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strong-with-the-sarcasm · 8 months

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Part 7 - running from a crucifixion

Dp x DC AU: Regent!Jazz & Vigilante!Jazz

"Look, to you I'm different- it's 'cause I refuse to listen to all the stupid shit that you include in your opinion. I got enough issues trying to be a human living in a ruined system while I'm running from a crucifixion." -Monster in Me by From Ashes to New

Masterlist Part 6

Jazz felt a shiver run down her spine.

Currently in her office sorting through another pile of paperwork, the Regent hadn’t been bothered by any denzien for the past few hours thanks to the guard outside her door barring all but a select few. It’d been nice to demolish one of the piles that weighed down her desk.

She had a feeling that Danny was doing something stupid. Or reckless, but she was betting on stupid.

Her little brother had finally healed enough to transform into Phantom to join her nightly patrols, a welcome addition to her mostly routine nights so far, and Jason’s proto-core was healing at a decent rate. Frostbite’s original timeline for him to wake up probably was on point, if he continued to adjust to the pure ecto in his system as he had been so far. It was good news for the Fentons, soon they would be able to move Jason back to his haunt. And Jazz could get her bed back.

(She ignored the part of her that would miss his firm presence at her back, the jumble of limbs she had to untangle herself from every time she left the bed.)

(Jason seemed to gravitate to her proto-core’s warmth.)

(It did not make Jazz happy. Not at all.)

(Frostbite had only offered her a secretive smirk at her questioning of how attracted attached she was to the once-revenant.)

(Damn Yeti.)

A moment taken to clear her head of such thoughts, Jazz stood up from her desk to stretch her heavy limbs. Life was settling, oddly enough, but when would that change?

Witching Hours patrol was, admittedly, Jazz’s favorite time of night- Crime Alley was alive while the world outside slept. There were good people who called the Alley their home, their haunt if you will, and the Regent found herself gravitating towards the street walkers when she wanted company during the slow moments.

They were people doing a job and Jazz had nothing but respect for them. Interwoven as a tight-knit community, a new vigilante hanging about was disconcerting. The Regent was a steadfast presence though and was gradually wearing them down, but Jazz was sure her willingness to beat down the assholes who push their luck helped her case.

Armored to the teeth with her ecto-sword at her side, she kept a watchful eye during the Alley’s Witching Hours patrol. The big bat himself had refused to cross into the Hood’s territory, but a few of the birds and smaller bats had no such qualm.

With the King and his Regent’s aid of the Haunt of the Red Hood, the Shades that claimed shelter from larger predators would eagerly warn of approaching intruders, especially those that came with less than neutral intent.

Robin was one such intruder.

The youngest of the flock, a fellow sword wielding vigilante, the Robin was a strange bird.

He felt like Jason did now, but younger, less corrupt than the ecto in the once-Revenant. Perhaps it was due to his age, but there was little doubt that the baby bird would become a powerful baby ghost when it was his time.

(Lady Gotham had no more of herself left to give, should one of her knights meet an end.)

(She had given of herself for Jason, the once and Future Hope of Gotham.)

The Regent, brought to attention by a Shade, turned to the Bird in her presence.

“Good Evening, Robin.” Her voice echoed with a soft cadence. “What brings you to the Hood’s Haunt?”

The small bird scowled, irritation all but leaking from his very being, “Where is Red Hood?”

Though he couldn’t see her expression from underneath her helmet, Jazz tried not to let her shock be obvious.

(What had led the bird to her?)

“Pardon?”

“Do not waste time, tell me where my brother is and I will not hurt you.”

(Oh, wasn’t that adorable.)

Jazz craned her neck farther downward as she stepped closer, not daring to raise her sword from its lowered position at her side.

The Robin froze as she stood toe to toe with him, the Shades of the Alley surrounding them both as they hissed their displeasure with his threat.

(Much later, Jazz would soak in the feeling of belonging she received from the Shades.)

(The Regent was theirs.)

Robin was surely catching the charged energy in the air around them.

“I do not deal with threats, young bird, when they come from children who should not be heroes.” Jazz hissed, before she softened her tone. “Enough children have died for the sins of their parents.”

(Danny.)

(Ellie.)

(Dan.)

(Jasmine.)

“If there is anything I can tell you,” the bird was frozen in shock, perhaps fear, as Jazz continued once more, “Jason will return and he will be free from his corruption, Robin.”

The Regent did not stick around, instead allowing gravity to bring her down once she jumped from the rooftop. Hopefully Robin would understand something of what she said, but Jazz wasn’t going to get her hopes up.

Tim did not like mysteries so close to home.

Home being his siblings, his family, and nothing got his hackles raised more than a mystery that threatened the safety of his people.

Jason had vanished, no communication in or out prior to his disappearance almost two weeks prior. Usually not a concern, but the Outlaws were all accounted for and had no knowledge of where Red Hood was.

Or what he had been up to.

When trying to find a missing person, it usually helped to know what they had been doing beforehand, but Jason was a miser when it came to his personal interests- which included civilian and vigilante activities. Sure, he allowed Oracle to connect him to the main channel, but he had yet to use it.

Then there were the trackers.

Tim had three of his own in each of his siblings, one for mask and uniform and two that could be used to record vitals remotely. Bruce had approved of such paranoid foresight, of course he did, and his siblings had only accepted it and moved in, but Jason had adamantly refused Bat-monitoring of any kind- trackers included.

Though Cass had seen fit to convince their wayward brother otherwise.

Lo and behold, Tim had been given access to Jason’s only tracker- code withheld by their silent sister until it was clear that Red Hood was missing.

The best part?

It was embedded in his chest, in his very body and despite the interference of something making his vital records a rollercoaster of confusing read outs, it proved that Jason had been very much alive on the day of the last Arkham breakout.

The same breakout that Joker had been abducted and (supposedly) killed during, his head mounted like a grotesque trophy for the world to witness.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the vitals went haywire within the same timeframe as the Breakout Alarm, was it?

Tim triple checked the two times and yep, eerily same, though the biggest concern wasn’t that it was during Joker’s abduction, but the fact that the only vital to be recorded thanks to the strange interference was Jason’s heart rate- it’s max number reaching a distressing 230 bpm, before either the tracker finally gave up the ghost or … Jason did.

It was the sort of thing Tim could only keep to himself for fear of sending Bruce down the path of madness again.

It was unfortunate that Bruce seemed to come to the worst conclusion possible without Tim’s input.

The incidental meeting with the Ghost Kid, Phantom as he preferred, had thrown everything Tim believed about Death and Not-Death into a depressing tailspin, especially when he finally worked up the courage to sort through the documents and files on the flash drive.

(And don’t get him started on which was weirder- a ghost having a flash drive or pulling said thing out of his chest like it was normal to have that ability.)

Bruce had not taken Phantom well.

Not the ghost nor the information he dropped on Batman like a boulder; be it the fact that it was a dead kid he was speaking to, said kid pleading to not send him to war against the living, or an impending war with the Dead thanks to the Government fucking around and finding out.

(Bruce had been livid.)

(There were several people immensely grateful that Batman had a no killing rule.)

(Otherwise heads would be rolling.)

In all honesty, Tim wasn’t surprised anymore that the dumbasses messed up.

What he was surprised about, was the lore of the Infinite Realms at his fingertips. It was fascinating that anyone could call these entities non-sapient when they had so many cultures and traditions, the Realms even had a monarchy!

A powerful being that held several interesting titles according to Phantom’s files: Great One, Defender of The Light, Vanquisher of the Dark, the Once and Future King of Stars….

(Later, a bewildered Constantine would confirm that ‘yes, those are correct and not even close to all of them, how did you get this? Bloody hell, is this color-coded?’)

(The files were, in fact, color-coded.)

(Green, Teal, Black and Red)

There were so many powerful entities on file, organized by their known power sets, preferred name, and their ‘danger rating’… and they were kept in the green section.

(Strangely, a small ghost dog with the preferred name ‘Cujo’ was listed with two danger ratings- one for ‘small’ and one for ‘big’.)

Phantom himself was listed with a mind-boggling power set that included almost the entirety of the Justice League’s own. The only note where it concerned his rating was ‘Spirit of Protection’, which Tim suspected meant that Phantom wasn’t a fighter unless he had to be one, but the power set given made him concerned about what exactly Phantom could be protecting that needed all that.

The last listed in the high rating category was named only as ‘The Regent’, with the titles of ‘Lady of the Acropolis’ and ‘Death-Claimed Champion’. The picture was of a tall knight in black and teal armor, helmet fully obstructing their face much like the ‘Fright Knight’, bearing a long sword of some intricate design…. And bracelets he’d only seen worn by none other than Wonder Woman.

Oh yeah, Batman was gonna have a field day.

A/N: Forgot to mention that the song quotes at the beginning are more there for decoration or what songs I was listening to as I wrote. All of them are added to the Jazz/Jason playlist I have.

The idea for the files came from the AO3 fic 'Batman, Meet Team Phantom', this specific chapter. Also, an Anger management ship fic that I've reread several times now. Not a copy, but I really liked the idea.

#dpxdc #dp x dc au #jazz fenton #dp x dc #dc x dp crossover #regent!jazz #Regent Jazz in Gotham

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glow-worms-are-believers · 1 year

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Pride and Prejudice AU Anger Management (dp x dc)

Guess who just finished reading+watching Pride and Prejudice? And guess who’s now obsessed with making an Anger Management AU based on it? It’s me babyyyy (btw it's sorta more of a fusion than a proper AU I think?)

Casting: Jason as Elizabeth, his siblings as the bennet sisters. Alfred is mr bennet, Bruce is mrs. Bennet except they’re not silly they’re instead paranoid and emotionnaly stunted.

Jazz as Darcy, Danny as Georgiana.

Kon as Bingley (with Tim being Jane looool)

Vlad is lady catherine and dani is cousin anne.

Wickham is both the Al Ghul (Talia and Ra's) they pretended to be nice to the Fenton before trying to enslave/exorcice Danny.

Plot (which is basically just P&P but like slightly modified so it works):

Jazz & Danny got spit out the pits. The Al Ghuls pretended to be kind and honorable and stuff, and Jazz was just so happy the dimension they ended up in had some nice (though weird and formal) people. Then, she ends up finding Danny tied up and Ra’s talking about what an interesting specimen he is, and how he’ll help them figure out how to be immortal and all that. Jazz goes full-on Beserk mode and destroys the base + burying pits.

Vlad and Dani end up there too a little later, but she doesn’t tell them the specifics just not to interact with the League of Assassins. Danny is hurt and Jazz is still a bit feral. They end up in Kansas where the Kents offer them a place to stay for a while. So they do stay, and Superman+family end up being really nice people. She doesn’t tell them about the Ra’s, just that the trip between dimension was rough. She also says nothing about Danny’s power and keeps that secret because he’s still hurt and she doesn’t want anyone trying to take advantage of him.

Magic users recognize her as Queen Regent of the Infinite Realms and like everyone who’s met her agrees she’s a fair and kind ruler, so they respect her a lot. So Captain Marvel, Zatanna and Wonder Woman (after they mention Pandora) all vouch for the Fentons and they’re generally just considered really powerful and benevolent.

Anyways danny is severely injured (plus his powers are really reduced) and Jazz is so stressed about it not to mention the queen regent thing (she has paperwork and correspondence with Frostbite, Pandora and Clockwork for all kind of stuff to do, including making sure there is no war after the future King was kidnapped by humans wanting to experiment on him again!!!) plus making a good impression on the league. So she comes off as a little bit stand-offish especially to the heroes she doesn’t know super well. She’s been burnt by the Al Ghul and is just so busy and stressed she has little energy for socialization. She accidentally snubs Dick which everyone in the batfam takes as an insult plus a lot of the younger generation heroes do too. General consensus is that she’s a bit stuck-up and only makes an effort for the big names (Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel).

Jazz makes a comment about Jason after Kon teases her about him (like “I know his type, pretty bad boy with a list of issues a mile long, not to mention how shit at emotions the bats apparently are”) and he overhears and is like not like I would want to end up with such an arrogant snob no matter how handsome she looks.

So anyways, they end up going on a few missions together and Jazz gets to see that Jason is actually a really good person who does his best and wants to help everyone so bad. Also, he’s so good with kids and Jazz is 100% sure Danny would love him despite him hating most of her previous boyfriends.

Meanwhile, Jason sees how she keeps taking down the villains faster than him and even takes on some of his that he was handling thank you very much, and assumes she’s being condescending instead of trying to be helpful.

She also talks about school that she’s started and how much she enjoys it because she heard he likes to read but he takes it at a dig at how he never completed his formal education which is a sore spot. She also sometimes completely disregard his suggestion when they go after supernaturals which fair but like super rude?! But it’s just Jazz being used to being in charge and having to wrangle a bunch of go in first, think of a plan later type of people.

(Talia has come by and fed the batfam an edited story of what happened with the pits, which makes Jazz look really shady.)

Danny sees Jazz is completely crushing on this dude and after hearing her talk about him for so long, he’s on board with Jason and also curious to get to know him. Danny tells her to go for it and ask him out. Meanwhile, they each agree to tell Vlad nothing, because he might not be as crazy as he used to be, but he’s still a complete ass.

So at some point, after a mission, she takes Jason aside and asks him out, while insulting his family accidentally (like makes a joke about reserving an extra table for his brothers to spy on them). She means it as a gentle tease, but Jason takes it as a giant insult, since it’s also super true so instead of just saying no, he goes for the snark.

“Thanks and all but I dont date future villains.”

Jazz is fucking insulted. “Ok wow. From what I heard everyone in your family has at least one alternate version of themselves whos a villain, so keep talking shit?!”

“Not even trying to hide your contempt for us now are you?”

“I don’t have contempt for you guys.”

“No? You told Kon he shouldn’t date Tim!”

“That is NOT true! I said to take it slowly while he deals with his identity issues as a clone first to make sure he doesn’t jump into something new while he’s not ready!”

“Yeah, sure. I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with how 'shit at emotions' my family is.”

“Well, it doesn’t help that you’re all emotionally stunted, no!”

“That’s your excuse for Tim, sure. But what about that nice little tale Talia told us?”

“Talia Al Ghul?”

“Yeah. Now why would a hero like yourself cause the complete collapse of a secret organization they should have no knowledge of considering they had arrived in the dimension less than a week ago? I mean, I know they’re assassins and all, but I thought you guys had landed in Smallville, Kansas. That’s a long way to go if you really didn’t have designs on the fucking pits. Did you or did you not burry the pits where no-one except someone who can go invisible and doesn’t need to breathe could access it?”

“I did.”

“And you want to tell me you’re not a villain? You may have everyone else fooled, but I know what you are.”

“Fine,” she says. “If that’s what you want to think. Sorry you had to endure my presence for so long.”

She leaves him a note still, because she knows at least some of the batfam have had contact with the pits. She knows he’s a good person and actually really trustworthy plus how much he cares about children, so she trusts him with Danny’s secret. She explains how Talia and Ra’s have plans with the pits and liminals, and to look out for himself. She tells him to verify with Zantanna if he wants because she’s the one who helped put up the wards to hide Danny’s presence while he recuperates.

Jason is like, ok so maybe she’s not a future villain. So he feels a little bad about his outburst plus dumb about trusting Talia about anything, she’s a liar that is well-known. But he still stands by turning Jazz down coz she is genuinely sort of a snob a lot of times.

After that they go on a few missions together and Jazz acts much better, she actually listens to his feedback even if most of the time she doesn’t need to when it’s supernatural beings. She also seems way less wound-up and doesn’t say a word about how emotionally constipated the bats are, which she used to do way more often. She’s being polite, kind and open to suggestion and Jason is like so maybe I judged a bit fast. He also starts to see how many responsibilities she actually shoulders (Queen Regent, her brother, Justice League stuff) and he’s a little humbled by how well she does it. At some point he meets a Realm Ghost who talks about what a great Queen she is and all that she’s done for them and Jason starts feeling some feelings.

They meet up again for a low-level mission with a supes, it’s like undercover/surveillance about white collar crimes or something, and the vibe between Jazz and Jason is super good until he gets a call.

Damian/Cass end up captured on a mission by the Al Ghuls to experiment on. All the batfam is losing their minds and Jazz is like this is my fault they know about ectoplasm at all, because she trusted them and talked to much while Jason is like no I’m the one who should’ve told them.

Jazz goes and rescue the batkid. In exchange she offers one vial of pure ectoplasm (ecto dejecto) which she was saving for emergency in case she gets injured. She tells the Al Ghuls this is worth all the test subjects “from which you’ll try and extract it and it probably won’t work. So do your crazy experiment on that and leave liminals alone.”

So yeah the designated batkid is rescued (tho they don’t realize by who cause they’re unconscious) and Jazz asks Superman to take the credit for it. Jason learns it was Jazz and feels so guilty and grateful. He bakes/cooks something and goes to thank her. He meets Danny who is super excited to meet him and doesn’t know about the messy rejection coz Jazz didn’t tell him because she thought she might have deserved it a little bit.

So Jason sees how sweet Jazz is with Danny and how much more relaxed she is at home and he’s like ok, so maybe, maybeee I have a feeling about this. Meanwhile, Jazz is still completely gone on him (the man can cook!) and Danny approves. Jazz doesn’t really have the heart to tell him it’s not happening.

All the while, because of Jazz’s connection to the pits the batfam are super suspicious of her and keep making digs at her. Jason feels terrible about it (since she literally saved the batkid) but Jazz just takes it and answers back politely, cause she likes Jason still and doesn’t want to antagonize his family.

Meanwhile, Kon and Tim started dating and the whole batfam are like ‘finally!’ Kon defends Jazz anytime one of the batfam says something about her and they think he’s a little naive but they like him so they stop when he’s there.

Vlad ambushes Jason at some point and tells him he’s not allowed to date Jazz. And Jason is just like “fuck you I do what I want”. He eventually admits to Vlad he isn’t dating her, but when Vlad asks him promise he never will, Jason says “I’m not promising that, she and I can do what we want.”

At some point Jason and Jazz meet together by coincidence, and it’s a little awkward. Jazz has not been able to forget about him, she just likes him a lot so she goes, “I heard Vlad came by.”

“Yeah, what a weirdo.”

“Yeah, Sorry about him.”

“Hey you have to deal with my crazy family, it’s only fair.”

They laugh

“Sorry if this makes you unfomfortable, say the word and I’ll never mention it again, but I can’t help but ask. I still like you a lot and I wanted to know, could you maybe might have changed your mind about a date?”

“Yes. Uh, I mean for the date, yes I’d like to go on one.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I, actually, Um. I like you a lot too?”

So they end up dating and they actually like each other a whole lot. Danny is over the moon, as is Dani. Vlad still thinks Jason isn’t good enough for Jazz. The whole batfam is like wtf, I thought you hated her. Dick is the first to be like gotta make an effort for Little Wing’s girlfriend and ends up thinking she’s actually pretty cool. The rest are slower to follow, and Bruce is snail-pace. Alfred just likes that Jason is happy so he’s all for it.

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rainwingmarvel7 · 4 months

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Ahhh I’m in love with this. Thank you so much @murmel-malt for this wonderful drawing of another one of my GoT OCs, Ren Stark, wielding his trusty greatsword, Frostbite!

He’s the son of Robb Stark and my OC Nadya Stark, and after the end of the show becomes Lord of Winterfell and King in the North (with Sansa as his regent)!

I love him so much, and this artwork is seriously amazing!!!

#game of thrones #got #game of thrones oc #got oc #ren stark #king in the north #murmel-malt #I can’t stop looking at this #I love it so much #king ren stark #my oc #oc: ren stark #asoiaf oc

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intoamity · 1 year

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Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43010493

It wasn’t a Crown of Fire. Not really. It was The Crown of the Infinite Realms. There is a difference. The Crown of the Infinite Realms was much stronger than the Crowns of Fire- or Ice. or Lightning. Or any one core. It directly superseded them in power and in authority. The wielder of this crown could do far more than simply summon great bursts of fire. The Crown of the Infinite Realms allowed one access to the full spectrum of Cores. Fire, Electricity, Ice, Flora, Night, Light, and more. In effect, it provided one with whatever core they needed and strengthened their innate core. Why then was it only spoken of as The Crown of Fire? As if it weren’t so much more, and there weren’t a number of fire crowns? That was both simple, and complicated. Firstly, Pariah barely used it for anything more than Fire, with it accentuating his already immense Fire Core.

The second reason was politics. The Observants dared not allow a new Pariah. They couldn’t. So, they scrubbed away at the records. They spoke only of the Crown as one of Fire. They needed it to be a rare core so that it was less likely for anyone to seek it out. They needed it to be weaker than it was so it wouldn’t be worth seeking out. They did similar things to the Ring of Rage and any of the other myriads of powers in Pariah’s Keep. That way, there would never be another conqueror or usurper. In their mind, they were keeping peace in the Infinite Realms, so as to allow it to rebuild. In the eyes of Clockwork and other ancients, they were leaving a power vacuum only they could fill.

Regardless, Pariah no longer wore the Crown. That power now fell to Daniel Fenton, known as Danny Phantom. While the young King had been told of the power by his Regent, Frostbite, and his advisor Clockwork, Phantom did not expect it to feel as it did when he placed it on his head during the coronation. It was paradoxical. Like a thousand screams of agony were in harmony with clerical singing. As Phantom wore the crown for the first time, it changed. No longer was it a simple, three-pronged crown worn by a warlord older than the first human empires. Now, it was something more medieval, with six long arches folding into a centerpiece, bespeckled with jewels that Danny couldn’t truly describe. Emerald flames turned to impossibly white clouds of wind and snow.

However, at half a thought, barely even a conscious notice, he could change the Crown to whatever was needed. But it changed him. Phantom didn’t like this fact, but knew mastering all the power at its beck and call was needed in order to control the Crown. Fire burned hot, and he was more volatile in this state, not as stable as other cores due to it being the exact opposite of what he was meant to wield. Fire almost hurt to use, and it made him more violent. More akin to his predecessor. Lightning was better. Due to the nature of how Phantom was formed, it synchronized well- Danny was an exception to the rule in having a core so distinct from his death. Lightning brought him more in line with what other ghosts were like, but more importantly, it brought him energy, and was pleasurable to utilize. Night… Phantom didn’t like using Night. It was cruel, sadistic at its nature- even its Ancient, Nocturne was cruel on his best day. When Phantom trained with the Night Crown, he felt like a man he swore he would never be. Light was the opposite. He felt as though he knew everything, as though he was the ultimate in good. Danny didn’t like using Light either, despite this, as in the same way as its opposite, it robbed him of his humanity- of his ability to recognize his fallibility and ability to be cruel. Light was what a King should aspire to be, but Danny was not ready for it.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

#danny phantom #danny fenton #ghost king au #ghost king danny #pariah dark #clockwork #frostbite #worldbuilding #the ancients #fanfic #dp fanfic #dpfic #writing

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 7 months

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Meet & Greet

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/RuOM5TQ by aggiepuff When Jazz escorted Wonder Woman, Troia, and Wonder Girl to meet with Pandora, Frostbite, and Dora, she didn't expect an invite to movie night with the Bat-Girls. Words: 1390, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 5 of It's All Liminal Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Justice League - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types, Wonder Woman - All Media Types, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (Webcomic) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Diana (Wonder Woman), Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, Jazz Fenton, Maddie Fenton, Jack Fenton (Danny Phantom), Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Kate Kane (DCU), Harper Row, Pandora (Danny Phantom), Frostbite (Danny Phantom), Dorathea "Dora" (Danny Phantom), Bruce Wayne, John Constantine Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Good Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Jack and Maddie Fenton Know Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom, Maddie Fenton is Regent, Jazz is making friends in Gotham, Wonder Woman visits Pandora, John Constantine is So Done, Crack, Silly, Batman will not give up trying to meet King Phantom, maybe third time's the charm?, Danny is an unapologetic Wonder Woman fanboy, One Shot read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/RuOM5TQ

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the caped crusader #the dark knight #dcu #ao3 #ao3feed

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travelcenter-uk · 3 years

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Places in London to visit that doesn’t feel like the Capital!

One of London’s best things is that it’s very diverse and doesn’t always look or feel like London. There are plenty of things to do and places in London to visit, but sometimes it can be overwhelming to pick out one particular place. When it comes to travelling in London, it’s easy to go about doing the same old routines and hanging out in our go-to spots. Whether it’s a night out with the girls at a groovy night club or chilling with the boys at a local pub, or strolling around the city with your significant other in usual comfort zones.

Yes, we as humans are creatures of habit, and tend to do the everyday, recurring things. But I think you’ll agree with me when I say that it is good to mix up things every now and then! Luckily, there are places in London to visit, which are full of surprises and fascinating escapes that will give your regular travel routine a good appal. And it’s bound to make you feel you’ve travelled miles away from the city. Here’s a list of unique places in London to visit that might not look or feel like it! Try something out of the box, something inspirational, and it can be in your own back yard!

Little Venice

Where are you? In Venice, Italy

Have you always wanted to visit Venice and take a romantic gondola ride, but never had the chance? Well, the good news is that you can have the same experience right at home in Little Venice! This lovely hidden gem and an eccentric area located in a suburban area of Maida Vale in North London. It is swarming with colourful houseboats and quaint cafes. Nestled between the Great Union Canal and Regent’s Canal. Little Venice is one of the most popular places in London to visit that will make you feel that you’re not in London! Take a boat trip in Little Venice as you cruise down the canal that mimics the Venetian lagoon and the romantic gondola ride.

Kew Gardens

Where are you? In Japan

My next choice is the Kew Gardens, the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site in London and the perfect escape from the city’s rush. The gardens are home to the most diverse collection of living plants globally, and it’s the perfect place for a day out. Discover beautiful Japanese sculpted landscape, the iconic Palm House and its exotic rainforest. I’m certain that a visit to this place will have you imagine that you’re on a getaway in Japan, finding your inner Zen in a peaceful setting.

Vertical Chill

Where are you? Climbing Mt. Everest

Feel like going on an extreme mountaineering experience, but you’re stuck in London? Don’t worry, there’s just the solution to your cold whim! Swap the icy climes of Mt. Everest for Covent Garden instead, where you’ll find, Vertical Chill an imposing tall wall of ice, just waiting to be conquered. It offers the same rush and all the exhilaration without the risk of frostbite and frozen meals.

Ruislip Lido

Where are you? In the Mediterranean

Out of the places in London to visit, Ruislip Lido is my absolute favourite! Well, maybe it’s because I love me some sunshine and this is the perfect place to soak in some rays! Okay, yes, I know that London’s sunshine is not as strong as the Mediterranean’s rays, but you can still find that quiet beach vibes. Ruislip Lido is a large lake surrounded by golden sand, making it a wonderful place for sunbathers, long walks and picnics.

Crystal Palace Park Dinosaur Sculptures

Where are you? In Indonesia

When you’re travelling in London, make sure to pay a visit to the Crystal Palace Park. This will be a superb activity for the kids! This park is a Victorian theme park located in south-east London. However, the park consists of 30 palaeontological statues, five geological displays, and Indo-like landscape. The not-so-accurate collection of concrete lizards are scattered around the park’s lakes, for kids of all ages to enjoy!

Leighton House Museum

Where are you? In Turkey

Yes! You’ll definitely have the Turkish vibes with its bold Middle-Eastern decor, and warm ambience. Leighton House Museum is named as the place ‘where east meets west’. It is located in the heart of Kensington, London. This was once a home of artist Frederic, Lord Leighton and is the product of an artistic vision that ran wild. The museum is filled with paintings of the artist. But it’s the ‘Arab Hall’ that’s the real deal, a large domed room covered in tiles and mosaics will make you forget which continent you’re in.

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Where are you? In India

Popularly known as the ‘Neasden Temple’, is a Hindu worship place located at a beautiful setting and is one of the biggest Hindu temples outside India. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir isn’t on every tourist’s ��must-visit’ list but is one of the best places in London to visit. It was built out of Bulgarian limestone and Italian marble, carved by hand in India before assembling it in London. When you enter the temple, filled with beautiful carvings and shrines of Hindu deities, you’ll instantly feel you’re on Indian soil.

Best sightseeing spots when travelling in London

These locations below have become some of the unique places in London to visit famous for the most unusual views in the city. From marvellous architecture, street art to beautiful gardens. Not forgetting that these are some of the most Instagrammable spots in the Capital.

Frank’s Café, Peckham

Girl with A Dolphin, St. Katherine’s Docks

Churchill Arms, Kensington

The Sky Garden, Fenchurch Street

The Light-Up Tunnel, King’s Cross

Leake Street, Waterloo

The Great Hall at the British Museum, Holborn

The Staircase, Renaissance Hotel at St. Pancras

Baker Street Underground Station

The Cineworld at West India Quay

How many of these sightseeing spots in London have you seen? Let me know in the comments below!

Read More:- Places in London to visit that doesn’t feel like the Capital!

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright):- Travel Center UK Blog

#london #travel #little venice #Kew Gardens #Vertical Chill #Ruislip Lido #Crystal Palace Park Dinosaur Sculptures #Leighton House Museum #Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

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gailynovelry · 4 years

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Writeblr Life Week — Characters

So, I am of the firm belief that a character that doesn’t serve the needs of the story needs to be axed immediately. So while my Shadow Herald series has a lot of named characters, most of them appear more than once, and their relationships string out as a complicated spider-web mesh of trust and mistrust, protection and vengeance.

It’s easiest for me to sort the characters of Shadow Herald into factions with their opposing wants and needs.

Firstly, you have the gods. They tend to dictate the factions farther down the line.

Gardhe: The sun god, and an arrogant bastard who killed 99% of the other gods so that he could be the sole god of Rhimn. He rules Gadhi. As the fei were an accidental consequence of him killing the other gods, he’s annoyed that they exist in the first place.

The Romne: are the twin gods of the seasons, and are aligned with the fei. Fraihz is the god of winter. Thah is the god of summer. They’re not really fighters, but they are the most patient gods, and use their gifts of prophecy to calculate their next moves.

Alluari: Goddess of the moon and the rain. She rules over Ullua, the desert. She survived Gardhe’s genocidal whims by being his equal in combat, and despite resenting him, has brokered a peace treaty with him so that Ullua and Gadhi can trade with each other.

Silamir: The long-presumed-dead goddess of death, rebirth, and wine. She spent an awful lot of time trapped within the confines of her two remaining temples, and she spent most of it

The Irongardhe are the ruling order of Gadhi. They’re more or less the main antagonists.

Regent Elaina: Gardhe’s Herald. A Herald is more or less a god’s sole high priest. They’re like a queen on a chessboard — powerful to weild, and devastating to lose. She lives in Gadhi’s capital, Talimour, but if she didn’t have so many political obligations, she would be hunting down Vaerin and weeding out the fei herself.

Atevia and Jeidhe: Two of the many knighted nobles that serve the Regent.

There are some Gadhian citizens that aren’t directly Irongardhe or revolutionaries in the Shadow War (Or not at first, anyway).

Ma & Evain Crimsworth: Crislie’s family.

Inkantik: The closest thing Vaerin has to a grandparent. Has a long and rich history as a denounced nobleman, but for the moment, he works as a florist. He also runs a safe house for fei to stay at, either because they’re hiding from the Irongardhe or because they desperately need to be smuggled out of Talimour.

Courtfather Snow: Runs the Frostbiters, one of the feirie Courts that do their best to survive Talimour’s slums. He and Mepari are… at odds, to put it mildly.

Gilde: Mepari’s sibling and Snow’s favorite kid. Kind of a jerk, kind of charming, runs on constant improv mode.

Charlan: A shopkeeper in the Reaches. Tries to get along with every Court at once, and somehow succeeds. Taught Mepari how to read.

There are also the revolutionaries and neutral parties. I can list them, but most don’t pop up in the first book, and I can’t give much detail without spoiling the books after Shadow Herald.

Revolutionaries: Ainzel, Morekai, The Crone (Thah’s Herald), the Wolfmaster, Russet.

Neutral Parties: The Matrius (Alluari’s Herald and ruler of Ullua), Prince Alaezel, Photesie (?).

Good Creatures: Daughi (a direwolf), Lankie (also a direwolf), Lethos (weird little albino crow)

Lastly, that leaves us our protagonists — Vaerin, Crislie, and Mepari.

Vaerin, The Shadow Herald: Vaerin wants a sense of personal agency, and freedom from the mysterious voice in her head. She desperately needs some rest and respite after all she’s been dragged through. At the same time, she is resigned to the fact that this rest is not coming anytime soon. It makes her a bit bitter and complacent at times. Due to Silamir’s invasive influence, she has her fair share of intimacy issues, and worries faintly about being too weak to deserve survival. There’s no end to her dry-witted jabs. Caution is her game, but despite that, she possesses a keen sense of empathy.

Crislie Crimsworth: Crislie is an in-the-moment person who wants a bit of adventure and to see the world. She loathes the idea of being tied to one place or path in life, and while she lives with the vague notion that most people are pleasant folk until proven otherwise, she suspects there is some exciting evil out there for her to vanquish. If there’s anything out there that she hasn’t seen, she wants to see it. She is generally upbeat and often oblivious to the consequences of thrusting herself into danger up until they smack her in the face — a fact that worries Vaerin to no end. She would fight a god if she could.

Mepari of the Frostbiters: Mepari has an independent nature spurred on by a history of taking care of himself in the absence of anyone to personally parent him. Despite his protests otherwise, he really does desire platonic intimacy and emotional warmth. Unfortunately, the ‘intimacy-wanting’ thing doesn’t jive well with the guarded atmosphere of the Reaches, where anyone could suffer a bad encounter with the Irongardhe any day. This Mep is snarky, world-weary, and yet still childish in certain ways — his sense of justice is keen and absolute.

Because of my “minimal character” philosophy all my side-stories have very few characters, especially since they are all stand-alones and not very far along in their process.

Mind Hive has Avery, the main character, Bruce and Natalia, the secondary mains, Vertigo the AI, Avery and Bruce’s unnamed families, and by technicality, the various groups which are hunting Avery down for their own agendas.

She Sells Seashells really only has the main characters, Zuri and Melusine.

Coliseum has only Vev, Fern, and the Sorcerer King that stands against them.

#writeblr life week #writeblr #characters #wip #fantasy #Shadow Herald

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quillovesdbz · 6 years

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Week 4 Submission for @tpthvegebulmayhem (3/3) Chapters: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Chapter 7: Deadly Conclusion

Rating: M

Genre: Cloak and Dagger, Fantasy, Fairytale AU, Dark Fiction, Mystery,

TW: Psychological abuse, physical abuse, homophobic ideology, depiction of intellectual disability, vomiting, depiction of sickness, strong language, revenge violence, major character death

Summary: Bulma is saved! The traitors pay for their crimes. Yamcha has a slight mix up. Bulma discovers a new secret, and Vegeta breaks his promise to the Duchess Suno.

It was early morning when Bulma was pulled violently from her bed. She had crusted vomit on her cracked and dry lips. Her hair was a sticky, greasy mess. And worst of all, she smelled like death. She was a living ghost, the result of two weeks starvation added to freezing cold temperatures and an unknown illness to boot. She had never been worse for wear.

Toma picked the nasty, scummy skeleton from her hay bed and threw her over his shoulder. What a sick way to die. And Bardock had doomed her to this fate. Toma knew her crimes. She cross dressed and nothing more, maybe lay with the prince but that wasn't likely. She didn't deserve the punishment she got, at least not in Toma’s eyes. He shot a quick glance at Bardock. He was cuffed on both wrists and bolted to the wall. He was stripped of the fancy garb he wore and now had only a long white shirt that barely covered his manhood. Toma mourned the Bardock he once knew, but that Bardock was no more.

…

Vegeta paced back and forth in his chambers. What would he do? How would she ever forgive him? Would she be well? Prisoners were known to catch cold and die in their sleep in the winter. He prayed she was strong enough to survive. What was he thinking? Of course she was strong enough… she was the strongest woman he knew…

There was a knock at his door.

His heart racing, he opened it up. Toma. And? A foul smelling skeleton of a woman he once knew. Toma pushed his way past the king and laid the woman on the bed. She was still, her eyelids at half mast. Vegeta could barely stand to look at her in such a state.

“Who did this to her?” he demanded. When Toma fell silent, he didn't know what to say, the king became furious.

“WHO DID THIS TO HER?!” He yelled, grasping the plainclothes clad general by the chest. The look in the king's eyes was that of a madman. The veins in his neck and temples bulged with anger. Vegeta's eyes began to swell with liquid. He was so furious he had started to cry.

Toma looked down to the floor.

“Bardock ordered her arrest. I was only following orders.” the tall general explained. Though he was outraged, he knew this wasn't Toma’s fault. The regent had superior power than the prince, at the time of her arrest. It was within his power to keep such a thing from the prince, even though it may not have been morally acceptable.

“Her charges?” he interrogated, fists shaking with the rush of adrenaline.

“Cross dressing, sodomy, lewd and lascivious behavior, and… witchcraft. Although I don't know the basis of the last accusation.”

“Accusation? Who accused-" he almost finished when he remembered a certain blue haired kitchen rat that had walked in in them that fateful day. The day of her arrest.

The king dropped his fists from his grasp on Toma. He turned to the unconscious woman on his bed. He pressed his ungloved fingers to her neck. Weak, but she still had a pulse.

“Send for the best physician in the kingdom. I am going to get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible.”

…

“This is by far the worst case of neglect I've ever seen. Where did you find this woman?” the physician was a short man with light hair, and his eyes told the story that he was much older than he looked.

“She was wrongfully sentenced and placed in our prisons. The care of criminals is not of utmost concern to those in power.” Toma replied bluntly.

The old man understood his explanation and began to get to work. She was severely malnourished, her stomach sunk low and her ribs were visible to count. She was pale white and nearly translucent. Her toes, ears and the tips of her fingers had early signs of frostbite. Her small toe on her left foot was dark, it had already begun to decay. He noticed signs of vomit on her mouth and determined she may have contracted a cold or worse, pneumonia.

She had begun to lose hair because of the lack of care and not getting enough nutrients.

The doctor contemplated given her morphine to lessen her pain, but he was sure it would kill her due to her weight. Instead, he ordered that the girl be fed hardtack biscuit soaked in water or milk, as many times as she could stand. And if she had energy to chew, fruits, vegetables and cured meats for balance.

Toma agreed to the order and immediately went to the kitchens to fetch some maids for the task.

…

The king had one thing and one thing only on his mind. Destroy the maiden Marron. As the prince, he was known for his downright evil scowls. There was almost never a time his brow wasn't pushed together in anger. Today, as the King, he had the blackest look he ever had. His eyes, though deep brown, burned with the fury of a thousand fires. His stride was confident, furious and ambitious. He was ready to inflict real punishment.

As he rounded the corner to the kitchen he saw her. Her long blue hair disgusted him, the fact that she looked so similar to his Bulma disgusted him. He approached her swiftly, catching her by surprise.

“The prince will never know,” he whispered in her ear.

Marron felt a stinging chill run down her spine as she knew it to be the King standing directly behind her. She froze in fear. Her entire body stiffened, her mind was blank, and her heart had never beat so rapidly. She felt as if she could die, then and there. But she would not have that luxury.

Vegeta twisted his gloved fingers through her hair, anchoring himself. Then he pulled so hard that several large chunks came out, and the girl was forced to the floor. She yelped in agony.

“But the King knows now. And I will make good on my promise to you.” and then he kicked her hard, in the ribs, she could not scream, she only felt the air from her lungs be forcibly expelled from her body. She gasped for breath, but it was only let in with tiny bursts. Even more so now, she felt like she could die. And again, she would be afforded that luxury.

The King picked her up by the collar of her apron, choking her. He turned her face toward himself. She was a pitiful sight, and he knew she felt remorse for her actions. But remorse was not enough punishment. He wanted her to see what she'd done to Bulma. And after, he wanted her to share the same fate. So with a firm grasp on her collar, he drug her out of the kitchen and headed toward his chambers.

…

It had been several weeks since Bulma and the prince left for the castle. There were whispers of a coronation, and an unexpected arrest that happened at the coronation. Yamcha knew it had to her, though why would he have kept her in the castle for nearly a month before her arrest? His mind went to dark places when he thought about it.

There wasn't a day that went by that the children didn't ask about Bulma. And each time Yamcha had no idea what to say. Once, Goku told Launch that Bulma was in prison and she would never come back. Yamcha had the most trouble that day, trying calm her down. Launch thought of Bulma as her mother, and Yamcha was a most shitty replacement. He'd never had such a difficult time with them as he did without Bulma. But she left him in this predicament. And for that he was almost glad she was serving her time.

…

Bulma was only partly conscious when Vegeta and Marron had arrived. She noticed that Marron was crying profusely, and held her sides in pain. She also noticed that the girl had large chunks of hair missing from her head, not unlike herself. Bulma lacked the energy to even greet them.

Toma had passed the two on his way to kitchen and informed the King of the doctor's orders. He would be arriving back shortly with another kitchen staff and the necessary food.

Vegeta had Marron by her collar in one hand, and moved closer to Bulma so he could put his other hand on hers.

“I am so sorry,” Marron sobbed at the sight of her once friend.

Bulma was highly confused as to what was happening. She mustered as much energy as she could to ask what was going on. “What is happening?” she breathed, directing the question to Vegeta.

“Shh, rest. I will explain it all when you are lucid.”

She wasn't entirely sure if she could trust him, he had gone back and forth between her enemy and her lover so many times. But she had no choice this time, so she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

…

“Attention Citizens!! In one weeks time, there will be a public execution!! All citizens are invited to attend, and encouraged to ridicule the prisoner as much as possible. Their crimes include murder and conspiracy, and even betrayal and treason! Bring the children for extra hands to throw rotten produce!”

Yamcha stared wide eyed at the poster advertising an execution. His heart sunk when he knew. It had now been three months since Bulma was taken from her home and her family. He hoped she had been comfortable for that time. But this… this was madness. He felt his rage boil within his chest. He had to do something. Anything! She was a good person, an innocent woman just providing for her family. He had to do something. So he went to a man he knew would give him sage advice, Master Roshi.

“I see. You want to stage a rescue for this woman, who you love.”

“Well I'm not in love with her, but she has a family and she's innocent!” Yamcha corrected the old man.

“Well I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll help you. I'd go to the ends of the earth if it meant you would get a nice piece of tail!” the old man said with a cackle.

Yamcha sighed. Hopeless. He lamented.

“I would rather not involve the boys, in case we get caught… they will be the only ones left to care for their siblings.” Yamcha said, worried the old master would want to include them. They were strong, there was no doubt about that. But the risk was far greater than the reward. I'm sorry Bulma, he thought as realized he had equated her to ‘the reward’.

…

Bulma had been recovering for nearly two months, though she was still having trouble keeping her food down. The new King had waited on her hand and foot. He told her every day how sorry he was for his harsh words, and how he would never let her go again. She was glad to hear it, but she stayed angry with him for some time. He broke her heart, and it wasn't easily repaired. But in the last couple weeks her mood had vastly changed. She thought it was a side effect of her new found energy, though his spoiling may have had an effect as well. She was beginning to remember what it felt like to love him. And she could picture herself doing so once again.

She lay in his bed, relishing the scent of lavender and the feel of fine satin sheets. She smiled in delight and thanked God for saving her. She would surely have been dead if she was not rescued when she was.

There was a tap at the door before it opened to reveal the old physician. She had called him for a very specific reason, and hoped he had the answer.

“Miss Briefs,” he greeted her with a bow she surely did not deserve.

“Oh please I am no lady nor anyones wife. Just call me Bulma.”

“Yes of course. You said you had some concerns?”

“Yes, though I have been gaining weight and energy rapidly, I still vomit almost daily. This illness is not related to my neglect in the prison.”

“Yes it seems you are right. For a woman you are very well educated in medicine. When was the last time you menstruated?”

Bulma heard his last word and her stomach began to feel ill once again. It couldn't be. But it could! She placed a hand on her abdomen.

“I… I can't remember.” She admitted truthfully. “Alright, dear, I'm sure you can put two and two together for a diagnosis, but to make sure…” He pulled what Bulma identified as a stethoscope from his medical bag. He placed the long wooden tube to her abdomen, and laid his ear on the other end.

“And there is the proof. A tiny heartbeat as clear as day. May God bless you with a healthy and happy child. For the remainder of your ailment I will check on you frequently. Please stay in bed as much as possible to ensure your health as well.”

Bulma had thought it a possibility once before. But she quickly put it out of her mind.

Now, this was real. She would birth the king’s child. She was terrified to tell him.

…

When the time came for the public execution, Goku would not take no for an answer. And then Tien and Krillin began to beg. All three boys were hitting and kicking Yamcha, screaming at the top of their lungs. They wanted in on the rescue mission, and the more he said no, the more they protested.

“Who will care for the girls and Oolong if we are caught? They need you, more than anything. You cannot come.” the scar faced boy insisted.

But they insisted back, threatening to come anyway and execute their own rescue plan, though it was likely much less thought out than his.

If only to stop their incessant crying and attacks, he caved in.

“Ok,” he said. “But if things turn sour, promise me you will run. Even if I'm in trouble, leave.”

The boys immediately stopped and nodded their heads.

Yamcha knew this was a bad idea, but maybe they could be of some help.

…

So the two men and three boys made their way to the town, to the execution. They were dressed in their plainclothes, so as to not draw attention. They adopted the role of participants for the execution they believed to be of their dear friend and sister. Goku carried a basket of overly ripe tomatoes. “So we just throw these at Bulma?” he asked.

“No! Not actually! Just pretend!” Yamcha whisper yelled at the boy.

“Oh!” Goku said confidently, as if he knew exactly what Yamcha was saying. “What does pretend mean, Yamcha?” Goku asked, completely undermining his so confident expression of understanding.

Yamcha feared their plan would not work, but he had no choice.

…

Marron was roused early on the day of her execution. Because of her crimes the king sentenced her to public humiliation before being hung. The same fate was to befall Bardock, the once trusted regent and long time friend of the crown.

It was a cold morning, it had just snowed the night before. It was a wonder Marron had lasted this long, but then again she did not suffer from the ailment of pregnancy like Bulma did. Marron’s feet and most of her fingers had succumbed to frost bite she was beginning to develop an infection in one foot. She was thinner than before, but not emaciated. She was able to keep her food down, most of the time.

Bardock had the constitution of an ox. He was hardly different at all, save for slightly skinnier and a small amount of frostbite on his toes. He had found it easy to keep himself warm by using the friction of rubbing his hands together, and placing them on any part of his body that felt numb. He lost some sleep over the cold, but not much. It was enough to conjure dark circles under his eyes.

He tried so hard to provoke Broly to his favor. But the tall burly man would not budge. It saddened him to see his friend and father figure in such a state, but his conviction to performing his job as close to perfect as humanly possible. Even though he had no one to make proud of him if he lost Bardock, he still honored his duties.

Bardock was not pleased with this behavior. No matter what he bargained or promised, he never got what he wanted. Even when all he wanted was an extra blanket.

Bardock awoke to Toma, fully armored, pulling him by the hair on his head.

The two criminals were brought to the streets and cuffed to a horse drawn carriage, led by a single armored soldier. The two had no shoes, and only their dirty prison shifts on. The roads were muddy with partially melted snow. It was freezing cold outside, where most were wearing several warm layers of clothes, the criminals did not. The wind howled an agonizing cry. Today was the day.

Yamcha and the others could see the prisoners beginning their road to the gallows. One tall, black haired man, and one short blue haired girl. Bulma! Yamcha squinted to get a better look but alas they were too far away still.

…

Vegeta wantonly dressed in front of her. She was the intruder in his bedroom, even though he wanted her there. So he used his room as he usually did, and that included stripping naked to bathe, and dress. She admired his physique, every crevasse in his sinew was delicately carved, as if he was made of marble. The small white scars on his body made him even more handsome to her, a symbol of his strength and perseverance. She reminisced the only time their bodies had connected, and wanted so badly to relive those moments. With the news, of course, they would have to wait until it was safe for the baby. Which made her want him even more.

When he turned his head to glance at her, he noticed the look in her eyes. It was that of insatiable hunger, the craving call of a lioness in heat. He smiled slightly at her vulgarity.

“Go easy on her,” Bulma pled for the small girl who would lose her life today. “Make it quick and painless. For him too, afterall he raised you.” Her bleeding heart had gotten the best of her as she begged her king for his mercy on them.

Vegeta looked down to the ground and finished lacing his tall black boots. He said nothing, but nodded to her as he left the room.

…

In the street the cries and shouts of the entire kingdom could be heard. The people were like wild animals, calling names and throwing food all about. They enjoyed the spectacle, however disgusting and uncivilized it may be.

When Yamcha and the old master had attempted to make their way to the front to see their friend, they were kicked and shoved out of the way. This angered them both, and a fists were thrown. A fight broke out among the citizens in the confusion, and it spread like wildfire. Soon the entire street was in an all out brawl, people were hitting and kicking people they didn't even know, and in turn those people hit back. It had gone from riotous fun in one instant, to actual full on riot the next.

Yamcha decided the boys needed to leave, he could carry this out on his own.

“Roshi!” he yelled as loudly as he could, the crowd drowning out his voice. The old master turned to him and acknowledged the call.

“Take the boys and get out! This is my burden to bear!”

And although the old hermit hesitated, he accepted the order and scooped the boys up.

Yamcha tried to watch and make sure they made it out of the violent pit, but he lost sight of them. He hoped for the best, and swiftly took a dive into the crowd, toward the gallows.

…

When Vegeta arrived to the large wooden structure, aptly named the gallows, he was shocked at what he saw. His people were behaving like animals. They were turning on each other, and even his own guards. It was a horrible mess, an it was a wonder that the prisoners actually made it to their destination, and not gotten stomped into the cold mud.

They were escorted onto the platform, where the executioner placed the nooses on their necks. Bardock was solemn and said nothing. Marron was inconsolable, every cry seemed to choke her. It was pitiful, but to Vegeta and most of the kingdom, they were getting what they deserved.

The horns blew in rapid succession in attempts to gain the crowd's attention. The mob calmed down dramatically as the anticipated the main attraction.

The executioner read from a scroll each prisoner's crimes and their punishment before reciting their last rights.

Finally, they were asked for any final words.

Bardock remained silent, his eyes dark and face hollow. He was already dead on the inside, and he prayed for death to come quickly.

Marron chose to deny her crimes.

“I am innocent, as God is my witness. He will harken to me with open arms,” she recited through ugly sobs.

Yamcha had made his way to the structure, just in time to hear her voice. And he knew this woman could not be Bulma. Though they shared a hair color, her voice was completely wrong. He began to wonder what was going on.

The king gave a nod to his black clad executioner, who nodded back.

And as if in slow motion…

Their bodies fell hard, snapping their neck in harmony, like fragile glass slippers.

And they were gone…

…

After it was all said and done, Yamcha shoved his way to the king. There were many guards who held him back, but he shouted and pushed still.

“Vegeta! Prince Vegeta!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. It was just barely loud enough and disrespectful enough to catch the king's attention.

He turned his head toward the boy. He recognized him as Yamcha, the boy who had helped him when Nappa was dying. And who helped bury him as well. This peaked his interest so he signalled his guards to let the boy through.

“Where is she?!” he demanded.

The king was not in the mood to correct his atrocious behavior, so instead he said, “Follow me.” And the two headed back toward the castle.

…

Bulma had fallen asleep shortly after her king had left. She awoke to the sound of the chamber door opening…

Vegeta entered, in all his glory, and made his way to her side. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

“ You… have a visitor..” he said to her.

Even in their intimate moments, he refused to relax his scowl. But she didn't mind.

“A visitor?” She inquired.

Just then she saw Yamcha enter the room. She had never felt such happiness in her life. She was so grateful to be in that room at that very moment, and not swinging from a rope like her less fortunate friend.

...

They talked for what seemed like hours. She told him every detail of her stay, including her stay in the cells. And he told her all about what was happening back home, though it wasn't quite as exciting.

And when the time was right, she broke the news to both Vegeta and Yamcha. And together they celebrated their happy endings…

But there was one person in the castle who was not celebrating.

…

Suno had packed her bags, and gathered Zarbon to head back to France. She was tired of waiting for the king, and the fact that he had a whore in his bed every night since they had become engaged had angered her to no end.

In the middle of the night, the duchess and her ambassador fled the kingdom.

…

Several weeks later, Frieza declared war on the kingdom of Sadala. He was outraged that the new king would play around with his niece, only to break off the engagement and send her home like used tissue.

The king had a choice to make. Rally his army and lead them to victory, or stay with his heavily pregnant lover, and risk not being with his men.

He chose the former, thinking it would be wise to be with his men to boost their morale. Never had a battle been lost when the king fought side by side with his men. And this was no exception.

The war raged on at the French border for nearly seven months. The weather had gone from winter to spring, spring to summer, and summer to fall. It was nearing time for the arrival of his son.

…

Long ago, Vegeta had made the mistake of deciding to bring Bulma to the castle. It was a decision that would ultimately lead to her death, and that was true. While her king was away there were many complications with her pregnancy. For the last two weeks she bled near constantly. The physicians and midwives watched her round the clock. And then he decided to come early.

Trunks was born to his mother nearly three weeks too soon. He was small, and beautiful, with eyes just like his mother's. She fawned over him. Her very own baby, a perfect amalgam of herself and her lover. And the doctor had declared him healthy. His head was covered in light lavender hair, a feature that would be sure to please his father. His tiny premature hands grasped at her breast when she fed him. And he ate ravenously, just like hia father. She hoped one day, he could learn to be gentle and intelligent like her, but courageous and confident like his father. She hoped that he would learn and become a great scholar… and that he wouldn't have to bear the burden of taking the throne at such an early age… like his father. She sighed as she brushed her hand on his uniquely soft face. She had never seen anything more perfect.

In three short days, she was dead. The doctors declared it death due to childbirth. She looked like a porcelain doll, motionless and pale. She had faded in her sleep, due to significant blood loss. It was both a beautiful and horrific sight.

The first to know were her family. The message took much longer to get to King Vegeta.

…

Victory. They had pushed back the French and won the war. Vegeta had slain the emperor on an open battlefield, for all to see. The French soldiers submitted to him immediately.

It was over.

He could go home.

…

When he arrived home he wanted to see her, and their son. When he opened his chamber doors there was nothing. No Bulma in his bed, no son in the bassinet. His servants surrounded him, headed by the general Toma. Their somber faces said it all. She was gone.

She was gone.

Gone.

His pained and blood chilling scream echoed through the silent halls. Even in the furthest reaches of the castle, servants heard his anguished wails.

Gone.

She was gone.

…

It took a very long time for him to overcome his depression. Sometimes the sight of his beautiful son worsened the condition, sometimes he lessened it. But one thing was for sure. Trunks was all he had left of her. And King Vegeta would ensure he would protect the boy with everything he had. And when Trunks was old enough, Vegeta told him the story of his mother. A tragedy to be sure, with a bittersweet fairytale ending.

The end

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