#everyone she talks to is either evil or royalty
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How does Norway view it’s royal family I’m from Canada and lets just say that we are not big monarchy fans. But I wonder about other countries because commonwealth countries are kind of in a unique situation where their royalty is actually royalty of another country (Britain) and we just pay for it. (no seriously, we pay more for the monarchy in canada than the uk does)
I can't speak for everyone, but I personally am in favor of having a royal family and would find it disappointing and a change for the worse if we became a republic.
The monarchy in Norway came about the right way, when the country became independent in 1905 the people voted with an overwhelming majority in favor of getting the Danish prince Carl to become our king. It was in order words not something imposed upon us by a thousand years of feudalism, but a newly independent people's choice to have a king of our own.
King Haakon proceeded to, when Norway was occupied by the Germans, refuse to accept our government's formal request to disband (as they had been driven into exile and could no longer govern), as well as refuse to surrender. Did this lead to war, yes, but it also meant that through the war we remained an occupied country with a legitimate government overseas broadcasting to every citizen by radio that we could look towards in place of the occupying government imposed upon us.
After King Haakon there was King Olav, who took the bus during the 1973 energy crisis so as to lead by example, and went skiing in the woods like everybody else, he was an immensely popular king. Now there is King Harald, who married a commoner in Queen Sonja and whose children have made even more scandalous marriages (Princess Märtha married an artist and author, Ari Behn, while the crown prince Haakon married a single mother of a child out of wedlock who was and in certain circles remains viewed as very low class), but both Harald and Sonja are very loved. Harald famously is very witty, and more importantly he is a very inclusive and kind-hearted person who made it explicitly clear he is as much the king of immigrants and LGBT people as he is everybody else. He has also competed in the Olympics seveal times, we love an athlete.
The big eyesore is Princess Märtha, whose sins and scandals are money but in a nutshell, she made the choice to be financially independent (good!) only to then do so in the worst ways she could manage. There was the angel school, where you would go learn how to speak with angels (I once went to a party where we read her book and followed her instructions on finding your aura, great fun and I recommend this for a party game), which had everyone laughing at her, to the much less funny adventure she is now on, where she has... gone full Gwyneth Paltrow. As in, she is engaged to a shaman who says children with cancer must have wished the cancer upon themselves and he will also cleanse women's vaginas of evil if they've had too much sex, and she has toured the country with this man using her princess title (The tour was called "The princess and the shaman") which... yes. When they are criticized, they say it's racism because he is black, this has not endeared them to many either.
She can live her life how she wishes, the fact that what she wishes is to give a platform to a man who talks about being a lizard who contains ancient spirits and also the 5G net is bad is what makes people upset and lose respect for the monarchy as a whole.
Personally, I remain in favor of the monarchy because she'll never be on the throne, she is already irrelevant in every way that matters. The relevant royals we do have do their jobs well and responsibly, which is where my wanting to have a monarchy in the first place comes in: I believe in the constitutional monarchy as we practice it in Norway.
The people who make the decisions will be elected by the people, but the person representing the country, whose job is only to represent and better the country through charities and strengthened diplomatic ties, has an advantage if he isn't political and gains a continuity from not being replaced every time he loses the election cycle. In these times of rising populism I think the advantage to having an apolitical head of state and military is even greater. We could in theory vote a populist party into power but we wouldn't have a populist president, the way certain countries experienced not too long ago and stand to do now. As for how one should go about finding such a non-political, continuous leader of the country, I think inheriting the position is as good a way as any to keep the transferrance of power from one sovereign to the next from getting political. In other words, monarchy but keep it constitutional.
(I'm also colored by how King Haakon handled the occupation, as well as how the King of Spain as recently as in 1981 prevented a military coup in Spain by denouncing the military's actions. How relevant these events are to the present day can be debated, but I think the past couple of years have proven that we should not take the status quo for granted and our democracies can come under threat. When they do, I prefer to have every safeguard imaginable in place for them. If that safeguard spend their time promoting art and charity that's just a big bonus.)
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Y'all y'all y'all y'all.. Forgot to post about this but I'm making a new show of my own titled "Pinespire"!!!
The show follows Shelly, the creative protagonist who's literally me, who loves meeting with her friends in Pinespire which is this little medieval town based on "Helen". It's also known as "the town where weird things happen" because weird nonsense happens everyday in that town. The citizens are pretty much used to it. There's gonna also probably be so many magical beings who exist in this show because they live in a fantasy location.. Maybe one of the magical beings casted a spell on Pinespire and that's why weird things are happening everyday in that town in the first place.
About Shelly's character.. She loves art and nature. She winds up working at the art camp in Pinespire due to it being art outside in the wilderness. There could maybe be a scene where she teaches "the different shapes in the clouds", where you were to look up at the clouds and come up with ideas on what they look like.
Aside from art and nature, she's also OBSESSED with Christmas but only really brings up her insane Christmas obsession during the Christmas specials. It wouldn't make sense for her to randomly bring up Christmas at her art camp. Shelly also loves to play the tambourine and is usually playing it at her art camp when talking about the art of music.
Every episode of the show's gonna focus on each of the friends, or all of the friends, so we can see what they all act like or what they all do either at home or in Pinespire. Maybe one or more of these friends in this friend group has a rival or a special interest or power. Maybe Shelly gets gifted the power of bringing people together or some shit like that /j..
There's also this royal villain duo who want to destroy Pinespire because it took over their land and/or replaced their land. They also hate whimsy and fun.. They're all about being "logical" or "serious" except for their son, who's this villainous prince but he's not as evil as those 2. He has some goofiness in him, and a soft side, while still keeping a rather cruel or pompous attitude.
The royalty are usually sending their son into the town to try and destroy and/or ruin the place. There are also times where they want their son to try and scare away everyone in the village so they can try and tear it apart that way.. But Shelly and the gang are always obliviously getting in the way.
The friend group shenanigans is gonna probably be the A plot... Meanwhile the prince acting goofy in town, working in literally every store, and failing miserably with his stuff is gonna be the B plot. I'm thinking maybe him getting a new job in every episode could be a running gag. He thinks getting a new job and acting foolish during the job will run people out of the village with how poor the service is. He also thinks it's an easy way to find Shelly and the gang obviously…
This show's gonna be quite simple, but as original as possible y'know? It's still a W.I.P for now as well.. It might get even more original in the future..!
The prince is also probably gonna secretly fall in love with Shelly without telling anyone. He is gonna act like a nervous wreck everytime he sees her but not to the point of the show getting annoying. Another running gag could POSSIBLY be him getting distracted by Shelly every time he's trying to do something villainous... But I feel that'd make people hate the show lmao..
Also... To end this discussion about the prince... He'd probably end up having a soft spot for the village and its people. Instead of instantly having a crush on Shelly, he'd probably slowly grow to have a crush on her without anyone knowing. At first he'd probably wanna try scaring Shelly and her friends out the village so he can destroy it, but then comes to a realization he has a bit of a crush on her and acts like a socially awkward person around her.
Meanwhile... Shelly doesn't even know who he truly is, because he's always in some job outfit every time he's meeting Shelly.. And Shelly thinks he's just some weird man who's failing at everything he's doing, and not some serious threat. Shelly absolutely cannot stand the prince acting like a Pinespire citizen, because she thinks he's absolutely bonkers.
The prince doesn't want to reveal who he is to Shelly, because he's afraid Shelly would know who he is and become absolutely terrified, when in reality Shelly has a secret crush on him as the prince and not him acting like a citizen. Miraculous ladybug ass moment /j
Shelly has a crush on the prince, because she heard about the prince several times on the news, and thought he was really cute. Her friends would tease her about it, in a playful way of course! They'd say things like “imagine if the prince met you in person and fell in love with you”, when that's foreshadowing what happens later.
Shelly is also very well hidden or calm about her crush on him as a prince too.. Not bringing it up much unless it's with her friends.. Also unlike most girls in cartoons crushing hard on men, she isn't even that creepy or obnoxious about it at all. She actually has her limits when it comes to crushing if this makes sense. She KNOWS how obnoxious people can get with their crushes. She's seen it several times before.
Anywho yeah… Shelly crushes on the prince, not knowing that the prince is actually in the town dressed up as random ass workers each time. Shelly hates every one of them and KNOWS for a fact it's some random guy dressed up as a different worker because of how poor his job disguises are.. Like he doesn't look like himself as a prince at least, but he can't come up with a different job disguise as if he only has one set of clothes.
Also yet again.. The simping in this show won't be extreme nor will it be the whole plot of the series... The simping is only a special addition to the show... Adding onto both the prince and Shelly's personality throughout their separate adventures. Plus I'm literally a person who has massive crushes on fictional characters so of course I'm adding this in, don't judge me..! :)
I could see the soundtrack of this show being very fantasyland-like… OR maybe Carousel music could work. Also despite the friend group being based on my closest friends I was thinking of making it a diverse cast..
Also I forgot to mention this.. But the reason why the village is called "Pinespire" is because all the buildings are made of pine wood and look like those fantasy or German buildings. Another reason it's called this is because all the trees surrounding that place are pine trees, and the village's logo would probably be a pinecone..
Or heck maybe the most famous restaurant at that place could be called the pine cone restaurant or something like that..,,
If you're interested and/or want to make it better.. Join this Discord server! :D
There's more info on it there! Hshhsvvsv.,,
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Rey: "Armitage... Ben... A word, please! This is about what we talked about at the factory."
Armitage: "Let me just step out of Ben's choking range... Okay. Ready."
Ben: "Choking range, huh? How mad exactly will I be at you when she's finished?"
Armitage: "On a scale from telling you to cut your hair to Crait?"
Ben: "You weren't on Crait with us. You had deserted us!"
Armitage: "That's why. Crait it is, then."
Ben: "Only I wasn't angry at you there. I had already forgotten you by then."
Rey: "Stuff a sock in it, you two! - Armitage, I've made up my mind. I will ACCEPT your offer. I will return with you and assume the mantle of Supreme Leader of the First Order."
Ben: "Oh, is that your game now? If you cannot get my throne for yourself, you put Rey on it?"
Armitage: "The Resistance cannot defeat the First Order on its own. And we cannot win the civil war on our own. An alliance of convenience was the most logical step, but only Rey has a chance to pull this off, her being a symbol of hope for the Resistance and Snoke's niece."
Ben: "So after all of this half of the First Order will be no more and Rey will guide the other half to a better way of living. Meanwhile the Resistance rebuilds the Republic. It's a start, I suppose."
Rey: "However! If this isn't going to work, then you will return with me and pledge allegiance to the Resistance for good. No more yoyoing back and forth. No holding back, either."
Armitage: "I swear it. On my honor as an officer."
Ben: "I'm glad to hear that your heritage doesn't scare you anymore. Mine... did scare me. A lot."
Rey: "Well, see, Palpatine had only ever been a scary story for me, first from my parents, and then from stories passed down mouth to ear. He was too intimidating to even view as an actual person. But then the Finalizer came to Jakku and I experienced actual evil firsthand. First and foremost from the two of you."
Ben: "Yes, this must have been the turning point. Even though at first everything took a turn for the worse."
Rey: "Later I learned what had caused you become the monsters you were, and later still I saw you slowly change for the better. That put things into perspective. I think I'm ready now to see everyone this way - where they come from, where their path could lead them and how it all is a chain of decisions, nothing pre-determined that we needed to be afraid of."
Ben: "Then let me formally abidcate in favour of the legitimate heiress of the Palpatine bloodline and family name. Henceforth I shall be your knight. Where you go, I will go!"
Rey: "That's about the most threatening thing you ever told me."
Armitage: "Can you at least stop being so damn theatralic?"
Ben (whispering): "Why would I, when it reliably gets your knickers in a twist?"
Rose: "Don't let Ben bait you all the time! He enjoys that!"
Armitage: "Heh. See, Ben? The kitchen scullion has a knight all of his own, too!" (to Rose) "I'm so fortunate!"
Poe: "Break it to me gently, what am I to you in this gathering of royalty and nobility?"
Finn: "The best thing the cat dragged in ever!"
Ben: *grumbles*
(Note: Finn refers to Ben being the one who arrested Poe just before they met. And poor Rey, the game is doing her no favours. She only seems to have two expressions: “We’ll win the day with positive thinking” and “OMG, they can’t mean/do/say that”.)
#ben solo#kylo ren#armitage hux#rey palpatine#rey skywalker#finn fn2187#rose tico#poe dameron#sims4journeytobatuu#star wars#simblr#battleforbatuu6#newstarwarssims
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What finally caused you to decide to demote MC’s rating to 5/10? Do you like MCK more now?
I haven't seen the first 2 seasons in a while, so this is more based on the last 2.
The black and white morality and the way things are treated with the framing of Saturday morning children's cartoon. Which considering as the plot revolves around people fighting for their and their children's lives feels quite inappropriate to me. You can't praise one side for fighting for their lives while demonising the other side when they have the exact same pressures.
The continued concubine plots. Especially the Nazenin plot. It felt like its main purpose was just to establish how much more ruthless s4!Hürrem and how you definitely shouldn't be rooting for her.
Romanticising Ibrahim. He treated everyone horribly, perfected the art of psychological torture, and was cruelly gaslighting Hürrem like 4 episodes earlier. He was very happy to kill people and felt absolutely no remorse. And I'm supposed to feel bad for him when he dies?
As you say, Nigar deserved better. She was awesome in the first 2 seasons so it was unfair that she became such a shadow of her former self in season 3.
Hatice deserved better. I see where her downward spiral came from, but it was handled with absolutely no tact, nuance or sensitivity.
Saint Mustafa. The writers' favourite Mary Sue. At least he should have had some compelling or interesting moral choices to make aside from saying 'Look how perfect he is!' all the damn time.
Hürrem's kids should have been developped better. Especially Mehmet.
Mehmet's erasure in season 4.
Bayezid's death being all about Mustafa.
Selim and Nurbanu being villified.
Barbarossa was a bad person and a war criminal and should not have been worshipped by the show. We're supposed to feel bad when people get enslaved, aren't we? So why are we treating the man who did the enslaving like a hero?
The awful politics of conflating ruling ability and the potential of the empire with future military expansion.
The idolisation of the aristocracy at the expense of most characters who don't have that blue blood.
The awful politics of the way in which the show presents power. The idea that the show is about criticising power is ridiculous and a load of hypocritical posturing on the part of the writers in my opinion. One second we have Mahidevran saying 'The Sultanate is just an earthly struggle', and the next she's talking about how the future of the empire lies dead with Mustafa. As if that future isn´t inextricably a part of the Sultanate and that power. The issue is that the writers like power so long as it's in the hands of a character they view as legitimate. These are the Blood Sultanas because they're royalty and warlike princes (mostly Mustafa but later on Bayezid). In the hands of anyone else it has to be tyranny and oppression. It's not the structure that's bad and a system that kidnaps, victimises and forces people into a life or death struggle to survive. According to their perspective, that structure would be fine so long as the right person was in charge. All fault lies with individual people. This also ties into the whole 'Hürrem is the source of all evil' thing. This is a huge undercurrent throughout the show. We're supposed to see her as the malign influence who manipulated Süleyman's flaws and corrupted him. She's the one who leads him astray and turns him 'evil'. So even though he gets criticised more and more towards the end of the show, implicitly those criticisms are less directed at him than they are at her. Which makes it seem like the show is criticising him when really the writers are side-stepping doing so in favour of making her to blame instead.
The way the show treats the deaths of innocents. Killing an innocent is one of the worst things you can do. Until it isn't. Anyone Hürrem or Rüstem kill is a massive sin on their part. But whenever their opponents kill someone, it's either their fault actually (cf. Mehmet or Nazlı) or No Real Person Involved (the people who presumably died in the rock ambush, Sinan, etc.). Either that, or the show is using innocents solely as a tool to establish how good or evil a character is.
The way the show consistently throws Hürrem's fears and traumas back in her face.
The way the show acts as if Mustafa could have just waved a magic wand and the fratricide law would have been over. No it wouldn't. If he came to power, by far the most likely outcome is that Hürrem's kids would have been killed. Even if he didn't want that to happen.
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❝ i don’t care if it hurts, i want to have control. ❞ for hibiya
Royalty prompts, duh, my kink.
She managed to pry out of him that the flavor of stress for the day had to do with her own kingdom, which only led to a more frustrating back and forth for the prince. Her goal was obvious before she was desperate enough to admit it outright: Yuna wanted a say in something, anything going on with her kingdom, and to Hibiya's misfortune, that possibility fell on his lap today. Who could blame her? From the sounds of it, Yuna lived in the looming shadow of her parents that only looked to her when in the way. Set up for failure and seemed to have given up proving it wrong a long time ago.
-- He wished to be upset, yet wasn't. As soon as the bickering between them became an annoyance, he was just as... proud? maybe pleasantly surprised. Someone talking back ticked a box for him that immediately made him want to lash out and shut the conversation down before it could continue in a direction he didn't want. But for Yunaeisha to be talking back, this horribly depressed, passive, and ignorant woman to reject his own dismissal, sparked something completely different.
"Very well." Slapping a stack of papers in front of her with a heavy sigh, passing the weight off his shoulders and onto her own, undoubtedly weaker and untrained ones. "Decide the lesser of the evils. Not everyone can win, and either way, I lose."
"Whatever you decide will have to come out of my mouth, however, or else it would throw us both down a different kind of rabbit hole we aren't ready for." Slouching back in his chair, watching the redhead build up a determination for something. She hadn't spoken ill or with great appreciation of her kingdom before. Did Yuna want to assist with pushing it into the ground, or attempt to help with its rise in power? "Just try not to piss your father off. He'll only go after me and this isn't the time for revenge."
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by sound from lab
every idea and thought
’’I told you I would use your every thought, every idea you have..you are not allowed even a sound whilst you live.’‘
27.4.06
12.30am
’’The Queen did not know we had returned you to prisonship, nor Churchill nor the Spencers - . Every pressure we know was tried on you..she’ll soon leave once we start we thought..
so thank you for being a good citizen after all we have done to you for these twenty years. We took all your Citizens Rights. We look at you as an imaginary case, not as humans. As long as all we at the lab remain safe.
Here in England, it is not a case of innocent and guilty, rather of strong and weak. We know you’ll never have another good word for us as long as you live- or worse.
We wrecked everything, her personal life, (this time her referred to is me)everything. I write willy nilly (this is Francene Powers) so I started taking hers. I saw the number of her account as we watch constantly, I helped myself to seven hundred pounds, their house alarm code so we can send thieves into their house..you guessed the rest. She darn’t open her official post, and we don’t let her have personal post, she knows we are watching and will mess everything up.
Anna (the bossess) knew I took the money. The Asians took a couple of hundred too, they took some from the old mother too as they are all on the machine, the whole family. -Get off that machine we have you on.- Anna’s got a screw loose, we all know that. Some of the old ones know what’s going on, that’s why Anna gives out gifts all the while. I just take every idea, phrase, sentence, piece. I never knew there were so many. Do you know what our wages are? (lab technician) MY books, copies of your work, still bring in Royalties. We even get the banks to cheat her accounts. Making ‘circles’ was another psychiatric idea. It was a very nasty affair.
She knows she can’t do anything, we have total control in England, total power. We said the police were in it, that was another lie, but we do do something else, very clever….’‘
(today’s rant)
a select teaching establishment, which you had hoped to start with your hand-chosen people in CHina, but cannot now because the lab has destroyed you there, will be created by the evil lab’s people. We told you we would use everyone of you ideas.’‘
(I have taught twice in China..mainly to get away from St Barths Evil Research sadists. They are terrified I will talk, so they pay which ever country it is, and offer them this american technology and teach them how to torture on line. When I was at University in Germany, they sent one of the psychologists..when I visit friends there, another psychologist also goes and uses head hammering techniques all night.
I am now no longer allowed post in Germany, I sent about twenty books about my time in a Bavarian CHildren’s Home to various places whilst visiting there. The German Research, which were paid to come to St Barths and take part in torture, get their orders from the evil lab. The last visit to my children’s home was hell, they will not let me go in peace..now all civil rights there are also destroyed.
They say I must take it to the european parliament.
but england blocks that.
’’SHE HAS A GENIUS FOR FINDING NICHES’
(but for my kind of skills)
ANY PLACE THEY HAVE USED, THEY EITHER CLOSE DOWN OR CHANGE ALL STAFF AND ITS RUNNING FROM THE FIRST HOSPTAL THEY USED IN SHEFFIELD ONWARDS. SO OCEAN UNIVERSITY WILL BE STOPPED FROM EMPLOYING ME EVER AGAIN.
IT IS A PATTERN THEY USE FOR CONFUSING ANYONE WHO MIGHT FOLLOW THEIR TRAIL.
over my CD music this very moment: ’’ok start sending them when I tell you.’‘
(that will be the QUEEN of England research lab boss Anna..
they call the Bavarian sadist research ‘Franz’ as they are all crackpots, they give each other names.
And isn’t that like the english, use their old enemies, against those who built up their country for them.
Twenty years ago, when I visited Donetsk/Ukraine with Sheffield University, they used microsound all over Moscow, it was terrifying.. I had no idea what it was about then.
In russian classes (I went for something to do and because I missed my family) they used microsound constantly over the lecturer..
’’don’t you like me?’’ etc stuff like that, like you listen to the lecturer but not what he says, his coordinates are on the lab machine so you hear their idiotic rhetoric, and my dear Jesus, are these people idiots..they destroy your life and then go on endlessly about ‘stay slim’ and stupidity like that.
In the event I speak and read Russian perfectly so didn’t need thelessons to learn.
They have been terrorising us everywhere for twenty years. This is what our taxes and america’s are used for.
Their opinion of themselves is so great, that they put their stupid little ideas on these sound waves..
It was just a cultural visit..They told Russia I was their patient..
A man in a blue suit walked out, waved, then one at Moscow University, these are the people they deal with and lie to..
when I stayed with friends in St Petersburg they messed about constantly.
Is everyone scared of the British, they are such nothings and always run for help..then stab us in the back when we have saved them.
SOMETHING SIMILAR BUT ACCIDENTAL HAPPENED IN AMERICA. A WOMAN APPEARED ON THE SCREEN, THEY JUST TALKED TO HER PER MICROSOUND FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE AND WATCHED HER TILL SHE DIED THEN PUT THE WHOLE THING IN FOLDERS.
THEY DID NOT TORTURE HER OR USE HER IN THIS HORRENDOUS WAY AS WE ARE BEING USED BY THESE SADISTS AND LECHERS AND THEIR ‘SEX EXPERIMENT’..
however plenty of others have died whom they have handled.
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If Rheagar was such a bad guy then why does most of westeros still think about him positively after the Rebellion?
This ended up being a long response, so I'm going to put a lot of it under the cut for length.
First of all, even if most of Westeros thought that Rhaegar was fantastic, that still wouldn’t mean that he actually was fantastic. Perception plays a huge role in politics, which is obvious from Sansa’s observation about Margaery and the Tyrells:
The smallfolk cheered them as well.
The same smallfolk who pulled me from my horse and would have killed me, if not for the Hound. Sansa had done nothing to make the commons hate her, no more than Margaery Tyrell had done to win their love.
Reality does not always equal perception, especially where the rich and powerful are concerned.
Second, there’s absolutely no evidence that most of Westeros thinks about Rhaegar positively. In fact, quite the opposite. The story that has been told across Westeros ever since Robert’s Rebellion is that Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna; that’s the story that Robert (as the new king) spreads, and it’s what most people believe, including children like Bran:
“Robert was betrothed to marry her, but Prince Rhaegar carried her off and raped her,” Bran explained. “Robert fought a war to win her back. He killed Rhaegar on the Trident with his hammer, but Lyanna died and he never got her back at all.”
That doesn’t sound too positive to me.
Third, it may seem like Rhaegar is viewed as mostly positive because of the POV trap. We only really get a few people’s outright opinions about Rhaegar (instead of vague or implied ones): Daenerys, Jorah, Ned, Bran, Barristan, Cersei, Jaime, Robert, and Jon Connington.
Of those, 2 of them (Bran and Robert) see Rhaegar negatively, 2 of them (Ned and Jaime) see him almost indifferently (I’ll talk about that later), and 5 of them (Daenerys, Jorah, Barristan, Cersei, and Jon Connington) see him positively. That seems like there is more good than bad, but you have to look at the context.
Daenerys certainly isn’t going to view her brother (that she never met but has heard tales about from Viserys) as a villain when she’s been told a very different story, and even if Jorah and Barristan didn't like Rhaegar, they would never tell Daenerys that. It’s also worth noting that Jorah traded slaves and Barristan was part of a Kingsguard which has seriously questionable morals, so I can’t say that I hold either of their opinions in high regards.
Jon Connington thinks of Rhaegar in a positive light because he was in love with him, but ironically enough, he barely knew him. That's obvious from the fact that he was more jealous of Elia’s relationship with Rhaegar than Lyanna’s, which would make no sense if he truly knew what transpired and what Rhaegar was thinking.
Cersei thinks of Rhaegar positively because Rhaegar is to her what Lyanna is to Robert – a fantasy of what could have been that serves as an escape from the awful reality. Robert has abused Cersei countless times, and she’s understandably unhappy with him. She didn’t even know Rhaegar, but she deludes herself into thinking that her life would have been better if she had married him:
If she had only married Rhaegar as the gods intended, he would never have looked twice at the wolf girl. Rhaegar would be our king today and I would be his queen, the mother of his sons.
This is just like the way Robert deludes himself into thinking that he would be happy if he married Lyanna. Neither of these ideas are based in reality.
There’s also an unrealistic perception of royalty that comes into play. Look at what happens to Cersei:
Cersei was soiled goods now, her power at an end. Every baker's boy and beggar in the city had seen her in her shame and every tart and tanner from Flea Bottom to Pisswater Bend had gazed upon her nakedness, their eager eyes crawling over her breasts and belly and woman's parts. No queen could expect to rule again after that. In gold and silk and emeralds Cersei had been a queen, the next thing to a goddess; naked, she was only human, an aging woman with stretch marks on her belly and teats that had begun to sag … as the shrews in the crowds had been glad to point out to their husbands and lovers.
The perception (as opposed to the reality) is what really sets the royal family apart, and Rhaegar certainly had an advantage in that regard: he was a handsome and intelligent prince and a talented jouster and swordsman. On paper, that sounds great, so for people who didn’t really know him (like Cersei and Jon), what’s not to love?
Also, compare that to Aerys (who was growing increasingly paranoid and delusional and even looked like he was going mad by refusing to cut his hair or nails) & Robert (who was an abusive, angry drunk). To people like Barristan, Rhaegar seemed like the lesser of all evils (though the bar is certainly set very low).
Now think about the two people who view Rhaegar almost indifferently: Jaime and Ned. With Jaime, I say it’s indifferent because his memories and thoughts about Rhaegar aren’t really based on his opinion about him; they are more about his guilt at failing to protect Rhaegar’s children, which I think he realistically would have felt regardless of how he felt about the prince. It’s no secret that Jaime hates Robert, but he doesn’t seem to particularly love Rhaegar either. He mostly just gives facts about him that are tainted by his youth and his guilt.
Ned’s opinion is what people usually point to as an excuse for Rhaegar “not being so bad” because if Ned doesn’t hate him, then surely he must not have been so awful 🙄 The irony of that is that Ned had a much greater opinion of Robert than he deserved (at first), but that certainly doesn’t mean that Robert was a saint. And he mostly just remembers facts about Rhaegar; the only “positive” thing he thinks is this:
There was no answer Ned Stark could give to that but a frown. For the first time in years, he found himself remembering Rhaegar Targaryen. He wondered if Rhaegar had frequented brothels; somehow he thought not.
If not frequenting brothels is the standard for being a great person, then his expectations are far too low.
I also think this is rooted in Ned’s misogyny. Even though Ned doesn’t think poorly of Lyanna (which he shouldn’t), he knows that she went with Rhaegar willingly, and because of that, he doesn’t seem to fault Rhaegar for the power imbalance as much as he should.
Since he doesn't think of Rhaegar as a rapist, that implies that he seems to just accept that this was a bad decision that Rhaegar and Lyanna made together that had domino effects. It's not as bad as some characters thinking that Lyanna “seduced” Rhaegar, but it still doesn't put the blame fully where it belongs (by acknowledging that Lyanna was still a child who Rhaegar took advantage of).
Ned clearly still loved Lyanna dearly, but I do think he didn’t understand her decision to run away with Rhaegar in the first place, and part of that is because his views about Robert didn't match up with hers (which was obvious when he assured her that Robert was a good man who was true and would love her with all his heart). Even though he told Robert that he didn’t see the iron underneath Lyanna’s beauty, he still somehow thinks that Robert loved her truly:
Lyanna had only been sixteen, a child-woman of surpassing loveliness. Ned had loved her with all his heart. Robert had loved her even more. She was to have been his bride.
That’s one of the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read, and yet somehow Ned believes that. By the time he starts thinking about Rhaegar again, he’s finally seeing Robert more clearly, and because of that, he’s finally beginning to think about/understand why Lyanna made the decision that she did. So I personally think that Ned's thoughts about Rhaegar (above) have more to do with Lyanna than the prince.
This became way longer than I intended, and I feel like I went off on a few tangents (sorry), but to sum it up: Not everyone views Rhaegar positively, and even if they did, it doesn’t make him a good person. He left his wife and children to kidnap a girl that was still a child, locked said girl in a tower without access to her family while she was pregnant, and set into motion a war that killed so many innocent people. I don’t care how many people “liked” him in the books; Rhaegar was still a jerk.
#anti rhaegar targaryen#anti rhaegar x lyanna#ask me#anon ask#asoiaf#a song of ice and fire#valyrianscrolls
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Merlina’s True Nature
(This is a re-write to a past theory, but I felt it was written poorly so I’m redoing it.)
(I’ll also be discussing major spoilers for the game.)
Sonic and the Black Knight has gained a lot of popularity recently, almost a cult following. Even before Lancelot and Excalibur Sonic were added to Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, it was gaining a strange resurgence in fan-made content. Although maybe I just follow @silvermun too closely. Either way! It’s in the public consciousness again.
It’s mainly popular for it’s story, it’s gameplay being famously weird, and it’s story is something I feel it has over Sonic and the Secret Rings. They did much more research into Arthurian lore than they had too, and because of that, we got an interesting world and variations of known characters with their own appeal.
Black Knight ranting aside, because of the resurgence a lot of eyes have been on Merlina the Wizard, an important character in the game.
I loved Merlina before it was cool, but this theory came when I was surrounded by content for her, reaching a realization about her true nature, even... truer (?) than the Dark Queen.
⬇️continued below ⬇️
Now let’s start with the usual, a numbered list.
1. Let’s discuss everyone’s counterparts.
This is important, I swear.
Shadow = Lancelot (Known as the most powerful one, raised in strange and magical circumstances, Hides his emotions but has his limits.)
Knuckles = Gawain (Bold and brash, never turns down a challenge, but with a pure heart that keeps his word. Also “haha gawain and the green knight”)
Blaze = Percival (Working with Silver/Gallahad to find a world-saving power. Royalty, powerful, and chivalrous.)
Silver = Gallahad (Similar to Lancelot, but more pure. Working with Blaze/Percival to find a world saving power, and at the head of the search. Known for being pure, good, and kind.)
Jet = Lamorak (Bold and daring rebel with a temper, constantly challenging Sonic/Arthur to friendly duels.)
Amy = Nimue (Magically powerful woman connected to a lake ((See: Never Lake)), summons weapons.)
Sonic = Arthur (Brings everyone together in a righteous cause, not perfect, but one of the best leaders and fighters ever known, came from small beginnings.)
As you can see, they did immense research on who would fit who, It’s almost amazing how similar the characters can get.
It got me thinking, Who’s Merlina’s counterpart?
Every other person in the game has one, the only one else who doesn’t (King Arthur) was a fake. And Caliburn, who’s a sword. (And if Caliburn did have a counterpart i’d be really hard to figure out bc apparently they were supposed to be a girl and the voice casters didn’t get the memo)
Merlina is an odd one out here, When surrounded by all the other Sonic characters. Secret Rings had a different precedent, only having three Sonic characters in it, not including Sonic, playing very minor roles. Meanwhile, Black Knight has seven, not including Sonic, most playing major roles. And this was made after the seering criticisms of Sonic 06 and the mass hatred of Elise.
So, let’s ask ourselves, if she IS someone, who would she be?
Well I think she IS someone. Similar to the list of people above, she has similarities to a Sonic character that I need to point out.
2. What do we know?
We don’t know a lot about Merlina, she’s not a talker, but what we know can reveal a lot.
She’s a powerful wizard, connected to ancient magic, trying to clean up her Grandfather Merlin’s mistakes of the past, even if it’s in a slightly evil way. Obsessed with death, with a deep fear and hatred of it and endings. Despite everything, means well and wants to keep everyone in the story alive.
Now, here’s the interesting part.
Think with me here, who in Modern!Sonic’s universe has a morally ambiguous Grandfather, who created a false version of a prophesied Sonic, Almost destroying the world, and eventually, attempting, and somewhat succeeding, in fixing his mistakes.
Someone who also has a theme of short-lived life and stories ending.
I think at this point you know who I mean.
3. Connections
other than the above, here’s some other things connecting the two.
Firstly, the way they refer to their grandfather;
When talking about him to other’s, they use the “My Grandfather.”
But once it gets more personal;
it becomes just “Grandfather.”
Let’s also talk about design.
It’s more of a difference than the other characters, however it’s the usual for “medieval-ifying” it.
4. Conclusion
This has been a theory of mine for a while, and to finally get to explain it in an articulate way is nice.
There are a few loose ends, like if I was better at reading and finding and writing sheet music, I’d do a study to see if my hunch about “Merlina’s Theme” being similar to “Recollection of the Ark” is true or if they’re just both sad piano songs.
But in the end, Merlina’s story and character growth is her learning how to deal with death, and how everything dies someday, but that’s why we have to “live life” to the fullest.
Honestly, looking back at her character, her story becomes almost more satisfying with the idea that she’s Maria.
Also not to pull a “kimba” but their names are like, exactly the same like come on.
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Hello there! Hope you're doing well on your holiday! This is my first time requesting oof. Could I request how Sebastian, Ash, Prince Soma and Hannah react to their darling outright asking them why they are genuinely interested in them. Darling is confused and believes they're not that interesting to even bring the attention of people like them. They're pretty closed off from others and was at first weary of the intentions they had and just finally just asked to get a firm answer. Thank you! Love your writing!
I enjoyed my holidays whilst they lasted, sadly they’re over now and I have to wait about 3 months until summer break😣.
Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, paranoia, delusions, kidnapping, manipulation, sabotage, isolation, emotional guilt-tripping, self-harm
Why do you like me?
Sebastian Michaelis
🐈⬛He pretty much openly courts you by now, after his time observing you for a bit, finding out what his darling likes and what’s not, how he can get closer to his darling without any problems. Sebastian has every intention to pamper you if you don’t throw a tantrum in which case he has to be more strict on you. And the fact that you are closed off from others is such a delightful thing to witness. It makes the whole situation a lot more easier, he doesn’t have to worry too much about you being interested in someone else or dedicating your time to someone else. I personally believe every demon in Black Butler is isolating due to their posssessiveness.
🐈⬛He was prepared for this question of yours, he sensed your suspicions since quite some time and why wouldn’t you? Sebastian is a mysterious man for everyone. On the one hand he is charming and handsome and can do anything, on the other hand there is this mischievous and evil vibe around him that tells you to stay away. It is also a bit unnerving how he seems to know everything about you, from your favorite flowers down to your favorite color.
🐈⬛Sebastian is known for keeping his calm and his charm and since he expected you to ask him this sooner or later, he already had much time to prepare an answer, even though he would have been great in answering you that question even if he wouldn’t have known about this. He would give you a charming smile and be very smug about this question of yours, somewhat teasing you by asking if it shouldn’t be obvious by now. He’s trying to court you, kitten. He would find enjoyment if you would look baffled whilst also being fluttered by this answer of his, which might just earn you more playful teasing mixed with fluttering comments why he likes you.
Hannah Annafellows
🟣Similar to Sebastian, she would start expressing her interest openly to you after a while, even though she would even before that try to be a close friends with you. From all the demons in this Anime, I would say Hannah is one of the worse types to have, it’s either her or the triplets Timber, Thompson and Canterbury. She uses isolation and letting people disappear from your life as a way to draw you closer to her and trust her more. So whilst she will be definitely pleasant upon discovering that her darling is a loner, she will also have to think of another ways to make them trust her more since making important people for them disappear isn’t too possible except family which Hannah doesn’t want to kill as long as they don’t do something to annoy her. She has after all only a true place for her darling in her heart.
🟣She just senses how much you are weary of her, especially in the beginning. You have surely your reasons, after all she is from the Trancy manor and there are certain rumors about this place. Next to that she is a demon and whilst being talented in anything can amaze people, it can also scare them. And here as well the fact that she knows so much, too much about you is unnerving as well. Trying to distance yourself wouldn’t really work though, it’s as good as impossible to escape a demon and given your mistrust, Hannah will also start intensifying her strategies to make you cling onto her more.
🟣Different from Sebastian she relies a lot on guilt-tripping to persuade her darling into many things. So there is a chance she will pretend to be a bit hurt by this question, asking how you couldn’t notice. She uses this question as a chance for being so distrusting of her. She will act all saddened and upset, maybe even she’s the one or another tear. This will make you feel most likely bad for her. Secondary to that she will also tell you in a mellow and sincere voice what she likes about you, using it as a way that will hopefully make you fall for her.
Prince Soma
🍛Try to explain to him that you don’t feel the way he does and you’ll quickly discover that his lovesick brain will twist everything you say into what he wants to hear. Soma is together with Finny heavily delusional to the point where about nothing can convince him that you don’t feel the same. For that it is not even courting what he does, it is already acting like you and him are already a couple and will marry later on (which will happen in his mind anyways). Whilst Soma is someone who gets easily jealous, he also doesn’t want you to be alone. He means, you aren’t. You have him. But at the very least Ciel and Agni will become people you will often interact with.
🍛Privacy is gone the moment he fell for you and his interest is painfully visible for everyone. He starts spoiling you, giving you a lot of affection and is everywhere you are all over you. It’s highly uncomfortable given the fact that you don’t even like him and it’s only thanks to Agni that he doesn’t completely monopolies your time and makes you move in with him. But Agni is also loyal to his prince and for that will at least try to talk you into giving Soma a chance. That boy is too oblivious to realize that you are hesitant around him, he’ll just brush it off as shyness.
🍛He is confused, to say the very least. He thought you were just as much in love with him as he is with you. Why would you even ask him this? And try to guess what he will interpret it as, with that sense mind of his. Your prince will start thinking that he didn’t show you enough affection, that he didn’t make his love clear enough yet. It causes him to give you a more childish reaction, suddenly suffocating you in a really tight hug and whining. He’s upset with himself, thinking it’s his fault for making you think that way. Oh well, then he’ll have to show you even more.
Ash Landers
▫️I’m so sorry to say this, but Ash needs not a lot of time to kidnap you, the longest would be a week in which he would act at first more as a secret guardian for you. I mentioned it a lot of times before, but Ash is a lot more hesitant with giving you affection, even though he would honestly die to be able to. You’re perfection in his eyes and he does not think that he deserves you or to be honored enough to touch you. You’re gonna be isolated anyways the moment he takes you, but he would definitely kidnap you even faster when noticing how you seem to avoid people. You’re literally begging him to take you away from the filth. And who is he to neglect you that wish? He will take you and afterwards treat you like a royalty.
▫️Keep with this man always one thing in mind, he wavers very easily, too easily when it comes to you. It’s understandable that you would throw tantrums, but for the love of god, please calm down. He would never show you, but behind the scenes, Ash punishes himself heavily whenever you seem upset with him. He has an obsessive fixation on keeping you happy and safe and by acting that way, showing him how unhappy you are plus the incredibly distant acting due to not trusting him (who wouldn’t when being kidnapped?), you’ll throw him into a whirlwind of dreadful fear and shame and a good piece of paranoia.
▫️He will react emotionally and affected. Ash’s goal is it to show you how special and pure you are, to make it clear to you that you deserve more than the best. He feels like he did pretty much everything wrong if you ask him still what he sees in you, though I’m sure he held already very long speeches about why he had to take you. But it’s still understandable why you would ask. You probably thought that there were far more pure people than you in this town. It’s not the worst reaction you got to see from him though, there were far more unnerving ones. He will very likely burst out in tears since someone like you shouldn’t ask this. Will beg for forgiveness to not be more clear about it and afterwards he will start rambling in a maniac way about why you’re perfect.
#yandere black butler#yandere kuroshitsuji#yandere sebastian#yandere sebastian michaelis#yandere hannah#yandere hannah annafellows#yandere prince soma#yandere soma#yandere ash#yandere ash landers
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Soulmate au! Countdown - Harry Hook x Reader -oneshot
soulmate au idea sent in by Anonymous
=
Everyone in the world was born with a watch, not on their wrists or anywhere attached to them, just a simple watch that would appear when a new soul was born into the world. Doctors would blink, and suddenly, next to the new babe, was a watch.
A watch that had a set date of years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the new soul would meet their soulmate, the one destined to love them forever.
Some watches were simple ones, a simple leather band with a plain clock attached to go around their wrist. Some got more…exotic clocks, one person, whose soulmate was an astrologist, watch had planets instead of hands to tell the time.(luckily for the person, who didn’t know how to read the time by looking at planets, there was still a small digital timer in the middle just above the sun) some had intricately carved pocket watches, some had sundials.
Prince Ben’s watch had confused some people, being a pure gold and silver watch, rusted slightly (and unable to be buffed to perfection as so many tried) with a horned dragon decorating the top, the back engraved with thorned vines. It wasn’t till years later, as Ben locked eyes with Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, did the watches ticking stop (small A/N; Ben and Audrey don’t date since they know they aren’t meant to be already. Okay let's get back into it!)
Audrey’s watch hung off a silver necklace, the top cover being diamond-like glass that seemed to shine like magic. Her watch had stopped when she met Chad at only six months old, his rose gold wristwatch stopping at the same time.
Doug's watch, a gorgeous gold-plated pocket watch decorated with heart-shaped red rubies, had stopped when he first locked eyes with Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, who for a small while had denied that her own watch had stopped ticking, and had only admitted it after she and her friends had proclaimed their decision to turn their backs on their parent's evil ways.
Most people your age had met their soulmate already, you knew some who had yet to meet theirs but mostly everyone had already been found.
Not that you personally knew that.
You hardly talked to anyone really, so how were you to know if someone had found their soulmate yet or not.
You were just a regular person in a school of the descendants of heroes and royalty, a loner at that. The only interesting about you was your watch.
It was a gorgeous gold watch with thin black paint under the gold curved detailing that looked like waves, surrounding the outer rim of the cover, with an anchor and a ship's steering wheel in the middle of the cover, the back was a carved compass, the entire thing connected to a strong bronze chain.
You admired it every day, excitement and anxiety running through you as every second passed. And those feelings were amplified recently.
The clock now read seven days, seven hours, eight minutes, and forty seconds. It was only that until you met your soulmate.
You only hoped they wouldn’t think you weren’t worth their time…as everyone else did.
-
Harry had been born with a pretty plain-looking pocket watch, smooth and silver metal protecting the gears.
You could imagine the surprise he felt when he finally opened it for the first time. The inner works of his watch were beautiful, the silver metal had turned to gold, curving details surrounded the hands and timer, a shining scale texture covered the inside of the cover, never leaving a residue on his finger when he traced it.
Many villain kids were told to never open their watches, being told that it was pointless to even look since they would never need their soulmate in the first place.
Some obeyed, some, like Harry, had gotten too curious and looked anyway, and some just looked because they could.
And Harry couldn't say he regretted looking, every day he grabbed his watch and popped it open, smiling as the ticking hands signified the ever-coming day of meeting his soulmate.
Like now, it read seven days, five hours, three minutes, and seven seconds. Coincidently, it matched the same day he would be going to Auradon prep, seven months after king Ben had invited the original four to Auradon.
His closest friend, Uma, had a plan to get the wand and do what the original four couldn’t. but Harry had another plan.
He wanted to meet his soulmate, he knew they couldn’t have been on the isle, he had met basically everyone on the isle, there was no other explanation than for his soulmate to be in Auradon.
He looked up from his watch to gaze at the bright lights of Auradon, his breath visible as he let out a sigh and leaned against the rails of the lost revenge. “you ready for next week?” he suppressed a flinch as Uma suddenly appeared next to him, joining him to look at Auradon.
“aye” he simply muttered back, clenching his pocket watch in his hand. He looked away slightly as Uma turned towards him, her brow quirked.
“…you want to find them, don’t you?” Uma asked, turning back to Auradon and resting her chin in her hand.
Harry stayed silent.
Uma reached out and squeezed Harry's shoulder “I won't stop you from doing that, I know our parents told us that soulmates are bullshit but I could give less of a fuck, if you decide not to go through with everything because of them, I’ll leave you two alone…” Harry sighed in slight relief and turned to Uma.
“even if it would ruin yer plans?” Harry asked softly, laughing as Uma grumbled a bit.
“yeah yeah…if you’re happy im happy” Harry tossed his arm over Uma’s shoulder and pulled her into his side, grinning as she quietly complained at the hug.
“Thank yeh Uma” he whispered, closing his eyes as Uma sighed against him and hugged him back.
“you’re my best friend Harry, I would do anything for you” Harry smiled against her hair, squeezing her shoulder a bit before letting her go as she started to bat at his chest “Alright alright that’s enough, come on we got night shit to do” Harry snorted and shook his head a bit, grabbing his hat from the milk crate next to him and flipping it on, whistling slightly as he followed Uma off the ship.
-
You looked up from your summer history essay as a group of girls rushed up to the window, giggling to themselves as they pointed out whatever it was they were talking about.
‘oh right’ you mentally sighed, closing your book and packing it away, knowing that the study hall you were in was going to be filled with the laughter of these girls for who knows how long ‘the new vks’
You spared a glance back at the girls, sighing wistfully to yourself as they smiled amongst each other.
What you would give to have friends like that, but you had always been closed in on yourself and always froze up when someone tried to talk to you, that you had never gotten the chance to make friends.
You shrugged your bag over your shoulder and walked out of the study hall “where to go now” you whispered to yourself, taking out your pocket watch and smiling slightly at it, rubbing your thumb against the wheel before popping it open.
Six hours, forty-five minutes, and seven seconds.
You would meet your soulmate today.
You closed the watch and held it against your chest, letting out a giggly sigh and walking towards the other end of the dorms to get to the other study hall so you would write your essay in peace.
Behind you, you heard king Ben talking, taking a glance back you saw a flash of a scarlet red coat pass by the entrance to the hallway you had just entered. You brushed it off and looked back in front of you.
-
One and a half hours, ten minutes, and forty seconds.
Harry stared anxiously at his watch, his foot tapping rapidly against the floor of his new room. “you know if you just sit and stare at that thing it's not going to go any faster” Gil offered, setting his new laptop down and sitting next to Harry, reaching out to close the watch.
Harry blinked back into reality, pouting at Gil slightly. Gil just gave him a look and pushed the watch towards Harry's chest “sitting in here won't help you find them either, go explore or something, you might find them easier” Harry huffed and grabbed his watch, sticking it in his pocket and walking out of the room “you’ll thank me later!”
-
You groaned a bit as you rolled your shoulders, you had finished your essay, along with a handful of other projects, and had decided you needed a break. So it was off to your “secret” spot near the dorms, it was well hidden by the forest and you had to cross a hanging bridge to get to it so hardly anyone knew about it.
You shrugged off your top and pants, kicking off your shoes and setting everything next to your towel and watch before diving in.
Underneath the water your body shimmered, your legs turning to a transitioning (f/c) and (f/c) tail with a strong fabric-like tail, scales the same color as your tail appeared next to your eyes and trailed down your cheeks, your shoulders being covered as well.
You let out a soft sigh as you swam through the clear water, trailing your fingers across the smooth rocks that lay at the bottom of the lake.
You picked up a particularly shiny clear and black one, swimming back up to the surface and examining it, humming to yourself as you waded through the water.
-There once was a ship that put to sea/ And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea/ The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down/ Blow my bully boys blow-
You started to sing one of your favorite sea shanties aloud, closing your eyes and letting yourself drift across the surface of the lake as your voice echoed around you.
- Soon may the Wellerman come/ To bring us sugar and tea and rum/ One day, when the tonguing' is done/ We'll take our leave and go-
-
Harry sighed quietly as he walked around the grounds of Auradon prep, tubbing his thumb against the smooth metal of his watch as the comforting -tick tock- of its gears rang in his ears.
He sighed again as he stopped in the middle of a pathway, running his hand through his messy hair. He pulled out the watch and quirked his brow.
three minutes, forty seconds.
Suddenly something caught his attention, he turned his head towards the forest, his lips separating as a lovely drifted towards him.
He started walking towards it, entering into the forest and pushing past the bushes that covered the main path. He quickly walked over the hanging bridge that led him directly to a sparkly crystal-clear lake.
And wading in the water of that lake was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen or heard.
- No line was cut, no whale was freed/ An' the captain's mind was not on greed/ But he belonged to the Whaleman's creed/ She took that ship in tow -
As he walked closer to the mermaid, he didn’t notice the timer on the watch tick down to the seconds.
3…2...1.
Suddenly the mermaid looked up from their rock and gasped, her glowing (e/c) eyes locking with his ocean blue.
The ticking stopped.
The mermaid squealed in embarrassment and ducked under the water, Harry quickly snapped out of his stupor and ran towards the edge of the lake, kneeling at it and looking around for the mermaid who had suddenly disappeared. “where did yeh go?” he whispered, yelping and falling back on his butt as the mermaid suddenly popped up in front of his face and tried to reach for her items behind Harry.
He watched her struggle to reach toward them before she groaned and flopped on the ground, her top half lying pitifully on the dry ground as her tail angrily hit the surface of the water.
Harry let out a soft chuckle and looked behind him, spotting a gold pocket watch resting just next to a (f/c) towel, he glanced back at the mermaid for a moment before reaching out for the watch and gently handing it to the mermaid.
She quickly popped it open and gasped.
Harry watched as the mermaid just stared at her watch, then slowly look up at him. He took out his watch and popped it open, stopping as he realized the clock had stopped.
00:00:00:00:00:00 blinked rapidly
Harry looked back at the mermaid and turned his watch towards her. She reached out slightly, looking at him for permission to take it.
He pushed it into her hand and she set it next to her watch, a smile growing on her face as the blinking of the timers synchronized perfectly. Only soulmate watches could sync perfectly as they did.
She looked back up at Harry with a wide grin, Harry's heart fluttering like crazy as she did.
“I found you” she whispered in the most melodic voice, squeaking a bit as Harry stood and started to strip out of his clothes “what are you doing?!” she yelled, pushing off the edge and diving down under the water a bit, only her eyes and the top of her head above the water.
“joinin’ yeh,” Harry responded simply, kicking off his shoes and pants and tossing them aside with his shirt, jacket, and belts.
Once he was down to just his underwear, he jumped into the water next to his soulmate, closing his eyes as he sank into the surprisingly deep lake.
Almost immediately after he jumped in, arms wrapped around his waist and kept him afloat. Harry cracked open his eyes to see the glowing ones of his soulmate, their pupils slanted as they stared back at him.
Harry let a smile grow on his lips as he and his soulmate floated under the water. Then Harry's body proceeded to realize he was underwater and that he needed air.
His soulmate watched him look up, realize what he was doing, and grabbed his face. Harry looked at them and let out a muffled squeak as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
He snapped his eyes shut and felt his face burn with a blush as she licked his lips and opened his mouth, breathing into him.
She pulled back and giggled, which oddly wasn’t muffled. Harry opened one of his eyes and pouted slightly as his soulmate covered her mouth with one of her hands as she laughed at his expression.
He took a breath to say something, but then realized he was breathing underwater. He gave her a wide-eyed look and she giggled again.
“mermaid kisses can let the person breath and speak underwater” her voice purred, grabbing his hands and pulling him up to the surface. Harry shook his head, smirking as his soulmate squealed a bit as the water droplets hit her.
“I’m Harry” Harry spoke first, swimming slightly closer to his soulmate and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek “Harry Hook.”
“(y-y/n) (l/n)” she squeaked slightly, Harry smirking at the heat that burned against his lips as he pressed another kiss to her cheek.
“I think” he pulled back and pressed a kiss to her other cheek “you and I are going to get along very well~” he purred, grinning as (y/n) set her forehead against his.
“whys that?” she hummed, pushing her lips together as Harry tightly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him.
“a pirate and a mermaid? What's a better match than tha’?”
-end-
Short but sweet, might do another one of the suggestions! Thanks for reading!
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#Descendents#descendants#disney descendants#harry hook#harry hook descendants#harry hook x reader#harry hook imagine#soulmate au#countdown timer#watch that counts down till you meet your soulmate
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*slides in on socks* hey can we hear more abt that bnha cult au, the one where bc mido is quirkless and the cult town thinks hes better for it
So I’m probably going to be too lazy to actually write that as a full fic, so lemme go find my brainstorming and yeet it here for you all! Under a read more bc this is long and messy.
The whole fic takes place over either 1 or 1.5 months
Quirks = route of evil, those without powers are closest to the divine's intentions and anything subverting them from that should be expunged.
Closer to normal you look = purer you are. Izuku is considered near gold standard excluding his green hair
2000 people in the town - 82 are quirkless (marked with a band - where? Wrist, neck or?)
Global quirkless pop = 20% but japan is 5%, much much lower in Izuku's generation, movement has been around since the dawn of quirks - infanticide
100 people statistically would make sense but rate of quirkless births vs quirkless people is very different as many die due to poor patient care
Some members of the town are the grieving parents of people who's quirkless children were killed as doctors didn't listen to them - some of the first people izuku meet
"Hizashi's family" Invite izuku over - they aren't related, it's part of a plot where they look at quirk records to invite the quirkless to join. Those who do not are disposed of in the woods.
The quirkless are treated like royalty, free food + other stuff
Anyone not on board is killed - settlement is new but buildings are old - the prior town was chased out/killed to make room for the cult. They used to meet in normal churches but quirkless supporting cults were cracked down on so they relocated into the woods by taking over a town
Start the fic w izuku getting off the train, Town is called Rishi, based the town off Nanmoku
Mum: Miyatani Haiyu
Dad: Miyatani Juzou
Daughter: Miyatani Kei
Need a very secretive, insular vibe - the place has no wifi, a church radio station and a townhall
Timeline
Arival
Bakugo and Izuku take the train, Bakugo is there bc his mother told him to go: Inko was worried about sending Izuku off alone so she offered up bakugo to play guard dog. Bakugo is pissed.
Bakugo will have a blow up about being there pretty early, izuku will try and soothe him which will only make him angrier. Is shinsou there?
Shinsou is coming as well, but later > originally going to meet up w izuku for the first time (shitty foster parents) but wants to shield him from bakugo. Izuku just wants to sleep.
Golden band for the quirkless (ribbon?) “in our town we value good fashioned hard work so we like to give back to the quirkless, this little band lets everyone know the folks we should give a little more to”
Look around town, Izuku alone (shinsou there tomorrow >> all three staying at an inn)
Meet the family, bakugo pissed right off and they talk some smack about him while izuku flounders. “bet he’s got some flashy quirk, huh? Seems like the type. Makes me sick, thinkin they're better just cause they’re -”
Bakugo goes straight to his room to be a piss baby, izuku looks around. They are setting up for a festival. A group of kids teases another with a visible mutation, she cries, izuku tells the kids off and they scatter, she says some concerning stuff izuku is concerned.
Izuku eats dinner w the family, they talk about how they think he’s gonna like it there, the little kid is cute.
Shinsou rolls into town, they go for a hike, its pretty chill - they have a picnic n shit they have dinner w the family
Back to room (share one), izuku fiddling w the radio to find mic’s show, find the town’s own radio, they listen: something about someone being brought into the fold, visitors in town to be treated kindly, a reminder of a church service that week “Hold fast to your faith, the world may slip a little further each day but we shall fight together to bring our faith outwards and bring purity back to the world”
“Wow that was weird” “Wanna do some research?” “Fuck, sure.”
They run into bakugo at breakfast, izuku mentions the show and bakugo kinda nods, “you heard it too?” “yeah. Fuckin weird” “We were gonna do some digging -” “Fuck off, I don’t need you two messing with my shit, I’ll look into myself.” “That was almost polite for Bakugo, huh?”
Maybe timeskip to end of week?
With the family, doing arts craft with the daughter. Shinso is sleeping off a migraine. They mention church vaguely in the background and Izuku tries to look like he's not listening in.
The daughter brings it up to izuku and the family chuckle and say he’s free to come if he wants but there is no need to rush him.
They eat lunch, the family kinda advertise the town to him, talk about the nice quirkless girl down the street his age, how rare it is for quirkless people to be born in this generation. Izuku vaguely thinks about how nice it would be to live there
Church that night, izuku looks in on shinsou to see he's still sleeping in the dark, goes to bakugo “look i know i’m sorry but they’re having church tonight and i know you were a little interested and i was gonna go anyway -” “I’m coming with because otherwise you’ll be useless.” They decide to sneak around to listen “I was kinda -” “yeah, sure” “wait but -” “oh fuck off, it rubbed me the wrong way too. The weirdos might talk different if they know we’re there.”
Bakugo throws a darker jacket at Izuku, he slips on a beanie and they head out into the woods, walking through to reach the back of the church. They wait 20 minutes after it was supposed to start and creep out, they listen in.
“We will purge the impure our streets, we will stop this blight and, we will enact god's wrath and spare the pure, letting relieve the purity of the past. We will strike them down in his name, let them know we are his wolves let loose upon the blinded sheep.”
Bakugo grabs izuku’s arm, they are both pale. They go to run, and a metal sheet falls down. The preacher goes quiet and someone a few people stand and the two of them book it as fast as they can.
They get back to the inn and have a minor freak out, they wake up shinso and they are like “oh shit, oh fuck.” they decide they need proof bc the pros will never listen to them, they become baby detectives
Bakugo going off at izuku and having the shit scared out of him by a local, izuku steps in and the local backs down instantly, all smiles
One part of the story involves them running through the festival, changing clothes and masks as much as the can to escape the people chasing them.
The cult have a gas that is toxic to anyone with the quirk factor and intend to release it all across japan, starting with their own town. The climax of the story see’s Izuku going it alone through the facility, dead and dying bodies around him, looking out for any quirkless members that will stop him as he tries to find the locations of the canisters containing the gas.
Aizawa and Nighteye are in the town as well, Bakugo and Shinsou run to them crying ab how Izuku is all alone and they think he’s going to die and oh god they can’t even help him -
The dumb comedy throughline in this AU is Aizawa and Nighteye have to fake having crushes on each other to explain why they are hanging out so much in secluded areas. They both hate this very much.
Izuku, who recognized the two heroes On Sight, is having a minor crisis about them both being here and apparently getting handsy behind a 7/11.
#i also have the first half of chap one written#i might post it just bc later#its very old and not very good but why not#purity au#bnha au#bnha#asks
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True Love
A Jeno fic that’s a part of our Halloween Series!
Summary: You, an employee at an entertainment company, are immune to the charms of their biggest star Lee Jeno.
Pairing: Rockstar! Jeno x female reader
Genre: romance, drama, fantasy, suspense
Warning: alcohol use, smut mention, stalking, manipulation
Word Count: 4.3k
(A/N: Hiya! I’m so sorry for the delay! It’s been so hectic lol! Thank you so much for your support and patience! Hope you enjoy! And shoutout to Krys for keeping me sane and for all of her love and support. I love you! :D)
___
To everyone in the world, Lee Jeno was the epitome of perfection and rock royalty. He was a gifted musician from the very young age of five, having specialized in several instruments in his childhood. However, his heart gravitated to the guitar. He became a trainee at LCF Entertainment and along with four other trainees, they became the world famous rock band, Temptation.
He was ranked in the top 23 in World Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive this year. He was a walking and talking Adonis with a heartwarming smile.
Jeno was a man of many talents but he certainly didn’t let it get to his head. He was a humanitarian, a UNICEF ambassador, fostered shelter animals, was the proud owner of three cats even though he was allergic, a great family man (funding his siblings’ college tuition and providing for his parents so they could retire early), etc. He did it all and he had it all.
How could anyone be immune to his charms?
People wondered who would be the queen that would reign beside him when he settled down. Frankly, one couldn’t be anything short of a supermodel on the verge of sainthood. So many hopeful contenders were discouraged from pursuing him.
Jeno’s dating life was non-existent, the paparazzi dreaded to inform.
But you were an employee of LCF Entertainment so you knew the truth, as well as the true nature of the famous Lee Jeno. He was basically like any other young man with an inflated ego. He was cocky, a huge flirt when the cameras were off, very picky, and demanding. But no one ever dared speak a word of his true nature to the paparazzi. And you always wondered why. Someone had to bring him down a few pegs.
You were the staff photographer and videographer, in charge of capturing Jeno’s good and “relatable but still unbelievably glamorous” sides. When the camera was on, that was when you felt at ease.
It didn’t help that Jeno liked you either. Although you’d been working with Temptation and the individual members for a few years now, it was only recently that Jeno really was set on it pursuing you.
When you switched off the camera after the recording of Jeno’s backstage vlog, he sat comfortably at his makeup chair and proceeded to ask, “Y/n, will you go out with me now?”
You answered immediately, “No.”
Jeno gave you a sad puppy dog face. “Why not?”
“We’ve gone over this. I would get fired.” You wanted to spare his feelings so that was what you always said when he asked you out.
Jeno groaned. “You would not. I wouldn’t let that happen.”
You snorted. “You think you have that kind of power, Lee?”
He liked when you called him by his last name. “That’s because I do have that power, y/n. The new company building is funded solely out of my earnings from my last solo album.”
You whistled. “There’s that humility I’m always reading about in O!What Magazine…”
Jeno smiled. “You read articles about me?”
“I do when my name is in the article, boss.” You started packing up your equipment, ready to call it a day and head home.
Jeno got out of his chair and stood over you. He smelled of Dior Sauvage, cologne from his latest brand endorsement. He wore his stage clothes from his solo concert rehearsal. A sleeveless jean jacket top that parted down the middle to show his abs. Along his abs, silver chains dangled and added a nice glimmer effect when he was on stage. The entire team was thrilled to see how the audience would eat it up.
He whispered into your ear, “Y/n.”
Truthfully? He was attractive. You’d always had a little crush on him but it was of a shallow nature. You liked him for his looks. Not so much for his personality. You’d known too much.
If Jeno had been any other regular guy, you would’ve been open to a one-night stand.
But Jeno wasn’t just any regular guy.
You tried to hide the fact that shivers ran down your spine. “Stop.”
He chuckled. “But I can see you through the reflection, y/n...You're crossing your legs…”
You’d hoped he wasn’t that perceptive but it turned out he was. You hid away the fact that you were turned on. Your panties were damp but you’d be damned if he ever knew that.
You met Jeno’s perfectly lined eyes as he looked at you unapologetically. Everyone else from the staff already left. Jeno’s manager was waiting downstairs to take him to the radio station J-423 for his upcoming interview.
You were breathless now. “Jeno, you’re going to be late-”
He pulled you into him and kissed you, easily slipping his tongue into your mouth and working magic against yours. You couldn’t help but return his kiss. His mouth was paradise and you wondered what else he could do with it.
He let you go after a few minutes and cupped your face. “So are you going to deny that there’s something going on here?”
You tried to catch your breath as you wiped your lipstick off of Jeno’s mouth. “No, I guess not...But this is where it stops.”
Jeno frowned. “Y/n…”
“I know where I stand. And you know it, too. And Jeno, I don’t like you that way...I’m sorry.” You caressed his face and grabbed your things, leaving Jeno with an unreadable expression on his face.
___
As a member of LCF Entertainment, your ultimate goal was profit. That was what you had to know from the very beginning. There was no such thing as LCF Family or truly prioritizing the idols. Everyone was after themselves. Whoever brought the most money to the company would get the most attention and special treatment. And that was Jeno.
And you, an aspiring film director, were thankful to be on his team because this experience could open doors for you in the future as a director. Sure, Jeno was a diva and he couldn’t stop flirting with you, but the experience wasn’t all that bad. And yeah it was frustrating that the media and the public perceived Jeno to be the nation’s sweetheart. But in the end, he wasn’t hurting anyone.
He was only hurting people’s wallets.
Temptation’s merchandise always sold out quickly but Jeno’s individual merch was always the first to sell out. And it was the first to get resold for twice and sometimes even triple the price. The fanbase was very merciless and selfish with each other. However, the scalpers were the true evil. That was less money going to your company, after all.
Even though frontman Jeno was the most popular member of Temptation, it was Temptation’s drummer Xiaojun that you had a massive crush on for a long time now. You even accumulated a secret collection of his merch. You were two photocards away from completing your Xiaojun album photocard collection.
Xiaojun even admitted to liking you back but you both kept it a secret from everyone else in the world, especially LCF. You two weren’t about to compromise your jobs. However, since Temptation was the biggest moneymaker in the game and the boys had been with the company for quite some time now, their dating ban was lifted.
Which explained why Jeno had been asking you out all week, not caring who listened and it freaked you out.
If Jeno’s fans ever found out he asked you out, they would pin the blame on you.
A week had passed since you told Jeno you weren’t interested in him. You felt bad for hurting him but you were also worried about his mood. He had the power to get you dismissed. You refused to believe he would be so cruel.
And up until this point, you were right. You were still employed and Jeno spoke with you like any other day, talking about camera angles and new concepts for upcoming shoots.
The end of another work week and Xiaojun surprises you on your way to the bus stop.
“Y/n,” Xiaojun pulls up beside you in his Porsche. He looked so elegant in a pale blue sweater and blue jeans. His face was concealed by a mask so he could leave undetected. But you’d recognized those eyebrows anywhere.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“I...I think we should finally talk…”
“About?”
He smiled. “About dating.”
You nearly dropped your phone out of your hand from the shock. “Really?”
He said, “Get in so I can drive you home!”
You nodded fervently and got into his passenger seat. Was this really happening?
On the drive home, Xiaojun told you he wanted to take it slow and have indoor dates with you first. You couldn’t agree more. He even surprised you with a brand new pair of AirPods after you told him that your brother took them from you.
The first of many gifts, he told you.
You got home that night and screamed excitedly into your pillow so as not to frighten your roommates
___
It has been a month since you and Xiaojun started seeing each other. You were on cloud nine. He would visit you at your apartment and would play with his dog Bella. Bella loved you a little more than she loved Xiaojun so you two would always bicker and end the night in each other’s arms.
Jeno noticed the spring in your step as you filmed his cooking vlog. He was showing his fans how he cooked breakfast for himself when he had down time. He was in a plain white T-shirt and a pair of drawstring trousers. He looked relaxed and for many, delectable, as his hair was wet from a shower. He was trying very hard to get your attention once again.
He anticipated you averting your eyes and stuttering at the sight of him but nothing. You whistled while you adjusted the tripod’s position.
“What’s got you so happy?” Jeno asked.
You nearly jumped at his question. You decided to be upfront. “I’m seeing Xiaojun.”
Jeno’s cool facade nearly cracked before your very eyes. “Oh?”
You apologized. “I’m sorry, Jeno. I should’ve told you that I liked Xiaojun…”
Jeno was furious. What the hell did Xiaojun have that he didn’t? Jeno was more muscular, taller, more talented, wealthier, more attractive...He was superior to Jeno in every way and everyone else knew it, too.
He honed his acting skills and replied evenly, “Why are you apologizing, y/n? So you like someone else...I’ll live.”
You realized maybe Jeno didn’t like you as much as you thought so you felt relieved to hear his dismissive tone. “Right. Good. I just...thought you should know…”
You and Jeno continued the shoot. He acted like nothing had happened and even behind the scenes, he joked with you and asked you which of the female trainees he should ask out. You berated him because female trainees were not allowed to date and he knew this very well. Jeno was back to his arrogant self and you were relieved.
___
You got a text from Xiaojun that he was finishing up a filming schedule with his bandmates. You wouldn’t be able to see him today because the schedule was running overtime.
He told you to go to dinner with some friends at Osaka Moon. His treat. He was good friends with the chef, apparently. You were on your way to the restaurant to meet your friends.
You were shocked at how down-to-earth Xiaojun still was after achieving so much fame and then he would do things like this. It gave you whiplash but you were having the time of your life with him.
However, you noticed him across the street. Xiaojun always wore different wigs and masks for his disguised outings with you.
But this time, there were no disguises. His side swept blonde hair and his thin framed glasses. There was no mistaking that it was him.
Was the filming for the show at the Downtown Hotel?
You were about to call his name when you saw another woman wrap her arms around him and squeeze his ass. She had long wavy brown hair and a slender frame. She could’ve been a model or a singer. They both entered the expensive hotel. Very bold of him to take her out so publicly when he was still intent on hiding you.
You felt like someone knocked the breath out of you. You shook your head in disbelief.
Immediately, you dialed Xiaojun’s number and there was no answer. You called four more times and nothing.
Son of a bitch, you thought.
He played you. You should’ve known he was no different than any other dickhead A-lister.
You decided to call his bandmates. It turned out that the filming they’d done today wrapped up over two hours ago.
Haechan had no idea where he was. Jisung didn’t either. Jaemin was equally perplexed. Last but not least you called Jeno.
He answered. “Hello?”
At this point, you couldn’t hold back your tears anymore. “Jeno…”
“Y/n? What’s wrong?”
“Do you know where Xiaojun is?”
“Not specifically...he did mention he had a reservation at the Downtown Hotel…”
You sniffled. “He did?”
“I thought he was meeting you…”
“No, he wasn’t…”
“Oh...Oh, shit, y/n. I am so-“
“It’s okay...Thanks Jeno. I’ll see you on Monday…”
You told your friends to have dinner without you and to make sure to spare no expense because your so-called boyfriend was buying. You told them Xiaojun finished at the last minute and wanted to take you dancing.
A total lie so you could wallow at your local bar.
You sat right by the bar and downed a few glasses of beer. Just to feel anything else besides the betrayal you felt.
A half hour later, you were even more buzzed now. A young man sat beside you at the counter.
He started, “Hello, gorgeous.”
You looked at the young man. He was stunning. Another face that belonged on television. Another one of those who was capable of seducing you and tossing you away the very next second.
You flipped the bird. “Bite me.”
The young man scoffed and tried again, “Feisty, aren’t we?”
He got closer to you and you began to feel uncomfortable. “Please leave me alone…”
“Tsk tsk. A beautiful girl like you in tears? You need someone who will bring your smile back.”
“And you’re the man for that job?” Someone interrupted.
You were shocked to find Jeno here. He looked gorgeous in a black leather jacket and dark jeans. His hair was slicked back the way you liked it most and wow, you may have had one too many drinks...A few customers recognized Jeno and started whispering and taking their cameras out.
“Jeno?” You nearly lost your balance as you got up from your chair.
Jeno grabbed you immediately before the other guy could.
The stranger said, “Why do you get to put your hands on her? Just cause you're some pretty boy with mediocre music...I’m sure she’s nothing compared to who you’ve bedded before-“
Jeno socked him in the face and escorted you out of the bar. The stranger cursed you both out as you left. Jeno led you quickly into his manager’s car that he borrowed for the night. You felt a little dizzy.
Jeno fastened your seatbelt.
You smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He looked at you in concern. “Are you okay?”
You shook your head. “Why are men scum, Jeno?”
Jeno sighed. “I’m so sorry about-“
“Don’t say his name...I...never want to see him again...God, now I have to sell all of his merch…”
Jeno frowned in confusion and continued, “I’ll take you home…”
You didn’t want to face your roommates. “No...Can I…Spend the night with you?”
It took all of Jeno’s might not to get out his car and raise his fist in the air. But he composed himself. “Are you sure?”
You nodded, wanting to forget all about Xiaojun and have one thoughtless night with Jeno. “Yes.”
Jeno drove you two to his penthouse suite. He was cautious around you and you were ready to shrug away your inhibitions.
Jeno helped you remove your coat at the entrance. “Take a seat. I’ll get you some water.”
You sat yourself on the couch and opened your legs wide, exposing your panties underneath your skirt. “Jeno, fuck me right now so I can forget his sorry ass.”
Jeno hesitated then but seeing how irresistible you were...He couldn’t help himself.
He asked again. “Are you sure?”
You nodded. You were buzzed but not that buzzed. You wanted to spite Xiaojun. You wanted to acknowledge the part of you that longed for Jeno for so long, too. You’d be stupid to deny that you fantasized about a night with him.
You hesitated before but now you said, why the hell not?
You and Jeno made love that night. Jeno was over the moon that you were finally in his arms. Sure it was a rebound but the look in your eyes when he was inside you had to mean something. There was a promise there and Jeno held onto that glimmer of hope.
Jeno took you home the next day and he was very cool about the whole night. Right before you returned home. you reminded him about how this was a one night stand and thanked him for a wonderful night.
You were resolute in dumping Xiaojun and simply going back to work. Thankful you only ever worked for Jeno anyway. And as expected, Jeno was his usual self: cocky, flirty, sending his food back for random reasons.
Xiaojun came under the fire for going to a hotel with a potential prostitute. The identity of the woman he was seen with remained a mystery. He tried convincing everyone that the woman was not a prostitute but he couldn’t remember how he met her or what she looked like. That night and along with how crazy Xiaojun sounded caused the company to encourage him to leave. Xiaojun’s contract with LCF Entertainment was terminated.
The week after you and Jeno made love...You started catching feelings for him. Every glance. Every fleeting touch. It drove you mad. And suddenly that one night stand was something you wanted again. And again. And again.
You accompanied Jeno and his manager as he attended a gallery opening. You were in charge of his photos for his social media. He looked extremely dapper in his red suit. You just wanted to rip his clothes off and make love to him in front of all of the guests. Becoming a work of art yourselves.
These thoughts you’ve been having used to scare you but now...you owned them. Tonight, when you got him alone, you would tell him how you really felt. You hoped you weren’t too late.
Jeno’s manager excused himself to get some refreshments. Jeno observed a painting while you took some more photos.
“Stunning,” you said aloud.
Jeno’s eyes grew at your words. “Wow, y/n...All the years we’ve worked together and you’ve never made a comment about my looks…”
Your face grew warm then. “I’m feeling a little bolder these days…”
He grinned. “Is that so?”
“Jeno, I won’t beat around the bush…I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night…”
“Y/n…”
“I know I said it was a one night stand and...You’ve moved on…”
Jeno started, “I haven’t…”
You were shocked to hear it. “Really?”
He moved closer to you and moved the camera away from your line of sight. “What are you saying, y/n?” His voice was dangerously low.
“I’m saying...that I want to be with you, Jeno.”
Jeno’s smile looked so gorgeous then. He was the true work of art at the gallery. “Well, y/n, I’ve made my feelings abundantly clear for a while now…”
He kissed you then. And the cameras started flashing.
You were on cloud nine. You finally released your suppressed feelings for the rockstar before you.
___
You’ve been together for two years now. He made you feel safe and loved. He showered you with gifts and trips to the most beautiful parts of the world.
As for the response from netizens and the company? Jeno had all the power and he could handle a few naysayers. Your job as his photographer and videographer remained intact. And you were well on your way to transitioning to your own film projects: your dream.
You and Jeno had become a couple to root for. They called you The Prince and The Pauper Turned Princess. You hated your label but whenever you looked at Jeno’s eyes, any anxiety or anger quickly faded.
Jeno had a solo performance in your city tonight and you were seated in a private booth. He was performing so well, moving from instrument to instrument. Driving people to tears with his long low notes. And then he surprised everyone with his announcement.
“Before I perform ‘Changed Your Mind’, I want to give a shout-out to the woman of my dreams, y/n, who is here with us tonight.”
The stadium roared in excitement and many heads turned to you. Your eyes never left Jeno.
“Y/n, I love you so much. We’ve come so far, baby. And I want us to never stop. Which is why…”
He got down from the stage and was escorted by security down to the crowd. He ran his hands past adoring fans as he made his way to you.
He entered your booth with his camera crew and security close by. “Y/n, will you marry me?”
You cried out, “Yes!”
Jeno picked you up and spun you around. You kissed passionately. The crowd’s roars thundered now. It was a celebration. You didn’t care that all eyes were on you now, as well. All you cared about was Jeno. And he loved you more than anything else in the world.
You truly found your soulmate and you couldn’t be happier.
___
Jeno finished his show and was backstage cooling down with a bottle of water.
“Good job tonight,” a woman said as she stood at the door of Jeno’s dressing room.
“Thank you, sis. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Jeno’s older sister Yeeun sat on the couch of the dressing room. “How does it feel to have her in your clutches now?”
Jeno smirked. “Pretty damn great.”
“And I’m here to collect my payment, little brother.”
Jeno sighed. “Really? It’s been two years.”
Yeeun looked at her manicured nails. “I’ve been busy.”
Jeno laughed. “Screwing over taken men? I’m sorry, I meant screwing taken men?”
“Nope. That task was a one-and-done deal. How is that poor boy doing these days?”
“Xiaojun? He’s back at school getting his master’s...He’s happy.”
“Has he tried to contact y/n since then?” Yeeun asked.
Jeno chuckled. “No. Why would he?”
She smiled at him. “They were sweet together. And you tore them apart because you couldn’t take no for an answer, could you?”
Jeno rolled his eyes. “And what about it? I have a right to get whatever I want. Do you know who I am?”
Yeeun sighed. “Yes, you repeatedly tell the family group chat who you are every week. And we all take it because you pay us well…”
Jeno and Yeeun had conspired against you and Xiaojun. Jeno stole Xiaojun’s phone and Yeeun charmed Xiaojun to join her for a night at the hotel. Jeno planned for you to go to Osaka Moon so you could see Xiaojun and Yeeun together.
Jeno watched you as you broke down in tears, calling each of his bandmates. He made sure he was far enough away by the time you called him. He played the part of a concerned friend very well. He had to take up acting, another field he would surely dominate. And with you as his director? It made him hard just thinking about it.
Jeno didn’t coincidentally find you at the bar. He’d been tailing and that stranger who hit on you was only an added bonus. Jeno could play the unsuspecting hero and you would eat it up. And that you did. He was satisfied to know that you wanted to sleep with him. He didn’t care about being a rebound.
Even so, he wasn’t going to take any chances. So after you left his penthouse the next morning, he took the bedsheets you came on and the strands of hair you left behind and got to work.
Did you really think Jeno amassed such success and wealth all on his own? He had a little help from his family and their friends from Hell, of course. Jeno’s family came from a long line of Satan-worshipping witches. Jeno was the youngest of the descendants.
Human sacrifice was only a small token of the Lee family’s appreciation to Lucifer. So Jeno’s deception of Xiaojun was almost nothing in the list of gruesome things Jeno has done to reach the top of his game.
Yeeun was able to literally charm Xiaojun with her own special concoction. Once she and Xiaojun had sex, she wiped his memory of that hour and left him alone at the hotel. Confused. Disoriented. Worried.
As for you? Well, you were the most irresistible creature in this world. Your immunity to his charms was only the first step in his growing feelings for you. You were brilliant and talented at your craft, always capturing his best features on camera. You were gorgeous. He was surprised you didn’t become an idol at LCF yourself. You were warm and sweet and giving. Even if the company was cutthroat, he saw how you’d be with your coworkers and the other idols. You were just a pure, loving girl. And he desperately needed you. Desired you. Craved you.
He simply had to call you his.
With your samples, he was able to create the perfect spell to make you his.
Forever.
That was what Jeno called true love.
[Fin]
#nct#nct 127#jeno#lee jeno#jeno boyfriend#boyfriend nct#nct dream boyfriend#nct dream au#nct dream x you#Nct dream fic#Nct dream scenario#Jeno scenario#Jeno blurb#Jeno imagine#Jeno x you#Jeno x reader#nct dream x reader#Nct x reader#Nct x you#Nct Jeno#Nct dream Jeno#Nct halloween#nct halloween blurb#nct au#nct imagine#nct scenarios
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I am a very big advocate for more Zuko(more specifically Zukka) Rapunzel stories. It just FITS. I have a post explainer why, but I won't link it, because I'm evil.
HOWEVER, while I know not many of those have shown up, I still want to talk about it. Because most of these stories take two roots: putting Zuko in the Rapunzel story, or putting Rapunzel story into the Avatar Universe. These are pretty self explanatory, but I wish to bring a third option. Because even though I know people won't write about it, it'll make me happy to get it down.
This third option is a bit of a mix but also a separation of the two previously mentioned ideas. Agni provides for the sun drop that creates the flower, Ursa is forced to marry Ozai per cannon, Ursa gets sick when she's pregnant per Rapunzel's story, they get the flower per story, Zuko is born per cannon.
However, here comes the idea of Zuko's hair, obviously he can't cut it. But I can never replace the idea of long black haired Zuko with long blond haired Zuko, oh well. In this story, Ozai(or whoever you want to represent Mother Gothel) can't kidnap Zuko.
People know of the flower, and they know Zuko was born only because of the flower. The nurses and Urse all know how Ozai feels about Zuko because of how he was born. To kidnap him would be to paint a political mark on him.
Zuko grows up being a bit of a national treasure, still considered weak since he's all about healing, but treasured. He may even be paraded by his grandfather as a way to receive the countries favor through healing them with Zuko. When Azula is born she's the clear next ruler while Zuko is a figure head or symbol in Ozai's eyes.
He had a plan now, but Zuko is still vibing. He may heal Azula and Lu Ten whenever they play, which they both appreciate. Azuka loses that appreciation as she grows up because she's meant to be perfect and finds his need to heal her as an insult. However, she lets him because it lets her get to practice more and become even more perfect. Ursa will have Zuko come over whenever they're playing with the turtleducks in order to heal any I'll ones, and I just felt my heart melt.
Things still go according to cannon. Lu Ten dies, Azulon gets killed, Ursa disappears, Ozai usurps the thrown from Iroh, and Zuko gets banished with Iroh following him for protection. However, things are more different between Zuko has been surrounded by healing his entire life. When he finds Aang, while he still chances him around, he finds himself battling with himself over his mission.
Moreover, nobody from outside the fire nation know about Zuko being a reincarnation of the flower(is reincarnation the right word???? I'm going to say reincarnation)
Imagen how confused Sokka, Katara, and Aang would be with having this RIDICULOUSLY long haired fire nation teenage prince following them around the world. They constantly debate if it's a fire nation royalty thing or something. They use the threat of cutting his hair constantly until Aang starts to worry that Zuko keeps his hair long for religious reasons. Sokka one days undoes Zuko's brain to distract him with all that hair during a fight, not expecting Zuko to know how to fight WITH the hair. Like EVERYONE is expecting for Zuko to start struggling with his hair in his face, even his own men, not for him to start using his hair as a damn wip!
I feel like with this version of Zuko would join the gaang early. Either being kidnapped by the gaang before they make it to the north pole, much to Iroh's worry. Or he ends up healing the moon while at the north pole.
If the lather is the root taken, it would be funny if every time he's stuck with one of the group members if he tries to heal them. How well those go very greatly.
If he does have the power of the Hurt Incantation, per the tangled TV show, I bet he would have found it early in life and hid it for himself because he was horrified. The only person I could see knowing about it would be Ursa, she might even be the person to give him that fear of that other power.
In my mind, before the war, the golden flower was open to everyone. Protected by the village that held it but allowed to be widely visited by anyone who needed it, even those of other nations. With the war came the silencing of anyone who knew of the flower. Which is why Ozai banishes him after the Agni Kai, so he doesn't catch wind of rebellion within the kingdom as response to Ozai burning the Golden Flower's Human Body.
Zuko gets along with Aang, old people stuff. Zuko and Katara are healing buddies. Zuko and Toph horrid parents forever. Zuko and Suki are fighters.
Zuko and Sokka but heads but respect each other. Sokka is constantly upset at first after having found out his powers because as Katara says "he is living proff of the so called tall spirit tales". They end up balancing each other out. And like many people bet that Sokka helps Katara with her hair loopsies, he helps Zuko with his way too long braids.
That was so much to place down with no clear direction, so have fun tearing into this one, folks. Have a good day!!
#zuko#zukka#avatar#atla#rapunzel au#sokka#katara#aang#ursa#ozai#avatar the last airbender#atla au#au#agni
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Mat’s Types, or On Tricksters
I recently made a joke about Mat's 'type' essentially being the Shadar Logoth dagger, and while I stand by it, I also think there's a lot more to it than that. I believe Mat actually has two types, which is entirely appropriate for a trickster archetype. One of his types is playful, joyful, generous people, who reflect his early- but persistent- personality. The other is sharp, powerful, existentially dangerous people, like the person he becomes over the course of the series. Like a raven- itself a trickster figure in Haida storytelling- Mat is attracted to shiny things, mirrors, and death.
But first, some definitions. I'm calling Mat a trickster archetype, so what is that? The trickster archetype is built on a kind of dual contrast. To trick someone, you must change things in a surprising way. Tricksters introduce chaos into an ordered system, or reveal order in what was thought to be chaos. (It's not surprising, or a change, to add order to order, or chaos to chaos.) So tricksters are transformational, liminal figures, who defy expectations and subvert the preexisting order- but who therefore *require* predictions and structure to have any kind of impact or meaning at all. Playing a game requires there be rules; revealing a loophole requires there be a contract.
Within this definition, there's still a huge range of characters you can call tricksters, and it's useful to categorize them across spectrums. One axis of a trickster is "effectiveness", which refers to the trickster's ability to effect change; this is 'incompetent to competent', 'foolish to canny', 'harmless to dangerous'. Another axis is "motivation" which refers to the trickster's ethical structure; this is 'good to evil', 'generous to selfish', 'just to unjust'. There's another kind of axis that's related to motivation, which I'll call "comprehensibility", and which refers to the trickster's transparency of motive; the range there is 'knowable to unknowable', 'familiar to alien', 'clear to mysterious'. If you wanted to chart them all I'd make effectiveness the horizontal x-axis, motivation the vertical y-axis, and comprehensibility the z-axis perpendicular to both of them, but this is starting to get into 'gesturing at the wall map with crazy eyes' territory and I'm mostly just going to be talking about effectiveness and motivation anyway, so let’s move on.
Tricksters can be foolish figures, always getting caught, often the butt of their own joke. That's our early impression of Mat- a prankster who never really seems to get away with anything, or a fool caught in a trap of his own making. Mat is also generous, insofar as he has apparently been rescuing people his whole life, plus he's very 'easy come, easy go' about money, and has a decent instinct for gift-giving, whether those are compliments or actual physical presents. He has a strong sense of justice that puts him at odds with people who have (unearned) privilege and who are abusing power, and he loves verbally trapping people into confronting their own hypocrisy.
He keeps these traits throughout the series, but he also develops ones on the opposite side of the axes. Stealing the Shadar Logoth dagger is the catalyst for Mat's development from 'harmless, benevolent trickster' to 'dangerous, morally complicated trickster'. It literally overwrites first his personality, and then his memories. While he gets the personality back- sort of- he never gets the memories back, and his quest to do so sets him on the rest of his path.
By the end of the series, Mat has undergone enormous trauma and developed a much stronger sense of self-preservation. He becomes a canny and multi-talented figure, a brilliant tactician and strategist, a dangerous enemy to have. He's most selfish and cruel when under the influence of the Shadar Logoth dagger, but it turns out he's also never been in the rescuing business for free, he wants to be needed and will get a little pissy if he isn't (although to his credit, he respects people's wishes if they say they don't want to be saved from themselves.)
His greed for adventure and shiny things was what got him into trouble with the dagger, and he never quite loses his appraiser's eye (or taste) for luxury goods. And Tuon is entirely right to name him 'Devastation' or 'Ruin'; he's constantly blowing things up, killing enormous amounts of people directly or by proxy, and while everyone in this series commits war crimes, he's got the dubious honor of having another character (Teslyn) actually say to his face, "You know you just did a war crime, right?"
Mat spends the early books- when he's in good enough health to do so, and has the opportunity- pursuing women, wine, and song, and I mention them all together because that's the vibe he's going for. Mat genuinely loves flirting and dancing for their own sake, as fun things to do with receptive people, and that extends to sexual activities as well. It's a joyful, generous, playful way of interacting, and Mat's joie de vivre seems to attract people with similar attitudes.
Yes, Mat sometimes puts his foot in his mouth, but he's not actually disrespectful of anyone else's agency, so he's doing better than the rest of the Two Rivers boys. He doesn't make assumptions about whether there will be a next interaction or not, or how far each interaction will go; each step is negotiated with input from both players, which makes it a kind of game. Mat doesn't have long-term relationships with these fun, playful people, but he's not looking for that, and neither are they.
The other kind of people Mat is attracted to are what I'll call 'dagger people', who are sharp (smart, competent, possibly literally an edged weapon), powerful, and existentially dangerous. It is *possible* that Mat might have acquired this taste without the Shadar Logoth dagger's influence. He likes battles, he likes adventure, he generally treats women as respected equals, he might have gotten to 'date a woman who can kick your ass' all on his own. But Mat loved that Shadar Logoth dagger, they had a whole entire fucked-up relationship, and when they broke up he got a bunch of rebound knives and also some sharp, powerful, and existentially dangerous people's memories shoved into his head. Like calls to like, blood feeds blood, etc.
And boy, does Mat find these ladies, or more accurately, boy, do these ladies find him. Case in point: Melindhra, the sexy darkfriend Maiden of the Spear. I think Aludra partially fits, too- sharp, confident if not powerful, dangerous (though not so much to him as like... the world.) Mat isn't pursuing or attracted to either Joline or Tylin, but they also fit this description, and they definitely pursued him. (I'd love to add Lanfear to the list of 'dangerous ladies who made passes at Mat' but I can't quite do it with a straight face.) I don't think Mat's thing for dagger people really reaches its full flower until he starts getting to know Tuon, though.
Mat spends much of the series looking for both his types, and tends to find either one or the other, but not both in one person- until Tuon. Like Mat, Tuon is actually both these types in a sometimes uneasy coexistence. For all their many differences, they think about each other much the same way. They both find each other very layered and confusing, but also are surprisingly quick to trust each other, which is striking in people who are very suspicious, in a fraught situation, and on opposite sides. I think most of the reason they trust each other is because they have the same very contractual personal honor system, where 'my word is my bond'. That's a trickster thing; tricksters have to keep some kind of rules, or how else will they play games and know whether they've won or lost? But their rules can be hidden or idiosyncratic (that's the z-axis, comprehensibility) as you see in 'bargains with the fae'-type situations. Personal honor is also a feature of royalty, though, where the personal and political are bound together, and a person's promises can be treated as legal contracts, as well as honor-based societies in general.
Mat and Tuon take their promises to each other very seriously, but are also always both looking for loopholes so they can get the upper hand. They also are both following the script of prophecy, which I mention because they both devote a lot of time to subverting their own expectations about how exactly that prophecy is going to play out. Mat buckles down and says “I’m going to make this come out in my favor somehow, even though it’s not what I wanted,” yet he’s still surprised at how and when Tuon completes the marriage ceremony; Tuon does not find Mat anything like she expected, and she also is surprised at her own feelings for him. Near the end of the series, they take a break from playing tricks and mind games on each other, and instead bluff everyone else on the battlefield, tag-teaming their trickster powers for one last surprise attack.
Ok, so how is Tuon Mat’s first type, playful, joyful, and generous? She loves playing games with Mat, both actual literal games like stones, but also their weird flirting/power plays. She's super competitive, because anyone who wasn't who was in her shoes would be dead, but she's a good sport, "satisfied when she wins and determined when she loses". She's also got "mischievous" smiles, and turns the tables on Mat in a super trickster-y way, writing the letter that puts everyone in the circus under her protection except for Mat and his crew; which means he and his coterie are still 'not safe' and thus he has to keep travelling with her rather than bringing her back to Ebou Dar right away, by the terms of their promise.
Mat gives us really lovely descriptions of her in moments of joy, and one of the first things we learn about her is that her genuine smile makes her look completely different from the normal Resting Bitch Face she affects for self-preservation reasons. She's generous in the sense that she's (often) willing to consider other points of view and give people second chances, when others in her position wouldn't and don't. She has the generosity of privilege, which I admit is not the most laudable form of generosity, but it's still a form of generosity. She also has a natural compassion and merciful impulses that have been trimmed and hemmed and twisted into only the forms her society deems socially acceptable, but they're still there.
I have less of a job to do proving that Tuon is a 'dagger person'. You remember how I joked about 'sharp' meaning 'literally an edged weapon'? Well, I don't know how else I'm supposed to interpret "Tuon’s right hand swept across, bladed like an axe, and struck [the footpad's] throat so hard that he heard the cartilage cracking". SHE'S LITERALLY A WEAPON. MAT HAS FINALLY FOUND A REPLACEMENT FOR HIS SEXY EVIL KNIFE. :') She's also super smart, super canny, and a snappy dresser to boot. She's one of the most powerful women in the world, and by the end of the series Mat is absolutely into it. (The bit where he's like "She's so good at giving orders! *heart eyes*" is simultaneously hilarious and alarming. I get it- I simp for Kuvira from Legend of Korra, I can't throw stones at anyone who’s like ‘hot evil Empress, please step on me’- but there's a time and a place, Mat.)
And, of course, she's an existential threat to the world, Mat's family and friends, and (theoretically) Mat himself. The Seanchan Empire, despite not being bigoted towards the Tinkers and having pretty good gender equality, is committing massive human rights violations left and right, thanks to the slavery, channelerphobia, and imperialism. As a tool of the Empire, unless he works on extricating himself, Mat's going to be culpable for that (he already is, really, but it could be worse), which is a stain on his soul that I don't think either he or the readers want. Being a tool of the Empire is an existential threat to Mat's idea of himself as an independent agent and good person, and I guess also an existential threat to his life since he's getting all those assassination attempts from his coworkers. (I am excluding Tuon from the assassination attempts; as I've mentioned in a previous essay, her threats to Mat are not serious and are in fact a form of deranged flirting.)
Tuon and Mat are both dual-axis tricksters, in their way. Tuon- or I should really be saying, Fortuona, Lady Luck- is more on the bringing order to chaos side, and Mat falls most characteristically on the bringing chaos to order end of things. But they switch roles- Mat shores up the proper order of things when he reminds Tuon to keep her promises, and Tuon is often a chaotic influence at court, with her mercy or willingness to change her mind. They also both understand what it's like to be both a person and an archetype- Mat worries about losing his individual choice and freedom by becoming a hero, and Tuon worries about becoming too vulnerable and individual to be the strong and impartial hand she thinks the Empire needs.
They've also both experienced their instincts and worldview being overwritten by external forces; for Tuon it's been happening since birth and she's almost entirely embraced the process; for Mat, it was the consequence of a choice he made and he fought it every step of the way. They have very different responses, but they've experienced weirdly similar 'erasure' experiences. And they both have good and evil impulses entwined in complicated ways.
Tuon is a survivor and a monster; a preserver and a destroyer; a person and an empire. And Mat builds a relationship with her when- and because- he accepts that he is both a lover and a fighter; generous and thieving; a person and a weapon. You may not like it, but this is what peak narrative compatibility looks like.
#wheel of time#wheel of time meta#meta#mat cauthon#tuon paendrag#mat/tuon#problematic fave tuon#trickster#tricksters#'I had more thoughts on my one-line joke so here is a follow-up essay' should be inscribed on my tombstone#it's about the ARCHETYPAL DEPTH#RJ gave me a 7-layer-dip of mutually reinforcing thematic parallels and my poor little 14-year-old literary tastebuds never recovered#mat/dagger
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Roman and Neo are getting a book in September? My lungs are ready to breathe in the toxic pollutant of disappointment and confusion.
I heard 😂 Okay, so you know how I'm always marginally optimistic at the start of a RWBY venture only to begin putting my clown makeup on halfway through? That trend aside, I honestly feel like this book has something like a legitimate 50-50 shot just given the differing responses to Myers' books. Fans seem to legitimately love After the Fall (I mean, obviously not everyone, but a solid chunk). Meanwhile, I've totally stalled on Before the Dawn given how bad it is. So which will Roman Holiday be? An enjoyable look into side characters mostly written out of the story, or just a train wreck?
Concerns I personally have include, but are not limited to:
The title. It's quite obviously a pun on Roman's name, but is this likewise meant to allude to the Hepburn film? I'm really hoping Roman and Neo aren't positioned as lovers in this, as the film homage would imply. I imagine them much more as evil BFFs, or perhaps even a father-daughter dynamic if Roman is old enough
Also, if this is meant to evoke Roman Holiday the film, I can't help but wonder if Neo will come from some kind of royalty (whatever that means for Remnant). We've got that wealthy looking portrait on the cover and (sigh) haven't we had enough abuse storylines?
It comes out in September, so roughly two months before Volume 9 is likely to begin. Of which Neo should be a major part, the only villain to fall into the void. Dare I ask what nonsense the novel might introduce that's meant to prepare us for that? Given RWBY's track record, Volume 9 will either contradict the novel in some crucial manner or, more likely, there will be important information about Neo necessary for understanding something in Volume 9, but it will only be included in the novel. Cue fans dismissively telling critics to just read the 300-ish page book to follow the webseries you're watching, jeez.
RWBY's going pretty hard on the redemption arcs ("arcs") lately whether we're talking full good guy now with Emerald, redemptive death with Hazel, or a sympathy-focused almost change with Cinder. It is, again, another personal preference, but I'd like our campy villain duo to stay villainous. Fans are already worried that Volume 9 will redeem Neo - what else is there to do with her, surrounded by heroes? - but that work might start in this novel, giving her another tragic backstory and setting up that she doesn't really want to be a criminal, she's just never been given the chance to be anything else! And now that Roman is gone and she's forced to travel with the heroes... previous desire to murder Ruby? Who's she?
Just please, for the love of everything, don't make her talk. Neo's mutism is a defining characteristic in a story that's been getting worse and worse with its disability rep. Obviously everyone expects a Neo backstory to include some reference to it... but please be careful. Do research. Get some sensitivity readers. Don't hand-wave it away as something unambiguously horrific, or try to outright cure it in Volume 9.
Roman, you were a great deal of fun and remain one of the highlights of the early volumes for me. Please survive this novel with your character intact 👍
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Destiny Calling: Chapter 5
Aragorn didn't know why he was following Boromir, but he was. Course, Boromir had no clue because as he mentioned to Frodo, he could be practically invisible if he wished. He for the most part didn't do anything of an interest to Aragorn. He didn't do anything rude and was in fact, very respectful. He met you briefly, bowing respectfully but you stopped him, saying that you were not someone he had to bow to and wished to be seen as an equal. You said that to most of the people that made an attempt to show some sort of sign of acknowledgement that you were royalty. Aragorn though, noticed his asking of the heirlooms of Isildur. You told him where they were, seeing as when men passed through, they treated the library like a museum of sorts, looking at the remnants of history, collected over the years.
He stuck to the shadows as he watched Boromir. He stared at the broken sword in awe. "The shards of Narsil... the blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand." Boromir muttered to himself as he looked at it. He brushed his fingers on the side of the broken blade. "Still sharp.." He whispered. He often wondered to himself if there was anyway he was an heir to Isildur. He knew though that the line had died out... At least that's what he was taught. He had no idea that the other man in the room shared the blood of the man who's sword he was holding. He felt eyes on him, turning to see Aragorn watching him. "But no more than a broken heirloom." He said, setting it back. It slid off, clattering to the ground as he walked off.
Aragorn rose a brow, picking up the hilt from the floor. You walked over, looking at his observant eyes. You could see visible fear in them as he looked at the blade. " You're still afraid of his past, why? You are Isildur's heir...not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his mistake." You said softly, putting your hand on his shoulder. He held the hilt with one hand, his other on top of your hand. "The same blood flows in my veins...the same weakness..." He muttered, looking at the blade. "Your time will come. You will face the same evil...and you will defeat it. You will not be alone through this either." You said softly. He looked at you and then the blade, still uncertain. "Ni sinte -yes's frightening Aragorn. Mal enyal- sina burden does vamme sér- on your shoulders er. Ni am símen. Always indóme n-. (I know it's frightening Aragorn. But remember this burden does not rest on your shoulders alone. I am here. Always will be.)" You said softly. He looked at you, pressing a kiss to your forehead before setting the hilt down, walking with you.
You held his hand, whispering sweet little things in his ear to make sure he knew he was safe. He felt calmer around you, like he was always walking on air. He loved making you laugh, it was his favorite thing. He loved your smile, your laugh, the way you breathed... By the gods he loved everything about you. He went to bed that night, you in his arms. Elrond by no means approved of you two sleeping in the same room, much less the same bed as you but he knew for a fact that there was no separating you two. Aragorn typically went to sleep, speaking of past adventures to you. Other times he'd fall asleep just saying how his days went. On the nights he couldn't sleep, you'd tell him of your adventures of Mirkwood, how you'd sometimes try to leave, only to end up at the end Thranduil's icy gaze.
The morning sun shone through the window, you leaning up. You looked over to see a dress already laid out. You rolled your eyes, putting it on in silence. You fiddled with the back strings but felt a pair of hands tying it for you. "I see your sister has been in here." Aragorn said. You chuckled. "She does love to dress me like I'm still a child." You muttered, brushing out the red fabric. "At least she is aware that red is a beautiful color on you." He said making you smile. "And you know what colors I look best in?" you asked. "Usually blue makes you look very pale. Red however brings out your eyes. Green though... Green makes you look very regal." He said making you laugh. "And you know this all, how?" you asked, turning to him. "You wore green at your coronation." he said making you smile before you both left.
You took your seat next to your father, sitting up straight. Elrond leaned over. "Are you prepared for what's to come?" He asked. "Have hope father. We will do this." you said. "With you with them? Of course." He said making you smile as everyone sat down. Frodo looked at you, a small amount of anxiety leaving him as he looked at your little wave. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo." Elrond instructed. He nodded, getting up and setting the ring on a stone plinth before sitting back down next to Gandalf. "So it is true!" Boromir gaped. "Sauron's ring of power." Legolas gaped. "The doom of man." A dwarf said. "It is a gift...a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay...by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy...let us use it against him!" Boromir exclaimed.
You and Aragorn exchanged a look. You already had a feeling you knew how Boromir meets his fate. "This something a lot more powerful than any man can handle." you said. "What would you know of this?" He asked making Legolas grit his teeth and Aragorn resist snapping. you said nothing, looking at him with annoyance. If you opened your mouth, you knew your wit would be too quick for your father to stop and you'd say something distasteful. "She is right. You cannot wield it. None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone...it has no other master." Aragorn said calmly, though still clearly annoyed. "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked.
"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Legolas snapped. You facepalmed and Frodo looked at Aragorn confused. "Aragorn... This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked. "And heir to Gondor." Legolas added. "Havo dad, Legolas...Sit down, Legolas.." Aragorn said. Legolas sighed, sitting back down. Boromir locked onto Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king." He muttered. "Aragorn and Y/n are right...we cannot use it." Gandalf said. "You have only one choice." Elrond said. "The Ring must be destroyed." You said, staring at the golden ring. You could feel the negative energy practically radiate off of it. "What are we waiting for?" The dwarf asked, approaching the pedestal with his axe drawn. You saw him gear up to attack.
"Wait-" But it was too late in trying to warn him. His axe broke on impact, knocking him to the ground. You noticed Frodo wince, raising brow but getting up to assist the dwarf in standing. He waved you off and you noticed him grimace. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Elrond said. "One of you must do this." You said. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" Boromir said as you sat back down. "If it was done once, it can be done again." you said. "Have you heard nothing I have said!?" Boromir asked. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas asked. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Gimli asked. You sighed. "We've made no such claim, neither has Legolas." You halted. "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir asked. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted.
You sighed. "Gimli your hatred for my people is understandable, but do not think of what is best for you but for the rest of the world." you said. "Understandable? Y/n do you hear yourself—" "Father, do not begin with me. You know my opinion." you halted. Gimli rose a brow, never hearing talk of an elf actually agreeing with him. "This is ridiculous, who is taking the ring!?" Boromir asked, the group dissolving into arguing. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it" Gandalf yelled. You sat in your seat, head in your hand as you looked at it. The group only argued more and more before you heard something.
"I will take it." Frodo said. You looked up, astonished at the young hobbit's choice. "I will take it!" He repeated so the rest could hear. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though-- I do not know the way." He said. Gandalf seemed disappointed with this. Not by Frodo's choice but by the fact that this is what it had come to. A poor hobbit who's most likely had to uproot his whole life for this quest to Rivendell and now he had agreed to take it even further. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said, putting his hand on Frodo's shoulder. "You have chosen a very dangerous task Mister Baggins. But I will assist you with this." you said, standing up. Boromir was shocked that a woman would even want part in this at all, much less volunteering for battle. You kneeled to Frodo. "You have my blades." you said. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will" Aragorn said, clearly speaking to Frodo but looking at you before he too, kneeled. "You have my sword." He said, now looking at Frodo. "And you have my bow." Legolas said, standing near you. "And my axe!" Gimli chimed in. "You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Boromir said.
You heard a rustle before Sam darted out from the bushed, making you smile. "Mr. Frodo is not goin’ anywhere without me!" He said. "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said, clearly amused by the actions of Sam. You heard more footsteps. "Wait! We are coming too!" Merry and Pippin shouted. You exchanged a smile with Aragorn. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry said. "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Pippin said. "That rules you out Pip." Merry muttered making you bite back a snort. "Ten companions... So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" Elrond announced. "Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked making Aragorn finally crack a laugh. You chuckled, looking across at your lover with a smile. Boromir rose a brow, noticing the exchange.
You packed that night, feeling relief when you wore your armor rather than your dress. Dinner was spent with talks of roads until your brothers arrived. "Who might you be?" Pippin asked. "Pippin, those are my brothers" You said with a smile. "Elladan." you introduced as he sat next to you. "Elrohir." you introduced as he sat down on your other side. "How many siblings do you have?" Merry asked. "Just three." you answered. Arwen sipped on her drink. "I must say... It is rather peculiar for you to wish to join us on the journey." Boromir said. "Not if you know Y/n." Elladan said. "What are you like?" Boromir asked. "Curious." you said. "...Insane." "reckless" "hyperactive." Your siblings chimed in. "I'd say more... Spirited." Legolas said. " You know her personally?" Frodo asked. "My father helped raise her." He said. "I'd say she's a valuable asset." Aragorn said. "Thank you!" You huffed. "Well we all know why you think that." Elrohir teased. Aragorn hid his smile by taking a drink as you flushed pink with embarrassment. "How is she a valuable asset?" Sam asked. "She has an ability to speak with nature." Aragorn answered. "I thought all elves had that ability." Boromir said confused. "Yes, we do. But it is usually very hard to hear without focus. It sounds like whispers. Y/n can hear them without trying and she can actually make it respond." Arwen answered. "I see." Boromir muttered. "It comes from her lack of immortality." Legolas said. Everyone else looked up. "You're not immortal?" Merry asked. "No." you shook your head. "I thought all elves were." Pippin said. "We can choose not to be." You said. "Why did you choose not to be?" Frodo asked. "Which reason would you like to hear?" you asked. "Any of them?" Frodo said confused. "...I felt it to be an unfair advantage for those who were not blessed with long lives." You said. "What was the other reason Miss Y/n?" Sam asked. You looked over at Aragorn and smiled. "I wish to spend one lifetime with the one that makes me content than to spend thousands walking this plain alone." You answered.
All the hobbits noticed the look that Aragorn and you exchanged. It was confirmed to everyone at the table that you and Aragorn were definitely in some sort of relationship. Gimli however was pretty much the only person at the table who had no idea to the relationship. Aragorn smiled, looking at his glass. Arwen fidgeted with her necklace in thought. "Uh... Miss..." "Arwen." She reminded Sam. "Right. Miss Arwen, what is that necklace?" He asked. "The Evenstar necklace is like a symbol to our family name." She said. "My sister wears one as well." She added, you showing it. "We have crests on our armor." Elladan said. The group seemed interested in mostly you. Not much was known about you due to your awkward start of the journey. You revealed some interesting facts to them, telling them of your abilities of foresight but keeping Boromir's death secret. The fact though they fixated on was your ringwraith visions. "You knew they were coming?" Frodo asked. "Normally I can feel them." you admitted. "What does it feel like?" Pippin asked. You pondered, a grave look coming over you. "Dread...Darkness. I... can usually smell blood too." you muttered. Aragorn frowned. He knew your visions were a burden to you. Sometimes if you spoke on a subject long enough you'd basically force yourself into having another vision. He sat there, observing your eyes as they closed.
You leaned forward, Arwen stopping your body from hitting the table. Sam rose and Aragorn got up, walking over and kneeling next to you. You opened your eyes. "Are tye alright mime mel (are you alright my love)?" He asked. You nodded slowly. Arwen handed you a glass of water. "Frodo, I'm sorry that is what you have to bare." You muttered. Frodo rose a brow. "What do you mean?" He asked. "I've seen the visions you've had." You muttered. He blinked. "You have?" He asked. "The voices... The eye... Fires..." You shook your head and put your hand to your head. "Perhaps you should lie down." He said. You shook your head. "I'm alright. I swear." You said. Elladan stood up. "I'll switch seats so you can ensure she'll be fine. " He said. You said nothing, feeling a slight headache as you heard a low hum from the ring. You looked at it, Elrohir noticing your tired eyes before Aragorn held your hand, instantly breaking the focus. Relief hit you and you cleared your throat. "My apologies. My visions can... Bombard me. Sometimes." You said softly. "it's alright your high—" "Please don't use formalities with me. I'm not above any of you. You are all my equals." You halted Sam. Pippin smiled and he nodded. "You seem like you'd make a good ruler." Pippin said. Boromir rose a brow to this comment. "I agree." Arwen said. "You do?" You asked. "We all believe this." Elladan said. "Why?" Boromir asked. "Our sister has always put our people over herself. She's also a brilliant strategist." Elrohir said. You smirked. "You say that because you're the one who trained me." You laughed. He smiled but shook his head. "You're also a good fighter." Elladan said. "Again. You two trained me." You said. "You lack a lot of the etiquette." Arwen muttered making you sigh. "Maybe if your courses weren't so annoying I might've made it a point to listen!" You said gritting your teeth. "I would say she handled herself well at the meeting." Boromir said. "See! Royalty thinks that I did fine!" You said. "I don't care what anyone else thinks, you still haven't even officially passed the dinner etiquette course!" Arwen sighed.
"Who on this earthly plain needs six different forks!?" You asked. Aragorn snorted and Arwen groaned. "It is the proper thing to know!" She said. "It is a pointless thing to know." You huffed. She sighed. "She is, outside of etiquette, a woman who is very skilled and intelligent." Arwen finally said. You looked over at her, raising a brow. "Thank you." you said. "Course, she also has made a habit of falling out of trees." Arwen added. "HEY!"
Everyone soon retired to their rooms. Boromir stood on his balcony looking at the valley. He couldn't help but feel out of place next to you and Aragorn. Yes, you technically were his equal. But with the way Isildur's heir looked at you, the way everyone spoke of visions of the future, seeing you on a throne... Boromir knew in his heart that you were destined to be queen of Gondor. He knew that Aragorn would be king one day. One question lingered in his mind, echoing its anxious call.
The question was: were you two going to prove that you were ready for this?
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