#But I can teach my daughters to send other people the message that teaching their sons to get handsy is not ok
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I don’t know about you, but I will teach my daughters to sock boys who attempt to get handsy with them straight in the mouth.
#Self defence#self-defence#self defence for girls#Self-defence for girls#Touch starvation#Touch starvation isn’t real#Touch starvation is not real#Touch starvation doesn’t exist#Touch starvation does not exist#I have no control on how other people raise their boys#But I can teach my daughters to send other people the message that teaching their sons to get handsy is not ok#Child rearing#teaching children#Parenting#parenting styles#And yes I will teach my sons not to get handsy
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Just a reminder that it's a perfectly valid option to send a nice message or give a nice phonecall for a business or person supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, in whatever fashion.
I was at a place and they had a sign basically inviting people to use the restroom that was most comfortable for their identity. I decided that they needed to hear about it, because the people who would be mad about it are usually VERY LOUD and VERY ANGRY about it. Especially because it was a place you usually take children to.
So I explained that while I am cis, I have dear friends who are not, and I care about their comfort. And more than that, I'm trying to teach my daughter to have respect and kindness for others and celebrate people's differences, and that is a good example. I made SURE to mention that I was happy to spend my money there and would be proud to come back and spend more.
The message I got back was so nice -- they explained that it's not often visitors reach out to share positive feedback with them.
Allow me to highlight --
It's not often visitors reach out to share positive feedback with them.
Like I said, the people who are against this stuff have no problems being very vocal with their hatred. Take the two minutes to share your positive feedback and give them something tangible they can take to their bosses or boards or whatever to prove that representation and inclusivity is important and valuable.
Plus, you can give that one person on the other end of your message something to smile about, knowing there's someone who cared enough to reach out and show support.
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Actually I'm still thinking about it. Another interesting way in which RvB is anti-war is the way that the Director fills the role of a villain and antagonist (especially in the Recollections trilogy, where he's a faceless villain we never see but is responsible for everything that happens).
In his memos to the Chairman, the Director emphasizes his sense of duty and obligation to the military- he becomes irate for the first time when he feels that it's being implied that he was derelict in his duty... or that the work he did out of that duty is being criticized for being against the military's interests. He also talks about Allison's death in a way I find... interesting.
"You see; I never had the chance to serve in battle. Nor did fate provide me the opportunity to sacrifice myself for humanity as it did for so many others in the Great War. Someone extremely dear to me was lost very early in my life. My mind has always plagued me with the question: If the choice had been placed in my hands, could I have saved her? [...] But, given the events of these past few weeks, I feel confident that had I been given the chance, I would have made those sacrifices myself... Had I only the chance."
The idea of sacrifice is central to the way he talks about his wife's loss, to the way he talks about the war in general. He talks of sacrifice with a sense of veneration- that it's something he aspires to do, that he longs for. There's a few ways we can interpret "I would have made those sacrifices myself"...
-That in Allison's place, he thinks he would have laid down his life too.
-That if given the chance, he would have given his life to save hers.
But most interestingly...
-That he would have sacrificed Allison's life for the continued survival of humanity, if that was what duty called for.
...And personally, I think all 3 are true.
In most war media, the Director's perspective on sacrifice is very common. Sacrifice is glorious and heroic- to die in battle is an honour- and it's the only way to ensure the group you serve survives. This is a tool of propaganda- nobody wants to go to war just for the sake of it, you have to give them a reason that the risk of dying or being permanently disabled isn't just acceptable, but desirable. Beyond that, most people don't want to do things they think are immoral- you have to convince them it's important, a necessary lesser evil. You teach them to sacrifice their morals, too.
The way they train soldiers to follow orders and to kill, is to convince them that they, and the people around them, and the people they care about, will all die if they don't. It's drilled into your head from day one. It's the way they ensure their commanding officers won't shy away from sending their men off to die. The message is constant- sacrifice is your duty, and duty ensures your people's survival.
In the Director's eyes, the damage Project Freelancer caused was his sacrifice. He never got the opportunity to sacrifice himself during the war- so he sacrificed others, as military brass do. The Freelancers- including his daughter. The countless sim troopers. Any people he considered "collateral damage" on missions. And when the opportunity to do so presented itself, he sacrificed a copy of himself- Alpha- and he sacrificed a copy of Allison- Tex.
The very thing that derailed his life- the loss of his wife- he made it happen again. He put her copy in dangerous situations, let her exist in the position of constant repeated failure, created the circumstances that would eventually lead to her death. He put their daughter in deadly situations that nearly killed her repeatedly, provided her with impossible expectations leading to self-destructive behaviours in the name of duty, implanted her with two AI knowing they could cause her permanent harm. He was confident he "would have made those sacrifices himself" because he did.
The Director is the embodiment of the military war machine. As an antagonist, he is a warning against buying into the glorification of sacrifice. He's a condemnation of the idea that one should be willing to do anything to win a war- that duty to the military is the thing that ensures survival... All the messages that are pushed to ensure recruitment and obedience of soldiers.
He's a reminder that swallowing the propaganda leads to you doing terrible things... and in the end, you're a broken man left mourning the losses that you suffered even as you repeated them, convinced that it was all necessary.
#late nights with ali#ali watches rvb#not video games#rvb#red vs blue#leonard church#the director#director rvb#idk why I'm so fixated on thinking about the anti-war interpretation of rvb right now but I'm apparently going ham#it's just so fucking. wild to me. listening to the director's messages in S6 always has me thinking 'oh man this guy ate the propaganda up'#the OPPORTUNITY to sacrifice yourself??? homedog you sound like the kid in high school who brags he's joining the army as soon as he's 18#to be clear: a lot of my thoughts on this stem from the fact that I come from a military family. I spend a lot of time with people who...#...bought in to the military propaganda and indoctrination. I see an amplified version of their perspectives reflected in the director.#to the military man sacrifice is the highest calling. sacrifice of your life. sacrifice of your morals. sacrifice of your wellbeing.#the things the director did were all in line with that fucked-up form of sacrifice.#and that they're portrayed for the evil they are is an important protest against the war machine's messaging.
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The Photograph Part Two
The Sunday morning was pleasant. On the street, people could be seen walking towards the Church of Light. The wind blew like any other sunny autumn morning in Highwind, and the few clouds indicated a day without climatic twists.
In the smallest workshop in the neighborhood, the girl and her mother shared a common goal: to try to finish their academic tasks. Lua's homework was so boring, and the girl had just woken up, a perfect recipe for getting distracted by any noise or smell that entered the place. The woman, on the other hand, was about to light a cigarette, even knowing that it would teach her daughter a bad habit. Aimê resisted with all her might, but felt that without the right fuel, her new article would not be completed.
The builder observed the pair and prepared a cup of black coffee for the woman and a glass of milk for the girl. He served them and received smiles from both.
"Thanks, Max!" Aimê thanked. "Before I forget, I saw the mail arrive today. Can you check if my Atara professor sent me the files I asked for?" The man made a disdainful expression. "I'm making Bamboo Papaya with Egg-on-Top for dinner," concluded the woman with a friendly smile.
The builder's and the girl's eyes sparkled, already dreaming of the day's dinner.
Max went to the mailbox and took out the letters. Bills, guild messages, and some cheerful messages from friendly neighbors. The last letter in this stack made the builder's heart race! Addressed to him from Sandrock. He turned the letter, expecting to see the sender's name. And like a wind bringing good news, the name Howlett made the man smile.
His thought was interrupted by the commotion in the workshop; Aimê was in a fit of laughter while Lua, with a pencil above her upper lip, imitated Max's rival. Not even the man could withstand the comedic scene.
When he approached the two, everyone tried to stay serious.
"Look what arrived!" The man showed. The woman smiled, and Lua, without much restraint, replied.
"Oh, your ex-boyfriend from Sandrock!" Max looked at her with a gaze.
"We never had that kind of relationship..."
“Don't bother him, dear, he was anxious waiting for this letter." Lua looked at Max as if apologizing. The builder just messed up the girl's hair. "Let's open it now! It got me curious."
Without much interest, Lua took a leaf and started playing with Deimos, who walked around the workshop looking for food until he reached the small lake. She showed the leaf to him and took it out of his reach, starting to annoy the turtle.
Max opened the letter and began to read. Aimê hoped he would read it aloud. A bit embarrassed, he began,
"My dear friend,
How have you been? Things in Sandrock have changed gradually, unfortunately not for the better. As I said in the last letter, people are increasingly leaving the city, and that hasn't changed. Some hired builders from Email still remain, but I don't know for how long. Something that has changed for the better is our relationship with the Geeglers. The new president is a friendly and sociable creature. Larry agreed to make a deal to leave the city in peace; we are getting closer and closer to living in harmony with mutants, just as you said. Logan thanked you for his sixteenth birthday present; he says it will be useful and a great help on patrols. You never disappoint when it comes to knives and daggers. Don't let Hugo know, but I still prefer to use your dagger than the one he forged for me. I have another big news! I have another boy under my protection now, Haru. He lived in a village in the mountains, but Logan found him on one of his patrols, and we ended up helping him get home. But the village is going through difficulties, so I decided to keep the boy under my care in Sandrock; the family didn't seem to care much, which saddened me. The boy is very intelligent and kind; he will be a great man in the future. I'm sending a photo we took recently.
P.S.: I think your girl's birthday is approaching, wish her my congratulations and give her this amber earring; it will bring her good health.
Sincerely, Howlett."
"He's a very kind man," said Aimê enchanted by the hunter's affection for her daughter. "You should go back and never let him escape again!
“You know, Aimê, I'm one of the best builders of my generation, but I couldn't fix a broken heart," Max replied with a certain pain in his voice.
Aimê sympathized and fell silent. Lua paid attention to the conversation without saying anything, pretending not to care, but deep down, she shared Max's sadness. In her conclusion, love wasn't worth the effort because that's how the relationships around her seemed to be. Max and his mother were an example of how happiness quickly turned into unhappiness, leaving everyone hurt, except those who didn't care. This thought bothered her because it reminded her of her grandmother's words, but perhaps that was one of the few things the two agreed on.
The builder took the photo out of the letter, and his face changed to a soft and genuinely happy expression; he couldn't hold back the sincere smile. Howlett, who had started to show signs of age but still charming since the day they met. The new family member, Haru, a boy with blue hair and gentle eyes. And Logan, who was no longer a boy but began to show signs of maturity, yet still exuded the youthfulness of a teenager. Sheathed was the blade forged by Max. The builder was radiant.
Lua got up, leaving Deimos without the leaf he had been desperately trying to eat; he was losing his reptilian patience. The girl saw the photo and was surprised, as her last memory of Logan was the same as the photograph in the workshop.
"That yellow shirt is horrible," she said with all sincerity. Aimê laughed, surprised by the girl's reaction. "So he's becoming that kind of guy," she said in a lower tone, only Max heard. "But he still looks the same as always."
"People grow, but they're still themselves. I bet he'll say the same thing about you," Max replied.
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's take a picture to send to them too, come on!"
The girl made a disapproving face, while Aimê loved the idea. Max went to get the camera while the girl tried to escape, but her mother intimidated her with just a look, making Lua stay for the photo.
After everything was arranged, they positioned themselves to take the photo. Deimos wouldn't be left out. Aimê held him, but he was restless. Before the automatic shot, Lua tried to calm him, and the photo was taken a second before disaster struck. Deimos, in his opportunity for revenge, bit the girl's finger, who screamed in pain. He let her go immediately, as if he just wanted to teach her a lesson. He even let out a grunt, and Lua seemed to understand what he said, as if it sounded like a "served you right!"
"Sorry, I won't do it again," she replied whining.
3 days later in Sandrock.
The boy entered the house reading the sender of the letter; without questioning, he handed the paper to Howlett, who was having his traditional yakmel milk sitting in the armchair, while Logan set the table for breakfast.
"It arrived from Highwind," the boy said, sitting at the table.
"Thank you, Haru," replied the man. Reading the sender's name, he smiled a little and promptly opened the letter.
"Is it Max's reply?" Logan asked eagerly. Howlett nodded. Logan waited for his father to read the letter aloud.
"My dear Howlett and Logan,
I'm glad to hear the good news. I hope the truce can lead to a good relationship with the Geeglers. I'm also glad to hear about the newest family member. This boy couldn't be in better hands; be good to him and Haru, don't let these two take advantage of your goodwill. They are clumsy with household chores, but they are the best companions you could find. Logan, I'm glad you liked the present; I hope it serves you well in your time of need. I'm also glad to see how you've grown; I'm proud of the man you're becoming every day. I'm sure Howlett shares this feeling too. Lua is also surprised to see how you've changed. Ah, and don't let your pa carry this whole town on his shoulders. I'm sure he's getting more immersed in defending Sandrock and forgetting to take care of himself, so take good care of him, please, do it for me. Lua said she loved the present and thanked. She doesn't usually wear these feminine things, but as soon as I gave it to her, she put it on. And by her expression, only confirmed her words. Aimê was also grateful for remembering Lua's birthday and sent greetings. I sent a photo with the letter.
I miss you.
Sincerely, Maxwell."
Taking the photo out of the envelope, Howlett was confronted with the image of his old companion with the girl and the woman he welcomed into his workshop. His eyes were tired, but he still maintained his youthful and confident demeanor. The girl had a joyful expression, trying to appease the visibly irritated reptile. She wore the earring she had received. The young-looking woman didn't seem her age, but she had serenity, even with the surprised expression of holding the agitated reptile.
"He's without a hat," Logan said, looking directly at the turtle.
"Why would the turtle wear a hat?" Haru asked.
"Why not?" replied the teenager. The boy decided not to question it.
"He seems happy, doesn't he?" Howlett asked himself aloud.
"Pa?"
"It's nothing."
The teenager noticed the bitter tone in his father's voice but didn't question him further because he too had his own thoughts. Logan looked at the photo again, noticing the smiling girl. "It's good that now you have someone waiting for you at home," he thought while a smile escaped onto his face.
🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻
#my time at sandrock#mtas#mtas builder#mtas oc#mtas logan#mtas lua#mtas howlett#mtas haru#mtas fanfic#hope you enjoy
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— VILLAINFUCKERS.COM
“ but is it possible, the villain would treat you better than the prince ever would? ”
[💀] — in celebration of me hitting 6k followers, i decided to host my very first writing collab event. i took in deep thought of what did i want the theme to be. i had a vampire event idea, and threw it in the trash. sports anime idea? knew everyone would sign up for hq due to it being the most popular...threw that in the trash too! with the increase of hot villains, i thought...why not create an event writing about the bad guys. so here i am. just want to thank everyone for helping me get to this milestone. my blog anniversary is coming up and i’m just happy to have meet so many wonderful people and write so many wonderful things that people enjoy. i'm super excited to see everybody entry and such.
rules.
[💀] — must be 18+ to participate. i will be checking pinned post & bios to confirm participants' ages.
[💀] — due to this collab event most likely including dark content, smut, and other mature content, be sure to state all the warnings in whatever you're writing.
[💀] — this is a villain-themed collab event. meaning that this event is strictly for the villains. no villain!character! none of that! strictly for the bad guys !
[💀] — all fandoms are allowed, i am encouraging everyone to venture out of the usual villains that we know. hence the fact that i didn't categorize the masterlist below.
[💀] — villain repeats are allowed but are limited to three repeats.
[💀] — there is no word count requirement, but be mindful that if your fic is over 400 words to add a read more option.
[💀] — after joining, please reblog the post after i have added you to the masterlist. it helps the collab event get around the animanga writing community on here.
[💀] — after completing your fic, don't forget to tag me in the fic or private message me the link so i can add the link to the masterlist. also, use the tag villainfuckers.com collab in your first ten tags, so it'll be easier for readers to find your work also if they're interested in reading it.
[💀] — last day to join this event is august 12th & it’s no deadline for this event. i decided to change it due to myself also being busy.
[💀] — this event is currently closed.
how to enter.
[💀] — just shoot me a message in my ask box stating the villain or villains (plus anime/manga they're from) you would like to write for. if available, you can also include the title, trope, warnings, etc. if you're feeling creative, i would love if you guys sent me who you'll be writing similar to my example below (as if it’s a headline for an actual article), but it is okay if you don't though. do not send your message anonymously, so it'll be much easier to track the usage of one character.
journalists on duty.
[💀] — shogo makishima (psycho pass) tests the mayor's daughter hue. reported by @dejwrites
[💀] — illumi (hunter x hunter) questions suspect in a quite interesting way. reported by @bassslut
[💀] — captain of the 5th division (bleach) uses the power and authority of his position to seduce new recruits. reported by @shirohyorin
[💀] — an untitled project for mahito (jjk). reported by @lawscorazon
[💀] — an untitled project for sukuna (jjk). reported by @nkogneatho
[💀] — an untitled project for shigaraki (mha). reported by @decayish
[💀] — diavolo (jjba) punishes his bodyguard for almost revealing his identity. reported by @maydayaisha
[💀] — young woman kidnapped by two dangerous men. a witness claims them to be geto suguru and ryomen sukuna. reported by @babytoji
[💀] — an untitled project for twice (mha). reported by @woahsamu
[💀] — an untitled project for vinsmoke ichiji (one piece). reported by @abilide
[💀] — garou (one punch man) latest encounter with his favorite little hero. reported by @poohbea
[💀] — powerful dragon (fairy tail) kidnaps princess and teaches her a lesson she’ll never forget. reported by @wisenerdcreator
[💀] — an untitled project for chrollo lucifer (hunter x hunter). reported by @festive
[💀] — dio brando (jjba) and his corruption & hypnosis kink. reported by @thicksimpx
[💀] — an untitled project for feitan portor (hunter x hunter). reported by @cerubi
[💀] — dreamwalker, kenjaku (jjk). reported by @rinhoes
[💀] — an untitled project for hanma shuji (tokyo revengers). reported by @imperatorkhaleesi
[💀] — light yagami interrogates past lover who left him for dead (death note). reported by @hellavile
[💀] — kingpin weds daughter of crime in a marriage that is supposed to change the future (tokyo revengers). reported by @satorhime
[💀] — new local enlists help of exorcist to cleanse haunted house; 'exorcist' turns out to be the haunter (jjk). reported by @tyga-lily
[💀] — an untitled project for douma (demon slayer). reported by @gabzlovesu
[💀] — an untitled project for touya “dabi” todoroki (mha). reported by @sweetsailorsaturn
[💀] — doflamingo (one piece) captures runaway lover and punishes her in a interesting way. reported by @1-800-cherri
[💀] — king of curses (jjk) reunites after centuries and plan to make up for lost time. reported by @1-800-cherri
[💀] — an untitled project for sephiroth (ff7). reported by @ablackfangirl
[💀] — an untitled project for xigbar (kingdom hearts). reported by @ablackfangirl
[💀] — inazuman rogues on the rise! lock your doors! (genshin impact). reported by @nauti-siren
[💀] — an untitled project for uzuki, kashima, & gaku (sakamoto days). reported by @gakufancam
[💀] — rufus shinra accused of inter-office fraternizing (ffvii). reported by @chaoticorganizedmess
[💀] — finally, after the of death of her father, wedding bells ring at Kurokawa house; police suspects both the parties guilty for the murder (tokyo revengers). reported by @blueparadis
[💀] — young bank teller kidnapped by serial robber, zeke yeager, during bank robbery gone wrong (aot). reported by @deathskid
[💀] — sweet blood (seraph of the end). reported by @eiflawriting
#anime x reader#anime smut#anime collab event#collab event#jjk x reader#bleach x reader#kny x reader#tokyo revengers x reader#one piece x reader#attack on titan x reader#fire force x reader#psycho pass x reader#anime collabs
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Tarnished Blood: Part 1
Disclaimer: want everyone to know that the future is not the canon of the series! This is my own personal headcanon of what I imagine my MC to have in the Blood Legacies (creator: @bloodlegacies). While I have read probably every piece of lore for the blog, there might be some things that are not canon in my story. If there are, then you can message me and correct me for future fanfics; however, it might not change said fanfic where I got the lore, magical properties, or anything else wrong.
Paring: Hayden x OC!Bianca
Warning: none?
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The sound of tapping brought Bianca out of her thoughts; however, she did not look at the source and instead stared at the key points that she would have to cover in the next meeting with the court about the trade routes written on a piece of parchment.
Maybe I should ask my father about this?
Bianca sighed. She missed her father dearly, and although she knew he would drop what he was doing to help her, she felt guilty bothering him with simple trade routes just for an excuse to check up on him.
He was still in Darian; however, it was really Bianca who kept her house in power and her people happy as she had come of age to rule. However, that did not mean her father just sat on his ass. No. If anything, he helped take most of the stress off her shoulders, making sure everything went smoothly. He wasn't just her commander anymore; he was her commander if the crown on her head was any indication.
It was odd having her father follow her orders and not the other way around; however, Bianca knew deep down that she would never be the one in charge when it came to the relationship with her father. She respected him too much. Maybe she should try not to rely on him too much and let him enjoy his time in his older years with that new lover of his.
What would I do without him?
That thought came with an aching feeling of grief at the thought of losing another parent; however, she scowled at herself for having such a morbid thought. Bianca knew that one day it would come when her father wouldn't be around, but she would get through it; it would be full circle as it would now be her turn to teach her own children to slowly let her go as they grew into adulthood.
Speaking of children, the tapping became so excessive that Bianca finally looked up from her notes to see her middle child tapping away at the table with her right hand, her index finger having just a hint of ice on her tip as she mulled over her notes. In her left hand sat a quill as her daughter wrote something down and then frowned before roughly scratching through the paper again.
Bianca couldn't help but have a small hidden smile as she stared at the twelve-year-old. At only twelve, her daughter, the second heir and princess of Petrus, was probably one of the smartest scholars that their kingdom has ever seen.
The way that she consumed knowledge was amazing; unlike her siblings, who saw their studies as chores or a responsibility, it seemed that her middle child enjoyed her studies. Now only if Bianca could get her daughter to pick up a sword like her oldest than would she be unstoppable.
Bianca just stared at her daughter, watching as her nose wrinkled when she got frustrated, and the tapping got louder and louder. Unable to sit still, just like her father, getting him to sit through a whole meeting, people would think you were sending him off to war at how he moped and pouted, but with a few threatening comforting words, he seemed to make it through the "torture."
Although Hayden wasn't nearly as focused as their middle child, when mentioned to him once when they were alone, Bianca remembered him saying that her nose wrinkle reminded him of his sister when she would get annoyed at him.
Bianca smiled at the thought, and she remembered thinking than that the name of her daughter was even more fitting.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Bianca finally pressed her lips together before speaking.
"Serah."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Serah did not look up from her paper, and the tapping only seemed to increase, which put Bianca on edge.
"Serah." Bianca said again, a little more bite in her tone, and she noticed that her daughter's whole finger was covered in frost.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Serah Gloryann Elkar!"
The princess looked at her mother, letting Bianca get a more full view of her daughter. Serah's light blonde curls were even more messy than usual, and Hayden's eyes stared back at her in a wide-eyed state.
"What is wrong?" Bianca spoke with a calmer voice, her expression remaining cold as usual.
Serah bit her lip as she looked down at the paper again and looked back at her mother, nervousness clear on her face as she shrank back.
"N-nothing." Serah spoke quietly, in her usual timid tone.
Bianca wished now more than ever that her daughter had not gotten her quiet nature from her; however, maybe that trait would stop the rumors that Serah was not her daugher. If she heard those whispers herself she would gladly show the stretch marks along her stomach. No one questioned if Serah was Hayden's child. Everyone could see she had Elkar blood through her veins just by looking at her eyes.
"I do not like being lied to by Serah." Bianca said this with a raised eyebrow and looked at the parchment in front of her daughter. "Does it have something to do with whatever you are writing?"
Serah's cheeks turned pink. "What? No!"
Bianca's eyes narrowed, which made the girl in front of her squirm in her seat. She needed to teach her daughter to have a better poker face if she wanted to survive in court.
I will make sure to give her a lesson some time next week.
The Queen made a mental note in her head as she studied her daughter's flushed expression and dilated pupils, and it all clicked into place. There was only one person who had any kind of effect on her daughter in such a way.
"You are writing to Zemislav." It was not a question but a statement as Bianca leaned back to get an even more perfect view of Serah's wide-eyed expression once again.
"He was just asking about something." Serah fiddled with the corner of her paper.
The...infatuation was clear on Serah's face, and Bianca held herself back from killing the young preteen that seemed to wiggle his way into her daughter's heart.
The queen side of her knew it would be a great match. Zemislav...while he was nothing like his mother, Sofia, who only wanted a sweet release of sleep, it seemed that Zemislav, from what Bianca had seen, never slept and was always a ball of energy ready to go off at any moment. Poor Sofia. But still, it was a good match for both families.
The mother side of Bianca wanted to strangle the young man; her daughter was only twelve, and now Bianca had to worry about crushes. She didn't even think that her eldest had become smitten with anybody as of late; however, that wasn't surprising since her eldest would rather be left alone with a training dummy than any kind of person if it didn't have to do with achieving progress in their kingdom.
Bianca shook her head and tried not to let a scoff slip. This Zemislav was fourteen and already in the academy; what in the gods names was he doing writing to her daughter when he should be focusing on his studies? Maybe she should write to Sofia.
Worry gripped Bianca like a viper, and she had to force herself to remain stoic. Serah could make the most successful battle plans and strategies; however, it was no secret that her middle child was naive about the setting of the court and the wicked ways that would try to use a young princess for their own personal gain, especially a marriage alliance.
Serah got Bianca's own quiet nature. Yes. But instead of the cold expression that Bianca was blessed with that sent people on their way or even Hayden's mischievous smirk that kept people on their toes, it seemed her daughter was blessed with an open, friendly smile, which made Bianca often question which side of the family she got it from.
Not Serah's grandfather...that was for sure.
Bianca let go of the chair arms that she didn't even realize she had gripped, which were now covered in a thick frost. Hopefully her daughter didn't see, and from her daughter's open expression, she did not.
"What did your friend want?" Bianca said the word "friend" with distaste that Serah didn't seem to catch.
"He was asking if you were going to be announcing that Martella was going to the academy soon......everyone is curious." Serah whispered, her voice cracking a little; however, her eyes were trained on Bianca, studying her.
Smart girl.
Bianca kept the fear off her face, and her hands shook under the table. "Tell Zemislav that there will be an announcement soon."
Serah bit her lip. "Mother, rumors are spreading of Martella's elemen-."
"That. Is. Enough." Serah shivered at her mother's cold tone.
Bianca continued. "I don't want to hear another word about this." Grayish blue eyes met light teal, and a look of understanding crossed over the table.
Serah nodded, looking back down at her quill before uttering a quiet. "Yes, mother."
The sound of the doors slamming open made the two royals turn in their seats.
Masterpost | NEXT
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Note: Blood Legacies is such an amazing story, and I can't wait for another update. While we have only touched the surface of what the author has planned for the series, I just appreciate the lore and the world that the author has created.
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You know, thinking about how I was given the framing that the fates of some of the Magical Starsign cast would be after the game being kind of disappointing, I've actually really come to like them.
Like of course one of the big parts of that was noticing that for when Lassi and Mokka blast off out of the Baklava Star System never to return, they were the ones responsible for sending out that cryptic signal to the protagonist on Erd. That really spun things into a much more positive light.
Ok, I said I "noticed," but when I played the game, I inferred it. Of course, looking at the ending pictures after the fact, I was able to notice Lassi's rocket with Mokka on top in the screen showing the protagonist blasting off to follow that signal. It definitely felt nice to have that cemented.
The only thing I want to specifically change there is that Mokka is modular in that rocket. He can be removed from it whenever he and Lassi pleases. Though I have also thought of stuff where Lassi becomes a teacher at Will-o-Wisp Academy in order to have Mokka around for the whole studying rocket science thing. But that's more of an additive detail based on the logistics of Mokka pretty much being chained to Will-o-Wisp Academy for 800 years.
I've come to accept the whole thing of Pico being held back at school for multiple years, especially as how it feels like a subtle sort of criticism of the way schooling is uniformly applied in ways that leave others behind, because as soon as he just drops out he really manages to find his footing. Utilizing his fire magic to help others across the star system.
Now of course that mainly has to do with his magic, and with the way I view Will-o-Wisp Academy, it doesn't focus exclusively on magic. It certainly has a large focus, it's a hecking magic school. But the explicit point of it is to teach children what they need to take up important roles in society, and for that you kind of need a curriculum that expands beyond just magic. But I do still think that Pico managing to find success with strengthening his magic on his own is still a really hopeful message. Heck, I think it's fitting that that's the largest thing that shows because I kind of assume the magic is the biggest reason he stuck around with Will-o-Wisp Academy for so long. Plus heck, we have no clue about what other subjects he may have found better ways for himself to learn as well. It's entirely possible.
Chai's ending is one that really took some thinking to really get. Like I thought that the fact that he was in Lassi's rocket when it blasted off, and this leaving easily able to meet up with Lassi and Mokka soon enough would help things for him. But there was still the whole thing of why does he give up magic in the first place? Like it says he tires of it, but why?
After reading up on the translated lyrics for the Takashi Utsunomiya song, NAME, I realized a very likely explanation. I posit that Chai tires of having his entire sense of self being boiled down to "the salamander who can use magic." Like it is shown that plenty of people that think Chai is weird for being able to use magic. Plus even with Will-o-Wisp likely being a more positive place for him, I can imagine that reputation potentially proceeds himself. He doesn't want to just be the salamander who can use magic even if whoever is thinking about that thinks it's cool. So what does he do about it? Exactly what the ending states, he quits magic.
It's still a bit of a downer, but I do think it's a sensible place for his character to go. Plus I really want to be able to use that as a bit of a jumping off point to think about Chai more since he certainly got the shortest end of the stick out of the main cast when it came to focus in the game.
The only ending I have any actual beef with is Sorbet's. For a game that spends most of its time tearing the police a new one, it certainly fumbles things a bit at the end. Sorbet's great, I love her, she's my actual real daughter. She's not growing up to become a space cop, not on my watch. Like I get the whole thing of her helping to fight the corruption present, and I think that her wanting to do things to affect society for the better is a great place to take her character, it's just, you can't fix a functioning bad system with bandaids, especially from the inside.
So yeah, I throw out that space police stuff and have her become a vigilante space pirate. One who fights for the people and all that. Although any big form of activism would fit for Sorbet.
Now take this with a grain of salt, this is completely baseless speculation here. But given how much the game lambasts the space police, which of course represents the actual police, I wouldn't be surprised if the ending was made in a way to not make higher ups angry or something. Again, this is purely baseless speculation, but this shift does kind of say that to me. But it's also possible for some people have a lot of issues with how the police works on a systemic level while coming to the conclusion that reform is the solution, so who hecking knows. Whatever led to it, Sorbet's ending is the only one that I want to change in any significant way.
So yeah, that was a whole look into my thoughts on all of the endings. I really do think they fit the characters (FOR THE MOST PART) and just serve as great jumping off points for what's next for them. If we ever get another Magical Vacation game I don't think it'd be a direct sequel to either of the previous games, so giving us a place to extrapolate on what these characters get up to is a real nice way to end things. Heck, with the much more likely chance that we simply don't get another Magical Vacation game, that's even more nice. I like having my own little Magical Reunion in mind for things.
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Eiji's Thoughts on Edogawa Division
Yuriko Kuromiya
"Yuriko Kuromiya... I must admit, I'd never thought I'd see her again. At least not in a rap tournament. If you're wondering how I know her, well... suffice it to say, I hired her once. Not to assassinate anyone, of course! Even though I dislike certain people, I'd never wish any of them dead. Rather, I hired her to watch over my family. ...You know what? Maybe it's better if I just start from the beginning." Eiji says, sighing as he lights a cigarette.
"It was just after a year when PROFILE had launched. Naturally, it was a global success. Many companies wanted to partner up with Sigma Inc., but I refused. I wasn't in the business of doing partnerships or collaborations. PROFILE was my brainchild, and I developed it with my own two hands. I wasn't going to let some other company try to reign in on my success. Naturally, they didn't like that and decided to teach me a lesson. They had hired someone to tamper with my car, and the result was... well..." Eiji taps his prosthetic leg, emphasizing his point.
"Still, that wasn't enough to get me to submit. But it did make me realize that if they could go after me, they could easily go after someone I care about; i.e. my family. Therefore, after I did some research, I came across Black Dalhia, and from what her reputation said about her, I knew I could rely on her to keep my loved ones safe. I contacted her and hired her as a bodyguard. And if anyone tried to hurt my loved ones, she had free reign to do as she pleased."
"I have to say, I grossly underestimated just how many enemies I had. It seemed every day, Dalhia was sending me a message about stopping some assassin, or accident that would have hurt my parents, my wife, or my children. To be honest, I came close to giving the companies what they wanted. But thankfully, it seemed that they got the message to 'back off'. I thanked Black Dalhia immensely and paid her all that I owed her and more. That was the last I saw of her."
Eiji looks at Yuriko's PROFILE. "I have to admit, I never thought that Yuriko-san would retire from the killer life, but I guess she got tired of it. Not that I'm complaining, of course." He shows a picture of her and her daughters. "From what I can tell, she seems much happier."
Kaoru Shinozaki
"I've never met this young woman, but anybody who's a techno-geek has heard of the legendary '8Cloud'. The live streams of her video game playthroughs are known throughout the Internet. I think the only other person who has her beat is the legendary '1-Up'. I've seen videos of the two of them competing and they always have me on the edge of my seat! I wonder if I message her would she be willing to post a video of her playing 'Demons and Despair'. I've passed the game, but I can't seem to get to 100% completion."
Kanra Akemi
Eiji looks at the photo of the young red-haired girl. "I'm a bit surprised Yuriko-san let Kanra make her own PROFILE. There's no real age limit to joining PROFILE. Anyone can create one, provided they follow and obey the rules, of course. But I do require everyone to fill out their birthday before they register. That way, the site automatically blocks any, shall we "mature" pages from young kids' eyes and minds."
"But besides that, Kanra's page is pretty much what you'd expect from a 16-year-old girl. Many of her pictures show her either cooking, training with her mother, or hanging out with her friends. She seems like a normal, well-adjusted young teen. ...Of course, stories of her insurmountable strength have shown up in some videos on PROFILE. And all I can say is, woe to anyone who ends up on the wrong side of her."
Wicked Requiem
Eiji sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Masa, what the hell are you thinking? Intentionally antagonizing three dangerous women? Are you tired of living? Because believe me, there are much easier ways to commit suicide." He sighs again before looking up at the screen. "Wicked Requiem, I apologize dearly on behalf of my teammate's comments. If we should meet in the D.R.B., I hope you won't take any of what is said or done personally. I, at least, have nothing against you. I can't say the same for my teammates, however."
#hypnosis microphone#hypnosis mic#hypmic#hypnosis mic oc#hypmic oc#last judgment#ginza division#eiji noguchi#wicked requiem#edogawa division#yuriko kuromiya#kaoru shinozaki#kanra akemi
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Parental Influence
I really love being a parent. My daughter's have brought me a sense of purpose and joy that I never knew was possible. The cliches and boring sayings are all true. You're life will never be the same-and thats ok.
So with that in mind, my biggest challenge in becoming a parent has been knowing how to parent. Never has so much advice (solicited or unsolocited) been so readily available. Some of the most popular social media accounts I follow on twitter, Instagram and TikTok are parenting accounts. Videos of children eating their vegetables, lisening to their parents, and excelling in life bombard my timelines. These short, composed, and heavily edited videos serve as are nice examples of how it could be- but how much should I believe.
Its important to remember social media influencers don't do this for free. Whether it be actual currency in the form of money or emotional currency in the form of followers and attention- theres a reason they share their lives so readily and freely. A lot of these accounts are selling courses, plans or an agenda. One of the most important accounts in my life is "Big Little Feelings." My partner turned me onto them and often sends me Instagram messages of their latest post. We have implemented a good amount of their teachings and techniques into how we interact and conflict resolve with our two year old. NMy two year old is incredbily well behaved and does a great job expressing her feelings in a safe and healthy way. How much of this is based on what we've done and learned vs. her natural personality is the question I find myself asking. The creators of "Big Little Feelings" are both mom's of toddlers with one being a licensed marriage and family therapist (with a concentration in ages 1-6), and the other one has a background in "international maternal education.(an incredibly vauge area of study in my view, but sounds good right?) Their ideas and thoughts are viable and have been helpful, but could this just be placebo effect- would my daughter have responded well to what we were doing in the first place? Should I be putting so much faith in two people who are new parents themselves? What if their children grow up to be anti vaxxers? I dont know. All I can do is continue to learn and adapt.
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A hometown visit
where did you grow up?
do you have faith to “believe…”?
Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 6th chapter of the book of Mark:
Jesus went back into His own hometown where He had grown up, and His disciples followed Him there. When the Sabbath came, He went into the synagogue in Nazareth and began to teach as He had done elsewhere, and many of those who heard Him were astonished.
Those in the Synagogue: Where did He gain this wisdom? And what are all these stories we’ve been hearing about the signs and healings He’s performed? Where did He get that kind of power? Isn’t this Jesus, the little boy we used to see in Joseph’s carpenter shop? Didn’t He grow up to be a carpenter just like His father? Isn’t He the son of Mary over there and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and their sisters? Who does He think He is?
And when they had thought about it that way, they became indignant and closed themselves to His message.
Jesus (seeing this): A prophet can find honor anywhere except in his hometown, among his own people, and in his own household.
He could not do any of His great works among them except with a few of the sick, whom He healed by laying His hands upon them. He was amazed by the stubbornness of their unbelief.
Jesus went out among the villages teaching, and He called the twelve to Him and began to send them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits and instructed them to take nothing with them but a staff: no money, no bread, no bag, nothing but the sandals on their feet and the coat on their back.
Jesus: When you go into a house, stay there until it is time for you to leave that town. And if someone will not accept you and your message, when you leave, shake off the dust of that place from your feet as a judgment against it. [On the day of judgment, that city will wish for the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah.]
And so His disciples went out into the countryside, preaching the changed life as Jesus had taught them, casting out unclean spirits and anointing the sick with oil to heal them.
Jesus had become so well known that King Herod received reports of all that Jesus was doing. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead and that these mighty works were the fruits of his resurrection.
Others (disagreeing): No, this Jesus is Elijah, returned to work on the earth.
And still others said He was another of the prophets.
Herod (to himself): No, it is John, the prophet I beheaded, risen from the dead.
For the blood of John was on his hands. Herod had imprisoned John in the days before Jesus began His teaching. John had preached to Herod that he should not have married his own brother’s wife, Herodias, for so it is written in the Hebrew Scriptures: “It is not lawful for one to marry his brother’s wife.”
Herodias held a grudge against John and would have had him killed, but she couldn’t. Herod feared John as a holy and righteous man and did what he could to protect him. John taught hard truths, and yet Herod found he usually liked hearing them.
So Herod had put John in prison instead of executing him; and there John sat until Herod’s birthday, when the governor held a great state dinner. That night, Herod’s stepdaughter danced beautifully for the state officials; and the king proclaimed a solemn vow in the presence of his honored guests, military officers, and some of the leading men of Galilee.
Herod: Ask me whatever you wish, and I will grant it. Whatever you want, I will give you—up to half my province.
She went out and consulted with her mother, Herodias, who had only one great desire and told her daughter what she must say.
Herod’s Stepdaughter (immediately, in response to Herod): I want the head of John the Baptist—right now—delivered to me on a platter.
Herod was horrified, but he had sworn an oath and could not break his word in front of his invited guests. So immediately he sent an executioner to the prison to behead John and bring them the head. It was brought to the girl upon a platter, and she took it to her mother.
When John’s disciples were told of this, they came for his body and gave it a proper burial.
Now the twelve returned from their travels and told Him what they had done, whom they had seen, and how they had spread the news of God’s kingdom.
Jesus (to the disciples): Let us go out into the wilderness for a while and rest ourselves.
The crowds gathered as always, and Jesus and the twelve couldn’t eat because so many people came and went. They could get no peace until they boarded a boat and sailed toward a deserted place.
But the people would not be put off so easily. Those along the shore who recognized Jesus followed along the coast. People pushed out of all the cities and gathered ahead of Him so that when Jesus came ashore and saw this crowd of people waiting for Him in a place that should have been relatively deserted, He was moved with compassion. They were like sheep without a shepherd.
He began to teach them many things as the day passed; at last the disciples came to Jesus.
Disciples: It is getting late, and there is nothing around for miles. Send these people to the surrounding villages so they can buy something to eat.
Jesus: Why don’t you give them something to eat?
Disciples (looking at Him): What? It would cost a fortune to buy bread for these people!
Jesus: Does anyone have any bread? Go and see.
Disciples (returning from the crowd): There are five pieces of flatbread and two fish, if that makes any difference.
Jesus: Listen, tell them to gather in smaller groups and sit on that green patch of grass.
And so the disciples gathered the people in groups of 100 or of 50, and they sat down.
Jesus took the five pieces of flatbread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God for the food, and broke it. He gave the pieces to the disciples to distribute, and all of the people ate until no one was hungry. Then they gathered twelve baskets full of leftovers.
That day, 5,000 men ate their fill of the bread when Jesus fed the hungry crowd.
Not long after, He sent His disciples out onto their boat to sail to Bethsaida on the other shore, and He sent the crowd away. After everyone had gone, He slipped away to pray on a mountain overlooking the sea.
When evening came, the boat was out on the sea and He was alone on the land. He saw that the disciples were making little progress because they were rowing against a stiff wind. Before daylight He came near them, walking on the water, and would have passed by them. Some of them saw Him walking on the surface of the water, thought He was a ghost, and cried out. When they all saw Him, they were terrified.
Jesus (immediately calling out): Don’t be frightened. Do you see? It is I.
He walked across the water to the boat; and as soon as He stepped aboard, the contrary wind ceased its blowing. They were greatly astonished; although they had just witnessed the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 with bread and fish, and other signs besides, they didn’t understand what it all meant and their hearts remained hard.
When they finished their journey, they landed the boat in Gennesaret. People at once recognized Jesus as the Healer. Immediately they hurried to collect the sick and infirm—bringing them to Him in beds if they had to— laying them out in the markets of any village, city, or field where He might pass.
Gennesarites: Just let us touch the fringe of Your robe.
Even the people who touched only it were made whole again.
The Book of Mark, Chapter 6 (The Voice)
A note from The Voice translation:
How can the disciples still be in doubt about Jesus after having been part of so many miracles? Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, the disciples are discovering the truth that miracles don’t produce faith. As Jesus so often points out, the process works the other way around: it’s faith that produces miracles. Miracles are only signs—evidence of truth that you have to know before the miracle. As long as the disciples are still in doubt about who Jesus is, they find their faith constantly challenged and frequently wavering. It will not be until after the resurrection, the greatest miracle of all, that they will come to recognize and believe in Jesus for who He is; and then their hearts will at last open.
Today’s paired reading from the First Testament is the 1st chapter of the book of Zephaniah:
The Eternal One had a message for the whole world, and He gave it to a man named Zephaniah when Josiah (Amon’s son) was the king of Judah. Zephaniah’s father was Cushi, the son of Gedaliah (Amariah’s son and a descendant of a commoner named Hezekiah).
Eternal One: I am going to wipe the face of the earth clean of every living thing.
I will wipe away both people and animals;
Even the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea will be swept away.
Rubble and ruin will be all that is left with the wicked
When I cut off humanity from the face of the earth.
I will use My powerful hand to crush the people of Judah
and those who make Jerusalem their home.
I will remove from this place every reminder and remainder of false divine masters;
the names of those pagan priests will be forgotten along with My priests.
I will use My power against those who worship creation—
those who bow down on their roofs before the multitude of stars in heaven—
And against those who bow down and pledge allegiance
to both the Eternal One and false gods such as Milcom, god of the Ammonites.
I will use My power against those who used to worship the Eternal One
but turned their backs and no longer follow Me.
They don’t look to Me anymore for help and guidance.
Keep quiet now! You are standing before the Eternal Lord
because the day of the Eternal One is near;
His judgment is coming. He has prepared the sacrifice,
and He has chosen His guests with care.
On the day of the Eternal’s sacrifice,
this will happen just as He describes:
Eternal One: I will punish the rulers of Judah
and those born to royalty
And those so enamored with foreign ways
that they don’t act or dress like My people anymore.
On that day, I will punish those who jump temple thresholds fearing pagan demons,
those who exchange true religion for silly superstition,
And those who use violence and betrayal to steal from others
in order to make themselves and their king rich.
On that day, you will hear cries from all over the city of Jerusalem—
first a cry for help from the fish gate on the north side of the city,
Then a wailing cry from the newly-built Second Quarter.
Then crash! Stones are falling, breaking;
Sounds of destruction are coming from the suburban hills.
Cry out, those of you living in the bottom of Jerusalem’s southern hollow,
because I will stop all the traveling merchants.
Everyone with pockets full of money will be cut off.
On that day, I will personally search and illumine every dark corner of Jerusalem.
I will wipe out everyone who has numbed his senses with the dregs of his own wine
And says, “The Eternal will do nothing in our lives,
neither helping us nor hurting us.”
But they are wrong. Everything they value will be taken away.
Their houses will be destroyed.
They will build new houses and never have a chance to move in.
They will plant vineyards and never enjoy a sip of their own wine.
I’m warning you, this day of judgment is right around the corner.
The great and terrible day of the Eternal One is coming on you very quickly.
Listen, here it comes, the day of the Eternal One, and it will be very bitter!
Even your strongest and bravest will break down and cry out.
On that day, you will see what happens when God is furious.
You will be overwhelmed with all the trouble and pain—total destruction.
You will watch the sky fill with the thick clouds and gloomy darkness.
You will hear the trumpet blast and battle cry
as He moves against the city that day.
You were so sure it was fortified against attack with its thick walls and high towers,
yet they will surely fall.
Eternal One: I will bring distress on all humanity,
and they will stumble around like the blind.
Why? Because they have sinned time and again against the Eternal.
Their lifeblood will be poured out like ash of a burnt offering.
Their bodies will be discarded like excrement.
Don’t think any amount of money can save them
from the terrible anger of the Eternal when that day arrives.
He will consume the whole earth in His fiery jealousy,
for He is going to expedite the annihilation of every living thing on the earth.
The Book of Zephaniah, Chapter 1 (The Voice)
A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, february 9 of 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New) of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms
A post by John Parsons about the nature of fire:
From our Torah portion this week (Mishpatim) we read: "Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire (אֵשׁ אכְלָה) on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel" (Exod. 24:17). Now some people might regard this fire as a threat, even a sign of God's judgment, though it is better to regard it as a sign of God's glorious passion. After all, the pillar of fire had led the people out of bondage, just as it later dwelt between the cherubim upon the Ark of the Covenant. Indeed the fire that fell upon followers of Yeshua at Pentecost was the same manifestation of the glory of God's passionate love that was revealed at Sinai. Our God is a "Consuming Fire" (i.e., esh okhelah: אֵשׁ אכְלָה), which means that He is full of passion that your heart fully belongs to Him...
The metaphor that God is a "Consuming Fire" suggests that He is both indescribable and passionately concerned with our devotion to Him. "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29). We are promised a kingdom that cannot be shaken, wherein the Fire that consumes will consume all things that are not established by our Heavenly Father... "Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today..." (Deut. 4:39-40). Our lives on the altar ascend to God in praise.
[ Hebrew for Christians ]
========
Deut. 4:24 reading:
https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut4-24-jjp.mp3
Hebrew page:
https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut4-24-lesson.pdf
2.7.24 • Facebook
from yesterday’s email by Israel365:
What blessings does God need?
Psalm 135:21 begins, “Blessed is the LORD from Zion.” The obvious question is, does God really need to be blessed by us? What are we actually doing when we bless God? I understand what it means to bless another person. It usually means either that I am bestowing gifts upon them or that I am offering a prayer for their success and well-being. When we speak of blessing someone, we mean that we have something to offer them that will benefit them. Colloquially, someone is blessed with wealth or with a particular talent.
When Isaac blessed his sons, Jacob and Esau, for example, he bestowed gifts upon them both in the realm of materialism as well as in the spiritual arena. In this context, the word blessing indicates material wealth, spiritual gifts, or loftiness of status and power.
The phrase “And He will bless your bread and your water” (Exodus 23:25) likewise refers to the granting of something beneficial by the blesser to the one being blessed.
So, what does it mean to bless God? Are we to understand that when we bless God, we are bestowing something upon Him? The implication that there is some good that we could give God makes no sense. God is complete and perfect in every way. To say that we could bestow anything upon Him implies that there is some way in which He could be improved. Furthermore, as God’s creations, we cannot possibly possess anything to give God that does not come from Him to begin with. Obviously, when we talk about blessing God, we mean something other than the conventional use of the term.
Blessing = Abundance
The Hebrew word for blessing is beracha. The first time that this word – or its verb root – appears in the Torah is on the fifth day of creation:
[God] blessed them [the fish] saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas.’ – Genesis 1:22
God told the fish that there would be many of them. Beracha, “blessing,” refers to abundance. God blessed the fish by saying, “May there be a lot of you.” More broadly, blessing is the actualization of hidden potential for good. For example, two fish, or two people, may have the potential to reproduce. This is not a blessing. The blessing is the realization of this potential when a child is actually produced.
When we bless God, we are not bestowing anything on God. We are attempting to draw out the hidden potential for more Godliness in the world. In Judaism, every blessing, whether it is over food, before the performance of a commandment, or as part of the prayer liturgy, begins with the words Blessed are You, Lord. When we say Blessed are You, Lord…, we are saying to God, “Let there be more of You revealed in this world.”
Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research
February 9, 2024
An Early Christian Hymn
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
Some scholars have concluded that the four verses following our text were set to music and sung by the early Christian church. The hymn constitutes a praise of Christ for His nature and work. Let us look at it, with insights from the Greek not always apparent in the English.
Stanza One: His character. “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (v. 22). The words “no, neither, found” imply a careful scrutiny, with no sin or guile (i.e., craftiness) found. Total perfection.
Stanza Two: His life. “Who, when he was reviled [i.e., a bitter, heart-rending wound], reviled not again; when he [continually] suffered, he threatened not [even though He had great resources at His disposal]; but [continually] committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (v. 23).
Stanza Three: His sacrifice. “Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree [carried up the cross and offered Himself as on an altar], that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes [literally, one bleeding stripe. Christ was so brutalized by His tormentors that He was simply one big wound] ye were healed” (v. 24). Our healing is past tense, at the point of salvation. It does not refer primarily to physical healing, for in this context, and in Isaiah 53, from which the hymn is quoted, spiritual healing is stressed.
Stanza Four: His mission. “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned [have been turned back] unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (v. 25).
He has done it all! He lived a sinless life and died as a worthy sacrifice, just so He could turn us back into His blessed fold. JDM
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LIGHT OF LIFE 358
John 1:4
TOO LATE 21 – AGENTS OF CHANGE? 13
Eze 14:19-20 “Or SUPPOSE I WERE TO SEND A PLAGUE INTO THAT LAND, AND POUR OUT MY RAGE ON IT WITH BLOODSHED, killing both people and animals. EVEN IF NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB WERE IN IT, AS SURELY AS I LIVE, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD, THEY COULD NOT SAVE THEIR OWN SON OR DAUGHTER; THEY WOULD SAVE ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BY THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NET
We mustn’t lose focus of the central subtopic we are addressing here: Weighing the circumstances surrounding the lives of those for whom it could become too late for God’s Mercy.
2Ch 34:24-25 These are the words of the Lord: See, I will send evil on this place and on its people, EVEN ALL THE CURSES IN THE BOOK WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN READING BEFORE THE KING OF JUDAH; Because they have given me up, burning offerings to other gods and moving me to wrath by all the works of their hands; SO MY WRATH IS LET LOOSE ON THIS PLACE AND WILL NOT BE PUT OUT. BBE
You see beloved, there was really no need to seek a [National] Prophet in the first place because the word of the Lord itself is Prophetic all through.
“All the CURSES [and blessings] written in the BOOK” had been written long ago by God, through Moses [a Prophet of God].
Do you remember?
Deu 11:26-29 "Today I am giving you THE CHOICE between A BLESSING AND A CURSE— a blessing, if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; but a curse, if you disobey these commands and turn away to worship other gods that you have never worshiped before. When the LORD brings you into the land that you are going to occupy, you are to PROCLAIM THE BLESSING FROM MOUNT GERIZIM AND THE CURSE FROM MOUNT EBAL. GNB
Curses written for about a thousand years were about to be fulfilled because they contravened the sacred Laws.
Many terrible things happening to people today are consequences resulting from related offenses against divine Laws.
How will people know if they won’t read it?
Psa 119:9 HOW CAN A YOUNG MAN STAY PURE? ONLY BY LIVING IN THE WORD OF GOD AND WALKING IN ITS TRUTH. TPT
Psa 119:11 I consider your prophecies to be my greatest treasure, and I MEMORIZE THEM AND WRITE THEM ON MY HEART TO KEEP ME FROM COMMITTING SIN’S TREASON AGAINST YOU. TPT
To avoid destructive judgments, how will men keep the word of Prophecy in their hearts if that word is not accessible or covered up somewhere?
Do you see how satan brings men to ruins? Simply by “influencing” compromising Minister to keep the word covered from men.
Mat 23:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! YOU CROSS LAND AND SEA TO MAKE ONE CONVERT, AND WHEN YOU GET ONE, YOU MAKE HIM TWICE AS MUCH A CHILD OF HELL AS YOURSELVES! NET
People with numerous spiritual illnesses flood the church, but instead of focus on messages of righteousness, the Cross and becoming like Jesus, we talk about the cares of life, and so, they become worse; flooded with covetousness and worldliness, and mounting up more curses for all their iniquities, which are left uncleansed.
The Judgment thence takes effect at an appointed time.
Rev 2:20-22 But I have a few things against you, because you allow the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, TO TEACH AND TO SEDUCE MY SERVANTS INTO COMMITTING FORNICATION AND EATING THINGS SACRIFICED TO IDOLS. AND I GAVE HER TIME TO REPENT OF HER FORNICATION, BUT SHE DID NOT REPENT. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their works. AFV
Beloved friends, most of God’s Judgments take this route: people are steeped in sinfulness, yet someone leads them into more sins through Idolatry, they do nothing about it and ignore God, then it becomes too late to placate the situation or appease God.
Ignorance is no excuse at all.
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. BECAUSE YOU HAVE REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I will also reject you from being priest to Me. SINCE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF YOUR GOD, I will also forget your sons, even I. MKJV
Now, even if the wicked Ministers cover the LAW, why would people join the Church and not expect there to be Laws of Dos & Don’ts?
Why do people expect the church to be a place of free and flagrant behaviour without reprimand?
Why should mercy cover deliberate sinfulness?
Heb 10:26-27 FOR IF WE CONTINUE TO PERSIST IN DELIBERATE SIN after we have known and received the truth, there is not another sacrifice for sin to be made for us. BUT THIS WOULD QUALIFY ONE FOR THE CERTAIN, TERRIFYING EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT AND THE RAGING FIRE READY TO BURN UP HIS ENEMIES! TPT
It is even an insult to expect that Jesus’ death on the Cross or His Grace, will cover “anyhow sin”.
Who does that?
Can any of us set up a business and allow anybody (staff & Customers) to do whatever they liked with our “Products” without reprimand?
What kind of wickedness is that?
Eze 18:20 THE PERSON WHO SINS WILL DIE. A son will not be punished for his father's sins, and a father will not be punished for his son's sins. The righteousness of the righteous person will be his own, and THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WICKED PERSON WILL BE HIS OWN. GW
May God open our eyes and hearts to His Divine LAWS, IN JESUS NAME.
Join us on Monday as we proceed with this thought-provoking Subtopic.
Keep Shinning!
Brother Prince
Friday, May 26, 2023
08055125517; 08023904307
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“Ask The Holy Spirit,”
John 14:26
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
One thing I have suffered with this week through a bunch of other things is letting go of the people and things that don't love me. I have felt more confused and conflicted this week than in some areas of my life and when I'm a time of desperation, which I have had pregnancy blues like no other: there's nothing like not knowing who to talk to when you need help/support.
I remembered after watching a sermon from Mike Todd, a verse I read in the Bible, John 14:26. The Holy Spirit is your advocate: it is equipped, built, and ready to aid you. In confusion and distress, ask the Holy Spirit. When you need specific counseling on something, ask the Holy Spirit. I have been trying to let go of family and people who called me family—and friends and it had had emotionally tethered and I wasn't sure how to do it, what to do—how to appropriately let go. I HS to ask the Holy Spirit. Had I relied on my own knowledge, I would've almost messaged them and told them, "hey, I can't have you around because you disrespected me and you don't see me as family you see me as a means." Or "I can't have you around anymore because I realized how much you want to take and take." Or "I have to cut you off because I don't want my daughter seeing that dysfunction." Or "Hey, I know you're avoiding me, teaming up with people who know me to get dirt on me—I can't have that." these things don't need announcements and they bring conflict.
In everything, ask the Holy Spirit and don't lean on your own understanding. Cause even if you plan out a million dollar deal, a trip, a marriage: God will cancel it if he doesn't want that for you. The Bible gives you a general direction for how to live your life and the Holy Spirit will give you a specific direction. The Holy Spirit is not bound by time, place, space, or anything and your location does not define whether or not the Holy Spirit can reach you. You can fo to your pastor, your family to talk, but the Holy Spirit will make it happen. Skip the middle man, because the Holy Spirit is always available.
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Intro and masterlist
✨about me ✨
this is a mature blog, I trust all minors to be responsible and avoid everything marked NSFW!
NSFW sideblog: @pervstash-spencer
Hi! my name is emily, I'm 23 she/they
Capricorn, bisexual, non-binary, autistic, and I have fibromyalgia ✌🏻 overall just a fun time y'know.
ao3
i love: supernatural, star trek, marvel movies, criminal minds, this is us and grey's anatomy !!
Accepting requests for Spencer Reid x Reader fics currently
all my tags are listed below if you want to see other posts about said fics, also here is my Spotify for the fics <3
Dad!spencer Masterlist
First times Masterlist**
all links to my fics below the cut!
Updated: July 28th, 2021
** for smut
~~ for angst
Spencer Reid x Reader fics
Hypothetically**~ Ao3 | Tumblr -- 27 chapters, complete. 89k
reader and Spencer were friends in kindergarten, she watched him grow up and explore the world while she was still trying to catch up to him. now that they work together, they fall in love incredibly fast.
friends to lovers, case of the week style story
touch me**~ Ao3 | Tumblr 5.8k
Spencer is incredibly touch-starved and hard on himself since coming home from prison. Luckily, the medical examiner in this small town is really good at reading people, and exactly what he needs.
amethyst you so much P1 Ao3 | Tumblr 6.4k
Spencer has had a crush on Y/N since she started working at the bau. She only ever works the night shift after a case, handling all the aftermath gracefully. one night, Spencer stays back and they strike up a conversation about rocks, causing their feelings to dig a little deeper.
of quartz i will P2** Ao3 | Tumblr 6K
after 2 years of dating, Spencer decides it's finally time to get Y/N something to match her Amethyst bracelet.
Amoreena**~ Ao3 | Tumblr Completed 83k
Heaven is a real place and it's located exactly 14.6 miles away from the FBI, Quantico Headquarters. Off behind a small park, under a fantastical willow tree surrounded by wildflowers, in every colour young minds can imagine.
Don't forget, heaven also comes with angels.
Seven* Tumblr WIP
Summary: Spencer’s been married to Y/N for 7 years now, they have 7 children together and each one is going through something different. Spencer’s always wanted to be the best dad, now he gets to figure out how to be.
the guy at the rock show Ao3 | Tumblr 5.6K
Y/N lost their parents when they were 17, finding a new home and solace in Penelope Garcia and taking the Garcia name. They're the top forensic specialist in D.C, in a band and they drive a motorcycle... not to mention they are madly in love with the cute doctor who works with their sister.
journey to Camelot** Ao3 | Tumblr 3.8K
When Penelope introduces Spencer to online games, he expects to be spending his nights alone. Yet, somehow every time he comes back from a bad case, he logs on to chat with the ever so lovely user FairlyGwen and getting a lot more than just a helpful tip from her.
Exploration** Ao3 | Tumblr 4.7K
request: season1/2 spencer walking in on reader while she's watching porn in their shared hotel room
Expedition** Tumblr 1.2K
Summary: there's a first time for everything... including joining the mile high club with your boyfriend on the work jet.
10 Days Ao3 | Tumblr 1.4K
it's spencer's first father's day and he's extremely emotional about the little love of his life that he's only just met. he spends the day with his baby, Edwin, and his wife, crying and happy about how wonderful new little lives are.
ain't it fun?** Ao3 | Tumblr Masterlist 11K
reader just needs an NA meeting before they have a meltdown, they end up with the best friend they could ever make.
I'm not kidding!** Tumblr 6K
Spencer keeps getting little notes from a secret admirer, they're nice and sweet at first as they tease him with their crush until she's sending him notes about all the dirty things she wants to do to him
Perfect Timing** Tumblr 1K
spencer and reader have been spending the last month together in the same hotel room during a pretty brutal case. tension has been rising and she's completely in love with him.
what happens when they both think the other won't be back for a while and they want to shower?
Redamancy** Tumblr 5.4K
the co-op librarian at the FBI Academy has been secretly crushing on the smartest agent in the Bureau, TA, Doctor Spencer Reid, and he's been crushing on her too.
Being Neighbourly** Tumblr 1.9K
Request: reader is Spencers neighbour and she can hear him masturbating every night that he's home how do you have her deal with that?
Professional Hair Dresser (Ph.D)** Tumblr 6.4K
summary: after Spencer's knee injury, he starts visiting a salon every week to get his hair washed
36 Questions to Fall in Love Tumblr 8K
Summary: When Derek bets Spencer that he cant make someone fall in love with him in a week, he doesn’t expect Spencer to marry the girl the next day
New Romantics** Tumblr 23k
Summary: She needs help studying for her Case Exercises at the Academy, He needs a date for the annual Banquet... they just so happen to be neighbours who aren't afraid to lend a helping hand, or in this case, a helping kiss.
Million Dollar Man** | Tumblr WIP 5k so far
summary: Spencer's therapist recommended he branch out and meet new people who don't want to talk about his work... she didn't expect him to sign up for a Sugar Daddy website.
Sugar, Honey, Ice Tea** | Y/N version | 1-4, 5-9, Epilogue 25.6k
Summary: Fix-it-fic: Dr. Y/L/N and Savannah Hayes have been best friends since their medical internship at Bethesda General. When she receives a frantic call that Derek's best friend is being transferred to the prison she works at, an unlikely friendship bubbles.
Eventually falling head over heels for the innocent man.
Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Prison, Prison Violence, Assault, Blood, Depression, Murder, Self-Hatred, Hurt Spencer Reid, Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Drug Addiction, References to Drugs, Drug Use, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Romantic Tension, Forbidden Love, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Strangers to Lovers, Requited Love, Falling In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, past abusive relationship, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault
Spencer x Ethan
Ruin it.** Tumblr 5.4K
Summary: Spencer never had sleepovers as a kid, so now that he's an adult he's always sleeping over at Ethan's house, ad he'll take any excuse to crawl into bed beside him.
Warnings: mutual pining, love concessions, blowjobs, handjobs, anal sex (both top and bottom spencer in this), childhood friends to lovers
400 Celebration fics
Reid Me Tumblr 2.5K
Spencer has noticed a beautiful woman at a spirituality booth at the farmers market every Saturday for almost a whole year now. he finally asks her to give him a reading.
mystery of love Tumblr 700
Spencer surprises his wife with a trip to Italy.
Spy Kids Tumblr 900
Spencer and Y/N's kids think that they are secretly spies and request a mission story before bed.
a father's greatest weakness Tumblr 1K
Princess Y/N is betrothed to the Viking king in an effort by her father to keep the peace between their countries, he doesn't expect her to join in the fight to free Scottland.
Luke x Reader
Best Dad Ever 2.8K
Request: angst with a happy ending, reader and luke have been divorced for a few years but have a child, she tries and tries to fall out of love with him but he's around so often that she can't
Spencer x OC
Sugar Honey Ice Tea** Ao3 | WIP 9/10 chapters complete 25.6K
Fix-it-fic: Dr. Beth Pattinson and Savannah Hayes have been best friends since their medical internship at Bethesda General. When she receives a frantic call that Derek's best friend is being transferred to the prison she works at, an unlikely friendship bubbles.
Eventually falling head over heels for the innocent man.
Intro to Criminal Minds: Why They Did It Ao3 | Tumblr WIP 6K+
Spencer is teaching a 7-week seminar on the most interesting criminal cases, explaining their actions to understand why they took place. Only, not everyone in the audience is a student.
Criminal Minds x Mindhunter AU
Spencer x OC Peggy Carr
Franklin x Reader
Voulez-Vouz** | 3.2k
Summary: in a small town, everyone knows each other… or at least they think they do.
Warnings: porn with plot, smut, Dom reader, Sub!Perv!franklin, making out, teasing, face sitting, oral (female and male), hand jobs, overstimulation, prostate message, multiple orgasms, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, let me know if I forgot anything.
Chip x Reader
forever is the sweetest con** | 6.2K
Summary: Reader’s dad is a carpenter; sometimes he takes on apprentices and sometimes, if they’re lucky, they get his daughter’s number at the end of their training. Chip Taylor, however, hits the jackpot when her father invites him over for one of her homecooked meals.
Warnings: reader’s mom passed away, mentions of parental death, strangers to lovers, random acts of kindness, mutual pining, falling in love, steamy make-outs, oral sex (male and female receiving), fingering, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, dirty talk, sub!chip, food mentions, praise, love confessions.
Raymond x Reader
Alone Together ** | 2.4K
Summary: Raymond moves into a haunted house and ends up sleeping with the ghost who lives there... only he doesn't know that when you fuck a ghost you also become one.
Warnings: details of suicide and murder, blowjobs, pegging, bottom!raymond, top!reader, becoming a ghost, major character death.
Star Trek Masterlist
Star Wars fix it fic
Supernatural masterlist
thanks for all the love, as always,
-Emily <3
#masterlist#my fics#star trek#star wars#spn#spencer reid#spencer reid fanfiction#mine#amoreena#hypothetically#amethyst you so much#the guy at the rock show#journey to camelot#spencer core#mgg core#420mgg#amoreena asks#garvez#spencer reid smut#spencercore#blurb#me#my face
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a crown of thorns | hwang hyunjin
genre: royal au, fluff/angst, fem!reader
warnings: pregnancy, slight violence
description: a few years have passed since your tumultuous beginnings with the enemy king, hwang hyunjin, and to everyone’s astonishment, your marriage flourished with an abundance of love. however, this was not yet a happy ever after, and danger still lurks within every corner of your peaceful kingdom.
word count: 14.0k+
a/n: ack the more i read this, the worse it seems to get haha. but guys!! this is my last fic on this blog!! thank you again for all the love you’ve shown me and my writing. <3 wishing everyone all the best!!
As he sat on his throne, absently chatting away with foreign envoys, Hwang Hyunjin considered himself rather lucky for a multitude of reasons.
All the princes and the lords sitting around the table, enjoying the tea and pastries, had everything one could want in the world. Endless fountains of wealth, resources, luxury. Whatever they desired, they only needed to snap their fingers, and someone would provide. It was the type of life many in his kingdom could only dream about in their wildest fantasies.
But, underneath the splendor, Hyunjin could see it as bright as day. Beneath the material luxury was discontentment, unease, unhappiness. Many of them were married to people that they did not love, were tied to their own wealth as it was the only sense of stability in their lives. And above all, Hyunjin could sense their loneliness, the invisible--yet deadly--disease that latched onto the heart and knawed at it until it was nothing but a shriveled remain. It was a poison that had no identifiable cure, and its affects only magnified as time went on.
Hyunjin could see it all because, once upon a time, he was just like them. Sitting on the throne, he was merely staring at reflections of his past self, a shell of a boy that was forced into a position of power too soon with too few people he could trust. He saw himself in the young lord that was visiting from across the sea, his eyes alight with ambition and a thirst to prove himself. He saw himself in the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom, the mistrust laced in every sip he took of his tea. He was like that once: scared, angry, betrayed, and alone.
But with a strange twist of fate, his life changed for the better. He found people he could trust. He met the love of his life. Unbelievably, he even married her, slowly earning her respect and eventually, her heart. And now, Hwang Hyunjin was no longer the boy with a crown too heavy and a life too lonely. He had people he cared about deeply, he had people he wanted to protect with his whole being. Especially…
“Papa! Papa!”
Hyunjin’s ears perked up as the large, ornate wooden doors of the hall creaked open ever so slightly, and a pitter patter of frantic footsteps bounded into the throne room. Almost immediately, he felt a smile grace his face, all the tension draining out of his posture as he gazed at the little girl, his darling daughter.
Even the most stone-hearted envoys and esteemed guests could not hide their smiles as the girl ran excitedly towards her father, “Papa!” She giggled again, clumsily climbing up the steps to the throne.
Hyunjin’s heart fluttered with pride as he watched his daughter clamber up the marble steps, and for a split second, the image of her sitting on the throne as the next queen flashed across his mind. One baby step at a time, he reminded himself, and he stood up, easily picking up the girl as she gripped onto his sleeves.
“Naeun,” he brushed the baby hairs out of her face and smiled at her rosy cheeks. Time and time again, he was reminded of how much his daughter had begun to resemble the both of you. She had his doe eyes, but her smile, that was all you.
The meeting became completely irrelevant to Hyunjin as he lavished all of his attention on her, “What are you doing here?”
Naeun, who was breathing heavily from all the running she had done, huffed and pouted rather sternly, “Mama said that if you stay in the office all night again, mama will dwag you back to the bedwoom.”
Hyunjin fought the urge to laugh, utterly charmed by Naeun’s petulant words. How hard had she prepared to relay such a fiery message? He climbed up the remaining steps with the girl in his arms and sat back down comfortably on the throne, gently placing her on his lap.
“Papa is very sorry,” he said solemnly, bringing her little hand to his lips so he could kiss the back of it, making her giggle and squirm, “Did your mama send you here to tell me that?”
“Nope! But mama miss you!” Naeun replied brightly, and by this point, none of the guests were able to hide their endeared smiles and chuckles. Hyunjin felt a strange rush of both protectiveness and pride as he observed how easily Naeun had stolen the spotlight in the room with her joy and her innocence. It must be a father instinct that he was beginning to develop.
“Ah, mama misses me?” Hyunjin didn’t even know his heart was capable of containing such unbridled happiness and love as he smiled at his daughter. Naeun nodded firmly, and Hyunjin rubbed her back as he smoothed down her pretty princess dress, making sure she was comfortable before addressing the guests.
“My apologies for the interruption,” he said with perfect politeness, ever the ideal host. As expected, not many people were even the slightest bit annoyed by the disturbance, and they all waved off his apology, continuing the casual conversations about trade, finances, and commerce.
When it was all over, and Hyunjin was finally able to adjourn with all meetings and any other activities he’d scheduled to entertain his foreign guests, he eagerly walked down the hallways to the royal chambers, with Naeun safely nestled in his arms.
“Papa?”
“Yes, my little one?” He replied, letting her rest her chin on his shoulder.
“What’s fin..finan…” Naeun’s face scrunched up with effort as she tried to put the word back together from her memory.
Hyunjin smiled fondly; he’d noticed her eagerly listening during the meeting, trying to soak in all the new knowledge that was coming her way. Naeun was good at de-escalating tensions, especially when she did her usual thing of barging into meetings without a care in the world, but Hyunjin also liked to let her stay in meetings because the little toddler seemed genuinely interested. She never seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else, only blinking from person to person with her large doe eyes.
“Finance?” He supplied helpfully, and Naeun nodded into his shoulder, “It’s grown up stuff.”
“I like grown up stuff,” Naeun said with all the seriousness that a three year old could muster.
Hyunjin laughed, “I know you do, petal,” he hummed, thinking of a good way to explain the concept, “You know when you like to play house with your dolls and Uncle Changbin?”
Naeun immediately brightened at that. She loved playing house with Uncle Changbin! He was always a bit grumpy, a bit reluctant, but they always had a great tea party whenever her mama and papa were busy.
“Mhm!”
“And you always like to trade certain dolls for the dolls that Changbin brings?” Hyunjin asked. Once again, he felt enormous gratitude to his personal commander, Seo Changbin, for going beyond the responsibilities of duty to take care of Naeun. As much as you and Hyunjin tried however you could to make time for her, with royal duties, parties, meetings, and work, it was just impossible to spend large amounts of time with your lovely daughter.
“Mhm! Uncle Changbin brings pwetty dolls!” Naeun nodded.
Hyunjin felt the smile grow on his face as he held her in his arms. He’d been smiling more often ever since Naeun was born, “Exactly. And you always have to give a few of your old ones to get the new, right? Or choose a few toys to give to Uncle Changbin so he can donate them to the capitol orphanages?”
Naeun only nodded curiously.
“That, in a way, is finance. Of course, it’s a little more boring than trading dolls, though,” Hyunjin tickled her tummy with his finger, distracting her as she wiggled and squealed. Truth be told, Hyunjin didn’t want Naeun to grow up so quickly, even if that was all she wanted to do. Hyunjin didn’t remember anything from his childhood except textbooks, lectures, and a crushing pressure from his father and mother to live up to their expectations. He would never wish that upon his daughter.
After one more turn around the corner, they finally arrived at the Royal Chambers, with Changbin and Felix standing guard on both sides of the entrance.
“Hi, Uncle Changbin! Hi, Uncle Lixie!” Despite their attempts to teach Naeun royal protocol about how to address the Kingsguard, she had little regard for it, opting to wave from the safety of her father’s arms.
Changbin’s normally passive, almost grumpy expression melted ever so slightly as he waved back at her. Despite his constant statements about not wanting to marry and not wanting to start a family, having Naeun made Hyunjin realize that his commander was surprisingly good with children. But if anyone so much as mentioned it, Changbin would deny any evidence of such allegations. Felix, on the other hand, was absolutely besotted with the little girl and made no attempts to hide it.
“Hi, little princess!” He smiled, opening the doors to the most private section of the palace. Hyunjin chuckled, nodding respectfully to both men before walking in.
“Now, where’s your mama?” Hyunjin murmured. Of course, you were supposed to be in the bedroom, but Hyunjin knew you better than that.
Naeun giggled, as if she knew you were breaking some sort of rule, and pointed to the study, “There!”
“Thank you, petal,” Hyunjin booped her nose fondly before walking into the study, creaking the door open slowly as not to startle you.
Every time his eyes fell to you, he would be swept with a newfound love that was stronger and more powerful than the time before. Even though your back was turned slightly away, and he could only see the slight curve of your lips and the profile of you from the side, Hyunjin knew without a doubt that you were the most beautiful woman in the world.
You didn’t seem to notice your family walking in, lost in thought as you stared at the window, a piece of parchment in your hand. Hyunjin smiled, knowing how concentrated you can get when it came to state affairs. He put a finger to his lips, indicating to his daughter to be quiet. Naeun covered her mouth with her little hands, nodding as he very gently placed her on the fluffy carpet so she could play with the toys on the ground.
“I believe the doctor’s orders were for you to stay in bed?” Hyunjin murmured softly as he gently draped a woolen shawl over your shoulders, his arms snaking around you from behind. Maybe you did know he was around, since you didn't seem startled by his presence and only smiled as his hands rested on your tummy.
“We have guests in our palace. How can I stay in bed when there’s so much to do?” You replied, leaning into his arms and physically relaxing against him.
“You can just leave the work to me,” Hyunjin pouted a little, feeling guilty that he wasn’t able to handle the entire burden of royal duties. He couldn’t when you were pregnant with Naeun, and he couldn’t now. His hands rubbed your tummy through the silk nightgown as he gently placed his chin on your shoulder, murmuring, “It’s not good for the baby…”
Every time Hyunjin touched your tummy, it made you airy with disbelief and awe at how fortunate you were to have him. When you were a princess, long long ago, you’d never expected yourself to look forward to starting a family. But with Hyunjin, Naeun brought so much joy in your lives that neither of you could help but want another, and your prayers were answered when you became pregnant again around the time Naeun turned three.
Part of why you were willing was because it awed you every time you saw how much Hyunjin cared. You knew how kings were, always drowning in their work, their duty, which always led them to crave independence, and then occasionally, turning to other women than their lawful wife. You knew that was the norm. Care, much less love, was something that royal women would be lucky to have.
Yet, Hyunjin gave it to you in the spades. Hyunjin cared, Hyunjin loved so much. You saw it every time he looked at you, you saw it every time he would gingerly place the crown upon your head before formal gatherings. You saw it every time he’d keep you close at parties, made sure everyone knew how much he valued you and your opinion. You saw it every time he looked at Naeun, his eyes sparkling with childlike wonder that could only be reflected in your daughter’s own eyes.
And now, with the two of you expecting another child, you saw it in his fretting, his worrying, his constant attempts to keep you safe and healthy, even if he was a little overbearing.
“The doctor never said a little bit of work would harm the baby,” you pointed out, tilting your head back to look into his eyes as you cupped his cheek, “I’m checking myself, I promise.”
“I’m sure you are,” Hyunjin chuckled, and he could no longer stop himself, his lips pressing against yours in a gentle kiss as he hugged you. You only hummed happily against his lips, enjoying the moment when you were suddenly interrupted.
“Yuckie!” Naeun squeaked out, causing both of you to pull away with a laugh. The princess was sitting on the ground with a soft plushie in her arms as she looked at her parents with disgust.
You burst into giggles, pulling away from Hyunjin to walk over to her, “Yuckie? It’s yuckie that your parents are in love?” You asked teasingly, pinching her cheek. Naeun giggled, trying to run away as Hyunjin suddenly lifted her up from behind, placing her in his lap.
“Kisses are yuckie!” She squealed, making both of you laugh as Hyunjin tickled her tummy.
Hyunjin smiled, chuckling, “Don’t ever let me catch you kissing someone else,” he warned. In all honesty, the idea of his precious daughter falling in love made his blood boil unreasonably. Especially in the royal realm, it was so hard to determine which ones were good and which ones were only hiding behind the mask of benevolence. Just the thought of Naeun falling in love, Naeun getting her heart broken by some good for nothing prince…
“My love,” Hyunjin’s eyes widened as he felt a gentle hand on his arm. You smiled fondly, almost as you already knew exactly what he was thinking, as you always did, “Baby steps, alright? She’s not at that age yet.”
“Baby steps!” Naeun chorused, although oblivious to the conversation at hand.
Hyunjin felt himself relax, and he engulfed his daughter in a big hug, letting her snuggle into his chest, “Yes, baby steps,” he murmured as he left a kiss in her hair.
.
“What do you mean, they won’t allow it?” You asked angrily, following Hyunjin into his study as he ran a frantic hand through his hair.
Hyunjin sank into his chair, frustration clear in his face as he glanced up at you, “The letter from the council came back. Apparently, there were some strong voices of protest, and eventually they decided to rule against it. They won’t accept Naeun as the heir.”
“That’s ridiculous!” You snapped, feeling steam practically radiating from your ears, “She’s the eldest child, our first born! They've had three years to observe her, and she's performed well in all subjects. She’s practically a genius!"
You whirled around, tightening the shawl around your frame as you made up your mind to go to the council yourself when Hyunjin rushed over, intercepting you as he gently grabbed your arms, “Y/N, my darling,” you shook your head, not in the mood for his cajoling and gentle attention.
“I’m going to talk to them. They were relenting a couple months ago! I don’t see why--”
“Hey, hey, breathe,” Hyunjin’s voice was suddenly stern, his hands running up and down your back to soothe you, “Calm down, love. Please. Think of the baby.”
You froze, the fight beginning to drain out of you as you tried to take deep breaths. Hyunjin’s hand trailed to your wrist, subtly taking note of your pulse to ensure that you were still alright.
“I know you’re angry. So am I,” Hyunjin spoke, stepping closer to you and cupping your face in his gentle hands. Your eyes closed at his touch, feeling his warm embrace as his comforting presence, “But we need to deal with this slowly. There are foreign envoys still here, remember? We can’t go barging around the palace like we normally do, not until they leave.”
You huffed, knowing that Hyunjin was right, but still feeling churlishly angry at the news, “So we just wait?”
“We’ll discuss it once more when the council meeting is held again,” Hyunjin suggested, brushing a strand of hair away from your face, “I’m sure they’ll cave. Naeun is a perfect contender, the perfect candidate for the next heir. She’s just not what they’re used to.”
“And what are they used to? A son?” You said mockingly, your anger fueled by the ridiculous laws that were still in place. Your kingdom had long since done away with such petty things as male only rules, but it seemed like Hyunjin's kingdom was a little more traditional.
“Yes, and you know how stubborn they are about it” Hyunjin murmured, palming your stomach, “They’re waiting for this little one.”
“They don’t even know if it’s going to be a boy,” you scoffed, but you could feel yourself relaxing in Hyunjin’s arms. The two of you were so alike and yet so different. Hyunjin was the cooling water to your raging firestorm. And you were the spark that light his ice cold heart alight with love for the first time all those years ago.
Hyunjin hummed at your comment, gently nuzzling his nose against your cheek, “I think it will be. Otherwise, I'd be awfully outnumbered in this family,” he said softly, kissing your cheek as he continued, “But no matter. I still want my precious Naeun to be the crown princess. The council just has stick up their ass.”
“Hyunjin!” You slapped his arm, pulling away to walk towards his study, sitting in the chair as you felt the baby kick once again.
The king only laughed at your glare, immediately rushing to your side as he took your hand, “The baby’s bothering you again, huh?” He asked, his eyes filled with wonder as he stared at your tummy. It was a silent, yet rather apparent question to you, asking whether he had permission to touch. It was almost adorable how childishly excited Hyunjin would get at the thought of his own children.
You gently placed his hand over the fabric of your dress, right over where you’d felt a slight kick just before, “It’s not a bother,” you said gently, “How can it be a bother when it reassures me that our child is safe and healthy?”
Hyunjin’s expression was nothing short of entranced as he felt a push against the palm of his hand, “I love you,” he murmured as he glanced at you, and he leaned forward to press his cheek against your tummy, to which you only smiled fondly and ran a hand through his hair.
“I love them, too,” he spoke to your stomach, as he had no doubt that your unborn child would hear it and know just how much their father cared.
The two of you stayed in that position, basking in the monetary relaxation for a moment longer, your hands gently running through his hair as he rested his head on your lap. It was definitely not a position that either of you would want to be caught in, but Hyunjin found himself rather fond of it, being able to let go of his responsibilities and rely on you for comfort without being anxious.
You sat for a moment longer before a particular piece of parchment on Hyunjin's desk caught your eye, and you quickly reached for it as your husband continued to rest comfortably on your lap.
“There’s a party tomorrow night?” You asked, scanning the contents over as your free hand gently carded through his hair.
“Mhm, the envoys are leaving the morning after, so it has to be grand,” Hyunjin mumbled lazily in return, his eyes shut from mild exhaustion.
You hummed, putting the parchment down as you said softly, “If it’s the final dinner, shouldn’t I be there? I haven’t seen any of our guests except on the first day. It would be impolite if I missed the last event, too.”
“No,” Hyunjin’s grip tightened imperceptibly as he gently held your waist, lifting his head up to meet your eyes, “They understand your situation. It’s only natural that you haven’t been at all the events,” he said firmly, his hand absently moving towards your stomach.
“It’s still impolite. I should probably go,” you said softly, resting your hand over his, “We don’t want our guests to leave with a bad taste in their mouth.”
Hyunjin looked uncertain, his eyes pleading with you as he pressed his lips to your knuckles, “If something happens…”
“Nothing will happen, my darling,” you cooed, trying to reassure your love as you sensed his fear. Hyunjin, underneath his cold words and powerful gaze, was just as human as any other man.
“It’s just a party. I won’t even dance, alright?” You continued with a cajoling smile, brushing your thumb against his cheek bone, “I just have to be there, Hyunjin. It’s my duty.”
Hyunjin’s eyes fluttered shut as he melted against your touch, leaning his cheek into your hand and sighing softly, “I know I can’t change your mind,” he said, “You’re just stubborn like that, and I love it more than you know. But it scares me so much.”
“It scares you?” You repeated his words, waiting patiently for him to elaborate.
The king nodded, looking so vulnerable in your arms that you were afraid he’d break, “What if something happens? What if, one day, you overestimate yourself and you lose the baby? Or worse,” Hyunjin kissed your palm, holding your wrist in his hand as he gazed upon you with more pain in his eyes than you’ve ever seen.
“What if I lose you, too?”
Your heart shattered at the fear and the sheer amount of unconditional love that glistened in his eyes whenever they met yours, “Oh, Hyunjin,” you sighed, leaning forward to be closer to him, “It won't come to that.”
But Hyunjin couldn't hear reason at this point, frightening himself as he held your hand, “I can't rule this kingdom without you, without your love. You're the first happiness I've ever had in this lifetime.”
“Hyunjin, you can and you have,” you argued, reaching to lace your fingers with his, “You were ruling wonderfully before we met.”
“It's not the same, darling, and you know it,” Hyunjin answered, kissing the pulse point of your wrist daintily, “You made me a better person and a better king.”
You couldn't help but smile adoringly, reaching your other hand to run your fingers through his soft hair, “I'm glad. You made my life happier than I ever dreamed it could be.”
Hyunjin sighed, melting into your touch. As always, he felt weightless in your arms, free of burden and responsibility. He didn't have to think of anything but you and him.
But alas, there was still a problem at hand.
“Do you really want to attend the party?” He asked softly into the fabric of your dress, one of the comfortable ones he'd ordered to be specially made for you when the two of you discovered that you were expecting a second time.
“I do, Hyunjin. I think it's best that I take my place beside you, at least once before they leave. It'll quell any rumors about us and about my supposed ill health,” you explained your reasoning, understanding Hyunjin’s doubts but still feeling strongly about going all the same.
Hyunjin’s eyes opened slowly and he nodded in resignation as he stood up, “Alright. I won't stop you. But, my love, at least let me assign Changbin and Felix to you as your guards for the night.”
“Both of them?” You asked, standing up slowly to maintain your balance. Hyunjin didn't leave your side for a moment, holding your arm in case you fell, “Isn't that a bit much?”
“It would make me less anxious to know you're well guarded,” Hyunjin pleaded with you, fixing the shawl around your shoulders as the two of you walked out of the study. It was already quite late in the evening, with Naeun having been sent to bed long before.
Your fingers intertwined naturally, and the two of you headed to your chambers, ready for a long night's rest, “Alright, assign both of them to me,” you relented, “I still think it’s a bit overkill.”
“You’d be walking around the town without a single guard if we went with what you thought was overkill,” Hyunjin chuckled, beginning to shed his uniform.
“Not true,” you protested weakly as you climbed into bed, already in your nightgown.
Hyunjin joined you soon after, engulfing you in his arms and his comforting scent as you let out a sigh of contentment, burrowing in his embrace, “Let’s get some rest, alright?” You said, sleepiness laced in your voice as you hummed softly, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, my darling,” Hyunjin murmured his response without a moment of hesitation, as if he’d been waiting all his life to tell you, “so much.”
.
Parties were hectic enough already, even more so when you had a hyperactive toddler to manage on top of the plethora of things that could already go wrong, from the banquet food to the entertainment.
"Weeee!" Naeun squealed, running around the bedroom like a madman and trying to escape changing into her party dress.
Before she could slip away, you managed to snag an arm around her waist, lifting her into your arms with a grunt, “Where do you think you're going, little princess?”
Naeun pouted, whining as she wiggled in your grasp, “Want to go play! Want to find papa!” She said with a huff.
“Papa is busy right now,” you said patiently as you gently plopped her on the bed, trying to help her out of her nightgown while Naeun fussed, obviously not wanting to do as she was told.
“But I want to play with papa!” She protested as she eventually lifted her arms, letting you help her change.
You sighed as you helped her into the beautiful golden dress, the fabric laced with ruffles and sparkling thread that was fit for any little princess.
“Papa is a little busy, alright?” You spoke gently, trying to make your lecture sound less like a scolding and more of an explanation, “There have been guests in Mama and Papa's home for the last few days, and Papa has been busy taking care of them.”
“B-but...what about me?” Naeun’s lower lip quivered dramatically, and you fought the urge to smile at how utterly adorable she was, “Papa take care of me!”
“You don't think Papa takes care of you?” You asked, raising an eyebrow, “Papa spends all his free time with you, Naeunie. Papa takes caring for you very, very seriously.”
Naeun pouted still, her lip jutting out petulantly, but she let her head fall. Even for a three year old, the little girl was awfully perceptive, and knew when she'd lost an argument. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that her parents really did move heaven and earth to make her their top priority.
“Papa no stop taking care of me?” She asked softly as you buttoned the pearl clasp around her collar.
“No, my little one,” you answered with a gentle smile as you fixed her hair, “Papa and Mama will always take care of you. When this is all over, how about we stay a week at the summer residence? Just you, papa and me, and we'll have all the time in the world to play with you.”
Naeun gasped, bouncing on the bed, “Weally? Just us?”
“If you want, you can drag your Uncle Changbin to come with us, too,” you said slyly as you booped her nose, but instead of scrunching her face playfully as she always did, Naeun suddenly looked ashamed, head tilted downward as if she’d done something naughty and then felt guilty about it after the fact.
You were immediately concerned, “Little one?” You prodded, gently trying to tilt her chin up so she’d look at you, “Little one, what’s happened? You can tell Mama anything.”
Naeun hiccuped slightly, and your heart ached as you realized that she was on the verge of tears, “Mama, ‘m sorry,” she mumbled softly, eyes glittering with unshed tears and you quickly sat on the bed, pulling her into your lap.
“Why are you sorry, Naeunie?” You asked, trying not to sound frantic, worried, or anything that might frighten her more.
“Papa said Mama is tired, and that I shouldn’t bother Mama,” Naeun explained, large droplets beginning to roll down her rosy cheeks as she wailed, “But I’ve been bad bad! I make Mama worry!”
You tried to stifle your incredulous laughter as your daughter clung onto you, wailing dramatically as if the world was about to end. So that was what got her so worked up all of a sudden.
“Silly little thing,” you teased, cradling her in your arms as best you could with the bump of your stomach getting in the way. Still, you nuzzled your nose against her cheek, wiping her tears, “It’s mama’s job to worry. You’re a perfectly good girl, Naeunie. Mama and Papa are so lucky to have a precious girl like you.”
Naeun’s shoulders slowly began to shake as she rubbed her eyes, “Like me?” She repeated, a tinge of innocent hope and adoration laced in her voice that always raised your protective instincts, the instinct to shield her from any harm that this world could throw at her.
You smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as you spoke softly, “Just like you. Mama and Papa love you to the moon and back.”
“And I love Mama and Papa, too! So so muchie!” Naeun parroted back happily, smiling with all the life and brightness that both you and Hyunjin lacked in your own childhoods. Maybe that was why the two of you were so determined to be there for Naeun in every way possible, to make sure that she knew she was so very loved. Because neither of you received that type of acceptance when you were children.
“Good girl,” you said, kissing her forehead once more before smoothing down her dress, “Are you ready to go?”
“Mm!” She nodded, clambering off the bed and standing tall, “Will Papa be at party, too?”
“Your papa is already there,” you chuckled to yourself, taking your daughter’s little hand and heading out of the bedroom.
Outside, both Felix and Changbin were waiting for you, dressed impeccably for the formal occasion. In normal circumstances, it would only be one of them waiting for you while the other guarded Hyunjin, but the king had not allowed any exceptions. Both of the strongest in the Kingsguard must be by your side for the day.
“Sorry for the wait,” you said to both of them as Naeun slipped away from you, skipping over to her two uncles, going especially for one in particular.
“Uncle Changbin, Uncle Changbin!” The man grunted as he caught her in his arms, shifting so she was eye level with him, her bright smile contrasting with his typical frown.
Felix walked with you as Changbin and Naeun entered their own little world, with the young toddler prattling his ears off and the commander listening with surprising attentiveness, “She plays favorites,” Felix complained playfully, clutching a hand to his heart as he stayed by your side.
“She definitely does,” you agreed with a fond smile, keeping an eye on your daughter as you walked down the halls, a hand resting on your tummy as you glanced at the man beside you, “Hyunjin is at the party, right? How is he doing?”
“When will the two of you ever not worry about one another?” Felix laughed, shaking his head, “Hyunjin caught me on the way up to your bedroom, asking about you as well.”
You shrugged, the sound and clamor of crowds and partying beginning to be apparent as you neared the ballroom, “That’s just married life, Felix. Trying to put the other person before yourself,” you glanced at him, the gaze in your eyes shifting into something more mischievous as you opened your mouth, “And maybe, you--”
“Nope! Not happening!” Felix interrupted you cheerfully, “You and His Majesty have just been on my ass about it, and it’s not happening!”
“Oh, but Lixie,” you laughed with him, taking his arm as you walked down the marble steps, “it’s really not all that bad!”
Felix’s gaze was soft as he gently patted your hand. He’d been assigned to the Kingsguard right around the time you were crowned Queen, and there was a sort of camaraderie that formed between the two of you from trying to navigate the ups and downs of palace life. He was a good confidante, and you very much valued his happiness.
“I’m happy here,” he said gently, looking into your eyes with his bright and genuine ones, “I’m happy looking after people that I care about. And for now, I don’t ever want to lose that.”
You sighed, a smile gracing your face as you shook your head, “Alright. But if you ever change your mind…”
“You and His Majesty would be the first to know,” Felix promised.
The doors swung open, and the crowd quickly stood at attention as you entered the ballroom. Your gaze hardened ever so slightly, and your posture shifted, taking the persona of the respected queen that you were to the eyes of your people. Before you were a mother, or a wife, you were a symbol, an anchor of virtue.
Even Naeun was on her best behavior as she walked down with Changbin, holding his little pinky as she climbed down the steps. She seemed to sense her own importance, and did her very best not to mess up, making you break character for a moment as you smiled.
Your eyes caught sight of your husband standing near the throne, and his eyes twinkled with adoration when your gazes met. He put down his glass of champagne, quickly gliding through the room to receive you.
“God, he’s whipped for you, Your Majesty,” Felix muttered under his breath, “Does the honeymoon period never end--ow!” A discrete finger jab to the side was enough to shut him up.
Hyunjin’s smile was small and hidden, reserved just for your eyes as you made it to the bottom step, “Don’t you look beautiful, my Queen,” he murmured, chastely kissing the back of your hand before pecking your lips.
“Jinnie, not here,” you scolded lightly, letting him take your hand as Naeun rushed over, the crowd cooing with delight. Naeun had only been present in a handful of engagements before this particular party, and the people were still fully immersed in baby fever, entranced by the little girl.
“Papa!” She jumped at him, your husband bending down and catching her easily.
“Oh, my little petal!” His smile was bright as he held her securely, spinning her around, “Ready for dinner?”
“Mhm!” Naeun nodded, but not before placing a big kiss on her father’s cheek, “Miss you!”
You couldn’t help but giggle, watching as the princess’s actions completely melted the crowed. She was definitely a natural. You remembered what you were like as a three year-old, scared, terrified, and always trying to hide behind your mother’s skirt even as she forced you to be independent.
Naeun didn’t need that push, and you were grateful.
Hyunjin carried Naeun in one arm and escorted you with the other. Your eyes scanned the room, automatically taking note of certain esteemed guests and nobles. In the edge of the room, you noticed a few council members sitting together at a table, refusing to stand at attention for your entrance.
"Is everything ready?" You asked as you carefully sat down beside Hyunjin, "The dinner, the entertainment-"
“It’s all done,” Hyunjin smiled, pecking your lips before he placed Naeun in her chair beside his golden one, making sure she was sitting still, “Nothing to worry about.”
You smiled, grateful that your husband was so accommodating and willing to handle so much of the work while you needed your rest. Gesturing to one of the maids, you waved your hand, requesting her to start ushering the guests to their seats as food was about to be served.
As you continued to observe the room, making sure everything was running smoothly, you felt a gentle hand take yours, rubbing it soothingly.
“I haven’t seen you all day. I missed you,” Hyunjin murmured into your ear, making you blush slightly. Even after all these years, his forwardness always flustered you, made you feel like a giddy young princess rather than an experienced queen.
“Hyunjin, come on...not here,” you whispered back, letting his hand glide to your stomach, hidden from everyone’s view by the table in front of you.
“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Hyunjin protested in a playful tone, gently patting your tummy before pulling away and gaining back some of his kingly aura right as the first dishes were served.
The banquet went without much of a hitch, to your relief. The atmosphere was overall genial and it didn’t seem like any of your guests had malicious intentions. Hyunjin, of course, grew a little ruffled when one of the young boys from the envoy’s family, no older than five, asked to dance with Naeun, but you argued that it was rather endearing to see the children stumble around the dance floor.
“Mama, that was really fun!” Naeun reported happily when she was sitting back in her seat, her hair slightly messy from twirling so much, “Want to do it again!”
“Never, not while I’m still alive,” Hyunjin muttered, rubbing his eyes halfheartedly as the memory of his precious little girl dancing with a boy replayed in his head.
You laughed at the two of them, reaching over to fix Naeun’s hairdo so she didn’t look like an absolute mess for the rest of the evening, “I think your father wouldn’t be very happy with that,” you said teasingly, kissing her forehead just as the crown prince approached your table with a glass of fine wine in his hand.
“Your Majesties,” he spoke respectfully, exuding the perfect mixture of gracefulness and charisma as he bowed, “If I could do the honor of making a toast for the occasion?”
Of course, the request was posed as a question, merely to play to the ego and the pride of the hosts, but a toast was usually not something you could refuse. Doing so meant bad blood, tensions, potential rifts in foreign relations. Besides, the prince didn’t look malicious; you normally had a good sense of intuition about people, and the man standing before you and Hyunjin didn’t raise any red flags.
Hyunjin didn’t seem to sense anything either, and with a courteous smile, he waved his hand in agreement, “The trade deals we’ve made this time around are definitely a reason for celebration,” he said, “Although, I’ll have to drink on behalf of the Queen as well.”
The prince smiled at that, gesturing to one of his servants as they walked towards the table, bringing two gold encrusted wine glasses towards you, “We would never want to leave Her Majesty out. In consideration of her pregnancy, I’ve brought a specialty drink created from a fruit that is grown only in our country. It is harmless to the body, and said to bring good health and longevity to expecting mothers.”
Gasps and noises of approval filled the air as you tilted your head inquisitively, looking at the wine glass being presented to you. You could feel Hyunjin’s hesitancy, and you studied the prince’s expression carefully, but there really didn’t seem to be anything wrong. There wasn’t any point in making a big fuss over nothing.
Delicately, your fingers wrapped around the glass, picking it up and looking at the orange liquid. Hyunjin watched you carefully before doing the same with his glass, which held red wine like everyone else.
The prince smiled, relief obvious in his posture as he held up his own glass. He obviously had worried that you might reject the gift, thinking that it overstepped boundaries.
“May our kingdoms stay allies through peace and through strife. To friendship!”
The crowd chorused the sentiment as you merely lifted the glass to your mouth, the liquid just about to touch your lips when you froze.
That scent. You remembered it when your physician had warned you against certain plants that were harmful to your body. As the queen of two nations, you were an obvious target, and there was never any telling with when someone with a cruel heart could slip a poison into your food or water. The scent was almost imperceptible, but you knew it was there.
Someone was trying to poison you, and they chose the most opportune time to do so.
Watching as the prince and your husband both downed their glasses, your brain was working a mile a minute, scrambling for a way out. You could you say outright that there was poison in the glass. That would put both your own staff and your guests in a terrible position. You didn’t have any proof that it was actually the prince who was trying to harm you, and making those accusations would all but tear the alliance apart.
Your heart must’ve been pounding so loudly that the people around you could hear. You kept your face placidly calm as you decided on your course of action, and very subtly tapped your finger against the wine glass three times, a signal that Changbin had taught you in order to alert the Kingsguard of danger.
Both Changbin and Felix saw your movement, and so did Hyunjin out of the corner of his eye. He turned, his expression slowly morphing into shocked anger, something you had not wanted to happen. Thinking quickly, you pretended to choke, coughing up a storm as you managed to put the glass down.
Felix walked forward and was beside you in an instant, catching on to your actions. He handed you a handkerchief, gently patting your back as Changbin was also by your side, a concerned expression crossing his face as he stood guard.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Felix asked, keeping the attention on you as he discreetly slid the glass to the side, letting Changbin collect it and take it away, ensuring that it was as far away from you as possible.
“Y-yes,” you smiled shakily, pressing the handkerchief against your lips, “Just got startled when the baby kicked.”
The people around you, Hyunjin and Felix, instantly saw through your lie, but knew better than to question your words when everyone’s eyes were on you. You finally glanced at your husband, your anxiety spiking when you saw the way he looked at you, eyes filled with uncontrollable fury.
Someone had really tried to hurt you, really tried to take his happiness right out from his grasp.
You placed a hand on his, and gave it a warning squeeze, “I’m alright, love, there’s no need to fret,” you cooed, putting on a show of calming him down so that his anger might be taken as anxiety instead.
Hyunjin caught onto your cues, and did his best to control the murderous emotions threatening to bubble out of his chest. Luckily enough, there was another distraction that waddled over, effectively putting the whole situation at rest.
“Mama! Are you alright?” Naeun ran over, her expression overly worried as she stood beside you, her little hands grabbing blindly for you and wanting to be held. As she was watching her Uncle Changbin, she’d panicked when he did, automatically thinking that something bad had happened to her mother.
“Oh, my little one, nothing happened. See?” You comforted her, bringing her hands to your cheeks as you smiled, “Mama is fine.”
“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty!” The prince stammered out as you gently placed Naeun in your lap, giving into her cries to be close to you, “I did not mean to cause you harm. Not in the slightest.”
“And you did not,” you spoke gracefully, a hand lightly squeezing your husband’s leg under the table as you took control of the conversation, sensing that the man was no longer thinking rationally. Hyunjin already suspected the prince as the main culprit, and any words that would leave his mouth from here on would be far from pleasant.
You smiled serenely, looking at the prince, “There was no harm done. Pregnancies are always unpredictable.”
The prince nodded, his expression still anxious as he excused himself and took his seat back with his family. Looking at his frazzled expression, the idea that the person who was looking to poison you was less likely to be him.
“Hyunjin, snap that glare off your face. People are beginning to notice,” you hissed in his ear as people began to dance and mingle now that the dinner part of the banquet was done. Naeun was still in your arms, having fallen asleep. It was far past her normal bed time, after all.
But Hyunjin’s fury was just barely contained, “How can I? Someone tried to hurt you, Y/N. Someone tried to do so right before my very eyes, right under the noses of our Kingsguard,” he spoke under his breath, the cold glint in his eyes growing stronger with every moment. The Hwang Hyunjin of old, the ruthless king that ruled without mercy, was returning, and you needed to stop him quickly.
“Making a ruckus will not serve us any good,” you said softly, continuing to bounce Naeun lightly on your lap.
“He needs to know what happens if he hurts a member of the royal family,” Hyunjin’s glare shifted to the prince, who was dancing with his wife amongst the crowd.
“It isn’t him, Hyunjin,” you took his hand, lacing your fingers together, “I’m sure it isn’t.”
“Then who?” He rounded on you, eyes filled with pain and anger as he tried to hide it from nosy onlookers, leaning closer to press a kiss to the crown of your head, “Who would dare hurt the most precious person in my life?”
“I don’t know, Hyunjin. But now isn’t the time to play detective. Let’s get through this party first, alright?” You asked soothingly just as Naeun shifted in your arms, mumbling.
“Papa…”
Hyunjin faltered at that weak cry, and you smiled in relief as you carefully handed Naeun to her father. The king held her in his lap, using her as his anchor.
"Oh, my little petal," he sighed, letting the girl slump into his chest as she slept soundly, unaware of the turmoil raging through her father's heart. Hyunjin held her close, kissing her hair, and you were able to observe the party absently, letting yourself calm down after a near experience with death.
Who could've done it? The very idea of lacing the queen's drink with poison, and quite possibly starting a war in the process, would scare almost anyone away. It had to be someone with much more to gain from the incident, someone that feels sure enough of their position that they see the act through knowing it could never be traced back to them.
You sat in relative silence for the rest of the evening, choosing to observe rather than participate as the guests enjoyed the many festivities you'd planned for the evening. One particular man, sitting at the table to your right, who looked suspiciously upset for such a joyous occasion, caught your eye.
His motives certainly aligned, and he was of high enough status that he probably didn't even have to personally orchestrate any of it to happen.
Could it be...? There was only one way to quell your suspicions.
.
The party ended uneventfully, and soon, many of the guests began to trickle out of the palace gates, ready to retire for the night. One man opted to take a less crowded route back to his estate, cutting through the palace passageways instead of braving the cold and the people. After all, he was no longer in a sociable mood after the events of the night.
He should've known it wasn't going to be so easy. The queen was not only royalty, she was an experienced general as well. It shouldn't have been such a surprise that she sniffed out the little surprise so easily.
Still, even if it was to be expected, it was still a disappointment. If only she wasn't around, things would be so much simpler. He would've been able to further secure his position, maybe even take control of the military. Oh, the possibilities for him were endless if only-
"General Lee Minho. It's quite late for you to still be here in my palace."
If only you weren't around to stop him.
Maintaining his composure, Minto turned around, giving you a perfect bow, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to impose. I was merely trying to get home-"
"Why did you do it?"
Never one to beat around the bush, were you?
Minho gave you a saccharine smile, his heart still relatively at ease. You had no proof. There was nothing that could connect the act to him.
"Your Majesty, I don't believe I understand."
It must've been the wrong thing to say. Your eyebrow raised inquisitively, and you took a step forward, your eyes cold and unwavering. You must've learned a thing or two from your besotted husband.
"You're a cunning man, General. Our kingdoms profit off your intellect and your strategy," you said, looking straight into his own unflinching gaze.
"In fact, your cunning is the only reason you are still alive."
The air seemed to grow thinner in an instant, and the pleasantries all but faded from Minho’s expression. You weren't inquiring, you knew it was him. This encounter was merely icing on the cake for you. The general was suddenly aware that the halls were completely empty save for the two of you, and there was not a sound to be heard. Not the sounds of a servant fetching water, or a maid finishing up her errands. Nothing.
Minho pursed his lips, giving you an unreadable gaze, “I wouldn't advise threatening me in your condition,” he commented, eyes falling deliberately to the swell of your stomach.
You couldn't help but smile in amusement at his thinly veiled threat, “I assure you, General, I am perfectly safe.”
“Oh?” Minho raised an eyebrow at your words, “And I suppose one of your two dogs that you call the Kingsguard is hiding just around the corner, waiting for a movement that would put you in danger before cutting me down.”
The silence screamed under the midnight sky, and the candles illuminating the hallway seemed to flicker as your smile turned icy.
“Do you really think I need Felix to intercede in order for me to kill you?”
Your words were barely audible, and could've easily passed as the murmurings of the wind, but for the first time, Minho didn't feel safe. There was something about the glint in your eyes, the way you stood before him like a storm just waiting to tear through him.
All this time, Minho had not worried about the consequences of his actions. He did not believe that you were in a position to raise a finger at him, especially since the nobles were on his side. You were the former princess of a foreign kingdom, after all. You were the disadvantaged one here. If anything, he was worried what the king might do if his plot was discovered, knowing and having witnessed Hyunjin’s merciless punishments to those that defied him.
But standing before you, alone and without the bravado of his typical entourage, Minho realized. It was you that he should've feared.
There was not an ounce of humanity, affection, or care in your eyes. The loving queen that had just been cradling her daughter in her arms earlier that night had all but slipped away. Standing before him was a battle-hardened warrior, a woman who had experienced too much suffering to ever go through it again, no matter what it took.
“What do you want from me?” Minho said, his innocent facade fading completely as he finally caved, the hatred seeping into his eyes as he glared at you.
“I want answers, and you will give them to me. If you don't know, which I doubt will be the case, you will direct me to someone who does.”
Minho’s jaw clenched, feeling the growing panic and fury clawing up his chest as he stood before you, with no more cards to play, “Alright.”
“Alright?” You raised an eyebrow, the simplest action laced with an unspoken threat.
“Alright, Your Majesty,” Minho sneered, wanting nothing more than to pull out his hidden blade and run it cleanly through your throat. He knew better though, especially since he was sure Felix had his eyes trained on him, ready to strike.
“Who else is in on this?”
“A few of the lords were vaguely aware that I was plotting something, but they did not actively participate in the act.”
“Were your actions supported?”
Looking down to the side, he muttered, “There were a few people that did not agree on my methods, but still want you removed.”
“Naeun. Is she in danger?” You asked sharply, for the first time, feeling a spike of fear hit you. If there was someone willing to murder your unborn child, you suspected that Naeun would not be safe either.
To your relief, Minho shook his head, “Not that I know of.”
You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. As long as you and your child were relatively safe, you could continue the interrogation more seriously, “You laced my drink with poison, but it was not a large enough dosage to cause death. Why?”
“Your death would effectively sever any alliance between my kingdom and yours,” Minho gritted his teeth as he spoke, as if you were physically pulling out every single word from his mouth, “As much as I despise your kingdom for starting that useless war, I am not arrogant enough to deny that our alliance has benefited both of us greatly.”
“So you wanted my child,” you snarled lowly, your hand unconsciously reaching to touch your stomach as if protecting it, “You wanted me to miscarry.”
Minho smiled, all daggers and fangs as he replied, “If your baby didn't make it, you won't have a male heir. You would most likely have a harder time conceiving, and we'd be able to supply His Majesty with a suitable mistress.”
You stared at Minho, the pieces falling together in your mind as you thought of every moment when the general had tried to undermine you, make your comments less received by actively criticizing them, or scorn you for your status as a foreigner.
“You wanted me to lose favor with Hyunjin,” you concluded, feeling almost disappointed by the turn of events. No matter what kingdom, the power hungry were always the same, tearing down others for their own benefit. Doesn’t the battle for control ever get tiring for them?
Minho barked out a scathing laugh, “Of course I wanted you to lose favor with him. I wanted him to resent you, to hate you, to see you for what you really are, a viper hidden beneath that pretty, pretty face of yours.”
“Why?” You asked, genuinely confused, “Why must you go so far to stop me--to stop him--from being happy?”
“You think he’s happy?” The general scoffed, and against his better judgement, he took a threatening step towards you. The expression on your face barely twitched, but Minho could suddenly feel a murderous aura coming from behind him, and he knew better than to push his luck.
“Do you really think he’s happy?” Minho laughed, “You destroyed him, Your Majesty. You turned him soft. We were going to build the greatest, most ruthless empire the continent has ever known. And suddenly, after he met you, he decided to stop conquering, to take care of his people, to take care of your people after you lost.”
You weren’t expect such a barrage of anger and honesty, but you took the chance while you had it, “And what? You’re upset because you stopped gaining wealth and power in the spades like you used to?”
Minho’s scowl was pure wickedness, and you stared him down, an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, “I’m upset because you turned our king into a soft, weak little boy. The plan was to wring you and your people dry, taking all the resources before leaving you to fend for yourself. And, suddenly, after he met you, he wanted to do nothing but protect you, a cowardly, foolish princess that was nothing but her parent’s puppet--”
“Careful,” your voice was soft, its edges laced with poison as your eyes flashed with a silent warning, “You are alive still because I have use for you, but you run your mouth like that again, and I’ll have your tongue cut out before I slit your throat.”
The general realized the seriousness of your words, and his eyes narrowed, “You have use...of me,” he repeated your words, already disliking where this was going.
“Of course I do. If I didn’t, your body would have already been dumped into the river by now,” you said pleasantly, the serene smile back on your face as you pulled at your lace gloves.
Minho raised an eyebrow, “Do you think you’d be able to get away with that, Your Majesty?”
“Oh, my dear General,” you couldn’t help but laugh, amused by his doubtfulness at your capabilities, “unlike you, I am not in the position where every move I make is another desperate grab for power. I am the Queen. The power stems from me and my husband. And do you think Hyunjin would care about the potential murderer of his unborn child if I told him the truth?”
Minho’s jaw clenched so hard, it was painful. He underestimated you. Hyunjin was not the ruthless one. You were.
Like a snake constricting its prey, knowing there was no hope of escape, you smiled, “You are in no position to threaten me, Lee Minho, and unless you want me to strip you of all of your titles or for me to tell Hyunjin about what has just transpired, I’d keep that snippy mouth of yours shut.”
How pathetic. You knew exactly what he valued in life, and didn’t hesitate in brandishing against him like a sharpened blade. All of Minho's actions were to protect his reputation with the king and to hold onto the power he'd already earned, and you were dangling that prize over his head, ready to rip it away from him at a moment's notice.
“What does Her Majesty require of me?” Minho asked through gritted teeth and a clenched smile.
“Stop with the schemes. I'm sick and tired of them,” you said tiredly, giving him a wary glare, “Stop trying to usurp my power and overthrow my position as Queen. It doesn't matter how many mistresses you want to throw at Hyunjin. He will always love me as I will always love him, and even if that doesn't come to be, he will always have respect for me.”
Minho felt his blood boil as he nodded, “Yes...Your Majesty.”
You didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing you smile, moving straight to the most important term.
“You will instate Naeun as the Crown Princess.”
“Are you insane?” Minho snarled, his anger spiking as he spat at you, “The people who supported me in ruling against her will think I've gone mad.”
“Maybe you should've thought twice before deciding on your vote then,” you smiled placidly as you took a step closer towards him.
“You will instate Naeun as the Crown Princess, no conditions, no what ifs. She is the heir. Understood?”
As he gazed into your eyes, each order you have laced with power and unspeakable threat, Minho saw himself in the reflection of your sharp stare. To you, he was nothing but a mere doll for you to manipulate to your own will, a being that could just as easily be discarded as it can be replaced.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Minho said again, the hatred in his tone more than apparent.
“I expect the good news to be placed on Hyunjin’s desk tomorrow morning.”
Without another word, another acknowledge or even goodbye, you turned around, walking down the hall and leaving Minho to wallow in his own failure, leaving him to forever berate himself for the missteps he made, the miscalculations that had now put his entire career into the hands of the person he despised most in the kingdom.
“Sounded like things were going well, Your Majesty,” Felix commented nonchalantly as you passed him, the young guard having positioned himself in the adjacent hallway, waiting for any inkling of danger to jump in and protect you. You didn’t fail to notice the way he twirled his knife before slipping it back into its sheathe, obviously having pulled it out when Minho had made a poorly concealed threat regarding your condition.
“Yes, it seems like some good has come out of this ridiculous farce,” you sighed, placing your hand gently over your tummy as you felt the slightest kick against your side. With that conversation, you could only hope that the worst of the nobles’ spite towards you and your blood would soon be over.
Felix eyed you carefully in the silent walk back to the Royal Chambers, noting both your emotional and physical state, “Are you going to keep this from His Majesty?” He asked, afraid of overstepping his boundaries by prodding too much.
“Eventually, the truth will come out whether I want it to or not,” you said as you entered the private section of the palace, exhaustion laced in your words. Truthfully, if Minho had decided to call your bluff and attacked you earlier, it wouldn’t have been as easy as you’d made him believe it to be. You had your reputation as a powerful general back when you were a princess to thank for how successful your negotiations went.
“Still, I think I’ll keep it a secret...just for tonight,” you confided to Felix tiredly, turning to him with a weary smile, “He’s worried enough already, especially after earlier.”
Felix nodded, and you didn’t need to ask additionally to ensure secrecy. Felix was good about those things. He was a good confidante, and once again, you felt immensely grateful for his presence.
He gave you a bow, practiced ease and gracefulness exuding from even the simplest of movements as he spoke softly, “Take care of yourself, Your Majesty.”
You couldn’t help but smile, reaching over and gently patting his head, a silent gesture of praise for the young knight who’d done so much for you, “I promise. Now go get some sleep. It’s quite late.”
Felix excused himself politely, and you took a deep breath, heading to the bedroom where your lover was probably waiting anxiously for your return.
.
As you’d expected, Hyunjin was almost beside himself when you walked into the room, his hands freezing from where they were pulling at the roots of his dark hair when he gasped, “Y/N, my love!” He rushed towards you, pulling you into his arms and sweeping you into a tight hug.
“Where have you been? I was worried sick! Changbin said that Felix was with you, so I trusted that nothing was wrong, but you were gone for so long and I thought—”
“Shh, my darling,” you cooed, letting his hands touch you fleetingly everywhere he could, your shoulders, your waist, your tummy, anything to let him know that you were once again safe in his arms.
You smiled, cupping his cheeks as you leaned close, “I’m alright. Everything’s alright. I just needed some air after what happened today, so I took a walk in the gardens. Felix was with me every step of the way.”
Hyunjin let out a sigh of both relief and frustration as he held your hand resting on his cheek, looking into your eyes, “Please don’t scare me like that again,” he whispered, “Not after what happened earlier.”
“Nothing happened, Hyunjin,” you said softly, your thumb lightly brushing his face as you comforted him, “I’m here, aren’t I, safe and sound?”
“Things could’ve turned out so much worse,” he pressed a fleeting kiss to your palm as he held your hand, “I had the liquid inspected. At this very moment, you could’ve been unconscious, fighting for your life, our child...gone,” his voice cracked ever so slightly as he palmed your stomach.
“But it didn’t happen like that,” you reassured him, eyes widening as you saw his own eyes glistening with unshed tears, “Oh, Hyunjin.”
Reaching forward, you wrapped your arms around his waist, burrowing in his chest as Hyunjin easily fell into your embrace, burying his face in your hair as he hugged you tightly. The room filled with the comfortable silence, and your conversation continued without the need for words.
I love you. I want you to be safe. Please don’t do anything dangerous. It was all translated through your touch and the warmth you gained from one another.
Hyunjin’s hugs were warm. They felt like hot chocolate on a cold winter day, like a summer breeze that swept you away. You felt safe just being in his arms, and soon, you let out a quiet yawn, nuzzling into his chest.
“Let me coddle you tonight,” he murmured, sensing you slumping forward in his chest as his fingers lightly massaged your scalp, “I know you don’t like it very much, but just for tonight, can I please take care of you?”
You couldn’t help but smile at his request. As much as Hyunjin liked to be cared for, by you in particular, his favorite hobby was to spoil you in any capacity that he knew how. He loved to lavish you with gifts, shower you with love, and to do every little thing to make you comfortable. You weren’t the person that liked to take advantage of this little trait of his, since you were never one for lavish gift giving nor were you ever given such attention before, but seeing how earnest he was, you decided to compromise, especially after all the worrying Hyunjin had probably gone through just waiting for you to return.
“Of course,” you nodded, pressing a kiss to his lips, “Let’s get ready for bed.”
Hyunjin was carefully meticulous as he undid the corset of your party dress, pulled out the pins that held your hair up, and delicately slipped the silk nightgown over your form, all the while trailing kisses wherever he could. You did the same for him, helping him out of his uniform as your lips connected with his.
“I was thinking,” you mumbled absently as Hyunjin kissed you with abandon, his hands nimbly undoing the braids in your hair, “We should go away, just us and Naeun.”
“Oh? Do tell me more,” Hyunjin replied with a soft smile, his lips trailing down to your jaw as you tried your hardest to remember what you were trying to say. What a little brat he was being.
You sucked in a gasp as you rolled your eyes, amused by his antics, “Let’s spend a week at the summer estate. Naeun needs space to run around, and both of us need a breather from our royal duties. You especially.”
Hyunjin groaned at your words, “You’re definitely right about that. But can we afford to leave, with all the chaos going around?” He asked, as he began to usher you to the bed, his arms looping around your legs as he ultimately decided to just carry you.
“H-hyunjin!” You squeaked, surprised by the sudden action as your arms wrapped around his neck. Your husband paid you no mind, carrying you to the bed before placing you down delicately. His eyes met yours and you touched his face, “I’m sure we can make time. We can delegate some of the less important work to some of the council members. If not, we can just work extra hard after to make up for lost time. We all need a break.”
“Your wish is my command, my Queen,” Hyunjin leaned forward, pecking your lips before walking around to crawl under the covers from his side of the bed, “I’ll start planning the details of the trip tomorrow. Deal?”
“Deal,” you smiled, snuggling into the covers and scooting closer to your husband as his hand absently shifted to rest on your tummy.
“It would be good for this little one, too. Just to experience what life outside this stuffy palace is like,” Hyunjin mumbled, his eyes already closing. He was no doubt exhausted from hosting the party and all the preparations before hand.
You felt your cheeks heat up as you giggled. Hyunjin always had a way of bringing the conversation back to the baby, “Yes, it'll be good for them, too,” you agreed softly as your eyes began to close as well. The day had been far too eventful for your liking, and you'd like at least one full night of rest before having to tell Hyunjin about your conversation with Minho.
Suddenly, your ears perked up at the sound of the bedroom door creaking open ever so slightly. Hyunjin reacted instantly, pulling you close as he sat up to see who had come in.
“Papa…? Mama…?”
Naeun’s sleepy voice was soft and almost inaudible, but Hyunjin let out a sigh, relaxing as he could make out the little figure of his daughter standing at the door.
“Naeun, what’s wrong?” He asked gently, beckoning her over to his side of the bed, “It’s way past your bedtime.”
“I-i—” The little girl rubbed her heavy eyes as she waddled over to her father as she began to whimper, “I had a bad dweam, P-papa.”
Hyunjin’s heart and yours simultaneously melted as a silent agreement passed between the two of you. The priority was no longer to get a good night's sleep; it was your daughter’s comfort.
“Oh, petal. Was it scary?” Hyunjin cooed, reaching down and easily picking her up, settling her in the large bed. He placed her right in the middle, and you rolled over to your side so you could gently wipe her tears.
Naeun nodded at his words, her lips curled in a trembling pout, “Scawy. C-couldn’t find Mama—a-and people saying that Papa was gone…” Her lip quivered again and she began to cry just from remembering the awful images that passed through her head.
“Shh, shh. Oh, dear,” Hyunjin quickly grabbed a spare handkerchief on the night stand beside his bed as you sat up, murmuring comforting words as you cupped Naeun's cheeks gently.
“Naeun, my little princess,” you said softly, looking into her sparkling eyes as large crocodile tears rolled down her cheeks, “Mama and Papa are right here. We'll always be here for you, alright? No matter what happens, your Mama and Papa would never, ever abandon you like that.”
The little girl sniffled as Hyunjin wiped away her tears, smiling fondly, “Your mother said it best, petal. No matter what, we'll be here to support you, protect you, and love you until you've grown sick of our coddling.”
Hyunjin couldn't help but add in a little teasing, booping her nose as he said, “Even after you grow sick of us, we'll still stick annoyingly close.”
Naeun scrunched her nose as she always did when hyunjin messed with her, and she frowned, “I won't ever get sick of Papa and Mama. Never!”
“Oh, one day, you'll take those words back,” you added playfully as you tickled Naeun's little tummy, making her squeal with delight and effectively drawing the nightmare out of her immediate thoughts. Hyunjin joined in, tag teaming your poor daughter until she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open.
"Love Papa... Love Mama," Naeun mumbled sleepily as she curled into the warm blankets, beginning to fall asleep. You smiled at her words, pressing a kiss to her hair.
"Mama and Papa love you more than anything else in the whole world," you reassured her, brushing the stray hairs out of her face, "Get some sleep, little one. Nothing can hurt you here."
Naeun mumbled in acknowledgment, and her little hands wrapped around Hyunjin’s pinky, making her father’s heart positively melt, “Papa...sing.”
“Sing?” He repeated, slightly flustered as he shifted to a more comfortable position, making sure that Naeun was still able to hold onto his pinky.
“Mhm, Papa sing,” Naeun nodded as she curled up into a little ball, bringing Hyunjin's hand to her chest as she began to doze off on her own.
You couldn't help but giggle as you burrowed into the covers as well, wrapping a gentle around your daughter as you smiled up at Hyunjin, “Won't you honor a princess’s request?” You teased.
Hyunjin pouted at you, scrunching his nose much like how Naeun had done only minutes before, “But I'm the king,” he said petulantly, making Naeun giggle at his antics, “I can do whatever I want!”
“Well, your Queen is now requesting a song as well,” you said with an air of playful haughtiness as Naeun and you shared a conspiratorial glance.
“Oh dear,” Hyunjin ran a hand through his hair, “then, I believe I don't have a choice if my Queen and my Princess so insist.”
“You don't!” Naeun chirped in, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Hyunjin let out a dramatic sigh before propping himself up against the headboard and pulling Naeun into his chest so she could rest comfortably in his arms. He didn't forget you, of course, and laced his fingers with yours as you decided not to move around as much, resting on your side of the bed as you held his hand.
The sound of soft-spoken singing wafted into your ears like a gentle breeze. Hyunjin, albeit not a professional in any way, always had a nice voice. It was the kind of voice that could lull you into relaxation, the kind of voice that soothed your unsettled heart. Before long, your eyes grew too heavy to keep open, and you drifted off to sleep with your hand wrapped around Hyunjin’s.
Hyunjin gazed down at his family as he slowly stopped singing, noticing that the two of you had fallen asleep. Without the prying eyes of the world boring down on him, he could finally drop his guard and his cold exterior to fully admire the two people he loved, the little girl in his arms that he treasured so dearly and you, the love of his life that showed him what it truly meant to have a soulmate, a person to confide in wholeheartedly.
It was his little personal heaven, just to see the two of you sleeping safe and sound, to lie in bed with both his daughter and his wife just at arm's reach. He savored it as much as he could, squeezing your hand once more before putting down himself, pulling the warm covers higher over Naeun to keep her healthy. And not for the first time, Hyunjin wistfully dreamed of a life where he was not the king, where he could be a simple man, only tasked to provide and love his family.
Hyunjin knew he would be asking for too much. He knew what the two of you had promised to those that had put their faith in your hands. You'd promised to protect them, to wear the crown and carry the burdens of your kingdom, no matter how bruised, bloodied or battered the journey made you.
But as he stared down at your peaceful expression, your lips slightly parted and your eyes fluttered shut, he couldn't help but remember the terror he felt just hours before, the all consuming fear that you would disappear from his life. And for the first time, Hyunjin was at a loss, facing a crossroad that—in the naivety of his youth—he never thought he’d encounter.
If he had to choose between you or his country, what would he do? If he had to protect the integrity of his kingdom and sacrifice Naeun, would he be able to do it? Before you came along, Hyunjin cared about nothing but his work, his duty. But now, he had a family that he'd do anything to protect.
At the party, Hyunjin felt anger like he'd never felt before in his life. It was more than fury, it was pure rage. He would've been willing to lock the doors and interrogate every single person present in the banquet hall if you hadn't calmed him down. He didn't want to become a king like that, he didn't want to become a ruler than put his own needs and his family’s needs before everything else.
But if he lost you, if he lost Naeun, if he lost his unborn child, his whole world would shatter. It was almost terrifying how much the past five years had changed him.
“Hyunjin,” his eyes flew open as he suddenly felt your thumb brush against the back of your hand. Turning his head, he realized that you had woken up, your eyes gazing at him with a mixture of sympathy and love that Hyunjin wanted to drown in.
“You're thinking too much again,” you murmured sleepily, playing absently with his fingers without jostling Naeun, “At this point, you'll have wrinkles before you're even middle aged.”
The king couldn't help but chuckle at your little quip, pressing a kiss to your hand, “I'm sorry, my love. Did I wake you?”
“No, I woke up on my own,” you reassured him, “But I'm glad I did. What's wrong, darling?”
Hyunjin bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. He shouldn't bother you with his feelings, not when you already had to worry about yourself on top of the baby you were carrying.
“Hyunjin,” you murmured his name once more, and he felt his body shudder at how sweet, how loving you sounded, “You can tell me anything.”
It was the only gentle nudge he needed.
“I'm worried about this,” Hyunjin said softly, “Our family. I can't stop worrying. I didn't know about the poison, even though all the food and drinks were inspected. When will it ever be enough?”
You squeezed his hand, “You're putting too much responsibility on yourself. The family’s safety is not your burden to bear alone, it is for us to share.”
Hyunjin nodded, “I know,” he sighed, running a hand through his midnight hair, “I know, Y/N. But I just wish I could do more.”
“You do more than enough for us, darling,” you reassured him, “You do more than any king would do for their families. It's alright, Hyunjin. You're doing so well.”
“I am?” Hyunjin sucked in a breath, placing your hand on his cheek as he closed his eyes, revelling in your words and your presence.
“You are.”
These were not honey coated words to soothe a monarch and appease his temper. You meant them more than you could ever express. You knew Hyunjin was trying his best. You knew Hyunjin was most likely protecting you from forces that you weren't even aware of, just like the way you'd dealt with Minho just earlier.
“I found out who did it, by the way,” you mumbled, figuring that this felt like the right time to tell him in hopes that Hyunjin might sleep better knowing that the problem was dealt with.
There was a moment of deathly silence before Hyunjin uttered a single word, "Who?"
You sighed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all, especially since your daughter was soundly sleeping in the space between the both of you, "Promise that you won't do anything rash right now."
"You're asking me not to do anything rash when I find out who tried to murder my unborn child and harm my wife?" Hyunjin asked in disbelief.
“I'm asking you not to overreact now while your daughter is sleeping," you hissed back, "I handled it for the time being."
Hyunjin let out a frustrated sigh, "Alright, you win. You have my word,” he said, lacing his fingers with yours.
You bit your lip, wondering if it would just be easier to be completely honest or to ease into it gently. After a moment of consideration, you decided on the former.
“It’s Minho.”
Hyunjin reacted without thinking, feeling the rage run through his veins once again as he began to sit up, “That bastard--”
As he shifted aggressively, Naeun whined in her sleep, beginning to squirm. You wrapped your arm around her body as your other hand grabbed Hyunjin’s sleeve, “You promised!”
Hyunjin’s steeled eyes softened as he looked down at the little girl beside him, and he slumped back on the bed, pressed a kiss to her forehead and rubbing her back, helping soothe her back to a deep sleep, “I should’ve gotten rid of him earlier. I knew he disliked your presence, but I thought--I thought he’d be able to see past the differences.”
“As did I,” you admitted, running your fingers gently through Naeun’s hair as her whimpers stopped and slowly went back to soft breaths, “but it seems like he disappointed both of us.”
The king sighed tiredly, feeling the rest of his fiery hot anger dissipate as he turned to lie on his side, his eyes trained on Naeun as he made sure she was asleep, “You said you handled it. Let me guess, it was when you ‘went for a walk.’”
“You know me too well,” Flicking his forehead playfully, you couldn’t help but smile, “Yes, we had a quick conversation as I was walking back to the chambers. I don’t believe he will try it again any time soon.”
“I would ask what you told him, but I almost don’t want to know,” Hyunjin said with a hint of a smile as he closed his eyes, “My wife can be very scary when she wants to be.”
You shrugged, stroking his cheek fondly for a moment longer before pulling your hand away and lying back down, “I’m the same as you, Jinnie. Anything to protect this family we’ve created.”
Hyunjin hummed in agreement, his long arm draping over to wrap around both you and Naeun, “Anything. But for now, let’s sleep. Thank you, Y/N.”
“Whatever for?” You asked curiously, unsure of what Hyunjin was thinking about in that little head of his.
“For being here. For loving me. For everything you do,” he mumbled, already beginning to fall asleep as his words began to slur. Your heart felt warm and fluttery as you smiled, patting the back of his hand as you mumbled your sleepy reply.
“I’ll always be here for you, Jinnie. You’re not alone anymore.”
Hyunjin cracked a smile at that, and hugged you and Naeun ever so slightly tighter in his arms. You were right. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had you and Naeun, whom he loved with every fiber of his being. He had Changbin and Felix, who were slowly becoming less like guards and more like their surrogate family.
And for all those reasons, Hwang Hyunjin fell asleep considering himself quite lucky.
#stray kids scenarios#stray kids reactions#stray kids imagines#stray kids blurbs#skz x reader#skz x y/n#skz oneshots#hwang hyunjin imagine#hwang hyunjin scenarios#hwang hyunjin blurbs#hwang hyunjin oneshot#skz scenarios#skz imagines
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Levi Ackerman’s daughter going to University
𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐔.
─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────
synopsis: Levi and Y/N have a daughter, but it’s time for her to move out and to go to university, and to her uni’s accommodation. Levi still sees her as his little girl and that warms your heart.
warm fluff ♡—
Levi would definitely do surprise visits for her and she would get so happy. Her smile reminds him of Y/N when they were young.
She knows self defense and kickboxing cause of her dad of course. He trained her and she is real good at it. He wants the best for her. (Also when he was teaching her how to self defense he would remember Kenny cause he taught him that too-)
Packs food for her journey when she first leaves cause he still sees her as his little girl. He would still put it in these cute little lunch boxes. “Dad...these are for kids!” his daughter would whine and Levi still holding it out to her. “Tch, Whatever, still take them.”
He thinks about his daughters safety 24/7.
Sends her memory pictures and he would text her saying “Look, this picture was taken when you were 10. You grew up so fast brat.”
Definitely sends lots of gifts and food packages (again with the lunch boxes just to piss her off).
If she calls him, he would pick up immediately and goes “What? Should I come and beat someone up?”. Y/N overhearing that and they would raise their eyebrow. What the hell....it hasn't even been 2 weeks.
Once his daughter overslept and forgot to send him a goodnight message (she needs to send that every night) and that made Levi almost have a panic attack and he called up the whole university and the accommodation to find her whereabouts. After exactly 40 mins his daughter noticed his spam and called Levi. “Dad...my phone was silent and I was asleep, why did you have to announce it to the whole university.” But she instead hears Y/N’s voice in the background before Levi could respond. “If Levi keeps doing this I’m gonna go sleep in the coach, he kept pacing around this whole time and he wouldn’t be quiet”.
He would only download the app snapchat JUST to send her random videos and pictures of Y/N during breakfast or lunch (cause he loves Y/N a lot) and also random snaps of things he might think this little girl will like.
Levi: “Hey do you like this darling?”
His daughter: “Yes!! Can I please have one? I will get it once I come back home.”
Just wait after 24 hours and she received the package with other gifts. I feel like he will spoil his little girl a lot with gifts, because he wants to give his daughter the world and everything unlike him during his childhood and had nothing. Also while shopping, he would buy Y/N an expensive silver dangling earrings.
When Levi and his beloved Y/N go to visit their daughter, they get to see her friends, and even his daughters partner. Levi gets all annoyed and he says to them “Oi, if you know what’s best for you, hands off my little girl.”
Y/N: “Oh my god, Levi! Why did you say that...geez”
Levi: “Tch, What? They need to know who they are dealing with.”
He doesn't regret what he said and feels proud.
He would have short chats with his daughter everyday starting with a good morning message and to just ask about her wellbeing. He can’t go on the day without knowing how his daughter is and the same goes with Y/N especially as he knows his little girl is strong getting that from Levi and smart/having emotional intelligence from Y/N. (Y/N and his daughter are the only important people he cherish the most.)
Levi: Love, do you think our little girl will be okay out there in this world? He would say that hugging your waist from behind and his chin on your shoulder as you are making his special organic black tea. You would reassure him and say she will be fine and you both are here to support her.
okay I really enjoyed this and I hope the same goes for you all!! like and reblog if you read it and liked this 😌 <3
#levi ackerman#kenny ackerman#levi ackerman x reader#levi ackerman x y/n#levi ackerman headcanon#levi ackerman headcanons#levi headcanon#attack on titan#attack on titan fan fiction#aot levi#levi aot#aot fanfiction#fanfiction anime#anime fanfiction#levi and his daughter#imagine au#levi ackerman modern au#levi modern au#attack on titan modern au#attack on titan modern#modern attack on titan#modern au levi#modern levi ackerman#modern au levi ackerman#shingeki no kyojin#shingeki no kyoujin fanfiction#shingeki no kyoujin levi ackerman#attack on tian fanfiction#fanfiction attack on titan#attack on titan headcanon
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Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 5
Fandom: Resident Evil: Village
Pairing: Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader (Gender neutral)
Rating: T for language and mentions/references to an (emotionally) abusive relationship. Mild, brief violence.
Warnings: TW for referenced emotional abuse, mild TW for possible physical abuse (sorry, angry Dani is not 100% gentle with people she doesn't love-love)
Notes: Music for this chapter here. If you're following this story and really want to continue reading, but worry about the TWs for this chapter, just send me an anonymous message and I'll write up an alternative version of this post. It's not something I would do without it being requested, but it's also not a big deal so don't feel like you're bothering me if you want that.
Previous Chapters: Pt. 1: Nocturne, Pt. 2: Overture, Pt. 3: Accelerando, Pt. 4: Tocatta
Chapter 5: Poco a Poco
(Italian: Little by little)
Finding a schedule for lessons to follow proved to be an insurmountable task. Consistency was something that Daniela struggled with greatly, even when it came to things that she genuinely cared about. Things like ensuring you lived long enough to entertain her. Instead of working with you to find a balance that worked for both of you, the youngest Dimitrescu daughter seemed intent on doing things in her own time. Little by little. Which would have been fine, if the two of you weren’t restricted by time.
Fate wasn’t entirely unkind, however. There were still a few things that Daniella recalled from her “youth”, bits and pieces of musical theory, the bare basics of reading sheet music. Not having to teach her proper posture or the structure of a piano would save you a little bit of time. On top of that, you had been informed that, somewhere in the castle, there were a few books of sheet music you could borrow. Assuming you were eventually able to find them, that is. So far they had eluded you, but you hadn’t even had much time to search, as you were still expected to perform your usual Maiden-related tasks.
In the end, it was Daniela herself that proved to be the biggest obstacle in your way.
“Look,” Daniela said one day, barely ten minutes into a lesson, “I think we should take a break… maybe have some fun?” One of her hands is resting on top of yours, the other tucking your hair behind your ear. There’s a smirk on her lips, unsurprisingly, and she’s mere inches away from kissing you. If not for the heavy threat hanging over your head, you would have already thrown yourself into her arms. Instead, all you can do is sigh, turning away from her as you do. “Don’t be like that, sweet thing. C’mon, no one can hear us right now. Might as well enjoy ourselves.”
“Babe. Darling. Buttercup, honey, cute little button on a bear, you are not the brightest bulb in the lighting department,” you replied, holding the bridge of your nose between two fingers. Instantly Daniela is upset, giving you a (thankfully) playful smack on the arm. Before she can protest more you continue speaking. “Your family would not hear us making out, true, but they would definitely hear us not playing the piano. I’m pretty sure your mother already thinks I’m doomed to fail as a teacher, and the last thing I need is to give her a reason to drop the curtains this early into our performance.”
“First of all, I am not an idiot,” Daniela said, a bit of a growl to her voice. “Secondly, what harm can a few minutes really do? Don’t you think I’ve been working hard enough to earn a little reward?” Now she’s holding a finger under your chin, lifting it up, making sure you’re looking right at her. There’s no dissuading her, it seems, as she leans in for a soft kiss. This was one of the more frustrating aspects of dealing with (courting?) her; communication felt like a one-man play, except the audience was as likely to throw knives as rotten tomatoes. Whenever Daniela acted like this, pushing away your concerns in favor of her pleasure, it felt helpless to try and resist her.
So you kissed back, wrapped your arms around her, and hoped that she’d be more open to compromise afterwards. At least kissing her was nice. Even though it had only been a week since you first kissed her, she was already getting better, evidently learning through experience. The passion behind her movements had grown as well, leaving you a tad breathless. Regardless of her odd perception of romance, and her insistence that she knew best, you found yourself charmed by her. It was scary. Terrifying, really, how you felt yourself falling under her spell. Wait. Hadn’t you been in this sort of situation before?... Staying with someone who wasn’t good for you? Why were you kissing her? Why were you starting to tremble, tears in your eyes, mind falling down a slippery slope of memories?
By the time you snap out of it, you’re sitting on the floor, Daniela awkwardly kneeling by your side. What the fuck? You think, sniffling a little. Head spinning, mind reeling, you struggle to form coherent thoughts. Next to you Daniela is unsure of how to help. But she’s trying, sort of, one hand holding your own, the other gently rubbing your back. She’s saying something, the words going right over your head. Understanding her takes times, focus, like tuning an instrument until the pitch is just right.
“I don’t understand, we were only kissing, what happened? Can you even hear me? Is this your way of tricking me into not making out with you? Because that’s a total dick move and-” she rambles, only stopping when you give her hand a soft squeeze. Then she’s meeting your gaze, looking uncomfortable, shoulders tense. “You’ve been weird for a while. Distant. Like you don’t want to touch me anymore. Don’t you still love me?”
There’s real, honest pain in her eyes when she speaks. If the timing had been different… you’d have thrown your arms around her and covered her face in kisses, promising to hold her onto she felt better, promising that yes you cared. You cared so fucking much. But she’s making you exhausted; every second has to be focused on her, not you. Every moment of concern is flipped around until she’s the victim, or at least the one that needs comforting. You didn’t think that she even realized what she was doing. Well, you hoped that she didn’t, wanted to believe that if she understood she’d change.
“Remember the first day we kissed?... how you pulled me close, and I kissed you harder, and we started…. Remember how I made a move and you pushed me away? I’ll never forget the look on your face. I felt like shit afterwards. I should have asked before I tried anything,” you explain, letting go of Daniela’s hand so you could pull your knees to your chest. Somehow you can’t bring yourself to maintain eye contact with her- not right now, not when you could still remember what it felt like to be on her side of this story. “I don’t want to push your boundaries, or make you feel pressured to do something you don’t want to do. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt you like that.”
“Oh bullshit,” Daniela snarled, shocking you, before getting to her feet. Confusion doesn’t begin to describe how you feel in the moment as you watch her pace back and forth. Both her hands are clenched into fists, and she’s refusing to look at you. There’s a buzzing sound in the room, faint but growing louder, like she’s a split second away from entering swarm mode. “We’re a couple, aren’t we? Shouldn’t you be able to tell what I want? Shouldn’t it be obvious what I desire, when I’m pinning you to the wall and shoving my tongue down your throat? What more do you require?”
“Holy shit, Dani, I know communication isn’t your forte, but have you really not even considered talking to me? That’s simple, easy, literally the first thing that should come to mind!” You snapped, too in disbelief to keep your voice down. For a moment Daniela stops her pacing, turning to stare at you with narrowed eyes. If you weren’t so mad, you’d be convinced she was ready to kill you. But she doesn’t move to grab her sickle, or otherwise advance on you, instead groaning and tugging on her own hair in frustration.
“Because that’s not romantic, genius!” She replied. Some dots start to connect in your mind, but you lack the full context, as if looking at sheet music with no clefs or time signature. It’s not until Daniela continues that you really understand; and, by extension, realize just how ridiculous this whole mess is. “None of the books I’ve read involve conversations like this. People just… they just love each other! And figure it out as they go along, reading each other’s body language and facial expressions, inferring what they need to know through touches and reactions. Why can’t we do that?”
“This isn’t a fucking book, dumbass! I don’t have powers like you, I can’t just read your mind and figure out what you want. That’s not how relationships work! Communication is key. And you can’t just talk, you have to listen, hard, and understand,” you continued, still on the floor, heart pounding so furiously you thought it might leap from your chest at any moment. As angry as you are, you wonder if you’re being too loud, too angry, wonder if there was a better way to get through to Daniela. Before you can think of a solution the air is ripped from your lungs. Your “partner”/student is grabbing you by the front of your shirt, yanking you to your feet. Instinct makes you struggle against her, as useless as it is.
“I. Told. You. I’m not an idiot!” Her free hand comes up to your face, cupping your cheek for a moment, then pulling away just as fast. When it moves back up she’s gripping onto her sickle. The sharp edge ends up resting against your neck, the slightest movement threatening to cut you open. This is the most Daniela has ever openly threatened you, and in that moment all your anger melts back into fear, tears spilling down your cheeks. A flicker of something shows in her eyes, making you think that even she doesn’t like where this is going. “Give me one reason not to end this right now.”
“... I don’t… I can’t think. I… Why would you?” The words leave you in a rush, even with the pauses, and each syllable makes the sickle press into your skin a little more. There’s sure to be a cut there, though you can’t even begin to estimate how bad it is. The blade is sharp, clearly, and it hardly even hurts as it slices you. Thankfully the sensation doesn’t last long. Once you’re done speaking, Daniela’s grip loosens considerably, hand slowly letting your shirt go. Her other hand takes a few seconds to move, but eventually pulls away without any fuss. For a few seconds she just watches you, eyes filled to the brim with a rich sorrow, mouth open but unmoving.
“No lesson tomorrow. I need a break,” Daniela whispers, barely audible. Then she’s dusting herself off, no longer looking at you, and heading towards the exit. Just like the first time you met, she pauses in the doorway. “How’s that for communication, hmm?” When she laughs, it’s empty, forced. Part of you wants to stop her and ask if she’s okay.
Instead, you watch her leave, unspoken words tangling with your tongue until you almost can’t swallow.
Then your feet move, automatically, leading you to the piano. You sit down without thinking. You touch the keys without thinking. When you play, you play without thinking. It’s just a song, the world tells you, and you have no choice but to play. It’s not just a song, you know this, but you can’t think. Can’t argue against the personification of your isolation, or the embodiment of your trauma. All you can do is let yourself get lost in the music, softly, recalling lyrics from a forgotten time.
I’ve been running all my life, trying to find a place to hide
‘Thought that I had settled down, but I guess things are changing now
Don’t make me go, don’t make me go
Just don’t make me go, this feels like home
As soon as the last note fades out you stand, wordlessly, and leave. Your feet carry you down corridor after corridor, past maidens working, some of whom gasp when they see you. But you don’t stop, not even when you cross paths with Lady Bela, who eyes you with surprising concern. She doesn’t try to stop you, though, and you doubt you would have cared if she had tried. It’s not until you are within your shared room that you finally stop moving. It is there that you sit, shaking, finally pressing a cloth to your neck. Blood stains the fabric, first in just a few dots, then spreading out. There’s not enough to make you fear for your life, but there is enough to make you cry harder. Washing the wound will sting… so you don’t do that. Soon you will have to return to your work, and the thought puts pressure on your skull, summoning an all-too-familiar migraine.
When you close your eyes, you don’t mean to fall asleep, but that is exactly what you do. And when you dream, you do not wish for nightmares. You never do- and fate never denies you their company.
#daniela dimitrescu#daniela dimitrescu x reader#resident evil: village#re8 village#big oof in the chat for this one boys#introducing the secondary conflict#don't worry the next one will be happier :)#tw emotional abuse#we learn little hints of the reader's backstory here
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