#lesser known / secrets / etc

[wakfu-weekly]

A closer look at the idle animations of Olavrann, the boss of the Incarnam dungeon whose soul did not go through the process of excarnating correctly.

There are two things of note about him.

1. His attacks are named HRAARGH, OUGAAAH, GRRROOOOH, and HRAAARGH

2. His name varies across languages:

Spanish: Odalach

Portuguese: Oirato

French and English: Olavrann

It’s almost as if they were… modified to fit an anagram for each language… right?

After a moment of realization and a particularly large sigh, I've got to inform that Odalach is, indeed, an anagram for Chalado, a Castilian Spanish slang term for Crazed.

as for the rest of them, well… I got no leads.

Looking for help to figure out if there is any possible anagram or meaning in the Olavrann or Oirato. Any input is greatly appreciated!

[obae-me]

I have been asked to expand on the MC with trauma scenarios, and you know what, I need the comfort, so let's do it! (No these are not based on myself, I don't know what you're talking about....)

Also I've seen a ton of people's responses to the last one and just know that I am spiritually patting you all on the head and wrapping a soft blanket around your shoulders.

--

MC with ~Trauma~ PT 2!

Imagine an MC who has been mocked, berated, or criticized for their joys and hobbies. They don't do those things anymore or go to great lengths to hide them.

They never share their writing or their art with anyone. They are surrounded by demons and angels much more talented than them. The thing that they felt they were moderately talented in is below average compared to these beings... Everything they create is hidden in secret digital folders or kept in notebooks under their mattress or tucked in secret spots on their bookshelves.

They never sing or dance or play their instruments. They almost avoid the music room altogether. It's almost too painful for them to think about. If they attend a dance they just stand off to the sides... They don't participate in karaoke. They don't hum to their favorite songs.

They hardly cook, or garden, or read, or edit, or color, or knit, or crochet, or embroider, or anything else that they might enjoy.

Imagine some of the nosier brothers not realizing the pain that hides behind their passions and either playfully spying on them or digging up their secrets. Their hearts are fully destroyed when their human breaks down in tears. Now, every single day, every character encourages them to do what they love and giving them private time and space to do it in a place where they feel safe. They all hope that maybe one day MC will feel comfortable enough to share what they love with them but they will never pry it out of them, and all the while giving them the support they need behind the curtain.

Imagine Satan, Levi, and Mammon grouping together and creating a PowerPoint presentation. With Satan's organizing skills, Levi's technological know-how, and Mammon's morally grey skills of espionage, they gather all the characters together and teach a class on what to do and not to do around MC. Things like having a clear voice in text messages to keep them from having anxiety. Or not slamming doors, not entering their room without knocking, reminding them to drink water, knowing when to give them time to breathe etc. Everyone takes it seriously (some might say too seriously), including Belphie who didn't even sleep for a second during the whole thing.

What about an MC who takes on too much and never says anything about it? At first, Lucifer, Barbatos, and to a lesser degree Diavolo, are pleased that they've found a human with a strong work ethic and a love for responsibility. Little do they know that while part of that might be true, they are doing it because they are non-confrontational, a people pleaser, or try to prove their worth through success (or all of the above). They burn themselves out and forgo their other needs to conserve all their energy for the work that's been given to them, and it's not until it becomes a serious health issue that anyone really notices. They all take a blow when they come to know how much they had been pushing a human beyond their capabilities. So they tell MC to do less, not expecting the human to try and convince them that it wasn't an issue, maybe even apologizing for failing. Now they all have to keep an eye on MC and make sure they don't take things too far, and make sure that MC knows that their worth isn't tied to how much gets done in a day and they don't think of them any less for taking breaks or time for themselves. And maybe they all learn to take care of themselves a little more for it too. Especially one work-a-holic demon known as Pride.

How about an MC that hates the way they look? No matter what that might be. Body size, shape, height, skin-tone, skin-color, scars, blemishes, freckles, etc. What if it was drilled into their head since they were a child that they were not beautiful? What if they can't look into the mirror or take any photos of themselves without feeling sick? How about being around a demon like Asmo? Maybe resenting him, maybe avoiding him, maybe wishing they were like him. It probably would hurt Asmo to see someone hating themselves and their body so intently. Maybe it's because it reminds him of himself. Maybe they both have to sit down and rethink what beauty really means? It's a long process for both of them.

All of them work with the human with their image and not in a shallow way like trying to deny the things they have and who they are. They find ways around pictures, because there are more ways to keep memories rather than selfies and commemorative photos.

Or what if:

Beel: *In MC's room.* Alright, we'll just do some basic stretches.

MC: Okay, just tell me what to do.

Beel: Well, if you want, you can put on some music to make it more relaxing.

MC: Music? *Looks a little nervous.* If you want...

*MC then turns some music on their phone on the lowest setting and sets it on their bed.*

Beel: Um...you can turn it up more than that if you want.

MC: Louder? Really?

Beel: Don't you think it's a little quiet?

MC: Oh...um...okay... *turns it up by one more click.* Is- Is that okay? I can turn it down again.

Beel: *Opens his mouth, confused for a moment before shutting it again. In the quickest second, he's in his demon form.* Who do I need to find?

MC: B-Beel?!

[inhuman-obey-me]

Babe, Wake Up. New OM World Lore Just Dropped!

So. Nightbringer Lesson 22.

(spoilers, obviously)

The Father of Demons

While cleaning the library, MC finds a book -- one that has the same lines narrated by Solomon in the Prologue video. The book, like the video, ends abruptly at "the demon's name was..." as the rest of the book is gone, pages torn out.

The brothers wonder what the name could be, and Mammon insists it must be Nightbringer, to which Asmodeus agrees. Then, we find out that Satan learned some interesting information from a Celestial Realm book.

So the Celestial Realm also knows of Nightbringer -- but as "the father of demons", thought to be the very first demon born in the world. They go on to say Nightbringer has been known by other names as well, but otherwise, there isn't a whole lot more information on him. Okay, Simeon, please go home real quick and see if you can get this book in undamaged form for us.

That certainly brings a whole new weight to Nightbringer's identity, if he is indeed supposed to be the first demon ever to exist. So far, the game has been heavily hinting that Nightbringer is a version of Barbatos, and this new information would seemingly match up with one of the chats in OG where Barbatos mentions he was never a child, as well as the stories Asmodeus mentions of Barbatos being strong enough to be Demon King himself.

However, the identity of the child, as well as what Nightbringer's actual goals are with MC, is still to be revealed, and this doesn't help to actually clarify any of those questions yet.

The Secret of the Little D.'s

Another major thing we learned is about the Little D.'s -- and that is that they are technically fairies or spirits that came from a tree that the Fairy King used to tend, back when the Fairy King ruled the Devildom. The game goes on to explain that this makes them technically actually fairies or spirits, though the Little D.'s call themselves demons, so their true nature is a mystery -- especially since they are also sometimes born when a new demon is born into the world, but not always!

Interestingly, Barbatos also phrases it as those demons being chosen, so though it's extremely rare, it is seemingly not random, though we don't know exactly why or how.

New demons being born into the world also includes when fallen angels turn, it seems, since the extremely rare occurrence of these spirits being born alongside demons happened with all seven of the brothers after their fall.

So it's not that the main Little D.'s are just lesser demons of each particular sin, but that they are direct spirit counterparts to the demon brothers -- one for each of them, one for each sin.

Which brings us to ...

The Seven Sins

We've always known the seven brothers as the Avatars of the Seven Deadly Sins, but an interesting bit of information we learned in this lesson is that the brothers didn't know why they were given these particular titles, or if Pride, Greed, Envy, etc. were even known as the Seven Deadly Sins at the time the titles were given to them.

Beelzebub refers to them as "keywords", and we again establish it was the Demon King who gave these titles to the brothers. Diavolo says that if his father decided to give these titles to them, they must be important.

We know that the brothers were already exhibiting signs of their assigned "sin" even when they were angels, but as shown by Mammon's behavior in the past two lessons, the full force of each sin hasn't taken over all of them just yet. In fact, Mammon's greed has come out in a dangerous, powerful way as he becomes more of a demon.

It remains to be seen what, if any, relevance this has with MC losing their connection to the OG boys, but we know how they've changed by OG Season 1, where they fully embrace their sins.

We'll just have to wait and see!

[zkbigbang]

ZKBB 2024 Writer Guidelines

Story Requirements:

All stories should be centered around Zuko and Katara and their relationship.

Oneshots should meet a minimum word count of 6,000 words when completed, and multichapters should meet a minimum word count of 10,000 words before the end of the event.

Stories must be rated G or T on AO3

Big Bang fics must be new, standalone works. No continuations of existing series or published WIPs are allowed.

Story ideas should be secret before the start of the event to allow for fair, anonymous project bidding.

Use of any AI text generators is not welcome in the Big Bang.

Stories will be posted to an anonymous AO3 collection for two weeks at the end of the event before writers’ information is revealed publicly. This rule is intended to give lesser-known writers more visibility - please do not discuss specifics of your Big Bang project outside of the event server until writers are revealed.

Summary Submissions:

After joining the event Discord server, all writers will have to submit information about their planned story for artists and betas to bid on. In case you’d like to get an early start on writing up your summaries, this is the information required on the summary submission form:

A working title for your story: This can be the title that you plan to use when you post to AO3 or something as simple as “Fake Dating AU” or “CoD Canon Divergence”

The type of story you’re planning to write: oneshot or multichapter

A “short” summary of your story: the type of summary that you might use to promote your story on AO3 or Tumblr. This summary doesn’t have to cover the plot of your story in detail - it can just be catchy and capture the ~vibes~ of the story

An “extended” summary of your story: a summary/outline that includes more plot details and important scenes for your potential artists and betas’ reference. This summary doesn’t have to be extensive, but it should give your team a better idea of where the story is going and the sorts of scenes that could be translated into artwork

Any AO3 archive warnings that will apply to your story

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Other planned relationships that will appear in the story

What type of beta reader you’d like to work with: SPaG, Planning, Creative, Cheer Reader, etc

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Sample summary submissions (from current mods' past Big Bang fics) can be found here.

If the mod team has any questions or concerns about your submission (if you’ve accidentally chosen the same working title as someone else, or you’ve included content warnings that don’t usually appear in G or T rated fics, for example), we’ll be in contact with you before getting your project channel(s) set up in the server.

Writer Check-Ins:

At each formal writers’ check-in, you’ll be asked to provide your current word count so that the mods can gauge your progress. Suggested word count milestones for each check-in are:

Saturday, May 18 - Oneshots: 1,800, Multichapters: 3000

Saturday, June 8 - Oneshots: 3,600, Multichapters: 6,000

Saturday, June 29 - Oneshots: 5,400, Multichapters: 9,000

Saturday, July 6 - Writers' Draft Deadline

Saturday, July 20 - Oneshots: have the first 2,000 words of your fic edited, Multichapters: have the first 3,000 words of your fic edited

Saturday, August 10 - Oneshots: have the first 4,000 words of your fic edited, Multichapters: have the first 7,000 words of your fic edited

Saturday, August 24 - Have your entire fic (or chapters up to the minimum 10,000 word count edited

As always, feel free to reach out with any other questions. The mods are more than willing to help!

[exilepurify]

Reigen’s confession scene: original Japanese manga text analysis and translation

I had a ton of fun translating the Japanese text from the “no one will save me” Mob headspace scene and it’s fantastic practice, so I decided to personally translate the raws from Reigen’s confession scene and analyze that a bit.

More under the cut! (Very long :0)

Reigen: なんの力も無いんだ！— I dont have any powers!

持ってないんだよ！— None at all!

Reigen: 嘘… — A lie…

最初から嘘だったんだ… — From the start, it was a lie.

Reigen: ちょっと失礼。— Excuse me for a moment.

花粉症かな? — Hay fever, right?

俺はよく嘘をつく。— I lie all the time.

客にも… — To my clients…

Reigen: お前にもな… — and to you…

初めてお前が事務所に来た日… — That day, when you came to my office for the first time…

俺は嘘をついた。— I lied to you.

お前の悩みを知った気で相談に乗った。— I advised you as if I understood your struggles.

お前は俺を簡単に信じた。だから… — And you believed me easily. So…

お前を騙して仕事をやらせた。— I tricked you into working for me.

あの日から今日まで… — From that day, up until now…

Reigen: ずっと… — The entire time…

ずっと利用し続けてたんだ... — I continued to use you the entire time…

俺… — I…

本当は何も知らねぇんだ。— I honestly don’t know shit

Reigen: 超能力のこと… — about psychic powers…

Reigen: これが俺の正体だ… — This is my true self.

今まで師匠面してすまなかったな… — I’m sorry for acting like your master up until now.

だけど最後なんだ。もう少し言わせてくれ。— But this is the last time. So hear me out just a little longer.

Reigen: お前だけが特別な訳じゃない。— You’re not the only one who’s special.

ニ面性なんて誰にでもある。— Everyone has a second side to them.

これは今でも本当に思うことだ。— This is what I truly believe, even now.

皆お前と同じだ。俺も… — You are the same are everyone else. The same as me, too…

だからそんなに悩むな。— So you don’t have to worry so much.

いや… 悩むんでもいいか… — No… worrying is fine, too.

それもまた当たり前のことだ。— That is also a natural thing to do.

ここだけの話… 俺は隠してる自分の本当の姿が大嫌いなんだが… — Just between you and me… I absolutely despise the true nature of my secret self.

それとは別として相談所での日々は嫌いじゃなかった。— Despite this, I didn’t hate those days we spent at the consultation office.

俺には「嘘」があったからお前と知り合えた訳だし… — Because I had “lies”, I got to get to know you…

モブにもその「力」があったから… 今のお前があるんじゃないか。— Because you have your “powers”… you are the person you are today, right?

Reigen: えーと… Um…

要するにだ… — In short…

お前は… — You…

そのままでいい。— are fine the way you are.

もう俺がいなくても大丈夫だ。— You will be okay even if I’m not here anymore.

大丈夫。— You will be okay.

そろそろ受け入れてやれ。自分を！— Accept it a little at a time. Accept yourself!

お前なら… モブならそれができるって事を…俺は知ってる！！— Because it’s you…. Because you’re you, Mob, you can do it. I know you can!!

—————————

Notes:

- なんの力も無いんだ! — I dont have any powers!

Reigen uses a widely-unused kanji here, 「無い」 or “nai”. A.K.A, Japanese negation. It’s almost always written with kana (興味がない、続けない、etc). I imagine the kanji was included here for greater emphasis. Reigen does actually use another unused kanji later in this conversation though (事 instead of こと) so I also think there’s a case to be made for it being an intentional decision made to make Reigen’s speech patterns seem eccentric, but I would need to look at much more of his manga dialogue to confirm that.

- 本当は何も知らねぇんだ。— I honestly don’t know shit

Okay. He doesn’t actually use the shit word here, but cursing is a bit strange in Japanese because of how tone can be subtly indicated by verb form, something we can’t really do in English. Reigen uses a very casual, rude form of 「知らない」 that I think is most faithfully represented by a curse word. He’s obviously trying to put negative emphasis. The Crunchyroll sub put it as “I don’t know a damn thing”. I chose “I honestly don’t know shit” because it’s a bit less of a deviation from the raw dialogue.

- 今まで師匠面してすまなかったな… — I’m sorry for acting like your master up until now.

I thought the use of 「師匠面して」 was interesting. 「師匠」 is “Shishou/Master”, which is straightforward, but 「面」 is a kanji that means “mask, face, surface” and it’s basic readings are “メン/men”, “おもて/omote” and “つら/tsura”. Reigen uses a lesser-known reading and meaning of this kanji, so much so that ONE included furigana over the kanji to clarify the reading. 「面」 here is read as 「づら」and is used as a suffix to mean “looking like a…, acting as if a….”.

お前だけが特別な訳じゃない。— You’re not the only one who’s special.

「訳」 (wake) is my mortal enemy, because it’s a word in Japanese that’s so close to being a particle but isn’t a particle. It’s a word indicating a conclusion reached from personal reasoning or evidence, or circumstance, or meaning related to a situation. It’s abstract, so it can be a bit tricky deciding how best to translate a sentence it’s used in. Sometimes it is not directly translated at all, which is what I did here, taking it more as a subtextual indicator of context than as a word in the text itself. However, this is out of personal preference, and I would totally accept it being translated more overtly as “You’re not the only one with special circumstances.”

- ここだけの話… 俺は隠してる自分の本当の姿が大嫌いなんだが… — Just between you and me… I absolutely despise the true nature of my secret self.

Two notes about this one:

「ここだけの話」 is a phrase that directly translates to “this is a discussion for only right here”, but that would sound kind of weird to say in English, and it means the exact same thing as “just between you and me”.

「隠してる自分の本当の姿」 is a DOOZY. It’s a little clunky, but I think it fits for Reigen to be a bit dramatic with it. I sort of played around with it a little bit, but strictly translated, it means “my hidden self’s true form”.

- 大丈夫だよ。行こう。— I will be okay. Let’s go.

This happens in the scene where Mob and Shigeo accept each other (not a part of Reigen’s confession), but I included it for a good reason. This isn’t so much a translation note as it is a commentary on the manga, but I think I like the manga version of the scene just a little better than the anime, just for the “大丈夫” thing between Reigen and Mob. Mob’s referencing Reigen’s previous words, 「もう俺がいなくても大丈夫だ。大丈夫。」 — “You will be okay even if I’m not here anymore. You will be okay”, which are beautifully enhanced by the sudden panel of Reigen watching Mob in that moment with a small smile, silently reassuring him that it’s true. It’s such a small detail but it means so much to me, and I’m a little sad it wasn’t fully preserved in the anime. But, yknow how it is. Not everything can make it in.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. In the mood for Wei Wuxian being raised as a fierce corpse like Wen Ning, so he has super strength and doesn't need to eat and all that. Anything past that can be a surprise: is he raised by the Wens and must fight against his friends? By the Jins when everyone else thinks he is dead? Does he somehow raise himself? Etc. Thank you!

to share this burden you must first live by shi_q1ngxuan (M, 3k, WangXian, JYL & WWX, Angst, Temporary Character Death, Golden Core Transfer, Fix-It of Sorts, Demonic Cultivator LWJ, Everybody Lives, except for wwx, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, Is it really a happy ending if one of them is a corpse?, Character Study)

There Are More Than One Reason Undead Raise Series by Storyboradinventor (M/T, XuanLi, WangXian, JC & WWX, Undead!WWX, Angst, Canon Divergence, Undead!Yiling Patriarch, Sunshot Campaign, Bittersweet Ending, Some Humor)

❤️ A Corpse Called By Name by jaemyun (Not rated, 60k, wangxian, angst w/ happy ending, zombie apocalypse, zombie WWX, yunmeng trio) It's a modern setting and zombie apocalypse AU, so it's a bit different from what was asked. But it's a very good fic that does have wwx with super strength!

monsters cannot break her stride by Stratisphyre (G, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, JYL Lives, outsider pov)

~*~

2. Hello!! Your blog is such a masterpiece, great public service, thank you so much!

Can we get some recs for fics where LWJ does get married during his years of waiting? Maybe for convenience, maybe by obligation to his clan... If Wei Wuxian is back it would be even more fun, but not necessary

Thank you! @eldritch-bisexual​

The light of you will stay by orphan_account (M, 74k, wangxian, LWJ/OFC, arranged marriage, hurt/comfort, canonical character death, angst w/ happy ending, endgame wangxian)

Ghost Wedding by nirejseki (G, 4k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Ghost wedding, Introspection, Crack Treated Seriously, mostly seriously anyway, Good Uncle LQR) does it count if it's Wei Ying's ghost he's marrying? 😅 then Ghost Marriage by Nirejseki fits

We can light a match and burn it down by Ibijau (T, 78k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Canonical Character Death, Angst, Pining, Canon Divergence, Morally Ambiguous Character, Friendship, platonic marriage, Open Marriage, Happy Ending)

alloy by darkredloveknot (enheduane) (E, 3k, WangJue, Background romantic wangxian, Lwj pines for and grieves wwx, Hook-Up, Grief/Mourning, Dirty Talk, NMJ POV, Bottom LWJ, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

3. hi! i really like the absolute vibes of mdzs siblings being ride or die for each other, so i'd love (adore, really) some fics that demonstrate that? specifically like someone doing batshit stuff to keep their sibling safe (say like, cut out their core, or walk into enemy territory to seek the person who *checks notes* singlehandedly murdered a BUNCH of ppl with your surname, or like, that bridge scene in fatal journey i forgot a lil) i know this isn't rly a simple tag to search so thank you!!

Duel of the Twins by @theladyofravenclaw​ (T, 29k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, star wars au, scifi, major character death, canon-typical violence, mild gore, mild body horror, mentions of suicide, angst w/ happy ending, yunmeng siblings feels, twin prides of yunmeng angst, WIP)

~*~

4. Itmf your favorite fics of 2023 (or late 2022) so far! I feel like the newer fics always get buried by more well-known writers so I'd love to read great fics from lesser known writers that deserve some more love.

💙 Su She Eats his Heart Out by KizuKatana (T, 16k, WangXian, 3rd person pov, implied offscreen wangxian sex)

💙 Call again by apathyinreverie (T, 5k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, modern, oblivious WWX, gremlin LXC, smitten LWJ, possessive LWJ, not Jiang friendly, hinst at mafia, fluff, romance)

💖 Paths untaken by apathyinreverie (T, 6k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, canon divergence, fix-it, fluff, not cultivation world friendly, smitten LWJ)

💖 One Can Keep A Secret (If He Does Not Know It's There) by H_Belle (T, 5k, wangxian, NHS & WWX, modern w/ cultivation, inventor WWX, secret identity, identity reveal, YLLZ WWX, rogue cultivator WWX, pining LWJ, WWX pov)

Late Night, North Station by raitala (G, 9k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, Modern AU, Kid Fic, Gen or Pre-Slash hints of wangxian, finding your found family, A-Yuan is a sweetie)

hey I just met you, and this is crazy by KeriArentikai (E, 9k, WangXian, POV Outsider, Woke Up Married, married in vegas but with a twist, (the twist is that they totally meant to), Getting Together, Love at First Sight, LWJ Has a Canonically Big Dick, Size Kink, Dirty Talk, Coming Untouched, Unrealistic Sex, Wangxian Speedrun)

perennial by jublis (Not Rated, 173k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Humor, Domestic Fluff, Golden Core Reveal, BAMF WQ, Good Uncle JC, Grief/Mourning)

Wind Rose in the Clouds by PaidSubscription (M, 202k, wangxian, post-canon, slow burn, hurt/comfort, getting together, first time, smut, fluff & angst, case fic, social commentary, ptsd, sick fic, communication, inventor WWX)

Mud on Your Feet by AvoOwO (Not Rated, 59k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Sleepwalking, Sleeptalking, Angst, Insomnia, Delusions, Hurt WWX, Soft JC, Protective JC, Fluff, Angst with a happy ending, PTSD)

~*~

5. Also itmf really good long fics! Ones that have great world building and character arcs, just an epic tale, the kind that you put down and just go wow. Preferably completed fics but I'm also okay with WIPS if they've not been abandoned.

I usually mean long by like...looooong so anywheres around 80k to start. But for that one I was more looking for good plot/worldbuilding, which can be done in shorter fics! So as long as that's there (that feeling of "omg this world is amazing and full and I want to live here") I think the rec would be great! (The more fics the better tbh 😌)

💙 Song Unwritten by Kytrin & Mslead (E, 94k, wangxian, temporary character death, angst w/ happy ending, fix-it of sorts, cql meets mdzs, parallel universes, transmigration, yiling wei sect au, YLLZ WWX)

❤️ a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke (M, 180k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, arranged marriage) 

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX) 

you’ve ruined my life (by not being mine) by cicer (E, 132k, WangXian, Modern AU, Developing Relationship, Idiots in Love, Awkward Flirting, teenage romance, Shameless WWX, slowburn, Demisexuality, references to lqr’s a+ parenting, references to jfm’s a+ parenting, but we’re gonna get a happy ending ANYWAY, references to yzy’s a+ parenting, Background NMJ/LXC, hints of nmj/lxc/jgy, bottom LWJ in chapter 15) 

Time Kept Flowing by notoneforreality (T, 201k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Grief/Mourning, major character death is wwx, who comes back, Family, Autistic LWJ, Kid Fic, JC and LWJ raise the kids, Co-parenting is hard, Emotional Hurt/Comfort) 

❤️ kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Fluff and Angst) 

Give Me A Reason by useless_slytherclaw (M, 251k, ZhuiYi, LSZ & LWJ & WWX, Junior Quartet, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Friends to Lovers, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Mutual Pining, Minor WangXian, Minor JL/OYZZ, Aged-Up Character(s), Grief/Mourning, PTSD, Dreams and Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Rogue Cultivator LJY, Family Feels, Demisexual LJY, Injury Recovery, Love Confessions)

soaring, carried aloft on the wind by Skadiseven (E, 68k, NieLan, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Horses, Swordfights, hunting hawks, and braids of course, Romance, Friendship, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Light Angst)

Duel of the Twins by @/theladyofravenclaw​ (T, 29k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, star wars au, scifi, major character death, canon-typical violence, mild gore, mild body horror, mentions of suicide, angst w/ happy ending, yunmeng siblings feels, twin prides of yunmeng angst, WIP)

Twin Demons of Mò by XiaoFeiFei (M, 358k, MXY & WWX, WangXian, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Injury, Abuse, Twin Demons of Mo, MXY Lives, Major Character Injury, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Angst, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Minor Implied/Referenced Incest, Implied/Referenced Torture, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Canon Divergence, Self-Harm, Found Family, Sexual Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, POV Alternating)

I will be chasing a starlight by feyburner, sundiscus (E, 71k, WangXian, Star Trek Fusion, Vulcan LWJ, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Eventual Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pon Farr, Mind Meld, Fuck Or Die, Anal Sex, Hurt/Comfort)

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Getting Together, First Time, Pining while fucking, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Angst with a Happy Ending, CQL Verse, almost everybody lives/almost nobody dies, epistolary-ish, canon-ish side pairings, radishes)

An Elegant Solution by giraffeter (E, 205k, niewangxian, canon divergence, arranged marriage, friends to lovers, fix-it, everyone lives au, courtship, polyamory, smut)

There was that snow storm ask for long fics earlier this month, anon could read through that for recs too

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6. for the next itmf, i am in search of some wei changze & wei wuxian interactions, or just some fics that explore wcz character (we see so little of him in both canon and fanon). there is many about and focusing at wei ying's mother but i need a little of daddy wei. specifically, is there any fics where it's only CSSR that dies? thank you for the good work 🤍

the world wags on by justdoityoufucker (T, 5k, WCZ & WWX, WCZ & LQR, WCZ/LQR, canon divergence, pre-canon, not everyone dies au, not Jiang friendly, past child abuse, canon Jiang family relationships, parent-child relationship, not YZY friendly, pre-relationship)

tall as the mountains that sheltered us by thelastdboy (M, 4k, CSSR/WCZ, CSSR & WWX & WCZ, wangxian, canon divergence, CSSR & WCZ live, crack treated seriously, childhood friends to lovers, genius WWX, inventor WWX, bg character death, happy ending, WCZ pov) re that rec for #6, cssr doesn't die in this one tho.

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7. Hi! itmf for nhs & wwx friendship exploration where they get to gossip and shit talk about everyone and everything while painting fans or smth also being menaces to society or just gremlins in general and then protecc each other from people that want to hurt them and just being besties

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8. Hello! for next itmf I would like find fic like "if you can't beat them, recruit them" or basically fics where wwx is politically savvy and very clever boi who plays everyone behind their backs while being his competent and talented self

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9. Hello there, for IITMF can I have some fics where lan zhan is kinda being overwhelmed by his feeling of love and adoration for wei Ying? Or where lan zhan is being reminded that he loves wei Ying so freaking much. Preferably where they're in an established relationship, but anything is okay really. TYSM have a nice day.

💖 Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, art conservation, museums, pining, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending, misunderstandings, smut, major character injury, hospitalization, hurt/comfort, past incarceration, forgery) They get together pretty quickly so much of the fic is established

🧡 paint smears on sunny days by SnowshadowAO3 (E, 53k, WangXian, Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Everyone Is Alive, Modern AU, Dadji, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Brief Alcohol Mention, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Accidentally co-parenting with your son's art teacher, Fatherhood)

I know what my heart wants by yakuso5u (Not Rated, 28k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Father LWJ, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Accidental Child Acquisition, Domestic, Slice of Life, Christmas references)

live from new york by varnes (E, 87k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, This is a SNL AU, however the juniors are featured and there are lots of shenanigans!, slow burn, friends to lovers, pining, getting together, happy ending)

box your errors by mellowflicker (T, 42k, WangXian, Modern AU, single dad lwj, Domestic Fluff, Family Issues, Slow Burn, Kid Fic, let lwj have friends agenda, Hurt/Comfort, Pining)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author's Note)

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10. Hello! Hope you doing fine!

A) I've been thinking about swords in mdzs, in particular about how jl inherited suihua and now I'm in the mood for a fic where wwx passes suibian to wield to someone. Preferably Lan/Wei/Wen Sizhui or another kid whom he adopted or accepted as a disciple, just want to see him pass on his legacy as a once a great swordsman in the form of suibian to someone who makes him proud

B) Also it'll be cool if there was a fic where he gets to inherit his parents swords, either his mother's or father's or both even

10A)

❤️ kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Fluff and Angst) (Link in #5) WWX passes Suibian to A-Yuan, can't remember if it happens on screen though

Just as the Snow Melts by draechaeli (T, 66k, WangXian, XuanLi, SongXiao, Everybody Lives, Canon Divergence) has wwx passing suibian to lsz

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11. itmf: fics where wangxian simply take a step back from the cultivation world. be it that they live in a bamboo hut in the middle of the forest, are rogue cultivators going where the chaos is, or simply deny the cultivation sects of their help, or just come to save the day and go back to their sweet married life; if they happen to show the faults from both gusu lan and yummeng jiang sects as well even better. I have been feeling bitter these days, those boys deserve so much

the journey is far from over series by lastdboy (E, 164k, LXC & LWJ, LWJ & MM, Madam Lan & LWJ, wangxian, modern, canon divergence, everyone lives au, Madam Lan lives, post-sunshot, selectively mute LWJ, wen remnants live, LWJ saves the Wens, whipping, neurodevergent LWJ, stimming, hurt/comfort, angst, coming of age, slow burn, recovery, mental health issues, references to depression, single parent WWX, eventual smut)

To live with no regrets Series by Lyna_Mei (E, 66k, WIP, WangXian, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Golden Core Reveal, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Bottom LWJ, Top WWX, Developing Relationship, non-consensual marriage, CQL-Verse, Case Fic, Established Relationship, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Cultivation World Critical, Not MY Friendly, Family Feels, Found Family, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Anal Sex) First part is how they leave the cultivation world. Second Part is when the sects come to ask for help

❤️ Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste (T, 36k, JC & WWX, WangXian, Reconciliation, Adoption, Adopted Children, JC POV, Family Feels, Family Fluff, the Yunmeng Bros make up, Post-Canon, the Wangxian Need More Kids agenda, Original Character(s), Kid Fic, Family Drama, Fluff, and like a tiny dab of angst, [PODFIC] Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste by lunatique) lan zhan has a falling out with LQR and builds a house for Wei ying outside of the CR, and they adopt eleventy kids (JC POV fic)

And They Have Escaped The Weight of Darkness by cosmicmilktea (T, 10k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Memory Loss, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Screw the Cultivation world tbh, The Lan precepts deserves better, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, domestic life, Social justice boyfriends wangxian, Happy Ending)

Rules and Regulations by Reverie (cl410) (T, 1k, WangXian, Post-Canon lan sect rules, Baby Lans, Established Relationship, POV LWJ, LWJ has had Enough, Antagonistic LQR, not like majorly but he is Not Happy and Not Shy about sharing his feelings, Angst with a Happy Ending)

wide enough and wild by impossibletruths (E, 64k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Canonical Accidental Baby Acquisition, Families of Choice, References to Depression, Happy Ending, I Swear To God I'm Giving Them A Happy Ending, Overzealous Use Of Imagery, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Well Except WN But He Was Already Dead So, Fix-It of Sorts, [Podfic] Wide Enough and Wild by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona))

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12. hello mods 💞 im in the mood for some juniors quartet time traveling fix its

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

Would You Come Home? by s6115 (Not rated, 46k, WangXian, Junior Quartet Centric, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Junior Quartet Dynamics) Though has a rather loose definition of "Time Travel" that the Juniors achieve

❤️ nevermore, nevermore by agloeian (T, 120k, lan sizhui & everyone, wangxian, canon divergence, time travel fix-it, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst w/ happy ending) Also, if you don't mind only one junior (that is, Sizhui) traveling back, since I haven't read any others with all/most of the juniors going back; nevermore, nevermore by agloeian is very good!

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13. Okay, thought might be too specific and not exist, but I’m in the mood for a fun fic of teenage cloud recesses era defense of WWX’s honor, after Lan Zhan makes a move. Preferably with Jiang Cheng being a good brother and also in an absolute tizzy. And like it was all totally consensual and actually pretty tame, but Lan Zhan was being a Top, and they were being their WangXian selves so it’s very much like “Lan Wangji you must take responsibility!” Maybe other Jiang family members show up at the lectures since it’s kind of an inter-sect incident at that point. Just cloud recesses era defense of Wei wuxians honor. (Not looking for any non-con or anything too explicit, just like, young love) Thank you for everything you do! @fibbunny

SIMILAR! could you find a way to let me down slowly, if you're leaving baby let me down slowly by ravenditefairylights (M, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, Implied/Referenced Sex, Miscommunication, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Hurt WWX, Mutual Pining, Unreliable Narrator, Self-Esteem Issues, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Protective Siblings, Trauma, Slightly dubious consent, courtesy of drunk sex, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Phoenix Mountain, Chronic Pain, Getting Together, Fix-It of Sorts, One Braincell Trio, PTSD)

SIMILAR! The Teapot Plot by ToxicAngel13 (M, 51k, WangXian, Misunderstandings, protective Jiang siblings, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Idiots in Love, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Pre-Burial Mounds, Potential for M-Preg, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)

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14. hi lovelies, do you you know if there are any formula one fics out there 🥺

Twitter thread by Cosmicmilktea, cosmicmilktea wrote a super cool f1 thread on twt with fanart! i absolutely adore this story

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15. Does anyone know some fics of Zewu-jun in seclusion that deal with his mental health/grief? Maybe ones where he sees ghosts/hallucinates?Thank you!! @the-vaguely-shifting-void

but then the earth comes back to life, and the sun must go on rising by corduroyserpent (T, 9k, XiYao, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Grief/Mourning, background wangxian, LXC in Seclusion)

sleep tight, in a new light (through another warning call) by ilgaksu (T, 13k, XiYao, Post-Canon, LXC in Seclusion, Grief/Mourning, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Please read author's note at the beginning, lack of autonomy, Dubious Consent)

Scholar's Rock by Zaatar (G, 3k, LXC & LWJ, XiYao, Canon Compliant, Grief/Mourning, Character Study, POV Second Person, POV LXC, Post-Canon, Angst, LXC in Seclusion, LXC Has Feelings, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics)

Soft Sword by CwythanWind (T, 1k, XiYao, Post-Canon, LXC in Seclusion, Canon Compliant, Grief/Mourning, Ghosts, dreamy and meditative, so many metaphors, swords in particular are a metaphor for a lot, colors too, arrays are a love language, Gentians, ambiguous but also definitely a happy ending, the zine was called second chances for a reason)

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16. Hi there! I love what you guys do so much. I am in the mood for a fic where Mo Xuanyu is also a major character. I just want some good recommendations with mxy in them as well bc I love seeing how different authors write him. I am willing to read fics that have him together with Wangxian, but that is not necessary. Sorry if this is a weird request but I would appreciate help finding new fics. Thanks so much! 💜 @flamboyantly-asexual

Pocketful of Soul by Jenrose (T, 182k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BAMF MXY, MXY Lives, Genderfluid MXY, MXY Backstory, POV MXY, If At First You Don't Succeed Try Try Again and Again and Again, Wangxian Speedrun, times three because time travel, Found Family, Genius MXY, Genius WWX, Not particularly JGY friendly, CQL-based) TT MXY - be still my beating heart, this story forever changed how I saw MXY. He must be protected at all costs.

Twin Demons of Mò by XiaoFeiFei (M, 358k, MXY & WWX, WangXian, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Injury, Abuse, Twin Demons of Mo, MXY Lives, Major Character Injury, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Angst, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Minor Implied/Referenced Incest, Implied/Referenced Torture, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Canon Divergence, Self-Harm, Found Family, Sexual Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, POV Alternating) (link in #5)

Serrated by InkSplatterM, MrMissMrsRandom (E, 194k, WangXianYu, Canon Divergence, MXY Lives, Dom MXY, Sub LWJ, Slow burn) the Sacrifice ritual leaves MXY and WWX sharing a body; WangXianYu

Different Paths to the Same Route by JustAWanderingBabbit (T, 184k, jjin guangyao & lan xichen & nie mingjue, 3zun, lan wangji & wei wuxian, canon divergence: AQ becomes XXC and SL’s first disciple) MXY is rescued from his shack at Mo Manor to resume cultivational training; he becomes a significant supporting character (and, in a delicious irony, one of the inventors of magical genetic testing) WWX is resurrected, but by different means.

514 by lao_you_tiao (T, 978, Canonical Character Death, Canon Compliant, Introspection, Angst, Heavy Angst, Ficlet, Implied/Referenced Suicide) MXY’s final thoughts before his death

Those 13 Years Were a Lie by AitchNKay (M, 11k,  Attempted Suicide, Angst, mentions of offscreen rape, Canonical Character Death) WWX (who has survived incognito) and MXY during the Years of Mourning; mind all the tags—this one gets dark dark dark)

Mo XuanYu Deserves Happiness by Daddy Jiang Cheng (gotaemin) (G, 1k, MXY crushing on JGY (who sees his brother as a useful tool.))

MXY Centric (no ships, unless you count established WangXian in background), chapter 30 of How Rare Would You Like Your Ship? by Befallings (Not Rated, 68k, WIP, Ratings vary, Tags vary, Ships vary) a Useless Onmyoji Family-inspired AU with MXY as an earnest-but-klutzy Magical Boy under the rascal-guru tutelage of WWX and adult supervision of LWJ

Catching Fate by XiaoFeiFei (G, 3k, gen, MXY & everyone, pokemon fusion, modern, WIP) a wild Trubbish invites herself into the life of beleaguered Pokémart employee MXY.

@/zeldacw has a lengthy MXY-centric comic series on Twitter, covering the events leading up to his suicide and continuing into his afterlife with OC Hell Judge Sir Xu; some of it is also available on her Tumblr

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17. Hi!! Love to all the mods for their hard works! 💙💙 iitmf a fic where wwx is an author!

Hooray for Murder! by wearing_tearing (M, 47k, WangXian, NieLan, XuanLi, Modern AU, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Murder Mystery, Case Fic, POV Alternating, Writer WWX, Pining LWJ, Canonical Character Death, WWX Has Memory Issues, Confessions, First Kiss, Smart JYL, Scheming NHS, True Love's Kiss, Happy Ending)

Bestseller by pupeez4eva (M, 7k, WangXian, Humor, Post-Canon, Wherein WWX writes erotica based entirely on his own sex life, and now everyone is reading it, and I mean everyone, though no one knows that WWX wrote it, WWX has a lot of regrets)

🧡 I Don't Want to Debut! by countingcr0ws (G, 56k, WangXian, Modern AU, Reality show, Idols, Actor LWJ, Forced Contestant WWX, Tencent's 2021 Idol Producer)

To Respect a Scholar by FlautistsandPeonies (G, 5k, wangxian, WWX & LQR, genius WWX, not JC friendly, author WWX)

see it through with wiser hands by belle_abroad (E, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, Bookstore, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Praise Kink, Barebacking, bookstore owner LWJ, Author WWX)

rewrite what's gone already by belle_abroad (E, 6k, WangXian, Bookstore, Modern AU, INTIMATE NAMES ONLY, very specific bookstore experience)

Stay With Me by Toshokanin (E, 58k, WangXian, Modern AU, Canada, Librarian!LWJ, Author!WWX, Getting Together, Fluff and Smut, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Minor NieLan, Meddling NHS, and they were ROOMMATES, oh my god they were roommates, In Vino Veritas, Hair-pulling, Face-Fucking, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Hand Jobs, Marking, Mentioned CNC, Possessive Sex, Orgasm Delay)

Red Bunny and Blue Bunny are Friends by deliciousblizzardshark (G, 5k, WangXian, Modern AU, Kid Fic, Domestic Fluff, Author WWX, Parent LWJ, Pining LWJ, POV LSZ, Soft WangXian)

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[athanza]

"Snowfall" - Part I

Fem!reader (from a non-canon, lesser known house) + Aemond Targaryen (romantic) + Rhaenyra Targaryen (platonic) + Damon Targaryen (platonic) + Helaena Targaryen (platonic)

Tags: Family drama, royal politics, romance, platonic fluff, angst, lots of tention (good and bad), protective Aemond, protective Rhaenyra, found family

Warnings: An attempted SA in part III, mentions of parent death during childbirth, parental abuse, canon violence, Aegon being a creep, a little bit of light smut later down the line but nothing too nsfw.

Summary: Elisana's father brings her with him to King's Landing when he's summoned by the Queen to discuss a rebellion in his territories. Her and Prince Aemond begin to fall for each other but family secrets begin to surface and it creates a tense situation between her house and house Targaryen.

I'm not super knowledgeable about the lore etc so bare with me on this one. Written in 3rd person. Enjoy! ♡

Part II | Part III | Part IV

When your father, Eris Denaron, told you that you were to accompany him to King's Landing you were excited at first, until you remembered what the princes were like when you were little; obnoxious and sometimes unbearable to be be around. You hoped they had matured since you saw them last, but one thing can be said about boys is that they take far too long to grow up.

"I need you to be on your best behaviour while we're in their company, Elisa." Said her father. "These are sensitive talks, and the last thing we need is another incident like the last time you were there."

"That was 9 years ago, father. I choose my battles far more carefully now than you give me credit for."

"That doesn't mean your temper has calmed." He sighed. "You are too much like your mother."

"I won't cause any trouble, you have my word."

His stern face gave away very little, but you could tell your words gave him some reassurance.

"I must make my way to the council chambers. Pay a visit to your cousins, make small talk. With any luck, by the end of this, I will have organised a betrothal."

He left swiftly, his navy velvet cloak trailing behind him.

She walked to the window and took a deep breath as she stared out over King's Landing, her long white-blonde locks dancing gently in the warm breeze. She considered wondering the castle she hadn't seen in nearly a decade, but then her eye fell on the training yard, and they gleamed with intrigue.

A small crowd had gathered around the centre of the yard, and two men fought swiftly with each other. One of the men she recognised as Ser Criston, head of the King's guard, and the other had long silver locks but she was unsure if it was Aegon or Aemond as she hadn't seen either since they were children.

The fighting lasted a while and Elisa weaved her way through the crowd until she came to the front. When she saw the eyepatch she immediately recognised the silver haired man as Prince Aemond. She was surprised, he seemed different from when they were children, he used to be far more quiet, shy almost, but now he fought with such confidence and grace he almost seemed like a different person.

He had grown quite handsome since last they met, tall too. A far cry from the little prince she remembered.

With only one more swift motion Aemond had Ser Criston defeated, sword to his throat as he stood tall and proud, barely out of breath. The crowd applauded and muttered amongst themselves as they began to slowly disperse.

He had spotted Elisa from across the yard and walked over.

"Lady Denaron." He acknowledged.

"Prince Aemond." She curtsied. "Are you up for another challenger?"

His eyes narrowed slightly in intrigue and he smirked as he gestured for ser Criston to give her his sword.

"I never refuse a challenge."

Ser Criston hesitated but obliged and handed you his broadsword, stepping back to give you enough room to fight.

She had learned the skill of the sword against her father's wishes but with her 3 elder brothers, she was damned if she had to sit out and instead learn some nonsense such as embroidery. She needed to fight and had become quite good at it. She was confident.

She held fast, she saw the prince's agility in his fight with ser Criston and knew he would be quick, and just as that thought entered her mind, he swung his blade.

She parried, gauging the force of the blow to figure out his strength. He was holding back, and that insulted her.

She returned with four forceful strikes, one high, two mid and one hard hit from the side, Aemond dodging or parrying every single one.

They circled each other for a moment and she touched her blade to his, staring him down.

"If you hold back any longer I'll cut off your hands."

"I would gain much enjoyment in seeing you try."

In a swift, fluid motion she flicked her sword and caught his jacket, leaving a long cut horizontally across the sleeve and she saw his eye flicker with flame.

Some of the crowd had returned and gathered around once again, watching intently as they had never seen the prince fight a woman skilled with the sword before.

He brought his sword down on her from above, then the side and she dodged, almost not fast enough for the second blow. He wasn't holding back anymore.

He came at her again and again and she jabbed, almost getting him but he still managed to block it.

This dance continued for only a few more minutes before Aemond sent her sword flying and placed his blade to her throat.

The crowd applauded once again.

He was trying to hide it but he was out of breath a little and she smiled knowingly, briefly glancing down at his blade.

"You've grown quite skilled."

"As have you." He replied.

His eye lingered on her for an extra moment before lowering his sword. She had grown quite beautiful since last they met and he couldn't help but notice, but he turned away and sheathed his blade as the last of the crowd left.

"I will see you tomorrow for more training." Said Ser Criston, taking his sword back from Elisa as she held it out for him, nodding politely to her.

"I believe you mean another defeat." Aemond retorted with a smirk.

Sir Criston scoffed as he sheathed his blade and walked away, leaving Elisa and the prince alone in the training yard.

"Where did you learn the blade?" He asked, reaching for a chalice from a servant boy who arrived with a small decanter filled with wine.

"My teacher is head of our guard, much like yours. He's taught me since I was nine."

"You were lucky to find a teacher willing to instruct a woman."

"Maybe so." She replied, then smiled. "I kept you on your toes though."

He looked at you sideways as he sipped his wine, and you saw the corner of his mouth curl.

"Maybe so." He replied.

"Elisana!" Came her father's voice from the top of the stairs.

Aemond noticed her smile twist into contempt as Lord Eris walked down and stopped in front of his daughter.

"I told you to behave yourself and the first thing you do is pick up a sword?"

"I wasn't aware having fun counted as misbehaving."

"I apologise for my daughter Prince Aemond, she has an untamable fire, not unlike her mother's." There was a condescending tone in his words that made her want to take the prince's sword and show him what a true opponent really was but restrained herself.

"There is no apology necessary Lord Denaron, I always welcome new apponants."

"I appreciate your understanding my Prince but there are better opponents than a woman."

Those words began to grow the same contempt from Elisana within Aemond and he took another sip of wine.

"Come Elisana."

She bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from arguing with her father in front of the prince and curtsied politely. Aemond bowed his head in return before she was ushered away.

When they were out of sight and earshot of the the prince, her father turned and struck her across the face.

"How many times must I remind you of your place!" He hissed. "If I see a sword in your hand again I will use it on you, do you understand!"

She looked up at her father with a hatred that could not be measured as she held a hand to her face. "You have my word." She growled and her father stormed down the hallway, leaving her to hold back tears and try to gather herself before anyone could see her.

That night at dinner she was seated next to Helaena who was a pleasant change of company from her husband Aegon who was drunkenly speaking obscenities on her opposite side.

"Are you really a Denaron Lady Elisana?" He asked. "You don't have the colourings of one."

Aemond noticed her tense at the question as he had been watching her.

"My mother was blonde." She replied. "I take after her."

"Is that so?" Aegon swirled the wine in his cup as he looked her over. "Anyone would think you were a Targaryen with that hair."

"I wouldn't be so bold as to say so your highness."

"I like it!" Beamed Helaena. "It makes us look like sisters."

Elisa smiled at her, she had always gotten along with Helaena and had occasionally sent letters by raven since they were children. She was the only one who she had kept in contact with in the nine years since she was last in King's Landing.

"That is true." Said Alicent with a soft smile.

"Is it also true that you were caught fighting my brother in the training yard?" Helaena excitedly asked, a little tipsy from the wine she had been drinking.

"I had him on his toes the whole time." She whispered cheekily in reply.

Helaena giggled and Elisa smiled, she had always loved Helaena's strangeness. She was one of the few friends she had and she loved her dearly.

She didn't see Aemond's fond gaze from across the table as she laughed with his sister. He rarely saw her laughing like that, she was mostly quiet and a little withdrawn, especially when she was around Aegon.

Alicent also noticed her daughter laughing and smiled at seeing her so happy.

"Tell me, Lady Elisana, is it true you managed to give Aemond a challenge this afternoon in the training yard?" Asked Jacerys, gleefully leaping at the chance to mock his uncle.

"Is that how your shirt got damaged?" Lucerys snickered.

Elisa pursed her lips to attempt to hide her smile, knowing her father was glaring at her from the other end of the table.

"Perhaps one day you may give even a fraction of a challenge." Aemond retorted, retaining his usual expression, but she could see him clench his jaw, his eyes fixed despisingly on the brothers.

"Aemond." Said Alicent, giving a warning look from her place beside Rhaenyra, who gave the same look to her sons.

Jace and Luke cut it out but still exchanged glances at each other with stifled laughs.

"It is refreshing to see a woman with such skill with a blade." Said Rhaenyra. "I would like to see you fight while you're here."

"Perhaps not." Said Lord Eris, attempting to remain civil in the company of the Queen. "I'm sure there are more productive things for a woman to do than fight."

The air in the room immediately changed and the distain for Eris' comment was felt my most of the people in the room. Rhaenyra's expression said all it needed to as she shot a spiteful glance in his direction.

"If a woman can birth a child she can wield a sword." She said. "A wound from a blade is nothing compared to the pain of labors."

Elisana glanced nervously at Rhaenyra and then her father. She could feel his anger begin to rise and although she revelled in Rhaenyra's comment she knew she would be the one to take the repercussions of it later.

"Then why bother with it?" He replied.

"Father, please." Elisana pleaded quietly.

Aemond saw her face during this interaction and saw her anger towards her father and also her fear.

"Would you rather a woman die than be able to protect herself and her children?" Rhaenyra continued, snapping at him once again.

Elisa sat forward, a hand on the table. "Princess, let us change the subject."

Rhaenyra turned her head to her and saw her fear of her father and became even more enraged but stayed her comments.

"I think that's enough talk of this for one night." Said Alicent, standing up and smoothing out her skirts. "I shall retire to my chambers and I suggest you do the same, tomorrow's talks will be of great length."

"Of course, my Queen." Said Lord Eris almost behind gritted teeth.

A look of laboured relief appeared on Elisa's face and once the Queen had left she stood up and curtsied. "Excuse me." She said before leaving.

That night, Elisa sat in her chambers, worried that her father would burst in and set another 'example' and she was therefore unable to fully rest. She hadn't even yet changed into her night gown.

Her father always hated her for being a girl. He got his three heirs and had no need for her other than to wed her off in exchange for powerful connections.

Anger swelled in her gut day by day as she lived with him and she kept it down as best she could but one day she knew she would not be able to hold back and may kill the man without a thought of hesitation.

As she sat beside the fire, swirling a strand of silver hair around her finger there was a knock at the door and every muscle in her tensed. Though she realised her father wouldn't bother to knock and she turned to the door before getting up.

She opened it to reveal Aemond wearing a long black cloak with the hood up to hide his hair.

"Would you like an adventure?" He asked quietly, giving her playful smirk, one she hadn't seen since they were children.

He held up another cloak and Elisa smiled and put it on, looking both ways down the hall before they snuck out of the castle.

This is turning out to be way longer than I intended 😅😅 I hope you enjoyed part 1! Please like, comment and reblog! ♡

[angusbyrne]

ANGUS BYRNE ( CALLUM TURNER ) is a THIRTY-THREE year-old SENATE STAFFER in WASHINGTON, DC. They were brought under Richard’s care when they were only FIFTEEN years old. They are known as THE PROTECTOR because they are VIGILANT but also CONTROLLING.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: Angus Peter Byrne

Nickname(s): His little brothers would call him Gus, but he would not appreciate anyone else using it.

Date of Birth: September 23, 1971

Age: 33 (almost 34!)

Occupation: Legislative Director for a U.S. Senator

Current Residence: Washington, DC. (Albany part-time for work reasons)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Height: 6’2”

Notable Features: Beautiful long nose, freckles, slay cheekbones, sticky-outy ears, generally fae face

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR:

Strengths: Detail-oriented, loyal, professional, protective, diplomatic, and cultivated.

Weaknesses: Stubborn, insensitive, strict, invasive, secretive, and manipulative.

Quirks: Always popping Advil and Tums (tummy ache survivor <3), carries an expensive fancy lighter with him, always wears an expensive watch, has glasses but wears contacts every day because God forbid anyone sees him wearing them when he’s not prepared, used to bite his nails so they’re cut short, misophonia sufferer!!!

Vices: Brandy, expensive cigars, his personal art collection (which he doesn’t display in his home)

INTEREST & HOBBIES:

Interests: Fine art & art history, expensive spirits, expensive cigars, expensive cars, architecture, politics, law, boring WWII books and docos, etc.

Hobbies: Making meticulous lists, going to the gym, boxing, cooking, reading Agatha Christie novels (not that he’d admit it…), watching old film noirs, going to his tailor lol, other individual sports like golf and tennis, being boring/invisible/not drawing unnecessary attention to himself, etc.

Special Skills/Talents: Lyinggggg <3 and he grew up taking a lot of music lessons at his dad’s behest so he’s got a pretty good singing voice (church choir experience) and plays the violin.

MISCELLANEOUS

Pinterest I / Pinterest II

Playlist (vibes version -- because Angus primarily listens to his white noise machine)

BECOMING A WARD

The Byrnes resided on a large, sprawling property in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York – not too far from Woodrow House. There, they kept sporadic hobbyist farm animals – goats, miniature horses, pigs – that didn’t produce much but a means for Angus’ mother, Maren, to spend her time and keep busy (Marie Antoinette’s pastoral ideal vibes). Angus’ childhood was lush and green, filled with fresh air, fairytale books, and skinned knees from wrestling with his two younger brothers Malcolm and George; it was also marked by being the lesser-favorite son, and the only one who ever caught a glimpse in his adolescence at the extent of what his father did for work. Spoiler alert: it was, at times, not totally above board.

It was through work that his father, Peter, met Richard Woodrow. Peter Byrne was by and large an antiques and art dealer and owned a gallery outside the city. Their business dealings were totally, definitely, absolutely above board (I mean, as far as Richard knew – so that must be true, right?). Richard became close with Peter, first in a professional setting and then later personally. Their holidays mingled; they visited each other’s homes; the Byrne brothers called him Uncle Richard soon thereafter. Angus came to be one of Richard’s wards after his family was involved in a car accident – he was the sole survivor. When Angus was orphaned, Richard stepped up and brought him into his care to honor the Byrnes. 

LIFE AS A WARD

Very few fellow Wards experienced what Angus was like when he first came to live at Woodrow House. For the first few months, he was rude, agitated, paranoid, and combative. He accused the House’s staff of stealing, moving, or just touching his things; he didn’t want anyone near his room for days at a time; and he punched more than one hole in his bedroom wall (not that he advertised that fact to anyone beyond Richard and Mrs. Tristan; Angus learned to hide the products of his frustrations quite well). But then, suddenly, one day a switch flipped. Though things remained a little tense with Richard, from that day forward, Angus was outwardly neat and well-mannered – and all up in the other Wards’ business.

Going forward, he took the role of a pseudo-kinda-big-brother seriously and always did what he could to help the other Woodrow House residents and did what he thought was best for them, even if that meant frustrating some of them in the process. He wears a mask of his own face – boring, straitlaced, and stiff – and that is how most of the Wards know him. Still, that agitated, argumentative energy thrummed under his skin, like he’d gone full circle and speedran the spiraling anger and swallowed it whole so it made its home in the center of his chest – waiting for its moment to bubble back over. It's a good thing he always had a punching bag.

AESTHETIC

Angus is very well-dressed and has taken a page out of Richard’s book so that the most casual he’s ever dressed are classic Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren fits. 75% of the time he’s in a suit, honestly, or in a semi-deconstructed suit (not wearing a tie, first couple buttons undone, jacket on and sleeves rolled up, etc). He has carefully controlled curly-ish hair, which he keeps in check with product. His hair is basically only out of place when he’s at the boxing gym. Regarding signature accessories, Angus wears the crucifix he had received for his Confirmation from his mom a few months before she died and is always wearing a watch from his extensive collection (something also inspired by Richard, who gifted him his first). Ultimately, Angus’ goal is not to stand out. He does not wear bold colors or loud patterns; he does not try to look different from any other suit in D.C. The more inconspicuous he is, the better.

EDUCATION

Angus was due to attend a boarding high school about 4 hours away from Woodrow House when he first became a ward. The year he was taken into Richard’s care, he instead spent his freshman year in a homeschool environment on Woodrow House grounds, but when the next year rolled around he insisted that he return to what he considered a proper school. Angus finished high school at a nearby private Catholic school in upstate New York, about a 45-minute to 1-hour commute from the house. After he graduated, he attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC. where he majored in PoliSci. After completion of his Bachelor’s, he attended and graduated from Yale Law School. 

EXTRACURRICULARS 

Sports-wise, Angus primarily took up boxing and was on the wrestling team at school. He very casually dabbled in tennis. In a more creative realm, as a kid, his dad had all of his sons taking music lessons, so Angus also continued his education in violin at Woodrow House. He’s not fantastic but he was in the school orchestra all through high school. 

THEIR LIFE NOW

Since leaving Woodrow House, Angus began a career in politics. From starting as an intern for a State Representative to an advisor and manager for various politicians, a legislative assistant, and now the Legislative Director for a US Senator. The goal, ultimately, is to become the Chief of Staff for a Senator – or hey, maybe even the CoS for a President one day.

A couple of years after college, everything seemed easy-breezy all things considered until someone came knocking at his door. Literally. They were a former affiliate of his dad’s… and they weren’t happy. Since then, for about a decade, Angus has had to contend with various loose ends re: his now-deceased father’s business, only slugging through it all because of the the promise of an end to all the business dealings altogether somewhere on the horizon. The world of art and antique dealing wasn’t always squeaky clean, that was for sure, and Angus kept that side of his life extremely under wraps – for both his safety and his sanity.

He lives alone in a DC townhouse, which has been gutted and cleanly modernized inside. Slick, shiny surfaces and no personality: just the way he likes it. In Albany, he keeps an equally clean, modern, and personality-less one-bedroom apartment. You can sense a theme here and the theme is boring. His romantic life has always been defined by the seemingly endless line of blonde Ashleys, Ambers, and Christinas that are getting their Master's at GW or working in marketing. None of those relationships seem to last very long. That is also just the way he likes it.

IRT to the other Wards, Angus tries to keep in contact with most if not all of them. He wants to see all of them on a good life track – happy, healthy, successful (not jobless or directionless), the whole shebang. If you're on the same page as him re: what's good for you, then most of the time things are pretty fine and dandy, but if you're not, well. I'm sure quite a few disagreements have cropped up... but he just really really cares xxx

[xantchaslegacy]

It's no secret that MtG has a fair number of characters with BCGE (Big Catholic Girl Energy); Liliana, Thalia, Teysa, etc. For Easter, I'd like to spotlight one of MtG's earliest and lesser-known big catholic-energy girls: Helana, from the short story Dual Loyalties by Glen Vasey.

Helana is the adopted daughter of preacher who oversees a rural sun-worshiping church. She is an intelligent, well-read and devout (albeit sheltered) young woman who is steadfast in her dedication to the sun-goddess, her father, and the well-being (both spiritual and physical, via healing magic) of the small community they serve.

The tl;dr of her story is that her father is suddenly (though not unexpectedly) summoned by a planeswalker to aid in a fight against a rival 'walker, and during the battle ends up getting cast into hell (this is in keeping with a running theme of the short stories in Distant Planes, a book that could have been fairly re-titled as Oldwalkers are Sociopaths and Here's a Dozen Case Studies Showing Why). Helana, left in charge of the church, immediately takes off to find her father, armed only with gumption, faith, a few pearls of white mana (which the sun god and her nighttime counterpart, Gohrah periodically leave for the devout to find), and a celestial prism (which will turn out to be critical later on, since her knowledge of spellcasting is *extremely basic*, and limited to healing spells used to treat the church's small congregation).

(She's also accompanied in her journey by a flying miniature dog named Rorsa; he's not plot-critical, but a very fun element in the story)

At the battlefield where the 'walkers dueled, she meets Illith, a demon who was summoned for the same fight her father was taken away to participate in. Illith, needing a hostage to return safely to his home in hell (demonic bureaucracy, don't ask), but also fascinated and sympathetic to Helana despite himself, agrees to guide her to the castle of the archduke of hell who has her father prisoner. The exchanges between Illith and Helana are all quite interesting, and I've included a sliver below b/c I really like how their dialogue is done:

(Illith is, though never explicitly stated as such, clearly meant to be the demon depicted on the original art for Demonic Tutor, based on the descriptions of how he assists the wizards/ planeswalkers who summon his aid.)

What Helana does once in hell is nothing short of stunning. Starting with a group of dark dwarves, who she tranquilizes with a surgery-prep spell, she proceeds to take on several squads of black-aligned creatures using nothing but her instincts and a selection of white-aligned healing spells that do absolutely twisted things to the minions of hell. She uses a proliferation/virility spell to make a group of skeleton warriors copulate each other to pieces, a healing spell on zombies so their flesh grows back and causes them immense pain. A spell of charity to make a rag man give her its kneecap. A spell of compassion and self-reflection to cause (implied lethal) psychic damage to an archduke of hell.

The story ends happily, with Helana and her new demon frenemy having gotten what they wanted out of the foray into hell (she her father and he his previous scholarly position). Helana is left at the story's end to confront a new duality of loyalties that has blossomed over the course of the story - to the Sun, but also to Gohrah, Daughter of Night.

It's a very interesting short that touches on the complexity of B and W characters, as well as gives some fun illustrations on how different card mechanics would work in the in-universe fantasy setting.

Happy Easter ;)

[angel-of-hunky-doryness]

The Conflicts of Disney's Hercules (Part 2): Hercules vs Hades

Or as I like to call it: why Hercules and Hades are the best example of a literary foil muddled and lost in its own movie.

LONG POST, sorry not sorry.

The hero vs villain dynamic is a Disney staple inspired by the many fairy tales and folklore from which Disney has long based their movies on. However, this dynamic went through a glow-up when Disney started their Renaissance period kicking off with The Little Mermaid (1989).

This era of Disney brought in much more personality and character to their protagonists, but also bringing in a new type of villain. Now this was a sharp departure from your atypical evil stepmothers and wicked villainesses that Disney was known from in their early days.

That's why when Disney decided to adapt Hercules (1997) the writers needed a formidable foe for Hercules to throws hands with to fit in to this new era where you had the likes of Ariel vs Ursula, Aladdin vs Jafar, Simba vs Scar, etc.

And in the Renaissance, Disney started leaning more into their Shakespearean influences. Nowhere is this more evident then Lion King (1994) and to a lesser extent- based on deleted scenes, the broadway version, and live action remake- Little Mermaid.

The reason I'm bringing this up is b/c, my dear reader, now we're getting to the Evil Uncle Trope.

Or at least a failed execution of it, b/c Disney did not utilize it well in Hercules. It's just barely touched upon.

Yes, yes, I know who the real villain is in the original myth of Herakles and that could be a reason it doesn't work. But Herakles vs Hera doesn't work well on paper when you remember that Herk was the affair baby and Hera is actively trying to smite him and this is a film meant for children. And something, something, she doesn't carry the kind of raw emo goth energy a walking-talking Bunsen burner can provide.

Jokes aside and the accuracy of the Greek Mythology presented, I think Disney Hercules was adapted well to a modern audience.

HOWEVER!

Now I've made it no secret in the past that I don't really view this hero/villain pair as the central conflict of Disney's Hercules.

That is mostly because whatever antagonism Hades and Hercules had going on it's very one-sided, and almost surface-level. Hades is over here having the biggest blow to his ego with a little bit of existential crisis thrown in for good measure.

While Hercules is absolutely vibing to the Muses singing the greatest mind-melting musical number of the film.

Not once do we get a character moment where this corn-fed farm boy ever stops to think, "Hey, Phil, I know Thebes is a bad place and all, but where do these mildly inconveniencing monsters keep coming from?"

In all two of his interactions with Hades(I'm not counting the opening scene, Hercules is a baby, fight me), Hercules never realizes in the entire movie how he was wronged by this tall glass of daddy issues.

Which are:

Flambe man kidnapped Baby

Lil sun spot is mortal now for plot relevance or smth

Attempted murder via the goon squad

Monsters keep coming out of nowhere after Herc saves the sassy lady from the Centaur(TM).

And Hades, to his credit, really doesn't care enough to tell him.

Why?

Because it literally never bothered Hercules. Hades is the obligatory monster of the week to Wonder breath. That kind of revelation wouldn't bother him, Hercules doesn't even know there's a prophecy about him. Hecc, home boy barely struggles with the Titans at the climax.

This is basically the Wanda-Thanos meme but the roles are reversed.

And I would like to emphasize, Hercules isn't bothered by the monsters Hades sends at all. He gets over it fairly quickly once he gets over his first battle jitters. If anything, the biggest issue Hercules is facing post-Hydra is that even though society has finally embraced him for his strength, he's still extremely lonely.

Which leads to this pivotal moment in the film:

What is the point?

He's still a freak, but this time after years of training he's finally useful. My pal Rudolph the Red-nose reindeer understands this predicament rather well. And the loneliness that Hercules feels b/c of his superhuman abilities is such a fascinating angle the writers of Disney Hercules go with that isn't emphasized enough.

And I can't stress this enough: The internal war Hercules grapples with, of being caught between two worlds, struggling with something he was born with and of doing everything in his power to fit into both of these worlds? Now that makes for a compelling demigod.

What's more, the strange shift in how society view his strength is such a interesting element that could have made a better antagonist than Hades was and I bet if this movie was made in this new era of Disney films (2015-Present) it would've executed it with this premise in mind. Since Disney has moved away from mustache-twirling villains and focusing on things like generational trauma and internal issues.

The fear and scorn Hercules once felt is now being turned to adoration, but wait, that's not what he wanted!

He just wanted to be treated like a person.

Take the discus scene, Hercules tries to play frisbee with the other teens in his neighborhood, but he immediately gets told to buzz off.

His goal of reaching Olympus isn't to reunite with his real family it's to finally be around others who are just as powerful as him, somewhere he wouldn't be out of place.

And the funny part about all of this is how well it ties in to Hades. Because Hercules upholding his duty as a hero is essentially what Hades did in his respective career until the moment he had his very own What's the point? moment.

Now first and foremost, I'm here to say Hades did his job. Regardless of how respectfully he did that in his later years....

No zombie apocalypses as far as I can tell, so kudos to you babe.

And that kind of job isolated him pretty badly when you consider Hades is with the dead instead of the other gods, almost making Hercules' dream the same as Hades'. However that dream has long since distorted and twisted from centuries of bitterness and anger.

Which adds another layer to their similarities. The dedication they had for their jobs isolated them even further.

And funnily enough, Hades and Herc were both assigned to this task by Zeus.

Now that we've established how similar H&H are let's see if we can glean how it played out for Hades by looking at Hercules' beginning. Hercules started out with so much determination and hope as can be seen in I Can Go the Distance (reprise). And as we follow Hercules to seek a teacher, to undergo years of training, and to follow through with all that he had been taught, Hercules never lost hope that he would finally be with people like him.

Well that is until Hercules' talk with Zeus.

And we learn Hercules has been putting himself through tons of risks and labors for nothing...?

He could've accomplished being a true hero back in his old farm town, and before you argue Zeus never explicitly told him to walk the path of a hero- then why did he send him to Danny DeVito???

And I'd like to make it clear I adore that Herc is being told off by his dad. Being Superman in Metropolis can go to one's head at his age especially now that he has proven time and time again how useful his strength is. Hubris is a major character flaw associated with greek mythology even if it isn't the flaw Herakles has in myth, keep this in mind for later as I explain what his flaw really is and how we see instances of it in the Disney film.

With that kind of journey mapped out, I bet about two drachmas and my 4 pound sponsor that Hades did the same as Herc. And as a result invested too much in his job for him to realize that he became disconnected to Olympus as a result.

Yeah, okay this is more conjecture and veering into fanfiction territory here and since I've been writing a fanfic on this guy for the past 6 years I tend to do that w/o meaning to. So if I ever start being a little too sympathetic on Mr. Brimstone Breath over there, take it with a grain of salt.

However, it is my personal headcanon since Hades did help Zeus in the original Titanomachy that my mans became extremely distant in his attempt to become a feared and respected god of the underworld.

And that came with its own reputation as mentioned in Gospel Truth Part II. Hades can get one-track minded and that applies very well to Hercules too.

So in the end, everything Herc and Hades were doing wasn't getting them any closer to what they really wanted: social acceptance.

And this was a big thing in Ancient Greece. The worst punishment a person could receive in those times was being exiled. Outcast. Permanent hermitage.

Let that sink in.

It can be argued that Hades always vied for Zeus' position, but I personally believe he did so because every other attempt he's made to change his circumstances after his What's the Point moment he kept hitting a road block either from Zeus or his arrogance to continue ruling a kingdom even if it isn't the underworld. Until he basically reasons, yup gotta take down the resident thunder dunder head.

And I think it's this factor of loneliness that both these guys share that really exemplifies or differentiates why each one is a great foil to each other. Hades is the dark reflection of what Hercules could be if he continued to toil after godhood/accepted into Mount Olympus to no avail for years and years and years.

It's a very similar trope we see in Kung Fu Panda with Tai Lung vs Po. And where Zeus fits into the role of Shifu.

Remember, both these two were serving their people, but Hades has been around far longer. After centuries, Hades grew sick and tired of serving ppl for basically nothing so he decided to put all his anger and frustration to force the world to bend to him instead.

But this is all hidden in between the lines so it doesn't hit home to the audience unless you take a deeper look into these two characters.

And all that I've talked about above is not even what we see in the film.

So, let's talk about what we do see.

Exhibit Alpha: All Hades Breaks Loose

As always, Hades is a showstopper. Don't tell him that btw he doesn't deserve it.

After executing a perfect 9.8/10 gymnastic spectacle, Hades shows up ready to pounce and do what he does best: Wheel and Deal with a trick ace up his sleeve.

It's so funny seeing Hercules talk to this guy, b/c he just had a falling out with his mentor and he's absolutely not in the mood to talk to this fast-talking flame head.

And Hades was ready to mop the floor with the guy, but b/c he can't get Wonder Bread's attention he has to whip out Meg a lot faster then he wanted to. He couldn't even savor the moment- it's like wasting a fine cigar.

But Hades doesn't skip a beat and like any mob boss, snaps his fingers, does a bit of blackmailing, and my beautiful boy catches on that if he loses his powers for 24 hours- talk about the confidence on Hades' part here- ppl will get hurt.

Hades, naturally, assures him things will be fine. I mean it's not like they're living in Greek mythology or anything. And after all, Hades assures him, Meg will be safe from harm.

They even shake on it. With left hands.....

And as soon as the two break apart, Hades doesn't hold back on telling his nephew how badly he screwed up.

Leave it to your estranged uncle to sucker you into a terrible deal and then outline why that was the worst mistake of your lifetime. Grade A uncle-ing I say. Wonder if he learned that from centuries of putting up with Zeus' offspring.

And while I have discussed this scene before in Meg vs Hades, we see here the same betrayal Meg had gone through with her ex, but now Meg is taking on the role of her ex. So let's look at it from Herc's perspective.

Anyone else feel their heart breaking when Hercules accuses Hades of lying????

But this is what makes the scene for me:

Despite everything, Hercules still chooses to fight.

You can really see the strength of Hercules' character here. Cuz despite his stupid decision, he still bares the weight of his responsibility even without his god-like strength.

Hercules faces the Cyclops as a normie. Hades would never.

This is the moment where Hercules rises above Hades in humility and upholds his duty despite the odds against him. This moment cements Hercules as a hero.

Finally the cycle of similarities is broken by Hercules' unselfish act. And it should've been in my opinion the moment he gained godhood and not the one below:

Yes, I know how important it is for Meg's redemption and to show how pure and true their relationship is. They're my emotional support OTP, okay, but what's more compelling?

Hercules being saved by the woman who just betrayed him, or Hercules risking his life to save the city of Thebes now that he's just like everybody else? He doesn't have his plot armor anymore, he's facing a giant that's already going ham destroying the populace while everyone is trying to escape. Isn't that true hero material? To stand and face the threat and buy the people time to escape?

But I digress.

And oh man, when Meg gets crushed we see a side of Hercules that was hinted at after Phil called out Meg for being a fraud:

We see Hercules' flaw.

In fact, the same flaw that Hades has as well:

Wrath.

Exhibit Beta: A Swell Consolation Prize

Hades loses. Big surprise there. I'm not covering the Titan scene since Hades and Herc just trade frowns and smirks, so imma leave that one be for this post.

But Hades really does sign his death certificate when he starts running away and reminds Johnny Beefcakes that he still managed to get him where it hurts:

And boy oh boy, when Meg died in his arms, Hercules has murder on his mind.

This is the first time Hercules has a vendetta against Hades (with 10 minutes left). A true, true vendetta. He was willing to let go tricking him by using Meg, but now b/c Hades knocked over the domino that led to Meg's death and the job title he holds, he's ready to go kick ass.

And Lord, the writers knock a home run to the impulsiveness that sits at this central character flaw of Herakles.

Hercules, our Disney version, is ready to cheat death, beat Hades to a pulp and do anything to get Meg back. Alcestis and Admetus style, baby.

So Herc grabs Cerberus and forces the bloodthirsty puppy to take him to his master.

And now realizing that he still has a chance of pulling one over on Zeus, Hades is willing to look over the abuse upon his pet and gets ready to use the wheeling and dealing technique.

And while Hercules does *convince*, and I use that word very loosely, to trade places with Meg, Hades agrees. While some have pointed out to me how clever Hercules can be this was not one of those moments.

Wow the son of my greatest rival??? Hercules made a really easy bargain that Hades was gonna propose anyway. Meg is insignificant in the grand scheme of things so who cares if she got a 'Get out of Jail' free card.

But, Hades messed up. Dude should've had his cake and eaten it too and just fished Meg out so Herc could take that dip and avoid what was coming to him.

Y'see Hades wasn't aware of the true hero clause Zeus randomly made up just like how Hades randomly made up a god-to-mortal potion.

So we get this ending with Herc's debt remaining unpaid.

I joked to myself as I was writing this post to include a post in my Hercules Conflicts series where it's Hades vs Hades b/c let's be real, Hades caused all of Hades' problems.

Self-fulfilling prophecies babyyyyy

Oy... Can you believe that now that Herc and Meg are alive and kicking as mortals they still owe a debt to Hades? Not the best ending, mind you. Sure, Hades isn't getting out anytime soon, so does it matter in the grand scheme of things?

But it is a sweet and well-deserved ending for our boy Hercules. Bc despite everything, Hercules realizes that the ppl who love him and know him for who he is: his adopted parents, his coach, and his girl that he would rather live out a mortal life with them instead of one with his bio parents. He knows now that the acceptance he has always been longing for has been realized and he'd rather have the life he knows than risk it all for a life that might make him all the more miserable.

And just like Hercules, Hades is now permanently stuck in the world he was forced into. Funny how they both ended up in the place they were actively trying to leave. It's a well-deserved punishment even if the dead are screwed without someone to keep the underworld in tip-top shape.

It's a shame Hades didn't meet Hercules sooner in the film because there is tons of material here that could've really had them be a formidable villain/hero pair up there with the likes of Aladdin vs Jafar. To have them actively oppose each other and force Hercules to grapple with the knowledge that this god is doing everything in his power to keep him off balance. imagine if Hades showed up early on just to gloat and mock the kid and confirm everything Zeus had told him?

Hercules could've grown up with that chip on his shoulder, wanting to be a fighter and a warrior just so he could take Hades on for realzies and take on the hoard of monsters he's sending to doom humanity. Just so it culminates in the classic: We're not so different conversation to mentally mess with the hero about his morals and life choices.

Could've been great.

Regardless, thanks for making it to the end, dear reader.

Till next time.

[wakfu-weekly]

Unique window animation from a house in Brakmar.

[disturbnot]

COMMON KNOWLEDGE - pretty much anyone who knows of ash likely knows at least one of the following:

currently thirty-seven years old. he was born on the 22nd of May 1986.

is on and off world champion for one of the few global leagues.

is half kantonian, half anahuan. he has dual citizenship for both the kanto and kalia regions.

long thought himself bisexual, but later came out again as gay at the age of 35 (celadon pride was jumping that year i tell you hwat).

has had many ace pokémon in his time - including charizard, sceptile, infernape, krookodile, etc. - but is hardly ever seen without raichu, his one true right-paw man.

has saved the world several times (although the deep extent of which is not broadly known - some events have been covered up entirely).

is also reasonably well-known for often being tangled up in scraps with team rocket, incidents both frivolous and deeply grave.

was alola's first champion back in the day.

"holy shit it's the omnicorp life insurance guy" .

is aura sensitive - this one is slightly lesser known, but the basic fact isn't really kept secret. the true extent of his aura-based gifts, however ... that's when people get tight-lipped.

is broadly considered to be a pokémon master, but ash himself doesn't claim this, has often stated his journey will never be over.

despite this, and all of these towering feats, in recent times he has bizarrely chosen to take up a regular job at pallet house, under his mother delia. he hasn't been particularly chatty to any reporters about why this is.

ash is related to the anahua region's equivalent of a champion, zaniyah. she is his paternal grandmother.

has a crappy twitch stream from time to time that betrays how utterly awful he is at most video games.

he didn't cope well with fame / the overwhelming burden of responsibility in his 20s. tabloid readers probably remember this fondly. ash does not.

probably has a lot of old flings from this aforementioned period of personal upheaval.

ash can communicate with pokémon pretty well. he claims this isn't by strictly translating or reading a pokémon's mind, but that he is somehow able to intuit meaning and feelings all the same. raichu goes 'chu chu chu' and in his head, ash hears everything his buddy is trying to say.

"of course i'm a functioning alcoholic, it came free with me being born a millennial".

tiktoks either unhinged or adorable shots of his pokémon.

DUBIOUS KNOWLEDGE / "CONSPIRACY THEORIES" - somewhat recognised knowledge, but may be misunderstood, covered up, or relegated to the realm of a conspiracy theory/parody:

ash is immortal / ash has super powers / ash has crazy aura powers / i heard that ash ketchum has an 8 pack that ash ketchum was shredded / chuck norris jokes just got a whole lot more annoying / etc.

he worked with professor larch of the sabiri region; a scientist broadly considered to be criminally insane after a lab accident decades ago that caused plural deaths. the man refuses to talk about it.

there is a theory that ash caused the 'kholoss disaster' - this was a 2014 calamity (in-universe time runs parallel to us, everything is kind of in real time) during which a supposed megaseismo/volcanic event occurred on mount kholoss, in the sabiri region. this event caused a domino effect of disasters around the world, many of which some regions are still recovering from.

ash's dad is missing, and i don't think he's ever used the word 'dead' to describe him. i don't think ash wants to believe it. even after all this time. presently, ash's dad is known in some circles as one of many infamous unsolved and unexplained disappearances.

ash can summon lugia by whistling for it. his mileage varies in landlocked areas.

ash has often claimed not to believe in any one divine pokémon, but his attitude about arceus in particular seems bristled. in truth, this is because he once sought out the "original one" on his path to rediscover his purpose. ash sensed confusion in it, fear, even anger. for reasons ash couldn't understand then, arceus began behaving destructively towards him and the general environment, and although it was eventually calmed, ash has held no particular reverence for the thing since. (in more metaphorical terms, arceus sensed a great 'glitch' within ash and attempted to give the universe a hard reset).

professor larch is an old colleague of professor oak's. back in the 80s, they worked as a duo to work on the first properly computerised pokédex.

HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE - only ash himself knows these things, or those incredibly close to him might know these things:

ash has made one (1) attempt on his own life before. told no one. pretends it never happened. everyone has their moments of madness, even shiny immortal golden boys.

ash has only ever had Feelings(tm) for well-known scientist gary oak. although his fandom may well have picked up on this. rpf is a pox on every universe.

ash was literally dead when pikachu evolved into raichu. desperate times, desperate measures.

in a well covered up altercation with some rockets, ash may or may not be guilty of murder.

actually, there are probably a good few cover-ups for various things that have happened to ash as well. i imagine his interpol file is something unwieldy, the sight of it brings their admin staff despair.

has both encountered missingno and visited glitch city. has not only somehow made it through each incident alive, but has survived unharmed.

META KNOWLEDGE - things about ash's world he doesn't know (yet), but i do:

ash was 'chosen' by enevaxis during his first death. being turned to stone by mew and mewtwo sent him hurtling into the same void that enevollath had condemned enevaxis to, eons and eons ago. upon ash's resurrection, by the power of aura in the tears of pokémon, he came back irreparably altered by the encounter. not only that, he came back with a simple favour to fulfil. he would remember none of it though, no thanks to mewtwo. this was his nexus point. the origin of all that ails him. just wait until he finds out that all of his nightmarish life has been because he wanted to stop two stupid cats from fighting.

ash's dad, tonalli/'tony', is certainly dead. and his disappearance was no accident. rockets: a thorn in the ketchum family's side for three generations and counting!

ash's maternal grandfather is bruno. delia never knew her father, and according to her mother, he was a great trainer who had descended from the mountain one day to recharge and refuel at pallet house, and sweep the old landlady off her feet for the night before retreating to the mountains again. unfortunately, knowledge of who delia's father is died with her mother in delia's teens. and with it, any chance of ash knowing his ties with the legendary fighting master.

grandma zaniyah is probably a straight up fucking serial killer. i'm sorry ash.

literally all ash needs to do to end this absurd chosen one struggle is climb up a super freaky mountain and let enevaxis out of its cage. that's it. he'll have to get past zaniyah when he realises this, though, that's the kicker.

[nymerias-heart]

Who knew that Arya was receiving sword fighting lessons?

I always presumed that it was a secret and that nobody knew about it because it wasn't a ladylike activity.

"Who are you?" Arya asked.

"I am your dancing master." He tossed her one of the wooden blades. She grabbed for it, missed, and heard it clatter to the floor. "Tomorrow you will catch it. Now pick it up."

We know that Sansa knew, which makes sense because she's her sister:

Arya was chewing at her lip in that disgusting way she had. "Can we take Syrio back with us?"

"Who cares about your stupid dancing master?" Sansa flared.

However, it seems like most of the castle also knew about them, for example Cersei:

"Sansa," the queen said. "I've given it out that I have the younger brat as well, but it's a lie. I sent Meryn Trant to take her in hand when Robert died, but her wretched dancing master interfered and the girl fled. No one has seen her since. Likely she's dead. A great many people died that day."

As well as, Meryn Trant:

"And why is it that Lord Eddard is sending Lannister men in the place of his own? I am wondering."

"Mind your place, dancing master," Ser Meryn said. "This is no concern of yours."

The questions I have though is did Cersei and others knew that Arya was receiving sword lessons and they just didn't care?

Or did they think she was receiving dancing lessons?

Everytime Syrio is mentioned by them, it is always "Dancing" Master. But that doesn't hold up either because Meryn Trant isn't surprised that Syrio knows how to fight.

"You are quick, for a dancing master," said Ser Meryn.

"You are slow, for a knight," Syrio replied.

Girls learning how to swordfight is treated like it's something that is forbidden and not socially acceptable. But yet here we see that other people knew about Arya's lessons and made no comment on them (or none that was shown to us).

Is this because of Arya's privilege as a daughter of the Warden of the North and Hand of the King? Would her and Sansa been given more freedoms and rights than the other ladies in the court? Or is just because Arya's a little girl so it's just seen as child play?

She nodded. "Tomorrow we're going to catch cats."

"Cats." Ned sighed. "Perhaps it was a mistake to hire this Braavosi. If you like, I will ask Jory to take over your lessons. Or I might have a quiet word with Ser Barristan. He was the finest sword in the Seven Kingdoms in his youth."

"I don't want them," Arya said. "I want Syrio."

Ned later suggests to Arya that he could have a "quiet word" with Ser Barristan, so that Arya could train with him.

This definitely feels like privilege to me. Arya is easily being offered the chance to be trained by one of the greatest knights in the kingdom and the Lord Commander of the King's guard. An opportunity many other people would have killed for (like Bran 😭).

In talks about Arya's privilege as a Highborn girl and daughter of one of the most powerful Lord's in the kingdom, it's almost always about the Trident (stupid arguments about how Arya should have known better than to play with a peasant boy 🙄) and never about the actual privileges that girls like Arya, Sansa, Margaery, Myrcella, etc. Would have in comparison to ladies from lesser houses and/or lowborn women and girls.

[padmeanddorme]

Answering my asks p1 :)

Thanks for the ask friend!

I’m super excited to get to rant with fellow Star Wars fans, especially about some underrated, courageous and amazing characters!

I love all Padmé’s handmaidens and all their quirks. Dormé’s loyalty and love for Padmé that brings her to tears in Attack of the Clones is gorgeous, and I love how the Clone Wars delved into the fact that Teckla has children to love and nurture.

So. Off the top of my head the handmaidens I can think of include:

The original five that served Padmé as Queen of Naboo:

- Sabé

- Saché

- Yané

- Eirtaé

- Rabé

Padmé’s senatorial handmaidens from Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith:

- Dormé

- Moteé

- Versé

- Cordé

- Ellé

- Hollé

And then there were handmaidens introduced not in live action, but in books like Ek Johnston’s Padmé trilogy and the Clone Wars :

- Teckla

- Duja

- Tepoh (technically Tepoh is Saché’s aid but any friend of a handmaiden is Padmé’s friend)

I researched it and apparently I forgot some rarely mentioned handmaidens like Karté, Fé, Dané, Umé and Miré.

For more information on the handmaidens and who they are, you can use resources like this one:

So, why do I love the handmaidens?

Well, the fact that these characters are made out to be simple aides to Padmé, who are responsible for her hair, clothing decisions and makeup support, but are really her trusted ‘decoys, bodyguards and confidantes,’ is so fascinating to me (quoting Star Wars.com’s Guide to the Royal Handmaidens of Naboo article). They are symbolic of that moral of not judging a book by its cover, as they are more trained, skilled and close to Padmé than most assume.

Also, I love how the handmaidens are so selfless. They sacrifice so many opportunities to enjoy their life and pursue their interests to protect a dear friend who cares for them but cannot be entirely truthful with them (Anakin boy, we love you, and we know it is not your fault, but you kind of make your wife so secretive towards her friends).

And, on a lesser note, I love how the handmaidens follow Padmé’s impeccable fashion style and wear some gorgeous cloaks and outfits. Whether they be grey velvet cloaks or the flame-coloured robes, the handmaidens pull off every simple style so effortlessly.

Talking about the lesser known handmaidens

For the lesser known handmaidens like Duja, Teckla, Tepoh and Moteé, I consider them equally as interesting as those we know more about. They each have their own unique traits that I hope can be explored in future Star Wars content, whether it be prequel era books, comics, series etc.

Duja is first mentioned in the book I really adore, Thrawn Alliances. I love how we get it inferred that Duja was passionate, courageous and willing to face any danger if it allowed her to aid the greater good. It was also a neat little touch in the book where the author mentioned how both Duja and Padmé had once discussed their longing for children of their own. Unfortunately, this character we learnt so little amount perished in the line of duty during the Clone Wars while she was investigating a Separatist factory.

Teckla seems like a sweet-natured character and I adore her. I find it funny that many believe her only appearance is in the Clone Wars, when it has been confirmed that she was the handmaiden in that Attack of the Clones scene serving dinner to Anakin and Padmé before that chat about aggressive negotiations. In the Clone Wars episode ‘Pusuit of Peace’, I love how she helps Padmé with her hair (which is revealed to be a wig) and acts as an optimistic spark of hope when Padmé is fatigued and frustrated.

I loved the introduction of Tepoh in the book Queen’s Hope. The fact that Tepoh is the first character I know of in Star Wars who goes by zhe/zhem pronouns made zhem even more fascinating to me, as I adore characters who feel confident enough to express their true personality and values. Tepoh was likeable for me as zhe were open about their inability to fit into the bleak binary of the male and female categories. I also found it cool of zhem to be willing to aid Saché in their fight for the greater good, even if it meant she had to sit and notetake a lot of information from meetings.

Although I do not know that much about Moteé, the one comic I own that features her makes me adore her. Not only do I love the scene where she walks in on Anidala kissing and she just goes straight to business, but I also love how she is inquisitive about the forbidden affair between Anakin and Padmé. Also, I admire how Moteé takes on the advice of Dormé to let Padmé be happy with Anakin, as it proves that she will be forthright with her opinions but will be open-minded when it is needed.

Enjoy the very few gifs I could find that feature the handmaidens….

And May the Force be with you all ✨

[vlxyrianclaws]

THE PRICE OF ALL WITHIN THEIR GRASP: The Background and Origins behind House Celtigar of Cracklaw Point // @celtigxr

house celtigar came to westeros before the doom of valyria, and they were landowners in the valyrian freehold. had tenants, serfs essentially sworn to them and were known to be severely harsh with their collection of taxes and owed rent. with their income, they were able to essentially pay people off, but also pay people to turn a blind eye.

they grew increasingly unhappy with the hierarchy in valyria, knowing they would never be dragonriders, and decided to move across the narrow sea some years after the targaryens with an ambitiously driven mindset.

when they crossed, they settled on cracklaw point, and were some of the first to bend the knee to aegon. however, house celtigar had a tense relationship with the people of cracklaw point: those who commented on them being lesser than other valayrian houses often went missing, houses raided, etc. essentially, it was like a terror state.)

house celtigar is incredibly wealthy, and has a general idea of keeping their wealth to themselves; historically they have been masters of coin to targaryen kings, but they are seen as something of a double-edged sword. the reality is, house celtigar obtained their riches through continuing the practice of slavery in westeros, long after leaving the valayrian freehold.

their wealth is rumoured, but their castle of cracklaw point is furnished ornately and has clear signs of money - blood money. whilst the targaryens continued to practice the first night, house celtigar buried their secrets deep within the caverns beneath their family keep. the celtigar catacombs are a disturbing sight. if one were to go digging, they would find remains of those who gave everything for the name celtigar. this practice has since dwindled, however maximus celtigar has continued to rule over cracklaw point with fear.

[galacticspaceguy]

Do you do GN readers? Or just readers with they/them? Honestly idm male either just wondering.

Okay so totally super original ideas here (sarcasm)

But how about found family hcs with Nathaniel? Maybe he's a dad or brother figure, or even s/o and the crew are the family as weird and backstabbing as they may be. I think it'd be interesting when it comes to Nathaniel's paranoia about the crew, with a s/o or friend who views them so closely.

Orrr

Reader who's a noble or somebody from a rich family somehow getting involved with Captain Flint, perhaps he doesn't know about their past, maybe he does, whichever would be more fun to write about! Platonic or romantic, whichever suits your fancy.

But anyway, it's like 2 AM where I am so I should probably sleep soon lmfao, have a nice night or day or whatever time it is.

Nathaniel Flint x Reader / Platonic + Romantic

Dad/Brother/Lover:

Dad:

-you’re not his biological, he just picked you up out of nowhere. One moment you were standing there, the next moment you had been thrown over his shoulder

-you ever so slowly began to accept your situation. Flint was a bit harsh at first, but it was clear he cared for you- in his own, strange way…

-like B.E.N, you are always with Flint, unlike B.E.N, you are given some freedom

-he taught you everything he knows, how to shoot, gamble, EVERYTHING

-he’s a mix of “don’t get into fights” and “cheering you on, beat their ass” kinda guy

-the crew questioned the point of bringing you onto the ship, but their curiosity was silenced by Flint’s gun shooting a bullet through one of their heads

-you get paid just for being there

-Flint gives you petty punishments just for fun, like washing all the dishes or scrubbing the entire deck

-you two spend a lot of your time together just sitting in silence

-there wasn’t a “father-child” relationship officially established until the crew started referring to you as “Flint jr” or “little Flint”

-he’s protective, and the eutherium doesn’t want to know what he’ll do if something bad ever happens to you

Brother:

-biologically or not, it didn’t matter

-you had spent your entire life with Flint, even before he became a pirate

-you have made a name for yourself, but it’s hard living in your brother's shadows at times. You are the lesser known of the siblings

-after Flint became a notorious pirate captain, you were practically set for life. He paid for all of your luxuries (housing, clothes, food, etc)

-if you did go another path or go off on your own, you’d still have secret meet ups

-Flint gives you petty punishments just to poke fun at you, washing all the dishes, scrubbing the entire deck, organizing stuff that didn’t need organizing in the first place, kinda just low level pirate chores

-picks on you ALL THE TIME

-you are his closest advisor, his most trusted. You have a lot of control over the ship

-you two are a danger on the battlefield

-you and Bones are best friends and make fun of Flint behind his back (LITERALLY)

Lovers:

-how did you two meet? Were you on a ship he attacked? Were you rival pirates? Were you friends before he became a pirate? Who knows!

-he’s protective of you, even if you don’t need protecting

-he’s not the most physically affectionate, at least not publicly

-your dynamic is “somewhat normal person x rash pirate husband with a gun”

-anything you want? It’s yours

-you’re living in luxury

-Flint’s going crazy again? The crew practically hides behind you as you calm him down

-your word almost overrides his own. He cares for your opinion over all others

-he steals outfits/items from the ships he raids just because he thinks you’d like them

-you’re the only reason he hasn’t gone completely insane yet

Hcs for all three:

-despite his deep care for you, it doesn’t stop his paranoia. The mere thought of you betraying him, or being lost to him drives him to mad

-the crew loves you (in a way). You find yourself arm wrestling, playing cards, or sparing with them often

-you’ve got to deal with his insomnia, either staying up with him, or forcing him back to bed

-he picks you up a lot. Why? He doesn’t need a reason, don’t question him, he’s the captain

-he’s not the most reasonable person ever, which can lead to fights