#reclusiveness really isn’t his nature

[carefulfears]

things to say when trusting the last spy who walked up to your desk saved your life

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Vampires of a Feather | Yandere Pomefiore

Think about modern life no magic

And you own an apartment with your loving and adoring boyfriend Rook

Unbeknownst to you 

On one of his oh so familiar nature strolls Rook found himself poking around an abandoned mansion

He won’t bother to say anything about the lovely boy he finds resting in there almost certain a dead body

Such luscious pale skin, such dark lipstick

He feels such beauty deserves a kiss even if their beyond the grave

But he won’t tell you that 

He’ll return home and kiss you as deeply as he does every time he sees you

You two will go on eventually settling down to have dinner 

When you hear something bang against the door

“Uh don’t worry babe, I’ll get it!”

“Be back soon beau trésor!”

Thinking it’s a failed knock you head for the door to open it 

Something small but sturdy whizzes past you 

Ricochetting off the walls and into some boxes you hadn’t unpacked

“Oh my Gosh Rook!”

“Oh my!”

“Ah Rook don’t go over there I think it’s a bat!”

“Oh how cute!”

“Not cute they have rabies!”

Despite your protests he’s forging on with you worriedly at his back

Come to find it’s that fellow from the abandoned mansion

And his name is Epel

“Oi what’s this weird place and why am I around a bunch of humans?”

“It’s a man!”

“Si magnifique! The joli monsieur from the house!”

“From the house?!” 

After explaining himself Epel explains how he a vampire found himself skyrockettng into your home

He unfortunately mistook the pheromone that would have led him to his pod for Rook’s scent

Thus he ended up here

“Vampires travel in pods?”

“Yes that’s how-”

“Like dolphins?”

“I guess…”

“That’s kind of cute!”

“No it’s not!”

“I agree mon chéri!” 

“IT IS NOT CUTE!”

From then on you and Rook help Epel blend in to the modern world

“Come on Epel no need to freak out!”

“No! Keep that terrible creation away from me!”

“It’s only a camera!”

“Come Pomme de poison! It’s a glorious tool (Y/n) and I are intimately close with!”

Slowly getting to a comfortable place where you both share your blood with him within reason

“Mmm Epel?”

“Yes (Y/n)?”

“Do you really need to lick my neck so many times? I’m ready for you to just get it over with.”

“Shhh let me enjoy this! Let me take my time.”

“Well okay…but does Rook have to sit so closely?”

“Don’t mind me, my Love! I’m only enjoying the enticing dance of life happening on your lovely neck!”

It’s only until a while of the domestic life along side him that you come to a sad realization

“Rook…he can’t stay with us.”

“Where is this coming from, mon chéri?”

“I was thinking…Epel’s going to outlive us.”

“Darling.”

“Then he’ll be all alone.”

“(Y/n).”

“We have to help him find his pod.”

Rook’s face drops every time you give him that look

Spending your free time devoting to properties his pod might own 

Your acutely aware that he’s not as enthusiastic 

But this isn’t about him 

This is about Epel

Who in the mean time doesn’t mind finding his pod 

But he doesn’t really care

“I’ve found two humans I like quite a lot. Besides I don’t really care about my pod especially since they’e a bunch of stuffy snobs. But it (Y/n) wants to find them I don’t mind.”

By the time Rook actually gets this from Epel you’ve already sent a letter to the one you’ve tracked down

“(Y/n)--!”

“--We have something to tell you!”

“Oh! Welcome home you two! You’re just in time to meet the vampire I found that's from your pod!”

“Oh no!”

“Wow!”

“Hello again Epel, I’ve come to take you home.”

It’s Vil Schoenheit a reclusive idol that’s supposed to be an old decrepit man you were sending letters with 

But alas he was a vampire 

And a very powerful one at that

He immediately begins critiquing Epel and subsequently Rook

“But at the very least you’ve found some decent hosts…for humans at least.”

“Hey! Don’t talk down to my humans!”

“Your anger is just as unbecoming on you as it was all those centuries ago.”

Ultimately it’s decided by Vil that Epel will be going with him 

To the country he quietly runs, where hundreds of lesser vampires serve him loyally

“I-I’m not going without Rook and (Y/n)!”

“Wait what–”

“C'est mieux que de te traquer!”

“Ugh I understand (Y/n) but this other one I’m not sure.”

Vil since he received your letter had been intrigued

A mere human who was so straight-forward with something many would call conspiracy 

Not to mention he’s absolutely enamored with ‘fixing’ you before properly elevating your status

To a vampire of course

He’ll find out he likes Rook too

but that's later

Until then he’ll just drag him along until Epel looses interest

With a snap of his finger tons of other vampires arrive taking your stuff and loading it in trucks

“Wait hold on! What are you doing?!”

“Do you have problems listening (Y/n)? You are coming with us.”

“But we can’t–We’d never live as long as you, it’s just not right!”

“As humans you won’t but once you’re a vampire that will change.”

“But I don’t want to be–”

“Hush. Rook if you’re good for anything you’ll help (Y/n) pack their bags.”

“Yes my Queen!”

“Rook!!”

No sooner than you could register 

You’re unofficially decided as one of the newest members of their pod

You’d like to think you weren’t alone in this confusion

But Rook doesn’t seem to have any of the same concerns you have

“Oh Epel isn’t this perfect! We’ll become members of your pod with the Queen!”

“Ugh! Not you too! I’ve got to make sure he doesn’t ruin you and (Y/n) completely.”

[grimm-writings]

Hiiii, I would like some Dungeon Meshi headcanons please! Reader is the oldest human in the main group and they're really motherly towards them. Like they're always fretting over their well beings and acting like a doting parent. And if you want, could you also add that Chilchuck's kinda into that so he falls for them?

That's all thank you!

…ft! chilchuck x gn! reader, platonic touden party & reader

…tags! fluff, some crack, headcanon format, mild manga spoilers, reader is referred to as ‘mom’ once

…wc! 847

…notes! the way i nearly screeched in delight when i got this ask. chilfuckers i’m one of you let me in. you used they/them for the reader so i’m gonna assume this is a maternal gn reader! i hope it is for your liking ty for being my first request 🥺

Having a more wise, of age individual in the party is always a plus when you need some advice.

And when most people in the party are absolute lunatics.

You have your hands full trying to stop Laios acting recklessly in action, or doting on Marcille when her emotions get the best of her.  Goodness, even Senshi has your hair going grey from how he gets sometimes!

Laios just sort of… lets your doting happen.

He can get slightly grumbly if you get too mad at him.  Still, it’s not the worst thing a parental figure could do.  Go easy on him!

Marcille takes psychic damage upon learning your age.  She’s staring at you, at the age in your face, and taking the years into account.

It’s simply not computing.  You… You should be, like, a pre-teen or something!  Human ageing baffles her once again.

Still… she is incredibly receptive to you doting on her.  She’s more of a carer on instinct but she finds herself falling into you whenever her spoons are low.

Senshi just sort of hits you with the “why tho” when you try fretting.  It’s actually slightly frustrating.  Still, you can recognise his wisdom and take a step back.  He can take care of himself… most of the time.

Izutsumi… oh the dear girl.

You must have recognised the signs immediately.  Her lack of table manners, her reclusive nature… she’s so young.

The girlcat was a bit prickly to any doting at first.  You would probably remind her a bit too much of Maizuru for her liking.

With time, perhaps sometime after he run-in with her succubus, Izutsumi would be a bit more welcoming of how you treat her.  It’s… It makes her feel nice, or whatever.

She accidentally calls you Mom once.  She was mortified as Marcille squeals in delight and Laios laughs to himself.  You couldn’t even ask if she thinks of you as a mother figure before she’s already stomping away to hide in a corner somewhere.

Then there’s Chilchuck.  Oh, what to say about him.

You probably thought he was a young human at first too.  He’s taller than other half-foots after all.  Still, as soon as you even try to act maternal around him, he yells at you and tells you he isn’t a kid.

Keep your distance for a bit, and he’ll warm up to you again.

Watching you do your thing with the other party members will have him commenting that he has no idea how you can just keep up with everyone like this, and he’s the one with three kids here.

You just smile gently and reply that it helps you keep stability knowing everyone in the party is doing alright.  At that, Chilchuck will give you a glance, and internalise your words.

Upon Izutsumi’s arrival into the party, Chilchuck’s perspective on you begins to alter slightly.

Initially, he respected you a fair bit.  You were more like the two older co-workers constantly giving each other looks at the younger ones’ antics.

But he sees you with this child he also has to admit he’s grown attached to.  You really were a natural maternal figure to Izutsumi.  He watches you tend to her sometimes, a smile slowly curling on his lips.

Then he catches himself, and his blood runs cold.

…Ohhh, shit. 

Chilchuck is level headed most of the time, but when he’s panicking he can’t keep his cool to save his life.

Around you, he becomes more… frantic, in a way.  Lecturing others to give you a break, even if he can just have a small talk with you.  If asked what’s up he’d raise his voice defensively and say it doesn’t matter.

One time, Izutsumi decided she can’t choose between her two favourite human heaters, and practically forced you and Chilchuck to sleep on either side of her.  Even with the girl slotted in between you two, Chilchuck was internally losing his mind at the closeness.

He even lets you dote on him a bit more again.  Not too much, though.  He’ll accept the occasional checking in and headpat but that’s it!

You can very easily pick up on his feelings for you.  It’s not hard to notice the shift in his attitude.

Well… It’s not like you can complain.  You may offer to help him out with his future shop once you’re out of here, giving him a slight wink.

Cherish how red his face gets.  He won’t let anyone else embarrass him so easily.  Maybe pinch his cheeks if you’re feeling brave, but he may swat you away depending on his mood.

At the end of the day, he’ll give you a small smile, and wonder aloud where the Hell all the party would be if it weren’t for you.

(Bonus!  I think Falin would also super appreciate your presence.  She’s the kind to simply take her own parents’ treatment of her and shrug it off in a ‘it is what it is’ sort of way.  Your doting attitude would leave her slightly discombobulated, but she’s very welcome to it.)

[thediaryofaurora]

It’s ok if you can’t but I would love for the next headcanons for creepypasta character could you do X-Virus.

General HCs

X-Virus/Cody Anderson

Sorry this one is sooooo long. I have so much to say about this nerd.

- Seventeen! Barely older than Toby.

- Roughly 6’0, maybe a little over. He isn’t very toned, since he really just sits in the lab all day.

- White with mostly Welsh heritage.

- He was in foster case from about seven to thirteen. His mom was neglectful and a drug addict so child services inevitably took him away. He was adopted by a pathologist who created and spread chronic diseases that only he knew how to treat, which he profited from since he was the only person who knew how to cure them.

- His foster father had used Cody as an assistant and made sure he knew his way around the lab. They would often test the diseases on animals first and see if the cure worked just enough so that people would continuously come back for medication rather than completely healing. At around fifteen Cody was trusted to be in the lab alone, so he would take the time to test more fatal things on the test subjects. A few years later when he was about seventeen, he was a little too desensitized to fatal infections and death. He thought seeing how animals reacted to his creations weren’t enough to prove the data he wanted.

- With that, he went into one of his lonesome neighbor’s homes in the dead of night and tested one of his viruses on him. He had planned to return home and brush it off, but Slender thought he was too valuable to let him go.

- This dude is a GENIUS, and a massive nerd. Most of the residents overlook it since he’s just a dumb teenager who works in the infirmary, but he’s extremely intelligent. He spends all of his days studying and analyzing data, so it’s kind of a given.

- Mainly gets along with Toby, EJ, and surprisingly Helen.

- Since him and Toby are extremely close in age, they naturally hovered to each other when they first met. They aren’t necessarily similar, but they do have a brotherly connection.

- Him and EJ work together in the infirmary/ lab, so they have to communicate and at least slightly get along. Jack almost sees him as an annoying little sibling, but it’s a nice presence. Cody really looks up to him and that means a lot.

- Helen stops by on occasion to talk to Jack and over time he started talking to Cody. They’re strangely compatible given their age difference and personalities, but Helen’s a listener and Cody can’t help but ramble. Helen does botany in his free time, so he’ll bring by plants for him to study or incorporate into his excitements. Cody always makes sure to track Helen down and give him all the results and notes he took of whatever plant he had brought.

- Germaphobe. His hands are DRY from over washing and using so much hand sanitizer.

- He has a bunch of rodents and other test animals for his experiments. He’s made sure to tell Nina if she ever doesn’t want her guinea pigs anymore he’d be glad to take them.

- Strangely smells like a dentist’s office. With all the chemicals, hand sanitizer, and air fresheners in the lab he’s bound to.

- Allergic to dogs, and cats, and everything ever.

- He’s a pretty big recluse. A perfect day in his eyes is sitting alone in the lab and testing a bunch of random shit, which sounds pretty boring to anyone he tells that to.

- Cyber punk enthusiast to the absolute core. You can’t look at him and think otherwise.

- He rarely goes on missions. Usually he’s stationed in the lab to either cover for EJ or do whatever the hell he wants. In the occasion that he does get sent out, him and Jack make a great pair. Since EJ can sense pretty much anything and everything, all Cody needs is the go ahead to take the kill.

- Straight, but he doesn’t really think about intimate relationships very often. If he’s watching a movie with romance in it he might think on it for a little, but he prioritizes his work over anything. If he had to date someone in the mansion, it would probably be Nina. She’s as hyper as him and doesn’t know anything about science, so she gladly listens to whatever he’s working on. However, in realistic terms he wouldn’t date her.

- He likes musicals, I specifically mention this because Repo! The Genetic Opera reminds me of him and he would absolutely love that movie.

- Listens to a surprising amount of goth music. He thinks it’s the only music that makes him feel more productive, so he puts in his wired headphones and works while listening to it. Massive Siouxsie and the Banshees fan.

- His room is PRISTINE. Absolutely no decorations, just scattered files and white bedding. Since he’s such a germaphobe he tries to keep his room as clean as possible, even if he’s not in it very much. He thrives on energy drinks and the most sleep he gets is a nap, usually in the lab with his head down on his desk.

- HORRIBLE handwriting, definitely adds up with him being somewhat of a doctor. Pretty much only him and Helen can (almost) decipher it.

- He gets soooo giddy when referred to as Dr. Anderson. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does he’s ecstatic, especially because that’s what his foster father went by.

- Wears a lab coat and goggles on the regular. It’s not always necessary, but he feels so accomplished when he does. Occasionally wears scrubs.

- He’s been one of my favorites for like five years.

Thank you for reading! Feedback and requests are welcome.

✧✬✧✬✧✬✧✬✧✬✧✬✧

[belphiesreverie]

Hi hiii if its ok can I request a yandere Malleus, Idia, Leona, and Vil

with a darling that keeps on asking for a sign from god or in this case one of the great sevens if they should continue to have feeling for their current crush (w/c is not them rn btw-) or nah?

And them just doing stuff that's basically like a sign from the sevens that they should give up on their crush (lololol that would be kinda funny haha)

Yes ofc, this is such a fun idea!! Tysm for the request! 💕💕

TW: yandere behaviour, manipulation

This type of thing really isn’t Leona’s area of expertise. He’s much more of a “get rid of it at the source” type of person

So instead of leaving subtle hints and omens that you should move on, he thinks it’ll be much more effective to hear it directly from your crush

Of course, figuring out how to convince your crush to blatantly admit they don’t like you isn’t hard whatsoever for Leona. It’s a quick and simple solution

However, it’s also quite a harsh way of going about it but Leona is sure he can use your heartbreak in an effective manner as well

Vil has a lot of strengths, and one of those strengths is knowing a lot about body language and how to read it. It’s a skill he picked up from his acting career and he’s very open about it

So it doesn’t seem that strange to you when Vil slips in little remarks about what some body language reveals about how someone is feeling in conversations with you

He’ll talk about a large variety of people so you don’t notice what he’s trying to do when he brings up that your crushes body language insinuates they’re interested in someone they’re talking to

He might also slip in a little something about disconnect in their body language when you’re talking to them every so often. Surely these snippets of information will count as signs to you

The internet will be Idia’s best friend on this endeavour, and he’ll use all the hacking tricks in the book to make this work

He tries his best to make the transition seem natural, starting out with one or two ad’s labelled “is he the one for you?” which if clicked will lead you to a rigged quiz that will always tell you it’s destined to fail

Then he’ll take it up a notch, messing with your algorithm a little bit to show you videos of confession horror stories, and more and more ‘signs’ that your current crush isn’t the one for you will start showing up every time you look at your phone

And just as the icing on the cake, he’ll try to give himself a little head start by showing you video’s and ad’s talking about how your destined soulmate is a reclusive computer whizz

He’ll offhandedly mention that you’re looking for signs to Lilia and suddenly the whole of Diasomnia is on the case to make you give up on your crush

In the halls, all anyone seems to be talking about is romance and quite a few people are mentioning how your crush has a type that’s completely opposite to you or is already in a secret relationship

You’ll be sleeping peacefully and like 7 Diasomnia students will be whispering subliminal messages to you in your sleep that your crush hates you or that Malleus is your soulmate

Even Silver came up to you and told you about a prophetic dream he had about you being rejected and humiliated by your crush. Malleus is obviously not going to be doing anything to stop this any time soon

[sitp-recs]

hi! please feel free to delete this! but i read through your rec list (and found some amazing fics, ty!!) but i was wondering if you had any recs for fics where harry is helped by draco after the war? like he’s struggling with PTSD and being a public figure and going through it emotionally and draco takes care of him and helps him and they become closer for it and harry learns he doesn’t always have to be this Savior he can just be Harry with Draco! thank you in advance and sorry to bother you!

Not a bother at all, anon! I definitely have some recs for you. Some are set in the immediate post-war, some are set years later but they all explore Harry struggling with war/childhood trauma, fame, loneliness and the unbearable weight of having to find your way when no one else is telling you what to do anymore. Such a relatable feeling tbh. I hope you enjoy these!

Unseen by astolat (M, 11k)

When he wasn’t wearing it, he got jumpy, always waiting for someone to come at him wanting something—and now they did it even more urgently, if they ever saw him, because most of the time, nobody did.

Holly and Hawthorn, Thistle and Thyme by bryoneybrynn (T, 31k)

After the war, Harry can’t shake the feeling that something is very wrong with him and he has a terrible feeling he knows what that “something” might be. He has a terrible feeling Malfoy might know, too.

Expecto Patronum by @writcraft (E, 35k)

As Draco Malfoy negotiates his feelings for the wizarding world's brightest star, he becomes increasingly attached to Harry and unravels the secrets he keeps hidden from the rest of the world.

(Un)wanted by @aibidil (E, 36k)

Ginny's pregnant, then she's not and Harry's single. Harry, again with no family, doesn't know what to do with this turn of events, or how to find a new life—post-war, post-Ginny, post-abortion—in which he belongs. He doesn't expect that life to include dancing to the Backstreet Boys with Hermione and Draco Malfoy. A story of finding belonging in the unexpected.

He Who Must Not Be Normal by lettered (E, 41k)

Potter has fame and fortune and posh clothes and all he wants is a simple life. Draco has a flat and a cat and a steady job and all he wants is a complicated life. Which makes you think this story has something exciting like body-swapping, but it doesn’t.

Unseen by RenVeree (T, 47k)

Harry Potter finally has the chance to leave England and its expectations for The Chosen One behind for good. All he has to do is survive one Auror training conference overseas with Draco Sodding Malfoy.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

The Way Down by lettered (T, 65k)

Harry is overwhelmed by his own power and fame and angst, so he's become a hermit. Draco Malfoy is tired of the melodrama.

Harry Potter and the elusive day off by pleasebekidding (E, 71k)

Auror Potter needs a fucking break. He is wiped. He is exhausted. He probably didn't intend to put himself into a magical coma but these things happen. And who cares, really? He is comfortable in a house where he has hidden away all the shit he can't deal with.

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (E, 93k)

Draco left England after the trials and has travelled the world meeting wizards and Muggles from different cultures and with vastly different relationships to magic, each other, and the natural world. Now he's a fisherman in Finland on commercial vessels. Harry has been struggling since the war and has become a recluse while trying to write his autobiography.

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (E, 100k)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost.

A Sword Laid Aside by korlaena (E, 128k)

When Draco’s cover is blown during a deep undercover operation and the Ministry is compromised, Ron takes Draco to the only safe place he can think of—Potter. Hiding out with a taciturn Harry Potter, who has been missing from the Wizarding World for almost two decades after a shocking fall from grace, is nothing like Draco thought it would be

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

where all the veins meet by @saxamophone (E, 146k)

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now?

[rae-raewrites]

Can you do the Riddlers with an introverted artist reader who draws them sometimes?

As if he didn’t need more for his ego anon lol

The riddlers with a introverted artist S/O

Arkham

Congratulations you have ended up with an extrovert with many an introvert quality!

Eddie’s already quite the recluse so you doing your own thing in his space isn’t as much of a problem as he originally thought.

He keeps a pretty keen eye on everything that matters to him,his plans,his puzzles, you!

Well apparently not well enough when he finds you scribbling in your sketchbook

Extremely fascinated when he sees you look up almost like you got caught doing something

Of course when you shyly reveal what you’re doing well…….to say he didn’t have the biggest smile on his face would be a lie.

“Well look at you taking notice and appreciation of the genius around you!”

Congratulations you’ve accidentally fed his ego and completely charmed him at the same time

Internally though he is absolutely at awe of how much you’ve managed to capture him

Especially the not so…….easy edges

But mostly on those good,handsome ones that make him so downright irresistible

BTAS

Absolutely sweetheart in terms of you being an introvert

Like he’s a boy who understands it’s just not in your nature to be his level of flashy (let’s be honest, who is?)

Doesn’t mean he doesn’t spend hours at his desk not tinkering with the idea of a new scheme

His thinking face basically perfect to be sketched

“Dear? You’re staring.”

Wants to scold you manners wise but gets caught off guard when he sees the sketched in you’re hand

That’s…..that’s him!

All his wrinkles! His hair!

And with such mindfulness of proportions!

He’s…..charmed. Absolutely utterly charmed and hopelessly in love.

BTAA

He’s having a artist block day and it’s hitting him

Like HARD

Poor Eddie is trying to find some inspiration today

During one of his many attempts to find some inspiration he finds his muse with a pencil and paper

“Mi amor? What are you doing?”

When you shyly show him what you’ve sketched he’s genuinely perplexed for a second

It’s……it’s him succeeding at a plan!

He wants to kiss you. Genuinely

Like it’s hanging out on his desk now and he’s smiling like a maniac.

Congratulations. Now Gotham has to contend with another possible plan of his.

Zero year

Wether in intentional or not he can be a real jackass about your introvertness

He’s just…….really flashy? With a side and flair for the dramatic?

I mean the man held Gotham hostage and proceeded to make an hour with the main focus was out smarting him

Sees you drawing when he happens to look up from one of his MANY projects

“Whatcha scribbling down there doll?”

To say his grin when you show him is shit eating is well……an understatement.

Man goes out of his way to start losing some clothes

“What?! It’ll help you capture my really good side ! Not to mention it is hot in here.”

You’re gonna probably have to yell at him to get some actual clothing on at some point.

Like he’s to over dramatic to not see this as an opportunity for anything dirty to happen

[jewishregulus]

How do you headcanon regulus personality to be like? Do you feel as though James and regulus complement each other in some ways?

why yes of course! i fundamentally disagree w outwardly mean and evil regulus bc it makes no sense canonically. perhaps in an au where he separates himself from his parents and gets to be happy but regulus cares too much to be outwardly rude to people . it would impact his reputation and his families reputation like he isn’t hexing people in the hallways . he’s a professional faker (shit talks behind people’s back most definitely) and feels guilty and horrible everytime he’s plagued with an evil thought . i know many people view him as a selfish character but i think he’s fundamentally not . he puts everyone else’s wishes for him above his own . he doesn’t really exist as a person outside of his family . i do think , outside of this control, he would be sarcastic and have very dry humor , would love to read and would be very introverted but long for connection and friendship. a loner not by choice, he enjoys company but has no idea how to reach for it. i think he loves magic and magical creatures and genuinely holds a lot of love in his heart that his family disapproves of !! regulus soft black !!! not to say i think regulus doesn’t have an attitude and an edge …. i just think he has fundamentally good morals sorry! i’m a good person regulus black enjoyer i can’t help it …. of course he’s morally gray but most of the decisions he makes r caused by the life long abuse and trauma he is subject to . regulus black was suicidal as hell in those deatheater meetings the moment he turned 18 he killed himself LMFAO . i just know he was the most uncomfortable person in there at any given moment . i think vaguely threatening posh regulus is true but it is his exterior and the assumptions ppl make … and then they get to know him and realize he’s got like a little kid version of himself who holds the world with so much fascination . and it makes you sad when you realize he thinks it’s a flaw and wants to stomp it out

in this way i think he compliments james very well!! both people who really do value others and life but behave in very odd judgmental ways (regulus being a fake recluse who can’t function as a person w control over his life and opinions who is fake as hell and sarcastic whilst also having no understanding of social situations and desperate to be liked by people around him. number one peer pressure victim. 15,000 mental illnesses and a penchant for self harming behavior.) (james potter who is unfortunately consistently acting like a frat bro at any given moment : assumes everyone naturally loves him and is mostly right which does evil things for him as a person . would die for his friends but is also insufferable to be around (affectionate) . harshly judgmental to anyone who doesn’t fit into his box of what counts as a good person (which by the way regulus challenges in a way i think helps james as a character!) . looping back to the frat bro thing i think james is the type of person to throw a crazy party and convince everybody to drink and do unsafe things for the fun and when u realize u don’t have a ride home and can’t walk u are so fucking SCARED to ask to stay the night bc of his general vibes but then he ends up taking care of you and getting u pain killers and making like an awesome breakfast for the whole crew? should be the worst person you know but just beneath the surface is so much good it’s impossible to hate him.) you would never think these people would get along but then they both love quidditch and train for it like it’s their life and they are both academics with serious opinions on art and literature they would both die for even though they are often opposing . they are the first people they can have a conversation with and truly match eachothers freak on any given topic. the fundamentals of both of their characters is how much they care about life and the things inside of it . it manifests in different ways but i truly think the thesis of jegulus is that they are so much more similar than one might think outwardly , and it creates a soft intimacy between them . and also just james introducing the concept of silliness fun and happiness into regulus’ life lol!!

[jackdaniel69nice]

Do you think you can do a deep on Tokoyami’s character? I don’t see a lot of depth in to his personality due to him being mostly off screen. I wanted to know if you could headcanon his flaws and his strengths as a character! I really enjoy your input! Thank you for your time 😄.

Wow this is gonna be a lot haha I’ve never really tried to make write all this down in one go before but let’s give it a shot.

Secretive/Mysterious

On the surface tokoyami is a chunibyo goth kid with a penchant for dramatic speech, this is all true of course and what you see is exactly what you get, but there is also a hidden secretive side we do not get to see. Each little comment and interaction can reveal small details about his true personality that is hiding underneath.

Tokoyami obviously has a mysterious persona that is maintained by the fact we know little to nothing about his past or motivations for becoming a hero. It can be inferred that he tends to keep people at arms length. During the summer camp we saw what happens when he becomes enraged and loses control. He thinks he is dangerous and has a fear of getting close to people who will only be hurt because of him. It’s also heavily implied that he has hurt or even killed someone before in one of these rampages. That sort of trauma can be paramount to one’s character and influences their thoughts and behavior in many aspects.

The sports festival is when Tokoyami’s character really gets to shine. Here is where we learn about dark shadows weakness to light and their increased strength in the dark. There is already something impressive about him being able to keep that a secret for several months. I don’t think we even saw dark shadows face until the sports festival arc meaning tokoyami was probably keeping to the shadows and scoping out the class’ reactions before revealing dark shadows true nature. He is naturally skeptical of trusting others but also cunning to keep secrets to get an edge during training. This can be a sign someone has broken his trust before and he might have developed a complex that people will betray him. Of course he is willing to break this rule when it is pertinent like how he willingly told koda and Midoriya about his weakness when it was important to their teamwork.

He is also very closed off and private like how he didn’t want anyone to see his room. This can be because he is shy and it’s likely a result of being teased because of his interest in the dark ways. Despite his reclusive personality he isn’t actually off putting, he is actually very agreeable and gets along well with everyone and has been described as having maxed out communication stats. I think his ability to work well with others, even difficult and aggressive people, comes from learning to cooperate with dark shadow. He has always had to compromise to make them both happy and is willing to concede some things to get better results.

Disciplined

Tokoyami has been described on several occasions to have strong self-control. This is obviously due to his fear of losing control of his emotions and causing dark shadow to go on a rampage. I would think he was raised with strict rules and had to maintain a “perfect” persona. Suppressed emotions are unfortunately the source of his issues because they have to get out eventually and usually all at once. He didn’t have a safe space to express himself until he came to UA and that’s why he is suddenly making so much progress and developed Ragnarok so quickly.

He also seems to have a competitive spirit. He will join in on competitions and accepted kuroiros challenge. This could also be a result of how it was push for him to be perfect. While it means he’s determined and willing to put effort and practice into winning, unfortunately it also gives him a complex about failure. When faced with a task he thinks he will lose he will often give up like how he surrendered to bakugo at the sports festival. It takes him a while to get over a defeat and realize it’s not the end of the world (so dramatic). This can also be a sort of survival instinct, if you loose a fight in real life you will likely die, so he needs to win every time because he sees it as life or death.

Logical

One of Tokoyami’s strongest traits is that he’s a logical thinker. He doesn’t let his emotions influence his decisions and will do what’s best in the moment even at his own discomfort or sacrifice. Even during a crisis he thinks calmly and rationally to figure out the next move. He omits his true feelings to make teamwork easier and even will lie to avoid a negative situation. Obviously he is able to avoid conflict through logical deception but it’s at the sacrifice of his emotions. He is incredibly repressed and will go to far out of his comfort zone which could lead to a breakdown. Even when he is upset he won’t tell anyone due to this nonconfrontational nature and fear of upsetting them.

Another aspect of his cooperativeness is that he’s a very good listener. He is full of wisdom beyond his years and can come up with solutions to his friends problems. This is applicable to training because he will prioritize a team win over his own success. Unfortunately it also means he tends to stick to the shadows and follows other people’s lead to allow them the spotlight. He needs to stop acting as support and use his strength to the fullest.

Protective

Tokoyami’s motivations for becoming a hero are unknown but what we do know is that he is fiercely protective of his friends. There is no direct explanation for tokoyami to be so protective of his friends other than the fact that he is probably quite lonely and becomes easily attached to someone like his relationship with hawks. He will value other people’s life more than his own due to his insecurity and self hatred and belief that he is not good enough for them, like he has to prove himself. There is also the fact he could have developed a protective bond with dark shadow. Tokoyami had to become mature and calm very young to help take care of shadow’s needs. This is something like how the oldest sibling is expected to help take care of younger siblings. Tokoyami takes care of shadow and protects them from the light (Of course dark shadow also protects tokoyami and is even more protective than him). In the end though there really doesn’t have to be a reason for him to be a protective person, it’s just one result of someone who is completely selfless. Selflessness it’s-self isn’t to bad but tokoyami will actively throw himself into dangerous situations that could kill him like trying to save hawks from dabi. There is also the problem that this protectiveness makes him angry when someone does get hurt and led him to lose control in the forest with shoji.

[absolutebl]

Leaving GMMTV aside, what were youre favorite shows this year so far? I'll have more free time coming up and im way behind and out of the loop, so some recs would be appriacted, wise sage. Especially for those shows that didnt get the attention they deserved in your opinion! Thanks a lot!

Top 10 BLs of 2023 So Far

Our Dating Sim

(Korea) 10/10 Viki

If you haven't watched this, it's a must. I actually handed out a 10/10. I NEVER do that. It's a perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy. I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent. Full review here.

My School President

(Thai) 9/10 YouTube

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but I still ADORED this. And there is a lot to be said for the classics being re-executed perfectly. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage). My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL.

(you said no GMMTV but I have to include it)

The Eighth Sense

(Korea) 9/10 Viki

One of the longest BLs Korea has given us and (like Blueming) it feels more atmospheric gay coming of age romance than strictly BL. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. It’s a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs (do I detect a touch of Taiwan?) This one deployed BL tropes (messy eater, shoulder sleep, protective seme, there’s even some hyung-slinging) but front loaded them with painful backstory and tons angst drives the 2nd half. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it does have a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

The New Employee

(Korea) 9/10 Viki

So good, SO QUEER, so soft, a near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also found family and a lesbian bestie. Sweet & innocent (and out) Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams. On his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved (and also v gay) boss. As you do. Frankly? This is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Rainbow rice cakes forever! Directed by queer activist Kim Jho Gwang Soo (Just Friends?) partly set in the same neighbourhood as the To My Star house. Gotta love WATCHA (Semantic Error, Light on Me).

Unintentional Love Story

(Korea) 9/10 iQIYI

A boy who just lost his job due to faked corruption charges accidentally discovers his ex-boss's favorite artist, now a recluse. Evil manager offers him his job back if he can convince the artist to rejoin society. Instead, they fall in love. I found the artist a bit stiff and reserved but Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT - he carried this show (which I do not expect from the idol element). He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, just drown in the emoting abyss. The external conflict, social tension and pressure is complex and beautifully executed, plus Korea gave us legit side dishes (NOT a love triangle, hally-fucking-luya). I’m not sure on rewatchability, and it didn’t whip me into a verbal frenzy the way some KBLs do, but it still gets a solid 9/10 for those damn eyes alone.

Destiny Seeker

(Thai) 8/10 grey

A darn near perfect pulp featuring 3 likeable tsundere/sunshine pairings with uncomplicated iterations of enemies to lovers. At least one half of each does a decent amount of pining and there’s good chemistry, classic tropes, and communication rep. It’s fun and full of linguistic jokes. Sublimely cheesy but a good rainy day offering with tons of rewatch potential. Full review here.

Make a Wish

(Thai) 8/10

PNR (from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not-Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but v. satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af, fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency.

All the Liquors

(Korea) 8/10 Viki & Gaga

A pretty classic foodie set KBL that managed to distinguish itself from others in this category by having a particularly satisfying final episode centered around found family. Sunshine sweetie soju rep gets involved with a shy introvert chef who doesn’t drink. This has a somewhat uneven plot and ridiculous central conceit (much in the way of Tasty Florida or Behind Cut), but if you are looking for a restaurant BL with Korea’s signature softness, then this is a great option. FYI I may identify with our baby party boy hedonist more than any other BL lead ever presented.

Love Mate

(Korea) 8/10 Viki

Features a very much openly gay older uke with commitment issues and a romantic (if arrogant) younger seme with no respect for boundaries (hyung romance). Workplace harassment much? That’s BL for ya. (Also a nonBL Kdrama specialty.) So yeah it’s questionable, but so is my taste. The ultimate premise that someone badly hurt shuts themself off to romance is very similar to Happy Merry Ending or 8th Sense but this version was more about fear than abuse or trauma. For me, this made Love Mate more relatable. However, because the denouement was driven by a late addition faen fatal, the conclusion felt rushed and forced. I can, however, see myself rewatching this one, so it falls into the general rank of 2023′s KBL aka solid high standard and eminently watchable.

Bed Friend

(Thai YouTube, Gaga, iQIYI)

Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship that is built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly longing eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged (ALL THE TRIGGERS). NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, unfortunately the story ultimately failed them. Had the show had the strength of its convictions and kept to a tighter, darker, harsher 8 eps it would have been the first high heat to earn a 10/10 from me, but once they fussed with it, it dropped to a solid 8/10. Could have been great but was overworked. Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down. Full review here. (Triggers include: child abuse, attempted rape, family abuse)

(3x! 3x Tumblr ate this post. They HAVE to de bug their new editor. This never happens with the old one. Biggest bug is with the "undo" function, DO something about it!)

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Quicksilver Princess Chapter 6

Series summary: A fantasy AU in which Dean is part of a long line of warriors who protect the kingdom. What happens when his rescue of the little princess with the quicksilver eyes gets him a possible future bride?

Series Warnings: Nothing major. Show typical violence. Fantasy violence. Smut. Angst. Fluff. Each chapter will have its own specific warnings. So, watch for those.

Chapter Warnings: None really. A bit of magical violence. A kiss. Some angst.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x OFC (Melissande)

Word Count: 7,907

A/N: First of all - I'm so sorry for the length of this chapter. There was a lot to get through. 😁🫣 Secondly, I'm so unbelievably happy that I FINALLY got to give this story an ending! I've loved writing it, but fantasy is tough! Lol! But I'm happy and proud of the story as a whole, so I sure hope you enjoy this final chapter. And to those of you who've read the story and encouraged me to continue, thank you so much for your patience.

I know OFC's aren't most people's favourites, but I encourage you to give the story a shot, and I hope you enjoy it. ❤️

Series Master List || Main Master List || Tag Lists

Melissande strained against the chains that held her immobile on the cold, stone table, even though she knew her struggles were pointless. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to break the iron binding her.

Layo’ita began to gather things from around the room, filling the pockets of the long black cloak she wore over her royal finery. She wore no elaborate headdress or hairstyle now, instead the wide hood of the cloak kept her face slightly in shadow. 

She gathered plants and herbs, potions, many colorful crystals, and a small silver dagger, preparing everything, and going about her evil plan while she spoke.

“You have no idea how patient I’ve had to be, how meticulous with every detail.” She looked back to where Yasa stood slumped weakly against the wall. Melissande was terrified by his increased pallor. He raised his head slightly to watch Layo’ita as she continued.

“It would have been much easier if you weren’t such a nosy, troublesome thing.” She said to Yasa, her tone annoyed. “I hadn’t planned on duplicating you until this one turned eighteen.” 

She waved dismissively towards Melissande. “But you just had to galavant off to your beloved Winchesters and try to outsmart me.”

Her smile was shadowed. “I took care of them without much trouble. But their meddling forced me to enact my plan much earlier than I’d wanted. It takes a lot of power and strength to hold on to a Duplicate, to make them seem natural and believable. I certainly wasn’t planning on having to keep it up for a dozen years!” 

She huffed out a breath, clearly feeling put upon. “The difficulty with a Duplicate is that they give a sense, after a while at least, that something isn’t quite right. The smell begins to cause doubt and there can be no contact because of their cold skin. So, on top of everything else I had to take care of, I had to work at changing your reputation, sending out whispers that your brush with assassination had made you afraid and nervous to be around people.” 

Sha laughed lightly. “No one seemed to miss the real you very much, or push to see you. Fooling people got easier as your reputation as kind of a recluse spread.”

She shook her head. “I’ve tried so often to fix the issues with the Duplicates, but I simply couldn’t manage it. It is very frustrating.” She claimed in an annoyed tone. “But it’s why I knew early on that I needed to make you to say goodbye to your visits with this brat and whore wife number four. If you’d kept visiting, they’d have known you too well and recognized the differences very quickly.”

Layo’ita pushed back her hood to reveal another ghoulish grin. “So, I convinced you that my heart was broken, made you believe I actually cared where you spent your nights or how many bastards you fathered.” 

She snickered and looked at Melissande. “It was surprisingly easy to convince him to walk away from you and Hera. Hardly more than a few tears.”

Yasa shook his head. “That’s not true.” He said weakly, looking at Melissande. “It’s not true, poppet. I was just trying to do the right thing.” His body sagged further down the wall. “I’m sorry.”

Melissande shook her head. “I know, Papa, I know. It’s alright, we’re together now; that’s all that matters.”

Layo’ita cackled. “Oh, yes, yes! Together again - but not for long.”

Yasa’s breathing was short and slightly labored, as though standing for so long had sapped him of what little strength he had. His voice was thin, but it held a note of steel as he spoke again.

“Layo, I don’t understand. Where does this hate for me come from? We were friends once, weren’t we? I always tried to afford you the respect and care you deserved. Is this simply because I couldn’t love you? The heart pays little attention to anything but its own tune, you must know that. I did everything I could to honor my duty to you and our son.”

Layo’ita scoffed as she began to chop up some of the plants, along with what looked to Melissande to be a human tongue, tossing them all into a large, gold bowl.

“I couldn’t have cared less whether you loved me or didn’t.” 

Melissande heard a flicker of something in the First Queen’s voice that told her that she did care, much more than she admitted.

“I don’t hate you." She continued. "In fact, I don’t care about you at all, except that you’re in my way. I’ve always known I was born for something great, that the old gods fashioned me for power. But instead, my whole life was simply about learning to be your wife, a mother to future kings who would rule. But never me.”

She stopped chopping and set down the knife, walking closer to Yasa. “I didn’t want you to honor me as the ‘First Queen’ and I never wanted to be your ‘True Wife’.”

Layo’ita shook her head. “My whole life I was taught to stand beside power.” Her voice dipped low. “But I knew I was born to wield it.”

She looked over to Melissande. “But it wasn’t until this bouncing baby brat came into the world that I finally realized just how to make that power mine.”

She went to the small fireplace set into the southern wall and tossed some more of the plants onto the flames. They gave off an acrid scent that made Melissande’s eyes water a little. The Queen stirred them into the low burning flames, watching the plants burn up.

“I didn’t know what she was right away, but I knew she’d be special. I’d heard the legends of course of other Coll family members and ancestors who’d had the quicksilver eyes, but she was the first one in a very long time. And I just knew something like that had to come from magic. So, I began digging into the history of the family.” She paused to look back at Yasa with a smile. “Your aunt would have been proud at how well I learned my lessons from her.”

She shrugged. “It didn’t take long for me to realize you were descended from fairies, and that’s when I knew how to rid myself of you, and take on the power of the crown all for myself.”

Yasa attempted a laugh that came out as a cough. “Come on Layo, you don’t actually believe that nonsense, do you? Do we look like fairies? It’s just an old, silly legend, made up by one of my ancestors, no doubt, to try and make the Coll family seem even more suited and destined for the throne.”

Layo’ita just shook her head with a mysterious smile. “You’re wrong, Yasa. You’ve always underestimated magic. You shouldn’t.”

Melissande heard her father’s words and the strangest feeling came over her; it was like something deep in her soul was shouting out a denial of what he was saying. It wasn’t a legend; it was real. She knew it like she knew how to breathe; it was instinctual, automatic. It was an odd feeling when just the day before she’d had almost the exact same reaction as her father when Rowena told her she was part fey. 

But there was something about being in this place, so completely submerged in magic, that made the reality of her lineage very apparent to her. Something inside was screaming at her to believe, to soak up the magic surrounding her and allow it to flow through her.

Layo’ita stabbed at the fire with a poker until the logs and plants burned together into embers, and then into ash which she scooped up into a smaller silver bowl. She brought it over to the table where Melissande lay, and from inside her pocket she withdrew the silver dagger. She chanted something and then sliced a small, but fairly deep cut in Melissande’s left arm, making her gasp at the sting.

The First Queen rested the silver bowl beneath her arm, collecting her blood as it leaked from her veins. She took the bowl away, allowing the blood to trail down Melissande’s arm and onto the table. Then using the dagger, she mixed the ash and blood together, continuing to chant as she spread the sticky paste that it made, over Melissande’s feet and across her forehead.

The chants turned into a slow, soft song, as Layo’ita began to arrange the plethora of crystals she carried, around the outline of Melissande’s body. When she was done, Melissande felt the crystals warming her up in the cold chamber, each brightly colored stone giving off ripples of heat.

Layo’ita picked up the silver dagger again and approached Yasa. “Duplicating you, keeping the kingdom from knowing the truth, has been exhausting for these last twelve years. Every day, I’ve worried that this would be the day someone figured it out. I simply can’t go on like this forever.”

She shrugged. “So, my answer is to soak up your essence to put into my Duplicate, so he looks real and right. No more traces of sulfur, no more cold skin. But still very much under my control." She smiled. "I've found my solution at last."

She sighed. “Unfortunately, the only way to collect your essence,” she raised the dagger, “is to cut it out of you.”

“No!” Melissande shouted.

Yasa’s pallid face looked defiant and proud as he stood to his full height, in spite of the way his legs shook with exhaustion. Layo’ita looked slightly amused at his pride and defiance.

“You forget yourself, Layo. Do you not recall that you gave me a son, an heir. You can strike me down, but one day he will come  to claim his crown and avenge me in the process.”

The Queen cackled again. “Oh my dear, I would be surprised if he even remembers you. I’ve been assured that he’s quite happy governing in The Lands Beyond and holding on to his own little piece of the world.”

She shrugged again. “But, if the babe I birthed tries to come and claim what I have taken, well, then he’ll meet your same fate.”

The First Queen lifted the dagger, aiming it at Yasa’s heart and Melissande saw it flash in the light of the dying fire as she screamed out her horror.

***

Four more Winchesters had joined Dean’s ranks before they set off from King’s Town, and as it turned out, sixteen experienced and well-trained Winchesters were more than capable of taking down the Guardsmen. 

At the witching hour, under the cover of night, the Winchesters blended into the darkness and silently approached the castle. They split into four groups of four, and each team was charged with securing one of the North, East, South, and West facing entrances. 

They’d agreed at the outset to do everything they could to not kill the guardsmen. Despite their extreme dislike of the order, and the grudge they held against the usurping guardsmen, they all begrudgingly agreed that the soldiers were just doing their duty in protecting the castle. So, they would do all they could to spare them.

But in the end, some of the guards fought bravely and gave the Winchesters a real challenge, but a great many of the guardsmen surrendered as soon as they saw the Winchesters fighting like the Warriors they were. 

Dean, Robert, Jody, and Ketch made up one team, going through the North-facing entrance. There were approximately thirty soldiers at that entrance, and only six of them put up a fight, battling hard. But the Warriors still won handily, with only a broken nose for Ketch and two broken fingers for Jody. 

After they’d been subdued, Dean grabbed one of the more cowardly looking guardsmen and demanded that he take him to Mellie.

“Now!” Dean shouted and the man trembled as he rushed to obey. Dean had to shake his head a little. How on earth had the kingdom stayed safe with these guardsmen as its protectors?

Jody and Ketch stayed to watch over the guards left behind, and to coordinate with the other Warriors to make sure everything was going smoothly in the other battles. Dean and Robert followed the guard down endless flights of stone steps until they came upon the dungeon in the bowels of the castle. 

They left the guard tied up at the entrance to the row of dungeon cells, and proceeded down to the last cell where the guard said Mellie was being held.

They slowed as they approached it, taking extra care with their surroundings, looking for booby traps, or something that would keep them from reaching her at the last minute. 

But nothing appeared to attack them, and they approached the cell. Dean wanted to let out a whoop of relief as he saw Mellie behind the bars, lying on the hard ground.

She’s alive. He thought with cascading relief. 

She was dirty and she shivered slightly in her sleep, but she was alive. Her brow puckered as though she was having bad dreams, but she was alive. Dean approached the bars as he sent Robert back to the guard. 

“Get the key.” He told the older man, who raced off to find it. Dean called softly through the bars.

“Mellie, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up, I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Mellie’s eyes flickered open, and confusion filled her expression for a moment as she sat up. But then she saw Dean and she gave a cry of surprise and happiness.

“Dean!” She jumped to her feet. “Oh Dean, you came! I knew you would.”

She approached the bars slowly, hesitatingly and Dean smiled at her warmly to let her know she was safe. As she drew nearer a slightly foul odor hit his nose, something like rotten eggs, and it made him want to take a step back. But he gave himself a mental shake.

Gods, man, he thought to himself, she’s been snatched up and thrown in a dungeon. What were you expecting her to smell like, roses?

He smiled at her again. “Robert’s gone to get the key, then we’ll get you out of here, somewhere safe, with a couple of Warriors to protect you and Robert and I will stay and demand to speak with your father, and try to find out what’s going on here.”

Mellie nodded. “Please be careful.”

Before he could respond, Robert was back with the key. Dean took it from him and pushed it into the rusted lock, unlocking the cell and pulling open the squeaking door. He rushed inside and ran up to Mellie, taking her upper arms in his hands, intending to pull her close. But when he touched her he was surprised.

“Mellie, you’re like ice.” He said with a frown, chafing her arms. “Robert, see if you can find a blanket somewhere.”

Robert nodded and set off. Dean took Mellie’s icy hand in his, intending to lead her out of the cell. But as her hand slipped into his, a sense of something dark slithered down his spine and suddenly his instincts were screaming at him, warning him. 

He turned to look down at the woman walking beside him, and he was somehow sure something was off. For one thing, Mellie was never this quiet. She should be asking him a thousand questions about how they got in and who was with him. She should be saying “I told you so.” because the Winchesters had listened to him as she’d said they would.

He dropped her hand and stepped back from her. She looked slightly confused and a little hurt. “Dean, what is it?”

Dean shook his head, more sure than ever. He jerked his chin towards her. “I have no idea what you are, sweetheart, but you sure as hell aren’t Mellie.”

Remembering suddenly, Dean reached into the pouch on his hip and pulled out one of Rowena’s magic-revealing bags, and it glowed bright purple. Grabbing a matchbox from the same pouch, he quickly lit a match and then set the bundle ablaze. 

In slight horror, Dean watched as “Mellie” went stone silent and unmoving before she went up in a literal puff of smoke. The air around him radiated the purple color as it thinned to a trail that led towards the back wall.

“Robert!” He called and the elder Warrior ran in, clearly confused by the still settling smoke and the purple air around them.

“It wasn’t her.” Dean said succinctly. “I don’t know what kind of illusion that was, but it was obviously meant to keep us from finding the real Mellie, and to keep us distracted until it’s too late.”

He pointed to the purple path in front of them and how it disappeared into the wall. “This is a protection bag from Rowena.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “You went to one witch to save you from another? What are the chances that she isn’t helping her?”

Dean shook his head. “No, trust me, we can trust her. On this at least. The bag glows purple in the presence of magic, and when it’s burned it reveals the magic that’s been used. This magic seems to be in the very air around us, and it seems to be leading us there.” He said, pointing.

“Into a wall.” Robert said, deadpan. 

Dean nodded. “I wonder what’s on the other side.”

Robert nodded. “Alright, how do we break through?”

It took them far longer than Dean wanted to find equipment to try to chip away at the stone. His stomach was once again in his throat as he realized the eclipse was approaching fast. 

But once they had pickaxes, they began pounding away at the stone and put a hole in the wall mercifully quickly. Once there was a small opening, the men tore at it with their bare hands, loosening rock and shoving it aside until there was a hole big enough for them to squeeze through. 

When they were on the other side they saw they were standing on a landing at the top of a very long staircase. The stairs went on for so long, and went so deep beneath the castle, that they couldn’t make out the bottom of the steps; it ended in sheer darkness. 

Though it was starting to fade, they still had the purple light in the air to follow, and it led them straight down the stairs. 

It seemed to take forever to reach the bottom, and eventually the purple light disappeared completely, forcing Dean to strike match after match in an attempt to keep them from pitching headfirst down the increasingly damp stairs. 

Finally, they reached the bottom, and followed a very pale light that was burning in the one and only cell. There was no one inside, and Dean wondered why the light still burned inside the cell.

Finally, he decided to burn the other bag, and see where the purple air would take them next. It had them continue down a very long corridor, until they finally reached a small, oval, wooden door. They were in the process of trying to find a way through, when Dean heard Mellie scream in terror and without hesitation, he smashed his body through the door.

***

It all happened so quickly; one moment the Queen was a breath away from murdering her father right in front of her, and the next moment there was a massive crash as the door splintered and Dean came charging through it. 

Instantly Melissande’s eyes were filled with tears. “Dean.” She whispered. 

Before she could do more than blink away the tears however, Dean and another man ran at Layo’ita, swords raised. With a blast of blue light from the center of her palms she threw the men back, spinning them through the air to land in a heap on the floor. 

Dean got to his hands and knees and took cover behind a shelf full of tiny vials of potion. The older man sought cover as well, but didn’t find it quick enough and Layo’ita blasted him again, sending him crashing into the wall this time and knocking him out cold.

The Queen slowly walked towards the shelf Dean was hiding behind, shaking her head. “Now, now, hunter, you failed spectacularly at the mission I sent you on. But if you’re very good, I’ll let you stay alive for the show. As the sun rises, the moon will usurp its place in the sky, and the world will go dark. Then I will make my mark upon this land, and then the next kingdom, and the next and next, until all the world is held in the palm of my hand.”

Dean’s voice was deeply sardonic as he spoke. “Wow, it seems to me, like maybe you need a new pastime. You know, something else to focus on besides the whole, world conquering insanity. Cause, I mean, let’s be honest. Who the hell are you to claim ownership of the entire living world?”

Melissande could hear the rage in the Queen’s voice as she shouted at him. “I am born of the old gods, crafted by them, my destiny set down by them, written into the turning pages of time, before the world began. I am chosen among all the-”

“Got it!” Dean interrupted her. “You’re the very bestest and the gods really, really like you. That’s great, but I suppose that means I’m gonna make those old guys pretty angry when I put my sword through your black heart.”

Melissande could see the way Layo’ita’s face contorted in fury. “How dare you? You know you don’t stand a chance against me, boy! You mock the old gods, but they’re at my back, they guide me and give me power.”

She walked to one side of the shelf, creeping slowly, hiding her approach, but as she swept around to the back, Dean charged out from the other side, swinging his sword in a downward arc, coming within a hair’s breadth of taking off the queen’s head. But she jumped back just in time, and fired a bolt of magical power at him, tossing him aside, into the wall beside her father.

He rose again quickly, but not fast enough. Chains snaked out of the wall to wrap around Dean’s chest and thighs, pinning him in place. When he was completely immobilized, the Queen waved her hand and another set of chains wrapped themselves around Robert where he lay, still unconscious.

She approached Dean, wearing a smug smile. She reached out towards him, and used magic to pry his hand open and let his sword clatter to the ground. 

Dean gave a frustrated growl through clenched teeth as the Queen reached him. She raised her hand up to run it down his cheek, and Dean turned his head, trying to jerk it away from her. But there was nowhere to move to.

Melissande watched his jaw flex tightly as Layo’ita ran her fingers from his cheek, down over his neck, and then across his broad chest.

The Queen sighed slightly. “You know, you certainly are a beautiful man. I might have to keep you. When the world is mine, I might need a pet, someone to keep me…entertained.” She moved her fingertips to his mouth and traced his bottom lip.

Dean turned cold eyes her way. “Yeah, good luck with that, sweetheart. Cause trust me, I bite.” He snapped his teeth at her fingers, and she just barely got them out of the way in time. She laughed, clearly exhilarated. 

She practically purred at him. “Yes, I must find a place for you in my bedroom.”

“Get away from him!” Melissande shouted at her. She felt sick seeing Dean chained up and at the mercy of this fiendish madwoman. She’d brought this on him.

Layo’ita turned laughing eyes her way. “Oh, little princess, does it bother you to see him with someone else? Did you imagine he was in love with you just because he married you.” 

When Melissande’s eyes grew wide, Layo’ita smirked. “Did you think I wasn’t aware of that pathetic attempt at trickery? But you won’t have to worry about that much longer. In fact,” she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, “soon you won’t have to worry about much of anything."

She looked up at the ceiling. “The sun is rising.”

There were no windows in the chamber, but somehow Melissande knew she was right; it was as if she could feel it on her skin. 

The Queen returned to Melissande’s side, pressing her hand to her forehead as though she was checking Melissande for a fever. But she chanted softly, effectively ignoring the woman beneath her hand as she continued the ritual she’d been planning for nineteen years.

When her chant ended, she seemed to be almost in a trance, and she wandered back towards Dean and Yasa. The King seemed so faint now he could barely hold his head up. Layo’ita bent to pick up the dagger she’d dropped when Dean smashed through the door, and tilted her head to look at Yasa, studying him.

But then she raised the dagger in her hand again, and again Melissande screamed out in terror. “Papa!” As her scream crescendoed, something happened that hadn’t happened the first time. 

One of the crystals on the stone table, the orange one beside her shoulder, cracked into shards and the pieces sailed across the room towards the Queen. The sharp splinters of rock sliced into her cheek and she screamed in pain and surprise. 

She whipped around to see Melissande’s shocked expression as she felt something churning inside her. Something that felt as though it rose up from the bottom of her soul and the very tips of her toes. Without conscious thought, two more crystals splintered and hurled themselves at Layo’ita, making the woman scream at Melissande in frustration.

“What do you think you’re doing you little brat? Who do you think you are?”

Words swam up into Melissande’s mind, Rowena’s words, and she spoke them outloud.

“I am the direct descendant of Queen Caryn'se, Ruler of the Fae and these ancient lands from the time the world began.” She shook her head. “You think the old gods created you to be a force of power and tyranny, but I think you’re wrong.”

With almost no effort, Melissande snapped the iron links that bound her, sitting up and grasping two more crystals in her hands. The Queen shot a bolt of power at her, but it sparked out and died like a fizzled candle before it could touch the Princess.

Melissande felt her body begin to buzz with an inexplicable energy, powerful and potent. But it didn’t scare her, it excited her, and it cradled her, protected her as she stepped down from the table and faced Layo’ita as she continued.

“I believe that when the old gods crafted me, they fashioned my veins and filled them with the blood of the fey, the blood of Caryn’se.” She held up the crystals in her palms. “They gave me the protection of the earth, the protection of Sanso’ye itself. The land of the silver-eyed people belongs to my ancestors, and we will not allow you to make our people suffer any longer!” 

Melissande’s voice was vibrating with power, and she could see the white light that surrounded her, emanating from her entire body. As the Queen tried to bombard her with more and more flashes of dark magic, Melissande looked to where her father and Dean stood chained. Their eyes were wide with disbelief, but then Dean smiled as she caught his eye. It was a warm smile, and it even looked a little proud. 

Melissande sent another crystal flying towards Dean. The gem barely touched his chains, but they quickly fell away. As soon as he was free, he immediately leapt for his sword. 

Layo'ita spun to face him, hand raised to throw more magic at him, and the chains had started reaching out for him again.

But Melissande shook her head. “No.” She said softly and four crystals broke apart and shot through the air to stab into the Queen’s skin, causing her to screech in pain.

Her scream was short-lived, however as Dean got ahold of his sword and swung it true, following through on his promise, and plunging it through her heart. 

The Queen’s face, skull-like and imobile, nevertheless wore a look of unbelievable shock as she fell backwards off of Dean’s sword and landed in a heap on the ground. Blood plumed across her chest, and as her last breath rattled out of her lungs, the Queen reached towards Melissande, as though, even in her last moments of life, she was desperately trying to grasp onto power.

After the Queen's death rattle, silence reigned for a moment, and Melissande could feel the power that had surged through her, begin to ebb, slowly melting away until she was just herself again, just a girl standing on very shaky legs.

Dean dropped his sword and ran to her, grasping her cheeks; his eyes flicked over her face quickly, taking inventory. Then without a word he claimed her lips in a stunning kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and stamping her with it. He swallowed down her surprised cry, turning his head so he could slot his mouth over hers again and again.

They might have stayed like that forever if not for the King softly clearing his throat.

They nearly leapt away from each other as they were interrupted. They looked over to where Yasa stood, still weak and leaning against the wall, but also free from the chains. Melissande’s eyes widened.

“How did you get out of the chains?” 

The king pointed to where Robert was stirring slightly, his chains were also broken and laying on the floor. Yasa shrugged. “The magic died with her, I suppose.”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I hate to pull you apart, but I do believe we should get out of this vile place.”

Dean sprang into action. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty.” He looked at the man’s spindly limbs and bit his lip. “I mean no disrespect, Your Grace, but there are many, many stairs to climb in order to get out of here. Will you allow me to carry you out?”

Yasa nodded. “Thank you Winchester.” As Dean moved to pick him up though, the King put a hand on his arm. “I owe you my life, and my kingdom and I want you to know, it wasn’t truly me who…who ordered your father’s death and your brother’s imprisonment. John and Sam were incredibly decent and loyal men, and I will make immediate moves to see to it your brother is released and your father is pardoned of all false crimes. I’m so sorry that I ever called on them for help.”

Dean’s jaw ticked and he swallowed sharply, but he shook his head. “No, Sir. You have nothing to apologize for. My father died trying to protect his King, as he’d vowed. And now that people will know that, he can rest peacefully and honorably.”

Dean swallowed tightly again. “But I’m very grateful to have my little brother back as soon as possible.”

The King nodded. “It shall be done.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Dean said before he easily picked up the stick thin man.

Melissande felt her heart constrict as she imagined the joy waiting for Dean when Sam was finally freed at last. But she shook her head at her father. “Yes, we’ll do it all, but first, I believe I promised you warm soup and warm blankets.”

***

Two months later:

In the time that followed there was much rejoicing and reuniting; the kingdom learned slowly about all that had happened at the castle, both twelve years ago and at the equinox. Astonishment was high, but as time moved forward, the astonishment turned into great joy. A huge celebration was planned and many, many people were invited. 

All the King’s children had been called back home for a time, the invitation extended to their families as well. Yasa was determined to reconnect with his children, explain what had happened, and meet his grandchildren. He was slowly gaining weight, and color had returned to his skin, so he was more than ready to receive the rest of his family.

Melissande was slightly nervous about seeing her siblings again, or in the case of her eldest brother, seeing him for the very first time. But mostly she was excited, and she was happy that her father had survived to see his children all gathered under one roof.

Queen Hera had been given a place of honor for her eternal resting place. She'd been buried within the King’s Castle graveyard where Yasa could go put flowers on her grave easily while he recuperated. Melissande had caught him talking to her a few times when she came to pay her respects. Her father had been embarrassed at first, but she shook her head.

“No, Papa, don’t be ashamed. I talk to her all the time.” Tears filled her eyes. “I miss her very much, but I think she listens to us and it makes her happy to hear from us.”

Yasa nodded and kissed the crown of his daughter’s head. “You have your mother’s gentle spirit, and kind, loving heart.” He chucked her chin and winked at her. “But I’m gonna take credit for providing you with the fierce, unimaginable power you wield like a sword on behalf of your people.”

Melissande laughed. “I think that part comes along with these.” She said, pointing to her silver eyes and giving a shrug. “So, it probably does come from your side.”

When it came to her powers, she was still a little daunted by them, but with Rowena’s help she was beginning to learn about them, and how to manage them. 

There was some pushback from the church as the Kingdom made moves towards embracing the old gods and magic once again. But the King told them simply that this had always been a realm of magic, and when you repressed it, or left only a few to practice it, you ended up with power-hungry rivals for the throne and no one to check them.

There was a lot of grumbling at first, but those on different sides of the issue were starting to come together and at least work towards peace and harmony.

One of the happiest moments for Melissande in the months after escaping from the Queen’s wrath, had been when the prisoners were freed from the mines. It wasn’t only Sam that had been wrongly imprisoned. There were many that Layo’ita had sent to the mines simply for questioning her or for stating their opinion.

When they’d returned, seeing families reunited had brought on many happy tears. Watching Dean and Sam crush each other as they embraced for the first time in over a decade, had made her sob noisily into her handkerchief.

While the kingdom was being set to rights and the Warriors were returned to their former place of honor within the kingdom (some of the guardsmen who’d defended the castle so stoutly were taking the vow as Winchesters), it was easy to stay busy and distracted.

But as the celebration approached, and preparations fell into the capable hands of their craftsmen and artisans, Melissande found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and she began to contemplate what the future was going to look like for her and Dean.

She knew he’d only married her to keep her safe. So, now that she was, what would he do? He’d been reinstated as a First Line Warrior and had returned to his duties at the Winchester Keep. He was at the castle fairly frequently, helping the King set his defenses in order and shore up security around the kingdom since it had been allowed to become incredibly lax under a Queen who didn’t care about the people.

So, Melissande saw him fairly regularly, but they never spoke about their situation. It was always just polite conversation in which he addressed her formally as “Your Highness” or “Princess Melissande”. He never called her Mellie anymore and she missed the sound of it on his lips.

She also missed his lips, and his hands, and so many other parts of him. She missed the way she always felt so safe with him nearby, missed the way he teased her, or purposely tried to bait her. She just missed him, and she was starting to think that now that his duty was done, he was no longer interested in anything to do with her. 

But she thought about him all the time. She thought a lot about the wedding night that they never really had; she dreamed about it too.

Then one day a messenger arrived with a package for her. She saw that it came from Dean and she ripped it open excitedly. But when she saw what was inside her heart stopped beating and then plummeted to her stomach.

Inside were papers that had already been drawn up by the church and signed by Dean, papers that officially annulled their marriage, and set them free of one another. Dean had included a note at the bottom that said simply:

Have your father sign these as well, and it will be official, and you’ll be rid of me at last.

Melissande heard the teasing in the written words, could easily imagine the way his green eyes would sparkle, and the way they would crinkle at the corners as he smiled.

Her heart was broken and she ran to talk to the one person she knew would listen and not judge her for loving a man who didn’t want her. She knelt at her mother’s grave, rearranging the old flowers around her new ones.

“I don’t know what to do, Mama. I just love him. He’s so brave and strong and true. I know that sounds like the words of a lovesick fool, and I suppose I am. But they’re also the truth. He’s so honorable and chivalrous and…oh, Mama he’s so handsome. I think about him all the time, about…well about him kissing me or…well I just think about him. His voice and his laugh and…”

Her tears streaked her cheeks. “But he’s dissolving the contract between us, making it as though it never was.”

She wiped her cheeks and sniffled. “I suppose it’s fair. He only married me to keep me safe and to do the noble thing. Now that I’m safe, the kind thing to do would be to let him out of his obligation.”

She took a shuddery breath. “Yes, it’s the honorable thing to do.”

***

Dean walked into the King’s private antechamber, expecting to be discussing training for the new Warriors, and how the Keeps would be updated to accommodate the new men and women. But as he entered, the King waved at a seat beside him, bidding him to sit down. 

It was highly unusual. Generally he met with the King and a few members of his new Council. So being here alone was already strange, but also, Warriors stood during meetings, and they were certainly never invited by the King to sit beside him.

But not wishing to disobey his King, he perched on the edge of the seat and nodded at the sovereign awkwardly. “So, would you like me to list the supplies we’ll need to improve and expand the Keeps?”

But Yasa was shaking his head. “No, no. This isn’t a formal visit. I had some questions to ask you.”

Dean felt his heart beat a little faster. “Alright, Your Majesty. I’d be happy to try and answer them.”

The King was quiet for a moment before he turned inquisitive eyes on Dean. “Why did you marry my daughter?” 

Dean felt his stomach twist into a knot. Why the hell was the King talking to him about this? He and Mellie had already explained how and why the wedding had taken place, and Yasa had seemed fine with it at the time, maybe even a little grateful for Dean’s help.

So, what had changed; why did he want to discuss this now? Was this because of the annulment papers? Were there things he needed clarified?

Dean cleared his throat. “Well, as we told you, Your Grace, at the time, not knowing the full plans of the First Queen, it seemed like…”

Dean trailed off as the King waved at him. “No, no. I know the official reason, I know you meant to keep her safe, and I’m very grateful for that. But I suppose I meant to ask, was that the only reason? Or…is there a way you could see yourself staying married to her now that she’s safe?”

“I’m afraid…” Dean cleared his throat again. “Sire, I’m afraid I don’t…I mean, I’m not sure what you’re asking. I…of course I never dreamed of keeping her shackled to a mere Warrior. She no longer requires the protection of my name or my sword, so as any good subject would do, I’m removing the obligation of our vows.”

Yasa nodded. “I see…so…you don’t love her?”

Dean’s heart began to beat triple time. “I’m…Your Grace…I don’t…my feelings don’t matter one way or another. I’m a Warrior, Melissande is a Princess, I have no right to feel any way towards her. I’m all too aware that I am not worthy of her hand.”

“Hmm…” The King stroked his chin and then reached over to pull some papers off the table beside him. Dean recognized the annulment papers, but on top of them was a letter in neat, slanting handwriting. The King held it up. 

“This is a letter from Hera that she sent to me on Melissande’s eighteenth birthday. Of course, having been trapped in a dungeon, I only just got around to reading it. The letter talks about what an amazing woman Melissande has become, but then she goes on to talk about you.”

Dean frowned. “Me?”

Yasa smiled. “Yes, lad, you. She explains how you saved Melissande when she was just a little girl.” A shadow passed over his features. “Somehow that information never made it to me either, and I wasn’t in a dungeon then.” He sighed. “I have a lot to make amends for.”

He shook his head and continued. “In the letter, Hera says that when you saved her, she offered you Melissande’s hand when she came of age, but you said then too, that you were not worthy. But,” he lifted the letter, “she thought you were. In fact, she knew you were. And I would have to agree.”

Dean shook his head. “Your Majesty -”

Yasa cut him off. “You’ve now saved my daughter’s life twice. You saved me, and the kingdom.”

Dean scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and stared at the floor. “With an awful lot of help from your daughter.”

The King smiled. “Yes, she was remarkable. But you fought to get to us and you stabbed that wicked witch through the heart so she could never again threaten our kingdom.” His voice became more impassioned. “Your father gave his life, and your brother gave his freedom in defense of our kingdom. Now, if that doesn’t label you as worthy, I don’t know what would.”

At a complete loss for words, Dean could only fidget on the chair and look anywhere but at his King.

Yasa’s voice was soft as he continued. “But worthy or not, I won’t let you be with her if you don't love her. She deserves all the tenderness that was denied to her and her mother because of Layo’ita…and me.”

Dean felt his mind cloud with visions of Mellie, the visions he fought against day and night - her laughter and its musicality, but also the way her eyes sparked when she was mad; her bravery and her vulnerability; the way she clung to him sometimes, and the way she bossed him around. He thought about the very real possibility the King was presenting to him - a life with Mellie at his side, maybe children in the future and a life lived with purpose and meaning.

He hardly believed it could be real. But he took a chance and spoke quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. “Yes, I love her. I love her very much.”

Dean actually jumped in his seat as the door burst open and Mellie thundered in. Her cheeks were flushed, and tears sparkled in her beautiful quicksilver eyes; her skin glowed slightly as the magic of her soul lit up her body.

“Really Winchester?” She said, swallowing harshly and trying to hide her beaming smile. “You told my father before you told me?”

Dean felt the King stand and walk towards the door, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Mellie to look. The King paused at her side and kissed the top of her head.

“Go easy on him, poppet. He really loves you.” He gave a soft smile and left, thrilled with this development and off to tell Hera all about it.

As he left the room, Mellie walked up to where Dean still sat in the chair. “So?” She said, tapping her foot against the wooden floors.

Dean felt his chest expand as it began to dawn on him that he really was married to this spitfire princess with her shifting silver eyes, and miracle of miracles, she seemed to love him back, which meant he got to stay married to her.

He smiled widely and his eyes were teasing as he reached up to grab her hand and yank her down onto his lap. She let out a small squeal as he spoke.

“And if I did speak to your father before you, wife? What of it? I am your husband after all, so you have to obey me.”

She elbowed him in the ribs and he exhaled sharply. “Oof.” 

Mellie’s eyes glowed bright silver and Dean let his heart fill with awe as she spoke. 

“Not likely, my Winchester Warrior. I am the Princess Melissande, pride of my mother Queen Hera, descendant of the fairy Queen Caryn’se, daughter of the Fae, and the honored child of King Yasa of Sanso’ye.” She flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “I obey no one.”

Dean’s smile was soft as he brushed his lips softly against hers and cupped her cheek in his palm before conceding happily and running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Alright, my Mellie, I suppose the obedience part is negotiable.”

He kissed her as she laughed, and reveled in the sound, and in the way her body felt, pressed close to him.

He caught her chin with his thumb and forefinger and stared into her eyes. “Marry me, princess?”

She chuckled. “That part’s already done.” She gave him an impish grin. “But I’ll wed you all over again, happily, if you promise that this time, we get a wedding night.”

Dean’s eyes flared with heat and he kissed her long and deep, living for the sighs and whimpers that bubbled up from inside her. He pulled back when he was dizzy for air, and he was panting as he spoke.

“You know, sweetheart, technically we are already married, and I bet Rowena would let us stay a night in that big, beautiful bedroom of hers. If I offer her a big enough trade she might even take herself and Bernard away for the night.”

Mellie’s smile was blinding. “Send a messenger.”

@lyarr24 @lacilou @deans-spinster-witch @globetrotter28 @suckitands33

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[twst-drabbles]

For the sanctuary AU,

One of my characters reincarnates back and forth through time and dimension, so I got a thought while reading that one Drabble you wrote about the Caretaker being killed by the kidnappers.

So for the pet or sanctuary au,

What if after we die we kind of just. Show up one day out of the blue, kind of like

*wakes up*

‘Huh, wait.’ “OH SHIT! I LEFT MY BOYS!”

And just books it knowing it’s been a while since they died, I’m thinking like two decades so this mini version of their caretaker shows up ready to beat someone for hurting their boys.

‘Oh fuck oh shit oh damn it where the fuck do I-‘

“SUP MOTHAFU-“

*bashes head in with a chair*

“Hey sweetheart how are you? So sorry I’m late let’s go home- oh shit I have parents”

And goes back with these massive guys attached to them and not letting go ever.

(The bad end boys need a happy ending)

Hahaha that's a real comedic take. Anger is still fresh in their hearts since I would imagine that being dead doesn't exactly allow one to feel the full extent of time passing.

Though, me being me, I naturally have to think of the very, veeeeery angsty route that comes with the Caretaker being dead for this long. It's mostly going to be a ramble, and Crowley will take center stage for a bit because of course that be the first person I’d latch onto when thinking about how the death of the Caretaker would affect people, and how their sudden coming back would play out.

Let's see let's see...

So, obviously there would be many changes regarding everyone that's involved with the Caretaker in some form or fashion. They are a pretty beloved person within this neighborhood all things considered.

Before I turn my attention to the pets/familiars in question, I actually want to focus on Crowley of all people. He's a strange man, that's for sure. This weird unaging figure that's been in this neighbor for longer than anyone can remember. Back then, before you entered his life, he was just this strange and rather reclusive man in a hat that mutters to himself while collecting all sorts of odd magical items and other things that may as well be cursed. He didn't used to have a garden, actually, or any of the fancy sprinklers and

So, that being said, the death of the Caretaker would hit Crowley the hardest out of everyone involved. I cannot emphasize enough how much this affected this man. I know I don’t really write much about him in regards to the housepet and sanctuary au, but he’s a pretty integral part of the Caretaker’s life, and vice-versa.

That being said, Crowley is focused on one thing, and one thing only: righting wrongs. It’s a real quiet vengeance quest honestly. Hell, I hesitate to call it a vengeance quest because Crowley isn’t murdering out of any anger in him, he’s basically doing it out of obligation. Like this was the next natural step, when all Crowley wants to do is go back home and wallow in his misery and never come out.

There is this dangerous, single minded focus to him either way. He knows doing this won’t make him feel better, but it causes him misery to think that the people that hurt the Caretaker could still be alive. That they must be rolling in their grave, unable to find peace because he chose to stay inside and let time rot him from the inside.

It’s kind of hilarious to think about. Where, in the event of the Caretaker’s unfair and early death, Crowley ends up becoming the main character. At least, for a time.

So, that being said, the pets do end up being rescued by Crowley, but it’s pretty much clear that the thought of carefully taking care of them is not in his head. He gets them out of their various situations, and then pretty much leaves them to their own devices to complete this hunting quest he’s on. And once he’s got everyone and got rid of those that hurt the Caretaker, he’ll retreat back into his home and become the hermit he used to be.

So yeah, the pets and Crowley will have an interesting situation going on between them. They appreciate the fact that he rescued them, certainly, but they’re not close. Crowley’s priority has always been the Caretaker, and it feels like dangerous territory to tread when attempting to help him move on.

And when the Caretaker just comes back two decades later, Crowley is going to be… weird honestly. Years of being despondent to the world and completing his revenge and getting all the pets back and still without the Caretaker, only to have them back as though death never touched them in the first place would mess him up in a different way.

We’re pretty much used to Crowley being this flight of fancy, air-headed bird of man, doing whatever the hell he wants in that bumbling–and sometimes selfish–way of his. For all his flaws, his heart is usually in the right place. The annoying crow man we all know and love.

Now we get to deal with a version of Crowley that’s let himself unhealthily stew in his grief for far longer than even the pets lets themselves grieve.

Have you ever been dotted on by someone who relies so heavily on your safety and happiness that they react like they’re dying whenever you get so much as a paper cut? Like their own safety is second fiddle compared to yours, and will probably make themselves sick with worry if you go missing for too long?

Yeah, Crowley’s kinda like that. He tries to act normal, tries to go back to that jolly self but every time the Caretaker so much as gets a cut, everything about him goes silent and Crowley’s eyes grow real intense.

Dude’s plagued by some intense and horribly unchecked paranoia. And has an unhealthy dependence on the Caretaker.

So anyways, onto the pets! In no particular order and obviously not going to talk about all of them because there’s just too many.

So anyways, I really can’t imagine the familiars would be stuck in their horrible situation. And by the time the Caretaker reappears, back from the dead, they’ve all gone their separate ways.

While all of them are pretty much functioning as familiars and pets should, they haven’t really healed and are simply sweeping everything under the rug for the sake of those in their group. Forcing themselves into a “normal” routine while refusing to address all the things wrong with themselves. Resentment, naturally, is bound to pop up.

I’d say stuff in this au reflects what goes on in the actual canon material, though with everything being tied back to the Caretaker and the fact that none of the pets have forgiven themselves for letting them die, even though there was literally nothing they could’ve done. They all have done their best.

Riddle’s tyrannical behavior? Hasn’t forgiven himself for not being stricter with his rules, for being so lax that people came in and killed the Caretaker. A tighter grip on his garden means he can better protect the people in it. And when they even break one rule, no matter how benign, they must be punished so such a thing never happens again. Because one slip up can lead to more uninvited danger, and another life lost.

Leona’s nihilistic attitude and resentment towards Malleus? Leona has tried his best and still couldn’t have saved the Caretaker, and Malleus, being gifted with more power than anyone else, should’ve been able to save them but he didn’t. They were all useless. So, what’s the point in trying when, no matter how hard you search and improve oneself, you can’t reverse the mistakes made? All Leona has is his resentment, and so he will bring it forth.

Azul’s taking advantage of people and hoarding of wealth? The world runs on money, and without it, you’re less than nothing. And when you’re less than nothing, you can easily be hurt and killed without a second thought. Hoard enough wealth, put enough value on one’s self, and you’ll basically be nigh untouchable. And surely, when you’re finally untouchable, you’ll be able to protect everything.

Jamil’s resentment towards Kalim and his plans to turn everyone against him? The people that have killed the Caretaker originally wanted to target Kalim and his family for his own pets. Unfortunately, Caretaker was friends with Kalim and, they’re the easier target. It shouldn’t have been them.

Vil’s obsession with perfecting other, himself and breakdown at his own perceived ugliness? It’s his emotional crutch, his physical evidence that he can do well for himself, that he’s not falling apart at the seams with the death of the Caretaker. Neige is doing well for himself after all, So well. So so so well. So Vil must also do well, must be better, in fact.

Idia’s resentment of the happier world around him and overindulgence in various hobbies to the point of being horribly socially stunted? Trying to retreat back into happier times before the death of the Caretaker. It was easier, back then. Everything was so much easier that this current world is just… not worth it.

Malleus’s frustrations at being left behind as time continues to move while he remains stuck in place? He’s still adjusting to a routine without the Caretaker there to keep him company. He still has habits that he developed in response to being around the Caretaker, he still sets up his diner table with an extra plate, and always wakes up in the sunlight expecting to hear their voice somewhere in the distance. It’s unfair, really.

The Caretaker is dead and gone, has been for a while, so none of them register that all of their problems stem from the fact that they feel heavy guilt for watching them get killed. They all think they’re ‘better’ now. They’re not. They still got problems.

So yeah, when the Caretaker comes back, all their coping mechanisms are going to go out of wack. There will be a happy ending, but boy is it going to be hard to get to.

Fun stuff, fun stuff.

[yaksha-lover]

OH MY GOD I FINALLY FLIND YOU AGAIN! I remember finding your blog a long time ago when it was new I believe and sent a request later on

https://www.tumblr.com/yaksha-lover/691627436629213184/hi-idk-if-your-writing-rn-but-if-you-are-how-about?source=share

(this one)

I remember reading this response and was so excited and happy! I I just want to say thank you again for it ☺️🙏 (if I didn't say thank you then I'm sorry I was really nervous to send asks back then)

Request part! Can you make it the same as my last ask, but instead of the first years it being Lillia and anyone else you think will fit!

I think it'll hit harder with him since he's the one in actual power to let us go 🌝

Have a lovely day!! Make sure to drink water 💓

Haha happy you found me again! Thanks for the request, I hope you like it! Part 1

MC who believes they’re going back home (Vampire AU) - Lilia, Idia, Leona, Vil

Lilia:

You would probably try your best to avoid saying things like this around Lilia because of both the awkwardness and the fear that he’ll misinterpret things.

He’d end up overhearing you say this to others sometime and his reaction is definitely ambivalence. While Lilia does feel guilty for keeping you at the mansion, he knows the guilt is worth protecting everyone.

He wouldn’t be angry or anything at your words, he understands your reaction is completely natural. If this is at a point where the two of you have gotten closer, he may feel a bit upset that you’re so desperate to leave everyone behind, but he’s aware enough to realize it’s pretty much his fault.

Lilia would approach you to talk and explain that, while he doesn’t feel comfortable just letting you go right now, he’s willing to compromise and give you some more freedom than before, like chaperoned trips.

He’d ask what else he could do to make your life comfortable and make you happy, other than letting you go. Lilia would do anything in his power, spoiling you with gifts and luxuries. He would also try and send Silver to comfort you, because he knows you would rather be around his son than him.

He’d also be willing to promise you that one day you would be allowed to leave, even if it isn’t soon, but he hopes that you will at least come back and visit them occasionally, even though he knows you rightfully resent him.

Idia:

Idia would be pretty down whenever you bring it up, going from being normal around you (since he’s gotten used to you) to suddenly closing up sullenly when you start talking about going home.

Not many of the residents can tolerate him for too long, so he pretty much relies on you and Ortho to keep him company and not become a complete recluse.

Idia is far from delusional and, given his own experiences of feeling trapped, understands your desire to leave and live a normal life again where you have freedom.

That said, it’s hard when one of the only people who actually likes him and who he doesn’t get anxiety hanging around wants to leave.

This kind of talk, while rationally he knows has nothing to do with him, is pretty upsetting for him to hear because he feels like he’s not enough for you to stick around.

He can also be pretty blunt about it, telling you to be realistic and that it’ll be a long time (if ever) before you leave. Also isn’t afraid of weaponizing his little brother against you by telling Ortho to ask if you’ll keep playing games with them forever to guilt you.

It’ll probably be a big source of conflict between you, until you’re able to actually sit down and have a conversation about why he’s saying these things and why he feels this way.

Leona:

Leona is similar to Idia in that, while he’s smart enough to understand that your feelings are valid, he also can’t help but feel annoyed at your desperation to leave.

He thought the two of you had gotten pretty close and it feels like a bit of a slap in the face when you’re willing to talk about how happy you’d be to leave while simultaneously cuddling beside him.

When Leona is feeling rejected or hurt by your words, he’s quick to become more cold and dismissive, pushing you away when you try and touch him affectionately.

You don’t seem like you’ll miss him when you leave, so why should he allow you to touch him now?

If you keep pushing the issue, he’ll probably start mocking you, saying what a naive little herbivore you are for thinking you’ll ever escape. Unfortunately, Leona is hardly forward about his true feelings so you’ll pretty much have to be the bigger person here.

He’ll stay grumpy for a while unless you’re able to catch on to his feelings being hurt and properly comfort him by saying you’d want him to come with you or that you would be willing to stay with him.

Vil:

At this point, Vil is just getting to know you, so he doesn’t respond with the same vitriol as some of the other residents.

He’s pretty neutral about it, he understands your reasoning and thinks it’s understandable, although it does annoy him a little when you constantly bring it up, completely oblivious to the change in mood from your friends.

Vil sees how upset you make Epel when you talk about leaving, so he’s willing to have a private conversation with you about it later. He explains that while he understands, it would be nice for you to spare the feelings of others.

If you argue back, I think Vil would begin to point out that, while it definitively sucks that you can’t leave, other than that you have a good life. You don’t have to work, Lilia gets you everything you want, you get to spend endless time with people that care about you. That’s much more than other people can say.

He would just emphasize to you that while the situation isn’t ideal, all you can do is make the best of the situation and not spend all your time dwelling on leaving.

Although his words may seem harsh, they come from a place of maturity and care for both you and the others. Vil would offer to try and get you more freedom with Lilia, taking you to his filming sets when they’re nearby enough, bringing you back souvenirs, etc.

[linnoya-writes]

“Stop criticizing Katara’s adult narrative just because she primarily chose motherhood. Raising kids is an honor, and she raised the Avatar’s kids!”

Every time I hear someone say this about Katara, I imagine it in the tone of fans who believe big career goals and motherhood cannot coexist, and that that a woman choosing motherhood is forfeiting their big career goals (sometimes even their identity) to focus all of their energy on the kids, and that still wanting those big dreams for yourself is selfish when you have kids to take care of.

I also imagine that people who say this are fans who saw Katara as the character always helping Aang with his physical/mental/emotional struggles as well as other people everywhere she went, and so she would easily transition into full-time motherhood as an adult because she was so naturally gifted with it already. These are the fans who tend to overlook the emotional labor Katara had to internalize due to her being “that mature voice” and “pillar of inner strength” for so many people at such a young age… not really having someone who understood her darker side or helped validate her feelings. Let’s just leave Zuko in The Southern Raiders and shipping out of this.

What I want to discuss… is why is Katara the only character praised by fans for choosing to raise kids in her adult life rather than for other things she accomplished?

Toph, for example, grew up as a single mom, raised two daughters of separate fathers, and she STILL managed to take her bending abilities to whole new levels by opening a metalbending academy and becoming chief of police for the entire Republic City well into her 50s. She was still active and involved in her career and served in criminal trials while still having two girls at home (Katara was not even present in Yakone’s trial, despite that he was being tried for Bloodbending… a crime Katara herself had deemed illegal.)

Zuko also took parenthood seriously, raising at least one daughter (whether or not a mom was in the picture is still TBD) and even in his elderly80s, he definitely seemed to show up to big events with his daughter and was protective of his daughter’s safety in the world. And oh yeah. Zuko was also the FireLord, who spent time reconstructing an imperialistic country and changing the views of so many generations of his people… he raised a dragon named Druk… and was active in overseeing Republic City.

Let’s also not forget that Aang was a father to the same kids he had with Katara, and yet he isn’t praised for choosing fatherhood over anything else he did. LOK tells us that in fact, he actually favored Tenzin over the non-Airbending kids, and the other airtemples didn’t even know Avatar Aang had other children outside of Tenzin. Did Aang dedicate time to raising Tenzin when they went on all those field trips? I like to believe so, but Aang also had lovely and willing Air Acolytes everywhere he went that would probably tend to Tenzin while he did important Avarar work. The narrative here doesn’t give us much of a positive outlook on how Aang was a dad, but that’s okay… because we as fans like to praise the other bigger important things Aang did like build Republic City.

While Aang, Toph and Zuko were continuing to build their legacies through their character strengths, sense of worldly knowledge, and incredible bending talents… in LOK, we only hear about Katara’s focused on healing (something she certainly didn’t want to be known exclusively for), despite the fact that The Greatest Healer in the World failed to heal Korra (twice!). We also hear how Katara was determined to make bloodbending illegal, and yet in LoK, bloodbending is still running rampant and elderly Katara doesn’t seem to be bothered by that. The Katara we see in the SWT (who’s just as elderly as Toph and Zuko) is a person who’s thrown in the towel, chosen a reclusive quiet life rather than attending big events (such as her own granddaughter’s Airbending ceremony), and letting the world deal with its own problems. It’s as if she trained the next Avatar in waterbending and she could finally retire; her work was done.

What makes Katara’s adult narrative so diminished isn’t because she was seen primarily as a mom, but because we as fans don’t see much fruit of her labor (both within motherhood and outside it). Yes, she raised Tenzin, Bumi and Kya, but even as middle-aged adults, her kids talk about how they were culturally divided as a family. They don’t visit their mother in the SWT unless it’s deemed necessary. Outside of Kya, we also don’t really see the kids (or grandkids) really connecting with the WaterTribe side of their heritage either. We definitely hear a lot about Katara’s healing abilities, but where is the proof of that? Where are the grand state-of-the-art healing hospitals in Republic City with her statue welcoming everyone, where it’s shown that Katara dedicated her time to train other healers and master new healing techniques? We also hear how she made bloodbending illegal, so why are people like Yakone still making it a problem? Why wasn’t Katara there, making a public statement next to the president regarding this cruel bending technique and making more an effort to monitor all Waterbenders in the SWT and NWT to make sure kids weren’t being trained in that cruelty? All we hear about Katara’s greatness is in side-commentary from other characters in LOK, but compared to Aang, Toph, and Zuko, there isn’t really much we get to see from that greatness.

We can’t even say that Katara brought the next generation of Airbenders, because in LoK season 3, Airbenders randomly come back all over the world.

So, I’m not saying that Katara choosing to be a wife to Aang and mom to the Avatar’s kids in her adult life was a disservice to her character. What I’m saying is that the things she accomplished outside of those roles didn’t really amount to much in the later narratives of ATLA. Katara could’ve changed the world, but her character was reduced to serving the Avatar’s narrative instead.

[endangered-aquarium-fish]

Samurai gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti)

Endangered

The samurai gourami is a small fish from the area of the Kapuas River in Borneo and its SO FUCKING COOL LOOK AT THEM I WANT ONE RAHHHH

They don’t actually live in the river, they’re way too cool for that-  

They live in a wonderfully bizarre habitat called a peat swamp, where pure rainwater pools over a meters-thick layer of decomposing leaves and wood fallen from the dense canopy above. The acids released as it all decays mean the pH of the water is so low (sometimes 3-4) that nothing can even decompose when it dies, and the tannic acids bond to any dissolved minerals and sink them into the soil. 

The water has the dark color and distinct scent of tea. It sits perfectly still, too dark for any plants to grow, so nearly every fish that makes its home there has to use a specialized organ called the labyrinth organ to get their oxygen from gulps of air. 

…btw, most adult fish will die within minutes in water like that - it’s nearly as acidic as pure vinegar. Samurai gouramis are literally so fucking metal… they live in the fucking Evil Death Water of Doom and theyre just. chilling. unbothered. thriving :3

The gouramis live in pairs, hidden in the tangles of submerged roots and branches and leaves. Their thin shape helps them mimic a dead leaf- and they play into that by acting like one too!! their slow, calm movement looks like they’re simply drifting peacefully through the water, even as they stalk their prey (mostly insects like mosquitoes). Also, they’re some of the biggest fish in the swamp- at a whopping 3 inches long. 

They usually form a social hierarchy where the biggest females get the best territory, food, and mates. And when they choose a mate, it gets really funky and weird :3

The males are less colorful than the females, but they have a pouch in their throat that they can extend as a display, kinda like an anole. The females lay from 10 to 40 eggs at a time before the males fertilize them and scoop them up with their mouth. It’s a lot like the toba betta, but it’s even more specialized - they keep the eggs in their throat pouch, even after they hatch 0.0 The babies spend a while growing up in there, just living in their father’s throat, and so he has to find a way to feed them…

He uses the tannic acids in the water. He absorbs them and mixes them with his own mucus, using their natural stickiness to form sort of a fishy tannin slime that he excretes into his throat like milk for the babies. They spend weeks nibbling at it until they get big enough that he can let them out to swim away. He doesn’t eat anything until they’re free. 

Overall 10/10 fish very funky does a masterful imitation of a leaf. but like if the leaf was fruity or something

They’re endangered by deforestation and pollution from illegal gold mining upstream. The efforts to protect them in the wild have failed, but not in aquariums :3

Luckily they don’t have to live in vinegar or acid rain or something. They’re okay in any soft water with a pH of 6.5 or less, which may even be how your tapwater is naturally. If not, you can gather fallen leaves, seed pods, and sticks from local trees and let those soak in your aquarium, and the tannins they release will give the fish what they need just like in the peat swamps. They really do need very soft water though, so if your water isn’t already naturally soft, this may not be the best fish for you. 

They do best in a shallow tank of at least 30 gallons, with very clean and warm water (75-82 F) and minimal flow. They don’t like bright light so add plenty of floating plants to cast shadows, and make sure the water has plenty of tannins to keep it that dark color. They can be very shy and reclusive sometimes so they really need a lot of cover to feel safe and comfortable enough to come out. It’s easy to give them that, just add lots of wood, dark caves, dead leaves, and plants to the tank. Most plants won’t do well in blackwater, but there are plenty that will - I like to use frogbit, cryptocorynes, water lilies, mosses, and some stem plants like rotala rotundifolia if you let them grow up to the surface. You can also use plants like pothos and peace lilies that like to grow with only their roots in the water - these are amazing at keeping the water clean and your gouramis will love the roots. There should be about an inch of air at the top for the fish to breathe from, and a lid to keep it humid enough so the babies’ labyrinth organs can develop properly. 

Samurai gouramis are wonderfully peaceful and harmless, so whatever you keep with them (except shrimp) is perfectly safe. The only thing you need to worry about is that the gouramis are slow and timid enough that a lot of other fish will eat all the food before they can get any- and if the other fish are aggressive at all the gouramis are done for. The best tankmates for samurai gouramis are small, slow, peaceful, and unintimidating, so I’d suggest a small school of pygmy cories or tiny rasboras like chili, kubotai, or axelrod rasboras. You could probably also keep them with similar peaceful gouramis like chocolate gouramis, licorice gouramis, or snakehead bettas. Just make sure you have plenty of other samurai gouramis (at least 6) since they need company almost as much as we do.

Breeding them is easy, just have a group and they’ll form pairs. The difference between males and females is really easy to see - the males are chocolatey brown like an old fallen leaf, and the females look like a psychedelic rainbow. They’ll all find their own spots in the tank when they decide to breed and eventually the males’ throats will be filled with eggs and they’ll become reclusive and stop eating for up to three weeks while they care for them. It’s best to move the adults into another tank temporarily for a few days after the babies are released or they could get eaten. The fry need to eat the microorganisms that grow around dead leaves, and they should be fed other tiny live foods as supplements like microworms and baby brine shrimp until they get big enough to eat what their parents eat. Even the adults are a bit picky and they prefer live foods but they can usually learn to eat protein rich prepared foods too.

Have fun with ur gouramis :3 

[heisenberg-simp257]

Hello! Could you please write headcanons for the Four secretly insecure about themselves Lords and reader who truly loves and accepts them the way they really are? Thank you so much!

I love this idea! Hope you enjoy!💖

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The Four Lords Being Secretly Insecure with a Reader Who Adores Them

Alcina Dimitrescu

-I think it’s safe to make a bet that Alcina would get a bit insecure about her height, especially with you. It’s one of the reasons she gets so angry about men because, well the ones she knows, will always be the first to judge a lady’s appearance.

-And she’s not exactly your average woman.

-Her daughters are supportive of her, and she knows this. This is why they adore you so much because you make their mother feel better. I mean, no one has ever truly loved her before, and sometimes she wishes she was more normal for you.

-It’s hard to tell when Alcina is feeling insecure because she’s a stoic and well-kept woman. That said, she does get catty and defensive when she’s feeling down on herself. However, you know never to take it personally. You understand her struggles.

-When this happens, you plan on making her feel extra special. You don’t do it with touch because that would only make her feel more insecure as a reminder of her height. Instead, you use words.

-All she needs to hear is how special you find her for her confidence to shoot back up. We all know Alcina is a sucker for the finer things in life, and words mean a lot more than actions to her because they come from your heart. 

-That said, she wouldn’t mind a nice dinner to spice up the evening. It would make her feel even better.

Donna Beneviento (and Angie)

-Donna is probably the most insecure out of everyone because she always has a constant reminder of her face. The veil that covers it hides her saddened facial expressions whenever you mention it innocently. 

-However, she is also probably the best at hiding it. 

-She never really says that much if anything at all. Angie does a majority of the talking, but for once, she doesn’t make fun or talk down on you. The doll appreciates what you do for Donna because you do make her feel beautiful even when she thinks otherwise.

-That said, you can pretty much guess that she feels insecure most of the time due to her reclusive nature. It’s pretty much all the time.

-Unlike Alcina, you can be a bit more forceful with Donna to get her to feel better. Also, she doesn’t mind any sort of physical affection. If anything, that makes her feel so much better about herself, especially if you remove her veil to stroke her cheek.

-Even though she values her alone time, you pester Donna until she fesses up. After all, something more amazing than anything is seeing her smile, especially since it’s so rare.

-Donna is still wondering how she got someone to truly love her because she always views herself as hideous. However, you will always be there to tell her otherwise, even if it takes a while for her to accept that.

Salvatore Moreau

-Moreau gets insecure, even if he always isn’t able to fully comprehend it sometimes. He just gets those moments of feeling down and knowing that his life before the mutation was a lot better, and he wishes he could get it back for you.

-Especially after being around Heisenberg, who’s suaveness and perfection could explode women’s ovaries.

-He isn’t good at hiding his insecurities but tries to do it with a smile. Moreau is the type to pretend nothing is wrong and that every day is just a great day when in reality, he’s struggling with himself. It also doesn’t help that Heisenberg makes fun of him daily.

-Moreau doesn’t push away your love or thoughtfulness like some of the others. Instead, once you get through his very small shell, he embraces and craves your love. It’s the medicine he needs to feel better about his insecurities.

-While you are very and gentle and loving, you don’t hesitate to cuss Heisenberg (or any of the others for that matter) for making Moreau feel bad about himself. You don’t win the fight, but you do succeed in making our fish boy feel better. 

-If he’s not in the mood for any words or cuddles (sometimes he gets overwhelmed), just watch some movies with him. Yes, he has to be coddled and babied sometimes, but don’t we all?

-But most of the time, he clings to you until he feels better. You love him so much that you don’t mind, and you always take the time to remind him of the things that make him perfect in your eyes.

Karl Heisenberg

-Now here’s a man that is so brimming with confidence that you would never think he could get insecure. But in fact, he’s the most insecure out of all the lords, just strong enough to not show it.

-Heisenberg gets insecure about a lot of things. His looks? No. His personality? Never. It’s the fact that he can’t give you a normal life when there’s so many other options available out there for you. He’s insecure that he knows nearly nothing about outside the village.

-However, it’s the toughest thing in the world to figure that out.

-With Heisenberg, it’s the slightest (and I mean very slight) change in his personality. Perhaps he’s angrier than normal and snaps more often, which is hard to tell, especially if you try to call him out on it.

-He will deny it every time, perhaps even yelling at you. However, you adore him so much (and he knows this), that you don’t even let yourself feel hurt by that. You understand what he’s going through.

-For Heisenberg, a bunch of adoring words is what you need to use along with some physical affection to make him feel better. He’s like Alcina (they really can be so much alike) in the sense that he just needs some boosting words from you, like how your proud or something.

-Allow him to use you as a distraction from his insecurities. This can happen anyway that you want it to, but that’s what’s going to make him feel better. Besides a confidence booster, he wants reassurance that he is the only person that you need in life.