#Common Sense of a Duke’s Daughter
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The Lady - 2
Character: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Eddie Horniman x Female Reader
Summary: After fifteen years away, a step-daughter returns for her Duke step-father's funeral, only to inherit a staggering 8 million pound debt and strike a risky deal with a criminal underworld figure.
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Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3 , Chap 4 , Chap 5 , Chap 6 , -
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Bucky leaned back in his chair, studying her reaction keenly. "I understand your concerns," he said, his tone surprisingly understanding. "But trust me, this is a business matter. We're not in the business of hurting innocent people."
"If someone died, I'd probably get deported," Bucky added casually, his tone belying the seriousness of his words.
"You're American too?" you blurted out, your voice tinged with disbelief. It was only now, under the stress of the moment, that you noticed Bucky's lack of a British accent.
"Yup. Just like you. So we have something in common," Bucky replied, his smile masking the underlying tension between you.
Leaning back in your chair, you feigned deep contemplation, buying yourself time to process the weight of Bucky's request. "After thinking thoroughly, it's not gonna happen," you finally declared, your words a thinly veiled refusal.
Bucky's easygoing demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a steely resolve that sent shivers down your spine. Drawing closer, he rested both arms on Rupert's study table, his gaze piercing you unwaveringly.
"Your Grace, because of my friendship with Rupert, I'm giving you this last chance," Bucky declared, his voice low and commanding.
With a swift motion, he produced a business card from his suit pocket and slid it across the table towards you. "I'll be waiting for your call."
As he retreated, you couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding creeping over you. The stakes had never been higher, and you knew that the choices you made in the coming days would shape the course of your future in ways you couldn't yet comprehend.
The weight of the situation pressed down on you like a suffocating blanket as you surveyed the room, your eyes landing on the familiar photos adorning the walls.
Among them, a small picture frame caught your attention, capturing a moment frozen in time: you and Rupert, smiling at a polo game.
Your voice faltered as you addressed the silent figure in the photograph. "Why did you choose me?" you whispered, the weight of the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. "Dad."
Feeling lost and overwhelmed, you pondered your next move. Should you confront your mother, who seemed to have kept secrets hidden all along?
Or seek answers from the twins, who had already distanced themselves from the burden?
After careful consideration, you decided to turn to your childhood friend, Eddie, for guidance. With a sense of determination, you grabbed the car keys and set off for Halstead estate, hoping that Eddie might offer some much-needed clarity in this sea of uncertainty.
As you stepped onto the familiar grounds of Halstead estate, memories of summers past flooded your mind. Despite the initial awkwardness of being left behind by your mother, the warmth of Eddie's family soon enveloped you in a sense of belonging.
The memories of summers spent here flooded back. Your mother left you behind, as the twins didn't want you to join the holiday. So, your mom left you here since Eddie's manor was closer to you.
Initially awkward, but it became enjoyable with Freddie always cracking jokes and Eddie, the adventurous one.
Reminiscing about fishing trips, horseback riding, and clay shooting, you couldn't help but smile at the fond memories made in this idyllic setting.
Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through your reverie, and you turned to see Freddie, Eddie's brother, approaching with open arms. Despite the passage of time, Freddie seemed unchanged, his jovial spirit shining through.
"Y/N! Come here. Give me a hug."
You embraced him. It had been 15 years, and he seemed different, almost radiant.
Freddie said, "I'm sorry about Rupert. I lost my dad last year too."
You replied, "I'm sorry too."
"So, it's obvious you're not here for me. You want to see Eddie?" Freddie asked.
"I am," you confirmed.
"He just finished a conversation with a guest. Let me take you there," Freddie offered, leading the way.
When you walked into the study room, you heard an elegant female voice saying, "I'll give the info later."
As she walked out, you noticed her stylish demeanor and sensed a mysterious aura around her. There was a hint of leadership in her presence, but what struck you as odd was the faint smell of weed lingering in the air.
She smiled at you before departing.
"I didn't expect you to come here so soon," Eddie remarked with a smile as you turned to face him. Seated in a leather chair, he exuded the air of a true duke.
"I didn't know where else I could go," you replied.
Freddie cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two alone."
Eddie offered you a seat and poured a drink, which you gratefully accepted.
"I heard you got the title. Congrats," Eddie said, raising his glass in a toast.
You chuckled softly. "The title is useless when all I've got is debt."
Eddie fell silent for a moment. "I went through a similar situation myself. What kind of problem are you having right now?"
"Do you know Bucky Barnes?" you asked.
Eddie clicked his tongue in response.
Crossing your arms, you continued, "So you know him. That means you knew about my stepdad's weed business."
Eddie leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Rupert got into the business earlier than me," he began, his tone reflecting a mix of resignation and regret. "The woman you saw before is Susie Glass."
"He had a business with her," Eddie continued, his voice tinged with disapproval.
You clenched your jaw, the realization sinking in.
"I didn't know much about the details, but your father was on the list that worked with the Glass," Eddie explained, his expression troubled.
"He wanted out," you interjected, your voice firm with determination.
Eddie nodded grimly. "And that's where Barnes came in. He's a syndicate, setting up a branch in the UK from New York. His business was unique and deadly."
The dimly lit study seemed to take on a more sinister atmosphere as Eddie spoke, shadows dancing across the walls like flickering flames. The air was tense, each word carrying the weight of unspoken truths and hidden dangers.
"Rupert owes Barnes 8 million pounds," you stated, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
Eddie hesitated for a moment before responding, his expression thoughtful. "That's..."
"I know, it's insane," you interjected, your voice tinged with frustration.
Eddie met your gaze, his eyes reflecting a mix of sympathy and determination. "I could pay off your debt," he offered quietly.
You recoiled slightly, taken aback by his proposal. "Then what? I'll still in debt. It never ends," you countered, a note of bitterness creeping into your voice.
You sighed, the weight of Rupert's decision heavy on your shoulders. "Why did Rupert choose me?"
Eddie nodded in understanding, his expression reflective. "I asked the same thing when my dad chose me instead of Freddie."
Your brow furrowed in confusion as you looked at him, prompting Eddie to chuckle softly. "Problem solver," he explained simply.
You nodded slowly, considering Eddie's words. "Both of us did join the military. Is it because we went through difficult situations?"
Eddie leaned forward, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with you. "Probably," he agreed, a reassuring smile playing on his lips. "But I'm sure you could handle it. If not, I'll be here to help you."
A warmth spread through you at his words, and you felt a slight blush creeping up your cheeks. "Thank you," you murmured gratefully, appreciating his caring demeanor.
You nodded firmly. "I've got all I need. I'll go now," you declared, trying to maintain composure as you turned to leave.
Eddie nodded in response. "Sure. I'll see you next time," he replied, his tone gentle and understanding.
As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a swirl of emotions inside, like a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and feelings. You tried to keep a cool facade, but deep down, your heart was racing.
Meanwhile, Eddie watched you go, a flicker of concern crossing his features. Then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Did she notice?" someone asked quietly.
Eddie glanced over, meeting the gaze of the speaker. "Not yet," he responded softly, his expression thoughtful as he contemplated the situation.
You drove for what felt like an eternity until you finally arrived back at your own manor. As you stepped inside, you noticed Hugo playing in the living room with Susan. Ignoring your mother, your focus was solely on your little step-brother.
You were just ten years old when you first met Rupert, and he had quickly become the best father figure you'd ever known. During the eight years you spent here, you learned to appreciate Rupert's love for his legacy and the history of the manor.
Sighing heavily, you knew you were about to make a risky decision.
Heading to Rupert's study again, you picked up Bucky's business card and dialed the number. After just two rings, his voice filled your ears. "I've been waiting for your call, Your Grace," he said smoothly.
Rolling your eyes at his confidence, you replied, "Just one job and you clear the debt?"
Bucky chuckled, his tone dripping with assurance. "It would be a big explosion. They'll think it's a terrorist attack. But no, Your Grace. Five small explosions, and we're done."
Bucky's voice crackled through the line, his tone both humorous and tinged with an unmistakable edge. "Think of it as fireworks, Your Grace. Except instead of pretty colors, we'll be making a statement."
You couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, the gravity of the situation juxtaposed with Bucky's nonchalant demeanor. "And what kind of statement would that be?" you asked, trying to match his casual tone.
"The kind that says, 'Don't mess with us,'" Bucky replied, his voice dripping with a dangerous charm. "We'll leave 'em scratching their heads and scrambling for cover."
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, you couldn't deny the thrill of adrenaline coursing through your veins. "And you're sure this will work?" you inquired, a hint of skepticism creeping into your voice.
Bucky's confidence was unwavering. "Trust me, Your Grace. When it comes to making a scene, I'm the best in the business."
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#theo james x you#the gentleman 2024#mob!bucky barnes#mob!bucky#edward horniman x you#eddie horniman x you#eddie the gentleman#bucky barnes au#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes#bucky x y/n#bucky x reader#bucky x you#james bucky buchanan barnes#buckybarnes#james bucky barnes#bucky fanfic#winter soldier#james buchanan barnes#bucky x female!reader#bucky x f!reader#bucky x female reader#marvel crossover#marvel fanfic
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Honestly why even bother making Jason afrolatino if you're not gonna write him as he is in canon when that's what actually'd make him work good rep for us.What i mean by this is
His ego is huge,he's super tough and an edgelord,has anger issues and brutal ass tactics and is a morally gray vigilante but he's ALSO a huge woman respecter to the point he thinks they're better than men,is extremely kind with a huge soft side and his exterior attitude and Red Hood are trauma responses that're framed as valid on his end so he's not the 'Scary Black Man' stereotype and with the exception of the vigilante part this is actually a pretty common personality type for irl black men-Important note that i don't fall under the attitude but i AM a black man(and woman)
He's been a huge nerd since he's debut in both meanings of it-He's a genius who was a star student in school and loves classical literature,theater and speaking articulately and poetically but just happens not to 24/7 since he's a comic book character,not a Shakespearen one
And his soft sunshine boy with hidden depths Robin self is a critical part of making him as black latino work-You can't go with the retcon of him as a mini thug because it's extremely dangerous stereotyping
Duke as his favorite brother-It's erasure with white gringo Jason but even worse and just stupid because both of them being black would it EVEN BETTER writing they're eachother's number one Batboy pick.Ain't no nigga picking Tim when the only other black guy in the factor is Right There and fuck ya aus,keep Jason white in them and leave afrolatino Jason out of your mess
He hasn't expressed a particular preference for girls he likes but HAS for the ones he dosen't and it's preppy perfect judgemental ones who try to 'tame' him so rip all y'all's white X Readers LMFAO.Worth noting that his canon girlfriends have been a half cambodian tomboy(Rose),an edgyptian butch(Artemis)and a darkskin black woman(Dana)and that he's actively rejected a white blonde girl on the basis of her being too normal(Isabel)and Kory post deblackification so i think it's obvious where his tastes lie
You CANNOT make him and Roy or Batcest a thing-I don't think i need to explain why pairing up a white man who knew an afrolatino since he was 14 and him grown with a daughter and putting him in incest is violently antiblack
Poverty is not inherently bad in black or latino characters and there was a point in canon where it was used as simply an element in Jason's story instead of demonization so use that edition.But making him a drunkard,a smoker or a sex fiend is 100% perpetuating stereotypes and he's canonically the opposite of all three so again,sometimes things that are canon are better
Him being tall and super jacked and intimidating looking can actually enchance it-He uses it to his advantage to get people he dosen't like to fuck off because they buy into the propaganda and gives him more deepness with the rest of his personality
This includes him being a real gamer and his neapolitan food addiction and your headcanons on his other tastes should follow their lead-His favorite characters should be black and latino ones(His favorite Marvel hero is Miles Morales,it's canon to ME),he should listen to black and latino artists,he should eat black and latino food and know how to make it for that matter,etc
Back to a Duke situation-You also can't make a white woman instead of Talia his adoptive mom for obvious reasons and imo if you're gonna make him and Stephanie besties,she should be black too for that black best friends and found siblings rep(She works as a black woman as much as he does a black man and i'll make a manifesto of that like i did him if asked).This applies to the Team Dad Jason take too in the sense that he should mentoring Damian and Nell and Tiffany since they're Batgirls instead of white kids
In summary what i'm trying to say is:If you're going to see Jason as an afrolatino man,you need to go beyond just the aesthetic and little bits you feel like including because you think they're appealing and actually write him as an afrolatino man,as Jason Todd and not some random guy
@nogender-onlystars @willieoo @mayameanderings @desi-pluto @insomniac-jay @vulnonapixes-dc-corner
#jason todd#black jason todd#latino jason todd#afrolatino jason supremacy#duke thomas#rose wilson#artemis grace#dana harlowe#koriand'r#isabel ardila#roy harper#bruce wayne#dick grayson#tim drake#talia and jason#stephanie brown#damian wayne#nell little#tiffany fox#jayrose#jaytemis#jaydana#anti batcest#trans jason todd#autistic jason todd#batfam#rhato#dead sidekicks force#all new teen titans#summerposting
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The Story of Minglan
I am so upset about Buwei's death but very curious about what is coming next. Since this is a c-drama and they can't have an immoral Emperor on the throne as an endgame, I suppose that the Yong family is going down one way or another. Let's hope they take the Qi household with them, especially Princess Pingning.
Team Prince Yan!
***
Yawn.
My lack of sympathy for this woman and her whole family cannot be overstated.
***
Did any of you care whether other people lived or died?
Fuck you both.
And the best part is that his stupid ass thought that if he was to whine in front of the Emperor about Minglan, this useless man would grant him the marriage 🤣🤣
***
He has already forgotten that she beat Buwei to death because of him, smh, and they are back to business as usual.
Human lives literally mean nothing to either of them. I wouldn't be able to forgive her if she murdered a pet hamster to hurt me, let alone a whole human being 😡😡
***
Hopefully, he will be lucky enough not to meet you in his next life.
***
Oh, boo-hoo.
How terrible for your mother and you that your delusions of grandeur are just that. Delusions. Classism is hell of a drug.
I hope you get squashed.
***
Do it!! Please! Make my day!!
***
LMAO, WHAT HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP?
You have literally had people raped and kidnapped, and very likely murdered. And here you are, threatening to murder more. The cognitive dissonance, I cannot 🤣🤣
***
Oh, yes, your daughter is going to be so happy in this marriage 🙄
Sooooooo happy!! Everything a loving parent would want for their child 🙄🙄
They are all literally insane. Unlimited power and wealth have rotted their brains.
***
That this needs to be spelled out for him is just 🤯🤯
And, like, we don't even go as far as Consort Yong. His own shitty mother could and would do this if he was to somehow elope with Minglan. This is also why there is absolutely no chance the Sheng family would allow this marriage to happen without the Duke and Duchess of Qi fully onboard and Minglan would never do anything that would jeopardise her entire family, such as run off with him without their permission.
***
MTE, Qi Heng, I fully agree with you on this.
Why anyone would bother to even cross the street for your worthless ass, let alone bloody their hands to get you, is very much beyond me.
***
LMAO, YOU ARE A USELESS MOTHER!
He is not a "thing", he is a whole human and you are talking about marriage here, an entwining of lives. How happy is she going to be, married to a man who resents her? Who married her only because you threatened to kill his parents and the woman he loves? Are you serious? OK, I can buy that an endlessly indulged princess will have the brain power and impulse control of a toddler and may not be able to see the full consequences of this, but what is your excuse? Moreover, what is your husband's excuse? All of you have worms for brains.
***
I'VE BEEN SAYING!!
Why must you make me agree with Qi Heng, smh?
Anyway, I can't wait to watch Zhu Yilong in something else. No love for this particular character but he's really fantastic, very subtle and very expressive.
***
Oh, thank god.
Hopefully, now Minglan can let him go and go back to being her usual intelligent self. This doomed side ship has been getting on my last nerve.
***
What the absolute fuck are you talking about, Gu Tingye? I thought you were supposed to be smart and looking out for Minglan!
Yes, please kidnap a fucking Imperial princess and see how well that works out both for the House of Qi and Sheng!
Why is everyone stupid all of a sudden?
***
How is Yuanruo the one speaking common sense all of a sudden?
Gu Tingye, what the fuck is wrong with you?
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When reading "The Remarried Empress" for the first time, I was so intrigued by Navier's monologue in the first chapter. I thought the premise of the webtoon was great, and I was so excited to learn more about the former Empresses and the world around Navier. Unfortunately, the former Empresses were almost never mentioned and the world building wasn't a central part of the story.
I was so disappointed that I decided to make my own. Thanks to the really talented @vanisagi27 my vision for the very first Trovy Empress came to life.
Here's the lore I created for her:
Ellinier Constantina Trovy
The first Trovy Empress (6th empress of the Empire) .
The Eastern empire was 200 years old when this marriage happened. The Eastern Empire was still in its earlier years. After the 60 year war, it needed a strong monarch to govern it and maintain what was conquered during the war. A marriage was arranged with the third daughter of the Trovy family. This marriage allowed the Trovy's to keep their kingdom intact and created an alliance that lasted over a thousand years.
The Trovy kingdom was famous for educating their daughters and sons the same way. All children were educated in politics, finances, warfare and management, with only the heir having to be versed in martial arts.
This alliance benefitted both parties. The Eastern Empire greatly benefitted from the guidance of a strong and capable Empress and the Trovy kingdom was able to maintain its independence. The Eastern Empire continued to conquer its neighboring kingdoms until only 5 were left in the Old continent:
- The Trovy kingdom from the North East coast;
- The Bluvohan kingdom from the South West coast;
- The South Kingdom from the Great Plains;
- The Whitemond kingdom from the Deep West;
- and The Western Kingdom of the Lazlo.
She was married to Julius Antonius Victor for 42 years. They got married when she was 20 years old (he was 3 years older than her). Even though there was no romantic love betweem them their marriage was a happy one. They maintained a close friendship throughout their lives. The Empress spent most of her free time with her close friend Marchioness Falhan. The Emperor on the other hand spent most of his free time with his childhood friend Duke Tuania.
She was beloved by the commoners. She created laws to protect the conquered people and made it legal for the conquered kingdoms to sent representative to the Senate. She made sure every conquered nation was present when the Foundation Law was written. This legal code, although modified is still being used today.
She gave birth to 6 children. 4 lived to adulthood. Her oldest son inherited the throne.
P.S.
I know that some things are not making sense right now (for example, the last name of the Emperor being Victor instead of Vict), but I promise it will make sense later.
Also, I made the Trovy a foreign royal family instead of nobles of the Eastern Empire.
#the remarried empress#empress navier#navier ellie trovi#rashta#sovieshu#webtoon#art#fantasy#byzantine inspired fashion
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I saw a post the other day about the absence of aristocrats in Austen's novels (in the sense of British peers of the realm, or at least people with titles, and not merely a social elite). I see this raised as a point pretty frequently, both in fandom and academia, and I find it intriguing that it comes up so much because the premise is ... wrong?
There are actually quite a few peers of the realm or immediate relatives of peers in Austen's novels. And that's even considering that knights and baronets are not included in this. Knights and baronets are technically not nobility, and knights especially could be quite low-status compared to the extended families of peers—e.g., look at the dynamic between Fitzwilliam Darcy, untitled grandson of an earl, and Sir William Lucas, a tradesman turned knight.
Some examples of canonical Austen characters who would generally be considered aristocracy in a fairly narrow sense:
Lord Courtland (unknown rank)
Lord Longtown (a marquis)
A viscount and his wife Eleanor (née Eleanor Tilney)
Lord — (Darcy's uncle, an earl, and one of the only peers in Austen's published novels with an openly redacted title, IMO as a reference with plausible deniability to the RL Earl Fitzwilliam)
Lord —'s son, Colonel (the Hon.) [?] Fitzwilliam, and his older brother, the heir
Lord —'s father, the previous earl
The previous earl's daughters, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Lady Anne Darcy
Lord Ravenshaw, the host of the aborted theatricals mourned by John Yates, and Lady Ravenshaw
(The Hon.) John Yates
A duke also at the theatricals
Lord Stornaway and his wife Flora, Lady Stornaway
Lord St. Ives, a newly-made peer scorned by Sir Walter Elliot
Lady Dalrymple, a relative of the Elliots and widow of a viscount, and her daughter, the Hon. [?] Carteret
Lady Susan Vernon, the spectacular villain of "Lady Susan" (her rank tells us she is the daughter of an earl or above)
Some of these figures (and others) are familiar to most readers. Quite a few aren't. I don't think this is on the readership. Many of the noble characters in Austen are entirely offstage figures, mentioned once or twice. So why is the question even worth bringing up?
Well, I think it's interesting that she does include them in the social world she depicts, but largely relegates them faaaar to the periphery of that world. And the noble or noble-adjacent characters who do appear in person are overwhelmingly the relatives of peers, not peers themselves.
Part of this, I think, is avoiding trouble. I mean, if the person who confronted Elizabeth at the end of P&P was not Lady Catherine, but Lady Catherine's brother the earl (complete with the allusion to Lord Fitzwilliam!), that might register to contemporaries as a lot more confrontational towards the nobility. Aiming the critique of snobbery at the earl's sister (and nephew) threads that needle carefully.
But apart from that, although the nobility of Austen's novels differ in character and background, from Lord St. Ives (son of a curate) to the performing duke, there is something that most have in common.
Most of them simply do not matter very much. They're generally over there, somewhere, doing something that the more major characters don't really care about. Or they simply exist. The ones we know something about either fail to impose their wills on the world around them, or aren't in a position to try. The gathered nobles' play in MP is disrupted by the course of nature, Lady Catherine and Lady Anne's plans for their children fail, Lady Susan has to scrape quasi-victory out of the wreckage of her schemes, etc.
And that's the minority that we know much about at all. Most are just part of the wallpaper of Austen's world. And I feel like that's the point. The nobility are integrated into the background of Austen's novels for verisimilitude. Their existence is part of that social world, as it would be in life. But it's hard not to come away feeling that she neither likes nor cares much about them. And if you exclude just one of her novels, Pride and Prejudice, the impression of the aristocracy's presence in her world goes way down.
I think this is partly why there's a sense that fandom is way more into the nobility than Austen herself was. Partly this is the influence of Regency romance/Heyer tropes. But partly it's because ... like, 90% of Austen fanfic is P&P fic and a bunch of it essentially has to deal with the Fitzwilliams. In Austen's larger oeuvre, though, the shadow they cast is largely an exception to the rule.
Normally, she includes them only to shove them off the stage. And that's kind of fun.
#anghraine babbles#long post#austen blogging#sorry not tagging all the characters#anghraine's meta#austen fanwank
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Hi 🤗♥️
I saw that you opened requests for Oscar Isaac and lately I'm in full obsession with Dune
I wanted to see if you would like to write oneshot fluff about Duke Leto x reader.
The duke and his wife have been happily married for years and have a daughter who is just 14 years old.
She is totally daddy's girl, always following him where he goes and seeing him as if her father had hung the same stars, but lately she seems more and more rebellious and distant. Defying his father every chance he gets and being a constant pain in the Duke's mind. Then he and the reader talk about it.
And the duke confesses that he has a great fear of losing his daughter, but the reader reassures him.
It can end however you want (angry or fluffy)
Hope you have a nice day (Sorry if I wrote everything wrong, English is not my native language) ❣️🤗
A small ficlet for you! Thanks for the request!!
"I just...I just don't know what to do," your Duke sighs. You know that whenever your Duke speaks plainly and shows such a lack of restraint of his emotions tells you that you know he has very limited options. "It's like she's going through this god-complex, trying her hardest to make everyone around her feel inferior to her. She has no respect, disobeys every word and lacks responsibility. How am I suppose to manage my own responsibilities when I'm having to make excuses for hers?"
For the last few months it's become common knowledge amongst all those serving under House Atreides that the Duke has been struggling to contain the temperment of his 14 year old daughter, especially those have fallen directly into the firing line of her unsavory behaviour.
As a chambermaid only a few rotations older than the Duke's daughter, it isn't common for you to discuss such matters with the Duke, let alone be in the same room as him, but recently he's begun confiding in you in a way you were never trained for, so your hesitance to help him doesn't go unnoticed. But after seeing how defeated he is sitting on the edge of his bed, looking rather unruly, you decide to chance the same luck. "May I speak plainly, my duke?"
"Please." He looks up to you as if you are the beholder of all wisdom, fingers still tracing the grain of his beard.
"You had lived many rotations before I was even born, so I cannot judge on who you were, but I can speak on who you are now. Everyone knows that you are a leader and a fighter. A good one; even-handed and compassionate. And for that, you have attained Caladan's respect and loyalty. But you are also a father. Her father exclusively. Nobody else on Caladan can share the honour of being your daughter, only her."
His eyes travel over you like he's seeing a side of you he hadn't before, adding to the profile he already has in his head. "It's so curious to me that you are only a few years older than her but yet so vastly different. Why can't I make her see it the way you do?"
Because you've pampered her from the moment she left the womb. Alas, you have more sense to remember what kind of consequences you'd face should you have spoken those words so candidly.
"By blurring the lines of being a leader, a fighter and a father. By letting her see the reason of why you are Duke of Caladan. Gain her respect the same way you did ours. Invite her to House conferences, show her how you train, show her how you handle hostile environments, make her your shadow."
The Duke rises from the edge of the bed with a sigh and saunters over to his wife's vanity, glaring at himself in the mirror. He has a narrow face full of angles and planes, with a high-bridged aquiline nose that gave him the look of a hawk, and woodsmoke in his brown eyes. Despite his intimidating looks, his outer shell doesn't quite reflect what's within. A point that perhaps his daughter has been abusing in recent months.
"I miss the little girl she used to be. I have so much love for her that I can't bear to spare the thought of her not being in my life. I'm scared of losing her. I fear that exposing her to this would put her in harm's way."
"Of course, and she trusts you to protect her as every child does. But what would innocence teach her that you coudn't?"
The Duke's face remains expressionless apart from the very small twitch of his eyebrow furrowing inwards. After a long moment of deliberating, his gaze sweeps to yours through the mirror. You begin to worry that you've stepped out of line.
"Do you think it would work?" He asks quietly.
To be completely honest, you don't know. At the very least, it would do her some good to be humbled.
"It is only advice, my Duke, not an instruction. I would never tell you how to parent your child, I would never disrespect you in that way."
The gentle nod of his head is a relief, and you feel your breath pouring from your lungs.
The Duke paces back over to you, standing just before you that you could feel the traces of his breath sweep across your features.
"Perhaps you are right. When I think about it, I learned most, if not everything from my father when I was a teenager."
A small smile spreads across your lips. "As did I."
The Duke reciprocates the smile, returning his gratitude in the way his hand gently squeezes the top of your arm. "He is a man I aspire to be. Hopefully one day I can be as proud of my daughter as he is of you."
"Thank you, my Duke. I'm sure your daughter will make a great leader one day."
He chuckles softly, "here's hoping she can survive being grouded for longer than a week."
#leto atreides#oscar isaac characters#dune#fluff#oscar isaac#request#oscar isaac x reader#oscar isaac fanfiction#leto atreides x reader#leto atreides x you#leto atreides imagine
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The Siren: Becoming the Villain's Family - By Poya (8/10)
I can fix him...can actually be a good premise. The beginning of this story is absolutely premium, but as it drags on it becomes more generic. The dark potential it has gets squandered in favor of cuteness, which is a huge mistake because the first fifteen chapters are very not cute. The tonal whiplash is jarring.
Aria is a Siren. Her father, Count Cortez, does not see her as a daughter. He sees his wife(?) Sophia, and his own daughter, as commodities. Sophia and Aria are both Sirens. Women that can enchant people with their voices. Aria and Sophia are both creepily beautiful.
Cortez captured Sophia. He owns a pair of rare anti-charm earrings called the Mermaids Tears. The relic makes him immune to Siren manipulation. He can still enjoy the amazing songs, but no Siren can control him when he has the earrings on. Sophia is alot weaker than Cortez...physically. I'm sure you can guess what happens. Cortez forces her to have a child, but then Aria is born with no voice....wait no. Sophia truly loved Aria. She protected her daughter until she couldn’t stand the pain anymore. She forced young Aria to drink a potion that steals your voice, over and over. Aria barely knows her mother. Sophia is always busy singing for mad nobles who want to bask in the pleasure of her voice. When Sophia is tired Cortez just beats her until she continues. The concerts last so long. Sophia's throat bleeds constantly. Eventually Sophia cuts her own throat while she is maddened by pain, unable to see a future where anything changes.
Aria is the last Siren. She also has no concept of reality. Sophia hid her away in a squalid corner of the house while Cortez used her. Aria has zero common sense so when her voice returns...she speaks. Cortez snaps his earrings back in, and he starts beating his daughter that day. He makes her live in a cage in the middle of a dank ballroom, where no one dances. The enraptured crowd just stares at her for years. The only thing Aria ever hears is begging. All they ever want is more music.
Cortez gained power because of his Siren prisoner. Most of the nobles in high society are beholden to him, because they are addicted to Siren songs. Cortez is an insecure man, who was never better than his special brother. When Sophia dies he's only upset because his money maker is gone. That's all Aria is to him. He realizes that he gave Sofia too much freedom. He smashes Aria's ankle, and he cuts up half of her face until it's unrecognizable. He doesn't want anyone to fall in love with her. He doesn't want anyone to pity her. He wants his rich guests to see his daughter as a music machine and nothing more.
Her throat begins to bled.
She's going to die too. Cortez is too stupid, greedy and high on power to stop.
Aria becomes a godly kind of symbol. A holy relic of sorts, where nobles gather to bask in the rare privilege of divine music.
Yeah.
It's a cult.
Duke Lloyd Valentine walks into the ballroom with a sword. Wildly violent shit happens, and he saves Aria. Why? Well, the Duke is crazy. He's a monster. No one likes him. Everyone fears him, but the Valentines have strange powers. He's hated, but no one is brave enough to kill him.
It's too late for Aria, but she's grateful. His madness is the first kindness she has ever known. When she does die, beside him, she wishes she could protect him.
Lloyd is big and tough, but he's hated for a reason. His family died and he was blamed for it. It's very likely that Lloyd empathized with the trapped Siren. He knew, deep down, that she was a sad girl and not a goddess. He's the same way. He looks scary. His fathers death drove him nuts, but he's tired of being blamed. He didn’t kill his family. He just, unfortunately, looks like a monster because of his powers. Saving Aria was the right thing to do, and only he was capable of scaring the nobles away. How heroic, but also it's clear that he was driven by love. Even though Aria's face had been torn to shreds. Intense.
There's a Saintess. She claims Aria is a devil that has corrupted all of noble society. Sadly, she's kind of right. Aria dies more hated than anyone. More hated than Duke Valentine himself. She dies without living life. She dies lonely, and angry. Her best friend and first love and savior is one broken man, who barely recognizes his own feelings for her.
It's tragic.
It should have been the main story....but...reincarnation I guess...
Aria wakes up in a young body, soon after her mother's death. She catches her father without the earrings, and she uses a song spell to get information out of him. Sirens are scary. Aria doesn't talk much because she is that powerful. She uses notes instead. Cortez decides to sell Aria to the Valentine family in this life, because she's too dangerous now. She's no longer a child that can be cowed by a pair of earrings. She willingly goes to the creepy magic Valentine mansion, because she wants to save Lloyd's family.
She meets the previous Duke Valentine. A strict man who controls giant wolves like its nothing. He is ruthless. Cortez barely gets away from the gate with his life...and then the Duke immediately starts spoiling Aria because it's clear that she's been abused.
Um....that's nice...but kinda boring...
Aria's motive is sweet and pure. Some kind of deadly curse follows the brides of the Valentine family. Aria says she'll be Lloyd's fiancé until he's an adult, in order to protect him from the mysterious force that destroyed his family. She suspects that the marriage thing is part of it. Duke Valentine willingly lets Aria marry his only son, and he doesn’t intend to divorce them upon adulthood. There's...no tension. Only Aria believes she's not wanted because of all the child abuse.
Lloyd and Aria get closer. A totally irrelevant secondary love interest is introduced. Aria's dark past...doesn't affect her much???? Lloyd currently doesn't have a dark side. They're just another overpowered couple. Bummer. Lloyd pressures her to marry him. He won't let her run away, but he's nothing like his other self in the other timeline. Everything works out because Aria knows the future and the cult never comes to be.
It's...a massive disappointment.
#yandere#male yandere#yandere male#yandere boy#recommendations#recs#rec#recommended#webtoon#The Siren: Becoming the Villain's Family
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𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄
SYN | As the daughter of Duke Balon, you yearn for affection that isn’t born from greed. As a knight in training and a sucker for his childhood friend, Eijirou just wants to make you feel good.
CW | fem!reader, squire!eijirou, lady!y/n, soft dom!eijirou, praise, cunnilingus, natural redhead!eijirou, implied childhood friend!tetsu and eijirou, mutual pining, MINORS DNI! THIS BLOG IS 18+
WC | 2.7k
AUTHORS NOTE | i’m back :)
this is how the fire starts. this is how we burn.
“MORNIN’ BESSIE,” Eijirou hums to the horse, kicking open the stall door with his heel. A hefty waft of what can only be described as animal rushes past him and his bucket of soapy water. With a sigh, the natural redhead picks up Bessie's bridle to push the bit between her teeth, hooking the leather over her head. Eijirou walks her out of the stall and into the field, setting the bucket on the soft grass. He grabs the sponge to ring it out before finally slapping it on her back.
Eijirou’s been working for the Balon’s ever since he was a little boy. His hair was darker then. He was a scrawny kid, who didn’t understand half the world and what was in it and yet, had seen too much for his age. Upon turning seven, he, along with a few other commoners, were called upon by Lord Balon to fill the gaps dead men left during the Great Battle of Douaï. He's much older now. His hair's gone from dark brown to bright orange, and he's a squire, so close to being a knight he tastes it. Many of the boys he came with lay rotting where they fell with swords in their bellies and their heads on mantles. Since their passing, Eijirou found his place among the other nobles. And...among you.
There’s a reason Eijirou washes the horses this early in the morn.
Sure, they’re dirty from yesterday and the evening, but, he’ll admit it. He’s up before the dew has had time to dry and Helios has barely stretched his arms atop Mount Olympus, and his reason is entirely selfish. The light flickers in your bedroom window, a candle. Another, then a third, all placed in the proper corners of your bedroom. His grip on the sponge tightens.
You don’t have curtains. It makes sense, yet none at all. You get up before most serfs are on the field, and your window faces where the sun rises. But also, your window faces where the sun rises. With the right angle from the right place, Eijirou can see much more than he should be able to.
He notices the white from your nightgown flutter in his peripheral. He dares not look—not yet, not while he can still get caught. Flipping Bessie’s mane to the other side, Eijirou dips the sponge in the bucket before washing her neck. He doesn't like to look, doesn't like to sully such a kind and forgiving family. He doesn’t like to sully you.
You always dress in a mirror, back turned to his prying eyes. Eijirou swallows as guilt weighs low in his gut. He shouldn’t, but he can’t look away.
The nightgown slides off your shoulders, settling around your hips before you finally peel it off. He groans, shaking the thoughts away. Your skin always looks so soft, pliable—and unfortunately, Eijirou can’t help but imagine what you’d feel like under his coarse fingers. Imagine the kinds of sounds you’d make, the—
“Ah shit.”
In taking a step back, Eijirou kicks over the bucket. Soap and water soak into the earth. He sighs, shoulders sinking. At least he’s almost done.
By the time Eijirou looks up, you’ve put your silk undertunic on and moved on to the next layer of clothing. He clicks his tongue in shameful disappointment that he can’t see what he typically gets to, but quickly buries that feeling deep.
We all want what we can’t have.
“Good Morning,” you flutter to the passerby. Shivering, you adjust the fur-topped cloak to hug your shoulders a bit tighter. Winter has yet to come, but autumn is cooling by the day. People busy like flies around rotting fruit, stocking up on food to last them through the frozen months. As you step into the barn, the chill goes from unbearable to better than nothing. Regardless, you push through the comfort, strolling straight through the back where the pigs are.
“Good Morning, Tetsutetsu!”
“Mi’Lady,” he bows his head, the rest of him occupied with filling the trough for the pigs. You massage your hands for warmth as he tosses the now-empty bucket onto the ground, lodges his fingers between his teeth, and whistles. Cupping fingers around your mouth, you blow mild air into your palms.
Some pigs perk up from their resting positions under the wooden awning. Slowly but surely, they oink the rest awake and lumber over to slop they dare call food. They squeal, snorting in gluttony as it smears all over their noses and cheeks. You snort fondly. Greedy Bastards.
“Where is he?” you ask. Tetsu raises an eyebrow, and you sigh. “Eijirou.”
“Ah, so that’s why yer here,” he grins, turning to rest his arms on the wooden fence behind him. Once you narrow your eyes, you slap him on the back lightly enough, before taking a running jump to perch yourself on the fence.
“No. My father has a message for him.” You hiss, awfully defensive. Your refusal to look Tetsu in the eyes says it all.
“I bet my Duke does.”
It’s an incredulous tone, and you huff. Unfortunately, Tetsu can see through you as if you're made of water; though frustrating, it's always well deserved. Eijirou’s father sent him here to squire for Ser Toyomitsu after he chose the losing side during the Great Battle of Douaï. He’s a greasy man. You’ve talked to him once, occasionally seeing him parade his big belly and bulbous head around the manor. You'll never understand how Eijirou can be the son of such a snake.
Tipping his head back with a nod to the right, Tetsutetsu grunts. “Trainin’.”
“Of course, he is,” you snort. In looking across the field, you see Eijirou clashing silver with Ser Toyomitsu. His long red hair bounces with each leap he takes from the confines of its messy bun. You don’t get to see him in armor often and choose to appreciate the view when granted the chance. Tetsu shoots you a confused look from the corner of his eye when you don't leave to chase him. “What? Shall I leave you to the swines?”
“They’re sound company, but unfortunately, they don’t speak English,” he shrugs. Ser Toyomitsu yells and Eijirou drops his sword, draping himself against a pillar in exhaustion. Tipping his head back, he lifts a waterskin up to his mouth and drinks. Water slides down the cut of his jaw and slides over his Adam's apple, disappearing under the silver shine of his armor. As he passes a dry hand over his lips, his eyes lock on yours. You wave. With a smile, he runs a hand through his hair.
“—ello, hello, Y/N?”
You jump back into reality rather abruptly—as if Tetsutetsu poured cold water down your back. A shock. The silverette snaps his fingers in front of your face, and you swat at them. You knick his knuckle, and finally, Tetsu pulls away, snorting. By the time you look again, Ser Toyomitsu knees Eijirou in the back and coaxes him to spar again, his attention stolen in an instant. That's fine, you think. His attention is all yours later.
You sit by the fireplace. The wood crackles and pops, burning like hell under your eyes. A fleeting thought flies through your mind, but dissolves into nothing the moment you hear a knock on the door.
Scrambling to your feet, the blanket shifts under your shoulders. Eijirou hangs in the doorway, confused in his tunic and trousers, and the wooden door screeches closed behind him. Tension fills the room like smoke.
“You wanted to see me, my Lady?”
“Goodness, no one’s listening, Eijirou. Avoid calling me that when we’re alone, if you could.”
Chuckling, he shuffles deeper into the room. You gesture to the free chair in front of the fireplace, and he takes it, rubbing his hands together as the servant's quarters aren’t well heated. Draping your blanket over his shoulders, you sit to his left.
“When your father catches wind that you’ve invited me to your room, he’ll have my head,” Eijirou grunts, breaking the silence. You watch him watch you, stepping deeper into the room but not by much. The highest points of his nose and cheeks glow orange against the fire, flames licking toward him as if it is alive. He hasn't looked you in the eyes since he entered the room. You have to suppress the urge to make him.
“Kindness pays better than money,” you shrug. Eijirou snorts.
“Your father is a charitable man.”
“Liar.”
He chuckles as you step forwards. Eijirou doesn’t back away, but doesn’t advance. He never does. You think it to do with his morality, something he only casts away for you, albeit guiltily. You’re impressed that in this era, he has any morals at all. Soon, he is to be a knight. Your knight, if you can help it. You circle him like a predator does his prey, and his crimson eyes flicker your way with every other step you take.
Sliding behind him, you dip your head into the juncture between his head and neck and nibble. Eijirou sighs, blindly palming for the bedpost. Your hands find his waist and hang for a bit, before slowly sliding towards the tied waistband of his pants. You refuse to move any further, and he clears his throat.
“What’cha doin’?”
You bite your lip. His voice is much rougher than when you heard it last, and you find yourself preferring him like this. Blushing, trembling. Confused.
“Tell me to keep going, and I will,” you say, free hand moving to caress the side of his neck. His Adam's apple dips under your fingertips, and you struggle to hide a grin against his skin.
Suddenly, he’s spinning on his heel, and his lips are on your own. You let out a pleasantly surprised hmph. Eijirou slowly nudges until the backs of your knees press against the mattress. He lays you down softly, with a hand pressed against your upper back until you’re laid horizontal. Though the view from this morning was nice, seeing him slightly disheveled with rippling muscles under his glistening skin as he holds himself above you is so much better.
“Tell me to keep goin’, ‘n I will,” Eijirou mocks, crawling until he’s on his knees. He settles between your legs and doesn’t even move your nightgown out of the way.
“Fuck you,” you grunt, cheeks warming. He gives you an incredulous look with all but a lift of his eyebrow, and in clearing your throat, you try again. “Eat me out…please.”
With a smile, he hikes the base of the gown above your knees. You scoot forwards, forcing the fabric bunches around your hips and putting your panties on full display. Feeling embarrassingly exposed, you coerce him to get on with it with a kick, but Eijirou takes his sweet fucking time. Your teeth grit in annoyance.
“Good girl,” he coos. You shiver as his calloused fingers trail down your inner thighs and toward the place you need him the most. “You’re a lot nicer when you listen, y’know.”
“Yeah well, so are you,” you breathe, hips bucking. Eijirou grins, curiously thumbing your slit. The feeling’s muted against your panties, giving you a hint but not enough to satisfy. Your leg tenses in reflex, pouting once it's clear he won’t go any further. In clearing your throat, you hiss, “Get on with it.”
“Don’t act like this is a chore for you, my Lady. That’s not gonna get’cha what you want.”
You snarl. He’s patronizing you.
Eijirou returns to allow his curiosity and hands to roam. As he grabs at your inner thighs and presses the heel of his palm against your panties, you grip the sheets behind you in impatience. He flicks at your undergarment like the futile thing it is. Eijirou peels it to the side, painfully slow. Blinking between your legs, your breath catches as his eyes lock with yours as the flames color his back fiery orange, and finally, he’s plunging a finger inside you.
“Oh, you’re soaked,” he groans to himself. Your head tips backward, eyes fluttering closed with a huff.
“Shut up.”
Eijirou snorts. Something tells you that you won’t have your attitude for long, but you’ll be damned if you let it falter this early. As his finger starts to move steadily, in and out, you catch yourself whining for more friction, hips bucking pathetically. You think he seems to pity you, as he slides in another finger and dips down, kissing the hood of your clit.
Flattening his tongue, Eijirou drops his fingers to lick up your slit. You shiver, now rolling your hips in tandem with his thrusts, and the redhead’s eyes flutter shut as you lose yourself to the rhythm. He hides a smile against your folds, but you feel it through the stubble anyways.
Eijirou grunts in surprise as you grab his hair with a demeaning need for something to hold onto. In your search, you pull his face closer, and Eijirou’s teeth tug at your clit in response. With a squeal, your grasp tightens. Eijirou groans, pulling himself up and unfortunately, away from you. You whine.
“Shh, quiet,” he breathes, cutting your moans off with a kiss. “As much as I’d like to hear ya right now, y’gotta be quiet f’me.”
You nod, sliding a hand over your mouth to stifle any accidental sounds. With that, Eijirou stuffs you full with a third finger, and goes back to work without another word. He sucks at your clit, lapping at the juices that spill over his fingers. His cheeks inflate, and he spits, rubbing it in with his thumb. Eventually, he moves on to nip at your inner thighs, and you press them against the sides of his face, unaware of exactly how much weight you’re putting his poor skull through.
Eijirou cradles your ass with his free hand. You whimper, pulling at the roots of his hair. “Fuck, Eiji.”
Moaning at the sound of his name, he pulls off your pussy with a ‘pop’. His fingers never falter. If anything, you’d say they picked up speed. Letting out a broken moan, you stuff the skirt of your nightgown between your teeth in hopes it’ll muffle the sound. Eijirou shifts his weight forward, planting a hand on the right side of your head, growling at the sight of you.
“How’ya feelin’, Pretty?” He grunts, leaving light kisses up your neck. You watch his tricep flex from under you, and as you squeeze around his fingers, and Eijirou chuckles. “Gettin’ close, huh?”
Biting your lip, you whimper out a yes and nod vehemently. You claw at his back as your insides squeeze, and suddenly, an intense wave of euphoria comes over you. Eyes rolling into your head, you convulse, wettening Eijirou’s calloused fingers. His lips merge with yours to muffle your cries with impeccable timing, until your hips stop jumping, and your grip on his back loosens. Eijirou pulls away.
Exhausted, you lazily reach for his nape to draw him in for a final hurrah before letting him go. His fingers slip out of you with a schlik, and Eijirou collapses to your right. Your chests rise and fall in tandem, and he hangs his head your way, hair strewed around his skull like a halo.
“Good?” He asks, and you nearly coo at the worry hidden behind his eyes.
“Excellent,” you say without hesitation, crooking your neck until your eyes meet his. Eijirou chuckles from his chest, and it's beautiful—you insist he’s made of star stuff.
This isn’t permanent, you remind yourself. But that doesn’t keep you from wishing it could be.
“What’cha thinkin’?” He prods at your shoulder with a finger. You get on all fours with a grin, crawling over him until your nose nearly touches his.
“Thinking about returning the favor.”
Intro quote by: Libba Bray
(absolutely gorgeous) heading image by: @luxus-aeterna
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The Tudor chest- who has a podcast with some historians that come on, on Instagram said Elizabeth woodville was a commoner who captured the kings heart. Is this true?
The whole 'commoner' thing bugs me because, in absolutely every sense of the word, Elizabeth Woodville was not a commoner. She was, on her father's side, the daughter of a well-known and quite celebrated knight who fought alongside some of the top brass during the early part of Henry VI's reign. Her father also held a high position in the household of John duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI and the English regent in France. His family had held lands in Northamptonshire for more than a century and several of his ancestors had served as sheriff. Which is all to say that the Woodville family, while not amongst the highest echelons of nobility, were firmly part of the landed gentry.
And that doesn't even take into account Elizabeth's mother, Jacquetta de St. Pol, whose father was a liegeman of the dukes of Burgundy, and whose extended family had married into both the French and the Burgundian royal families. She was also married, for several years, to the aforementioned John duke of Bedford, which made her the literal second lady in England after the dowager queen Catherine of Valois. After Bedford's death, she scandalously married Richard Woodville, but it is worth keeping in mind that she continued to style herself Duchess of Bedford until her death.
So, no, Elizabeth Woodville was not in any sense a commoner. A lot of that rhetoric comes from anti-Woodville propaganda spread first by Richard earl of Warwick, and eventually picked up by George of Clarence and Richard of Gloucester (later Richard III), from whence it made its way into the official Tudor historiography of the civil wars.
#england#wars of the roses#elizabeth woodville#jacquetta de st pol#richard woodville#john duke of bedford
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The duke [Maximilian in Bavaria] preferred to spend time in the private flat on the ground floor of the Palais Max, even in winter. Since the entrance faced the street, he could come and go without being noticed by the family. For example, when young Elisabeth was asked by the housekeeper if she had seen her father, who had just returned from a long journey, she replied: “No, but I heard him whistling”. Their contemporaries reported that Max and Ludovika often lived under the same roof for days without meeting. If the woman and the children wanted to see the duke, they would have to announce themselves to the servants. This distance was common in royal circles – the couple did not enter each other's flats, but had the chamber staff announce themselves. In the duke's case, it was a demonstration of how disruptive meeting his wife and children was to his daily routine.
Max seemed to repeat with his children what he had suffered with his father. He showed no interest in his offspring and with such clarity that his wife's relatives were horrified. Ludovika's sister, Archduchess Sophie, wrote that the fact that her brother-in-law was “not at all occupied with his wonderful treasure”, i.e. their first-born son, was evidence of frivolity and an “almost mute heart”. Elisabeth's brother, Carl Theodor, was no less severe: he called him “egoism made flesh”.
Elisabeth, who as a child was called Elise by her family, grew up under her mother's wing. Ludovika's childhood had been very different from her husband's, and equally different was the attention the two devoted to their children as parents.
The duchess also repeated her childhood experiences: for her, children were the centre of everything. If her parents already considered time spent with them a desirable family happiness, Ludovika also found fulfilment in looking after her offspring. One of her daughters-in-law even described her as “a distinctly maternal being”, seeing in her a woman who lived entirely for her children. Decades later she herself would tell her granddaughter Amalie von Urach that a woman only has her children “when men go their own way”. Despite Max's lack of interest in family life, the question of whether or not to bring offspring into the world was never questioned – as the old duchess put it, “never interfere with God's plans”. Ludovika's great commitment to her children, her passionate devotion to the role of mother at that time unusual for a woman of her status regardless of any maternal feelings, was also a compensation for the lack of attention within the marriage. Max was as disinterested in her as he was in his children, and offered her little more than a few acts of kindness. There was no relationship between the two, said Ludovika's sister Sophie, who protested: “Such indifference cannot even be imagined!”
If one investigates the reasons for Max's indifference not only towards Ludovika and the children, but also towards the judgement of those around him, one must take into account not only his sad childhood, but also the unique position he occupied within the Wittelsbach dynasty. Thanks to his family constellation, he was a very special lord of the majorat: not only did he inherit the entire family fortune, but at a young age he was never subject to any restrictions from the older and higher ranking members. Duke Max could do whatever he wanted, in the true sense of the word. Consequently, as well as displaying a strong individualism from a young age, he also developed a self-centredness that left no room for complacency towards others. Ludovika's family certainly perceived his behaviour as pure disrespect, but who was supposed to tell the duke what to do? The Bavarian king, Ludovika's half-brother, so outraged by Max's behaviour, was often on the verge of lecturing him, but for some reason he always spared him. It was he – and he alone – who was in control of the house, yet he was careful not to intervene.
Winkelhofer, Martina (2022). Sissi. La vera storia. Il camino della giovane imperatrice (Translation done by DeepL. Please keep in mind that in a machine translation a lot of nuance may/will be lost)
#after going through this book back and forth I finally started to read it properly (i.e. from the beginning until the end)#anyway friendly reminder that max wasn't a good father nor husband!#maximilian joseph duke in bavaria#ludovika of bavaria duchess in bavaria#karl theodor duke in bavaria#empress elisabeth of austria#historian: martina winkelhofer#house of wittelsbach
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A/N: I just love historical AU, I could also totally see Dick Grayson pulling something like this lol
The kingdom of Oceania spans approximately forty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty-two square miles, it’s main exports are saltwater pearls and sea salt, and houses a modest population of twenty-three million. And of those twenty-three million citizens, one of the most important public figures is currently resting his head in his arms on your desk, staring up at you with puppy dog eyes.
‘I wish he wouldn’t do stuff like this.’
“What can I help you with your highness?” You keep your eyes fixed on the paperwork on your desk, your ears trained on the scratching noise of your pen against paper.
“I told you not to call me that.” You allow yourself a quick glance, the frown on his face only curling down further.
“My sincerest apologies for my transgression, your majesty, third sun of the holy Kingdom of Oceania, Prince Perseus Jackson.” An impatient huff whistles past his lips, and you finally look away from the documents to meet his gaze. His mouth is creased in a fine line, link creeping onto his cheeks when you meet his famous ocean half-green-half-blue eyes.
“I told you to just call me Percy when it’s just the two of us.”
It’s true, he has urged you to call him by his nickname once or twice. Making the same exact expression he is right now when you continue to call him by his official title.
Perseus Jackson, second prince of the holy kingdom of Oceania, second in line for the throne, and the illegitimate son of king Poseidon and the daughter of a fallen noble in the countryside.
Six medals glitter on his uniform, one for every year he’s gone to war. That Perseus Jackson, the war hero, the commoner prince, the boy that burst into high society at thirteen years of age and won the hearts of every noble, is currently the cause of your mental gymnastics.
‘I’ve called him by his official title twice, and twice he’s insisted on being called his nickname. Either his etiquette lessons haven’t had any impact or he wants to get his way, so what’s the right thing to do in this situation?’
“Of course…Percy.” His nickname leaves in slow, halted syllables, but if he senses your inner turmoil he doesn’t let on. Instead a grin bright enough to blind someone spreads across his face.
“What can I help you with?” Your hands thread together on the table.
‘He probably needs a favor, probably something about the war he just came back from, he must have charmed some poor thing from the country and had his way with them and now he needs a political favor to cover it all—‘
“Would you have some tea with me?”
‘Huh?’
You watch this nineteen year old boy fidget slightly, averting his eyes from your confused gaze.
“W-we haven’t had much time to talk since I came back, I want to know how you’ve been.”
‘Is that really all?’
“I-I unfortunately cannot at the moment, I have to finish the paperwork for the war.” Even the mention of the stack of work in front of you is enough to get a long sigh to whistle past your lips. All anyone see when a war is over are the victory celebration, and who the ‘hero’ was—not much thought went into the logistics of war, even after a side won there was money to be paid as compensation for the deceased and injured, resources to be moved from one area to another, and reparations to damaged areas.
‘Which means I’ll probably be here all night organizing the rejuvenation efforts.’ You think, stifling a yawn.
“Is that why you’ve been so cold lately? Because you have all of this work because of me?” Percy asks, flashing you those puppy-dog eyes that might even bring Duke Ares to his knees.
‘I’m upset because everytime you show up, it feels like I’m getting a decades worth of etiquette exams in thirty minutes.’
“It’s not like I wanted to go, you know,” he huffs, leaning his arms on the front of your desk. “Triton insisted that someone from the royal family should go.”
‘Then the damn bastard should have gone himself.’
You can’t blame Triton, the crown prince, for becoming wary of Percy. Truthfully, if you had been in his place you may have felt the same.
‘Prince Percy has the uncanny ability to always exceed the expectations of those around him.’
You’re certain that Triton’s been hoping Percy wouldn’t return from one of the countless wars that rage against the kingdom, only to be shocked when Percy not only returned, but with tales of bravery and victory nipping at his feet. Still—
“You think he’d figure out after the first three wars it wasn’t working in his favor.” The words escape your mouth unintentionally, you and Percy share a startled look, your hand slamming over your mouth.
‘Well, it’s been a nice twenty years of life. But now that I’ve slandered the royal family I’ll be executed, looks like mother was right, my mouth really did end up killing me.’
Percy’s laugh break you out of your morose thoughts, your eyes widen when you look up to see him. The rosy tint of his cheek, the boyish tug of his smile, the golden aura of joy that radiates off of him—
‘You couldn’t ask for a more charismatic prince.’
“That’s what I’ve been saying.” He says, leaning back in his chair, a smirk twitching into his lips. “I don’t know why he’s so paranoid, I already told him I don’t want to be King.” You feel like you’ve traded one secret for another, you criticize a royal and in exchange Percy disparages the throne—both punishable actions.
“Hey, if I help you with this paperwork, you’ll be able to join me for tea won’t you? Well I guess it’ll be late…how about dinner instead?” You watch this prince, the most popular boy in all of Oceania, fuss over the paperwork stacked in his vassals office, a smile threatening to curl into your lips. It’s certainly not proper etiquette to let a prince help you with your work but…
“If you can handle the organization of revitalization in damaged areas, I can do the rest and we can make it in time for afternoon tea.”
‘Some mistakes are worth making.’
The smile he gives you is more than worth the possible punishment. The kingdom of Oceania spans approximately forty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty-two square miles, its main exports are saltwater pearls and sea salt, and houses a modest population of twenty-three million. And of those twenty-three million citizens, you seem to have a soft spot for the most important person out of all of them.
#percy jackson x you#percy jackson x y/n#percy jackson x reader#percy jackon and the olympians#percy jackson#percy jackson imagine#percy pjo#pjo#pjo x you#pjo x y/n#pjo x reader#superhero--imagines
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So ummmmm this is my first post hope y’all enjoy I’m mainly going to do gender neutral stuff with arcane, Star Wars and Frozen characters cause I’m a simp this first post is going to be for my fellow elsa simps so…..ENJOY!
Warnings Angst, death, and loss of loved one.
Title: Loving the snow queen is a losing game… Part1 ;)
You were not a person who was rich nor a noble you were just a person that lived in a small house near the outskirts of the kingdom though somehow you blessed to have a friendship with the king and queen’s daughters. Elsa and Anna somehow you were their best friend you played and laughed and cried with them the three of you were a trio of fun but unfortunately when Elsa accidentally hit Anna with her powers things somewhat Changed Elsa became a bit distant then the day their parents died things changed completely. Your friends were no longer there for you and you weren’t there for them the two sisters grew apart while you lost your father, your grandfather, and your uncle you were alone luckily you had a few dogs with you so that’s a plus but one day a day that you thought was going to be the same as any other was about to change. A man on a bourse gave you a letter it was from Anna she had personally invited you to come to the ball and the opening of the gates you were glad she at least remembered you. You decided to go you didn’t have the best clothes luckily you managed to find some decent clothes that would fit the occasion and so you walked to the castle there you were at the gates when they opened nostalgia came in you remember the the times you got to the hang out with the sisters in the castle. You were happy and eager to see them after all this time you couldn’t wait to see Anna and Elsa and how they grew then after wondering the castle you found yourself sat down on a bench for Elsa to become queen when you saw her god the whole world stopped for a moment as you saw her beautiful blue eyes and her gorgeous blonde hair your love for her was reignited like a wild fire. Then when you saw her nervousness when she held the two golden objects (that idk what are called) you noticed a small bit of ice growing on where her hands were you always knew she had powers and when she became distant you noticed she stopped but didn’t asked cause you assumed she didn’t want to or something. Then at the ball you found Anna and Elsa at last and they both saw you Anna eyes lit up in happiness and relief “oh thank god you came” Anna said to you giving you a big hug while Elsa she looked at you with happiness and surprised eyes some people could notice she blushed a little even Anna noticed but said nothing “how have you been y/n?” Anna said “Good…though things have been lonely” you said “…….I missed you guys” “missed you too!” Anna said you looked at Elsa and then said “ my queen” in taunting voice as you bowed she rolled her eyes “Good to see you too y/n” elsa said as she chuckled a little then you guys talked and catches up then came the Duke of weaselton (Idk how to actually spell it lol) he took Anna and danced while you and Elsa laughed then you too had a moment. “ I’ve missed this” you said “me too…” said Elsa as her eyes Changed a bit from fun to longing and emptiness “You okay?” You asked ”oh I’m okay” she said though deep down you knew something was off then Anna returned from her crazy dance then Hans (who I hate but also kinda like cause he was a good betrayal villain) appeared you when Anna said her and Hans were wanting to be married you had……..mixed feelings about a the common sense part of was like “ok hold wait a minute this is just to fasts y’all at least need to date and put a ring on it first” while the friend side of you was like “yes! Finally she finds someone to love” then when elsa said no you were shocked a bit but agreed with her a bit on the “you can’t marry someone you just met part” but when things started to get heated you tried to help Anna and elsa then when elsa used her powers and created those spikes of ice you got to closed and the spikes hit your shoulder and your face leaving two small cuts which Elsa. Her eyes showed concern, fear and pain while she could feel her heart ache then she ran yet you still tried to follow her when she crossed the lake you chased after her but then you slipped too hard and ended up knocking yourself out the last thing you saw was elsa running into the unknown
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So, thinking some more about how Hubert was assigned to be Edelgard's vassal when she was four, being told to never let her come to harm. This still does not make any sort of sense as Edelgard was the fourth daughter and, what, ninth kid overall? Why is the heir to House Vestra, who serves the emperor, protecting someone who by all rights would be unlikely to inherit the throne? Caspar's support with Edelgard makes it out that in the empire, whomever inherits the title gets everything while any other kids have to make their own way in life. Then there's Ferdinand's claim that kids are thrown out of their families if they don't meet standards, which pushes them to be better and results in them being superior to the commoners. On top of that, there are Houses such as Mercedes and Constance's that were abolished when their heads were killed, never minding that in the case of the former his wife was still alive and pregnant with his child while the latter died saving the Empire from invasion.
So this is leading into my theory that House Vestra were the ones who did the experiments, being Agarthans who infiltrated the Empire while appearing to be loyal to the emperor. Likewise, House Vestra is supposed to be the spymaster yet TWSITD have not only infiltrated the empire but have had influence in it's decline. If Vestra was doing his job, he would have been checking out stuff on the Flame Emperor since the Knights of Seiros were looking into the strange goings on especially within the Empire.
House Vestra is known for being secretive and their battalion wears Agarthan robes, so it just begs the question: how involved were they with the moral decline of the empire? Hubert says they have been sworn to the emperor for generations, protecting the Empire since it's dawn. So they've supposedly been there since the beginning.
Lycaon I died suddenly of illness, which ended the War of Heroes. Wilhelm and Rhea left the Empire, and at some point the first Aegir challenged the Emperor to a duel over the throne. Could the death of Lycaon been the work of his Vestra? I mean, think about it.
The history of Fodlan (using some Japanese lines) says that during the time of Nemesis Fodlan wasn't unified, it's clans murdering and stealing from each other for power. Wilhelm started the war in order to unite Fodlan and stop this, instead creating a society where knowledge is championed. Nobles weren't supposed to be inherited positions, but then Lycaon dies and the Empire makes peace while it's leaders peace out. Then we have a new power on the throne challenged, fighting for it. At this point, the meritocracy of wisdom that the Empire was supposed to be is compromised, as it's leader needs to be strong enough to maintain their rule. All this around a hundred years of the Empire's founding (though chrome translate says it was hundreds of years) as the empire slides into the behaviors it was created to to stop.
Another question: Was Lycaon's successor his sister, or his daughter?
Really though, considering what we know about Wilhelm's reign it seems weird for him to have someone like House Vestra, given all this power but no land to manage of their own. A knife in the dark to maintain their own power for a country where power wasn't something to be sought after. Yet, how was Loog able to raise an army without House Vestra and the Emperor becoming aware of it? It also removes some of the responsibility from the Emperor if they can have someone else do the dirty work for them, making those tasks far easier..
Also, it says that war was on the verge of breaking out in the Alliance after Claude's uncle was killed, only for Duke Reigan to suddenly fall ill (kinda like Holst does in Houses). Curious, especially since said uncle wasn't the only successor to have been killed. Definitely seems the plan was for there not to be a functional leader when Edelgard invades it.
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hiii elly <3
kinda bored lately and wanted to watch something so came here for recs :) could be of any kind btw like movies, tv shows (any language)
also maybe not something from your top ten kdramas post lol i've already watched most of the shows on there
also how're you doing?
hope you're doing well <33
Hey girl hey! Thank you for asking, I'm doing well! Terribly busy, but on the whole things are good. How about you?
Oooh okay this is quite a thing to ask me, I'm going to get decision paralysis dhdvdvdg but let me think of some less-common things I can recommend!
Available on Prime Video.
The Surprise (2015). Also available on Tubi. After inking their own death warrants, an eccentric millionaire and distraught woman fall in love and find voiding their contracts isn't an option. Romance! Dark humor! The k-drama truck of doom, except it's a Dutch movie! (Disclaimer: I do not recommend watching this film if one is suicidal)
From Prada to Nada (2011). A modern Mexican-American adaptation of Sense and Sensibility that surprisingly really works?? The title is woeful but the movie is pretty darn good.
The Lady Vanishes (2013). Iris Carr is traveling across Europe by train when she befriends Miss Froy, an elderly English woman. But when she wakes up from a few hours' sleep, Miss Froy has vanished. As fellow passengers claim the lady never existed, Iris fights to discover the fate of Miss Froy - and prove that she's not going mad.
Love and Friendship (2016). Adaptation of Jane Austen's Lady Susan, starring Kate Beckinsdale. The main character is the definition of gaslight gatekeep girlboss, and the supporting characters are all just. so funny.
To Tell The Truth (1961). If you just want something to distract you that doesn't take a lot of thinking, old game shows are ideal. In this one, a celebrity panel tries to guess which of three strangers is the person they claim to be.
Masterpiece/PBS Passport Shows.
All Creatures Great and Small (since 2020). Season 4 currently airing. A feel-good (but unafraid to get real and sad) show about the misadventures of a country vet practice in Yorkshire.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke (since 2020). Season 4 currently airing. In 1880s London, the daughter of a private investigator decides to take over his detective business after his untimely death. Mystery series that also has just about the BEST opening titles ever.
Available on Tubi (which is free!)
Forever Young (1992). The movie where I realized that Mel Gibson was cute, actually. In 1939, a heartbroken Army pilot volunteers for a cryogenics experiment and wakes up in 1992, where he gets a second shot at love.
The Space Between Us (2017). On his first visit to Earth, a man born and raised on Mars bonds with a street-smart young woman while unraveling the mysteries of how he came to be. To quote my mutual Chris: "wanna cry? 🥰"
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1960s). Some of the stuff hasn't aged well, but this is still one my top favorite old sitcoms. All the characters are so fun and endearing. You probably won't want to sift through all five seasons, so my top episode recommendations are "The Curious Thing About Women" (s1 e16), "The Two Faces of Rob" (s2 e2), "That's My Boy??" (s3 e1), "Big Max Calvada" (s3 e9), "October Eve" (s3 e28), "My Mother Can Beat Up My Father" (s4 e1), "4 1/2" (s4 e7), "The Impractical Joke" (s4 e16), and "Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (s5 e1).
(I got a little too excited with those episode recs, oopsie 🤭)
The Surprise, like I mentioned.
I just found out that they have some episodes of The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry on Tubi, if you want some good nostalgic laughs.
Available on Netflix.
Love At First Sight (2023). Cute romance about taking a chance on a good feeling.
The Adam Project (2022). You've probably seen it, but I will mention it anyway! Time travel. Annoying and precocious 12-year-old child. Ryan Reynolds and Zoe Saldaña. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo! FIVE STARS.
Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would (2022). The best Trevor Noah special, in my opinion. The curry story??? Iconic forever and ever.
The Full-Time Wife Escapist (2018). A woman takes a job as a housekeeper, but in order to stay in it, she and her boss agree to a contract marriage. If you've ever seen the k-drama Because This Is My First Life... This is the better version of that show, imo. The ML is suchhh a sweetheart.
Indian Matchmaking (since 2020). I never watch reality TV, so I don't know how I started seeing this show, but it's SO good and super bingeable.
Omg the Jurassic Park movies are on Netflix right now
Available on Hulu.
Wild Mountain Thyme (2020). It's a love story, and it's so silly and enjoyable. The resolution is just shdhfhshshsg
The Giver (2014). Jonas learns the secrets of the past, and the utopia he's grown up in begins to look more and more dystopian. Also, Taylor Swift is there for some reason.
Flamin' Hot (2023). It wasn't until I watched this that I realized how much I need movies about Mexican success stories in my life. File this under ✨inspirational✨
If you haven't yet watched The Artful Dodger (2023), you absolutely should. Come for the romance, stay for the absolutely bonkers, insane hijinks.
I barely started watching Timeless (2016), but it looks really fun and good. It's about time travel, unsurprisingly for me 🤭
Available on Disney+
Baby's Day Out (1994). A childhood CLASSIC of mine. The cuteness is just. so much. The humor is standard slapstick, but really fun, and the mom has some of the most gorgeous 90s outfits omggg
Hidden Figures (2016). I love this movie endlesslyyy. Awesome intelligent Black women overcoming the odds, space race setting, and even a side of cute romance.
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). Dare I say, best dog movie I've seen?
The Call of the Wild (2020). Another dog movie, with Harrison Ford. I don't remember much of it but I remember really enjoying it.
Milo Murphy's Law (2017–2018). Have you seen this follow-up to Phineas and Ferb? If you haven't, you need to. The comedy is so gold tier and the music slaps.
Delicacies Destiny (2022). I kind of stopped watching this c-drama about 1/3 of the way through, but I totally should pick it up again, and it's worth watching even if just for all the gorgeous food scenes.
And of course, anything from my top ten k-dramas that you haven't seen yet is an automatic recommendation 😌
This got. so long. I hope you find something here that you like and thank you for asking @milkteawithrusk!! This was so fun to put together! 🫶🏼
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The Lady of Ghosts
This is only the temporary title but here it is, a rough draft ficlet of Penelope as a medium/psychic who is raised and taught by spirits.
Penelope was never alone. Well… physically, yes, she was. But the ghosts counted too. Penelope had long been taught how to act as though she didn’t see the ghosts. They were far too troublesome and even if, at one point, her people had once been responsible for helping these spirits move on, it had changed with the hunt of the mages.
She was the one in her family with the greatest abilities and they theorized the greatest magic. Everyone awaited her awakening. The magic largely fading from their people as they hid and begged and prayed to a goddess that had long since died. The goddess hadn’t come to save them and now Penelope was physically alone. She had lost most of her family to an attack on their caravan, then her mother had passed on a few weeks ago. Her rotting corpse still in the house, she had learned to live with the smell.
But now there was this man, this Great Lord, holding out a hand to her. Her family was quiet, waiting to see what she would choose. Death on the streets or survive in the treacherous world of the nobles? She hesitated before she finally took his hand on the promise of her mother’s burial.
Her ghosts follow her to the Duchy, to the people who look at her with anger simmering under their skin, resentment and disgust clear in their eyes. Did she make a mistake? Maybe, but now she needed to survive.
A pink haired woman wanders around the house, this ghost is sad as she trails her children. There are other ghosts too, all of them older forms of the portraits in the gallery.
She’s well fed, well dressed, and warm but she’s never felt so unhappy. She smiles and calls the Duke, father. She hopes one day she can say it with all the love and sincerity it deserves. She calls the Duke’s sons as brothers and her eyes trail to her long dead cousins, older and protective of the only girl in their generation. She thinks she understands the resentment when her gaze lands on them.
Not too long after she arrives, another ghost joins but this one is different. This little girl with pink hair who her mother sobs at, is trapped in mirrors, unable to touch one another but still able to converse. Penelope knows Yvonne Eckart is dead.
In the dead of the night, she goes to the mirror in her room and speaks to her. The resentment on the girl’s face fades away the longer they talk and she finds out that her death was unnatural. The ancient enemy stirs and now possesses her body. Yvonne cannot move on while her body still wanders.
The mother and daughter spend the rest of their days observing those they’ve left behind and Penelope is bombarded with interesting tales from the ghosts of the Duchy.
Their disgust at a commoner joining the illustrious house is gone in the face of a fascinating living who can speak with them and hear them.
They make it a bit harder to focus on the tutors her new father hires for her but it also makes the lessons more interesting and easier. She breezes through every lesson with the advices from the previous Duchesses, the lectures and history lessons from the previous Dukes, and she discovers new paths that had been unused for so long with Yvonne and her mother at her side.
Her ghosts though, they wander around, keeping an eye out for Yvonne’s body. Wants to use this chance to spy on the enemy who had never been able to see or sense the spirits. She feels lonelier with the numbers decreasing but mother is there by her side so she calms herself.
Yvonne leads her to the attic and she stays there, watching the fireworks with Yvonne in silence. Then Reynold storms in and she takes his abusive words, lets her new brother rant and rave at the unfairness of her presence. Half an ear is spent listening to Yvonne’s tale of that night.
When her brother loses steam. Her hands reach out to his and pulls him to sit by her and lets him lean on her shoulder. She wishes she could share her gift with him, just this once so that he could see Yvonne inside the pocket mirror beside him.
-
-
Her first introduction to Society is at the Palace. There are many who sneer at her when her new family isn’t looking but she pays it no mind. She sees a blonde woman glaring at the Empress. Her jewels are expensive but the style of her dress is years out of fashion. The ghost of Duchess Evelyn Eckart, her father’s late wife, approaches the woman, the former Empress and mother to the Crown Prince in polite courtesy.
The conversation flows easily and she disregards the few ghosts that have gone to attend the event. The Empress follows the Duchess to her and she gives a strained smile when the Empress introduces herself.
She hadn’t known back then that the Empress had glanced at her with a look of calm approval and beyond that, the calculating gleam of the woman that had won a reluctant prince the throne.
That was the day her lessons began in earnest and she had unknowingly allowed herself to be molded into the Empress’ revenge. Every advice given, every lecture she had received from that day on was to lead her to the Crown Prince’s path and to the Emperor’s throne with him.
But for now, she listened to the woman’s plight with understanding and pity, missing the way the ghosts around her had shared a knowing look of acceptance as they joined in on her education.
So this story is just an idea for now. I just really needed to write it down somewhere. But basically, the Empress’ revenge is the downfall of the new Empress and her son. And to place her son, her beloved child on the throne. She’s angry that her son had been a child when he was sent to the frontlines and wants to make them pay for it, for the assassination attempts as well. The other ghosts are just bored and they’ve taken a liking to Penelope who talks to them when she’s alone and who always listens to their stories so they’ve decided to help her out. The nice thing about this is that Penelope now has quite a lot of spies she can use.
#death is the only ending for a villainess#vadd#villains are destined to die#callisto regulus#death is the only ending for the villainess#penelope eckart#fic ideas#penelope eckart x callisto regulus#penelope x callisto#fanfic
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So much suffering could've been easily avoided, had Billy's musty ass learn to calm the fuck down and instead of moping around, he should've took anger management classes before s3 ep 3. I understand it's very common for younger kids to look up to adults because Ryan probably admired Billy and now he let Ryan down.
If Ryan shuts Billy (and Shitlander) down next season, I'd say he deserved it. I know Billy's life have been hard too and I had compassion for him as well, but that's never an excuse to treat others like Billy did to Ryan in ep 3, s3. (I'd be) Glad Ryan (might be) mature enough to realize it was Billy's own fault that he decided to gaslight him.
Ryan has every right to cut billy off because at this point Billy is going to deflect and turn his back on everybody (like he did in the comics). Billy (like 🍇lander) will just brainwash Ryan with his own issues and turn him into a minion and i will never trust him around kids after using that infant and threatening to unalive children too. Yeah he didn’t kill a child (yet) but Ryan (nor any child) should get mixed up in his toxic bullshit. I wouldn't be surprised if he successfully unalives Neuman's daughter, like the unsentimental douchebag he is.
holy fuck anon! putting all your asks together in this but i'll try to respond as best i can between them (gonna put your shizz in italics), lmao there is a shit ton of ranting and i may do a little myself, don't mind me~<3
first off, that grapelander killed me because i have a sick sense of morbid humor but also wkuk the grapist
but i feel you, i get what you mean and for sure, billy is an enraging character that somehow manages to be less well adjusted and more fucking damaged than homie while having genuinely less garbage to show for on his 'shit has happened to me' roster. not even saying that as a dig at the guy but it becomes very very clear (and infuriating) when you actually read the comic or even just watch back the show. specifically, he doesn't have a single soft moment where he's being genuine with someone that isn't becca and it dives hard into that disturbing element.
the difference being that homelander has the power to do far far worse with much greater ease, but the craziest thing about that is that he generally doesn't and even in some cases (obviously not always, but james stillwell even mentions this in the comics, that homelander has incredible control over his temper) shows a remarkable sense of self control. and i think it shows for more that there's so much homelander chooses not to do at any given moment while billy is spending 1000% of his time and effort working towards these things, including chipping away at homelander's control (which as everyone keeps warning him is gonna fuck EVERYONE over!)
but billy is pretty much the next stage of what would happen to homelander if he actually did earn someone's love/learned to actually love them back. he latches on hard and it's borderline parasitic with how bad he can be and how he makes them his lifeline without actually addressing or working on any of his issues. his whole damn schtick is to drag homelander down to his level so they can duke it out. losing becca was a catalyst, but the reality is that it stopped being about her a long time ago. the real issue is his pride
that should be clear enough in his willingness to alienate ryan AND potentially and actually destroy whole buildings full of thousands of innocent bystanders just to get to ONE guy.
and the thing is, alienating ryan was completely unnecessary. it was billy being a preemptive cunt of 'i'm eventually going to hurt/disappoint this kid, so let me just make it easier on myself by doing it on purpose now instead of actually trying because trying is too hard.'
WELP. y'know billy, maybe if you hadn't done that, the kid would have kicked his grape daddy in the balls and left with you at the end of the season instead~!
but it should say enough that he actually said the words (more/less) "nah, it'll be years before ryan can take him(homelander) on" in regards to using him like a weapon against said grape daddy...
I hope fans turn against trashlander when seasons 4-5 rolls, after its revealed homelander is a shitty, unsupportive parent who's ruining his kid. I also hope they realize Creeplander was given a choice to go to the light side, leave vought, and call them out on their shit, numerous times, yet he refused and then killed or tried to kill the people who offered him such. This man has made his choice MANY TIMES, AFTER choosing to fall to the dark side in the first place. Why should he be offered yet another chance? And why would he expected to make a different choice? And even if he did, why should he be considered eligible for redemption? He can’t un-murder all those innocent people, he can’t un-torture his victims. He does not want to be redeemed.
But if they wanna keep having the flying creep in a wholesome light, then go do that, mother teresa. Imma see this dude get folded by kryptonian dogs
listen... i gotta level with ya...
as much as trashlander is accurate, and as much as i look forward to the coming chaos and destruction and blood and death~<3<3<3 excuse me~
that is an unlikely hope when we got fucking rape apologists in fandom. just. i gotta be real.
and homie's not gonna be the shitty unsupportive type parent. don't get me wrong, he will absolutely be shitty. but less 'you're a fucking disgrace and i'm going to abuse the shit out of you' so much as... 'my kid is perfect and can do no wrong ever' entitled parent nightmare. he's going to be supportive... in all the worst and most horrible ways, enabling the shit out of ryan to be terrible (you remember that little smirk ryan got at the very end of s3? think more of that type of shit, tho i do think it may become too much for ryan to handle, right now, homie is the only person telling him what he would want to hear and providing him with **dangerously unconditional 'love' while he's in a very vulnerable place)
that being said, there haven't been instances where homelander's been presented with any real chances to leave vought. and i'm going to say this because it comes from a place of first hand experience with abuse.
homelander is trauma bonded to vought. yes, they abused and did so much terrible shit to him, but they were still his 'parent', his 'mother' or 'creator'. and when someone is trauma bonded to family? especially in a place where *family* and love is the ONLY thing you long for and the ONLY thing that you have? it is NOT that simple to be presented with an 'out' and just take it.
especially when you have nowhere to go.
abused is a precarious place to be put in (never say that people choose this, they don't). because it is not always obvious, it is not always painful, but it is unbearably blinding. it is a vicious cycle that continually hurts you. but it also offers you comfort, and love, and everything you could possibly want... without ever actually following through or instead giving you the bare minimum to keep you addicted. and most people don't realize they are STUCK in the cycle until it's dug its claws in and won't let go, or until it's gone too far.
but it is NEVER a choice. it is a specific psychological response and preconditioning that is extremely difficult or even impossible to break through and break free from.
abuse victims never want the abuse. what they do want is to *fix* the situation and not abandon the people they love, even if they shouldn't love them. but it is not an easy place to be in, and it is not a choice either.
homelander doesn't want to abandon vought because they are all he's ever known, he doesn't want to be abused either. he wants to fix it, and even if that's a lost cause, he doesn't see that because vought robbed him of the ability to see that. by making him BELIEVE in them and having control of his life since before he was even born.
he never had a choice and he still doesn't have one because no one has shown him that he does.
sorry for the lecture, but for me that subject hits way too close to home and any time i can correct misinformation or prevent victim blaming, i am who i am.
anywho. agreed that 'redemption' may still not be the best choice for homelander's situation. not to say it's impossible, but he also DID become an abuser and has hurt countless people. and you're right, none of those people will get a second or their lives back. but i think there is also something to be said about what homie could do to make up for it/how many more he could save if he did make different choices (even if unlikely, lmao)
comics homie is actually a different (even more fucked up and tragic story) who honestly might have chosen to go back to being 'good' post epiphany/reveal if he'd had the choice, but i digress.
i am looking forward to him flying off the deep end tho~<3
Ryan needs to ditch Homelander (and Billy) to secure his future and live his own life because at the end of the day, it's all about control (especially when it comes to the flying cunt). Ryan will not only lose his childhood, but lose his adulthood as well, the past and future being stolen from him, unless he manages to escape the flying cunt (and Billy too because fuck him and Ryan has every right to not forgive a poor excuse of a human being too) to make his future secured and his life not ruined any further than it is. Also, tell vought to fuck off too.
I also hope he find some strangers who will genuinely help him and treat him right than those scumbags (and Mallory too because she sus).
Get orchiectomy when he's of age because if I came from a fucked up bloodline and surrounded by fucked up people on a daily basis, I'd do the same too (I mean I wouldn't blame him at all if he did that)
Change his identity legally and move to a different ass Country because start anew.
agreed that ryan is pretty much better off without any of those mofos lmao. like honestly, he's too good for half of fandom advocating for his fucking death as they dick ride soldier boi. i don't care how handsome any of them are, ryan is a fucking child, becca's child, not a goddamn hot potato to be tossed around or cooked.
castration is a little extreme even with his powers i'm gonna say. i mean i kinda get what you mean but at the end of the day, we are not our bloodlines. ryan isn't his father and you def recognize that so i think he could move on with his life without necessarily going that far.
mallory is def sus but i still love her and i actually think the likeliest option is that ryan ends up saved after the whole scorched earf debacle (for real this time) and then adopted by annie and hughie in the end.
Despite the fact that Ryan really has been given the shit end of the stick in the reality he calls life. I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually becomes something without forgiveness, and he certainly becomes a part of some unforgivable acts, but really haven't been given the chance to thrive and succeed. It's gonna be sad, because I think Ryan would have been entirely different had he been given a chance. But chances can possibly be too late for him, or something will happen that emphasizes that.
However, depending on how seasons 4-5 goes, he should grow a backbone ditch both homelander and Billy because he can do better w/o them because all that poor boy wanted is to find a place where he is loved, safe, and appreciated. Yet, every time he finds that, it gets ripped away from him. I can't imagine what outcome he will have to suffer next. I fear what comes.
...
i almost don't want to do this to you but the irony is just too fucking poetically palpable.
LIKE FATHER. LIKE SON. and so the cycle fucking continues... jesus fucking christ fuck me.
'growing a backbone' is easier said than done. one of the pain points of the general hero genre is to teach us to protect those who cannot protect themselves. and what the boys does is take that ideal and put it through the meatgrinder of reality. we often don't do this in real life.
that's supposed to sorta be the lesson taught with lenny. he didn't 'choose' to 'sink', no one does. you could argue that the world is tough and people need to be stronger (like billy's toxic piece of shit sperm donor), but i would argue the world needs to be softer for those that won't be able to keep up or who are vulnerable.
one suicide is too many. what are we really doing if we let so many people fall that far?
EVERYONE deserves to feel loved, safe, and appreciated... and it's the lack of those things that CREATES monsters of men.
I've seen kids manage to leave their fucked up situations, despite difficulty. It's going to be simple though. Besides, not all strangers are bad, right? In fact Ryan had better luck with those he doesn't know very well- like kimiko- than he has with his own family. Buuuut, who knows how long can that 'luck' last.
Sure he has his maternal aunt and grandmother, but welcome him w/ open arms?? If a child comes to your doorstep, saying they're you're nibling (the child of your sibling) and grandchild, along w/ your sister and daughter dead because they accidentally killed her?
Because his entire life has been out of his control from being raised in a hermit place because of satan dad and vought, to the death of his mother, to his mom's so called 'husband' gaslighting him, and now satan dad most likely forcing Ryan to distance himself from others, and then said father involving Ryan in murderous plots and promising him family in return which he will never provide. Yeah, Ryan had zero control.
If it ever happens, a group of people (or supes such as super-duper), could be the point where he actually has a say, his freedom, and a support network and hopefully he embraces it but... It might not be a happy ending, depending on how things go in his future. And that is depressing.
Better to leave the hell he's in now than staying. Also, he can defend himself (for obvious reasons), until he finds some strangers who genuinely want to help him, rather than hinder him and the best way to survive in a new environment is to learn from the locals. He should fight tooth and nail to cut ties w/ shit from his past and no longer associate with it as he starts to get better because if I was him, I wouldn't even go back.
Unless something in him clicks in, which he feels he has to go back, as if there's (a) haunting shadow(s) constantly following him. People underestimate the power abuse can have over a victim. You even got oppressed nations or people glorifying their own oppressors/abusers in the real world. he might not be raging and trying to kill anyone right now, but he might clearly mistrustful.
i'm gonna take a moment to get a bit more serious and mention survivor's bias. (i'm also assuming you mean '*not* that simple' hopefully??)
but keep in mind and this more a guesstimate outta my ass so don't quote me on it. but while it's great that those kids get out of those shitty situations, keep in mind that for every 10 kids that do, you might have a 100 more that don't. (just look at the foster system or pedo church rings, sorry, yuck, i know... but there are a lot more child victims that suffer in silence than we could ever know)
and for ryan, yeah, i for sure hope that he is able to get out of it all and get into a better situation, at the same time you have to remember that he is a just a child. he is not going to manage that on his own and things are likely to get worse before they get better.
i don't think becca's family would reject him tho because shocker, i REALLY don't think they'd be like BILLY~! especially with ryan being the last piece of becca left. i do think they might have some fears or be wary, but i do think grams and sister would just be happy to have him and the closure
LMAO AT 'SATAN DAD', can vouch for that. tho to be fair... satan is a GREAT daddy~ but an AWFUL dad... ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) (i cannot resist and i am not sorry.)
but yeah, i think the ideal here would be for ryan to NOT become either of his 'father' figures
and what is all this shit at the last part??? see you DO get it! just try not to forget that billy and homie are also products of their upbringing. but they WERE ryan at one point too. innocent kids that didn't deserve what the world gave and *didn't* give to them...
billy got out of it but carries every fucking scar with him and it still has an ironclad hold on him. homelander still hasn't gotten out. ryan is a snowball waiting to happen.
ugh, this shit gets depressing but you ranted, i ranted, we all had good fun and great discussion of these shitheads and i am looking forward to the new season~!
fuck me this is long, and thanks for comin' to my ted talk.
#billy butcher#homelander#ryan butcher#becca butcher#the boys#ask#long post#abuse#trauma#soldier boy#multiple asks#hughie campbell#annie january#bad parenting#vought
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