TELL US ABOUT THE PRINCESS KNIGHT AU PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PL
ok sorry its been like two months but anyways lets talk abt the princess/knight au!!!
haru is a princess, specifically the only heir to king kunikazu. yusuke is sort of a knight, but it's more that he's haru's personal bodyguard!
his mother was a court painter. she was pretty physically weak and fell ill a lot, and after she had yusuke, she realised that, while her and her family were able to live with the royal family for now due to her work, if and when her sickness claims her, her son would no longer be welcome in the castle. since she was all the family yusuke had, that would mean hed likely live the rest of his life on the streets, and as a young child, he wouldnt have the means to make that rest of his life a very long one.
so she made a deal with the king, haru's father, and it was decided he would grow up as harus retainer.
[image ID slash written text for those who cant read my handwriting (😔):
(servant, holding a 1 year old haru in their arms): do you see him, princess? [a shot of a small baby sleeping] his name is yusuke. from now on, his job will be to protect you.
a note next to the drawing of baby haru reads "yusuke is a year younger than haru, as in canon, but it was decided very early on in his life that he would be haru's personal guard!"
a drawing of a young yusuke and haru with another note that says "he began learning how to wield a sword and bow basically as soon as he was physically able, but until he was learned enough to protect haru, he just acted sort of as an escort to her {while a retinue guarded both of them}"
end id.]
its a good thing it was decided so early, too: yusukes mother succumbed to illness before yusuke was even three years old. (he has no memory of her. haru doesnt either, but she DOES remember the funeral that was held.)
(one of the last pieces yusukes mother ever painted was of a young haru holding a baby, a man who would one day become her guard. it became a pretty significant piece for the okumura kingdom for a while, actually: it was used to mean "serve the royal family and it shall serve you, in turn". its hung up on the stairwell into the castle guards' quarters.)
anyway, so yusuke and haru grew up together. they were paired so early on into their lives that neither of them have any memory of a time without each other: for all it matters to them, they were born hand-in-hand with their roles set in place.
they were very close as children, especially before yusuke was considered sufficiently trained in his weapons. it was very common for them to walk around the castle holding hands, and they barely ever separated, only ever doing so for things like sleep or bathing, or lessons-- though the last of those wasnt always true. yusuke would have lessons alongside haru in things like etiquette, of course, but could also be found in the room for things such as history, or her music lessons. likewise, haru would watch yusuke train, though she wasnt allowed to wield a sword or bow herself and could only cheer him on.
(not until they were a bit older, when yusuke taught her how to fight with a sword himself. even then, they used wooden swords, so that haru wouldnt get hurt.)
yusuke was the only boy other than the king himself allowed in harus bedroom, since the only others given access were the handmaids responsible for things like cleaning her room, dressing or bathing her, et cetera. he used to enter as he pleased as such, and only got into the practice of properly knocking and announcing his presence as they got older. hes all-together almost completely stopped actually going into her room, opting instead to stand at her door until she leaves, herself.
as they grew up, they were steadily more and more discouraged from being as physically affectionate as they were as children. yusuke was punished for doing things like holding her hand if they were seen, and was taught to instead be a silent presence to her side or two paces behind her, seen and not heard, the way a "guard" ought to be. at the same time, harus etiquette lessons taught her the necessary decorum to be a princess and one day a queen, and there was no room for a friendship with a retainer, even if it was yusuke. though they care for each other just as much as when they were children, perhaps even more devoted, youd be fair to miss it, since neither of them are able to be open with each other anymore.
(yusukes still slightly more touchy-feely than whats probably expected of a guard. its not really physical affection in the same way, but he'll do things like brush dust or pluck lint off of haru's dresses himself or adjust her hair or jewelry or clothes-- of course, only to make sure her highness looks her best, so its forgiven to the outside observer, but still something technically not of his station.)
haru is a lot different that she was when they were children. proper etiquette is extensive, obviously, and the young girl that was considered the country's daughter, kind and open whenever seen in processions, has long since been stripped for parts. her public face has matured quite a bit by necessity, though her kindness and permanent smile remains-- it's simply that it's more of a part she plays, at this point, any of her natural disposition worn to steel, as a certain amount of control is necessary for a woman of her station.
she doesnt regret the person shes become, even if somewhat conniving-- after all, she needs a certain amount of cunning to keep her head above water in the political scene. or its more that she's not able to regret it, as she's never had any other option than to become as jaded as she is today.
still, it's hard not to yearn for the old days, when they were innocent children. shes not quite aware of it, herself, but she certainly misses yusuke, her friend. its just hard to figure that out when to this day, yusuke, her guard, remains as staunchly by her side as her best friend always has.
when i made the initial drawings for the princess/knight au, i wrote the beginning of a short story of a yusuke pov that i unfortunately must have tossed it because i dont have it anymore, but his character is defined by his devotion. hes never known anything other than being haru's, after all, and considers everything he does a labour of love for her. every moment he spends training is for her, every injury for her sake, every callous a simple, unavoidable byproduct of his servitude. he keeps the posture he learned in his etiquette classes even in private, because erring once is to live with the knowledge of his erring forever, and more than that, risking forming the habit of being anything less than the perfect knight for his lady is something he can't bear the thought of.
luckily, there isnt much danger living in the castle, so yusuke only trains as ardently as he does as precaution for the most part, but there was one incident in which the castle was attacked by royal detractors. haru wasnt actively targeted, being only 8 years old at the time, but there was a spot of trouble where he had to protect her. yusuke, being 7, wasnt fully learned in his swordsmanship yet, and sustained a few scars, including but not limited to one on his eyebrow he hides behind his hair, but considers himself barely harmed, especially considering that that was the incident that took many other castle guards' lives, as well as the life of the queen, haru's mother.
king kunikazu and the kingdom at large is currently pretty uneasy due to a war brewing just a bit away; neither the kingdom nor any of its current allies are being actively threatened, but its one of already many due to one kingdom's ancient rome-esque conquering of a path of smaller countries, and the "okumura" kingdom looks as if it will be on the warpath sooner or later. due to this, the kingdom's engaged with an alliance with a comparatively smaller kingdom that it neighbours. the alliance is going to be officiated with a marriage: haru is kunikazu's only heir, but due to some societal stuff, as a woman she's considered unfit to rule as a monarch. so, she's now to be married with one of the sons of said neighbouring kingdom, who will act as ruler with her at his side:
akira is the son of the king and technically an eligible heir to the kurusu kingdom, but due to his place as the 4th son, he's not a crown prince/not considered to be in line for the throne-- or at least, not to his home nation, as he's now set to be the king of the okumura kingdom.
he seems to be of the same mind as haru: uninterested in her in a romantic sense, but has accepted the marriage for the sake of his country. however, he also seems completely uninterested-- or perhaps actively against-- the prospect of being king, not of his own country and not of the okumura kingdom. it seems that hes grown up acting as more of a free spirit; hes pretty crafty, and has a reputation amongst his own retinue for always managing to sneak off, running away as soon as hes left unattended by his father or instructors, or disappearing overnight (much to the grief and distress of his caretakers), though he's always returned, apparently rather aware of his own limits, or at least capable of getting himself out of whatever trouble he ends up getting into, without drawing the ire of either the common people or his father, the king.
because of his nature, he either sees himself as unfit for king, or merely feels stifled by the idea of the position, and in private talks has disclosed to haru that hed much rather her take her (in his words) rightful place as the queen and head of the nation, and is more than alright with her being the brains/power of the operation, even if in the end it has to be him giving speeches when necessary.
however, while disliking the idea of being a king in general, and also disinterested in haru as anything more than a confidant (having also privately disclosed to her that he does have his eye on someone), he seems attached to the arrangement of this marriage, for “some unknown reason”.
((thats right baby its ALSO a kitashu au get fucked))
akira and haru are officially engaged at the time of the story, and are in the midst of planning for the wedding! they tentatively become friends, since theyre both kind of stuck with each other presumably for the rest of their lives. hes seemingly made a goal to make haru let her guard down, and has even convinced her at some point to sneak out of the castle with him (at a point where he and his father were visiting) to explore the surrounding town without their retinues-- something that gave yusuke specifically about 7 heart attacks, as its something harus never done before.
oh yeah, and by the way, yusuke fucking hates akira.
haru really liked seeing the town without her guards, and without having to put on the air of princess. it was freeing to act as a commoner, and the first time shes been able to strip herself of her etiquette-- something she cant do around anyone in the castle, not even yusuke, at least not to the extent she has to to blend in with the townspeople. she liked it so much that it becomes a regular thing whenever akira is at the castle and not in his own country.
some of harus caretakers have noticed her disappearances, including yusuke, who is at her side in almost every waking moment: he greets her in the morning to escort her to breakfast and brings her to her room at night. when hes not standing at her side, hes guarding the room shes in, and only leaves her when its time for him to turn in for the night, as well. obviously hes noticed this sudden habit of disappearing, and more than that, HES the one who ends up tasked with discouraging harus maids from disclosing this to king kunikazu, since haru isnt aware theyve figured her out, and their social standing disallows them from discussing it with her themselves. haru asked yusuke to keep her and akira's outings a secret from her father when he confronted her after the first time, so its his duty to make sure its a secret.
its not that yusuke resents akira for giving him more work-- hes more than happy to do something as trivial as this for haru, his princess, but its more that this means yusukes forced to be idle while distinctly aware that haru, who hes spent his entire life protecting and caring for, is off somewhere unknown, could be in danger or could be physically harmed, and hes not only none the wiser but also complicit, by allowing her to do this. though he cant ask her to stop, because its clear haru is happier with these momentary escapes. its a miserable position to be in, and he fully blames akira for being the one to put him there
(and resents him for the fact that akira is an outsider and a newcomer. despite this, its clear that hes doing something for haru that yusuke hasnt been able to, not since they started growing up. hes making her happy, and comfortable.
its anxiety over harus safety, and an intense, burning jealousy that hes not really able to identify in the same way)
[text id:
yusuke looking angry as he says "my lady's happiness is of the utmost importance to me. it is for this reason alone that i will allow these escapades to go on, without reporting them to the king or your father." "this marriage will be essential to this country's future, and i have no intention of interfering in your relationship with your fiancée, even considering my role as her loyal servant."
the second drawing reveals him to have cornered akira, seemingly pinning him to a wall, as he continues "however, if i find you to ever, ever put the princess's life in danger, then this country as well as your own be damned, i will strike you down myself, and i swear on my life to make your death ten thousand times as painful as whatever harm you have caused to her highness. do you understand, my lord?"
akira is blushing heavily, knees cowed slightly. he stutters out a "uh. uh-huh" like he's in a trance. an arrow points to him with a note that reads "his gay ass is NOT listening!"
end id]
for some actual story…
during a banquet held in celebration of akira and haru's engagement, king kunikazu suddenly collapsed and lost his life in that room. it was discovered that the cup he was drinking from was poisoned.
no one has any idea who assassinated the king-- it could very well be some of the many citizens that disliked the king's rather strict policies. the taxes are high, and punishment for crimes tend to be much stricter than in other countries. however, a common rumour among many of the townsfolk is that it was the world of the neighbouring kingdom: a ploy to get prince akira in power in order to take over the nation and subsume it as part of the kurusus' country.
regardless of whether or not that has any merit or is simply baseless rumour, the wedding has been temporarily postponed so that the country-- and haru-- may focus on the investigation. akira, at the least, seems more than willing to help. if it really the scheme of his nation, or of his father, he seems both unaware and unwilling to be a part of it, offering every aid he can to haru, even if it ends up only effectively being an open ear.
yusuke remains by her side, as he always had and as he always will-- perhaps a bit more protective of her, somehow, but the entire castle is on edge, so its not as if thats unexpected. as a knight, a simple extension of his lady's will, he cant do much for her to solve her problems, not possessing the intelligence to solve the case of her father's murder, the political knowhow to aide her and her fathers advisor who's acting as regent pro tempore in ruling, nor a magical ability to bring king kunikazu, someone who he had come to see as his own father in some form, himself, back from the land of the dead. still, he is harus humble servant, and devoted to her above all else, and whatever his lady needs, he will do his best to provide.
the story is about the political aspect of haru and akiras ascension to ruling and of trying to find a culprit, but also about the relationship between the three of them: akira getting closer to both of them, and yusuke and haru reconnecting. :)
122 notes
·
View notes
DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #14
(Had this idea on the brain as soon as I woke up this morning. This prompt is basically going off of the idea that the ghost zone is the dimension that connects all dimensions.)
(#) = Notes at the end of post
✦
Living in Technicolor
When Danny gets zapped by the portal and brought back half alive, his vision is forever changed. He doesn't know what caused it, just that ever since the accident, his sight has been split into three different perspectives.
1. His home dimension
2. The ghost zone/invisible spectrum
3. Another dimension entirely
He had originally been able to peer into more than three perspectives directly after his accident, but that resulted in his brain more or less short-circuiting from all the extra information and putting him in a week long coma. Still, even with the decreased load, the amount of information that's being filtered through his eyes and into his brain from three different plains of existence leaves him legally blind in his original reality and needing the help of either a cane or his service dog, Cujo.(1 & 2)
It isn't until his powers start appearing that he learns something interesting. If he concentrates enough, he can shift/manifest his own existence into whichever perspective he's focusing on the most when he transforms, singling his vision down to one perspective for the duration. He has to be careful though, otherwise he could get stuck in-between, which scrambles his vision to an even more nauseating degree. That or he could cause himself to blackout just from the amount of stress it puts on his mind.
He's basically his own dimension hopping portal though.
The only thing is, he never hopped over to the other dimension that seemed to exist alongside his own and the Ghost Zone, content to just travel between his dimension and the Infinite Realms. That doesn't mean he wasn't interested in it or didn't take a more concentrated peek into it from time to time though. Cause let's be honest. A world full of superheroes defending the Earth from a multitude of threats? He'd be lying if he said he didn't use the opportunity to observe and learn from a few of the professionals when it came to his own defending of the ghostly variety.
It isn't until long after he becomes the Ghost King that he is approached by Clockwork, the Ghost of Time. He reveals he knows of Danny's ability to peer into the multiverse like the time ghost can, although greatly limited in comparison. He offers to make Danny his apprentice and to teach him what it means to see through the veil into different universes and timelines, and perhaps increase the amount of perspectives he can handle at once now that his power has increased exponentially. He is King of the Infinite Realms after all. He needs to properly oversee his domain and everything connected to it if he wants to be a good monarch. However, the only way to increase the number of perspectives he can handle is by experiencing each one first hand.
The first step? Shifting into the dimension he has yet to visit, the one he's been peering into and learning so much from over the years.
✦
Notes:
(1) Here, Danny gets Cujo before he becomes a security dog/a ghost.
(2) He eventually creates some specially designed glasses with color changing lenses that help him filter out the extra perspectives when he's older, but they're far from perfect. Red for home reality, Green for the Ghost Zone, and Blue for DC Universe/other universes.
ALSO, while this is technically a dp x dc crossover prompt, I wanted to keep it pretty open for any other crossover ideas. There's infinite possibilities here and I'd love to see what people come up with!
229 notes
·
View notes
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant leans against the hood of the Kineema, taking a long drag of his cigarette. In the cold and the late night starlight, the crystals of his breaths seem to glow. As you gingerly cross the cobblestones to join him, he eyes you with what might be concern, but not surprise.
“You should be resting,” he says, but there’s no real reproach in his voice.
YOU — “So should you.”
KIM KITSURAGI — A wry smile splits his bruised face. “Touché.”
ENDURANCE — He looks exhausted. He would be sleeping right now if he were able.
PAIN THRESHOLD — It’s not easy to put a battered body to sleep. It wants to be vigilant and protect itself from further harm.
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — Not only himself.
YOU — “Changed your mind about that midnight ride?”
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant chuckles. “Only if I wanted to piss off all of Martinaise. This engine is loud enough to wake the dead.”
YOU — “I know.”
INLAND EMPIRE — The dead, the living, and the whatever-you-are.
KIM KITSURAGI — He looks at you curiously, but does not press you.
REACTION SPEED — He’s in a pretty laid back mood, it seems. Or maybe just tired. Either way, he doesn’t seem to mind whatever you’re doing. You might be able to get away with some mischief.
“Fuck Martinaise. Let’s ride, Kim.”
“Can I bum a cigarette off you?”
“Wanna listen to the radio?”
Climb into the Kineema.
PAIN THRESHOLD — You’re a bit shaky as you climb into the passenger seat of the Kineema. The hole in your thigh makes it rather an ordeal. It’s not quite as cool a maneuver as you hoped.
COUPRIS KINEEMA — The motor carriage is pretty forgiving of all this. You and Kim hardly even feel it shiver as you finally settle into the seat, somewhat winded.
The back seat isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s not quite what you expected, either. It feels strangely… new. Like it hasn’t really been broken in yet. Unlike the driver’s seat, which has an almost perfectly Kim-shaped imprint worn into it.
VISUAL CALCULUS — *Not* that you’ve spent any great length of time pondering the lieutenant’s shape.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Comfortable?” His tone is dry, but not disapproving.
YOU — “Comfy cozy.”
KIM KITSURAGI — “Hm.” He leans back against the door, stifling a yawn.
EMPATHY — He’s letting you poke around his sanctuary without protest, not even a little sulk. This is one of the highest honors he could bestow upon you. Bask in it.
YOU — Aw, yeah. Male bonding. I’m so good at this.
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — You’re really not. But neither is he. So it all works out somehow, though he has no idea how.
YOU — Neither do I! We have so much in common.
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — More than you know.
+1 MORALE
COUPRIS KINEEMA — You sit back in the seat, staring up through the moonroof at the stars. Clouds pass overhead, dark with rain or snow that hasn’t quite made up its mind where to fall. The city is not silent, but pleasantly quiet all the same.
HALF LIGHT — It’s *too* quiet. Raise hell before hell comes for *you.*
“You sure I can’t change your mind about that midnight drive?” (Raise hell)
Take a ride in your *imagination.* (Enjoy the quiet)
COUPRIS KINEEMA — You close your eyes and imagine the rumbling engine, the vibrations of the road rattling your ribcage.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — But where are you going?
Anywhere but here. I don’t care where.
To the other side of the world.
To the bottom of the sea.
Home.
INLAND EMPIRE — And where is home? Where does a man like you belong? Little more than a skeleton in someone else’s closet.
VISUAL CALCULUS — When you try to remember it, all you can picture are little pinpricks of light: candles in the dark on a cold night, stars piercing through smog, fleeting moments of warmth that distract, but do little to fend off the inevitable.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — You’re going to have to imagine something new for yourself. So, Harry, where is this car headed?
Uphill.
Downhill.
I don’t know. I’m just a passenger. (Look at Kim)
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant taps the ashes from his cigarette, careful not to let the wind blow them into his precious motor carriage.
REACTION SPEED — You’re not sure, but you think you might have caught him looking at you. It’s hard to say whether he was keeping an eye on you for your sake or the car’s.
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — Both. But… mostly the car. He feels a little bad about that, if it’s any consolation.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — You wonder what Kim’s home is like.
PERCEPTION — His Kineema and his person are both kept extraordinarily tidy. The same can likely be said of his living space.
LOGIC — It’s probably small, too, considering your salary. Maybe an apartment like the ones at Capeside.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY — You imagine it smells like motor oil and pine.
DRAMA — The lieutenant projects an image of practicality, sensibility. But you know already, sire, that there is more to him. Little lonesome joys. Does he keep up the act even at home? Or does he feel free to indulge because there is no one watching?
EMPATHY — He must get lonely sometimes. Everyone does, don’t they?
INLAND EMPIRE — His home is warm and beautiful, up on a high, high hill that you cannot climb.
YOU — But I’m not climbing. I’m in the passenger seat.
INLAND EMPIRE — Slowing him down.
HALF LIGHT — Setting the dogs at your heels after him, too.
YOU — Fine… Maybe he can’t take me all the way home. But wherever he’s taking me, it’s better than wherever I was going.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — You can almost feel it: the relief of letting go. You think maybe you felt it for a brief moment once, right as you drove your car off the edge. Right before you hit the water and realized what you’d done. Realized that you were going to have to drag yourself back onto land, alone.
But this? This is different. This is *better.* Unlike you, Kim is a good man. You can’t go wrong following him. You can be at ease. You don’t have to die. You can just surrender.
VOLITION — No, Harry. You can’t.
YOU — Why not? I’m tired. I don’t want to fight anymore.
VOLITION — But he said it himself, Harry. *Sunrise, Parabellum.* Another day, another battle. It’s always going to be a fight. If you follow him, he will just lead you into a battle of a different kind.
YOU — I don’t want that… I want the war to *end.*
VOLITION — I know… I know, Harry. But his lungs do not glow, and he isn’t from up on Marvel Hill. He is just a tired man, like you, longing to let go. And he has to fight it with every sunrise. As they all do.
You’re not in this war alone. Everyone in the world is fighting the undertow.
YOU — That isn’t comforting. It’s sad.
VOLITION — It is. It’s very sad. But at least it isn’t lonely.
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant’s cigarette has long since burned out, but he shows no sign of going back to bed. Just stares out past the skyline at something only he can see, brow drawn.
YOU — “…Kim?”
KIM KITSURAGI — “Hm?”
YOU — “Did I ever tell you what woke me up the day we met?”
KIM KITSURAGI — He glances at you in the side mirror. “No, I don’t think so… What was it?”
“A miracle.”
“A clarion call from hell.”
“A promise I made to myself.”
“Love, brother Coppo. It was love all along.”
“The Kineema. I heard you.”
KIM KITSURAGI — His eyes widen just slightly.
SHIVERS — At this moment, just down the road, there is a little girl sleeping soundly in her warm bed. Her mother silently slips a new book, wrapped in ribbons, onto her nightstand. An apology, of sorts.
In a drafty apartment a few blocks away, a young woman sweeps the kitchen floor while her sister tucks a blanket around the shoulders of their working class mother, asleep on the couch. When the sweeping is done, they will iron their best funeral clothes.
In that same building, two red-headed children lie back to back in bed. Both of them are only pretending to sleep, each thinking that they’re keeping watch to protect the other. Briefly, one of them thinks about reaching out for the other’s hand, and then thinks better of it— never realizing that the other was thinking the same.
And in the G.R.I.H., not far from Terminal H and Precinct 57, there is an apartment. It is little more than a tin box, one of thousands just like it. There is no one sleeping there tonight, waiting. No one hoping to wake up to the sound of a homecoming. The box is empty. It has been empty for a very long time.
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant’s gaze slowly drops from the mirror to the cigarette butt under his boot heel.
“…Well,” he says softly, “isn’t that something.” That’s all he can say.
ESPIRIT DE CORPS — Every word that comes to mind feels foolish and saccharine. But there are *many* that come to him, all trying to say the same thing: he is glad that you woke up.
YOU — Maybe someday I’ll feel glad, too.
VOLITION — You will get there. You can find home again.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — Not on the crescent of the hill, but a shore at low tide. Knowing that though the water will lap at your ankles again, it will also recede again. It never ends, but sometimes you won’t want it to.
YOU — I never want this moment to end.
INLAND EMPIRE — It ended in the time it took you to think those words.
VOLITION — That’s what made it precious.
COUPRIS KINEEMA — Swaddled in sentimentality— and your polar anorak— you feel yourself drifting into a warm doze.
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant does not try to rouse you. He simply climbs into the driver’s seat and lets the moment linger a while longer.
451 notes
·
View notes