#i know nico isn't that young anymore but whatever

[yonemurishiroku]

i know you said you haven’t figured out it out yet but i’d like to hear any thoughts or random ideas you might have abt nezha & nico, either in general or in the time travel verse 👩‍🏫

Wow I didn't expect someone would actually be interested in this... Well, all the more motivation to be enthusiastic, then. xD

You're right that I've yet to figure out their connection, however, I can tell a little about that that drew me to the idea of them in the same picture.

The first would probably be their characterization.

Both are painted in black and white, of kindness and the flaws within. Afaik, the whole thing about Nezha is that he's a naughty, carefree, uncontrollable menace yet also kind in his own ways. He did so many wrongs and he tried to do just as many rights to make up for it. It's similar to Nico, in the way that they are kind at heart, yet can appear evil in others' eyes for some reason. And yes, they both have committed conventional horrible. Hell, Nezha peeled off Ao Bing's spine or st. Would you look at that, Bryce?

Grudge-holding. Now, I'm not saying I fancy what Rick did to Nico's fatal flaw, but talking in canon here, Nico held his sister's death against Percy (and himself) for quite a while; whereas Nezha, having died and was reborn again, literally came fighting his father because the man ruined his temple, where his soul resided. Like. If that isn't one hell of a grudge then I don't know what is.

Their spirits, their willpower, the prowess they possess despite their young ages. They are both so fierce, unstoppable, and resilient. Nezha is portrayed as a literal child in Chinese mythology, but his story is one hell of a ride (ya know, with all the slaying dragons, carving up his own flesh...). Idk about you but it gives me an impression of how intense Nezha might be, which is quite a reflection of Nico's story and characterization. Because Nico is... extreme, too, and you can't possibly tell me Nico's life story, with all that Tartarus and torture in the jar, isn't a grand tale in its own way. Alas, against all odds, they both emerge victorious. I love them.

They're both freaking powerful too, btw. But again, I guess every mythological figure is powerful in its own way.

Idk about you but I think Nico and Nezha should be allowed to sit down together and trade gory, creepy, bloody stories about themselves just to scare everyone else.

2. Their backgrounds, their stories.

They both have daddy issues omfg. Nezha literally fought his father, who ruined Nezha's temple, to the point of interference from other deities. And while I love Nico and Hades's love with everything in me, they did have a strained relationship throughout PJO. Hades told Nico he would prefer Bianca over him, and later nearly fired a ball at him. If that isn't parallel I don't know what is.

Their mothers love them so much I'm crying. Nezha's mother, Lady Yin, carried him in her womb for years and built him a temple when he asked her in a dream. And I suppose we don't need to talk about Maria anymore.

They are both, technically, 'prince's LMAO. Nezha is known as the Third Crowned Prince (or whatever that is bc Chinese is so hard to translate into English omg) and Nico is well, Nico. Their fathers are both technically kings, as well. Hades because obviously, Li Jing is known as one of the Heavenly Kings. And if you really look into it, Nezha is a commander of Heaven's army, directly under his father, whilst Nico is the Ambassador of Hades. Wow.

They are viewed as awful in people's eyes but still took efforts to help. I'm gonna admit my viewpoint might be altered by the Nezha (2019) movie. Nonetheless, I find it quite interesting that Nezha and Nico, though being scorned and ostracized by their kind, ended up being their saviors. Nezha killed himself when the Dragon King threatened to flood his hometown, and Nico went such lengths to aid the Seven with their world-saving quests. This is also proof of their kindness, which I adore so much, btw.

Feud with the sea. Well maybe not feud in Percy and Nico's case. A sensitive topic. History, maybe? Lol. Anyway, the fact remains that both Nico and Nezha share an unpleasant history with a son of the seas. If you take Nezha (2019) into consideration though, they both make peace with said animosity too! xD

They both befriend their old enemies. I'm talking about Wukong and Bob. It's fascinating, in a way lol.

These are everything I can come up with so far... Huh. I didn't expect them to share so similarities... I'm serious about Nezha and Nico having a bonding session now. These two are deemed to be besties.

It doesn't need to be in the Time Travel AU. Nico crash-landed in China before, didn't he? Maybe, Idk, Nezha was sent to investigate, and they ended up friends because Nico is as social as a capybara and Nezha has all the purity and generosity of a carefree child who fears nothing.

...I'm so deep in this omg...  

Anw, if you want to share your Nico and Nezha content, I'm all ears!! xD

#nico di angelo #pjo #hoo #toa #yone rambling #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #nezha #nezha chinese mythology #time travel au #time travel #nico and nezha

[httpsjeonglvr]

Awkward

Evangeline and Seojun entered the Wilder Mansion hesitantly, following her parents inside. Robert and Tina Minoru picked them up from school and insisted on joining them. They assured her that she was not mandated to listen to their meeting. Geoffrey and Catherine Wilder spotted her, and their lips curved into big smiles. "Ah! You must be Hana, Seojun nice seeing you again!”

She clutched her tote bag as she gave them a nervous smile. "Um, hello..." Catherine stepped forward and gave her a warm hug. "My, what a beautiful young woman you are" Her simple compliment made her face heat up.

Catherine slightly cupped her cheeks. "Oh, dear." She frowned. "Are you okay? You’re look sick."

She nodded and gently removed her hands away from her face smiling softly. "Yes, Mrs. Wilder."

"Make yourself at home, sweetie."

Hana gave her a silent nod before walking toward the living room following behind Seojun who knew his way around. Tina and Robert turned around to Catherine, who placed her hands on her hips. "Did you really have to bring her here?"

"Nico isn't at the house to look after her," Tina informed. "She's not doing too good today, so Robert and I have to keep an eye on her."

Geoffrey sighed. "You're still at it? Hana's—"

Tina gave him a look. "I'm making sure, okay?" She spun around and saw she was about to sit on a couch. "Hana, honey, you can stay at the Wilders' guesthouse."

She opened her mouth to protest. "Um, don't know where that is..”

"I'll take her there." Catherine volunteered as she approached her. "Come on." She followed her out of the living room and got outside of the house to get to the guesthouse. Catherin opened the doors and let her inside. "There are pizzas and drinks here, okay? You two can wait for Alex and his friends."

Just as Catherine left, she blinked in surprise and turned around to see the woman was gone. "Alex?" She asked. She sat on a chair, pulling out her headset and connecting it to her phone. She ignored the boy next to her still mad from the argument earlier. She began browsing for her phone to keep herself busy.

She snatched a pillow and gripped it closely as she sat silently watching random videos online. Random animal videos were one of the few things that could bring her complete joy. Another thing that brought the girl joy was her powers she discovered 

Powers? Yeah. When she was about fifteen years old, she discovered she had the ability to create illusions and enter mental voids. She was crying in her room until she unintentionally entered a void and saw a memory of her and Baekyun or Chris as her parents called him,when she was younger. Although casting illusions was cool and all it caused her to tire easily. Molly and Seojun were the only ones who knew about her abilities. She knew she could trust them, and they kept it a secret. Seeing as everyone would call them crazy.

She was mindlessly playing with the stuffed animal she kept with her for comfort.Her thoughts were occupied with the animals on her screen

"Cute bunny."

She instantly pulled out her headset and turned her head to see the young Wilder entering the guesthouse. "Shit," she whispered. "S-Sorry, they let me stay here. I could leave if you want me to—"

Alex shook his head. "No, no." He lightly waved his head, gesturing for her to continue whatever she was doing and waving at the curly-haired boy who nodded his head. "It's good to have some company."

'Not if you don't know the person...' She dragged her legs towards her chest and hugged them close as she continued watching the animals . But she couldn't focus anymore, so she pretended to watch while she was looking at what Alex was doing.

When she eventually noticed six boxes of pizza on the table and drinks all around, her eyes widened. Alex was unconcerned and grabbed his controller, which he used to switch on his television while listening to music. Alex paused for a bit before putting down his controller and pulling out his phone to look at the group photo he took with his friends two years ago.

When Alex peered at Hana, her stomach groaned quietly causing Seojun to laugh, and she quickly hit his chest while avoiding eye contact. Before directing his whole focus to Hana, Alex hurriedly forwarded the old group photo to his old friends. "Hungry?" He asked, and he saw her shake her head timidly. "You can eat some pizzas if you want, Bunny"

"Bunny?" she asked while laughing at the horrendous nickname. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Seojun taking a slice of pepperoni with a smile.

Alex shrugged. "I'm not good at nicknames or codenames. Besides, I didn't catch your name, and all I know is that you're the new student and Nico's adopted sister." She hummed in response until Alex moved closer to her to check on the show she was watching on her phone. "You interested in animals?"

She closed her phone and looked away from him, feeling her cheeks heating up from the small conversation between both. "Yeah I wanna be a vet.." She mumbled as she buried her face completely behind the sleeves of her blue sweater.

"So, may I know your name?"

Alex shrugged and he moved his head closer to her to see her face, but she was too stubborn to look him in the eye. “I'm not that scary, am I?"

She shook her head and slightly turned her head to look at him with half of her face still hidden behind her arms. "You look nice enough."

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him smile, and this time, it reached his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah."

She looked away and noticed the many video games the guy had. 'Sheesh.' Her eyes looked up and stared at his huge television and found two names on the screen: Alex's name and Amy's name. "You miss her huh?"

Alex glanced at the screen before heavily sighing, standing up to take the remote, and turning off the television. "Yeah." He immediately answered, not wanting to ruin her night with Amy's death.

"What was she like?"

Alex hated she had to press, but he knew she was just curious, so he sat down next to her. "She was my best friend." He stated. "And she was a good sister to Nico too." Alex glanced at Hana as she processed his words in her mind.

She glanced at him as she clung to the pendant of her necklace now interested in the green colors swirling around. Meeting Amy Minoru would be a great experience because she sounded like such a nice person. She knew how difficult it was for everyone to accept that she had been gone for two years."You don't think I'm replacing her?"

"What makes you say that?" Alex asked curiously.

"Everyone thinks I'm replacing her." She confessed. " Nico feels I'm replacing her sister."

"No, Nico isn't—"

Alex's sentence was interrupted when the pair of teens heard the doorbell. "Hold on." Alex excused himself for a moment. She watched him leave the guesthouse, so she slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked around. She put her hood up and took out the Twister game lying on the floor. 'What is this?' She tilted her head in wonder before turning to Seojun who shrugged as well and joined her in trying to figure out how to play.

"They're here!" She turned around and found Alex and his former friends behind him, entering the guesthouse. Molly grinned widely when she saw Hana and her bodyguard while Nico's eyes slightly enlarged in shock. "You're here too?"

She slightly waved, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden attention. “Hey..”

tags: @nekoannie-chan

#spotify #lgbtq #romance #stranger things #chase stein #gert yorkes #karolinadean #karolina x nico #nijiro murakami #nico minoru #marvel fanfiction #marvel runaways #marvel #marvel mcu #stan lee #scream #mason gooding #𝔱𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔶 𝔢𝔶𝔢𝔰 𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔶 𝔟𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔰'

[thinking-about-fiction]

Percy Jackson: I'm too young to die, and too old to eat off the kids menu! What a stupid age I am!

Nico: HA! Sucks to be you. I'm both old enough to die AND young enough to eat off the kids menu.

Annabeth and Will:

#i know nico isn't that young anymore but whatever #incorrect pjo quotes #source: the good place #src: the good place #pjo #percy jackson #nico di angelo #hoo #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #pjo incorrect quotes #incorrect pjo #toa #trials of apollo #percabeth #solangelo

[artsyxloner]

Not Just a Monster

Warning: none

25: Trust?

Hyun-Su P.O.V

Could I trust this guy? My insides were in knots after just finding out he was just like me. He killed his team without hesitation. He pretended to be the rabbit but all along he was the wolf.

I sort of get it to survive even as a monster you have to do whatever it takes. It was true it's not the monsters that are the Scariest it's the humans.

Judging by the paper he showed me when the helicopters flew by dumping them out will they welcome me with open arms? I knew Soo-Nico would if she were alive, she showed me that.

But the others?

I could count probably a couple but that's it. I didn't know them long enough or know their true intentions if they found out about the safe camp. Would they report me? I got to thinking they did use me and Soo-Nico but they made up for it but still.

All this thinking of the what if's made my head spin as we came down the elevator. The same one Jae-Hyeon died in. He was one of the ones that were good to me would I let him down by trusting Ui-Myeong?

Time would tell, I was torn by helping him and trusting the group. I would have to be cautious from here on out. Turning my head I looked at my reflection through the mirror.

It went on because there was another one on the other side as it started back at me. I could have sworn someone my eyes were black. I couldn't die as a human but am I living to see myself become a monster?

I saw the numbers count down until it got to one. I waited a few seconds for the door to open. Soon it did revealing the group, but they all had Serious Expressions on their face I don't blame them after just what happened.

They were holding up all kinds of different weapons. I Scanned through every one of them. Until something NO more like someone caught my eye.

It was HER

Soo-Nico stood in front of me I didn't know how my mind didn't recognize or see her. My breath was caught in my throat, I thought she had died? she did die in my arms.

I had to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I stood there for a couple of minutes processing what was going on but I decided To take a step closer. My words came what stutter-ish and probably unconvincing.

" H-How?"

I raised my hand up and with the tips of my fingers, I gazed at her cheek. It felt warm and firm it felt real. It was. I dropped my hand backing up.

The only way she could be alive is if she was infected. But she couldn't be? She didn't show any signs that I saw or none of them. If she was did she kept it a secret all this time?

But why would she?

I recalled the times she hinted at it during our first and second couple of other meetings. How could've been so dumb not to realize? " Hyun-Su what's going on with you?" My train of thought was Interrupted by Yi-Kyeong.

She stepped towards me with her gun, questioning what was wrong with me. " did I win?" Ui-Myeong stated, more like reminded me of what he thought might happen.

By the looks of the group, I was beginning to think he was right. " Hyun-Su is okay," Eun-hyuk informed everyone but did he know if I was? I began to question everything.

As I heard footsteps walk up behind me. " is that so?" Yi-kyeong now pointed the gun at Ui-Myeong questioning Eun-hyuk.

She still had the gun pointed towards him so I brought my hand back up to the tip of the Barrel lowering it away from him. " don't more!"

" you know those things can't kill me?" Ui-Myeong reminded Sang-Wook who was angry holding the gun tight in his grip. " don't worry about that. I'll find a way to kill you when I need to!" He threatened.

This was all too much.

I kept getting asked questions if I was okay and they kept telling me to come here as if I was their dog. Sang-Wook gun was still up so I walked over towards it the end of it was on my chest. " put that away, he saved me."

" think about what they had done?" I remembered what they did. I took a glance a Soo-Nico I almost let my guard down seeing the bullet hole that was through her shirt that was fully stained in her blood.

I still had some of it on me as well, I was at crossroads. If she was like me why lie and deceive me? There must have been a reason for it. But that reason could be something bad that's why she didn't plan on telling anyone.

It wasn't that hard to guess. " Hyun-Su he killed his men, –Do you trust him?"

I stopped him right there, " –Do you trust me?" I wanted to know did they trust a Monster, Wasn't I good enough that Soo-Nico didn't trust me with her secret? I did trust her either now? I glanced down at her. " seriously, do you trust me or should I trust you?"

I didn't take my eyes off her, she seemed to understand what I was saying now. Her eyes glanced to the floor with a look of regret. I felt my heart skip. I was disappointed in her I was with all of them.

I was just used, I was just filled with lies. They were just like everyone else in my life, did I still have feelings for her maybe? I know I did but right now I need to think everything through.

But first I had to say saying about Ui-Myeong. " He's just like me—  So please, put your guns down." I had to break the suffocating atmosphere.

What did that matter? It will be like this for a while it may even become Awkward. So I decided to walk away from them, I didn't have to tell Ui-Myeong he followed.

But something caught my hand, I knew who it was. " Hyun-Su please let me explain—" she squeezed my hand like she did many other times when she did that I use to feel all warm inside but now I don't feel anything.

I had to shake my head, " No, there's nothing I want to hear from you right now." I jerked my hand away, closing my eyes. I couldn't turn and look at her knowing I'll break.

I walked into the room where Sun-Young got killed. There was a large Puddle of her blood laying on the floor, " I did it." I mumbled to myself, I noticed Ui-Myeong stayed behind.

" I... killed Ms. An."

I could hear myself began to cry, usually, Soo-Nico would comfort me but I didn't want to see or talk to her. I hadn't noticed Yi-Kyeong stepped into the room. " I know you had no choice." She nodded her had bottom lip quivering a little.

" you waited until the end, She would've wanted that for you." She turned and walked away out of the room. I could tell there were tears in her eyes. I remembered her face when I made her take her last breath.

As I stared back down at the Puddle of blood seeing my Reflection. Then glanced up at the Concrete column seeing where she was counting down the day until monsterization. It was her Tenth day.

Raising my hand I rubbed my finger over it. Frowning, I had to look away. I had no right to be sad. So I walked out of the room. Seeing Ui-Myeong we took a seat in the day-care-center.

It was quiet until I spoke to you. " What are you going to do from now on?" I questioned not knowing what he was going to do from here? " I'm gonna find more that are just like us." I nodded my mind went to Soo-Nico.

She was like us but different.

He leaned more over towards me, " when the hunt is over, the hound dies. It should live as a wolf, come with me." She suggested, taking me up on an offer did I what to take it?

My heart says no but my head says yes. So there were small quiet footsteps. Ui-Myeong peered over. " is he your friend? Come here it's okay." He motioned. I was it was Su-Yeong, he slowly walked over.

" Hyun-Su have you seen Mr. Han?"

" No."

" look my T-Rex leg is broken, he said he would fix it. Do you know who to fix it!" He pushed it towards me. Asking if I knew how. I didn't feel like fixing anything.

" No."

He looked down said, I didn't feel bad. " what about us? Do you think we can be fixed? I used to think so. Because I thought it was a disease So I volunteered for the experiment." He sighed,

" They made every effort to separate it from me. They tried freezing, thawing, sawing, piercing, scorching. What do you think happened in the end?" He nudged me, " it never came out!" He smiled.

" why not?" He asked as if I questioned it. " because the monster isn't in me. it is me! I realized then this is an evolution! And that I was the chosen one." His eyes turned black like he was all excited.

My stomach began to twist, " Humans have failed Not only did they fail in experiments, But they also failed to be selected by nature."

His eyes turned back to normal after he finished. Did humans fail? Was it time for a new chance for us to evolve into something much more unbreakable? Only if you survive the changing process.

Was it true only the strong survive? Maybe I was looking at this all wrong it wasn't the monster that we have to worry about the next generations to come.

" Accept it humans and we can't coexist anymore anyway." Was he right but that? Even with Soo-Nico, she lied to me this was a tough decision to make she will probably take there the human's side.

She just like them.

So I got up walking down the hallway until I heard more commotion. Did I even want to know? But I went anyway knowing I had to be a better monster than a human. Turing a corner Su-Yeong was being held back by his sister.

He was crying, I didn't know what was happening until I saw Byeong-II and Hye-In and a couple of others. They were trying to kill slime monsters. " No! Stop it!" I Screamed.

But it was no use Byeong-II throw the bottle of fire hitting the monster. I couldn't believe it. " It won't attack us!"

" Well, yes but we–" Byeong-II was stopped by Hye-In. " you don't know when it will Change!" She yelled. " shoot it! It's a monster!" The little girl cried. After all this time they still think monsters are all the bad ones

There was still screaming and crying going around. They began to burn it more with a blowtorch. My eyes winded as the huge yellow light was reflected off the walls.

He was right all along.

I turned to Ui-Myeong, " I guess you were right, monster and humans can't possibly coexist!" Anger rose in me. If they did that to him how can I live or trust these people I'm with?

Not anymore.

@xetherealbeautyx

#kdramaedit #koeran #korean show #kdrama spoilers #kdramaspace #netflix korea #netflix kdrama #netflix #sweet home series #sweet home spoilers #sweet home webtoon #sweet home netflix #sweet home #song kang #cha hyun su #webcomic

[motleyfuckingcruee]

Rocket Queen

0.1: The Beginning

Henley's P.O.V

It's another day in this hell hole. I'll be completely honest, I deeply miss Los Angeles. I lived there for three years until my parents decided to uproot our lives entirely and move here to Seattle. I'm not happy with this at all. I miss my best friend, Athena Bass. I was incredibly close with her and her brother Thomas Bass. Or as the world knows him, Tommy Lee.

I met Tommy first. He was sitting on his porch, playing a guitar as loudly as he could. It's like he wanted to show off to everyone that he had a guitar. He wasn't that good, but he was practicing. He looked up as I slammed the car door. My parents had promised me and my little brother Nico that we wouldn't move anymore. Little did we know then, that was a lie. Anyways, Tommy walked over to me as I grabbed some boxes from the back of the minivan. I remember being shocked with how tall he was. I nearly had to look all the way up to see his eyes. He had this adorable smile that was contagious.

"Need any help?" He asked, a grin on his face.

I was in a very bad mood, so I ended up snapping at him. "I'm perfectly fine, now fuck off."

Luckily, my parents and Nico were inside, so I wouldn't get scolded for using that language. I was only thirteen then. The friendship grew after that. We hung out everyday, then when I went to school, I met Athena who's my age.

It would be lie if I said I didn't have a crush on Tommy. He was two years older than me, and a very affectionate best friend. Me being young and naïve, thought he was flirting with me. I never confessed my feelings and before I knew it, him and his band, Motley Crue, were off on tour. I gave up on the dream that Tommy would ever look at me the way I did at him. He calls every day, even when he's super busy. He keeps asking if I could come out and visit him, but I doubt my parents would allow me to do that. I asked, and they shot down the idea immediately. They never liked Tommy, but they loved Athena. I was thinking I could try to convince them to let me go visit her, then we could go see Tommy in his new apartment. The lucky bastard.

I've been in Seattle for only four months. In those four months, as Nico would say, I had lost my goddamn mind. I'm constantly sneaking out late at night when I know my parents are asleep. I've mastered the ways of sneaking out of my bedroom window and shimmying down the drainpipe. I usually get one of my new best friends, Madeline Love, and we go to one of the dingy bars that we can find.

She's probably the coolest person I know, other than Tommy and Athena. She's the only one that knows where I go every night. There's two other people in our small friend group; Jake Love, Madeline's brother, and Evangeline, or Eva for short. Jake is a real sweetheart. He's the first guy I talked to when I arrived in Seattle. Well, he approached me. He said I looked lonely, which I was.

Eva is sweet too, just very dramatic at times. This one time, I accidentally slapped her arm and she acted like I punched her in the nose. She was mad at me for two days straight. The whole situation gave me a huge headache. We all laugh about it now. The more she got comfortable with me, the more she calmed down with the dramatics.

"Henley!" Eva nearly yells, causing a few nosy teenagers to look in our direction.

I glare at them before turning to Eva. "Yeah?"

"You should come over tonight! Mads and I were talking about having a sleepover at her place, and you know it's not the same without you!"

I smile at her. That sounds fun, but Madeline and I already had plans. I look around the crowded lunchroom. Three and half more hours and I can finally go get ready for our big night on the town. I'm fucking excited. "Sorry, I can't tonight. What about tomorrow?"

"That works too! We could go shopping and all that." Eva takes a sip of whatever organic drink she bought overly priced. She's into that hipster shit where she only eats and drinks 'organic' things. I think it's just a waste of money, but whatever.

Madeline smiles, pushing her light brown hair behind her ear. "Actually tomorrow works better anyway."

Eva's smile doesn't falter. Madeline and I know that if she knew we were hanging out together without her, she'd have a hissy fit. Eva just isn't cut out for what we do. I love the girl, but if any of our parents were suspicious about what we were doing, she'd crack under pressure and tell them immediately. Then we'd all be fucked. My parents would never let me out of the house again.

"Okay so we'll all meet up at your place tomorrow at like five?"

"That works," Madeline responds, looking as Jake finally sat down.

His sandy hair is falling in his face, making him look like he just rolled out of bed.

"Why're you so late?" I ask.

His face turns red as he looks down at the food he won't eat. "I-uh-fell asleep in class and no one woke me up. I was almost locked in the classroom."

I laugh, shaking my head. "The classrooms lock from the inside. All you had to do was open the door."

Jake's eyes widen. "So you're telling me I didn't have to climb out the window?"

I shake my head. "I wish I could've seen it though."

Madeline busts out laughing. "You're an idiot, Jacob."

"Shut up, Madeline," Jake sighs, his face turning even more red.

"Aw, poor Jakey is embarrassed in front of Henley," Madeline teases.

I giggle, brushing off her remark. She always teases poor Jake for having a crush on me. I don't think he does, but she's hell bent on believing he does.

"Madeline, I will break all your records when we get home if you don't stop," Jake warns.

"Don't take it out on the music," I say, crossing my arms. "They're just beautiful masterpieces. Take your anger out on something else."

"Like what?"

"I dunno," I respond. "Anything but the music."

"You really love music, don't you?"

I nod. "It's just about the only thing that brings me peace since I left Los Angeles."

"I noticed you have a lot of Motley Crue albums," Eva says. "What's that all about."

I know that I can't tell them that I know Tommy personally. Either they won't believe me, or they'll bug me until I let them meet him and the band. I can't let that happen. I'm not going to let Tommy be bothered all the time all because I let it slip. They only just started touring with Ozzy Osbourne, but they've gained a shit ton of popularity in only the few weeks they've been on tour with him.

"They're just my favorite band. Always have been. I used to watch their shows at the Whiskey before they took off," I explain.

"They allowed you into the Whiskey?" Eva asks.

"I wouldn't say allowed. I'd sneak in through the back door. I was friends with the bar tender so she let me stay." I take a sip of my tea. "Besides, they didn't care as long as I didn't drink."

Eva opens her mouth to ask another question, but the bell rings. I silently thank whoever is above. I didn't feel like getting grilled with more questions.

Me sneaking into the Whiskey is true. But after a while, Tommy just started bringing me into their dressing room so that I wouldn't have to go through all that trouble. It was a lot of fun when I could convince Athena to come along. She tried to act like she wasn't having fun, but I knew better. I miss those days.

As I settle in my seat in the AP English classroom, I start to think about tonight. I just have the feeling it's going to be different than usual. That something is going to happen. Whether it's good or bad, I have no clue. Only time will tell.

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[oh-my-otome]

Hello I have a question. So in midcin it seems pretty easy to just get married but like, if MC actually married Al, or that archduke, or Nico, but not Byron, in what ways would that unify the kingdoms? Like since it's between countries do they have to ask Byron? And then, if one goes to war do they technically both? What happens when their is an heir? Since Byron is still king? And what about when he isn't anymore? I assume they all leave post and move to Wysteria right? Any other details?

Hi, Precious!

I can certainly answer your questions, but it will require a bit of explanation first, including some of the game’s canon and historical context.

Be prepared to look at the Stein trio in a whole new way. 

If you don’t mind spoilers, come get nerdy with me!

Let’s get this out of the way first: 

Nico is Byron’s half-brother, as they have the same father, but two different mothers. 

While Byron is their father’s “legitimate” heir, Nico is the child that their father would have preferred, as Nico is the only child King Wagner had with the woman he actually loved.

To answer even one of your questions, we must first speak about Byron, because he is at the epicenter of all of this. To get to Byron, we must talk about the mysterious queen.

Like it or not, Stein, just like Wysteria, requires an heir to be born in order for those in the highest seat of power, the Steinian royal family, to continue to rule.

How do we know this? It’s canon. The crown gets passed directly to Byron, without delay or opposition, when his father is ousted. There was no scandal, no uprising, no demonstrations in the street. 

Stein is strictly a monarchy, with no figurehead. There is no prince/ss competition or anything of the like. Therefore, there must be a member of the royal family at the top of the food chain, otherwise the way Stein is run as a country will have to be restructured. 

We know that King Wagner was madly in love with his maid, but we never hear a word about Byron’s mother. It seems strange that it’s an open secret that he loved a low-born woman, yet we never hear a single utterance about his feelings for the woman who married the king. 

And she must have been a titled peer, because no one questions her association with the king. She was never attacked, or accosted in any way. Therefore, she is within a very comfortable realm of society to get so close to the king as to be afforded his hand in marriage, and the right to conceive his heir. 

Yes, “the right.”

While producing an heir would be the obligation of both of them, King Wagner is already the king. There is no one higher than he. He would need someone matching his social strata, not just any random person.

Remember, the desirability of peerage is a ruthless competition. The fact that she bore King Wagner a child, male or female, means that the queen had the proper rigid social standing to put her in that position, uncontested, in the first place.

And given that it was an outright scandal that Nico’s mother, some no-name commoner, dared to speak to the king as if they were equals, let alone sleep with him and conceive, certainly someone would have had something to say about a woman of supreme peerage and breeding– Queen Wagner.

However, the only evidence of her existence is Byron himself. We hear nothing good, nor nothing bad about the late queen. 

We can surmise that it was a loveless match for the sake of an heir. 

That is not always a bad thing. For several generations, we have been spoon fed the mantra of “wanting to marry for love,” to the point where it can seem completely undesirable to marry for any reason but that.

Most women and men did not have (and some still do not have) that luxury. Depending on where you’re talking about, marriage has been a business transaction for thousands of years, and MidCin is absolutely not immune to that practice. In fact, it’s commonplace.

Consider Giles’ and Albert’s “binder full of suitors,” each more desperate to improve upon their social standing than the last. It is easy to see that Queen Wagner very well may have married to improve her station, and there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with that.

One more important fact before we move on: Albert’s mother.

Albert cannot have come from a family with a title, because his mother was Byron’s wet nurse– and wet nurses were quite poor.

Because we know that Albert does not have any biological siblings, he is therefore very close in age to Byron. Albert is likely less than two years older than Byron.

We know that Albert is older because it is only through providing milk for her own child that his mother can feed Byron. 

In order to still be producing milk, enough to sustain two children simultaneously, her own child and Byron, they would have to be close in age. 

Being a wet nurse wasn’t exactly a lucrative job, so she likely had at least one other job. This wasn’t some rolling-in-dough career regardless of who you were giving your milk to.

It’s possible that she herself worked in the castle, and due to her sturdy health, which would make her a much more desirable wet nurse as syphilis was a huge concern at the time MidCin is set, she was selected to feed the prince.

Therefore, Albert and Byron are what is known as “milk-siblings.” Milk-siblings can develop close bonds, as they share a “milk-kinship,” and we see that with these two.

Byron has three people to thank for his good health: his parents for their DNA, and Ms. Burckhardt for passing on her immunities through her milk.

Why didn’t the queen nurse her own child? Because like marriage, motherhood wasn’t always what it used to be. 

Upper class women would rarely dare to nurse their own children. Even women in the lower classes did not always nurse their own children– they had to work! Infants were routinely handed over to wet nurses even poorer than their own mothers, and received their milk from them.

As we learn in Giles’ Ever After, you, as queen, consistently refer to Giles’ father with the prefix “monsieur.” Rather strange, don’t you think? The Christophes have been living in a part of Wysteria for centuries, so why are you saying that?

Because Wysteria is France. And around this time in France, almost 90 percent of all infants had wet nurses. Their mothers were either too poor to feed them themselves, or they were members of the upper echelon and breastfeeding your own child simply wasn’t done.

It would keep them from wearing the fashions they wanted, and it would “ruin” their figure.

Yes, I’m being serious– that was some of the reasoning.

So we know that the Burckhardts are a poor, working class family, and through whatever means, Ms. Burckhardt finds herself employed at the palace where young Albert gets to rub elbows with the crown prince himself.

Those Burckhardts sure know how to secure a spot on the social ladder! 

While she wouldn’t directly benefit from being a wet nurse beyond her personal paycheck, her son Albert is milk-siblings with the next in line for the throne.

While Albert and Byron would not have grown up with each other in the traditional sense, (a child of Albert’s class would never be allowed to attend any school Byron would go to) they were likely playmates, and it is not outside of the realm of possibility that Albert’s connection with Byron opened many doors for him. 

It would be rather unusual for Albert to have started all the way at the bottom, and risen not only to the ranks of commander of the royal army, but the king’s adviser as well.

Strings were definitely pulled for Albert to get where he is, whether he is aware of it or not. 

He has (potentially) two poor, working class parents, and has yet to marry into a peerage. To do it all on his own is almost impossible with those stats.

Remember how I said that a royal heir is required for Stein’s stability? 

Prior to Byron rescuing Nico, there would have been numerous other uncles, aunts and cousins behind Byron in line for the throne– and then here comes this random street urchin trying to cut the line!

To say that they would be unhappy with Nico’s existence would be an understatement. 

Nico, with his background, stepping over all of the legitimate runners-up, would be the biggest disgrace they could imagine. In their eyes, he’s not any more of royal blood than a common dog, and if he should be let on the line at all, it should be way in the back, at the very end if possible.

However, Byron took him directly under his wing. 

Now hang on– don’t feel all fluffy about that yet! Keep reading.

Even though he is a prince, Nico’s position as next in line is precarious at best, and will continue to be shaky even with his older brother’s protection. 

This is the early 20th century, there is no way to prove that Nico is who Byron says he is. The fact that Nico could even remember enough about his upbringing for Byron and Albert to corroborate what he said from rumors they had heard, is extremely lucky.

If Nico had forgotten anything, or been too young to remember anything, there would be no way to verify who he is. 

He could have died on the street, not being found at all, or been found, vetted as not who they thought he was, and given over to an orphanage without a backwards glance.

And where are all of these aunts and uncles and cousins now? They’re still there! 

No wonder Nico walks around with knives and swords. The potential for “an accident” is extremely high. He has many enemies, and they’re all related to him! It can’t be possibly be comfortable for Nico, being in the palace. No wonder he’s always hanging around Albert and Byron– it’s the safest place for him to be!

It also explains a likely reason why he was so desperate to be “useful” that he would resort to spying. He had to cement his place in a family where he’s not wanted.

This is not a headcanon. Unless your entire family is wiped out somehow, you have a cousin or two somewhere on this planet.

Heck, you reading this right now? You. Yeah, you. Hey, how’re you doing? We’re technically cousins.

Surprise!

And that leads us to something you may not want to hear about Byron: his relationship with Nico is a little sketch.

While Albert is occasionally openly hostile towards Nico, who is his superior, as he is a prince, Byron just sits right there and lets Albert talk however he likes to his own brother.

Byron may care for Nico’s well-being, in that he doesn’t want to see Nico hurt, physically, but Byron rarely says anything meaningful when it comes to protecting Nico’s feelings as a person.

He just lets his adviser tell his blood relation to shut, and to “know your place.”

I don’t think even Ice King Louis is that cold!

He’ll give Albert a lukewarm, half-assed chastising, and the next time Albert mouths off, Byron continues to let it slide. 

If even Byron participates, by not doing much of anything about it, in mocking Nico, what chance does Nico have if Byron’s not there?

So, let’s get to your first question!

1. “If MC actually married Al, or that archduke, or Nico, but not Byron, in what ways would that unify the kingdoms?”

Marrying Albert doesn’t do anything to Stein, unless Albert quits his jobs. 

As both the military commander for all of Stein’s landed armies (as the game does not tell us otherwise), and as the king’s adviser, Albert cannot possibly continue to work at full capacity in either job if he moves to Wysteria.

The king he serves is in another castle. 

While telegrams do exist in the game, as we learn in the Magic Apple event, it would be inefficient as a means of total communication, such that both the king and the armies that Albert personally commands, will be left wanting in his absence.

He will either have to remain in Stein, or move to Wysteria and freeload off of his own resources (or yours, or a combination of the two) until he can find gainful employment, just as Giles does in his route, when he quits his job as the king’s adviser.

It would be a huge loss for Stein and would likely make Giles and Alyn feel threatened. 

Albert is the very definition of “get a guy who can do both.” You wouldn’t really need either one of them, and realistically, they would feel uncomfortable, likely waiting for him to make unwanted changes and suggestions, since his former job combines both of theirs.

It may give you an edge to have better negotiations with Stein, but remember, Albert is pals with the king, not you. 

It may not get you far. By nature, Byron doesn’t easily trust others, and just because Albert gave you the okay, doesn’t mean that Byron will, too.

Marrying Nico would benefit him more than it would benefit you. 

Like with marrying Albert, you won’t necessarily have a better relationship with Byron to the point where you can seamlessly ask for favors or aid.

Given the way he allows Nico to be talked down to, Byron may shrug off whatever your designs are. 

As it is, even Giles, as king, has to beg him for help. 

Louis, as king had to do the same thing. 

Alyn, as king, probably only got away with barging into Byron’s office and demanding things because Byron was too stunned to react otherwise.

According to canon, what Alyn achieved is rare, as in every other case Byron is slow to provide aid no matter who asks for it or what they need it for.

Byron almost uniformly, outside of Alyn’s EA, is very cautious and takes quite a bit of time to consider if offering aid is worth his time, and almost always expects to profit from it in some way.

Marrying Wysterian royalty gives Nico the added layer of legitimacy and security that his rocky paternity does not. 

If he cannot also take the Steinian throne on his brother’s death or abdication, he can at least rest comfortably knowing that his position as King of Wysteria is not in jeopardy.

If Stein ever did fall under Nico’s control, I can see him merging the two kingdoms. If anyone was ever concerned for the underdog, it’s Nico, and it would be a way to stick it to the endless line of relatives questioning his origins.

So far, there is no real advantage to marrying close to Byron. 

If you’re looking to get something out of Stein, in relation to Byron, it’s best to just go ahead and aim for the king.

If you marry an archduke like Rayvis, you are marrying beneath your station, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

But, like with marrying Nico, it is more advantageous for the man who is marrying you, than it is for you to marry him.

You wouldn’t lose anything, but he would gain a significant advantage, so choose wisely so that you don’t end up with someone using you for your status.

Remember, even as a princess, you are the ruling monarch for so long as the king is laid up in bed. That is the premise of the game.

You rule the entire country, so any lands that an archduke commands, you rule over him and his lands already. 

There is nothing to be gained by marrying him. As the ruling monarch you have quite a bit more sway than what the game would have you believe.

You don’t need the archduke, the archduke needs you.

2. “Like since it’s between countries do they have to ask Byron?”

While Albert wouldn’t have to ask, he would probably still do it, as as a matter of showing respect. 

Albert’s position is not to be taken lightly. 

He has been given incredible power by his king, and he works two completely separate jobs with flawless precision.

It would be a magnificent loss for Byron to suddenly be without a major person in two different areas, and as such, both Albert and Byron would have to plan accordingly

Nico would definitely have to ask for and receive permission. 

No matter how many relatives hate the idea of it, Nico is next in line after Byron (so long as Byron is childless), because Byron acknowledges him as a full brother.

Nico, especially in his position as the newcomer, absolutely cannot just run off and do whatever he wants– which is why Albert’s criticisms make sense. 

Nico has enough enemies as it is. He actually can’t afford to just do what he wants, and in some senses he does seem to understand this. He is very plain about the fact that he does everything that he can to show his gratitude to his older brother.

Byron didn’t have to squeeze him into the line. Just from the fact that Byron’s entire lineage has not been wiped out, there were in fact people in line behind him already. What Byron did was reshuffle the line placement to accommodate his newly found brother, and as the ruling monarch he can do that.

As for an archduke, no. He wouldn’t require anyone’s permission.

3. “And then, if one goes to war do they technically both?”

No. Another country is under no obligation to go to war just because someone they know is going off to war. You may request aid, but that doesn’t mean you will receive it, or worse, they may join your enemies.

With Albert as your husband, you’ll have gained a competent military commander with more prowess than Alyn, so you will have a powerful ally right there, if you can’t get aid from Stein otherwise.

If you married Nico, he may have a better time convincing Albert than Byron. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Though it could use some tweaking, the three of them do have a close relationship.

An archduke is almost useless in this capacity, although he may be able to rally troops with his influence, but that’s a stretch, particularly if they people he governs don’t like him.

4. “What happens when their is an heir? Since Byron is still king? And what about when he isn’t anymore?”

Any child Nico produces is going to face opposition on the line. If you think they barely acknowledge Nico, you can imagine how his heirs will be looked at. Your children would be safer in Wysteria.

Don’t forget, there are other first-cousins and the like, whose peerage outranks your child’s. 

You may be a big deal in Wysteria, but this is Stein.

Both you and Nico are common-born. Nico’s legitimacy can only be established from word of mouth and yours was luck of the draw in a princess contest.

In the eyes of the Steinian social elite, you’re both suspect af.

Byron might…might bestow some kind of title to Nico’s heir, but there’s nothing saying he has to. 

He could do it as a courtesy. Or he could not. He could continue to support Nico as next in line, or skip over him entirely for whoever was rightfully next, and still not be in the wrong.

It would likely depend on how quickly Nico himself feels like maturing. 

If he were to stop being so reckless, he might endear himself more quickly to Byron, and solidify their feelings of brotherhood enough to not have to worry about watching his back so that some crafty relative doesn’t try to knock him off.

He could continue to rise through the ranks as a soldier, thereby gaining allies completely outside of his brother’s sphere of personal influence, eventually taking over Albert’s job as commander.

Either way, if he continues to put his entire country in jeopardy, there’s absolutely no reason for Byron to keep him around. 

Byron had his own father ousted. What’s the big deal about doing it to a troublesome little brother who can’t learn from his own mistakes?

Albert’s heirs don’t affect anything in Stein, outside of his own personal estate, if he has one, as they could only be in line for the Wysterian throne, same as an archduke’s heirs.

Whatever wealth either of them acquired, it is up to them to decide how to distribute it.

However, the archduke can pass on one or more of his titles to his heirs, while Albert cannot. 

As Albert is a knight, only he has that one title. It cannot be given to his children, nor can it be given to you except as a courtesy.

And going from Queen/Princess to Lady is like going from a million dollars to a hundred dollars. 

It would be an insult to you, to be referred to as Lady Burckhardt in any capacity.

There is a post going around about how to refer to people by titles and it mistakenly says that the wife of a knight is a Lady.

No, she is not.

If she is the wife of a knight, she may be called a Lady only as a courtesy. 

NO ONE thinks that she is actually a Lady. 

It would be like if I walked up to you right now and called you a princess. You know you’re not, and I know you’re not. 

And both of us know that it’s not you that I’m showing respect to, but your husband. 

You are only called “Lady” because he was knighted, and I’m showing respect to him.

However, if she were knighted on her own, then she would be a Dame.

If she is married to viscount, count, baron, or marquis, she may be called a Lady informally, but legitimately. 

The same way she may be informally and legitimately called a Lady if she herself is a baroness, marchioness, viscountess, or countess.

All in all, it seems the safest bet is to marry the archduke.

An archduke would bring incredible wealth of his own, and a great deal of influence into the marriage, without having to deal with lineage power struggles, finding funds to maintain an army, or moving from your home country. 

Pull up your knickers and study hard so that you can assist the adviser you already have, or learn enough to switch them out for someone that suits you better.

Gain a solid foundation of military tactics so that you’re not surprised or overwhelmed by the enemy.

Use the archduke’s influence and control to fortify your kingdom so that you can ask for outside help, but you don’t necessarily need to.

Continue to use your connections with Stein and maintain your friendship with the Stein trio, so that when you need strong allies, they’re there for you.

#q&a #midnight cinderella #byron wagner #nico meier #albert burckhardt #giles christophe #alyn crawford