#but she's being offered a different kind of approval and she might as well take it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jhuzen · 2 years

Note

Hey I just love your study habits story and I was wondering if you’ll ever make a part 2? Because god damnnnnnnn that is my shit

hypothesis testing [m.reader]

paaaart 2! of this trainwreck. i had to take my time on this because my brain cells could not for the life of them remember how people get together normally. so… this is not normal lmao. also ft. our dendro daughter because i love her so much.

𖦹 wholesome moments with nahida contrasting your moment with haitham and kissing :) slight traveler x reader if u squint at that one part.

“I think Alhaitham might be avoiding me.”

Nahida looked up from the dough she was kneading, her bright green eyes looking at you with wonder and curiosity. You stifled a laughter at the young archon (not so much in comparison to your age) — with her cheeks dusted with so much flour and bits of the dough stuck in her hair, it’s not everyday someone sees their archon in such a state.

“How do you mean?” Nahida turned her focus back to the dough, her eyebrows knitting in concentration, but it was clear that she was still all ears.

You looked down on the tofu you were cutting — the traveler had gone and dropped by some ingredients fresh from the stores back in Liyue after you and Nahida made a passing remark of wanting to try a different delicacy. Ever the charming outlander they are, they came back a few days later with a recipe and the ingredients on hand, it was only a shame that they couldn’t stay to help or eat, considering that they were currently busy with commissions as well.

You remembered offering housing them in on a stipend out of your own pocket — to rest even without having to worry about commissions and mora for a few days, but the traveler refused with a red face and ran off somewhere.

Now where were you again? Oh, yes. Alhaitham.

Jumping to conclusions, while tempting as a way to cope through unanswered queries, is not a habit slotted into your head. You were a patient man, looking through the lens of observation, testing a few hypotheses you’ve come up before finally drawing out a theory. Deductive reasoning, if you will. It’s how you worked on your research projects after all, especially despite the fact that inductive reasoning was more encouraged in your discipline sometimes.

And throughout the next few weeks, after your little study session that you conducted in Alhaitham’s home, you started seeing less and less of the man. Which, again, wasn’t that much to fuss over. You yourself placed him in a position of power where he’s not exactly allowed to have a much more leisurely schedule than he did as a scribe for an equal pay. But even then, he wasn’t this busy.

You recalled the few times on his first few days as the Acting Grand Sage — he was busy, but he always had enough time to entertain your whims and review your new research material for approval. He had enough time to spare you an hour or two to indulge his company, even more so when you would bring his preferred cup of coffee from Puspa café.

And now, it seems like every time you were planning to head to the Alhaitham’s new place of work, he’s always unavailable. And on the off chance that you catch his silhouette by the door, the moment you start walking up to him, it’s like he has a sixth sense for your presence and suddenly dissipates into nothingness.

It was… annoying. Bothersome. Troubling. It irked at your very core. It provoked something deep within you that even you have yet to figure out.

Nahida noticed your brooding silence and was kind enough to pull you back into the real world before you make the mistake of cutting your finger instead of the tofu, “Is the situation really so troublesome, [Name]?” Her kind eyes were quick to melt away the coldness that slowly gnawed at you. “Maybe it would help if you voiced it out.” She gave you an encouraging smile and truly you were certain that despite being her caretakers, it’s these moments that reverses the situation at hand.

Something you didn’t entirely mind. You appreciated Nahida’s efforts in exercising the application of the knowledge you’d graciously given her as her tutor.

“I would be remiss if I were to refuse a second opinion. Alright,” you resumed into your cutting, “It’s merely a working hypothesis, however… but it feels as though he has been making a conscious effort not to be around me recently.”

Nahida’s tiny hands cupped a dough and slowly shaped it into something that resembles a ball, “Why do you say that? He could be busy with his new responsibilities.”

“I’m not one to exclude the possibility, of course.” You scoffed a little, leaning back to squint at the recipe propped up by a mere empty sack where the crab roe was. You ought to pay the traveler back, they never said, but apparently, such an ingredient costed them quite the mora. “However, there is a different feel. He has an air of forced ignorance around my presence.”

The Dendro Archon crooned quietly at your words, thoughtful and delicate, as always, “Have you tried to confront him about this before?”

“More than I’d like to admit.”

“Ah… then your hypothesis might be just right,” Nahida giggled a little as her confirmation sent a pout to your lips that you seemed to be unaware of doing. “Does it upset you?” Her query was no less than damaging, but the defensive part of your logical brain suddenly flared up. Your muscles stiffened at her question, eyebrows furrowing even deeper with a matching scowl.

“…No.”

“So it does then.”

You had half a mind to tell the Archon that she should stop reading your mind when you can barely even process your own feelings, as ironic as it sounds. But then again, she was great at observing you ever since you and her started being seen as a family unit, closer than ever, and no doubt her jabs at your mannerisms would be on point.

“Could it be that the reason this is bothering you is because… you miss his company?”

A shot in the dark, that’s all Nahida did. But the grip you had on your knife was an indication of her keen observations. And suddenly, your rumination was thrown out of the way as you pieced the puzzles together.

She was right, you missed Alhaitham. So deeply that it actually bothered you; that suddenly it evoked an emotion within you that didn’t register positivity.

“Ah. ”

Nahida’s light giggle echoed in your ear, and you finally resumed into functioning, placing the cut tofu on another bowl and turning to her, “I suppose gratitude is in order, huh?” You asked.

“Not really. It was enough for me to see you look so stunted. I never would have thought that you would be one to get stuck on your own feelings despite deciphering so much of it in your pursuit of knowledge in a human’s emotions.” Nahida laughed with light and airy amusement, “It’s very much like an adventurer that went through the highs and lows of nature, entering every domain, seeking out treasure only to completely miss it in the end.”

You resisted the urge to groan at her words. It was stupid, alright. You were stupid. Alas, it’s nothing you can fault her for. With a fond smile, you reached out to cup her face, wiping away the flour that dusted her cheeks with your thumbs, “Of course. Very much like an expert adventurer making the most amateur mistake.”

“So then, do you know what could have caused his sudden aversion?”

You blinked as your mind suddenly blanked out, “I… never really knew.”

“Wouldn’t it be a good time for the expert adventurer to go on another exploit and find the treasure this time?”

“It sure would… right after we make the food.”

The precious smile on Nahida’s face was quick to lift your mood. Quite frankly, your gratitude is endless towards Alhaitham, the traveler, and the rest for even mustering up the courage to rescue the archon. You of all people least expected that she would be the family that softened you up.

And while you were finally able to lay your feelings to a temporary rest after clawing onto the shreds of sanity (courtesy of Nahida), Alhaitham was not all the better.

What happened the moment Kaveh barged in on your study time was nothing short of embarrassing. Alhaitham barely had enough time to process what happened — well, either that or he had the memory permanently blotted out from his brain. It’s like a defense mechanism, to protect what little of his pride remained that day.

It certainly helped however, especially when Kaveh was around to tease him. The fact that he somehow magically forget what happened on that day was enough to get him by to keep a face so muted of expressions. It was the best that he can do to stay grounded in his sanity.

But even that was slowly chipping away the moment he realized just how present you are in his life. He became minutely aware of your presence more than ever, to the point that he thought that you were actively seeking him out. And well, you are. You searched for him everywhere and all he ever did was take three steps out of your peripherals and hide.

Alhaitham could never view the act of confrontation cumbersome. He treats it like an ordinary conversation, but there was a lingering smidge of satisfaction when the person he’s currently grilling with interrogation squirms under his gaze so uncomfortably. It’s especially indicative that he’s succeeded in picking the right person to corner, knowing that they will break and he will get his information not long after.

But it was different with you. A confrontation with you eluded him. It was something that he wanted to actively avoid. Alhaitham never charges into a battlefield without strategies mapped out in his mind. In every plan he conceives, there is a backup, and in every backup he’s created, births another backup for said backup. It’s ridiculous, but convenient most of the time.

However, you were a foe he’s actively aware not to engage in.

Though Alhaitham has to wonder if you were really a foe… or were you an indispensable ally. So indispensable that he can’t even afford to make a move out of fear of losing you. But his mind had to counter that logic — whatever he’s doing right now, surely it’s a way to lose you as well. By now, you’re bound to be aware of his active avoidance of you, and the thought of you realizing he wasn’t worth your while somehow left a bad aftertaste.

His hand flexed, gripping his writing tool tightly as his lips turned down into a scowl. He hated to entertain such an irksome thought, but now it presented itself as an intrusive thought of his. One that would be sure to keep him up from nights on end.

Isn’t he just lucky that you were a researcher? And if there’s something a researcher is, it’s that they’re persistent to get answers.

And isn’t he even luckier that you were already on your way up to his office, with a determined glare settled in your normally neutral gaze?

Alhaitham was all too distracted by his thoughts of you, that he didn’t even consider looking up from the myriad of migraines that manifested in a form of paperwork, completely missing that it was you who now barged inside his temporary office.

You didn’t even expect Alhaitham’s presence in the office. With all his time spent avoiding you, you already mapped out other potential locations that he could be in. But you checked the office in the off chance that he was inside. And maybe it was a blessing from the wise archon whom you just confided to, but Alhaitham was in his seat, signing away, giving approval after approval of every research sent to him as well as handling certain changes in the law of the city as per Nahida’s request.

The Acting Grand Sage never bothered inquiring the business of his unwanted visitor. All he wanted right now is to go home and rest and maybe think rationally about his feelings that were repressed for far too long. It was going nowhere and he had a dislike for things that lead nowhere and make him unproductive all the more.

One can only imagine the surprise when you slammed your hands on the table, the action echoing within this glorified space. Alhaitham looked up abruptly, only then wishing that he had been more prepared.

You came and he had no battle plan.

“What are you…”

“Why are you avoiding me?” You cut him off with little remorse, leaning further in and Alhaitham had to lean away from you, feeling overwhelmed. You didn’t even bother with the pointless small talk that you would indulge yourself in. You just went straight for his throat with no mercy and Alhaitham had no choice but to face the blade of truth.

He reconfigured and answered you with a question instead to buy time, “What makes you think that I—”

Your patience was running thin and that much could be sensed in the tension that wafted between you and him, “Don’t give me that. You’re elusive, but you’ve always given me the time of your day. And suddenly you retracted that privilege and I want to know why, lest I take you to the borders of Fontaine and have you tried in court.”

Alhaitham was dumbfounded for once. You… of all people, thought that his attention was a privilege? He couldn’t push down the feeling that welled up inside him — it was something good. And the fact that you were unhappy from such a ‘privilege’ to be revoked. Alhaitham had to restrain himself from biting on his lip, settling for a quick jaw clench to relieve the tension you suddenly placed on him with your incredibly direct words.

“Tell me,” you urged and swatted the quill away from his hand, shucking away the research paper that he was currently. And true to your eccentric fashion of doing things, you climbed over the pristine wooden desk just to get to him. You really weren’t risking a chance of him sliding out if you take a moment to go around that humongous desk.

Alhaitham had to keep himself still and maintain a strong will as your shoes hit the ground, finally leaving him no room for escape as you caged him in the seat — hands on either of his thighs, squeezing them so tightly.

“Talk and I’ll replace your position as this nation’s Grand Sage.” You bribed and he had to wonder if you were only dangling the bait in front of him, or were you desperate enough to offer and act on it.

“Why do you… even want to know…?” Since when did Alhaitham feel so breathless?

“I’ve been deprived of something I’m looking for, ‘Haitham. It took me just a word from the wise to realize how much I’ve missed your attention,” were you really planning to murder him right then and there? Your words are so cutthroat and merciless that Alhaitham was almost gasping for air.

Even from the comfort of his chair, he was unable to retreat and reconfigure strategies like he intended. He was melting from your gaze, like a candle burning through its fiery wick that was you. At this point, there was even no denying that you wanted answers. And Alhaitham wished he could give them, but to do so would put him in a path where there is a point of no return; a roadblock he can never come back from; a decisive factor that could dictate whatever kind of friendship he has with you.

And there is nothing worrisome with exercising caution as often times he himself would rather lay back down and let all the pawns do their work for him, only letting him reap the seeds he had sown through the tools that he has. But you… you were no pawn, you were a player in this game and he hated it.

You exhaled sharply through your nose — a telltale sign of your resignation. Oh how foolish Alhaitham was to think that you were letting him off just like that.

“…I’m no mind reader so I can’t possibly guess what’s going on with that head of yours,” you said and Alhaitham agreed. “And it’s clear that there’s no drawing out that answer out of you.” He would’ve nodded if he wasn’t too overwhelmed with you.

And suddenly a dangerous glint appeared in your eyes, “Sometimes I forget I’m capable of assessing people’s emotions.” A wry laugh escaped from your lips and Alhaitham was back to keeping his guard up as best as he could. “I hope you’ve read my papers about the physical manifestations of one’s psychological state, Acting Grand Sage, because I’m about to give you a demonstration.”

Regrets and Alhaitham don’t often cross paths in his life. Every action of his is carefully calculated and is conducted with his best interest in mind. And most of the time, everything turns out in his favor. He’s smart and strong (despite his dubious claims of being a feeble scholar, whatever that meant). But at this very moment, he had no choice but to face a mistake of his — that he and his pride refused to tell you that you occupy his mind at a copious amount, unable to sleep without even seeing you, going even worse when you did.

He didn’t tell you that your presence affects him so. That there’s something with the way your headstrong approach contrasted his roundabout and cunning styles, immediately uprooting the millions of plans he’s made with just one word from you.

All of that was all he could think of to keep him sane from this ordeal. But no, it wasn’t enough to numb his senses.

Not enough to block out the feeling of your fingertips lingering on the skin of his bicep, palpating his muscles with little regard to his apparent psychological being. You said you were only assessing him, but right now, all he ever wanted was to go and bury himself to save some skin.

“Tension on muscles — usually indicative of strong emotions… often unease… or…” your voice was quiet, but Alhaitham figured it only lessened from how all he could ever hear is the blood rushing in his ears. “Are you uncomfortable, ‘Haitham? Or are you excited?”

The jaw clench from the man was all you needed to know, “Hm. The latter.” You concluded and Alhaitham almost shot up from his seat, ready to protest but couldn’t even find the energy to do so. He was far into deep. And at the very least, he can just prepare himself from the tragedy that he created.

Easier said than done.

Especially with the way your hand slowly traveled to his chest, your touch shielded by his thin and tight shirt that hugged his figure. You felt your way around and a wail almost spilled out of his mouth, much to his indignation. You narrowed your eyes at him, as if you were chiding him from holding back on you — or was it just his imagination?

“Accelerated heartbeat, rather strong too.”

Alhaitham may not always be right in deciphering you, but he knows that look of yours. That look that you make when you’ve pieced everything together even with what little clues you have in your arsenal.

Before you can even speak, Alhaitham already averted his gaze, the back of his hand shielding his mouth as the final clue made itself known — the heat in his ears spreading to his cheeks, coloring them in a rather endearing bright shade of red.

“…You’re insufferable,” was heard from the Acting Grand Sage, muffled from his hand.

“Am I? When you’re the one who made me go through the assessment? You’re far more troublesome, Alhaitham.” Your hand left his bicep, opting to remove his hand away from his mouth, and yet your oh so devious hand either forget its place as it never left the plush mounds on his chest. “Are you ready to hear your results?”

With a half-hearted glare sent your way, Alhaitham didn’t even bother to stop you.

Didn’t even move when you leaned so close, breath ghosting over his lips, “Your uncertainty in our interactions, the way you always seem to give me enough time of your day yet avoid me at all cost. The idiotic push and pull that you do. It’s a way to cope, isn’t it? A cope from your attraction.” He had to suck in a sharp breath as the final words left your lips.

“You like me, Alhaitham.”

With one last bout of confidence, Alhaitham scoffed, “Aren’t you confident today?”

You grinned, “Confident enough to reciprocate your attraction too, as it seems.”

That quickly threw him off the loop, his lips quivering as he looked at you in pure, unadulterated surprise — but even he was unable to recuperate from the initial shock as you quickly pressed your lips against him, swallowing whatever possible refutation he could make.

His hands flew to your arms this time, clutching tightly as his mind frantically scrambled to kiss back, only to realize that he barely has any experience in the first place. And it was like you were even painfully aware of this fact as you took on the lead, letting him follow you through the movement of your lips. His breathing ran ragged and perhaps it was his slowly depleting oxygen, but he soldiered on even with his labored breaths, wanting to get a taste more of you.

Far too addicting, that’s what you were. You sent him into overdrive as you licked his lips so sensually, leaving him weak in his knees and on the brink of collapse, but you held him there, hiking him up and letting him lean onto you as you vigorously attacked his lips, biting and nipping so mercilessly, glee injecting itself into your bloodstream like a drug as you felt him squirm under your touch.

An uncharacteristic squeal was emitted from Alhaitham as your stubborn hand on his chest gave a gentle squeeze, almost knocking the little wind left out of his lungs. You finally granted him mercy as you pulled away, a string of saliva connecting your lips with his as the one piece of evidence that you messed him up in such a way.

Your thumb swiped over Alhaitham’s wet lips, finding it strangely endearing to him so pliant, “You’ve never kissed anyone before. That’s strangely adorable.”

He scoffed, “Like you have.”

“Oh? You don’t know what kind of research methods I’ve done behind the scenes, Acting Grand Sage. You’ve no idea how many men and women I’ve kissed for the sake of research.

Alhaitham frowned. If you were provoking him, then you sure did prove yourself to be far more successful than you thought. Something about the thought of you mingling with others left a sense of dread within Alhaitham and he could not stomach it. He took your coat by the hand and yanked you down, “I’m willing to strike those words from the record if you quit these methods.”

“Bribing the researcher now? That’s rich.” You leaned back in, and gave his nose a peck. “Though I don’t particularly mind. I like you anyway.”

He refused to lose to the likes of you and yet here you are already staking your claim over him with a confident smile, he huffed, “Make it worth my while then.”

You closed the gap between your lips with a hum.

“I certainly will.”

“Hey, Alhaitham you jerk! I need to—!”

For the second time, Kaveh’s inappropriate timing had struck, entering the office as the lift arrived at the very top. He bustled in with a fuming look, only to stop dead in his tracks at such a scandalous sight. And this time, it wasn’t even remotely indicative in nature like the last. Here was his stoic roommate, legs spread wide with you in between them, lips barely leaving each other as you both turned to him.

Kaveh can only hope that this is the last time he catches you two alone in a room… lest he finds an even more unflattering scene on the third time.

Because in this case, the third time is most definitely not the charm.

#i swear i’m not late because i was playing honkai and got so weak for the girls #i also swear i’m not weak because i spent an entire day looking at blade #hsr when ugh #genshin impact x male reader #alhaitham x male reader #alhaitham x gender neutral reader #jhuzen’s stupid one shots

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fatalism-and-villainy · 7 months

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More thoughts about the dynamic I talked about here:

It’s telling that the way Abigail engages with Hannibal re: Nick Boyle’s death is very different from the way she engages with Will about it (and by extension, that the way Hannibal engages with Will about GJH’s death is very different from how he engages with Abigail about Nick Boyle’s death).

That is to say, Hannibal’s initial, outward response to Abigail killing Nick Boyle is primarily disapproval - foregrounding what she’s most trying to conceal about herself, and positioning himself as a moral authority who’s making a considerable sacrifice to protect her:

Hannibal: This isn’t self-defense, Abigail. You butchered him. Abigail: I didn’t. Hannibal: They will see what you did. And they will see you as an accessory to the crimes of your father. Abigail: I wasn’t. Hannibal: I can help you, if you ask me to. At great risk to my career and my life. You have a choice. You can tell them you were defending yourself when you gutted this man. Or we can hide the body. (1.3)

Later, he changes tack and allows that Abigail did do the right thing and that self-defense is an excusable motive:

Abigail: You’re glad I killed him. Hannibal: What would be the alternative? That he kill you? (1.3)

And:

Abigail: In the dream, I wonder how I could live with myself, knowing what I did. Hannibal: And when you’re awake? Abigail: When I’m awake, I know I can live with myself. And I know I’ll just get used to what I did. Does that make me a sociopath? Hannibal: No. It makes you a survivor. (1.4)

This change in approach is partly by design, I think - his more condemnatory initial approach impresses on Abigail the worst possible interpretation of her actions (and hints at the fact that he can see through the front she’s putting up), in order to get her to trust him, and then gradually he starts to show qualified approval and emphasize her agency to move behind her father’s influence. And his emphasis on self-defense in their conversation at the end of Potage serves as a way of deflecting Abigail’s sharp inference that he might be a serial killer. But he consistently only approves of Abigail committing murder in utilitarian terms, rather than emphasizing any satisfaction Abigail might have gotten from it.

And the person who does validate that for her is, of course, Will, when they compare notes on killing her father vs. killing Nick Boyle:

Abigail: I thought there was something wrong with me, because I didn’t feel ugly when I killed Nick Boyle. I felt good. That’s why it was so easy to lie about it. Will: Like you didn’t do anything wrong. Abigail: Feel like you’d done something wrong when you killed my dad? Will: I felt terrified. And then… I felt powerful. Abigail: It felt good. To get to end it, to stop it all. (1.12)

They’re both nodding so vigorously by the end of that exchange, just fully understanding in that moment how the other is feeling. And significantly, Hannibal doesn’t set himself up as someone with whom she can unload those feelings on, or find that kind of understanding with! Obviously he doesn’t want to go mask-off about being a serial killer immediately, but he doesn’t even drop any hints with about the appeal of murder; and meanwhile with Will, where he’s got all his “it’s beautiful, in its own way” and “killing must feel good to God” and “not flesh and blood but light and air and colour” lines. Aside from his initial intimation that she had darker motives, his approach with Abigail is mostly affirming her best qualities, suggesting she’s not like her father and that she had no choice but to kill Nick Boyle. And Will ends up being the one to affirm Abigail’s darker qualities.

And, well - my sense of why Hannibal takes this approach is that he was hoping for exactly that. He wanted Abigail to go to Will with those feelings, to be drawn to Will because he offered a potential source of a specific kind of validation and understanding that she wasn’t getting from Hannibal - and thus, for Abigail to help draw out Will’s murderous impulses in turn. Just as he used the prospect of protecting Abigail to push Will’s sense of ethics a little bit farther out. They were both the bait, for each other.

#hannibal meta #abigail hobbs #hannibal lecter #will graham #hannibal #my meta #hannibal talk #there was some group chat discussion awhile back about how hannibal intended to make the murder family happen #before his hand was forced in putting will in prison #and while i'm sure he was playing it by ear #in terms of revealing himself and pushing the others into a place where they could accept him #i do think a lot of his plan relied on using abigail to bridge the gap between will's s1 ethics and what hannibal wanted for him

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bella-goths-wife · 1 year

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Murder at the frat party

Evil trio x reader

The four of you arrived to a cheap motel after the train ride. They reassured you that the cullens wouldn’t reach you and it would be safe, that and the weather was going to be nice and they couldn’t risk sparkling.

Victoria and James decided it would be best to be separated for the night so she could stay with you in a different room. They knew that you wouldn’t go back to the cullens but they couldn’t risk you running.

You felt yourself begin to grow thirsty as you pondered wether or not animals would be close by. You hated hurting and killing animals, they were innocent creatures and didn’t deserve it.

“Your getting thirsty aren’t you?” Victoria asks with a giggle, you nod “don’t worry, we’ll be heading out as soon as it gets darker”

“Where will we go?” You ask curiously

“We’ll walk around until we can find some kind of group we can feed off” she says casually as she starts to put away the clothes she had In her large hand bag

“How do you get them to follow you?” You questioned

“Good old seduction” Victoria says while posing dramatically “speaking of, we need to find you a new outfit”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” You ask, not fully comfortable with dressing in front of someone

Victoria sighs as she eyes your pink sporting outfit with thrills on the sleeves and bows

“It’s a bit childish” she confesses “your a three hundred year old vampire, not a thirteen year old princess”

“I never really liked pink” you confessed “Rosalie usually chooses my outfits”

“Well that’s going to change” Victoria says with a smile “your an adult, you can choose your own sense of style”

“That sounds nice” you smile at the idea of the independence

“Give me one second and I’ll find us an outfit” she says as she heads out the door in the shaded area of the motel

You pondered where she went, she couldn’t go shopping it was way to light. As soon as you zoned out to think about it, Victoria returned with two suitcases with the names ‘Haley’ and ‘Chrissy’ labelled on them.

“You get Chrissy, she’s the same size as you” Victoria says as she puts the bag on the bed and opens it “Who leaves their bags outside a motel?”

“Won’t you get in trouble?” You ask hesitantly

“Probably” Victoria says with a playful grin “but who cares”

You both dig through the suitcases and Victoria gleefully chooses while your stumped. You don’t remember the last time you picked an outfit, the last time you did corsets were still mandatory.

“Having trouble?” Victoria asks as she ventures to your bed, you nod confused “want help?”

“Yes please” you sigh out

Victoria pulled stuff out and asked your opinion before putting it in a yes and no pile. It was refreshing that she didn’t immediately choose for you and actually asked you opinion.

“What about this?” She asked as she pulled out a cute top, you nodded and she smiled at your approval “it might be a bit big, do you mind trying it on for me?”

You shifted uncomfortably for a few seconds at the thought of changing in front of her. Victoria notices and gives you a comforting look

“I can turn around if you want?” She offers gently

“No, it’s fine” you reassure as you lift your shirt above your head.

Victoria double takes after a moment. That’s when she noticed what was hidden under your top. Your chest was layered in multiple bandages that binded your chest down forcefully.

“Why do you wear them?” She asks carefully as you look at her confused

“Esme said that girls as young as me wear these all the time” you said confused

Victoria felt realisation hit her. The reason you looked so long wasn’t your doing, it was theirs. They had tried to keep you in a prepubescent body to make you look more childlike. They were sick

“Aren’t you uncomfortable?” She asks while looking at the back of the bandages which were being held together by pins that went through your skin.

“I used to be” you confessed “but it’s not as bad since I don’t have to breathe and my skin heals around the pins, it hurts when I take it off though”

“This isn’t what you should be wearing” Victoria informed “you should be wearing a bra”

“What’s a bra?” You questioned

Victoria answers the question by rooting through the suitcase and finding a black bra that she guessed was your size. She then carefully takes off the bandages before turning around and talking you through putting the bra on.

“This is more comfortable” you confessed

“Not for long” Victoria jokes as she looks at the outfit the two of you assembled together “here, I’ll help you put this on”

(This is the outfit I envisioned but you can change it any way you want, this is just what I see)

“You two are looking nice” Laurent remarks as he and James enter your room

“Looking hot babe” James compliments Victoria as he kisses her forehead and she giggles, you envy them slightly

“So where are we hunting tonight?” Laurent asks impatiently, clearly thirsty

“Well some little bird called Chrissy was tweeting about some frat party in the lobby earlier” Victoria suggests as the four of you make your way out the room

“Are we sure that’s the best place for this one to start?” Laurent questions as he motions to you “these frats can be awfully aggressive and handsy”

“She’s not a child” Victoria chimes in “we shouldn’t treat her like one, she’s a grown woman who can easily kill anyone who goes too far”

Victoria looks at you for backup and you nod, assuring them that you’d be fine

“Well if your sure” Laurent sighs before looking at you calmly “just remember to come to us if someone is pushy”

You nod with a smile, your opinion mattered with this group. You’d never felt like that before, they valued your consent

You arrived at the fraternity, beta something. There were red solo cups lining the garden and passed out people on the porch. Music blared from speakers as the four of you headed inside.

Victoria grabbed you hand and took you to get a drink

“Can we even get drunk?” You asked doubtfully as Victoria handed you a drink

“Only if we drink a lot” she says as she pours an extra large dosage in your cup “we have a higher tolerance”

You nod as you spot james and Laurent talking to some girls, you tug on Victorias sleeve to get her attention and she giggles

“He’s just getting dinner” she reassures “we’ll have to do the same”

“I don’t think I can ‘seduce’ people” you said self consciously

“Your a beautiful girl, they’ll be tripping over themselves to talk to you” she comforts as she spots a boy approaching you and wiggles her eyebrows “speaking of, I’ll let you two talk”

Victoria walks away and the boy comes up to you with a playful grin

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing here alone?” He asks and you freeze before remembering what you read in Victorias magazine earlier

“Looking for company” you try to say confidently but it came out slightly stiff, he didn’t care as he laughed

“Is that so?” He ask with a grin “me too”

You fake a giggle but it comes out high pitched and you wince. You turn your head slightly in embarrassment before seeing James staring at you

“Be careful” he whispers out so that only your vampiric hearing could pick up on it “he’s putting something in your drink”

You turn back to the boy and he’s slipping his hand in his pocket and looking at you innocently. You hearing picks up on the sound of sizzling from something dissolving in your drink. The boy just makes conversation with you as you wonder what to do

“Lead him to a secluded bedroom” James whispers advice “and then make your kill”

You gave a slight nod and grab the boys hand who looks at you confused.

“Follow me” you command as you start to walk with his hand in yours “let’s take this to a more intimate setting”

The boy excitedly follows as you use your hearing to find an empty bedroom. When you find one you drag him inside and close and lock the door.

“Your so fucking hot” he crudely says as you approach and he goes to kiss you. You dodge his kiss and put your mouth on his neck. He assumed that you were giving him a hickey “fuck yes”

You feel his pulse quicken as you dug your fangs into his fragile neck. You place your hand over his mouth to silence his cries of agony as your yellow eyes slowly turned red as you gulped down his fresh, fearful blood.

You always felt guilty after drinking from animals, they were innocent beings who didn’t deserve it. But some humans did deserve the cruelty of your fangs

His body dropped to the ground when you were done and you turned to find your three new friends staring at you in amusement.

Victoria throws her arms around you and hugs you

“You’ve get me feeling all proud like a big sister” she gushes as she helps you wipe blood from your blood

“Congrats kid” James says with a smile as he watches his mate fuss over you

They truly made you feel like you Belonged and even though they used child like pet names they treated you like an adult.

“Welcome to the club” Victoria says gleefully while she hugs you “little sis”

For the first time that nickname doesn’t breed disgust in your chest, instead you feel joy.

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smoments · 9 months

Text

✧ part 13: memories of a stranger // a satosugu reincarnation au

❝ let's meet again, for the first time. ❞

╰┈➤ in which 19-year old gojo satoru happens upon a stranger at a cafe who speaks his name with a kind of softness and familiarity that satoru’s sure he’s heard before.

➽ chapter 13: for the life of us

Satoru makes it to Suguru’s apartment in record time - and he’s sure he looks absolutely unhinged racing down the street like he’s at risk of being murdered, but it’s all more than worth it once he’s standing in front of the elevator door to his complex after entering alongside an older man who initially looked like he was about to dive into a rant about how little elegance youth possessed nowadays, but softened the second Satoru held the door open for him with a fetching smile plastered on his face and offered him a brief, approving nod.

Satoru is just glad he didn’t have to use any alternative means to infiltrate the building. Unfortunately, as soon as he takes the elevator up - he remembers Suguru telling him once told him how it was always perfectly toasty at home even during winter, because he lived on the ninth floor - he realizes he’s never been over, and therefore has not the slightest idea what his apartment number is. He doesn’t waste any time reflecting on this minor hiccup, though, and instead gets to knocking on each door in numerical order. He’s been yelled at by three different people before he realizes that he can just ask the woman in the lobby, who looked like she wasn’t paid enough to care about the privacy of the people in the building anyway.

“Please. It’s kind of an emergency.”

(It turned out that the protection of your residents wasn’t contingent on how fed up with your job you appeared to be).

“And what is your relationship to…” she searches her memory for the name, eyes flicking to the ceiling disinterestedly. “this Geto Suguru?”

“Um. I’m his brother. Our parents gave us the same initials, you know? Thought it was cute. And I wanted to surprise him for his birthday, but he went out of town to visit his ex’s pet monkey, because apparently that matters more to him than our relationship as siblings. But I told him- I was like, you never even liked that thing, you always said it was filthy-“

She gives him an incredibly affronted look (he’s not sure why, unless she also owns a pet monkey), and delicately pushes a sheet of paper across the desk with two ring-adorned fingers.

“God, okay, it’s fine. Just go.”

He grins. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Once he’s singled out Suguru’s apartment number amongst the long list of names typed up neatly on the sheet, he returns to the correct floor and knocks twice on 906. Though all this weaseling might’ve tired out a more shameful person, it’s exactly what Satoru needed to lift his mood, and he feels far calmer than he did just ten minutes ago as he waits outside the door and wonders whether this will convince Suguru of his unending devotion.

Nothing.

He tries again; three quick, loud raps of his fist against the wood.

“Suguru?” He calls through the door. “Let me in?”

When several long moments pass without a response, he furrows his brow, turning away to look down the long hallway and running a swift hand through his hair that catches at his scalp. He tugs lightly in hopes of bringing a semblance of an idea to the surface; racks his brain for a logical explanation as to where Suguru could have gone.

And then, it occurs to him.

Satoru nearly keels over when he finally arrives at the park, his palms balancing against the rough fabric of his dark jeans as he takes a second to catch his breath.

He straightens, a hint of worry weighing at his chest when he considers that he might have it all wrong - that he might not know Suguru as well as he’d like to think.

That he might have some other place closer to his heart, one he frequents regularly for his nightly rendezvous with some other customer whose paintings he features in.

Then, he realizes that’s ridiculous. Satoru is as good as irreplaceable.

And it helps that he’s just caught a glimpse of Suguru, too, seated on that very same bench with his face in his hands and his knees slightly spread. Satoru wishes he had an umbrella so he could recreate that night and maybe get a laugh out of him - though it probably wouldn’t be as dramatic given that the sun is glaringly bright overhead, blanketing each of the park’s glossy metal structures in a pure, blinding light that almost hurts to look at.

Satoru makes his way over, his strides confident but his hands tucked into his pockets in an unintentional show of uncertainty. He takes a silent seat next to Suguru and feels him instantly tense up, making his heart sink.

Before he can lose his nerve, he forcefully reminds himself how little reaction he’s managed to draw out of him lately, and hope flutters in his chest, a meek, wavering sensation. Perhaps this is a good sign.

When Suguru lifts his head and lowers his hands, Satoru is fully prepared to see irritation displayed on his face, but instead, he appears drained somehow, his features faintly downturned.

Satoru takes a careful, shaky breath in and tries not to think about what might happen if he screws up again.

“I… I’m an artist because I’m arrogant.”

He doesn’t look at Suguru when he speaks, but he sees his movement still in his peripheral vision.

“I want to create something that lasts even after I’m gone. I want to influence people. I want to shape the way they think- or at least open their minds to something different. I want… I need to believe that even something straight from my brain is worth looking at.”

He clears his throat after he’s finished, staring fixedly at the ground between his knees. He usually sits cross-legged, but today he finds Suguru’s posture more familiar, more comforting. The man next to him remains silent, his expression contemplative.

“So? Selfish enough reason for you?”

A soft exhale of laughter from Suguru warms Satoru’s chest from the inside out.

“You make it sound like I was just asking you to feel better about myself.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to jump to conclusions if you’d just explained yourself in the first place.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

Satoru chances a glance over at him and sees that he’s resting his chin in his hand, his gaze mildly thoughtful.

“So? Care to explain why you stormed away like that?”

Suguru’s forehead pinches in discomfort. He rubs at his temple with his fingers as though trying to clear away some invisible mark and lets out a pent-up, frustrated sigh.

Then, the words tumble out of him, quick and slightly urgent.

“Don’t you think it’s weird how most people will go their whole lives without actually living?”

Satoru watches him silently as he speaks before turning away and pressing his hands together in thought.

“You’re gonna have to break that one down for me.”

“Well, maybe it’s different for you. You’re a genius. You have practically everything figured out already.” For the first time, a hint of bitterness seeps into Suguru’s voice, an underlying resentment. “And what have I done? I’ll be finished with school in a few years. I’m going to graduate, and then I’m going to get a probably shitty, meaningless job, and every day I’ll wait till it’s over so I can go home and do other shitty, meaningless things that make me hate everything a little bit less until I have to go back to work the next day. God, can you imagine? And it’s what most people do, too. I think that’s the most sickening part- that we’re all just okay with it.”

He swallows, and the irritation drains from his face, replaced by a new exhaustion.

“But you… What you do, it’s so clearly rewarding for you, you know? I can tell just by watching you paint.”

Satoru doesn’t reply that perhaps it isn’t the painting process he likes so much as the subject. “So…” he starts slowly. “Because I’m in such an unconventional line of study, I won’t ever understand the struggles that normal, everyday, 9-5 people face. But… why are you assuming that whatever you do is going to be something you hate?”

“Because I’m not like you, Satoru.”

Suguru’s answer, soft and vulnerable, is a stab of hurt straight into his heart. He shakes his head quickly and keeps talking, his voice heightening with insistence.

“Do you hate working at the cafe?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“See? There’s one thing. Did you hate being my model?”

Suguru gives him a skeptical smirk.

“That was charity work.”

“Look at that face! I bet people would pay you for it, too. Did you hate hanging out with me and Megumi?”

“That’s not even slightly related to work, Satoru!” He protests, an incredulous burst of laughter escaping his lips before he can stop it. Satoru grins too, but then he lowers his voice, lets solemnity envelop it.

“Suguru. You’re the type of person who doesn’t need meaning to exist in whatever you’re doing, because you can find it for yourself. Aren’t you the weirdo who paid for a stranger’s hot chocolate? That’s pretty damn philanthropic, if you ask me. But most people don’t realize that stuff like that has significance in it, too.”

“Well. You were never a stranger, Satoru.”

“True. And I’m dashingly good-looking, so that helps garner sympathy. But it’s, like… you think too little of yourself sometimes. It would help if you were more like me. Because there’s a lot of things I can imagine you doing with your life, but not a single one of them is meaningless .”

Suguru is listening intently now, his eyebrows drawn together. He responds slowly, falteringly, as if giving Satoru time to change his mind.

“Really?”

“Definitely,” he replies confidently. “I think in every life, you’re doing something that matters to you, because that’s just how you are.”

His heart aches with a faint sense of loss as soon as the words leave his mouth, and he suddenly finds it difficult to meet Suguru’s gaze, so he looks instead to the sky- clear and blue.

Having put it into words, there’s something about Suguru that he’s beginning to understand. His sense of justice, his insistence that every event must have some deeper significance to it, his longing for meaning , it’s a frighteningly deadly double-edged sword - and he’s almost certain that it’s also what pushed Suguru to walk away from him the first time. It’s always been the same principle, hasn’t it? The same conundrum. It was just that before, the thing he found meaning in had to end with his death at Satoru’s hands.

But having experienced a semblance of that life already, Satoru understands the enormity of what is at risk.

And he will not lose Suguru twice.

Suguru nods slowly, his eyes falling shut in a sweet, slightly bashful smile that feels achingly familiar and entirely new all at once.

“Thanks, Satoru.”

Satoru grins back at him, clasping his shoulder with a firm hand and letting it linger there for a second as his palm absorbs the warmth of Suguru’s body. “No more ditching, right? I’m supposed to be the bad influence in this relationship.”

Suguru rolls his eyes, but Satoru doesn’t sense any irritation behind the action.

“Let’s take it day by day, why don’t we?”

“What the hell is this?”

“Man, I don’t know, just put it in the thing.”

Once he’d come down from the rush of stress that propelled him through their conversation, Satoru remembered that Shoko had been holding out at the gallery for his sake and was immediately struck with guilt. So, after showering her with gratitude and escorting her home against her wishes, the two of them organized a shopping spree for the following day to put together a little gift for her - Suguru’s involvement came at his own insistence, as he felt that the whole thing was mostly his fault.

And although he definitely owes both of them now, he also feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest.

He’s not sure what it is about Satoru’s words that have the ability to put him at such ease, but he’s already slept through the night without interruption (in other words, without tossing and turning for hours before giving up and lying silently in bed with his gaze fixed dismally on the ceiling in a weak attempt to fell the sense of panic stirring in his chest). It was a most welcome development, even if he did finally come to his senses when he awoke and was struck with a wave of crippling embarrassment.

Why did he have to be so disgustingly honest about his emotions? How humiliating. He should’ve just stayed quiet- at least he’d still have his pride that way.

And how did Satoru know just what to say to quell his worries?

And how could he have let himself become so sleep deprived that he didn’t even register the awkwardness of his actions until a day later?

He’s especially grateful for Satoru’s easy-going nature when they meet up after a morning of him stressing out and he realizes that nothing has really changed in his behavior, aside from a touch more cautiousness. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if Satoru of all people abruptly went silent and judgy and started treating him like he had an infectious disease (which was what emotional vulnerability sometimes felt like to him).

“I’m not entirely sure whether Shoko is interested in this kind of stuff.”

Satoru peers down at the object now laying at the bottom of the white basket - an adorable little humidifier in the shape of a beige cat - and breaks into an irrepressible grin.

“How can she not be?! It’s literally the cutest thing ever! And one time she said her skin gets dry, remember?”

Suguru purses his lips. “I don’t recall, but if you’re sure she’ll like it. Oh - how about food?”

“Covered! I told her I’d buy her Taco Bell too.” Satoru explains proudly.

“Taco Bell? That was the first thing that came to your mind?”

“Rude! You weren’t complaining that time we went and you devoured all our little cinnamon donut holes. Which I ordered, by the way.”

Suguru averts his eyes, a tinge of pink coloring his cheeks.

“That was because I had no other choice. Fine, get the gift card.”

“Should I do the plain one with the bell or the rainbow one? Hey, they have a holiday edition out now, too-“

“She’s not eating the gift card, Satoru.” Suguru replies sarcastically, but shifts his gaze to just above Satoru’s shoulder as he leans down in front of the row anyway. “The rainbow one.”

“Right?! Okay - they have chips two aisles down. Also, does she like stuffed animals?”

“Yeah, I think she has one of those,” Suguru replies, pointing to an array of feather-soft plushies lined up near the checkout desk with a hand tucked into his pocket. His gaze turns thoughtful as he appraises the display. “Hey, speaking of which - when I went home last night, the woman in the lobby gave me a dirty look. Asked me… what I had against monkeys?”

Satoru freezes at his words and turns away from the stuffed animals haltingly, stifling a snort of laughter.

“Oh… I wonder. Might be a personal issue, you know? I wouldn’t dig too deep.”

#jjk #satosugu #archive of our own #coffee shop au #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #alternate universe #geto suguru #gojo satoru #crying screaming throwing up #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen au

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pocketramblr · 2 years

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5 gc game: au where Izuku is Iida's cousin

1- Hiromi Midoriya, Inko's older sister, marries Tenari Iida, and has a son Tensei, who's the pride of the family. When Tensei is six, and Inko is sixteen, her and Hiromi's parents die, leading her to move in with her older sister's family while she finishes high school and gets started in college. That's when Inko decides she wants to have a kid one day too.

2- Inko marries Hisashi and has Izuku, and is delighted when her sister has another kid around the same time too. Little Izuku and Tenya are practically raised together for the first few years with how often they visit each other. But the Iidas... Don't quite love that, not exactly approving of Hisashi, and the gets worse after Izuku is found too be quirkless. They pressure Tenari to pull his family away, and he is convinced and Hiromi unsure if she can stop it- but Tensei, now the star debut hero Ingenium and the future of the family, puts his foot down in defense of his aunt and cousin.

3- Tenya and Izuku do end up around each other less anyway as they end up attending different primary schools- Tenya is sent to an expensive private one that Inko and Hisashi can't afford (and won't let Tensei pay for). But still, they are close, and see each other weekly at least. Tenya was honestly unsure and nervous about Izuku being a hero at first, but Tensei smiled and said that he knows Izuku can do it because he's kind, cool, and smart, and he's seen plenty of different types of heroes at Idaten. Tenya knows Tensei can never be wrong, so obviously Izuku and he can be heroes together!

(and if Tensei was just saying that to make a five year old kid not cry, well. That's his business)

4- Izuku doesn't tell Tenya about the bullying. Tenya doesn't tell Izuku that he wants to be an Idaten hero even if that means they don't work together. That puts some stress on them, but that's mostly what they worry about when on their own, forgetting their troubles when they train together.

Uh. Izuku also does not tell Tenya about OfA, which means the exam goes from excitement that they were in the same zone together to panicked as Tenya's cousin apparently explodes himself

5- the two of them don't hide that they're cousins in class, though neither bring up Tensei or Idaten except with each other. That changes very suddenly after the SF, both flooded with condolences. Izuku's grieving a lot himself, and he's furious at Stain, but he's spent too many years being told he's weak to have the misguided belief that he's strong enough to take him down himself. He knows what Tenya is thinking though, and as soon as he sees him put down "Manual", he panics.

Izuku doesn't even have an offer from Idaten with Tensei in the hospital, but he knows he has to stop Tenya. So he contacts Manual, apologizes, and asks if he could have an internship with his cousin. Manual, somewhere between pushover and people pleaser that he is, agrees.

All Might then shows up with the letter from Gran, and Izuku knows he should focus on OFA but... His cousin needs him. And he already agreed to go to Manual. All Might isn't sure if he feels relief or more stress, and passes that on to Torino.

This has the effect of:

Tenya very upset at his cousin not leaving him alone

Manual relieved that Izuku is not also there for vengeance, which lasts about half an hour until an old hero, Gran Torino, walks into his agency and announces he's here to help train both boys

Manual drags Gran out after the first hour of training to ask him what the hell he's doing, and Gran explains two things: one, he is the single most qualified person to teach Izuku to not blow up his bones, and two, he might also be the single most qualified person to keep Tenya from running out on a suicide vengeance quest, since he had to do that before with an even stronger, pissed off and broken hearted hero student. Manual throws his hands up and decides to roll with it, especially as they can hear Izuku in the other room trying to physically stop Tenya from escaping.

#ask game #oh many thoughts #huh. gran WAS the most qualified for both those kids that week. shame about the nomus throwing a wrench into that #at the beginning of this ask the two are cute children playing heroes and infodumping at each other with much excitement #at the end of this ask they are throwing multiple punches at each other and Izuku is DEFINITELY cussing Tenya out #they love each other equally throughout. cousins :)#no rly this ask made me think about a couple family members which was nice :)#anon #pocket talks to people #long post #oh Hiromi has the kanji for 'large bird' in her name to contrast Inko's 'parakeet'#and she can repel objects where inko attracts them

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liminalwings · 10 months

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DMBR - Seeking Dragons: Connecting to Dragon Energy and Magick

Author: Virginia Chandler

Book Link

"The most honest, down-to-earth Dragon Magic book on the market. Great for those just starting a dragon path, and a breath of fresh air for those who have already been practicing for several years. This book draws from draconic lore around the world to create a personal system working with dragon archetypes, so does not fall into the trap of other works that presents Unverified Personal Gnosis as some sort of Universal Truth, nor does she make bold claims of a false ‘historic authenticity’ like certain others; the author states clearly that your path will likely not end up looking like her own path presented here as you develop your practice.

This book is very much meant as a thoughtful springboard and introduction to working with dragons and becoming familiar with their energies. Out of the handful of dragon magic books currently on the market, this is the first one I would be comfortable recommending to beginners, as no matter your view on the nature of draconic existence, much of what is presented in here can be applied just as well. "

From the author of Year of the Magickal Dragon, which I've reviewed previously and gave lukewarm approval to (compared to other dragon magic books which tend to run mostly tepid). From the start, Chandler makes it very clear that she is offering a system of working that is, one, based on her own developed path rather than trying to claim a false historic legitimacy or universal truth, and two, is very clearly once again utilizing draconic archetypes. I'm not an archetypal kind of witch but it can definitely have its place and use, and a lot of practice suggestions in this book can be applied to non-archetypal beings as well. She also says plainly that a lot of the practices she presents are just how she does things and that your path, as you use her examples as a springboard, may end up looking very different as you practice; there is no 'this is how it absolutely must be'. As such it goes without saying that with how much personal leeway there is given and the fact that you're working with archetypes, there is little-to-no 'dragons are like this' or other similar absolute statements about the nature of dragons; dragons, in this system, are how you as the practitioner experience them. There is also no talk about Atlantis, multiple dimensions, Draconic Elemental Rulers/Universal Clan Leaders, or equating magic with quantum mechanics, thank gods. She does encourage readers to engage in some level of critical thinking and explore alternate ideas, though I do feel some of her alternate readings of dragon myths can be a slight stretch at times.

It should also be mentioned that her practice is influenced by Neo-Paganism, which is to say Wiccan-flavored, at least a little bit. The meditations included are very similar to the ones she gave in her previous book, and are probably the most rigid part of her work (personally not a fan, but that's okay). Also included are incense and oil recipes for various rituals, and she does make a point of basic health and safety practices (especially fire safety). There is both a 'recommended reading' AND citations, mostly for the lore she discusses with each archetype, but it's still nice to see. Warning though: two of her three recommendations for rune information (pertinent to her path as also taking Scandinavian influence) are by Edred Thorsson/Steven Flowers (of AFA affiliation).

If I had to be honest, a lot of this felt like if someone had managed to turn Tumblr’s collective dragon magic posts into a full-fledged book… with far more UPG than I've been comfortable sharing so far. I almost wish this had been available before Conway's works, and might even deign to make this my first 'recommended book' for those new to working with dragons, instead of my usual stance of "they're all crap." Do I think it's perfect? Well, no. But it's the closest Llewellyn has gotten so far.

#dmbr #sal writes things #dragon magic #dragon witch #dragon work #Dragon Magic Book Reviews

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luckystarchild · 8 months

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Most of the time kuwabara's love for yukina seemed very superficial to me, I don't really know the concept of love at first sight but it clearly looked like kuwabara simply liked her because she looked pretty?! Ofc falling for a girl because she looks pretty is not a bad thing but if yukina looked more yokai like and resembled even a bit like hiei there's no way kuwabara would've gone out of his way to rescue her in the first place he might even say she reminds him of a certain someone and stayed at home.

People really think kuwabara's love for yukina is pure and selfless but there's nothing selfless about his love for her. He's nice to her because he likes her and wants to become her lover. Being nice to person you like is also not a bad thing but it does not give you the right to treat other girls like crap because they're not the one you like. kuwabara does this in the manga, anime and even in the live action.

The way he puts yukina on a pedestal and act like the other girls matter very little to him is not really a knight in shining armour kind of a thing.

Kuwabara is a not a great guy, he's just a goof ball who's a sucker for yukina's good looks. He might be attracted to her personality as well but who knows how he will react if yukina were to be rude to him like hiei?! Will he still be attracted to her?

I'm not saying that kuwabara is bad guy but he's not really the perfect down to earth good guy of the group either.

I see where you're coming from with a lot of this. Allow me to offer a few additional thoughts to chew on.

One can definitely argue Kuwabara's "love at first sight" was triggered by Yukina's looks, but something else likely furthered his instantaneous feelings for her: his psychic powers. Before they even meet in person, he gets in her head and sees her past while trying to rescue her. He witnesses her memories of her escape attempts and the way she was tortured. He gets a first-row seat into her trauma, and that triggered a depth of empathy for Yukina that turned a crush into what appears to be "love at first sight."

But here's the thing: Information and intimacy are not the same thing.

Kuwabara received a bunch of information about Yukina when he saw her memories, but that doesn't mean he shares emotional intimacy with her. Alas, Kuwabara (being an inexperienced teenage boy) doesn't understand the difference. To him, his feelings of love/like/lust + his knowledge of Yukina likely make him feel like they share a deep bond of true love.

But to Yukina, Kuwabara likely seems like a stranger. A nice, kind stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. She didn't share his memories in return, after all. She has neither information nor intimacy.

(And this take on her lack of feelings for Kuwabara is supported in canon. Throughout the series, we see her react to his overtures with confusion, not reciprocation or affection. She outright runs away from him in the final chapter when he tries to connect with her.)

But Kuwabara isn't being malicious with his feelings of unearned intimacy. To him, I'd argue that intimacy likely feels very real. His experience within her memories was real. It happened; he saw them; he felt how she felt in her darkest hour. But he's so young, and so inexperienced, I don't think he has the perspective to realize that what he received was information, not intimacy. He lacks the perspective to see the difference.

With that in mind, I don't think I can call Kuwabara a bad person, or even "not a great guy," for chasing after Yukina like he does. I think he's the beating human heart of Team Urameshi, and the most down to earth dude in the bunch. But he's still a teenage boy in the end, and his youth and inexperience led him (as youth and inexperience have led us all) to making some less-than-stellar choices. I can't really blame him for that, even if I don't approve of it.

I agree that if he'd known Yukina was Hiei's sister, or if she'd had a different personality type, or if she wasn't as pretty, his feelings about her might have been completely different. An entire "what if" fic about how his thoughts on her would change based on minor differences in his knowledge would be very, very interesting, that's for sure.

#yyh #yu yu hakusho #yukina #kazuma kuwabara #kuwabara #kuwabara kazuma

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vickyvicarious · 1 year

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It was in the latter end of August that I departed, to pass two years of exile. Elizabeth approved of the reasons of my departure, and only regretted that she had not the same opportunities of enlarging her experience, and cultivating her understanding. She wept, however, as she bade me farewell, and entreated me to return happy and tranquil. "We all," said she, "depend upon you; and if you are miserable, what must be our feelings?"

1818

It was in the latter end of September that I again quitted my native country. My journey had been my own suggestion, and Elizabeth, therefore, acquiesced: but she was filled with disquiet at the idea of my suffering, away from her, the inroads of misery and grief. It had been her care which provided me a companion in Clerval—and yet a man is blind to a thousand minute circumstances, which call forth a woman's sedulous attention. She longed to bid me hasten my return,—a thousand conflicting emotions rendered her mute as she bade me a tearful silent farewell.

1831

One last comparison from today's chapter - and it's another 'let's remove nuance from Elizabeth to make her more of a caring/supportive woman figure' change!

In 1818, when Victor leaves, she thinks he has a good idea (remember his reasoning was to see more of the world before settling down to married life) and wishes she could do the same. A small moment, but one that ties into feminist themes regarding the difference between treatment of/expectations for men and women. This also reminds me of Safie and Felix; she was quite well traveled, but when moving about under her own power could only go straight to seek a man who would offer her refuge. She also needed to be taught by Felix, including geography which definitely struck me as pretty condescending given her background and a clunky way of ensuring the Creature would know where he was going. Finally, Elizabeth ends by crying and worrying about Victor, leaving him on a question. Not only does that emphasize the uncertainty surrounding his own actions, and even the entire narrative of the novel - it also is phrased in a way to exacerbate his feelings of responsibility towards his family. And of course, thus his failures to meet said responsibilities. If he is miserable, what must be their feelings = their feelings depend upon him, and his failure to be happy/finish things with the Creature manifestly makes life worse for them. Not that I'm saying Elizabeth is intending anything but to express concern, but the way she does so ties in well with ongoing themes and weights on Victor's mind.

In 1831, Elizabeth's reaction is changed dramatically. It might not seem so at first, given that she worries about him in both versions, but let me explain. Rather than considering his reasoning and deeming it worthwhile, this Elizabeth simply agrees to the trip because Victor chose it himself. In 1818 Victor that would have been more of a sign of him coming out of his shell and taking charge or his own life, but since 1831 Victor has already been more consistently doing so, this reaction doesn't read that way. Instead it gives a more passive "well, I trust you, dear" kind of meek wife vibe to me. Similarly, this Elizabeth doesn't spare a single thought for her own desires outside of worrying for Victor; in losing that we lose the feminist angle. She is worried about him suffering away from her, and so provides him another companion, but even then worries because Clerval as a man could never be as dedicated to Victor's needs as she is as a woman. Elizabeth has nothing on her mind but taking care of Victor. She still cried this time, but instead of asking Victor to take care of himself, she instead begs him to return to her soon. This also emphasizes the romantic relationship between them, especially given that in 1818 she doesn't seem to mind him being gone multiple years, while in 1831 she's much more concerned about a trip planned to be less than a year. Finally, by losing Elizabeth's parting question we not only lose how it ties into all those themes of family/duty/failure... she also is literally silenced. She doesn't get a speaking line at all, doesn't get to wish she could travel too, doesn't do anything but worry over Victor and hope he comes home soon.

Not huge changes to the text, but I think it's a pretty decent impact on Elizabeth's character.

#frankenstein weekly #elizabeth lavenza #1818 vs 1831 #the timeline changes are apparently just to fix a slight discrepancy #so they don't really make a big difference

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makipedia · 2 years

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In the spirit of spooky season!

Vampire!Maki x Werewolf!Reader: Star-cross lovers or just the two butting heads with one another while undeniably falling in love with each other.

Vampire!Maki x Human!Reader: Maki is in need of some blood and Reader will be happy to offer some for a friend in need.

OOP OOP OOP OOP

THESE ARE BOTH GOOD IDEAS OMG TYSM ANON<33333

im rlly into the whole vampire maki and werewolf ykw im sayin??😏but also imagine reader WILLINGLY letting maki drink ur blood from ur thigh/neck 😻

shit i might do dat👀

fair warning: MAYBE SLIGHT mentions of nsfw idk just a tiny bit of nudity here (if u squint hard enough loll) :///, blood, and i think thats it lol, also some cursing, also mentions of reader liking pain and idk if i should classify that as masochism cuz there isnt REALLY any sex going on, but it IS suggested by the reader so idk lol

Vampire! Maki Zenin x Human! Reader-

Blood lust

Her patience was growing thinner and thinner with each passing second, like a child dancing on thin ice; bound to fall through the icy water which felt like a thousand knives stabbing you all around. Figuratively speaking, of course...

She hated that she had to act like a "normal person" around everyone else. She wished that humans didn't either believe vampires were real (even worse, believed they were real as a joke), or did believe they were real, and were against their existence. It drove her insane.

Her hunger was unimaginable to any homeless person. She'd lost count since she'd had deer's blood or cat. She was growing restless, there were a few times today where she'd almost slipped up about who she was in front of everybody at school today. She hated it.

And tonight, would be the night that she'd finally quench her thirst for human blood. The only thing that would satisfy her lust for blood, something much better than any animal had to offer.

...

Her cold breath ran across the skin of your thigh as she held them close to her face. The feeling of the ice cold breath against your skin made your own breath hitch, your chest fluttering up and down while a smile stretched itself across your face.

"Are you gonna do it? Or are you waiting for verbal human approval?" The words rolled off your tongue, as you'd been sitting here for the past five, or maybe 8 minutes while Maki had been sitting here, pondering on if she should take advantage of you like this. You were willing to give your blood (not to mention your own body as well) to her, so why is she hesitating? Is it because she's afraid of what it might do to your friendship? Or is she afraid that she'd go out of control and drink it all in one go?

"...Give me a minute. It's been a while since I've had human blood, moron" She mumbled before zooming in on your thigh, which smelled so amazing to her, she couldn't understand why she'd been waiting so long before this night.

You scoffed then chuckled, "You're just biting my thigh and drinking my blood from it, doesn't sound that difficult" Of course it didn't, not to you at least. You never knew how frustrating it was for Maki to be surrounded by humans and not being able to feed off of them until she was fat-bellied full.

She wrenched open her jaw and involuntarily sunk her teeth into your thigh, earning an embarrassingly high pitched moan from you. Her eyes blew open at the taste of your blood flooding her throat, her lips suction cupped themselves onto your thigh and drank more of your blood.

You don't know why, but the feeling of her mouth on your thigh made you feel a different kind of pleasure, more than what you'd normally get during those days.

Your moans turned to screams of pleasure as Maki kept sucking you dry of your blood, not once getting up to let you breathe for even a split second.

You reached your hand down to her silky green hair and pulled her up, leaving blood trailing down both sides of her mouth. She glanced over at you, who was breathless and grinning with a flushed face.

She swallowed the mouthful of blood before climbing up to reach your face. Your own blood dripped from her chin down onto your face as you wrapped your arms around her neck.

"Why did that feel good to you?"

"It just did"

You sighed blissfully as she traced her thumb down on the spot where she'd been feeding. She slightly frowned at your facial expression.

"Maki"

"Yes?"

You let out another sigh as her hand trailed up your leg and close to your core.

"Mark me. Make me yours, Maki, please"

She huffed as she slowly moved down to your pulsing neck, which was practically begging for her to sink her teeth into. Your hand snaked up and you laced your fingers through her hair.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

And that was all she needed, as she sunk her teeth into your neck and began drinking like her life depended on it, earning a high pitched scream from you.

That's what you get when you offer yourself to a vampire, y'know.

OOOOOPP

this turned out better than i expected but when i go back and read this, it might turn to shit but idgaf AAAEEAHH🤖

words: idk lol

TYSM ANON<333

hope u enjoyed! ily!! have a good night/day and stay safee!

-sincerely, lovelymaki

#maki zenin x reader #maki x reader #jujutsu kaisen #spooky season #maki zenin #jjk x you #idk if i should add the rest of the chars-#nobara kugisaki #itadori yuuji #fushiguro megumi #gojo satoru #nanami kento #inumaki toge #okkotsu yuta #idk lol

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canary0 · 1 year

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Aug 13th - Dracula 2023

The Diary of Mina Murray

It’s been so busy! I keep trying to sit down to write and something new comes up!

The most significant thing, of course, is that Jonathan and I were finally married fully and legally yesterday. Lucy and I finally finished getting everything together the day before, including the photographer. We posted an offer at a local art school, and found someone with an interesting style that’s not exactly typical wedding photography. Lucy thought we should go a little more traditional, but it suits us. We’re not exactly traditional ourselves.

We got married, as promised, up at the abbey ruins. Lucy’s former paramours showed up, Mr. Morris and Dr. Seward, and Mr. Holmwood even made an appearance. He looked quite tired – apparently he is dealing with wrapping up affairs of his father’s estate and title, though Lucy’s presence seemed to be of great comfort. Ms. Swales also made an appearance, as healthy and cheerful as she has ever been. She seemed to be feeling quite confident, though she would only give me a cagey smile when I asked what might have her in such a good mood.

Mr. Hawkins also appeared, since his gout isn’t giving him too many problems just at the moment. I can only hope the kind man is finally on the other side of it.

The ceremony was beautiful – we wrote each other vows in conjunction with a traditional CoE ceremony, and the sky was as blue and clear as it has ever been up at the abbey. The ruins of the ship served as an… interesting backdrop to it, as it is still being cleaned up and investigated.

We returned to the house for the reception, and it was lively with conversation. Lucy managed to sweet-talk a local baker into putting together a beautiful cake on short notice (as well as an invitation to come to the reception and have some, a move of which we both heartily approved). The meal was put together between Lucy and her mother, who insisted that, “I’m still well enough to do this.” As anxious as she is, Lucy certainly got her sweetness at least in part from her.

It was lovely to finally meet the men Lucy had written so much about, and the conversation with them was quite jovial, asking for stories of their adventures. Mr. Morris and Mr. Holmwood are apparently very old friends indeed, and picked up Dr. Seward during an adventure in Korea which threatened family he was visiting at the time. It sounded like quite a harrowing experience, but it forged three very different men into fast friends.

We did ask to speak to them in a few days, once Arthur returned from his father’s estate and the wedding hubbub has died down.

Ms. Swales came up to us during the reception, both be and Jonathan and Lucy together. She took all of our hands and told us how glad she was to be able to be here on this day, and how happy she was to have met us. She took a particular interest in Jonathan, frowning.

“Poor dear,” she said, “It looks like you’re dealing with a bit of anemia again, hmm?”

I honestly hadn’t noticed a difference – he’d been fairly energetic lately, and seemed quite recovered, but the elderly sometimes have the experience to notice things we don’t have the experience to at our age. She just patted his hands with a smile and handed him a small tin of tea, telling him, “You take this, dear, and you’ll feel better in no time. I wish I could stay here and see more of you two, but I must be off to Exeter tomorrow. My granddaughter-in-law just welcomed my great-granddaughter into the world, and I promised to come help her get a night’s rest and a shower once in a while.” She chuckled. “Ah, I remember those years. Though I suppose I should give you two my number for if you decide to take that road, hmm?”

I admit, I turned bright read and Lucy laughed. Jonathan smiled, and said, “We would love to keep in touch, Ms. Swales.”

She wrote down her number and folder it around a key, handing it to me. “Here, dear,” she said, “Consider this my wedding present. I have a cottage here, but I can’t take much with me, and my granddaughter has everything I need at her place. You might find something useful in all the bric-a-brac.”

I accepted it and gave her a hug. “Thank you so much, Ms. Swales. I’ll be sad not to be able to talk in person so much, but we actually have a home in Exeter now. We may see each other soon.”

She grinned broadly. “Well, isn’t that something! I look forward to seeing you all again then, dear.” She hugged all three of us before making her way to the cake. She must have made her way out at some point in the shuffle, because we didn’t see her afterward. Jonathan make a cup of the tea she brought right away to have with the cake himself, and it’s true that he looked much better afterward.

We have been spending time together ever since everyone left – a sort of mini-honeymoon. We plan to go see the house tomorrow, and speak with Mr. Morris, Dr. Seward, and Lucy.

In our room last night, a large bat flew up to the window. Jonathan was quite awake at this point and glared at it. I rose from bed and closed the window, and he handed me a rosary to hang over the window that he had acquired recently. We pulled the drapes, as well.

Jonathan commented, “I can’t trust any nocturnal animal anymore, it feels like. I feel sad for them, though – I’m sure they would much rather be out, eating fruit and bugs and living their best bat lives than serving him.”

I sighed and nodded, getting back into bed and snuggling up to him.

(A/N: I love Ms. Swales, won't lie.)

#dracula daily #dracula 2023 #fanfic #jonathan harker #modern retelling #mina murray #lucy westenra #Ms. Swales

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imsailorpluto · 1 year

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Call It Love (2023), Kang Min-yeong

This one makes me awfully sad. There are lots of things one can label as "wrong" and "immoral". Life isn't all black and white, no matter how hard we try to make it that way. As a woman, I tend to side with other women any chance I get, no matter if it turns out to be a big mistake.

Dong-jin, even if you're played by Kim Young-kwang, I can't let you off the hook, sorry.

Their break up makes me think it was a bit of everyone's fault. Sure, we could just oversimplify it and say they weren't compatible in the first place. We still have no idea what he did, but she cheated anyways, so this is where we should just shut up all together. Well, maybe they were both too young and inexperienced to deal with their parents' burdens. It's best to learn on other people's mistakes, but this time neither of them could escape their own selves.

Dong-jin's mother is one peculiar women nobody would ever want to meet in any kind of circumstance. Her son avoids her best way possible, but she always finds a way back into his life, destroying everything she touches. Min-yeong comes from a disgustingly wealthy family (I mean the woman drives a Maserati, that car scene alone made me weep), it's only natural her life is full of problems as well; her parents never approved of her relationship in the first place. For a girl who seems to be hurried into getting married, is there anything else that's left to expect besides a tragic ending? Dong-jin tried escaping his mother's influence, more or less, but same thing can't be said for Min-yeong. My guess is both were in great pain which they couldn't get rid off due to coming from such different worlds while neither of the two knew how to patch the void in between. Inexperience.

Dong-jin's biggest mistake was hiding his true face from his partner while insisting on keeping the relationship going. He hid his background, his childhood, his wounds, his identity. Is having a meaningful relationship even possible without taking the mask off at some point? Yet that's something he could never do but still, from his perspective it must have seemed as if he's doing fine as a partner. That's not how it works, relationship is almost like a living being, and putting up a wall is always noticeable, even when the other side turns a blind eye.

Certainly, him not letting her in on his painful past has a great affect on all that lead to their break up. While Min-yeong was looking for support in the one she loved the most, she was not getting any reassurance back and she probably blamed herself for him not opening up to her. That's something women usually do. And what do people do once they can't see a way out of a difficult situation? They become (self-)destructive. She could bend over backwards but she was just not the one he would move his emotional blocks for. From what we can see in the series, he didn't really want to discuss their future together and he kept pushing her away, presenting it as if she might be the one to push him away, some day, when she learns the truth about him (if she ever does).

From that perspective, their whole situation smells like trouble. Big, big trouble. She said herself her goal was getting married and having a family. I can't blame her for wanting those things. Is wanting something she subconsciously knows Dong-jin would never offer so wrong? Is loving a person deeply to the point of being irrational and practically dumb so wrong? Ah, but desperate measures are always wrong. Why don't we all collectively just bury this woman alive, why would we understand anything that she went through? It's not like something like that could ever happen in real life to any of us, right?

Honestly, the show presents Dong-jin as if he were an angel and not a man with severe mother/father issues. He's portrayed as a kind hearted protagonist with a high moral sense, who drowns his sorrow in alcohol while lying on the floor for days after Min-yeong's mom sent him the wedding invitation. I can't deal with kdrama mom thing at all now, they're a different kind of evil, I swear.

The audacity of "I won't let you in and I won't marry you, but I won't let you marry anyone else either" is something known for ages. That's probably why her mom sent the invitation in the first place. And all of that together makes me think he didn't treat her like a decent human being. Not because he chose that, but because he doesn't have the capacity for it. Not having the capacity, being somewhat aware of it and insisting on the relationship, because the other person displays so much affection and love, is as equally bad as cheating. That is actually also cheating. A person doesn't have to get involved with anyone else to be a cheater. It's enough to hide their wounds and not be honest about it. That alone makes me think the reason why he pretended not to notice she was out dating someone else hides behind his feeling of utter guilt. Guilt for not being capable of providing her what she needs, to compensate for building up walls and wasting her time all along.

Dating emotionally unavailable person, heck, living with one, is soul draining. It hurts like hell looking at a person and feeling as if you're staring at a blank wall. The pain of having to go through that daily is worse than your partner actually cheating on you once or falling for someone else and breaking up. At least that's how I see it; the pain it puts you through is not even comparable. The reason behind it might be in the fact that for cheating one doesn't need intelligence at all. To lure someone in your life, make them stay and to calculate how much of which part of yourself you'll give in each and every moment, well... In my eyes that's way worse form of betrayal. It takes a lot of brain. That's manipulation at it's finest. There's something very dark and vile about it; it can play with other person's mental health in the most brutal ways, where outcomes may be even fatal. And we have it right there on the screen. Min-yeong became an alcoholic. She let a man with mommy issues and extremely low self-esteem drag her down to the bottom, while he then carried on with his life as the main victim in everyone else's eyes. That's something men who hate their mothers do very often.

Her side was never shown (at least not yet), how much she must have waited for him to change, to open up at least a tiny bit, how much energy and effort she poured into their relationship. How many times she tried to get thru his walls. Sure, she made a huge mistake by contacting his mother first, but I can't blame her. Imagine how desperate she was in that moment; she went behind his back to check his phone and steal his mom's number. Even thinking of doing that is hitting rock bottom yet she went on and did it without being aware of what desperation looks like on her. As any relationship, theirs must have had a great start. Keeping his character in mind, he was most probably an amazing boyfriend at first. Once the honey moon phase ended, first problems emerged. He probably pushed it all under the rug. Min-yeong's mistake was falling a bit too hard and not breaking up with him sooner, probably thinking she could change him. Could be she wanted to prove her parents wrong as well, but for whatever reason, it hurts to watch her scenes and think about her psychological profile.

It's never one sided, that feeling when relationship reaches the breaking point. People don't want to be the bad one, breaking up first. It is a bit pathetic, not ending a relationship and enjoying the victim role saying "I've been dumped" any chance possible. Meanwhile, those same people treat their partner so poorly it's evidently there is no love left there. I'm not trying to use this drama, nor Min-yeong's character to justify cheating. Of course cheating is wrong. What I'm trying to point out is the following. Dong-jin's move - not ending the relationship and choosing to live off of his partner's energy until she turned into a wreck - is also just as wrong, if not worse than what his partner did. She obviously loved him more. What a textbook example; men with severe self-esteem (and what-not) issues pursue gorgeous smart amazing independent girls, only to ruin their psyche, changing them into something, someone unrecognisable operating on survival mode. Sounds a lot like a parasite causing a disease.

Min-yeong's left miserable in the end. She turned into an alcoholic who, even after all the hell she's been through, still thinks she might have a shot with this guy who never even truly accepted her. Oh the brain fog. Oh the twisted perception. All the excuses she must have made for him until she fell into a hole they both dig up. While he just used her for tending to his wounded inner child. She must have been so confused and so lost, how messed up her head must have been when she couldn't even get rid of him. How do you get rid of a parasite? Without an intervention, you don't.

I'm good at writing apology letters for others, so why not writing one for her? So let's wrap this one up. In all honesty, Dong-jin probably took best years of her life while she waited for him to open up. What, they're probably in their late twenties, early thirties now? Imagine yourself living in a conservative society, where certain norms are expected, are even obligatory. I get that his mom made him miserable but she is still his mother. There is no other woman out there who could fill that role. Being in a relationship for god knows how long without introducing your "future wife" to your only parent, who is clearly still around, for whatever ugly reason he should have been open about, is wrong on so many levels. Min-yeong obviously loved him deeply. All she wanted was to marry a guy she loved and start a family, and not wait for him for 10 years to finally make up his mind. He knew they were not compatible, despite all the love. She was blinded, he didn't want to hurt her so he didn't let her go even though he should have. She tried to move on, but couldn't, because she wanted him. She wanted the person she could never have. She was hooked badly.

No satisfied woman would ever cheat, especially if she wants to commit to a man till the end of her life. At this point her actions look like a desperate cry for help, but her example is just another one in a sea full of such cases, no one will care once you're incapable of getting up on your feet; however, everyone will point a finger and be the first to judge and even cheer on as they watch you drown.

#call it love #kdrama #kang min yeong #idc about their dynamics it's just annoying af to see so many people hate on her #i'm cheering her on to go live a life far away from that guy #you don't need him and you don't need anyone #just go and don't look back #leave all that toxic sht behind bestie and be your wonderful self #you're gorgeous and smart and so capable and anyone would be lucky to have such woman in their life #yeah girls should stick together and i hate rivalry between women #we're not some filthy men for christ's sake #we're magnificent creatures and should behave as such #imsailorpluto

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mha-simp-99 · 1 year

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I've been having thoughts.

I think Kakashi Hatake and Shota Aizawa would be good friends. They have similar attitudes and their vibes are so chill...until they get pissed off, that is.

So. What if the different lands of Naruto were islands in MHA that were a little old school and very picky about their visitors? They give stealth ninja-like training to their up and coming heroes because it's a little more hardcore out there. And, multiple quirks? That's pretty normal for them. Especially for the clans trying to breed the perfect heirs to make the perfect hero who will become the Kage of their village...or as close to it as they can get. Or for clans looking to steal the quirks of others to strengthen themselves. Most of the latter are trying to take over the forbidden islands...and acquire the exceptionally rare 'tailed' quirks. The Tailed Beasts, of course. Be it man-made quirk for destruction gone awry or agitated quirk that chooses its owner or can be forced therein, they are highly sought after for their power.

Cue Orochimaru infiltrating the first round of physical hero exams and the arrival of the Akatsuki. The elder heroes grow concerned for their up and coming children...and at the fact that Naruto holds a covered tailed quirk. They don't have enough security measures in place to keep everyone looked after and safe. So...they reach out to UA for aid. And they gladly offer to help, building onto their school grounds to accommodate their newest members. Twenty seven students, roughly, come from each school and three to five teachers each, depending on the availability of heroes they can spare. From Konoha: Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai come along.

A bit of chaos ensues when they first come together, some schools more friendly than others. Gaara is in a transition point, thanks to Naruto, as is Neji. But both are still less than approachable. But I think Kakashi and Aizawa would kind of become fast friends. And Gai and Mic. They share the same vibes and try to pull their less enthusiastic friends from their shells.

I'm a big Hinata stan and I hate that she ended up with Naruto. I think she would become fast friends with a lot of Aizawa's class. She'd like drinking expensive teas with Momo-it would remind her of being in the Hyuuga compound where tea like that was the norm. And Bakugo, as abrasive (said in the most loving way possible) as he can be, reminds her a little of Kiba and Shino put together. Kiba for his speech, and Shino for his pin-point accuracy in topics and critiques. He takes no shit and helps push her beyond her limits. ("DON'T you fuckin' PUSSY OUT on me!! You got multiple quirks- USE 'EM! Better not go fuckin' easy on me, or I'LL KILL YA!" His trademark smirk is slowly matched by a nod and encouraged, determined look from Hinata. "Right!") He probably wouldn't mind her around his friend group, either, since she's pretty quiet and brings a serene vibe. Deku would probably constantly be studying her quirks, along with the others. But I'd probably match her with Shinso, if not Shino. I've been a big Shino/Hina fan for years, but I think Shinso and Hinata could hit it off well, too. They're both misunderstood for their quirks, kind of shunned for them, in ways. So they would understand each other pretty well. Hiashi probably wouldn't approve in the beginning- on either count- but there are ways of changing his mind.

Also, I think Sasuke and Naruto would hit it off with Deku and Bakugo. They could do double dates if they ever got over themselves and their own stumbling emotions for one another. (Sasu/Naru, Deku/Baku.) Sakura and Ochako might hit it off. Hinata and Mezou, Shino and Tokoyami, Kiba and Lee with Eijirou and Kami, Ino and Momo and Kyoka, Mina and Lee, Neji and Tenya and Shoto...and so many more. I'm not limiting the friends here, just suggesting some good friend partner-ups. And this was only Konoha rookie nine plus three in the older group and the first/middle class of UA...that's not accounting for the other villages or upperclassmen. I think Gaara would have a hard time with everything and be kind of emotionally stunted like Shoto. They might make a good friend pair, especially considering they were both betrayed by their dads. Lots of bonding angst there.

But, like...yeah. I think this could be a very fun crossover fic premise. Maybe even partner up villains from both and cause some havoc. What do y'all think? 🥺😁 Ideas free to use~ Hit me up if you use them. I'm a thirsty bitch for this kind of content.

#mha #naruto #crossover #fic ideas #sounds fun #i thought about it too in depth #uh oh #how many unposted fics will I write #if yall write some lemme know #im thirsty for it #xD

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i-spaced-sorry · 2 years

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Coffee Shop AU: Chicago PD Edition

My take on what everyone would be in a coffee shop au, this came to me while I was at work training yesterday and I might write something based off of it...maybe

Managers

Al: The cool manager who everyones likes! He is a big mentor to everyone. If you need to request a day off or trade shifts he will always approve it and help you find coverage Voight: The scary manager who only select people like. He rarely approves shift changes and will give you the run around until you stop bugging him. Trudy: The tough love manager, she is super sweet and will help you find coverage if you desperately need to change shifts or call off, but only for good reasons. She says she doesn’t care about anyone in the store, but really does.

Employees: Jay: Been with the store since day 1, has had in house relationships before, claims he is never doing it again, but then when Hailey joins he starts pining for her. His brother is always coming in and trying to get Jay’s employee discount for coffee. Erin: Was in a relationship with Jay, but she became a manager and transferred to another store. Since she became a manager she couldn’t date Jay anymore since that was abuse of power, so she ghosted him til he got the hint they couldn’t see each other anymore. She was well liked by all the managers Antonio: The customers favorite barista. Going through a messy divorce but is always happy when at work! He is the training manager for all new hires. Everyone likes him and likes when his kids stop by after school. When his kids graduate middle school, he decides he need to take a step back from the store and spend more time with his kids before they go off to college. Adam: Was transferred from a different store, thinks he is a little better than everybody because his training was a rushed 4 days rather than the 2 weeks it normally is with new hires. He is a great barista when he applies himself and always is trying to jump in either female customers pants or female employees pants. But he is really avoiding his feelings for his co-worker Kim. Kevin: Got the job so he can help put food on the table for his siblings. Is desperately taking every opportunity to get hours, so everyone knows if you need to trade shifts or give up shifts, ask Kevin! He is working his way up the ranks fast and really wants to become a manager, since they make more than baristas. Kim: Loves everything that encompasses being a barista. Is friendly to everyone (customer, employees, managers). She really wants to prove herself so she offers to work hours other people don’t want (the 5am shift or even holiday shifts). She won’t admit it because she knows it’s frowned upon to date co-workers, but she really likes Adam and kind of hopes he doesn’t become a manager or anything so they can date. Mouse: Got referred to the store by Jay. Was in rehab and this is part of his outpatient program. Is well liked but is very shy and only really opens up when he is around Jay. Left the store after a year to be able to go back to school and finish his degree he never got to finish because of rehab. Hailey: This is her third transferred from a store but requested to do the whole 2 weeks of training, cause she knows from personal experience what it looks like when you don’t and what people may assume. She is best friends with all of her co-workers, but keeps finding herself scheduled with Jay (which she admits she doesn’t mind) Dante: New to the store, wants to be well liked, so he is just keeping his head down and doing his job to prove he is a good fit for the store! Is shy but super insightful when you ask him something.

#coffee shop au #chicago pd #chicago pd imagine #jay halstead imagine #hailey upton imagine #kim burgess imagines #kevin atwater imagines #adam ruzek imagine #trudy platt #al olinsky #hank voight #antonio dawson imagine #erin lindsay imagine #Dante torres imagines #mouse gerwitz imagine

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aellathedreamer · 9 months

Text

in a world of boys, he’s a gentlemen

“Got lovestruck, went straight to my head. Got lovesick, all over my bed”

A look through of Stacy and Edward’s relationship right after he proposed. The royal life, a whirlwind of emotions.

Chapter 18/40

Pairing: Stacy x Edward

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51843736/chapters/131078110

On the balcony of the magnificent royal gala, Edward and Prince Howard found a moment of reprieve from the joyous gala inside. Howard, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, extended a pack of cigarettes toward Edward.

"Fancy a smoke, my friend?" Howard offered.

Edward, with a good-humored grin, declined, "I'd love to, but Stacy would have my head if I dared. She's convinced that being a future king shortens my lifespan enough; adding a cigarette might push it too far."

Howard erupted into laughter. "Wise words from the future princess. Can't argue with that kind of logic, it seems that Stacy has you on a tight leash, wittle Edward."

Edward chuckled, nodding in agreement. "No, you really can't. Stacy has a way of keeping me grounded, even in the face of life's little temptations."

Leaning against the balcony railing, Edward turned to Prince Howard, a curious expression on his face. "So, Howard, is it true? Are you really going to abdicate as the Crown Prince of Montenaro?"

Howard, gazing out into the night sky, sighed and nodded. "Yes, Edward, it's true. It's a decision I've been considering."

Edward, genuinely intrigued, asked, "Are you sure this isn't like Richard having cold feet before ascending the throne? What led you to thisdecision? It's a significant step, i mean does your father even know?"

Howard took a moment before responding. "Being the crown prince comes with its own set of responsibilities and expectations. Lately, I've found myself yearning for a different kind of life, something beyond the confines of royal duties. Father doesn't know, don't want to disappoint him long enough. I mean, i already walked out of my supposed wedding. He's already ailing enough, and I don't want to burden him even more."

Edward, understanding the complexities of royal life, nodded empathetically. "It's not an easy choice, Howard. But if it's what you truly want, then I respect your decision. Have you told Margaret? Since she's obviously behind you in the line of succession,"

"Well... about that, well I haven't. Lets wish its like how Richard was, just cold feet." Howard appreciated Edward's understanding. "It's just one of those things—I've been questioning where my heart truly lies. And sometimes, you need to make unconventional choices for your own happiness. But honestly, I don't know."

The air was filled with a sense of mutual understanding, as each prince navigated the intricate paths laid out before them, considering the delicate balance between duty and personal fulfillment. Howard, with a serious expression, turned to Edward on the balcony. "Edward, I hope you're fully prepared to protect Stacy, especially considering how meddlesome the old coot can be. Be honest with me, does he genuinely approve of Stacy?"

Edward sighed, a hint of hesitation in his response. "The truth is, Howard, my father is rather skeptical about Stacy. He sees the potential issues her presence might bring to the family and the crown."

Howard raised an eyebrow. "That's not good, mate. Are you willing to go against your father's iron grip on the family for Stacy? And are you ready to bear the consequences?"

Edward, contemplating the weight of Howard's words, nodded. "Stacy means everything to me, and I won't let anyone jeopardize our relationship. Even if it means going against my father's wishes."

Howard, injecting a bit of humor into the conversation, quipped, "If things get too sticky, you can always threaten him with abdication. Works like a charm, I've heard."

Edward chuckled, recognizing the jest in Howard's suggestion. "I'll keep that in my back pocket, Howard. But in all seriousness, I'll do whatever it takes to protect Stacy and our future together."

—

As Edward silently approached Stacy's chambers, a mischievous glint in his eyes, he gently pushed the door open, hoping to surprise her with a late-night visit. To his surprise, he found Stacy sprawled on the bed, fast asleep, her exhaustion evident. Just as Edward was about to step further into the room, Amelie, seemingly appearing out of thin air, spoke behind him, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin.

"Your Highness," Amelie's composed voice cut through the silence.

Edward, caught off guard, turned to face Amelie, who regarded him with an amused expression. "Amelie, you scared the living shit out of me."

"Language, young man." Amelie reprimands him. "It's a skill acquired over years of attending to the royal family. And might I say, Your Highness, your attempt at stealth needs improvement."

Edward chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I'll keep that in mind. How is Stacy? Is she alright?"

Amelie's gaze softened as she observed Edward. "She's exhausted. Fell asleep almost immediately after the tiring escapade in the bathroom rather than the royal gala."

Edward's cheeks flushed slightly, realizing that Amelie was well aware of the nature of their late-night activities. "Well, I suppose we did get carried away."

Amelie, ever composed, gestured towards the sitting area in Stacy's chambers. "Would you care for some tea, Your Highness? It might help you unwind after the eventful evening."

Edward nodded appreciatively. "Tea sounds perfect, Amelie, thank you."

As Amelie prepared the tea, the aromatic scent filled the room, creating a comforting atmosphere. Edward took a seat, and as Amelie served him the steaming tea, he couldn't help but reflect on the familiarity of the moment.

"Amelie, this gives me a sense of deja vu," Edward remarked with a thoughtful expression.

Amelie, who had been a constant presence since Edward's childhood, acknowledged with a serene smile. "The echoes of the past often linger in these walls, Your Highness. I have had the honor of serving the royal family for many years."

Edward took a sip of the tea, the warmth spreading through him. "You've been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I suppose moments like these trigger a sense of nostalgia."

Amelie nodded knowingly. "Indeed, Your Highness. The palace holds a lot of memories, and I briefly remember chasing after you, Prince Howard and now the King Richard, while all three of you are in diapers."

Edward chuckled briefly as he stared into his cup. "Those were the good times I guess,"

"Now look at you all three, all grown up." Amelie smiles briefly. " King Richard is already married and is expecting their firstborn. Prince Howard, well is, Prince Howard, always a ladies' man. While you, getting married already, well dodging the first one."

"Oh come on, Amelie. I know you know the bethrotal between Margaret and I was my mother's payback to my father." Edward chuckles wryly.

Amelie's composed demeanor maintained its professionalism, yet a glint of understanding shone in her eyes. "Your mother does have a way of orchestrating events to make her point, Your Highness. Nevertheless, your path has taken a different turn now with Stacy."

Edward leaned back, a hint of contemplation in his gaze. "Stacy does bring a different energy to all of this. It's not what I initially expected, but it feels right."

Amelie, pouring herself a cup of tea, remarked, "Love has a way of surprising us, even in the most unexpected circumstances. It seems you and Stacy have embarked on a unique journey."

As Edward and Amelie sat in Stacy's antechamber, the tea offering a momentary respite, Edward couldn't help but delve into the more complex facets of royal life. "Amelie," he said, his voice carrying a weight of contemplation, "you've seen the darker side of our family, haven't you?"

Amelie, her gaze unwavering, acknowledged the unspoken truths. "Yes, Your Highness. I've observed the challenges that accompany the crown, the struggles within the family, and the impact on your upbringing."

Edward sighed, a mix of frustration and acceptance in his expression. "King George's choices have cast shadows on our family. His distant approach, the rumors—it's not the idyllic picture painted for the public, and everyone assumes I had it easy."

Amelie, choosing her words carefully, responded, "The crown demands sacrifices, and sometimes, those sacrifices extend beyond the public eye. It's a delicate balance, and the toll can be felt by those within the palace walls."

Edward, staring into the depths of his tea, reflected on the complexities of his relationship with his father. "I've tried to understand him, Amelie. But there are moments when the weight of his decisions becomes burdensome. I do not know how he was proud to be a terrible father and husband but a good ruler."

Amelie coughs. "I doubt that old coot was a good ruler. We cannot forget the fiasco with Lady Tatiana, his first wife. Right at the critical moment of childbirth, your father refused medical intervention, ended up killing Lady Tatiana and the child. Older palace personnel called him 'George the Terrible', two years later he marries your mother."

In the midst of their conversation, Amelie's gaze turned earnest as she addressed Edward with a quiet intensity. "Your Highness, I want you promise me something."

Edward, intrigued and attentive, nodded. "Go on, Amelie."

"Promise me," she began, "that you will never let Stacy experience the heartache your mother endured. Ensure that her journey in this marriage is one of happiness and fulfillment. She's good for you, no matter how unhinged the two of you are."

Edward, touched by the gravity of Amelie's request, responded with sincerity. "Amelie, I promise you. I will do everything in my power to make sure Stacy's experience is nothing like my mother's. Her happiness will be a priority in our marriage."

Amelie, with a subtle nod, seemed reassured. "Your commitment to that promise will not only shape your relationship but will echo in the legacy of the royal family. It's a chance to break the cycle of shadows that have haunted these halls. They say you are your father's son but, i do not believe that. You are your mother's son."

Amelie, in a rare moment of humor, added a touch of humor to the conversation. "Your Highness, I swear to God, the moment you start acting like your father, your mother will snatch all of her good genes from you and leave you with a receding hairline."

Edward burst into laughter, appreciating the unexpected lightheartedness. "Amelie, that's quite the warning. I'll keep it in mind—no receding hairline for me."

The pair shared a good laugh. Amelie, maintaining her composed demeanor but hinting at a touch of maternal authority, addressed Edward about the complexities of his engagement. "Your Highness, while I understand the joy of being engaged, it's crucial to remember that it doesn't grant permission for unrestrained intimacy. I must remind you to exercise caution and, more significantly, to prevent any unexpected heirs to the throne."

Edward, acknowledging the weight of her words, nodded with a touch of apprehension. "You're right, Amelie. I'll be careful."

Amelie sighed, a blend of understanding and a subtle hint of amusement. "It's fortunate I haven't shared these details with your mother. She believes that you both remained chaste until marriage, which i believed that went down quite south earlier."

Edward's eyes widened, a flicker of trepidation crossing his face. "Please, Amelie, keep it that way. My mother would have my head if she learned otherwise."

Amelie, with a knowing look, replied, "You cheeky young man, your secret is safe with me."

—

Amidst the clinking of breakfast dishes and the murmur of the royal court, King George and Queen Caroline found a moment to steal away to their private chambers. The soft morning light streamed through the windows as they settled into a quiet corner of the balcony. Caroline, gently sipping her tea, broke the silence. "You know, George, Stacy has been handling her responsibilities quite admirably. She's adapting to her role with grace."

King George, his brow furrowed, replied, "I can't deny her dedication, but I can't shake off the feeling that her approach is too unconventional. Our traditions have safeguarded this kingdom for centuries."

Caroline set down her teacup, choosing her words carefully. "Change is inevitable, George. Stacy brings a fresh perspective, one that might be beneficial for our people. We can't remain stagnant; the world around us evolves."

King George let out a heavy sigh. "Caroline, I worry about the stability of our realm. Stacy's decisions, her way of doing things—it's uncharted territory. What if we lose the very essence that has defined our kingdom for generations?"

Queen Caroline joined him, her gaze also fixed on the horizon. "I understand your concerns, George. But consider this – Stacy's unconventional approach might be precisely what we need. The world is changing, and we must adapt to ensure the prosperity of our kingdom."

King George, his worry etched on his face, continued the conversation on the balcony. "Caroline, my concerns run deeper. Stacy wasn't born into the royal lineage. What if she can't fully comprehend the intricacies of our kingdom, or worse, what if she can't effectively help Edward?"

Caroline nodded, understanding the gravity of his apprehension. "George, birthright does not always determine one's ability to lead. Stacy's commitment and willingness to learn are evident. Besides, she complements Edward in ways we might not yet fully grasp. Besides have you truly seen how happy he is with her? Please do not control him, he is a man of his own."

In response to Caroline's plea not to control their son, King George's face tightened with offense. "Control? I'm safeguarding the very foundations of this kingdom! Edward's choices have consequences beyond his personal happiness. You undermine the legacy I built for this dynasty, Caroline."

Caroline, undeterred, held her ground. "George, love and understanding must accompany responsibility. We can guide Edward without stifling his choices. It's time to trust him and embrace the path he has chosen for himself. Our family's strength lies in unity, not in exerting control."

The king, fueled by his concerns and frustrations, uttered with a steely resolve, "Caroline, mark my words. If everything goes awry, I won't hesitate to use that girl as a sacrificial lamb to salvage the royal family's image. The stability of our kingdom is paramount, and I won't let sentimentality jeopardize it."

Caroline, now facing the harsh reality of the choices ahead, responded with a mix of sadness and determination, "George, sacrificing someone for the sake of an image is a dangerous path. We must find a way to navigate these challenges without forsaking the very values we hold dear. Our family's legacy should not be built on the ruins of others."

Caroline's words hung in the air, emphasizing the delicate balance between duty and compassion. King George, unyielding, countered, "Caroline, sentimentality blinds you to the realities of our position. Edward needs to understand the sacrifices required for the greater good. The stability of the kingdom cannot be compromised for personal emotions."

Undeterred, Caroline pressed on, "George, our family's strength lies in unity and understanding. Edward loves Stacy deeply, and using her as a pawn in our political chess game will only estrange our son. We must find a way to navigate these challenges without sacrificing the happiness he has found."

The tension in the room deepened, mirroring the broader conflict between tradition and the changing tides of the royal family. King George, firm in his resolve, insisted, "Caroline, it's time to ground Edward to reality. He cannot have everything he desires. We must make him understand that the pursuit of personal happiness should not come at the expense of the stability of the royal family and the kingdom."

Caroline, grappling with the weight of such a decision, responded, "George, imposing harsh realities on Edward may estrange him further. We need to find a balance, guiding him with understanding rather than forcing him to abandon his aspirations. Our family's strength lies in unity, not in dictating unyielding terms."

King George, acknowledging the strained relationship with his son, briefly said "Caroline, let's not pretend that Edward holds me in high regard. He already harbors resentment, and steering him away from his desires might intensify that animosity. However, as a monarch, I must prioritize the kingdom's stability over personal sentiments."

—

One bright morning in the royal courtyard, Edward surprised Stacy with a beautifully adorned carriage waiting under the golden rays of the sun. "How about a private carriage ride, just the two of us before I leave for parliament?" he suggested, a twinkle in his eye.

As the carriage meandered through the palace grounds, the morning sunlight danced on the dew-kissed flowers. Stacy couldn't help but marvel at the serenity of the day. "It's lovely out here. I appreciate you taking the time for us to be alone."

Edward smiled, his gaze fixed on her. "There's nothing I'd rather do than spend a quiet morning with you. With all the wedding preparations, I thought we could use a peaceful moment."

Stacy leaned back against the plush seat,"I sometimes forget how much our lives have changed. I mean, who would have thought I'd be here, in a royal carriage, marrying a prince?"

Edward chuckled, intertwining his fingers with hers before gently kissing the back of her hand. "Fate has its own way of surprising us. And I'm grateful for every twist and turn that led me to you."

The carriage rolled to a gentle stop at a secluded spot with a breathtaking view of the morning-lit palace. Edward stepped out and extended his hand to Stacy, leading her to a small area where a blanket was laid out. "I thought we could have a quiet moment under the morning sun," Edward said, his eyes reflecting the affection he felt.

Stacy sighed contentedly, settling beside him. "This is perfect, Edward. Amidst all the pomp and circumstance, it's these quiet moments that mean the most."

Edward gazed out over the palace grounds, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Stacy, there's so much more beyond the wedding—our life together, the responsibilities, the challenges."

Stacy, leaning comfortably against him, looked up with a smile. "I know it won't always be a fairy tale, Edward. But I'm ready for whatever comes our way. We make a great team."

As the carriage rolled on, their candid conversation forged a deeper understanding between them. They acknowledged that a life together meant embracing not just the highs but also the lows, and finding strength in their partnership. By the time the carriage circled back to the palace, the morning had woven a tapestry of shared dreams and promises. Edward and Stacy stepped out, not just as a prince and a future princess, but as companions ready to face the adventures that awaited them beyond the pressures of the upcoming royal wedding.

As the carriage eased to a stop, Edward turned to Stacy with a sincere expression. "Stacy, I want to apologize in advance. My royal duties can be demanding, and there might be times when they take up much of our time."

Stacy reached out, gently placing a hand on his arm. "Edward, there's no need to apologize. I understand the responsibilities that come with your position. We're a team, remember? We'll navigate this together."

He smiled gratefully but couldn't shake the concern in his eyes. "I just feel bad sometimes, thinking that I might not give you all the attention you deserve. You're marrying into the royal family and I am not here always, I don't want to let you down."

Stacy leaned in, her eyes meeting his with unwavering reassurance. "Edward, it's not about the quantity of time but the quality. We'll find moments, no matter how small, to cherish each other. And when duty calls, I'll be right here, supporting you every step of the way."

His shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her into a warm embrace. "Thank you for understanding, Stacy. You'll have me all to yourself once the wedding is over."

As they walked back to the palace hand in hand, the air was filled with a sense of understanding and mutual support. Edward knew that even amidst the grandeur of royal obligations, Stacy would be his constant, the anchor that kept him grounded in love.

—

In a private room within the palace, Amelie and Stacy had a serious sit-down conversation. Amelie, known for her stern demeanor and adherence to protocol, looked at Stacy with a gaze that held both gravity and a hint of compassion.

"Stacy, I believe it's crucial that we have this discussion," Amelie began, her tone measured. "Marrying into the royal family means your life will undergo a profound change. The dynamics, the expectations—it's a world apart from anything you've experienced."

Stacy nodded, her expression serious. "I understand that, Amelie. I know I do have to adjust and its fine by me."

Amelie continued, her words deliberate. "Once married, Edward's allegiance and loyalty will be primarily to Belgravia. As his wife, you'll share in that commitment, but the crown will always come first."

Stacy listened, absorbing the weight of Amelie's words. Amelie chose a metaphor to convey the reality of the situation. "In this union, you are second to the crown. The responsibilities, the decisions—Edward's duty to the nation will shape our course, and you'll be part of that journey."

Stacy took a moment before responding. "I love Edward, and I want to support him and be part of this nation. But Amelie, does that mean our personal life will always be overshadowed by his role?"

Amelie nodded solemnly. "It means sacrifices, Stacy. Your personal life will be scrutinized, and certain aspects will inevitably be shared with the public. The line between private and public becomes thin, and you must be prepared for the constant scrutiny."

Stacy took a deep breath, realizing the magnitude of what lay ahead. "You're asking me to be ready for a life where I'm not just marrying Edward but also stepping into a role where I'm connected to something much larger."

Amelie affirmed with a nod. "Exactly. Once you take this step, there's no turning back. I want you to understand the gravity of this commitment. It's not just a marriage; it's a life intertwined with her, Belgravia."

As Stacy processed Amelie's words, the reality of the responsibility she was about to shoulder settled in. The path ahead was clear, and Amelie, though stern, served as a guiding force, preparing her for the intricacies of a life where love and duty walked hand in hand. Amelie, maintaining her composed demeanor, addressed Stacy with a stark reality. "Stacy, it's crucial to understand that once you're married, you shouldn't expect Edward to be around as always. His duties to the crown will often take precedence, and there will be times when he won't be readily available."

Stacy, absorbing the gravity of Amelie's words, nodded. "I know he has responsibilities, but does that mean we won't have time together?"

Amelie clarified, "You will have moments together, but they might be limited. Royal duties demand his presence at various events and functions. It's a commitment that comes with the position."

Stacy took a deep breath, grappling with the idea of a life where time with Edward might be scarce. "I understand that he has duties, but will he always have to choose between them and our time together?"

Amelie's response was straightforward. "Yes, there will be choices, and at times, duty will prevail. It's a sacrifice both of you will have to make. The expectations of a prince, and eventually a king, are demanding, and his time will be spread thin."

Stacy, though thoughtful, expressed her concern. "I want to support him, but I also want a marriage where we can share our lives."

Amelie acknowledged Stacy's sentiment. "There will be moments, Stacy, but the balance is delicate. You'll need to find solace in the quality of time you spend together rather than the quantity. It's a unique challenge of royal life."

Amelie, her usually stoic demeanor softening with a rare glimpse into her personal history, began to confide in Stacy. "I've been in service to Queen Caroline since Prince Edward was an infant. I entered the palace at the tender age of 15."

"I've witnessed the grand sweep of history within these walls," Amelie continued, her gaze distant. "There were moments when consorts were left to raise the children, to navigate the intricate dance of duty when their partners were called away."

Intrigued yet respectful of the gravity of the conversation, Stacy asked, "What do you mean?"

Amelie's eyes held a mixture of lingering pain and poignant memories. "Let me paint a picture for you. When Queen Caroline was in the throes of childbirth with Prince Edward, King George was absent." She paused, and Stacy could clearly see her attache's gaze harden. "He wasn't by her side; instead, he was away—golfing with his colleagues, engrossed in discussions about state affairs."

Stacy's expression shifted to a mix of surprise and empathy. "He wasn't there for the queen during such a crucial moment?"

Amelie nodded, her gaze steady. "No, he wasn't. The queen fought for her life in the birthing chambers, and the king was immersed in other matters. It was a stark illustration of the profound sacrifices and unyielding expectations that come with royal life."

Stacy, now understanding the depth of Amelie's experiences, asked softly, "How did Queen Caroline endure such moments?"

Amelie's response carried a profound weight. "Queen Caroline, like many royal consorts, bore the weight of duty with a heavy heart. These instances were not just personal sacrifices but a testament to the unwavering commitment to the kingdom. I share these painful truths with you, Stacy, not to instill fear but to unveil the somber realities you might face. Because once you married into the family, I warn you, my dear. You can never leave, unless you die."

As Stacy absorbed the profound and painful revelations, she recognized the intricate tapestry of history woven with threads of duty, sacrifice, and the relentless expectations that framed life within the palace walls. The conversation unveiled the poignant struggles of those who served the crown, painting a stark portrait of the delicate balance between personal aspirations and the unyielding responsibilities of royalty.

#the princess switch #prince edward of belgravia #stacy de novo #your honor they are in love #this is canon in my head #not prince howard dissing the king #Do i hate king george #absolutely

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