#You clearly think way too highly of me my dear friend

[frantic-fiction]

May I request some Jealous!Fem!Reader x Astarion? Maybe one where someone from Astarion’s past makes an appearance and while Astarion sees this woman as just a friend, reader can see the woman blatantly flirting with her vampire spawn and she doesn’t like it one bit. ESPECIALLY if Astarion’s oblivious to the woman’s advances and innocently engages (because let’s face it, our boy loves being praised & complimented 24/7). Reader decides it’s her turn to stake her claim on our little sassy vampire and remind everyone who he belongs to ;)

Yes! Yes! Thank you for the request!

Jealous

Astarion x gn!reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.5k

Masterlist

It was nice being back in the city. Yes, there was still the ever-looming threat of the Absolute, but most of the party was back home, and for once, it felt like, for a moment, everyone could breathe. You had a fluffy bed to sleep on instead of a lumpy bedroll. And while Gale always made whatever perversions the party scavenged taste good, the warm, hearty tavern meals you've been treated to as of late were too good to beat.

But the best part of being back was taking any moment to drag Astarion out into the city to wherever he fancies so he can explore Baldur's Gate in the daylight without the darkness of Cazador. He wanted to visit the farmers market today, so you wandered the vendors' stalls, stopping to take moments and smell flowers and sample wares.

Astarion politely conversed with a tailor about the fabric quality used for a shirt he wanted. Frankly, they had been talking longer than your attention span could handle, so when your eyes wandered to a stall full of beaded jewelry, you wasted no time giving Astarion a quick peck on the cheek and telling him where you'd be.

The pieces were beautiful and skillfully crafted—brightly colored beads and gold inlays, gems of various minerals, all catching your eyes. The older halfling woman propped highly on the stool, greets you politely, and gives little details and facts about each one you set aside for closer inspection. Maybe you should get something for Shadowheart and Karlach? Probably not Lae—

"Astarion!"

A feminine voice has you snapping your head back to your partner. A frown instantly settles over your features when you see a tall, elven woman pull Astarion's hug. Her brown hair is intricately braided into a top knot decorated in sparkly chains. Her dress hugs her curves, framing her body perfectly.

Why are they still hugging?

"Oh Gods, it's been too long. You're looking amazing." Her nasal voice filters down the markets. "How are you, love?"

Astarion finally manages to break the hug, giving the woman an automatic flirtatious smile, the tailor long forgotten. "Eleanor, I've been well. I do hope the same can be said for you."

Dropping the beads with little care, you leave the stall, ignoring the halfling. You don't like this woman. You don't like how her hand still lingers on Astarion's forearm or how she leans ever so slightly closer as if daring him to kiss her.

"I've been fine, though I'm upset you haven't visited in quite a while. It's been rather dull without you." She runs her hand up his arm.

Astarion laughs, flicking his hand in the air and clearly enjoying the woman's words. "I could only imagine, my dear. Those brutes are fowl at their best. Who wouldn't miss me."

Your jaw clenches when her obnoxious laughter rings in the air. Pushing past a family of four throwing a half-ass apology, not paying mind, too pissed off. Who does this woman think she is putting her hands on Astarion as if he's hers?

"Astarion, you always knew how to make me laugh." Elenor ducks her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "If I'm being honest, I was always jealous of the ones you took home. But now that we're here, maybe…"

Oh, hell no! You practically jump the rest of the way and run into Astarion's arm. He lets out a breathy oof, arms tightening around your waist to keep you from tumbling to the ground. Pretending you weren't aware of the woman, you capture Astarion into a chaste kiss before beaming up at him.

"I hope you found what you were looking for, my love." Your voice is sickly sweet as you trail your thumb across his cheekbone. Then you turn your head and feign innocence, looking at the elf. "Oh, I'm sorry, Star. Who is this?"

Astarion gives you a look but recovers quickly. Clearing his throat, he speaks, "Darling, this is Eleanor. She owns a tavern I frequented. One of the only decent companies I've had before we met."

Moving away from Astarion's side, you reach your hand out in greeting, giving her your name, "It's a pleasure to meet a friend of my Star,"

Eleanor looks a bit taken aback, staring blankly at the two of you, clearly not expecting this change in her plans. You're internally preening. She takes your hand in a limp shake before dropping it and stepping back. Eleanor quickly wipes her hand on her dress slyly and chuckles.

"That explains why I haven't seen you in a while."

You sneer at her, wanting nothing more than to punch her. Instead, you drop your hand onto Astarion's chest, nuzzling warmly into his side. "Yes, sorry about that. I've been a bit selfish. Sometimes it hard to get out of bed."

"Right…" Eleanor says. Astarion, I never took you as one to settle down, especially someone as… unique as them."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The venom drips from your words, and Astarion has to keep you in place.

Eleanor smirks. "Oh, I meant nothing bad." The mocking tone alone reinforces that she meant this to be as insulting as possible. "I'm just stating you're rougher around the edges."

Astarion's hold on your waist tightens as you move to step forward, hand reaching for the dagger discreetly hidden against your thigh. There is no possible way this woman values Astarion in any way more than as a body to conquer. That thought alone has you practically baring your teeth.

"What the fuck does that mean!"

Astarion steps in before you can do anything extreme, "Eleanor, it was lovely seeing you again. We'll have to come and visit sometime for a drink, but I'm afraid my love and I must make our leave."

"Oh yes, of course!" Elenor says, her voice a bit too filled with fake cheer. Her smile is strained, and her eyes stare daggers into your skull. "I hope I can see you at the tavern sometime soon."

"Yes, we'll come down for a visit sometime soon. " Astarion calls over his shoulder, practically dragging you down the cobblestone. You think about ripping your arm out of his hold and turning back, but you let him pull you along with only a death glare sent toward Eleanor.

As soon as the two of you are in a secluded place, Astarion drops your hand and turns on you. "Darling, what was that?"

Picking at your nails, you shrug your shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Astarion takes your hand and, with a finger, tilts your chin to force you to meet his eyes. He has a shit-eating grin, and his fangs are even more prominent in his smile. "You were jealous."

Swatting his hands away, you step back. "I was not!" You lie and storm down the alleyway. You didn't get far before Astarion caught your wrist and spun you into his chest.

"You were jealous." He repeats. "But you really shouldn't be."

"She was all over you."

"It was a hug, my dear, from probably the closest normal friendship I had before the tadpole."

"Friendship? She was practically begging you to fuck her." You huff, fiddling with the lapels of Astarion's shirt.

Astarion chuckles deeply and presses a kiss to your forehead. "Gods, you're cute when you're jealous."

"Don't make fun of me, Astarion."

Ignoring you, he continues. "For argument's sake, if she was begging me to fuck her, as you so eloquently put it, who cares? I certainly don't, not when I have this beautiful, strong, incredibly understanding partner who knows all the darkest parts of me and still stands by my side?"

"Well, I am pretty noble for putting up with you when you're hungry." You smile, looping your arms around his neck, all jealousy draining from you like water from a colander.

"How could another soul handle me in that horrid state." Astarion runs his nose against yours. "I love you and don't plan on stopping soon."

You beam and kiss him breathlessly before mumbling, "I love you too," against his lips. "I think we should head back to our room."

Astarion chuckles under his breath, running his hands down the curve of your spine. "Oh, what for my sweet?"

"Well," Crawling your fingers up his chest, you press your lips to his ear and whisper. "If you'll let me, I want to mark every inch of your neck." "Mark me as yours, darling?" Astarion hums.

"Mhmm, we could go further, but" you continue. "Tonight, I want you to show me this tavern Eleanor owns. I think we deserve a date night."

"You are jealous."

"If I agree, will you take me out?" You lean in for a kiss.

Astarion presses forward, brushing his lips against yours. "As long as I have a necklace of your pretty love bites."

"Then yes, my love, I am very much jealous."

I've been struggling with inspiration lately. Moving was super stressful and I had to leave a hostile work environment very quickly so life's been a bit messy. But I've got my kitty cat and don't have to deal with a shitty boss so hopefully things will go up from here.

I'm kinda iffy on how I feel on this one but that might just be my current mindset. I hope you all enjoy it regardless, and stay tune because I plan on have something spicier posted soonish...possibly Astarion discovering his breeding kink 🫣❤️

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[imagines-random]

Lover

Pairings/Characters: Loki x reader

Summary: Loki and you are decorating for the first time your house for Christmas

Warnings: none! (Maybe bad writing and grammar lol. English isn’t my first language!)

Song: Lover by Taylor Swift

A/n: tried my best! Thank you for reading <3

Christmas.

A magical time of the year for everyone.

Sadly not for Loki. Not that he doesn’t like Christmas, in fact he seemed to love the idea of it. He has just never experienced it.

You were in your shared apartment. He was there with you. Making your heart flutter every time you looked at him. He has such a pretty smile.

“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January” You look at him while putting the lights on the Christmas tree.

He looks at you smiling “The whole month?”

“Yes, if you’d like that we could and this is our place, we make the rules” you answer him still struggling with the Christmas lights.

He chuckles clearly enjoying watching you struggle. He comes behind you

“Do you need any help darling?”

“No I got this” you in fact don’t got this. Still struggling you turn your head to look at him.

He’s so breathtaking

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear

“I actually might need help” you smile at him.

“Consider it done my love.” He flicks his hand and the lights are perfectly aligned on the tree.

Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?

“You could have done that all this time? And you let me struggle?” You act mad. But how can you be mad at him. You can’t, he’s too perfect.

Can I go where you go?

He wrapped his hands around you. He chuckled.

How can someone be so beautiful?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

“What are you thinking about my love?” he whispered in your ear.

And ah, take me out, and take me home

“About the beautiful god that’s standing in front of me.” I smile as I wrap my hands around his neck.

You're my, my, my, my

Lover

“Do you want to celebrate Christmas with the team here? We can invite them. A change for this year” I say as I look around our house.

Our. It’s our house.

“Oh I wouldn’t mind darling. But isn’t our apartment a bit far from Starks tower?”

“We could let our friends crash in the living room. This is our place, we make the call.”

He laughs. Fuck he’s so pretty. He’s breathtaking even.

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

“Would you mind sharing what your pretty little head is thinking my love?” He chuckles

He chuckles.

You smile at him.

“I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all” caressing his face.

“All?”

“Can I go where you go?”

“My love…” he’s smiling.

“Can we always be this close forever and ever?”

And ah, take me out, and take me home

“forever and ever?” He chuckles.

Even when he laughs he’s driving you crazy.

You're my, my, my, my

Lover

“Yes” you say while he kisses you cheek

“My darling love. I want to be with you for all my existence.”

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand

Blushing. You are fucking blushing. Like a teenager.

I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

“The question is my darling. Do you want to spend all of your existence with me?”

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

“I do. All's well that ends well to end up with you”

“That’s the only answer I accept” he smiles.

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

“Except if you have something else in mind” he winks at you. That mischief.

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

You hit him playfully on the shoulder.

“Is that all you think about?” You act mad. Trying to hide your stupid smile.

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

“No. You are all I think about” he says as he leans in and kisses you.

Melting in the kiss the only thing you can think of is How can you love someone so much.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

You're my, my, my, my

Oh, you're my, my, my, my

Darling, you're my, my, my, my

Lover

[imtherain]

With Love From Me (Prince Nuada): Part One

Heyo!

This is a very special (first half) of a fic for the lovely @lokanda. (Rumor has it that it's her birthday today)

It took my almost six months to write this part, hopefully I can finish the rest by her next birthday!

May I present my first Prince Nuada fic, completely requested by the birthday girl! Not only have I not written for the Hellboy fandom in like three years, but I have never written for the smexy elf prince before, but he sure is pretty to look at.

Warnings: Arranged marriage, court politics maybe? Getting chased, making friends, maybe a touch of potential "chase the hare" adventures in the next part, we'll see

Anywho:

“This is your duty, you do not get to argue with it,” Her father said, face stern as he looked down at her from his throne. “You are a Princess, Scionia, this is what you were born for,” 

“But Father, I have never met this man,” She said. “How could I possibly hope to love him?”

“This marriage, like all other royal marriages, does not require love.” King Hextern said. “I will not hear any more of this from you, Prince Nuada, and his father, King Balor, will arrive tomorrow. You are to be presented to them and wed by the time the moon is full.” 

“But that’s only three days from now,” The Princess said. Her father gave her a hard look.

“It seems I may have been too lenient on you, my dear daughter, for you clearly do not wish to do what must be done,” He sighed. “This is the way of this world, even I, a King, cannot change that,” 

“What if he’s cruel? What if he’s a monster? What if he can’t stand to look at me?” She demanded, fear of the unknown rising with claws to choke her.

“I have been told he is quite nobel, highly educated, and also a warrior. On all accounts, you could certainly do worse.” The King told her. But she didn’t want to hear that it could be worse because this felt like the worst already.

“I agree to meet the Prince, but I cannot agree to marry him,” Scionia said with more defiance than she’s ever used against her father before. The King just sighed heavily with a nod, knowing that she would do as she was told either way, but for now, he let her fight it. It would not matter after tomorrow anyway.

~~

The next day came too quickly.

Princess Scionia was put into the finest dress she owned. It was silky and black like the night sky. It hung from the swells of her hips to the floor, covering her modest silver slippers. The sleeves reached the bottom of her fingers and belled out under her palm. Her maids wrapped her equally dark hair up into braids, threaded through with silver thread. They added fine silver jewelry, earrings, necklaces, rings on several fingers. And finally, they closed in her torso with a sort of metal corset that ran from her navel to just under her sternum, fitted on all sides, and unyielding. Just like the task she would have to face once the Elves from the other kingdom arrived.

“You look beautiful, your Highness,” Mirla, one of Scionia’s maids said, catching her mistress watching herself in the mirrors.

“Thank you,” She said, but try as she might to agree, Scionia couldn’t help but feel like the prized animal, cleaned and dressed for sacrifice at the altar of a god that wasn’t hers.

“I know it can be quite frightening to think about,” Draga said. Draga was the only maid that was older than Scionia, as she had been a handmaid to her mother before she’d passed. “But you will do well. And all of your maids will come with you once you leave for the Prince’s Kingdom,” She meant it as a comfort but it only made Scionia feel dread.

“Do you think it’s far?” Scionia asked the older woman. Truth be told, Draga had always felt like more of a mother than the Queen ever had. The Queen was always too busy being doted on or complaining that she wasn’t being doted on enough. She had very rarely wanted her daughter anywhere near her unless she was to dote on the Queen as well.

“I do not know much about Bethmoora,” Draga said. “But they are the Children of the Earth, I can’t imagine where they come from being so vastly different from here,” She gave Scionia a warm smile. “And even with all the changes, you will never be alone,” 

Scionia looked at her maids, three in total. Each one looked at her kindly and she wondered what would become of them when she followed through on the plan she concocted the night before and fled the kingdom. She hoped that her Father would not blame them for her escape.

“I have been very lucky to have all of you in my life,” Scionia smiled at the women fondly.

“As are we,” Draga said, pulling the princess into a hug. “As are we,”

~~

“May I present to you, King Balor of Bethmoora, his son, Prince Nuada, and his daughter, Princess Nuala,” The Herald announced. Princess Scionia, while used to similar proceedings, felt dread slide down her spine at this particular announcement.

The court of King Balor came into the large throne room like bees spilling from an overturned jar. Various people and creatures, filling the space between King Hextern’s own court. Scionia watched her people mingle with these newcomers trying not to look at the royalty that she would be forced to face.

She reminded herself of her plans. Wait for dinner, the feast would distract most everyone. Any guards would be laughed away with lies about needing to stretch her legs. She’d collect her bag from where she’d hidden it by the walls outside, and she’d slip off into the trees. From there? Anywhere. As long as she was free.

“Princess Scionia,” Her name drew her back to the task at hand. King Balor was speaking with her father, having already taken the large throne next to him. To her surprise, it was the Princess, Nuala, who had said her name. “May my brother and I join you?” She asked. Her eyes were gold and soft, full of that light you only saw in spring, filtered through the newest of leaves.

“Of course, Princess,” Scionia said, surprised at the way she relaxed when Nuala took the seat directly to her right. Prince Nuada stood looking at her for a long moment, surely taking stock of his future bride, deciding if it was worth the trouble to go through with the wedding.

“It is my honor to meet you, Princess,” The Prince said formally. He offered her his hand and she took it. He bent his knees to bow to her, a sign of respect that made her skin tingle. She wasn’t used to respect from other royals.

“It is my honor,” Scionia replied. Unlike his sister, Nuada’s eyes were solid pools of gold. Hard, like the polished discs that the Queen used to wear. As for the rest of him, he was clearly strong, honed. It wasn’t hard to tell that he had been trained and molded from the day he was born to be exactly what he was right now, standing before a Princess who knew he would never love her. Men molded like that never loved.

The Prince moved to take the seat opposite his own father, and the farthest from where Princess Scionia sat.

“You have such beautiful eyes, Princess,” Nuala said with a small smile. “I’ve never seen such color,” Scionia smiled back, a slight blush coming up her neck at the unexpected compliment. Most people in her kingdom thought her eyes were too strange. They were not her father’s eyes, not her mother’s. 

“Thank you,” Scionia said.

“Where does such a shade come from?” Nuala asked innocently. Scionia thought for a moment. The lilac shade of her irises had never been something to dwell on. If anything, it had always been a point to be avoided.

“I’m not sure,” Scionia said.

“They are quite lovely,” Nuala decided. Some of the servants came out and carried in a long table for the royals to eat on. “I must admit, when Father told us that we were coming here to get my brother a bride, I was a bit excited,” 

“Is that so?” Scionia tried to sound aloof on the matter. Nuala seemed genuine enough, and perhaps part of Scionia who would have, at some point, wished to have a friend amongst the Royals, felt a little bad that she would not see the Princess again.

“Of course!” Nuala said. “And I look forward to having a sister,” Scionia felt her heart twist a little bit. Poor Nuala would be so disappointed.

“Tell me about your kingdom,” Scionia said as porters began bringing out the celebratory feast. And Nuala did. She told Scionia everything she thought the princess would like, about the library that extended for miles underground. How some days when the sun set, it looked like the castle was on fire, and so beautiful. How Nuala would show her everything if she wanted her too.

“What about your Brother?” Scionia asked. “Tell me about him,” She knew she was fleeing tonight, that it would not matter, but still, she was curious as to who she was leaving behind.

“He can be a little bit, serious,” Nuala’s eyes dipped as though someone had caught her staring. “And he is steadfast in all of his beliefs,” 

“We call that hardheaded,” Scionia mused. Nuala nodded.

“But he cares about his people, and he will take good care of you,” Her golden eyes came back up to Scionia’s face, alight with springtime and mirth. “And he is quite honorable, so if you decide you do not like him, he will leave you alone,” 

“Husbands aren’t known for keeping their distance,” Scionia scoffed.

“Nuada is many things,” Nuala tried again. “But he will not do anything to hurt you,” 

“Thank you, Princess,” Scionia said with a small smile. If nothing else, Nuala was a good sister, and after spending the night talking together, Scionia found herself almost sad to know she’d never see the elf Princess again, would never get to be her sister.

As the dancing and celebrating became the noise of the evening, Scionia moved on her plan.

“I am afraid I need to go get some air,” Scionia said with what she hoped was a convincing amount of normality. “Please excuse me,” Princess Nuala stood with her.

“Allow me to come with you, I’d love to see the gardens. I only barely caught a glimpse of them on the way in,” 

“I was planning on going back to my chambers for a bit actually,” Scionia pivoted. “I need to refresh myself. You should stay and enjoy the party. Though, if that man there,” Scionia pointed to one of the men of her Court. “Tries to come dance with you, don’t do it. He’s all hands,” Scionia winked at her new, if fleeting, friend and headed off towards her room.

Princess Nuala watched her go before turning to meet eyes with her twin brother. He had asked her to speak with his bride-to-be and she had succeeded in that. He was happy to hear she wouldn’t be a complete waste of time. When Prince Nuada joined his sister in the local princess’s seat, he smiled fondly at her.

“At least she’s not a complete bore,” Nuada smiled. “And you do seem to like her,” 

“I do,” Nuala agreed. “I think maybe you should speak with her as well, she avoided any questions I posed about the marriage,” 

“Did our Princess say where she was going?” Nuada asked, picking at some of the fruit that lay on the table before him. He looked completely at ease there, leaned back in the chair comfortably. As if this was his own kingdom and not someone else's. 

Nuala looked off down the hallway Scionia had disappeared down.

“She said she was headed to her chambers for a bit,” Nuala told him. The prince hummed, but when he stood, his sister stopped him.

“Don’t do anything untoward,” She warned, knowing exactly what he might do without thinking of the repercussions. Like barging into her chambers unannounced.

“You wound me, dear sister,” He said. She released his arm and he went off in search of his bride-to-be.

He was surprised to find himself standing in her empty bed chambers, the only sign that she had even entered the room since dinner was her dress, haphazardly tossed across the end of the bed. Prince Nuada smirked to himself. If she was a runaway bride, he best go find her before she got too far away.

Scionia was deep in the forest when she finally stopped for a moment to breathe. She'd done it, she'd run. She would be free of her obligations to the stranger and his handsome golden eyes. 

She was surprised to hear the sound of a single horse up on the road. 

Suddenly glad she had wandered down into a hollow to rest, she laid herself flat against the ground hoping the rider would pass. She heard the horse snort and the sound of hooves moving away. Scionia let out the breath she was holding. 

"The thought of marriage is this offensive to you?" A familiar voice said from the hill above her. Scionia cursed and turned around to look up at the very smug Prince Nuada looking down at her. He had his arms crossed and she couldn't help but admit he looked divine in the light of the filling moon. 

"How did you find me?" She demanded. She got to her feet and began looking for exits. It wouldn't be hard for her to turn and bolt between the trees, but she was past the part of the forest she was familiar with and the thought of getting lost was not ideal. 

"Did you think you were being sneaky?" He asked with an almost appalled tone. "I'm sorry to say you would have only been easier to find had you been singing," 

"I'm not going back," Scionia said. 

"Funny, I don't believe I asked," he was smiling because he found this whole thing charming. She was no wilting flower and he admired that. Plus she was squaring up to either run or fight and he was excited to see which one would win out. 

Scionia watched the Prince move towards her, knowing that he meant to take her back, and knowing that meant she’d have to marry him. So she turned on her heel and ran.

For a second, she thought maybe he would not chase her on foot.

Suddenly, Nuada was before her, arms still crossed. Almost as thought he hadn’t chased her and had instead simply appeared there. Scionia came to a stop and he smiled at her.

“You didn’t even try,” He was grinning as though this was some sort of game, and Sciona was a bit annoyed at how soft she felt seeing the humor on his stern features. In some other life, perhaps he really would have been someone she would have liked to marry. But in this life? He was a Prince, and she was a Princess, and there could never be love between them.

Kingdoms never left room for love.

She bolted again, this time headed towards the mountains. She knew there were more places to hide there, that she should be able to lose him in the underbrush, or slip into a cave before he spotted her. Scionia couldn’t hear if he had followed her, but she didn’t dare look back.

Safety. 

Scionia collapsed in one of the caves she had aimed for. Surely, he hadn’t followed her that much farther. He had better things to do than chase her. Who would have wasted their time with her anyway? There were probably a hundred other princesses that Nuada could marry just the same.

Scionia did feel a little bit bitter at the thought.

She was sitting against one of the cold stone walls when she heard whistling. Her heart leapt to her throat as she realized he had followed her. That he knew exactly where she was.

His voice carried easily into the cave when he spoke.

“Are you in there, Princess?” His voice was full of humor, like he was playing hide and seek. “I know you’re somewhere close,”

Scionia pulled herself to her feet and reached for the knife she had kept concealed. If she was honest, she really wasn’t sure how to use it for combat, but she’d watched plenty of the soldiers train with both close combat and swords, so it couldn’t be that hard, right? 

She closed her eyes, listening for him, hoping that he moved on without finding her. But when she opened her eyes, there he was, smiling at her, his body blocking her escape.

“And what do you plan to do with that, Princess?” Nuada asked. His hands at his sides, shoulders shifting. She could tell he was honed sharper than the blade that she clenched in shaking hands.

“Let me leave and do not follow me,” Scionia said. Her voice was stronger than she expected it to be, but she was grateful for that.

“Leave? You are to be my bride, if you flee, I will follow.” The Prince said seriously. “I will always follow you,” The solemness of the vow startled her. It felt like a confession maybe, or a prayer, as if she were the altar he planned to pray to for the rest of his life.

But she had come too far to be swayed by pretty words.

[Masterlist]

[Mini Masterlist: Hellboy]

[mintea273]

so I was thinking about the surprise songs for Tokyo and I came to Conclusions about how connected they are. I think they're teasing themes in TTPD and that's why Taylor didn't play them last year hehe

this is a slightly long post so please bear with me

and to clarify, this isn't me speculating about how she feels/felt in her personal life, this is me speculating about the kind of story TTPD will tell through Taylor's singing/writing (analysis below the break)

N1: Dear Reader and Holy Ground

"to a house, not a home, all alone cause nobody's there"

“no one sees when you lose when you’re playing solitaire”

“I guess we fell apart in the usual way, and our story’s got dust on every page.”

Isolation and longing/reminiscing

Dear Reader is non specific, Holy Ground is about missing a specific person

With the “friends found friends who care” in Dear Reader, we can assume the theme is being left behind and alone

N2: Eyes Open and Electric touch

"And nobody comes to save you now / But you’ve got something they don’t”

“Everybody’s waiting for you to break down”

“Got a history of stories ending sadly”

“(the ENTIRE second verse lol)”

“Fill this ghost town up with life”

Isolation and longing/looking forward

Eyes Open is isolation in a crowded room where everyone wants you to falter (contrast to Dear Reader and Solitaire lyric)

Electric Touch is longing for someone in the future and hoping it goes well (contrast to Holy Ground and reminiscing)

Finding someone/wanting to find someone who doesn’t root for your downfall

N3: Superman and The Outside

“Come back, I’ll be with you someday”

“Don’t forget, don’t forget about me”

“Wishing the call was from you”

“I’ll never let you go”

“I’ve been a lot of lonely places”

“I would give it all up to be / A part of this, a part of you”

“You could’ve helped”

Both are about being left behind and longing! (like the themes of the two songs are more clearly converging?)

Superman still has hope, The Outside is slowly losing it (or perhaps already has - I would argue this)

We now know what led to the isolation of night one - being left behind, but also being left out.

(It’s like with every song she gives us more context about how exactly she was "left alone.")

N4: Come In With The Rain and You’re On Your Own, Kid

"I'm too and tired at night to call your name/for all these games.”

“I don’t wanna have to go that far”

“I’ve got you down, I know you by heart / And you don’t even know where I start”

“You’re on your own, kid / Yeah, you can face this”

“I’ll run away”

“I gave my blood sweat and tears for this”

Left behind but knowing she deserves better and learning to do it on her own

In Come In With The Rain, she’s tired of waiting for this person to come back and care about her (but still hopes)

In You’re On Your Own, Kid, she can do it even from The Outside

It’s a hopeful note to end on. She’s not waiting for anyone to make her happy, she realises she deserves better and can do it by herself

It transforms it from being left behind to being the one who leaves

So I think we may be getting You're Losing Me very soon - a song about realising she's not valued as highly as she should be, but also about the sadness of it all. Alongside this, she may play We Were Happy or Bye Bye Baby, but I don't think she'll do Fearless and Midnights together so soon. Other songs she could do are happiness and closure. This is if she continues singing mostly songs she hasn't done before (with the exception of Holy Ground and You're On Your Own, Kid, I believe.)

I also think it's interesting that the songs across nights are related and almost lead into each other:

Dear Reader (N1) -> Eyes Open (N2)

Holy Ground (N1) -> Electric Touch (N2)

Superman (N3) -> Come In With The Rain (N4)

The Outside (N3) -> You're On Your Own, Kid (N4)

All I know is that TTPD is going to be a banger that is going to destroy me emotionally if I'm right about these themes hehe

[madlori]

[from Dear Prudence, 10/5/17]

Dear Prudence, I’ve known my friend “B” for around five years. We met as students and had a wonderful companionship through school and still remain close. The only problem is her escalating interest in the cast of a television show, particularly one male actor. It began with a minor interest in the show while we were students. She was going through a rough time personally and began watching; over the years, she has become so obsessed with one of the lead actors that she now spends thousands of dollars to go to conventions across the country, attends related events, and generally finds reasons to be in his neighborhood. They have “coincidentally” met several times, and he was rude to her on multiple occasions. This is only a fraction of what B has done to research, stalk, and meet this actor, who is twice her age. He now recognizes her.

I’ve never spoken to her about how I feel although the whole thing creeps me out. Now she has a group of friends that she met online, and they are all intensely involved in the “fandom,” too. When I have met them, they only discussed said actor, who most recently saw him, and what’s happening in their online community. Many of her pre-fandom friends are ghosting her, including her closest friend from childhood, and I’m considering doing the same. Others have told B that her behavior is odd, and she has responded with anger. Should I tell her that this is why her other friends have stopped speaking to her? (She is completely unaware of the reason they dropped out of her life.) Or should I avoid the confrontation and fade out as well?

—Caught Up in Fandom

Your friend B’s behavior isn’t odd, it’s worrying and dangerous. Having a significant interest in a particular show, or spending a lot of time thinking about celebrities, is harmlessly odd, in much the same way that getting really into any hobby or pastime is a little odd but ultimately rewarding for the enthusiast. What you’re describing—stalking an actor to the point of immediate recognition, the fact that he clearly does not like running into her, turning on friends who don’t share her all-consuming interest in the object of her affections, an apparent inability to recognize her own behavior as socially inappropriate—is highly distressing, and since you’re already on the verge of giving up your friendship with her, you have nothing to lose by telling her the truth. You already know that her immediate response is likely to be anger, so prepare yourself for that outcome and say it anyway. Tell her that you care about her, that you value her friendship, that the change you’ve seen in her over the last few years has worried you profoundly, that you’ve seen her react to gentle criticism with defensiveness and anger, that she’s lost friendships over her all-consuming obsession with this actor and recentered her social life around people who validate and support her stalking, and that you’re worried about her and want her to seek help to make better choices. If she decides not to take your advice and stops speaking to you, you’ve lost nothing, and at least you’ll know that at least once, someone tried to reflect reality and truth to her. I wish both of you the best.

---

Okay, raise your hand if you immediately thought of like six different people this could be about.

And then started wondering who the actor is. My guess is a) Mads Mikkelsen, b) one of the LotR guys, c) Benedict or d) Jensen Ackles.

[gummybugg]

Crater City Detailed WIP Intro

=== ⋙ ᴄᴇɴꜱᴏʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴀɢꜱ ⋘ ===

genre: sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, comedy, action/adventure

features: blood and gore sprinkled with haha-segments, 1st person shifting, unreliable narrators, mental illness, chaos vs order, robots, discussion of free will, and cults

=== ⋙ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ... ⋘ ===

Welcome to Crater City, one of Neo-civilization's most prosperous capitals in the country! Known for its beautiful, shifting emerald skies, top-of-the-line healthcare, and advancements in robotics, it's no wonder why many Americans call this city their home.

Here in Crater City, we understand that each citizen is unique in their own circumstances. That is why we offer Second Chance: a procedure developed and patented under renowned robotics engineer Dr. Melony String. When the world isn’t forgiving, remember that you still deserve a Second Chance.

Remember to forward any anomalies to your nearest police station and to social distance from those you suspect are irradiated.

We bid you safe travels, Dear Consumer!

=== ⋙ ᴇɴᴅ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ⋘ ===

Story Summary

In post-apocalyptic Crater City, Elijah is attacked by a group of military-grade bots one night, seemingly out of the blue. Once his best friend, Blair, finds out about the attack, he vows to do whatever it takes to avenge Elijah. Whatever it takes. Between the pair’s tumultuous relationship and the dark secrets that lurk around the city, it seems as though there is more to Elijah’s attack than everyone lets on.

Main Characters

Blair (he/him) 23, carjacker "uber" driver. Quit his job as a Computer Hardware Engineer because it was “too boring,” much to his boss’ dismay. Vows to do whatever it takes to avenge his best friend even if that involves getting his hands dirty. Impulsive, charismatic, wears his heart on his sleeve, can be quite vulgar, tends not to take things very seriously. Special ability: can talk someone’s ear off for hours at a time. Quote: “Oh, so you're mad at me because I wanted to avenge my best friend? Excuse me for thinking my best friend’d wanna help me dispose of the body!”

Elijah (he/him) 24, employee at an arcade, electronics store, and a fast food restaurant. After being kicked out of his home at 18, Elijah struggles to make ends meets, and is ultimately threatened to become repurposed after falling into overwhelming debt. Overthinker, blushes easily, non-confrontational, very resourceful, dresses more intimidating than he actually is. Special ability: can drink up to 7 energy drinks in one day. Quote: “Blair, you can't just tell a man—who's clearly out of it—to ‘suck it up’ because the world has already ended!”

Darcy (he/him) 40, mayor of Crater City. Notable for his schemes and cover-ups by media outlets; citizens either love him or hate him. Created specifically for the role to guide humanity out of a second dark age, Darcy will do whatever it takes to fulfill this role, stopping at nothing—or no one. Confident in his success, dramatic, pragmatic, highly intelligent, believes the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Special ability: very convincing. Quote: “Oh, that struck a nerve? Once I take that toy away from you, I’ll scale you and gut you like a fish. Don’t test me, Blair.”

Frasier (he/him) 37, mayor’s receptionist & assistent. Has ties to very important people. Made an irresistible deal with Darcy that would allow Frasier a way to protect those he loves. Recruited due to his complicated ties to Darcy. Affable, chatty yet reserved, unpredictable, great bargainer, does not settle for less. Special ability: can draw out a lot of information from someone he just met. Quote: “Since it’s so difficult for you to wrap your mind around, let me spell it out for you: our relationship is no more than a business transaction. And I’d like to keep it that way, Darcy.”

Melony (she/her) 39, robotics engineer, founder of Second Chance. Once a little girl captivated by the limitless (yet dangerous) possibilities the now-illegal gene-therapy offered, now a renowned scientists who continues her search for solutions for people like her to have a second chance in the ever-evolving, post-apocalyptic world. Determined, wears lab coats for “the aesthetic,” free spirit, has many clones of herself lying around, often forgets there’s a Board of Ethics. Special ability: has found a way to disable her nerves so that she can experiment on herself. Quote: “You interrupted my breakfast this morning, so I’m going to interrupt your board meeting!”

Rose (she/her) 25, designer or perhaps marketing chief of Second Chance. Recruited due to her ties to Melony and her bold, daring ideas. Elijah’s childhood best friend. Spunky, very big personality, huge empath, competitive, risk-taker, has garnered a lot of respect. Special ability: can effectively translate Blair-isms into layman's terms. Quote: “This is a ludicrous idea! Let’s do it.”

...

🚗 Want to rot your brain with each sporadic Crater City post? Join the taglist! Maybe I'll finish this wip someday, who knows! (ask to be added/removed):

@writeouswriter @lyra-brie @digitalsatyr23 @talesfromtheunknowable @joswriting @mysticstarlightduck @savvyminnow

...

And there may be more information to come in the future, so I will update this as I see fit!

[viaetor]

How exactly the letter has managed to reach Aether and Paimon is nothing short of a miracle - a miracle of organisation and information tracking, that only a few people in this world should be able to boast about. Perhaps the neat and crisp handwriting on the letter explains it all; who better than Sumeru's scribe to be privy to the comings and goings of the country's most celebrated outlander?

"Dear Aether,

By the time this letter finds you, I shall have resigned from my position as Acting Grand Sage - thus finally granting me the time to pursue more personal interests such as resuming correspondence, and returning to my delayed reading. I'm afraid this job has not left me much time to make progress on the books you and I discussed the last time you were in Sumeru City, and cannot express enough my satisfaction at relinquishing those responsibilities onto others. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors" - now that Lord Kusanali has secured a new council of sages, more competent than the last, I am content to withdraw from the world of politics. My work here is done.

I am, of course, not writing to you for the sole pleasure of bragging about my newfound freedom, but to draw your attention to a recent publication from the Haravatat Darshan on ancient Khaenri'ahn. I know your knowledge of the language far surpasses that of most of my colleagues, but I do think this particular paper introduces a new and interesting nuance to some concepts related to the stars that may prove fruitful in your own quest for your sister. If not, at least it should make for an interesting conversation when you next return. Do let me know when you'll next be in Sumeru City or Port Ormos; I'll make sure to join you for dinner.

-- Alhaitham."

ㅤㅤ @maquiscursedㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤUNPROMPTEDㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤalways accepting!

ㅤㅤas if to contrast the adroitly written letter of rich paper and impeccable envelope, the reply the traveller sent back appeared a bit underwhelming to short-sighted readers, especially with how late it came in the mail. al-haitham, however, was sure to see through the seemingly initial sour disorganisation. for starters, the casing to precious penned contents was nonexistent, the only thing tying up all those different-looking papers together were a few rough strings that were clearly meant for camping structures and not delicate scripting. it also had far too many pages for what seemed like a simple response. was it because of the scribe’s friend’s untrained calligraphy? hmm, curious. aether had undoubtedly written alfresco, just after settling for the night, but right before his last meal. this could be attested by candle wax droplets that decorated some of the crumpled pages alongside some stains of sunsettia fruits. it was one of his very scarce free hours throughout his harrowing routine. even so, the outlander had made sure to try his best to keep his handwriting as concise as possible, despite his quill’s faint ink and his clearly exaggerated vowels and estrangement to regular spaces. it read:

ㅤㅤ“i hope this letter finds you well, al-haitham.

ㅤㅤyou must be happy to finally have a breather; the akademiya can be intense. but i think the work that you did was phenomenal. lesser lord kusanali couldn’t have chosen a better sage. she speaks very highly of you. thank you for everything you’ve done, you aided me in your own way, too. 

ㅤㅤas you can see, i think i made some progress with my handwriting. it’s still a little stiff and hard to read, i know, but your tutoring helped me. i find languages without punctuation and spaces much easier to read and write. but turtle baby steps. anyway, hopefully later we can discuss more of the books we talked about. me and paimon just finished reading a tale called moonlit bamboo forest. well, more me than her, really. she kept falling asleep whenever i’d read a sentence or two. have you ever heard of it? it’s not a scientific piece, but i think you’d enjoy the narrative. regarding your recommendation, i’ll be sure to get my hands on that paper as soon as possible. if not, would you mind saving a copy? dinner’s on me.

ㅤㅤi visited some ruins last week. sorry for not writing back sooner. but i took some pictures from some inscriptions and devices we encountered. i thought maybe they could interest you and your optics research. they seem to be ancient windows that function according to elements, but i’m not too sure. i also included some notes on the region’s terrain and monsters, alongside a minimap. i’d love to hear what you think.

ㅤㅤwhen you receive this letter, i’ll already be on my way to sumeru. let’s meet.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ— a.”

[catgirl-catboy]

Probably if Valerie dies in chapter 2, lots of the pressure probably comes for Celine lol so yeah I believe chapter 3 would be a mess to her

You remind me my cancelled fanganronpa with my partner, our protagonist was a heart surgeon and clearly something is very wrong with him lol

Mika.. really looks like a snake in raccoon's clothing. I'm hyped!

I think the pair skaters names could be: Male one Yukio means snow boy (how creative for a skater despite he is not classified as ice skater I think this would fitting) and female one could be Miyuki meaning beautiful snow

I LOVE MIYUKI as a name. Rolls off the tounge. Canon to me now.

I'd be happy to hear about your Fanganronpa if you want to share!

The Ch2 deaths are the Conductor and the Theorist, but Ch2 causes Val and Mika to have a COMPLETE falling out overnight, and nobody knows why until Ch3.

Since the food thief is shoved to the back of everyone's minds, a group is formed! Celene and Val get elected as leaders due to kicking ass in the trial and NOT being Mika. Mika, predictably, refuses to join the group, despite Celene's request. She says that it isn't personal, and that she'll cooperate if it suits her interests, but that she'll be working alone.

Everyone else is officially in the group, but the Conductor continues to not get a say due to there being too many people and he gets talked over. Its not malicious, since the group doesn't realize its happening.

Val drags Celene to a meeting with Mika just before nighttime. They discuss potential killers and suspects, but not much happens. Celene again thinks Mika is too suspicious of everyone, and urges him to join the group. She argues that even from a logical perspective, Mika's isolation is only hurting his chances at survival due to looking like a target. Mika admits that is true, but still doesn't trust the group. She thinks about something nice she can do to gather goodwill, but nothing comes out of it.

At one of the meetings, the Wedding Planner (he's a major player for a bit, so... Tom?) Tom asks out Val, impressed with her work in the trial, and wants to get to know her more. He's a good dude, if a bit unhelpful in trials. Val says that she needs to think on it, but it isn't a no.

You overhear Mika warning Val that Tom could be saying this because he wants to kill her, and that the Ch1 fight between them could be an attempt to isolate her. Mika says that she doesn't want to tell a dear friend what to do, but that she doesn't want to watch a friend die because she sat back and did nothing. Val thinks Mika is highly overdramatic, and that a murder attempt is unlikely. Mika counterargues that even if he doesn't want to murder you, that there's no way a relationship begun in such circumstances ends well, and that you'd only be setting yourself up for pain. Due to Val's yelling, this argument eventually draws a crowd. Tom calls Mika controlling, and accuses her of maybe using her talent on her friend. Val denies this, saying she and Mika have been friends for longer than she can remember, and that Mika wouldn't do that. Mika repeats the same warning she gave Val, but leaves out the 'potential murder' part.

That night, Celene gets a vision of Mika approaching Tom at HPA, saying that while they don't like each other, if Val plans to be friends with both of them, they should make an effort to get along. To that end, he invites Tom out fot a night at the arcade.

Thats the first and most important vision, but later in the chapter she also gets a vision of Yukio and Mayuki talking out their differences, and how Yukio feels belittled sometimes due to the difference in personality.

(I'm trying to portray everyone involved as reasonable and sympathetic to a degree. Picture the Heartbreaking! the worst person you know just made a great point)

If you were to do Val's FTEs during this chapter, she'd reveal that Mika was bullied as a kid, but never let Val get involved to stand up for her! Val guesses this is why Mika cannot trust someone her own age.

The Ch2 causes the central area of the airport to be unlocked, and to have motive videos like in Ch1. Celene's is her mother, in the exact same way she foresaw as a kid and then prevented. (Car Accident.) Mika IMMEDIATELY calls this fake, claiming it is obviously photoshopped for X reasons, but that its still concerning that Monokuma knows so much about everyone.

As a precaution, Mika offers a "I'll show you my video if you let me see yours" so he can get more data points. Celene, freaked out, takes her up on it and finds out that Mika's video is of his Dad being brutally murdered.

Mika explains that since his Mother is the SHSL doctor, her dad was the more active parent in his life. And that one day, his mom was working on an absolute nutcase of a patient that threatened to kill his entire family that way. That since he's not the type to talk about his past, its wierd that Monokuma could find out about that. She then studies Celene's video, and seems even more certain that it is fake.

Eventually, the Conductor drags Mika to a meeting, because it is revealed that Mika knows sign, and can help communications. Nobody is happy about this, least of all Mika, but its something only he can do, so...

The Conductor offers Mika a friendship, since theres someone here he can easily communicate with!!! But Mika declines for the same reason she advised everyone else to not get attached. Conductor is disappointed, but accepts this.

An abnormally long time passes without murders, until one morning Mika and Val are at each other's THROATS. Its unclear why, but the two of them genuinely hate each other and are swearing up a storm.

We then stumble upon the Conductor with severe third degree burns all over his body. But, to everyone's horror, he is still alive. Mika gets angry in a way never seen before, (I imagine her irises would get translucent during her suprised sprite reveal at the BDA, as a tool that'll help us later.) and demands that Val get the first aid kit. She snaps.

The Conductor is missing his monopad, and can't communicate with the others.

At this point in time, Celene reveals that she had a kit in her suitcase, since she's paranoid she might need it for a vision, and Mika demands she goes and gets that, NOW. Celene complies, leaving Mika alone with the body for like, 10 minutes.

They both come back, seeing the body not visably disturbed, and watch Mika trying to bandage the wounds for 30 minutes to an hour before the announcement finally goes off. Since the time of injury is more important than the time of death, the monokuma file is useless here.

Mika is the prime suspect for about 10 minutes since he was left alone with the body and won't tell anyone why he and Val are fighting. He is semi-cleared by the monokuma file due to burns being listed as the cause of death.

While Val was trying to solo the trial before, now she's trying to tear down anything Mika says, thinking it must be wrong against all logic. This causes Celene to take a more active role then she did in trial 1.

Eventually, the conspiracy theorist is caught, despite Mika's shock about the culprit. (he thought the theorist was too stupid to commit such a premeditated murder.)

It is revealed that since the motive was a dud, Monokuma told him about the existence of a traitor, which he thought was Conductor due to leaps of logic.

Mika is not happy about this in the slightest, and asks what killing a traitor would possibly achieve, since there's cameras everywhere. He's barely keeping his cool about it, and despite what he claimed he did seem to care for Conductor.

His execution has him run from the goverment and various conspiracy theories, and ends in having him buried alive in area 51 by aliens. Right before he dies, he sees a glimpse of some sort of pod, a la Dr2.

Val guesses that the traitor could have been Competitive Eater from Ch1, since he started the killing game. Mika disagrees, because the Ch1 execution could have been either for Primrose OR competitive eater, implying that Monokuma might not have known who the blackened would be ahead of time.

The chapter ends with a CG of the default blackened look, saying that it was lucky they decided to wait to commit murder.

[wench-and-jezebel]

The Musketeers Reaction: The Challenge

Jezebel (@typicalopposite) reacts [with occasional asides by Wench (@scripted-downfall)]

Now with BONUS: meta analysis :) (But Wench might post that separately later too... she hasn't decided)

[Oh, no, a prisoner transfer!  That always goes badly; just ask CTU (from 24)]

Well shit 

Well…. SHIT THIS MAN A BEAST [Yup!]

“Stay out of this, damn you”  Let us get our asses kicked by one man.. on our own  [Red Guards be prideful dumbasses]

Wot?  WOT?!  WHAT!?!  [Tenth Doctor-coded, you are]  ☠️☠️☠️ [But also, agreed.  They explicitly warned the Red Guard.  And then tried to help.  Not their fault the RG didn't listen 💀]  Right!?!

No one asked you, man child

WHAT, ARE THEY ALL CHILDREN??? [Yes]

OOOP- awwwwww  [Dangerous for him and Constance to do that in broad daylight tho]  

Well their relationship has escalated

[OH, LOOK, HER HUSBAND; WHAT.  DID I SAY.]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️ [Awkward, that is.]

Blech

Sweet lord  [Indeed]

Do they not get paid?  [Kinda but also... money got spent… It's not much, I don't think]

[They're Tinder-ing in church ☠️]  Im dying  [Porthos swiped right on the widow alkdsfj]  Trying to say something and these two are distracting me  [I adore them] Ok, so anyway… I’m guessing D’art does it, wins, and then becomes a Musketeer

Poor d’Art

Y’all two really trying to swindle money from grieving women… MEN  [Only one was grieving.  The other was having an affair, since those are highly common]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

Imma.  Oooop… Second-hand embarrassment  [She's covering for him :)]  ☠️☠️☠️

☠️☠️☠️ Oooop she ain’t grieving too hard  [I'm sorry, but they're kinda cute]  They are

“You’re cute”

☠️☠️☠️ Aramis is gonna get the money and Porthos is gonna get a wife  [adslkfjlksadjf]

Candle sniffer?  Is that a person?  ☠️☠️☠️  [Candle snuffer, dear]  I know 😂

["Too often, you let your emotions get the better of you"  "Can we just get on with it"  Sir, that.  Proves the point]  ☠️☠️☠️

Oooop, I see what you’re doing, Athos

Blech

[I love Peter Capaldi]

Oooop.  That might not go well

[Love lines like "I can see you are a man of quick intelligence"... they’re always passive-aggressive digs]

How did he not see him?  Or hear that?  They are quite incompetent

[OH SHIT I REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS]

Oooooop

“You killed my father”  [he’s making a habit of this]  “I mean, burned down my farm.  Prepare to die”

Well damn  [This has gone badly for young d'Artagnan]  d’Art, how do you really think this is gonna play out

[Of course Athos had to save him ☠️]  ☠️☠️

Awwww  [They turned it in a different direction, but I usually detest "I'm not like *you*" statements]

“Get some rest!”  How about dry off?

Bruh where did the rain go?

Bitch (Milady), why ain’t you ded?

[This is what I meant by “I remember what happens after this” btw]  Let me breathe on your mouth for a moment  [Shut up]

“Leave me alone, Athos”  Ma’am you came to him???  Womennnn

“I thought you had brains, but clearly not.”  Athos, what has he done for you to think that?  [alskdfjlsakdjf This is a valid question]

– – – 

Jezebel: Welp! First off the level of ack I feel about friends having to fight each other in a competition is like…. Skyrocketing.  Idk if it’s gonna be as awkward (they each think they will win, disappointment if they don’t) but I feel awkward about it lol!

Wench: You underestimate their loyalty, dear… I'm reasonably — like 90% — confident that they're only, like, half-competing.  Because this is the current main way they know to get d'Art his commission and he's running out of time.  And these three are, it's heavily implied, the best of the regiment so it’s kinda foolish to send a new recruit unless it’s more about getting him the commission.

Jezebel: Ohhhh they letting him win?

Wench: I suspect they've already gone to Treville and been like.  “Don't consider us for the tournament.”  I don't know for sure, but that's always been my interpretation.  Also, it's less "letting him win" and more "nudging him in the right direction and giving him sway with Treville."  Buddy's from Gascony and got that hot-headed pride thing going; he wouldn't accept their charity any more than he'd accept their money

Jezebel: Ohhhhhh! I see!!  I love them! 🙂

Wench: At least Athos, since he's heavily training d'Art to compete.  I'm less sure about Flort because they seem to kinda need the money 💀 

Jezebel: ☠️☠️☠️☠️  Gonna be another: (Athos) “We weren't gonna try to win” -> (Porthos) “Weren't we?” -> (Aramis) “Next time let us know” things

Wench: aslkdjflkadsjf Exactly!!!

Jezebel: It feels like as of rn they have put Milady in the ep…. Just so she’s in the ep ☠️ Not that I’m complaining she’s aight but she just seems random

Wench: You ain't seen shit yet.  Also, in case you missed this, they're Heavily paralleling Athos and d'Artagnan in this ep.  Her being there is definitely intentional.  

Jezebel: Yes! I have 😂 Athos even said it ☠️

Wench: Ma'am.  He said one overt "you're more like me than you know"; that is not paralleling ☠️  And, if it were, it’s not the extent of the paralleling either 

Jezebel: Aight lay me out the parallels 😂😂

Wench: I'll tell you in endpoint; it's easier to avoid mincing my words

Jezebel: Speaking of tho!  I LOVE ATHOS TRAINING DART SM OMG!!!  And Flort are just fucking chaos. ☠️☠️ I love them! Porthos trying to talk to the widow tho was fucking adorable

Wench: I adore them all

Jezebel: Ready?

Wench: Yup!

– – – 

Ooooop

Ma’am!

She is so pretty tho 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Oooooop!  Oooooooooooooop!!

No, she didn’t

Oh nooooo  ["Who else is just going to walk up and hand me 30 livres"  Well, ya see-]  THIS IS WHY YOU ARE DUMB  [Constance was]  

PORTHOS!

OOOOP she’s giving him that look

[never trust "it doesn't matter"s]

HE BRUSHED HER HAIR BACK WITH HIS PINKY!?  THAT WAS ADORABLE

Ooooop!

[I kinda adore them; sorry to your Portamis plotting ☠️ ]  (Porthos) “What was I supposed to be getting again?”  (Aramis) “….. NOT THAT”

[Shocker, the marksman won the shooting competition alksdfj]  Aramis and that damn hat ☠️☠️☠️  [Oh, and the close-combat dude won the close-combat skirmish; who knew? :)]  OH THIS GIF SET!

Athos watching all proud  [*simultaneously* Also, in point of fact, I'm not actually sure Athos is competing at all]

Angry face

HE DIDNT FLINCH

“No control….”  Buddy. You knew this. Ahead of time. Why are you acting like it's new???

I see what you’re doing… Le gasp!  CARDINAL YOU ARE INSANE!  

PORTHOS!

Dawwwww

Ma’am!  SO ARE YOU 

Okay, not the last one.  But two out of three isn’t bad!

[Whoops]

Ma’am… It- Y’all- Sir.  THEY ARE SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER  [Because they're so dumb? :)]  Yes

OOOP

He gone beat the hell out of herrrrr… Those things were allowed back then

Oooop

OOOOP

[Protective!Athos unlocked asldkfj]  Ooooop!

Treville knows he’s letting the guy fight huh?  [Not saying :)]

POOR DART!  [Poor Constance]  I KNOW

💔💔💔💔  The break in his voice when he said I want you

POOOR CONSTANCE

“Her name’s Alice”  Oooop-  [Callback to your earlier “Aramis is gonna get the money and Porthos is gonna get a wife” !!!]  Jealous Aramis

The Musketeers are like WOT

[Bruh.  Swordsman???  It's a.  Sword contest.  I know Athos didn't seem to be competing in the initial bracket.  But also. If the point is to win. ???]

They look like guard dogs ready to attack

[Once again, a very Doctor Who score… (Again, same dude, but it especially shows here)]  lol!

There goes the hat

[Also, gotta love Athos getting ready to throw hands the second Treville's arm got injured alksdjf]  Yes!!!  [Man was taking off his cloak in 0 time]

Welp ok.  King making up for all the childish behavior

[d'Artagnan needed to have his heart broken to not let it sway his actions ☠️]  💔💔💔💔

Ooooop!  He’s doing the thing! The thing Athos did!  [:))))]

Whoooop whooooop!  [I must say.  It's.  It's kinda biased.  To have the King.  Judging an assessment.  Involving the King's Musketeers]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Oooooo!  Whoooop whoooop!

[Adore the fact that Athos gets to give it to him]

Ooooop!  She’s been had!  [Why is she surprised that the scheming, manipulating, control-freak Cardinal was being a scheming, manipulating, control-freak??]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️  [Also, I'm sorry, but the Athos/Milady storyline is something that is so delectably twisted I can't even... I'll explain some in endpoint]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

“d’Art is the key”  ‘Cause he’s dumb

Sighhhh, womennnn

💔💔💔💔💔

Ack!  DON’T DO IT

HE DONE IT

HE DIDN’T DO IT

OOOOP!  She’s confused!

– – – 

Jezebel: Basic summary: Poor d’Art!  But also YAY D’ART!  But then poor Constance.  No really 💔💔💔💔 POOR CONSTANCE.  But Miladys face when he didn’t get in the carriage?  stunned 😀

Wench: Indeed

Jezebel: Also I didn’t absolutely hate the king this episode.  He seemed competent ☠️☠️ I retract my earlier statements about him 😂😂

Wench: Ma'am. He was still being the same childish king he's always been; he just happened to be childish in favor of the protagonists.

Jezebel: ☠️☠️☠️ ok fair

Wench: He just threw a competition as a way of proving that his men were better than the Cardinal's, and then he rigged that competition, and then he took the prize money on top of that laksdjf

Jezebel: This… is also true 😂😂  Anyway 😂 ummmmm… oh yeah! Porthossss 💔💔 he was so soft and non-tough-guy with Alice it was adorable.  And the “Who’ll look after you?” to Aramis???? 💕💕  (When she leaves)

Wench: Yeah  :) 

Jezebel: And Papa Treville! And how they all was like yeah fuck the competition soon as he got hurt! I love it!  And I did mention up there the look on Milady’s face when the lil dummy she was so sure she could seduce didn’t take the bait ☠️☠️ Now that may change I guess! But that was satisfying that he wasn’t like “well, bye, Constance; hello, Milady!”

Wench: This is true, and it's nice that he's not fickle... Fits in with his character, though, for the most part, so I'm not horribly shocked

Jezebel: Athos tho! I loved him this whole episode!  And his little "get down there before he changes his mind" (with a smirk)

Wench: Yesssss

Jezebel: Uhhhhh… the only thing I can say about Athos and Milady’s scene together was already said in the react, but how she was all “lemme stalk you” and then all “HMPH stop stalking me”... Like!?!?

Wench: You still don’t see the parallels?

Jezebel: Nope ☠️☠️ Just tell me

Wench: *sigh* Okay

Jezebel: 🙂

Wench: For reference, btw, we only have two more s1 episodes left.  Now, first, some contextual parallels: Have you noticed the running theme of scarring/binding/tying in Athos' and Milady's backstories?

Jezebel: Um. I- no? Maybe? You say that and all I think is her being hanged but I can’t remember where else it is happening or do you mean figuratively

Wench: Yes and no.  That’s the obvious example.  She was hanged.  She still "bears the token of [his] love" in the scar that remains.  She covers it up with a fine necklace --- a choker --- to obscure her past.  But less obviously... He still wears her locket.  She says that he gave her a necklace, and he still wears the chain that represents her around his neck.  Half the time he's drinking, his head is literally bowed by it.  Also, in his intro, the locket is the first real thing we see of his character.  He's hungover and drinking first, yes, but the second he gets his bearing/sits up, he pulls out the locket.  And that's before he even gets dressed/does his wake-up ritual.  Within that locket is a pressed forget-me-not (or an icon of the flower, but the point remains... a forget-me-not).  Additionally, the first time we see her, she's manipulating things so that he gets imprisoned --- weaponizing justice the same way she feels was done against her --- and quite literally manacled in the process.  Et cetera, et cetera.

Jezebel: Ok, so see! This is what I mean by I may see a parallel but would never see it that deep! I would see he wears her locket with a forget me not inside and be like ohhhhh he is like tormenting himself. And this I would not think about it again.  I would have never caught the choker being symbolic just that she needed something that fit to her neck… or she couldn’t hide the scar

Wench: And that's shown in their interactions too… In "Commodities," for example, when they both are back at Pinon: after she’s knocked him to the ground, she literally pulls him up to meet the dagger by the locket chain.

Still Wench: And yet it’s also why she can’t go through with killing him; she's so distracted by it that she takes too long and d'Artagnan shows up.

Jezebel: ☹️☹️☹️☹️ see now I caught that that threw her off ☠️☠️ I’m not fully unaware! 😂

Wench: Not surprised by this, but the scene still means more in context of the larger symbolism.  Then you've got the episode we just watched, where you have the alley scene, in which she literally tugs him closer via the chain.

Once again back to Wench: But even beyond the literal symbolism that's emphasized overtly on screen, it's their literal storyline… They're each orbiting the other, unable to let go completely but unable to forgive and forget and move on either.  Tied together by their mutual scarring --- whether literal or metaphorical --- and the literal ties that bind.

Jezebel: ☹️☹️☹️☹️ that is so sad and makes so much sense once pointed out omg

Wench: So.  Why have I spent so long yapping about this?  Because all of this context boils down to Milady deciding to sponsor d'Art.  And what does she do for him?  She gives him money, BUT.  Attached to that money.  Is nothing less than:

Still Wench: A necklace.  More than that, a forget-me-not pendant on a chain.

Jezebel: I meant to mention that more! I think I was like oooop or something but at first I thought it was THE locket! Like i thought she’d got it off Athos

Wench: It's not, but what it is is a cheaper-quality pendant.  It's not a locket; it's just an oval with a carving.  It's stark and cold, harsh and engraved.  Molded.  Like, one might say, a woman who's been through shit and decided to embrace the role of criminal she feels shoved into.  Athos', meanwhile, is a locket.  It's got the actual flower, soft and natural and encapsulated in time.  A happy memory encased in pendant form.  But it's also not intact.  It's old and withered and slightly tarnished: the necklace equivalent of that warm and happy glow they always use for the Athos/Milady flashbacks.

Jezebel: I am sitting here reading this like…. Bruh, these are blink and you’ll miss them moments and here she is just pulling full detailed parallels out of her ass…. But they make sense and make the characters so much deeper and sadder… ack

Wench: I'm boutta add a bit more, whoops :)  Because this shows up in the context of Milady offering to sponsor d'Artagnan, right?  She's offering him money.  But the chain comes with the money.  Her influence comes with the money.  They have to go together, or they don't go at all.  If he takes that money, he becomes even more indebted to her than he already was.  And he does take it.  And he takes the necklace (her "care," her influence, his debt to her) too.  AND… this is what gets him and Constance in trouble.  It's Bonacieux seeing d'Art and Milady together and discovering that necklace that prompts him to follow d'Art.  It's Milady's meddling influence that keeps screwing things up for them.  BUT it’s not all bad because, when the necklace goes missing and Constance asks about it, he dismisses it --- her influence, his debt to her --- as unimportant.  He lets it go.  She does it again --- not with a necklace, but still --- at the end: she offers him a ride in her carriage, and it’s just a simple offer, but with strings --- literally --- attached

Jezebel: (I was waiting cause it seemed you were gonna add more to that! Since he declines the offer)

Wench: Oh, no.  Nothing immediately attached.  But I will say... The more I (re)watch, the more I realize that she's got a lot of the archetypes of the devil figure.  (That's the character who offers a temptation but gets control of you in return)

Jezebel: Oooooo! 👀 I can see that

Wench: She consistently offers things to people --- love to Athos, power to the Cardinal, a hodgepodge of things for d'Art --- but it's not as easy as it seems.  With the sole exception of the Cardinal (because he's an unstable force that she can't fully manipulate), she gets nearly interminable power over the people who take her up on it 

Still Wench: Anyway, that's the main but extensive parallel between Athos and d'Artagnan in this episode.  Athos outright says, "you're more like me than you know" (paraphrased), and they show it, bit by bit, with this running symbolism.  They're alike, but not the same.  They have similar necklaces --- similar ties to Milady --- but not identical ones.  d'Art hasn't and never will have the same opportunity to be influenced by her as Athos did --- he first met her when she framed him for murder, so he's not quite as inclined to trust her as Athos (who met her when she was either not the same person or pretending to not be the same person, depending on your interpretation) --- but he's nonetheless swayed by her.  Similar, but not the same.  See?

Jezebel: Yes! I do! 😂 though I never would have before! So thank you 😂😂😂

Wench: :)  np!  Any overall responses though?  ☠️ I kinda took over

Jezebel: More of a question… Am I just seeing her look confused he didn’t get in the cart, or is that gonna play into this little “she can sway Dart to come to the Cardinal men” thing she had because she doesn’t have the hold over him she thinks?

Wench: Wot

Jezebel:

Wench: Hellooooo?

Jezebel:

Wench: Good night, dear

-- -- --

*the next morning*

Jezebel: I was falling asleep ☠️ but I can’t remember if you ever commented on if there was a point to be made about him not getting in the cart with her. Like he can resist her and she didn’t expect that, or something. And because it seemed like you hadn’t responded I was asking basically if I was looking too deep into it. Like sure maybe she was like: oh ok then. But to me she looked legitimately shocked, as this came right after her telling the Cardinal it would be easy to sway him in their favor. If that makes more sense ☠️😂

Wench: It does a bit, yeah, and, to answer…  I kinda adressed it, but only a bit, with the "She does it again --- not with a necklace, but still --- at the end: she offers him a ride in her carriage, and it’s just a simple offer, but with strings --- literally --- attached.”  It's another way of drawing him closer/getting him under her influence.  And she's feeling Really Confident --- as you said --- about her skill at influencing him.  But what he does is a) show loyalty and b) show love.  (Both for Constance, but still).  This is particularly important because, if you think back to the pilot when they *coughs discreetly behind my fan* laid together, he saw the scar around her neck, asked about it, and, upon hearing that her husband had her almost killed, offers to kill said husband for her.  So what we have here is a conflict between her influence and the other people in d'Artagnan's life, and she's been counting on her influence being strongest.  (Which is partly because that's how it worked with Athos... even now, buddy can't move on.)  But she just got proof that it's very clearly not.  He just prioritized Constance (someone who'd just broken up with him, too, and seemingly very cruelly, even if Milady didn't know that) over her, and that's a sign that maybe she's too used to her own allure working and she's misjudged d'Artagnan's character,  But it's just a minor thing, so it's not panic yet, just confusion.  Does that make sense?

Jezebel: Yes! 🙂

Wench: Good... I feel like half of this shit is not what it is in my head laksdfj

Jezebel: ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ doubt it, because everything you say makes so much sense

Wench: ☠️😭

Jezebel: The emojissssss

Wench: Shut up  But I have had months to think about this.  And more since the book.

Jezebel: That was all I had for endpoint though! I just really wanted your two way more than two but I love it cents on that look

-- -- --

Wench edit, many days later: It's occurring to me that those "oop"s are very incomprehensible but idk what they referred to, so I can't put in signal phrasing... sorry :] (Blame Jezebel)

[hchollym]

Truthfully I can’t fully blame James for sneaking out to be with friends.

It just makes me far more aware of how young he and Lily were. How they rushed to get married and ended up with a kid when they themselves by all means were still kids themselves trying to survive a war.

I don’t remember all that much about this fact, such as did it continue once Harry was born? How often? Can we be so sure Lily didn’t do the same thing? Because truthfully I think far too many characters only saw Lily through rose tinted glasses unlike James where a few did not. I mean is it truly all that difficult to see her not doing the same thing? Feeling trapped in a home that doesn’t feel like a home with a man she should love, who she does love, but the ring on her finger feels heavy in all the wrong ways.

I just feel like while it’s not the most responsible thing to do in a war it certainly makes sense that the young adults, barely no longer teens, are desperately trying to cling to that sense of normalcy. To cling to the friends who could be dead the next day. To be young and carefree and stupid because you might die in the next minute.

I just always found that little detail so interesting because to me it absolutely makes sense. I can see James doing this and even understand why even if I think it’s so incredibly dumb and could have killed him. But I can also see far more than just James doing this. Because they’re in a war and that messes you up and when you’re so so young maybe you just want to pretend for a few seconds that everything is okay.

(Their relationship and characters are something I hold very dear simply because I think they’re an amazing portrayal of what can happen to teens turned adults in war)

In response to this post.

I mean, you're completely entitled to your opinion.

I fully agree that the characters were too young and immature, which certainly contributed to James' lack of foresight and selfishness. He was a young, rich, (likely spoiled) pureblood who was put in an awful situation that he couldn't fully understand the ramifications of. That doesn't mean that he deserves what happened at all, but I simply see those traits as aspects of his personality at the time.

For the record, I don't see Lily through rose-tinted glasses either, nor did I ever imply that she never snuck out. The fact is, we don't know. I think it's highly unlikely that it was as often, given that James only snuck out with his invisibility cloak, and he did that so frequently that Dumbledore felt like he needed to confiscate it for their safety (this is the same man who let first years wander in the Forbidden Forest for detention, so if he think it's reckless, then that's pretty bad).

We clearly have different interpretations of the characters and the effectiveness of their portrayals, but I apologize if you were offended by my other post. I will change the tags to "James Potter Critical" just to be safe.

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

A Nameday

Luci Littlefoot Currai is celebrating her nameday. Set during 4.0. SFW.

Luci Littlefoot Currai sat in her favorite chair and was doing some knitting before guests arrived. I’ve invited neighbors, friends, and family over for my nameday. And I’m not saying how old I am! I’m still young at heart! Though Luci was excited (and had prepped many snacks and little desserts), she was feeling melancholy because the two most important people in her life would not be there. Corrai I know is waiting for me on the other side��then we’ll be together again.

The other person was her daughter Agnes, who was in the Far East on assignment from the Scions. She’d been gone for quite a few moons now and had no idea when she would return. Agi, my little baby girl…please be safe. I pray for you and your friends all the time. Please come home to me in one piece. I know you can kick massive ass, sweetie, but be careful!

Luci was taken out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. “One bloody minute!” She shouted, tossing her knitting on her basket of yarn and hopping down from her chair. When she opened the door, a Delivery Moogle was struggling to drag a box inside.

“So sorry, kupo! Delivery for Luci Currai from Kugane!”

Kugane? Agi! Oh Agi, you didn’t have to… “For fuck’s sake, I’ll deal with the box.” Luci said, reaching into a pocket for some gil to give to the Delivery Moogle as a tip. Give some love, get some love! That’s what I always say. “Here you go, sweetie.”

The moogle was clearly very happy and spun in the air. “Thank you, kupo! Have a pleasant day!” The moogle then teleported, leaving Luci to drag the box inside.

Taking a knife from the kitchen, she slashed open the box to find several gifts. “Oh!” A fine dark blue silk robe, a Hingan tea set, and a matching highly decorated hairpin and earrings were in the box along with an envelope addressed to “Mum.”

Agi. My sweet baby girl.

Luci ripped open the envelope to read the letter:

Dear Mum,

Happy Nameday! 😊 I’m so sorry that I can’t be there to celebrate with everyone. When we arrived in Kugane, I bought you gifts for your nameday and Starlight and instructed Tataru to send them in case we’re still…you know. Out of contact. I know what you’re going to say, “AGI HOW DARE YOU SPEND SO MUCH GIL ON ME?!?!?” And to that I’d say, “But Mum, you’re worth it!” I can absolutely picture you having some lovely tea in your new authentic Hingan tea set wearing a new lovely robe and the hairpin and earrings. You deserve to relax.

I also wanted you to know that I love you so much. I’m so grateful that you’re my Mum. You are the best Mum in the whole world. I can’t wait to come home and snuggle on the couch with you and gossip about shit. Until then, pray enjoy my gifts and remember this---I carry you in my heart wherever I go.

Your loving daughter,

Agi

Tears streamed down Luci’s face as she held the letter close to her chest, shutting her eyes. Oh Agi. You should be thinking of yourself and your young man, not me. I’ll be okay. Nald’Thal, hear my prayer---protect my baby and her partner. Protect them and let them live a happy life together.

Luci chuckled to herself. My baby. No matter how tall she is or how old she gets, Agi will always be my baby. She put the letter back in the envelope and walked to a rather unassuming looking drawer and placed the letter in it. All her letters. Every single one.

Smiling softly, Luci glanced in the direction of Agnes’s room. Luci ensured that her bed had fresh sheets, her clothes that remained at home were clean, and everything was dusted. Never know when she…Cor always said Agi finds her way home no matter what…and one day, hopefully soon, she will be. And we can celebrate a very belated nameday together with cake and cookies and drinks and tons of juicy gossip and stories!

And Estinien too, if he’s not being a grumpy puss.

[carrots-and-tater-tots]

If You're Reading This, I'm sorry.

Dear you,

It has been approximately 28 days since we last spoke. 28 days since I decided to go “Gone Girl” and blow up the entire friendship. 28 days since I left group chats, unfollowed all of our friends, and pretended the world was dead. During this time, there were a lot of reflections. I truly haven’t known a peaceful life until now. You would be shocked at the number of people who were proud of me when I told them what happened, even if I insist that what I did was horrible. But, in all, I’ve been doing good. But, as we get closer to the one-month anniversary, some of the residual guilt has been eating me alive. And I think I want to finally bring this story to a close, as much as I can.

You may have already seen my manifesto to Savannah. If you haven’t, I will summarize because it’s 7 pages long and I would rather not write it out again. To make a long story short, I noticed I was being pushed to the side. People were not making the same efforts to see me as they were doing with Kat even though I lived closer and lived there for longer. The one time people did come to visit my city, I was a pity invite, and expected to drive all over God’s green earth to find the Walmart they were at because no one could care enough to look at what highway the Walmart was nearby. I was an enigma to y’all despite knowing everyone for over 5 years, people were overriding events that I had planned, and it got too much so I decided to leave. Not only did I plan everything, but I also confided in someone about what I planned to do. Frankly, I don’t want to know the aftermath of what happened in the friend group. I highly doubt you’ll even see this and know that it’s addressed to you. Savannah and Kat told me that you were Team “Give her space”, and I can’t tell if I’m a bit disappointed or if I’m grateful. I’m not going to sit here and say what I did wasn’t fucked up. It absolutely was. It was dramatic, overzealous, stupid, and above all toxic. I am also not going to say that I regret what I did. At the end of the day, though I’m not proud of how I did it, what I did was the best choice for me. Frankly, I don’t think there was another way for our friendship to end without me sacrificing my happiness for the nth time. But I owe you an apology specifically, even if you don’t read this.

I haven’t been truthful to you during our friendship. In case it wasn’t obvious enough, I liked you. I had a crush on you for about 3 years, starting when I came home from my first winter break during college. I’m not going to go into the specifics of why it happened, how I tried to kill the crush myself a million times, or how I spent nights upon nights overanalyzing each and every single interaction. I knew that I would never have a chance with you. Why would I? You were this gorgeous being who dazzled every room you walked into, the personification of Artemis herself. I was more aligned with the ugly duckling, never growing into my resting bitch face and unconventional features. Plus, you were so cool and were (and continue to be) this awesome person. As much as I liked you, I liked having you as a friend so much more, and I knew that if I said anything it would blow everything up. So, it was best if I kept my mouth shut, thinking if I didn’t talk about my feelings then they wouldn’t exist anymore. Clearly, that did not work. You would think that after so long, I would at least say something. If you thought that, you clearly don’t know that much about me and are therefore proving my point.

I used to write about you, you know. I wrote about you a lot—too much if I am being honest. In my work, I used to beg for you to give me the bare minimum. Although I had dedicated so much to you in my story, I wanted to be just anything in yours even if it was small. A sentence, a footnote, I would have even taken an endnote. Anything to prove that I had made an impact on your life. Between you and me, I also used to say that you could convince me to stay in our town. I hated it there, that’s why I left. I used to keep track of the days to graduation because it meant that it was only one more day closer to being able to leave. But all you had to say was “Stay” or “Come back,” and I would have done so. You could have even said, “Let me come with you,” and I would have made room. And though I will never admit it verbally and will actively deny it, the same is true for the situation in which I left. I was used to being brushed aside from the others. But from you, it pushed me to the edge. For about 30 minutes before I made my ultimate move, I begged the stars and the streetlights for a sign, a reason to stay. It may not seem like it, but I would have stayed if you texted. It was even true after everything had happened. As much as I appreciate the apology and peace offerings I got from Savannah and Kat, it put a sour taste in my mouth. Felt too much like they were apologizing because I was mad and they didn’t want me to be mad anymore (truth be told, I wasn’t mad. I was never mad at anyone; I was angry at the situation). I don’t think I would have changed my decision to distance myself from everyone. But, if it were you, I would have made an exception. And maybe that is unfair to you. It’s toxic to assume that someone will know exactly how you are feeling without telling them. I completely understand that and never had that expectation of you. Regardless, it would have been nice to know someone cared before I left.

In short, because if you know me at all, you know that once I get started I never shut up: I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I stopped talking to you out of nowhere. I’m sorry that I wasn’t truthful to you during our friendship. I’m sorry that I kept everything in as opposed to actually talking to you and everyone else. I’m sorry our friendship had to end like this.

There is so much that I want to say to you. Maybe someday I will. Maybe someday I’ll get raging drunk and send you a text expressing everything to you (I almost did once, on Halloween a few years ago. I’ve been searching for that bravado ever since.) Maybe someday I’ll look back on all the good parts of our friendship and regret ever leaving you. A twisted part of me wants to fantasize about you reaching out to me first. Maybe you felt the same way. Maybe you had the same shock of electricity go through you when you adjusted my shirt in the dressing room. Maybe your heart also swelled to the faux domesticity during our talks in the kitchen at Claremont. Maybe you also had several drunken nights pouring your heart out to the stars and moon above your window. Maybe you would have left if I invited you to. Maybe you’ve been pushing your feelings down like I had. Or maybe none of that is true. Maybe you think of me and miss me as a friend. Maybe you don’t feel right knowing how poorly we ended. Maybe you wanted us to try to be better friends. Maybe someday we will reconnect. Someday.

Yours,

Me

[kettusaurus]

In my minds eye, you look like a mix of Luna and ginny. I thought you should know.

(◠‿・)—☆

Oh w i s h e s, that's absolutely adorable, thank you ♥u♥

but to quote Arin Hanson,

"– i'm in fact a large fat man. "

[absolutebl]

Omg… i saw your analysis on Saint’s acting in LBC and Why R U? And it made me think if you can also analyse Nanon’s acting in Bad Buddy (vs his previous works if you have seen them?). I really really love the way you analysed Saint’s acting and was hoping you could do one for Nanon… still upset i discovered the BL community on tumblr a little late tho… Your analysis is greatly appreciated 🙌🏻🖤

Oooo, okay so hi and welcome!!! The bit I wrote on Saint is here and I’ll reblog it now. 

Why Nanon Korapat's Acting is FANTASTIC 

So Nanon is legacy. His dad, Co Khunakorn, is a very well known Thai actor who has an absolutely MASSIVE back catalogue since the early 90s. (You can see him in BL tangential I'm Tee, Me Too as the absentee father who shows back up and then pretty much out-acts the entire cast of very well established GMMTV staples. Sorry all, he just does.) 

Which is just to say Nanon clearly learned his craft at a very young age. And he is what I would call a professional grade craft actor. 

Nanon does a lot of his emoting with his eyes, slight tilts to his head, and judicious use of those all powerful dimples. In general, no matter what character, he has an innate softness and likability to his expressions that make him, even in interviews or on variety shows, very appealing as a screen presence. 

He’s charismatic. 

Also easy to cast as a the hero, because he can play good/decent human as not boring - which is a SKILL. 

He inhabits his roles in a really specific and highly professional way - with less physicality than Saint (Nanon’s body language is pretty uniform), but more expressive nuance to his face. He’s quiet but concentrated about the space he inhabits on the screen. 

A BL actor with a similar style to him is Taiwanese actor Sam Lin (We Best Love). 

But I should say Nanon’s style contrasts nicely to someone like Ohm, who always inhabits a lot of space on a screen. Ohm uses big gestures and expressions, and his whole body when he acts, giving his characters a certainly boldness (even with a character like Dew). Which is not to say Ohm can’t be subtle just that he uses subtlety to quite a loud character, where as Nanon is the opposite. Nanon is mostly quite subtle and then occasionally outrageous for contrast. As actors they foil each other beautifully, and because they are good friends have great established emotional chemistry, and I think this makes for a deadly combination. This is what watchers of Bad Buddy are primarily responding too.

Also they are both VERY seasoned. Consummate professionals. A lot of BL uses green actors for one or both leads, we rarely get this level of pro paired together on a BL screen. 

Back to Nanon.

So a great way to take in his versatility and range is to watch some of his back catalogue. And since he’s been at GMMTV for a while now, most of it is on YouTube. I actually know him from his early lead role in My Dear Loser: Edge fo 17. 

His character starts out as such a dorky loser (and being bullied) that I know a number of people on Tumblr struggle make it through this series. But he’s absolutely great in it. And while the series is a soft high school coming of age narrative it’s also a bit of a Pygmalion trope. He’s adopted by a biker gang and learns how to be cool and win the girl. So you get to watch Nanon act his way into a new identity through the course of the narrative. (Also it has a great enemies to lovers BL side couple of his bestie, played by Chimon, and Pluem AKA InSun. We’ll come back them.)

Something to know about Nanon that many other Thai BL actors universally fail at (especially the GMMTV stable) and which is another way he’s like Sam Lin, is that he’s not afraid to appear ugly or messy. 

A lot of Thai actors (and Korean actors for that matter) are clearly invested in appearances (which is fine) but that colors their acting with a lot of self conscious reserve (which is not fine). This feels fake or disingenuous to watchers. 

Nanon will get snotty and messy; he’ll fall apart and show a double chin; he gets all over raw on a screen. It GREAT. He entirely inhabits his roles and leaves his own ego outside of the studio. 

When I say professional, that’s what I mean. He’s clearly not work for his directors. I bet he’s a joy on set. 

So, after watching his performance in MDL:Eo17 I’d go for The Gifted and/or Blacklist. 

In both these shows, Nanon plays a slightly edgy but morally sound and driven outsider character. And in both of these he’s paired with Chimon in an enemy-to-bestie relationship. And yeah, both are bromancy enough to have feed some serious shipping. (I honestly have no idea if Chimon went out for the role of Pat or not, or if he doesn’t want to do BL anymore, or if he/GMMTV want to keep the PluemChimon pairing unsullied. I would love see PluemChimon anchor a show, and we all know Pluem would be game.) 

Anyway, initially a lot of BL fans were disappointed in the casting of Bad Buddy because of NanonChimon hopes carried over from these two prior shows (and also Ohm has been historically undervalued). Now, clearly, everyone is on board. 

So you can watch Nanon mature as an actor through the course of Gifted/Blacklist/Gifted Graduation series, but that’s more to do with the roles he’s being given. Frankly, I think he’s pretty great out the gate in MDL:Eo17, these ones just show his range. Gifted is a better show, but Blacklist is shorter and Ohm is also in that one, so pick your poison. Nanon plays a very similar character in both, so you don’t really need to watch it all.  

And there it is. 

That was a very long answer to get at the fact that what Nanon has (that other actors don’t) is an innate charisma and a freedom from ego. I would argue that as a result he’s genuinely one of the best Thai actors of his generation. 

We are incredibly lucky someone somehow persuaded him to do a BL. 

The kiss is going to be VERY interesting with these two. 

* Note: Nanon & Ohm talk about their different acting styles (and acting as a couple) on this episode of Safe House 2, kindly translated by a fan. Apparently Nanon is v Method. (thanks to a kind commenter for the link) 

(source)

[thirstyforlulu]

Yandere Hellsing x Reader HCs? Including Millennium

Integra:

She’s a very possessive yandere

With her money and power, she has the means to get her hands on you

She’s good at playing cool, you won’t catch on for a while

Sure you notice that she never sends you on missions and that she’s always having you work near her office, but that’s just her being a good friend

When she decides to approach you romantically, she’s very forward

Around you she’s a touch starved animal, unlike her usual put together appearance

If you deny her feelings or try to run, get ready because she’s not giving up that easily

She’ll pull whatever strings she has to in order to find you

She’ll spend thousands bribing people or tracking you

Once she knows where you are, she’ll send Alucard to collect you

When she has you she’s very loving

She’ll want to constantly be touching you in some way

Usually that means sitting beside her while she works at her desk

As long as you’re good, she’ll let you wander the entirety of the manor

Since you tried to run she’s added all sorts of security measures so you can’t get out

Act up though and she will chain you to the wall in her office

“Y/N, your behavior has been deplorable lately and needs correcting.

Don’t give me those sad eyes, this is all your fault.”

Walter:

He’s a sneaky yandere

Very observant, he’ll learn your patterns and preferences

At the start he’ll leave you gifts like your favorite food or pretty flowers

He uses it as an excuse to get closer to you

He’s always offering to do favors for you, secretly lowering your defenses around him

He’s not the type to take anything from you but he will take the time to appreciate them

If you let him clean your room he’ll likely pause to sniff some clothes

You notice how much he knows about you but you just think he’s very observant

You don’t realize it’s due to his obsession

He’s the type to take more precautions

If you deny his advances he’ll lock you up somewhere, probably his room

He’ll get chains and a cage if necessary

If you really act up, he’ll lock you in the basement

The way you cling to him in fear after spending all night in the dark is addictive

His wires are always nearby

If you try to run you’ll only get a few steps out the door before the wires wrap you up and pull you back

He does his best not to hurt you, but if you struggle too much, a few cuts are inevitable

Seras:

She’s a very clingy yandere

She’ll want you on every mission she goes on

When you have free time she’ll take you out into the area nearby for some quality time

If you ever push her away, she gets angry

She’ll pout like a child then force her way into whatever it is you’re doing

At the time, she’ll act like it’s just a coincidence and you might even believe her

You’re not getting rid of her so easily

She’s also a very sweet yandere

If she feels she’s hurt your feelings she’ll go out of her way to get you presents or treat you nicely

Until you say you forgive her, she won’t stop pampering you

No one else is allowed near you, not even Integra

She’ll make excuses and do whatever it takes to keep you to herself

She would never kidnap you or lock you up because she hates to see you sad, but her “loving” behavior will be a trap in itself

Don’t forget that despite how cute she is, she’s still a powerful monster that can and will do what it takes to keep you

If that means making you one of her familiars then so be it

Alucard:

He’s a terrifying yandere

He can control you and the people around you, holding you captive

You’re not a stupid person, you know how easily he could end your life, so you tend to let it all happen

On the plus side, he’s very passionate and often brings you gifts

He’s such a smooth talker you’ll end up forgetting the terrifying threats he’s made in the past

Anyone who flirts with you will mysteriously disappear

Anyone who hurts you will turn up days later torn to shreds in a ditch

He would never do anything to hurt you, but that doesn’t stop him from making threats

“I could tear you apart just like that man from last week. I would love to hear your moans of anguish, but I’d prefer moans of pleasure.”

When you act out he manhandles you

He’ll press you against a wall and bite your neck to remind you of your place

He enjoys when you become complicit, but he likes when you’re occasionally act out

It gives him an excuse to punish you, which he always loves

After that, you’ll think twice before disobeying him

Millenium:

Jan:

Bro this man is already wild

When he sets his sights on you it’s go time

He won’t let anyone else near you or get to know you, not even his brother

He’ll threaten people, meeting them after work for overstepping their boundaries

He’s very touchy, like he’s trying to leave his scent all over you

Out in public, he’ll hang on you, showing others that you’re already taken

He’ll growl at people that look at you too long when passing by

He flicks a lot of people off, all the time but more so when he’s around you

He’s paranoid and doesn’t like anyone else around you, even friends

Clearly he’s a fan of body modification so if he can convince you he’ll want to get some kind of matching piercing/tattoo

If you get it, he’ll pay special attention to it any time you cuddle, running his fingers over it countless times

He can be very intense so he might yell at you, but when he sees the hurt look in your eyes he backs off

In his own weird way, he loves you and doesn’t want to see you hurting

But if he has to hurt you to keep you then so be it

Luke:

He’s not as subtle as he thinks he is

He tries to play it cool, but if someone tries to touch you he will blatantly smack their hand away

Always has an excuse to be around you and if he doesn’t, he’ll find one

He’s not as touchy as Jan, but he does like to hold your hand

You’ll feel his pinky brush against you before his hand completely envelops yours

His grip tightens when he sees you looking at others

Your attention is something he so desperately craves

He gives you every moment of his time and he wants you to do the same

If you’re ever in danger he’s there before anyone else even knows

It helps that he was already watching you

Be ready to compensate him

At first he’s just worried about you, but then once he knows you’re alright, he’ll start making demands

“You owe me for coming to your rescue dear. Or would you like me to toss you back? Maybe then you’ll beg me in such a cute way.”

Rip:

She does not care what other people think

She’ll ruin relationships to get closer to you

She’ll endanger her own job if it keeps you two apart

Doing favors is how she gets closer to you

Anytime you need something she’s there and ready to go

She’d leave in the middle of a mission if she hears you need help

Anyone causing you problems will be slaughtered and presented to you as a gift

“See y/n, I took off their heads just for you.”

She can get very aggressive especially if she thinks you’re denying her advances

She won’t hurt you, beyond a little pinch or so, but she’ll make threats

She’s very sadistic and would be willing to lock you up

Having you as a pet is actually an attractive idea to her

She’ll take good care of you wherever you’re locked up, but she won’t allow many freedoms

“Look at my pretty pet. How lucky am I.”

The Captain:

He’s like a pet, always following you around

He’ll growl at people he doesn’t like around you

His arms are always around you, keeping you close

No one else is allowed to tend to you after missions

When he’s patching you up, he’ll run his hands along your arms and legs, lovingly caressing your limbs

He’ll use that as an excuse to stay around you

Popping in to “check on you” at all hours

You won’t even know he’s come in until he’s sitting on the edge of your bed

He’s the type the would sit there for a moment watching you breathe

If he can, he’ll try to get you to be his assistant

If he can convince the higher ups that he needs one, he’ll do whatever he can

Then he’ll be around you even when he works and will be able to protect you

No one on the battlefield will be able to even get close to you

He’ll ignore his own tasks to protect you

He’s extremely loyal and obsessive

The Doctor

Oh man it is terrifying when he has his eye on someone

He views it like just another experiment, wanting to test and push you

He’ll have you coming to him for “examinations” all the time

He’d likely put a bug on you

Suddenly he knows things you don’t remember telling him, but you can’t prove anything

People you like start disappearing, people you had no idea he knew about

If he suspects you’re starting to catch on and trying to get away, he’ll start drugging you

Then you’ll have to come to him if you’re going to get better

While he’s treating you, he’ll trick you mentally manipulating you to grow closer to him

You’re going to think so highly of him, forgetting all the red flags you’d seen before

He is absolutely a gas lighter but he’s damn good at it

Even if you have experience with this stuff you won’t pick up on it

It’s a game of cat and mouse with him

The Major

He is not subtle and does not care

Your needs or emotions don’t matter to him

If you don’t respond well to his advances he will make terrible threats

If that doesn’t work he’ll take it a step further, allowing the ghouls to get close to taking a bite out of you

Torture is the next step

He doesn’t care about your mood, he has to have you

“Y/N, why do you fight so hard when you know I’m just going to hurt you again?”

He’ll want to do most of it by hand, but if he needs to he will get the others involved

“Would you like me to make a spectacle out of you? I think the others would enjoy that.”

Behave and he won’t hurt you

If he gets mad enough he’ll remove your arms and legs

You’ll become his good little doll, always on display for him

Like a bird in a cage, you’re his favorite display item

[clareguilty]

A Tainted Rescue

Here it is! Please please let me know what you think! Lord Heisenberg/Maiden Rating: Explicit | Dubcon/noncon, first time, generally evil things from generally evil people Word Count: ~3100

“Little one,” Mistress Dimitrescu beckoned to the maiden who was arranging the breakfast tray. “My brother will be joining us for supper tonight.” Her lips curled in disgust at the mere mention of her ‘sibling.’ “You will be responsible for waiting on everyone this evening. You are to obey his every request unless it contradicts with my own. He is our most esteemed guest.” The words rolled off her tongue laden with sarcasm.

The Lord Heisenberg! 

While he and the Mistress had a… strained relationship to say the least, Lord Heisenberg was invited to the castle on occasion to discuss business and put up a good front for Mother Miranda. She wanted the four lords to be cordial with each other, seeing as she considered each of them her own children, so everyone was treated with the utmost respect.

Lady Beneviento and Miss Angie were always welcome, frequently invited to spend time with Mistress Dimitrescu’s daughters or have supper or walk on the castle grounds during the warm season. The maiden was frightened of them at first, but the Mistress Donna and her doll were friendly and playful when in good spirits. Even when she wasn’t, there was a sort of beauty to her melancholy. She was kind to the servant girls, and she adored the castle gardens. Mistress Dimitrescu obviously held her in the highest regard, especially because it meant her daughters had another friend among the nobles.

The Lord Moreau was ghastly to look at, but sweet and earnest in a pitiful kind of way. Mistress Dimitrescu must have thought so as well because even he was treated with more kindness and respect than Lord Heisenberg. Lady Dimitrescu allowed no one to speak ill of Lord Moreau -- though it wasn’t as if she spoke very highly of him either. He was much too sickly and shy to come to the castle often anyways, so it was very rare that the maiden even saw him.

And so it was that the Lord Heisenberg was the second most common guest at the castle behind Lady Beneviento and her doll.

The Mistress tolerated him, but their evenings spent together would quickly turn to scathing comments and bellowed arguments if provoked. He was loud and smelly and he undermined The Mistress at every turn -- even in her own castle. Still, his visits were rather exciting. He would perform parlor tricks for the Mistress’s eager daughters with his magnetic powers and tell crude stories. It was rather fun until the maiden was left scrubbing his dusty bootprints off of the floors and tables.

He arrived in a metal carriage drawn by a mechanical horse, clearly one of his own inventions. The maiden watched the beast stamp and snort just as though it were flesh and blood. The Mistress’s daughters were similarly impressed, whispering and cooing to each other as they all stood to welcome The Lord to the castle. Mistress Dimitrescu stepped forward, extending her hand and poorly hiding her disgust as Lord Heisenberg placed a whiskery kiss to her gloved knuckles.

“Dear Brother.” The words were flat and clipped. “It’s always nice to see you.”

“Of course, Al. How could I possibly turn down an invitation.” Lord Heisenberg was just as sincere as he sauntered into the castle, waving to the daughters on the way.

The maiden stepped forward from her place in the shadows. She bowed low. “May I take your coat, My Lord?” Lord Heisenberg looked startled at her sudden appearance. How did something so small and delicate fit in among these enormous monsters? She was absolutely precious, and he wanted her all to himself.

“No thanks, girlie.” He patted her on the head. It was a baffling gesture to the maiden.

The five of them convened in the grand sitting room. The daughters were quick to engage Lord Heisenberg in conversation about his mechanical horse and the goings on in the village as well as his factory. The mistress looked on in disdain.

When the maiden came to offer them a selection of The Mistress’s finest wine, she was surprised to see Lord Heisenberg wrinkle his nose and shake his head. He plucked a flask from the inside of his coat, waving it with a mischievous smile. “I’ve brought my own spirits for the evening. But you’re a dear for offering.” He winked. “Let me know if you want a sip.”

The maiden bowed to hide her flush and turned to fill her mistress’s glass. She managed to keep her hands from shaking, even though she couldn’t shake of the directness of Lord Heisenberg’s teasing.

“Good girl,” Lady Dimitrescu cooed, trailing her fingers over the maiden’s cheek. It was an unusual show of praise, and the maiden nearly dropped the bottle she was holding out of shock.

The maiden dutifully fetched and filled and served until supper was ready. Lord Heisenberg was surprisingly friendly and in good spirits, boisterous and laughing. He teased the poor maiden relentlessly. Joking with her and tucking her hair back and brushing his hand against hers. All of the attention made her cheeks hot and her heart beat wildly out of control. She felt as though each advance was somehow a betrayal against her mistress, but she couldn’t brush them off without angering The Lord.

Not that The Mistress was much better, cooing over her and pushing her this way and that with a sweet smile and a firm hand. The only ones who seemed to want to leave her alone for once were The Mistress’s daughters, too wrapped up in the excitement of having a guest to the castle.

They all filed into the dining room for supper, and the maiden was given a reprieve from the constant, overwhelming attention as she stood by to refill glasses and cart dishes away.

“Isn’t this a nice family dinner,” Lord Heisenberg remarked. He had a feast of seared fish and vegetables, a sharp contrast to the rare red meat on the ladies’ plates.

The mistress’s daughters ate quickly and excused themselves far too early -- likely attempting to sneak away to the stables to inspect Lord Heisenberg’s horse.

The maiden was sent off in search of another bottle of wine, and the Lord and the Lady were left alone.

“She’s slated for the bottle?” Heisenberg asked once the maiden was out of sight. He busied himself inspecting the silver cutlery, but his interest was obvious.

“Yes,” Mistress Dimitrescu said. “What a shame. I’ve grown quite fond of her. Such a good little pet. But she’s much too sweet and pure to let go to waste.”

Heisenberg wrinkled his nose again. “I know that we’re both despicable, but you’re a whole ‘nother monster, sis.”

Lady Dimitrescu narrowed her eyes. She knew what game Heisenberg was playing. Like a petulant child, he couldn’t stand when his sibling had a shiny new toy. “Keep your hands off her. She’s mine, and I’ll do with her what I wish.”

“Of course,” Lord Heisenberg raised his hands placatingly.

When the maiden returned with the wine, Lady Dimitrescu made a show of pulling the poor girl in close to whisper thanks in her ear, running her hand over her skirts. The maiden looked as if she would faint.

Heisenberg rolled his eyes. He knew how to get what he wanted in the end, and the next time the maiden was sent to the storerooms to fetch something, he excused himself with a yawn and a stretch and an offhanded comment about the powder room before blatantly following out the same door the she had just left through.

It was easy to find her in the storerooms, expertly gathering everything she needed. She glanced up at the sound of his heavy footsteps.

“Oh! Lord Heisenberg! If there’s anything you need you can just let me know and I’ll bring it out. There’s no need for-”

He effortlessly pinned the girl the the stone wall, one hand flinging out behind him as he used his powers to close and lock the storeroom door. The lord was nothing in size when compared to Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters, but he towered over the poor maiden. She was powerless to stop him.

“If you don’t want to die, you had better leave with me tonight,” he hissed. “You’re time is running out, and I think you’re far too precious to be drained and bottled up for the next supper.”

The maiden whimpered and struggled against his hold. “I don’t understand… What are you saying?”

Lord Heisenberg growled. “All your little friends who have been disappearing? The other maids in the castle who aren’t around to help anymore? You just served them up in a glass at dinner. And you’re going to be the next batch if you don’t stop being so sweet. She’s planning to kill you, and I want to keep that from happening.”

The words finally seemed to sink in. The maiden knew that things at the castle were more sinister than they appeared. She was one of the only ones left now. All the others had disappeared for one reason or another. And now the wine was flowing freely.

“I don’t want to die,” the maiden pleaded. “Please. I want to leave, but I don’t know how to escape. She’ll surely find me.”

Her pleas were met with a low chuckle. “Don’t worry about escaping. I’ve always been a fan of grand gestures. You’ll be walking out the front door with me tonight.”

“How?” the maiden asked. “She’d never let you take me.”

“Not when you’re this fucking ripe she wouldn’t.” The lord’s voice was a low growl. “I think we’d better do something about that.”

She screamed as he ripped the fabric of her skirts to shreds. He clamped a hand over her mouth and hoisted her up against the wall so she was at his level, pinned in place by his hips against hers. “Keep it down,” he snarled.

Next to go was the front of her dress, ripped straight down the bodice so he could palm at her breasts. “My Lord!” the maiden gasped. “Please, why are you doing this?”

“I’ve got to make you useless to her.” He breathed against the maiden’s skin, trailing his teeth over her collarbone and shoulder. “You’re worth nothing if your blood is tainted. Impure. Well, according to her,” he pulled back with a wide grin, “I’m as tainted and impure as it gets.”

He kissed his way down her chest, taking a nipple into his mouth and biting lightly just to hear the maiden gasp. She was even more responsive when he sucked and licked the sensitive flesh.

“I can’t wait to keep you.” He ripped her drawers off and ran his hands over her thighs. “Gonna show you just how good it can feel. Can’t believe she wouldn’t even touch you.” He slipped a rough finger between the maiden’s legs, gently coaxing her to arousal. She squirmed and tried to push his hand away.

“Don’t worry,” he soothed her. “I promise this will get you out. It’s going to feel good.”

She tried to relax into his touch, to slow her breathing and stop fighting against him. He pressed a kiss to her stomach, softer this time. “There you go,” he praised. “Let yourself be spoiled.”

He squeezed her breasts and petted her hair and kissed a never ending trail across her neck and shoulders and chest and stomach. Kneaded her thighs and whispered an endless stream of encouragement to her.

“You’re doing so good… I’m going to get you out of here… She can’t have you anymore… You’re mine…”

Her thighs were now slick, as were Lord Heisenberg’s fingers, and he dragged them along her slit in slow, determined motions.

“My Lord…” the maiden panted. “What’s happening? It feels...”

He chuckled and rubbed her clit, delighted at the way she moaned and arched her back. Her hands found his shoulders, clinging to him for dear life as he ruthlessly but expertly brought her apart with just one hand. Unable to hold back, he pressed two fingers inside of her, hushing her as she cried out from the stretch. She shook and sobbed against him as he curled and scissored his fingers inside of her, seeking out the exact ways to send her into oblivious pleasure.

“Ah! Stop! I can’t!” She whimpered as he changed the angle of his wrist. He could tell she was close, all she needed was a little bit more.

The maiden ruined herself in the castle storeroom, pinned to the wall by Lord Heisenberg with his fingers buried in her up to the knuckle. She clung to his coat as he worked her through her orgasm, fingering her through the aftershocks and running a hand over her back to calm her.

But Lord Heisenberg was never one to do anything by halves. If he was going to save this maiden from Lady Dimitrescu, he was going to ruin her.

So he grabbed her by both thighs and hoisted her up so he could bury his face between her legs, lapping up the wetness that spilled over his lips and licking and sucking at her dripping, oversensitive pussy.

The maiden was helpless to stop him as he held her in place and sucked bruises all along the insides of her thighs, marking her as his.

She was shaking and clamping her legs shut around his ears, tears streaming down her face from the too intense pleasure. She had never even been touched before, and now she was coming over The Lord’s face again and again.

It was only when his jaw began to ache that he set the maiden down. He once again backed her against the wall with his full weight, rutting his own hips against her where he was achingly hard in his pants.

The maiden could barely stand on her quivering legs. She nearly slid to the floor when Lord Heisenberg stepped back to undo his belt and pull open his pants. His cock was ruddy and leaking, heavy in his hands as he stroked himself for some relief.

“Oh, I can’t wait to feel you around me. Gonna fill you up. She’ll never be able to do anything with you after that.” He stalked forward.

“I can’t,” the maiden stared at the Lord’s massive cock with terror in her eyes. “There’s no way.”

“You have to,” he crooned. “Don’t worry. You’ll be just fine.”

He lifted the maiden by the waist. Her toes didn’t even touch the ground as he tilted her hips to line up with his cock. The head dragged over her slit, dripping against where she was already wet and oversensitive.

“So soft,” Heisenberg moaned, hips rutting forward of their own volition. The head of his cock pressed inside her and the maiden whined. “It’s okay,” he promised. “You’re going to be so good at taking my cock. You’re perfect.”

Unable to hold himself back any longer, he pulled the maiden towards him onto his cock. She shook and cried in his hold, but he moved her easily as she stretched around him. Sinking in inch by inch until he was buried fully inside her, splitting her open on his cock so full and deep.

The maiden could barely keep her thoughts together, struggling to breath as Lord Heisenberg filled her. The stretch burned, and the head of his cock was so deep she could feel it all the way to her navel. She wasn’t sure how she had managed to take all of him.

And as he began to move, began to use her body and fuck her rougher and rougher on each stroke, she wondered how she would be able to give up the sensation.

He was right. She had been denied a whole world of pleasure just for the sake of her mistress. She would have died not knowing how it felt to be brought to rapture again and again.

She came around The Lord’s cock, clenching down around him as he fucked into her.

“That’s a good girl. It’s supposed to feel good.” He grit his teeth and increased his pace. “I’m going to fill you up. Ruin you for every other cock and especially for that bitch.”

“Please,” she begged, the words escaping her before she could stop herself. “My Lord, please I need you. Save me. Take me away from here. I’m yours.”

“Damn right you are,” he growled. “So tight and perfect. Alcina’s precious pet coming on my cock. Just a little bit more.”

He adjusted the angle of his hips, somehow managing to hit even deeper. Lord Heisenberg was watching his cock as it split her pussy in two, sinking into her to the hilt on each thrust. He moved one hand to rub over her clit, determined to make her finish when he did.

He pulled her hips all the way to his as he came, pumping his claim into her just as she came one final time around him, milking his cock and spilling over her own thighs. He fucked into her with a few more deep strokes, just to make sure it took, before pulling out and wiping himself on her ruined dress.

He shoved his cock into his pants and refastened his belt, waving the door open with his hand.

“Well, I’m sure I’ve long overstayed my welcome this evening. And the lovely hostess will be looking for us both.” He grabbed the maiden by the hand and dragged her -- on shaky legs and wobbly knees -- through the halls of the castle to the main entrance.

Lady Dimitrescu descended upon them before they could get to the door.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” she bellowed, sweeping down the stairs with her daughters at her heels. “You insolent, wretched pig.”

Lord Heisenberg shielded the maiden behind him as he turned to The Mistress. “Heya, Al. It’s been a great night. Dinner was wonderful. But I think I’ll be taking my dessert to go.” He pulled the maiden out in front of him. Tear streaked cheeks, hair mussed. Dress ruined and spattered with stains. Bruises all along the inside of her thighs where the Lord’s cum was still leaking out of her. She could barely stand as she clutched Heisenberg’s arm.

Lady Dimitrescu realised what had happened to her prized maiden and swept forward, claws at the ready. “You,” she snarled.

But The Lord was already backing towards the door, taking the maiden with him. “Mother Miranda would be very upset if her two favorite children got in a fight.” He said. “In fact, she’s expecting my call as soon as I get back. She was very pleased that you invited me to dine with you.”

Lady Dimitrescu seethed, unable to do anything to upset Mother Miranda who had given her everything she could ever ask for.

“I’ll kill you,” she hissed. “Get out of my sight.”

“I can’t wait for the day,” Lord Heisenberg saluted and marched out the front doors of the castle with the maiden in his arms. Just as he had said.