#a fairy-tale kingdom that is all about happily ever after

[thebluestbluewords]

back on my un-postable postcanon descendants bullshit!! This time with more unbearably honest discussions about the trauma of pregnancy and the crushing weight of a kingdom's worth of expectations.

#please ignore this fic as it truly is just me processing some recent events in my own life #it's the same political marriage one where Evie needs to work through some feelings she has about marriage for power #she does KNOW that she's not doing it because of her mother #but also it feels like what she would have had to do for her mother and it's hard to seperate the feelings about what is #and what might have been #and regardless of her actual husband's expectations about babies there is still very much a kingdom watching them #a fairy-tale kingdom that is all about happily ever after #which in this case seems to mean riding off into the sunset with a husband and not returning until you have a happy perfect baby #regardless of your actual feelings about children #and any additional feelings about what the process of that happily ever after might do to a princesse's body #is it different if the body belongs to a queen? #does a queen belong to her own body? #does she belong to the people that she serves? #please ignore these tags if they are upsetting I know that this is very much not everyone's jam and is also not related to canon anymore #pregnancy tw

[goldfish-afterhours]

Genshin Characters as Fairy Tales

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Zhongli, Xiao x Gn!Reader

Type/Genre: Bulleted headcanons, angst/fluff

Warnings: Not all fairy tales have happy endings—major character death

Notes: Man why are fairy tales so sad

Diluc

Cinderella

On the night of your 18th birthday, your father holds a grand masquerade ball, inviting everyone in the kingdom

You, however, had little to no interest in such things. While the party was happening inside, you decided to take a stroll in the gardens

Who knew there would be monsters lurking in the dark that got past the guards?

Before it could devour you, someone sliced its head off with one fell swoop

Standing in front of you was a man with red hair, a black masquerade mask obscuring his eyes

You thanked him and offered him a reward, but he declined. Upon seeing your disappointed expression, he suggested just spending the night talking with him, since he didn’t know anyone at the ball

The two of you sit outside, talking about anything and everything as the night grows later and later

Just as the clock struck twelve, the masked man jumps to his feet, muttering something about how he has to get home

You try to persuade him to stay, or at least tell you his name, but he dashes off so fast you can’t catch up to him

All he left behind was your memory of his soft smile…and a black mask, dropped in the grass

You scour the entire kingdom for him, holding up the mask to every person you meet in hopes you find him, but to no avail

But a crazy idea pops in your head

Deep into the night, you stroll down the main street, unarmed. Just as you expected, a group of hoodlums threaten you, demanding money in exchange for your life

And just as you expected, the man with red hair returns to save you again

For saving your life twice, you insist on giving him a grand reward

You bring him, the son of a deceased and disgraced ex-government official, to the castle, and the two of you live happily ever after <3

“I was afraid you didn’t want to see me again. But putting yourself in danger was much too reckless.”

“That’s how much I wanted to see you again~”

Kaeya

The Little Mermaid

Kaeya, a merman, falls in love with you, a pirate

He’s always swimming beside your ship, listening to you sing with your shipmates of treasure, of good alcohol, of friendship, of love

Gives away his voice to have legs and be with you. He doesn’t want to just listen to your songs—he wants to be the one you sing them to

Cruelly, you fall in love with someone else

His brother, in an attempt to save Kaeya, presents him with a dagger, saying if he is able to kill you then he’ll be able to return to the sea as a merman

But how can Kaeya kill the one he gave up everything for?

How can he even dare imagine hurting the one he loved with his entire being, that he would be willing to walk on glass everyday for?

Throws the dagger into the water. As the sun rises, he watches you, laughing together with your lover, as he melts into seafoam

And as much as it pains him, at least he can see you happy one last time

You don’t see him as he is carried away by the wind

“No matter what…I hope you live happily.”

Childe

Little Red Riding Hood

He’s the Big Bad Wolf, and you’re an herbalist making your deliveries of medicine to your patient in the forest

At first, he’s too nervous to approach you, afraid he would scare you away

But one day, when he sees you shivering from the frosted air, he steels himself enough to offer you his red scarf

The smile you gave him as you wrapped the scarf around yourself was almost enough to heal the years of loneliness from his isolation in the woods

The two of you become friends: Childe shows you all the best spots to pick herbs, and you tell him stories of the outside world

The villagers fear him, a man-eating beast, so he never ventures out of the forest

Childe loves the sound of your voice, and he loved listening to your stories, especially this one story about how the Sun and Moon were lovers in a tragedy, separated in the sky

Protects you from the hostile wild animals in the forest

When the two of you realize you were in love with each other, you made no haste in moving into his cozy cottage

But when the villagers realized their beloved herbalist was in the clutches of the detested wolf, they all swore you had been tricked

They stormed the forest, armed

You come back to your cottage from picking herbs, just in time to see the villagers point a rifle at him

Even with your skills, there is nothing you can do but cradle him in your arms as his blood stains the grass red

“C-Can you finish the rest of the story? I want to know…if the Sun and the Moon ever meet again.”

Zhongli

Sleeping Beauty

In the wild overgrowth once known as the country Liyue, there exists a legend of an almighty god who had fallen into a deep slumber

To save your country, you set out to search for this missing god

The terrain is harsh, overrun with trees and thistles and bushes blocking your every way

But occasionally, you will stumble upon a statue, vines and moss adorning the structure, helping you to believe that perhaps there really was a civilization who lived here in the past

The wild guides you up the cliffs, into a cave where you find a dragon sleeping, his breath slow and shallow

There was something so lonely, so sad about this sleeping dragon, trapped deep in the country of a long-gone civilization, only able to wait for someone to come

You put your hands on the sides of his face, and, as if to reward him for all his years of waiting and to tell him he is no longer alone, you kiss his forehead

The moment you do, his scales scatter away like droplets in a summer rainstorm

You were no longer holding a dragon, but cupping the face of a man

His eyelids fluttered open, revealing amber eyes that glowed like the moon in the darkness of the cave, and you knew you had found your missing god

“Oh…you have found me. How long I’ve been waiting for you.”

Xiao

Beauty and the Beast

With each passing day, Xiao can feel himself transforming more into a monster

The weight of his sins grew heavier and heavier, covering him with ashes and feathers

Soon, there were rumours of a half bird beast flying over the village at night, searching for its next meal

You, an orphan that had been treated as an outcast since birth, was chosen by the villagers to be the sacrifice to quell the beast’s anger and hunger

But after being brought to his decaying castle, Xiao makes it clear he has no interest in eating you

In fact, he gives you free reign in his home, allowing you to go wherever you pleased

At first, he tries to scare you, tries to get you to stay away from him

But when you see him feeding the chipmunks outside, and the songbirds feel safe enough around him to perch on his shoulders, you no longer feel afraid

The two of you slowly warm up to each other. Xiao’s favourite thing to do is listen to you read

When he can’t fall asleep at night from the pain, he asks you to read him stories so he can fall asleep to the sound of your soft voice

You come to realize he’s not a monster but a hurt, scared boy who only wants to wake up from this nightmare he’s been trapped in

The two of you enjoyed your peaceful life together, until one day a hero from your village stormed Xiao’s castle, determined to either save or take vengeance for you

Xiao, who flew over the village every night to make sure no danger came to the villagers, could not bring himself to defend himself from this naive boy

As you hold his still body, you kiss him goodbye

To both you and the hero’s shock, the feathers stabbed into Xiao’s body dispersed, swirling into the sky

The feathers kept flying away until the beast you were holding in your arms became human again

“You’ve awoken me from a terrifying dream. Thank you.”

-

please comment/reblog if you’ve enjoyed! <3

#listen I did not expect it to get this dark #my writing #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin au #genshin headcanons #genshin angst #Diluc #Kaeya #Childe #Xiao #Zhongli #Diluc x reader #Kaeya x reader #Childe x reader #Xiao x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios

[blarshwritezz]

Yandere Prince x Reader

this is gonna be fun

TW - general yandere behavior, abuse of power

Yan!Prince was a spoiled brat. As a child he threw massive tantrums and only one thing could calm him down. Fairy tales.

Yan!Prince especially loved reading the ones where the princesses would be saved by brave knights and live happily ever after.

Yan!Prince could never be a knight though. He was sheltered his whole life, and never saw any need to be strong when he had actual knights to be strong for him.

Yan!Prince initially didn't care at all when you were appointed as his personal knight. He's had a million of them, honorable men and women that just weren't interesting enough to stay.

Yan!Prince wasn't planning on you sticking around for long either. That was until you saved him. Sure he knew that he'd be in danger if some stupid enemy kingdom decided to attack, but he never expected it!

Yan!Prince was taken in the night by a spy and held hostage. All his training for what to do in this situation was gone.

Yan!Prince thought this was the end. For 5 hours days, perhaps even weeks he was trapped there! Held captive by these disgusting men. That was, until you came along.

Yan!Prince was in awe as you fought off the men single handedly. He didn't even mind the blood that splattered on his cheek. An intense blush spread across his face as you picked him up to carry him home.

Yan!Prince realized that it was you. You were his knight in shining armor. And he would have his happily ever after with you, no matter what it took.

Yan!Prince was incredibly clingy after that. He never ever let you leave his sight, not even for a second. You needed to go attend training? Well, he'd just have to join and watch you. You needed sleep? You'd have to join him in his bed. After all, you needed to protect him.

Yan!Prince didn't let any of the other knights near you. The man that pat your back after training? Fired. Or the woman who shared her water with you? Mysteriously disappeared.

Yan!Prince eventually made you move in with him, making you bring all your belongings to his room. He was even considerate enough to add new decor that would suit your tastes!

Yan!Prince was a parasite you couldn't get rid of. You just had to have your meals together, sleep together, and even shower together.

Yan!Prince never missed an opportunity to use his authority over you. You just had to bend over to pick up that item he dropped! Not because he wanted a view of your rear...

Yan!Prince finally gave you a day off...but only if you brought him with you. Seeing you in your civilian clothes made his heart beat so fast it could have escaped his chest.

Yan!Prince finally convinced his parents to approve a marriage between the two of you. Damn old hags we're getting in the way of his happily ever after...He just couldn't wait to surprise you with the news! He was sure you'd be just as thrilled!

Yan!Prince is elated if you comply! He couldn't wait to see how you'd look at the ceremony!

Yan!Prince if you protest, however, isn't nearly as pleased. He had other ways to make you marry him. You became a knight for the money, right? So you could pay for your parents to have a better life? You must care about them a great deal. Sure would be a shame if his future in laws were framed for some horrible crime and were executed...

Yan!Prince knows you'll be happy with him, whether you like or not. It's in the name, isn't it? You two will live happily ever after...

Hope ya'll enjoyed! Any interaction is always appreciated!

#yandere x reader #male yandere #yandere #yandere prince #prince yandere #prince x reader #x reader

[vilhelios]

— WAIT FOR ME / I'M STILL SOMEWHERE ;

( you're getting older without me and i'm getting scared ) ; in which rafayel still hopes that there's a life where this works — where you do not crush his bleeding heart in your hands, & he still loves you despite, despite, despite.

cw: not beta read; spoilers for abysswalker rafayel's "sea of golden sand" myth, "fragrant dreams" card, "siren's song" anecdote, & main story ch. 7; angst ; some fluff ; mentions of blood, injury & death ; theories + headcanons about mc & rafayel's past lives ; kinda pretentious rafayel lore analysis ( can't help it, i just love him a lot! )

"RAFAYEL, do you think we're lovers in every universe?"

in the stillness of the night, as he mindlessly draws designs on your skin with his thumb, rafayel lies through his teeth: "yeah. i'm sure we are."

it's all he can manage. how do you tell your lover—your dear, sweet muse, whose presence makes the sea of your heart ebb and swell—that you've wondered the same thing lifetimes ago, and know the answer with bittersweet certainty? you continue talking about an article you read, in the morning—something about "consciousness energy fluctuations" and "that feeling of deja vu" and "soulmates."

and rafayel wonders, humming along to your rambling, if that's what you two are: soulmates.

"i wonder what we're like." you sigh, burrowing your head into the warmth of his chest. surely you can hear the rapid thrumming of his heart—he can't help it, the organ so helplessly weak in your presence. "you're the most creative man i know; got any ideas?"

"i think," rafayel starts, runs his fingers through your hair, "there's a life where i'm a merman, you're the human i've fallen deeply in love with, and the barrier between the waves and the shoreline is all that's stopping us."

rafayel remembers being younger, lifetimes ago. he remembers swimming upstream, through a little river that becomes a smaller creek, settling by your quaint home. he remembers playing you a song on his flute, an elegy for lemuria that became your song. he still remembers your head peeking out from the window and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen staring down at him. you were like sunflecks dancing upon the water's surface—dazzling—and he, denizen of the deep dark sea, couldn't help but fall in love. he gave you his heart, his blood, his voice.

"hmm... reminds me of an old fairy tale." you press a kiss to the beauty mark on his chest, your lips curving into a smile against his skin. right above where his heart is, where the proof of your pact would shine bright. "do you think you'd have gotten a pair of legs and we'd live happily ever after on land?"

"of course i would've." rafayel smiles.

(he does not think about the way his voice grew hoarse as he sung lemuria's elegy. he does not think about the dagger he'd clutched so tightly in his hidden hand, as you approached him on the shore. he does not think about the hug, the warmth of your body making his resolve flutter. the warm blood on his hands, in the water, seeping from the heart he once loved and now carved out and cradled. he does not think about returning to a ruined lemuria, everything he's ever loved ripped away from him in a night.)

"then i like that one. what about another? knowing how we quarrel, do you think we were royalty hailing from opposing kingdoms?"

"hmm, close. i'd say that i'm an assassin, sneaking into your lovely highness's bedroom window."

"hah! i can see that." his heart flutters when he hears you giggle. rafayel wishes he could trap that beautiful sound inside a conch shell, it almost seemed possible, the way it felt like molten gold—sunlight. "i'd leave the windows open just so you'd have an easier time coming in."

"glad to know you'd still fall for my charms." he finds it in himself to smile, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "even if it might not be the brightest idea, dummy."

"hmph, but if we still loved each other then, you wouldn't kill me." your hand reaches upwards to cup his cheek, a thumb aimlessly stroking comforting lines across his skin. his breath hitches at how naturally it comes to you. "you'd fall for my charms too."

(why wouldn't it? you've done it so many times before, as you—dear highness of philos—gingerly removed his mask. he, who was destined to carve out your heart; and he, who could not bear to do so, who fell apart in the warmth of your hold. any hatred he'd held in his heart for the humans that desecrated his home —beautiful, sacred lemuria— dissolved with each ripple of the lake you both had danced across on that silent night. how could he ever hurt his beloved, who in another life he'd devoted entire oceans to?)

"yeah." he breathes out, almost a chuckle. "yeah, i guess i would, your highness."

"rafa?" you murmur, words slurred with the call of sleep, ushered in by him running a hand through your hair. "i really hope that we're soulmates even if it's in the silliest lives you could ever think up. do you?"

(and he hopes for more, a case study in greed. he hopes for the most blissful lives with you—where he's the receding sea and you are the sands of the shore, or you are an anemone polyp and he is the rock you've decided to settle upon, or he is the deepsea fish that looks longingly upon the warmth of the sunflecks that dance upon the water. he hopes there's a life where this whole thing works: where you do not crush his bleeding heart in your hands, & he still loves you despite, despite, despite.)

and rafayel smiles, presses the umpteenth kiss tonight to your forehead, watches you draw closer into his hold. and then he whispers his little wish against your skin, as soft as a siren singing lullabies to a sailor:

"yeah. i hope so too."

a/n: on this lovely valentine's day i offer the rafa stans: angst 🤩 the ending was a bit rushed because i... was no longer in an angsty mood. this fic is very much so a product of a time where i knew less of rafa's lore (see: did not finish the myth) so there may be some lore inaccuracies ... please do listen to berenstein by the band camino!!! l&ds' plot feels like an amalgamation of some of my favourite songs (berenstein, heartbeat by bts, isohel by EDEN)... and it's just such a good plot so far. please send me rafa lore stuff/general thoughts bc i'd love to try and play around with some of them (i have an idea for his birthday fic already) ,,, i'd love and appreciate you immensely ♡

#love and deepspace x reader #love and deepspace headcanons #love and deepspace angst #rafayel headcanons #rafayel x reader #rafayel angst #qi yu headcanons #qi yu x reader

[fictionadventurer]

Fantasy retelling of Northanger Abbey:

Innocent young Catherine Morland is overjoyed to have the chance to go to the King's City, leaving her quiet country town for a more diverse and magical metropolis.

Catherine loves reading fairy tales about the dramatic deeds of long-ago fae.

Henry Tilney is a trickster fairy prince who is jaded by a lifetime of dealing with the machinations of the fae courts. He gets amusement out of living among humans and laughing at their follies.

Catherine meets Henry and is immediately awed at his backstory and (metaphorically) enchanted by his charming personality.

For reasons unknown, Henry's father encourages Henry to romantically pursue Catherine. Henry half-heartedly goes along with it, because it's not a bad idea to stay in Dad's good graces.

And then he's shocked to find himself actually falling in love--because Catherine loves him and because she's genuinely innocent and good in a world where he thought such people didn't exist.

To everyone's surprise, Catherine gets an invite to stay at Henry's father's palace.

An actual enchanted fairy palace? How could Catherine say no?

As they're traveling there, Henry plays up all the old fairy tale tropes warning Catherine how to behave. He's joking (things haven't been like that for centuries) but Catherine still takes it to heart.

Catherine hears of the dramatic tale of the life and death of Henry's mother (perhaps a human? So Henry's actually only half-fae?). With her imagination primed by the stories she knows, Catherine starts to interpret faint "evidence" as proof that his mother's actually hidden away under a fate-worse-than-death curse, perhaps just waiting for a pure-of-heart maiden to come break the spell.

Henry catches Catherine during her quest and is amused and a bit offended. Do you know what you're saying? Maybe things like that could happen long ago and far away, but the fairies are Christianized now. Enchantments like that are far too brutal to consider.

She's right that his dad's a jerk, though.

Not long after this, Henry's dad sends Catherine away in disgrace. He had heard that Catherine was the Chosen One of a prophecy and wanted her to increase the power of his kingdom. He's shocked to learn it's not true (you mean humans can lie?), and in his anger he's harsh in sending her away.

Henry refuses to abandon Catherine and gets himself banished for refusing to give her up.

He shows up at her ordinary home and declares his love and they live happily ever after.

#northanger abbey #jane austen #i started thinking about the parallels between coming-of-age and portal fantasy stories #remembered my assertion that northanger abbey is a portal fantasy #and took it a step further with fairy prince henry tilney #this book is so great for fantasy aus because henry makes an excellent magical boyfriend

[cryptidcorners]

Hello again! I have yet another request to ask of my favorite Mike writer, if you are in want of something to make. How about Abby’s babysitter girl and her are playing/reenacting Abby’s favorite fairy tale, then Mike steps in just in time and Abby demands he come over to play Prince Charming. Humiliating Mike, amusing the babysitter, and then also stirring up romantic feelings all the while. Thanks so much!

Crown - Mike Schmidt x F!Reader

Description: Mike is dragged into another one of Abby's plays, being forced to play Prince Charming with you as some warrior princess as the pairing. As Abby's creative tale unfolds, she's completely oblivious to your romantic tension with her older brother.

# requested by @/scribblesandsherlock

Media: FNaF!Movie

Character: Mike Schmidt (+ Abby)

Tags: Babysitter!Reader, Flusteted Mike, Domestic, Fluff, Playing With Abby, Fantasy Themed, Romantic Tension, Slice of Life, Friends to ? ? ?, Some Flirting, Cute Stuff, Feminine Terms used !

No Warnings.

read my TOS + Mike Schmidt Masterlist

"And then—" Abby was holding a cardboard tube colored messily over your head, blessing you with the imaginary title of "Warrior queen of the Rabbit Kingdom." which held a decent ring to it. Trying hard to desperately not break out of character, you giggled and replied as seriously as you could: "Thank you for bestowing this honor on me, Queen Schmidt."

Abby giggled and cleared her throat, shaking in excitement. "Now, I give you the honor of my son. Prince—uhm, Schmidt." She shrugged at you with a smile, then shifted back into her Queen Schmidt personality. "So you can get married and live happily ever after," her eyes wandered around for a toy suitable to fit the role. You gazed around too, "Oh, no. Is your son, perhaps, missing?"

"I hope not." Abby said, "You'll see him." she scavenged around and you sat comfortably. Until you saw Mike walk into the room, fixing the color of his sweater, unknowing of the world he was about to accidentally walk into, "Hey Abs, have you seen my—" Mike halted. "What is happening?"

"Hey, you can be the prince." Abby said, "I think my crown can fix you."

Mike raised his hands defensively, "Oh, no. I'm not good at playing royalty." he shook his head. "Besides, I need to go shopping."

"When will you be back?" You asked in your normal tone of voice.

"Three," he said. "Three-ish?"

"Ah,"

"Mike, please." Abby begs, tugging her sluggish older brother by his sleeve as he stumbles hunched toward to level with her. Mike huffs, "Do I really need to be a prince? Why not a knight, or something cool?" he humors lightly. His eyes wash up at you, and he can't resist giggling at your costume made from scratch. It was impressive what Abby could make with her scrapes of material and tape. "No, she's the the knight." Abby pointed. Amused, you respond, "and a princess."

"And a princess." Abby adds, "And a witch!"

"Oh. So, I don't get any powers?" Mike says dryly, though there's a scrape of playfulness wrapped behind his blunt demeanour. He sat up and shut his eyes promptly for Abby to delicately place a cardboard mock crown on Mike's head. Abby smiled, before replying honestly, "That's because you're lame. Maybe next time you can be a princess, witch and knight."

"Goodie." Mike was obviously trying to drag a laugh out of you with his dramatic tone. You could see his eyes twinkled when it worked. There was a circle of stuffed animals and dolls, all clad in an organic costume made from Abby's workshop of a room.

"Okay, now we have a prince." She discarded the toy in her hand. "Now, you two can get married. And rule The Rabbit Kingdom."

"Married?" Mike knew it was pretend but his face flushed. "I didn't know that,"

"I am a princess, and you're the prince." You explained, almost toying with him. Mike chuckled, covering his face in light embarrassment.

"Yeah, Mike. Catch up." She cleared her throat. Mike was enjoying it much more than he thought he would. Maybe it was the idea of marrying you that sounded appealing, but that was ridiculous. He didn't love you. Did he?

Abby grabbed a floppy cat with buttoned eyes and calico patterns, making a deep voice. "I am the priest, and I say, that—we are gathered here today to see a prince and a princess get married. And, well . . ." She trailed off. "I don't know what a priest says, so. You're married!" She dropped the toy and tube together. Raising her hands out dramatically with a fun smile. "You can kiss now. Like couples do," she snickered.

You and Mike got close, giggling and awkwardly talking over each other as you tried to find a loophole. Mike swore his face was as hot as a furnace, and your stomach was twisted with butterflies caught in a trap. Abby broke the strange mental tango between you two, "You can hug if you want."

"Oh, right." You gazed at Abby, then back at Mike.

"Yeah, we can do that." He said. And so you did. Falling into a tight embrace for a couple seconds. Mike wanted to be longer, but he had errands. Plus, he doubt you'd stay long enough. Abby giggled, "You guys are husband and wife, now! Awesome." she looked around, eyes plotting something. She ran towards her room,"One second, I need to get something! Don't leave, Mike."

Yet, as soon as she disappeared. Mike stood up with a grunt, sighing. With a gentle smile, you gazed up at him. "Going so soon? We just got married."

"Very funny." Mike's cheeks flared as he removed the crown delicately and ran his fingers through his curls. He sighed and grabbed his wallet that was sitting longingly on the tabletop. "Tell her I got kidnapped by some monster or something, I'll think of a way to sneak in."

"Well, you got the right girl." You walked up to him, grabbing the door. "I am a warrior too."

"You're very in character." Mike hummed. "Is this going to be referenced often? Is it gonna be a thing?"

"Maybe, maybe not." You chuckled.

Once Mike had left his house. He felt an intense whirlwind of emotions. Romantic emotions. Loving feelings and sick stomach aches. Mike knew he wasn't a real prince, nor were you the ruler of some Bunny Palace but part of him was thinking of a life like that. Not with royalty or talking animals, but just you two. Married. The thought wasn't too strong, yet. But it kept him smiling when he was shopping. All the way through.

#💤 mike schmidt #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt fluff #fnaf movie #fnaf #josh hutcherson #writing #writers on tumblr #💌 request! #scribblesandsherlock

[gabessquishytum]

Dream and Hob are princes of rival countries, betrothed to each other as part of a treaty between the two kingdoms. However, certain advisors and courtiers on both sides would love to have an excuse to go to war (possibly even including Hob and/or Dream’s respective parents), and they see this betrothal as an excellent opportunity to facilitate that; reportedly neither prince is particularly thrilled to be in an arranged marriage, and surely once they meet one or both of them will offend each other to the point that the treaty will be broken and war can be declared.

Except that when they do meet, it is love at first sight. They get to know each other with constant blushes and shy smiles, listen to each other speak with rapt attention, go on long walks happily clinging to each other, and gift each other flowers and books and jewelry that never fail to please and delight.

(They’re always chaperoned when together, but they do manage to sneak away a handful of times and find a quiet corner or room to hide in for a bit and do some further exploration of each other. They only manage to do so much exploring in that time, but what they do manage also bodes very well for their future marital bliss) 😁

The warmongers on both sides watch all this in astonishment and dismay. From everything they heard of each of the princes, they should have driven each other crazy by now, desperate for any excuse to break the engagement. Instead they’re practically glued together, staring besottedly at each other, and eagerly making plans for their future. Even worse, the subjects and members of the court not in favor of war in both kingdoms find the whole thing incredibly romantic and have given their full support to the match, basically ruining any other plans to sabotage the treaty and break them apart.

It’s debatable whether Hob or Dream were aware of the hopes for war from their respective courts, but certainly after they meet any and all thoughts of going along with those plans have been immediately tossed out the window. They’re going to enjoy their fairy tale romance and get married and live happily ever after, and anyone against that can die mad about it.

-🪽anon

Such an absolute badass political maneuver from these two. "Fuck you, we're in love" is kinda my new favourite thing!

The two princes are chalk and cheese, and it really should be a disaster. Dream is withdrawn and dutiful, Hob is boisterous and doesn't give a fuck. They're not physically compatible - Hob is too big, according to his kingdom's advisors, and Dream is too delicate. The war feels inevitable right up until the moment the two meet... and it goes really, really well. They fall in love over poetry and animals, they have a lively debate that doesn't turn into a row as certain people were hoping. The difference in size certainly doesn't seem to be a problem now they're close together.

And look - in the beginning, it's a little bit fake. Hob has had enough of war in his country, and Dream has seen his people suffer too. Neither of them want a fight, so they put up this show of being perfectly romantic. But it isn't fake or a show for long. Hob hears Dream laugh and is immediately smitten, and Dream is instantly besotted by Hob’s joy and determination to make the best of things.

They sneak into the gardens for a little alone time, giggling like teenagers. They were supposed to be having a private conversation about making sure that the war is completely off the table. But. They get distracted and Dream ends up straddling Hob’s lap, kissing him breathless. They're discovered and rumours quickly spread about how utterly adorable and in love the princes are!

Hob is concerned that Dream might be in danger what with the warmongers still around and looking for any opportunity to make trouble. So he posts himself as a guard outside Dream’s door... which also gives him the opportunity to sneak in around dawn. Neither of them are exactly virginal so they might as well start enjoying themselves already! Dream is already obsessed with Hob’s hairy, scarred body and how different it is from his own. He wants to kiss every inch. And Hob is quite keen to return the favour, with the added bonus of his beard burn turning Dream’s flesh a soft glowing pink.

The wedding ends up being a national holiday in both countries and goes down in history as a triumph of diplomacy. The only general complaint is that they fuck everywhere and at all hours but really. That's a small price to pay for peace, right?

#🪽anon #the sandman #dreamling #nsft

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Unexpectedly Yours: Part 2

Fandom: Ted Lasso (Regency AU)

Pairing: Roy Kent x F!Reader

Summary: Lord Roy Kent still has yet to marry. He hates the notion that marriage is a way to ensure your status in society. You have delayed your debut to society for years because of the same idea. So what happens when two people who hate the idea of marriage are constantly drawn to each other?

Part 1

You giggle as you watch Phoebe and Cece run around the room, "breathing fire" and roaring like a dragon.

"I'm going to eat you!" Cece roars in a deep voice, right into your face.

You fake scream, "No! Please! Don't eat me! I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" Phoebe asks in her own 'dragon' voice. When you nod, she goes, "Then you have to give me your kingdom so I can be a dragon king!"

"No! I can't let you have my kingdom!"

"Then we're going to eat you!" Phoebe and Cece creep towards you until Lord Kent "pops" up from behind a chaise lounge with a wooden sword in hand, "I'm here to save you, princess!" he explains in his raspy voice.

There's a small crown on his head and he looks a bit ridiculous to you, so you snicker a bit. He points his sword in your direction, "Shut it."

You roll your lips inward to hold back your laughter.

Cece and Phoebe turn to him, "Who are you?"

"I'm the prince..knight come to rescue the princess from you dragons," he points the wooden weapon towards the two little girls before him.

"You'll have to kill us to save her then!" Cece explains.

Lord Kent cocks a brow at your young cousin then looks at you. You give him a shrug. Sensing his hesitation, Phoebe speaks up, "You have to kill us, Uncle Roy. Stab us right through the heart!"

He looks at his niece in disbelief, "I'm not stabbing you, you odd girl."

She rolls her eyes, "It's just pretend, Uncle Roy. You're not going to hurt me. Besides, you can't save Princess Y/N if you don't kill us. Then she'll be dragon food!"

Cece and Phoebe bare their teeth and their "claws".

Lord Kent sighs and gently pokes Phoebe in the chest, "Stab." She exaggeratedly falls to the floor, her tongue sticking out to signal her death. He then pokes Cece in the chest, "Stab." She, too, exaggerates her death, similar to her new friend.

"My hero," you chuckle.

Lord Kent walks over the "dead bodies" of your cousin and his niece. He holds out his hand, "I've saved you, Princess Y/N," he says unenthusiastically as he pulls you from your place on the floor.

You snicker, "Thank you, Sir Kent. You're so very brave."

Cece opens her eyes, lifting her head up, "You have to kiss her too!"

"No, I don't," the viscount quickly says.

"Yes, you do! It's how all the fairy tales end!"

"No, they don't."

Phoebe's eyes open and she adds, "Yes, they do, Uncle Roy. Remember the one you told me last night? That ended with a kiss and they lived happily ever after! Do you not want a happily ever after?"

The viscount lets out a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Phoebe-"

"Just do it," you say, making him turn back to you, "It'll be quick."

"Fine," he grits, appearing as though kissing you is the worse thing in the world. You can't help but feel a bit saddened by this.

He faces his entire body towards you. He steps closer to you and begins leaning in, closer and closer until his lips hover over yours. Just as he's about to kiss you, the door to the room opens,

"Alright, my love, time- oh," It's Lord Kent's sister, "What's going on?" she looks at Lord Kent with a questioning gaze, eyes fluttering between you and him.

Lord Kent steps back, "Nothing."

"Mummy, can I please stay longer?" Phoebe begs as she scrambles from the floor.

"Unfortunately not, my love. We have to get ready for the ball tonight."

Phoebe grimaces, "Another ball?"

"Yes, another ball," Clara smooths down some of Phoebe's hair and then looks up to Lord Kent, "Brother, shall we or-"

"No. Let's go," he rushes from your side, walking past his sister and niece.

Clara clears her throat, "I apologize for him."

You shake your head, "No. It's alright," you curtsey, "Thank you for allowing Phoebe to spend time with Cecelia. They had a lot of fun."

"I'm sure we can plan another play date for them soon, Lady Y/N," she gives a small bow, "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You as well."

You and Cece watch the Kents walk down the stairs and head out the door. Once gone, Cece looks up at you with a pout, "You didn't kiss. That means there's no happily ever after."

"It's alright, Cece. Some people just don't get a happily ever after."

___________________________

At the Ruthford Ball, Clara and Lord Kent walk around the ballroom, side by side.

"So...shall we discuss what I interrupted earlier?"

"It was nothing," Lord Kent grunts to his sister.

"Didn't look like it was nothing. Looked to me like you two were about to kiss," she says with a playful smirk.

"It's just pretend. We were pretending for the girls," Lord Kent explains, refusing to give his sister any satisfaction.

"You know, I hear that Lady Y/N is a very respectable woman, albeit she's not too fond marriage. Guess that's the one thing you two have in common."

Lord Kent sighs, stopping to face his sister, "What are you getting on about?"

She shrugs, "I think you two would be a fine match."

He scoffs, "She hates me."

Clara smirks, "Didn't seem like she hated you earlier. She looked very fixated on you."

"It was pretend," he grumbles, walking away from his sister, in desperate need of a drink.

As a server passes with a tray of flutes of champagne, he immediately grabs one. However, he isn't paying attention to where he was going and he bumps into someone...you.

The liquid spills over you, the glass shattering to the floor.

Nearby onlookers watch with curious gazes as you gasp and look up to see the perpetrator.

"Is this revenge?"

"Your new dress!" your mother cries out with a pout.

"Mama, it's fine."

"I can get you a new one." Lord Kent speaks up, causing your mother to realize he was the reason your new dress is soiled.

"O-oh. Lord Kent, I see the roles are reversed now."

"So it seems," he does his best to give your mother a polite look, "I can have the modiste make a new one for you."

You wave him off, "It's alr-"

"That would be lovely, Lord Kent. Thank you! My daughter very much appreciates it!" your mother speaks for you with such enthusiasm. She gives you a look that makes you speak up, "Yes. I'd very much appreciate it, Lord Kent," you give a slight bow and inwardly grimace. You hate that your mother makes you do this.

Lord Kent speaks up, "Lady Y/N, do you care much for the dress?"

"Pardon?" you look at him confused.

"Are you upset that I seemed to have ruined your new dress? And answer honestly, please."

You look down at your dress. You don't see any tears or stains. Just some slight dampness, "I wouldn't say you've ruined it, Lord Kent. I honestly don't believe I'd need a new dress since I won't be replacing this one."

"Very well. I apologize for not paying attention," he gives a bow.

"Thank you, my Lord. I apologize as well," you curtsey. You mouth, 'Thank you' to him and he nods.

"Aaaww your dress!" Keeley appears beside you with a pout.

You chuckle, "It's fine, Keeley."

"But you just got this one."

"It was an accident."

"Come on, let's try to dry it off," she takes your hand and guides you away from Lord Kent and your mother.

____________

Jamie, the nice friend that he is, put himself down on your dance card so he can be a buffer for the various men written on your card.

"Having fun?" he asks you with a knowing smirk.

You scowl, "I am not and you know it," you sigh, "But what about you?"

"Oh I'm having loads of fun," he gives you a look and it makes your eyes narrow at him.

"What's that look for?"

"Well, don't know if you've noticed, but a certain viscount has been looking at you a lot tonight."

"Who?"

"Lord Grumpy Face. When I turn us, just look over my shoulder and you'll see," Jamie turns you 180 degrees and you're facing the other direction. You look over his shoulder and your eyes meet Lord Kent's. His gaze doesn't waver, even when Jamie spins you and lifts you in the air for a moment.

You snort, "He must be admiring his handy work considering what he did with my dress."

"You keep telling yourself that, darling."

"He hates me."

"Don't seem that way," Jamie spins you around and the song ends. You all clap for the orchestra and Jamie leads you towards the beverage table where Keeley is waiting and watching.

"Have you noticed that Lord Kent keeps watching you?" she asks and Jamie smiles.

"I said the same thing."

"So I'm not hallucinating then?"

Jamie shakes his head at his love, "Not at all. Looks like Lord Grumpy Gramps has a soft spot for our new debutante."

You roll your eyes and groan, "Both of you, stop it. You're acting childish." You take Keeley's glass and down its contents. You hand it back to her and say, "I'm stepping out for air."

You make your way outside to the Ruthford's gardens. You like coming out here, remembering how you and Amelia Ruthford used to play hide and seek in the hedge maze.

You sit at the fountain near its entrance. You let the breeze cool off your body. You're playing with a loose thread on your glove when you here someone clearing their throat.

"Lord Kent," you immediately stand to curtsey.

He shakes his head, "Please, stop that. I hate it when people do that."

You smirk, "Good. Because I hate doing it," you plop back onto the fountain's edge.

Lord Kent slowly approaches the fountain, sitting a small distance from you, "Are you alright?"

"I'm just tired of all of this and I haven't even been out to society for long. I'm tired of the dancing, the socialization. I just want to be home, reading, or spending time with Cece. I want to be my own person, not some...cow being offered up to the highest bidder." You chuckle, shaking your head, "I'm sorry."

"No, no. Don't be. I like this side of you. I don't hear many women talking so freely and openly when they're around me. It's...nice."

You feel nervous. Being in Lord Kent's proximity again after what transpired earlier.

"I didn't expect you to be here," he says, filling the silence.

You sigh, "I didn't expect to be here either, but mother forced me to go. She says I need to take every opportunity to find a potential suitor."

"Any prospects?"

"None, just like the other balls before. Not that I'm actually paying attention to any of them." you get to your feet and move towards the hedge maze, "Have you been in one of these, Lord Kent?"

He follows you, stopping at the entrance and looking up at the high grown hedges, "Can't say I have. You?"

"Only this one. Plenty of times. I'd come here a lot to play with the Ruthford's daughter, Amelia. At first, it took forever for us to solve it. Lord Ruthford would have to come find us. But the more we did it, the more we remembered."

"Do you still remember?"

You look at him with a mischievous grin, "Guess we'll find out." You giggle as you rush inside, taking sharp turns.

"Y/N! Wait!" Lord Kent cries out for you as he heads into the maze. Already, he's lost you.

"This is stupid!"

"No it's not! It's fun! Ever had fun, Lord Kent? Or are you like all the boring Lords here?" your voice is near but not as close as Lord Kent thinks.

"Is there a short cut to this?" Lord Kent asks.

"Not at all. Lord Ruthford loves puzzles and hates cheaters."

"Fuck," Lord Kent curses and you tap him on the shoulder, startling him, "Fuck!"

You snicker, "Not very appropriate language to have around a lady, my Lord."

He looks at you completely unamused, "Get me out of here."

You roll your eyes, "Fine, You have no sense of adventure or fun, do you?"

"None."

"I feel sorry for you future wife," you mutter, leading Lord Kent with very turns, loops and eventually to the exit.

At the exit, you find Keeley and Jamie waiting for you with matching smirks.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh nothing. Have fun?"

"Pft, tried to. Lord Grumpy Gramps couldn't make it very far. Demanded lead him to the exit," you go over and loop your arm with Keeley's, "Is my mother looking for me?"

"No, but Mason Stanton is. He's next on your dance card, I believe?"

You groan, "Can I feign illness?"

"You did that the last time," Jamie says.

You look back around towards the entrance of the haze, spotting the fountain, "I got it." You pick up your skirt and starting running towards the fountains.

"What? What's happening?!" Keeley cries out after you.

You stop at the fountain's edge, looking over your shoulder to your friends and Lord Kent.

"Oh now your dress will definitely be ruined!"

You sit at the edge and squeal when you lean back, falling into the fountain.

You friends and Lord Kent rush over to you, watching as you make a big scene, "Oh no! My dress is ruined and I'm all wet! My night is over!"

Keeley was shaking her head while Jamie tried to stifle his laughter. Lord Kent merely stood there, a smirk on his face.

"You're so...odd," he says as he walks over to the fountain's edge, lending a hand out.

You take it and with a grin, pull him in.

Keeley gasps and Jamie bursts out into laughter.

"Y/N!" your mother comes running down from the manor, "What is going on?!" she's fuming.

You put on your best distressed expression, "I was admiring the fountain and I tripped over my skirt and fell in. Lord Kent tried helping me out but fell in as well."

Your mother looks at Keeley and Jamie, who nod in agreement, doing their best to hide their grins.

Your mother sighs, "Well hurry out of there. Don't want you to catch your death."

Lord Kent exits first, drenched to the bone. You try not to pay attention to how his clothes cling to him, showing off his toned body. He holds his hand out as you climb out. You thank him and waddle over to your mother, "We should probably go home now."

"Yes, we should. Come on," she wraps her arms around you, leading you back towards the manor.

Lord Kent, Keeley, and Jamie all remain right where you left them. Jamie pats Lord Kent on the shoulder, "Yeah, I don't think you could handle her, Lord Gramps."

Lord Kent glares at Jamie, growling, "Don't touch me." His attention turning back to your retreating figure.

#roy kent x reader #roy kent imagine #regency au #ted lasso imagine

[bespectacledbun]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ a little lovemail for Emma ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

because I went on a little rant on discord recently about how capable she is and how much she’s overlooked by the fandom. too often I see comments saying she’s weak, or incompetent, or a glorified therapist for the princes when she’s not; Emma is honestly incredibly intelligent, but I feel people always forget to consider that she’s a) a commoner b) a woman c) in a medieval fantasy setting, and hold her to modern standards, which is... a little unfair

so I wanted to give her a little love too 💌

she knows three languages, two of which are entirely self taught—court french (Chevalier’s route) and japanese (Rio’s route)

she doesn’t stop there, though; she proceeds to learn even more languages after getting her happily ever after. in Luke’s post-route stories she knows at least 4 languages, and in Chevalier’s post-route stories she knows more than 5 languages and is actively learning more

while I’m on the topic, LITERACY. I think people often forget that “education for all” was not a thing until the 18th century, and before then only merchants and nobility got proper educations. Emma holding a clerical job as a commoner IS an admirable quality for her social status and the time period ikepri is set in

she’s a great entrepreneur. she opens a book-lending business (Chevalier’s route), as well as her own bookstore and a school (both in Clavis’s route)

not only does she pick up on court etiquette and skills (music, dance, diplomacy, politics) in less than a month, she’s also able to learn ministerial duties and absolutely kicks ass at it (Sariel’s route)

she knows how to play not only to her own strengths and weaknesses, but also to that of others around her. she’s able to broker bargains with many of the suitors (Chevalier, Nokto, Silvio, Sariel) across routes to get the information and/or help that she needs

another thing I see often is because she doesn’t say “no” to the princes and that somehow makes her weak, or easier to push around—there’s a world of power difference between her and the suitors. emma being able to hold her ground against the princes as she does, while navigating an entirely new battlefield of court politics and high society, is an excellent testament to her mental fortitude and character

she’s a skilled horseback rider (all routes) and swimmer (Jin’s events) way before she comes to the castle, and she eventually learns martial arts for self defense from Licht (Licht’s events)

she taught herself first aid and nursing, and is proficient enough to become a battle medic in many of the routes (Chevalier, Licht, Yves). emma also goes on to properly learn medicine to become a licensed doctor (Keith’s route)

“Belle” isn’t just a role that Emma plays for a month; it’s a political position with a LOT of power. there is a reason why she observes the princes so closely, there’s a reason why she hides it and why she doesn’t let her feelings for the princes determine whether they are fit to rule or not. she can change Rhodolite’s governmental administration entirely, whether it’s directly, by naming a particular king, and thus a particular set of policies that will affect the entire kingdom— or indirectly, by influencing their views on how to rule. her first priority will always, ALWAYS be protecting her home and her people, regardless of who she’s in a relationship with; Emma is a kingmaker, not arm candy. 

there’s probably more that I can’t remember off the top of my head but my point is—– Emma isn’t just a pretty face and a kind voice to the princes. the reason the suitors fall in love with her isn’t because she’s the therapist who “fixes” them, it’s because she’s intelligent, brave, and a really hard worker. she stands by her convictions and morals no matter who she’s against and is determined to achieve her goals regardless of what stands in her way

is emma a little idealistic about her job and wanting a fairy tale romance? yes. does she try to solve her problems through nonviolence instead of action? also yes. but it doesn’t make her any less of a person or diminish her skills and worth because she’s not ambitious or assertive enough. she’s content with her life and her relationships, but she still strives to improve herself and help the people around her, and I think that makes her both a great character and a great woman

#random ramblings #ikepri emma #emma de villenueve #sorry I always get a little mad when I see ppl complain that she doesn't stand up for herself and act the way a 21st century woman would #because it diminishes a LOT of her strength and intellect and makes it feel like you have to be loud and aggressive to be strong #particularly as a woman in a medieval fantasy setting. it's like measuring a fish by its ability to climb a tree #I will defend her until my dying breath idc emma is incredibly accomplished for a woman of her status in the setting she's currently in #you play a game that’s explicitly a medieval fantasy setting and then act shocked and surprised she acts like a medieval woman?? #the tags a much angrier than theyre supposed to be all of this is is semiserious lmao #but also stop slandering my daughter she's way more capable that ppl give her credit or acknowledgement for

[albywritesfiction]

tbh helene and aedan's engagement strikes me as actually very fairy-tale romantic? idealistic and unrealistic, yeah, and very brash of them, particularly given how sudden the announcement was + aedan's noble obligations, but they're young. infatuated. incompetent buffoons.

to me his willingness to commit to helene in spite of the danger to his position (given his father obv prefers mc + mc's political power) is very cute, probably moreso because its so childish haha. ofc its something that he should face consequences for given its so. unrealistically naive. but if he's still willing to follow through in spite of them as a human being he also has that right?

actually, if made to choose between the throne and helene which would he choose? would be an interesting scenario to test his mettle

also: is the portrayal of helene as a *scheming snake* just because the story's portayed from mc's pov or are there reasons they have to believe so?

Hello Anon!

Long answer under the cut!

Yep, Ædan and Helene's story up to the wedding was always meant to resemble the common fairytales that we may be familiar with that paint a rather idealistic view of love, especially the notion that love will be enough to face any challenge, and always end with "... and they lived happily ever after. The End."

But what about everyone else? Did they all have their happily ever after too? Or has the story been told through rose-tinted glasses?

I also mentioned previously that I was also inspired by some webtoons, and one of the common tropes I've seen (both used and reversed) in historical fantasy romance webtoons is: the Crown Prince Male Lead breaks off his engagement with his Jealous (and sometimes kinda unhinged) Fianceé to be with the Kind and Humble Female Lead (who is often of a lower social class). All in the name of love.

Usually, this becomes the tipping point for the Fianceé. This is her villainess origin story. And more often than not, she'll make an attempt on the sweet Female Lead's life and end up with Male Lead's sword in her heart. All in the name of love.

Now, if the villainess was capable of doing bad things for love, why wouldn't the main characters be the same, and vice versa? After all, no one's perfect, not even the good guys.

And so, we now have the Blinded by Love and 150% Committed Crown Prince, the Questionable Saintess, and the Collateral Damage Fianceé

actually, if made to choose between the throne and helene which would he choose? would be an interesting scenario to test his mettle

If you asked Ædan at the beginning of ATE whether he would save the kingdom or Helene, he'd say that he would do everything in his power to save both (but really, it's skewed in Helene's favor). Towards the end though ...

also: is the portrayal of helene as a *scheming snake* just because the story's portayed from mc's pov or are there reasons they have to believe so?

Oh, Helene is definitely hiding something that will hurt at least one person. MC has no idea what it is, but they know that Helene's been hiding things. The only thing I'll say is that she's not a spy.

(Please do not send asks about what secrets Helene may be hiding, I like the backstory I came up for her so I may end up spoiling it if someone asks 😅)

#after the end #ate-if #ate-if asks #ate: ædan #ate: mc #ate: helene

[xxsycamore]

𝒪𝒰𝑅 𝐿𝐼𝒯𝒯𝐿𝐸 𝐹𝒜𝑀𝐼𝐿𝒴 - 𝐃𝐚𝐝!𝐍𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 [𝐬𝐟𝐰 + 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰]

If you thought you've seen Napoleon at his most caring and affectionate, you have to wait until you make him a father...

Not that the events prior didn't bring out that side of him to light - no, in your life as a married couple spend in the neat little house not far from the mansion, you've seen a lot of that. But his dedication to being the model papa is simply fascinating you.

"Papa, tell me that story again! The one where you defeated an army of bunnies!"

You've just returned home after working overtime now that your maternity leave was over, and it seemed like it was bedtime for the kids. The request made by your four-year-old echoed through the house and you decided to tiptoe to the room where your husband was putting her to bed.

Picking up the scattered toys along the way, you felt the weariness of a long day spent at work slowly dissipate the more you indulged yourself in a little harmless eavesdrop. You knew that crossing the threshold now meant putting your husband's efforts to waste - no doubt your little girl would have her eyes wide open as soon as she sees you back home.

The sweetness of the scene aside, you raised a brow at the mentioned story of defeating a bunny army. In the years of knowing Napoleon, you've heard of an experience somewhat along those lines - but not quite like that.

"Alright Lucianna, but you're sleeping after this one. See how quickly your brother fell asleep?"

Couching down next to the door with your back rested against the wall, you had no clue about the wide smile you were sporting at the moment. The image in your head was clear as day, Napoleon tends to keep your son in an improvised baby wrap - just a trick pulled out from your 21st century head - as you discovered it's the most efficient for the toddler to sleep soundly, even if he's growing too big for it already.

"Because he's baby and I'm not a baby!"

Napoleon swiftly deescalates the fit of stubbornness with a theatrical opening to the story, and Lucianna's interest is piqued, so is yours. You listen to your husband retelling the story of being attacked by a horde of rabbits - decorated with some fairy-tale-like exaggerations, and most importantly, with a changed ending. Only you know of the humiliating defeat Napoleon suffered in the summer of 1807, not by the hand of a long-sworn enemy, but by the furry little feet of hundreds of rabbits originally released for hunting. But this is papa Napoleon's bedtime story, and he must be the hero...

"And afterwards, we welcomed the bunnies in our kingdom and we all lived happily ever after as friends. The end. Goodnight, mon petit lapin. "

The small smooching sound was barely heard under the giggles of the little girl, now content and hopefully ready to enter the land of dreams. You hardly held in your laughter, doing your best not get found out.

But your ever-so-perceptive husband will undoubtedly find out for himself as soon as he catches a sight of your expression, so you promise yourself not to tease him too much about it for the rest of the night...

You know for a fact that Napoleon has a lot of other grandiose adventure stories where this one came from - but being a professional at putting the children to bed without a fuss is just one of the many skills he possesses.

You should've guessed he's good with kids - how many siblings did he have, again?! Being the second child out of 8 has surely secured some experience of taking care of little ones behind his back.

But even without that piece of information, you've witnessed his skill in action countless times while at the école to see for yourself. Secretly, it was then that you first thought of Napoleon as a dad.

Watching him teach them how to fight and protect themselves was one thing, but it was the way he taught them to treat the other as an equal, to be able to say the word 'sorry', to hold out a hand first; the way he would carefully listen to what is bothering them and work out a solution, the way he would praise them and ruffle their hair...

Yes, you then concluded, Napoleon certainly IS dad material.

In the course of the following years of growing your family together, you were only able to confirm that.

For starters, the image of his sleeping face is slowly erased from your mind - and this is the infamous Monsieur of the Naps we're talking about! - as Napoleon gets in bed after you and wakes up before. Suppressing some of his bad habits for the sake of his family is not beyond him.

When it comes to naming the children, Napoleon wants you to have the last word no matter what. You pick a name in his mother language which holds the meaning of light for your firstborn - Lucianna. Napoleon's love for ancient roman culture and names shows when picking a name for your son later on, and you enthusiastically agree with naming him Junius, "born in June", which also has a very youthful ring to it. The shortened "Luci" and "Juni" are quickly adapted by everyone in the household.

Being a demi-vampire himself, Napoleon was prepared for the chance of his offspring inheriting his non-human nature, even if minimal. Both his kids turn out to be human, even if it's not impossible for the sighs to come later on. Both you and Napoleon are prepared to do your best in teaching your kids all they need to know about their dad and the mansion's residents, once they're old enough to understand.

Napoleon loves reading biographies, but you've noticed that he'd swapped those from the shelf with various child-rearing books, likely borrowed from the mansion's rich library.

He loves the fact that he has more stomachs to feed now, a chance to put his cooking skills to work. His little helpers often make the kitchen a mess, but he can't stay mad at them for long.

Sometimes he plays restaurant with them, letting them order whatever their crafty little minds come to - even if it's something like pasta with jam and a side of chocolate - which can turn into a good learning experience that some food combos won't work together just because they're your favorite things mashed together. They also discover new (and actually good!) family recipes that way, some of which might run in the Bonaparte family for centuries to come!

Napoleon is not exactly too full of himself about his cooking abilities, but his pride is always a little hurt by not being able to live up to his son's rather picky tendencies.

He's very good at multitasking, and often thinks of ways to include the kids in the chores around the house so that they can have fun and be under his supervision while he's doing what he has to do.

It's good for burning off their seemingly limitless energy, too. When helping papa with the laundry turns into a chase between the lines and little Junius trips and falls face-first into the mud and starts crying, Napoleon is quick to turn the laundry washing tub into a makeshift kiddie bathtub under the sun's rays. Peace is restored in due seconds, and somehow the white sheets don't end up with small muddy handprints on them either.

Attending Luci's tea parties is a must, even if he sympathizes with Junius for being dragged into them, along with four teddy bears, two stuffed bunnies and one stuffed lion. He usually ends up with mama's make up products on his face (he'll need to buy new ones before she notices) or with an interesting hairstyle.

That's on the occasions where his daughter doesn't bring a wooden sword in the picture and the theme of their playtime gets a sudden unexpected turn.

"Papa, when are you going to teach me hold to fight with a foil like you?"

Papa Napoleon sighs and curses his own blood for running into Luci's veins vigorously like that. It has been just this morning when he had to say no to her as she wanted to ride on his horse by herself.

"When you grow bigger, mon bébé. Though, will that ever happen the way you refuse to drink your milk, hmm?"

Ah, it seems that maman's genes are present too, in the way she pouts and frowns to no end when teased. He needs to be more careful with his girls but it's beyond him.

It's a little farfetched from riding an actual horse, but neither Luci nor Juni refuse a good piggy ride, and it's sooo fortunate that Napoleon's back is not aging.

He foresees a lot of headaches in the future, as protective as he tends to be... He doesn't even want to imagine how it's gonna be when his beautiful daughter grows up to be a beautiful young woman.

Napoleon is lucky to have you as his wife, as you know best how to pull him out of his worrisome thoughts.

In the early days of being a new parent, Napoleon used to be more uptight than you. He'd lie about not feeling tired, leading to you finding emptied rouge vials when he fell asleep without disposing of them.

Once you successfully persuade Napoleon into opening up to you, you learn of some old wounds, with yellow-burned corners from the passage of time.

You come to understand that this, too, is his second chance at making it right, and the pressure he put upon himself is colossal.

A much-needed slap on his cheeks and a promise later, you're ready to face a new page with Napoleon - one that belongs to both of you. You'll have to make sure that Napoleon understands that last part well.

After some time passes and with enough encouragements of doing a fantastic job, he gradually gets more relaxed about it. Sometimes seemingly too relaxed...

"And I say," He shoots you a lax, brazen gaze over the glass of wine he's currently filling for you. "It would be stupid to have twelve babysitters at our service and not to take advantage once in a while."

"They're NOT our babysitters! Gods, some of them even need babysitters themselves—"

With the kids dropped at the mansion and Napoleon's proficient ways of spoiling his wife to a dinner for two put in action, you can hardly argue for too long. His dates never lost their creativity, and you feel his affection for you running as deep as ever - his attraction, all the same. Sometimes it can be just the two of you and you discover you both need those moments.

Speaking about the twelve babysitters.

Okay, maybe Napoleon has a point and taking advantage of them IS okay sometimes - but for other reasons. Those men are some of the most intelligent ones that history has ever known! They also happen to love the little ones to no end.

Piano lessons, painting, languages, violin, science, you name it - the loving uncles are ready to give out free lessons.

And Sebastian has a big soft spot for them - those are Monsieur Napoleon's children, after all! (oh, and yours too, his dear ex-coworker) - but that doesn't come in his way of being the strict parent figure that you and Napoleon sometimes fail to be. It gives you flashbacks and you want to cover the little ones' foreheads with your hands and protect them from the incoming forehead flicks, but you know that a scolding is necessary sometimes.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, as Uncle Isaac would teach soon, and for Sebastian's rightful strictness, Comte's generous spoiling comes to oppose. You're now having flashbacks of being taken on shopping trips across Paris' most chic boutiques in your early days in the mansion - only, now it's Luci being taken on shopping trips across Paris' best toy shops.

You end up having to help her name her dolls because she ran out of names, and you're running out of names too. And you're yet to see how Juni's end of the toy shopping trip went!

Junius loves being at the mansion because of his love for animals. Jupiter, Napoleon's pet eagle, is protective of him and his older sister, and can often be spotted soaring in the skies above when they're playing out in the garden. But Juni loves the more social pets that belong to his uncles, such as Arthur's Vic and Theo's King, and is quickly learning how to play with them in a safe and respective way.

Plus, being around their owners means more ears to listen to his toddler-typical babbling, as he makes fervent attempts to converse with his uncles, picking up new words every day.

Yes, Uncle Leonardo does make them hand-made toys. What's more, he grins like they got a barely hidden rivalry with Comte going on, when the kids end up liking his toys more than the expensive ones Comte buys them.

You and Napoleon frequently have to interfere and put an end to it before it gets too embarrassing - you can provide for the kids well enough on your own, after all! - but not without an exchanged look accompanied by a sigh and a chuckle. You should've expected shenanigans to occur when introducing two kids to a mansion full of, erm, eccentric adults.

With all the chaos that's been happening in your married life, you and Napoleon are hardly able to catch your breath and remember that besides parents, you're lovers too. But in the moments that you can indulge in refreshing your memory...

[ NSFT AHEAD. warnings for: fluffy smut; brief mentions of pregnancy/pregnancy scars; massages; body worship; cunnilingus; quickies; handjobs; morning sex ]

You can count on Napoleon to make the world around you slow down when everything's been so, so busy.

Oh, he's getting better with the massages... you can simply leave yourself fully in his capable hands and let the blissful moment take over your senses.

For Napoleon, this is just an opportunity to admire your body - besides, you're too relaxed to attempt making him close his mouth when he begins spilling praise in quiet whispers.

You're not sure if he caught you lingering a little longer in front of the mirror after the pregnancies, or he simply read your thoughts like he tends to do. He shoo-es all your insecurities away with little effort, making you feel absolutely worshiped: loved; admired; beautiful.

Though, he prefers showing you via actions.

With his hands touching all over your naked form, his lips are quick to follow. He commits to naming every part of you that he finds stunning, but soon words are forgotten in favor of putting his mouth to better use between your thighs.

When he goes too soft on you, you're quick to remind him how you love him most. As long as you can take it, Napoleon is quick to give you that devilish grin and take you to poundtown. You're not sure what to blame it on, but you've growing more honest of your desires in the bedroom, feeling more bonded with Napoleon than ever.

Quickies are starting to grow on both of you, and not just for the sake of practicality.

Between doing this and that, being swept off your feet and thrown on the bed after a mere lust-loaded gaze you threw Napoleon is... unexpectedly, utterly, awfully hot. When his hand claws at your backside to move the damned material of your underwear aside, it's like electricity shooting through you.

He's always that perfect mix of primal and calculated, pounding at you harsh and fast, but promising to take you nice and slow once he gets the time to.

You love your Monsieur de Wahaha and his sleeping habits, but you can't help but indulge in his altered sleeping schedule. Sometimes you're both up before the sun rises and before the world needs you up on your feet. It would be nice to catch some more shut-eye... but, sometimes, it's nicer reminding Napoleon how much you love the mornings with him.

Before he can exit the warm covers to get started with breakfast, you pull him in, locking your arms and legs around his frame. His chuckles disappear only when he finds out about your not-so-innocent intentions. You keep clinging to him in a rare moment of being the big spoon, and your hand wanders downwards until you grasp his morning wood.

You might get called a Nunuche for it, but spoiling him with a handjob first thing in the morning feels like a good start of the day to you too. What's so wrong about feeling happy and warm inside from giving pleasure to your partner? You learned this from him, after all.

Okay, maybe the "warm inside" feeling has something to do with getting work up by how much of a hot sight he was while in the receiving end of things. If he catches up on that, you're up for a couple of additional minutes spend in bed...

All in all, the changes in your life as a couple not only didn't let the spark die, but gave fuel to the intimacy between you in new and exciting ways.

💌 BONUS 💌

One of the blissful moments shared with your husband sees you relaxing in the bathtub, using his broad chest as a personal cushion for your heaving head.

"... But as a whole, I do say myself that I'm managing alright with two."

You hum lazily, barely able to follow on what he's saying with the warm embrace of the water and the one of the man behind you working hard to turn off your thoughts. Napoleon rests his strong arms on each side of the bathtub, and behind the thin slits of your half-lidded eyes, you admire the shape of his muscles highlighted by the hot steam. Ah, yes, you've asked him if the anxiety of being a dad has finally started to lessen...

You definitely have a praise or two for him to hold up to that positive report, but before you could say anything, a sudden thought cuts through the lethargic bliss until your mind clears out. With a smile on your lips, you try to keep the excitement out of your tone.

"So, you think that three would be too much to handle?"

"Three? Psh, I got the hang of it. We're doing fine, aren't we, Nunuche?"

He receives no answer. His own eyelids are starting to feel heavy, he sees why you're replying to him with delay.

Then something clicks.

"Nunuche? Are you saying that...?"

-> more like this:

💌 A PIECE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH - NAPOLEON X COTTAGECORE HEADCANONS [ SFW + NSFW ]

💌 MAKING A HOME - HOUSEHUSBAND NAPOLEON HEADCANONS [SFW + NSFW]

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @aquagirl1978 @ikemenlover24 @violettduchess @mcofthemansion @tiny-wooden-robot @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @cilokgoang @atelieredux let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen vampire napoleon #ikevamp napoleon #ikemen napoleon #ikeseries #ikemen series #ikevamp napoleon bonaparte #ikevamp comte #ikemen vampire comte #ikevamp leonardo #ikemen vampire leonardo #ikevamp headcanons #ikemen vampire headcanons #ikevamp fanfic #ikemen vampire fanfic #ikemen fanfic

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Question: if Miss Raven (your OC) was put under Malleus' sleep spell like everyone else, what would she be dreaming about?

Miss Raven would dream of the idyllic fairy tale world of a Disney animated film or musical production (including spontaneous song-and-dance sequences and dramatic soliloquies). Think like Enchanted!😂 She'd be the main character (freed of her curse, of course), able to spend her days singing in meadows, picking flowers, eating fresh bread (she shares with the local priest named Rollo), and sharing stories with the local townspeople. Oh, but what's this? An invitation to a grand ball has arrived for her! Miss Raven had better dress nicely for her big debut. Her friends are there to help--patient Silver with his animal friends (the mice can sew, and the birds make perfect bows!), compassionate Kalim with his endless smiles and budget, clever Ortho searching up the latest fashion trends to formulate the best look for her, and... Deuce who's there for moral support~ When the night of the ball comes, her Uncle Crowley can lead her in by the arm, warning her to have fun, but remember to be ready to go home by midnight or her father will worry. Her father, her creator, her mentor, the Storyteller--he's still alive in the dream, and she lives happily with him and her Uncle. Miss Raven makes the promise and skips off to enjoy herself, not knowing that she just may find not just fun, but also the prince of her dreams. (Who that is exactly, I'll leave that up to your imagination 🤡 Maybe it's an eel butler, maybe it's a huntsman maybe it's a lion)

(Malleus is off in some secluded corner of the ball, carefully observing her from a distance. Miss Raven was often the one weaving these stories--but now the roles have been reversed, with Malleus as the weaver and Raven as the character in the tale that has been woven. "Sweet dreams, young Crowley. Dream on, forever and ever.")

Basically, it's the kind of nice, peaceful life she expected she'd have when she first turned into a human.) The Miss Raven we know of now has become a little jaded and pessimistic from her life experiences like constantly being around the troublesome students of NRC. Despite this, she’s still a kid at heart and wants to believe in, and hope for, the best in others (though she tries desperately to cover these parts of herself up so she can appear as mature and strong to her peers). That's why her version of a “happy ending" reflects the more girlishly innocent, naive side to her, just like the stories she likes to write.

She's wished for her own happiness for so long, I think she'd easily fall into the trap and not realize it's all fake. As one wise and hopelessly optimistic Disney princess put it: "Everybody wants to live happily ever after." It would take some outside interference or dream world anomalies for her to realize that something is 'off' and snap out of it.

Bonus: I’ve been thinking about m!Raven lately (from an April Fools Day blog event), so I’ll talk a little about him too!

(Male) Raven’s idea of a happy ending is like an amalgamate of OG!Raven’s wishes and Vil’s desire to play the hero. Like the original Raven, m!Raven would be free of his curse in the dream. His ideal life has more adventure than OG!Raven’s 😂 and he gets to be a local pretty boy or something— indulge in his own markedly selfish desires whenever he wishes to.

Instead of being a pauper turned princess attending a ball, m!Raven wants to be the heroic prince the kingdom is throwing the ball to celebrate. He loves having the freedom to galavant and flirt among his subjects—but hey, who’s to say he won’t find a meaningful connection amongst all those in attendance? A partner to soothe the wild, wayward soul of the raven prince?

#twst oc #twisted wonderland oc #spoilers #Malleus Draconia #Raven Crowley #notes from the writing raven #question #Princess Giselle #Enchanted #Giselle #Dire Crowley #Silver #Ortho Shroud #Deuce Spade #Kalim Al-Asim #Rollo Flamme #Rollo Flamm #m!Raven Crowley #Vil Schoenheit

[princesssarisa]

The next tale in Heidi Ann Heiner's Sleeping Beauties is the German tale that truly codified Sleeping Beauty as it's usually told and adapted today, more so than Perrault's version: Dörnroschen (Little Briar Rose) by the Brothers Grimm. This is followed by a lesser-known story of a sleeping maiden from the Grimms' collection, The Glass Coffin, and an Austrian tale called The Enchanted Sleep.

*The Grimms' tale of Briar Rose is so well-known that it needs no summary, but I'll provide one anyway just to highlight its differences from Perrault's version. The king and queen long for a child, but then a talking frog foretells their daughter's birth to the queen. When the princess is born, the king gives a great feast and invites twelve "wise women" (the Grimm's usual term for fairies, less "French and more "Germanic" than the latter word), who give magic gifts to the baby. But the kingdom's thirteenth wise woman goes uninvited because the king has only twelve golden plates. Just as the twelfth wise woman is about to give her gift, the thirteenth appears and curses the princess to prick her finger on a spindle and die at age fifteen. But the twelfth softens the curse to a hundred year sleep. The king has every spindle in the kingdom burned, but all the same, on her fifteenth birthday, Briar Rose finds an old woman spinning in a tower, tries to spin too, and pricks her finger. The king and queen (unlike in Perrault's version, they're spared) and all the rest of the court instantly fall asleep with her. Over the years, a hedge of thorns grows around the castle, and many princes try to break through and reach the princess, but they become tangled in the thorns and die. A hundred years later, however, one last prince approaches the thorns, and they turn to flowers and part for him. When the prince finds Briar Rose, he kisses her lips (for the first time in the tales history), and she wakes, as do her parents and all the others. This is also the first variant of the tale not to include further adventures and perils after the awakening. Briar Rose and her prince simply marry and live happily ever after.

**Allegedly, the Grimms considered rejecting this story because it was so obviously derived from Perrault's Sleeping Beauty and therefore more French than German. But in the end they included it because of its Germanic origins in the Brynhild legend.

*The Glass Coffin is a decidedly stranger tale, in the way that so many of the lesser known Grimms' tales are strange. A poor tailor gets lost in a forest, where he sees a bloody battle between a stag and a bull, which the stag wins. The stag then picks the tailor up on his antlers and carries him to a stone wall, in which a door opens. Inside, the tailor finds a hall filled with glass bottles containing a blue vapor, and amid them are two glass cases. One contains a miniature castle surrounded by farmland, while the other is a glass coffin in which a beautiful maiden lies sleeping. She wakes and begs the tailor to let her out of the coffin, and after he does, she tells him her story. She's the orphaned daughter of a rich count, who was raised by her devoted brother. A wicked magician asked for her hand in marriage, but she refused, so he turned her brother into a stag. When she still refused (and tried to shoot him with a gun, but in vain thanks to his magic), he cast her into an enchanted sleep, shut her in the coffin, shrank her castle and the surrounding lands, locked them in the other glass case, and turned all her servants into blue smoke and imprisoned them in the glass bottles. But now the tailor's arrival has broken the spell. He helps her to free all her servants and return the castle and farmland to their natural size. Then the maiden's brother arrives, restored to human form: the bull he killed earlier was the magician, so they're now safe. The tailor and the maiden are married.

*The Enchanted Sleep is really a variant on The Water of Life from the Grimms' collection, but with the tale's aspects that parallel Sleeping Beauty enhanced. A count with three sons is blinded by dust in a windstorm, and in turn, each of his sons sets out to find a castle that contains a spring of healing water, which will allegedly restore his sight. The first two brothers meet a group of black men (period-typical racism, unfortunately), gamble with them, lose their fortunes, and are reduced to the black men's slaves. But the youngest resists the temptation and frees his brothers by paying their debts. As they journey forward, the youngest brother hunts, but he spares the lives of several animals who promise to come to his aid when he needs them. When they reach the enchanted castle, the two older brothers are too afraid to go in, but the youngest brother does. There he finds a king and queen, their court, and a beautiful princess asleep: he writes down his name and adventures on some paper he finds, kisses the princess, and then leaves. Then they find the healing water, but the two older brothers are magically unable to take any: only the youngest can. Out of envy, the older brothers murder him and burn his body, then take the healing water back to their father. But the animals arrive, and with "all manner of salves and herbs" they revive the young hero, who goes to work for a farmer. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, his kiss broke the sleeping spell on the princess and her family and court (which is never explained). After reading the notes our hero left, the princess sends word to the count that one of his sons woke her and is her destined husband. Each of the two older brothers comes in turn, but the princess strews the road with diamonds, and when neither older brother will ride over them so as not to damage them, she knows that neither one is her savior because neither one really loves her. But when our hero gets word of this, he rides straight over the diamonds to reach her. They're joyfully wed, and when the hero's father is informed of his two older son's crime, he has them executed.

Next, we leave Europe and move on to Egypt and India.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @adarkrainbow, @themousefromfantasyland

#sleeping beauty #fairy tale #variations #sleeping beauties: sleeping beauty and snow white tales from around the world #heidi ann heiner #the brothers grimm #germany #austria #tw: death #tw: racism #tw: murder

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

｡⋆｡˚🦋 Ikemen Villain Prologue 🦋˚｡⋆｡

Chapter 1 If Life Were A Fairy Tale...

If life were a fairy tale, it would have been easy to be happy...

We don't have to do anything we aren't allowed to do. For example...

A forest you must not enter, a door you must not open, a secret you must not know.

And...

Kate: "This is all that I'm in charge of? Okay, thank you for sorting the letters."

Colleague: "You know, the one at the top is a love letter, okay? That's a big responsibility, Kate."

Kate: "All letters are equally important because it's written from a person's heart."

Kate: "Okay then, I'm off to work!"

I put the bundle of letters in my delivery bag and opened the front door of the post office.

(It's even livelier today...wasn't it the social season?)

London, the Capital of the United Kingdom, is literally the most prosperous city in the world during the reign of her Majesty, Queen Victoria.

Immigrants, industrial capitalists, and aristocrats crowded together,

Everyone is living today the same as yesterday, full of worries and joys in their own way.

Kate: "Okay, let's get the work done as soon as possible!"

I am an ordinary citizen who works as a postman in such a city.

.........

(Phew, I'm tired)

As I deliver the letters to each recipient, as usual, I noticed the gas lamps beginning to turn on one-by-one.

(2 more to go...next address is...Ah)

Suddenly, a strong wind blew and one of the envelopes flew into the sky from my hand.

(Oh no oh no!)

The envelope kept flying higher across the dimly lit alleyway and chased after it desperately.

Kate: "If I lose it, I'll be in trouble...come back here!"

I kept chasing it as fast as I could and finally saw it lying on the ground.

Then I saw a man with silver hair that dazzled even in the twilight, emerging from an alleyway.

(Thank god...!)

Kate: "Excuse me, sir, please don't step on that letter..."

???: "....."

When I rushed over to him, he kindly bents down and picked up the envelope that fluttered down to his feet.

???: "There you go, my lady."

He simply picks it up and offers it to me, but I find myself gazing at him, perhaps because of his inhuman good looks and the elegance of his gestures.

Kate: "....Thank you."

???: "You're welcome."

(This person's eyes are...red. So much like.....)

Blood.

In the dimly lit alley, the outstretched palm, the blood-colored eyes....all of it was...

A shiver ran down my spine as if it was going to take me somewhere that wasn't real.

Man with red eyes: "Only 2 more deliveries left?"

Kate: ".....Hm?"

His mutterings brought me back to myself. Immediately, the hustle and bustle of London came back to my ears.

Kate: "Sorry, I was spacing out for a moment there----"

Man with red eyes: "Hurry up, the sun will soon be setting."

He said it in a whisper and briskly walks away. I soon see him disappear into the crowd.

For some reason, the faint scent of sweet roses lingering in the air made my heart flutter.

........

Man with red eyes: "I've made you wait, Victor."

Man with long black hair: "I'm happy to wait for you for hours...So? Did something good happen?"

Man with red eyes: "Yeah. I just saw a cute little robin, with a lovely voice, flying happily."

Man with long black hair: "Heh...if you're interested in someone, then that makes me interested in them too."

.........

(That was strange. How did that man know about the number of deliveries....?)

(I don't think we'll ever meet again...since he looked like an aristocrat by the way he dressed)

I walk the streets with a feeling of relief as if I wanted to talk to him some more.

Because I love the moments when people's hearts are touched, I chose a job delivering thoughtful letters.

I have no complaints about the days I continue to deliver someone's thoughts and I think that my current routine may be a happy life that suits me.

But I also think that the world might change if I take a step forward at...on a moment's notice.

(I'm not sure if it's called 'asking for something you don't have')

Kate: "Anyways, I'm glad I delivered all the letters today without any trouble."

It was then that I praised myself as if I were self-imposed.

???: "Wait!!"

(....!)

Chapter 2 - Boundary Between Good And Evil

#ikemen series #ikemen villain #otome #cybird #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #ikemen villains #ikemen mc

[violsva]

So in multiple Yuletides past I have asked for someone to write me a queer consideration of Mercedes Lackey's Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. I wouldn't recommend that series to anyone (I cannot even tell you how desperately it needs an editor) but it is excellent comfort reading for me ... except for things like One Good Knight, which I read around the same time as a couple other fantasy books that were also OBVIOUSLY setting up a lesbian relationship and then randomly threw in a het ending at the last minute and therefore have a probably disproportionate grudge against. Where was I?

Right. So. This year I requested it again but then also got assigned Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, and there was nothing in my recipient's requests against it, so I decided I'd write it myself, and at least get some enjoyment out of it. ...And then I received exactly the kind of queer reimagining that I wanted! And my recipient liked my fic! So clearly I won Yuletide both ways.

Because they are basically just about queer fairy tales I would not say that you need to know anything about the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms to understand these fics. My gift has more canon characters than my assignment does, but all you really need to know is that The Tradition is a magical force that makes fairy tales and folktales and songs play out in the real world (whether the people involved want to be in a fairy tale or not), and Godmothers are overworked magicians who try and mitigate the damage, usually by creating happy endings.

My gift was Writing Our Own Happily-Ever-Afters by StableState, which has poly and a GREAT take on the woman-disguised-as-a-man story and also an excellent pun.

I wrote

Title: Blossoms in Ashes Wordcount: 6155 words Fandom: Cinderella (Perrault), Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms (Lackey) Rating: G Relationships: Various Characters: Cinderella, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Stepsisters, Stepmother, Godmother Elena (Five Hundred Kingdoms) Warnings/Enticements: Abuse, Queer Themes, Regendering Summary: “All over the Five Hundred Kingdoms, down through time, there have been countless girls like you for whom the circumstances were not right. Their destined princes were greybeards, infants, married or terrible rakes, or not even Princes at all, but Princesses! … And there are dozens and dozens of other tales that The Tradition is trying to recreate, all the time, and perhaps one in a hundred actually becomes a tale.” A variety of events documented in the chronicles of the Godmothers of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.

And I managed to fit in a Madness treat before getting covid right before Christmas (booooo).

Title: Nevertheless Wordcount: 350 words Fandom: The Waste Land (T. S. Eliot) Rating: G Relationships: None Characters: Madame Sosostris Warnings/Enticements: Poetry, Clairvoyance, Telepathy, Common Cold, London, Post-World War I Summary: She brings the horoscope herself.

#yuletide #mercedes lackey #fairy tales #queer #books #t s eliot #the waste land #writing #my fic #my poetry #just copying this post straight over from dw

[rockybloo]

I don't know if you've been asked this before but what shows or pieces of media influenced/inspired Beanstalked? I know you've mentioned Gitter and Guilt stemmed from your love of Tokyo mew mew and other cool superhero stuff (I saw those mha ocs!). But can you point to any specific shows or books that made you want to create that story in the first place, or changed it to where it is today since it's been rewritten?

FUCK YEAH A BEANSTALKED QUESTION

I think the series at the top of the list that deeply inspired Beanstalked are Cats Don't Dance, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Bleach, D. Gray Man, Soul Eater, and Kingdom Hearts,

Cats Don't Dance's entire thing of being about an outcasted group of characters forcing their way into the spotlight, or basically finding their own happiness, def influenced the main motivation for a lot of the main characters in Beanstalked going against the status quo of both their stories and the depressing situation of the world they live in.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas have so many elements in them that imprinted on me as a kid. Like both movies having a crew of side characters that have very vibrant personalities that lead to them becoming sort of found families. And the latter having a villainess that quite literally is the reason I made Nevermore the way she is.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child was basically my first exposure to fairy tale retellings with more diversity and was basically the extra motivation to make basically everyone in Beanstalked POC. And I'd say it being a series made in the 90s def impacted some of the vibes I resort to when looking for Beanstalked inspiration stuff like music instead of the expected medival fantasy.

D. Gray Man, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist and Soul Eater all had an influence on me deciding to make Marchens unique magical weapons that range from being a typical weapon like a sword to more extreme instances like a whole element or even a location. Plus them all having a large cast of characters was what led to me deciding to have a big cast for Beanstalked.

I know for certain that the Noahs and Arrancars are what made me go for having the Big Bads in Beanstalked be the typical "we sit at a big ass table and plot evil things" but with some coworker banter tossed in like they do in D. Gray Man, which remains like...the only anime where I've seen the villains poke at each other like a family (granted they kinda are but this is about Beanstalked and not a very underrated manga series so lemme refocus).

And Kingdom Hearts will always be one of my favorite vibes just because of how cool the Heartless looked as monster designs. They definitely are what made me think of how fun it'd be to make the ink monsters in Beanstalked parasitic creatures that adapt to their surroundings. And the "book rooms" in Beanstalked are greatly inspired by the opening tutorial level of Kingdom Hearts where you awake in a void on a stained glass platform.

Plus Traverse Town remains one of my favorite locations in all of gaming and is the direct influence and inspiration for Briar Patch being the hub of Beanstalked. I constantly listen to the music whenever I have to design Briar Patch stuff.

#ask: beanstalked #ask