#To Break The Bonds Within Two Kingdoms

[itsamenickname]

To the Bowuigi fans who are suffering from Ao3 withdraw (including myself):

I present you with this very long post (that I will break down into 3-4 different posts) I have luckily kept in my computer files that I hope will ease you in these hard times.

Enjoy. :)

To Break the Bonds Within Two Kingdoms

**********

Chapter 1

For as long as he could remember, King Boo wanted to become the greatest villain the Mushroom Kingdom has ever seen. From the heroes dying right in front of him to the damsel pleading for their very life, King Boo fantasized hundreds and thousands of plans all with the same end goal of him becoming the new king of the Mushroom Kingdom. So naturally, when King Boo was given an opportunity to defeat Mario, the said hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, at Isle Delfino, he was ecstatic. This, he thought, was the first step in conquering the Mushroom Kingdom and possibly the entire world. If King Boo could defeat Mario, nothing could stop him from achieving his life-long dream.

Except Mario did stop him.

Now yes, King Boo was frustrated at his and Bowser’s ultimate loss, but the ghost king knew that he would be given a second opportunity to defeat Mario. He just needed a new and different angle to work with, but what new angle would allow him to have the advantage over that annoying red plumber?

The answer to that question was Luigi.

After his defeat at Isle Delfino, King Boo was informed that Mario had a younger twin brother named Luigi. This new piece of information allowed King Boo to come up with a new perfect plan that would surely stop Mario once and for all. All the ghost king had to do was kidnap Luigi and Mario would come crawling on his knees and beg him to spare his little brother’s life. Surely, nothing would go wrong with that plan, right?

Wrong. That so-called “perfect” plan backfired on King Boo.

Three times.

To say King Boo was angry after his third defeat is an understatement.

While his hotel plan ended in a total disaster, the one good thing that came out of it was that Luigi didn’t capture all 16 Boos with that Poltergust he hated so very much. King Boo was grateful that the uncaught Boos were loyal enough to distract the professor long enough for him to break out of the canister.  

But the ghost king knew that it wouldn’t matter in the long run.

As long as Luigi and Professor E. Gadd were around, King Boo knew it would only be a matter of time before he would get captured and be put back in that infuriating prison again. 

And that thought alone fueled him with nothing but anger.

“ARGGH!”

In a fit of rage, King Boo threw his crown at a nearby mirror. As his anger slowly started to simmer back down, he realized that he was essentially powerless without his crown, so he quickly placed his crown back on his head before staring at his reflection in the now-broken mirror.

He hated, no, loathed, Luigi. If King Boo ever saw his face again, he would make sure that scaredy-cat plumber wished he didn’t defeat him in that first mansion all those years ago. If only he had a new angle to work with, he could-

“Um, Sir?”

King Boo swiftly turned around to see a Boo watching him with a worrisome expressions. Boos who served under King Boo for a long time were used to seeing him frustrated and angry, so the fact that this Boo seemed nervous to be anywhere near him told King Boo that he was one of the Boos they recently recruited.

At least that small piece of information reassured King Boo that he could still fear into the young Boo.

“What reason do you have to interrupt me?!” King Boo shouted. He was fuming with rage and he felt that he had every right to be. This Boo interrupted his loathing of Luigi and he should’ve known better than to barged into the room like this.

The Boo nervously gulped before speaking.

“I-I think y-you should see this,” the Boo stammered while holding out an object with a shaky hand.

It took King Boo a moment to realize that the Boo was holding out a newspaper. He yanked the newspaper right out of the young Boo’s hand, without even muttering a thank you, and read the front page headline.

PEACE TREATY AND ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM AND THE DARK LANDS!

A peace treaty between Peach and Bowser?

This peaked King Boo’s interest.

Upon further reading the article, King Boo learned that Queen Peach and King Mario are willing to sign a peace treaty with King Bowser and King Luigi, despite everything Bowser did to the Mushroom Kingdom in the past. King Boo wasn’t sure why Mario would agree to sign a peace treaty with his sworn arch-nemesis, but he figured that the red king didn’t have that many options since Bowser and Luigi are a married couple.

Speaking of Luigi…

“Remind me of the relationship status between Luigi and Bowser as well as the relationship between Mario and Bowser,” King Boo ordered while staring at a picture on the front page. It was a picture of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser with jubilant and cheerful expressions surrounded with all kinds of different decorations. King Boo could tell that the picture was taken on Luigi and Bowser’s wedding day due to the fact that all four of the royals were wearing the most extravagant clothes he had ever seen in addition that Bowser was also kissing an embarrassed, but overjoyed, Luigi on the cheek while carrying him bridal style.

Grambi, King Boo despised every single thing about the picture. 

“Luigi and Bowser were officially married almost three months ago and their coronation took place three days after the wedding,” the Boo informed. “While Mario gave his public approval to the wedding, multiple spies from both the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands have confirmed that Mario and Bowser still don’t like each other.”

It was quiet as King Boo continued to read the rest of the article. It wasn’t until he started to read an article about a Toad explaining the disadvantages of the peace treaty that King Boo realized what the Boo actually said.

They still don’t like each other.

Despite the wedding and the peace treaty they’ll soon sign together, Mario and Bowser still hate each other.

King Boo couldn’t help but laugh at the situation that was now presented in front of him.

This didn’t just peak his interest anymore.

This was fantastic news.

No, this was absolutely perfect.

King Boo instantly tossed the newspaper aside as he gave the young Boo his full attention for the first time since he entered the room. Hundreds of ideas started to swarm in the ghost king’s head, but they were all easily pushed to the side as one thought consumed his mind. 

This was his new angle.

“Gather all the Boos to the corridor immediately!” King Boo exclaimed to the Boo. He stared at his reflection with the biggest grin he ever had while brainstorming his brand new master plan. “We are going to pay a visit to our dearest friend!”

***********

Chapter 2

One week later…

If there was one thing Luigi could change about himself, he would like to be much more confident. For their entire lives, Luigi always admired the enormous amount of confidence Mario had in any situation he was put into and wish he could have half the courage his older brother had. From battling villains without hesitation to being the spotlight of a party, Luigi wondered how it was all so easy for Mario when he would have the most difficult time talking to even one person.

Even if that said person, or rather, Koopa, was his husband.

Luigi watched the interaction between Bowser and the airship crew as he twiddled his thumbs in an anxious manner. While he couldn’t hear the conversation, Luigi could tell that Bowser was demanding the Shy Guys to finish the airship preparations based on the authoritative body language Bowser was using and the nervous posture the Shy Guys had.

He understood why Bowser was so eager to leave. A heavy thunderstorm was expected to hit the Dark Lands for the first time in weeks and both he and Bowser knew that flying an enormous wooden airship in the middle of a thunderstorm would certainly lead to disaster. The Koopa King wanted to leave before the thunderstorm could have a chance to hit them and Luigi didn’t blame him one bit.

But just because Luigi understood Bowser’s reasoning didn’t mean he agreed with his husband’s decision.

Now that the Shy Guys were working at a satisfying pace, Bowser faced Luigi and immediately noticed how anxious the green king was. Hating to see his spouse so distressed, Bowser walked back to his husband’s side and wrapped his arm around Luigi’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry about that, love,” Bowser apologized before kissing the top of Luigi’s head. He turned to watch the now-frantic Shy Guys making the final preparations as he gently squeezed Luigi closer to him. “I know you hate it when I yell at the minions, but every once in a while, they need to get it through their heads, you know? It’s like I need to babysit these idiots in order for them to actually do their job.” 

Luigi was quiet. He knew he should’ve responded, or, at the very least, acknowledged Bowser’s statement, but his mind was too preoccupied with something far more pressing.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed that Bowser’s statement was met with silence.

“Are you alright?” Bowser asked worriedly. While keeping his right arm around Luigi’s shoulder, he used his left hand to gently turn Luigi’s head in order for him to see how concern the Koopa King was for him. “You’ve hardly said a word all morning and I can tell that you’re thinking about something serious. What’s going on?”

Luigi needed to tell him. He already voiced his concerns to Bowser ever since they received the letter two days ago, but they would always get pulled away by their royal duties before they could finish the conversation.

Maybe Bowser would listen to him this time. It was just the two of them in front of the airship and Luigi didn’t think the Shy Guys would be brave enough to interrupt their conversation. Would Bowser take his words to heart?

Luigi desperately hoped so.

“I-I don’t think this is a good idea,” Luigi confessed while staring at Bowser.

Neither of them spoke for a minute, although it felt much longer to Luigi, as Bowser processed his words. Once Bowser fully realized what Luigi was referring to, he took his arm off of Luigi’s shoulders and carefully held his husband’s hands.

“There’s no reason for you to worry about this,” Bowser responded. He started rubbing Luigi’s hands with his thumbs in a circular motion in hopes of easing his husband’s worries. While he noticed a visible change in Luigi’s nervousness, Bowser could tell that his actions weren’t enough to completely calm the green king down just yet. “It’s just a meeting with your brother and Peach. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“The problem isn’t about the meeting,” Luigi explained as he looked down at his hands. “The problem is that Mario and Peach want to meet with you alone.”

Luigi looked back up at Bowser as the Koopa King tried to think of a response to his statement. When he saw that Bowser was struggling to find the right words to comfort his anxiousness, Luigi continued.

“I know Mario wasn’t…thrilled about our wedding,” Luigi hesitated. “But even still, Mario and I have been very close our entire lives. I’m just confused on why Mario wants you to visit the Mushroom Kingdom by yourself. I know he already gave you the protective big brother lecture at our wedding and when we all signed the peace treaty last week, so what other topic does Mario want to discuss with you that I can’t or shouldn’t know about?”

If Bowser was completely honest, he had no idea what the meeting with Mario and Peach was going to be about and that terrified him. Ever since he and Luigi announced their relationship to the royal couple, Bowser never felt like he actually got Mario’s approval. He couldn’t blame the red king, especially after all the hell he used to put the Mushroom Kingdom through, but he and Luigi have been together for almost 18 months now. Surely, Mario would at least realize that Bowser loved Luigi just as much as he did, right?

Then again, judging by the tone in the letter, Bowser highly doubted he was going to get Mario’s approval anytime soon.

“Your Majesties,” a Shy Guy announced as he interrupted the couple’s conversation. With the dark blue jacket and the captain’s cap the Shy Guy was wearing, both Luigi and Bowser could tell that this particular Shy Guy was the Captain of the airship crew, or, at the very least, a Shy Guy with a very high rank. “The airship is ready for departure. If we want to reach the Mushroom Kingdom before the thunderstorms hits, I suggest we leave immediately.”

“Excellent work, Captain!” Bowser exclaimed, not realizing Luigi’s question was left unanswered. He gave the Captain one unexpected, hard pat on the back before wrapping his arm back around Luigi’s shoulders. “Prepare for takeoff while I have another minute with my husband.”

Luigi watched the Captain as he bowed to Bowser and left them alone to notify the airship crew. Once the Captain was out of their sight, Bowser took his arm off Luigi’s shoulders and gently grabbed his husband’s shoulders to make sure he had Luigi’s full attention.

“I should be back by tomorrow night at the absolute latest,” Bowser informed. “The only thing you’ll need to focus on is the meeting with the royal court later today, but both Kamek and Kammy will be there to help you with that as well as anything else you’ll need while I’m gone. You’ll be okay handling the royal stuff without me, right?”

Luigi had never felt more like two completely different people than at that moment. On the inside, he was begging, pleading, and doing anything else he could desperately think of to stop Bowser from entering that airship.

But on the outside, all he could do was silently nod.

“Good,” Bowser responded with a smile. He gave Luigi one last kiss on the head before he let go of his shoulders. “I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

As Bowser started to make his way to the airship entrance, Luigi’s world instantly started to crumble right in front of him. He had no idea why his brother wanted to meet with Bowser in private or why his husband didn’t find Mario’s letter suspicious, but there was one thing Luigi knew with absolute certainty.

He can’t let him go.

He cannot let Bowser get onto the airship.

“STOP!”

Luigi was surprised and relieved when Bowser stopped in his tracks and turned around to face him. Luigi noticed Bowser’s bewildered facial expression, but he couldn’t dwell on his husband’s emotions. He had to be brave.

“You can’t get on that airship,” Luigi demanded. He was fully aware that he sounded like a parent ordering a child to not do something, but it didn’t matter to him. The only thing he could think about was preventing Bowser from entering that airship.

“Luigi, I’ll only be gone until tomorrow night,” Bowser reassured. He started to take a few steps towards Luigi in hopes of calming him down. “It’s going to be-,”

“No!”

Bowser immediately stopped walking after Luigi interrupted him. By now, the entire airship crew was watching the conversation unfold, but neither Luigi nor Bowser noticed. They were too busy focusing on their significant other to realize that they now had an audience.

“Every time we try to talk about this, something always interrupts us to where we can’t finish the conversation,” Luigi explained. “But I’m not going to let that happen this time. This trip is a bad idea Bowser and I won’t let you get on that airship.”

Wait, what?

He had to be joking. 

There was no way Luigi would try to prevent him, the King of the Koopas, from entering the airship, right? 

But as Bowser looked at his husband, he realized that Luigi’s nervousness and anxiousness from before was now completely replace with something that almost resembled confidence and determination.

Oh yes, Luigi was actually being sincere.

Now Bowser just couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“You won’t let me?” Bowser scoffed. He took a few intimidating steps towards Luigi with the goal of scaring him a little bit. Even though Bowser noticed a small change in his husband’s demeanor, it didn’t stop Luigi from keeping his ground. “How do you intend to stop me? It may have been a while, but we both know I can defeat you in a fight.”

“The Shy Guys will listen to me,” Luigi responded. He inwardly knew that Bowser could very well easily crush him like a bug, if he really wanted to, but Luigi couldn’t let that thought break his confidence. “And if they decide to follow your orders over mine, I learned my way around an airship and I know the parts that can prevent it from flying for days or even weeks.”

“Are you seriously trying to blackmail me right now?!” Bowser screamed while running a hand through his hair. If he wasn’t so frustrated with how stubborn Luigi was being, Bowser would’ve honestly been proud to see his husband standing up to him for something he truly believed in. “It’s just a stupid meeting with Mario and Peach! Why are you so hung up over this?!”

“It’s not just about the meeting!” Luigi argued. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let himself cry in front of Bowser. “Ever since you got the letter, I’ve been having this really bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen if you enter that airship and visit the Mushroom Kingdom! And besides, if it’s just a ridiculous meeting, then why are you so obsessed about it?!”

When Luigi and Bowser first started dating, the Koopa King made a promise to himself to not take his anger out on Luigi whenever he was frustrated about something, even if Luigi was the cause of his anger. Bowser knew how sensitive and emotional his husband was and the Koopa King especially didn’t want to do or say anything that would greatly upset the man he vowed to love and protect.

But this time, Bowser let his anger get the best of him.

“Do you really want to know why I want to go to this meeting so badly?!” Bowser snapped. “Fine! I want to go to this meeting because I want to get Mario’s blessing! You may have a fantastic relationship with your brother and Peach, but incase your idiotic brain didn’t realize it, Mario despises my guts and ignoring him certainly isn’t going to get him to like me! I’m going to this damn meeting whether you like it or not, so you can either suck it up and accept it or cry about it like the fucking disgrace you are to everyone!” 

No one uttered a sound after Bowser’s emotional outburst. The Shy Guys have worked with Bowser for many years, but to see Bowser so livid and enraged terrified them to the point where they were too paralyzed with fear to even move. 

It was beyond horrifying to witness the Koopa King like this.

But the Shy Guys and Bowser were especially surprised when it was Luigi who finally broke the silence.

“S-So that’s how y-you really feel about m-me?”

When he heard Luigi’s quiet and brittle voice, Bowser instantly realized the harsh words he said to his husband. Bowser was very hesitant to look at Luigi, but he knew he needed to see just how much of an impact his words had on the green king if he wanted to apologize for his outburst.

But what he saw shattered his heart.

Luigi was visibly shaking so much that Bowser couldn’t help but wonder how he was even able to stand. The tears the green king desperately tried to hold in during the argument were now pouring down his face and he was hugging himself so tightly that Bowser had a feeling that bruises were going to form on Luigi’s arms within the next few days.

It was a gut-wrenching sight to see.

But what devastated Bowser the most was that he was the reason for it.

“Luigi,” Bowser whispered. He had no idea what to do, but he knew he needed to do something. Bowser carefully took one step towards Luigi as a way to show that he wanted to apologize for his outburst and help comfort his distressed husband.

Luigi took one step back in response.

“I-If that’s how y-you really feel about me, then I-I won’t stop you from l-leaving,” Luigi stammered while taking a few more steps away from Bowser. “E-Enjoy you t-time away from a d-disgrace like m-me.”

Luigi hastily ran back to the castle before Bowser could utter a response. Every part of the Koopa King’s mind wanted to follow, call out, or literally anything else he could think of to let Luigi know that he was sorry and that he didn’t mean to take his anger out on him.

But his body just simply wouldn’t let him. All Bowser could do was watch Luigi as the green king ran farther and farther away from him.

“K-King B-Bowser?”

Bowser turned to see the Captain watching him with fear and terror. He completely forgot that the Shy Guys were waiting for his orders and considering that he now no doubt knew that the entire airship crew saw his and Luigi’s fight unfold was especially a nail to the coffin.

“W-We really need to g-go if want to m-make it b-before,-”

“I hear you loud and clear,” Bowser interrupted with a sigh. He gave the castle one last look before walking towards the entrance of the airship. “I’m ready to go.”

***********

Chapter 3

When Luigi and Bowser revealed their relationship to Mario and Peach, the Mushroom couple had mixed feelings. At first, Peach was very hesitant about the relationship, but her opinion soon changed when she saw how happy Luigi and Bowser were together. From putting the other one’s needs above his own to supporting each other through all the hardships, Peach noticed all the little interactions between the odd couple during their stays at the Mushroom Kingdom and it warmed her heart to see that Bowser was a truly changed Koopa.

For Mario…, it was really difficult for him to give Luigi and Bowser his blessing. Sure, he announced his approval of the relationship to the public eye, but Peach, Bowser, and even Luigi knew that it would take time for the Mushroom King to fully accept Luigi and Bowser’s relationship.

Bowser couldn’t blame Mario for his reluctance. Up until two years ago, he considered both Mario and Luigi as his arch-enemies, so it made sense to the Koopa King that he would need to gain Mario’s trust in order for the red king to truly accept his relationship with his brother.

But the last thing Bowser expected was for Mario to antagonize him.

Constantly.

You see, every time Luigi and Bowser visited the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario sort of made it a goal of his to anger Bowser to the point where the Koopa King would cause a massive scene and prove to everyone, especially Luigi and Peach, that he was the same Koopa he used to be all those years ago. Whether it was criticism or complaints, Mario would try every tactic he could think of to push Bowser over the limit.

I don’t understand how your minions are still loyal to you after all you put them through.

This is not how you should rule a kingdom.

You don’t deserve to be with Luigi.

Bowser had considered telling Luigi and Peach about Mario’s behavior on multiple occasions, but he decided long ago that it wasn’t worth mentioning to either of them. Mario was Peach’s entire world and Bowser was smart enough to know that Peach would easily take her husband’s words over his.

As for Luigi…

The green king had been through so much ever since they announced their relationship to the public. From the Mushroom Kingdom treating him like a traitor to the Dark Lands still seeing him as an enemy, it pained Bowser to see all the battles Luigi faced just to live the life he wanted to have.

If Luigi ever found out about Mario’s behavior towards the Koopa King, it would break the green Italian’s heart.

Although with everything that happened today, Luigi finding out about his brother’s behavior was honestly the least of Bowser’s worries.

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Bowser sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands.

Three hours have gone by since the airship left the Dark Lands, but to Bowser, it was three hours since his huge fight with Luigi. As soon as he entered the airship, Bowser ordered anyone within earshot to not disturb him until they landed. He didn’t wait to hear any of the Shy Guys’ responses (but he knew that none of them would risk angering him) and took the most direct route to his quarters. The Koopa King didn’t even acknowledge the Shy Guys who stopped and bowed to him, although the minions were sort of used to it at this point.

But as soon as Bowser was alone in his room, he broke down.

Why? Why did he lose control like that? All Luigi wanted was to voice his concerns about Bowser’s trip to the Mushroom Kingdom. It was a simple request that Bowser could’ve easily agreed to, but instead, he essentially destroyed his entire marriage all because he was so determined in getting Mario’s stupid approval.

Was this ridiculous meeting with Mario and Peach really that important to him?

Bowser heard a knock on the door before he had time to consider the question.

“Enter,” Bowser grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.

The door opened to reveal the Captain, but with the way his hands were fidgeting and his whole body was rocking back and forth, it was obvious that the Shy Guy was terrified to interrupt whatever Bowser was doing.

“I-I’m here to inform y-you that the a-airship just l-landed,” the Captain nervously announced.

Bowser was hesitant. As much as he didn’t want to, he would need to figure out his situation with Luigi later. Right now, he had to prioritize this meeting with Mario and Peach.

Sighing one last time, Bowser looked at the Captain and spoke with an aggressive tone.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

King Mario felt a headache coming on as he listened to the argument between Peach, Toadsworth, and the royal court. If it was purely up to him, he would’ve ended the meeting hours ago, but ever since he and Peach signed the peace treaty, his days were filled to the brim with all kinds of different meetings with the royal court explaining their reasons on why signing the peace treaty was a terrible idea.

It’s not like he could blame them for being such nervous wrecks. Luigi and Bowser have been together for almost 18 months and Mario still hates Bowser with every fiber of his being.

Not that he would admit that to anyone.

“Your Majesties, we cannot trust King Bowser on keeping his promises,” a male Toad insisted, interrupting Mario’s thoughts. With the white spots on his black cap, Mario recognized the Toad as one of the higher-ranking members of the royal court. “He has caused nothing but trouble to our kingdom for years and he expects us to pretend that his actions never happened?”

“By boogity, that’s exactly what he wants us to do!” Toadbert explained before adjusting his glasses. Mario watched Toadbert as the longtime serving Toad looked through the dozens of papers scattered in front of him. “King Bowser hopes to gain our trust with the peace treaty, and once he sees us letting our guard down, he’ll use that opportunity to attack us, by boogity!”

“What do you suppose we do then?” a female Toad with red spots on her white cap explained. Based on the way the Toad was rubbing her forehead, as if she was stressed, Mario could tell that she was likely a newer member of the royal court. “His armies have always been, and still are, much more powerful than ours. If we attack him now, he’ll surely destroy us, but we can’t just sit back and wait for him to make the first move.

“King Bowser is not going to betray us!” Toadsworth exclaimed while slamming his cane on the floor. He took a few deep breaths before looking at each member of the royal court. “Have you all forgotten that he is married to King Luigi, one of the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom? He would never allow King Koopa to attack our kingdom.”

A male Toad with white spots on his orange cap slammed his fist on the table before anyone could have a chance to respond.

“King Luigi betrayed us the moment he started a romantic relationship with that vile Koopa,” the Toad stated. “For all we know, he could be plotting with King Bowser to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. We cannot trust either of them.”

Mario was grateful that Peach chimed into the conversation at that moment because he would’ve gone off on the idiotic Toad for even considering Luigi as a traitor had she not intervened.

“That is enough!” Peach shouted while shooting up from her chair. The entire royal court turned stiff upon hearing the queen’s sudden outburst, but Peach paid no attention. “We have been in an official alliance with the Dark Lands for less than a week and no one is even willing to give Bowser a chance! Yes, he has done nothing but terrible things to the Mushroom Kingdom in the past, but he wants to be a better Koopa now. Need I remind you all that the peace treaty was entirely his idea, not ours, and not to mention that he went through a lot just to have a public relationship with Luigi? That right there proves to me that Bowser is not the Koopa he used to be all those years ago and it greatly disappoints me that none of you can see that.”

It was a huge relief to Mario when a maid announced her presence with a knock on the conference room door right then and there. He didn’t have to look at the royal court to know that the meeting would’ve instantly turned into a verbal bloodbath if the maid arrived even one second later.

“Your Majesties, you have a visitor in the throne room,” the maid informed.

“Who’s the visitor?” Mario asked, speaking for the first time since the meeting started. He and Peach weren’t expecting any visitors today, but it was also entirely possible that the visitor could’ve just slipped from their minds, especially given that this past week had been exhausting for the royal couple.

The entire throne room noticed the stutter in the maid’s voice.

“I-I think it’s best if y-you see for yourself, Your M-Majesty,” the maid answered with an anxious tone.

Mario and Peach exchanged a worried glance before following the maid to the throne room. Usually, the maids or guards would announce the visitor to the royal couple, but considering the fact that the maid refused to provide the visitor’s name, in addition to that she was reluctant to respond to Mario’s question was rather alarming.

Who was the mysterious visitor?

Upon entering the throne room, Mario and Peach were relieved to find that the mysterious visitor was just Bowser. Mario now understood why the maid was nervous in answering his question and couldn’t blame her for the way she reacted.

But Mario’s relief melted away when he noticed two important pieces of information.

Luigi wasn’t with Bowser in the throne room.

And Bowser didn’t have his usual confidence.

“King Bowser.”

“Your Majesties.”

The throne room was painfully quiet for what felt like an eternity. None of the three royals knew how to break the silence.

It was only when Mario finally spoke that the atmosphere of the room took a 180˚ turn.

“What are you doing here?”

***********

Chapter 4

Wait, what?

This wasn’t at all where Bowser thought the conversation would be going.

Okay, sure, the actual purpose of this meeting had honestly been a mystery to the Koopa King ever since he received the letter, but he did have a few ideas on what the royal couple wanted to discuss with him. Between his relationship with Luigi and the peace treaty they all recently signed together, it would make sense for Mario and Peach to check in on him and make sure that he wasn’t going to back down on the promises he made to them.

But for Mario to ask why he was in his throne room when this entire meeting was his and Peach’s idea?

That was the last thing Bowser expected to hear.

“You wrote a letter that said you two wanted to speak with me in private,” Bowser answered while keeping his temper in check. He wasn’t sure how they could forget about a meeting, much less a meeting with him of all people, but with everything the four royals had to deal with since the signing of the peace treaty, Bowser figured that this meeting was likely not a high priority for the royal couple.

That hopefulness was thrown out the window when Mario spoke again.

“I never wrote you a letter.”

Okay, now that just didn’t make any sense to Bowser. It was one thing for Mario and Peach to forget about a meeting, but for them to have the audacity to act like they didn’t plan this meeting in the first place?

That started to anger the Koopa King.

“What do you mean ‘you never wrote me a letter?’” Bowser bellowed in a mocking tone. “Two days ago, I received a letter from you saying that you and Peach wanted to have a private meeting with me. You didn’t provide any purpose or reason for the meeting, but considering the fact that you don’t think too highly of me, I figured that you two wanted to do another ridiculous check up on me.”

Bowser could tell he struck a nerve when he saw Mario clenching his fists and momentarily conjuring up his Firebrand. While he was able to keep his composure in front of the Mushroom couple, Bowser couldn’t help but inwardly smirk at his small unintentional victory.

“You better watch what you say, King Koopa,” Mario threateningly demanded while ruining Bowser’s little victory. “I don’t know how it works in your kingdom, but here in the Mushroom Kingdom, you are expected to treat me and Peach with respect.”

It was a miracle that Peach interrupted the small argument right then and there because if she hadn’t, Bowser would’ve instantly dropped the formalities and used his fire breath to burn Mario to a crisp.

That would’ve been an interesting way to tell Luigi that he broke the peace treaty and started a war against his brother’s kingdom.

“Mario, sweetie, calm down,” Peach pleaded as she placed her hands on her husband’s shoulders. Bowser was amazed by how calm she was despite the amount of tension that was now hanging in the throne room. “Can you please show us the letter we allegedly wrote so that we can clear this matter up?”

It took a few moments for Bowser to realize that the question was directed at him and not Mario, but once he noticed that Peach was looking directly at him, the Koopa King immediately grabbed the letter out of his shell. He held the paper out to the royal couple, but Mario was quick to yank it out of Bowser’s hand, without even muttering a thank you, and start reading.

It was quiet as Peach and Bowser waited for Mario to finish reading the letter. Every part of Bowser wanted to tap his foot or sigh in annoyance, but he forced himself to take a few deep breaths because he knew that his impatience would only fuel Mario’s happiness. When five minutes have passed, Mario handed the letter to Peach before giving Bowser his utmost attention.

“We didn’t send this letter.”

Now that.

That statement made Bowser furious.

“Bullshit!” Bowser fumed. “I have seen the letters you two wrote to me and Luigi after we became an official couple and I know for a fact that those seals are real and official!”

“Yes, that is true, but this is neither mine nor Peach’s handwriting,” Mario explained. “Plus, we have a few Toads who are authorized to write letters on our behalf, but Peach and I always review the letter before we give the approval to mail it out to the recipient. This is the first time we’re seeing this letter and I can guarantee you that none of the Toads have this kind of handwriting.”

“Okay, so if none of you guys wrote the letter, then who the hell did?” Bowser inquired with a frustrated tone.

Before the royal couple could have a chance to think about Bowser’s question, a Hammer Brother suddenly barged into the throne room. Mario and Peach quickly went into a battle stance, but Bowser immediately shot his arm out to prevent any conflict from breaking out as he recognized the now-exhausted minion as one of Luigi’s personal guards.

“Jerry, what the hell are you doing here?” Bowser asked. “And why are you so out of breath?”

It took far too long, in Bowser’s opinion, for Jerry to catch his breath. Come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure why the minion was so out of breath to begin with. Jerry’s devoted loyalty to the royal family and high status in the Koopa Troop gave him the privilege to use the Koopa Clown Car Kamek and Kammy specifically made for the highest ranking minions.

But what Jerry said next made the three royals’ blood run cold.

“King Boo has taken over the Dark Lands!”

2 hours ago…

Luigi sighed as he stared at his reflection in the master bathroom mirror. With his red face and puffy eyes, it was easy to tell that he had been crying for quite some time and Luigi knew the minions well enough to know that it wouldn’t take long for the entire castle to find out that the green king sprinted to his and Bowser’s room with tears in his eyes.

And considering that his fight with Bowser was loud enough for even the Comet Observatory to hear them, Luigi knew it would only be a matter of time until everyone put two and two together.

It was such a relief that the master bathroom was directly connected to the master bedroom.

Luigi decided to give up on trying to look presentable, so he exited the master bathroom and collapsed on his and Bowser’s king-sized bed. He grabbed one of the pillows on his husband’s side of the bed before giving it a tight squeeze as a way to comfort himself from everything that happened in the past hour.

“How could this have happened?” Luigi whispered to himself while staring at the ceiling.

Why? Why did Bowser have to yell at him like that? All Luigi wanted was an actual conversation with Bowser about his private meeting with Mario and Peach. Granted, it probably wasn’t the best idea to express his concerns to the Koopa King right before he was scheduled to leave the Dark Lands, but Luigi didn’t think he was asking for too much. Was it really that difficult for Bowser to stop and listen to him for ten minutes?

Judging by the way their conversation ended, it apparently was.

Luigi didn’t want to think about Bowser or the argument anymore, so he forced himself to sit up on the bed and look around the room for something to distract himself with. It wasn’t until he saw the balcony entrance that he remembered the entire reason for Bowser’s early departure.

The thunderstorm was going to start soon.

And despite all the alarms that were running through his head, Luigi suddenly wanted nothing more than to take a walk in the rain.

With his mind now made up, Luigi got off the bed and walked to the bedroom door with a sense of urgency.

But he only took a few steps before the door was instantly sealed off with a purple gate.

A purple gate? He hadn’t seen that since-

Luigi could’ve sworn he felt his heart stop upon remembering the last time a purple gate blocked the exit.

“N-no,” Luigi trembled as he frantically looked around the room for any possible exit. He quickly realized that the rest of the exits were sealed off with the same purple gates, so he started to hysterically knock on the wall next to the bedroom door in hopes of making enough noise for any minion to hear him. “No, no, no!” 

He talked to E. Gadd two weeks ago. He reassured Luigi that his arch-nemesis was still trapped in that canister along with all the other ghosts he captured after that horrendous hotel adventure.

It was impossible for him to escape again.

But horror struck Luigi as soon as he heard the all-too-familiar and low chuckle he heard so many times in his nightmares.

And even though his mind was begging him not to, Luigi forced himself to turn around to face the one Boo he never wanted to see again.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my dear friend, Luigi,” King Boo taunted. “How long has it been since our last little reunion? One year? Two years? It’s hard to tell since I’ve been trapped in that canister for quite some time.”

Luigi couldn’t respond. He wasn’t sure if King Boo’s questions were rhetorical or actually genuine, but Luigi honestly didn’t care one way or the another because his mind was pleading him to scream, run, or do anything else he could think of to get away from the Boo who caused so much trouble for him and his brother.

But he was far too petrified to do anything.

And it didn’t take King Boo that long to notice this.

“Not in the mood to talk, huh?” King Boo asked upon noticing Luigi’s terrified expression. “That’s fine. I figured we would have a short reunion before I start my ultimate plan.”

Ultimate plan? What did that mean?

Luigi’s questions were immediately answered when he saw King Boo summoning a painting frame. The green king didn’t even realized he was screaming in terror as thunder rumbled in the distance at that exact moment.

But by the time the thunder stopped, he was already gone.

[mintsuwu]

Took a lil break from the asks in order to cook some ✨SMILING CRITTERS FAMILY TIME✨ with @rexmk0153universe-blog because why the hell not??? I might have to divide it in two parts though-

(1/2)

DogDay

DogDay's journey begins when a stork delivers him to the wrong family of wolves, leading him to be adopted by Big Bad's parents. However, his presence triggers jealousy in Big Bad, his adopted older brother, who resents the attention their parents give to the newcomer.

Despite the pack's focus on abilities related to weather phenomena, Dogday stands out due to his unique qualities and talents. As he grows older, he feels a deep longing for a sense of purpose and identity beyond his wolf upbringing. Seeking to find his true self, he leaves the pack and ventures to Jolly Valley, where he encounters the Smiling Critters and forms close bonds with them. Over time, Dogday becomes a leader among the Smiling Critters, embodying their values of friendship and unity.

Big Bad, driven by pride and a mix of emotions, followed Dogday to Jolly Valley, intending to both antagonize his little brother and secretly monitor his progress. Despite his outward bravado and mischievous nature causing ocassional trouble, Dogday remains welcoming towards his older brother, except when his antics go too far. Hus unwavering cheerfulness and open-heartedness serve as a beacon of hope for both the Smiling Critters and his troubled older brother.

BONUS: "Big Bad" is actually a nickname! His actual name is "WindWolf"... Dogday usually calls him "Big Bro", but the rest of the critters "misheard" it and began calling him "Big Bad", much to his dismay.

CatNap

Catnap shares a unique connection with a deity known as SandMan, who reigns over the Dream Realm, a distinct reality separate from the main universe. The origin of Catnap traces back to a moment when Dogday, as a young member of his pack, made a wish upon a shooting star for a friend, and this wish brought Catnap into existence.

SandMan took particular interest in Catnap due to his remarkable qualities, leading to a special father-son dynamic between them, despite Catnap starting off as just another creation of SandMan like many others.

Catnap, however, felt a strong pull to leave the Dream Realm in search of Dogday, the source of his creation. Eventually, the feline succeeded in finding Dogday and chose to remain by his side, along with the other Smiling Critters. Despite Catnap's origin in the Dream Realm and his connection to SandMan, his loyalty lies with Dogday and their companions, forging a lasting bond beyond the confines of the Dream Realm.

Kickin'Chicken

Kickin'Chicken comes from a predominantly female family, consisting of his mother, sisters, and himself as the middle sibling. His father, known as "Rockin'Rooster," is a famous singer, an example that Kickin' aspires to follow. However, Rockin'Rooster's focus on his career leaves little time for family, causing conflicting emotions for Kickin'. Despite his admiration for his father's success, Kickin' yearns for more attention and connection within the family... Yet he hides it under his "cool and tough guy" persona.

However, among his family members Kickin' has a strong bond with his older sister, Pecky. She is level-headed compared to Kickin', but shares his adventurous spirit and openness to new experiences and people.

BONUS: Kickin's family is quite fond of Bubba Bubbaphant, given how he was Kickin's first friend and all of them consider him another member of the family.

CraftyCorn

Craftycorn, born in a magical kingdom governed by four elemental monarchs (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) was raised as the daughter of the Queen of Spades, destined to become a warrior. However, Crafty harbored a distaste for violence, finding joy in art and nature instead.

Despite her mother's attempts to grant her freedom to choose her path within the elemental realms, the other rulers disapproved, doubting Crafty's suitability for the throne. When Craftycorn was to receive her royal Merry Charm, symbolizing her assigned role, she unexpectedly manifested her own charm—the flower. Fearing disappointment from her mother and influenced by the other monarchs, Craftycorn fled her home, unaware of the devastation her departure caused her mother.

Their relationship is complicated, marked by love and care, yet tinged with Crafty's mixed feelings towards her mother.

LoolaLamb

Loola is a special sheep born into a flock known as the "Sleep Sheep" or "Slumbering Guardians." These sheep have the unique role of wandering through villages, signaling to people that it's time to sleep and seek safety from the dangers of the night. Once their task is complete, SandMan, a mystical entity who the sheep "worship" due to its previous helps toward the flock, can traverse their realm to ensure everyone enjoys peaceful dreams and restful sleep.

She's the daughter of the flock's leader, tasked with protecting the sheep, particularly during the day when they're less vigilant due to needing rest after their nightly duties. However, Loola lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her father, who prepared her to take on a similar role in the future.

Despite her upbringing, Loola yearns for adventure and exploration beyond the confines of her flock's duties. After much persuasion, her father allows her to leave, although they maintain communication through letters.

The lamb often travels alone, but occasionally spends time with the Smiling Critters in Jolly Valley for extended periods of time.

[ultralightpoe]

Rubies Hidden With Blood -Aemond Targaryen

Authors Note: Hello, thank you for the patience while I am on a writing break. I’m still trying to figure out life and how to fix it, but I channeled some of the pain and anger into this and I hope you like it . I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there in the world - Ultralightpoe

Warnings: mentions of executions, adultery, foul language

Word Count: 4996

MAIN Master List

Description: Inspired by Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth. (INSPIRED. You are not either of them you’re a character inspired by them)

(Thank you for the gif @onemillionyous )

x Enjoy! x

To Anne Boleyn, who spent the last month of her life preparing for the rest of her daughters life to the best of her ability. Every stitch and warning given was noticed.

And to Elizabeth, who spent the rest of her life hiding footprints for her mother in a home that had tried to strip her memory.

To the bond of the two, never truly understood.

-

You stood, stiff and freezing in the cold weather, on the very steps your mother walked up the day she was executed. A message you were very sure your father intended, one that you would not cave into. 

Verlain, your fathers hand, stood to your right with a grim expression as he did his best to stop looking to the stained spot at the top of the steps. Where her blood had leaked down, seeping into the stone in a mark that would be there forever. It would be centuries before her death would be forgotten, a fact that sent a wave of nausea through you, gripping you in its fierce hold as you tried to inhale some fresh air. Fighting to keep the tears welling in your eyes at bay as the corset constricts against your ribs. 

Breathe. Keep your wits about you. 

“Are you feeling alright, your highness?” Verlain asks, eyebrows pinching together as he watches your hand slide across the front of your dress, as if you could ease the ache in your ribs and lungs from rubbing it. His tone slips at the last two words and you have to bite back the bitter laugh, not willing to risk your breath on it. 

A moon ago you had been nothing more than a bastard to this court, upon his orders. Anyone within earshot of his majesty knew that the forsaken daughter of the castle whore would be painted a bastard the rest of her life. 

The second her body had been carted off he had your handmaiden pack you up, sending you both to an estate far off, so that he would never have to look upon your face again. 

“You haunt me! You plain cunt! You HAUNT ME!” He had yelled the day you begged, the day you crawled to your knees begging him to keep you. Of course you haunted him, you had her face. And whether he had to look upon you or not you were sure she haunted his every move. 

She surely hadn’t visited you since she passed. There were no ghosts in the offwood estate. This castle, however, had more than you could dare keep track of. 

But you hadn’t seen her. Whether you should be thankful for that had yet to be seen. 

“Princess?” Verlain asks again, taking a step up, getting closer as he extends a hand to you. “Prin-“ 

“Don’t call me that.” You sneer, slapping his hand away from you and readjusting the veil that covered your face. Even with your back turned to the spit you could still see her blood on the stone, gulping quickly. Don’t look. Don’t. Look. 

But Verlains eyes cast behind you to the stain, his neck showing an audible gulp before he guiltily looks back to you. “Princess, I never got to speak with you after-“ 

“I’m not your princess.” Your tone was cold, and you made a show of shooing him away. “And you should mind yourself, Lord Verlain. If his majesty catches you this close he might think ill of the intent.”

Verlains face pales, the man stepping back so quickly he nearly slips on the steps before turning back to the courtyard below, fixing his embellished attire. 

You missed being a bastard. A bastard would never be sold off like this. 

There was a war brewing, and many of the kingdoms were beginning to panic for alliances, this kingdom included. And there was one ally that everyone wanted, the seven kingdoms. Westeros. For there was truly no war that could be won against them. 

You’d never seen a dragon, and if this was any under circumstance you would be excited. But this was your very own death march. Or as your mothers own prophet had claimed “you’ll earn your mothers reckoning.” 

There was an ax somewhere out there with your name on it….. or maybe the jaw of a dragon ready to chew you up. 

Before you could much more on it a firm grip snatches the back of your neck, pulling a gasp from you as it pulls you to them aggressively, the smell of wine filling your senses. “You step a foot out of line today and I’ll have your head just like I had your fucking mothers. You hear me, bastard? I’ll spike in on a fucking post.” 

You can only nod, afraid that if you give a verbal response you might whine in pain, and you refuse to show him that weakness. He takes your response, letting go before moving to speak with Verlain as your older sister and little brother stand off to the side. 

The best way to secure an alliance was through marriage. Your older sister couldn’t be married off since she was already married to a lord, and your younger brother was the heir to the kingdom, not to mention the Targaryens didn’t have many girls to marry off. 

But they had Aemond Targaryen, the rumored demon of Westeros, with one eye and the largest dragon. 

So you were renamed a princess, one that would be able to marry a prince. 

Princess of whores being married to a prince of monsters. If your mother could see you now. 

Bile rises up your throat as the memory of her face flashes through your mind, your eyes once again welling with tears. Stop thinking about her. Stop stop stop stop stop.

The heavy sound of thunder pulls your attention, blinking slowly as you try to peer through the veil to see the storm on its way, only to see clear skies. Confusion fills you as your brother gasps loudly, and then you see them, a hoard of dragons filling the skylines as their wings flap in unison . Not thunder, dragons. 

Nausea fills you once more, and yet your mouth goes dry, fists clenching into the heavy skirts of your dress as you spot the older dragon riding in the back, a blur of long white hair flying with it. 

And you know without a doubt, your future husband has arrived. 

- 

“Listen to me.” She sobs, falling to her knees before you as you cry out, the banging on the door scaring you even more than her tears. “You need to listen to me.” 

“Where is papa?!” You scream, your mothers handmaidens rushing around the room as she pulls your face closer to hers by the back of your neck, pressing your foreheads together. 

“Listen. To. Me.” She seethes, wiping your tears with a swipe of her thumb. “Breathe. Keep your wits about you. I need you to remember that these people are not your kin. They are not yours. They will not protect you.” 

“Mama-“ 

“And your father is not- do. Not. Trust. Your. Father.” 

“Mama please-“ 

“You need to remember to breathe. Breathe. Keep your wits about you. And?” 

“Breathe. Keep your wits about you. And…. Unbowed, unbent, unbroken. They cannot break me.” 

“Good. Good girl.” She sobs, reaching to kiss your forehead, her lips holding there for a long moment as the door to your mothers apartments break open and the guards storm in. 

The handmaidens pull you back quickly, right as your mother shoves something in the top of your dress before they are on her. There is no gentleness in the way they grab her by her hair and drag her out, and there is no gentleness in the grip the handmaidens keep on you as you claw and bite to get to her. 

By the time they are out of sight there is nothing left but her shoe that had fallen as she was dragged out, and what she had hidden in your dress. 

Your mother had been taken. 

- 

Aemond was sick of the wind, a feeling he never thought he would get and yet it has arrived. He was ready to land, get a break from the beast below his thighs and have a meal that hadn’t been dried and shoved into a satchel last week. 

His mothers boat stayed below them, his eldest sister's dragon taking the lead of their travel in the front as his uncle stuck to her right. Aegon, a spoiled brat through and through, was left in Kings Landing to act as King Regent as Rhaenyra traveled with them. 

Helaena and Jacaerys keeping him in check. 

But his brother had gotten under Aemonds skin just fine before they left, whispering rumors about his future bride in drunken slurs that made him both angry in a protective manner and angry in nervousness that the whispers might be true. 

“They passed her mother around the court like a toy to their whims, and when she was used up they killed her and replaced her with her daughter. You’ll get nothing but a rag dear brother.” 

The kingdom they flew to now had always been secretive within itself, and word rarely left it’s shores. The only thing anyone really knew is they had an army of soldiers that had yet to be conquered, who wore gold armor and spoke in ancient whispers. 

He is snapped out of his haze as Rhaenyra signals to land, and Aemond takes a moment to rejoice in the feeling of his feet on soil, focusing on that the entire hike up to the castle with his mothers arm now looped into his as Vhagar and the ship are left at the docks. 

“Don’t be nervous.” Alicent Hightower whispers, reaching a hand to swipe at his cheek, humming in discontent before licking the pad of her thumb and swiping his cheek once more. He groans, trying to pull back. 

Even if she meant well he knew his mother never understood how painful the skin near his eye was. The scar was always pulling and swollen, not to mention how hard the eye was to clean if the patch moved even the slightest bit. 

“I hear she’s beautiful.” Lucerys offers, keeping close to his own mothers side. “You saw her painting!” 

Indeed Aemond had, and like a lovestruck fool he had stared at it for hours until it was time to go. The very painting now sat in his chambers, waiting to be hung for after the wedding…. If there was to be a wedding. 

His chest tightens as the castle steps come into view, multiple figures dressed in their finest clothes standing among them. 

In the front, in the most ridiculous frille of red and gold, stood the king. A smug smile laced on his features as an overly large crown stands on his head. Beside him with her arms crossed primly was a younger woman, wearing a smaller tiara of red rubies and a busty gown that he was sure Aegon would have leered at, smiling from ear to ear. 

The king and his 5th wife then, and behind him a bit to the left on an upper step, had to be Verlain. The hand to the king. 

Two more figures a bit further up, one clad in a light blue dress, rubbing at her stomach softly as she watched with nothing more than a nervous expression. Making eye contact with Aemond for just a moment before her face goes red and she looks away, disgust at himself rising in his chest. 

What will my future wife think? He wonders, panic clawing at his throat. Will she refuse me? Will I truly be so ugly?

Before he can take a closer look at the boy beside the pregnant woman he looks over to…. You. Standing a little further to the right of the rest, obviously not really knowing where else to go, with a veil covering your face and wearing a gown of black and red. The long petticoat skirts held within your hands, the long bell sleeves barely covering your hands and the cape connected to the back of the dress making you look every bit pristine. 

The first thing he notes is the lack of jewelry. No rings, no crown or tiara, no bracelets. An odd thing since the rest of your family was completely adorned with anything they could find. 

“Queen Rhaenyra.” The king smiles, bowing his head the slightest inch, a fact that has both Aemond and Damon straightening. A slight to Rhaenyra, he was sure. “And her traveling companions. We welcome you.” 

Aemond risks another look to you as Verlain extends a hand to help you descend the stairs. He can’t hear anything of what anyone is saying as he watches you, heart thumping through his chest at your every movement. 

“-and this is my daughter.” The king mumbles out, his tone tightening at the phrase daughter as you bow gracefully, neck going low as you curtsy need to Rhaenyra then greet the rest of the party in correct order. Before he could say anything you lift the veil and his breath catches. 

The oil painting did you no Justice. And within moments he found himself yearning to trace his fingers over your cheek as he had done to the painting to see how the softness would compare. 

“And this is my brother, Aemond Targaryen. First of his name, rider of the great Vhagar and-“ 

“It is an honor.” The king interrupts Rhaenyra, your cheeks tinging with blush as your jaw tightens. You must know your father is being disrespectful then, and at least one of you has the decency to be embarrassed. 

“As much as I love flattery,” he begins, not tearing his eyes from you. “I’d prefer if you showed my sister more respect. Last person to disrespect her so had his head sliced through the middle.” 

Daemon has the audacity to check his nails for dirt as Rhaenyra sends him a knowing look, his mother tightening her hold on his elbow in approval before moving to you. 

“It is an honor to meet you.” She holds out both hands, which you calmly place your own above as you watch her, and Aemond sees the skepticism glint in them. The narrowing of them as your nose scrunches. “Your beauty was surely understated. Don’t you agree Aemond?” 

“Indeed. But to be fair I don’t think any painting or letter would ever do you justice.” You don’t say anything, merely bow your head in feigned shyness while the crowned woman behind you speaks up. 

“They say she has her mothers complexion.” She giggles loudly, and your spine tightens quickly. “May the child be blessed with the one good thing about her-“ 

“You’ve had a long journey. I’m sure your hungry and we still some final touches on this alliance. I trust you find my daughter to your liking?” There that tone is again, like he is disgusted to call you his daughter. 

“Of course. We accept the marriage proposal, let’s feast and forge out the rest of the details.” Rhaenyra nods, allowing Daemon to help her up the stairs as the king leads them inside. 

Aemond is torn between offering his mother his arm or you, desperate to touch you but not wanting to seem like the type to leave his mother. 

Lucerys is there, offering his arm and drawing the first actual smile from you, a wave of anger filling Aemond at the sight. “Might I escort you to dinner?”

“You may escort me up the stairs, but unfortunately it would be improper for me to join dinner.” His mother snaps her attention to that, watching you as closely as Aemond already had been while Lucerys leads you up the steps. 

They both watch as you look in the opposite direction of where you are walking, keeping your face turned away from one particular spot. 

“Is that…. Blood?” His mother gasps, and Aemond can do nothing but stare at the large stain of it, blinking slowly as the sun hits the dial at the top of the staircase. 

It was clear that this had been set up as a stage at some point, the message still stained into the earth. 

He doesn’t answer his mother, instead he helps her up the steps as he follows the rest of the group. 

-

He was angry. It was the only thing he could register, the anger. The rest of it was numb, the blade that took his eye had made sure of it. No love, no happiness, no remorse. He just felt anger. 

It burnt through his throat until he had no choice but to scream, tore through his chest like acid as he raged to relieve some of it, his sword swinging at anything he could. 

The posts on his bed were the first to have been attacked, the broken canopy it once held brutalized and torn in the corner. The desk was next and he even took a hot poker from the fire to shatter the mirror in one swift move. 

Every move was sheer force, every yell was an attempt to ease him, every slam of his fist and kick of his feet an instinct he could not fight. 

Where was the justice? 

People avoided looking at him now, whispers following him everywhere he went. Females outwardly laughed and gasped at him, acting as if he was a demon that had clawed from the shadows.

“Aemond.” Alicent tries, her hands folded against her dress as she watches her son rage within the walls of his room, feeling useless. He was in pain and there was nothing she could do. “Aemond please.” 

“I DONT WANT TO BE HERE! THEY THINK IM A MONSTER!” 

“Aemond-“ 

“KILL ME! KILL ME KILL ME KILL ME!” He rages, picking up the sword once more as she takes a step back, the tears falling from her eyes. She knows he would never, he was forged from steel itself, but the fear consumes her as she calls for Cole. Sobbing. 

“Help him.” She pleads, hearing the old dragon roar in the distance as Aemond shatters under the pressure. 

“It hurts.” The boy sobs, falling into the glass of his once mirror. “It won’t stop hurting!”

Cole nods, without a word he heaves the boy up, dragging him out and across the glass until they clear the room. His grip is brutal, even Aegon tries to stop them when they pass him in the hall. 

“Where are you taking my brother?” He snaps, standing straight, the soberest Aemond has ever seen him. 

But Cole doesn’t answer, and when Aemond trips the armor pinches into his skin as he is hefted back up until they make it to the training yard. 

“You want to die? Earn it.” Cole snaps, picking up a sword. He doesn’t warn his strike, Aemond barely has a second to dodge as the blade swipes at him, falling to the mud quickly. 

The wetness of it seeps into his clothes, staining them as his fingers dig in to crawl to the weapons to defend himself. 

He remembers the feel of the earth in that moment, latching on to that anger once more as he stands to fight.

- 

You weren’t allowed at the feast, a fact that Aemond finds suspicious as his Uncle moves around the room with his hand on his sword ready for an attack, making eye contact with each servant there. Everyone was on edge, this entire ordeal one that screams trap. 

“Might I ask why the bride will not be joining us?” Rhaenyra breaks the silence, fixing herself in the chair given, nodding to the rest of her party to sit as well. 

“After the events of her mother…. It’s better if she doesn’t join us.” The king answers, casting a look to Daemon. “She mourns her mother. Taken too soon from an illness.” 

The air around them turns pungent, the sign of a lie fallen flat. Lucerys casts him a side look, his thick eyebrows pinched together in confusion as the king raises a glass to toast. 

“To the blessed union of our families.” Everyone raises their own glasses before taking a sip, but not Aemond, he sets his glass down and looks around the room some more while the conversation is struggling to be picked back up. 

“Those are lovely pearls.” Alicent tries, doing her best to ease some of the tension. 

“Oh thank you.” The young queen giggles, leaning forward. “It’s out of fashion out here ever since-“ 

The king slams his hand upon her own, a bang emanating from the wood. She flinches, but tries to smile through it and Aemond feels a rage fill him as he imagines you having to do the same thing before. Is that why you chose not to eat with them?

“Pearls are…. Out of fashion out here.” Your sister fills in the silence, “the woman at the court tend to avoid them.” 

“Speaking of.” Verlain smiles. “I have some things packed and ready to be transported. Gifts from the royal family to yours as a part of the arrangement. To be presented on the wedding day.” 

“I just hope there will be room for all of us aboard that ship of yours.” The king smiles, though Aemond sees right through it. 

“I can assure you it’s quite big. What a lonely ride it was here, while the others rode dragons. I am looking forward to the company on the way back. I do hope the bride fares well in the sea.” 

“I believe my sister to be excited for it.” The pregnant once smiles, the first real smile from this table. 

Aemond says nothing, picking up his goblet and draining the liquid in one easy go. Even the wine here tasted shit. Lucerys laughs under his breath when a pig is set on the table and when Aemond turns to glare thinking the jest is to him he finds that the young queen was using her cutlery to check her appearance. 

He leans closer, Lucerys following his lead. “I hope that my future bride is not too attached to her family. For if I have to spend a second past the wedding with them I might just-“ 

Alicent slaps his shoulder quickly, making him sit up as Lucerys snickers. Whether he got to finish his sentence or not the message had been delivered. 

- 

She spent the last month of her life trapped in a tiny room, with nothing but a bed and a small window barred to keep her in. Her chamber pot was changed once a week and she was allowed one handmaiden. 

But she tried not to let it craze her, pouring herself into preparations for the future ahead of her. Everyday followed the same routine. 

In the morning she was brought to a chapel within the castle where the minister would pray with her, and every morning he would ask her if she had any sins she’d like to pray forgiveness for. She never did, for she remained adamant that she did nothing wrong. And she could withstand the scalding look the man gave her each time for his opinion did not matter, she knew her truth. 

She spent the days seeing, ordering dresses and adjusting them. Day after day. Ordering dress after dress, a small gift her lord husband had allowed her. If she were to die then at least she would die well dressed. 

But the dresses weren’t for her, she didn’t pour over every stitch for herself and she didn’t hem each one to perfection for her own vanity, for she knew the second this was over for her that her daughters life would be ruined. 

She would prepare as much as she could for her daughter, she was a mother and she would not fail her even in her last moments. 

Meanwhile you begged and pleaded for her back, crying into your sisters arms as she held you, rocking you back and forth. 

Your father hadn’t come to see you since she was taken, and you weren’t allowed at court, soon enough even your sister was denying visits. Left alone with your handmaiden until the fateful day. 

Verlain, one of your fathers men, came to the door and excitement filled you when you saw him. He had always been so kind and often stole sweets for you when no one was looking, but that morning he didn’t smile. 

“I thought she might want one more friendly face with her.” He explains to the handmaiden, who has tears in her eyes as she nods. She pulls you away and prepares you, lacing your corset and dressing you in black before taking your hand and leading you through the halls. 

“Are we going to see-“ 

“Shhh. Don’t say a word.” Verlain warns, trying to keep his voice soft. “Not today little lamb.” 

You nod, reaching to grab his hand as well as they lead you to the courtyard. You remain in the back, with a good view of the steps, still holding both their hands. 

Your mothers group of handmaidens stood to the side of the steps, all looking worried and most with tears falling down while someone hisses at Verlain. 

“You brought her kin?!” 

“The king demanded she be here.” Verlain answers back, something like grief crossing his face. “To witness.” 

And witness you did. 

You remember it well, the silent scream that clogged your throat and the way you tried running for her. You had fallen when Verlain pulled you back, your fingers digging into the mud as you tried to crawl to her with all your strength as the blood poured down. 

After you had been dragged, kicking and screaming, to your chambers you’d been thrown in by the guards. The first person allowed access to come and see you had been your mothers main handmaiden, one you hadn’t seen at the execution, who you would later learn had reported your mother falsely. 

She did not hug you, she did not coddle you. The only thing she asked was “your mothers necklace? Have you any idea where she hid it?” 

You told her no, still crying, feeling betrayed. 

She left soon after. 

A week after that you were forced to kneel before your father as he stripped you of your title and your lineage. “You are her daughter and nothing more. A bastard in the eyes of the faith and the crown.” 

You sobbed and begged him not to, crying over and over “papa!” 

He screamed at you, slapping you across the cheek so hard you sprawled across the stone. 

That night, your last night in the castle, you sat by a singular burning candle as an unknown phantom gently traced the bruise, singing softly to you as you waited for your mother to appear to you. 

If there was anyone who would use your gift you were sure it would be her. 

But she never came, and you were sent away, and soon the castle was scrubbed of her memory.

- 

Your last night there was spent exactly the same as years ago, a fresh bruise adorning your cheek from your fat- his majesty, and you sitting by a candle and waiting for her. Silently pleading for her ghost to appear. 

“Come on mother.” You whisper, waiting. “Just one more time before I meet you in the afterlife. Please.” 

She does not show, and when the sun begins to rise you are escorted from your rooms down to the docks were your luggage was being loaded. 

“Is this all you have?” Lucerys, the name he introduced himself with yesterday, asks and you nod. 

“Not much is provided for Basta- for brides to be.” He takes your lie, smiling before you curtsy and allow him to run and catch up with his mother and father. 

“I hope you will be okay with entertaining my mother for the journey.” An even voice fills the silence, your heart lunging through your chest as you turn to see the prince. You thought he was gorgeous, desperate to reach a hand out and see what was under the patch. 

You refrained of course. 

He, however, seemed unable to control himself as he brought a hand up to the bruise on your cheekbone. His fingertips tracing over it ever so lightly. 

“How does he have black hair?” You ask, desperate to get the topic away from your cheek before it can even start. 

“It’s…. A long story.” He huffs, a small smile playing at his lips. “Might I escort you to your chambers on the boat.” 

He holds out a hand for you to take, and for a moment a pitch of fear fills you. Don’t look don’t look don’t look. 

But you can’t stop yourself from turning to those steps, and seeing the blood among them for the last time. Once you’re gone that’s all that will be left of her memory, and that tears a hole through your soul. 

She shouldn’t have to be alone here, but you were sure that you would find her soon enough, there was no way you would ever survive the Targaryens. It was the only reason your father would ever bother to accept this at all. 

So, ignoring the white haired god beside you, you turn fully to the steps and bow properly. “Until we meet again.” 

Your tears sink into the dirt, in the exact spot you once crawled, and when a breeze hits your cheek you can do nothing but lift your head to see her. Standing at the top of the steps, bowing back to you. 

Tears fall quicker, and your throat stings from it as you turn to grab the princes still outstretched hand, and as the last remnants of the second queen fade the last memory of her is lead away to the docks, clutching the lost necklace tightly in the pocket of a dress she once sewed. 

And you know, that just as your mother once did, you would meet your fate with your head held high. 

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. They cannot break me. 

But you hadn’t quite known what Kings Landing had in store for you, no one had expected it really.

(It's been a minute since I wrote something like this and this is the first time in months that writing hadn't felt like a chore. I hope you enjoy it!)

Part 2.... maybe?

[angelsworks]

Little Witch The last kingdom x reader

Chapter 7

Next chapter -> H E R E

Series master list -> Here

Type: series

Summary: Uthred forces you to bathe, which leads to a disagreement between the two of you.

Warnings: 18+ Dark themes, spanking, kissing, description of injury, light fluff.

You remove your black dress. Surprised at how dirty your skin looks beneath it. You see little of your back, but trying to take your dress of causes you pain. Stretching your arms in any way hurt. Even if you did try to bathe, you doubted your ability to properly wash your hair.

You sigh before dipping your hair in the water over the tub. When it’s wet enough you put a small amount of soap on the ends. Proceeding to dry it with a towel and redress. You wait a short while before leaving the room.

Sure your plan has worked, you walk almost confidently out to meet Uhtred.

He stands idly to the side of the room, taking off his leather chest plate and removing his multitude of weapons. He looks at you with curious eyes. Eyes that you do well to avoid.

You sit quietly on the floor furthest away from him. Playing with your now slightly cleaner fingers.

“You have bathed?” He asks. Not convinced in the slightest you had bathed.

You nod. Knowing your voice would break or waver in tone. Surely giving yourself away. Revealing your lie to the intimidating Viking before you.

He clicks his tongue, “Do not lie to me witch. You will not like the outcome.” Uhtred feels annoyance rise within him. Annoyance at your disobedience and your blatant lying.

You raise your eyes to his own. A quiet fury lies behind them, waiting for you to wake it. It pinches the skin beside his eyes. Making them crinkle up in a glare.

“I have bathed. Now I wish to sleep.” You try your best to control your tone. Hoping he’ll not question you further.

Instead he walks over. Sitting on the edge of the bed. Now directly across from where you sit on the floor. Your eyes stay trained on his leather boots. Dirt cakes them from days of travel.

“You will sleep when you have bathed, which I am sure you have not. You have one more chance to go and bathe. Or else I’ll do it myself.” His words leave no room for argument. The threat sends a shiver up your spine. A shiver you aren’t certain is discomfort.

But you won’t do it. You won’t bathe and your choice is final. You feel almost childish about your decision. Like a toddler throwing a tantrum. In other circumstances the idea of taking a bath isn’t so dire. Yet here you feel it is.

Days of travel, of being treated like a prisoners, of walking on eggshells around these Viking men. They’ve made you tired, frustrated, tense. Your back aches and it’s not something you wish to confront. You’ve decided you won’t deal with it. Even Uhtred of Bebbanburg can’t make you bathe. You are quite certain he can’t.

“I will not Uhtred. I refuse,” you tell him, eyes still on the floor. “You May go and bathe, I will sleep.”

The sigh that leaves his lips is almost a groan. He leans forward to rest his arms on his knees. Bringing his face closer to your level.

“You are my seer now, that much I’ve come to believe. If I am your master than you are to listen to me, are you not?” He questions, eyebrow raised.

“No. I do not listen to you Uhtred,” you become defensive, trying to distract him from your current predicament. “Do not pretend to care of our bond, when you’ve kept me bound for the last few days.”

It takes a minute for Uhtred to smile, a smile that does not reach his eyes. “You will bathe tonight witch. You decide if you do it yourself or not.”

His words are final.

Yet you feel differently. A streak of defiance, disobedience, of brattiness perhaps, shoots through you.

He stays in his position as he watches you get up. A second after you make a dash for the door he follows after you. Chasing behind you before wrapping his arms around you. He picks you up and puts you over his shoulder.

You thrash wildly in his hold. More so than you have before. He’s surprised you have so much fight in you. He greatly dwarfs you in size and strength. That much he’s come to appreciate.

“Stop fighting witch or I’ll punish your disobedience.” He all but snarls out to you.

His words do the opposite. Their desired affect failing as your eyes widen and continue your fighting. Your thrashing becomes more frenzied, bending and arching manically to try and loosen his grip.

He pulls you off of his shoulder, as he sits on the edge of the bed. Pulling you over his knees.

“Stop your fighting witch. Take a bath, then we can sleep.”

You breathe heavy breaths as you work up the energy to start thrashing. It’s difficult from your position. You lay over his legs, hands held by one of his own, binding them together like a cuff. One of his legs pins your own down.

Nevertheless you try to start and jerk around. A slap on your dress covered rear halts your movements for a moment. Before you start wailing and kicking, trying to get him off.

In return Uhtred lays down more slaps. He didn’t think the night would turn this way. The thought of spanking you hadn’t crossed his mind before tonight. At least it hadn’t surfaced from his subconscious mind before tonight.

With the women he’d laid with it was often simple. It was sweet, loving even. That was with Saxon women. With Dane’s it became a battle for dominance. One he enjoyed playing. Yet there was no promise of submission from either party.

Here he wanted to see if he could bring you out of yourself. To bring you to a state you could trust another. Trust him. He’d seen the way your shoulders slumped, how heavy they looked. How stress weighed on them like metal amour.

For the first time since he’d met you he saw your shoulders finally relax. Your whole body relaxed. Or maybe it was just limp. The tiredness from the past few days now bleeding out of you as you lay over his knee. Taking spank after spank. Crying loudly.

From your cries it would seem like his spanks hurt like burns, like the worse kind of pain. In actuality, a tight string inside you felt like it had broken. All your hurt and all your worries came rushing past the now open barrier for the second time today. This time you felt it empty your supply more. You felt your problems wash away and your body loosen.

You felt your mind go blank as you moved to a higher place. One where you didn’t need to worry about your parents, or Freya, or Steffen. You only needed to think about one thing. Uhtred.

You felt thankful his spanks stayed on your rear. He never hit further up. Never striking your back and the horrible welts and cuts that littered it.

His punishment didn’t feel like a punishment in comparison to what Steffen had given you. More of a light correction.

You felt your will to disobey weaken. Your fire put out and your desire to fight him off float away. More strangely you felt your bond to Uhtred strengthen in a way. You felt vulnerable.

He’d stopped his slaps a few moments ago but you reminded over his knee, crying hard. He pulled you up gently and sat you to straddle him. Embracing you loosely around your lower back.

When you had calmed considerably he spoke, “I did not wish to do that. But believe me when I say I will do it again. I know now you speak truth and you are to stay with us a long time. I need you to listen to me so that I can protect you.”

You consider his words. Protect you? You found yourself comparing him to Steffen. A man who roughly demanded your support and loyalty. Through means of violence and torture. Now Uhtred was your master. A man who has done nothing near to the damage Steffen had caused. A man who was respected by his followers.

You wondered what had made Uhtred so sure of you. You had lied today. You had left and met Freya, when he specifically asked you not to. Yet he chose now to believe you. Believe you were fated to him. Destined to be his seer. Destined to be his.

He picks you up and holds you easily around his waist, so you rest at his side on his hip. He walks slowly to the bathroom, watching you for any signs of struggle. He is slightly astonished to see you holding to him tightly, your head buried in his neck.

You enjoy the closeness. If this man was your future you would enjoy it for however long it would last. If he really did trust you, maybe you could start to trust him too.

He places you softly on the floor while he sticks his hand in the water. Finding the water to still be warm.

“Undress little witch, you still need to bathe.” His words are gentle. A great contrast to his large figure and sometimes violent nature.

You shake your head and he readies his hand to spank you again. But he finds your eyes glazed as you look away from him.

“Uhtred I can’t. It will hurt me too much.”

If the mood was different he might make some sort of joke about you befriending the dirt under your nails and how you were now saddened to see it gone. Something about the empty look in your eyes tells him your words carry more weight.

He reaches out to hold you chin up, meeting his eyes. “Whatever hurts you, I will do my best to fix.” He tells you honestly. Fate has made you his and he intends to keep you as well as he possibly can. To take care of you with all he has.

You sigh. With shaking hands you start to pull your dress up, while avoiding eye contact with him as you do. Mind going blank as you feel his hands help to pull it over your head your head.

The fabric falls in a pile out of his hands and on to the floor. His eyes widen as he stares, mouth agape, thoughts racing.

Your body is as frail as he suspected. Your ribs tight against your skin. He sees dark bruises along your body. On your legs and arms, spread in an array on your torso. Your skin is particularly sore around your wrists and ankles. The injuries looking similar to those made by shackles. He thinks about how they’d bound you with rope in these places repeatedly, and how much it must have hurt you.

He says nothing as he walks around you. Wanting to see if your back had remained untouched unlike your front.

He felt his stomach fall as he saw the cuts and bruises that lay here. Still dark in colour showing the age and force which made them. They act as a background for the lashes. Lashes made by a whip no doubt. The sight takes him back to his time as a slave, he himself being beaten with a whip. The pain was sharp, awful and searing. But any action after that would magnified it. As it caused the unsealed wounds to reopen.

His fingers brush lightly over the cuts. Some trying to heal, others still open. The skin that wasn’t cut was caked in dirt. It made sense if you’d travelled without rest to Uhtred. He doubted the man responsible for your wounds would take the time to clean you afterwards.

“I will call for a healer little witch,” he moves to stand in front of you. “First you bathe, your wounds will become infected if left in this state.”

He guides you over to the tub. Your naked form now feeling the cold of the room. You take a breath before stepping over into the tub.

The warm water does feel soothing against your legs. Any wounds below your knee are small and minor compared to your back. It relaxes your muscles and warms your bones.

You hesitate as you go to sit in the water. Feeling anxious again at the thought of the pain.

“It will be okay little witch. The pain will pass.”

Sighing, you move to sit. It reaches you immediately. Waves of pain that had the power to bring you to your knees, crashed against your being. Your face contorts and you hold you breath as not to scream. It feels as if salt has been applied to your cuts. The water rubbing it in deeper.

Slowly the pain retreats, becomes dull and calmer. It hurts, but becomes easier to bare. Although your breathes remain ragged and laboured. You move your body so you sit lower in the water. Now it comes to just below your collarbones.

“I will leave you to bathe.” His words short he tried to take his leave.

Your hand reaches out, grabbing for him. You don’t want him to leave. Maybe it’s because his company brings a kind of completeness to your life. Or you’re feeling vulnerable from sharing so much with this man.

“Please stay. I don’t want to be alone. Take your bath.” Your voice is small yet it fills the room. You feel bad that the water will soon go cold and Uhtred will be left to bathe in the cold water. Uhtred says nothing, quietly contemplating what to do.

He nods finally, starting to disrobe. He watches you for any reaction and is surprised when he sees you looking away.

You focus on the grey stone bricks on the wall. All different size, stuck together with cement. There are no windows in the room. The only light is from candles placed sporadically around the room. Most likely lit by the owner of the inn.

Tentatively, Uhtred steps into the bath. Lowering himself until he’s able to sit, his lower half submerged in the warm water.

He says nothing as he watches you. You curl away from him, arms wrapped around your chest, shoulders tense with unease. You sit huddled to the opposite side of the tub. Trying to both give him space and build back your walls.

The tub is only so big. With Uhtred stature it’s hard to angle yourself away from him. You aren’t sure exactly why you are doing it. From the interval of asking Uhtred to stay and now sitting in the bath with him, you started to feel embarrassed.

Embarrassed he had seen you so vulnerable. Embarrassed he was sat with you in the bath. Embarrassed that he’d spanked you moments ago.

“Come closer witch. I do not bite.” He tells you. Widening his legs and positioning himself against the wall of the tub.

You make no move to get closer, causing him to sigh. He feels as if your relationship has changed. Whether you feel it too, he cannot say. But he can sense your guard had lowered. He feels as though it had given the two of you have a chance to connect.

Slowly you move back towards Uhtred. Wadding through the water until you make contact with his front. He raises his arms to lean on the edges of the tub, caging you in. Yet you don’t feel trapped.

You lean back against his chest, letting out a deep breath pass your lips. With it the last of your tensions. You match your breathing to his own. Letting your chest rise with his and fall with his.

Slowly Uhtred moves his fingers. The tips lightly dance over your arms. Tracing from the tops of your shoulders to the ends of your fingers. At first it makes you shiver, ticklish even. Yet after a few stokes it becomes extremely comforting.

“Thank you,” you whisper out. “For staying with me.”

He lets out a hum almost, one of agreement. Not pausing his movements.

“I want to know more about you. To say you are my Seer I know very little.” He murmurs in your eye.

You shift slightly, trying to move to face Uhtred. You struggle to use your arms to lift your weight. After seeing you struggle Uhtred shift you himself, so that you sit across his lap, almost cradled under his neck.

“What do you want to know?”

“Hmm,” his eyes glint, a playful look in them. “You could start with your name?”

“Y/N”

“How long have you had visions of me?”

“Since I was a teenager.”

“Why have you been sent to me?”

You pause for a while. Needing to think about your answer. You look up to his eyes. You see the shades of blue that litter his eyes, all blending into one. Previously you’d thought they were light blue like the sky. Now you think they’re dark blue, more like the ocean.

“In truth I do not know Uhtred. All I know is that fate has brought me to you. I belong to you. I am your gift from fate.” You tell him in earnest. Hoping he can see the sincerity in your eyes.

It feels as though his head had gotten closer to your own. His breath fans your face. His lips draw close. You’re sure he’s about to kiss you, yet he leaves a gap between the two of you. He waits.

You can’t explain why but you close the gap. Letting your lips connect. The kiss is gentle yet full of passion. You almost feel a spark run down your body at the contact. You place a hand on Uhtred’s chest to steady yourself.

He pulls away first, eyes now full of something more than playfulness. You feel a blush on your cheeks so you look away.

“You still need to be washed Y/N.”

For the next few minutes Uhtred helps you bathe. He washes your hair for you. Taking time to scrub deep in your scalp, along the strands of your hair. He runs his fingers through it to try and detangle some of the knots that have developed there.

With a rag he washes over your arms, legs and works slowly on your torso. You blush as he wipes over your breasts and the rag dips below the water to wipe between your legs.

Finally he uses a sponge to wipe over your back. He works in slow circles as he washes away the dirt embedded in cuts and smeared over skin. Occasionally it causes you to hiss out in pain, which makes him slow down even further.

When he’s satisfied he rises from the bath. Getting out and wrapping a towel around his waist. He picks a towel up to wrap your body in. Again being gentle of your injuries.

You follow him back into the bedroom where you see him start to dress back in his shirt and trousers. You start at him confused.

“I will fetch a healer from the village, you can dress in one of my spare shirts.” He tells you, about to put his shoes on.

You go to retrieve your pot from Freya, handing it to him. Now it’s his turn to looks confused.

“No healer. This salve should work just as well. It’s from a friend.”

He thinks for a moment. The pot looks similar to something a healer would give you and you seem to trust it. He nods his head. Starting to disrobe again.

You reach your hand out to take the pot back from him, but he pulls his hand back and holds it above your head. With one hand on your towel and one hand attempting to stretch in the air, you try to reach it.

“I can do it Uhtred.” You tell him, still trying to get it from him.

“You will not reach your cuts. I will do it. Lay on your front on the bed.”

Your arm drops to your side. Sighing you turn to lay down on the bed. Without being able to see him, you rely on his touch.

His hands move to lower your towel. You can hear the pot of salve open. Then finally the product being rubbed across your back. Along the cuts and welts that lay there. It stings and makes you wince. However you trust Freya and you trust the fact it will help in the long run.

His touch leaves you and you get up. Ready to wrap the towel around you once more.

“Don’t do that. Wear this, it’s looser.” He warns. Passing you his undershirt to wear. True to his words it fits your loosely and doesn’t make contact with your back.

“Let us sleep.” He guides you to lay on the bed. While you do, he blows out the candles around the room. Slowly letting the light drift from the room. When the last candle is out he moves back to the bed, lying down with you.

The heat from his body radiates to you. Warming you from the otherwise cold room. He pulls various furs over the two of you. Pulling you closer to him.

“Goodnight Y/N”. He whispers into your hair.

It’s not long before you’re able to drift off to sleep. Feeling a level of serene that has since been lost to you.

[crookednachogalaxy]

Bowuigi Fanfic List

alrighty, considering that i like reading and re-reading bowuigi fics every once in a while (read: daily), i figure it's about time i curate a lil list of fics i enjoy so i don't have to wade through ao3 everytime i wanna re-read something. and im posting it so that anyone else can enjoy it as well!

i will try to keep it regularly updated, but no promises heh

i want every mentioned author here to know that i absolutely adore your fic(s)!!!!! thank you for putting your creativity out there and sharing the worlds and stories you've created with the rest of us. the amount of joy i feel getting lost in your worlds is indescribable.

kinda goes to show with how long this list ended up being...

disclaimer: these are all fics that i personally enjoy reading. as such, sensitive or triggering topics lirke homophobia, medical trauma, etc. may be a part of certain fics. please always check the tags and read at your own discretion!

One-shots

My Husband, Bowser by LonelyMarowak

Falling in Love by candlelightning (series)

Bowser's Sacrifice by MyHeroZero

Important Gift by DeckofDragons

Castle Surprise by DuxInteritio

Days by Useless19 (series)

Stalemate Series by loudmouthraccoon (series)

Dancing Decisions by DuxInteritio

hot and crispy pill bug. by elastic honey (infernoconcealed)

Dream Sweet, Dream Deep by timeslippingdownyourspine

Bowuigi's Christmas by CircusSparkles

Bowser is Too Big (But Not for Luigi) by ink182

my handsome, my dear by MrsLuigiVargas

Nerdy Robot Fanatic flirts with Lizard King, more at 10 by Royal_Knightmare

Unpredictable by CheeseCakeParty

Lullaby for Junior by Lady_B20

A Quiet Night by DamianTheGamian

Under the Stars by KI56

The Discovery of the Past Shows the Truth by KI56

Love Potion - Bowuigi by trih

The Haunting Princess by Llamaal

Love & Live by soukeye

Princess Luigi by whispersoftheraine

Sleepwalking by wogwoman

Eggs Don't Lie by Llamaal

Unexpected Love by usxuk

Eyes So Bright by BlueBerryOatmeal

Completed Fics

A Love to Die For - How This Love Became by LonelyMarowak

arrivederci by ValentineRunaway

strong and delicate by ValentineRunaway

Share your heart to the Koopa King by BeanieRocket

Secret Admirer by NonbinaryCookie

.:Same Man I Was Before:. by DarkwingSnark

Infiltration of the Heart by VesperOfRoses

When kidnapping goes very very right by TeamRocket9

Why? by AngelXD2

Left Behind by LadyZephyr2019

Captured Luigi Captures Some Attention by Ckatmyla

Bowser's Flower by CherylTiger

A Dream of Sunny Skies by Skippy_Watts

Chained Together by LoveSamanta

Shadows by Dumpsterfiredude

An Egg in a Trying Time by MrsLuigiVargas

Sitting On A Curb by ZoiIsSomehowHere

Going Against the Current by CreativeSnek314

Ongoing Fics

.:Come Be Lonely With Me:. by DarkwingSnark (sequel to .:Same Man I Was Before:.)

it's hard to take a gamble by akiko

It was only a kiss (How did it end up like this?) by Anonymous

True Love's Kiss by Rawrpeep

The Tide of Peace that Brings New Horizons by KI56

Diamond Eyes by AngelXD2

Impurities (Bowser x Luigi) by bowuigiiscannon

Princess Protection Program by TheSilverSpy

Stella Stellina by GimmieSmoreSin

Invasive by batneko

herbes de provence. by elastic honey (infernoconcealed)

The One In the Green Gown by Lady_B20

As Told by Junior by GimmieSmoreSin (my current favourite!)

A New Shade of Green by LuluWolffy

Cooking Mama (Luigi)! by Little_RedHots_Riding_Hood

Lost and found by Vamaji

Strange and Interesting by o_utrecht

The Baddest of the Badlands by supermollio (ngm)

Luigi and the Beast by DracotheDeathEatingCupcake

Super Bowuigi Odyssey by ProtoChan

The Missing Half by MetalProphecies150

How to Take Care of Your Pet Turtle by galactic_goose

A Nutcracker and the Beast by MeiBone

You Can Do It, Bowser! by lexthecryptid

Wishes by Dumpsterfiredude

bad habit by astronout

On hiatus

To Break The Bonds Within Two Kingdoms by MyNameisNickname

Why Him? by Omido

[perpetualexistence]

We Drive Each Other Batty

Alenoah Week Day 4: Royalty/Vampire AU

Alejandro Burromuerto is an absolute menace to the kingdom of Wawanakwa. He comes from a legacy of vampires that strive to control as much land as possible. He's only recently set his sights on Wawanakwa, and within a year he's enthralled three towns into being his local blood bank. Life is pretty good for him.

He's so confident in his abilities that he decides to go directly for the castle itself.

Aaaand almost immediately finds himself caught by King Chris's personal bodyguard, Chef, who knocks him unconscious with a pan before he can enthrall Chris.

The smart thing to do would be to kill Alejandro. But Chris is a petty man who prefers humiliating people.

Who better to ask how to do that than his personal court-wizard-in-training who Chris specifically because he's snarky and petty?

Noah gets dragged into this and comes up with an idea. If he likes mind controlling people so much, then let Alejandro be on the other side of things. Tinker with a familiar bonding spell to turn Alejandro into a familiar. He'll be forced to listen to someone else's orders, and can't harm anyone except in defense of his wizard. Plus, if done right, it can have the added benefit of making him 'fun size' thanks to having to categorize Alejandro as a bat to make this work. That way his vampire strength and speed won't be as much of an issue.

There's two problems with this plan.

One, the bond can only be created with a wizard who doesn't have a familiar yet. Most adult wizards do. It's even a requirement to bond with a familiar at some point in a good amount of magic schools.

And two, the bond is usually done with two consenting parties. Since Alejandro would be fighting it the whole time, keeping the familiar bond would be an active effort on the wizard's end. It's possible if you find a wizard with enough power, but good luck trying to convince a wizard to be a spell battery.

"Say, kid. You don't have a familiar yet."

"Mclean. Don't you dare."

"Think of it as a new part of your job description!"

"I'm not going to deal with a psychotic vampire for your sick amusement!"

"Sure you are! Do a good enough job and you might get a better holiday bonus this year!"

Thus Noah has accidentally sealed his fate to being stuck with a 4 inch vampire who is absolutely livid at this humiliation.

They both hate this situation so much. Alejandro can't mind control Noah because that's the first thing Noah ordered him not to do the second Alejandro woke up tiny, confused, and pissed.

Noah can't just leave Alejandro alone in a cage in his room all day because the longer and further he stays away from Alejandro, the weaker the bond and the more likely Alejandro will break free from it.

Alejandro keeps trying to persuade Noah that he's learned his lesson the non-magical way. And Noah shuts him right down because he knows that's a lie.

If Alejandro's really being difficult, Noah has no issues with throwing him into a bird cage and ordering him to shut up for a while. Noah really wishes he could just order him to shut up forever, but Alejandro starts fighting against the bond even worse when he can't speak, which usually ends up giving Noah a headache. Temporary relief is the best he can manage.

That and taking him to Chris to see what humiliation Chris and Chef have decided to put Alejandro through for the day. That usually brighten's Noah's day.

Alejandro still gets his own little revenges in. He looks for every loophole under the sun within Noah's orders. He banters at every given opportunity.

He'd love to give backhanded compliments to Noah in front of people that aren't Chris and Chef. However, no one else is allowed to know that Alejandro is still alive.

Letting a vampire live is a big no-no, even if Chris approved of it. Vampires still need generous amounts of blood to survive. Animal blood works somewhat, but it's more like living off rations. Vampires can only get full nutritional value from a human. Which doesn't really endear humans to vampires. (Part of Noah's job is to let Alejandro feed from his as well. It feels more like four little needles than a serious bite, and thanks to Alejandro's new size he doesn't feel that woozy when Alejandro has had his fill. Noah doesn't mind it nearly as much as he pretends to.)

Plus, Alejandro did get some of his hooks outside of the castle, so there's a decent chance someone could recognize him and decide to take advantage of the fact he's easily killable. So when around others, he takes full bat form and pretends to be a regular familiar. He's lucky he can at least talk with Noah telepathically so he doesn't have to be completely mute.

Still, it's not all bad. Now that Alejandro is, magically speaking, a bat, he can actually experience sunlight. He'd always used the metaphor 'you're as radiant as the sun' when charming others. It's a different thing entirely to actually feel its warmth.

Noah takes notice the first time when Alejandro is completely silent for once. He sees Alejandro staring directly at the sun in awe. He actually looks kind of cute sweet like that.

Except Alejandro is staring directly at the sun, and so Noah has to snap Alejandro out of it. He isn't just going to someone blind themselves, even if it is Alejandro. It's almost a shame to see the mask fall back on his face. (Too bad he didn't notice the flicker of shock at someone showing concern for Alejandro's wellbeing.)

With forced proximity, the two start to learn more about each other.

Alejandro learns about Noah first since he can't help but observe the fact that Noah is reading textbooks, but he hasn't seen Noah attend school once. When Noah isn't reading, he's catering to Chris and Chef's whims.

Noah still seems to be doing just fine, though. He knows Noah is advanced for his age based on what he's reading and how much he gloats about it. Still, if he was advanced than Alejandro would expect a tutor to be guiding Noah along to suit his level. The only adults he's seen consistently during his stay with Noah is Chris and Chef.

Alejandro points this out to Noah, and receives a long rant from Noah in return.

See, Noah's completely self taught. Before Chris, his family couldn't afford to get him a tutor. This isn't inherently a problem. Some wizards will take on apprentices for their service rather than for payment if they see potential in a particular student.

The problem is no one wants to teach a child who wants to learn dark magic. Nobody that Noah would ever want to meet, at least.

Noah could lie about not wanting to learn forbidden magic. But he'd always risk getting caught by whoever's training him. Not to mention the risk of getting himself killed because he was performing something dangerous without anyone to save him.

Plus, he considers it incredibly stupid that dark magic is a taboo subject to learn. The reason why creatures like Alejandro get away undetected for so long is because everyone else is more than happy to stick their heads in the sand. Their solution to combat evil is to simply not talk about it. As if that's just going to make it magically go away.

The only real way to learn how to counter it is to study it. It's like how making an antidote for a poison requires a bit of the poison itself so your body knows what to fight against.

Hell, it could even be used for good! Even something like Alejandro's hypnotism. It can lull a growing angry mob to not be stupid. It can force a different evil bastard to do something good.

But no, people like Alejandro screw it over for everyone else, and now any time he tries to make these arguments he's 'the bad guy' or 'should be barred from magic for everyone's good'.

Noah got lucky. Chef found him when he was insulting yet another wizard who shot down his chance at apprenticeship. He might have forgotten angering someone who can throw fireballs isn't the best way to guarantee your own safety.

Chef dragged him away and attempted to yell some sense into him. When it was clear that Noah was still just as defiant, he dragged him directly to Chris. Who ended up liking his spite and sarcasm, and offered him the job of court-wizard in training. It was hard for Chris to find any wizard willing to stay with him too long. And he's got plenty of dark magic crap that he has stored away. Both of them get what they want!

Noah wouldn't learn how demanding Chris was and how he'd make people put a lot of effort into stupid tasks that drive less patient people mad until later.

He took the deal because it was the best he was going to get. He knows he's being underpaid compared to what a regular court magician would be making. But for as much as Chris is a pain of a boss, he's given Noah exactly what he's wanted. He'd dare to say that Chris and Chef cared about him. Though Noah will refuse to say if he feels the same way about them.

Alejandro can't help but admire Noah for that. Deep down past that apathetic, snarky exterior, there is someone who's capable of ambition. Or at least capable of using spite as a motivator.

Alejandro's mask slips as he ends up sharing how he can relate. He gives off the airs of a vampire who's been around for at least a century or two. Truth be told, he's only a couple of months older than Noah. He's aging as a human would, for now.

He, and his lineage, are born vampires rather than bitten. Hence how he can have multiple thralls at once and transform into mist or a variety of animals. Bitten vampires are lucky to be able to hypnotize one person, and are typically limited to the advanced strength and speed.

So he can certainly one up the average vampire...but not other born vampires. Or vampires who have actually lived for centuries. He's still considered nothing more than an insolent child not to be taken seriously.

He does have the expectation on him to expand the Burromuerto influence. But he's constantly being compared to other relatives and their accomplishments. Particularly that of his brother José who has a couple of decades over Alejandro's head.

Alejandro has been working hard to close the power gap. He's been training to be as strong and fast as possible. His hypnosis works so well because he put in the work to learn how to actually charm people. The magic is to make sure the feeling stays for longer than it would naturally. But getting people to do what he wants? All him.

And it's still not enough for anyone else. So he decided to get a headstart on the family tradition. He was supposed to wait until he came of age, but he was already strong and confident in himself. Going off and succeeding early would prove everyone else wrong.

He'd been doing so well, too. He hadn't even needed to kill anybody. Unlike most of his family, he doesn't particularly care for it. Not because he cares that much about humans. But because he sees it as a waste of a resource. Sure, you can inspire fear into others with a death. But that fear can easily turn into outrage, and rebellion. It will be harder to control a population that is actively working to fight against you. Much easier to charm them and have them not even realize anything is wrong. Everyone is alive, and there is nothing to worry about. They just have to give a bit of blood every once in a while. And for that, Alejandro would make sure nothing else would dare to touch them.

That last part of the story concerns Noah. A lot. But it's...nice? That Alejandro cares? Enough to value a human life. Considering the rest of his family, it's a miracle Alejandro's got anything resembling compassion.

And at least he's finally being honest about something for once. Noah prefers honest but callous to kind but insincere. This part of Alejandro's still concerning...but he likes it more.

It's the start of these two doing more than just argue with each other. Alejandro's still not happy about being small. He complains about it just as constantly. But it's no longer lashing out at Noah. Noah doesn't really throw him into the time out cage anymore. Alejandro is gentler when he bites into Noah's neck to feast. Noah is less tense when it happens. He leans into it more. They bicker still, but they're actually willing to work with each other.

It's how they figure out a loophole. Neither can't really use their own magics to their full potential anymore....but they do now have access to each other's magic. They just have to be willing to train each other in it.

On Noah's side, Alejandro is trying to teach him how to hypnotize others through charming them. It doesn't go well. Noah's terrible at giving compliments. Changing his wardrobe to accentuate Noah's looks doesn't help when he doesn't flaunt them. That shopping trip to get Noah a new outfit definitely didn't awaken anything in Alejandro. Except it does. Noah is indulging him in one of his favorite activities. He looks cute in some outfits, hot in others. Noah mocks, Noah teases, Noah banters. It's just Noah, actually. Noah's cute, and he's also hot. Oh no. Alejandro's got himself a crush. ...MOVING ON FROM THAT-

Eventually, it clicks. This isn't working because Alejandro is teaching Noah how to be a Burromuerto. Which Noah certainly isn't. To charm someone, you have to work with what you naturally have and exaggerate it. Noah has snark. Use that to insult people that his victims would hate, not the victim themselves. Nobody likes being insulted, but everyone has something that they love gossiping about. That's Noah's in to get others to open up.

Then, there's the actual ask. Noah can't directly say what he wants all the time. Sometimes that may work, but sometimes what he wants is directly opposite to what someone else wants. He can find out when it's safe to be direct or not through gossiping. Then, if it's not safe? Make them feel safe. People underestimate Noah because of his age and figure. Use that.

Noah's just a pathetic, cute scrungly little guy who doesn't do much. What's the harm in letting him take a dangerously powerful grimoire off your hands? He's not going to do much with it. He's just curious.

Noah grins with pride the day he's able to hypnotize a guard who constantly abuses their power into humiliating himself.

On Alejandro's side, Noah's willing to teach him shadow magic. He wants to start with teaching Alejandro how to change their shape, and then move on up to making them solid.

There is also teleporting through shadow, but Noah's not teaching him that. That would give Alejandro the ability to leave Noah. Which would be bad for the whole 'keep Alejandro in check thing'. For no other reason. Noah wouldn't miss him. Not one bit. They just have to stay together for practicality. That's all. Let's get back to talking about shadows.

Alejandro assumes this should be a piece of cake. It's just another form of manipulating, just with a thing rather than a person.

He's terrible at it.

He coaxes, he begs, he pleads with the shadow to just move, and it refuses him. He's cursing in Spanish at an inanimate object.

Noah laughs at him for this. This earns Noah some curse words.

Noah tells him to stop treating magic like it's a person to be charmed. It's not. It's a thing. It follows orders so far as you figure out the right language. You tell it what you want, and then it gives it to you. No convincing, no tricking. Just asking.

Alejandro can't ask for one thing when he means another. That just confuses the magic and makes things not work. He needs to be direct for once in his life. Trust in his own ability to make something happen. Not in his ability to trick someone else into making something happen.

It takes Alejandro a while to just ask the magic to do what he wants.

I can't figure out how it'd work on Alejandro's side yet. Probably because I haven't yet defined the kind of magic he can do. 'Standard wizard fair' isn't going to cut it if this is coming from a personal bond/something that's intrinsic to Noah that would simply take a different form with Alejandro. It'd definitely have something to do with tying into how Alejandro doesn't actually NEED to charm people/force them to like him to get what he wants. His problem would definitely be that he's trying to force the magic to go exactly how he wants it to go. But magic's not something that likes being tamed like that. So Alejandros's got to learn to effectively say what he wants and just trust in his own abilities enough to make it happen.

When he does?

Alejandro shows off with a little shadow puppet show. He orchestrates puppets no bigger than him from atop Noah's bookshelf. It's endearing, it's sincere, and Noah is screwed because he is in love with this little vampire.

The more they teach each other, the stronger they grow. Neither realize it, but the bond is no longer draining each other.

They learn about this when someone attempts to mug Noah when he's running one of Chris's errands. The mugger grabs an Alejandro in bat form and slams him against stone to stop Noah from using magic. Alejandro is alive, but in a daze. Noah immediately makes tendrils of shadows to fling the mugger into the nearest wall, then hold them aloft in the air. He's running for Alejandro who's mumbling, asking if Noah is alright.

Noah doesn't know healing magic, but he's putting all of his focus into figuring out something to help Alejandro. It's working somewhat. Alejandro's head is clearer, though his body is still damaged. Noah puts more effort into making sure all of Alejandro is better. So much so that he doesn't notice a second mugger coming to check on their partner, who is now sneaking up on Noah. Noah is grappled before he can react, and is dragged away kicking and shouting.

Alejandro acts before he can think twice about it. The next thing he knows, he's standing at eye level with both of his newest victims. He hisses, his fangs bared, ordering them silent before they can scream about his presence. They are to release Noah and grovel.

The muggers do so without hesitation, their eyes glazed over. Alejandro wraps his arms around Noah in a hug. His grip is tight. He is at his full strength and could crush whoever he desired. He is gentle with his querido and plants a kiss on his forehead.

Alejandro wants so badly to drain them dry, but Noah takes priority. The muggers are to leave, turn themselves in, and forget the type of magic Noah and Alejandro used, and their faces.

The muggers leave, and the two are left to look each other in the eyes for the first time.

They stare for a while. Neither of them quite sure of what the other wants to do right now. Noah's the one who breaks the silence first.

"This late growth spurt's a bit much, wouldn't you say?"

Alejandro snorts at the absurdity.

They agree to keep the familiar bond as it is. It still lets them communicate with each other telepathically, and lets them use the other's magic.

They'll have to hide the fact that Alejandro is at his full strength, of course. Particularly from Chris and Chef. Alejandro tries and finds out that he can shrink at will now. Truth be told, he doesn't mind it anymore. (He's touch-starved, and rather enjoys being held and pampered by Noah.)

Alejandro also promises not to go enthralling everyone.

"Just five thralls will suffice."

"No."

"Two?"

"No!"

"One? I'll even make it Justin. Just imagine the things we could have him do."

"...No."

"You hesitated!"

"Stop tempting me!"

"Is it really tempting if you were already thinking it?"

"I hate you."

"You love me."

"That's not the point!"

The two stop when they realize that bombshell just got dropped.

They finally have proper confessions and decide to start dating. Alejandro immediately offers to turn Noah into a vampire so they can live together. Noah immediately shuts him down. Alejandro's sad until Noah explains.

One, that's a huge commitment when they've literally just started dating. And two, if Noah did that now then he'd have to be a teenager forever. He hates being a teenager NOW. An eternity of that? Hell no. In the future though? They can come back to this, and Noah'll let him know if he changes his mind.

Alejandro is more than happy to wait.

Fun little side note: Alejandro's got a bat form, and I already know exactly which species he is!

Meet the vampyrum spectrum! Also known as the spectral bat, or the great false vampire bat. They're carnivorous little guys who eat birds, rodents, and uniquely, other kinds of bats! Part of their natural habitat covers Peru, and they're also fun in that while most other bat species are polygynous where it's just one male with multiple females, these guys are mostly monogamous! Perfect for Alejandro!

[oristian]

ELUCIEN vs VASSIEN | MAASVERSE SPOILERS

People truly think that Lucien Vanserra, the most loyal to a fault male in this entire series, is going to up and pick Vassa over his mate? Lucien “moon on a string” Vanserra is going to pick a human female over his mate when the bond has not even been explored yet?

The bond between Elain and Lucien has not canonically been explored yet and would have to be explored in a book shared between their POVs. Vassa is mortal and Lucien picking her would mean that one of them would have to give up their life as they know it—Vassa would have to either give up her entire kingdom and life in the mortal lands to be with Lucien in Prythian, or Lucien would have to give up his entire life in Prythian to move to the mortal lands to be with her. The ACOTAR series does not yet support that a fae could give up their immortality, and we do not have enough evidence to support that Vassa would want to give up her mortality. That means that Lucien would lose Vassa in only a handful of decades when she grows old. Romantic, right?

Vassa, who is trying desperately to break her curse. Vassa, who is now the last willing Queen for the mortal lands as two sisters are dead and the others have run away. Vassa, who has endgame-written dialogue with Jurian.

“But, how can Elain and Lucien possibly get together in one book when they can’t even be around each other?”

💜 Feysand — Feyre hated Rhysand at first and fell in love with him throughout ACOMAF. It took them one book to go from enemies, to friends, to lovers.

🖤 Quinlar — Similar to above. Bryce and Hunt were indifferent towards each other and, throughout the book, grew into sexual attraction which then grew into romantic attraction. One book.

💛 DayNight — Reminder that at the end of CC2, Ruhn found out who Lidia truly was and he saw her as both an enemy and a betrayer. It took them interacting in HOFAS to fix that “enemies to lovers” trope between them.

— Other notable mentions: Chaol and Yrene both met, fell in love, got married, and got pregnant all within the same book. Nesryn and Sartag met and got together in one book. Elide and Lorcan had a falling out and ended up getting together in one book. Nessian may have had distinct scenes in other books, but their relationship grew in one book.

— Also, saying that Elain is currently tied to Azriel and cannot possibly fall in love with Lucien is once again disproven by how SJM writes. Aelin was with Sam, Dorian and Chaol all before Rowan. Rowan was with another woman and she was pregnant before Aelin. Dorian was with Aelin and Sorscha before Manon. Elain was also with Graysen before both Azriel and Lucien. Nesta was with other men before Cassian physically and was going to be engaged to Tomas. Feyre was with Isaac and Tamlin before Rhysand. Bryce was going to be with Conner before Hunt. Chaol was with Aelin before Yrene. The list goes on and on.

Saying that Elain and Lucien will not be able to fall in love within one book lacks evidence to support that argument. This is how SJM typically writes her couples. This is also the first mating bond that we’ve seen where both parties are aware of said bond. Even if SJM was going down the rejected bond trope, she doesn’t have enough time left in the series to successfully explore it AND we would need both Elain and Lucien in the same book to be able to gain both POVs of such a thing happening. To even think that Lucien, if he is rejected, will immediately get with Vassa when we know that rejected bonds affect the males more lacks water.

[brittle-doughie]

Costume Concepts

Expanding the wardrobe, are we?

Epic: Faithful Sentinel

Guardian of the St. Pastry Order and their beliefs, Y/N Cookie enforces the Reverend Mother’s command with the coldest of justice. She has shown them their path, their destiny to protect the Mother and the secrets that Y/N Cookie now holds within themselves. But where does blind obedience end and true feelings begin?

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Pastry Cookie

Epic: Frostbitten Friend

Within the blizzard, you may see two figures in the distance, one of Snow Sugar Cookie and one of Y/N Cookie. Don’t bother trying to speak to them, Snow Sugar will get upset someone is trying to speak to their friend. The cold has bitten down its jaws on Y/N Cookie and it does not intend to release its holds anytime soon.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Snow Sugar Cookie

Rare: Ruined Survivor

Y/N Cookie can’t remember the last time they’ve seen another cookie. Weeks, months, years, not a single soul to be found but themself. Doing whatever they can to get by in the barren wasteland they now call home, they must do their best to not alert the dragon also remaining in this world.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Longan Dragon Cookie

Epic: Serenade Among the Sirens

Be wise to not be lured in by the blissful music this cookie creates, you’ll never be able to break free once you’re snared. Musician to the BAD 5, this cookie will make sure their music is something that will never leave your head!

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Poison Mushroom Cookie, Red Velvet Cookie, Licorice Cookie, Pomegranate Cookie, Schwarzwälder

Epic: Cookie of the Ridge

Being banished from their kingdom will not falter this cookie’s commitment to protecting the villages amidst the frozen lands. Bandits fear them and monsters dread them, it’s wise to not cross the Cookie of the Ridge.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Affogato Cookie, Caramel Arrow Cookie, Dark Cacao Cookie

Super Epic: Handycookie of the Year

Being voted employee of the year through a unanimous vote has led Y/N Cookie to get their engineering suit. Guaranteed that they leave work today without a scratch! Drawback being that their employees seem to stare while they work.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Coffee Candy Cookie, Baguette Cookie, Timekeeper Cookie, Croissant Cookie, String Gummy Cookie

Rare: Partner’s Lament

Heart too broken to ever love again, Y/N Cookie turns down any form of love in fear of getting hurt once more…

Bond Buff: None

Rare: Okchun Ranger

Working for the Okchun family, Y/N Cookie ensures that things are up to code and ready for the Magistrate’s arrival. They’re then the Magistrate’s guard in their arrival, usually seen alongside Okchun Cookie.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Rebel Cookie, Vagabond Cookie

Epic: Heart of the Hivemind

Embracing the infection deep within their dough, the crazed jellied cookies around them follow their command with no hesitation. Those who wish to cure the heart will have to deal with an angry horde of cookies first.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Wasabi Cookie, Angel Cookie

Epic: Industry Star

Ask any cookie on the streets of Los O’ Jellies and 9/10 they’ll tell you they’re a fan of popstar Y/N Cookie! You can find this cookie being swamped by both their career and their fans, but it won’t stop this cookie from being chipper and enthusiastic as always!

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Shining Glitter Cookie, Popping Candy Cookie, Rockstar Cookie, Parfait Cookie, DJ Cookie

Super Epic: Priest of Sky and Sea

The moon and the sea in motion can be a memorable sight, but gazing into their wonder is something reserved for the priest that blesses both each night. The favor is returned with the moon shining as brilliantly as ever and the ocean providing their soothing waves.

Bond Buff: Y/N Cookie, Moonlight Cookie, Sea Fairy Cookie

[authurials]

𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ... 1/2

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 . you had worked too hard to lose aemond to the pathetic whispers of a pious court

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 . two​

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 . @holy-minseok​

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 . 18+ situations, referenced sexual situations, referenced violence/mild gore, language

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 . took me awhile to get this out because i’ve been struggling with a chest infection but i’ve finally recovered enough to get back to writing; this isn’t the best thing i’ve written in my opinion, but i think it’s a good start to getting back into the swing of things--remember to like, comment and reblog if you enjoy reading! do not repost/claim as your own please

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 burned in your ears as you made your way down the halls of court, head held high and hands folded together primly in front of you. Although ladened with the regalia of the Seven, you did not allow the stone walls that surrounded you to intimidate you into submission. You were the eldest daughter of a king, who though a monarch of a smaller and lesser known kingdom than Westeros raised you to be cunning and prideful–to never accept less than what you deserved; and you deserved better than what the cunts of King’s Landing and possibly beyond were saying about you. You were a princess, wife to the king of Westeros’ second eldest son, and you would not bend or break to the ugly rumors being levied against you.

Even if there was truth to their whispers, you thought, smiling tugging tightly at your lips; flanked on either side by knights of the Kingsguard, you obediently allowed yourself to be escorted to the small council who no doubt wanted to discuss the validity of the  ‘concerning’ words being spoken about your name. Even before your carefully crafted facade had begun to slip in the eyes of those at court you had begun to put into place your defense, plotting it carefully so that you might have a better chance at salvaging all your hard work. And hard work it had been, you thought irritably as you recalled the first time you had made the acquaintance of Aemond Targaryen.

Right from the start you had intended him for your husband, having found him to be a suitable and advantageous match that would bring future notoriety to your house and grow your father’s influence. When your father was invited to attend King Viserys in court in hopes of creating a bond between the two kingdoms, you knew that this was your chance to put your plan into action. From your first meeting though, when the second born prince had gazed at you with barely a hint of interest in his one pearlescent blue eye, you knew you had your work cut out for you. He proved to be a pious boy you observed within your first few days in the capital; watching as he attended services in the sept with his mother, and how he dutifully carried out grace before each feast could commence between the two families.

Your attempts at seduction would not work, that much you knew for sure; if anything, any sign of loose morals would only have served to draw the prince’s ire and disgust. He had not wanted a whore for a companion, but someone who concerningly resembled his mother in her piety and devotion–so that is what you gave him. Luckily, pretending to be chaste was not an unknown concept for you; high morality was a character trait you had pulled upon quite frequently in the past, using it to titillate many of the men and even women you had welcomed into your bed over the years. There was something alluring about the debauchery of innocence, and to be the one to take it you had found was a prize not many were willing to pass up–except for Aemond, you came to find out.

You had been tending to the homeless and downtrodden of Flea Bottom when the pair of you engaged in your first conversation, one that was not forced by the close proximity of your families’ shared suppers or the everyday required pleasantries. Though the lesser work of caring for those who could not care for themselves in part disgusted you, you did not let it show that day as Aemond forwent his responsibility of finding his drunkard brother in exchange for escorting you through the lower rungs of King’s Landing. It would become the first of many ‘coincidental’ encounters with the prince in which you were able to show off how unconcerned you were with the finer things of royal life, and instead wished to dedicate your time to those less fortunate; not only that, but how interested you were in familiarizing yourself with the Faith of the Seven, as your own kingdom had no such dedicated religion. And the prince was all too happy to be your tutor, though he always made it a point of the pair of you having a chaperone–lest your virtue be called into question.

The questioning had not begun until recently, many moons after the consummation of yours and Aemond’s marriage; it had been the prince’s first time, that you were certain of. You recalled the way he had clung to you as he reached his completion, hips stuttering into yours as he panted and eventually held himself there inside of you–allowing his seed to take. Though you had found your own pleasure in the act it paled in comparison to some of your other lovers, one of which had taken up within the Keep as part of your family’s holding of servants. Ultimately, this servant–a man you had bedded many times over the years–would be your downfall. He had been the one to let your affairs slip from drunken lips, cockily expressing how he had managed to bed the prince’s wife, whose lips were not only made for the hymns of the Seven but also to service a cock. You had managed to take his tongue before your incarceration into your bed chambers, ordered by the Queen Mother while she sorted everything out.

And what a shame it was, you recalled spitefully, it was a very good tongue after all.

You stopped outside the double doors to the council room, the guard posted outside entering beforehand to ensure the council was ready to receive you. Taking a deep breath, you square your shoulders, determined to hold your head high and meet their eyes–you would give them no reason to doubt your words. From within you could hear the guard announcing your presence, and the proceeding muffled voice of who you gauged to be your good mother, Queen Alicent. The guard returned, this time holding the door open as the knight on your left side gently prodded you to move forward. Resisting the urge to spew venom at him for treating you in such a manner unbefitting your station, you stepped forward into the room to face the people that were your judge and jury.

As expected, Alicent sat in the middle of the congregation, flanked on either side of the table by the men of her husband’s small council–including the Hand and Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower. The man had never liked you or your family, and the feeling was mutual; he was as much of a snake as you, and it took one’s own kin to see through the facade both sides had been crafting for their own benefit for years. You saw each other as threats, and this proved true as their judgment of you began and Otto stood in opposition of showing you mercy. All the while your husband stood quietly in the corner, head bowed and hands folded behind his back; his lack of eye contact with you made it clear that you would stand alone today, that it would be up to you alone to clear your name and salvage what you could of this mess.

“You stand here today accused of impropriety unbefitting of your station,” Alicent spoke, clearing her throat; you made note of how uncomfortable she looked to be there, to have to be the one hosting the proceedings against her son’s wife–perhaps you could use this to your advantage. “What say you, good daughter?”

“I say….” You put on your best face, hands gripping each other nervously as you bowed your head as if in prayer. “I say that these accusations have wounded me deeply, and I cannot fathom as to why anyone would speak such horrid things about me into existence.”

“Exactly,” Otto hummed, “what reason would anyone have to create such a story if there was no validity to it, my lady?”

“That is a fair point,” another man of council interjected, nodding; you lifted your head to gaze at him coolly before bowing your head once more. “This volume of rumors cannot be ignored. Not to mention your quick dispatching of the first man who spoke out against you-”

“His vile words are the reason I stand before you!” You found yourself spitting out, lifting your head; you could feel the fire burning in your eyes, quickly squashing it as you blinked and took another deep breath to calm yourself. “Apologies, I find the reminder of that disgusting man too much to bear. It is he who disparaged my good name, bringing into question my purity when I have always been and will continue to be….loyal to my husband, Prince Aemond.”

You once more found yourself glancing over at Aemond, hoping he would’ve been looking up and your eyes would lock, allowing you to soften his doubts about you; mayhaps then he would speak out in your favor, squashing the awful questioning of his family and the council. Alas, your hopes were the only thing squashed when all you saw was the tightening of his jaw as he continued to look down at your feet.

“Your words prove pretty as always, my lady,” Otto continued, a smirk discernible beneath his beard, “but they will do nothing to repair the damage that these accusations have caused. You have brought shame upon the Targaryen name, and have left us with no choice but to-”

“Who are you to judge me?” You interrupted him, finding that fire within growing once more; you had always prided yourself on maintaining your coolness in situations such as this, but Lord Hightower’s cockyness was proving too much for you today. Truly, who was he to judge you? You were not blind to his own transgressions against the crown–the way he puppeteered his own family for his own personal gain. “Who are any of you to judge me?”

You looked at each small council member in turn, daring them to meet your eye but none other than Otto were brave enough to do so; Alicent herself could only muster up a look of pity as your gaze fell on her, it was only a brief stare but you saw it plain as day. Your good queen mother pitied you, being the only one in the room who understood the precarious position of a woman in court–how delicate a balance it was, how one false step could lead to a downfall.

“The only judgment I see fit to pass upon me is that of the Seven,” you spat out. “They are the ones who see me as I truly am, my soul having been bared to them since my good mother and husband were so kind to teach me their ways–is that not right, my husband?”

Finally, Aemond had no choice but look upon you, his one eye scaling up your figure, watching the way your hands now gripped at the skirts of your dress and how your chest lifted with each breath you took; you willed him to see the woman he had fallen in love with, the one you had made him worship like he did at your false altar. Yet, there was nothing there but the pain of betrayal, the tight set of his jaw as he looked away from you and towards his grandfather, to whom he gave a stiff nod. It was then that you knew you had lost him, that there was nothing more that you could say or do to repair the damage your own hubris had created; the game you had so eloquently played over the past several moons was over, and there was no victor but that of Otto Hightower as he passed down your sentence–

An annulment, that was the only course of action anyone on the small council saw fit to take; it would leave Aemond open to a more suitable match Otto claimed as you still stood there in that room, finally stunned to silence, no ally in your room unless the sympathetic glance of the queen counted for anything. You would be sent back to your father’s kingdom in shame, where the grasp of the court’s whispers had surely already reached, leaving you with little other prospects in terms of another marriage other than a low ranking lord or even worse a merchant with no titles. It was truly a fate unbefitting of your natural born status as princess, a fitting punishment in the eyes of the men of the council.

You said nothing as they passed down your sentence, simply standing with your head held high and hands now folded behind your back. There was no need to pretend anymore….

So you simply smiled and began to laugh.

Your laughter stopped Otto in his tracks as he made plans to write to your father, and instructed his daughter to ensure the servants began packing up your belongings that day. They all looked at you in confused silence, even Aemond who had a frown on his lips as he looked upon you.

“Is something funny? Or have you simply finally gone mad?” Otto asked, standing from his seat at the council’s table.

“Oh, I am surely mad,” you laugh, shoulders shaking, “but not as much as you are about to be, lord hand.”

“What nonsense do you speak of, whore?” A council member spat out.

You noticed Aemond instinctively lay a hand on the pommel of his sword ready to defend you, and in that moment you did feel something akin to affection for your husband; maybe there was a chance of saving this union yet, but first you had to deal with the council of idiots before you.

“Did you really think I would just allow you to take away everything I worked so hard for?” You hummed, walking towards the table they all rested behind. The guards on either side of the table stepped forward, hands on their own swords much like Aemond but you paid them no mind, simply stopping so that you were eye to eye with the Hand. “Then we have gravely underestimated each other, Lord Hightower.”

“What position do you believe you have to stand on, girl?” Otto smirked. “You are nothing more than what your cunt allows, and it appears that even its luck has run out; even my grandson wishes to be rid of your poisonous wiles.”

“Father-” Alicent began, looking pale and faint.

“Even if he has no love for me,” you tilted your head, a pleasant smile on your lips, “I’m sure he would not allow for the mother of his child to be sent away.”

The silence that proceeded settled warmly in your stomach, satisfaction clear on your face as you looked from Otto to his grandson, whose hand had fallen from his sword to hang limply at his side in shock. For many moons the pair of you had been trying for a child, for Aemond Targaryen wanted nothing more than to be a father and you wanted nothing more than to solidify his loyalty to you. It had been a precarious thing to accomplish, ensuring his seed was the one to take root and not one of your lover’s, but you were certain that the child you carried was of no stock but that of the Targaryens.

“How do we know you are simply not spreading more falsities?” A member of the council expressed what everyone else must be thinking. “Or that the child is even Aemond’s?”

“Do you really wish to take that risk?” You pout, lips curving into a smirk. “Especially when I have already told the good news to his grace, the king.”

Easy to manipulate in his current state, King Viserys adored you as his good daughter, believing you a fitting match for Aemond. You had spent many a day by his bedside, lending him your ear as he spoke fondly of past memories, or your voice as you read to him from his favorite books. He was the first you told when you found out you were with child, and at the prospect of another grandchild the good side of his face had lit up with such happiness; it was then that you knew that if Aemond’s loyalty could not be secured then his father’s fondness would have to do. You were all but untouchable as long as you remained in the king’s good graces, and you knew from his eldest daughter and the whispers that followed her that Viserys was not the kind to let rumors sway him.

“You scheming cunt-” Otto grounded out, making it as if he were going to lean over the table and grab you.

“That is quite enough, father,” Alicent finally spoke, raising her hand to silence any further objections. “It appears as if our hands our tied–”

She looked up at you, and the pride was clear in her eyes as she continued.

“We have no choice but to allow her to stay here, at least until the babe is born; we will know for sure if the child is my son’s.”

“You can’t possibly think to allow her to stay here, daughter-”

“As your queen,” Alicent bit out, “this is what I have decided. I will hear no more of annulment or sending my good daughter away until the patronage of the baby is confirmed. Am I understood?”

She looked around at the men, and you noted the uncomfortable way in which each man shifted under her gaze–leaving no room for questions; each of them nodded stiffly before being dismissed, even Otto was given no choice but to take his leave, eyes holding a promise that this wasn’t over as he gave you one last look before he left. Your satisfaction was short lived however as you found yourself alone with your good mother and husband, both of whom had their eyes on you. It appeared you still had your work cut out for you getting back into their good graces, but it was no worry–

You had many moons ahead of you to prove yourself once again worthy of them and their false gods.

[void-ink-studios]

New batch of Incarnations AU designs! This time, we have the bunch I call the Redeemed Star Allies! All of the Star Allies that were once villains! Are they on Kirby's side? Their own side? Who knows! But at least they're not invoking the wrath of eldritch abominations anymore! Lore under the cut as always!

If you like it, reblog please!

Magolor: An intrepid little alien explorer, and a far off descendent from the Ancients. Originally after the Master Crown as a journey of discovery and cultural heritage, the allure of the crown and the Dark Matter within corrupted his heart. After getting kicked around by both the Star Family and the alternate dimension purgatory, he now peacefully dwells on Popstar as a researcher and inventor, looking into the past of the Ancients and making trinkets for the citizens of Popstar. And maybe make some money on the side.

Marx: An oddball, even among Popstar, Marx was everyone's punchline, always laughed at rather than with. Until he discovered the rumors of the Clockwork Wishing Star, and plotted against the people of Popstar. After turning the Sun and Moon on each other, and stealing Kirby's wish, Nova grants him the power of an Incarnation, becoming the unofficial Incarnation of Madness. Filled with overwhelming madness and nearly losing himself, Kirby hurls him into Nova, detonating the construct. He at least kept some of the powers as well as arms. He's still quite the trickster, but at least his antics are mostly harmless.

Daroach: The world renown gentleman thief, and kingpin of the Squeak Squad, Daroach strikes fast and glamourous. After hearing rumors of a great secret treasure in Castle Dedede, he decides to set his squad out on their biggest score ever. After a straining back and forth between the squad, Dedede and Meta Knight, and Kirby, Daroach finally opens the chest out of frustration, accidentally unleashing the ruthless Dark Nebula. After experiencing the madness of Dark Matter and the horror of possession, Daroach was thoroughly humbled by Kirby. He now lays mostly low with his gang of thieves but occasionally emerges to help either Kirby or the Meta-Knights. There seems to be some history between him and Captain Vul, however.

Dark Meta Knight (Umbra Knight): Both a villain and a victim, Dark Meta Knight is what could've been, if Meta Knight fell further into Nightmare's influence. The Mirror's Incarnation of Ambition, and a slave of the nightmarish Dark Mind, Dark Meta Knight was torn down and built back up as a weapon for invasion behind the Mirror. After being kicked around by both Kirby and Shadow Kirby (now known as Shade) twice, Dark Meta Knight confronted his counterpart from Popstar, breaking down his violent, lonely life. Meta Knight sees him as a brother he couldn't protect and tries his best to get him settled in a more peaceful life, both in Popstar and the Mirror world. Dark Meta Knight, for his rebirth, chose the new name for himself, Umbra Knight.

Susie: A girl once trapped in an alternate dimension, now head of the largest robotics company this side of the galaxy, Susie is equal parts intelligent and charismatic. She doesn't stick around on Popstar very long, or visit very often. But when she's planet side, she often collaborates with Magalor in technology (and bonds over the shared trauma of being stranded in another dimension). She carries herself with a degree of maturity not often seen on Popstar, hence why she gets along mostly with Meta Knight and his crew.

Taranza: Once a prince, now a king, Taranza is the current sitting leader of the Sky People, after the defeat of the tyrant Queen Sectonia. He's often seen at Castle Dedede, trying his best to broker some peace between these two kingdoms. He also shares with Meta and Kirby any and all information he's gathered about the Mirror, in an effort to bridge the gap and heal the alternate world. He has many regrets, especially with Queen Sectonia, and he tries his best to be a good leader and diplomat, to undo at least some of the damage he's done. He's inquisitive and curious, friendly now that he's on the Star Allies' side.

[itsamenickname]

For all of you Team Bowser & Team Luigi fans out there, this chapter is for you guys. ;)

Chapter 17 be uploaded in 2 weeks! :D

[age-of-play-i-say]

Nestled against my orcs chest, knees comfortably high, naked but fully wrapped in the traditional white silk cockwarming hammock of the orcish obility

While I'm not a traditionally stoic cockwarmer, I'm well-regarded by the younger nobility for being reactive, coming from the simple stimulation of a traditional morning Warming Walk, making their young men feel virile and confident with every happy whimper I indulge them.

My constant squirting, a liability amongst human men, was a source of pride for my current Warmed, a princeling orc, who gave me plenty of fluids before major events to ensure I would "mark him" with my "scent" at regular intervals during these prestigious encounters.

The disconnect between cultures was most obvious here, human urine having the same pheromone levels as orcish spend, therefore me voiding a bit while finishing or just edging made my orc almost feral, grabbing my hips and pressing inside impossibly deeply to paint my walls while grunting about what a good little pet I am.

Other warmers won't do this, not wanting their orcs to form that bond with them and finding it a bit too vulnerable for their professional tastes; they take care of their needs during our regular breaks.

Not me, though, I like seeing how much clout my princeling gets when I relieve myself onto his bare lap during ceremonies, meetings, weddings, and public addresses.

In fact, my orc has refused other relief warmers during his heats because he wants me wet and ready to shower him in pheromones and attention, and nothing less will do.

Thinking about it makes me swell with pride and my pussy twitches around his short, extremely thick member, my sensitive button being rubbed gently by his belly hair.

My bladder's a bit overfull and I twitch and lose a big spurt on his bare belly, shifting and gasping as my mini release dribbles down his balls to puddle in his assembly hall chair.

I can feel, rather than see, the other orcs of the council straighten up their spines and adjust their lap companions to maximum comfort, smelling the prince's cockwarmer marking him as her own in the middle of a boring tax meeting.

The orcs are civilized of course, but they have much stronger instincts than most humans. Underneath the layer of proprietary behavior, the cockwarmers in the kingdom do a lot, keeping the heads of the leaders clear and satisfied.

Their leader's virility is a source of pride and competition for the others in the room. They smell my submission, my devotion and my satisfaction in their leader and the sounds around the room build and build as the rhythmic humping and grunting of a dozen or so orcs begins in earnest, all of them driving into their cockwarmers with vigor.

My princeling smiles down at me and slips the hand without his signet ring between us, wrapping two fingers around my aching pleasure button and gliding them up and down lightly, grinding his hips with an expert swivel, pounding his sensitive head against my front wall and g-spot.

I moan loudly and all the others hear it, and some start pistoning their hips even faster, grunting and gasping, driven wild by my prince's prowess.

I look boldly into his eyes as both my releases hit me at once, squirting and spraying him while my moans echo off the stone walls, the others forgotten for a moment while my prince spasms and his cock pulses inside me, spending himself within my body.

"Your scent is a great honor you bestow upon me, my pet. Feel free to finish that up during the petitioning, if you wouldn't mind. 🤍

I could use the edge in that conversation. Thank you, my little hearthfire."

I settle back into my position, much wetter but much more comfortable and coo happily. My orc reaches up to place a hand on my hair, bouncing me to help resettle on his still-hard cock.

He leans back and grins, having nothing more to prove today. He's the alpha here, his power and virility unmatched, as his cockwarmer just let everyone know. He leans down and whispers only to me:

I doze, happy to serve my sovereign this way.

[bts-0t-7]

Breaking Bonds | PJM | Chapter 1

Pair: Fae Jimin x Nymph reader 

Summary: Stripped from your own birthright, you suffer at the hands of your people. But after all, you couldn’t blame them. Having enough, you left in the middle of the snowy days but things didn’t go as you planned. Jimin, pulled by an unspeakable force, ventures out into the blizzard to find a body face-first on the ground. Your love and connection is forbidden - looked down upon. But the both of you are willing to try. However, where there are dreams there are prices to pay. How will the both of you push through? Can the both of you do it?

Genre: Strangers to lovers, fantasy au, Jimin is the CROWN PRINCE (I mean-), angst, kidnapping, smut

WC: 2932

The history of the fae and nymphs - elements that used to live together harmoniously. Like the primary and secondary elements of life and magic, the love between faes and nymphs was sacred - so sacred that only royals had the right to arrange a marriage between their children. 

But hundreds of centuries later, amongst the roots of enmity that were fueled by old grudges and misunderstandings, blew out of proportion and affected many citizens. 

The dark history between them that started was marked by blood in the ledger books. The first is The Great Rift. The conflicts between faes and nymphs are often referred to in this phrase as the powerful fae kingdom taking lands that were traditionally inhabited by the nymphs. Territorial dispute ignited much hostility and opposition. This therefore caused the lack of resources. Both mystical beings relied on the same natural elements to thrive from the magical essence in their forests. 

And within these battles of dominance grew something more than just territory but also magical supremacy. Each mystical being possesses its own unique and elemental powers. As the war grew to a larger scale, betrayals were not able to be prevented. A web of alliances and betrayals intermingle with the supernatural races while leading to mutual distrust. 

The history was marred by not one, not two, but five different wars at different times. Both sides inflicted much suffering on the other. The wars led to untold loss with neither willing to yield. The main lasting repercussions come in, especially in the revised laws that were enacted to prevent any form of interaction or alliance between fae and nymph. Love between individuals of two races was seen as a dangerous threat to the stability of their respective societies.

The history was written in blood and the older generation of both races have a hard time letting go of their prejudices. 

And here lies the snowstorm. 

In the middle of the forest, where the snow blasts down like little chilling knives slicing through your skin and a good three feet of snow -

Your kind were the ice nymphs, once the royal family, now stripped of your title and an outcast amongst your kind. Where the fae folk thrived, you ventured - away from the place you once called home, now a barren room barely the size of a storage room. The scars of the Cold War between the nymphs still lingered, leaving the kingdom in the easy grip of the Lyrin fae.

You kind - the ice nymphs - were rare to come about, each one of your veins flows with the power of winter. In the lores, your kind was told to have a beauty that was like a fragile kind of enchantment, with hair as pale as frost, and skin as delicate as the first snowfall. 

There were only a few times that you have looked in the mirror - countable with five fingers. After your family was stripped of their title, with you accordingly, life was never the same. Your people, with no place to go, lost trust and justice in you. 

Desperation drove her journey as she yearned to escape the dark shadow of your people’s fall that hung over her head like a knife over the bed. Even with the ice in your veins, that winter night, when the biting frost finally embraced you and hunger gnawed at your core, your strength failed. You had pushed yourself as far as you could but as the sun dipped below the horizon, your body could no longer hold you up, giving in to your exhaustion and malnutrition. 

Lying beneath the icy canopy, you were a fragile, half-dead being that is an easy hunt for food for predators living around the area. Your eyes swerved back, trying to calculate how far you might have to go back for shelter. But you didn’t know. 

You had walked without a direction, lost in the depths of the Lyrin forest. Frostbites numbed your limbs and your brain was moving slower from the exhuation. But there it was, amidst the unforgiving cold and darkness, you sensed a presence stirring. 

Your hazed hearing registered the crunch of footsteps in the snow as your blurry vision sent your brain to somebody standing next to you. Your eyes roll around until you have a clearer picture of who it is. A man with dark hair, brown eyes, and plush lips, dressed in regal attire with a crest of the fae kingdom. Lyrin was one of the biggest fae kingdoms and everybody knows their crests. After all, it was them who led the battles many years ago. It was them that inflicted the harm and loss on your people. It was them that had killed the ruling family back then. 

Your family. 

But he wasn’t the one who took the action. No, he was almost as old as you were and then, the both of you were barely kids. 

Prince Jimin, they called him. 

The golden sunlight. 

The crown of Lyrin weighed heavily on his shoulders. He knew the crowning ceremony would be soon, and this winter, he wanted to let go and be just a man until he could no longer. Once he takes over the throne from his father, his duty to serve his country is solely on his shoulders. There was much to do and many things he would like to change, but even as king, these little ideas - as his father likes to call them - had to go through the council. 

And Jimin knows that the old hags would never approve of it. 

It went beyond the revised edition of the old laws. 

To reconcile with the nymphs. 

Jiminhad ventured into the forest today, going around with no direction, guided purely by an inexplicable force. The kingdom, although a realm of enchantment, was deeply tainted by the darkness of its past. If all was silent enough, one could still hear the shrieks and cries of the souls. The darkness had bred a strong sense of hatred and fear between faes and nymphs. Their mating was now an old tale of forbidden love - a story buried deep in history. 

As he ventured further into the woods, he stumbled upon the nymph, your frail form half-buried in the snow. Your beauty, even in your weak state, took the breath right out of his lungs. He recognized you as a nymph with your small frame and pale, white hair. But it wasn’t completely white. It shone like the silvers of the moonlight when light reflected off it. 

But it was when he moved to pick you up that he saw your family’s sigil, now faded from royal to common, that told him - you were no ordinary nymph. As his arms went under the ice, you stirred slightly at the movement. As you opened her eyes, he was completely taken aback by the sheer blue shade of your pupils. 

Even with one foot into the Underworld, you looked ethereal to him. Jimin was snapped out of his daze when your frostbitten lips whispered a plea for help. In that moment, all history and hatred were forgotten. With fae swiftness, he scooped your fragile state - lighter than air - into his arms and covered you with his coat. 

Determined to save her, he summoned a warm breeze that melted the frost from your body and sealed you in a cocoon of warmth. Jimin only dared to start running faster to his horse when colour slowly came back to your lips. Ensuring that you were safely tucked in his arms, Jimin ran back to the castle, fighting against death who wanted to take the girl in his arms. 

As days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. The little nymph’s life continued to hang in the balance and Jimin was a mess. He made every doctor attend to you, pacing around the bedroom day and night. He had caused an uproar in the kingdom when they found out that their crown prince had brought back a nymph - even more than this one that was from the late royal family - and was nursing her back to health. 

His father had threatened to strip him of his title if he did not abandon you. But he could not do it. So it started the feud between father and son, neither backing down. Jimin understood that his late grandfather and his father had a feud among the nymphs, had been the ones who executed them and had been the ones to fight at the front lines. They were the ones who brought Lyrin to what it is today - expanded. But as Jimin studied the history of both parties, he felt a certain connection to the nymphs. 

He did not want to be a ruler where their mystical counterparts would be afraid of them. He did not want to be a ruler like his father - ruling by fear from an iron fist. 

While doctors attended to you, Jimin watched them with sharp eyes, ensuring that none of the doctors would slip anything into your bloodstream. When nothing helped and your state was only getting worse, Jimin grew more and more anxious. He had sifted through books and hunted down the Old Scripts.

He learned that your name was L/N Y/N, the youngest of the last ruling family. Your father had been killed in the war, your mother led you and your siblings to safety but soon after passed due to the broken mate bond. Your siblings were either caught by his father’s cavalry or died of starvation, leaving only you. Your records were still in the kingdom, seemingly down till two days before he met you. That means that you were active in your own kingdom, at your people’s mercy until you left.

He looked back at where you lay still on the bed. 

And if he didn’t find you, you would have probably been dead by now. 

You woke up to the warmth and luxury of a place you had only dreamed of. Your body was still weak and you didn’t know what happened after passing out. Slowly rising to consciousness, you found yourself in a room of blue and white, drapes swinging in the wind. But you registered that the windows weren’t open and the room was cold like… ice?

Winter may be the season but no room was made to stay cold unless the elements of the magicians’ are meant to stay cold. 

Like you.

You curled your fingertips, feeling the soft, silky sheets beneath them. Trying to view the room from your current position - lying flat on the bed with a head that feels as heavy as bricks - you were taken aback by the sheer language it screams. 

Royalty. 

From the materials beneath your body to the furniture displayed, the decorations and architecture of the room, they were all beyond your imagination. You had not stepped into such a room since the battle. As you looked around, you realised the room was not originally made to stay cold. The fireplace seemed to be covered in a layer of dust but the decorations on them were clean. 

And although you knew that this was not your room, the calming temperature felt just like home. But you had not been in a room like this for a very long time. Distantly, you heard the opening and closing of a door. Your eyes immediately shot in the direction of the sound just to find a man already standing beside the bed. 

You were immediately broken out of your thoughts when you realised who it was and where exactly you were. You did not need to open the windows to know - you were on enemy territory. The rulers who killed your family. The rulers who brought demise onto your people. 

But looking at the man, clad in a loose tunic and pants, dark brown hair ruffled in all directions, you couldn’t find yourself to hate him. Even as you knew that he shared the purest blood with the murderer, you knew that he… was just like you. 

A family’s misdoings do not mean a child’s downfall. 

One’s choice does not equal the choice of another. 

You sink deeper into the sheets, holding in your sigh as you close your eyes. 

“Oh!” Your eyes shot open to see the man right in front of you. “Oh, you’re awake! Oh, finally! Wait - wait - let me call the physicians!”

Your brain couldn’t register his words fast enough before you saw his body move so fast it was just a blurry shade running down the stairs. Or maybe it was just your vision that was a little crusty. Rubbing your eyes as you yawned, you got up from the bed. You wouldn’t like to overstay your stay, especially not in a place where your head was on a bounty. 

You had left your kingdom only to be stuck in another. 

Sighing, you looked down to your feet -

Your arms shot to cover your already clothed body. Wait, wait, wait - 

Your hands patted yourself down. You - 

You were changed. 

Your plan to secretly escape was a fail the moment your ears picked up the sound of multiple heavy footsteps coming towards the room. The large doors were banged open, revealing a line of physicians behind the prince. 

“There! There! I told you, she is awake!”

Squinting at the all-to-cheerful sound that the prince makes, the palm of your hands pressed against your ears. 

“Careful, Prince. The Lady just woke up, her senses will be sensitive. You must lower your volume, Prince.”

Sheepish eyes shot at you, a guilty smile lifting the corners of his lips. The physicians fussed you back to bed and ran a thorough check of you, reporting back to the prince whenever they found something. Whether it was something healing or something that needs healing. Over the next few weeks, you realise how persistent and petty the prince can get. 

He would refuse you bites of food if you were to call him by his royal title. He would refuse to help you up from bed, just standing at the corner of the bedpost when you need the restroom, always claiming, “If you aren’t going to help yourself, you don’t get to do your business.”

But you also realise how much he has gone through. As the only child, he was meant to take the throne a couple of weeks before he found you. But he had caused a huge uprising and a big fight with his father. When you were sneaking out one of the nights, Jimin found you during his nightly duties of patrol and whisked you back to the room. 

Although you had left with the intention of Jimin’s life getting back to normal, he has increased your security so that you won’t have much of a chance to run away again. 

Keyword: much. 

You still had your chances and when that came, you took it. You had everything packed and ready, but this time, you left with a note at the bedside table, paired together with a magic-infused healing charm for the man. 

Safe to say, it was a bad idea. 

You knew it was the moment you penned down your goodbyes and gave him the charm. But you didn’t have much on you to give him for thanks other than the occasional swirls of magic in his office. 

Yes, it was a horrible idea - of course it was! You were caught - again. 

This time, Jimin didn’t just leave you back in the room. He was silent the whole time after he found you. The ride back, up the stairs, and even after the both of you entered the room. You saw the note on the bed. 

Jimin’s back was to you. 

“Why - Why would you think that?”

You were taken aback by the tears that streamed down his plum cheeks that you had teasingly squished the past few weeks. Looking down at the note, you felt a pang of… sorrow.

A sorrow that wasn’t yours. It shouldn’t be. “Because it is against the laws.”

“I do not care what the laws claim!”

“I am nobody, Prince. You have a duty to serve your kingdom and its people. I am a princess, stripped of my title, belonging to the very kingdom your father and his father killed through. The very princess that they couldn’t care less before killing off my father on the battlefield.” He couldn’t be yours. He was a prince, deserving of one better than a bond that was looked down upon. 

“My ancestors can go suck their dicks.”

You pulled a face at the crude language. You knew that he would be insisting - you found out that much about him - and you prepared yourself for a situation like this. But your resolve was already crumbling. 

“Prince -”

“Stop, stop! I am yours! Please - I beg of you - stop calling me by my title.”

You sucked in a deep breath. “You are more than your titles. But you are also the light of your people. The only heir to the throne and you will not shove it away just because we are bonded. I refuse.”

“I will lay the world down on your feet for you, please. Do not leave me.” His cries hurt you more than knives and ropes splitting your skin raw. 

“My world is not one you can provide.”

My world is you. 

But you wouldn’t dare say that as you turned your back to him and walked out of the castle, following your original plan in mind.

[catyo90]

The Dragons Bride

Warning: None. The reader is an GN Elf. Thorin is a Dragon/Human AU. Inspired by: FFXIV Dragonsong. One-Shot (Song below so you can hear it. It's very pretty)

'Children of the land, do you hear Echoes of truths that once rang clear? Two souls intertwined One true love they did find Bringing land and heavens near'

The cave was cold and dim as you kneeled on the floor awaiting the moment for the creature to appear from slinking dark. Every heavy step you heard, was louder than the next. Tears pricked your eyes as you prayed to any Valar who would answer your plea.

A sacrificial bride, it would be your last day alive. At least that was what you believed awaited you.

Both smoke and dust started to fill the room as the behemoth of a dragon stood proud. You dared not to look past the veil you wore, but from the sight of the beast's massive claw, you noticed the scales shined like forged metal. The fire that surrounded it was warm, but not blistering, more comforting than anything. Your breath quicked as you felt the eyes of the dragon upon you. Eyes you could see through your veil, not gold but instead bore the hue of the sea in them.

'But flames that burned full bright soon fell dark Memories dimmed by shadowed hearts In the waxing gloom, did wane the lovers' moon Watching as their worlds drift apart'

You suddenly felt the veil slowly being lifted from your head, the weight of it becoming a missing part of you as you wished you did not have to look upon the beast just yet. Quickly your eyes closed as you felt the claw of the beast being brought to your chin, lifting your gaze to look at it.

Your eyes stayed closed as the claw slowly became smoother and soon felt not like bone but instead skin. The breath of the dragon was replaced by the calming voice of a man.

"Would you not look upon me, my love?"

'One soul's cry, a passion dwelling within Sacrifice, a final plea to her kin Yet this bond of hope, by treachery was broke Scattering her words to the wind'

You opened your eyes in complete shock as you felt your entire body shudder. You saw before no beast or killer that you were told you would find. Before you were the man you fell in love with all those years ago. His hair reached to his shoulders, a well-groomed beard, and eyes as blue as the sky during a storm. Your thoughts were flooded with memories of your time together as children.

'Swelling over long Seas of blood are a song And death an afterthought To those who fight for naught'

You were with him centuries before, back when the world was green and fair. He looked just as he did now, his beauty eternal. How could one compare to him? you thought when you first saw him. Little would you have ever known that your beauty was blinding to him and to him a treasure hoard couldn't hold a candle to you. Those peaceful days when men, elves, and dwarves lived in harmony and the shadows of the world were small and felt no fear toward them. Until His return. The lord of shadow, of Mordor. Sauron the deceiver. Lies and falsehoods separated your lands into an endless war. A war that you believed had claimed him when he was taken away from you, the last sight you saw was him reaching out to you as the guards of his land took him away to be sent to his death.

'A throne lying empty A reign incomplete Alone for eternity A pain without cease'

Both your kingdoms lay in ruin. The evidence surrounding both of you. All those you knew in the eyes before are gone. But here before you was the last remnant of those days. Your eyes started to fill with tears as you brought your arms around his mighty frame. Feeling his strong arms around you made you smile as the warmth from his skin both shocked and soothed you and the feeling of his breath beneath your hands made you realize that after all of these centuries, he was alive.

'Children of the land, answer this; Why must you turn to empty bliss? Tell me why break trust, why turn the past to dust Seeking solace in the abyss? Tell me why create a circle none can break? Why must you let go, the life you were bestowed? This I fear I'll never know Never know'

You both stood there knowing the cruel twist of fate. You lift your gaze to him to feel his hand take yours as he kisses the inside of it. You watch as he grabs from his pocket two rings, both of beautiful craft but look as if they could break with the slightest touch. A low hum comes from him as you bring a kiss to his lips feeling him slip one of the rings onto your hand as he kisses you once more. your hands become lost in his hair as his hold you even tighter than before, as if you were a dream about to fade away. He smiled into the kiss as you felt tears of joy stream down your face. He wiped the tears away as he brought your hand to his lips. A silent promise that he will never leave your side again.

[fantastic-nonsense]

☔

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

I had to browse through my 30+ WIPs to figure out if there was one I was willing to classify in this category, and...if there was a fic that fits it's a Legend of Korra fic concept I wrote up like 8 or 9 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the series finale. I genuinely don't think I'll ever get to it; not only because I've long since left the LOK fandom and have no real interest in finishing any of my fic ideas that aren't my "Justice for Asami Sato" WIP, but also because it would likely need a whole series of fics to properly explore everything I wanted to cover. I will, however, happily give a detailed outline of what I was planning on doing since I'm never going to get around to it.

Basically, the concept was to completely imagine LOK as the story might have been written if the creative team had known from the beginning that they would have 4 seasons to tell the story of Korra. I was looking at the disjointedness of plot, themes, and character arcs that happened because Bryke originally planned the show as a miniseries and then didn't know how many more seasons they would get...and thinking about how to connect everything together more coherently (within my own preferences and ideas of how things should have been told, of course).

The tl;dr of each fic is as follows:

Book 3′s plot would come first, as it should have in the show: Korra travels to Republic City to learn Airbending from Tenzin, only to find that some spiritual mumbo jumbo has created new Airbenders. Thus, she’ll learn airbending from Tenzin while they’re all on the search for the new airbenders. Meanwhile, the Red Lotus has escaped and is coming after Korra. Ends the same way, with Korra physically incapacitated and suffering from major PTSD

Book 4′s plot would be next: the fall of the Earth Kingdom creates a power vacuum that Kuvira fills. Meanwhile, we watch the season-long restoration of Korra’s physical/mental/spiritual wellbeing. We get the story of Wan and Raava this season, as part of Korra’s recovery arc (so she can discover and restore her bond with the Avatar Spirit).

Book 1 now becomes Book 3: also in the wake of the Red Lotus’s destruction and the tyranny of Kuvira’s Earth Empire, anti-bender sentiment has sprung up around the world. Amon takes advantage of this sentiment within Republic City. Korra, now residing in Republic City, has to deal with the anti-bender revolution as a fully realized Avatar (but one that is still struggling to fully recover from the Red Lotus and is now terrified of losing her bending because of the events of the first two seasons)

Book 2′s dual plot would end the series: Korra has to deal with the Water Tribe Civil War while Harmonic Convergence approaches, which would have had lore drops throughout the show after the ‘Avatar Orgins’ revelations back in the second fic. The series ends with a bang as Korra defeats the spiritual manifestation of darkness and chaos and pledges to lead the world into a new spiritual age. 

A fairly detailed explanation of how I'd planned out this reimagining is below the cut, if you like.

Ask me a question about one of my WIPs!

The first fic ("Air") was going to start out with the re-emergence of the airbenders due to a freak spiritual event; this was going to be the reason Tenzin wouldn't be able to train Korra in airbending at the South Pole compound, as he was focused heavily on recruiting and training new airbenders and wanted to put off training the Avatar for another year or two. Meanwhile, the Red Lotus breaks out of their prisons and starts readying themselves to go kill the Avatar.

Korra would make her way to Republic City to try and reason with Tenzin that he could just train her while looking/training the other airbenders, meet Lin while breaking up a robbery in progress, and escape from the RCPD with the help of Mako and Bolin, two pro-benders who just lost the finals this season (but they’re sure that they’ll come back next year even better). They introduce her to Asami Sato, their sponsor and Mako’s girlfriend. She explains who she is, what she’s doing in Republic City, and what’s going on….and they decide they want to help her. They all end up stowing away on Tenzin's ship along with Lin, who basically designates herself as the Air Family's bodyguard (because god forbid Tenzin go swanning off into the Earth Kingdom without any protection for his small children).

We'd spend most of the fic dealing with the three intersecting plots: 1) Korra struggling to learn Airbending and spiritual direction from Tenzin, 2) Tenzin finding and training the new airbenders+Korra, and 3) the Red Lotus political plot and their attempts to kill Korra (which both fall under the “no more world leaders” heading of their group goals).

Subplots would have been more or less the same subplots as the existing Book 3, with some of the Book 1 issues mixed in: resolving the Lin-Tenzin tension, Tenzin struggling to be a teacher and rebuild the Air Nation, korra struggling to figure out airbending, Mako and Bolin finding their family, and the romance issues (Korra-Mako-Asami with a season-long Masami breakup arc and the Bolin-Opal romance…the Mako-Bolin drama over Korra doesn’t happen because we meet Opal basically right off the bat). Korra still ends up hurt and traumatized at the end of the fic. Despite initiating the Avatar state for the first time while fighting Zaheer, she can no longer connect after the physical and spiritual trauma she suffered, so she stays behind at the South Pole to be healed and further mentored by Katara.

The second fic ("Restoration") would have picked up one year after the first fic ends and covered the basic plot of Book 4 with some of the character arcs that Book 2 dealt with (except better): The fall of the Earth Kingdom created a power vacuum that Kuvira fills. Korra's doing her season-long recovery/spiritual discovery arc while dealing with the threat of Kuvira; we also get the Wan-Raava story here, to properly sow the seeds for the Harmonic Convergence plot later down the road.

Mako and Bolin go back to pro-bending, but both find it unsatisfying after going globetrotting. Mako's single, and Bolin and Opal (who's moved to Air Temple Island to continue her training) are still dating. Asami, who's chafing under the restrictions of being back in Republic City and once again living with her father, joins an underground street racing group as a racer and part-time mechanic; she's super lonely, since Korra is still recovering from what the Red Lotus did to her and (from her father’s POV) she no longer has any ‘socially acceptable’ reason to interact with Bolin and Mako since they’re no longer dating. So all of that happens, culminating with Kuvira's attempted invasion of Republic City. The Krew would reunite to fight her off.

The third fic ("Equality") would have picked up about six months later and reinterpreted the Equalist plot. In the wake of the Red Lotus’s destruction of the Earth Kingdom, the chaos that unfolded afterwards, and Kuvira's attempted invasion of Republic City, anti-bender sentiment has sprung up around the world. Amon takes advantage of this sentiment within Republic City. Korra, now residing full-time in Republic City, has to deal with the anti-bender revolution as an Avatar who is now terrified of losing her bending after fully recovering from what the Red Lotus did to her.

Bolin took a long trip back to the Earth Kingdom with Opal to see Suyin+his family and help stabilize the country a bit, but they're both on their way back to Republic City in the first chapter. Mako has, after bonding with Lin in the first season, joined up with the RCPD to work under her and is working his way up the ladder (hoping to reach ‘detective’ status). He’s still having Issues adjusting, especially without Bolin around. He goes and hangs out on Air Temple Island with Korra when he’s off-duty because people actually seem to like having him around and there’s always something that he can do (and he likes feeling Useful). But lately he's been hearing some concerning stuff at his job about the Equalist movement, and he's got a bad feeling about what it means for Korra and for all benders in Republic City.

So Mako has his police corruption investigation arc. Bolin is trying to figure out what he actually wants to do with his life now that he's not a pro-bender anymore. Asami starts getting suspicious that her father is up to something and decides to take matters into her own hands. And Korra is dealing with the Equalists and how to balance the "you're our Avatar too" undercurrents amongst the non-bending population.

The final fic ("Spirits") would start up about six months after Amon's defeat. Book 2′s dual plot would end the series: Korra has to deal with the Water Tribe Civil War while Harmonic Convergence approaches, which would have had lore drops throughout the series after the ‘Avatar Orgins’ two-parter back in the second fic. The series ends with a bang as Korra defeats the spiritual manifestation of darkness and chaos and pledges to lead the world into a new spiritual age.

Unalaq still sets up and starts the Water Tribe Civil War to gain power, but it’s also in service to creating as chaotic of a world situation as he can before Harmonic Convergence (opening a pathway to Vaatu’s domination over Raava; because the world is a) in chaos and b) out of balance, Vaatu will have an easier time winning the fight against Raava). The Raava-Vaatu fight would also be more explicitly framed as order vs. chaos (not light vs. darkness), which would align it more with how ATLA previously handled the concepts of yin and yang.

I was still working on what everyones' character arcs and struggles would look like in that final fic apart from Korra (who was set up to have the same political figure+spiritual leader balancing act Book 2 tried to pull off), but I know that I was planning to give Asami a Tony Stark arc and let her see the direct consequences of Future Industries’ war profiteering, giving her a reason to completely change the company around to focus on energy, transportation, and entertainment instead of selling tanks and biplanes to the Water Tribes. So...yeah. Those are the basics.

....and all of that and more is sitting in a detailed outline in a doc that I will probably never touch again, so I hope this was a fun glimpse 😭

[diamondcitydarlin]

I watched Damsel last night and oh my god, loved it!!! The visuals and writing kinda brought back those Game of Thrones glory days feels and I love the trope of woman who is wearing nice dress gradually disfigures it as she has to survive and become a bad ass, and the bond with the dragon !!! The themes about the destructive nature of patriarchy and classism !!!

I did have a couple of notes, but these are things that I don't know would've gotten a good answer/resolution within a two hour or so movie run time but I think they're interesting nonetheless;

Like okay, am I the only person who kinda felt bad for Prince Henry in a way? I can't have been the only one. I'm not saying he in any way deserves to 'get the girl' in the end or should have saved her or even have had a different ending, but I sympathized for him a little regardless. He did, of course, participate in his family's ritual sacrifice of at least two girls, but the impression is very much given that he has been taught to do little else than what his mother and kingdom bids him to do. He clearly doesn't want to be part of this in any way, and does of course end up pleading Flora's case (not that this absolves him, he was quick enough to dismiss those other sacrifices when suggesting he wanted to marry Elodie anyway lmaoo) and when he does his mother bitingly calls him 'weak'. I just have to wonder how he was groomed growing up to one day do this, how often he must have been told that it was his 'duty' and 'for the good of the kingdom' and thought he was prepared to be STRONG like his forefathers ('strong' here meaning willing to sacrifice innocent women, of course) but when the time came he wasn't as ready as he thought he'd be or, really, at all. In fact, I'm not really arguing his ending here because I think it's significant that he's consumed in the dragon's flame by the end, the result of his male ancestor's entitlement and violence. I think there's something being said here about how the patriarchy consumes and destroys the men within it, too maybe, like Elodie's father's death. Idk I guess I'm just trying to say I felt bad for him despite everything lmao, which begs the question of what he might have done differently to save himself from the inevitable end? Or if he even could?

I'm a little shocked there wasn't more to the healing glow worms lmao. This is probably the only place in the film I feel like there's a weakness or a hole, because I was thinking that she'd use them to restore the dragon's children to life (I mean, they presumably restored the dragon's EYE so like??? maybe it's possible??) and that would break the curse and restore all the women who died to life as well, because I thought their spirits were being contained in the glow worms!!! I really thought all that was going on! I think it should have been tbh, imagine all those women getting a second chance at life and going back with Elodie and dragon lady to her land or whatever! Maybe a little saccharine and convenient but it's what I wanted lol

Anyway those are my sort of outlier weird thoughts, on the whole it's a very good film and reminds me a lot of films from the 80's-early 00's, it's cool to see a kind of return to that style of unironic fantasy adventure. Highly recommend, 11/10 stars