#soap is an adventurous prince

[saucywendeee]

👻🧼 - Fantasy AU Dark Mage/Prince

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

The main reason I'm convinced the main plot of the mario movie will be the 'abusive' relationship between mario and luigi leading to luigi siding with bowser is because if that's NOT the main plot then I'm afraid what the fuck else they're gonna do.

[fandom]

Ships

Unexpected connections happen in two places: the Ships list and Feeld—a dating app for the curious. On Feeld, finding like-minded people is as fulfilling as finding yourself. In celebration of ships, here are this year’s iconic connections.

Ineffable Husbands +17 Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

Steddie Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Stranger Things

Destiel Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural

Byler -3 Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things

Wenclair Wednesday Addams & Enid Sinclair, Wednesday

Bowuigi Bowser & Luigi, the Super Mario Bros. franchise

Huntlow +7 Hunter & Willow Park, The Owl House

Avatrice Ava Silva & Beatrice, Warrior Nun

Hannigram +2 Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal

Buddie -4 Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1

Vashwood Vash the Stampede & Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Trigun Stampede

Zelink +80 Zelda & Link, The Legend of Zelda

Lumity -6 Luz Noceda & Amity Blight, The Owl House

Ghostsoap Simon “Ghost” Riley & John “Soap” MacTavish, the Call of Duty franchise

Blackbonnet -11 Edward Teach/Blackbeard & Stede Bonnet, Our Flag Means Death

Wolfstar +8 Remus Lupin & Sirius Black, the Harry Potter universe

Merthur +12 Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin

Jegulus +25 James Potter & Regulus Black, the Harry Potter universe

Bumbleby +48 Yang Xiao Long & Blake Belladonna, RWBY

Bakudeku -4 Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku no Hero Academia

Dreamling -1 Dream of the Endless & Hob Gadling, The Sandman

Soukoku +60 Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu, Bungou Stray Dogs

Firstprince Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry of Wales, Red, White & Royal Blue

Wesper Wylan Van Eck & Jesper Fahey, the Grishaverse

Wangxian -8 Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Mo Dao Zu Shi

Satosugu +23 Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen

Imodna +8 Imogen Temult & Laudna, Critical Role

Kanej +44 Kaz Brekker & Inej Ghafa, the Grishaverse

Bubbline Princess Bubblegum & Marceline, Adventure Time

Ladynoir -17 Ladybug & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Twiyor +6 Loid Forger & Yor Forger, SPY x FAMILY

Loustat +43 Louis de Pointe du Lac & Lestat de Lioncourt, Interview with the Vampire

Zosan Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, One Piece

Marichat -12 Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Serirei +65 Serizawa Katsuya & Reigen Arataka, Mob Psycho 100

Adrienette -21 Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Chenford +24 Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford, The Rookie

Petrigrof Simon Petrikov & Betty Grof, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Kavetham Kaveh & Alhaitham, Genshin Impact

Griddlehark +54 Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus, The Locked Tomb series

Raeda -13 Raine Whispers & Eda Clawthorne, The Owl House

Tomgreg -19 Tom Wambsgans & Greg Hirsch, Succession

Hanamusa Jessie & Delia Ketchum, the Pokémon franchise

Zolu Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece

Narumitsu -12 Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney

Sonadow +23 Sonic & Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog

Ineffable Bureaucracy Archangel Gabriel & Beelzebub, Good Omens

Spirk +9 Spock & James Kirk, Star Trek

Ballister x Ambrosius Ballister Boldheart & Ambrosius Goldenloin, Nimona

Nandermo -42 Nandor the Relentless & Guillermo de la Cruz, What We Do in the Shadows

Jonmartin -15 Jonathan Sims & Martin Blackwood, The Magnus Archives

Punkflower Hobie Brown & Miles Morales, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

AkiAngel Aki Hayakawa & the Angel Devil, Chainsaw Man

Ronance -49 Robin Buckley & Nancy Wheeler, Stranger Things

Superbat -11 Superman & Batman, the DC universe

Shuake Ren Amamiya/Joker & Goro Akechi, Persona 5

Geraskier -48 Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier, The Witcher

Hualian -18 Hua Cheng & Xie Lian, Tian Guan Ci Fu

Sulemio Suletta Mercury & Miorine Rembran, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Sterek -5 Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale, Teen Wolf

Gumlee Prince Gumball & Marshall Lee, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Shadowpeach Sun Wukong & the Six-Eared Macaque, Lego Monkie Kid

Drarry -29 Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, the Harry Potter universe

Wilmon Prince Wilhelm & Simon Eriksson, Young Royals

Harringrove -34 Steve Harrington & Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things

Kazurei Suwa Rei & Kurusu Kazuki, Buddy Daddies

Lestappen Charles Leclerc & Max Verstappen, Formula 1 drivers

Zukka -5 Zuko & Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Codywan +8 Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Solangelo -23 Will Solace & Nico di Angelo, the Percy Jackson universe

Catradora Catra & Adora, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Shadowgast -4 Caleb Widogast & Essek Thelyss, Critical Role

Stucky -43 Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, the Marvel universe

Tarlos -18 TK Strand & Carlos Reyes, 9-1-1: Lone Star

Johnlock +21 John Watson & Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock

Sasunaru -24 Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto

Locklyle Anthony Lockwood & Lucy Carlyle, Lockwood & Co.

Lokius Loki Laufeyson & Mobius M. Mobius, the Marvel universe

Supercorp -67 Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Supergirl

Piltover's Finest Caitlyn Kiramman & Vi, Arcane

Helnik Matthias Helvar & Nina Zenik, the Grishaverse

Prohibitedwish Scarab & Prismo, Adventure Time

Klance -12 Keith & Lance, Voltron: Legendary Defender

Reylo Rey & Kylo Ren, the Star Wars universe

Hanazawa Teruki & Kageyama Shigeo, Mob Psycho 100

Cockles -44 Misha Collins & Jensen Ackles, Actors

Percabeth -46 Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase, the Percy Jackson universe

Astarion x Tav Astarion & Tav, Baldur's Gate 3

Timkon Tim Drake & Conner Kent, Young Justice

Davekat Dave Strider & Karkat Vantas, Homestuck

Cynonari Cyno & Tighnari, Genshin Impact

Creek Craig Tucker & Tweek Tweak, South Park

Klapollo Apollo Justice & Klavier Gavin, Ace Attorney

Style Stan Marsh & Kyle Brovlofski, South Park

Korrasami -11 Korra & Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra

Bill x Frank Bill & Frank, The Last of Us

Nick x Charlie -51 Nick Nelson & Charlie Spring, Heartstopper

Dreamnotfound -50 Dreamwastaken & GeorgeNotFound, Streamers

Dinluke -33 Din Djarin & Luke Skywalker, the Star Wars universe

Rhaenicent Rhaenyra Targaryen & Alicent Hightower, House of the Dragon

The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded ships weren’t on the list last year. Explore your desires on Feeld. Within a safer, inclusive space, you can feel free to connect more intimately to yourself and others. Choose from over 20 gender and sexuality options and explore solo, or with a partner. Curious? Download the app today.

[the-moon-files]

Linked Universe / GN!Reader - Random Headcanons abt the Chain :)

Part 1 (ur here!) / Part 2 / Part 3

Sun: Gender Neutral! Reader (you/they/them), Guide Reader

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: First, Sky, Four, Legend

Comets & Meteors: Content: None Known & Triggers: None Known.

U have a lot of Nicknames: Guide, Hero's Guide, Prince, Princey, Star, (more to be added?).

☆

First (Manga!Link):

Has "too good" of posture lol

It makes his back stiff and by the time he's in his bedroll he's confused about why it feels better, silly silly man

Just in general tenses his muscles too often, so whenever u offer to massage him, he nearly crumbles on the spot

(the others know exactly how amazing ur massages are, and are fully staring at him in jealousy lol)

Gets little rips and tears in his clothing all the time somehow??

Even tho he wont have a scratch acc on him after hours of battle???

mans could be flying around Skyloft with only clouds touching him and come back pouting telling you he ripped his scarf again :'(

Likes to be slightly in front of you most of the time, especially in new places/other Links' Hyrules

It just makes him feel better knowing he's both protecting you, and that you're watching his back

(Most Links feel at their best/most confident when your voice can be heard just over their shoulder, not that they don't love seeing ur face now too)

Sky (Skyward Sword Link):

Is slowly making everyone he knows a collection of wooden figurines

He usually carves when he's bored or stressed

so needless to say this mission of the Shadow (slow going, stressful at times like Twi getting hurt)

Has made him give u an army of little wooden figures (everyone else gets a small collection bc ur the first he gives one to)

Did i say give? Excuse me, i meant:

sneaks them as a little surprise into your belongings or clothing or other personal effects

This started bc after a week or two of him giving you wooden things you tried to reroute him to other ppl,

so Sky just made it his mission to see how many he can sneak instead onto you on any given day lmao

(Also he may or may not have daydreamed abt being able to carve u things and actually physically give them to you on his adventure before, so he's taking advantage of being able to now)

Has luscious hair at all times, little to no effort, Wars is so pissed abt it lol

Mf responded when asked what products he used (by poor Wars too) with, "wym?? With water??? And soap????"

Never ties his boot laces

You will all be gearing up for battle and go to stalk and stealth kill monsters and right before u get up on them u always have to look over at Sky's shoes and whisper at him to tie them

Is the most likely to plant face first into the ground or trip and fall on his ass from shoes untying

He just didnt need to with being in the clouds on his Loftwing all the time back on Skyloft and so he never rlly adapted to that even on the surface lol

He's also just miserable at doing a decent knot so you've taken to teaching him repeatedly how to tie them-

why didnt the knight academy help with this at all actually??

(Wind makes fun of him be hes a sailor and knows like 10+ knots)

Four (Four Swords/Minish Cap Link):

Loses his tools constantly

Well not really "lose" so much as "slightly misplace"

It drives him crazy, the Minish used to help him with it back in his Hyrule so he got out of the habit of putting things back where they belong

You've gotten to the point where you'll glance over wherever he's working so the next time he comes up to u complaining abt a lost hammer or smth u immediately just "should be over by the fire"

And ur right, 99.9% of the time its so funny

Bc Four's all like "wtf ive moved around so much since then i took all the other tools with me- MF. U WERE RIGHT."

Is rlly good at like color matching, comes in handy for new outfits

Also has aches and pains like in his hands and arms mostly

Bc of all the forge work, and absolutely treasures any massages u offer him

Likes to wear matching jewelry with you! Like earrings or piercings or necklaces etc

Also has good taste in jewelry and what looks good on everyone + you

Legend (Link to the Past, Link's Awakening etc):

Unfortunately the type of person to just shove things in his bag willy nilly

Its the horder tendencies, he just has a lot of stuffs so he gave up trying to organize it

Actually really good at styling hair, Legend would absolutely lie abt it if u asked but he can spend as much time on his hair as Warrior

Likes to experiment with new clothes, like skirts or bright colors, esp if they match some of his clothes already

U ran by some makeup one time in another Hyrule and he knew how to use it rlly well??

Lies abt random skills he has, or like thinks skills he already has can translate well,

like he's rode a horse before wym he can't drive Wild's motorcycle??

Or fly a Loftwing???

Well now its a challenge

Tbh most competitive over stupid things randomly out of all the Links besides Wild, Wind, Wars, and occasionally Hyrule + Sky + Time

Got challenged to try and go shield surfing with u once and thought that horse-riding skill would transfer and it did in fact Not.

Actually kinda scared the other Links watching u two spin out and crash ngl, what with doing an accidental backflip? Midair??

but u both were okay somehow???

Also weirdly lucky, u stg he's got some sort of ring or blessing for that

☆

IT ACCIDENTALLY POSTED I FUCKING HATE TUMBLR ITS DONE THIS TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES NOW 😭😭

All the Links WOULD HAVE been here if it werent for fucking tumblr

Ill post more parts soon if anyone is interested

Peace out,

🌙

[scummy-writes]

Ikepri Suitors and their OnlyFans Account

This is silly, entirely based on messages in my server over the great Silvio Tit Block and jokes about OF following soon after, but I did put some thought into this!!! Just don't be upset if its odd, because while we all know chev would never have an OF in his life, it is fun imagining it 💭

We'll skip over the 'hows' and 'whys' here. We can pretend they're the princes of OF, and just what they specialize in.

Characters: Chev, Silvio, Gilbert, Clavis, Jin Keith

Chevalier

- There is a room lined with bookshelves, various titles glinting from the low light. In the center is a lavish lounge, and laid out across it is Chevalier. There is a robe draped across the back of it. Nothing on his person save for a book in his hands, which he calmly reads aloud.

- yeah. Chev just reads his romance books while nude on camera. It's a bit of asmr while getting nice eye candy

- a lot of comments in his page is about watching his erection, especially when he gets to a sex scene- people claim to see it twitch at parts, but they're never completely sure.

- rarely cums on camera. Usually reserved for higher tiers where they supply him with rare books that are difficult to find. Those videos focus on him in a different viewpoint, his breath heavy as he tries to control himself. Seeing precum drip down the length of his cock is a sight you'll want etched into your memory.

Clavis

- It's an adventure every time you view a new upload from him. Most of the time, he's testing out sex toys he's created, alongside any experimental lubes or mild aphrodisiacs. Other times, he's slowly fucking his fist or a fleshlight, whimpering out how much he loves his darling.

- his tendencies for being foolish are not entirely gone from here. They will show in the toy designs or follower requests he abides. He's done things such as drawing on himself with whip cream, trying to edge himself with vibrators, or see how long he can last without touching himself while taking his brand of aphrodisiac.

- there is a persona he has for his OF, a silly gentleman who is prone to trying to please his fans through his creations, but between the curated chaos there are softer videos of his. Ones where he sighs out praises and words of love, playing up a fantasy of being your loving husband, coaxing himself to cum on your command.

Jin

- His chest is his money maker. Of course, his whole body could be considered so, but he pays attention to the comments he receives, and he knows what his audience wants. There's many a picture and video of his body slicked with oil, hands squeezing his chest as he winks at the camera

- certainly has started off videos shirtless and in sweatpants, letting his erection strain against the fabric. He's came in his pants just a few times, as a treat to his fans every once in a while.

- lots of focus on him jerking off for the camera. Sometimes he's got the hem of his shirt in his mouth, jerking off while letting you soak in the rest of his body. Other times he's in the shower, soaping his body slowly, paying attention to his chest, laying out his best dirty talk with gentle chuckles and sighs.

- sometimes tests out some of Clavis' special creations, but not often. One dyed his palms and dick, and he's been more careful since.

Silvio

- Silvio is known for his money, and also his tits. Those days out at sea have caused his body to be toned delightfully, and when accentuated with the fine jewelry he wears, it wasn't a surprise that nudes of himself caused a stir among those who knew of him.

- despite how often he sleeps with women, he rarely has any with him in videos. Most of his content centers around tasteful photos of himself, lounging on furniture with jewelry adorning his figure. This account was how others found out just how many piercings he has litered along his body.

- in the few videos he has, the times he collaborates with someone is few and far inbetween. Those videos are often rough, a means to an end for both parties, and when Silvio cums he'll elect to do so on his partner's face when possible. Something in the way he does so, then takes their chin in his hand to survey his work, makes his fans go a bit wild. But outside of those videos, he's often jerking himself off. Slowly, taking his time chasing his pleasure. He'll hiss curses as he gets close to his orgasm, edging himself more and more until he can't take it anymore.

- there are rumors that if you post photos of his tits outside of his OF account, your account will be struck down immediately with an explicit marker. His chest is just too much for other sites to handle.

- carlos has to delete many comments stating "I can fix him", lest Silvio pop off.

Gilbert

- oddly, when you view his content, there is no comments on anything. It's as if you've found a diamond in the rough, a private profile not meant for others eyes. Yet Gilbert doesn't kick you off of the page, and you're surprised at the amount of content he produces for such little price.

- he focuses on different ways for himself to get off. His hand, various toys, trying to cum without touching his cock. Occasionally, he'll experiment with a kink you happen to enjoy, but never mentioned. All the while he asks if his 'little rabbit' is enjoying the show, panting with his chuckles. Watching him cum is a delight, as you get to see how breathless he becomes, how his hips jut as he works his cock to the point of overstimulation.

- at some point, he allows for you to make requests, and you're surprised at how willing he is to do anything you desire. It's a bit concerning, but it's difficult to worry about as he follows each request, looking at the camera as he teases you for asking such a thing of him.

- there's odd cum tributes that he'll upload, but you never understand exactly who they're for.

Keith

- Keith will never show his face on his account, terribly ashamed of what he's doing to begin with. He'll opt to wear a facemask with anything he does on the account, keeping his bangs messy often.

- his content varies at times, to the point of confusing his fans. Most of the time, there will be sparse uploads: videos where he is palming himself through his pants, getting off on the act of filming himself while apologizing. Its clear that this is a shy man, and those who view his content are confused as to why he's uploading. But most love the way his eyes water, how sometimes he'll pull his girthy cock out for them to see, coaxing himself through a rough orgasm.

- other times, those apologies are nowhere to be heard as Keith- still donned in a mask- shows his body with confidence. He'll look directly at the camera as he teases his thick cock, murmuring about how he wants to make them gag on his length, how he needs someones tight warmth milking him dry. In some videos, he'll treat a fleshlight as if its one of his subscribers- fingering it slowly and stretching it out, talking low and dirty to the camera about how much it's going to take for them to fit all of him inside, how he's going to have to train them to take his cock with ease.

Chev's, ironically, is inspired by someone I knew. They had an OF dedicated for doing the same thing, but no jacking off element. Meanwhile Silvio's funny blurb is due to @xbalayage getting temp marked as explicit due to trying to make her icon Silvio's tits, and thus caused this post to be born. The rest came about just through idle thinking. I'm aware that all of this is ooc, I'm not taking this as a serious piece and neither should you.

These were silly but fun, I hope yall enjoyed, even if it was just a chuckle!

Taglist (please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!):

@yarnnerdally @katriniac @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @bakaneko-chan @skoetiepoetie @bestbryn @nightghoul381 @xbalayage

Ikepri Masterlist (more serious stuff on that) | Ikevamp Masterlist | Ikevamp/Ikepri Server

[this-is-my-funny-reblogs-account]

I didn't double read it or check this after writing. It's just pure - fast before I'd be too lazy to write this! So I'm sorry for any typos.

So y'all I'm typing this on my phone in English with Canadian French keyboard, before my hype dies out! This one is set in the @uselsshuman 141 families AU. I know that the idea behind the 141 wives is to keep them as blank slates for anyone to picture themselves but I can't help but give them distinguished personalities because why not 👀.

You can treat it a sort of

'what kind of girl I see each 141 guy with?'

Let's begin! I wrote those with civilian partners in mind 👀.

Warning: sex mentioned (it's a normal part of being in a relationship but minors better sit this one out)

John 'Soap' MacTavish

I picture him dating a daydreamer, someone who has imagination and a dash of wildness in her. Soap is an adventurous guy and he'd like to share this with his love. They definitely travel a lot together because world is beautiful and they want to experience it with one another.

Soap's girlfriend can allow herself to be a bit idealistic, with her mind in the clouds, because it keeps Soap's mind away from the harsh reality. In case he dies, she still will have a strong support system in his family, friends and community. She's not alone.

Their relationship is very affectionate and like a never ending honeymoon phase. Basically both of them are aware that what Soap does is dangerous and their relationship can end on a dime with his death. That's why they try to keep it constantly fresh and exciting. Who knows how long they can enjoy one another's company so they better spend it in the best possible way.

I think that they're the kind of couple that doesn't have big arguments. They're a team not rivals. Sure, Soap sometimes leaves the toilet lid open and his girlfriend tends to burn dinner a bit because she's been focusing on some random idea instead of paying attention but at the end of the day those things don't really matter - they're together for the good time and not necessarily long time (as in he can die at any moment, because those two are together for life.)

If any big arguments happen, they're regarding their son. As in "I know what's best for him" kind. Whenever arguing they do try to not yell at one another, and go to bed angry. Banishing to sofa doesn't really happen because both of them have hard time sleeping alone when they know their partner is nearby.

Sue me but I really like John dating a Polish girl 🫣 and I guess I'm not the only one. Soap surely gets protective of her and is ready to throw fists if anyone disrespects his missus. Sometimes he'd just annoy her how she's constantly grumpy because of the 'no smiling in public spaces' culture in her country. Other times he'd say she's like a model on a runway "because I'm so hot ���? No, because you never smile 🤣. John!"

Their relationship is very physical, both romantically and sexually. They boink a lot and it is usually pretty funny. They do laugh a lot because sex is awkward sometimes and they are a playful couple altogether. Sometimes Soap will romance his way like Gomez Adams, other times he'd just put his penis on his girlfriend's shoulder while she's reading a book and say in a high pitched voice "hello" and that's his idea of charming his lady. I feel like they'd be the couple on a search for the most wacky condom. Neon green, glowing in the dark, and tasting like bacon - they've tried all of those.

MacTavish duo definitely cuddles a lot. Both at home and in public. It's not unusual to see Soap's girlfriend just nuzzling him or Johnny holding her tight and giving her forehead kisses.

Some might think that Soap's girlfriend is just a damsel in distress, waiting patiently for her prince charming - nothing further from truth. Since her boyfriend disappears for months, she has a life outside of the relationship. She goes to work, meets with her numerous friends (her skill of finding accidentally everyone's identity because she's friends with X wife is quite famous) and has her hobbies. She probably likes nature and keeps multiple plants (only after making sure those won't hurt their three cats) so her and Soap's place looks like a jungle on occasion. She might have some artistic hobbies like writing, painting or drawing. She's self sufficient on her own, but her life is better with Johnny.

She calms him down and grounds Soap in reality. After all she's mostly in Hereford so whenever Johnny gets back she informs him what has changed in the town or their house and how they're now doing certain things.

While Soap is a clown, she's his audience and even though she tends to react like she's annoyed with his antics, she loves how playful he is. Like Jessica Rabbit - he makes me laugh.

She's the disciplinary of the family, mostly because she knows that Soap won't be. He wants to be the fun dad for Fergus, because again he doesn't know how long he'll be there to cherish this life. Nevertheless, sometimes you have to lay down the rules and here's where Soap's girlfriend enters the scene. They're both pretty chill and loving parents though.

Simon 'Ghost' Riley

Simon's wife is pragmatic and doesn't accept any bullshit, she has a job to be done and that's her focus. Unlike Soap's darling, she's on her own if something happens to her husband, and she knew it upfront before getting into the relationship with him.

Ghost got serious with her because he knew that she can carry on if he's KIA, he knows she can handle his emotional baggage and his character. She's not the one to cry or complain about her life, she just gets shit done, no questions asked.

Sometimes she gets frustrated with Simon's bullshit (who wouldn't honestly) but she's the only person whose opinion really matters to Ghost. She can lift him up and knock him down like nobody else. She's equally calm and understanding person who soothes Ghost, and the force that pushes Simon to be a better person if he needs to be told off.

I think that's the main reason why he married her, she makes him a better person. She's strong but calm, patient but reasonably so, and she cares about him. He had difficult life and his upbringing was anything but perfect but this woman makes him care. She makes him feel something else than anger and pain and for that he's forever grateful.

Their love language is quality time but since they're unusual couple it's not what you think. Their home is their castle and they relax the best while at home. Even if their house is full of children they do bond together via chores. Soft conversations while folding the laundry together, sprinkled with jokes, Simon fixing the leaking pipe without being asked to do so, her making his favorite dish just because he'd enjoy this, cooking together - Simon as an ex-bucher appreciate would handle meat while his wife prepares veggies, on occasion they'd compte who can make their part of the dinner faster. Just mindlessly watching TV together with their dogs and commenting how ridiculous Come Dine with me is or how "this blonde chick should have picked Zack rather than Jacob! Zack at least tried, and prepared his dessert from scratch to impress her" while watching Dinner Date. Trash talking game shows participants is their definition of entertainment.

When his wife was expecting their first daughter Simon panicked. He was sure he'd be a horrible dad and kids aren't for him. His wife was quick to knock him down to Earth - you're a dad now so step up. She'd remind him that he's his own person and regardless of how shitty his dad was, he turned out to be a good guy and he's so caring he'll be an amazing dad.

Their sex life is a mess. I think they're the kind of couple that gets so into it that sometimes wrapping it takes a back seat. Hence the five children they have together. With brood this size, it's difficult to take time for the proper intimate time but they're doing with what they have. Unlike Soap and his girlfriend, Riley's have the bunny phase behind them. They still boink and it's still very satisfying when it happens, just with five kids it's not always possible. Sometimes they're just too tired and it's ok. There are days when Ghost doesn't feel like having sex and his wife gets it. Sometimes she's not in the mood and he's ok with that. Their need for intimacy can be fulfilled by just having a moment for themselves to cuddle and hold one another.

Mrs Riley has her own business. Idk why but I can see her having a very niche, online business. Like she's making stained glass windows and decorations. She has her own workshop and she's making money on her hobby. It lets her stay at home with her daughters (and later with her son) but she's not fully dependent on Simon's income.

I remember someone mentioning that she's an American so I'm going with that. She has the 'fish out of water' moments, even after years of living in the UK. Like the little moments of 'right, you guys do/don't do that'. She's probably fascinated how old/small everything is in England or how brick house are basically a standard instead of drywall.

Even though both she and Simon are similar when it comes to discipline, I think their children are more likely to ask her as she's a bit less strict than their dad. When her daughters start dating she's more calm about it. Simon isn't the shotgun dad, but he does feel uncomfortable that his girls are growing and he was often absent. He would do the whole "scary dad show" but it's nothing more than a show. He's not intimidating his daughters' boyfriends on purpose. It's like a by-product of him looking like a tree trunk. His wife definitely plays along and they later laugh about it together when the young couple leaves on their date. She also supports their kids no matter what and she's as proud of Lottie making a cake as she's from Aya getting an A from the test. She knows that her kids are different people and she supports their decisions and goals for the future.

Mrs Riley isn't much of a romantic soul. She'd take a practical gift over flowers any day. If Simon isn't there to fix something she'll do it herself because there's job to be done. She's a hard-working person and someone very practical. She's calm but not beyond calling her husband a dumbass if he deserves this. However, she'd never call him names when she can see he has one of his episodes. She's ultimately there to support him through thick and thin.

John Price

Mrs Price is the OG wife as a captain's spouse. She and Ghost's wife are the OG 141 wives so she's a bit like a mom-friend to the group. She's the closest to what a typical army wife would be (in non Karen way) as she's the only homemaker in the group.

She is a bit old fashioned, just like her husband she's in her late 30s. She's still a sassy lady so you better not underestimate her as she's the ultimate leader of all military wives in Hereford. Not because of her husband's position but because she's a nice person and a true leader. She's not the queen B who makes everyone bow down to her, but rather someone so helpful and wise that people are willing to follow her lead.

She's engages in her community and is always there to help, especially the new girls and guys who just learn what's like to be a spouse of a soldier. She organizes a lot of events and get-togethers for them so they'd develop a nice support system to comfort one another, whether it is because of the distance or death of the spouse. While Soap's girlfriend knows everyone on accident, Mrs Price knows people on purpose and can match friends perfectly.

She's from New Zealand so she does bond with Mrs Riley over being a non-European in Europe. She misses the Pacific Ocean, hence trips by the seaside are pretty common in the Price household. She makes sure her children are at least familiar with their Kiwi side.

She and her husband are something between MacTavish duo and Riley's when it comes to affection. They do like to stroll together, hold hands and share soft kisses, but you won't see them glued to one another like the MacTavish Turtledoves. However, she finds them adorable and likes to reflect on "young love" with her husband. Little does people know that back in the early 2000s when not-yet-captain Price was on his training in New Zealand he was quite a romantic when he tried to woo a nice, Kiwi lady. One could say that they were whipped for one another.

She's super confident in herself and her relationship, without being narcissistic. She knows where she stands with her marriage and she knows her value as a person. If anyone tries to knock her down from her throne, they're in for a surprise. Mrs Price is nice and very motherly but you don't want to get on her bad side. Remember she's a well respected member of the community and an influential figure without pulling the "My husband is a captain of an elite squad" card.

Her and her husband sex life is very fulfilling and they still keep things fresh. Just because they're reaching their 40s doesn't mean that the passion just died out. They might not have sex every day anymore but when it happens, oh boy they're definitely very VERY satisfied afterwards. Both sides try to look desirable for one another so no boredom in bedroom for sure. Price probably still keeps a sexy pic of his wife on him when he's deployed.

Even though Mrs Price is very wise and responsible for everyone she's not boring. She's pretty chill person who avoids conflicts. Like the perfect client who once told there's no chicken salad, instead of wanting to talk to the manager would just order Greek salad because people working in services have difficult job already. She likes to joke too and it's not uncommon to hear her make fun of herself or her husband.

She could run for a local politician office and would win because she's clearly the most competent person for this job. She's aware of this but we're back to her pretty chill personality - she doesn't want to. Official function would keep her busy and away from her family and friends. It would make her unhappy in the longer run. Just because she's not employed doesn't mean that she has no work experience or experience in case she'd have to/want to work. She's constantly learning new things and developing as a person. Organizing the school's Christmas Market that turns out to be bigger than the Christmas market organized by the town surely counts as management skills.

Just like Ghost's wife she can handle being left alone if her husband dies, but just like Soap's girlfriend, she has a strong community to rely on if something happens. She has been there for others so the others would be there for her.

I picture her as a very elegant lady. She'd wear pearl earrings and pencil dresses. She always looks very elegant and professional whenever she's outside. At home it's a different story altogether and Price (and their children) is the only one who gets to see her in yoga pants and a hoodie.

She's the disciplinary parent for sure but just like in case of Riley's it's 50/50 when it comes to being the responsible parent. Mrs Price does points out to her husband whenever he's not as strict with their daughter as he was with their twins.

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick

Now Kyle is a pretty chill guy so I can picture him as the soothing partner to his wife. Mrs Garrick is definitely the louder and emotional one of the two. Ironically she's the one that brings chaos into their lives but Gaz is into it actually.

Mrs Garrick tends to overthinking and overreact a little, and Kyle is the only person who can calm her down almost instantly. Just knowing that she's enough to him and he's proud of her, calms her down a bit.

She's a primary school teacher and she loves her job. Kyle just likes to hang around her when she's grading tests and sometimes she'd read him funny and stupid answers her students put on the tests. Yes. They're making fun of how stupid children are sometimes. Nothing against children themselves, they're just funny.

Just like Mrs Riley and Mrs Price, she's a busy woman who loves her job. Gaz support her and encourage her to develop her career. Sometimes Mrs Garrick feels insecure but her man is always there to proof to her that she's amazing. He admires her a lot and how she's putting an extra mile to help children from the poorer communities because everyone deserves good education in her eyes.

Both she and Gaz would like to see the world as a better place, that's why they're doing what they're doing. Their relationship is also very funny, as they have many inside jokes that started as something awkward. Like Kyle saying that his "friend thinks you look cute" then pointing out somewhere and running to that exact place, and the time he tried to come up with the conversation started so he asked "Sooo...do you like ducks?"

Their idea of romance is watching Bee movie together and laughing. Garrick's also like to walk together in a park, feed ducks and enjoy the outdoors. Not in a wilderness sense like MacTavish but in a nature in the town sense. They like to go on a little trips in their county and visit unusual places that they know one another would like Cider museum or The Chained Library. They can be unapologetically themselves when they're together and they embrace their weirdness. They definitely attend the annual Cheese Rolling Competition at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester. Now whether or not Gaz actively participates and tries to catch the cheese is only for his wife to know.

Gaz didn't want any children and his wife always said that she already has 18 children in her care so she doesn't need more. So Rose was a very much an unplanned child but she was still a wanted one. Both parents were panicking once they've learned that there's a bun in the oven but in the end they decided that parenthood is yet another crazy thing in their life that they'll embrace together. Both parents love Rose and after she was born they felt even more happy and in love than before. Neither of them thought it was possible.

Mrs Garrick is a Welsh woman so her mom is a very important figure in the family. It often causes arguments between her and her husband because he feels like his mother-in-law's influence on their family is bigger than he'd like it to be. However, he understands that when he's gone for months it's good for his wife to have someone to rely on.

Garrick's are still a young couple so sex is a pretty common activity they engage in. I'd place them 2nd after the MacTavish duo (3rd place is Price's and 4th belongs to "I pity your wife if you think 6 minutes is forever" Riley's) they tend to treat the activity more seriously than Soap and his girlfriend. I'd say that they are the old school romantics in this department but whatever floats their boat is still there. They want to please one another so they definitely discuss kinks and what they want to try next time.

[fumifooms]

Marchil crumbs part 7

Part 1 - Part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6

They made bonus illustrations for the Blu-ray. Idk what to make of this

Kui don’t do this to me…….. The placement <3

1) Trigger please elaborate. Speak on that. Huh. In the other Bluray illustrations with duos the characters aren’t blushing like this…?? This sure is a choice. Very normal. No tension in the air.

2) Those were assorted fullbodies she did for advertisements for a Dunmeshi cafe event in Shibuya, that she then put in the Complete Adventurer’s Bible… They line up so well that it looks like they’re interacting together it’s so cute.

Chilchuck having torrid tension with Marcille’s crepe Do you think Chilchuck was in Marcille’s shot behind/besides her food… Is he looking at her like that because he’s being sassy about having to wait on her, or is he using his watch as an excuse to steal glances at her… Did Marcille call out to him to be like "hey get in the shot!!" and get pics of their coffeeshop date out in town…

Cooking soap together for the fate of Senshi’s beard

I could have SWORN I’ve talked about this page below in the crumbs post before but apparently not. Ok so first of all this is peak them strategizing together. They seek each other out to plan out their next move- And this is soon after she did ancient magic! It’s after Chilchuck’s most important character moment, where he admits that he cares about the party and things aren’t purely professional, so that helps him move on from keeping her at arm’s length due to the very illegal scary thing she did I think, but besides that! This still shows a very strong bond of trust and respect between the two, that he values her input even still. Also supported in this chapter by how he felt the need to keep tabs on Laios and Senshi to not get them all killed but Marcille letting it slip about what she did or anything didn’t even enter his mind as I went over in part 2.

Okok but more in depth… I’m spoiling a future analysis of mine with this too but remember this panel? And who might be the personalization itself of projecting gentlemanly, heroic good will while having hidden/manipulative intentions? I’ve never known what to make of Kabru smiling at her and more importantly her blushing at him here… Until I realized that he really fits her ideal type from what we can extrapolate: He looks rather feminine and is seemingly very gallant/gentlemanly, very charismatic, and was raised by elves so has a grasp on etiquette. And yet, she only gives his smile a passing glance before going back to strategizing with Chilchuck— Because unlike what her reputation as someone frivolous who idealizes and romanticizes anything like in her storybooks, she can put rationality above aesthetics. Because she values Chilchuck and his input much more than she ever would a pretty face alone, the aesthetic of a prince charming. Because she knows he was right, at least partly, and knows where her actual allies lie. She doesn’t waver, and she chooses Chilchuck. A part of her arc is to judge by acts more than looks, and this is very much a part of it I think, Chilchuck cares and wants to help much more than someone who might look kinder or more welcoming.

Ehem sorry for going off Now that I reread the full scene this might be one of my fave marchil moments as weird as that might be… Chilchuck seeing her hesitance and explaining to her what’s going on without being prompted, sticking together out of everyone on the battlefield, them so easily slipping into strategizing with each other without the rest of the group. I never noticed the whole comedy of corpses falling around them and them keeping talking together lol.

Ok so merch wise they’re making hair clips! And there are 4 sets of two, it’s always Marcille with a different hairstyle and a different party member (for one of the four sets the other is a walking mushroom). Here’s the Marcille & Chil one! You can now have them in your hair yippee

I never put this one in a crumbs part but it’s funny so might as well, for as much as they care for each other and Marcille’s been shown to be very worried for & careful with Chilchuck the dainty rogue™️ the second he becomes a tallman without his cute face suddenly it’s FREE GAME. Their bestieship is so strong for them to be able to brush this incident right off and strategize like they’re close knit so soon after this lol.

Love a duo that will just trip onto their face in the same page. Cringefail.

Matching frog skin fits yayyyy!! <3 (Also stop making him look at her in ads I’ll die)

STOP ITTTTT

I had always assumed in the ‘feeding liver to Marcille’ part that Laios was always the one feeding her because the hands and speech bubbles aren’t clear in the manga scene, but the anime makes it clear that everyone does it after the other. So here’s Chil’s turn. Asking after if she liked it and encouraging to eat more is cute too. There’s also obviously how panicked he is to see her in danger earlier in the ep, but idk if I already showed that manga panel in an earlier comp

And woohoo the anime made this interaction between them even more sus!! Why. Why are you looking at each other like that. Stop people could misunderstand

Protecting her from the monster food

Thank you for the food episode 10. Made me notice a healing/caing moment I’d never paid attention to before!

"Huh your hands seem okay" ARE YOU SURE… They’re so cute when they team up together oml, hassling Senshi instead of each other lmaoo. Love how they made her look at him all happy

I wish I could put the screenshots for the whole sequence here but. How to hook and reel in your Chilchuck.

In chapter 97 cover they took the seats facing each other this time again <3 Like in the golden kingdom. It’s a recurring thing. Seemingly he’s looking at Falin so involved in the same conversation at her? :> Oh it’d be cute if he was the one who made her laugh sob, he looks like he just cracked a wise joke.

Today’s healing touch

Dude you are going to die let her go

They changed the gesture Marcille did to chide Chil here, instead of having her hand on his shoulder and tapping his head she gives him an elbow nudge. Idm the change this is so cute too. Also Chil extending her his sympathies

Not a crumb tbh but the way this was his POV during the Marcille vs Thistle fight is hilarious to me. No wonder he thought she was bonkers

Not the way these quote keychains are set up… Every protagonist has their own EXCEPT Chil’s who includes Marcille, and it’s one of my fav marchil moments I looove being validated that this scene is important

And to finish it up, the manga scene of this exchange in the anime that really stole my heart. They’re so fond of each other aw. Teasing on the job is free, her expression here is so cute, rare reversal of their roles in the dynamic

More crumbs soon! Not many in here yet (edit: at the time of first posting) but I was dying to post it with the modern cutouts art (I have so much fanart planned based on it hehe) but then the bluray illustration came out and fucking one hit KOd me. I am not that strong. I am only human.

They didn’t blush here in the manga guysss

[wolvesandfoxes25]

Part 2!

"Is that what you truly wish, to become the Princes live in bed partner?" He asked the other man, watching as his teeth ground together at the intrusive question.

"And what if it is? Not conversing through grunts and pissy expressions would help my blood pressure exponentially." He snapped, shaking his hand at the fingers that still held him captive.

"I see, being told what to wear, what to play, tagging a long on set up boar hunts sounds full of adventure." Geralt mocked.

It took every ounce of strength to not react like a jilted lover and slap him across the perfect angle of his jaw.

"Oh I don't know, a cock to ride everyday, along with a hot bath doesn't sound too awful. Maybe if you'd been buggered a bit more over the years, and dumped into a hot water vat daily, you wouldn't be a surly, cowardly sanctimonious piece of toad shit!"

Geralt pulled Jaskier against his chest tightly, growling in his face, making the same height man gasp, his charcoal lined eyes widening in the waning light.

"Didn't stop you from following me for over 20 years, now did it? " He whispered, tone full of malice, golden irises locked onto his.

"Too many hits to the head it would seem. " He hissed back.

Geralt pressed closer to him and blue eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared.

He knew Jaskier could feel his interest, a little puff of breath escaping him when Geralt moved closer still.

"If you stay with me... something could transpire between us, and I don't want you to have regrets."

The bard felt the air in his chest halt at the other males words.

"Y-Yennefer?" He managed to get past the strangling feeling in his larynx.

Geralt blanched.

"She... cared for that Tissaia sorceress, I think a little more than she knew herself. And... our relationship has always been..unconventional."

Those words didn't help Jaskier feel better.

"I won't be a stand-in for her, Geralt. I-I can't, it'll destroy me."

He didn't want to face her ire either. Plus, Yennefer had become important to him, he couldn't disrespect her like that. But something inside him said that she would just roll her eyes and tell them to stop being a bunch of tossers and get in with it.

"You're not, Jask."

All Jaskier could do is nod dumbly as Geralts eyes found his lips.

"No more talk of fucking that Prince or Yennefer. This is us, between you and me."

Jaskier nodded again, feeling his cock harden quickly. He felt dizzy with unreleased need toward the other male that stole his breath and senses.

"F-Fuck." He whimpered.

The Witcher nodded, laying his mouth softly against Jaskiers.

Melitele.

It was chaste, for a moment, then turned filthy.

Geralts hands reached up and fisted in Jaskiers hair as he turned their mouths this way and that for deeper angles.

Jaskier grunted and pushed his palm against the other males chest, fingers running over his medallion.

Gods, it was everything he knew it'd be.

Pulling back, Jaskier kissed the corner of Geralts mouth.

"As much as I'd like to drop trough and have my way with you, Witcher. When was the last time you had a bath?"

Geralt raised a brow in answer.

Jaskier smirked and moved towards the other side of the room to grab something.

Lavender soap.

"They have a nice hot spring hidden in the trees, a little ways off from here. Are you alright to go?" He asked his Witcher.

Geralt nodded.

"My leg really is fine, just stiff at times. My back locks up sometimes, too. Yen said that was all normal. Just her magic trying to heal everything, I suppose."

Jaskier nodded.

"Come on then."

They had gotten strange looks here and there from the dryads and one knowing one from Milva.

Jaskier threw a smirk her way with a little finger wave, winking.

"Gods, this is miraculous." Jaskier groaned, sinking low into the water.

Geralt raised a brow at the low groan.

"Strip down, Witcher. I'd enjoy a show." Jaskier mumbled, shoving his hair away from his eyes, smiling hotly.

Goddesses tits had he missed oggling Geralt.

But now... there were a lot of new scars, due to his last disastrous battle.

Blanching lightly, he watched Geralt sink low into the water, his groan of pleasure making Jaskiers cock twitch beneath the surface.

He reached down and gripped the base of his prick tightly, feeling the heat of the water give him an almost dizzying effect.

Geralt smirked at his expression, watching heavy lidded eyes take him in entirely.

"H-How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Jaskier gasped, releasing his throbbing appendage.

He knew how much Geralt hated being doted over.

Stubborn buffoon.

"There's...spasming every now and then." The Witcher grumbled lowly.

Jaskier nodded, raking his eyes over a deep, pink scar on Geralts right pectoral. It looked painful, and brand new.

Licking his lips, he opened his mouth but Geralt got there first.

"Don't."

Gulping audibly, he looked away.

Silence.

"D-Did you know of this mage? Vilgefortz?"

Geralt tensed, and Jaskier cursed his inquisitive mind.

Silence.

"I've never fought him before, no. I didn't have an potions on me. He took me down like he was swatting a fly. Didn't even seem like he was trying."

He said that statement like it was nothing to him, but Jaskier knew better. He knew Geralt wasn't fairing well mentally over being beaten so badly.

The thought terrified Jaskier. He had seen injuries on Geralt through the decades of traveling alongside the Witcher, but never as horrible as the ones this mage inflicted upon him.

"Leave it be, Jask."

Looking down, frustration played out on his features, but he nodded stiffly. Taking a breath that did nothing to calm him, he laid his head back against a tall rock that loomed behind him.

Eyes closed, he heard the water move, then felt lips roam his throat, the heat of them sending little waves of pleasure down his spine.

"Hello there." He muttered, turning his cheek to capture Geralt's lips.

Gods, this was actually happening? Was this another one of his dreams? He had many that played out almost exactly like this. And of course, all of them had Geralt as the star.

The both of them stayed that way for a little while, kissing gently amongst the heated pool.

Geralt tensed suddenly, and pulled away to hiss. Moving his hand down quickly, he nearly buckled beneath the water, clutching his thigh in pain.

Jaskier whipped his hands out to grab his shoulders, fingers trembling against the other mans flesh.

"D-Do you need to get out?" He asked Geralt, shakily.

He shook his head, pulling breath into his mouth, seemingly trying not to hiss in pain again.

"It'll pass. The bulk of the break is healed, but I'll never regain the strength I had again. I'll have to really push past it."

Jaskier felt that truth hit him like a punch to the stomach.

Well, another punch to the stomach.

Turning his head away, he shifted his body over, sniffling, not wanting Geralt to see his tears.

"I-I'm sorry I wasn't there to help in some way." Hew mumbled, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand.

Silence.

"There was nothing you could've done." Geralt responded, his voice seeming a mile away from Jaskier.

Silence.

Sucking in breath through his nose, his tears still rolling hotly down his face, Jaskier moved to get out of the water.

Fingers on his wrist stopped him from getting too far.

"Jask?"

The brunette shook his hand off his person, but moved to sit back down, giving more distance between the two of them.

"All I ever am is useless to you, Geralt." He uttered brokenly, feeling the weight of that truth push against his breastbone.

Geralt growled in irritation at his statement.

"I was wrong about the mountain accusation. We both know that. You were right, I followed my cock instead of my sense."

Silence.

"I don't mean regarding that blasted mountain. I was applying that comment to damn near everything."

Silence.

"Ciri ran off to find you two because she was alone. I was too busy, wrapped up in my own mess, fucking off with Radovid. And he wanted to try to take her. I would've killed him had he tried to touch her though."

He had contemplated it for a split second, seeing that pillock inside her hut. The steel dagger in his boot would've drug itself across his throat had he tried anything further.

Jaskier, of course, had been blinded by pretty words and a decent evening of sex. He had been wrong about the Prince. Even if the man himself said that he cared for him, it had its limitations, didn't it? As long as the ends met the means, after that he was dispensable. It was the story of every noble ever.

He should know. He had grown up in an environment with Radovids everywhere.

"You can't blame yourself for that, Jaskier. People are selfish shits, and they always will be."

Isn't that the truth.

Jaskier heard Geralt shift in the water, moving himself back against a ledge that helped prop him up.

"Vilgefortz was stronger than me. That staff he used...I've never encountered anything like it before."

Silence.

"The only one who let Ciri down...was me. I wasn't strong enough to protect her."

Jaskier felt the lump in his throat start to throb, tears piling up. The image of Geralt, lying broken and bleeding on a beach broke his heart into pieces.

It made him want to throw up.

"You bring me peace, Jaskier." Geralt mumbled, voice raspy.

Golden eyes caught his, as the Witcher took in his friends stunned expression.

"I don't need another hand taking up a sword. I don't need another as bad at emotions as I am. And neither does Ciri. She needs someone who can help her see the beauty in this world that's thrown so much ugliness at her. You provide that, you always have."

Jaskier was...stunned. Geralt had been open with him before, telling him about various hurts he had encountered in his long existence. But this...was profound, a deep truth that wormed its way up into reality.

"I need you, Jask. You're the only one who has ever chosen to stand beside me, no matter how much of a nutsack I can be. You do that of your own free will, and not through bullshit destiny having to intervene."

Before he knew it, he was up and pressed against Geralt. In seconds, he was taking his face between shaking fingers and pushing their foreheads together, lips trembling with deep repressed emotion.

Geralt groaned, clutching Jaskier's hands with his own, leaning towards and pushing their lips together.

Gasping, Jaskier let go of his face to run his hands up to his hair, pulling at the throng that held the tendrils trapped.

The white tumbled down, obscuring his vision for a moment, before he decided to move, backing Geralt up into a boulder that sat behind him, making the other male grunt.

Reaching low, he found his hardened cock beneath the water and wrapped his fingers around it..

Part 3 is nothing but pure filth.

[korrinhorizon]

QUESTION FOR SOAPGHOST HYPERFIXATED PEOPLE! Which do you want me to draw!?

[deathmetalangel]

ENVY’S MASTERLIST

this includes every character i write for and a link to their current personal master lists if i have works out for them (warnings may vary and minors dni)

this is in no particular order of character btw but my favorites will have a neat little asterisk

refer to what i don’t and do write in my separate post. also this is constantly being updated so don’t mind it much. you can always request a character if it’s not listed there’s no harm in asking :)

ADVENTURE TIME

- marceline*

- princess bubblegum

- marshal lee*

- finn

- fiona

AKAME GA KILL!

- esdeath*

- tatsumi

- akame

- kurome

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

- tate langdon*

- violet harmon

- kyle spencer

- nora montgomery

- moira o’hara

APEX LEGENDS

- bloodhound (no smut)

- wraith

- wattson

- octane

- loba

- revenant

- lifeline

- valkyrie

- crypto

AVATAR

- jake sulley*

- neytiri

- kiri

- neteyam*

- lo’ak

- aonung

- tsireya

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

- prince zuko*

- princess azula*

- sokka*

- katara

- aang

- suki

- yue

-jett

- ty lee

- mai

BIG MOUTH

- judd birch*

- val bilzerian*

- connie

- mona

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

- izuku midoriya

- keigo takami

- touya todoroki

- shoto todoroki

- katsuki bakugo

- himeko toga

- tomura shigaraki

- tamaki amajiki

CALL OF DUTY

- simon ‘ghost’ riley

- john ‘soap’ mctavish

- könig

- valeria garza*

- alejandro vargas*

COBRA KAI/ KARATE KID

- robby keene

- miguel diaz*

- johnny lawrence

- daniel larusso

- tory nichols

- eli ‘hawk’ moskowitz*

- demetri alexopoulos

DARLING IN THE FRANXX

- zero two

- hiro

- mitsuru*

- ichigo

DEATH NOTE

- misa amane

- light yagami

- l

DEMON SLAYER

- tanjiro kamado*

- nezuko kamado

- kyojuro rengoku*

- giyu tomioka*

- shinobu kocho

- sanemi shinazugawa*

- genya shinazugawa*

- zenitsu agatsuma

- inosuke hasibira*

- muichiro tokito

- mitsuri kanroji

- iguro obanai*

- tengen uzui

HAZBIN HOTEL/ HELLUVA BOSS

- alastor* (i fully respect his asexuality so no smut :3 since he’s not canon aro i still write for him)

- angel dust

- charlie morningstar

- vaggie

- loona

- millie

- moxxie

- verosika mayday

- stolas goetia

- barbie wire

- striker

- octavia goetia

- adam*

- lute

- lucifer morningstar*

- rosie

- the vees

HOCUS POCUS

- max dennison

- thackery binx

- sarah sanderson

MARVEL

- peter parker

- wanda maximoff

- pietro maximoff*

- tony stark

- natasha romanoff

- k'uk'ulkan*

- killmonger*

- miguel o’hara*

MID90S

- ray*

- fuckshit

- fourth grade*

- ruben (no smut)

- stevie (no smut)

MY BABYSITTERS A VAMPIRE

- jesse white

- sarah fox

- ethan morgan

- benny weir*

- rory keener

- erica jones

NARUTO

- naruto uzumaki

- sasuke uchiha*

- sakura haruno

- minato namikaze

- hinata hyuga

- neji hyuga

- itachi uchiha*

- shisui uchiha*

- kakashi hatake*

- haku yuki

- pain*

- konan

- sasori

- deidara

STAR WARS

- din djarin*

- anakin skywalker*

- padme amidala*

- poe dameron

- luke skywalker

- leia skywalker

- ahsoka tano*

- han solo

- bo katan kreze

THE MIGHTY DUCKS

- charlie conway*

- adam banks*

- guy germaine

- dean portman

- julie gaffney

- connie moreau

- luis mendoza

TWILIGHT

- alice cullen

- jasper hale*

- rosalie hale

- edward cullen

- jacob black*

- paul lahote

- leah clearwater

- seth clearwater*

- bella swan

- alec volturi*

- jane volturi

- victoria

SCREAM

- ethan landry*

- billy loomis

- stu macher

- sydney prescott

- tatum riley

STARDEW VALLEY

- alex*

- harvey

- haley*

- sam

- abigail

- emily

- shane

- sebastian

- elliott

- maru

- penny

- leah

[the7thcrow]

Not all that Glitters is Gold -> 03

series pairing: (fem) princess!reader x san x seonghwa x wooyoung. eventual polyamory.

series masterlist | prev chapter

Part Three: a blacksmith, a nightmare, and oh-so-sweet empathy

series rating: 16+

series genre: action and adventure. romance. angst. fluff. suggestive. fantasy au.

series warnings: character death, blood and violence, weaponry, injury, suggestive content, mxm content, elements of misogyny, language, monsters. (will only be using chapter specific warnings for things not included on this list.)

summary: as a princess fleeing a royal assassination attempt, you have no choice but to put your trust in a band of three thieves in order to reach the kingdom of kuroku alive. however, amongst magic, deceit, and the bounty hunters that are hot on your trail, you realize that you might have stumbled upon a relationship far more complicated than what meets the eye.

chapter details beneath the cut ->

chapter wc: 12.9k

extra chapter warnings: panic attack, mentions of v*mit, alcohol.

summary:

You feel the presence of a figure settle behind you, as San awkwardly clears his throat.

“I meant to tell you earlier,” he says, voice quiet. You can faintly see his reflection through the window as well, and his expression is somber. “I just wasn’t sure how.”

a/n: woo says eat the rich.

You’ve always loved the sound of birds chirping. Always one to appreciate a delicate song, each morning in a slightly different tune rousing you awake. As monotonous as palace life could be at times, the bird's song was always a part of your routine you could never tire of.

You aren’t tired of them now, as you make your way along the forest path. Having successfully made it out of the inner circle of the woods alive, the scenery is far more comforting than ominous. The twisted spindling tree’s replaced once again by tall pine and oaks, the deep darkness now broken by the sun peaking through the forest canopy. Beams of sunlight dancing between your fingers, you hum along to the bird’s steady tune, bare feet pressing gently against the lush soil.

Having taken a stroll by yourself, the sound of the three men bustling around your make-shift campsite fades away into the background, even the gentle breeze overpowering their voices as they chatter amongst themselves.

It’s nice, you think, to have a moment to yourself. A peaceful one, where you don’t feel at risk of being murdered, injured, or having the reality of your identity discovered.

You hear the sound of a stream up ahead - or perhaps simply a slow-moving river - and your feet are set in motion before you can even really contemplate following the noise.

It is, in fact, a river. Although the water rushes at a far greater pace than originally expected. Walking up to the shoreline, it’s incredibly satisfying when your toes dip into the stream, the coolness pleasant as the dirt and grime from the following days gently washes away.

You think of how nice it would be to take a bath at the moment, like the ones you could have any time back at the castle. Lavish soaps and fragrances, steaming hot water and bubbles only a beck and call away.

One of the many privileges you took for granted. If you ever do get to Kuroku and manage to marry the Prince, you’ll be sure to not take such things so lightly.

Closing your eyes to further enjoy the feeling of the water against your bare skin. Taking in a deep breath, you’re flooded with the smell of pine and the logfire from back at the camp. You suppose that this is one thing you never had back in the kingdom, only imported fruit trees growing in the castle gardens, and the thought of a campfire anywhere near the King’s study is almost comedical.

So if the possibility of a warm bath be an unattainable longing, you may as well revel in what would have also been impossible for you to have back at home.

After a moment, you open your eyes, prepared to return back to the campsite and the vast journey you have ahead of you. However, your limbs can’t seem to force themselves into motion, as you catch sight of a man further up ahead the river.

Blinking, you narrow your gaze, surely seeing things.

Surely, because what - or better, who - you are seeing is simply not possible.

Silver hair disheveled, he bustles around in a small wooden boat, only big enough for roughly two people. Turning around to observe the stern - and subsequently the side facing you - he rubs a steak of dirt from his forehead, letting out a deep and frustrated sigh. After a moment, he tiredly looks up, and you are greeted by a pair of familiar eyes.

A familiar nose. Familiar cheeks and a familiar steady jawline. Familiar lips as they settle into a frustrated pout.

Familiar everything. All details embedded into your memory after a lifetime of seeing them, these details something that have rarely left your mind within the last couple days. A familiarness that you never thought you would see again.

Tears immediately flood your eyes, and you’re half-blinded by the glossiness as you rush towards the man. Sore limbs practically flailing outwards from the sheer speed of your pursuit, your voice breaks out in emotion as you call out to him.

“Mingi!” His eyes widen as you call out to him, and his expression settles into a grin. A familiar and cheeky - would slap it off of him if you weren’t so utterly relieved - sort of grin.

Crashing into him, he lets out a small “oof” as you wrap your arms around tall frame. Squeezing him painfully tight, you just need to make sure that he’s actually there. That he’s real and solid, not some twisted fragment of your imagination.

It’s only once you decide that he checks all of these boxes that you finally let him go.

“Y-You’re alive,” you practically blubber out, still not quite believing it.

Because this isn’t possible, it can’t be.

Yet somehow, it is.

Watching the way your lip quivers, the overwhelming emotions just too much for a singular moment, he lets out a quiet chuckle before using one of his fingers to wipe away a rogue tear that trails down your cheek.

“Of course I’m alive,” he replies, voice gentle. “You didn’t really think I’d go that easy, did you?”

Yes, you did. You heard his screams, those desperate wails of agony, so horrific that they fill your mind every time the silence becomes too thick. It didn’t seem that there was much possibility for another fate, death the singular option for something so terrible.

Yet, here he is. Standing before you, tall and steady, solid and breathing. Alive.

“How?” You start before clearing your throat, which is choked and raspy with shock. “How did you make it out of there? I heard you die, Mingi. I-I felt it, in my chest I felt it. So how-”

“How about I tell you on the way to Kuroku?” He smiles, gesturing to the boat beside him against the shoreline, having been forgotten in the moment’s relief.

The three men back at your campsite only cross your mind for a split second. You wonder what Seonghwa might think, how much sadness those big brown eyes might gleam with, if he might even think you were murdered or abducted. You think of San, if within those analytical and lingering glances he might have always suspected something was off, although you doubt it.

You even think of Woo, and just how much he will boast about being right about you all along.

However, with that thought the moment of hesitation disappears, and you step into the boat.

Mingi follows suit after you, taking a seat at the stern before using an ore to push the two of you away from the shoreline. Wind blows against your face as the tiny boat slowly begins to gain momentum, water splashing up from the current before you and stinging your eyes, a journey full of unknowns awaiting you. However, this time you don’t mind.

No, because with Mingi, you feel safe. You feel protected and comfortable. At home, with someone to trust, as well as pick up all of the slack that you simply cannot carry.

Twisting yourself around in the boat to face him, you find that he is already smiling at you. That warm, familiar grin enough to fill your chest with warmth. A genuine glimpse of happiness, the first you’ve felt amidst the endless sorry that has coated the last few days.

“I missed you,” you say simply, because what other statement could possibly hold more truth?

“I know,” he replies, and you snort at this. He was never one for sentimentality.

“So how did you get out of the stable?” You ask, settling your chin in your palm, elbow resting against your knees. Scanning his figure, you're surprised at how well dressed he is, in spotless kingdom armour with not even a splotch of grime to be found. “I don’t even see any wounds on you,” you say, only realizing how odd this fact is as the words leave your mouth, narrowing your eyes to inspect him closer.

Mingi laughs, eyes focusing out on the water in front of him. After a moment, his grin slowly morphs into a thin line. Still smiling, although it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It’s a strange sort of expression, one you aren’t sure you’ve ever seen him wear before.

His gaze shifts back to yours, and when he speaks, his voice is plain.

“I didn’t.”

You blink.

“What?” You ask, assuming you must have heard him wrong.

“I didn’t make it out of the stable,” he answers easily, although perhaps it is this steadiness to his voice that causes an unsettling chill to pass through you. The boy’s eyes remain fixated on your own as he speaks, still entirely unblinking. “I died there, just as gruesomely as you expected me to.”

“Mingi,” You begin, doing your best to keep your voice steady and mind calm. Surely, he must be kidding. This is some sort of strange, bizarre sort of joke. “What are you talking about?”

“Did you even think about coming back for me?” He asks, and at this his eyebrows furrow slightly, a new edge to his voice. “Did you even think I was worthy of saving, Princess?”

A pang of both hurt and guilt rattles in your chest, caught off guard by the malevolence behind the words. “Of course I wanted to,” you start, looking at him incredulously. “But you told me to run.”

“And you didn’t even think twice about it, did you?” He continues, tone snide. It’s with this comment that he drops both of the ores into the water, and they quickly begin to take off down the river, moving much faster than your boat due to their light weight.

“Mingi, the ores-” you begin, almost following them over the edge in an attempt at reaching out for one of them. Mingi, however, seems as if he couldn't care less.

“You won’t be needing them,” he states bluntly. “There’s no chance you’ll make it to Kuroku by yourself.”

Anger, mixed with both confusion and terror, twists within your gut. “What the hell are you even talking-”

“But I suppose you’re not really by yourself, are you?” He ponders aloud, the thin line of his lips shifting into something sinister. A twisted smirk, and when he smiles there’s blood between each of his teeth, so much so that it drips down onto his lips. “Running with thieves now, are we Princess?”

Shame twists within you, and you suddenly feel small. This tiny boat is like a box, like a trap. “I was just doing what I had to do.”

“How noble,” he laughs. A darkness suddenly falls over the two of you, and you look upwards to see that the sky has become shrouded in black clouds. An oncoming storm - and a nasty one at that - beginning to brew.

Mingi suddenly leans in, a little too close for your liking. “You’re going to rot in hell,” he whispers, voice almost gentle. “For choosing them over me.”

“I didn’t-” you begin, but you’re cut off by your own cough. More surprising, however, is that with this cough comes water. Spluttering from your lips, it drenches the front of your tunic. Attempting to suck in a breath, you find that for some reason, you can’t.

You can’t breathe, as with every time you inhale, it feels as if you aren’t taking in air at all. But water.

Looking back up from your drenched tunic, your panicked eyes do not meet Mingi’s at all, but rather Woo’s. Sitting before you in that same kingdom guard attire, teeth just as bloody.

“Enjoy the swim, Princess,” he laughs, and with no more than a gentle push against your chest, he pushes you overboard.

No matter how desperately you fight upwards, your body sinks as if it were stone.

You wake with a start. Sweat beading across your forehead, each individual breath is ragged as you attempt to steady yourself. Your breathing, however, refuses to cooperate. Throat feeling tight and choked, it’s as if the drowning had actually been real.

Shaky hands coming up to cover your eyes, you shuffle yourself upwards, so that you’re seated with your knees drawn into your chest.

It all felt so real. The drowning, the terror, the guilt.

Mingi.

“In. Out. In. Out. In. Out,” you repeat in your mind, just trying to get your breathing regulated. Yet, it appears to be of no use, as it’s as if your lungs are no longer connected to your brain. Acting completely on their own accord, and that is to say not at all.

Panic rising hot in your throat, you feel the sudden urge to vomit. Nausea swims and twists within your gut, each breath more shallow than the next. With your palms clammy and mind fuzzy with hysteria, you struggle to rise to your feet before you even register where exactly you’re going.

You need to get out of this tent. The stuffiness decidedly underbearable, you’re in desperate need of some fresh air.

Pulling back the flap, you’re immediately greeted by the eyes of all three men turning to stare at you. Seonghwa opens his mouth, most likely to utter a “good morning” or something along those lines, but stops as he catches sight of your wide and startled eyes, as well as frantic and heaving chest.

“Are you alright?” He asks, eyebrows furrowed together in genuine worry, mouth parted in a downturned fashion. San and Woo both seem equally as curious, sharing a momentary side-glance between one another as they watch you carefully.

You need to get a hold of yourself. Fast, before curiosity twists into suspicion.

Feeling only slightly as if you are suffocating, you are careful to avoid all of their eyes as you make your way over to Seonghwa, clearing your throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just not a morning person.”

The man is obviously not satisfied by the answer, your present state surely appearing more nervous and terrified compared to tired. Seonghwa narrows his eyes, although after a moment, he appears to decide against saying anything.

“Are you hungry?” San asks from his place over by the fire. Turning your attention over to the swordsman, you watch as he fries eggs on a pan over the flame. An awfully domestic look, adorning a stained apron rather than the series of knives and fur coat he usually wears, your lips quirk upwards unintentionally at the bizarreness of the display.

The ringing in your ears finally settles to a dull buzz, you let out a shaky breath, the moment’s panic finally subsiding.

“I could eat,” you answer - impressed by the steadiness of your own voice - and he smiles. Handing you a small plank of wood as a substitute for a plate, he drops a singular egg down before you. Having not eaten for roughly a day and a half now, your stomach protests at the measly excuse for breakfast, especially considering it’s grown used to the grand feasts from back at the palace.

“We’re only a few hours out from a town,” San says, sensing your disappointment. “So don’t worry, we’ll stop there for the night. I think a bed and a hot meal might do you some good.”

You wonder just how disheveled you must look to earn such a statement, but frankly, you can’t disagree.

“We also have a couple errands to run,” he continues, dropping an egg onto his own place before sitting down on the log next to you. “If you don’t mind tagging along.”

“No problem,” you reply, even though you’re not so sure if it really is “no problem”. You know the town that’s coming up ahead - Stockholm - and considering you’ve visited quite a few times throughout the years, it’s a very real possibility that someone may recognize you.

But you also have to play into your role, and saying no to such a simple request would be undeniably suspicious. You’ll just have to be careful, wear Mingi’s cloak up high and keep your head down, and everything should be fine.

Hopefully.

“What sort of errands?” You ask, ensuring that your tone remains nonchalant.

“Well, Seonghwa and Woo will go look for a cheap tavern for us to stay the night, somewhere with a stable,” San answers, before practically devouring his own egg in one bite, covering his mouth as he chews before speaking again. “Then you and I will go to the market to get some supplies, mostly medical stuff, because it’s been made apparent we’re severely lacking. We’ll also pick up some clothes that aren’t so damn bloody. Oh, and get you an actual pair of shoes.”

You can’t help but let out a sigh of relief at the statement, one you didn’t even realize you’d been holding onto. Looking down at your feet, coated in dirt and dry blood, heels certainly calloused and blistered, you never thought that the possibility of simply having shoes could be something so incredible to look forward to.

San seems to take note of this relief, lip curving upward slightly into a sort of half-smile. “So eat quick,” he says, nodding towards your already half-eaten egg. “We’ll take off in five.”

Stockholm is an endearing town.

One of the very few places outside of your own castle and kingdom that you’ve ever been permitted to visit, the little village has always held a very special place in your heart.

Typically, you’d visit at the very beginning of autumn, when the entire town would transform into a collage of red, orange and yellow hues. The scents of hazelnut and cinnamon filling the air, the streets would be decorated to the nines in hopes of impressing their guests: the royal family - your family - who always stopped by annually for the occasion.

But now, with autumn still a fair distance from approaching and summer well within its prime, this cinnamon smell is now replaced by that of greenery. The air is hot and filled with a lush and flowery scent, and the area surrounding the streets and market are unlike you have ever seen them.

There is a certain simplicity to Stockholm that you never witnessed on your royal visits, a level of mundaneness that surprises you. Family’s make their way up and down the narrow streets, running their daily errands rather than attending the many autumn festivals. Fetching eggs rather than apple cider and pumpkin doughnuts, wearing trousers and tunics compared to their finest attire.

It’s a glimpse of a world foreign to you, that under regular circumstances you would never have been able to see.

It is not Stockholm primped and fashioned for your gaze, it is simply the way that it always is. You think you like it better this way.

However, this is not the only reason that your trip to the market of Stockholm is not what you’d expected it to be. What you’d anticipated was to be constantly in fear of the lingering glances you would receive, the looming possibility of someone recognizing you. Of being ratted out to the black-clad men that might be looming somewhere within the town’s cracks and shadows.

Instead, it appears that the people of the market are almost avoiding your gaze.

Although you’ve kept the hood of Mingi’s cloak drawn up high, gaze downcast as you and San make your way through the market’s many stands, there are still the occasional accidental glimpses of eye contact. Terror rushing through you each time your gaze locks with a stranger, your chest siezes as you imagine what would happen if their face suddenly lit up with recognition.

However, this doesn't seem to be an issue, as whenever a stranger's eyes meet yours, they immediately look away. Not casually, gaze naturally drifting after obviously recognizing you as a stranger and nothing more, but rather a sharp glance away from your direction, as if they didn’t want to be caught staring.

It’s not until you catch a glimpse of your reflection in a shop’s window that you understand this strange phenomenon.

Stopping in your tracks, you approach the window almost cautiously, not sure if what you’re seeing is even real. Your reflection appears utterly foreign to your own eyes, and you withhold a gasp.

The burn marks cover multiple areas on your face, small but noticeable scars that span from the top of your forehead down to your chin. Rather inflamed, your skin raises at the sight of each of the wounds, burning a twisted dark red and purplish hue.

“What…” You trail off, attempting to recall what could have caused such ghastly marks, but the answer comes to your mind almost immediately.

The scorpion's saliva. The odorous and putrid liquid that had dripped from the beast's mouth when it hung over top of you. You faintly remember a burning sensation, although frankly, that seemed to be the least of your worries at the time.

But now, it seems that this is the damage that has made itself the most permanent, even the wounds on your arm surely have more of a chance at fully healing compared to this.

Hand drifting up to graze over the wounds, you find that they don’t hurt so badly, which you can only hope is a positive sign, although you're not so sure.

You feel the presence of a figure settle behind you, and you hear as San awkwardly clears his throat.

“I meant to tell you earlier,” he says, voice quiet. You can faintly see his reflection through the window as well, and his expression is somber. “I just wasn’t sure how.”

You don’t say anything, because frankly, you also don’t know how to respond. Blinking at your reflection, you struggle to wrap your head around just how different you look. How unfamiliar the person staring back at you is.

The last few days you’ve already felt like enough of a stranger in your own skin. Through all the fear and bloodshed, the loss of everything you hold dear, you no longer felt like yourself, like the Princess of Libaiya. Reduced to a weak and terrified mess, in a far more helpless position than you have ever wished to be.

But now to see yourself, and not even physically appear to be the girl you once knew. A stranger, both in your mind and body… It’s too much, and your mind can’t seem to divulge a response. A sort of blank numbness to the sight takes over, compared to the anger or horror that seems the more appropriate response.

The lack of emotion and unfamiliarity only warranted in the presence of someone you don’t recognize, that you’ve never met. And really, isn’t that what the person staring back at you is?

“I’m sure they’ll heal,” San says, doing his best to reassure you, although you can hear the falseness in his attempt at sincerity. You don’t want to hear it. You don’t want to be here anymore, staring at this complete and utter stranger.

“Let’s just go,” you say, tearing yourself away from the window and back down the market’s path without another spare glance. You can feel as San lingers in place for a moment, but he eventually sighs, following after you.

This is a part of San you are growing fond of, can appreciate. You're certain that Woo would simply never drop a topic that interests him, and Seonghwa - for all his kindness - would make a series of attempts to try and make you feel better.

But San does neither of these things. He drops the subject, exactly like you want him to. He doesn’t push, he doesn’t pry, he simply lets it be.

It makes you wonder what of his own feelings he is hiding, as it is often only those who have their own topics of interest they don’t want to talk about that drop such matters so easily.

“Are we going to meet back up with them?” You ask, referring to Seonghwa and Woo, who you’d left at the gate of town a few hours ago. They’d gone to search for a cheap tavern to spend the night, and surely by now they’ve found one.

“Soon,” San answers, before glancing around the market, as if looking for something. “We just have one more stop to make first.”

“Oh?” You ask, perking up in interest. You’d already stopped at endless market stands, seeming to buy a few of everything under the sun. Medical supplies, preservable food and clothing - as well as a hearty lunch for the day - the satchels you wear on your back are practically stuffed to the brim with your items of purchase.

He even bought you a pair of shoes, the boots fitting comfortable and snug against the arches of your heels, which you note have grown rather substantially in size due to your newly formed calluses. Honestly, you couldn’t care less, the simple relief of having footwear joyous enough to quell the surprise.

“And where might that be?” You ask, as San seems to settle on whatever he was searching for, beginning to head west of the market square and onto a new town road.

“A blacksmith,” he answers, as the two of you take a turn down onto a narrow alleyway. A shortcut it seems, and you’re surprised at how well the swordsman seems to know his way around this town. Libaiya would appear the far more convenient stop, being a little closer to their cabin and the ride less dangerous, but it appears that Stockholm is a place he visits often enough to know by memory.

After not responding to his statement, simply assuming that the visit will be to sharpen his sword or purchase some more arrows, he adds on: “To craft you a sword.”

Eyebrows launching upwards, you turn to face him fully at this, mouth drifting open in surprise. “Really?”

San simply shrugs, holding a level of nonchalance as he takes a left down the alleyway.

And although a burst of excitement erupts from your chest, it is quickly quelled by another, stronger feeling of uncertainty.

“Are you…” You start hesitantly, not wanting to ruin an opportunity for yourself, but also not exactly wanting to start another argument within the group. “Are you sure that Woo would be alright with that?”

San doesn’t say anything for a moment, but when he does, his tone is more firm than you would expect. “Woo says and does whatever he wants whenever he wants, he can deal with it.”

Taken aback by the aggression to the swordsman’s tone, you wonder if it may have something to do with the kiss by the fire last night. Or better, the awkward tension as a result afterwards.

Ultimately, you decide to drop it, the thick silence following the statement clearly being San’s way of having put a cork on the matter entirely.

Fortunately, the silence does not last long, as San approaches the door of the building located at the very end of the alley. A rundown little shop, with no windows and faded brick walls, a glimpse of anticipation courses through you at the thought of going inside.

Not only from the mysterious nature to the building, but also the mere thought of having a weapon of your own. A sword that you can call yours, that cannot be taken away from you so easily. A piece of your own protection, against the seemingly endless dangers that have and have yet to fall onto your path.

A glimpse of control, against what has been constant chaos.

Following San into the blacksmith’s shop, your first impression is that it is dark, the only light sources being a series of dimly lit lanterns strone about. Different types of swords and bows coat the entirety of the walls, and even a hefty mace hangs down from the ceiling.

It’s unlike any place you’ve ever been, mostly because your father thought it was rather inappropriate for a Princess to shop in her people’s stores, especially a place where weapons - and thus adjacently bad ideas - were formed.

And to his credit, perhaps there was a bit of truth to that, as when you approach the wall of longswords, these inappropriate ideas of combat certainly do enter your mind.

Bringing your hand up to take one of them off the shelf, a particularly hefty blade with a white hilt, San puts a hand out to stop you.

“Not one of these ones,” he explains when you cast him a confused glance, a slight curve to his lip in amusement. Whether at the extent of your excitement or the childish intrigue that accompanies it, you aren’t sure. “We’ll get Bin to craft you a new one.”

Before you can object, as within the entire wall of swords you’re certain at least one of them would be a good fit, San walks away from you and further into the shop.

“Bin!” He shouts, before actually walking behind the front counter, attempting again as he peeks his head into the backroom. “Bin, you there?”

“Yes, yes. I’ll be right out!” A voice calls back faintly, before a series of clanging that you assume is “Bin” dropping something in the back. However, before you have the chance to go help him, the door swings open wildly before you.

When Bin steps out, he’s covered in charcoal, the black dust all over his arms and clothing, as well as in a thick smudge across his forehead. Sweat beading down his temple, his arms - which you note are rather muscular - are glistening with this same sweat, the sleeves of his shirt drawn up as high as possible, reaching just over his biceps.

The reason for his sweltering attire is made quite clear, as you can feel the heat from the smithy’s forge wafting in even from behind the door, the faint glow of the fire visible from behind him.

The man laughs when he sees San, before pulling the swordsman into an embrace. San seems equally as thrilled to see him, hand patting against Bin’s back, smile across his lips. It’s an uncharacteristically wide smile, far different than the familiar tilt to his lips you’ve grown used to.

After a moment, they pull away, and San turns to you before motioning towards the man. “Yeji, this is Changbin, he’s an old friend of ours.”

At this, Changbin extends a hand out towards you, and it takes you a moment before you even register it as an attempt at a handshake.

An entirely foreign gesture, it’s one you’ve only seen and never actually received. Only ever having shared a bow and curtsy in greeting previously, the informality takes you aback.

For the second time today, you feel absolutely nothing like who you are, the Princess of Libaiya.

“Nice to meet you,” Changbin says kindly when you finally take his hand, offering him a smile of your own. His eyes are sweet, genuine, and for the first time in a while you feel safe in this place, the shop much less daunting than the many eyes filling the town square.

“So what brings you guys in today?” Changbin asks, gaze fluttering over to San. “It’s not quite autumn yet, I didn’t expect you for another month or so.”

“We’ve taken a little detour from our regular schedule,” San chuckles, before putting a hand on your shoulder. It’s a bit strange, as well as something he’s certainly never done before, painting an illusion of familiarity the two of you don’t truly contain. Although, funny enough, you don’t really mind the idea of a friendship with the swordsman, companionship something you’ve always held dear but limited to a select few.

And with those few gone, even if it’s not quite grounded, the thought of gaining a friend through all of this doesn’t seem so terrible.

Even if such a friendship will come crashing down once you reach your destination.

“We’re taking this one to Kuroku,” San continues, giving your shoulder a soft shake in emphasis.

“Long journey,” Changbin comments, and the swordsman nods in agreement.

“Sure is. That’s why we need you to craft her a sword, something solid that a beginner can learn to wield easily.”

You half expect the blacksmith to deny the request, to say something along the lines of how a woman should not wield a blade. That it’s inappropriate, unfeminine, and just plain dishonourable. Something you’ve heard your father, as well as plenty of other men in his court and royal guard say countless times before.

But Changbin simply smiles. “Well then you’ve come to the right place, what sort of style of blade are you thinking?”

It takes a moment spent in silence for you to realize that he’s not addressing San, but you.

Perhaps reading the situation as awkwardness and not uncertainty on your part, San clears his throat. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it. If you need me, I’ll be over by the arrows.”

“Wait-” you start, but San simply spares you a glance over his shoulder, good eye glistening with an emotion you don’t quite recognize. Not mischief exactly, but a little more timid. Pride perhaps, but that seems equally as strange.

“It’s not my sword he’s crafting,” he says plainly, before turning around fully and making his way towards the opposite end of the room.

Turning around to face Changbin once more, you find that he’s still watching you intently, awaiting your answer. Feeling utterly out of your element, you lamely point to the wall of swords you were looking at upon walking inside.

“Maybe one of those?” You offer, and instead of teasing you on your lack of specificality, the blacksmith hums in understanding.

“Your classic longsword, good choice,” he says thoughtfully, before looking you up and down, mostly likely to get an idea of what length it should be. “Any other requests design wise? Like the colour and style of the hilt?”

Your initial response is to say no, assume his own expertise would be able to come up with something far better than your lack thereof, but you hesitate for a moment.

The weight in your pocket suddenly makes itself prominent, and an idea pops into your mind. Risky, certainly, the thievery of the necklace being something you had planned to keep a secret from the three men.

But the fact of the matter remains that this journey will be both a long and dangerous one, and attempting to keep such an expensive, as well as large piece of jewelry in your pocket for the entirety of the time seems just plain foolish.

Pulling the necklace from your pocket, you hold it out to him in the flesh of your palm. “Could you embed this sapphire in the bottom of the hilt?”

Eyebrows raising slightly, Changbin reaches forward to hold the jewel in his hand, examining it closely. “That shouldn’t be too difficult,” the blacksmith mutters under his breath, before glancing back up towards you. “And what of the diamonds?”

You answer before you even really consider the words. “Keep them.”

Eyebrows now launching entirely upwards, he sputters in practical disbelief. “My dear,” he starts, granting you a look of complete and utter incredulity. “That is far too much for simply crafting a sword.”

He’s right, but carrying around a string of diamonds seems like a plea for them to either be stolen or lost. Besides, it is not your only request. “Don’t worry about it,” you start, before nodding a head towards San, who intently spins an arrow in his hands as he examines it. “You just have to promise me that you won’t mention this to him.”

Changbin’s expression furrows at this, glancing between San and the expensive necklace that sits in his palm, as if weighing his options.

After a moment, however, a small smile crosses the corner of his lips.

The blacksmith extends a hand out towards you, and this time you accept it with far less hesitancy. “You, my dear, have got yourself a deal.”

Wooyoung is tired.

He’s tired of San. He’s tired of Seonghwa. He’s tired of them being so damn clueless, helping some girl they met in the woods when it’s so painfully obvious there’s something terribly off about you.

He doesn’t trust you, and he feels that distrust as a strange tickling that itches beneath his skin, telling him that you are nothing but a bad omen for their party. What this feeling is or where it comes from he can’t quite place, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a constant turn in his gut that tells him that this entire trip to Kuroku is bad news.

But his companions won’t listen to him, as at some point within the last two days, they both decided that the word of complete stranger is more valuable than his own.

Idiots, both of them.

Yet, begrudgingly, they’re also both sort of his idiots, so by default he’s the one who has to deal with the consequences of their own stupid actions.

Seonghwa in particular is making this the most difficult, as for some unknown reason, he’s decided to pine extra hard for your delivery to Kuroku.

Well, it’s not exactly a mystery, as Wooyoung thinks it’s quite obvious that Seonghwa is thinking with his heart - as well as likely his dick - rather than any form of logic.

And yet, Wooyoung is the one who’s out of line here, who isn’t being reasonable.

Frankly, it’s laughable.

“This place seems good,” Seonghwa says, motioning to the tavern standing in front of them. It’s a quaint, run-down little place, and thus a bit cheaper than the other taverns they’d visited around town. The owner was also extra kind, an older lady who’d agreed to give them a bit of a discount when they mentioned they were harbouring a Libaiyan refugee.

So, at the very least, it turns out you weren’t lying about that. Talk about the besiegement of Libaiya has been all over town, news seeming to have traveled faster than majority of the mysterious army of black-clad men that took hold of the castle, as well as murdered The King. Many Libaiyans, at least those lucky enough to have escaped the kingdom before it’s been placed under lockdown, have found themselves in Stockholm. A first stop on a journey north to safer lands, similar to the journey in which Wooyoung has now found himself.

And yet, while your story now seems to be something far less out of the ordinary, he still can’t bring himself to let his guard down. That strange, tingling feeling that something is off about this whole ordeal still itching beneath his skin, turning within his gut.

He doesn’t trust you, and he doubts he ever will.

Wooyoung nods in agreement to Seonghwa’s statement about the tavern, and thus the blonde continues. “Should we meet back up with Yeji and San then? They’re probably still in the market square.”

He hates how Seonghwa says your name, so kind and gentle. The blonde may as well have his face turn a light pink hugh, hearts replacing where his pupils once were. Maybe start kicking his feet in the air and tracing your names together on parchment.

Wooyoung wonders if the man is aware of how disgustingly obvious he is.

Rolling his eyes, instead of answering he simply turns on his heel, back onto the street and heading towards the market square. Seonghwa trails behind him, and although he doesn’t say anything in response, he doesn’t refrain from letting out a deep, frustrated sigh at Wooyoung’s suspense.

“Yeah,” Wooyoung thinks to himself, tired. “That’s how I feel too.”

After a few minutes walking in silence, Seonghwa suddenly puts a hand on Wooyoung’s shoulder, close to the nape of his neck. The elemental is careful to ignore the way his heart stutters slightly at the sentiment, the way his breath catches in his throat for a moment.

Now that is something he won't let his conscience touch with a ten foot pole, and he’s doing well to keep it that way.

“Hey, let’s take a look,” Seonghwa says, nodding towards the billboard of postings just outside the town’s main watering hole. It’s a place they check every time they come to Stockholm, where the villagers can make different requests for tasks they’re willing to pay for.

In the trio’s own interest, it’s sometimes used for hunting monsters, the villager's thought of completing such dangerous bloodshed themselves far too terrifying. It’s been a few times now that they’ve killed a nasty beast, a basilisk having nestled itself in the town’s sewer system once, or the time a mimic decided to wreak havoc in the tavern’s at night.

It’s become a good way to make some extra cash, and Wooyoung’s glad that Seonghwa is able to at least keep his head clear enough to not ignore that as well.

Taking a moment to scan the billboard, it’s almost immediate how one posting in particular grabs his attention. Partially due to the fact it’s almost double the size as the rest, but mostly because beneath the large letters reading “WANTED” there is not the drawing of a monster, but of a person.

WANTED: PRINCESS OF LIBAIYA

LAST SEEN RIDING ON HORSEBACK TOWARDS STOCKHOLM

DEAD OR ALIVE

REWARD: 250,000 GOLD PIECES

Seonghwa whistles lowly, the posting clearly having caught his own attention as well. “250,000 gold pieces, that’s a fortune.”

“We could retire on that alone,” Wooyoung adds, leaning in a little closer to examine the portrait. After a moment, he rips it off the billboard, to which Seonghwa gasps in protest at the act of vandalism.

The corner of Wooyoung’s lip twitches upward, he’s so easy to rile up.

“Hey, what are you doing? Put that back!” Seonghwa rushes quietly as Wooyoung pays no mind to him, continuing his way back towards the town square.

“Relax,” Wooyoung says easily, casting a lazy glance over his shoulder at the blonde. “I just think San may want to see it, that’s all.”

And although he won’t admit it outloud, another part of him wishes that San may agree to abandon the trip to Kuroku entirely. It’s not too unfair of a statement, as if they get the money they need in a different way, then why even bother with this extraneous, risky journey anyways?

After all, she was last seen heading in the same direction they’re headed. Who knows who they might stumble into along the way, so long as he keeps an eye out.

Then things can go back to the way they were. Comfortable and predictable, just the way he likes them to be.

Maybe all Wooyoung needs to do is find the Princess of Libaiya himself.

The sketch doesn’t look like you.

That’s the first thing that enters your mind when Woo hands the piece of parchment over to San, who takes it in his hands before scanning it intently.

Casting a discreet glance over his shoulder, your heart seizes in fear at the first glance of the headline: “WANTED: PRINCESS OF LIBAIYA.”

The bodily urge to take off down the nearest street and away from the band of thieves as quickly as possible is your immediate instinct. However, after a glance down at the sketch of you below the statement, the fear dissipates as quickly as it originally arrived.

Because the sketch doesn’t look like you. It simply doesn’t, none of your features identical to your own. Eyes and nose the completely wrong size and hair not to the proper length nor texture, you aren’t even sporting the peasant’s clothes you escaped in.

None of the men seem to observe any sort of resemblance either, as San’s eyes flicker over the pamphlet lazily, no flash of any sort of connection.

“Hm, would you look at that,” San mutters, the corner of his lip pulling upward in a smirk. “Looks like someone is willing to pay a pretty penny for little Miss Princess.”

“A pretty penny doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Woo grins, taking the parchment from San’s hands and holding it up before him. “It’s a fucking fortune.”

You know they don’t recognize that the picture is of you - and you’re certain they won’t, as you wouldn’t either - but the conversation makes you nervous nonetheless. After all, listening to your guides talk about just how much money they’d make turning you into whatever bounty hunters may be after you isn’t exactly your favourite topic.

“You see this?” Woo says, and it takes you a moment to realize that he’s talking to you. Granting him a brief nod in response, he continues, tone only slightly condescending. “She’s your friend right - or sorry - your boss?”

This seems to peak Seonghwa’s interest. “Right, you know her, don’t you Yeji?”

You hate this. You hate this. You hate this.

“Yeah, I do,” you respond, doing your best to keep your voice steady, feigning a level of disinterest.

“And?” San asks, casting you a curious glance. “What’s Miss Silverspoon like?”

Now, you aren’t a fool. You can tell that the answer to the question must be a calculated one, and it unfortunately doesn’t come easily, as you’re unsure exactly how to play this one out.

Naturally, your first instinct is to defend yourself. The men’s tones all clearly hold a level of distaste and passive aggression, and you don’t exactly wish to sully your reputation, especially considering your reputation is all you really have to hold onto.

But your instincts have always been far more emotional than logical, and logic is all you can afford.

“She’s a brat,” you answer with a shrug, and Woo actually lets out a laugh at this, a bark of surprise.

“Really?” He asks, as if almost impressed by your bluntness.

Swallowing down the bile that arises in your throat at the thought of anything you do impressing Woo, you push forward. It’s decidedly better for you not to defend her - or, well, you - so that they don’t associate these two identities together. If they think you hate the Libaiyan Princess, they are far less likely to think that she could possibly be you.

“Yeah, she is,” you continue, even adding a roll of the eyes. “She’s spoiled. Bossy, a tad arrogant.”

It almost hurts to say, considering you loved your staff, and only ever treated them with grace and kindness. But alas, desperate times.

“Not that surprising,” Woo adds, raising his hands above his head in a stretch, before letting out a yawn that he speaks his next words through. “She’s filthy rich, after all. Why care about the rest of us little folk?”

You swallow down the annoyed response that arises hot in the back of your throat. Of course you care about your people, and you certainly don’t refer to them as “little folk”.

And frankly, the blatant assumption that you ever would cause a sharp pulse of anger to course through you, fist clenching tightly at your side.

Yet, even with the moment’s fury, you won’t act on it. What your people need is for you to get to Kuroku, and you will do everything in your power to make that happen.

Whether Woo is aware of it or not, let this be your act of service to prove just how much you care for them, even if it means dragging your own name and reputation through the dirt.

“No kidding,” you say, going as far as to add a laugh of your own, even though the words taste like bile along your tongue. “It’s been a long summer, I just want to get home.”

And although you’re attempting to make a connection with him, the comment does not earn the response you were expecting.

“What, back to your mansion?” Woo interjects, tone sharp. You blink, surprised by the sudden aggression, as well as unsure of where exactly he got that idea.

But the realization comes quickly. Your family - or better, fake family - is also wealthy enough to pay them big. Big enough to make the journey, which means such wealth would also accompany other riches like a mansion, servant staff, fine furniture and decor, and most likely all the other luxuries he seems to resent you and the royal family for.

And while it wasn’t something you were exactly holding on to, your one chance of getting Woo to lay off of you, even if only for a moment, evaporates before your eyes.

So be it. It’s not as if you have any desire to bond with the elemental anyways.

“And why would you be pissy about that?” You ask, happy enough to let out some of your harbouring frustration towards him from the “little folk” comment. “It’s in your best interest, or have you forgotten why you’re here?”

Woo doesn’t say much in response to this, but you don’t miss the way he not-so-subtly rolls his eyes.

“I’m sure we’re almost at the tavern,” San says, his tone exhausted, mouth drawing into a thin line. “Let’s try to keep the bickering to a minimum.”

“Please,” Seonghwa adds, casting a pointed glance in Woo’s direction. If Woo notices, he doesn’t say anything, but rather picks up his pace to walk ahead of your group.

He’s clearly pissed, and something tells you it has to do with a little more than your minor argument, although what exactly you can’t quite place.

Turning suddenly, the elemental opens the door to a quaint little building to your right, surely the tavern he and Seonghwa had discovered earlier. However, as you move to follow in after him, you are not greeted by the cozy atmosphere of a tavern, but rather the wooden door swinging back into your nose.

Did he just…?

Tears welling in your eyes from the suddenness of the blow, you take a step back, rubbing your nose bridge. Blinking rapidly as San pushes past you and into the tavern with a newfound sense of urgency, mostly likely to rip into Woo for the upteenth time.

“Are you okay?” Seonghwa asks, eyes filling with genuine concern as you pull away your hand from your nose, fingers now coated in the blood dripping from your nostril.

You simply nod in response, because really, you are okay. You’re not even angry, no longer containing the energy to chase after the elemental, give him a slap even harder than yesterday’s.

No, you aren’t angry, you’re tired.

Tired of bleeding and the constant bickering, of not being able to see yourself when you look in the mirror. Tired of constantly being on guard and afraid that someone may find out your true identity, whether it be the people of the town or your own travel party.

You’re just tired of it all.

And when you reopen the tavern door and find San angrily whispering in Woo’s direction, who appears as indifferent and disinterested as always, only one thought springs to mind:

Kuroku cannot come fast enough.

The sword is beautiful.

Twisting the weapon around in your hand, it’s cool against your skin as you gently run your fingers down the steel of the blade. The hilt covered in a white shagreen, the metal work surrounding the leather is impressive, gilded flowers and thorns spanning across the sword’s guard.

Then, at the very bottom of the hilt, your sapphire glistens, the rich blue almost glowing against the rest of the blade’s white and silver design. It’s almost art rather than a sword, as well as a piece of your old home and family nestled within the new path of life you’ve found yourself embarking on.

Changbin truly outdid himself.

If San noticed the sapphire when the two of you picked the sword back up from the blacksmith in the evening, he didn’t say anything. However, you’re certain it’s only a matter of time before one of them does, the jewel much more noticeable than you had originally expected it to be.

You aren’t sure if they’ll even recognize it, the piece of jewelry holding far more significance to yourself than any of them.

Perhaps it’s not even them noticing it that you’re worried about, but rather what the jewel represents. You’d called them thieves and criminals, yet you’re the one lying to them. You’re the one who stole the necklace back, who paid off one of their friends to keep it a secret.

Who are you to judge them?

Who are you? Because frankly, it’s becoming more and more difficult to recognize yourself, both in your reflection as well as your actions.

Tears begin to glisten in your eyes, and you suppose now is a good time to finally let them fall. After all, you’re alone. The three men are downstairs in the tavern, most likely drinking and having a good time with the rest of the people in Stockholm. Drinking and exchanging stories with people they recognize, as well as others they don’t.

You know, like normal people do. Like people who were permitted to have friends that weren’t restricted to their castle staff or people their father considered to have good political influence. Who have stories because they can actually follow what they dream of, and love people without having to keep it a secret, so less it becomes a scandal to be told all across Burovia.

You sigh, laying back on your rented bed, eyes staring at the roof above you. The self-pity makes you feel gross, even if not spoken aloud. You’re lucky to have lived in luxury, and it feels wrong to suggest anything otherwise.

And yet, a part of you can’t help but yearn. Yearn for a life where all those things could be true. Where you wouldn’t be where you are now.

Where you wouldn’t have lost so damn much.

The first tear slips from your eye when there’s a knock at the door. “It’s open,” you shout, sniffling slightly as you quickly swipe it away.

The door opens just a crack, a head of blonde hair peeking inside. “Are you busy?” Seonghwa asks, a small smile tracing his lips. Despite yourself, you can’t help but smile too.

Blinking away any remnant of remaining tears, you nod. “No, no. Come in,” you say, waving him inside.

“I figured you might want some company,” he says, softly shutting the door behind him. Raising up a bottle of whisky in his hand, he also shrugs, sounding almost shy. “I also have this. Thought it would be a little sad to drink it alone.”

You chuckle at this, and frankly, you would really appreciate a drink at the moment. Pouring a hearty serving into each of the complimentary glasses stationed on the room’s dresser, Seonghwa hands one over to you.

“Not one for the tavern scene?” You ask, before motioning for him to sit down beside you on the bed, feeling a tad awkward to keep him standing. He hesitates only for a moment, before sitting beside you, although careful to keep a respectful distance apart.

It’s a little endearing, you must admit.

“Sometimes, if I’m really in the mood for it,” he replies, gaze fluttering over to you. “But it’s always been more San and Woo’s thing than mine.”

You hum at this, taking a sip of the whisky, which burns hot on your tongue. You’ve only ever really been permitted wine before, or champagne on celebratory occasions. Your father often considered whisky to be a commoner's drink, unless it had been aged for upmost of three decades, then he’d consider it to be a man's drink.

“What about you?” Seonghwa asks. “Not your scene either?”

You aren’t really sure how to respond, never having been in a tavern yourself. But after a moment, you decide the truth doesn’t seem too forbidden. At least part of it, anyway.

“I’ve never been in one,” you answer, to which Seonghwa’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “My father doesn’t really approve. I guess it’s not a very proper or feminine place to him.”

His raised eyebrows quickly furrow at this, mouth drawing into a frown in offence. “Well that’s ridiculous. There’s plenty of women down there, why should that matter?”

You simply shrug in response, and he sighs, gaze falling back in front of him. “But I guess I don’t know much about the properness of it. My family was never wealthy, and those sort of societal cues weren’t really an issue back in Maralya.”

You’re surprised at him bringing up his hometown, considering that last night the mere mention of it was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

But perhaps it’s liquid courage running through his veins, and although your budding curiosity is rather tempting, you don’t want to take advantage of a loose tongue.

“We don’t have to talk about that if it makes you uncomfort-” you start, but he cuts you off, tone reassuring.

“No, no. I want to,” he says, once again turning to face you. His eyes are not full of tears this time, but compassion. “I wanted to yesterday, but it was just… a lot. I’ve had the day to sit with it now, and I feel like I should explain why it makes me so…you know.”

Troubled, your mind fills in for him. Vulnerable.

The statement is understandable, so instead of stopping him, you simply let the blonde speak.

“There was a sickness that passed through about five years ago,” he says, tone reminiscent. “Some sort of fever, and people were dying all around us. Our neighbours, our baker and letter carrier.”

You can see the tears welling in his eyes again, although that small, pained smile remains present against his lips. “Eventually my half-brother caught it, and things weren’t looking very good, so my mother sent me away. Didn’t want me to catch it too, so she just begged me to leave before I could.”

“I’m so sorry,” you say, and he just laughs softly, looking down at his feet at the end of the bed.

“It’s alright. Or well, I think it is,” he says, hand fiddling with the tail end of his jacket mindlessly. “I’m not sure if I’ve really made peace with it, I’ve just kind of had to. I don’t know if any of them are alive, but I don’t think I’m ready to go back and check. Not ready to know the answer, I guess.”

Not really sure of what to say, his words all kinds of vulnerable you aren’t prepared to grant yourself. Fortunately, you find you don’t have to give an answer at all, as he continues. Shifting himself slightly to now fully face you, the sentiment feels far more close this way, more intimate and connected.

“I’m only telling you this because I know a lot of what we do can seem wrong, especially if you didn’t grow up on the streets,” he says softly, and there’s no judgement to his words, only sincerity. “Thievery and monster hunting? It was hard for me to wrap my head around at first too.”

“How did you end up with them, anyway?” You ask, leaving out the fact that he seems so utterly different from the other two. Woo full of more outright anger and power, San a more calculated and reserved sort of dangerous. Yet Seonghwa just seems so… good.

Better than them, but also far better than you.

The question brings a smile to his lips. “They jumped me.”

“What?” You ask, alarmed. Yet, despite the absurdness of his words, Seonghwa only laughs at your shocked expression.

“It had been about a year since I was forced to leave home,” he explains, getting a little more relaxed and comfortable as he gestures with his hands, the topic clearly less painful for him. “I’d found myself in the town of Gloria, which we’ll actually pass within the next week or so.”

“I was lost, scared, and carrying all my items in a bag on my back, just trying to find a stable I could spend the night in for free. Then suddenly, the next thing I knew I was being held up against an alleyway, where one man in a hood punched me across the face, and the other sifted through my bag.”

You involuntarily bring a hand up to cover your mouth, jaw dropped in shock. The story sounds horrific, practically traumatizing on your end, but Seonghwa delivers it in such a lighthearted manner you aren’t sure if you’re hearing him correctly.

“Once they discovered how utterly nothing of value I had, they took off their hoods. And the one who’d been punching me asked how a boy who looked so princely could be worth jack-shit.”

“Woo, I’m assuming?” You ask, and Seonghwa laughs even louder than before as he nods in confirmation.

“Anyway, I was too distraught to respond. So I was just endlessly sobbing, and I guess they both felt kind of bad, so they took me to their own place. Which was really just a tent in the woods outside of the town.”

“They gave me some of what little food they had, and eventually I calmed down enough to tell them who I was and what happened to me,” he says, pausing only for a moment to look up and meet your eyes. “And even though they had near nothing, they invited me to stay with them.”

“That’s really quite sweet,” you say honestly, the thought of these two misfits harbouring the broken boy from off the street. Muggery aside, the gesture is quite selfless.

“It was,” he agrees, a grin crossing his lips, although his gaze remains nostalgic. “I mean, if it weren’t for them, who knows where I would be now.”

After a moment of silence passes, you speak. “Do you ever think you’ll go home?”

“One day,” Seonghwa says immediately, followed by a sigh. “When that will be, I have no idea.”

The two of you sit in silence for a moment, the only sound being the distant chatter and liveliness from the tavern downstairs. It’s strange how just the barrier of a floor and ceiling can separate two entirely different atmospheres. Two entirely different conversations, different worlds.

You give a soft smile, looking at him gently, eyes passing over his features. Big eyes and a softer jawline, the faintest hint of dimples implanted in his cheek. He meets your eyes for only a moment, then looks away, bashful. “Anyway,” he starts, clearing his throat. “For the record, they don’t do that anymore. Mugging, I mean.”

“Well I’d hope so,” is the first response that comes to mind, but it seems a little harsh for the moment’s quiet.

“What about you?” He asks, nudging the side of your own foot with his own. “What’s got you so down?”

“Me?” You ask, caught off guard by the question. Frankly, you think you’ve done a rather decent job at hiding your inner quarrels thus far. “Nothing, I’m alright.”

“Then why were you so upset this morning?” He asks in a gentle tone. “And why were you crying when I walked in?”

For a moment you simply sit there, stunned. You didn’t think he noticed, but then again, the sudden discussion of the story behind his hometown makes sense. He wanted to put the two of you on equal ground, not scare you away by asking so soon.

Yet, you are scared. Scared of discussing anything regarding your current situation, not only because of the risks in him discovering your true identity, but the implications of letting your walls down for him.

It’s too vulnerable, and while that appears to be something Seonghwa may excel in, it is not your own forte.

“It’s not something I’m quite ready to talk about,” you say, because at least that much is honest. At least you won’t be lying to him, or well, more than you already are.

“That’s okay, I won’t force you,” he says gently, taking one last sip of his whisky before placing the drink down on the nightstand beside him. He stops for a minute, staring at a spot on the wall in front of him before taking a deep breath, as if to prepare himself for something.

“Do you trust me?” He asks, and you consider the sentiment.

“As much as I can for a man I met yesterday, sure,” you respond, and even the statement sounds strange in your mouth. Whether it be the bizarre sleep schedule clouding your sense of time, or just how much you’ve all gone through together in such little duration, it feels as if you’ve known them all much longer.

But amongst the three, you can honestly say that Seonghwa is the one you trust the most.

So after a moment, you nod, and he smiles.

Shifting himself over, he brings his legs up to sit cross-legged before you. “Can you give me your hand?” He asks, and although the question seems entirely strange, you decide to humour him, extending your palm outwards.

Cradling your hand as if it might break, he places both his palms above and below your own, trapping yours between them. Swallowing deeply, he closes his eyes, and then proceeds to do… whatever exactly he’s attempting.

At first, you feel nothing. Just the strained awkwardness on your behalf as you watch him breath in and out, the silence of the room feeling slightly suffocating.

But then, after a moment, you feel it. A light, tingling sensation, starting from the hand he holds and moving up your arm. It’s not alarming, in fact the feeling is overall quite soothing, and you find yourself closing your own eyes. Mind slightly foggy as the sensation overtakes you, and you let out a hum of satisfaction, head falling down to rest against his shoulder.

Amidst the tingling, there is also a pleasant sort of warmth, as if a woolen blanket has been placed over your shoulders. It’s comfortable, and your limbs feel heavy beneath the thickness of the heat, cozy.

A peculiar taste nestles itself along your tongue, both sweet and floral, and it takes you a moment to recognize what exactly it is: Your mother’s baking.

Specifically her lemon poppyseed muffins that were infused with rosewater, her “secret ingredient” that you’d only realize years after her passing. Something that she herself would make for you, not her servants, but her. Dressed in an apron and flour splotched on her hands, she would always call for you and your father to have the first taste of each batch, and the two of you would gladly.

He was always happier back in those days.

It’s a taste you haven’t thought of in years, a lost fragment of the past that had been reduced to an absent memory, other more present and pressing matters taking its place.

But now, as the taste of lemon and rosewater dance along your tongue and tickle your throat, a smile can’t help but creep its way onto your lips.

“Yeji,” you hear Seonghwa say, voice sounding far-off and distant, and it takes you a moment to recognize that he is addressing you.

Eyes fluttering open, you blink slowly, trying to clear the fog from your mind and regain a hold on your surroundings.

“How are you feeling?” Seonghwa asks as you awkwardly remove your head from his shoulder, and while the response that you are fine rests on the tip of your tongue, you realize that it might actually be… true?

You do feel fine. In fact, you’d go as far as to say that you might actually feel good.

A newfound rejuvenation having taken over, you find that the bodily senses of fear and worry no longer weigh down upon your shoulders. The looming remnants of loss and hurt from the last few days no longer dwell in your eyes as tears you won’t permit to fall.

Instead, you feel almost refreshed. A lightness to your body that you haven’t felt in days, as if the burdens plaguing your conscience have been momentarily lifted.

“What did you…?” You begin. As the strange fog finally clears entirely from your mind, you’re able to realize that something truly impossible just happened here.

Well, perhaps not impossible, but utterly bizarre.

Magical.

He’s gifted, and you know exactly in what way as well, although you’ve never actually witnessed one of them with your own eyes. To your knowledge, at least.

“You’re an empath,” you whisper, practically in disbelief. It’s a rare gift, not to mention a dangerous one for those who possess it. Burovia’s history is laden with empath’s who have been taken advantage of, used for their power to take away others' pain.

While Seonghwa may have asked whether you trusted him, you’re far more moved by the display of just how much he trusts you.

And with that realization, an inkling of your guilt creeps back into your momentary bliss.

“Maybe,” he replies with a sheepish laugh. However, while his tone may be light, you don’t miss the tears that begin to trickle from his eyes. Several of them, glistening as they slide down his cheeks.

Noticing them himself, he’s quick to try and swipe them away with the back of his hand. “Sorry,” he starts, voice a little shaky. “This just happens sometimes.”

Right, because whatever pain Seonghwa takes from you, whatever heavy feelings of sadness he lifts from your shoulders, he feels them just as much. The loss and sadness and hurt all fill his own head, although he doesn’t know why or where they come from.

And yet, through such a beautiful act of selflessness, he feels the need to hide the pain from you.

And that’s just fucking unfair.

Reaching a hand forward, you gently cup the blonde’s jaw in your palm, making him look at you. Though his eyes don’t truly meet yours until your thumb moves softly against his cheekbone, wiping away the wetness from his tears. Or really, they’re your tears, even if they fall from his eyes.

There’s a strange sense of intimacy to this, and a simple thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.

Perhaps it’s the buzz from the whisky, or the newfound rejuvenation coursing through you. Perhaps it’s the desire to take back the pain he took from you, or the way his eyes momentarily flicker down to your lips.

Maybe it’s the desire to lose yourself in something, even if only for a short while.

For whatever the reason, that doesn’t change the fact that something inside of you pushes you forward, and you connect your lips with his own.

The kiss is gentle, soft. Seonghwa’s breath hitches in the back of his throat, as if not quite expecting it. Although after a moment, he too softens, sighing slightly as the moment’s shock subsides and he relaxes.

Using the hand you have placed on his chin, you pull him in closer, deepening the kiss. His lips are plush, his breath hot. Together they grant you a glimpse of the closeness you’ve been seeking. Familiar in a way, but also entirely foreign. New.

His hand carefully places itself along your waist, although you can feel the tentative nature behind it. Placing your hand over his own, you pull his grip further into you, hoping to grant the man some reassurance, as well as hopefully ignite some fervour.

You want this. As a distraction, as an apology for your deceit, as a taste of real pleasure in what has been a nightmare of a few days.

You also want him. Big eyes, golden locks and a strong figure, you are not blind to the fact that the man is attractive. And frankly, with the kindness he has treated you with, as well as the blind trust he has given you…

While it may not be something you deserve, it makes you admire him even more nonetheless. He’s why you’ve made it this far, he’s the one doing his best to make this journey as bearable as possible, he’s the one that has settled the constant ache of loss in your chest and made it his own.

He is too good for you, and yet it only makes you want him more.

Crawling upwards in order to place yourself above him, your knees rest on opposite sides of his figure. Not sitting on his lap, but hovering above, teasing. He lets out a soft groan as your hand trails down, starting at his collarbone and making its way down his abdomen, landing on his belt buckle.

You know what comes next, and your own desire burns at the thought of it. You want this. You need this.

Abstinence is not something familiar to you, although the court always demanded it should be. You’ve had a few flings with some of the royal guards, although not many to avoid the spread of rumours. They were a safe bet, because you knew that they wouldn’t talk. If they did and word got around to your father… Well, it’s safe to say they wouldn’t be able to talk anymore, considering they’d undoubtedly lose their tongues.

A cruel fate, and not one you think anyone should face, but you can’t deny it worked out in your favour. A taste of romance and sensual experience, although never serious, as you have been betrothed since birth after all.

But you’ve always been one to believe that not every partner has to be chosen with the plan for matrimony. Sometimes it’s simply about two people sharing a moment together, about making them feel good and feeling good yourself.

Just like right now.

Fiddling with the buckle of Seonghwa’s belt, your mouth works its way from his lips down his jawbone, before settling on the area of his neck.

He lets out a pretty sort of whine as you nip at a particularly sensitive area, just at the conjunction of his jaw. You can feel his eagerness, the air practically dripping with tension, his eyes scrunched tight.

“Wait,” he blurts out suddenly, hand reaching out to grab your wrist, breath ragged. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Taken aback by the sudden hesitancy, you pull back entirely. “Of course,” you reply, a little confused. “I’m sorry, do you?”

“Yes!” He replies immediately, gaze almost panicked. Your lip curves upwards in amusement at his eagerness, and he chuckles beneath his breath, embarrassed. “I mean, yes. I do.”

He takes a steadying breath and his eyes meet yours carefully, gaze shifting around your face as if looking for something. “I can just tell you’re still upset, that there’s something on your mind.”

There’s no point in lying, there are about a million terrible things on your mind constantly, and you’re certain he can sense that.

So instead, you take his hand in your own, guiding it beneath your shirt and just above your abdomen. His fingers rest along the hem of your trousers.

“Then make me feel better,” you whisper, and a newfound fire ignites in his eyes.

He will.

He does.

Amidst the quiet of the night, there is a knock at the door, although both you and Seonghwa are too deep in slumber to hear it.

“Hwa?” A voice calls, hesitant. As if he doesn’t actually want to hear the voice of who he’s calling for, doesn’t want Seonghwa to be behind this particular door.

And maybe he doesn’t, even if that’s something he will only admit to himself in the darkest of hours. When even he’s too drunk to remember in the morning, and it’s only the moon left awake to listen to his thoughts. The sole and lonesome confidant of inner confessions and desires.

He doesn’t want to check, he doesn’t want to know. But he’s already looked everywhere else. So really, where else could Seonghwa be?

Maybe it’s the ale in his system, granting him a bit of extra nerve - even if an area he’s never been lacking - but he gently opens the door, just a crack. Just for a peek, a glimpse.

Blonde hair messy and tousled, the man he searches for sleeps soundly. His eyes are shut and a faint smile rests on his lips, a peaceful expression. Shirt disregarded as his bare chest sinks up and down, his breathing is almost melodic.

Although it is only the very top of his chest that the intruder can see, as the rest is covered by another body. A woman. An enemy, although perhaps the label is a bit harsh.

But perhaps harsh is appropriate. He hates you, after all.

Soul burning with a sense of envy, an emotion the intruder hates to see on himself, he hovers in the doorway for only a second longer. He watches as even in his sleep, the man pulls you tighter. Letting out a deep breath as his nose settles into the crook of your neck, lips mindlessly parted as they make contact with your bare shoulder.

The room smells like sex. Like whisky, intimacy, and stupid fucking decisions.

Wooyoung sighs. He should really leave. He has no place here.

Steeling himself, he takes one final look at the display in front of him, before turning around. When the door closes, he doesn’t look back.

So be it.

~~~~~~~~~

next chapter.

[martuzzio]

Where’s this pub with the great mutton stew?? Lol

This is a hilarious question because the answer is such a good example of what kind of friendship Gaz, Roach, and Soap have. (Hint: they're all insane.) Here's a little story for you guys: The mutton stew adventure :)

The pub with the great mutton stew is a restaurant and bar in the Capitol city's administrative district, which is located near the castle's outermost wall (the castle is right in the center of the city). Because of its location the pub is quite popular. Most patrons are everyday Capitol citizens, but government employees, castle servants, and the occasional group of knights stop by for lunch or a drink after work. Other than its higher-than-average percentage of "royal-adjacent" clientele, it's your typical pub. Kind of unremarkable, even. It's certainly not special enough to warrant the literal CROWN PRINCE waltzing through the front door.

So why does Gaz decide to eat at this random, extremely un-princelike establishment? Because Soap and Roach went there one (1) time. Without him. They went to try the mutton stew on the recommendation of two other knights, Archer and Toad (who went there on a date, how cute <3). When Roach and Soap returned from their outing and relayed to Gaz how tasty their meal was, Gaz immediately starts scheming.

On the day of the pub visit, Gaz concludes his final meeting, marches out of the reception hall, and makes his way down the street in the opposite direction of the castle walls. Roach and Soap follow him with their swords drawn 1) just in case someone walking past tries to do something stupid, and 2) they're wary of Gaz's abnormal actions. It's not every day the crown prince decides to aimlessly stroll through the neighborhood. Gaz coming to a stop outside the pub with a huge grin makes Soap almost smack him in aggravation. ("You could've just told us where you were going!") ("But that's no fun, is it?") ("I am going to STAB YOU—")

So now Gaz is chilling in this random pub, absolutely INHALING a bowl of mutton stew (because it really is good), while all of the other customers try their best not to openly gawk at the sight. They're not staring because he's the Prince. His royal status certainly adds to the spectacle, but it's not like they're seeing his face for the first time. As far as royals go, King John and Prince Kyle are relatively down-to earth people who like to interact with their subjects.

No, they're staring (or trying not to) because John MacTavish, the Captain of the King's Guard (who is well known and loved by the people) has loudly threatened to STAB Prince Kyle MULTIPLE TIMES in the past half hour. Isn't that treason or something? Should the other patrons be worried? Why is the other knight (he looks familiar, maybe he's the Prince's personal knight?) so quiet? And why does the Prince just LAUGH when Captain MacTavish finally loses his patience and LUNGES ACROSS THE TABLE WITH A SOUP SPOON—

After the Prince's visit, word quickly gets around and the pub experiences a huge surge in popularity. As a sign of thanks, as well as a way to commemorate the... memorable afternoon, the pub owner puts a lovely hand painted sign up in the window advertising the pub's mutton stew as "Prince Kyle's favorite meal in the Capitol!"

[fandom]

Ships

Week Ending October 16th, 2023

Ineffable Husbands Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

Blackbonnet Blackbeard & Stede Bonnet, Our Flag Means Death

Lokius +1 Loki Laufeyson & Mobius M. Mobius, Loki

Zosan +7 Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, One Piece

Petrigrof Simon Petrikov & Betty Grof, Adventure Time

Prohibitedwish -3 Scarab & Prismo, Adventure Time

Zolu -1 Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece

Satosugu +1 Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen

Johnshi +7 Johnny Cage & Kenshi Takahashi, Mortal Kombat 1

Bakudeku Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku no Hero Academia

Steddie +2 Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Stranger Things

Astarion x Tav -4 Astarion & Tav, Baldur's Gate 3

Destiel +1 Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural+1

Merthur Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin

Hannigram -5 Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal

Gumlee -4 Prince Gumball & Marshall Lee, Adventure Time

Bubbline -10 Princess Bubblegum & Marceline, Adventure Time

Soukoku -3 Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu, Bungou Stray Dogs

Ghostsoap -2 Simon “Ghost” Riley & John “Soap” MacTavish, the Call of Duty franchise

Spirk Spock & James Kirk, Star Trek

The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous week. Bolded ships weren’t on the list last week.

[angelasscribbles]

Mardi Gras Mayhem (Bonus) Chapter 12: Leo's Phone

Series: Mardi Gras Mayhem (click the link to read each one in order!)

Fandom: TRR                                                                       

Pairings: none, this is a guy’s weekend

Summary: The TRR lads celebrate Maxwell’s 21st birthday in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Synopsis: Leo's phone goes on a wild adventure.

Word Count: 788

Rating: MA

Warning: brief nudity mentioned

This is part of a collaboration written for @choicesprompts March 2023 prompt.

The phone had a custom lion-emblazoned phone case with the words 'Totally Roarsome’ splashed across it. It had been owned by the crown prince for a scant three months. Leo had a bad habit of losing, tossing, or outright destroying his phones.

There was a line item in the royal budget that read “Phone replacement-Leo”.

Its short life as a prince’s phone was over. It left his hand along with the phone encased in a more sensible dark blue Otter box and landed next to it on the floor of a parade float.

Glitter and tiny bits of paper streamers attached themselves to it.

The float lurched to a stop, the blue phone slid further into the middle and the little white one was jostled to the side, holding precariously onto the edge.

Beads poured forth from the float. Hands waved in the air, grabbing for them. Cheap plastic trinkets spewed into the air, some of them dropping to the ground, a few of them landing on the edge of the ostentatious platform. Greedy fingers reached over the edge, scooping the treasures up.

The phone found itself in the grasp of a middle-aged man with a growing midsection and receding hairline. “What the fuck?” He stared down at the phone in his hand. What was he supposed to do with someone else’s phone? With a shrug, he put it in his pocket and continued down the street.

The phone rested in the darkness of a front pocket, loose change, and keys shifting with every step, nicking and scratching the screen.

The footsteps slowed and stopped.

A female voice called out, “Got any beads?”

“Naw, sorry, I tried but-“

“Well, what will you give me if I flash you?”

“Uh….”  A sweaty hand dug around in the pocket and grasped the little white phone, fingers smearing the screen. The phone was brought out into daylight again and held out toward the young college coed, “Cell phone?”

“I’ll take it!” She raised her shirt giving him a ten-second unfettered view of a pair of perky tits that had to be D-cups. Then she lowered her shirt, swiped the phone out of his hand, and ran giggling back to her friends.

Clean hands that smelled like lotion or soap or nail polish passed the phone from hand to hand as the group of girls turned off the parade route and made their way down a side street.

“What are you going to do with that phone?”

“I don’t know, it’s not like I need a second phone. Hmmm….”

The melodious strains of “Proud Mary” floated across the boulevard as the group passed a man leaning against a building, guitar case open at his feet.

The hand clutching the phone tightened as an inspired giggle rang out, “Oh! If you’ll play Sweet Home Alabama, I’ll give you this phone!”

“Okay,” the guy agreed.

The phone in the lion case was tossed into the case as the notes of “Sweet Home Alabama” filled the air.

The phone rested in the black crushed velvet case, bits of glitter and colored paper still sticking to it, the screen smudged from sweaty hands, the case carrying a faint whiff of lotion and nail polish, all remnants of its wild adventure. The song ended and the sound of female voices and laughter faded as the group moved on.

The phone’s new owner counted the money he’d made and put it in his pocket. He then dropped the cell phone into his backpack, put the guitar in its case, and headed home.

The phone slipped downward in the backpack, sliding past notebooks, a water bottle, demo CDs, and headphones to settle at the bottom amongst guitar picks and loose change.

It lodged in the bottom corner where the seam was coming apart, wedging itself into the tear and slipping slowly further out of the bag with every jolt and thud until it dropped out of the hole and landed in the dingy grime outside the backdoor of a gumbo restaurant.

The little white phone skidded to a stop in the back alley. The brightness of its exuberant shine dulled by the rubbish of its surroundings, the previous excitement and noise of its journey now a distant memory.

The phone sat, unmoving.

Suddenly a noise. A crunch of plastic.

“Tarnations! Not the damn turt— Well what do we have here?”

Greasy fingers grasped the white plastic of the phone case, lifting it into the air.

“Well, hullo there! Youse Bubba’s phone now I reckon!” The voice was filled with pleased surprise.

The little phone was happy as the man gently wiped the dirt and grime from it on the underside of his apron and lowered it into his pocket.

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

June 9th - Lucy in The Sky

Karolina Dean grew up in Los Angeles, the daughter of a pair of successful actors who appeared in a popular soap opera.  Unbeknownst to Karolina. her parents were extra-terrestrial renegades exiled from their home planet of Majesdane for criminal activities.   The couple had managed to keep Karolina’s Majesdane attributes a secret by having her wear a special bracelet that suppressed her abilities and caused her to appear human.  When she finally removed this bracelet, Karolina found that her body took on a glowing bioluminescence and she was bestowed the powers of solar energy absorption and manipulation.  As such she can take in solar radiation and transform it into a cosmic energy that enables her the capacities for flight, energy blasts and force field generation.  

Karolina’s parents had been members of The Pride, a criminal syndicate that controlled organized crime throughout the Southern California region.  The Pride had conciliated this power through a blood pact with the extra-dimensional beings known as the Gibborn.  When Karolina and there other children of the Pride discovered that their parents were murderous criminals, they banded together as young team of heroes known as The Runaways.  As a member of this team, Karolina chose the alias of ‘Lucy in The Sky.’

Following numerous adventures alongside The Runaways, Karolina was approached by the Skrull Prince Xavin who informed her that they were betrothed to wed as part of an arranged marriage to create peace between The Skrulls and the Majesdane.  Carolina stated she had no interest in such an arranged marriage and that furthermore she is a lesbian and not interested in marrying a man.  Gavin explained that gender is a secondary matter to The Skrulls and changed their physical appearance so that they were now a woman.  

Convinced that the wedding was the only way to prevent a war, Karolina reluctantly returned with Xavin to Majesdane.  The two grew close, but a romance still felt un-right to Karolina.  Unfortunately, the tensions between The Skrulls and Majesdane could not be eased by a political marriage and Karolina and Xavin fled back to Earth when fighting broke out.  The pair’s relationship ultimately ended when Xavin left earth following the Skrull’s failed secret invasion.  

Some time thereafter, The Runaways encountered the students of The Avengers Academy.  Herein, Karolina met the heroine, Lightspeed and the two began dating.  Karolina also began attending classes as Pomona College as part of an effort to live a normal, civilian life.  

After briefly disbanding, The runaways reformed and Karolina agreed to join them again.  Being a part of the Runaways took its toll on Karolina’s grades as well as her relationship with Lightspeed, who eventually broke up with her stating that she wasn’t attentive enough.  Not especially long thereafter, Karolina began a romance with her teammate, Nico Minoru.    

Actress Virginia Gardner portrayed Karolina in Hulu’s Runaways television series.  The heroine first appeared in the pages of Runaways Vol. 1 #1 (2003).  

[solivagantingrebel]

Last line tag

Post the last line of your wip. Thank you @autism-purgatory for the tag!

All my current drafts are a bit of an absolute mess right now so you'll get this one.

His father, and the rightful King of the Seas, made him sit through every meeting and diplomatic exchange, the intricacies of politics drilled into his head the moment it was clear that he was the one destined to inherit.

I wasn't going to talk about this wip much because there's a lot. a lot of work I need to do for it before I can post anything about it but the basic premise is a fantasy adventure style ghoap au with pirate king!ghost x mermaid prince!soap.

Tagging: @myriadblvck @eiraeths @losersimonriley @lokibuswrites (and whoever wants to do tbh, also this is very /nf)