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eternalgirlscout · 2 years

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when i say rue and hob are monsterfucker4monsterfucker what i mean is they are both on the monster's side of the equation. the intimacy of someone looking at the parts of you that you thought were too--big, blunt, dangerous, destructive, freakish, failure, strange, sharp, ugly, unintelligible--too much. and saying, i love you, saying, not despite but because of, because it's you. knowing someone could adore every part of you that other people have refused to see as beautiful. they could see you, because you see them and so finally you know it's possible. to have all that within reach after a lifetime of being denied? of denying yourself? who wouldn't tremble at the barest brush of it.

#the fey regency d&d show got to me. it got to me alright #a court of fey and flowers #rue x hob #dimension 20 #d20 spoilers #kinda #acofaf #battlemaster of ceremonies

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ecoamerica · 24 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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jackoshadows · 2 months

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It's so confusing and weird that Bridgerton introduced in world racism both with Lady D and Simon in season one of the show and in Queen Charlotte and at the same time they also want the audience to accept that somehow Marina Thompson or the dark skinned Indian Kate Sharma has more privilege and power than Penelope Featherington?

Kate Sharma was also poor, so much more than the Featheringtons. She depended on Lady D to host them. The Sharmas were looked down on by the ton because Mary Sheffield married an Indian. The Sharmas were disowned and ostracized by the Sheffields.

Kate was also an unmarried spinster. No one was asking Kate to dance. As much as Kate wanted love and romance and to dance at a ball wearing pretty dresses, she got none of that. She was also the woman on the sidelines watching as others danced and fell in love.

Racism and colorism is also very much a thing in eurocentric notions of beauty considering the setting and characters of Bridgerton is 99% white.

We got so little of Kate's backstory, of who her parents where - we didn't even get their names!! - of the trauma (explained for both Simon and Anthony using flashbacks) that had Kate overlooking her own happiness for that of her sister.

Despite bragging nonstop about the diversity of Bridgerton the showrunners thought that the white Featheringtons needed more screentime in season 2 rather than the South Asian family.

And Kate was planning on going back to India and work as a governess to pay for her livelihood. Because, you know, there's more honest ways of being a 'working woman' than running the equivalent of the regency 'Daily Mail' dragging other women down. The modiste Madame Delacroix, Kate planning to teach and Sienna in season one are all working to pay a living. Black, brown and lower class women looking to alleviate poverty.

And considering how much harder Kate already had it as an outsider in the ton, it wouldn't have been easy with Penelope using her gossip rag to describe the unmarried Indian woman as ' a Spinster of a beast'. What did Kate do to Penelope to warrant this? Nothing. Just a way for Penelope to make money at Kate's expense.

That's the thing I dislike the most about the way the character of Penelope is written on the show - her victims don't deserve her vitriol and are often in much worse circumstances than her. From Kate Sharma to the unnamed seamstress who apparently lost all her customers because Penelope wrote falsely about their work in the her tabloid as a bribe for Madam Delacroix.

And I think that's what I find problematic about the writing of the show and even the discourse surrounding it - when characters like Marina Thompson (the poor black cousin who would have ended up destitute on the streets because of Penelope) and Kate Sharma arguably have it far worse than Penelope Featherington as per the show's writing and yet we are supposed to have the most sympathy for Penelope because her crush Colin didn't love her back and she's a curvy white woman?

I guess that's the difference between how I perceive this world and these characters as a woc and the majority white female audience for this show and it's such a huge disconnect for me. I guess this is also partly because the show has this badly written and 'strangely toothless racism' as Ash Sarkar beautifully put it. As in the racism is treated in this world as a little problem solved by handing out a few titles to black people instead of being a white supremacist ideology which treated black and brown people as inferior, serfs and slaves.

From what little we got from season 2, Kate Sharma definitely did not have it easy navigating the ton as a poor outsider and that certainly contributed to her poor choices. She is also put through the wringer, treated like the other woman, is miserable for several episodes, had to apologize again and again and nearly die before Edwina forgives her!

In contrast Penelope's actions have hurt so many and yet she gets a pass by both the show and a fandom that wants Colin to grovel before her because of a single offhand remark and because he didn't return her affections.

Also making it clear here that I am not comparing Penelope to the male characters who always get the better writing, flaws and all. I am comparing Penelope to the female characters of colour - Kate Sharma and Marina Thompson.

I mean, Marina Thompson gets so much vitriolic and sexist hatred for not having told Colin Bridgerton the truth of her pregnancy. How dare Marina hurt this privileged white man Colin Bridgerton. When she was desperate to not end up destitute on the streets or get raped by old white men. And yet Penelope gets a pass for hurting women like Marina and Kate.

It continues a trend of white female characters never being held to the same standard as female characters of colour. Daphne sexually assaults Simon in season one and that was not even addressed on the show. Male rape is apparently no big deal because Daphne wanting children is what's important. It's Simon who has to apologize and within one episode resolve his trauma and accept being a father. This is despite both Daphne and Penelope having more screentime and more writing that builds their character unlike the stick thin writing given to Kate Sharma in season 2.

So yeah, I will be checking into season 3 to watch the ten minutes we get with Kate Sharma since we got so little of her in her own season and it's so singular to get dark skinned south Indian characters in a period drama romance like this. It's just the way the writing on the show, the production and even the fandom treats it's characters, especially characters of colour has been disappointing to say the least.

#Bridgerton #Kate Sharma #Marina Thompson #female characters in Bridgerton #writing #fandom discourse

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differenteagletragedy · 5 months

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MASTERLIST! (Part 1)

Here are Our Life things I have written :)

Headcannons

-- General headcannons

-- More general headcannons

-- Even more general headcannons

-- EVEN MORE general headcannons!

-- Jealous Cove/Baxter

-- Poly gang taking care of MC after a rough day

-- Poly gang high school sweethearts

-- Our Life boys as millennials

-- Baxter with an arts-and-craftsy MC

-- Our Life boys with a Broadway star MC

-- Poly gang does Derek's Day

-- Poly gang celebrate Baxter's Day and Cove's Day

-- Our Life boys get into serious argument with MC

-- How Cove x Xavier happens

-- More Cove x Xavier

-- MC tells boys they can hold the whole world in their hands, holds boy's face

-- MC with emotionally unavailable parents with Baxter

-- Our Life boys helping MC with finals

-- Our Life boys with MC with small boobs

-- Cove and MC have twins

-- Soft Baxter Part 1

-- Soft Baxter Part 2

-- Poly gang has board game/D&D night

-- Poly gang plays Sims

-- Our Life boys celebrating MC's birthday

-- Poly gang as parents

-- More poly gang as parents

-- Our Life boys' favorite body parts

-- Cove with a sleepyhead MC

-- Our Life boys with YouTuber/streamer MC

-- Our Life boys with vampire MC

-- Regency era Baxter

-- Pamela and Noelani

-- Our Life boys hurt MC's feelings

-- Our Life boys with famous MC

-- MC's relationship with Cliff

-- General poly gang

-- More general poly gang

-- Even more general poly gang

-- MC has a crush on Cove's parents

-- Our Life boys with sick MC

-- Cove with MC with histrionic personality disorder traits

-- Our Life boys with MC that likes to hold hands/link arms

-- How Derex x Tamarack happens

-- Our Life boys react to MC cloning themselves

-- What living with Our Life boys is like

-- Our Life boys with MC with H20 Girls powers

-- Our Life boys with MC whose art has been plagiarized

-- Our Life boys with blind MC

-- Our Life boys with ghost MC

-- Our Life boys with bad boy MC

-- Our Life boys with depressed MC

-- Our Life boys with MC that uses wheelchair/cane

-- Derek shows up for Step 3

Swap AU

-- Swap AU begins

-- First Christmas with Baxter/first Christmas as a couple

-- Baxter's confession

-- MC goes on Step 3 camping trip with Derek/Baxter reacts Part 1

-- MC goes on Step 3 camping trip with Derek/Baxter reacts Part 2

-- Prom with Baxter

-- Step 2 RV trip with Baxter

-- End of Step 3, at the restaurant, with Baxter

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utilitycaster · 5 months

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Dimension 20's Failed Genre Experiments

(This is the "Has Dimension 20 lost its touch?" post I’ve alluded to; please enjoy some genuine criticism masquerading as a riff on those sorts of articles for other shows.)

Dimension 20's debut and flagship burst onto the scene with a simple and elegant premise. What if a John Hughes movie were set at a high school for D&D adventurers? Its next full length pre-recorded season was the similarly strong urban fantasy The Unsleeping City, which in turn was followed up by the channel’s most ambitious outing yet: the Game of Thrones in Candyland mash-up, A Crown of Candy.

Widely considered to be a watershed moment for the show, A Crown of Candy explored darker themes on a famously comedic platform, was the first on the channel to have permanent player character deaths, added new mechanics and limited what the players could choose to fit the world to support this more serious tone, and on a structural level, was a welcome departure from the prior rigid alternation between episodes of combat and episodes without. It was filmed prior to the pandemic but went to air in early April 2020, when many livestreamed actual play shows were on pause and even some podcasts were scrambling to figure out remote recording. D20 introduced their talkback show as a way for the cast to hang out remotely and chat about each episode, and Adventuring Party has remained a companion to the main show. The channel had hit its stride.

Its House of the Dragon sidequest, The Ravening War, aired three years later. Despite a complicated reaction to its announcement, it was a well-received outing, but one on what had by that time become a noticeably bumpy road.

Sidequests like The Ravening War are what D20 calls its shorter, 4-10 episode seasons that do not feature the main “Intrepid Heroes” cast in full nor necessarily feature Brennan Lee Mulligan as DM. We've seen everything from the perspective of the villains in both a Lord of the Rings clone (Escape from the Bloodkeep) and a Dracula homage (Coffin Run); to a Regency romance in the Feywild (A Court of Fey and Flowers). In addition to Mercer, Jasmine Bhullar and Gabe Hicks have each run a sidequest, and Aabria Iyengar has run three. And while the Intrepid Heroes' only venture outside D&D so far is the D&D-inspired Star Wars 5e, sidequests have been run in various Kids on Bikes hacks and Hicks' own Mythic system, as their shorter format makes it even easier to experiment with the parodies, pastiches, and mash-ups the channel is known for.

There have however been two notable failed experiments, and their close proximity (both released within the past year) could be a hiccup, or could be a sign that D20’s ambition, while admirable, could use some serious reining in. They are Neverafter and Burrow's End.

Marketed as the horror season, crossed over with fairy tales, Neverafter started out strong. Only three episodes in, there was an unprecedented (for D20) total party kill. The subsequent episode is the zenith of the season, in which each character is brought back, most of them changed and twisted by the experience, playing out an analysis of their role as an archetype within these stories: Sleeping Beauty and the classic roles of The Princess (introducing such NPCs as Cinderella and Snow White), for example; or Puss in Boots as The Trickster.

Unfortunately, the quality dropped soon after. It was revealed that the darkness spreading across the fairytale multiverse was due to the influence of The Authors, and the story began to be one about the concept of stories...while still trying to incorporate not only the plotlines of the fairy tales the main PCs were from, but also an intertwined conflict between the fairies and the princess NPCs. With this, the horror, with a few exceptions, melted away: violence and monsters are standard D&D fare, and when heroes race to save the world and victory seems not only possible but likely, any distinction between horror and a typical D&D heroic fantasy is lost.

It’s not the first overstuffed campaign, but it certainly is the first one that fails to land on several levels. Starstruck Odyssey is similarly chaotic and rushed at times, but it consistently sticks to a broad message of personal autonomy and freedom within late-stage capitalism. Mulligan is famous for his capacity to spin endless dense lore off the cuff, and if it at times overcomplicates the plot of the packed and colorful comedic space adventure, at least it contributes to the baked-in excess of the setting. But Neverafter's postmodern flourishes against a horror backdrop desperately needed an injection of sparseness and silence it never received.

This is enhanced by the nature of actual play: with a few exceptions, even when filmed and even with the elaborate production values of Dimension 20, it is first and foremost primarily an auditory medium. We only know what is narrated to us. Neverafter did not permit its audience the time and space to fear the unknown. The existential horror of the metanarrative, of being a character doomed to a specific ending, while touched on by some of the cast (particularly Siobhan Thompson’s Sleeping Beauty), took a backseat to models of giant spiders and tales of undead dwarves. The story lacked the room to build real tension, but also failed to adequately create the claustrophobia of being truly trapped within its narrative. It feels more stuffy than unsettling.

Burrow's End is far less airless, but profoundly disjointed. Neverafter thought it knew what it was, but Burrow's End went through multiple identity crises by the halfway mark, and the marketing for the series reflects this.

The initial trailer makes it seem like a cute if dramatic story about a family of stoats - think Redwall, think Wind in the Willows. The first episode was excellent, however, and sold many who had been unimpressed by the trailers on the series, with its well-played setup of the clear Watership Down/Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH parallels with a unique twist in the form of The Blue.

The promotion took a strange turn, however, with the second episode and its infamous bear carcass battle map. It was hyped as uniquely horrifying, with a teaser video posted of the cast shrieking as the map, unseen by the audience, was wheeled past them. This seemed rather cavalier of the channel once the episode was posted, accompanied by a gore content warning covering a period of well over an hour...which was then further undercut by an exquisitely crafted, but ultimately rather tame display of a bear's innards. It was left out on the table during Adventuring Party as well, further reducing the idea of any meaningful shock factor (or any attempt to accommodate those in the audience who were triggered). The combat this map was for was a creative one, and the episode itself high quality, but it furthered the sense that Dimension 20 itself was unsure of what they were trying to get people to watch.

The series continued on with two more excellent episodes as it reached Last Bast, a clearly man-made structure full of thousands of stoats, with a strong dash of the police state. The actors immediately clocking the flaws of this society, but their stoat characters having no similar sense, led to a fascinating tension. However, the Blue (called the Light in Last Blast), previously described as some animating force and driver of magical power, and mysteriously concentrated in the brain of the dead-but-animated bear, was then revealed to be ionizing radiation.

At this point, the details of my own life become relevant. My career is in the field of health physics. I hold a master’s degree in this specialty and have served as a radiation safety officer, though not at a reactor. I don’t think that this background is a requirement to understand the structural issues of this season; but it certainly made me particularly attuned to the flaws.

Before you claim that this is just a show and who cares: In addition to my love of actual play, I am also a fan of comics and all sorts of speculative fiction. I am well aware that Spider-Man’s “radioactive blood” would not realistically grant him spider powers; I know that going into a high radiation field would not create Doctor Manhattan; I know that Superman does not actually have ‘x-ray vision’, and I know that radiation creates neither kaiju nor rad roaches. This is fine. In comics, radiation is a shorthand for “mad science” or “mysterious powers” with a sense of the lethal and the eldritch and the hubristic. The story is not so much about the source of these powers, but rather the great responsibilities they require. Godzilla, meanwhile, is clearly a metaphor for the very real nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Fallout is an anti-proliferation and anti-war message with nuclear annihilation as the set up for its post-apocalyptic setting. These works understand that radiation is a limited-use plot device, and, wisely, they keep it simple.

Burrow’s End, by placing radiation front and center, has lost the message. The themes of the story are irretrievably muddled: what seems like a tale of family displaced by human intervention now positions a man-made hazardous material as both sinister corruption and divine boon, and engages neither with a fitting narrative of both the pros and cons of technology, nor of human and animal symbiosis. The finale establishes the latter in a rushed cut scene reliant on a single persuasion roll, and the two episodes prior to that meanwhile establish that while the humans first introduced radiation to the ecosystem, the first five stoats were the ones who sought it out and disseminated it and built the police state, and their true nemesis was Phoebe, one of their own. This culminates with Phoebe, the previously unseen fifth of the first five stoats (who have by now already been killed by the heroes), piloting the body of a 20-years-dead human, threatening to somehow cause global radiation contamination as her grand Evil Scheme. Unnecessarily, from a narrative perspective, I might add; this occurs after the final combat has already begun and she is magically controlling two of the party members. They’re already going to kill her. It’s a hat on a hat on a hat, and the humans are incidental.

When I was a child, I was enamored with the sort of stories in which children are sent to another time or place and then return with seemingly no time passing, and at one point excitedly told my mother I had an idea for a story, of what happens back while you’re time traveling. My mother, a fan of speculative fiction herself, and never one to coddle, told me “nothing, honey, that’s the point.” I wonder if something similar happened here; an attempted deconstruction of those radiation-granted superpower tropes, focused so hard on being clever it overshot into something anything but. Other elements of the story - particularly the weak pun of “copper” to hammer home the already obvious theme of population support being the arm of the police - make me think this was indeed an attempt at cleverness that missed the mark.

I am happy to elaborate on the flaws of the science elsewhere but I think the most succinct way to put it is that while the biology and habits of stoats sans radiation has been considered with what seems to be at least a modicum of love and care (their use of pre-existing burrows, Viola’s pregnancy), the radiation science/understanding of recent nuclear history can only be described as abysmally neglectful, in and out of game. They let a Loss of Coolant Accident go on for three days with a remarkably casual attitude? This disaster was sufficient to result in what appears to be an exclusion zone (of which there have been three, ever, in human history; two of which are the immediately recognizable Chernobyl and Fukushima) and yet it isn’t being monitored closely enough for someone to notice that there’s been penned animals next to the building for years (let alone that the building itself is teeming with stoats)? For that matter, they’re opening the site only twenty years later? After the “radiation dust”, apparently present on the fully maintained roads by the reactor, but neither within nor in front of the reactor, just now made 14 people bleed out (not how Acute Radiation Syndrome works; also 14 deaths from ARS in 1982, when the series is set would in fact be an unprecedented disaster. In our world, Chernobyl - which had not yet happened in 1982 - is the only nuclear accident that exceeds that ARS death toll.)

Radiation becomes an all-purpose plot engine with no internal consistent logic: it kills humans swiftly and brutally (though based on statements by Dr. Tara Steel and the fact that she seems fine in only a hazmat suit - which shields from contamination but will stop neither gamma nor neutron radiation - only via inhalation). But it infects chipmunks and bears with corruptive and bizarre neurological effects, turns wolves into horrifying but loyal hybridized monstrosities, and conveys to stoats not just human intelligence, but mastery of human language, magic spells, and the ability to come back as a revenant through force of will…though it also can immediately kill them, but also extend their lifespans, but also cause them to slowly mutate into wolves (but not through DNA splicing transfer, that would be silly). It kills 14 humans nearly instantly with off-site dust, but another survives a fiery attempted core meltdown with no apparent ill effects.

There is an excellent and thoughtful story about family, generational trauma, and political structures somewhere under here, and the incredible cast does its damndest to sell it, but it is all but lost beneath a sci-fi whodunnit that would make Ed Wood cock a skeptical eyebrow.

Neverafter and Burrow’s End’s respective collapses under the weight of ambition coincide, perhaps unintentionally, with some of the more dubious film editing choices on Dimension 20. Filmed actual play can be visually unexciting, and Dimension 20 has used simple shot/reverse shots, as well as some sound effects (notably for critical hits and fails) throughout its run to break it up. Neverafter, however, is marked by deliberate hisses and glitches, fractured split screens, echoey vocal effects, and nails-on-chalkboard screeches. This did not add to the atmosphere as intended; at best they were irritating and for many made it actively harder to hear key dialogue. Burrow’s End’s editing has been simpler, mostly relying on some, to be fair, well-placed cuts to black and voice distortion to indicate taped or radioed segments; but a key moment - Jaysohn’s potentially fatal rush into radioactive waters - is undercut with a frankly cheesy montage. Others I spoke to compared it to Indian soap operas, 1960s Doctor Who, The Oscars In Memoriam video, and reality show farewell reels. It takes what could be a tense potential character death - something D20 already handles wonderfully with their iconic Box of Doom - and makes it cheap and tacky, particularly jarring given the beautiful and haunting shadow puppet animation the season had previously delivered to convey the stoat creation myths. (And then, when Ava falls into the waters herself saving him, she merely comes back as a revenant with no ill effects. The stakes were never there to begin with in this smoke and mirrors season.)

Praise for Dimension 20 often hinges on its original innovative structure; most actual play shows skew towards more longform storytelling. However, the short format comes with a price. The fixed length of D20 seasons and the elaborate, custom made maps require a deft GM that can guide players to the exact right place without it seeming forced. Threading the needle is harder than it looks; even the otherwise iconic Fantasy High debut season stumbled towards the end when the players were too good at uncovering the mystery, and Mulligan had to place their characters in an inescapable prison in order to pad out a pre-scheduled episode before the finale. Perhaps the strain of this constant need to live up to a reputation as high-concept innovators, rather than simply create something good and cohesive, is beginning to show. The higher production values in Neverafter and Burrow’s End cannot hide their messy plots and confused messages, and indeed only highlight them. One interview said that for Burrow’s End, Iyengar wants the audience to trust her; after Burrow's End, I can’t say I do.

The next Dimension 20 season after Burrow’s End is a long-awaited return home to the flagship: Fantasy High Junior Year. Let’s hope this reminds the channel where they came from, and what magic they are capable of making when they keep it simple.

#long post #d20 spoilers #burrows end spoilers #d20 tag

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earthry · 7 months

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hello glad you are back :3 could I request hcs for going to a fancy ball w papa? ty ilysm 💓

Thank you so much! I had lots of fun with this, please enjoy! I imagine this to be somewhat of a Regency Era AU <3

sfw but a smidgen of spice at secondo's part, fluff, regency era-ish

Primo

Balls aren't usually his thing-- not anymore, at least. Maybe when he was younger but now in age, he's been and seen hundreds to the point that a fancy ball is just another fancy ball to him.

For you however, they are novelty and a wonder. Something sparkly, something new, something to be excited about and look forwards to. And fuck if that's not cute and incredibly endearing to see. Once you enter his life, he'll never ever voice boredom or disinterest for balls ever again.

Actually, you make him interested in balls again-- if not only to see you at the center of attention, beaming his way.

He's the type to sip at his wine while he watches you have the time of your life across the room-- he doesn't see any point in socializing himself, but if you urge him to, he'll mingle for a little while.

After the ball, he'll escort you home and ask if you had a good time-- the answer is always yes. He'll kiss you goodnight, sweet and gentle under the crescent moon that leaves the both of you breathless, before bidding you a farewell until the morning.

"I'll see you in the morning, tesoro. I'll dream sweetly of you tonight."

Secondo

Spares no expenses on you-- whether it be accessories, makeup, outfits, you name it-- he'll get it for you. What's the use of money if he can't frivolously spend it on the people he loves?

Whether it be a ball gown or a suit, everything you wear is perfectly tailored to your form. If you get a dress or skirt, it has pockets!

An expert at the social game at balls, always knows what to say and exactly how to say it. His presence is most coveted and he'll almost always have an invitation to even the most exclusive of balls.

You'll always be his plus one-- there's never a doubt. Unless you have no interest in attending, you can practically consider an invitation to him as an invitation to you. However, you needn't worry because plenty of invitations of your own will come your way because others know that if you attend, he surely will as well. Never one without the other.

Protective; if he has business or other things to attend to at a ball, one or more of his ghouls will always be nearby to make sure nothing happens to you. This is with your consent of course. If you don't feel comfortable with it, he'll at the very least make sure you're equipped and armed with your own personal dagger concealed in your sleeve or somewhere on your person.

As is proper, he'll always make sure to personally escort you home. The kiss you share before you depart is deep and meaningful-- but no less dirty or charged. Pulling you into his lap and claiming your lips with his, he'll roll his hips up to meet yours just to hear the little hitch in your breath. It's usually a game between the two of you; who can get the other more worked up by the time it's time to say goodbye. Most of the time he wins, smirking as you let out a soft little whimper when the carriage finally stops in front of your estate. He'll give you one last kiss before huskily bidding you adeiu.

"Time to leave, amore mio. Think of me tonight, si?"

Terzo

This man definitely 'pre-games' before the ball-- manicures and facials and any type of beauty self-care under the sun. It's a whole spa day the day of the ball, he shows up at your doorstep and kisses the back of your hand before whisking you off to get absolutely pampered.

The two of you have matching outfits probably, the same theme or color or style. You're both the center of attention at balls, charming the ladies and men. Terzo usually keeps a possessive arm around your waist, leaning in close to gossip or whisper some kind of comment that only you have the luxury of being privy to.

Terzo is ever so attentive to you and your needs during balls-- always checking in for your comfort, asking if you need a drink or snack, making sure you know that the two of you can leave at any time you want.

Despite what a flirt this man is, he'll only ever have eyes for you and anyone with eyes can see that. He's a little bit of a prima donna and likes having your attention on him-- but he'll give you your space if you request it.

Whenever there's dancing involved, the two of you always captivate onlookers. The way he twirls you (or vice versa if you prefer leading), the looks the two of you exchange as your bodies move in tandem to the music. When the two of you take to the dance floor, usually it becomes just the two of you, as others will stop just to watch.

Dropping you back home after the party is Terzo's least favorite part-- because he has to say goodbye to his most beloved. You'll spend at least twenty more minutes down the block from your estate just to make out in the carriage until one of the coachmen impatiently interrupts and asks if you're ready to go. With one last parting kiss, Terzo will see you off with a promise to call on you again in the morning.

"Till tomorrow, beloved. Don't miss me too much, bene?"

Copia

The two of you are anxious beans that find comfort and company in each other at social functions and especially balls. You'll always have an eye out for him and him, you. Eventually, you'll just start attending balls and other events together.

The first time you meet, he's hiding in host's library-- the very same place you had decided to hide in as well. You bump into each other what starts as profuse apologies from each side blooms into a long lasting friendship and companionship.

The day he asks you to come with him as his official plus one, his date, you can't stop smiling which flusters him and makes him bashfully but oh so insanely happy.

After a while, balls become a favorite to the two of you because it would always be full of shenanigans and fun. The two of you together and loitering by the refreshments table and stuffing yourselves full of snacks, giggling to yourselves as you chat and peek into his pocket to see that he's smuggled a rat friend in, touring the gardens outside where it's less crowded and hold hands until you inevitably share a kiss under the gazebo by the lake.

When the night comes to a close, he'll see you home with you cuddled at his side on the carriage ride back. Hushed and sweet tones as you decompress together and he'll tell you that he enjoyed every moment he had with you. He'll crack a few jokes that leave the two of you giggling and by the time it's time to leave, you're left with a warm and fuzzy feeling from head to toe. His kiss goodnight promises more in the future; it's soft and resolute. He holds you in his arms afterwards and you sigh contently and bask in the moment before he rests his forehead against yours to say goodbye.

"First thing tomorrow, i'll be outside your window throwing little stones, si? Like uh-- who was that fellow? Row-me-o? Wha- cuore mio, why are you laughing?"

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moonshynecybin · 8 days

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I find Marc covered up fully underneath his leathers, upto his neck & wrists, so fascinating when we have the others in half sleeves, mesh or nothing. I can't remember if he always was that way or changed midway, if there was a particular reason? If Alex does the same? It just gives regency era eldest spinster daughter hair tied up tight covered up to the neck waiting for the highest titled rake to come show her the pleasures waiting for her.

marc would be SOOOO good at the kate sharma of it all. like bridgerton season two is in many ways rosquez 2 me. marc WOULD deny himself love and marriage if he convinced himself it would protect alex and vale WOULLD close himself off from love for fear of losing anyone he loved ever again after the untimely death of his [dont worry about it] from a bee sting. perfect set up for vale to decide to court marc's much more agreeable and younger (NOT A SPINSTERRRR) brother who because he needs someone to secure the family's future with and alex is one of the most eligible and educated bachelors on the market. and he knows he will never fall in love with him. whereas marc is known for going on crazy person horse rides (how he first meets vale) and pissing people off. and ALEX is locked in this fun codependency thing with marc, where marc sacrificed so much to get him there from spain and its the only way they can like. still live in the same household because the marquez finances are a lil shaky for regency reasons (alex it should be noted will fall for vale's ward franky SO fast and they shall have their own tortured by familial obligation repressed regency drama please trust this. it WOULD involve alex saving franky from bandits. again trust.)

so anyways vale commits to courting the idea of alex. butttt marc and vale. kind of hit it off. chemistry! goofballs ! a game of crochet that legitimately turns a little dangerous (marc is. cheating the whole time lmao. vale is ALSO cheating he is kicking balls into the bushes and. possibly. checking out marc's ass when he bends over to fetch them. victimless crime looking never hurt anyone.) truly luca meets marc and is like lovely to meet the man my brother plans to marry :) and alex vale marc are all like. um. hah. about that. EVERYONE can see and marc and vale are down fucking horrendous but are cutting themselves off from love so aggressively its UPSETTING ! vale CANNOT lose anyone he loves and marc will sacrifice EVERYTHING for alex's future so they are locked in horny tension for monthsss. it is. insanely horny close proximity sniffing. it is. dancing at balls probably more than is strictly proper. it is. marc getting pushed into a body of water and having to strip off his paper thin old-timey shirttttt. getting wayyyy too into betting on horse races like they are throwing elbows. alone in various well dressed rooms breathing the same air SO much yearning and holding back because like. they CANT do that to alex (alex. does not want that man lmao).

until finallyyyyy its alex and vale's wedding day and marc feels like hes going to THROW UPPPPPP. worlds saddest little spinster. pale sad brave face on. but he walks in and vale is just. he cant take his fucking eyes off marc. at the alter in a church in his best suit. he cant stop looking at him. and he feels like hes going to cry but he doesnt know why. and alex walks in and looks at the two of them looking like they want to DIE and it clicks. right then. that theyre in love (huge relief off of his shoulders tbh. already sexting franky via horny letter in his mindpalace) like alex KNOWS his brother and he KNOWS the only way get marc to stop doing something self destructive is for alex to tell him he doesnt have to. so he turns away from vale and he takes marc's hands. and he calls of the wedding.

BUT that doesnt resolve our central conceit on vale's end. what do you do when the scariest thing in the world is the person you love dying. and that is a belief that has been informed by person you love dying trauma. well in vale's case you simply have to realize YOU ARE ALREADY IN LOVE... TOO LATE IDIOT. having them and MAYBE losing them is better than never having them and losing them ANYWAYYY. so in this its like. the wedding falls through, alex marries franky so hes fine, and marc gets in a HORSE RIDING ACCIDENT ! and its uh. not looking good. and marc almost DIES and vale wasnt even THERE and he didnt knowwww how vale feels. he never got to be with him :( truly life is fleeting go fuck your twink :( finds out marc is going to be okay and cries for hmm. maybe the first time in ten years? and then they get married :)

#thinking about marc saying once my brother is married i will return to spain and vale being like. haha what. what do you mean by that.#like i don’t think marc would actually leave franky but if franky and alex are good to go back marc is GONEEEE #motogp #callie speaks #asks #rosquez #this is too long and i looked at it for so long. be free.#*leave alex. whatever you understand.

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Barón Tovar Takes a Wife

First Movement (Adagio sostenuto)

5.5K / Bridgerton AU Regency!Pero Tovar x fem!reader, a childhood best friends to lovers story

Summary: About to make your society debut and enter London's marriage mart, you don't expect an old friend whom you haven't seen in over 10 years to make a surprise appearance at the first ball of the season.

Warnings: None! Fluff! B, C, D, E, F Bridgerton make appearances. It's me so there's a cute nickname (won't spoil). The masterlist includes a few words about how this reader insert is written - essentially, no reader description other than having hair and wearing dresses in the style of this era, reader has a backstory; much of this part is exposition (so maybe a little slow but we'll get there!😊)

A/N: My plan is to post the entire series before Season 3 of Bridgerton airs, because the story is intended to take place in the background of the same season and if things don't make sense after the show comes out then oh well 🤭 I'm also only 2/3 of the way through Julia Quinn's books, so please forgive me if some of my characterizations of the Bridgertons are not wholly correct 🙏🏻

Wonderful Bridgerton inspired dividers by @saradika-graphics 🥰

Series Masterlist

The Duchess of Hastings stands behind you, admiring the reflection in the mirror of the two of you together, “I dare say, if you had debuted with me during my season, there is a good chance that I may not have been the Diamond.”

“Oh, shush, your Grace,” you make a funny face at her in the mirror, to which she laughs and pokes you in the ribs, “Don’t you start with this ‘Your Grace’ business with me.”

That Daphne Bridgerton is your dearest and oldest friend in England is something you consider to be one of the great fortunes of your life, of which, as the daughter of a Count, you have many. Violet Bridgerton and your mother, the Countess, had been dear friends and as such, much of your early childhood in England had been spent at Bridgerton House, running around with not only the same aged Daphne, but her elder and younger siblings as well. The Bridgertons are one of the most beloved families of the ton, their good natured and spirited personalities recommending themselves to everyone, and accordingly, your memories of when your two families would gather remain some of the most joyous of your childhood.

Sadly, your dear mother passed away from illness when you were only seven years of age and your beloved father, who loved her more than life itself, could not bear to stay in England much without her. The Count was one of several nobles charged with governance of Her Majesty’s Royal Naval Fleet; a gentle man, his purview was primarily diplomatic (as opposed to militaristic) and he thus travelled widely, often and always for long periods of time.

Though he did not wish to remain where so many of his memories dwelled, the Count could not bear to leave his only child behind, and consequently, you had joined your father on his travels. He proudly raised a cheerful, spirited daughter who loved the seas and adventure as much as she did reading and music. Your father found that exposing you to and requiring you to immerse yourself in so many foreign cultures at a young age led you to be the most sympathetic and kind hearted child, one who others found easy to converse with and befriend on account of your good humoured nature and open minded heart. Unencumbered by the rigid etiquette requirements (and dress code!) of British high society, you happily embraced many freedoms that other young ladies of your age and breeding did not have the opportunity to enjoy. Your father taught you much about the ships and business of the naval fleet, subjects to which you took a great interest; to this day, you know your way around most ships better than some sailors. The Count was especially proud of your affinity for diplomacy, understanding the importance of fairness and tough negotiation both in foreign matters and managing fleets. You loved all of it – spending countless hours pouring over maps and letters of diplomatic matters with your father and absorbing all you could; as you got older, you took great pride in the way your father would sometimes seek your opinion and advice on business matters and delighting when he would praise you on your ideas.

While he was unorthodox, your father could not be accused of being neglectful; he would not forgo your formal and societal education, knowing that one day, you would have to return to live in England. Hiring only the most adventurous and brave governesses to accompany your travels, the Count ensured that your literary, numerical, musical and artistic accomplishments and pursuits could rival those of your peers back home. You learned to dance the dances of grand balls, though you had only the few foreign dignitary hosted events to practice. Your only other occasion to practice came when you would return for your infrequent visits to England, reuniting with your beloved Bridgertons to spend nearly all your time catching up and laughing with Daphne and her siblings, and take in what you could of British society before once again being swept away on another ship. Though brief, these reunions with your friends, coupled with your frequent letters were enough to ensure your friendships remained strong and cherished over the years.

Two years ago, Daphne had made her societal debut, meeting and marrying her love, the Duke, during the marriage season and you could not have been more delighted for your friend. That season should have also been your debut season, except that you and your father were in the Far East and would not have been able to complete the Count’s business and return in time. Since you had postponed one year, what was two? If you had your way, you would have made it three, not eager to give up the life of travel and leisure that you’ve grown accustomed to. However, when the Queen wrote to ask why the daughter of one of her esteemed Counts has not yet been presented, both you and your father had to regretfully concede that your life as a carefree sea farer was over.

And thus, you find yourself in your present circumstance: in a luxurious silk gown the colour of swan feathers, wearing what might actually be swan feathers in your hair, about to be presented to the Queen before embarking on your first social season. To be honest, you’re not terribly nervous, save for whatever nerves one always has whenever attempting something new, and you have good reasons not to be.

The first being that you are in the very capable hands of your great friend, the Duchess. The now Dowager Viscountess had promised your mother that when the time for your debut came, it would be the Bridgerton family’s honour to sponsor you. If anything, you felt that the honour was all yours – not only were you to have the support and backing of one of the most respected and revered families during your season, you would also be blessed with their company. As fortune would have it, due to the timing of your debut, Violet had prepared herself to take on the duty of presenting not one but two girls: yourself and her third eldest daughter, Francesca.

Fearing it was far too much work and pressure, you had assured Violet, whom you loved as a second mother, that she need not fret too much over you; you’re a woman of twenty-three with more world experience than most men twice your age, and encouraged her to focus her attentions on her own daughter. Violet had been aghast at the implication that she didn’t think of you as one of her daughters, and you were about to be on the receiving end of a scolding that only a mother could dispense when Daphne came to your rescue. As the Duchess of Hastings, she herself had the right to present young ladies at court, and she declared herself delighted to be your patroness this season. This was decidedly a win-win; not only could Violet concentrate on Francesca’s prospects, you could now look forward to spending the season with your dear friend by your side.

The second reason you’re not overly anxious is that despite being older than most of the girls debuting at the same time, you know you have plenty to recommend you to potential suitors. No, you are not terribly conceited nor do you hold your own attributes in such high esteem, but rather, very practically, you know most suitors will not let a small thing such as age deter them from the handsome fortune your father has bestowed upon you.

The Count was forever exasperated with the shortcomings of the laws of inheritance and how they prevented his one child from inheriting his estate, but he made up for it the best he could with the legal avenues available to him. First, he set aside a healthy dowry for you, so that you would be sure to attract a similarly healthy crop of high society gentlemen from which to choose a husband. Second, via his will, you would be provided for for the remainder of your life with a generous per annum allowance that rivaled the income of many estates; you were to want for nothing even if you never married.

And finally, known only to a select few, your father had a vast investment in an international fleet separate from the naval fleet of the queen; a beloved exploration and trade business venture that was the Count’s passion project - you and him spending many enjoyable hours pouring over the plans and movements of this fleet. The dividends from your father’s shares went directly into a trust of which you (and any future children of yours) are the sole beneficiary, though the capital had to be held by a man. It was the Count’s thinking that in addition to the income, it was only fair that you benefitted from a venture that you had invested much of your own heart and time into. Naturally, being a part of your father’s estate, this investment could be passed down to the next Count (a distant relative), but your father had other plans. If the intended recipient was willing, you father wanted to sell his shares to his future son-in-law, allowing for the dividends to continue flowing to you and so that you may remain close to the business via your husband’s involvement.

In other words, there are plenty of reasons that potential suitors who might otherwise be dismissive of your age and lack of societal presence, may find you attractive (the least of which were probably your charm and wit); you can afford to be choosy and you fully intend to be. And while you’re not quite so hopeful to wish for a great love like that of your parents, or even Daphne and her beloved Simon, you dearly wish for a husband that will understand and respect you; one who will celebrate you for your mind, experience, opinions and all the reasons why you’re different due to having grown up the way you did.

Daphne seems to have high hopes that there will be many potential suitors who will live up to your expectations. You’re less confident than she, but still more optimistic than not.

Flopping yourself down on the chaise next to Eloise, the two of you heave heavy sighs in unison. After the nerve-racking presentation to the queen earlier this week, the following days have been a non-stop flurry of ribbons, fittings, etiquette lessons and teas with the express purpose of study in the who’s who of the ton. In just a few hours, all of Violet and Daphne’s hard work and preparations will be put on display when your contingent attends the first event of the season: the Danbury Ball.

Eloise passes a box of candy to you and you select a treat gratefully. Though Daphne is your closest friend, you’ve sometimes found yourself having a fair amount in common with Eloise and know her to be a trustworthy confidant; this is one of those times. While you don’t think you have it in you to hate anything as much as Eloise despises the marriage mart, the both of you at least have the good fortune of being able to be picky with your suitors and moreover, wish to exercise that particular privilege. For Eloise, marriage is a cage. For you, it’s the not marriage itself, but a union with an imprudent match that you wish to avoid. If you can no longer be free to sail the seas and wander through the valleys and streets of the foreign lands that call your name, you must insist that the home you’re being called home to roost is at the very least, pleasant.

“I beg of you,” murmurs Eloise, “Please let all the fashionable young men fill up your dance card so that there shall be none left for me.”

You steal another piece of candy, “I’m afraid there’s more than enough young men to go around, El. Plus, you really ought to beseech Franny for your request, my dance card may struggle for applicants on account of me being such an old maid,” you giggle.

“None of that negativity now,” chimes in Daphne from the open door, “tonight is full of possibilities.”

During the season, you’re staying at Bridgerton House so to be close to all the finery of dresses, jewels, shoes, ladies’ maids and moral support that you may need. Your father is staying nearby in another house on Grosvenor Square, and comes by most days to see his daughter and dear family friends for breakfast at the very least. You have loved your life with your father, but at times like these, when you are laughing at and listening to the loving snipes and bickering of the Bridgerton siblings, you often wonder what it would have been like to have a more traditional upbringing. Pushing that thought out of your mind, you stand and pull Eloise up with you so that the two of you can follow the Duchess to the next room where you’re expected to choose from the glittering selection of dresses laid out for tonight.

As you lean towards selecting a pretty lavender gown, Daphne fills you in on the processional arrangements for your entrances tonight, “Mama, Franny, Anthony and Kate will take the first carriage, then you, Eloise and I will follow in the second. We will enter the ball in that order as well.”

“What about Colin and Ben?”

“They’re meeting with some friend from Colin’s travels whom he met in… I want to say Greece? They will make their own way and meet us at the ball.” You nod agreeably; as long as everyone is together at some point or another, your first season event will feel a lot less daunting.

---

As you walk into the Danbury estate, you cannot but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the elegance and glamour on display. Though no stranger to luxury and finer things, it’s not very often that you find yourself amidst so much opulence. Eyes shining as you take in the finery, your voice is full of excitement and genuine awe as you compliment Lady Danbury and thank her for hosting tonight’s soiree. Hand clasped tight in Daphne and Eloise’s as you make your way down the main hall to the ballroom, you see Colin further down on the right side of the hallway, waving alongside Benedict. Waiting by the wall with the Bridgerton brothers is a third gentleman, tall and broad shouldered with soft, curly brown hair who currently has his back to you; Colin has on a mischievous grin and he’s speaking to the stranger quietly, eyes flitting back to you and his sisters periodically as you approach. This can’t be good, you think with suspicion. When you’re a few steps away from meeting with the brothers, Colin gives the stranger a slight nod and he turns around; before you even have a chance to look upon the newcomer’s face, you hear a familiar sweet baritone voice say, “Hello, Dulce.”

At first, you’re in shock; the Spanish word for candy is not a nickname people commonly call you and it’s one you haven’t heard in over ten years. Then joy of recognition and realization overtake you and you completely forget where you are, crying out, “Pero!!!” Your arms behave of their own accord and fly open to wrap around his neck as you launch yourself into the handsome man’s arms.

He hugs you back firmly and whispers low in your ear, “Happy to see you, too” before releasing you, the both of you immediately stepping apart and drop your hands to your sides, remembering where you are and that the eyes of the ton are always watching. But you can’t help but beam; nor can you look away from Pero’s face.

Pero Tovar had been your most constant and beloved friend for many of your happiest childhood years spent abroad. Pero’s father, a Barón of Spain, was in charge of naval governance for his country in a similar capacity as your father was for England and accordingly, their paths crossed regularly in foreign countries. Both men of gentlemanly dispositions, the Count and the Barón had forged a deep and lasting friendship as they conducted their business. Another thing that they had bonded over was the fact that they were both widows who uncharacteristically chose to bring and raise their children with them on their travels.

So, although Pero is eight years your elder and already in his early teens when you first met, being the only two children of sea loving foreign diplomats in the strange lands you found yourselves in readily recommended you to each other and you had become happy and frequent playmates. Pero devoted hours and hours to your amusement, allowing himself to play more juvenile games of pretend that he may not otherwise with compatriots of his own age, and with his encouragement you grew to be brave and curious, always wishing to keep up with the older boy. He helped you with your studies, and you played music for him, learning and mastering the pieces he enjoyed the most. The two of you shared a love of literature and it became your special version of a traditional hunt in each new country you landed in to find foreign language versions of the other’s favourite books so that you could read the translations alongside your worn English copies. Some of the most cherished copies of your favourite books, ones you carry with you from country to country still, were gifts from Pero.

As you got older, your shared adventures expanded to include exploring the streets of new cities, trying local cuisines and frolicking on the beaches of the coasts of Italy, Portugal and even India. The last time you had seen him, he was a strapping young man of twenty and you had been twelve. His father was returning to Spain for an undetermined amount of time to deal with affairs of his estate, and Pero would be entering university, having postponed his acceptance for two years already. Although you had each promised to write, the letters were far and few between and eventually you lost track of Pero – you can hardly blame either of you; you were travelling with your father and not always easy to find, and you didn’t really expect a young man concentrating on his studies to have the time to write to a young girl despite having been her very best friend for so many years.

But now he’s standing right in front of you and you can hardly believe your eyes. He’s impossibly tall and wide, a far cry from the lanky boy with whom you scrambled over rocks on the beaches of Portugal, but he’s still tanned, leading you to surmise that he must still sail or at least get a healthy amount of sun regularly. And while his face is older, devastatingly handsome with a cutting jawline partially hidden by untamed facial scruff, he’s completely recognizable to you. An easy clue is the scar that runs from above his left eyebrow down past his eye, though faded from when you saw it last, but it’s the indulgent smile he’s giving you right now that gives him away to you.

“What are you doing at this ball? Did you know I would be here?” you can’t help but continue to stare at Pero wide-eyed, grinning like a fool.

“Oh! We made the connection earlier this week at dinner,” chimes in Colin, “We were going to bring him over to the house but thought this would be more fun.”

You make to swat at Colin’s arm. “How did you meet this scoundrel?” you jest, with absolutely no malice in your voice, pointing your thumb at the still laughing Bridgerton brother. As your group starts to move towards the ballroom, Pero falls into an easy step by your side, “We met when Colin was taking in the crisp sea air of Mykonos, and then again last year in the vineyards of Tuscany. He made for excellent company after a long day of helping the locals prune grape vines. Naturally, when I arrived in London for business this month, I had to look him up.”

Daphne is now tugging you towards the ballroom by your hand, and in turn, you’ve grabbed onto and are practically dragging Eloise down the hall with you. You shout back to Pero, “I want to hear everything!” and can’t help the smile that spreads across your excited face when he nods after you.

“Oh!” you breathe, invigorated from the surprise of seeing Pero, as you come to a stop right before the entrance way. Daphne smiles over at you, “It was so hard keeping it a secret from you!”

You’re astonished, “You knew about Pero as well?”

“Yes, I thought it might give you an additional boost of confidence to have another friend’s support during your first event.”

You smile at your sweet friend and squeeze her hand affectionately, “Thank you! It does and I’m delighted to see Pero again. But in truth, my confidence could never be lacking when I have a friend like you next to me.”

Daphne gives you her biggest smile and squeezes your hand right back. A moment later, the three of you step into the ballroom and meet the gazes of the other attendees as you’re announced.

---

The ball is a whirlwind. It seems you hardly have a moment to even catch your breath, never mind catch up with Pero. From the moment you walked in to the grand hall, you were pulled in this direction and then that, introduced to new person after new person, some of whose names were familiar from your visits home over the years, and others only from the copious amounts of study you’ve done on the ton over the past week. You’ve certainly forgotten all their names by now.

Then it’s dance after dance after dance with the young gentleman that Daphne parades in front of you. The dancing itself is quite pleasant and a lovely way to shake out some of your jitters, but you find the small talk hardly enough to get to know your partners, and when the dance is over and you’re once again being whisked away to another introduction or meeting that the Duchess has lined up for you. The few opportunities you’ve had to take a breather and indulge in a glass of lemonade, you’ve been happy to retreat back to Pero and your small familiar group; but just when you’ve started to entreat your old friend to open up about his adventures since you saw him last, another potential suitor will be introduced and the entire cycle starts over again.

It’s only when you’re halfway through the evening that the frenzy has died down enough that you can observe and be amused by Pero’s behaviour at the ball. While you’re constantly twirling around the dancefloor, you notice that he never leaves his position against the wall and doesn’t dance at all; he mainly scowls and looks displeased, hardly speaking to anyone other than the Bridgertons or you when you have a free moment. You feel his eyes follow you as you glide across the dance floor with the young men that have asked you to dance, and even when you’re making your way through the room on Daphne’s arm, meeting and making small talk with the other families of the ton. When you do happen to look up and search for him, you often find him glowering and looking dissatisfied, though if you catch his eye, his expression will soften slightly.

Once while you were dancing with Lord Whitfield, you had caught Pero’s eye mid-turn and made a silly quizzical face at him, as if to ask What’s going on with you? and you think you see him laugh briefly before the steps of the dance require you to turn away from him. You wonder why frowns so fearsomely and if there’s a reason for him to be so stoic and curt with the rest of the ton. It’s so odd to you as you’ve never had so much as a cross word from him in all the time you’ve known him, not even when you had snuck out of the compound in Singapore when you were nine so you could watch the fireworks display. Pero had come looking for you, his face serious and eyes panicked when he finally found you in the busy square, but he never once got mad. Instead, he swore not to tell your father, and promised that if you had wanted to see the fireworks up close, he would accompany you. And then he did just that the next night and the night after that. But here, when not engaging the company of his friends, Pero’s countenance is positively sour. Any hopes harboured by the mamas of the ton for snagging a Spanish nobility son-in-law this season are quickly dashed. Barón Tovar is decidedly not here to find a wife.

With the evening more than half over, you realize that unless you make the point to do so, an opportunity to speak more than a few minutes with Pero will surely not present itself. And while you are having fun meeting potential suitors, your mind consistently wanders to Pero throughout the evening. Aside from simply wishing to catch up with him and be in his comforting presence, you do have something important you feel compelled to speak to him on.

After a particularly spirited quadrille, you curtsey your gratitude for the dance to Mr. Sedgewick, and before any of the young men you spy hovering nearby can approach you, you hurry as elegantly as you can toward where Pero is standing awkwardly pressed to the wall.

Pero, having seen the look of determination on your face when seeking him out, asks with concern when you come up to him, “Is everything okay, Dulce?”

There he is, you smile when you see the kind, gentle expression of the boy that you knew for so many years, “Everything is fine, Pero. Although I must admit to needing a respite from all the endless socializing. Do you think we could get some lemonade?”

“Of course. I would be happy to accompany you in fetching a glass.”

With Pero by your side, any person who previously had designs on engaging you during this brief break between dances now thinks better of it; you chuckle to yourself as his fearsome expression comically paves a clear path for you to the refreshments table. Once having secured your drink, you ask Pero if you can speak to him privately.

Careful not to lead you from view of other people lest it incite a scandal, Pero finds a quiet place in the entrance hallway and turns to find you looking up at him rather seriously.

When you’re certain you have his attention, you launch into your confession, “Pero, please allow me to tell you how sorry I was to hear of your father’s passing. I remember him as such a kind, generous man, and such a wonderful friend to my father and by extension, me. I will always think of him with tremendous fondness.”

“Thank you, Dulce. I know he thought very highly of both you and your father and forever treasured your friendships.”

But you’re not done and start to shake your head, eyes filling with tears, “And I’m so very sorry that I did not write to you at the time. I didn't know where you were, but I should have been more diligent in my efforts to find you. I deeply regret not being there for you if you needed someone. I hope you were not alone during that difficult time.”

You hang your head in shame. Pero feels a deep affection for you blossoming in his chest; before him is the same sweet and compassionate girl he knew when he was a boy. Tender-hearted and endlessly considerate of the feelings of others, you always had more empathy than you knew what to do with; he himself had been on the receiving end of your care and concern more times than he could count. Pero gently tips you chin up with his gloved finger, “It was a tough time and I miss him a great deal. But he was an incredible man and I strive to follow the example he set for me everyday. So, in many ways, he is still with me. No need for any apologies.” He gives you what he hopes is a soft and reassuring smile.

In return, you grin, “Who are you and what have you done with my friend? The boy I knew would have made me pay dearly for even the slightest offense - my portion of dessert for a week, at the very least.”

Unable to hold back his own grin, Pero is finding it easy to slip back into this familiar type of playful banter with you, “Well, I was trying to be a gentleman, but since you think me nothing more than a brute, I shall have no trouble devising an appropriate punishment. For your transgression against me, I demand… a dance.”

You laugh whole-heartedly and it feels wonderful to laugh loudly at something genuinely funny rather than the quiet polite laughter you’ve been making most of the evening. “A dance? Well, that is hardly a concession for me! One dance with you means one less spot on my dance card for some lord I don’t know but who Daphne thinks I might find charming,” you joke.

“Are you finding your potential suitors so far to be villains or are they all just very boring?” smirks Pero.

Giving him a little punch in the arm to show him you’re not really complaining, “I am not so terribly unfeeling. They are for the most part fine enough gentlemen. The particular circumstance we find ourselves in just makes them so very eager. It can feel terribly awkward.”

“None of them are good enough for you anyway.”

“Oh, and you are?” you jest, eyes full of mirth.

“Dulce, I’m the worst of the bunch,” counters Pero, leaning in close.

“I don’t doubt it,” you haven’t smiled this wide all evening.

“Be that as it may, the price you must pay to regain my favour remains the same. Shall we?” Pero holds out his arm, waiting for you to accept his dance invitation; you hold on to him gratefully and head back into the main ballroom, realizing this is the first dance of the ball that you’ve truly looked forward to.

When Pero takes his place across from you, the tittering from the crowd that the Barón has finally taken to the dance floor can be heard over the opening notes of the music. You can’t help but giggle, and Pero beams back at you – your light laughter more melodic than any music he’s ever heard.

Hand firmly curling around your waist, Pero sways you to the beat and the two of you carry out the steps of the dance comfortably together. You hadn’t realized how much stress you’ve been under or how much tension you’ve been holding in until now, when you find yourself actually relaxing in Pero’s strong hold. For the first time this evening, you’re dancing without nerves or the pressure of having to make polite conversation or a good first impression; you can simply be. You sigh in contentment.

“What is it, Dulce? Are my dance skills not to the standard set by your other partners this evening?”

“Hardly,” you chuckle, “I know for a fact that you dance remarkably well. And if I were to have any complaints, the blame would rest squarely on my shoulders since we learned these dances together.”

“That’s true, we can only be as good as the partners we practice with.”

“Exactly. At least that’s what Madam used to say, right before she would rap you on your shoulders with her rhythm baton,” you muse, nostalgic.

“That weapon had a name? I have not thought of Madam for many years now, but upon my word if I did not straighten up and stiffen my arms just now.”

You share another chortle as only two close friends with a long history of fond memories and inside jokes between them can. When you sigh again, Pero cocks his scarred eyebrow at you.

“Do not think me dissatisfied, my Lord. It is simply just so comfortable dancing with you, as if it has not been over ten years since we last did so.”

“I feel the same way, Dulce.”

You smile sincerely at Pero; although you could explain yourself further, you somehow know that he understands your meaning without you having to do so. Feeling content, both heart and mood light in the safety of Pero’s closed frame, you find yourself wishing that you could spend the rest of the ball dancing with only him.

I've never done a tag list before so please let me know if it doesn't work, or you don't/do want to be on it, or it sets your phone on fire 😅 @drewharrisonwriter @inept-the-magnificent @tuquoquebrute @titabel

#pero tovar #regency!pero tovar #pero tovar fic #pero tovar fanfiction #bridgerton au #pero tovar x you #pero tovar x f!reader #pero tovar x reader #pedro pascal characters fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #no y/n

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adaineabernantsfrog · 1 year

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Fantasy High and Love

Dimension 20 is no doubt one of the most popular D&D Actual Play shows releasing currently. It has, as of writing this, 14 completed seasons, and the 15th well underway. These seasons range from four-episode side quests, to full seasons, which range from small town mystery in season 1 (Fantasy High), to Regency-Era Romance in season 14 (A Court of Fey and Flowers) to Game Of Thrones inspired Candyland in season 6 (A Crown Of Candy). Dimension 20’s main cast (The Intrepid Heroes) consists of Sibbion Tompson, Lou Willson, Ally Beardsly, Zac Oyama, Emily Axford, and Brian Murphy ‘Murph’, and most games are Dougen Mastered by Brennan Lee Mulligan (Captain K.P Hob, A Court Of Fey and Flowers) or Aabriya Ingar (Antiope Jones, The Seven). Of course, there are always other players who guest star in the seasons and work at Dropout (the company that owns Dimension 20), but these are the main candidates for the show.

Though the seasons do not always make it so obvious, one key theme underlies in all of them, and that is love. The show says, quite plainly, love is not always romantic. Love can be your friend, sacrificing herself to make sure you survive (Sibbion Tompson as Adaine Abbernant, Fantasy High Sophomore Year), love can be a King screaming at his head guard to “Take my daughters and run!” (Lou Willson as King Amethar Rocks, A Crown Of Candy), love is saying “I don’t love you anymore,” and putting yourself first (Persephone Valentine as Sam Nightingale, The Seven), and to end with a more traditional sense of love, it is two people renouncing their families for each other, kissing under a raincloud and saying “We have so much to experience together.” (Surena Marie as BINX Choppley to Omar Najam as Andera, A Court Of Fey and Flowers). In this essay, I will specifically discuss Fantasy High and Love, platonic or romantic.

Fantasy High is set in a small town, in a highschool, so romance is bound to appear at some point. It also follows our Intrepid Heros (Kristen, Adaine, Fig, Gorgug, Fabian, and Riz, played by Beardsley, Tompson, Axford, Oyama, Willson, and Murphy respectively) as they learn and grow as people. It follows their mistakes, their feelings, their hearts, and discovering their own sexuality and relationship ideals and goals as they mature. Now, we cannot talk about Fantasy High without talking about religion, specifically the religion of Helio, the Corn god. One of our Heroes, Kristen Applebee’s, was raised in this church as ‘Helio’s Chosen One’, and thus believed herself to be holy.

The religion on Helio is quite clearly a commentary on corrupt christianity and religious issues, as Kristen’s parents are homophobic towards her, and there is a secret underground cult the ‘Bad Kids’ (Kristen, Adaine, Fig, Gorgug, Fabian and Riz) discover around halfway through the season. In the first battle, when Kristen literally dies and ascends up to heaven, she meet’s Helio, who is the stereotype of a teenage frat boy. All this to say, Kristen later renounces her faith in her religion and abandon’s her church and family for her new one. The person who helps her discover she is a lesbian (and is her girlfriend as of the end of Fantasy High Sophomore Year/ Dimension 20: LIVE) is Tracker O’Shaunessy.

Tracker is everything Kristen (at their meeting) is not. She is calm, cool, collected, and has renounced her religion long before the season began, as she has lycanthropy, and is a werewolf, in direct opposition to the Church of Helio, worshiping the Moon Goddess Galacia. The exploration of losing your religion and growing into your ‘true’ self, whether that be a werewolf or anything else, is one of the most realistic I have ever seen, probably due to the fact that the show is written, or improvised, by people who went through it in real life. Tracker and Kristen are not without their flaws, but they have a very open and realistic relationship, including the fact that Kristen keeps telling everyone she is gay when she figures herself out for Season 1. It is interesting as well how a relatively small company can better display a lesbian teenage relationship than most streaming giants, and have more than one in the series.

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year (FHSY, Dimension 20: Live) brings in a new character in Ayda Augefort, Mistress of the Compass Points Library, Daughter of Arthur Augefort, half Phoenix. Arthur Augefort is the principal of the academy most of The Bad Kids go to (Excluding Tracker, Alewyn, and as of Season 2’s ending, Ragh), and the principal of the academy his daughter's girlfriend, Fig Faeth. Ayda Augefort is explicitly autistic, and in a relationship and thriving in a relationship. Unlike most media, the focus during her and Fig’s relationship is not the fact that Ayda is autistic, it is the fact that she is from an entirely different nation than the rest of them, and sometime’s struggles with social cues, and that’s it. It is unbelievably refreshing to see an autistic character's arc not be entirely on autism, but be on her relationships.

It is also refreshing to see autism being portrayed as normal (literally Ayda stating “This is normal, this is normal.” as Jawbone O’Shaunessy, Tracker’s Uncle and Adaine’s adoptive Father), and not some big bad monster that is needed to be overcome by the character. She is treated as ordinary, not incapable, not babied, and as an equal by her fellow adventurers. So often in the media, autism is a monster, showing someone incapable and unnerving. Ayda is not.

Ayda is just Ayda, and many people would call her the most capable and logical one in the group.

On the complete other side of the Fantasy High Coin Of Romance, we have Riz Gukgak, a cannoncially aromantic, asesexual charcter. Riz, throughout season 1 of Fantasy high, makes fun of his friends and their general ‘horniness’ as teens. He is left feeling isolated and awkward when the topic of sex comes up, whereas the rest of his friends (with perhaps the exemption of Adaine; Though nothing has been confirmed by Tompson or Mulligan regarding her) embrace their teenage years and the conversations surrounding romance and sex with open arms, though sometimes they take a bit of prying to get open, whereas Riz actively rejects it.

In fact, Riz rejects it so much it leads to the manifestation of Baron from the Baronise, Romance Partner, when the group’s worst fears manifest. To create Baron Riz did something many young, queer teens do, which is make up a lie of a boy/girlfriend or partner to appear perfect, to appear straight and cis and normal, because to many children, normal does exist, and it does for Riz Gukgak, who aspires to be normal in whatever way he can be, leading to Baron.

Many people agree that Baron is the one of the most horrific elements across any D20 season, even ranking above the current horror season, as Mulligan describes them as having “A voice colder than the grave,” and the fact it’s mouth “Does not move when he talks.”

Baron can be read as the metaphor for hiding who you are, that you are scared the real you will be ugly, be unattractive and horrific, backed up by the fact that Baron’s first appearance is in a mirror, they are a literal reflection of Riz’s worst fears. That he is unnatural.

Terrifying.

That Riz Gukgak, aroace goblin (un)-licensed private investigator that he is, is wrong beyond words, a horror only a few unlucky people would comprehend.

But how on earth could that be true about anyone? How can anybody, human or otherwise, be so horrible nobody wants to spend time with them? Baron says that “The years will go by, and everyone will find someone who matters more to them than you.” and Riz shuts it down. Riz “Seeks the truth so much (he) cuts his hands on the inside of crystals,” (Mulligan as Barron), and his friends love him, even if he is just “The little shrimp of this party.” (Murphy as Riz).

As a warning, this next section will discuss heavy topics of abuse, torture, anxiety and neglect.

Romantic love is not the only kind of love out there, and it is not the only kind of love covered in Fantasy High. Another prevalent love is the love between sibling, the love Kristen Applebee’s shows her younger brothers when she drops off gold in the beginning of FHSY, but most prevalent is the now unshakeable love between Adaine and Aelwyn Abbernant, two sisters who were abused beyond belief falling apart and coming back together, but only under the most horrible of circumstances that no person, age not important, should ever have to go through.

Adaine and Aelwyn, in different ways, were both abused by their parents, in a horrific mixture of neglect of Adaine’s needs and favoritism for Aelwyn. To quote BR Parents, “Usually the favorite is the oldest or the baby,” which is true here. Aelwyn is the elder sister, and Adaine is the younger.

The abuse suffered is also represented by their types of magic, Aelwyn being an abjuration wizard, and Adaine being a divination wizard, specifically the Elven Oracle. Aelwyn’s abjuration magic is a protective force, a literal shield as she shields herself, her true self, from her parents to avoid disappointing them, she gives herself the protection she cannot offer Adaine. Adaine, on the other hand, is a divination wizard, she can see the future that her parents are going to give her, and know what they are going to say about her. In every way for the first season, they are opposites, a diviner who focuses on the future and an abjurer who focuses on the now, Aelwyn working for the ‘bad’ side throughout all of season one resulting in her kidnap and torture in Fallinel throughout most of season 2, Adaine actively fighting against that side to the best of her ability. The abuse also drove a rift between the two girls, with Adaine saying “I feel unsafe!” to withdraw Aelwyn’s diplomatic immunity when she is arrested.

Terrifyingly, they have their softest sisterly moments between them when Aelwyn is a, to borrow a term from season 1, Palimpsest of a Person. She has been wiped and superimposed over by her country of birth, leaving nothing but a blank slate of a person, and how sad is it that someone who helped with the palimpsest’s in season 1 has now become a human equivalent of the thing she helped make. After this, they have a scene together where Aelwyn’s magic does what it has never done before, it reaches out and protects Adaine from danger directly, instead of watching her handle it herself. (It is important to note the magic here cannot entirely protect the girls, they are still in Flaniell, the danger is all around them, and there are ore elves working for Fallinel than people working with the bad kids.)

In the finale, their love comes to a head, when they end up in a quiet corner of the forest with their parents, alone, and with no other Bad Kids to help them. The importance of the quote “I don’t love our parents, but I do love you. Do you know that? I hope that you know that.” said by Adaine cannot be overstated, as it is finally offering Aelwyn something she has never had, unconditional love. Up until this point, Aelwyn has always believed she was only loved because she worked for people, loved by her parents because she worked for them, was at Hudol because they told her to be, ‘loved’ by Kalvaxous because she worked for him kidnapping the girls.

Adaine offers her none of that, Adaine offers her something new, and she is uncomfortable with it. She is unsure whether she deserves love, after all she has done, and, before passing out (not dying) in her sister's arms, gives an affirmative response to “Will you be my big sister? I would really love to have you as a big sister.”. Aelwyn passing out here is another thing that can be read as her truly leaving her old self behind, her Father is dead and her Mother is missing. She is starting to accept she truly can be loved at the end of season 2, and in the “Boys Night” one-shot has even found a group of friends of her own with Zayn Darkshadow and Ragh Backrock.

Another familial form of love is shown in Tracker and Jawbone O’Shaunessy, two lycanthropes assumed to be disgraced from their family due to their condition. Tracker is first met in The Black Pit, where her Uncle Jawbone is working security. At first, it is not said that the two werewolves are related in any way, but this is later discovered when Tracker comes to Augefort Academy to see “(My) Uncle Jawbone”. Tracker states, in one of her first scenes, tells Kristen that she has been kicked out of her house by her parents because she doubted her religion, the same way Kristen did. Thus, Uncle Jawbone took her in, and they live together.

Jawbone is not only shown to have parental affection for Tracker, as at the end of season 2 he asks permission to formally adopt Adaine, and also becomes a Father figure for Fig, Kristen, and Ragh when they all move into Mordred Manor, some at the start, some at the end, of season 2. However, none of this could have happened if Jawbone had not met our Intrepid Heroes themselves, and turned his life around from a drug-dealing werewolf to a licensed guidance counselor.

Speaking of our intrepid heroes, and to close off the section on Fantasy high, it would be a shame not to discuss the group that the main cast play as a collective, The Bad Kids. If I described the Bad Kids, you would think something was wrong with them. As of the end of season 2, they contain an Arch-Devil of Rebellion, The Prophet of a Forgotten God, The Elven Oracle, a (now) licensed private investigator, A former champion bard who said the quote “Toxic masculinity is dead, I dance now,” and briefly had a fling with The Elven Oracle’s sister, and A half-orc adopted by gnomes. Their names, in order, are Fig Faeth, Kristen Applebee’s, Adaine Abbernant, Riz Gukgak, Fabian Aramais Seacaster, and Gorgug Thistlespring.

Though their relationship started on rocky territory, with Fabian and Gorgug getting into a fight upon their first meeting, they quickly became friends after being forged in fire in the Clash of The Corn Cuties, and grow close to the point where they cannot live without each other. When Mulligan tries to force Willson (Fabian) to walk away from the group towards the end of Sophomore Year, he actively asks for Adaine, only for Mulligan to cut him off by saying “Sorry, no.”

In the very first interaction they have all the way back in season 1, upon meeting Adaine for the first time, Fig’s (Axford) first instinct is to lie to protect her from Goldenhoard, and from getting in trouble on the first day. Fig reassures her that she is cool when she starts to have a panic attack, and helps her through many from that day forward. Fabian also instantly knew that Riz was in danger in the beginning of FHSY due to the fact he didn’t pick up his phone on the first ring.

The girls start living with each other at the beginning of FHSY, moving into Mordred Manor with Tracker, Sandra Lynn (Fig’s Mother), and Jawbone. This shows how, finally, they have accepted each other into their lives and are ready to do anything together. It also gives Adaine the family she deserves.

In conclusion, Fantasy High and Dimension 20’s portrayal of love is so unbelievably real and genuine, and one of the best ones out there currently. There is no complicated love triangle, there is little dramatics, and everyone is respectful.

#holy shit this took so long #fantasy high #fantasy high sophomore year #adaine abernant #fabian aramais seacaster #kristen applebees #fig fantasy high #gorgug thistlespring #riz gukgak #tracker o'shaughnessey #jawbone o'shaughnessey #aelwyn abernant #i have a lot of feelings #the bad kids #dimension 20 #d20

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lenreli · 8 months

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Dreamling Drabble Series Masterpost

A collection of the various little series in my drabbles! :D

Dreamling Masterpost (other fics/drabbles etc)

Vampire Hob

Hurry > "I wouldn't do that if I were you" > Good Boy > Messy

Photographer Dream

Hair Pulling > Cherries > Camera

Bartender Dream & Chef Hob

"Just admit it already" > Drops

Regency Enemies-to-lovers

Enemies to Lovers > Furry > Quickie > "Forget about it"

Dream in a Choker

Latex > French Kiss

Vaguely Period Mean Hob

"You can't say no forever" > "Another round?"

1389/2022 Swap

"No way" (1389 Hob/2022 Dream) > Cruise Ship (2022 Hob/1389 Dream) > Unlimited (2022 Dreamling)

Comic/Show Swap

"Yeah, right" // I wanna feel myself denied (4k+)

Pirate Captain Hob & Ex-Noble Dream

"Better safe than sorry" > Fighting Kink > Pirate AU > Red > Golden

Scifi with Vampire Hob & Witch Dream

"Why are you kneeling?" > Courtesy > "Not in particular, no" > Calendar > "I need you" > Skinny

Djinn Dream

Djinn Dream > Woods > Into The Woods

Life!Hob

Reverse!verse > Upside Down > Whisper

Professional Model Hob

Pine > Model AU > Leaking

"Antagonistic" Teachers

"I'm going to kill you" > "Don't kid yourself"

Sculptures & Dreams Art Gallery > "He's not my boyfriend"

Boss Dream & PA Hob 50 Shades But Good > Sunset

Getaway Driver Hob & Criminal Dream "Good luck" > Ticking Clock > "Don't take me for a fool"

Neighbours "I'm your new neighbour" > "Louder"

BDSM with Werewolf Hob & Fairy Dream "See what happens" > Sex

Spin the Bottle Spin the Bottle > New Experience

Spanking "Do I have to say it again?" > Offering

#dc #the sandman #dreamling #dreamling fanfic #writing #atm this was just me going through my drabbles chronologically and putting them in #but i do have other drabbles which i want to write more of eventually too so they'll just get added after #but either way #just a handy thing to do instead of going through all my drabbles everytime i want to write more of them #handy for me! and for others as well. love to see it

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talesfromthebandgeekmafia · 2 years

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i originally wrote this as a reblog but i decided to make it it’s own post

Let’s talk about the Regency Connotations of Rue calling Hob a gentleman

It is no secret that Captain K.P. Hob is low-born. Any social status that he holds comes from his position as a renowned military hero within his court, and while that status may have elevated him past just another nameless face that people like Squak can get away with turning into a fish for a laugh, it is made very clear to Hob particularly by members of his own court that he is an inferior who’s entire purpose both at The Bloom and in life is to serve as a subordinate tool to the desires of his “betters”, and we can see that Hob has deeply internalized this message! He talks about himself as a “blunt instrument”, a military tool. He is constantly acting on behalf of those other than himself, investigating the Court of Wonder, assisting Gribalba to try and obtain the Crystal Heart rather than seeking it for himself because it is a boon meant for the nobility and it would be deeply improper for someone of his class to take it. It’s not a coincidence that one of the first connections Hob makes is with Binx playing the part of Gwendolyn. Maybe the most anti-class-system character at the table.

And in Hob’s relationship with Rue, after that first moment in the forest Hob was immediately infinitely more willing to believe that Rue had been so affronted by the idea of affection coming from someone like him to the point that it made them cry and send their assistant to challenge him to a duel in satisfaction of the offense rather than that they had been going through something unrelated to him, or even GOD FORBID had actually appreciated his attentions and was just flustered! It’s only been in the last two episodes that Hob had even dared consider Rue as a potential ally, much less the possibility of them being equally as in love with him as he is with them! Which is why Rue’s wording in this scene is absolutely pivotal!!!

Rue holds so much status in their position within the Court of Wonder as the Master of Ceremonies. It’s always been a major factor in them and Hob failing to click, and it’s only after Rue begins to let some of their fears around losing that status go and embraces their true self, monstrous and Other, that the two of them are finally able to connect. So this moment when Rue calls Hob a gentleman means everything!! Not only does Rue view Hob as an equal but as someone who unquestionably belongs, and is in fact, exemplary in their social circle, praise which means even more considering that Hob’s “gentlemanly” behaviors are innate to him!! The goblin court did not train him to display the kind of manners and chivalry he does, in fact they actively discourage it! Hob being protective and gentle and polite has made him feel like an outsider his entire life and now he knows that fucking Delosso De La Rue not only considers him a peer but LIKES him because of those qualities, the best things about himself that no one else has recognized, not even him. Rue just tore down the last wall between them built by their stations and it is HUGE for the future of Battlemaster of Ceremonies.

#Brennan and Oscar are creating a regency masterpiece and deserve whatever the d&d equivalent of an Emmy is #this show is fucking brilliant #acofaf #meta #essay #a court of fey and flowers #dimension 20 #acofaf spoilers #ruehob #battlemaster of ceremonies

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brainrockets · 7 months

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I feel like, to a certain extent, actual play dms work a lot like Doctor Who. There are the DM/Doctors you love and enjoy and then there's YOUR dm/Doctor.

Like I love 9 and 12. But 10 is MY Doctor. The one that solidified my love for the show.

I love Brennan, Jasmine and a bunch of others. But Aabria is MY dm. Because she dragged me into actual plays via ACOFAF and made me fall in love.

ACOFAF is such a venn diagram of my interests it's a fucking circle. It's like someone read my dream journal lol. Queer. Fae. Regency. KDrama slow burn romance. Yes, please.

And now I'm pretty all in with a ton of different actual plays. And I'm playing D&D!

Really thankful to Nome on Twitter who recommended ACOFAF and Aabria for just knocking it out of the park so hard I saw stars.

#actual plays #acofaf #dnd #aabria iyengar #dimension 20 #worlds beyond number #you had me at queer regency fairies #sappy ramblin

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uchidachi · 7 days

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OK Dimension 20 fans!! I have Dropout tv and have not watched any of the Dimension 20 stuff because I have never really been drawn to any D&D series in the past BUT I keep hearing good things about this and I really like the players when I see them on other Dropout shows so basically I'm leaving it up to whoever in the fandom sees this post to decide my introduction to this series.

I put in parentheses my own inclinations based on what I know of the campaigns, when I know anything at all) ALSO PLEASE NO SPOILERS

I combined some similar ones because I ran out of options, so if you have a strong opinion on one of those please tell me! Also if you think I should watch seasons within each storyline out of order, also tell me that. I won't do it, but you could still tell me.

#dimension 20 #dropout tv #tumblr polls

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cassianappreciationweek · 9 months

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Cassian Appreciation Week 2023 Masterlist

Thanks so much to everyone for joining us in celebrating our favorite Illyrian General this week! Make sure you check out all of the amazing content that was created. Hopefully, we'll see you again next year 😉

And don't forget to join us for @nessianweek in September!

⚔︎ Day One: Brother ⚔︎

Fics:

But I'm Only Looking At You: Part One by @c-e-d-dreamer

What Happens in Vegas by @moodymelanist

Art:

Hogwarts AU Batboys commissioned by @melphss

⚔︎ Day Two: Gentle ⚔︎

Fics:

Magical Hands by @leafsandstarlight

Luckiest Male Alive by @itsthedoodle

Through the Dark by @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk

But I'm Only Looking At You: Part Two by @/c-e-d-dreamer

Relax by @clairebear08

Guess It's Half Timing (And the Other Half's Luck): Chapter Five by @moodymelanist

Gentle by @arinbelle

Yvette by @writtenonreceipts

Gentle by @readychilledwine

Art:

Cassian cooking commissioned by @melphss

Begged and Borrowed Time art commissioned by @asnowfern

Cassian's perfect day by @copypastus

Nessian family bonding by @jmoonjones

Headcanon:

Cassian cooking and taking care of others by @fimproda

⚔︎ Day Three: Illyrian ⚔︎

Fics:

Blood Rite Celebrations by @leafsandstarlight

But I'm Only Looking At You: Part Three by @/c-e-d-dreamer

The Day After Solstice by @moodymelanist

⚔︎ Day Four: Lover ⚔︎

Fics:

The Bargain by @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk

Just Friends by @leafsandstarlight

My Heart of Stone by @/c-e-d-dreamer

We're Not Strangers, We're Lovers by @asnowfern

Reputation to Damage by @ofduskanddreams

The Better To Eat You With by @moodymelanist

All That Matters by @ofduskanddreams

Art:

Nessian in the bath commissioned by @melphss

Gargoyle Cassian by @/c-e-d-dreamer and @krem-does-stuff

Nessian enjoying the evening weather ;) by @whettpaint

⚔︎ Day Five: Lion Hearted ⚔︎

Fics:

Surprise by @clairebear08

Heirs to Empty Thrones by @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk

But I'm Only Looking At You: Part Four by @/c-e-d-dreamer

You Showed Me Love Was All You Needed by @moodymelanist

Art:

Regency Cassian by @/c-e-d-dreamer and @krem-does-stuff

⚔︎ Day Six: Lord of Bloodshed ⚔︎

Fics:

Return of the Lord of Bloodshed by @emeriethevalkyriegirl

A Second Shadow by @leafsandstarlight

Baby, Now We Got Bad Blood by @/c-e-d-dreamer

Kiss the Girl by @isa-beenme

Art:

God of War Cassian commissioned by @/c-e-d-dreamer

⚔︎ Day Seven: Free Day ⚔︎

Fics:

His Love (poem) by @superspiritfestival

But If She’s A Ghost (Then I Can Be A Phantom) by @moodymelanist

Just Ask by @emeriethevalkyriegirl

How Kindness Lingers by @leafsandstarlight

But I'm Only Looking At You: Epilogue by @/c-e-d-dreamer

Cassian Explains his Tattoos by @theanonymousopossum

I Take Care of Papa Too by @asnowfern

Make It Up To You by @clairebear08

Art:

Nessian watching a horror movie commissioned by @melphss

Artist shout-out by @fimproda

Cassian portrait by @artbysue

Gym bro Cassian by @vivictory-draws

Cassian's Instagram by @vanserrass

Cassian Portrait by @dustjacketdraws

#cassian #cassianappreicationweek2023 #acotar #acosf #acowar #acomaf #acofas #cassian acotar #illyria #sarah j. maas #pro Cassian #pro cassian acotar

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aziraphales-library · 3 months

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Okay so I’ve seen a lot of historical Aziracrow fics taking place in ancient Rome, the Victorian era, regency era,etc but I was curious if you could recommend any good fics that deal with Crowley’s disco era or even a few that deal with the UK’s punk scene in the 70s-80s (80s fics would are also great and even better if they deal with the music scene of the time in some way)

No looking for any other particular thing and human AUs are also great.

(Btw as I’m writing this season 2 has just come out so I understand if you’re a bit clogged up at the moment, like with season 3 I will wait whatever I need to wait, thank you)

We have some fics like this here, and you may also be interested in our #queen tag for fics featuring the band. Here are some more 70s and 80s fics...

Falling With Style by RiYuYami (G)

Crowley wants to show Aziraphale a fun night at a roller disco, and Aziraphale finds out that the demon has gained a bit of a reputation. You've got the moves? Strap on your skates and show 'em off!

Don't Leave Me This Way by blueteacups (T)

Aziraphale and Crowley are in 1970s New York City taking in a disco scene. Crowley is a bit drunk and has a fall, luckily Aziraphale is there to catch him.

Be-Bop (Two Decades in Five Performances) by Vulgarweed (G)

Crowley and Aziraphale have a soundtrack, whether they like it or not (and they mostly don't). Rated for UST, drugs, and rock'n'roll. Cameos by many famous musicians, none of whom seem to realise or care just what's going on in their audience.

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by waterofthemoon (E)

After not seeing him for a few years, Aziraphale follows Crowley into a 1970s night club, where they're both going by different names but manage to find each other anyway.

Disco Inferno by entanglednow (T)

Aziraphale's very aware of how out of place he looks in the colourful, smoke-dense and excessively loud atmosphere of the club. He's not certain whether they'd have let him in without a little ethereal encouragement. But he's inside now, and being subjected to rather more loud, regular beats and colourful flashing lights than he's entirely happy about.

Throwing Darts by redwinehouse (T)

”Is that why we’re here, then? So you can teach me how to tempt?” Crowley nodded his chin towards the front of the tavern. Four men in their mid-twenties stood on a stage the size of a postage stamp, switching dials and tuning equipment. “Who are they?” “A rock and roll band.”

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #1970s #1980s #disco crowley #crowley's moustache #mod d

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swanqueensalad · 4 months

Text

day 2 of convincing you to watch damsels in dicestress' show demons & daughters by sharing random moments of the two most heartbreakingly pining sapphic regency era teenage girls

(they're on a terrifying journey to find their missing fathers and fight demons, it just so happens some of those demons are patriarchy and their tragic dramatic former-childhood-best-friends past)

you need no prior knowledge of dnd, just a healthy dose of gay yearning or queer insanity

check out more here:

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