#its late enough i feel the yuri summer approaching!!!!!!!!!!!

[just-spacetrash]

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

[lovesanmotion]

yandere!fanboy!ateez reacts: s/o writing a song about them

This is: requested | I guess....the yandere!ateez as fanboys are a success from what I can see. I only uploaded them without thinking. Also, don’t hesitate to blow up my request box! I’m jobless like Hongjoong, Yeosang and Wooyoung. Also, to the sender who requested this, thank you so much for appreciating my blog and writing! 

Lyrics I placed in order:  Love Battery - LOONA (Immortal Songs)  Shadow - F(x)  Going Crazy - Secret Jieun ft. BAP Yongguk Peekaboo - Red Velvet Shampoo - After School Babe - Hyuna Into You - Yuri Love Foolish - TWICE 

Hongjoong: 

“Even if you are not handsome, I like it. Even if you’re not buff, I like it. You are just for me, to me, you are the best.” 

Hongjoong stood among the crowd with a foolish smile painted on his lips. His hands placed on top of his chest as he listens to your new song that you are performing at your comeback concert. 

“Hold me one more time. Hold me tightly until I burst. Love’s effect must be fading. I need you.” 

A soft sigh escapes his lips dramatically. Lovestuck as he watches the love of his life sing a song about him and how she constantly needed his touch or else she’d die from his lack of attention on her. 

“Fill me with love. Love battery has drained. I can’t live without you, I really can’t live without you. You are my battery.” 

He clutches his chest tightly, his heart beating loudly inside. He didn’t cared how wild the others were cheering for your comeback stage, all that matters to him is that this song was made for him. Just for him. Normally he would promote your songs by requesting them on radio stations, but he hesitated on the idea of promoting it. This was his song. And only he gets the full rights to enjoy it. The others are just listening to it, he thought that you were kind enough to let everyone hear the song you made especially for him. 

“To me, you are everything. I like you so much, I totally like you. My only love, there’s no other, my love. You are the best.” 

As the comeback concert ended, everyone inside the concert hall talked about how your comeback song is a hit and promised to get you another music show win. The others gushed how you must be in love that you wrote a song about affection. 

Hongjoong could only chuckle to himself as he walks out of the venue, hands filled with your individual merchandise and a wallet almost empty after emptying the shelves of your concert goods. 

“Stupid fools think that the song is for them when in fact the song is about me. Me! Only me! Why would Y/N ever notice all of you when a whole me exists?” Hongjoong thought to himself as he walked alone late that night. 

Seonghwa: 

“Everyday, I secretly chase after your footsteps. I’m always careful so you won’t notice. No one says it but our date has started, our own date.” 

Click click! Seonghwa focuses his camera on a different angle before taking another shot of you. Click click! 

“Where are you going? Step by step, I follow you. Without a word you lead me. Step by step, did you notice me? I have nowhere to hide anymore.” 

Yesterday, Starlight made a comeback and today, they are performing their comeback song at a radio station. For this comeback, Starlight’s Y/N participated in the song writing, having been credited two songs in the mini album. She partook writing the comeback song! 

“When the sun rises, I walk in sync and together with you. I am really really into you. When the moon rises, you fall asleep in my arms. I really really like you.” 

Seonghwa��s parents had been praising him for landing a wonderful job in the corporate world. When in reality, he was only hired by a fellow sasaeng that gave him much flexible work hours so he could still manage to slip out of his work and follow your every footstep in the country or out. He was being paid fairly well even when all he did was just to follow you around.

“Day by day, we resemble each other more and more. Your laughter and tears, I know it all. Don’t be scared, were a fate tied by the sun, its our destiny to be together.” 

As the performance ended, the girls sat back down on their seats and the interview rolled in. Fansites can only hang outside of the studio, and of course, Seonghwa is up close, nearest to Y/N. 

“Congratulations to Starlight! This is their third comeback and the song is really catchy!” The MC remarked. 

“It’s sounds like a summer song! I heard Y/N took part in the production?” The second MC asked, the cameras then turned to face Y/N. Y/N who was flustered, nodded her head. “Yes” 

“Can you tell us the story behind the song? Your fans are dying to know the meaning behind such a good song.” The first MC says. 

Y/N held the microphone in her head, smiling, she explained: “This is a true to life song. I made a song about a guy who was really handsome and captured my heart. We were always going in the same direction and one time, his hand brushed into mine. And I felt so happy by the small connection.” Y/N chuckles. 

When Seonghwa heard about it, he lowered his camera and stared at Y/N. The song was about him. He remembered how he would spend his vacant period at work to follow Y/N when they were shooting an ad around Namsan because of the newly built skywalk. His hand brushed on hers when they were buying food at the convenient store. Seonghwa was so moved by the explanation that he felt like his feelings grew more for you. 

“My sunshine likes getting attention. My attention. That’s right, my sunshine, bathe in my attention only. ” 

Yunho: 

“It’s not love, this isn’t love. It’s just your obsession. Wherever, Whatever I do. It’s frightening. The you who watches me.”

Yunho watched as Y/N practices for her upcoming comeback stage at The Show next week. He admired how she dare approached a bold and mature comeback. And he was so happy to see this new side of his girl. However, he felt like he needed to be more protective of her since she was going for a more risque concept. 

“Have you gone crazy? Why are you like this? Please just leave me alone now. Seeing you is suffocating. Please disappear from my sight.” 

Yunho stood behind the cameras as he watches Y/N and the featured artist practice. He heard a few staffs make a comment about how the featured artist looks like him. And maybe how you might’ve fallen in love with him. Yunho’s feeling swelled when he heard of those comments. In fact, he was so happy that he heard it from them. But you on the other hand, why do you still deny your feelings for him? Why was it so hard for you to be up front and honest with what you feel? Is it because he works as your manager? You’re in the same company as he is? And that you kept insisting to be professional? At this point, Yunho would resign if that was the case. If he can’t have you because of his line of work, he would be more than pleased to resign and be in your arms everyday. 

“Get lost. Just back off. I really can’t breathe. Wherever I go, wherever I am. It’s frightening. The you who follows me.” 

Yunho managed to lift the debts off his family. After paying the debts, he was able to even buy a new home for them around Gangnam area. His parents hesitated on the idea at first since owning a land in Gangnam costs way more than renting, Yunho told them not to worry. Not to worry since he is being paid royalty in his job. After that, he was able to spoil you with luxurious gifts and live with you in your apartment. More like forced himself into your home. 

“This ain’t right, this isn’t love. It just hurts me, don’t be like this. I loved you. But I don’t now. Erase me from your memory.” 

And when the song was released, Yunho was all up for promoting it. He made everyone he know listen to the song in various streaming platforms and watch the MV as well. Whether you would like it or not, Yunho is here to stay in your life. Permanently. 

Yeosang: 

“Peekaboo! This is new, is this love? All my friends yell at me, they say I have a problem. I’m fine fine fine fine fine fine.” 

A small painted Yeosang lips as his eyes followed you on stage. He watched you as you danced in a tight red dress. That was his gift for you last Christmas to be exact. The designer brand didn’t really put it out for sale. They only made one and had it up for auction. It was a dress that accentuated your curves and complimented your skin. Yeosang won the auction and had it included in your next comeback. 

“Tag you’re it! It’ll be fun! I’ll include you here. Til the moon hangs on the jungle gym, let’s play” 

Since Yeosang is someone who holds a high position in the company, he made a proposal to be your sponsor. At first, your members didn’t like the idea since sponsors have a bad reputation attached to it. But you were naive and still proceeded with the sponsorship. You thought it would go bad, but Yeosang made you feel comfortable in his home and gave you all the fame that you wanted. Never did he once ask anything that was against your morals. 

“Peekaboo! It’s strange, you’re different. I stop this game and I look at you again. I’m not a fraid, because I just felt that a new story will begin” 

Your members were still cautious about Yeosang orbitting around you. There was something about him that they could not lay a finger on. Scared that they would find their contracts terminated the following day. But seeing you happy, they felt like they needed to stop. As long as you are happy, they are happy. Yeosang included. 

“Don’t worry, my love. You’re safe with me. Anyone who accuses you will come to me first.” 

San: 

It was 9pm when you made a surprise V live alone in the recording room of your company building. San was actually nearby, he was hid inside the convenient store where he bumped into you before. 

“Hello everyone! Have you all eaten? I missed you alot.” He watches his Y/N pout in the screen. His heart raced a bit, 

“I ate already, my love. Don’t worry.” San responds, as if it was only him that you were talking to. 

“I made a new song and I’m in the recording room. Apparently, I was given permission to spoil the song for you!” Y/N happily takes her phone and draws it closer to the company phone of where she is doing her live. 

“I wanna be shampoo Trickling down your hair I wanna embrace you With my strong fragrance  I will wrap around your entire body With white foam  So even the mirrors can’t see you I will cover you  So no one can have you You won’t ever get rid of my scent” 

“That’s all the spoil for now.” Y/N stops the recording and turns the camera to her face again. She leaned her face closer and read a few comments about how would the fans think. 

“What is your inspiration behind this song?” She read aloud. She leaned back in her seat with her lips pursed. “In all honesty, I met a male fan last week. I actually bumped into him and I was able to smell his perfume and...” Y/N paused. “He smelled so good that...was it possible to fall in love just by smelling their perfume?” Y/N chuckles softly. 

San had his eyes wide. The song was about him. He felt like bursting from his seat but he refrained himself from doing so. 

“I hope he isn’t a weird fan. I also have a fan who constantly bothers me even at the late hours. It’s bothering me. And I hope the person stops soon.” Y/N said. Double jackpot! He got mentioned twice by you. He couldn’t wait until the song releases, he was already booking train station platforms in honor for the release of your song. 

Mingi: 

Was it possible to fall in love with just a touch? Ever since the incident at the Incheon Airport, your company has become stricter and hired more bodyguards when it comes to outside activities. From what you heard, VS Media is even rewriting their rules when it comes to fan and idol gift giving. 

“Come on, let me play some more. Why treat babies gently, I cannot count on you, my age. You’ve walked in any magic. I am the one for you. Everyday I wake up. This is mine.” 

Ever since the incident at the airport, you slightly became uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the dorm. Despite your feelings, rest assured that your members were always there for you. 

“I am not sleeping today. I remember my eyes. I’m not sleeping.”

It’s been a month since you stepped foot inside the airport again, things were going okay. You were able to walk inside and through the gates without any problem. The fans still following your footsteps, you tried to loosen up yourself a bit - smiling and waving at them. Nothing could go wrong. 

Until, you saw a figure from your peripheral vision. You turned your head to take a look, but no one was there. Strange. As you and your group were able to board the plane, you took a seat near the window and pulled out your lyrics notebook. Flipping through the pages, you stopped at an unfinished work. The unfinished work is your solo song used as an outro for Starlight’s upcoming full album. 

“Babe babe babe in your eyes. Babe babe babe in your hand. My appearance is babe babe babe babe. I want to hear it again.”

“Are you writing a song?” You were startled with the question. You turned your head and didn’t noticed how a man with a mask and cap sat besides you already. 

“Yes I am” You spoke softly. “Can I read it?” the man besides you asked. 

You hesitantly gave him the notebook, the man took it and read through the lyrics. 

“I like how you composed the song. It’s still in its raw form too. You’re a genius.” The man complimented. You smiled and thanked him for the compliment. The next thing you knew shocked you. 

The man placed a hand on your knee, his other free hand removed his mask and cap. Song Mingi. At that moment, you couldn’t process what was happening. All you knew was that your mind kept telling you to tell at least your members. But your body started heating up at his touch. 

“Did you miss me?” 

Wooyoung: 

Wooyoung had disguised himself as the photographer for your album. The night before it came, he worked on creating his fake ID and borrowed a spare camera to use for the production. 

“At that smile that sees my eyes. For me, the whole world is bathed in light. Hold my hands and I close my eyes. I hope this time stops here.”

Wooyoung’s breath almost took away as he saw you in black under shorts and wrinkled and almost unbuttoned white button down. He didn’t know what the concept was but his eyes were already feasting on your body, not ever feeling full. 

“Fall in love more deeply, you and I. Let’s fall in deeply, you and I together. The one thing that I want. You seep into me, you spread inside of me.” 

“Ms Y/N taking the bold move of doing her first sexy concept.” Y/N’s manager teased her. Wooyoung knew everyone who was on set. Him, Y/N, Y/N’s manager, stylist, make up artist and a few production crew that wasn’t part of VS Media. 

“What’s the story behind this concept?” Y/N’s manager asked, Wooyoung could only stare in awe at Y/N. Never did he see this side of her. He always knew of Y/N as the sweet and bubbly girl in soft concepts. But of course, Wooyoung love to break the types. 

“I actually like to search my name on the internet. And I came across fanfics of myself.” Y/N chuckles. Oh that sweet sound that made Wooyoung’s heart beat fast. The audio recorders can never outdo it. 

“There is a certain blog that possibly does a lot. That blog posts photos of me, writes fanfics and posts my schedules too. He’s doing god works for my other fans.” Y/N chuckles. As the production of the photoshoot started, Wooyoung did his best to capture the real beauty of this side of Y/N. 

“What a hardworking fan. What’s the name of the blog?” 

“ForY/N” 

Wooyoung’s eyes widens as he heard the name of his blog. His blog inspired you to make a song....about him? 

“Filling my whole heart. With you, I feel my heart. Fall in love more deeply, you and I. Let’s fall in deeply, you and I together.” 

“The way that person writes really amazes me. I’d like to get to know the person.” Y/N explains. His mind fell into a spiral. Part of him wanted the song to be released already but there was also a part of him that wanted the song to be released for him only. 

“Wish will soon become tomorrow. Today is more heart fluttering than yesterday. I want to go together with you. Closer to the place where my dream reaches.”

The bonus thing about what Wooyoung did today is that as a photographer, he was able to keep some of the photos. Running away even with some. 

Jongho: 

Jongho fell in line for the release of your album. He was actually second in line as he was actually camping outside of the building of your company. 

“Everyday I called out your name, about a thousand times, about ten million times Before you finally heard it Cut and rewind, why can’t you be mine? Ooh the one who spins my head like this It’s you, just running running running around you  My repeatedly-midnight promise  I don’t know what to do”

Jongho, who had his arms crossed over his chest, looked up and down to turn around where that song was coming from. He hasn’t heard of this song but he knew that was your voice.

“Crazy love!  I love you, love you, hate, foolish Crazy love!  I love you Make me feel so high Love!  I love you, love you, hate, foolish Crazy love!  I hate you Make me so bad It’s weird, the more I fall for you I’m sorry, I’ll hate you I don’t know, I can’t explain this I’m trapped in a labyrinth of strange emotions”

The whole room was adorned with your own merchandise and on the TV display was actually an MV of your b side. Jongho took a basket and grabbed a handful of your limited and regular version of your albums, along with a packet of your photocards and a griptok. 

As he was in line to pay for his orders, in which his basket was filled as he actually bought more of your items. You made a sudden appearance into the room. For Jongho, he felt as if the room got brighter when you suddenly stepped inside. When it was his turn to pay for his items, the people behind the counter were amazed at how many he was able to fit into his basket. 

Tapping his feet impatiently, he wanted to be able to greet you before you left the room. When his bag was handed to him, he immediately took it and sped walk towards your direction, talking to a few. 

He felt as if the gods were with him. As he drew closer to you, the ones you were talking to left and it just you and him now. 

“Hello Y/N!” Jongho greeted. You turned to him happily. “Hello!” 

“I really really like this song of yours!” He gushed happily. “Can you tell me about it?” 

You nodded happily. “The song is actually about someone who makes me feel happy, the idea of love in a dangerous way? The idea send me thrills.” You chuckled. Jongho felt ecstatic. Beyond the moon even. You wrote a song about him! 

That afternoon when he got home, he made sure that everyone in Seoul would be able to hear the song that you made. It was for him so he had full brag rights to do so. 

[firexfate]

the black sparrow || reign

♔ three ~ a new alliance ♔

As weeks slid into months, Alisa was enjoying her time at court, while searching for an alliance that could possibly benefit Russia, to no avail. She was frustrated, but at the same time, she was glad, glad that she could stay in France a little longer. Francis and she grew closer, even if it was wrong. He spent his time as much as he could. The two rode horses together, took walks in the gardens, and read in the library, whenever Francis had free time. Mary did not like the idea of him spending time with Alisa but did not mention it to either of them. When Francis was not with Alisa, he was in the throne room, conversing with the nobles and guards. regarding the politics with both France and Scotland. Alisa too was busy focusing on her own country. She advised Dimitri the best she could, as she received frequent letters from him. He seemed to be doing very well. When she was not doing anything, she roamed the castle’s halls deep in her own thoughts, sometimes with her ladies, but other times she was alone. Bash was probably spending all of his time with Aaliyah, while Katya and Natasha were with Greer and Lola, whom they grew quite close to. 

Summer had reached its peak in the castle, before it became less warm, as it was mid-September. While it was beautiful outside, Alisa preferred to stay indoors this day. She walked inside the throne room, where Catherine was getting everything ready for another party. She loved throwing them, and Alisa had to admit that she was rather good at it. Catherine looked over at Alisa with a warm smile. 

“Ah, Tsaritsa,” She beckoned the young Tsaritsa over, “Tell me, what do you think that the decorations, dark red or gold?” She held the decorative flowers in front of her, as she was preparing the throne room. Alisa pursed her lips. 

“Red. A little pop of color never hurt.” Catherine smiled at her. 

“You have good taste, my dear,” She nodded at one of the servants, before taking Alisa’s arm and walking with her, “Tell me, how is Francis?” Alisa was taken back by the question and cleared her throat awkwardly. 

“Madame...” 

“Catherine, please.” 

“Very well, Catherine. I think you know your son better than I do. You tell me.” Alisa told her softly. Catherine chuckled deeply. 

“That may be true, but I have not been spending so much time with him, but you have.” Alisa’s gaze darted to the side. “Oh, don’t be so modest. I am pleased to see that he is with you.” Alisa raised her eyebrows with confusion. 

“I thought you of all people would be against it, it could jeopardize your treaty with Scotland.” Catherine smiled at her ever so slightly, causing Alisa to inhale, realizing that the Queen of France was not too happy with the engagement. “You do not want Mary to marry your son.” 

“I have been talking to Henry,” Catherine continued, completely ignoring Alisa’s previous statement, “And he agrees that if France and Russia could come to a sort of agreement, then this would be one of the most powerful alliances in all of history.” 

“What are you saying?” Alisa whispered, unable to believe what she was hearing. Not only will she get an alliance, but she could possibly be wed to Francis if the king decides to break the alliance. Catherine did not say anything, just patted her arm. 

“Keep doing what you’re doing, and you just might end up getting what you want.” She told her, before walking out of the throne room, calling out to one of the servants. Alisa stared after her, letting out an uneasy breath, as she smoothed her dress, trying to look as though nothing happened. She turned around and continued to walk, admiring the room. 

“Alisa!” She turned and saw Francis moving up towards her, a little flushed. 

“Francis, are you alright?” 

“I am, but a little problem has arisen. There has been some shortage regarding meat and poultry, there is not enough grain to go about. Even the nobles that supplied us with it cannot do anything about it.” Francis said this all hurriedly, in a rush. Alisa’s gaze turned sympathetic. 

“I am sorry, won’t Scotland be able to help?” Francis shook his head. 

“Scotland itself is not stable, it has its own problems going on as of late. It is in no condition to help us.” Alisa nodded. 

“I see,” She looked up at him with a sad smile, “I’m so sorry.” Francis shook his head with a smile of his own. 

“Don’t be, we will figure something out.” He paused himself, tilting his head to the side as if he was trying to calculate a very complicated problem. 

“Francis?” Alisa’s dark eyes flooded with concern. 

“Hang on, I’m trying something here...” Francis muttered, before opening his mouth once and closed it. His eyes finally lit up, before his gaze fell upon hers, “Dobroye utro.” Alisa’s mouth nearly fell open, before she broke into laughter, closing her eyes as she did so before her gaze shifted back to Francis again. 

“Dobroye utro. Kak ty sebya chustvuyesh?” She giggled at the reaction of his face. He looked extremely confused. “I think you might need to learn a little more than ‘good morning.’ Who taught it to you, anyhow?” 

“Aaliyah.” He grinned cheekily. 

“Why do you always look at so many ways to impress me?” Alisa laughed again. “I am not that difficult to please.” 

“I am not trying to impress you, maybe, I am just trying to learn some Russian.” He feigned his innocence. Alisa raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re failing remarkably.” She told him, to which he chuckled. 

“Maybe I just need someone to teach me.” He was cut off midway, as a guard approached Alysa. He bowed before her and Francis. 

“Your Majesty, your uncle, Yuri of Uglich, has requested an audience with you.” Alisa’s eyes widened. She wondered why would her uncle be here. He should be with his son, supporting his rule. Dimitri gave her the impression that everything was going fine, but he should have his father’s council at his side. She nodded firmly. 

“Of course. Send him in.” 

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, he requested to be alone with you. He asked that I show you to the room.” Alisa’s eyes narrowed further, but she nodded, complying. She turned to Francis. 

“I am sorry, I suppose I will have to speak with you later.” She smiled a little. Francis nodded. 

“Of course. I shall wait for your return.” Alisa turned on her heel and followed the guard into one of the living rooms, where her uncle was at. He was pacing around the room impatiently, but paused once the Tsaritsa entered, escorted by the guard. 

“You may leave us.” Alisa instructed. The guard bowed and swept out of the room. Yuri smiled once he saw Alisa and moved forward, kissing her cheek. 

“My dear niece. You look well.” She smiled warmly. 

“As do you, Uncle. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Yuri’s eyes hardened ever so slightly, as a frown grazed his lips, letting out a soft sigh. 

“Unfortunately, Alisa, my visit will not be a very pleasant one. I bring bad news. It’s about Dimitri.” Alisa’s eyes filled with confusion, wringing her hands, as she always did when she was nervous. 

“I-I don’t understand.” She stammered, . Yuri gently took her by the arm, sitting beside her on the couch. “He told - he told me that he was doing fine. Russia was fine. He said that---” 

“He lied.” Yuri interrupted, gripping arm. “He is not coping well under pressure, but that is not the worst part. The people are unhappy with the regency. They are beginning to revolt. A week ago, there was a violent attack. Our soldiers managed to hold them back, but there were deaths.” Alisa’s breathing hitched. She swallowed, trying to think rationally. 

“How many?” She finally asked. 

“Ten. Twice more have been wounded.” Yuri locked his eyes upon hers intently. “Tell me, Alisa, how successful are you in finding an alliance? Because we need more men, and we need them now, or else a bloody revolution will break out, and Dimitri will lose his head.” Alisa swallowed hard. 

“Alliances are not that easy to come by, Uncle, you know that. I have been trying to find a suitable one.” Yuri sighed heavily, leaning back. 

“But you have failed to do so.” He stared at her long and hard, his gaze becoming cold. “You are Russia’s Queen, you must do something, or you will lose your country. I have been working hard to not let this... catastrophe come to light, but if it well, you are less likely to find alliance, than you are now.” Alisa nodded once, finding no point in arguing. 

“I know. My duty as Tsaritsa comes first. I will find a way to end this protest.” Yuri huffed, yet nodded in response. 

“Do that, and do so quickly. Time is of the essence.” Alisa stood up shakily from the couch and left the room without another word. She bit her lip, playing with her friends. The more she thought about it, the more worried she got. She had no alliance. Even if she were to find an alliance, she could possibly not hear back from the chosen country for days, maybe weeks. She felt her chest tighten, something that often happened when she began to panic. From the corner of her eye, she saw Bash and Aaliyah talking to one another and laughing. It made her feel even worse, more miserable and alone. They did not notice as she passed by. Francis noticed that there was something off with her from the start, even as he was speaking with some guards about something. He broke off the conversation at once, walking over to her, hand reaching to touch her wrist. She jerked her hand, before relaxing seeing Francis. Francis’s face softened upon seeing her distraught one. 

“What happened?” He asked gently. She shook her head feebly, unable to speak. “Is it Dimitri? Russia?” Alisa nodded feverishly. Francis took her hands in his gently. “What’s wrong, Alisa?” 

“Dimitri created a whole mess of things, he was pressured by the nobles, and now, the people are revolting, and our troops are not enough. My uncle is telling me that I need to find an alliance as soon as possible, but I---” Her voice increased in volume from panic, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself. 

“Alright, alright, slow down,” Francis interrupted gently, squeezing her hands, “You need more men?” Alisa nodded softly, letting out a shaky breath. “I think we can help with that. We have eight companies of men, I am sure I can convince my father to send some Russia.” Alisa gaped at him. 

“You can do that? For me? For a country that you barely know?” Francis smiled at her. 

“I would do anything for you. You need only ask.” Alisa bit her lip, before stepping forward, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Francis did not push her away, in face he pulled her closer, his fingers making their way into her dark locks. She pulled back with a smile, before her eyes lit up with an idea. 

“You said France needed meat, right?” She asked slowly. Francis nodded. “Russia has quite a surplus of it, always getting imports from other countries, through trade. Maybe, I can make an offer to your father.” Francis felt his lips curl up into a smile. 

“You want to propose a temporary alliance.” Alisa nodded once. Francis took her hand, the feeling more natural every time he did so.

“Let’s go find my father.” He agreed, before leading her towards his study, Alisa feeling hopeful again. She did not notice, Aaliyah and Bash this time, who were sharing a brief kiss in the hallway. She did not notice Katya walking down the hallway with a handsome noble, chatting away. She especially did not notice Mary, who was hidden in the shadows and watching her and Francis, both angry and envious. 

♖♖♖

Alisa and Francis found the King hunched over his desk, with a few of his nobles, talking amongst themselves. Henry could not seem to find a solution, his face creased into a frown. He looked both frustrated and annoyed. Francis pulled Alisa inside, causing Henry to look up. He looked extremely surprised to Alisa there, and cleared his throat, nodding at all of the nobles to leave for the time being. 

“Tsaritsa,” He stood up, looking over at her, “What can I do for you?” 

“You do not need Scotland to get the meat you desire. You need Russia.” Alisa spoke plainly. Henry’s eyebrows rose, before a thin smile tugged from the corner of his lips. 

“Go on.” He nodded at her. 

“Our people need meat,” Francis spoke up, looking up at his father, “Russia has a surplus of it, and Alisa has offered to send some our way. She proposes an alliance.” Henry pursed his lips in thought. An alliance with Russia? It is almost too good to be true, but of course, King Henry was a proud king and a stubborn one as well. 

“What do you get out of this?” 

“I need men to shut down an uprising against my cousin’s regency.” Alisa explained. “Three companies. That is all I ask.” Henry looked over at her, calculating her eyes. She seemed to be desperate. 

“You seem sure of yourself, Queen Alisa. What makes you think that I would give them to you?” Francis tensed from besides her, his hand slipping out of hers, a stern expression flashing upon his face. 

“Father---” He was cut off by Alisa, who strode up to King Henry. Her eyes now burned with determination and with a fire Francis has never seen before. 

“You have just been offered an alliance with one, if not the, most powerful countries in the world. Are you really telling me that you are about to decline? If so, you are a fool!” Alisa shot at him, glaring at Henry through her intense eyes. “Russia is not England, the country that you are so keen on getting, it is better. England is just one small country. Russia is an entire empire, an empire that I am sworn to protect. So, if you won’t give me the resources that I need, I shall find someone else who will!” Alisa turned around, catching Francis’s eye who was stunned at the way she spoke to his father. He even looked somewhat impressed and rightfully so, as the King started clapping slowly from behind, causing Alisa to turn around. 

“Well done. You are a true Queen, Alisa,” He smiled appreciatively, “You have a way of getting what you want.” He paused for a moment. “Four companies. They will leave at first light tomorrow for Moscow.” Alisa let a smile grow on her face as she bowed her head. 

“My country and I thank you. I will send my uncle over to negotiate the amount of meat to be sent to France.” Henry nodded once, and Alisa knew that she was dismissed. She headed to the door, Francis behind her. 

“Oh, and Alisa?” Henry called her, causing her to freeze in her tracks. “I look forward to working with you in the future.” Alisa merely smiled, as she walked out, Francis at her side. She looked over at him. 

“I cannot thank you enough. You are the one who offered to help and gave me the idea of an alliance.” Francis chuckled. 

“As a said, I will do anything for you.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “But now, I would like to ask you something.” 

“What is it?” Alisa smiled a little as she gazed into his blue eyes. 

“Teach me Russian. It sounds beautiful, and I am sure I will learn better when you’d be the one giving me the lessons.” Alisa laughed lightly. 

“It will be hard and frustrating.” 

“I have all the time in the world.” Francis insisted. “At night, we could go use one of the living rooms. I’ll bring some wine, you bring the books, and we will study together.” Alisa felt her face flare up. 

“People are already talking about our friendship, Francis,” She told him. She especially did not want to get on Mary’s bad side, as Mary was not exactly pleased seeing the two of them together. 

“Then, let them talk. Besides, no one will know about it, it will just be me and you.” He smiled ever so slightly, gazing at her. 

“Da.” Alisa finally agreed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I accept.” Francis grinned at that, continuing to walk with her, holding her hand tighter. He couldn’t wait for those lessons. And although Alisa would never admit it, she was too. 

[mudakun]

The Problems of Creativeness

...also happens to be the title of a short, biting sci-fi tale by Thomas M. Disch; I use it as a half-ironic tag over on my blog but have been saving it as title. (in case you haven’t noticed or cared, I like to use old sci-fi story and movie titles as blog post titles as a sort of mood-setting thang over at heartsoffuriousfancies dawt com) I need to write -something- over there, if only because my (gasp) 10yr anniversary for the blog is approaching in September. I haven’t abandoned it, or even announced a formal hiatus. I do drop by and reply to occasional comments and sometimes, I run search+replace to fix terminology problems that might inadvertently position my ramblings as allied with odious netouyo.

So why have I not posted in 3/4 of a year? I lost my theory-moe-mojo. I think I blew it all on last year’s (or was it 2 years ago’s) big 4-parter on conventions of depicting intimacy in Japanese manga and anime. I am still proud of it but it became obvious that I wasn’t getting my point, my thesis or whatever, across. 

A similar thing happened a few years earlier when I examined 3 somewhat-lesbian-ish yuri works, ending in a detailed examination of the Bakemonogatari effort; Hanamonogatari (which, btw I lurv to death and Suruga Kanbaru is in many ways a far better lead than buddy boy, and I like buddy boy) Here for the record:  Too Het series: The “use value” extracted by straight-gaze works using queer characters is that these can do things that -by convention- straight charas are seldom shown doing. Lives of others: Tasteful, light queer desire is consumed for its iyashi feels. Hanamonogatari both lampshades and deconstructs the practice; it is a masterfully plotted tale. I then ran out of any “big” theory-ish thangs I wanted to grind on about. On a whim, I created an “imaginary friend”/ fictional interlocutor/ foil/ straight lawn mower/ OC? So I could do crummy dialogue-ish style grinds on smaller topics. It was either this, stop blogging or start doing new season anime reviews. Ack-chu-ally... The anime reviews ended up as meandering Twitter threads. Post screencaps, try not to be toooo slaggy, except for creeper shit that deserved a kick or two.

Even so, I generally just do a “nope, not for me, you may enjoy it, whatever” Why waste powder?

For instance, there are TWO summer 2021 high fantasy young lad hero isekai anime on right now; One is more “hard realism” and the other is already building a monster-girl harem. The latter is clearly more bullshit cliché than the former but I am enjoying it far more than the first -- which routinely slips in gratuitous child abuse shit to bolster its “realism” cred. ISEKAI, remember? FANTASY. Pleasant diverting escapism. If I want human scum acting scummy, I watch a video of CPAC.

Strangely enough, the monster girls in question are not shy about killing baddies, which is refreshing, even if they do pull their punches -most- of the time out of a sense of decorum towards their “young master”. The “realism” one could have used a few more dead baddies, right from ep1. Bhut Nooooo because our hero is... -something-. Bleh.

Even the Light Novel version of the Slime-taming Shed Builder Isekai from last year had him quietly, offstage, KILLING entre bands of bandits that threatened his forest cave home. Good on him. Do I have to endlessly re-watch Castlevania to see some obvious problem disposal? Which is not exactly a theory-moe-ish subject for one of my usual essay/posts. Which leads me to IRL. Obviously, a year -plus- of pandemic has not improved my outlook and I am sorely missing my special someone in Japan (she can’t visit me and I can’t visit her) and I really, really miss her. I DO feel better lately in that both of us are now fully vaxxed, and while we both have our share of “gettin’ older” complaints, we are healthy. So... writers block apologia post? There are a few other thangs that annoy/ get in the way but all in all, I like the way the last decade has gone in manga and anime. I have been watching casually for EONS and decided to fan out on it a decade ago and I will proudly state that I now will watch anime before I bother watching almost all live-action “movies” or shows. The overwhelming majority of them now provoke an almost-reflexive URUSAI/ STFU reaction.

The J-Drama “Camping Alone” was tolerable. Maybe it is the subtitles? Whatever. If worst comes to worst, I have 2 extra homebrew discoveries/ recipes/ tricks that I can post. One involves a novel use for grocery store Ginger Ale, the other a method for creating VERY hard cider. I can’t think of anything else.

[witharthurkirkland]

In For a Kopek

I’m continuing my trend of posting previews of ideas I have for future fics. Eventually I will make a post linking to all of these and organize a vote of some kind.

This one comes with a slightly different narrative style from the one I usually use.

Summary: Yuuri’s life was always about making ends meet and looking after his two sons. Victor’s life was always very lonely. When Victor’s sister died in a car crash with her husband Victor found himself replacing the father to his nephew, Yuri Plisetsky. One day the two of them run into each other and suddenly it doesn’t matter that there’s never enough money or that Yuri keeps coating his teacher’s chair with glue.

Edit: you can now vote for this to be the next fic I write here!

It was another grey morning in a long series of grey January mornings that all appear identical and full of hopelessness. And yet, a little miracle was about to occur. As always, everyone ran around, chasing buses, stuffing themselves into overcrowded trolleybuses and stepping on each other’s toes (not to mention hitting each other with their bags). But I won’t bore you with these details. I’d rather tell you about the heroes of my story.

First: Yuuri Katsuki. He was a young man of what he considered to be average looks (not knowing that several of his coworkers had their eyes on him). Yuuri worked at a desk job. I never found out which exactly, but I think the reader will forgive me for that. He had twin sons: Minami and Kenji. Minami, as a rule, was always the better behaved of the two. That’s not to say that he wouldn’t do something bad. He would, but he’d know it was bad while he went on doing it. Kenji was a menace, a little storm of mischief disguised as a little boy. He terrorized everyone without exception and his teachers were all frightened of him.

Second: Victor Nikiforov. He was the classic example of someone too beautiful for words. His looks intimidated everyone and no one dared approach him, certain that they would be turned down on the spot. As a result, he was convinced there was something wrong with him that made people avoid him. He recently found himself the only guardian of his nephew Yuri Plisetsky, who – like Kenji – was a little terror who spared no one.

Third: Phichit Chulanont. He was Yuuri’s co-worker and best friend. He was the one who rescued Yuuri from certain doom when the money ran out. And the money ran out a lot. You see, dear reader, Yuuri lived from one pay to the next and what a small pay it was! And, as you will probably agree, money problems can ruin anyone’s enjoyment of life, but more about that later. Phichit was, if the reader can forgive me this expression, a ray of sunshine in Yuuri’s life, apart from the twins (when they were on their best behaviour, of course). Phichit, unlike Yuuri, made friends easily and could come up with a way out of any situation. Naturally, this made him the perfect friend to have and people flocked to him.

Fourth: Christophe Giacometti. This was Victor’s co-worker and best friend. I always thought it was very fair on Fate’s part to set things up in a way that gave both our heroes someone to turn to in hard times. Chris was, by the standards of the 1980s, very adventurous. People said rude things behind his back and many avoided him on principle. Maybe that was why he made friends with Victor so easily. They were close friends and told each other everything that was on their minds. Many people thought they had more than a friendship, but Victor, who I had the great fortune of meeting several times, assured me this was not true.

Maybe, dear reader, you know St. Petersburg, where this tale took place, and you’ve walked along its beautiful streets and stared down at your reflection in the water. If so, I hope you don’t mind a quick word from me about the city. St. Petersburg, no longer a capital city, looked like it deserved that title. Not as big as Moscow, it was a breathtaking sight nonetheless. But I wouldn’t dare describe its beauty when so many poets have done it so much better. I will only say one thing that people who have never been there might want to know.

In the summertime the days in St. Petersburg were long. The sun would set really late and in the last days of June barely set at all, giving the city the famous White Nights. In the winter the sun would rise late and set early, as if it felt it had done enough work in the summer. And this tale started, as I said, in late January.

It was that gloomy grey time in the beginning of the year when the holidays were far away, the weather was bad and it felt as if all good things were in the past.

Yuuri, tired to the bone and feeling as if it was already Thursday and not just Tuesday, stood in a bus packed with people, his sons at his sides, clinging on to their father’s legs.

It was really early and, as always, Minami slept while standing up and Kenji was angry that he had to be awake.

Fate is a funny old girl. One day she would get everything ready: candles, moonlight, music, the whole lot and another day she would go home in a huff, waving her arm dismissively.

That day she was lazy and decided to sleep in, or maybe even take the whole day off.

The whole day! Imagine, reader, a day where – ah, but that’s a tale for another time.

So when the little miracle occurred it wasn’t Fate’s fault (or Chance’s: he was off in China at the time).

“Your tie is ugly!” a loud voice cut in, rudely interrupting Yuuri in the middle of a very unpleasant thought.

“Hmm? What?” He looked around.

A little boy stood two steps away and glared at him as if ugly ties offended him personally. “I said –”

“Please, please calm down,” a young man begged the boy. “It’s really not –” he tried to reassure Yuuri. “I’m so sorry. My nephew is just… He’s very upset. But your tie isn’t –” he stopped and smiled. “Actually, it is really ugly.”

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 4/23/19

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 3 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Things get a bit more interesting with the third volume of this series. First of all, we have a potential love interest for Iris, who has not really been thinking about love ever since her exile. That said, he’s more than what he appears, and I suspect once Iris finds this out any love that is happening may hit the side of the road. Meanwhile, we also return to the school she was exiled from, to meet her former love interest and his new fiancee, who… well, let’s just say she’s no Maria Campbell. The book ends with a cliffhanger, as Iris is invited to a royal ball, where she will no doubt be pilloried. Hopefully she can withstand it. I also hope Dean is a good guy. So “I’m an otome villainess” is a huge genre now, huh? – Sean Gaffney

Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 4 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – Just because we have had a love epiphany does not mean everything is hunky dory. We’re still getting tastes of Kou’s past, and why he keeps walling himself off from people. His mother’s death hit him hard, and he’s annoyed at Futaba less for being nosy and more for the fact that she’s refusing to be upset by him and pull away. Her resolve to continue to bring him closer to people—even if through the use of righteous violence—is the highlight of the book. There’s also Yuri, who is trying hard to win Kou’s heart but really has gotten there far too late. The end of this volume comes full circle, with Kou inviting Futaba to keep the appointment that they never did years ago. A very well-handled shoujo romance. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 5 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – This series has gradually moved from amusing jokes about Umaru’s double life as a perfect student and a hikki otaku to the family that the core cast are becoming, and while there are still some great punchlines, we’re moving into the “here for the sweet bits” category. Tachibana may not know who Umaru’s alter ego really is, but she’s damn enthusiastic about being the best friend ever, and while I wish Umaru would just come clean, the Christmas ending was really nice. Speaking of which, Ebina has gradually been coming out of her shell, to the point that the cliffhanger of the volume seems to involve her confessing to Taihei. We’re not even halfway through the series, though, so don’t hold your breath. – Sean Gaffney

My Sweet Girl, Vol. 2 | By Rumi Ichinohe | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Tsugumi Koeda is thin and tiny, and never felt she was the sort of person who would get to experience love, but that changed when she met Masamune Sena. In this volume, summer vacation has arrived and Tsugumi and Masamune visit the sea with friends. Then, he gets sick and she makes rice porridge. And then it’s suddenly the school festival and Tsugumi is playing Cinderella. If you think these sound like major shoujo clichés, you’re absolutely correct. I wish I could like My Sweet Girl more, because I appreciate its themes of self-acceptance, but the shoujo-by-the-numbers approach holds me back. For every genuinely cute moment between Tsugumi and Masamune (and I did appreciate that they’re already open about their feelings), there’s a lame trip-and-fall moment or some randomly snide strangers in a coffee shop. I like it enough to keep reading, though, and to continue hoping it improves. – Michelle Smith

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 2 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – As with the first book, it’s hard not to compare this series to Kimi ni Todoke. If the latter had a more laser focus on the main relationship it might seem a bit like this. Ran and Akira slowly grow closer, despite her introversion and second-guessing of herself. There’s a great bit where she helps out at his flower shop, thinking it’s a good opportunity to grow closer, only to castigate herself when she realizes he’s worried about his sick mother. (We also meet the mom—she’s great.) There are also moments of great character humor, such as an athletics festival that ends with a “princess carry,” which you think is going to be triumphant and… isn’t. It’s sweet, though. As is the whole series. – Sean Gaffney

Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection | By Junji Ito | Viz Media – Gathering together thirteen of Ito’s short horror manga in a single, hardcover volume, Smashed is the most recent installment in Viz Media’s ever-expanding catalog of the master creator’s work. A rather disturbing and disturbed individual named Soichi is featured in three of the stories, but otherwise the tales collected in the volume aren’t directly related to one another. But even so, all of the manga work nicely together as an anthology. The Japanese word that has been translated as “smashed” is “kaidan,” a homophone of which gives name to a particular type of ghost story, urban legend, and uncanny tale. I can’t imagine this was an accident since the manga in Smashed either firmly fall within or are strongly reminiscent of the category. Some of the stories are less memorable than the others, but as a whole, Smashed is still a solid collection of engaging horror manga. – Ash Brown

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 9 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Much as this series has been a romantic drama, it’s also looks at the nature of gods and belief, and how easily that can be swayed by the environment, particularly when bad people are helping to do the swaying. The Emperor has been dethroned, the Water God is particularly unpopular right now, and, in the most chilling scene in the book, Kurose’s desire to resurrect his dead little sister figure has been completely papered over with generic “dark evilness”—this is what being dedicated to revenge gets you. There’s only two volumes to go after this one, and I admit I’ve no idea where the ending is going to go. This has become my favorite Rei Toma series. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 3 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Since my last brief, the anime version of We Never Learn has debuted, and having watched it, I think it’s safe to say I prefer its fanservice in print form. The author is sometimes clever in getting us that service—one chapter has everyone hearing that studying in the bath works better, so we see them all bathing, complete with fantasies they’re doing it together. The series continues to balance the romance with the studying, working them together a lot. We have two obvious pairings now, mostly as Fumino is still trying to be a good friend towards the other two—or just hasn’t realized it yet. As for Kirisu-sensei—well, she turns out to be a bit of a disaster… and also has a tragic past. Mildly recommended. – Sean Gaffney

World’s End and Apricot Jam, Vol. 3 | By Rila Kirishima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Anzu finally stops fighting against his feelings for Hina and they start dating. After a chaste month passes, during which they only manage two smooches, Hina returns from a school trip to find Anzu’s apartment empty. It turns out his band has been signed to a major label and their new producer has demanded that Anzu move out of Apricot House and break up with Hina. Anzu continues to date her in secret, however, and the volume ends with them apparently busted. It’s shoujo drama at its finest. What I don’t like are the mixed singles Anzu sends, particularly when he breaks bad for a second and acts out the scenario Hina most fears, in which he tells her it was all just a game to him. He genuinely makes her cry for a moment, and it was kind of shitty. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[vesperia-ship-bitch]

A New Beginning

This was started a month or so ago with Nightfoot's encouragement (@nightfoot, the one who likes to write torture and shit). I swear I'll keep writing it eventually. This is the written version of Nightfoot's plot skeleton that she was never gonna get around to writing, and I swear she gave me permission to write it. And get this shit -- it's not porn! This fic includes: fluff, adorableness and purity. Enjoy! --- Honestly, Flynn could have never seen this coming. To be honest, Flynn had always held wishes for a simple life. Something where he would be able to balance his average job (hopefully at least in the Public Quarter) alongside spending time with his average wife, and his beautifully average future children, with his ridiculously average and reckless best friend poking in every now and again. Normalcy had always been something he’d craved, longed for, because complications were often too much for him to handle. By the day since boyhood, he’d made plans for his life in the form of messy drawings that Yuri would make fun of him for and his mother would pin to the walls of the kitchen in pride, so it had been something ingrained in him that he would be able to live a peaceful life upon reaching his adult years. But….what kind of fool would he have been to think at such a young age that he would grow to become the youngest commandant in history. To think that his best friend, the brash Yuri Lowell, would have the biggest hand in saving the world from what could have easily been utter destruction. To think that Flynn would be able to request the hand of the princess in marriage--much less expect her to say yes. The mere thought of it all swarmed in his head in somewhat of a nervous fit as he stood by the base of the great tree of Halure, dressed in a simple, yet nice outfit that worked well to hide his purpose there in that little town, but also show himself in a more presentable state than normal. By a stroke of luck, Yuri had managed to talk the mayor into allowing a private ‘meeting’ for the afternoon, secluded enough that no one would be able to know what was going on unless they were allowed beneath the tree to witness. Flynn was more than certain it was because both the commandant and the princess (not to mention the savior of the tree) were involved, but he didn’t question. Instead, he’d chosen to appreciate the effort Yuri and his guild put into organizing the event, despite how he did want some decision in how things were handled. “Hey, there. Getting jittery already?” Flynn’s shoulders jumped as his thoughts scurried away, his blue eyes shifting to recognize Yuri clapping a hand on his arm in welcoming. For once, he, too, was dressed appropriately; Flynn was aware that the particularly elegant outfit Yuri wore was not the latter’s favorite, but Flynn was quite certain that it looked nice on him. Fitting. Estelle had called it ‘dashing’, but honestly, Yuri was anything but that. Stubborn, maybe. Insufferable. “Don’t black out on me, now.” Yuri’s voice brought him back again, and Flynn let out a sigh. “Sorry,” he responded, shifting and adjusting his posture. “I guess I am getting a bit nervous. Not that you’d understand.” Mock offense lit up Yuri’s eyes and his hands raised defensively. “What, you think I’m not going to get married? I’m hurt, Flynn. I didn’t think I was that ugly.” Flynn let out a snort, already able to feel himself relaxing despite himself. Whether he admitted it or not, he did appreciate Yuri’s attempt at easing his nerves. “You, settling down? I’d likely die first.” A rather rare smirk crossed his lips as he closed his eyes, turning his head. “I doubt any woman would be willing to put up with you at this point.” “And I doubt you’d be able to find a woman to put up with that stick up your ass if this one cancels on you last-minute. Let’s hope that thing won’t get in the way on the honeymoon. It’d ruin all the...interesting positions.” Flynn’s cheeks flared red and he shot Yuri a glare, lips parting to offer a retort. However, the two of them were interrupted by the gentle sound of an unfamiliar voice clearing its - his - throat. “Gentlemen? We are prepared to start.” The officiant. Flynn’s chest tightened with a mixture of excitement and apprehension as he shifted, respectfully bowing his head and following behind to get into his proper position, Yuri standing by his side. It was a common sense decision to pick Yuri as the best man, and Estelle...well, Rita was her obvious choice for a maid of honor. By the time that Raven, Karol, Judith, Rita, and Repede had all arrived, Flynn had gotten into position with a somewhat queasy look on his face, which Karol couldn’t help but laugh at until Rita smacked him upside the head to shut him up; apparently, her abuse just showed how serious this was to her. Yuri snorted at the display, but didn’t move from his spot beside Flynn. Once Rita had gotten into position across from them, the officiant gave his cue to begin, and Flynn’s heart began to race in his chest. Today, there would be no music, nothing fancy and no massive banquet. Today would be a simple, sweet wedding, something free of the complications of his everyday life. It would be something to remember specifically for its peaceful atmosphere, and Flynn could appreciate nothing but that. His eyes closed and he breathed in the sweet, floral air to calm his nerves, reopening them as the sound of ginger footsteps against the grass came into earshot. Never was there a sight that took Flynn’s breath away as much as the one he was blessed to have seen in that moment. His senses gave out for about everything except for the throbbing of his heart as Estellise finally made her presence known, approaching the base of the Great Tree with slow, practiced steps. Bashful green eyes lifted to meet bright blue, and Flynn’s heart melted at the sight of petals the same shade as her beautiful hair fluttering down from the tree as they had been all week--but in this moment, it was the most wonderful gift nature could have given him. He found himself getting dry in the mouth as she smiled at him, wearing a soft white summer dress with an ornate design scrawled up the hip and across the underside of her left shoulder akin to that of lilies that reached just below her knees; somehow, he preferred this much more than any of the elegant and fancy wedding gowns he’d imagined seeing instead. She was stunning, and if the way he stared like a child meeting his first crush didn’t speak volumes for her, he wasn’t sure what else would. The vision of her walking toward him like an angel stepping down from heaven itself seemed stuck in his mind, because before he knew it, Yuri was nudging his back with an elbow gracelessly and snapping him out of his haze to see that the man who was to marry them had already begun to speak. Flynn turned as Estelle took his hand, returning her smile with all of the confidence he could muster, because yes, this was really happening. As familiar words tumbled into his ears, he tightened his grip on her smaller hand and let the last of his nervousness fade. It had been a faster ceremony than he had first thought. It had still taken an hour or so, but it was nothing compared to the royal wedding they would have in the next few days, so Flynn had taken his blessing without protest. When they kissed to seal their matrimony, he’d distantly heard the flat-out sobbing of Raven, whose composure had long since been lost and was reduced to being comforted by Judith. “You kids are gettin’ to be too much for this old man’s heart,” he’d wailed, and Flynn was somewhat touched by his emotional response; joke or not, (probably not, judging by the look on Karol’s face) it was heartwarming. Even Rita, apparently, had been too overtaken by the event that she didn’t swat at Raven or snap at him to shut up; instead, she was wiping her face--and only then did she snap at Yuri to shut up instead, for he had patted her back in a display of pure smug sympathy. Still, the odd expression even he had carried was one to remember; Flynn could not remember a time that he’d seen Yuri looking so happy. They had eaten together after the ceremony to celebrate, which involved quite a bit of alcohol for Raven and Yuri, for Flynn had managed to weasel his way out of downing too much. Their time together ended up dragging on into the late hours of the night, until they had parted ways into their own rooms at the inn after Raven had passed out (leaving Karol straining to drag the old man to Brave Vesperia’s room while Judith and Yuri had stayed out a while longer), and Flynn finally had his opportunity to pull Estelle close to him, pressing his face into her neck after the ginger kisses they’d exchanged to curl up and fall asleep together. For such a luxuriously simple wedding, Flynn could not have felt more pleased with the turnout. When Princess Estellise and Commandant Flynn had returned to Zaphias a few days after their official wedding day, preparations for the royal wedding had been completed. Flynn had been forced to wear a suit far more pricey and flashy than he ever would have liked, and Estelle had worn an elegant white and lavender gown with an impossibly long train trailing behind her, a tiara resting atop her neatly styled hair. Under the watchful eyes of every official and higher-up of the Empire (as well as several prominent Union members that had been invited), they were once again wed. Flynn had felt a mixture of pleased eyes resting upon himself and his wife as well as displeased stares burning into the back of his head, but he ignored them all, for once again, he got to relive the wonderful reality of marrying his beloved. While he was enjoying himself and doing excellently to sell that this was their ‘official’ wedding, he had easily seen the glimmer of thrilled mischief in Estelle’s eyes; he knew that she was pleased to be tricking the masses with such a ploy. It was utterly cute, in his opinion, but voicing that any time later would have gotten him a huffy response from the princess. For the days after their second wedding, Estelle continued to spout on about her grand experience deceiving the entirety of the Empire, and Flynn could do nothing but smile at her lively expressions. After the festivities, their honeymoon had been in Nam Cobanda, where they were both more than happy to spend their time alone curled up in the warm sands of the beach and discuss things they never talked about in Zaphias. How one day, Estelle would have liked to sleep in a bed in Myorzo again, (but with Flynn so he could understand just how outstanding it was to have such a large and wonderfully soft bed that acted as a floor for half of the room) or how Flynn still failed to understand why Nia fruit had become a delicacy in some parts of the world when it tasted so acrid and disgusting on his tongue. They had laughed and bickered about normal things for once, things that never often came to mind when they were with each other, and it was nice. During their trip, Estelle had refused to let him work at all, which was a bit disappointing. “It’s our honeymoon. If I’m not working, then you can’t, either,” she’d pressed sternly, and so he had given into her demands without much protest. After all, he did like when she put her foot down. Regardless, he had been chomping at the bit to get home after the first few days, until Estelle had finally admitted she was alright with returning to Zaphias after they’d stayed at least another day or two, so she could enjoy watching the sun rise and set without worrying about other things with him. Flynn gave her that without much protest, because the look in her eyes had been so demanding, and his heart had long since waned to give her what she wanted. Still, he was adamant to get home after those two allotted days. After all, he had work to do as the commandant, and a stand-in or an absence of such a position wouldn’t do past a week or so at best. Estelle had understood this easily, because she knew how serious Flynn was about his job. Yuri had often described it as, again, ‘the stick up his ass’, but Estelle could never call it something that bad. Well...sometimes, she disagreed with Yuri’s wording, anyway. Other days, she would simply smile and laugh instead of protest the description, leaving Flynn to defend himself from such claims. That was a cute display for her to watch, especially when his butt stiffened up like the metaphorical stick had shifted. On the day of their return, she had slept with her head in his lap for most of the way home, leaving his fingers to gingerly comb through her pink hair while he watched her peaceful expression with a soft smile. Upon returning home, they would have quarters to share, things to discuss as a couple, and a massive workload. However, as his fingers gently brushed her cheek, he decided that the coming stress would be okay. Such a drastic change in his life would be welcomed this time around.