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liliumsabyss · 1 year

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I keep finding myself rereading the request I sent and I somehow fall in love with your writing more and more it’s just ❤️✨❤️✨❤️✨❤️, you know? Anyway I have found myself once again rereading it because I can’t sleep and I thunk a thought. Newt and reader star gazing in the glade and reader falls asleep with his head on Newt’s chest with his arms around his waist and Newt’s just laying there looking at reader like he hung the stars and moon himself. Please don’t worry about getting this done, take your time and enjoy the holidays, things usually feel more rewarding to finish when you enjoy making them. All the love ❤️

Moon and Stars

FEM DNI, I SWEAR YOU WILL BE BLOCKED

Newt(TMR) x Male Reader

Word Count: 1.292k

Tw: Very fluffy and maybe out of character Newt?

A/n: Hey! Im so glad you enjoyed your request it makes me so genuinely happy to hear that! Your request reminded me of “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” or “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” for some reason so I included some stuff about that there especially since I headcannon Newt knowing a lot of mythology and fairytale’s. I think I had even more fun writing this than last one which I had a blast with these request have been so fun and spark so many more idea’s thank you so much! Thank you so much for requesting, Im sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy and thank you once again!

“ Kaguya grew into a beautiful young women so beautiful that she had to remain away from people.” Newt began, laying on the soft grass of the glade. The weight of the (h/c) haired male resting on his chest was a soothing contrast to the terror that surrounded the glade.

“ That sounds quite sad.” The (h/c) haired male said looking up at Newts face who was fixated on the stars and moon above. Newt peered down seeing the others face in a slight pout.

“ Well maybe that's the reason your here.” Newt said smiling to the (h/c) haired male who had a flustered expression on his face before letting out a little huff and then smirking.

“ Well wouldn’t that apply to you as well?” The (h/c) haired male smirked up at Newt as Newts cheeks turned bright red. Newt was thankful for the angle of his head so the other male couldn’t see the coloring on his face.

“ (Y/n) shush I have to finish the story” Newt said playfully squeezing his arms around (Y/n)s waist making the other chuckle.

“ Five princes came to ask for Kaguya’s hand in marriage. Kaguya came up with a plan, she told each of them to bring her a specific item of her choosing that was impossible to collect and if they could she would marry the one.” Newt started again as the other peered in curiosity, “ The first prince was told to bring the stone begging bowl of the Buddha however when the first prince returned with a bowl it didn’t glow the holy light it was supposed to Kaguya saw through the princes lies he wasn’t the only one. The second prince was supposed to bring a jeweled branch from the island of Horai however one again the prince lied the branch was created by one of the greatest craftsmen in the country rather than from the island. The third prince who was required to bring the legendary fire-rat robe of China instead brought a regular robe that blazed when it was lit a flame. The fourth prince, when attempting to acquire a jewel from a dragon's neck, encountered a storm at sea and died during the conquest. The fifth prince while climbing up a cliff to collect a cowry shell bore from a swallow fell to his demise.” The blonde male explained adamantly staring up at the stars as the (h/c) haired male stared at him in awe.

“ Why is this so depressing!” (Y/n) said complaining to Newt despite the fact he loved Newt's voice.

“ Don’t worry it has a good ending but you have to be patient.” Newts tsked at the other shaking his head, chuckling squeezing the (h/c) haired males waist once again.

“ Fine”

“ Then the Emperor of Japan came for Kaguya, falling deeply in love with her asked for her hand in marriage but Kaguya rejected him telling him she is not of his country so she couldn’t go to live with him at his palace. Yet they still kept contact even after he had gone back, he many times declared his love for Kaguya and every time she rejected him. Several years had passed and they still wrote to one another.” Newt spoke, moving his hands off the others waist to explain with his hands.

“ This is still depressing Newt.” (Y/n) said, propping himself up as Newt craned his head toward him.

“ It gets better but you have to be patient, love,” Newt started as the other was scowling at him for a depressing story, “ I have to actually finish it to get to the good ending.”

“ Okay fine but I'm holding you to that.” (Y/n) said turning around so that the back of his head rest on Newt’s chest and he looked up towards the stars.

“ Now that summer every time Kaguya would gaze at the full moon her eyes welled up with tears. Her adoptive parents started to worry for her asking what was wrong yet she would only refuse the question. She slowly and slowly became more unpredictable till she couldn’t keep her secret anymore, she was not this Earth she belonged to the Moon .” Newt said as solemnly as he could for a story as he glanced down to see the other staring at the sky, his (h/c) hair splayed out on the blonde males chest.

“ The truth was she was sent to Earth as a punishment, a punishment where she would make material attachments and would be forced to return to the Moon. As the day would near where she had to make her return the emperor sent his guards to protect her from the Moon people coming to get her. However when the Moon people went to get her she apologized to all of her Earth friends telling them she must go and wrote a letter for her adoptive parents and the emperor apologizing to them. With the letter of the emperor she attached the elixir of life, which has the ability for anyone to live forever. With these letters and gifts she left, leaving behind the ones she loved and the ones that had loved her. The emperor receiving the letter and the elixir was heartbroken and asked his servants where the closest place to the heavens was, they responded with the Great Mountain Suruga Province. So the emperor told them to bring a letter and the elixir of life to the peak of the mountain and burn it, for he could not live without seeing his princess, especially eternity.” Newt finished.

He felt a soft thud on his chest only to see that the other male had fallen deep asleep, slightly snoring comfortably in Newt’s arms. The blonde smiled fondly, staring down at the other with so much affection that if anyone else saw they would surely think they were dreaming despite Newt’s caring heart. Newt gently shifted arms, being sure not to wake the other one up even though he had been asleep so deep that the entire glade could be screaming at the top of their lungs and he’d still sleep through it.

“ Many people say that Kaguya’s beauty was too ethereal for the Earth and that's why she had to return to the Moon, the same could be said about you,” Newt said thinking allowed as no one could hear him the glade silent at the late hours of the night., “ I just beg that one day you will not have to leave me to return to your people. As selfish as that may sound, I want to spend eternity with you. If you are as ethereal as princess Kaguya, that must make you a prince of the Moon and Stars.”

Newt stared at the other warmth swelled in his chest, his gaze softened and a genuine silence struck against his face. The blonde cranked his neck just enough so that he could place a soft kiss on the head of the other. Newt closed his eyes leaning his head back even further in the grass that tickled his cheek as he moved his hand up and down his lover's side.

“ Goodnight…my little prince.” Newt whispered, tightening his grip around the other's waist, drifting off letting the land of sleep claim him. The pair slept comfortable on the soft grass, the Stars and Moon above blanketing the night sky over the glade. For a place with not much warmth and love that invoked much fear and death the pair juxtaposed it so well. The males rested in peace together for now as a new day and new dangers may arise they would enjoy their love till and after the day one would be claimed by the heavens.

#x male reader #male reader #Newt x male reader #The maze runner x male reader #gay #male reader insert #the maze runner

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cyranonic · 1 year

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dimilix fairytale au

The old tales tell of a great family’s son, the heir of an ancient name, who refused to marry.

Not because there were no suitors to his hand, not at all. A hundred worthy knights came to beg for the love of young Felix Hugo Fraldarius, but he refused them all. So it is said in the legends.

Felix had a heart of cold iron, an eye of sharp thorns, and a tongue of sour wormwood. It had not always been this way, but after the death of his brother and his dearly loved prince, a winter powerful enough to turn the salt sea to ice had taken root in him. Without his brother, he was hopeless, and without his lost Dimitri, no pledge of love could move him.

For who could ever compare to this prince, who fought like a lion and wielded a lance of burning flame?

The longer that Felix refused, the more and more difficult it became to remain unwed. The funeral veils were long since put away and the suitors asked impatiently “why, still, do you turn us away?”

But Felix, who knew how to guard himself with more than just his blade, told them this: “You are right. It is pointless to wallow in grief for the rest of my life. I shall wed anyone who can complete for me three simple tasks.”

He said to them: “Find me strawberries in the cold of winter. Sort these seeds from the ashes before morning comes. Weave me a shirt with no seam. Fetch me a cowrie shell from the nest of a swallow.”

For years, dozens tried and failed to complete these impossible tasks. Men and women of great strength and daring came eager to earn the love of the bittercold heir of Fraldarius, and all of them left disappointed. Eventually, they stopped coming entirely, and Felix smiled to himself and believed that he had won. No one could claim him now. He had buried his heart with the dead Prince Dimitri and there it would stay forever.

Then, one day, a man walked out of the woods and approached the castle by the seashore. He was no knight, Felix recognized, but a vagabond. A beggar, perhaps, by his clothing. A bandit, he worried, by the patch over his eye. A wild animal, clearly, by the hunch of his shoulders and the smell of blood on his hands.

While the stranger’s hair was golden fair, Felix had no eye for anything but the flaxen locks of his poor departed prince.

“I have come for the hand of Felix Hugo Fraldarius,” the one-eyed stranger said at the castle gates.

“And you shall have it,” Felix told him quickly, “if you can complete for me three simple tasks. Seeing as I must give up my whole self to you, it seems only fitting that you do these small favors for me first.”

“Name your tasks,” the stranger said, so passing familiar that it made Felix sick to hear his voice. “I shall do whatever it is that you ask of me.”

“First,” Felix told him, “I must know that my husband can make these harsh lands fertile. Go to the field and plant it with crops, but use only one seed.”

“It shall be done,” the stranger said.

Felix smiled to himself, for many knights had labored and groaned over this task before finally conceding.

But, when the harvest season came, the stranger returned and Felix looked down from his window to see a green plot of produce growing in the rocky soil of his land.

“I told you to use only a single seed,” he admonished the stranger.

“And so I did,” the man nodded. “And from the seed grew a turnip. And from the greens that grew from its top, I planted all the rest. Now you may eat in abundance and fear no more hunger.”

Felix clenched his teeth in hatred. The stranger had used a low and disingenuous trick. He must be a bandit, Felix thought, like the ones who had slain his brother and stolen away his prince. Only a lowly criminal would think of fullness when Dimitri, who had slaked every thirst and healed every hunger, was gone.

“Very well,” Felix said, smiling poisonously as he took in the stranger’s ragged cloak and dirty boots, “but I must also ensure that my husband is rich. Before I marry you, I must ask that you fill my hall with gold by tomorrow morning.”

“For you, it shall be done,” the stranger simply replied. And then he turned and left through the castle gates.

Felix thought that this would surely be impossible for a man of such low standing. For Dimitri, this task would have been nothing at all. Not even his worthiest suitors could ever have measured up to the prince that Felix had once had, and then lost.

But when the sun went down, the stranger returned. He had no coffers and no sacks, no wagons or wheelbarrows. Instead, he came into the hall and he set down on the table a single candle.

“I asked for a hall filled with gold,” Felix reminded him.

“And here it is done,” the stranger said, and he lit the candle. “I give to you the greatest wealth a man can possess: a room of golden light, to make all of your lonely hours joyful.”

As he had said, so it was. The hall was filled with the candle’s light and the shadows were driven away.

With the flickering candle beside him, the stranger began to seem less vile and less bestial. And yet, it could not be so, Felix told himself, because this stranger, this interloper, was nothing compared to Prince Dimitri. How could anyone else be considered noble or beautiful? How could Felix ever find anything but shadows and darkness again without him?

“I have no wish to be joyful,” Felix said, putting out the candle with his fingers. “Leave me.”

“Will you not ask me for your third favor?” the stranger asked.

“Not yet,” Felix said furiously. “But return to me later, when it is neither day nor night, traveling on neither land nor sea, and I will tell you your final task.”

So the stranger vanished into the night, leaving behind his candle of sweet golden light. But Felix had no wish for its warmth and he had no appetite for the fruitful harvest. Without Dimitri, light was darkness.

Felix went to his tower and he slept, hoping to dream of his prince, but his rest was disturbed. A voice called out from below his window and he awoke to see that it was the cusp of dawn. When he ran to look down, he saw the stranger standing below.

His footprints stretched along the beach and his boots were wet from the edge of the surf. The sky was bright, although the sun had not yet climbed over the horizon.

“I come now,” the stranger called up, “when it is neither day nor night, walking on neither land nor sea, to ask what I can do to earn your hand in marriage.”

And Felix could think of no task. He had no better trick that this one-eyed beast could not solve. His vow would be broken, he thought in despair.

But no. He would not allow it. He, Felix Hugo Fraldarius, who had loved the prince with all the ardor of his young heart, would not be beaten.

“For your final task,” Felix called down to the stranger, “you must find me the dead Prince Dimitri and bring him back to me, whole and alive once again.”

This time, the stranger said nothing. Felix smiled his cold, sour smile. At last, he had found a task that was truly impossible.

“Go and seek him,” Felix called down, unable to resist mocking the silent stranger. “Bring me the prince by the midwinter solstice, and you shall have my hand in marriage, as you have rightfully earned it.”

And the stranger went away. The winds from the sea turned cold and snow came down from the north to bury the land of Fraldarius. The crops withered in the field and the halls were dark at night. It was just as Felix wished it to be—a land of sharpness that all feared to approach.

On the night before the winter solstice, Felix waited in his castle halls to see if the stranger would return. It would have been the night of the lifeless Prince Dimitri’s birthday, he thought. What a dreadful gift it would be, should the stranger return empty handed. If the wretched suitor was wise, he would flee and never return.

But, before the clock struck midnight, the gates of the castle opened. The stranger stepped into the hall, snow swirling around his feet, his ragged cloak coated in ice. He came alone, of course. No one could bring back what was dead.

“You have failed my task,” Felix told him, drawing a blade and rising from his chair. “And, as such, I will have your head as recompense for your trespass here tonight.”

“Dear Felix, forgive me,” the stranger said, his voice trembling. “For you are right. You have found a task which I cannot complete. Ask anything else, I beg you. Tell me to bring you a star from the sky or catch the four winds in a jar. Bid me gather a thousand gems from the sea or pluck feathers from a serpent. But I cannot bring you your prince whole again.”

“I shall accept nothing else, nothing less,” Felix said, placing the edge of his sword against the stranger’s throat. “Without Dimitri, there is nothing. All is hunger. All his poverty. All is dark.”

“Accept this, then, before you take my head,” the stranger begged, and from beneath his cloak, he produced a lance that glowed like a burning flame in his hands.

It could not be possible, Felix thought. But he staggered.

His hand faltered and his sword dropped to the ground. Then his cold iron heart cracked and his thorny eyes dropped tears and his sour tongue was stilled to silence. It could not be possible.

“Your Dimitri, I can return to you,” the stranger said softly, reaching up to wipe the tears from his cheek. “But I cannot make him whole again. For his eye, dearest Felix, his eye is lost, and no matter where I go, I cannot find it. Forgive me. Please, forgive me.”

And suddenly Felix saw that the gold of the stranger’s hair was the same fair blond of the prince’s, and the smile on his face was equal in its gentleness, and the sound of his voice was lovelier than Felix could have remembered. There was nothing strange at all, he realized, about this stranger. There was no piece of him that Felix did not recognize.

“I will grant you my pity this once, you poor fool,” Felix said through his tears. “For you have granted my wish. You have brought me my prince, as whole as he ever was. After all, do not needles have eyes, and are they not empty?”

And Dimitri laughed at that said “let all our riddles then be unwound and let me offer you abundance, light, and every piece of me that remains.”

As the tale goes, the two were wed at midwinter in that cold castle by the sea. So the old stories say. So I have heard them told.

#dimilix #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #felix hugo fraldarius #fire emblem #fe3h #fe3h fanfic

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samurailoveballadhistory · 2 years

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Princess Kaguya battle items

I wrote about the Princess Kaguya story (a.k.a 竹取物語 Bamboo Cutter Legend) before. You can click here for the full story. These are just comments about the specific details related to the items.

Mystical Bamboo Lamp: The old bamboo-cutter found a bamboo stalk that was mysteriously glowing. When he cut it down, he found Kaguya inside. The name “Kaguya” came from the word kagayou かがよう, which means “glowing” (this might be an archaic word)

Buddha’s Begging Bowl: Kaguya asked from one of her suitors, Prince Ishidzukuri, the Buddha’s begging bowl. He tried to give Kaguya a regular stone bowl, but it was very obviously not right, and so he was sent away

Sacred Tree: Kaguya asked from the second suitor, Prince Kuramochi, a tree from the mystic isand of Horai. The tree has silver roots, golden branches, and fruits of pearls/jewels. The prince ordered jewel craftsmen to make one, and Kaguya wasn’t able to find fault with it. However, the prince has not paid the craftsmen for their work, and they came to collect the debt. The fraud is exposed, and Kaguya sent him away too.

Fire Rat Kimono: From the third suitor, Minister of the Right Abe no Miushi, Kaguya wanted a robe made of the fur from a fire rat. Abe bought a fur robe from a Chinese trader and presented it. However, the mystical fire rat was supposed to be flame-proof. This robe, being made of regular fur, burnt up in flames and Abe is refused as well.

(not really important but in Inuyasha it was mentioned that his clothes is a fire rat kimono, referencing this legend)

Dragon’s Treasure Hairpin: From the fourth suitor Grand Counselor Ootomo no Miyuki, Kaguya asked for the pearl from a dragon’s neck (Chinese and Japanese legends say a dragon has a mystical pearl on its throat). Ootomo set sail, but his ship was caught on a storm and he became bedridden because of it. He wasn’t able to present anything to Kaguya in the end.

Cowry Shell: The last suitor, Middle Counselor Isonokami no Maro, was tasked to bring a cowry shell born of a swallow. He went to Ooyashima to search, but as he dug around the swallow’s nest, he fell down and severely hurt himself. Hearing this, Kaguya sent him a letter of condolences. In at least one variation of the story, the poor man died not too long after.

Cushion to the Moon: When the people of the moon came to pick up Kaguya, they came riding on clouds.

The other items are just generic bamboo-themed items, so there’s no need to explain them.

“Moon Prince”: In the JP version this chibi is just called "Kaguya”.

The old bamboo cutter is self-explanatory.

#slbp #samurai love ballad party #battle event #castle items #Items #princess kaguya

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neoninky · 11 months

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TWST Fanfic "Her Lost Voice": Chapter 14

Inky's Links: AO3: Masterlist: Third Story Decided! (Coming Soon)

Chapter 14: Wish I Could Be

"Hi Azul...c-can we talk?"

Elise felt every nerve in her body vibrate with anticipation as Azul gently floated down to the sand and when the light made his silvery hair shine as he drew close. She was surprised her tentacles didn't braid themselves together at the sound of his voice.

"What's on your mind, Elise?" Azul's voice seemed a bit heavier than normal but the male octopus retained his usual polished smile. She laughed a bit at the question.

"Oh well, many things. I hope you don't mind?" when Azul silently rested on his tentacles in front of her with a grin, she continued, "Azul, a lot has happened this summer and a lot is still going to happen very soon. And honestly, I'm very...very scared."

The tremor in her voice caused one of Azul's tentacles to gently wrap around hers once again. The only difference was that Azul did it on purpose this time. He didn't speak, only waited and listened patiently for her to explain.

"I appreciate everything you, Jade, and Floyd have done for me," her smile was soft and tentative, "You three aren't nearly as scary or dubious as people make you out to be."

Azul wasn't surprised that their reputations had proceeded them, however, one thing did puzzle him greatly, "You were right there when Jade and Floyd fended off those sharks and you can still say that? To the guy who got you tangled up in his backfired scheme, to begin with?"

Somehow this made her laugh, "Yes, without a doubt. I never want to get on your bad side for sure. But things are different down there than on the surface. Merfolk are more upfront, ready to fight for whatever or whomever they want. To do whatever it takes to get where they want to be. It is a bit terrifying, but I respect that ambition. You're not only intelligent but cunning which can cause some trouble sure," Azul felt a bit embarrassed as she playfully smirked at him," But...it is something I admire about you. You make your own way in life and don't let anyone stop you. So it's not you or them that I'm afraid of, Azul. I...I'm not sure I want to go back to being a human."

A spark of disbelief, and maybe a bit of hope, suddenly lit up in Azul's mind, "Y-You...don't? But why? ...well aside from your horrendous sibling."

Another soft laugh, "Siblings. I have an older brother as well. He's too busy getting ready to take the throne to really pay me any mind though. But that's the problem: he has a purpose. Even Emily. She'll probably marry some prince or lord from another king or queendom to bring more prosperity to ours. And then there's me...I've felt like an outcast every since my mother died. Everyone in my family withdrew from each other since then. And well, you saw how highly Emily thinks of me first hand. But, in spite of all the danger, I felt more wanted, more at home with the Leech Family, with Luna and Cowrie. And you and your family too."

Azul tensed momentarily as Elise unconsciously scooted closer to him. Instead of pointing it out, he merely asked, "The senior internship you had before all of this, what was it and why did you choose it specifically?"

The princess hummed as she confronted the truth of the matter, "I didn't really choose it myself. My brother did. I went along with it because I suppose it was because it reminded me of Mother. Mother always loved the sea and its inhabitants. She advocated for finding a way to continue our export and import trades via our established trade routes but feared that our ships' fuel would only pollute the waters and harm all sea life in the long run. So I was to intern with our fleets to find a better solution...but honestly? I don't think they were going to actually let me do that much being a royal and all. They were more or less just placating me out of obligation to the crown prince."

"I suppose I shouldn't feel too bad about ruining 'your' plans then?" Azul was hiding true guilt behind a bit of sarcastic banter. Elise saw right through it and decided to play along anyway.

"Feel bad? Not at all. You did look kind of cute when I was furiously scolding you, Mr. Ashengrotto. So I feel properly vindicated," she giggled, making him nearly explode on the spot.

"C-Cute?!" his face grew hot as he sputtered, trying to glare right into her amused face, "I am many things, MISS Coralette, but cute??"

"You're right. Handsome suits you more than cute, Azul."

Her words slipped off her tongue faster than Elise could process them. Now it was her turn to be oh so flustered as she slid away from him, "Um I...I mean, yes that is true b-but-"

"But what?"

Azul was suddenly looking her right in her wide eyes with a gaze that was worlds more unwavering than he was moments before. Elise was almost convinced that he had been body snatched while she blinked but no, that was not the case. Azul felt just as nervous and uneasy as he had since he realized his budding feelings for this girl, but now he was feeling something much stronger than all that. Azul felt desperate to know the truth and it only made him weirdly courageous. He could spin a multitude of reasons as to why Elise Coralette wouldn't desire him just as much as he did her but unlike him, she was far more honest in her words and expression. She let slip a hint of what he wanted to hear from her just now. The moment she realized it herself is when Azul saw her real feelings surface. At least what he hoped were her real, genuine feelings. Her shy, girlish blush. The way her eyes went wide only to dart away from him. This was the same sort of body language and cues she gave off whenever Rielle was brought up to her in the past. Surely it meant what he thought, what he wanted it to mean, yes? YES?

"Elise," he coaxed as gently as possible in his brewing state, "Tell me. Please."

His stormy eyes were the most honest she had ever seen. They were frustrated and pleading as he leaned in. They were alone here. Entirely in their own little world. Knowing that and seeing him this way felt strangely sacred to Elise as she started to close the gap, feeling her whole body give in to its unspoken urges.

"Azul...I think that..."

"Yes?"

The last thread of hesitation snapped as her turquoise eyes locked onto his deep blue steel ones. She took a breath and then a leap of faith before her nerves got the better of her.

"I think that I'm really scared of not seeing you guys all the time...of not waking up and knowing you're right here. I'm scared to become human again because then I'll be away from not only Luna and Cowrie, and the twins, but I won't be able to be with you."

A jolt of adrenaline rushed his system as he took in her words. As eager as he had been seconds before, Azul still felt a part of his mind backhand him with doubt, "When you say 'be with you'...?" He almost looked around as if Elise was talking about someone else. The poor boy was caught between self-doubt and wanting.

She blinked in disbelief before gesturing to him with both hands, "Azul, you are the densest clever person I have ever met. Yes, I mean you specifically! I have feelings for YOU! Do I need to sing it for you?!"

For a split second, Elise was convinced she saw part of Azul's soul leave his body. The boy's eyes froze wide on his otherwise blank face and only his tentacles moved. She half expected one of them to slap him back to the present. Seconds later his soul returned and all his blood rushed to his face, "You...YOOOOU have feelings for ME? Wait what happened to your dream prince Rielle?!"

He suddenly regretted his outburst once he saw the scowl on her face, "Ehem, ok 'dream prince' might be a bit much. Forget I said anything."

Elise crossed her arms as the scowl softened, "I know...I had a ridiculous and obviously one-sided to everyone but me crush on him for the longest time. I thought it was 'love' but...it was just bloated infatuation and wishful thinking. If I didn't feel this time was more genuine I wouldn't have said anything."

Azul suddenly felt like his mother was getting ready to appear and whack the ink right out of him with an arsenal of her toughest spoons, "I-If we're being honest, then...you're right, I am pretty dense. I didn't realize I had feelings for you until this summer even though I've been attracted to you since that day you waltzed into my office and struck a deal with me on your own terms."

Elise's tentacles curled in on themselves as she felt a rush of giddiness, "Really?"

He laughed, "I mean you are beautiful. I always thought so but you had such confidence and wit about you that day. I was so accustomed to having the upper hand and you caught me off guard and charmed me and everyone else around you so easily. It was astounding. How could I not be both impressed and taken with you?"

The princess looked him up and down with all sorts of questions in her gaze, "Is it really so surprising that maybe I see you in a similar light?"

"Oh absolutely," he deadpanned. As happy as he felt, the boy still couldn't comprehend the reality right in front of his face. No matter how far he had come, there was still part of him stuck in the overwhelming shadow of his past.

A sweet smile spread across her face as she tucked a wild strand of hair behind her own ear. Uh oh...that look only meant trouble for him. "Azul, you really have no idea how attractive you are both physically and mentally, do you?"

She scooted closer to him, closing the gap once again but even further this time to the point that her lips were just a whisper away from his. Her eyes held the baffled boy to the spot with how they sparkled. "It's ok that you don't realize it yet," she spoke so softly, "It's part of your charm. But know this, I've been in the company of many, many handsome and witty boys. Please forgive me for realizing only recently that none of them hold a candle to you, Azul Ashengrotto. That is the honest truth."

Stardust was the only tangible thing in existence Azul could equate to how he was currently feeling. He hung on every sweet syllable that left her lips until he finally voiced the feeling that had haunted him for weeks, "I don't want you to go."

Before he could even blink, Elise's soft lips collided with his as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her embrace. His arms encircled her waist as Azul leaned into the kiss without a second thought. For the first time, his stubborn legs didn't have to propel him whatsoever. They just relaxed as the two of them melted into each other.

...and what started as a tender moment quickly turned into panic.

A spark formed on Elise's neck before blooming into a burst of light. In seconds, her tentacles melted away into two human legs, her skin became much lighter, and her eyes dulled and widened with terror. Azul's whole body tensed at the sight of the human girl floating in front of him and couldn't move until a flurry of air bubbles rushed out of her mouth. The octopus quickly braced her into him and swam as fast as he could while yelling for help. In seconds, he and Elise were caught by teal and monochrome blurs that quickly took them back to the landing.

The room echoed with Elise's rough coughing and ragged, desperate gasps for air as Luna and Floyd lifted her from the water. Azul clung to the side, still mostly emersed in the water, staring in shock at the drenched princess. The dress she had worn before lost its vibrant color just like the rest of her.

"Elise, breathe. Keep breathing," Luna carefully steadied her friend as Floyd left to find Jade.

Once she settled, Elise slowly sat up and stared at Azul before looking down at herself, "W-What..."

Everything grew hazy as crystal clear tears formed in her eyes. Any voices speaking to her fell on deaf ears as she began to sob. The twins returned with towels immediately. Luna grabbed one and started to dry Elise off. All Azul could do was watch her cry as his heart sank. Her mouth opened to say his name but it was interrupted with another sob as the boy launched himself out of the water just enough to hold her and whisper over and over again to both of them.

"It's alright. You're alright...it's going to be alright."

Azul's office door slammed shut and locked behind him. Jade, Floyd, and Luna were left to speculate on their own in the empty Lounge. Inside the office, Azul laid Elise down on one of the sofas. Neither one of them said a word the entire time Azul had rushed her down the hallway, carrying her in his arms as if she were light as a feather. She sat sniffling as he paced about the room. He wordlessly stepped into a side bathroom and the sound of running water could be heard. She swallowed down a fresh wave of tears and called out to him in a weary voice, "Azul..."

When he didn't answer, Elise began to worry. Doubt began to pelt her like a sudden hail storm. Now that she was human...did Azul's feelings change? Was everything different now? Too different??

"Azul," she began to sob again. Hearing her cries the boy rushed to her side and held her face. He looked so worn and so scared.

"Are you in pain? What is it?" he asked nervously. Elise just shook her head. Ironic that now her voice was working properly all on its own now and yet here she was...absolutely speechless. Azul felt like he was going to fall apart any second now as he stood back up.

"I'll have a warm bath ready for you in just a moment," he couldn't look directly at her, "I don't want you to catch a cold. After that...you...you can sleep in my room. I'll stay in here-"

Azul felt a sudden tug on his sleeve and saw the desperation in the princess' face. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she silently begged him. She wanted him to stay. She was even more terrified now, "P-Please, Azul. Can you...can you please stay with me? I'm sorry if I repulse you now-"

Everything clicked all too fast and he was overwhelmed, desperate to change her mind and to put an end to these thoughts. Azul sat next to her and hid his ashamed face in her damp hair, "Stop it. You don't repulse me. You could never! That's not why I'm acting like this! Everything just happened so suddenly...I-I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. Please know that I meant everything I said before. Please just give me a moment..."

Several long minutes later, Azul left Elise to bathe in peace and recover. He promised that he would be back very soon, that he just needed to fill the others in. When he stormed back out into the Lounge, his anger was palpable. Jade rose from his seat and began to approach his old friend, "Azul-"

"Fine," his voice was rigid, his eyes avoided looking at any of the eels, "Everything is just fine. Elise is human again. Just as she should be....no additional steps needed."

The twins shared a worried look as Azul began to laugh dryly to himself. It sounded awfully familiar and bitter. So familiar they feared he might Overblot all over again. The look in his eyes was barely sane.

"She loves me. She wanted to stay with me, with us, under the waves as a mermaid. A perfect happily ever after! We even kissed and that triggered her reverting back into a human princess!" he laughed wildly, "True Love's Kiss isn't a load of shit after all! Isn't that wonderful?!"

"Hey Azul," Floyd muttered anxiously, "It's not all that bad, right?"

Azul's tone snapped straight into anger so quickly the twins thought the glass tanks would shatter, "Not all that bad, Floyd?! Oh no NO! Of course not! You and Jade found your mates, won the day, and now can be with them without any obstacles awaiting you but me? The slimy, scheming octopus that fucked all this up from the start? Seven forbid I find the perfect woman and have her return my pathetic affections! Our first kiss literally damned her right back to the shore!"

His voice was raw as his hands shook. Luna could only imagine how upset Elise was. Jade and Floyd stepped forward to try and calm the dorm leader down once again.

"Azul...calm yourself. How are you supposed to make a proper strategy with your head full of so many pitfalls?" Jade placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah Azul, take it easy. Octi-chan loves you. Isn't that the most important part??" Floyd drawled as he casually put his hands behind his head, "You wanted to get one up on Rielle remember?"

Azul's bitter mood halted on his dumbfounded face as the twins gave him matching smug grins. He immediately straightened himself up, trying to reform even a shred of the dignity he hurled out the window just now.

"Of course I did," he huffed, "Just not...exactly...like this but..."

"Azul-kun," Luna's melodic tone rang across the lounge from where she stayed seated, "I imagine Elise is just as upset if not more so than you. She needs you now more than ever."

The look in the siren's eyes was genuine kindness. Azul felt it warm his core underneath the surface. She was absolutely right. He needed to get ahold of himself before anything else could be done. He sighed, suddenly feeling embarrassed at his dramatic outburst.

"Forgive me," he pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat, "I must look like such a fool right now."

"Eh, a little bit. Reminds me when we were kids and we had to keep pulling you out of your octopus pot," Floyd started to chuckle along with Jade before Luna appeared between them and smacked both of their arms with a pointed look. The siren hushed the brothers and approached Azul with a smile.

"Azul-kun, your frustrations are very understandable. This whole ordeal would be unbearable for a far lesser man," she gave him a supportive nuzzle against his cheek, making her mate pout, but she ignored it, "You and Elise need to rest. It's late now. I trust her in your care."

The siren sauntered back over to Floyd and gave him a tender kiss, "We all need to rest. Let's leave the next steps for tomorrow, hmm?"

The twins returned to their room and Luna to the grotto for the night. When Azul returned to his office, he found Elise clean, dry, and wearing an extra set of his pajamas as she curiously stared at the books lining the walls. She paused and placed a hand on top of the wooden box that held the enchanted dagger. Her hair was straighter, more of a dark raven color like before. Her tired eyes had faded back into their human shade of minty green. Her body language alone was enough to tell him that she felt frailer now. Azul closed the door behind him and wordlessly went up to her like a moth to a flame. She gasped as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind as he rested his head against hers.

"I'm so sorry," he barely managed to whisper, "I'm so sorry about all of this."

He felt her cold delicate hands touch his and her head gently lean into his. Elise barely moved at all and yet he felt like she was the only thing holding him up right now.

"Don't be..."

By some miracle, the rest of Octavinelle remained undisturbed by the night's sudden events. Inside Azul's bedroom, Elise was snuggly wrapped in his arms as the two of them rested quietly under his blankets. Any other time, he would have felt it inappropriate to have her in his room let alone his bed but after that night, Azul couldn't stand not having her close by. For a while, neither one of them spoke. There wasn't a sound aside from their breath. Not any light aside from the soft aquatic glow from the water surrounding the dormitory itself.

"What happens now?" Elise's quiet voice finally asked, muffled against Azul's chest.

His entire body and mind ached with heavy exhaustion as he weighed his answer carefully, "I'll find a way for you to come back home with us permanently. I don't know exactly how long it will take but I will make it happen. I promise. And..if you so desire...eventually we could...uh...well, we can talk about the far future another time." 'Become mates' is what he wanted to say but somehow it felt like too much of a request to make right then and there. He wanted it to become reality but for now, he just wanted to put her at ease as much as he could.

He felt her shift in the darkness to look him in the eyes directly, "Thank you, Azul."

Azul melted as he felt Elise press her lips to his again. He swore they continued to kiss again and again in the dark until they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning was an immense challenge. When word got out that the Mostro Lounge wouldn't be opening that evening, the entire campus knew something was amiss in Octavinelle. With that said, no one had the guts to ask questions to the towering twin eels or the very exhausted and distracted dorm prefect. No one except a certain redhead.

"Azul...are you alright?"

From the other side of the alchemy cauldron, Riddle watched Azul vacantly stir the pot on repeat like a broken record player. Judging from their last conversation and the octopus' current state, something absolutely devastating must have happened to Azul. And Riddle wasn't too far off.

"...and now she's human again," Azul muttered quietly, still stirring.

Riddle stood frozen, processing everything he just heard, "Oooo...kay wow. That is a lot."

Yes, Azul had told him everything. Everything. Normally Riddle would have flipped his crown over the fact that a fellow dorm leader had been hiding female students in his dormitory but given the circumstances of the very, very complicated situation...Riddle made the rare choice to ignore Azul's blatant disregard of the rules. Plus this did also explain why Floyd was barely paying attention to him lately and who was he to complain?

Riddle did a quick check over his shoulder to make sure the professor wasn't too close by before whispering, "So you need a spell or potion to turn her back into a mermaid permanently. Have you ever made one before?"

Azul sighed heavily before stirring in the next ingredient Riddle had poured in, "Unfortunately even with my thorough studies and experimentation, I have yet to succeed in making the change permanent without some sort of definitive catalyst. Like a stupid kiss."

He had to fight to not roll his eyes at the concept of 'True Love's Kiss' yet again. If he didn't hate it before, he absolutely despised it now! When his grandmother suggested it as a possible antidote to Elise's situation, it sounded like some sugarcoated placation. His face suddenly warmed itself as he remembered their first kiss. Then the second...and the third...and the fourth with her soft form pressed into his under the blankets that still smelled like her-

"You kissed her several times didn't you?" Riddle asked with a very straight face. Azul nearly flung the giant spoon across the room in shock. Before Azul could even string two syllables together, Riddle explained with a somewhat bashful expression of his own, "I remember what it was like the first...couple of times," he cleared his throat and quickly jotted down some notes.

"...Didn't that happen inside the Mostro Lounge?"

Riddle's face turned pink, "I thought we were alone and the moment was too good to end right away, ok!?"

A sudden whipcrack and yell from Professor Crewel made the two boys jump and duck back into their assignment with laser focus.

Elise quietly stared at her reflection in the water as she dipped her feet into it from the Octavinelle landing just on the other side of the Mostro Lounge. They remained unchanged, pale, and human. It was growing late in the day, Azul had told her that he wanted to look into some additional sources in the library before coming back. She began to smile when she saw a familiar black and white shape zip towards her underneath the water's surface. Only when she realized that there were two of them did her breath catch in her throat. Both Cerith sisters' heads poked out of the water as they swam up to her.

"Cowrie!" Elise tried to keep quiet just in case anyone but the twins were outside the door, "What are you doing here?"

The younger sister laid her head affectionately against the princess' legs, "Luna told me everything."

Luna pulled herself out of the water to sit next to Elise as she changed into her human form, "Knowing my sister, I knew she'd want to be here too."

Elise let out a heavy sigh as her eyes grew watery, "Thank you both..."

"I know you probably feel really out of sorts right now buuuut," Cowrie poked the princess' cheek teasingly with the tip of her tail, "You and Azuzuuuu? Ooooooo!! It's about damn time!"

Luna chuckled but still hushed her sister to be quiet. Elise's face bloomed into a glowy shade of pink as she shyly laughed and batted the tail away, "Cowrie stoooop..."

"Is he a good kisser?" Cowrie grinned mischievously up at Elise and Luna gave the poor girl a similar look.

The princess didn't bother trying to play coy and just laughed and rubbed any imposing tears from her eyes, "I love his kisses...I'm going to miss them for a while."

A fresh wave of tears suddenly spilled over as Cowrie and Luna frowned, "What are you talking about, Ellie??"

Elise had made her decision early that morning. She had woken up before Azul and enjoyed the sight of his peaceful resting face. Before she could enjoy it too much, however, she heard her phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was her brother calling.

Thankfully no one else was awake either and she quietly made her way down the hall into a solitary washroom before locking herself inside and answering the phone. Her brother was almost eleven years her senior and rarely took the time to speak with her or Emily. Especially not about anything casual. So when he jumped straight into his reason for calling, she wasn't surprised.

"Big Brother, hello-"

"Elise. I trust you are well," his voice was that of a man on a schedule, "I'm calling on behalf of Emily since you two seemed to have a tiff recently."

Elise rolled her eyes on the other side of the phone. Of course, her sister would wrap the truth up in a polite little bow and label it a 'tiff', "That's one way of putting it, yes. What does she want?"

"You two have never seen eye to eye on much of anything since we lost Mother but we're hoping you can set that aside and attend her wedding. You are still family after all."

A wedding? Already? "Emily is ENGAGED? She didn't mention any suitors the last time we saw each other." Suddenly she was even more furious at her sister for trying to sweeten up Azul right in front of her face!

"I don't see how that matters," the prince said curtly, "Father will be stepping down soon and I want to make sure everything and everyone is taken care of before my coronation. Emily happily accepted the suitor I proposed for her and that ensures another ally for our homeland."

The rest of the information was frivolous compared to what halted Elise at once, "Is Father alright? I thought he was going to wait-"

"Elise, I don't have the time to fill you in on our family's affairs. Especially when you've wasted your time running off to who knows where and disregarded the internship I arranged just for you. Do you have any idea how this will reflect back on me when I have to explain things to your school's administration?"

The princess felt her temper flare and burst all at once. She had had enough. Elise was nineteen years old and legally didn't have to answer to anyone but herself anymore and she'd be damned if she kept quiet any longer!

"You wouldn't have to fill me in after the fact had you kept me in the loop in the first place!" she quietly hissed, "Speaking of which! Did you even stop to think as to why I never showed up for my internship? Or did Emily omit that part? Oh let me guess! Something about me running off with my little slimy creepy eel pets? Just throwing all responsibility right out the window to splash around in the ocean all summer hmm? Well, you know what...believe what you want. I don't care anymore! I'll go to her stupid wedding. I'll say my peace to our father, MY father, and then after that? I'll find my own way in the world without the crown or your help! You can forget you ever had an embarrassment of a baby sister!"

....her brother didn't bother calling back after she hung up on him. No messages. No calls from her sister or father. Nothing. That was that. Elise would give up the royal family name and find a new purpose for herself while Azul did his best to bring her home. To their home.

Luna and Cowrie stared wide-eyed at their best friend as she told them the whole story, both of them absolutely speechless. Elise just sniffled and laughed bitterly.

"There's no point in me staying here now that I'm human again," she rubbed her eyes and continued with conviction, "I won't be gone forever. I just need to go home and set things right. For sure this time. After that, well...there's no way I can graduate on time and get my mage license without some sort of additional study. I'll focus on that while Azul does his best over here. And you guys..."

A lump formed in her throat as she looked at her two beloved eel sisters, knowing everything they had been through their entire lives and just this summer alone. Fresh tears wet her mint green eyes, "You're safe now. You'll both be safe and happy with Jade and Floyd and the Leeches. We'll see each other again, sooner or later. And then we won't ever have to say goodbye again."

Luna wrapped her arms around Elise's shoulders as Cowrie jumped out of the water to hug Elise on the other side.

"Does Azul know?"

He did.

Not every detail but enough to seek help from the library...he just didn't actually say which one.

Madam Lorelei was expecting him any minute now at her usual table at the Leviathan Club. When he entered and rushed past the staff to the second level, both his mother and grandmother were there waiting for him.

"My darling boy," the grandmother said with gentle understanding in her eyes, "Come, sit."

Azul greeted his mother with a hug and kiss on her cheek, not bothering to hide the frustration in his eyes. These powerful women raised him and were far too clever to not notice it on their own. Azul had called and explained most of the situation beforehand but seeing him in person filled in all other gaps.

"So...it would seem she found her prince after all, precious," Madam Lorelei's tentacle lifted the teacup to her red lips.

"It would seem so," his mouth was tight and his voice bitter, "Had I known that pursuing something like this would take her further away from me..."

"Azul," his mother huffed, "Dear Elise returned your feelings. Complications aside, it's a wonderful thing, sweetness!"

"Your mother is right, my boy. I may have had my doubts before but...well, your mother's friend, Madam Leech, had quite a lot of praise for her and her boldness. Besides, this may be a good time for the princess to return to the surface for a time," Lorelei's voice was cryptic as she stared out the windows, "There's a storm brewing across the borders. The further away she is from it, the better."

"What do you mean, grandmother?" Azul asked tentatively. It was no mystery that the two families controlling the city had tensions running high but the waters felt denser than before he left. The worried look on his mother's face spoke volumes as she lowered her voice.

"You boys got those poor Cerith girls out of here just in time. Things have been getting worse between the two houses. Ventuno Muraeni was killed on Leech property just the other day. I haven't seen Indigo Cerith since he came by to tell me you had left for school...I hope he's alright."

Azul had a bad feeling in his gut. He had known the Leech family since childhood. He grew up with this ongoing feud happening right outside his family's door for years. An upset or an event here or there was fairly normal. As long as he or anyone else not involved kept their noses out of it, they were guaranteed safety. But now that the lines had been crossed and blurred between the two families...were any of them safe from becoming collateral damage?

"The dagger I gave her, does she still have it, Azul?" Lorelei suddenly asked.

"I have it. It's safe at my dorm. She has no need for it now so I can return it-"

"Don't be so sure, darling," Lorelei cut him off with a wagging finger, "Before this was a favor for my dear grandson's friend. Now it's personal. I'd rather my future granddaughter-in-law keep it close for the time being. Just in case. She may not need it for any magical purpose but a weapon is still a weapon," she took another sip before giving both her daughter and grandson a sharp look, "Don Leech nor his predecessors have given me any reason to distrust their clan. However, I can't say the same for Don Muraeni and his abyssal scum. We'd all be wise to watch our backs no matter where we are."

Madam Lorelei stood up gracefully from the table as she wordlessly slid a piece of parchment over to Azul before giving one last warning, "Return to school, for now, my dear. I will see what I can do on my end but for now, you were never here and this conversation never happened."

Azul knew how this world of theirs worked, "Of course, grandmother. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule."

Once Azul stepped into the empty Mirror Chamber, only then did he read the parchment Madam Lorelei had given him. His eyes narrowed and filled with more questions than he could count.

Watch out for Proteus, Don Muraeni's eyes and ears.

Tagging: @nuitthegoddess @iscarlettappel @foxwitchaine @1ndigowitch @wysteriadelights @evieyouknow @ladyrosemoon @victoria1676 @aiimee9 @honey-milk-depresso @espada188 @feldya

#neoninky #twisted wonderland #sacred crown chronicles #her lost voice #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #twst oc x canon #octavinelle #cerulamare #azul ashengrotto #jade leech #floyd leech #the cerith siblings #luna cerith #cowrie cerith #indigo cerith #under the sea mafia #more eel mermaids #twst oc schools

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dyed-red · 2 years

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get to know the blogger

tagged by the lovely @applecrumbledore to do a 20 questions and 20 tags game. a bit late with this reply but better than never!

About Me

Name: phyn, phynali, redhead

Sign: capricorn and it shows

Height: under 5 feet, yes it is a curse

Birthday: Jan 3

Time: this is getting weirdly specific

Favorite band/artists: i’m literally So Bad at picking favourites i honestly don’t know. uhhh Fleetwood Mac? carseat head rest? idk guys music is good go listen to lots of it

Last movie: The Gray Man

Last show: the Sandman (it was really good!)

When I created this blog: like several several years ago with the username ‘theregoestheneighbourhood’ but eventually changed it to dyed-red to match my ao3 pseud. but i only started using this blog actively in like early 2020 and at the time refused to tag anything or interact with folks haha (sorry i’m a curmudgeon)

What I post: a lot of wincest, weirdcest, and some gencest, but especially content about sam and dean. stuff i think is interesting about characterization especially

Last thing I googled: John Cena’s filmography (i was trying to remember the name of the show Peacemaker)

Other blogs: @/phynali is my main, @/coldtomyflash is the side for my former massive hyperfixation, coldflash

Do I get asks: sometimes? i really love getting asks though so please send them. i do have one unanswered one in my inbox from a million years ago about the episode ‘ask jeeves’ that i haven’t rewatched and can’t reply to properly (yet) but i TRY to answer the ones i get

Following: i’m at 144 which is way too high. for the first 8 years i spent on this site i kept it under 100 except for little blips. since joining the SPN fandom it’s it’s 1.5x what it was before and i keep itching to cull it but also don’t want to

Average hours of sleep: ~7, but i genuinely need like 9 so sometimes i crash for 11-13 hours

Instruments: i’m the least musical person i’ve ever met

What I’m wearing: jeans and a t-shirt

Dream job: my existing one with more job security and autonomy, and fewer demands and expectations. my industry needs an overhaul

Dream trip: through southeast asia

Nationality: canadian but i don’t live in canadia-land any longer

Favorite songs: we’ve been over how bad i am at this favourites thing right? right. okay go listen to Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie by Joanna Newsom

Last book I read: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, because i decided i should probably read astolat’s original works and holy hell did i enjoy this book, can’t wait for the third in the series (holding off on reading the second so i can read all 3 when the last one is out)

3 fiction universes I’d live in: steven universe, dctv-verse (the flash, etc), uhhh... star wars?

tagging: okay 20 people is way too many and idk who all has done this and who’s currently active, but let’s see how many i can think of... @fandom-hoarder, @brotherwives, @trials-era-sam, @catboyjohnwinchester, @theangiediary, @redmyeyes, @hi-im-dazey, @peach-coke, @jaytwo, @ruinedsam, @themegalosaurus, @youchoseeachother, @brother-in-a-g-string @prince-of-elsinore

(no pressure if this isn’t your thing, and/or if you’re the type of person who likes being tagged in stuff like this don’t hesitate to drop a note here and i’ll try to remember you for next time)

#housekeeping #about the blogger #non spn

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jaijaicontextualstudies2001 · 1 month

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9.2: Artist Research - Grace Wales Bonner

Fig 1. Wales Bonner (2019) Autumn/Winter Collection, London.

Grace Wales Bonner launched the brand Wales Bonner in 2015 (Cook 2019), following her graduation at CSM in 2014, that originally focused on menswear but later expanded to include womenswear as well (Wales Bonner N/A). The Jamaican-British designer incorporates "European heritage with an Afro Atlantic spirit" (Wales Bonner N/A) and explores the identity of politics and black culture (Cook 2019) - redefining on black masculinity and what Britishness is while connecting her work to black diaspora (Nnadi 2019). Her works represent a new, multi-layered British identity - by being mixed race herself (English mother and Jamaican father), she wanted to convey the complicity of ethnic identity and race through her clothing line (Nnadi 2019). Wales Bonner does this by infusing Rastafarian crochet stripes and ornamentations from cowrie shells - ancient African currency - with British tailoring (Cook 2019). She stated: "I want to bring an Afro-Atlantic perspective to European luxury... It’s about valuing certain ideas around craft, and heritage, and tradition, and value all of these things in the same conversation." (Clark 2023).

Her works have not gone unnoticed. Her clothing has been worn by high profiled celebrities such as Megan Markle (for her first portrait with Prince Harry after the birth of their first child), Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and FKA Twigs (Clark 2023; Cook 2019; Nnadi 2019). Having Megan Markle wear a Wales Bonner was depicted as significant in the black community. This was because Megan Markle, being mixed-race as well, is the first biracial member of the British royal family, and decided to wear the Wales Bonner brand - a brand that voices the racially marginalised at the front of its fashion (Cook 2019). Wales Bonner clothing also united black artists from other creative professions. In her Fall 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week, she cited a 1929 deco-period portrait of the Maharaja and Maharani of Indore as an inspiration of her work, and while the models walked down the runway, award-winning jazz trumpeter Herman Mehari was played (Clark 2023).

Being brought up in a biracial family, Wales Bonner stated how growing up she was looked for reflections of herself or reflections of her family (Cook 2019) in media and fashion. Her confusion in identity - being told she was too white for her black friends and too black for her white friends - sparked her interest of identity politics around race in her late teenage years (Clark 2023) which evidently has migrated into her fashion brand. In regards to her brand, she wants to increase the racial diversity of models, presenting her clothing on black or mixed-race models (Cook 2019). Due to the lack of representation of black models in the industry, part of her brand was formed in a reaction to it, especially black male representation (Cook 2019). Through her work she is "connecting to a lineage and a history where there are many examples of the very elegant, sophisticated characters that were part of a [historical] narrative that just weren’t being included.”

I enjoyed researching Grace Wales Bonner and what the Wales Bonner label stands for. I think it is great that she is including other racial heritages that are not mainstream, and giving exposure to how other cultures convey elegance and beauty. It was interesting to research about clothing representing ethnic and racial identity instead of class and gender, which has given me another outlook on dress. However, the history of fashion incorporating different cultures is very long and complex, and cannot begin to be summarised by just one contemporary fashion designer. Despite race not being part of my graphic media project, unlike class and gender, it has broadened out my knowledge on how fashion and dress can convey different identities.

References

Clark, M. (2023) The grand designs of Grace Wales Bonner. Fashion, GQ Magazine. Grace Wales Bonner: "My focus is on building an intuitively important luxury brand" | British GQ (gq-magazine.co.uk)

Cook, G. (2019) How Grace Wales Bonner is changing the face of fashion. Financial Times, The Financial Times Ltd. How Grace Wales Bonner is changing the face of fashion (ft.com)

Nnadi, C. (2019) 5 Reasons Why Grace Wales Bonner Is a Force of Fashion. Vogue. 5 Reasons Why Grace Wales Bonner Is a Force of Fashion | Vogue

Wales Bonner. (N/A) About About | Wales Bonner

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corvidaedream · 5 years

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one of the versions of folktale 451, the brothers who are turned into birds, that i found is one that takes place in libya and the birds are pigeons, so i was like oh cool ill make a pigeon as one of the bird prince dolls

but i was like I Need It To Be Accurate so i googled like north african pigeons

and let me tell u folks i am down the most delightful rabbit hole of really really good north african fancy pigeons

#messages from the ouija board #tunisia's got this one w like almost no face at all #and then the egyptian swift pigeon is just long! its a long pigeon!#also in the story the protagonist has a magic cowrie shell and i want to put one around the pigeons neck #bc each of my bird princes is like covered in little details from his respective story #but online craft stores only seem to sell like 50 packs of them #and thats... thats too many. idk what id even do w them #i guess make an unreasonable amount of little pigeons #ill probably go down to one of the tourist shops by the docks where they have a lot of beach themed shit #and see if theyre selling cheap crappy cowrie shell necklaces as souvenirs bc ive seen those around there #which is kinda wild bc we dont even have cowries??#but i guess its just like... tourists dont know fuck all

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diasomnia-dreams · 2 years

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“Be Prepared” - A Leona Kingscholar Supplementary tale

this story is a self-indulgent Leona fanfic. alot of ocs are found in this story and is a headcanon Leona origin story. I had lots of fun writing this chapter and entertaining my fantasies about how the Housewarden of Savannaclaw lived before he attended NRC. I named Leona’s parents in the fanfic because we were never told their actual names in the app, so if some of the characters sound unfamilar to you, it’s because they are ocs and later on in the book, I will expand on their lore. Also there are use of the Swahili language because I headcanon Leona as speaking it and it being an official language of Afterglow Savannah since The Lion King was inspired by the beautiful African country of Kenya and it’s wildlife <3. Without further ado~

THE Afterglow Savannah lived up to it’s name in an indescribable manner. The sun’s slanting rays shone against the lush and thick grass beneath which was once a key sustenance of the leaping antelope. Which was now used as hunting grounds and an unlimited playground to the young prince.

The palace stretched out against the lawn with cream and golden hues painted neatly against the walls. It was ornate and contained Marula trees surrounding the yard with sweet yellow fruit hanging on each branch which was an abundance, and the prince’s least favorite smell in the whole world. It itched his nostrils and the worst part was because he was a growing Lion, the scent remained strong and rank.

Despite being heavily guarded at all times and having a retainer at his beck and call, Prince Leona would still leap and play in the sand which edged against the grass. He would sometimes roll down the hill and practice landing flat on his feet. Swirling his tail, he was always satisfied with his work. He was confident and he was very excited that his big brother, Prince Farena was returning home from his voyage with the King, his father.

While Farena was gone, Leona would busy hisself to sneaking up on the herbivore beastman children down in the marketplace, Azizi, one of his retainers was much more lenient. The Zebra beastman would mutter something in Swahili and then allow Leona to play wherever he wanted, he knew scolding the boy-prince was futile. And Leona would only boast “Is that the way to speak to your future king?” Azizi would scoff because the boy was only eleven.

When Farena is present however, Leona would jump on his big brother’s broad shoulders and demand him to give him a ride down the sandy savannah-scape. Farena was Leona’s everything and when his brother would carry him on his shoulders and entertain his imagination, Leona felt like he was on top of the world.

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Leona was next in line for the throne of king of the Afterglow Savannah, so lessons and training and hunting was a big part of his day.

The prince woke up bright and early, sluggishly trudging out of his bedroom which was bigger than the eleven year old could care to like. Leona sighed and cringed at the feeling of his tail dragging behind him on the cold wooden floor beneath him. Gritting his ever growing canines against each other, he awaited the golden double doors of his bedroom to fly open with servants presenting him with his royal fatigues and clothing.

Three tall Lioness entered Leona’s room who immediately bowed their heads to the prince and stood to the side of his room, allowing Queen Vitani to see her second born child.

Queen Vitani was as beautiful as she was elegant, she was aging with grace. Her skin was a lovely shade of brown and her hair curly with two braids on the side of her hair which were adorned with cowry shells. She was tall of stature but not as tall as King Serikali. Leona got the lion’s share when it came to appearance. He favored his mother more than he looked like his father. Vitani’s emerald green eyes held a look of compassion and accomplishment. She always had a soft spot for her baby boy, and watching him grow was a true pleasure for her.

Brushing her curly mane to the side, she sat on Leona’s enormous bed which had yet to be neatly made. Chuckling lightly under her breath, even her voice held a queenly aura. But don’t get the queen twisted, she was also one of the fiercest warriors the Afterglow Savannah has ever seen. She could create whatever weapon she wanted from sand as that was her unique magic, and she was even more overjoyed to sense sand in her son’s magical essence.

“habari za asubuhi mpenzi wangu, good morning my dear.” Queen Vitani rested her head against the top of Leona’s and rubbed his head gently. With her motherly and beastly instincts kicking in, she took it upon herself to clean her son’s face on her own. Licking his forehead which caused the young prince to squirm in embarassment, pushing his mother away—or what was an attempt.

“Ah, ma…you’re messing up my mane!” Leona growled trying to wriggle free from his mother’s grasp as she licked the top of his head. Vitani only scoffed and broke away from her son, staring at him. “That is a mane only a mother could love.” She chuckled, her accent heavy. The queen rose to her feet and with a hand movement which only the Lioness Guards understood, the female lions ran to Leona’s side and presented him with a ceremonial Dashiki.

The Dashiki was a pristine white with gold on the sleeves, the fabric was softer than the silkiest blanket and the fit was perfect as Leona adjusted it along his body. The white of the fabric beautifully contrasted with the brown of his skin.

The guards then presented Leona with matching white slacks and new sandals, ones that crossed in an intricate pattern which Prince Leona had no patience in trying to figure out. He could already feel the presence of his top retainer entering his bedroom, his footsteps could literally be heard a mile away as if there was a stampede of wildebeest nearby.

Azizi held a clipboard and a tablet in his left hand. The Zebra beastman rushed to Leona’s side and bowed for what seemed to be a minute to Queen Vitani.

“Jambo my queen, and hello to you my Prince.” Azizi seemed to have trouble catching his breath as if he was running throughout the entirety of the morning trying to prepare for something.

“Good Morning Azizi. Morning report for us please?” Vitani questioned.

Leona rolled his green eyes and looked around his bedroom, he’d rather hangout with his father and Farena instead of whatever his mother had him doing. Wherever Farena was. The prince’s attempt at sneaking away from his mother’s tight grip was sorely outmatched, she only gave a hum of disapproval and conversed with the retainer.

Azizi’s lanky figure paced back and forth of Prince Leona’s bedroom, reviewing the prince’s daily activities and the robbery which happened downtown Savannah in the marketplace which was led by a couple of pesky Hyenas.

“And of course we have our visitors from the kingdom of Ekundu peaks. The king, queen and their daughter have decided to take us up on that offer.” Azizi folded his arms in thought. “Being one of the only other Lion dominated kingdoms, it is important that we remain in their good graces, an alliance is key to prosperity and peace, my queen.”

Leona rose an eyebrow. The royal family of Ekundu were coming soon which means a new playmate. Farena was always busy with his duties so perhaps whoever is the child of the king and queen, might be interested in a little bit of pinning and wrestling and hunting with Leona. His green eyes narrowed mischievously and now he understood why he was being dressed in such a formal way.

“And I understand that my husband is already making preparations downstairs.” Queen Vitani grabbed her son’s hand gently and they exited his bedroom, the Lioness guard closely behind and Azizi following after.

“When the royal family of Ekundu arrive, I want you to be on your very best behavior Leona. There’s someone I would love for you to meet when they get here.” Vitani gave a wide grin to her son who only nodded back. Of course Leona was going to be on his best behavior, until he and his new friend are released out into the savannah to play of course!

“Do they speak our language too mama?” Leona questioned out of the blue. Of course he would want his new friend to understand him.

“Bila shaka…of course my dear.” She chuckled, his grasp was released once Leona’s gaze reached Farena and his father’s direction. The young lion dashed down the long ivory colored hallway, beautiful chandeliers and tribal masks adorning the walls of the palace and the fulfilling smell of meat reached Leona’s nose as he ran past the dining hall. The prince didn’t care about the food at the time, only wanting to be with Farena.

“Farena! Finally you’re back!” Leona leaped into his brother’s strong arms and wistfully sighed.

“About time I see you.” Farena chuckled heartily. “Seems like you missed me plenty.”

“And not his father?” King Serikali rose a bright orange eyebrow and folded his arms. His strong stature towered over Leona and slightly Farena’s. The king was adored by many but for some odd reason that the young prince wished to announce, he would much rather be near his big brother instead.

“Hello father.” Leona bowed his head before immediately hugging onto Farena’s light brown arms again.

King Serikali greeted his wife and embraced her with his sunset orange mane allowing his perky Lion ears to twitch slightly due to his extincts. They began to speak amongst themselves in their mother language of Swahili while their son’s skipped off away from their sights.

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Farena dragged his fingers alongside the golden gates of the palace which separated them from the townspeople and the outside world of the Afterglow Savannah. The spicy scent of cinnamon brushed against the brothers’ noses and their tai dragging alongside the ivory concrete which clashed beneath their brown sandals.

Leona gripped his brother’s left as his right arm was behind his head. When Farena was around, the prince had not a care in the world. No one else could bother them as if they were in their own personal bubble—-a reality far away from the palace life and deep into the jungle where Leona wishes to visit someday.

The second prince didn’t realize it, but as second in line for the throne, he was also obligated to fulfill certain duties which could resolve conflicts and ensure the safety of his people. That includes traveling to distant lands—lands that he never knew existed. He was never aware of the burden the throne carries. The crown weighs heavy.

Farena led his little brother up to their special hill which was so very distant from the castle where not even the guards could see them. Farena liked it that way because he and Leona could converse about their week and tell secrets and laugh at Azizi’s posture without him knowing.

The thick grass hugged Leona’s toes as he removed his sandals and took a deep breath, allowing the winds to blow past his dark brown locks. Two singular braids framing his face, which were adorned with golden beads. Leona watched his older brother remove his sandals as well and he gazed at the morning skies, it was the best view of the Afterglow savannah. A perfect perspective of his kingdom, watching the towns people shop and tend to their business. Swiping on their phones, holding hands and some using drums as a signal of when certain stores opened and closed for retail. The savannah was sprawling with beast-folk and the occasional human. One human in particular that caught Leona’s eyes as he watched the people, a small boy with a short blonde bob and a brown fedora with a feather at the top, he held a slingshot in his left hand and it seemed to be his mother holding his right with a basket in her hand.

“Times are changing you know?” Farena said to his brother as he never broke his gaze with the sky. Still watching as the clouds moved in it’s regular leisurely pace. Leona rose an eyebrow and stuffed his little hands within his pockets.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to be king some day as you know, Leona.” Farena reminded the boy prince.

“Yes I know! I’m so excited for you. And then after you finish your turn, I’m gonna be king next!” the little prince gave out a small and excited roar and blushed in embarrassment whilst Farena laughed harder than he should, holding his stomach.

“Might wanna work on that roar before you take the throne no?” Farena ruffled his brother’s hair and winked one of his large brown eyes. “But what I mean is…there are so many more beastfolk here of different species and origin. And soon I’ll have to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. I’ll have to protect my people and…most importantly I’ll have to protect you.” Farena nuzzled his brother’s forehead and pointed to the rising sun which was a beautiful scenery to behold. The skies were always the most beautiful in the morning Farena believed.

Leona hugged onto his brother tighter gasped at the sight he was beholding. It was breathtaking to literally say the least. Farena sat down flat onto the grass and sat Leona next to him so they sat atop the hill side by side and he pointed up to the skies where the sun rose.

“Look, Leona. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” Farena waved his hand into the air and revealed the sun’s shining rays as it began to scorch against the skin giving their brown complexion a beautiful glow.

“Really?! That’s awesome!” His emerald green eyes dilated and excitedly, Leona attempted to roar again and it took everything in Farena to not die of laughter.

“Wanna know something father told me when I was your age?”

“I guess…”

“Father had once told me that his father’s great grandfather had told him that a king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Leona, the sun will set on father’s time here and will rise with mine.” Farena sighed deeply and ducked down to meet Leona’s eye contact. “as the new king.”

“There’s so much more to being king than just telling people what to do and starting wars. Wars are the least bit of importance.”

Leona leaned against his brother’s arm and rubbed his head against it, his lion ears ruffle each time he rubbed it over and over again.

“What else is there? Because I remember from the stories of the kings of the past…that the King of Beasts liberated the Hyenas and united them with the Lions. You should do something like that when you become king, Farena.”

“Heh…not a bad idea Leona.” Farena gripped the fabric of his Dashiki. “Are you also aware of the duties of alliances between kingdoms?”

Leona shrugged, indicating that he had no clue. He was of course that some kings were friends with others and they shared resources like fruits and other technologies that the other lacked. He thought it was a cool trade off.

Farena hummed a bit before thinking of ways to word his next sentence carefully. “Well different alliances happen for different reasons. Let’s say the Queendom of Roses lacked wood and only the Country of Pyroxene can provide for what it needs? Or let’s say there’s a princess whose kingdom is being invaded and the only way to protect her kingdom is to marry the prince from the Valley of Thorns?” Leona was immediately thrown off at the part where Farena referenced the Queendom of Roses. He had no idea such a place existed.

“No clue bro.”

Farena chuckled and stared back off into the sun. “Marriage is one of the best ways to ensure an alliance. It keeps everyone safe and it’s a righteous duty to uphold. Almost every single one of the kings of our kingdom took place in an arranged marriage which protected their people. It’s a noble thing to do Leona and it’s great that we’re talking about this because.”

“Because what?” Leona could feel his legs melting and his heart pounding at an irregular beat that he isn’t sure he likes. He enjoys drumming, especially the drums during his favorite festivals and the drumming he feels to his heart are causing him to die slowly to himself as he wondered where his brother was going where this.

“Well, in a few days…I’ll be married.” Farena started but was immediately cut off by Leona’s gaze which looked as if Farena just kicked pounds of dirt into his eyes.

Leona jumped to his feet and immediately pulled his arms away from Farena. The prince began to pace back and forth quickly and he felt as if the world was crashing down on him because he indeed was Farena’s world.

-THE FIRST BETRAYAL. -

“Oi?! Brother what are you talking about?!” Leona backed away slowly. “You waited until the last few days to reveal to me that you’re getting married?“ Leona gritted his teeth, his fists balling and if he could faint at this very moment he would but he was practicing to become firm and unafraid to confront.

It wasn’t fair to him. Farena was gone for a total of two weeks. Bad enough his brother had recently graduated from his college, Royal Sword Academy last year. Farena has been away from Leona for quite a while and he barely caught him up on sny sort of news. It was a slap in the face as if he was not important. As if he came second in Farena’s eyes.

Farena’s ears twitched and he blinked twice before gripping his brother’s arm. “Leona don’t go…I can explain.”

“I’m waiting.” Leona folded his arms, tapping his barefoot in annoyance. Biting his bottom lip, the little lion was careful to not draw blood but he was still fairly angry that one more inch to his skin and he would have a long gash across his bottom lip.

“This was one of those things I was telling you about. Kingly responsibilities…moments where you have no choice but to cooperate for the sake of your kingdom. I learned things like this while I was at RSA, these are difficult tasks and to be honest…I’m ready. I’ve actually been preparing to meet my queen since I was like nine. You’re probably too young to understand Leona, but this very important for the future of our people and our lineage.” Farena tried to rest his hand on his brother’s shoulder but he dodged it quicker than he would have liked and when he jerked back, it popped his shoulder out of proportion and it stung for a while, causing him to grunt in pain.

“Farena…you’re just like everyone else. Keeping secrets from me, wanting me to wait till I’m older and never telling the truth. Now you’re marrying some Lioness that I don’t even know and I’ll become second in your eyes. Not important.” Leona kicked a lone pebble beneath his feet and winced. The sun settling in the center of the sky and casting a shadow against what seems to be over his head.

“Leona don’t ever say that. You know I think the world of you. You’re my brother.” Farena grunted. “Plus, Malkia is going to be an excellent queen. She’s strong willed just like mother, passionate about the townspeople and she loves kids…you’re gonna love her.” This wasn’t making the situation any better. The way he speaks so highly of that woman and it seems as if he’s trying to sugarcoat the fact that he wronged Leona. The prince for the first time in his life felt as if no one was holding his hand, as if no one saw him as worthy of their time. But he remained firm because a child his age would normally crack down under pressure.

The King of Beasts would stand tall and strut away confidently and put whatever was bugging him to rest. And Leona was not the King of Beasts, so for now he would do things his way and wipe away the stream of tears which he begged would not fall down his cheeks.

“Leona, why are you crying? You should be overjoyed! Happy even.” Farena embraced his younger brother who stood in place, unable to do anything but emit every emotion he felt. His hands still balled into fists, denying his magic pathways entry to release itself. He closed his eyes tightly to not turn his brother into sand. He needed to break away and run back to the palace, somewhere isolated from Farena. If he looked back at him, he would only be reminded of the bitter taste of betrayal.

“Please…please Farena.” He sniffled. “dont turn your back on me.”

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end of chapter one of my self indulgent Leona fanfiction. alot of the characters inside of this story are Ocs except Leona and Farena and the little Rook cameo.

<33 i might post the rest of this story to archive of our own .

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aic-african · 2 years

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Helmet Mask (Bwoom), Kuba, 1875, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

Embellished with cowrie shells, beads, seed pods, copper sheeting, goatskin, and hair, bwoom is one of three types of royal Kuba masks, all of which are treated as embodiments of nature spirits (mingesh). According to one local interpretation, the bwoom mask represents a prince who suffered from a neurological condition that caused his head to swell with accumulated fluid. Another says that bwoom is the image of one of the original Twa (Pygmy) inhabitants of the region. During performances the masks reenact episodes in the foundation of the kingdom. Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson Size: 63.5 × 49.9 × 67.3 cm (25 × 18 1/2 × 26 1/2 in.) Medium: Wood, metal, glass beads, cowrie shells, fabric, pigment, seeds, thread, and leather

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/99540/

#artinstituteofchicago #africanart #museumarchive

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artgaang · 4 years

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Moved into my new apt the day before my birthday! (Yesterday)

Durga and Hanuman accompanied by spirit beads and cowry shells . Gold and diamond on my anklet. Emerald rings ft Samara my tiger and Aj , prince of orange plant 🌱 lighting shift kinda cool. I’ve reached a point of healing where I let myself feel feeling without a wall. To feel the pain I’ve normalized. To truly receive love and know my greatness. I continue to grow and bloom and we are blessed to be able.🧡🧿

Surprise me if you want 💐: $artgaang

#me #face #birthday #anniversary #Virgo #Leo #moon #healing #growth #life #love #surrender

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kaguyacardproject · 3 years

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XII - The Hanged Man: Yu Ishigami

by Reverie

Comments:

The Hanged Man card is thought to represent an individual voluntarily suffering shame and disgrace in spite of their ultimate innocence, symbolized by a halo of light around the head. So Ishigami fits pretty well.

Furthermore, in the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, the suitor Ishigami corresponds to, Isonokami no Marotari, is suspended in a basket held by ropes while trying to retrieve the swallow’s cowrie, when his men accidentally drop him, eventually leading to his death.

Reverie based Ishigami’s outfit on the cover of Prince’s 1981 album Controversy.

Ishigami’s hair is held in place by the same mysterious force attaching Fujiwara’s ribbon to her forehead.

#anime art #kaguya sama: love is war #digital art #yu ishigami

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anchoviesinthenightsky · 3 years

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Long post sorry but I think it’s too interesting to not have all, also small correction, it was Kaguya not Haguya, my bad 😥

One day in the bamboo forest, an old bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina (竹取翁, "old bamboo harvester") comes across a mysterious, shining stalk of bamboo. Upon cutting it open, he is surprised to find an infant the size of his thumb inside. The old man and his wife, having no children of their own, decide to raise the infant as their own daughter, and name her Nayotake no Kaguya-hime (なよたけのかぐや姫, "Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo"). From that moment on, every time the man cuts a stalk of bamboo, he finds a small nugget of gold inside. The family soon grows rich, and within just three months, Kaguya-hime grows from an infant into a woman of ordinary size and extraordinary beauty. At first, the old man tries to keep news of Kaguya-hime away from outsiders, but as word of her beauty spreads, she attracts many suitors who seek her hand in marriage.

Among the suitors are five nobles: Prince Ishitsukuri (石作皇子), Prince Kuramochi (車持皇子), the Minister of the Right Abe no Mimuraji (右大臣阿倍御主人), the Grand Counselor Ōtomo no Miyuki (大納言大伴御行), and the Middle Counselor Isonokami no Marotari (中納言石上麻呂). They eventually persuade the old man to have Kaguya-hime choose from among them. Uninterested, Kaguya-hime devises five impossible tasks, agreeing to marry the noble who can bring her the item specified for him: the stone begging bowl of the Buddha, a jeweled branch from the mythical island of Hōrai, a robe of Chinese fire-rat skins, a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowry shell born from a swallow.

Realizing the impossibility of his task, the first noble presents a stone bowl made from a blackened pot which he mistaken for the buddha's pot, but is exposed when Kaguya-hime notices that the bowl is fake and does not glow with holy light. The second noble presents a branch created by the country's finest jewelers, but is revealed when a messenger of the craftsmen arrives at Kaguya-hime's house to collect payment because stealing was not right. A merchant from China lies to The third noble, who sells him a robe from a closet that burns when it is tested with fire. The fourth noble sets out to find a dragon at sea, but his plans failed after encountering a storm so he had to give the false jewel someday. The fifth noble falls from a great height while reaching into a swallow's nest and died.

After this, the Emperor of Japan comes to visit Kaguya-hime and, after falling in love, asks her hand in marriage. Although he is not subjected to an impossible trial, Kaguya-hime rejects his request for marriage as well, telling him that she is not from his country and therefore cannot go to the palace with him. She remains in contact with the Emperor, but continues to rebuff his proposals. Three years pass as they continue to communicate by letter.

That summer, whenever Kaguya-hime views the full moon, her eyes fill with tears. Though her adoptive parents grow very worried and question her, she refuses to tell them what is wrong. Her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic until she reveals that she is not of the Earth and that she must return to her people on the Moon. In some versions, it is said that she was sent to the Earth, where she would inevitably form material attachment, as a punishment for some transgression-or-another, while in others, she was sent to Earth for her-own safety during a celestial war. The gold was a stipend from her family amongst the population of the people of the Moon, sent to pay for Kaguya-hime's upkeep.

As the day of her return approaches, the Emperor sends his guards to protect her from the Moon's people, but when an embassy of heavenly beings descends upon the bamboo cutter's house, the guards are blinded by a strange light. Kaguya-hime announces that, though she loves her many friends on Earth, she must return with the beings to her true home on the Moon. She writes sad notes of apology to her parents and to the Emperor, then gives her parents her own robe as a memento. She then takes a little of the elixir of immortality, attaches it to her letter to the Emperor, and gives it to the guard officer. As she hands it to him, a feather robe (called a Hagoromo) is placed on her shoulders, and all of her sadness and compassion for the people of the Earth are apparently forgotten. The entourage ascends into the sky, taking Kaguya-hime back to Tsuki no Miyako (月の都, "the Capital of the Moon") and leaving her earthly foster parents in tears.

The old couple become very sad and are soon put to bed sick. The officer returns to the Emperor with the items Kaguya-hime gave him as her last mortal act, and reports what happened. The Emperor reads her letter and is overcome with sadness, and asks his servants, "Which mountain is the closest place to Heaven?"; in response, one suggests the Great Mountain of Suruga Province. The Emperor then orders his men to take the letter to the summit of the mountain and burn it, in the hope that his message would reach the distant princess. They are also ordered to burn the elixir of immortality, as the Emperor does not wish to live for eternity while unable to see her.

Legend has it that the word for immortality (不死, fushi), became the name of the mountain, Mount Fuji. It is also said that the kanji for the mountain, which translate literally to "mountain abounding with warriors" (富士山), are derived from the Emperor's army ascending the slopes to carry out his order. It is said that the smoke from the burning still rises to this day. (In the past, Mount Fuji was a much more active volcano and therefore produced more smoke.)

oh wow

what a lovely story! (i love that it's folklore around a volcano. that's just so cool), but all of it is so nice. also the line "which mountain is the closest place to Heaven?" killed me. What a banger sentence.

#ask box #hc chitchat #kinda #but i could totally see how you were seeing this as a luca/alberto thing #or as a possible sun/moon mythical beings that they could be

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brooklynmuseum · 4 years

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Join us as we take you on a tour of African Arts—Global Conversations. Curated by Kristen Windmuller-Luna and presented by Bank of America.

African Arts—Global Conversations puts African arts where they rightfully belong: within the global art historical canon. This exhibition pairs diverse African works with objects from around the world in groupings throughout the Museum.

These groupings explore how shared themes such as portraiture, faith, modernism, and origins developed independently in different parts of the globe and fill in the blanks of decades of art history teaching.

Beginning in our introductory gallery, two idealized portraits of African rulers made centuries apart greet visitors.

These portraits respect cultural norms about how a ruler is expected to look, often combining distinctive individual features with visual concepts such as divinity or rulership.

Kuba artist (Bushoong clan). Ndop figure depicting Nyim Mbó Mbóosh (reigned circa 1650), Nyim Mishé miShyááng máMbúl (reigned circa 1710), or Nyim Kot áNée (reigned circa 1740), circa 1760–80. Mushenge (Nsheng), Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wood, tukula, 19 1/2 x 7 5/8 x 8 5/8 in. (49.5 x 19.4 x 21.9 cm). Purchased with funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Blum, and the Mrs. Florence A. Blum Fund, 61.33.

Kuba ndop (commissioned royal portraits) represent the concept of leadership and contain a ruler’s life essence.The hand on this drum identifies this ruler as one of three Kuba nyim (kings): Mbó Mbóosh, Mishé miShyááng máMbúl, and Kot áNée.

Other royal indicators include his long-brimmed headdress, cowrie belt and armbands, and calm expression.

Egyptian artist. Ptolemaic Prince, 51–30 B.C.E. Egypt. Quartzite, 12 1/2 x 5 5/16 x 3 3/8 in. (31.8 x 13.5 x 8.5 cm). Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 54.117.

Ancient Egyptian sculptures use hieroglyphic text to identify subjects by name, but a blank back pillar suggests this sculpture is unfinished.

Although this figure is unidentified, his youth, crown, and Hellenistic hair and face suggest that he is Caesarion, son of Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar.

Warriors hold a valued place in many societies across time and place. Warriors’ memorials reflect what societies think these figures “should” look like, often representing ideals rather than individuals.

Huastec artist. Warrior Figure, circa 1440–1521. Xico Viejo, Veracruz, Mexico. Sandstone, 65 3/16 x 14 3/4 x 7 1/2 in. (165.6 x 37.5 x 19.1 cm). Frank L. Babbott Fund, 39.371.

Wooden stelae (left/middle) memorializing powerful Konso warriors in Ethiopia were grouped with additional sculptures of weapons, slain animals, and defeated foes. The stelae memorialize specific male Konso ancestors, emphasizing his individual deeds as well as his connection to shared experiences and values.

The stone Huastec warrior figure (right) from Mexico is adorned with fearsome symbols of death such as the human skulls on his skirt and bead-and-human-heart necklace. Huastec viewers who saw these elements knew he was likely Micoatl-Camaxtle, the god of hunting and warfare.

Nestled amongst our European paintings and sculpture collection are three Ethiopian processional crosses.

Beginning in the medieval period, the Christian Ethiopian Kingdom and numerous Italian states enjoyed a lively relationship that included travel and exchange of religious art and ideas between the two regions.

Ethiopian Orthodox priests carried these copper alloy crosses atop staffs (right).

just as their Italian Catholic counterparts carried wooden ones like this (left).

Amhara artist. Processional Cross (qäqwami mäsqäl), late 15th or early 16th century. Possibly Lalibela, Ethiopia. Copper alloy, 11 1/2 x 7 3/16 in. (29.0 x 18.3 cm). Gift of George V. Corinaldi, Jr., 81.163.2.

An Ethiopian artist incised Mary holding the Christ child, archangels, and saints on this fifteenth- or sixteenth century cross.

Master of Monte del Lago (Italian, School of Umbria, second quarter of the 14th century). Double-Sided Processional Cross, second quarter of the 14th century. Umbria, Italy. Tempera and gold on panel, 39 1/16 x 16 9/16 x 4 5/8 in. (99.2 x 42.1 x 11.7 cm). Gift of Mary Babbott Ladd, Lydia Babbott Stokes, and Frank L. Babbott, Jr., in memory of their father, Frank L. Babbott, 34.845.

While the Master of Monte del Lago painted Crucifixion scenes on this fourteenth-century gilded Italian cross.

A trio of ceramics made by living artists born in Kenya, Korea, and Nigeria shows the ways that modern ceramicists can choose to draw inspiration from their own regional heritage, or not.

Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo DBE (British, born 1950, Kenya). Symmetrical Reduced Black Narrow-Necked Tall Piece, 1990. Farnham, Surrey, England. Terracotta, 16 x 10 x 10 in. (40.6 x 25.4 x 25.4 cm). Purchased with funds given by Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Clyman and the Frank L. Babbott Fund, 1991.26. © Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo

Dame Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo fires her dramatic pots multiple times to create glossy, iridescent surfaces.

Born in Kenya, she learned ceramics in Britain (where she lives today), citing pottery traditions from multiple other countries as her primary influences, drawing ideas from Nigerian Gwari ceramics, Native American Pueblo pottery, European Modernism, and even ancient Cycladic art.

Kang Suk Young (Korean, born 1949). Untitled, 1992. Korea. Unglazed porcelain, 24 13/16 x 6 x 6 in. (63 x 15.3 x 15.3 cm). Purchased with funds given by Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dickes, 2006.20. © Kang Suk Young

Kang Suk Young uses porcelain, a medium that is traditional in his home country of Korea, but he creates forms using slip casting, a method he learned in France. He pulls the porcelain from its mold when it is still somewhat soft and twists and bends it to create something that is lively and anthropomorphic.

Ranti Bam (Nigerian, born 1982). Antafi, 2019. London, England. Terracotta, 15 3/8 × 8 1/4 × 8 1/4 in. (39 × 21 × 21 cm). Gift of Anne Goldrach in honor of Anne Pasternak, 2019.25. © Ranti Bam

Ranti Bam has created a very complex object, contrasting a heavy clay slab with delicate painting, and a rough surface with areas of shiny glaze.

The painted surface references woodgrain, but in an unlikely color of dark pink that gives the vessel its name, Antafi, a word that the artist derived from the Greek word for “rose” (triantafyllo).

Although these artists participate in the multinational field of contemporary ceramics, their work has until now been categorized by the museum according to their place of birth.

Grouping these ceramics highlights how museums (including Brooklyn!) tend to leave artists born outside of Europe and the U.S. out of conversations about contemporary art.

Kongo (Yombe subgroup) artist. Power Figure (nkisi): Woman and Child, 19th century. Lower Congo Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wood, glass, upholstery studs, metal, metal and glass buttons, resin, 11 x 5 x 4 1/2 in. (27.9 x 12.7 x 11.4 cm). Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1138.

This sculpture is linked to a Kongo fertility-focused women’s cult that flourished during the height of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During this period, women both raised children and took on customarily male agricultural roles. Made into an nkisi (power figure), it underscores how Kongo women supported future generations during a time of widespread social upheaval and trauma.

Louis Rémy Mignot (American, 1831-1870). Niagara, 1866. Oil on canvas, 61 1/2 × 104 1/4 × 4 1/2 in. (156.2 × 264.8 × 11.4 cm). Gift of Arthur S. Fairchild, 1993.118.

Displayed in a gallery devoted to Civil War and Reconstruction-era (1861–1877) American art, this sculpture provides a poignant Central African perspective on the widespread repercussions of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

On the fifth floor, you’ll find a pairing of two great leaders: Wóót and George Washington. Artist-made images created before the invention of photography, they show how two artists represented their society’s founding fathers.

Kuba artist. Mask (Mwaash aMbooy), late 19th or early 20th century. Kasaï Province (former Kasaï-Occidental Province), Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rawhide, paint, plant fibers, textile, cowrie shells, glass, wood, monkey pelt, and feathers, 22 x 20 x 18 in. (55.9 x 50.8 x 45.7 cm). Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 22.1582.

The Mwaash aMbooy mask personifies Wóót, mythical ancestor of the D.R. Congo’s Kuba peoples. Kings performed this mask during initiations and funerals. One performance tells the story of Wóót’s role in the Kuba kingdom's founding and his ties to its first ruler.

Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828). George Washington, 1796. Oil on canvas, 96 1/4 x 60 1/4 in. (244.5 x 153 cm). Dick S. Ramsay Fund and Museum Purchase Fund, 45.179.

Gilbert Stuart’s larger-than-lifesize portrait of George Washington reminds a young republic of the soldier who led them to victory and the statesman who stepped down from power for the country to flourish for some.

Both works rely on extensive symbolism and create enduring images of “founding fathers.”

While Stuart’s portrait turned an individual into an icon, the Kuba artist’s Wóót mask connected a current ruler to his dynastic past.

Beauford Delaney began including African artworks in a series of compositions from the 1940s as he deepened his engagement with the African American cultural movement called the Harlem Renaissance.

Beauford Delaney (American, 1901-1979). Untitled (Fang Sculpture, Crow and Fruit), 1945. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in. (63.5 x 76.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Fund for African American Art in honor of Arnold Lehman, A. Augustus Healy Fund and Ella C. Woodward Memorial Fund, 2014.73. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2014.73_PS9.jpg)

In this dynamic and brightly colored still life, a bird of spirit figure hovers over a bowl of lemons, presenting them as an offering to Fang ancestors represented by the reliquary sculpture seen at right.

An Ntem River Valley Master. Reliquary Guardian Figure (Eyema-o-Byeri), mid-18th to mid-19th century. Wood, iron, 23 × 5 3/4 × 5 in. (58.4 × 14.6 × 12.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 51.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 51.3_overall_PS9.jpg)

By showing this painting alongside its specific source and acknowledging the contributions of Fang master artists, this grouping brings to life a transatlantic cultural dialogue and exchange.

This is just a small glimpse of the works on view in this groundbreaking exhibition. Come see for yourself as soon as we reopen our galleries!

Thank you for joining us on our tour of African Arts—Global Conversations. Join us next Sunday for another tour of our galleries!

Installation views of African Arts—Global Conversations by Jonathon Dorado.

#Virtual tour #virtual #virtual programming #Brooklyn #Brooklyn Museum #arthistory #bkmafricanarts #global conversations #african art

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neoninky · 1 year

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TWST Fanfic "Her Ivory Crown": Chapter 11

Hey y'all - I'm back to repost the last stretch of 'Her Ivory Crown' after a nice cliff hanger lol. Once again, comments, likes, and reblogs are appreciated! You can read the rest of this finished fic and its sequel on my AO3 page here.

Ch. 11: Open Season, Good Hunting

Luna and Cowrie Cerith, the mermaid and rumored siren sisters of the Cerulamare dorm had reputations that proceeded them. Luna was the cool, collected, and more sensuous of the two always held her cards close enough to her chest until the time to strike like an underwater venus fly trap. Luna was also very proficient in love potions and enchantments which let her name travel through many different circles for various reasons. Cowrie, two years younger, was much more straightforward, seemingly more playful and teasing of the two. Her talents were more physically and stealthily inclined. Sometimes toxin-based as well. But it was her curiosity that motivated Cowrie in her most sly moments. So really, poor Reine should have known better than to have her little tryst in front of a large open underwater tank. Cowrie just happened to be in the mood for a swim right around the time Riddle and Reine decided to break away from the party. And the younger mermaid just happened to notice the two getting comfortable with each other and decided to get a closer look, hiding among the seaweed. Cowrie's bright eyes lit up with excitement when she saw the two suddenly lock lips again and again and internally squealed when she silently made her way back inside.

"Lu, Lu, Lunaaa~"

The elder mersister smiled at her younger sibling's excited face as she sat next to Elise in the same booth, "Cowrie, did you enjoy your swim? I'd like to go next."

The smile on Luna's face grew as her sister leaned in to whisper excitedly in her ear. Cowrie was so cute when she discovered something interesting. "Really," Luna's brow lifted in interest at this juicy information. Her sister just giggled and continued. Elise was still talking to Azul but was distracted by the two sister's suspicious whispers. This was always a sign that they were up to no good.

"And what has you two so entertained?"

Cowrie didn't hesitate despite the fact that Azul and the twins were right there, "I saw Reiny-senpai with the little rose king. Looking rather cozy~" she was practically wagging her tail she no longer had in glee. Elise just frowned and scolded her junior like a disappointed parent.

"Cowrie! It is very rude to spy on people! Especially on Reine who rarely gets privacy as is-"

The mermaid just ignored her dorm leader and blurted out, "And they kissed! And kissed...and kissed...aaaannnd kissssseeedd~" Cowrie giggled wickedly at Elise, Azul, and even Jade's shocked faces. Floyd giggled along with the younger sister, finding this all very interesting.

"Oooooo Goldfish-chan and Mantie-chan? Sneaking off and making out together?! Heheheeeeh~"

Elise ignored Floyd and tried her best to keep order in spite of the internal glee she felt at the news of her best friend and Riddle getting a moment together, "As I said, Cowrie! Rude! And keep your voice down! I doubt Reine would want the entire room knowing about this."

Cowrie pouted as Luna patted her on the head, "Elise has a point, baby sister. It's not nice to pry into our dear friend's private moments like that."

"Ellie-senpai's just grumpy because stupid Rielle had to leave the festival early and now she can't dance with him-mmf!"

Luna covered Cowrie's mouth with her hand but still snorted at her sister's jab at Elise's history of missed opportunities with the mermaid prince. Oooo was this a sore subject! Elise's face glowed bright pink, "Y-You! That is enough out of you, Cowrie!" Azul said nothing but the twins definitely noticed how his furrowed brow twitched at the mention of Prince Rielle's name. Luna saw Riddle leaving the lounge in quite a hurry.

"Ohh? There goes the little rose king now...all alone. My, what could have happened to give him that face?"

Elise quickly motioned for the sisters to move so she could leave the booth, seeing her chance at escaping before these devious sisters could embarrass her further, "Excuse me, Mr. Ashengrotto, Jade, Floyd. I'm going to go check on Reine," her polite sweetness turned sour when she looked at the Cerith sisters, "And you two. Come with me. I can't take you or leave you anywhere!" she huffed before storming off. The sisters just snickered, showing off matching pairs of shiny, sharp teeth that caught Azul's eye.

"Before you go, ladies...what kind of mermaids did you say you were?"

"Snowflake Eels." they chimed in perfect sync, their bright eyes shimmering with mischief, Luna's yellow-gold, and Cowrie's pale blue. "We're a smaller breed of Morays but no less vicious when need be," Luna added melodically, giving the three boys a wink.

Azul had several questions, the first being how and why a human princess came to befriend two eel mermaids. Just sitting across from two more rather devilish eels made him feel both intrigued and nervous. The brothers, however, felt their previous suspicions confirmed and rewarded with a shiver of instinctual excitement running up each of their spines. Floyd gave the girls a toothy smile with the same glint of mischief in his eyes while his brother remained a bit more stoic behind a simple but curious grin.

"Oh...dear."

Reine's eyes were bloodshot and still leaking tears when Elise found her, curled into herself on the cushions in the secluded little area. Elise immediately went into caretaker mode and propped Reine's head onto her lap once she was seated. She gently stroked the sad princess' platinum locks and cooed, "It's alright, my rose, tell me what happened." Sure, Cowrie kind of ruined it but Reine clearly didn't need any more reasons to be upset. For a few minutes, Elise couldn't make out any of the words Reine let out in between soft sobs but she just kept stroking her hair, patiently letting her cry it out. Elise saw the sisters peak around the corner, looking far less amused and spirited now that they saw the state the princess was in. Cowrie and Luna just kept their distance, making sure no one else would come that way and intrude on the two princesses.

"He kissed me...and I k-kissed him...and...everything just got all messed up...a-and he just left-" that was all Reine could get out before another sob hiccuped out of her. Elise sighed softly as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and started to dab her friends' eyes, "Goodness, all this fuss over some kissing? Rosebud, what's wrong with that? You did kiss him back, right? You wouldn't have unless you wanted to and for good reason."

"I told him it shouldn't have happened," she sniffled, "b-but I wanted it to! But...I'm supposed to..."

Elise smiled sadly down at Reine as she looked up at her with teary, searching eyes. Elise had known this girl since Reine was fresh out of kindergarten and she hadn't seen Reine this upset since those days. 'Suppose to' had become part of Reine's everyday life since then and each day following, Elise watched her become more and more obedient and subdued. It never occurred to her to question it, Reine seemed perfectly content and would say so if asked. But now...

"You're supposed to what, Reine? Make yourself absolutely miserable over every little decision you make? Sweet rose, no no..."

Reine couldn't say it out loud because it was so obvious that what she was expected to do wasn't at all what she wanted to do and it hurt too much. Elise just hushed her gently and continued to dry her tears, giving her time to calm down. Once she did, the Cerith sisters came out of hiding to give their dorm leader's best friend a hug from both sides, protectively cooing at her like she was a tiny frightened animal.

"We'll take you back to the dorm. Clearly, today has been a bit rough for you," Elise smiled gently at the princess cuddled in between her girls. Reine appreciated the offer but shook her head.

"You should stay, Elise. You're the biggest reason there's a party to begin with."

Before Elise could argue, Cowrie took Reine's hand, "I'll take her back, Ellie-senpai. You and Luna should stay. Luna promised Floy-Floy a swim anyway~"

Luna pouted at her younger sister's waggling eyebrows and smug grin, "My you have been busy keeping tabs tonight, baby sister, but yes you are right. I don't wanna keep Floyd waiting. He seemed awfully eager..."

Elise decided not to ask, getting enough info from the flirtatious smirk on her vice's face, and just turned to Reine, "Alright, if you're sure. You message me if you need anything though, you hear me?"

Trey was greeted with a loud, miserable groan as he entered Riddle's room. The dorm leader had retreated to his bed where he was completely buried, determined to let himself rot. The vice dorm leader just sighed and borrowed the chair from Riddle's desk where he sat and waiting patiently for Riddle to start talking. It seemed like it was going to be a long wait when Cater and Che'nya also invited themselves in after several minutes of silence passed.

Cater gave Trey a questioning look as Che'nya just waltzed in and sat on the edge of Riddle's bed, gently patting the lump that was Riddle's head, "Heeey RRRiddle! What's wrrrong? Why are you hiding??" No answer came from the mound of blankets except more mumbled groaning that sounded like he didn't want to be disturbed but it was already too late. Cater announced he was going to go make some tea while Riddle's childhood friends kept trying to coax him out of his hiding spot. Eventually, Riddle decided to come out and face his friends. They'd never leave him be if he didn't. Che'nya and Trey both jumped a bit in shock at Riddle's disheveled hair, clothes, and exhausted scowl. Oof, it was far worse than they thought!

"Hey, Riddle..." Trey started out gently as if talking to a cranky child, "What's wrong? You left the party in such a hurry out of nowhere."

A deep sigh fell from Riddle's lips, signaling the beginning of a long story, "...I kissed Miss Reine...a few times...actually." His face grew hotter with each word as they reminded him of the princess' sweet lips and touch. Trey and Che'nya just looked at each other and him with wide eyes until finally, the other shoe dropped. "...and she kissed me back."

"Oooh!! RRRiddle! You and Purrincess RRReine?!" Che'nya's smile couldn't get any bigger as his tail swished at lightspeed, "Hmm hmm!! OH Zehn will be so furriousss hmm hmm hmmm!" He was clearly enjoying himself but as soon Zehn's name was mentioned, Riddle's mood grew even darker.

"Ugh that bastard...I almost forgot about him," Riddle held his head in his hands, "I'm not much better than him now, am I?" NOW his friends were even more confused.

"Hold on, what?! Riddle, what are you saying?"

Riddle told them what happened between him and Reine. Everything. The talking, the flirting, the kisses, and even the awkward, sudden end. The entire time, it was obvious he was sick with guilt and something akin to regret but not quite.

"Ugh what she must think of me now?" Riddle muttered into his palms as he covered his face, "she was just...just right there...being entirely sweet and beautiful. Then I launch myself at her like some kind of brute. After an entire day of having other guys aggressively hovering about her every other second, snapping at each other like feral beasts. Of course, she reacted the way that she did! It was so...it was too much."

Riddle immediately felt worse and confused once Trey, Che'nya, and yes, even Cater who heard the whole thing from the doorway, burst into laughter. His temper practically shot flames out of his ears with how fast it rose through his system, "W-WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?! HOW DARE YOU!"

"Oh Riddle, you are so adorable sometimes," Cater wiped a tear from his eye after he set down the tea tray on the dorm leader's desk, "Ahh young love and all it's high's and low's...ok but seriously, stop with the dramatics and think back to what you said before: she kissed you too yeah? Doesn't sound like it was too much for her to me."

Riddle's temper lost all traction to how obvious those words were. Che'nya giggled and grinned at the redhead knowingly, "And RRReine is not the kind to give lovey-dovey kisses to just anybody. She doesn't even give them to Zehn. She barely holds his hand honestly, heheheeh~" Riddle would never admit it aloud but that last comment gave him a tremendous near intoxicating rush of satisfaction. Still...

"I know I said it was inappropriate. I-I mean it was, I should have asked permission first at the very least! But...ugh I'm so...so confused. It seemed like it was going so well and then the next thing I know, she's getting upset and apologizing... and I'm running out of there like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs." Saying it out loud made Riddle just want to bury himself in the actual ground.

Trey put his hand on Riddle's shoulder and gave him a calm smile, "The real problem doesn't sound like you or Reine. Being the next queen, I'm sure her situation is very complex but...I think you should talk to her."

"Yeah, Dorm Leader! Forget that Zehn guy, the princess doesn't even wanna hold hands with him!" Cater laughed, "So really what chance does he have that you don't?"

Riddle deadpan stared into the void, having thought this through a ridiculous amount of times in the last hour of his life, "The current Queen's favor gives him a pretty big advantage. The last time I checked, the future queen doesn't have to love or even like her king for them to get married. He just needs a pretty, silver-spooned pedigree which is something I've never had. And be tall and handsome or some nonsense..." Good grief, why was he suddenly having flashbacks to that ludicrous ghost wedding incident?!

The three seniors quickly rallied before they completely lost Riddle to this unusual defeatist stance he adopted out of nowhere.

Cater sat on the bed and shoved a cup of herbal tea into Riddle's hands, "Hey hey hey! No! Stop that right now, Riddle Rosehearts! YOU are the King of Heartslabyul! And you took the throne with a vengeance like two seconds after getting here! Common status be damned, you are our amazing dorm leader, one of Night Raven College's best students, and you are the sharpest looking dorm leader we've ever had!"

"That's right, RRRiddle! You and RRReine are a purrfect match: a clever, strong, and determined king for a beautiful, compassionate, and resilient queen. She may be actually rrroyalty but she's sweet on you even though you are not. It's clear as day! A pretty purrigree has never mattered to her and it's her opinion that matters the most, yes?"

Riddle did feel a bit bolstered by his friend's comments. He still didn't know if he really stood a chance but he knew that he really wanted one. Trey handed out the other teacups as the four of them got a bit more comfortable as the atmosphere lightened, "Like I said, you should talk to her. Clear the air and just see where things go. She'll hear you out, I don't doubt it for a second."

"And once you two understand each other, start off with something simple: ask her to the daaaance. You really think she wants to spend another dance with stick-up-his-ass Cavalier?" Riddle gave Cater a questioning gaze, "...what? The Rosabyrine girls like to talk."

"They aren't wrrrong," Che'nya confirmed, "Zehn is very pushy. Reine wanted to go with me for fun to the last dance Royal Sword hosted so his 'frrriends' stomped on my tail and locked me in my dorm room so I couldn't leave," Che'nya growled at the memory, "I wanted to tell her but they threatened to do worse if I did...they get away with all sorts of harassment."

Riddle scoffed, "He threatened me face to face at the music contest today..."

"Whaaaat?" Cater and Trey's faces both fell into wide-eyed shock as Riddle recounted that memory as well. Neither of the Heartslabyul seniors got angry very often but after hearing Che'nya and Riddle's experiences, this...this was the last straw.

"Riddle, surely there is some rule somewhere about defending your lady queen-to-be from scoundrels like Zehn Cavalier. If there isn't one, you should personally make one right now!" Cater huffed. Trey crossed his arms and nodded in stern agreement.

"That won't be necessary..." Riddle set the teacup down on his desk and straightened up his hair, "I've done enough damage for one night. However, come tomorrow, I will set things right. Cavalier can try to get in my way if he wishes but he will fail." The fire in the dorm leader's eyes put the boys' minds at ease. They knew that look and they knew there was no stopping Riddle Rosehearts once he got it.

It had started to downpour on the way back to the dorm, much to girls' dismay. Not only were they soaked to the bones but Reine was currently jogging back to the dorm as fast as she could with a now transformed eel mermaid on her back. Cowrie wouldn't have been that heavy if it weren't for her long tail. Reine managed to lift the mermaid's torso onto her back as she tucked her arms underneath what would be Cowrie's thighs. The mermaid wrapped her arms around Reine's shoulders and part of her tail around the princess' waist to help support her weight.

"I'm sorry, Reiny-senpai...I'm not as good as holding my human form as Luna is yet," Cowrie pouted.

"Don't feel bad, Cowrie. You're still a first year, after all. You have time to grow into it. Hold on tight. I don't want you to slip." Reine still managed to stay smiling even with a giant eel on her back and rain pelting down all around her. She was just thankful this was the one day she didn't wear all white. Of course, as soon as they got to the garden gates, the rain started to let up. Figures...

"There we go. That's better, isn't it? ...sorry it's not as big as the Monstro Lounge tanks."

Cowrie was curled up in one of the dorm's bathtubs but the water felt nice so she didn't seem to mind. Plus one of the ghosts had found a tiny rubber ducky and left it in that same bathroom so she was as happy as a clam. Reine left her a small bucket and towel before heading upstairs to the bathroom next to her own room. The princess practically collapsed into the tub as soon as the warm soapy water hit her skin. The events of the day just pilled up in a jumbled heap of feelings, firing off one after another. Her sigh echoed off of the bathroom walls almost like she was a ghost too. She had already vented out all of her negative feelings, well most of them. But for a moment as she sank further into the warm water, Reine let herself remember the feeling of Riddle's lips on hers, his hands on her back and waist, holding her close to him. It was the most tender of feelings that made her face heat up with a feverish rush. It gave her an equally feverish desire for more kisses, more touches...more everything.

Everything in her life before now had been decided: who she was, who and what she would become, what she would do, whom she would be courted by, etc. and then one step into new territory and suddenly she was tumbling down the rabbit hole, head over heels, breathless at every new turn. Not just with Riddle but with every new day, every new face, every new experience that she encountered since they arrived on Night Raven's campus. Reine's heart fluttered with a rush of happiness remembering all of it. She wanted to hold onto it tightly so she decided that...she would. Tomorrow, Reine could and would fix things so this feeling would never leave. Hopefully. Her confidence in the matter was shaky at best but she didn't want to focus on that feeling too much.

Reine finished her bath and went back downstairs after changing into her nightgown to check on Cowrie. The mermaid managed to dry off and go back to her room where Reine found her sprawled out on her bed like a starfish in oversized pajamas, snoozing away without a care in the world. The princess tried not to laugh too loudly as she tucked her junior into the bed properly. Cowrie curled up in a ball as soon as she was covered and Reine's heart melted, leading her to take a picture and send it to Elise and Luna before turning off the lights and quietly leaving the room. The princess was about to dive into her own bed before she noticed familiar green fireflies floating outside her window. Reine gasped excitedly and wrapped herself in a blanket before running back downstairs. She poked her head out into the chilly evening, looking for Malleus, and spotted his signature horns ways down the path.

"Lord Draconia!" Malleus grinned seeing the porcelain princess waving to him from the front door, "What are you doing? It's cold and wet out!"

It didn't personally bother him but seeing the little rose queen wrapped in a thick blanket made him aware of the potential hazards. He quickly disappeared and reappeared right in front of her so she wouldn't have to chase after him with her bare feet. The princess beamed up at him with a surprised giggle, "Oh hello. I'm so glad you and Master Lilia came today. Did you have fun?"

Malleus gave a nod and chuckle, amused that the princess adopted Sebek's title for Lilia, "It was a very interesting day, indeed. I brought you a thank you present for inviting me," he mused as he pulled something from his pocket.

Reine gave him a teasing smile, "Oh?? And here I thought an alliance with His Highness, the Future King of Thorns was my gift."

The dragon prince chuckled, "Yes but I do hope you like this even more."

Malleus opened his hand to show her a small red briar rose in bloom and encased in a crystal teardrop pendant, hanging from a silver chain, "It's a different kind of little rose from my home. Consider it a talisman for protection against any more problematic interlopers."

Reine's eyes lit up like Malleus just offered her the heavens themselves, "It's beautiful! Oh, thank you so much!"

The princess was practically bouncing as he put the necklace around her neck. The dragon had never seen anyone so pleased with a gift from him before, aside from Sebek. It made his chest warm with a deep sense of pride. She looked up at him suddenly, an idea alight in her eyes, and asked, "Lord Draconia, may I..give you a hug? As a thank you?"

The was literally the first time the dragon prince had ever been asked such a thing and it showed. He blinked his wide green eyes down at Reine's waiting expression in pure disbelief. His eyes soon narrowed in amusement as he laughed, "You dare approach the terrible, Future King of Thorns with such a request, little rose? What a foolhardy queen you are."

Malleus' teasing was cut short as the princess suddenly wrapped her arms around his torso and gave him a gentle hug, looking up at him like a rebellious child, "Well it's a good thing you gave me this protective charm then isn't it?"

Humans would never fail to surprise him, of this Malleus Draconia was now certain. He just chuckled and gently placed one hand around Reine's small frame and affectionately patted her head with the other.

"You are in daring high spirits tonight, aren't you? Did something happen, little rose?"

Reine's face warmed as she pulled away from him, "Not really," No one in this conversation believed her, "I just...made one very important decision. But now I have an even more important one to make."

"Are you really so conflicted?" Malleus was giving her that look again, it was like he knew everything in the world and yet was still surprised by so much. The princess just let out a deep breath and wrapped the blanket even tighter around herself.

"I know what I want, Lord Draconia. It's just I'm not entirely sure what the other person wants...yet. I wish this was something more simple like just worrying about who's going to ask me to the dance," she mumbled that last part but Malleus still tilted his head in curiosity.

"Dance...?"

Reined looked up at the prince in shock but lo there he was, looking genuinely lost, "There's a dance in three days to celebrate my coronation, on the last day of the festival...did no one tell you, Lord Draconia?" His disappointed pout said it all, "Well that's unacceptable! I'm the guest of honor and I say you should come! I'm officially inviting you!"

Two invitations and a hug? Would wonders never cease with this princess? Malleus pondered over the prospect of attending a dance. He wasn't too familiar with the experience, unfortunately. Once Reine explained the logistics of said dance, the process of procuring a partner, and any and all other details, it did sound interesting. Even so, it did sound like there were going to be a lot of people there and not in a situation where he could easily blend in like at the music contest. His expression didn't change much but somehow Reine still picked up on a hint of doubt coming from him.

"I understand it can be a bit overwhelming. I've been to several dances and balls and they wear me out too, honestly. So you should come but only if you want to, Lord Draconia."

"...would anyone actually want to dance with me?" Malleus was so used to others giving him a wide berth on the most mundane days. Attending a dance in hopes of not scaring the daylights out of the other guests didn't seem very likely.

Reine's enthusiasm got the better of her and even caught the tall dragon off guard, "Lord Draconia! Of course, they would! Even if you don't ask a specific girl to be your partner, I have no doubt the girls of Sacred Crown would love to meet you and dance with you! And even if they prove me wrong, I will be honored to save a dance for you!"

"...I will consider it, little rose." His smile was a bit shy but Reine was satisfied with his answer nonetheless. He knew a certain red tyrant would try to off his head if Malleus did ask Reine to be his date. As amusing as that would be, Malleus knew better than to step all over another king's courtship so rudely.

"Rise in shine, ladies! Hunting season is officially open!!"

Reine mumbled as Manari's excited shout rang up the stairwell. She had one hell of a headache and seemed to be having trouble getting out of her bed properly. Alyssa, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, let herself into her dorm leader's room with a chipper smile, "Good morning, Reine!"

The princess mumbled a greeting in return while rubbing her eyes. The tiny blonde set a small clear case on Reine's bed for her to inspect, "I finished your boutonnière for you since you've been so busy!"

Reine smiled in tired approval at the two-rosed decoration: one white and one red rose wrapped in a checkered ribbon with a small silver crown pin holding it all together. It was perfect. Alyssa was already wearing hers pinned to the vest on her Rosabyrine uniform. It was a yellow gerbera daisy wrapped in a black bow that resembled the one she wore in her hair with a tiny teacup pin. Nice and simple, cute and sunny: it suited her.

Alyssa helped Reine get ready, putting both red and white roses with black ribbons weaved into her braided hair to match her dorm uniform. Once she was fully prepared, Alyssa pinned the rose boutonnière to her vest lapel, "There. You look perfect. Good Hunting today," the blonde giggled excitedly. Reine couldn't help but catch a bit of it too and she smiled, "Thank you. I hope a certain first-year wins your lovely daisy," the dorm leader gave her second a playful wink. They both knew exactly who she was talking about.

"And what about you? ...will you be going with Zehn Cavalier again?" Alyssa asked hesitantly. Reine didn't seem offended or even bothered by the question as she looked herself over in the mirror one last time.

"No. I don't believe I will," the blonde gasped excitedly as she waiting for further explanation, "Good Hunting, Alyssa." Reine smiled mysteriously and left the room before the blonde who just scurried after her in a huff.

"Reine! You can't just leave me hanging like that!"

It was the day the 4th year students from all three schools came to the campus to present the results of field research or personal study they had been pursuing all year. The lineup of topics was interesting but most of the students who were not involved or attending the presentations were a bit...distracted. Every Sacred Crown girl who had not been asked to the dance already could be seen sporting their homemade boutonnière, pinned to them and waiting to be given away to the boy that won their affections. Honestly, the majority were still waiting. Only a handful had made arrangements beforehand like Adela and a couple of other seasoned third years. Otherwise, it was a beginning day just like every other time the girls' 'hunting season' opened. There always seemed to be this tense feeling in the air like everyone was waiting to see who would be the first brave soul to step up to the plate in hopes of succeeding....granted that was usually with just Royal Sword. How would things go with both Royal Sword and Night Raven in the fray at once? Only time could tell but that didn't stop the excited girls from placing friendly bets. Manari took it upon herself to give the dorm leaders and their vice's code names based on who they had dressed as the day before because why not make things more interesting?

"Alright, so Queenscholar (Adela) already has her date, surprising to no one. My bet is that Mama Snake and Mistress Mushroom are going to be the next ones to go. They're always so stinking popular," Manari was talking about Jinnah and Luna, "What's your call, Deal Maker?"

Elise sipped her drink as they sat in Night Raven's open cafeteria with Charlaine and a few other girls buzzing about, grabbing breakfast, "Our vice dorm leaders do seem to always take the lead don't they, ''Sunshine Royal?" Elise snorted at the ridiculous nicknames Manari had given each of them, herself included, "Luna-excuse me- 'Mistress Mushroom' has a reputation for breaking hearts...and yet the boys just don't stop trying their luck."

Charlaine pouted, "they're both so alluring and beautiful. And tall...and curvy...it's no wonder." Poor Charlaine had developed a complex ever since she became the shortest and most petite of the dorm leaders. She was by no means unattractive just...lacking...in certain areas of her anatomy in comparison to the others. Manari frowned at the tiny songbird's attitude.

"Heeey come on, Beauty Standards! You are absolutely adorable and lovely so hush...granted you are not wrong. I mean we're the dorm leaders and yet it's our second-in-commands that steal the spotlight in these situations. I love our brother school and all but is it just me or are some of those boys kind of...dense?"

Charlaine felt the ice-cold chill of humiliation flood her entire body as she flashed back to the last dance, "...I wrote an entire confession letter to Neige and got up the nerve to read it to his face. He just said thank you and how much he appreciated my support and shook my hands as if I was just another fan at one of his events. I wanted to DIE..."

Both Manari and Elise groaned from second-hand embarrassment, "Wow. That. is. ROUGH. Man, no wonder you didn't seem nearly as smitten as usual at the contest yesterday. But hey! I mean...at least now you can move on right? It's not like you had this big misunderstanding and he thought you were some princess or nobleman's daughter that you clearly weren't and instead of telling him that no, you were just a commoner adopted by some silk merchants out of fear that he would completely ghost you...you just decide to avoid him at all costs, face to face, but keep responding to his messages....with more ambiguous half-truths..."

Elise and Charlaine just stared at Manari who just chugged her drink with an extremely guilty look on her face. Charlaine looked at Elise, starting to mention Prince Rielle but judging from the dark look on the girl's face...

"I don't want to talk about it," Elise said bluntly.

Clearly, not all the SC dorm leaders were having luck in romance lately...

Reine kept laughing at Alyssa's fits of frustration as they were making their way across the campus together. The blonde had been too eager to get more information out of Reine ever since they left the dorm but Reine's lips were sealed tighter than Azul's contract safe. Cowrie was silently following along behind Alyssa as they were classmates and good friends who decided to be each other's wingwoman. Meaning that if any boys who were not Deuce Spade tried to approach Alyssa that day, the mermaid would quickly scare them off. So far four boys found themselves face to face with Cowrie's sharp teeth and glowing eyes. When she wasn't emotionally scaring other freshmen boys, Cowrie was enjoying the outdoor scenery and taking pictures of various plants and bugs they passed with her phone.

"Reeeine, you've been grinning at your phone all morning! And after that half-confession about Zehn, what gives! Tell meeee~"

The princess just giggled, "Oh trust me, the two aren't connected. My favorite cousin - his words not mine - is going to be presenting today and he's been texting me nonstop about getting together. Apparently, he has some 'exciting news'..."

Alyssa's previous concerns were swiftly forgotten, "Jasper's coming today?!" Alyssa was incredibly fond of Reine's cousin, Jasper Elfern. He was from the Red Queen court but he and Reine had always been close. The fact that he had been courting Alyssa's older sister for years didn't hurt either. Hopefully, this 'exciting news' meant that Alyssa was finally getting a brother soon.

The very same Jasper Elfern had also reached out to his old dormmates in Heartslabyul who were unknowingly heading the same direction as the two girls. Riddle was walking tall with perfect posture and purpose in his step. He kept to his schedule like clockwork, given himself an adequate amount of pep talks in the mirror as he prepared for the day ahead, and took extra care to make sure his dorm attire was spotless. It wasn't every day Riddle Rosehearts got to meet the old dorm leader he personally dethroned. There was no bad blood between him and Jasper, though a little honest bragging never hurt, he also wanted to look his best when approaching Reine today...so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

"You're in top form today, Dorm Leader. Go easy on her, wouldn't want Reine to swoon too hard." Cater teased.

"Or maybe he just wants to flex on Jasper a bit as a nice homecoming," Trey smirked.

"You're both being ridiculous," Riddle scoffed and yet a smug smile stayed on his face.

They saw Jasper in his NRC Heartslabyul uniform standing outside the hall where the presentations would be taking place that afternoon, facing the other direction. The tall, dark-haired upperclassman had a bright smile on his face as he was waving to someone coming towards him in the opposite direction. Riddle's eyes widened and he came to a halt when he saw it was Reine.

"Jasper!" she practically skipped right up to him and threw her arms around him looking happier than ever, "Welcome back!"

She let out a high-pitched giggle as the tall boy hugged her tight and twirled her around playfully, "My sweet little cousin! Look at you, when did you get so grown up and beautiful?" he laughed.

Cousin? ...did he hear that right??

COUSIN???

Riddle's brain all but exploded. The same Jasper Elfern that was once the Heartslabyul Dorm Prefect that Riddle challenged and usurped as a first-year was also the crown princess' COUSIN?! Trey and Cater looked just as shocked as their dorm leader.

"Hold on...does this mean he's like a PRINCE or something?!" Cater whisper-yelled to the other two, "...wait...not only did Riddle knock down an actual prince but also his crush's cousin?!"

Riddle Rosehearts suddenly did not feel so confident...why was the world so small and so cruel? Jasper's wine-red eyes caught sight of the three Heartslaybul boys and he waved them over, "Hey! Long time no see, fellas!" Cater didn't waste a second and practically teleported over to his old dorm leader and the girls, "Elfern-senpai, why didn't you tell us you were royalty?! And you're also Reine's cousin?!" The boy's smile didn't waver at all, "Oh so you guys know my cousin already! Great to hear! Not surprising at all though, she's been itching to meet my dormmates ever since I told her about a certain freshman knocking me down a peg." He laughed as Reine's expression turned bright red. More puzzle pieces fell into place as Riddle looked at the pleading wide-eyed look Reine was giving her merciless cousin. "Is that so...?" Riddle asked in a bemused tone. Jasper put an arm around Reine's shoulders and grinned mischievously, "Oh definitely. She couldn't get enough of my stories about living in the dorms with you guys! So how does it feel to finally know the infamous Riddle Rosehearts, cousin? Has he lived up to your expectations?" Poor Reine could only give a muffled reply from behind her hands, "Please stop, Jasper..." The three seniors were momentarily distracted in their reminiscing, giving Riddle a moment to speak one on one with a still very pink Reine. She had a bashful expression he couldn't help but find adorable as she finally came out from hiding, "...I may have been a bit curious and learned about you before we actually met," Reine confessed quietly. Riddle felt a strange sense of power in that moment. It wasn't that his awkward feelings about the night before had suddenly vanished but now knowing that this shy princess had been curious about him before they even crossed paths certainly gave his ego a healthy boost. His smug smile and previous confidence returned as he asked her, "Well? Have I lived up to your expectations...Reine?" Hearing Riddle say her name so straightforwardly without a hint of nervousness threw her for a small loop, taking Reine right back to that moment the night before. What she didn't see was how his heartbeat took off like a racehorse as her eyes shined and she said: "Oh no...you have definitely exceeded them, Riddle Rosehearts."

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365days365movies · 3 years

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March 5, 2021: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) (Part Two)

Am I going to watch Kaguya-sama again after this?

It is a funny show, so I’m probably gonna watch a compilation or something. Anyway, where was I? OH RIGHT! The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Recap Part Two! This movie is beautiful so far, and I’m enjoying this adaptation of the classic story reinterpreted. Told the girlfriend about this, and she mentioned one of her favorite games: Okami.

It’s based quite heavily on Japanese mythology, and also has a similar aesthetic to this movie. Rumors persist that they’ll be rebooting this, so fingers crossed! Anyway, let’s get back to the movie! First part of the Recap is right here!

Recap (2/3)

After the dream/return to the palace, Hime seems to accept her fate as Princess Kaguya, and is no longer the rebellious and rambunctious kid she was before. And yes, I’ll be referring to her as Kaguya from now on...until the time is right. She studies (and suffers) in silence, clearly unhappy and depressed.

Miyatsuki either doesn’t understand it, or is completely ignorant of her suffering. He brings her a pet bird to keep, which she somewhat brushes off. However, she lets the bird go, as if wishing she could fly away with it.

But time once again passes, and Kaguya grows more beautiful, and the rumors of this beauty spread. People gather outside to palace to get a glimpse of her, and Miyatsuki has made sure to never show her face publicly. Her servant, Me no Warawa (Hynden Walch) is accosted outside of the palace, with a pile of messages and letters for her. She also brings cherry blossoms to the essentially captive Kaguya, for which she is thankful.

Words of her beauty and bamboo-based origins are also spread by Akita to a group of five suitors, all of whom are completely entranced. These five suitors are a classic part of the story, and are also represented in the recent anime based upon it (Kaguya-sama: Love is War).

The five suitors LITERALLY race there, spurred on by Akita’s...really horny speech,not gonna lie, dude says that this (13-year old) girl got his “juices flowing”, real fuckin’ quote there. Guuuh. Anyway, Miyatsuki and Sagami are overjoyed, as marrying any of these dudes is a guarantee for a happy and prosperous life. But Kaguya...is honestly surprised that she’s supposed to be happy. FUCK, MAN.

She’s SUPER not interested in these guys, but they are ridiculously interested in her. She meets them in honor of her father, but not on her own behalf. They present their proposals to her, and I’ll introduce them in order! First up, Prince Kuramochi (Beau Bridges), an older man of great wealth who basically compares her to a jeweled tree branch on the mountain of Hourai. Cool? In the anime, he’s translated into the best character in the series, game and ramen lover Fujiwara Chika.

Second is Prince Ishidzukuri no Miko (James Marsden), who’s already completely fucked because James Marsden is voicing him, and he basically only plays characters destined to be cucked. Check out my recap of The Notebook for more on that. He pledges to worship her, and compares her to the Stone Begging Bowl of Buddha. In the anime, he’s translated into uptight rules-follower Miko Iino.

Ishidzukuri’s comparison is mocked by number three, Abe no Miushi, Lord Minister of the Right (Oliver Platt), a corpulent man that compares her to...a robe of fire-rat fur. You’re comparing her...to rat hair clothes? Um...wow, dude, that’s legit insulting. No wonder you don’t have a counterpart in the anime yet.

Suitor number four, Grand Counselor Ootomo no Miyuki (Daniel Dae Kim) agrees with me that that’s a SHITTY comparison, and instead compares her to the Five-Colored Jewel around a Dragon’s Neck. His counterpart in the anime is the main love interest, Miyuki Shirogane. Yeah, sort of rigged in his favor in the show. It’s based on it, not a true adaptation.

And lastly is the sullen Middle Counselor Isonokami no Maro (John Cho), who compares her to a cowry shell from a swallow’s nest, which ensures safety in childbirth. And his counterpart is the equally sullen and video-game loving Yu Ishigami, another one of the best characters in the series.

OK, enough about the anime, yeah? Sorry, I just...I just really like it. Anyway, the suitors’ comparisons give Kaguya an idea. She plays the koto for the men, which entrances them (and me, it’s a gorgeous sound), and she thanks them for the sentiment. However, for her hand in marriage, they will need to bring her each of the treasures they compared her to. After all, they compared her to rare treasures, meaning that she is also not easy to obtain. By doing this, they show that they are worthy of that treasure. NICE.

The men leave, noting that it was quite impossible to get these treasures, and that Kaguya is a rare jewel that no one will capture. Objectifying, but OK. When they leave, everybody around the castle leaves as well. Which, to be fair, was exactly what Hime wanted.

Sagami is PIIIIIIIIIIISED, and quits. Miyatsuki’s not exactly chuffed either. But Hime’s finally free, and goes out of the palace with her mother and Warawa to see the city and the cherry blossom trees. Good for her. ‘Bout time she had some fun and joy in her life.

It’s cut off VERY fast, however, when she encounters a family of commoners, who only recognize her as nobility and nothing further. Realizing how separate she now is from them as they bow to her, she breaks a little. And they leave to go back to the city. While getting back there, though, who should she run into but Sutemaru, who’s just stolen a chicken. She calls to him, and he stops and recognize her...but they leave and he’s caught. And Hime cries.

Time passes. Three years, to be specific, as they actually tell us this time. Hime’s still close to her mother, as they still garden together in the back. However, relationships with her father are less great. He comes in and tells her that the first suitor, Kuramochi, has come back with the jeweled branch after all this time. Hime can’t believe it.

Kuramochi comes in with the jeweled branch, which dazzles brilliantly. Kaguya asks how he found it. He weaves a dramatic tale of happening upon the mountain and the branch. As this takes place, though, a local craftsman comes by to collect his fee for...making the branch. And now that he’s made, the cheap-ass Prince takes the fuck off.

Next up is Abe, the rat skin guy, with fire-rat robe in hand. Kaguya calls his bluff, though, and tells him to drop that shit in the fire. If it’s real, then it won’t burn, and the two will marry forthwith. And that shit BURNS. Which sucks, because dude thought it was real, and spent literally ALL of his money on it.

Afterwards, in a conversation between Hime and Waraka, it’s revealed that Miyuki’s actually going to get the Dragon Pearl, and we see that in a gorgeous sequence. It doesn’t go well.

Meanwhile, Ishidzukuri drops by, having brought something for Kaguya. It’s not the bowl promised to her, but is instead a sweet little flower. He admits that he went searching for the bowl, filled with love for Kaguya. Instead, he found a treasure of nature, the flower, and was meant to represent his devotion and the depth of his feelings for her.

And that’s actually very sweet. But he’s James Marsden, so he’s FUCKED. But she definitely seems entranced by his offer to take her some place natural and beautiful and far away. Impassioned and full of love, he lifts open the blinds and sees...his wife. GODDAMN IT JAMES MARSDEN. The cuckee becomes the cucker.

Which sucks, because she actually did fall for him there for a second. We next hear of the Counselor, sent to fetch the cowry shell. However, he tragically dies in the attempt. This knowledge shatters Hime, who rips up her private garden in absolute sorrow. Her mom, who’s genuinely the best mom, tells her not to blame herself.

Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Princess Kaguya has the ear of the Emperor, the Mikado (Dean Cain). He wishes for Kaguya to become one of his brides, and will make her father a member of the court. Miyatsuki, ever tone-deaf to his daughter’s desires, is thrilled. But Hime refuses, to which her father says that refusal of the Emperor’s wishes is impossible. And Hime says that she will do it to make her father happy, and then she’ll kill herself immediately after the wedding.

Um...fuck. I...I think I’m giving this one a Part Three. See you there!

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