#this story has no title and i'd appreciate if we all ignored that for now

[lowvintagesims]

know it sounds funny but i just can't stand the pain i'm leaving you tomorrow

next

[stormofdefiance]

True knowledge exists in knowing you know nothing || Dr. Ratio & Socrates

Okay, I legitimately laughed out loud writing that title, but listen. LISTEN.

Ratio's inspirations derive from many sources; from referencing Archimedes's brain-blast in the tub, to being doomed to have his head bonked by Newton's apple ad infinitum in his idle animation, to his ultimate line ('esse est percipi' / 'to be is to be perceived') a direct quote from Berkeley on Idealism - it's apparent that his design nods towards scholars across time periods rather than being a direct parallel to a singular academic.

Nevertheless, just for fun, I've been rotating Ratio and ancient greek philosophers around in my head and have had a great time chewing over how parallels Socrates in particular. I am in no way saying that Hoyo even thought about Socrates while they were designing Ratio, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. I think there are some worthwhile parallels to be drawn that touch on all aspects of Ratio's own philosophy regarding ignorance, the value of knowledge, and his deep appreciation of life. So, let's get into it.

Ratio is interested in humanity and curing 'ill minds with knowledge', that 'to turn a blind eye to the folly of others is not an etiquette, but a wicked worldly practice.' Ignorance is a disease - this is a concept that can be viewed through a Socratic lens. Socrates believed that that virtue and knowledge were impossible to separate from one another, and that virtue could be developed through acquiring knowledge and insight. If knowledge is virtue, then ignorance is vice. In Socrates's mind, no one would rationally choose to do something bad. People might choose to do bad things, but this is rooted in their own perception of the world - as in, someone would only choose to do something bad (for the world, or for themselves) because they believed (erroneously) that it was the right or good thing to do. To Socrates, the cure to this was knowledge: 'There are two kinds of disease of the soul, vice and ignorance.' & 'What does most harm in the world is not sinfulness but ignorance'.

To Ratio, 'If ignorance is an ailment, it is the duty of the scholars to weed it out and heal the universe'. He views his own ignorance as 'filth' that must be cleansed through methods such as reading. He also views knowledge as a method for humans to overcome their problems - 'Another day has passed. If your problem still hasn't been solved, is it possible the problem is you?' & 'You look distressed. Is something troubling you? if so, you can figure it out for yourself.' These statements sound harsh, but they also clue us into Ratio's philosophy - that through self-examination and improvement, one can overcome one's ailments.

Socrates was also known for being a trouble-maker, he was abrupt and tactless and did not care for someone's social standing nor decorum. He was also known for using what is now called the Socratic method, asking a series of questions that ultimately seek to show contradictions in the beliefs of those who posed them, and to move systematically towards a hypothesis free from contradiction. Socrates rarely made assertions himself - after all, he had no wisdom of his own. But he could interrogate others in order to expose their own foibles, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of those around him. He was once described as a 'gnat' chewing on the 'lazy horse of Athens', causing it to wake up and spring to life due to his persistent gnawing and prodding. Ratio also employs the Socratic method - 'I'm asking questions' - and also adopts sophist tactics such as playing devil's advocate and taking opposing sides (with both himself as seen a story quest, and with others as we see with his texts urging us to take up a side so he might debate us). Through questioning and interrogation, upsetting what we consider social convention and norms, we can dispel contradictions and thereby come closer to some form of truth.

To add to this - as highlighted in the replies below - Ratio’s skill ‘intellectual midwifery’ is a reference to the Socratic method. The idea being that Socrates helped those around him give birth to the knowledge that was already within them, rather than treating his students minds as empty vessels for him to fill with his own answers. Again this is beautifully echoed in Ratio - he doesn’t want to tell you how to live your life, he wants you to work out for yourself what it is you need, thus empowering oneself through self-examination and questioning.

Socrates did not believe in writing anything down. He believed that face-to-face communication was a far more effective way of communicating knowledge - which means, unfortunately, what we know of Socrates is primarily derived from secondary sources. Much of what we know about him today comes from Plato's dialogues, and Plato was known for liberally exercising artistic license.

Although Ratio is not dead, I find it interesting that his character story is told exclusively through secondary sources. To quote - '…There are no less than eight documentaries detailing his legendary exploits, and over a dozen memoirs about him. However, despite the plethora of commentaries, none of them seems to provide a compelling perspective.' It's as though there are no surviving fragments penned by Ratio's hand and all we have to go on is through the lenses of other people. This challenges us, perhaps, to try to think about our own interpretation of Ratio since secondary sources cannot be taken as a wholly unbiased account - and once again employing the Socratic method and empowering the reader to come to their own interpretation.

While Socrates left no writing behind, he was interested in spreading knowledge. Socrates spent most of his life in Athens, a city that was, during his lifetime (~470-399 BC), a hotpot of scholars, wisemen and philosophers. Athena, the Greek god of wisdom, was named after the city - her symbol the owl that is also appropriately perched on Ratio’s shoulder. Also in Athens at this time where the sophists. The sophists were a class of intellectuals who were known to teach courses in various subjects - but often for a high fee, and generally centred around the idea that persuasion and the use of knowledge as a tool was more important than wisdom or truth itself. There's some debate about whether Socrates could be characterised as a sophist himself, but, crucially, he is characterised as refusing to take payment for his teachings. He was born a plebeian (perhaps you might describe it as a mundane background.) He was known to dress in rags and go barefoot, speaking to and (often antagonising) people from all walks of life, preferring the marketplace as a center of debate than palaces or courtrooms. I can't help but think of the sophists as similar to the genius society (or at least Ratio's depiction of them in contrast to himself), cooped up in ivory towers and gatekeeping knowledge to the most privileged. He doubts if Herta's talent is always helpful to others, he compares Screwllum to a 'monarch'. Then again, the sophists may in fact be a bit of a parallel to the Intelligentsia Guild - from Ratio, 'when someone is willing to listen to knowledge that is being disseminated and circulated, a price is created'.

Socrates (or at least the Platonic depiction of Socrates) was at one time declared the wisest man in Athens by the Oracle of Delphi. Socrates balks at this assertion - how can he possibly be the wisest man in Athens when he in fact knows nothing at all? This was not a claim made of modesty - he truly believed that he had no wisdom, that he was unsure what 'wisdom' itself even was. Ultimately, Socrates concludes that the only way that the Oracle could be correct is that by actually acknowledging that he knows nothing he paradoxically is the wisest man in Athens. All wisdom, therefore, is rooted in wondering, with wondering only possible if one is open to admitting one's own ignorance.

What I love about all of this in relation to Ratio is that Ratio styles himself as a mundanite. The Intelligensia Guild advocates that 'all knowledge must be circulated like currency' and accepts 'all beings… who seek to learn'. Ratio has no time for the satisfied self-styling of intellectualism, he himself states that 'to speak knowledge, we must first make people realise their own folly.' No one is above criticism in this regard, even himself - again, to quote 'Whenever someone agrees with me, I feel like I must be wrong.' Again, I feel as though he would resonate with Socrates here: 'Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, and stupid people already have all the answers'. With Aventurine, he is quick to mock his appearance as over-the-top and vapid - once again making it clear his distate for vanity and hollow displays of showiness (albeit he may have been acting for Sunday's sake here. Also, no comment about this coming from a man who runs around in a toga, lmao) Equally, with Aventurine, it is clear that Ratio is willing to learn from him - he apologises when he offends, he abhors his methodology and yet he still relies upon it and trusts in Aventurine's plan, he is drawn to him in some ways precisely because he is so different to himself. Aventurine (at least styles himself) as impulsive to Ratio's slow and steady methodology, Aventurine whose learning has been entirely self-made vs Ratio who has spent his life in classrooms, Ratio who scoffs at Aventurine's favourite games of chance yet adds slot machines to his simulated universe. And to Socrates, the experience of aporia – in all of its discomfort and disruption – is the very catalyst of wonder, and that wonder was not just the root of wisdom but also the way to live a good and happy life. There is something beautiful in this to me, and this extends to Ratio. Ratio fundamentally cares about life. For all his brashness, his lashing out against 'idiots', his harsh demeanour - he wants people to live good lives, he wants to contribute to the good of humanity - all people, even those he is annoyed by, he cares so profoundly and absolutely about life. The entire reason why he is obsessed with wisdom and learning is not to exalt or elevate himself, not as some kind of ritualistic expression of piety towards a deity, but it is instead an expression of devotion towards life itself. Ratio has a strict work out routine not so that he can show off his body, but because living healthily is living well and working out is a component of that. Even the way he fusses and worries about Aventurine, someone he is pointedly irritated by, reveals how deeply his care runs. So so much of his character is centered on caring for life, even if it is not immediately obvious.

Finally, I'd like to highlight some ways in which Ratio is not like Socrates. First of all, Socrates was repeatedly described as 'ugly' by fellow philosophers Plato and Xenophon - this is contrast to Ratio being repeatedly described as 'handsome'. This is an interesting subversion to me (albeit likely an indulgent one) as in both cases both men attempt to distance their physical appearance from the weight of their words. Ratio wears the bust for many reasons, but way to view it is that he is attempting to stop his appearance from bearing any influence in the subject of debate.

Socrates was also said to be blessed by a divine touch, and as we know, this is something that agonises Ratio as Nous has not yet turned THEIR gaze towards him.

Lastly, Ratio has - thankfully - not yet been ordered by the state to drink hemlock for all his trouble-making and blustering. Though perhaps he may someday be put on trial by the IPC if the theories that he is working alongside Aventurine to undermine the corporation are true - we will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading my little ramble. I'd be super interested in anyone's thoughts if they'd like to share, but regardless, I'll leave off on some of my favourite wee quotes from the Rat man:

'Even a life marked by failure is a life worth living - it is only in moments of solitude and despair, when help is absent, that fools grasp how to pick themselves up.'

'Do stay alive. I wish you the best of luck.'

[rosaharazu]

Merlin Mysteries

This is the most genius title, I swear you guys, Im so proud of it.

Anyways....Magister Merlin.

First off, let's just appreciate the premise given to them.

A powerful, well-respected, legendary mage for as long as history can remember. But the twist is...they're amnesic. I think it's such a high stepping stone in making AFK Journey's MC a standout to other MC's of games alike.

Thanks to that, we aren't even Merlin's actual form, hence being able to customize our character to our liking as Merlin is using disguising spells.

But let's see their past shall we. Second:

So like, have you ever looked at the very tiny text at the bottom whenever you load into the game? There are like, two things about Merlin. I'm sure someone else has pointed these out, but I'll list it anyways. (i think there's three, but I've seen to have forgotten the third one and I ain't checking it out)

Merlin harnessed the leftovers of powers from the War and named it 'magic'.

Merlin was a part of the council in discussing terms of after the Immortal War.

So from this....Merlin may or may not be immortal themselves. Or, if we take a look at the opening sequence of the game, someone pointed out that Merlin may be reincarnated throughout time over and over again. Someone on youtube even thought Merlin could be a hypogean.

If that's the case...it's really tragic.

Merlin is a...wait, lemme check from AFK Arena. WAIT-DIMENSIONALS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!

There's also a huge plot in Arena's Merlin, but none of this makes sense to me. Let's ignore that~ O-O

Furthermore, whatever they are...they must be immortal or something like that. And that's harsh.

You know that one storyteller in Holistone? He describes Merlin as, some feared them, some respected, but their journey is a lonely one. That's just...implies that Merlin's missing something.

I'd like it if Merlin's quote is, "I feel like I'm missing something."

I'm in Remnant Peaks, and like, I have two more areas to go. It may or may not have something to do with Merlin, so as of I'm writing this, I have no idea.

Third. Now, what I would like to write is....Merlin's relationships.

I mean, yeah, you can ship them with Valen, Mirael, and so on. But...considering Merlin's possibility of being immortal, it would be sad really.

I feel like Merlin won't engage in romantic relationships because they know so well that her partner won't be able to stay as long as they do. Maybe that's why she has Chippy and Hammie by her side, which I searched up, that familiars live as long as their masters live.

I'd like to think that Merlin chose familiars to love, and while it's only platonically, I think that love is the most special thing to have for Merlin. Because at the very least, Merlin won't have to wake up one day and find that their familiars are gone.

Maybe she's lost a loved one before, and over and over again, and they're traumatized by it. You know, at this point you can just assume I'm talking about my version of Merlin.

Even if Merlin were to engage romantically, they would probably sought for immortals like them, hence Celestials or...Hypogeans, maybe. (for me at least)

(I mean, Wilders and Maulers also probably live for hundreds of years, but they still die- WHY IS THE LIFESPAN AND TIMELINE SO CONFUSING?!)

The idea of Merlin not wanting to lose their partner is kinda engraved in my mind and you can't stop me.

What I'm saying is, Merlin has done so many things over the years. Being recognized as Esperia's greatest mage. One of the professors at Casseedee's Academy. Their stories go all over the lands....

and in return....

Merlin lost something more valuable. Possibly their mortality and memories. I dead set that Merlin may have traded those in order to become the most powerful, and before they know it....they've lost quite a lot.

And as of present day, Merlin forgets again and again, and deep inside them, an immense sense of regret, longing, lost and hopelessness. So they try to focus on the present, and the people around them.

You know, it would be nice if Merlin's amnestic side is shown sometimes, but I guess that's too much work. Oh well. Would be a little interesting, though. Like, maybe more of Chippy and Hammie comforting us. Yes, please. I'd like that.

Man...the game started a few months ago, so Merlin's lore isn't exactly much...why did I even do this...?

Thanks for your time! Have a lovely day!

[your-name-is-jim]

What a Kirk/Spock shipper sees in a Kirk/Female-Love-Interest story [PART 1/2]

[Part 2]

This is a pretty long post in two parts, so I hope you'll find it interesting. Don't worry, I shared a lot of pictures too! :)

First of all, what is it about?

An analysis about a 32-pages comic published in 2020 by IDW Publishing. More specifically, I'm talking about the Valentine's Day special from the comics series Star Trek: Year Five that I recommended here. The title of this story is Captains of Sea and War, and this is the official summary:

"James T. Kirk has had many loves during his mission among the stars, but this time he may have met his match in fellow Starfleet Captain Laura Rhone."

As I said in my review of Star Trek: Year Five, this Valentine's Day special is not linked to anything else in the main comics series. That means it can be read alone or, on the contrary, it can be skipped if you're only interested in the series (where Kirk doesn't have love interests, by the way).

Do I recommend this comic issue?

It depends on your preference! Just like the rest of Star Trek: Year Five series, the art is great and so is the characterization, at least most of the times. Jim is written as a romantic book lover and definitely not as a womanizer. However, if you only ship Kirk/Spock or you're not into Kirk romance with women in general, I believe you should avoid wasting your time and money. Just read my analysis if you're curious! :)

Why am I talking about this? And why as a Kirk/Spock shipper?

Good question. The short answer is that I read this comic and I have a lot of thoughts about it.

The long answer is that I love TOS Kirk and I'm interested in him as a character, romantic scenarios included. Since Kirk/Spock is my OTP, I can't suddenly take my slash goggles off, so I already knew before reading this comic that I'm not exactly the target audience and nothing is ever going to convince me that Spock isn't The One for Kirk. However, it was an interesting reading in multiple ways, so I'd like to say why!

I want to be 100% clear about my Kirk/Spock preference because even if I will try to talk objectively about the comic to a certain degree, this analysis is biased; if you don't like Kirk/Spock, this is NOT the post for you. That said, you may not see the point in a K/S shipper writing an analysis about a romance between Kirk and a female character, but… well, unless someday they'll release official Kirk/Spock comics, this is all we have.

There are two reasons why I read this story despite being pretty much a monoshipper when it comes to Kirk:

I had already read the main comics series and I liked it a lot, so I wanted to give this special a try.

I thought it was probably going to be okay, because in my headcanon Kirk and Spock don't actually get together until The Motion Picture. Kirk has a lot of love interests before that movie, so adding another one doesn't really bother me. It turned out (as I'll mention later) that I wasn't completely right about the era, but I take Star Trek comics as "extras", so I just ignore what I don't like.

Note: this analysis contains SPOILERS from the entire Valentine's Day special.

However, it does not contain spoilers from the main Star Trek: Year Five comics series. So, if you're planning to read that one, you're safe here! Just avoid this post if you don't want spoilers about the Valentine's Day issue.

Okay, are you ready? Let's go!

So, Jim is on shore leave with Bones. As you can see, the moment a pretty woman gets close to them, Bones leaves, because he's a great friend :)

We already know from the summary that the woman who talks to Jim is Captain Laura Rhone. Now, I'm already going to stop here to take a moment to at least appreciate the creators' effort: as someone interested in fictional writing, I must admit that creating a Valentine's Day special in 2020 about James T. Kirk finding love is an extremely hard task, to put it mildly. Seriously, if it can't be Spock (or the Enterprise :P), how the hell do you even do it? Are you going to give Jim another woman-of-the-week who's going to die? Another blond white woman? Another woman who forces him to choose between her and his ship? Or, on the contrary, a woman who'll choose for him and break up because she knows he wants the Enterprise?

NO.

Star Trek TOS was made in the 1960s, but we're in the 2020s now. Fans are tired to see always the same tropes with female love interests, and some of those tropes are just very outdated. So what does this comic do? Well, first of all, fixing what didn't work in Turnabout Intruder. Oh, let me get this straight: overall, I like Turnabout Intruder. I love the canon bodyswap, and I lost count of how many times I quoted "You are closer to the Captain than anyone in the universe" in my Kirk/Spock fan-fictions. However, there's no way that in the 2020s we're going to believe that a positive future means this:

In the Valentine's Day comic, Janice Lester still exists (she's mentioned once in a dialogue), but since Laura Rhone is a very good Starfleet captain around the same time, I believe we're now supposed to think that Janice was one crazy person who was never going to become a captain because of her personality and behavior, not because she's a woman. This is actually how I've always liked to mentally re-write this part of Turnabout Intruder in my head, because that's how I want to imagine it.

Anyway, back to the comic. Captain Laura Rhone is on shore leave too; she recognizes Captain James T. Kirk and she decides to introduce herself to him. She's very straightforward about her interest in him, so we immediately see that part of her personality.

Of course, the two captains can't enjoy their shore leave until the end. I'm posting this part to appreciate Bones in his beach clothes and Laura's very loyal Andorian officer who slips ("Laura! I mean, Ma'am!") when she sees her Captain in danger and oh whoops now I ship them. She doesn't remind me of anyone, I don't know what you're talking about.

Anyway, wrong ship. I'm obviously not following what the story is trying to tell me, because this is what happens next:

Just a moment to appreciate sleeping Jim. Cute.

So, after that night together, Jim and Laura don't see each other for 6 months. They meet again when the Drake, Laura's starship, has a battle against a group of space pirates and the Enterprise intervenes without consulting Laura first. Laura and Jim have a slight fight about that, but Jim apologizes, and it ends with them in bed again.

After that, because Jim is a romantic man, not a womanizer, and thank goodness the creators of this comic know, Jim asks Laura on a date. As they're walking together on a planet, Laura points out that they're doing things in the wrong order. Jim's reply is rather interesting: he asks her if they need to know what they're doing, and if there has to be a shape or a meaning to it. It's the first sign that even if they're both obviously attracted to each other, Jim is unsure about the kind of relationship he wants with her. When I think about his previous experiences, I believe it makes sense. He may be a romantic at heart, but he suffered so much for love that I can see why he's trying to be careful. There's also another reason, more related to the time this story takes place, which is a few months before the end of Jim's five-year mission. We see it here:

Ah, yes, a typical first date conversation: what Spock talks about. Well done, Jim. Saying "a friend of mine" doesn't make it less obvious; I did my Star Trek homework and I know you're quoting the basis of Vulcan philosophy to her :D

(Of course, now I won't stop imagining Jim casually mentioning Spock during every single date he has with someone… That would explain why his love stories never last…)

On a serious note, as I was working on this analysis I realized something extremely interesting about the context of Jim's lines. Jim is mentioning IDIC when he's questioning his future as a starship captain. He remembers that Spock talks about Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, but Jim can only do one job. However, what will Spock tell him someday, right next to an IDIC flag?

Now, I don't know if the people who worked on the Valentine's Day comic really thought about this, but I think it's still, well, fascinating that Jim is using Spock's words to think about his own future, but he's following the wrong direction. I believe it's also worth pointing out that Spock will tell Jim that commanding a starship is his "first, best destiny" years after finding his own place in the universe. On the contrary, during the time this comic takes place, Spock is busy with his own inner distress.

Anyway, that's enough Spock for now. Back to Jim's first date with Laura…

So, I started this analysis with a question: how the hell do you write a love story with TOS Kirk in 2020? This is the way this comic tries to answer: you create a female character just like him.

Okay, they look cute together. Laura loves being a starship captain! She loves reading! And dancing! And climbing!

Wait, wait, wait. I appreciate the inclusion of Jim Kirk's canon hobbies. I really do! But aren't we forgetting one?

This is interesting. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this makes me think that they didn't want Laura to have something in common with Spock. Spock is the character who plays chess the most in TOS, so I can see why the creators of the comic didn't want the readers to think about Spock instead of thinking about Jim's girlfriend. That would be too bad, huh? :)

There's also horseback riding missing, but that doesn't appear until the movies, so even if I personally believe that a farm boy like Jim learned how to ride horses when he was young, I can see why they skipped it in this comic. It's also mostly associated to another love interest (Antonia from Generations), but if this is the reason they didn't want to show Jim and Laura riding a horse, I'm just going to think even more that the lack of chess is suspicious, and they're counting Spock as one of the "girlfriends".

On the other hand, since horseback riding is associated to starship captains in TOS and TNG (I don't know about the other Star Trek TV series because I haven't watched them yet), I think it would have been a good idea to have one panel with Jim and Laura riding.

That said, if I had to make a guess about the real reason the comic doesn't show horses… I'm a doctor writer, not an artist, but I believe that drawing horses can be a pain in the ass, so in this comic they just didn't bother haha

Anyway, back to the plot! As I said, Jim and Laura's personalities are very alike. Of course, that doesn't mean they're perfect for each other, but I admit that this premise made me curious when I read this comic. Let's find out if it works out!

I'm posting this picture because of the book Laura is holding: first of all, this is where the title of this story, Captains of Sea and War, comes from. But it's also important to remember the book. You'll see why in Part 2. :)

So, two months later, Jim and Laura trust each other as captains without even talking:

We see Laura's other friend, probably her first officer, trying to warn her, just as Spock does on the Enterprise. I'm taking a little moment to appreciate "Noted, adored, and ignored, Commander", because it's really sweet. Imagine Jim telling this to Spock :D

So, the captains are right, and everything is good, because…

Okay, okay, wait a minute.

Apparently, one of the good things of this relationship is that Jim and Laura make a good team together. They don't even need to communicate to understand each other during a mission. Now… I don't even need to put my K/S goggles on to say that Jim and Spock are canonically one of the best teams in Starfleet, if not The best team. You don't need to ship them to know how many times they understand each other without words in the series, how many times they make plans and just know what the other will do, how many times Spock hears/sees someone that should be Jim and just knows something is wrong, and so on. Of course, as a Kirk/Spock shipper, reading in a Valentine's Day special that making a good team is good for Jim's love life makes me happy!

"Yep. All that sex didn't go to waste."

Jim. Jim. Are you saying that you and Laura are a good team in Starfleet because you had a lot of sex? I'm not even going to say what this makes me think as a K/S shipper… Did I say that Kirk and Spock are the best team? :D

Okay, okay, maybe it's not the same. Because Spock is a man, and Jim isn't attracted to men… right?

Ahem. I lost my mind when I read this for the first time, and I'm going to lose it again.

"There don't seem to have been many ladies in your life. Gentlemen, either." "Well, I've been busy."

Now, let's be honest here: Laura's lines didn't have to be phrased that way. We know Jim likes women, so even nowadays nobody would bat an eye at "there don't seem to have been many ladies in your life"; and if you're the writer of a very heterosexual comic who wants to avoid K/S shippers like me thinking "hehehe, because Jim has a man in his life", you can still write something neutral like "there don't seem to have been many lovers/romantic partners in your life". Or just a generic "it looks like you haven't been on many dates lately".

Laura mentioning "gentlemen" explicitly can make some readers think that men are an actual option for Jim. (Me, I'm "some readers".) Sure, it's not a confirmation, but Jim doesn't deny it. He just says he's been busy. There is room for interpretation in multiple directions, but even if I put my personal preference aside, I think it's important to remember something: in context, in this part of the story, Laura knows Jim. We've seen in a previous panel that they've done a lot of things together. Laura is not a stranger who may say "you don't have a girlfriend… or a boyfriend" because they don't know Jim. Personally, I think it's very likely that Laura asks about ladies and then adds gentlemen because she knows Jim is bisexual with a preference on women. It fits my headcanon for him. (Of course, he can be into anyone, not just men and women, and he has a preference for women because hasn't tried dating Spock yet :D)

Anyway, the other thing that panel points out is that neither captain would give up on their own starship. Well, that's fair.

Okay, okay, I'll be serious: Jim sacrifices the Enterprise in The Search for Spock during an emergency. Of course, it's definitely not a coincidence in the narrative that said emergency happens because Jim is looking for Spock's body. However, we all know how much Jim loves the Enterprise and how bad he feels without a starship, so it's only fair that in normal circumstances, he shouldn't be forced to give up on his "silver lady".

Laura understands that they're the same, so...

This is another thing I appreciated! Who cares about gender norms, a woman can propose to James T. Kirk! :D

Now, just as I said about the "gentlemen" line, it's important to think about the context of this proposal. When the two of them are drinking together, Laura says "I've been asking around about you". That means Jim and Laura's relationship is still casual, to the point that she could have expected him to have flings with other people too. Honestly, this is just my opinion, but I'm not even sure I'd call it exactly an open relationship, because that would still imply a relationship in the first place. I'm mostly referring to the fact that Laura has been asking around about Jim's love life instead of just, you know, asking him? I believe that if they trusted each other and were in an open romantic relationship, either they wouldn't care about each other's partners or they would just talk about it. Since Laura wants to marry Jim and have an exclusive relationship with him, it makes sense for her to bring up Jim's love life. However, I can't really help side-eyeing that "I've been asking around".

Am I reading too much into this? It's possible, but this is another clue about their dynamic that I'll mention later in the story.

Sooo, Laura asks Jim to marry him. What does Jim answer?

Unfortunately, I reached Tumblr limitations of the number of pictures I can share, so… you'll find out in Part 2!

If you're reading my analysis for the Kirk/Spock shipper's point of view, I especially recommend the second half, because that's where things get more interesting! :D

I hope you enjoyed the first part of this analysis! Thank you for reading until the end! See you soon!

Part 2!

[nicejewishcharactershowdown]

Nice Jewish Character Showdown 2023 - Round Two Eliminations

Another round has passed, one I'd liken to a bloodbath, and we're down to 8 competitors in the race for the NJCS 2023 title. Before the quarterfinal votes go live, let's check in with those disqualified contestants and discuss what makes them such Nice Jewish Characters.

Match One Elimination: Cristina Yang, Grey's Anatomy Probably the most well-known Asian Jew in television, Cristina Yang is canonically Jewish, thanks to her step-father who raised her in it (her mother converted). Grey's has a weird relationship with Judaism, like a lot of medical dramas, but it definitely gets points for the rare and definitely appreciated look at how diverse the Jewish population is.

Match Two Elimination: Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof It's the quintessential Jewish musical, it's one of the main reasons we've seen a shtetl-core resurgence, it's Fiddler! It was definitely the match-up of the dads this time around, and as much as I love this man, his success rate in reference to loving and supporting his daughters is, well... not a perfect score. Thank you Sholem Aleichem for the original stories, thank you Chaim Topol for your iconic portrayal in the movie, alongside Zero Mostel, Leonard Nimoy (yes, Nimoy played Tevye for a bit!), Alfred Molina, Harvey Fierstein, Danny Burstein, and many, many more. Nothing truly hits like being a Jew in the diaspora and watching Fiddler. Still bummed I haven't had a chance to see Yiddler, the Yiddish remount. (Oh, and Fiddler tends to be free on Youtube, so if you haven't seen it before -- or want to revisit Anatevka, treat yourself!)

Match Three Elimination: Rebecca Bunch, Crazy Ex Girlfriend *hits top of a car* this baby can fit so many song titles from CEXG in it When looking for representation, it can often feel like no one else is singing your song. Sure, there are the characters whose Judaism is restricted to reminding you that we've suffered, or who become props for some Christmas Special. But then we get a gem in the rough, a girl in love, a Jewish American Princess who moves across the country to follow a former summer camp crush. Crazy Ex Girlfriend was a rarity, and the four season run blessed us with a lot of quality television, and something even rarer -- a multidimensional Jewish lead. If you haven't had a chance to meet Rebecca, the entire show is available to stream on Netflix. And yes, when I realized how much she was losing this round, this song was on loop in my brain. Apologies to Rachel Bloom and the rest of the CEXG team, I seriously thought you'd sweep this thing. What a twisted fate.

Match Four Elimination: Lily Moscovitz, The Princess Diaries Oh, Lily, I think the internet misunderstands you more often than not these days. But to ignore your Jewishness is an absolute faux pas, whether you're looking at the movies or the much more blatantly Jewish representation you get in the books. Seriously though, I can think of at least a handful of Jewish girls I grew up with who remind me of the headstrong public access host. Side note -- to all the girlies who grew up hating their curly hair because of the nightmare of a makeover Mia got, I'm right there with you, and we'll get through this together. Honestly, I think there's something to be said about Jew-coding's relationship with makeover scenes, but we don't have the time for that right now.

Match Five Elimination: Francine Frensky, Arthur I've mentioned before how I grew up on public access television, so is it any surprise when I say that Francine was (probably) the first time I saw myself on television? Even if it didn't come up a lot outside of holiday episodes (at least in the seasons that aired when I watched), Francine's Judaism felt recognizable. Plus, if you told her she was just token representation, she'd probably sock you in the face. Oh, and something I found while researching -- THE GOLEM IS A PLOT POINT IN A HALLOWEEN EPISODE?! Seriously, props to PBS.

Match Six Elimination: Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off Finding good representation in any 80's movie is going to be an uphill battle, considering well. The 80's-ness of it all. So when looking for a good Jewish character, it's much easier to default back to the transitive property of Jewish media (art made by Jews being Jewish by way of their perspective being translated into the text). Since Matthew Broderick, Ferris himself, is Jewish, who's to say the most beloved delinquent of his era isn't too? Plus, he's a stock standard rebel against restrictive institutions. Listen, I have the original Footloose on my coded Jewish representation Letterboxd list, I have no room to judge. *Points to Ferris* That's a NJB right there.

Match Seven Elimination: Truman Burbank, The Truman Show Speaking of my coded Jewish representation Letterboxd list, this movie SCREAMS Judaism to me. Come on -- it's so critical of Christianity that it almost falls backwards into Judaism. Free will in spite of a higher power? Disagreeing with authority so much that you flee your home, your world, your reality? Helps that his hometown is so heavily designed after post-war 50's suburbia, which has its own relationship with being Jewish. So is Truman Jewish? I think he can be -- watch the movie and make the call for yourself. It's a classic for a reason, and I won't rob you of the experience.

Match Eight Elimination: Wall-E, Wall-E Wall-E, my robot blorbo, the most Guy of any Pixar protagonist -- what makes him Jewish? He loves Barbra Streisand, collects tcotchkes, and is relentlessly working to make the world better, even if he's the only one still doing it (tikkun olam has NEVER seen a cuter mascot).

[randomnameless]

i know you said hopes had negative character development for the cast, but who do you think is better in hopes than in houses?

Better like in better writing, or better as in I appreciate them more?

Without a doubt, I'd say Felix and Sylvain who are better in Nopes than their FE16 versions, and in a way... Rhea herself, thanks to having more screentime when she isn't PTSD'ing lol

Call it chauvinism, but Sylvain in Nopes was scrubbed out of everything that made him... unlikable/feel flat in Houses.

His sob story about people only wanting to fuck him for his title/crest really felt... straight out ripped from some High School AU, with John McChad acting like an ass because the only girls who want to date him are interested in his situation as a heir of his dad's big company, and not because they love him. Yay. Great. Perfectly what I'm looking for in my medieval fantasy game where you whack people with swords.

Add to that the focus on crusts being the supposedly only reason why people are lusting over him - and not because, hey, you're a member of one of the most important noble houses in the Kingdom - to play in the general "crust bad" orchestra that can lead on the Supreme path, and the fact it's never ever adressed, and we have... this, which completely, to me, hides the other parts of Sylvain's character - like being someone who thinks outside of the box and resolves to lessen the reliance on his relic to defend the border by... creating a situation where they'll be no tension at the border, aka, a peace with Sreng.

Now, Sylvain works so well in Nopes partly because all of his "wah ladies only want my penis because i'm rich :'( " is erased, so we see a character who takes his duties as the heir of Gautier seriously, assists his Lord and friends and bring "new ideas" to help everyone. Sylvain, under his frivolous appearance and behavior, actually thinks and learns and suggests a lot of things that are quite useful, a bit like a "what if Sain wasn't only interested in courtship, but was raised as a future lord and had insight and suggestions on what to do". So sure, it's not as quirky and memorable as John McChad's sophomore year of school, but it fits better, imo, in the FE series.

As for Felix, well, it's more or less the same, his entire "duh boar bad chivalry bad and stupid - but wait no don't die and i'm sorry to have hit you dad i liked you but I was too busy playing the tsundere that I never got to say it to you before you died" schtick felt... old and annoying in FE16.

Sure, Felix can have his own, personal feelings about Dimitri being a hidden boar, but Felix is also the only heir of Rodrigue, and will become the next Duke Fraldarius, aka the second most important person in the Kingdom after the King himself, and the one tasked to protect it. Should Felix completely ignore his feelings and do what is expected of him, or take his role seriously? No, and Nopes has him give some "boar this, boar that", but Felix isn't a petulant 16 years old who wants to be "edgy" anymore, Felix is the next Duke - something he never shied away from, especially in his FE16 paralogue! - and has to start learning the job, thinking about Faerghus in something else than small jabs thrown at Dimitri and how to protect its people and second the King.

Heck, Felix's support in Nopes with Dimitri where Dimitri confesses about the ghosts, where Felix tries to carry him, the more or less cutscene where the general feeling is him saying to Dimitri he can count and rely on them... Given how FE16's Felix was written, even in AM, I can't see it happen before Rodrigue's death... and yet, in AG, Rodrigue is still alive (his optional death doesn't change those scenes), so when FE16's Felix realises there were more important things to do to help both his friend and country and dad but he only noticed it too late because he was too busy... being edgy, Nopes has him drop the edgy act (not completely drop it though, else it wouldn't be Felix anymore!) and act (lel) as his FE16 self, but only, without needing his dad to die first.

As for Rhea...

Having more screentime seriously helps, just like being allowed to talk about non plot relevant things with someone else than Billy or about Billy, I gushed a lot about the Nabatean paralogue, but it depicts her relaxing with her family (pissing on the "u r the only person i can talk to myself not the archbishop" pandering shit from FE16 even if FEH pissed on it first) and making tiny baby steps at apologising and confessing part of her guilt (for something completely stupid like Seiros the Warrior "borrowing" Cichol's shield to gift it to Willy!) to a member of her family.

Would that mean she would have confessed about the rez Sothis plan to Seteth earlier on? I... don't know, don't think so, and we don't have enough interactions between the two.

Compared to FE16 where she is an oyster until Billy turns green and Seteth nags her again and again and again, here she willingly makes the first step to apologise... sure, it's for something silly and not, resurrecting their mother, but it feels like a small progression (tiny baby steps) from FE16 where she has to be reveal stuff due to forced circumstances.

I also like how it sort of teases (or maybe that's just me lol) Seteth realising that Rhea still misses days long past to an unhealthy degree (tfw too much nostalgia), or just, having to remind her twice that those days are gone. Would he later realise her strange nostalgia hides something more deep, and ultimately her wish to "return" to those days by resurrecting Sothis?

idk, it's fuel for HCs and AUs, but for what it's worth, this paralogue and Nopes in general help flesh out Rhea more than what FE16 does, aka tying 80% of her mentions/appearances to Billy and Sothis.

(hell, in Nopes, she finally has lines with Flayn!)

[alcohen]

on "real" vs. "entertainment" literature

i wrote this a while ago, when discussing this online as one does at 1am, like all well-adjusted people do. I do like my thoughts here though, so i figured i'd share.

~~

I personnally think that separating literature into "real literature" and "literature for entertainment" (and looking down on the latter because it fits into popular "tropes", therefore lacking integrity) is inherently a trap. Let me explain my point of view.

When I think of many, many pieces of literature that are now considered classic, I can't help but notice that they were, for the most part, actually popular with the readers of their time, and that's what ensured that we still hear about them today. Sure, there are some Van Goghs in literature, whose works only became well-known after the author's death, but these are exceptions. There's no canon without the people who appreciated it when it was first written, without an audience to share it. And what do people like? An interesting story. Sometimes it has depth to it (think Camus, L'Etranger), sometimes it's just a good plot without much philosophy behind it (think Pride and Prejudice)--and I'm not trying to be condescending here, I truly believe that both are equally valuable in their own way. What I'm trying to say is that fitting into a popular, well-marketable trope doesn't in and of itself define the worth of a piece of literature. You never know which story will crush your heart and soul and make you stay up at night, thinking of it.

Secondly, independently of the goal the writer has in mind, independently of their writing skills and the depth of the idea they want to convey, ultimately, a book has to be interesting to read. Think of Boris Vian and his Ecume des jours (sorry, don't know the English title)--he wrote a whole novel in which the daily life of the characters is jarring to read about, and still, we read, because the human story behind it keeps us interested. This is what makes good literature, in my opinion: the ability to captivate the reader. The ability to make the audience think, second-guess themselves, come back to the story, or maybe even be unable to come back because it was too emotionally impacting.

The last thing I wanted to address is writing a cliffhanger solely to sell a sequel. I think that the real question here is why we as writers (including myself here) tend to so eagerly condemn this? I understand being mad about it as a reader; however, as writers, why does it piss us off so much? I think that it has to do with our ego, our need to feel superior to other authors, and we find an easy prey: authors who sell well because they adapted what they write for the market. I honestly think that integrity is a secondary question here; it's about us, not them.

Once I understood this about myself, I decided that I don't want to appoint myself the judge of literature. Literature, as any art, can be good or bad; sometimes what I consider bad will sell well and resonate with a lot of people. Who am I to tell them they like the wrong thing? Who am I to say that what shook them to their core is mediocre? They'd probably say the same about my personal favourites, and I'd be rightfully pissed. At the end of the day, there is no measuring stick in art; I choose to uplift those whom I like and ignore those who do nothing for me.

[eileen-crys]

Have you heard whether Deaky gets mentioned at all in Rudi's new book..?

Hi! Ok, so- Yes, in the last days I've been able to give a quick read to Rudi's book thanks to a friend's friend who lent me her ebook haha I'll leave a personal review under the cut at the end of the post.

John is not mentioned very much, when it happens it's usually because the band as a whole gets mentioned, and it's mostly while filming videos, but there are a couple of anecdotes with John worth mentioning imho and that I took screenshots of. Mind you that I'd always take Rudi with a grain of salt (more under the cut) but I personally don't see any issue in these anecdotes.

First we have the band rehearsing at Wembley Arena before the Magic tour, and we have a glimpse of John excusing himself for not coming at Freddie's place with the others, to go home instead 🥺💕

Freddie seemed a bit disappointed but Rudi is quick to remind the readers about their friendship. Phoebe already mentioned in his own book how Freddie and John were close in the studio during this period when they wrote some songs together, but their private lives remained quite separated and Freddie was always respectful of it.

I forgot to screenshot mentions of John during the filming of Breakthru, Rudi recalls how John came up with the idea of having a train in the video, but more than once the whole band was worried of being on the train and John expressed his concern a couple of time, in fear they'd fall down the train while moving! But in the end they had great fun and "John enjoyed the wind in his hair" 😌

And now a sadder bit, after Freddie's passing, during the rehearsals for the tribute concert:

Nothing new for us fans, but I appreciate the respectful tone this is written in. It's also the last time John gets mentioned and it's easy to believe it's the last time Rudi saw him as well.

More Brian-related, but I still found sweet, is Freddie directing the band on the Slightly Mad video and trying to convince them about his ideas:

It's never enough to repeat how Freddie was the peace-maker of the band and I thought this bit on the Slightly Mad set could be a nice example of him convincing his bandmates in the studio about his ideas.

Now, if you want more thoughts on Rudi and the book...

First, I admit I skipped quite rapidly through the book and looked mostly for John anecdotes or things related to the band or about filming the videos, so I haven't properly read the book in its entirety. I jumped a lot through the chapters. However, I must admit I didn't find it terrible as expected and there was an overall tone of genuine admiration and almost naive curiosity about Freddie and about his work. (The book should be titled "Me simping for Freddie" 🤣).

I don't like Rudi as a person, it's no secret, he irks me big time. And his book is FAR from being flawless. It's almost annoying how much, also in the book, he praises himself (yes Rudi your videos are good, we know 😅) or is unaware of how gross or inappropriate some things might be to read black on white. But I didn't read malicious intents, he's truly oblivious about certain things specially regarding gays and how they "work". His chapter "I'm the only hetero among a group of relaxed gays" is still terrible, no cap, but in the entirety of the book it's clear he's had a moment of confusion dictated by wrong prejudices at the time, and def didn't recall it in the best of ways. HOWEVER he also realizes how wrong his moment of fear of getting AIDS through a kiss has been, and admits that while he got scared, it was all because of the ignorance an panic that was diffused at the time, and acknowledges it. Some steps back, some steps forward.

He also clearly enjoys telling coke-related stories, he admits he had an issue with it, it's also a way to admit how normal having coke was and still is in the showbiz but some people might not like to read about it. Be aware.

Rudi has a story of telling lies and exaggerating stuff, bragging about his relationship with Freddie, and seeking attention like a teen, so I'd recommend to take his stories with a grain of salt, but his book to me sounded much different from, say, the terrible LAJ who writes in a scandalistic mocking tone and brags about being best friend with Freddie when she's never been.

While still telling funny stories related to drugs and parties, Rudi pours a lot of pure admiration for Freddie in his book and praises his talent and creativity and good heart, and took also a step back with his Barbara stories, admitting she and Freddie never had sex, and constantly repeating that Freddie was gay and much in love with Winnie first and then Jim. Mary is briefly mentioned, too, but still not as "Freddie's true love yada yada". I was quite confused about the bits where Phoebe tells Rudi that Freddie got sick in Munich and thought was already AIDS but I'd blame more Phoebe for it, recently I can't trust him anymore.

I must admit I was surprised because I expected much worse. I still would recommend it only if you want to collect all books about Freddie and are interested in a new perspective, and if I had to choose between this or LAJ I'd definitely choose Rudi's book. There is also a good dose of anecdotes about the backstages of filming, which I'm a huge fan of, honestly 😅🙏🏻

So, in the end, it's not the best book I'd recommend to a new Queen fan and I would also mention Rudi's habit of not being very reliable, but I wouldn't throw it directly in the fire either.

P. S.: I would throw in the fire all the pages with the abominations that are certain edited photos passed as drawingsto get clout, and I know you know what I'm talking about lol

These are my opinions of course, feel free to agree or disagree but please be polite 🙏🏻💖 I've (kinda) read the book so you didn't have to 😘

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Broken Bloodlines Chapter 1

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Hello everyone! Arc two will now be gradually uploaded (im thinking every saturday but if someone has a better suggestion im all ears) also the chapters for arc two will be shorter for ease of reading.

(i know the general attention span of people has gone down cuz Internet)

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read. (not in this chapter but in future ones)

have fun reading!

and as always reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK's are open so feel free to bother me!)

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What? What did he just say?

I was looking at the man that had just titled himself my brother, 

older brother to be exact.

That couldn't be, could it?

He was a full Blooded elf so technically it could be.

After all, I had no idea what my elven father did before he met my mother and subsequently ditching her.

And looking at him I could see the resemblance, he looked like a colorless and stretched out version of me, including that one stubborn strand of hair that would not leave from my forehead.

Though the rest of his hair was a lot longer than mine

But the fact that he was older likely meant that not only was I a Bastard but also the result of adultery.

Fuck. 

And on top of that i had no idea what to do now, sure he was apparently my brother but i had absolutely no idea how to act.

He was essentially a stranger to me, but at least it didn't seem like he meant harm as he had not brought any weapons with him.

I was struck with the realization that had he done this just a month or so earlier he would have been executed by the old king.

Still, if he'd known about me, why was he here now? And not sooner?

“I- so wait, if you knew about me why did you only come to see me now?

Why not sooner? And why at all? 

You could just have continued to ignore me like you did till now”

He had stopped smiling, but his face still looked like porcelain and kind of unreal.

Maybe that was just an elf trait? 

I'd do my best to ignore the uncanniness of it.

He blinked before answering in the same melodic but kinda monotone voice.

“I did not know about you until recently as my mother told me the things our father did while she was on her deathbed”

Oh, so it had been a dirty little secret until the cheated on elven woman decided to come clean before moving on from this world.

Though there was no emotion in his voice when he mentioned his mother dying.

Strange guy, but I would give him a chance.

I had no idea about elven culture after all, 

So that might be normal for him?

“What else did he do? Don't tell me we have more siblings”

He shook his head slowly and elegantly.

“He died five years ago before he could sire anymore children”

Oh, so both of his parents were dead,  well both of mine were dead too since my mother had been dead for years, but frankly i did not give a fuck about a man i had never met and who decided to ditch my mom.

Then I realized something.

“Wait what's your name? You haven't mentioned it and you know mine so it's only fair if you tell me what to call you”

He seemed slightly surprised for a split second and I was almost sure I had imagined it as his face was as unmoving as ever.

“You can call me Fable, pleased to meet you Brother”

He did a little bow at the end of his sentence that I would attribute to elven culture too but to me it seemed quite unnecessary.

Also Fable surely was not his real name.

I knew Fae folk used aliases a lot as their names held power or whatever, but if he wanted to be called Fable I'd call him that.

Not that i had anything else to call him anyway, 

and the alias did kinda suit him.

“Fable it is then, sounds nice, soo uh, what do you want to do now? 

I could show you the Garden? If you want?”

Yeah, this was awkward, but showing him the garden was something simple and maybe we'd get to talk a bit more,  somewhere were there werent that many people around, maybe get to know the guy a bit more than this weird introduction.

He didn't react much other than a soft nod, so I led him to the door.

Only to almost walk into Rikaad.

“Oh, hey Rikaad, how are you?”

He looked from me to Fable and back.

“I see you met the man that was asking about you”

I nodded and Fable just stood there looking at him, 

I had to tell him that staring at people was considered weird at best and downright rude and creepy at worst.

“I- yeah, this is Fable, apparently he's my half brother”

Rikaad looked to Fable, having to tilt his head up a little at the taller man which he definitely wasn't used to, and then back at me.

“I can kinda see it now that you are standing next to each other, 

but I have to say I was very surprised as an Elf walked in, 

especially with the…history of this Kingdom.

 But i'm glad that that is in the past now, so you two have fun, i have to read some letters Maringand sent”

Letters from maringand? 

I really hoped they did not recognize him from the tower incident.

Eh, surely just bureaucratic nonsense containing congratulations on his new kingship.

“Probably just some paper stuff about you being king now,  though i have no idea why Royalty is so obsessed with that”

He shook his head a little.

“Wish i knew, i for sure do not like it,  and it wastes so much paper that it just takes up way too much space.

Well, i'll be off then, you make sure not to wander too far from the castle,

i still haven't found the paperwork about the Fae ban and i don't want anything to happen to you”

With those words he walked off to what either was his study room or what it was named or wherever they kept the mail.

I turned back to Fable.

“Did you see anything that interests you on your way here? 

We could check that out first if you want?”

He just looked at me for a few seconds before responding.

“I did not see much aside from the plants,  i came in through what i assume is the main door and the walk to the castle itself was rather short”

Right, the main door was maybe a hundred meters away from the castle, so what else could I show him?

Man this was not going well thus far.

Oh, I could show him my favorite rock, I liked to just hang out there after all!

Or was that weird? 

If he thought it was weird I might be able to pass it off as human culture.

Or maybe I could just tell him it was my preferred place as a lookout at, Well, nothing really.

Yeah, I'd do that, and maybe I could ask him a bit more about Ardua,  He was the Elven side of the family after all.

But what if he thought I was an idiot for not knowing stuff?

Maybe I'd try to finally talk to Oakley about it first.

I really did not want to be seen as an idiot not even an hour into meeting him, I'd ask Oakley first for sure.

I also noticed that while we had walked a bit around the castle Fable had not once spoken of his own volition other than when he greeted me.

Maybe he thought it would somehow be rude? I didn't know much about elven culture so maybe the host always had to speak first?

Aside from that, he seemed a bit…vacant, to say the least, 

but not in the way Robin was, more like an empty vessel.

Fable was just there and not interacting with anything around him unless he had to or was told to.

He wasn't even reacting to the cat purposefully walking in his path,  he just stepped over her and she seemed annoyed enough to slink off into the garden again.

Now while I had no idea what Elves were like I had to admit that this was.. Odd, very odd.

Or maybe it was somehow not allowed to interact with another person's pet? Was that rude for Elves?

Maybe he'd just read about human culture and responded how he thought he was supposed to?

It would explain why he was so weird, and the staring thing.

I'd have to tell him that people were unnerved by that.

Maybe some smalltalk would get him to open up a little? 

Even if I hated smalltalk.

“So you said you are my older brother, how old are you then?”

He turned to face me while not breaking his gait whatsoever.

“I am currently twenty-one, and you are as i have been told eighteen,  Is that correct?”

Finally he asked an actual question.

“Yes, im eighteen, as are half of my friends,  I'll introduce you to them later, after i showed you around a little”

I’d title the rock as my favorite lookout, I had no idea if titling it as my preferred sunspot would sound weird or not.

Well, he had to know about Ardua so it might not be? Whatever the case, I did not want to look like more of an idiot than I already was.

Lookout it was then.

And we had already reached it, 

I'd better warn Fable about the ledge though.

“Well, this is one of my favorite places at the castle, the boulder over there makes for a nice lookout and the stone itself has no jagged edges so you can sit on it without having to worry about getting cut.

You do have to be careful about the edge of the cliff though,  it's not a hundred percent stable everywhere so keeping a few meters away might save you from falling down”

He still just stood next to me, but I could see he was looking all over the place, likely taking in the scenery.

Still, his face did not change,  which was weird but maybe elves had different facial cues?

Then he spoke again, albeit still a little monotone.

“It is a pretty place, the rock looks worn down from years of humans walking over it and you can see very far out from here”

He was now looking over the edge of the cliff which was still a good few meters away, I now had to show him that the rock was safe to stand on as long as it wasn't wet.

“Yeah, you can see even further by standing on the rock itself,  don't worry it's really sturdy,  you just have to make sure you don't slip, come on i'll show you”

I walked up the rock and beckoned him to follow which he did.

Standing at the top of the boulder one could see really far away, And really far down too.

Id have to ask someone how tall it was exactly,  surely SOMEone had measured that before.

There was a light breeze blowing, but it was so weak that there was no danger of suddenly getting swept off by it.

“What do you think Fable? Isn't this beautiful? 

Can you see anything cool?”

He walked up next to me and looked far out, likely looking for something of interest, without shielding his eyes from the sun which was a bad idea so I'd make sure to get him to a more shadowy spot after this.

He answered my question, just as monotone as ever.

“I can see a fleet of boats, they have blue and gray flags on their mast’s”

I looked wherever Fable was looking and he was right,  Some maringand ships, big ones too, all lined up in a nice row while sailing along the coast.

“Those are Maringand ships, Maringand is the neighboring kingdom, no idea what they are doing though”

They were in some sort of formation, maybe a sailing exercise?

“Whatever, not our Problem, what do you wanna do next?”

I'd like to get him out of the sun, he was a pale person so he'd definitely get sunburn if he stayed out of the shade too long.

“I do not know what else there is to see, i do not know the area”

Right, he'd never been here before. 

How would he know where anything was? That was really stupid of me.

I'd just show him uhh, Oakleys tower! 

Yes, that was in a more shadowy area too so he wouldn't get sunburn!

“I could show you Oakleys tower? 

Oakley is a friend of mine albeit a weird one, very weird,  but he's an okay guy if a bit silly and annoying at times”

I waved at him to follow and hopped off the rock back onto the grass.

Oh wait Oakley wasn't human either, id better mention that.

“Oakley isn't human, he’s, well i don't know what its called but he has birdlike legs and his arms are wings with a few fingers and a thumb”

Fable just stared at me as expressionless as he'd been since I saw him first like half an hour ago.

“With Wings and Bird Legs he might be a Harpy”

Harpy? I was pretty sure I heard that before, but I thought they had Feathers or something? 

Maybe Oakley was also a Bastard and just didn't wanna tell anyone?

I wasn't about to pry though, He'd helped me too much as that I would invade his privacy like that.

“Well, maybe? I haven't asked him because i thought it was rude, and i've known for a few weeks now so it would just be awkward”

Continuing to walk through the denser trees I noticed Fable had to duck a lot more than I did, well he was taller by like a head.

“Hey, how tall are you anyway? It's something over six feet right?”

Asking for his height surely wasn't considered rude was it? I hoped not.

“I am six foot four exactly”

Was that tall for an elf? I wouldn't ask that though,  I didn't want to be seen as more of an idiot than I was.

“Huh, i'm just five ten, well most of the time”

He seemed confused about the last part and I noticed he did not have an Ardua Bracelet, well Oakley had said they were rare and maybe he didn't know that this was one?

It was possible that they didn't all have the same design after all.

“Il show you what i mean later, here isn't enough space, and i want to show you around the Castle first anyway”

He gave a tiny nod and I shoved one of the bushes a bit to the side to reveal that we had reached Oakleys tower.

The askew building had seen better times but also a lot worse ones.

Oakley really managed to make that dusty hull livable again, 

and he also put a hammock into the old Oak Tree.

It looked a lot nicer than before and I wondered how long it would take him to finish putting his stuff away.

“Donovan!”

I looked at the source of the voice and saw Robin sitting on the ground next to the herbs he had planted.

Right, he'd been busy with this while I went to the castle.

The cat was also there and Robin was using a long leaf of grass to play with her.

Robin didn't know that the pale elf next to me was my brother though, I'd better tell him before he heard it from someone else and got confused.

“Hey Robin! Come here for a sec, i want you to meet Fable”

He tilted his head in confusion and the cat snatched the blade of grass away from him.

He stood up and patted the dirt off of him while me and Fable walked fully into the little clearing that surrounded the tower.

“So this is Fable-”

I pointed at the elf.

“-and uhh turns out he's my half brother?”

Robin looked confusedly between both of us for a few seconds.

“i can kinda see that, you both got the hair thingy”

He motioned to his forehead and I knew exactly what he was speaking of.

He stepped in front of Fable who was almost comically taller than him.

“Are you okay? You are very pale”

Oh, Robin probably had never seen an Albino before, fuck.

I hoped Fable wouldn't take offense to it.

“Robin he's Albino, Pale is normal in that case”

He still seemed a bit confused.

“What's an Albino?”

He didn't even know what an Albino was in the first place, 

I couldn't help but put my hand over my face at this.

“Albinism is just when the body does not make pigments, you know the stuff responsible for hair and skin color, that doesn't work in an Albino”

Now he seemed to get it, but i couldn't blame him,  barely anyone knew what an Albino was as they were really rare.

He turned to Fable with a rather miserable expression.

“Sorry, i didn't know, didn't wanna be rude”

Fable just stared at him for a bit before he answered.

“No offense taken”

Phew, I only now noticed how tense I had gotten,  and that I wouldn't have known what to do if they didn't get along.

Well, it seemed they did as Robin dragged the cat over and presented her to Fable.

“This is the cat that keeps walking around here,  i like her, she's nice and fluffy”

Fable just stared at the Feline,  did they not have cats wherever the Elves lived? Well as far as i knew Humans had been the ones to domesticate the little tigers.

And to the Cats credit she didn't seem to mind that Robin held her like a wet Towel which left her legs dangling over nothing.

“Mrow?”

Fable face was as unmoving as ever if slightly confused,  Maybe Elves really did not have cats like this.

“You can pet her if you want, here like this”

I stretched my arm out and brushed it over the cat's head which caused her to purr.

Fable still didn't do anything, so I decided to be bold and took his arm and put his hand over the cat.

Now he seemed to get it and his slender fingers gently brushed between the cat's ears.

“She is soft”

Robin beamed at that and I couldn't help but smile at it even if Fable's expression was as neutral as ever.

Maybe he just wasn't a very expressive guy.

The cat put one of her paws up and repeatedly bapped at Fable's hand, as if trying to tug it closer, who in turn stopped and withdrew his hand.

“Mrew”

“I think she likes you!”

Robin held her a bit higher and the cat started twisting around to face him only to jump out of his hands and use her claws to climb over him and jump into the next tree.

“No wait, where are you going?”

Welp, cats will be cats,  and maybe she was sour about Fable stopping to pet her.

“She’ll come back later, she always does,  maybe she saw a bird or something”

He nodded and then turned back and excitedly pointed at the little Herb garden.

“Oh I got done with the plants! I put them so that they wouldn't obstruct anything! Do you think Oakley will like it?”

I looked at the stone enclosed patch under one of the windows of the tower.

He had arranged it really pretty, plants growing in between the freshly raked dirt and smelling of a variety of herbs I could only half identify.

I did recognize Parsley sage and thyme though and some rosemary too.

It looked really well done all in all, whatever Barsen was showing him when he had the time really paid off.

“I think he'll love it, hell, I love it, it looks very well made!”

Fable looked over to me for a second before he too took a look at what Robin had done.

“It does seem expertly made”

Was all he said but there really was no need for more words when that already was point on.

“What is expertly made?”

A voice came from above and I looked up to see the familiar winged form of Oakley perched on one of the trees.

He'd come back, and brought a big bundle of stuff with him that hung from a tree branch next to him.

That probably wasn't all of it, but surely the most important stuff for now.

“Oakley! Hey! Look, Robin made you a little herb garden!”

He dropped down from his perch and landed on his feet with practiced ease.

“So I see, practical, now I don't have to run all over the place should I need any of them, thank you little Ginger!”

Robin smiled really wide at the praise while Oakley turned to face me and Fable.

He froze for a second as he saw the Elf though.

“Am I in the right place or did I go wrong somewhere? 

What's an Elf doing in Kamerasca of all places?”

He went up close to Fable and I somehow Doubted that my halfbrother would like that.

“Uhh Oakley that's my halfbrother,  apparently my father had an actual wife before he met my mom”

Oakley blinked a few times in that birdlike manner of his before he looked back and forth between me and Fable.

“Hmmm, well there is an undoubtedly similarity,  I can do a blood test if you want?”

A what? And what for?

“A Blood test? What do you mean by that? What for anyway?”

He tilted his head which once again reminded me of a magpie or crow.

“Basically i can use alchemy to see how exactly you two are related to each other if each of you give me a drop of blood to test it on”

Oh, so he could find out who was related to who if he had a tiny blood sample of each? That was kinda cool.

“i, well I guess we could, what do you say Fable? 

Want to make sure you found the right guy?”

Fable however was just looking at Oakley,  still not moving more than necessary.

Luckily he did answer me rather quickly.

“We can do that,  even if i am fairly certain that i have found the right place”

Seems like my joke didn't land,  maybe he just didn't have any sort of humor though.

Not that I would ever claim to understand whatever Humor Elves had.

Well, I didn't think doing that could harm any of us, so why not?

“Well, why not? Wait,  do you even have the stuff you need to do that here?”

Oakley looked surprised for a second before he reacted.

“Fuckdamnit, i knew i forgot something, no matter you can just each give me a sample and i can do it later while you do... Whatever”

yeah, that sounded more like Oakley,  and we could always get the result at a later point.

He procured two empty vials from somewhere in his cloak that seemed to hold way more than it feasibly should and handed one to me and the other one to Fable.

“Here hold this for a moment i'll be right back”

I looked at it for a moment debating on how the fuck i would get any of my blood into the vial while Oakley dragged the Bundle he brought trough the door with Robins help.

I glanced over at Fable who had opened his mouth and used one of his fangs to prick his thumb before he held it over the vial.

Smart, and also he had the same Fangs I did. 

I don't know why but I had expected them to be thinner.

Maybe because he was a lanky guy.

But using his fang was a good idea so I tried the same.

I had to press a bit more than I thought as the skin was rather thick so I was a bit surprised when I finally managed to get through.

I might have went a little deeper than i wanted and it bled like fuck but at least i got enough to put in the vial.

“I would have given you tools to do that! You couldn't wait a minute???”

Both of us looked back at Oakley who had emerged from his tower and held a pair of needles in his hands.

Oh, yeah, why did I think he wouldn't give us something to do that properly?

That was really dumb from both of us, but at least i wasn't the only one.

Oakley pulled a bit of thin bandages out of his cloak and tossed them to me.

“Fucks sake, what did you even use? 

Make sure that's clean and bandaged”

He then took the vials and went back inside where I could hear something clattering as well as a few curse words that followed immediately after.

Robin walked out after that, holding the cat again who had some weird herbs in her mouth.

Catnip no doubt.

“Sorry Oakley, I will try and keep a better eye on her!”

“Did you even name the little menace? You ought to do that soon or she'll only respond to cat, Now Scram! All of you!”

I turned to Fable who had put bandaged his thumb in the meantime.

“I think we ought to leave, besides we can get whatever the result is later”

I dragged Fable away from the tower while Robin went to bring the cat back to the castle, not that she would stay there if she didn't want to.

So now we were in the middle of the small woods that grew in the Garden.

“Soo uhh i basically showed you the only two interesting things in the Garden, there might be more but i don't know where,  i’d have to ask Barsen about that” 

Fable just looked at me and silently held out the rest of the bandages.

Oh, right, my thumb was still bleeding but I had gotten lucky and none of it got on my clothes.

“Thank you”

I unraveled part of the bandage and then wrapped it around the bleeding finger, making sure it held and wouldn't slide off.

Then I realized I had nothing to cut the rest of the bandage with, 

well time to use my teeth again.

I really hadn't realized how sharp they actually were,  or how useful they were when there was nothing else to cut stuff.

Fable was just standing there, seeming awkwardly out of place.

Well what else was there to do? I could see if we were able to find Barsen and ask him if there were any cool spots?

Or we could go back to the castle and I'd show him where I was staying.

Yeah that seemed like a good idea,  and if we did meet Barsen on the way I could still ask.

“Well I have no idea what time it is but I think we'll go back to the castle and see whatever Oakley did tomorrow?”

Fable just gave a slow nod and I led him back towards the castle.

I did not see Barsen anywhere so instead I opted to show Fable the shed where I was staying.

I would not call it a shed in front of him though, I didn't want him to think the people here were mean and made me sleep in some random shed.

Which also reminded me that I had no idea where Fable was staying,  Did he have anywhere to stay here?

If not I would ask Rikaad if there was a room that he could use, 

or he probably could use the Loft thing in my room.

I had no idea how Fable was about privacy though,  it was very possible that he'd prefer to have a room to himself.

Eh, for now I'd show him my place and then offer to let him stay there.

I still thought that the castle itself was an impressive build especially with being right on top of a cliff.

Looking over at Fable I saw that he was looking at something up ahead while we walked.

Craning my neck a little I tried to see what had captured his attention.

It was Nea, with a pair of crutches since her foot was still not very usable, and she was threatening Arthur with them.

Arthur himself was not very happy about that,  especially as Nea managed to land a hit with the bottom of one of the crutches right to his abdomen.

Ouch, that had to hurt, I knew very well that Nea could pack a punch.

Oh wait neither of them had seen Fable yet,  i'd better tell them then, especially the stab happy Nea.

Both were Guards and seeing a random person that definitely wasn't from the area in the middle of the castle would probably set off alarm bells in their heads.

Also I did not want either of them to punch Fable.

So I motioned to Fable that he should follow me and walked up to the two arguing Humans who stopped as soon as they saw me.

Nea still managed to jab his foot with her crutches though, earning an angry glare, before waving at me.

“Oi who's that with ya? I never seen a fellow that pale, or tall”

People really liked to point out that Fable was pale huh.

And Nea was of course as gruff as always, and on top of that no doubt still sour about being told to take it easy with her foot.

“I-uh that's Fable, as it turns out he's my half brother”

Nea simply gave a thumbs up and sat back down on the bench that was behind her while Arthur just stared back and forth between me and Fable.

Right, Arthur had the habit of being rather hostile to new people, especially to ones taller than him.

As I kind of had Expected Arthur came a bit closer and looked at Fable with narrowed eyes.

To Fable's credit he did not react negatively to being scrutinized like this.

In fact he did not react at all besides staring right in Arthur's face who seemed to get uneasy after a few seconds of this.

Then Nea hit his back with one of the crutches.

“Leave ta Pale guy in peace ya dumbass! 

Ya ought to be more friendly to folks!”

Arthur did not take well to being assaulted like this though.

“OW! Stop hitting me!”

Nea stood back up at that and menacingly waved one of the crutches in his direction.

“I'll stop hitting ya when ya stop fussin’!”

Oh, had Arthur tried to tell her she shouldn't be outside right now?

“You're Not even supposed to be out here!”

Yep, he did, oh well not my problem.

And at least neither were now negatively engaging with Fable.

Instead they were negatively engaging with each other.

Fable however must be really confused by this display and I debated just leaving while Nea was beating Arthur with a now slightly bent crutch.

“Ow! Ow! Stop that! 

I'm only here cuz the medics said to get you back inside!”

While they were busy I turned back to Fable who was just watching this unfold in front of him with the same unemotional expression as always.

“Yeah, sorry, we can just leave and talk to both of them later,  when they are not in the same vicinity”

“Oi ya two dun have ta leave, i'll shut him up in a sec!”

I looked back at Nea who had grabbed Arthur and was wrangling him into a chokehold.

He did not look happy at that and tried to wriggle free but Nea had a tight grip on him.

Also his face started to get a bit red and I doubted he got enough air.

She'd let him go should he faint though, at least I was sure of it.

“Yeah uhh i'm not gonna ask what's going on,  i really just wanted to introduce Fable”

I pointed at the Elf who gave a polite bow.

“Well, hello! How'd you like tha place so far?”

It was astounding that Nea could carry a normal conversation while having someone in a chokehold, but it was Nea so why was I surprised?

And at least Fable gave a somewhat direct answer for once, 

maybe he was a tiny bit intimidated by her, 

I wouldn't blame him if that was the case.

“The castle seems very well kept and the Garden is taken good care of, it is a fine place to be”

Nea stared at him for a second, then laughed.

“Ya don't gotta be so polite with me, i might be a high ranking Guard but ya don't have ta be such a mannerly fella!”

She dropped Arthur, who went down to the ground with a strangled wheeze, and grabbed both of her Crutches and for the first time seeing her today used them as she was supposed to.

“Well, I see like three medics glaring at me through tha window,  so I better head back, see ya some other time!”

Looking at the castle it took me a few seconds to see what she meant but then I noticed that there were indeed a few people in medicinal getup looking out of one of the windows.

Nea herself walked at a brisk pace back inside,  damn despite only having one functional foot she was really fast.

“That's what it took? Really?”

Wheezed a form on the ground and I looked down to see Arthur holding a hand to his throat and using the bench to pull himself up with his other one.

“Are you okay? I know Nea is unreasonably strong”

He muttered a few expletives under his breath before answering for real.

“Well the only thing hurt is my pride, and neck, but im fine otherwise”

I could see that his throat was rather pink in the places Nea had held him, and his face was still a bit red too.

“Yeah, you look like you've been hanged”

He glared at me for that comment.

“Not helping, at all, so wait a second that guy there is your brother? 

Did I hear that right or did Nea squeeze a bit too hard?”

He seemed a bit winded but Nea definitely did not hold him that strongly.

“No, i mean, yes that's my Half brother, 

and no i don't think Nea squeezed you that badly”

Well I fumbled that one badly.

Arthur stood up completely and stood once again in front of Fable,  this time without narrowed eyes, and looked up at him.

“You are tall as fuck,  and i didn't think i'd meet anyone with pointier ears than he has”

For someone who used to be royalty he sure didn't act like it, he was actually rather rude but that's just how he was.

Maybe living life with other people trying to mold him into something he wasn't had left its mark and now he refused to be polite out of principle.

Whatever the case,  I wished he'd shove that attitude aside at least for a little bit.

But Fable gave no indication that this comment bothered him in any way.

But then again his face barely moved at all unless he was talking, 

it was like a mask and a tiny bit unnerving if i was honest.

But I did not let that bother me, sure it was a bit hard to figure out what he was thinking but aside from that he was a really polite person.

Or maybe he was afraid of fucking up like i was.

Maybe introducing him to Arthur without telling the shorter man about it beforehand was a bad idea, maybe we'd better leave now.

“Well i was just about to show Fable where im staying, 

you can continue with whatever you were doing though”

Arthur looked back at me then.

“Yeah, sure, my neck hurts now anyway so im going to check with a nurse to make sure Nea didn't strain it too bad, 

you have fun or whatever”

He walked off into the castle while carefully holding his neck and i turned back to Fable ready to apologize for Arthur's dumb behavior. 

“Don't mind him, he's not usually like that,  he's just sour about Nea putting him in a chokehold”

Fable looked over to where Arthur had vanished for a second.

“That does seem like something to get upset about”

His comment was as monotone as it seemed to always be and I wondered for a brief moment if he'd ever suffered a throat injury.

If he did then i wouldn't bring it up,  though there were no scars anywhere on him that i could see.

There was also the possibility that he was just like that,  or he was afraid of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.

Well the last part was rather relatable so i wouldn't be surprised.

I led him back around the castle towards my place trying to remember if I had left anything just lying on the floor and if I put all the dishes away from when Robin or the others were there to chat.

The only thing I could come up with from the top of my head was that there was a dirt-filled mug that had some wood sorrels,  or as Barsen had called them Oxalis, growing out of it that Robin had left on one of the mostly empty shelves.

Whatever, I'm sure it would be fine, I wasn't a messy person by any means, that and I didn't have much stuff to begin with.

Maybe that's why Oakley had called me a minimalist when he entered the shed for the first time.

Maybe I should call him messy as soon as he was done cramming all his stuff in the tower.

I was really glad that the entrance also had a smaller door that could be used by anyone not Ardua or Giant.

Even if it took a whole day to get installed I found it worth it,  and the carpenter was paid a fair amount for it too.

Opening it I thought that maybe I should install a lock too at some point.

Whatever, I'd show Fable my place and then offer to let him stay in the loft thing that I rarely used.

I noticed that the doorframe was exactly as tall as him,  any smaller and he'd have to duck.

Looking around my room i was glad that i had taken a broom to it just yesterday as it had been dusty as fuck.

I turned back to face Fable who was  looking around a bit.

“Well, this is my place, what do you think? 

Sorry if its a little messy i didn't expect company”

He looked around for a second or so more before he answered.

“You have quite the big room all for yourself,  they must hold you in high regard”

Well that was not what i had expected him to say, but his comment got me thinking.

DID they hold me in high regard? 

This was literally just a repurposed shed.

But they could have told me to go into Human form and sleep like that in one of the normal rooms like everyone else.

But they had taken the time and resources to help me build this,  and had asked for nothing in return.

Well aside from the fact that i got used as a mattress sometimes.

I still wasn't used to actually having friends huh.

But I did my best to help them too when they needed it.

Especially Robin who sometimes wanted to just hide from the world.

In the week since the first incident with his panic attack hed only asked once to be hidden away after a storm had hit the castle.

There had been no damages but it sure had been scary,  especially for someone as small as Robin.

That was also something i wasn't sure if i could talk to Fable about it, I was a hybrid so he might not have the doubled organs and if I started talking about eating people he'd think me crazy or a monster.

Then again it might also be plain rude in elven culture to do something like that, if they even could.

Yeah, I'd better not mention THAT part to him.

“I mean I guess? They are my friends after all,  oh by the way do you already have a place to stay? 

If not you can just take the loft over there, i rarely use it anyway”

I pointed to the ladder that went up to the aforementioned loft.

Fable Just nodded.

“I do not have prepared a place to stay, thank you for the offer,  i will accept it with gratitude”

He really was a mannerly guy huh,  He had even closed the door behind him.

“Well, is there anything you want to do? So far I just showed you around a bit, but what's something you want to do?”

He just looked at me, seemingly not understanding for a few seconds before he cautiously answered.

“I don't know what there even is to do in this place,  but if you have a library i would like to spend time there”

A library? I'm sure the castle had one,  if i found it in that absolute nightmare of a floorplan.

But hey! Fable finally had decided on something on his own! 

Even if books weren't my type as I found most of them boring.

But maybe that was only because I was a slow reader and didn't have the patience for some of the thicker tomes.

“Sure! I'm not entirely certain where exactly in the castle it is but we'll find someone to ask, also just to warn you the floorplan of this building is an absolute nightmare and i think the architect might have been drunk”

Fable just stared at me, he really had no sense of humor huh?

Whatever, I tried, now to find someone that knew where on this nightmarish layout of rooms.

I led Fable back outside and debated for a second if we should go through the door right beside the shed or the main one.

There was a higher possibility of us finding someone if we went to the main one so that was the best bet I figured.

Going back to the front I got distracted by a commotion at the Gate that was built into the protective wall that surrounded the castle.

——————————————————————————

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

[awlfan]

A Wonderful Life Gustafa/Farmer: Works In Progress

(These stories will be uploaded on their own with proper titles when they are absolutely complete.)

Untitled Gustafa/Melody 1

Melody thought on how she didn't really meet everyone the other day. Sure, she got a few words in with the residents here and there and they all knew her name now, but they didn't really know each other yet. If she was going to do this whole starting fresh thing right, she would have to make some friends. Stepping out of her new farm, the young woman pondered who she should talk to first. As she took to the path, she spotted someone who she wasn't truly introduced to yet. "Oh, the guy playing guitar? That’s Gustafa. He’s a real character, always strummin’ some tune or another."

That's how Takakura had described him when she heard his music from behind a tree. If she hadn't been so tired... and worried about interrupting him, she'd have approached him then. But now she had a decent amount of energy and he was facing her this time, albeit from a distance. Making her way down the path, she gave a wave to the bearded man, who gave her a nod in return. He couldn't really wave and play his guitar at the same time. As she drew closer, she could better hear his music. It was a nice, relaxing little tune with lyrics about magic and nature. "Hey there, sister," Gustafa greeted before she could, looking up from his spot in the grass. "You must be Melody. Ha ha. I've always liked melodies, in case you couldn't tell." "O-oh. We should get along then," Melody smiled, but with a hint of nervousness. "Right on. I'm Gustafa. I didn't catch you the other day." "Sorry," she frowned, looking away. "I was afraid of interrupting you. I don't want you to think I was ignoring you." "Woooah there. You need to relax. I don't think that at all. It's all groovy, man." "Oh." Melody sighed into a nervous laugh. "You mind if I sit here?" "Go right ahead," he smiled and continued to strum on his guitar. "Did you want to listen or...?" "I... was hoping to talk to you. S-since I'm new here, I was hoping to make some friends... not that I'm insinuating you have to be my friend or anything! I just meant it would be nice to have- I mean! ... " Gustafa chuckled at the poor woman's display. "No need to worry, my friend. We can chat as much as you want. What's up?" "O-oh, not much," she rubbed her arm, avoiding eye contact. "Well, I mean... actually a lot. With the farm and everything. But I don't want to bore you with my life story or anything." Gustafa chuckled as he strummed away. "Like I said, there's no need to worry. Talk to your heart's desire. As long as I can keep playing, everything's groovy." "O-oh. Okay," Melody smiled slightly. He seemed genuine. "Well, my dad used to tell me about a farm he ran with Takakura way back when. I've always been curious about it and after he passed and I was having some trouble, I figured I'd start fresh here. I already have a cow and a dog!" "Far out, man. I love animals. They can have a better appreciation for music than humans sometimes." "You really like music, huh?" "Mm-hm," he hummed. "Me too!" Melody chirped. "Really?" he looked up to her with a smile. "Groovy, man. Groovy. So, what do you think of my music? Is it your scene?" "It's really relaxing, actually. It's like... calm with a little bit of bounce? Not a boring kind of calm, but calm... I like it! I listen to different kinds of music based on what I'm doing or feeling, so I guess I'd say it's my scene sometimes." "I'm glad to hear that. I really dig relaxing music the most. Nothing like zoning out and letting the music take you away." "It is a nice feeling," Melody smiled. "Yours definitely has that vibe." "Thanks, man. I try to make music that people can lose their worries to." Well, it's certainly working for me," she added. "I think I'm having an easier time talking to you than most... I hope that's not weird for you or anything. I just have autism and talking to people can make me nervous." "Nah, man. Glad I could help out. Feel free to listen to my tunes as long as you like." With that, Gustafa resumed singing as Melody let the calming effect take hold. After another song, Melody spoke up. "Hey, Gustafa?" "Yeah?" "I think I should probably get going. If I stay here all day, I won't get to know anyone else," she chuckled. "No problem, Melody. Thanks for chilling with me. Stop by again anytime." Giving him a nod, Melody stood and left with a smile. She hoped her other interactions could go half as well.

Untitled Gustafa/Melody 2

"Hi, Miss Melody!" young Hugh called from the forest path adjacent to her farm, waving enthusiastically. "Oh! Hi, Hugh!" Melody chirped and waved back, happy to be acknowledged, but curious as to why he addressed her this time. "Are you takin' a break soon?" "I am, actually. Why do you ask?" The child beamed, revealing missing teeth. "Can you play with me?! Mom got me a doctor's kit! It has a sthte-thoscope and everything!" "Well, I was actually about to visit a friend. Maybe we can play later?" she offered with a sheepish smile. "Aw," the little boy slumped. "That's what everyone else said." Melody frowned softly, not wanting to let the kid down. She really would play with him later, but she couldn't prove that. "Maybe we can play together at Gustafa's yurt? I told him I'd visit today and I doubt he'd mind a surprise visitor!" "Okay!" Hugh chirped before shouting, "Race you!" Melody laughed and ran after the boy, wondering if she could actually win if she tried. The kid was trained by an athlete after all. "Yay! I won!" the boy jumped up and down upon reaching Gustafa's yurt. Gustafa chuckled as he watched the boy celebrate before turning his attention to the young woman playfully huffing and puffing behind him. "Aw, man! I lost!" Melody snapped her fingers in mock frustration. "No worries, Melody," Gustafa assured. "Hugh here is a running professional. It'll take some serious training to take him on." "Yeah, maybe I'll stand a chance in a few years." "Don't worry, Miss! You just need to practice! Practice makes perfect! That's what Dad says!" Hugh chirped. Melody nodded and gave Gustafa a wink once she was sure he was looking. It was nice of him to join in. Gustafa nodded in return before properly initiating conversation. "So, are you two going to race all day?" he smiled. "Good exercise, man."

Melody smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Actually, I think Hugh wanted to play doctor." The child nodded and presented the toy doctor's kit. "But I didn't want to go back on our visit," Melody continued. "So I figured we could all play together." Hugh and Melody both looked to Gustafa with pleading eyes. The man laughed and placed his guitar back on its strap. "How can I say no to those faces?" he remarked as he stood, walking over to Hugh. "So, what do we do first, Doctor?" The boy smiled widely, bouncing up and down in place. "Okay! So, so! I need to give you an examination! You're gonna be my assistant and I need to make sure you're healthy first. Sit down while I examine you." "Sure thing, Doctor," Gustafa chuckled and sat on one of the little wooden seats he rarely used. Something about sitting in grass, man... "Okay! I'm gonna take your tempature first." The child opened the little plastic case and took out a little strip, standing on his tip toes to place it on Gustafa's forehead, tilting his hat up a bit. "Hmm..." Hugh hummed as he 'read' the strip. "Good tempature!" Taking the strip back, he rummaged through the kit. "What do you do next, Doctor?" Melody asked, leaning against Gustafa's usual tree as she observed. This was adorable. Gustafa really was the sweetest guy... "Reflexes," Hugh chirped, proudly holding up the little toy mallet. "Will it hurt?" Gustafa feigned worry. "Nope! It'll just be a little tap," Hugh assured as he gave Gustafa's knee a little tap. Though he was hit in the wrong spot, the musician still kicked his leg. "See?! Didn't hurt!" Hugh repeated as he did the same for the other knee. Gustafa did as he did before. "Your reflexes are good!" Hugh nodded.

Melody giggled. This really was the cutest thing! "You're being a very good boy, Gustafa," she couldn't help but tease. "I'm just setting a good example for you," he teased right back. "Now we gotta check your heart," Hugh informed as he pulled out the toy stethoscope. As he placed the stethoscope to Gustafa's chest, he let out a "whoooaaaa." "What is it, Doc?" Gustafa asked. "I can really hear your heart with this!" "Oh, groovy, man. How's it sound?" "Sounds healthy! You're all good, Mister Gustafa! I'm givin' you a clean bill o' health!" the young boy declared with a proud pose of hands on his hips. "Next patient, please." "Thank you, Doctor," Gustafa stood and traded places with Melody. "Okay, assistant! You can take Miss Melody's tempature while I test her reflexes!" Gustafa chuckled with an, "Okay." Digging into the little doctor's kit, the man found the little thermometer strip and knelt down to place it on Melody's forehead. Oh, goodness... He was so close to her... When Hugh tapped Melody's knee, she didn't think to kick, momentarily distracted. "Oh. You might be sick. You didn't kick when I hit your knee," Hugh pointed out as he scratched his head. "Lemme check your tempature. Assistant?" Gustafa handed over the little strip. "Hmmmm... Looks like you got a fever. Let's check your heart to see if that's okay." Placing the stethoscope to her chest, the boy hummed to himself. "It sounds a little different," Hugh blinked, handing the stethoscope to Gustafa. "Oh, dear," the musician played along, placing the pieces in his ears and listening for himself. The stethoscope was so short that Gustafa had to lean in close to use it. This hadn't been a problem with Hugh, but having Gustafa so close was making her feel... different. Good different... Kind of scary different. "Hm?" Gustafa frowned as he listened. BA-BUMP BA-BUMP BA-BUMP "It sounds pretty fast..." he announced, growing concerned. "Are you feeling okay?" While she wanted to assure the two nothing was wrong, Melody found herself tongue tied, only able to nod. "Are you sure? You've gone red too. Do you really have a fever?" He placed his hand to Melody's forehead, feeling the heat radiating from her skin and spreading across her face. "You're pretty warm there, Melody. Maybe we should see Doctor Baddoch." "N-n-no no!" Melody stammered. "I'm fine! I'm fine!"

[bookwyrminspiration]

AH QUIL i completely forgot i meant to respond to your response in entirety but the time has gotten away from me... genuinely did not mean to ignore it for so long haha! i appreciated it a lot!!! i love connecting with people through shared and similar experience!!!! (also i realize i thought i sent another ask or two but when i was writing it it was 3am and i have the vague memory of not sending at least one of them) and yeah! despite the differences it is weird and often difficult to look at all the places where your history has diverged from the root. it's so interesting to hear about your experiences with cultural connection and i mean it makes so much sense, too, in the context of the book: it's babel. i have been sitting around thinking about it since uhhh the day i sent that ask i think! i hadn't known a clue what it was about but now that i know it's about colonialism and language and translation etc etc.... it's a very fitting title like upon first look it took me a minute but then it kind of falls into context: colonialism and religion, the splitting of one language into hundreds of thousands of maybe-even-millions. it makes like absolute perfect sense dude i'm kind of like biting and growling about it. just a little. even though i haven't read the book yet! i was going to try to get ahold of it at the library but all the copies are checked out and there are over 30 holds T-T

No worries! I didn't even notice; I'm always forgetting to properly respond to things for embarrassing lengths of time.

I also love connecting with people, the solidarity and similarities that can be found even though the way we're affected is different. Like, you haven't been taught your language(s) by your parents (yet), mine doesn't know the language and so can't teach me, and yet the result is the same, which is that a language that otherwise would've been as natural to us as breathing is absent. And we can feel and grieve the absence.

It's very interesting to hear about your experiences as well--I know we're focusing on language, because it's Babel, but just in general. Your culture beyond language, both disconnect and what you are connected to. I love learning about others

And yes! The title is incredibly fitting! The dissection and tearing apart of language to its minutiae, the hubris. I must admit I don't know much about the story of Babel, just what I've anecdotally heard, so don't take my Tower of Babel commentary too deeply.

I've also been thinking of title in relation to babble. And the all to common comments on how other languages sound like "babble" and are ridiculous (read: foreign) and are therefore "lesser", and yet despite that belief (which is present in the story), it's so crucial to their world. It is a story about the power of that "babbling", how it's demeaned and condemned and yet their world quite literally cannot safely function without the language and translation powering it. It's a story about languages. That was actually the first connection I made with the title because i had completely forgotten the Tower of Babel was a mythologically important thing, so I figured I'd share. There is so much packed into that title!! Even just the word "babel" sans the additions (Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution)

I hope you can get your hands on a copy soon! If I could lend you my family's copy I would, but alas </3

[beananacake]

The Accidental Princess (Part 1)

Prince Kit x Reader

Summary: A contract has been found, after twenty years, bearing your name and Prince Kit's... bound in matrimony.

Word Count: ~3.4k words

Warnings: lots of ye olde words (maybe they sound pretty cringe??) period-typical misogyny?? that's it???

A/N: Hi, everyone! Yep, I am still on hiatus so updates for this one wouldn't be regular. This is supposed to be a Cinderella 2015 ff but I think the story feels too straightforward so I took some liberties with this one. I'm still using some characters and there will be new ones. It's a pretty different fic compared to Snapshot and Savior. It's a hUGE departure from it. I appreciate your comments and thoughts about this. I'd like to hear whatever it is you have to say about it: from the cringe ye olde words to the period-typical misogyny to the whole chapter if you find it confusing, etc. Not beta'd still so all mistakes are mine. Here is The Accidental Princess! (title subject to change)

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Epilogue

Once upon a time, there was a girl who accidentally married the prince.

That would have been a story to be told for ages, you thought wryly to yourself.

You had met The Brothers Grimm before during one of your travels with your father to the far away land of Prussia. They were an odd sort; old men who you would have never thought to have been the author of the short tales you loved reading as a child. There were semblances of them in their stories, if one judged a person by their looks. Stories of beautiful beginnings followed by sorrow and dread. After all, not every once upon a time ended with a happy ever after.

I wonder how they would have written my story, you thought to yourself as you stood before the king.

You had been summoned to the palace the moment your ship had docked into your home kingdom’s port. There was no preamble as to why you were wanted; they only loaded you into the carriage and had presented you to your monarch without so much as a change of clothing. You were not vain but it would do well to be wearing the proper attire when meeting the king. Instead, you had met him in your leather breeches and your silk dress shirt, which in itself was scandalous, but not as scandalous as knowing the reason why you were there.

“You see, my son is to marry the Grand Duke’s niece but we find ourselves in an unusual predicament,” said the king as he stood from his throne.

You had no voluminous skirt to tuck your hands into when you were nervous. Instead, you only clenched them at your front, holding on to them like a lifeline.

“My secretary has found a marriage certificate binding you and my son in matrimony.” The king said as he stood before you. The king was an old man, stooping now but it did not dampen the commanding aura he had about him. “You had been married to my son for twenty years.”

That would have made you a child of six when you got married but you could not remember anything as far as that. Or anything at all involving a ceremony where you and the prince had been proclaimed married. Surely, there must have been a mistake.

You cowered a little, stepping backward as discreetly as you can. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but it seems I have no idea of this certificate of which you speak.”

“Insolent child!” cried the Grand Duke. He was a stocky-looking man with a shock of blond hair that extended to his jaw and a moustache that twirled on its ends. There was something antagonistic about him. But then again, it was his niece the prince was promised to and he had every right to call you names for your ignorance of the matter.

“My apologies, Grand Duke,” you curtsied.

“Tell me your name once again, child,” commanded the king.

You stood again, keeping your head low in respect for the monarch and said your name.

“If you are who you say you are, then it must be you who signed this contract.” The king waved over a footman and took the scroll from him, unravelling it for you to see.

You looked it over and stopped as you saw the familiar scrawling of your name. It was definitely by your hand when you were six. It was a mess of letters but was discernible enough for them to read your name. Beside it was Prince Kit’s inscription, no better than yours but still enough to be recognized as the kingdom’s future monarch’s writing.

The wax seal between your names brought back a dormant memory.

You watched closely as your father, the king’s diplomat, pour hot wax on the lower part of the parchment. It was a rich blue with gold flecks, a symbol of your country’s opulence. You were always curious as to why he did that ritual of pouring wax and laying his ring on top of it after having both men sign the paper. You had asked him what it was for.

“It is a promise, Y/N,” your father had replied as he took off his signet ring and placed it sigil-down on the paper.

“Like friendship, papa?” you had asked in your small, excitable voice.

Your father had chuckled. “Of a sort. This paper is a memory of that friendship with our country and this country’s king.”

“Can I do it with my friends, papa?” You watched with curious eyes, taking note of the written contents on the piece of parchment even if you were unable to read. It was no matter; your papa will teach you. You were eager to employ this newfound knowledge and practice with your future friendships.

“Of course, mon petit. I shall have to teach you how to write your name so you can sign your promise.”

You had remembered the process. First, your father took a scroll from his sheaf of papers. He signed his name first, then the ambassador. They shook hands. Your father poured hot wax and placed his sigil on the promise then placed it on a different sheaf of papers.

Oh, no.

You recalled the moment. You had visited the palace with your father and he had let you play around the grounds while he conducted business with the king. You found the Prince Kit in the garden alone and approached him with the idea of trying out your newfound way of sealing friendships. You had not realized you plucked a marriage certificate from the Great Study, because, truly, all of your father’s contracts were one and the same and you had assumed as much for all the papers. You had innocently scrawled your name, taking good care in spelling it right as your father had told you. The prince had done the same and with your father’s signet, you sealed your—and the prince’s—fate.

“You recognize it then,” said the king as he snatched the offending paper away.

“Your Majesty—”

“You ambitious girl!” cried the Grand Duke once more and you shut your mouth immediately.

“Grand Duke.” There was a warning edge to the king’s tone. He turned to you once more. “You recognize this certificate.”

“It was not my intention to bind myself in marriage to the prince, Sir.” You swallowed. “My father introduced contracts to me as a way of keeping friendship. As a child of six, I did not know of diplomacy or the legitimacies of binding contracts nor the numerous different kinds of it. I only took the paper as I had assumed all were one and the same. I signed my name and had the prince sign his and stamped it with my father’s signet that he had me hold for safekeeping. I did not know that any agreement signed by the prince and sealed with the royal stamp would be legally binding even at so young an age.”

The silence that echoed in the throne room stretched on. Your boots scraped on the marble floor and you were once again reminded that you were not fit to be presented in front of the king. Women , even common folk, were expected to be in dresses and long skirts. You shunned the article of clothing whenever you were travelling the waters, finding breeches, shirts, and practical boots better than the full hoops of the skirt that often got in the way whenever you walked down the deck of the ship. The sailors were used to seeing you in this garb and did not find it offending at all that you were not dressed like a lady but to the eyes of the king and the Grand Duke and perhaps the many a footman you had passed before entering the throne room, you looked positively bohemian.

“We will keep you in the palace, Y/N,” said the king, which made you look up at him again.

Evidently, the news shocked the Grand Duke as well because he turned to the monarch.

“We will keep you in the palace until we find a solution to this impasse.”

“Of course, Sir,” you only muttered because what else was there to say?

“Surely, you understand the delicacy of this matter. I would not have you proclaiming to the people you are the new princess—or rather, had been their princess for near two decades already.”

You were affronted but you did not show it. You had no right to show indignation towards the king.

“In here, you are contained. You shall still be free to roam the palace grounds as you please but we will not have you out of it. If so, you shall have a chaperone and we would be informed of your itinerary.”

You merely nodded. You were a creature of adventure; the very notion of being confined within palace grounds was comparable to having your wings clipped. But you had started this problem, Y/N, and you must pay for your childish ignorance, you thought to yourself.

You were to set sail with your family again to meet with more foreign dignitaries. It had been your life; travelling from one kingdom to another. You had learned of cultures and languages, of food and dance, and everything it was that you could ever beheld. Your tiny kingdom was beautiful but the world beyond held more possibilities that you never once thought was within your grasp.

Oh, how you would have wanted to walk your father’s footsteps as the kingdom’s new diplomat. You learned from the best; your father had made you his apprentice and had taught you everything he knew of his trade. People still underestimated you. It was unheard of for someone from the fairer sex to be an ambassador, so you never truly tried. You only acted as an adviser to your father within the confines of his office walls, honing your innate talent of persuasion and diplomacy.

“Since I am common folk,” you started, not realizing that you had addressed the king before he addressed you. “Your Majesty, since I am common folk, my presence in the palace will arouse suspicion.”

“It is all being taken care of. My sister’s children will be arriving soon and you shall pose as a guest with them.” He nodded to himself, satisfied with his idea. “You were merely early in your arrival.”

“I would need my trunks with me, Your Majesty. I have arrived empty-handed.”

He looked you from your hair to your boots. “Are all your clothes thus?”

You straightened. “No, Sir. This is what I wear when I am travelling the seas. I do not find it practical to wear a skirt whilst I am on deck and the tides are high.”

“Ah, yes. You travel with your father as he is one of my diplomats. How is he?” He started making his way back to his throne.

“My father is well, I thank you for asking, Your Majesty.” You took a deep breath and watched him. You wiped your palms against your leather breeches.

“You shall send for a missive for your trunks. I cannot have you leaving the palace so soon after we have talked.”

You nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“You may go.”

You curtsied again. “My king,” you genuflected at the monarch before doing the same to the Grand Duke. “Your Grace.”

You stepped backwards, keeping the front of your body towards the king as you slowly went out of the throne room. Once the doors had closed, you blew out a sigh and straightened, only to knock against someone behind you. You turned and gasped, rooted in place.

It was the prince. Prince Kit with his dark hair and intense eyes. He had grown handsome over the years, which shouldn’t surprise you because his father had been a handsome man when he was younger. Kit—were you allowed to address him as Kit in your mind?—had a set look on his face, a bit reminiscent of his father’s gaze as he watched you. Broad of shoulder and fit of body, his muscled legs were encased in tight white breeches and his coat brought out the color of his eyes. They were as blue as the sea and as clear as the sky.

Your husband. What an absurd notion!

“Steady,” he said as he held you by your arms.

You swallowed. As much as you wanted to look away, you cannot. His gaze held you, searching your eyes and quite frankly, perhaps even your soul. Even if you had nothing to hide, you were scared of the things he would find there. Like the matter of you being bound to him in marriage.

Your heart skipped a beat. It had nothing to do with you being nervous at him finding out about your accidental ploy of being married to him but more with the fact that you had never been looked at like how he was looking at you before. Your appearance was unkempt and you had not been able to properly re-braid your hair but something about his stare made you feel like you were much more beautiful than you truly look. He made you feel emotions not even the best of the world could offer and for the life of you, you didn’t know why.

Your knees buckled and you bent down in an ungraceful curtsy. “Your Highness,” you said with a shaky breath. “My apologies.”

“Ah, Kit! I thought the hunt would have run you ragged.” You heard the king as the door opened.

You felt someone grasp at your arm to pull you to your full height and away from the king and the prince. You looked at the prince once more, only to find him looking back at you as well.

Kit was, for all intents and purposes, an apprentice. His whole life he was schooled to be the next king of his father’s kingdom. He was taught to be a soldier to know of battle strategies. He had masters who taught him philosophies and history. He was knowledgeable in at least three languages because his parents had insisted he learn two more so he can converse with more people. He was, essentially, an apprentice monarch. And a king, even one still learning the trade, needed a queen.

Which brought him to the matter at hand. His father had promised his hand to the Grand Duke’s niece, a princess from Zaragoza. He had never met her before and was only sent a portrait that he and his father had looked at and deemed her beautiful. Her country was bountiful and their little territory needed to expand its borders. Marrying a princess from a rich country was the correct step in ensuring the best for the kingdom. It was what his father had done when he married Kit’s mother. It was fortunate that his parents had fallen in love despite the circumstances of how they met.

“I was not aware the Princess Chelina is arriving today,” Kit asked as he pried his eyes away from your retreating figure.

It was unusual for him to see a princess not in their finest clothes , either, especially one from a country that was advertised to him as bountiful and rich. He had no qualms, however, about seeing you in such a state. Clad in what was most likely your undergarments, you were a small person than what your portrait let on. You came only until his nose and even then, you still seemed tinier. Your legs were enclosed in buckskin leather, much like his own when he went hunting, and it made him wonder if maybe you hunted as well. You wore a dress shirt that was tucked in the waistband of your breeches and it accentuated your rounded hips. You wore none of those heeled shoes he knew ladies favored. Instead, you feet were clad in flat boots that went up to your knees and showcased your perfect calves. Albeit you were dressed inappropriately, it did not escape him that you were dressed practically. And sensually, he thought to himself.

You were beautiful in your portrait but in person, you were exquisite. The painter failed to capture the smattering of freckles across your nose or the hints of lightness on your hair. There was a small scar on the side of your cheek that he did not notice when he beheld your picture; perhaps the painter found it wise to not include the blemish lest it deterred him from making an offer of marriage to you, even if it was not his idea to be wed to you.

“Heavens, no. I would never associate myself with that–that thing.” The Grand Duke said, looking at your back in what could only be termed as disgust.

Kit raised a brow. So, you were not the princess. “I would assume that thing would have a name and a purpose?” He looked over at his father. “Father?”

“Walk with me, boy,” was all the king said. “Thank you, Grand Duke. We do not need you in this talk.”

Kit followed his father down the Hall of Portraits. He remembered his lessons of his family’s history, of the important people who had changed the laws and lives of many. King Alphonse. Queen Mariam. Queen Amalie, his mother. He knew it best not to dwell on his mother’s untimely death around his father, who he knew was still mourning her. She had left them so suddenly and they both had not been the same ever since. It did, however, brought them closer.

“Kit,” his father started as they arrived in the garden. “There is a matter I wish for you to know.”

Rarely did his father venture this far into the garden. His mother had kept a small alcove for her personal use, locked away but still kept clean by the royal gardener. Kit often went there when he needed a time for himself. His father did not.

“Yes, father?” Kit asked, watching his father closely as he sat.

“You are promised to Princess Chelina,” he said, to which Kit nodded. “But there is a small matter we must address before you wed her.”

He raised a brow. “Does she not want to be wed?”

“She wishes to be wed to you, Kit. However, we find ourselves at a loss for something you have done twenty years ago.” He patted the space beside him at the bench and Kit sat.

Twenty years ago? He would have been eight by then.

“Are we bringing up old sins, father? Because if we are, I do not remember what I had done at eight years old that would bear remembering.”

“My boy,” the king clasped his son on the shoulder. It was a fatherly touch but also that of a king, a touch that brooked no argument.

“You are already married.”

Kit frowned. Married? Surely, he has not signed anything akin to a marriage agreement.

“Married? I don’t remember meeting the Princess Chelina or signing a marriage contract.”

“It is because you are not married to the Princess of Zaragoza.” The king sighed wistfully. “You had been married for two decades, Kit.”

“Father, I must ask you to speak plainly. I’m married for two decades? And not to the Princess Chelina? Then who am I married to?”

“My boy.” The king looked over at one of the many rooms of the palace. Kit followed the line of his sight and found that he was staring at you. You, in your unusual clothes, watching the sea from your room.

“You have been married to a commoner, to Y/N Y/L/N, since you were eight.”

Y/N. The name sounded familiar to him. And then he knew. He remembered; the girl he had invited inside his mother’s secret garden and had played with under his favorite tree. You had brought a paper to him—a promise of friendship, you had said—and he signed it with no hesitation.

“Y/N is that girl you thought was the Princess Chelina, my boy. And she is your wife.”

He looked at the lone figure inside the palace again.

He was married to you.

[midgardianweasley]

The Royal Ball

The Royal Ball

Loki laufeyson x Fem!reader

Summary: There is an Asgard ball being hosted in the palace, Y/N is yet to find a date to accompany her. She’s disappointed when a certain God doesn’t ask her, however, what happens when he sees someone else getting a little too close for comfort throughout the night?

Warnings: lil bit angsty, self doubt, JEALOUS LOKI, fluffy ending

Word Count: 3.3k

Message/ask if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

Requests are open loves <3

Y/F/N - Your Friend’s Name

It was a beautiful autumn’s day, crisp brown leaves were falling off of the large trees in the courtyard and scattering the cobbled ground. Loki and I had been wandering around for some time now, discussing everything from the books we’ve been reading to the dreams that have come to us in our sleep.

“And then this huge ghost thing was chasing me around the halls! and if that wasn’t weird enough, you popped up-”

“Ah, seeing me in your dreams are we, darling?”  Loki chuckled, taking great pleasure at the fact that he had made an appearance in my subconscious, completely ignoring my distress at being chased by a supernatural being.

“Funny you should say that, right after seeing you, I woke up. The sight must’ve given me quite the scare.” I scoffed, a smile unable to stop itself from making its way onto my face, eyes meeting his, face etched with shock. With a hand to his chest, he spoke again in disbelief.

“You have truly offended me, love. I never knew you had this side to you.”

“What can I say? I’m a woman of many talents.” I winked, nudging his side slightly with my elbow.

“Really? Can you produce illusions?”

“No.”

“Look inside other people’s heads?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Turn yourself into a snake to scare your eight year old brother?”

“I still can’t believe you did that”

“My greatest achievement yet.” He smirked, the memory never failing to amuse him.

His stories always had me in awe of his capabilities, even if it was to give his brother a long-term fear, it was still an incredible talent. Whenever he tells me of his latest adventures or tricks, I always think of how well his title fits him. God of Mischief. Maybe that’s why I liked him much more than what a best friend should, not that I'd ever admit it. Not to him anyway.

We soon found ourselves standing next to one of the windows of the hallway, the crystal clear glass giving a beautiful view of the city of Asgard. From here, you could see the Queen’s gardens, full of flowers in all different colours and types, grass cut to perfection. You could see the families in the town, walking around the different buildings, children playing. It was lovely to watch, seeing everyone enjoy the seasonal weather and the light bounce off of the windows, it was ethereal.

“I never get tired of this.” I sighed, voice only slightly above a whisper

“Tired of what, love?”

“Just, this. This view, this kingdom, it’s incredible.” I looked up at Loki, trying to see if he was seeing the same beauty that I did. He was already looking at me when I met his eyes and upon seeing the way they sparkled, I assumed he did.

“Actually, speaking of the Kingdom, I have something to tell you. There’s-”

Abruptly stopping him from continuing his sentence, voices were heard from the other end of the hallway, though we couldn’t make out the words until they came closer. We gave each other a quick look of confusion before turning to see where the commotion was coming from, hearing the quick and heavy footsteps before being able to put names to the faces.

“Loki! Y/N!” A deep voice bellowed. Was that Thor making all of that noise?

Before I could process any more information, a blur of a pastel pink dress was in my face and hands were placed on my shoulders. I smiled down at the slightly out of breath figure using me as a support stand, it was Y/F/N.

“Wow, Y/F/N, you sound much different than when I spoke to you yesterday, did you drink something funny?” I chuckled, receiving a glare from my friend and a quiet laugh from the God beside me. Thor soon appeared next to Y/F/N, hands on his hips and head thrown back as he tried to compose himself.

“My God, Y/F/N, you run fast.” He pants.

“Care to tell us why you’re both running like madmen through the palace?” Loki speaks, one eyebrow raised in curiosity and what looked a little like concern.

“We..had to..tell you..there’s a ball..next week.” Y/F/N spoke, a bit more stable now, but still in between breaths.

I felt my eyes widen, a ball? I didn’t know Asgard held balls.

“Father is opening up the palace next week to neighbouring kingdoms, in hopes to be closer with them, open Asgard up to more trade opportunities, build relationships and whatnot.” Thor explained, emitting a loud sigh to come from Loki.

“I was just about to tell her, brother. Thank you for interrupting.” He rolled his eyes, half joking, half serious. I reached up and patted his shoulder gently, a small smile on my face.

“Maybe next time Lok” He nodded in response, I didn’t get a chance to comfort him much more before I was being pulled away by Y/F/N. With a small huff of surprise, I gave Loki a glance, silently apologising for our conversation being cut short, receiving a shake of his head in reply, affirming me to not worry about it.

“So.” she begins. “We need to find you a date and a dress. I’m thinking blue. I’m wearing purple so it’s probably best to avoid that one. Hmm. let’s see..oh! I know! we could- Y/N? You listening?” I snapped my head around, not missing the sly smile that was plastered all over my friend’s face.

“Y/F/N, don’t-”

“Loki! He has to be your date. You could wear green and match! If he’s even going to wear green, I'm sure I can get Thor to find out, I assume they’ll get ready together. And black accessories! I have so many ideas.” She clapped her hands, over-excited about the opportunity to plan this evening for us. Except for one minor detail.

“That sounds great, Y/F/N, it sounds wonderful, you’re just missing something.”

“Missing something? Oh, if you mean our hair then i’ve already-”

“No, not our hair. Loki hasn’t asked me, and I doubt he will.” I spoke, the second half coming out more as a whisper, my heart dropping a little at the thought. He’d never really expressed having those kinds of feelings for me and I'd always seen him be close with different girls around the palace, he’ll probably ask one of them.

“He might ask you, you never know what’s around the corner.”

“I guess so, we’ll have to wait and see.”

And that was the last we spoke of it before she went into full planner mode again, while I continued to ponder over all of the thoughts running through my head. I mean, he could ask me, right?

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

He didn’t.

After talking about it with Y/F/N, I had a glimmer of hope that maybe I was wrong, maybe I hadn’t noticed something that she had, that Loki would approach me and ask me to be his company for the evening.

I spent the next couple of days with him, hoping he would ask me, everytime a pause would appear in conversation, maybe he was finally going to do it. And everytime, a little bit of the hope I had, had fizzled out.

I’d even considered other reasons as to why he hadn’t asked, maybe the King didn’t want him and Thor to have dates so that they could mingle with members of the other kingdoms. Of course that theory had flown right out one of the Palace’s windows when Y/F/N told me that Thor was going to be her date. I was right then, he wasn’t wanting to go with me.

I guess I understood, I’m the best friend, we’d always been that. I think a part of me just thought that maybe he, like me, wanted something a little more. Clearly, I was mistaken.

Y/F/N and I had been getting ready for a while now, our hair was styled to perfection, our dresses were on and both of us were fully accessorized. We were looking at ourselves in the mirror, doing spins and curtseys and gushing over how good the other looked.

“You look amazing tonight, Y/N, really. Loki is missing out.”

“Thank you, and I'm sure his date is beautiful.” I spoke, fidgeting with the fabric of my dress, trying to avoid the subject and the twisting knot in my stomach at the thought of him with someone else all night. “You look incredible! You were right to pick purple, it’s definitely your colour.”

“Y/N’s right, you look gorgeous.” Thor declared, leaning against the doorway sporting a black suit and a dark purple tie, the perfect match with his date’s dress. I could feel my eyes light up when seeing how happy the simple, yet effective comment had made Y/F/N. Rushing over, she engulfed Thor in a hug before leaning up slightly and giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Ah and can’t forget, Y/N, you look stunning tonight.” He gestured to me, arm almost scanning me up and down.

“Stop, you’ll make me blush.” I laughed. “You both head off, I’ll catch up.”

“Are you sure? We don’t mind waiting?” Y/F/N questioned.

“Don’t be silly. You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you there.”

With a nod and a wave, they were off. They really did look like a perfect match tonight. I continued to look at myself in the mirror, fixing any stray hairs, flattening any kinks in my dress. Realistically, I was probably trying to prolong leaving for as long as I could. I was excited, but I was turning up on my own while everyone else had someone, it was a bit nerve-wracking. I still wanted to look my best though.

“Stop trying to convince yourself that you look good, you could literally blow an army of men away by looks alone.” A voice spoke, I spun to see who was speaking, the flash of green was enough to decipher who it was.

“You look lovely tonight, darling.” He grinned, the pet name had set off butterflies in my stomach.

“Thank you. As do you.”

“Well, I did put in an effort, nice to know it’s appreciated.” He joked, a breathy laugh left my lips, entertained by his words.

“Yes, well, I'm sure plenty of others will too.”

“The eyes will never leave me, I'm sure. Unless they’re on you, then I'd be surprised if I get even so much as a glimpse in my direction. Someone is a very lucky guy tonight, that’s for sure.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked, confused by his statement.

“Well, they get to be beside you all evening, it’s a beautiful view.” He winked.

It could’ve been you, I thought. I knew he was joking, however that didn’t stop the fire in me from igniting.

“I could say the same for you, someone is a very lucky girl.”

“I’ll be sure to let her know if she ever thinks otherwise.” Joking, again.

So he had asked someone. Albeit disappointed, I'm happy he’s happy. Though I still wish I was the girl in question, I couldn't stop him if he was interested in someone else. That wasn’t fair.

Giving him a brief nod and a tight lipped smile, I picked up the front of my dress a little bit and made my way out of the room and downstairs to the ball. I could still enjoy myself, the night is young, I've got this.

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

“It was crazy! And let me tell you, my dad was so angry with me. He didn’t let me serve Turkey again after that year.” Charlie, a guy that I had met an hour or so ago, finished his story of the Christmas horror he had, allowing me to relax for the first time that evening. Up until now, it had felt like all I’d seen was either happy couples, or stares from across the room. Usually the second and usually Loki. The same Loki who had a girl’s arm linked with his and was looking at him like he held the world in his grasp. I broke the gaze, finding it difficult to look at the pair for any longer, as I turned back to Charlie so he could have my attention again, a lazy smile was present as he took a sip of his wine.

“I don’t blame him, really, it sounds like you started a riot!” I exclaimed, sending us both into a full on belly laugh, thinking back to the story. This continued for another five or so minutes, laughter turning into a low chuckle, as if we were about to be told off for how loud we were being. Just as my hand had reached his arm to help hold me up, saving me from laughing myself into the ground, Loki and his date had made their way over.

“Enjoying ourselves, I hope?” He beamed, taking one look at me before giving his full attention to Charlie.

“Yes, yes we are, thank you. How about the two of you?”

“Ye-”

“It’s been fine, yeah, good. So, what’s your name then?” Loki interrupted, his date having no choice but to leave him to respond instead.

“I’m Charlie Fernsby.” He held his hand out, greeting Loki. A gesture that was very awkwardly not reciprocated as he let his hand fall back to his side before Loki spoke up again.

“Charlie..Charlie, now, isn’t that a girl’s name?”

“Loki!” I scolded, giving him an evil side glance, what was he doing?

“No, no it’s okay. Yeah, it can be used for girls too, but it's common for boys to have the name Charlie.” Polite as ever, he responded. A mischievous look made its way onto the God’s face. Oh no.

“So, I take it your parents wanted a girl?”

“I- I’m sorry?”

“I assume your parents wanted a girl, considering they’ve given you a girl’s name?” I rolled my eyes, this teasing was unnecessary.

“Charlie, let’s go and get a drink.” I tried to tug him away, only to be halted by another sentence leaving my best friend’s mouth.

“It was only a question, I'm sure he doesn’t mind answering, do you Carl?”

“Charlie.”

“That’s what I said.”

“You said-” I tried to interject, but he was quick to stop me

“I know what I said, Y/N, but I'm speaking to him. Let him answer the question.”

Loki’s date was long gone by now, she’d left to speak to another group of people, presumably another few couples, leaving us three to have this discussion, thing, whatever you would think to call it.

“I’m just saying, maybe they would’ve preferred a daughter, seeing as they’ve very obviously made that clear.” He beamed, expecting me to join in and agree with him, I don’t find this funny. At all.

“Can you excuse us, Charlie? Loki, A word.” I pointed to the door, giving him a look implying for him not to test me.

“I’m in trouble. Wish me luck Carlos.”

“Charlie.”

“I know, that’s what I said.”

I pushed him all the way out the door, into the hallway and round the corner so as not to disturb everyone else’s evening. When I’d made sure there was no one else around, I looked up at the Asgardian, my arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed, I wasn’t impressed anymore.

“So, are we out here for some hide or seek, or?”

“What the hell was that in there?!” I raised my voice slightly, his need to always make everything a joke wasn’t working this time. He had his night, his date, he didn’t need to come over and insult mine.

“What was what, darling? I was making conversation.”

“You were making fun of him.”

“No, I showed some concern about his parents choices, that’s all. Friendly advice if anything.” He looked a bit more frustrated with me now, as though he was stating the obvious and it was going over my head. I wasn’t having it this time.

“No, Loki. You weren’t and you know you weren’t. You had your date, she was fine, you were fine-”

“Well-”

“Let me finish. Everything was fine. Until you caught sight of me having a friendly conversation with another guy who wasn’t you. But guess what Lok, I’m allowed to do that! I’m an adult, I can speak with whoever I like!” My arms were all over the place now, my frustration was starting to show itself, it seems I had a bit pent up.

I saw his lips move, I heard something, but it was so quiet I couldn't make it out.

“Speak up, Loki. I can’t hear you.”

“I said, if you think he was just being friendly, you’re clearly out of your mind.”

Is he serious?

“Are you- Loki, you have no right to make a judgement on who and how and why I interact with other people. Not that it should matter to you anyway, you’ve spoken to other women before and I've never said a word or tried to stop you. Why does this matter so much?”

Silence.

“No, please, go on, tell me, enlighten me as to why this bothered you so much tonight, because trust me, I'm dying to know, truly.” I was shouting now, I just wanted answers for his behaviour, I didn’t think it would be this difficult.

His hands had made his way into his trouser pockets, eyes looking everywhere before settling on mine. He looked conflicted, I wanted to drop it when I saw his troubled gaze, but I couldn’t go back in there without an explanation.

“Ple-”

“I like you, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear, love? That I was so uncomfortable seeing some you get close with some guy that I had to embarrass him in front of you? Something I'm sure my father won’t be so impressed to hear, but there, you’ve got your confession.” His voice had gone much louder than mine, taking me by surprise, so much so that it took me a minute to process what he had said. He liked me?

He turned to leave, I assume because I hadn't said anything for a matter of minutes, but I gently grabbed his arm, tugging him back towards me. I looked up into his eyes again. I was so close that you could see the specs of different colours spotted in them, they were flawless. This view beats the Asgard view anyday.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. Worried I guess. We’d never spoken of moving past friendship and I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

“I’m more than interested, Loki.” I grinned, my smile meeting my eyes, never leaving his.

“Not Chelsey?”

“For the love, it’s Ch-”

I couldn’t say his name, a certain pair of lips had stopped me from doing so. As they molded against mine, my hands went up to tangle themselves in his hair, his hands falling to my waist and pulling me closer, I didn’t even think that could be possible. We pulled away when we needed to catch a breath, foreheads falling against each other, smiles painted on both of our faces.

“I bet I'll be in your dreams again tonight.” He whispered.

“I bet I'll be in yours.”

“Always are, Darling. Always are.”

taglist: @horrorxweasley

[halinski]

I have so many questions about your WIP folder... like, "BOTTLE"??? and are "BO" and "BOTTLE" two different fics? Also "16. Dreamcatcher!Derek", I'm very intrigued... And since there is a blue moon this month "41. Every Once In A Blue Moon"? (Ignore me it that's too many questions)(though I'd love to know more about your poems, too)

hahahaha, the questions are appreciated :D i actually think that i once posted a thing like this and that exactly this one and the blue moon one where asked for lmaooo but yeah you guessed it, BO and BOTTLE are essentially two different versions of the same fic, one further written than the other, and the other containing more of the initial outlining. It was basically inspired by a story I heard at work (and no longer 100% remember) but it was about finding romance via letters in bottles in modern times or something? I think there was a person who regularly found letters and decided to reply to people who had added an address, and so i naturally wanted to sterek it, like i do with basically everything, and I started writing a fic about Derek living in a basically deserted light house and finding the letter that Stiles addressed to his mother and threw into the ocean. I had a whole long storyline planned out for this! I believe there was even bottles with letters Derek had written to his family that came back to him and he stored away forever to be unread (until Stiles comes along ofc). But another version was that Derek never did anything about the letters, just read them, and there were ofc a bunch of sad ones. (Derek stored the all ofc). there’s diff save files with diff versions (and i believe two different files that have the initial idea i screamed at someone while at work) and in one version I’m pretty sure Stiles was a mermaid like Ariel that collected bottled messages and then found Derek through his letters (who once again probably lived in a lighthouse by the ocean) but that was like at least 4 years ago if not more and i hate mermaids now so that version is absolutely scratched lol I didn’t get really far with any version in written word though and I doubt I will ever really finish it? I mean who knows... but I could totally get all the way into my feels again thinking about it if i let myself... You’re in luck my friend, bc Every Once in a Blue Moon actually contains a part of a poem (i was gonna write a long story poem that would be split upon the separate scenes/parts of the fic) and the fic actually starts with this: //Where wolves run, hunters lie Chasing, chasing Till they all die/ I'm a wolf, my pack is dead My eyes are blue I should have died instead/ To all the mermaids of the sea I'm waiting here Come and take me// as you can see, this too contains mermaids bc i started writing this yeears ago but I’ve decided to transform this fic and actually did continue writing a bit (or well, mor accurately, planning) and it’s now just titled Evil in a different file lmao bc the mermaids are gonna be evil and will represent Kate bc why didn’t i think of that in the first place? as one can see in the poem, it includes a young and pretty suicidal Derek and he goes back to his family’s old vacation home that is now destroyed, and there are memories, good and bad, in particularly one of Peter’s first son, a little boy, completely human, which had perplexed Derek. It includes Derek asking the relentless ocean and horizon /why/ things happen and never getting a reply, and basically him giving himself to the ocean, to the mermaid that impersonates Kate (bc ofc Kate already happened and everyone is dead) and she makes him see her and the torture again (I live for angst, forgive me) BUT then in comes Stiles and saves Derek from drowning and helps him heal. This is kind of a mixture of an au, a different world, with canon as we know it in TW and last but not least! Dreamcatcher!Derek ahhhh This one has always been in my head more conceptually than actually formed into words. It’s basically Derek after the fire and stuff, where he kind of just gives himself to supernatural powers (do we see a theme here *ehem*), he basically kinda loses himself to his nightmares, becomes so used to them, lives in them, he kind of transcends into the dream world? I had a few rough years full of nightmares every night so this idea was just very deep for me back then. And then Derek would go around to other people’s dreams and fight the monsters in the dreams. He was just like an instrument then, helping other people to get some rest, while he worked restlessly. I guess it’s based kinda on lucid dreaming, breaking free from your body and reality. For Derek it’s like... yeah nightmares are /horrible/, he knows best, this is why he does this, but for him personally... they’re better than real life. So he just kind of gives his physical body up and retreats to his mind. This is where Stiles finds him (*hint hint*). Aka Stiles is having nightmares, and Derek comes to him to save him. Of course, Stiles being Stiles is very aware of the shadowy figure that pops up in his dreams and changes everything, and Stiles being Stiles he starts chasing Derek, and Derek is so confused bc most people don’t interact with him in their dreams, certainly not the way Stiles does. So then basically Stiles is the one who catches Derek and brings him back out of the dreamworld, back to real life, back to himself. ...and they live happily ever after in every universe <3 hah sorry if this ended up way too long XD i guess i’m happy to share my ideas bc they might not ever present themselves in fic form ahhh so THANK YOU for getting back into these and letting me amuse myself haha

[bibliophilebookreviews]

Love Match

Love Match by Laire McKinney

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with this ARC on NetGalley.

I must admit that I, like many others, was drawn to this mostly for the cover. And, because I could tell from the title that it was a romance, I didn't really read the summary and instead formed my own expectations.

Here's the spoiler-free premise: Serena is an American journalist vying for a promotion at work, one that if she doesn't win, will likely leave her without a job. She's also recently discovered that her fiancé has cheated on her -- again. So when a last-minute opportunity to join a coterie on the other side of the world arises, Serena leaves immediately, no questions asked, hoping to glean an article from her experience in what she's expecting to be a "modern-day harem." Upon her arrival, she's immediately thrust into life as Prince Shailemon's guest at various events before she's even had a proper orientation. Though Serena is very clearly unrefined and out of place, "Shai" finds himself inexplicably attracted to her. And Serena can't deny her attraction to him either, despite her certainty that he's using her -- and women in general -- for his own pleasure. The result? A quickly ignited romance at risk of crumbling under Serena's motives and Shai's obligations.

I'll start with what I liked, which was the overall story. This book is billed as Coming to America meets Pretty Woman but, having seen (and loved) both of those movies, I disagree a little bit. It's true that like Prince Akeem in Coming to America, Prince Shailemon must marry soon, but that's pretty much as far as the similarities go. The comparison to Pretty Woman, though, is definitely apparent. Serena is not only uncouth by royal standards, she's pretty wild in general. In fact, at one point, the reader learns that her now ex-fiancé insinuated that she wasn't good enough for certain circles. That's kind of understandable though -- Serena's kind of a potty mouth and doesn't exercise any sort of tact or restraint. Ever. (Seriously, read the room girl!) But I liked that about her to be honest, and so did Shai. She's seen as "refreshing" because she makes Shai laugh, which he doesn't do often, especially in his current circumstances. I like that they can't deny their attraction, that Serena calms Shai and that Shai makes Serena believe in love again.

However, I think this book lacked substance considering the amount of potential the premise has. Not to spoil it, but we don't really get to see much of coterie life at all: Serena doesn't get an orientation, we only meet two other coterie women (one of whom is the main antagonist and the other only has about two lines), and Serena is the only guest of choice at the few events where Shai needs a companion. Also (again, mini spoiler) Serena doesn't write her article along the way; she really only jots a few notes and then her computer is stolen. While Serena and Shai do get to have a few serious conversations, they're brief, and always sandwiched between lighter topics or sex. Or both. And all of this takes place over the span of a week, including Serena's return to New York, so lots of assumptions and very little character growth.

The language in this book felt often misplaced. It was too formal when it didn't need to be and too casual at times where formality seemed inherent. Eventually, the writing just felt immature. It read like McKinney swapped simple words for words that "sound smart" but didn't necessarily fit. Additionally the sex scenes were cringe-worthy, not because of the sex -- I'm an adult -- but because of the wording. It just didn't flow. It was like reading someone's first attempt at sexting. Lastly, I can tell that the banter between Serena and Shai was meant to be witty in addition to funny (because they laughed a lot) but the humor definitely fell flat.

Overall, I neither loved nor hated this book. I can appreciate that this is a pretty short story, and fairly light in subject matter. But, it was just too convenient. There's not much depth (the amount depth at all is debatable) and the conflict is overemphasized because it's introduced so late in the story and then easily resolved without much explanation. I don't think I'd recommend this to serious readers, but if you like quick, steamy romances and can ignore a few plot holes and lack of detailed logistics for the sake of a happily-ever-after, then this is for you.