#*ominously* the last moriyama...

[emry-stars-art]

Not sure if you answered this already; But does Stuart have a place in the Royal au? Since Nathan still killed Mary and is out here joshing and trying to re-kidnap her son multiple times

GREAT question bc yeah he is def not around to help much huh TT

I think the tragedy of it is Mary was planning to run just like she had in canon, but this time didn't manage it before Nathan caught wind and. Probably just killed her yeah. And it being an arranged marriage still makes total sense in this au, so who knows WHERE Mary and her family are from, because of the possibility it was some sort of protection/alliance thing yknow. Maybe the Hatfords were getting favor so they could keep/gain power, running one of Evermore's colonies. I don't imagine the family being anywhere near the castle proper based on what I remember of canon but maybe that's dumb actually

Stuart still exists for sure, but everything in those times was slower - especially travel, whether it be travel of people or travel of news/word. If Stuart is still in a separate home kingdom/state doing his own business, maybe he did try getting some sort of sway or custody of Nathaniel. But that would be an extremely difficult and long process, with very little hope of success. There's a good chance that after Nathaniel ran off, the first word he heard of it was after the fact - likely word from Evermore assuming Nathaniel had died while on his mission.

The REAL problem is that, after Abram's recapture, it takes anywhere from a little less than a month to a few months for word of it to even reach Stuart, that his nephew is alive after all, and even if he started the journey then, he or anyone he sent wouldn't have reached Evermore for another month or more. Abram is at Castle Evermore for much longer than he was canonically in Baltimore, obviously. I'm just not convinced it would have been physically possible for someone in another country/colony to get there before he either escaped or it was too late.

Thankfully Stuart's intervention isn't necessary here like it is in canon, or this would have been a VERY different story that I don't think I could write 😅 no, Kevin Day still knows more about the workings of Castle Evermore than most of the Moriyamas are comfortable with, and he knows who he can correspond with under the table when Kings Tetsuji and Kengo won't cooperate and Prince Riko refuses to give Nathaniel up.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

I’d love some Vampdrew :)

WIP Wednesday (3/5) | Vampire Andrew AU (Part 225)

NEIL

Before Neil can blink, there's an bruising grip around his upper arm and he's being pulled away into Andrew's dorm room. He shouts and tries to pry Andrew's fingers off him, kicks at his leg, and scrabbles to grab the edge of the door frame, but Andrew is undeterred by Neil's feeble attempts at escape. With one fluid motion, Neil finds himself sprawled on the couch. The door slams behind them ominously and Neil makes to get up, but Andrew pins him down with a look that has adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"What do you want?" Neil asks, cursing himself that he hasn't got a weapon on him. He thought he and Andrew had just reached an understanding! Did Andrew not buy it? Are they going to try the cracker dust again? Fuck. Neil wonders whether Matt would hear if he were to shout for him.

"Settle down," Andrew tells him. "I have a proposition for you."

"No."

"You have not heard it yet, Neil."

"I don't need to. Your last 'proposition' left me hitchhiking all afternoon." Neil snaps, aiming for vitriol. Andrew just laughs at him.

"I didn't tell you to get yourself knocked out last night. Nor did I tell you to run away to the gas station and call a cab this morning. I also never suggested for you to call Boyd or hitchhike. All of that was your doing." Andrew says, making Neil's stomach turn. How does Andrew know all that? Neil stares at him, perplexed, but Andrew doesn't seem to notice. "If you had just stayed at the house, we could've had our little talk there and all would have been well."

"Oh, fuck you. How was I supposed to know you weren't going to skin me and eat me? Those were the vibes I was getting from you last night." Neil says, scooting down a bit so that he's on the middle cushion and a bit father from Andrew's sharp gaze.

"That's hilarious. But I'm not a cannibal. Not exactly," Andrew mutters, making Neil's empty stomach flip. What does that mean? Andrew flicks a look at him. "I would not bother skinning you, that's for sure."

"Good to know. What are you going to do to me?"

"I only want to talk some more. I told you, I have... a proposition."

"If you wanted to talk we could've done it in the hall. Or the car." Neil accuses. "But you yanked me in here. Why?"

Andrew sighs, sounding exhausted. "Neil, you seem to have a very hard time understanding when someone is trying to be nice to you. This is me trying to be nice to you. Now, because I am starving I will make it quick. You know that I am protecting Kevin from the Moriyamas, yes? You're not so slow you haven't caught onto that, right?"

Neil rolls his eyes. "Oh yeah, I know all about your delusions of grandeur. Are they prescription?"

"Not quite."

"I understand you believing you can stand between Kevin and the yakuza since you're drugged out of your mind most of the time, but the fact the Kevin does is ridiculous—"

"Bup bup bup." Andrew cuts him off. "You do not have all the details. The reason Kevin knows I will keep him safe is that I'm a vampire."

Of all the things Neil expected Andrew to say just now that was not on the top ten. He waits for Andrew to break into that manic laughter that he gets caught in fits of after saying something stupid, but it doesn't come. He stares up at Andrew with his brows raised.

"You're a vampire."

"Yes."

"Wow." Neil pushes his still-damp hair off his forehead and huffs a sigh. "You must be on something strong. Have you forgotten to take your meds this morning? Or maybe you doubled them on accident?"

"I always take them as directed."

"Yeah and my mom is German." Neil counters. Andrew's nostrils flare then suddenly he has his arms crossed, fingers digging into his own biceps.

"Kevin, we're back. Come out here." Andrew shouts out. Neil twists on the couch to look down the hall, but Kevin does not come out of either room. Andrew lets out an annoyed breath. "He has his headphones on, watching that stupid USC game again."

"Which one?" Neil asks. Andrew glares at him.

"Shut up." He says, annoyed. A second later he bends down to pick up a shoe from beside the door and hurls it at the bedroom door. It makes a hell of a racket. "Oh good, it didn't break through the door."

"Were you expecting it to?" Neil asks, giving him a look. 

Andrew see-saws a hand. "Fifty-fifty chance." He opens his mouth, likely to yell for Kevin again, when the bedroom door swings open and Kevin appears. His eyes widen when he spots Neil and he exhales with obvious relief. 

"You found him." Kevin breathes, making Andrew's expression soften. 

"Of course I did. He was at Coach's." Andrew tells him, then he hums a 'yes' that Neil doesn't understand. Neil watches the two stare at each other for a second and considers using this opportunity to sneak out. Before he can decide to try it, Andrew nods.

"Yes, yes. I know. Kevin, tell Neil I'm a vampire."

The smile slides off Kevin's face and hits the floor, replaced with terror. "Tell him WHAT?"

[imperfectcourt]

Andreil Prompt:

Neil is an Assassin. Some day something goes very, very wrong. So the first time Andrew meets Neil, Neil has to explain to him that he accidentally poisened him and Andrew has to go to the hospital to get the antidote.

So I was really unsure about this but when I got going I got really excited about it! But I also COMPLETELY MISSED the line where it said "the first time" so this is very much not the first time they meet ;__; sorry! I hope you like it though!

Neil had never panicked on a job before. He’d never made a mistake or killed the wrong person or not killed the right person. He could kill whoever he was told to kill, he could kill however he was told to kill, and he could be whoever he was told to be in order to do it.

Killing Andrew Minyard was the worst and last mistake Neil would ever make.

Worming his way into A. Minyard’s life hadn’t been easy but it had been natural- the most honest work of his filthy, bloody life.

It had to be this way. It couldn’t look like a typical mob hit, anything abrupt and easy would look suspicious. The call had to come from inside the house, or so they say.

Neil tipped the vial into the remnants of the whiskey bottle and poured two modest glasses. It wouldn’t be pleasant for him but he’d built up enough of a tolerance to survive. Odorless, collarless, no paper trail. He’d suffer some hallucinations and maybe some minor liver damage but he’d live and after tonight he’d be free. No more Moriyama’s. No more contracts. No more death.

No more Andrew.

Neil brought one glass up to swirl, smell, sniff, and sip. A perfectly normal glass of whiskey. He brought out onto the small balcony and put them on the rickety table between two lawn chairs. Andrew picked his up and didn’t make the small cheers motion he always did as a silent thanks, didn’t drink. He’d been staring at his closed phone for the last half hour. Neil knew he would say what was wrong in time (if there was time).

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said after several long minutes, punctuating the statement with a sip. Guess there was time, after all. Neil sat sideways on his chair so he could watch Andrew light a cigarette.

“That sounds ominous. You’re not a murderer are you?”

Andrew’s top lip curled in a small, vicious smile. “That’s a truth for a different day.”

No, it wasn’t, and Neil found himself reaching for another mouthful of whiskey. Andrew raised a brow at this, having caught on a while ago that Neil liked to draw the drink out as long as possible if it meant he didn’t have to go home yet.

“It’s nothing to form a drinking habit over, calm down.” Andrew took up his drink again and every sip he took felt like friendly fire. “You’re going to see something on the news tomorrow and I’d rather tell you myself than get pissy with me for not bringing it up sooner.”

“Secrets secrets are no fun,” Neil parroted. Andrew kicked out his socked foot to hit Neil’s heel and didn’t pull it back.

“A story will be dropping about my brother’s involvement in a gang bust tonight. Just got word that everything went well but his services had been needed on sight.” With the hand that held the cigarette, he gave his cellphone a little shake.

“You have a brother?” That hadn’t been in the assignment, but family matters were often left out for jobs like this. He couldn’t go in knowing too much and risk exposing himself.

“My twin.”

“You have a twin?”

Andrew threw back the rest of his drink and waved it at Neil’s face. “The only reason I’m telling you is because you’re going to see him parading around on t.v. with my face. We’re not that close.”

A gang bust. Big enough for national news. That couldn’t- that would mean-

“What’s his name?”

“Aaron.”

“A. Minyard. Doctor Aaron Minyard.”

Andrew froze. Looked at Neil so expressionless he might as well have been stone. “I never said he was a doctor.”

He didn’t have to. Dr. A Minyard. Fox affiliated attached to a photograph. Andrew had his PhD and his connection to Kevin Day was easy enough to find if you knew where to look. The Foxes were an elusive bunch of vigilantes but everyone had heard of Kevin Day, son of the founders of the Foxes.

Neil had never made a mistake before and killing Andrew Minyard was the biggest mistake of his life. He knocked the glass from Andrew’s hand only because Andrew let him.

“Now, right now,” he changed, grabbing Andrew by the sleeve and tugging him back inside. It only worked because Andrew let him. Andrew was always letting Neil, trusting Neil. And for what? For this?

Neil let go when he was sure Andrew would follow him and rushed to the tiny kitchen. He took the water glass by the sink and upended the entire salt shaker into it.

“Drink this right now,” he ordered Andrew.

Andrew did not take it.

“Andrew, trust me just one last time. Just this one last time trust me and drink this. Just this once. Just this one last time.” There was time. There was barely time. It had been less than a minute, there had to be time.

Neil didn’t know what he would do if Andrew didn’t drink, if Neil killed him for nothing. No matter what the outcome, no matter Andrew's decision, Neil would die either way.

Andrew took the salt water, drank the whole thing, and promptly threw up in the sink.

Neil watched, hands in his hair and tears clouding his eyes as Andrew righted himself, wiping at his mouth with the back of his wrist.

“That’ll give you time to get to the hospital. You have to go now, you’ve got time.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Andrew put his hand slowly, calmly, over Neil’s throat, “until you explain.”

He pressed him into the wall.

Neil let him.

“You were supposed to be my last one and my contract would be fulfilled,” he said.

“Explain better than that. What does this have to do with Aaron?”

“There’s no time-”

“Then make it quick.” He pressed against Neil’s throat and Neil’s hands came up instinctively to grab his arm. He stopped before making contact.

“I was born into a debt that the Moriyama’s own. I was one of their hit men. A. Minyard. Fox associate. And a picture. That was my last assignment and I could finally… I could…”

Words were getting harder. He had begun ingesting the poison before Andrew and hadn’t gotten any of it out of his system.

“You’re the only one I never…”

“Never what? Never shot like a coward? Never succeeded in killing?”

“Never wanted to.” His hands came down onto Andrew’s forearm even though he didn’t have permission. His vision was swimming around the edges and he couldn’t tell if it was because of the drug or the pressure on his trachea. “I didn’t want to kill you. H-hospital. You still need the hospital. You have time.”

“Why should I believe a single thing you say?”

“I’ve never lied to you.” It was so important for him to say that somehow the words came out with conviction. “Never lied. Andrew, you’re amazing and I love you but you need to leave right now.”

His knees gave out and for the briefest moment all of his weight was being held by the hand on his throat. Andrew lowered them both to the ground.

“What did- You idiot.” Ah, yes. He must have caught on. “You did all this to live only to fucking kill yourself? Neil. Neil… Neil!”

Neil had never panicked on a job, but he’d also never woken up in a hospital bed before. He was aware of the spike in noise before he was aware of his surroundings.

“The worst assassin in history.”

Neil groaned but didn’t yet open his eyes. His memory was just solid enough to know what he’d taken and experience told him he wasn’t ready to face the spinning world.

“Can’t say he was wrong, technically,” the same voice said.

“What kind of assassin not only chooses the wrong target but falls in love with their dumb ass?”

“This dumb ass has the same level of education as your dumb ass.”

“My dumb ass has a doctorate of medicine, not in books.”

“Literature.”

“Still dumb.”

“Sssh,” Neil breathed out, testing the waters of control and strength. He had very little of either.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the dumbest of asses.”

“Give him another hour and he might even be able to respond.”

“Now who would want that.”

The second time Neil woke up in a hospital, it was enough for him to look around and realize this was not a hospital but rather a medically furnished bedroom.

“I hate you.”

He turned his head to see Andrew slouching back in an overstuffed, wingback chair. The look on his ever-passive face was angry and Neil would take angry over dead any day.

“You made it,” he slurred. His mouth felt like cotton. “You made it,” he said again because it was right and good. “You made it.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m fine. Got a tolerance”

“Is that something they teach you in the bright sunny world of the Nest?”

Neil made a finger gun at Andrew (why?) and slowly, slowly tilted himself onto his side to see him better. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew there were things he needed to worry about, but for now he just wanted to look.

“I’m happy you’re alive.”

“I don’t care.” And he sounded like he didn’t, but that was how he always sounded. Still Andrew. Still him. Still alive. For a long, quiet while they stared at each other.

“I have to go before the Moriyama’s come looking to do clean up. This won’t be tolerated.”

“No. It won’t be. But not by the Moriyama’s.”

Andrew stood in a motion that made him look much older than he was, tired. As he came to stand over the bed, Neil couldn’t help but stare because not killing Andrew Minyard was the only right thing he had ever done.

“The Foxes completed their take down of the Moriyama’s. It’s been all over the news, which you would have seen if you hadn’t poisoned yourself.”

The… the what? Something must have shown on Neil’s face because Andrew pressed him down into the bed a split second before he’d tried to sit up. As consciousness cleared his fog, his brain began catching up enough to understand that he wasn’t understanding. The synapses were there but they weren’t connecting.

“I don’t understand,” he whispered. Andrew’s mask twitched.

“Of course you don’t, you’ve been too deep cover to keep up with what was right under your nose. The Foxes won, there are no more Ravens, and you, Nathaniel, are a free man.”

The sound of that name, his name, sent a flinch so hard through his body that it made something cramp in his stomach. Andrew watched, bored, as he curled in on himself. If he knew that name, if his cover was blown so spectacularly, then there must be an ounce of truth to it.

“I’m just… Neil. I just want to be Neil.”

“Well, Neil.” Andrew slid his hand into Neil’s hair and squeezed, not hard but enough to tilt his head back. “If you ever do something that stupid again I will kill you myself.” Something in his eyes, however passive he tried to pull off, told Neil that Andrew was not referring to his own attempted murder.

“Were you… worried about me?” That couldn’t be right.

“I don’t know, Neil.” He kept saying his name like that and Neil didn’t know what to feel about it. “My whatever of a good stretch of time nearly killed himself. How should I be feeling?”

“I nearly killed you. I only poisoned myself a little.”

“Why?”

Why? The easy answer was forensics. Two glasses. Two drinkers. One lucky to survive the ordeal. But that wasn’t all of it. As Neil stared up up at Andrew, here at the other side of it all, he could admit to himself that he was glad for the punishment.

“Because… because I was going to kill you to save my own life and I had never hated myself for anything more than that.”

“I hate you,” Andrew spat.

“As long as you’re alive to hate me it’s fine.”

“Shut up.”

“Tell me more about the take down.”

“No.”

“Is your brother a Fox? Do I have to be killed for knowing that?”

“You have to be killed because you won’t shut your mouth.”

A good stretch of time. That’s how long Neil had been worming his way to be Andrew’s whatever. And in all that time he’d never felt safer. He lifted a shaky hand and waited. It took nearly a minute before Andrew released his hair and took the hand up in his own.

He didn’t apologize for trying to kill him. He didn’t apologize for coming into his life under false pretenses. If Andrew was there now, he trusted Neil enough to understand. They could talk about it later.

“Go back to sleep,” Andrew ordered quietly.

“So I’ll shut up?” Neil whispered back. His eyes were already drifting closed.

“Sure.”

[jemej3m]

to ruin a royal wedding

idek man i wanted one royal au that wasn’t entwined with fae/magical elements

Prince Nathaniel Abram Wesniski. The name granted him power he’d never asked for in the first place, and yet it was the only way he could have survived. His father reigned with terror, and if he wished to usurp the man, he had to hold onto all resources at his disposal, being his advisor, the honourable Matthew Boyd, and allies from near provinces, Danielle Boyd, Allison Reynolds, and, most importantly, Crown Prince Kevin Day.

There was only the slightest of hiccups: His soon approaching wedding to his father’s allies. Riko Moriyama.

“Kevin assured me that you will keep me safe.” From my father, went unsaid. The knight who stood before him was shorter, broader, and hired by the Wesninski King. Those who betrayed Nathan didn’t live long. Neil clasped his hands behind his back. “That I should trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust Day’s judgement of character.” Andrew Minyard stated. The man was renowned for his keen swordsmanship, impeccable use of the bow and arrow, and infamous for the blood on his hands. It made sense that the Butcher would hire a once-manic, bloodthirsty man to escort his son, to be a constant threat, should Neil cause trouble. His eyes were voids that Neil found himself spiralling within. “I will be waiting outside your door if you require my service, Prince Nathaniel.”

“Neil.” He said, quickly.

With only a moment of hesitated, Andrew said: “Prince Neil.” He huffed. “Lock your windows.”

“Good night.” Neil said carefully.

“Good night.” The knight returned.

Andrew remained stood by the door, watching Neil with a keen eye as the prince was fitted for his new finery. It would be white, of which the seamstress insisted would be beautiful against his tan skin. He wore an under-shirt now, to cover the scars across his chest, despite Marissa’s fretting and irritation.

His knight barely blinked, nor slept a wink. With all the chaos of the wedding preparations, Neil was exhausted: Not having to watch his own back as he slept was somewhat of a relief.

His window of opportunity to escape was closing. Rapidly.

Marissa checked her watch. “I must run and grab something from my carriage. I’ll be back at once. Don’t move!” She warned, before closing the door.

Neil didn’t move: Instead, Andrew locked the door and came to stand in front of him.

“You should burn your letter correspondences, to those friends you so adore.” Andrew said. Neil’s heart fluttered with fear. “Someone may find them.”

It was the first time Andrew had spoken to him in the past week.

He fiddled. “I fear I would forget their contents.”

“I do not forget things.” Andrew promised. “I will be able to recall their contents for you, if desired. Burn the letters. It’s not safe.”

“You do despise him, don’t you.” Neil said, in a hushed voice. “My father. The Moriyamas. Please tell me you won’t betray me.”

“I detest that word.” Andrew’s perfect facade cracked with an angered grimace. “I do not break my promises, and I vowed I would escort you to safety, to Kevin, when the time comes.”

“Riko Moriyama will not let me out of his grasp, once we are wed.” Neil confided. “You do not have much time.”

“Riko Moriyama will not touch you, for as long as you may live.” Andrew said. His fingers, warm and oddly gentle, brushed over Neil’s cheek.

A rapping upon his chambers’ door disturbed the strange moment between them, and Andrew moved to the door to let the seamstress in.

An idea struck, as the fitting resumed. Neil glanced at his knight, the sultry curve of cheekbones and blonde tufts of hair. Yes, he thought. It might just work.

“Tell me, why are we covertly meeting at a derelict church, in our best finery?” Nicholas Hemmick inquired, Neil’s soon-to-be cousin by marriage.

Andrew had taken but a mere moment to agree upon Neil’s terms: As the knight was allied to Kevin Day, rather than bound under the Wesninski jurisdiction, Neil would be able to choose whom he follows: His husband, or his father. It would force his father to renounce Neil’s position as the heir to his throne, and grant Neil freedom from his father’s kingdom.

And so, he and Andrew had snuck out from Neil’s quarters - it was all very exciting - to snatch the newly crafted wedding garments, intended for Neil’s wedding to Riko Moriyama in two days. Now they were here, with Kevin Day and his fellow allied representatives. Neil was rather chuffed: They all detested his father, and thus he had anticipated they would be cold and unforgiving towards him. But they had taken him under his wing, scheming to free him from his father’s grasp.

“I, too, would like an explanation, Neil.” Kevin said, irritated. As the only fellow Crown Prince in the cohort, he was the only other who wouldn’t call Neil by his title. “It is most tiring, being up so late.”

“It’s freezing.” Allison snapped. “Whatever ludicrous scheme it is this time, I want some mulled wine to accompany it.”

“I’m getting married.” Neil said.

Danielle Wilds, Dan, rolled her eyes. “Yes, Neil. We are aware. In two days, in fact. We were all invited.” Her (secret) husband and Neil’s chosen advisor, Matt, shook his head. Neil was very fond of Matt: He was glad he agreed to come tonight, even if it was difficult to escape the Wesninski castle.

“I wish it weren’t so.” Matt said. “We will lose you to those Moriyamas.”

“No.” He said, gently. “I’m getting married tonight. To Andrew. I asked: He has accepted my hand in marriage.”

The odd dozen faces gathered before the church were distorted with utmost shock.

Wymack, Kevin’s illegitimate father and the late Queen Kayleigh Day’s advisor, sighed, taking his wife Abigail’s hand. “Gracious, finally. I thought Andrew would never settle.”

“But -!” Nicky spluttered. “Neil, you have refused this plan thus far! You did not want to marry. You insisted.”

“You must admit, we’re short on time.” Neil continued to fiddle with his garments. There were too many lace frills. “There isn’t much choice in the matter, is there?”

“But -”

“I know what I said.” Neil snapped, irritated. “I’m marrying Andrew. Anymore qualms, queries, concerns, regarding our partnership? Or is everyone happy to simply shut up?”

“Yes,” Aaron said quietly, eyes boring into Andrew with vehemence. “We will discuss this later. Won’t we?”

“What is there to discuss?” Andrew said flatly.

“Who will unite you in matrimony?” Nicky inquired. “I am yet to have the qualifications.”

“I am.” Said a quiet voice, from the shadows.

Renee Walker was most unnerving for Neil, as he had never truly spoken with her in his life, but it seemed as though the two had both nothing and everything in common. She and Andrew trained together as vigilantes. Now she was a woman of the church.

“Shall we?” She gestured to the church, helping usher everyone within.

Andrew’s hand halted on Neil’s shoulder, a blossom of warmth in the cold, dreary night. “You do not have to marry, if you do not wish to.”

“I must admit, the construct itself seemed undesirable. It was why I refused it, initially.” Neil admitted. “But I find I do not mind. Not with you.”

It was so strange. Over the past few days, almost two weeks, Neil and Andrew had mulled over possible escapes, or ways to break the binding contract between the Wesninskis and Moriyamas. The quiet peace that had developed between them was unparalleled. Neil had never felt so safe.

Beyond his marriage and resulting escape from his father’s clutches, what was it that they would have in common? Not much, but he found he didn’t mind. Talking with Andrew was easy, regardless of subject.

Andrew offered his arm, and Neil hooked his hand through Andrew’s elbow. “Let us be wed, then.”

Neil hated his father’s chambers. An ominous portrait of the late Queen Mary hung over a fireplace. The rug in front of it was stained red with the blood of those who dared to cross Nathan Wesninski. The windows, broad and paned with red stained glass, opened onto the lower courtyards with a deadly drop.

He was sat in front of the fireplace with a placid woman by his side, when Neil knocked upon the wooden doorframe at the chambers’ entrance.

“What is it?” His father growled. “I do not wish to be disturbed.”

“It’s me, father.” Neil glanced across at Andrew, before reaching out to grasp Andrew’s hand. Andrew nodded: Neil laced their fingers together, the gold bands that united them warm to the touch.

“Nathaniel. Why must you disturb me at this hour?” He snapped his fingers at the girl, who scampered away.

“I fear I cannot marry Riko Moriyama.” Neil’s fear of his father ricocheted to and fro within his lungs. “It’s most stuffy in here, isn’t it, father?” He pushed the windows closest to the fire place.

His father lurched to his feet, murderous rage curling his hands into fists. “You will marry the Moriyama boy, Nathaniel. I will not hear another word on the subject. Close that damn window, the drafts will extinguish the fire.”

“It will be objected to.” Neil said. “I am already married. It is not possible that I may marry another.”

His father’s nostrils flared. “What? What are you saying, boy?”

He held up his hand. The gold glinted in the firelight. “I was wed, last night. I am not marrying the Moriyama. I will be departing this castle, and the Wesninski kingdom, at sunrise.”

“Like hell you’ll be leaving.” He snarled, reaching forward to snatch the collar of Neil’s shirt. “I’ll kill whatever rat you’ve pledged yourself to, or I’ll kill you. Those are your options, you conniving little fucker. I knew there was too much of your cowardly bitch of a mother in you. I’ll fucking kill you!”

“You will not harm him no more.” Came a cold voice, the chamber door slamming closed. Andrew held a knife loosely in his fingers, pointed directly at Nathan Wesninski’s throat. “Your reign of terror is done, Wesninski.”

“You -” Nathan gave a guttural scream of frustration. “The academy promised that you were the most loyal, the most bloodthirsty, of your companions! How dare you fool me thus!”

“You forget,” Andrew’s smile was small, cold, and incredibly deadly. Neil’s heart fluttered. My husband. “The academy is hosted by David Wymack, allied to Kevin Day, who opposes you and your paradigms, and is a sworn enemy of the Moriyamas. Now, let go of my husband.”

“Him!” Nathan barked out a laugh. “You married the knight? His hands are just as bloody as mine, dear Nathaniel. You fool.”

“Let me go, father.” Neil said.

“I’ve had enough of you.” Nathan smiled, wickedly sinister, as he shook Neil by the neck. “I’m going to crush your neck as your husband watches. Then I’ll incapacitate him, throw him to a rabid crowd. Let the wolves have him. They’ll rip him to pieces.”

Neil fought to free himself from his father’s grasp, stumbling to Andrew, who accepted Neil into his welcoming grasp. His father charged at the two of them, and so he sprinted, towards the window, before skidding to a halt. His father barrelled towards him. Neil ducked, onto the floor, to avoid being crushed against the brick wall.

Then, in a split second decision, he threw his leg out from where he was crumbled on the floor, and watched with glee as his father tripped and stumbled out of the wide-open window. The panicked yell quickly faded away, before there was a disgusting splat! in the distance.

“He almost crushed you.” Andrew growled, hauling him off the ground. “Don’t dare attempt such acts of idiocy again.”

Neil let himself lean on his husband. “That’s enough for today, yes.”

Andrew merely served him a flat glare.

They fled the chambers, to remain innocuous. It would be frightfully difficult to reclaim the throne if he was charged with his father’s murder.

Within his own chambers, he paced. Desperate for a distraction, he turned to his husband. “Tell me a truth.”

“I committed matricide.” Andrew said, taking Neil’s hands. “You committed patricide. We are most the same. Your turn.”

Neil paused his pacing to look at Andrew. His eyes glowed golden, like the bands of metal around their fingers that linked them together. His lips were curled down with concern as he surveyed Neil. Neil felt his gaze upon his skin like tongues of fire.

He took a deep breath, and let the confession roll off his tongue.

“I told you that I would not develop romantic attachments to you, as I had not expected to.” Neil admitted, cheeks flushed. “I apologise for being unable to control myself, and adhere to the agreement that we both consented to, but I must be honest with you, my husband. I’m most fond of you. Incredibly so.”

Andrew stared at him.

“And you do not need to act upon my desires - I’d never force you. We are equals, regardless of prince and knight status. But if you are -” He hiccupped. “If you are uncomfortable, we may separate. If that is what you wish.” He inhaled sharply, unable to control the shaking of his fingers.

Andrew placed his hands, his warm, strong hands, on the back of Neil’s neck. A while passed before Andrew spoke. “I may also have neglected to adhere to that aspect of our agreement.” His breath washed over the skin of Neil’s neck. Neil felt giddy with the lightness of his heart at Andrew’s confession. “May I kiss you?”

“Such a gentleman.” Neil murmured against his lips, the kiss irresistibly gentle.

“I’ll prove you wrong.” Andrew insisted, walking Neil back to the bed. He then guided Neil’s hands to his hair and warned him, “Just here.”

Neil nodded eagerly.

“Your father toppled from his chamber’s window late in the evening.” The messenger confessed, when Neil cracked the door open to his frantic knocking. The sun was barely up: Neil wanted to return to his bed, where his husband lay, bare to the skin and warmer than the frightfully cold stone beneath his feet.

“You will be crowned as king.” The boy continued. “Your father’s advisors suggest that you should remain engaged with Prince Riko Moriyama to maintain alliances.”

“Tell them that they’re all fired.” Neil said with conviction. “You should also notify them that we are hereby allied with the Days. And that I already have a husband. Run along, now.”

White-faced, the messenger fled.

The minister, Rhenmann, smiled warmly as he placed the golden halo upon Neil’s nest of red curls. The smile crinkled his eyes.“And with the crown bestowed upon you, I declare thee as King. Please announce your title to your new subjects.”

Neil turned around, the crowd weighted upon his head.

The merry band of Neil’s close friends and family that he had gained through his and Andrew’s marriage who were sat in the front row of his coronation, however, Andrew stood by Neil’s side. Neil granted Andrew’s attentive gaze with a small smile, and took his hand.

“King Neil Abram Minyard, of Mary Hatford and Nathan Wesninski.” He turned to Andrew. “A kiss?”

Andrew leant forward, granting Neil a small peck at the corner of his lips.

The crowd stood, and bellowed: “All hail, King Neil!”

i love cute fluffy things, like andrew minyard and cliches and this royalty au

[recentanimenews]

My Week in Manga: January 9-January 15, 2017

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I posted the Bookshelf Overload for December. It includes a pretty big list of things, in part due to massive holiday sales, so hopefully future months won’t be quite as ridiculous. Another thing that happened last week that was kind of cool was related to a post that I wrote back in 2014. My Spotlight on Masaichi Mukaide is probably one of the most noteworthy things that I’ve ever written and it actually got quite a bit of attention when I posted it. Well, Masaichi Mukaide himself apparently came across it recently and even left a comment.

Probably the biggest manga news from last week was the slew of licenses and other announcements made by Seven Seas. Here’s the list of manga:

Absolute Duo by Takumi Hiiragiboshi and Shinichirou Nariie Alice & Zouroku by Tetsuya Imai Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage by Leiji Matsumoto and Kouichi Shimahoshi The Count of Monte Cristo by Moriyama Ena Cutie Honey a Go Go! by Hideaki Anno and Shinpei Itou Devilman G by Go Nagai and Rui Takatou Dragon Half by Ryusuke Mita Hatsune Miku: Bad End Night by Hitoshizuku-P x Yama and Tsubata Nozaki Hatsune Miku Presents: Hachune Miku’s Everyday Vocaloid Paradise by Ontama Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka by Makoto Fukami and Seigo Tokiya Sleeping Beauty by Yumi Unita Spirit Circle by Satoshi Mizukami The Testament of Sister New Devil Storm by Tetsuto Uesu and Fumihiro Kiso Unmagical Girl by Ryuichi Yokoyama and Manmaru Kamitsuki Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea by Mogeko

Seven Seas is getting back into translating novels and has a deluxe edition of Ryo Mizuno’s Record of the Lodoss War: The Grey Witch with illustrations by illustrations by Yutaka Izubuchi in the works, too. Also announced was a full-color edition of Madeleine Rosca’s Hollow Fields and five more illustrated literary classics. (I found Seven Seas release of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass to be quite enjoyable.)

It’s a pretty interesting group of announcements with a fairly wide range of titles to choose from. There’s even a manga from the late ’80s (Dragon Half), and not many of those are licensed any more. I’m particularly curious about Moriyama Ena’s adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo (the cover art is gorgeous), the josei manga Sleeping Beauty by Yumi Unita (whose Bunny Drop left me with extremely conflicted feelings), as well as the number of titles which are part of classic franchises.

Quick Takes

Devils’ Line, Volumes 1-2 by Ryo Hanada. I actually didn’t realize it at first, but Devils’ Line is the second work by Hanada to be released in English. The first was the doujinshi Good-bye Geist which overall I enjoyed. However, Devils’ Line is Hanada’s first professional series. In general, I’m liking it, too, except that the artwork is terribly inconsistent. At times it’s absolutely spectacular (the cover illustrations are especially great) but within a few panels it may have lost all sense of scale an anatomy. I can’t quite tell if this is mean to be deliberate or not; if so, the execution is unconvincing. The story isn’t as tight as it could be, but it does have a nice blend of genres, including romance, horror, action, crime, and thriller. And, like Good-bye Geist, the series has a marvelously ominous atmosphere. The plot centers around Tsukasa, who unfortunately seems to be a magnet for both vampires (or “devils”) and sexual assault, and Anzai, a half-vampire working for the police in a unit specializing in devil-related incidents. Vampirism in Devils’ Line has an intensely sexual component to it; the eroticism often associated with vampires in other stories is in this case incredibly dark and violent.

The Ghost and the Lady, Volume 2 by Kazuhiro Fujita. Admittedly, The Ghost and the Lady is kind of a strange manga series. In part historical fiction and in part supernatural drama, the manga’s disparate elements don’t always perfectly mesh, but I still enjoyed the series a great deal. In The Ghost and the Lady, Fujita mixes together historical facts and legends, reimagining the life of Florence Nightingale and her accomplishments during the Crimean War with a distinctly supernatural flair. It’s clear that Fujita has done a tremendous amount of research for the series; and as the afterword by the series’ translator Zack Davisson points out, more or less every named character in the manga has a historical counterpart. There’s Nightingale herself as well as the people she knew, Grey is based on a famous ghost of the Drury Lane theater, and even historical figures like the Chevalier d’Éon have prominent roles to play. (Speaking of whom, I really need to find a good biography of d’Éon to read.) Despite the presence of the ghosts, the supernatural aspects of The Ghost and the Lady seem to come and go; I do wish that the eidolons had been utilized a little more in the series’ second half because it’s great when they are.

Holy Corpse Rising, Volume 1 by Hosana Tanaka. As can be safely assumed by provocative cover art, Holy Corpse Rising is a manga series that includes a fair amount of nudity and scantily clad women. However, despite the occasional ridiculousness, the fanservice is largely keeping with the style and tone of the series as a whole, so it doesn’t feel out-of-place; a significant portion of Holy Corpse Rising is intended to be titillating. In general, Tanaka’s artwork is quite attractive, though the women in the series are the most beautiful. They’re also by far the most powerful characters, both in ability and status. The first volume of Holy Corpse Rising serves as an introduction to the war between the Credic Church and the witches. Nikola, a monk who is a specialist in witch lore, is charged with securing the aid of the coven of first witches in the Church’s fight against their descendants. But first Nikola must resurrect them and in the process manages to put himself in some rather compromising situations. So far the first witches each seem to gain their power from a different bodily fluid (tears, blood). And since there are twelve of them, Holy Corpse Rising has the potential to enter some pretty kinky territory.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg. I don’t recall exactly what it was that brought The One Hundred Nights of Hero to my attention, but I’m so glad that I read it because it is marvelous; I loved the comic. Greenberg takes inspiration from existing stories and even provides retelling of folktales over the course of the graphic novel. The framework is deliberately similar to that of One Thousand and One Nights and there are stories within stories within stories. In fact, The One Hundred Nights of Hero is about the power of stories and storytellers. It’s also about love and “brave women who don’t take shit from anyone.” At the center of the comic is Cherry and her maid Hero, two women who love each other dearly. Night after night, Hero spins tale after tale in an effort to save their lives. The world of The One Hundred Nights of Hero is an incredibly misogynistic one. While different from our own, in some ways it is also tragically reminiscent. The One Hundred Nights of Hero isn’t always particularly subtle and can at times feel somewhat heavy-handed, but it’s a wonderfully powerful and unabashedly feminist work. I definitely plan on seeking out more of Greenberg’s comics.

Moshi Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto. Despite being an extremely prolific author and one of the most well-known Japanese novelists translated in English, I haven’t actually read any of Yoshimoto’s works until now. The story of Moshi Moshi is told from the first-person perspective of Yoshie, a young woman whose father has recently died. A successful musician, the circumstances surrounding his death are somewhat unclear, but it’s believed that he committed double suicide with a woman who neither she or her mother knows. The novel follows Yoshie as she tries to come to terms with the unexpected loss of her father by reinventing her life in the chic neighborhood of Shimokitazawa. Her mother joins her there, feeling that the ghost of her husband is haunting the family home, and Yoshie herself is plagued with recurring dreams in which her father appears, searching for his phone. Though Moshi Moshi does tend to drag a little in places, I really liked how Yoshimoto handles the themes of love, loss, and the inevitability of change in the novel. I suspect that Moshi Moshi likely isn’t the best introduction to Yoshimoto’s work, but for the most part I did appreciate it.

By: Ash Brown