#noddy goat

[sleepyhead-poll]

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE LOSER'S BRACKET ARE OPEN!

Welcome to the Loser's Bracket submissions! If you don't know how it works, here's a rundown:

For about a week, I will have nominations open for the Loser's Bracket. Nominate as many characters as you want who were in the tournament but have lost, but do not nominate someone more than once or someone who wasn't in the main tournament. (All contestants who lost prior to the semifinals have a shot to be nominated.)

After the Loser's Bracket nominations have been recorded, I will take the top 16 most nominated characters and begin the Loser's Bracket, which will last 4 rounds. Each round will last only a day, unlike the main tournament, where each round lasted a week.

The winner of the Loser's Bracket will have an honorary place on the podium and be mentioned in the finals winners post.

All propaganda for the Loser's Bracket will be unique, so feel free to write more propaganda on why you think they deserve this second chance.

I will stop taking nominations the day that the semifinals poll is over, as I want to start the Loser's Bracket the day the finals go up.

I will take nominations through the ask box! Send the name of your character & any propaganda on why you think they should have won.

Under the cut is a list of ALL THE LOSERS thus far and WHICH ROUND THEY LOST IN. Feel free to scroll through it to refresh yourself on anyone you want to nominate. (I hope I spelled everyone's name right because that was a lot to type and I'm not doing that again lmao)

Lost During Round 1

Tanaka (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless)

Sanada Ryu (Kimi ni Todoke)

Yokune Ruko (UTAUloid)

Ritsu Sakuma (Ensemble Stars)

Tsukasa Hiiragi (Lucky Stars)

Chayanne (QSMP)

Koshiba Kiri (Beauty Pop)

Towa Motosu (World Dai Star)

Takenaka Hanbei (Samurai Warriors)

Budwin (Papa Louie)

Meguru Bachira (Blue Lock)

Judai Yuki (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX)

Sleepy Gary (Rick and Morty)

Viva Twilight (Master Detective Archives: Rain Code)

Garfield (Garfield)

Shari (Wayside School)

Takane Enomoto (Kagerou Project)

Howard Philips Lovecraft (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Belphegor (Obey Me! Shall we Date?)

En Yufuin (Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!)

Hyp (Touhou: Fantastic Danmaku Festival 2)

Meitenkun (King of the Fighters)

Mint (My Time at Portia)

Priscilla (Rune Factory 5)

Dreamer / Protagonist (Melatonin)

Clovis (Percy Jackson)

Towtow (Super Smash Bros.)

Link (Legend of Zelda)

Shota Aizawa / Eraser Head (My Hero Academia)

Shikamaru Nara (Naruto)

Vooshvazool's Bat (The Neverending Story)

Enrico Pollini (Rat Race)

Denjiro Kyoshiro (One Piece)

Sans (Undertale)

Midnight (Fairytale)

Ahito (Galactik Football)

Laffey (Azur Lane)

Noelle (NieR Reincarnation)

Nemu (Haibane Renmei)

Snoozing Carpenter (Sky: Children of the Light)

Aurora Sya Lis Goodreste (Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle)

Eve (Eaternal Nocturnal)

Elle (Crush Crush)

Hastings (One Upon a Time in Space)

Briar Beauty (Ever After)

Silver (Twisted Wonderland)

Ganyu (Genshin Impact)

Layla (Genshin Impact)

Totoro (My Neighbor Totor)

Slakoth & Slaking (Pokemon)

Musharna (Pokemon)

Dreaming Nemleria (Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG)

Noddy (Kirby)

Nemukko Nyago (Sanrio)

Citrus (Otherworldly Ravenous Beast)

Espinas (Monster Hunter)

Lazy Smurf (The Smurfs)

Paddi (Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf)

Dozer (Cookie Run)

Forde (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)

Trec (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)

Mirabilis (Fire Emblem: Heroes)

Sothis (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Ladybird (King of the Hill)

Lost During Round 2

Ritsuka Uenoyama (Given)

Kanata Konoe (love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club)

Yoshihito Usaida (Gakuen Babysitters)

Yuuya Amane (Nukoduke!)

PJ Berri (Parappa the Rapper)

Nagi Seishiro (Blue Lock)

Sleepy Ernst (Destroy All Humans)

Peppermint Patty (Peanuts)

Saiko Yonebayashi (Tokyo Ghoul:re)

Kyoutarou Shuzenji (Cute Earth Defense Club HAPPY KISS!)

Hisoka Mikage (A3!)

Ryker (Rune Factory 5)

Madotsuki (Yume Nikki)

Talon (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Agares Picero (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun)

Mister Zzz (Batman)

Roronoa Zoro (One Piece)

Dino (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)

Nemurin (Magical Girl Raising Project)

Siffrin (In Stars and Time)

Sakuma Fueko (The Feelings We All Must Endure)

Sleepy (Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Sleeping Beauty (Shrek)

Sayu (Genshin Impact)

Slowpoke Evolution Line (Pokemon)

Caitlin (Pokemon)

Gudetama (Pokemon)

Number 6 Floof (Monster Hunter Stories)

Flower (Bambi)

Vampire Cookie (Cookie Run)

Mitama (Fire Emblem: Fates)

Durin (Arknights)

Lost During Round 3

Yumemi Nemu (Vocaloid)

Panda (Polar Bear Cafe)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair)

Kuro / Sleepy Ash / Sloth (Servamp)

Clorica (Rune Factory 4)

Hypnos (Hades)

Unconscious Argentinean (Moulin Rouge)

Sloth (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Sunny (Omori)

Sleepytime Tea Bear (Celestial Sleepytime Tea)

Jing Beiyuan (Lord Seventh)

Komala (Pokemon)

Rainforest Dragon / RainWings (Wings of Fire)

Judd (Splatoon)

Haar (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)

Lost During Round 4

Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga (Azumanga Daioh)

Jeff Wiggle (The Wiggles)

Nanaki Kazuaki (Hatoful Boyfriend)

Olruggio (Witch Hat Atelier)

Bedman (Guilty Gear)

Wonderland Sekai Megurine Luka (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage)

Snorlax (Pokemon)

Lindhardt von Hevring (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Lost During Round 5 (Quarterfinals)

Snoozer (Hamtaro)

Hotaru Yura (Magia Record)

Jade Harley (Homestuck)

Bedtime Bear (Care Bears)

[critterfloozy]

Critical Yarns - Chetney

Around 61 yards of highly energized singles, Norwegian Elkhound fur. Fingering Weight. It's a little guy, about 2 ounces.

Yep. Norwegian Elkhound. @loyalhoundart was kind enough to send me some of her dogs' fur so I could try to spin it, and it mostly worked? First of all, the dogs in question:

Their names are Cerberus, Mordred, and Excalibur.

I just spun it without much prep, really. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd be able to spin their fur without mixing it with a wool but it worked out! It's not the strongest yarn ever, but it made some incredibly fuzzy, very energized singles. The picture on the bottom right is what it looked like when I took it off the niddy-noddy. (usually it'll look like a longish loop.

Anyway, after spinning it, I attempted a snow dye (as Chetney's from Uthodurn, so it seemed thematically appropriate). The last time I tried this, it was with Percy, and it was less than successful. This time, I learned. I used a lot less snow and a metal pan, with an old cooling tray inserted so the melt and excess dye didn't have to be touching the yarn.

Instead, I made new mistakes. So, usually when I'm dyeing yarn, I'm dyeing, like 10-12 ounces at a time. The Chetney yarn is, like, 2 ounces. And with snow dyeing, you're not really measuring very much? So I used way too much dye. I'd noticed it hadn't really set by the time the snow had melted, so I changed the water and went to steam-set it. Only there was so much dye on the actual yarn that it dispersed into the water and created the all-over blue.

One day, it'll work the way I expect it to.

I also used white vinegar to set the dye (I usually use citric acid, but I was out and also vinegar seemed thematically appropriate). I do have to say the smell of wet dog and vinegar certainly was ... something.

So usually I'm experimenting with these, but this is probably the most out there one I've tried so far. But again, that felt thematically right for Chetney, and even though it seemed like a novelty yarn that shouldn't work, it actually kind of does? I am planning on trying to make something out of it, so here's hoping.

With Chetney, I'm finished with Campaign 3! Next up is Dariax (which is actually already in the plying stages). Then I'll be working on the rest of the Crown Keepers. I do have plans for Deanna (and FRIDA), but I don't have any goat hair, alas.

You can check out the rest of my yarns in the Critical Yarns tag!

[theintrovertbean]

Hellooo it's me again 😼

I wanted to request.

Nadia with a *drumroll* Lucio's sibling mc 🤨

I want to know what you think about it, like if mc told her since the beginning or later on the route, what would be Nadia's reaction, will she trust them right away?Nadia didn't remember them because yk

It would be more fitting to do headcannon

Anyways

Thanks for keeping Nadia's tag alive and well fed 🤧♥️

-🦭

Hello, Anon! It's nice to hear from you again. I hope you're doing well!

Now that was a request that I probably enjoyed way too much. My imagination went wild.

I believe that this MC is younger than Lucio. They could have been around 5-10 years old (possibly a year or two older) when Lucio made his first deal, so they were old enough to remember him but not old enough to actually do something about it.

Morga definitely didn't plan on having another child after popping out a goat, so MC was an accident that turned out a lot better than expected. Big brother Lucio definitely bullied his little sibling, and he was also extremely jealous of them for being everything their mother wanted in a child.

I also think that Lucio tried to kill MC too, but they were a sturdy little cutie (strong enough to endure a harsh winter) and survived. And now, they're hungry for revenge.

Thank you for this request, Anon, I really enjoyed it. Writing and posting Nadia content is my pleasure, and I'm just hoping that my creations are worthy of her tag 😂

Also, I kept this writing more on the general side, but if the public desires, I think I could write something bigger and more romantic 👀 Or anything else you want about these two, really.

I'm rambling so much omg.

Nadia with an MC who is Lucio's sibling

When MC arrived at the palace uninvited, Nadia first didn't want to let them in (it's kinda understandable because MC is probably a big and strong person with a German name like Freitag -> it means Friday in German. Montag is Lucio's name, which means Monday, and Monday sucks, but MC is cool, so yeah, Freitag.) She told the guards to make them go away, but it was useless. The stranger pushed through the wave of guards and barged through the palace doors. No one could stop them from meeting the Countess of Vesuvia. They were powerful and a little forceful, but they claimed that they had good intentions and wanted to help with the investigation.

And Nadia could really use some help in solving her ex-husband's murder, so she accepted their offer. But she had a few conditions herself. First, she made it clear that in Vesuvia, she was the boss lady and that MC would have to wear more appropriate clothes from that point. Animal fur just wasn't in style there. 

During their first dinner together, Nadia took a good look at MC while they ate. They looked familiar, and they strangely resembled the former Count of Vesuvia. (Except for the hairline. MC's looked a lot better.) Still, their blonde hair, sharp yaw, wicked smile, and those silver eyes that haunted her every night were enough to stir some worries inside Nadia. And with an intuition like Nadia's, it was easy to become suspicious, but she couldn't tell for sure.

The next day, MC gazed at the strange painting in the Countess' salon, mortified by how anyone could portray their mother like that while waiting for Nadia's arrival. She was fashionably late, of course. When she arrived, she told MC that they were to visit Lucio's wing. 

And oh boy, was it dramatic. 

Lucio spoke to MC and Nadia in his creepy ghost voice. 

"Noddy, I see you have finally taken an interest in your in-laws! How kind of you to bring them here! Did you come here to mourn me, little MC? Tell me how much you've missed your big and handsome brother!" 

MC would reply something like this: "In my eyes, you've been dead since the moment you betrayed our family. And now, I will make sure you stay that way, Montag."

Nadia's eyes widened in horror, but she did her best to remain calm. Everything made so much sense. When it comes to being a leader, MC was everything Lucio thought he was. They were a provider, the protector of their people, and a true hunter. The best from their clan.

When they left Lucio's wing, Nadia brought up the topic and asked MC to explain everything to her. MC told her how Lucio made a deal, killed their father, and attempted to murder their mother and MC, unsuccessfully. With Lucio gone and MC being a much better version of him, MC became the official heir of the Scourge of the South. When Lucio found out, he probably tore out his hair, and that's the reason behind his hair loss. 

Morga was the person who sent MC, her only worthy child, to Vesuvia. Their goal was to track Lucio down and do whatever it took to stop him and the plague, even if that meant killing him. Morga had to stay at home to take care of her people, and MC was more than willing to go. 

And well, MC didn't really have to tell Nadia that they're Lucio's sibling since he revealed it himself. They only had to confirm it, which they did with absolute honesty, and Nadia appreciated it. 

Trusting MC was a different issue, tho. Nadia wanted to trust them, but with Lucio being their brother, she had every reason not to. This MC had to work a little harder to earn her trust, which they did, possibly a lot sooner than expected. MC worked incredibly hard and managed to prove to her how different they were from their brother at every chance they got. Nevertheless, they had a very good reason to be there, and since they shared the same goal as Nadia, she gladly partnered up with them for the investigation. 

At some point, they definitely had a little chat, and MC shared all the embarrassing and terrible stories they had of Lucio. 

Monty definitely held a nasty grudge against MC, so I doubt that he told Nadia about them during their marriage. Maybe she knew about their existence, but of course, she couldn't remember them. If Lucio did tell a bit about them to Nadia, he probably did his best to make them seem like a total bitch.

Nadia respects MC's leading abilities, and she would be happy to let them help her rebuild Vesuvia. And train the guards. MC found them too soft.

And now we shall imagine MC and Lucio having a lovely sibling argument in German while Nadia is sipping tea in the background. She's definitely smiling behind her cup.

Monty, du verwöhnter Idiot!

I only speak a little bit of German. Please don't come at me if I wrote that incorrectly

[forensicated]

This is part one of an octology of episodes centered around Smithy, the Samuels' family and assorted friends/not-so-friends (putting it mildly!) of theirs. Over the last few months, Smithy has become quite fond of Carly as their paths have crossed in various ways and he's almost a little bit of a paternal figure towards her at times.

Smiffina Episodes: Witness Part 1 - Innocent Blood

Uniform are called to a house party at Carly's bestie's house Alesha "With 2 N's" Danniels that has gotten out of hand on the Jasmine Allen Estate. The doorman was Alesha's boyfriend, Tito Morientes. He has been stabbed but won't say who by, only "the money, the money." Smithy spots Carly sneaking out and questions her about what happened to Tito, realising it was her who called it in. She tells him that she saw a man argue with him. Alesha is in a state of shock, saying there was only meant to be 10 people present. As more backup arrives, Smithy tells them to shut down the party and he takes Carly's arm, telling Diane to come with him because Carly said she'd help them pick out the suspect. "When did I say that?!" Carly scowls. "Just now." Smithy says, leading her along to the car.

"Why didn't I get an unlicensed mini cab? I could have been robbed or assaulted but at least I'd be home by now!" Carly's phone rings and she refuses the call, claiming it's an ex who doesn't know he's an ex yet. "Good!" Smithy glances back at her for a second. "A boyfriend would just distract you!" Carly spots the suspect and points him out to Smithy. "Right, I'm gonna have to get you out the car, but go straight home!" "Yes, Dad." Carly mocks with a sigh.

Unfortunately their suspect, Eric, is rather good at parkour and escapes onto the roof. "Not going to get after him then Sarge?" Diane quips. "Don't let me stop you." Smithy smirks, picking up the bag he's left behind that contains a reflective yellow vest. "He's half man, half goat!" Diane insists.

At Alesha's, Beth has found advertising that says it was a pay party and there's drug evidence. Alesha's father returns and is horrified at what has happened to his house. The locals on the estate are not exactly forthcoming with information either and a group of children set fire to things from Alesha's house in a pile in the middle of the estate. Nate follows one to his flat and knocks. The woman who answers it is very confused and claims her grandson is still in bed. She calls for him to come to see the officers. He appears, wearing his dressing gown and pretending to have just woken up. He's given away by his jogger bottoms falling down his leg. It becomes clear through the interview that Dennis is his grandma's carer and she isn't able to look after him and he hasn't been able to bathe in a while.

At the hospital, Smithy tells Emma that it was a pay party. There's no sign of the money on him when he reached hospital so they suspect the motive to be robbery. Emma thinks the scars on Tito's back have a definite pattern to them, potentially a gang sign. The knife is a craft knife, customised to have two blades instead of one so that it's harder for wounds to heal. Smithy finds Tito has a caution for possession of cannabis but the lad he was arrested with was a member of the Creekside Boys gang. Other than that, peoples opinion is that he's 'a good kid' but it is noted that his father threw him out of the house a few months ago.

Later, Tito insists he's fine, that it's just a scratch and no big deal. He claims he didn't see who did it despite the defensive wounds on his hands. His only description is that he was 'white'. He denies it's anything to do with the Creekside Boys. They track down his suspected attacker to a local rubbish tip where he works and are given his name and address by his boss.

In the canteen, uniform discuss "Noddy's Caravan" or rather a Community Social Hub on the Estate. Most mock the idea but Beth thinks it would really help because engaging with the residents makes them open up to them. She tells them a resident told her that the bullet holes on the ticket mean that it was Marlon Reed's party. Marlon is known to the police but also known for witness intimidation so the cases never get to court. He's also Carly's boyfriend.

Smithy goes to see Leanne and Carly at their new flat. Leanne explains that - thanks to Smithy - Carly has bucked her ideas up and is looking after Brooke herself and things have gotten better with Brooke's dad Dwayne. The downside is Marlon and his 'designer thugs' that are always present. Smithy and Marlon face off and Marlon insists he knows nothing about their suspect or the stabbing and claims that the tag on the invites is nothing to do with him as he hasn't used it for months. "Is that it?" "For now." Smithy growls.

Carly admits to Smithy that Marlon is a mistake and she doesn't want to be with him now she's realised what he's like. 'Marlon isn't someone you can just dump'. Smithy suggests she finds a nice accountant or librarian. She rolls her eyes and tells him that Tito will say he is a Creekside member but he isn't really, he only hangs around with them so others leave him alone as he is biding his time until he can get to college. Marlon isn't a member either and "does his own thing." Carly also tells him she feels guilty about the party. She'd let Marlon know he could come over with a few friends as her dad had agreed to 10 people. Tito was overwhelmed by the amount of people who rushed in and daren't say no. She thinks the money was for Tito's rent arrears and without it he's likely to get evicted from his council flat. The council tell Smithy the flat is actually listed as vacant. As Eric works for the council on the bins as well as living on the estate it's likely he knows which properties are vacant and could be subletting them illegally.

When uniform arrive to arrest Eric they find Marlon is already beating him up with some thugs. Marlon is caught but Eric manages to get free and leads the officers on an elaborate race using his parkour skills that lasts for quite some time. At the end of it, Eric thinks he's outrun them all ... only to get slammed face first into a wall by Gina who arrests him. "Oooh hello!" She says to Smithy and Reg who appear over the wall and are literally gasping for breath. "I really hate running!" she snaps to Eric - despite being the only uniform officer on the estate who HASN'T been running after him. 😂

Jo interviews Eric who claims he did nothing to Tito. He goes quiet when he realises they know about his rent scam. He then admits hitting Tito but has nothing to do with Tito's back and Marlon was only beating him up because the money he took was Marlon's.

Nate flirts with a pharmacy assistant to get some information about the tablets that Dennis' gran is on. In doing so, he also scores a date. Vera is on serious medication for a number of conditions. She has seizures and is also very forgetful. Like Dennis, she also tries not to let on it's only the two of them. Nate suspects Dennis is setting fire to things as a cry for help and to release frustration. As they discuss it they have a call to a burning car he has gotten trapped in. Nate has to pull him out with seconds to spare before it explodes. At the station Nate tells Gina he's researched Dennis' parents. There's no sign of his father and his mother is in prison for another 18m. He's been looking after his gran alone for 2 years since he was 10. Gina tells him to look deeper into the family. Thankfully they track down Vera's brother who she dropped contact with when her daughter was sentenced out of embarrassment and he's keen to help. He's not the only one. Nate cancels his date, side steps a drink with Sally and goes to see Dennis after work on the quiet to make sure he's really ok and explains that everything's going to change for the better from now on.

CID update Smithy that Marlon is the most likely suspect as it's similar to another 'tag' that he uses. Marlon is brought in and plays the nice guy, insisting he only went to get the money back from Eric to give to Alesha to pay for the damage to the house.

Smithy goes to ask Carly why she identified Eric as Tito's attacker when she knows it was Marlon. She blames Smithy for making her care about other people, especially Brooke and her mum and points out that he can't protect her from Marlon for the rest of their lives. Smithy suggests if she can't/won't make a statement then she could give them a clue that could help them put Marlon away. She tells him she told the truth, she did see Eric and Tito arguing but she didn't tell him that Marlon got angry and took it out on Tito. She tells Smithy that Marlon's 'boys' held him down whilst Marlon slashed him. She also tells him the rough area to find proof. Back at the station, Jo and Grace take Tito's shoes to 'test for blood traces.' He's happy to hand them over... until he sees the police dog sniffing them for his scent to track as a cover for how they'll hopefully find the evidence. The dog - Sheila - alerts the handler to a blooded hoody discarded in a quiet corner. Emma bags it and before long, Sheila finds the knife. "Clever girl!" Jo smiles. "... It's all part of the job." Beth beams back before Jo clarifies she meant the dog.

Alesha subtly tells Jo and Grace that Tito is changing and hanging around with the gang more to the point he's given up one of his hobbies - football. They tell him they suspect Marlon but Tito insists not and won't be drawn even when they tell him that they know the stabbing was a 'tagging'. The detectives continue telling him that if he goes up against Marlon he will keep coming back again and again. He refuses to press charges and leaves the hospital with his 'crew.'

Marlon claims the hoody was stolen at the party. He shrugs off claims that the knife will have his fingerprints on because Tito won't press charges. Unfortunately Marlon gets bail. There's a strong uniform presence on the estate in case of reprisals. Smithy goes to give Carly the heads up. He promises her it'll be ok and that the forensics should tie in and Tito can still be called to court as a hostile witness. Carly closes the door so Leanne can't hear, telling Smithy that she's going to take Brooke and move away so that Marlon can't find her. Smithy's shocked but tells her he reluctantly understands, but not to change her mind about Marlon. She promises him she won't and that she'll send him a postcard when settled.

Gina and Smithy head up a briefing of a group who volunteered for overtime. They bring everyone up to date about Tito and Marlon and that they are going to be visible on the Jasmine Allen Estate for a long while incase war kicks off between the two groups. They also confirm that there will be a new community hub soon on the estate so residents can drop in with information, tip offs and get help.

Later, Smithy's not happy to see Carly heading towards Marlon and his friends, but she tells him she's only going to see Alesha to apologise for what happened. Marlon stakes his claim, waving to Smithy as he keeps his arm around Carly's waist.

The girls bust Nate's mission of mercy as they spot him leaving Dennis' flat whilst patrolling the estate on overtime. He tries to claim it's a coincidence but Dennis, his gran and great uncle grass him up by coming out to thank him and Dennis apologises for what he'd been doing. The girls tease him about his 'hot date' and Nate laughs but then grabs the girls and pulls them down with him as he thinks he hears gunshots but thankfully it's just Marlon's gang letting off loud fire crackers.

They continue to watch as seconds later, a car pulls up. Two hands appear out the blackened windows, firing at least 9 shots at the group before speeding off. The gang scatters as Emma calls in with a partial index and Smithy speeds back. Carly is on the ground and Marlon is slumped, staring at her as all the officers arrive. He then gets to his feet, giving Carly one last look before pulling his head up and walking off (!) whilst Smithy drops to his knees to try save Carly.

[unnecessaryshenanigan]

guess who's crying after finishing the goat's route? LUCIO YOU BITC- I'll miss u<333 (my ss got deleted lmao-) and Noddy's older sister is beautiful asf-

[mermaidvenom]

me upon finding Lucio calls Nadia noddy 

[wellthebardsdead]

Incredible Julian cosplay by shinorisu on Tiktok. Yes I love the arcana games. Julian is my spirit animal and I would do unspeakable things to the goat man and give all the hugs to Muriel and asra. As for the ladies? The things I’d let them do to me are indescribable, hes noddy I’m looking at you ~Bambi

Edit: also this cosplayers pronouns are she/her please be respectful yes it’s a fake chest she’s shown it in several videos.

[trainwreckofgay]

Y/N being hectic!

✨ The arcana edition ✨

_____________

Lucio: "So, I was thinking Noddy-"

Y/N: "Lucio, fuck of, this beautiful woman is m i n e."

𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎,𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 (𝚒𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏 𝚎 𝚛 𝚊 𝚕)

Lucio: "i- Humph! Fine. I'll leave you with this.. Thing."

________________

Valdemare:(if I spelt iy wrong please tell me): "you're a puny magician."

Y/N: "..yes I am, please step on me-"

Valdamare: "-sorry what?"

__________

Y/N: "Asra, go interrogate lucio to get out anything that may be helpful to us, Nadia stay being immaculate, portia go help Asra just incase you need to beat the shit out of lucio, muriel stay away from lucio and if he takes one step towards you I will be causing havoc and Julian I need you to stay on watch with Muriel to make sure nothing goes awall, got that? "

Julian: "step on me, please-"

_____________

The devil: "Now listen here you puny magician-"

Y/n: "no you listen you goat bitch, I have had my body stolen by a goat with botched plastic surgery, fought demons, found out I died and I have learnt a shit ton in the span of maybe 2 weeks so i swear to god-"

IDK WHAT ELSE TO DO BYE BYE

[the-arcana-but-saucier]

Nadia: Care to sit? I'm sure you'd like to take some weight off those cloven hooves.

Lucio: Calling me the Devil, Noddy? How original.

Nadia: Actually, I was calling you a goat, you goat.

[warsofasoiaf]

“Gnomes with war goats” was the last thing I read before napping and guess what I dreamt? I was tiny with a red noddy hat riding an aggressive mountain goat.

I'm not apologizing.

-SLAL

[countessmorgasson]

Portrait

Fluffy(?) Lucio x MC scene. Lucio’s newest portrait isn’t to his liking...

Gender neutral MC

(Disclaimer: I based this off Lucio’s route. Minor spoilers.)

Every now and then, I take a moment to admire these halls when I’m at the palace.

Lucio’s wing, the one leading up to his bedroom.

What once felt so cold and uninviting now became one of the memories I savor so deeply in my heart.

I first saw Lucio here- in a dream, in a haze.

We had our first dance here. I remember the way we circled these halls to the faint music, holding onto one another like it was the last time we’d have...

And of course, I think of the past few years.

Coming here at all.

When Nadia asked me to solve Count Lucio’s murder all that time ago, I never would’ve expected... well, any of it.

I consider entering Lucio’s bedroom, but I know he’s not in there. Where did he ask me to meet him..? Oh, in this room. I don’t think I’ve been here, before. He didn’t say why he wanted me to come. Truthfully, it didn’t matter. I’d always be there when he called.

The white door in front of me is large, decorated in gold trim. It’s quite elegant, I note. Has this always been here?

I breathe in deeply before entering the room in front of me.

When I do, it seems to be empty. I didn’t recognize it, but I immediately knew what it had to be. The room was wide and mostly empty, aside from a large easel right at the entrance. The rest of the room was similar to the salon where I would sit with Nadia.

Either she or Lucio must have designated it for the painters, specifically to commission portraits...

Then I see it.

A painting, while not complete, nearly stuns me in its glory.

It’s of Lucio, of course. The painting depicts him at the throne, sitting high and mighty with his silver eyes gleaming at me through the paint. He’s draped in white, aside from the striking gleam of his golden arm, which seems to shine from the sunlight coming in through the painted curtains. The room in this painting is otherwise dark, draped in muted colors of black and blue, making his presence even more vivid in this hyper-realistic image.

Who painted this? They outdid themselves, I think. Why isn’t it complete..?

I inch closer, realizing the problem.

Lucio’s stare is off.

He looks intimidating, domineering... evil. Is that a shade of red in his eyes? The more I look, the more uneasy I felt. I nearly expected horns to start growing from his head- like a... goat.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the painting was created years ago, before we met.

“Don’t look at it!” I hear the all-too-familiar screech from behind me. I don’t even jump. “It’s completely butchered. I’ll have it burned.”

I whisk around, finally locking eyes with the count, who dramatically drapes his hand over his face, as if he were shielding himself from the painting’s view.

“It’s not even finished,” I say. I turn around to gaze at it again. “What’s wrong with it?”

I already know the answer to my question.

“What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with it?!” Lucio’s temperament gets the better of him, but he sighs when I turn back to him. He pouts at the paining. “I don’t look like that!” He simply says. I can’t help but stifle a laugh, watching the incredulous look on his face.

“You look exactly like this.”

He sneers.

“Ha-ha, m/c.” He folds his arms. “No, it’s not right. Look at my expression- my eyes! That hack painter made me look... like... like a monster.”

He sounds bitter, but when I look at him I realize his eyes are gazing towards the floor.

He’s hurt.

“Oh, Lucio...”

I step forward, gently cupping his face and stroking his cheek. His eyes soften when they meet mine.

“You are not a monster.” I whisper. He begins to turn pink, but awkwardly rolls his eyes and huffs, backing away from me.

“How could you say that? Did you forget, oh I don’t know, the way we met? Who I used to be? All the things I’ve done-“

His voice nearly cracks, and I have to look away. It was rare for Lucio to show this side of emotion...

Is that what this was about? I feel my gut wrench, and I take another glance at the painting. It does remind me of the old days...

“Of course I remember everything,” I say. “Don’t you? Have I ever been afraid of you?”

Lucio’s angry pout disappears, and for a moment I think he may tear up.

“What’s going on, my love?”

He pushes his golden hair out of his face with his hand.

“It’s just... I wanted to have a new portrait commissioned before...”

He looks away, not finishing that thought.

“...And... I won’t have my last portrait looking like... this!”

He once again gestures to the painting. He’s focused so hard on it, I finally step forward and turn the easel to its side, hiding the painting from his view. I think very carefully before asking.

His last portrait?

“What did you want it to look like?”

His face falls.

“Oh,” Lucio begins to stumble over his words. “You know... I wanted... I don’t- I just...”

I wait.

“I wanted to look like a Count. A real count- someone the people would adore. Not an egotistical tyrant.”

He folds his arms again, his golden one nearly ripping his sleeve with the sharp claws.

“M/c, this may be the end of my time at the palace. Noddy has every right to kick me out whenever she wants.” He goes on. “I’ve done what I could, I’ve spent the better part of these two years trying to right all the wrongs I’ve done, and now... I still feel like it’s not enough. What if I...”

He shrinks away from me, and I feel my heart begin to sink.

“What if I’m truly beyond redemption?”

I try to respond, but I only let out a defeated sigh.

I knew I couldn’t ask Asra or Julian to ever forgive Lucio for the things he had done to them over the years. I’m not quite sure if they ever forgave him, but I wouldn’t hold it against either of them if they couldn’t.

It even took the better part of a year for Nadia to come around- and she only did because she trusted me. I know that. 

What if I don’t have the answer this time?

To watch Lucio in pain makes my heart ache. It physically hurts every fiber of my being, seeing the man I love in emotional peril.

However, I step forward and bring him into my arms.

How long had he felt like this?

He holds me back, tightly, and I feel him shiver.

All I can do is let him bury his face in my clothes as I rub his back.

“It’s alright,” I soothe. I know he won’t cry in front of me- at least not now, not here. Not over this. “You’ve come so far, my dear.”

He sniffles in response.

“You made your mistakes. Your oopsies.”

I shouldn’t tease right now, but he hears the smile in my voice and giggles through his sniffling.

“Lucio, you came back and you faced what you did. You could have easily gone back to your old self the moment I released you from those chains. You didn’t. You apologized, and you spent two years undoing what you could. Do you understand me? You are not a monster- and you’re not an egotistical tyrant. And even if, for whatever reason, you’re no longer allowed in the palace...” 

I pull away, making sure he looks into my eyes to see my sincerity. “I’ll go where you go. I’m with you, all the way, my dear.”

His silver eyes seem to gleam- he looks at me in a mix of astonishment and admiration.

“M/c... you don’t mean that, do you?”

I nod.

“How could I not want to be with you?”

I pull him back into an embrace, and he holds me tighter than ever, nuzzling my neck.

“Oh, m/c... I love you.”

I hear a smile in his voice, and my weight is lifted. His sniffles die down- I think he’s feeling better, to my relief. He rubs my back, not moving from our hold.

“Will you pet my hair?”

I easily oblige, tussling his golden locks with my fingers.

“I love you too.”

[vesuviannights]

Hey yeah uh,,,,, Lucio has,,,,a jersey accent,,,canonically,, I cannot,,,,,,I can't,,,,, I c a n t. How the fine feathered fuck do I cope with this new interesting information. Absolutely wild

I personally headcanon that it only comes out when he’s doing dumbass shit because otherwise I just also...cannot. My boy tries so hard not to have his Jersey accent because he thinks it makes him look low-class and that people judge him and become very aware that he didn’t have a great education (and those beliefs are on him and him alone). And unless he’s being a Certified Dumbass, he’s very practised at toning it down by quite a lot.

Moments the Jersey Accent thankfully does not appear: addressing the court, making a deal with the Devil, ordering Valerius to have someone thrown out of the palace for throwing off his groove, screaming the Apprentice’s name in bed, practising how he will be announcing himself as he comes down the stairs at the masquerade

Moments the Jersey Accent DOES appear: talking in his sleep, super drunk and proposing to Noddy, trying to hit on Julian while he’s laid up in bed and 234 days deep with the plague, calling the Apprentice cute when he’s still in goat form, whenever he says Nastomil, whenever he laughs hard enough to have tears in his eyes

[lily-is-writing]

Can you do a (arcana) head cannon of their reactions to getting love letters from the MC? Please and thank you.

((This is so cute help me thank you for this beautiful suggestion imma cryyyy. PS, despite my introduction for Jules in this HC, I think he is brilliant and not just a ‘soft subby husband uwu’ he is a DOCTOR and he will be respected on this blog.))

So our wandering soft boi dom, Asra, recognizes your handwriting the second he sees it and his heart swells and before he knows it, he is reading the last half of your love letter through tears of joy - tears he is careful to keep away from this letter (that he has read through enough times to know it off by heart) because he is going to put it in a special box that he keeps important things in - such as Faust’s first shedding

Julian ‘The Drama Bitch’ Dev-whore-ak is  w e a k  when he receives it, he is at first oblivious to the sender but he slowly realizes it is very specific to the times you two have shared and he tries to keep his cool but he is not like the cool kids, he is clutching the letter to his heart and trying to force away the intrusive thoughts screaming at him that this is a prank. The words on that paper are his life’s blood now. Someone loves him back. Finally.

Our Countess and Savior Nadia Satrivana contains her thrill as she reads it because the Courtiers were in the room when Pasha delivered the letter in question. She was used to ridiculous, lavish, un-thoughtful gestures from Lucio, so a heartfelt letter (one from someone she loved, not the hundreds of Vesuvians she gets a day) has her heart soaring, she is going to pamper you for days, don’t ask how she knows its from you, she just does, its Noddy ffs.

The Official Best Boye Muriel avoids reading it at first, his nerves get the best of him. Inanna is the one who makes him read ( ‘Dad just read it you lil bish baby’ ) He reads it, again and again, his face getting redder and redder each time. Inanna looks up at him with a questioning whine and he nods “I know, I love them too.” 

The real MVP Portia is giddy with excitement. “A letter? A LOVE letter? For me? From WHOMST?” She reads it every night trying to figure it out, because her job leaves little time during the day but she catches you out eventually and you better be expecting crying hugs. Happy crying hugs. When you ask her how she feels she bursts out her response of ‘Yes of course I feel the same, Pepi and I  A D O R E  you, silly.’ Thus begins your love affair with the best babe in all the land. 

Luci-HOE the Goat Man lets it go straight to his head, he only reads it the once but stores it away for bad nights. He is slow on the uptake though, so he will take a while to figure it out but you get swooped into his arms and treated like a queen, lets be real his only relationship was based on a drunken proposal to a woman who didn’t love him, so you are PRECIOUS to him and you are his now. His teddy bear who he will pROTECT WITH HIS LIFE. Ho boy, you asked for this

Wine Daddy Valerius just knows its you, his lips curl into a smirk, his weeks, nay, months of subtle courting has paid off. He arranges dinner that night and saunters into your shop, meticulously planned outfit for you in toe, tells you to get dressed and meet him out the front in 5, all concluded with a pet name of all things. He has a glorious carriage ready and he whisks you away to dinner where you talk and laugh and see that he is gorgeous inside and out. If not a little a lot ambitious, flirty and bitchy.

Our Favourite Gremlin Valdemar giggles in delight, that giggle turns into a cackle. You are finally their’s. The next time they approach you, they say nothing, just kiss you, hard, and walk away, leaving you barely on your feet and very near breathless, they cast a glance over their shoulder to see your trembling and blushing form “I knew you would cave, eventually...” 

[cecily-xyz]

I DEMAND THAT LUCIO STARTS A MAKEUP YOUTUBE CHANNEL WE ALL KNOW THAT BITCH WOULD OUT RANK ANY OTHER BEAUTY GURU OUT THERE

Just imagine:

“Hello my lovely goat babies! Welcome back to my channel! Today I will be showing you how to achieve my SIGNATURE red smokey eye! I know a lot of you have been saying that the red smokey eye is Noddys “thing” and I “stole it” but just to clear up any DRAMA, that is a LIEEEEE she stole it from ME I AM THE TRENDSETTER” *sparkly noises* “sorry about that my little goat babies just had to get that out of my system, anyways BACK TO THE TUTORIAL!”

“And here’s the finished look! OMG I FEEL SO HOTTTTTTT” *fire effects* “ok my goat babies I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and you can enjoy MY look for yourselves!” *tehe* “love you all! Goodbye!!!💋💋💋💋✨✨✨”

[asra-floof-blog]

Just A Little Oopsie

@astridthemagician

-

Lucio was done with goats. After spending 3 years trapped in the “body” of a hairy, smelly, not quite solid goat, it would make quite a bit of sense for Lucio to despise their very existence. So, when the Count wakes to a very.. fragrant to say the least, goat licking him awake, you could say he was less than pleased. (He woke the whole castle with his screeches.)

However, one upside to that situation is the fact that at this particular moment, he’s lost in the Vesuvian woods with Noddy’s very pretty apprentice, Astrid. How they got there is another story for another day.

“Astriiiiiiiiiiiid!” The Count pouts, batting at her skirt while giving her his infamous wide, needy puppy eyes. “We don’t have to go quite yet! I know you can make a portal, but I wanna show you around!” He scoffs at her portal, arms crossed across his chest. “...please?” He eventually amends, a slight spark of hope in his voice. “Noddy said she did lots of work in the gardens and forest, and no one has shown me yet! Please? I can show you how it looked from before, and you can explain it now!” He says hopefully, resting his head on her shoulder, looking up at her with those same puppy eyes as earlier. “I’ll owe you a massage and.. and an autographed photo of me! Please As?” He whines, kicking up the snow falling slowly down and around then. His blonde hair is already covered in snow flakes, and even some of his eyelashes are holding captive their friendly ice pals.

[ma-lemons]

the interrupting goat (the arcana)

okay so plot: my apprentice, Aisha is going on a date with Nadia but ghost Lucio interrupts, causing their date to not go as planned. also, Lucio isn’t a bad guy here he’s just Nadia’s annoying dead ex-husband.

extra note: this is been in my drafts for a while and I decided—hey let’s NOT edit this and post it??? so here we go.

—————

“We’re going on a date today!” Aisha decided loudly, right then and there, at the breakfast table.

Nadia, and the other servants, looked quite bewildered. Embarrassed, the apprentice took her seat and focused on her poached eggs instead.

“Aisha,” Nadia said gently, resting her hand on her arm. The apprentice swore the hairs on her arm were rising with the brief action. “Are you alright?”

Aisha looked into the Countess’ eyes. She was weary, Aisha could tell. She was smiling and pretending she was alright, but there was a reason why she said she needed a break. She was clearly stressed.

The apprentice shook her head, deciding to be truthful. “You’ve overworked yourself. I think we should take a day to ourselves. My treat,” she said firmly.

Nadia raised an eyebrow. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be treating you. Besides, I feel fine. I’m not stressed.”

Aisha rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to let her wiggle her way out of this. “We’re going on a date. You and me.”

“Is there a reason why you’re so insistent on this date? If you wanted me to relax, why didn’t you just ask me to stay in bed?” Nadia asked, a smile playing at her lips.

Aisha knew her cheeks were getting redder by the second. Of course, she wanted Nadia to relax, but another part of her just wanted some time alone with the Countess. Aisha met Portia’s eyes. The woman gave her a sly smile and Aisha knew that everyone around them knew as well.

“Fine,” she huffed, blowing air out of her mouth. “I wanted to spend some time with you, okay?” Aisha muttered.

“You didn’t have to say it,” Nadia beamed. “I already knew.”

——————————————————————————-

Hours later, Aisha pulled Nadia along the bramble and leave, through the statue garden. After a lot of bickering and suggestions from Portia, the two decided they would stay close to home.

While Nadia went to go get her shawl, Aisha asked Portia to bring them some of Nadia’s favorites.

“Right away, m’lady!” Portia smiled.

“Okay, Portia, we’re friends. Please, for the millionth time, call me Aisha,” the apprentice insisted.

“You’re the Countess’ beloved,” Portia said, shaking her head. “It’s the right thing to say.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Aisha sighed, returning the smile.

Now the two were taking their semi-private date in the garden.

“Aisha, you didn’t have to do this,” Nadia sighed.

“Yes, I did.”

The two had stopped at a stone table that had two chairs on either side. Atop the white tablecloth were candles and a bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece.

Aisha grinned at the sight of Nadia turning shades darker. The Countess put her hands to her cheeks. “I’m so warm—I’m touched, really, dear. Thank you.” The Countess went behind Aisha and wrapped her arms around her, before nestling her head in the crook of the apprentice’s neck.

“I’m feeling less stressed already,” Nadia whispered into her ear. Aisha leaped, her heart beating faster than it should have.

“Ack—why?” Aisha asked.

“Because I love the way you get flustered. You act so bold, but every time I do that. . .” the Countess laughed. A genuine laugh.

“Well, I’m glad that I could be your source of laugher for evening,” Aisha pouted. She hurried over to one of the chairs and struggled to pull it out for the Countess.

Aisha felt soft lips upon her cheek. She looked up at the Countess, who looked happier than ever. She nodded her thanks and sat down. Aisha took the seat across from her.

“Thank you for this, Aisha. I’ve been trying to remain calm but the courtiers have been so reckless lately. Vlastomil and Volta... don’t get me started on those two. It’s like dealing with a bunch of children!” The Countess exclaimed, exasperated.

Aisha desperately wish she could take Nadia’s worries away with the flick of her hand. There was probably a spell for that, but she wasn’t going to try to that. Memory loss was a possible symptom of it.

“I’m sorry, Nadia,” Aisha murmured. “It must be so hard—I wish I could help you. In fact, I should be helping you!”

Nadia chuckled, and placed her hands over Aisha’s. “Well, I’d love your help, if you’re up to the task. Vesuvia has two countesses now,” she grinned. Aisha’s skin grew warm as she realized the words coming out of the Countess’ mouth. Aisha felt as if she could stare into her ruby eyes for eternity.

“Dinner has arrived!” Portia exclaimed, appearing in the shrubbery. The lovebirds jumped back.

“Portia! That was surpisring!” Nadia exclaimed, eyes wide. Portia only gave a wink and set done two silver platters of steaming spiced swordfish. Nadia’s eyes lit up in delight.

“Oh... Aisha, you didn’t have to!”

“But I did!” Aisha smiled and looked over to Portia.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Thank you, Portia!” The Countess exclaimed. Portia grinned. “Oh, wait, I almost forgot!” Portia rummaged into her pockets and pulled out two wine glasses that Aisha wasn’t sure could physically fit in her pockets. At Aisha’s stare, Portia giggled.

“Asra gave me a spell last time he was here.”

Aisha nodded, and decided to keep her mouth closed. Asra, as elusive as he was, was also a bit of a playful showoff.

Portia then proceeded to take a large bottle of white wine from her pocket and poured it into the glasses.

“That... is a very handy tool you have there, Portia,” Nadia chuckled.

“Oh, most definitely, ma’am.”

After Portia’s departure, the two were alone again under the cool glow of the moon.

“This is certainly romantic,” Nadia noted, taking a bite of the swordfish. “Oh... it tastes just like home,” she murmured a bit to herself.

“I’m glad”, Aisha replied, relieved. The apprentice held up her glass of wine and proposed a toast. “To us!”

Nadia shook her head, but reluctantly held her own glass up. “To us!”

The two clinked their glasses together before taking a long sip.

“Sooooo you had dinner without me, Noddy?” a quite familiar and quite annoying voice complained. Aisha sighed. He was back too soon.

Nadia stopped drinking and set down her glass. She shut her eyes, in hopes that the annoying presence would disappear on its own.

“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice steely.

“I mean, I dunno why you’re drinking without me! Drinking was our favorite pastime! I mean, we had other pastimes, you know, more intimate ones—“

“Are you quite finished?” Aisha snapped at the ghostly apparition.

The ghost, the one-armed goat-man who was formerly Count Lucio turned around slowly, as if he was just realizing who Nadia was drinking with.

“And you are?”

Aisha rolled her eyes. “I’m Aisha, Asra’s apprentice. We’ve met many times!”

“Unfortunately,” Lucio murmured under his breath. He returned his gaze to Nadia, who had resorted to stabbing the swordfish with her fork.

“Noddy, why haven’t you thrown another party in my honor? It’s been ages—“

“Lucio, if you haven’t noticed, you’re a dead goat-man, and we’re not together anymore!” Nadia seethed.

“We never officially seperated. I know you still harbor feelings for me, because a, I’m wonderful, and b, I see you walk past my room sometimes.”

Nadia eyed Aisha, who didn’t care for the conversation. “I walk by your room sometimes because I want to know if you’re there or not! I thought this palace was rid of your presence, but apparently, you’re still here!” she cried, exasperated. Aisha could smell the aggravation off of her. She was getting riled up again, which was not part of the plan.

“Lucio, we’re on a date. Leave us alone and go weep somewhere. Find other people to bother,” Aisha glared.

“A date! A date? Noddy, you’re telling me all you could manage to find was this... this... peasant? This is in poor taste, dear, especially since you still hold feelings for me and all,” Lucio said a matter-of-factly.

Nadia stood up, her fork in her hand. She knew the fork would do nothing, but Aisha was sure the utensil was keeping the Countess from digging her nails into her palms.

“I will not have Aisha ridiculed like that from a dead goat. I do not love you and I will never love you, Lucio. Get away from me, and get away from Aisha. You’re giving me a terrible headache.”

“I don’t know what I’m hearing! It sounds like you’re saying you like this peasant, Noddy,” the count whined.

Nadia narrowed her eyes. “No, I’m saying I love her. And also, she is not a peasant. She is my queen.”

Oh, wait until Asra heard about this. Aisha felt all giddy inside and looked into Lucio’s eyes for any reaction.

Lucio said nothing, just silently fumed and disappeared. Nadia dropped the fork from her shaking hand and collapsed into the chair.

“How many more? How many more times is going to show up?” Nadia sighed, rubbing her temples. Aisha smiled a little and joined the Countess’ side.

“This is only the fourth date he’s ruined. But with the way you told him off tonight, he’s probably going to skip over the next one,” the apprentice grinned.

“Thank you for being so optimistic, dear—but he ruined our date. He ruined everything and the fact that he doesn’t understand we’re together is very, very, annoying.”

“Don’t worry, I understand.”

“How are you so calm about this?”

“Well, when Lucio pisses me off, I just imagine his reaction to our wedding day. It brings me joy. He’s very harmless, even as a ghost. Sure, he could hurt someone, but he’d have to use up a lot of energy. He just misses the attention, I guess,” Aisha reassured her, patting her arm.

“Do you think if I offer for him to be the palace jester, he’ll take the spot? He’s so idiotic, he was born for the role,” Nadia laughed bitterly.

“I think the courtiers do a perfect job with that, don’t you think?” Aisha giggled.

Nadia sighed. “Well, if it’s any comfort to you, I did enjoy our evening together, despite that little interruption.”

Aisha breathed a little sigh of relief. She would probably put some protective wards around the garden and maybe, threaten Lucio the next time she saw him. She wasn’t quite sure how she would yet, but she would find a way.

Nadia twisted around in her chair, and took the young woman’s hands in hers. “From the bottom of my heart, I owe so much to you. Thank you.” The Countess brushed her lips against Aisha’s cheek, which caused her to tense up, but in a good way.

She pulled away. “I just want you to be happy. I don’t want you to worry about Lucio, or the courtiers, or the kingdom, because I’m here with you. Your worried are mine. I’ll share everything with you, if you share everything with me. And I swear, I’ll never let anything hurt you.” A promise.

Nadia did one of this rare half smiles she only did when she was really touched, like when she had gotten a letter from Muriel wishing her a happy birthday (she was sure Asra had forced him, however, it was very thoughtful regardless).

“I love you, Aisha. With all my heart.” And she pressed her forehead against Aisha’s, taking in the smell of the burning wax and the spices of the swordfish. She was okay, for now. The little things she had that made her happy were right here, right now.

And no one could take it away from her.

————————

*cringes* please forgive me I deleted the arcana and I forgot so many relevant facts and I want to cry right now so please have mercy okay???