#the baron always gets his revenge

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

you do historical au right? So how about a Villainess who actually is a regresser but she saw too much hardships in her previous life that this time she's all set on herself (you can add revenge or not if you don't want). A tyrant disguised saw her real self which is extremely kind to general public (she built orphanage, hospital and schools for her people) (she's the heir but got scammed in previous life, so she used all that knowledge to get even more riches with beneficial businesses so she's practically richest aristocrat). She's evil and rude on the looks (because she hates limelight and does all good will anonymously). So yeah. The tyrant is real deal evil and he's obsessed with our Villainess now. Oh dear. What a plight..

Sorry for the request being all over the place, i didn't know how to put it better :(

Yandere! Villain x Regressor! AFAB! Villainess! Reader

Anon, you know how to capture my attention. And the request is comprehensive, don't worry!

Another historical AU for the roster. This time, rather than starting off with the villain, let's start of with the MC/you! (Because most of the time it doesn't really focus on the ML now, does it? Hope you don't mind.)

Yandere! Villain name: Eros

You don't remember how you got here, except for dying by a stupid woman who can't aim for jack shit.

You just got home from a grueling day's work. Always getting ahead of yourself and working yourself to the bone just to please your boss who's a major asshat, and loves when his employees curry favors with him.

It's a dog eats dog world, so you curried favors with him.

You're his favorite employee. Always giving you snacks and an extra day for your vacations. But that meant working harder than what's needed. Overtime, going home late, it drained you. But hey, it's worth it.

Yet, this wouldn't happen, and you would still be living like a young princess if it weren't for the damn mistress your fiance, the crown prince, has.

Elysia, a daughter of the baron, spent the night with the crown prince, Yuno. Earning the affection of the prince since...

Actually, you don't remember how Yuno became infatuated with Elysia.

Is the fuck really that good that Yuno neglected his fiancee?

And you, the daughter of the second Ducal household (who's not related to the royal family, of course) was blinded by rage and betrayal that you made Elysia's life a living hell.

Erm, why not the crown prince's too, then?

Remembering your past life made your head hurt. From the cliche love story down to the way you were treated made you scream to the oblivion.

After all, after Yuno figured out how you treated Elysia, he made your family kick you out. Powerless against the royal family, they had no choice but to exile you.

You got employed by your employer by then, an eccentric man who spoke of other worlds called 'Earth' and is bringing 'modern day capitalism' here. Whatever that means. But hey, he developed these things called 'cellphones' that made him skyrocket with money.

He's a weirdo, but at least he's easy to please.

But the bitch Elysia "accidentally" blasted light magic to your way, killing you instead of an assassin. Great.

But, then, you're only the minor villainess. The main villain was someone named Eros. The other Ducal household and your father's rival.

As young as 16, he already conquered the ducal household he's in and then, 6 years later, he had wealth rivalring that of the royal family's. Heck, maybe even surpassing it.

"Hello? Where's the checks and balances of this world?" That's what you usually ask yourself.

You never saw him outright, since he's always been so busy. But you clearly remembered when you're in and out of a coma back then after you got struck with the magic, a war broke out due to him.

Fortunately, you regressed into a baby still, so you could avoid being engaged to Yuno, and being involved with Elysia.

Growing up again with your mature mind was weird. Unlike last life, you weren't a brat, but a proper, cold, and an unattainable standard of what a noble woman should be. Well, if you exclude the coldness and the bitchy attitude sometimes.

In all honesty, your family loved you dearly. A clear contrast from your last life. You're a role model, perfect in every way. Beautiful, smart, talented, and shows clear interest in politics and business.

The previous life, you were only a mouth to feed with a pretty face and a political pawn to integrate yourself into the royal family.

And as usual, you got engaged to the crown prince, much to your dismay.

Yuno was easy to read. He doesn't like clingy women, and he likes the chase. He's dumb, and only knows how to spend money.

"Ah, he's worthless."

What did you saw in him in the previous life, really?

Since you were unattainable to Yuno, he became attached to you. Wanting to conquer you.

And you always returned his advances with a flick of your fan and covering your face with a glare with your sharp eyes.

You're the thorned Rose of the Kingdom. Beautiful, yet prickly. It brought you to the limelight, but also, not. Due to you being closed off, news of you rarely get out.

So in the free time you had, you always disguised yourself with your dark magic and filled up your own coffers with the help of your knowledge of business last life (from your employer.)

You built hospitals, made schooling accessible... You were basically the saintess rather than Elysia.

Oh, did I mention that Elysia, with light magic, was the saintess, and you with dark magic was the prophesied Villainess? It's complicated.

But right now, with Elysia failing to bed Yuno in his crown prince coronation, due to him being only attached to you, you were free to do what you want while thinking of your next plan.

What you didn't know is that a certain pair of crystal blue eyes followed you.

You walked along the street of the outskirts of the Kingdom, inspecting the newly built school.

You just got out of the ducal household and immediately went here after being confronted by Elysia once more, who "accidentally" stumbled into the chateau and into you and Yuno. Can she get more obvious, really?

You never used your dark magic here in the outskirts since you felt safe in the people's arms. They never judged you, nor used you for your money. They're just glad more and more accessible facilities are being erected by the young lady.

While walking around, you got into the councilor's office who's busy with enrolling the children. He's the chief of the town, and is one of the few people who graduated fully back in the capital.

He graciously accepted the position of being the councilor after you approached him, since you genuinely wanted to help the outskirts.

You saw children happily playing around while the parents lined up, excitedly talking to one another.

When they saw you, they immediately curtsied and said hi.

"My lady! Hello!"

G-greetings my lady..."

"Oh my stars! It's the lady!"

"Look over here, my lady!"

You giggled and decided to mingle with them more, talking about mundane things in life and what other facilities can you put here.

"Okay, so a shopping center, huh? Okay, that's noted. Also, I think a gymnasium would work well also, so that there will be a place where all of you can have meetings, and also have children play."

They all excitedly nodded and bid you goodbye as you went out.

You felt like yourself here in the outskirts.

Maybe you can convince your father to give you this part of the territory, and your brother can manage the main household?

Your thoughts were interrupted by children pulling your skirt to play, cheekily grinning and playfully pushing a ball up to your arms. You grinned and chased them around, roaring loudly like a monster and pretending like you're a dragon.

The giggles and screams of delight of the children filled the lively streets, along the chatter of the townspeople.

"Sir? Are you okay? What are you looking at?"

"..."

Eros' eyes widened, then softened as he saw you, chasing the children around, playing with them and not minding the dirt clinging to your outfit.

He gulped, suddenly feeling his heartrate pick up as he cleared his throat. Red flushed his cheeks, as foreign yet also the familiar feeling of infatuation filled his heart.

The noise that surrounded him faded into the background, and somehow, everything seems so bright and colorful. All he could see is you, and you, and you...

You...

You...

Beautiful, thorned you.

Eros.

The name itself sends shiver down the spine of people.

Of fear? Love? Or arousal?

He's a man of few words, only letting his actions talk to other people.

Such an otherwordly beauty like him garnered unwanted attention since he was a child.

Other than being extremely handsome, he's also very talented with politics and business, also with physical activities like horse riding and hunting.

Due to this, his mother developed a twisted inferiority complex, and also an almost incestious relationship with him.

She always hurled words that hurt his soul and emotions.

Then she'll hug him while saying sorry.

This cycle would continue on and on until he's 16.

It was supposed to be a joyous day, not until his mother forced himself on him.

Disgust, fear, and rage filled his body that time, and all he remembered is awakening his dark magic and consuming his mother.

After that, he was knocked out cold.

When he woke up, he remembered his past life on Earth.

He's a business man of such a high position, CEO.

He clawed out of his way from poverty. Stealing, investing, selling, he did everything just to get out of the clutches of being a plebian.

And, when he struck gold when his stationery business thrived, his genius made it possible for him to talk to investors and convinced them to invest in his work.

God, he's rich.

And once he reached the age of 24, he's a rich man.

Then he died due to being assassinated by his rival.

With now his previous life in his roster, he became a formidable business man. Eccentric even.

By some weird cheat, he developed cellphones.

Something so revolutionary was first met with skepticism, but it boomed in popularity when his friend, the crown prince Yuno, bought and used it.

it was weird, really. Yuno approached him to employ his ex fiancee in his company and take care of her.

Eros, who didn't mind, employed you.

Sweet, lovable you.

It was funny seeing you struggle to curry favor with him. Not used being the one who had to try to get close with him. The way you struggled to hide a frown when he mentioned over time, the way you hide your disdain when he talks about extra work...

God, you're so cute.

He spoiled you in the best he could do. Extra vacation days, snacks, all he could do without being too obvious.

Then you died.

You... Died.

By the hands of his friend, well, ex-friend's mistress.

Elysia.

That damn bitch doesn't know her place.

Then and there, his eccentricity died down, and all he knows is revenge back then.

You were in and out of coma, and seeing you swim between life and death made his heart roar out in pain.

He felt so helpless seeing you pale and vegetative, something that wasn't you.

So, with a soft promise leaving his lips, he waged war in your honor.

He fought blood, sweat, and tears in your name.

All he could think is you.

All he could see is you.

And as he ignored Yuno's plea, he beheaded Elysia.

The damn bitch raised the notion that dark magic users are evil, despite dark magic being only an another element.

She turned the tides on you.

Why should she live?

Yuno also. He betrayed you.

Once the royal family was dead, he brought your comatose body to the throne, and killed himself with you at the throne.

He made you ingest poison, something that doesn't cause pain to your already pained body.

Meanwhile, he killed himself by striking a sword down to his chest, and to his heart. The very same heart that loved you dearly.

Then he woke up,

a child again.

Back in time.

Getting away from the busy bustle of the ball, you got out to the garden and sighed. Letting the cold air bite into your skin.

Dread filled your heart as you realized once more that Elysia was nowhere to be found, and so did Yuno.

Your nerves got to you and you left the scene, overthinking the worse of the worst.

Did Elysia actually bed Yuno successfully?

Albeit just a bit late?

You covered your mouth, shaking dreadfully. The pain of your last life was getting to you once more. Trauma trembling you to the core.

"My Lady? Are you okay?"

A deep voice broke you out of your reverie. Something so silky, smooth, and familiar.

You turned around, your heart pounding as you saw your employer, Eros. He's dressed in noble clothes, gold, black, and blue.

He looks more uptight and strict this time around. What happened? Why does he look like that?

You never connected the dots, since you thought your employer and Eros were two different people.

But this?

Your heart trembled.

"G-greetings, your lordship." You curtsied, fighting back a frown just like how you did with him last life.

"You're still the same as ever."

"What is it?"

"Oh nothing." Eros waved his hand.

This life, Eros was more brutal than the previous life. He exposed his mother, a pedophile who touched him and stole money from the household, letting her get beheaded by a rusty axe in the middle of the colosseum. After that, he joined the interkingdom war, and won it much earlier than before.

He's basically a warlord. A tyrant to his territory who imposed such strict rules that you doubted yourself if this was the same Eros you knew.

You both silently stood in front of each other before he took off his coat and gently draped it on your shoulders.

"It's cold out here, my lady." He whispered. His long eyelashes fluttering as he blinked.

He inhaled your scent, his lips trembling.

He missed you so much.

His precious rose.

He gently brought your hand to his lips, kissing it softly and lingering there, with his eyes screaming obsession.

His grip was strong yet also loving.

It made you blush.

"My Lady, if my friend, Yuno, hurt you, approach me."

Your eyes widened.

"Approach you?"

Eros smiled. His handsome face blinding you momentarily.

"Yes, i'll help you take revenge."

Eros eyes swiftly looked at the balcony up above.

"Like this."

Eros swiftly dipped you and kissed your lips.

God, you tasted so divine upon his lips.

His tongue delved into your mouth, sweeping and tangling with your much more timid ones. He cupped your cheeks, bringing you impossibly closer to him.

His eyes were glaring at Yuno back at the balcony, who was naked on their bottom half with Elysia, shielding you from the scene.

Yuno's eyes widened, and he hastily dressed up, his eyes boring into Eros', and you.

This life, he'll protect you from pain.

He'll protect you from Yuno and Elysia.

He'll burn down the ground for you.

Just say the word.

---------

Hmm, twist upon twists. I love it. HEHEHEHE

[lya-dustin]

Queen of Light, King of Darkness

Aka the space!Nurbanu x Feyd Rautha fic

Cw: murder, allusions to sex, manipulation, mentions of cannibalism

Feyd Rautha x oc/reader

Taglist: @beebeechaos @avidreader73 @dunefandomhub

Much like your mother before you, you did not lack boldness.

Your mother had captivated the Padishah Emperor even before his wife had died and cemented her place as favorite with the promise of a son ---and her wit and beauty heightened by her abilities, of course.

She would have succeeded if the Bene Gessrit had not meddled and made an example out of her. They claimed they had made her Shaddam Corrino’s concubine in the first place as a replacement for Anirul ---who was only of a middling rank as her daughters were--- and killed her so the emperor knew what would happen if he put a wrench into their centuries long breeding scheme.

Irulan was meant for Paul Atreidis and would birth the Messiah’s children who would inherit the throne, and you, Nurbanu, were meant for whoever the Sisterhood told your father to marry you off to.

But you have other plans.

You wanted the throne. You wanted revenge for your mother, and you knew there was only one way to acquire it.

Through him.

The Harkonnen heir who delights in cruelty and pain.

Feyd Rautha would be yours and the known universe as well.

You know you have caught his eye when he forgets who he is trying to impress and focuses on you and only you.

To the untrained eye, you wear gray and silver as you are hosted by the Baron in all his grotesque glory. You wore pink, an almost insulting color here where the black sun paints everything in stark shades of black and white.

They favored cool dark tones, black as the sun and white as marble are the most seen here. Some may be bold and wear blood red or a deep blue, but colors like those you wear are not welcome.

Not that they can say anything about it, you are the emperor’s daughter.

You purposely avoid him during the festivities, hurting his ego because for the first time, a woman isn’t falling over herself for his attention.

It’s a good game, him as the predator and you as his prey.

But he has never met a woman quite like you, and his usual strategy doesn’t work. He can not make you jealous, he cannot impress you with his cruelty nor his position, nor can he manage to get you close enough to seduce you.

And yet, when he gives up, he finds you in his bed drinking his hard liquor and his concubines asleep on the floor. They have their own quarters as a proper harem would, but this is intentional. This was done to show your superiority over any woman he’s been with or ever could be.

“Was Lady Margot as good as the Box?” You ask mockingly. You are laid back on his pillows, as if you owned it as if he was the one who needed permission to even be there.

“Do you mock me?” He will find a better use for your mouth.

“Merely teasing you, you did have me here waiting all night. I was about to wake your harpies to make my night worthwhile.” You were Bene Gessrit just as Lady Margot Fenring was. He had rather enjoyed his night, but she had only awoken his appetites.

He knows nothing would feel as good as fucking a princess on his own birthday. To paint your pale skin with his seed as dark as your hair, to breed a son into you and claim the golden lion throne through you.

Vladimir is a fine name for an emperor. Vladimir Feyd, Padishah Emperor of the Universe.

“You haven’t even touched me, and already you named our firstborn.” You continue to tease him, light brown eyes dark with lust as you sense all the things he wants to do to you tonight.

There are so many ways he could take you, so many ways he could make you pay for your impertinence. He strips himself as he approaches you like a hunter with his quarry.

“Are you always this insolent, your highness?” Feyd climbs in slowly, like a great feline ready to pounce, but he never does. The Na-Baron only positions himself atop you ready to fuck you into submission.

Fenring had been the one in control. This time, it would be him who’s in control.

“Only when a man has my interest.” He can taste your arrogance in your lips and tongue. A heady feel like fucking under the influence of the spice, something he can bet you know about.

And if you don’t, he will gladly show you.

“A husband could fix that.” Who better than he to be that man. Your own name already matches his own.

Queen of Light. King of Darkness.

"Prince Consort Feyd Rautha has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Even the Bene Gessrit couldn’t have ever stopped this from happening, he thinks as he begins to unravel you underneath him.

It's no surprise to anyone that you return to your father as the Na-Baroness Nurbanu and pregnant with his only grandson to ensure neither he nor the Bene Gessrit get any ideas of separating the two of you.

“The Bene Gessrit expect you to die and leave the path clear for their creation. They always intended to have their messiah rule the universe through my boring elder sister.” You suggest as the two of you rid yourselves of his dear uncle and elder brother.

The black blood on your pale skin does things to him. He had expected you to be all talk and have him do all the work.

You had used your teachings to have both men kill each other and make him the undisputed Baron Harkonnen. Neither man could stop as your Voice commanded them to fight to the death, and Rabban took his own life once your manipulation of his body loosened.

He loved his uncle, even cared a little for his useless brother, but he loved power more. One day, he may even love you and you him.

“What does my baronness suggest I do?” He never had a morning like this and enjoyed the violent spectacle as you fed him with your loving hands. He wants to fuck you here, on the ruined dining room where his darling pets will feast on fine Harkonnen meat.

“Throw the fight, ally yourself with him, and let me give you your heart’s desire without even lifting a finger.” His radiant queen answers caressing his lips you do not seem to tire of.

And because you have not led him wrong, he does as she suggested and kills the Emperor instead.

Feyd Rautha welcomes a son, the future Emperor Feyd Murad, while the Atreidis line ends with the so-called Kwisatz Haderach.

Blond and dark eyed, and completely out of the Bene Gessrit’s control.

Part 2: the last wolf of Lankiveil

[ystrike1]

Sute Akuyaku Reijou wa Kaibutsu ni Otogibanashi wo Kataru - By Ede Akizawa (9/10)

A good king and a bad king can be the same man. It all depends on which side you take. Are you with him, or are you against him? Will you entertain him, or will you dare to defy him? What is the right answer? Be careful. The wrong one comes at a cost.

Sylph is the villainess. That's what Kanna says. In reality she is a quiet ducal daughter, who is not allowed to indulge in the few hobbies she enjoys. Kanna took advantage of her immense loneliness. Deep down Lady Sylph isn't very ladylike despite her noble roots. Her deepest desire is to be a civil servant who works in a library. She sneaks into one, under a fake name. Just to enjoy stories. Unrealistic fables. Young ladies are supposed to be concerned with power, motherhood and their husband. Sylph is meant for the prince too, so her immature desire to read fairytales makes her....imperfect.

Kanna shared fairy tales with Sylph. Classics she had never read before. Kanna became her best and only friend. The only person that would have fun with her. Everyone else expected her to act as the perfect Ducal daughter. With Kanna she was allowed to enjoy fantasy. Fable, and stories of love and revenge.

Kanna, the daughter of a Baron, spreads lies to ruin Sylph. Sylph was perfect on the outside, but she has always been quiet. She has no real friends. Even her fiance always seemed to know they were not a love match. Sylph was being suffocated by the princess position. By her loveless and political life. Kanna uses this. A rumor spreads. Sylph is lacking off. She is ignoring her duties and bullying other ladies. Sylph cannot defend herself, because she has been sneaking out to read at the library. Way too long. Way too often. Under a different name. Kanna encouraged her to do it. To play fantasy games with her. Kanna used her naive desires against her. Witnesses agree with Kanna. Sylph dissappears for long periods, which is highly inappropriate for a princess. Kanna's wild abuse story explains the disappearances. Kanna kept appearing wounded when Sylph disappeared. What a monster. A demon that hurts others as soon as eyes are off her...

The Prince was, of course, cheating on her already. Kanna's story worked with what the heir of the kingdom wanted. Kanna was the opposite of Sylph. A bubbly, cute girl full of compliments. She was popular too, and Sylph was too cold. No one stood up for Sylph, but Kanna had a hundred friends to stand up for her side of the story.

The royal family throws Sylph into a cursed area, where a monster roams according to legend.

Sylph writes a note, in case she passes out, begging someone merciful to unlock her cage and take her with them. Anywhere.

Anywhere but "home"

She tells the monster, King Faber the 28th, her wish. He is technically not human. He's technically the monster, but he lets his captives live if they entertain him. He knows Sylph isn't lying. Her deepest wish is to be a librarian, which is so trite that it's cute. She doesn't just want to live, like all the rest.

She wants the impossible dream, that she has cried for since she was a girl.

Faber is kind to her. Sylph shares stories with him. He likes to see her happy. He visits her daily for a month. She gets a title. She is The Kings Favorite. He gives her a dreamy life. She becomes a librarian with his blessing, and he visits each and every day. He behaves like a man in love, but Sylph is no longer naive. King Faber is extremely powerful. He is no puppet king or weak prince.

Her life is in his hands.

Strange whispers come into King Faber's isolated nation. They are loud. He, and the citizens, cannot ignore the blaze of lies. Sylph's country is claiming she has been kidnapped. Suddenly, they want her back. Why? Who? The Prince left her side long ago and Sylph had little to no relationship with her parents.

Why would they want her, when they have Princess Kanna now? Only a few months have gone by.

Sylph panics, and she does a terrible thing. She uses her status as The King's Favorite to stay in his nation. She wants to be a librarian, not the daughter of a Duke.

She will have her freedom.

Even if that means letting Faber execute people she used to know.

She knows what she is doing. She knows the kings favor is fleeting. If she makes the wrong choice he could turn on her. Her only choice is honesty. Faber is like that. He can feel lies. Cowardice. Fear. She has to kinda...be villainous to survive by his side.

Faber interrogates everyone who turned against Sylph. He kills all of them, except Kanna. Kanna has lost it all. After she took the princess seat the royal family quickly realized how useless she was. When Faber arrives she is already shut away in the dungeon. He kills everyone else for their stupidity. Their weakness. The Prince claims Kanna cursed him, and he finally noticed there was nothing special about her after her Story ended. Right after the Happy Ending her magic wore off, but Faber doesn't listen. The Prince is stupid and boring. So is the King. He makes them hold severed heads. He dumps blood on the royals. They beg him. They blame Kanna, but they die anyway.

Sylph does not kill Kanna. Killing Kanna will not entertain the king. Faber is angry because Kanna dared to discredit his Favorite. Sylph must now concoct a fitting fairytale punishment for the true villain. By the way she doesn't actually care about Kanna. She just wants to move onto her free live. What Faber is doing is cruel...to Sylph. He doesn't want her to move on yet. He did her a huge favor. He used his power to get rid of her problems, and now she must drag out the pain. The suffering, until Faber believes she has achieved true vengeance.

Sylph decides to punish Kanna with entertainment. She must make up a story every day for an entire year, in a dirty cell. If even one isn't entertaining Faber will end her life.

It's cruel.

All Sylph wants is life as a librarian, but she had to use the great strength of the monster King to get it.

Now she has to pay for his favor.

His love comes with a price.

He behaves like a classic fairytale monster, and those ancient tales are never happy.

[earls-wife]

La Sein

Hi lovelies! It's been a minute hasn't it? But I'm here with a piece that I spent more time than I should have on. It combines several short drabbles that wouldn't play nice so I meshed them all in together for this piece. I think it turned out well. What do you think?

Warnings: yelling, pinning, mention of jewel toned eyes (there are many gems but some are picky about detailed readers so here's your warning)

Astré= OCiel. (See my page for why)

As always, female reader.

Lyrics from La Sein from Monster in Paris

La Sein

She's respondent, so confident la Sein, la Sein, la Sein. I realize, I'm hypnotized la Sein, la Sein, la Sein.

I hadn't expected to find it.

My heart. Sewn to the gown of a glimmering gem. That gem sparked with a fire that warmed the cold abyss within me. She was anything but plain despite the simplicity she adorned herself in. Her laugh defied the stars and the faces that dared to look upon her glory.

I couldn't look away from such a creature as she. So far from the darkness. I was beguiled. In the shadows I dwelled among the underworlds devouts. My eyes watched her, my heart pinned to her gown.

I hear the moon, singing a tune la Sein, la Sein, la sein. Is she divine, is it the wine la sein la Sein la Sein.

The wine is sweet tonight, red as the color on her lips that teased to me. How could I resist such sweet minstration that heaved it's weight onto my chest, drowning me.

I shouldn't feel this way, I shouldn't entertain such pleasures. I shouldn't watch her, yet I cannot look away.

"You are the Lord Phantomhive correct?" She asked me, her eyes dancing with the candles flame, bleeding into my soul. A soul that I hadn't known to breathe in a decade or more.

"Obviously." I bit at her gentle smirk that only caused more color to blossom in my body. She strangled me, pulling wanting moans of desire out of the abyss I lied in.

I don't know, don't know. So don't ask me why. That's how we are la Sein and I.

We danced that night. I, tripping to follow such grace. Mouth dry and in need of the water her lips offered like a bubbling spring, yet her tongue burned. Fire. How despondent of a monster I am. Undone by a mere flash of her jeweled eyes. Eagerly trailing behind such a master of hearts all the while hating myself.

I can't get out, she has me. I can't stay away from my heart now that she's returned the annoying thing to me. I never wanted it back. She should have stayed away. Yet, she bends in my arms and meets my eyes with no fear. What being would dare to meet my eye?

I don't know, don't know. So don't ask me why. That's how we are la Sein and I.

"She's stunning of course my lord, but is she really the bride you desire?" A Baron asked me. The billard room smoking with cigar waste.

"How precious you two would be, side by side two turtle doves cooing in harmony." Count Druitt, another monster of a different breed then me, chattered. His eyes sparking on a grotesque idea no doubt.

"She has no station, she's a dollar princess!" Another exclaims while I smile striking the cue ball against the colorful array of future points I would devour. Each one mine. She was mine.

I feel alive, when I'm beside la Sein la Sein la Sein. I realize, I'm hypnotized la sein la Sein la Sein.

I didn't plan this. I didn't want to fall for him. I knew the rumors and I knew he was no good. There was no charity in his soul, nor was there such a thing as mercy. Merciless was the tone at which he played life. Revenge to humiliate and destroy. Everything he touched deteriorated, yet I could only crave more of it.

A touch of hands encased in gloves, a demonic grin snuck into the color of his eye. How was I to fight a monster I couldn't not see within him? No matter what he said to warn me away, I didn't see what he saw. Not anymore.

How long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months? When had I become so accustomed to the shadow at my shoulder, looming as a black cat upon the ledge of moonlight. A hunter that watched me with a gaze that made my world tremble with life.

Queen's Guard Dog they called him. Lord of the Underworld to another tune, and I his lady. I couldn't help myself, he captured me with that unwavering eye.

I don't know, don't know. So don't ask me why, that's how we are la Sein and I.

"You can't marry her!" Marquis Midford, his uncle by marriage, bellowed. His face changing to a subtle color. Not a loud individual, it was clear this was unacceptable to the tolerant man.

"She'll be the end of your good name!" His cousin Edward held his sister, Elizabeth, as she sobbed into his arms. The raised curl of his lip showed teeth. "Come to your senses cousin!"

"She's nothing." Count Druitt, the fruity tart he was sat in whimsy bemused by the ordeal.

"Nephew reconsider this foolishness." Marquess Midford narrowed her steel eyes on him. Her hand on his cane stopping him from leaving.

"I'm sorry Aunt. There's no one else." Astré replied before making his escape. Cane left behind.

I don't know, don't know. so don't ask me why, that's how we are la Sein and I.

"Your eloping?" The maid asked blinking at her lady.

"Yes. Hurry please we must pack quickly." She replied tossing several items into a chest. "Who knows how much time we have."

"It's risky."

"Its fate."

"Your father-"

"He will understand, just as Astré's family will. Someday."

"As you say my lady, as you say."

Upon the bridge.

My heart does beat

Between the waves

We will be saved

The air we breathe

Can you believe?

Learn to forgive, upon the bridge

That's how we are la Sein and I

That's how we are la Sein and I

We had escaped, my heart and I. Call me selfish or a fool. That I had dragged the vey creature of life from the sky into the depths. Oh how she sang in those depths. For me, she was mine. For her, I was hers. That is just how we are. My Lady and I.

Dictionary:

-Dollar Princess: a term used in the 1800-1900 time frame to refer to a foreign rich woman of non-noble descent who participated in the London season to find a husband. These girls were looked down on for their lack of status but desired for their huge dowries their fathers were willing to pay in exchange for marrying into aristocracy. These girls were the way many American tycoons and millionaires got around the American law against aristocracy titles in the new world as well as gaining more power amongst their own circles. The English would gain funds long overdue to provide for their failing estates as the world progressed beyond them. The dollar princess was the saving grace of many families during that time.

[angel-tsugikuni-kamukura]

Manhwa's I have read this year

Pink means it's my favourite ones.

The remarried empress

Men of harem

Lady and the beast.

Royal Shop of Young Lady.

Forget My Husband I'Il Go Make Money.

I Want To Become The Emperor, So I Need A Divorce.

I tamed my ex husband's madog.

The Villainess Debuts Gorgeously.

I Will Fall With The Emperor.

I Failed To Throw The Villain Away.

your regrets mean nothing to me.

Bastian.

my in-laws are obsessed with me.

A Divorce evil lady bakes cake.

The price of braking up.

The tree are living a married life.

Dangerous Fiancée.

My Husband is a antisocial count.

Baked by the barones.

Who kidnapped the empress.

the villainess tames the beast.

if you desire my despair.

the abandoned princess secret Bedroom.

The Mistress Runs away.

It's not your child.

The monstrous dukes adopted daughter.

The Saintes returns as a vilian.

Regina Rena.

You never meet a villainess like me.

Tru education.

As the Villainess I rejected these happy bad endings.

The archduke gorgeous wedding was a fraud.

I will take the dutchy from today.

Isn't being a wicked woman much better.

Flirting with the villain's dad.

Goddess emila wants to escape.

My goal is to achieve success on my own

I refuse to be executed a second time.

Romance is dead.

I'm devorsed but I'm a chaebol.

I'm in trouble because my husband is so cute.

I'm the queen in this life.

Go away romeo.

Janice.

If you want a fake sister.

I'm being raised by villain's.

I'm the fake saintess but the gods are obsessed with me.

The heat of the reincarnated villainess.

Attic princess.

The older sister of a maniac.

I thought it was a common Isekai story.

The abandoned bachelorette enjoys her simple life.

Love doesn't matter.

I've become the villainous emperor.

The way to protect the female leads older brother.

I have become the heroes rival.

Death is The only ending for the villainess.

Who made me a princess.

Marriage of Convenience:95

Royal marriage.

Aidin.

The Obsessive second male lead has gone wild.

I am the real one.

I don't love you anymore.

I'm ingaged to the Obsessive male lead.

Lies become you.

You go marry my husband.

How to get my husband on my side.

Empress simulation.

I'll be the matriarch in this life.

The dukes dark lady.

In to the light once again.

My body has been possessed by someone.

Depths of malice

Becoming the villain's family.

My destiny to be the hero's saviour.

The real daughter is back.

A noble pirate.

The world without my sister.

I'm devorseing my tyrant husband.

Even if I'm the villainess I'll become the heroine.

Beast's Flower.

Once Wicked always wicked.

Ashtarte.

Crownless queen.

I thought I didn't have long to live.

I tamed a Tyrant and Ran Away.

Beloved in-laws.

The villainess revenge.

Your Majesty please don't kill me again.

And Unseemly lady.

Baby tryant.

The tyrant wants to be good.

I will politely decline the male lead.

I'm the villainess but so famous.

Crazy princess renia.

The gangster baby of the dukes.

Surving as an illegitimate child.

It's useless to hang on.

Empress cesia wears shorts.

Of all things i became a crow.

No more turning a blind eye.

I became the Ugly lady.

A Stepmother's Marche.

While you are in love.

Devine inconvenience.

After I cured his insomnia, Tyrant became Obsessive.

Revenge is sweeter than honey.

My Unexpected Marriage.

From Duty to Devotion.

Hated It Even More.

I'm to lazy to be the villainess.

The tyrant princess wants to get married.

Stella the star princess.

Please support my revenge.

Reasons to Protect the Witch's son.

The Reason Why The Twin Lady Crossdresses.

Why Do You Love Me When Refuse Your Request.

Finding Camilla.

I Don't Want to Be Loved.

The Villainess has Fun.

Surviving as an Obsessed Servant.

A Saintess adopted by the grand Duke.

I Adopted a Villainous dad.

No Place for the Fake Princess.

Villainess need a Tyrant.

Tamed a blackened slave.

Princess hundreds ways of martyrdom.

A Perfect Ending of the Villain.

Beast within.

I will seduce the male lead for my older brother.

I've become the true villainess.

I became the obsessive villain's babysitter.

I'll change my fate to be executed.

The tyrants tranquillizer.

Crow dutchess.

The Male Leaď's Nephew Loves Me So Much.

Falling for a Dying Princess.

I Am the Villain.

Why Do You Love Me When Refuse Your Request.

The betrayed queen is devoted to by the beautiful baron.

Baby Pharmacist Princess.

The Runaway Lead Lives Next Door.

The villains life l'Il live it once.

La Dolce Vita de Adelaide.

Why Would a Villainess Have Virtue.

My Childhood Friend Became an Obsessive Husband.

10 ways to get rejected by the tyrant.

I Became the Villainess in an Anticlimactic Novel.

To Those Who Long for My Destruction.

Becoming the obsessive male lead's ex-wife.

How to survive as a maid in a horror game.

the fake saint waits to leave.

Obsidian Bride.

Rosalyn Vogart.

Let's take a bath Duke.

The Precious Girl Does Not Shed Tears.

Father i don't want to get married.

The Priest Dreaming of a Dragon.

She No Longer Wields Her Sword.

I am the Male Lead’s Ex-Girlfriend.

Red Laurel Flowers to My Emperor.

I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend.

Please Don’t Come To The Villainess’ Stationery Store.

In This Life, I Will Raise You Well, Your Majesty.

Vengeance from a Saint Full of Wounds.

The Duke’s Daughter is Going on Strike.

The daughter of evil.

The Villainous grand Duke sister.

Beware the Villainess.

A wicked tale of Cinderella's step mom.

The devil raised a lady.

Reborn As a Character That Never Existed.

The Precious Sister of the Villainous Grand Duke.

I Didn't Save You To Get Proposed To.

I took away the tyrant's virginity.

The dutchess has a death wish.

Heaven official's blessing.

I'm being chased by my husband.

Why she lives as a villainess.

I'll just live on as a villainess.

I created a harm to avoid the male lead.

I became the sultans precious cat.

I'm a villain but I saved the female lead.

I will divorce the female leads brother.

Let's live together.

I became the greatest heiress of the empire.

I raised my younger sister beautyfully .

I Accidentally Saved the Male Lead’s Brother.

I Didn’t Mean to Seduce the Male Lead.

Here reigns the vengeful villainess.

I Am Selling the Main Character’s Shares.

The villainess reverse hourglass.

The price is your everything.

I became the mother of the bloody male lead.

I think it would be better for me to become king.

The Villainess is a Marionette.

As My Husband Said, I Brought in A Lover.

How a Villainess Survives as a Saint.

The Empress Wants To Avoid the Emperor.

The glamours life of the fake mistress.

The villainess reverse hourglass.

I Will Take Responsibility for the Welfare of the Male Lead.

Cinderella Wasn’t Me.

The Crown Prince’s Fiancée.

Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom.

Marriage Alliance for Revenge.

To My Husband’s Mistress.

The reason why raeliana ended up in the Dukes mansion.

Ennead.

[cherr-22]

TNGDH 22

“I still don’t know what I should do.”

Sen sighed.

“His Highness Belial is much more considerate than I had thought. If I agree to follow him to the castle, he told me he would take care of me so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”

I snorted inwardly while taking a bite out of the sandwich in my hands.

‘Take responsibility my ass.’

Who knows how much trouble it might bring if he involves himself in her business. Would a prince even have the time to protect a mere maid? Sure he would, if he plans to marry Sen that is.

“What are you pondering about? If I were His Highness Kyle, you’d be rooting for me.”

Sen clasped her hands together and looked up to me, her eyes open wide and sparkling, waiting for my answer.

I avoided her gaze as I nibbled on my fried ham and cheese sandwich.

“I’ve made up my mind, but I’m worried…… worried that I won’t be able to accomplish what I want.”

I glanced at her while licking off the bread crumbs on my finger tips. You said you wanted revenge. Why can’t you do it? Do you not have enough power?

The expression on her face looked to say that she knew that even the easiest path may also be a path full of thorns, so her worries didn’t seem to be anything about that. It may be a sense of helplessness on a more fundamental issue……

Between annoyance and curiosity, the latter got ahead of me. I made a subtle remark.

“What are you worried about? You’re smart and hardworking. Struggling from the lack of power and authority will only be temporary. The you I know will surely be able to accomplish whatever you want if you put your mind to it.”

That’s right. It hasn’t been long since we first met, but I knew this for a fact.

Sen is that kind of person. She will always go a step beyond the limits a person would set to oneself.

I could feel her determination. The determination to live on and to not stray from her own beliefs and values.

This is why I am not overly anxious about the story of this world, despite working hard to prevent Kyle’s death.

Sen can achieve everything she can possibly want to achieve without anyone’s help. In the time one would look back and regret their actions, Sen would take another step forward and eventually reach her goals.

It would’ve been better if <Winter’s Heart> was a fairytale. Everyone deserves to have the happily ever after. Sen, me, and also Kyle.

Suddenly, the contents of the original story popped up in front of me.

[“Your Majesty Belial. Could this be fate? For you, who resembles His Majesty the late Emperor, and I, who resemble my mother, to become so intertwined. Please tell me. Is this a coincidence……. or is this karma?”]

At first I couldn’t understand why this appeared. Why am I being shown something between Sen and Belial?

I know however. The system would never show me anything that wouldn’t be useful. Even the smallest details would have some sort of meaning.

[(´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)]

No, not emotes. Those are usually useless.

[(´。＿。｀)]

I swiped away the emotes and carefully re-read the story contents from before.

‘Fate, coincidence, karma…….’

Human relationships can’t be neatly organized into those three categories. Belial wouldn’t be able to easily reply to a question like that. So, that shouldn’t be the point here……

Ah. Sen resembling her biological mother.

“Sen.”

I said as calmly as possible.

“Did you say that you wanted to avenge your mother?”

“Yeah. Due to some various incidents, she fell from her position from a baron family. I also heard she was once nominated for Serena. However… I’m sure you know. The nobility is always full of fights, with no knowing who started it. It could’ve been a fight for authority and everyone pretended not to know anything……”

Ah, now I understand.

There was now confidence in my voice.

“Then go.”

“Hm?

“You’ll know when you get there. Who is your enemy, who wants to get rid of you. Don’t miss anything and look around you carefully.”

Sen’s enemies will definitely recognize her. After all, she resembles her mother. They will see her and will want to erase her existence. Just like they did to her mother.

And if I were to guess from what Sen said in the story, one of those enemies would be Belial’s biological mother, the preceding Queen Serena.

“Would that be enough?”

“Of course. Also…….”

If she’s going against Belial’s mother, she definitely has to go with Belial.

The first step towards revenge is returning back after the passing of many seasons and seeing the shock on the faces of those who thought they had perfectly trampled everything down.

“Don’t let go of Belial.”

Whatever emotion it is that compels her is fine. Belial Serena Meinhardt. He will be Serena’s clue.

Sen began to ponder by herself. I couldn’t give her comforting words, but at least I conveyed the words she needed.

It seemed she decided to trust me. I’ve only shown her my suspicious and shady side, but she nodded her head with a boldly.

“Good. That’s what I’ll do.”

“You said you disliked the cold here in the North, so it worked out for you well.”

Then it seems I won’t be able to see Sen for a while. Will she be ‘Serena’ by the time we meet again, as according to her will?

No longer wishing to influence her fate, I felt that it was now time to step out of her life.

“Take care. Don’t be sick.”

“Shu.”

Sen looked at me quietly.

“Whenever you need help in the future, I will definitely come help you.”

I nodded and said yes.

It felt strange. It’s been a long time since someone told me they would help me, so those words sounded foreign to me. After my uncle ran off with all my insurance money, I couldn’t trust anyone anymore. 

“Great. Don’t even think about taking back your words when that time comes.”

I laughed.

And then I prayed. For a happy ending to come to Sen, whether it would be through fate or a miracle.

[The possibility of Sen finding the correct revenge has increased!]

[The threat to Kyle Blake’s life has been reduced.]

[Current Miracle Value 23.0%]

If the miracles of saving a person’s life could really make everything perfect, then perhaps that would really be a life like a miracle.

*

As expected, the life of a hamster is the most comfortable. No need to worry about anything and without Kyle around, I could enjoy my time on my own.

I’ve earned quite a bit of Miracle Points. I wouldn’t use them often since these points weren't permanent, but it’s still good to have them in case of emergency.

There will definitely be items like the ‘Long-Lasting Acorn Cookies’ from before that can help turn the situation around.

Let’s see…….

‘Show me everything you’ve got.’

[(⊙ˍ⊙);;;]

Why, what. Is this your first time seeing the strength of a nut?

### He is flexing the amount of Miracle Value points he has

Give me everything you’ve prepared. No, give me everything including the ones you haven’t finished preparing too. Look at me trying my hardest to do good deeds. Let’s be nice to each other, ‘kay?

‘Come to think of it, didn’t it say it had a renewal opening?’

I was curious about the other pages I couldn’t see before. Kyle hasn’t come back yet, so I could look over it slowly.

[☆*: .。. o(≧▽≦)o .。.:*☆]

[!Nut Store!]

Good, good.

[Knock Knock Pistachio Shell ｜Miracle Points 2% consumption｜1-time use Master Key. It can open any lock!]

[Sweet Almond Tart ｜Miracle Points 5% consumption｜You can transform into something else for 1 hour.]

Wow.

They’re worth as much as they’re expensive. The durations are short, but I am a ham- no a person who mastered the usage of ‘Summon’ despite its short duration.

As I tried to turn the page, another system window appeared before my eyes.

[NOW LOADING…….]

‘……Is it not completely made yet.’

Well, developing isn’t an easy task. Take your time.

While inspecting the system window thoroughly, I saw a new heart-shaped button in the right corner. What is this? Is this also a shop?

[Love Love Corner~❤]

‘Ah.’

Before I fill up my Miracle Value, I hope I can hit the system just once. I calmed down my emotions and clicked on the Love……. anyway, I clicked on it.

[Fluffy hamster yarn! ｜ ❤×1]

[Small and precious knitting needle set ｜ ❤×1]

[Try making one yourself! 79 styles of hamster clothes｜ ❤×2]

[Replica hamster to soothe the loneliness (Duration : 30 minutes) ｜ ❤×100]

This time, the currency unit was not Miracle Points

‘Heart? What is that?’

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×312]

[Products bought in the ‘Love Love Corner’ will be recognized as an ‘Item’! Both customizable and adjustable!]

When did I possess so many hearts!? I’ve never even collected them!

‘This, no way this is…….’

*

My life…….

I looked over to Kyle with a rotten expression on my face. And impressed by his affection towards me, I pushed my front paws onto the rope.

“You ride well, Cashew.”

He said with overflowing satisfaction.

I sat on a piece of wood held up by two thin ropes and swayed on it helplessly back and forth.

It was a swing that Kyle brought over.

Who bought this thing. Don’t tell me, Sen? This…… is this how you repay me back after helping you…….

[||ㄱ―||]

I know, my expression looks exactly like that emote. We both know I look like that, but only that bastard Kyle doesn’t know.

Kyle continued to push the swing I was sitting on while making noises unlike of his character.

“There you go! Try stretching your legs a bit further. You are holding on tightly to the rope right? As expected, you must be enjoying this a lot.”

―Squeak. (Stop it.)

“Sen said you’d like this, since you are such an active child always running on the hamster wheel.”

―Squeak……. (Bullshit…….)

Sen. ‘m gurnna gill you……

### “Sen. I’m going to kill you……” with clenched teeth in frustration

Doing all this doesn’t mean I’ll lose weight or form a mana stone, and yet it seems he’s already quite happy seeing me play like this. He looked truly happy and had a soft smile on his face.

“From magicians to veterinarians to a demonic beast specialist… you have no idea how much I’d do for you.”

Hearing those words, I pushed my bottom harder while letting out a deep sigh. The swing creaked and began to swing a little faster.

Kyle then let go of the swing. I pushed myself against a pillar to rock myself back and forth.

The wooden swing made cheerful and light noises as it swayed fast. Kyle was so moved seeing me shake my bottom that he began to clap.

Sigh. It sure is hard to play with you.

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×320]

As long as you’re happy…….

--------------------------------------------------------

Main / Next Chapter

T/N: Please don't hesitate to message me through Ask Me Anything if there are mistakes! Also, consider tipping me if you liked my translation here. Every tip will be an extra chapter released the week after, plus early chapter access for members!

[kairithemang0]

Thinking about the fact Owen as the DMA after some time probably wasn’t as dead set on revenge as he was in the show. After some time he probably did get over Curt to some extent, at least he wasn’t on his mind all the time. He does missions well, he’s as happy as he can be in Chimera. He’s got this whole idea of how the rest of his life will be and that he doesn’t need Curt, and he’ll never need Curt again. I think he legitimately thought he was over Curt, and he’s proven wrong when Curt shows up at the arms deal. He’s surprised, he’s annoyed, and he’s once again back on the idea of killing him. I think I wrote this isn’t a fic once, but Chimera probably tried to take him off the mission after Curt showed up, Chimera is aware of their history, and knows what this will do to Owen. I think Owen claims that he’s fine and that he won’t let Curt showing up put the mission in jeopardy.

When Curt shows up at the hotel, this was his chance to kill him, he could finally get rid of the urge that even when he was fine, was always in the back of his head. Tatiana screws that chance up, I don’t think she knew their history. She’s not even in Chimera, and if she is she’s not high enough in the ranks to know about this plan to screw the Baron over.

And at this point Owens fate is sealed I think, he’s desperate for that revenge he put behind him until Curt came back to being a spy. I think Chimera tried to interfere here again, but Owen still didn’t listen going into that meeting, letting himself be chased by Curt to the facility. He probably has his tracker off, Chimera can’t contact him.

I dunno, there’s not much of a point to this post. I just like thinking about the fact that Owen fucked himself over the second he let himself start thinking about that revenge again.

[francis-writes]

hii! i feel like there is not enough rabban x reader out there. if you’re open to requests, how would the beast react to his fiance teasing him throughout a meeting without anyone knowing?

<reader is gender neutral>

A/N: I am very open to requests and especially to fixing lack of Rabban fics! Also I can't explain why, but I love people calling him just "the beast". It makes me feel... things.

That's the reason why Harkonnens usually don't bring their lovers and spouses - no matter the gender - to official councils. Too big distraction. Harkonnens are men of fierce, passionate character, and there is not even much need to tempt them.

But I don't know. You were bored, interested in affairs of state... whatever was the reason behind that idea, Rabban appreciates your opinion and agreed to take you on a meeting. And probably at first, you really wanted to help and focus on discussions, but well, political councils, especially on Giedi Prime, aren't the most pleasant thing. Boring reports and calculations, fearful looks of nobles expecting angry outbursts from Rabban in every moment. He always wore a heart on his sleeve, but for his subordinates, it only meant troubles.

At some point, you leaned over the table, and slowly, making sure that no one pays attention to you, put your hand on Rabban's thigh. He twitched and looked at you with a delicate smile, thinking that you just wanted to support him, but his expression quickly changed as your hand moved to his crotch and started massaging it. He quickly looked away and put his hand on yours. He gripped your wrist tightly, but your fingers still caressed his growing bulge, and he loosened his grip after a moment. It wasn't a good moment but your touch was so pleasurable that he couldn't bring himself to stop this.

So you continued massaging him, and perhaps you sneaked a hand under his clothes to caress his bare skin. Rabban leaned over the table and rested his head on his arms, trying to subtly cover his mouth and seem unmoved.

When he couldn't stand your teasing anymore or maybe he felt close to cumming, he grabbed your hand and pulled it away. Then, with the calmest possible voice (it was still a bit shaky tho) he just said that meeting is closed, he needs to think about it, and he quickly left the room, pulling you with himself, with the grip so hard it could broke your wrist. And you can guess his revenge when you got into your room.

Even if anybody noticed anything, they were only relieved that you saved them from Rabban's outburst of rage, so in official opinion of the council, you should do it more often.

But if on this meeting there are not only his subordinates but also his brother or uncle, that's when the real fun starts (at least for you). No matter his desires, he pulls away your hand as soon as he feels it on his crotch. If you really want to play with fire, you may continue the fight. You still have the other hand, and if Rabban changes his place to sit at the other side of the table, you can keep your hands on sight and tease him with your feet. Feyd and Baron will probably ignore Rabban nervous behavior because he is always kinda restless. I know the scenario was "no one knowing", but just as additional info: perhaps at Baron's presence you would stop this teasing sooner because after all, you don't want him to lash out on Rabban. However, if there's only Feyd-Rautha present, you may decide to continue. And if he eventually notices, well, he has mixed feelings. At one hand, his annoyed by Rabban bringing his fiance to the council and getting so unprofessional... but on the other hand, he enjoys watching as his brother desperately tries to keep his composure.

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

The Hounds Of Justice : The Story of The Shield

June 2, 2014 will always be a day that I will never forget as a wrestling fan. This is one thing that I will never get over as a fan. My heart was shattered into a million pieces when an event that I never thought would happen. I am talking about the break up of The Shield. I am sure that we all remember where we were the night it happened.

The Shield was a popular faction in WWE consisting of Dean Ambrose ( now Jon Moxley in AEW ) , Roman Reigns , and Seth Rollins. The three Superstars made their main roster debut on November 18, 2012 at the Survivor Series Pay-Per-View. Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose were originally supposed to be bodyguards for CM Punk, however , that changed and all three of them became huge main event names. They became dominant during six man tag team matches , having an undefeated streak on WWE Programming from December 2012- May 2013 , when they scored the biggest win of their careers , at Wrestlemania 29. Reigns and Rollins went on the win the Tag Team Championships while Ambrose went on to win the United States Championship at Extreme Rules the same year. Ambrose made history when he held the US Championship for a year in May 2014. Soon, The Hounds of Justice would face trouble.

In June of 2014 ,The Shield had a feud with Evolution, a faction consisting of Triple H , Randy Orton , Ric Flair , and Batista. On the June 2 , 2014 episode of Monday Night RAW , Triple H escorted Randy Orton to ring for a match and cut a promo on The Shield. Triple H stated that there was always a ‘ Plan B ’ for himself and Randy Orton , with Batista quitting WWE the same night to focus on his acting career. Thus, Rollins betrayed Reigns and Ambrose by hitting both of them with a style chair and aligning with Orton and Triple H , becoming the newest member of Evolution and The Authority. Reigns and Ambrose would be a tag team until June 16, 2014. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would feud until 2015. During Payback, the Hounds of Justice would have a small reunion when they Powerbombed Randy Orton through the announce table. In 2016 , the three would have a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, in which , Ambrose, who was the champion , would retain. The same year, they would be on opposing sides on Survivor Series with Reigns and Rollins representing Team RAW while Ambrose represented Team Smackdown Live. Thus, this lead to another small reunion.

The Shield reunited one more time in 2019 for a match against Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin at the Fastline Pay Per View. This would be the last time Reigns , Rollins , and Ambrose would share a ring together as Ambrose’s contract with WWE was ending. Dean Ambrose left WWE the same year and made his debut at All Elite Wrestling ( AEW ) as Jon Moxley and become a member of The Blackpool Combat Club. He has won the AEW World Championship three times. Seth Rollins would go on to have the Monday Night Messiah gimmick and win the Inaugural WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2023 . He is a five time WWE Champion. Roman Reigns went on to become The Tribal Chief and have a record setting Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign of 1,316 days before being defeated by Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania 40. Nevertheless, Reigns also got his revenge on Rollins the same night by hitting him in the back with a chair. Seth Rollins stated that the next time fans will see The Shield reunite will be at their WWE Hall of Fame Induction.

My Final Thoughts:

The Shield will forever be a legendary faction in WWE and in Professional Wrestling. They were what made WWE Programming during that time period. Knowing that they also had successful solo careers makes me feel like they will always be remembered individually as well. I’ll confess that I was a major Roman Reigns girl. I hope that fans can remember them for what they did as a group and individually. When they broke up , I was raging. What about you? How did you feel when The Shield broke up? Who was your favorite member?

Love You All,

- Kay

[jarvesque]

It's been almost a week since last episode aired and I find myself thinking a lot about The baron of bricks.

Because yeah,he was this campaign's evil capitalist (and also a dictator and a weapon dealer) but I can't help but feel so fucking sorry for him. He is not that different from Cinderella when you think about it(at least in intention).

Like Cinderella he was part of a story where no matter what he did a loved one would die (Cinderella always loses her mom, the baron Always loses his brothers) and due to his awareness of the nature of the neverafter he probably experienced his loss over and over again

And like Cinderella and various other characters he's trying to fight the system because he was dissatisfied with the story he was given and he's trying to get some agency back.

But apparently he can't, apparently the monster who took his family away is so fucking "important" that he's morally in the wrong for wanting to take revenge or change things.

How horrible and unfair is that?

Cinderella,Rosamund and Pinocchio get to go against the fairies who controlled their stories but he doesn't get to fight the wolf who killed his brothers?

Like yeah,the wolf is important but can we really blame him? And also why is the wolf so important? Because the authors said so and have given him meaning? But the authors are also those who took away Rosamund's agency and forced a bad moral on Pinocchio, so why would we listen to them this time?

I don't know if this rant makes sense to anyone who's not me but i just wanted to talk about this pig and the big feels i have about him

edit: this post was made before Brennan revealed that his plan was to create a neverending war, oopsie

[amypihcs]

Hello hello! end of the story! Watson left us with him freezing deer in headlights style reading of an attack to Holmes. Let's see how things went from then on!

Of course, actions start before brain starts processing. Holmes is hurt (my fault, i shouldn't've pulled that all nighter) i need to know what happe-

Holmes, of course would get home, idiot that he is

CAB! 221B BAKER STREET. NOW. RUN.

Watson must be worrying sick. He deserves a holiday! At least the doc assures no immediate danger. At least. Watson is allowed to see him (and if he wasn't he would've gone in all the same)

H: Don't be scared, Watson, i'm alright W: You are not-who hurt you. I'll murder that man with my bare hands H: My good Watson. Just stay with me? I'll tell you the plan. W: -kissing holmes- You need to rest. -hugging holmes-

Watson is just as scared and ready to murder for Holmes as Holmes is scared and ready to murder for Watson when he's hurt. O love these two. Well, plan's on.

Don't worry, with your help and my makeup cabinet we'll re-create that scene. I'm truly sorry i'm scaring you Watson.

Watson leaves to go give false information and so on, like getting kitty safe, and Holmes of course asks for something to smoke

I will keep granada Watson's answer for this. And then Watson will just return to Holmes asap and not move from there.

Things go on for that and Holmes recovers quite quickly, it would seem and they are of course plotting together or almost together. Holmes has his own plans, apparently. uuuhm

DAMNIT! is that bastard leaving?

Watson. there to be used?

Well, Watson knows to ask no explanation to Holmes and thaqt is far better to ask Mrs Hudson for the first pot of strong black coffee of the 24 hours.

Dr Watson gets back to be a uni student who has an exam and has not studied!

You would know, right, Watson? Bet this man is mistreating his back to study just like he used to do for particularly mnemonic exams in medicine. (I study biotech, i studied more or less this way for anatomy... yes, including drawing sketches to remember stuff better)

24 hours later, he's ready!

Holmes is OUT OF BED, Watson had told him to stay in there , but since he's out he can be teased and get a little kissy. You ready Watson? Very ready, Holmes. Let's go!

Relationship development! Watson CAN act, even if not that well! Now how to approach Gruner? Propose to sell him this!

And Watson makes the clever question, What price? He truly scintillates today! And Holmes has the answer for that since #victoriangenteman he can't put a price himself!

And so Watson get to the study and meets out murderer and

WATSON WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK???!! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE BI ABOUT THE SUSPECT!! Jesus, this man.

Shall we go ON? They examine the ceramic and the baron starts being insulting.

AND THEN PROPOSES TO QUIZ WATSON. Watson is understandably furious, bet that itch to thrash the hide off gruner didn't go away and is STRONGER now. Fuckit. Cover jumped.

The baron is just giving Watson an occasion to beat him to a pulp, or he would be wasn't he grabbing a gun WAIT! NOISE!

HOLMES WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE!?? YOU SHOULD BE HOME AND RE- A WOMAN? DAMNIT, THIS BASTARD IS WOUNDED!

Watson IS after all a very good doctor. And so he attends to that bastard of Gruner

Some doctoring Watson because it's always good to remember how clever this man is. Ah and it was Kitty! Good girl! Revenge against such a man. People arrive, including a policeman, of course

But Watson gets away quickly and gets back home where he asks Holmes WHAT THE HELL HE WAS GOING THERE??! Holmes confesses and they exchange info. Holmes got the book! And they give it to Sir James. It all works out (And Watson MIGHT have got the identity of the client, but SHHHH)

The aftermath is a broken engagement, Gruner quite... not at his best and will never be again. Damn, sulfuric acid is BAD. Kitty is unfortunately convicted, but she gets the lowest sentence possible, hoping she'll be out soon! Holmes gets ALMOST arrested for burglary but manages to get out clean (did also Mycroft put a good word?) and dragged by Watson in a nice vacation! To rest and recover!

[snapheart1536]

Hi there,

I noticed you've been following me for awhile thanks. I saw some of your posts on the Howards and noticed that you mentioned somewhere that the Duke of Norfolk might have played a part in Cromwell's downfall in 1540 in order to get revenge for Anne Boleyn's execution.

That's a very interesting theory and I like it. Is there much evidence for any affection Norfolk or the other Howards had for Anne? I've always seen Norfolk as an evil villain who treated his family badly but maybe there was more to him than that?

Hello.

Sorry it's taken such a time to respond, but as you'll see it's VERY long, so I wouldn't start reading this on the bus.

Part One

As a child I used to be very annoyed by 20th-century writers treating historical figures like ice-cold robots welded to lifeless 'logic', and incapable of doing anything rash or ridiculous.

Oh why would Richard kill the Princes when it'd make him look bad?!

See? It must've been a plot by Margaret Beaufort all along.

(I know it's improved since then, but that first impression stuck.)

Reading history, I've always assumed family members instinctively cared for one another, unless their words and actions proved otherwise, and yet the above mentality pushed the exact opposite: that it was 'irresponsible' to even suggest any sort of natural bond between relatives unless they actually wrote it down, which is an absurd standard.

To me it's as silly as saying 'we don't know' if they breathed air as no one put it in a diary.

What does it matter how long ago they lived? They're still people.

I've even seen the extremely smug attitude that caring about one's own children is entirely a 'modern' invention, and the Mediæval and Tudor age wouldn't have understood such a concept.

Wouldn't have understood love!

Since then I've been interested in emotional bonds between friends and family, given how much closer they were than now, particularly rebelling against the idea Elizabeth didn't care about Anne.

And the Boleyns / Howards are my favourites, so their clannish level of kinship fascinates me the most.

Let's go through some of them:

Catherine Howard, Countess of Bridgewater

Catherine's first husband was Rhys ap Gruffydd, heir of a powerful Welsh family.

Problem was when his grandfather died Rhys got passed over (I expect because he was seventeen) in favour of Walter Devereux (the 10th Baron Ferrers), and Rhys wasn't 'avin that.

Devereux arrested him for disturbing the peace, which sent Catherine bananas as she'd convinced herself they were all out to get her husband.

In response she stirred up the local gentry and marched on Carmarthen Castle, threatening to burn the door down and bust on in there if Rhys wasn't freed.

Well after that unease and bitter factionalism bubbled up to denonation point, with servants killed on either side and Catherine attacking and destroying Devereux's property, meaning he sent word to England descibing BOTH of them as leaders of a 'rebellion and insurrection'.

Rhys sounds like a knob to me. You could say Henry caused this mess in the first place, but Rhys ought to have known where all this was leading.

His Wiki page lays it on that he was some noble folk hero martyred to the Reformation, but adding 'FitzUrien' to his name, thereby playing on ancient Welsh myths and thus (supposedly) announcing himself as Prince of Wales, was pushing his luck to say the least.

That's a worse blunder than Henry Howard made and no one ever feels sorry for him.

I shouldn't think he had conspired with James V, but going by this quote from the chronicler Elis Gruffudd (a very interesting fella in his own right) he wasn't universally mourned:

Rhys was beheaded in 1531, but Catherine was in the soup herself after all she'd been up to assisting him.

As Gareth Russell says:

'While we may never know exactly how much his own actions brought about Rhys's death, we can be certain of the devastating effect it had on his widow. She had been intimately involved in her husband's quarrel, and so the possibility that she would be accused of complicity in his alleged treason was tangible.

Left to forge prospects for their three young children — Anne, Thomas and Gruffydd — and fearful for herself, Lady Katherine followed in the footsteps of her elder brother Edmund and flung herself on the mercy of their niece, Anne Boleyn. Once again, the family's dark-eyed golden girl did not disappoint.'

It notable how often you see Anne, and later Elizabeth, willingly pull relatives out of sticky situations, which suggests at least some previous attachment on both sides, as I shouldn't imagine either would be too happy doing it for the more hostile characters.

Compare Katherine's reliance on Anne, a half-niece, to Elizabeth Seymour writing to Cromwell for help, not Jane, her own sister.

'She may even have tried to limit the damage for her aunt and young cousins shortly before Rhys's execution.'

Which was good of Anne considering Rhys had slagged her off, with both of those links having the nerve to imply his death was somehow her doing.

Had he lived, I do wonder if his opposition, compared to Catherine, who, familiarity or not, no doubt wanted to benefit from the connection, would've provoked a certain marital discord.

'Rhys had been attainted at the time of his conviction, meaning that the Crown could seize his goods and property, but his Act of Attainder specifically and unusally made provisions for his widow, who was left with an annual income of about £196.

If Anne could not save Rhys, she worked hard to salvage his family's situation.'

Meaning she got Henry to surrender some of his ill-gotten gains solely to avoid her aunt's destitution, where plenty of other widows and orphans were left to fend for themselves.

Anne also got Catherine a new husband in old-timer Henry Daubeney, but they bloody hated each other and split up soon enough.

According to Eric Ives:

'Over the winter of 1535-6, Katherine Howard, Anne's aunt, was trying to secure a separation from her second husband, Henry, Lord Daubeney. She told Cromwell that the only assistance she was receiving was from the Queen herself, and this despite the strenuous efforts which were being made to destroy her standing with Anne.

The help may have been very practical indeed; Lord Daubeney, who was certainly pleading financial hardship at one stage, reached an amicable agreement with his wife after Anne's father had made available £400.'

Even though this post about Catherine insists neither Anne nor Norfolk gave a toss about her personal woes, from the looks a things Anne was trying to solve this problem too.

'I have none to do me help except the Queen, to whom I am much bound, and with whom much effort is made to draw her favour from me.

My lord my husband has paid well to make friends against me, but I trust that the truth of what I suffer will be known...'

One wonders how all these paid agitators ended up gathered 'round Anne, nagging or distracting her from Catherine's cause, but evidently she wasn't put off.

Plus, according to that last link, Catherine never learnt her lesson and took part in the Pilgrimage of Grace an' all, raising 3,000 men against Henry!

By the sounds of it, this isn't a sudden burst of furious piety at work, rather there's almost an absence of religion in Catherine's life.

The obvious explanation would be yet again wreaking vengeance in Rhys's memory, and that's evident given her long-standing vendetta against his disloyal servants.

But would it be too much to think she was motivated to a certain extent by the death of her niece and nephew, being 'much bound' to the former?

And as she avoided all punishment, the remaining Howards (i.e. Norfolk) had to have covered up for her.

William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham

In 1529 there was much scrapping over the wardship of the Broughton sisters.

Wolsey ended up with the younger, Katherine, but upon his fall it seems Anne got the girl transferred to the care of Agnes Tilney, who then married her to William, so Anne was responsible for his first marriage.

(Not that it prevented Katherine Broughton from acting, as Ives puts it, as 'ringleader', in a demo for Mary six years later, and getting herself locked up in the Tower as a result, but there you go.)

Given the amount of important roles he enjoyed during Anne's queenship, all whilst barely out of his teens, she must have liked him:

• 1531: Ambassador to Scotland.

• 1532: Travelled to Calais with Anne to meet Francis.

• 1533: Served as Earl Marshal during Anne's coronation, in place of Norfolk.

• 1533: Held the canopy at Elizabeth's christening.

• 1535: Visited Scotland to award the Order of the Garter to James.

• 1536: Went again to Scotland to arrange a meeting between Henry and James.

Besides, Chapuys said of him:

'People are astonished at the despatch of so stupid and indiscreet a man.'

So he had to be Anne's friend.

Once he hears of her arrest, William curses it as 'heavy news', demanding to know the truth from Cromwell and resenting all the Scottish clergy as 'capital enemies' for rejoicing in her fall.

Mainly I'm mentioning him to discuss his own character, and where his evident loyalty to other family might give us a further suggestion of his relationship to Anne, and how he kept to that sense of honour even when it led him into dangerous territory.

Consider, for example, how he named his son Charles after his brother, and called his daughter Douglas in honour Margaret Douglas, Charles's wife, thus commemorating their doomed romance.

You'd also be surprised how often he turns up in Young and Damned and Fair, as he appears to have been Katherine's closest uncle, for all that she's usually connected to Norfolk.

Indeed, so deep was he in it Agnes had to be advised not to warn him off coming home, meaning he arrived from France and found himself immediately clapped in the Tower, whereupon he craftily claimed all his best plate was washed overboard so Henry couldn't get at it, which worked.

Later, his connection with Henry Howard ensured he missed out on being Admiral, and when he did get it, Mary took it off him to punish his partiality to Elizabeth.

There's a section here detailing his bond with Elizabeth, where he's credited with saving her life, if you ignore the obvious errors:

I especially like the idea everyone feared William would kidnap Philip!

However, there's a very odd paragraph in his son's Wiki page:

'In 1552, he was sent to France to become well-educated in the French language, but was soon brought back to England at the request of his father because of questionable or unexpected treatment.'

Am I mad or does this imply Charles Howard endured sexual abuse in his teens?

Were it only poor lodgings or sub-standard teaching, he could've moved elsewhere.

Were it excessive beating, you'd expect it to be made plain, not using all this cagey, obfuscating language.

But the thought did lead me to ponder their father-son bond, where Charles, whatever shame he suffered, knew he was loved enough that writing to his father would make it stop.

And William, reading it, rescued him immediately, proving the boy right.

This is a mere fancy of mine, but when it's just after Elizabeth's ordeal, whom he obviously cared so much about, and knowing she could easily have died like Katherine, which happened in part because he never stopped Dereham, one wonders if his moral failing then pushed him to protect Charles and Elizabeth later.

Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon

I'm hard-pressed to unearth much information on this lad, but everyone leaves him out so I won't.

There's gotta be some reason Elizabeth ennobled him, and so early on (in 1559) before he'd had the chance to serve her.

It can't just be she looked round the court, noticed he was the last of Norfolk's children, and awarded him for that.

I wish we knew more about Elizabeth's childhood, as in who she met and associated with at court, because you can be certain she met the Howards then.

I also want to add a little about his eldest son, the 2nd Viscount, who was...odd, to say the least:

• Being a pirate;

• Dressing as a tramp;

• Beating everyone including his wife.

This gave me the the idea that perhaps his and Norfolk's reputation had somehow been rolled up together over the centuries, where this Henry Howard, although unknown today, was probably infamous in his time, and maybe his behaviour in a sense lended credibility to the accusations of spousal abuse against Norfolk, where people felt Henry 'got it from somewhere'.

When Elizabeth learnt what he was up to, she sent Hercules Meautys (what a name) to rescue his sister, and took Frances in, with her husband dubbing her 'a filthy and porky whore', which was rich coming from him.

And his other son, the 3rd Viscount, killed his own father-in-law and had a long-running feud with Walter Raleigh.

He also spent years trying to have his brother's granddaughter Ambrosia declared a bastard to grab all her land, so Elizabeth locked him up!

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Anne found Surrey a wife and took him with her to France, where he and FitzRoy remained as honoured guests until the next autumn.

He was then obliged to serve as Earl Marshal as Anne and George were sentenced to death.

Four years later, according to Gareth Russell, Surrey not only watched Cromwell's execution, but gloated about it afterwards:

'Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, stood at the forefront of the crowd and watched the scene without pity. He was missing his cousin's wedding to be here to see his family's bête noire finished off.

Later that day, he could not conceal his good mood. It felt to him like a settling of scores:

"Now is the false churl dead, so ambitious of others' blood."'

What does this mean?

Who's blood has Cromwell lusted after?

Who did he kill four years ago?

Surrey can't be referring to himself when Cromwell had actually protected him from punishment not long before, which in itself suggests a few interesting things:

• Cromwell was not yet aware of just how much the Howards despised him, as in, up til then his relationship with them was at least civil, cordial even, so the old line about Norfolk begrudging the 'new men' just because they're new men doesn't quite wash.

• This would've the perfect opportunity to bring down a mighty rival, but instead Cromwell felt bizarrely generous and intervened on Surrey's behalf, meaning he saw no harm in preserving the family, and instead thought it useful to get them on side.

• Why does he feel the need to favour the family?

Has he done something to antagonise them?

• The Howards are collectively putting on an Oscar-worthy acting routine of feigned friendliness, or at least indifference to said actions, so Cromwell, whilst he might suspect he's given slight offence, assumes it'll soon be forgotten if he pats them on the head here and there.

• Except whatever Cromwell did, saving Surrey wasn't enough to warrant forgiveness.

And let's examine this quote in detail:

Surrey is at 'the forefront' of spectators, keen to behold Cromwell dying in all its gory brutality, besides opting to watch such a horrendous deed over attending Katherine's wedding.

Instead of a happy celebration of his family's success, something he could've easily enjoyed in the knowledge of Cromwell being dealt with out of the way, he insisted on serving as a witness, as if it wouldn't be over until he'd seen it done, almost to be sure that it had.

For this would 'settle the score', shedding his blood in payback for... what exactly?

Thetford Priory?

Is that all?

Or for the blood Cromwell himself so coveted?

And even the sight of such suffering left Surrey unmoved, ridiculing the dead man not only as a 'churl', but a 'false' one.

False to whom?

'False' as in affecting loyalty to his Queen whilst working to bring her down?

Because is that extreme level of hatred really just supposed to be nothing deeper than empty class prejudice?

Usually, Cromwell's fractious history with the Howards is portrayed as Norfolk's one-man defamation campaign of all-encompassing lordly outrage verging on eye-popping insanity, except Surrey clearly loathed him too.

Perhaps from that we can conclude that Cromwell had become unpopular with the whole family, hence the 'bete noir' reference above.

When Surrey's resentment is remembered, it's conveniently boxed up and filed away as the same-old 'snobbery' of his father, which a very neat, uncomplicated excuse that prevents us looking into it properly.

I daresay Surrey was proud and class-conscious, but wouldn't everyone be like that, to a greater or lesser extent?

Why then is this 'haughtiness' only ever attributed to characters we're supposed to dislike, namely Anne, Norfolk, and occasionally George and Surrey, with the 'good' people somehow immune to such 'base' emotions?

Indeed, I'm starting to wonder how much real evidence there is for this common supposition of arrogance.

As if Surrey's known at all, it's for the manner of his death, namely he 'got himself killed' by 'stupidly' quartering the royal arms with his own, which, whilst a gross oversimplification, nevertheless defines him, where history views his character through this lens and reads his entire life backwards, as if there's no explanation for his behaviour other than he was just born to be a cocksure moron.

It plays upon modern bigotry against aristocrats, where they're all stuck-up, slow-witted inbreds fixated with the pecking order and archiac symbolism, keeping the honest worker down to prove they're better than everyone else, which is a laugh because they're all REALLY shallow, superfluous chuckleheads and deserve what they get.

Since the idea Surrey died for something so 'silly' as what badge went where slots so well into the stereotype, then it's cheapened his reputation overall.

Rather than being highly esteemed as a pioneer of English literature and the forerunner of Shakespeare, he's treated as nothing but a hot-headed toff tripped up by his own idiotic pretensions, with an end offered as a 'fitting' denouement, almost a lesson in morality; about where not 'knowing your place' or 'getting ideas above your station' leads... after vilifying Surrey and Norfolk for apparently demanding people know their place and not get ideas above their station.

Something hypocritical there.

There's also a reflexive judgementalism within this fandom and the lower end of publishing (i.e. novels and pop. history) where it's assumed if Anne or any of her family are executed, then even if they're technically innocent, they must've deserved it really, else 'the universe' wouldn't let it happen.

Therefore, known evidence is read with the most bad-faith interpretation, with any declared slip leapt upon and blown out of proportion, solely to prove their own bias correct.

You're right to think that, you are.

Hating them makes you A Good Person.

Again, this ONLY applies to Anne and her supporters, not her enemies.

No, no. They were martyrs to the Cause.

But I wouldn't say Surrey's usage of royal arms spoke to any pathological sense of superiority, certainly not to the extent it should define his memory.

Heraldry and ancestry is the lifeblood of nobility: everyone he knew fought for whatever their birth and court careers entitled them, so why shouldn't he?

Look at his sister protesting again and again and again for her rights as FitzRoy's widow: does this make her a 'snob' because she never gave up fighting?

In fact, dubbing Cromwell a 'churl' doesn't mean too much either.

The average person objects to someone because they're a thief, cheat, liar, etc. but calling them as much is a toothless insult, as they'd require a sense of honour to feel the sting.

And if they had that, they would've have committed the offence it in the first place.

So, you pick on something they probably are sensitive about, such as status or physical appearance, to get your own back.

Calling Henry VIII, for example, a fat bastard, doesn't mean you oppose him for having a weight problem, or that you dislike fat men generally.

It's that you're hitting 'below the belt' to inflict the worst punishment you can.

Oh yeah, it's petty, but the aggrieved often are.

Surrey's real crime, if we deem it one, was apparently rash language of what vengeance he'd wreak on his foes once the King was gone, meaning the Seymours.

So is it mere coincidence that the main targets of this infamous 'snobbery' are those who caused or benefited from Anne's fall?

Are we to believe his only complaint, right down to twice vetoing Mary Howard's marriage, is nothing better than looking down his nose at humble Seymour origins, for they've done nothing whatsoever to draw his ire?

For all the time I've been reading history, the way the court of 1536 splits between the Boleyns and those pushing Jane Seymour, and then, once the Boleyns are wiped out, it greatest rivalry becomes Howard versus Seymour, one lasting for the remainder of Henry's reign, has always struck me as both telling and appropriate.

The idea the Howards took over hating the Seymours because of their slain family is to me to most obvious explanation; the driving force pushing the enmity beyond a decade, and blaming it all on snooty la-di-da attitudes baffles me.

It's so pat and offhand, as if it was thrown into historical research centuries ago and never questioned, passed down to us as unassailable received wisdom, rendered true from repetition, as no one likes Surrey or Norfolk enough to bother reassessing their motivations.

But could such prolonged open hostility run on no greater impulse than keeping the gentry in check?

Is THAT all?

And do note how leading this narrative is, where, if we accept the Howards despised the Seymours as upstarts, then the fault for all bad blood is immediately shoved onto them and them alone, when those poor Seymour lads, rosy-cheeked and pure of heart, are just doing their best in life, working hard and loving everyone.

But oh! Those nasty Howards bullies are So Mean!

Not once is it reversed, proposing that the Seymours envied the Howards' breeding and birth, vowing to bring them down out of spite.

Instead they're absolved of all guilt in the conflict and justified in everything they do as a self-defence measure, even when they brought about Surrey's death and tried it on ten years previously.

So why on earth should he like them?

How I wish this painting still existed.

Starkey describes Henry Howard thus:

'Surrey inherited all Buckingham's grand pride in blood and aristocracy, and all his determination that noblemen should once more come into their own.

Perhaps it was from his mother's side too that he got his most dangerous trait: a rashness and a violence that bordered on madness.

Add to all this an intelligence that was both penetrating and fast and the result was one of the most remarkable men of the age.'

And yet I don't know of any aggressive outbursts prior to 1536, being then known for 'soberness and good learning'.

We tend to class poets of later eras as on the sensitive side, so far from being 'always like that', it may well be that the deaths of George, Anne, FitzRoy and putting down the Pilgrimage of Grace knocked him off the rails, a process then driven beyond all remedy by watching Katherine die and the suicidal shame he endured over his military failures.

Although I do like the sound of him as the hero of High Fantasy.

Whilst I'm here, let's look at this very awkward scenario of Surrey attending the triple Neville wedding, being the children of his mother's intended and her sister.

Considering how desperate so many are to clear Henry VIII of Anne's death, protesting how he Genuinely Believed and that makes it alright then, he's cheerful enough fannying about as a Turk less than two months later.

Finally, writing this I read several of Surrey's poems, and must include this truly endearing piece commemorating his wife's love for him:

Such a poet, and still no one credits him with any tender emotions.

Anyway, don't mind me but I've hit the picture limit.

I'm not sure when Part Two will be done, but I'll let you know, come the time.

[golden-hearts-silver-tongues-if]

Betrayal and Skin for all of them? Also very excited for the demo to come out !!

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them? skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

The Rival: Betrayal: Well, this one's a bit self-explanatory. There will be a few options in terms of what exactly happened on that fateful day, but no matter what, The Rival believes you to have betrayed her. Besides the MC, the only other people that have gotten close enough to her to betray her were her parents. That, however, is a story for another ask. Skin: In her weakest moments, on her darkest days, she has to wrestle with the fact that you are no longer by her side. Was it her fault? Should she have fought harder for you? Those questions always remain unanswered, for regrets in the past are unproductive to revenge, after all. The Boss: Betrayal: No one has betrayed them explicitly, so to speak. There have been a few times where they've pulled strings behind the scenes to get people to "betray" them in the public light, but those have all been orchestrated by them so that doesn't particularly count. Skin: They don't often feel as though they even are in their own skin. They feel almost like an observer to their own being, just along for the ride. Acknowledging that feeling would be to understand it, so it goes unnoticed for now. The Coworker: Betrayal: His pet Hamster bit him when he tried to feed it one time. That's about the closest anyone has gotten to betraying him. Skin: He normally doesn't really have much to grapple with. However, sometimes after lots of social interactions, he begins to wonder about his own actions. Did he do good enough? Did he make a nice impression? It's easy enough to distract him from these thoughts, however, they never truly go away. The Baron: Betrayal: Their second in command during the war that made them famous ended up revealing secrets to the enemies in exchange for handsome payment. The betrayal was swift, and their punishment swifter. None wrong them and get away with it. Skin: Failure is almost all the Baron knows. They worked their way up through the military, suffering failure after failure, and when they finally reached the good life, they made a mistake which cost them not just their comfortable life, but their legacy. Understanding it's their fault is something they refuse to face, because at the moment it would hurt too much to bear.

[creonininkwell]

Creon kinda befriends the Baroness. Thanks everyone who came to the streams. Beware of long info dump below.

Creon had been coming home from one of her temp jobs at the Inkwell docks, hence why she reeks of fish. Wanting to make sure the boys were okay she searched for them, but noticed the giant peppermint rolling around. Feeling a bit suspicious, she followed the giant rolling candy to Sugarland, just in time to see the boys transforming into candy. She freaks out but manages to escape with the boys, especially since the smell of ocean and fish is so pungent so she doesn’t fall to Sugarland’s thrall.

Once she gets the boys to explain the situation, Creon made a quick salad in hopes of reversing the boys’ transformation. Elder Kettle didn’t succumb to the Sugarland thrall since Creon still reeked of fish and she had dropped off her haul of fish at home.

Even though the boys are safe from ever going back to Sugarland, Creon is now concerned about the very existence of Sugarland. Seeing how easily the boys found the place, and how easy it was to breaking the first 2 rules, she now worries about any other future victims that will fall prey to Sugarland. She knows from Cuphead’s explanation that the Baroness mentioned a curse that prevented her from ever leaving Sugarland. Creon decides to risk going back to see if there’s a way to possibly lifting the curse.

Creon always tries to make time to visit Bonnie (her nickname for the Baroness) and have tea with her. Creon tries to bring different sweets and snacks she made. Creon honestly feels sorry for Bonnie and worries for her declined mental state. Over time, Bonnie does mellow out a teensy bit when Creon visits and she genuinely cherishes these tea parties.

However, how does one help someone who doesn’t seem to want help? And it’s not like the Baroness has any remaining descendants of her family (they’ve all been eaten) to even come home to. And she has no legitimate political or sovereign power any more. Creon has had no success of even enticing Bonnie with trying anything that isn’t sweet.

From what Creon has learned from Bonnie, Bonnie was a spoiled brat who only liked to eat sweet things and her father, the former Baron, gave in to her every demand. So somehow the Baroness’s gluttony for sweets and spoiled nature was the reason for being cursed in the first place.

What Creon doesn’t know is that long ago on a particular festival event, Bonnie got really pissed at a cook who dared to serve her something unsweet. The Baron was forced to fire the cook on that special event, and the cook was so furious with how his life was ruined by one spoiled brat, that he sold his soul to the Devil for revenge on the Barony, especially on the spoiled Baron’s daughter.

The entire land owned by the Baron became Sugarland, all the residents and people turned to candy, and soon everyone started to eat each other. The Baron’s daughter went insane from the trauma of seeing people turn into candy and start fighting and eating each other, until she was all that remained. Surrounded by all the sweets she could eat, and oh so alone. The monster castle was once her home where she hid from all the madness. Not sure how the monster castle came to life.

Oh yeah, I also drew Mochi versions of some of the characters just for fun.

[me-and-my-hyperfixations]

Been thinking about Renata Glasc after watching TB Skyen’s new video about her. And inevitably Silco came up, and as always, the discussion was one the two characters’ similarities and the clear infuence Renata takes from Silco.

But the two characters do have their differences and I’ve posted before about how a main point of deviation between them is their views on loyalty. For Renata Glasc, loyalty is yet another thing she can buy, but for Silco, the loyalty between Zaunites is central to his entire ideals and identity as a chembaron.

Both characters have these traumatic backstories and they’re reactions to them lead them to have very different views of relationships.

After Vander’s betrayal, Silco still misses him and yearns to fill that void in his life. That’s why he seems so quick to bring powder/Jinx under his wing. He jumps at the opportunity to take in this child to have this new person to take Vander’s place in his life and to have it be someone who he can raise to be the exact type of person won’t betray him and who will actually go along with everything he wants with no moral objections like Vander had.

Renata’s parents die, she fails to to save them. Her response to this seems to be to shut herself off from human relationships so she won’t get hurt again. As TB Skyen mentions in his video, there seems to be a little resentment she harbours towards her parents for giving out their cures for free and having her live in poverty as a result of that decision.  It seems to have led her to this idea that she has to work for things herself and it also seems to have given her negative views on altruism and community. 

This is a contrast from Silco who really emphasises Zaun as a community. His long speeches are all about “the Sons and Daughters of Zaun” - one big family. The speeches he makes to Finn and the other Chembarons use the term “we” - Zaun is a big collective. Following that logic, Silco isn’t mad that they are potentially going against him, he’s mad that, in his mind, they’re going against all of Zaun.

Renata might rule over Zaun in a similar way as Silco, but she has no delusions about the fact that she’s doing this for herself first and foremost. She has no big ideological ideas about all of Zaun. Her plans are about her, her success and her revenge against Piltover.

If it had been Renata negotiating with Jayce at the bridge she would have given him Jinx in a heartbeat. Because Renata embodies Silco’s idea of power coming to those who will do anything to achieve it. She embodies the idea far better then Silco ever did.

That’s why I don’t like calling Renata Glasc a “Silco expy”, bringing up how she was modeled after Silco and leaving it at that.

Think about Renata as an actual in-universe character, think about her as one of the Chem-Barons rising through the ranks during the days of Silco’s shimmer empire. Think of her as someone who’s watching and waiting in the wings, someone who sees how Silco has been weakened by his attachment to Jinx. Someone who watches his downfall and is ready to pounce the minute he goes and other Barons start squabbling amongst themselves. 

Renata consciously modelled herself after Silco and his beliefs about Power. But Renata has also learned from Silco’s mistakes. She won’t let herself be held back by human sentiment the way he was.

[lullybaju]

Oh, Monte Cristo...

The french prince of Machiavelli

The pride and joy of Foucalt

The apple of Catholic's Church eye

The talented Ripley of 19th century

The master of narration

The king of metamorphosis

The romantic version of architecht archetype of mbti

The most controversial of them all

Alright. Focus.

Here we are in June and I'm proud - almost in tears - to say that I've finally  managed to finish The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite books since childhood and the longest book I've ever read (!)

Although i enjoyed the experience of reading an over 1000 page book, I still think their final stretch wasn't that exciting. The last chapters were saved from boredom by the ko of the big four and the rising from the ashes of Benedetto. This corsican boy deserved to live in freedom and the knockout of Gerard de Villefort and Baron Danglars were those great epic revenges I was counting on and the epitome of violence I had been waiting for!

Despite the ease of reading that dynamic side, the most special moment of the final stretch was Dantés return to If as Monte Cristo. Ok, I'm very aware that I said the merciful version of the count drove the story right to the end, but the door stopper built a new turning point for us to enjoy and it was not a cheesy one this time.

Monte Cristo visit to If was a visit to his past and it radically changed his goals and his plans as it made him remember that his true wish was only not to get his memory taken away. Actually, his reflection carried something deeper than that: he could understand that his revenge succeed from the moment he managed to make people know and let people know about him and all the ordeal he went through - not just his traitors, but all those tourists who will carefully listen to the tour guide and wonder about what happened to prisoner number 34 and will talk about that history with many people. After all of that, he realized that memory is power and memory is justice.

Can you feel?

THERE'S LIFE IN MY EYES!

The Count of Monte Cristo will always be one of my favorite books because it gives me life. This novel will remain extraordinary for eternity because it has the power to give life to any reader.

Why?

This amazing novel keep us informed of many tragedies with many gossip about many (aristocratic) people while let us know about a very methodical vengeance that is being carried out by a man who is experiencing the extremes of human being, but, although he was facing such hell-heaven condition, he didn't feel satisfied by just living in peace with the paradise side benefits of that situation and decided to fulfill our fantasies of power by using his lucky to bring justice by promoting violence against social structures and institutions of oppression, such as the judiciary, the capital and the army, through the people who represent them.

In addition to that, the so-called man is superhumanly smart and focused on achieving his own personal goals, that is to say, as a rule, a role model for everybody living under capitalism and economic liberalism. Actually, a hero, but not any kind of hero: he isn't naive and break the rules without thinking twice to fuck his way to the top everytime he realizes this kind of cheating is social acceptable and the key to succeed, and he also goes through many mood swings to the point of bring his love to someone especial in a middle of some of his authoritarians states of mind.

Imperfectly human, the count seems to be a relief as he shows himself as a big guide of pros and cons of what even a hero is forced to do to have a decent life in times of great pressure.

Long life to the count of Monte Cristo.

Supporting text I used, but it's in portuguese