Hot take: Laios wouldn't actually mind an arranged marriage.
Obviously "reluctant royal being pressured into marriage" is very fun for shipping purposes. But I have harlequin blood, so bear with me. Join me on this journey of character theorizing/shipping nonsense that makes it abundantly clear I have a Scrivener document I'm neglecting.
Laios was promised to someone from a young age. He and Falin both were; it's probably how their parents ended up together. They both broke it off by leaving their village, but it didn't seem to be a factor in Laios's own decision. And when Marcille, presumably, asks about his hypothetical love life (bicorn chapter), he not only brings it up readily, but actually seems kind of flattered? lmao
I love when smug Laios comes out. Underrated factor of Laios's personality for me is how much he enjoys being seen as cool. I think you'd expect Laios to be embarrassed or uneasy over this line of questioning, and the fact that he isn't is fun to me.
So when Yaad and his other old advisors bring up his need for a wife, Laios is ready to go along with it. Not necessarily thrilled by the prospect, but he was raised to think of marriage as a business arrangement you do because it's beneficial for your household/bloodline (as was often the case historically). He's already made the big step to claim a throne, and the idea of becoming village chief after his father seemed to have been vaguely in the back of his head all his life. Besides, if he has to do it anyway, I think he'd take comfort that there was a formalized process for an otherwise socially messy undertaking.
This dovetails neatly with my personal headcanon that Laios is gay but unaware of it. He comes from kind of a repressed culture- or at least I can imagine he does based on context clues- and has spent most of his life being ostracized in one way or another, feeling like he's on the outside of humanity. So he doesn't realize that his lack of attraction to women is unusual- he assumes that nobody really enjoys romance that much. It's not like his own parents married for love. It's just something people play up for stories, right?
It's all tangled up with his fraught desire for human connection and platonic companionship anyway. Meanwhile he's blithely unaware that the things he says about Toshiro are not normal bro things. Oh you'd totally marry Toshiro, Laios? Tell me more.
I see this in Marcille too. Firstly due to her unstable development, which has only recently allowed her to reach maturity (I headcanon her as somewhere between 20-22) and secondly due to her being a half-elf (infertile+a too-long lifespan), I think she has the expectation that she's simply not destined for love. The half-elf character she relates to in her favorite books says as much. So she, too, confuses a genuine lack of heterosexual attraction with the belief that this is just because of her half-elf status distancing her from it. Plus, she spent over a decade as a student/researcher in a nice little sheltered academic bubble, at an all-girls academy populated by adolescents. She's the most sheltered of all the characters: she's only spent the past year in the "real world", and she still focuses all her romantic attention on living vicariously through her favorite characters or her friends (except for Falin, conveniently!).
And Marcille would absolutely want to live vicariously through Laios and his future wife. She would not want him to go through a dispassionate formalized process: she wants her bestie to have a fairytale romance! What is the point of being a heroic king in a mythic castle if you can't even get a love story for the ages out of it?
This would result in a lot of Laios meeting with eligible bachelorettes at Marcille's urging, looking to Kabru for help the entire time and being grilled by Marcille afterwards about what he liked best about each girl. "She had nice, um, teeth?" They're both so close to getting it.
Kabru, meanwhile, is agitating for Yaad and the other advisors not lock the country into a hereditary monarchy, they have the chance to do something radical here, to break away from the systems that the elves and dwarves uphold. At the very least, let Laios marry for love, or formally adopt an heir and name them his successor if he wants, he's already sacrificed enough for the sake of Melini. Don't make him jump through these circus hoops for the chance of some trade agreements, we can get those without a royal marriage. And even if Laios was willing to go along with it, he does look at Kabru like he's his hero for sticking up for him.
The vague unhappiness Kabru feels at the idea of Laios being married off is easy for him to ignore. Kabru didn't actually get better at honoring or even recognizing his own wants just because he's moved past the dungeon. And Laios hasn't gotten the hint about his crush on Toshiro and is still 50/50 on saying casually shocking things, so when he remarks that he doesn't need a wife anyway when he has Kabru, he has no idea why that gets him the looks it does. After all, where he's from, men marry women to run their households, but Laios has castle staff for that, and Kabru is handling the rest?
That comment alone ticks one month off their collective gay awakening countdown.
Anyway. How many repressed gays in their twenties does it take to run a country?
Answer: Yaad can tell you.
292 notes
·
View notes
{ 178 }
darling.
yandere!sung jinwoo x bi!fem.reader x yandere!cha hae-in
warnings: violence; ooc hae-in and jinwoo, i’m so sorry.
dedicated to @starzgaze
{ i want to ruin our friendship; we should be lovers instead. }
anonymous said: Helloo!! I don't know if you're willing to do a request but I was thinking an Jinwoo x reader x cha hae in since the reader is bisexual (I can't blame the reader if she's attracted to both of them Because I am too HUHU) although they don't know that they're crushes where Yanderes this whole time KABSKAKSJ :>
once you finished organizing all the reports for the chairman, you hear the older man thanking you for your time as he allowed you to go home for the rest of the day. you smile at chairman go gunhee, reassuring him that it was no trouble helping him at all as you stepped out of his office with a bounce in your step.
lately, the appearance of high leveled gates had become far and few in between. there seemed to be more peaceful days piling on as the hunters and healers alike were given little to do during such a time.
and the cause of this sudden decrease in raids?
a competition between the two most powerful guilds in all of seoul, korea-
the hunters guild vs ahjin guild.
despite being good friends with two of the most prominent members of each guild, (hae-in and jinwoo, respectively), you hadn’t the slightest clue why they were so competitive.
regardless of their reasoning, neither you or your fellow hunters and healers complained. after all, they were doing a great service, making all these gates disappear while restoring peace back to the entire nation within mere days.
as you were heading out of the association building, you felt the hairs stand up at the back of your neck. you had a strange sensation of being watched. your heart was felt pounding with anticipation… and before you could turn around to face whoever was watching you-
the sudden scent of vanilla fills your senses, feeling cha hae-in running up to you while letting out a soft coo of your name. “hello… i’ve missed you!”
her sudden affection and desire to be close to you was a bit out of character from how she usually was, you knew that as a fact. before you ever transferred to korea’s hunter association branch, she was known as being standoffish and aloof, never once getting close to civilians or other hunters since she had such a sensitive sense of smell.
you knew about her mana sensitivities and kept your distance from her out of respect the moment you transferred. however, it all changes when she actually came face to face with you. a dreamy expression would paint her features, and she would come closer to you, literally sniffing at your blouse when she giggles and says, “you smell so good… like sweet cinnamon rolls… just so sugary sweet…”
her comment about the scent of you and your mana makes you feel flustered as you simply thanked her, which was the moment she had proclaimed herself as your best friend.
hae-in giggles while deeply inhaling your scent, basking in it for a few moment before clinging to you. “hey, how about we have another slumber party! it’ll be my treat!”
“huh? hae-in, we had one just a few days ago… are you not tired of seeing me?”
“not at all! come on, the gates haven’t been appearing as much thanks to how well i have been doing, and i want to spend more time with you.” hae-in giggles while clinging to your arm.
you join her in her laughter, actually not minding having so many slumber parties with her since it was quite fun. whether it be having a movie marathon, or gaming with her while enjoying takeout and snacks, you liked spending time with her… maybe even as more than friends.
as you smile back at hae-in and ask about what she would like to get as takeout, you were unaware of the almost victorious expression on her face, her eyes glowing a bright golden hue as she sneered back at the hunter with startling, purple eyes filled with envy.
{ … }
sung jinwoo had tried to kill cha hae-in many times, seeing as though she were the sole threat when it came to obtaining your heart.
but unfortunately for him, the woman was persistent and powerful in her own ways. when she felt threatened, even feeling the tiniest chance of being ripped away from you-
that was when her claws were revealed to him.
he clutches the sharp dagger in his hand, knowing that if he just aimed the weapon slightly to his left, then he would be able to pierce through hae-in’s skull-
however, he did not wish to traumatize you.
it was ultimately the love he had for you that stops him from going through with his plans of killing hae-in right then and there-
you, being as innocent as ever, were completely unaware of the ongoing war he and hae-in shared. ever since he first caught sight of you, accidentally bumping into you as he helped you gather your belongings and get you back on your feet-
jinwoo knew that he was a goner.
he spent countless days and even hours following you, knowing that placing his soldiers within your shadow wouldn’t be enough for him.
(it was never enough for him.)
taking advantage of his powers, he made it his life’s mission to remain ever so close to you, doing all that he could to woo you with various gifts while taking you out on various dates-
however, she would always get in the way of him.
each time he purchases a nice bouquet for you, the next minute, he would find it sabotaged and ripped to shreds.
each time he would try to speak to you and ask you out on a date, hae-in would appear at the most inappropriate times and steal you away from him-
a feat that always manages to make his blood burn with hatred for cha hae-in.
he tried to get rid of her; tried numerous times to rip her heart out so that she could never breathe the same air as you ever again-
but he couldn’t do it.
the woman was far too strong-
and her love for you matched with his.
(a fact that he had to admit and accept in a rather begrudging manner.)
he hated how natural and easy it was for hae-in to get closer to you. being a naturally born woman meant that she was able to steal your attention under the guise of being your “sole best friend.”
whereas jinwoo had to use his shadow soldier’s eyes to watch you sleep-
that damn woman had the pleasure of sharing her bed with you each time she held a ‘sleepover.’ and jinwoo could feel such feelings of envy filling him to the brim as he had to bite down on his tongue to contain his rage, nearly tasting the coppery sensation of his blood from how close he was to biting his tongue off-
but he digressed.
despite all odds, sung jinwoo and cha hae-in were evenly matched-
and if he couldn’t obtain you by getting rid of her, then he’d just have to use the element of surprise…
{ … }
you were currently in hae-in’s apartment, laughing while telling stories with her as she began to paint your nails.
to be honest, she was awful at painting your nails, with each paint stroke of polish leaving an obvious streak against the skin surrounding your cuticles. when she finishes with applying the polish on your last nail, you had to fight back a giggle.
“ah, it seems as though i found the gorgeous and powerful hae-in’s weakness… nail polish.”
weak words of protests fall from her lips, but internally she was screaming with unbidden joy. you called her gorgeous! she’s gorgeous to you!
you continue to softly giggle and take her hand, not even bothering to wait for your own polished nails to dry as you slowly showed her how to paint nails in a more neater manner.
“okay, so always try to follow the curve at the end of your cuticles. it takes a lot of practice, but it’s so satisfying once such a perfect color is put on your nails!”
hae-in made tiny sounds of affirmation, seeming to give you random nods here and there. in all actuality, her face was darkened in a deep red hue, feeling ecstatic and on cloud 9 upon feeling your hand holding on to hers.
within just 20 or so minutes, you finished polishing hae-in’s nails, placing a top coat on it so that it could look shiny and dry faster. you admire your work for a few more minutes before letting her hand go-
only to feel your body being pushed against her mattress.
“eh…? hae-in?” your eyes go wide when hae-in looks down at you with glowing, golden eyes. she lets out a purr of your name all while framing at your face with her two hands.
“you know… we’ve been best friends for a while, right?” hae-in gently caresses at your features, her full lips inching ever so closely to you as you could feel her hot breath on your skin.
“ah, yes, we have…”
the gorgeous blond woman lets out a sigh before pressing a kiss against your cheek, an unexpected touch of affection that causes your heart to race uncontrollably in response.
your whisper of her name was filled with anticipation when hae-in leans closer to you. “best friends like you and i need to know each other’s tastes, right…? you would agree with such a sentiment… right my pretty little darling?”
“u-uhm…!” you couldn’t respond, your mind spinning as hae-in leaned closer and closer to your lips, ready to capture them as you clenched your eyes shut-
but the sensation of her kiss never came.
instead, all you felt was the way the air became much colder, causing you to open your eyes as a scream was heard coming from your parted lips.
a tall, looming shadow swiftly brings down a dagger against hae-in, but her senses were too sharp as she captures the weapon with her hand.
a flash of anger twists her beautiful face, her fury evident as she spat out his name “sung jinwoo, don’t you realize how close you were to hurting my darling girl?!”
“SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE HAD YOU STAYED IN PLACE!” jinwoo roars at hae-in, ripping her body away from you as he slams the woman down on the ground.
the polishes fall against the floors of hae-in’s bedroom in the midst of their scuffle, spilling various colors against the hardwood as it stains at them. your heart was racing, seeing the two most powerful hunters in all of existence fighting each other-
fighting for you.
fighting over you.
you kept seeing flashes of gold and purple clashing together, with jinwoo’s daggers trying to pierce at hae-in, yet she manages to parry each of his cuts with her sword.
you had to do something to stop this madness, but all you felt was an overwhelming sense of dread consuming you.
you adored basking in hae-in and jinwoo’s friendship, and you felt ashamed to admit it, but you developed feelings for both of them…
you never wished to lose either one of them, choosing instead to balance on the cusp of friendship and romance with them. it was hard, keeping them always at an arm’s length away-
and now, they were both going to kill each other-
you were going to lose them both if you didn’t do something now.
“jinwoo, hae-in, PLEASE STOP!”
the desperation was heard in your voice, and it echoes throughout the room. as if awakened from a trance, jinwoo and hae-in stopped their attacks on each other, eyes going dreamy as they moved away from each other. an almost longing sigh of your name was heard coming from them as they dropped their respective weapons and crawled toward you.
“oh no, my darling is afraid.”
“she’s so scared of losing me.”
“i love her, i need to comfort her and tell her that everything will be okay.”
“she’s so sweet and cute… i need to comfort her…”
your breathing becomes labored when jinwoo and hae-in both join you on the bed. they continue to whisper about their devotion to you, completely forgetting the fact that they had just tried to kill each other mere seconds before as they both surrounded you.
jinwoo places your body on top of his while wrapping his arms around your frame.
hae-in opts to remain behind you, practically sandwiching you between her and jinwoo as you shivered at feeling both of their bodies so close to you. unable to respond, you could only remain still when jinwoo and hae-in began littering your throat and neck with heated kisses, all while proclaiming their love for you.
rejoice, for you had captured the hearts of the two most powerful hunters in the world!
or perhaps… a warning for you would be more appropriate… since it will be difficult for you to escape from the intensity of their love unscathed…
a.n. - this is such a different story for me to write, but i figured i could pass time completing this story while waiting for my meeting. 。゚(TヮT)゚。 currently unedited, but once it’s posted and my meeting is complete, i’ll go back and make any necessary changes. but for now, enjoy!
all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.
137 notes
·
View notes
I got upset at my mom and came across really passive aggressive. And I didn't mean to, and I regret it. I just... she does this thing that makes me so mad
She brags all the time about how she was such a great mom. But her examples are, for some MYSTERIOUS REASON, only ever things she did for my older brother and sister. She had his friends over all the time and they called her Mom too! She drove him to football! She drove my sister to over 10 orchestra-related events a week until she got so burned out she banned us all from doing any activities that required a ride the next year!
She mysteriously never has any such stories for me.
This time she was going on and on about how she was such a great mom because when my brother was 17 he got his first job washing dishes at a restaurant and she'd drive across town at midnight every night to pick him up from work.
Meanwhile, when I was 18 and wanted to get a job, she told me I was to go to college (and she wouldn't hear any of that "I don't want student loan debt" nonsense because EVERYONE gets loans and I needed to just suck it up.) Despite her always insisting we were welcome as long as we got a job or went to school, she changed her tune for me and me only. She threatened to kick me out if I got a job. I asked if I could stay long enough to save money for my own place, and she snapped no, I couldn't use her like that. So I went to college, when I didn't want to yet, and predictably am in massive amounts of debt that it will take me most of my life to pay off. She would later go on to say she never actually meant it about kicking me out, she just wanted me to "do what I was meant to do" and needed a push to "get my life together." Because getting a job means your life isn't together, apparently.
But she gave my older brother rides from work. So she's a great mom. The best mom ever.
I got really angry when she did this yet again and kind of laughed but made it sound lighthearted. She said back something like "oh you laugh but you know I was a great mom."
So then I just said, well, when I wanted to get a job, you told me you'd kick me out if I did it.
She went quiet and gave this weird guilt trippy non-apology about how she's soooo sorry about what she did but she still feels she was a great mom, she just had some issues when she was drinking.
I feel bad for being passive aggressive about it, but I can't stand when she does this. She wants me to tell me she was a great mother because she was capable of treating her golden children well. And she wants me to judge her based on that and not how I, the scapegoat, was treated.
Like!!! She got drunk and told me she wished she could kill me. You never get to call yourself a good parent again once you do that. Not even if it was only once and you were drunk and you actually WERE good before that (which she really wasn't). And you especially don't get to claim that TO the child you said it to.
She drove my older two siblings to all these things, and then never showed up to a single track meet of mine. When I complained to her about it at the end of the year, she said, "you know, I've heard of 40 year olds who tell their parents it hurt when they didn't do that, but I've never heard of someone complaining while they're still young." She rarely came to any of my orchestra performances unless my sister was also there.
In fact, she asked the whole family to help out with money to send my sister on a music department trip, and then the next year, when I was old enough to do it, said they couldn't ask the family twice because it would be weird, and then told the rest of the family that I only did music because I wanted to be like my sister, guaranteeing none of them actually would think I WANTED to go on the trip so they wouldn't help me. I asked if I could do a program the school offered where I could help out at concessions at the sports events so I could save money to go, and she snapped "they shouldn't be making you work so you can go." So I didn't get to go.
So yeah, if you judge her by how she treated her golden children, she was pretty fucking stellar, I guess. If you judge her by how she treated the forgotten child (my little brother) she was alright. But if you judge her by how she treated me?
And then she fucking wonders why I'm closer to my dad.
God I'm so fucking mad.
42 notes
·
View notes