#maiden-born-in-snow

[shady-tavern]

Winter Star

Some children were born touched by nature, carrying the warmth of the sun, the brightness of spring and the gentle patience of the earth. They were rare, but everyone knew their stories and knew how wonderful they had been. 

They knew about the girl touched by summer, who had been taken by a fae woman, the Stag Queen. There was the boy of autumn, who the stars had lured away, never to be seen again and a handful of others, whose fates had been the same.

One day, a girl came into this world with hair as white as snow, lashes like frost and skin as pale as the moon she was born beneath. Everyone who laid eyes on the babe knew immediately she was one of those special ones, beautiful as flowers in the middle of winter and as elegant as drifting snowflakes on cold winds.

Her parents worked hard to keep her safe and raise her to be kind and clever, spending much of their hard earned coin to dress her well and see her educated, knowing a great future would await her. So long as no one took her. 

They warned her of the dangers of the world as she grew older, to mistrust strangers and duck out of sight should someone peer at their humble home. However, not even their best attempts to shield her from the world could stop the spreading rumors.

"She is as lovely as snow in the sun," the baker would tell anyone who'd visit his shop, proud of the special girl that grew up down the street of their cozy village.

"Do you know these wonderful early mornings where the light looks gold and pink and everything is so so beautiful it steals your breath away?" the cobbler would sigh dreamily to everyone who'd listen to her. "That's how it feels to look at her."

Soon people came to see the girl touched by winter, the one who was rumored to walk as though she was floating and she was said to possess such graceful manners it would make royalty turn green with envy.

People started to grace the steps of their home in growing numbers with gifts and sweet words carried on silver tongues. Hopeful fathers with curious and often infatuated sons, merchants who donned their finery in hopes of looking more enticing. The parents refused them all, citing that their daughter was still too young to chose.

It became a sort of contest amongst the curious and hopeful, to try and glimpse even a hair of the rumored maiden. Those who did manage to see her for just a moment left smiling dreamily and spreading ever more rumors.

The girl soon grew into a young woman and now her suitors were no longer just merchants and local business owners. Now she received letters and gifts from wealthy traders and even nobles.

One day, a messenger of the prince of their lands stood at their door, offering a chest of jewels and a richly embroidered dress deserving of a future queen. The young woman refused him gently and with kind words, as she had refused all other gifts.

Shortly afterwards, a holy knight asked for a moment of her time, offering his blessed castle to guard her from all evil and unbreakable vows of devotion. She gently and kindly refused him as well. 

He vowed to win her heart and return with better offers just as the prince did, who would not give up so easily, soon sending another messenger.

She refused their gifts of riches and protection anew with a kind word, while her parents debated. Her mother, ever worried about her safety and wanting the best possible future, grew fond of the idea that her daughter might become a princess. One day even a queen. This would certainly be a dream come true for any parent.

Her father, pious and ever concerned about the magical dangers of the world, was particularly fond of the holy knight. He was rather taken with the idea that his daughter might one day live in a place no evil could reach while also receiving enough money to be comfortable.

"The prince is said to be a handsome, well mannered young man," her mother said while they baked for the harvest festival, autumn coloring the landscape outside. Winter was approaching and whenever it did their daughter seemed to grow all the more beautiful for it. "He would be good to you."

"The knight is strong and well versed in the dangers of the world," her father countered that evening, as he whittled and she embroidered the hem of a new dress with fine, delicate stitches. "He would keep you safe."

Soon the gifts changed from material goods to whatever strange and magical things her suitors could find. They hadn't given up on her yet, on winning the Winter Bride, as they started to call her.

"This owl loses gems whenever it shakes its wings," the prince's messenger said with a proud flush to his cheeks, as though he was courting the young woman himself, not his prince. The owl was a gorgeous animal, as frost colored as the young woman herself, housed in a small cage made of pure gold.

"His Highness says you may keep it," the messenger held the cage out, nose and forehead bitten red from the cold that had settled over the land. "So you may think of him whenever you look at it and your heart may grow as fond as his has grown of you."

The young woman accepted the cage with soft words and the messenger left grinning from ear to ear. Her parents were delighted, chattering about such a special gift while their daughter took the owl out the kitchen door to the backyard.

While her parents were busy discussing the merits of her becoming a princess, she opened the door of the cage and carefully helped the owl out.

"That's better, isn't it," she said softly as she watched the owl fluff up and shake its body in relief, gems falling from between its feathered wings. It turned its head to watch her for a long moment and she held her arm a little higher, uncaring that the talons of the owl left bleeding scratches along her arm.

"Go, if you wish," she told it with a smile as light as fresh snow. "Be free."

The owl gave her a regal nod and took off, disappearing swiftly. The young woman smiled, her heart glad and she returned inside to find her parents dismayed. They couldn't stay angry for long, however, sighing after scolding her for wasting such a precious gift. 

Her father muttered afterwards that maybe the prince didn't know what a woman's heart truly wanted. Her mother, fiddling with the wool she was knitting socks out of, countered that he would find something to win their daughter's heart soon.

The holy knight arrived the next day with a cage woven out of brambles and he presented her with a snow-white fox with eyes of molten gold.

"This one will warn you of dangers and tell you if you are in the presence of evil minds," the knight offered, bowing deep as he held out the cage. "This is a mere gift, no strings attached. May it protect you in my absence and may you find you desire my presence instead one day."

The young woman took hold of the cage and as the knight left, her parents cheerfully discussed weaving a leash for the fox and where to keep it. Her father was nearly dancing with joy as he praised the knight for his thoughtfulness and what this in turn promised for their daughter's future.

The young woman smiled and left them to it, taking the fox out to the backyard. She ignored the way the brambles scratched up her hands as she unmade part of the cage and let the fox jump out, it's snout bloody from trying to bite its way to freedom.

"Go, if you wish," she told it with a smile as lovely as frost flowers. "Be free."

The fox bowed its head in gratitude and ran, swifter than any mere animal and it was soon gone with long strides that looked as though its body weighed no more than a feather. The young woman returned inside and once more her parents were quite upset at having lost such a precious gift.

They couldn't stay angry for long again however, and sighed. Her mother suggested the knight might need to choose his next gift more smartly, while her father grumbled that there must be something out in the world their daughter wanted.

"You must choose who to marry one day," her father told her gently, as though he could soften the order into a plea. "You must stay safe. I'm sure you'll chose well when the time comes."

He cast a significant look to the holy symbol over their hearth, while her mother nodded, tipping her head tellingly towards the small pouch holding the gems the owl had dropped.

The next day, after a night of the season's first snowfall, the young woman woke to find frost covering her windows entirely. It looked as though the snow had piled up all the way to the roof outside.

"I thank you," an ice wind whispered when she opened the windows to peer outside, a thick blanket of snow covering everything. "You returned my dearest friends to me after they were taken when I wasn't there. Two wishes I grant you for saving their lives, use them well."

She felt the magic settle over her as the wind finished blowing past and she couldn't help but peer out into the winter wonderland, as though she could catch a glimpse of whoever had spoken to her. It must have snowed very thickly that night to create that much snow, a quite unusual thing.

Seeing nothing and no one, she rubbed the frost off of the windows and went about her day, two wishes cradled close to her heart. They felt like a refreshing coolness within her, the way a bath in the river was revitalizing during hot summer days.

As winter settled over the land like a content cat in front of the fireplace, she received more gifts. A nightingale who sang so sweetly it made listeners cry, a white hare with fur so fine it was considered the softest in the world. She let each of them go and every time she opened a cage, she felt a change in the winds.

They grew colder each time that presence was back, the one she had felt during the first day of winter.

"Why do you not ask for anything?" the ice wind wondered one day after she unbridled a unicorn the holy knight had captured for her. It paused just long enough to press its velvet-soft nose against her cheek, thanking her silently, then it took off, trailing whispers of magic behind it. "Why not keep the wondrous ones you are offered so freely?"

"Would you like a cage?" she asked in return, watching in quiet awe as the unicorn disappeared. "Would you enjoy a leash or collar, to be bound to the whims and wills of those who hold you in their hands?"

"No," the wind answered in a solemn tone. "You are wise and kind, not many would do as you do."

Maybe, maybe not. She had no way of knowing, having never left the village. All she knew about the world were the things she had read in books she had managed to sneak away and what other people had told her. 

She had found, however, that people tended to paint the world dark and evil whenever she listened, to warn her of its many dangers. To ensure she would not set a single foot into the forest, to ensure she would not walk beyond the village border, to ensure she would not chat with strangers the villagers hadn't vetted. 

She still vividly remembered how panicked and worried her parents had been. How they had cried bitter tears when she had fallen asleep in their neighbor's hayloft, reading a book of fairy tales, and they hadn't been able to find her for hours. 

"Good wind," she spoke up. "Might I bother you to tell me about the world? You must have seen much of it."

"I have," the wind answered. "Is that your first wish?"

She was quiet for a long moment, then she smiled. "A true story, every night for a year. That is my wish."

"I will bring cold with me whenever I visit," the wind warned her. "For I am ice and snow, frost and blizzard. I am winter itself. Are you certain?"

The young woman turned to look back at her humble, warm home and thought of her mother's beloved flowers and her father's meticulously tended herb bed.

"Two true stories every night for as long as this winter lasts," she amended. "Will you accept my wish?"

"I accept," Winter answered solemnly. "Light a candle at your window, when it is the only light that still burns in your home, I will come."

The wind blew away and the young woman returned inside, her parents sighing, rueful and exasperated as they accepted the bridle with gold decorations and spun out of enchanted silver thread.

"Always giving away what would enrich your life," her father grumbled, rubbing his forehead as though getting a headache. "But it's alright, if this is not what you want, surely someone will find a gift soon."

"Our beautiful, strange girl," her mother murmured fond and wry all at once, kissing her on her brow. "Will one of them ever make you happy one day?"

"We'll find the right one," her father said reassuringly, pulling them both into a hug. He turned to look at his daughter, "And we'll make sure you never have to fear being taken."

That night the young woman lit a candle and waited. She had almost fallen asleep when the window slipped open a crack and she felt icy winds brush through the room, trailing a handful of snowflakes in its wake. Immediately the windows frosted over to pure white and any warmth was gone between one breath and the next.

"A wish is a wish," Winter said. "And here are your stories, as promised."

Winter first told her a story of lands beyond the mountains, of tall cliffs and hardy forests. It told her of raging oceans that froze solid whenever autumn passed and the reindeers that thundered across it to different lands. 

Winter was kind enough to answer any questions she had and she soon knew why the reindeers did what they did, how the ocean froze.

The second story was rather sad in her opinion, it was of two lovers who had run from an abusive father and a loveless marriage respectively. They had escaped into the night by the skin of their teeth and Winter told her of their journey through snow and ice. They lastly died, two miles from home, holding each other, smiles frozen unto their faces.

"Have many people died this way?" the young woman couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," Winter answered. "And many more will. The cold is no place for those who need warmth to live. Good night now, you who shines like a star, I shall see you again tomorrow."

She fell asleep to the soft whistle of air as Winter left, gently pulling the window closed behind it. Her dreams were filled with wondrous sceneries and people wandering through a snowy forest, away from their warm and yet unsafe homes.

The young woman soon looked forward to Winter's visits the most, eagerly going to sleep each night and secretly she hoped this winter might last just a little longer. The prince and holy knight, as well as many of her other more persistent suitors were quickly forgotten when confronted with stories of the world at large.

And finally she got to know what the world truly was. It was indeed dangerous, but it was also incredibly wonderful. Every story filled her with wonder and longing, chasing away the wariness her parents had painstakingly instilled within her.

The young woman felt as though she had forced herself to be a frozen lake all her life, still and quiet and unmoving, never leaving and never changing. Now, however, it felt as though the thrum of reindeer hooves had made the ice tremble and with each story she wanted more. 

With each story she felt her childhood dreams emerge, that deep seated adventurous spark she had smothered upon seeing her parents' tearstained, panicked faces. She had loved them too much to cause them grief and so she had made sure to be obedient and sweet at all times.

She also hadn't wanted to be taken away, to live a horrible life and to never see her parents again. She hadn't wanted to upset them and make them cry or discuss strategies to keep her safe until late at night.

But deep down, beneath the stillness she forced upon her soul, she had never quite stopped looking beyond what she knew. To peer towards the woods and wonder what laid there, to watch travelers and dream of the lands they must have seen.

"Thank you," she murmured as Winter left, sleep rising to claim her. "You're the only one who doesn't tell me everyone wants to hurt me."

Winter was silent, the window cracked still and she wasn't sure if she imagined it or not, but it almost sounded as though they said, "You can count on my aid for as long as I am here, should you need it."

She smiled and felt the furs she had started to take to bed being pulled up to her chin by what seemed to be hands. She was asleep the next moment, unable to open her eyes once more and check.

Winter soon had to move on, however and she mournfully said goodbye to her new friend.

"If you wish it, I can ask my friends to visit," Winter offered on the last day, only snowy slush remaining on the ground and water dripping off of trees. The only spot where there was still true cold was where the wind blew and she swore she could almost make out a shape as it moved. "They could tell you about things I have not seen."

"Then let this be my other wish," the young woman agreed, a glad smile brightening her face. "I would happily welcome the company."

"A wish spoken is a wish granted." She felt cold brush past her cheek, almost like a caress. "I will see you again soon," Winter promised. "If you wish."

"Oh, I very much wish so," she reassured them, reaching out to find invisible strands of wind weaving around her fingers, cold gently brushing her skin. "Will I ever see you in full?"

"Maybe one day." With those words Winter left, trailing the last bit of ice of the year in their wake.

And as promised, the young woman wasn't without company. Spring spoke to her through blooming flowers and invited her to playful dances in moonlight by luring her out the window, promising to look after her.

"There is no joy in never getting to laugh," Spring told her, a grin bright in that sweet, often mischievous voice. "Come, jump and let me catch you!"

Spring was bright and joyful and taught her much about the world. It told her of large meadows that bloomed so brightly one saw only color as far as the eye could see. It told her funny stories of silly animal antics and where it could find acorns and seeds buried in the ground to be raised up into new plants.

The knight and prince were still persistent, hoping to win her heart with more magical creatures and even a few enchanted items, which the young woman refused. She had no need for a necklace that made her sing like a siren nor for bracelets that teleported her to the knight's side in case of danger.

After spring came summer, full of warmth and sweetness. Summer winds encouraged the young woman to walk barefoot outside, to turn her face into the winds and smell all the scents that could be brought over. To dare and set foot into the forests to find the most wonderful berries to pick and to watch deer graze peacefully.

Her parents never knew, she made sure not to worry them, but with each day, with each thing she did, she felt her heart grow. And with it, her yearning for more. To see the places she had been told of, to hear the sound of the ocean and smell a valley of flowers.

The prince and knight started to grow impatient, wondering what it took to make her their bride. They became more insistent, their words losing their sweet tone bit by bit.

"You're not getting any younger my dear," the baker told her when she came to pick up bread, her pale dress making her look like a walking piece of winter in the middle of summer. "They're soon going to change their minds and then where will you be? Filled with regret. So take an old man's advice and be smart."

"Surely one has made you fall in love, either with them or their riches," the cobbler said as she passed by. "You should let them know and arrange a wedding. We're all looking forward to the festivities."

She had no idea how to tell them that she hadn't chosen any of her suitors, that none of them had won her heart. Not with coin and not with living beings caged and collared. How could she have kept a single one of them, or fallen in love for that matter, if she felt trapped herself?

A comfortable, pretty cage made by loving parents, the bars wrought out of worry and kindness, but a cage nonetheless. And they were seeking to put her in another one, bigger and prettier, but just as locked up tight. All in the name of safety. All so they could have the winter girl and not someone else.

The young woman wondered if such a thing must be necessary. If there was a way to live free without fear. Surely there must be one.

She asked Autumn, for Summer had left before she could put her feelings properly into words. Autumn was busy as a bee, zipping from place to place to ensure harvest would be done in time, talking so fast she sometimes couldn't quite follow entirely.

"Of course you can go wherever you want," Autumn said while rustling leaves artfully, only to change its mind a moment later and turn it into cheerful chaos. "There, that's better. Winter Star, you are indeed unusual, that is true, but that is nothing bad. You can always call on us if you find yourself in trouble you can't solve alone."

"Are you certain?" she hadn't expected such an offer. The seasons had come in response to Winter's wish, after all. Autumn laughed, the leaves rustling around them, some more falling off trees.

"We have grown fond of you, worry not. Winter might have been able to ask us to say hello, but nothing beyond that." The winds tucked bright red and orange and yellow leaves into her hair until they looked like a messy crown. "Live, Winter Star. Life is too short to spend it cowering."

The young woman couldn't help but look past the village and to the forest beyond, the riot of colors autumn had brought and how it had even coaxed some trees into making their leaves especially pretty.

"Where do I go?" she couldn't help but ask, suddenly overwhelmed with all the options that seemed to lay themselves at her feet.

"Anywhere," Autumn answered with excited cheer. "Whenever you pack your bag to leave, you'll find that you have more friends than you thought and you will always find more. Go on, try it."

She couldn't simply up and disappear, of course. Not when it would ruin her parents. However, the next time she received gifts from the prince and knight, an idea sparked.

Autumn laughed when she talked about her plan and gladly agreed to help. Soon, gifts of a secret admirer appeared, promising all the things her parents were looking for. A home warded against evil, enough coin to keep their daughter happy and clothed and fed to the end of her days.

It took some finagling to make gifts for herself, but soon the young woman was caught by the idea of what made her happy. She gifted herself books and hardy boots and a bracelet made of colorful river stones. Her parents were befuddled at first, but seeing as she finally seemed to fall in love with someone, they were relieved.

The entire village spoke about it now, wondering who this mysterious stranger was and if they would get to meet them soon. The young woman made a marriage offer to herself and laughed when she accepted it in front of her parents.

"They will pick you up, won't they?" her mother fretted as she helped her pack. "I can't believe my little girl is getting married. We'll meet them soon, won't we? And don't you forget to invite us to the wedding."

"I'll be sure to visit," she promised and later asked Autumn for advice. "I can't just grab my things and leave like any old traveler, after all."

"Leave it to me," Autumn answered, before breezing away, muttering about stubborn berry bushes who really ought to know better by now.

A few days later, a young adult knocked at their door, dressed in fine autumn colored garb. They wore dark green breaches, earth-brown boots, a dark red tunic and a cloak of bright yellow wool, embroidered with dozens of fallen leaves in multiple colors. They bowed, hair windswept and eyes honey brown.

"It is an honor to meet you, I've come to pick up the young lady in the name of my master," the person said in Autumn's voice and when they met her gaze, they offered a quick little wink. The young woman couldn't help but grin, swiftly hiding it behind her hand when her parents glanced over.

"Oh, that is so lovely," her mother gasped when peeking outside and the young woman stepped forward to look as well.

Outside stood a gleaming carriage in gold and red-brown colors and it was pulled by none other than a unicorn. The very unicorn she had once freed. It looked at her, no bridle on its head and she felt as though it was smiling as it dipped its head a little.

The bags were swiftly loaded onto the carriage and a tearstained and heartfelt goodbye later, the young woman left for the first time in her life.

As soon as they were away from the village, she managed to clamber up onto the driver's seat to hug Autumn tight.

Autumn laughed, ruffling her snowy hair. "Now, you best learn how to drive because I do not have the time to take you anywhere, I still have to wrangle some lazy mushrooms."

After a quick couple of lessons, Autumn left, disappearing in a flurry of leaves and rustling clothes to continue on as it always did.

The young woman's heart was racing as she traveled on and on. Autumn visited often and in brief bursts, but soon the air grew colder and colder. The young woman felt excitement rise within her at the thought of Winter's return.

And then, one day, she felt ice winds brush past her. "I see you have found your freedom. I am glad."

"Welcome back," she breathed, her breath fogging in front of her. "I missed you."

Coldness that felt like fingertips brushed her hair back. "And I you. I am glad to see you well."

The young woman happily told Winter all about her plans, while Winter guided her to a place she could stay as it was too cold to travel. A cottage, recently abandoned, but it was easily made ready again. The young woman sold the carriage in a nearby town and the unicorn left after nuzzling her cheek.

She made sure to write home to her parents, while she explored the world around her temporary home with Winter often at her side. Sometimes Winter's other friends showed up, the fox hopping around playfully and the owl watching kindly from its perch in the trees. Winter told her stories all without prompting and showed her the hidden beauty of their season.

"If you wish, travel north," Winter told her as they laid together in the snow, watching bright, bright stars above them at night. "I will be able to show you dancing lights in the sky."

"Yes," she said and slowly, carefully, inched her hand across the space between them, until she felt that special kind of cold breeze. The wind slowly settled and she swore, from the corner of her eyes as long as she did not glance over, she could glimpse Winter's shape once more.

It was the best winter she had ever had and when it became clear her dearest companion would move on soon, she promised to meet the season halfway.

"Go north," Winter reminded her once more. "If you wish, I will wait for you."

She reached out and closed her eyes and this time she felt proper hands close around hers, though they weren't as icy as the blowing winds. Still cool, but she felt soft skin and elegant hands, the brush of a fur lined sleeve. "I will be there, I promise."

"Soon, then," Winter whispered, a smile in their voice, and she felt the brush of cool lips and a cold breath upon her cheek, smiling wide. When she opened her eyes again, she watched ice winds blow away, looking joyful as they trailed snow in their wake.

The young woman set out as Winter left, buying herself a horse and using the rest of the money from the carriage to have her things put in storage until she sent for them.

She left on her very first adventure, Spring urging her on, showing her the meadow of flowers and guiding her way across the land to where ocean waves lapped against fine-sand shores.

She got to meet and speak with many different people and sometimes Spring and later Summer warned her away from certain folks. But mostly, people did her no harm nor wished harm upon her. If anything, many approached her, concerned about her safety and offering to help her get where she wanted to go. She always declined kindly and smiled.

The young woman got to truly experience the world, listening to new music, visiting theatres when she came by cities and towns and eating food she had never dreamed of could exist.

She headed north at last, cutting her time with Summer short and meeting Autumn sooner. And then, the air grew cold and she felt a familiar, very dear presence.

"Hello," she said with a wide, happy smile appearing on her face. "I came, as promised."

"Let me show you everything," Winter breathed and there was excitement in that beloved voice. They traveled onward together and if the young woman tipped her head the right way, she saw Winter beside her, riding on a horse of snow and wind.

Soon she got to see the ocean frozen, as it had been in the very first true story she had ever heard. She watched reindeer trot across in big herds, holding out her hand and smiling when Winter took it, her heart so warm the cold around her might as well have stopped existing.

"Why chose me?" Winter asked as they settled down on a snow covered hill to watch the sun set. It looked truly beautiful. "There were many who tried to win your heart."

"But none understood it," she answered and when she looked up, she saw Winter truly for the first time, not as a season, but as the spirit it was. 

Tall and slim, with hair as white as hers and eyes as dark as the frozen ocean. Ice earrings as blue as glaciers dangled from their ears and snowflakes were woven through their hair like the finest veil, ending in a crown of icicles. Clothes in white and light blue draped across their form, lined with fur and half covered in frost.

"Maybe I would have fallen in love with one of the others, had they not offered me another cage," she admitted, giving that cool hand in hers a gentle squeeze. "But instead of expensive gifts and captured magical beings, you gave me stories and shared your friends with me."

One of those slim hands rose to cup her cheek, feeling a little frosty but not stinging her with its coolness. "You shine so brightly, I would never think about forcing you to dim."

"Then you have your answer." She tipped her head into their hand, letting it cradle the side of her face. "I have an idea. Let's make this place our home, so I can be with you for many months."

"Yes," they answered, brushing a cold kiss against her forehead and she could feel them smile against her skin. "And the rest of the year you'll get to be the adventurer you always wanted to be, my star."

That did sound like the best future.

*.*.*

"They'll love you, I promise," the young woman said, giving Winter's hand a gentle squeeze. "They've been asking to meet you and when our wedding will be."

"They will know what I am the moment they see me," Winter sighed but followed her up the path to her parents' house. It was dark and thick snow covered everything.

"They will, but they will also see that you never took me they way they feared and that I am happy." She looked up at the love of her life, the one who loved her for who she was in return. "Trust me."

Winter softened and pulled to a stop in front of the door, cupping her cheek in one elegant hand and leaning down to brush the loveliest of kisses upon her lips. "Always, my star."

The young woman grinned, happy and bright, like ice in the sun and cheerful snowfall. Then she raised her hand and knocked.

*.*.*

If you want to read more stories and support me at the same time, please consider checking out my Patreon! Where I post monthly, exclusive short stories, which helps pay the bills and frees up more time for writing!

#my writing #short story #winter #just me writing stuff again #original writing #I hope someone enjoys this story! #i had a lot of fun writing it #and I wanted to do something winter themed #there might be typos I overlooked #can't think of anything else to tag #I just wanted something soft and sweet with a bit of a fairy tale vibe #fantasy #again this got a wee bit long #what else is new tho when it comes to me #monster lover #in a way

[annymation]

The Kingdom of Wishes- A “Wish” Rewrite

Chapter 1- The Intro

Our tale opens the same way many classic Disney movies did before, with a story book.

The book opens, and we are presented with the illustration of a king looking down from his tower, and we listen to the narration of an elderly male voice:

Long ago, there was a kind and wise king, who wished that all his people could live the happiest and most fulfilling lives in his kingdom, and have all their dreams come true. "But how can I fulfill ALL their dreams?"The king pondered.

Then, he had an idea. Using his vast knowledge, the sorcerer king developed a new kind of arcane magic, Wish Magic. With it, the king granted the wishes of all the citizens in need of his help. And so, this became the tradition, in the Kingdom of Rosas...

But this is not his story, oh no no, King Eric was just the first of this loooong line of wish granting kings.

The pages of the book flip, revealing in each page a different king, each generation, and each one with their names written on the top of the pages, these kings are all named after the 9 old men, the famous animators that worked in the creation of Snow White. This is the first of many Disney references I’ll throw around in this rewrite.

Our tale begins with the birth of the 10th king of Rosas... Prince Magnus.

We see an illustration showing a young king Magnifico learning magic with his father, king Ward.

Young prince Magnus grew in power as quickly as the evening primrose blooms in the night. However, the young prince feared he'd never be truly worthy of following such a great legacy. With that in mind, the King and Queen decided that a... second option could be required in the future. And thus, prince Florian was born.

The two brothers grew into powerful sorcerers. But once it came the day to choose the heir to the throne, Florian was chosen, for Magnus didn't feel like he could be just as great of a king as the ones that came before him, he felt like there was something... missing in his life, something that would give him the confidence and strength he required.

And sure enough, that something, or rather, that someone arrived.

The most beautiful maiden Magnus had ever laid eyes upon. She was found by fisherman, passed out and floating adrift in a boat. By King Florian's orders she was brought to the castle, once she woke up, the maiden introduced herself as Amaya.

We see an image of young Amaya being found ashore by fisherman, she's dressed in a white dress similar to how Ariel was found by Eric in The Little Mermaid.

Amaya wanted to thank the young king for his hospitality, she didn't ask him to grant her wish, all she wanted was to serve in the castle as the king's personal alchemist, and Florian gladly welcomed her in his court. And as the days went on, Magnus and the mysterious maiden became hopelessly in love, and together, they felt as if they could do... Anything.

The narrators voice sounds confused with that last statement, like he doesn't know what's referring to. But he continues.

After a year of the kingdom prospering under king Florian's rule, Magnus, inspired by his new found love, decided to go on a quest for adventure, to leave the kingdom for once in his life.

We see an illustration of Magnus and his brother hugging each other goodbye next to a boat. It's a sunny day.

But every tale must have a tragedy, and Magnus faced the most painful tragedy of all once he returned to Rosas, and found out his dear younger brother fell ill and passed away while he was away.

We see an illustration of Magnus now back to Rosas, looking devastated, but one important detail is that he's now holding a staff with a green gem we haven't seen in any of the previous pages, it's a treasure he got from his quest.

But from this tragedy, Rosas reemerged stronger, with Magnus and Amaya as our new rulers. Magnus let go of his fears and swore to make the kingdom shine brighter that ever before, It's what his brother would've wanted after all.

Magnus changed the way that wishes were granted, instead of granting just a few per month like the kings that came before him, he granted dozens per week, by sending them up from the top of his tower, and making them float down to their wish makers as they sleep.

The kingdom was so happy and so grateful for their new king and queen that they started calling them by nicknames that reflected their magnificence and their passion. From then on, they were to be known as King Magnifico and Queen Amable.

The End

The book is closed by an old man's hand.

We now see the face of the man who was reading the story, Sabino, Asha's grandfather, looking ever so slightly younger than he was in the movie, but still very old.

He's laying on the bed with a smile, admiring the golden and flowery details on the book cover, and he says:

"I admire your interest in more sophisticated books Asha but ummm don't you think this one might be a bit too advanced for your age? hehe"

the man chuckles looking down to his side, where we see a little 5 year old Asha under the bed sheets.

"Yeah... I thought it would be better cause' the cover was so pretty, I wanted more fantasy, but its just romance... yuck" she makes a face of disgust sticking her tongue out.

"One should never judge a book by it's cover, what you got here is a history book." he tells her as he get's up from bed to put away the book and blow away the candles in the room.

"Sure doesn't explain things very well though, like where did queen Amaya even come from? And what's the deal with this staff the king found? And what sickness did his brother have? The book explains none of it." The little girl says frustrated with all these questions unanswered.

Her grandpa can’t help but chuckle, he's way too familiar to these unceasing questions of her's, Asha always had the habit of questioning everything.

"Well, 1. the queen is quite reserved about her past, it's best to respect that. 2. that staff is just a souvenir that the king got from his travel. And 3. sometimes bad things just... Happen, with no explanation, and there's nothing we can really do about it but to move on." The old man explains to her wisely "Now, it's time for bed."

"Noooo!" Asha interrupts before her grandpa blows away the last candle in the room "I want another story, this one didn't count because I didn't like it"

"And since when that was a rule?" her grandfather sounds amused by that

"Since now, I just decided" the 5 year old claimed proudly

"Hehehe and what exactly didn't you enjoy in this story?"

Asha thinks for a moment, but then she has an idea "Weeeeell for starters, romance is yucky, there was nooo villains, and I like villains in fairytales, and most importantly… it didn't have MY favorite king and queen in it"

(Ya know, I laugh to myself while writing this because not only Asha will grow up to live a romance in this rewrite, but also because there are indeed villains in that fairytale, it just so happens that the villains made themselves the protagonists.)

Sabino looks confused "... Your favorite king and queen? Now what do you mean b--" Sabino realizes who she’s referring to, and his confusion melts back into a tender smile "Oooh... hehe you mean THEIR story, huh? Say, didn't I already tell you their story this week?"

"And the week before that too, yes, but I just love it! Pleeease saba, then I promise I'll go to sleep, honest"

"*sigh* alright alright, but only because it's my favorite too"

Sabino sits down on his rocking chair next to the bed, no book required for him to tell this tale.

Once upon a time, there was a king, who traveled to a far away place with his son, his prince. They were looking for a place peaceful to make it their home, and they found it, a quiet house in the middle of the forest, not so far from a kingdom called Rosas. The prince was quick to meet the people that lived in the nearby kingdom, and among the people he met there was-

"A FAIRY!"

"Who's telling this story again?" Sabino glanced at Asha smugly

"Sorry sorry, hihihi keep going" she says hugging her pillow tightly.

So yes, the prince met a fairy, a fairy with the most incredible of powers, she could bring drawings to life! The prince was marveled by the fairy's magic, and hurried to tell his father, at first, the king didn't believe it "Drawings that move? That's absurd, son" but sure enough, the prince invited the fairy to their home, and she proved it to the king, she showed him her sketchbook and flipped the pages quickly, and all her drawings together seemed to move as if it was magic

"Because it WAS magic" Asha corrected

"Hehehe you're right, it was"

Years went by, and the love that the prince and the fairy shared only grew more and more. The fairy became an art teacher, sharing her magic and artistry, while the prince became a philosopher, passing on his wisdom and knowledge about the stars. And one day, they were blessed with the most beautiful little princess.

"That's meeeee"

"Yes, that's you" Sabino looks at Asha with eyes full of administration for the girl’s enthusiasm for such a simple story he only came up with to teach her about who her parents were.

And they lived ha--

Sabino interrupts himself before he finishes that phrase, he knows that's not how it went.

But he has to finish the story somehow, so he just says

And now that little princess is going to sleep, the end.

Nailed it.

"Very well Asha, a deal's a deal, good night now-"

"Saba! Look!" Asha points to outside the window with a huge smile "It's starting!" She jumps out of bed and runs to the window

We see countless wish bubbles floating out of the castle, like glowing lanterns filling the sky and making their way down to the people of Rosas.

"Huh, he started earlier today... Or rather, it's even more past your bed time than I thought, come on, back to bed mi nieta" Sabino rushes her back to bed, talking more sternly now.

Asha doesn't want to go to sleep yet though so she tries to stall some more "Saba, when I'm big, what if I wished to have magic like mama's?"

Sabino's eyebrows raise in surprise by the question "Y-you mean wish to make drawings move?"

"YEAH! I wanna be a great artist like her! I bet mr. King Magnifico could grant that wish pretty easy, right?" The little girl says cheerfully, her eyes shinning as she still looks up at the glowing wish bubbles in the sky.

Asha isn't seeing it, but her grandfather has a sad and conflicted look on his face, like he's trying to find the right words to tell her something really important.

"Heeey... You never told me what was YOUR wish to the king!" Asha realizes, turning back to the older man and walking closer to him on his rocking chair "What did you wish for?" She asks him curious with a big smile.

"... I don't know" He admits, trying to hide from her how sad that makes him feel with a forced smile.

"... Huh?" The girl tilts her head confused

"I was asked to give my wish when I moved to Rosas and... To this day I can't remember what it was... But maybe that's just how it works" He shrugs like it's no big deal. But it clearly is.

"That doesn't sound fair... He hasn't granted it yet?"

"... Could be…" Sabino admits what has been thinking for a long while, his eyes light up with an idea and he turns to his granddaughter with a serious expression "Asha, can you promise me something?"

Asha looks at her grandfather attentively and nods positively.

“When you turn 18… Oh never mind, you’ll probably not even remember this talk anyway”

“Yes I will, what is it?” She asks determined.

“… When the time comes for you to make your wish to King Magnifico, DO NOT wish for him to make you an artist like your mother, Sakina spent years practicing to master her craft… and I think she’d like you to do the same”

“Okay! I’ll practice everyday! To make drawings just as pretty as mama’s!” Asha’s joy returned with full force, she actually couldn’t wait to draw more in the the morning.

She jumps back to her bed, now ready to go to sleep since she has something to look forward to.

Sabino seemed pleased “That’s good to hear, thank you”

“But what should I wish for then?”

Sabino fell silent for a moment and just said simply “You have quite a lot of time to decide, I’m sure you’ll know by then... Now all I wish is that you'd stay in bed and went to sleep hehe” He jokes with a gentle smile.

He get's up from his rocking chair and goes to blow out the last burning candle in the room, but before he does so Asha says

"Saba... Do you miss them? Mama and papa?"

Sabino looks at the candle with downcast eyes.

"Yes... But it's alright, I still get to see them everyday"

"WHERE?" Asha exclaims, thinking her grandpa just casually admitted he sees ghosts.

"In you" Sabino tells her as he caresses her head "You have your mother's talent and beauty, and my son's intelligence and curiosity... They live in you, dear"

(Is this a Lion King Broadway musical reference? Yes, yes it is)

"You think I'll be able to make magic too, like mama?" Asha asks with a big smile

"If you keep trying, and never give up, you can do anything, my dear." He says calmly, looking at her full of pride.

"Okay... *yaaaawn* good night saba, I love you" She says while getting comfortable in bed.

"Good night mi nieta. See you tomorrow."

Sabino blows away the last candle, it all goes dark.

We cut to a sequence similar to the opening from UP.

(oh yes, it'll be that level of sad)

So as happy background music plays, with no lyrics, no lines, just visual story telling, we get a series of scenes showing some snippets of Asha’s life over the years.

We cut to the same little Asha waking up in the morning with a big smile on her face.

She's waken up by her grandfather, and she gives him a hug.

Sabino prepares breakfast while Asha draws on a sketchbook.

Sabino looks proud with Asha's doodle and hangs it on the wall.

Suddenly, they hear someone knocking, Asha goes to open the door and we see a young Dahlia selling sweets.

Sabino buys some, and as Dahlia walks away Asha notices she could use some help carrying all that food, since she's walking with a crutch.

Asha looks at her grandfather as if she's asking for permission to go, and he nods reassuringly.

Off she goes to help Dahlia, and the two quickly become friends

Asha get's back home after sunset, dinner is ready

she and her grandpa read some books together.

Asha went to sleep

This cycle would keep repeating during the whole musical sequence, and I don't want this to take too long so just imagine we see events similar to this repeating 7 times, each time we see Asha meet a new friend, and we see her grandpa become more and more senile and more dependent on Asha, as she gets older.

I'll just give a few more examples to illustrate it but if you're curious about how Asha met all her friends and in what order just read it here: Reimagining the 7 teens

We’ll skip the sequences showing how she met Simon and Gabo.

The music sounds slightly less upbeat

Asha wakes up, now looking more like a 10 year old

She’s ever so slightly less excited when waking up but still smiling

She goes to wake up her grandpa, who seems a bit lost at first but smiles once he sees her

She makes them breakfast

The walls of the house are covered top to bottom with Asha’s drawings

She helps her grandfather walk as they go watch a children’s play at the plaza, her friends Dahlia, Simon and Gabo are with them

Asha notices a young girl looking very uncomfortable on stage

Once it’s her scene, the bashful girl runs off stage

Asha goes back stage and we see her sit next to Bazeema and give her some words of encouragement

Bazeema goes back stage and plays the role of the queen perfectly with her eyes closed

Asha gets a new friend in her friend group

Sabino looks pleased

Asha prepares soup for dinner (remember she’s 10 here)

Asha takes her grandfather to bed, because he’s struggling to walk

Asha reads him some books

Asha went to sleep

…

We gonna skip to the last friend Asha made

Asha wakes up, now looking 13

She has a hopeful expression, it’s another day

She helps her grandfather get out of bed, he’s not smiling anymore, his expression seems distant

She makes them breakfast, and help her saba with eating it

There’s even more drawings on the walls, and they look way more detailed, showing Asha’s art skills improved

She and her 6 friends all go hang out for what was supposed to be a short walk

They spot a girl trying to practice juggling and failing miserably

Asha asks if they can help, but the girl just smiles awkwardly as if she says they can only help if they could make her a proper entertainer in the snap of their fingers

Asha indeed can’t grant that wish BUT she knows how to help her

Cuts to them all in Asha’s house, the 8 preteens all sit together on a round table and Asha brings in some papers, pencils and a book titled “Jokes and tales for jesters”

We see the whole gang now formed, as they talk and laugh together, helping Hal come up with jokes for her act as a royal entertainer

All is well until, Asha noticed her grandfather coughing on a chair right behind them

She rushes to give him some water and stays with him, while her friends watch from the table, with expressions of sadness and pity

Asha is hugging her grandfather when she feels a hand on her shoulder, she turns around and it’s Dahlia, with the other 6 behind, they all give her a reassuring smile as if to tell her it’s gonna be alright

Simon brings a blanket to cover her grandfather, Bazeema makes some tea, Dahlia prepares dinner, Hal plays some songs with her flute, Safi and Dario are dancing to it with Asha (as a reference to the “Silly Song” scene from Snow White where she dances with Dopey and Sneezy) and Gabo is just sitting there tapping his feet to the music.

Asha finally got a break, a moment to just enjoy herself

They all have dinner together, Gabo offers himself to help Sabino eat.

Asha waves her friends goodbye as they all return to their homes

Asha helps her grandfather go to bed, we don’t see his face much

Asha went to sleep

…

Asha wakes up, now 15 years old, she has an excited smile on her face just like how she had 10 years before

She shakes her grandfather to wake him up

He doesn’t move

She tries again…

No answer.

The music turns silent.

Her smile fades away.

…

We cut to her in Sabino’s funeral.

Asha is crying all alone, until she once again feels a hand on her shoulder.

She turns around to see all her 7 friends, all of them grieving with her.

They hug.

…

Asha wakes up, now in present day.

It’s her 18th birthday.

“… It’s another day” she says with a hopeful, but somewhat worried smile.

End of intro.

Chapter 2

Final Thoughts

And so it begins. This is just the first of a LOT of chapters.

This is my first time actually writing a story, in English no less (I’m Brazilian btw) so this has been a pretty big deal for me, please give me suggestions on how to improve if you have any, it’s really appreciated.

Asha and Sabino’s relationship hits really close to home for me, I think whenever we write something it’s inevitable that we bring a little bit of our own experiences into it, and here’s it’s not different, in my case I also had a really close relationship with my grandpa, and I grew up watching him develop Alzheimer’s, just like Asha I used to draw a looooot and my grandpa had a whole wall in his room dedicated only for my drawings, so yeah I got pretty emotional writing about that.

Rip Vovô Dudu

Anyway, what I wanted to accomplish with this intro was establish:

- King Magnifico and Queen Amable’s backstory… Or at least what the people of Rosas think it’s their backstory.

- Who were Asha’s parents and how they’re important to her and shape who she is.

- How Asha met all her friends, as well as who they are.

- How Asha is always going out of her way to help others.

- How her life went from being taken care of by Sabino to being his care taker, which in turn made her become more mature and hard working from an young age.

- But nevertheless, even with all the loss and pain she felt, she always remained kind and optimistic.

With all of that established, we can actually start this story, see you all on chapter 2!

Thank you for reading!

#disney wish #wish #wish 2023 #wish asha #wish disney #wish movie #wish rewrite #king magnifico #queen amaya #wish reimagined #rewrite #long post #kingdom of wishes

[lolliepuff]

lord tartaglia spoils his siblings too much, he even brings his one sister around teyvat, they even share one bedroom despite his budget allowing for them to take separate rooms. — i wonder if people prefer second pov or third povs in x readers. — big brother!childe x little sister!reader. DRABBLE

you were adorable.

far too adorable that your older brother was WORRIED about the snezhnayan men (such as himself) who’ll ravage you senselessly.

worried enough that he brought you to diplomatic outings as an ‘assistant,’ when really you were just decoration meant to stand at his side.

after all, if ajax couldn’t control himself around you, what about other men? ajax trusts himself around you because unlike the OTHER MEN, he’ll fuck you with passion and love; not like the savage men who’ll fuck and dump you after cumming by themselves.

big brother is different, see? he’ll never leave you so don’t leave him.

“lord tartaglia’s younger sister barely looks at anyone else, no?” one cicin mage remarks, mistaking your refusal to look at other people for bashfulness.

“i do believe it wise not to speak about her, the lord wants made it clear not to approach her unless he’s given us direct permission to do so.” the mirror maiden replies as they all line up to greet the arrival of the eleventh harbinger and his darling sister. “even then, those granted ‘privilege’ to serve her are never of the lower ranking ones, much less a man.”

“she’s like an extension of the lord, no? almost never smiles without him. one might think she’s one of lady sandrone’s creations.” the cicin mage giggles to herself. “with an appearance like that, constantly groomed to perfection, one might actually mistake her for a doll instead of human.”

they spoke in hushed tones but that didn’t seem to mute their words from you, after all; having grown up with ajax, even your senses seemed to have sharpened. — you have no doubt your older brother has heard them too but he seemed to be too taken by something to even reprimand nor react to them.

he calls your name and you grow alert, “i bought you something.” he smiles at you with a grin you recognize to be one born of devious intent. most likely born with perverse intentions.

ajax brought you everywhere despite the protests of both your younger siblings who wanted to come with as well, but he reasoned with them he could only bring one. — in truth, he wants you all to himself, your relationship be damned. he poisoned your mind with ideas, that everyone except your family are all out to get you, wearing masks to hide their true intentions. and because you had no reason to not believe him, you considered his words law.

that’s why you’re too scared to meet anyone else’s eyes unless ajax trusts them, that’s why you refuse to speak with anyone unless ajax’ with you. that’s why your smile is saved only for ajax otherwise evil men will get you. — your world revolved around ajax, everything he said was the truth, if he says this was normal, it was. if he calls you his little wife, you are, if he tells you to keep it a secret from even your siblings, you will. after all, ajax knows best.

“what did you buy?” you ask innocently, turning to him with eyes that reflect nothing but trust.

he only smiled as you both walked towards the bedroom assigned for the both of you in the goth grand hotel. there was a box already placed on the bed, with a ribbon that he tells you to open, before closing the door and locking it.

opening it, you were greeted with two vials that looked to be similar to whopperflower nectar, lingerie and other accessories. glancing back at ajax, you find that he’s already taken off his snow cloak that all other harbingers wore, taking off his expensive outerwear then his red silk shirt. “what are you waiting for? put it on.” he gives you an innocent smile as if the underwear in the box didn’t barely cover anything that you might as well be naked.

but still, who were you to deny him?

what if i wasnt lazy and wrote the smut for this haha

#tw.incest #tw.yandere #tw:incest #ddne #genshin ddne

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

The angel Gabriel from heaven came, His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame, All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary! Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!

For known a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honour thee, Thy son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold, Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, “To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said, “my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.” Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn, and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!

[atopvisenyashill]

THE PACT OF ICE AND FIRE

so there's an aspect of this one i don't think has really been delved into that I think may be important when it comes to canon jonsa and I wanted to do my own lil analysis, along with maybe some tin hatting at the end here.

this is what the pact is (or what we know of it at any rate, Munkun is not exactly a good source of information):

Cregan Stark and Jacaerys Velaryon reached an accord, and signed and sealed the agreement that Grand Maester Munkun calls “the Pact of Ice and Fire” in his True Telling. Like many such pacts, it was to be sealed with a marriage. Lord Cregan’s son, Rickon, was a year old. Prince Jacaerys was as yet unmarried and childless, but it was assumed that he would sire children of his own once his mother sat the Iron Throne. Under the terms of the pact, the prince’s firstborn daughter would be sent north at the age of seven, to be fostered at Winterfell until such time as she was old enough to marry Lord Cregan’s heir.

There's two parts to this that I think are important here. Here is the first, which is the basics of the pact, and that most Jonsas are familiar with:

Jacaery's First Born Daughter Is Fostered At Winterfell -> She will marry Cregan's first born son and heir.

Obviously, this never happened for several reasons and the pact is forgotten but perhaps it will be fulfilled anyway by...

Jon, a secret Targaryen bastard, is "fostered" at Winterfell -> he will fulfill the pact by marrying a Stark Maiden aka Sansa.

Basically, it's a genderswapped version of what the pact entails. I think given George's fondness for how Tolkien was a hater of Macbeth because he thought the "no man of woman born" should have indicated a girl and not just a man born via c-section, I think the genderswap aspect fits George's style.

The second part however, has more to do with Jacaerys and Sara and I feel like it's glossed over a bit. See here:

They had spoken their vows in Winterfell’s own godswood before a heart tree, and only then had she given herself to him, wrapped in furs amidst the snows as the old gods looked on.

Jacaerys, a "secret" Targaryen bastard who gets his family name and allegiances through his mother, not his father -> Rumors of a secret marriage in front of a Weirwood with a Stark bastard, Sara

Listen. It doesn't matter whether Sara Snow is real, you believe whatever makes you happy! But what IS real and relevant is that this part was included in F&B for a reason, and is indicated to be the catalyst for the pact. Jace and Sara get secret married in front of a Weirwood, and this is what calms down Cregan so they can make their pact. And here is how (I believe) it applies to Jonsa:

Jon, a secret Targaryen bastard, but who gets his look and his allegiance not through his father but Lyanna's blood -> Jon, a Stark bastard, will marry an Heir in secret in front of a Weirwood tree.

THAT is, imo, the most important aspect of this scandalous story from Mushroom - that a secret bastard, a targaryen and a stark, secretly marry in front of a Weirwood tree just before a bloody war kicks off. People tend to make Sansa the Sara in this part, which is valid, but I think Sansa's role in this is not just to be the pretty Stark maiden, but to be the HEIR that is secretly marrying for love, like Jacaerys is, and that Jon's role will be about his status as a bastard, so that both parts kind of apply to both characters. And given that, if Jace and Sara had married, their daughter would have been a Starkgaryen with "secret" bastard heritage (from both her parents), marrying a Stark Heir, it does make sense (at least in my mind) that this may apply to Jon and Sansa's future plot. the That's something I touched on here in my "what will Jon's endgame" post.

Then there's the Vermax of it all...

Mushroom also claims that Vermax left a clutch of dragon’s eggs at Winterfell, which is equally absurd. Whilst it is true that determining the sex of a living dragon is a nigh on impossible task, no other source mentions Vermax producing so much as a single egg, so it must be assumed that he was male. Septon Barth’s speculation that the dragons change sex at need, being “as mutable as flame,” is too ludicrous to consider.)

This brought to mind the ole' Jonnel and Sansa (the first) thing - beyond the J&S similarities (Jacaerys & Sara, Jon & Sansa, Jonnel & Sansa), I think it's also important that Jonnel and Sansa never have any children, though they're married for several years. Jacaerys and Sara also never have children, yet there's the rumor Vermax laid eggs in the crypt, with some believing this may have meant Sara was pregnant (but perhaps miscarried) when Jacaerys left. I think however, the fact that both J&S couples kind of mysteriously do not have children of their own, and that their Houses descend from someone else to be important.

I've kind of briefly gone into the idea that Bran rules in a parliamentary style over (what's left of) Westeros, and while I'm not too committed one way or the other on whether he physically has children or whether they elect the ruler on the Iron Throne more often starting from Bran, the succession is significantly less of an issue because of the permanent Great Council/Parliament that will exist. Sansa (and Jon, for that matter), however, is the heiress to a long line of kings and lords and needs some sort of heir. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibililty that while in the Vale, she connects with some of Jocelyn Stark's descendants (the famous "Vale cousins" that Catelyn mentions as heirs for Robb) and makes one of them her heir, or even names the children of Arya her heir, and pulls a Queen Elizabeth, but then I thought of Vermax laying dragon eggs that are never found, and Jonnel and Sansa never having children, and George's love of threes and thought...perhaps Jon and Sansa will have an heir, but Sansa can't claim the child as hers.

In that same vein, it’s noteworthy to me as well that Serena and Edric (Sansa's younger sister and Jonnel's younger brother) have TWO sons but the line completely bypasses them. We have no idea how the Northerners felt about these marriages beyond the fact that they didn't like Lynara's sons because their rules were plagued by troubles. Is it possible that they chose to bypass Edric's sons because of the incest, and Sansa/Jon may be forced to reconcile with how the realm views him (as Ned's son) and what he actually is (Lyanna's son) when it comes to the line of succession? IE - Vermax is rumored to lay an egg in the crypts but no one ever finds out, Sansa is rumored to have have had a child with her “brother” but no one ever finds out the truth.

TO SUM UP: I think the Pact of Ice and Fire is a hint that Jon and Sansa will secretly marry in the godswood of Winterfell, and it's likely that when Sansa is named Queen in the North, her heir will be "fathered by a wolf" or a "wildling" and she and Jon won't be able to tell anyone that Jon is the father.

#i was going to end this with the 'much to think about' billy ray cyrus meme but i stopped myself #jonsa #jonsa meta #actually jonsa #jon snow #sansa stark #jacaerys velaryon #jacaerys targaryen #getting on my soap box #serena stark #jonnel stark #edric stark #sara snow #rani attempts meta #twow speculation #ados speculation #stone and snow remains #i think that's all my tags #i'm literally so nervous posting this bc i think the last part might be a stretch so if u think its dumb do Not tell me or i'll throw up lo #i also know a lot of non jonsas follow me and the opinion of most non jonsas tends to be 'those people are crazy' :'((((((( #it's not relevant to the meta but i have kinda theorized that sansa was going to say her kids were fathered by a wolf for a long time. #and then i read twoiaf and f&b and this all clicked into place for me. so i feel even if jonsa doesn't happen. we'll get something similar #where *we* the reader knows that sansa has a secret husband/lover and he's the father but the north doesn't know (and doesn't care tm)

[thevelaryons]

SEAWHORES

A certain interesting detail when it comes to Velaryon men is that many of them are noted to be sexually promiscuous, or so the histories claim.

CORLYS

He is described as carrying on a secret affair for several years:

In his Testimony, the fool puts forth the notion that “the little mice” had been sired not by the Sea Snake’s son, but by the Sea Snake himself. Lord Corlys did not share Ser Laenor’s erotic predispositions, he points out, and the Hull shipyards were like unto a second home to him, whereas his son visited them less frequently. Princess Rhaenys, his wife, had the fiery temperament of many Targaryens, Mushroom says, and would not have taken kindly to her lord husband fathering bastards on a girl half her age, and a shipwright’s daughter besides. Therefore his lordship had prudently ended his “shipyard trysts” with Mouse after Alyn’s birth, commanding her to keep her boys far from court.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

LAENOR

Regarding Laenor, it's worth mentioning that he had a harem (though Joffrey Lonmouth was clearly the most favoured one out of the pretty boys whose company Laenor enjoyed):

Laenor Velaryon was now nineteen years of age, yet had never shown any interest in women. Instead he surrounded himself with handsome squires of his own age, and was said to prefer their company.

— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon

Then there is Laenor's confrontation with his lover turned killer, Qarl Correy. Laenor was said to be courting someone else behind Qarl's back. According to the eye witness accounts from Spicetown, Qarl was seen angrily arguing with Laenor before their confrontation turned violent:

Septon Eustace provides us with the killer’s name and declares jealousy the motive for the slaying; Laenor Velaryon had grown weary of Ser Qarl’s companionship and had grown enamored of a new favorite, a handsome young squire of six-and-ten.

— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon

JACAERYS

Rumour has it Jace had an affair during his trip to Winterfell. Whether it's true or false though is open to debate:

His account introduces a young maiden, or “wolf girl” as he dubs her, with the name of Sara Snow. So smitten was Prince Jacaerys with this creature, a bastard daughter of the late Lord Rickon Stark, that he lay with her of a night.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

That's not the only rumour surrounding Jace. His trip to the Vale also circulated rumours concerning Jeyne Arryn:

Mushroom tells us that this famous maiden was in truth a highborn harlot with a voracious appetite for men, and gives us a salacious tale of how she offered Prince Jacaerys the allegiance of the Vale only if he could bring her to her climax with his tongue.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

ALYN

Speaking of rumours, Alyn certainly has his share of them:

Lord Alyn required fresh water and provisions for his ships, whilst Princess Aliandra required services of a more intimate nature. Bastard Born would have us believe that he provided them, Hard as Oak that he did not.

— Fire & Blood, Under the Regents

When he did, the “Queen” was so delighted with him that he sent two of his wives to Oakenfist’s bedchamber that night. “Give them sons,” Racallio commanded. “I want sons as brave and strong as you.” Our sources are at odds as to whether or not Lord Alyn did as he was bid.

— Fire & Blood, Under the Regents

A woman known only as Rue, who may or may not have been a septa, and may or may not have become one of his lordship’s paramours.

— Fire & Blood, Under the Regents

“She was the fairest treasure of the Maidenvault. Lord Oakenfist the great admiral lost his heart to her, though he was married to another.”

— A Feast for Crows, Jaime I

LUCERYS (the Admiral)

Although we don't get any direct quote about his private affairs, it seems to be implied that Aurane is his bastard son alongside his trueborn son, Monford. Well Lucerys can't have pulled that bastard out of a bed of kelp. Clearly he fucks too.

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #corlys velaryon #laenor velaryon #jacaerys velaryon #alyn velaryon #lucerys ii velaryon #house velaryon #meta

[princesssarisa]

I'm now reading another of Heidi Ann Heiner's fairy tale collections. Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales from Around the World. Since I enjoyed Cinderella Tales from Around the World so much, I couldn't resist opening another of Heiner's books.

The first part of the book is devoted to the different international versions of Sleeping Beauty, the second part to the different versions of Snow White. This is followed by other tales of "sleeping beauties" that don't fit nearly into either category.

We start with the medieval Sleeping Beauty prototype tales from the 13th and 14th centuries.

*The earliest known prototype of the Sleeping Beauty story is the Norse and Germanic legend of Brynhild (a.k.a. Brunhild, Brunhilda, Brünnhilde, or other variations). This legend first appears in the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and the Volsunga Saga from 13th century Iceland. It also appears in the German Nibelungenlied (although that version doesn't include the enchanted sleep), and its most famous modern adaptation is in Richard Wagner's four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. The figure of Brynhild also inspired the Marvel superheroine Valkyrie.

**The Sleeping Beauty-like portion of the legend is this. The beautiful and strong-willed Brynhild is one of the valkyries, the warrior maiden servants (and in some versions daughters) of Odin (or Woden, Wotan, etc.) who preside over battlefields and bring the souls of fallen heroes to Valhalla. But Brynhild disobeys Odin by saving (or trying to save) the life of a warrior who was marked for death. (The man's identity, why he was meant to die, why she defends him, and whether she succeeds in saving him or not varies between versions.) As punishment, Odin banishes her to the mortal realm, pricks her with a "sleep thorn," and places her in a castle (or just on a rock) surrounded by a ring of fire, condemning her to sleep until a man brave enough to venture through the flames arrives to wake her and become her husband. (In some versions, she has attendants and servants who all sleep along with her.) Many years later, the fearless hero Sigurd, or Siegfried, succeeds in passing unharmed through the flames and wakes Brynhild by cutting off her valkyrie armor (or in later retellings influenced by Sleeping Beauty, with a kiss). The couple doesn't live happily ever after, however: their further adventures and eventual tragic fates are a story for another day.

**Even though it's a well-known fact that in "the original Sleeping Beauty stories," the prince (or his counterpart) impregnates the sleeping heroine and she wakes after she gives birth, no such thing happens in this earliest proto-version. If we assume that this really is the Western world's first tale of a heroine in an enchanted sleep, then it seems as if that sordid detail was a later addition.

*Next in Heiner's book come several medieval French Sleeping Beauty tales, mostly from Arthurian romances. These are the tales where we first see the motif of the heroine's love interest raping her in her sleep and fathering a child. Since few of them have ever been translated into modern English, the book simply summarizes them instead of printing them in full.

**The best-known of these stories, which most resembles Sleeping Beauty as we know it today, is the tale of Troylus and Zellandine from Le Roman de Perceforest, an Arthurian romance from 14th or 15th century France. In this tale, a knight named Troylus loves a princess named Zellandine. Then learns that while spinning, Zellandine has suddenly fallen into a deep sleep, from which no one can wake her. With the help of a spirit named Zephir and the goddess Venus, Troylus enters the tower where she lies and, at Venus's urging, he takes her virginity. Nine months later, Zellandine gives birth to a son, and when the baby sucks on her finger, she wakes. Zellandine's aunt now arrives, and reveals the whole backstory, which only she knew. When Zellandine was born, the goddesses Lucina, Themis, and Venus came to bless her. As was customary, a meal was set out for the three goddesses, but then the room was left empty so they could enter, dine, and give their blessings unseen; but the aunt hid behind the door and overheard them. Themis received a second-rate dinner knife compared to those of the other two, so she cursed the princess to someday catch a splinter of flax in her finger while spinning, fall into a deep sleep, and never awaken. But Venus altered the curse so that it could be broken and promised to ensure that it would be. When the baby sucked Zellandine's finger, he sucked out the splinter of flax. Eventually, Zellandine and Troylus reunite, marry, and become ancestors of Sir Lancelot.

***This tale provides some answers for questions that the traditional Sleeping Beauty raises. In the familiar tale, the king, the queen, and their court know about the curse, so why do they keep it a secret from the princess? Yes, they avoid upsetting her by doing so, but the end result is that when she finally sees a spindle, she doesn't know to beware of it. Why not warn her? And why is there a random old woman in the castle, spinning with presumably the kingdom's one spindle that wasn't destroyed, and why, despite living in the castle does she not know about the curse? (It's no wonder that most adaptations make her the fairy who cursed the princess in disguise.) Yet in this earlier version, there are no such questions: no one except the eavesdropping aunt knows about the curse, because it was cast in private, so no one can take precautions against it. Another standout details is the fact that Zellandine's sleep doesn't last for many years, and that the man who wakes her already loved her before she fell asleep. Disney didn't create those twists after all!

**The other medieval French Sleeping Beauty tales are Pandragus and Libanor (where Princess Libanor's enchanted sleep only lasts one night, just long enough for Pandragus to impregnate her), Brother of Joy and Sister of Pleasure (where the princess isn't asleep, but dead – yet somehow the prince still impregnates her – and is revived by an herb that a bird carries to her), and Blandin de Cornoalha (a knight who, refreshingly, doesn't impregnate the sleeping maiden Brianda, but breaks her spell by bringing a white hawk to her side).

*All of these early Sleeping Beauty tales are just one part of bigger poetic sagas. Maybe this explains why Sleeping Beauty is fairly light on plot compared to other famous fairy tales (i.e. we're told what's going to happen, and then it does happen, and it all seems inevitable from the start). Of course one argument is that it's a symbolic tale: symbolic of a young girl's coming-of-age, as the princess's childhood ends when she falls asleep and her adulthood begins when she wakes, and/or symbolic of the seasons, with the princess as a Persephone-like figure whose sleep represents winter and whose awakening represents spring. That's all valid. But maybe another reason for the flimsy plot is that the earliest versions of the tale were never meant to stand alone. They were just episodes in much longer and more complex narratives.

@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 #norway #iceland #germany #norse mythology #france #england #italy #tw: rape #tw: cannibalism

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

O Tsaritsa

Synopsis: Childe's loyalty to his Archon is unshakable, one of the surest things he's ever known. But perhaps in the end, he'll forsake her for you.

Foul Legacy Childe x Reader Pronouns: Gender Neutral (no pronouns mentioned) Genre: Fluff, Comfort Warnings: Battle, mentions of drowning and falling, crying, and nervousness

~ * ~ O Tsaritsa, protect us from the world with walls of ice and snow. Ajax knew the importance of his nation’s Archon, as all children do. The Lady of Eternal Winters, the Cold Maiden, the God of Love- she went by many names, yet all know her official title by heart- The Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon, Her Royal Highness of Snezhnaya. His father would tell him stories by the fireplace, playfully ruffling his son’s gingery hair as he weaved tales of Her Majesty; in battle, amongst the other gods, sitting upon her crystalline throne of frost. Ajax would sit in the opposite chair, eyes wide with awe and oblivious to his father’s quiet chuckles. He was too young to know the meaning of loyalty, yet still passion burned in his heart as he proclaimed that the Tsaritsa must be the best of the Seven, if all those stories were true. And his parents would smile, patting his head before asking him to come help with preparing dinner- fish, the family’s favorite. O Tsaritsa, give me strength in times of need, when I feel like falling forever. He was 14 when his childhood ended. He had merely been looking for adventure, a precocious child who deemed his easy life at home boring, slow, monotonous. He had only intended to run away- just for a little bit- for some fun and excitement, before returning home at sundown to be tucked neatly into bed, dreaming the same simple dreams he always did. But Ajax had slipped, and tumbled, and fell, down through a mysterious crack in the earth. It was scary- terrifying even- back then, thinking he was going to die and that no one would find his corpse, because who in Teyvat would want to climb down into a seemingly endless drop of darkness? Even his family didn’t love him that much. Somehow, he didn’t die. Instead he landed with a splash that echoed far into the distance, into water deep enough to swim in, sword still clutched desperately in his hands. It was only after he floundered to shore and lay there a while, wheezing and coughing up water, that he noticed the speckles of light adorning the walls and ground like miniature stars and the faint sound of howling- wind or beast, he couldn’t tell. The sun was nowhere in sight. In the coming years he would speak to no one about the horrors of underground, the creatures that lurked amongst the ruins of a decaying kingdom, or the countless, bloody battles he had to endure. He felt so much older, even though his parents said he was missing for only three days, and with that age came the loss of everything but a horrible need to experience the sensation of fighting for his life again, fingers itching to take up some weapon, any weapon, and fight. His father sent him to the Fatui, and Ajax didn’t care, only desiring to surpass everyone in terms of bloodshed, something in his mind humming in satisfaction whenever another opponent was defeated. Soon, Ajax was dead, and the Eleventh Harbinger Tartaglia was born. O Tsaritsa, I pledge my everlasting loyalty to you and this nation alone. An assignment once sent him to Liyue, a warm land all the way across the sea. It was an important mission- perhaps the most important he’s ever known, and Tartaglia preens at the fact that he, specifically, was chosen. It’s with smug satisfaction that he counts off all the correct steps, watching the bank-goers fuss over debt and mora. Accounts and money were never really his thing- Pantalone was more suited- so soon enough Tartaglia’s eyes begin to drift closed, exhausted from the last few days of nonstop moving and talking. Only they snap back open when someone strides up to the desk and sets down a bag of mora, greeting Ekaterina with a friendly wave. You never really cared if the Northland Bank was associated with the Fatui or not- their services were excellent, convenient, and Ekaterina had become a close friend. So it was with ease and confidence that you stride into the building, waving to Ekaterina and setting your funds on the desk. Your personal philosophy has always been to save most of what you earn from work, and you chat with Ekaterina as she takes your mora to deposit into your account. She’s on for lunch tomorrow- a small tradition you had formed together- and with a smile and another wave she bids you good day and farewell. When you turn, you meet the gaze of an unfamiliar man in gray, and are momentarily stunned by his deep, lightless blue eyes, before giving him a cordial nod and meandering on your way. Tartaglia curiously watches you leave, blinking in confusion when he hears a murmur in the back of his mind, the Foul Legacy he’s become so accustomed to rumbling in interest. The Harbinger turns to Ekaterina when she returns, tilting his head ever-so-slightly. “Who was that?” O Tsaritsa, this curiosity burns like never before, am I foolish for following it? He sees you more in the following weeks, coming in to deposit your pay or chat with Ekaterina, head held high. It’s strange, to see someone from Liyue walk into the bank without a look of worry or despair painted across their face, and at times he wonders if you’re even aware of the Bank’s connections with the Fatui at all. But the way you fuss with Ekaterina’s mask proves otherwise, always straightening and centering it on her face, the receptionist happier than Tartaglia had ever seen. Ah, he forgot that a majority of his coworkers are, at heart, regular people trying to earn their keep who’ve never touched a weapon in their lives. It’s by pure coincidence that you meet face-to-face one night, around dinnertime. You’re the one treating Ekaterina this time- Archons only know how stressed she’s been recently, even if she never says anything, and you’re pulling her along when your feet betray you and force you to stumble backwards. With a sharp inhale you rush to cover your head in anticipation of the fall, but instead you land against something considerably softer than the floor, leaning diagonally. When you look up, your gaze is filled with a vivid, familiar cobalt. Ekaterina rushes to your side, one apology after another pouring from her lips as she helps you up and looks worriedly at the person you ran into, but the man simply laughs and waves her off. With a charming grin he sticks his hand towards you, smile only widening when you politely take it. His name is Childe. You offer him a smile of your own, and Ekaterina watches, awed, behind you. O Tsaritsa, these feelings are new and raw, yet I want to know more, more, more. Childe finds himself attached quickly- too quickly, perhaps, if he was thinking straight- but around you, such a notion was impossible. You, who cared little for the reputation of both the Qixing and the Fatui, greeting everyone with equal respect. You, who acted as an unofficial tour guide of the Harbor, showing Childe the best places to eat and sightsee, even your own personal favorites. You, who didn’t flinch even the slightest bit when he confessed his position as a Harbinger. You- stunning, amazing, perfect; words that came to Childe’s mind when he thought of you, even if others couldn’t see it the same way. Foul Legacy likes you too, perhaps even more than Childe, always purring and cooing at the sight of you strolling into the bank- It’s only by enormous willpower that the Harbinger prevents Foul Legacy from taking over his form, just to experience the sensation of holding your gentle hand in his claws. The Abyssal monster whines and, in defeat, retreats to the recess of Childe’s mind to sulk for the rest of the day, and Childe has to hold back a smug smile of triumph. When the time comes to carry out his oh-so important mission for the Tsaritsa, he almost detests how he has to slip away from your company early, donning the mask of Tartaglia to confront the Traveler. Foul Legacy’s ravenous, enraged from a combination of being deceived and the lack of time spent with you that day, yet the Traveler prevails nonetheless and forces a weakened Tartaglia to summon an old god, the Overlord of the Vortex. The Harbor will drown, but Tartaglia- Childe- can only think of you, and desperately he hopes you get to a safe location, somewhere away from the sea. His heart sings in relief when he finds you standing beside Ekaterina in the Bank, but it quickly sinks when you glance at him and march over, a furious expression on your face as you swiftly land a smart punch to his shoulder. Childe staggers, regret already pooling in his stomach, but steadies when your arms suddenly wrap around his waist, your face against his shoulder as you tell him through muffled words to never do that again, or he’ll kill you from worry. Although weak, Foul Legacy purrs contentedly as Childe hesitantly rests his own hands on your back, and he swears a few purrs slip from his own mouth when your grip tightens. O Tsaritsa, allow me to indulge in this happiness a bit longer. Everybody in Liyue hates him now, the scapegoat in the Fatui’s plans. As he took the blame, La Signora bartered with Rex Lapis for his Gnosis before leaving without a care in the world, leaving Tartaglia betrayed and despised by everyone in a nation. Everyone except you and perhaps the Traveler, the latter of which only puts up with him for weekly sparring. It’s the same this week, every week- but although he’s hated and away from home and his god and fights to his near death with the Harbor’s golden-haired savior, Childe couldn’t be happier. You’re by his side, and that alone makes him and Foul Legacy smile like the sunrise breaking over glittering waves. Every week, he fights the Traveler, and every week, you wait for him outside the Golden House. You made a pinkie promise, after all. This week, however, you’re early. Not only early, you’re curious- you know Childe- Ajax, he said to call him, when it’s just the two of you- is an excellent fighter, and despite your lackluster knowledge of battle you want to see him spar, want to see the way he’ll inevitably twist it into a beautiful performance of Hydro and Electro. With a single hand you push the door to the Golden House open and immediately let out a yelp as you slide several meters down, the top floor already out of commission from Childe and the Traveler’s battle. You land in a pile of mora, the coins scattering around your feet and going entirely unnoticed as you stare in amazement at the fight unfolding before your eyes. The Traveler looks the same, not even the slightest bit scratched, but their opponent is an enormous monster, adorned in violet and black armor with what looks like a shimmering celestial cape, and a bloodred mask with two horns and one shining blue eye. Your heart beats suddenly when you realize that the beast is Childe- it must be- and you press a hand to your chest in an attempt to calm it. It’s a hectic, ferocious battle, but you’ve come only at the tail end and soon the Traveler strikes the final blow, Childe letting out a screech of defeat and slumping to his knees, breathing heavily. The barrier around the arena flickers then dissipates, and without thinking you shove the coins away and sprint over to the monster, ignoring the Traveler’s shock when they see you. Foul Legacy squeaks when he sees you, nervousness flaring suddenly when you approach. He refuses to meet your eyes when your run slows to a jog, too ashamed and frightened because what will you say? Surely you wouldn’t love him like this, he was foolish to think you ever would. You love Childe, the human, the Harbinger, not Childe, the creature from the darkest depths of Teyvat. You’re close enough to touch him now, and he shrinks away with a soft whimper, hunching his body over in an attempt to appear smaller, less threatening. Something soft rests on his knee, and he looks down to see you pressing your hands against it, looking up at him with nothing but worry. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Oh. Oh. The concern and affection in your voice makes him sob, and he turns so he can face you properly, cape-like wings limp on the elegant flooring. You stay still as stone as Childe reaches, hands hovering just beside your head, before you press your face into his palms with a comforting hum. Tears drip down his cheeks which you carefully wipe away, admiring how his crystalline eye slips shut as purrs begin to filter from his chest. Foul Legacy doesn’t remember ever being this relaxed, this cared for- not while he was controlling their shared body, anyway, and subconsciously his clawed hand twitches in a need to pull you close and hold you forever. But suddenly you slip your smaller, more fragile hand into his, and Foul Legacy stares before gently closing his talons overtop of it, almost chittering in delight when you close the remaining distance with a few quick steps and lean your head against his chest, accepting and loving every part of what makes up your beloved Childe. With your opposite hand you hold his cheek, eyes glittering at the way he leans into the touch desperately, like a man starved, and by standing on your toes you’re able to press a small kiss to Foul Legacy’s forehead. His jaw drops, revealing his deadly, adorable fangs, and with a warbling trill he hides his face with his hands and the lavender fluff that adorns his shoulders, only able to let out flustered squeaks as your kind laughter fills the air, hand finding its purchase in his locks of coppery hair. Foul Legacy chirps, embarrassed, but not even he can conceal the smile that spreads across his mask-like face when you give him a hug, so similar to the one after he summoned Osial yet so much better because he feels like he’s home with you, who holds his heart and cherishes it more than all the power in the world. Home is where his heart is, and Snezhnaya is home no longer. O Tsaritsa, forgive me, for I’ve betrayed you and my nation, and fallen in love.

#genshin x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #childe #tartaglia #gi ajax #foul legacy #foul legacy childe #genshin tartagalia #genshin childe #genshin tartaglia #foul legacy x reader #sfw #genshin sfw #genshin fluff #fluff #genshin comfort #comfort #tartagalia x reader #hehehehhehehe this one was stuck in my brain #so i just had to get it out!!!! #yes childe would leave the fatui and betray the tsaritsa for you #more SHY FOUL LEGACY #he is a FLUSTERED MESS because Abyss monsters don't usually get affection :(( #but now you are here and you will give him all the snuggles in the world!!!! #*looks at this. nods* yeah..... yeah thats nice..... #wifi writes #genshin fic

[aerltarg]

thinking again about my sad boys, aegon and rhaegar, the dragonbane and the last dragon, being depressed since childhood, finding solace in their happy ladies, daenaera and lyanna. but while aegon's older siblings died, rhaegar lost his younger ones. but hey, at least aegon got to be close to his dear younger bro viserys! meanwhile, rhaegar just couldn't have a chance to build any proper relationship with his younger bro viserys, with everything between them. also to think that daeron the young dragon was aegon and daenaera's son and jon, rhaegar and lyanna's son, admired him and considered him one of his heroes... oh bless them, i love them so much

[...] As she stood before the king that Maiden’s Day, clad in pale white silk, Myrish lace, and pearls, her long hair shining in the torchlight and her cheeks flush with excitement, Daenaera was but six years old, yet so beautiful she took the breath away. The blood of Old Valyria was strong in her, as is oft seen in the sons and daughters of the seahorse; her hair was silver laced with gold, her eyes as blue as a summer sea, her skin as smooth and pale as winter snow. “She sparkled,” Mushroom says, “and when she smiled, the singers in the galley rejoiced, for they knew that here at last was a maid worthy of a song.” Daenaera’s smile transformed her face, men agreed; it was sweet and bold and mischievious, all at once. Those who saw it could not fail to think, “Here is a bright, sweet, happy little girl, the perfect antidote to the young king’s gloom.” (Fire & Blood)

When Aegon III returned her smile and said, “Thank you for coming, my lady, you look very pretty,” even Lord Unwin Peake surely must have known that the game was lost. (Fire & Blood)

[...] Hope and good feeling reigned over the Red Keep as the new year dawned. Though younger than her predecessor, Queen Daenaera was a happier child, and her sunny nature did much to lighten the king’s gloom…for a while, at the least. Aegon III was seen about the court more often than had been his wont, and even left the castle on three occasions to show his bride such sights as the city offered (though he refused to take her to the Dragonpit, where Lady Rhaena’s young dragon, Morning, made her lair). His Grace seemed to take a new interest in his studies, and Mushroom was oft summoned to entertain the king and queen at supper (“The sound of the queen’s laughter was like music to this fool, so sweet that even the king was known to smile”). (Fire & Blood)

[...] “But I am not certain it was in Rhaegar to be happy.” “You make him sound so sour,” Dany protested. “Not sour, no, but… there was a melancholy to Prince Rhaegar, a sense…” The old man hesitated again. “Say it,” she urged. “A sense…?” “…of doom. He was born in grief, my queen, and that shadow hung over him all his days.” Viserys had spoken of Rhaegar's birth only once. Perhaps the tale saddened him too much. “It was the shadow of Summerhall that haunted him, was it not?” “Yes. And yet Summerhall was the place the prince loved best. He would go there from time to time, with only his harp for company. Even the knights of the Kingsguard did not attend him there. He liked to sleep in the ruined hall, beneath the moon and stars, and whenever he came back he would bring a song. When you heard him play his high harp with the silver strings and sing of twilights and tears and the death of kings, you could not but feel that he was singing of himself and those he loved.” (ASOS, Daenerys IV)

“At the welcoming feast, the prince had taken up his silver-stringed harp and played for them. A song of love and doom, Jon Connington recalled, and every woman in the hall was weeping when he put down the harp.” (ADWD, The Griffin Reborn)

“The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle.” (ASOS, Bran II)

“By night the prince played his silver harp and made her weep. When she had been presented to him, Cersei had almost drowned in the depths of his sad purple eyes.” (AFFC, Cersei V)

“No one knew,” said Meera, “but the mystery knight was short of stature, and clad in ill-fitting armor made up of bits and pieces. The device upon his shield was a heart tree of the old gods, a white weirwood with a laughing red face.” (ASOS, Bran II)

“Whoever he was, the old gods gave strength to his arm. [...] the common folk cheered lustily for the Knight of the Laughing Tree, as the new champion soon was called. When his fallen foes sought to ransom horse and armor, the Knight of the Laughing Tree spoke in a booming voice through his helm, saying, 'Teach your squires honor, that shall be ransom enough.'” (ASOS, Bran II)

“He could hear her still at times. Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses. Promise me, Ned. The fever had taken her strength and her voice had been faint as a whisper, but when he gave her his word, the fear had gone out of his sister’s eyes. Ned remembered the way she had smiled then, how tightly her fingers had clutched his as she gave up her hold on life, the rose petals spilling from her palm, dead and black.” (AGOT, Eddard I)

“Robert will never keep to one bed,” Lyanna had told him at Winterfell, on the night long ago when their father had promised her hand to the young Lord of Storm’s End. “I hear he has gotten a child on some girl in the Vale.” Ned had held the babe in his arms; he could scarcely deny her, nor would he lie to his sister, but he had assured her that what Robert did before their betrothal was of no matter, that he was a good man and true who would love her with all his heart. Lyanna had only smiled. “Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man’s nature. (AGOT, Eddard IX)

“It was said that Rhaegar had named that place the tower of joy.” (AGOT, Eddard X)

#there are only quotes abt these two couples being sad boy x happy girl kind of trope #just bc im absolutely not normal abt them #there are more quotes i think i just chose my favourite ones #also im evil once again for reminding that lyanna smiled even on her deathbed :') #oh my knight of the laughing tree and sad singing prince i see you everywhere #asoiaf #rhaegar targaryen #lyanna stark #jon snow #targnation #rhaelya #valyrianscrolls #rhaegar x lyanna #aegon iii targaryen #daenaera velaryon #aegon x daenaera #asoiaf meta #bc i love my #asoiaf parallels #mypost #.txt #house targaryen

[deathmetalunicorn1]

ok, maybe I'm watching too many romantic dramas. My request is for Sasaki, Hades, Poseidon and Shiva (if there are too many, my priority is Sasaki and Hades)

Let's say that the reader is a dragon or another supernatural creature with a human appearance, and that she loves her mother and her older brother very much, being they from a very feared and powerful family. Her mother is cursed with something that makes her very fragile after giving birth to her daughter and her brother is the living embodiment of light and blessings, good things in short. But the reader represents all the curses that fall on the mortal and the immortal, and she felt very lonely. Until her mother introduces him to an honorable family, and her only heir as a betrothed to the reader. They took years to get to know her and then he formally proposed to her, but… in the end he stabbed her in the back when he found out on her wedding day that she was cheating on her with a maid from another family who was a member of the families. And well, we return to the guys from RoR, let's say that they were interested in this lonely and hurt woman, and somehow they managed to win her over. But when they want to propose to her, she just started turning pale and then crying, as well as running away. And she is the fragile mother and brother who explains her trauma with marriage, plus that since they are from a family of old blood she has never had, you know, what happens on their wedding night. How would you help her get through this? (if they have fallen in love with this woman enough for this level of dedication) Or how would they react when they found out about her ex-fiancé? (Yes, he is still alive, he was the only son of that other family, if they killed him, the bloodline would go as far as that) (I know… very long, have a nice night or a nice day)

(*￣3￣)╭

-Y/N, only daughter and second child of the legendary Draco Family, descended from the Draco Constellation, powerful gods that have the ability to transform into dragons, was a lonely girl.

-Her elder brother, her twin, B/N, is like sunshine, he lights up any room he enters and gets along with everyone he meets, being the Dragon God of Light and Blessings.

-While you were the Dragon Goddess of Shadow and Misfortune.

-Her looks did not match her title and abilities, she was a stunning maiden, with long flowering dark hair, that mirrored her brother’s long flowing white hair, with piercing gold eyes, snow white skin, and an air of mystery about her.

-Y/N rarely ventured from her palace on family’s estate, choosing to remain away from others, others who would only whisper cruel things, as if she was an evil girl.

-This was not in fact true, you were a intelligent and elegant maiden who always thought of others, sending thoughtful gifts to those who needed them.

-Your family knew that you were not evil and did not treat you as such, your brother came to your palace almost every day to see you and walk with you, brightening up your day, and while your father, the personification of Draco itself, was busy, he always made time to send you gifts, letters, and come and see you once a week.

-Your mother was the only person you left your palace for, as she was weak, not sickly, just weak, she had been like that since the birth of you and your brother, due to a curse placed upon her by the jealous Andromeda, another constellation goddess, who loved your father.

-Her curse was to affect not only your mother, but your brother and you as well, if she chose to give birth; the curse was that if your mother gave birth, she would lose all her strength and live a life bound to her bed, to be forever weak, and her children would be born as polar opposites, light and darkness, blessing and curse, to force not only her but her child to live a life of torment for being ‘evil’.

-Andromeda told your mother that if she killed you both while still in her womb, she would have kept her power, but would have been deemed a monster for killing her children, with the intent of driving your father away from such a cruel mother.

-Your mother was not cruel, she chose to birth the two of you with no hesitation, and your father’s bond with her only grew, as she chose to sacrifice herself to bring their children into the world, which infuriated Andromeda and she fled, never to be seen again.

-There were many days were your mother looked healthy as could be, just unable to walk or do anything without assistance, but her handmaidens were always there for her, which you appreciated deeply.

-As you grew older, you were betrothed to another god, one who’s mother arranged with your mother when you started to blossom into your beauty.

-You didn’t mind, at first, as you spent the first three years betrothed to a man you had yet to meet, as you both were still young, you only knew that his name was Kand, and he was a minor earth god.

-Once both you and your brother were of age, you both got to meet your marriage partners, as B/N was engaged to a lovely flower goddess.

-Kand was a handsome and strong looking man, and he was stunned by your beauty, you were nothing like the humors who described you as a wicked looking hag, obviously started by vicious people who saw only to judge you for what you had command over.

-You were hesitant with Kand, who in turn kept his distance a bit from you, both sides were unsure of each other. You had gone so many years without talking to others who weren’t from your own family without being met with contempt and cruel words, while he wasn’t sure if the rumors were true and that you would cause misfortune to fall upon him.

-Over the years of being betrothed, courting each other, you fell in love, he learned that you had control of your abilities and you could cause misfortune to fall upon others at will and he grew to defend you against others who would dare say anything that wasn’t praise about you.

-When your wedding day came around, you had been preparing when your brother’s wife snuck into your room, “Sister Y/N, you need to come with me now.”

-You and Blossom got along very well and considered each other as sisters, but her tone sounded so concerned, frightened almost and you left, following with her to the guest house where Kand was preparing for the wedding.

-Inside, he was embracing another woman, kissing her fiercely before pulling back from her as she cooed up at him, “Don’t get married to that evil witch! You know I’ll take care of you, just as I have been for years.”

-Your power exploded, taking your dragon form of a massive black dragon, roaring furiously and destroying a good portion of the guest house, shocking Kand and his mistress who were instantly begging for your forgiveness.

-When your father and B/N arrived and saw the two together, half dressed, obviously about to start something until you walked in, and your father’s temper exploded, himself turning into a massive red and gold dragon, demanding to know what these two had to say for themselves.

-B/N and Blossom rushed to console you as you shifted back to your human form, returning to your palace where you cried for days, weeks, your broken heart crushing your chest.

-Your father and B/N came to you, telling you that this other woman was Andromeda’s daughter, Romeda, who saw your relationship with Kand as a way for more revenge against your family.

-With the blessings of the other strongest gods in Valhalla, he struck down Andromeda’s family except for Andromeda herself, who was stripped of her powers and made into a kitchen maid in the Greek pantheon, forced to live a life of servitude for her crimes.

-Kand was not innocent as well, he was punished severely and B/N told you later that your father actually punched him when he tried to apologize and say that he was wrong to do that to you, but what Romeda had said was true, they had been seeing each other for years now behind your back.

-He had been shunned and labeled a cheater, and his family was unable to find him a marriage partner, so he spent many of his days drinking his life away.

-You spent hundreds of years hidden away in your palace, afraid of opening up to others again. You adored Blossom’s and B/N’s children, who adored you, and the five of them all helped in spreading good rumors about you, about your beauty, which did have suitors coming to meet with you, but you refused them all, afraid of being hurt again.

-However, seeing the children running around your garden, you hated to admit it, but you felt a sort of longing within your heart, you wanted love, you wanted happiness again.

-You stunned when you arrived with your brother and father at a massive party, hosting both gods and humans, as many had never seen you before and jaws were dropped all around, you were so beautiful and many were quick to realize they believed the rumors without knowing the truth, they judged you just because of what you could do.

-You looked so mysterious as you kept close to your father, as you were an unmarried maiden still, and your father wasn’t going to let any men get near you if you didn’t consent first, he wasn’t going to let his baby get hurt again.

Kojiro

-You were surprised when a human approached you, Sasaki Kojiro, you knew him as one of the strongest swordsmen in the history of humanity, and he had defeated Poseidon in the Ragnarok tournament that had been so popular, everyone who had been killed was brought back and more tournaments were scheduled.

-He was an older man, but he wanted to shoot his shot with you, he had never met a woman before that caught his attention and held it so viciously before. He kind of liked the feeling.

-Your father wasn’t worried as you didn’t seem concerned by this man, at first at least, he greeted you warmly, bowing at the waist, before flirting with you, “Had I known that a goddess like you was here in Valhalla, I would have died much sooner!”

-His flirting was a bit shocking but you couldn’t deny the blush on your cheeks and his cheerful smile did make your heart flutter a bit.

-You got to know Kojiro over the next several months, as time was irrelevant in Valhalla, he took his time courting you, giving you simple gifts like pressed flowers, and he would regale you with stories from when he was on earth.

-You felt yourself weakening around him, a softness appearing in your heart again, one that your twin was easily able to see but everything changed when Kojiro approached you with a fierce determination in his eyes that made your heart flutter, and he asked you to marry him.

-Your response was not what he was expecting, you instantly flinched back, looking scared, and you ran from him trying to stifle your sobs.

-B/N had been around the corner and overheard and he approached, comforting the samurai before sitting down with him and he told Kojiro of your past, your previous marriage and betrayal, and now the fear you hold deep within you.

-Kojiro was heartbroken to learn of your own heartbreak, of the betrayal you faced on your wedding day of all days, but he grew to understand you.

-He approached you again the following day, with another pressed flower, “Y/N, I’m sorry for upsetting you yesterday. I didn’t know, but now I do. I want to prove myself to you, that I am worthy for your precious heart.”

-It was another few months of a slow rebuilding, he had to regain what was lost, you still trusted him, but you now feared what could happen, old trauma coming back to haunt you.

-He proved, day after day, that he truly loved you, he proved it until you had not a single shred of doubt in your heart that he wasn’t going to betray you.

-Your wedding was lovely and elegant, but the party was massive, and it got wild quick, but it was so much fun, you felt so much happiness in your heart that Kojiro took the time to prove to you that he truly did and would always, love only you.

Hades

-Hades knew of your previous engagement, it had been a hot topic for what felt like years, such a massive scandal, but seeing you there in that party, he wanted to find Kand and punt him into the sun.

-How did Kand cheat on someone as beautiful as you?! You were literally the vision of beauty and power, all in one!!

-Hades didn’t speak to you at the party, only giving you a single black rose, which was stunningly beautiful, and you were surprised to see that he had persevered it with some sort of magic, so it never wilted.

-His first words to you were in a letter, he penned a beautiful poem, describing your beauty. Your face was tomato red for most of the day.

-The two of you began to exchange letters, things started off friendly and soon he was coming to visit you, after getting your father’s permission and the two of you could talk for hours.

-Hades enjoyed learning that you were as smart as you were beautiful, and he fully regrated showing you how to play chess, as he can never beat you now, which he does tease about from time to time.

-Hades didn’t rush anything, he was content with being friends, something you appreciated, and your friendship got him out and about and away from his desk for a while, which he fully appreciated.

-You could both tell there was something more between the two of you, you were hesitant to explore while Hades was very observant, seeing your hesitation and he made no move either.

-B/N saw this ‘something’ as well and caught Hades one day, inviting him for a drink, and he told Hades about your past, of what you faced and why you were so hesitant with him.

-Hades knew of the affair that was revealed on your wedding day, all of Valhalla knew of it, and Hades gripped his glass a bit tighter, something B/N saw, as the God of the Underworld couldn’t even fathom cheating on such a stunning creature such as yourself.

-Hades paid more attention to you over the next several weeks, seeing how you shied away from his small affections, but he could also see your smile and blush, like you wanted more, but you were hesitant.

-Hades asked you out on a walk together, as he wanted to show you some of the Greek pantheon that he called home and you agreed.

-Cerberus instantly liked you and you adored the massive three headed dog, he was like a puppy with you!

-As you wandered the gardens a voice shouted out your name and you instantly paled, turning, your hair fluttering all around you as you saw Kand, for the first time in hundreds of years.

-He looked disheveled and dirty and you were surprised when Hades put an arm up in front of you, shielding you, “Do not approach Y/N, scum.”

-Kand didn’t take kindly to that, “She’s my fiancée! I have every rig-” you were stunned as Hades instantly had Kand hauled up by his throat, halting his words, “Wrong, you lost her when you chose another.”

-He threw Kand back who landed hard on his rear and you had taken a few steps back when Hades first went for your ex, but the drunkard was instantly on his feet and charged right for you, demanding you back.

-Hades gave him no mercy the second time, round house kicking him away from you, sending him flying before he turned to you and rushed you.

-He picked you up princess style, your face instantly flushing, as he easily leapt up, leaving the gardens and landing on the upper levels of Zeus’ mansion, which overlooked the gardens.

-Hades grinned at your red face, telling you how cute you looked before he set you down and stepped back, but kept one of your hands in his own.

-You thanked Hades for defending you, something he brushed off, “Any man would leap at the chance to save someone as lovely as you are, Y/N.” you turned with an even brighter blush which made him laugh warmly and you couldn’t help but peek, silently commenting on how handsome he was while laughing.

-He took you home after he calmed down and B/N couldn’t help but smile, seeing the two of you arrive, holding hands and smiling at each other.

-B/N knew you two were going to get together, you were perfect for each other.

#record of ragnarok #ror x reader #ror sasaki kojiro #ror hades

[thewinternighttrilogy]

“We encounter him in fairy tales as an ambiguous Jack Frost character, who punishes the wicked but also rewards the good. However, the roots of the character are pagan and violent. He traces his origin to Karachun, the old winter god of death and chaos who literally shortens your life.

Here is where I diverged from folklore. Because it seemed to me that death and chaos can’t be embodied by the same god. It’s impossible. Death is the antithesis of chaos. So I decided to bifurcate the character, and spin off his chaotic parts into the Bear. The bear is partially based on the dark god veles in Slavic mythology, (whose symbol is a bear) but the two are parts of one whole. I thought how incredible it was, the journey Morozko took to from savage death god, to forest spirit to, in the modern day, ded moroz, who with the snow maiden brings gifts at Christmas to good children. I imagined an actual person, immortal, watching their role and their very self change throughout history, and his he’d feel and react. And so my Morozko was born.

Yes, in the fairy tales, he’s like old man winter, with a beard. I didn’t want a grandfather though, I wanted someone of ambiguous years and morals, still full of life and unwilling to fade. And so I wrote him.”

- Katherine Arden talking about creating Morozko’s character on her Instagram 

#the winternight trilogy #arden tweets #in a way #morozko #the bear and the nightingale #katherine arden

[breakandbuildfiction]

Danny Phantom-- Appearances

Okay I admit I love fics and headcanons where Danny looks and comes off as something distinctly or just slightly not human to everyone. I think its a cool concept that his two forms bleed together as he uses his ghost powers in human form, transforms often and for varying periods of time, and does more casual stuff in ghost form. But if that happens to Danny, wouldn’t it happen to Dani as well?

I like to picture it like this: Danny is powerful, a fighter, a king by conquest, and thinks of himself as both having died and being alive. His Obsessions are Protection and Space. He has an Ice Core and thanks to his affinity for star gazing likes the dark more than bright lights. So as his powers mix with him going through puberty and such he develops traits. He grows tall, like as tall or even slightly taller than his already giant of a father. His pure blue ice colored eyes shine softly like stars. His skin is what poets call moonlight pale with an almost silver sheen. His hair is almost like a black hole its so dark. He has a gaze that only ever looks as empty as a corpse or as piercing as a fairy tale king’s. His canine’s look more like true fangs and all his teeth are white as snow. Despite never seeming to work out beyond running he’s built like a Greek hero statue. His fingers look too elegant for someone built like he is and his nails almost look like he filed them into points. And whenever he talks in anything other than a whisper or a mumble his voice carries and echoes in a way that it’s impossible to ignore a single word.

Then you have Dani. She’s more powerful than most but she never really had a reason to become anything overly special so its more just because she was born like that. She’s a free spirit, someone who broke their chains and now lives unbound by any kind of ‘destiny’ and goes and does as she pleases. She’s a traveler, a wanderer, an explorer. She likes meeting new people and seeing new places around the world. She sees herself as someone who was just born different and thinks that since she was always a half-breed she never really died, meaning she was more... human adjacent. Her Obsessions are Discovery, Freedom, and Experiencing Wonder. So as she grows up her body takes these things on. Her eyes are the blue of a warm spring day’s sky, her hair dark as a winter night. Her smile is welcoming and filled with perfect teeth. She has a healthy fair complexion that never burns or tans. Her hands are soft despite the many hands on tasks she does. She was just above average height and had a physique that was lean and graceful, her walk almost fluttery as if she was almost dancing whenever she moved faster than a slow walk. When she talked her words were lilting, soft, and clear, easily drawing people into conversations. Her gaze was welcoming, joyous, and expressive, putting people at ease when they locked eyes with her.

Danny was a inhumanly powerful being, his might impossible to miss or ignore. He was a King who had cut down demons and godly beings alike and now stood atop their defeated forms.

Dani was a maiden from a fairy tail. She captured people’s attention and hearts without even trying or meaning to. She was something everyone wanted to grab a hold of or become, but both desires were forever out of their reaches.

What do you all think?

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dani phantom #eldritch danny #headcanon #being a halfa is weird #glowing eyes #inhuman danny #when jazz introduces her siblings to people they freak out #people love dani #people are scared of danny #no one in amity notices that danny looks weird #danny doesn't realize he looks scary #when danny goes on vacation people freak out #cultists love him

[thelampisaflashlight]

Siúil, a Rún

[Tonight you get rewritten Mountain lore because it's humid as hell and I needed something to do. Hinted Drywall. Mentions of past infidelity (like centuries past) and possible murder.] Below the cut.

For all his strange otherworldliness, Mountain was, at his root, a man.

A man born of mortal parents who tangled and fled from each other.

A child born of an affair.

And from birth his life was set upon a tragic course, for fate is unjustly cruel to those whose only sin was to breathe.

He'd been young when the abbey was built.

A lad of twelve, who watched as the monks set about their work, hauling stones and taking axes to ancient trees.

He'd been cast out by then, four years since his mother vanished and his grandmother was rid of him, and found himself begging for his meals, so when the monks approached him offering food, it was only natural he'd accept.

From then on, the monks were good to him, and he was good to them.

They taught him to read, showed him how to work the land, and told him all of God's wisdoms.

Indeed, for some time Mountain was a devout follower of the church, though, as he grew older and wiser himself, he found reason to doubt the monks followed much of what they preached.

Whilst tending the gardens one afternoon, Mountain had caught sight of a lovely maiden with hair like fire, adorned with green ribbons that stood out amongst the flames, and eyes so blue he felt no clear sky could compare.

She had been weeping, and Mountain, kind soul that he was -but awkward to a fault- had approached her with the purest red rose he could find and offered it to her, a stutter to his voice as he tried to console her.

"I've plucked away the thorns, it will not hurt you."

I will not hurt you.

And from then on, ah, from then on Mountain found himself often in the company of that fair lady until her shift grew tight in the middle, and he knew, lord below, he knew, it could not of been his.

Still, he could pretend, for the sake of his own heart, that he was -the babe was a boy, and Mountain had considered him his son- and because it was the way of the times, he married that fair lady and tried his damnedest to make them a proper family.

But even though he had it in himself to love his wife, to care for his son, there was something nagging at him whenever he looked at the boy's face.

Too familiar to a man in his memories, from his days living in the abbey.

And too familiar still was the winding road upon which he followed his wife, who'd sworn to be loyal, down into the valley to the gates of that accursed building.

Though even then he did not confront her.

Did not ask to where she went when the days were long and the sunset well into the evening.

When winter came, he had to wonder which would claim him first; The cold of winter, or the chill of an empty bed.

One night his wife did not return, and no body along the road nor in the woods could be found, so with a brow heavy with burden, Mountain made for the abbey, bidding his son care -now not much older than he had been when left for the last time- but not before telling him plainly...

"If I do not return, do not linger here nor seek to find me. Go to the town, to the baker or the blacksmith, but for all that is good in this world, do not seek shelter in a house of God."

The descent into the valley was tiring in the snow, and Mountain could see his breath thicken in the air.

When he arrived at the abbey, he made not for the main entrance, but instead crept in through a side door, and the sight that met him there...

...Shockingly easy to forget with the passage of time.

Indeed, the exact scene he had witnessed was long faded from mind, replaced by better memories of more loyal friends and lovers, but there are times when he does recall bits and pieces.

And as Mountain licks the trickle of red from his fingers, having thoughtlessly dragged his hands through the thorns of newer blooms, he recalls his first taste of blood.

Flexing his fingers, Mountain uncurls his fist to gaze upon the treasure he'd pulled from the roses; A singular green hair tie that he deposits into Dew's waiting hand.

"You should really wear gloves." the ghoul gently scolds, casting the hair tie into a small bag filled up with lost and forgotten things, "Even I'm not dumb enough to stick my hand in there."

Mountain huffs a little laugh and plucks a rose from the bush -blush pink with a white center, less grand than the passionate red of yore- and does away with the thorns before tucking it into Dew's hair.

Half teasing, half to admire the way the faint burst of color stands out amongst the white strands, "I've plucked away the thorns."

I won't hurt you.

"You're such a..." Dew puffs his cheeks and a bit of steam flutters his curls, "...Just be careful, yeah?"

Please... don't hurt me.

"I will be from now on."

#Lamp writes #nameless ghouls #mountain ghoul #dewdrop ghoul #ghost band #ghost bc #the band ghost #ghost band fanfic #sheetrock is a brand of drywall #mountaindew

[astranne]

MY LADY !genshin impact

prologue to my lady wife

pierro x fem!reader

words // 500~

notes // here i am, with more pierro content. the first snippet i posted got so many notes over night, like damn- we‘re all hungry for pierro content so here i am, feeding us with some more. if you have any other scenarios for pierro or other harbringers, feel free to send an ask! i would love to write something more specific!!

my lady series masterlist

As the fifth daughter of a second born son, your parents didn’t pressure you for a marriage. Sure, they would’ve loved to see another daughter married, yet just like with the first and the rest who already did, they wanted you to marry for love.

Love doesn’t come that easily for Shneznayan people. Especially not for nobles.

Most of them marry for alliances, for food, for more gold, for power. Only lower nobles marry for love, and even then, most of them are ambitious to marry into higher standing.

Not you. While your family name was respected back then, when you were still a maiden and a simple lady, neither were you at the top nor on the bottom of the noble food chain. And you‘ve always known you would marry for love, a benefit as the second youngest child.

Your sister married for love, and said that love, luckily, has a very high position. The right hand of the Harbringer Pulcinella, an honorable and demanding position.

This is how you met him. The Jester, the first Harbringer, the leader of the Fatui elite.

A strong man, a demanding man, a true Snezhnayan. He was respected throughout the entire nation and still is. Young men want to be like him and women of all ages swoon over him.

You did too, but then you got over your silly little crush. It was useless, you thought back then. Why would the most powerful man in Snezhnaya notice you?

He didn’t at first. But then he saw you at one of the many feasts he has to attend as the Harbringer's Leader, and he couldn't help but stare.

You weren’t in the middle of attention, you stood by the sidelines, together with the many sisters you had. And you giggled over something- it lit up your eyes and colored your cheeks.

He didn’t fall in love, but he was intrigued. You seemed like a soft, tiny little thing, yet he saw something akin to a warrior in you. A strong person, with soft features yet hard skin, similar to so many Snezhnayan women but different.

This is why he practically marched over to you and gruffly asked you for a dance. With wide eyes, you looked at him and accepted with a shy smile. But then you squared your shoulders and stood tall beside him while he guided you to the dance floor.

You matched his forceful steps, almost gliding over the dance floor, all while looking like an angel in your snow white dress, made out of the best quality lace.

The two of you didn't talk, not when your eyes spoke so much more than words could. Gazing up at him, his giant form almost towering over you, and yet you still look up at him to directly look into his eyes. It almost makes him smile.

"My lady," he grumbled in his deep voice and kissed your clothed hand, longer than normally done and never broke eye contact.

"My lord," you simply said, perfectly falling into a curtsey, ignoring the butterflies fluttering in your stomach, and simply smiled politely at him as he departed and swept over the dancing floor with his long coat floating after him.

Not even a day later, a courting offer has been sent to your father.

ASTRANNE 2022

#genshin impact #genshin pierro #pierro x reader #pierro x you #pierro x fem reader #pierro x female reader #genshin x reader #genshin x female reader #pierro imagines #🪐 galaxy milky way #tbh i don't really like how this turned out #but i don't have the patience to rewrite this #so yeah #my lady series

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas 19 & 20: Snegurochka and Ded Moroz!

Long ago, in the Vologda Forest in what is now Russia, a couple, unable to have children, made one out of snow, and so great was their love for each other, and their desire for a child, that the girl came to life. They named her Snegurochka, which means “Snow Maiden.”

Now, the Vologda, along with many of the eastern Slavic lands, had terrible winters, and those winters were ruled over by a fierce elemental tyrant, an ancient ice wizard named Morozko. In order to appease him, the Slavs would send their children to present him with gifts as a show of fealty, that he might have pity on them and lessen the severity of storms, and use the great chains he would forge from ice to shatter the frozen waters.

Though they were loath to send their dear Snegurochka on such a perilous journey, the couple had no choice; their neighbors all sent their children, and the couple must do likewise. So Snegurochka went, to present her gift.

Morozko had little interest in the children who would present his gifts, except as a symbol of the power of life and death that he wielded over the Slavs. But he was taken aback when he saw Snegurochka, who reminded him so of his own daughter, who had died long ago. He was so arrested by the sight of her, and so fresh was the remembered grief of his lost child, that he sent all of the children (with their gifts) away so that they wouldn’t see him weep his frozen tears.

The children were so excited to be returning with the gifts (of which the making and buying had presented such hardships to their families) that they built a fire in the woods to have a celebration before going home. They began to play a game, taking turns leaping over the fire. Little Snegurochka, as elated as her peers, joined in. And when it was her turn to leap over the fire, she did so, but no sooner had the little girl made of snow sailed over the flames than she melted away to vapor.

Morozko (who could feel all of the ice and snow in his domain) immediately felt her disappear, and he watched, helpless, as the vapor drifted into the sky. And he knew that he could not bear to lose another child of snow, even if this one was not his. 

Morozko tried to use his magic to return her to snow, but she was a creature borne of pure love, and magic alone cannot bind love. But he still tried, and drew from himself the deepest cold of all in the hopes that it would be enough - the ice that encased his frozen heart. 

Even that ancient and terrible ice was not enough to bring back Snegurochka.

But with his heart no longer frozen, the love long buried inside Morozko began to shine, and that love was all he needed to shape the vapor back into the snow maiden. 

A bit less strong, a bit less fierce, and much kinder, Morozko took Snegurochka safely back to her village, to her parents. And when he bid his farewell, Snegurochka threw her arms around him, and called him grandfather. And now this is what he is called by everyone, for “Ded Moroz” means “Grandfather Frost.” Ded Moroz never again demanded gifts, but instead brings gifts to children all over Russia and its neighbors during the darkest days of the year, accompanied by his adopted granddaughter.

#companions of christmas #christmas #ded moroz #morozko #snegurochka #snow maiden #russian folklore

[lemonhemlock]

I totally forgot to say that Sansa’s prophecy isn’t even done yet with the “maiden slays a giant(petyr) in a castle made of snow” it could be the eyrie during winter but it’s highly to be winterfell(she build winterfell from a pile of snow) after everything is revealed so it’s unlikely she stays at the vale forever, it just shocked me how little fans viewed sansa back in the day to the point that’d they’d just completely ignore her narrative in favour of others, just to say she’s not important, fan favourites are bound to happen but I’ve never seen visceral reaction to a character just because she’s gained attention after years of having horrible theories that served her as a prop for other characters or because the ending might not go according to their 10 year planned theories

The second ask I received is proof of the message above, an interpretation of Sansa's character that is so bad faith it could only be borne out of spite:

Anonymous asked: where does the notion that sansa doesnt care about starving people? i see this in a lot of anti posts about her being excited that they have lemoncakes at the party, somehow that means she doent care about "starving people in the vale" they ignore that the vale isnt affected by war and has actually a surplus of food that petyr and the vale lords are fighting over and its gonna be a conflict in winds if sansa gets involved later ,theyre really reaching for that "sansa's actually evil" theory

Your guess is as good as mine as to where this came from, anon. Unfortunately, the general public react really badly to what they perceive to be passive femininity, especially if said character's development mostly takes place in their interior monologue (a mark of a boring story for many). Not to say it's a crime to consider characters like Sansa boring, but so many act like she's medieval Regina George.

#ask #anon #sansa stark