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tricksters-captain · 3 years

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Weasley Twins/Cedric Diggory Imagines - Accidental Meeting - Part 9

AN: Thank you for all being patient with me! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday!

Overall Summary: (Y/n), is a young witch who always kept her head down due to her complicated past; one day she bumps quite literally into one of the most popular boys in Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory, and that’s when (Y/n)’s plan of keeping her head down seems to go up into the air. Things only seem to worsen when two redheaded twins start to take notice too...

This Chapter: (Y/n) spends time with Cedric just before the Christmas break before getting a Christmas surprise...

(MASTERLIST HERE)

Pairing(s): Cedric Diggory x Reader, (Eventual) George Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Fred Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Oliver Wood x Reader

Word Count: 4,134

Warnings: None, lots of fluff

“Slow down, Lauren!” A couple of first years shouting at each other ran threw you and Oliver as you walked down the corridor.

“Got to love the Christmas excitement.” Oliver chuckled at their behaviour and you just rolled your eyes.

The whole castle seemed to be filled with excitement. Christmas was right around the corner and so was the upcoming Quidditch match between Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor.

“Meanwhile I can’t wait for this castle to empty out.” You admitted as you shifted your scarf tighter around your neck.

“You know, when everyone leaves for the holidays so does lover boy.” Oliver smirked, referencing to Cedric.

“I really hope Ravenclaw wins tomorrow.” You changed the subject to purposefully annoy the boy.

“That’s slander, you know. You could be kicked out of the house just for thinking that.” Oliver retorted.

“Oh calm down, Wood.” You linked arms with the boy to draw some of his warmth. “The game may be cancelled due to the heavy snowfall anyway.”

“That would be even worse.” Oliver frowned, turning his head to look past you at the falling snow.

You spotted Cedric up ahead and he smiled brightly at you to which you returned.

You were meeting up this evening to spend some time together before the Christmas break, not that Oliver knew that.

“Remind me to hide the mistletoe.” Oliver teased you as he caught the direction of your smile.

“You are worse than Fred and George and that’s saying something.” You pulled your arm away from the boy and he quickly relinked your arms laughing at your irritation.

“They’re still not over your last snow fight, you know?” Oliver reminded you of the snow fight at Hogsmeade and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Sore losers.” You chuckled, shaking your head at the memory of them drenched in snow.

Then just on cue, the twins came up behind you both.

“You excited for Christmas, (Y/n)?” Fred asked as he joined you and Oliver.

“I can’t wait. I won’t have to see your ugly faces.” You retorted to the twins with a wink.

“You’ll miss us.” George shook his head at you.

“Yeah! Just wait and see how boring it is around here without us.” Fred added.

“Did you mean how peaceful it’s going to be?” You teased the boys as you came to the Gryffindor common room entrance.

Inside the common room was crowded.

The snow and cold weather had driven everyone inside and with the holidays right round the corner, all the students were eager to spend time with each other before they have to leave for a couple of weeks.

“Where you off to, (y/n)?” George asked as you went for the girls dorm stairs.

“You really don’t want to spend the last few days of term with your favourite people?” Fred took hold of your arm to stop you.

“Haven’t you guys got practise for the quidditch match tomorrow?” You cocked your eyebrows at the boys.

“Can’t practise until the snow slows.” Oliver grumbled.

“It’s heaving out here.” You gestured around to the surrounding students.

“You’re not scared of a little social interaction, are ya, Seyler?” Fred teased you, pulling you towards some free chairs in the corner of the common room.

“(Y/n), not Seyler.” George nudged his brother, correcting him since you were in a large group of people.

“Thank you, George.” You pulled your arm away from Fred and linked arms with George instead.

“So, has your uncle sent your presents over yet?” Oliver changed the subject as you all sat.

“He sent a couple of owls over the past couple days with parcels. I’ve tucked them under my bed for now.” You explained.

“Wood won’t tell us what he’s got you.” Fred whined as he looked in between you and Oliver.

“Thinks we’ll tell you.” George laughed.

“You probably would.” You defended Oliver as you looked up at the red headed twin, his brown eyes staring straight back down at you.

George rolled his eyes and looked up over at his twin who wore a similar expression.

“Look, guys, it’s so loud in here. I want to get changed before supper too.” You rose from your chair and peered over at the stairs.

“Got a date or something that you’re not telling us about?” Fred wiggled his eyebrows and you shoved his shoulder lightly with your elbow.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You then excused yourself to go get changed.

You spent longer than you would have liked trying to pick something to wear. You ended up going to supper with Oliver and the twins as per usual and you walked back to the common room with them as you and Cedric weren’t due to meet until 8pm.

“Where are you running off to?” Oliver asked as you packed up your parchment and books. You had been studying with him in the common room as you waited for the time to pass.

“The library.” You lied quickly before you rushed to dump your stuff and leave.

You checked your hair one last time in the mirror before escaping the dorms and the common room.

“Hi.” Cedric smiled widely as the door closed behind you.

“Hi.” You smiled back.

“Come on... I have a surprise.” Cedric offered his hand and you took it, furrowing your eyebrows at him with curiosity.

“Where are you taking me, Mr Diggory?” You laughed quietly as he lead you forward down the stairs.

You felt yourself drop Cedric’s hand when you spotted a couple of young Gryffindor students coming up the stairs.

Cedric looked down at where he had lost your hand but didn’t say anything.

You walked slower behind Cedric as you carefully watched the students disappear.

“Shit.” You cursed as the stairs below your feet started to grind to move.

“Jump!” Cedric was already on the other set of stairs.

“What?” You scoffed in disbelief at the boy.

“Come on!” He encouraged you as the stairs started to move.

You were already in the air before you realised what you were doing.

Cedric’s hands caught your forearms as you felt yourself collide with the boy.

“I can’t believe you actually jumped.” Cedric chuckled in amusement as he held you against him to keep you sturdy.

“I trust you too much.” You groaned as you pulled away from him, your cheeks burning from the previous closeness.

“Good. Because I’m gonna need you to trust me tonight.” Cedric took your hand and lead you away before you could argue.

Cedric lead you outside the castle to which you were very confused by this time as it was dark and you knew you would both be in trouble if caught, prefect or not.

“I need you to drink this.” Cedric pulled out a small bottle from his pocket.

“Cedric, the last person I know who drank an unknown substance by the male species ended up blacking out and not remembering what happened.” You stared at him flatly.

“You said you trust me?” He rose his eyebrows at you before taking a swig himself then handing it over.

“What is it?” You asked, raising it to your lips slowly.

“It’ll let you see in the dark.” Cedric told you.

“Why do I need to see in the dark?” You asked.

“Why do you ask so many questions?” Cedric responded as he took the empty bottle away from you.

It felt weird as your eyes started to adjust and the night suddenly became much lighter.

That’s when you spotted the ice skates.

“You’re kidding right?” You looked at the frozen lake and then up at Cedric.

“Trust me.” He put on his own skates then watched as you slowly laced up your own with a worried expression glued to your features.

Cedric stepped onto the ice and started to glide with ease but you fell over the moment you stepped on.

“Steady there.” Cedric skated over and helped you up.

You were wobbly for the first few minutes but Cedric’s grip on you soon eased up and you could skate beside him without slipping.

“Are you warm enough?” Cedric asked as he watched your breath from your lips.

“I’m just lucky I decided to bring outdoor stuff with me.” You smiled through the night as you wiggled your gloved fingers at him.

“It’ll be strange. Not seeing you for a few weeks.” Cedric admitted as he picked up his pace.

“I bet you won’t even think of (Y/n) Seyler the moment you walk into your house.” You rolled your eyes but Cedric’s smile dropped.

“I was going to write you.” Cedric confessed as he came to a stop.

“It’s only a few weeks, Cedric.” You started. “You don’t need to write me. Just. enjoy the time with your family–––”

You shifted your weight wrong and your skate slipped under you, sending you crashing into Cedric’s arms. Again.

“Sorry!” You squealed as you gripped tight onto his coat.

You both stayed there, your hot breath tickling his cheeks and his yours.

You looked at his eyes. They were so bright in the moonlight.

That’s when Cedric started to lean towards you.

You pulled away immediately and skated to the side of the lake, trudging through the snow in your skates.

“Hey! (Y/n)! Wait!” Cedric raced after you as you fled.

You sat down on a nearby log and immediately went to put your boots back on.

“(Y/n), I’m sorry.” Cedric caught up with you and tried to apologise.

“I’ve never done this before.” You cut him off with your response.

“What?” Cedric was confused to what you were talking about.

“This!” You gestured between the two of you. “I’ve never done the boyfriend thing, I’ve never done this with someone, spend all this time together.... Except Oli, of course, but that’s different. I don't know what we are doing, Cedric but I don’t know how to do it!”

“Woah... Hey, hey, hey!” Cedric sat down beside you and searched your face as the words spilled out.

“I still don’t truly understand what this is. What’s going on - I - I...”

Cedric’s lips met yours to stop the word vomit.

All the anxiety and nervosa suddenly left your body as you tasted the mint from Cedric’s kiss.

His lips were soft, warm and it felt... right.

Suddenly, you heard someone clear their throat.

“Lumos.” It wasn’t hard to guess which professor had interrupted your first kiss as soon as they spoke.

You pulled away from Cedric and looked down in embarrassment.

“Miss Seyler. Mr Diggory.” Snape’s stare bored down at you both.

“Professor, it’s my fault.” Cedric stood as he started but Snape rose his hand to silence him.

“If it wasn’t so close to the Christmas holidays both of you would be in detention for all the rules you’ve broken this evening but instead 20 points will be taken from both Gryffindor house and Hufflepuff.” Snape explained as he looked between you both. “Now back to your common rooms. Now.”

You didn’t tell anybody about what had happened when you returned to the common room.

You laid awake longer than usual thinking about the kiss.

Your first kiss.

You shook your head and tried to stop smiling as you covered your eyes with your hands.

What just happened?

The next day the snow had stopped falling and the quidditch match was allowed to go ahead.

You wrapped up warm and followed the rest of your house to the stands to support the team.

George and Fred flew over to you on their brooms as the teams awaited the match’s start.

“You look happy.” George commented on your smile.

“That makes a change.” Fred teased you and you just stuck your middle finger up at the boy.

“Cheer us on, (Y/n).” George told you.

“If we’re lucky we may get a winning kiss, Georgie.” Fred smirked.

You felt the colour drain from your face.

They knew.

You suddenly realised they knew about the kiss.

Snape had caught you and Cedric, of course people knew...

How many more people knew that you and Cedric Diggory had been caught by the lake...at night...

You felt your happiness slowly fade as you tried not to look around you to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

The match went by agonisingly slow but Gryffindor fortunately won.

You immediately rushed back to the common room before the twins or Oliver could catch up with you.

“Hey (Y/n)!” Cedric caught you just before.

“Cedric, I kinda have to go.” You tried to leave but he caught your hand.

“I just wanted to apologise for last night.” Cedric told you. “Not for.. You know but for getting caught.”

“It’s okay, Ced but I really have to go.” You looked past him to see the teams colours through the crowd which meant they were close.

Cedric nodded and started to walk away.

You internally groaned at his sad face and tugged on his coat to pull him back round to you.

“I’ll see you later.” You kissed him very briefly before continuing your way to the common room. Hiding in your dorm.

“Fred sent me to tell you that you can’t hide forever as you need to say goodbye to them and explain how you lost the house 20 points last night.” Angelina entered your room with a smirk on her face.

“I’m sure everyone already knows, Ang.” You cringed at the thought of everyone talking about it.

“All I’ve heard is that Cedric Diggory also lost 20 points last night.” She replied with a wink.

“Sure.” You scoffed, folding your book over and sitting up on your bed.

You watched her gather her chest and a small bag from her bed.

“All I’m gonna say is you’re lucky this happened just before we broke up for Christmas. Hopefully this news won’t still be making the rounds when we come back in January.” Angelina tried to make you feel better but it didn’t work.

“Have a good break, Angelina. Merry Christmas.” You wished her farewell and she wished you a Merry Christmas back.

You finally gathered the courage to slip your shoes on and descend the stairs.

“Finally.” Both Fred and George said in unison.

“You’re lucky I even came down at all.” You told the two as you approached them.

“Then you wouldn’t have gotten this.” Fred pulled out a small brown paper package from behind his back.

“What’s this?” You looked between the two boys.

“Just something small.” Fred admitted.

“Ginny writes home to Mum and well, she’s mentioned you once or twice.” George started to explain as he took the package and handed it to you.

“He means he asked mum to make you one––” Fred was cut off by a punch to the side by George.

“She then wrote to us and asked if you wanted to stay for Christmas to which we knew you’d be here with Wood.” George cleared his throat, his face bright red as he spoke.

“That’s very kind but completely unnecessary. Tell her I thank her anyway.” You pressed a smile onto your face as you thought about the red headed older woman who could’ve raised these two.

Then again, you looked around the common room at Ron and Ginny saying goodbye to their friends. And even Percy...

You started to open the present to see it was a knitted sweater. You opened the jumper up to see your first initial knitted onto the sweater just like the sweaters you’ve seen the boys occasionally wear.

“You don’t have to wear it.” George laughed as he watched you study it.

“But if you ever meet our mother you do. Scary that woman is.” Fred laughed along side his twin and you just smiled.

“I love it. Thank you.” You embraced the boys and they hugged you back.

“No sarcastic comment?” George looked confused. “Are you feeling okay, (Y/n)?”

“It’s the honeymoon feelings. Got her all giddy after locking lips with pretty boy Diggory.” Fred immediately moved back as you went to swat him for his comment.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n)!” The twins fled before you could throw any books at them for their teasing behaviour.

“You’ll be glad to get rid of them.” Oliver came up beside you as he watched the whole Weasley family leave and slung his arm over your shoulder.

“I have a terrible feeling I’m now stuck with them for the rest of my time in this Godforsaken school.” You leant your head on his shoulder and folded over your arms with a sigh.

“Let’s see if you can survive that long without cracking their skulls together.” Oliver smirked and you groaned playfully.

“Merlin help me now.” You looked up at the ceiling which only made Oliver laugh once again.

“Speaking of goodbyes though... Isn’t there someone you should be seeing before they leave?” Oliver asked.

You had almost forgot.

You excused yourself and rushed to the basement near the Hufflepuff entrance.

“I thought you’d show up eventually.” Cedric was leaning against his trunk when you showed up.

“I was seeing the twins off. I’m sorry.” You confessed.

Cedric said it was alright before pulling you into a hug.

The soft blue wool of his sweater was soaked in his scent and you breathed it in sweetly.

“Have a good Christmas, Ced.” You whispered as you held onto him.

“I’ll write you.” Cedric told you. “Even if you don’t write back.”

You pulled away from the boy a little so you could look up at his face.

“Guess we’ll see.” You shrugged, knowing full well that you were definitely going to write back.

Cedric peered up and down the corridor before planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me this year.” Cedric admitted.

“What? Above becoming Quidditch captain and a prefect?” You rose your eyebrows at him with a smirk.

“Yes.” Cedric chuckled with a little shake of his head.

You reached up behind the boys neck with your hand and brought his lips to yours. Kissing him softly.

“Merry Christmas, Cedric.” You flicked your wand behind your back and a vine of mistletoe grew above you both.

Cedric kissed you once more before you pulled away and left. A warm glow on your cheeks.

A few more days went passed and the quiet bliss of the castle kept you in a calming spirit.

You and Oliver spent most of your time playing wizard chess or reading in the common room or even out on the quidditch pitch.

You didn't fly much but you helped Oliver with his batting skills.

On Christmas Eve, you both sat in front of the fire with hot chocolates and a mince pie each.

“I can’t believe this is my last Christmas at Hogwarts with you.” You sighed quietly as you nuzzled into Olivers side.

“You know I don’t die after I leave Hogwarts.” Oliver said as he took a bite of his pie.

“I know that but you’ll be working. You’ll be busy. You won’t have time for some school girl whenever she has an issue she can’t solve herself.” You pouted.

“(Y/n).” Oliver adjusted to look you in the eye. “You are one of the strongest and bravest people I know. I will always be here for you when you need me but I know you will survive here without me and you will finish Hogwarts just like me and you will enjoy it.”

“Oli...”

“I’m not disappearing of the side of the earth. I will still be here, I just won’t be here.” Oliver assured you as he gestured around the common room.

You just pulled him in for a hug.

“I know. It just scares me.” You confessed against his shoulder.

“I know.” Oliver stroked your hair before pulling away to drink his hot chocolate.

The night went by quickly and soon you were tiptoeing up the dormitory stairs in your fluffy socks to get some sleep before Christmas morning.

You had already placed all your presents underneath the tree the common room in a bag with your name on and you had put Oliver’s there too.

Your dorm was empty which meant you didn’t have to worry about anyone one else as you tucked into your bed and turned out the lights.

Even through the dark you could see the snowfall outside the window. The moon reflecting on the tiny snowflakes.

You don’t know when you fell asleep but you did know you wished you hadn’t.

Images flashed through your head of Christmas years ago. The alarms. The snow. You being dragged through a dark alley by your parents. Your cloak dragging behind you. You tripping. A slap. Screams. An inn. Blood. Darkness.

You woke up panting and soaked in sweat.

You didn’t know how you remembered these memories.

You were only 4/5 when it happened.

It was when your parents had escaped the ministry during a hearing about their crimes as Death Eaters a couple years after the Dark Lord had fallen.

They had broken into your uncles house and stolen you in the night. They didn’t bother with your uncle that night because they were without their wands but they managed to snatch you quite easily despite Demetrius’ efforts to keep you hidden.

You touched your cheek as if you had felt the slap all over again.

Outside the birds were chirping happily and a plump robin sat on the window sill without a care in the world.

You slipped out of bed and managed to squeeze in a shower before Oliver woke up.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n).” Oliver wore his pyjamas and dressing gown as he engulfed you in a tight hug.

“Merry Christmas, Oli.” You returned the hug before lurching towards Oliver’s gift and thrusting it in his hand.

“I hope you like it.” You smiled as you fiddled with your hands nervously.

Oliver handed you your own present and then sat down to open his small gift.

You watched him open it carefully and this his eyes grow wide in surprise.

It was Oliver’s favourite Quidditch players autograph on a quaffle.

“How did you get this?!” Oliver asked as he jumped up to hug you.

“Demetrius has his ways.” You laughed as you winced from how tight his hug was.

“Open yours now.” Oliver sat back down, the quaffle sturdy on his lap with his hand on it.

You teared the wrapping paper back to reveal a small photo frame with an old moving photo inside of it.

“Oliver Wood!” You gushed as you realised it was a photo of you and Oli during your first year.

“Me Mam found it tucked away on an old photo album during the summer. I remember she took it during the Christmas holidays when you first ever visited mine.” Oliver explained as you watched the awkward yet undeniably cute photo move.

“Thank you, Oli. I love it.” You hugged him once more before turning to open the presents from your uncle.

There was only four small separately wrapped presents but you were extremely curious to find out what he sent you.

The first present was a photo album.

The second was some new socks which you and Oliver laughed at since it was so typical of your uncle.

The third was a dream catcher. He always seemed to know.

The final gift you unwrapped was a enchanted camera for moving photographs.

“Oli! Look! We can take a new one!” You felt your chest warm as you realised just how thoughtful a present this was from Demetrius.

You made a mental note to write a letter as soon as possible.

Oliver moved beside you and wrapped his arm over your shoulders.

He smiled widely as the photo was taken and ruffled your hair just as the flash went.

“Hey!” You squealed as you moved away.

“Anyway, Wood, what’d your mother get you?” You flattened your hair back to its original state as you nodded your chin towards the tree.

“Let’s find out.” Oliver knelt by the tree and pulled out his gifts.

You watched him unwrap his presents before you both decided to change and head to the great hall for a Christmas lunch.

You came down in the sweater the twins had given you and Oliver’s draw dropped.

“Are you really going to wear that?” He asked, his disgust shining through his accent.

“Bugger off, Wood. I think it suits me.” You shrugged, “It was a Christmas gift after all.”

“Next you’ll be moving into their home.” Oliver teased you about looking like a Weasley but you chose to ignore him.

The rest of your Christmas just seemed to fly by...

(NEXT PART SOON)

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jeeperso · 3 years

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D&D Quotes Without context

Miscellaneous Edition, for those quotable lines from between sessions

"All I wanna do, is fork a giant woman! A giant woman!" "Jonni, I'm pretty sure she is some type of undead, probably a vampire. Are you sure that is a good idea?" "If I don’t get turned into a blueberry it won’t be my worst date." "Okay, but if you have to defend yourself just don't burn the place down for once." "Oh, Nyx. Sweet summer child. I never make promises we both know I won’t even try to keep." "Jonni, if I wake up to my bed surrounded in flames again I'm short-sheeting your next bed every night for at least a month." "I know you're trying to score here, but Lady Dimitrescu's daughters are literally vampires AND bugs. I can overlook one, but as a Paladin, it is my sacred duty to burn this place to the ground and stir the ashes."

"We don't let Marshall make breakfast anymore." "Those waffles are well-fortified." "I'm going to be charitable and call it hardtack." "We can use these waffles as melee weapons." "Well if we need to deflect siege engines they'll be good to have." "This is still carbon based and digestible by human systems without any poisons." "I can't serve this. It'll cause ... death." "Marshal we've been over this. This Pizza has 10% less of a lethal amount of grease." "Plus they signed the waivers when they bought a ticket. It's fine." "And don't forget to push the Cakeon." "Cakeon being slices of cake wrapped in bacon." "The special sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, ranch, horseradish, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and anything unfortunate enough to fall into the mixing vat."

"You do have a copy of the legal code I requested in my letter? As landed gentry you should actually have legal avenues to... I'm sorry did you say Burning child?"

"First I'm going to nail a crossbow bolt through your heart. Then I'm going to mount your balls to walls on opposite sides of this chamber." "I need Three Barrels of Butter" "Are you serious? Those Claws could crush an elephant in full plate!" "You're Right!" *Turns to first person* "We might need more than three barrels of butter."

"So Ioun is the patron of poor college kids. that scans "

"its hardtack or a mug of molten cheese-fried... something in a woven mug of bacon. your choice."

"Welp, all this coke ain't gonna snort itself..."

"Right hand me that dress and the bail money. I'll get Jonni." OOC: Well I mean they allow men in the city. Its just no men live in the city. "I stand by my statement. I'm allowed to look pretty every now and then." OOC: And dragons are the most unprejudiced lovers of anyone after bards.

OOC: Well I mean come on, its Ravenloft: saying a place is of death and madness is like making the observation the day ends in y. "Going out. Getting laid." "Jonni, she’s a werewolf." "Going out, forking a werewolf." OOC: Well Lycanthropy isn't usually sexually transmitted. Its just that Mercedes is a biter. OOC: ...I don't have an appropriate response to that.

"You seriously think I’d turn on my friends for a pile of gold?!?" "sigh I’ll show you my tits. "Hot damn, let’s get these murders done!" "No, Jonni, stay good. Besides, there are plenty of other girls who will do that without asking you to murder us." "Hmmmm… this is the moral quandary of my life…" "I’ll give you five bucks." "Scales tipped!" "Phew, I thought I was going to have to cover her next trip to the topless bar." "No, no, I have the bail money right here."

Nyx: So what’s the inside of Jonni’s head like? Edmund (with thousand yard stare): Imagine every ladies only smut magazine you’ve ever heard of going on forever into infinity while everything is on fire. Food was good though.

"It’s cool. They stole it." "And you know this how?" "Magic." “90% of Ravenloft deaths are mysterious vanishings.” "Why does everything come out covered in glitter and … is that …" "Lube. I’ve got a few theories." "Please don’t share them."

OOC: This is a plan that ends with Strahd having fewer brides, his castle is in flames, and he’s lost his cape.

OOC: Our team consists of a horny pyromancer, a gnome who can fillete you in five seconds, an HP lovecraft protagonist with actual magic backing them up, a literal slab of iron with a face, and a guy with a "I went to the eternal city of Ryleth and all I got was PTSD and this lousy T shirt". Gorbash smashing his shield into their face: "Have! You! Considered! Therapy!" OOC: Good news is you guys will no longer be the most conspicuous guys at the masquerade now. Jonni: Challenge accepted! "Nyx, the bounty on stealing his fake mustache is still on."

"Vanilla is the king of flavors. What does it say about society where vanilla is considered just 'regular'?" "That they have a lot of vanilla." Lash: "Don’t you want wishes?" Jonni: "Do I need wishes to get to see you naked?" Lash: "No?" Jonni: "Fuck ‘em." Vesh: "Oh dammit its my arranged fiance." Pit Fiend: "Milady." Vesh: "An extra wish to whoever punches this douchecanoe in the nards." Jonni: "I wish…for Bigby’s clenched fist of nard punching."

Soth: "Oh, gods, why am I on fire and why is Immigrant Song playing?" Jonni: "Take a guess." Hazlik: "Okay, so its a partridge, stuffed inside a chicken, stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey, and the whole thing is fried on a stick. Congratulations, that's the most horrible thing I have ever seen, and I once crossbred an elephant and an owl." "I give him the 'itis, and we run like we stole something." OOC: ...weirdly Curse of Strahd has stats for Strahd zombies but not Strahd Skeletons. Or Strahd's skeletal Steed. Strahd once went to a branding seminar hosted by Bane and it changed his life.

"Are we on a high enough floor that if I throw him through the window he'll be killed by the fall?" "Oh, but when I say stuff like that it’s all 'Jonni, murder is wrong.'" "When they say pick your battles they don't mean to pick all of them. That's too many battles Jonni. Put some back." OOC: He's technically already got a symbiote. OOC: They can get married. Gorbash: "I'm increasing the rent." Venom: "Can I keep the pool table?" Gorbash: "I'm not a monster." Giant Brain: "Jonni… I have summoned you here for… WHY AM I ALREADY ON FIRE! PUT ME OUT! PUT ME OUT!"

"Hello We're the party-crashers. This is Jonni, she's here to steal your women and burn your shit down. That's Nyx, she's going to repatriate certain items from the premise. Marshal over there, is here to studiously ignore our shenanigans. This is the New Guy. He seems pretty chill. I'm Gorbash... and I have been distracting you."

"Will you walk into my parlour?" said a spider to a fly. Jonni: "Hold up. Trying to sex a spider." Nyx: (throws her hands up) And then Jonni wakes up with a spider venom hangover webbed to a wall waiting to be eaten. Jonni: "Eh, I’ve had worse one night stands. I’m not a fucking blueberry." OOC 1: Hey, where does your weed elf grow [her] crops? OOC 2: She probably just grows them in the room she hasn’t paid rent on. OOC 3: Because I was also considering a circle of spores druid tortle. OOC 2: We could be partners! We could turn this into road to el dorado staring Cheech and Chong. OOC: Wait, I just realized five people are hanging out in a pirate bar, and none of us are rogues. We are gonna need someone to get thieves tools. OOC: We have a barbarian with a big stick.

"Are we Foxhound now? Blunderbuss Octopus." OOC1: You want to put the stoner in charge of food. OOC2: Eyup. OOC1: I see no way this can go wrong! OOC3: We need the four basic food groups. Beans, Bacon, Whisky, and Lard. “We pray to Almighty Darkseid! Give us a sign! Thumbs up, for the triumph of the human spirit! Thumbs down to begin the everlasting reign of darkness!” “Where did you find this guy?” “Me? I thought you hired him.” OOC: Yup, nature, arcana, history, investigation and religon at +6. MJ got baked and watched the Discovery Orb a lot. Tordek: "But we have a cleric, Jozan, over there." Strahd: *sigh* Snaps fingers, and suddenly one of Strahd's brides sucks Jozan out the window, cue screaming. "Oh look, you suddenly have an opening, how fortunate." Tordek: "We also have a druid...." Vadania: "SHUT UP, TORDEK!" Edmund: "I think the first order of business may be to discuss your Human Resources strategy..." Strahd: "I have a guy for that too."

youtube

"When someone as smart as him talks with himself, it's not crazy...They call it monologing." "I thought it was soliloquy?" "No, soliloquy is when you're talk at someone else when your talking to yourself." "Most people would run from a demon, you run towards it to study it." Professor: "THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING! A FROGHEMOTH, AND RIGHT UP CLOSE, IT WILL BE AMAZING TO SEE THIS PERFECT KILLING MACHINE IN ACTION." OOC: Also note the Professor is Lawful Good, Archie is Chaotic Good, so collectively they balance out to Neutral good. OOC: That's good. "The incinerations will continue until morale improves!" “You never incinerate the women!” “Because I’m fucking them!” “I… was not expecting you to be so honest about that…”

"You got what you wanted....but you lost what you had...." "Yes, I'm familiar with how capitalism works."

OOC: Dragons are like, “That’s Krandor the shiney. He only fucks other dragons. Weirdo.”

Gorbash: "D'awww, so tiny... perfect size... FOR PUNTING!" *boots tiny mind-flayer into the horizon*

"Dracula hasn't been spotted in almost recently. Whats he gonna do, destroy all we know and love like he definitely can?" "... my god you people are too stupid to live." "What are you doing in my house?" Gorbash: "...well Edmund has been reading your books, I've been sorting through your armory, Nyx and Irost has been going through your other shinies, Marshal has been cleaving anything monstrous that gets too close, and Jonni has been lighting things on fire to stave off boredom." Gorbash: "Okay Marshal, Jonni. Rock, paper, scissors over who gets [to kill] the bishop."

Jonni: "Did you really think this would make up for what you did?" Nima: "I… killed everyone you grew up with." Jonni: "Yeah, and I’m still not forgiving you for what you did to Eddie." Nima: "I am missing some key context here…" Nima: "Also I committed identity theft on you by having my new undead army tell everyone you are running the show." Jonni: "Oh, no. You’ve fooled the boar tribe. Who still haven’t figured out shitting in a hole." Nima: "Yeah I noticed that. I ruined two pairs of shoes attacking their camps."

#dungeons and dragons #dnd 5e #quotes without context #ravenloft #castlevania #resident evil village #ooc

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thinkingaboutrwby · 3 years

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Slave to the Quill: Salem, Authorship, Control, and the Fallacy of Happy Endings

This post is part one in a four part series on Ozma and Salem called Greater Scale Forces, so expect more from me on the subject in the weeks to come. WARNING - in addition to RWBY, there are small references for the following series: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Bojack Horseman, and Community.

Once upon a time there stood a lonely tower that sheltered a lonely girl named Salem. She was freed by the legendary hero Ozma, who succeeded where warriors before him had failed. Salem wasn’t just rescued by the Ozma by chance. As Fairy Tales of Remnant reveals, Salem wrote her way out of her prison through story and narrative inspired by the fairy tales she had read in her adolescence. She tossed fliers out her window with her story and plight etched in ink to gain a hero’s sympathy. In this way, Salem not only asserted her agency but set up expectations for herself that motivated her grasp for control, inadvertently caused an apocalypse, and more importantly placed “story” and “myth” at the center of Remnant’s development as a fictional setting.

Salem was reared off fairy tales, a result of being trapped in her tower for her formative years. Her socialization was limited to inconsistent visits from her emotionally distant father and her kindly nanny, with no playmates her age. Fairy Tales of Remnant pulls no punches in elaborating on how this affected Salem’s aspirations for life. To quote: “[Salem] lived hundreds of lives through other people’s stories, and [dreamed] of venturing beyond the tower one day, finding true love, and becoming a kind and generous queen with her own castle and daughters” (106). Salem’s dream is a textbook fairytale happy endings, and she wants her life to play out just like the stories she’s read. When her dreams are confirmed in her rescue by Ozma, is it any surprise that his death shattered her in such a way to defy gods? Not only was Ozma her only living emotional connection due to her upbringing, but her rescue had all but confirmed that she deserved a happy ending, that she played a role in which freedom and true love were deserved as per story structure and narrative.

Salem’s actions all arguably move to appeal to fairy tale narrative archetypes in some way. In “The Girl in the Tower” she plays the damsel in distress, nudging her narrative onwards with her fliers but waiting patiently until the day she is rescued. When dealing with the gods, she at first plays the humble acolyte, praising both brothers to get what she wants as one would in a myth. When they curse her instead of raising Ozma, she picks up a different mantle of righteous leader and inspirer. Then after the earth’s destruction she becomes a wanderer, then a witch, and then a goddess. While she vies for freedom, a goal nurtured from her initial entrapment, it is ironic that Salem in some ways traps herself in the confines of the story itself, allowing story structure to trap her into roles that dissuade her from personal growth unique and separate from media archetypes.

In addition to being motivated by fairy tales and trapped in its narrative, Salem also uses narrative and media as a weapon in RWBY. This is addressed in Ozpin’s end notes of “The Girl in the Tower” in Fairy Tales of Remnant when he points out that Salem’s use of fliers to free herself from her tower as a technical form of “propaganda.” While used for a generally tame purpose in this case, Salem’s approach to media and fairy tale as a form of control, as a form of propaganda, only appears to evolve as her experience continues. Her method of influencing fellow humans to rise up against the gods is by storytelling. As we can recall from “The Lost Fable,” Salem lied and weaved a tale in which she stole immortality from the gods to convince other humans against the Brothers Grimm. As a goddess-queen with Ozma 2.0, it is likely she also acted through fairy tale narrative as well. She has statues built up of her and her husband. She depicts them as hero-ruler-gods. During the Fall of Beacon, she has Cinder hijack and take down Remnant’s communications’ systems so the media and narrative is controlled by her agenda. While Salem is ultimately harmed from her reliance on story and narrative, it is interesting that she also finds agency through authorship and through embarrassing narrative (albeit in a toxic way).

Salem’s personal entanglement with the structure of fairy tales is arguably further represented through the use of Remnant as RWBY’s setting. Remnant is a literal reflection of fairy tales with an added dose of realism. While its characters and culture call back to ancient tales, they live more mundane, less magical lives than those we know from the Grimm fairy tales. Being a hero is an occupation. Magic is commodified and sold as dust. In this way, Remnant reflects Salem’s dilemma well. Remnant forces her to further confront a world with wonder that lacks a “fair” narrative with a happy ending. I don’t know what came first, Salem’s backstory or Remnant’s concept as a fairy tale call back itself (likely Remnant?). However, I will make the point that Salem’s backstory fits well into the world of RWBY through her interaction with the medium of fairy tales. I commend CRWBY on this achievement.

I make note that the pattern of a character’s engrossment in story narrative is a recurring flaw in figures in serialized television. I can think of a few examples of this. Rebecca Bunch from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, for example, is an anti-hero influenced by musical convention and genre, drawing her expectations for romantic relationships from pop culture: musicals, boy-bands, and rom-coms. Her delusion with cultural media is shown through the show's musical numbers, meant to play out in Rebecca’s head. Bojack from Bojack Horseman similarly engages with celebrity, film, and Hollywood culture in a similar way, engaging with the media as a literal actor while coincidentally obsessing over celebrity as a child through his obsession with race-horse Secretariat. Abed Nadir from Community also bases his social interactions on the US pop culture he absorbed as a child. I think it’s interesting that all these characters who take their cues from the media of their childhood also had traumatic and abusive upbringings (I won’t spoil though). In this way, media takes adjacent blame with these characters’ guardians for misbehavior, ranging from awkward to harmful to world-ending. How these characters evolve through these shows and their changing relationship with the media they rely on provide meta commentary on our individual relationship with culture and story. Rebecca Bunch learns to use pop music as a way to counter romantic expectations for women rather than embrace them as pop music is usually used, a positive message about our relationship with story and media. Bojack’s ending is left ambiguous, but Hollywood’s sway on him is definitely a toxic presence, leading us to believe we should consider rejecting this institution. Abed learns to combine his pop culture obsession with real relationships and become appreciated as a person and better interact with others (also a more hopeful message about media and story).

Like all these character’s before, what does Salem’s story tell us? What will it tell us as more seasons of RWBY come out? Certainly, RWBY doesn’t have a toxic view of fairy tales. Our principal protagonists are positively inspired by them. Ruby wants to be a hero like in all the stories she’s read. Ozpin collects a book of stories from multiple locations from multiple stories. I think where we see the difference is how our protagonists interact with fairytales and how our antagonists (or specifically those under Salem’s mentality) do. Ruby, Ozpin, and our heroes follow fairy tales as a moral standard. The aspire to have good triumph and act to a higher standard through effort and sacrifice. Salem uses fairy tales as a form of wish-fulfilment and totalitarian control. I think the inherent message of RWBY is that we need to respect the lessons learned through story but abandon the structure and endings stories give us. Act like a hero, but live a real life. And, at the same time, be wary of the narratives that surround you. Don’t just copy a narrative, understand the narratives produced and adhere to the best and wisest ones. Think through a text, don’t just take it at face value. That’s the lesson we should learn from Salem’s mistakes.

Let me know your thoughts and if you think I missed anything. Expect Part 2 - The Circle: Oz, Identity, Myth, and The Hero’s Journey, within a week.

#rwby #rwby salem #ozpin #ruby rose #salem

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alolanrain · 4 years

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Let me introduce the Not Really, Parent Trap!AU, or better known as Reversed Parent Trap!AU. I’ve yelled at a few friends over this, and it’s no where NEAR done for an actual fic to be posted about it since a lot of the characters aren’t completely fleshed out yet. be aware it’s long so it’s under the cut!

So ORIGINALLY this was supposed to be just a Summer Camp!AU

That quickly derailed into a kinda Reversed Parent Trap!AU

So this starts after the Sinnoh Arc, it’s just the start of summer

Ash comes back to Pallet Town and buys the Ranch, it’s literally double the size of Pallet Town+the surrounding farms and product fields that make up MOST of Pallet Town, and the Castle literally takes up around ⅓ of the plot of land.

Ash successfully revamps the entire place and land, making it habitable for everyone on his team and himself. This also equals refurbishing everything with the best quality shit he can get

So Ash spends a VERY pretty penny for everything, though admittedly it doesn't make a HUGE dent in his bank account from how often he gets paid a shit ton during his travels and the added bonus of being the Orange Archipelagos Champion AND the Chosen One

Who knew dying for a Regions sin pays well?

He gets contacted by Gary a month later, it's near the middle of summer and Gary wants to re-open the Oak’s Summer Camp from their childhood. But he doesn't have a place to do it

Ash immediately offers his place, plus he has a plethora of Pokemon in and out of this Region they can use as example

They reopen the camp with just thirty spots available, no more than that since it’s just him and Ash for three weeks, teachers usually have up to a class of fourty at most so it will be fine

The kids come and they actually fall into two groups immediately, which ends up pretty easy for Gary and Ash to pick what group goes with who for most of the week

It ends up pretty odd group numbers though, Ash ends up with 18 while Gary gets 12 kids

Most of Ash’s kids already KNOW Ash, either from meeting him through his journey’s or knowing him from birth and up. Pallet Town IS small after all

They all range from ages (at the beginning of the summer camp ordeal) 5 to 11 ½ years old

After the first summer, the same group of kids always come back to Gary’s camp because it’s dope.

But having a Champion there as their “counselor” is doper

Which makes Gary beg Ash to come back and help out at the summer camp every summer for three weeks

Ash ofc says yes, it gets him away from Drake and Lance’s nagging and gives him a good break and spend time with Gary and his Pokemon

It does get out of hand at least once a day, but their KIDS there's nothing really Gary and Ash can do to completely stop it

So like, Ash and Gary are around 15-16 ½ at the beginning. It originally started because Gary was feeling super nostalgic at the time and thought it would be fun to do it every other summer or something

THAT plan quickly went out the window and both found themselves coming back to Ash’s ranch every summer to set up and do it

It quickly grows and becomes to be really famous from all the good reviews and how because a lot of top elite society people surprisingly came from Pallet Town in general *side eyes Lance, Drake, and Agatha*

But its mostly because a Champion is there and they get to talk to another Oak and stuff that’s more close to their age

I’m also adding in Ash/Raihan in here and forcible folding in the secret marriage!AU into here as well

Raihan and Lance knew each other through Lance training at Hammerlocke gym when the Champion was younger and Raihan soon came over to train with Lance during the off season for Galar, the summer and half of fall. Lance noticed that Raihan would stammer and get weird every time Ash was visiting the castle. So being the giant meddler of a Godfather that he is, Lance pushed and pushed until Raihan agreed to help Gary and Ash out during Camp time

Lance also makes it up and offers a visit, which both Ash and Gary happily agrees because they actually have a few kids thinking about going into the dragon tamer route later in life and it would be a great learning opportunity for them

Soon Raihan isn’t spending time at the castle anymore, he heads straight to Ash’s ranch the same night the Galar League ends for the year. After party be damn! He has a summer camp to help set up for

Raihans followers actually like the little cameo’s the kids have during a small vlog or a photo bomb with them doing something stupid before Ash or Raihan notices

Even if Ash is in the middle of a league, he will ALWAYS come back to help out with the summer camp

He even brings his friends with him and they help out as well

Ash’s Pokemon A D O R E the kids, even his more reserved Pokemon like Flicker and Sceptile like hanging out with the camp kids during the night and early morning when they calm down and get tired

The remaining 12 out of 30 kids always get put with Gary after both found out just how bad a lot of kids from the group of 18 home life is, Ash is more emotionally equipped to handle them and Gary wanted the more knowledge driven kids anyways

Raihan is permanently in Ash’s team as his second in command, but that doesn't mean Raihan can’t help Gary every now and then when Ash has everything handled

The Group starts referring to Ash and Raihan as Mom and Dad respectively… but like on accident and then in private when it’s only to another Group member or to themselves

NEVER to Ash or Raihans face on purpose

Fast forward four years from then. All the kids have experienced their first journey, and some even their third journey

Ash and Raihan are now secretly married. The ones that know are;

1) Mr. Goodshow because he officiated and ordained them on Ash’s-no, THEIR, Ranch.

2) Ash’s mom because she had become a mom to Raihan as well and its ASH”S MOM. she would maim him if he got married without her being there. Even though originally Ash and Raihan just wanted to sign the marriage license at Mr.Goodshow’s office in Sinnoh and leave it at that. No wedding, no nothing

3) Gary and Daisy because their practically Ash’s siblings and Daisy had physically and verbally threatened Raihan more so for Delia’s sake. She was the main driving force for a wedding, even though it felt like pulling stubborn, rotting, fractured teeth from both Ash and Raihan about the specific for their wedding

Ash “ q u i t s “ the summer camp after the Kalos Arc

More like Gary shoved him out and employed actual trained employees and counselors, also moving the camp to the old camping grounds Gramps used back then. Ash still lends a few of his more friendlier Pokemon at least once a full week out of the three for Gary to use

also , mostly, because Chosen One and Champion duties are more important now since Ash is Champion of TWO whole set of islands

The camp group as a whole dwindled down to a measly 10-14 every year after the original OG 18 group had left for their journey

But Ash still always plans around the summer because all the kids still come to the Ranch for the FULL Summer now

Raihan makes it his fucking MISSION to always be in Kanto during the off season. Friends and expectation of the Galar League be fucking D A M N E D once those last round of fireworks are shot into the air. Raihan is out of the building and passed the reporters and interviewers in SECONDS and it always leaves everyone guessing what has him so worked up about

Its because Raihan misses his husband and kids, dammit! Especially because they don’t call him as much as they do Ash

Yada, Yada, Yada - something happens and somehow everyone that’s been a part of each evil team past comes to stay at Ash’s ranch for some kind of “Group Therapy” which Ash was essential BULLIED into letting people stay at his ranch

And it’s during the fucking S U M M E R

When his fucking K I D S and H U S B A N D comes home

To say he’s peeved is the biggest understatement of the year

But Ash isn’t going to say NO to his kids! Their his kids!!! And he’s their safe haven besides traveling the world and most of them a still pretty fucking young

So the kids come, armed with the knowledge of everything that's going on and they don’t have to some at all because of the danger imposed by the evil team leaders being there

Surprise to EVERYONE else there, they come to the ranch fucking angry and pissed for Ash’s and Raihan’s sake

Also their encroaching onto THEIR turf

Which is like… the BIGGEST fucking no in their book

But anyways, they continue and help Ash around the ranch like they always do. They just snark back at all the adults because their not Ash OR Raihan so they won’t listen to any of them

Gym Leader be damn

Elite Four be damn

Champion be damn

Their not mom and dad so the group turns a deaf ear to them

But before they came to the ranch that summer, one of the kids spot something flashing around Raihans neck during one of his gym battles they decided to watch out of pure boredom

And so, as the little shit that they are, goes and screen shots and zooms in

ONLY TO SEE A FUCKING R I N G ON A CHAIN

So they send it to the chat and one of them is like

“Holy-fucking-Arceus, that’s a fuckING WEDDING RING”

Cue utter

C H A O S

And so it isn’t until that summer that they see Raihan and storm up to him

Did i mention Rose is Raihans dad in this? Because that’s also an important part of why Raihan only wanted the bare minimum of possible people to know

And they started begging and demanding if Raihan is married

Raihan is internally panicking up a storm on the inside while trying to doge the questions

Also while trying to make everyone in the room as disinterested as possible

But the kid is persistent

And everyone’s watching because it’s lunch time and 90% of the people there have never been to Pallet Town before so they don’t know what restaurants are good

So Raihan goes:

“What ring? I don’t have a ring! You’re probably hallucinating from the het, why don’t you just go lay down or something?”

The kid reaches up on their tippy toes and flattens Raihans baggy shirt to show an outline of a small circle on his chest

“That ring.”

Que Raihan starting to show his panic because now the have EVERYONE’S attention and he and Ash don’t want to come out just yet

ESPECIALLY LIKE THIS

Ash is outside with most of the kids since their helping him clean his Pokemon

But Raihan is saved by the kid declaring they WILL find out who he’s married to

Thankfully not outright guessing Ash in anyway, which is weird how he and Ash ACTUALLY legitimately adopted three kids out of the group already

So now everyone is watching Raihan and he damn well knows his reaction gave his lanky ass away

They, especially the Galar League members, start to grill Raihan but he keeps shut and runs away as fast as he can with his metaphorical tail tucked between his legs

And after a week or two they spot Ash walking into the dining hall shirtless because one of his Pokemon accidentally ripped the shirt to shreds

Ash being him, forgets he has the ring on his neck while walking into the dining hall during lunch since he’s so used to the weight

Now the kid who spotted the ring first just dropped their plate on the table and before either Raihan or Ash could gently scold them, they start stammering while jerkily pointed to Ash’s chest

Soon they spit out;

“Ring! Ring!! Same ring!!!”

The rest of the kids, who were dragged into guessing who married Raihan and also who now know what Raihan ring looks like, lose their entire SHIT

They soon surround Ash and start congratulating him and Raihan, who’s upstairs on the third floor and putting some newly hatched baby dragon Pokemon to sleep, and Ash openly panics MORE than Raihan did

One pipes up is Raihans last name is now Ketchum instead of Rose

Ash goes from blushing to complete tomato red in the face the fastest anyone has seen it go before

He soon ducks his head a mutters its Ketchum now and the kids happily start freaking out even more

Everyone ELSE on the other hand is in absolute shock

Rose is filled with rage because Raihan was supposed to go to one of his biggest investors youngest daughter when they both reached the age of 25

Ash and Raihan are respectively 20 and 22 now

Rose also doesn’t “condone” LGBT+ people in the slightest

So to have his own son, who Rose hasn’t seen in fucking years on the man’s own free time might I add, to go behind his back and betray his father like this?

Utterly shameful of his son to do so

Though there IS nothing Rose can do because he no longer has the connections he had before and is still handcuffed on the daily

A bunch of other people are in the range of angry to sad because they had crush’s/were in love with Ash and to know Ash has been off the market completely for a VERY long time is actually… quite off putting because Ash never spoke up about it

And when one of them speaks up and questioned Ash on why he never told them, or even INVITED anyone else to his fucking WEDDING ash juts kind of… laughed nervously and shrugged

Saying something on the line that half of his friends wouldn’t believe him, or would bombard him with questions as they are now

He then breaks down everything, explaining that his marriage is a VERY personal thing to both him and Raihan. Both loved revealing in the fact that this is something that is just between THEM, including a few necessary people, and that they don’t HAVE to share it with the world

Ash also explains how the Galar Region isn’t really accepting of LGBT+ people, and how would they take it knowing that their strongest Gym Leader is gay and married to another man?

Also that if word had spread around enough, bad guys and evil teams would start to target Raihan since he’s Ash’s husband and that Raihan also works in a different league

The kids soon feel guilty, the one that pointed out the rings feels even more so, but it’s quickly soothed a little by Ash who told them that he and Raihan were going to tell them anyways

“So can we actually call you Mom and Dad now?”

One of them pipes up

Ash laughs and agrees

Raihan soon comes down and is greeted with a bunch of kids/teen waggling their eyebrows at him with smirks, a sheepish looking Ash, and a good majority of the rest of the people having existential crises

So he walks forward and sweeps Ash into a sweet kiss, soon pulling back and muttering how he’s been wanting to do that since the start of the summer.

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cordonianchoicesqueen · 5 years

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Rewritten: The Royal Romance: Hello Cordonia (Part Four)

A/N: We are in Cordonia! Drake and Riley have their first fight and finally Hana, the true unsung talented queen of the TRR series makes an entrance. Also, on second reading of TRR, there’s a lot of really sexist chatter by the male characters about how awful all the women are to each other/ gold digging... They make you so worried about the women in court but they are all fabulous in their own ways... Definitely will have to come back to that at some point!

Summary: Riley drops her life in NYC and boards a plane to Cordonia with Drake and Maxwell. Arriving at the palace she feels very overwhelmed but manages to make a new friend in the process.

Choices Chapter: Book One, Chapter Two, First Half

Disclaimer: Characters and main storyline from Pixelberry’s Choices.

Word Count: 2570

Warnings: none

Hello Cordonia

The next hour or so was a whirlwind. I walked into Elliot’s with my head high. My manager turned around to shout at me for coming in the wrong entrance and being a couple minutes late but when he saw my carefree expression, he paled. I told him exactly what he could do with his sexist rants and disregard for his employees and then rushed home. I had no idea what to pack but I didn’t have time to worry about it, throwing random outfits into my bag. I grabbed anything sparkly or fancy I could find… I mean I was going to a Palace! My wardrobe nor I was truly prepared for this major life change. Just before the car sent for me pulled up outside, I left my key to my apartment on the table and texted my landlord, glad that I had decided to take out periodic tenancy. With that, I felt my ties to New York fall away and I felt free… if not just a bit petrified.

When I got to the airport, my bags were taken for me and I was escorted through the airport. I skipped line after line and before I knew it I was standing on the runway beside a magnificent private jet. As I walked up the stairs, I let my hand run across the cold railing trying to take in everything. Yesterday, all I had to look forward to was a day off from a job I hated so I could sleep and do nothing. Today, I was boarding a private jet to travel into the unknown. It was terrifying. Yet, my overly anxious self finally let the excitement take over instead of fear. The cabin was stylish and like no airplane I had ever been on before. The chairs were the size of three economy style seats and large tables so clean you could see yourself in them were dotted around. Maxwell and Drake sat across from each other, sipping glasses of champagne. “Wow,” I said, not managing to contain my inner monologue. Maxwell jumped up, handing me a glass, “say goodbye to New York and helloooo to Cordonia!” I took the glass, feeling underdressed even for an airplane journey, “I can’t believe this is happening.” “Believe it,” Drake chimed in, downing his glass, “we’ll be there before you know it, ready or not. And if you’re not ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive.” “Don’t scare her Drake!” Maxwell scolding, gesturing for me to sit down with them. “You okay, Riley?” “Honestly… I’m terrified,” I said exhaling. “I knew it. She’s not gonna last a week. It’s a waste of time bringing her,” Drake bristled. Drake had obviously taken a strange dislike to me from the get go. He wasn’t happy that I was out with them the night before and he definitely wasn’t happy I was there with them now. I tried to brush aside his feelings about me… but for some reason I really wanted this grumpy, asshole to like me. He was obviously close with Liam. It wasn’t just the women I would need to win over in court. “I don’t get why you’re being so grim about this…” I said neutrally. “Look, no offense,” he said, his words dripping with offense, “but I’ve seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family.” “Riley’s not some crown-chaser, Drake” Maxwell fired back. I’d yet to see Maxwell look upset or angry about anything. He, so far, had always seemed so bubbly. It was nice to have him in my corner. It was time to fight my own battles and it seemed the only way to fight Drake was with a fire of my own. “Drake, to be fair you’re more my usual type. Down and out bad boy who have a strange superiority complex and like making other people feel bad,” I chided him. “Hah,” Drake rolled his eyes sarcastically. “I’m serious. I don’t usually mess around with rich boys, much less royalty. So you can keep your opinions to yourself until you actually know me,” I said never breaking his stare. Maxwell let out a low whistle, “well I think that’s enough for our pre-flight entertainment. How about we get this plane in the air and play some card games to pass the time!”

A while later, the pilot announced the plane’s descent. “Look,” Maxwell said to me pointing out the window. “You can see Cordonia out the window. You won’t want to miss this, Riley.” I peered out the window and saw one of the most beautiful costal cities I had ever seen. Small buildings scattered the landscape down to docks where extravagant yachts and ships were moored. The sea was a fantastic blue, so clear I felt like I could see all the way to the depths into the sand where the fish hide. So used to cities with unapologetic concrete structures stealing as much of the landscape as they could and the New York grids, I instead could make out the winding roads of this city leading to so many unexpected parks, plazas and market stalls. A maze I couldn’t wait to be inside. The lights of the city were soft and seemed to be united into one pattern instead of different obtrusive flashes fighting one another demanding my attention On the top of a hill overlooking the whole city was a gleaming palace with a garden so splendid in colour I could almost smell the flowers from my seat on the plane. “This is Cordonia?” I smiled despite myself. “It’s like something out of a fairy tale… The sparking ocean, the swaying trees…” “If you burst into song, I’m jumping out the plane,” Drake said behind me but I felt like I could hear an almost smile in his voice. “I’m just saying it’s beautiful,” I shook my head not being able to believe my luck. “It is, isn’t it… Are you ready?” Maxwell gave me a reassuring smile. “Ready as I will ever be!” I exclaimed.

We rode in a black car with tinted windows up the long pathway through the grounds of the palace. Fountains sprayed water high into the clear blue sky and flowers of all colours burst from ground to meet us. “Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley,” Maxwell said. The castle itself was extravagant with gold trims and ancient carvings built into the exterior. “This is where I’m staying? I didn’t realise I’d be living in the palace,” I said, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. My apartment was probably half the size of a singular room in this spectacular building. I had done nothing to deserve this type of, literally, royal treatment. “Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway, including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand,” Maxwell explained. “Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later,” Drake joked, giving away a little too much about his reality TV watching habits. Maxwell rolled his eyes as the car stopped outside the grand doors, “Drake’s just kidding… at least about the roses. Anyway, I’ll show you to your room!” Maxwell hopped out the car and held the door for me. Palace staff appeared out of nowhere to take my bags and bowed to me before heading inside. “This is my cue to take off,” Drake said getting out of the car and looking at me once more. “See you around… if you’re lucky.” I watched him as he walked away. I scrunched up my nose as I tried to figure out what his game was. I was so convinced he just had a natural dislike for me but as the plane journey had gone on, it seemed that he was almost testing me, trying to see how far he could push me before I snapped. I wondered if I was only a social experiment to him, a play thing that I was sure he would get bored of quickly. Through the doors to the castle, I was immediately greeted by more splendour and a staircase with a blushing red carpet that would rival any images of castles or mansions I had seen. The baluster was a dark wood elegantly carved. The walls were covered in portraits of the royal family and landscapes of the Cordonian countryside. I followed Maxwell slowly up the stairs. “So what’s the deal with Drake,” I asked Maxwell, wanting to enjoy my incredible surroundings but not being able to get Drake’s behaviour out of my head. “Why is he so… angry?” “Oh don’t mind him. Drake’s never really… fit in,” Maxwell said carefully. “Not used to courtly life?” I asked. “Definitely not,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “He’s a commoner. He’s always been an outsider here. Even if he is Liam’s best friend…” I wanted to know more but knew better than to pry. I let the conversation drop as Maxwell led me down corridor after corridor. There was no way I was ever going to find my way around this place with it’s suit of armour lined, high ceilinged halls. “Your room is here in the west wing. In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple doors away,” he said reassuring me yet again. “I didn’t know you had a brother?” “Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you,” Maxwell smiled elbowing me. I couldn’t imagine another Maxwell! So bubbly and supportive even with people he barely knew. This was a case of two had to be even better than just the one! “I’m really looking forward to meet him,” I said with full honesty. Maxwell stops short in front of an ornate door, “this is it! Here’s your room!” As we entered, I realised I needed to learn to stop my jaw automatically dropping open when I saw the splendour that was presented before me. The lavish guest room had one of the largest beds I’d ever seen, with huge detailed throws and filled with fluffy pillows. There were full length paintings, gilded ceilings and mirrors that made me feel like Alice lived here and could fall into the looking glasses. “Wow.” “As a guest, you are spared no luxury,” Maxwell smiled looking at my face. I must have looked like a young child in their first candy shop, “so there’s nothing stopping me from jumping on the bed? From raiding the mini bar?” “There’s no mini bar, but the staff here,” Maxwell gestured to the man placing my very small suitcase in the room, “will get you anything you’d like.” “Sweeeet!” I yelled, letting myself go and throwing myself backwards onto the bed. I felt my body sink into the sheets. They were soft as silk and I immediately felt like I could have drifted off into the best sleep I had ever had. Maxwell laughed, “I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight…” I sat up abruptly, “my what?” “I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to this. The first event of the social season is tonight, The Masquerade,” Maxwell made jazz hands. “It’s the ball where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Not everyone dresses in costume… but you might need to have a think about it…” Maxwell glances doubtfully at my modest suitcase. “I’m guessing it’s unlikely you’ve got a costume or a fancy ball gown in there.” I gulped, “nope not gonna have that.” “There’s a seamstress who frequents the palace before social events to aid the ladies with any last-minute fixes to dresses. She’ll be downstairs, you should find her and ask if she has any spare dresses in your size,” Maxwell said. “Thank you, Maxwell. This is all very overwhelming but you are being so helpful,” I half smiled. “Remember. Tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else!” he stated. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” I said more confidently, standing up and straightening my posture.

It took me a while, but I finally managed to follow Maxwell’s directions down through the castle to the room that was temporarily being used as the women’s make-up and wardrobe space for the social season. As I stepped inside I heard a gasp. The gasp came from a gorgeous woman in the back corner of the room, dressed only in her bra and knickers. I immediately went beetroot as she moved the dress she was holding to cover herself. “Sorry! So sorry,” I said. Damn it, Riley! What did Maxwell just say about making a good impression?! “I didn’t realise someone was already here…” I continued rambling. The woman laughed, her laughter was the type that was infectious and I felt a cool relief wash over my embarrassment, “No problem. I should have put up a sign or something!” Still holding the dress to her near-naked body, she approached me, each step as dainty as the next, extending her hand, “I’m Hana. I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade.” I shook her hand. “You’re just like me… searching desperately at last minute for something to wear!” I had been warned of vicious women who took no prisoners. Hana seemed competent and caring, rather than someone who would shiv me with a stiletto. “More or less,” I replied, not wanting to give away too much in case I was reading her wrong. “Just let me slip my dress on and I can show you around. The seamstress has already left for the day,” Hana said. I turned around so that she could dress. I could hear her struggling with the zipper. “Do you need a hand?” I asked, still staring at the door. “That would be amazing,” she giggled. I helped slide the zipper up her dress, that suited her petit and slim body shape perfectly. She picked up a matching mask, securing it in pace and then tossed herself a daring look in the mirror. She turned to me, grinning, “Thank you. Not many people in court are like you...” “Helpful?” I asked. “Nice,” she said, a steady smile on her face. “Ah this dress is perfect!” Hana spins, showing off her skirt in full twirl for me. “Now, what about you? Let’s find you a dress!” It only took Hana a moment to find me a stunning, long, white ball gown with cold shoulder sleeves and sexy slit up the side of my leg. It was everything I needed to look at myself and feel transformed into the princess I wanted to be. It covered all those bumps I did not like, was the perfect length and showed off all the parts of my body I loved. Hana secured a stunning silver masquerade mask to my face and I truly looked the part of pauper become princess. “You look wonderful,” she smiled admiring her handy work. “You did a wonderful job!” I responded, glad I had somehow already made a friend in this strange place.

#choices #cordonianchoicesqueen #choices app #trr #choices trr #the royal romance #playchoices #fanfic #choices fandom #drake walker #maxwell beaumont #pb #trrgang #hana lee #cordonia #rewritten

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almostdiplomatic · 7 years

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Like almost every other person in this planet with an extra X chromosome, I grew up having a thing for castles. So, naturally, one of the first places my husband suggested we visit outside Berlin was Potsdam.

We went during my mom and her boyfriend’s visit to Berlin so it was sort of a double date. Take note that we’re a family of walkers so this post is going to feature a LOT of walking. In fact, the only ride we took was the S-Bahn going from Berlin to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then, to the station beside the Sanssouci Park. We originally planned to walk from the Hauptbahnhof but the weather wasn’t cooperating.

When we finally got off the train, it was all walking throughout the day. And I do think that that’s the best way to see this charming city.

The sites re actually close enough to be explored by foot yet far enough to make your FitBit happy enough to give you a high five. Along with that message telling you that you’re over achiever. Yeah, I try to aim for that one. What can I say? I’m competitive.

Getting There

The Potsdam Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) is in the “C” area so make sure you pay for the right ticket. Don’t be tempted to get the cheaper “AB” ones. I’ve seen people get caught by some inspectors and they had to pay quite the sum.

It was quite a gloomy day when we went and there were some showers here and there throughout the day. Germany is famous for its unpredictable weather so even though it’s summer, I would still suggest packing an umbrella and bringing a light jacket. It can be quite nippy after a drizzle.

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From the train station, it’s a seven minute walk to the Neues Palais. We haven’t eaten a full meal yet so we decided to stop by Café and Restaurant Fredersdorf for a bite. The options were quite limited but it was a good meal all the same. The staff were friendly too.

The restaurant also gives you a gorgeous view of the Communs and the Neus Palais. These baroque-style buildings currently house the Universität Potsdam (Potsdam University). It was through this side that we entered Sanssouci Park.

Often referred to as the Prussian Versailles, the grounds were utterly beautiful in the summer. If you’ve been to Versailles in France, you may find Sanssouci to be a little less extravagant. Nevertheless, it’s still has that European grandeur with a bit of German practicality sprinkled here and there – especially in the gardens.

The Neues Palais and the Communs

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The park is humungous. Upon entering it though, I kept thinking how much fun it would be to study at the University of Potsdam and have this park as my campus. 😉 During our visit, they were preparing for an outdoor concert. Thus, there were some tents and seats being arranged in front of the baroque-style buildings.

None the less, the buildings left us impressed. Sadly, we didn’t have enough to explore the interiors as we were on a race against the weather. We had to see more of the grounds before it started raining again. So, off we went towards the North.

Restaurant Drachenhaus

I don’t know if you’ve picked up a couple of Game of Thrones references I’ve thrown your way in this post. Sorry about that as I’m still not over episodes 6 and 7 that came out this week.

Also, it’s a bit of a build up for the Dragon House Restaurant. Will Dany approve? They statues seem to be mini tributes to baby Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal.

It’s actually a former lodge for King Frederick II’s wine grower. The oriental-inspired architecture, modeled off a book.

Orangerieschloss

Following Maulbeerallee, you’ll find yourself looking up at yet another palace. The Orangerieschloss instantly transports you to Italy with its renaissance-style architecture.

The artistically-gifted Frederick IV had it built in the mid-1800s as an addition to his summer residence. Its gardens are gorgeous and paths leading up to it, lined with lush greenery makes it such a beautiful place to take a stroll.

I skipped taking a photo of it’s main building since there was a lot of scaffolding. Renovations throughout Sanssouci park were in full force during our visit. Will update this with a proper photo after we come back.

A windmill sits on top of one of the hills near Sanssouci Palace. It was originally built in the 1700s but it was destroyed during WWII. The one in Potsdam right now is just a reconstruction of the original that turned based on the direction of the wind.

Sanssouci

Finally, we arrived at Prussian King Frederick the Great’s summer home – Schloss Sanssouci. It’s a lot smaller than the Versailles, to which it is often compared to. It’s more of a single-story villa with gorgeous, Rococo style or architecture. I also loved the elevation of it.

Imagine reading a book in one of the benches while overlooking the gardens. Add a bit of beautiful, sunny weather with a bit of a breeze – then, it’s just perfect. 😉

Oddly enough, the name is in French. It literally means ‘free of worries’ which was Frederick the Great’s vision for the place – a hideaway where he can relax.

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The Church of Peace

A quaint church with a mausoleum is also within the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the whole of Sanssouci Park. We made sure to stop by and check out the architecture and my favourite bit is the tiered entryway of Heilsbronn Porch.

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We then made our way out of the park because there was, once again, threats of torrential rains. We stopped by a restaurant for dinner and a beer to wait it out before making our way back to the Hauptbahnhof on foot.

The rest of the city

A smaller version of Berlin’s Brandenburger Tor can be found in the city’s Luisenplatz. It also goes by the same name and is at the end of Brandenburger Straße, a street lined with beautiful altbaus housing shops and restaurants. The street also leads up to the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Cue Belle singing “little town, it’s a quiiiiiet village…”

To be fair, we were there on a Sunday when all shops were closed so it truly was quiet that day. There were some restaurants that were open though.

From Luisenplatz, it was a bit of a walk to the train station. We had to skip the Dutch Quarter we so wanted to visit since it was getting late. However, we did pass by the Evengelical St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church) at the Old Market Square (Alter Markt).

It’s truly a sight to behold. This massive structure which was heavily damaged in WWII, also holds concerts aside from Church services. The Old Market Square is also worth the time as it also has other buildings surrounding it with gorgeous architecture. There’s a marble obelisk, the Museum de Barberini, and the Old City Hall to name a few.

There you have it, our day in Potsdam. Sadly, we missed a couple of must-sees. Like the Chinese House and even the Schloss Cecilienhof due to time and weather constraints. But that’s all the more reason to come back, right? It’s so near Berlin anyways!

More later!

Love,

Carol

Potsdam Day Tour – Walking Tour Photo Diary Like almost every other person in this planet with an extra X chromosome, I grew up having a thing for castles.

#Almost Diplomatic #Church of Peace #Germany #Orangerieschloss #Potsdam #Restaurant Drachenhaus #San Soussci #San Soussci Park #Travel

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