#〉hear what the empress says〈 — ✭ ⌜announcement⌟

[queensconquest]

   I  don’t  often  drop  muses  ,  but  I  always  announce  it  or  whenever  I  shift  them  to  request  only.  So  if  you  haven’t  checked  my  current  /  request  muses  in  a  long  time  i’d  suggest  checking  the  main  roster  /  docs  too   .  Request  muses  are  linked  up  on  the  top  of  my  main muse  page in the hotbar up there but there’s also a link here for it. 

#〉hear what the empress says〈 — ✭ ⌜announcement⌟

[satansamwriting]

Hi i have a request! Could u do a oneshot of mk1 raiden x male reader who is a demigod (or god) of thunder? Reader is charming and stuff and takes interest in raiden when he arrives in outworld for the tournament.

Could u also include reader talking to rain somewhere in the story? I love rain and i think hes not appreciated enough😭

I hope this isnt too much. Thanks!

MK1 Raiden With Demigod of Thunder M!reader

Is it just me or every character in Mk keeps getting hotter and hotter with each new game?

Anyway, I was glad to see someone ask for Mk1 Raiden, I fell in love with him the moment he appeared. I tried my best to include Rain as I too think hes a bit under appreciated. Might do something for him alone in another post.

I hope you enjoy this story!

Disclaimer : I guess you guys are used to it by now but English ain't my native language. There might be mistakes in this. I apologizes for them.

Leaning against one of the Great Hall pillars,arms crossed over his chest, (Y/n) observed the outworlders gathered within its walls. The news of the Earthrealm champion arriving momentarily had excited the population of Sun Do. Many had come to spectate the first match.That or to gaze upon the earthrealmers. 

The Great Hall was truly a sight to behold. Drenched in sunlight, this place almost felt unreal.It showcased perfectly well the wealth of Outworld. Gold adored its walls in ornate ways, glistening like precious jewellery under the sun. Rich purple drapes hung from the ceiling, giving the hall its serene yet noble look. Flowers scattered around the room filled the space with their sweet scent. From time to time, a gentle breeze would pass through, lifting fallen petals as it went. 

Standing beside (Y/n) was an edenian mage. Dressed in purple clothing, the man almost seemed to camouflage himself with the purple drapes. Neither spoke to the other, but (Y/n) could feel the eyes of the man staring. 

“Is there something I can help you with, hydromancer?”

Glancing toward the mage, (Y/n) smiled softly. He was used to the staring. Mostly due to his mismatched coloured eyes, one being electric blue and the other a dark colour. 

“It is rare to see other gods, other than Liu Kang.”

Chuckling, the demigod’s attention was drawn away from the mage as the earthrealmers and Lord Liu Kang entered the room. Unfamiliar with the world, (Y/n) observed as the earthrealmers inspected their surroundings with eyes filled with awes. The group stood slightly away from the other outworlders. 

“You flatter me mage but I’m only a demigod.”

The edenian hummed, he too, had his sight on the newcomers. Moments later, General Shao walked in. From his side of the room, (Y/n) could not hear what the man said but he could guess it wasn’t pleasant. Whatever exchange they had, the general left shortly after, displeased by Lord Liu Kang’s words.

“The earthrealmer don’t stand a chance.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to judge 

Any further conversations were cut short once the arrival of the Empress was announced. Everyone bowed when Sindel entered,closely followed by her two daughters. Taking their place on their throne, Sindel welcomed the earthrealmer with a beautiful speech. 

(Y/n) kept his eyes on one particular earthrealmer. He could feel electricity coming from that man. The first fight confirmed his suspicion. Whoever he was, (Y/n)  was amazed by his mastery of lightning.Excusing himself away from the mage, the demigod  frayed himself a path through the crowd, only stopping once he stood beside Liu Kang. 

“Is he the reason for that strange request you asked of me some nights ago?”   

Clapping once the first kombat was won by the champion, (Y/n) must say he was becoming rather intrigued by the man. 

“It is good to see you, my friend.” Came the reply of the god of fire. The man was smirking, which helped to answer (Y/n) question. 

“You chose well.” 

******

“Raiden meet (Y/n), he’s the demigod of thunder and a close friend of mine.”

Taking place in the Hanging Garden at night, basked in the colourful lights of the vegetation surrounding them, the banquet was full of life. A variety of food lithered the tables, making anyone's mouth water just by the smell of it. Sitting at the end of the table, (Y/n) nodded toward Raiden.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet Earthrealm’s champion.”

(Y/n) couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the other man. He held himself properly but the demigod could see an ounce of shyness within him. Perhaps he was unused to so many eyes on him. Cute.

“Likewise Lord (Y/n), Lord Liu Kang talked about you during my training.”

Raising an eyebrow, (Y/n) gave a brief glance toward the other god, who was feigning to be more interested in others' conversation.Typical.

“ I imagine he told you about my gift then?”

Swirling the dark red liquid inside his glass, (Y/n) took a sip to hide the growing smirk on his face. Raiden brushed his fingers against the amulet strapped around his waist, a flash of surprise and curiosity passing through his eyes.

“Part of my lightning now flows through you.”

The chosen one stared at his amulet before meeting (Y/n) eyes. 

“It is an honour for me to wear your gift.”

Warthm blossomed inside the demigod. Raiden sure was an interesting earthrealmer. Maintaining a friendly chat as they ate, (Y/n) got to learn more about the man. How his life used to be on earthrealm before the tournament, his first meeting with Liu Kang. In exchange, (Y/n) recounted stories about his life as a demigod and of his travels through other realms.

 At one point during the festivities, the Empress stood up and everyone fell into silence. 

“My husband Jerrod believed that the future of our realms lay together.” Pausing, she surveyed the gathered guests. “Let us move forward in open dialogue, letting no secrets tear our bonds asunder.” As the last words left her mouth, the empress raised her glass to toast and everyone followed. 

Raiden offered some words afterward, until General Shao had the audacity to rudely interrupt the young man. The general was quickly stopped by an angry Sindel. Once he was gone, Sindel excused herself from the banquet, telling the remaining guest to enjoy the rest of the night. Her eyes met (Y/n)’s, who nodded and bowed apologetically toward the chosen one. 

“I’m afraid I am needed somewhere else, please don’t let the general’s words ruin your night.” With that, he followed the Empress. 

Raiden followed the duo with his eyes until they disappeared inside the palace. Puzzled, he turned toward Liu Kang, a question burning on his lips. 

“He acts as my mother’s advisor whenever he returns to Outworld.” Kitana, who had been sitting next to (Y/n) the entire banquet, answered before the words could leave Raiden’s mouth. Nodding, Raiden couldn’t help but feel the absence of the demi-god as the banquet resumed. 

 ********

(Y/n) was beyond exhausted. Silently marching down the palace emptied halls, he could feel the beginning of headache taking place. The whole ordeal with the general and then Mileena sickness had taken a toll on him.

Stars shone brightly into the night sky. Passing through one of the many gardens surrounding the palace, (Y/n) halted, letting his mismatched eyes gazed at the sky. Something dark was brewing. The demigod feared that they were at the brim of a war. Perhaps he should consult with Lord Liu Kang. He wouldn’t be surprised if the other god had felt something similar. Pitching the bridge of his nose, (Y/n) felt a familiar buzz nearby. 

“Shouldn’t the champion be resting at this hour?”

Soft footsteps echoed around the garden. Titling his head, the demigod crossed his arms behind his back. 

“Apologies, I couldn’t sleep.” 

Now standing beside him, the demigod drank in the sight of the man. Raiden had discarded his hat, opting to let his hair free from the ponytail. Instead of his usual white fighting attire, Raiden now wore loose clothing, courtesy of being guests in Sindel’s palace. 

“Stressed for your next kombat?”

(Y/n) tried to ignore the growing  urge to brush his fingers through Raiden's soft looking hair. Therefore, he focused his attention back to the sky, hoping it would help. 

“Will you be there?” 

Caught off guard by the innocent question, (Y/n) tried to maintain his calm. Telling his beating heart to calm down inside his head, he gave a furtive glance toward Raiden. The man’s dark eyes were trained on him, hopeful.Elder Gods save him, this man would be the death of him. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t dare miss it.” 

A strong hand wrapped around Raiden’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Nothing in Outworld could make the demigod miss the kombat. Even more so when the chosen one himself had asked for his presence.

*******

Truthful to his words, (Y/n) stood beside the empress the next day. Raiden once again proved himself worthy of his title as champion. Each opponent fell under his strength, Princess Kitana was no exception.  

“Earthrealm wins” Echoed the voice of the empress after general Shao was defeated. She left shortly after, having other matters that needed to be taken care of. (Y/n) knew he would be needed soon, but instead of following Sindel as he should, he waited patiently on the side and watched as the other earthrealmers congratulated the winner. 

"Hey chosen one, looks like one of your fans is waiting for you." Pushing Raiden in (Y/n)'s direction, the blonde earthrealmer gave him two thumbs up.

"You fought well, Earthrealm  and Outworld can stay at peace because of you."  A part of the demigod was saddened by how quick the tournament had ended. Raiden would soon be departing for Earthrealm, where they might never see eachother again. 

"Well it's mostly thanks to your gift really." Raiden said as he took the amulet in his hand. 

"Nonsense, my gift gave you magic, not skills. " Placing a hand on top of the amulet, he felt tiny shocks of electricity as his fingers brushed against Raiden's. 

"I hope your return to Earthrealm goes well." Squeezing Raiden's shoulder one last time, he bowed to the rest of the group and turned to leave.

"Will I ever see you again?" 

Facing Raiden, (Y/n) pointed at the amulet still in Raiden's grasp. 

"You'll always have me by your side, chosen one, no matter where you go."

Unknown to the two of them, they would eventually meet again. This time, they would fight side by side to protect the fate of Earthrealm. 

#mk #mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mk fandom #mortal kombat raiden #mk1 #Mk1 Raiden #Mk x male reader #Rain #Mk Rain #mk1 x reader #Raiden

[behindthesoul]

Forgotten Child - Ch. 3

Shang Tsung x Reader

Masterlist || Previous Part || Next Part

Characters - Shang Tsung, you, Li Mei, Kitana, Mileena

Summary - A night alone gives you feelings that spill into the next day

Word Count - 1600

Warnings - angst :) not proofread :)

Tags - @mortal-kombat-shitposts @geeky-trash01 @fandom-garbage

The black dahlia, a mysterious and alluring bloom, stands tall as you admire her petals. She’s been your favorite flower since childhood. You remember annoying your family with facts such as its petals are not actually black! Rather, it’s a purple, almost maroon color, and did you know they are native to Earthrealm?

Your admiration for the flower meant the palace gardens had a patch of black dahlias dedicated to you. Smaller than the patch of flowers dedicated to your sisters, but arguably more loved.

“You were always fond of the dahlia,” a voice says behind you, making you jump. Hand over your heart, you turn to confront the voice.

“First Constable! What are you doing here?!”

Li Mei smiles apologetically, not meaning to scare you. You were the only royal to remain close to her after the death of your father. His death hurt, yes, but your anger was never taken out on her.

“I should be asking you the same. It is late, you shouldn’t be out here.”

Though you trusted Li Mei, you couldn’t let slip that Shang was to visit you soon. It’s frustrating he’d rather keep your love hidden, but you’ll always respect his wishes. It would be nice if she could leave sooner than later.

“It’s been too long since I’ve seen you roam the palace grounds,” you deflect. “Does mother know you are here?”

She nods before moving in to give you a quick hug. She sighs, and you can tell her heart is heavy. The grief of not only losing her emperor, but her closest friend too, was almost too much to bear. You’ll never envy her position in life.

“My family is in deep mourning, Li Mei. I know you miss everyone; I promise they’ll come around soon.”

There’s not much truth to your words. Your mother will most likely hold a grudge against her until the end of time. Still, you hope your worlds will comfort her. Li Mei shakes her head, as if to remind herself why she’s here.

“I was instructed to inform you the Empress wants you to welcome the Earthrealmers for the tournament tomorrow.”

“Ah! The tournament. It completely slipped my mind.”

Li Mei suddenly looks concerned, much to your confusion. She holds your face in her hands and looks deep into your eyes, trying to find something wrong. You relax in her touch; she’s always felt like a second mother to you.

“Not once have you ever forgotten about an Earthrealm visit. You enjoy talking to Liu Kang. What occupies your mind?”

Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung, Shang Tsung -

“Nothing, I have just been busy.”

Li Mei wants to press further, but decides against it. She wishes you well before taking her leave, leaving you alone once again. You wander around the garden for some time. Shang is a tad bit late, but not enough to make you worry. You return your focus to the garden, heart aflutter in anticipation. There were better, more hidden places for the two of you to meet, but something about the gardens heightens the experience of your secret romance. Maybe it’s the way Shang plucks a rose before placing it in your hand, or the way the dahlia seems to capture his heart, too.

In the distance you spot a clock tower, its chiming announcing the midnight hour, and still, there’s no sign of your love. Anxiety laughs and begins to taunt you, but you swallow the negative feelings and choose to have faith Shang will appear soon. Gazing up at the moon, you whisper his name, hoping he’ll somehow hear your call.

Hours and hours pass. It’s a bit embarrassing, spending hours in the same spot. He isn’t going to show, you know he won’t, but your mind tells you to stay put. The first glimmers of dawn appear, the dark sky morphing into pinks and golds; despair settles in. The birds sang with you not too long ago but now they mock you with their joyous songs.

The sun’s golden rays cast shadows over the garden as you lower your head in sorrow. Precious time that could’ve been spent reading, writing, or sleeping was now wasted by false words. You allow yourself to drown in sorrows for a little while longer before making your way to your bedroom. It’s time to start your day.

Resting before the tournament would’ve been wise. You feel a bit off as you wait for the Earthrealmers with your sisters. All-nighters aren’t uncommon for you. You learned from an early age how to make yourself appear as normal as possible even when you’re running on two hours of sleep. Still, rest would be appreciated. If only someone told you he wasn’t coming…

“Something bothers you. Are you unwell?” Kitana asks, looking over at you. Sighing, you erase any current thoughts of Shang, realizing your frustration with him is easily shown on your face. Maybe you aren’t good at appearing normal.

“I’m fine, Kitana.”

“Are you sure? Mileena and I can greet the Earthrealmers alone. You look upset, you need time alone.” Kitana places her hand on your back and gently nudges you away. Mileena notices your pained expression, and shoos you away.

“You both treat me like a child…” you want to protest more, but you honestly don’t feel like being here. You want to find Shang Tsung and berate him for not showing up, but you also want to curl up in your bed and cry. Finally giving in, you leave your sisters, but not before telling them to apologize to Liu Kang for your absence. You make your way to your room, carefully avoiding any place your mother may be.

To your surprise, Shang Tsung sits on your bed while staring out the window. The sight of him turning around and looking at you with soft eyes would normally make you melt, but you feel anger seeping in. You glare at him, before climbing into your bed.

“Get. Out. I am not in the mood for you right now.”

He sighs before standing to close your door; Shang has to make sure no one sees you’re in his room. He climbs into bed with you and you quickly turn around so your back is facing him. For a moment, guilt passes over his features. It’s a feeling he’s never been familiar with. Throwing an arm over your waist - and noting how you make no effort to move it - he speaks:

“I had matters to attend to last night, something I couldn’t avoid.”

You roll your eyes. “I would’ve appreciated a message, a note, anything, to let me know you were busy. Instead, I sat in the gardens like a fool. A fool who was mocked by the sun’s rising. I wonder if you even care about our time together.”

“I do care, more than I once thought,” Shang replies, gaining your interest. You turn around and face him, eyes still dark with anger. It feels like a small win to him.

“More than you once thought? You did not care in the past?”

“When we met, I did not expect to fall in love with you. Nor did I expect a royal to pay attention to someone like me. You are beautiful, loving, and so much more than I deserve-”

“Get to the point, sorcerer,” you snap, “I currently have no stomach for your tangents.”

He sighs, taking a moment to collect himself. “I cannot explain the circumstances of my absence right now. But know that it was a matter of utmost importance. I do apologize for being unable to notify you, and I ask for your forgiveness.”

Torn between your love for Shang Tsung and the pain of his absence, you stay quiet. Anger fades but leaves behind slight resentment. “I took time to think to myself last night. I cannot be in a relationship I have to hide. I want Outworld to see I am proud of my love, and I want you to be proud, too. I wonder if these feelings are wasted on a man like you.”

“They are not. I understand your wishes and I ask that you be patient for a while longer.” Lying to you is odd, he can’t describe the feeling, but it doesn’t feel good. Making your relationship public could bring unwanted attention to his and Quan Chi’s actions. He briefly wonders if getting involved with you was a mistake, but he can’t bring himself to break things off. Shang feels selfish for wanting your touch.

“You say that often. I wait, and wait, but nothing happens. Your words are starting to feel empty.” You want to cry. Neither of you expected a lonely night in the gardens would bring up so many feelings. It’s late in the afternoon now; Quan Chi will surely wonder where Shang is by now. He begrudgingly gets out of your bed and opens your window, preparing to leave.

“I will return tonight, we can talk further then.” Shang looks back at you with a neutral expression, but his heart is annoyingly hopeful. This conversation felt disjointed and leaves you both uneasy and unsatisfied. It doesn’t matter to you though, you want time to yourself.

“Do not bother, sorcerer. For now, I think it’s best if we go our separate ways.”

#mortal kombat fanfiction #mortal kombat x reader #mortal kombat fanfic #shang tsung x reader

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Four: Berthasaura vs Caihong

Berthasaura leopoldinae

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Bertha and Leopoldina’s reptile (in honour of naturalist and women’s rights activist Bertha Maria Júlia Lutz, and first Empress of Brazil and advocate for Brazilian independence Maria Leopoldina)

Time: Uncertain, likely ~121 to 75 million years ago (Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Creataceous) but may be younger

Location: Goio-Erê Formation, Brazil

Theropods are famously carnivorous dinosaurs, but many, many groups of theropods have decided “actually but what if I didn’t” and gone vegetarian, and yet it’s still wild when another one of those pops up every now and then. Even among them though, Berthasaura is special for being the only theropod that seems to have tried to just straight up turn itself into an ornithopod. The long spindly legs, the teeny little arms, and a big head with a toothless beak all come together to create an utterly bizarre little theropod that honestly nobody could have predicted.

Berthasaura is a noasaur, and those of you familiar will at this moment be saying “oh of course it’s a noasaur” because those guys were small ceratosaurs that were basically Theropod Wacky Experimental Phase 1.0. Within this group you’ve got wild sticky-outy teeth, a single weight-bearing toe on each foot in our fellow competitor Vespersaurus, and now multiple instances of beaks evolving independently. Theropods just love to evolve a beak, what can I say? Whatever the hell Berthasaura had going on, it must have been successful because as the basalmost noasaurid currently known its direct lineage has been surviving since at least the Late Jurassic!

Caihong juji

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Rainbow with big crest

Time: 161 million years old (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic)

Location: Tiaojishan Formation, China

It’s always a special treat to hear the announcement of a dinosaur with known colours, because it gives the most direct impression of how truly stunning these animals would have been to witness in real life. And Caihong might just be the most spectacular of them all so far, described in 2018 from an immaculate full-body fossil that preserves detailed feathers! Caihong’s feathers are longer than some other floofy dinosaurs, and would have had the appearance of a luxurious mane along its neck. Not only that, the fossil preserves feather microstructures that in life would have made this dinosaur gloriously iridescent!

Now iridescent dinosaurs aren’t new, Microraptor has been decked out in fabulous starling-esque plumage for a while now, but Caihong absolutely takes it to the next level. Its whole body was covered in iridescent black, including the enormous tail, but the real star of the show are the platelet-like melanosomes found on the head, neck, and the base of the tail. Different from the usual iridescent melanosomes, the structure of these tiny organelles reflects brilliantly iridescent colours, like those on the heads of hummingbirds and particularly the bright purple feathers on the necks of the trumpeter family. Caihong would have put on an absolutely dazzling jewel-toned display in the treetops or on the forest floor of prehistoric China!

#dmm #dmm rising stars #dinosaur march madness #dinosaurs #birds #march madness #bracket #polls #palaeoblr #birblr #paleontology #round four #berthasaura #caihong

[bebeyeyo]

hell in heaven

episode one: a special one

genre: fluff (?)

pairing: mina x fem!reader (ft. hwang yeji)

setting: ancient japan

content warnings: mentions of abandonment, child labor

your hands shook at you stood in front of the gates of one of the most known empresses ever to be alive.

saying you were nervous was an understatement, your anxiety rising to a t.

you would’ve never thought you’d be hand chosen to be a maid by a glorious woman who had so much power in her hands.

you’ve been told you’re the most beautiful in the land of japan. although you think far from it, it’s clear someone else thought differently.

and all of japan? that’s a bit of an exaggeration, you thought.

a guard walks you up to the doors, and you carefully follow behind, your stomach filling with butterflies.

“now, miss, there is one thing you mustn’t do,” he pauses.

you tilt your head, “mustn’t do what, sir?”

“look the empress in the eyes. in advance, never look at her without her permission to do so.” he explains further.

great. great to add onto the nervous of first day jitters, ass.

you nod slowly before he opens the door for you, holding it open as you enter and he follows behind.

you were definitely amazed. you have never been in the palace of an empress before, let alone outside of your home village. the sights amazed you, and you couldn’t help but stare.

until the guard clears his throat, catching your attention as you look at him.

“this way, m’lady.”

you follow him to where the empress sits on her throne, your gaze instantly onto the floor. you watch your feet carry you onto the carpet and closer to the empress whom you didn’t know was watching you with dark eyes.

“your highness, i bring you the girl, l/n y/n.” the guard announces, where you instantly bow.

your mouth is dry but you still manage to form a proper greeting for higher status.

“hello, you’re highness.” you say showing your respect.

a few seconds of silence before you stand straight up again, but only to find yourself making eye contact with the empress.

you curse yourself mentally with wide eyes and quickly shift your gaze to something else other than the empress who was staring you down.

“so the rumors are true; the most beautiful in the land.”

you felt heat rush to your face as you look down.

“look at me,” you didn’t dare disobey her commands, so you did as you were told.

now face to face with empress myoui mina.

she wasn’t disappointed; not in the slightest.

her eyes were roaming you. your worn out dress that you’ve been meaning to clean, your hair that you kept healthy despite not having much money to handle it, your politeness in which you always kept your hands behind your back.

all this time watching you was definitely worth it in her opinion.

“one of my maids will show you around my palace. she will show where you sleep, eat, and bathe.” with a snap of her fingers you hear footsteps coming from behind.

you turn your head to see a girl about your age, long dark brown hair, eyes like a cat, a white dress that has surely been worn down, and a small smile.

“this is hwang yeji, one of the maids you will be rooming with. yeji, please show our new maid, y/n around.” mina demands.

“yes, you’re highness,” yeji bows before taking your wrist gently and taking you out of the throne room.

~

“my name is yeji, as you heard her highness say.”

you nod, “i’m y/n. how long have you been working with her highness?” you ask.

“for about five years now. i began working for her when i was seventeen.”

your eyes go wide hearing this. you’re only a year younger than yeji, you’re twenty one. and now, you’re sure yeji is twenty two.

that means five years of working with the empress.

“i’m sorry if this may offend you, but you don’t look like you’re from here?”

yeji chuckles, “you’re right, actually. i am from south korea.”

your eyes go wide, “oh wow. how did you come here? if i may ask?”

“my family and i moved here from korea to earn a better living. i was thirteen when we had moved here. then, i was offered to work with the empress as a maid, and my parents sent me off to make more money for the both of them,” she explains as you listen and continue walking.

“i was making good earnings, giving some to my parents for necessities, only for them to take it and just…leave me here…”

your heart dropped at that feeling of abandonment. your heart felt for yeji. she was so young, still so young.

“but, there was nothing i could do. besides, i’m still making my way through.”

“i’m so sorry about that yeji.” you sigh.

“it’s okay, y/n.” she pauses as you both make it to the maids’ quarters.

“here is where we will sleep. it’s a good thing her highness assigned us both to sleep in the same room! that way i can help you out even more.”

you nod, “yes, i suppose.”

“now, later tonight, we will all be having dinner in the maids’ dining room. we have to help cook and clean of course. but since this is your first day, i’ll convince the other women to let you off the hook.” yeji smiles.

you chuckle at the girl’s silliness.

while you are off to meet the rest of the maids, the empress sits in her chambers, thinking.

her mind just couldn’t seem to be taken off you, no matter how much she tried.

“l/n y/n…” she sighs feeling a rush of excitement after repeating your name that rolled experimentally off her tongue.

she chuckles darkly thinking about how well you’d fit in working under her.

#darlinggtwice #mina x reader #hwang yeji #itzy yeji #ancient japan #hell in heaven series #twice imagines #empress!mina #maiden yeji #maiden reader #concubine reader

[albywritesfiction]

Helene may have the entire kingdom wrapped around her little finger, but you know that her true colors are lurking just beneath the kind and naive front she puts up.

Helene is the people’s Cinderella who they live vicariously through.

These dumb mfs ended up putting a Wicked Step-Sister on the throne LMAOOOOO CHOKE!!

the dissolution of the engagement between Ædan and MC (which Ædan did all by himself by suddenly announcing it out of nowhere). In fact, Ædan’s reasoning was extremely, infuriatingly simple: he loved Helene, not MC.

See, it wouldn't hurt THAT much to hear him say he loved Helene and not MC if he didn't blindside them with a sudden end to the engagement and shackling up with Helene. Honestly, I'm surprised there wasn't any tutting at the tactlessness of Ædan's actions, even if he is royal— not to mention he just humiliated the child of the family sworn to protecting his kingdom, you stupid son of a—

Which does make me curious about the political ramifications of such an insult— like, you described Ædric as the more "capable" brother so I'm guessing Ædan is not very.... forward-thinking. Or he is very ruled by his emotions that he just couldn't wait to break up with his fiancé(e) in a proper way then get engaged to Helene after the acceptable period of time had passed. While I highly doubt the family will retaliate, not only did Ædan not know that, but the family can pull back their previous support and it's just not a good look.

Anyway, my MC will be watching that shitshow with binoculars while sipping mimosa on the balcony of their beautiful countryside house and feeling happy at dodging a bullet and at being with the perfection that is Cyfrin. 🥰

Hello Anon!

This was such a fun ask to read that I really wanted to sit down and take my time to go through it and give you a sufficient reply, but I unfortunately had a bunch of deadlines to meet last week 🥲

(Another lengthy answer under the cut 😅)

See, it wouldn't hurt THAT much to hear him say he loved Helene and not MC if he didn't blindside them with a sudden end to the engagement and shackling up with Helene. Honestly, I'm surprised there wasn't any tutting at the tactlessness of Ædan's actions, even if he is royal— not to mention he just humiliated the child of the family sworn to protecting his kingdom, you stupid son of a—

I swear I can feel your frustration through my screen in this part 😂 reminds me of when I get worked up reading Sovieshu’s and Rashta’s scenes in the Remarried Empress webtoon (which is actually one of the main inspirations for ATE)

About the lack of voiced disapproval from the people for Ædan's actions: this is actually something that I have to change since I've realized that it doesn't quite make sense for the Argentius duchy, which contributes a rather large percentage of the kingdom's population, to just accept and be happy with what Ædan did to one of their own. I did have an explanation for why most of the public was cool with Helene replacing MC (hint: Ædan could have been a highly sought after public relations officer in the modern world), but I forgot to take into account MC's popularity with the people from their duchy.

What I did take into account though was the king’s disapproval, which is honestly what matters most to Ædan. Of course it wouldn’t be known to the public, but he was scolded harshly by his father, King Ærick, as soon as they were within the king’s office after his big announcement. Now, Ædan may be dumb, but he isn’t that dumb; he always knew that his father wouldn’t take his surprise well. So why do it if he valued his father’s opinions so much?

Well, he thought Helene was worth it. He thought she was worth any backlash they would receive, even his own beloved father’s disappointment. Even if Duke Argentius declared war on him for disrespecting his child (which he was dangerously close to actually doing), he would take up arms for Helene in a heartbeat.

(Oh Ædan, if only you knew what I have in store for you. Don’t mind the ominous music playing in the background of your wedding 🙂)

So yeah, you could say that Ædan let his emotions take over when he decided that he couldn’t live the rest of his life without the woman he loved.

Anyway, my MC will be watching that shitshow with binoculars while sipping mimosa on the balcony of their beautiful countryside house and feeling happy at dodging a bullet and at being with the perfection that is Cyfrin. 🥰

I can just imagine Cyfrin and your MC wearing shades and having a toast as the capital goes up in smoke in the background 😎🥂

Thanks for the ask!

#after the end #ate-if #ate-if asks #ate: ædan

[loudwolftraveler]

In another life..

Imagine your reincarnated husband!

Your reincarnated husband! Once died protecting you and the empire of suddenly attacks was announced at your marriage.

Your reincarnated husband! Died in your hands, blood are everywhere especially around you. In devastated you kill yourself by slicing your neck, as you can't live without the person who loved you the most...

Silence filled in the room, and then the next was nothing... Nothing but silence of your suddenly death with your only person you cherish the most. Two of you lay in the ground, pool of blood are everywhere around you two. A tragic lives of both two lovely people who found themselves by the fate itself.

The new emperor and empress sudden news of dying because of sudden attack happened.

...

.....

......

That was the tale of your childhood. The story tale you held in your heart when you were a child.

In was a pity, that tale kinda reminds you of the empress who once a duchess.

It's was about a story between a duchess and a crown prince.

It was said that the duchess was mistreated as an outcast and a replacement of the lady of the duke. The whole family neglected the duchess because she was just nothing but a replacement of the lady duchess who once gone missing and never came back. The duke tired to find the daughter, the one he cherished before she was gone. But suddenly stumble across on the girl who look-alike her daughter, but the girl has a dark red hair, her daughter has a red hair almost had a peach hair. The girl almost looked like the lady duchess. In exchanging words towards her, he adopted her not only for her to feel loved but for the replacement of his once cherish lovely daughter.

The brothers of the lovely lady duchess, was frustrated with the news of the fake lady duchess who was their "new sister".

Both of the father and her "brothers" never care of her, never did, even if she acted a brat or spoiled one. They never once showed a affection of her as they neglect her once if she's in their presence.

The servants don't really care about her either. They made her starved, left out, and never serves her like a right duchess.

That was until she sneak out of the duke household and somehow met her destiny..

The crown prince of the empire.

Some people just describe what the crown prince is. Some will say, he isn't the favour one as the people especially nobles ones saw that the prince were also an outcast, but people assumed the Emperor loved his half-sister, the one that destiny to die at age 18, it was the Emperor's plan but it seems it backfired when he saw what she really is, just like her mother, his once a lover. The Emperor's true lover, the one that emperor loved so much. That he keep the kid around them. The Emperor was known to be a cold and tyrant leader. A brutal one when it's comes to his enemies.

'The crown prince is nothing but the heir of the throne' the Emperor said to his personal knight.

'nothing but a heir' is what the crown prince thought. He knows, he knows he can't win his father's love and affection when it's comes to his half-sister. So he stay quiet and quiet and wait for the time to strike down and kill it's enemy.

The Emperor loved the half-sister, but when it comes to him, HIS suppose to be a biological child. The Emperor choose to neglect him and don't really care about him. The heir can die, the Emperor wouldn't help him and wouldn't care for him. After all, there's still one child to own the throne after all.

The crown prince is tired. Tired of all of this. If the Emperor just confess to him everything then it would not be this mess..

The crown prince ran away ended lost somewhere, then he sit in the ground and silent crying filled the place. Before he hear the noises towards him and when he look up, he meet the "fake duchess" which people talk about.

The fake lady looked at the child (the crown prince is older than the fake duchess btw) and asked. "Um.. Are you okay, why are you crying?"

Then the crown prince quickly wipe his tears and answer her, "Y-yeah.. I'm okay..." and then, "by the chance, are you perhaps the new daughter of the duke?" the crown prince asked, the duchess freeze in place and then answered in a low voice, "I.. I wouldn't call myself like that..." the duchess said. The crown prince quickly understood and question a different one, like why are you here, and are you somehow lost too? And a bunch of talks right here and then. They started to get comfortable each other and learning things each other too, if that they have enough time to meet each other that is. They would go to the same place where they first met.

But of course, we can't hide things so easily right?

When the crown prince reach its age of 18, his half-sister 14, there was a accident. Well the crown prince wouldn't call it a "accident".

Day by day the crown prince filled with envy and jealousy and frustration with his half-sister actions and his father's words. That's when his sister hits her first celebration, the day where people will know about her. He instead had a plan to end his so-called family.

For many years of being miserable and being a mistake and just being neglected by your only biological parent who just choose some insect that isn't even fully blood related.

He choose kill his father, his half-sister and everyone who serve his father and sister.

Even all the servants who choose to work here, it will be their last day.

They will be killed by his hands and his only hands.

Their end will be in his hands. And no one else.

When the news came of sudden death of the Emperor's and the second Princess deaths and a massacre happened in the Palace! The only survival was the heir of the throne! He explained in pain and traumatic expression as he tired to explain to the people of the empire that their was some bunch of assassination that tried to assassin his family and the crown prince also got hurt. In desperate people believe his innocent act.

When in reality, it wasn't a act. It was only the begging of the terror of the people of the so-called empire.

Especially the people who hurt his darling duchess..

#In another life #Reincarnated husband and wife #Historical era #X reader #Manhwa inspire? #Incarnation #Yandere? #Modern era

[evitamylove]

Cove, MK1 Edition

Announcer comment ideas:

Kung Lao:

-"Yeah, still my favorite."

-"Hi pretty boy."

-"The one....for me~"

-"Calling you a petname would give you too much of an ego boost."

-"Hung Lao."

-"You don't remember." (sad tone)

-"In every reality." (said very softly)

-"I really did miss you."

-"Hi, love."

-"My Chosen One.''

Raiden:

-"Still don't know how to feel about you."

-"Kidd Thunder!"

-"I'm loyal to Kung Lao, I swear." (if hes wearing cosmetics with tattoos.)

-"Okay, I'm warming up to you."

-"I'd let him electrocute me to death." (only in specific cosmetics)

-"You don't remember either."

-"Pikachu, I choose you!"

Liu Kang:

-"Can I be the dragon?"

-"Woof."

-"I miss our Raiden."

-"Where the hell did you put Fujin?"

-"You're cute sometimes."

-"Your fanfiction is the worst."

-"God of Massive Doofuses."

-"Look at this dork."

-"I miss your fuckass bob."

-"Glow up."

-"Daddy."

-"One day..."

-"Bruce Lee."

-"Wa-chaaww!!"

-"The white hair looked better."

-"I can take him, just not in a fight."

Johnny:

-"He's hot as shit."

-"I'd be front row at a concert tryna get his towel."

-"He's hot when he isn't talking."

-"Jean van goddamn."

-"Never change, sweetheart."

-*"Ripleeyyy!"*

-"At least you age well."

Sub-Zero:

-"What a noob."

-"Daddy issues."

-"Why are you so goddamn mean?"

-"Bi-Handsome."

-"Why are your biceps the size of my head?"

-"Wish the mask was a gag."

Scorpion:

-"Hey, hot stuff."

-"Burnin' up~"

-"Is it hot in here or is it just you?"

-"I'd lick the mask."

-"Both at the same time."

-"Get over here! No please, cmere."

Smoke:

-"You are actually the perfect man."

-"Nobody's allowed to be mean to you."

-"Beat the shit out of them."

-"Hi sweetheart~"

-"The actual favorite. Sorry Kung Lao."

-"You did Madame Bo dirty."

-"Nerd."

Kenshi:

-"Love at first sight."

-"I wanna see the rest of the tattoos."

-"How far do your tattoos go down?"

-"Pretty as fuck."

-"Yowza."

-"My type."

-"Yaku-zaddy."

Baraka:

-"Mommy's other favorite!"

-"I'd lick the blood off his teeth."

-"You didn't hear that."

-"Deserved better."

Kitana:

-"I love you."

-"Hot."

-"I would thank her for beating the shit out of me."

Sindel:

-"Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry."

-"I have such bad mommy issues."

-"How come her evil version gets to play with Raiden and I don't?"

Mileena:

-"Literal perfection in Edenian form."

-"I'm in love with you."

-"Empress Mileena~"

-"Gordon Ramsey."

-"Final Fantasy X."

-"Before I die I'm tryna f-"

Nitara:

-"You look like Megan Fox."

-"Jennifer's body bag."

-"Twilight, gore edition."

-"C-Bat."

-"The Little Vampire."

-"She'd be a terrible babysitter."

-"Hey Selene."

-"The vampire movie jokes are getting old."

-"Dead but pretty."

Reptile:

-"I can only manage unholy comments about you."

-"What that tongue do?"

-"The best glow up by far."

-"Both forms."

-"Lizard form can get it."

-"Syzoth."

Ashrah:

-"Do you need a dog? *actually barks*"

-"Twilight Princess."

-"So jealous of both you and Syzoth."

Sonya Blade:

-"Mommy's back."

-"God I missed you."

-"Beat their ass, Blade."

Sektor:

-"The ketchup and mustard joke is funny."

-"Nuts."

Cyrax:

-"Bolts."

-"I'm into robots too."

-"Bot locs go hard."

Khameleon:

-"Like me!"

-"We could be siblings."

-"I can't flirt with you after saying we'd be siblings."

-"F.A.B." (spelled out, means fuck ass bob)

-"Gender? Never knew her."

Stryker:

-"Really?"

-"*makes pig noises*"

-"Love a man in uniform."

-"No idea who this was initially."

Shao Kahn:

-"Yeah. I could climb it."

-"He can get it."

-"Pretty bitch says what?"

-"My type."

-"Big."

-"Now that's a man that could ride."

-"Yeah.......*yeah"* (said in a very blatantly horny tone)

-"Kotal looked cooler."

-"Horny!"

-"Hey handlebars~"

Shang Tsung:

-"Bundle of sticks!"

-"You're so lucky you're drop dead gorgeous."

-"Redemption arc."

-"The bitch."

-"Toxic by Britney Spears."

-"He's back?"

-"No."

-"Okay maybe-"

-"Asshole says what?"

-"Mortal Kombaaatttt dodododododo-"

Havik:

-"I'm into it."

-"Final Destination."

-"He's the coolest Kombatant."

-"Khaos incarnate."

-"Resident Evil."

Motaro:

-"I'm a Sagittarius!"

-"Oh he's not a centaur?"

-"What are you?"

-"Liu Kang was so right to bring you back."

-"Fuck with the bull, get the horns."

Shujinko:

-"Deadass thought you were Shang Tsung."

-"No seriously are you and Shang Tsung related?"

-"Shu-plinko?"

-"Pachinko."

-"Shu-what? Who are you?"

Geras:

-"Yes!"

-"The literal best."

-"Dad AND daddy vibes."

-"The coolest."

-"Guardian of Time."

-"Timestopper."

Li Mei:

-"I had no clue who you were at first."

-"One and done."

-"Li Mei I take your hand in marriage?"

-"She deserved better."

Tanya:

-"You and Mileena are perfect."

-"Wife material."

-"So happy you're back."

Quan Chi:

-"Another redemption arc?"

-"I still don't forgive you."

-"Quan Chi-huahua."

Ermac:

-"I'm so fucking glad you're back."

-"JERROD?!"

-"We are Legion."

-"We are many, you are one." (said in a mocking tone)

Jax Briggs:

-"Nice."

-"The best."

-"Only you, Jax."

-"Captain~"

Frost:

-"Ooohhh that's chilly!"

-"Titsicles."

-"Ice to see you."

-"Let it go."

Homelander:

-"Why are you here?"

-"Okay, you're kinda cool."

Omniman: (she can't stand him)

-"Omni-boy."

-"God, you're annoying."

-"Invincible, yeah right."

-"D'vorah's cooler."

-"Kal-el."

-"Clark Kent."

-"I bet people make edits of you beating the shit of me cause I like to insult you."

Reiko:

-"Reiko's Island."

-"Who're you again?"

-"Dork."

-"Shao's lapdog."

Cove:

-"Hey that's me!"

-"You coulda just played Shang Tsung or Shujinko."

-"Best choice."

-"I'm hotter than you."

-"You picked THAT outfit?"

-"The coolest bitch here."

-"Candle Cove."

-"No, not Pirate's Cove."

-"Please pick Kung Lao for the Kameo."

-"Changeling."

-"Fae fire fantasy."

-"I can steal your name AND your face."

-"Cooler than Shang Tsung."

-"Big balls!"

-"Bigger tits."

#what i got so far #mortal kombat #cove #cove mk #mk oc #mk1 #mortal kombat 1 #evie talk

[dalishious]

Running Commentary: The Masked Empire Ch 17 & Epilogue

TL;DR: Gaspard and Michel finally have their duel. Briala realizes Celene cannot be trusted, and takes control of the eluvians for herself, claiming them for the elves of Orlais.

—————

After the fight with the varterral, Michel and Gaspard prepare for their duel.

Briala asks Celene where she got her Lady Mantillon ring, the same one Gaspard possesses. Celene says it was given to her as a gift after her parents died, lying that the lady must have felt sorry for her. Briala pretends to believe this, and kisses Celene... when in actuality, she uses this kiss as a distraction to pick the magic ruby that unlocks the eluvians off of Celene's person. (But Celene isn't aware of this yet.)

Gaspard and Michel begin their duel, but Lienne and Mihris cheat using magic to hex Michel. Briala picks up on this, but when she tries to stop the fight, the two mages supporting Gaspard say that they can't hear her, #BecauseMagic. So Briala slits Lienne's throat, and then announces that she's figured out Mihris is possessed by Imshael. Imshael threatens to just kill everyone if he doesn't get what he wants, but is sated by Felassan's mental promises of something big to come.

“You know, you’ve got a good point,” Felassan said. “Fire and swords are dull. But what if something bigger was coming?” “I’m listening, Slow Arrow,” said the demon. “What could you possibly do that you and I have not seen a hundred times before while the sweaty mortals lusted and grappled and bled their lives away?” Felassan said nothing, just smiled, twisting the tattoos around his face. “Oh, my,” Imshael breathed. “Is that a promise?” “Well, I was going for more of a threat.” Imshael turned to Celene, who stared at him uncertainly. “Empress,” he said, “best of luck to you. I do believe you’re going to need it. Whatever happens, I believe that Orlais is going to be quite exciting for the next little while.” Then light flared around Mihris, and she fell to her knees, her staff flickering back to icy white. For a moment, a smoky shape flickered around Mihris, a haze that clung to her body, and then it was shooting across the room through one of the mirrors on the wall. The mirror flared brilliant red, then darkened back to the inert dullness of its dormant state, and the demon was gone.

(Felassan is, of course, thinking about Solas's world-ending plans.)

With that taken care of, Briala thinks about the last story Felassan told her of Fen'Harel. She interrupts the fight by calling out to Michel, saying she is enacting the debt he owes her, and orders him to yield. Michel does so, and also reveals to everyone else that his mother is an elf as he drops his sword.

Celene demands answers from Briala.

Celene spun at Briala, her daggers drawn. Briala stepped away, two steps carrying her out of range. She did not draw her own blades, but she was certainly looking at Celene now, and Celene cursed herself for a fool as she saw the anger in her lover’s eyes. “Why?” Celene gripped her blades so tightly that her fingers burned. “Tell me again how you will free my people.” “I gave you my word!” Celene stepped forward, a dagger raised. “I swore!” “And I think you even believed yourself.” Briala swallowed. “But when the nobles protested, when it threatened to weaken the empire, you would have let it go. You would have ignored your promises to me, knowing that I would always forgive. That I would always stand at your side.” Now her blades came out. “After all, I believed in you even after you killed my parents.”

Briala put together that Celene in actuality got her ring from Lady Mantillon after her first arrangement of death as part of the Game; namely, all the servants in her estate, including Briala's parents. And Briala herself, had she not successfully hidden from them, if you recall.

Celene jumps to attack Gaspard, and while everyone is focused on that, Briala dashes for the pedestal. Realizing this, Celene notices that she no longer as the keystone ruby, and that Briala took it from her in that last kiss. Celene tries to kill Briala, but is stopped by Mihris. Briala reaches the pedestal, and whispers a passphrase to secure her control of the eluvians. She announces, “I claim these eluvians for the elves of Orlais.”

Briala uses the eluvians to send Michel and Gaspard away. Celene tries one more time to say that she would have freed the elves, but Briala is done falling for that shit.

“I would have freed them, Bria.” Celene stood a few paces away. Mihris and Felassan leaned against the pedestals, not quite blocking Celene’s path to Briala. “So you say,” Briala said. “But freedom is not given. It is won.” “It is both.” Celene shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes. She seemed so much smaller now than she had in Val Royeaux. “Have you seen nothing in all the years you spent at my side? Change comes through careful planning, through compromise.” “You compromised my parents.”

Briala then sends Celene to Halamshiral.

Mihris asks if Briala will share the passphrase to the eluvians with her, which Briala laughs off, but does promise that she will work with Dalish only if they help all elves. Mihris departs, leaving just Briala and Felassan.

“Are you sincere? You will use the paths of the eluvians to help your people?” Briala thought for a moment. “Celene and Gaspard saw an army, but that would be fighting their fight. With the paths, I could get food to alienages where elves would otherwise starve. They would let me move ahead of an oncoming army and warn the target, or move behind them and attack their supply lines.” “Which army are you going to hamstring?” Briala looked over at Felassan, smiling, even as she started to shiver from the winter’s chill. “Whichever one seems to be winning. What was it? Anaris and Andruil?” Felassan smiled. “You prolong their fight, and in the chaos, your people work free from their bonds?” “It can work, I think.” Briala held her arms around her. “Halamshiral rioted because of a single nobleman. I can find elves who will help me with my work in every city in Orlais, and more who are too afraid to fight, but will serve as eyes and ears if I can help their children survive the winter.” “That is,” Felassan said, and after a pause, finished, “a unique use of the ancient relics of our people, da’len.” “I think Fen’Harel would have approved,” Briala said, and saw Felassan give a startled laugh. “He might have,” her teacher said, “though I very much doubt it.” “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “The passphrase to access the eluvians. In case we’re separated, it’s—” She broke off as his fingers brushed her lips, looking at him in surprise. Felassan smiled again, but his eyes were sad, and wiser than Briala could ever imagine. “Don’t.” She looked at him silently for a moment, and then put it together. “You’re leaving.” “I must.” “The Dalish?” He snorted. “Them? Please.” Then his face turned serious. “But the elves of Orlais are in good hands, it seems. Many other things are not, and I have more work to do elsewhere.” She nodded, though her eyes stung. Begging him to stay would accomplish nothing, she knew. The protestations in the back of her mind—that she had more to learn, that she could not do this without him—she silenced before they gained a voice. The wisest man she had ever known trusted her to winher people’s freedom. And to her surprise, she found that she didn’t doubt his judgment. “One last question, then, hahren. Was this…” She gestured at the tunnels; then at the woods where, somewhere a few days’ journey away, Clan Virnehn lay dead; then to the north, where Halamshiral tilted toward the war that might set her people free. “Was this always your plan?” He chuckled one last time. “No, da’len. You did this yourself.” He leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. His lips burned like a brand, and her head spun for a moment.

Felassan disappears, and Briala whispers the passphrase, “Fen’Harel enansal” (Dread Wolf's blessing) to seal off the tunnel.

Celene arrives in Halamshiral and begins preparations to engage in a civil war.

Gaspard and Michel are transported somewhere in the wilderness, and part ways, with Gaspard vowing to keep Michel's secret origins hidden.

Felassan contacts a mysterious person, who we know is Solas, in the Fade. He reports that he does not know the eluvian passphrase, and refuses to take it from Briala. So Solas kills him.

The Masked Empire is a wild read, because there's so much I can't stand about the story... and yet at the same time, it has some great characters in Briala and Felassan.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my commentary, and found it helpful if you've never had the opportunity to read the novel yourself.

#dragon age #the masked empire #tme commentary

[centuryberry]

@peachshadows / @terrible-leviathan Here’s another chapter! This time, A-Dan meets her wannabe stepmother - I mean, Uncle.

The Celestial Palace was abuzz with the latest gossip about the Prince and the Little Princess. They’re all that everyone was talking about these days. And how could they not? The Royal heirs were a novelty. The Emperor and Empress had kept their births a secret from the entire Three Realms until recently.

The news shook the entire Court. Especially the Brotherhood, who had all been in the dark about the cubs the entire time. None of them knew. None of them even had a clue. Upon hearing about the news from DBK, Peng had hissed with outrage and Yellow Tusk had trumpeted his discontent.

Not one, but two little cubs. Not one, but two heirs that Wukong’s reign as Emperor is stable. Not one, but two anchors that kept the Six-Eared Macaque tied to the much-desired position as Empress and mate.

Not one, but two obstacles that stood in Azure Lion’s way to the Heavenly Throne and Sun Wukong’s side.

Azure had kept silent throughout it all. He knew better than to verbalize his disappointment. Macaque could hear all and he would be more than happy to take and twist Azure’s words in a way that would displease Wukong. He couldn’t risk any more setbacks that could render any chance of recovery unsalvageable.

Still, it stung Azure that his Emperor kept such important news from him - from the entire Brotherhood. No doubt, that scheming rat of an Empress poured poison into his ears and convinced him that this subterfuge was necessary.

But Azure did not let the news keep him dispirited for long. After all, obstacles could become footholds. Azure just needed to get to know the cubs enough to know what role they could play as he rearranged his plans.

An opportunity came to Azure by chance. He had been performing his duties and keeping order within the court. While passing the throne room, he heard youthful giggling coming from behind the doors.

Ah. The younger one came to visit, then. Perfect.

Azure entered without announcing himself, pasting on an expression of concern and wariness. He heard strange sounds that did not sound like the Emperor coming front the throne room, he would say if anyone (Macaque) tried to make accusations. “My king? Are you well? I heard…Oh?”

The concern may have been false, but the surprise certainly wasn’t. Princess Xiaodan was the spitting image of Liu’er Mihou. From her six, little ears to her black and sunset-themed hanfu, she was every inch his daughter. Azure half-expected the Little Princess to open her mouth and deliver a scathing rebuke for interrupting them unnecessarily like Macaque would’ve had.

But no, the princess remained silent and wide-eyed on her father’s lap, possibly stunned silent from Azure’s abrupt entrance.

“Azure! My friend!” The easy smile that leapt onto Wukong’s face never failed to warm Azure’s cheeks. But the Emperor’s attention quickly shifted away from him to the little one on his lap. His easy smile changed into something softer and adoring - very similar to the special smiles he’d give his mate. There was a familiar sting of bitterness that ran through Azure when he was yet again outshone by a six-eared monkey.

“Azure, I would like you to meet Sun Xiaodan. My daughter,” Wukong introduced her with pride as if the entire court and nearly all of the Three Realms didn’t already know her name.

Still, Azure put on a gentle smile he reserved mostly for little ones. “Princess. This subject greets you,” he said formally before getting on one knee for a proper bow, more for her father than for her as she was too young to understand the nuances of the court.

Xiaodan blinked at him. For a moment, Azure feared that she’d burst into tears. It happened more often than not for a being his size when he was around children. But then, she started to coo and chirp.

Despite visiting Flower Fruit Mountain many times in the past before Macaque’s ascension as its new ruler, Azure never saw the mountain’s baby monkeys so he didn’t recognize the sounds coming from the princess’s mouth. To his surprise, she reached out with both hands for him, making grabbing motions.

When his daughter shot him an imploring look, Wukong immediately got off the throne so he could carry her closer to Azure.

“Hi!” Xiaodan chirped sweetly as her tail wiggled with ill-hidden excitement. A smile was pulled from Azure’s mouth almost instinctively in response to such pure happiness.

“Hello, little one.”

Xiaodan slowly reached out. Her hands hovered over Azure’s mane. She tilted her head. “…Yes?”

It took a moment for the Celestial Beast to realize that the little princess was asking him for permission to touch him. A rumbling laugh came, unbidden, from his mouth before he could stop it. “My, how polite you are!” He praised her happily. “Yes, you may touch my mane.”

With a happy little squeak, Xiaodan buried her little hands into his mane. To Azure’s surprise, she didn’t grab and pull like he had expected. Instead, she was gentle as she stroked his head and carded her tiny fingers through his fur. She was grooming him, Azure realized.

Xiaodan let out an adorable little grumble when she couldn’t reach the rest of his mane and hopped right out of her father’s arms. Azure didn’t dare startle when she landed on his shoulders, fearful that she might slip and fall if he made one wrong move. She didn’t.

Wukong hovered near them the entire time, alert in a way that Azure understood but was aggrieved to see. Don’t you see that every part of you will always have my devotion? He cried out in his heart. This little one has your markings and your smile. How could I not protect her from all harm? How can you be so blind to all that I feel for you?

Xiaodan’s continued chirping and laughter eased Azure’s silent heartache.

“Soft!” Xiaodan marveled. She giggled when his ears twitched at her feather-light touches.

“Why thank you, Princess.”

“What are you doing with my daughter?”

All of the good mood in Azure’s chest disappeared at the voice of his esteemed Empress. Macaque strode into the throne room, not even bothering to hide his possessive anger and distrust towards Azure behind the usual forced veneer of civility. Behind him trailed the eldest, whose resemblance to both of his parents were less obvious than his younger sister. Still, the staff he carried marked him as Wukong’s son and heir.

“Empress,” Azure greeted curtly. Then, with less steel, “My Prince. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly, but I am afraid the little Princess would fall if I bow.”

The Prince held up his hands with an alarmed look on his face. “It’s all good, man! Don’t stress about it! A-Dan’s safety is super-important so good call. I’m not really a fan of the whole bowing thing anyways.” He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. “And…it’s just MK.”

“Prince MK,” Azure corrected himself with good humor. “I am -

“Azure Lion,” Macaque all but hissed, fur fluffed up with fury, “you didn’t answer my question.”

“Apologies, Empress,” Azure said without much remorse at all. “To answer your question, I was greeting Princess Xiaodan when she requested to play with my mane. As her Uncle and sworn subject, I thought it was fine to indulge her. It was not my intention to cause you any undue stress.”

“Lies.”

“Moonlight, that’s really what happened. A-Dan was the one who insisted on getting to know her Uncle better. I was there,” Wukong spoke up in his defense. It only served to enrage Macaque even further.

As if to rub the salt on the wound, A-Dan chose that very moment to nuzzle him. “Like. Mama, keep?”

Macaque looked as if he was smacked right across the face when little Xiaodan made her request. Azure soaked in the sight of his hurt and savored it.

But then, the firstborn spoke.

“No,” MK told his little sister firmly, eyes briefly flitting over to Azure. “No keeping, A-Dan.”

“But!”

“No buts.” MK seemed to be firm about this. Seeing that his son was supporting him, Macaque recovered and composed himself. A pity. “You know that you’re not allowed. We already talked about this.”

Ah. So Macaque had already trained up his eldest to act against Azure. Not unexpected, but it was still disappointing. From what little of MK he saw, Azure could tell that he was a good and kind cub like his little sister. A pity that he had a mother who tainted him and brought him down.

Xiaodan pouted. “A-Dan care. A-Dan feed. A-Dan brush. A-Dan play. Promise. Keep, Gege? Please?” Her eyes shone devastatingly. Azure was touched by how hard the little Princess was fighting to keep him at her side.

“A-Dan. A-Dan, no.” Instead of looking affected by the pleading, Prince MK looked almost…embarrassed? Regretful?

“Please?” Xiaodan begged, gripping onto Azure’s fur like a lifeline. “Pleeeeeeeease?”

“We can’t take him back home and keep him as a pet, A-Dan.” The Prince finally blurted out, completely shattering everyone’s perceptions about the whole situation. “He’s our Uncle, not a housecat!”

Azure froze in shock.

A…housecat…?

“Want Kitty!” Xiaodan insisted. “Like Mo!”

“No, not like Mo. Besides, Baba and Mama already said no pets until you’re bigger than them. Do you think you’ll get bigger than Uncle Lion anytime soon?” MK asked reasonably.

“…No.”

“Then it’s time to let him go.”

“Awwww. But A-Dan love.”

MK sighed. “You say that about every cat you see, A-Dan.”

This was the most surreal experience Azure had ever been in. He felt unbalanced as the siblings continued to talk about him as if he was some random stray picked off from the streets. It would’ve been humiliating if the Princess and the Prince weren’t so earnest in their own ways.

Macaque started to snicker behind his sleeves, relishing how their positions were now reversed, no doubt. Wukong wasn’t as subtle as his mate and burst into loud laughter. He patted Azure’s back almost consolingly in between guffaws.

“I’m really, really sorry about this,” MK apologized once again after Princess Xiaodan released him long enough for the Empress to spirit her away for a nap. He sent an unimpressed look at his still-laughing sire on the throne. “A-Dan didn’t mean to be rude. I’ll make sure to teach her not to do that again.”

Azure chuckled good-naturedly. “No need, Prince MK. The little Princess is still a very young cub. It’s normal for children to make mistakes from time to time. It’s what makes them so adorable. Still, I’m honored to receive so much of her favor.”

Yes. Misunderstanding or not, a favor was a favor and Azure would take anything that he was offered. Princess Xiaodan’s fondness might’ve been because he resembled a cat, but Azure could work with that. He could endear himself even more to her and become someone dependable, more irreplaceable.

Azure placed a hand on the Prince’s shoulder and smiled.

“As I said before to the Empress, I am your Uncle. If you are ever in need of help or advice, I am here, MK.”

#lmk #the sundown era #little dawn au #lmk season 4 spoilers #shadowpeach #azure lion

[cellard0ors]

Fic: Pin Me (2/?)

The auditorium is hot, noisy, and full of people.

Travis hates it

Bobby and Chris, on the other hand, are having the time of their lives. They're chattering back and forth to one another excitedly - shooting around names Travis has never heard of.

Henry Mason, Rick-rollin' Rita, Bradley 'Boulderfist' Johnson, the Hazard twins - just on and on about these famous wrestlers and who they're up against and their special moves and who they think is going to win.

Travis enjoys his brothers' enthusiasm, but honestly wishes he was anywhere else. Well, that's not strictly true. He wishes he was actually still at that bar chatting up Laura.

True, she was clearly much younger than him, but it had been nice to flirt with her and share a few laughs. If he could flirt with her and also share a few kisses, well...

The Hackett brothers find their seats as loud rock music swells and the show begins. Most people either stand or wave signs more than sit, but there are jumbo screens in strategic locations that make viewing easy no matter where you are.

Travis has taken to sitting, because he's honestly not that embroiled in what's going on. He's more focused on eating the overpriced french fries they got and looking at his phone when Chris bends down and nudges him.

"Come on, T! You're missing all the action!"

"I'm good." Travis promises him, "You've seen one muscular dude in tights launch himself into another and roll around, you've seen them all."

"It's not about that!" Chris argues, "It's about the pageantry! The showmanship, the-!"

He stops abruptly, shooting up to stand so he can roar with the rest of the crowd as the ref counts out three, signaling the end of a match as one big sweaty guy has pinned another.

Travis tries not to roll his eyes. He sips his too warm (and also overpriced) beer and hears a very loud announcement about the start of the next match.

Apparently it's for some women's title and the first person out is viciously booed at. The second one announced as the challenger is met with applause and cheers.

Bobby is shouting 'Abi, Abi!' over and over and Travis takes it this is the one everyone is rooting for. A clear voice comes overhead with a sneering swagger, "Well, well lil' Abbie! You really think you're up for this? You really think you can handle me? I'm not just any girl named Emma! I'm EMPRESS Emma and I've been holding this title for six months and nobody, I mean NOBODY, is going to take it away from me!"

The crowd picks up booing again, some people chanting 'Envious Emma' in a rhythmic way Travis finds fairly amusing. Abi now speaks, "You know Emma... you're right. I'm not up for this..."

Again, the crowd is part of the play, cheering Abi on and loudly disagreeing, clearly thinking she is ready, only for Abi to wait out their cries until there's the perfect beat of silence, "...but I've brought someone with me who is..."

Suddenly a metal rock beat rings out, the lyric 'It's Time' hitting the air and everyone around him - Loses. Their. MINDS.

Travis can't help but jump to standing, the crowd erupting with such massive cheering and roaring that it's like a physical tidal wave of sound.

And right there - walking down the highlighted central aisle - is the girl he met at the bar.

Laura.

But she's...very different right now. Mainly because she's wearing very tight black wrestling gear and a grey faux fur wrap.

A howl starts up and everyone follows suit, howling like animals and chanting 'Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!' Laura slides into the ring, beneath the ropes - like she was born to it and Travis watches in awe.

Emma looks horrified and Abi gleeful as she says into the mic, "You remember Siobhan, don't you?"

Siobhan? Travis is confused and he realizes his mouth is hanging open when he shuts and - more importantly - when he nudges Chris, "Who's that?!?"

Chris is applauding and grinning, "That's Siobhan 'the Wolf' Kennedy! Some people also call her the Slayer, because that was her last nickname."

"Nickname?"

"Yeah, these guys do a lot of gimmicks. Try on different names and personas until something sticks. Siobhan's been doing really well since she started going by the Wolf...well, that and moving from a tweener to a full face."

"...a what and what now?"

Chris gives him a look, "Thought you weren't interested."

"I'm not!" Travis returns, hating how he sounds so prissy about it, "I'm just-?"

His words end as Emma cries out and launches herself at Siobhan (Laura) and the match kicks into full gear. Abi goes to the sidelines and cheers Siobhan on as her and Emma trade well executed blows

It's clear punches and kicks are pulled, however the illusion is fun and soon both women start performing acrobatics that Travis can't look away from. They move with strength, precision, and speed.

At one point Emma is lying flat on her back in the middle of the ring while Siobhan climbs the ropes until she reaches the top turnbuckle. Once there she vaults off backwards in a somersault, landing on Emma's middle.

Travis's breath is bottled in his throat from the beginning of the move to the end.

Siobhan gets a pin and the count goes up, narrowly missing three as Emma kicks out. The two women continue the match - Emma doing one supremely impressive maneuver where she manages to hook Siobhan around the face and loop around, bringing her face down to the mat.

Emma goes for a pin after this, but Siobhan kicks out this time. They tussle around some more until, eventually, Laura ends back up on top of the ropes and everyone is shouting 'Full Moon' over and over until she does a sort of diving cartwheel off the top, practically splashing down on top of Emma and pinning her again.

The ref is just reaching three when, out of nowhere, another girl appears and starts attacking Abi on the sidelines. While this distracts the ref, a guy with a backwards baseball cap on appears from beneath the ring and reaches out to grab Siobhan by the ankle.

He drags her off Emma and then gives her head a fake smash into the mat. Siobhan is 'out cold' as Emma slowly rolls up and over top of her while the guy disappears.

The ref - having broken up Abi and mystery girl and never having seen baseball cap guy - goes into a new countdown and this time Emma wins.

The crowd is incensed, furious over Siobhan's loss as Abi rushes to her side and Emma is escorted off by mystery girl. Chris and Bobby are chatting to one another excitedly about Killer Ka and Jacob 'Bropop' Tinker showing up and Travis is at his wits end.

He reaches out and grabs Chris's shoulders, turning his brother to fully face him as he states firmly and clearly, "You're going to explain all of this to me and you're going to explain it now."

#hackearney #travis x laura #my writing #the quarry

[adridoesstuff]

Elisabeth das musical Plzeň production review

Date: April 28th 2023

Cast: Michaela Štiková-Gemrotová (Elisabeth), Pavel Režný (Smrt/Death), Martin Holec (Lucheni), Jozef Hruškoci (Franz Joseph), Renáta Podlipská (Archduchess Sophie), Pavel Klimenda (Rudolf), Tadeáš Prokop (little Rudolf), Jan Ježek (Max), Stanislava Topinková-Fořtová (Ludovika/Frau Wolf)

Review and thoughts below the page break:

• We don't start with a hanged Lucheni puppet, the entire time it's actually the actor, who's hanging off of the noose

• And he stays that way for most of the Prolog

• Death lurks in the background for a moment during Alle tanzen mit dem Tod before Lucheni notices him

• And Death cuts Lucheni down from his noose

• During Death's verse, we get to see how Death works in this production's world: he kills on merely touch, which is demonstrated by the dead flying at him with outstretched arms and he just gets rid of them

• Death does give Lucheni a dirty look after "she loved Heinrich Heine"

• Little Sisi comes in in a short skirt and bloomers and during the second verse of Wie Du, her governess comes in and to Sisi's displeasure puts a long skirt onto her

• We also get a glimpse of Helene in Wie Du (she is very blonde in this version) and that she and Sisi at this point have a good relationship

• Everyone in Schön euch alles zu sehen gets a tea cup with saucer and a spoon and they do a collective spoon drop when Ludovika announces Helene is to be empress

• We get a shadow play of Sisi balancing on a tightrope with an umbrella

• After she falls, they carry her out onto a sofa and everyone groups around her, only for her to come out from the wings, so KKOG is done with the context of Sisi's soul already separated from her body and her literally being a touch away from dying

• And she does get really close, but at the last moment, Death pulls away

• As she sings "Ich erkenn dich schwartzer Prinz", Sisi goes towards Death with outstretched arms ready for a hug and Death just gets this mini panic as he backs up

• I don't like KKOG as a song, but the mutual fascination Pavel and Michaela showed here was *chef's kiss*

• During Jedem gibt er das seine, Franz and Sophie are almost shrouded behind the austrian flag colored curtains, separated from everyone around them

• And once Franz rises from his table, he moves strictly in straight lines and 90° angles

• Also, the entire show, Lucheni watches what is happening onstage from the side, sitting huddled up next to one of the set pieces, so the Lucheni actor has very little break time

• And since we're here, Martin Holec as Lucheni is so wonderful. He is a sarcastic asshole, but an extremely sympathetic one with an underlying remorseful side to him. Like, you can't help but laugh and nod along with him

• And he gets some alternate costumes for So wie man plant und denkt: a coat, tophat and fishing rod for verse 1 and an apron for verse 2

• And he hands out tea for everyone during the second verse

• Franz and Sisi see one another before the family meeting and Franz just keeps on looking at her from the moment they meet

• Sophie: "What, her?" Franz, while holding onto Sisi's hand as he was instructed to do and completely visibly in love with her, with the proudest look plastered onto his face: "Yes..."

• Nichts ist schwer has Sisi and Franz act shy at first and they slowly warm up to one another, coming closer to eachother

• Sisi being extremely shy once she is put into her wedding dress

• Death observes the wedding from the side and once Sisi says yes, you can hear the sound of a bird taking flight and Death says yes back to her three times

• Sie passt nicht has Sisi and Franz taking audience with the nobles after the wedding and Sisi is trying to be nice and friendly to them but they progressively just start behaving more rudely and dismissively towards her and she just progressively wilts on spirit until Franz takes her to dance

• Also, Helene just straight up walks by Elisabeth and ignores her when she's supposed to congratulate her

• Lucheni strutting through the dancing ballroom crowd until Death shows up

• Death strutting in flanked by all the death angels was a serve

• Der letzte Tanz had Death dance around with some of the ballroom guests, thus slowly killing them and provoking Sisi with it

• Sisi does defend Franz by hugging him in front of Death

• And Death does have some telepathic powers in this version, so that's how he dances around with Sisi

• Liebe mit Gaffern got the ensemble grouped up and obsessively staring at Sisi from the side

• Sisi has a gorgeously long wig in Eine Keiserin muss glänzen

• Sisi rising on a hydraulic platform during the last part of Ich gehör nur mir

• We get Sisi doubles in the background during Stationen eine Ehe during Lucheni's parts, showing her current life situation

• Franz just straight up leaves on Sisi when she asks him to give her back her child

• When they come to Hungary, Sisi and Franz are followed by a lady in waiting carrying the bundled up little Sophie and Death slowly stalks towards them, killing the child by gently touching her forehead

• So far, with every person Death has taken, he was rather rough with them, either throwing them, strangling them or just roughly pushing them away, even if with one finger, but little Sophie is the first time we see a more gentle side to how he takes lives

• I got literal chills during Pavel Režný's Act 1 Shatten

• As the café guests keep on talking about the rumors about Sisi and gazing into their newspapers, her very visibly sad shadow can be seen passing along the backdrop and Lucheni tries to make some of the people notice her, but they keep on ignoring him

• Lucheni jumping through the café guests and leaping off of the tables when he talks about how Rudolf was born

• The playout for Fröhliche Apokalypse got some super interesing newspaper choreo, which ended with the newspapers being left tossed all over the stage

• The kid playing little Rudolf was super adorable

• Also, he is forced into the blue austrian uniform jacket and the poor little kid says "ouch" as he is forced into it

• Sisi in her room looks like she is trapped in it and only when she stands her ground, she leaves it

• So far, Sisi was the one to draw back once Death starts approaching her/he pushes her around the stage, but once she says no to him here, she intentionally pushes him back for the first time and Death just completely shook

• Milch had the ensamble come in from the sides of the audience

• And there was plenty of very agressive banging with the milk cans onto the stage

• Schönheitspflege has a Sisi double with her back to the audience in a bath up on a pedestal and the maids are brushing her hair and taking care of her

• Once Franz comes in, they draw a changing screen closed in front of her and it kinda looks like a triptych altarpiece

• And then it opens and she is there in her Star dress

• Death appears for the Act 1 finale on ground level and Elisabeth is higher than him

• Also, some of the ensemble angrily come in at the end of Act 1 finale in their Milch costumes, but they stop in admiration when they see Elisabeth

• Lucheni gets a black glittery frockcoat and tophat for Kitsch

• And he tries to sell his kitsch souvenirs to both the hungarian ensamble and the front row

• We don't see Franz and Elisabeth during Éljen, the focus is purely on the happy hungarian populace

• Wenn ich tanzen will has Elisabeth giving one massive fictive middle finger to Death with her teasing him by dancing with whichever man she pleases in front of him, while he can't touch her

• And Death is just so upset/infuriated by not being able to dance with her and he is just left alone on stage completely upset

• Also, paralel scene to Der letzte Tanz!

• Little Rudolf trying to hide underneath his blanket was so precious

• Death is just so fascinated by Rudolf wanting him to stay and he also looks at him kinda weirded out like this is his first time interacting with a child

• Also, Death does almost touch Rudolf's head to take him, but he holds himself back

• The mad woman in the insane asylum scene being carried around on the shoulders of other of the patients

• Elisabeth in this scene is so compassionate and trying to be so patient with everyone

• Wir oder sie had Sophie and the court men huddled around a dimly lit table to discuss

• Nur kein genieren was lit very red and the way they tilted the lighting rig was so interesting

• The ensamble for this scene was very stripy with a lot of colored tulle ruffles

• Also, Stanislava Topinková Fořtová as Frau Wolf? Slayed and ate

• Lucheni doesn't have as much chemistry with Frau Wolf as in the original, but he did get to fool around with some of the ensamble ladies

• Elisabeth falls down when she's attempting to excercise on rings, but she climbs up on a vault to get to them and falls down from there, so pretty big fall

• And they included a lot of coughing from Elisabeth's side

• Death gets a nice cloak and tophat as his doctor disguise! And it suprisingly had little gaping and the way he threw it off was so effortless

• Death and Elisabeth circling around the vault during Maladie

• Elisabeth ends up on the ground and Death goes down onto the ground to her, offering her his hand for her to take

• Elisabeth doesn't throw the necklace at Death, but onto the ground

• Death does come for Sophie in this production, but we don't see him touch her, just her visibly acknowledge him and he follows her offstage

• The passage of time in Rastlose Jahre was shown by little Rudolf first coming out and Elisabeth just breezes past him and then he went offstage and the next time, Rudolf came onstage as an adult

• We get a Fanny Feifalik namedrop from Lucheni!

• At the end of Rastlose Jahre, Lucheni holds up a picture of young Elisabeth next to her, but she snatches the picture from him, agressively stares him down while tearing the picture up and then she stuffs to torn up pieces into Lucheni's mouth

• Rudolf does give himself a dose of morphine on the side of the stage during Rastlose Jahre, so I'm guessing Shatten here is partially a drug induced fever dream

• Other than that, Pavel Klimenda's Rudolf is so goddamn tragically sad, desheveled, sopping wet, traumatized and affection starved, like, you just want to give his Rudolf a hug

• At the end of Rastlose Jahre, there is a tiny moment when Sisi notices Rudolf looking like a complete mess and he cries out to her, but she looks back at him with disgust and leaves him alone, crying

• Shatten had Death come in with a whip and kind of invite Rudolf onto a ride on his carriage (I'm saying kind of because it was very minimalistic in set)

• At one point, Death touches Rudolf with his whip by lifting up his chin and Rudolf snatches the whip from him, prompting a very "what is this weird kid doing now" look from Death

• Death gives Rudolf a gun at the end of Shatten and Rudolf does consider using it, he even puts it to his head while surrounded by the death angels, but he reconsiders and hides the gun

• Strait Vater und Sohn has Rudolf more upset than angry

• Hass was lit very starkly and dimly, so for a lot of the scene, you couldn't make out their facial features

• Death does appear during Hass, not directly involving himself, but banging a drum to the rhythm of the song in the background

• During Wie Du reprise, Elisabeth writes with a quill that looks like one of Death's feathers

• I almost cried during Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär

• Rudolf comes in with some papers, looking kind of ready to discuss his worries with his mother, but as soon as he is faced with her, he falters and lets go of the papers

• The entire time Rudolf begs Elisabeth for help, he is on his knees in front of her

• And she lashes out at him before leaving him alone

• Before Mayerling, Rudolf faces the audience and says "so, you will leave me alone in this", and he starts sobbing and curls up on the ground as the death angels come in and he cries out for his mom to help him

• Mayerling at first has the angels throw Rudolf around before Death starts dancing with him

• At the end, they touch/embrace and Rudolf ends his life

• Rudolf gets surrounded by the death angels, who create his grave with their wings

• Death looks very remorseful after Rudolf dies. This production doesn't really give us feral Todolf like the original and 1st revival, but Tod here is more like a guardian to Rudolf.

• Death remorsefully observes Elisabeth as she comes to lay flowers onto Rudolf's grave

• At the end of Totenklage, both Franz and Death are offering Elisabeth an embrace and Elisabeth starts leaning towards touching Death until he pulls away

• During Totenklage, Lucheni photographs the picture of Elisabeth weeping by Rudolf's grave, that he shows in Kitsch reprise

• And he tears the picture up during the song

• Boote in der Nacht had Elisabeth smoking a cigarette

• They reused the Achilleon set from Wie Du reprise/Spiegel and she had a ton of books lying around the set, which she kept on flipping through as a distraction from Franz

• Am Deck den sinkenden Welt literally had the stage looking like a stormy sea of waves just by using the hydraulic platforms in the stage and Franz was on the only stable part of the stage

• We actually got one of the ensamble ladies set on fire during the scene

• Death screaming at Franz from up on the hanging lighting rig!!

• Death doesn't throw the file at Lucheni, but the angels pass it to him across the stage

• The ensamble in their afterlife costumes stay on scene during the assasination

• Also, Death keeps on watching the scene from the lighting rig

• Once she is stabbed, Elisabeth stumbles offstage for a while and stumbles back in only to be surrounded by the ensamble as she dies

• And suddenly, she appears on the other side of the stage in her white nightgown

• The death angels drag Lucheni down and he tries to triumphantly laugh, but he is clearly conflicted and a little remorseful

• That moment when Elisabeth and Death finally touch and embrace <3

• The Der Schleier fällt kiss here was so full of mutual respect

• After Death kisses her, Elisabeth doesn't fall down dead, but she walks downstage and looks out into the audience as the curtain falls

• Meanwhile, Death through all this looks at her with such a loving and fascinated expression

• So, in this production, Elisabeth and Death stay together in the afterlife

• For the curtain call, everyone of the main cast got one of their character's songs played as they took a bow

• With Lucheni and Death getting to sing a bit of Kitsch and Der letzte Tanz each as they took a bow

• CONCLUSION: Holy shit, everybody in this cast was splendid. I honestly can't even decide who's would be the standout performance of the evening, because everyone was amazing.

#elisabeth das musical #elisabeth plzeň #european musicals #two more times seeing this show #both on derniere day #so I know I will be sobbing at the curtain calls #because this was amazing #i have some minor nitpicks but other than that this was splendid

[archduchessofnowhere]

What was the opinion of the people who knew Empress Sissi? Thanks.

Hello anon! I’ll start by apologizing to you because it took me so long to answer not because this was a difficult question, but because it's easy to answer and this will turn ridiculously long since we have plenty of testimony of people who knew her.

Her husband emperor Franz Josef was probably her biggest admirer, and while I personally think their relationship is over-romanticed, that he deeply loved her is undeniable. He saw no fault in her and always called her his “angel”; and while he never understood her he did support her in (almost) all her projects. There are plenty of quotes that show his devotion towards his wife (even though his actions not always reflected that), but to me the most defining is one of the things that he allegedly said after hearing of Elisabeth's death: “Nobody will ever know how much I loved her”.

Archduchess Gisela’s feelings towards her mother remain a mystery, but we do have this letter she wrote after Elisabeth’s death that shows her grief, and I think is safe to say that she loved her, even if they weren't close. Rudolf 's feelings were more complicated. He loved his mother, in fact he idolized her, and felt deeply grateful towards her for having saved him from his abusive tutor. But he also longed for a closer relationship with her, which they never had, and this was a source of sorrow for him.

The child who's feeling we know the best is Valerie, who kept a diary throughout her life in which she often wrote about her mother. She loved Elisabeth, but she also found her love hard to bear, specially since she felt it kept her apart from her father, whom she also adored:

What I most wanted to do was fall at his feet and kiss his paternal imperial hands, even as I felt — God forgive me — a momentary anger at Mama since her unbridled love and exaggerated, groundless concern place me in such an embarrassing and false position.

After Rudolf's death Elisabeth fell into a deep depression, and Valerie felt the burden of being her mother's main emotional support.

My mother often causes me such anxiety. She is capable of everything great, yet incompetent in small things. Now that agitation has given place to the monotony of everyday life, and Papa at least appears outwardly the same and works as he always did, life seems to her oppressive and cheerless.

Elisabeth even said to her youngest daughter that she was the only reason why she still was alive, which greatly stressed Valerie, specially since her wedding was approaching. However, while deeply hurt, Elisabeth wanted nothing more than Valerie's happiness so she fully supported her decision to marry for love, and tried to bother her and her family as little as possible after she got married.

For all that’s been said about Archduchess Sophie disliking her daughter-in-law from the get-go, she in fact had nothing but praises for Sisi when the engagement was announced:

The little girl [Elisabeth]’s posture is so graceful, so modest, so irreproachable, so elegant, almost humble, when she dances with the emperor… She seemed to me so attractive, so childishly modest and yet completely at ease with him.

(...) But you can well imagine that my eyes are also busy looking at Sisi, and they rest with delight on this happy couple who love each other so much and in such a charming way; it is a feast for the eyes to see the happiness and harmony that radiates from them.

She also remarked many times how happy she felt, to the point of tears. While it’s true that Elisabeth later on remembered her mother-in-law with resentment, there's evidence to argue that the sentiment wasn't mutual, and that Sophie did felt love for her daughter-in-law, even if they clashed because of their differences.

Her ladies-in-waiting in general had a good relationship with her, some even forming real friendships with the empress. But they also found her hard to deal with, like one of her first ladies, Princess Helene of Thurn und Taxis, Countess Kinsky (not to be confused with Elisabeth’s sister Helene, Hereditary Princess of Thurn und Taxis). Princess Taxis wrote to a former lady-in-waiting when they returned to Vienna after Elisabeth’s flight to Madeira and Corfu in 1860:

I can only congratulate you, upon not having had to go through these two years of martyrdom with us. Now we are settled in Schönbrunn, and the thought that we are ‘settled for good somewhere’ seems quite strange. It was hard for her [Elisabeth] to give up her recent traveling about, and I quite understand this. When one has no inward peace, one imagines that it makes life easier to move about, and she has now grown too much accustomed to this. (…) I believe, indeed, that she has moments of despair, but nobody can laugh like her, or has such childlike whims. She says herself that it is not unpleasant to her to see us occasionally, but it is odious to her to have us in waiting…

The lady-in-waiting that left us the most “content” about the empress is Countess Maria Festetics, who entered her service in 1872 and became Elisabeth’s close confidant until the end of her life. Maria kept a detailed diary during her years in service, which is one of the main sources about the empress’ later life. In this diary she also wrote her impression’s on Elisabeth:

One never grows tired when one goes out with her. At her side it is delightful, and so it is behind her. Looking alone is enough. She is the embodiment of the idea of loveliness. At one time I will think that she is like a lily, then again like a swan, then I see a fairy-oh, no, a sprite-and finally-no! an empress! From the top of her head to the soles of her feet a royal woman!! In everything excellent and noble. And then I remember all the gossip, and I think there may be much envy in it. She is so enchantingly beautiful and charming.

But while the countess adored Elisabeth, she could be critical towards her too:

In ‘Her’ there is everything, but as in a disordered museum - pure treasures, which go unused. Nor does she know what to do with them.

Stephanie of Belgium also wrote a bit about her mother-in-law in her memoirs. This was her reaction when, according to her, Elisabeth asked her to replace her at fulfilling her official court duties:

Empress Elizabeth detested etiquette. She loved solitude, far from the pomp and ceremony of the Imperial Court. It was her purpose, she said, to withdraw from all such things. The duties of her official position had become slavery, a martyrdom! She had not, as a young girl, been educated for the high mission to which she was subsequently called. In her view, freedom was every one’s inalienable right! Her conception of life was a fairyland, free of all trouble and constraint.

The Viennese court took a dislikeness of Stephanie almost immediately, and Elisabeth was no exception. So the crown princess had her reasons to not have a very positive remembrance of her. According to Stephanie this is what happened when she spoke to Elisabeth after receiving the news of Rudolf's death:

At length I ventured to tell the Empress what, weeks before, I had tried to say to the Emperor. I spoke of Rudolf’s manner of life, his habits and customs, his associates, how completely his health had been disordered. The Empress, however, stubbornly closed her mind against these communications, and it was an additional distress to me to feel that she was turning away from me. In her eyes I was the guilty party. Though outwardly I remained calm, inwardly I was in a state of collapse.

From her extended family we have the very unreliable memoirs of Countess Marie Larisch, Elisabeth’s niece. She gives many long descriptions on how beautifully spellbinding she found her, but I'll just share this one:

She fascinated me and dominated my imagination, and, with her infinite tact, she gave me confidence in myself. Elizabeth was never then the Empress, she was the Aunt Cissi who seemed so understanding, and so completely in sympathy with me, that I would willingly have died for her.

This passage wrote many years after Larisch's fall out with the imperial family is likely an exaggeration, and yet I do believe that the young Baroness probably felt flattered for having the favor of her aunt and found her fascinating.

I could keep on but I'll leave it here since this post is already too long. I hope you found my answer helpful!

#empress elisabeth of austria #franz josef i of austria #archduchess marie valerie of austria #gisela of austria princess of bavaria #crown prince rudolf of austria #sophie of bavaria archduchess of austria #helene of thurn und taxis countess kinsky #countess maria festetics #marie von wallersee countess larisch #asks

[sarcasticdolphin]

todolf conservatory au request.. can’t wait to see them scramble to deal with rudolf’s (and tod’s??) disappearance I’m like the yes ha ha ha yes meme

"Missing"

The beginning of the aftermath. Colloredo's POV. Under the cut for length and the fact that Colloredo has thoughts about Mozart that College Deans really shouldn't be having about students ....

The receptions after graduation ceremonies were Hieronymus’ most and least favorite events to attend, depending on the day. Who would say no to alcohol on the college’s dime? Then again the swill that was labeled champagne barely made the cut.

Normally he wouldn’t stay long - enough to offer a toast to the new graduates and not raise eyebrows, but no longer. That all went out the window when the Chancellor’s son was one of the students graduating. Hieronymus was now on his fifth glass of whatever was in those little plastic cups, and instead of a pleasant buzz, all that he had managed to grant himself was the beginnings of a severe headache. 

He wasn’t the senior administrator - what with the Chancellor here and all - but somehow that just made it worse. Awkward moments came and went. He congratulated students he’d never seen before, avoiding the few who he’d had the occasion to meet under earlier less joyful circumstances. 

The minutes felt like hours, but gradually the crowd thinned and Hieronymus found himself standing next to the chancellor, offering congratulations on the graduation of his son through slightly gritted teeth. He couldn’t say he was sad to see Rudolf von Habsburg leave, what with the whole mess with Tod. The mess Hieronymus had never really gotten to the bottom of. 

Franz accepts the thanks gracefully enough, but his brow furrows. It’s getting late, and the reception is almost over. Wherever has Rudolf gone off to?

Hieronymus glances around, not seeing the boy who had vexed him far more than most. Franz has his phone to his ear when Hieronymus turns back, waiting patiently through the rings, until it goes straight to voicemail. He tries again, but nothing changes.

“Odd.” Franz’s brow is furrowed more properly now. “I swear he’s glued to that thing most of the time.”

He tries once more to no avail before muttering something under his breath. 

The cold click of heels on the tile announces Franz’s wife. “Elisabeth.” Her arrival brings a smile to Franz’s face, even if the worry never left his eyes. Hieronymus felt the odd urge to duck his head before the icy statue in the shape of a woman. She always had that effect, or so his predecessor had said.

Franz’s wife was beautiful, or perhaps it was more that she had been beautiful. The Botox was well done, but the lack of lines in her face seemed to Hieronymus more unnatural than youthful. Franz had aged gracefully. His wife seemed content to spend obscene sums of money to avoid the same, but in Hieronymus’ view she was worse off in the end.

“Our son is being petulant.” Franz sounds resigned more than anything else. “Would you?”

The young woman who accompanied the Chancellor’s wife - Hieronymus had been introduced to her once, but he couldn’t recall her name - dutifully pulled a phone from the purse she carried and handed it over to Elisabeth. Even the simple act of carrying her own phone was evidently beneath the icy goddess that Franz had married. What he saw in her, Hieronymus would never understand. 

The rings came again. Straight to voicemail. 

“He hates this sort of social event. He probably headed back to the house, and his phone is just in another room. Or he can’t hear it over the piano.” Franz’s words ring hollow to Hieronymus’ ears, like the Chancellor is trying to convince himself most of all. 

The Chancellor and his icy Empress depart together, and Hieronymus for his part slips off into the night. He needs something stronger than the swill from earlier.

—-------------

He dreams of his composer, of the pretty thing coming to heel. Accepting guidance. Because Wolfgang Mozart was a diamond in the rough, so incredibly talented but without the discipline to use said talent. No matter. Others - Hieronymus - could provide the needed guidance. And the young man would look so pretty on his knees.

Dream-Mozart was nothing like his real counterpart, all platitudes and doe eyes. So submissive, and so willing to learn. To please. 

So no one could blame Hieronymus for the storm of curses that erupted as his phone pulled him from his dream. 10 am already. He squints enough to see the caller ID. Franz. Fuck.

“Colloredo.” Hieronymus’ voice sounds hoarse even to his own ears

—------------

There’s not really much he can tell the officers. Yes, Rudolf had attended graduation. But the reception had been so crowded, and Hieronymus hadn’t seen Rudolf there. He’d been busy. The detective coldly scribbles notes. 

The questions are mostly generic, and Colloredo’s clouded brain gives automatic answers until the last one. Is there anything else they should know?

He swallows. Because there is. God on high, there certainly is. 

“He was quite close to Professor Tod.” An understatement if ever there was one. But that’s all his muddled brain can conjure for now. Thoughts dart back and forth - close wasn’t the right word. But he couldn’t think of another. 

The detective thanks him and Hieronymus offers a brief prayer that Rudolf is simply hiding out at his erstwhile advisor’s house and avoiding his father. It seems in character enough. 

Advisor. Because Tod had been Rudolf’s advisor in the end. Hieronymus would be lying if he didn’t find the circumstances more than a little suspicious, but there was nothing. Infuriatingly, there was nothing save perhaps the echo of smirk as Tod had ever so graciously offered to step in at the last minute, and as Colloredo had forced a thankful acceptance of said offer through clenched teeth, thinking all the while that it would be what the department head would have wanted. Of all semesters this would be the one the man was on sabbatical.

Arco emerges with a file for the officers. Tod’s address, hopefully. Then this can all be over. And perhaps Tod might even just step far enough over the line. The fraternization rules were stricter than most. And part of Hieronymus was all too happy to envision that conversation, much as he usually hated them and found talking to Tod more than a little unnerving most of the time. Because that was the sort of conversation that ended with a resignation if the professor had any idea what was good for them.

And then Hieronymus would be free of his accursed doppelganger. Yes, perhaps this whole affair, inconvenient as it was, would have a positive outcome in the end.

#music conservatory au #my fic #thank you for the ask #colloredo is a giant hypocrite #like usual

[ninjadeathblade]

Moulin Rouge Discotrain AU (part nineteen)

Summary: (Post-game canon) The Conductor and DJ Grooves agree to finally work on a movie together. They come up with 'Moulin Rouge', a musical drama filled with romance. Over time the two directors grow closer and discover that maybe they don't hate each other as much.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 668

Warnings: None

Author's notes: Introducing Conductor's daughter at the very end of this part! Yes, I'm a sucker for sentient vehicles, leave the Express alone. But anyway, enjoy!

Conductor hummed to himself as he jotted down music notes.

It wasn't often he spent time in the engine room but anywhere on the Owl Express was calming and felt safe.

"I will love you, until my dying day," he murmured, folding the papers and standing.

"I didn't know you wrote songs," Grooves commented from the doorway.

"How long have you been there? And since when did you wake up?" Conductor asked, face heating despite leaving the engine room.

Grooves moved out the way as Conductor dragged the door closed.

"Long enough to hear you singing to yourself," Grooves answered and Conductor turned back to him. "You know it's probably not healthy for you to be in there with all the fumes."

"I'm used to it. I've had this train for years, Grooves, I think I know how long it's safe for me to stay in one place," Conductor shrugged.

"What sort of song were you writing?" Grooves asked as the two of them walked through the train.

"Love song for the movie," Conductor said under his breath.

"You wrote a love song for the movie?" Grooves breathed as they ascended a set of stairs.

"It's not any good," Conductor responded, pushing open the door to the VIP lounge.

He strode over to the door of a guest room, unlocking it. "You can stay in there while we're on the Express. Sorry that yer had to sleep downstairs last night."

"It's fine Connie."

"I'm gonna go check on some of the cargo then I'll be back," Conductor stated, heading back out of the room.

He journeyed through the Express, down to the luggage room.

A melody rang through the air, and he looked over at the wall.

The phone was ringing.

"Who is it?" Conductor asked, picking up the earpiece.

"It's Empress. Where is Grooves?" She replied.

"Why would I know?"

"Because the last people who saw you were the cleaning team and supposedly he was with you," Empress rightly accused.

"What d'you want?" Conductor sighed.

"We know that everyone's off at the moment but Snatcher's got some business he needs to deal with in Subcon. He said he'll be back in time for the last couple scenes he has to film," Empress explained.

"You know, a little bird told me that you make this sort of trip every two months. Shut everything down for a week or two, and disappear along with your train. Makes a curious cat like me wonder what you're up to."

"They say that curiosity kills cats, are you sure you want to be asking all these questions?"

"Are you sure you want to be doing all this deflecting?"

"I'm leavin'."

"Running from your problems won't fix anything," Empress hissed.

Conductor cursed under his breath, slamming the phone back onto its stand.

The Express' brakes locked the wheels of the train in place, a scraping groan shuddering the carriage.

Conductor let out another, louder, swear and stumbled into the wall, glaring at the train.

"What the peck was that for?!" He shouted.

The phone buzzed with static on its stand before reciting a message.

"You've arrived at your destination!" The phone announced, a metallic reverb to voice.

"Yeah, I got that." Conductor scowled as the train stopped. "Yer lucky I love you."

"I'm the pecking best!" The phone buzzed again, a confident air about it.

"You are darlin' but go easier on the breaks next time," Conductor instructed, running out of the luggage room and shouting towards the stairs. "Grooves! You okay?!"

"I'm fine! Why did we stop?!"

"We're here! But wait inside, I need to deal with something first!"

Conductor didn't wait for a reply, sprinting for the back of the train.

He burst outside, looking at the cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"Please tell me I'm not late," Conductor whispered to himself.

He waited a minute, debating on whether to go knock on the door.

But it was answered for him, an owl exiting the house.

"Hey dad."

"Hi Roxie."

#discotrain #a hat in time #ahit #ahit conductor #the conductor #ahit au #ahit dj grooves #ahit the conductor #ahit oc #the owl express #moulin rouge discotrain au #ahit moulin rouge au

[saidrabbles]

the cursed red string (bonus)

a/n: after all the angst, this is a wholesome bonus for you, with them all together, after they move past their painful past lives.

.

when it came to working jumadeung, it didn't feel any different than a normal company. well, except that they're reapers. but the announcement of having a field day for all of the employees in jumadeung, was a tad bit too much for you. you hated exerting more energy than necessary.

"do we have to go?.." you say out loud. "it's an unnecessary activity, but i don't think the jade empress would do that with no ulterior motive." you jumped at the voice next to you. it was joong-gil. "a hello would've been nice" you say as you try to regain your posture. you turn to look at him, and that's when you witness the unexpected. he was smiling. "woah, i didn't know the great team leader can smile" you laughed. "and i didn't know nonchalant (y/n) can laugh." he retorted.

"(y/n) !!!" you hear a person calling your name, and you both look in the direction of the voice. it was junwoong, running to you with the biggest smile plastered on his face. "i'm so excited for today !!!" he said breathlessly. "oh, team leader is also here i see!" he poses in a fighting stance, making you both laugh "i will be today's mvp, no matter what." "not when the great joong-gil is here." the older male tries to get on the younger's nerves.

"joong-gil ah, your tricks don't work on me anymore" he looks cautiously at the tall figure infront of him. "i used to argue with you all the time, back in the village." joong-gil flicked his exposed forehead, clicking his tongue. "joong-gil ah?? am i your fellow colleague now?" "oww that hurts !! decades had passed but your fingers are stronger than ever" junwoong was wincing in pain. "listen you idiots. im not gonna tolerate an eternity with your bickering, can't you get along??" you sigh as you look at the both of them.

the three of you were looking at each other, trying to be serious. junwoong suddenly sneezed, and the three of you started filling the jumadeung hall with your laughs. all the other employees were looking at you, baffled. they found you three to be a weird combination - the risk management and the escort team...and the park joong-gil laughing??

because of course, they didn't know of the past that you shared. the pain that you had to overcome for you to be laughing together like this.

after calming down from your fit of laughing, joong-gil let's go of what he held in his heart. "i've missed this. i've missed us three, being together like this." you look at him, surprised yet sad. "i'm sorry that it took us this long to come back to you." you smiled sadly at him. "bring it in, my people" junwoong says as he opens his arms wide, ready to take you both in for a hug. you and joong-gil instinctively put his hands down, preventing him from what he's about to do. he sulks, and gives you a sad pout. "guuuyyyys.." he whined.

you both look at each other, knowing that this is hopeless - he won't stop until he got his hug. "he's not gonna give up on this hug is he" you both say at the same time. "uh-huh, so bring it in, my friends." you both sigh as you allow him to engulf you in a tight embrace. you both find yourselves holding him as well. you felt tears well up in your eyes, you've longed for this. to be with them again.

the kind empress looks from afar, and smiles to herself. "we still didn't leave for our destination yet, but my plan has worked." she laughs quietly.

as you let go, the two men sees your teary eyes. "ahh, you've always been the soft one" junwoong teases you. "that's not true." you try to wipe the tears that escaped. "that's true, you just liked your nonchalant facade too much. so that no one knows if they've hurt you." joong-gil continues. you laugh. "and you guys are the only ones that can see through my facade" both of them smiled knowingly. "we always will."

just then, the jade empress walks in, wearing comfortable clothes for the very first time. "if you're done bonding over the past, grace us in the bus. we're already so late." she says as she walks to the main door. she looks back at the three and says "you can do even more bonding there." the three look at each other, catching onto her plan. they let out a breathy laugh, as they follow suit.

.

part 1 I part 2 I part 3 I bonus

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a/n: had so much fun with this one, it was just overall very wholesome :( <3

#drabbles #imagines #scenarios #writing #fanfic #tomorrowkdrama #oneshots #yoonjion #parkjonggil #choi junwoong #choijunwoong #tomorrow #tomorrow the series #kactorimagine #kactorscenarios #kdramaimagine #kdrama