#now he decided to try to save his marriage and return to the woman who hates me

[sunofmoon]

.

[vagabond-umlaut]

hey, where is the pomegranate tree?

unstoppable force, aka kore, aka gojo, meets immovable object, aka hades, aka you— nothing can ever go wrong from this collision, trust me— n-o-t-h-i-n-g.

▸ gojo satoru x fem!reader; hades and persephone retelling [with a twist ;))]; 1.2k wc; stubbornly persuasive gojo; the reader is js so tired and annoyed [and tired]; enemies to lovers vibes[??]; talks of marriage and children; gojo thinks you are a fool, he is the real clown here

▸ pls don't glare at me if there is more than one inaccuracy here, haha. anyways, the header is from pinterest, the divider is by @benkeibear and the characters used ain't mine. pls don't plagiarize, translate or repost this. enjoy reading! ❤️

▸ update: this fic is now part of a series!!! wreaths of asphodel 😊😊

"you shall spend the rest of your days in tears."

you're foolish; woefully so, gojo thinks, carefully observing you from his place on the chaise lounge, smiling while you continue seething, "and there will be no one who can save you. neither a hero nor a god. neither demeter nor zeus. no. one."

"but why do you think i will need saving, my rose?" the endearment rolls off his tongue like honey, the taste sweetening at the way your pretty lips dip into a deeper frown, "you're not a monster, are you?"

"no!" the defensive reply comes in less than a beat. though the words following it sound a tad less bold; it seems as if you're trying to make yourself believe and not scare him.

"i'm someone far fiercer— hades. the goddess of the dead. the queen of the underworld— and the cause for your misery should you choose to vex me any further."

"aw, no," gojo cries, decidedly making a show by slapping a hand over his eyes and faking a sniffle, "why must the only woman i want as my wife see me as an annoyance?"

then lets his hand drop down to the cushion, willing his eyes to well over with pitiful moisture. "as the god of life, i've only ever given and given– be it grains or fruits or vegetables or flowers– without asking anything in return— yet the first and only time i ask..."

he doesn't bother finishing his sentence, choosing to sob to add to the tragic atmosphere— though that doesn't mean he doesn't note the war of emotions on your face:

pity, confusion, anger, again confusion— you're so easy to read, to steer. very foolish, really.

"you'll not like living here," you eventually break the silence hanging within the room. your voice is much softer now; the god wonders if you sing. if you do, the muses will certainly be put to shame... "your days will be spent in utter boredom and gloom and tears–"

"– and no one can come to my aid then: yes, thank you," he interrupts you, more than a little tired, "you've driven the points too well into my head– so much so that i'm surprised there isn't a gaping hole in there, oozing blood and my brains. but why must you think i'll need rescue, huh??"

if a smidge of force escapes into his words, gojo decides not to pay it any mind— though only until he notices the small flinch you give– his insides twist and torment, quite inexplicably, thereafter.

"okay, look," he says, getting up from his slouch to move near you, but stops on catching the warning glint in your eyes.

"first of all, i'm not some damsel in distress being whisked away in a chariot here– i came here by own volition. and i'm offering my mind, body, heart, soul– the special package that i am, in fewer words– to you, by my own volition. why shall i want anyone to rescue me then?"

"besides," he proceeds to add, allowing an easy smirk to form on his face, "you're just the cute little goddess of the dead– not at all scary like your brother used to be; though i guess you try to imitate him in your glares, don't you? sukuna was quite notori—"

"don't you dare utter my brother's name, foul olympian," a quiet growl slashes gojo's comment, sending it plummetting to the ground— and making him understand why you, the inconspicuous, sheltered sister of the vicious former holder of the name 'hades', was given the crown, in the aftermath of your brother's banishment– instead of the several more well-known candidates...

"i apologise," gojo offers in the very next instant, making it as genuine as he can, "i never meant to upset or offend you. i'm sorry if i did."

you just stare at him for a beat, gojo watches, before your shoulders lift then fall in a sigh. the fire burning in your aura abates by a pinch.

sighing once more, you finally break your silence, "It's okay, and um– suppose i too should apologise. you might be an olympian but you're not as foul as them, no. please forgive me for calling you so."

"no problem, my rose," the god is quick to accept your words with a wave of his hand and a beam, further widening when he notices the sliver of smile on your countenance, "but does this mean i appeal to your tastes? i mean, you called me 'not as foul as them', didn't you?? did you just accept my hand in marriage, then???"

"no, i didn't..." your subtle smile disappears swifter than it appeared. a half of gojo's floral crown, quite inexplicably, wilts on the table before. he watches your eyes fall to it, then snap up to meet his.

"do you love me?"

not yet, but he thinks he can. you might be an idiot but you certainly aren't an unlovable idiot— and one voice in his mind murmurs, those precious, innocent looks of yours aren't even the main reasons why...

the god shoots back a languid smile. "if you want to see me in love with you, so be it."

"that's neither 'yes' nor 'no'," you point out, frowning, before vaulting your second query of the evening, "if we get married, do you want to have children?"

it won't be very unfavourable, if you both do... with the vivid colour of your eyes, or the adorable shape of your nose, or the radiance of your skin, or the— "if you want, i shall be happy to assist," he ekes out with a meaningful wink, albeit he doubts how much of it reaches you.

you're very foolish, after all... and no– it's not because of the awkward way he says it– no! not in the slightest! he wasn't fumbling at all!

you wrap the shawl tighter around your shoulders but don't move any further away, gojo notes. the same way he does the slight tint in your cheeks when you roll your eyes with a scoff.

"you're unbelievable, kore. truly, terribly unbelievable." you press the pads of your thumbs over your forehead before releasing it, gaze an unprecedented mark of sharp when it settles on his face.

"is there nothing you want from our union, eh? i refuse to believe you wish to marry me without any demands, as if on a mere whim– but if it is so, i ought to warn you, kore: my answer is and will always be one firm 'no'."

your words mustn't ignite this odd restlessness in him. they certainly mustn't— still, gojo finds his chest tight and the air heavy as he grins back and says, "i only want to be your husband, your majesty... but if that is too much for you right now–"

the stretch on his lips simmers down to something smaller. yet truer.

"i want you to call me by my name. my real name. can you do that, my rose?"

you don't say anything in response for a long while. so long, in fact, it makes the god wonder if you are ever going to reply to his request.

perhaps not, he thinks quite a bit down-spirited when you suddenly turn on your heel and with a swish of your long shawl, stride out the rooms– o-oh.

you stop just as abruptly at the threshold. a complicated grin shining on your face as you twist to look at him over your shoulder then say:

"good night, gojo satoru. pray the ghosts prowling these halls don't eat you up ere dawn."

you're gone not even few feet away from the door, before gojo falls face-first into the bed, the entire room suddenly erupting into thousands of roses in all colors ever seen. [lolol, he is such a loser for you! xD]

▸ masterlist

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Can you give a brief summary of your AUs please?

Sure! :)

Breath of the Sky: A year after Skyward Sword, the newlywed lovebirds are slingshot into the future just before the Calamity. They now have to navigate being in this place, revered as Hylia and the Hero of Myth, while BotW Zelda and Link figure out how the heck they’re supposed to accommodate and deal with it. Chaos and lots of drama ensue. Currently playing: the Lovebirds and the Anxious Duo travel together with the Champions to survey Hyrule and see the Divine Beasts.

Forsaken AU: Original AU with original characters. When Princess Zelda, known for her prowess with her magic and her confidence in her abilities, gets disturbing visions of an oncoming darkness, she tries to claim the Triforce for herself to protect Hyrule. However, the Triforce shatters at her touch as she isn’t worthy to wield all three pieces, and she inherits the Triforce of Power. Put out but not defeated, Zelda goes on a quest to find the fated Hero of Hyrule - she knows it’s usually a dude named Link, and he likely will bear at least another piece of the Triforce, so that’s two birds, one stone! Except… half the kingdom names their boys Link. But after going through half a bajillion Links, two of them are promising! One she can sense a strong magic in, even though he just says he’s a masseur and knows nothing about fighting. The other hardly says anything at all, but Sir Edgy and his faithful doggie companion can’t keep hiding his secrets from her forever.

Blood of the Hero: Ten years after the Calamity, the Shrine of Resurrection is damaged, leaving Link vulnerable and dying. Link’s parents, Abel and Tilieth, who were on the Great Plateau protecting the shrine, are now tasked with saving their son’s life by taking him to the Sheikah shrines across the land. Currently playing: Link’s still out of it but he’s about 5-6 hearts and one stamina vessel in and showing signs of improvement while his dad has a complete spiral from ten years of PTSD buildup and his mom tries to pick up the pieces and take care of them both. Oh, and Impa thinks they’re all insane.

The Imprisoning War: Millennia before Hyrule Warriors, Ganondorf attempts to steal the Triforce and it predictably shatters, starting a two year war that nearly destroys both Hyrule and the Gerudo. The other two Triforce piece bearers are HW Link’s predecessor, the half-Sheikah/half-Hylian named Link, who is madly in love with Ganondorf’s daughter and came to look at Ganon as something of a father figure, and Zelda, who has to overthrow her father to lead Hyrule to victory. Once Ganondorf is defeated, things only get worse for Link as he has to abandon Hemisi, the woman he loves who just helped him and Zelda defeat her father, and enter an arranged marriage with Zelda to save what’s left of their broken kingdom. (Backstory for Golden Mercy)

Golden Mercy: When Ganondorf returns during Hyrule Warriors, he’s on a mission to make things right, though what that means is beyond everyone around him. Kidnapping the Hero of Hyrule and telling him he’s protecting him from the Queen is not what anyone expected, and nobody can quite figure out what his ultimate goal is. Link sure is confused, though, and… starting tor realize there’s more to Ganondorf than just being a monster. Zelda, on the other hand, is quickly spiraling with panic and fear over losing her friend and Hero, as well as trying to protect her kingdom from such a threat that was so dangerous the previous Hero split his soul into pieces to prevent him from ever returning. (Lots of redemption arcs. Lots of them.)

Wild Spirit: When BotW Link is mortally wounded in the Calamity, Zelda decides that Hyrule can be saved more quickly if she lets the Spirit of the Hero be reborn in a new Hero rather than hope a potentially malfunctioning shrine can maybe heal her friend in a few decades and he might not even know what to do. BotW Link dies, but his spirit remains to guide the next Hero, a young man from Lurelin Village. This new Link is friends with his strange spirit companion, and slowly learns his destiny as he grows older. Now that he’s of age, he must take up th mantle of Hero of Hyrule, and his first task is to find the Master Sword, which was entrusted to his predecessor’s father, Abel.

Dad Squad: This one I share with @nancyheart11 and literally anyone else who wants to jump in and have fun with the Dads. When the Yiga use new magic to jump to different points in Hyrule’s history and kidnap Heroes of Hyrule, it’s up to their Dads to save them. Then again, Link doesn’t really need saving all that often, and putting a bunch of Links together is never a good idea for the bad guys, so the Links bust themselves out. But now they’re running around lost and confused, the Dads are still trying to find their Boys, and the Yiga are somewhere in the middle. As for their motives… well. There’s a dark magical mask, maybe a Bad Dad demon king, and a whole bunch of idiocy chaos.

LU in Healthcare: Basically what it says on the tin. The Chain is in modern land and they’re all involved in the world of healthcare! And somehow everyone tolerates my pittance of updates/lore.

Hero of Shadow: During the events of TotK, the demon king discovers the grave of someone he knew and loved dearly - a young Sheikah/Hylian warrior named Link. Using his powers, Gan resurrects him at a price, to ensure that his boy stays safe and loyal. Meanwhile, this young shadow warrior is trying desperately to break free of his father figure’s control while fighting his own feelings on the matter, and his only guide is a strange mystical voice that leads him to shards of a broken sword. In the surface, TotK Link is starting to figure out that something else is going on in the depths. (Essentially, I threw my Imprisoning War blorbos into TotK)

…I think that’s all of them. Wow, I have a lot of AUs lol. So much for brief. 🥴

[maleyanderecafe]

I Tamed My Ex-Husband's Mad Dog (Webcomic)

Created by: CMJM / Jkyum / Jagae(Art)

Genre: Fantasy

I did see this one floating around for a bit, and it is actually pretty good. I generally think that revenge reincarnation stories are a lot better than just general isekai stories because there's a very compelling motive for the female lead in them. The yandere has a bit of an age gap initially with him being a child and the female lead being an adult (though I'll be honest, I've seen and read far, far worse), but does have a time skip to when he's no longer a child. As of currently writing this there is about 30 chapters out right now.

The story starts out with Reinhardt Linckle crying over her recently deceased father, whom she had a strong bond with. Michel Allenkeith, or Reinhardt's husband tries to break off their marriage, with Reinhardt enraged as he was the one who essentially sent her father to his death. The two were engaged to marry every since they were young, but they never really loved each other, with Michel in love with another woman. Reinhardt ends up stabbing Michel in the leg, as she regressed back in time so that she could properly get revenge on him. As a result she is banished to the freezing lands of Luden to die in the cold. The mercenary that brings her to exile attempts to rob and sell her, but is saved by a child. While initially very wary of him, he realizes that he is indeed trying to help her and the two head to Luden to get supplies. Initially he seems reluctant, but as Reinhardt does essentially control this region now (as it's where her mother was born) she gets right into taking care of the people there so they are protected and well fed. Reinhardt finds out that the child that she picked up is Will Cohlonna, the "mad dog" of Michel in her previous life, the one who single handedly wiped out various armies, and decides to use him to get revenge on Michel.

Soon after, Reinhardt gets a visit from a childhood friend (and her first crush) Dietrich. Reinhardt asks Dietrich to help train Wilhelm to become a knight as currently they have a huge shortage of knights (and to later use him to help get rid of Michael), to which he agrees. He's able to convince Wilhelm to fight for Reinhardt's sake (as he has an obvious crush on her). Reinhardt eventually gets Wilhelm to fight for her and gain land so that she can get more resources (after a time skip) giving him the sword that her father has and wrapping a piece of cloth around the handle so that he will always remember her during this time. She ends him and Dietrich out to war so that they can get the land that they need. After a couple of years, Wilhelm and company return successfully, but unfortunately, Dietrich dies during this time. Reinhardt is distraught by the death of Dietrich, but is able to find comfort in Wilhelm, who yearned to see her while he was at war, always thinking about her. We learn that while preparing for the war that Reinhardt sent him on, Wilhelm overhears other soldiers talking about Michel's marriage to the new princess and makes fun of Reinhardt, leading to Michel killing all those who were involved with the mockery. He states that he was killing them for blasphemy against the royal family. Eventually, with Wilhelm's help, Reinhardt is able to attack the nation that cast her out, allowing her to start her revenge on Michel.

Storywise, there is actually quite a lot of political things going on when Reinhardt reaches Luden, especially since at that point people there were basically starving or getting attacked, so she has to find various ways of feeding everyone and, most importantly, getting actual knights to make sure that they are protected. All of this while also planning to invade Michel's country for revenge for her father. Reinhardt really lives up to her name as her character is very put together and ready to do whatever it takes to get her revenge. There were some concerns about Wilhelm and Reinhardt considering that he's about 16 initially and Reinhardt is 22, but considering how fast they had the timeskips and the fact that in the novel it's revealed that Wilhelm also regressed (and is actually older, mentally), it's not too big of a problem, and Reinhardt doesn't really see him as other than a cute little kid until after the timeskip. Works out, I suppose in the end. Wilhelm also looks a lot younger and smaller because of his malnutrition which probably adds to the problem. Anyways, the story is pretty well put together and interesting, seeing how Reinhardt survives and the kinds of tragedies she has to go through, losing not only her father but also Dietrich later on and how vile Michel is, making the eventual revenge on him that much more satisfying.

Wilhelm as a yandere really lives up to his name as the Mad Dog in the previous life. He seems to be able to take down armies on his own even at a young age, being very strong and very loyal just as he was before, only now Reinhardt is using this for her benefit, which he seems to be very aware of in the future. That's not to say that the two don't have affections for each other, but he does know that he is being a tool for Reinhardt and even seems to be content so as long as he's always by her side. It does make me wonder if he somehow got Dietrich killed though considering how jealous he was of him when he first came and saw how close his relationship with Reinhardt was, since we don't actually see him die other than in retellings from other people. He does seem pretty unrelenting to anyone who dare disrespect Reinhardt, killing even the own knights in his army without a thought for disrespecting her. Considering that the also never stopped thinking of her while he was out at war, being very protective of his sword (killing a barbarian he was going to bargin with for touching his sword for instance), it's safe to say you do NOT want to do anything bad to Reinhardt. I can only imagine that it can only escalate from here, considering that Wilhelm is also the bastard son of the king, meaning that Michel could very easily be dethroned if the information were revealed. I am curious what might happen after the entire revenge portion is done, or even just how the relationship between Reinhardt and Wilhelm will be afterwards.

Overall, a very solid beginning for a webcomic. All of the characters are pretty interesting and likable (well, the main characters, I suppose) and the plot seems to know where it's going so it's exciting to see what might happen next. If you are interested in this, please check it out, it is a good webcomic.

[theealluringstoryteller]

Against The World Around Us

Chapter 2

The rewrite

The sound of heels clicking against the freshly polished wooden floors alerted the maids and butlers of the approaching Queen and her dear friend The Baroness. Breaths were held as the pair passed each who stopped to greet the Queen with a bow each waiting to see the imperial act the way they were told imperials acted: cold and entitled but,all they received was a warm smile and a short greeting made in a soft voice that didn't intimidate them at all. Smiles of relief made it’s way on to the palace workers faces instead of dirty hostile looks she was once sure she would receive.

"See! You were nervous for no reason." Aurelia hummed looping her arm with the Baroness's.

"You can't blame me for being a little nervous.” Omorose huffs gluing a smile on as they passed by a few more.

Rolling her eyes Aurelia let out a laugh "look at you and look at them! Behaving like nervous School children!"

Omorose smiled grew with what her friend was saying realizing how funny the situation was.

“I’m considered an enemy in foreign land! I have a right to be nervous.” Omorose stated in a slight whine leaning into Aurelia's warmth.

"An enemy in foreign land... " Aurelia repeated her silly mood dropping and replaced with concern. "I hope you know you're safe here Rosie " Aurelia said squeezing Omorose's upper arm. Their Journey through the halls towards the Queen's drawing room that held a surprise halted as Aurelia assured her close friend.

Omorose didn't want to offend or worry Aurelia with her thoughts of concern that she forced herself to swallow when she decided to travel into Intacia. She counted the risks, she went over each scenario then she put on a brave face and never looked back.

“Thanks for the reassurance, Lia. It’s just the war is over and everyone is trying to pick up the pieces and I don’t know where it’s going to leave me in the end.” Omorose’s admitted “And I know that sounds selfish but being in my position right now is so stressful,”

“Marriage proposals, pleads to fund imperial campaigns, and people demanding to know which side you are on since a rise of resistance have surged so soon?” Aurelia listed already having some knowledge of what's going on through gossip.

A groan left Omorose’s lips at the mention of all the things she left in the imperial Capitol.

“Please!” She began to beg “let’s not go over those things! I’ve left those things in the coastal empire.”

“Alright …” Aurelia shrugged her shoulders “on a better note I … have a surprise for you in my drawing room!”

Curiosity peeking Omorose’s couldn’t help but to ask “A surprise?”

Nodding Aurelia practically dragged Omorose down the hall and stairs towards said room. Excitement radiating off of her, shining through her smile. Struggling to keep up in her delicate taller heels the Baroness made a few comments and requests for Aurelia to slow down especially as they descended the stairs but all her words fell on deaf ears leading to the Baroness tripping and nearly falling on her face. “Woah!” A voice said catching the Baroness by the waist “You have to be more careful, Beautiful.” They said in a more flirty tone. Before Omorose could show her appreciation to whoever stopped her from falling Aurelia pulled her arm.

“Aurelia can you please slow down!” Omorose’s pleaded turning to glance over her shoulder to see who saved her only to see king Rhett blocking her view

“Castin! It’s good you’re here” Rhett said as he pulled the other man into a hug.

“In your letter you said you needed me,” Castin stated mindlessly returning the hug “Brother.” He added solidifying why he was there despite giving his attention to the woman he saved from falling.

“Ah, I see you’ve met the Baroness,” Rhett playfully nudged Castin’s shoulder.

In disbelief Castin couldn’t help but ask “That’s the Baroness?”

His eyes started on her figure until she finally disappeared around a corner.

“That’s not what I pictured,”

Resisting an eyebrow Rhett gave Castin a questioning look “What? Didn’t expect her to be so pretty?”

A snort left Castin as he rolled his eyes. “So pretty?” Questioned Castin shaking his head not seeing that word correlate with the woman he briefly saw. ‘She’s gorgeous’ he thought allowing Rhett to lead him into the ‘war’ room.

“Ta dah! Aurelia cheered opening the door to reveal a beautifully decorated cake, a bottle of champagne and a banner that read “Yay! The two headed dragon has been slayed by the sea!” Omorose’s read before turning to a proudly grinning Aurelia with a look that said ‘Really?’

“Oh don’t look at me like that! Your parents were evil.” Aurelia stated as of Omorose’s was unaware. “And you deserve to celebrate being free of them.” She added ushering Omorose into the room.

Eyeing the white cream and fresh berry covered three layered cake The Baroness couldn’t help but to crave a slice of the Berry Chantilly cake

“My favorite! Aw Lia, you remembered!” Cheesing Omorose took a seat as Aurelia threw confetti she pulled out what seemed like no where, the colorful pieces fell and scattered over the floor, table and all over Omorose.

“This is so sweet! I love it Lia, thank you.” Omorose went on, dusting the confetti off her cleavage and the top of her lilac dress.

“Oh no need to thank me. Your whole time here is going to be a good time! I know the sudden responsibility and getting hounded has your head spinning. If I can I’m going to try to my best to keep you at ease here.”

“YOU WANT ME TO GET MARRIED TO SOMEONE I DON’T KNOW!” Screamed the Baroness.

2 weeks had passed since Aurelia made the promise of trying to keep her friend at ease but as problems progressed between the rising Intacia and the fallimg Empire Aurelia had to put her friendship aside and her duties as Queen to the forefront.

Rhett her husband sprung the idea to her four days before she got the courage to bring it up to the Baroness.

"yes." Aurelia stated firmly drinking the remainder of the wine she brought to break the ice.

“You know how I feel about marriage-”

“I do! And I feel that you need to grow up!”

Taken aback Omorose hands found their ways to her hips as she hissed out “Excuse me?”

Aurelia bit her bottom lip mentally cursing herself out for adding fuel to the fire but, she couldn’t take back her words and she wouldn’t even think about doing so.

“Omorose you never give the chance to anyone to give you the relationship you keep telling me you long for! And I think I know why-”

“Why?” The Baroness demanded moving her arms to cross them over her chest. Her body buzzing with so much emotion it nearly felt like a wild fire swept across her.

“You’re scared you’re going to end up like your parents!”

A noise left the Baroness’s lips as she fell onto the soft cushions of the sofa. She knew she couldn’t deny that fact but there was another reason.

“Despite that Aurelia everyone that has approached me has shown me their true intentions-”

“So let me and Rhett pick for you! You can met them and if you don’t like them we can arrange for you to meet other suitors.”

“Do you think this would work? Marrying me off to an Intacian while the Empire rebels against you and Rhett?”

Aurelia repeated the lines that Rhett told her when he was convincing her why Omorose was the perfect candidate for the arrangement.

“You’re apart of a very influential and powerful family! You getting married to an Intacian who is equally influential could bring our people together. Show them that we can be one kingdom.”

“I have my doubts but for you and the potential peace I’ll do it.”

Relieved Aurelia pulled her friend into a hug.

“Wonderful! I’ll let you finish your night routine now. I’m going to tell Rhett.”

By morning Rhett had made his way to his number one pairing choice. Walking into the Barracks Rhett greeted his soldiers until he found his Commander.

“Heeeyyy Rhett? Whatcha doing here?” Castin asked walking back to his room from the communal bathroom. A towel hanging loosely around his waist and a toothbrush in his mouth.

“I’ve come to ask you to do something that could help us bring Intacia and the Empire together.”

That sentence made Castin’s eyebrow raise.

“Maybe we should speak in your room-”

Quickly Castin blocked Rhett from his door not wanting to to see who was on the other side. Familiar with this behavior Rhett disappointingly asked “who is she this time,Castin.”

A nervous laugh passed through Castin as he looked down at Rhett’s shoes to avoid his eyes.

“More like them-”

“Them! Castin your supposed to be a leader and a role model to those you lead and you have multiple women in your room-”

“I’m not on the battlefield I need to release this lent up energy somehow-”

“I think this proposition would be good for you.” Rhett claims shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“A proposition?”

“An arranged marriage-”

“No!” Castin cut Rhett off shutting down the proposal. If he was going to be one half of a marriage he was going to be the one to pick the other half of said marriage.

“An arranged marriage to the Imperial Baroness Omorose Fentress.” Rhett went on to say waiting for Castin to shut him down again.

“Aurelia’s friend? That woman I stopped from falling?” Questioned Castin suddenly interested.

“Yes.”

Castin turned his eyes to the ceiling in thought. His toothbrush out of his mouth and his hands securing his towel.

He didn’t see much of her that day but he could tell she was a beauty. He weighed out the pros and cons of the marriage and couldn’t get passed the biggest con of them all.

“She’s an Imperial.”

“We are taking the Empire Castin it doesn’t matter.”

Doesn’t matter.” Castin scoffed.

“It doesn’t! Besides she’s nothing like the Imperials we’ve come across, trust me Brother.”

It went silent for a moment Castin still thinking it over before giving in.

“We’ll look at you getting me settled down like you.” He joked subtly agreeing to the arrangement.

“So you’ll do it?”

“Anything for you,Brother.”

“Good it’s settled then! I’ll make the arrangements for the engagement ceremony! You bring a gift to offer your bride.”

Just as Rhett finished his sentence Castin’s door opened and the stench of last night’s activities followed the three women who dressed scantily out of the room. Each giving Castin a kiss on the lips as a farewell. Stupidly grinning castin said “Goodbye ladies-”

“Castin!” Rhett scowled watching on in disappointment. The stupid grin fell from Castin’s face as he caught his ‘big brother’ figure peer down at him with a look that reminded him of his mother.

“Be sure to get checked out by the physician! Last thing you need to do is give the Baroness something incurable, and maybe try celibacy until you are wed.” Rhett suggested pushing Castin into his room before turn in on the heels of his feet to leave.

[super-cosmic-library]

When I get up the motivation, I really want to write a fruity four Selection au, where Robin and Nancy are chosen to participate in competing for Prince Steve’s hand in marriage, but along the way, Robin befriends Steve and they strike up a deal for her to be his woman on the inside in exchange for him keeping her in the competition so her family can continue getting compensated for her participation and she doesn’t have to return home where she will run into her ex.

However, the fic deviates from Maxon and America’s story when Steve tries to kiss Robin, and she’s like, “um, ew, no. I’m a lesbian.” A fact which she has been keeping from him because up until that point, she had thought he might kick her out of the running because of it, but she wagered that he won’t now because they are good enough friends. And he doesn’t kick her out. Instead, he realizes the deep feelings he had for her were friendship, which he has never felt because he didn’t get to grow up around people his age. So, they spend the night joking around, and Robin tells him all about her ex Vickie and seeing her hanging on her exboyfriend right before Robin left for the Selection.

Meanwhile, Robin is starting to fall for one of the other contestants, Nancy. Nancy, who everyone thinks is the perfect candidate for the One--that she will be Steve’s princess. And Robin, much to her own pain, is pushing Nancy to be the One as well, because she thinks the other girl is straight. (She’s not, she’s having a bisexuality crisis all thanks to Robin, and maybe that makes her a little mean like Celeste, only she’s not trying to show Robin up to gain Steve’s attention. She’s competing with Steve for Robin’s attention.)

During this, Robin and Steve are taking a walk through the palace, shooting the breeze (talking about boobies), when Robin stops in her tracks, spotting a familiar face in a guard. A one Mr. Eddie Munson has traded his guitar for a gun, so he could be at the palace to protect his best friend, Chrissy (who is also in the competition). Robin and Eddie grew up in the same caste, so they are pretty good friends. Steve decides to have Eddie guard her room because Robin’s been homesick lately, and Eddie will provide a familiar face. However, as Steve continues to keep hanging out in Robin’s room, he strikes up a friendship with her new guard. A friendship that feels different than the one he has with Robin, but no less deep. And Eddie is starting to feel the same way.

So, by the time the competition nears what should be its end: Steve choosing Nancy, and Robin returning home, the country is blindsided when Steve chooses a lowly guard, and Nancy and Robin (who Steve knew had feelings for each other) get together instead.

And of course, we’ve got to have the rebel attacks, but in this universe, it’s the craziness of the Upside Down that they’ve got to protect themselves from. Unfortunately, Chrissy is not saved in one of the attacks (rip), and Steve, Nancy, and Robin help comfort Eddie while he is in mourning. Also, Steve’s parents are killed, leaving Steve in charge of the kingdom (and pretty much free to marry whoever he wants).

Also, in this au, the contestant age requirements begin at 14 (which makes Steve, 19/20, want to projectile vomit), so Max get selected, and the rest of the Party apply to work in the palace so they can be with her. During one of the Demogorgon attacks, the fruity four and the Party get separated from everyone else, and they have to defend themselves from some Demogorgons, then hunker down in a panic room until they are released. This leads to them all bonding, and Steve getting his kids more friends (even if they are much younger than him). Also, because Max is in the competition, Steve has to pretend to take her on dates, but in that time spent together, he learns about her home life, and decides to keep her in the competition, same as he is doing for Robin. However, the two of them form a big brother/little sister relationship, and after the competition ends, he offers to let her stay in the palace and bring her mom as well, so they don’t have to keep living with Billy and his dad.  

[wubblesred]

Ghoulcy Week 2024 Day 4 SFW

Hello vaulties, I hope you're having a nice day. It's time for day 4 of the ghoulcy week. Hope you're going to enjoy this one. The prompt is Finger for a finger. Good day and good reading. English is not my first language so I apologize in advance if some words or phrases are misspelled or sounds weird. This will also be posted in French.

It was the third evening, at the time of the meal, that Lucy noticed it. There on the hand of Cooper which she observed for quite legitimate reasons, her finger was grafted. The ghoul had sewn her finger on his hand.

"No you didn't! That's my finger!" She could not help but shout.

"Yeah. I wasn’t gonna sew mine up after you ate it and threw it in the dirt."

"First off I did not "eat" it but just ripped it with the teeth» This remark made the man burst into laughter and the indignant look of the young woman only worsened his hilarity. “And I just spit it out, I wasn’t gonna keep it in my mouth.”

“Anyway what’s done is done, doll. Now your finger belongs to me, unless you want to try cannibalism again.”

"NO!" Lucy inspected her hands and could not refrain from saying the following. "With my necrotic finger it looks like we made an exchange. Like a lifelong bond.” The words were whispered, but the ghoul heard them perfectly, and by the look of her face, the young woman thought she had made a mistake. A sad pout appeared on her face as she refused to look at the man again.

He did not know what to think. After she saved him at the Super Duper Mart, he had decided on a whim to sew her finger on his hand, to have a permanent memory of the vault dweller. He had noticed her dead finger too and had had the same thought as her, now they were bound. This idea had been on his mind since they had taken the road together, two completely opposite people united by so many things, united in the same quest and which unintentionally marked each others. This last thought awakened in him a feeling that had long eluded him. The little killer was his and her index finger proved it somehow.

“When I got married in the shelter, I didn’t have a wedding ring. All the brides used the same dress so there wasn’t really a ring budget. This exchange of fingers could be seen as morbid wedding rings.” The young woman laughed at her own sentence before she understood the impact of her words. "God damn it, I really have to learn to shut it."

The young MacLean was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not see the ghoul close the gap between them and kneel before her. With a sudden but still tender movement, he raised her chin so that she had no choice but to face him.

“You want help to shut up, it would be a pleasure to offer my help, sweetheart.” Those words were the only warning she had before the man kissed her passionately. She let herself go completely, this kiss was perfect and she only realized at this moment how much she wanted it. Ever since they met Cooper had been in her thoughts without ever leaving them, a constant obsession that she even refused to part with. The more they travelled together the more the woman wanted the ghoul. She wanted him and even began to love him, she could no longer deny it.

During this embrace, a crazy idea crossed Cooper's mind, a wish he wanted to realize. Lucy returned his kiss with just as much fervor, she had radically conquered the heart of the man and he wanted her to take responsibility for it, those which he had just, at this moment, decreed. To do this, the man delicately hooked the necrotic index finger of his companion with his stitched finger.

“I, Cooper Howard, take you as my wife, and promise to...” began the ghoul just after ending the kiss.

"Wait, wait... are you really proposing to me right now? We barely know each other."

“Your first husband you didn’t know him at all and he was a raider, you’re seriously trying to be difficult now while you were the one who first threw this marriage story. And it’s not a proposal, it’s a marriage plainly.” Cooper bring their fingers still linked to kiss the one of his future wife. “We are connected by more than just these fingers, our entire lives have been intertwined and that happened more than two centuries ago. Ever since I saw you, I haven’t stopped thinking about you and frankly in this rotten world, I feel like you are one of the only things that are worth it so yes I want you to belong to me so I can be sure to keep you forever with me. What do you want?"

The young woman was tormented, at first she did not know what to think but the words of the man resonated in her and they made sense. They've been bound for centuries so it was logical to make it official even if it was only between them.

"I want you, this, us."

“Perfect, doll, let’s go again. I, Cooper Howard, take you, Lucy MacLean, as my wife and promise to remain faithful to you, in happiness and hardship, and we are going to have a bunch of those here, in health and sickness, to love you every day of my life.”

“I, Lucy MacLean, take you, Cooper Howard, as my husband and promise to remain faithful to you, in happiness and hardship, in health and sickness, to love you every day of my life.”

At the end of his vows, Cooper again kissed their fingers intermingled before putting his lips on hers. They had been traveling together for barely a week and Lucy was already marrying him, she was completely crazy. That's for sure but all she felt at that moment was a huge joy. As if an immense fog had dissipated in her mind. Being married to the ghoul did not displease her at all, it was even the opposite. The night might be long and eventful for both spouses but they were eager. They had so much to discover, mysteries to solve and people to save. But now and for the rest of their lives, they would do it all together.

[moriartyluver]

FALSE LOVERS CHAPTER IX

MANY MONTHS HAD PASSED since the incident at Ashfordshire Estate and (name)'s newfound kindness and affection towards William ,who had technically saved her life even though it wasn't in much need of saving according to her, had quickly deteriorated for one reason and one reason alone...

"My lady, Lord Moriarty has sent another letter..and a gift," Josephine said as she entered (name)'s room with a gift wrapped parcel and a letter.

(Name) didn't even bat an eye or break her concentration from the book she was reading, 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley . "Put them with the others," she said in a bored tone, jerking her head to the side where grey eyes landed on a pile of gifts, all from different noblemen who had attempted to receive her hand in marriage.

"The pile with more letters." She reminded, sensing Josephine's hesitation.

Her eyes shifted to a separate pile which consisted of many letters and the gifts, which had mostly been unwrapped, were different to that of the ones in the first pile. The gifts were more sincere and instead of sappy letters consisting of terrible poetry, or sweet nothings, the letters were straightforward, kind, but clearly had one goal in mind. There was the odd letter with terrible handwriting in comparison to his regular cursive, which were all clearly written in a drunken state. He would write a few strange things in the letters, such as odd little compliments that (name) couldn't decipher the meanings off, instead she felt sorry for his brothers.

After William had brought it up first at the ball, where they danced together before (name) ran off to Ashfordshire, he had been pestering her about how good she would be on the team, in person, in letters and he had even once broken into her bedroom in attempt to convince her, but that had lead to fracture in William's leg so he stopped for about a week before flooding her mailbox again.

"His leg finally healed and now he decides to get bolder? What a desperate man.." (name) muttered to herself while Josephine struggled to keep William's stacks of letters from falling.

All of them had been read but each said almost the same thing, along the lines of 'please join me in my endeavours to create a new world free of the class system', occasionally they would come with gifts ranging from her favourite flowers or jewellery with her favourite diamonds or gems or book recommendations or chocolates that she actually liked and even, at one point, a cute little stuffed cat toy which held a close resemblance to the woman.

Josephine finished placing the gift, which once it had been opened by (name) turned out to be a customised chess set with a little note telling her to practice her chess skills with a little smiley face When the two weren't studying to fuel their rivalry in their youth, William would sometimes challenge (name) to chess and since their first game, she had still not won once.

As her aide had left to go get more mail, presumably from other noblemen who were desperately trying to win her affections with no avail, (name) had opened the letter and read it intently.

Ah, now this was new.

An invitation to the Moriarty manor in London to discuss a potential arrangement to the two. The strange thing was, that William had written that if she had come to this one meeting and she didn't agree, he would leave her alone.

Was this a trap? What if he blackmailed her into joining him..no..she had nothing worth using as blackmail. Everything she had done could easily be flipped or blamed onto someone else, not that she would do that but until she was satisfied with her goal, she wanted to remain untouched by gossip or persecution at least for now until she could return to (home country) when she would need to claim her title as Grand duchess and work as a political advisor, not the most ideal job, but it had to be done so she held no objections to it.

"Josephine," (name) called out to the girl as she turned her head to face the door to her bedroom where Josephine stood with various flowers and shallow gifts from all sorts of noblemen and her weekly letter from her parents. "What is my schedule like for the remainder of the week?"

The now 15 year old placed down the items in their corresponding piles and spoke from memory as she approached her mistress "as I recall, there are no balls this week, and apart from a few meetings with the Marquis in regards to taking care of his business affairs, you should be free the day after tomorrow, Wednesday and you have a tea party with Lady Sinclair on Friday . I believe there may be a ball next week aswell. "

(Name) smiled and nodded, placing her hand on Josephine's head, which wasn't difficult due to her short stature, patting her affectionately. Josephine returned the smile then proceeded to question what her lady had wished to arrange.

"I am to visit the Moriarty Manor," she said, taking out a piece of  paper and a pen, quickly writing a short response with an oddly casual tone for the usually formal and elegant lady.

Dear Lord William,

If this must be what it takes for you to a top sending these preposterous letters and leave me to exist in peace, I shall take up your invitation to visit you. Expect me on Wednesday.

P.s. I have been working on my chess skills, fool. I'll beat you in no time.

From Lady (name)

"But I thought you weren't responding to any of his letters, your ladyship?" Josephine inquired as she passed the letter with the (last name) family seal to (name). "You're no longer upset with him, are you?"

"I haven't the faintest clue as to what he's planning but he did write that he'll stop bothering me if I do go.." she trailed off, opening the letter which had clearly been written by (name)'s mother in (mother tongue).

(Name) sighed in exasperation as she finished it. Another letter from her parents inquiring about a marriage. She didn't wish to marry any of her current admirers, that was for sure. The lady didn't really want to marry at all but as a lady in 19th century Britain, there really was not another option. Perhaps she could marry an older man and poison him to become a widow with no need for marriage.

Her parents did not wish to force her, that was clear. Instead they gave her time and space to pick her own husband and hopefully one she loved but no matter how it was put, it was an expectation and requirement to secure her title as the future Grand duchess and with her uncle's habit to keep mistresses but not wives nor with any legitimate children, she may also inherit the title as both the Grand Duchess and Marchioness (name) (last name). Her status wasn't making her marriage situation any easier

Most of the men who were sending her these 'love' letters wished either for her as their exotic little doll or her title.

Out of anger, (name) scrunched up the letter into a ball and threw it into the fireplace where it burnt to a crisp.

"My lady, are you alright?" Josephine asked, evidently worried "Did the letter upset you..?"

(Name) pinched her forehead and muttered to herself "another marriage reminder..I must do something..would marrying a man who has no interest in me would be ideal..a fake marriage wouldn't be a bad idea..but then there's the matter of children which would be necessary to continue my bloodline because I am their only daughter.."

These thoughts had been troubling her a lot more recently after the nobility now viewed the woman to be 'on the marriage market'. She had considered becoming a governess or something of the sort but a governess wouldn't usually be a woman of such high social standing and ther aim to become a professor would also be impossible if that were to occur.

(Name) thought it was foolish though, to call it a marriage market. It was as if she was being sold to man she did not wish to marry. That's how she had perceived it to be anyways.

At parties, men would ask to dance with her and ask her unnecessarily intimate questions which made her feel she was being constantly interviewed about marriage. Questions on topics such as how many children she wanted, her skills, her ability to manage a household and even what kind of man she desired.

"It's be suspicious if I didn't get married, right, Josephine?" (Name) then lifted her head up "and if I did marry someone,  they would have to know of the...crimes..I commit, along with my grand scheme for the empire, correct?"

Josephine nodded, unsure of what she could say to help Lady (name) who sighed in irritation.

"Oh what am I to do.."

"Lady (name) (last name), would you do the honour of marrying me?"

(Name) looked at William who was holding a little gold ring with a red gem on it in between his thumb and index finger.  She rolled her eyes as she accepted, holding her hand out for him to slip the ring onto its designated finger. The blond kissed her hand gently before (name) demanded that he stand up.

About 30 minutes before (name) had accepted William's proposal, she had arrived with Josephine to the Moriarty Manor, greeted by Louis at the door who seemed to be acting as though he were following a script for a play (name) did not know she was acting in. Once he had greeted the two, not another soul in sight, he had taken them to the lounge which (name) was now well acquainted with after multiple visits (and potential break-ins).

As Louis had opened the grand door to let the pair in, (name) spotted a familiar blond with an even more familiar smirk and his older brother, Earl Albert James Moriarty who she had seen countless times before, sat on a chair holding a glass of red wine as usual.

William flashed the noble lady an innocent , closed eye smile as he greeted her "Good day, my lady. I'm glad to see you accepted my humble invitation despite all the noblemen who have been calling for you in attempts to court you recently." His last words seemed to drip with venom despite his soft expression. "Please take a seat.How have you been? You have received my gifts and letters, haven't you? I was growing worried that they hadn't made their way to you-"

"Enough of the small talk, Moriarty. What's are you planning?" (Name) glared as she approached the man, remaining stood up just in case he tried anything "Knowing your scheming personality, you have a method of trapping me and making me your puppet. Save me the humiliation and make haste."

William's delicate and angelic smile instantly shifted to a devilish smirk as his scarlet eyes — which to (name) resembled that of a demon's but were strangely beautiful all the same — narrowed and his lips turned upwards.

"If you insist, sweetheart," he said as he leaned closer to the woman, making prolonged eye contact, amused at the still confident and determined woman he saw before him "I have a proposal for you."

"What, a marriage proposal?" (Name) joked "with the way you've been acting recently, I would not be surprised in the slightest..surely you would be better off directing your affections elsewhere.."

William chuckled softly and held (name)'s hands in his own dramatically as he looked at her with a now faux lovesick expression.

"Oh, but my lady, I must confess something," (name) raised a brow as William's tone changed to that of a whining child. "I am passionately enamoured by you..I find it difficult to eat. Slumber evades me..At midnight's hour I awaken calling our your name-"

(Name) scowled and released her hands from his, even more irritated than she was earlier. He was purposely trying to get on her nerves as usual. It was as if it was his primary source of entertainment.

"Should you jest any longer, I shall take my leave," (name)'s eyes darted around the room, avoiding eye contact in an attempt to mask her embarrassment "I demand to know why you have asked for me to come here."

William sighed, frowning before turning away and looking out of the window whilst (name) folded her arms and continued to glare at the blond, who could feel her piercing gaze burning into the back of his head.

"Why is that you continue to refuse to join me, yet you never properly responded to my letters?" William asked as if he was prompting something, as if he had a plan.

(Name) clenched her fists, clearly irritated as she her voice grew tense and terse "I had given you clear answers in person. I thought if i were to ignore your attempts to persuade me, you would grow tired. I'm afraid to admit I was wrong."

William turned his head to face (name) again, tilting his head. "But you are yet to provide me a reasonable explanation as to why you do not want to join us. Isn't that odd?"

That statement felt like a smack in the face, reminding (name) of how overly emotional she was being with this decision. She had only come up with one reason as to why she didn't want to join William's little criminal network, that being that she could not bring herself to be around him for such long periods of time. Everything he did recently had managed to irritate her, even if it were harmless. She felt this strange feeling that went beyond hate and was ever so passionate and strong. That feeling haunted her in her dreams and every waking hour.

The blond male had noticed (name) growing more annoyed by the second, not a single word to say in retaliation. He continued "I only wish to make a change in the country, to prevent those of the lower class being treated as if they weren't human. You share that same goal along with your main one, which I'm very much aware of."

"How did you-" (name) sighed and instead tried to remain calm. She watched as William turned around completely and leaned closer to her, as if he was trying to intimidate her. Her hand made its way to her pocket which had a small tear on it to give her access to her upper leg and reach for the gun strapped to it, ready to pull it out if she needed to. "Nevermind. I'm able to do all this on my own, without your assistance. What do you plan to do with this newfound information then? Are you going to turn me in to the military intelligence? I'm sure you wouldn't take this lightly."

"If you do not wish to acquire my help, then why did you come to me when you found out about Ashfordshire's evil acts against various women?" William asked rhetorically. He had noticed (name) was in possession of a gun as he looked down to see her fidgeting with something in her pocket. He said nothing. "Your arguments seem to have many flaws, dear (name). Is this why you almost always were second place to me?"

(Name) swiftly pulled the small, but efficient, pistol and pointed it at William. Louis and Josephine at the side simultaneously gasped whilst Albert just swished his wine around, entertained by the scene. The red eyed devil's smirk widened as he leaned closer, pressing the gun to his own forehead as the woman in front of him seemed surprised momentarily but instead of pulling the gun away, she loaded the gun and rested her finger on the trigger, ready to shoot.

"If I do indeed refuse to join you, what will you do to me? What is the trap you've laid out for me so you finally feel the satisfaction of winning?" (Name) whispered, adding to the tension already existing through the room.

William replied in an equally hushed tone. "Turn you in, of course. You already are aware that my brother does work for the military and it would be a shame if he accidentally let slip to the higher ups that there was a person in the ton who planned to destroy the very empire that brings us power and glory, would it not, darling?"

(Name) kept the pistol in her hand, pressing it closer against William's soft face "Stop with the terms of endearment, or I'll pull the trigger. Why cant you just accept that I don't wish to follow the same life that you lead?" She asked, feeling almost threatened by his remark

"You wouldn't kill me, dear (name). You need me for your own entertainment as I need you just as much for other reasons and besides, you and I worked well against Ashfordshire and were able to kill him in a discreet manner-"

"There is nothing discreet about beating a man bloody and making it near impossible to dispose of him in a way that scandals would not arise. Perhaps you aren't as competent as you try to pretend to be." She had said nothing in regard to his first statement. It was now (name)'s turn to smirk, satisfied with her response until William smiled

"Which is exactly why I need you by my side. You and I are one in the same. I wish to take down the nobility and I'm willing to risk my life just to go against the nobility, in turn going against the empire. You wish to see the empire fall apart, I assume because of your loyalty to (home country). You are desperate to see the world change because you know what I am capable of" William leaned forward, only centimetres away from (name).

"If anyones desperate it's you. A new letter every morning just for me. Do you not have anything better to do than beg for me to —" (name) spat but was interrupted by William who seemed to be growing more flustered, probably because a gun was about to kill him any moment.

"—We can help each other. Although you have a high social status, I am able to give you the opportunity to take down this empire you hate so much and you can help me throughout my own plans."

The gun fell to the ground with a clatter. (Name) raised her hand in defeat as William's eyes widened. He hadn't expected it to be this easy.

"I am only going to say this once so listen well," she muttered to him. "..you win, William James Moriarty."

All the people in the room seemed equally in awe as William, including (name) herself. It was as if she was a completely different person entirely.

"Now that I have accepted your proposal, how do you plan to avoid any potential scandals or suspicious behaviours? I am an unmarried lady and you, an unmarried gentleman. I hope to evade any association with baseless conjecture." (Name) said, finally breaking the silence as she backed away from William.

William averted his gaze, for absolutely no particular reason, turning back to look at the view outside the window. "As expected of you, (name), you are correct. Which is why I have a solution for both this problem and the issues regarding your unwed status.."

"Which is?"

(Name) already knew what he was about to say though, but hearing it from him was still surprising.

William got down on one knee and pulled out a little red box, opening it to reveal a gold ring with a red gem on it.

"Lady (name) (last name), would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

In the following weeks, (name) and William had managed to create a fake love story between the two of them to wear like a mask in public. In order to spread news of the engagement and appear less suspicious or sudden, (name) had approached a young woman of the ton, only a couple years younger than herself, who she had acquainted herself with at a ball named Miss Charlotte Kensington, a girl who had recently been known to be quite the gossip in high society.

(Name) had carefully directed the conversation to marriage and courtships and then 'confessed' that she and William had been secretly courting for the past few months and were 'deeply in love'. To add more to the potential rumours that were to quickly spread, she had lied that she had once come to call on William only to find out that he had been visiting the jewellers which caused her to suspect he was to propose soon.

The story had spread like a wildfire and within minutes of ending her conversation with Charlotte, she had heard whispers of ladies complaining about William being off the marriage market and many men upset about the 'diamond of (home country)' no longer being available, some even questioning what (name) had seen in him which had strangely irritated her.

About a week after that particular ball, William and (name) had been promenading through a newly built park, full of noblemen and women with the others who were in on the plan and as planned, William had found a 'romantic' location to propose to (name), getting down on one knee and professing his love for the woman who had enthusiastically accepted, and even added a few fake tears for extra convincing.

A contract was written between the two and signed. The rules had consisted of  avoiding physical interactions in private, acting as a couple in public, having (name) participate in any schemes William would ask her to, an exchange of information from Albert to (name), completely loyalty to their ultimate goal and the final rule which had easily been mutually agreed on (and quite determined from both parties) , not divorcing until both of their goals were fulfilled. William had also refused to receive a dowry from (name), who was already really wealthy and willing to send over £15 000 (£939 135 in modern pound sterling or us $1193081.80) in dowry because he was not fond of the practice (“it’s as if you are paying me to marry you”) and instead sent just as much money to her despite not needing to.

After (name) had written to her parents and the engagement party was hosted, her parents had eventually arrived from (home country) to England for the wedding which was to be held in a month following the initial proposal. The facade of the love marriage made this easier than it should have been considering most couples at the time would have been engaged as children then married off about ten years later.

The arrangements for this grand wedding ("only the best for my daughter" Grand Duke (last name) had said when aiding the couple in the preparations) had been going smoothly and although (name) didn't wish to admit it, she was..excited. Not as much as Josephine of course. The girl had become like her little sister or even her own daughter and was incredibly excited on her lady's behalf.

Although William had already asked for permission to marry (name) from the Marquis, who was standing in as her closest male relative, he had still wanted to receive her parent's blessing and meet the couple who had managed to raise such a wonderful but also fierce spirited woman.

The wedding was to be held in the Grand Duke and Duchesses large estate in the capital and the newlyweds would also stay there for the beginning of their honeymoon before returning to (home country) with them. Honestly, the two had expected their daughter to marry a prince or even a kind of some sort once she was of age but as soon as they met William, all those doubts had flown out of the window and they had welcomed the young nobleman with open arms.

A few weeks prior to the wedding, (name) and William had waited for the ship with the Grand Duke and Duchess to arrive.

"You had better not cause any issues,William." (Name) hissed while she watched her parents leave the ship and approach the trio.

William smirked and responded  "Wouldn't dream of it, darling."

She sighed loudly in exasperation but waved to her parents with a smiled, who were approaching the couple and were ready to take the carriage to their estate.

"Mother! Father! How lovely to see you both once again!" The (hair colour)-ette had smiled brightly as she greeted her parents enthusiastically. This was the first time they had met in person for three years and they had only visited once before, very briefly due to diplomatic relations, during the entire five years she had been in England.

"We have really missed you, dear (name). Please forgive us for not being able to visit you. Oh how you've grown..!" (Father's name) exclaimed as he gave his daughter a hug, clearly feeling sentimental.

"It's alright, father..I've been well on my own." (Name) managed to squeak out amidst her father's tight embrace. Her mother eventually pried her husband off her and greeted her with a smile. The difference between their personalities could not have been more clear.

Her mother was quiet, cold on the surface, but gentle to those who she loved and very intelligent. She worried for her daughter a lot but never as much as her husband, who was a lot more cheerful and incredibly dedicated to his wife, but could be very cruel when necessary.

The Grand Duke looked over to a nervous William and flashed an even brighter smile. "You must be the gentleman our lovely daughter is to marry. She spoke very highly of you in her letter to us announcing the engagement, we couldn't be more happy for her to finally find someone she loves and is willing to marry."

William bowed politely "It's a pleasure to meet you, your grace, my name's William James Moriarty" He smiled as he held out his hand for the man to shake "(Name) seems to hold you in an equally high regard, and I can see why only from our first meeting."

The duke whispered to his wife who gave William a polite smile and nod "Look (mothers name), isn't he just perfect for our little (name)?" Except the whisper was quite loud and all of them could hear.

"Ahem..." (name) interrupted, clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal and wishing for this strange clash between worlds to be over. "I think it's best we get going now, mother, father."

"Indeed..Come along, dear." Her mother said as she pulled her husband away to prevent him from squeezing William's hand to the point it would break.

Once they had arrived at the grand (Last name) family manor which hadn't been visited for years, the parents had promptly began questioning poor William.

"How did the two of you meet, William?" (Father's name) asked curiously as they had tea together.

(Name) felt nervous during the meeting. Her parents had easily seen through her since she was a child. One wrong word and it would all become apparent and she knew her parents would not approve of anything she was getting involved in. They wished for their daughter to marry for love and have a good relationship with her husband and they certainly did not want her murdering people or trying to single handedly take on an entire empire, one of the largest in the world.

She had to act all lovey-dovey with her husband to be and it was a pain.

"I had already mentioned it in my letters, father —"

(Name)'s mother interrupted "Your father asked your fiancé, allow the boy to speak." She said with a cold tone.

Ah, thought William, so this is where (name) had gotten her attitude from.

"Well, I first was graced by dear (name)'s presence when we were only 16 and from the first moment I had been not only completely enamoured by her beauty, but also her intellect. She was reading a play, the tempest, which I wasn't as much of a fan of compared to Shakespeare's other works but ever since that day, it has remained my favourite play ever since.” William confessed with a flustered smile “Although (name) seemed to dislike me at first, I continued to chase after her but was happy to even be acknowledged as her friend, I've grown to love her more with each breath I take and I would do absolutely anything to see her happy."

(Name) felt her face heat up at William's short monologue.

'He was faking! He wasn't telling the truth, get a hold of yourself woman!'

The grand duke smiled then muttered to himself "I knew sending sweet (name) to university abroad would be beneficial. That'll show that meddling viscount.."

(Name)'s mother patted her husband's back as she spoke up for probably the fourth time that day. "You wish to be married rather quickly..a months engagement period and you're to be married soon, there wasn't anything improper taking place to cause such an engagement?" The grand duchess inquired, what she was implying was obvious.

Her daughter chuckled nervously after almost choking on her tea. She would never do such a thing with William, she wouldn't dream of it.  "Not at all, mother. We just could not be able to stand a long engagement period, is all."

"If you insist, (name)." She said, not questioning any further "on the topic of children, we do expect a grand child, of course take your time but considering how in love you appear to be, I'm certain we'll  have a granddaughter or grandson by the end of the year.."

The grand duke's grin widened  "Imagine, a few little (name)'s running around and causing mischief! How adorable!!"

(Name)'s eyes widened and turned to face William sat beside her ,who seemed mildly surprised too but only gave a polite smile. He was doing alot better at pretending to be in love than she was. "Of course, (name) would be a wonderful mother, it seems she takes after you, your grace."

The noblewoman nodded in a rather unconvincing manner as her mother looked at her skeptically.

"..you are in love, aren't you?" The duchess added. It had seemed she had caught onto their little arrangement.

A sharp clank sound followed as (name) took a spoonful of her cake and held it up to William's mouth to feed him. The blond understood immediately and opened his mouth.

"Of course we're in love, dear mother! I would never marry William otherwise," (name) assured as she flew the spoonful of cake into William's mouth and 'accidentally' activated the man's gag reflex as she thrust the spoon a little too far. Her fiancé had begun gagging, surprised by her aggressive gesture, causing (name) to remove her spoon and pat his back as William coughed. "I must excuse us, Mother, Father."

(Name) left for a few moments with William to speak to him privately as he tried to sooth his now sore throat.

"What was that for, did I upset you?" William asked as he finally was able to speak properly

(Name) glared at him and handed him a glass of water, the sun shining through it making it look sparkly "I know we're meant to be convincing but I do suggest you lay off the children comments, otherwise my parents will be suspicious when years come and there are no 'adorable little (name)s' wreaking havoc."

"You never mentioned anything about how I was to respond to anything regarding offspring, so I had assumed you would be alright with me saying what you thought your parents may want to hear, my apologies." William apologised as (name) seemed to be growing agitated and fidgety "I hadn't known you were against the idea of having children."

(Name) sighed "it's not children I'm against, but rather the process."

William held (name)'s hand and kissed her ring finger right beneath where the gold band sat. "If that is what you wish, I cannot force you, my love."

(Name) noticed her parents were still watching so she wasn't able to hide her embarrassment with a rude remark and remove her hand from his so instead, whilst glancing back at her parents who were talking about god knows what, she placed her free hand on William's head and ran her fingers through his blond locks.

This was going to be a very difficult marriage indeed.

A/N: bro this took me two days to write 😭 its like over 5k words I’m sorry but umm there’s a lot of funny (?) moments so please take this.Not fl trying to kill William in front of her parents + fl calling William desperate 💀 how will the happy couple deal with the children issue? 👀

[alj4890]

Just Try

(Liam x Madeleine) in a Choices The Royal Romance drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: an "I'm in love with someone else, but you're here," kiss.

May 2023 Choices Challenge: lies | first heartbreak

A/N Here's my take on what Liam was going through at the beginning of Book 2 while Riley was at Ramsford. When I saw this particular kiss prompt, I immediately thought of him being forced to live a lie where he is happy with Madeleine. This is nothing but pure angst. Sorry 😬

Rating: G

@gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @tessa-liam @thesvnsins @krsnlove @busywoman @choiceschallenge-may2023 @jerzwriter

Masterlist

Another day as the new King of Cordonia was over at last. Liam trudged his way upstairs to his bed chambers. Each step felt heavier than the one that came before it. His mind buzzed from the numerous meetings he'd gone through since being crowned. Nothing so far came close to how he thought his life would be once he became ruler.

As he closed his door, he allowed his shoulders to droop. In here, he was able to be simply Liam, a young man grieving for his deathly ill father and for the loss of the woman he so desperately loved.

Riley.

He closed his eyes for a moment. His head tipped back to rest upon his door while images of her danced in his thoughts. Everything had seemed so perfect to have only come to an abrupt end.

He was so tired of the pictures of Riley and Tariq being brought up in the news. It hurt to see her nearly naked with another man, even though he knew they weren't true.

Thank God for Drake, he thought to himself.

Liam pushed away from the door to prepare himself a needed drink. In honor of his best friend saving her, he poured a liberal amount of Macallan 1928. He then did his best to relax.

This life he was forced to lead wasn't easy. He knew before he'd even been made to take his older brother's place that it wouldn't be. Liam honestly did not anticipate it being this hard.

He'd always suspected he would have to marry someone out of duty because of the crown. As the spare, he thought it would be to help secure ties with another kingdom. Nothing brought about an alliance faster than marriage. Then when Leo abdicated, Liam knew his choices had diminished even more.

Especially when his father insisted on the very public suitor events.

And of course, Maxwell and Drake's insistence that he have a bachelor party.

Those two instances of being pressured had led to Liam feeling this depressed. Though he was grateful to his friends wanting to give him a night he'd never forget, he almost wished it had never happened. If he'd been allowed to remain here, stuck in a lifestyle he understood, he might not feel like he was now living a lie.

Instead, he'd lost his heart to an American. He'd begun to dream of an impossible life by her side. He almost attained it.

Then it was snatched away at the very last second.

He couldn't even call Riley and discuss any of this with her. Fear of someone finding out kept him from doing so. He couldn't ask anyone if she had decided to remain in the country. Who could he trust with that? He at first thought of calling Ramsford in an act of kingly benevolence to reassure Bertrand that he didn't hold any ill will for bringing, as the media dubbed her, that beastly American to him so he could discover whether or not Riley returned to New York. But who knew who would be listening in?

Even if she had remained in Cordonia, would she still want him? After all, mere minutes after declaring his love for her he'd gone and announced he was marrying another.

He took a long sip of his whiskey, allowing it to burn in his throat as memories of making love to Riley that night came to mind. Why didn't he rush inside after she told him she loved him too to declare her his choice? He instead had given in to the moment and selfishly kept her to himself for a little longer.

And look what that cost me, he thought bitterly.

"Come in." He called out at the brisk knock to his door.

Madeleine poked her head inside. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

The words sat on the tip his tongue to say that she was. She was intruding on his nightly torture of what his life had almost been. He was ready to wallow in his misery without the added reminder of being trapped with her as future queen.

"Not at all." He took another sip. "Please, sit down."

Madeleine beamed over his manners still being intact even though he was drinking. She knew many noblemen who couldn't contain their baser instincts once alcohol was involved. She was a little relieved to see him imbibing. Hopefully it would help with her plan.

She wasn't a fool. She knew she wasn't his real choice. Madeleine believed though that they could find a way to be a couple, even if it was an act on both their parts.

But she also knew that in order to be a successful queen, she would need to one day bear him a child.

"How was your day?" She asked politely.

"Busy." He forced a smile. "But productive nonetheless."

"Good." She sat up a bit straighter. "I've begun to plan our engagement tour."

Liam took another sip, nearly finishing off his glass with that reminder.

"Have you?" He got up to top off his glass. "May I get you anything?"

"I'll have whatever you're having." She decided.

Maybe a drink would help her too with discussing what was on her mind.

He handed her a tumbler halfway filled.

"Thank you." She took a dainty sip, nose wrinkling over the taste.

She'd never enjoyed drinking straight spirits, but desperate times called for such.

"I think we need to discuss how we should act at these events." She began.

Liam softly sighed. "And how do you think we should?"

Madeleine narrowed her eyes at his tone. Was that irritation or resignation? Either way, it didn't give her much hope.

"I know ours wasn't the typical courtship," she added.

"Indeed, it was not." He snorted.

"But, it needs to look like it in front of everyone."

Liam downed his glass. "I believe in the public's eyes, I am a dutiful fiancé."

"Dutiful, yet not happy." She stressed.

"I've smiled for every picture." He argued.

"Not the way you smiled with Riley."

He couldn't believe she had the unmitigated gall to say his love's name.

"Do not dare," his tone turned a touch sinister, "presume to compare yourself to her."

Madeleine blinked. Had she misjudged Liam's easy going demeanor?

"I'm not." She replied, her own tone turning peevish. "I'm simply pointing out a fact. People knew you favored her above all the rest of us. Since you didn't pick--"

"Couldn't." He corrected.

"Couldn't pick her," Madeleine continued, "then you must at least pretend to be content."

"And what do you think I've been doing?" He pushed out of his chair to pace. "I've made certain to praise you in interviews. I've stood by your side, smiling like an idiot. I've--"

"Not kissed me."

Liam stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened at the mere thought of kissing the proper, icy countess. His already tender stomach from drinking without dinner churned at the thought of kissing a woman his brother had been with.

It was wrong. He couldn't think of another way to put it.

Madeleine got to her feet and stood before him. Taking a deep breath, she titled her head back.

"Madeleine, we can't--"

"I know you hope things turn out differently." Her eyes held his. "But the likely hood of Riley's name being cleared is far fetched at best. We need to be prepared for our future."

Liam briefly closed his eyes. His heart ached to hear that his dreams were getting further and further away from becoming a reality. All he had was hope in finding out what happened at Applewood. He didn't even know how he would secretly conduct an investigation. He couldn't, not without discovering first off why the security had failed so miserably that fateful night.

The thought of the rest of his life spent with the woman before him was too much right now. The pain he felt in having to choose her was still so raw. He couldn't think about the notion of truly marrying her.

Was the crown even worth it? Was his duty going to be the very thing to keep him tethered to an unhappy life?

Perhaps Leo is right. Maybe abdication is the only way.

"I think we need to kiss." Madeleine broke through his tortured thoughts. "At least for practice for when we need to pose for pictures and such. We need it to look natural."

Liam shook his head. "We do not have to kiss in public."

"Very well." She knew she had an uphill battle on her hands. "But we will one day have to have children."

Children. Liam ran his hands over his face. He was supposed to have children with Riley. He even told her that was his dream on his first date, to one day have a family of his own. He'd already imagined them looking like his love. He hoped they would have her dark hair, her warm smile, her easy laugh, and her tender heart.

Now the likely hood was that they wouldn't exist. He would be forced to have children with Madeleine.

He needed another drink.

Madeleine watched in silence as he hastily gulped his third glass. She wasn't insulted. After all, she knew the type of loyalty Liam had. His devotion to a woman who had shamed him was admirable, if not foolish in her mind. It boded well though for their own future that she could trust him.

She decided she could be magnanimous in their current situation.

"If Riley did remain with the Beaumont's," she added, "I will gladly turn a blind eye to you making her your mistress."

Liam nearly choked on his whiskey.

She rolled her eyes over that reaction.

"I understand how much you care for her."

"I love her." He stated.

"Be that as it may," her voice was tight with conviction, "we are the ones getting married."

Liam set his empty glass down. Why was she hounding him about this?

"Now, we need to kiss at least once so it won't be as awkward as it will be if done for the first time in front of others."

Her frown firmed on her lips. "My mother is the type to demand such demonstrations of love."

When Liam still remained away from her, she reminded him that her irreverent parent would be the first to throw a party for their engagement.

Seeing no way out of this nor getting a chance for peace, Liam returned to her and took her in his arms. Before he could think too much about it, he captured her lips in a kiss.

It felt wrong. Madeleine's body was stiff as she forced her lips to ease under his. He didn't even try to deepen it. What was the point? She wasn't even remotely interested in him physically. He couldn't even use her to help him in his loneliness.

That thought made him jerk away from Madeleine. He couldn't believe he ever considered taking advantage of another in such a despicable manner.

His eyes darted over to his empty glass. Was it the cause of such a notion?

He decided he would never drink that much again before dealing with his fiancée. It wasn't fair to her, to himself, and it certainly wasn't right to do to Riley.

Even if he was to never see her again, she was still worth being true to.

"There are other ways we can have children if forced to marry." He told her. "You need not worry about having to demonstrate your affection to me physically ever again."

Madeleine's relief didn't escape his notice.

"Very well. Thank you for discussing it with me." She walked out with her head held high.

Once the door shut, Liam buried his head on his hands. He was embarrassed and disheartened with how this night was ending. He knew he should have never let Madeleine inside, much less entertained their conversation. Look what it had done to him. It had brought Liam nothing but more pain and sadness.

He honestly wasn't sure how he could continue this life of his without Riley.

[blueshistorysims]

June 1908, Newcrest, England

The Misses Lillie Hayward, Clare Hamilton, and Edeline Walsh on their final day of finishing school, June 1908

Edeline was 16 years old and graduated from finishing, now a proper young lady. She had said a tearful goodbye to her two best friends and returned home two weeks before school ended for Giselle, Alexander, and Byron.

She knew what her parents wanted for her: To start looking for a husband. To prepare for her life as a housewife and have many children. The thought alone made her gag. She was going to university, and that meant studying hard for the entrance exams. Unlike her brothers, she was at a disadvantage. 

So the day after she came back, Edeline decided to tell her parents her plans, whether they approved or not. She asked her father to stay home from that day, that it was urgent she spoke with both. 

“What is so important that you could not wait until later?” Peter asked, closing the door behind him.

“Is everything alright?” Rebecca question. “Do you miss your friends? Perhaps we can invite them to stay during the summer.”

The teenager shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I wanted to talk about the future. My future. I know you think that my wish to go to university and become a doctor was a mere phase and reaction to Giselle’s near death, but that is not the case. I want to be a doctor, and I have been studying every free moment I have. It is my intention to continue studying for university entrance exams, and if I am able to get in, I will enroll in the London School of Medicine for Women."

Peter’s jaw dropped in shock. “Excuse me?”

Rebecca plainly looked horrified. “What?”

“Do I need to say it again?”

Peter sat down and stared at his daughter. “You want to go to college?”

“Yes.”

“...Ignoring the fact you are a woman of good breeding, what makes you think I can afford to send three children to university at once? I may be a well-off attorney, but I am not rich. Byron and Alexander attend Willow Creek College because of a partial scholarship. I’d have barely any savings left if we were to pay the full tuition.”

“I can get scholarships, and Byron is bound to get some, he’s so smart.”

Rebecca pointed at her daughter. “Where did you get some notion that you are going to college? No man would marry a better-educated woman than them.”

Edeline sighed. “If my future husband cannot support my ambitions, then I would not even consider marriage. I would only marry if I truly loved my husband, and if he supported me. I would have a marriage of equals. I will not be a housewife.”

“And what is wrong with being a housewife?!”

“Nothing!” Edeline shouted back, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. “It is not what I want with my life. I want to help people. Save lives.”

“This is not some Jane Austen novel, Edeline. This is reality, and you need to accept that. Who put such ideas in your head? What did that school teach you? Now I expect you’ll start clamoring for the women’s vote and other nonsense.”

She was stunned by her mother’s words. “I read, Mama. Not just romance novels and medical textbooks, but the newspapers and current affairs. I am not blind to the world, nor am I ignorant. And yes, I think those suffragettes are very brave women campaigning for a very important cause. Everyone deserves an equal representation and voice in government affairs.”

Rebecca eyed her daughter up and down in disgust. “What happened to my darling little girl? You’ve changed so much.”

Tears pooled in Edeline’s eyes, and she swallowed back a sob. “You wouldn’t be saying this if I were a boy.”

“But you’re not, Edeline. You are almost a young woman. Act like it.”

The younger blonde turned to her father, who was sitting on the couch, still silent. “Please, Papa.”

He wouldn’t answer, nor would he look up.

It felt like her heart was breaking. She sniffled and turned around, opening the door and running to her room. She slammed the door as loudly as she could before collapsing in her bed, beginning to weep. 

[bloodiedfields]

*     ◟    :    〔   aslihan malbora  ,      cis female    +   she/her    〕      DILAN ÖZDEMIR ,      some say you’re a  TWENTY EIGHT YEAR OLD  lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  EFFERVESCENT  and  VULNERABLE,  one can’t help but think of  ALRIGHT APHRODITE  by   PEACH PIT  when you walk by.    are you still an    ESCORT  at    EL ANHELO,     even with your reputation as the SOILED DOVE?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and    SMEARED LIPSTICK AT THE END OF A VERY LONG NIGHT, THE DISCOLORATION UNDERSKIN AS BRUISES FADE AWAY FROM MEMORY AND THE SHADOW OF A PAST THAT HAUNTS HER AT EVERY TURN,    although we can’t help but think of LUCY GRAY BAIRD (THE HUNGER GAMES), ANASTASIA (ANASTASIA) AND VIVIAN WARD (PRETTY WOMAN)    whenever we see you down these rainy streets.

STATISTICS

NAME: Dilan Azize Ozdemir

AGE: Twenty-Eight

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis Woman, She/Her

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HEIGHT: 5'6"

DATE OF BIRTH: December 13th, 1994

ZODIAC SIGN: Sagittarius

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: High School

LANGUAGES: English, Turkish

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: None

OCCUPATION: Escort at El Anhelo

BIRTH PLACE: Istanbul, Turkey

CURRENT PLACE: Brooklyn, NY

FACE CLAIM: Aslihan Malbora

CHARACTER HISTORY

Since the moment Dilan could speak, she had the desire to sing every word. Her parents amounted it to the dreams of childhood and brushed it off, but it was something she had never let go. Her father despised it, but indulged his youngest daughter knowing that when the time came he could find her a husband and she'd settle down. However, Dilan wanted none of that life, even if it meant giving up everything she knew.

Her father was a force, one that she fought tooth and nail against and no matter how much he pressured her to give up every prospect, she refused to bend. Dilan did appease him and followed in her older sister's footsteps to go to university but she only lasted a year before dropping out. Due to her lack of direction and purpose, her father decided to line up eligible Turkish bachelors for her to meet and hopefully marry. Appeasing her father could only go so far and she finally put her foot down, refusing to move forward with any marriage. However, he refused to accept it and was ready to force her to settle down until she took her things and ran.

With what she had saved up, Dilan got on the first plane out of Turkey and headed to New York, in hopes of actually focusing on her singing career. For someone who grew up with everything she needed, she was able to fall into the starving artist routine easily because she told herself constantly that this life was better than the one of forced marriage her father wanted her to be in.

In New York though, Dilan was one of many trying to find fame with their voice and even with her skills, she was lost among them. In order to make her presence be known, she used what she thought was the only thing worthy about her, a sentiment her father had told her plenty of times: she had a pretty face.  Dilan would use that pretty face in hopes of getting more time on a stage so that someone could discover her. Time and time again she was promised things in return for that velvet throat of hers and each time she was let down.

After so many years of being let down, she had become disillusioned and she grew tired and gave up her dream. However, there was no returning to her home or family as they had all disowned her. Dilan was barely surviving until she found the job at El Anhelo that gave her more than just survival. Now immersed in a world that walks the fine line of what is wrong and what is right, Dilan isn't sure where she'll land in the end.

[kylowritten]

If the Slipper Fits

Pairing: Kylo Ren x ForceSensitive!Reader

Summary: Nobody wants to be the woman whose foot fits that slipper.

Warnings: Mentions of being abandoned, mentions of death

Word Count: 3k

A/N: At the bottom. Don’t read first unless you want spoilers.

Part Five

“You’re a terrible actress.”

The voice stirs you from your thoughts. You lock eyes with Rey, the hint of a smile on her lips.

“I’m not acting,” you say.

You weren’t trying to be deceptive by closing your eyes, if anything it was to avoid staring at your two sleeping companions.

“Well, you’re certainly not asleep,” she remarks. “Why don’t you come up here? I could use the company.”

Awkwardly, you untangle yourself from your position besides Finn and climb to the front of the ship. Rey has one knee folded and resting against the wheel, not at all daunted by the ever expanding universe beyond her.

“I was like you, you know,” she says.

“Like me?”

Her gaze turns towards the windows, stars streaking past. “One of the brides.”

“You were?” You straighten in your seat, both confused and somewhat delighted all at once. “What? How? I thought —”

“I know,” Rey cuts in with a grin. “I thought they were all killed too.”

You fall back in your seat, properly stunned

“What happens then? These women…you, they’re never seen again.”

“Well, that’s partially true. We don’t go back to the districts. After the ceremony, if we don’t have whatever he’s looking for — stars if I know — he releases us at the edge of the Wilds.”

The Winter Wilds lurk outside the border of the kingdom. Your district lays hundreds of miles from it, so you’ve never seen it in person. Supposedly, it’s a large, icy wasteland that separates your kingdom from the next, flush with viscous animals and plant life.

You frown. “He left you there?”

“He said it was best for me to never return,” Rey replies wearily.

“What did you do?” You ask, enraptured by this new development. Kylo didn’t kill the brides?

“I was relieved, at first,” she says with a laugh. “I thought it was a small mercy that he didn’t strike me down. The marriage didn’t count anymore, is what he told me, and that I was free and I should get out as soon as I can.

“My plan was to make it across the Wilds and to Renrek. But I quickly discovered how stupid of an idea that was. The Wilds is a terrible place. Luckily, I was only on my own for a few hours before they found me.”

“Who?” Your brows knit together. “The rebels?”

Rey nods. “They rescue every woman they can find that he leaves there. We either offer them a place in the resistance or someplace safe to go. It took awhile to put a system in place, but now we know when to expect the next one.”

You’re not sure how to process this information.

“I just don’t get it. Why does he leave you…us…at the edge? Why not just kill us?”

“I’ve asked myself that a lot,” Rey confesses. “I don’t know if we’ll ever know for sure.”

You were never in mortal peril, although he lead you to believe that was the case. Why? You couldn’t wrap your head around it. Leaving the brides at the edge of the Wilds wasn’t exactly noble, but it gave them a shot at survival.

“Does he know what they do?” You ask. “Kylo?”

“It’s hard to tell. He just keeps doing it. Leia says that he didn’t always use to be malicious, so maybe he’s grateful in some aspect.”

“Grateful?”

Rey smiles, this time ruefully. “Well, he’s not exactly saving us, but it’s no longer up to him to decide if we live or die. Kind of like he can wash his hands of us.”

This troubled you, but it made sense.

“Better wake up the boys,” Rey says suddenly. She shifts from her relaxed position to one of alertness. “We’re almost there.”

You’re not sure what to expect from the rebel base. The ship dips as it lowers, bringing you eye level with your mountainous surroundings. At night, you don’t know how Rey can navigate the ship throughout the staggering valley of rock cliffs, but she executes it flawlessly.

Breath catching in your throat, you watch as Rey takes a final turn and barrels the ship directly into the mountainside — and through it. A cleverly disguised holoscreen.

Blinking, you gradually adjust to the darkness inside of the mountain. The ship lands with a metallic thud, signaling to a handful of workers to appear and get the ship stable. Poe laughs as he catches you still death-gripping your seat.

“Freaky, right? It takes some getting used to.” He keeps talking as the four of you exit the ship. “It’s an elaborate cave system. Right now we’re at the mouth of it, but it snakes it’s way throughout almost the whole mountain. It’s disorienting at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Don’t go off by yourself, though,” Rey adds.

“Why?”

“We’re the latest tenants in the tunnels,” Poe explains with a cringe. “There used to be these things we call stonebadgers. We think they’re the ones who made the tunnels, and they aren’t super happy about being evicted.”

“Noted,��� you say. As you venture further into the system of tunnels, it frightens you to think about what could’ve possibly made them.

The four of you can walk comfortably side by side, along with passing room. It appears to you that you were walking the main tunnel, which eventually branched into several others. Smaller caves were scattered throughout, peering in, you saw an array of different purposes — one cave was used as an infirmary, another a mess hall of sorts. You finally happen upon a tunnel that splits off from the rest, a dark blue curtain obscuring whatever lays behind it.

Finn pulls the curtain back. “After you.”

Not unlike the rest of the system, the curtain hides another rounded out room. This one was crammed with people, however, and shelves and displays of technology lined the walls. A steady hum of chatter greets your ears.

“This way,” Finn says.

To the side, a long table rests. Standing at the head of it, her back turned to you, was Leia.

Despite not being able to see her face, the former queen isn’t hard to place. She holds herself with the importance and self-assured qualities of royalty. As she turns, though, her face shows nothing but compassion, leading you to search for any traces of Kylo. It proves difficult to reconcile that the man you met, armored and barbed with anger, could be related to this woman.

“Oh, I’m so grateful to see that you’re okay,” she says, addressing your companions. Her brown eyes flicker to you. “And you must be our latest addition.”

Your cheeks burn slightly. “I suppose I am.”

“We appreciate your help in our endeavors,” Leia says. She looks to Finn, who hands her the tome.

“What is it?” You ask. Realizing the bluntness of your question, you rephrase. “I mean, I’m not sure how it’s going to help.”

Leia nods. “Follow me.”

You crowd around a more discreet section of the room. Laying the tome down on the table, she begins flipping through the pages. After a moment of fervent page turning, she finally finds what she’s looking for.

“This. Here.” Leia taps the page with her index finger. “It’s confirmation, more than anything. This is how we’re going to get our kingdom, and my son back.”

You peer at the page. The writing is almost ineligible.

“How?” Rey asks.

Leia’s eyes darken significantly. “Palpatine has a hold on Ben. If I’m correct, he’s been invading his mind and manipulating him since he was a child. It’s an ancient dark magic. I…I believe that Ben was so young, so vulnerable, it made it quite easy for Palpatine to do.” She pauses, her throat bobbing with suppressed emotion. “I should’ve done something. I didn’t know…all I can do now is get him back. And our kingdom.”

Finn, Poe, and Rey are obviously uncomfortable with Leia’s emotional confession. You jump to fill the awkward silence.

“I met Lyssa. She told me about the prophecy. Could it involve that?”

“Possibly. There were rumors of it, after he was born, that Ben would have unfathomable powers, fully unleashed once he met someone of equal strength. I wasn’t sure if I ever believed it. It’s hard to look at your small child and think that they could ever be capable of such things.” Leia shakes her head. “Although, if it’s true, it makes sense that Palpatine would want control of him. He would have the most powerful Force user in the kingdom under his influence.”

With your present company, you didn’t want to divulge just how true the prophecy was. You were having trouble coming to terms with it yourself. How else could you describe the tether that formed between you and Kylo?

Leia clears her throat. “Go rest, you three. You’ve done good. I would like to talk to our new arrival alone.”

Rey pats your arm as she leaves. Finn and Poe follow her, their heads ducked in conversation. You swing your gaze back to Leia to find her already staring at you, studying you.

“I could sense that you wanted to talk alone,” she remarks. She smiles, and the maternal nature of it makes your stomach twist. “You can trust me.”

Slowly, you tell her everything you know — the bond snapping into place, the possibility of your ability to control magic, Kylo’s proposal to teach you. To have you rule with him.

She listens very carefully the whole time, without disrupting you once. When you finish, she takes a moment before replying.

“Perhaps the prophecy is true after all,” she mumbles.

You blink in rapid succession. Hearing the confirmation of your suspicions is both rewarding and daunting.

“Your Highness?”

“You know my intentions,” Leia says. “I want to save my kingdom from Palpatine’s cruelty, and hopefully my son in the process. I knew I needed someone who could counter the damage that Palpatine had done.”

“You think I can?”

“I do. Walk with me.” Leia crosses the busy room and back into the tunnels. Her explanation is interrupted ever so often as she says hello to rebels going by. “You see, Ben feels that he can no longer trust anyone but Palpatine, who has been whispering in his ear the possibliltiies the prophecy poses. Now that I know that it holds some truth, it leads me to believe we have a chance at getting him back. You have a connection with him — you can corrode the dark magic that Palpatine has inflicted.”

“But how?” It doesn’t seem entirely possible to you that you could ever do such a thing. “I don’t even know if I actually have magic.”

Leia’s voice contains a heightened level of enthusiasm. “You must, or else the bond never would’ve happened. The Force is special in that aspect, a dyad can only be created between two individuals with equal power. I’m afraid Ben was right when he said you just haven’t had adequate training.”

She takes a deep breath, then stops so that you’re face to face.

“I want you to go back to him.”

“What?” A surge of disbelief overcomes you. “I just escaped! I can’t go back.”

She grimaces slightly. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I wouldn’t if I didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. You’re the only one Ben will let close enough to try and reverse the dark magic.”

“Even if I can, I don’t know how,” you protest.

“That’s okay,” she says, quick to reassure you. “For the foreseeable future, my brother Luke can provide you with supplemental lessons to whatever Ben teaches you. Like can help you learn about the dark magic in order to destroy it.”

Your knees suddenly feel as if they might give out. “I don’t know.”

“Just…just think about it.” Leia squeezes your shoulder. “This could be our kingdom’s only hope for redemption.”

With those — not at all burdensome — parting words, she leaves you standing in the middle of a tunnel, dumbstruck. From the next room, you hear her firing out instructions to rebels, resuming her duties as general after presenting her plan to you. A mixture of dread and trepidation consumes you, and you blindly stumble back from where you came. Only, you haven’t at all mastered the system of tunnels, and end up happening upon a large room.

Wafting with steam, a hot spring resides in the center. Humidity presses against your skin. As you try to remove your shoes, thinking that a quick dip would feel lovely, you realize that you’re still wearing your dress from the ball. It’s muddied, torn from your excursions through the servants hallway, the forest, and now the tunnels.

You abandon all dignity. Shimmying out of the dress, you walk in your underclothes to the hot springs and sit down at the edge. You look down at your hand, resting on your palm is Kylo’s ring. When you exited the ship, you snuck it into your bodice, and had been careful not to lose it as you shed your clothes.

Could you really do everything Leia wanted?

She said you were the only one who could possibly save him from the dark magic invading his mind. The thought of someone slipping into your conscious chilled you despite the warmth coming from the hot spring. You flicked your toes in the water. How could you save him? You didn’t even know if you had magic, much less use it.

And lessons with Prince Luke? The brother of the queen had more or less become a myth, never to be seen besides the occasional adventurer claiming to have caught a glimpse.

Despite the magical component of it all, you weren’t sure you could get close to Kylo. You discount your initial, primal reaction to him — that was a fluke, something inside you unbidden. How would you gain his trust? It wouldn’t be easy, especially after you just fled his a palace along with the rebels who attacked it.

You doubted you had much time before Leia came to you with an answer.

The spring bubbles and gurgles from its source, a sheet of water rushing over a flat, horizontal piece of rock and splashing into the basin.

You knew the pain of losing a mother, and you had witnessed the grief in Leia’s eyes when she spoke about losing Ben.

How could you deny her the chance to reunite with her son?

You weren’t sure you could.

Then, a movement, deep within you, like a snake slipping through the grass. Him.

Should I be flattered you’re thinking of me while wearing such little clothing?

A/N: Comment how you feel about this chapter! What do you think about Kylo not actually killing the brides? And are we due for some smut next time?👀

Also, I’m dying to make a playlist for this story and I would love some new songs to inspire me. Drop some ideas!

Part Six

[tzuyusluv]

NCT Dream Disney AU

☁︎ Mark | Sleeping Beauty

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> Betrothed to Prince Mark of Sylvaine was your destiny since you were born. Though when 20 years of age, he’s cursed to fall asleep for hundreds of years or until true loves kiss. Now, are you positive that you’re his true love and that you can break the curse?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Renjun | Beauty And The Beast

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> Living in a small town as the only bookworm was terrible. You were constantly treated as if you were nothing more than a pretty face for your future husband. So when you run away and come across a cursed castle filled with talking objects and a beast, you find out that if the beast learns love, it will return the castle and its inhabitants back to normal. Will you be able to lift the curse?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Jeno | The Little Mermaid

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> After you see the Prince of Moshe and save him from drowning, you create a deal with the local sea witch. In exchange for legs, you will need to have the Prince fall in love with you, within a week. Will you be able to get the Prince to fall for you in such a short time?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Haechan | Mulan

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> When your family is disappointed in you for your distaste for marriage and sets you up with the local village boy, you cut your hair and run to the soldier camp. There you meet the general, Haechan. But why does your heart ache and your mind want to impress him when he expresses disappointment in your training?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Jaemin | Snow White

read more

Title —> tbd

Summary —> When your stepmother tries to have a huntsman kill you and he fails, she decides to poison you using an apple. You know someday your prince has to come, but what if he doesn’t?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Jisung | Aristocats

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> When a kind old woman take you and your three siblings in after your parents are murdered, she leaves everything to you four in her will, soon you realize that the butler is trying to kill all of you and become the sole receiver of it. After he throws you out in the harsh winter, you soon come across a man who offers to take you back. You become infatuated with him, will you be able to convince him to leave his old life and start new?

Release Date —> tbd

☁︎ Chenle | Aladdin

read here

Title —> tbd

Summary —> Your only dream is to leave the palace walls and when you succeed, you come across a criminal who steals to survive. Deciding not to tell him you’re the princess, you soon grow a small crush on him. Will you be able to keep your secret and see him again? Or was it never meant to be?

Release Date —> tbd

©️ tzuyuluvs | Pease don’t translate, rewrite or blatantly steal any of my content.

[2offayyo-kzt]

Nandermo isn't the only dysfunctional couple on the show, Sean/Charmaine is something as well

This post can be considered as a character analysis, even though Sean only has 40min of screen time and Charmaine barely 5'

This is just my own interpretation :

///

What makes a marriage last is obviously the communication, indeed the most concrete example in the show is Nadja/Laszlo (300 years baby)

Before the episode "Brain Scramblies", the marriage between Sean and Charmaine was already on the rocks

What I see as the main reason for the marital dysfunction is due to Sean's selfishness, irresponsibility, inability to communicate and frequent lying

-

When Charmaine asked Franky to return the 20$ from the pizza party, instead of supporting his wife who was clearly in the right, Sean preferred to side with his friend.

He clearly lacks trust in his wife.

-

After receiving Laszlo's money at the end of the episode, he makes another empty promise "I'm never, ever, ever, gonna do this again. I'm never gambling again, I'm a new man !"

In order to renew his vows of remarriage, he decided to go to Atlantic City, and promised that he would be "good this time"; which obviously wasn't the case (he went broke at the Casino)

And at the last second we see him bet absolutely everything on the "lucky number 12"

His behavior is obviously due to his gambling addiction, however he considers that it is long over "I used to have a big time gambling problem".

Fortunately, Charmaine appeared out of nowhere to probably yell at him.

Speaking of money, fully aware that he is already in financial trouble, Sean lends his bank card to Laszlo without thinking about the consequences of the gesture.

Charmaine trusted him to behave in moderation, if Laszlo hadn't been there to save the day, the situation in the couple would probably have gotten worse.

-

He has complete blind trust in his best friend, which is why they get along so well

Same example in the episode "Chamber of Judgement" , Sean tells his secret to Laszlo and not to his wife, who would be the first one concerned by this. "Even Charmaine doesn't even know..", at this point Charmaine may not even be aware that her husband went to court.

Sean is very open-minded and at the same time completely narrow-minded :

He started a pillow business without consulting his wife, and when he gets in trouble he blames others (his friends who didn't want to buy him pillows)

-

He fully supports the LGBT community, however the idea of selling a so-called man pillow to his wife is too much to bear.

This very gendered way of thinking is probably due to the education he received from his father.

It's not surprising that he married an extremely feminine woman, to fit the criteria of a heteronormative couple

Sean instead of making an effort to spend time with his wife and try to find common interests with her, does everything to run away from her.

"A long weekend away from the ladies"

This explains the fact that Sean and Charmaine were seen together in the show for only 5 minutes.

We can see a parallel with Nadja who wants to spend time only with women, but she has the excuse that she has been living with men for centuries.

At first glance Sean and Laszlo have nothing to do with each other and few traits in common but both make an effort to spend time with each other, to get to know each other.

Charmaine seems to be making an effort on her side, as she also watched Ocean Twelve with her husband and even learned a line from the movie.

At the time of his speech during the marriage of Nandor, one feels obviously that Sean projects his own couple towards the young re-married :

The relationship between Sean and Charmaine is co-dependent, Sean is aware that at any moment she can leave him "She's gonna leave me Laz !" but unconsciously he continues his abuse because he knows that deep down she will never leave.

"It's a long time to be with another person, you like her right now but..."

-

Sean is rarely aware of the sacrifices his wife makes and instead is harsh towards her.

During the wedding credits scene, she approaches a completely wiped out Sean on the floor "OMG Seanie... 🥺"

Sean responds with a simple "STFU."

And Charmaine replies "What's wrong with you ?!" (sis, you already know)

Charmaine is also relatively closed-minded, like when she blames Marwa (new in the neighborhood) for not knocking on the door and bringing cookies

The two of them (Sean & Charmaine) are really a pair, and they probably love each other to death

In the Brain Scramblies episode, his first reaction after seeing Charmaine on the porch (with his brain completely fried) is to fall in love all over again, and he didn't expect that such a beautiful woman would get married to him

(Nadja) "She's your wife."

(Sean) "A wish huh-"

Conclusion : To me they are as fucked up as Nandermo, Sean has self-destructive tendencies and deep inside he considers that he doesn't deserve Charmaine and that's why he does everything to screw up the marriage. (self-sabotage)

So now that he has conquered Charmaine, he doesn't make any effort (at the beginning of their relationship, when Charmaine's dog died, Sean brought her a bouquet of flowers every week)

-

If he doesn't open up to his wife, their relationship will just be superficial and tumultuous.

[cordeliaflyte]

Trying to remember my dream okay. So it started out with these dreadful situations of people dying from extreme heat and dehydration in deserts. The last of them was a group of men in the desert. They were recommended to take this one particular route which wouldn't have wells in it (??) but a woman said they should continue onto it and she would return with water. She did not do that. So now the men, already extremely dehydrated, realised they were royally fucked. And for some reason they couldn't circle back? And they were being scorched by the sun and the sand was hot enough to burn them. They decided their only recourse was to dig a well. This was difficult because they were all suffering from heat stroke and the sand was so hot that it scorched them when they tried to dig with their hands (and they had no equipment). Luckily, with them was a member of a non-human race (kind of discount elves) who was invulnerable to hear or dehydration, and he spent the whole day digging a well for them with his bare hands, saving their lives.

So now we go to this character - this elf guy right. Sometimes he was an elf girl you know how it is. He was also me but also he wasn't. So the land of the elves was extremely technologically advanced, fascistic, endogamous, and had extremely strict codes of social conduct related to marriage, the relations between the sexes, everyday life, and so forth. Its inhabitants rarely left their land, and the entry of any human, except in extremely rare circumstances (like the odd ambassador or whatnot) was immediately punishable by death due to fear of miscegenation. Because these elves who weren't exactly elves like they had no pointy ears and lived in cities but were long-lived and like. Quicker stronger had better senses than humans and were tall and svelte and whatnot were obsessed with blood lines and their society was highly stratified based on these blood lines. Everyone could trace their lineage back by millennia. And the idea of an elf producing offspring with a human was unthinkable due to their ideas of racial degeneration.

So anyway, even though this is extremely rare - unprecedented, in fact - this one guy leaves his land. What is known is that he is part of one of the most important and influential families in his land. There are some rumours that he is a bastard, though - the son of a woman who belonged to this family, but was unlawfully deflowered, and managed to keep this a secret until now, which is why he left. Nobody knows if this is true. He has a secret. He owns an amulet passed down in his family which essentially vastly increases his prowess in most things: strength, endurance, mental performance, etc. This is a secret. So everyone around him in this new land thinks wow this is just what all elves are like. I guess they ARE our superiors. We need to get on that sweet sweet technology we have so we NEED to start diplomatic relations. Even if it just means getting colonised. Just please no genocide please.

Sometimes the guy is a woman and sometimes in these scenarios her brother comes over with her. Sometimes not. Anyway there are a lot of interesting cultural things with how they interact with humans. They're very unused to this culture and are researching it extensively (both through academic research and through experience) and the humans want to show themselves in the best possible light to this ambassador (or is he an ambassador? He could be an imposter! Who knows) but like with the way he was raised he thinks the 7 wonders of their world are puny compared to a lower-class neighborhood in his country. It's clear he approaches them with disgust which he tries to hide, and does well - he does not voice his elf supremacist remarks, racial or cultural or whatever - but it still shines through in his interactions which is off-putting. He is also very cold and unemotional to most.

To sum up, potential reasons for their leaving:

They really were sent forth as an ambassador as they claim

They were forced into exile once it was revealed they were illegitimate

They fled when they found out they were illegitimate to avoid persecution

(usually when female) fled because they didn't want to go through with an arranged marriage

(regardless of sex) they were somehow brutalized by a family member (which could be because their illegitimacy was found out, they wouldn't go through with a marriage, they committed some kind of social taboo, or they just had a fucked up rich family innit) and fled

Some other combination of the above

Though he does form what amounts to a friendship with a female psychiatrist. ALSO Frederick Chilton from Hannibal the TV show Hannibal is also there. Just hanging out

ALSO just remembered Tam Lin like the border ballad Tam Lin was also somehow involved and quite an important plot point but I don't know how. I forgor [sic]

Also as I was in that state in between waking and sleeping I was like this guy is the pinnacle of discipline I now need to emulate him for the rest of my life. What Would The Main Character Of This Dream Do. And I was sleeping on my side and thought the paragon of virtue would never do that, as sleeping on your side is a sign of moral decay and degeneracy. So I switched my position to sleep on my back, arms crossed on my chest, like a vampire

[keyofw]

Back in 2020, I finished the first draft of a musical, and because the timing could not have been poorer, I've been essentially sitting on it and waiting for places to open submissions while I do minor revisions. So I made a full demo of the show and have decided to actually share the whole thing, piece by piece (it's also available on streaming services because I am that vain).

My snarky elevator pitch is that it's about the first ever incel to go to therapy. Or even better, a harem anime meets A Beautiful Mind. This particular song is pretty heavy, so CW for sexual content, non-con, incest, homophobia, transphobia, child abuse, and violence. chef's kiss This song also contains the only direct slur in the show and it's the F bomb, spoken in a derogatory way, so be warned.

DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT

(Posting the script, too. It is more updated/correct than the demo. I don't record all the dialogue. Apologies for singing poorly.)

9. The One (Second Session)

(NIKO rolls off the bed, and the bedroom disappears around him. The therapy office returns. MAX enters and comes downstage to a mic.)

MAX YOU CAN TRY TO CHANGE, BUT THE PAST STAYS THE PAST. YOU CAN TRY TO RUN, BUT NOBODY RUNS THAT FAST.

(NIKO realizes where they are and stands up, taking their place at the desk. MAX addresses them directly.)

LET ME SEE YOU, LET ME HEAR YOU, LET ME KNOW YOU.

I don’t understand. What about your girlfriend wanting to take your relationship to the next level frightens you?

NIKO I just - I mean - well, I’m saving myself for marriage.

MAX Oh? That’s your choice, Niko, but have you discussed your boundaries with Charlie?

NIKO What if she says no?

MAX Why would she?

(NIKO looks away, embarrassed. She changes her approach.)

May I ask why you wish to set those boundaries? Are your reasons religious?

(Lights on NIKO as the rest of the scene goes dark. The therapy office clears and MOM’s voice comes from offstage.)

MOM (O.S.) LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND, LOVE IS MORE THAN PEACE OF MIND. LOVE IS READY, LOVE IS WILLING, LOVE’S THE ONLY THING FULFILLING. LOVE’S MADE ON THE MARRIAGE BED, AND IF I CATCH YOU LOVING, YOU’LL WISH THAT YOU WERE DEAD.

(MOM enters, dressed up for church. Her outfit is outwardly modest but overly fashionable. She takes NIKO by the hand.)

MOM IF YOUR GIRL CAN ADMIRE YOU THOUGH YOU ARE FLAWED, SHE’S THE ONE! FIND THE GIRL WHO CAN ALWAYS MAKE YOU SEE GOD. AREN’T MANY WIRED THIS WAY, BRING YOU TO YOUR KNEES, BUT IT’S ONLY A CHANCE TO PRAY.

IF YOUR GIRL DOESN’T HAVE THE NEED TO BE HEARD, SHE’S THE ONE! FIND THE GIRL WHO WILL ONLY SPEAK FROM THE WORD. SHE’S NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE. SHE’S A GODLY ANGEL WHO ALWAYS KNOWS HER PLACE. SHE IS THE KIND WHO ALWAYS PLEASES, BUT HOLD ON, SLOW DOWN THAT PACE BECAUSE THAT GIRL’S FIRST LOVE IS JESUS.

(DAD enters, carrying a bible and dressed as a hybrid of an 80s televangelist and a glam rocker - a mix of Benny Hinn and Boston.)

DAD Let us pray!

(The family bows heads in prayer.)

I THANK THE LORD ABOVE THAT HE SHOULD BLESS MY HOUSE, MY CHURCH, MY BED WITH A WIFE, WITH A WIFE LIKE YOU. WE BLESS THIS FAMILY AND GIVE HIM THANKS FOR ALL HIS PERFECT GIFTS LIKE A WIFE, LIKE A WIFE LIKE YOU. OUR GOD HAS GRANTED US HIS LOVE AND GRACE AND ENDLESS MERCY, BUT MOST OF ALL, BUT MOST OF ALL, FOR A WIFE, FOR A WIFE, FOR A WOMAN LIKE YOU.

And all God’s people said…

FAMILY Amen!

(The rest of the cast enters as the church CONGREGATION, setting up the stage for a worship service. MOM and DAD join the worshipers, but NIKO stands in the middle of the scene, not worshiping.)

CONGREGATION

GROUP #1 FATHER GOD, WE CAN FIND NO FATHER LIKE YOU. ONLY YOU SPEAK THE WORD THAT IS ALWAYS TRUE.

GROUP #2 (simultaneously) YOU’RE THE ONE! YOU’RE THE ONE!

ALL CONGREGATION FATHER, CLEANSE OUR HEARTS FROM SIN. LET US BE LIKE CHILDREN IN CHILDLIKE FAITH AGAIN.

GROUP #1 MAY YOUR LOVE AND YOUR LIGHT AND GLORY ABOUND. PRAISE THE LORD, WE WERE LOST BUT NOW WE ARE FOUND.

GROUP #2 (simultaneously) YOU’RE THE ONE! YOU’RE THE ONE!

ALL CONGREGATION FATHER GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE, SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, EMPOWER US NOW TO LOVE. YOUR KINGDOM EVERMORE INCREASES. MAY THE WORLD SAY OF OUR LOVE THAT IT REMINDS THEM ALL OF JESUS.

(DAD takes his place behind the altar to deliver his sermon. Everyone else takes a seat in rapt attention while NIKO stays standing.)

CONGREGATION (under sermon) OOH...

DAD Do you believe in dreams? Do you believe that God can speak to us in visions and signs? I do. I received a vision from the Spirit the other night: our city, shining bright as a light against the darkness of the world. And the darkness wanted to swallow up the light. This darkness of the world? Tolerance. “They turned from their natural desires to follow the desires of the flesh.” Men lie with men. Women lie with women. Some men are so confused they even think they’re women.

(DAD turns the focus of his sermon to NIKO. Slowly the congregation turns to face them, surrounding them and singing directly to them.)

How can we protect ourselves from this darkness? How can we save ourselves from the fires of hell? Hate. Turn from your sexual sin. Hate your sin so much you cannot bear to sin again. Hate your sin because it hates you.

(The CONGREGATION suddenly departs, taking the church service with them. Only DAD and NIKO remain. DAD removes his belt.)

I PRAY AND ASK THE LORD WHY HE SHOULD PUT A CURSE UPON MY HOUSE WITH A CHILD, WITH A CHILD LIKE YOU.

(DAD begins swatting the floor with his belt and NIKO reacts in pain.)

YOU ARE A CHILD OF HELL, YOU - (whack) DISGRACE MY HOUSE, I’LL - (whack) I’LL TEMPER A CHILD, SUCH A CHILD LIKE YOU. REPENT AND SEE THE LIGHT OR - (whack) FACE - (whack) - HIS WRATH HE HAS PREPARED FOR SUCH A - (whack) FOR SUCH A - (whack) FOR A CHILD - (whack) FOR A CHILD - (whack) FOR A - (whack, whack, whack) FOR A CHILD, FOR A FAG, FOR A CHILD LIKE YOU!

(Satisfied, DAD leaves NIKO crumpled on the floor. MOM enters and reacts in horror. She runs over to NIKO to comfort them.)

MOM IF YOUR GIRL CAN ADMIRE YOU THOUGH YOU ARE FLAWED… FIND THE GIRL WHO CAN ALWAYS MAKE YOU SEE GOD…

(MOM kisses NIKO tenderly and passionately on the mouth.)