed as she pondered before her eyes lit up. She nodded and pointed towards a large wall surrounding the villa. Part of it did touch the water and had metal grates that allowed the water to flow in underneath. Elise knew of one spot where the grate was loose, an exit route she had used many times in her younger days. Jade pushed the metal open no problem. The only issue was the twins' leaner bodies could fit but Elise's bulky tentacles would probably get her stuck. 

"Stay here, Octi-chan. We'll be right back, promise." Floyd nuzzled Elise's cheek affectionately as he purred. She didn't like it but the princess knew she was in no position to argue. Elise watched the brother slink in and hunkered down among the rocks, ready to wait for a long while. Jade and Floyd carefully rose up out of the water just enough so only their eyes and ears were exposed. They were close to the shore just out front. No one was around thankfully but it did seem like there was some flurry of activity going on inside. Floyd nudged Jade and pointed to a dock down the shoreline. On top of it was an older gentleman speaking to the red-headed prince and young woman that looked eerily like Elise. The twins quickly and quietly swam over and hide underneath just in time to catch part of the conversation.

"-will be back soon, I'm sure," it was the girl speaking, "Elise used to always run off and go exploring, remember Gerald?" her vapid-sounding voice held the same urgency as someone talking about the weather. 

"Yes I certainly do, Miss Emily, but your sister isn't a child anymore. What will your father say once he finds out?" The older servant shifted nervously above making the wooden planks creak. 

Elise's sister didn't seem concerned in the slightest, "Oh Father has been informed already but he's been so busy that I don't think he even noticed to be quite honest with you. From what Rielle told me, it sounds like Elise may have just left for her internship early!"

Jade and Floyd looked at each other in confusion. Were all royal families this nonchalant about their younger siblings just suddenly disappearing...? Prince Rielle just stood nervously next to Emily who linked her arm with his before softly giggling.

"As I said, I'm sure Elise is just fine. She'll be back in no time. But since I'm here, I might as well take a small vacation. And Rielle, you must stay as well. I insist! It's been so long!"

The twins couldn't see his face but they could practically hear the lovesick flush in his voice, "Y-Yes, of course, I will! I'd love nothing else more than to be here with you, Emily!" 

Floyd gagged like he was about to vomit into the water below as the three figures walked towards the shore. Jade quickly grabbed a pebble from the water and used his tail to chuck it at the back of Rielle's head, making him yelp. 

"Is something wrong, Rielle?" The elder Princess Coralette asked sweetly. Rielle turned to see a familiar tail in the water zip back under the pier and he suddenly felt nauseous. 

"Uhh...yes. Yes! I'm perfectly fine, Emily. Go inside without me, I just need a bit more air and then I'll be right behind you." 

The princess simply smiled before talking excitedly with Gerald about how good it felt to be back in town. Gerald seemed to forget his worries as he echoed just how much Emily had been missed and how the servants had been working all morning to prepare for her arrival. Rielle waited until the two humans were out of earshot before calling down towards the water.

"Jade...? Floyd??"

The two eels peered up at him from the shadows, their yellow eyes glowing. Jade held a stoic yet pleasant expression while his brother didn't look too impressed or happy with him at all, making the prince feel nervous. 

"Hello, Prince Rielle. You seem well..." Jade's calm, velvet tone seemed to be hiding a dagger's point. 

"Jade, do you know where Princess Elise is?" Rielle whispered anxiously, "I kept returning to the docks hoping to find her b-but-" 

"She's with us, fish prince." Floyd quipped, "How hard were you lookin'? You seem distracted..." 

Rielle's face flushed in a self-conscious shade of pink as Jade chuckled. 

"Now, now Floyd. Go easy on the prince. After all, this was exactly what he wanted. We should be happy for him, isn't that right, Prince Rielle?" the knife's point in Jade's voice was more apparent now.

"I didn't want this!" Rielle's voice cracked, "At least not for Elise!"

"Then why did you call her out then, stupid?" Floyd was as blunt as ever. Rielle would be offended if not for the fact that he felt extremely stupid...

"I...I thought Emily was the one here...hey wait a minute! If you guys knew it wasn't her, then why didn't you tell me?!"

The twins shared a look before shrugging sarcastically. Floyd grinned up at the flustered prince, showing his teeth, "That's not our problem, fish prince! You wanted to make the deal with Azul and you were the one in such a hurry! You shoulda scoped out the surface better before rushing up here like an idiot~"

"But now you got what you wanted, yes? You're human and your Emily is here now. How lucky for you." Jade wasn't helping ease Rielle's guilt at all and he knew it.

"W-What will happen to Princess Elise then?"

"We're taking care of her," Floyd snapped, feeling protective all of a sudden, "If you're so worried then maybe you shoulda thought of that before letting her kiss you and smashing her heart to bits, Fish Brain. What did you even tell that other princess when she asked about her sister?!"

Rielle nearly choked on his own oxygen. Floyd might as well had come up there and punched him in the face. Jade raised a brow at his brother. It wasn't unusual for Floyd to be so brash with his thoughts and feelings but he seemed to be extra heated today for some reason...some reason regarding 'smashing one's heart to bits'. Jade sighed and thought to himself, Ah...so that's it then.

"Floyd, that's enough."

Floyd growled and sunk back into the water before swimming back to where Elise was waiting. Jade sighed and returned to the conversation with Rielle, "Rielle...tell me what happened exactly on that day. Every detail you can remember. It may help us help Miss Elise. And what did you tell her sister and the others?" 

Rielle gulped and told Jade everything that he could possibly remember. It wasn't much to go on frankly. As for the aftermath...

"I just told them that...that she left! What was I supposed to tell them? I don't think Emily would have believed me if I told her that her sister turned into a mermaid and fell into the ocean!"

Well, Jade supposed he had a point. That couldn't really be helped. Jade pondered over each detail and paired it with the theory Luna presented the other day: Azul's magic that bound the prince and allowed him to become human permanently became twisted once he broke Elise's heart and now it seemed bound to her like a curse. Jade then asked Rielle about his relationship with Emily.

"We...we met twelve years ago. She, Elise, and their mother were on a large ship on open water. They were having some sort of celebration when a terrible storm hit and capsized their ship. I managed to save Emily and take her to shore...I couldn't find her mother though. No matter how I looked, she was lost."

"And Miss Elise? You rescued her as well?"

The prince blinked as if trying to piece something together in his head, "Elise? She made it to the shore as well but...no, no I didn't help her. I found Emily in the water and took her to the nearest shore. By the time I got there, Elise was washed up further down the shore all alone."   Jade narrowed his eyes as he processed this information, "So that's how you and Emily met...and you and Miss Elise? What exactly is your connection to her then?"

Rielle suddenly looked very guilty, "Well I did meet her later when I came back to the surface to check on Emily. She was very curious and seemed taken with me right away. Emily had told her about a mysterious boy that had rescued her from the shipwreck and the sisters just assumed I was also the one that rescued Elise as well. But it's just not true...I didn't have the heart to tell them otherwise though. Emily was so kind and so grateful. I had come back a few times just to see her. More often than not, Princess Elise was usually there too but sometimes it was just Elise and not Emily. They look so much alike sometimes, I wasn't sure which sister I was speaking to."

"I see..." So that's how it is, Jade thought to himself, Miss Elise fell for the prince but he was too kind to tell her that the reason he kept coming back was to see her sister, not her...

Jade felt a bit of pity creep into his heart for Elise's sake. For some reason or another, this sister of hers seemed to completely overshadow her whether she was present or not. That was much was obvious just from the general reaction from the townspeople and the servants. They were probably worried before but now that Emily was here, reassuring everyone that Elise was fine wherever she was...did the people just assume that Emily was Elise like Rielle had and the servants that did know Elise personally just accepted her words blindly? How careless could these humans be? 

"Jade...could you please tell Princess Elise how sorry I am? Please do that for me, Jade." Rielle in all of his folly did look genuinely remorseful. 

Jade gave the prince a blank look as if sizing him up before sinking back into the water below.

-

Jade feared the worst once he returned to his brother and Elise. Floyd looked aggravated, arms folded, but had his tail wrapped gently around the princess who currently had her arms around it as if it were a security blanket. Her face was turned away from Jade. 

"Miss Elise...?"

The octopus princess slowly turned to face Jade, ink-filled tears running down her face. Jade gave his twin a sharp look which only made Floyd roll his eyes.

"What?! Octi-chan deserves to know the truth! Those stupid land dwellers are as brainless as that dumb fish prince."

"Floyd. Would it kill you to use even an ounce of restraint and not throw your personal feelings in others' faces?"

Elise flinched at the sharpness in Jade's tone. It almost sounded like someone else's voice. Floyd just growled and yanked his tail away from Elise so he could smack it on the ground, kicking up sand and pebbles, "Huhhh?! The hell are you sayin', Jade?!"

Jade crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at his angry twin, "I understand you're upset but so is Miss Elise. This could have been avoided if you had just thought for two seconds instead of running your mouth because of your own frustrations. Especially with Luna-" 

Floyd's temper snapped as he took a swipe at Jade's head with his heavy tail. Jade dodged and then grabbed it, looking more upset, "Stop it, Floyd. You could have hit, Miss Elise-"

"I wouldn't hurt, Octi-chan! You just keep runnin' your mouth about shit you don't understand, Jade! You have the emotional range of an iceberg-" 

The brothers seemed to be getting more and more aggressive until they felt two tentacles wrapping around their middles, trapping their arms, and pulling them apart. The brothers turned to find a still teary-eyed Elise glaring at them both. A third tentacle quickly scribbled the words 'STOP IT!' in the sand between them. The twins' tempers deflated as their ear fins drooped in shame. 

"I apologize for our embarrassing behavior, Miss Elise..."

"Sorry, Octi-chan...I'm just pissed cuz of those dummies up top."

Elise gestured to the two of them, signaling them to apologize to each other as well. The brothers hesitated with disgruntled eye contact. That is until Elise's tentacles started to squeeze both of them tightly. Floyd suddenly realized that being squeezed like this wasn't nearly as much fun as doing it to someone else.

"AHH ok ok! Jade, I'm sorry for being a jerk! Geez!" Floyd choked and tried to wriggle free to no avail.

"Y-Yes, I too am sorry, Floyd." Jade grunted.

Elise gave the brothers a sweet smile after releasing them. The twins suddenly felt the same, new level of respect for her that Azul had swiftly gained over the past few days. Elise sighed releasing another tiny ink cloud but didn't bother waving it away. Instead, she just let it float away and dissipate with a sad look in her eyes as she looked up at the water's surface. Perhaps...this was exactly what she deserved. For assuming and rushing into some romantic fantasy, completely blinded by her own feelings. Why would anyone - Rielle, her blood family, the servants that basically raised them - choose her when they could have Emily? Lovely, bubbly, charming Emily...

"Octi-chan?"

Elise snapped back to the present as Floyd and Jade hovered close to her, observing her face with worried looks. 

"We really upset you, huh?" Floyd pouted like a kicked puppy. 

The princess gave the boys a smile before running her fingers through Floyd's silky hair, playing with it as if she were petting a big lovable animal. Floyd's spirits immediately brightened and he giggled as his tail wagged happily behind him. Jade smiled at the scene. Sure his brother could be a huge pain in the ass but he was always happy if and when Floyd was happy. He just wished he could be this way all the time. Elise turned to Jade and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, startling him for a split second before he slipped back into his usual gentlemanly grin. 

"Oya...I'm fine, Miss Elise. I promise," he responded to the questioning look in her bright eyes, "We should head back. Azul is waiting for us after all."

The brothers each took one of Elise's hands and swam back home with her floating between them. 

"I still think that Fish Brain made the wrong choice...eh forget it, Octi-chan deserves way better," Floyd huffed, making Elise quietly giggle to herself.

-

Mama Ashengrotto had some late-night work to catch up on and let the group of teenagers stay after hours to regroup. Cowrie had stayed behind as well at her boss' insistence. Plus Mama Ashengrotto made them snacks so who was she to refuse?

Azul felt his brow twitch as he listened to everything Jade and Floyd had to say. His feelings were very much the same as he looked over at the princess who looked absolutely spent as Cowrie shared some sort of kelp biscuit with her. Surely this had to be some cruel joke...? Azul was no stranger to the more calloused nature of people whether they lived above or below the sea but surely this couldn't be. Seeing the look on Azul's face, Cowrie swallowed the biscuit clump in her mouth and chimed in.

"They're telling the truth. Ellie's sister is dumber than a bag of sea slugs," She said blatantly ignoring the glare Elise was giving her, "Everyone seems to be head over tails for her though in one way or another...I don't get it." 

"Same...though it sounds like she and that stupid prince deserve each other," Floyd huffed before snatching a biscuit for himself. 

"You sure she isn't using magic on these people, Ellie?" 

Elise rolled her eyes and shook her head. Emily was charming but never had the same knack for magic that she or her brother did. The most her sister could muster was changing the color of her dresses or shoes. Honestly, it was probably a good thing Elise couldn't speak, or else she'd be tempted to rant about just how annoying it was. Azul took the cue from Elise's annoyed expression to move the conversation along. 

"Well regardless, I am a man of my word so our objective is still the same. With that said...it's going to take some time. Probably more time than we have before the next semester starts which make the logistics of this endeavor problematic."

Somehow Elise had completely forgotten about school and her eyes went wide as she started down another whirlpool of panic. Cowrie, on the other hand, didn't look bothered whatsoever.

"Eh? What are you freaking out for, Ellie??"

Elise's face turned into a frustrated scowl. Azul had more blank parchment and an inkwell for her at the ready. Cowrie watched Elise furiously scribble out some words, reading along. Something about how Cowrie was the next Cerulamare Prefect, taking Elise's place. Oh yeah, that.

"Yeah, I'm taking your spot. So?"

Did you complete the proper paperwork with the Headmistress??

Cowrie groaned. As much as she adored Elise, she hated it when she went into 'perfectionist Mom' mode, "Yes. I did it like a month ago..."

Did you pick a Vice Prefect and contact them? Get your Prefect uniform properly tailored? Set up room arrangements for the new first years? 

"Yes, Mom. I did all of that already. Stop worrying," Cowrie casually took a bite out of another snack and kept talking with her mouth half full, "Oh...I'm prolly gunna change some stuff too. Just sayin'."

Elise's eyes couldn't be any wider. Even her tentacles looked distressed. 

"Calm down, Ellie. You and Luna are fourth years now. You passed the torch to me. So it's finally my time to mold Cerulamare and make it even better. Especially for other mermaid students like myself. If the other prissy fishies don't like it, they can leave~"

Elise rubbed her temples as her tentacle dipped itself into the ink to scribble some more: Just promise me you'll stop fighting that barracuda mermaid...as the prefect you're supposed to be an EXAMPLE.

Cowrie snorted, "I will make no such promises. I still have beef with her since she went after Luna last year. Besides, am I really the one you should be telling this? Where do you think Luna got that fang pendant from?" 

The twins couldn't help but snicker at the mental image of the elegant Luna Cerith going toe-to-toe with another mermaid in a brawl. Elise shook her head at the younger mermaid but Cowrie just gave her an impish grin.

"Sure, sure, Ellie. You act all straight-laced but did you forget that time you had Luna and me torture Zehn Cavalier? Or the time that you basically organized a whole money laundering scheme right under the headmistress' nose just to help these guys win against Royal Sword? Pretty sneaky for a pretty, pretty princeesssssss~" Cowrie poked at Elise's cheek with the tip of her tail, grinning like a fool the entire time. Elise tried her best to look put out but she couldn't hide the smug grin pulling at her lips. Ok so Cowrie had a point and boy did she know it. Her tail swished mischievously behind her as she giggled. Speaking of school...

"Had I known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have left my spell notes and potion supply at the Octavinelle dorm," Azul grumbled, "I could make more progress with those things definitely. But sneaking a human princess turned mermaid onto an all-boys campus is not an easy feat..."

Elise thought for a moment before another idea sparked in her mind. She wrote the words 'school calendar' on the parchment and shoved it over to both Azul and Cowrie. Azul wasn't sure what she was getting at but Cowrie's face immediately lit up with an excited, "Oh!" Before the boys could ask any questions, the small eelmaid quickly reached for her satchel and grabbed two items: a strange stone key and a beat-up journal. 

"Ellie, you're so smart!" Cowrie flipped the journal open to a calendar for the following month, "Sacred Crown starts back the same time as Night Raven which is in two weeks buuuut a month after that, Sacred Crown is having an open campus event where your school will be invited to come visit us again and we'll host you on the island like you guys did for us last time. I don't know all the details of the event just yet but that means the Night Raven campus will be mostly empty for at least a week if not longer, right?"

He did recall receiving an early announcement from Riddle and Crowley about this but didn't think much of it. However, these sneaky girls had a point...with most of the students and faculty off-campus, and the surrounding waterscape of Octavinelle being difficult to navigate for most regular persons anyway, Azul could definitely solve this whole dilemma in peace! There was only one last problem.

"A brilliant idea. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer to really get anywhere. Also, there's a question of how to get Miss Elise on Night Raven's campus. It's not like just anyone can waltz in there..." Jade mused.

Cowrie grinned and picked up the key, "Not necessarily, Jay Jay. Everyone is still on summer break as we speak, yeah? Why wait?"

-

Boys would have to admit that these girls were in a whole nother league after this night. But first, they had found themselves and Elise in the alleyway behind the Leviathan Club, following Cowrie's lead. She didn't bother wasting time on an explanation. Cowrie took the odd key, pressed it against the wall, and turned it. After a moment a shine of light cut through the stone wall and opened an odd mirror-like door. Azul nearly lost his jaw.

"I-Is that a portal key?! Where did you get that??" his glasses fell askew on his face.

Cowrie just smiled and grabbed Elise's hand, "Follow me and I'll tell ya~"

The girls dipped into the strange liquidy surface and disappeared. Floyd didn't hesitate to follow especially since he had never seen a portal key in action before. Jade and Azul figured they had nothing to lose and followed after them before the gateway closed. The large underwater grotto that waited for them on the other side was huge and well lit with bioluminescent anemone-like lights. They looked awfully familiar, actually...wait a minute. Azul headed for the grotto's entrance and poked his head out into the open seascape, recognizing it immediately. 

"Cowrie, you made a portal into the Octavinelle dorm?! When, how, why- how long have you been infiltrating our dorm?!" Azul was on the verge of spitting ink himself. 

The younger Cerith sister just shrugged, "I found this grotto when I took my first swim around your dorm. You guys weren't using it so it seemed like the best hiding spot for whatever I might need it for." 

Azul couldn't argue with that no matter how much he wanted to. This specific grotto was on the far edge of the large, aquarium-like area surrounding the dorm and Mostro Lounge and no one else in the dorm knew about it aside from him and the twins. Either way, Azul couldn't stay angry. He had that look on his face. That smile he held whenever he felt that everything was coming together. 

"Ahh, you clever, clever girls. You must tell me how you pulled this off." Azul smirked at Cowrie as she swam around the cave, pulling more items from her satchel and placing them on ledges and in little nooks here and there.

"It wasn't me. It was Luna. She makes portal keys in order to escape from home for a short bit when she needs to. She made this one for me so we would have a safe place to hide things we don't want Papa to find." 

As she said this, Floyd noticed all the items around the cave. Old photos, little trinkets, even old toys and mementos that looked they came from the sisters' childhood. His eyes widened when something familiar and gold caught his eye. 

"This a secret hideaway for all of our important items that we wanna keep safe..." Cowrie watched as Floyd swam over to the gold eel necklace that he had given Luna to at the first festival they spent together. It was propped up against the photo of the girls dressed in Octavinelle uniforms with him and Jade standing on either side of the sisters. 'Important things'...somehow those words clicked something in Floyd's brain. As far as he could tell, this was the only piece of jewelry in the whole cave. Could it mean...? Cowrie smiled a bit to herself when she saw Floyd's tail start to wag. Luna would be pissed at her later but oh well. 

"Ellie can hide here! No one will know she's here except us. She'll be totally safe and Azuzu can help her without having to worry about her not being close by!" the younger mermaid seemed awfully proud of herself. 

Elise looked around the grotto, there were a few small openings where light could drift in but otherwise, it seemed pretty secure. The outside entrance seemed to be hidden behind several coral reefs as well so no one would be able to find it unless they were actually looking for it. It looked like Cowrie even set up a bed inside one of the larger nooks. And it was right in the boys' backyard, not out in the actual sea full of dangers. It was honestly quite perfect. The princess smiled and nodded in approval. 

"And the best part? If we need to go back to the Coral Sea, you just use the key the same way. Boom. Luna can always make another one if we need it. We just need...this!" Cowrie grabbed a loose rock from the grotto floor and stuffed it in the satchel, "Luna's not just any old siren, she's practically mastered the spell to attach portal magic to an anchor artifact...or ya know, 'key'. As long as she has material from the destination point, Luna can make a portal key to just about anywhere!" The pride in Cowrie's voice was obvious.  

Azul made a mental note to have a sit down with the Cerith sisters and see about starting a very lucrative partnership of some sort in the future. Especially if their roster of talents kept unfolding like this. He then noticed how dim the light was getting outside. It was getting late. 

"Why don't we stay here tonight? It'll give me time to take stock of my resources and as you said before, there's no one else here so we have the whole place to ourselves." 

Cowrie immediately let out an excited cheer and left the grotto first, followed by Jade to make sure she didn't get lost. Floyd took another look at the necklace before taking it with him as he followed the other eels. Azul turned back to Elise who settled on a large flat stone pedestal that was in the very center of the grotto. She was was looking all around at all the odds and ends the Cerith sisters had hidden away in this makeshift vault. The fading light mixed with the glow within the cave left an almost heavenly sheen over her hair and deep black and blue octopus body. Of course, he knew she was a human. Yes, she was a human...that just happened to be temporarily trapped inside a very beautiful octopus mermaid body. And yet, Elise seemed like both of and neither of those things all at once.  If Azul had anything to say before, the words evaporated at the very sight of her, sitting there poised and curious like some entirely new creature Azul had never witnessed before. It wasn't until he noticed Elise staring upwards toward the opening in the tall ceiling of the grotto, towards the water's distant surface with an unspoken longing did Azul become embarrassingly self-aware of the situation. This poor girl was in a situation and here he was, her only hope of getting back to normal, just staring at her up and down like an eerie specimen collector. Azul cleared his throat after giving his own head a smack.

"I do apologize, Your Highness. I don't have any spare dry land potions on me. I'll be sure to make one for you tonight so you don't have to stay all alone in this dreary cave all the time." 

Elise looked Azul up and down before pushing off of the large stone and floating down in front of him. He felt his body go rigid when her bright eyes kept traveling up and down his form. She tilted her head and gave him a questioning look as she gestured to him. He felt lost.

"Is...is something the matter?"

Elise gently poked at his legs with one of her tentacles before pointing to her own octopus legs with the same curious look in her eyes.

"Oh. You're wondering why I'm still in my human form, is that it?" Azul asked tentatively, feeling a bit embarrassed. The princess nodded. Azul hated this question and felt a deep churn in his gut every time someone brought it up. But with that expectant gaze bearing down on him like that...ugh...

"I'm not fond of my mermaid form. Staying like this is more comfortable. Besides, it's...it's a terrible form, really. Just trust me on this, Your Highness."

Elise raised a skeptical brow before scribbling something in the sand. It was a drawing of an octopus with a question mark next to it. Azul frowned. Of course, she'd figure it out after seeing his parents. It was pretty obvious. But why was this so embarrassing?!

"Y-Yes. I am an octopus too...an ugly, stupid, awful octopus," Azul's insecurity reared its ugly face as the words tumbled out of his mouth out of habit. 

The princess gave him a playful look before pouting and pointing to herself. When Azul didn't respond right away, she covered her face with her hands and peeked with one sad eye through two of her fingers. The boy immediately realized the unintentional insult he had dished out and felt like an absolute fool. 

"N-No! I don't think that you're those things! Not at all, Your Highness! You're very intelligent and the most attractive female I've ever seen! Just because I am those...things..."

Azul felt his face flood with heat when he realized exactly what he had said and that Elise was smiling and giggling girlishly at him. And she had paused his rambling by pressing a finger to his lips. He could practically hear her laugh ring through him even though he knew that it wasn't possible. The princess' smile remained as she shook her head and wrote more words in the sand with her other hand.

You are not those things either.

I want to see you someday.

She removed her finger from his lips and gave him another genuine smile. Azul was at a loss for a long moment before he cleared his throat, "You are...very kind, Your Highness. Too kind, actually. If you'll excuse me, I need to...uh...check my inventory. I'll leave you to rest."

Even underwater, Azul nearly tripped on his way out of the grotto. 

-

Floyd took a moment to return to his and Jade's room alone while his brother showed Cowrie around the dorm proper, taking advantage of the fact that no other students were there right now. He found a candy stash that he had left behind and some more comfortable clothes that he quickly changed into. Floyd eyed the necklace he took from the grotto and put it around his neck before tucking it into his shirt for safekeeping. After digging around in his drawers to see what else he may have forgotten about, he found his other cellphone. The non-waterproof one he used while he was home during breaks. He saw a few missed messages from his schoolmates but nothing that really interested him. He skipped over them and pulled up the old messages he got from Luna before she disappeared. 

They were sweet little tokens of affection exchanged between the two of them. Flirting. Pet names. Photos. Ugh, did Luna send him fantastic photos of herself? He immediately flicked over to the photo album where most of the pictures were of her. Her by herself, wearing a new outfit. Her and Cowrie taking selfies on their campus. Her alone in her room...Floyd had an entire album of just these kinds of pictures of Luna, each more flirtatious than the last. The eel groaned to himself as he looked over each and every single one, remembering when the gorgeous siren was way more present in his everyday life, always calling to him, sweetening him up effortlessly. He then realized that all of these pictures were of her in her human form. She never sent pictures of herself while she was at home in the Coral Sea. Now he knew why...

Floyd understood her situation. He too grew up in a mafia family atmosphere and he was very well aware of how things usually went down in such circles. Especially with women. Floyd wasn't nearly as dumb as many people thought he was. He could absolutely understand Luna's motivations and obligations...but damn did he HATE it! The boy turned the candy in his mouth to dust with one chomp and he growled out his frustration. It wasn't fair! This gorgeous, sexy, amazingly enticing, not to mention very interesting girl shows up on his radar out of nowhere and makes him feel better than literally anyone else in his whole life ever has, and now she has to kick him to the curb because her step-dad is a dick?! Actually no, scratch that. It was even worse: because her step-dad was his dad's biggest rival AND a huge dick?! It made Floyd want to break something. Granted, Floyd was pretty strong and attractive enough right? He could definitely get a number of other female eels easily...buuut that wasn't the problem. 

'You miss her don't you?'

Jade wasn't even in the room and yet Floyd could hear his brother mocking him clear as crystal! Floyd snarled into his pillow, kicking his feet on the mattress like an irritated child. 

OK FINE YES! He missed her! He missed Luna so...so so SO much! Her kisses, her touches, the smooth feeling of her skin and soft curves pressed up against him, that flirty giggle that nearly brought him to his knees every single time! Great Seven, he could still hear her dulcet voice whisper into his ear...

'Floyd, honey~'

It killed him every time. It didn't matter how upset or bored or sad the boy was, one 'Floyd honey' from Luna and he was down for the count. It worked like a charm without fail. He couldn't take it anymore. Floyd was so heated in every sense of the word that he had to go for a swim to clear his head. While he was gone, Jade returned to their shared room and frown when he saw it was empty. Cowrie poked her head in and immediately saw the stark differences between the two halves of the room. 

"Lemme guess...this side," she pointed to the very tidy and organized half, "is yours?"

Jade chuckled as he sat on his bed, "Indeed." He didn't even have to invite the small female in. She just pranced right in and started looking around. Jade grinned to himself, looking her form up and down in the baggy t-shirt dress and dark leggings she was wearing in her human state. She was undeniably...cute. Maybe something even more? He thought he had been caught when Cowrie suddenly spun around and looked him right in the eyes.

"So why were you and Floy Floy having lunch with those snooty girls earlier? You guys didn't look like you were having much fun..."

Jade had completely forgotten about them, to be honest, but chuckled dryly at the memory, "Ah...they were just some girls our parents wanted us to meet." 

"Ahh. You're courting." Cowrie tilted her head to the side with an unreadable expression, "You guys are at that age now, huh..."

Somehow the term 'courting' sounded so hollow to Jade. It wasn't the idea that he was against, just the selection being pushed upon him. He looked at Cowrie, remembering the kiss, and he felt compelled. Jade was curious, intrigued even. This very bold, honest, and feminine little creature didn't seem to stop keeping him on his toes. At home, he knew of the dangers but here? Here, it was only them. Just their little group. No crime bosses to cast shadows over them. No dangers so...Jade decided that he wanted to see where this went. 

"Cowrie...," Jade extended his hand to her, inviting her to sit on the bed with him. She slowly accepted his hand only to squeak when Jade suddenly pulled her onto his lap, smiling down at her the entire time. 

"J-Jay Jay! What are you doing all of a sudden?!"

What's this? Was the younger female flustered by him? Oh, that only made him purr as he chuckled and nuzzled his face into her soft hair, "Oh? Do you not like me anymore, Cowrie?"

"I already told you how I felt!" Cowrie pouted and turned her pink face away from him, "You're the one who isn't being clear!" 

Hmm, she had a point. This only made the boy smile into her hair as he gently wrapped his arm around her small waist. She smelled like lavender and her flustered voice was so cute. When she suddenly pushed away from Jade, he halted at the stern look in her blue eyes. 

"Don't toy around with me, Jay Jay...if you wanna act like this, then do it because you mean it." 

Ooh, she was serious. It made a jolt of electricity run up his spine, being commanded by her in this way. This fearless little eelmaid, refusing to be bullied or even teased by him or anyone really. Do it because he meant it? Did he or was he just letting off steam? The real question was...did he want to have these private moments of affection with anyone else?

Jade felt his brain start to swim the longer he held Cowrie's gaze. His thoughts became more scattered and hazy the longer she stared him down, testing his resolve. If Jade was being honest with himself then...well his desires at least were clear. 

"Cowrie," her name came out of Jade's mouth like a shaky sigh, "...I want you to stay close to me. I can't explain why just yet, but I just...feel better with you around. This right now feels nice. The kiss you gave me...it felt really nice." Jade silently hoped that maybe the room was dark enough that Cowrie wouldn't see the humiliating dusting of pink on his face. The usually calm, cool, and collected twin was really feeling out of his depth right now and it was starting to show. 

The younger Cerith sister's eyes softened as she leaned in ever so slightly, "And what about later? When we're back home...and separated?"

"Stay with me."

His words shocked both of them. Jade heard them come out in his voice but he still can't believe he said them. But he most certainly did. And he liked it. So Jade Leech just went with it. 

"Stay with me, close by me," Jade felt a shy grin tug at his lips as Cowrie's baby blues widened up at him, "As long as you're with me, you won't get hurt. If you get tired of me or want to leave then I'll let you go without any trouble. But I promise that you won't be in any danger as long as we're together." 

"I don't want you or your family to get hurt either..."

Jade grinned and nuzzled his face into the girl's soft, sweet-smelling neck, "Nothing bad will happen, I promise." 

He felt Cowrie's petite body relax against his own with a soft sigh just before feeling her small hand bring his face back to hers. She pressed another kiss to his lips before he could change his mind and it felt even better than the first one. Jade could really get used to this. He started to kiss her back right as the bedroom door flew open with a loud bang, making him and Cowrie both jolt and fall back onto his bed as he instinctually held her tighter as she now lay on top of him. Floyd glowered at the sight of his brother and Cowrie, evidently, being all lovey-dovey together in their room. On one hand, Floyd was happy for Jade because he knew this is what Jade wanted - even if Jade just now figured it out for himself. On the other hand, Floyd was not in the mood to be happy when his twin got to be together with his girl when Floyd had to be alone and miserable while his girl was probably getting hit on by some rich old dudes as they speak. So Jade wasn't at all surprised when Floyd swaggered over to his side of the room with a grumpy expression on his face just before sitting on the floor right up against Jade's bed and laying his head on the edge, pouting up at the couple. 

"Oooiiiii Jaaaade...you're being greedy!"

Jade felt his protective male instincts go into overdrive as he quietly snarled and held Cowrie to his chest. As twins, he and Floyd had shared just about everything their entire lives. But he was not about to share Cowrie with anyone like that. "Your side of the room is over there, Floyd."

Floyd didn't budge but instead growled back, "It's not faaaaiiiir! You have Cowrie-chan to be all cuddly with and I'm stuck out in the cold! ...scoot over so I can at least get some cuddles too, Jade!"

Cowrie sighed as she felt the testosterone between the two flare up, "Jay Jay...Floy Floy's just sad and lonely. He isn't trying to mate me or anything." 

"Not unless you're into that kinda thing, Cowrie-chan~" Floyd teased and wiggled his eyebrows just before getting whack upside the head by the girl. He was joking which Cowrie knew but he definitely was not helping the situation.

"Hush, pervert," Cowrie saw the obstinate look on Jade's face and nuzzled her cheek against his just before leaving little kitten nips and kisses along his jaw while purring out his pet name, "Jay Jay~"

Floyd was a smidge jealous only because, sure, he and Luna have shared many, many normal kisses and far more intimate gestures as well but what Cowrie was doing right now was the classic courtship move all female eels did: shower your man with little love bites and affection in front another male? Bam. You're out of luck, sir, she is his. It was a definite power move, one that he wanted Luna to perform on him all day, every day, in front of every other guy on the planet. 

Jade's roughness melted as he looked to Cowrie being all sweet on him and then at Floyd. Without another word, Jade scooted over so Floyd could climb on the bed with them. The bed squeaked under the even more monstrously tall twin's weight as he tried to shift onto his side while tucking in his long legs. Once Floyd was settled, Cowrie gave Jade one more kiss before giving his brother some affection and attention. Jade was way more relaxed but his arm stayed wrapped around the smaller girl's waist as he continued to nuzzle his face into her hair. Cowrie started to play with Floyd's hair to help him relax. He immediately leaned into the touch and shut his eyes. 

"I think Luna misses you too, Floy Floy."

Floyd didn't move but made some  noise that sounded like an exhausted growl, "She's got a weird way of showing it..." 

He opened his eyes slightly when he felt Cowrie gently pull the necklace out from his shirt. She looked at the pendant and then back to him, "Luna never saves the gifts guys give her. This is the only one she wanted me to keep safe for her. She used to wear it at school all the time...but she stopped wearing it once we came home because she knew Papa would  be suspicious." 

Floyd let out a big frustrated sigh. His stubbornness only went so far in most cases and he was absolutely burned out on this particular one, "Then what do I doooo...?"

"What do you like about my sister?"

"She's hot. Gives good kisses. She's really nice and makes me feel good. I like to squeeze her b-" Floyd received a more aggressive bop on the head from Cowrie but he was so tired, it barely phased him. 

"Floy Floy, if you really want to win Luna over, once and for all, there's gotta be more to it than all that..." Cowrie sighed, "Especially with Luna. She's used to guys - young, old, doesn't matter - being handsy and creepy with her all the time just because she's a sexy siren and they treat her like a piece of meat to gnaw on. They don't actually care anything about her. You wanna be another one of those guys?"

Floyd didn't like hearing that. He snarled and started chewing on Jade's poor bedpost out of irritation. Jade had given up on scolding him for doing this ages ago. After getting it out of his system, Floyd spat out some pieces of wood before frowning at Cowrie.

"I'm not some sleazy creeper! I just think Luna's hot...gorgeous...beautiful...she never talks to me like I'm stupid or gets mad at me over pointless things. She's not boring so I never get tired of talking to her or  being around her....but now I can't do either of those things!!" Floyd's eyes burned with pending frustration tears. Cowrie sighed and tucked her head under Jade's chin as she pondered what she could possibly do for Floyd.

Suddenly...an idea. A very dangerous, risky idea. Knowing these boys, they'd be totally down with it though.

"Floy Floy. I know what to do...buuuut you have to do EXACTLY what I say and not get us caught. Ok?"

The twins' ears perked up and as they both listened with full attention.

"The Siren's Cove has a big night coming up. There's supposed to be lots of VIPs coming in and Papa wants Luna to perform center stage to rake in the money. I'm going to sneak you two in with me and you, Floy Floy, I'm going to sneak you into Luna's dressing room."

-

Azul took another sip of coffee as he poured over his notes and more tomes. He would occasionally stop to scribble more notes on scratch paper but he couldn't help but feel a bit distracted. Also irritated! Where were Jade and Floyd?! Azul shook it from his mind. The twins had taken a long journey today so they were probably tired. That was totally understandable. The octopus boy soon found his writing was no longer making sense to his tired, distracted brain and resigned to take a break with a sigh. Just in time for his phone to ring and shock him awake. The second wave of terror came as he saw his mother's name light up the screen...he had forgotten to tell his mother that he wasn't coming home. He quickly fumbled his phone, answering it with an embarrassing voice crack, "Mother! Hello!"

"Calm down, Azul, you're not in trouble...not this time anyway. Just remember to tell your mother when you and your friends are taking off, hmm?"

"Yes Mother, I'm sorry it's just...uh...just...Her Highness...she needs me and...things..." Words. Words were needed but alas Azul was only met with failure and the sound of his mother's laughter.

"Sweetness, you sound a mess. I had my suspicions but goodness me. It's all happening so quickly." He could feel his mother's smug grin from the other side of the phone. 

"Mother, I have no idea what you're talking about..." 

"Azul, darling. You're a perfectly healthy octopus merman at the end of your teen years. It's only natural that you'd be feeling urges and be smitten with such a lovely female octopus mermaid, especially one right in front of you-"

Azul nearly broke his phone in half with the death grip he suddenly had, "Mother, I will see you tomorrow! Iloveyougoodnight!!" 

He slammed his phone down on his desk after quickly hanging up and took a deep breath. Nope. No. His mother was just being a mother. This was a situation in which he was obligated to help a sweet, lovely girl whom he has unintentionally wronged. That was all! Azul Ashengrotto was a gentleman and a professional! He was also...his brain was about to spiral down another track of insecurity and self-loathing until the same brain reminded him of the princess' kindness. And her apparent desire to see the real him someday...

Azul suddenly rose from his seat and headed towards the dorm kitchens to get more coffee which was clearly the only anchor to reason and the only way to combat this sleep-deprived madness. 

Tagging: @iscarlettappel @aiimee9 @foxwitchaine @1ndigowitch @nuitthegoddess @wysteriadelights @espada188 @victoria1676 @feldya @zstargalaxy @if you wanna be tagged - lemme know in my inbox!

[unplumbedambits]

CHECKMATE

Episode 2: Absconded

"If a thorn pricks you in the forest and nobody else sees it, are you one with the forest, or are you just crazy?"

The queen produced a lock from her gown and opened the closet. The boys espying her actions before shortly moving on, the queen and king looked inside. They could barely peek. It horrified the queen.

The dirt trails turned into footprints. These were less smudged. They led to a quiet corner. There was, in that corner, a man, tied up, and his name was... there was no time to figure out his name.

A figure stood by the doorway. Advisor to the king, Egaemus. He carried the flag. Rivalo was now at war.

"Here, here," said Egaemus, "Your youngest of kin has requested your presence in the war room."

So, off to the war room the queen went. The king wept. The man tied to the chair, gagged, also wept, but for a different reason.

LATER

The brothers, heirs apparent to the king and queen, stormed off on horseback. They were shadows, again. They held swords high, drifting into the fog. Like ghouls.

And like ghouls, they seemed ethereal in nature. Loud cries spoke over them. They were silent in all matters. The war against Castlè Dulcoz had begun.

The queen, king, and Advisor Egaemon, from afar, watched in silence. Utterly aghast, they wallowed in their own treachery.

Fire erupted. Soldiers died. Men crawled, dirt-faced. The boys gallantly kept galloping forth, enshrouded in the silhouette of the queen and king's acts.

And it seemed for a moment that the boys noticed this. Halfway through the skirmish, both of them turned back. These urbane gentlemen of the Anti lineage seemed to shuffle around on their horses. Their glowing, wondrous stares haunted the royals.

Pierced.

Pierced?

Pierced their souls.

"They know," the king whispered harshly. "They know about Aradymos, the Battle of Heratos and the symbols."

"Their stares tell all," said Egaemus.

"We must be patient," the queen assured, "and trust that we've covered our tracks."

"Not well enough," growled the king, "I suppose, considering they were this close to finding out."

Depravity. The war grew worse outside. The boys were overrun with thieves. Desperately, they hoisted their lances and warded off their foes.

Their horses were unsettled. Neighing, standing on hind hooves.

"We should be out there helping them," the queen hissed, "not in here, watching."

The king barked at his wife, "If we do help them, we'll get recognized." He rose, walked to the door of their shared bedroom. This was no earnestly couple. Aradymos entered the picture, slowly unraveling their mendacious love before their very sons.

"They're helpless," noted the queen.

The boys were indeed helpless. Brave as they were, their stallions didn't carry the same ardor to war. Adamant for victory, the eldest one, in his own stubbornness, fell off his horse. Trampled... crushed under the weight of the queen's and king's fallen graces.

Under the same shadow, his younger brother trotted over on his mighty stallion. Entrenched in war-torn forests outside the castle gates, they conceded victory. The brothers loped back to the portcullis.

Egaemus, pleased with himself, snobbilshly chided, "It seems your implacable refusal to intervene has led in the first loss of many in this war."

The portcullis lifted, and out spilled the perjury.

[dinoracha]

40+ hours into Persona 5 Royal, and I have a few thoughts

I think I'm nearing the endgame for Persona 5 Royal (we'll shorten it to P5R for brevity's sake) and despite how much I've been enjoying it, there's been a handful of design decisions that have been real head-scratchers. My biggest issue with the game so far has been the major boss fights. Don't get me wrong; I like the Paper Mario games and having gimmicked boss fights, but for an Atlus JRPG to have multiple gimmicked boss fights feels bizarre. It comes across like the game is testing the player to see if they've learned the combat mechanics in terms of baton passing and weakness exploits for example, but this is a JRPG; unless you're speedrunning or focusing just on the campaign, you're going to have more than enough opportunities to put these mechanics into practice. Compare that to mini-bosses that are more of a knockdown, drag-out fight instead of solving a puzzle? Understandably the mini-bosses aren't the finale of the palace so they can't be as long or as involved, but with how said finales pan out*, doing a puzzle fight instead of a 'fight' fight loses the effect for me.

This ties into my next issue of the game's script really, really, REALLY wanting you to hate most* of the targets you're meant to go after. The first chapter is especially egregious, hammering it home that the target is all sorts of horrible while not letting you actively do anything about it - Not until the game gives you the green light to hop into the palace and get started. While I can imagine the writers want you to get emotionally charged and full of rebellious vengeance, it gets dragged out to the point of being uncomfortable(*1). For there to be all this set up that the target is scum and needs to have a change of heart, having the big battle with their shadowy self boil down to a glamorous puzzle doesn't tie up the chapter in as neat of a bow of closure as I would've hoped.

Nextly, MAN. THE SCRIPT REALLY ENJOYS SEXUALIZING YOUNGER CHARACTERS. WHAT THE HELL, ATLUS? The problem, before you jump at me, with trying to play that kind of stuff 'for laughs' is that there needs to be funny punchlines and payoffs for it to work. A lot of it comes across as seedy which is a sentiment I shared with similar gags in Persona 4 (Rise's whole chapter comes to mind). Considering how this series is more or less a playable anime, I can sort of concede that these are story-telling/writing elements (I hesitate to use the word 'tropes') that are to be expected, but… Yeesh.

Ho'boy. Heaven help me if I ever plan to sit down and write a full review for this one. Any place where there's an asterisk (*) means there are spoilers if I were to elaborate any further.

I think I'm nearing the endgame for Persona 5 Royal (we'll shorten it to P5R for brevity's sake), and despite how much I've been enjoying it, there's been a handful of design decisions that have been real head-scratchers. My biggest issue with the game so far has been the major boss fights. Don't get me wrong; I like the Paper Mario games and having gimmicked boss fights, but for an Atlus JRPG to have multiple gimmicked boss fights feels bizarre. It comes across like the game is testing the player to see if they've learned the combat mechanics in terms of baton passing and weakness exploits for example, but this is a JRPG; unless you're speedrunning or focusing just on the campaign, you're going to have more than enough opportunities to put these mechanics into practice. Compare that to mini-bosses that are more of a knockdown, drag-out fight instead of solving a puzzle? Understandably the mini-bosses aren't the finale of the palace so they can't be as long or as involved, but with how said finales pan out*, doing a puzzle fight instead of a 'fight' fight loses the effect for me.

This ties into my next issue of the game's script, really, REALLY wanting you to hate most* of the targets you're meant to go after. The first chapter is especially egregious, hammering it home that the target is all sorts of horrible while not letting you actively do anything about it - Not until the game gives you the green light to hop into the palace and get started. While I can imagine the writers want you to get emotionally charged and full of rebellious vengeance, it gets dragged out to the point of being uncomfortable(*1). For there to be all this set up that the target is scum and needs to have a change of heart, having the big battle with their shadowy self boil down to a glamorous puzzle doesn't tie up the chapter in as neat of a bow of closure as I would've hoped.

Nextly, MAN. THE SCRIPT REALLY ENJOYS SEXUALIZING YOUNGER CHARACTERS. WHAT THE HELL, ATLUS? Before you jump at me, the problem with trying to play that kind of stuff 'for laughs' is that there needs to be funny punchlines and payoffs for it to work. Unfortunately, much of it comes across as seedy, a sentiment I shared with similar gags in Persona 4 (Rise's whole chapter comes to mind). Considering how this series is more or less a playable anime, I can sort of concede that these are story-telling/writing elements (I hesitate to use the word 'tropes') that are to be expected, but… Yeesh.

These nagging issues aside, I'm still going to see the game through to the end. It's a JRPG-ass JRPG, to be certain, and while seeing instant-kill spells return makes me roll my eyes out of my head, it took what I liked from Persona 4 and polished it brightly: Palaces are places to explore compared to repeating hallways, having shadows morph into familiar Shin Megami Tensei demons is fun, more tactical/team-building options available through social links… After burning out with Soul Hackers 2, hopping into P5R revitalized my desire to binge a JRPG for multiple hours-long sessions that I hadn't desired since - Well, my binging of Persona 4. A review of this game will probably do my head in. There's so much to talk about, and I can only write so much until carpal tunnel sends my wrists into oblivion.

(*1) There are implied sexual relations between an adult and teenagers that, combined with a self-harm scene, made the first chapter miserable for me. It's a dreadful note to start on.

(*1) There are implied sexual relations between an adult and teenagers that, when combined with a self-harm scene, made the first chapter just miserable for me. It's a dreadful note to start on.

Ho'boy. Heaven help me if I ever plan to sit down and write a full review for this one. Any place where there's an asterisk (*) means there are spoilers if I were to elaborate any further.

I think I'm nearing the endgame for Persona 5 Royal (we'll shorten it to P5R for brevity's sake), and despite how much I've been enjoying it, there's been a handful of design decisions that have been real head-scratchers. My biggest issue with the game so far has been the major boss fights. Don't get me wrong; I like the Paper Mario games and having gimmicked boss fights, but for an Atlus JRPG to have multiple gimmicked boss fights feels bizarre. It comes across like the game is testing the player to see if they've learned the combat mechanics in terms of baton passing and weakness exploits for example, but this is a JRPG; unless you're speedrunning or focusing just on the campaign, you're going to have more than enough opportunities to put these mechanics into practice. Compare that to mini-bosses that are more of a knockdown, drag-out fight instead of solving a puzzle? Understandably the mini-bosses aren't the finale of the palace so they can't be as long or as involved, but with how said finales pan out*, doing a puzzle fight instead of a 'fight' fight loses the effect for me.

This ties into my next issue of the game's script, really, REALLY wanting you to hate most* of the targets you're meant to go after. The first chapter is especially egregious, hammering it home that the target is all sorts of horrible while not letting you actively do anything about it - Not until the game gives you the green light to hop into the palace and get started. While I can imagine the writers want you to get emotionally charged and full of rebellious vengeance, it gets dragged out to the point of being uncomfortable(*1). For there to be all this set up that the target is scum and needs to have a change of heart, having the big battle with their shadowy self boil down to a glamorous puzzle doesn't tie up the chapter in as neat of a bow of closure as I would've hoped.

Nextly, MAN. THE SCRIPT REALLY ENJOYS SEXUALIZING YOUNGER CHARACTERS. WHAT THE HELL, ATLUS? Before you jump at me, the problem with trying to play that kind of stuff 'for laughs' is that there needs to be funny punchlines and payoffs for it to work. Unfortunately, much of it comes across as seedy, a sentiment I shared with similar gags in Persona 4 (Rise's whole chapter comes to mind). Considering how this series is more or less a playable anime, I can sort of concede that these are story-telling/writing elements (I hesitate to use the word 'tropes') that are to be expected, but… Yeesh.

These nagging issues aside, I'm still going to see the game through to the end. It's a JRPG-ass JRPG, to be certain, and while seeing instant-kill spells return makes me roll my eyes out of my head, it took what I liked from Persona 4 and polished it brightly: Palaces are places to explore compared to repeating hallways, having shadows morph into familiar Shin Megami Tensei demons is fun, more tactical/team-building options available through social links… After burning out with Soul Hackers 2, hopping into P5R revitalized my desire to binge a JRPG for multiple hours-long sessions that I hadn't desired since - Well, my binging of Persona 4. A review of this game will probably do my head in. There's so much to talk about, and I can only write so much until carpal tunnel sends my wrists into oblivion.

(*1) There are implied sexual relations between an adult and teenagers that, combined with a self-harm scene, made the first chapter miserable for me. It's a dreadful note to start on.

[gevaudn]

the first swing of the sword was expected.

mahsa ducked beneath the blade and darted closer to her opponent, unsheathing her own sword and running it through his stomach. there was a gasp from the crowd as his blood began to spill over onto the dirt, but mahsa took no time to mourn. she yanked her weapon out of his stomach and let him collapse to the ground as she charged at the next man, unflinching in the face of their violence.

it wasn't hatred that drove her; not quite. she didn't quite care enough about these men to hate them, regardless of what they had done to her and her family. after all, what had ser argent done that countless other men hadn't? that her own family hadn't? had they done anything that she wouldn't expect from anyone else?

what mahsa felt was bloodlust. a pure and perfect desire to see a garden of red in the dirt. she wanted to be bathed in it; she wanted everyone here to drown in it. her body moved without thought, parrying each blow, striking with a killer's precision. if she was struck, then she didn't feel it. nothing registered other than her objective.

circe was not quite so detached from the battle.

it wasn't as if the argents posed a challenge. they were talented fighters, efficient and deadly. if circe younger, maybe, or less experienced, she imagined that she would have more trouble against them. but as things were, she was putting more effort into staying out of the way of the other skirmishes than anything else.

she twisted out of the way of a dagger and aimed a kick at her attacker's side. the man stumbled and scowled at her. he threw down his dagger and drew his longsword. "enchantress," he accused, once more leveling his sword at her. "you'll pay for charming our royal court. we'll have you burned."

circe tipped her head to the side and beckoned him forward.

he charged again and she didn't dodge this time; instead, she batted his sword out of the way with her dagger. he brought his arm back to swipe his elbow against her face. it caught her in the cheek, and she stumbled back. for a moment, she struggled to catch her breath around the gag in her mouth, but she gathered her bearings before he could get in another hit.

quickly growing tired of his antagonism, she closed the distance between them and stuck her knife into his neck. she watched the widening of his eyes and the shortening of his breath as he realized he would die.

then she pulled her knife out and stepped away as he dropped.

aeron grasped aurelia's hand tightly, anxiety pooling in his stomach despite the courage the pirates showed as they entered the arena. the crowd around them leaned forward as well, clearly entranced by the battle that was about to commence. he wondered if the others of the court were all on the side of otto argent and his hunters; he wondered if any of the small folk of the kingdom would rally behind the pirates. surely ser argent had not always been so kind to them; while gabrielle and isabeau were known for their gentleness and kindness, their father certainly was not. he could not help but wonder, as well, how many in the crowd gathered would fall in line behind the king, and how many would see malarie as more deserving of their loyalty. he wondered, and worried, if this was something he ought to consider at all.

aeron was no fool; he knew ser argent's actions in capturing the pirates and bringing them before court had been a ploy; he knew malarie was right in her implications about what the men of the kingdom had been doing for years now. he also knew that their open defiance of the king and defense of the pirates; their standing together, had been a sign, a signal, to the king and the men who had risen to power. likewise, he knew this battle would be a tipping point. in what way, in which direction, he could not be certain. but he knew, in his heart, that things would no longer be the same after today.

just behind him, freya gave a sharp gasp as circe tore off a piece of her tunic and tied it across her mouth, silencing herself. he turned; freya had leaned forward slightly, her breath seemingly caught and her eyes fixed on the siren. the action was not lost on him, either; circe could, and intended to, defeat these hunters without use of any of her powers.

it was an act of boldness and bravado. aeron found himself smirking, impressed.

a similar whisper seemed to ripple through the crowd. whether or not she had intended to, it seemed, circe had won favor amongst some gathered.

the king raised his hand, immediately causing the crowd to fall silent.

"this battle," he decreed, "will be fought to the death. when the last member of ser argent's hunting party is deceased," he said, his tone snide, making clear he doubted this would be the outcome, "or the final of these...pirates...is deceased, the battle will come to an end. until such a time, the battle will commence. draw your weapons," he commanded, the sounds of swords being drawn from their sheaths echoing as a response to his call. "let the battle begin."