#she is the matriarch and rules with an iron will

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Eddie diaz dealing with his mommy issues arc in season 8 is feeling realer to me than ever right now

[thatrandomidiot182]

I'm not great at writing full stories, so if someone wants to take this idea and turn it into a whole fic pls do so. Also, pls pls pls tag me. I'd love to read it!!

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SO, thinking of Velaryon! Reader who is...

The youngest daughter of Rhaenys and Corlys, born around the same time as Jace and Aemond.

Her egg never hatched in the cradle, so it was assumed that she would succeed Corlys as the next Sea Snake and become the Lady of the Tides, seeing as Laenor would become King Consort and Leana was now a Princess.

However, some other factors that need to be taken into account are;

King Viserys sees the birth of a daughter so close to the birth of the two boys as a sign, another reason to further unite the two great houses (especially after the rumors surrounding the dark-haired grandson of his) so he proposes another marriage. This time, the girl is to be raised amongst both boys and allowed to choose between them once they all come of age.

(The reason I didn't mention Baela is bc Viserys atp wouldn't be that into marrying his line into Daemons line lol.)

Corlys is salty and refutes at first, bc look at how Rhaenyra and Laenors marriage is going, not to mention Daemon and Laena. Rhaenys, on the other hand, convinces him to agree because either way, their daughter ends up a princess, or even better, a queen.

AND

Corlys ain't into the matriarch idea.

AND

Laenor is currently his direct heir, so logically, his son would be the next Lord of Driftmark.

So, Corlys holds off on naming her heir for as long as he possibly can.

This is where things begin to go downhill...

Naturally, the three kids all grow up amongst each other, all of them being told that at one point, Reader would marry one of the boys and either rule driftmark or become queen.

This feeds into the animosity between Rhaenyra and Alicent and, in turn, Aemond and Jace.

Rhaenyra is urging Jace to bond with Reader to 'save her' from the Hightowers clutches. Not to mention how much she admires Readers' determination, will, and intelligence. She thinks Reader would be a good queen one day (I HC that she sees herself in Reader lol)

Alicent could honestly care less at the beginning, but as soon as Aemond begins making snide comments about Aegon being king, she begins to urge him to pursue Reader and become the Ruler of Driftmark. A, futile, attempt to turn his attention away from the iron throne, seeing as he always had the intention to marry Reader, with or without his mothers interference.

Both boys, therefore, form some sort of affection for Reader.

Jace is indifferent at first. He believes the reader is pretty and admires her intelligence and wit but does not particularly enjoy the thought of being forced into a marriage.

Eventually, these feelings change, and he becomes devoted. He completely adores her, as does the rest of his family. He idolizes her, worships her, and is now vying for her love and affection just as much as Aemond. He knows the moment he spoke his wish for her hand, it would be his, being the Kings favorite did have perks, but he would rather wait for her to return the feelings. He would hate nothing more than her being miserable in an arranged marriage with him.

Aemond, however, is immediately infatuated. Neither of them have dragons, so it must be fate! He always follows her around like a puppy, and they often study together. Wherever she goes, Aemond follows. Seeing as Reader spends most of her time preparing for her, inevitable, rise to power, Aemond also begins to learn the ways of the court and how royalty should behave.

As they grow and time passes, his pure childhood love and adoration festers into obsession and, much like Jace, utter devotion.

He believes that Reader belongs to him, just as he belongs to her. Why else would the gods bind them in such a way? He believes that the reason they don't have dragons is because they were meant for something greater than dragonriding! They were meant to rule, conquer the nobles, and charm the smallfolk. They were meant to bring about a new era of Targaryens, ones who were more than powerful enough without dragons.

(Yeah. He's like double the psycho he is in the show lol.)

That's how the boys feel about everything, Now let's take a glimpse into Readers mind...

Now, her whole life, Reader is constantly being told by everyone,

"You're going to be a great Sea Snake, just like your father!"

"You'll make a fine Queen one day, better than any we've had in ages, I reckon!"

"You and the Prince (either one lol) make such a handsome couple, I'm sure your children will be very blessed with looks!"

In her youth, when she's innocent and naive, (until she's abt 6) she's just confused. She's her fathers heir, isn't she? Why isn't she titled yet? Why does she have to marry one of her snot nosed nephew/cousin in order to gain one?? (As if she's also not a snot nosed brat at the time lol)

She doesn't question her parents because she trusts them, and believes that maybe she's not old enough, or trained enough, and therefore dedicated the rest of her spare time to studying, training and practicing.

And then Laena dies.

The Driftmark incident happens, but the only reason Aemond claimed Vhaegar was because Reader was trying to claim her, and he followed her and was just there for emotional support.

After Aemonds eye was cut, Reader distances herself from both boys.

She feels guilty about Aemond losing his eye.

She resents Lucerys and, by extension, Jace, as she believes it was a completely unacceptable reaction on their part.

Rhaenys and Corlys are PISSED.

"What were you thinking!?"

"You knew Rhaena was supposed to claim her!"

Reader is also big mad.

"Leana was my sister, I had just as much of a claim to Vhaegar as Rhaena!"

"Why must I be the one with nothing!? No title, no land, no dragon, NOT EVEN A SHIP!!"

Rhaenys explains that they were just waiting for the right moment, between Laenas passing and Corlys' declining health. (Excuses lol)

Aka, she's trying to convince Corlys to wait and see who Reader decides to marry before naming an heir.

Corlys, on the other hand, is fine with waiting bc being forced to choose between a bastard and a hightower as the heir to driftmark is agonizing. (He's legit considering Vaemond atp)

Anyways after that, everyone kind of splits up.

Jace goes with his mom to Dragonstone.

Reader doesn't see him again until his blood is being questioned, but does write to him after he persistently apologizes.

Reader stays at driftmark and begins to learn how to sail and command a fleet.

(The only reason Corlys agrees is bc he wants to quiet the rumors of why he hasn't named her as his heir yet.)

Aemond stays in kings landing, and the two reconcile only because he broke down and begged her not to hate him for being deformed, and she couldn't handle him thinking she'd toss him aside for that. (By letter ofc)

Then Laenor 'dies.'

Everyone is upset, distraught, mourning, you get the gist.

Reader, however upset she may or may not be, is also ecstatic.

She sees this as another chance.

A chance for her to finally get a dragon.

A chance for her to prove herself to her father and finally be named his heir!!

After all, no one else is in her way anymore... (so she thinks)

So, once again, while everyone is busy at the funeral, Reader sneaks off to claim Seasmoke.

Alone, this time.

However, that doesn't work (bc he's not dead lol) so she completely breaks down.

Everyone thinks it's bc both her siblings just died but it's actually because she feels worthless and pathetic.

Existential crisis lol.

Who comforts her? Jace.

They bond over losing Laenor, and Reader has a manic epiphany.

Maybe Aemond was right. Maybe the gods refused to give her a dragon because she was meant for greater things.

After all, Jace was a dragonrider through and through. She knows that he despises his princely duties and would be happy if he could have the title and power of the throne without the politics and mind games.

He would much rather burn and fly than rub shoulders and sign papers.

Then she starts PLOTTING.

If her parents refused to name her heir, even after Laenors death, then she would go above them.

She'd show them she was worthy. She didn't need them anymore.

She didn't want them anymore.

After all, why would she choose to be a Lady when she could be a Queen?

If she marries Jace, she has no doubt that he would allow her to handle everything. He'd be nothing more than the face and name. She'd be the one making the calls.

He'd be the axe, and she'd be the executioner.

She waits to inform everyone of her decision, though, seeing as they are in mourning, lol.

She doesn't even tell Jace, but she does become more affectionate and romantic with him.

Jace is just happy she's finally giving him attention and spending time with him (poor bby).

Aemonds too busy plotting how him and Reader are going to usurp the throne to realize she was pulling away from him. (Delulu)

Time passes, Viserys is wilting and the dance is approaching.

Readers making moves to secure her place as Jaces Queen, befriending both the smallfolk and the nobles and shadowing Otto Hightower and Larys Strong as much as possible. (Unlikely friendship lol, they're all ambitious, cunning, and know how to play the long game. Reader admires their ability to manipulate everyone to their advantage, Otto is under the impression she will be his future granddaughter in law, and Larys believes she can benefit him one way or another in the future.)

Alicent and Otto are beginning to groom Aegon to be King.

Rhaenyra marries Daemon and awaits her succession.

Corlys is severely ill and is finally about to name Reader his heir.

Then the gun goes off.

Everyone gathers in kings landing at Vaemonds behest to discuss the legitimacy of Jace and Luke.

(Vaemond and Reader do not get along bc they both think their the rightful heir to the Driftwood throne.)

Reader is a whole badass now. Smart, pretty, strong and manipulative AS FUCK!

She's grown to simultaneously love and despise both her nephew and cousin after everything that has happened.

Regardless, she decides that once the whole legitimacy dispute was settled, she'd announce her choice to everyone present.

That obviously doesn't happen because of Rhaenys announcing Lucerys and Jacaerys' engagements to Rhaena and Baela.

Reader is LIVID.

She's upset, furious, and feels betrayed.

Was all that talk of choice and decisions meaningless?!?

Was all her agony over choosing between the two she loved the most for nothing!?

Nonetheless, she keeps her cool, and her determination never wavers.

After all, Aegon the Conquerer had two wives. Why couldn't Jacaerys? Besides, he loves her, not Baela, he wouldnt give up on their engagement that easily.

She could deal with sharing him, seeing as Baela didn't show any interest in being a ruler at all. Her plans could still work. She just needed to adjust some things first. It might actually benefit her more.

Baela could keep Jace occupied while she did what she wanted.

Yes.

It could still work.

Then, Lucerys is named heir to driftmark.

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divider by: @bucciniexe

I still have wayy more to add to this but I'll post it tomorrow it's currently 6 am and I need to sleep lol

[reaper2187]

Lady Dimitrescu x fifth lord female reader

In the heart of the Romanian wilderness, Castle Dimitrescu stood as an imposing monument of stone and iron, its gothic architecture a reflection of its owner's grandeur and elegance. Alcina Dimitrescu, the formidable matriarch of the castle, was a figure of both fear and fascination, her towering presence casting a long shadow over the village below. But within these walls, beyond the reach of the villagers' terrified whispers, there existed a tale of a different kind.

Y/N, the newly appointed Fifth Lord under Mother Miranda's enigmatic rule, found herself amidst the opulence of Castle Dimitrescu. Unlike the other lords, Y/N's transformation had been unique, her powers mysterious and largely unknown. This difference piqued Alcina's interest, and she had summoned Y/N to her castle, ostensibly to discuss their roles in the village's hierarchy. However, there was an undercurrent of curiosity and perhaps something more that both women were aware of but neither had spoken of yet.

Y/N stood in the grand foyer, her eyes trailing over the rich tapestries and antique furnishings. Her own reflection in the polished surfaces seemed out of place, a reminder of the life she had once known, far removed from the dark and twisted reality she now inhabited. The heavy doors swung open with a creak, and Alcina Dimitrescu entered, her presence as commanding as ever. She moved with the grace of a predator, her eyes fixed on Y/N with an intensity that made the room feel smaller.

"Y/N," Alcina's voice was smooth, her crimson lips curving into a smile that was both welcoming and slightly predatory. "Welcome to my home. I trust your journey was pleasant?"

Y/N met her gaze, unflinching. "As pleasant as it could be, given the circumstances. Thank you for inviting me, Lady Dimitrescu."

"Please, call me Alcina," she replied, waving a hand dismissively. "We are equals here, after all."

Y/N nodded, a slight smile touching her lips. "Very well, Alcina. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Alcina gestured for Y/N to follow her, leading her through the winding corridors of the castle. "There is much to discuss, Y/N. Mother Miranda has great plans, and I believe our collaboration could be… mutually beneficial."

As they walked, Alcina spoke of the village, the other lords, and the ever-present influence of Mother Miranda. Y/N listened intently, her mind racing with the implications of Alcina's words. She had heard tales of Alcina's cruelty, but the woman before her was composed, articulate, and undeniably captivating.

They entered a lavish sitting room, where a fire crackled warmly in the hearth. Alcina poured them each a glass of red wine, offering one to Y/N before seating herself gracefully. Y/N took a sip, the rich flavor lingering on her tongue as she regarded Alcina over the rim of her glass.

"Tell me, Y/N," Alcina said, her voice softening, "what do you think of our village? Of the people who inhabit it?"

Y/N considered her answer carefully. "The village is… unique. The people live in fear, but there is also a sense of resilience. They cling to hope, however small it may be."

Alcina nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And what of the other lords? Have you found your place among us?"

Y/N set her glass down, meeting Alcina's gaze with a determined look. "I am still finding my place, but I know one thing for certain: I am not like the others. My powers are different, and I believe they can be used for more than just instilling fear."

A smile tugged at Alcina's lips. "You intrigue me, Y/N. There is a strength in you that I admire. Perhaps we are not so different, you and I."

Y/N felt a warmth spread through her at Alcina's words, a connection forming that she had not anticipated. "Perhaps not," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper.

The evening passed in a blur of conversation and shared confidences. Y/N found herself drawn to Alcina in ways she hadn't expected, her initial apprehension giving way to a growing sense of camaraderie and something deeper. Alcina, too, seemed to soften as the night wore on, her regal demeanor relaxing into something more intimate.

As the fire burned low, Alcina rose, extending a hand to Y/N. "It is late. Allow me to show you to your room."

Y/N took her hand, the touch sending a shiver through her. She followed Alcina through the darkened halls, their footsteps echoing softly. When they reached a heavy oak door, Alcina paused, turning to face Y/N.

"This is your room," she said, her voice soft. "If you need anything, my chamber is just down the hall."

Y/N hesitated, then took a step closer. "Thank you, Alcina. For everything."

Alcina's eyes glittered in the dim light. "You are welcome, Y/N. Sleep well."

Y/N entered the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click. She leaned against it for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. There was something undeniably magnetic about Alcina, something that drew Y/N to her in ways she could not fully understand. As she prepared for bed, her thoughts lingered on the tall, elegant woman who had shown her such unexpected kindness.

Meanwhile, in her own chamber, Alcina stared out the window at the moonlit courtyard, her mind on the enigmatic Fifth Lord. There was a connection between them, a spark that she had not felt in centuries. She smiled to herself, a sense of anticipation blooming within her. The future held many uncertainties, but one thing was clear: Y/N was a part of it, and Alcina intended to explore this newfound bond to its fullest.

The night was still and silent, the castle steeped in shadows. But within those ancient walls, two hearts beat in a rhythm that spoke of potential, of a partnership that could reshape the very fabric of their world. And as the moon rose high in the sky, Alcina and Y/N found themselves united by a thread of destiny, their paths forever intertwined in the darkness and light of Castle Dimitrescu.

[wilcze-kudly]

The Kuvira/Suyin parallels

So, this is piggybacking off my previous post about the Opal/Lin parallels, and to be honest I've always loved making this comparison, wince it's just so damn ironic and juicy.

Suyin and Kuvira are, of course, adversaries through a lot of the show, however, I think it's, mostly due to their similarities.

Both Kuvira and Suyin are, at their cores, leaders of their self made factions. Both also built said factions as coping mechanisms to the abandonment/neglect they experienced as children.

Both these characters garner the affection they lacked as children by having people depending on them. And also controlling said people. Suyin, by building a city and clan she was the matriarchal of. And closer to her, personally, keeping her family tight knit and her children isolated from the wider world and heavily dependent on her. As for Kuvira, it projecting her trauma onto a suffering nation and fashioning herself into being a hero of the people. Someone the people adored.

You don't really need to do a lot of mental gymnastics for this one. They were both isolated and lonely as kids, so they created environments where they were important and revered.

There's clear pressure from both these women for their "people" to conform to the rules they set. Suyin threatens Kuvira and Baatar Jr with banishment. One another occasion, she enables Korra's hunt for Aiwei, despite the obvious risk this endeavour would bring. While Kuvira's methods of control are more... barbaric? I'd call concentration camps barbaric but to each their own.

Suyin 🤝 Kuvira threatening poor earthbender himbos. God I wish that were me.😨👀Haha who said that?

They're fiercely protective of their carefully crafted status quo, since it is, essentially, a coping mechanism. The further it falls apart, the further their own psyche does too.

Suyin's qorst nightmare is her family and city falling apart, while for Kuvira it is when her Empire crumbles.

They can become increasingly manic and desperate the more danger their 'works' are, tossing any moral code or even sanity out the window.

They'll grasp at any straws to protect what's theirs. Suyin pressured Korra into going into the Avatar state, despite Korra's clear discomfort. Kuvira, meanwhile, harnessed the energy of the spirit vines and laid waste to Republic City.

There both even willing to endanger their allies, even those closest to them. Suyin taking her youngest sons on a dangerous mission to try and kill Kuvira (someone they most likely knew as children) while Kuvira herself nearly murdered Baatar Jr, her fiancé and closest supporter, just for the chance of taking out Korra. Rip Beifong brothers you really are the true victims here.

This desperation is understandable... its all they have. Both Kuvira and Suyin grew up alone, feeling unloved by their families. This led them to acting out. Be it for attention or any other reason, they ended up being too much to handle for their parents

We all know about Suyin scarring Lin, right? And this being part of the reason Suyin was forced to leave her home and dropped off at her grandparents. I find it interesting that it is implied that Kuvira too severely injured her mother, perhaps this also being the catalyst for her being given away by her parents too.

Perhaps because Suyin's second chance was so good for her, she wished to extend one to a troubled young girl. I firmly believe she saw a lot of herself in Kuvira (for better or for worse). The line about "hurting someone in this family" easily made me think of what Suyin did to Lin and see that she regrets it and doesn't want Kuvira to go through the same.

Regret, however does not fix all and neither Kuvira, nor Suyin know how to atone for what they've done.

It seems hard for either of these characters to understand the hurt they've caused nor that their actions have consequences. However, Suyin and Kuvira are treated rather kindly by the narrative. We've seen planty of people talk about how Su is coddled by the show's writing. And Kuvira is treated with a similar gentle hand. Redemption is a muddy subject for me, however I will say that bothese very complex and fascinating characters were done extremely dirty by shallow writing.

However, I will finish this long silly ramble by saying that it is very in character for Su to forgive Kuvira, despite this possibly making her children uncomfortable.

A huge part of Suyin's ideology is believing in second chances. However it runs deeper than that. As stated before, her family is the most important thing in the world to her. And Kuvira is part of that family. It's not surprising that Su is hurriedly doing damage control on everything after B4 and everything that happened.

I find Kuvira and Suyin fascinating characters. Their trauma, their drive and the mild insanity with delusions of grandeur is what really pulls together these two tormentors of the Beifong family together for me. ❤️

-

Also, on a side note. I find it very curious when people like one of these characters, but dislike the other, since they are so similair with their arcs and personalitywise. If you are a Kuvira stan and a Suyin hater or a Suyin stan and a Kuvira hater, could you clue me in a little on the thought process? Is it like. Just vibes? Or is it one of the small differences between Su and Kuvira that feels so jarring that it seperates them completely?

[myfavoritesstuff]

Crimson Hearts

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo x Reader

Prompt: The Sturniolo triplets are a part of the most feared mafia. They are ruthless, vicious, and cunning. But to you, they are so much more.

Or

Your father has made a deal with the Sturniolo triplets in order to save his company. What is this deal? An arranged marriage of course.

Warning(s): Mafia type stuff, mean words are said.

Note: please read all the way through, it gets better I promise. Also, I will make this into a series, and each chapter will be longer than this one.

Part 2

The triplets background

In the heart of the underworld, the Sturniolo triplets– Nick, Matt, and Chris– were born into a legacy of shadows and power. Their parents, Marylou and James Sturniolo, were revered leaders of the most formidable mafia known to the modern world. The Sturniolo name was always whispered with fear in every part of the city.

Marylou, the matriarch, was a master strategist, her mind a labyrinth of plots and secrets. She was the unseen hand guiding the gang’s moves, her decision always three steps ahead of any adversary. James, on the other hand, was the iron fist, ruling with a charismatic yet unyielding grip.

The triplets, each with their own distinct personality, were raised in a world where loyalty was the highest currency and betrayal was met with swift retribution. Nick, the eldest by mere minutes, possessed a natural charm and a sharp wit, often serving as the face of the younger Sturniolos’. Matt, the middle child, was the thinker, his analytical mind always finding the angle no one else saw. Chris, the youngest, was the wildcard, fearless and impulsive, with a penchant for finding trouble– and getting out of it. The three became symbols of a new era for the gang as their talents and skills honed to perfection.

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Your background:

In the quiet comfort of your suburban life, you had only heard whispers of the Sturniolo triplets through hushed conversations and sensational headlines. To you, they were figures of a distant, shadowy world, notorious for their ruthlessness and the power they wielded in the city’s underground. The stories painted them as merciless, with hearts of stone and wills of iron, commanding respect and fear in equal measure.

Your life, in stark contrast, was a portrait of tranquility. You lived in a wealthy neighborhood where the biggest concern was the occasional lost cat or late newspaper delivery. Your days were filled with the simple pleasures of coffee with friends, jogs in the park, and the comfort of a good book by the fireplace.

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It was supposed to be a simple deal. It really was. The deal: to give the Sturniolo gang any weapons or technology they required or needed in exchange to be kept alive and not be bothered. Nothing could possibly go wrong. So why did everything fall apart?

It was during a party when the Sturniolo triplets made their entrance. It didn’t take long to notice them, not that you could ignore them. They radiated a presence that screamed death. Each step measured. Nick, with his sharp suit and sharper gaze, had the air of a man who knew the weight of his charm and used it like a weapon. Matt’s eyes, analytical and piercing, seemed to take in every detail, calculating the potential of every interaction. Chris, with a mischievous smile playing on his lips, exuded a sense of danger and excitement that was almost palpable.

They made their way to your father. You couldn’t tell what they were talking about, and tried making your way over. But before you knew it, they had vanished. Turning your head around, you searched, but no luck. However you did manage to get a peak of your father's face. Cold sweat was running down his face.

Oh no, something must have happened. But surely that’s not possible. For years the Sturniolo gang has relied on your family’s company to supply them with weapons. And for years you have. What could have happened?

Confused, you made your way over to your father. “Dad, what happened? Is everything okay?” Immediately shaking his head, your father sighed and looked down, not being able to make eye contact.

“No. I’ve lost…” While he seemed to know what he was talking about, you surely didn’t.

“I don’t understand.”

“The Sturniolo’s have demanded that we supply them more weapons, since they have been having problems with rival gangs. It’s getting to a point where it will be hard to keep supplying them. They're asking for more than we can make. I told them this and now they have a proposal.”

“Which is…?” This seemed to peak your interest. What type of proposal could say your family and the company?

“It’s a deal where you are to be married to one of the sons, more specifically the middle child.”

“Matt Sturniolo?! That’s the deal?! Are you insane?!”

“No I’m not,” your father argued. “I’m thinking of the future. And if the future is being taken over by the mafia, then it may as well be in your interest to marry him.” You looked at your father astounded by what you just heard leaving his mouth.

“But Dad, I’m your daughter! You can’t give me up like that! And how would they even agree to something like that?!”

“Be silent! I’m your father! I know what’s best for the future of this family and company.” You now were absolutely livid. How could your father just do that to you? You were about to say something, but he beat you to speaking.

“Now, I suggest you start packing your bags, since you're going to be living with them from now on.” You started walking past him, but before you left the room you spoke.

“For once in my entire life, I am ashamed that you are my father.” You then walked out the room not daring to look back.

How would Matt even agree to something like this? You laid on your bed questioning all the events that happened that evening. Oh well, I guess I’ll be able to ask these questions directly to him tomorrow. You soon fell asleep, holding onto hope that you would wake up tomorrow and it would all just be a dream.

[semolinaart]

Jacula (Якула) — daughter of Hibiscus and Artemisia, mother of Amphisbaena, Chelyder, Chersydros and Dipsas

First generation Sand/Rain hybrid

Status: alive

She is big (very), can breathe fire, has venomous teeth (but is not capable of spitting poison and the poison is closer in composition to the poison of SandWings, and not to the "acid" of RainWings) and a very large almost straight poisonous tail barb. Jacula can also slightly change the color of her scales within the typical colors of SandWings, but she cannot do this as quickly and perfectly as RainWings.

Jacula is the matriarch of the clan Medusa, which she rules with an iron claw for many years, despite her very advanced age (she is already a great-grandmother).

Clan Medusa (clan Gorgon, клан Горгона) itself is heavily based on the Libyan snakes mentioned in Pharsalia, which spawned from the Medusa's blood, and Jacula's name is reference to Jaculus (which is somewhat ironic because this dragon is non-venomous unlike Jacula).

A few quotes from Pharsalia in English, Russian and Latin:

About snakes that spawned from Medusa's blood:

Yet that earth, In nothing fertile, void of fruitful yield, Drank in the poison of Medusa's blood, Dripping in dreadful dews upon the soil, And in the crumbling sands by heat matured

Этот бес­плод­ный край, не бога­тый доб­рою нивой, Тот­час, одна­ко, впи­тал сте­кав­шие яды Меду­зы, Кро­ви зве­ри­ной ее отра­вою пол­ные брыз­ги: Их ожив­ля­ла жара и в рых­лом пес­ке кипя­ти­ла.

il­la ta­men ste­ri­lis tel­lus fe­cun­da­que nul­li ar­va bo­no vi­rus stil­lan­tis ta­be Me­du­sae con­ci­piunt di­ros­que fe­ro de san­gui­ne ro­res, quos ca­lor adiu­vit put­ri­que in­co­xit ha­re­nae.

About Jaculus:

Lo! Upon branchless trunk a serpent, named By Libyans Jaculus, rose in coils to dart His venom from afar. Through Paullus' brain It rushed, nor stayed; for in the wound itself Was death. Then did they know how slowly flies, Flung from a sling, the stone; how gently speed Through air the shafts of Scythia.

Бро­сив­шись изда­ле­ка, со ство­ла иссох­ше­го дуба, Сра­зу вон­зи­лась змея (что «копьем» зовет афри­ка­нец): Пав­лу она про­шла сквозь гла­ву, вис­ки про­ни­зав­ши. Яд ни при чем: мгно­вен­ную смерть нанес­ла ему рана. Тише гораздо летит пра­щею запу­щен­ный камень, В возду­хе доль­ше сви­стят пре­сло­ву­тые скиф­ские стре­лы.

nil ibi vi­rus agit: ra­puit cum vul­ne­re fa­tum. dep­ren­sum est, quae fun­da ro­tat quam len­ta vo­la­rent, quam seg­nis Scy­thi­cae stri­de­ret ha­run­di­nis aer. ec­ce, pro­cul sae­vos ste­ri­li se ro­bo­re trun­ci tor­sit et in­mi­sit (iacu­lum vo­cat Af­ri­ca) ser­pens per­que ca­put Pau­li tran­sac­ta­que tem­po­ra fu­git.

[quitealotofsodapop]

In Slow Boiled, the royal family are also the first to discover Wukong's their spiritual grandson. As amusing as Azure revealing it to JD as he kills him would be, it actually happens before that. Yuebei's resemblance to the Queen Mother's daughters intrigued her enough that she looked into it. Unfortunately, the coupd happens and the Jade Emperor is killed before either she or her husband could come to an agreement on what to do with the knowledge

Oooohhh thats so sad I love it >:3

Queen Mother is a curious woman, and seeing this tiny baby monkey's soul glow with the same kind of destruction she herself once held intrigues her. I feel in the Slow Boiled/Stone Matriarch merge; Queen Mother would absolutely adore Yuebei as her first great-grand-daughter - completely ignoring that the blood connection is very slim. The Queen Mother holds Yuebei for the first time, and the little cub boldly squeaks at her in her most intimidating war cry - the tigress just peals with adoring laughter, letting the baby touch her deadly fangs and claws the same as if she was pulling on her hair. Wukong is still super nervous/confused why the Empress is so loving towards him and his daughter all of a sudden.

Jade Emperor learning that the skull-wearing death goddess he's been prophesing is actually his spirtual great-granddaughter and being on the fence whether thats a good thing or not. Then BAM!! Brotherhood Coup.

The only reason that the Queen Mother doesn't storm the throne room herself is that Azure very much has Yuebei hostage. And Xiwangmu, even in her grief at losing her mate, will not dare provoke any action that could harm her dearest Moon Comet Star.

After the coup is defeated and resolved, there's a definite struggle for the Jade Emperor's power from the Heavenly Generals (namely Li Jing) - something which the Queen Mother silences immediately by taking the burden for her own. She is Xiwangmu - Queen Mother and Goddess of Destruction and Motherhood - she is able to bare the weight of her husband's rule for the next few milennia until her own time comes to pass. Therefore the role of Jade Emperor is currently being fufilled by his Empress.

She does however; begin subtley preparing Wukong, Iron Fan, Nezha, and all the extended youngsters for possible "promotions" in the coming era if she were to pass expectedly. Her secret favorites to inherit being of course little Luzhen (discovered not long after S3) and Yuebei. In her great-grand-daughter she sees her own destruction and grace, and in her grandson she sees the spark of the happy little music-maker her husband had been as a young man.

[thebadboyfanclub]

All For The Motherland (Aemond x Reader)

This was requested by the brilliant @arkainea it was such a great request and I had so much fun writing it. Also I would suggest listening to Alexander rybak fairytale. Enjoy

Tales of the far dark lands of the mossovy world were whispered among all of Westeros, some mothers would even make up stories of demons of the mossovy that traveled in the night to capture naughty children or the ones that did not sleep to get their toddlers to bed.

Not even the wisest of maesters could speak with certainty of what occupied that part of the land, to be frank, they also did not intend to find out any time soon, it was easier to say that it was demonic creatures and shapeshifters that ate souls of the innocent.

But, every story has two sides. Mossovy, the matriarch kingdom, was ruled by women and occupied by them entirely, the witches protected the kingdom with spells and did not care to join the mess that was Westeros.

Until (y/n) was born, the daughter of the queen, the labor was quite the event as the women held the queens' hands while a witch lost in her trance waited patiently for the babe, all it could be heard was the queens' grunts of pain and the witch’s mumbling as the ancestors whispered in her ears.

“The princess of the dark, the conqueror of the west has arrived my queen”

(Y/n) had managed to send shivers down the women’s spine ever since she was born, one cry is all it took for the palace windows to shatter, the babe would only sleep during the morning, while her red hues were open all night.

Her mother loved her, yet (y/n) could identify the fear upon her mother's gaze early, the only one that truly loved (y/n) was the witch that whispered the prophecy when she was brought into this world, the woman that blessed her when she cut the cord, the woman that had seen the babes future the second she held her.

“Do I truly have to go?”

“You were born to make Mossovy proud, you are destined to rule, and to do that you must ride west, I will be with you every step of the way, and soon enough you will come back to us as the queen of all the kingdoms”

The eldest witch promised before she placed a motherly kiss on the young one's forehead, (y/n) had been pressured into keeping a low profile for so long, cast aside while everyone frowned upon her power, if the elders' words held the truth, (y/n) would be content.

-

The Targaryen family had just sat down to break their fast when news arrived of giant birds circling their castle, a frightened knight had alerted the royal family about a crow, a hawk, an owl, a vulture, and an eagle landing in front of the red keep, their riders demanding an audience with the king and queen.

(Y/n) walked into the throne room with her and held her high while her guards stayed close to her, everyone’s eyebrows raised at the presence of the young woman, they had no clue who she was and where she came from. Still, she looked like a queen as she stopped in front of king Viserys who sat on the iron throne.

“Your grace, it is a pleasure to finally meet you”

“I could say the same, my lady, if I knew who you are”

“(Y/n) odwin, we rode for two days from our homeland, I am sure you have heard of Mossovy”

Mutter coming from the court that was present took over her ears. The mysterious veil was finally lifted and what was behind it left them terrified, a smirk decorated her lips while her eyes pierced through the old king.

The house odwin ruled Mossovy for as long as anyone remembered, the history of women running away from slavery or any type of abuse and making a home as far as humanly possible, their words revealed everything that should be said

“All for the motherland”

They worshipped Mother Nature who blessed them with the gift of magic, they found power in witchcraft, it protected their daughters, it kept them healthy and barely touched by the hand of time.

(Y/n) guessed that technically she was older than the king, a man that was barely keeping his eyes open from the illness, if he could make it back to her homeland the witches would probably be able to nurture him back to health.

“Mossovy? You must have me for a fool if you even thought I would believe such lies”

“Why would I lie about it? I believe you wish I lied perhaps of the way we chose to step back and did not take any part in the pointless wars you have created to kill one another, understandably so a certain unwarranted cruelty is expected from your kind”

“My kind?”

“Mankind your grace”

“You are overstepping young lady”

“It’s the princess (y/n) and I am not overstepping anything, you called me a liar so I defended my own”

She relished this moment, to oppose a supposed king that looks so frail and defeated by a plague, yet he thought because his bum warmed a seat made of iron swords made him invincible and demanded respect. She wanted to laugh at him, belittle him, though her upbringing forbade such antics until it was necessary.

“If you are from the land of Mossovy, what are you doing here?”

“We want an alliance, there has been a plethora of attempted invasions recently and it is time to end this once and for all”

“I have not commanded any of my scouts to travel to your land, are you certain of those events or is it just a mere misunderstanding on your end?”

“the invaders came from Essos, they did not go far thankfully our army is strong, and we have managed to protect our own yet we must admit that the enemy is getting stronger as years go by, it will certainly help if we also had your muscle brains of men”

“Enlighten me, young princess, why should we align ourselves with your kingdom? All we know of you is that you came in flying on humongous birds and that your land is the home for demons”

“I am well aware of the hushed tales that have been whispered for my home and I do not blame you, women who unapologetically took authority and simply act the way the opposite gender has assumed that it should act, the only demonic act that we have committed is that we are women”

Viserys was in a tough spot, he had named his daughter as heir which was scandalous, leaving her in a position that could cause a stir, the young woman that stood before him spoke of a land that was run entirely by females, a matriarch kingdom that had managed to stay hidden for centuries.

He was not getting any younger, once he passed an alliance with such land could be extremely useful for Rhaenyra, to already show a land that prevailed under the hand of a woman could back her claim.

“Very well, I only have one condition”

“Which is?”

“You bend the knee to my daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, my heir”

“I would be delighted to pay my respects to the future queen, I cannot wait to meet her”

-

(Y/n) grew fond of the kingdom, specifically, she was intrigued by their dragons, such marvelous creatures and what was even better was that she realised that they were summoned by magic, the act that the king now frowned upon was what brought him to power.

She had wished to go out for a stroll around the premises when the sound of steel clashing made her ears perk up. Her eyes shifted towards that direction while her legs guided her closer to the circle of people, soon enough she discovered prince Aemond part taking in a duel with one of the kings guards, the men danced around one another, it was quite a sight of you were incompetent in battle, his movements were shifted enough but not as clean to get him out of a battlefield alive.

The crowd cheered for the one-eyed prince who had managed to disarm the guard, what interrupted the moment of applause was (y/n)s meek giggle, “amateurs” she thought.

“Princess (y/n), would you like to share what was it exactly that amused you”

“You, my prince”

“Me?”

“It was a nice effort I am not going to lie but I do believe you are in desperate need of a better coach”

Once again the people spoke under their breaths, not of what she said but most of who she was, a mere foreigner that spoke ill of the princes and the guards' skills in sparring.

“Really? Go on then princess, pick a sword”

“Prince Aemond I think the princess was just jesting”

“I was not, on the contrary, I would love to part take in this adorable training session”

She opposed it, she had chosen to cover herself with a thick cape that was now on the ground, Aemond observed (y/n)s arms, scattered wounds from scars decorated her skin, and her long hair resembled a horse, long, thick, and beautiful.

(Y/n) twirled the sword with her fingers, her ruby eyes sparkling at the idea of a challenge, she looked like a creature from another world.

Aemonds interest had peaked in (y/n) ever since she went against his father, the ever-defiant princess let the king have a piece of her mind, she was fearless, so how could he not want to know more?

“Do not worry Ser, I will go easy on him”

“Is that so? Well then, let’s see which one will have to swallow back their words or pride after we are done with this”

“Sounds promising”

There was a moment of silence, you could hear a pin drop until Aemond went for the first jab that left (y/n) unfazed, her sword collided with his and forced him to take a step back due to her position switching smoothly from defense to offense, the princess had been yielding a sword since the young age of 4, archery was her favorite but a sword fight was more intimate, to be able to see the fear on her opponents' eyes as he was slowly losing his leverage, a priceless moment.

“You must be quicker than that”

She teased him before she disarmed him, with a grunt Aemond released the clutch he had on his sword the edge of (y/n)s weapon rested on the side of his neck, Aemond panted still he did not break eye contact, and neither did she.

“I must say princess, I have never met someone like you”

“Good, she would have probably taken your head already, however, I do not want to stain my attire so I will leave you to it”

She smiled at him before she left the sword back in its place and retrieved her cape. With her back turned to him he recalled the first night she had stayed, oh that eventful night that turned his life around forever, she had earned the nickname of “princess of the night” around the castle but Aemond felt like she brought to light in his life.

The pain from his eye injury would often leave him restless, he had grown tired of it and went out for a walk. That is when he saw her, she whispered something that sounded like nonsense to him with her head looking up at the sky, he was about to brush it off as the princess was just mad when he saw the dark mist appearing from the sky and had started to circle her.

Instinctively he went over to the side so he can remain hidden while he spied on her, the most had almost engulfed her when she turned around, her eyes were open however she was not looking at something specific, it almost looked like she had gone blind, her eyes were completely red, no white, no black, just a coat of red, she appeared to be inhaling the mist while the whispering continued.

He should have been scared, and ran away to call for guards and take her to the dungeons for her dark magic, however, he stood still, and he allowed her to continue without intruding.

“Amazing”

He mumbled to himself, astonished with what his eyes beheld like she commanded the world to spin, she was commanding the sky itself to engulf her, she wasn’t asking for darkness, she was the darkness.

The mist after a while started to dissolve and her eyes would slowly fade back to what they usually looked like, still, her hues were of dark burgundy, and now they were leaning towards the image of a fireplace, licks of a flame danced around her jewels she called eyes, her hair fell like traces framing her face, her skin blistering under the moonlight, she was a creature of the night, the mystery of the black coat painting across the sky became her.

Aemond thought he had gone unnoticed, he could not have been more wrong. (Y/n) picked up on his pacing from a mile away, the whispers of her ancestors warned her of whom it was, she chose to ignore him, let him become a mere observant of her craft, although she allowed it to scare him off, thinking that the prince would run with his tail between his legs and let everyone know of what he saw.

Aemond surprised her, the man was of course taken aback by the incident but the result wasn’t what she made it to be, he was even more interested in the princess. She was a worthy opponent, someone that left him guessing, an untouchable royal from the unknown that could make anyone tremble with just one sentence, she is everything Aemond aspired to be.

“She will be mine”

“Whom are you referring to?”

She loudly questioned startling Aemond. After the first wave of shock, he managed to smoothly recover and come out of his hiding spot to face her.

There she stood, the princess of Mossovy, the powerful witch, a woman that was one of a kind. Aemond gulped the knot that had formed in his throat before he took just one step closer to her.

“You, princess”

“Me? I will be yours? You have a wonderful sense of humor”

(Y/n) chuckled at the declaration of the prince. Aemonds ego was severely bruised at her initial response, ever since his eyes incident he had desperately made the effort to improve his confidence, truly a woman laughing at his vulnerability was making his work crumble beneath her feet.

“Do you honestly think I am looking for a husband? Someone that will parade me around while I am young and breed me until I give him a son and after all my tough labor of being a “dutiful wife” I will be cast aside while he indulges in whores? I would rather eat my own heart”

Aemond lost his composure, how dare she assume he would be like that? He was a man of honor, a man that scoffed at such low-life antics, for so long his bed was empty, and would turn his back when his brother asked him to accompany him to flea bottom.

As (y/n) kept snickering Aemond took the advantage to catch her off guard and with a few big steps he was chest to chest with her, his fingers latching around her bicep to gain (y/n)s attention and cut her amusement short.

“I would worship you, you mustn’t be as witty as you consider yourself to be if you believe that once I get the chance to have you I would not take tremendous pleasure in spending every waking moment just admiring you, loving you, basking in your presence, you are the fire that burns inside, the ocean that soothes my burning ache”

“That is kind of you to say, except that it is just words, words are just a mass of air that forms into a sound for a mere second before it disappears. If you truly feel those things you claim, then act like it”

She challenged him, it was at that point that they both noticed how their chests brushed against one another, how they were only one breath away from the lips of the other, his stronghold only grew tighter as a way to restrain himself from doing something that his mother would frown upon.

The only time Aemond broke eye contact with (y/n) was when his gaze fell to her lips, those soft, pink lips that had tortured his brain from morning to night, if he just barely leaned in he could taste them, still, something held him back.

“You are breathing heavily my prince, what seems to be the matter?”

“Cast a spell on me, make me forget you, that is the only way I could live in peace, you have taken over my body like a demon, and I slowly find myself being pulled out of my schedule while my soul yearns for you or was in the rings of seven hells? Was my dull and grim life just a miserable way to exist and every you strolled in you plastered some color on my canvas? I do not know if your existence in my life is a gift or a curse”

“Isn’t that the beauty of it all? To be so mindfully present in the moment that you jump out of character for the one that you crave? To live and die for your other half?”

Requests are open!

[eslanes]

ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ ᴄᴀꜱ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ

(thanks @faerie-tempest)

Okay I went a bit wild and did the whole challenge for Devon's family. This was really fun and I highly encourage doing this one!

(See below the cut for who's-who!)

Devon Grace (the influencer + cousin who's getting married) - The reality star, social media influencer and adult entertainer we all know and love! She's also getting married to her new boo, unbeknownst to him.

Stavros Pantazis (the new bae) - Literally new new, they met less than a sim-week ago and are now expecting a little terror of their own. No one will bother remembering his name and Grandma keeps calling him "Vlad".

Briar Rose Grace (the quiet judgmental youngin') - Devon's daughter. What can i say, she's a saucy little shit lol.

Brianna Grace (the competitive sibling) - Devon's younger sister and a bit of a brat in her own right.

Mary-Jacqueline Grace (the instigator) - Devon and Brianna's mother. She's a chainsmoking, hard-drinking hot mess of a broad. She's been known to get into fist-fights with grown men (and win, of course).

Catherine Grace-De la Roca (the cool aunt) - Mary-Jacqueline's twin sister and the only reason Devon and Brianna turned out half-sensible. Art teacher and travel enthusiast.

Rodrigo De la Roca (the world's most interesting uncle) - Catherine's husband and walking encyclopedia of weird and random knowledge. Has some kind of bizarre story for every occasion. Don't ask him to tell the thumb story.

Gabi De la Roca (the holier-than-thou student) - Teenage terror with brains to burn. She's banking on a full scholarship to Britechester to get away from her unhinged family.

Enid Grace (the family recipe gatekeeper) - The matriarch of the Grace family. Rules the kitchen with an iron fist. Whatever you do, don't ask for her rhubarb pie recipe.

Tony Grace (the overly-supportive grandparent) - Enid's husband and family patriarch. Wanna join the circus? Drop out of college? Kill someone? Grandpa's got your back (and probably the shovel).

Ronnie Grace (the bitcoin uncle) - Tech nerd and the lamest guy you will ever meet. Somehow his family hasn't left him for his constant rants about blockchains. May or may not have lost half his savings from investing in Llamacoin. Mary-Jacqueline and Catherine's younger brother.

Keisha Grace (the nosy relative) - Somehow still married to Ronnie (but doesn't know about the Llamacoin yet). Actually loves family gatherings because she gets all the dirt to gossip about with her friends later.

Niko Grace (the peacemaker) - Ronnie's son from his first marriage, at 31 he's still "finding himself" (ie: unemployed musician living in his parents' basement). You can probably find him outside of a family gathering trying to push weed on his younger cousins.

Grayson Grace (the golden child) - It's really not hard to be the golden boy when your older brother sells weed to children.

Tabitha Loveless (the passive-aggressive auntie) - A widower, Tony's older sister and Devon's great-aunt. Tabitha may or may not have flown to the gathering on her broom.

Karen Loveless (the live-laugh-love mom) - Tabitha's daughter. Cheerful to a fault, but please don't ruffle her couch cushions or you will face the wrath of God. Has been in a 17-year old standoff with Aunt Enid over that goddamn pie recipe.

Eddie and Jason Loveless (the d.i.n.k.w.a.d's) - Karen's son and son-in-law. They just got back from a cruise and can't wait to tell you all about it. They're really living their double-income-no-kids-with-a-dog life to the fullest. They considered leaving because their precious pooch, Tangerine, was not given her own place setting.

Kurt Loveless and Monica Song (the anxious new parents) - Eddie's twin brother and his fiancée. Just welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Chevron Fritz Loveless. Baby Chevron is so special that he spends 18.5 of 24 hours a day screaming his sweet little head off. If it weren't for his mother Karen, Eddie is convinced he would kill his twin brother and take over his life. Monica showed up to the reunion with baby shit on her shirt and is unfazed.

Kelly Loveless-Strong (the wino soccer mom) - Tabitha's other daughter and Karen's younger sister. She's convinced her precious boy is going to make it to the World Cup (that is if he can get tf off of Twitch). Fun fact: there's definitely wine in that coffee cup. Is 100% likely to get into a table-dancing contest with cousin Mary-Jaqueline later.

Colby Strong (the 'other' influencer) - The family still doesn't undertand how Colby got famous for playing videogames but they are all so proud anyhow, even if he is pissing away his opportunity at being a world-class athlete. Most definitely out back smoking weed with cousin Niko.

[vacantgodling]

@void-botanist

ASK AND YE SHALL RECIEVE

so to provide some context and backstory: lord biand sunniva used to be the ruler of The Brass Autumn Court of Alizath--one of the 4 ruling lordoms in the country alongside The Titanium Summer, The Iron Spring, and the Steel (sometimes spelled Steele) Winter; which are all made up of prominent, war and politically savvy families, their nobles, and their vassels who live on their land. many ages ago, these 4 clans were constantly at war with one another, and eventually came to an uneasy peace via pressure of their vassels, who believed that they should not have so much power to turn their lives into turmoil whenever they saw fit. so they created like an assembly thing of some kind that would make decisions for the betterment of all the vassels in every court, and it was basically up to the lords and their nobles ot uphold those decrees. now, this obviously doesn't work that well at first. if you know anything about history and how parlimentary monarchies work, then think that but worse bc not just nobles, but there's basically 4 kings at any given point competing for total influence at all times. however, it takes these political squabbles out of the battlefield and bloodshed, and into the realm of political balls, alliances, and favors.... so at least there's more stability. to a certain extent.

lord sunniva always had grand aspirations, and this hubris would prove to be his undoing... though perhaps less so than his largest rival lord dominiq atherton of the iron spring. but we'll get there eventually cuz rn we're focused on jeanna, who is lord sunniva's younger sister.

after she and biand's parents died, biand took the mantle of lord of the brass autumn, and quickly made it his mission--even if not necessarily to overthrow the council (or whatever im calling it) entirely, that he wanted essentially absolute power over all the other lords because he believed that only through unity would alizath become truly stable. and why not all unify under the most consistent, wealthy, and powerful house, the brass autumn--which it was at the time. biand's parents and ancestors before him did well for themselves, and biand himself was a good ruler, despite his voracious pride.

jeanna herself always found her brother a bit intimidating however. he never had any interest in her, her interests, or her desires, and it lead her heart and mind to stray away from his ambitions, out into the world. she wasn't necessarily looking for love. she was looking for companionship, more than anything. she first initially found that as balls began to take root and the courts began to mingle together; meeting lady love of the steel winter and lady elzbia of the titanium summer. the three of them became a tightnit group of friends, but there was no fourth matriarchal presence that could complete their friendship--as there was no lady of the iron spring; there never was. and the lord of the iron spring; dominiq atherton... he was always a rugged, handsome, and mysterious man.

jeanna's affections first started off as insignificant as a crush. he was handsome, and she could acknowledge that. she, love, and elzbia all tended to have their gossips about the men of the court, so when she mentioned she found him attractive, she didn't think anything of it-elzbia agreed, and while love didn't share their taste she got the vibe. this culminated with her two friends gently encouraging her to speak with dominiq at the balls. jeanna knew her brother wouldn't approve of it because of his hatred of lord atherton, but lord atherton was charming, calm, and made her feel at ease, which was MUCH different than how she felt around her brother. out of her brother's eye she struck up a companionship with him, and this went on for some time before biand found out and berated her super harshly, forbidding her from stepping foot outside their castle walls for a month.

but dominiq appeared at her window with flowers one night. and that was probably when she was doomed.

she became hopelessly enamored with lord atherton; she couldn't help it. he was a safe space away from her brother and the mounting pressure he put on her to conform to his will. maybe she vented to lord atherton about how controlling and heartless he was towards her and how she felt conflicted because she loved him as a brother but many times it felt like he didn't see her as anything more than a pawn for his goals. lord atherton listened and she ate his attention up, none the wiser to his own plan.

it wasn't long before dominiq was able to seduce jeanna into his bed--on more than one occasion. he did everything right and jeanna kept this close to her chest that she'd slept with him, not even telling her closest friends. even though dominiq was isolating her from her brother, she was isolating herself from those who genuninely loved and cared about her and without their guidance she fell deeper and deeper into lord atherton's web. until... it finally happened.

it being that the leader of the council of alizath that was supposed to keep all the nobles and lords working to the people's wishes, was found dead. and lord biand, the most proud, outspoken and perhaps flashy with his displays of wealth and power, was determined to be the most likely culprit. biand wasn't having it, and set to work using their family's witch to try and gain more intel about who actually killed the minister and cleared his name, though his suspicions were always on lord atherton. and he had a right to be suspicious.

when he went to confront dominiq, ready to expose him before the trial... dominiq dropped a bomb. that he had impregnated his sister, jeanna. and it was true. jeanna while all this was going on had begun to experience all the woes of pregnancy and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before her brother found out and discarded her, but while she was having these thoughts, dominiq and biand were hashing it out. dominiq said that he would not only pin the blame on biand, but that he would expose jeanna and ruin their family forever, or, biand could take the high road and skip the trial, but also banish himself from alizath forever--never to return until dominiq himself kicked the bucket. biand had to admit he was out played. and in a rare show of care for his sister (or perhaps more in fear of his reputation), biand withdrew.

he didn't admit fault, but he didn't contest the banishment. jeanna had her baby, quietly, greye, which as promised, lord atherton took as his own. then the sunnivas were cast out of alizath altogether, and the brass autumn's future was left up in the air.

SO all of that rambling to say that jeanna was badly hurt by all of this. she lost her child, earned even further ire and distrust from her brother, and realized the man who she thought was bonding with her, was only interested in using her just as her brother did. but in a worse way. this is 30 ish years before the main story, and jeanna is in her 50s now, and time has both mellowed and hardened her. she no longer questions her brother's will--she just assumes that he's right, because he was right about lord atherton, she just didn't want to see it. so she's become subservient to him and his.... abusive tendencies. she also keeps all her thoughts and opinions to herself. she doesn't agree with how biand is going about getting his revenge, especially involving an innocent girl (kirsi) in it, but she doesn't question him anymore.

to kirsi, she is strict and distant, but can't deny she cares for her. she tries to do as biand wills and not look at her like the daughter she was forced to give up, but she can't help but feel that way, and is softer on kirsi especially once she and kirsi return to alizath alone and get some space away from biand's influence.

overall, i really love jeanna (and most of these characters); she didn't deserve what happened to her, but ik she feels like its too late for happiness for her. but kirsi views her as a mother and wishes she could help her be happy.

[bonefall]

Brief BloodClan Guide

Because I’m cleaning up my masterpost and I don’t seem to have an actual post explaining BloodClan??

History

After Oakstar exiled Mapleshade’s kits resulting in their deaths, leading to the Mapleshade Incident, StarClan was PISSED at him and commanded that he atone with his remaining lives.

Oakstar utterly wasted 3/4 of them during the events of Darkstar’s Commandment.

On his last life he scrambled to try and ‘appease‘ StarClan by starting crusades in their honor, attacking cats in the nearby town of Chelford (known to clan cats as ‘twolegplace.’)

Crystal organized a combat brigade to defend the strays and keep watch, which evolved over time into an organization that solved various problems of living with humans.

Hal succeeded her, then an undecided leader, and finally Scourge.

When Pinestar left ThunderClan, by holding onto his last life, he prevented Sunstar from getting his nine. Pine was involved with BloodClan in some capacity; specifics currently unknown.

What’s their deal?

BloodClan was formed to protect Chelford from Clan invasions, but became a legitimate organization in the town. They save cats from neglect and abuse, help to distribute resources like food and medicine, and enforce law in the town. They’re also brutal, demanding loyalty, forcing the cats to pay “dues”, and laying down bloody punishment for falling short.

They’re just as beneficial to the cats they rule as they are destructive, and they distrust Clan cats for a reason. They are a neutral entity.

When Scourge was approached by Tigerstar, he was promised forest land in exchange for his strength. When he was betrayed and the other clans refused to hold up their end of this bargain, he decided he was sick of the lies and violence of these violent neighbors.

After the battle, BloodClan engages in diplomacy and even trade with the Forest Clans, particularly ThunderClan. They’re decent allies, apart from a power struggle that occurs in Ferncloud’s Parting, which ends in the leadership passing over to Claw.

Scourge Himself

Does NOT die in the BloodClan battle. Firestar rises and defeats him, showing that he abides by the code in a new and revolutionary way, extending the Law of Honor even to outsiders. Fire Alone.

Eventually Scourge retires, and spends a lot of his time in camp with ThunderClan warriors. He permanently joins when they leave for the Lake. He takes on the name Iceheart as a sign of respect to the culture, and serves as a sort of uncle figure to Hollypaw as she grows up. This gives her more examples of the varied types of outsiders in the world. 

Eventually he fights in the Great Battle against the Dark Forest, losing a rematch with Tigerstar and deciding to become a ghost.

Misc BloodClan Cultural Stuff

They are a matriarchal culture. They don’t have ‘fathers‘ like Forest Clans do, with uncles and close friends filling in ‘paternal’ roles.

Barley Senior is the uncle of Barley Junior, and was once part of BloodClan.

There are TWO main roles in BloodClan; Problems (the fighter class) and Solvers (the intellectual class). Only Problems wear the spike-collars.

Solvers are the ones who make and apply “Claw Extenders“ onto Problems, after every claw cap shedding. Claw Extenders are powerful weapons, but require a lot of maintenance.

Problems choose an edgy “professional name“ for themselves when they earn their first trophy.

Trophies can be basically anything sharp, long, and meaningful that makes a good stud in a collar. This is usually teeth and claws, but some studs are sharpened bones or spikes broken off of iron fences.

The amount of trophies you can wear is based on rank.

They can steal from humans, and make elaborate plans for infiltrating buildings and doing rescue missions.

Very rarely, some of them can read. This is a highly valued skill.

[angelmarie]

💙 An unnecessarily long list of random von Karma family (+ Gant) hcs💙

(Contains slightly suggestive relationship stuff)

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-Manfred’s wife’s name is Martha

-her favorite color is yellow 💛

Yellow Primroses are her favorite flower

-Manfred has a major sweet tooth

Of course no one knows this except Martha and kids. Once their first daughter was born she decided to become a full time mom, which gave her more time for baking. Manfred would never outwardly express his happiness with this since he thought having a sweet tooth was childish, but he was not able to hide his true feelings from her ever.

She passed away not long after Franziska was born. One way Manfred kept her close after her passing was learning how to make the recipes she had left behind. They never failed to make him feel better.

Unfortunately Gant eventually found out about his sweet tooth; something that would be endlessly embarrassing for manfred since Gant thought it was cute and would tease him endlessly for it. At least he was able to get some new desserts out of it (Torta Maria Lusia and Tres Leches Cake are favorites of his. Milhojas became a must have during afternoon tea.) (<- Colombian gant propaganda)

He will consume anything with dark chocolate in it

-I go back and forth between whether or not Manfred’s wife was a woman of law herself or a traditional wife, but either way she was the matriarch of that household and ruled it with an iron fist

Obviously manfred lived for every second of it bc he’s a bottom

Manfred fr:

It was only with Martha’s permission that Gant got to fool around with her husband before her death. Granted though if Gant didn’t continue to satisfy manfred after her death then his eternal punishment when he died would’ve been getting whipped 24/7 by none other than Mrs. von Karma herself

When she was alive tho Martha and Gant were an insufferable powerhouse of doting on manfred both in public and private– calling him all kinds of pet names and being all touchy-feely with him bc they knew it embarrassed him to an infuriating degree

-Manfred’s eldest daughter is named Sabrina

-Sabrina’s personality is the opposite of Franziska’s

While Franziska takes after her father, Sabrina is the least ‘von Karma-esque’

She’s definitely the normal one of the family

She’s a very motherly figure– incredibly sweet, very optimistic, and just an overall ray of sunshine. Literally the nicest person you could ever meet, to the point where you’d find it surprising to know that she’s a von Karma

However, this does not exclude her from understanding the sort of secret internal language that von karma’s have. For example, Von Karma’s have a very specific way of showing affection for one another– it is not outwardly obvious like it is other people. It can be confusing for outsiders looking in, and can often be misconceived as mixed signals. But in truth it is just simply that von karma’s are better subtle hints rather than outright stating or being physically affectionate. Sabrina understands this well even though she is a very affectionate person in both words and actions.

She was always the best at making miles feel better when he was little

-Sabrina is not completely devoid of stereotypical von karma traits either.

Even though she’s not one for competition like her father or sister, she is very confident in herself and her abilities, and would not have trouble standing up for herself if someone tried to test her.

She also keeps the von karma tradition of striving for perfection close her, albeit she has a much healthier relationship with it.

Every now and then, she would argue with manfred over his relationship with perfection and how self-destructive it was for him. Her attempts at getting him to understand however would always be unsuccessful, since he was far too stubborn to ever believe that he needed help or that he was destroying himself.

Besides that she and manfred had a great relationship. You will never get me to subscribe to the the fanon that she ran away from home and detests manfred. Let papa love his kids dammit.

-While Franziska favored unky boo boo, Sabrina really liked uncle gant

Since they’re both outwardly happy people they got along really well, and she even considered him to be a distant second father

This made the incarceration of both her father and gant being in such a short time frame an incredibly distressing period for her

Gant was never interested in having kids of his own or considered himself the type to be a good father, but since von karma kids are a different breed (manny duplicates) they were easier for him to get used to.

Unfortunately he could never seem to get on Franziska’s good side tho, bc she was always preoccupied on his intentions with her father (which honestly fair he do be 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂)

-Sabrina still lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, and Phoenix the dog. Despite everything that has happened they are very happy ;v;

-the only time frame that Manfred was truly happy started with the birth of his first daughter and ended with his wife’s death (TW for depression and suicide)

This era was truly the golden age of Manfred’s life. Not only was he the god of prosecutors in court, he finally had his first daughter, something he was overjoyed with since he always wanted to have kids.

Not to mention he was head over heels with his wife and his annoying giant boyfriend

Considering that Manfred had franziska in his late 40s - early 50s, this highpoint lasted for about 15-20 years

Unfortunately this period of domestic bliss would end with the death of his wife, which happened about a year after franziska was born.

Her death was very sudden and extremely disrupting for manfred, leading to a considerable increase in his short temper and destructive actions to both himself and others

This marked the start of his downfall

The succession of events including the IS-7 incident, manfred getting his first penalty, and DL-6 happened not long after

After this, Manfred was never able to feel truly happy like he was during his golden age ever again. This state of being continued for the rest of his existence until he took his own life in prison not long after he was arrested.

[jabberwockprince]

🛝 and/or 🎉 for the cast of Spina Venatores, if you're willing?

HELL YEAAA SPINA SWEEEEEEP! ty for the ask (and for making the OC questions post!! <3) I made some quick lil silly doodles so ppl can remember who is who

also putting the rest of the post under a cut to avoid clogging ppl's dashes!

🛝: What do they do in their free time, if they have any?

A general rule of thumb is that the elite members of Spina Venatores often choose to spend their free time with each other, due to their obsessive codependency and need for companionship. Venison is the most extreme example of this!

They have no problem inserting themself into the routines of others, following them along and just lingering, or engaging in some parallel play. Venison is also entitled and confident enough to drag whoever into any shenanigans or to slack off, just for the sake of being entertained.

Ironically, despite Venison's role as the leader of Spina Venatores, they're given a lot of free time - Forget Me Not considers their clingy personality a great way to monitor others and prevent people from deserting, as well as to help Spina's members grow closer together and become much more susceptible to manipulation. It's two birds in one stone.

And even if we were to talk about their hobbies, they're also heavily influenced by either their desire for companionship or their work, because Venison is a character whose existence is defined by their relationships with others, a parasite that cannot stand on their own or be left alone. So, when it comes to their hobbies or what they would do if there's no one around to indulge them, then...

People watching and stalking - they absolutely love observing and studying others, taking note of every single reaction no matter how subtle, which helps them read others like an open book to absolute FILTH when needed. They love to know what their favorite people do when no one is looking.

They enjoy writing letters, and some arts and crafts, but even THOSE end up focusing heavily on their role within Manus/Spina lmfao. This mf has a talent for making every aspect of their life revolve around a SINGLE thing

🎉: What thing(s) in the 21st century would they really like or enjoy?

Social media, especially how easy it becomes to keep tabs on others and how difficult it is for people to get rid of their digital footprint.

This mf would be OUT THERE with the perfect daily routine to check on absolutely everyone they cherish or are obsessed with, managing a couple dozen accounts just in case. They're not a tech genius or anything, but for the sake of seeing what everyone is up to, they would definitely learn whatever is necessary to continue stalking others.

On a less intense note, I think Venison would also enjoy fandom spaces and online culture overall, given how it can both be precious moments of community and a cesspool of toxicity. I can absolutely see them building a little community for dead dove fics and being That One Guy people go to for advice when writing gore because they just happen to know a lot about how the human body works in specific conditions

🛝: What do they do in their free time, if they have any?

Mutton is a tricky one, because she insists that she has no free time at all - working on logistics and keeping everything in check takes up all of her time. But she's a desperate workaholic, using work to keep herself busy and avoid thinking too much about things she'd rather forget.

Whenever there's nothing to do, Mutton fusses over everyone else within Spina, taking on their workload and putting even more stress on herself. THAT's what she does in her free time. WORK. HARDER. Part of her does it out of genuine care, but overtime that's become just a surface justification of her controlling mindset. She's too used to filling the role of matriarch, a strong and reliable figure for those who look up to her, and instantly assumes that everyone will do a poor job, that she's the only one capable.

Despite being the complete opposite to Venison, the two get along extremely well because they follow the same pattern of behaviour - both of them need to make their entire lives revolve around something or someone that isn't themselves for whatever reason.

So her hobbies are also related to her people: Mutton is into fashion, she's a master seamstress and tailor. All these extravagant uniforms that all members of Spina Venatores wear? She made them herself by hand, even the ones that Disciples wear. Every single one. She loves to cook, and always overindulges everyone in Spinas with their favorite meals in excessive amounts. Mf is really the world's most fucked up, cynical, divorced housewife and mother of a couple dozen cultists <3

🎉: What thing(s) in the 21st century would they really like or enjoy?

The revival or renaissance era of old trends. Like, people going "we should bring back bell bottom jeans/we should start dressing again like we're in the 20's/we should go back to this and that". I think Mutton would find that endearing, silly and nostalgic, especially if they're given a modern twist - that's something she can definitely appreciate.

There's just something about people constantly yearning for things that already passed by and trying desperately to bring them back, but it's impossible to truly relive the past so what they end up getting is something brand new instead. Like electro swing <3! Yes there's a metaphor somewhere in there about being unable to let go, anyway. moving on.

Other than that, Mutton would also enjoy telenovelas and soap operas in general, or movies and shows full of drama focused on relationships - especially the ones that get EXTREMELY convoluted like Why Women Kill or The Handmaiden (2016). She'd get SO heated up about them, projecting so hard onto every character that mildly resembles her LMFAO

🛝: What do they do in their free time, if they have any?

Chevon is a rare case within Spina Venatores, because unlike the others, he actually has fucking normal hobbies that he indulges in during his free time that don't necessarily carry copious amounts of emotional baggage.

He likes to garden and flower arrangement, specifically. Not that he's any good at it, everything he touches tends to die pretty quickly, but he still likes to do it anyway!

More than often, Chevon will be accompanied by Poultry, the only one with actual knowledge when it comes to plants and flowers, and who keeps him from destroying the whole garden where she grows her materials.

Chevon is very interested in the process of decay when it comes to flora and fauna, so while his natural lack of skill in caring for something as easy as a cactus can come in handy for that sweet, sweet plausible deniability, everyone knows better than to fall for that that. This mf is out there trying to find the perfect point between life and death, growth and decay to preserve a living body forever, similar to how Druvis III can preserve plants in a frozen state but applied to actual people

But he also likes to read, Chevon will read literally anything, just because he's so very curious about other perspectives, even if he does consider each and every one of them useless and waaaay beneath his own. Complaining and criticizing others is also one of his hobbies, so be careful when it comes to him reading your work lmfao.

Whereas Venison is the guy you go to for undying support and blind love bombing, Chevon is the guy you go to if you need to be humbled to fucking shreds because of how direct and brutally honest he is with his opinions. It SUCKS because despite him being such a little hater, he does give extremely good criticisms and observations in that soft spoken and entirely aloof demeanor of his.

🎉: What thing(s) in the 21st century would they really like or enjoy?

Chevon wouldn't be as terminally online as Venison nor Poultry, but I like to think he would be SUPER into those fucking weird ass nonsensical things that are impossible to describe to ppl who haven't experienced them online - such as Goncharov, long furby plushies that you can actually buy, whatever the fuck Garten of Banban is, Redditor Island, Alexandria's Genesis with the purple eyes

Like, he would ACTUALLY have one of those centipede furbies with spider legs. He would eat EVERY single deep dive video on the most fucked up outlandish events to ever happen online. THIS MF'S SMALL TALK WOULD CONSIST OF SHIT LIKE "hey did you hear that they can run Doom on a stomach bacteria now? yeah its 1 frame each 70 hours"

Chevon is just mesmerized by the fact that God gave everyone free will and the ability to live beyond the year 1999 and THIS is the type of shit people chose to do with their time

🛝: What do they do in their free time, if they have any?

Poultry's hobby and passion, the one thing that consumes her entire life (as well as the entire reason she's the only fully conscious human within Manus and Spina) is to study and research arcanum through human methods, and see if it can be utilized and manipulated in ways no one has yet figured out. So her free time is spend borrowing a page from Mutton's work and studying/working even more!

She's constantly asking questions to any arcanist who passes by, following others like a lost duck, using Disciples like guinea pigs and potentially doing experiments that would put the Foundation to shame

I like to think that she was ruthless in her research, that she would often go days without sleeping or eating and push her body beyond its limits - that's how she managed to get results worthy of Manus Vindictae's recognition prior to being recruited, after all - but that, after joining Spina Venatores, she considerably calmed down!

...which is both good and bad because sure! she's getting healthier habits just by being so easily influenced by her seniors (Venison, Mutton and Chevon) and their weird habits that rub off on her all at once, but also her entire fucking life hinges on being useful to Arcana and Manus so it's a bit of a tough spot for her

🎉: What thing(s) in the 21st century would they really like or enjoy?

She would really love every single advancement in every single branch of science. Every single discovery, no matter how small, even if it's something in a field that she has absolutely no fucking clue about. There's just something so exciting in knowing that there's still so much to find out about the world and the universe, though it does tend to lean towards the excitement of being the first one to make those discoveries.

But I think that's it for now? Poultry and Veal are characters that I'm still working on, so I don't have as much to say about them as the first three! I'm still trying to figure out what she even likes about her current time and situation, lmfao

🛝: What do they do in their free time, if they have any?

Veal is a mystery to everyone, including some members of Spina and ALSO INCLUDING ME. What does this little guy do in their free time? Who knows! I don't!

Given how they're a shapeshifter and their whole lack of identity, I assume Veal spends their free time stealing someone's identity and just trying to mimic them to the best of their ability. So it's not too rare to see Chevon somewhere in his room and then find a second Chevon somewhere in the gardens.

This would also work as training and as a show of affection, since Veal believes that imitation is the highest form of adoration.

Other than that, I would say that Veal would spend their free time trying to find out ... something to do with themself, to start forming an identity beyond the whole fucking mess that is their existence as a doppelganger, but that's something that they'd do after Spina Venatores dissolves and Vertin takes them in!

🎉: What thing(s) in the 21st century would they really like or enjoy?

Same as the previous answer, I can only theorize about what my OWN OC MIGHT LIKE OR THINK ... Hmm ...

With how little info I have about Veal right now, all I can think of is that they would unconsciously gravitate towards things that remind them of their friends and family, both within and outside of Spina Venatores. Something something, you are made up of small parts from all the people you love, etc etc.

[rating-bears]

todays bear from my mind is this bear on my friends laynard

i do not know where they got this bear.... i do not know its story.... so I gave it one one day when I was bored in class!!

this is bearoness bearnessa, and she hails from a noble family. she was the youngest bear, the kindest, but kind bears are not welcome in the bear aristocracy..... they must be strong and tough.... but bearnessa, she is kind

she ran away and lived as a commoner for a while, content with her happy life, but one day her family came for her. she needed to come back, to take up the mantle of running the family after the untimely death of her mother, the matriarch.

she knew what she had to do. she returned to her family, and enacted sweeping changes. no longer would the bears rule with an iron fist, instead they would use kindness to win the hearts and loyalty of their peoples. and it worked! it was a success!

she went down in history as the best bearoness ever!! and was so beloved by her people that they made her into mass-produced marketable keychains! yeah!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5!!! i impress myself sometimes

[the-letterbox-archives]

Hey lovely!!!

Wanna say I LOVE your blog and your WIPs are all phenomenal!!! You are an astonishing writer and an awesome person!!! 💚💚💚

I wanna know what you’re most excited about for shatter the shield, or anything you really, really wanna ramble about!! Give me all the juicy details cause I wanna hear it all!!!

thank you so much honey!!! <3 i love your blog and writing as well!! i'd love to answer your question as well, here's the loredump!

file (2)11-64-02317: ask response

the world

the world of shatter the shield is inspired aesthetically by the wintery north, places like norway and denmark (but not a lot of conscious cultural inspiration has come from those places). it's set in a general medieval fantasy time, possibly a bit after, but there is no set date. there's dense pine forests, snow basically all year round, lots of agriculture, too! it's a very self contained city; it doesn't need the help of surrounding areas, in fact, other cities are never mentioned within the story. it's quite a small scope of setting in that way.

there is also a manor on a hill. that manor is the centerpiece of the city. it's... imposing. it isn't a home. but it's a house, and that's enough for some people.

kåre + his family

kåre is the eldest son of the autocrat of this city. as he outlines as the narrator of the prologue, he often sees himself as 'weak,' due to his illnesses. he isn't terminal, but is physically weak enough by virtue of his poor immune system and general poor health; many people count on the speedy end of his life. he understands this, internalising the notion that he won't live long enough to overtake his mother as the leader of this city. though he'd like to be in control, and to make his world better, he is largely brushed off and ignored.

kåre also has a baby brother, the assumed successor to the dynasty. there's not much to him yet, he's only a little kid, but if kåre's emotional dysregulation due to their mother was any testament to the kind of man he'd become... well, the city might be in trouble.

their mother, malva, is the one in charge. she's not exactly a queen, or a dictator, or a matriarch, or at least she doesn't call herself by any title like that. regardless, she rules her city with an iron fist, causing much social unrest. she's well known to be cruel to her family and people and indifferent to suffering, but she is well protected. a very capable fighter (and rumoured sorceress) herself, she also has a loyal, formidable military, as well as one specific solider, incredibly capable for his age.

roshan

roshan was born to a servant within the manor, and raised as a dutiful solider and bodyguard to kåre since childhood. they formed an incredibly close bond, that which others presume is only based on roshan's unshakeable sense of duty and kåre's politeness, but we as readers, viewing the story through kåre's eyes, know the truth of their relationship. roshan does have an unshakeable sense of duty, yes, but it is one he can't divorce from his love for kåre, a love often tested when other figures, like malva or the rest of the military, come into play. he has been heavily conditioned since childhood to be not a sword, but a shield of which to protect kåre. that mentality is very hard to shake, but kåre is very helpful with that growth.

social issues

due to malva's grip on the city, there are a lot of social issues. she's not too bad in terms of physical prosperity of her city; most people can survive well, but are heavily policed in many other regards, and left alone when it comes to actual physical and social suffering. underground revolutions are common, but are not often taken to drastic action due to malva's violent and unforgiving methods of disposing of usurpers. also, usurpers are often from the poorest class within the city, and it is quite easy for the more wealthy/advantaged people to get rid of them.

magic

there isn't really magic in this world, not magic that humans can harness. it's moreso a force of nature that exists beyond the purview of humanity. urban legends tell tales of magical creatures and phenomena, and people know the stories are true, they are so far divorced from reality that it doesn't impact anybody. one thing in particular that is prevalent in the society is death. it is common belief that you must honour the dead, and if the dead are not honoured, they will return as ghosts. as such, honouring the dead is very important for everyone, regardless of wealth or status. a way malva and her people destroy any potential revolts is to kill their relatives and desecrate their bodies, making it so they have to roam the world as ghosts.

[fluesterscherben]

Headcanons/Thoughts about a Fem!WWX/ Yiling Matriarch AU

If Wei Ying is a woman, then so is Jiang Cheng. I don't make the rules.

That means someone else has to be the heir, so obviously Jiang Yanli is a man in this universe. The dynamic doesn't change much (shige is just as caring and just as good at making soup and parenting his menaces as shijie was, a'Ying is just as chaotic and a free spirit as a'Xian and a'Cheng is still angry and jealous and prickly) but it does a tiny bit, because a male Jiang Yanli has a lot more responsibility on his shoulders and a female Jiang Cheng as a bit less of it, because she isn't the heir (but she's still her mother's daughter, so...only a bit.) Jiang Yanli has eldest daughter syndrome in any universe.

Madam Yu is a tiny bit less hostile than in canon, because yeah, she still thinks that girl is her husband's bastard, but even if she was recognized Wei Ying couldn't be a threat to the position of Madam Yu's son. So she's still pissed, but a tiny bit less.

Jin Zixuan is a woman and has three younger sisters. Why? Because a male heir was needed and her parents had to keep trying. Unfortunatly Jin Guangshan seems incapeable of having legitimate sons. (Meng Yao is still male. And Qin Su is male too, for hilarity's sake. - all of Jin Guangshan's bastards are sons and two of them are older than his eldest legitimate daughter.) That makes Jin Zixun the heir to Lanling Jin.

Nie Mingjue is a woman. She runs the Nie Clan with an iron fist, officially as her brother's regent. A lady of war, brandishing a blade red like the blood it has spilled. (Her brother doesn't want to inherit. He wants to lounge around like a wet blanket and paint dainty things forever! Why couldn't he have been born a younger sister to an older brother, he laments to his friends. Embroidery and accounting and getting married off far away from where he has to do saber practice every day sounds like a dream actually! "Poor a'Sang! You would have been such a good little sister!", Wei Ying coos dramatically. "Suck it up, Huaisang.", Jiang Cheng grumbles, "And don't you dare cry into my robes, that's silk you fucking heathen.")

Lan Xichen is the heir to Gusu Lan. He loves his little sister dearly and would do just about everything to ensure her hapiness. Yes, even argue with the clan elders. Just a tiny bit. His aunt is completely done with his behaviour. (Not that she's any better.)

Acting Sect Leader of the Gusu Lan is Teacher Lan, the Sect Leader's younger sister. Yes, Fem!Lan Qiren. Sue me. It's mostly because the Lan seperate male and female students, and for me that means that there must also be a division between male and female teachers. So to teach Wei Ying and hate her on sight Lan Qiren has to be a woman. Sorry, not sorry.

Lan Zhan is the first daughter and second child of the Lan Clan main family line. Nothing really changes about her other than her adopting a'Yuan causing a much larger scandal (because unmarried woman suddenly has a child is much worse than unmarried man suddenly has a child, duh).

Nie Huaisang befriends the Lotus Pier girls when Wei Ying sneaks into the men's part of the Cloud Recesses one night out of curiosity and runs into him while he's being a tortured artist (read: drawing filthy porn outside by flickering candlelight because his roommates are asleep).

After the destruction of Lotus Pier Jin Guangshan offers the Jiang support - if Jiang Yanli marries into the Jin Clan, effectively making Yunmeng Jiang a part of the Jin sect. The marriage happens, but Jiang Cheng takes over as Leader of Lotus Pier to keep it independent. (Nie Huaisang volunteers to marry into her family and support her because he's turning twenty soon and he really doesn't want to be sect leader. His a'Jie vetoes it.)

Jin Guangshan marries one of his daughters to a male Qin Su, knowing full well that the boy might be his son. The newly named Jin Guangyao is in charge of wedding preparations. He is the one Madam Qin tells to stop the wedding. Obviously he doesn't.

Mo Xuanyu is still a man (very short from malnorishment and with a very feminine face, but still a man) . He apologizes for that fact quite a lot in his notes when he offers his body to the Yiling Matriarch.

The Junior Quartet consists of a Lan boy, a Lan girl who doesn't give a flying fuck about the fact that the rules say she should be on an all girls team, the heir to Lanling Jin and the heir to Baling Ouyang.