#the wedding portraits 11
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ＴＨＥ ＲＯＹＡＬ ＣＨＲＯＮＩＣＬＥＳ : The Royal Wedding Portraits .* :☆ﾟ｡ ･
WillCat's official wedding portraits taken by Hugo Burnand. The photographs had been taken in Buckingham’s Palace Throne Room in what was the first joint photoshoot for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Along with formal family pictures with the Middletons & Windsors and a solo portrait of WillCat, the palace also released what quickly became my favourite shot of the day with Catherine, William and the bridal party.
#british royals#british royal family#royals#royal#kate middleton#british royalty#royalty#catherine middleton#brf#duchess of cambridge#prince of wales#the prince of wales#prince william#william prince of wales#catherine princess of wales#princess kate#princess catherine#princess of wales#the princess of wales#prince and princess of wales#the prince and princess of wales#the royal chronicles.#trc.#trc : the wedding portraits 11#the wedding portraits 11#WeddingPortraits11#royaltyedit#royalty edit#official portraits#british official portraits
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Darlington Castle [ Wedding Venue ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC
Welcome to Darlington Castle, a beautiful wedding venue located on the Island of Windenburg. This one of a kind venue is known for not only its iconic architecture and stunning views but also for its timeless elegance and romantic atmosphere, making a popular destination to hold weddings and other occasions. Whether you’re planning an intimate ceremony or a grand celebration, Darlington Castle is the perfect setting for your sims dream wedding.
Programming includes an indoor and outdoor ceremonial space, an indoor and outdoor reception hall, suites for both the bride's and the groom's bridal party. Additionally, this venue also include a kitchen and multiple private bedrooms for the newly weds and their wedding entourage.
NOTE: The exterior of this venue was based on Villa Erba
As I'm posting this, I realize there's so much more I wanna add, so maybe I'll do a part 2
♥ Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on!
♥ Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own.
♥ Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file
♥ Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator!
♥ Thank you to all CC Creators
♥ Please let me know if there's any problem with the build!
♥ SPEED BUILD VIDEO
00:00 Beginning
00:02 Intro
1:11 Speed Build
25:26Photos
♥ LOT DETAILS
Lot Name: Darlington Castle
Lot type: Wedding Venue
Lot size: 64x64
Location: Windenburg Island
♥ MODS:
TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi
♥ CC LIST:
Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make life a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama.
Joyceisfox: Simple Live (Bathroom, Blooming plant)
S- Imagination: Rutland Kitchen
Felixandre: Colonial (all), Chateau (all), Fayun, Berlin pt (1), Florence (all), Georgian, Gothic Revival, Grove (all), Kyoto pt (2), London exterior & interior, Paris (all), Jardane, Shop the look, SOHO, Tudor
Sooky: Horizontal oil Painting (Landscape, Still life), Vertical oil paintings (landscape, still life, portrait)
Awingedllama: Nostaligia Living
Felixandre x Harrie: Baysic, Harluxe, Livin Rum, Orjanic (all)
Bbygyal123: Minimal Prints
Charlypancakes: Chalk, Lavish, Miscellanea, Smoll, Telly
Harrie: Heritage, Brownstone Collection, Brutalist, Coastal (all), Shop the look 2, Spoons
Madame Ria: Back to basic floor
Myshunosun: Midsummer Eve
Arsbotanica: Peonies bouquet
Pierisim: Auntie Vera, Coldbrew (all), Domain du clos (all), MCM pt (2)(3), Oak house (all), Winter garden pt (1), Woodland ranch (all)
Charlypancakes x Pierisim: Precious Promises
Simplistic: Magnolia Cottage Rugs, Rug Holland
Sixam: Stylistwood Nursery
Simten: Playable Harp (mod)
thecluttercat: Sunnysundae pt (3), Dandy Diary
Syboulette: Nothing to wear
Taurus Design: Eliza walk in closet
Other CC
Cowbuild: Family Kitchen (sink flowers only), Blooming Garden cafe (Hanging wisteria only) [ I think these are locked behind paywall, but you dont really need to download as they are not too important. howeber, If you do wanna dl it....iykyk]
♥Tray File: x
♥Origin ID: Applez
♥Twitter: Rheya28__
♥Tiktok: Rheya28__
♥Patreon: Rheya28
♥Youtube: Rheya28__
#ts4#sims 4#thesims4#sims#thesims#showusyourbuilds#sims 4 cc#sims 4 builds#builds#sims 4 screenshots#simblr#the sims 4 builds#build
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Now You're In My Life
summary: a chance meeting at a diner turns your world upside-down and leads you on a whirlwind romance with one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7*
Part 8*
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11*
*****************
One Shots
All I Ask*
You're finally starting to get over Harry, what happens when fate brings you back together?
Having Your Baby
You get some life changing news, and come up with the perfect way to tell your husband.
Wallflower
You're sitting alone at a wedding, can a handsome stranger help you come out of your shell?
Line of Fire
You and Harry have been keeping your relationship off the radar, but his concern for you overwhelms his need for privacy.
Coming Home To You*
Harry comes home early and catches you by surprise in the best way possible.
Scars
Can Harry be the comfort you need after falling back into old habits?
Home Stretch
As the tour comes to an end, the schedule starts to visibly take its toll on Harry, and you can't help but worry.
Ooh La La
After a revelation on movie night, you and Harry decide to reenact one of the scenes.
Love Don’t Cost A Thing
Harry loves to spoil you, but you're having a hard time adjusting to his lavish lifestyle.
The Battle in Barcelona
A crazy crowd at the airport comes between you and Harry.
Misplaced Emotion
As Harry prepares to jump back into the spotlight, he has a hard time re-adjusting to public life, and it manifests in the wrong way.
Good News All Around
You reach a big milestone in your life, but feel overshadowed when you call to tell Harry about it.
Perfect Harmony
You're in the final days of the tour, and Harry makes a suggestion that ends up changing everything.
Lose You to Love Me
A run-in with your childhood sweetheart brings up old memories, and lingering feelings.
Lights, Camera, Action
What was supposed to be just another job becomes the start of something new.
Business or Pleasure?
You return to Love on Tour after an extended break, but after your last interaction, you come back to an awkward situation with Harry.
Reigning it In
You're about to participate in your first horse show, but the nerves overwhelm you. Harry finds you just in time.
Family Portrait
Harry has a couple of heartfelt surprises for you while you're visiting him on tour.
All or Nothing*
You find a new way to tease Harry during a tour visit, which leads to a new way to drive him crazy.
With this Ring
Harry takes his commitment to you to a new level.
Veiled Insecurities
Harry has some insecurities about your relationship, but instead of talking to you about them, they end up coming out in the wrong way.
Crossing the Finish Line
A sequel to Home Stretch, it's the final show and Harry charms you into making good on a promise you made last time you were together.
Lost and Found
A sequel to Lose You to Love Me, you and Harry reconnected a month ago, and he insisted you come along for the final show. when your emotions start to get the better of you, you wonder if you and Harry could ever really just be friends.
Heart Song
As a former member of the Love on Tour band, and current girlfriend of Harry, he asks you to reprise your spot for the final show.
Road to Recovery
After reading some negative comments about yourself, you nearly spiral back into old habits. you try to keep it from Harry, but he finds out and confronts you about it.
A Work of Art
After procrastinating for a few weeks, you finally make moves to finish your assignment, but run into an unexpected road block.
He's Not Me
You introduce Harry to the guy you're seeing, and you see a side of him you've never seen before and are shocked by his reasoning.
Sharing is Caring
You can't find your favorite handbag, Harry assures you he doesn't have it, but you see some photos tell a different story
Cantaloupe
In this one shot/flash forward from the Now You're In My Life storyline, you and Harry recap the big news from your family's Thanksgiving dinner.
Like Riding a Bike
Despite being on break, Harry manages to find his way back onstage.
Fa La La La Freakout
You will be meeting Harry's family for the first time over the holidays, and you are desperate for them to like you.
The Morning After
The morning after Harry's 30th birthday, you're hungover and Harry reminds you of your drunken actions from the night before, leading to a conversation you never expected.
Big Winners - Part 1
Harry and Y/N have been friends for fifteen years, they finally work together on an album, and it leads them to a night that will change everything for them.
Baby-Baby-Baby
Harry meets his niece for the first time, the joy and excitement are quickly replaced with a whole new set of feelings when his best friend, Y/N joins him at the hospital.
(*) - NSFW
#harry styles#harry styles x reader#harry styles x fem!reader#harry styles x plus size reader#harry styles headcanon#harry styles meet cute#harry styles fluff#harry styles smut#harry's house#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles fanfic#harry edward styles#harry styles imagine#harry styles x you#harry styles x y/n#love on tour#harry styles blurb#harry styles fic#harry styles one shot
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WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S 2024?!?!
next, you're gonna tell me it's gonna be some made-up year like "2025" next. tch, imagine that.
anyways, whoo! 2023! compared to both 2022 and 2021, i gotta say, my art style took a hard swerve in some direction this year. i mean, look at that klavier from january and that butch kim from just this december! (granted, i heavily referenced the portrait of butch kim but still, i didn't use to paint! mama mia!)
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the way i drew faces has definitely changed, that's what i get for getting into something that's live-action and into smth that has realistically proportioned art lol
OH! OH! HOW COULD I FORGET!!! IT WAS (and still will be) THE YEAR OF THE OLD MAN!! i really learned how to draw aged faces this year! ach fraulein, i have not stopped drawing people in their 40's-50's! i would say "send help" but i'm actually having a lot of fun ASKSKS
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i think a funny thing about these art summaries i've done is that they're mostly ace attorney but then there's just a month where i become a different type of ill LMAO this year it was four months for the price of two new interests!
cheers! here's to 2024!!! hope y'all have a fun art year!!!!
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i'm gonna ramble more below about like, other art things i did this year but i'm gonna put it under 'keep reading' bc this baby is getting way too wordy now WHEEZES
1. FAVORITE THINGS I'VE DRAWN THIS YEAR (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
⚖️ mea culpa comic [x]
drawing this one was so time-consuming and ambitious but boy, do i love the end result! i had fun doing the inks for this one but was it a lot! i usually color in lineart and render everything but i had to stop myself from doing it for this one bc man, i'll die asksks
this also has some of my favorite apollos i've drawn, definitely
also! the part about the lineart not being colored and no rendering ended up being a deliberate stylistic choice for this one bc i had like more freedom to do just shadows with inks without it looking too out of place.
💐 my lawfully wedded zine spread [x]
now this one isn't out yet but take my word for when i say that this is one of the most craxy things i've ever drawn for this year, on account of drawing a comic AND group shot all in one!
also literally one of the prettiest things i've rendered this year, lookit that klav...
🎉 aa4 redraw - 2022 anniversary [x]
kind of like my wedding zine piece, group photos are insane, and rendering like uhhh [looks at drawing] 11 CHARACTERS IS ALSO INSANE if i try and draw a group photo again you have to stop me DFGHDJ
🎨 my art fight stuff [x] [x]
was possessed in the month of july or smth bc i pumped out like how many drawings so quickly (before i got burnt out that is pftt)
pace yourselves and don't be like me pls ajshgdghhjk
💥 people park day [x]
my friend told me that it was very obvious i watched across the spiderverse when they saw this FDFGHJD
but yea! this is when i started getting really into like, thought bubbles or just like, panels or drawings within a drawing when coming up with layouts
i still love the colors on this one...
🪩 fem disco portraits
ok so i haven't uploaded these yet but you have to trust me when i say that something was in the water DFGHDJ
who knew that all it took for me to learn how to paint was butches
2. ALSO DID YOU KNOW THAT I SOLD STICKERS THIS YEAR IN OUR UNI'S ART MART?
THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THAT SCHOOL I SWEAR PFTTT this experience has also awaken the merch beast in me and i need to make more physical things for my brain to be happy, that's just how it be pfttt
hopefully next year i can actually start like a shopee shop or whatever lmao
3. ART FIGHT
i'm actually quite happy i got to participate in art fight this year! very delighted for all the art i've gotten and very fun to have drawn for others too!!
4. ZINES
i got invited and joined so many zines from 2022 continuing to 2023 that i kind of got burnt out from participating for now ngl ASKSKSKS not gonna be joining much this year oopsiessss! (unless i lose self-control [very likely])
5. SCHOOL
i don't actually like a lot of the stuff i draw for art school bc i tend to cram and not have fun pftt <- adhd moment, tragic! but here are some that i actually kind of like lol
6. THAT'S IT!
i think that's it! thanks for reading all the way down here!! o(*￣▽￣*)ブ
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Currently, what are some of your favorite iwtv fics? I’m pretty caught up on a lot of mine and need some recs
Sure! I’ll try to categorise and keep most to recent/currently updating ones just to narrow down my list. These are in no particular order! (And I am terrible at connecting AO3 and tumblr usernames so forgive me if I’m an idiot and missed some)
Vampire ones (mostly Loustat)
“Love like an ache in the jaw” Post-Dubai interview Louis POV where Lestat awakes and comes back to him, with all the pain, turmoil, and love that entails.
“Assignment” Modern AU with an anxious and stressed Louis requesting professional services to lose his virginity. Alternating POV between Louis and Lestat. (ongoing) by @riley-beautrelle
“In the White Room (L’homme Lestat)” Modern vampire story where Lestat is kidnapped by a mysterious organisation and forced to become their assassin while Loumand try to help/rescue him with help from Villanelle (ongoing) by @angstosaur
“Get him back” Romcom with show!vampire Loustat kinda in that weird post-QOTD/TOTBT stage where they’re friends but not together but still inseparable. And there’s Mojo! (Series ongoing)
“Making It Work” Modern show-based Loustat are alternating POV diary entries as they try to forge new ties with Louis’s family’s descendants… (ongoing)
“Half Past Dead” Modern post-Dubai interview with Daniel interviewing (& fucking) a down & out addict vampire Lestat in New Orleans
“The Vampire Detective Agency and the case of the Mozart Murderer” Modern alternate-canon thriller with Loustat solving a murder together in NOLA (ongoing) by @angstosaur
“A favor” PL-era Louis arranges the perfect birthday celebration for Lestat - a massacre at a mobster’s decadent party by @riley-beautrelle
“Epitaph” Each daily chapter is day in the life of Daniel Molloy in Sept 1973 as his life is changed forever when he meets a man who claims to be a vampire… (ongoing, daily updates in March)
Not-quite-human AUs (just trust me)
“Come (Back) to Me” Modern painter Louis is drawn to a painting an an old chateau and time travels back to the 18th century to meet the young marquis in the portrait… by @suikamelon6
“None of them your true nature” modern AU where casino boss Louis starts an affair with the owner Lestat, despite his troubled marriage to Antoinette…
Human AU
“Did you get enough love, my little dove?” Modern human AU with single dad Lestat raising Claudia after her mother Alicia died, and anxiety-ridden Louis finds a loving home at theirs while lusting after Lestat (ongoing)
“Against All Odds” modern human AU with French exchange teen Loustat in first love then complications with Nicki at uni (ongoing) by @moderndaylestat
“I hate you but I love you more” Human AU with teacher Louis and rockstar Lestat, divorced 11 years but crashing back into each others’ lives when they’re locked in a house together. Meanwhile, Armand comes to terms with the demons of his past while he navigates his relationship with Daniel. (ongoing, nearly completed)
“Memory is a monster” Modern human AU with rockstar Lestat losing his memory after a head injury and Louis, Armand, and Daniel vying to heal/have him (ongoing) by @angstosaur
“Bubble Wrap” Modern human AU with actor uni student Louis falling for clumsy writing student Lestat as he deals with his abusive upbringing and they navigate growing up and starting their careers… (ongoing)
“Like You Mean It” Romcom modern human AU with Loustat fake dating their way through 6 weddings and denying their attraction (ongoing)
#I’m sure I’ve forgotten some I’ll kick myself over as soon as I hit post#god bless fic writers for keeping me going#you are doing the lord’s work for the fandom#iwtv fic#iwtv fanfic#loustat fic rec#iwtv#interview with the vampire#anne rice#the vampire chronicles#lestat de lioncourt#louis de pointe du lac#loustat
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KINGDOM OF ASHES ┊TODOROKI TOUYA
synopsis: when you are suddenly uprooted from your life to enter an arranged marriage with Prince Touya you are unprepared for how greatly he defies your expectations, nor for how quickly you fall for him.
tags: AFAB FEM reader (referred to as ‘wife’ ‘daughter’ and 'my lady’), royalty au, prince todoroki touya, arranged marriage, no quirks, historical setting, perceived unrequited love, fictional contraceptives, horseback riding, fluff, angst, protected vaginal sex, vaginal oral sex (reader receiving), dubcon, strangers to lovers, loss of virginity, hurt/comfort, canonical child abuse, bathing together, outdoor sex, talk of not having children/preventing pregnancy
wc: 12k
The evening before your wedding is quite fitting. Dark clouds have blanketed the skyline and large drops of rain cascade lazily down the windows, accompanied by a cold draft that intrudes the confines of your quarters, wailing like a lost child. Arriving earlier in the year than anyone expected, the Todoroki kingdom was known for its unbearable summers, but what followed was always a season of rainfall that felt unending.
Prophetic, maybe.
In the morning that follows, you would be wed to Prince Touya Todoroki, the firstborn son of King Enji. Your union had been entirely arranged with between negligent fathers, a Lord with land that held valuable ore, and the King in need of a bride for his son.
Your knowledge of the prince was limited, but that was the same for both nobles and commoners. Prince Touya was something of a ghost to the peoples, a determined boy known for his frail body; he'd been born too early and suffered for it. For years it had been rumoured that King Enji had ordered him killed, his weakness a dark stain on the family name. Touya had not been seen publicly since he was 11 years of age.
Upon your arrival to the palace, you had been covered in a white shawl and quickly led by a servant to the large bedroom you currently reside in. They relayed strict orders for you to stay put until the morning, insisting that you were not to wander the grounds nor come into contact with anyone but the handmaidens assigned to you.
Where you could not see much, imprinted into your memory are the hallways leading to your bedroom, imposing and dull. Walls that tower drastically above your head, littered with tapestries and family portraits featuring only the youngest children. You’d scanned every single one, and none of them included the eldest son, your dearly betrothed, and each of the siblings had worn a permanently detached expression.
As your escort had been making the bed, you’d asked about the absence of your soon-to-be husband and pity had flitted across her face before being carefully masked. The blatant caution surrounding him had not comforted you in the slightest.
The wind picks up and your hair stands on end at the sharp drop in temperature, arms crossed over your chest in an attempt to keep the warm kindling. Sparing a glance at the clock sitting on the bedside table, you realise that the night has drawn closer while you were lost in thought. If you wanted to be at your best for tomorrow's events you would have to retire to bed.
So you rest fitfully, the bed is nothing like your own and you’re scared, but the morning comes sooner than you expect. The assigned handmaidens bustle into the room before you have even rubbed the sleep from your eyes, rushing into your bathroom and beginning to fill the tub. With a heavy heart you slip the straps of your nightgown over your shoulders, the material pooling at your feet, and allow them to guide you into the water.
The maidens manoeuvre you as if you were a doll, lifting your arms and washing you with a cloth, pouring various divine smelling salts into the bath with you. Despite the lack of autonomy, you’re grateful that they’re here. You aren’t sure you could bring yourself to do it in their absence. Practiced hands scrub at your skin until you are a clean slate, a blank canvas for the prince to paint as he pleases. No crevice of your body is left untouched, not even the underneath of your nails, which are scraped free of any dirt. With morbid curiosity, you cannot help but watch as the water retreats down the drain — the ashes of your identity along with it.
When you return to the bedroom you find your dress hung from the large wardrobe door, silhouette haunted and draping across the flooring where the train flares. The fabric is notably heavy and expensive, white in colour to signify your proposed innocence, silky under your fingers. Beside it hangs a thick veil that appears to go on for miles. You would have to wear it for the entirety of the ceremony, forbidden from removing it until you are alone with the prince.
“You will look beautiful, I’m sure,” the oldest maiden present reassures you as she pulls down the gown with great care, her fingers crooked and wrinkled from decades of work. You wish you could have known their names, but after today you would likely never meet again.
“Not that anyone will truly see me,” you murmur, stepping into the dress stiffly, your movements mimicking that of a soulless puppet.
“Your husband will see,” she insists firmly, tugging the straps over your arms in two gentle motions. You'd been informed that there was no need for undergarments — the dress needed to be easy to remove. It was elegant, albeit simple, but not at all what you imagined you’d be wearing on the day of your wedding.
“Are you able to tell me about him?”
The elder handmaid's motions noticeably pause for a short moment before she gestures toward the vanity chair. Once seated you are given the chance to see your reflection, barely recognisable, and patently flawless.
“He doesn’t talk much with the staff, so I can’t be of much use to you. But I can reassure you that he is kind in his own way, my lady. I don’t think he will mistreat you”.
You meet her narrow eyes in the reflection of the mirror and they are nothing but sincere. At the very least, she believes what she is saying, and you take great comfort in it. Brick by brick you attempt to rebuild your mental fortitude, stilling the shake in your breath. Resolved, you nod, and her shoulders visibly relax with the relief.
The veil is lowered over your face.
All that is known to you in your journey to the ceremony are the floorboards beneath your feet, dark in colour and unnaturally charred in certain areas. You do well to ignore the implications, and quell your anxiety by counting each knot, tethered by the grip of a maternal hand. It squeezes in succession, tighter with every step, coaxing your thoughts from any fear as you stumble. The only thing to indicate distance is the daunting, heavenly song of a choir as it grows in volume.
You enter another room. Murmurings and whispers tell of it's grandeur — but it is nothing you are permitted to see. Stifling is the pointed weight of their stares against your back, pervasive in a way. Undoubtedly, given the chance, the lords and ladies of the Todoroki Kingdom would peel away the fabrics from your body if only to placate their own short comings. An understandable curiosity.
Why was it you were chosen, not them?
The elder guides you to a large cushion laid at the foot of the alter, plush beneath your knees as you kneel. You are left bereft in her absence. It was entirely possibly that you would not feel a kind touch again.
Not soon after you are seated, the hushed voices echoing throughout the venue are halted all together. There is no solace in the ephemeral silence, soon broken by the thunderous sound of a group of people rushing to their feet.
A body kneels on the cushion beside yours, mirroring your posture. It cannot be anyone but the man you know to be your betrothed.
“…In the presence of His Royal Highness we will begin the ceremony…”
You find difficult in swallowing. A bitter tang on your tongue. Throat swelling with the bloat of your heart, ears filled only by a pitched, white noise, you wonder if your family is in attendance; if they felt any guilt, or perhaps, they were simply glad to reap the fruits of your involuntary sacrifice.
“…Now, if you will join hands…”
Still puppeted by metaphorical strings, you do as instructed. Holding your right hand out with your palm facing upwards, it is all you can do not to flinch as a large scarred hand appears above your own. Prince Touya appears to hesitate, before decidedly intertwining your fingers together. You do not quite fit the spaces between each knuckle — the skin is smooth, blistering. It carries a heat you suspect will never truly dissipate.
In your periphery, the priest leans forward with a long, elegantly embroidered piece of cloth, and rests it over your wrists, swaddling the space where they kiss. He loops it over twice, symbolic of how your lives are now tied together.
You cannot look away from the hand now legally bound to your own. The skin is discoloured, a deep shade of russet that you recognise to be burn scars. Above the static, the priest is still waxing poetry to the guests about love and duty, how one cannot exist without the other, and your jaw aches with the effort to keep it held shut.
Unexpectedly, from the right you hear a hushed muttering of, “Didn’t think I’d be falling asleep at my own wedding”. To your bleeding heart, it feels like something of an olive branch. You can’t help but to laugh quietly, returning the sentiment. Given the way his figure immediately stills, Touya hadn’t intended for anyone to hear. Yet in the same breath, his grip squeezes, and you begin to hope.
The vows are shared — scripted and foreign in your mouth. Promised to him in mind, body and soul. You daren't count all the lies you had told before the Gods. Something dark and ugly settles in your gut as the both of you are each handed a small cup of red ginseng tea, a well known aphrodisiac, in order to encourage the consummation of your union. To you, it felt like confession. We know you do not truly want one another.
You drink it. The ginseng is slightly salty, the taste clinging like powder to the corners of your mouth, but it is otherwise easy to stomach. The applause that reverberates around the room is not. Wincing at the pinch of your now-husbands nails into the back of your hand, you are atleast comforted by his own discontent. It lessened the loneliness.
It was done. You are now the wife of a Prince.
Surprisingly, there is no room for shame to brew within you as Touya takes you to his quarters, delicately guiding you to the large bed and helping you atop it. The veil falls, the weight of it audibly thudding across the linens, and finally you come face to face with the man you are to spend your life with. Stray strands of saturated red hair hanging over narrowed eyes, paired with irises a piercing blue. His features are strong and distinct in the Todoroki family, yet you do not fear him. A soft curve to his cheeks that is almost youthful, no air of cruelty. He’s terribly handsome even when expressionless.
The stretch of silence causes you exceeding discomfort, though, infuriatingly, your husband seems completely unperturbed. Almost expectant. Touya scrutinises your reflexive flinch at the abrupt knock to his door, enacted in a quiet rhythm that must be purposeful. Due to his lack of surprise, this must be an expected visit. Unveiled but not yet bedded, you turn your head so whoever is there will not see your face, given you are still not broken in — it’s still forbidden.
“Did you manage to find some?” you hear Touya's low murmur, a frown settling on your face as he thanks the stranger and returns to his knees in front of you. Before you can question him, a cup is thrusted towards you, and you take it with both hands, gasping at the stinging heat. Rippling in staccato rings, the liquid appears to be wine, a dark rouge colour, aside from the flowered plant floating on the surface.
“This is…?”
“Boiled pennyroyal and wine,” he says, voice entirely flat and void of emotion. It's both explanation and instruction. Dread settles in the pit of your stomach, the evolving tremor in your hands causing the wine to lap messily at the rim of the cup. It was a tea well known for preventing pregnancy.
“You... do not want children?” you ask weakly. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, the sound ricocheting between your ribs.
“No,” he replies sharply, before his tone lowers into something considerably softer, adding, “not right now” in what is a poor attempt at making you feel better. It's difficult to say whether or not you are relieved by the prospect. Bringing the hot lip of the cup to your own, the liquid warms your throat as you swallow it, and the aftertaste lingers awfully bitter.
Touya is slow to undo your gown, gently slipping the fabric over the curve of your shoulder. It is neither sensual or teasing, rather he’s being cautious, as if he expected you to run off like a skittish animal. The skin of his palms are rough with scarring but he handles you with so much care you barely notice, his fingers hooking into the sleeves and exposing your breasts to the tepid air.
You had never concerned yourself much with the appearance of your body until that very moment. Insecurities crawl their way into the forefront of your thoughts and you shrink into yourself, worrying that he might not want you, might not like what he saw.
He exhales shakily and shifts closer to you, your knees now touching. “Stop that,” he mutters. His tone is firm but not scolding, and he takes your chin between his fingers, forcing you to look back at him. Reflecting back at you is nothing short of lust.
“You’re beautiful”.
“You aren’t unhappy with me?” You ask meekly, hearing the quiver in your voice. There is a flash of frustration in his expression, which is quickly painted over with one of amusement. He lifts a hand to undo the buttons of his shirt, tugging the collar roughly to the side to expose the extent of his scars.
The laugh he offers in response is hollow, “I should be asking that of you”.
In an aborted motion, you move to touch him, your hand hovering awkwardly in the space between your bodies. Touya huffs irritably at your hesitance and pulls your arm forward, fingers coming into contact with the marred skin. He’s warm, and his pulse flutters beneath the heel of your palm.
“Could I ask, how did this happen to you?” you ask.
“Not very good at dirty talk, are you?” he laughs again, comforted that this one is bright and genuine. He gently guides you back until you are laid out along the mattress with only your upper half unclothed. Touya looms over you with both arms resting either side of your head, his knees tucked under your legs. Your blood thrums at the realisation that you are now pinned to the mattress, like a butterfly.
“Have you ever fucked anyone?”
Dilated pupils flicker across your face in search of any discomfort or anxiety. You shake your head, too embarrassed to speak. He hums in acknowledgement but seems neither pleased nor disgruntled by the confession. The seed of insecurity in your stomach takes root as you ask, “Have you?”
“Yes,” he says plainly. It doesn’t come as a surprise to you.
“Will you continue to?”
There is an edge to your voice at the thought of him sharing a bed with someone else. You’re aware that some wives allow their husbands to take a mistress -- it is looked down upon, yet especially common in arranged marriages in which there would be no love lost. But even though he was practically a stranger you felt deathly possessive of him. As your husband, he was now yours alone to love.
“Would that bother you?” he smirks, an infuriating air of condescension along with it, “will you tell me to stop seeing other women?”
Jealousy has caused you to overstep. “You’re my Prince and my husband,” you shiver, wishing you could move away and bow your head in apology, “I shouldn’t make demands of you”.
No punishment follows. Instead, the fleeting, tender press of his lips to your temple. “You are my wife,” he murmurs, “if anyone is going to demand things of me, let it be you”.
His given permission sparks like flint to rock in your centre, and you try not to preen. “It would bother me”, you tell him, and the smirk softens. In some way, you think he looks enamoured by your jealousy, by you, as if being wanted wholly was completely new to him.
“Then no,” he relents, “I won’t”.
Relief clouds your senses, and you are startled from your lull of security by the touch of a hand to your breast, his thumb slowly circling your nipple. Instinctively, you arch upward to follow the warmth amidst the chill of the room, skin alight under his touch. You ache to see more of him, weighted by a sense of vulnerability given your own nakedness, but as you reach to unbutton his shirt mottled fingers wrap around your wrist to stop you. A quiet thought whispers that perhaps you weren’t the only one here feeling insecure.
Wordlessly, Touya's hands then clutch at the softness of your hips in order to turn you onto your knees, so you would present yourself to him. You resist it, twisting to give him what you hope to be a pleading look. “I’d like to stay on my back,” you tell him, “I want to see you”.
His mouth falls agape, shaping around words that he can’t find. In processing your request, the pressure of his blunted nails grows steadily against your skin. The answer becomes clear when he relinquishes your hips, dragging your lower half unceremoniously into his lap as you turn. He begins to unbutton his shirt with a trembling hand, the other preoccupied with mapping out the lines of your body. Your knees press together reflexively as he hooks the back of your thigh, prying them open to expose your sex, and something about the salacious look in his eyes makes you feel as if you’re being revered.
A shiver rushes through your body as his thumbs settle into the creases of your thighs and gently pull apart your labia. “Such a pretty pussy,” he murmurs, silken shirt finally falling open and revealing the expanse of his torso. He’s lean, toned, his shoulders and chest broad, his stomach seems to be the softest part of him. He’s held together by scars, raised and uneven, the pigment a little darker than the rest of his skin.
“Still want to be on your back?” he asks expectantly, as if it were a given that you want to be turned away from him.
“Yes,” you insist, bravely tracing the pads of your fingers along the glossed skin that covers his forearms, only pleased that he’s allowing you to touch him. His breathing shutters, eyes falling closed briefly under your tender ministrations.
“Will it hurt?”
“Not if I take my time with you”.
Your worries must show patently on your face, you think, as he immediately seeks to reassure you in an offhanded manner. It was already becoming obvious to you what kind of man Touya is, one that does not seek comfort or depend on anyone – a man that hides his affections in plain sight.
Without a modicum of shame, Touya laps at his fingers until they're sodden, and your lungs seize as you feel them press up against your pussy. Their movements are languid, lightly circling your entrance before spreading your wetness over your clit. You can’t help the appreciative hum that vibrates through your chest like a soft purr.
“Touya,” you breathe.
You’d touched yourself before but it had never felt like this. A mans touch was foreign. His fingers are longer, thicker, and acted with more experience than your own. He sinks into you slowly, instructing you to exhale and relax your hips, lips grazing along your inner thigh. Heat simmers under your skin the longer he stares, not at your pussy but at your face, waiting for any indication that you’re uncomfortable.
“That’s it,” he rasps, voice thick with hunger. All this intimacy wouldn’t be good for your heart. You knew it wasn’t common. With only the horrors passed to you through word of mouth, in the months leading up to your wedding, you’d prepared yourself mentally for pain and inconsideration. The expectation was that you would be manhandled and sore, not that your body would be gently coaxed into bliss.
Two fingers curl upwards inside of you, a come hither motion towards your belly, and both thighs clench against his shoulders. As if to sate his own urges rather than your own, Touya leans forward with haste and takes you between his lips, tongue tensed to trace patterns over your clit.
His breathes come hot and laboured through his nose. “Fuck,” you choke, barely a whisper that tapers helplessly into another moan. Almost. The sensation begins as something like a trickle, pleasure slowly seeps into your lower body and the intensity grows into a wave, your chest rising and falling with the tide. Your fisted grip on the silk linens tightens, legs seizing forcefully around his head, and he groans happily as you cum around his fingers.
“Gods. Look at you,” barely cognisant, you watch as Touya grins while bracing himself over the pillows, forearms either side of you, mouth pulled taut and still slick with arousal. When he licks his lips to taste you again, you finally think you understand what temptation means.
“You’re perfect”.
Spurred into action, you fumble as you reach for his belt and pull at the buckle, the tremors of your orgasm still fluttering between your legs. He laughs warmly at your attempts, taking purchase of your hands and resting them atop your sternum so he can attend to it himself. Embarrassment floods you, having wanted to do something for him, too.
All is forgotten when he rolls his hips, the length of his hard cock sliding against you. Pleasure frissons through you as a relieved sigh falls from his lips. He’s big, you think. From above he seems to get lost in it, lost in you, his hands kept busy massaging firm shapes into your thighs. When the head of his cock catches against your entrance you tense involuntarily, and he hushes you.
“Breathe,” he commands gently, pressing himself into you slow, “I’ll make it feel good”.
The stretch is unfamiliar and minutely uncomfortable, made easier by your earlier release. As you exhale, the sting lessens until there is no pain at all to be felt. Skin to skin, he waits in the cradle of your hips, letting you adjust to his length, his expression straining as your sex pulses around him.
“Please”.
Given permission, Touya moves. The tedious pace inwhich he pulls out has to melting into the sheets, savouring the drag of his cock. Your breasts shake with each rock of his body, his eyes enraptured, half lidded and following every movement. Your inhibitions are lost, hands flying up to grip his biceps, nails embedding themselves into the pinked skin of his shoulders. He indulges, bends to nip at the sensitive skin of your chest, and you arch into his mouth as he continues to transverse the length of your body to tuck into the crook of your neck.
The rhythm is purposeful, deliberate, playing to the obscene wet slap of skin bouncing around your newly-wed quarters. He groans and the sound is so unrestrained it has your toes curling against the bed. “I’m going to– again–!” you warn between stuttered breaths, too far gone to be ashamed by the clumsy jerking of your own hips as you attempt to meet his thrusts.
“Fuck– yes,” he grunts, movements devolving with the desperate need for release, “cum for me, baby”.
Quaking, tension weaves into the sinew of your body as the air catches in your throat. Eyes squeezing shut, your arms lock around the expanse of his back as you crest, in a feeble attempt to cling to reality.
You resurface in time to feel the final, abrupt thrust of his hips as he cums inside you, abdomen clenched as he curls into himself. Panting through it, Touya's brittle whines are hot against the underside of your jaw, limp arms still wrapped around him to keep his comforting weight close. You don’t want to let go.
The contentment does not last. Your arms fall away as he sits upright, his cock gradually softening inside of you. His vermillion hair dishevelled in all directions, a thin sheen of sweat along his forehead, a blush adorning his cheeks. The unkempt and blissed is a charming look on Touya -- it tempts for further intimacy that you aren't sure is allowed.
“Are you in pain?” he asks.
Blinking, you reply in wonder, “There was no pain at all”. He snorts, a tired yet cocksure smirk pulling at his lips. He is considerate even as he pulls out, massaging aimless shapes into your pelvis to soothe any aches, but that does not stop you grimacing at the emptiness that is left behind – nor at the sensation of his cum slipping down onto the bedsheets.
The chill is gone, air thick with the smell of sex. He curses grumpily at the mess and gets to his feet, hastening over to the bathroom only to return with a wet cloth to wipe you with. You fight the haze just to watch him kneel between your legs and gently clean, exhaustion seeping steady into your bones, wearing a tired smile at the small act of care. You think that perhaps, you really could grow to love one another.
It isn’t until you are falling into sleep that you realise he never kissed you. Not once.
The morning after the consummation of your union you awoke alone in your bed, and as your arm had slid along the mattress you noticed there was no warmth to be found. In hindsight, the absence of a loving kiss was somewhat predictive; as for the entire month following your wedding is largely spent alone or with the gardeners, Izuku and his mother Inko, whose family had supposedly been hired to tend Todoroki land for generations.
It did not take you long to realise you might have been naïve in thinking this marriage would be a loving one so soon.
Prince Touya seemingly avoids you at every turn, even going so far as to retire to bed late when he thinks you are already sleeping. He treats you like you are unsightly, yet when he climbs under the sheets he would cradle you against his chest, unaware that you’re awake, and press a tender kiss to the back of your hand – never your lips. Not only do you find his behaviour confusing, it hurts, much more than you thought it would, given you had been strangers not long ago.
But you’d vowed to him your life and your heart, let him have your body and honour. You hoped he would eventually do the same.
Regardless of his attempts to stay away, you would still make the effort to find him on the palace grounds. As lost as you might become in your endeavours, you were determined to have him face you at least once a day as a reminder. I am here, I am your wife.
Such is your goal for the day. Left to your own devices once again you find yourself wandering by the kitchens, lured in by the delicious smell of baked goods. You weren’t often informed of happenings in the palace – even after being wedded to the Prince you held no real standing – but you had heard excitable whispers from the staff that morning. Princess Fuyumi would be visiting, and she was known to have a sweet tooth.
The scent is tempting, and it calls to core memories from your childhood that you might’ve otherwise forgotten. Muffled voices and girlish tittering can be heard down the hallways, interrupting your moment of nostalgia and piquing your curiosity.
“...It’s too bad Prince Touya is married now, he never comes to see me anymore...”
You stumble at the mention of your husband's name and quickly conceal yourself flat to the wall, hand pressed against the cold brick to steady yourself. The maidens seem to have taken no notice, and had they caught you there would be no consequence, yet your pulse still echoes loudly in your ears.
“He’s a good lay, isn’t he?”
“I’ll miss his mouth, that’s for certain,” another laughs, “my beloved husband has never made me feel that good”.
Your blood turns to lead, a heavy stone settling into the pit of your chest with the realisation that these were the women he had been with in the past. He had touched them, tasted them, much in the same way he had you.
Touya hadn't been dishonest about his conquests, there was no reason to be. And you had been aware, even before his admittance to you, that he’d likely had other partners. But simply knowing and coming face to face with them were entirely different. Their gossiping offers kindling to an anger you hadn't known existed before now; it is less about him bedding them, rather, you wished they wouldn't discuss it so openly. At the very least, out of respect for you.
Twenty seconds is all you'll allow. As the time is up, you slap your hands to your cheeks to startle the tears out of your system and supress the hurt. A valley fold, a reverse tail -- one corner at a time, you take the insecurity and shape it into the mental image of an origami swan, and you tuck it away.
Clutching at the fabric of your skirt, heart steady, you choose to focus instead on the positive. Even though he clearly wasn’t touching you, Prince Touya was no longer seeking them out for sex. He’d respected your wishes, and the knowledge placates your anxiety.
Lifting the drapes of fabric pooling at your feet, you quickly turn to flee the corridor as the voices grow louder. Following the winding corridors, you make your way through the palace in search of the training area where you knew Touya would be with his brother, Natsu. You were still completely lost on the layout of your new home, every day that passed you seemed to find a new place to explore. In truth, you didn't think you were ever going to get used to living here.
Stepping through a large doorway into a padded room, your sights are set in on the distant figures of two men parrying with their swords. The left figure built, the right more lithe, quick on his feet. Your husband is smiling, and it is not because of you. A draft billows into the open space, and you wrap your arms around your chest, all the while childishly fantasising about Touya rushing over to offer you his coat.
“Are you alright?” a gentle voice calls out to you, and your body flinches at the sound.
“Heavens,” you gasp, alarmed hands clutching at your chest as if to smother the startled beat of your heart.
You whip around, and in doing so, come face to face with your new sister in law. Much like her other siblings she is undeniably beautiful, but with eyes much brighter in person, and a sweet smile that naturally begins to undo the knots in your sternum.
“My apologies, Princess Fuyumi,” you bow deeply and meet her gaze as you lift your head. “I was just looking for Prince Touya”.
At the mention of her brother, the placid smile widens into a grin. She is so content in her own presumptions of your marriage that you almost feel guilty. She takes your hands into hers with renewed enthusiasm, “How is he treating you? I trust all is going well?”
You try to muster up a genuine smile, intermingling a smidgen of truth in with the lie so it might be more acceptable, “It is going well. Though, I haven’t been able to spend much time with him”. But the Princess is as observant as she is kind. Fuyumi’s expression fractures slowly, grip tightening around your fingers and running the pad of her thumb along the line of your knuckles. The act of comfort is overwhelming after so long without a kind touch.
“Arranged marriages are difficult in the beginning, I can tell you from experience,” she offers sympathetically. “you were two strangers, now forced to navigate life together, you mustn't let yourself be disheartened by these growing pains”.
“It will eventually get easier”.
You nod in agreement. Fuyumi needn't know that she was only repeating to you what you had already been telling yourself -- though from her mouth, you heard it as a plea for her brother rather than a comfort.
“My elder brother has been through a lot of hardship,” Fuyumi continues with an almost motherly cadence, casting her gaze across the training grounds to observe as Touya and Natsuo continue to spar, the sharp sound of their weapons colliding can be heard even from this distance.
“He doesn’t know how to show love because it was never shown to him. He was hidden away and told he was unsightly. When Shouto was named heir and he had his claim to the throne stripped from him, political marriage was his only use. And even in that, he had no choice”.
A frustrated, pained retort of 'neither did I' sits heavy on the edge of your tongue. You remain silent, briefly glancing towards the tall ceilings to will away the sting behind your eyes. Unawares of your presence, Touya moves seamlessly with his weapon, wielding it as if it is an extension of his body. In spite of his irregular bouts of ill health, his body is lean and strong, his instincts impressive and reflexes refined. You knew from the books he kept in his personal library that he was intelligent, driven and curious. He would’ve been a good king.
Fuyumi settles her hand between your shoulder blades, the warmth seeping through your clothes, “If I know him as well as I think I do, I would say he likely avoids you because he thinks that is what you want”.
You balk at the notion, brow pinched with doubt as you glance towards her. “Why would I want that?”
Her expression is melancholy, and not once does she look away from her brothers. “He knows that if given the choice, you would not have picked him”.
“That's--!”
“--But! I think you’ll be good for him,” she interrupts, “I trust you’ll make him happy, though I didn’t expect him to run from his feelings so quickly”.
Before you can give a rebuttal, a yell of victory calls for your attention. Across the room, your husband throws his hands up in celebration as he stands over his brother, the tip of his sword tucked against Natsu's throat. Touya brandishes a bright grin, genuine and joyous; one that steadily dims as he meets your eyes, and narrows at whatever he sees beyond your figure.
A squire strides in through the doorway, pausing at your side. Your back straightens expectantly. Touya helps his brother to his feet, all the while keeping his dubious glare on the attendant, his shoulders strangely stiff. You had never seen him so apprehensive.
Voice monotonous and dutiful, the man falls forward into a deep bow, “King Enji wishes to meet with you before the evening feast, my Lady”.
Touya's strides forward with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword, footfalls loud as he hurries. He does not slow in his approach, crowding in uncomfortably close until he has inserted himself between the two of you, and the squire takes tentative step back.
“What does the bastard want?” Natsuo demanded, while Touya's remains surprisingly silent, maintaining a wide stance with half of his body shielding you from view. Fuyumi reaches forward for your hand, clasping it between her own, and pulling you further back to her side for reassurance.
You sought no comfort from the action, rather it frightened you. They were defensive on your behalf for reasons you couldn't understand. They were protecting you from a servant who was here at their father's behest, and seemingly, they did not want you anywhere near the king.
“I am not privy to that information, Your Highness,” the squire replies, “and the King does not think you are either”.
In the end, it is a helpless affair, one you cannot run from. Fuyumi releases you as you are beckoned, and the concern in her expression so stark it disarms you. As you pass Touya, he reaches for your arm.
“Be careful,” he murmurs, gently circling his thumb against the sensitive skin of your wrist, holding you in place until the servant pointedly coughs.
Guided deep into the maw of the Kings quarters, you feel a daunting sense of nostalgia. A prophetic dread hangs over your disposition just as it had the night before your wedding, only this time your source of comfort is the phantom warmth of your husbands hand.
The squire takes pause outside two large doors, arching atleast ten feet tall and guarded by two armour fitted knights. Without preamble, he pulls taut the rope hung beside the doorframe. A bell rings and both doors slowly swing open in return, the wood complaining beneath the movement.
King Enji stands foreboding by a wall of full length windows that look out onto the gardens. The room itself appears to be an office type space, a grand and beautifully carved desk sitting in the centre of the room with a large cathedra behind it and two cushioned arm chairs opposite.
The squire bows to his King, and then to you, before taking his leave.
“Sit”.
The fine hair on your arms stands on end despite the lack of a chill. Now alone together, King Enji stirs an instinct buried deep in your marrow that is almost primal. You, a well meaning rabbit, lured into the den of an apex predator. Enji is a colossal, imposing presence even without his armour. A king revered and feared by millions and rightly so – if the sensation of fury could be given a human form, it would surely take on his appearance.
“It’s an honour to finally meet you, Your Royal Highness,” you speak clearly as he prefers, and keep your back straight when you bow before taking your seat. Any attempts to smooth the tremble in your reply prove to be futile, but as you meet his calculating, amused stare, you realise that it pleases him.
“Touya was born a month early, were you aware of that?” Enji asks as he walks the length of the room to an array of glass bottles, the sound of wine being poured only slightly louder than the blood rushing in your ears. You shake your head in response, still unable to trust your voice.
“He almost killed his mother. A monstrous little thing,” he hands you a cup, half full of red wine, and the liquid swills against the lip of the glass as you shake.
A baby, you think. Not a monster, a baby.
“For months he refused to be taken from his mothers breast. He was weak, falling ill at the slightest change in weather. An embarrassment to the bloodline, really”.
There is a pregnant pause, and for a moment you fear that he expects you to speak, but he instead glares at the wine you have not yet sipped.
“Do you dislike wine?” he asks, and you quickly hold the cup to your lips, swallowing back the bitter taste while fighting to keep your expression neutral. It was strong, and left your tongue unbearably dry, but it satisfied him.
“He grew to be stubborn and sharp tongued. Qualities that I would not mind had his confidence not been so baseless, pathetic. He caused me nothing but trouble,” the King returns to the grand chair adjacent to where you sit, his form still seeming to tower over you even while seated.
“It is unfortunate that the fire did not kill him”.
You feel your helplessness more than ever in that moment, beneath the weight of his heinous grin. He is telling you all this because you cannot do anything about it, because he wants you to view your husband as weak, pathetic and disfigured. Touya was born into failure, that’s what his father thought, and he would not let his son escape from that reality. Not even with his own wife.
“Your union with Touya has been of great benefit to me, and for that I thank you,” he says, his index finger tapping heavily against his wine glass. “I can only apologise that these are the cards you were dealt”.
He felt sorry for you. He pitied your marriage to his son. This was not a meeting between a father and his new daughter, no, you were here to be undermined and intimidated. It was all a show of power, a show of wealth and status.
‘I did this to my own son, think what I could do to you’.
“You will forgive my imprudence,” Enji begins after swallowing all the liquid in his glass in one, quick gulp, “but did Touya finish inside you on your wedding night?”
Momentary white hot embarrassment, coupled with anger, flashes through you at his question, his lack of respect for privacy within your marriage, and his lack of respect for your husband. Your grip on the wine tightens so much you fear it might shatter.
“Touya may have failed as my heir, but he still has a duty to carry on our bloodline,” he continues, “that falls to you”. You remember what Touya had given you to drink that night, the lengths he had gone to ensure you could not be impregnated, and allow yourself a deep inhale to steel your resolve.
Loosening your shoulders as you meet his prying eyes you answer, “yes, Your Majesty”.
You are met with another member of staff upon your dismissal, there to escort you back to your quarters. The journey across the palace feels longer, suffocating, and paranoia prickles at your heart.
You had lied to a King.
To your surprise, Touya is waiting for you on the edge of your shared bed as you are led back to your room. There is an apparent nervous energy puppetting his body, wild eyes flickering across the length of your clothed figure.
“Bathe with me,” he instructs you.
“What?” you stammer, crossing your arms anxiously across your stomach. He huffs with frustration.
“I said, bathe with me”.
The bathroom you share together is much larger than you think it needs to be, but you find yourself grateful for the length of the tub as your husband undresses himself beside you without a care. He climbs in, the surface of the water rising slightly against his weight, gentle waves washing against his chest.
Once it becomes clear he is not going to look away you reach for the clasp at the back of your neck, undoing the buttons and shifting your arms out of the sleeves. This gown in particular has two underskirts, proving troublesome to remove without the help of your maidens, the material eventually pooling at your feet.
Your nakedness in front of him still stirs feelings of vulnerability and insecurity in you, despite having slept together. Touya’s stare is inescapable, the weight of it can be felt on every part of your body. In his eyes is an odd glimmer of trepidation, as if he were searching for something, but you weren’t sure exactly what.
You enter the bath at the opposite end of the tub, thankful for the depth as the water rises to cover your breasts. He doesn’t comment on the distance, but he does lean his body forward to rest his arms atop his knees.
“It is not like you to want to spend time with me,” you mutter with cautious annoyance. He scrutinises you, hesitant as his fingertips tease the surface of the water, almost close enough to reach for your own hand.
“Did he hurt you?”
It clicks, then, what he had been studying your body for. Bruising, or injuries, left behind by his father.
“No,” you reply quietly. You dare not look at him, watching the expression on your face distort within the water's reflection, “he did ask me if you had… tried to conceive with me, on our wedding night”.
A sharp inhale. “What did you tell him?”
“That we tried, of course,” you frown, lifting your head in brief irritation, “do you not trust me, or do you simply take me for a fool?”
“You ought to be careful what you say to me, or else you could land yourself in trouble,” his eyes narrow, cerulean irritation reflected back at you but you felt no true malice from him. You never had.
“You would not hurt me,” you reply in a whisper, far more afraid of your own tendency to be too honest than you were of him, though he could not have known that. Your hands wring together nervously, the water rippling around the movement, lapping the skin of your upper arms.
“What gave you that impression?” he snorts humourlessly.
“Everyone I’ve conversed with…” the words catch in your throat, your anxiety, a prong collar around your neck. Acknowledging that you saw through his act felt like you were stepping out of line, that you were disrupting the script. “They spoke of your unique kindness. You are known as a considerate man, Touya, not a cruel one”.
There is a brief period of unbearable silence, wherein neither of you know how to move forward. Your thoughts run amok in your mind, having learnt so much in so little time, you didn’t even know whether it would be appropriate to ask Touya about his mistreatment. He had been so sure that his father would harm you that he’d abandoned his plans for the evening just to wait for you.
“You don’t feel safe here, do you, Majesty?” you murmur.
He feigns ignorance at your words, denying you a response in favour of reaching for one of the many washcloths folded on a shelf by the tub. He dips in between your bodies, the cotton growing dark as it absorbs the water.
He tips his head toward you, holding the cloth out while nervously swiping his bottom lip with his tongue. “May I?” he asks.
“Oh!” you fight the urge to sink beneath the surface and stew in your embarrassment, heat simmering beneath your skin that you naively wish to blame on the steam, “do not feel obligated, your Highness, I can–”
“You are my wife,” he interrupts, “even if I weren’t obligated, I want to”.
There it is again, the intimacy, the sudden affectionate actions that cause your mind to reel. You wished he would just decide what he wanted, to leave you be entirely or to let himself be loving.
“Why are you crying?” He frowns, reaching out his other hand and hesitantly swiping his thumb across the dampness of your cheeks, yet you pull back from his touch. His voice is quiet, rough, it mingled so softly with the echo of the water you almost mishear him. You’re tempted to laugh at the question, at how oblivious he has been to your loneliness, words coming between stuttered breaths, Touya’s expression blurred behind tears.
“You needn’t pretend to care about me, Touya—” He clicks his tongue sharply with frustration, fingers gliding down your throat to cup the back of your neck, pressing your forehead to his.
“That is quite an assumption to make,” he rasps.
“What am I supposed to think?” You tremble, fingers meeting the raised skin of his chest as he moves to your end of the tub, “you haven’t touched me since our wedding night. You haven’t even kissed me”.
“That’s what this is all about?” He breathes, the words warm against your lips, his nose pressed to your cheek, “my sweet little wife wants me to kiss her?”
“Don’t mock me,” your voice still meek despite your efforts. To your disappointment he pulls back, only slightly, instead choosing to run the wet cloth over the curve of your shoulder and down the planes of your back.
“My sister scolded me while you were gone, you know,” he eventually says, “she said you do not have the ‘glow of a newlywed’”.
You don’t know how to respond, so you remain silent under his ministrations, complying when he quietly asks you to raise your arm from beneath the water. He takes your hand delicately, thumb twisting your wedding ring as he drags the cloth down the length of your bicep to your wrist.
“I’ve been... neglectful,” he admits in place of an apology, giving a subtle shrug of his shoulders, “I was never meant to be anyone’s husband, and I don't particularly know what love is”.
An exhale of breath, his fingers intertwine then with yours, ”but I would like to try”.
“Okay,” you faltered, a small flame of hope flickers in your chest that you’re quick to smother. At the very least, you would give him the opportunity to try, nothing else.
A strained air of awkwardness descends upon you both as you exit the baths and begin to dress yourselves. Touya still hovers close by, lifting his towel to dry the stray drop of water that cascades the dip of your collar, your heart stuttering where it sits beneath your ribs.
His fingers graze the sensitive skin of your nape when you struggle to hook the clasp, carefully fastening the back of the gown for you.
“Thank you,” you bow shortly, fighting the heat spreading through your body. Somehow, you find that small touch flusters you far more than bathing with him did.
The feast for Fuyumi is a moderate affair, attended only by close friends of the Royal Family. Uncharacteristically, Touya keeps his hand resting on the small of your back as you enter the dining hall together, and to your relief, neither of you seem to garner much attention from the guests.
A musician is seated at the grand piano, playing a soft alluring tune to serve as background noise to the conversations around you. You distantly wonder if your wedding had taken place here, unaware of the heterochromatic eyes following you across the room.
You take your seat beside your husband, a server immediately leaning over your shoulder to place the starter in front of you, then another cutting in from your left to fill your glass with sake. Now that you’re surrounded by families of wealth and high standing it becomes glaringly obvious how little they think of your husband, and by association you, as evidenced by how the two of you are blatantly ignored.
Touya slumps back into his chair with a loose grip on his drink, the other arm sliding across your lap to take your hand with a pointed glare toward the head of the table. You dare not look and begin using your free hand to eat.
“What is it?” you inquire under your breath, savouring the taste of the wagyu beef. Your circumstances could certainly be much worse.
“Shouto is staring,” he gripes, lifting his chopsticks and playing with his matsutake gohan like a picky child. Todoroki Shouto, the youngest sibling and heir, the one you had yet to meet. You raise your head to glance in the direction of the King, knowing that is likely where he’d be seated.
He is staring. Unblinking, his head tilted toward his father as if he were still listening to the man, yet his gaze remained on you. Even at this distance you can sense he is young, a youthful swell to his cheeks and a peculiarity you cannot seem to put your finger on.
But his eyes are harrowing. He seems desperately lonely.
“Do you dislike him?”
Touya snorts, “he is the golden child. Everything I am not”.
“He’s only a boy,” you say, tone forlorn and low with the King's words fresh in your mind, “just like you were”. The sharpness in his demeanour dulls into something soft, contemplative, and the squeeze of his hand causes your wedding ring to press uncomfortably into your skin.
Somehow you manage to eat from all five courses, conscious of the leftovers and not wanting to seem rude, but the people around you have no issue pushing their plates aside once they’ve had their fill. Even with a Lord for a father you’d been taught to never waste a meal, and it served as a harsh reminder that some people did not need to concern themselves with such customs.
Touya does not eat much, his distasteful scowl remains a permanent fixture well into the evening. Once people begin to step away from the table to socialise he suggests that you retire to bed early, the sharp rebuttal on your tongue quickly swallowed as he presses a soft kiss to your cheek.
“Believe me,” he rasps, “you will not be missing anything. I almost envy you”.
The bed is cold when you climb into it, as it always is, and Touya joins you late, as he always does.
You are coaxed from sleep by the sensation of a warm, heavy hand cupping your cheek. Blinking against the morning light that floods into the bedroom, your eyes slowly adjust to the silhouette of the figure still laid beside you. Touya watches as you shake off the last dregs of sleep, his lips crooked as he fails to stop himself from smiling.
“You’re here,” you mumble, voice still slurred and dipped in exhaustion. The smile tightens, a flash of guilt reflected back at you in azure eyes.
“I’m here,” he assures quietly, “I thought if you felt up to it, I could take you riding”.
You recall then his promise of trying to be better. Pushing up onto your elbow, forgetting yourself as you reverse your positions, you lean into his space excitedly. “A date?” you ask, rubbing the thin overnight crust from your eyes. Touya smirks, the chub of his cheeks deepening the laughter lines by his eyes, your enthusiasm entirely contagious.
Once you’re dressed, switching your skirt for riding pants, he leads you out to the stables. You had not yet explored this part of the gardens, a little wary of the stablemen and perhaps the horses themselves, but Touya navigates it well. In the castle the staff will often avert their gazes from him, but here he is greeted loudly, giving you the impression he visited often.
“It’s good to see you again, Your Highness!” an older man with fair, sand-coloured hair calls out to him, a wilting piece of hay hanging from between his lips.
“Jin,” Touya raises his hand in a familiar manner, “my wife and I both require mounts. Bring out Yua for her”.
The man nods before turning to comply with the demand, opening the gate to the third stall and guiding a beautiful chestnut horse that you recognise to be a Morgan.
“She’s our sweetest girl,” Touya murmurs, his breath tickling the shell of your ear, “suits you, don’t you think?”
He brushes a surprising kiss to your temple and you lean back into his warmth, ignoring his flirting in favour of watching Jin saddle up your mare. Adjacent to Yua’s stall stands another mare, this one a little taller and blue in colour, that seems to be growing impatient.
“That one’s Nozomi, she’s mine,” Touya explains after following your line of sight, “she’s a Blue Roan”.
“She’s beautiful,” you reply in awe. Jin quickly saddles both Yua and Nozomi, Touya leaning forward to observe with obvious contentment. This was something he enjoyed, and you can’t help but smile at the fact that he was sharing it with you.
“I’ve had Nozomi since I was young, but she’s still cautious around new people,” he says, hooking his fingers beneath the girth strap of Yua’s saddle to make sure it’s secure enough for you. As he’s distracted the Blue Roan stares at you inquisitively and exhales a low, breathy whinny, as if to say ‘come here’. You step forward and raise your hand slowly, allowing time for her to duck her muzzle into your palm affectionately.
“Traitor,” he scolds half heartedly, poking Nozomi in the thick of her shoulder, and she huffs a snort in response.
Touya offers to help you mount and you accept, an abrupt squeak falling from your lips as he lifts you effortlessly and deposits you onto the saddle before swinging himself up onto his own steed with ease.
You welcome the cool caress of the breeze as the two of you ride out of the castle gates. Touya turns his mare toward a clearing in the woods, her relaxed walk evolving until she is galloping ahead of you, his vermillion hair blowing against the wind.
“Race you!” he yells over his shoulder, and you laugh incredulously.
Yua is spirited, but she listens well as you loop the reins around your hands and squeeze your legs against her sides, encouraging her to follow. Her easy trot speeds up until she’s galloping, only a few metres behind Touya and Nozomi, your body rising and falling with her movements.
Despite the ugliness that lies within the family, the Todoroki land is beautiful, fertile and green even with the sparse seasons of rainfall. As you ride the forest seems to breathe around the two of you, inhaling the scent of petrichor and wildflowers as the wind combs through your hair, taken by the sensation of freedom.
You could understand why Touya, of all the siblings, came to love riding.
Nozomi begins to slow as she nears a meadow and Yua sidles up beside her elder, whinnying loudly. You take a moment to appreciate the surroundings – wildgrass untouched, splashes of colour found in every corner and the gentle sound of running water in the distance.
Touya climbs down from her, and with assistance you dismount your horse into his embrace. “There’s a stream just ahead, we can sit and let them drink,” he says, eyes appraising the length of your legs in the riding breeches.
“Stop staring,” you spluttered, the embarrassment only making his grin widen.
“A man can’t stare at his wife?”
You tuck your chin to your chest in an effort to hide your own smile, knowing it will only encourage him. Leaning into his side as his arm wraps around your shoulder, he begins guiding you down to the brook with both reins in hand.
As the stream comes into view the mares walk forward instinctively, ducking their necks to lap at the clear water. He knots the reins loosely around a thick tree branch, patting Nozomi firmly on the back before gesturing for you to sit on a clear spot in the meadow.
You sit with your legs curled to the side, leaning against his shoulder as he plays with your fingers in his lap. The day is perfect, a rare day of clear skies without unbearable heat, the sun warm on your cheeks where she kisses your skin.
“Would you be angry if I asked you something personal?”
“Only if you won’t be angry with my answers,” he conceded.
“Why don’t you want children?” you ask, your voice suddenly startling a partridge out of the long grass. Touya inhales sharply, twisting to watch as it takes flight, a far-off look in his eyes.
“At present, Shouto will be the one taking the throne,” he begins with a shallow sigh, “I was deemed unfit because of my condition. Fuyumi is a woman, and therefore has no claim. Natsuo rescinded his right to the throne when he took the oath and became a knight”.
You nod as he speaks, keeping your gaze fixed on his expression as it sours, “If we were to have a son and something happens to Shouto, the claim would go to him, because I was the first born”.
“Oh,” you whisper.
He turns his hand, your palms kissing as he intertwines your fingers, “I wouldn't want our child to bear that burden”.
His reasoning is understandable, and it placates the small insecurity you held that perhaps he simply didn’t want children with you.
“Do you want children?”
You hum amusedly. “I’d want happy children,” is your decided answer, and he snorts a short breath of laughter, grip squeezing. An silent show of gratitude.
The breeze picks up momentarily and your body turns into his embrace to syphon his natural warmth. His chin nudges against your temple in a bid for attention, and you lift your head to grant him it. His face is closer than you expect, eyes heavy-lidded and dilated as he gauges your reaction.
Short, soft breaths ghost against your lips, and you feel the ache in your chest spread to your stomach, tilting your chin towards him with want. You jolt as he finally kisses you, a tongue tentatively tracing along the seam of your mouth, waiting for signs of discomfort just as he had on your first night. The longing has been accumulating for so long that you feel as if your strings have been pulled taut.
And so they thin, and inevitably snap.
His hand finds your hip, shifting until you are laid amongst the wildflowers, bracing himself over you on his elbows and knees, but as he deepens the kiss he lets his weight sink onto your body. It is every bit as comforting as you remembered it to be.
Like a flood gate had been opened, yearning and want takes ahold of you. Your hands flock along the length of his arms, needing to touch everything, everywhere, but not wanting to seem clumsy or naïve.
He smiles against your mouth, a welcome feeling, and slides his hands beneath your hips to squeeze at your ass through your breeches. The moment slows and the surroundings fade away, your husband seemingly content only to press himself to every inch of you and kiss you breathless.
“Touya,” you sigh happily, muffled by his mouth. He pulls back minutely, followed by a wet string of saliva still connecting your lips.
“How’s that for a kiss?” he asks, and it might’ve sounded mocking had it not been so eager, “or was that not enough for you?”.
Your legs fall open when he pulls you into his lap, hands tightly fisted into the material of his shirt. “We shouldn’t,” you sigh, your resolve crumbling as he begins to forge a path of wet kisses down the column of your throat, “not... not here”.
“No one will see or hear us,” he mouths at the exposed skin beneath the collar of your blouse, “but if you truly want to endure the twenty minute ride home to our bed, I’m happy to oblige you”.
He knows neither of you have the patience for that. You’re right where he wants you.
“Will you kiss me again?” you ask, and his lips align with yours. He kisses you tender, over and over, coming up only for short breaths of air before returning to you.
You feel as your body loses rigidity, melting like softening butter beneath his hands, the heat pooling notably between your legs. He pulls the hem of your blouse out from your waistband, his fingers quick to slip beneath and bunch the material above your breasts.
Emboldened by his affections you begin to undo the buttons of his shirt and this time he doesn’t stop you. Resting your hand against his bare chest, right where his heart sits, you marvel at the pace of his pulse.
You excite him just as much as he excites you.
“I need to taste you again,” he says, the request thick in his throat as he lets himself want, “it’s all I’ve been able to think about”.
“Please,” you breathe.
His movements are a touch frantic as he pulls off his shirt and carefully lifts your hips from the soft grass to spread it beneath your body. Once you’re comfortable he makes work of your breeches, tight as they are on your thighs, and tugs them off your legs.
He hooks the crotch of your underwear and pulls it aside, resting his thumbs in the crease of your thighs. Propped up on your elbows you watch while he slowly eases your legs apart, his gaze unblinking and ravenous.
“Such a pretty pussy,” you recall the words he’d said to you on that first night and feel yourself throb, his mouth falling slack at the sight.
Touya bows forward and takes you into his mouth, running the flat of his tongue through your folds and laving over your clit as he inhales deeply through his nose. Your thighs clamp either side of his head reflexively, and the hazy groan given in return frissons through you.
You feel his fingers flirting with your entrance, his tongue focused only on caressing shapes into your clit. He plays with you, sinking into your warmth only to the first knuckle and retreating, rubbing your wetness between his thumb and forefinger.
“You’re not being fair,” you whine, hips rolling up desperately to entice him, and he gives in easily. You remember his instructions to breathe when he finally presses his deft fingers inside of you, fucking you slowly with his hand. A sob falls from your lips, hands dashing into his windswept hair, your cunt pulsing as you squirm with sensitivity.
The pressure builds gradually until it is spreading like wildfire, thighs trembling where they hang over his broad shoulders. Your back arches, chest heaving and hands still tightly fisted into his hair. He moans wanton at the muted sting in his scalp, and you chase the sensation, holding him firmly to your sex as you crest. Molten bliss washes over you, diffuses through you, warming from the inside out.
Touya sits up to brace himself, forearms either side of your head and his grinning mouth obscenely wet. A soft gasp passes your lips as he reaches between your bodies to pull his cock from his pants, sliding himself through the mix of saliva and cum.
This time, as he sinks his cock inside of you, he does so with his mouth pressed to yours. Heat rises to the surface of your skin when he tempts your tongue into his mouth, suckling on it with a pleased hum that reverberates like a purr.
The drag of his cock inside you is as good as you remembered, the smooth rock of his hips seducing you into bliss, whines muffled and swallowed by his fervent kisses. The sun is bright above you, bathing you in her warmth where you lay hidden between the tall grass, the slap of wet skin drowned out by the rush of the stream.
His rhythm changes, both arms slipping beneath your body and holding you tight to his chest while he grinds tight circles into you. “Touya,” you moan languidly, nails curling into the marred skin of his shoulders as you cling to him, his pants hot against your cheek.
He pulls your orgasm from you like loose thread from a sheet, slowly unravelling and unending, your body trembling in his embrace all the while. “So beautiful,” he murmurs, “so fucking beautiful like this”.
You finally feel blanketed by loves potential, held, as he rides you through to your last wave with leisurely strokes until his hips slowly come to a stop.
He lifts his head to look at you, a blush blooming from his neck to his ears and his hair pointed in all directions. It takes a moment for you to realise that he’s still hard. You hadn’t taken the medicine, so he couldn’t risk finishing inside of you.
“Let me,” you mumble, still catching your breath as he complies and pulls out of you. There are a few seconds of mourning, your pussy fluttering around the emptiness as you wrap your hand around his cock. His brow furrows, collapsing onto one arm with his mouth agape in relief.
He grunts, “Tighter”. With three long, firm strokes, he cums across your bare stomach, whimpering as his hips buck clumsily into your fist.
“That was…” your voice tapers off in disbelief, and he laughs breathlessly.
His cock begins to soften and he leans his forehead against yours, eyes held shut and savouring the afterglow before pushing himself upright. He presses a tender kiss to the inside of your knee as he tucks himself back into his pants, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to clean you up.
You reach to cup his jaw as he does, brushing your thumb along the line of his cheekbone, the pink skin smooth beneath your touch.
“Do you apply any ointments to your burns?”
He turns into your palm, “No, there’s no point”.
“That isn’t true,” you say, your voice purposefully gentle, “it’s important to protect your skin, scars are far more susceptible to sunburn you know”.
“Is that so,” he murmurs offhandedly, his lips moving against your love line, folding the soiled handkerchief and shoving it back into his pocket to dispose of later.
You hum an affirmative. “I could make some for you, I’ll have to find some beeswax and…”
He studies you wordlessly through loose, crimson bangs with fond eyes as you list off the ingredients you’d need. Nozomi and Yua whinny impatiently from the brook, reminding you that if you did not return to the palace soon a search party may be sent out. You wished you could carve out this space in time and remain there forever.
The sun dips behind a cloud.
“Let’s go home”.
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11/26/23 - 470 - The thought of anything to do with weddings had never crossed Chris's mind until becoming Aunt Julia's niece. But now, wearing seductive lingerie and gazing through the Boys Bridal Collection catalog, becoming a stunning bride has begun to seduce Chris. Just look at Chris's portrait on the wall. There is so much more to Chris as a Miss.
Debuted in late 2009 on Carole Jean's Petticoat Punishment Art. Thanks Christeen and Carole Jean.
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Ralph Penbury (Timewasters) Masterlist
Worth It
Worth It began as a Valentine's Day one-shot, then blossomed into a three-shot, and now there are officially twenty chapters in the Worth It-verse. This story takes place a little before the Timewasters that we know and love. (Thus thwarting Ralph's heartbreak and demise. Not even a little bit sorry.) Ralph is in his early 20s, and the female reader who's going to give him the love and affection that he deserves is about a year older and unnamed. (No Y/N, just terms of endearment.) Please read the announcement, and then... enjoy!
*Read This Important Series Announcement Before Proceeding!*
Chapter 1 - The Dance
Your mother forces you to go to a Valentine's Day dance with a dull date, but Ralph manages to make your night worthwhile.
Chapter 2 - The Bridge
Ralph waits for you on the bridge the next day. To say he's nervous would be an understatement.
Chapter 3 - My Good Friend Mary
Ralph brings you a present that's also a prop in your masterful plan to keep your mother in the dark.
Chapter 4 - The Most Ordinary Girl in the World
Even though you hate shopping, you decide it's time to go see a lady about a dress or twelve.
Chapter 5 - There Is Nothing Wrong With You
You and Ralph have a heart-to-heart after the shopping incident.
Chapter 6 - A Great Deal of Bravery
A simple act breaks Ralph's brain. A simple phrase breaks yours.
Chapter 7 - One Hundred Kisses
Ralph is upset, but luckily, you know one hundred ways to make him better.
Chapter 8 - Are You Still With Me, Ralph?
Ralph is down with a cold, but his favorite nurse comes to take care of him.
Chapter 9 - Seven Dreadful Days
Ralph has to go away for a few days, and neither of you are sure you'll survive your time apart.
Chapter 10 - Go Easy On Those Pastries
Ralph comes home, but your reunion does not go as planned.
Chapter 11 - Questioning Miracles
Your secret isn't a secret anymore. Time to face the music.
Chapter 12 - Do You Think He's Still Alive?
Ralph meets your father, and you make a decision about your future together.
Chapter 13 - Try Not to Get Trampled
Easter picnics aren't generally Ralph's idea of a good time, but if you're there, it can't be but so bad… right?
Chapter 14 - Just the Way You Are
Ralph needs some reassurance. You need an axe.
Chapter 15 - All I Want Is You
Planning a wedding with two overbearing mothers. What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter 16 - Victoria and I Are Having a Party
You're invited to a Penbury Party. Try not to panic.
Chapter 17 - I Think We Should Try That Again
So an introvert walks into a crowded Penbury Party…
Chapter 18 - The Feeling Is Mutual
Shopping for a wedding dress is so unbearable, you and Ralph decide to do something desperate.
Chapter 19 - Every Single Room
What comes after a wedding?
Chapter 20 - Forty-Four Days
All good things must come to an end… right?
Worth It: The Honeymoon (Blurbs)
What did Mr. and Mrs. Penbury do during that long honeymoon?
Warm | Vanity | Beard | Portraits | Fountain | Table | Grandmother's Room | Library | Stable | Valentina | Climbing Tree | Nightmare | Valentina's Palace | Hair | Billiards | Sunshine | Garden | Mud | Toys | Ready When You Are
Always Worth It
You didn't think you'd seen the last of the Penburys, did you?
The Other Dance
A flashback to Ralph and the future Mrs. Penbury's first kiss at the Christmas Ball.
Christmas in July
Mr. and Mrs. Penbury get another chance at a perfect kiss under the mistletoe at an unexpected time of the year.
I Ralph You
Ralph learns a hip new word he's not too fond of. His lovely wife must act fast and help him un-learn it.
Escape from Penbury Manor
Mr. and Mrs. Penbury attend a Halloween party, but when the sun goes down, it's not all fun and games for the happy couple.
What the Hell is Compressed Yeast?
Ralph wakes up in the middle of the night, and you're not next to him like you should be. Where are you, Mrs. Penbury?
Made for This
Ralph needs a little reassurance about his impending fatherhood. You're more than happy to give it.
Keeping Us Awake
You and Ralph receive a pair of tickets to the Nutcracker Ballet as a Christmas gift, an event neither of you really wants to attend... how ever will you stay awake through such a spectacle?
The Most Amazing Wife in the World
Ralph is having a rough day, but his amazing wife knows exactly how to turn things around.
A Valentine's Day Surprise
It's not really Valentine's Day without a dance with your one and only, is it? (Happy 1st Anniversary to Worth It!)
Our Sweet Baby Mary
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the Penburys with a... well, you know the rest. (Bonus: There's Something About Mary)
Blurbs Based on Emojis
🥶 - Snow Day
🍆 - Trying New Things
🍫 - One of Everything
💋 - Marking Your Territory
Post-Series Stuff
Thank You for Reading
Goodbye Forever?
That One Announcement Everyone Ignores
Not Worth It (Other Stuff)
Ralph Deserves a Present
Ralph goes snooping and gets an early Christmas present. (Christmas Fluff, but make it suggestive)
Ralphtanic
A multi-chapter Worth It AU set on the Titanic!
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Hils Watches Mysterious Lotus Casebook - Ep 11
Fang Duobing's reflexes always tuned to keeping Li Lianhua safe, even if it's just from a roll of paper
Of course it was Di Feisheng who threw it. He has to do everything in the most dramatic way possible
He has a degree in architecture
Poor confused puppy
I love that in the last episode Fang Duobing was all 'gentlemen use their words not their fists' but he literally tries to fight Di Feisheng whenever he insults him (which is all the time)
So handy that the people at the next table are talking about the case they're investigating and not their shitty days at work or something
It was bugging me where I recognised him from. He was in Immortal Samsara with Cheng Yi
Well this is about to get awkward
Ehehe
How many times has Cheng Yi worn a wedding dress in the various dramas he's been in? I can think of at least two other occasions. Is it in his contract? Do the people making these dramas think he's just so pretty he needs to wear a wedding dress? I would love to know
Well, that has clearly just awoken something in both of them. @alxina @xantissa you have prior experience. Please tell me you've written or are going to write wedding dress fic
Is that a euphemism for something?
Is that also a euphemism for something?
Edit: A few people were yelling in the notes about Di Feisheng basically holding Li Lianhua's hand and walking him towards the mirror and I totally missed it! But...yes, that is a thing that happened.
I will never get tired of Fang Duobing protecting Li Lianhua even when he just stumbles over a loose rock
Can't wait for Fang Duobing to find out that the dude he pushed into the corpse pond is infamous martial artist Di Feisheng
Love that he's drawn Li Lianhua all smiling and pretty while Di Feisheng looks all grumpy
Aww he threw Li Lianhua's portrait away because he wants Li Lianhua to trust him enough to tell him his secrets on his own
#hils watches#hils watches mysterious lotus casebook#hils watches cdramas#mysterious lotus casebook#cdrama
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The Wertheimer Portraits
A retexture by La Comtesse Zouboff — Original Mesh by @thejim07
The Wertheimer portraits are a series of twelve portrait paintings made by John Singer Sargent of and for the British art dealer Asher Wertheimer and his family. The series amounts to Sargent's largest private commission.
The family became close friends of the artist John Singer Sargent. He often dined at their home at 8 Connaught Place, where the dining room (sometimes described as "Sargent's mess" ) was decorated with eight of the family portraits. Mr and Mrs Wertheimer commissioned Singer Sargent to paint two portraits to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in 1898, and ten more commissions followed in the next decade. Most of the portraits hang in the Tate Museum in London, after Wertheimer's death in 1918. The donation was an scandal, as some antisemitic comments emerged, such as that of the historian Sir Charles Oman: "these clever, but extremely repulsive, pictures should be placed in a special chamber of horrors".
The bequest and wish for the portraits to be displayed together was seen as a distasteful display of wealth with opponents claiming it was Jewish excess and asking “Is there any other gallery that has been given so many paintings?
Since the paintings would hang among royalty, clergy and historical figures, to have a room dedicated to one family deemed outside the British establishment was so controversial that it was debated in Parliament.
Nowadays, the portraits are regarded as masterpieces, and most of the antisemitic comments remained in the past, but some critics have thought that the paintings "exudes caricature-like features and projected racial stereotypes onto the sitters" although the family was perfectly happy with them (of course this wouldn't have been issue if the family belonged to catholicism or other western-predominant religion)
This set contains 12 portraits, with the original frame swatches, fully recolourable. They are of:
Elizabeth "Betty" Wertheimer, Mrs. Euston Abraham Salaman (oval shape)
Flora Wertheimer (née Joseph) Mrs. Asher Wertheimer
Helena "Ena" Wertheimer, Mrs. Robert Moritz Mathias, "A Vele Gonfle"
Madame Asher Wertheimer (née Flora Joseph) (another portrait of Flora)
Miss Almina Wertheimer in Turquerie Costume.
Mr. Alfred Wertheimer
Edward Wertheimer (unfinished)
Asher Wertheimer with his Poodle, Noble.
Elizabeth "Betty" and Helena "Ena" Wertheimer.
Hylda, Conway and Almina Wertheimer.
Miss Hylda Wertheimer.
Ruby, Ferdinand and Essie Wertheimer.
Found under decor > paintings for:
500§ (1)
1.850§ (2-3-4-5-6-7-8)
3.040§ (9-10)
3.900§ (11)
6520§ (12)
Retextured from:
"Saint Mary Magdalene" (1) found here
"The virgin of the Rosary" (2-3-4-5-6-7-8) found here
"Portrait of Mariana of Austria in Prayer" (9-10) found here
"Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria and her Son, le Grand Dauphin" (11) found here
"Vulcan's Forge" (12) found here
Thing to know before download: The pictures are not as dark as in this post, the lighting was awful in the screenshots.
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CC shown here:
Walls, floor and loveseat by @thejim07
Bust, urns, fireplace, clock, vases, candelabras, pendule à cercles tournants, door and screen by @joojconverts
Armchairs by ShinoKCR (tsr)
Rug by me, found here
Sideboard, chairs, sidetables and sofa by @martassimsbookcc
Commodes by Parsimonious Sims
Drive
(Sims3Pack | Package)
(Useful tags below)
@joojconverts @ts3history @ts3historicalccfinds @deniisu-sims @katsujiiccfinds @gifappels-stuff
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#the sims 3#ts3#s3cc#sims 3#sims 3 cc#sims 3 download#portrait#sims 3 decor#edwardian#edwardian art#john singer sargent#wertheimer#wall decor
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(1) Queer domestic worker and jazz lover Mabel Hampton (1919)
(3) Annie Bell and Sammie Pratt (1905)
(4) Mr. and Mrs. Joe Spears (1914)
(5) Bride and Groom (1926)
(6) William Biggers and his family (1916)
(7) A well-dressed couple strolling together (1925)
(8) A stylish New York couple in Harlem (1932)
(9) Lorraine Hurdle, a Black lesbian, posed in her United States Women’s Army Corps (WAC) uniform alongside a bespeckled lady friend during World War II
(10) A Family Portrait in Fort Scott, Kansas (1950)
(11) The wedding of transgender essayist Dawn Pepita Hall and her husband, auto-mechanic John Paul Simmons (1969)
(12) A couple shares a kiss inside a photo booth (1930s-40s)
(13) Two men share a kiss under a tree (1977-78)
Special Love to the Holsinger Collection, KyKy Archives, James Van Der Zee Studio, Mabel Hampton Collection, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture
#for my afrofolio of period dramas#black history month#black people are everywhere#always have been#valentine's day#our history is your history#queer topics
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─ •✧ CATHERINE'S YEAR IN REVIEW : MAY ✧• ─
2 MAY - Princess Charlotte's 8th Birthday Portrait captured by Catherine was released by Kensington Palace.
3 MAY - Catherine, William and their children attended the Coronation Rehearsal.
4 MAY - Catherine and William travelled on the Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road Station where they were received by Mr. Kevin Traverse-Healy (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London). Afterwards, they visited the Dog and Duck Pub.
5 MAY - Catherine and William attended the Realm Governor-Generals and Prime Ministers Reception at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, they joined The King in greeting the crowds at The Mall. Subsequently, they attended the Reception for Heads of State and Overseas Guests.
6 MAY - Catherine, William and their children attended the Coronation of The King and Queen in Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, they witnessed the RAF fly-past from the Palace Balcony.
7 MAY - Catherine and William attended the Coronation Big Lunch on the Long Walk. Later, they attended the BBC Coronation Concert and held a Reception following the Concert at Windsor Castle.
8 MAY - Catherine and were joined by their kids for the Big Help Out at 3rd Upton Scouts Hall. They appeared in the Coronation Portrait released by Buckingham Palace.
9 MAY - Catherine and William gave an Afternoon Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Coronation of The King and Queen.
11 MAY - Catherine received Professor Eamon McCrory (Board Member, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Advisory Group) at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, they held a Meeting with Mrs. Alice Webb (Trustee, The Royal Foundation).
13 MAY - Catherine joined Kalush Orchestra for a special piano performance for the 2023 Eurovision Finale.
14 MAY - Catherine appeared in a Eurovision Performance BTS portrait released by Kensington Palace.
16 MAY - Catherine was received by His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (Mr. Mohammed Saddiq) as she visited the Kelly Holmes Trust to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.
17 MAY - Catherine visited her patronage - Family Action.
18 MAY - Catherine visited the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families where she was received by Mr. Paul Herbage (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London).
20 MAY - Kensington Palace released a new portrait featuring Catherine with her bees to mark World Bee Day.
23 MAY - Catherine attended a Children's Picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show of the Royal Horticultural Society.
25 MAY - Catherine visited the Foundling Museum where she was received by Ms. Roxane Zand (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London). Afterwards, she was received by Ms. Geraldine Norris (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London) as she attended a workshop with Kinship at St. Pancras Community Centre.
31 MAY - Catherine and William arrived in Amman for the Royal Wedding.
#year in review 2023 : catherine#catherine review : may#year in review : 2023#year in review : catherine#review may#review 2023#british royal family#royals#royal#brf#kate middleton#catherine middleton#british royals#royalty#british royalty#duchess of cambridge#prince of wales#princess of wales#prince william#princess catherine#the princess of wales#the prince of wales#the prince and princess of wales#princess kate#princess charlotte of wales#princess charlotte
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Sunny vacations
Part1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
Tags : Mansion, vacation, pool, bickering, proposing
FemaleReader x Thrawn
You accepted Arzel offer and arrive with Thrawn at his property on Tyrahn. Surely those vacation will be uneventful and restful?
It is an awful idea.
Really…
But you barely had anything to say in that. Or rather it was an unique occasion, albeit a dangerous one.
“We are arriving.” Thawn indicates.
You look through the window. You see a massive mansion with a pool and private domain. Your eyes widen, you didn’t know it would have been this large. It is your first time on Tyrahnn despite orbiting next to it regularly.
“You never came?” He asks.
“No. Never.” You shake your head.
You’re praying everything will be okay.
Your transport lands on a special place, permitting you to get out of the jet. Outside Azrel is waiting for you, fanning himself with his fan and a big smile on his face.
He opens his arms as you step out, pulling you into a hug.
“Welcome my pearl.” He chants.
He grabs the side of your face and kisses you languorously. You gulp. Not in front of Thrawn, you think. You try to pull back and it makes him chuckle. He releases you with a sly smile and extends his hand to Thrawn, holding your waist.
“Welcome Grand Admiral. Thank you for accepting my invitation.”
Thrawn seizes his hand and shakes it firmly.
“Thank you, Governor. I am sure we can put those vacations to profits.”
Arzel laughs.
“You’re never really on vacation, are you?”
“Unfortunately, no. Such as you”
Arzel shrugs.
“Give your luggage to the droids, they will take care of it!”
A droid appears out of nowhere behind your back, almost making you jump how silent it is. It seizes any baggage and rolls away as quickly. Azrel caresses your back.
“Did you travel well?”
“It was uneventful.” Thrawn indicates
Uneventful but not restful. At least for you. You departing from the Relentless and Thrawn from the Chimaera you didn’t cross paths. He surely took a special transport his grade of Grand Admiral permitted him while you took the community shuttle. You then took the same Civilian transport but you took the second class while he took the first, you only realize you took the same once on the platform. You travel together since, and outside polite chatting and necessities you didn’t exchange a word, him as unbothered and haughty as usual and you melting on your seat, almost dizzy. Saying you’re relieved you arrived is an understatement.
“Let me show you around.” Arzell declares.
He makes you visit his mansion, never letting you go. He shows you the domain, the house, its immense living room, home cinema, gym, mirrors room,... Your neck is in pain, constantly looking everywhere , all at once.
“Woaw… You grew up here?”
“I did, my pearl. This house saw my birth, my growth, will probably see my wedding and my death.” His hand slides to your lower back at the mention of wedding.
You feel a burning sensation at the back of your neck, like someone was staring at your back. In a hallway you all three stop, Thrawn admiring the paintings of the family. You look up to it, it is a series of strokes of bright and neon colors. Really modern paintings.
“I came to understand you're an art aficionado, Grand Admiral.”
“Indeed.”
“What can you say about those?” Arzel gestures to them with his closed fan.
“Those are family portraits.” Thawn notes.
Arzel applauds.
“Compliments. You’re absolutely right. Numbers of people take much more time to understand it, even more simply don't believe it.”
“Yet it is clearly apparent.”
“To you maybe. Tell me, my pearl, you who knows me best, which one is my portrait?”
You look dumbfounded at the numerous canvases on the wall. How are you supposed to know that? You take time to observe each and every one of them, trying to find a pattern or a detail.
You look at Azrel that fan himself with an amused gaze, then Thrawn, praying for him to help you but he just looks at you with an indecipherable expression. You look back at the portrait, your mind at max speed.
Then it clicks.
“It is this one.” you point.
Arzel and Thrawn both nod.
“Tell me how you knew?” Azrel asks.
“No. It’s my secret.” You smirk.
It is the same color palette as his favorite fan. Not too complicated, finally. You just have to know the person in question. You look up trying to determine which ones are his parent’s, but he pulls you away.
Finally you're shown your rooms.
“Your room, Grand Admiral, is right here. I made you prepare the largest guest chambers.” Arzel largely opens the double doors.
You take a sneak peak, it is a really large room with a double bed, even an interior fountain and a built in cold pool. The windows are arches that look out onto the gardens. In those high temperatures a cold breeze comes freshen up the room and fly the light white fabric of the curtains.
“I’ve got the King room right over there, and my pearl,” Arzel kisses your cheek. “You obviously get the Queen room next to it.” He shows you around.
Those two rooms are smaller but more intimate and protected from the harsh rays of the sun. Your luggages is already here.
“I propose you take off those tight uniforms and come freshen up at the pool. Roween, I left you a little present on the bed.” Arzel winks at you.
You all get into your own rooms. You take the time to visit a bit, you get a double canopy bed with embroidered covers and pillows, a carved basin with fresh water, a private bathroom with a tub in what looks like white marble, and a little bookcase with some holobooks. You leaf through them, it’s your favorite authors with some holos of the Beleg, you notice a second range and take out a risqué little holos. Also your favorite authors and tomes. You feel your cheeks burning, it makes you chuckle to see naughty holos mixed with holos teaching you to reach the Light. Pretty antinomic. You put them back and look for the present.
It’s a light small baby blue dress, it's soft to the touch and you realize it’s probably both for everyday wear and swimming. Well, everyday wear is maybe a bit much considering how small it is. It comes with a pair of small heels of the same colors. You pass it on and look at you in the large mirror of the room. It hugs your forms perfectly and is super breathable, it’s like wearing a second skin. It’s not your style though. The cut isn’t to your taste. You’re flattening it when your gaze stops on your hands.
You’re wearing the rings.
You look at them. How come two little things like that can bring you so much trouble? Should… Should you take them off? Only one? In this case, which one? Or both… You hid them from Thrawn with the black gloves of your uniforms earlier, but now…
You look into the gift box again and find a matching pair of gloves that run all the way to your higher biceps. That’s not regular… But it prevents you from making a choice and you put them over your two rings. Here! What you can’t see, can’t hurt you!
You shake your head.
You go put the box on the little dressing table and see a load of skin products, moisturizers, oils and ointments. Is Arzel scared for you to get skin cancer or something? It makes you snort with amusement.
You take a tube of sunscreen and two holos. Feeling cheeky you pick one risqué, you’ll read it hidden behind the larger book. You head towards the pool where they’re already taking advantages of the fresh water. You choose a deckchair and install yourself. You hear a whistle coming from Azrel.
“I knew I picked well… But wow.”
You strike a pose and give him a glance from over your sunglasses with a smirk.
“How do you like it, sir?”
Thrawn emerges from the water, shaking his head and ruffling his hair. Water stops at their waist, letting you appreciate their well shaped bodies, water glistening on their abs and pecs. You’re reminded of Azrel’s tattoo that snakes its way to unspeakable places and Thrawn’s broad chest. Your confidence melts like ice in the sun, you suddenly take the whole measure of those vacations. Azrel nods approvingly and turns towards Thrawn with the face of a child receiving a new toy.
“How beautiful is my fiance, Grand Admiral?”
Sometimes Azrel's craving for attention is too much…
“This isn’t her style.” Thrawn simply notes, looking you up and down.
“Of course! I took the liberty to expand her range of clothing!” Azrel smuggly explains.
You shyly sit on the chair crossing your legs to calm down your waking core. It’s hot today but the spectacle in front of you is hotter. Azrel’s peacefully sipping a cocktail leaning against the pool wall, Thrawn’s doing length and your reading, hiding from the sun under a parasol. You take quick glances at Azrel broad shoulders and Thrawn’s athletic performance, alternating with your cheeky reading. You press your legs together when a threesome scene starts.
Your imagination starts running wild.
You feel your cheeks being set ablaze and waves of warmth spread from your bundle of nerves. Your heart starts racing as the caresses described in your holo get more saucy and bold. You start imagining yourself instead of the heroine between her two lovers. Kissing and groping each other. You gulp, imagining Thrawn’s warm hands snaking their way from your thighs to your waist, pulling you against his pelvis in a powerful motion, looming over you like a predator with his burning eyes shining in the night. Azrel caressing and playing with your tits while kissing you. You would moan and mewl under their touches, your body waving against their muscular ones. They would have so much intentions for you, treating you like a queen for one night. Your clit pulsates furiously at the simple thought of their combined caresses. You let a deep sigh escape you.
“What do you might read to hide it like that?” Arzel snatches your holos from your hands with a laugh.
“Arzel, give that back immediately!” You jump on your feet on high alert.
If he reads it you’re done for!
“Her breath got stuck in her throat as he caressed her ass, hooking her panties he slid th-” He didn't get to finish his reading.
You jump on his back trying to catch the holo, he agitates it under your nose laughing. Seeing how you won’t let him be he throws himself in the pool. You cry. The water is super cold! You emerge with a scream.
“Nather Satlove you’re such a kid!”
“That’s why you love me, you would be bored either way.” He chuckles.
He swims swiftly to you and steals you a kiss. His hands snake their way to your ass and grab it. You growl in the kiss with surprise and indignation. Not in front of a guest! Not in front of Thrawn! You think. From the corner of your eyes you see him fixing you both. Arzel lets you go with a pop sound and a satisfied smirk.
At any rate, the cold water helps calm your steamy hot thoughts. You swim to Thrawn, clearing your throat.
“Hmm, I’m sorry for this inappropriate moment.”
“It is his house.” He simply responds.
His tone is a bit harsh, although you don’t exactly know why. Is he wounded in his ego to see his one night partner being cuddled by another man? In some twisted way, it pleases you.
Serves him right!
It’s for all the headache and heart palpitations he gives you.
A droid comes towards the pool.
“Master, dinner is served.”
“Perfect! Let’s go, friends!” Like that he jumps out of the pool
After washing out the chlorine and passing one of your dresses in which you are comfortable you join them at the dressed table in the garden. They are already seated down.
“I prepared you a dress.” Arzel pouts.
You smile contritely.
“I will wear it another day.” You sit down, getting served by the droids.
In front of you Thrawn’s eat in a dignified silence, glancing every one and then to the garden statues and the little ones placed on the table.
“What do you want to do in the next few days? Tyrahn has everything, malls, mountains, lakes, rallys, theaters,” He winks at Thrawn “Museums.”
Thrawn’s attention is immediately catched.
"If you do not mind it I will most certainly do a tour of the museums"
"I knew you would say that !" Arzel laughs. "We should all go to one of them. I'm the Governor of this planet, I can privatize them and give you access to their archives."
"Thank you Governor, but I am not exactly comfortable with the idea of privatizing art and museums" Thrawn dabs his mouth with his napkin.
"You think It should be accessible to all?"
"Indeed, I do."
Arzel scofes.
"Well, we did open them to the masses and they do nothing with it. Who cares about art when you worry about the next paycheck?"
You stop mid-movement. You don't like where this is going.
"I think art is a matter of opportunity and education. Everyone can appreciate art if they are given the right tools." Thrawn tempers.
"Education, that's the problem, my friend." Azrel fills his glass of wine and inhales it "Take the first bumpkin and you will find none. Few are those capable of actually rising above their miserable condition. Only the strong manage to detach itself from the swarming masses." He takes your hand with a thin smile. "Like you, my Pearl."
You smile back, twitching. You're more middle Class than working Class but you get the stab nonetheless. You and Thrawn don't add anything to that conversation, but it looks like Azrel hasn't finished yet.
"And you, Grand Admiral? What's your family doing?"
"My family is complex and consists of multiple backgrounds and walks of life."
"What were your parents' jobs, in this case ?"
You're absolutely mortified, you wish the ground would swallow you whole. Thrawn takes a sip of his drinks, eyes in the void like he's searching in his memory.
"My parents were Factory workers."
"See? And now you're now a Grand Admiral of the Navy. Only the strong and worthy ascend! I am most impressed by those who manage to do it, they are the true winners in this world. The most worthy of praise. But how much fleabags society has to support for only one genius?"
You cough, your bite taking a wrong turn. Would it have been anyone else, they would be strangling Azrel right now. But Thrawn remains calm, unbothered.
"It is interesting that you hold such views, Governor Satlov. Do you not fight for racial equality ?"
"I do and I stand by that! Pretending that races determines your intellect or your capacities to serve society is nonsense! Non-humans should have the same opportunities as humans."
"Even if the game is rigged?" You can't help but ask
"This is why we work" He reminds you "to refine the process and help the next genius to ascend."
You take a bite, but you're not really hungry anymore.
“But tell me Grand Admiral, what does a man like you do in his free time?” ask Azrel by filling Thrawn's glass
"My time is rarely free, I mostly study arts and cultures while coordinating my teams and investigating the cases the Emperor gave me."
“So you never really stop working, don’t you.”
“I do not. I am contactable at any time and if need be I will shorten those vacation to join the operatives forces I displayed around Tyrahnn.”
Azrel looks interested.
“You displayed operative forces? Where?”
“You will understand I cannot reveal sensible information like that.”
Technically he could, the Governor has full right to know which forces roam around his own planet, but you guess Thrawn’s patience is slowly withering after all. Arzel lifts a hand in an appeasing gesture.
"I didn't mean to pry into your strategies, Grand Admiral. I am sorry." He takes a bite of rare meat. "And you my Pearl, what do you want to do?"
You're suddenly faced again with why you accepted this situation to begin with. This whole circus has only one reason to be…
"There is an open-air market, the Sapara market, I would like to visit on this date, alone. You could do something together this day?" They exchange a single side glance.
Clearly those two only pretend to get along. But it is not your problem, you're here for your cousin, your informant, and for his intel. And those intel specify clearly that your pirates are gonna meet at the Sapara market in less than one week. You may finally end the hunt once and for all. You wince while taking a glass of wine, remembering the Wyvern and the rebel that knew your name… None of the people present on the Sparrow that day seems to have talked about it yet, but you know it is only a matter of time before one of them speaks and tarnishes your name even more. Successfully dismantling a pirate organization could put you once again in the good grace of the Empire.
What could you lose anyway?
Azrel glances at you with an indecipherable expression, while Thrawn finishes his plate. A droïd comes with a new bottle and goes to fill Thrawn’s glass.
“No. The Grand Admiral doesn’t consume alcohol.” Arzel stops it, and sends it back with a gesture of the hand.
“Really thoughtful of you, Governor. How did you know?” Thrawn asks with an acidic tone almost unveiled.
“I have my ways.” Arzel answers with a satisfied smirk, taking a sip.
They look daggers at each other. Maker the tension between these two… You look at it strangely detached, you’re too focused on planning your day at the market in your head. You should soon receive news from your informant. You’re mentally reviewing everything you’ll need when Thrawn rises from his seat.
“I’m done. Thank you for this dinner.”
He walks away and you’re about to go after him
“Thrawn!”
Arzel stops you.
“My pearl, stay here for a bit longer, please.”
You sit back reluctantly. You look at him, waiting for him to explain himself.
“Not really talkative, your friend.” He mutters pensively
“Why did you have to say that?”
“Since when did we know each other?”
What? What does it have to do with everything?
“Don’t change the subject.” You try
“It has been a decade, no? A decade together…”
“Arzel…”
“A decade at each other’s side, walking the same path, supporting each other…”
He holds your hands, caressing them delicately.
“Yes, most probably, but it has nothing to do with the subject at hand.” You grumble.
“Would you walk with me in the garden for a moment?” He asks with a sad smile.
You comply, champing at the bit. The illusion of this afternoon is definitively broken, the sweet fantasm of a torrid vacation with the two of your men didn’t live long and the true characters of each person slowly surface, and that’s not pretty. You would rather shoot yourself than arbitrate the bickering of two adult men unable to keep their egos at bay. You breathe through your nose as Azrel guides you, arm in arm, through the scented garden. A pinch of rose, lavender and honey reach your nose. You finally get to a small lake shining in the moonlight.
“Do you remember? Our first kiss was before a lake like this one.”
“Indeed.”
You’re not really into a sentimental mood and you’re worrying about Thrawn, he seemed stiffer than usual, you would like to check on him.
"So many things happened, so many obstacles arose, but we passed over them."
You nod silently. He's right, and it's partly because of him but you guard yourself from commenting on that.
"Did I explain to you what your name means ?" He turns towards you with a complicite smile.
"No." You admit.
"It means "peaceful heart" in an ancient language. And this is what I hope to bring you, a life free of all problems" He kisses your forehead "Until the end."
He caresses your hand. You look at him with round eyes, is he suggesting…
"Roween…"
He kneels down. Huh oh…
"Will you make me the happiest man?"
He looks at you right into the eyes, his usual smirk absent. You only see resolution into his eyes. A red light immediately flickers in your mind, but you try and ignore it.
"Would I… I… You…"
You're at a loss for words. So many sentiments rage inside of you. You just blink at him, mouth agape, your voice lost. What just happened ? Did he really ask what you think he asked?
He patiently looks at you, holding your hand in his.
You stare at him, his long braid on his shoulder, his bright gray eyes reflecting the moon’s rays, his jewelry that shines under the light, his long robe that drapes and hugs his form and muscles. Your breath got stuck in your throat, you put your hand on your heart to calm its palpitations.
“I… It’s so sudden, I don’t even know your parents, I…”
He lightly smile, kisses your knuckles.
“You’ll meet them really soon, the feast is only a few months away, everything has already been taken care of.” He brushes your hand on his cheek. “I understand your stupefaction, you don’t have to answer now.”
You gulp. Your love for both of them compresses your heart, suffocating you, cutting your breath. You can’t answer. Not like that. Not before clearing the air with Thrawn or whatever weird relationship you are in. Your situation is too muddied for you to answer honestly or without regrets. You take your courage in both hands.
“I have to do something before being able to answer you properly. Can I… Can I ask for a bit of time so I can give you a real answer?”
He chuckles.
“I knew you would say that, that’s why I didn’t prepare any ring.” He rises up. “Take all your time, my pearl. I’ll wait.” He kisses your forehead again, embracing your body. “Take the night at least to really think about it.”
He parts with you and starts to walk away.
“You’re leaving?” You ask confused.
“There is something important I must do, my pearl. I’ll leave you to your reflection.”
And he disappears into the mansion.
You’re left alone at the bank of the lake, your mind fuming and racing, so much you feel a headache pointing its nose. You hold your head with both hands, messing with your hair, pacing back and forth.
What do you do?
What do you do?
What should you do?
Your stomach is twisting into knots, your nerves wrecking, sending you in a spiral of stress.You’re so happy and terrified, a part of you tells you this what you were waiting for for so long and another is telling you’ll regret it. Both are two wolves at war with each other.
An old alarm is screaming inside your skull.
You collapse on your knees, your head ready to explode.
You jump into the lake.
It’s icy cold.
The water stabs you like a thousand daggers.
You scream, muffled by the liquid.
A slow torpor starts spreading into your limbs and mind. The silence of nature brings quietude and peacefulness. You let yourself float, letting your troubles dissolve away. Talk. You’ll need to talk with Thrawn. Cross out this part of your life definitively.
Growing.
Becoming adult.
You’ll put an end to this sweet impossible dream and turn yourself towards real life. A life possible, with Arzel. A tangible person. Someone you can hug everyday.
You surface.
You’ll say farewell to Thrawn.
Then you’ll say yes.
@bluechiss @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin@ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay
#thrawn#grand admiral thrawn#thrawn x reader#thrawn x you#thrawn x f!reader#mitth’raw’nuruodo#fanfic#vibratingskull
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More images of 1912 fashion -
1912-1913 Afternoon dress.
1912 (Winter) Jeanne Paquin evening gown (Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, FIDM Museum - Los Angeles, California, USA).
1912 (Winter) Jeanne Paquin evening gown (Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, FIDM Museum - Los Angeles, California, USA).
Left 1912 Lucile dress (V&A). From omgthatdress.tumblr.com/post/654088327176306688/evening-dress-lucile-1912-the-victoria-albert 1280X1707.
Center and right ca. 1912 Chantilly lace dinner dress front quarter and back (location ?). From whitakerauction.smugmug.com-Fall2012-Clothing-ID-22-140-i-b3kCXfz 3068X2895
1912 Lady in Furs, Mrs. Charles A. Searles by Cilde Hassam (location ?). From tumblr.com/catherinedefrance 900X1090.
1912 Lady wearing a large hat sitting by Franz von Stuck (auctioned by Sotheby's). From their Web site 1753X1991.
1912 Mrs J., by Józef Męcina-Krzesz (location ?). From godsandfoolishgrandeur.blogspot.com/2016/11/randomly-ix.html; shadows 60% and fixed spots w Pshop 750X975.
1912 Mrs. Ernest Guinness by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee (auctioned by Christie's) From www.pinterest.com/nouvellegiselle/vintage-inspiration slightly cropped & fit to screen 924X1500.
1912 Mrs. John Lawrence by Edmund Tarbell (private collection). From cutlermiles.com/mrs-john-lawrence-edmund-tarbell/ 992X1280.
Left 1912 Princess Elena of Greece, nee Russia, in 1912, wearing the diamond and pearl tiara she later gave to her daughter as a wedding gift From pinterest.com/inara0798/aristocrats/ 602X960.
Center 1912 Princess Paley in a dinner dress with fancy headdress. From Sacheverelle's photostream on flickr 488X983.
Right 1912 Vizcondesa de Termens From laalacenadelasideas.blogspot.com/2012/12 1018X1316.
1912 Robe de Visite de Paquin (pl.5, La Gazette du Bon ton 1912-1913 n°2) by George Barbier. From edition-originale.com/en/prints-engravings-photographs/ 1682X2518.
Left ca. 1912 Frau Prinzessin Rupprecht in Bayern, Marie Gabrielle in Bayern, by F. Grainer. From eBay fixed spots w Pshop 1017X1600.
Right ca. 1912-1913 Olga de Meyer wearing the famous Paul Poiret coat La Perse, photograph by Baron de Meyer. From facebook.com/144304418968266/photos/a.397639360301436/1143579645707400/?type=1&theater 1123X2048
Left 1912 Winifred, Duchess of Portland by Philip Alexius de László (Portland College - Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, UK). From books0977.tumblr.com/post/111045895147/the-duchess-of-portland-1912-philip-alexius-de 999X1280.
Right 1912 New Book by Walter Bonner Gash (location ?). From tumblr.com/larobeblanche/742427773413556224/the-new-book-c-1912? 876X1024.
Left 1912 Le Manteau bleu by Xavier Gosé (location ?). From tumblr.com/mote-historie/744587745354301440/painting-by-xavier-gos%C3%A9-le-manteau-bleu-1912?.
Center 1912 Fourrures Max (Max Furs) in the catalogue 'Fourrures Portraits Minatures' by George Barbier. From tumblr.com/mote-historie/732453186620866560/george-barbier-illustration-for-the-catalogue?source=share& 1939X2541.
Right 1912 Man and woman in evening dress by Coles Phillips (NYPL). From tumblr.com/sartorialadventure/747029584815489024?; fixed flaws & spots w Pshop 764X1000
ca. 1912 a Femme chic, Supplément by A. Souchel (Rijksmuseum). From their Web site; fixed flaws & spots w Pshop 3229X5315.
#1912 fashion#1910s fashion#Belle Époque fashion#Edwardian fashion#Lucile#Franz von Stuck#Mrs. J#Józef Męcina-Krzesz#Mrs. Ernest Guinness#Francis Bernard Dicksee#Mrs. John Lawrence#Edmund Tarbell#Princess Elena of Greece#Princess Paley#Worth#Vizcondesa de Termens#Jeanne Paquin#George Barbier#Marie Gabrielle in Bayern#F. Grainer#Olga de Meyer#Paul Poiret#Duchess of Portland Winifred#Philip Alexius de László#Xavier Gosé#Gash#Coles Phillips#A. Souchel#hobble skirt#parasol
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11 Meaningful Pieces In Catherine’s Jewellery Collection That Belonged To Queen Elizabeth II
By Emily Chan
6 December 2023
First worn by the Princess of Wales in June at the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Princess Rajwa Al Saif in Amman, Jordan, the Greville chandelier earrings were seen on Queen Elizabeth II throughout her reign.
The dazzling diamond earrings made by Cartier were a wedding gift to Her late Majesty from her parents – the Queen Mother had inherited them from Dame Margaret Helen Greville, a British socialite, in 1918.
Catherine was most recently seen wearing the jewels at a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace.
On Remembrance Sunday this year, Catherine debuted a pair of diamond and pearl leaf earrings that were previously seen on the Queen during a visit to Nigeria back in 2003.
Some experts believe that the earrings may have been detachable pieces from the brooch featuring the same design.
Commissioned by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II’s Festoon necklace features 105 loose diamonds that her father inherited when he ascended the throne.
Featuring three strands, the monarch wore the piece on numerous occasions throughout her life, from attending state banquets to posing for official portraits.
The Princess of Wales paid tribute to Her late Majesty by wearing the piece for the official Coronation photograph when King Charles III officially assumed the throne on 6 May.
The Princess of Wales wore Queen Elizabeth II’s three-strand pearl necklace – an item Her Majesty was famous for – during a Buckingham Palace lunch for the governors-general of the Commonwealth nations prior to the monarch’s funeral in September 2022.
The then Princess Elizabeth received this jaw-dropping diamond necklace by Cartier from the Nizam of Hyderabad as a wedding gift in 1947.
Featuring a rose motif, the royal picked the necklace herself, along with a matching floral tiara.
The Princess of Wales first wore the statement piece at a gala for the National Portrait Gallery in 2014, before rewearing it at a Buckingham Palace reception for the Diplomatic Corps in 2019.
Queen Elizabeth II was first photographed wearing these diamond and pearl earrings during her Silver Jubilee celebrations – marking 25 years on the throne – in 1977.
Catherine has sported the earrings a number of times in the past, including after Prince Louis’ birth in 2018 and while visiting Commonwealth troops ahead of the Queen’s funeral.
Queen Elizabeth II commissioned royal jeweller Garrard to create this four-strand pearl and diamond choker, using pearls sourced from Japan in the early 1980s.
Princess Diana was loaned the piece for a state banquet in honour of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982, while the current Princess of Wales has worn the necklace on several occasions, including for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary in 2017 and Her Majesty’s funeral in 2022.
The Princess of Wales debuted Queen Elizabeth II’s emerald and diamond earrings during an evening reception in Jamaica in 2022, along with a matching bracelet.
Both pieces are from Her late Majesty’s emerald tassel suite, which the monarch first wore at a state dinner held for Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates at London’s Claridge’s Hotel in 1989.
First worn by Queen Elizabeth II during the 1990s, the Princess of Wales has borrowed Her late Majesty’s diamond and pearl leaf brooch a number of times over the years, including on a visit commemorating the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium in 2017.
Catherine wore the piece in tribute to the monarch while attending her funeral procession at Westminster Hall in September 2022.
The sapphire and diamond earrings
The Princess of Wales borrowed Queen Elizabeth’s sapphire and diamond earrings for a visit to Edinburgh in 2021.
The sapphire earrings are part of a suite of sapphire and diamond jewellery by Asprey, which Her late Majesty added to her collection during the late 1970s.
The Bahrain pearl drop earrings
Featuring two pearls gifted to Her late Majesty by the Hakim of Bahrain as a wedding present, these diamond and pearl drop earrings were also worn by Princess Diana in the 1980s.
The Princess of Wales was first spotted wearing the earrings at a Remembrance Day service in 2016, before going on to wear them for Trooping the Colour in 2019 and Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
#Queen Elizabeth II#Princess of Wales#Catherine Princess of Wales#Catherine Middleton#Kate Middleton#British Royal Family#jewelries#Jewellery Collection
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There are so many amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of December. We’re entering a new year feeling incredibly grateful for the amazing fics we got in 2022, and excited for the many we’ll get in 2023! Happy reading!
1) Far From Reality | Explicit | 1138 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Henry Cavill.
Henry and Melissa looked like the perfect couple. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2) Honeymooning In Italy | Not Rated | 2386 words
Honeymoon sex.
3) Poisonous Ivy | Explicit | 3241 words
Louis is a starving man.
He craves many things in his life. Mainly of those things that he is hungry for are things that had been deprived off of him.
4) Flame Colored Paradise | Explicit | 3282 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Mads Mikkelsen.
A side smirk widened Mads’ lips. He looked like a sight straight from heaven in his dark three-piece suit, hair in perfect place, a relaxed look on his face, as if he hasn’t had a hard-on for the last half an hour. Louis loved how Mads was always perfectly composed, never a single strand of hair out of place. He could have his whole cock buried in Louis, with the boy falling to pieces in front of him, but not a single drop of sweat would dampen his face.
5) Alpha Heater For Sale | Ten & Up | 3626 words
He passed by the bulletin board in the hallway, as usual, flyers about open mics, dorm events, and the like. This time though, he stopped when a flyer caught his eye. The words “alpha” and “heat” calling out to him.
Louis tilted his head at the flyer curiously.
It read: Alpha heater for sale! Winter weather got you down? Call Harry for your warm, furnace-like needs!
6) Unspoken | Explicit | 5175 words
Harry and Louis broke up when they were nineteen. They see each other after six years.
7) You're The (Devil In Disguise) | Explicit | 5179 words
Louis is, in appearances, the perfect omega. Small, graceful, docile, polite and very sweet. At least, until the rebellious side of him comes out, which sends alphas running away.
8) Little Minx | Mature | 5514 words
Harry’s new flatmate Louis seems to have a growing problem…literally.
9) Down Comes The Night | Explicit | 5974 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Pedro Pascal.
A love story set in the 18th century. Pedro is a painter, commissioned to create a wedding portrait of Louis, a young man who has just left the convent. Louis is a reluctant spouse to be and Pedro must paint him without his knowledge.
10) Our Stained Skin | Explicit | 6019 words
When Louis' 8-year-old daughter shows up with a tattoo on her arm Louis needs to get to the bottom of it. That may or may not involve him tailing someone. But at least he has a good reason for it. Sort of.
11) Forever Is Composed Of Nows | Not Rated | 6598 words
There was one time of the year that Louis loved more than any other. It came on the heels of autumn, slowly at first in frosted blades of grass and misty mornings and then swept over the countryside in sheets of freshly fallen snow glinting in the sunlight. With its arrival came the glow of multi-colored strings of lights strung from the eaves of every home and a magic in the air that filled the lungs of awe-inspired pups craning their necks to take in the festive displays.
Harry and Louis spend Christmas Day together.
12) Can We Please Get Back to Fucking? | Explicit | 8370 words
Harry and Louis have had a toxic back-and-forth relationship since they hate fucked at freshman orientation. Now in their senior year, they’ve lost count of how many times they’ve broken up and gotten back together. This is a smutty one-shot from when Louis makes Harry jealous at a club. Harry takes back what is his, and they fuck in the bathroom.
13) Singer And Photographer | Not Rated | 15361 words
Harry Styles: singer, songwriter, alpha
Louis Tomlinson: photographer, omega
What if you get invited by one of your best friends to join him and his band on tour?
What if you are photographing the tour?
What if you're slowly falling in love with a special alpha?
14) Here Where You Should Be | General Audiances | 19497 words
When Harry, an anxious alpha, found himself panicking over last minute Christmas shopping, he found comfort in the kind omega shop assistant, Louis. He wasn't meant to invite the omega home for Christmas when he found out that he's spending Christmas alone. He wasn't meant to catch feelings. Hell, he wasn't even meant to be able to go home for the holiday. It was shaping up to be a Christmas full of surprises.
15) Under The Rain Or Under The Snow | Explicit | 20667 words
“I don’t think I understood.” He shakes his head and closes his eyes, as if distancing himself from the situation. “Harry? What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Your mum invited me, also, how could I say no to her superb roast potatoes?”
16) 12 Days of Courting | Explicit | 22709 words
They're friends with benefits and Louis' heat is scheduled for Christmas.
17) The Evenness I Fake | Explicit | 26385 words
Harry doesn’t do relationships. He has a perfectly enjoyable friends-with-benefits agreement with a perfectly lovely omega, and he doesn’t see the need to change that anytime soon. The small fact that Louis giving his attention to another alpha makes Harry want to put his head through a wall isn’t nearly as much of an issue as everyone’s making it out to be.
18) Something Along The Lines Of ‘An Office Love Story At Christmas’ | Explicit | 43148 words
Harry hadn't planned on seeing Louis again, not after that night. When he finds out his only competition for a very desired promotion is Louis, he spirals into a mess of trying to be a better coworker and person right before Christmas in hopes that he can outdo Louis' effortless effect on his office. If he manages to get his head out of his ass along the way, it’ll be a holiday miracle.
19) All I want For Christmas Is You | Not Rated | 43253 words
Christmas AU in which a soft alpha with gorgeous green eyes and an even prettier smile moves into Louis' apartment complex and turns the omega's world upside down during his most favourite time of the year - featuring christmas decorating, christmas markets, cookies in the making, and copious amounts of mulled wine (and kisses).
20) Your Gift is Wasted On Me | Not Rated | 54472 words
“He had a partner for a long time, and he says that he was too dependent. He doesn’t want an alpha, at least not right now. But he’s got a pretty severe case of touch deprivation. So it’s … not great.”
“Is there anything …”
“He doesn’t like to be touched. There was an incident a few weeks ago and he just … he can’t bear human touch.”
21) Now I'm Begging for Footnotes In The Story of Your Life | Explicit | 80742 words
Harry and Louis are engaged, but a few months before the wedding Louis realises that they don't like each other, so instead of ending the engagement two of them go head-to-head in an all out prank war.
In the battle of who will end the engagement first.
22) You Sunshine, You Temptress | Explicit | 88148 words
A story about a forbidden love
& secrets that come to light.
Eyes as green as the forest
And eyes as blue as the lake
When they met a love began
Stronger than the tide
And wilder than a river
Fearless
Despite the ban
Fairy and wolf
Together one
23) My Kind Of Love | Explicit | 108178 words
Harry marries Louis for one year. Louis has no choice other than marry Harry fucking styles. There is a reason behind Harry’s sudden marriage with Louis and Louis has no idea about that. Maybe Harry married Louis for revenge.
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
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