#i think its fun that they tried to do the supreme king thing again but also really weird. like most arc v plot points. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lillian-nator · 3 years

Text

Everything below was made by Me, Eye, and Ethan over the course of like 3 days

Thank you (with additions from sleepy my beloved)

Okay

Wilbur isn’t the oldest

Techno is

But it’s a war run empire, they take pride in their troops and armies and triumphs

The soldiers come first

So Techno is the commander in chief , the general

Wilbur, second born

Is heir to the throne

To the diplomatic side of the empire

and Tommy Gets shit

He doesn’t even understand why Phil had another kid

Of course there is the situation where Techno or Wilbur dies, or one of them steps down, but it won’t happen

Was he really born to be the understudy

he was born as a backup

Tommy was an accident but they’re not gonna let the public know that

like he's the Zuko

Phil doesn't really pay attention to him so his mother picks up the slack

Wilbur is 21

Techno’s 23

Tommy’s 17

However I have a really good idea for prince Tommy, just like what if he doesn’t like the way that people treat him? Like he doesn’t want all these yes men he wants to be he wants to be told now, he want somebody to tell him he that’s against the rules he just wants him like structure he just want someone to hate him he want someone to not like him and say no and tell him that he’s stupid which is why he does all of the stupid shit that he does

Ever since he was like 4

Everyone has said yes

He wants to defy them

He wants to just do something to make someone say no

That and he lowkey

He wants ~~Phil~~ Wilbur to pay attention to him

Is a Little Shit who causes so many problems on purpose to try and find someone who will push back against him

He wants someone to give him structure and discipline but overall he just wants his family’s attention

He’s broken shit, thrown temper tantrums, he’s started fights and he’ll he’s even snuck out and stole things

He’s never been stopped

People consider him snobby and spoiled

He's a brat

He gets everything he wants, but he doesn’t really want it, he just asks to see if they’ll tell him no

Tubbo = Stable Boy

Ranboo = Prince of another country (probably the americas)

Ranboo could definitely fit the role of an overseas royal prince who Tommy sees as a regal, spoiled, uppity little shit. Like Tubbo, who Tommy sneaks everywhere, has met Ranboo and likes him. Tommy can't possibly see why, he's unbearable.

Bench Trio = Best freinds

I think that Tommy and his brothers were always very very close

they just have jobs and shit

They took over Phil's shit

they probably drift apart as they get older, Wilbur and techno have duties and Tommy starts his quest for attention, they grow apart from their little brother without realizing it

Tommy and his mother (kristin) are always and have continued to be close

she definitely chides him, and tells him quietly to not do things for all of his "misbehaviors"

but there is only so much that she can do, because she has the duty to not make a scene

that and she's not who he's looking for attention from

You may be asking "How is crime recognized, identified, discussed, and atoned for?" more specifically, "Is it a 'you stole my bread so without asking anyone I'm cutting your hand off' or is it the US court system" ~~You may also be Ethan~~

The answer is:

like the UKs

But more like

Okay so the Supreme Judicial system, but Phil (and then Wilbur) has teh final say

Court system, but with Phil overseeing everything

instead of a judge

HOWEVER, that's in the national level

in smaller villages, its more of the cut your hand off system

because the judicial system isn't regulated

So bonus questions:

Punishments and the identification of whether a crime counts as a crime?

soldiers can call crimes out, and citizens can file reports

Phil's not really shit, he just doesn't show Tommy any attention because he's busy with the other two

Just honestly doesn't even care about most shit Tommy does

Like, doesn't pay attention to it until it affects him, he's busy running a country and training the boys to running a country

I don’t think they (the brothers) realize how badly everything is affecting Tommy

The only one who knows anything about the full extent would be his mom, and she’s in a similar boat to Tommy

Phil doenst really see her much either

Not like she could “Make a Scene” trying to get Phil to pay attention to his youngest, to actually love his child, he’s barely around

Kristin and Phil spend time together at night, but during the day everything is for the cameras

its like the UK royals, how they do shit just for the people

And Phil doenst want to hear about the kids at night, he wants to spend time with his wife

Tommy has stolen a car and will do it again

Just fucking hopped in and took a joyride

With Absolutely No Repercussions

Do you think Phil ever tries to hire like, a nanny or something? In the aftermath of the Car Incident? Yes, and it never worked

Tommy, like 15 at the time, pissed as hell as a random ass woman tries to tell him to go to bed at 8:30 pm

Tommy wants somebody to tell him no but not somebody hired to tell him no mannn

Tommy goes to like parties - like ragers

he has a network of really famous friends like young actors and shit

dude is a party animal, underage drinking, rumors of drugs, he’s the PR Teams worst nightmare, but they’re not going to say anything

The press makes up SO MUCH SHIT

The press once said that he had done cocaine when it was really one of his friends

Tommy adopts two dogs (hello Betty and Walter) without asking either of his parents

Betty is short for Elizabeth

He brings them in off the street

Literal abandoned street dogs and he goes, mine now

He like, walks down the street with sunglasses on, and just doesn't look at anyone as he walks the dogs, who have like black nice leather leashes

The paparazzi always finds him walking the dogs

like a modern celebrity

Mans can and will call the paparazzi on himself - because he is a drama queen ETHAN Tommy voice "hello pa pa. I have hired two new staff, pa pa." "Huh?" "they have found work in this palace as emotional support animals, pa pa." "....ok." tommy voice "he didn't even blink, elizabeth the fourteenth" END OF ETHAN MAKING FUN OF THE BRITISH

By the way just to clear things up with you all, Tommy addresses Phil as "Father"

most of the paparazzi's pictures of Tommy are him flipping the camera off

He poses for them

just sees a camera and fucking sticks his tongue out and flips them off

He’s wearing some atrocious outfit while walking his dogs and he just has a full on fashion photshoot of poses for them

If his dad won’t give him attention at least they will

Tommy befriends some of the staff

he hates a lot of the butlers tbh

thinks they're stuck up

but likes to gossip with the maids, and sit in the kitchen as the chefs cook lunch "Heyyyy, chef!" "Your highness, what is it, are you hungry?" "Can't a man just talk to his chef? Befriend his castle staff?" "Ah."

that and the kitchen gives betty and walter treats

Top ten Prince Thomas microaggressions

Number One: he calls Phil "your highness"

For context, kings are referred to as Your Majesty

He calls Wilbur Your Majesty

It was a joke when they were younger, a habit from then on, but now it’s to spite Phil

Tommy spends an ridiculous amount of money on clothes all at once, purely to see if Phil would yell at him for using the family debit card for it

He never wears the clothes

He doesn’t particularly like any of them anyways

Instead he donate them all anonymously

Tommy may be a brat but he isn’t wasteful

By the time Tommy’s 12 he’s started acting up, and it escalates slowly until he hits 15 where things just start snowballing and he gets worse and worse

he's definitely nicknamed by the press as some sort of party animal or fratboy

a spoiled brat

He’s 16, and he knows his place in the family, he is forgotten and glossed over, but he won’t be ignored, not if he can help it

The Public gives him the attention he wishes his father would give him, he walks his dogs with the paparazzi tailing after him, just hoping that maybe one scandal or one horrible picture will eventually be enough to make his dad actually See him

he'll tell the paparazzi what they want to hear

and give every magazine a story to tell

they notice him

he just wants somebody to tell him no, somebody tell this boy no without being paid to please

Tommy probably has like, pierced his ears or smth. Gotten tattoos.

he has holes in his face yes.

he pierced his ears and his nose

He has a tattoo on the inside of his finger that matches with Tubbo and Ranboo

Maybe the picture of him plastered from last weekend will make his dad reprimand him

Maybe the weed found in his backseat will get his Dad to ground him

Maybe the bottle of fucking pills he was “holding for a friend” but got caught with Will get some sort of reaction

and its not like he's only doing it for attention

he starts it for attention, but he loves it he does

he has fun, he loves his friends, he likes the parties and the air

but, he also loves the attention, he's not gonna lie

Tommy who took adderall at a party once but it didn’t do anything for him, he seemed to function a little better actually

Tommy who knows Techno has adhd and takes adderall for it, Tommy who puts two and two together Bc he’s not fucking dumb

Tommy realizing his dad never cared to even get him diagnosed or treated

and Techno does notice, he does figure it out, but he does either a "hey..." or a "m8 I'll just get you your own if its helpin you focus" and tommy is furious

Tommy's life here is just

'trying to be yelled at HARD MODE'

Just wants to be screamed at, lowkey

I think, Wilbur avoids the tabloids

And the press

And the news

However, his advisors often read him the shit about Tommy - or anything about him

But they never see the pictures

They don’t see the picture of Tommy drunk on a strangers balcony

They don't see how bad it is

Tommy however? LOVES reading what the press has to say about him

Phil sees it however,

And he’s so disappointed

He gives Tommy so many talks but it never works

Because it doesn’t get him to love Tommy, to care about what Tommy does

Not like their mother

And he never makes a scene, not in the way Tommy wants to

It's all about "YOUR RUINING OUR IMAGE"

not: "YOUR RUINING YOUR LIFE"

He never asks if Tommy is ok

He never asks if he’s safe

Tommy's mum however, SO MANY AWKWARD "STAY SAFE" TALKS

He doesn't just fucking jump off shit because of her, he's slightly less reckless so that he can come home alive to her

I just think that Wilbur, no matter how busy, would find time to concerned yell at his baby brother if he were to find out about the pills

Weed and alcohol? Not great but ok.

Pills though?? He is full blown concerned Wilbro there

His brothers care. Their father is busy. He's a jerk sometimes too.

Wilbur does put out the fire a bit

He’s glad Wilbur had his best interest in mind

But man

The news headlines

They do him dirty

Shit like “Prince Tommy Caught Doing Cocaine at Frat Party” really fuck him over

They really just try their best to make him look like shit 95% of the time

Tommy loves it, just a little

Bad press is still press

He laughs at the headline Bc he knows he wasn’t doing cocaine, but Phil doesn’t, wilbur and techno don’t know that

It’s a tense week after that headline is released

His mom doesn’t even know if Tommy would have actually done cocaine

They just don’t know

Kristin asks him

She’s the only one who believes him

I think Wilbur wants to believe him, Techno too

But it’s hard to, especially when you’re not even sure you know your own brother anymore

Wilbur says something along the lines of being disappointed in Tommy, if he thought Tommy was trying to be better

Tommy scoffs and says he is trying, but that it’s real rich of Wilbur to be or entering to care now

This isn’t even the worse headline

One time a blonde kid got picked up from the same party Tommy was at on a stretcher, he had had an allergic reaction

Some shitty journalist saw and automatically assumed it was Tommy

They ran with the story that the prince had fucking overdosed for at least a week

The things they say are close to the truth but not quite

The PR Team tries their best to help but

They don’t even know what’s true or not

Tommy goes on a bender for a week, and walks into their office with coffee and pastries to apologize

They all know that presents mean a rough week of damage control

But Tommy imports them these Bomb ass donuts so

Fair trade really

Also heaven forbid tommy gets seen with a girl

It’s the worst shit

Tommy gets caught, drunk off his ass, pushing a couch out a window

(To be fair the people were moving soon anyways, they didn’t need the couch, it was a going away party)

And the next morning, recalling what he did

He orders up those pastries and calls the coffee place

Swings by to pick up the coffee and picks up the pastries all within the next two hours and delivers them on the third with an apology note

It’s fucking DAMAGE control

Thinking about Tubbo and Ranboo being Tommy’s DDs when they can

They are

When Tommy’s handler isn’t around

Them doing wild shit together but not Wild Shit

Tommy teaches them how to do burnouts and donuts in a fucking lambos in an empty mall parking lot

Ranboo goes everywhere incognito, Tommy practically flaunts his rank, Tubbo is considered a nobody and doesn't have to do anything but show up in casual clothes. He has a uniform for stablework.

Ranboo's parents are approving of his friendship with the fledging prince, as they hope he can wrangle Tommy to regality and he's building positive relations between the two kingdoms.

Phil is disapproving, worried Tommy will taint Ranboo and his rep and cause a tense air between the two kingdoms. Tommy loves Phil's worry, he practically bathes in it, it's the attention he so craves.

Tommy definitely will hold Tubbo's hand when he walks with him, because the headlines all scream Tommy is the gay?? and while he's very incredibly straight, he finds this hysterical.

Ranboo isn't always in Tommy's kingdom and rather spends most of his time at home. He might be second to heir or the crown prince himself, but he does have to spend time in his own country. Tommy face calls him a lot and he and Tubbo are ecstatic when he announces he's going to visit

I imagine he's second to the throne because that means he can focus on building relations instead of training to be king.

Older sibling Fundy, gets chronic illness, and Ranboo has to take over the throne for a bit

One of Tommy's worst stunts was hitching a ride to the Americas/Ranboo's kingdom without telling anyone.

Whether by boat or plane, he was gonna go visit his young king friend no matter what.

I say "young king" but he's still a prince. Just filling in for fundy

But all eyes turn to Ranboo and Ranboo is stumbling with attention he'd never known. Tommy has to help, doesn't he?

He expects such a punishment for stowing away to visit, but the headlines are... positive. Prince Tommy's friendship with Princr Ranboo becomes.... legendary, practically. Tubbo is always excluded from the news, even when he comes with.

Never too fantastical for classism

But no, the headlines see Tommy's visit not as the young, rebellious prince stowing away, but as a young boy risking his skin to visit his stressed friend.

Tommy is appalled.

And Tommy just groans and shows him the phone

And Ranboo laughs and goes

“There there Tommy, I’m sure dragging me to a frat party will be enough to ruin the good press.”

“Maybe get a dui, you’ll have diplomatic immunity so no jail time?”

“Boo, I wouldn’t get jail time even if I wasn’t em-mune, I am simply too poggers.”

“Sure man, let’s go with that.”

Tommy’s like “maybe I need to actually start doing hard drugs”

Ranboos just like “no -“ just “Please god no, your brothers will kill both of us.”

The Boo is terrified of Techno and Wilbur

Not as royals though, simply as Tommy’s older brothers

Like he knows about Tommy’s issues with validation and feeling unloved, he knows his Brothers are often very busy

But he also sees the way they look at Tommy, and the way they look when people talk bad about Tommy

He knows if something were to happen and he was to cause harm to Tommy or cause Tommy to cause harm to himself

It probably wouldn’t end well for him

Wilbur and techno try as hard as they can

But they’re SO busy

That they can’t do much especially when Tommy’s so persistent on doing his shit

Tubbo is great with the horses he tends to, and Tommy adores them. Ranboo is an excellent, regal rider and Tommy and Tubbo are more rough and ballsy, so races are fair and fastpaced.

Ranboo once got bucked by a royal stallion and Tommy and Tubbo never let him live it down.

I imagine Tubbo lives on the property, as some servants do. He either doesn't have a family, has a bad one, or his family doesn't live close to the palace.

So Tommy 10/10 sneaks to the servants' quarters and he and Tubbo sneak out to ride the horses.

I feel like Wilbur makes more of an effort after the pills and cocaine incident, he tries to ask Tommy about the headlines

Purples is Tommy’s friend

Rich family, old money

Throws a lot of the parties Tommy goes to

Purpled and punz :handshake: Tommy

Frat Boys

I think you guys are underestimating the time that Tommy spends at the castle

Like he still has school, and usually 3 days out of the week he follows around his brothers like an endearing little shit

But those 4 days where he’s gone (which includes weekends) plus nights, he’s doing shit

Also, yiu know Pongo right

101 Dalmatians

That’s how Tommy walks Betty and Walter

They are like standing completely proper and walks straight

ah yes, the royal bitches and also betty and walter are there too

the paparazzi taking pictures of Tommy and the dogs

and Tommy turns, taking his sunglasses off, and smiles big and wide "They have names you know? You should stop callin' them 'the royal dogs'."

One of the guys, he's familiar with the prince turns on his camera and asks "what're their names Prince Tommy?"

"Betty and Walter. Give them some respect."

Tommy visits Ranboo sometimes. Ranboo was looking for him one day and just found him standing in a long hall, staring at a portrait.

It's Ranboo, just barely younger, hands folded behind his back, the perfect picture of regality.

Tommy is staring at it because he knows that at home, there is a portrait of Wilbur looking like that, and one of Techno, and one of Phil and Kristen, and one of himself.

But somehow this image of Ranboo is.. haunting

Not because it doesn't match with the Ranboo he knows, but because it does.

It haunts him because he can stare at his portrait for hours and never see himself, but this is so plainly Ranboo that it's chilling.

Ranboo stands beside him, hands folded behind his back as they always are when he is in nice clothes and his eyes are visible. Tommy glances over and Ranboo is facing him, but staring up at the picture. It's still him.

The clothes are different and his hair is longer now, but Tommy can't tell the difference past that.

He knows that Ranboo is what his family wants him to be

He knows that Ranboo is him if he hadn't strayed, the same past

Ranboo knows exactly what’s going through his head right now

And he knows exactly what he needs too

They get fucking piss ass drunk in Ranboo’s room order takeout and FaceTime Tubbo

They can party tomorrow, Tommy doesn’t need to be in public right now

ANywyas

Tommy and his mother have a wonderful relationship

she teaches him literacy and history, they have a tutor teach him maths

they eat breakfast together every morning

the whole family does

but his mum tries to eat lunch with him at least 3 times a week

he goes out for lunch the days he doesn't eat with his brothers or mom, out to some resturant, sometimes, they trash it or party, sometimes he just brings Tubbo, no big group, and they just chill

With Ranboo in line for kingship (the way royalty works is that if the ruler dies, it will always go to the next in line of blood, never by marriage. Even if every heir was dead, it would still not go to the ruler consort but instead to a family member of the late ruler), rep is so much more important

he can't really be seen with Tommy sometimes

not on the bad weeks

not when Tommy just destroyed a bnb or set off fireworks with his friends, or was caught throwing chairs into his friend's pool

Tommy likes sport cars

big car guys

He has an exorbitant amount of fancy cars

its truly like

disgusting

how many cars he owns

Wilbur makes fun of it Bc the kid is just now legally old to drive

But Wilbur has so many expensive instruments

Some of which he doesn’t even know how to play yet

to be fair

Wilbur doesnt go breaking his instraments

Techno, techno has swords, which makes sense Bc he’s a general

But the amount swords he has just hanging on his wall

Never meant to be used

It’s so many

I feel like Tommy has a few cars that he doesn’t even let get scratched tho much

His babies

he has his expensive cars that he wrecks

and then his expensive cars that he treats like gold

They’re named

Clementine is this horrendous orange car that he absolutely loves

Its a bright orange ferrari

(He loves it Bc it was a gift from Phil, one of the first cars in his collection)

(Tommy doesn’t know that the idea was his mother’s, his father didn’t know what to get him)

all of his cars have padding in the back for his dogs

Tommy hates purse dogs, the girls with them are always fake and horrible

but he wishes his dogs were that small

Easy to transport

but they got all gangly limbs like him

and stand up to his hip

Henry is his sleek black classic mustang convertable

its what he drives when he doesn't want to be followed by the papp

It’s what he drives when he takes The BT to lunch

its not that the paparazzi doesn't know its him

they know

but he's not in one of his bright fucking obscene cars

The press and Tommy have a weird sort of understanding

He creates their headlines and they let him have moments to himself

If someone breaches that

They risk getting blacklisted

that car was what he drove to his grandmother's funeral in

im not naming his grandmother, but all royals live like forever

Clementine barely sees the road I think

She’s kept in top condition

By Tommy’s own hands

But she probably doesn’t get driven to the parties

Or the brunches

Or the clubs

She's used pretty much exclusively for black tie events

Tubbo is his driver for those Bc he trusts no one else with the car

And he has to exit her before she’s parked

So Tubbo valets and then meets him inside

It’s also how Tubbo gets into the black tie events

so its modern right

so its like thousand-dollar suits instead of capes

so, Tommy just refuses to wear blazers and suit jackets

he always wears his button-ups rolled to his elbows

Maybe, maybe you’ll get him in a vest

But most of the time it’s a button up, rolled up sleeves, and the tie is most likely incorrect or untied

The only reason it’s correct half the time, is because Wilbur makes him let him tie it

Tommy won't wear the jacket because he prefers to roll his sleeves up - he's able to do anything, party or just like rough housing with his brothers, or helping out the staff

Wilbur won't wear a tie, or a button up most days, opting for a high-end sweater and loads of jewelry; its just much more his style.

Techno won't wear a vest because it restricts the places he can hid weapons, and he almost never keeps his tie tied.

Tommy trying to walk past Wilbur to leave with and untied tie

“Wait! You know you can’t leave like that, come here.”

Tommy’s groans and slumps over but walks over to Wil anyways

“I’m just gonna untie it halfway through the party, you know i will.”

“Well, I’m not letting my little brother walk a red carpet with an untied tie, you know I won’t”

The second half said in a mocking tone of voice, very clearly mimicking Tommy’s whining

It’s a soft moment, they stand there together, brothers

And as Wilbur’s pat the finished tie, they make eye contact and both of them have undeniably fond looks on their faces, damn they’re brothers n shit

“Thanks Wil.”

It’s quiet, it’s soft, it’s Tommy

“Of course.”

Just as soft, just as quiet, wholly Wilbur

Wilbur clears his throat breaking the soft atmosphere of the room

“Now go, you gremlin. Don’t be late”

Wilbur ruffles Tommy’s hair, careful not to mess it up too much

Tommy rolls his eyes And quickly heads for the door “Bye Wil! Love you! Don’t wait up!” Wilbur quickly yells after him

“Love you too! Don’t do anything stupid!”

“Oh Wil you know I can’t promise that!” Wilbur just rolls his eyes and returns to his book

Yeah Tommy stays away from tobacco I think

Just weed

and I wouldn't be surprised if like hits peoples vapes sometimes, but doesn't smoke cigs

for sure, its stressful

Wilbur smokes cigarettes though

and he can't act out like Tommy can

and Phil loves him..

Techno and Wilbur watching Tommy rebel in the ways they never got to

They feel kinda sad, that they never got to be kids like that, sad that Tommy feels like he has to act out for attention

he gets to do shit

like he gets to be a real teen

the whole, dumb rich 17 year old experience

like yachts, and expensive hotel rooms, and sport cars

And sure they probably wouldn’t have been going to frat parties or crashing brunch places, but they see him with BT

See him have actual friends

And they’re happy for him

But it hurts a bit

And Tommy's hurting too

It's a lot

but its like

even if Phil wasn't shit

its a lot of attention

like everyone is watching them at all times

Techno and Wilbur have to stay refined in the eyes of the press

Tommy gets to put on a show for them

Yeah yeah

Do you know how much a drunk picture of Prince Tommy is worth?

Too much

Some random guy on his first paparazzi job, gets a pic of Tommy, shirt mostly unbuttoned, tie tied around his head, drinking out of a beer bottle, and flipping off the camera while stumbling out of the most expensive hotel in the UK

The guy never has to work again

Purpled son of some billionaire, and Ranboo a literal prince is with him

They are both laughing at him

Tommy swung on a chandelier that night

A picture of that ends up online, some socialites Twitter

The amount of people in her dms for that picture?

Ludicrous

Like just the random pictures from Snapchat stories

Magazines pay thousands

Yeah the amount of double takes people have done going through their friends Snapchat stories like

Just tapping through

“WAIT WAS THAT PRINCE THOMAS????”

So, Dessert Drinks

It’s alcoholic beverages that have like chocolate or gram crackers or maybe candy in them

That are meant to taste like a dessert

So there’s chocolate cake margaritas, or like s’mores drinks

They’re Tommy’s favorite things in the world

Everyone thinks that he’d like the like strong, burning, whiskey esk stuff

But no

He wants the sweetest thing you got

Like he’ll drink straught vodka, but not if he doesn’t have too y’know?

He also like wine strangely enough

The like really expensive wine

Bc it reminds him of Wil

They have it down in the cellar

Techno is the whiskey dude

Or like 1942

Which is just a really bougie tequila

He just likes the shit that burns

Tubbo will drink literally anything

He’ll eat anything too

It definitely comes from the spot that he didn’t have that many choices like Tommy, but he genuinely just likes anything

Which is why Tommy really likes to treat him out to fancy fucking restaurants

One of Tommy’s favorite past times is spoiling his loved one

Fucking loves giving presents n shit

It's his love language

Ranboo doesn’t pay for anything when he’s visiting

Tommy insists on paying

Tommy has millions from the throne, he will use it

Plus he uses his daddy’s card so like, Phil can afford to spend the money

Oh he has one of those black cards doesn’t he

And by he I mean Phil

But you know, Daddy’s card

Black amex all the way

Boujie motherfuckers

Tommy's drunk like persona is different depending on the environment

When its Wilbur and Techno having to deal with Drunk Tommy

He’s like an excitable puppy, he would switch from rowdy to sappy real quick for his brothers

So they’re trying to get a drunk Tommy to bed but Tommy’s 100% clinging to them

Just full of affection

Techno tries to leave to go study and drunk Tommy just looks so fucking sad

Kicked puppy

He’s very much turning on the little brother charm, full scale pouting, whining, nicknames and all

making grabby hands, sitting on thr ground, fluffed up hair, shirt all wrinkled

"Fucking - fine. What are you gonna do without me, hm?"

He’s a god damned puppy and it’s hard to believe this is the same kid who got in a bar fight last week

he hangs off the chandeliers of boogie hotels

he also trashes his friend's rentals

on the other hand, he hugs his brothers

and steals Wilbur's crown

when he wears Will's crown it goes over his eyes

Still does after all these years

He’s grown but Wils head is simply too big

Tommy has his own crown of course

he just doesn't wear it as often as Wilbru does

Wilbur wears his all of the time

Tommy wears his when

A. he's drunk and with friends

B. at formal or royal events

he likes wearing it when he's partying

still thinking about drunk Tommy and his brothers having to deal with him

He makes techno give him a piggy back ride

He can walk fine, he just wants a piggy back ride man

Can you blame him?

They all really miss being little

They miss being able to be kids n shit

when their mother took care of them

and their father did all the king shit

And when Techno would give Tommy piggyback rides in the garden

When Wilbur had all the time in the world to learn how to play guitar

Even if it comes from Tommy getting drunk off his ass they’re glad they can still find the childish joy that they once had y’know?

Techno gives Tommy a piggy back ride to his room, and Tommy steals Wilbur’s crown and they talk and it’s nice

And as everything winds down Wilbur plays his guitar

And it’s so similar to when they were younger man

...

but then,,, Wilbur gets called down for an emergency meeting

and Techno has to make sure the guards are doing their rounds

and Tommy's left all alone in The Prince's Chambers

and people wonder why Tommy likes partying

fills the time, doesn't it?

He wakes up cold and alone and hungover

And he calls Tubbo and they just fucking day drink man

It’s a bad two days

Yeha but basically after this night he and Tubbo get fucking drunk as hell and they don’t come back to the castle for two days

And Tommy is barely sober during those two days

After those type of days happen Tommy always goes completely straightedge for a week

He doenst need to develop an addiction y’know?

Plus the chaos doesn’t have to happen drunk

He’s pretty irrational sober anywyas

half of the parties he's at he's not even drunk

sometimes he'll get high

but he just likes the adrenaline

and just hanging and being fucking assholes with his mates

POV you are an emotionally wrecked prince who is hanging onto this present as proof that your dad knows who you are at least in the slightest and you find out it’s not actually a gift from him but something your mother told him to get you

He didn’t even think twice just called the dealership and asked for the car, didn’t even know which one it was

mmmmm Tommy wrecks Clem that night

It’s not a good night for anyone

Got drunk as hell man

No dd

Car crash

I don’t think Clem is totaled

And Tommy is ok

But she’s scratched and dented and it’s just a representation of how Tommy feels

Something about Clementine being symbolic of hope and the idea that his father knew him

And with that crashing down

Clementine was bound to crash too

Tommy gets out with some bruises and Clementine can be fixed

But it happens on a public street so it’s everywhere

Tommy wrecks Clem

Then fucking goes on a bender

just destroys shit

parties so he doesn't think about it

and then he fucking crashes

Wilbur and Techno and Kristin all know what the car meant to him, what it symbolized to him

So when there’s a headline and a picture of Tommy staring at a wrecked Clem, they don’t know how to feel

maybe he mentioned something about upgrading Clem to Phil, or offhandedly at family dinner

And Phil asks something like “Right and when did you get this one?” Very rudely y’know

And Tommy’s like, it’s the one you got me for my birthday last year, and Phil just says something about how he has to be more specific because he doesn’t even know which one that is

And Tommy feels everything crumble around him and he just tensely says, “never mind...” and goes back to his food

The other three watch the whole exchange like, “fuuuuuuuuuck”

And then as soon as dinners over Tommy’s out the door man

He’s gone

he doesn't take the dogs, which means he's causing damage

He doenst even take Tubbo

they can hear the handler hand Tommy the keys

Tubbo comes to Wil to ask if he knew where Tommy was and that’s when they realize Tommy’s going out to cause real damage

And Tommy’s phone is turned off

They can’t contact him

Tommy gets handcuffed

he won't get arrested, but he'll get brought back in a police car

he fucking like crashed into a poll on purpose

like it was less on purpose and more like he definitely wasn’t not trying to hit something

And then they fucking breathalyzer him and he’s drunk as balls

Straight vodka type night

there's a bottle in the cupholder

He gets out when he wrecks and you just see him dead eyed staring at the scratches on her hood

The dent in her door

The cracks in the windshield

And he just takes a swig of the bottle

He lets the police take the bottle and handcuff him, taking him back to the palace

Clem is towed back too

He doenst care man

this is bigger than party to distract Bc it’s all he’s thinking about even drunk n shit

So I feel like he’s absolutely crushed

he spends like a week or two in a depressive episode won't leave his room, won't talk to his dad

and then he asks his mom "why didn't you tell me?"

and she just purses her lips and and shakes her head

and he's out

he needs to leave

he doesn't need her pity

and he just goes to Purp's and parties

because he just wants to have fun for one night before he learns that everything is a lie

His brothers are there as much as he lets them be

Tubbo too

Ranboo would try to make it over after seeing the headlines

he gets on a jet

and goes as soon as he sees the news

cause Clem was Tommy's baby

He loved that fucking car man

And then

Boom

One dinner is all it took to ruin everything

Phil's just left like "what'd I do?"

Techno is straight faced

Wilbur rolls his eyes at Phil

And Kristin just looks stressed

She’s still staring the the door Tommy all but ran out of

none of them finish dinner, Kristin waves the butlers over to clear the plates

They don’t, and Phil is just so confused and frustrated and he doesn’t know what happened

Top 10 Prince Tommy Headlines: 10. Mourning or Disrespectful: Prince Thomas caught smoking outside grandmother's funeral 9. New Connections? Prince Thomas and Prince Ranboo seen outside Palace walking Royal Dogs 8. Protective Older Brother; Crown Prince William shielding Prince Thomas from cameras while walking down London streets 7. When Will He Stop? Prince Thomas continues his week-long bender 6. Another Frat Party: Prince Thomas found stumbling drunk after rowdy night at The Ritz London 5. Boy Crazy? Prince Thomas and Mystery Boy seen dancing at Crown Prince William's Birthday Ball 4. Is Prince Thomas's Rampage Over? The Prince seen hungover, nursing a coffee at London Branch Costa Coffee 3. Time to stop; Prince Thomas caught doing cocaine at socialites party 2. A good friend - Prince Thomas flew to the United States to help Prince Ranboo with new responsibilities

1. When is enough, enough? Prince Thomas crashes after driving drunk, arrested.

10 Tommy doesn’t smoke cigs so mans was just getting high at his grandmas funeral

he was real close with his granny, it was a sad day

It was because his father said something like “oh, I didn’t know you were coming Tommy”

It was his fucking grandmother Phil

Tommy just puts his sun glasses on, and sits as far away as he can

Number 5, the boy is Tubbo, Tubbo thinks it’s fucking hilarious, Tommy is pissed

Some of those headlines seem like they’re from the car month

Obviously number one is

But then the bender headline

Then the coffee one

And then the Wilbur one

They seem like a series of events

big month for the press

Tommys hungover and he calls Wil asking for him to pick him up

And Wilbur drops everything Bc he’s just glad Tommy’s coming back home

wilbur fucking glares at the cameras

Tommy's used to it

And then the press tries to mob them and Wilbur Almost breaks decorum

Like almost fucking yells at someone who gets too close

and Wilbur never does that

he's so in-line

he never breaks the rules

but goddamn if they take one step closer -

He’s been especially stressed, and all he wants is to get his baby brother home man

He’s been smoking a lot more since the wreck

He just wishes he could make everything better

Tommy relishes in talking to the press

Wilbur will clart someone who gets to close to his baby brother

The press who’s never seen Wilbur as anything other than composed and charming suddenly being faced with a very angry older brother who smells slightly like cigarette smoke

Wilbur in the Pogtopia coat but it’s some designer piece that’s expensive as hell

It’s his smoking coat

And it’s what he picks Tommy up in

So he smells like smoke

And not the tasteful cologne he usually wears in public

just like a dark overcoat

really expensive wool

Wilbur using it to cover them from the cameras

when they were younger, like 16 and 12, Wilbur would hide Tommy

like no one got a picture of Tommy until he was 14 or 15

Kristin really hid the boys when they were kids too

Tommy trying to peak out and make faces at the camera

it was illegal to get pictures of them younger than 10

like immediate blacklist

And also maybe some legal issues

Wilbur pulls Tommy's hood up over Tommy's head

And it’s very older brother of him too, he pulls it over to protect his face but then cinches the strings to be a little shit

Those Wilbur and Tommy brother moments comps exists in the universe too

But it’s just shit like that

Tommy has a great support system

He really does

His brothers love him

His mom loves him

He has two amazing friends and a bunch of other great friends as well

And sometimes he feels like a brat for throwing all these fits over his dad y’know?

Wilbur always tries to like, keep an arm around him when they're doing red carpets

And keeps Tommy sitting next to him at Royal events

but also like, steals food off his plate

and ruffles his hair

Tommy whispers the fucking worst jokes about the dignitaries and nobles and Wilbur has to keep a straight face

god thats tommys favorite thing to do

he tries so hard to get Wilbur to laugh and lose his shit

The fucking big boobs bit

But it’s Tommy whispering it to Wilbur completely out of context and randomly at a gala

ALSO

THE WHOLE EXTENDED FAMILY BULLSHIT

TOMMY HATES IT

LIKE WHO THE FUCK IS THIS LIKE AUNT TO HIM?

HE DOESNT KNOW HER

But Royal Families are always big on that shiit

They try to hug him n shit

And Tommy depending on how Brave n shit he’s feeling (how fed up he is) will either politely excuse himself or straight up say no and step back with a glare

he's honestly uncomfortable around the strangers

who say they're family

like he's too sober for this

He needs a god damned drink

But he’s in a vest and a nice tie and his crown is sat proper on his head

And he can’t have a drink

god he's like a little doll, he plays by Phil's rules

the crown comes on and he's the proper prince

He fucking hates it

he sips on Wilbur's wine, and does the whole "tequila for water" thing sometimes

Flask in his sleeve

Techno catches him with the flask once and is just impressed

god is that a look on Techno's face

He sees Tommy slip it from his sleeve and somehow sleight off hand take a drink

And it’s just a raised eyebrow and a head nod that says

Good for you

Bc techno also needs a drink during these events

Sometimes Tommy will spike his and Techno's drinks

as Wilbur regally sips on wine

Wilbur fucking also secretly wishing he had a flask during the drier events

Wine drink just isn’t enough sometimes

Wilbur puts on his best face

and pretends he wants to be there

and gives out a warm smile, and raises a glass

god he fucking hates it sometimes

and sometimes he loves it

but man, does he hate it sometimes

Tommy complains and Phil makes a passive aggressive comment about how

“Oh but don’t you love parties Tommy.”

Wilbur sits between them

The table goes

Techno Kristin Phil Wilbur Tommy

Tommy just sneaks another sip of the flask

he doesn't have time to deal with his dads shit

Slumps back in the seat

He probably wouldn’t even try to hide it after that

Not like Phil is actually looking at him

He can let the press have it

He doenst care

just like leaves the flask next to him

under teh table

and jsut takes large swigs from it

Tommy maybe having a group of his friends crash one of the stuffy events

Not an important one

So fucking dedication ceremony to some inane building

He just invites a wild group of socialites

It’s nice

It’s not as wild as a normal Tommy Innit party

But it’s not a stuffy fucking boring ass royal meeting

they just bring some fucking whiskey into the back room and chat shit

Tommy fucking has a group of friends crash this gathering

It’s not wild

But it’s not stuffy

It’s nice

Tommy even drags Wilbur back for at least a little

and that takes a whole lot of work

It really does, Wilbur isn’t even a little tipsy off the wine, and Phil been by him the whole time and it’s just been hell, he can’t get wiobur away from the “socializing” hes doing

but when Wilbur is a bit tipsy he just becomes more charasmatic

truly a king

Less someone putting on a mask for their father

A little bit more authentic

he's a natural, sipping wine with one hand, and shaking hands with the other, crown propped beautifully on his head, million dollar suits hanging off his frame

It’s nice to see his brother in his element

its a bit sad

but its nice

A little yeah, Wilbur’s

Wilbur’s leaving him, not really but

Wilbur being king is-

It’s going to be hard

Different

More than it is already

Wilbur will always love him

But eventually he’ll be too busy for Tommy

Just like Phil is

And it hurts

But that thought is what makes Tommy take a drink of his flask and drag Wilbur to the back room

Wilbur doesn’t have to forget him yet

Tommy looks real regal too

Wilbur wishes that Tommy could see what he sees

But he knows that Tommy’s self worth issues would take more than a nice hug and some warm words to fix

Tommy looks regal, and the gold crown really fits with the whole golden boy aesthetic

and he laughs, and makes conversation with everyome

and everyone eases up around him

Wilbur wishes that Tommy saw what he sees

also

Tommy and Ranboo's texts have been leaked once

Wow so many dog pictures dude

but also

:sparkles:state secrets:sparkles:

That was hell to clean up

it fucking was

it used petnames (which the public is never supposed to know about the nickanmes of royals fun fact)

and said shit about Phil

and detailed Fundy's illness which isn't public

and talked about meetings that Wilbur forced Tommy to attend

Tommy was terrified

Ranboo too

He was so scared someone would be angry at him for it

He doesn’t think he could handle be yelled at for this thing that wasn’t even his fault

like of course he could've not said it over text

but one of his best friends lives an ocean away

and his life is just all about secrets

dont make this something too

:sparkles: hackers :sparkles:

if someone god a hold of Tommy's IP, or Phone, or Phone number

dms

they could be using instagram, twitter, or snapchat to have some of these converstaions

dms can get leaked real easily

Mmmm you ever think about Crime Bous

Because all I can think about is when Wilbur does get out of the house, and just like every event they go to

Tommy isn’t a fucking party boy then, he’s just Prince Thomas, Crown Prince William’s baby brother

And they always get photographed and shit

But they have a great time

They’re always smiling when they’re together

Sans Wilbur being a really protective older brother, and when their grandmother died

It’s nice to just go get lunch together at that one specific cafe they’ve been going to for years

Or just walk the dogs together

Just hang out and be brothers

They sit at the same table every time, and Tommy has gotten a Raspberry Lemonade since he was 8

When they walk the dogs, Wilbur holds Walter and Tommy holds Betty

Sunglasses on, big wool overcoats, and pants that were sewn just for them

And they’re seen walking out on the streets during big events a lot too

To like take a breather

Tommy has made a habit of allowing the press to ask him questions whenever they find him

Wilbur on the other hand always knows exactly what to say to press that come up to them

He always shoos them off with a polite “we won’t be answering any question right now thank you” and a blinding smile

And Tommy’s making a face at the press from over his shoulder

Either like sticking his tongue out or making some sort of face at Wilbur

As he gets older, he stops doing it as much because it gets a bit tiring, everything is tiring

But he does it every once in a while, usually a sharp grin over Wilbur’s shoulder accompanied by a middle finger

when like press sees that Wilbur smokes like a lot

big thin

and I feel like Wilbur would straight up be like "its not a big deal, its completely legal"

and hes like smoking 8 cigs a day, but its fine

He doesn’t have an issue

It’s just a little stress relief

King at 21 is a lot to handle

and maybe the stress is so much that it becomes a problem

but hey its his relief

its legal

he's fine

That’s Wilbur’s mantra most of the time

he falls asleep in Tommys bed a lot, waiting for the teen to come home

wilbur does

he finishes a pack, and sighs, rubbing his eyes

The empire is on the brink of war, it always is

He looks in Tommy's room, its empty

And he sits on the bed, waiting

10 minutes later he's asleep

The sheets don’t smell like Wilbur, and Wil thinks that’s what makes it’s so comforting

They don’t stink of nicotine or Wilbur cologne

The smell like Tommy

and while that smell like expensive booze, and coconut shampoo

its perfect

and the dogs are in Tommy's room too

he's a little less alone

Betty is the cuddler

She’ll come up and sleep next to Wil

but she wont do it to just anyone

its a bond, its trust

its the fact that Tommy likes Wilbur

she growls at Phil

she nudges at Kristin, LOVES kristin

anyways

its lonely and sad

because Tommy usually doesnt come back

Tommy snakes back in early in the morning and tucks Wilbur in

Though most times Wilbur falls asleep in Tommys bed

Uncovered

Completely dressed

He’s lucky bettys fur is sleek otherwise his very expensive clothes would be covered

I think Wilbur more often then not will wake up with Tommy in his arms, and that makes him very happy

like, Tommy comes it at 5am, and just snuggles next to Wilbur

It’s makes Tommy sad to know his brother is waiting up for him to never come

But at the same time he’s always so happy to see him when he gets home

I imagine sometimes butlers come to get Wilbur for work, and Tommy makes them leave so that Wilbur can sleep in "Hello your highness, we came to fetch King Wilbur for his morning briefing" "He's sleeping." "Well, I can see that Your Highness -" "So let him sleep." "Prince Thomas -" "Let. Him. Sleep. Okay?" "Yes, Your Highness."

I've decided that Tommy is the big spoon

in these vulranable moments, when Wilbur is weak, Tommy kind of holds him

like obviously there are a lot of tims, where Wilbur wants to hold his baby brother

however, Tommy kind of holds Wilbur, like wraps himself around Wilbur, and puts Wilbur's head in the crook of his neck

this happens when Tommy comes home to find Wilbur in his bed

either this, or Tommy curls into a ball and rests his head against wilburs chest

Tommy has daddy issues

Wilbur has the weiht of the world

Techno has ptsd

Phil: fuck you my kids are completely fine!

Wilbur’s nicotine addiction

Tommys abandonment issues

Technos fucking PTSD

Once, when the empires war was getting really, really bad, and Wilbur had to decide life or death shit

He smoked a whole pack in a day

And then just kept going

His hands wouldn’t stop shaking

why wouldn't they stop fucking shaking

Tommy stopped partying that week, he isn’t ignorant, nor a fucking dick

He was Wilbur’s right hand for as long as he needed him

Despite how badly he wanted to party until he could see straight

His brother needed him

His king needed him

And he will gladly serve Wilbur as long as he would have him

He stood right behind Wilbur

Every decision

He was right behind him

Even if it meant constant decorum and constant royal dress, Tommy was there

And that was a grounding fact

If Tommy hadn’t been there Wilbur thinks he may have lost it that week

Sometimes the only thing that kept Wilbur’s hands from shaking terribly was holding Tommy’s hands

When the advisors and court had left

Tommy would take Wilbur hands and make him do breathing exercises

Wilbur wasn’t allowed to look anywhere other than Tommy’s eyes

They would get through this

Together

They would, Tommy would make sure of it

Tommy in the room also made everyone a bit nervous and loosen up around Wilbur though

Because sometimes they act like they can boss Will around

And Tommy is stone faced, and has the media wrapped around his finger

The court knows that all it would take is one “scandalous statement” from Prince Thomas to end their careers

Wilbur could fire them, but he’s stressed

Any other day, he’s a fucking FORCE to recon with

But Tommy? He’s here to ensure the best or their careers would end

And you know that Tommy has at least 3 sources in the biggest news outlets in the empire

He could get ANYTHING out there

Wilbur’s throne is the biggest in the middle

Two thrones smaller aside him

Within the like office / study / planning room

Tommy's hasn't been used until just then

Tommy finds it quite uncomfy

But he can deal

Also Tommy drops the nicknames for the week or so

No “Big Man”

It was “Will” and “William”

Your Majesty at one or two points

But that felt a little too formal for both of them

Too alienating

Tommy learned a whole fucking lot of fucking politics that week

Not that he didnt listen in his lessons it’s just that

Well

He can’t not listen if he’s not there

It’s different IRL too

Seeing all the decisions

It’s terrifying

And he’s exhausted

Dressing nicely and talking for 12 hours a day about politics

And life / death decisions

So many cuddles dude

Just permanently cuddling if they’re not presently working or “coping”

And I think

That although Wilbur is the one who’s going through it

When they cuddle, Wilbur likes to hold Tommy

Just in the sense that Tommy’s here and safe

In the midst of all the death around Wilbur

He needs to know that his person, his kid is alright

Plus having this one thing this one routine helps him feel a little on control during this out of hand time

:sparkles: Prince Tommy PR leak :sparkles:

I talked about how Tommy was close to his grandmother

and how he was smoking outside of her funeral

maybe it was during that time in his life

really dark place in his mind

smoked and drank every day

Wilbur smoked a lot during that time yet

they probably drank together a few times

like straight up vodka

Just they’re so young and so tired

and so its like, pictures of Wilbur and Tommy (and just Tommy) drinking in the parlor, and in the like, bar area of their private living area, dark eye bags, red eyes, just straight from the bottle

Both of their ties were undone, no jackets, sleeves rolled up to their elbows, Wilbur's top 3 buttons are undone, they're both like manspreading

like they're just at their lowest, particularly Tommy, but Wilbur was having an adjacent bad time

Tommy's hair is a fuckin' mess

HOWEVER, they're both still clean shaven, neither of their shorts or trousers are wrinkled or stained

They may be going through it, but the royal image waits for no one

How does the castle react? Immediate lock down.

Interrogations or some shit

none of the princes are allowed to leave

they have to do clean up

they write scripts essentially for Tommy and Wilbur to adress the press

they need to send out a memo that they don't agree with underage drinking

its all structured, scripted, and written by advisors (and their father)

major damage control

which is just not what Tommy needs right now, because he's like trying to work through his grief

and Wilbur has a fucking fight with his father about that

Phil does not care

They fucked up

Someone else fucked up

And now they’re going to be big boys and fix it Like Phil's going to Tommy's room to get him to look over what his quick press tour and Wilbur jsut stops him in front of the door "He's fucking grieving - Let him have a moment will you? Don't you know how close he was with Gran?" "You messed up. He messed up. Now you're gonna be big boys and fix it." “You’re horrible sometimes you know that?” “I am your father” “Then act like it, your majesty”

meanwhile Tommy: in bed, hasn't slept, major depressive spiral, cuddling Betty, Walter standing guard at his door, holding onto a blanket that his grandmother gave him

just - can't even cry anymore

just empty

Literally just despondent

Staring at the ceiling as Betty noses his face

like good luck getting to get up, let alone read shit

He hasn’t showered in days

He is very much not presentable

like it's only been a week or two since his grandmother's death

and he still is processing

He is no where near done grieving

#tommyinnit #wilbursoot #wilbur soot #philza minecraft #philza #technoblade #tubbo #ranboo #SBI #sleepy bois inc #sleepyboisinc #LILLYS NEW AU #THE KING THE WARRIOR AND THE PRINCE #long post

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dandelionflower · 4 years

Text

She hikes alone

Marinette skipped to her friends, tapping Adrien on the shoulder before hugging him tight.

“Hey, Princess,” he gave her a smile that melted her heart, “we were just talking about things we could do on our free day.”

He gestured to the class, who were all deep in a debate over ice cream place or pizza parlor.

“I was thinking we could go to a park; a new friend of mine has a couple of places we could check out. I think it would be really good as a lazy activity to get rid of jet lag, or in Kim’s case, excess energy.”

“Sounds really nice!” He smiled and began to open his mouth to tell them; he had become Marinette’s representative to the class, when Lila stood up.

“Hey guys! What if, since today doesn’t have anything planned, we went to a park and hung out?”

“That’s a genius idea, Lila!”

“I could play frisbee!”

“I’d enjoy observing the local flora.”

That’s genius Lila. You’re so smart. Marinette growled under her breath, Lila obviously overheard her talking with Adrien and took credit for her idea.

“I actually know some parks we could go to, from when I visited with Jagged Stone a few months back. We could go to one of those, if you want?”

“That sounds great Lila!” Adrien cut in before Marinette could protest. “Let’s go now!”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her as the class cheered and stood up, “I’ll make sure we go to a nice park.”

That’s not what I’m worried about. Marinette thought as she watched Lila attach herself to Adrien’s arm.

She followed at a fair distance from the class; not by choice, her friends just seemed to speed up whenever she tried to walk near them.

“Marinette!” Grace tapped on her shoulder, a broad grin on her face. She was wearing the headband. “Where did you decide on going?”

“A park.”

“That’s great! Which one are you going to? Because if you haven’t decided, I have a ton of great places for you to go...” she plucked some pamphlets from her back pocket and displayed one. “I think this one would suit your needs best.”

“Thanks, Grace, but...” Marinette spared a glance at the pack of students, led by Lila and Adrien. “I think it’s already been decided.”

Grace’s expression soured. “Okay, but keep ahold of that pamphlet, will you? You might end up finding time to go.”

“I hope I do.” She waved Grace a quick goodbye and dashed back to her friends, who were already going through the door.

—

They hopped on a bus and Marinette smirked as Lila worried her lip, eyes darting towards every sign that could possibly lead her to a park.

As fun as that was, Marinette quickly got bored and began perusing the pamphlet Grace handed to her.

Quarry Stone Park

Known for its towering pillars of black stone, it is rumored that Quarry Stone Park was where the brick for the famed Culpa Manor was mined.

While the parks naming is rather obvious, it also contains many hidden paths, leading to waterfalls, gem-filled caves, and even the ocean.

A popular landmark of the park is Quarry Ledge, which overlooks the ocean. The natural black spires and stark white sands make for an amazing view.

That’s where we should be going, Marinette mused, not wherever Lila’s going to take us.

“Here we are!” Lila sang. “The best park in the whole town.”

Sure... Marinette glanced at the rotting wooden sign, the crumbling letters reading, Wooded Glade Park.

The class ran in, Alix already tossing a frisbee for Kim to catch. Adrien fell back and greeted Marinette with a silent smile and had just grabbed her hand when everyone fell silent and stared at the open field surrounded by borderline rotting trees.

“Uhh, Lila?” Ivan asked, shielding Mylene’s eyes from the mistreated plants. “Are you sure this is he place? It looks a little run down.”

“Definitely!” Lila protested, and though her back was facing Marinette, she could almost see the false tears welling up in her eyes. “I- I don’t know what happened; it used to be so beautiful... I’m so sorry everyone.”

“What if we helped you clean it up?” Rose offered. “Got rid of any trash and planted some flowers!”

“Yeah!” The class cheered, voicing their agreement.

“You- you would all do that for me?”

“Of course!”

“I can’t believe this! I... thank you!”

Mylene pulled Ivan’s hand from her eyes and glared at the offending trees. “Babe? I need a lift.”

Ivan picked her up and placed her onto his shoulders.

“Alright everybody!” She shouted, voice abnormally loud. “I need someone to carry heavy stuff, a couple people for trash and, Marinette! Can you organize our efforts?”

She smiled and was about to pull out her notebook, when Lila opened her mouth, which had proven to be a tragedy in itself.

“I don’t know guys, remember how late Marinette came in? She didn’t even get to have breakfast, we don’t want to tire her out what with the jet lag and all. I can just organize, you know I was an organizer to a famous charity.”

“That’s a great idea, Lila! I’ll help!” Adrien leaned over to whisper in Marinette’s ear. “Don’t worry, I can keep her out of trouble while you just relax and walk down one of the trails, it’s a win-win.”

But I want to walk the trails with you...

She smiled, gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked to the closest trail as fast as she could so Adrien couldn’t see the tears collecting in her eyes.

She loved how selfless Adrien was, she did. It was just... he never seemed to choose her.

She stood there for a moment and allowed herself to cry. This was supposed to be a fun trip where she could hang out with her boyfriend and friends as they all explored her favorite place in the world.

Marinette finally looked up and observed the signs marking the different paths she could take.

Daisy Walkway.

Riverside.

Quarry Stone Path.

Quarry Stone?

Marinette pulled out her pamphlet and compared the names.

Maybe I will get to see Quarry Stone after all.

—

It was a fair hike to Quarry Stone, but it was so worth it.

The trees were lush and green, every bench and table were in perfect condition, people were everywhere, and interspersed across the field were dozens of giant black pillars of rock.

Marinette gave a glance to the other trails.

Waterfalls, meadows, beachside.... there were so many choices.

“Excuse me, sir?” She touched the arm of a nearby elderly man, who was exiting one of the trails. “I was wondering, do you know these trails well? Could you maybe recommend one to me?”

“Never been to Quarry Stone, have you dear?” He gave her a friendly smile.

“No.”

“Well, when I was young and adventurous, I would go on the Nymph’s River path. On a sunny day like this, it’s sure to be a magical sight.”

“It’s cloudy, you old coot!”

A frail old woman in a worn pink dress stumbled from the same path.

“What?” The man put on a thick pair of spectacles and squinted at the sky. “So it is.”

“I’m Henry’s wife, Meredith, and what’s your name, sweetie?”

“I’m Marinette. It’s nice to meet you.” She grinned at the familiar banter that reminded her of her parents.

“Likewise, dear.” A bony hand grasped her own. “Now, what’s a little thing like you doing out here all alone?”

“Um, my class, we’re here on a field trip and we had… a disagreement on what to do.”

“Ah, and they let you do your thing but it’s not as fun alone, is it?”

“No, not really.”

“I’ve got just the place for you dear. Henry, what about...” she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“You’re a genius, Mere. Kiddo, just go down that path,” he pointed her to the forest, “and I promise it will be a sight worth seeing.”

“Okay, thank you both so much!” She waved to the couple as she headed down the path, memorizing their faces in case they encounter one another again.

—

It truly was a sight worth seeing, as promised.

When Marinette finally broke out of the dark greens in the surrounding the trail, she was met by the most soothing sight she’d ever laid eyes on.

She was standing on a large ledge carved out of the hill; metal posts and railings were surrounding the platform. Nothing noteworthy.

But the sight it was there to show was unimaginably perfect. The sand was a pure white, which would have been blinding if it wasn’t for the clouds covering the sun. The stone spires that decorated the entire forest were dotting the beach in all their splendor, rising proudly and casting barely noticeable shadows across the sand and the pale, rolling waves.

She leaned on the railing; taking in the soothing spectacle. It was almost like she was falling asleep, her consciousness drifting until she had no other thought but the muted colors in front of her...

“Meow?”

Marinette screamed and leapt away from the sound, pushing her back against the railing and gripping it with both hands likes she was on a crashing elevator.

A black cat with startling blue eyes stared at her, tilting its head in a quizzical motion.

“Mrrrrrr.” Was its only reaction to her panic.

“He- hello?”

It stared at her waved hand, like it was the most interesting thing it had seen.

She held it out tentatively, in an open gesture, leaving enough space for it to leave.

It stared at it for a moment longer before tentatively leaning forwards to place its head in her palm. It purred as she scritched its chin.

“What’s your name, kitty?” She mused. “Garfield? Like the Culpa that started the mansion?”

It leaned its head into her pinky in a silent gesture to go on.

“Harriet? Darrian? Abigail?”

No cigar.

“What about Culpa?”

The cat purred and nuzzled her hand with a vigor.

“Culpa it is.” She brought her other hand to pet at the newly-christened Culpa’s ear.

Culpa mewled with a satisfaction that seemed... almost human on the face of the pitch cat.

—

The rest

@miraculous-of-salt @calliopeia @drama-queen-supreme @kaydenth3gayden @mcheang @nomiegnome @never-say-donuts @vixen-uchiha @miracul0us-multishipper @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @chocolatecustarddanish @iwantswifttoblessmysoul @digitalmagpie @ilseofskadi @nerdy-and-a-little-birdy @minty-goose @nataladriana9 @aestheticnpoetic @constellation-king @animegirlweeb @persephonebutkore @ahalloweengirl @r0sebutch @marinettepotterandplagg @beelzzebop @akalovelymaybe @pleasefollowmeuwu @angelost4r @constancetruggle @speaknowtome @some-oxymoron @nerdy-scifi-birdy @toodaloo-kangaroo @purplesundaze @aestheticnpoetic @neptuningkai @2confused-2doanything

#felinette #ml felix #felix culpa #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #ml marinette #ml adrien #lila salt #class salt #adrien salt #ml lila #lila rossi #haunted mansion au #adrienette #ml class #ml alya #guess who this cat is...

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rinovarka · 3 years

Photo

Transformer Musical Chibis, days 6-10! Mostly Cyberverse this time around lol.

Link to Chibis 1-5! , 11-15, 16-20, 21-28, 29-31

6) Omega Supreme with a piccolo, just because I think its funny, because Piccolos are the smallest woodwind instrument, OS is one of the largest autobots, and I dont think he would understand the concept of a musical instrument. Omega Supreme is a my second favorite TF! He gets more cameos than Metroplex, and like Metroplex, is used also mainly as a “wow cool robot” factor (like in Seige he literally does nothing as Cybertron is being destroyed, and only appears to pop out of the ground, only to not be heard or seen again LOL), but I love the story he gets in G1 and TFA. I think its something to say that OS is said in G1 to have his emotions wiped out, but he is the only TF I think who has tears. I wish his journey of discovering emotions again was expanded upon, but hey, its G1 lol.

Like Metroplex, I have a lil fanfic idea for him, in which he gets stuck in a human sized holoform that looks literally like as I drew him, chibish and more friendlier, and learns what it means to feel in a middle of nowhere town in the US.

7) Cyberverse Astrotrain with a harmonica. My third favorite TF! I love all forms of Astrotrain honestly, but Cyberverse had it right when they made him an absolute giant compared to everyone. I never want to see normal sized Astrotrain EVER again!!! It was actually a screenshot of him towering over Megatron that made me want to watch Cyberverse LOL mmhhmhmhmhm big boye time,,,,,bIG BOY TIME,,,,

I like his dynamic with Dead-End, just both being grumpy and jerks to others in general. I wish there was more Astrotrain, like whne he flew off with Megatron X, i was like nO KING COME BACk LDJHFKLSDHGLKSDNGLKSG!!!!!! If the Cyberverse movie doesnt have him I will cry lakjfslkgsg.

8) Cyberverse Clobber with a trombone! Probably tbe kind of person who doesn't know how to play music, probably makes audials bleed but if she enjoys it she enjoys it. Clobber is,,, just a cute character who seems to have just fallen in with the wrong faction, was happy to see her become an Autobot, ahahah. She's big, strong, and kinda dumb and unconfident but a nice person who means well, so basically she checks all my boxes for characters I like lol. She just want to vibe with Lockdown and Hot Rod, I think their small amounts of interactions are great Also I appreciate big dumb girl solidarity bc dang, me too queen

9) Cyberverse Arcee. with an electric guitar I think she's may favorite Arcee. Idk I like unapologetically Head Empty No Thought characters. Like she's just here to have a good time!! Just taking selfies with Earth animals, no thoughts, just vibes.. I love her dynamic with Grimlock, whose smart but also head empty at the same time. Like he's book smart bc he knows how to build and things, but idk maybe spending all his time with Arcee made them have 1 collective braincell. Or he's just a fun dude too! Im just saying Arcee and Grimlock would go on journeys with Meteorfire and Cosmos!!!!!!!!

10)Cyberverse Grimlock with a xylophone! I was never a huge fan of the dinobots, but I actually grew to like Cyberverse Grimlock! He has a posh voice, is self reliant and technologically smart, and likes going on adventures. I think he has a fun dynamic with Arcee and I like how Head Empty they both are XD Spoilery opinion bit!!! He has an interesting story, in which his g1 personality returns due to being stuck on prehistoric earth, alone, and adapting to Earth life, that being dinosaurs! However I feel that the episode, "King of the Dinosaurs" (for me) personally highlights one of the gripes I do have with Cyberverse: timing with emotional beats. The whole episode is how he got there, what he did, and Bumblebee and Windblade chasing him down after reactivating him, as he tries to look for his dinosaur friends and the world he once knew. At the end he is told that its all gone, and personally I f e l t for him as he calls for "Friends?" in regards to the long gone dinos, and how his final recording was for them to be strong in the face of inevitable death. But within the minute he's just like "lol oops sometimes I be like that :D" Like I get Cyberverse is a light hearted show and has like a 11 minute run time, I do! I just felt a bit jarred at how quickly certain concepts, (not just this one), get resolved. But thats just my opinion and I do like the concept, its just, aaaaa ^^;;;

#maccadam #transformers #cyberverse #grimlock #cyberverse grimlock #arcee #cyberverse arcee #astrotrain #cyberverse astrotrain #omega supreme #g1 omega supreme #cyberverse clobber #watercolor #robots #transformers art

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secret-engima · 4 years

Text

story-spinner

Having a bad day. You happen to have any HCs or snippets for Kings Skjald verse? You may not but your writing always seems to cheer me up so

Me: So sorry I missed this! I didn’t log in yesterday like- at ALL and I only just got the notification. I unfortunately do not have any snippets to share, but HCs I can do. :)

-In the aftermath of Souls of the Sea (Still Belong to Blue Tides) and everything that happened in there, a couple things happen. One of the big ones being that Ravus joins the Kingsglaive. It takes him a year of stubbornly arguing with his mother over it, because she does NOT want Ravus to go haring off to war, but in the end Ravus wins and joins up at 17.

-The glaives at first are not too sold on this idea. Because... prince. Tenebraen prince with a resting murder face. He’s probably a wimp. Or just a jerk. Will he even obey orders and work with us non-royal Galahdian/Lucian nobodies?

-Then they actually throw Ravus into boot camp and learn that this boy may have enough formal manners to perfectly blend in with Lucian high society but once you take him out of that environment and stick a sword in his hand he becomes a bundle of Feral Anger And Bloodlust with a side of Really Scary Cunning. Also he spent part of those months on the run being grilled by Gladiolus in how to fight (on top of the royal sword training he’d already been receiving pre-Tenebrae’s Fall obviously) and spent putting food on the camp grill for his mother and sister by Killing It Really Hard First.

-Basically he fits riigghhtt in with the rest of the feral, chip-on-their-shoulder-rookies.

-Also, Ravus may not be a Reborn Viking of Pure Awesome like Gladiolus, so he can’t stand toe to toe with Cor the Immortal or anything but like- in canon this boy was able to claw his way up the ranks of a foreign military that WOULDN’T HAVE WANTED HIM THERE (see: Uldor’s comments during the Ignis DLC, and that cutscene with Besithia making snide comments at Ravus in the main game) and eventually become SiC and then Supreme Commander. Kid has talent and the stubborn to back it up.

-Nyx is not a fan of being Braincelled by this younger, more aggressive Tenenbraen, especially when half the time Ravus is only in yelling range because he’s DOING THE DUMB RIGHT ALONGSIDE NYX.

-Luche and Libertus are both a Stress.

-Tredd finds it fun to wind the kid up even though it repeatedly gets him a broken nose.

-Anyway as a side effect of Ravus joining the Kingsglaive, Luna and Gladiolus both take an interest in the Kingsglaive as a whole, and of course, whatever THEY take an interest in, Noctis will take an interest in too.

-Cue Smol Prince following along whenever Luna comes to check on her brother (and secretly use her magic to heal them even though Mother Strictly Forbids Using Her Magic Outside Emergencies Until She’s Fully Trained) and Gladiolus making friends with people physically a lot older than him but not mentally. And maybe mopping the floor with anyone who dares challenge him to a spar (this is the year Gladiolus is finally good enough to win against Cor in a spar according to a previous HC of mine, sorry but the Glaives have no chance, they give it a good go though).

-Gladiolus may or may not accidentally teach the Kingsglaive how to swear in Old Norse.

-I really really want the other Astrals (minus Bahamut) to start noticing and taking an interest in Leviathan’s new “kid”, because no one has given blessings since Solheim’s fall and of all of them, LEVIATHAN was not the one they expected to buck the mold in that way (in other ways sure, but Blessing a human???? THEIR angry rage snek???). But I’m still working out how all that ... goes.

-Leviathan probably browbeats the others into keeping it a secret from Bahamut tho. Because she is protective of her child and there’s no way she’s letting Bahamut hurt her Chosen again, even by accident.

-Gladiolus, with his newfound abilities to breathe underwater and such, sometimes gets an itch to go swimming. Considering the ocean is miles away most of the time and the pool has chlorine that stings his lungs when he breathes it, he finds the Royal Aquarium with all its ocean fish a much better place to hang out for a few hours.

-Clarus, Juno, Regis, Ignis, Cor, and more than a few freaked out Crownsguard would like to STRONGLY DISAGREE.

-Gladiolus, who lost track of time swimming around with the Really Dangerous Fish that won’t bother him because they can sense Leviathan’s Blessing, is just like- sorry? I’ll warn you next time.

-Everybody: WHAT DO YOU MEAN NEXT TIME.

-Sylva becomes a major voice in Lucian noble circles in favor of the Kingsglaive and efforts to clean up the refugee sector. Because she may not be Lucian, but she is the ORACLE and her voice carries a LOT of weight and she’s lived through what the Galahdians and other refugee groups have suffered through. She knows the smell of your home burning and blood on your clothes as you run from MT units and pray they don’t find you. She knows what it’s like to flee to another country. What it’s like to be HUNGRY and SCARED. What it’s like to cling to the children at night on a Haven, cold and tired but unable to sleep because the daemons wander and scream only a few yards away, and while the mind says they cannot come onto the Haven, the heart and the instincts do not believe. She knows ALL OF THAT.

-She also knows what it’s like to be saved. To be found and sheltered and taken to safety by soldiers who are just like her, and know to give her and her children soup and soft foods, who know to approach from the front rather than the sides and to move slow and open, to always say what they’re doing before they do it. She knows what it’s like to be so grateful for those simple kindnesses that it takes all she can muster not to start crying, because if she starts she will not stop and then her children will start crying too.

-So whenever some Lucian noble makes contemptuous noises over the “necessity” of the Kingsglaive or the refugee sector, or makes a comment on how Insomnia is for LUCIANS and not ragged strays, she will look them in the eye and say something perfectly cool and polite and deadly. Something that sharply reminds the noble that SHE, the HOLY ORACLE, is a refugee just like all the other “ragged strays”. That she and hers were “found” by Kingsglaive and escorted safely home. That her SON is now part of that very same organization.

-But do go on and tell her how the Kingsglaive are a waste of money and refugees should be left to fend for themselves.

-Needless to say, between Sylva backing them politically, Luna healing them on the sly (and also Sylva does come heal the bad cases whenever she has time), and Ravus being his feral budding terrifying strategist self, the Kingsglaive and Little Galahd as a whole rapidly come to adore the Nox Fleuret family. These are their Oracles. No touchy. They will Fite You.

-And of course, Noctis adores Luna and tries to emulate her because she’s Cool, and also his Shield-Brother cares for the Kingsglaive, and Big Brother Ravus IS a Kingsglaive, so Noctis rolls up his little sleeves and tries to help too. He’s too young to have a voice in politics, but he can and will follow his dad around nagging that hey-hey Ravus says their shoes don’t fit and the quartermaster won’t give them potions even though IGNIS says they have the budget for it and hey hey hey- (Regis would like to know how Ignis the Eleven Year Old got his hands on the Kingsglaive budget, but Cor has been making dire noises along these lines already so he sighs and siccs the auditors on the quartermaster).

-Noctis also visits a lot, and tries to give the Glaives games and things because hey those make him feel better so maybe it’ll make the glaives not look so tired too.

-The Entire Kingsglaive as they proverbially (and sometimes literally) pick up Noctis: We’ve only known this princeling for a few months but if anything happened to him we would kill everyone in Niflheim and then ourselves.

-Gladiolus approves this feeling.

I think that’s all the HCs I got for the moment, I hope these made your day a little better. :)

#Secret Engima Rambles #kings skjald verse #kingsglaive #ravus is gonna be Cor's sic by the time he's 20 mark my words #Cor is already plotting to groom him for the mantle of Captain

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alottanothing · 4 years

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Left to Ruin: Chapter Nineteen

Summary: Nouke shares concerns with Kahmunrah’s freedom. Ahk learns of potential enemies and finds comfort from the woman he loves.

Previous Chapters

Word Count: 7360

Warnings: Little angsty, little smutty but not terribly explicit--18+ only just to be safe

Tag List: @xmxisxforxmaybe, @r-ahh-mi, @theultraviolencefan, @hah0106, @rami-malek-trash, @diasimar, @sherlollydramoine, @flipper-kisses, @ivy-miranda-2390, @txmel, @sunkissedmikky, @concentratedsassandcandy, @babyalienfairy, @edteche2 (Let me know if I missed you, or if you would like to be added to the tag list)

A/N: Long chapter this week! And it’s spicy towards the end! That doesn’t mean there’s no plot, there’s defiantly a shift in our dear pharaoh’s world that will carry through to the end, so YAY for that. This is also were I took some major historical liberties for the sake of my plot; so forgive me on that... Thank you to all of you who left comments or gifs or fun tags last week, you guys are the best. Hopefully the tags work on this chapter, I went through and readded them, if not, I’ll just reblog it again with the tags. Sorry tumblr doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with me. (There’s also a chance this will get flagged because of my choice of photos in my moodboard, hopefully not...but we will see). Once again as a disclaimer, I am not an ancient Egyptian expert and google only knows so much. So yeah, I took so historical liberties while writing this to make my life easier, but tried to keep it as “authentic” as possible

The mid-afternoon sun was high overhead, beating against the sands with sweltering golden rays that—even with the breeze—were beginning to slip into an acutely unbearable heat. Ahkmenrah, however, didn’t mind it.

The ardor of Ra’s rays upon his tan skin tingled with an effervescence that made him feel alive. Most of his days were spent confined in the halls of his great palace, shielded from the warmth as he went about his responsibilities as king. His childhood was rich with memories under the sun and against the capricious desert winds; and every day the pharaoh counted the hours until he could bathe in that luminous golden glow—even if it was only for an hour or two.

That afternoon had been auspicious; in that, the usual noise and obligations of his daily routine stood at a plateau. There were so few civic duties to see to in the throne room that just as Ahkmenrah had made himself comfortable in the garish chair, there were no other appointments to see to.

It was a relief Ahk chose not to take for granted. The previous six months were riddled with visitors—noble men and women—who came from near and far to shower their new prince with pleasantries and gifts. Each was a well crafted, almost wholesome, pantomime: a show of allegiance with the hope to somehow gain the infant's favor. It seemed ridiculous, but the king and queen played host as they were expected to for them all.

The last of the guests had left that morning on their boat or in caravans, traveling back to their home along the Nile. It felt good to be rid of them. All that remained for Ahk to see to with his kingly persona was the council meeting; even that would be simpler than hosting nobles. He looked forward to an easy briefing.

With the promise of a simple meeting on the horizon and a lax morning behind him, Ahkmenrah took to the grandest of the palace gardens (the very same he’d entertained droves of guests the night Nouke became his queen). The significantly quieter grounds offered a pleasant backdrop as he strolled leisurely along the sandstone footpaths with Kahmunrah at his side. Ahk preferred the serenity to the chaos.

Sharing walks with Kahmunrah had become something of a routine when their busy schedules would allow such a liberty. Each venture lent a catharsis that embodied all the evenings they shared together in the cells, and the lack of bars only seemed to amplify the abreaction of their conversations. Even when most of the topics they spoke of were political matters, the words they exchanged were meditative.

Often, Merenkahre joined them, adding his two cents where he felt was necessary, but mostly he seemed content to simply enjoy the jovial company of his sons. Although the former pharaoh never said it outright, Meren's demeanor was filled to the brim with joy, made evident by his immovable smirk. It thrilled him to see Kah free of his anger just as much as it thrilled Ahk.

In three months of freedom, Kah became a model brother and advisor. The years of over-aggressive solutions gave way to thoughtful guidance that Ahkmenrah knew his brother had always been able to formulate if he were to move past his anger. Only twice had Kahmunrah offered a less than ideal solution to a problem, and each time he caught himself to quickly remedy the blunder with an apology and an appropriate fix. Habits were hard to break and Ahkmenrah chose to be lenient, letting each folly pass with mild scolding.

Somehow, it was working; his brother was finally his brother. How strange it was for the pharaoh to think of all he held: an empire in his hands and a crown on his head. He had his parents—loving and wise—who strove to guide him through every day of his life. He had sisters who loved him, each of whom he loved dearly in return. Kahmunrah now looked upon him with respect. Sekmenrah, his son, was happier and stronger each day. And most of all, Ahkmenrah was blessed to fall into the arms of the woman he had always loved whenever he wanted.

Bliss couldn’t even describe what he felt. Blessed even seemed too rudimentary; though, in his heart, Ahk knew, his life and all he loved was a blessing. They were each of them gifts given to him directly from the gods themselves, and everyday Ahkmenrah prayed his thanks.

Merenkahre elected not to join his sons that particular afternoon, choosing, instead, to spend the hours before duty summoned once more with his wife.

The casual air of the palace fostered a calm that Ahk held on to gladly. With a limited list of duties to see to, there was very little for the pharaoh and his brother to discuss as they strolled through the grand garden, but Ahkmenrah was happy for the quiet company all the same as he thought dreamily of all the gifts his life held.

Their meditative promenade stretched into the early evening, and soon; Ahk's stomach grumbled in protest—tired of the walk and demanding food.

Kah grinned with a slight chuckle at the obnoxious sound and offered to escort his brother to the West Garden where the pharaoh took most of his meals with his queen.

The walk back through the palace was short and spent in amicable silence. Immediately a frown fought to turn Ahk’s lips, missing the sun against his face, but his smile came quickly once they reached the garden he loved and Ra’s golden columns once more warmed his skin.

Nouke was seated in the shade of a towering palm tree as she noshed on a plate of fruits and slices of bread laid upon the table in front of her. Her escort of Medjay and a single maidservant stood reverently nearby; a professional indifference painted on their features. The queen held the tiny prince in her lap, his wispy dark curls dancing in the breeze as he happily gummed his fist, making faint cooing sounds.

The picturesque scene worked through Ahkmenrah with a dizzying surge of glee, causing his lips to part in a radiant smile and his usually mindful gait to fumble as he descended the steps into the garden. Nouke watched his charming blunder with a chuckle and greeted him with a supremely more radiant grin that almost made him stumble again seeing its beauty.

The delight on her face waned however when the queen caught sight of Kahmunrah trailing a step behind her husband. She did her best to mask the sharp distaste, but Ahk caught it anyway.

After three months with no cause for alarm, Ahkmenrah had hoped Nouke would see Kah as the man he’d become rather than the one he used to be. Ahk understood her distrust, it was justifiable. Still, he longed for her to let go of the past, the same way Kah learned to do.

“My love,” Ahk bent to greet his queen with a long kiss before placing a gentle peck to the top of his son’s head, and seated himself across from them at the table.

“Hello, love,” she hummed, once again casting him in the light of her radiant smile, making a point to ignore Kahmunrah completely.

“We missed you,” she mused, gently combing her fingers through Sekmen’s curls adoringly. “Didn’t we, my little prince?”

As if he’d understood, Sek cooed loudly with a chuckle and reached across the table towards his father. Ahkmenrah beamed and reached too, until his son’s tiny hand wrapped around one of his fingers.

“I always miss you both whenever I’m not with you,” Ahk said marveling at his family.

“Well,” Kahmunrah announced and the suddenness made Ahk jump having forgotten his brother was still there. “I will leave the king and queen—as well as the little prince—to their meal. There are a few things that require my attention before the council meeting.”

Ahkmenrah’s brows knit together, wondering what business Kah had that didn’t concern the pharaoh.

“It’s trivial, brother,” Kah answered vaguely, reading the look of puzzlement on Ahk’s face, and waved his hand with a dismissive flair signaling the end of that particular thought.

“Until tonight's meeting,” he bowed to his younger brother, and again as he addressed Nouke. “My queen.”

She turned her head to ignore him until he laid a gentle pat to the top of Sekmen’s head as he spoke, “Nephew.”

Kah bid them all with another bow and made his leave without another word. Nouke’s eyes watched him go with a predatorial intensity—a lioness protecting her cub—as the once relaxed lines of her body suddenly became rigid and fierce.

Ahkmenrah had difficulty quelling the discouraging sigh that escaped him; perhaps not all aspects of his life were without tension.

“I’m sorry,” Nouke said quickly, some of the fire draining from her expression, however her distrust was still palpable.

“You don’t have to apologize," Ahk promised as his eyes fell to the table.

For all the wrong Kahmunrah had done to him; he'd done worse to Nouke. The wounds he inflicted upon her were worse than most, and time may never be enough to heal them. Ahkmenrah longed for peace in his family, but he feared Nouke would never be able to find that peace.

“I wish you would have ordered Medjay to watch him,” she expressed as gently as she could.

“To spy on him, you mean. “ Ahk did his best to swallow the abrupt influx of frustration regarding the topic; he didn’t want it to bleed into his tone and spoil their evening together.

Spies were deceitful, no matter how useful, and he wasn’t going to betray his brother’s trust like that.

“If spies are what it’s going to take to keep you safe—to keep our son safe.” She countered, fire engulfing her tone, making it clear that Ahk had unsuccessfully masked his own ire.

The pharaoh’s eyes rose from the surface of the table to watch the little boy in his wife’s arms; so small and innocent, once more gnawing on his balled fist. Sekmen was blissfully untainted by the evils of the world, and Ahk wanted him to stay that way forever.

Ahkmenrah sighed again, this time in defeat of his own principle; he would gladly become the master of deceit and lies if it meant Sekmenrah and Nouke would be safe.

“I know how long you have wished Kahmunrah to be your brother—that was one of the only things I remember you wanting as a boy.” Nouke’s tone turned soft, and she reached across the table to take his hand with a smile.

“Just promise me, Ahk.”

He met her eyes hearing the urgency and plea in her tone.

“Promise me you won’t let that childhood wish blind you.” There was a glimmer of doubt manifesting in the mist glistening in her eyes, as though she feared he would disavow her request.

Ahk placed his other hand over their joined one, meeting her gaze with a soft intensity he hoped was telling of his vow.

“I promise.”

The mist dissolved in her eyes as relief cast a lightness over her features. All the tension that threatened to sully the air between them drifted away the moment his promise passed his lips.

The remainder of their afternoon progressed quickly with a flurry of tender touches and musings of the youth they shared in the garden in which they sat. By the time duty beckoned the pharaoh back into the halls of the palace, Ahkmenrah’s heart was feather-light and beating with loving fervor as he made his way to the council chamber.

The levity of the evening was snuffed out much too quickly.

Something ominous hung in the air of the council chamber; something thick and rotten and odious. It was a sense that, in all his years, Ahkmenrah had never had the misfortune of experiencing. It clung to his skin like a greasy film, and he could feel its urgency in the abrupt way all the whispers hushed the moment his advisors saw him. Their sudden silence was entirely too loud.

Ahk could see it—whatever it was—in the collective of their dark, unblinking eyes; every pair laden with such dismay, they effectively dissolved all the remaining joy left for the pharaoh to anchor himself to.

Ahkmenrah froze only a few steps over the threshold, finding the dense air to be an invisible web difficult to maneuver under such scrutiny. His father alone seemed immune to the force that plagued the atmosphere, looking more pensive than usual.

“Why do you all look so forlorn?” Ahkmenrah asked in a careful tone he hoped wasn’t telling of his swiftly growing concern.

He wanted a quick answer, one that would rapidly thwart the anxiety brewing in the pit of his stomach. Instead, he was met with a wave of shared glances that swept around the long table, moving from man to man, making it obvious no one wanted to impart the unmistakably bad news.

Their mutual hesitance only made the situation feel more grievous and Ahk tightened his jaw, reinforcing his kingly façade. How fitting it was to have a day of carefree whim close on something portentous.

Finally, after he gauged all the men with an imploring expression, his father spoke.

“Please sit, my king. There is much that needs to be discussed.” Merenkahre’s features were guarded and difficult to make out. The only clue Ahk could derive from his father's face was the deep, ever-ponderous crease on his brow, indicating that something in the realm was, indeed, off.

Without a word, Ahk fixed himself at his usual place at the head of the table and gave a nod and a wave of his hand for them to begin their briefing.

The meeting progressed as it usually did, normal business of the crown that was dealt with every day; examined and discussed thoroughly, before moving on to the next issue. Everything felt tedious with something looming threateningly out of sight. All the new—old—topics brought to attention only delayed whatever lurked in the shadows of the room, and time felt frozen because of it.

By the time the unknown issue was brought to the light, Ahk’s nerves felt keenly exposed and on fire; his fingers all but clawing at the surface of the table.

The man who stood to speak was much older than most who sat on the pharaoh’s council. He was slender and his skin was wrinkled all over. His head held no hair, but his gray eyebrows were long and wiry and telling of his age.

Ahkmenrah had known him since he was a child; Merhet had been the Grand Consul for two pharaohs: Merenkahre, and Merenkahre’s father. When Ahk was crowned, the old man stepped down to allow Meren to take his place to help guide his son. Ahkmenrah repaid his loyalty by granting him the seat as Consul of Thoth; the pharaoh’s procurer of whispers and wisdom to help benefit the whole of Egypt.

How such knowledge came to Merhet; Ahk was unsure: spies—he figured, and the notion made him sigh.

It was rare Merhet had cause to speak, which usually meant all was right in Egypt's corner of the world, and when he stood from his chair, the pharaoh felt his stomach churn uneasily.

“Speak your peace, friend,” Ahkmenrah encouraged kindly when the man met him with a questioning glance.

Merhet bowed respectfully before he spoke. “My king, as your Consul of Thoth, it is my duty to inform you of happenings within your great empire.”

Ahkmenrah nodded, imploring him to go on with an attentive stare.

“I am sorry to bring you a troubling report, but it seems there are whispers of a possible uprising in the nation to our south.”

Ahk swallowed the lump that grew in his throat quickly before it could choke him and kept his sight focused on Merhet.

“The Nehesyw?” he asked calmly.

Merhet nodded. “Yes. As you know, it is from them that we mine our gold and a few other precious resources…”

The pharaoh’s eyes glanced tentatively, suddenly all too aware of the number of riches in only that room.

“…it seems they are tired of most of their land's riches coming to Egypt,” Merhet concluded.

Ahkmenrah’s focus fell to the wood grain of the table as his mind began to flood with thoughts of dread. The only promise to come from revolution was suffering, no matter what outcome was reached; someone would be made to suffer. Of all his duties as ruler, war, and waging it were the ones he feared most.

“These are just rumors,” Merenkahre said sternly, dispelling some anxiety. “My friend, you had us all under the impression that the Nehesyw were already taking up arms against us.”

Ahk’s blinking eyes turned to his father, seeing the calm air of his features and wished he could harness a fraction of that resolve.

“From who was it you heard these rumors?” Ahkmenrah asked, mimicking his father’s steady tone.

Merhet shifted uneasily where he stood, and his eyes scanned over all the men at the table, lingering on Kahmunrah as he thought.

“My—uh—network, your majesty," he said vaguely.

A somewhat irritated simper twisted onto Kah’s features; displeased by the answer.

“Your network? Please, elaborate.” Kah’s tone was harsh, but softened when he added, “Help us to understand.”

The room turned its collective eyes to Merhet for an answer.

“Merchants," he said quickly as though he’d made it up.

“Merchants?" Ahkmenrah repeated, eye's narrowing.

Something else felt off; like there was a piece of his story he was keeping to himself. The idea made the atmosphere even more unsettling, but in a different manner that was equally as foreboding.

“Yes, my king.” The old man nodded, this time sounding more sure. “They are employed to bring goods directly from the Nehesywian markets to the palace. They returned this morning with these whispers.”

Merhet’s eyes looked shamefully away from the pharaoh, clearly, there was more he wanted to say but feared to.

“What else?” Ahk demanded firmly but without aggression.

The Consul of Thoth met the pharaoh’s intense gaze for only a moment before his head fell again, apologetically.

“Forgive me, my king. But the Nehesyw also speak of you. They say the pharaoh is weak, and so must be his nation.”

Weak?

The word screamed in the back of Ahkmenrah’s mind until it grew so loud all his other thoughts were scoured away. Only one other person had ever claimed him to be a weak ruler, and the pharaoh’s eyes settled upon his brother. Suddenly, Nouke’s words and distrust began to scream just as loudly in his mind, and Ahk’s stomach twisted with knots.

Kahmunrah sneered, “Enough of this,” and ordered Merhet to sit back in his seat; coming to his brother’s defense in a timely fashion that deterred a bit of Ahk’s trepidation.

“Kahmunrah is right; I've heard enough,” Merenkahre stated with a finality that split the discomfort of the room.

“These are rumors,” he stressed, engaging every man at the table with intensity. “We will treat them as such, and nothing more.”

He turned to Merhet, kindness softening his eyes as he spoke. “We will look to your wisdom to keep us informed on these whispers—should they grow; we will move forward. Until then, I urge you to gauge them without panic. We could have started a war today over mere speculation.”

“Could we fight them?” Ahk asked, genuine curiosity and a tangible sense of dread driving the question past his lips.

His father’s stormy eyes shifted to him as he considered the answer carefully—the hesitation alone seemed to be the answer. If his reply was more than yes, then the answer had to be no.

“The Nehesyw are a savage people, their armies know no order. Were they civilized, they could take this city in a matter of days. Men, women, and children are all trained to fight, they outnumber the soldiers here at the capital three to one. But, they lack discipline, which is their downfall in the field.”

Ahkmenrah did his best to absorb all the information his father threw at him, unable to articulate a reply as his mind did its best to make sense of everything.

War—the word loomed like a dark cloud in his head making all rational thoughts veiled and difficult to find. The idea of blood on his hands was one that instilled him with such shame and remorse, tears were already threatening to swell in his eyes.

However, on the opposite side of the scale sat his people and his family; potential victims for their potential invaders. For them, Ahkmenrah would fight endlessly to protect all he cared about, no matter the consequences. He would endure a thousand battles, spill rivers and oceans of blood if doing so meant keeping them out of harm's way.

“Perhaps we should shore up our defenses as a precaution?” Kahmunrah suggested.

Before Ahkmenrah could respond, Merenkahre shot down the idea, “No.”

Ahk threw a quizzical look to his father.

Merenkahre had taught him many lessons: how to strategize war, however, was not one of them. Had Ahk been wiser in his youth, he would have urged his father to impart such knowledge to him, but he didn't, and now he felt lost. The pharaoh was at the mercy of those smarter than him.

“It would be unwise to do so,” Meren said, looking to his oldest son. “If word were to travel that the capital is gathering forces—that could be misconstrued as an act of war. It is important to carry on as usual.”

Merenkahre turned his sights to Ahkmenrah, “That is what a wise king would do.”

Ahkmenrah nodded quickly, wholly unfit to argue.

Kah sounded an irritated huff as his face contorted into a familiar guise Ahk could recall much too easily. Again, Nouke’s distrust drifted into the front of his mind, the sudden bout of alarm tightening the knots in his stomach.

He has changed. He is a better man. He is my brother.

Ahkmenrah took a slow breath as his mind repeated the chant in an attempt to alleviate the sour feeling in his gut.

He has changed. He is a better man. He is my brother.

***

The journey back to his chamber was one Ahkmenrah ventured countless times: a brief, pleasurable trek through open breezeways by lush gardens and through artful corridors that, on most days, treated him with a jubilant soulfulness that made all the worldly pressures seem to fade away. However, as his feet moved across the stone floor on that particular trip, he found the scenery did not coddle him as it usually did.

The newfound—dreadfully precarious—weight he carried on his shoulders wilted his regal posture, his head hanging pensively. He knew it was going to take more than a meditative walk to remedy his spirit; a notion itself that added to the burden upon him.

Ahk let his steps fall slower until his pace was more of a tired shuffle than a kingly gait as he fought to compel the tension out of his muscles and the anxiety out of his heart and head. He didn’t want his concern to bleed into the hours he devoted to his family while duty slept—those were joys he was most unwilling to sacrifice.

By the time he found himself at his chamber doors, Ahkmenrah wasn’t sure if he felt better or worse after his lengthened stroll. Or, perhaps, he found himself in limbo: stuck somewhere between the two, which was hardly encouraging.

“Goodnight, my king,” Kamuzu bid him with a bow.

He didn’t turn to leave right away, instead, the king's guardian lingered, watching Ahkmenrah with a parental vigilance that fostered a glimmer of comfort.

“Thank you for another day of loyalty. I bid you rest well, my friend,” Ahk told him with a half-smile to show his gratefulness.

The Medjay bowed once more, and as he left, Ahkmenrah caught the tail end of a similar grin on Kamuzu’s features. The exchange was quick but heartened enough to combat some of the pharaoh’s dismay.

As his hand lingered on the door of his room, Ahk took in a deep breath to help bring him peace and bid both the Medjay standing guard a goodnight as he entered.

The air of the chamber almost instantly drove that peace home. It was like stepping into a dream; the atmosphere was light, not suffocating as the council chamber had been, and Ahkmenrah filled his lungs to compacity over and over until he became lightheaded and high from the clarity.

Only a few of the wall torches were lit, their luminescence casting a calming glow over the space that was warm and inviting, helping the pharaoh relax. He stood soaking in, and savoring every delicate sense until the encumbrance of the past few hours drifted away.

Quietly, Ahk rid himself of his ornate accessories, placing his crown upon the table at the center of the room, leaving the majority of his gold and incrusted garments in a heedless pile. His spirit lightened with every layer he shed until all that remained was his belt and shendyt.

For a moment, he reveled in the freedom—the feeling of being wonderfully human—without the glittering raiment to remind him of the woefully burdened god-king he was.

As he stood, tiny snores caught his ears and prompted his lips to curl into a smile. With a glance, Ahkmenrah found his son fast asleep in his cradle under a protective beam of Khonsu’s light. The sight instilled the pharaoh with eagerness, drawing his feet across the floor in fluid movements until he stood crib-side, utterly captivated by the beautiful boy he and Nouke had created with their love.

Sekmenrah stirred, his chubby arms and legs stretching, but too deep in his slumber to wake even when his father swept an admiring finger over the boy’s soft cheek.

The amount of love in Ahk’s heart for his son was entirely too much to comprehend. He was certain his destined path was not to be pharaoh but to be a father. Being a father meant more to Ahkmenrah than any crown or any empire in the whole world.

A content sigh fell from his lips as the last of his worry dissolved into a tingling warmth that spread throughout his being, soothing his body, mind, and soul. He always found tranquility in the sanctity of his chamber, with his family.

He lingered at his son’s side, watchful and admiring, until a breeze caressed the bare skin of his back and shoulders, bringing with it the faint scent of lily, myrrh, and cinnamon. The fragrance tickled his senses with allure and pulled his smile tighter across his face, recognizing the perfume his wife favored.

Ahkmenrah spun to find her standing on the balcony, gazing out over the city with her back to him. She too had rid herself of the finery that made her a queen, leaving only the colorful linen of her dress, cinched at her waist with a simple gold braided rope. Wind tussled her long, dark hair and the light fabric she wore, causing it to hug each of her curves in such a way that made the pharaoh’s mouth water.

Nouke was radiant under the silvery luminescence of the moon. Each time Ahk gazed upon her, his heart skipped, and he was rendered breathless—dizzy with affection. He glided effortlessly to her, hypnotized by her silent siren call. And when he wove his arms around her, pressing into the strong line of her back, Ahkmenrah was certain he’d never felt more at peace.

With a heartened hum, he nestled and cherished her closeness. At that moment, the world stood still while the edges of reality blurred into a fog until they were the only two beings in the entire universe.

Ahk buried his nose in the hollow of her neck, letting the fragrant smell of her skin, and its softness under the tip of his nose infuse with his senses. His lips came to rest on that nectary hollow, unable to quell the need to kiss her sweet-smelling flesh. He hummed again, profoundly content.

“I missed you,’ he mused pulling her closer as he laid more kisses across her neck and shoulder.

Nouke hummed too as her hands came to rest over his, tilting her head to grant him a wider canvas to paint with his tender lips.

“As have I, my king,” Nouke murmured as one of her hands reached to grasp and tangle in the curls on his head.

Ahk purred, emboldened by the gesture, and the tug she gave caused a pleasurable warmth to shoot through him.

His hips rolled against her rear, an involuntary reaction to the fire pulsing in his veins, but his queen responded with another soft yank to his curls and a wanton sigh that encouraged every movement. Ahk drew his tongue over the taught column of her neck, suckling the skin behind her ear until she sighed again.

“The council kept you from me longer than usual,” she said idly as the undulation of her hips met his until his body froze with the reminder of the reality beyond the fog.

Nouke’s hand left his scalp, falling to cradle his arms wrapped around her.

“Is everything alright?” There was concern in her voice, and for a moment Ahk was too lost in the way her fingertips swept calming patterns over his skin—coaxing him out of the darkness she’d blindly summoned—to answer.

“For the time being," Ahkmenrah decided on, not wanting to ruin the tranquility he felt with Nouke in his arms.

She spun lithely in his grasp, never severing their closeness to look at him with smoldering amber eyes filled to the brim with compassion.

“Ahk…” she said imploringly, resting fingers along his jaw as her eyes searched his for reasoning of the shadow that plagued him. “Tell me.”

As much as he wanted to forget about the situation that threatened Egypt for a while longer, the pharaoh could not keep things from his queen.

“There have been rumors from the south. The Nehesyw talk of rebellion.”

The furrow on her thin brows pressed deeper with concern, and her hands fell open-palmed to his chest as he continued to hold her close.

“Rebellion?” Though she did her best to hide it from him, fear danced like flames behind her eyes.

A pang of anguish bit into Ahk seeing that frightened flash.

“Do not worry, my love,” he assured her in as light of a tone as he could manage, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ear. “For now, they are simply rumors. My men are keeping their ears open for changes should they come.”

A frown turned her lips to match the fear in her eyes, “Is there nothing more being done?”

Ahkmenrah sighed, wishing there was more to put her at ease.

“Kahmunrah suggested we shored up our defenses here in the capital, but my father said doing so may make us appear to be readying for battle, which in turn could provoke them.”

Nouke’s focus grew distant, but her thoughts drifted over her features clear enough to witness in the light of the moon. Finally, she nodded, her fear becoming only a smolder.

“Your father is right.”

“I hope so.” The pharaoh could hear his own uncertainty as he spoke. “He is far more knowledgeable when it comes to matters such as these.”

Ahk paused to consider all that he had learned, and not learned, as Nouke wove herself around him in a tight embrace. Instinctively, his arms enveloped her in return.

“Even my brother understands these matters better than I,” he admitted, suddenly feeling every ounce the weak king his enemies thought him to be, and he tightened his hold on Nouke.

They stayed wrapped in each other’s reassuring arms for a long while until the edges of reality began to blur once more, and the previous levity settled into the atmosphere. Nouke pulled away first, just enough to meet his eyes.

“Speaking of your brother, I have been thinking about what we spoke of earlier.” She took a deep breath to steady herself, as though what she was about to say warranted more effort than normal.

“You know I trust you completely.” She swallowed and took one final breath. “So, if you trust Kahmunrah, then perhaps it is time I learn to trust him as well.”

The look in her eyes betrayed her heartened tone. The air fell thickly silent between them as a knot formed in Ahkmenrah’s stomach. The gaze with which she held him begged for him to let her recant.

Ahkmenrah had so longed to have unity within the whole of his family. Nouke knew that—he knew she knew that. She stood willing to disregard her own prejudice and learn to trust a man she so strongly detested for all he had done to her family, all out of the love she harbored for him—a true testament to that love. It was selfless, which made it undoubtedly greedy for him to let her walk a path she only thought she could weather. It was wiser to continue as they were.

The pharaoh was torn; his words stained his tongue, unable to come out, as his mind was suddenly too overworked to process any more uncertainty.

“Okay,” he whispered finally.

The moment he spoke it; he was only too aware of how weak his one-word reply sounded fumbling from his lips. Even worse was the tangible disappointment in his queen’s eyes when she smiled at him. It was a momentary flicker—a blink, and you’ll miss it moment—but Ahkmenrah caught it, and his heart sank.

“I love you,” she reassured him after a moment of more melancholy quiet.

The smile she held then was genuine and comforting, and Ahk matched it.

“I love you,” he echoed, and she kissed him until all the uncertainty left them both.

The pharaoh drew his queen closer, letting the tips of her fingers press into his chest, drowning himself in every sensation of her until all the wickedness of his day was burned out of his mind. The billow of her breathless cry over his moist lips prompted a chill, encouraging him, and Ahk threaded his fingers through her hair to hold her in place.

He kissed her slowly and without urgency, and Nouke mimicked the lazy give and take; as if to memorize the very essence of the tender moment—the taste, the feel, the passion. Both were completely present for the methodical play of the other’s lips as their dance built to a perfect crescendo.

Nouke leaned into her king like he was the air, and she was gasping, and he was only too willing to grant her everything she desperately needed. The glide of his tongue over her plump lower lip caused her mouth to open with a hungry sound Ahkmenrah muffled with his own. His hands drifted from her scalp to explore every curve—his lips and tongue still drinking languidly from her giving mouth.

Her hips were soft under his fingertips, and they lingered there, pressing possessively, before scaling the ladder of her ribs—each rise and dip subtle under the thin fabric of her gown. Mentally Ahk counted each bone as his hands worked towards her breasts. Eagerly he palmed their new fullness, filling each hand as he stopped to squeeze them gently before continuing on until he found the straps fixated loosely on her shoulders.

His mouth moved to the angle of her jaw, suckling the hinge he cajoled a soft moan from his wife’s lips, and again when he artfully guided the top of her dress from her shoulders. The blissfully wanton sound caused his features to crook into a prideful smirk against her warm flesh as he blazed a trail of kisses down her stately neck.

Nouke’s breath hitched with a shaky whimper as the night air prickled over her chest in a wave of goosebumps upon the sudden exposure. Her body acted of its own volition, arching into him, and the feel of her breasts against his chest made the pharaoh’s cock twitch with anticipation.

He wanted her—he always wanted her. How long had it been since he truly had her? Buried himself deep inside of her until there was nothing but stars left to color both of their vision? It felt like ages.

When her hands found his scalp once more, the tips of her fingers massaging and scratching and pulling, he groaned from deep in his chest as his mind clouded with a lustful need. Ahkmenrah’s hand traveled to find her breasts, pausing only a moment to once again delight in their new fullness, wonderfully unobstructed by the fabric of her dress.

As his lips latched to her collarbone, he pinched the pert peak of her nipple between his second and third finger, grinning as her lewd cry met his ears. Hands tugged firmly in his hair in retaliation and Ahk bit the rise of her clavicle to keep from moaning too loudly.

Heat pooled lower, blood rushing to his center with every soft groan and accompanying gentle friction.

A shiver worked through his queen when the tips of his finger danced up her spine as he guided her backward until they bounced against the wide rail that kept them from falling to the garden below. The moment their eyes met, a lecherous smile pulled at each of their features. Without need for a demand, Nouke wrapped her arms around his neck as he easily lifted her onto the flat, stone wall.

Her legs locked around him, pulling him against her for a searing kiss that found her gasping. When their lips parted, Ahk’s kisses continued in a line down her throat and the center of her chest, sweet but sloppy. His tongue swept at the underside of her breast, trailing over her nipple and all the way to the base of her neck, provoking her to sound a moan that Ahkmenrah felt vibrate through himself.

With his hands and mouth (and no small amount of enthusiasm) he mapped every part of her exposed flesh: from the lobes of her ears to the middle of her abdomen where the rope at her waist kept the rest of her gown from falling away. He knew every sweet spot that never failed to coax a flurry of sinful sounds past her kiss swollen lips; every dip, swell and curve were an instrument he had mastered with avidity and loved more each time he played.

Nouke’s nails scraped over his shoulders, leaving marks he would wear with pride come the morning before trailing to fist the curls on his head once more—pressing his face firmer against her chest.

She arched against him—gasping—when he rounded a nipple with his teeth, before laving it with his tongue. Her nails scratched down his back and against his shoulder, every part of him she could reach. And when his eyes met hers, he found fire: a raw, unguarded lust in them that sent a wave of arousal straight to his groin.

“Ahk…” she breathed into his mouth as she pulled him to her lips again.

The cry of his name wasn’t a question, but a wanton demand that saw him reaching under her dress in search of her sweet center. He beamed with an arrogant delight when he found the skin of her inner thighs slick and coated with arousal.

She was quick to kiss his smirk away with her own pompous simper, her hands working down the lean plates of his body. The hunger of her kiss he matched with equal vigor and desperation. As he drank from her lips, the heat of her skin increased and exhaled a wild, untamed fragrance that was profoundly more intoxicating than any oil or perfume.

They moaned each other's name in a worshipful praise, both craving the inexplicably euphoric closeness of becoming one, yet; neither was willing to cease the pleasurable teasing.

When his hands drifted closer to her heat, her hands swept further down his torso, the slow build causing him to strain the fabric of his shendyt. He could feel Nouke’s fingers working to untie his belt, the involuntary sweep of them against his aching hardness making him hiss and bite his lip. The pharaoh’s entire body was on fire and teeming with anticipation as both their fingers inched closer, ready to offer pleasure and relief.

Then, a fussy cry from inside their chamber sobered both the king and queen almost instantly.

Ahkmenrah’s breath caught on a bereft huff, cursing with a ragged exhale. Nouke sighed too, with a soft, lorn chuckle, drawing her husband's head against her chest to soothe his obvious disappointment.

“I couldn’t get him to nurse before I put him to bed,” she confessed, sounding just as dissatisfied as he felt.

“He’s probably hungry.” Her lips moved against his scalp as she spoke, punctuating each word with a gentle kiss.

“Mmm, I’m hungry too,” Ahk quipped, and he felt her lips smile.

“Later, my love.” Nouke held his face in her hands looking deep into his eyes. “Later.”

Ahkmenrah steadied himself with a long breath, listening to his son’s cries grow louder. It was a few minutes before either of them worked themselves out of the haze well enough to move again.

“I’ll go and get him,” Ahk said, throwing Nouke his most charming smile and kissed her in parting.

Despite the interruption, the pharaoh grinned at his fussy boy, whose tiny arms were flailing and begging for attention. The moment he spoke the boy’s name; big blue eyes stared up at him, wide and inquisitive as his sobs faded into soft whimpers.

“How dare you interrupt your king,” Ahkmenrah scolded gently as he picked up the boy. “A prince should know better.”

Sekmen’s whimpers turned to coos as Ahk sauntered back to the balcony.

“You get that from your mother, you know. Your rebellious spirit.”

Sek smiled at his father’s comment, a tiny chuckle parting his lips, as though he’d understood his father’s teasing.

“When was I ever rebellious?” Nouke retorted with a playful tone.

Ahk bit his bottom lip as he smiled, “I can think of a time or two.”

Nouke rolled her eyes fondly and reached for the bundle in Ahkmenrah’s arms, “Come here, my little prince.”

Sekmen cooed happily as she snuggled him to her breast.

The pharaoh found he could do nothing but watch; lips curled into a dreamy smile, completely overcome with love. Nouke had always taken his breath away, but under the veil of midnight, with their child in her arms, she was the most achingly beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes upon.

“What?” Nouke murmured when she caught him admiring.

His reply didn’t come right away, instead he paused to sweep a delicate touch through his son’s hair.

“I just love you both, so much.” His mind was suddenly fraught with the dreadful outcomes of war.

“The thought of losing either of you…”

“Don’t,” Nouke stopped him firmly, running a finger along his jaw, tilting his chin, so he could share her gaze. “Whatever these rumors or threat grows to be; we will get through it together.”

A glimmer of sadness and fear sparkled in her eyes accompanied with a seriousness he understood.

“Because I can’t lose you either, Ahkmenrah. I simply cannot.”

“You won't."

Once the prince was nestled in his bed, the king and queen made love, and made love again; then after they had made love once more—quiet and passionate and without thought—then, like how the sun sank into the horizon, they fell into a deep slumber free of dread and quandary.

Next Chapter-> Chapter Twenty: Blinded

#Ahkmenrah #Ahkmenrah x Original Character #Ahkmenrah Fanfiction #Night at the Museum #NATM #NATM Fanfiction #Left to Ruin #Rami Malek Character #Rami Malek Character Fanfiction #Rami Malek Fanfiction #Rami Malek

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sithsecrets · 4 years

Text

Protector

A trip to a foreign planet nearly ends in the death of the Supreme Leader’s wife.

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1.9k words

Mentions: discussions of sex, an assassination attempt, murder, distress after trauma

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“Do you intend for every man in the room to drool over you during this party?”

You turn your head, not quite looking over your shoulder as a smile creeps over your mouth. “Do you intend to die of heatstroke on this tropical planet in all of those black layers?”

Kylo walks to you, leans on the edge of your vanity, and just as you suspected, he’s draped in fine dark robes. You know him all too well, and the thought makes your smile broaden.

“Don’t dodge my question,” Kylo teases, mock-serious, and you’re happy to see him in a good mood.

The two of you are to attend a party tonight, one thrown in honor of the Order making an alliance with this rather warm, beachy planet— hence the smart clothing that the two of you are currently wearing.

“You know I only want your attention,” you say to your husband, and it’s a serious answer.

The garment you’re wearing is more revealing than your usual clothing choices, all crisscrossing straps and sheer fabric that swirls about you when you walk. You’re happy to be in something so fanciful and light for the evening, happy to feel a bit freer than usual. The ship is always so cold, and it’s a rare occurrence that you’re comfortable wearing no less than a couple of layers. But this planet is warm and humid, the kind of place where the air seems to stick to your skin, and the culture here seems to be one of exposed skin.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kylo tells you, and there’s a softness in his eyes as he reaches out to caress your cheek, “because I’m sure you could have any man you wanted tonight.”

“What I want,” you sigh, rising to stand before Kylo, “is for the two of us to have a good time at this party. And then, after that, I want us to go swimming in the ocean under the light of the moons.”

Your husband pulls you closer to him, a smile playing at his lips. His arms are solid around you, and you’d lay your head on his chest if you hadn’t just spent the better part of an hour putting on your makeup. “Only if we can have sex on the beach afterwards,” Kylo tells you, eyes flitting over the neckline of your dress, your painted mouth.

You roll your eyes, grinning up at him. “Well of course, darling. What else would we do?”

---

The gala is surprisingly fun, more fun than these things usually are, and you find yourself having a good time with the other guests.

The spouses of several prominent officials pull you onto the dancefloor with them after dinner, and you spin round and round the room, your floaty dress swirling all around you as you go. The people of this planet are such fun, you think as a woman locks arms with you, smiling brightly as the two of you exchange partners and lunge into the next steps of the dance you’re partaking in.

Kylo isn’t on the floor with you, could never be coaxed into doing such a thing as dancing, but you can feel his eyes on your as you fly about the room with your new friends. You make sure to look at him occasionally, panting for breath and grinning as you feel sweat begin to bead on your forehead from all this exertion. He’s not smiling, not in the way a normal person would at the sight of someone they love so happy, but you know you’re husband like the back of your hand; he’s bewitched by you, and you can see it in his eyes every time you catch his gaze.

The musicians never seen to stop playing, so you keep dancing with your new friends, dizzy from the spinning, buzzed from the wine you drank a little while ago. You’re having so much fun that you never want to stop, never want to leave this beautiful, warm place with all of these kind, carefree people.

Your new partner for this dance is a pretty woman with striking purple hair. She grins as the two of you perform a series of steps in front of one another, swaying this way and that way as your feet move almost of their own accord. It comes time to spin, to switch partners, so you turn away from this woman with the bright hair, ready to begin anew with someone else.

When you feel a flash of heat against your back, you know immediately that something is wrong. You whip around, almost toppling over in the process, still dizzy and buzzed from dancing and drinking.

Everyone screams at the sight before you. The woman you’d just been dancing with, had just been within mere centimeter of, lies on the ground in a heap. Her long, purple hair is splayed out over the marble floor, already becoming soaked with blood as a wound in her chest the size of a fist weeps her life right out of her body. You can’t stop looking at her, at the way her glassy eyes see nothing as she gurgles and twitches… as she dies.

Cold to the bone in the sweltering room, you almost don’t register the way you’re swept off your feet, quite literally picked up and hauled out of the room by someone strong and solid.

Panicked and disoriented, you fight back for a fleeting moment before you realize that Kylo’s the one stealing you away.

---

You don’t begin processing what’s just happened until you and Kylo are back on the ship, practically barricaded your shared quarters. Kylo had rushed you back here immediately, had you out of the palace and on a transport vessel so quickly that you didn’t know what was happening until he set you down on the bed.

“Did someone just try to kill me?” is all you can think to ask. You can feel them now, the tears. They prick at the corners of your eyes, clog your throat and make your voice strained. Kylo kneels before you, brushing your hair back from your face, rubbing your arms gently.

“Darling,” he says, looking at you like he means to keep you calm. “Darling, you’re all right, you’re safe.”

“Did someone just try to fucking kill me, Kylo?”

You’re asking even though you already know the answer, asking because you simply cannot believe it. You were on a friendly planet, you’d made good allies out of its leaders, people who were there at that party just now. And stars, it’s awful, it’s so awful, because all you can see in your mind is that woman dying without even knowing what happened to her.

“You are safe, my love,” Kylo reiterates. You’re comforted by none of it, slowly dissolving into tears as you realize that someone just tried to end your life as you enjoyed a moment of unbridled vulnerability.

Kylo wraps his arms around you, tucks your face into his neck as you weep. It’s heavy sobbing, the kind that makes your chest hurt, and you find yourself barely able to breathe from the force of it. Accustomed to such overt displays of violence, Kylo remains calm, simply keeps holding you as your emotions get the better of you.

“Why would someone do that?” you as weakly, and it surprises no one more than yourself that you’re behaving this way.

Years ago, when yourself and Kylo first wed, someone tried to poison you at a state dinner. The plot was found out in time, of course, and while the idea of someone trying to kill you then had you shaken for a few hours afterwards, that particular incident didn’t have you breaking down the way you are now.

It’s the context of it all, you think, and the fact that someone else died in your place right in front of you, someone you’d just been enjoying yourself with. And you’d felt it, felt the heat of what you assume was a blast bolt on your back as you went to spin around. A few centimeters to the left, and you would have been the one with a gaping hole in your chest.

“My love, please, look at me,” Kylo commands, holding your face in his hands as he forces you to meet his eyes. “You know I’m going to make this right, don’t you? You know I’m going to rip the person who made you feel this way limb from limb, right?”

You suck in a couple of ragged breaths, try to stave off more sobs from escaping your chest. As you look into Kylo’s eyes, you can see the rage brewing in his body, can feel it in the tension of his grip on you. His anger soothes you, makes you feel safer. Your husband has always protected you, always killed anyone who dared to even think of harming you.

All you can do is nod weakly, chin still quivering as you think of how the woman with the purple hair tried to speak as she kept bleeding and bleeding, kept dying and dying.

“Are you going tonight?”

Kylo nods in acknowledgement. “I’m going right now,” he tells you, “and I won’t come back until the person who did this is dead.”

“I don’t want to be alone, let me come with you.” You’re begging, grabbing onto Kylo for dear life at the notion of being by yourself

“Two of the Knights will stay with you while I’m gone,” Kylo tells you gently. “They’ll guard you with their lives, just as I do.”

One again, all you can do is nod your head in affirmation. Kylo gets you up, helps you change into something comfortable. He even tucks you in bed before he leaves, kissing your face and murmuring about how much he loves you.

---

It takes four-hours roundtrip for Kylo to fly back to where the two of you had been, track down the person who tried to end your life, end their life, and come back home.

You don’t sleep while he’s gone, not even for a few minutes, too nervous to let your guard down without him there. You know you’re safe on the ship— you have two Knights of Ren seated in your living room watching the door, for fuck’s sake— but you would just feel better if Kylo was in bed with you.

The sound of the blast door opening upon Kylo’s return has you sitting straight up in bed, clutching your covers nervously in your hands. You hear Kylo dismiss the Knights, hear him set his helmet and his lightsaber down in the other room. And then he’s striding into the bedroom, face set and stony.

“Is it done?” you ask softly. Kylo doesn’t have a drop of blood on him, at least not any that you can see on his face of his clothes, and he’s not worked up the way he usually is after combat.

“The King of Yaksa had the swine waiting for me when I got back. His men had captured the assassin almost immediately after we left, but he knew I would want to do the deed myself. That man will never harm you again.” Kylo reaches out, cups your cheek, and you press into his touch.

“Thank you,” you murmur, and you could cry again if you worked yourself up to it.

“There’s no need to thank me,” Kylo says to you, very serious. “You are my wife, and I will always protect you.”

---

tag list: @oopsiedoopsie23 @dark-night-sky-99 @obsessionprofessional @fluffy-mistake @ktellmeastory @sincereleygmg @coolgh0st

#kylo ren #kylo ren imagine #kylo ren x reader #star wars #star wars imagine #my writing

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1171

survey by ohsh1t2wksl8

What Rhymes With “AB”?

1. Do you have nice abs? Do you know anyone who has nice abs? Andi works out and they like sharing with me their progress every month. They’re turning out to have great abs. 2. Do you blab other peoples’ secrets? Do you like to gossip? I’d still join in if it were about something juicy, tbh. But those years are also far behind me for the most part; I like taking part in wholesome gossip these days, like if someone from high school gave birth or found a better relationship to be in. 3. Have you ever ridden in a taxi cab before? Where to? Yes, we’ve had to take taxis to the airport a few times. I never understood why; for the next few trips after that we used our car to get to the airport anyway, so those couple of rides were weird. I can tell you it’s not very convenient being squished in a sedan with 5 people, with all our bags to boot. :( I’ve also had to take cabs in Singapore, China, and Korea when we went. 4. Do you know anyone who’s caught crabs? Probably. I just wouldn’t be aware of it. 5. Have you or someone you know ever had a hermit crab as a pet? One of my colleagues from college, Hannah, owns a couple of hermit crabs.

6. Do you know how to dab? I guess. I’ve just never willingly done it. 7. Do you have any clothing that looks drab? I don’t think so. If not black, most of my clothes are in muted, calm shades, but not dull or depressing ones. 8. Do you use abbreviations in place of longer words? Do you ever refer to something as “fab”? Not abbreviations, but shortcuts. I always call delivery fee ‘deli fee’ instead. And some people my age would usually call Starbucks ‘Starbs.’ 9. Does you body have any excess flab? Where? Yeah, my upper arms will jiggle a bit if I shake them. 10. Who do you know that likes to gab a lot? What do they go on and on about? My mom is insanely talkative and will go through 5 backstories before proceeding to her actual story. 11. When’s the last time someone jabbed you with a needle? No one’s ever done it to me on purpose (and that’s very crappy??) but I’ve stabbed myself in the palm a few times while I’ve been embroidering. I haven’t gotten back to it for several months now, though. 12. Did you have a science lab class during school? Yeah, we had separate lab classes in high school. I liked them, since it was fun to be more hands-on instead of just spending 45 minutes listening to lectures and staring at the blackboard. I especially enjoyed when we were allowed to mix chemicals, heheheh. 13. Have you ever nabbed something from a store before? What was it? We accidentally stole a box of crayons from a bookstore once. No one noticed my mom still had it in her hand until we walked out of the store haha. We immediately went back inside and either paid for it or put it back on its shelf, I don’t remember which. 14. Do you know anyone who’s been to rehab? What were they in for? I don’t think so. But this is also keeping in mind that the Philippines is a shitty country with no decent rehab centers because most people believe that those with addiction problems don’t deserve a second chance at life. 15. How many backstabbers have you cut from your life? Just one. I’ve been careful ever since that person. 16. Do you pick at your scabs? Sometimes. 17. What’s the last slab of meat you’ve eaten? I had a few pieces of pork in the jjajangmyeon I ordered last Thursday. I don’t think I had meat at all yesterday. 18. Is anything in your house looking shabby? No, my mom is very particular about cleanliness and she’ll immediately fix up a area she thinks is starting to look shabby. 19. When’s the last time you felt crabby? Why? I’m usually crabby every morning at the start of my shifts, just because I always feel tense about the flood of deliverables that would inevitably come to me; though I do start loosening up once I’m able to figure out my schedule and time management for the day. 20. Who’s the last person you wanted to stab? What did they do in order to make you feel that way? One of the clients I handle. He was onboarded just this January but we quickly learned that he’s very hard to work with; and my team actually received news super recently that he’s gonna be let go of/is willingly resigning because of the challenges in ways of working. I’m soooo relieved. It was a tornado as soon as he came in. 21. How many tabs are open on your internet browser right now? Continued 8 hours later. On this current window, 10 tabs. I have other windows open though. 22. Has anyone ever tried to get grabby with you when you didn’t want them to? I don’t know what this means...but based on what I saw on Google, does this also mean possessive? If that’s correct, then yeah, it’s happened before. My ex was super suspicious of guys and didn’t like my guy friends for no reason at all, which I found disturbing. 23. What would you put on a Krabby Patty? Oh god, I would just go for the recipe they already show on Spongebob. I would honestly go for the King-Size Ultra Krabby Supreme double batter-fried on a stick though; that looked craaaaazy good on TV. 24. Do you know anyone named Abby? That’s my mom’s name. 25. Do you have one of those grabber claws that helps you grasp things that are out of reach? Not anymore, but we had a toy like that when we were kids. 26. Do you like to play Scrabble? Are you any good at it? I do like playing Scrabble. I think I do pretty well in word games in general, but I think I got even better at Scrabble since I took an actual class on it, so I learned a lot of rules and tricks to be able to win. 27. Is it cute when babies babble? What do you think they’re trying to say? It’s cute but it’s not at the top of my list. I’m guessing they’re just excited about everything since it’s all new to them. 28. What’s the last thing you dabbled in/with? Livetweeting after SO FUCKING LONG. I don’t think I’ve done it in like 6 or 7 years...doing it all over again was such a thrill, and it was as exciting as it had been from when I was a teenager. 29. Do you have any dividers or folders with any tabs on them? Just on my laptop haha, nothing physical. 30. Did your parents keep close tabs on you when you were a teenager? Initially, but they gradually let go the older I got. 31. How high has your bar tab been? Idk, maybe a little over ₱3000? I remember how my friends and I ended up buying a crap load of pitchers and bar food from our usual bar once since we ended up really enjoying our time there. 32. Have you ever made jewelry out of the silver tabs on soda cans? Nope. [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

#survey #surveys

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mists-of-hithlum · 4 years

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A late piece for finwëan ladies week day 6. I went with the textual ghost approach, so have an overly long story about Fingon’s and Curufin’s wife in Mandos’ halls. Warnings for reference to death and torture (Celebrimbor is not having a fun time) but nothing too graphic. Also, this is unbeta’d, so if you catch any mistakes, just tell me.

The truth is that Mandos` halls are supremely boring.

Ranië lost track long ago how much time she has spent here. She came here after the Nirnaeth, how they called the last great battle of the elves and men against Morgoth. She is not sad about dying, exactly. Endor was a dangerous place and death lurked around every corner. Especially after the Dagor Bragollach, they all knew Morgoth`s beasts could attack at any moment.

She does not grieve for herself but she does mourn. She mourns for all who fell beside her, the time with her son she will never have, and for her husband`s death, too, even if there had never been love between them. Respect, of course, but never love. Her son was the result of practicality. She had wanted a child. He needed an heir. But Findecano had been a good man and a good king and so she mourns for him even if she will never mourn him like a proper elven lady would mourn her husband.

It is quiet in the halls. Fëar are everywhere and they talk but no sound carries here if they don’t want it. The halls are endless and a younger Ranië would have squealed completely unladylike if she would have been allowed to explore this place. But the truth of it is that exploration here is no fun. All the walls and the chambers and the ceilings look the same. The only thing that changes are the tapestries on the walls.

They are gorgeous. Ranië knew that she wasn’t the best needleworker of the Noldor – that honor would always belong to the first queen, the famous Miriël Serindë – but even she could say that those tapestries were the work of someone who knew everything about her craft. Vairë most likely made them, or one of her many Maiar.

The ways of the Valar are strange and the tapestries were no exception. In the long time Ranië had spent exploring the halls, she had found hundreds upon hundreds of tapestries. They showed a long gone past, the present and rumors said, even the future. She had always hoped to never encounter one of those rumored tapestries and until now, her luck had always held. It made her still shudder, the knowledge that the Valar knew exactly, what was going to happen. That knowledge must be a terrible burden.

But even tapestries greater than anything she had ever seen before lost their appeal sometime. Every time she looked at them, her hands itched for thread and wool. She missed her crochet hook, the knitting supplies and the little workshop she had put together in Endor. There was just nothing to create in the halls of Mandos and it made the Noldor restless. So they did the only thing they still could: Talk.

Celumenna smiled as she felt Ranië`s fëa come near.

“Back so soon?” she greeted her friend and frequent companion.

“There is just nothing to do.” Ranië`s fëa flickered unhappily. The darker strike over her breast was the only part that didn’t change color. When a balrog had struck at her with his fiery whip, it had melted straight through her armour and left a permanent mark on her fëa. “I needed company.”

“Then I am glad you came.”

Ranië was even more restless lately than usual.

“Something does not feel right,” her friend says. “I fear a new storm is coming over middle earth.”

Celumënna has long since stopped questioning other elves when they say things like this with an air of conviction. Too many people of her folk have at least flashes of foresight and it is always better to treat such things as the truth.

“It feels like it did before the battle.”

Ranië rarely talks about her death. Celumënna was already in the halls of Mandos when her friend and her husband died. Technically the two of them are related by marriage but both Celumenna and Ranië do their hardest to not think about how many kings and murderers (or sometimes both) are related to them. The only thing Lalwen ever said about the battle she had fought and died for on the side of the wife of her nephew – except for curses against Morgoth and the traitors and comments about military strategy – was: “At least it was a quick death.” It gives Celumenna a pained expression to think about the fact that she is glad as well but they had learned in Endor the hard way that sometimes a quick death was the best outcome.

“At least we can’t die again.”

Relief floods Celumenna when Ranië snorts. She doesn’t like it when her friend is so quiet and thoughtful. It just doesn’t seem to fit with Ranië`s tendency to listen to instructions and then do her own thing anyway because it was better and instructions were stupid anyway. Hotheaded and stubborn. A proper Noldo.

They were in one of the halls the furthest in the back – if something could even be in the back when this place had no end and every corridor would lead you everywhere – when they heard the commotion. One look at Ranië`s face confirmed that it was most likely important. So they left their fascinating discussion about the proper way to build a defense wall for a city – Celumenna was adamant it should be able to be easily reconstructed in case the enemy broke through but Ranië insisted the enemy was not supposed to break through in the first place – and went for the entrance hall.

If a fëa had knees Celumenna would have fallen to the floor the instant she entered the room. Instead, she screams.

Fire rushes through her fëa, burning everything in its path. There is blood, everywhere, and a new pain pops up every time she tries to move. She can’t focus. Everything is pain, pain, pain….

“...enna? Celumenna!”

It takes great strength for her to focus on the voice in her mind. It is not spoken loud but a product of the faint bond Ranië and her have formed in their time in the halls of Mandos.

“Ranië?”

“Stay here. Stay with me. Don’t you dare…”

The rest of Ranië`s frantic commands are lost as a new wave of pain breaks the connection.

This time, she recognizes it as the vision it is. Those hands with missing fingers aren’t her own. The fire wracking her body is not really in the halls of Mandos. It makes it no bit better.

“Please,” she hears when she snaps out of it the next time. “Please. Help her.” It`s not only Ranië now. She can feel the presences of her family around her. Her husband lies at her side and from the bond they still – again – share, she can tell he is in similar pain. She vaguely recognizes Lalwen grimly holding on to her fëa together with Ranië – “Don’t you dare let go now” – and Fingon, who has a concentrated expression on his face. Curufin is busy speaking with his brother mind to mind when they both get yanked away again.

This time, Celumenna only starts screaming after the vision has let them go. Curufin has an expression like a warrior after his first kill. Completely gone in shock. “No,” he whispers, again and again.

Celumenna is not capable of forming words. Not Tyelpë, her fëa and mind scream as one. Not our son! She can feel the same despair and grief and hopelessness and anger and rage from her husband as well.

“He… was innocent,” she manages to choke out. “He was innocent!” She screams it until the pain takes her away again.

This time, she gets back with the image of fiery red hair, blood spots on a pale face and a cruel grin. A grin they all know all too well.

“Gorthaur,” Curufin half whispers, half hisses to her side. About half of the people in attendance flinch. This is also the moment where Celumenna recognizes who has joined them as well.

It’s Namo. Of course is it Namo. And the bloody fool stands there like there was nothing to do for the two fëar he was meant to guard. Typical Valar. The rage in her fëa begins to boil. She will never know if it was her, Curvo or both of them, but suddenly she is on her feet again and tries to get to Namo. If she can do nothing for her son now, only endure his suffering like he does, she will bloody well make sure that the ones responsible will suffer as well. Namo and his justice can go burn in the void for all she cares right now. But if he lets her son at the mercy of one of them – again! Just like they always did to their house – she will see if Valar bleed as red as Tyelpë does. It takes the combined might of Lalwen, Ranië and Fingon to hold her back. The only reason her husband is only spitting curses against the Valar in an increasingly frantic voice is that all of his brothers have united to stop him from honoring the family tradition of trying to fight the Ainur. They cannot do anything for their child, nephew, cousin, grandchild. But they will not let him suffer alone, and they will not forget his sacrifice. If they can only watch, they will at least do that. So the House of Finwë settles down in Mandos` Halls, completely ignoring everything and everyone around them, and watch, so they are there to pick up the pieces when stubborn, brilliant little Tyelpë will finally give up and come home.

It takes centuries for something like this to happen again and Ranië would have given a lot for it to never happen again. Tyelperinquar – or Celebrimbor, like he insists to be called – has settled into the halls of Mandos as well as one could expect for one tortured to death by Sauron of all people. He is still frightened of unknown fëar but talking to his uncle Maedhros has certainly helped. Celumenna`s husband had alse proposed Finrod, but he had already been out of the Halls since before Ranië even left her body back in Endor and Celebrimbor was by far not ready yet to leave the Halls. Lalwen leaves, some centuries after Celebrimbor`s arrival, quoting she didn`t want her sister alone any longer. Fingolfin takes longer than his sister, but he too left some time ago. But Fingon stays stubbornly, insisting he won’t leave without Maedhros. Ranië suspects he too wants to know about their son, now the longest reigning High King of the Noldor since Finwë himself. And even if they don’t get a lot of news here in the Halls, some information is still better than none. Not that she can blame him, when she too is waiting for a dear friend and her son. They had known about Sauron, of course. Even disregarding the rather dramatic way Sauron`s resurgence had manifested itself in form of Celebrimbor`s death here in the halls, the elves who died from his invasion and the war that followed would have given them more than enough news. The knowledge that Gil-galad`s alliance – how far their child had come – with the men under a distant descendant of Turgon was winning the war against the biggest blight of Endor save for Morgoth himself had rekindled hope in the fëar of many children of the House of Finwë. Even Celegorm had looked viciously pleased.

So when Ranië dropped with a pain she had not felt since her death nearly an age prior, it came as a surprise to everybody. The only saving grace she had later was that at least she didn’t need to suffer for as long as Celumenna had. Her son`s death at the hand of Sauron was merciless and brutal, but at least quick.

She reunites with everybody else in the arrival hall. Findecano`s fëa flickers with still lingering pain and grief and the others feel muted too, but not distant. Grief had always been excellent in bringing them together.

It does not take long for Gil-galad to arrive. His fëa still wears an armour he must have worn at his death but at least she cannot see the wounds Sauron had left on his body like the tears and gashes that had marred Celebrimbor`s fëa. Her son stands before the judge and in that moment looks so much like his father it hurts. The next moment, she realises exactly why her son was here and feels a lot more sympathy towards Celumenna when she tried to tear Namo apart after her son`s death.

As if she sensed Ranië`s thoughts, Celumenna reaches through their bond. “Stay with me, please.” She can see Maedhros do something similar to Fingon on her side, and she searches comfort in her family around her. They might be crazy sometimes, but they all understand loss far better than anybody else.

Seeing her son stand in Mandos` Halls when he was meant to live a long life in Endor, free from the shadow, makes her heart hurt. The grief from everybody around her certainly does not help. Gil-galad was nearly the last of their house still left. Now it is only little Elrond and of course Artanis who still dwell in Endor.

Children of Finwë don’t get a happy ending.

She is not sure if it was her or Fingon who said it, but it is true. Nobody in their house had the life in paradise the Valar had once promised them. Ranië would not have been sad if she had to never experience the loss, the pain, the grief, the hopelessness they endured in Endor.

But they did, another voice in her fëa whispers. We did. And we survived. And maybe we do not get a happy ending, but who says the story ends here?

So she straightens her back and walks towards the fëa still kneeling before Namo.

“Gil-galad? It has been a long time since we last met.”

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booksanditsseriesormovies · 4 years

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GX Month Day 5

September 4th: “Pass The Salt”

No story is perfect. So what is something you wish you could have seen in the story of GX?

Oh boy where do I start

While I love GX there are quite a few things a would have done differently.

The case of Daichi Misawa

We are all more than familiar with Misawa and his fall from grace, from one of Judai’s potential top rivals, to a recurring joke even for the other characters (”Oh, Misawa, you’re here”). I get it, GX has a HUGE cast, like seriously huge. And we went from having 5 to 7 important characters in DM to around 15 in GX. Not everyone was going to survive the chopping block. Another victim of this was Hayato, but he was gone so soon (and with dignity) I didn’t really mind it. But Misawa’s case in S2 and S3 is just sad. I wish they could have done something better for him. At least he helped everyone get back from the other dimension and got Tanya in the end.

Johan vs Hell Kaiser Ryo

So, I don’t think I am the only one who thinks the duel between Ryo and Yubel (Possessing Johan) is one of the best if not the best in all of GX. It’s absolutely mind blowing.

But I think that the duel between Ryo and Johan in the first arc of S3 to bring everyone back from the other dimension is one that goes under a lot of people’s radars. Call me biased because Johan is my favorite GX character, but I was really digging that duel. Like even without Rainbow Dragon, Johan was putting up a serious fight against Ryo with the way he used the Crystal Beasts. So I am forever salty that they could never revisit this duel (vs actual Johan, not Yubel).

I get it, this duel served more as a preview for what was to come when we saw they would duel again. And Johan was barely in S4 and Ryo could hardly duel anymore given his heart condition. But for Ryo to have said that Johan had been the only one besides Judai to make him feel excited in a duel and who could have Judai’s unlimited potential...I think it would have been very very fun and exciting to watch, specially with Rainbow Dragon.

“Everyone’s dead....JUST KIDDING”

I know it’s a kids’ show, and it would have been extremely tough to follow another season without like 3/4 of the cast. But having everyone come back alive from the Hell Dimension felt like a bit of a cheap move that also makes some of Judai’s character development lose some significance.

So everything he went through from the moment his friend’s died (becoming the Supreme King out of pure helplessness and desire for revenge, then coming back from that with a terrible, terrible case of PTSD basically leaving him unable to duel, coming to terms with everything he had done and learning to use the strength of the Supreme King without letting it overtake him), it was all for nothing? Then all the people the Supreme King killed are alive and well?

It also takes merit from the other characters’ themselves and the circumstances of their deaths. Kenzan, Manjoume, Asuka and Fubuki being sacrificed, victims treated as collateral damage to create a super powerful card, right in front of a collapsing Judai as their hearts were corrupted too. Jim and O’Brien (the two most emotional deaths in S3 for me), who sacrificed themselves to bring Judai back and bury the Supreme King away. Edo, who sacrificed himself to try and save Echo (who gave her life away for someone who took advantage of her feelings), and Ryo, who even though he said was only looking for the ultimate opponent, tried until the last minute in the duel to separate Yubel and Johan. Hell, Ryo basically died twice (because of his heart failure and losing the duel), yet he survived.

As I said, I know the show would have been extremely hard to keep going. But it took away from the serious, dark story S3 was becoming. It takes away from Judai, and the ones who died because they all came back brand new.

Reincarnation

It’s not that I didn’t like it, Reincarnation is a trope that I LOVE. But in GX we literally got it dropped on us out of absolutely nowhere. We literally had no clue Judai could have had a past life and that’s where his story with Yubel came from.

Like idk, maybe some flashbacks or random shots of the Supreme King’s backstory (which wouldn’t make sense until we find out it’s Judai and would have made it pretty cool) would have made it better, IMO.

PTSD? Only Judai can relate

Another thing that I found weird was how quickly everyone got over what happened in the Hell Dimension except for Judai. We can see he is depressed and dealing with the aftermath of what S3 did to him. But what about everyone else? Weren’t they supposed to be in like a dimension of pain and suffering even if they were alive? I am glad so many main characters got their time to shine in S4, but, as we wrapped each story, a nod to what happened to them in S3 would have been nice. It’s all part of the process of growing up, too, learning to deal and cope with out most painful moments.

S4: “Overseas champions? I don’t know them”

Yeah, so given the HUGE (LIKE REALLY HUGE) role the Overseas Champions played in S3, barely seeing them in S4 was a bit of a whiplash. I am glad we got O’Brien dueling Mr. T and him playing with his mind with false memories was heartbreaking yet super interesting to watch. But we got literally no Jim and Karen, at all. The guy gave his life and his supernatural eye to try to bring Judai back. I had hoped we would have at least seen some of him in S4. We literally have no idea what the hell happened to Amon, my theory is that he stayed in that other dimension to build his perfect world and become its Monarch. But we literally have no clue about what became of him. And did Echo come back, too? Is she with Amon in the other dimension?

And then we have Johan. Considering Judai went to basically Hell to rescue him, I thought we would see a bit more of him in S4. Like at least bidding each other farewell? You know “Thanks for rescuing my soul from my card and saving me from your eternal guardian who was corrupted by evil and almost ended the Universe as we know it”? No? Okay then. I am so so glad we got him in that Battle Royale against Fujiwara tho, that kind of made up for it :)

Edo’s fate

From the start we know Edo is one of those characters that know they are fucking amazing at what they do and make a point of it. He is at the top of the food chain. The young pro duelist, talented beyond his years (for Pegasus to say he was just below Yugi, Kaiba and Joey?!), rich, refined, confident and a bit arrogant.

Then how is it that the last we see of him is receiving a direct attack from Ojama Yellow straight to the face? I know Manjoume was meant to win this duel, but it would have been great to see him summon Plasma and that Manjoume had summoned Armored Dragon, or maybe using the Ojamas with the Spell Cards to banish monsters from the field or to summon Ojama King. Like Edo didn’t even want to duel, it was all a scam from his former manager and they still made him go out like that :( I wanted a more epic goodbye duel for our Edo tbh.

Then again, I am biased because Edo is my second favorite character in GX.

Season 4 rushing

5D is very cool and all....BUT WHY DID THEY HAVE TO CUT GX SHORT FOR IT.

S4 is so obviously rushed and for me it Darkness was a bit of an underwhelming villain after the AMAZING villain that Yubel was for S3. Fujiwara just popped out of nowhere and we got no development of him in comparison to Yubel or even Saio (I won’t say that of Mr. Chairman because he literally popped out of nowhere in S1).

I just wished we had gotten a proper, full S4. More GX to fawn over.

Wow that was a lot of salt now I sound like I hater but I promise I love GX as much as Manjoume loves Asuka (lol).

#gxmonth2020 #yu gi oh gx #Yu-Gi-Oh!#i sound so salty omfg

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stillness-in-green · 4 years

Text

The Way You Survive Is... (4/4)

One of the joys of meeting new people is gaining a new perspective.

(Things were always going to change after Deika. This, though, Rikiya did not see coming.)

Chapter Warnings: Spinner has a judgey streak a mile wide, but compared to everything that's come before, he's a veritable bodhisattva. There are a few mentions of Rikiya’s injuries from Deika also.

Pre-ship for Spinner/Rikiya if you want it to be, but it starts because they're both Big Smitten for Shigaraki.

——— ——— ——— ———

Chapter Four: Dealing With All the Todays and Tomorrows

The end of it came unexpectedly, during Rikiya’s first meeting with his new leader after the hospital stay. Rikiya had spent the better part of an hour in Shigaraki Tomura’s personal suite, members of the League drifting in and out from the living room (and Skeptic doubtlessly listening in as well) as Rikiya recounted the Liberation Army’s holdings and activities in exhaustive detail, precedent to its new Grand Commander deciding what he wanted to actually do with the organization he’d so suddenly found in his possession. For all Rikiya’s preconceptions about him, Shigaraki Tomura had proven to have a keen interest in his new resources, asking a shocking number of pertinent questions about troop distribution, societal permeation, and goals-to-date.

Finally, though, they’d circled back to one of the very first things that had come up: Detnerat and its support goods, and, now, what sorts of creations might be in the offing for the members of the League.

“You may have seen Trumpet’s at the end—he was wearing it when he approached us.” Rikiya hadn’t seen it himself, too focused on Shigaraki and what he might say, how to give voice to overflowing emotions of reverence and regret, how to plead for the lives of his followers in a way that stood any chance of success. Still, he’d grown up with Trumpet’s voice; he knew all of its timbres, and the sound of it filtering through Sevens Loud was unmistakable. “But my Claustro was another.”

“The mech suit thing?” Shigaraki was a gaunt, black-clad figure propped up against the headboard of the bed, all but swallowed up amongst the pillows scattered across the king-sized mattress. He’d commandeered (and factory-reset) one of Skeptic’s laptops, though he hadn’t used it once during the whole of Rikiya’s presentation. It sat open beside him, the screen turned away.

“The very same! It was a pressure mechanism to boost my stress levels. I’m having it rebuilt, of course.” The influence of the painkillers in his system made it wonderfully easy to deliver that bit of news with such cheer. Shigaraki gave him a long look, then snorted lightly.

“Don’t bother.”

It was like having his legs out from under him a second time.

“I’m—I’m sorry?” Rikiya stumbled on the words, completely blindsided.

“I said, don’t bother,” Shigaraki repeated shortly. “S’more expensive than it’s worth.”

“But it really is effective,” Rikiya argued—and oh, what was he doing, arguing with this young man? He winced when Shigaraki turned the full force of an annoyed scowl on him, but forged on. “I know I didn’t make the best showing of it in Deika, but if you give me another chance to demonstrate it, or even just let me show you the numbers—”

“What are you, into bondage or something?” Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed, and between that and the stab of nausea at the very thought, Rikiya broke into an uncomfortable sweat. “You’re too desperate.”

“No,” he said slowly. “It’s just that I want to be at my most effective for you.”

“You being at maximum effectiveness isn’t our most effective play, Mr. CEO.” His young leader’s words dripped with scorn. “I’m not blowing your cover on a fight. Take the money you’d spend on that and earmark it. We’ll figure out what to do with it when we’ve got our plans more in place.”

“Yes, sir.” No more Claustro. No more Claustro.

He rallied somewhat, the thought plucking at strings within him that hummed with a giddy delight that felt twenty—thirty—possibly younger than he’d ever felt in his life. Stress was still important, of course, but if Shigaraki really did mean for him to lean into his business resources rather than utilize him in combat, then…

“Okay, I take one part of that back.” Shigaraki, who’d been staring at him the entire time he was processing the command, rolled his eyes and turned away. “I also want you to go get a massage or see a hooker or something.”

If he were on his prosthetics yet, Rikiya would surely have tripped over then. It certainly did the trick for wiping whatever sort of glassily ecstatic look he’d had on his face back off it. “I—I really don’t know that that’s necessary.”

Shigaraki pulled the computer back into his lap. “Wasn’t asking for your opinion. If I’m going to keep having to deal with you, I want you wound down, not wound further up.”

Wound down. Rikiya tried to contemplate it and found himself at a loss.

“That will be a bit of a new endeavor for me, but I’m sure I can figure it out,” he said, and the words felt like an open rooftop—free air, but no guardrail in the way of a sharp drop.

——— ———

“So what exactly do you do to relax?” Spinner asked him a few weeks later when the two of them were, yet again, the last to clear out after a meeting ended. Shigaraki had vanished off to his mysterious doctor’s lab three days prior, and already the absence of him hummed through the organization, crackling in the long stares his compatriots received in the hallways, the glances that moved between Rikiya and the new lieutenants, always landing back on him as if silently asking, Now? Do we attack now, while their guard is down? Just say the word.

The members of the now-dissolved League seemed to be handling it with rather more aplomb, thankfully. Dabi’s standoffish rudeness aside, all of them had found at least some aspect of the merger that they seemed to enjoy, be it Toga Himiko getting her choice of advisors who were willing to feed her hungers within safe boundaries, Sako Atsuhiro’s bright, malice-edged banter with Galvanize, and Bubaigawara Jin’s—well, he mostly seemed happy to be in good company. Rikiya had high hopes.

And then there was Spinner.

Rikiya gave him a politely blank stare at the question. It wasn’t the first time he’d fielded such an inquiry—poor Miyashita had asked, and various colleagues at industry conferences, and a number of people back in university, but in all cases, a pat answer was required, a mistruth or a deft lie. Spinner was a compatriot in the true labor, the cause of Liberation, and, more to the point, he was now Rikiya’s peer. That demanded a more truthful response, but Rikiya didn’t have one that he suspected was on Spinner’s list of acceptable replies.

“I mean it,” Spinner said, insistent, and crossed his arms over his chest in what was becoming a familiar mannerism. “Shigaraki told me to make sure you relax some while he’s gone, so spill it.”

“Shigaraki did?” Rikiya blinked, touched, but moreover, surprised.

“Yeah, he did,” Spinner said, still looking combative. Was he less than pleased with such instructions himself, Rikiya wondered, or was this just his usual awkwardness with socialization? “So what do you do for fun? Golf? Ski resorts? I mean, we’ve got work to do, so you can’t just take off, but—”

“Spinner, I…” Rikiya smiled, bemused. You may as well say it. “I’m not trying to be reticent. It’s just that there isn’t anything.” Spinner favored him with a supremely skeptical stare, and he reiterated, “Truthfully. If Shigaraki thinks my—relaxing will be helpful for the cause, that would—well, it would be a first.”

“There’s gotta be something.” Spinner’s face twisted into disbelief. “A hobby, maybe? Bonsai? Archery?”

“How traditional,” Rikiya attempted the joke, already turning apologetic as the last of Spinner’s aggression dissolved into bafflement. “But no, there really isn’t. Perhaps we can try one of your past-times?”

“Mine are—uh…” Oh. He can blush. Isn’t that cute? Rikiya’s thoughts informed him as the scales around Spinner’s cheeks infused with red.

“It will probably all be a new experience to me,” Rikiya offered. He smiled wider, more genuine. “How exciting.” His assurances did not seem to make the other man feel any better. In fact, he looked a bit like he wanted to crawl up the wall and escape.

“I’d need to… Uh. Order some stuff in.”

“Of course, of course! Our resources are completely at your disposal.” Rikiya beamed. “Shall we set a time for this weekend, then?”

Spinner somehow went redder still, but mumbled agreement all the same.

——— ———

The room Spinner had settled on for the venture—video games, Trumpet had predicted dourly, and Skeptic had confirmed—was an out-of-the-way conference room, not the villa’s biggest or airiest, not a corner room or common area, but one of those little meeting spaces tucked away in the bowels of any large enough building, accessible only through three different turns down four different hallways, the sort of thing you only ever saw if you’d built it, you cleaned it, or you explored enormous buildings for fun. Iguchi Shuuichi certainly didn’t fit the bill for the first two options, leaving only the latter, and Rikiya could only wonder if Spinner had found the place in idle wanderings or as the result of a deliberate search.

Regardless, the electronics took up much of one end of the room, a large-screen monitor set up on a low table, along with a glowing computer tower, a game console and sizeable speakers. Two curved black and red rocker chairs on the floor sat, Rikiya thought, rather closer to the screen than was probably recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The back end of the room was mostly bare, a table shoved up against the wall with a few damaged chairs and gutted computer towers speaking to the room’s prior life as a storage space for office supplies awaiting repair or repurposing.

Not a bad metaphor, all things considered. I wonder if he intended it.

“Oh, hey.” The he in question stood up from behind the TV, dusting off his hands and starting when he caught sight of Rikiya. “So you did show.”

“I did. And dressed down, as requested.” Rikiya spread his arms in brief demonstration of innocuous brown dress pants and a white button-down shirt, top button undone, cuffs rolled back twice. It was hardly casual, but it was as close to it as he could manage on short notice.

Spinner had done a much better job of it, a hoodie and jeans replacing his normal tac vest and dark pants, his hair long enough to brush his shoulders, thick and bushy, when his usual goggles and band of cloth weren’t holding it up. He could almost pass for a normal person on the street, save for all the knives—the one part of his costume he’d left on, sheathed and strapped to his side.

He glanced over Rikiya, looking not entirely convinced—he was an open book generally, and being able to clearly see his forehead (rather high, actually) made reading his expressions even easier—but conceded a nod.

“Well… Have a seat, I guess.” He slid a remote control on the floor towards the two chairs with his foot.

Rikiya closed the door behind him, privately thankful for the barrenness of the other end of the room—he could almost pretend the room wasn’t functionally a cellar with all that clear space at his back—and made his way over to one of the rockers, easing himself into it. It had been literal years since he’d been expected to settle into a casual seating arrangement with someone who wasn’t in his inner circle, and even those had mostly been relegated to the dinners as they’d all gotten older and busier with work. Typically the chairs were higher off the ground.

Curious would have laughed at this for days. He set the thought aside, accurate though it was, and shot Spinner an expectant smile as the man picked up a pair of controllers and thrust one out at him.

“Are you sure it’s all right that I haven’t touched one of these since university?” Rikiya asked. He took the device and experimentally fit his grip around the handles, turning it over to examine the array of buttons and controls.

“It’s fine,” Spinner responded. “I’m pretty sure games like this all teach you how to play them as you go.” He sat down in his own rocker and angled himself slightly in Rikiya’s direction. “So wait, what did you play in school?”

Hardly something Rikiya had committed to memory, given how much else had been going on in his life at the time. He dredged up what he could anyway.

“Some sort of game where players would select a character to fight another player’s character. Martial arts-themed, as I recall. There was one that involved some sort of government agent killing zombies. And I had a friend in a study group who always going on about the last game in a series he enjoyed. Something with ‘Fantasy’ in the title.”

Spinner muttered something under his breath that might have been Oh, boy and might have been Normies, and turned on the TV, simultaneously pressing the center button on his own controller. As the screen blinked on, resolving into a home screen for the game console, he flicked over to an entry labeled Seed, the image a single bright red flower on a black background. A few logos later, they arrived at the title screen, which flickered periodically through homophonous kanji (Truth, Interval, Wait), and Spinner talked him through selecting New Game, Two-Player, and selecting himself as Player One.

The game began with a figure—small, features undefined beneath the hood of a simple blue robe—standing in a dim, firelit cave, a few shelves mounted on the walls. A simple tutorial involved moving about the cave collecting items off the shelves: a bag, a canteen, and a small spade. All basic joystick controls, a simple press-X-to-interact, and then the figure extinguished the fire with a spadeful of ashes and walked unprompted into the dim tincture of daylight on one side of the screen.

Outside, a short video showed the screen’s view expanding from the flat two-dimensionality of the cave to more sprawling environs of a lush forest, all dappled greens and yellows. Tangles of vines proved impassable as Rikiya wandered up to them, attempting interaction to no avail.

“It’s not full open-world, but there’s not a time limit or anything, so you can poke around all you want,” Spinner offered, watching Rikiya uncertainly steer himself around the screen.

“And the goal is?” A soundtrack had kicked in, a pleasant and melodic string piece, interspersed with birdsong when Rikiya passed close to a flash of feathers in the verdant tapestry.

“You’ll find out when you trip over it. Just look for anything interesting.”

Rikiya obediently headed down the way that seemed generally laid out, noting a patch of particularly sunny ground up ahead. “And where do you come in? Or do we take turns?”

“The two-player functionality is for later on.” Spinner shifted positions to tuck one foot under himself—less sitting, more perching—the controller tucked in his lap. “You’ll see.”

Rikiya hummed assent and returned his focus to the screen, where a button prompt saw the character stooping down into a kneel and using her—his? its?—tools to dig a hole, drop in a seed from the bag, and recover it before pouring a small measure of water over it. A circling motion of their hand followed, some silent little ritual, and in response, a flower bloomed up from the spot, small but brilliantly red.

The character didn’t immediately rise, but the screen shifted focus slightly, and when Rikiya nudged a joystick, they returned to their feet, and so he set out through the trees again. He spotted another sunny patch before long, on a raised bluff, which lead to a new button option that resulted in a quick climbing animation and, shortly, a yellow flower glowing in the sun.

As promised, the controls were intuitive, and soon Rikiya had planted two more seeds and been forced to leave one promising-looking spot alone when the character proved unable to make the necessary climb. The next wrinkle presented itself shortly after—an empty canteen. Further exploration yielded a small brook, glittering in the light, and the ability to refill his water supply. A line of stones offered passage across the stream, and Rikiya paused, considering the implicit invitation to press forward. But after a moment, he doubled back, watering the planted seed (a purple flower this time) before heading back towards the brook.

“You’re gonna be one of those 100% completion types, huh?” Spinner observed from where he’d been watching without comment since weighing in that the unreachable spot from before might be a New Game Plus thing.

Rikiya turned the phrase over in his head, then smiled slightly. “Probably,” he allowed. “Is that a problem? I could prioritize progress instead of thoroughness.”

“You’re playing, not me. Just play how you want.” A hint of rolled eye suffused the words, and the combination brought back the memory of Shigaraki on the stage—We’re gonna do whatever we want!—a study in contrasts: a hand-tailored black suit worn with ratty red sneakers, sprawled like a street thug in a chair that belonged in a gentlemen’s club, wrapped in bandages with one splinted leg, but still speaking in a voice so effortlessly confident it gave Rikiya chills to remember.

Whatever we want.

“Is that part of the exercise here?” he asked; his voice emerged strangely hushed to his own ears. That Shigaraki’s presence could have such an effect, even in his absence… Rikiya held back a sigh. Trumpet had given him a very sharp glance the last time he’d sighed over Shigaraki and it came out revealingly wistful.

He’d half-expected Spinner to respond in denial or confusion—real or feigned, he’d not decided—but Spinner only sat quietly for a long moment before answering with, “If that’s what it takes, I guess.”

“To get me to relax?” On the TV, the camera shifted perspectives—another video—to watch the character pass between two enormous trees, screen fading to black for a few seconds before returning to show a new landscape, the terrain hillier, the trees more sparse. For the first time, sky was visible, a patchwork field of blue tumbled over with clouds.

Spinner shifted in place, the movement bespeaking awkwardness. He tapped his claws over the controller in his lap, a drum of keratin on plastic.

“…Look, this is gonna sound pretty bad, but you’re—it’s like you’re on a commercial, all the time. Mr. Compress feels less fake than you do sometimes, and I haven’t seen his real face the whole time I’ve known him. The only time you feel real is when you talk about Shigaraki and how ‘liberated’ he is.”

“I believe it very much,” Rikiya offered, then fell quiet, because it wasn’t the right time to interrupt, and also, the wistfulness had just been waiting for him to speak again to leak out into his voice.

“Right, but—Shigaraki’s gone. For the next four months. We’ve gotta keep this thing together until he gets back, and—you know we’re the only ones who really care about it.” Spinner’s shoulders had gone taut, Rikiya found when he looked over at the other man, his scaled fingers wrapped around the game controller. “Shigaraki said something about you having an aneurysm, and I know he was just joking, but your whole thing is about stress. And if that’s why you feel like you don’t ever not have a game-face on, then.” He made a sudden frustrated sound, scratching at his hair.

“It doesn’t matter how you play the game,” he went on, just as Rikiya was opening his mouth to respond. “This isn’t the kind of game you can lose. You can just—play it how you want and nothing’s riding on it. So you don’t have to turn around and ask me what’s the right way to do it. Just—play it however feels right to you.”

On the screen, the little figure in blue with their inscrutable face had knelt, clothes moving slightly with a simulated breath.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much practice with—not having a ‘game-face’ on,” Rikiya said at last. He thought about debating the assertion that no one else in his erstwhile organization cared about the new venture, but it was true that his own closest companions were making little attempt to hide their dissatisfaction. Skeptic, of course, was quite vocal, but Trumpet, too, was entirely missing his usual charm around fellow warriors. As for Geten, well, it was only a wonder that none of the League had commented yet about how long the ice in their drinks could last before melting.

“Yeah,” Spinner said with a shortness that Rikiya translated to, That’s obvious. “But it’s just the two of us down here. I won’t tell if you won’t. Shigaraki’s the only other one who likes video games, anyway,” he added in a grumble.

“I’m surprised you all could find time for such things,” Rikiya said, which felt safer than anything else, to which Spinner snorted.

“We couldn’t. I think he’s too practical to lug around a game system when he’s on the run. What’d he even hook it up to? But he does that thing where he talks in gaming metaphors when he’s thinking about strategy.” A mix of exasperation and fondness colored his voice.

“Do you suppose he might join us for this”—Rikiya waved the controller vaguely at the screen—“when he returns to us?”

Spinner’s cheeks colored slightly, and with a plaintive note, he answered, “I have no idea. He—I don’t know.” Rikiya made a questioning noise, lifting his brows, and Spinner shot him a look of residual distrust before relenting. “He’s always either on or off. No in-between.”

A somewhat garbled bit of metaphor, but Rikiya understood, if not the sentiment, then at least the dazed origin. Still, he was learning things about Shigaraki Tomura, and there was a distinct thrill to that, to find a kindred spirit in this new cause, to see a look of mixed incomprehension and wonder in someone’s face that felt correspondent with his own.

“He’ll probably need some time to recover from the surgery, at least,” Spinner concluded after another moment on consideration. “I guess we can ask. The worst he can do is laugh at us.” A beat of silence, then he amended, “The worst he would do is laugh at us.

“What?” he asked, suddenly defensive as he looked into Rikiya’s eyes.

“Mm?” Rikiya blinked at him.

“You’re smiling at me funny,” Spinner accused, and Rikiya blinked, realizing the truth of it. He was smiling—still was, in fact, the expression oddly resilient even under the force of Spinner’s raised hackles.

“Apologies,” Rikiya murmured, still staring at the way Spinner’s beak twisted around an awkward scowl as he looked away, lilac pink eyes narrow.

“Just get back to the game,” he muttered.

“Ah, of course.”

———

It was a rather nice little experience, in the end. The game progressed through different environmental stages, growing more barren from forest to plain to desolate shoreline and eventually into an abandoned city, all shattered glass and cracked asphalt and dim skies, hinting at some sort of apocalypse. It encouraged exploration of its different areas, with well-placed lulls in activity to take in its vistas and views (and it really did have exquisite color design), and each new area requiring more ingenuity to find water or soft earth or even sunlight. In the third area, the second player’s role became clear, as the main character encountered some sort of wind spirit (hinted to be a ghost in the second-to-last stage) that could reach and manipulate areas and objects out of the main player’s grasp, as well give their jumps a modest boost.

The whole thing climaxed in a grueling slog through a blasted wasteland, all pale ash and white-hot sunlight and scouring winds. As played by Spinner, the spirit pushed insistently at the main character’s back even as their steps began to falter, and when they finally collapsed, it was in the shadow of their own body that they planted their final seed. The wind spirit—now in ghost form again—pushed the ashes over the hole as the cloaked figure dribbled out the last of their water, then, together, they performed the ritual gesture, both hands moving as one. A long, tense moment followed—predictable in the cinematic sense, but by then Rikiya was far too absorbed to quibble—before the seed unfolded into a red flower. Seconds passed, and then another blossom found its way out of the sere earth some distance away from the fallen figure in blue. It was followed by others, and the whole time, the red flower grew and grew, until a graceful tree, branches draped in crimson, stood at the center of the field of brilliant colors.

The credits rolled over a sweeter, fuller version of the game’s main theme, and a final little scene showed the two characters at the entrance to the cave from the beginning of the game, the blue-cloaked figure watching the canopy of the forest as the wind spirit toyed with a swirl of leaves.

“Well,” Rikiya said. He and Spinner had not been entirely silent since the exchange about Shigaraki, but Rikiya had let him set the pace of conversation. That had led to Spinner asking again, during the first beach area, whether Rikiya really had no hobbies to speak of; when asked in turn about his own, he had—reluctantly at first, then with increasing enthusiasm—talked about his personal favorite games. Rikiya was left with the distinct impression that Seed was not the sort of game Spinner normally favored, which showed a generosity of spirit Rikiya thought best rewarded by not drawing attention to it.

“That was a very charming experience,” he went on, ordering his thoughts for discussion—and also stretching out what remained of his legs; he would need to make some time for physical therapy after this.

“Was it relaxing, though?” Spinner asked, striking Rikiya to a chuckle with his blunt focus.

“I think the ending was tense enough to keep it from being entirely relaxing,” he said after giving the question due consideration. “But it felt like the intention was more to be cathartic, and it was that.” Rikiya felt a rare lightness in his body—not as profound as Shigaraki overthrowing all his burdens, certainly, but—akin to it, perhaps. A sense of stress expunged that, prior to Deika, he had typically only experienced after spars, and it had been rarer and rarer for him to take part in those as the years went on, much less expend any significant amount of stress in doing so.

“It was a wonderful tone piece,” he went on. “I think it would have been that much just to watch it, but the interactivity gives it its real impact. I can see why it’s well-regarded.”

Spinner nodded, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. “So—do you want to try to do it again sometime?”

“I’d be happy to. You should bring some of the games you talked about next time.” He paused as Spinner first brightened, then visibly tamped himself down and turned his attention to the game, beginning the process of exiting and turning off all the various components with a cursory mumble of agreement to Rikiya’s suggestion.

Unfortunately, with Spinner once again getting cagey, the sense of the contours of the room was creeping back in. The transporting nature of the game was confined to the experience of playing it, and outside that, it really was quite a small room. And if they did convince Shigaraki Tomura to join them, all the presence and intensity of him in such close quarters… The thought tightened a cord around Rikiya’s chest, hope and fear mingled in the remembrance of the sublime.

If I’m going to have to keep having to deal with you, I want you wound down, not wound further up.

There is one thing you could ask for. It was a small thing to ask in some ways, a large one in others, and if he let himself linger on it, he would doubtlessly talk himself out of it, which seemed disrespectful to the amount of time and effort his companion had devoted to this whole endeavor.

“Spinner,” he said abruptly, and the man looked back over at him with a small, suspicious frown and wary eyes. “The next time we do this…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we might do it somewhere with windows?”

Should I explain? Would he even want to hear about something like that? Can I even talk about something like that?

Spinner studied him for a long moment, and Rikiya wondered suddenly how much more Shigaraki might have told him, about their confrontation, about the Claustro, about—well, about whatever conclusions Shigaraki had come to. As the seconds stretched on, he felt the tiny curve of a smile on his face, not the expression of someone brimming with happiness to be shared, but the resigned air of someone awaiting a trial. Not his best work, it had to be said.

“Yeah,” Spinner finally said. “That’s fine.”

The answer—Spinner’s decision not to press—felt like a weight lifting. A small one, to be sure. But it was…

Well, it was a start.

…And perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to look into finding a few video games to bring in himself next time, too.

——— ——— ——— ———

Seed may look like a complete rip-off of Journey, but it also takes some inspiration from Prune, Monument Valley, Flower and a dash of Gris as well. It's using the verb-form of its titular word, which in Japanese would be pronounced ma, as would be the other kanji mentioned. (The kanji for devil has the same pronunciation, but the game devs didn't include it.)

Thanks for reading, all!

#boku no hero academia #bnha #yotsubashi rikiya #re-destro #shigaraki tomura #iguchi shuuichi #spinner bnha #cw: claustrophobia #it's pretty mild in this chapter tho #my writing #ficcing

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solohux · 5 years

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Hi! It’s been a while since I made a big fic rec post, and with the influx of new canon content with the Kylo Ren & Hux comic and The Rise Of Skywalker on its way, what better time to whack out some recs!

Happy Reading! ❤️

Also, I apologise in advance if your fic is on here but I haven’t linked your tumblr. I searched for what I could but if your blog isn’t linked in your fic or on your AO3 account page, then I’ve just put your AO3 penname!

The usual disclaimer too. This is just my opinion and by no means an exclusive list. It’s just for fun!

Good Blogs To Find Fics

◾ @kyluxficrecs

◾ @kyluxcantina

◾ @kyluxhardkinks

◾ @softkyluxkinks

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

The blogs below write a considerable amount of ABO fics and I highly reccommend checking them out for all of their fics!

◾ @thethespacecoyote | AO3 - TheSpaceCoyote |

◾ @redcole | AO3 - Redleafmornings |

◾ @thez1337 | AO3 - TheZ1337 |

◾ @sinceyouaskedmeforataleof | AO3 - SinceYouAskedMeForATaleOf

◾ sickbed_00 | AO3 - sickbed_00 |

ABO Fic Rec

◾ Falling Stars by @huxative | WIP | 31k

Armitage Hux is the omega son and ever present shame of Lord Brendol, overseer of the Arkanis region. That was, until King Snoke arranged a marriage between his adopted son and Armitage.

◾ Hadopelagic by DustOnBothSides | WIP | 25k After a life of staying pharmaceutically heat-free, Hux has to allow his body to go through at least one natural cycle, lest there be consequences. He takes a shore leave and travels to a former omegan retreat, abandoned and all but forgotten after the fall of Old Republic. Ren, not knowing of Hux's predicament, decides to follow, suspecting treason. He finds something else instead.

◾ Bodies, Can't You See? by sual | 23k | When Hux sees the positive result on the pregnancy test scanner, he comes to several alarming realizations all at once. One: that his birth control has been tampered with. Two: that the baby is Kylo's. Three: that this is his true punishment for Starkiller's failure. And quietly, in a weak, tiny voice in the back of his mind, the unsettling conclusion that he wants to keep it. He'll die before he lets anyone near his child. He'll tear apart anyone that tries to get in his way. Even Kylo.

◾ The Emperor's New Consort by @redcole | 39k | The First Order is in control of the Galaxy, in a last ditch effort to save those who are left, they request negotiations. Only to find that for the Resistance to survive they only need to give up one thing small thing - the angry Senator Ben Organa.

◾ Babe, I'm Here Again by @sinceyouaskedmeforataleof | WIP | 117k | It's 2008 and graduate student Armitage Hux has no idea why hes still hanging out with that nerd of a second year Ben Solo. Surely he had better things to do that sit around planning Dungeons & Dragons adventures with this not-at-all-attractive Alpha who he definitely doesn't think about constantly.

◾ Shades Undimmed by @longstoryshortikilledhim | 21k | Hux is a bounty hunter who teams up with renegade Jedi Kylo Ren for a hunt. They’re determined not to let their biological needs intervene with the integrity of their mission. They fail.

◾ Fields of Gold by @ mssdare | 25k | Ren and Hux crash on a planet full of strange flowers. Soon, Hux starts feeling the effects of the pollen.

◾ Unexpected by @gonna-pop | WIP | 61k | After twenty years together, Ben and Armitage have gotten comfortable. There are no surprises left in their marriage, and nothing new to learn about each other. That is, until Armitage unexpectedly goes into heat while they’re vacationing on a resort world — and a few days of renewed passion changes the course of their lives.

◾ no hope, no quarter by @thethespacecoyote | 6k | Stolen away to a temple on Moraband, Kylo Ren finds himself at the mercy of an obsessive, sinister captor. Only one person can hope to save him, and would even dare put their life on the line against such insurmountable odds—Armitage Hux, his general and lifelong mate.

◾ To Build A Home by @reluctantly-awesome | 3.7k | Ren is truly a hopeless alpha and Hux helps him reluctantly and not because he wants a home himself, not at all.

◾ In Your Debt by @pangolinpirate | 8.5k | Things work a little different in the Order then they do in the Resistance

◾ need you baby (more, more, more) by @thesunandoceanblue | 6.5k | "Ren?" "Yes?" Hux traced his finger down Ren's jawline. "You'd do anything for me, right?"

◾ Alpha You Are Knot by @darktenshi17 | 1k | Alpha Kylo Ren has finally found his perfect mate, now they can begin a family together. There's only one problem; that's not how human reproduction works at all.

◾ Amnesia by @bubbaknowlton | 10k | Hux wakes up on an unknown ship, seven months pregnant with a baby crying in a crib. The last thing he remembers is leaving Kylo Ren at Snoke's citadel. Not knowing what alpha has bred him, nor the fate of the First Order, he takes the baby, some supplies, and runs.

◾ Checkmate by @thez1337 | 3k | Alpha Kylo Ren strikes down Omega General Hux's alpha. Then he takes his place. With omega Hux's pup in tow, will Kylo keep them or make new rules for the den?

◾ Stress Relief by orphan_account | 1k | Kylo helps his omega settle after a nightmare.

◾ I'll Even Call You General by @asexualavenger | 1k | Without a mate, Kylo turns destructive during his heat. Snoke tasks Hux with finding him a partner.

◾ Not a Mistake by @redcole | 12k | Hux was just looking for a good time when he met the strange man named Ben, but he ended up finding a lot more.

◾ It Feels Right by @deluxekyluxtrashcan After the destruction of Starkiller Base Kylo finds out that Hux is an omega, and tries to help him by finding suppressants to replace the ones Hux lost. It turns out that there are three others omegas on board the Finalizer, and, much to a somewhat jealous Hux's displeasure, Kylo ends up getting better acquainted with one of them - Petty Officer Thanisson - just a day before Hux goes into heat.

◾ If You Can't Be with the One You Hate by @tethysian | 12.5k | At Snoke's request Hux has always helped Kylo through his heats, albeit reluctantly. Then Kylo happens to go into heat while a prisoner aboard a resistance ship. Poe is the lucky(?) alpha chosen to take care of him, and Kylo discovers he might prefer an enthusiastic partner. Hux discovers something else about himself.

◾ time whets the fang by @thethespacecoyote | 2k | As an alpha, Supreme Leader Snoke believes he has free reign to do whatever he wishes with the omegas beneath him, including his apprentice and top general. He may wind up regretting his arrogance.

Angst & Sickfics

◾ A cup of tea for the general by Koprix & SeiG | 165k | Hux is sick. It all starts with Kylo Ren coming to bother him and ending up trying to make a cup of tea for the general. And it goes straight to hell from there.

◾ Regretful Message by Sweets_Thief | 67k | Hiding from the Resistance should be easy when they already believe they've killed you. But when you're General Armitage Hux and you can't seem to recall becoming Emperor to the entire Galaxy, it becomes a little more difficult.

◾ Ethereal Balance by NylonRabbit| 4k | Hux becomes pregnant, and falls into a mysteriously ethereal Force induced state as a result. Kylo misses him. A lot.

◾ monsters, cut off from all the world by inquisitor_tohru | 8k | A successful betrayal of the supreme leader with force-suppression tech leaves Kylo Ren at Hux's mercy. He expects to be disposed of in some way or another, but instead Hux gives him an ultimatum: Ren has one year to prove he's the best possible leader or escape his bonds and 'tag' Hux back. If he fails to meet either goal he will abdicate to Hux. If he meets one or both goals Hux will submit to any punishment or command. As it turns out, Ren is more sane, logical and functions generally better, without the Force.

◾ It's Gonna Be Alright by rmartin | 3k | After Kylo Ren becomes the Supreme Leader, the tension between him and General Hux arises. Everything changes when Hux falls sick and old feelings come to the surface when Ren takes care of him. Hux's sickness brings them closer and begins something that could change not only the future of the galaxy but their own future too.

◾ No One Wants to Die Alone by @mirlolo & @kyluxtrashpit | 30k | Frustrated with Hux’s continued, untraceable assassination attempts, despite trying everything to make his new Grand Marshal happy and make amends, Kylo drags Hux and only Hux on an unnecessary mission to some awful, swampy backwater planet as revenge. When they return, though, the symptoms of an unknown, serious disease land them both in the same quarantine room in the medbay, as well as spreads to some of the crew. They quickly learn that it’s hard to go through a near death experience with someone without getting closer to them in the process.

◾ We Have So Much To Talk About by BlackKyber | 2.5k | General Hux’s relationship with Kylo Ren is a complicated one. Their busy lives and differing personalities often clash with each other, making it difficult for the two of them to find peace with one another.When one of them falls ill, however, life finally slows down enough for the other to be able to fully evaluate where they are in life ... and where they might be heading.

◾ For Your Own Good by @threewinterssnow | 2k | Kylo has the flu and he's acting like it's the end of the world. Hux does not get paid enough to deal with this.

◾ get well, general by carefulren | 1.3k | Multiple days without sleep has Hux struggling with a nasty fever, and Kylo doesn't care... Not one bit..

◾ Through Sickness and Secrets [Iatrogenic] by NatashaRS | 7.8k | Kylo Ren hates Hux. He hates him a lot. Which is why it's rather unusual that when, upon finding a sick general, he does not kill him. Cue sweet moments, bickering, and a not-so-human Hux.

◾ As long as stars are above you by @ellstra | 2.1k | Hux gets injured because he just has to put his important regal person in danger and Kylo is not amused. He's admitted he cares for Hux, why is that not enough for Hux to stop making idiotic decisions?

◾ Fear of Falling Asleep by bastilas| 10k | Upon returning to the Finalizer from a diplomatic mission, Kylo and Hux are fired upon by their own subordinates, sent careening to the surface of the forest-blanketed planet Corstris. The troopers are dead, the shuttle is barely equipped with survival gear, the weather is cold and miserable, and to make it worse: Hux is injured. It isn't an easy journey off of the planet.

◾ Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time? by Anonymous | 15k | MCD | Armitage Hux (34, lonely, in denial) waits impatiently for the end of Ren's mission as he goes about his routines on the Finalizer, taking no pleasure from his job.Four more days. It's always four more days, and they have lasted a very long time.

◾ With Dignity by @kyluxtrashpit | 4.4k | When Hux is captured by the Resistance, he vows to do whatever is necessary to avoid giving away the Order's secrets. Left with no other options, he stops eating and drinking, intending to end himself as a precaution. The Resistance, however, knows how much Hux knows and have no intention of losing him to anything, including himself.

◾ Flicker in the Void by @mothdust | 30k | Hux watched in silence as the light swept over his body. The power stunned him, as did the bright jet of flame as it licked its color into his eyes. This was not the calm brightness of last night in the presence of Kylo Ren. This was a different sort of light altogether, massive and deadly. It overwhelmed him. For a moment Hux felt an aching regret deep within himself, the sob of someone he used to be, bubbling up from the cold.

◾ A Reckless Act of Domination and Intimacy by the_heauxly_trinity | 110k | After the death of Snoke and the Battle of Crait, long-time rivals Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux must cooperate or everything they value will self-destruct. Hux knows he is the First Order's last line of defense against a raging, uncontrolled monster, and he knows how little he can do to influence him... until Ren's pragmatic attempt to "learn more about him" presents Hux with what he believes is his only chance, unethical though it may be, to save his cause.The story of a boy named Kylo, and a boy named Armitage, and how with their love they saved each other from every bad thing that had ever happened to either of them.Believe it or not, this gets pretty dark.

◾ Confined Spaces by @milliethecat | 31k | Kylo Ren and General Hux are captured and sold by a bounty hunter, and forced to share a cell, all while Kylo has his powers suppressed, making him see life in a different light. While Hux formulates actual plans to escape, Kylo realises that he and Hux have more in common than he thought, and a compatibility that could be both useful and devastating. Meanwhile, their captor takes a disturbing liking to Hux, and in the face of his threats, Hux comes to Kylo with a request that would indebt him to Kylo forever, if only the alternative wasn't so much worse.

◾ Meet Me Halfway by @callmelyss | 5.5k | “I don’t do that,” Hux responds in an undertone before he realizes. He flushes—hard—and scowls. “If that will be all, Supreme Leader…” He turns on his heel without waiting to be dismissed and starts to stalk back the way he came, grateful, as ever, for the wide sweep of his greatcoat, the padded shoulders making him feel less—small. He’s halfway out of the room (and what a waste of space) when what he said must catch up with Ren: “You mean you…never?”He freezes, every muscle in his body tensing. Won’t say it out loud. No, he emphasizes, clear as he can. Knowing Ren will hear, knowing he will see it regardless, terrible nosy busybody that he is. I haven’t.

◾ Scarlet Lines by @rattlesnake777 | 21k | A strange disease breaks out aboard the Finalizer and rumour has it that it befalls only virgins.

◾ To Be Truly Seen by TheKnitterati | 4k | Kylo wears a helmet because he's extremely anxious about his appearance and thinks he's hideous. Hux finally figures this out and soothes him through a panic attack.

◾ Before I Wake by @anorlost-the-sleepy-sun | 60k | During a mission gone wrong Kylo Ren and General Hux are captured by bounty hunters and sold to a vengeful Hutt. Forging an uneasy alliance with his General, Kylo figures it's best he works with Hux if he wants to escape... and to keep Hux from killing him should the opportunity present itself.

◾ Hux's Secret Garden by @magicandmalice | 10k | Deep in the bowels of the Finalizer, Hux has a secret arboretum. He goes here to relax, to forget his problems for awhile, and to tend to and cultivate the fresh fruits, vegetables, and various other plants he grows there. It's his private place and no one is allowed within his sanctuary. Especially not Kylo Ren.

◾ The Escape of the Fox by @theweddingofthefoxes | 4.7k | After the First Order is defeated and Rey becomes Leia's heir, Kylo Ren and General Hux are both fugitives, and they haven't seen one another in years. Ren settles into a hermetic existence selling kyber, but when he learns Hux is still alive, he goes to find him under the pretense of staging a coup. But there's another reason he wants to see Hux again....

◾ Warp & Weft by @shinysylver | 6.7k | In the wake of Snoke's death, the Force bond connecting Kylo and Rey begins to collapse. Kylo's rapidly deteriorating health doesn't escape Hux's notice.

◾ our love is a ghost (that the others can't see) by @aptanstjarna | 14k | Ren likes flowers. Hux finds out.

◾ Staring Down With Empty Eyes by Asrael_Valtiri | 15.3k | Tonight, Hux’s lips roamed over Ren’s body, his hands following. He was a surveyor mapping out a strange, beautiful land no one else had ever seen before.No one else had. Only Hux.

◾ Do I Suffocate or Let Go by darthkylorevan | 3.2k | While Starkiller burns, Hux searches for Kylo. But when some machinery explodes Hux can't avoid injury. He doesn't move in time to avoid the burn to his face. When they are back on ship (Finalizer or Supremacy) he sees the burn blistering and peeling one side of his face. The old Imperial officers mock him behind his back. He has no time to get it looked after, let alone hide it. Eventually Kylo finds him and reassures him that there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Fantasy (Mermaid, Werewolf, Witch, Vampire AUs)

◾ A Song of Crows by @ficlet-machine | 202k | Warchief Hux has just buried his trusted Crow, and, if the Gods still favour him, a new one will find their way to his lands. Hux may be young, but he is a good leader for his people. He is ready for the commitment, the responsibility, the changes that come with a new child of the Gods at his command. The clan needs it, needs it spiritual leader if they are ever to claim ownership of all the lands from here to the Core Kingdoms. Raised a warrior, he is more than ready to paint the world red in honor of his gods. He may, however, not be entirely ready for what he will feel the first time he meets the haunted and tormented eyes of the young Crow called Kylo Ren

◾ The Season is Calling by @nerdherderette | 10k | When Armitage Hux woke up this morning, he never imagined that his eighteenth birthday would be spent like this: running through the woods with his clothes torn, slick between his legs, gun long-forgotten.

◾ Behold Tomorrow by Camellia Cook | 7.4k | Armitage is having a terrible day. He's lost his horse, lost his shield, and gotten stranded in the middle of a battle. To make matters worse, he's fighting the fearsome black knight Kylo Ren and barely managing to avoid getting killed. Then, Ren scents his biggest secret--he's an omega. He's a warrior omega, and Ren decides right then that he has to have him.Despite his better judgement, Armitage wants that too... He feels like there's something pulling them together, some connection that he doesn't fully understand. But destiny and biology be damned... He's Crown Prince Armitage Hux, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Order, and he's not giving in without a fight.

◾ Midnight Dip by @sparrowlicious | 5.3k | A two week vacation on a tropical island sounded like a dream for most people but to Armitage it got boring after the first week. So instead of doing fun things that could lead to a sunburn he looked for potential men he could fuck. And then he meets Kylo. But Kylo turns out to be more than meets the eye...

◾ Surrender by @groffiction | WIP | 21k | AU where Hux is a Merman and finds a human Kylo drifting out in his lake. After saving his arse, Kylo repays Hux by kissing him and the whole world goes up in a kriffing shitload from there.

◾ Moonlight Bay by @thesevioletdel1ghts | 5.5k | A long, long time ago, on a beautiful seashore far far away.

◾ Wet Seal by @emperor-huxxx | 2.3k | On a lazy afternoon caught between spring and summer, mer Hux reviews his anatomy studies.

◾ Turquoise Scales by @fandomlander | 7.7k | As the lights come on, he can see Hux on the bed. He can’t help his sharp intake of breath as he takes in the scene; Hux lies down on his back, eyes closed shut and a grimace of pain on his face. He looks pale and there are drops of sweat beading on his skin. He’s naked. Kylo is by the bed in two long strides. He swallows. “Kriff…”Hux’s eyes jolt open and he throws that defiant glance at Kylo. Reaches for the covers of the bed to shield his feet and legs. But it’s no use because Kylo already saw. He saw the turquoise scales on Hux, covering a large part of his ankles and his lower legs.

◾ Vampire Hux and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Werewolf by @nerdherderette | 6.2k | As first impressions go, Hux admits the one he made with Kylo was pretty terrible, but he sets about to remedy the situation. He should have seen the signs—the dark circles under Kylo’s eyes, the surly demeanor, compounded by the stress of moving the day right after a full moon. (Which, like, what even? That’s Creatures 101 levels of shit not to do. Hux has no illusions about the intelligence of his new neighbor, but then again, his ass isn’t screaming for a good braining). He shakes his head. A fucking werewolf. Here, in Arkanis Hills.

◾ Hungry for The Kill by @nonsensicalsoliloquy | 47k | As was clearly his lot, Kylo’s day went from over the moon to piece of utter horseshit in a matter of progressively depressing hours. His ginger hadn’t shown up to the library – an anomaly in itself – on the very day Kylo had finally worked up the nerve to talk to him; his subsequent wild run in the woods had yielded little relief for his dismal mood, and on top of that he’d somehow gotten tricked into a trap of a trap through sheer disbelief of a hunter’s stupidity. And now. Now he was locked in a cage in some shady room, stuck in his wolf form, wounded and cramped and not at all pleased. But worse still, it appeared as though Kylo was not the only restless animal trapped there, anxious of an uncertain fate no doubt waiting for them all.

◾ Under the Moonlight by @threewinterssnow | 2.8k | Kylo has moved into a new neighborhood in hopes of better keeping his condition a secret and he has a very cute new neighbor. But he might also have a few secrets.

◾ You Big Bad Wolf by @insanitysqueen | 12k | Hux meets an interesting person online. They chat, having the same kind of kinks and this 'REN' has a truly artful way of composing dirty messages, but never lets go of that werewolf-persona from when they first began to talk. Though Hux doesn't feel intimidated enough to turn down the invitation to this gorgeous strangers home. Especially during a weekend where the full moon will be shining.

◾ Full Moon by huxaholic | 2.7k | Mpreg | Pregnancy is dangerous for werewolves so Kylo and Hux take what precautions they can to try and make it as safe as possible for Hux. It's difficult though, and tiring for them both, and Hux wishes it was over.

◾ Fang & Bang by @sparrowlicious | 10k | Armitage Hux is an ancient vampire who tries to live his life as a good citizen. Kylo Ren is his werewolf neighbor who caught his eye shortly after he moved in two months ago.One night during a full moon Kylo Ren ends up on Hux's couch uninvited. Hux sees it as an opportunity to get to know him better...

◾ Silver by @bubbaknowlton | 5.3k | Mpreg | Ren is bringing Hux and their daughter to meet his family. Problem is, the Skywalker-Organa-Solo's are monster hunters, and Hux is a vampire. He doesn't get to warn all his family members in time before they see him, and Han 'defends' the property by shooting Hux with a few silver bullets, sending him fleeing into the woods.

◾ Sense of Him by @mademoisellebianx | 42.6k | To escape the violence of war that tore down their hometown, Armitage Hux and his father fled to the quiet and peaceful town of Chandrila where Armitage meets Ben Solo, the mayor’s mysterious and melancholic son. Soon, Armitage began to unravel that the town Chandrila holds a deep, dark secret that the mayor tries to cover up. One fateful night, he was thrust into a supernatural world of men and monsters and his life was completely changed.

◾ The Onyx Mine by @theweddingofthefoxes | 3.7k | "So a monster!kylo au where Hux has to keep Kylo under control when he's in his monster state, and keeps him on a leash or in a cage. But then one day he puts him in it when he's more in control and finds that it's arousing for both of them to treat Kylo almost like his pet."

◾ On the upper glass shelf by @courgette96 | 22.5k | There once was a lead soldier with a crack on his face, who lived under the bed where forgotten toys go. There once was a doll on the upper glass shelf, where fragile things are kept out of reach. There were many things between them: a whole room, a whole shelf, a Shadow that slithered under the bed. And something bigger still, that would allow them to overcome all of it.

◾ Captive by @embershx | 2.9k | When Hux followed Kylo Ren home he should have expected he would end up like this - In the vampire's basement bound, helpless, and unable to resist.

◾ The Witch and His Wendigo by @magicandmalice | 10.6k | Kylo Ren is a powerful Witch of the Forest. When he stumbles across a rare and fascinating Wendigo one evening, he decides then and there he will do anything it takes to make him his. Now he just has to convince the creature, one that lives only to sate it's hunger, of his intentions and not end up it's next meal.

Fluff

◾ here comes the first day by @ingu | 8k | The moment Hux threw himself in front of the blaster shot meant for Kylo Ren was the moment he realised that he had well and truly gone out of his mind. (Or, the one where Hux tries to save the life of Kylo Ren and accidentally saves himself in the process.)

◾ a most lovely tarnish by @thethespacecoyote | 2.2k | Kylo returns from a mission with a few more grey hairs than he had before. Hux is fascinated, and maybe a little attracted to how well his lover seems to be aging.

◾ Searching for Your Visible Soul by ozsyn | <1k |<br>The Supreme Leader of the First Order returns from his latest round of negotiations on a far-off planet. General Hux eagerly awaits his return but was under the false impression that he would be returning alone.

◾ Haunted Dreams by @threewinterssnow | 3k | It's not the first time Kylo has been unable to sleep. The solution, he thinks, is with Hux. But he doesn't think Hux has any interest in helping him.

◾ just a little hush, babe by @begforyourmercy | 2.3k | Kylo can't fall sleep, and Hux can't sleep without him.

◾ Here by @babbushka | 1.4k | “I’m never letting you go.” Kylo’s beautiful face faded away as the black of complete unconsciousness overtook the both of them, knowing that when they would wake, they would get to spend each waking moment together.

◾ Sharpshooter by Sweets_Thief | 71k | When Snoke sends Hux on a secret mission Kylo learns something new about the General he assumed had no military training except for the studies he did in books. It draws them closer together and Kylo thinks they'd make an unstoppable team. But fate has other plans for them.

◾They Who Hold The Galaxy Upon a String by @mademoisellebianx | 19.8k For so long, it irked Armitage Hux that Kylo Ren had never given him attention. It may be ironic how much he wanted the attention of someone he supposedly hated, but Armitage could not help himself. After proposing a truce between him and the Supreme Leader (a truce that backfired when Kylo asked him to prove his loyalty by becoming the Supreme Leader’s consort), he finally got most, if not all, of Kylo's attention. Too much of it, in fact.

◾ Someone like you by @minzimpression | 19k | Hux is in his last year at the Academy and meets a guy named Ben. Ben certainly makes his last year interesting. It's a shame that he breaks Hux's heart and vanishes into thin air.

◾ You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) by @fandomfix8 | 2.7k | Kylo Ren has a temper. Armitage Hux hates how it makes him feel. And then Kylo gets hurt while on a mission.

◾ In the Darkness by @loserchildhotpants | <1k |</b> One character playing with the other’s hair

Historical & Other Such AU’s

◾ O Bury Me Not by @babbushka | 75k | Armitage Hux has only ever had one dream: ruling the oceans with an iron fist. As Admiral of the British Royal Navy, he thought he was on top of the world, but it only takes a run-in with a handsome and ferocious pirate to show him there's so much more to be conquered, if he's willing to leave his life behind.

◾ Vive l'Empereur by @heresetrash | 6.5k | Emperor Hux is gravely injured in an assassination attempt, and only survives thanks to Ren, the captain of his private knights. When he recovers, the Emperor wants to reward Ren.

◾ The Vainglorious Journey by itspixiesthing & @nerdherderette | 31k | When Armitage Hux, the third Baron of Arkanis, finds himself penniless and near the end of his rope, he throws his name on the shortlist for Commander of the Royal Army. He never dreamt that he would be leaving his meeting with the King and Queen of Alderaan with an even bigger problem: handfasted to the impossibly gorgeous (but equally spoilt) heir-apparent, Prince Ben Solo. A The Taming of the Shrew AU.

◾ The Measure of Man by @courgette96 | 124k | After demonstrating his brilliance in the latest Military campaign, Major Armitage Hux of the Hussars ought to have been rewarded by the respect and admiration of England’s Upper Crust. Instead, he finds that blood and heritage are still the sole currency of value, and that his merit is worth very little in the face of the mediocre House his father has saddled him with.However, when he finds himself implicated in a covert plot to restore England to the past glory of its Imperialistic days, he sees the opportunity to satisfy his ambition and achieve the greatness he deserves. To reach the top of society, it is far easier to bring it down first.It would have been a straightforward plan, were it not for the intervention of one Lord Kylo Ren. All too soon, Hux finds himself swept away by an impossible man, the rise of appetites and affections he has long tried to bury within himself, and the discovery of a power that goes beyond what mere science might explain.

◾ Aberration by skydork (klismaphilia) | 2.3k | Victorian AU with medical kink, inspired by those physicians who offered clitoral massage as a cure for 'hysteria'. Lord Huxley is afflicted with melancholy after the failure of his Star-Killer experiment. The mysterious Doctor Ren provides a treatment programme based on fingertip stimulation of the prostate gland.

Modern AU (Disclaimer: I’m not much of a fan of this trope so I don’t read much of it so there isn’t much in this category, sorry!)

◾ Two Years, Two Months, and Twenty-Eight Days by @kyluxtrashcompactor& @nerdherderette & @pangolinpirate | 90k | It took less than twenty-four hours after they met to know that they were meant for each other. But it will take longer than that to get it right.

◾ what's real or isn't by @brawlite | 57.3k | Hux's new house is not haunted. It isn't.

◾ Reconditioning by @jinxedambitions | 173k | Ben Solo is one of the FBI's most promising young agents. While he's had a few disciplinary hiccups, he's intelligent and not afraid to do what needs to be done. His personal life is a mess, and he may not look like your typical federal agent, but he might be the only man for this job. Ben's looking for a promotion and something like the glory his parents always talked about before he was born.The FBI is looking to take down one of the country's most elusive prostitution rings, specializing in the types of sex that Ben's boss has only read about in the novel his wife hides under the bed. Ben is going undercover as a "slave" in order to gather information on the ring's leaders, purchasing a premium package from the agency. 30 days as a slave to a professional Master, and a guaranteed sexual experience of a lifetime. He gets chosen by Hux, or the General as he insists Ben call him, and he quickly realizes that no training could have prepared him for this experience. Every day, Ben, or Kylo as he is known at the club, finds out more and more about the organization, but the more he learns the less he wants to destroy them.

◾ The Stars Above Us by @dreamykylux & @mi-caw-ber | 7.2k | Right after the battle in Starkiller forest, Kylo Ren is mysteriously ported from his universe to appear on Earth, in Hux's university campus park. Hux, an astronomy professor, is out jogging, when he suddenly spots someone in black robes, lying injured in the snow... Kylo think he recognises him, but Hux can't quite work out where he's seen this man before, and trying to help him turns out to be both more complex, and much more rewarding than he could have imagined...

◾ Love Bites So Deep by @obsessions-and-dreams & @pangolinpirate | 15.4k | Hux is a dedicated zoo director who loves his work but knows something is missing.Kylo is the passionate big cat's keeper who makes Hux's life more difficult at every turn.When the zoo's owner passes away and his will appoints Kylo his successor, life at the zoo becomes a whole lot more challenging. But the two have no choice but to work together, and in doing so discover they actually share a lot in common...

◾ Vivid Dreams by @amsare-saxon-picture-show | 3.2k | Armitage Hux doesn’t like his real life: he’s got a normal job and he hates his colleagues. But in his dreams, he’s known as General Hux, a cold and determined man, feared by his subordinates. Every night he gets to live another kind of life aboard his ship, the Finalizer, until one night he receives a strange message from Kylo Ren. And Kylo Ren doesn’t play by the rules of Hux’s dreams

◾ Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by @saltandrockets | 4.3k | For Armitage Hux, Valentine’s Day is the worst day of the year. A florist, he creates beautiful flower arrangements to help romance bloom between other people—but his own love life is nonexistent. That changes when a needy customer starts calling the shop.

◾ Soul of Magic by @darktenshi17 & @epselion | 32.4k | Matt/Techie too | Armitage and Techie are twin witches living and running a business together. They're happy with how things are, until two big wrenches come crashing into their lives. Love wasn't in the long-term plan, but neither was having their father come back from the dead to try and such the magic out of their bodes and steal it for himself. Maybe having a pair of big strong men around isn't such a horrible thing.

◾ Wrong Number by @cosleia | 8.4k | Kylo Ren's cell phone number is two digits off from a phone sex line. This turns out to be a good thing.

Parents & Pregnant

◾ Lying Side by Side in Pieces by @ballvvasher | 14.5k | After failing to exterminate the Resistance, the newly appointed Supreme Leader makes it clear he doesn’t care for Hux’s well-being. Hux fears that Ren will demote him, or worse. There must be a way to ensure not only his self-preservation but his status within the Order, to bind Ren to him permanently, to make Ren need him more than he ever needed Snoke. An insane idea is born—to undergo a partial sex reassignment procedure in secret, and trick Ren into unknowingly impregnating him. He’ll play on Ren’s insecurities, use science and seduction to entrap Ren; to bolster control over him, down to his bloodline. And when he’s under his spell, Hux can finally slaughter him and take his place as Supreme Leader. At least, that’s the plan. Hux has only himself to blame when it all starts to crumble around him.

◾ a minor disaster at daybreak by @thethespacecoyote | 1.6k | One morning, Kylo finds his children trying to prepare a surprise for Hux.

◾ Progeny by @geishacomb | 64k | General Hux has not allowed the Supreme Leader back into his bed since the events of TLJ. But when he does, the consequences are far graver than either he or Ren could have ever imagined.

◾ Neogenesis by @claricechiarasorcha | 12k | In the days after Starkiller and Crait, Kylo Ren discovers that Armitage Hux has been keeping a secret. This is not going to go the way either of them might think.

◾ special delivery by @gonna-pop | 3.3k | Hux had not intended to be present for this messy process. Rather, he'd imagined returning after his shift and being handed a clean, swaddled baby. But there was nothing for it now.He rolled up his sleeves.

◾ Sunstroke by @ballvvasher | 33.8k | Supreme Leader Snoke gives Kylo Ren a mission to strengthen the Knights’ of Ren hold on the First Order. Set several years before the events of Episode VII. Story contains mpreg, medical torture, and sexual assault.

◾ Knocked Up by @agent-nemesis | 3.7k | "Are you ready?" Kylo asks Hux stupidly, realising the question is more directed at himself. Hux answers with a cry, and then his panic rises again. Kylo hunches over him, cocooning him protectively. "You can do this," he whispers. "I know you can do this." "I can't," Hux whimpers, shaking his head. "They're too big. I can't." "You're a general of the First Order," Kylo says softly in his ear. "The General. The strongest man I know. You can do this."

◾ Ethereal Balance by NylonRabbit | 4.2k | Hux becomes pregnant, and falls into a mysteriously ethereal Force induced state as a result. Kylo misses him. A lot.

◾ Children of War by @starryartemis | WIP | 76k | After a complicated diplomatic mission went awry, General Hux and Kylo Ren accidentally find themselves tasked with their most difficult mission: becoming parents.Despite their complex relationship, they both agree that raising an offspring will help bring glory to the First Order. Their original vision of a united family quickly falls apart as Hux and Ren cannot see eye to eye in what they want the future to hold.

◾ a welcome interruption by @thethespacecoyote | 1.7k | Emperor Hux is in the middle of important but increasingly trying trade negotiations, when one of his children decides to disrupt the tension.

◾ Egg Bound by @starkillersbae | 2.2k | Kylo Ren and Hux make time in their busy schedule of ruling the galaxy to play their favorite game. But when Hux gets called away on important business the eggs Kylo has been carrying remain inside for too long, leaving Hux to play midwife while Kylo labors.

◾ Helmet by @abboh | 1.4k | All Kylo wanted was his helmet back but where was it? it wasn't on his shelf nor countertop. Wait, Hux has it and what is he doing with their kid?

◾ the Evil Space Dads series by @bubbaknowlton | 300k | 82 works |

◾ Moonbroch by Irma7x | 46.5k | Supreme Leader Snoke request their subordinates to produce an heir and secure the legacy of the First Order--an heir, specifically engineered to bear the traits of the two commanders of the First Order, thus supplying Snoke with the perfect apprentice. Tensions arise as Kylo Ren and General Hux begin to doubt their loyalty to The Order as the possibility of bringing a child to their lives makes them doubt their previous motivations and longings.

◾ A Fortunate Alpha by @paperprinc3 | 1.3k | Alpha Hux doesn’t really know what his husband Kylo sees in him. Even so he’s trying his best to be the best father he can and make his family happy. A revelation from Kylo might mess everything up though.

◾ Something More by @kyluxfichell | 5k | When Kylo Ren falls pregnant with Hux’s child, the two men begin to doubt their allegiance to the First Order. They flee together, desperate to prevent their child from becoming Snoke’s next weapon.

Smut & PWPs

◾ Who's Your Master? by @groffiction | 3.5k | Sub Kylo | Hux murmured softly, “You don’t need punishment tonight, Ren. You need rest.” “But, I want… I want this… need this,” Kylo protested weakly, reaching around to nuzzle at Hux’s boots.

◾ The Best by @kyluxtrashpit | 6.4k | Sub Kylo | Kylo goes to an ancient Sith temple in search of power, to find the secret to being the best and strongest in the galaxy. Instead, he's bestowed with a curse that seems more like a blessing than anything else: he's now the best in the galaxy at blowjobs. However, he quickly finds that it truly is more of a curse than it first seems - or is it?

◾ Driving Westward by @slutstiels | 8k | “You got a name?” The driver’s voice is deep. “Hux.” Hux winces. He had a plan, a fake name all picked out that would be unremarkable, but he’s so nervous it just slipped out before he had a chance. “What about you?” “Call me Kylo.” At least he can remember his dumb fake name.

◾ Fill The Void by @magnetvrs | 2.1k | Where Hux was once hungry for power, for a taste of command, for the respect, for order and bloodshed, now there is only one kind of hunger burning low in his gut. Kylo Ren is his own kind of flavour - distinct and intoxicating.

◾ For Those Who Stop and Stare by @centurytwitch | 3.1k | Dopheld Mitaka thinks he knows General Hux. Using his office as his occasional breakroom allows him to do some lowkey snooping. Beneath the surface, the aspects not revealed by his desk or bookshelf, there is much to be learned.

◾ Do Only As I Say by @the-garbage-chute | 3.1k | Power bottom Hux coaching virgin sub Ren step by step while they fuck. Hux has a belt around Ren's neck choking him and as he feels himself getting close Hux stops riding him almost all together making him beg, prolonging his orgasm.

◾ Subliminal by @kyluxtrashpit | 5.7k | At his wit's end with what to do with Ren as the new Supreme Leader, Hux finally has an idea: conditioning, by the same methods used in the Stormtrooper program, but with very different results. Ren isn't the only one who knows how to manipulate minds, after all.

◾ Too Cool to Care by @vadianna | 9.2k | Kylo Ren slights Hux in the bedroom, accusing him of being boring after Kylo is too tired to keep it up. In retaliation, Hux invites him to an anonymous hotel room in Canto Bight and shows him just how imaginative he can be. Kylo, not entirely sure Hux won't use the opportunity to eliminate his rival, agrees to everything Hux suggests.

◾Black Box by Asrael_Valtiri | 1.9k | Ren’s mouth fell open. He swallowed hard. He lifted the tool—no, toy—out of the box, placed a finger in the handle, and let it dangle, admiring the shine, the weight of the piece. It was very heavy for its size. It was cold but warmed up quickly against his skin.He needed it inside of him. Now.

◾ Be My Outlet by @kyluxtrashpit | 1k | Hux hates Kylo Ren, but he never turns down the opportunity to use Ren's body as an outlet for his frustrations with the man. Ren encourages it and some of their sessions are riskier than others.

◾ the littlest general by @thethespacecoyote | 5.4k | Something unexpected happens to Hux during an assassination attempt. Kylo deals with the aftermath.

◾ Ascension by @thesevioletdel1ghts | 6k | Hux swallows. They both know the answer, it’s fairly evident with him already sitting on Ren’s lap. Of course, Ren wants him to say it out loud, wants Hux to debase himself even further and Hux hates him for it. “I could—“ He clears his throat. “Yes?” “I could... ride you. Supreme Leader.” Ren grins, toothy, infuriating. “If that is what you want.”

◾ Sleep It Off by @centurytwitch | 1.8k | Back pain has always been a problem in Hux's life. Medication never helps. Kylo knows the perfect way to help him through it.

◾ It shouldn't have A Name by @nonsensicalsoliloquy | 6k | Kylo’s jealous angry with his General and resolves to set aside an entire day to personally oversee his ‘punishment.’ The unspoken aftermath was as expected as it was disastrously not.

◾ Un autre amant by srawratskcuf (Doreen) | 5.6k | Undercover for a mission, Hux goes blond and Kylo goes wild.

◾ Pretty in Pink by Huxilicious, rmn_werefoxes | 2.5k | Sometimes Hux likes to dress up in pretty things and get fucked within an inch of his life. Kylo Ren is more than happy to oblige.

◾ The Body Electric by @h-uxed | 4.2k | Leaning close, his breath hot and his eyes devouring, the Knight purrs, “When I’m done with you, General,” He promises, his voice velvet soft, “You will never again question that you are mine.” Kylo takes the General’s virginity.

◾ A Chance at the Throne by cajynn | 2.6k | Hux and Kylo fuck on the throne, and Hux desperately wants the upper hand

◾ Never Enough by @samedifference61 | 3.3k | For the Kylux Hard Kink anon prompt: Hux or Kylo it doesn't matter who, edges the other so hard, they don't let the other come before he's a crying begging mess. They just like to make the other cry knowing that they're the cause of it Ren needs this (to end).

◾ That's the Way it Goes by Anonymous | 1.4k | Kylo decides that Hux's face is only worth sitting on.

◾ at the beginning of the world by carnival_papers | 10k | Insecure about his body and his virginity, Kylo breaks down during his first time with Hux. Reminded of his own first time, Hux takes care of Kylo and helps him through it.

Soulmates

◾ In this life and the next by Ggeri_Sminth | 4.9k | Kylo always remembers his past life; all of them leading him to one person his home. The only issue is that person never remembers their life, leaving Kylo to find him over and over again. Sometimes things don't always go as planned.

◾ dream a little dream of me by @begforyourmercy | 4.8k | Kylo Ren loves his General - but only when he's asleep.

◾ Clearer Now by @ezlebe | 4.9k | “Well,” Hux snaps, turning on his heel when the silence becomes too much to bear.Ren stares back with oddly wide eyes, sopping hair plastered to his face. “Well?” “Where are the jokes?” Hux says, lifting his chin, feeling a tight frown settling across his lips. “My match the Jedi master, hero of the Clone Wars, Bane of Lord Vader, et cetera.” Ren opens his mouth, seemingly ready to fulfill expectation, then closes it with an exhale. He shrugs stiffly, rolling up the jumper hem in his hands and shoving it over his head in one swift movement.

◾ Matches and Flames by @katherine1753 | WIP | 47k | The names on people's wrists weren't just suggestions. They were fate. Destiny. So how could Hux be falling in love with someone who wasn't his Match?

◾ Hope is a waking dream by @minzimpression | 26.5k | After his mother’s funeral Hux sees the world through his soulmate’s eyes for the first time.

Enjoy! ✨

#kylux #fic rec #god i hope all the links work #it took me ages!#but i hope you enjoy it and find something you like on here!!! much love!!

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disregardcanon · 4 years

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i did some star wars sequels rewrites today! i’m not going to sit here and say they’re good enough to make a whole new trilogy of movies around or anything, but i like them.

a few major changes include: kylo has some more consistent characterization and is the big bad, rose tico is a former stormtrooper (insert fic rec), and the stormtrooper revolution.

So, one important sequels change is that Snoke is his own character. He was a Palpatine sycophant who was eighteen years old when the chancellor became the emperor, and watched from a close advising position, studying how Palpatine managed to manipulate those around him and his use of the force. Palpatine figured him out quickly, of course, but Snoke’s ability with the force was far beneath him and at the time, his primary goal was keeping Palpatine in power.

He studied the best tactics for keeping storm-troopers in line, the best ways for lording power over those with some and those with none, and he undertook extensive study on Darth Vader. He was able to figure out exactly who Darth Vader was, and he studied all available information on Anakin Skywalker. He figured out exactly the ways that Palpatine manipulated this man into becoming his guard dog, and took notes. Someday, he would need one of his own. Snoke was never exceedingly powerful- only smart. If he was powerful enough, he might have struck the Emperor down himself to get that power.

After the fall of the Empire, he tracks down imperial loyalists and sets himself up a stronghold far enough out in the outer rim that no one from the New Republic is going to come to its rescue. He offers a spot of honor to Brendol Hux for implementing a stormtrooper program with stolen children.

Then, he starts bribing territories to join them. He starts conquering. The First Order is becoming a small, but mighty force. By the time that Luke Skywalker’s Jedi school is gaining traction, he has his own small country. He goes to visit, claiming that he will be on the look out for force sensitive youths in his area. Luke does not trust him, at all, but allows him to stay a few days out of curtesy for a fellow force sensitive who isn’t an enemy combatant.

Snoke’s strongest force power, similar to Ahsoka Tano, is reading force signatures. He is able to pick up on the the frustration and entitlement radiating off of young Ben Organa-Solo in waves. He whispers in the boy’s ear about the good old days, when he could have had a place of honor and power instead of a life of living in his mother and uncle’s shadows, without being able to utilize the full power of the force.

He comes from the line of Darth Vader, after all. Most powerful man in the galaxy- able to have whatever he wants. Why should he be restricted to a children’s summer camp where he is only allowed to wave around wooden sticks?

Little Rey, daughter of no one of importance beyond the love they gave her, feels something is wrong. She runs to Master Luke’s room and says that Ben feels wrong. Luke follows her to the door of Ben’s room, and feels the anger and resentment radiating off of him in waves- strong enough to kill. Strong enough that it means he will kill.

Luke tells Rey to run to the room with the other children and then run to the ship to fly away. Then, he opens the door quickly and quietly. Luke tries to kill his sleeping nephew who feels like murder, and is instead knocked out with a force choke.

“Master Snoke warned me that you would try to kill me,” Ben says, clamping his hand down so hard that it nearly ruptures the arteries in Luke’s throat.

Rey hears the sound of children’s dying screams so close behind her that she’s too afraid to try to wake the other children- she just runs. Runs and runs and runs towards the ship that Luke was helping to teach her how to fly recently, and she runs until she can run up the stairs.

She hears heavy breathing coming from behind her, and turns around.

“Little Rey,” Ben says, smile quirking on his lips, “it figures you’d be the one to survive. You were always stronger than the others.” She feels her breath hitch in her throat.

“I don’t think that I’ll kill you,” he says, “I think I could use an apprentice.” She pushes sideways, hitting at the button that closes the hatch. He rips out his lightsaber with a hiss, crystal corrupted to a bright red, and slashes at the door of the Millenium Falcon.

Rey hears the hissing as he grinds at the metal, and she rushes through the halls to the pilot’s chair, gearing up the ship. Then, she pushes the button forward. She flies and flies, adrenaline coursing through her veins- before she lands on the deserted planet of Jakku.

She blocks out her memories of the temple, and makes a home of her ruined ship as she tries to get it flying again.

She eventually gets it back to the point where it’s functional, but she’s afraid enough that she doesn’t fly it- until Finn shows up.

That’s how they get the Falcon. The rest of the plot doesn’t change for the rest of the first movie.

Cue Beginning of the Second Movie

Finn has been in a coma for three months, Page Tico is returning to the Resistance after a few months of shore-leave with a sister that no one knew existed, and Rey has been training with Luke and now is Good At Lightsaber Force Ways.

Kylo Ren is caught in a depressive, angry, tantrum funk because lo and behold, killing his dad didn’t magically make any feelings go away. It just made him feel gross and angry and it didn’t get him any closer to his goals. He monologues at his burnt to a crisp Darth Vader mask. He destroys First Order property. He force chokes some guys.

Snoke is like. Okay. We gotta channel this into something productive. The goddamn primadonna is destroying all my plans. And he notices that Kylo is obsessing over this one girl and is like. Okay let’s channel that into a Padme Amidala thing. Sew the seeds of Darth Vader’s obsession with one woman who led him to the Dark Side and how this is a perfectly normal, dark side thing just as long as he GETS HER. This will keep Kylo focused on one, small side quest and away from that Maybe I Should Just Kill the Old Bastard And Be Done With It thoughts that Snoke has been feeling coming off of him.

I don’t have the whole plot thing down, because I doing this for fun and free on the internet, but the main things are

1. Rose is a former storm trooper who was inspired by Finn to desert the First Order and help the Resistance. She just lost the girl who took her in and called her sister, and she is angry and frustrated with Finn that he’s not immediately the person that she wants him to be.

2. Rey doesn’t believe that Kylo needs to be redeemed, but that he needs to be confronted. She goes with him to beat Snoke, then he tries to convince her to come with him because she is a “nobody” who was left with Luke to train, and if Luke had bothered to track her down after she escaped with the Falcon instead of fucking off to exile she wouldn’t have grown up alone. He is “the only one who understand her” and the “only one who loves her” and Rey doesn’t buy into it and gets tf out.

3. One of the most important conversations in the film is between Rey and Luke, as he tells her the true story of Anakin Skywalker, and how his love for Luke finally brought him back from evil.

4. As the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Kylo decides that his goal is to get rid of the people who still hold claims to the legacies he wants solely for him (his mom and uncle) need to die, and that he will get Rey and rule the galaxy.

5. Rey and Finn reunite with the Resistance base, and they talk about some Revelations and hug tf out of each other. They lose the base and Luke dies, checking off one of Kylo’s to-do list.

6. Leia moves the base to a new location, and says that soon, she will face her son herself. She brought this terror into the world, and she’ll take it out of it.

The next one opens with Finn, Rose, and Poe leading an assault on a storm trooper training facility, where they free children and convince an older battalion led by Jannah to desert and join the cause.

The climax comes when the protagonists break up into 2 groups- the ones who will infiltrate the ranks of the stormtroopers and turn them against the brass, and then Leia and Rey, who will allow themselves to be captured and take down Kylo Ren themselves. They allow themselves to be dragged to his new chambers and he like, shows off all the opulence of Rule ™.

“Don’t you think that I’ve done well for myself, mother?”

“You’ve certainly done something,” she mutters.

“I am the heir to the legacies of Vader, Skywalker, Organa, and Amidala,” he says, haughty and entitled, “who better to rule the galaxy? With my own queen by my side, of course,” He sends Rey a look, and she rolls her eyes at him.

“I taught you nothing, didn’t I?” Leia asks.

“Considering that you were never around, yes,” he says. He goes onto claim that he was a self-made man, all the while calling claim to the legacies that he’s “entitled” to.

“I wasn’t present enough, I will admit,” she says, “but you’ve outworn my sympathy. And my regret.”

“Leaving me with an uncle who treated me just like any other student,” Kylo Ren seethes, “you only did what a mother should, right? Ignoring her child.” He was special; why didn’t anyone treat him that way?

“I wasn’t perfect,” she says, “but I didn’t cause this, Ben. You did this yourself. Just like your grandfather.” Kylo takes out his lightsaber, and he stabs. He twists it, and he brings the blade back in. Leia falls to the ground, dead.

Rey lets out a scream, because this monster- he thinks that he can just kill everyone because they didn’t treat him enough like a king. He’s killed both of his parents, people that Rey is sure she loves far more than he ever did.

Rey struggles against the hold of those stormtroopers and lets out a growl.

“You are a monster,” she hisses.

“One that you’ll come to love,” he says, and there’s a smile on his face. He’s run his mother through and he’s smiling.

“I will never love you,” she spits. He shakes his head indulgently, and walks towards her. He puts a hand gently under chin, tilting it upwards to look him in the eyes.

“Once I destroy that stormtrooper,” he says, “you’ll have no other choice. There will just be me, the only one who deserves your love.” Rey has been a feral, desert creature for most of her life, and she leans forward, mouth bumping against the fragile skin of his inner arm.

Then, she leans in and chomps down in a devastating bite. This time, it’s Ren’s turn to howl in pain.

He reaches in the force for her blue lightsaber, and clutches it in his hand.

“This was my grandfather’s, you know,” he says, “it’s finally back in the right hands.” Rey smiles, big and wide and nasty.

“He would hate the man that you’ve become,” she says, smashing the red blade into his blue one. Then, as they fight, she goes on to spin the story of Anakin Skywalker, a loving man who fell down a dark path to try to save the one person he felt hadn’t betrayed him and his unborn child, who spent years an emotionless husk before he finally saved Luke’s life, defying his master for love and love alone.

“You killed the people who loved you for power,” she says, “Anakin Skywalker would be so disappointed in you.” Kylo hisses, and he misses her blow for one that cuts her along the arm.

“I love you,” Kylo says. Rey shakes her head.

“You don’t know what love is,” she says. This is where the “team turn the stormtroopers against the brass” come in. Finn, Rose, Poe and their stormtrooper brigade has been working through the ship, culling the officers who were children of imperial officers who thought that it was alright to steal other people’s children to mold into the soldiers to fight the wars keeping them in power.

Finn bursts open the door to the throne room, and Kylo and Rey both turn their heads to see him for a moment.

“Oh,” Kylo Ren says, “it’s just your stormtrooper.”

“His name is Finn,” Rey hisses, but Kylo just keeps laughing. How insignificant. Nothing but a stormtrooper- a nameless, worthless soldier designed to keep those worth more in power. Rey growls, and continues their fight.

Finn can tell that he’s being completely ignored by Kylo, and runs in close. He sets off a blaster bolt in Ren’s direction.

Though Ren is perfectly capable of stopping a bolt mid-air, he doesn’t even notice it coming until it cuts into his back.

He falls to the ground in excruciating pain. He starts screaming, and tear-drops fall down his face.

“The stormtrooper did this?” he squeals. Rey smiles down at him, and nods. Finn walks up beside her, and takes her hand in his.

“But you’re nothing,” he says, “you’re not force sensitive, not royal-” Finn puts his boot to Kylo’s chest, and pushes him down. This stormtrooper doesn’t even have the gift of Kylo’s love that makes Rey special. He’s nothing.

“I’m not,” he says, “I’m just a stormtrooper.” He’s wearing a jacket that looks all too familiar- and Kylo’s breath hitches as he realizes that’s his father’s jacket. Nobody, smuggler Han Solo.

The troopers that restrained Rey look between themselves, then they throw down their guns, and rip off their helmets.

“We’re with you, FN-2187,” a woman with medium brown skin and black hair says, smiling widely. Finn nods at her, and smiles.

“No,” Kylo says, shaking his head even as he feels the life leaving him, “this- this can’t be. I’m special. This was all supposed to be mine.” The new Empire- the legacy- the stormtroopers- the love and devotion of the most powerful force user of a generation.

They were supposed to be his. How has this Finn taken everything from him?

What Kylo doesn’t understand is that Finn and Rey looked at each other, and decided that they were worth something; they were the first ones who ever did that for each other, and there’s a bond there too deep for anyone to wrest from their hands.

Rey smiles, and kisses Finn on the lips. Then, she kicks Kylo in the head. He doesn’t ever wake up.

After that, Finn and Rose start a program that helps match former stormtroopers with job opportunities and lives in the new republic, that runs adjacent to Rey’s home for wayfaring force sensitives. Poe collaborates with both of them, flying new recruits back and forth from where they’re coming from to when they’re going and starts campaigning for the importance of a proper air force in the nascent new republic, and other people- politicians, start building it.

The heroes of this war are going to work more from the ground to try to undo the damage that was already done. Someone else can try to make sure that governments happen and don’t collapse.

#the sequels #sunkelles writes #finnrey

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greenjacketwhitehatdocmui · 4 years

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Frozen: Clear Communication

Okay, while I should have been working on the next chapter of “Those Left Behind,” this came into my head. This is a bit that, while not anti-F2, certainly calls for some individuals to be held accountable. This involves my OC, Daniel Antonini--and this is a story that can’t happen under my current structure. But it was fun to write.

--Doc

Yelana looked at the castle from the moat to the highest towers. She tried very hard not to be impressed. After all, she was leader of the Northuldra, not some backwater tourist.

"Wow," Honeymaren breathed. "It's...bigger than I thought."

"Huh," Ryder grunted. "Wonder how many reindeer they keep in the stables?"

Yelana shot them a quick look. The siblings were her escorts for her trip. It was just meant to be a quick visit to lay down some trade formalities and such.

She caught the eye of one of the guards. He bowed politely.

"Good day, Lady Yelana," the guard said. "We've been expecting you. Would you prefer to relax in the garden or the courtyard?"

"We're not going into a meeting room?" Honeymaren asked.

"Queen Elsa informed me that you might feel more at ease in natural surroundings," the guard said. "You are, of course, our guests."

"The garden will be fine, thank you," Yelana said. She allowed a hint of approval to color her voice. "Where are Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, if I may ask?"

"They're currently resting." He paused. "Someone will be with you shortly."

The garden was rather peaceful. It didn't really compare to being in the forest, but it was...acceptable. Yelana noted a few stone benches, as well as a duck pond.

They were met by a tall, lean young man in dark blue. He hurriedly smoothed down his shock of dark brown hair. Sharp eyes glanced over Yelana and her companions, as well as the surroundings. He carried a set of scrolls under one arm.

Daniel Antonini bowed to them. "Lady Yelana. Honeymaren. Ryder. Welcome to Arendelle Castle."

Yelana actually cracked a smile. "Mr. Antonini. I see that you're more comfortable here. The last time we met, you looked very...fretful. Is that the correct word?"

"Quite," he agreed with a rueful expression. "Traveling with Queen Elsa is always an adventure, especially given the stakes at the time." He paused. "Not that dealing with aggressive ambassadors is much easier, but at least I'm aware of the hazards."

Yelana gestured to the scrolls. "Are those the trade agreements? That's quite a bit for one day's work."

"I've taken the liberty of translating them into three languages: English, Norwegian and Northuldran--at least, what I could piece together," he admitted, handing the scrolls over. "Please feel free to correct me on this so that we may avoid any miscommunications. Before we begin, may I offer you refreshments?"

The initial negotiations went smoothly. It was a process of feeling out limits. Yelana found the terms to be very generous, especially given the circumstances. They both agreed that any use of resources from the Enchanted Forest would be determined by her tribe, after consulting with the Spirits. There would be no repeating the mistake with the dam.

After about an hour, Daniel called for a break. He noticed Ryder fidgeting slightly. The slightly glazed look in Honeymaren's eyes was another clue. Hammering out a lasting agreement was necessary, but it could be extremely boring at times.

"If you like, I could direct you to the Royal Stables," Daniel suggested. "I believe that Kristoff should be feeding Sven right about now."

Ryder's expression brightened. "I don't suppose that...?"

"Go on," Yelana said knowingly. "Just don't talk their ears off."

"Well, I can't talk to many guys about reindeer," Ryder protested. "I don't know why, but they look at me funny."

"I meant Sven," Yelana said mischievously. "The poor thing probably gets enough conversation from Kristoff."

Ryder looked sheepish as he was led away. Honeymaren giggled at her brother's quirk.

"I'll stay here for the time being," she said, staying close to Yelana. "Just in case."

Yelana sighed. She understood Honeymaren's protectiveness, but the elder detected no threat. Daniel had been very accommodating and honest--unlike the late, unlamented King Runeard. The young man was humble, earnest, and simply wanted to help. She could see it in his eyes.

"I don't suppose that the Water Spirit would be around?" Daniel asked, changing the subject. "I shouldn't be so presumptuous as to think that one could summon a Spirit."

"The Spirits will do as they will," Yelana said philosophically. "If they feel the need to be somewhere, you will find them."

The duck pond bubbled next to them. The pond itself stretched into a pillar, then leapt out. The Nokk landed almost daintily on the grass of the garden.

Daniel stood up from his seat bowed respectfully to the Nokk. "On behalf of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, I bid you welcome. As such, you are entitled to any hospitality that can be offered to a guest."

The Nokk nodded back. The Spirit looked at Yelana and Honeymaren, who bowed. Then it turned its gaze upward.

"She's resting," Daniel said quietly. "She's still recovering from the injuries she sustained."

Yelana blinked. "Injuries? What injuries?"

Daniel paused. "She did not come out of her last adventure unscathed," he sighed. "She had a mild case of whiplash and her back was covered in bruises. She thinks that she got those in Ahtohallan. She's been complaining about her knees and feet, thanks to a large jump she took. And she took a blow to the abdomen." He turned his gaze to the Nokk. "With all due respect, would you happen to know anything about that?"

The Nokk's eyes flared slightly. Then the Spirit calmed down.

"Ah," he nodded. "This was executed as part of your duty."

The Nokk tilted its head curiously, then nodded. The glow in its eyes dimmed slightly, as if it were--sorrowful?

"I suppose that's understandable," he said. "I should think that you and the other Spirits do not enjoy hurting people."

The Nokk's head tilted slightly away from his gaze. The Spirit looked ashamed. They were meant to help people. But it was obvious that there was a hierarchy among the Spirits.

"I think you should know that Queen Elsa has done a great deal for foreign relations. I have aided her with re-establishing ties to more than a few countries." He paused. "A few of them are quite aware of magic."

The Nokk returned its gaze to Daniel. It tilted its head quizzically.

"I should inform you that Queen Elsa is much-beloved by not only her subjects, but by other rulers. While I shouldn't speak for them, I can't imagine that they would be happy if Queen Elsa were...injured during the course of her duties." He looked the Nokk right in the eye. "Some may even go so far as to...demand satisfaction."

The Nokk's eyes flared angrily. It whipped its head around in outrage. It was almost saying, "let them come."

Daniel didn't even flinch. Yelana found herself impressed at the young man's nerve. Nobody in her tribe would have dared to even broach the subject of comparing the Spirits to others.

"I would prefer to avoid this unhappy outcome." He took a deep breath. "In the forest, you and the other Spirits are supreme. I grant you that." He frowned. "With the barrier gone, you and the Northuldra have taken your steps into a larger world. Accommodating others is...the best solution."

"And who, exactly, would be capable of challenging the Spirits?" Yelana asked.

Daniel looked thoughtful. "King Triton of Atlantica is quite fond of Queen Elsa. He thinks of her almost as his own daughter." He turned his gaze towards the Nokk. "Perhaps you've heard of him?"

Yelana and Honeymaren shook their heads. "I can't say I have," Yelana admitted.

The Nokk, on the other hand, bowed its head carefully and respectfully. Its watery form rippled, almost like a nervous gesture.

You hurt her, Daniel didn't say. It may have been in the course of duty, but you still hurt her. Well, now the gates have been opened. You're going to learn how to play nice with others and keep her safe. Because if you don't...

"He tends to be very protective of his family, you see," Daniel said calmly. "He doesn't brag about his power, but...I wouldn't want to get in his way if he were roused. I do hope you take my meaning."

The Nokk nodded. There may have been a hint of respect in its glowing gaze.

He smiled and nodded in return. "Brilliant. I'm very glad that we could come to terms. Honest, open communication is far better than oblique hints, don't you think?"

You kept people, including those faithful to you, trapped for over thirty years, Daniel thought darkly, though it didn't show. Not once did you truly communicate with either group. This could have been resolved years ago, but Ahtohallan declared that there had to be a Fifth Spirit. And you didn't have a choice, did you? But it's all right as long as Elsa is happy. That's what matters.

Once again, the Nokk nodded as if it had read his thoughts. It then moved towards the duck pond and leaped inside.

There was a long moment of silence as he watched the duck pond. There was nary a ripple out of place.

"Did you just...threaten the Water Spirit?" Honeymaren asked. She looked aghast.

Yelana frowned deeply. "If you were one of my people, you would be beaten for showing disrespect to the Spirits. That was daring and arrogant."

"It was said politely," he reminded her. "They will have to grow out of the forest and into the world."

Yelana's expression lightened. "You love her that much?"

"I do," he said simply.

"Love? Who?" Honeymaren asked.

"Mr. Antonini here is in love with Queen Elsa," Yelana explained. "I've seen that fierce, protective look before, but never against a Spirit. You are either very brave or very foolish."

"I hold to my convictions, Lady Yelana. Do you have any objections?" he asked.

"I should...but I've decided that I like you," she returned with a little smile. "You are clever, but you are also earnest."

"He was taught by some of the best," Elsa said from the garden entrance. Anna and Olaf were flanking her, holding her hands. "Welcome to Arendelle Castle. I hope that Daniel has been a good host."

"I have no complaints," Yelana said wryly. "Honeymaren?"

Honeymaren did not gape at Elsa's attire. She was in the same dress that had been created in Ahtohallan. In the afternoon light, it was dazzling.

"He's been very...hospitable, yes," Honeymaren got out. "Yes, he's been a very good host."

Daniel bowed deeply. "How are you two feeling?"

"Me?" Anna asked. "Oh, I'm fine. I mean, I just had a few minor scrapes and bruises."

Behind the banter, Anna gave Daniel a questioning look. He responded with an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment.

Yelana tried not to smile. Daniel's little speech hadn't been just for himself.

"Still a little stiff," Elsa admitted. "The doctor says that I should be all right in another week." She changed the subject. "Speaking of stiff, you can drop the formalities, Daniel. We're in front of family."

"So, I've your permission to hug Anna and Olaf, followed by snogging you silly? Is that what you mean?" he asked impishly.

There was a round of suppressed mirth in the group. Elsa withheld her giggle with her left hand. Something sparkled on her finger.

Yelana blinked. "When did this happen?" She gestured to the ring on Elsa's finger.

"Oh, um...last night," Elsa admitted. "It was all very awkward and silly, but very sweet."

"You might want to rephrase that," Anna pointed out. "People might get the wrong idea."

Daniel winced. "Yes, thank you, little sister of my heart. The world must know how awkward things can get."

"Soon to be sister-in-law," Anna reminded him. "And aren't you supposed to be the smooth, unruffled diplomat?"

"I tend to falter around family," he admitted. "In any case, might I suggest that we all have a seat?"

Elsa blinked as she sensed something. "Was there a Spirit here?"

"The Water Spirit," Honeymaren replied. "It was here for a little bit. Daniel had a little talk with it."

"What kind of talk?" Elsa frowned slightly.

"It was merely a clarification of certain positions that have changed," he said honestly. "I may have called for better relations between certain powers."

"It was my idea," Anna interjected. "I just didn't want the Spirits to think that they could act however they wanted to around, you know, King Triton or other people like that?"

"No, it was my idea," he corrected her. "It was the most diplomatic--"

Elsa rolled her eyes skyward. "It was both of you, wasn't it? Am I going to have to calm the poor thing down next time we meet? I thought we were done with secrets?"

Anna coughed theatrically. "Didn't tell me about the voice because it would have bothered me," she muttered.

Daniel harrumphed. "Went three days without sleep and didn't mention it," he added sotto voce.

Olaf wheezed and coughed a proverbial lung. "Almost pushed Anna away because you had to cross a sea and you didn't want her get in trouble and--" Olaf took a deep breath. "--kept that all to yourself."

Elsa laughed sheepishly. "Et tu, Olaf?"

"There's more than two of us here," the little snowman pointed out. "Or does that mean that you ate two of something?"

Any further response was interrupted by a faint, chortling sound. It grew to an outright belly laugh that rang through the garden. Yelana laughed for a full thirty seconds before she calmed down, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Spirits, I haven't had a good laugh in years," she said. She turned her gaze towards Elsa. "I think that I could get used to being part of this family." She stepped forward, leaning on her staff, and extended a hand.

Elsa and Anna's hands covered Yelana's. The foundation had been laid for a brighter future.

#frozen #frozen 2 #yelana #honeymaren #frozen nokk #my writing

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kyouxa · 5 years

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Diabolik lovers Chaos Lineage: Shu Sakamaki (Story 01)

Ohoh? (๑>ᴗ<๑) I wonder how much fun I’ll have doing his and Ayato’s route from now on! ♡

Place: Scarlet Mansion — unoccupied bedroom

Shu: You really ended up picking me.

Yui: Yes... please be my guard.

Shu: Haa... dull...

Yui: I-I‘m sorry...

(I apologized unintentionally...)

(It may be bothersome to him, but I can’t help but wonder about Shu-san)

(What’s the reason I’m worried about him... and why did I think this person may be special...)

*weird noise*

Yui: Ugh...

(I’ve got a headache.... I should stop thinking about this)

Monologue

The person I‘ve chosen to be my guard was the second eldest son of the scarlet mansion, Shu-san.

Shu-san seems to have no intention of becoming the king in the first place, and he seems to be less interested in me than in his brothers.

Even if he was appointed as my guard for now on, he tried to leave the room without even looking at me.

Reiji-san immediately stopped and ordered him to guide me through the mansion instead.

After being told to do so, Shu-san dissatisfied left the room while almost leaving me behind since he didn’t even try talking to me.

Place: Scarlet Mansion — Corridor

Shu: ....

Yui: (Shu-san, he didn’t say anything to me yet)

(The situation is seriously getting awkward in my opinion, and I started to wonder if it would be best if I tried to break the ice instead...)

U-Umm...

Shu: Haa... dull...

Why am I the one who’s supposed to guide you through the entire mansion?

Yui: I-I‘m sorry...

(He seems to be really annoyed about the fact that I picked him as my guard...)

(Maybe I should think of my choice after this again)

Shu: The role of being your guard is such a bother to begin with.

Hey, you.

Yui: Y-Yes!

Shu: I hope you sincerely understand in what kind of pain you put me.

I‘d appreciate it, if you wouldn‘t take up too much from my precious time then.

Choices

1) — Refutation (black)

2) — Nod (white) ♡ ♡ ♡

— Refutation

Yui: But Shu-san is my guard now, so aren’t you supposed to escort me if something might happen... ?

At least Reiji-san said something about that...

Shu: Haa... are you really believing in anything Reiji tells you?

I wonder what‘s so special about the traditional Eve, but personally I’m not interested in you at all.

That’s why it doesn’t matter to me if you’re getting kidnapped from another mansion or not.

Yui: No way... !

Shu: However, it would be bothersome if something happened to you and I’d get a complaint from Reiji later on as well.

So you shouldn’t cause me any more trouble than necessary with your unskillful behavior.

Yui: (Even though he says that, I know I’ve got no choice but to be obedient)

I understand... I’ll be careful then.

— Nod ♡

Yui: (I don’t know what he’d do if I said something weird that made him angry, so I’ll just carefully nod for now)

Okay. Understood.

Shu: Heh, you seem to be understand things quite easily. Well, that’s conveniently making things way easier.

Even though you’re supposed to be the legendary Eve, I expected a more noble young lady to come here instead, unlike you are.

Yui: (Uhh... despite he said that, I still need to answer unaffected)

Shu: What’s with that face? Do you want to complain about something?

Yui: N-No... ! It’s nothing!

end Choices

Shu: Anyway, don't get yourself caught up in unnecessary trouble.

Yui: Understood.

(I've already guessed that from the beginning, but Shu-san seems to be a rather unwilling kind of person)

(I wonder if I really did the right choice with Shu-san... ?)

(But if he isn't interested in becoming king, why isn’t he giving away his role to someone else?)

(I wonder what I’d do if I changed my choice to Reiji-san who wanted to become the supreme ruler instead... ?)

Shu: Hey.

Yui: Y-Yes!

Shu: Are you even listening to me?

Yui: (Oops... I wasn‘t listening to him at all)

(It was rude that I didn’t listen, he's showing me around here after all)

I'm really sorry, I didn't listen to everything.

Shu: ...That was a quick response.

Once again, if you want to reach my room just go straight through this corridor. If something happens, just come there.

Yui: Thank you.

Shu: Haa, I‘m tired. I guess you‘ll be fine looking around on your own from this point on.

Yui: Eh?!

*Shu leaves*

Yui: Shu-san, please don’t just leave me alone here! I‘ll definitely get lost in this huge mansion... !

He’s gone...

(This mansion is insanely huge and I'm surely going to get lost in here, yet I wonder if I‘ll really be able to return to my room... )

(At the end, I‘m glad that I know where Shu-san’s room is for now)

Okay... it can’t be helped. Let’s go alone.

*time passes*

Yui: I went straight down here as he told me ...

There are so many rooms in this mansion, and here I thought I knew the way.

I’m also pretty sure they’ll get angry at me if I enter any room without asking for permission first... I should investigate.

???: Looks like you‘re troubled.

Yui: Eh... Kino-kun?

Kino: Did my older brother Shu leave you alone, and you tried walking around on your own?

Yui: Yes. He was only halfway guiding me through here...

Kino: That isn‘t really unusual if I think of my older brothers character. I‘ll be the one guiding you around instead then.

Yui: Eh, are you okay with that?

Kino: Of course. Come on, follow me.

Yui: Thank you!

(That’s nice, Kino-kun also seems like a kind person)

Place: Scarlet Mansion — ??? bedroom

Kino: Here is Shu's room. Oh, don't hesitate to come in

Yui: Heh?! Is it really okay if I enter?

Kino: Enter, Enter. I don’t think Shu would have a problem with it.

Yui: (He wouldn’t... ? I wonder if it’s really okay to enter...)

Well then, I will come in

(His room seems more organized than I thought ...)

(Is this really Shu-kun's room?)

Hey, Kino-kun. That room is...

(Wow! Kino-san is freely going through people's things!)

That's right, I think it's better if you don’t touch anything tho...

Kino: It’s all right! Eve is quite worried. Look at this stuff tho. Are you seeing those plates?

Yui: Oh, yes. They are beautiful! But they look so expensive ...

Kino: Look, I’ll bring them closer to you so you see them better okay?

Yui: Huh!? It’s fine! I don’t need to see them... !

Kino: Look look don’t hold back there. I will give you one of them

Yui: Stop! You should return the plate to the shelf as soon as possible!

(Well... I don’t think it’s good that he’s pressing the plate like...)

*Kino drops the plate*

Kya!

Kino: Oh, what are you doing? The plate is broken because you didn’t receive it properly

Yui: W-What, you were the one who let go...

*someone enters*

Reiji: Why is it so noisy in here... What are you guys doing in my room?

Yui: Huh...?

(Wait... this was Reiji-san‘s room!?)

(But Kino-kun said it's Shu-san's room, right?)

Kino: It's serious, Reiji brother. Eve slipped her hands and broke one of your plates

Reiji: What do you mean... ?

Yui: That’s... ah

Reiji: This is ... not the plate I liked most... Was this really your doing?

Yui: No... I am... !

Reiji: No, I don’t want to hear excuses

Yuma: Hey hey, what are you so crazy about. You’re making a fuss

Shu: I can only sleep if you finally shut up again

Reiji: Shu, what are you saying.

It's such a disaster because you took your eyes off Eve

Shu: Hah? And what if I did?

Yuma: Wow, this is a plate that Reiji took care of! Don’t tell me you broke it?

Yui: No... I didn’t...

Yuma: Moreover, why did you go into Reiji’s room in the first place?

Yui: Well, that’s uhh...

(It’s probably not good to mention Kino's name here, though)

(It may be that my hands really slipped by any chance ...)

(And, if I’d tell him that Shu left me on the way, he might get angry at him.)

Ugh ... it’s probably really my fault that plate broke. I'm so sorry……

Reiji: Why did you enter my room?

Kino: Because, our brother Shu left her lonely and she probably didn’t knew how to return to her own room anymore

Yui: (Eh?! Actually, Kino-kun guided me around!)

Kino: I only heard a weird noise and then entered when the plate was already broken, right?

Yui: Such! As for the plate, Kino-kun is—

Reiji: I understand... so the whole mess is your fault Shu. Don’t try to deny that anymore

Yui: Wait, that’s not it...

(No ... its only my fault)

Shu: *sigh*... why do I need to pay if she was the one entering your room?

This is bothersome...

Reiji: You‘re good for nothing! That's why you always make me so angry...!

Yuma: Wow, Reiji’s really getting angry now

Yui: (What should I do ... Reiji-san will be angry at Shu-san because of me)

(Actually, the reason why I entered this room and touched the plate was because of Kino-kun...)

(Wait... where did he go!?)

Reiji: Who do you think you are, entering my room, breaking my plate and still not listening to me?

Yui: Ah! I-I’m sorry...

Shu: *sigh*... hey, stop it already. I will return to my room now

Reiji: What is that attitude of yours. You don’t even take your own situation serious.

You do whatever you want even tho we’re going to have a three families battle... !

Yuma: Uh, this is likely to be longer. Well, if you don’t need me I’ll go

Yui: T-That’s!

Reiji: Eve! Listen to me now!

Yui: Y-Yes!

Place: Scarlet Mansion — Corridor

Yui: (Reiji-san's preach finally ended... and he even managed to forgive me after I cleaned up the plates I accidentally broke)

Shu: Good grief, because of you I was dragged into this mess as well.

Yui: (Shu-san, this time he finally seems to give me a proper guide to his room)

(I honestly can’t even blame Reiji-san for getting angry at me for breaking his stuff anymore)

Shu: My room is right over here. You better remember that.

Yui: Y-Yes.

Place: Scarlet Mansion — Shu’s room

Yui: (So this is what Shu-san’s room looks like. It seems way more decent than I actually imagined to be honest)

Shu: I now gave you a proper guidance here.

Yui: Yes, thank you so much.

Shu: I was scolded because you broke something so unnecessary. That’s why my precious sleeping time was cut off

Aren’t you supposed to apologize now after you caused me that much trouble?

Yui: S-Sorry...

(I was involved in Reiji-san's preaching and now I can tell Shu-san what really happened)

That's why I entered Reiji-san’s room, it wasn’t my fault at all...

Shu: I don’t understand why you didn’t tell Reiji about that then.

Anyway, why don’t you donate your blood as punishment?

Yui: My blood... ?

*Shu comes closer*

Shu: Did you seriously forget that I’m a vampire?

But I’m more than interested in how the blood of the traditional Eve itself tastes.

I may not be interested in becoming the supreme ruler, but I surely am in your blood... let me suck it.

*Shu grabs Yui*

Yui: (!? He grabbed my arms... with such strength... Nn)

Ah... please let me go.

Shu: It’s useless to resist it. Didn’t you already know your position when you came to this mansion?

It’s already assuredly that your mere fate is to be vampire bait.

Yui: T-That’s wrong... !

Shu: Well, just keep your mouth shut and I won’t kill you if your blood is as good as everyone says. Just don’t act selfish or you’ll start to regret it

Yui: (I'm scared...his eyes ... He’s not kidding. Is my blood really going to be sucked? By a real vampire !?)

N-No! Someone, help!

Shu: Now, there is no way to escape for you even if you’re resisting

That’s what I’ll teach your body at first

Yui: (Oh, he’s licking my ears .... his fangs are so close to my skin...)

(It will hurt so much to be bitten!)

N-No... stop...

Shu: Hmm, I will not give up on that scared face. Nn ... Nn... ...

Yui: Ah... stop...

Shu: Hn ... so this is Eve’s blood... not bad

Yui: Stop and leave ...!

Shu: Don't struggle, It’s annoying. Ahh... Nn... Hmm

Yui: No!

(His fangs are piercing deeper into my neck...)

Shu: Because you move, my fangs are clinging deeper in your skin

If you don't want to feel more pain, stop moving

Yui: I was told such a thing ...

(He’s forcing his fangs deeper... hn. My body is giving up soon...)

Shu: You really cant endure the pain I’m giving you. That face you’re showing me is the best

Hn... Hn... Ahh...

Yui: (My head, its spinning around so much .... He already sucked so much blood ..... I can’t just die like that!)

(That's right. I don't want to be a vampire's food!)

Yui: (Hm... whats with that scenery... ?)

(Suddenly, my neck which is supposed to hurt ...... feels actually good? That shouldn’t be... !)

Shu: Hm... ? You’re so quiet all of the sudden

Yui: (That’s right. I was so scared until then)

(but now, I want this person to touch me even more —)

Yui: (Ugh... agh... what’s going on...)

Ugh...

Shu: Hey, whats wrong?

Yui: (That scenery—)

Yui: Hn... ahhhh!

Ha... Ha..

(Why haven’t I noticed that until now)

(I remembered ... I'm not the traditional Eve)

(I am... Komori Yui)

*memories break*

Yui: Hah, Hah, Hah... Why... did I forget?

What the hell...

Shu: *sigh* ... you’re probably overwhelmed. There’s no reason to shout at me like that.

Yui: Ah, Shu-san!

(Yes, Shu-san ... ... why did I get sucked by this man?)

(The most precious, important person to me, the only one I truly love)

Shu-san, I’m sorry... !

*Yui hugs Shu*

Shu: ... What?

Yui: I’m sorry that I went wild. I didn’t meant to run away from you Shu

I’m really sorry...

Shu: ... I don't know what you’re saying

Don’t get stuck to me, it's no good. Let go

Yui: Ugh?!

(I was thrown away... ?)

Shu: Don't get used to me sucking your blood. How annoying.

Yui: Shu... san...?

#chaos lineage #ayato sakamaki #diabolik lovers ayato #diabolik lovers #chaos lineage translation #translation #diabolik brothers #sakamaki #shu sakamaki #ayato sakamaki translation #ayato #shu sakamaki translation #diabolik lovers translation #sakamaki brothers

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