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#i think the best thing they could do was to be regents for a while until they can do something abt the monarchy
tapakah0 · 4 months
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Okay! I don't know where you got the idea from and my best guess is that your brain is connected to mine via bluetooth but.
Me and Hoddie have a royal au and your animation made me think of it again.
Nothing crazy special, but...ah...I should probably give a little context yeah...hmm.
Uh, okay. There's a kingdom. whose king and queen have died, leaving behind several possible heirs who are not their direct children. Right now, the king's first general is sitting on the throne, because the power of the army is, you know, a pretty powerful argument in a fight for the throne, right? This creepy regent is Cass. And Cass came to power thanks to Hoddie, who's basically the king's heir too, but she's pretty distant and her chances of the throne are quite slim. This has made her a professional rat and back stabber. The whole palace is busy weaving intrigue and destroying each other in a competition for power. Contests in cunning and sneakiness. A maximally intellectually uncomfortable environment in general.
Until Hoddie finds the true heiress. The king's blood daughter, to whom the throne should rightfully belong.
Problem? The problem is that the heiress needs to be two years older to be old enough to rule. And Hoddie and Cass' goal is to make sure she lives to that age in an environment where every other person wants to frame or kill her.
That heiress is you, Tap. But we couldn't think of what you'd look like in this au ahaha.
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MHHMMM I SEE ONCE IN A WHILE BRAIN BLUETOOTH IS A GOOD THING you left me a window for my part and I grabbed this opportunity with sharp teeth Since there was no mention of my part, I have the audacity to add my own version. Did I understand correctly that my existence as an heiress was not known? It would be strange if the king was not looking for me, if I was the only heir (by blood), which means they were hoping for a new child, or already had plans for an indirect heir, or wanted to hide me. What other power is there, besides the king and the army, that holds the common people? Church. The king could have sent me to be trained as a priestess in order to gain support from them (either I was not considered worthy of receiving the throne in the future, which is why they preferred to hide me, or the king so badly needed their support that he was ready to sacrifice his only blood daughter) . Thus, from a young age, the beauty of a non-existent world somewhere beyond the heavens was drummed into my head and, in general, “God speaks all our actions.” I have an inconspicuous appearance, a position above a simple servant, but such priests are usually considered to be the daughters of high nobles, but not the king himself, which is why not everyone could know who I really was. Thus, they forgot about my existence ~ After the death of the king and all the heirs, the church quickly realized what to do next, and crushed me to itself, hiding me from the world until I reached the age of succession to the throne. (But children could take the throne under a regent. Could Hoodi become my regent as one of the older contenders for the throne?) So, back to the turmoil. Hoodie found me at church. Since childhood, my worldview could have changed greatly under the influence of the church, so, well, you will have to hammer a lot into my head, in addition to the throne’s education (You know... it's bit complicated to make a human sona not as a stupid little ball XDD... it literally can't get a shape at this point... maybe you will place a real bunny as the new king? It will be eating cabbage 24/7 and everyone will be happy)
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little-pondhead · 1 year
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Wanted to hop in on the supervillain Danny au questions! Do we think Valerie would have any interest to get in on this? Between being a pawn for Vlad as Red Huntress and her "friends" ditching her as soon as she stopped being rich, I like the idea that evil billionare mastermind is her general vibe. Heck, maybe she and Tucker flip roles and she becomes the guy in the chair, not being a front line powerhouse and actually coming up with elaborate plans.
And on that note, do we think that if Vlad somehow found his way into this mess, he'd see the whole thing as a fun little game of "opposite world" and try his hand at being a hero? Because I for one think that would be hilarious, I actually don't have ideas for that because I can't imagine a heroic Vlad.
Amyway, that's all I got for now. Love your work!
You're one of the vertebrae creatures who keep hoarding all the brain wrinkles, aren't you??
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[Okay, so I lost your ask, wrote this shit, then found it again so it's not exact but I'm trying here.]
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Let's start with Valerie, or keeping up with the trend, Gray in the DC universe.
Valerie is so tired. It's a different kind of tiredness that has a grip on the others. Danny is tired of being a hero, Sam is tired of her parent's expectations, and Tucker is tired of being unable to protect his friends. Jazz is tired of being the bigger person, and Dani is tired of not having someone to rely on. The DC universe is their escape, and honestly, it's doing wonders for their mental health. Valerie notices. She has a shaky truce with Phantom and his crew, but she can't just let him get a leg up on her, can she? So Valerie follows them, through town, through the portal, through the new world they popped up in.
There, she stops. Phantom is now Fenton, and doesn't that make sense? Many things click into place and Valerie starts to understand as she watches the others from the shadows. She's surprised they haven't noticed her, but a little green sticky note on her visor says she had a little hand in her reconnaissance. So when she's done, she returns to her dimension. Back to Amity Park and back to her bed. Valerie lays there for a while, staring at the ceiling and fingering the sticky note, committing every detail to memory.
And you know what? Valerie gets pissed. How come Danny and his friends lovers? and family get to just visit other dimensions whenever they want a break and have no repercussions whatsoever? Just because hero work is hard?? She's a hero too, dammit!
Obviously, someone out there apparently agreed with her because, in a quick, dizzying moment, Valerie finds herself suddenly in the Ghost Zone, plopped down on a ratty blue couch with a very old ghost sitting across from her. He introduces himself as Clockwork, the ghost of time, the regent of the king, and Danny's guardian. Mentor? She wasn't sure; ghost speech always gave her a headache. Either way, Valerie found herself exceptionally calm and somehow struck a deal with the Ancient. To her chagrin, Clockwork informed her that Valerie was well and truly Liminal now, despite her best efforts. (What did she expect? Her suit was practically drenched in ectoplasm.) As part of the deal, Clockwork extended the same courtesy to her that he had to the others. Anytime she wanted, Valerie could have free reign and access to the DC universe and could do anything she liked with no bad consequences. And because of her liminality, he was able to grant her just enough power for her to create her own portals directly to the other realm.
[What did Clockwork get out of this deal? Well, that's up to someone else who's not me.]
So Valerie goes to this new universe. She switches her name to Gray, as if to mock Fenton, who had no idea she was there. She does not try to become a supervillain. And what's this? Outfit analysis time!!
In the show, I've always liked Valerie as a character, and whether it was intentional or not, her design seems to fit her attitude and actions. They were in high school in the early 2000s before her dad lost her job; Valerie was very popular, from what I remember. Her family had money. Other kids expected her to keep up with social norms, so her outfit looked more stylish than practical. She wears yellow, which is most commonly seen as a happy color. Her hair is slicked back so people can see her whole face. She has nothing to hide. She's confident and youthful, ready to lead, and overall enjoying her lot in life. Then ghosts start appearing, and we all know her backstory as Red Huntress. Her suit is tight to her skin, bright red, and overall she's armed to the teeth. Everything about that screams DANGER! Valerie is a threat now.
Her civilian outfit also never changes, which is understandable because this is a cartoon from 2004. But it's secretly genius because yellow is often considered a cautious color. It turns from being a happy color to a warning. Yellow is also associated with anxiety, betrayal, and even egotism, which is something both she and Danny experience during their interactions. She's uptight and constantly on edge. She feels like she has to provide for her family and is quick to anger.
Now for the opposite of that? Valerie is tired of being angry all the time. Rather than go apeshit on a bunch of poor heroes and villains-been there, done that-she treats this whole thing like an actual vacation. Gray wears a soft long sleeve, sweats, and fuzzy slippers. Her hair is relaxed and in a bun, with her bangs hiding half of her face. It takes some pressure off of constantly keeping her expressions in check. People also can't see how she's silently judging them. She lets the stress melt from her shoulders and lets herself curse like a sailor whenever she feels like it. Her clothes are dimmer colors, which don’t stand out or demand attention. She lets herself be not perfect.
Although, just because this is a vacation for her doesn't mean Gray can't just lounge around doing nothing. She has no money! So Gray, after shuffling through a couple decades of this world's history and discovering that Craigslist is universal, applies for the first work ad she sees. In short, Gray joins the Goonion. She ends up making a deal with the guy who hired her. And her new boss. And her new neighbor. And-
Gray very quickly becomes the John Constantine of the criminal underworld. She brushes up on her people skills and learns to talk rings around other people, getting people to owe her favors as much as she dishes them out. Balance is the key here, as she’s learned from Danny. Gray is never tied down by too many IOUs at a time, and her tight grip on her companions and team quickly earn her a questionable but reliable reputation. She presents a morally-gray character, if you will.
Gray’s quick climb to power-that was definitely sped along by Clockwork-earns her a powerful position in the Goonion. If she plays her cards right, Gray doesn’t have to do any work at all. She just leans back and enjoys being paid for wearing pajamas all day and occasionally signing some paperwork. She siphons away bits of her own paycheck to a dimensional bank account she threatened asked Technus to set up, and Gray is finally able to slip more than a few tens into her father’s wallet when it’s time for him to pay his rent. It’s a good life.
Now, Vlad? Oh, he's fucked. This can work for whatever redemption au you want. He can be exactly like he is in the show or working towards bettering himself as a person. I imagine him being halfway to a redemption plot, and in an effort to gain the Fenton's trust, he starts hanging around with the family more. Jack loves this. The others do not, but what can they do? Everyone is just trying to be civil to each other in an effort to make Jack happy. Since old habits die hard, Vlad very quickly notices Danny's improved state of mind and is attuned to the Zone enough to feel when Clockwork stops time on their end. He starts to purposefully rile up Danny and realizes that the time stops happen right after Danny leaves the room in a fit of anger. Then the boy comes back all smiles and sometimes doesn't even remember what Vlad had said to him in the first place.
So he puts his ear to the ground. Whispers are floating around about a new portal that's been opened near Phantom's Keep. A natural one. A permanent one. No one can investigate due to its location, but the young king and members of his fraid have been seen frequenting it more often than late. Not suspicious in the slightest, Danny would have protested. Vlad goes poking around. Entering the Keep uninvited felt like millions of bugs tugging at his skin, but turning human helped ease the sensation. It was laughably easy to slip between the cold stone walls of the Keep, avoiding Fright Knight's walking path and sticking to the shadows. The portal was in the courtyard, under the watchful gaze of two stone gargoyles leftover from Pariah's reign. Right before Vlad can investigate further stick his head in and see what happens the world warps, and suddenly the older halfa is sitting on his ass in front of a very old ghost.
Looks like Vlad fucked around and found out.
Basically, Clockwork yoinked Vlad to his side of existence right before he entered the portal. Even if all he wanted to do was relate to Danny in an effort to mend their relationship, The Master of Time wasn't okay with Vlad going off into the DC universe all willy-nilly. Oh no. Letting Vlad loose in this world would lead to bad things regardless of his intentions. Even if Vlad promised to play by all the rules and pretended to be human, he was bound to slip up and cause trouble.
So there were two courses of action Clockwork could take here. One, he could pull in a few favors and wipe Vlad's memory, sending him back to his own universe until he inevitably went sniffing around again, and this whole song and dance continued. Or second, he could equip Vlad with similar ghost artifacts Manson and Foley possessed and temporarily seal away Vlad's powers while he was gallivanting around the DC universe. He'd be on Clockwork's payroll, so to speak, and could only act on the older ghost's instructions. Clockwork presented these two choices to Vlad. The older halfa chose the second option after weighing the pros and cons. He didn't want to be controlled by Clockwork, but he also didn't want to lose his memories (over and over again, from how he worded it.)
This is how Vlad's hero persona is born. I'm unsure if he should stick with his last name, Masters, or take on something different to distance himself from Fenton and his family. Let's stick with Masters for now.
Clockwork has this drowning little rat man on a rehab program and uses some fancy ghost jewelry to inhibit his halfa abilities. He doesn't make Masters do much, just drops him in here and there when the DC timestream needs a little nudge. It's not like Clockwork will have Danny deal with it; the kid already helps out with every other timestream when asked. Masters can help out here. And since his halfa abilities are blocked, he gets to do everything as a human, which brings its own set of challenges. The idea is that by throwing Masters face-first into a new world filled with people who could end his existence and be forced to win every fight or else, he'll come to appreciate what Danny goes through on a daily basis.
The JL Dark becomes very familiar with the mysterious Masters, who doesn't seem to have any powers but still fights like he does. The man can be extraordinarily clumsy and short-tempered but still graceful and light on his feet when it matters the most. More than once has someone caught Masters muttering under his breath, cursing out gravity and a 'purple-cloak wearing bitch.' Masters always shows up out of the blue at the most random times. He is literally just there, and sometimes even Masters himself looks shocked about his sudden scene change. But he's always suited up and ready to go, so not many heroes question it. They usually need the help anyway.
In the DC universe, Masters is wearing four magic bands, each engraved with the words Dominion of Time on them. Several bands made from tungsten were buried deep with Clockwork's Tower in an old wooden box made from aspen and diamonds. Each band was a blank slate, glowing slightly from magic long past. Clockwork had simply selected the four he needed, engraved the spells needed in ghost speech, and handed them over. Vlad grumbled and tried to find a loophole in the artifacts, but ultimately accepted his fate and wore them whenever Masters was needed.
Vlad's new outfit for this outfit is similar to Valerie's; it's loose and uncomplicated. (Actually, there are a lot of parallels between these two.) In the show, Vlad always wears a tailored suit and dress shoes. He's well-groomed and his hair is slicked back. He always tries to show off his wealth and power by having full control over his appearance. In layman's terms, he's the walking cliché trope of a rich billionaire villain in every superhero media to ever exist. After all, in a kid's show with a teenage protagonist, what's more intimidating than an adult nemesis who has their life together?
As Masters, Vlad is forced to throw all that out the window.
The hero outfit he wears was literally picked up off the street. If glowing metal bands were not adorning his arms, some would assume that Masters was a homeless man. The top was dug out from a dumpster behind a costume store, and the sandals were given to him by a woman who couldn't wear them anymore. His arm sleeves were sewn together from some blackout curtains he found at an old housing demolition site, and the pants were just some sweatpants that were a tad too short. The mask was bought from the corner store, his belt salvaged from a junkyard, and his scarf was actually a gift from Jack-not that he'd wear it around the oaf. The only 'expensive' things Masters wore were the four magic bands, a handful of large glass beads hanging from his belt, and the sharp metal claws he wore on top of each finger. The claws were bought on a whim years ago when Vlad was building his fortune, and boy, was he glad for them now. They were the only real weapons Clockwork allowed him to carry for some reason.
In other words, Masters is exposed. With his loose hair and flowing clothes, Masters is forced to trust the others around him to have his back. He's humbled every time someone covers an obvious blind spot of his that he's not used to compensating for. He gets dirty and messy, fighting to survive against enemies he knows nothing about. His outfit symbolizes his efforts to change. Masters is re-learning what it's like to be truly vulnerable in a world you don't understand with no help whatsoever. Clockwork has no issue pitting him against demons and ghouls even John Constantine would hesitate at, and his narrow victories quickly earn him an invitation to the Watchtower.
The Justice League is puzzled by this walking lump of wet spaghetti. He disappears so easily into the background and doesn't stand out at all. Every once in a while his eyes scrunch up like he's confused about something, but he won't admit that he's lost the conversation. Masters will offhandedly say weird things and turn as if expecting someone to be there, then suddenly stop himself with a soft flinch. He refuses any form of payment. He can stare down Batman. His appearances are random and the man carries no form of contact. Masters often has an aura of resignation and regret around him, as if he didn't want to be there in the first place. He's awkward around kids but fiercely protective of a few teen heroes. (Mostly Conner.)
It finally starts to come together in the JL's mind when Masters becomes more widely known in the world of supers. One of the higher-ups in the Goonion hates him. Dani held a gun to his head. Manson screeched bloody murder when she saw him. Nightingale declared herself his official nemesis. The final piece was when, after a long and exhausting fight, Masters temporarily removed his mask to wipe away some blood around his mouth.
The Flash, who was sitting next to him, nearly let out a squeak.
Masters' blood was bright green.
Masters' teeth were shaped like a shark's.
Masters was another fucking Fenton, wasn't he?
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ninapi · 3 months
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Premise: Prince Keisuke was known to be a troublesome lad, often bringing problems to the queen herself. In an attempt to tame the wild prince, the queen calls for a powerful witch to aid him with his cause, hoping to put an end to this quest sooner. What she didn't count on was love being what he needed most.
Word Count: 2516
Note: Welcome to my first Tokyo Revengers series~ I know it's weird for my first series to be an AU and not cannon, but I've had this idea in mind for some time now and really wanted to let it out of my system lol, I hope you guys like it~
**✿❀ Bewitched ❀✿**
Chapter 1: The witch and the Prince
The Kingdom of Tokyo was noticeably the most powerful in the entire realm.
The previous King had done nothing but good things and had taken them to the highest position they could ever wish for; but he was reckless, and ended up passing at a very young age, leaving a promising future to wither with his corpse.
His wife, ended up as queen regent since their son was still too young to assume the throne. But sadly, he had inherited his father’s wild nature, and was nothing but a headache.
Being honest, the queen didn’t want to be it at all. She had married the king without even knowing who he was, it was pure love at first sight and truth to be told, his wild and reckless side was what drove her to him. She was not prepared to be queen and clearly had no interest of ever being so, but she had to take care of her husband’s legacy, at least until their son became of age to assume his role as king.
Baji Keisuke, also known as the crown prince, was not your average prince…
While he wasn’t lacking on the looks of one, his attitude was the complete opposite of what one would expect.
He was indeed smart and well versed in the arts of ruling a kingdom, yet his passion laid in battle.
Just as his father, he was constantly in the field instead of sitting on the throne listening to the town people’s complaints.
The royal guard were more like his friends than anything and would follow him anywhere.
At the head of the Royal guard was the youngest knight in history, Matsuno Chifuyu, the prince’s right hand. While he was young and seemingly inexperienced, he did more than a fantastic job aiding the prince in all his endevours, just as the second officer in command did, Satou Ryusei; though he was a lot more unreliable. 
But the prince didn’t need protectors, he was strong enough. Hence, the entire army would listen to him and just him, even if Sano Mickey was indeed their actual leader and the best there was.
While the Kingdom of Tokyo was normally pretty safe and wasn’t under an ongoing war, there was a terrorist group that wanted to destroy the royal family and overtake the kingdom.
They called themselves, Valhalla.
While Hanma Shuji, their leader in name, wasn’t that much of a threat, Hanemiya Kazutora was.
He used to be a good friend of the prince, grew up playing together with him and the head of the army duo, Sano Captain and Ryuguji Ken, his right hand. They used to be best friends, all sneaked in the castle daily just to play with the young prince who was very much bored practicing how to write properly, a true joy and his best memories of childhood.
But his state of mind wasn’t always the best and after committing an awful, unforgettable crime, he was sent to the dungeons for well over a couple of years. There, he made friends of the wrong kind, and that’s what led him to be part of this horrible organization that threats the wellbeing of the entire kingdom.
So for obvious reasons, the prince was even more involved in this quest of sorts than usual. He wanted to dissolve this stupid gang, not so much thinking of the wellbeing of the kingdom, as he should be doing, but he really wanted to save his friend, to punch some sense into that empty head of his and make him realize that’s not his place to be at but at their side, just like the old times.
This quest of his resulted in multiple assaults to the Royal guard, the prince himself getting hurt in the process…and that was the last drop of patience for the queen herself.
“Keisuke you moron! Until when are you going to keep chasing that lost sheep? He’s a threat to our kingdom just send Ryusei to kill him, he has no feelings towards him…I’m sick of this quest of yours, you should be leading this kingdom not punching children!” the queen wasn’t one of decor, but that was part of her charm.
“I’m not leaving him, mother…he needs to understand what he’s doing is wrong. If his friends give up on him, then who’s going to save him?”
“Have you ever stop and think maybe he doesn’t want to be saved? Maybe he likes being with this kids better than with you. Maybe he is happy with what he’s doing and doesn’t want you saving him…” she really wanted to smack her son on the head, but he’s all covered in scratches and his arm might be broken according to the royal doctor. 
“You don’t know him, mother…not like we do…” he was visibly exhausted, but his resolution would just not let him give up on his friend.
“That’s it, I’m calling her..” this got his attention, “Calling who?” he could feel anger bubbling up in his core, she was definitely going to send an assassin of her own guard to kill them all, his worst nightmare. “The witch of the forest of course.”
“Who?” that was not what he was expecting…
“The witch of the forest. You need help if you want to end this Valhalla gang thing. They don’t have magic do they? Well you’re the prince, you have more resources, if you want to “save” this friend of yours, I’m going to help you capture him alive. But the rest of the gang…I won’t accept any of them unharmed. Understood?” like the happiest puppy wagging its tail to their master, he got up and the annoyed frown from his face was nowhere to be seen. “Yes, mother.”
In all truth he didn’t like magic. To him using magic felt like cheating, but if that would avoid Kazutora from being hanged in the plaza for treason, he’d take it.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
The witch of the forest, a legend of sorts, has always been present in the lore of the kingdom. An unknown force loyal to the crown, always there to rely on her in times of need.
No one knew how old she was, or what she looked like even. So to say Baji Keisuke was surprised when he saw the most beautiful young woman he’s ever seen in his life standing in front of him, smiling warmly as she bowed greeting him, was an understatement.
“I thought you’d be like 500 years old…” really smooth Keisuke…Chifuyu could be seen shaking his head in the background while Ryusei couldn’t help but bursting out laughing.
“I’m about our age, your majesty. The title of the witch of the forest gets passed down through generations, just as the crown will be yours one day.” she was so gracious, the way she moved, the way words came out of her mouth so beautifully, she was definitely not a normal human…
“Ugh…ok yeah…good! I mean…” he cleared his throat as to clarify what he was trying to say, “It’s good that you’re not an old lady, it would be awkward to work together since we are all in the young side…” he could feel Chifuyu’s disapproving gaze on the back of his neck. He was really not the best at talking to pretty girls, but then again, he never has to…
The lovely giggles that left your lips caused an entire tornado of emotions go rampage inside the prince, he could swear a cow just went flying by his liver as she looked at him with those sparkly beautiful eyes. “I won’t really need your help though, as you may know, we are already pretty strong. Your job is to put Kazutora in some sort of restraint so we can take him with us. The army will take care of the rest.” Ryuguji Ken, otherwise known by everyone as Draken, was nodding at his orders representing the military portion, so you just nodded as well. “Very well, my prince. I will do as you say.” 
Her prince? He’s now ‘her’ prince…? Yes…he definitely was…100%…
His face was doing all sort of things now as his brain went down a dangerous path full of pink hearts floating, when Chifuyu got closer, whispering to his ear, “My king…you’re everyone’s prince…she doesn’t mean anything by that statement.”
“Oh….um…I knew that already…” coughing awkwardly, he got up from the throne, barking orders for everyone this time, “We'll leave tomorrow at dawn, I expect you all to be ready for battle by then.” He just went down the stairs, bumping onto your shoulder and giving you a nasty glare. While he was dying in the inside, he was also just a tiny bit upset that he was reading too much into things.
“He’s a great guy, think nothing of it. He’s just a bit embarrassed.” Chifuyu, being the angel he is, wanted to make sure his beloved friend wasn’t misunderstood, “He’s a bit rough in the outside but he’s a wonderful friend and has a very generous heart.” you smiled back at the blonde knight, blushing a little at his charming and soothing way of carrying himself. His words did make you feel better though and you were grateful for that.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
It was now time to leave and you were going through your bag making sure you had everything you needed, waiting for the prince by Chifuyu’s side. Which seemingly bothered Keisuke.
The queen had given you another set of orders, you were to follow her son’s commands, yes. But you were also supposed to keep him safe. He was to return safely without a scratch on his handsome face, otherwise you’d be hanged in the plaza with the rest of Valhalla. So you’ve prepared a bunch of healing potions, just in case.
“What are you, his shadow now?” Keisuke scoffed as he saw you behind Chifuyu. You weren’t even that close, he was doing his thing and you were doing yours, nothing to fuzz about, but oh boy, was he jealous…
“Chifuyu, go with Ryusei. Witch, you go with Draken.” nodding, you walked over to the tall man wearing his military uniform, smiling warmly up at him he lifted you up like a princess and set you up on his horse before sitting behind you and keeping you close so you wouldn’t fall.
“Well shit…” 
“See? She was better off with me…” Chifuyu snickered as he went on his horse all the way to the front to lead everyone out and towards Valhalla’s hidden territory.
The way there was actually lovely, the weather was nice and you’ve never seen as much of the kingdom. Draken was a gentleman and he would show you things of interest along the way, even picking a rare flower from a tree that you were interested in.
In reality, you wanted it for a potion, and that’s why he got it for you. But all Keisuke could see was a lot of flirting and giggling, love in the air as one would say. “What happened to Emma-chan you bastard…?damn womanizer…” 
Chifuyu, Ryusei and Mickey could only laugh at his reactions, he was truly adorable, like a child who got his favorite toy stolen.
Though, once you arrived, the mood changed quite rapidly.
Even the trees seem to be changing, no longer green and lush, more like the dead landscape of winter. “I thought…they didn’t use magic…”
“They don’t…do they?” Draken was suddenly taken aback by your statement, all sources indicated they were nothing but a bunch of raunchy teens.
“You see those trees? We are in the middle of summer, Ryuguji-san…this is definitely a magical field. A powerful one, it’s giving me goosebumps…the blood thirst in the air…” 
“Good thing we brought’ya then.” nodding, you got your staff out, getting ready for a different type of battle.
“Your majesty, the girl says they have a magic wielder. We must be cautious.”
“Cautious my ass, I’ll kick them all where it hurts and we can go home with Kazutora before lunch.” 
The prince had a reputation of being invincible, but this was different, you had an awful gut feeling, though before you could say anything, scary looking guys came out of nowhere from every possible direction. They looked almost like zombies, like if someone was controlling them like puppets. “Chifuyu…they have a high level wizard amongst them. I will go see where the spell is coming from, they’re being controlled, don’t hurt them.” he just nodded and kicked one of them on the face as it was coming after you, giving you enough time to go your way.
On top of a big pile of trash rested a hazy figure, a dark aura coming out of him, “So they called back ups…I won’t let you interfere with my plans…”
“Who are you…?”
“Kisaki Tetta at your service, lovely. Wielder of dark magic and the one who will kill the Baji dynasty, the commander of the army must become our true leader…Valhalla is where he belongs…”
“Kill you say….?” without letting him finish you sprinted back to where the fight was, desperately looking for Keisuke…”My prince…where are you…?” drops of blood kept flying from everywhere, making your uneasiness grow, but then you saw a dash of blond hair running towards the prince with a knife in his hand. 
Casting a spell has never been easier, in a split of a second Prince Keisuke was floating in a bubble above everyone else. Kazutora was left speechless as his target disappeared right in front of his eyes, the confused crazed look on his face a disturbing sight. “I will not let you touch him, you rat! CHIFUYU NOW!” In a matter of seconds Kazutora was surrounded by the top tier of the royal guard and the army as well.
“Capture him alive, respect the prince's wishes. The wizard already escaped…but I had to save your majesty...” 
“You did good (Y/N)…thank you…” Chifuyu lost two lives at the moment he saw you cast your spell, seeing his best friend and role model almost being killed right there and then, an awful revelation.
Keisuke was watching everything from his comfortable and safe bubble, the way you commanded his men, the way you saved his life…how you chose to save him even if that meant letting a dark wizard escape. Even if these were his mother’s orders, he could see in your face how terrified you were when you saw that knife in Kazutora’s hand. You can’t order people how to feel, that was real fear.
It made him feel warm inside…for a few seconds at least, until he realized the weight of the situation and the fact that one of his best friends really wanted him dead…
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Masterlist
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cairavende · 3 months
Text
Worm Arc 15 thoughts without interludes (interludes need their own post):
EVERYTHING IS FIIIIIIIINE
My daughters boss didn't actually try to assassinate her, her just planned to do it and then did it in one reality but kept the reality where he didn't! So it's ok! I'm fine. Not worried at all that Coil knows Skitter was planning on double crossing him and that he found a way to screw with Tattletales powers.
It's fiiiine (eye twitches)
I want to say I'm glad she got her full team on board, but given that there is a chance someone on her team ratted on her it might not be good.
Skitter goes a little bit far at the end with Triumph. Just a tiny itty bitty bit far. Child you almost KILLED HIM! And then you let him sit there dying when the threat isn't that he'll die now, but that you will come back if needed (mayor ain't going to say what you want him to say if you kill his son, the point is if he doesn't say it you'll come back)! I'm worried about you.
Brian I understand why you like my daughter and she seems to like you and I'm glad having someone you feel safe with is helping you process your very valid trauma (important note, you could have done the same with your sister, she was trying to help you but you wouldn't open up to her, you should open up to her). But please don't get in the way of her relationships with her girlfriends. Just understand in terms of long term stuff Chatterbug and Wolfspider 100% trump . . . Darkbug? Fuck what are you guys called?
(I've been informed Shadeswarm, Nightcrawler, Night Biter, Creepy Crawlies, or Carapace. I think Creepy Crawlies might be my preference among that.)
MOAR DOLL LESBIAN CONTENT!!!!!
Parian is one of my absolute favorite characters! Flechette is pretty cool as well. Being a hero hurts her. Stabbing my daughter also didn't build good marks with me, but I understand why she did it. Cause GAAAAAAAAAAAY. I have a hard time being too mad at a lesbian stabbing someone to protect her girlfriend.
I'm glad Parian isn't joining Coil full hog at least, she's too pure to be a villain (or a "hero"). I kinda wish she could just move to New York and be a fashion designer and live her best life, but I do enjoy the idea of getting to see her more.
And to be honest, I don't think anyone on Earth Bet is really going to be living their best life in the long run. Sorry guys.
The fucking shutdown the team gives to the Nazis is AMAZING! Like ya no Hookwolf or Purity this time, that obviously would have made it harder. But still, comparing the previous fight to this just really shows how much the team has increased in power. They didn't even bring Grue.
Skitter and Tattletale being able to work together to find all the people in a few block radius and figure out which groups are Nazis, all while just standing in the middle of the street, is so fucking cool. I fucking love watching them work.
I don't love the girlfriends fighting with the whole "Skitter wasn't told about the plan to have Regent yoink a Nazi". But they seemed to make up pretty quickly.
Skitter fucking running multiple bug clones, with cameras and microphones, all across her territory, and using them to talk to people and check in on things, WHILE getting surgery on her shoulder??! FUCKING HELL. Like ok yes, please love yourself child and let yourself take it easy sometimes. But also holy shit that is so god damn amazing. I am 100% convinced (I mean, I have been since like Arc 4 TBH) that she uses her bugs to basically offload her pain. Or offloads her mind to her bugs so she can ignore the pain in her body. Same idea. Like even if it's never confirmed it is true to me. And the multitasking! Give Taylor a Thinker classification!!
Just fucking attacking the mayor's family to intimidate him into telling people in Washington to not condemn Brockton Bay huh? I mean sure it kinda worked at the end (assuming he does what he said he would) but it really seems like a terrible plan. Like, the people in Washington are gonna hear about the attack and wonder about everything the mayor says. But fine, that's the plan.
Skitter making the bug clones complex enough that Trickster and Genesis don't even notice she's a clone at first is super cool! Also it does drive home that she is always just covered with so many bugs and using swarm speech so much that when a version of her shows up that is completely covered in bugs and speaks fully with swarm speech it doesn't throw anyone off.
Coil had to know that Triumph was the mayor's kid. The fact that he's the one who pushed to have them attack during family dinner.
I'm really proud of Skitter for figuring it out though! I pegged him as a cape pretty much right away and was able to figure out it was Triumph not long after, but she was in the heat of the moment. Also she got the girlfriend pegged as a either Prism or Ursa while I was still uncertain if she was a cape.
Holy shit that fight was so fucking cinematic! Perfectly built for Triumph to look cool by exploding bug clones with his shouts. And with Prism splitting and combining constantly. Just fuck. I'd love to see an animation of that fight. It was super cool.
And again, Skitter got dark there. And sadly I'm worried she's gonna get darker.
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kanalaure · 1 year
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had a thought when i was in the shower, and the thought was 'maglor dual-wields bc he and maedhros learned to use a sword left-handed at the same time' and it started turning the wheels in my head
the thing is. it was, as his brother's regent and someone who lost three family members (three kings) to morgoth in quick succession (the last time bc morgoth is a sore winner and couldnt resist sending an army to a meet up), the best choice to make with the resources and information they had. leaving him, i mean. they didnt even know for sure he was alive until he was hung from the mountain, and the noldor literally could not have survived losing a fourth leader that soon (not to mention this would have put celegorm in charge, and..... well. well.................)
but
you cant tell me he didnt want to. you cant tell me that didnt eat at him to leave his only older brother, his king, hanging there while he lead their followers as best he could. but after everything............ really, how do you apologize to someone for failing to save them while proof it could have been done was dangling in front of your face?
and when i was thinking about all that i got this image. that when maedhros limps his way to the practice grounds for the first time, maglor is there. he stares at him across the field, and draws his sword with his off-hand.
"it's fair," he says, and nothing else
it's the only apology he knows how to make
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wallfl0wer-babe · 19 days
Text
How The Mighty Do Fall (Toshinori Yagi AKA All Might x Male Reader) +18
+18 CONTENT MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
(Aladdin AU)
As requested by @princeasimdiya12
Content Warning- hypnosis, dub-con, public nudity, stripping, chastity cage, dom male reader, sub character, exhibitionism, anal
Synopsis- Toshinori Yagi, the beloved Prince of Agrabah, with you for his trusted advisor and secret lover. Fed up with being his dirty secret you take matters into your own hands, abusing Toshiniri’s trust and exposing him for what he really is, a filthy plaything belonging to you alone.
(A/n: This is my first time writing for a male reader so I apologize if it isn’t very good.)
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The day was sweltering hot, like every day in the Kingdom of Agrabah. Just the sight of the golden sands causing your feet to hurt, as you looked out at the endless dry sea surrounding the kingdom. “My dear does something trouble you?” You did your best to restrain the frustration threatening to make itself known from showing to your king and lover Toshinori. Worried that the hurtful words you were struggling to hold back would spill from your lips if you dared to speak you simply nodded, you back still turned away from the king with hair as gold as the sand. “Dearest I know something is wrong, please tell me so I might ease your worries.” The feeling of his arms pulling you into his chest and his soft lips littering kisses along your neck would usually make your body feel a sense of warmth and comfort, but in this moment it only brought you naseau and disgust.
“Worry not my dear, everyone has been sent away, it is only us two that remain.” The way he said such heart-stabbing words with such kindness and obliviness had you last thin thread of restraint snapping. “You say that as if it is I  ashamed to be revealed to the world as your lover when you know it is you who is ashamed of me.” Toshinori didn’t look angry or shocked at your outburst only calm and sympathetic and it only served as fuel for your pain ridden rage. “Come now dearest-“ “Forgive me your majesty, but I’ve had a long day and seemed to have forgotten my place, I think it’s only right that I retire before things get out of hand.” You spoke through clenched teeth. Not even waiting for his answer before turning your heel and with as much decorum as you could muster, making your way toward your chambers.
Letting the tears of fury and heartache fall freely as soon as you closed your doors behind you. How lucky he was that he never had to worry about the man he loves never belonging to him while he belonged to them entirely. It was maddening that feeling and you would do everything in your power to change that as you had grown tired to being a mere plaything and dirty secret of the man you so dearly loved and adored.
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It had been a few weeks since that night and It had only taken a simple tearful apology to convince Toshinori everything was well once more, completely unaware that you had set your plan into motion. It was out of love that you did this. It was for the both of you and your future after all.
From the shadows came the kingdoms best blacksmith. He had been easier to enchant than you had thought, for such a skilled and renowned craftsman he was exceptionally weak-willed. “I have what you asked great regent(y/n).” Taking the heavy bundle from the man you peaked under the cloth, revealing a beautifully crafted golden chastity cage embellished with beautiful engravings and a matching buttplug embellished with a diamond you had chosen yourself. “And the key?” you questioned. As if it were a command he swiftly pulled the key from his pocket and dropped it into your awaiting palm. “You’ve done well.” Tucking the bundle under your arm you pulled out a large sack of gold from beneath your cloak along with your staff. The gems In the eyes of your snake staff glowing as you spoke, entrancing the man. “You will take your payment and forget about ever making this for me. You will forget that I ever came to you at all. You will never question how you came to get this money and you will go on with your life.” “Yes your greatness.” The man nodded, taking the sack of gold from you and leaving. You smiled to yourself, turning the key over in your hand, tomorrow would be the beginning of your new life with Toshinori. 
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“My dearest one, how glad I am to be alone with you at last.” Toshinori said, falling into the comfort of your bed with a sigh. “As am I Toshi. It’s been far too long since I’ve had you to myself.” Toshinori chuckled, “aww is my handsome man jealous, you know I’d give you all my time if I could.” Your eye twitched, yet again you were reminded that you would always come second to your lovers kingdom and title. “I love you Toshinori.” “I love you as well dearest.” The eyes of your staff started to glow, “you want to prove you love me. Toshinori’s gaze became lost as he repeated your words. “You’re going to share this truth with the royal council tomorrow and you’re going to obey me from this moment forward unless I command otherwise, understood.” “Yes dearest master.” A satisfied grin graced your features as you gripped his chin. “That’s my good boy.”
You captured his lips in a sinful kiss full of teeth and tongue. The room filled with whimpers as Toshinori desperately tried to get off on you thigh wedged between his legs. You immediately retracted your lips and leg at the realization. “Dearest Master, please, I need it.” You laughed, wiping his tears of frustration away with your thumb. “I know sweet boy, but I need you nice and pent up for me for the council meeting tomorrow.” Toshinori whined, reaching out a greedy hand to squeeze your leaking cock through your pants only to receive a harsh slap across the face. “Stay still filthy brat.” Toshibori’s body instantly froze, small needy whines still escaping his mouth. “Look what you did you naughty slut, now I have to punish you.” The silk sheets rustled as you stood up, leaving a needy and panting Toshinori frozen on the bed. You knelt before the large chest at the foot of your bed. Using the tip of your staff to unlock it. You gently pulled out the wrapped bundle and unfolded the fabric to reveal the exquisitely crafted chastity cage and buttplug before carrying it over to the temporarily paralyzed Toshinori. You sweetly kissed down his navel before pulling down his pants and boxers. His cock was red and angry with precum spilling from the tip. “Aw poor thing. Look at you so desperate and pathetic for me.” The fear and excitement was evident in his eyes as you grabbed his throbbing cock and slid the chastity cage over it before finally locking it into place and tucking the key back under your tunic. You then roughly shoved the plug into his unprepared ass, tearing a painful yell from Toshinori at the sudden intrusion.
You softly caressed Toshinori’s face before gripping his chin. “Watch me.” You commanded, straddling his chest and releasing your own leaking cock. You let out a shuddering moan as you began to slowly stroke it. Toshinori drooled as he hungrily watched you chase your release, letting out increasingly louder moans as you desperately fucked your cock into your fist. Your cock throbbed, so close to the verge of release. You roughly grabbed Toshinori’s tear-stained face. “Beg me to bless you with my release, for me to drown that whore body of yours in my cum.” “Please Dearest Master, cleanse this filthy body of mine with your delicious fluids. Please I beg you have mercy on this cock-hungry fool and grace me with the divine sight of your ecstasy.” With a quick caress to the twist of your wrist combined with the desperate and downright filthy begging of Toshinori, white hot pleasure washed over you and painted the sculpted tan body of Toshinori with your thick cum. 
Whimpers escaped Toshinori as he drooled over your softening cock he was unable to taste or feel. With a smirk you grabbed Toshinori’s head, tangling your fingers into his long golden locks and jerked his face to you cum covered shaft. “Clean it.” You commanded, swiping your thumb across the slick bottom lip of his mouth lovingly. Toshinori didn’t show an ounce of hesitation as he eagerly lapped at the sticky seed coating your shaft, littering it with soft kisses as he did. “That’s my good boy, I love how obedient you are.” Your cock was left gleaming with saliva as you pulled a dirty and disappointed Toshinori away. “Don’t fret my beloved I’ll give everything I have and more tomorrow, I promise.” Toshinori nodded with vigor at your promise watching you as you fetched a towel from the baths. You gently cleaned your seed from his body with the damp towel, enjoying the way he watched you with eyes full of nothing but love and admiration. Tossing the rag onto the bedside table you kissed him on his forehead and trapped him in a firm embrace, letting the peacefulness of sleep overcome the both of you. 
——————————————————————
It was nearly time for the Sultans Council to meet, the giddiness you felt immeasurable. After so long you would finally be freed from the shadows and free to live openly as Toshinori’s lover. You had prepared everything, having given Toshinori your instructions earlier this morning it was only a matter of time until you both got what you’ve wanted for so long. A knock on the large doors of Toshinori’s chamber grabbed both his and your attention. “Your majesty all of your council has arrived and awaits you in the meeting chamber.” You anxiously watched Toshinori in anticipation of whether he would heed your earlier commands. “Thank you, I’ll take my leave then.” Relief washed over you as he spoke in his usual royal and respectable manner all the while looking at you as a puppy would look to its master for approval. “You heard her, our audience awaits.” You said, your lips curving into a sick smile. 
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“Your majesty, what an honor it is to be in your presence once again. And you as well Grand Advisor (Y/n).” You offered a nod in appreciation, watching Toshinori and his council quietly in the background as you typically would, except now instead of a timid serveant to the king you were a cobra waiting to strike. “Do you wish to begin todays council you majesty?” One of the men asked. Toshinori gave you a brief subtle glance before nodding. “I do, let us all take our seats and commence with the council.” The men bowed, taking their respective seats at the fine crafted marble table. “This meeting will not take long, but trust me when I say it will monumental and become part of history.” The room was briefly filled with the curious murmurs before dying down as Toshinori raised his hand to demand silence. “I intend to marry before the next fortnight.” Looks of excitement came over the men as they greedily awaited an opportunity to offer up their daughters, unknowing such an opportunity would never present itself. “Grand Advisor (Y/n), my most trusted advisor, and longtime lover is to become my husband.” The room erupted in gasps, looks of disgust making its way on the mens faces. “Your majesty forgive me but such a thing is unacceptable, and frankly vulgar. Not to mention you wouldn’t be able to produce an heir.” “Gentlemen am I not the Sultan?” The men nervously held their tongues at the dangerous look that overcame Toshinori’s eyes, nodding obediently. “Than are you claiming to know better than your Sultan, who has done so much for the kingdom in which you and your family’s reside, quite comfortably might I add.” “Of course not your majesty, we just worry for the kingdom is all.” Toshinori scoffed “Have I not done everything to ensure the kingdom strived throughout my entire reign?” “Yes your majesty, but—“ “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe it to be what is best for the kingdom and myself.”
A twisted smile pulled at your lips at Toshinori’s next words, “Perhaps you need a demonstration of our devotion to each other.” Toshinori stood from his seat, climbing into your lap. “You did well my good boy, now why don’t you give them a show, strip.” You, demanded in a faint whisper that could only be heard by Toshinori. He eagerly nodded, crawling on top of the table and teasingly peeling the fine silks from his body as the council members watched in shock as their esteemed Sultan stripped himself like a common street whore. As Toshinori untied the laces of his breeches, revealing his cock, confined in the chastity cage the men all collectively gasped in outrage and disgust several shooting up from their seats to take their leave. Taking your staff and slamming the end of it on the ground creating a strong vibration and clang that for a brief moment captured the attention by all the room, the brief moment you needed to complete your plan. “You will return to your seats and enjoy the rest of the display you should consider yourselves lucky to witness. You will accept and respect this decision and me as Toshinori’s husband and use your influence to spread this acceptance and respect throughout the kingdom.” As you uttered the last of your commands the glowing of your staffs gem eyes faded. The effect was instantaneous, as you had known it would be as the men, despite being the most powerful and influential in the country were no match for you.
As the last man took his seat you beckoned Toshinori over with you finger, a command he eagerly obeyed, looking at you with pure adoration. Gripping his chin your jerked his head to look up at you. “Be a good boy and get in position for me.” Desperate for the pleasure he had been torturously denied for so long Toshinori turned around, presenting his ass stuffed with a jewel plug. “That’s a good boy.” You placed a few kisses onto his naked back, trailing down to his ass. He moaned as you pulled his cheeks apart to better reveal the expensive jewel between them. You sensually massaged around the stone with your thumb in an attempt to soothe Toshinori’s quivering body. “Dearest master, please.” Your cock twitched at the sound of his desperate begging and unable to handle the anticipation any longer you pulled it from his hole. Letting the plug fall to the floor you spat a glob of spit on his hole, admiring the way it swallowed up two of your thick fingers so greedily. Toshinori’s eyes rolled into the back of his head at the way your fingered massaged his walls with skill and precision. “Being such a good slut for me Toshi, my good patient boy.” Toshinori whined, shaking his ass in hopes you would finally fill him up the way he’d been needing since yesterday.
The council watched with glassy stares, some with envious looks as the pumped their leaking cocks at the scene. You couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at their pathetic states after they had made such a fuss not long ago. “I think they’re ready for the main event, what does my needy slut think?” “Yes, yes, please fill me up, need it, been so good.” He babbled, the promise of pleasure bringing him to the brink of madness. Pulling your spit soaked finger from his now stretched hole you landed a harsh slap onto his ass, reveling in the shocked yelp that escaped his throat. “Poor thing, I’ve left you neglected for too long haven’t I.” Toshinori whimpered, nodding his head with tears of frustration in his eyes as his cock painfully throbbed inside the chastity cage. “Well in that case I guess you won’t mind if I get right to it.” Harshly gripping his hips you roughly pulled him back, impaling him on your cock. You let out a loud groan as his walls wrapped themselves around your cock, seeming to grow snugger with every thrust. “Ha shit~” you groaned your pace pace growing more and more brutal with the goal of making Toshinori’s screams of pleasure grow louder. You were so lost and pleasure that it took several attempts from Toshinori to catch your attention. “Off, ‘lease ‘eedit off!” He slurred frantically. With your mind hazy from pleasure it took you a while to realize he was referring to the chastity cage suffocating his cock. Pulling yourself from the embrace of his walls you hurriedly ripped off your clothes, soaked with sweat, and shoved Toshinori on his back. Tearing the key from your neck you swiftly unlocked the cage and Released Toshinori’s angry weeping cock from it.
“You’re such a whiny whore for me~” without warning you shoved your cock back inside of him, your eyes rolling back at the sensation of his walls clamping around your dick. Toshinori let out a loud string of moans in relief, desperately fisting his weaping cock in tandem with your sloppy violent thrusts. With a growl you folded Toshinori in half, throwing his legs over your shoulders. The claps of your balls smacking against his ass echoed throughout the room as his hole greedily swallowed your entire length, drowning out the sounds of the council men hugrily pumping their raw cum-covered cocks to the lewd sight, whines and groans escaping them as they overstimulated themselves.
“Dearest Master, ‘lease.” Toshinori panted his cock twitching as he painfully teetered in the edge of release. “Gah fuck, don’t you dare come before me you sel- fuck! -ish whore” you groaned, your own release quickly approaching. “You can’t cum until I do!” He whimpered, clenching tighter around your cock, until your release washed over you in powerful waves of mind-numbing pleasure. Your seed flooded his twitching hole as you spilled inside him with a low groan, a direct contrast to the pathetic wines he let out as his angry cock sprayed release onto both of your sweaty bodies. Pulling your softening cock from his twitching walls with a shudder, your bodies sticky from his cum you turned your focus to the pathetic sight of the whiny overstimulated council, their clothes soiled from sweat and their releases. Uttering a tired “You’re dismissed” the men unsteadily rose to their feet and made their way out of the room.
Enjoying the rooms silence that came with their silence, save for the labored breathing of Toshinori. “Sleep my pet.” You spoke, planting a soft kiss on the forehead of the exhausted Toshinori. A wicked smile of satisfaction graced your features as you reveled in your power and the fate befitting your greatness that awaited. 
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robininthelabyrinth · 2 years
Text
@aniseandspearmint prompted: How about WWX in MXY's body somehow being put in charge of the Jin? He IS technically last blood son of JGS standing?
ao3
“Hah,” Wei Wuxian said. And then, feeling that was perhaps insufficient, he added, “Hahahah.”
“They are not joking,” Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian had been afraid of that.
“You can’t actually be serious,” he protested. “I mean, who doesn’t know that I’m Wei Wuxian by now? Even if Mo Xuanyu was one of Jin Guangshan’s sons, I’m definitely not – why in the world would anyone want to make me Sect Leader Jin? I mean, Jin Ling is right there!”
“He’s too young,” Jiang Cheng said, then scowled when Wei Wuxian shot him an incredulous look. “Not by my standards, by theirs! There’s an age limit, and he hasn’t met it yet; it’s as simple as that.”
“All right, all right, fine, let’s say I buy that –” Wei Wuxian breezily ignored Jiang Cheng’s incredulous “Buy what?!” “– that still doesn’t explain why the Jin sect would be willing, much less eager to put me in charge. Me! I mean, I’ve done so many terrible things!”
Lan Jingyi scratched his head. “Uh, I mean, their last sect leader murdered the previous one, so they’re clearly not picky.”
Lan Sizhui, blushing bright red, kicked him in the shin.
Everyone else pretended as hard as they could that they hadn’t heard.
“Jinlin Tower has a number of enchantments and arrays that are triggered only through a blood connection,” Jiang Cheng said through gritted teeth. “And before you say ‘well don’t they have cousins’, the entire point is that, apparently, in Lanling Jin one of the ways the sect leader’s main family keeps power is by monopolizing access to those arrays. If we transfer it over to another family as regent for Jin Ling, there’s no telling whether they’ll give it back when it’s time, and once they have the power, we wouldn’t be able to force them to do it.”
Well, shit. That actually made sense – assuming you were a paranoid from a family of paranoids that viewed their own extended family as the biggest threat to their power.
Sadly, that described the standard Lanling Jin sect to a tee.
Well, he supposed that stupid peacock Jin Zixuan wasn’t like that – he was just stupid, arrogant, and awkward. Come to think of it, if it wasn’t for all those arrays and whatnot acting as a guarantee, Wei Wuxian would really have had to wonder if the former Madame Jin hadn’t just pulled a fast one on Jin Guangshan…
Eh, he supposed some people just took after their mothers. Look at Jin Ling, he was shijie’s boy through and through, with only a little Jin arrogance on him like gilt – absolutely perfect.
And, of course, if Wei Wuxian refused this ‘honor’, it was Jin Ling’s patrimony that was going to disappear.
Wei Wuxian groaned.
“Yeah,” Jiang Cheng said grimly. “I know.”
“Do I have to, you know, actually run the place?” he asked, rubbing his face. “I’m going to put it out there right now, I have no idea how to run a sect – and Jiang Cheng can’t run two sects at once no matter how hard he tries. He’ll explode.”
Jiang Cheng looked annoyed but also like he couldn’t deny it.
“And before anyone says anything,” Wei Wuxian added, knowing that Lan Jingyi was only resisting saying something stupid on account of Lan Sizhui’s vice-tight grip on his arm,” Lan Zhan is great in many ways, but he also has no idea how to run a sect.”
That had been pretty obvious in the first month or two after Lan Xichen had gone into his year-long seclusion. Lan Wangji was an amazing cultivator, a fearsome fighter, a stellar night-hunter, a superlative solver of problems, a terrific teacher of juniors…but he didn’t understand people, he had no patience for fools, and while he could fill out sect paperwork, it bored him to the point where, even when trying his best to be diligent, he often ended up filling things out without thinking them through, leading to all sorts of disasters.
Lan Qiren had had to take over.
The irascible old teacher wasn’t notably better at understanding people, but he’d clearly forced himself to learn the skill in a way that Lan Wangji hadn’t, and he had several decades’ worth of experience besides. He hadn’t enjoyed coming out retirement to be acting sect leader again one bit, which had made his already formidable temper worse than usual – immediately springing to mind was that brief interlude where he’d gotten sick of Wei Wuxian’s (possibly slightly in bad taste) joking around and briefly banned the entire Cloud Recesses from interacting with him – and Wei Wuxian was pretty sure that no one was happier than he was when Lan Xichen finally re-emerged from seclusion, more solemn but steadier and centered in a way he hadn’t been before the seclusion.
“Is there someone in the Jin sect I could rely on, maybe..?”
Wei Wuxian looked around.
Everyone’s faces were grim.
Yeah, he hadn’t really thought so. In order to maintain complete control and power, Jin Guangshan had deliberately created a destabilizing atmosphere of backstabbing and internal politicking, each family branch out for themselves, and Jin Guangyao had followed in his odious father’s lead on that score, however pretty a face he’d put on it to the rest of the world.
“No,” Jiang Cheng finally said, completely unnecessarily. “That’s just asking for corruption and sabotage. We need someone who will be a reliable regent for Jin Ling, not a schemer looking for a way to steal the role or a thief looking to pad their family’s wealth while they can.”
“What’s your suggestion, then?” Wei Wuxian argued back. “I can’t do it! I really, really can’t. At least Lan Zhan has had training on what to do, the closest I ever got to being sect leader is being head disciple, which isn’t the same at all –”
“Definitely not,” Lan Jingyi interjected fervently, probably because he had somehow found himself being named the Lan sect’s head disciple of his own generation. Wei Wuxian had originally wondered why they hadn’t gone with Lan Sizhui, who in his (completely non-biased) opinion was the natural choice. Or, well, at least he’d wondered right up until he’d seen Lan Sizhui being completely incapable of rejecting requests from anyone younger than him that made a sad expression at him. Being head disciple meant being willing to impose discipline on those around you, potentially being the target of anger and resentment, and that just wasn’t Lan Sizhui’s personality.
(Lan Jingyi, on the other hand, was a head disciple in Wei Wuxian’s own model: being just too much fun for anyone to mind it too much when he really did impose discipline.)
“What about the Yiling Burial Mounds?”
Wei Wuxian snorted. “I’m sorry, you think I ran that place? It was Wen Qing from beginning to end.”
Jiang Cheng didn’t even have the grace to look surprised, the asshole.
(Neither did Lan Wangji, but that was just because Wei Wuxian’s perfect husband knew him so well. How cute!)
“There is only one solution,” Lan Wangji said. He had a very rare expression on his face – completely undecipherable to anyone else, but readable to Wei Wuxian as…apologetic?
Wait, why was Lan Wangji feeling apologetic?
“I agree,” Jiang Cheng said, and he looked gleeful – which was even more worrying. “My apologies to your uncle, Hanguang-jun, but we’re going to have to have him come out of retirement one more time.”
“Wait,” Wei Wuxian said, horror dawning. “Wait, wait, no. No. I’m not running the Jin sect with Lan Qiren –”
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kazisgirlfriend · 3 months
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Viren, TDP, and Narcissism
The Dragon Prince has never shied away from depicting mental health issues.
First we had trauma as manifested by magic.
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Then we had anxiety as manifested by magic.
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Then we had a look at PTSD and depression in Through the Moon.
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Which got me thinking, what sort of other mental health issues has TDP been portraying all this time?
Then it sorta hit me, after re-reading one of the show's novels and @jelzorz's rather brilliant fic here (seriously, go check it out), that the show had been exploring a mental disorder that is extremely popular as a character trait, but rarely discussed in fiction - narcissism.
Narcissism (or Narcissistic Personality Disorder) is one of the more common personality disorders, so it's kind of surprising that it is so widely misunderstood. Usually, people don't seem to have a lot of interest in narcissists outside of demonizing them, and in shows they often make great antagonists (or even fun protagonists) without exploring this inner psyche much more beyond that. So it's natural that narcissism is also explored in TDP as well.
If the title wasn't a dead giveaway, what I'm trying to say is Lord Viren is a narcissist.
I should probably preface this with a couple things. First, I'm not saying that Viren is a psychopath. Psychopaths don't really care what other people think of them, while narcissists are constantly preoccupied with how other people see them. Narcissists deeply crave validation and respect from others to feed their egos and self-worth. Narcissists also don't have a problem telling right from wrong; quite the opposite, in some ways narcissists are not only able to tell right from wrong, they for the most part want to do right because of their desire to be liked or at least as seen as important.
Viren doesn't qualify as a psychopath, but in re-reading his POV and rewatching key scenes from the show, Viren quite easily meets the official definition of a narcissist. His desire for recognition, even and especially in high-stress situations, reaches alarming levels. His love for his children is genuine but it's clear he sees them mainly as an extension of himself.
More importantly, of the nine signs of narcissistic personality disorder, Viren meets a,uh, breathtaking number of them. Namely all of them.
A grandiose sense of self-importance
Viren kept his gaze steady. It seemed the other rulers had not doubted his lie. They accepted at face value not only that Ezran was alive, but that Viren had been made regent. And why wouldn’t they accept it? In a more rational world, it would be true, and the council would have entrusted me with the leadership of Katolis.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 17 "Summit at the Pentarchy"
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited power, influence, or success 
For once, can't these imbeciles treat me appropriately? Maybe when I save them all from Xadia I'll be greeted with greater respect. "I suppose 'Welcome Lord Viren' would have been too much to ask," Viren said.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 17 "Summit at the Pentarchy"
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A belief that they are special and can only be around people who are important or special
They all want to meet with you. They think of you as the leader of Katolis. Viren could barely wait for the meeting. These leaders had only seen him on the sidelines. But he knew all about them.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 17 "Summit at the Pentarchy"
A need for excessive admiration
Was he really ready to give his life for thousands of regular citizens? People he didn't know and would never meet? But on the other hand, he would be remembered forever as a hero. "I can help," Viren said to Harrow.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 19 "Heart of the Titan"
A sense of entitlement
Viren’s face went white with rage. He’d come here with the best of intentions, prepared to give his life, and the king was too stubborn to even listen. He curled one lip up. “Oh, are you sure you wouldn’t prefer ‘Your Royal Highness’? Or ‘Your Esteemed Inimitable Majesty’ perhaps?” Harrow didn’t deserve the loyalty Viren had been prepared to offer.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 9 "Viren's sacrifice"
Taking advantage of others to achieve their own ends
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A lack of empathy
“Ohhhh. Yes, who wouldn’t have a problem with dark magic?” Viren sneered. “It’s clever, it’s brilliant, it’s practical. You are too stubborn to make use of the tools that are available to you. It will save your life, just as it has saved the lives of countless others.” “It’s a shortcut,” King Harrow snapped back. “We may not pay now, but we will pay the blood price eventually.” “Now you’re starting to sound like her,” Viren said with a smirk.
Book 1: Sky - Chapter 5 "The Letter and the Serpent"
Envious of others or believe that others are envious of them
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Arrogance of otherwise haughty behavior
Viren laughed derisively. Such a question could only come from an ignoramus. He looked at the other council members and shook his head, trying to bring them into his confidence.
Book 2: Sky - Chapter 2 "The Breach"
Viren's narcissism drives his central flaws. His hunger for personal recognition eclipses his concern for collective welfare, even when Katolis faces catastrophe. His children become conduits projecting his ambitious legacy rather than cherished loves unto themselves.
However, unlike most shows, TDP doesn't use Viren's narcissism to demonize him. Instead, the show threads the needle by making Viren both villainous and sympathetic as a result of narcissism, since it's both the reason he does awful things but also his shield from the perception of vulnerability and worthlessness.
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It's important to remember that narcissists are not only capable of self-loathing, it is often a key part of their condition. That grandiose sense of important mentioned earlier is often a thin veneer hiding feelings of shame, self-doubt, and self-hatred. Obsessive self-loathing is a form of narcissism.
But the show lays bare these vulnerabilities, letting us see his internal struggles to do right constantly brush against his emotional needs that never seem to be met. He walks right up to the line of doing something noble...
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...and then shirks at the last minute.
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However, just because Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a chronic, lifelong condition doesn't mean that narcissists are incapable of change. And indeed, Viren hits a breakthrough in the most recent season.
One element of narcissism is that they love extremely conditionally, and see their loved ones (particularly their children) as an extension of themselves. Indeed, Viren does "love" his children in this way, particularly Claudia, who he sees as people he can mold into his own image. Unfortunately, for Claudia, this seems to have Gone Horribly Right.
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But in the end, Viren recognizes his own behavior and breaks out of it. He sees how pushing Claudia to be like him - to be an extension of himself - has brought her to ruin.
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While it's fun to watch characters who are blind to their own faults and lack of self awareness, it is equally rewarding watching Viren reach this moment of clarity. Most narcissists are oblivious to the harm they cause others (since hurtful behavior is just collateral damage to having their emotional needs met), but Viren now realizes the harm he has caused Claudia. Witnessing Claudia’s self-destruction, his conscience awakens to recognize his culpability for exploiting her for his own ego.
Treating her downfall as his personal failing is a real breakthrough for him. Which is why it makes sense that, once Viren reaches this level of awareness, taking a principled, noble stance against his own personal interests quickly follows.
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Anyway, those are just my takes on this deep, complex character. If you made it this far, thank you for reading!
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writerfae · 2 months
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Would you look at that, another writing post! This time about my beloved Cyprian and his king <3 This idea has been on my mind quite a while, I'm glad I made time to write it now!
It was a risky mission. Rook didn't feel comfortable with sending his men out on such a dangerous quest, but it had to be done. The beast needed to be stopped, or else they'd all be in danger.
Whole villages had been damaged and people injured, some even killed by the monster that roamed the forest these past few days. No one knew where it came from, but they all knew it needed to be stopped. And that it was his court that would have to take the risk.
He would've faced the beast himself if he could, but he had other, equally important things to take care of, so he send out his best men to find and stop the monster and put his most trusted and skilled friend in charge to make sure things would go well.
Still, he had a bad feeling. This monster wouldn't be easy to kill. It was far more dangerous than other forest demons and that meant something.
Cyprian, brave, loyal Cyprian, sensed his worries miles away and reassured him, ever a good general and friend. "It will be alright. It won't be easy, but we will find the beast and kill it. For our king, for our home. You can trust me."
The king smiled at that. "I do trust you. More than you can imagine. But I worry for you, too."
"There's no need," Cyprian reassured him. "I will not fail you. I will fight and I will succeed."
Rook knew that if there was one person beside himself that could do it, it was Cyprian. But despite his friend's reassuring words, he still couldn't help but be worried for his men. His dear general especially.
Yet when the day came and the group of brave men were to leave, he gave them their orders with the steady voice of a regent who was sure of himself, of the orders he gave. The men kneeling in front of him had no clue about his doubt. He couldn't let them see his worry, so he hid it away.
It was only when Rook called Cyprian to him that his worry threatened to slip out again. "Cyprian," he said and had to keep his voice from cracking. "I entrust to you my best men, for you to find the beast that threatens our lands and to kill it."
He hesitated only for a moment, then he grabbed his friend's chin, lifting it up so that he looked at him.
"After it is done," he said, voice quiet so that only Cyprian could hear. "Come back to me."
It was almost like a ritual of good luck by now. Rook ordered him to come back every time they were separated, the words "don't get yourself killed, I don't want to lose you" implied but never once spoken.
Cyprian nodded firmly. He understood. "I will, my king. I promise."
...
He almost didn't make it. Five of his men were dead and Cyprian had almost been the sixth. But he didn't give up.
I can't fail him, he told himself as the beast attacked them.
I can't fail him, he thought after it had injured him, after he was bleeding so much he got dizzy.
I can't fail him, he said to himself as the beast was finally dead and he all but crawled back to his court. To his king.
He was still bleeding, still dizzy and weary, when he slowly carried himself to the palace steps. There were people that came running but then stood frozen in shock as they saw him.
Cyprian didn't pay them any mind. All he could think of was making it back to his king, to his friend. Just like he promised.
And there he was, shoving aside courtiers to see what was going on. Cyprian tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.
He stumbled over something, but he couldn't see what it was, because everything was a blur.
Everything but him.
With his last remaining strength, Cyprian stumbled towards his king.
He had to make it to him. He had an order to fulfill. A promise to keep.
Cyprian's legs gave out shortly before he reached him, pain and anger at his own weakness washing over him as he fell to his knees and hands.
He wanted to get up but couldn't and suddenly he found himself wrapped in someone's arms.
That someone gently moved him to a more comfortable position until he all but lay in their arms. They whispered his name and brushed a stray strand of hair away from his face.
Cyprian sighed. He willed himself to open his eyes. As he looked up, he was met with the blurry image of Rook looking down at his friend with worry. The young man smiled as he realized that it was his king that held him now.
He made it. He fulfilled his order. With the last bit of his strength, he reached for Rook's face. "I came back to you, my king."
"Yes," he heard Rook say. His voice sounded just the slightest bit unsteady. He grabbed Cyprian's hand. "You did."
That was all Cyprian heard, all he needed to hear, before the world turned black around him and the king carried his knight inside the palace.
.
tag list: @andifthestarsweretodie @bloodlessheirbyjacques @bluehourskyeli @deadlycupid @dustylovelyrun @justafrogandherumbrella @ladywithalamp @magic-is-something-we-create @myhusbandsasemni @my-cursed-prince @phantasticdomains @rhikasa @saltysupercomputer @sleepy-night-child @soupopoireau @theguywithnonickname @thewalkingnerd @vampywriter @vsnotresponding @writing-is-a-martial-art (if you want to be added or removed from the tag list let me know!)
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raayllum · 11 months
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you don’t have to answer this if its too discoursey but i’m too afraid to say it off anon cause I don’t wanna get yelled at, but I am not the biggest fan of emperor/king Callum fics, mainly since it feels out of character for me (since he feels more connected to magic than he does royalty as a whole, he’s only the crown prince because he & Ez don’t have any family left to take up that role)
and also because to me, as a black person, it feels really weird that it just sidelines Ezran, they always just kill him off for no reason except to put the white person in a position of power
Its okay as a concept, i suppose, say Ezran feels like he can’t bear the responsibility at his age, so Callum takes up the mantle, but it just feels Weird to me, and maybe I’m reaching but it does feel like there’s a hint of racism going on even if its not exactly the author’s intention
So back in like 2020 in the months following S3, Regent Amaya became a popular headcanon in the Janaya corner of the fandom (because they wanted to have to interact Politically with Janai rather than just personally? I don't know) and it never sat right with me for similar reasons. (Cue people complaining in S4 that Janay's plotline was more Janai centric than Amaya centric. Mmhm.)
Because here's the thing (and I've said this before) while Callum is not white (he is mixed, he's half Asian and half white) he is lighter skinned than his brother and I do understand why people think he's white at first glance (more discussion/perspectives on Callum's race in this tag) and Ezran very clearly is not, and it's also very clear how that can affect them sometimes fandom wise. Of the five like main Main characters (although that list is 100% expanding in S4), Ezran is one of two main characters of colour (bonus core protagonist points alongside his brother) and he is the only darker skinned character of colour, comparatively in the trio.
There are other reasons I think as well about why Ezran doesn't have as much fandom made about him (he's the youngest in the cast, most of the fandom is older; he's not part of a main ship, etc) but race absolutely affects a lot of the critique he (and Harrow) get as kings. I have seen people with their full chest go "I hate TDP's monarchy, they're such bad kings Viren was right" because their issue isn't at its core the monarchy, it's that their white fave's bloodline wasn't the one on the throne for once.
Also talking about race is never discoursey IMO so always feel free to drop stuff in my inbox about it. (I'll happily take getting yelled at for it, it's way easier to bear as a white person & it doesn't happen as often as a result.)
Since 2016, we've seen this mini trend of casts having one Black character, usually a boy who's a best friend of the protagonist, get routinely sidelined. Lucas had to carry Stranger Things on his back (although I think it's gotten better? Idk for sure I stopped watching the show after s2 for unrelated reasons), Finn from Star Wars deserved so much better (and I left the SW fandom bc the racism was so bad and he was my favourite after just six months), Bow from She-Ra got virtually nothing, and Gus from The Owl House actually did.
TDP, thankfully, does not fall into that trend (having more than like 1-2 Black characters in general also helps a great deal, JC) and I now no longer watch every season like a hawk to ensure that it won't, because I trust that it won't.
So. King Callum AUs. The first thing is that you're right, Callum isn't that interested in politics. While he has a mind for politics (he immediately realizes what the egg could mean globally) he's not motivated by them. In 1x06 he gets pissed & fed up because Rayla insists on giving him only the political reasonings for why she's travelling with them and not stealing the egg, and it's not enough (he wants the personal reasons). His Tales of Xadia bio reaffirms this, stating outright that he's "beholden to [his] inner circle, not some silly kingdom" in spite of being Crown Prince. I think in some ways if Callum was left alone as King, regent Amaya would be more likely, not less, even if Callum might resist out of a grief fuelled desperate "I have to do this" at first. Being King is genuinely liberating for Ezran in ways it'll just never be for his brother, thematically / personality wise
And Callum being king because Ezran died is, IMO, unnecessary and actually more restrictive for both of their characters. If you want Callum grieving but away from the throne off adventuring with Rayla in an angsty AU, you can just have him think Ez is dead and achieve the same aims. If you want Callum on the throne, you can just have him do it out of love/loyalty for his baby brother. Otherwise, Ezran actually being dead leaves Callum solely grieving and stranded away from magic (his true calling, or the temptation of dark magic). But if Callum becomes regent to try and shield his baby brother, it leaves a lot more for them to grow, disagree on and develop, etc. Just a lot more avenues. How I think this would go (honouring Ezran's role to play and how I think their dynamic would realistically develop with this addition) here.
Being aware of what does or doesn't displace a character can be tricky, but I always think of it in regards to "do you take something another character has earned and give it to another character with little consequence," killing a character off when it wouldn't change that much to keep them alive and just tweak other things (like the above), or "are you taking the challenge one character has set before them and giving it unequivocally to another".
For example I've thought about "is my theory of Callum sacrificing/handing over the Key of Aaravos for Rayla's life displacing him" but it's not, in my eyes, bc 1) all the repercussions that come from that action is still something he has to deal with, 2) he'd have a vested interest and arc in reclaiming the cube, 3) it highlights the tragedy of Callum regaining his agency from brainwashing and still being forced into Aaravos' tragedy, 4) still leaves Callum perfectly free and motivated to uncover the secrets of the key himself beforehand, it just won't end well for him. And if Callum was having big conflicts with Ezran RN, I'd probably swap in Ez as a possibility for who he'd hand the key over for too
Last but not least I do wonder if Callum will even remain his brother's High Mage. The symbolism of a brother on either side of the Border has always felt fitting to me, and I think Claudia would make a great high mage to Ez if/when she gets redeemed / she'll want to stick close to her brother. Now that Callum has Ibis' staff, I wonder if that'll also eventually include having Ibis' post, especially now that Soren has stepped up in S4 to really be Ez's protector (and Cal and Ez would still write letters all the time, of course <3 Ez checking in on him through his link with Zym).
But yeah I think if Callum did continue to be in a political role beyond high mage, he'd be best suited to be one of Ezran's top generals, and that would take its own interesting toll on Ezran's psyche
Anyway this is probs longer than you were expecting but thank you for sharing your perspective! It's something I think the bulk of the fandom has noticed and it's always good to look at areas of like, perhaps more casual than outright racism when it comes to characters of colour, and how we have a responsiblity to examine those areas when exploring things, even just in fanon
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catofadifferentcolor · 10 months
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Terrible Fic Idea #53: House of the Dragon, but make it Quasi-Salic
Everything about the Great Council of 101 AC sets Westeros up for a future Dance of Dragons - and always would have, regardless of the outcome. There's no way around that. Rhaenys was the only child of Jaehaerys I's oldest son, Aemon. Viserys I was the oldest son of the king's second son, Baelon. The choice of Viserys I as king goes against every tradition of the Seven Kingdoms save chauvinism - and sets the stage for a thousand future wars of succession.
But the other frontrunner in the Council was not Rhaenys: it was her son, Laenor. Had the Council chosen him, it would have set a precedent among the Targaryens for Quasi-Salic inheritance - and, likely enough, lead to the exact same situation we find ourselves in in HotD.
Or: What if Laenor Velaryon had acceded to the Iron Throne after the death of Jaehaerys I?
Bear with me:
Quasi-Salic inheritance excludes females from the line of inheritance, but allows their male children to inherit their claim.
In HotD, this would mean that inheritance would pass through all of Prince Aemon's male descendants before Prince Baelon's claim could be considered. Princess Rhaenys would still be excluded, but her son Laenor would inherit her claim.
Until Laenor had a male heir, next in line of succession would be Viserys I, his male heirs, Prince Daemon, his male heirs, &c.
Under this law, none of Laenor, Viserys I, or Daemon's daughters could hold the throne in their own right, which seems in accordance with Andal thinking.
Just imagine it:
Laenor becomes king following Jaehaerys I's death in 103. He is nine years old. His mother, Princess Rhaenys, is regent - but Otto Hightower remains Hand of the King, in part to retain a sense of continuity in the realm, in part because he's actually good at his job.
Meanwhile, Prince Viserys is either given the lands along the Blackwater Rush (that would, in a different future, be given to Daemon I Blackfyre) or a minor role at court. His need for male heirs is not as pressing as in canon, but still kills his wife and leaves him only with a single living child, his daughter Rhaenyra.
Once her son is old enough, Princess Rhaenys needs to find Laenor a Valyrian bride so that he can produce heirs as soon as possible. While pairing him with his sister Laena is attractive, that does nothing to mend the fences broken by the Great Council. And so Laenor and Rhaenyra wed for much the same reasons they do in canon - albeit at few years earlier.
Until they produce a son, Viserys is still next in line to the throne and without any male heirs of his own. This changes after he marries Alicent Hightower - again, for much the same reasons in canon (because Otto may be good at his job, but he's also in it for himself, as are most people who rise to become Hand; Viserys is still the best groom he can get for his daughter by medieval standards) - who births three sons and a daughter in short order.
Problems start when Rhaenyra gives birth to a son - Jace, who looks nothing like his father - and continues with the births of Luke and Joffery. Bastards, everyone whispers.
Things get worse with the birth of her younger children - Aegon, Viserys, and Visenya - for while they look the image of Valyrian royalty, many assume they're actually the children of her uncle and goodbrother, Prince Daemon, who is seen more often in Rhaenyra's company than her husband.
Though Laenor maintains Rhaenyra's children are his, there are many who begin looking towards Viserys to succeed him.
Then in 129 AC, two things happen: Laenor Valeryon and Viserys Targaryen both die - perhaps in the same hunting mishap, perhaps from an illness that sweeps through the Crownlands.
Jacaerys is crowned king...
...and the people rebel.
There are a variety of reasons why people would not be happy with the king's legally recognized heir succeeding him, ranging from 1) not wanting a bastard on the throne to 2) not wanting someone partial to Daemon - and inclined to take his advice - on the throne to 3) genuinely disliking the policies implemented during Laenor's reign and hoping for a return to the good times under a Targaryen king to 4) wanting to use the chaos as a ladder for their own advancement. Like the canon Dance of Dragons, it's a complicated intersection of social, political, religious, and economic issues at play.
And that's really all I have - the same players, the same game, just a slightly different board. The actual outcome of this Dance and how it comes about is entirely dealer's choice, but the takeaway should be that these characters were always doomed by their circumstances to a war they could possibly stop if they tried - only to see it play out in the next generation or the next, until war has wiped out all alternative contenders.
Bonuses include: 1) Laenor being a doting father and a sweetheart of a human being, but a disappointment as a king. He is indecisive, generous, friendly, easily swayed by his friends, and - ultimately - not strong enough to stand on his own in the cutthroat world of Westerosi politics; 2) Less concentration being given to the people in power than the children who will succeed them: Jace, Aegon II, and their respective siblings. The focus should be their bright childhoods and friendships being destroyed by the realities of their positions, which are entirely out of their control; and 3) In keeping with previous, a childlike wonder at Westeros and the glittering court at the Red Keep that slowly turns dark and heavy with the burden of adult expectations and inherited sins placed on young shoulders. The fracturing of a storybook, safe world into the nightmare that Westerosi politics actually is. Or: coming of age in the Seven Kingdoms.
As I said, that's all I really have. As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.
More Terrible Fic Ideas
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seleneisrising · 1 year
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Cadet Wren was sweating.
From underneath her cap, she scanned the room. No one was looking at her, but she hesitated to breathe a sigh of relief yet. Just because none of her classmates had noticeably responded didn't mean that they hadn't noticed. It just meant that they hadn't responded. Yet.
Cursing to herself in long-buried mando'a, Sabine looked again at the startling images in her datapad's textbook. The lesson for the day covered the messy transition from the Council of Neutral Systems to the Republic and then the Empire, which included a section on the failed Regent of Mandalore, a cautionary tale about what happened to those who dared oppose imperial reign.
There amongst the words on the screen were photos of the offenders - the resistance - and her blood ran cold as she recognized a helmet design she'd have known anywhere.
Sabine raged, bewildered by how her mother and her backward ways could somehow still embarrass her when she was worlds away; and yet, there was a smaller curiosity at the back of her mind, one that would continue to nag at her for a long time, as to why her mother hadn't actually mentioned any of this before.
When she tuned back in to the lecture, the commander stated that this group of women were a unit called the Nite Owls. They were led by Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze and were associated with a terrorist group called Death Watch. Their efforts were thwarted for good when Clan Saxon aligned with the Empire.
As the chime sounded for the end of class, Sabine startled and made a mental note to study this subject more when she could reach a secure terminal.
"Cadet Wren.” The shuffling of belongings, familiar chatting, and the footsteps of students coming and going all halted as everyone turned to look at her. Sabine flushed with embarrassment but stood to attention.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Report to my office," the commander said, and after a beat, when no one had moved, he said, "You're all dismissed."
Cadet Wren gathered her things and reported to the commander's office, the sinking feeling in her stomach like duracreet.
When Sabine arrived, the commander was not alone in his office. He was joined by an officer, a science officer of some sort, though she wasn't sure what kind. His insignia was unfamiliar to her.
"Interesting lecture today, was it not, Cadet Wren?" said the commander as he smiled thinly.
"Yes, sir," she responded obediently.
"Do you know we have even more information on the activity of Death Watch? And on the Nite Owls specifically?" he asked.
"No, sir," she said.
"Did any of the Nite Owls pictured seem...familiar...to you, Cadet Wren?" the commander asked, his smile becoming toxic.
Sabine resisted the urge to look at him or the other man. Best not to seem panicked. Or lie. Since they obviously already knew the truth. "Yes, sir."
"Good," he said. "Very good. I thought you might. Well, in that case, I have a new assignment for you. You're at the top of your class, Cadet Wren. Would you like to stay there?"
"Yes, sir. Very much so, sir," said Cadet Wren.
"Good. Be advised that we're going to be changing your classes up a bit. It might be more difficult to retain the same level of success, but we think you'll be motivated. While you have shown some aptitude for languages, I believe you could be of more use in engineering, specifically in research and development. There's a particular machine we're interested in constructing, but, so far, it has stumped our best engineers. Do you believe you're up to the task?"
"Yes, sir," said Cadet Wren. "I welcome the challenge."
"Excellent. Cadet, this is Doctor Judas, from Engineering. He will escort you to your new department where you will begin working today. Your altered class schedule will appear in your student data files to be followed immediately and from now on. You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," said Cadet Wren as she turned to follow Doctor Judas.
"Oh, and Cadet Wren," the commander called one last time. Sabine turned to face him.
"Yes, sir?" she asked.
"This is your opportunity to prove your family's loyalty to the Empire. If I were you, I wouldn't disappoint us," he said.
With a nod, Sabine said, "Yes, sir," again and turned to follow Doctor Judas. Her mind was racing. Though she was excited for the new challenge, she silently cursed her mother for her betrayal. For the Empire and for herself, she would prove what loyalty really meant.
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toasthaste · 2 years
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Worm 15
A lot of this chapter kinda went in one ear and out the other because it's the reader whose performance I really dislike which makes it hard to focus so this might be kinda brief
Taylor and Brian is very "ugh sure whatever I guess." With Brian making a move now after his second trigger event though, I'm reminded of the phenomenon where... it's common for men to not feel allowed/able to talk about their feelings, be vulnerable, with basically anyone outside of a romantic partner, that's just not a THING contained within friendship-parameters-- so some sort of desperation for someone to be close to but within those shitty constraints?
oh my god is amy gonna end up going fully unhinged and take over the entire birdcage and bust everyone the hell outta there
am wondering what the overall point of that whole encounter with the neo nazis was, or of grabbing that one white supremacist guy. he's still in a cell so presumably the answer will come in time? I guess we learned some things about Regent, saw the team's willingness to keep things from Taylor but... I dunno, felt like it spent a long time doing things that weren't those things
tattle being willing to pull a fast one on taylor is, concerning... she seems like a terrifying person to not be able to trust
coil having a way around tattletale's power is even more terrifying! waow!
genesis has the best and most fun power. and you get to SLEEP while you use it, like, ideal!
I think Parian's name should be pronounced similar to "Pariah" because it sounds cool
damn is the ENTIRE protectorate made up of people who drank the special powers juice? The whole top end?? Maybe that's why Scion was so scornful of Eidolon?
Back to wondering where the Endbringers come from. Just ("just") Scion-equivalents? Is it some grand plan from Cauldron that they didn't even let the top brass of the protectorate in on? Something they were attempting, gone wrong? Tattle said they were never human... and Leviathan was drawn toward Coil's lair, which could be for so many different reasons... something to do with this concentration of fate-altering powers in use? some kind of cosmic balance trying to reassert itself?
fucked up that they assigned them genders tho tbh
wait a second if someone can have a second trigger event then why wouldn't the special powers juice work a second time? misinformation?
There was a bunch of stuff about the relationships between the travelers but I forget all of it. surely it will never ever ever be important >_>
Armsmaster back huh! More ethically dubious choices made for ~the greater good~, classic
I seriously don't remember what else happened this arc. admittedly it's been like 2 days and I have a very bad memory, but,
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luminouslumity · 1 year
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So I'm finally writing fanfiction again! I've actually been trying to work on this one for months now and I think I'm finally satisfied with the result!
From the moment they met, Sun Wukong had always taken Tang Sanzang to be nothing but a fool, but he hadn't expected for the same to apply to the others as well. In hindsight, perhaps he should've—unlike himself, they'd all always been far too in awe of the so-called Great Monk to ever disagree with him on anything, Zhu Bajie especially.
"I still say you're making a mistake!" said the Monkey King after they'd left the Lady Bone Demon alone in her prison, her punishment for nearly destroying the entire world! He knew killing was against the teachings of Buddha, but couldn't they have made an exception just this once? She already had a tomb and everything, after all! Might as well finish what they'd started, right?
In response, the Tang Monk sighed and muttered something—likely an insult—before turning to his túdì. "Don't you trust my judgement, Sun-xíngzhě?"
"Absolutely not!"
This earned him a glare from the human while he heard Zhu Bajie snort. "Maybe it's about time you had more faith in our shīfu," the pig demon said as he too glared at the Monkey King.
Sun Wukong scowled; he wasn't surprised by Zhu Bajie's reaction, but it certainly made him feel no less annoyed. How is it that I'm being the voice of reason here? "Well, Dāizi, maybe you should—"
"Enough, Sun Wukong!" Tang Sanzang had stepped in between the two demons, but then he shielded Zhu Bajie after facing Monkey completely. "My decision is final! Besides," he added, glancing at Sha Wujing and Ao Lie, who both stood a little aways from the rest of the group while they spoke to the Empress Dowager Liu Ming, "your shīdì have already agreed that imprisoning her was for the best. So why can't you do the same?"
Sun Wukong gritted his teeth. He hated it whenever the monk got like this, always asking why he couldn't be more quiet like Ao Lie or more patient like Sha Wujing. He'd never say such things to Bajie! It was clear who the favorite was, however little sense it made.
"I'm sorry, Shīfu." The words tasted bitter on the Monkey King's tongue. "Please forgive this foolish disciple for merely concerning himself with the fate of the Mortal Realm." He gave a mocking bow and was about to walk away, until he saw the Empress Dowager heading towards them.
"Bìxià." Tang Sanzang bowed to the regent and both Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie followed his lead.
"Lǎoyé." She returned the gesture before continuing, and despite the mourning period, she smiled. "I was just telling your túdì how I wished to hold a banquet in your honor."
"A banquet?" This got Sun Wukong's attention immediately. At last, some recognition! Well, more recognition, anyway. And how could anyone say no to free food? Yet he looked at the monk with large, pleading eyes anyway; it was an irritating inconvenience that he practically had to get a human's permission to do anything at all these days, but between this and being trapped under a mountain, he knew which one he preferred.
He was pleased to see Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing doing the same, though Lie—even in his human-like form—maintained his usual stoic expression. So that probably meant he was interested too, right? It was always hard to tell with him.
Tang Sanzang, however, looked reluctant. "Would such a thing be appropriate? What with you being in mourning and all. I'd hate for us to take any attention away from the recently deceased."
Somehow, Sun Wukong was able to suppress a growl. So this was how someone could say no to free food. But then Liu Ming laughed and this made him relax.
"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't sure, Tang-lǎoyé," she said. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I assure you it's fine, at least for today. You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you? And it'd be a small feast anyway."
"Hm. Well..." The Tang Monk paused and glanced at his túdì. At Sun Wukong specifically.
Does he think I'm going to do something? How unfair! He'd been on his best behavior for weeks now!
But then the monk smiled. Turning to the Empress Dowager again, he said, "That would be lovely. Er, so long as the food is vegetarian, though!"
"But of course!" came her reply, sounding pleased and looking amused. "You and your túdì are not the first Buddhists to pass through Bāoxiāng, Tang-lǎoyé. In the meantime, please feel free to explore the palace grounds. The banquet will be held tonight."
"Xièxie," said Tang Sanzang as they all exchanged respectful bows before the Empress Dowager left.
Explore, huh? Sun Wukong felt giddy at just the thought of it. It was only his favorite thing to do, after all! And with a kingdom as beautiful as Bāoxiāng—with its jade thresholds and golden steps—surely he'd be able to find some magnificent treasures he could... secretly borrow. Permanently, of course.
But then he heard Ao Lie call for him. "Dà-shīxiōng!"
Oh, don't tell me! If the dragon prince had initiated a conversation, then that usually meant one thing.
Sure enough, the Monkey King turned his head in time to see his shīfu unrolling a scroll as the monk made his way towards a tree, with Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing following close behind like ducklings.
"Come along, now," Ao Lie prompted, resting a hand on the stone monkey's shoulder. "If you don't, then you will only get lectured later."
Sun Wukong groaned at this, though he knew his shīdì was right. "But I hate the readings!" the Great Sage whined. Or maybe he just hated it when Tang Sanzang read them. He couldn't recall ever having this problem when he'd trained under Subodhi.
"I know." The dragon didn't sound very sympathetic.
Traitor. Sun Wukong sighed. He could handle a reading for today, right? And besides, there would be plenty more kingdoms to explore later! Just gotta think positive! "Okay." He began to walk towards the others with Ao Lie, and as he did so, he grinned at the dragon prince and said, "But you have to let me braid your hair while we listen!"
A small cloud of mist appeared after the dragon snorted. "How many times must I tell you, I am not an actual horse!"
*********************************************
Had it not been for the calming effects that came from braiding Ao Lie's hair, Sun Wukong probably would've strangled Tang Sanzang long before the reading had been over. Today's lesson had been on repentance, and the intention couldn't have been more obvious! Why not just recruit the witch while you're at it! the Monkey King had thought when the monk finally finished.
By then, the time for the banquet finally came, and knowing this made Sun Wukong feel a little better as he and the others made their way through the sea of white and towards the Banquet Hall. The Empress Dowager was already there when they'd arrived and beside her was a younger-looking woman.
"This is Wen-fēi," Liu Ming explained as the woman beside her bowed.
"The mother of our future emperor!" There was a proud look in Wen-fēi's eyes as she said this. "And might I say, what an honor it is to be in the presence of such heroes!"
"The honor is all ours," Tang Sanzang replied. "We're just doing what we can to help."
Or make things worse, Sun Wukong thought bitterly.
"And we appreciate it!" The Empress Dowager said quickly. "Now please, let's all take our seats before everything gets cold." As soon as everyone did, she held a cup in her hand and continued. "But first, a toast to our saviors. May they fare well on the rest of their journey and live ten thousand years!" Unlike earlier, there was somberness in her voice.
"And may the kingdom of Bāoxiāng prosper for ten thousand more!" replied Tang Sanzang, smiling with what appeared to be pity.
"Gānbēi!"
It was no problem for Sun Wukong to drink the wine in a single gulp, his previous frustration nearly completely forgotten. Why let his mood be soured when the mortals were showing such gracious (and delicious) hospitality? Seeing a bowl of peaches just near him, he was about to grab one, until he felt a kick to his leg.
"Not until our host has given permission!" Tang Sanzang said in a harsh whisper.
Sun Wukong glared at the monk, which must've been noticed by Liu Ming, as the Empress Dowager then said, "Please, help yourselves!"
The Monkey King did, ignoring the glance Tang Sanzang was giving him. Smug bastard! Sometimes he hated seniority seating; if it were up to him, he'd sit in between Sha Wujing and Ao Lie, the ones who would never judge him for wanting to do things just a little bit differently every now and then.
"Jiějie," came Wen-fēi's voice, snapping Sun Wukong out of his thoughts. "Will you not drink more wine? Why, you've barely even taken a sip!"
Liu Ming regarded the other woman with a look of clear contempt and she replied, "I will not, Wen-fēi. But if you don't wish for the drink to go to waste, you are more than welcome to have it yourself."
Wen-fēi suddenly looked uncomfortable then, but a servant entered the Banquet Hall before she could reply.
"I apologize for the interruption, Bìxià, Wen-fēi," she said, bowing. "But Diànxià is asking for his—"
"Whatever it is, can't one of the servants handle it?" Wen-fēi sounded irritated.
"They've tried," the servant replied. "But he keeps crying."
Wen-fēi simply gave a deep sigh and rushed out of the Banquet Hall without so much as a bow.
Liu Ming, however, seemed relieved. "Thank you, A-Qing. And please, place this in my bedchambers." She held out her cup. "But make sure no one sees you. Otherwise, that will be all."
The servant seemed just as confused as Sun Wukong felt, but she took the cup from the Empress Dowager anyway, bowed, and left.
"What was that about?" asked the Monkey King.
"Oh, just that my cup was poisoned—just mine, though, so none of you need to worry." Her tone was so casual that she might as well have been talking about the weather.
This didn't stop Sun Wukong from looking at Tang Sanzang with concern while the others pushed their own drinks away. The monk looked pale, but that was likely due to shock more than anything. "Do you feel well, Shīfu?" he asked regardless, his voice urgent. "Shall I go look for medicine?"
"I-I feel fine, Sun-xíngzhě," he replied. The others nodded as well when Sun Wukong looked at them for confirmation, though this clearly didn't do much to lessen the tension.
"You seem far too calm for someone who's just been through an assassination attempt!" said Zhu Bajie. "Two if we count the Lady Bone Demon!"
Liu Ming continued to give off an unconcerned look. "Five, actually."
"Five!?"
"Wen Fan has made it no secret that she wishes to be named empress in my stead," Liu Ming continued. "My husband wasn't one to turn any peerless beauty away and we made a brief alliance when Ivory—er, Lady Bone Demon—arrived, but now that she's gone, things have quickly gone back to normal."
"Er, normal?" said Sha Wujing.
"I can understand." Ao Lie ate a bit of rice before continuing. "I've just about lost count of how many times someone has tried to harm my family." Once again, the tone was casual.
"I'm so glad I remained a monk," Tang Sanzang whispered and Sun Wukong patted his shīfu's shoulder in comfort. The Monkey King had been no stranger to attempts on his life, either, but he couldn't remember ever being as calm about it as Ao Lie and Liu Ming were now. Dealing with demons seemed much easier than having to put up with courtly politics.
"Do you have any children of your own, Bìxià?" Ao Lie asked the Empress Dowager. Both seemed oblivious to the discomfort in the room.
"Three," Liu Ming replied at once. "Only daughters. Two have already been married off, but the third... my little Baihua..." Her voice cracked a bit. "She was meant to be my husband's heir since I couldn't give him a son, but she disappeared thirteen years ago and there's been no trace of her since!"
"My condolences," Tang Sanzang said, his eyes filled with pity. "Should we find your daughter as we proceed with our journey tomorrow, we'll be sure to let you know."
Liu Ming blinked back tears and nodded gratefully.
"Do you think Wen-fēi had something to do with it?" Ao Lie asked.
She shook her head. "She joined us only five years ago. And for all her... ambitions, waiting that long to make herself known would be unlike her."
"Well, that's comforting," Sun Wukong said sarcastically.
"In any case, I plan to address her treason to the council tomorrow." After taking a bite out of a peach, she added, "The cup should be more than enough evidence to finally get her arrested. Then her son, Zhao Jin, will come under only my care until he comes of age."
There it was, that feeling of discomfort again. How was any of this considered normal? I'm lucky my little ones are loyal, Sun Wukong thought, a familiar ache in his heart. How much longer would it be before he could return home? If he ever returned home.
"Do you need protection until tomorrow, Bìxià?" Sha Wujing asked.
The Empress Dowager looked grateful despite the shake of her head. "Xièxie, but I assure you, that's not necessary. I wouldn't still be alive if I didn't already know how to fend for myself." But then she frowned and asked, "But speaking of threats, are you sure imprisoning the Lady Bone Demon was the right idea, lǎoyé? What if she escapes?"
"I assure you, she won't," Tang Sanzang replied gently. "And even if she does break free, it will only be after she's reflected on her actions."
"Which she won't!" Sun Wukong protested, his anger returning. Enough of this! He knew he probably should've held back in front of the Empress Dowager, but he couldn't just sit by as the monk gave this mortal false hope, could he? "We all know she won't. And anyway, her ally is still out there, remember?"
"Sun Wukong—"
The Monkey King interrupted the monk. "She tried to destroy the world, Tang Seng! And she very well would've succeeded if we hadn't shown up to stop her in time! How dare you grant her leniency!"
"How dare I?"
"So you admit the punishment was too light, then! Really, Shīfu, I can't believe you'd be so naive!" Sun Wukong was only barely aware of the shuffling of chairs and Zhu Bajie's glare, barely aware of everyone but himself and Tang Sanzang leaving the Banquet Hall.
This obvious attempt to avoid being witness to a potential fight, however, proved to be unnecessary. Because instead of staying to argue, the Tang Monk simply walked away from Sun Wukong as well. The Monkey King didn't try to stop him.
*********************************************
As a monkey demon made of stone, Sun Wukong didn't need sleep. But even if he did, he knew he wouldn't have been able to anyway. Instead, the Monkey King sat upon a cloud just outside the palace and glared in the direction of the Lady Bone Demon's tomb. Remake the world. Huh! The more he thought about it, the more he realized her desires hadn't been so different from Buddha's teachings. Nirvāṇa and all that. Perhaps that was why Tang Sanzang had decided to show her mercy.
Dāizi! That was the problem with mortals—if they weren't fighting amongst themselves, they became far too trusting for their own good. And then I have to be the one to clean everything up! Not that he minded fighting demons, of course, but was a little backbone from the monk too much to ask for? Maybe then he'd stop getting kidnapped all the time!
Tang Sanzang had been wrong about many things and he was wrong about this, too! The Lady Bone Demon didn't deserve imprisonment, she deserved death! I should've just—
He gasped. Of course! The solution was so obvious! Oh, the monk would be furious, certainly, but what did it matter what he thought? And so what if it would be considered dishonorable to attack an enemy already bound? Someone had to make sure the Lady Bone Demon didn't cause trouble again. He'll thank me for this later. Staff in hand, he began to travel towards the tomb.
Or he would've, had it not been for the chanting. The painfully familiar chanting. "Ahhh!" Sun Wukong keeled over until he fell off his cloud and clutched his head. He then proceeded to scratch at the fillet, though he knew how futile it would be. "Make it stop, make it stop! I'll behave! I promise!" Why had the Bodhisattva of Mercy given the so-called Great Monk such a cruel method to keep him under control?
It took a few seconds, but at last, the chanting—and therefore, the agony—subsided. And he knew this would only happen again, unless, of course, he left the group entirely. It was something he'd thought about so many times now. But Tang Sanzang would never allow that, surely?
"Here." The monk handed him a piece of paper, which Sun Wukong quickly read over.
"Banishment!?" The Monkey King stared at Tang Sanzang, feeling more shocked than angry.
"I wrote it not long after we set out for our journey," Tang Sanzang explained. "I didn't think I'd actually need it, but..." He briefly glanced in the direction of the tomb. "You were right about one thing, Sun Wukong. Not everyone can change. And that seems to include you."
"That's not fair!" Sun Wukong growled and glared at the monk.
"Were you or were you not about to destroy the tomb?"
"I was!" What did he have to be ashamed of?
"Then you tried to disobey my orders."
"Shīfu." Sun Wukong hadn't even noticed the others until Sha Wujing spoke. "Is this really necessary? Wasn't Sun-shīxiōng just trying to do what he thought was right?"
Even Zhu Bajie and Ao Lie seemed to agree with him, with both giving slow nods.
Tang Sanzang sighed, but he kept his face fixed on Sun Wukong. "Do you even wish to stay with us, Sun-xíngzhě?"
Sun Wukong clutched his staff in one hand and crumpled the letter of banishment in the other. "I've made it no secret that I wish to go home, Shīfu."
For the first time, there was no anger or irritation in Tang Sanzang's gaze. Only disappointment. Why did that make him feel worse? "Then gàobié, Sun Wukong. And so help me, if I ever consent to see you again, let me fall into the Avīci Hell!" With that, the monk bowed and then turned away. Zhu Bajie gave Sun Wukong a brief glance and followed after him. Neither gave any sign that they would be returning.
"I-I'm sure Shīfu didn't mean it, A-Kong," said Sha Wujing, glancing slightly downwards and twiddling his fingers while doing so.
"It's likely he'll forget all about this in the morning," Ao Lie added. "You know how Buddhists are. He won't stay angry with you for long."
Sun Wukong gave a mirthless laugh. He wished he had their optimism. "You heard what he said," the monkey demon replied. "He'd much rather go to Hell than see me again! So really, I'm doing both of us a favor." He got on his cloud again, his chest tightening. A side effect from the Tight-Fillet Spell, he told himself. "But you two are welcome to visit Huāguǒshān any time you like. Until then, good luck on the journey to Tiānzhú. But don't listen to either Tang Sanzang or Zhu Bajie, at least not so blindly. Follow your instincts if you feel like something is wrong." It'd worked well for him so far, after all.
"Of course, Dà-shīxiōng," both Sha Wujing and Ao Lie said in unison before exchanging bows with the Monkey King for what would hopefully not be the last time.
Sun Wukong knew he would miss them. And perhaps some part of him would miss Tang Sanzang and Zhu Bajie as well. He had to admit, traveling with them hadn't been as bad as it could've been. But he could no longer tolerate the presence of someone who refused to listen to him, either. This was for the best.
Wasn't it?
Of course it is! Sun Wukong told himself as he rode away on his cloud and straight towards Huāguǒshān. This was what he'd wanted! At last, he was away from the constant reprimands and needless comparisons and especially that damn Tight-Fillet Spell!
Away from... from the kindness he knew the monk was more than capable of expressing, for he had shown it numerous times throughout the journey already. Even towards him.
"If I ever consent to see you again, let me fall into the Avīci Hell!"
Stop that! Sun Wukong shook his head as the monk's final words echoed in his mind. So he had shown a little kindness on occasion while nearly everyone else had scorned him. So what? All they'd done since defeating the Lady Bone Demon was argue, and in the end, none of it had mattered anyway.
What mattered now was finally getting back home, back to his beautiful mountain and loyal monkeys.
Nothing else mattered.
Nothing else mattered!
And perhaps if he told himself this enough times, it would eventually prove true. Even as the tears began to fall.
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NOTES
Shīfu (师父): Master
Túdì (徒弟): Disciple
Shīxiōng (师兄): Senior Brother; Dà (大) is used to refer to the eldest.
Shīdì (师弟): Junior Brother
Jiějie (姐姐): elder sister or an unrelated older female friend.
Lǎoyé (老爺): Venerable Father
Xíngzhě (行者): Pilgrim
A-: Friendly diminutive. Always a prefix.
Dāizi (呆子): Idiot; Zhu Bajie is frequently called this in Journey to the West.
Xièxie (謝謝): Thank you
White: Bái (白), representing death, mourning, and purity.
Gānbēi (干杯): literally means dry cup; an equivalent to saying "cheers" after a toast has been given. Guests are expected to empty their cup in one motion.
Ten thousand years: Wànsuì (萬歲), a phrase used to wish long life.
Fēi (妃): consort
Bìxià (陛下): Majesty
Diànxià (殿下): Highness
Tang Seng (唐僧): Tang Sanzang's courtesy name, the name one receives at adulthood.
Subodhi (須菩提): a disciple of Buddha and Sun Wukong's first mentor.
Gàobié (告别): farewell
Nirvāṇa: A state in which there is neither desire nor suffering, the breaking of karma and the cycle of reincarnation. It is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. I talk about it a bit more here.
Tiānzhú (天竺): India
Huāguǒshān (花果山): Flower-Fruit Mountain
Avīci: one of the twenty-one naraka (hell) in Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as its lowest level. Reserved for those who have committed severe crimes.
Bāoxiāng (寶象): called Precious Image Kingdom in the Anthony Yu translation of Journey to the West, one of the many kingdoms the Pilgrims come across.
In the original story, after Sun Wukong gets exiled for killing Lady White Bone (with Tang Sanzang thinking the Monkey King had simply killed innocents three times over), the Pilgrims meet the kidnapped third princess of the kingdom, nicknamed Bǎihuāxiū (百花羞/Hundred Flowers' Shame) and it's soon revealed that she'd been taken by Huángpáoguài (黄袍怪/Yellow Robe Demon).
After escaping said demon and traveling to the kingdom, the Pilgrims inform the king of his daughter's whereabouts. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing agree to rescue her, but both disciples are quickly beaten, with Sha Wujing even getting captured as well while Zhu Bajie goes into hiding.
After getting denial of her involvement, Yellow Robe decides to shift himself into a human and visit his father-in-law, where he then proceeds to tell the king how he had saved the princess from a shapeshifting tiger demon, married her, and then accuses Tripitaka of being that same shapeshifting tiger demon after creating an illusion around the monk. The king immediately believes him and has Tang Sanzang apprehended.
With Sun Wukong still gone and the others indisposed in some way or another, Ao Lie (whose name actually comes from adaptations, not the original novel itself) attempts to stop the demon himself by transforming into a palace maiden and attempting to stab Yellow Robe while doing a sword dance, but he ultimately fails as well, getting his leg injured in the process. Zhu Bajie finds him and—not for the first time—expresses a desire to just quit the pilgrimage altogether until Ao Lie calls him out on this and tells him to get Sun Wukong, which he eventually does.
Both the princess and Sha Wujing are rescued after Sun Wukong kills her and Yellow Robe's young children and Monkey soon figures out that the demon actually came from Heaven, with his true identity being Revatī, the Wood-Wolf Star (Zeta Piscium). As it turns out, the princess herself was once a celestial jade girl in charge of tending to the incense. One day, she fell in love with Revatī and he with her, but believing their love to be star-crossed (pun absolutely intended), the two agree to go down to Earth to be together. Revatī is then apprehended and after the princess explains everything to her father, Tripitaka is freed and the Pilgrims carry on with their journey to the West afterwards.
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waitingforwinterwinds · 11 months
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ASOS; Steel and Snow: 19 TYRION III (pages 254-272)
Tyrion gets new job as Master of Coin while the Council divides their new lands, then Tywin vies for Westeros' Biggest Pile of Trash Disguised as a Father award, while Cersei and Tyrion learn of his plans to marry them off.
-
Tyrion had claimed Pycelle's old place by the foot, propped up by cushions so he could see. (...)The Grand Maester was a shambling skeleton, leaning heavily on a twisted cane and shaking as he walked, a few white hairs sprouting from his long chicken's neck in place of his once-luxuriant white beard. Tyrion gazed at him without remorse.
Good. Now push him down some stairs. A stolen chair is not enough.
Mace Tyrell spoke up. "Is there anything more pointless as a king without a kingdom? No, it's plain, the boy must abandon the riverlands, join his forces to Roose Bolton's once more, and throw all his strength against Moat Cailin. That's what I would do."
yes, well... we have (not so) conflicting reports on your intelligence, so excuse us if we don't rush.
(advance warning: I am Very mean today. I have a headache. get so many, at this point you could call me Rita Repulsa... pfff. Reader Repulsa XD)
... Mace Tyrell and Littelfinger, Shuttheduckup Challenge 2023.
"A Lannister?"Tyrion had a bad feeling about this.
*gasp* we're in a Star Wars!
"- Why should we pay for what he has given us for free? The best thing to do about our lord of Pyke is nothing, in my view. Granted enough time, a better option may well present itself. One that does not require the king to give up half his kingdom." Tyrion watched his father closely. There something he's not saying. He remembered those important letters Lord Tywin had been writing the night Tyrion had demanded Casterly Rock. What was it he said? Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens... He wondered who the "better option" was, and what sort of price he was demanding.
I hate Tywin. I think it might be worse that he's clever enough to shuffle plans like this.
The enmity had waned a bit after Dorne became part of the Seven Kingdoms... until the Dornish prince they called the Red Viper had crippled the young heir of Highgarden in a tourney.
"red viper"? isn't that the Mandalorian one... Oberyn? The one coming for the Seat? Ohhhhhh. >:3c I sense Drama.
The eunuch drew a parchment from his sleeve. "A kraken has been seen off the Fingers. (...) Not a Greyjoy, mind you, a true kraken. (...) Sailors from the Jade Sea report a three-headed dragon has hatched in Qarth, and is the wonder of the city-"
So the three-headed dragon is actually Dany's triplets, obviously, but are we sure 'true kraken' mean an actual tentacle waving, cephalopodal kraken and not, say, Euron. ... !!! Oh no! terrible thought: Euron with a pet kraken.
... Tyrion all like "let's not mutilate men, and send them to the penal colony instead because the folks there aren't completely awful and I said I'd send men," Tywin all like "No, they hurt my feelings, so now they will rue the day."
Tywin's death was so justified.
... Ah, so Petyr told the Lannisters about the Sansa/Willas plot. Do you think he knew that it would start the Sansa/Tyrion ship line? or did he just think they'd flat shut the Tyrells down on that one and keep Sansa nice and toasty for Petyr's convenience? (I just feel like it's a hidden theme, characters like Sam and Sansa being smarter than they give themselves credit for, while men like Petyr and Renly are less clever than they think they are.)
"So long as you remain unwed, you allow Stannis to spread his disgusting slander," Lord Tywin told his daughter. "You must have a new husband in your bed, to father children on you." "Three children is quite sufficient. I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, not a brood mare! I am Queen Regent!" "You are my daughter, and will do as I command."
Look. Cersei is a horrible person, but on this one... *Slams the steel chair into Tywin's head so hard his skull cracks like an egg with calcium deficiency.*
Urrgh! That's just like, the Whole Thing, though, isn't it? Cersei is the most powerful woman in the Seven Kingdoms (team Lannister edition) and it's still worthless next to Tywin. It's still not enough for her to be in control of her own life and choices. Cersei is Not a Good Person, but I can see so clearly how she got here, and I feel so sorry for her.
"His Grace the royal pustule has made Sansa's life a misery since the day her father died, and now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father." ... "She is no more than a child."
It's nice that you're aware. But I've heard that might not last very long, so I'll savour it while it's here.
Tywin: I keep trying to marry you off, but it turns out every lord in the Seven Kingdoms is as ableist as I am, so forced child bride who has no ability to refuse it is. She even comes with a castle of her own, sort of, so I don't have to give you mine.
"Tywin Lannister." That's a strange way to spell "abusive crapwad." This man is trash. complete trash, and not even the classy kind you're supposed to recycle.
... *bops Tyrion with the steel chair for his reaction about Lollys*
"- And the grandmother was some woman he'd brought back from the east. (...) no one could pronounce her name. -"
Because they were racist and didn't bother trying? Or because their accents garbled the pronunciation so bad she told them to stop trying?
(I actually read a story about a young woman in... a student exchange program I think it was, and she was in... America? One of the English (as the primary language) speaking countries and she took on a localised nickname right away, because she was aware they couldn't pronounce her name correctly, that they'd have trouble with the pronunciation. Except for this one boy, who was convinced he and he alone could pronounce her name correctly, so he harassed her until she told him what her birth name was, and then he confidently proceeded to call her by that instead of the nickname she asked to be called for months. And yes, he was saying her name wrong the entire time, refusing to listen when she said he wasn't and wanted him to use her nickname instead. And like, I know that doesn't sound like it should be all that annoying, people say words with accents all the time and it's either funny or sexy, but it is annoying, trust me. Having your name mispronounced repeatedly and confidently like it's no issue is so freaking frustrating. My irl name isn't even uncommon, I'm from Australia, so you can imagine how bland my name is, it's a generic western name, but I had this teacher once, who was from America, and she had the heaviest twang in her accent, and she would always, always, always stress the first vowel of my name as a hard vowel when it's a lazy vowel. And technically she was using my name, but that is not how you pronounce it and therefore that is not my name!! Stahp!!!)
"- Maegi they called her. (...) Half of Lannisport used to go to her for cures and love potions and the like."
Wonderful, bring even more doubt and concern into the Robb/Jeyne relationship. (Like I have no doubt Robb could have been seduced easily in his medicated and emotionally compromised state and then had his sense of honour drive him to marriage, but I guarantee this line has had a small handful of people go "it was love potions 100%, no other way such a Good Boy like Robb could have done something so silly." Despite the fact the series is all about people making dumb choices with the best intentions.)
... oh right, Tywin committed genocide against entire families and is the reason we had The Rains of Castamere.
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Text
The (Not-so-)Big four
Spoilers for the first arc of Hunter the Parenting
Right so: Hunter the Parenting was started after the end of If the Emperor had a text-to-speech device, a parody of Warhammer 40K. There is DNA from that 40K lineage in the show, namely in the D family which I will talk about in another post. But as any fan of Warhammer, upon seeing a group of four antagonists I must immediately question if they are the four Chaos gods. Now before getting into this it is important to note that the gods of Chaos are already a lil flexible in their definitions, so it could be real easy to mold anything you want to fit them. They fit well with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, for example However, I am still going to fit these funni bois into funni molds, because it's fun.
SO
Shitbeard: He is violent, quick to anger, one of the two oldest, and he was embraced in association with the "Bikers for Blood" donation drive. It's Khorne, he's Khorne. Now of course, vampires also have a thing for blood, but I feel calling it out specifically with shitbeard COULD be a nod to the good ole "blood for the blood god". Getting into some deep lore here: Clan Brujah used to be known as Warrior Scholars, before their clan devolved into violent rabble rousers. This actually fits with some depictions of Khorne worship, where they are noble and strong warriors who eventually slip into being raving madmen. Of note as well is which member of the group he dislikes the most fits with Khorne, becaaaaaaaause
Ape: Ape and Shitbeard don't get along. Ape is the youngest of the group. Ape is constantly mentioning his hunger and it's called out that he has been "overfeeding" which Ape retorts that there's no such thing. Ape is Slaanesh. Now it's missing a few hallmarks of The Prince of Pleasure, but I think that's partly because of time constraints and partly because of the tone they were going for (I am happy that Ape wasn't humping the walls or snorting coke every other scene). Also, Ape's weapon of choice was his claws, and that's very in line with Tabletop Slaanesh.
Kevin: He's a wizard, it's Tzeentch. But more than that, we saw Kevin had schemes and ambitions to overthrow both the regent and Pyotr, very fitting for him as schemey old Tzeentch. Also, Kevin's tendency to still try fitting in with regular society does match up with the insidious infiltration of society of Tzeentch. Relatedly, while Big D seems to want Kevin as his Sigilite (Malcador best bro), this might end up backfiring. As we saw in the ad break of episode 4, D is feeding Kevin. If Kevin still has ambition and treachery as his domains, there's a non-zero chance that Big D may be betrayed.
Now, finally, which member of the sabbat did Kevin have the most beef with?
Pyotr: Process of elimination here, Pyotr is stinking old Nurgle. Now, nurgle is often depicted as big and round, obviously RIDDLED with disease, and jolly. How can Pyotr fit those themes? I think it has more to do with his clan association. The Nosferatu are a clan of UGLY vamps, who use vermin as spies, and are shockingly resilient and strong for their appearance, all very nurgly. As well, one of the most common reasons a Nosferatu will embrace someone is because the target is really pretty, the Nosferatu resenting beauty and wanting to curse them with the same ugliness. In much the same way Nurgle loves corrupting the beautiful for the sake of corruption (see the garden, his kidnapping of Isha). Based on the photo of Pyotr, we can see he was a handsome kine, I think it fits that he was turned for being too pretty. As a final note on the pretty thing, the fact that Nosferatu start seeing their own ugliness as being attractive (see "you're a goddamn tease loverboy"), that fits with Nurgle's embracing of decay and rot. Now one thing Pyotr MIGHT fit as Nurgle on his own is his stealthing ability. It's not always mentioned, but it's not uncommon for Nurgle worshippers to have a miasma around them which they use to conceal themselves. As a final point, Pyotr's speech about inevitability and futility is pretty fitting for Nurgle's embracing of entropy.
The group as a whole: Woah Chaos undivided, woooooo. But really, as a group they do work as the Pantheon. They all hate each other and scheme against one another, but will work together for their collective goal. When Markus let them fight, and Pyotr ate the other two, this would match with a long standing concept in Warhammer that once one of the gods got the upper hand, it would spell disaster for humanity (here represented by the hunters). As well Kevin seems depressed and almost listless without the other three around, could be because as much as they hate each other, the gods do need their opponents to enjoy the Great Game.
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