#remember this rhyme i just made up ladies

[kehideni]

If your blood 👏

Smells like fish 👏

You need to see 👏

A gynecologist 👏

#remember this rhyme i just made up ladies #your period ahould not smell like fish #*should #i have fat thumbs

[jelliessoap]

COD MEN AND THEIR DOGS!

just my hcs for the dogs they would get!

TF141 + könig

gn!reader, fluff, no warnings really, adopt dont shop y’all !! , gifs not mine! can u tell im a dog person

cavalier king charles spaniel!

- didn’t plan on getting a dog until he came home and found you with a little cavalier pup in your lap

- a sweet girl with an old lady name like marjorie

- wasn’t super affectionate towards her until he was napping like an old man in his recliner and she curled up on his lap

- he woke up and acted annoyed, looked around to see if you were there then looked back at her and couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he pet her.

- life changed

- this dog is precious to him

- only the best brands of food, most reputable groomers, always has her favorite treats stocked up, wouldn’t trust anyone to watch her.

- you thought you loved this dog? john loves her 10 times more.

- christmas cards with your dog

- wedding pics with your dog

- she was def in your wedding

- the dog is queen of the house and you’re both totally fine with that

- your guys’ child tbh

a blue staffordshire bull terrier

- wanted to get you a guard dog, you insisted on adopting from a shelter

- was looking for a big mean scary looking dog but said he didn’t like their ‘attitudes’ (leave it to simon.)

- almost left empty handed but a little staffy caught your eye.

- stole your heart immediately the little guy was wagging his tail and sitting patiently at the kennel door. when the shelter staff explained he was a rescue from dog fights and had some temperament issues so he wasn’t easily adoptable he stole ghost’s heart.

- saw himself in the dog

- needless to say you took home that little staffy

- surprisingly patient with the pup and his behavioral issues

- he nipped at ghost once out of nerves and you prepared for the worst but ghost backed off to give him space instead

- invests in a lot of training for him, will switch trainers if he finds their methods are too hard on your pup

- i think the dog would bring you two closer and let him open up more, especially as the training goes on and there’s noticeable progress

- brings out a different side of ghost tbh, much more vulnerable and happy. not a care in the world when he’s with that dog

- remembers the adoption date and literally takes the dog for a day out, a (pup friendly) meal, a run around the park, a new toy, and finally a fancy ass treat when you’re all back home together

2 scottish terriers

- would not choose to own a dog per say, he basically is one doesn’t need another

- you already had dogs when you started dating and he would never ask you to get rid of them, they were your babies and you made that clear when you blabbered about them non stop your first date

- never saw himself settling down so seriously so he didn’t think much of it

- now he lives with two dogs, scottish terriers funny enough

- acts like he doesn’t like them

- calls them tweedledee and tweedledum

- definitely frantically researches if the dogs can have a bite of his dinner and gives them some if they can. not because the food is bad but because its so good he wants them to experience it too

- new dog toys keep appearing that you didn’t buy but soap insists it wasn’t him

- gets jealous when they’re on your lap getting all your attention

- you have to pet him too

- you went on a trip once and he stayed with the dogs, when you came back they were all sleeping in your bed

dalmatian

- no rhyme or reason for this one he just gives me a dalmatian vibe

- would probably have a male dog named pongo like from 101 dalmatians

- got the dog before you met i think

- loves playing fetch with him

- takes the dog on runs regularly

- absolutely dresses him up for halloween

- brags about your dog a lot

- probably has a pic of you and the dog sleeping as his lock screen or something

- pls take pics of the dog to send to him while he’s deployed or to show him when he gets home

dachshund

- you guys adopted him together a little after you first were engaged

- he named it zerstörer ( destroyer )

- runt of the litter

- definitely buys him little shirts

- “zerstörer nein!! drop my mask!!”

- has lost many masks to zerstörer

- this dog is a menace but könig loves him

- zerstörer runs your house like an evil monarch

- “mein schatz you can’t be mad at him…he is so little and cute…”

- pray you don’t have kids bc you guys will be walked all over by them könig is a sucker

- actually gets upset when someone calls him a wiener dog

- “nein. zerstörer is no wiener.😒😒”

- carrying him around all sassy like

#silly #sleepy once again #cod #call of duty #cod headcanons #cod modern warfare #cod mw2 #headcanons #ghost cod #simon ghost riley #ghost headcanons #john price #price headcanons #john price headcanons #cod x reader #soap call of duty #soap mactavish #soap headcanons #kyle gaz garrick #gaz cod #gaz headcanons #könig #könig cod #könig headcanons

[paragonrobits]

Talk to the people that fight the monsters in the dark, skulking in the alleys no one remembers and hiding behind suits and smiling faces in the expensive buildings, they'll tell you stories. They say there's a city block that doesn't belong to the city anymore.

Don't make trouble for the people there. The unspoken statement is that the people there aren't... exactly human anymore. They used to be. But there's worse things in the dark then men with the hearts of wolves or undying monsters that drink the blood of the living; worse than patchwork men that spread disaster in their wake and don't understand why. Sometimes, a terrible mystery ensnares someone, trapping them in promises and story and lies, and drags them away.

What comes back isn't human anymore. It's still a person, though. They reason and understand things, same as the humans they were, once. You leave them alone, the local Union rep says. They're no harm to no one, as long as you don't bring trouble to them.

Don't rat to them, you get warned. If someone who looks too good to be true comes around sniffing for their addresses, you just smile and nod and say you never heard a damn thing. Don't rat them out. Because the people in that place will know, and they'll find you, and your family. You try to throw them back into hell, they'll return the favor three times over.

But it goes both ways; if you watch out for them, mind your business and keep their secrets, they'll help you out.

The Union rep tells you a short little story; he says that most of the time, the people in that city block look the same as you or me. There might be a few signs; a girl with teeth unnaturally sharp and pointy, or a man who knocks on wood and it makes a noise like HE'S made of wood. But if things are going normal, you won't see what they really look like, just a kind of magical mask that hides them. But they got their fancy tricks, and they know all about escaping bad situations.

So if you do your part in the deal, they'll help you out. Pretty much anything; a single mother went down to them after some bad business with her ex came up and her kids went missing. Well, she talked to Pop Hammerfist, the big ol' dude that looks like someone carved a tree into a man. Her ex was on the news in the hospital a few days after, yelling about the trees following him, and her kids were back home safe and sound, and with the ex having already signed a few agreements to pay his damn alimony already.

Or a little boy with a missing cat came up to them and asked for help. If any of the real hunters or Union folk had heard about it, they would have stopped him, but the people in the city block didn't turn him away. They nodded, and listened, a few hours later came back with the little boy's cat, safe and purring up a storm. You help them out, they help you out; I hear that kid tells 'em stuff he heard. 'Spose there's a lesson in that. We're all in this together, long as we don't tear the boat down with us in it.

Reminds me of a story about the lady who brought the cat in, in fact. A big lady; has to go to special shops to get clothes that fit. Weird shiny teeth, too, with the weirdest damn braces I ever saw, if those are braces. You hear some funny stories about her, that when she comes knocking the whole floor shakes, but she couldn't be a sweeter lady. Nice to kids, loves cats, always help out. If she's got the weird habit of speaking in rhyme before she says anything else, well, we all got our promises, I guess.

Well, a while back, we had a Slasher. Yeah; the thing that happens when a Hunter goes bad, or someone just gets too much of a taste for murder. Killing opens up a soul, and some part of us leaks out, or something else gets in. This particular fellow liked to call himself a real genius; a real nasty piece of work that liked making elaborate death traps and leaving people to die. Well, we worked out he was there when they started finding the bodies, and by that point he'd already gotten the Big Lady.

...Yeah, that's the name of that lady I mentioned. Long story.

Well, we found what was left of him, and his death traps. The whole place was smashed to pieces by something big. Big and helliciously strong, I'd say. It was like the set of those torture horror movies got hit by a storm. And they found the guy, or. What was left of him. Looked like a wild animal had bit him up, or a jaguar.

Well, from what we heard, he got her all right. But she might have been a bit more than he bargained for. I'm not sure exactly what she did to him, but they were cleaning his blood and bone off the wall for weeks. They said his skull looked like something real strong had just slugged him, so hard he sorta splashed. Don't make me draw you a picture, pal.

But, yeah. Funny thing is, they said the fist mark was so big you'd need a person the size of an elephant to throw that kind of punch. And we kept seeing cats around the area. Really, really big cats.

..You remember about promises. You keep 'em with the city block folk, because they got all kinds of things keeping promises to them.

What happened to the Big Lady, you ask? Oh, she's still around. Helps out the local Union cell now and then. Good hand if you need brute force.

She don't much like having to handle anything that's got too much iron in it; steel is fine, but not real iron. She saws its an allergy.

...Yeah, I know how it sounds. But we got our funny ways, and she keeps her promises, so keep your nose out of it, yeah?

#hunter the vigil #changeling the lost #nwod #chronicles of darkness #my writing #fics #queued

[robanilla-writes]

Dreamtale Drabble, ~700 Words

Part 2 | Part 3

[CW: poision, drugged food. The twins are children, exact age left vague. bittersweet.]

---

Nightmare looks up when he hears the sound of Dream's running feet, swishing in a rush through the tall grass. He sets his book down, careful to mark his spot with the pressed lavender he had made personally. Dream calls out his name and lands in an unceremonious slide up next to him.

"Nighty! Nighty, look! I got candy this time!" Dream shouts his excitement, holding out his bounty. Nightmare peaks into the small bundle, and sees a variety of small treats and candies. "I helped Ann-Dee with a few chorse today- you remember her, right? The tall lady with red fur? Well! Well, she said the purple one was specifically for you- she made them herself! And said that I could share them with you because I did a good job helping her with her chorse, and-"

"Chores."

"And- what?"

"That's not how you say it," Nightmare explains patiently. "You're supposed to say 'chores.' It doesn't rhyme with horse."

Dream looks confused for an extra second, but then he blinks, and recognition blooms over his expression. "Ohhh! Okay. So I helped Ann-Dee with the chores!"

Dream giggles. "How do YOU know that, Nighty? Ann-Dee never said anything!"

Nightmare shrugs, and takes the small bundle out of Dream's offering hands. He picks through it and collects all of the purple ones before handing the bundle back to him.

Dream pouts.

"Aw, wait, I wanna try one of yours. You can try one of mine, we can trade!"

Nightmare isn't against it. Honestly, he would rather share with Dream when it came to sweets. Something about his share just smelled... wrong.

"Wait," Nightmare says, assertive tone making Dream sulk further. He picks up his treat, a biscuit of sone kind, and takes a tentative sniff. It's mostly cinnamon and spice.

But the sweet seemed to be coated in vitriol, and the smell was most definitely hemlock.

Nightmare isn't suprised, but he is disappointed that he wouldn't be eating any homemade snacks today.

"It's poisoned," Nightmare says on a sigh, discarding the treats entirely. "Again."

Dream's sulk shifts into horrible dismay, and he looks aghast at the deceptively wholesome bundle. "But! But... I thought Ann-Dee was nice... Why would she do that?"

Nightmare looks at Dream with pity. "You know why. I'm sure she was very nice to you, brother, but the villagers don't like me."

"That's just because they don't know you."

"Maybe so," Nightmare sighs, trying to avoid the usual argument. He leans back against their tree, as if exhauseted from the sunny day. Out of curiosity, Nightmare reaches over and plucks a yellow sweet out of the rest and gives it that same sniff.

He jolts back up and grabs the entire sack back.

"Dream. Have you eaten any of these?"

Dream is shocked by Nightmare's sudden urgency, but he shakes his head all the same. "No, I wanted to wait until I could share them with you."

Nightmare breaks open the treat and holds the piece up for Dream to smell. "I don't know how they made it with positivity, but that's also drugged. I think they wanted to kill me and put you to sleep."

Dream takes the treat with a distraught whine. "Wh-what?? Why... That's horrible! How do you know these things?"

Nightmare looks away for a moment, and Dream thinks of all the food he had ever been given as thanks, that he always insisted on sharing with his brother.

Dream's cheeks twitch as he tries not to cry.

"I- I didn't know..," Dream says with a hiccup. "I would have never...!"

Nightmare's face scrunches up because he hates it when Dream cries. He leans over to crush his twin in a strong hug, shushing him as he does.

"I know, Dream," Nightmare says. "I know. It's not your fault."

"I could have killed you!"

Nightmare just holds him tighter. He wonders, though, if he would thank Dream for sharing his joy with him anyway.

Or if he would resent him for returning to that damn village despite the constant warnings Nightmare gave him.

One day, he was going to make an innocent mistake that would end up costing them both.

Nightmare can do little more than hold Dream and try not to think about it.

#robanilla-writes #my writing #is this magic bitty bits? maybe. #but god. i just keep trying to skip to the good part :( #anyway #nightmare sans #dream sans #dreamtale #dreamtale fic #dreamtale brothers

[goforth-ladymidnight]

On ACOTAR Faeries and Names

For some reason, SJM undoes most, if not all, of traditional faerie lore in her books. (I haven't read TOG or CC so I can't comment on those.) The cynical part of me thinks it's because faeries can be difficult to write well, therefore she took the easy route; the more forgiving part of me thinks it's because she set out to explore why humans believed certain myths about faeries, but then lost interest as she spent more and more time in the realm of the Night Court. (Side note: I find it odd that SJM chose to emphasize that the Illyrians are NOT really faeries, whether High or "lesser". I honestly wonder why that is.) Regardless, there's nothing very faerie about SJM's High Fae, etc. except for their ethereal beauty and pointed ears and the fact that they can do magic, I guess.

I've already written about Aging and Lying when it comes to ACOTAR's Faeries, and I thought I'd touch on another aspect of faerie lore that SJM chooses to ignore. (Heh, that rhymes.)

Names.

His [Rhysand's] eyes shifted to my face. “What’s your name, love?” Giving him my name—and my family name—would lead only to more pain and suffering. He might very well find my family and drag them into Prythian to torment, just to amuse himself. But he could steal my name from my mind if I hesitated for too long. Keeping my mind blank and calm, I blurted the first name that came to mind, a village friend of my sisters’ whom I’d never spoken to and whose face I couldn’t recall. “Clare Beddor.” My voice was nothing more than a gasp. ~ACOTAR ch. 26

Clare and her family are killed because Rhys revealed that name to Amarantha, even though he admitted later (in the next book) that he thought she made it up. So, Feyre's fears were not unfounded, but once she is Under the Mountain with everyone else, she is still reluctant to give her name when Amarantha asks for it.

Lucien is even brought forward and refuses to give away Feyre's name. For his defiance, Amarantha orders Rhysand to shatter his mind before Feyre finally gives in and shouts her name for everyone to hear. The Lady of Autumn even repays her sacrifice by helping her with one of Amarantha's "household tasks".

What is the sacrifice, though? It would seem that the only reason Amarantha wants to know her name is because Feyre knows hers, and wants to address her "properly":

“Feyre,” Amarantha said, testing my name, the taste of the two syllables on her tongue. “An old name—from our earlier dialects. Well, Feyre,” she said. I could have wept with relief when she didn’t ask for my family name. “I promised you a riddle.” ~ACOTAR ch. 35

In traditional faerie lore, it is said that names have power, so giving a faerie your name gives them power over you. (It is important to note that they cannot take anything from you. It has to be given.)

There is a scene in Hayao Miyazaki's animated classic in which the young protagonist Chihiro signs a contract to work for the sorceress Yubaba. In a beautifully animated sequence, her signature floats away and into Yubaba's waiting palm. She literally signed away her name. Chihiro is then given a new name in exchange: Sen. By the next day, she has already forgotten her original name and her purpose (freeing her enchanted parents). It is only when another ensorcelled young man gives her the bundle of her old clothes with a card in the pocket (with her name written on it) that she remembers who she was, and why she's there.

I just think it could have been very interesting to give Feyre a similar plotline in ACOTAR. By giving Amarantha her name, she no longer has it, and can no longer remember it. (And since the story is told in first person, it's easier to convey.)

How she gets her name back could be handled in one of two ways: Lucien gives back her name like the true friend he is, or she doesn't remember it until the very end.

If we explore the second option, this is what I'm thinking: Amarantha sought to break Feyre in mind, body, and spirit. The one thing she could never take from Feyre was her love for Tamlin.

“I love you,” I said. “No matter what she says about it, no matter if it’s only with my insignificant human heart. Even when they burn my body, I’ll love you.” My lips trembled, and my vision clouded before several warm tears slipped down my chilled face. I didn’t wipe them away. ~ACOTAR ch. 43

In my Faeries and Lying essay (linked above), I think it would have been more powerful for Amarantha to want Feyre to admit to lying about her love for Tamlin. In the same vein, I think it would be that much more impactful for Feyre to admit that even if she does not know her own name, she knows she loves Tamlin, and that's enough.

It's the one thing Amarantha couldn't take from her. It's the reason Feyre went Under the Mountain in the first place. And most importantly, it's the answer to the riddle. Love. And that's enough.

#my essays #sjm critical #the farther we get from the first book #the less magical it gets #acotar is a better standalone book #acotar worldbuilding #missed opportunities

[stayinguplate]

Chapter 4 madness starts

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

…CHAPTER FOUR LETS GO!!!, so this chapter may be a little longer but who knows I don’t keep track on my progress…anyway this story concept belongs to @moshispace and check them out to see how they go into more detail on the story .they are the creator and I’m simply the writer .

WARNING: this story has yandere themes mentioneds of gore, foul language, and mentions of attempted kidnapping

Please don’t read if you feel uncomfortable with any of these things .

Enough yapping from me let’s get into the story

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Hide her!”

Usagi said as he scrambled back to his seat

Leo quickly pulled a little bottle out of his pocket,

opening the lid and shove it by my mouth

“ Dink this quickly “

I drink it out of surprise and i remember it had

the similar taste to the other drink that had

shrunk me ,

I quickly shove it away, coughing as I drinked it

too quickly , Leo then looked to me as i felt

myself starting to shrink

“ quick hide her Leo “

Usagi said in worry as anxiousness lingers on his

tone , Leo, then grabbed teapot as I was done

shrinking. I was a little smaller now.

Leo then grabs me with his hand quickly, but

being careful not to crush me as I did fit in his

hand then dumped me in the teapot

“ careful now “

he says as he sees me go into the teapot ,

As he throws the rest of my makeshift dressed in

the teapot, he closes the lid to it .

I feel the teapot move slightly as I try to steady

my balance .

I didn’t understand what is going on but all I knew

was that if felt supper familiar and now I’m

starting to get a feeling that I shouldn’t be here

, I closed my eyes as I hugged myself thinking

before I remembered something

~ “ get her out of here splints they can’t know

what we have done to protect her “ the voice of

the figure says as they hand me to someone

“ ok I’ll get her out of here and back where she

belongs as fast as I can and I’ll get the flowers

heads help to distract them just in case “

The other voice says

“ good now go we might not have enough time “

The voice says as the other starts to run with me~

The teapot then opened as I snapped out of my

odd memory

“ Leo! “

I said as I yelled as i didn’t exactly fit my dress

anymore the teapot then quickly closes

“ pardon “

He said as he realized what he did

“ one moment “

he says as he opens the teapot slightly and grabs

a small piece of fabric closing the teapot giving

me privacy,’the memory it was so blurry that i

couldn’t exactly see what they were doing

Hopefully my mind would give me the information

And maybe remember’.

Then the teapot opened again

“ try this on for size “

Leo says as a dress is thrown into the teapot

I was thankful he had made me a dress it had

looked even better than my make shift dress

I was in awe as I then put it on , it had fit perfectly

And I was happy for how it looked, I then knocked

On the teapot signaling I was done

“Oh!…”

Leo said as he seems surprised with his work as

he picks me up with his hand, I almost fit in his

whole palm so he was careful as he set me down

,he looks at me as he then warmly smiled

“ I like it”

“ good thing splinter is one of us or you’d be …”

Cass then motioned a cutting neck motion

Leo shook, his head at her

“ what do they want with me?”

I question as Leo looks to me

“wait a minute best to take her to the white

queen..she’ll be safe there. Spoon…”

Usagi exclaimed as he then quiet down as he

looked at the spoon .

Leo put his hat down on the table

“ your carriage my lovely lady “

He said looking to me 

“ the hat?”

I said curiously

“ of course, anyone can go by horse or rail but the

absolute best way to travel is by hat. Have I made

a rhyme?”

he said as he looks away slightly, but then back to

me. As the others start giggling

“ oh i love traveling by hat .”

Cass said happily as she walk toward us

“ cass . just reader, please. fairfarren, all”

He said a slight possessive tone hinting in his

voice , I stepped on the hat and he picked up the

hat and stood up, starting to walk away from the

table Usagi then threw a teacup at Leo but Leo

ducks quickly as he missed the teacup, the

teacup shattering on the ground as he did so.

As we walked, we eventually made it to a forest

the sun rising as we walked through it 

And eventually, Leo started talking to himself

“ all mimsy were the borogroves and all the mome

raths outgrabe “

I then carefully walk to the edge of the hat and

carefully get down and hang from the brim

“ sorry what was that ?”

I ask in curiosity as I see him look to me I then let

go dropping to his shoulder and holding on

making sure to not fall

“ what was what ?”

He said looking to me I looked back at him

wanting an answer

“ the day of choosing a day that you made up and

whatever you wish in this world comes true for

that. you are now here. And now you must

choose for the day of choosing is only you to

choose “

He said as his tone lingers with a somewhat dark

impression as he then turns to me with a smile

but also somewhat of a smirk

“ it’s all about you, you know “

“ i’m not choosing anything and I don’t choose. I

have a hard time choosing sometimes and I don’t

even know what this is about ,so put it out of your

mind “

Leo then stopped walking

“ mind “

He simply said as he grabs you and places you

down on the floor

“ wait !you can’t just leave me here!”

You said as he was walking away but then

stopped and turned back to me

“ you don’t wanna choose, do you have any idea

What Donnie has done?, you don’t choose “

He said as he scoffed softly

“ I couldn’t if I wanted to “

I said as i started to feel bad a pit in my stomach

forming as I felt guilty.

Leo then walked up closer kneeling down

“ you’re not the same as you were before … you

Much more muchier. You’ve lost your muchness”

“ my ‘muchness’?”

I said confused as I looked up at him as he the

points at my chest 

“ in there. Something is missing.”

He said as he looks at me with confusion

“ tell me what…Donnie?..has done”

I asked as I take a step forward but

Leo shakes his head softly

“ it’s not a pretty story …”

“ tell me anyway “

I said, Leo sighed and looked around the fog

slightly clearing, revealing torn up and broken

down houses 

“ it was here “

He said as he paused for a moment continuing

“ was hatter to …the white queen at the time.

heightop clan have always been employed at the

court “

He said as he then started to zone out getting

into what had happened

“ it was a normal gathering the trees green

everyone having fun music playing and we were

waiting for you to arrive ,everything seemed

peaceful and fine, but then everything wasn’t…

suddenly, we were under attack , people were

screaming …thank fully we were able to escape

but after that all of us didn’t consider Donnie- I

mean the purple king as our brother anymore “

“ Leo …are you okay?”

I asked worried about him

“ I’m fine ..”

He said as he looked to you with a hint of sadness

As a few seconds pass Leo looks around

“ did you hear that ?,Im certain i heard

something. ”

“ what?”

“ Oh! Purple knights!”

He says with a panic as he quickly grabs me and

starts running , running through the forest we

heard them getting closer and closer hearing the

barking getting closer , Leo quickly hides behind

a tree as they pass and then starts to run the

other way running through bushes and jumping

over broken down trees . He then stops as he sees

upon and a withered tree across the river

He quickly takes off his hat and places me on top

“ go south to trotter’s bottom. The white queen’s

castle is just beyond.”

He said giving me directions as he sighed

“ hold on tightly and good luck “

He said as a quickly and carefully gives you a kiss

on your head .

He then brings his hand back far and tosses his

hat in the air

“ Down with the bloody purple King !”

He yells as he holds his arms out.

The hat successfully makes it over the river by the

tree. I fell off the hat, rolling twice as I fell to the

ground . I felt my face feel warm, but shook my

head as I quickly stood up, grunting slightly as I

look across the river to see Leo get captured by

the purple robot Knights .

“ Leo …”

I whispered to myself as I watched him get taken

away . I quickly go to the hat, lift it and go under it

It all felt too much. I didn’t understand. I knew

now where to go, but I felt horrible for him as I felt

tears pour down my cheeks eventually, crying

myself to sleep.

I then heard sniffing as the hat was lifted off, I

quickly stood up awake now

I see in front of me a dog a blood hound 

“ you were supposed to lead them away the Leo

trusted you !”

I said as the dog looks to me

“ they have my wife and pups”

He says in a somewhat tired voice

“… I’m sorry about that … what’s your name ?”

“ bayard “

He says as he looks down at me

“ sit “

I making it sound like somewhat of an order, but 

in a polite way he then sits complying to what I

Was Asking from him

“ what’s your name be reader by any chance? “

He asked in curiosity

I sigh before responding

“ yes,… but I’m not the one that everyone is

talking about “

I said as I rubbed my eyes

“ Leo would not have given himself up just for any

reader.”

He said simply

“ where did they take him? “

I asked curiously

“ to the purple Kings Castle at Salazen Grum “

He says looking away

“ we’re going to rescue him “

I said, determined

“that is not foretold.”

He says as he looks back to me

“ I don’t care . He wouldn’t be there if it weren’t

for me “

I said as I took a step forward

“ from the moment I fell down that rabbit hole i’ve

been told what I must do and who I mustn’t be …

I’ve been shrunk , stretched , scratched and

stuffed into a teapot …. i’ve been accused of

being reader and of not being reader , but this is

my dream … i’ll decide where it goes from here “

I exclaimed as I take a breath

“ if you diverge from the path-..”

He starts, but then I cut him off 

“ I make the path”

I said making myself clear

He sighed and then grumbles as he lays his head

down as I climb up on his snout and to, his back 

“ take me to Salazen Grum ,Bayard and don’t

forget the hat .”

I said, as I held onto his collar , he then grabs the

hat with his mouth as he started to run to our

destination , I made sure to hold on tightly so I

did not fall.

After a long while of traveling, we had made it to

the castle, the purple Kings Castle

“ there’s only one way across”

Bayard said as there was a moat of a swamp, and

it looked somewhat deadly only to realize they

were Stoneheads It was very unsettling I took a

deep breath Preparing myself. 

“ lost my Muchness, have I ?”

I said to myself as I walked forward, as I carefully

stepped on the stoneheads making my way

across being careful not to fall in .

I had to finally made it across without falling in

I look back to Bayard and give a bow showing my

gratitude he gives one back as he then grabs the

hat before chucking it over the stonewall then he

runs off . I then

look back to the stonewall. It was very high. I look

around before I see a little crack in the between

the stone bricks. As I then go through.

I then entered a garden?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I’m sorry if this one seems short and I’m also sorry that this one took a little longer than it needed to but other than that I hope you all enjoyed and I’ll see you next time. I hope you all have a good day ,night or even afternoon. 





#yandere #fanfic #alice in wonderland au #rise april #rise donnie #yandere rottmnt #rottmnt #rise raph #rise mikey #rise leo #rottmnt x reader #dark romance #alice in wonderland

[bumblebeehug]

God, she loves him

NaLu fanfic

Summary: Lucy loves Natsu so much.

Ao3 link (that I think will work, not as an actual link but to copy and paste into your search engine) : https://archiveofourown.org/works/44694328

God how she loved him.

They were just hanging out in the guild, as usual, when she came to her realisation. Lucy had finished up an interview with Sorcerer Weekly, now a bit tired from also having done two minor jobs. She had accidentally said yes to Jason when he called late at night a few days ago, at the moment not remembering that the date was occupied by not only one, but two jobs. Wendy and Erza wanted to go on a quest that could satisfy their sweet tooth - not an easy task when Erza set her mind to it, and Natsu had made her agree to killing a smaller monster that had been pestering an old woman’s garden. Though these missions may sound like easy jobs, they have a tendency to become more complicated whenever Fairy Tail is involved.

Yes, Lucy was tired, but she was still happy. Erza and Wendy baked a wonderful cake that they shared with her, the old lady was glad to have her garden safe and sound, and Jason had pitched a great idea for his article thanks to Lucy’s tips and support. Making the people around her would never get any less satisfying, no matter how much she did it.

At the moment Lucy was sitting alone at a table close to the bar. She had left her book at home, and most people were already heading home for an early weekend. Across the guild hall Warren and Max sat deep in conversation, and a few metres away Natsu and Happy were singing some old nursery rhyme. Seeing how some of the older men were shaking their heads, they probably weren’t getting the lyrics right, but when they sang so confidently no one had the heart to stop them.

As the singing died down, Lucy got a good look at her two best friends. They often resembled father and son in Lucy’s eyes, even if they tried to act like strictly best pals. Because despite their unconditional friendship, their bond couldn’t be described with those words. They didn’t cut deep enough. Yes, Natsu was a good friend to Happy, but whenever they calmed down she saw affection deeply grained in his eyes. The way his smile softened around Happy, and the way his sharp eyes got a soothing gaze - they were nothing else but fatherly love.

   Lucy knew Natsu could get insecure with how he had raised Happy. At his young age, raising a baby became a game of trial and error, which he understood when he got older to be less than optimal around such fragile creatures. Plus, being abandoned (even by accident) by his own father at a young age, meant that he never felt quite sure in his parenting methods. Luckily Fairy Tail stood by his side during these years, and despite the ups and downs that came with living this life, Happy became a wonderful exceed. Lucy hoped Natsu knew what a wonderful life Happy had led thanks to him, because he had put so much effort and determination into giving Happy a safe and, well, happy life.

Lucy found Natsu completely remarkable. The man had been through hell and back multiple times in his life, and always came out smiling. Truthfully, Lucy might just believe him to be invincible. He had lost very few serious battles during all the years she had known him. Sure, a match against Makarov, Gildarts or Erza was practically never a win, but she had this feeling deep within her heart that made her believe that if he ever met an opponent their strength or stronger, Natsu still wouldn’t lose. He’s the strongest mage Lucy can think of - his physical strength might not be the strongest in the world on its own, but combined with his beastly magical capacity and his never ending flame of love and determination, he could be deemed unstoppable.

   What impressed Lucy the most was the way he had grown to be this way all thanks to his own mindset. One could be abandoned by their father and end up in a dark guild or begging on the streets, but Natsu wandered around until he got found and taken in. One could be ridiculed for their naive and childish ways and fall into a depression, or get filled with copious amounts of rage, but Natsu didn’t. He has always used that to his advantage, making enemies confused, or he has used these traits to joke around and make friends with the most unexpected people (Gray might be an exception to this - if Gray ridicules him, Natsu meets him with a fist). And the list goes on! People can go bad from losing their parents right in front of them, they can go bad from watching loved ones die right in front of them, etc etc, but Natsu always bounced back brighter and stronger. It was the most attractive thing about him in Lucy’s opinion. Well, almost.

Lucy couldn’t properly describe Natsu without mentioning his love for his friends and his guild. She had long suspected that the one true magic was love, but it was made so clear when she met Natsu. When she tagged along to Mt. Hakobe in order to find Macao, she saw it with her own two eyes - Natsu was always fighting for all of his friends. No matter what the fight was or who he was up against, he carried all of his friends on his shoulders, and with time and effort they grew, along with the love he had for them. The fact that Lucy was even counted for when they were fighting the Macao-vulcan, made her question his sanity sometimes. The boy who had expressed nothing but annoyance at her when she tagged along, still swore in his name to protect those he cared for - no matter how much they bugged him. Because at the end of the day, Natsu had still picked Lucy up in Hargeon, and that was to him enough reason to fight for her.

   Natsu’s love was like nothing else in the entire world. Lucy knew she shared the sentiment with the rest of the guild, who all in some way had seen his complete love and trust for the guild in action. She knew this, but sometimes she thought that being his closest companion, she had probably seen it a bit more vividly than the others. Lucy felt Natsu’s love every second with him. She felt it when she fell asleep on her writing desk and woke up in her bed the next morning. She felt it when they were outside and Natsu put his arm out in front of her whenever he heard something slightly suspicious. She felt it when she found post it-notes on the fridge with apologies for eating something she had bought, or with promises to go grocery shopping for her the next time she had to go out. His love was radiant in every waking action - actually, let’s rephrase that; in every action, awake or not, because she never forgot the times he would sleep in her bed and unconsciously make room for her when she got in, and she never forgot the times he’d give her more of the blanket when her temperature seemed to go down.

Natsu loved loudly and greatly, and for that Lucy loved him even more. She truly loved it all, his pink soft hair that he styled in the morning with the heat from his hands, his unruly, expressive eyebrows that always showed all his emotions like an open book, his deep, dark, loving eyes that could look so fierce and so tender, his adorably crooked nose that twitched when he smelled something nice, his sharp but welcoming smile that could hold the anger of a dragon and the softness of a father all at once. She loved his body that protected, carried and fought for his guild, and she loved his silly choices of clothes that had to be specially tailored. She loved his lighthearted personality that drew out the child in everyone he met, and she loved his amazing sharp fighting senses that not only made the jobs they went on easier, but also made them more fun than she ever knew work could be.

Dear God, how she loved him. And the best part? She would get to love him forever, because that’s the one promise she knows he’ll do anything in his power to keep. That’s what she loved the most.

#fairy tail natsu #team natsu #fairy tail nalu #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #lucy fairy tail #fanfics #fairy tail #lucy x natsu #nalu #nalu fanfic #my writing #hiro mashima #lucy heartfilia #ft lucy #fairy tail 100 years quest #fairy tail fanfiction

[hydropyro]

Raphael / Hope Theory

Continuing from my previous theory regarding Raphael's relationship with Haarlep, this is my theory about Hope.

Raphael is 'in love with' Hope (in his way, to paraphrase him)

Evidence 1: In the House of Hope there are several notes written by Korilla that document conversations between Hope and Raphael. The most important of them for this theory is 'Taming of Hope Part 1' which reads as follows:

- - -

Raphael: Did your mother sing you nursery rhymes?

Hope: What?

Raphael: Little Miss Teffle, sat on her kettle, steam blowing between her lips. Along came her oven, in need of some loving, and soon she had scalded her hips.

Hope: That's funny.

Raphael: And yet you do not laugh. Come, Hope. Don't look so aggrieved. This little realm around us, this house, you have mastery of it.

Hope: And you of me.

Raphael: Sing me a song. Hope? I'm speaking to you. Now, don't go silent. I'd hate to have to slit a child up the navel and rinse you in their insides.

Hope: You're some pervert.

Raphael: Then sing me a song, I say! Nursery-sweet. But don't demean. I'll know if you do.

Hope: (after some moments she does. I remember our mother used to sing it to us, a gentle melody laden deliciously like plump young arms laden with autumn-ripe apples. When the song concludes, Raphael sighs and looks at my sister)

Raphael: You're something, my dear. Really rather something. I would have you master your own fate. Let me give you free reign to do so. Let's abandon this whole ugly imprisonment. Serve me willingly. Things would be as merry and jubilant as that song you've just given me.

Hope: Sweet Raphael?

Raphael: Yes, Hope?

Hope: Eat. Shit.

Raphael: But--

Hope: Stuff your maggoty tongue in some other woman's ear.

Raphael: (here he looks upon her with such longing and hate I think he might actually [end] her.) Oh, that was in error, my dear. In grave error. I shall see you soon.

- - -

I believe that Raphael constructed the House in part for her, and repeatedly asks that she take her place, I believe as the 'lady' of the domain.

Her sister, Korilla, is Raphael's loyal warlock. Her mortality points toward Hope also being mortal and not some ancient embodiment of the concept of 'hope', though Raphael probably gets a kick out of the juxtaposition. My personal headcannon/assumption is that Korilla sought to be his warlock before Raphael's obsession with Hope began, and that Hope may have been part of Korilla's payment for his patronage.

The House of Hope was built just before the events of BG2, and thus is just over 100 years old, well within the lifespan of a mortal dwarf.

We know this because while in the House of Hope in Act 3 we can speak to the Infernal Mason, a skeleton that claims to have been the architect of the House. He was *also* the architect that built Moonrise Towers for Ketheric Thorm. Upset by Thorm's corruption and change of devotion from Selune to Shar, the architect made a deal with Raphael, asking him to fight Shar's encroaching armies before the Shadow Curse took hold.

Raphael did this, which is how Yurgir came to be in Shar's Gauntlet, as he was part of the fighting force against Shar, and specifically her Dark Juctisiers.

Now, on a darker note (TW: SA) I think Raphael has likely found loopholes to try and get with Hope. As a devil I think he requires affirmation of some kind, or a positive contract, before he's able to assert himself over anyone (in any fashion). This is why he doesn't force himself on Hope. He can't. She would say 'no', and he can't breach that. (Whether he physically can’t or has a personal boundary not to, I’m not sure)

But, when you first visit the boudoir, Hope appears and expresses disgust for the space. You can ask her, "Have you been here before?" to which she replies, "Never willingly," implying that she *has been there unwillingly*. Knowing what we know about the space, I'm guessing that she has met Haarlep.

I think it's possible that Raphael has used Haarlep to charm a 'yes' from Hope. (ie Hope would say 'yes' to Haarlep under his innate incubus charm/seductive magic but wouldn't to Raphael).

Haarlep, like Raphael, also appears to require an affirmative, but has natural abilities that cause people to be charmed and seduced by him, forcing people to agree to things even if it's not entirely consensual. As such, Haarlep is able to take your soul if you fail certain checks during that scene (or if you click on the option to give up your body and mind for scientific purposes).

Raphael his highly charismatic, but he doesn't have these magical charms, and so he has no way to coerce Hope to say 'yes' other than torture, which hasn't worked thus far.

Whether that would mean Raphael could also participate along with Haarlep, or would only be able to watch, I'm not sure, but given all of the evidence I have no doubt it's happened.

And, in Raphael's form Raphael would have all the sensations even if Haarlep was the only one capable of touching her.

I believe Raphael intends to create a sort of Zariel, corrupt someone holy and use their power for evil. Hope is powerful, and he allows her to indulge in her power. For example she’s able to ‘astral project’ in a sense around the House, and he permits it.

Raphael intends on becoming a God. While I don’t think he’s ‘lonely’ I think it’s possible he gets bored, and would want a partner to keep him company. It seems that Hope is the goddess he’s set his sights on.

#baldur’s gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #raphael #haarlep #hope #theorycrafting #theory

[i-smoke-chapstick]

I was grazing through the jervis x reader tag when I stumbled across your account. I read over your rules and what fandoms(characters) you write for and was wondering if I could either get headcanons or just a story, whichever is easier, if Jervis tetch (Benedict Samuel’s version) spotting fem or gn reader who has dwarfism( and if you’re not sure with writing this, it can just be a really short reader), hanging about with Jim (Either can be Jim’s sibling or close friend up to you) and is instantly just “😍🫣”. This can be during the breakout episode with the j squad. He starts trying to get close to them without getting arrested by Jim, leaving rhyme like letters for them, flowers, etc. Reader takes the letters to Jim who instantly knows who it is cause who else rhymes like that? Reader is then unsure about Jervis’s actions, thinking they aren’t real feelings since he is technically mad and messed up in the head and they are hella shy and insecure for obvious reasons.

I just realized I’m reflecting a little here. Sorry 💀. Basically I have dwarfism and it’s lovely to read others interpretations on people who have it. Not just readers who are short but actually have the disability.

You can either continue from here or cut it to an ending btw. Sfw or NSFW is both fine with me. Thank ya tons! And I’ll understand if ya can’t or just don’t want too!

'WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW,

-GOTHAM!JERVIS TETCH X DWARF!READER-

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; Jervis is intrigued, obsessed, and very deeply in love.

⋆ tags/warnings. GOTHAM!jervis x dwarf!female reader. Anon who sent this- thank you for entrusting me!! I absolutely love obsessed Jervis teehee. warning for pretty obsessive behavior. (jer has no sense of boundaries)

♫ “Tonight, you're mine completely. / Can I believe the magic of your sighs?” Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Amy Winehouse

You've heard the whispers from Jim. He's been freaking the fuck out, for lack of better words. Not just one mad man on the loose- but three. You tell him there's a mad men on the loose every other day...it's Gotham. He just sighs.

Three of the big bads escaped Arkham last night- only one of which who you'd met personally a few months back. Though, you remember it like it was yesterday.

You were in the GCPD with Gordan and Harvey when it happened. You typically avoided the place- the guys there were assholes. You heard all the same comments before, about how you looked. Thank god for Harvey and Jim- especially Harvey, who had chewed a cadet out for laughing.

Jim had holed himself up with a girl named Alice Tetch. He had advised you came to the GCPD that day, horrible idea, you had to admit. "It's for your own protection." He said, but had left you out of the interrogation room by yourself.

You facepalmed as you watched the officers do there work awkwardly. Every now and again you'd catch one staring and you'd grimace.

It came to a head when you heard a strange circus-like music playing. And then your jaw dropped when two wrestlers stood up on the desks, followed by the loud intercom of a voice overhead.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is with great excitement that we welcome you to our show..."

And then a cop fell from the top floor and splat on Harvey's desk. Yep. Great idea Jim.

You felt yourself shaking- watching the scene unfold before you in chaos and horror. You backed up into the door- unable to move or run.

Suddenly- turning to your left, a man came into your vision. You had to look up to see him; tall and dark with a top hat.

He cocked his head as he looked down on you, eyebrows pulled together. You swallowed, and after a beat of silence, a strange smile broke out on his face.

He seemed to be studying you, paused in his movements.

"Hello." He greeted, curtly. It was as though he was making a mental note of you. Before you knew it, you were being pushed to the side- and made his way right into the interrogation room.

You feared for Jim, but he always had it handled. So...you ran towards a back exit and booked it.

Your luck would have it that now, in the present, Jervis Tetch (that's what you eventually learned his name was) was fiending for a new obsession. That just happened to be you.

The Arkham breakout happened just earlier last night, and you've found numerous letters, flowers, even an antique pocket watch, and light blue dress tailored to your size. Every where you went in your day-to-day a gift was tastefully and subtly placed.

"With every beat, my soul's unrest,

In dreams of you, I am obsessed,

In Gotham's night, you're my desire,

My precious door-mouse, in this world of fire."

Okay- well, a bit cheesy. The letters read...interesting poems. You found it strangely flattering.

You hadn't figured who it was until you begrudgingly went back to the GCPD to tell Jim- who gaped at you. At first, he was hellbent that this was Jervis trying to lure you in, kill you as punishment for the whole Alice situation.

You too found the whole situation confusing. But as the days continued to go by with more and more and more unique gifts and oddly heartfelt poems, it was getting a tad too real.

No, Jervis was most definitely infatuated with you.

Now, you're in your apartment. And you hear a gentle knock at the door.

You open a single latch, allowing you to peak out the creak before letting the visitor in.

You have to look up once again to see him, and you're blood runs both cold and hot and the man. He must stand at least two feet taller than you- looking deep into your eyes with the smile of a gentleman.

"May I come in?" He chirps, gleefully. Against your better judgement, you step away from the door, standing on your toes to unlock it.

He makes his way in, hands clasped together. He scans your apartment, noting his gifts strewn about. Even the flowers he bought you in a vase. His smile widens.

"Hello, my dear." He turns to you, happily. "I see you've gotten my gifts."

"Um, yeah." You manage to speak, sucking your teeth and fidgeting. Before you know it, one of your small hands is being engulfed by his own. He kneels down before you, so you're on the same level.

"Well?" He prompts, squeezing your hand gently. "What do you think, my dear door-mouse?"

"They were....really nice, actually." You speak- and flinch out of his hold. His brows furrow when you do this.

The first thing to run through his mind is that you don't reciprocate the feelings of infatuation. That's how Alice was. He wouldn't have any qualms hypnotizing you, that's for sure. But it would be nice to be appreciated.

You can tell by the offended look on his face what he's thinking, and rush to explain.

"No, no! I...I loved them. I guess, I'm just not sure why you're interested in me?" You nod to yourself. Not just referencing your disability- but your lack of any real conversation with the man.

His face lights up again in understanding.

"Ah! Trivial, my dear. On the contrary, I find you maddeningly lovely." He speaks- and forces his hand onto yours again.

All you can do is nod- a million thoughts racing in your head. You're sure he's crazy, but you find it...kind of nice.

He's incredibly handsy, sitting on his knees in front of you, manhandling you a bit. Before you know it, he's pulling you into him, spouting words of affirmation and nuzzling into you like a cat.

Briefly, you think of what Jim might have to say if he finds out about this and tense.

You realize this is just the beginning.

#x reader #jervis tetch x reader #gotham #gotham villains x reader #gotham jervis #jervis tetch #mad hatter #gotham mad hatter #mad hatter x reader #dc comics #batman x reader #batman rouges #batman rouges gallery #gotham x reader #batman #batman rogues

[katmajik]

Just saw your chapter titles on instagram. LOVE. Which was the easiest to name? Which was the most difficult? Do you have a favorite? Does it coincide with your favorite chapter?

thank god someone finally asked me about the chapter titles, i’m erecting the Church of Our Lady She Gets It in your honor as soon as i’m done talking A Lot about this

easiest:

(8) “anatomy of a porn title” came to me before i even had the concept of this book. milo’s experiences working at the store are almost 100% my own, and one of my most memorable days was when i had to process 200+ dvds (this involved a lot of scanning, stickers, and organization). so i’d had this one in my back pocket for a while.

when i finally had a grasp on the story i wanted to tell around my personal sex shop chronicles, (1) “a crisis of sexual identity” was the easy-breeziest chapter title, because it captured the Point i wanted to make.

writing a demisexual romance, even being demi myself, is… not super easy? especially because i wanted to play with the idea of love at first sight, which is so often conflated with lust, and that just doesn’t work the same when you’re on the asexual spectrum.

so much of this book is about being queer and how our labels, however liberating, can also be suffocating, because—particularly in the age of social media expectations—we become so preoccupied with being queer The Right Way. and there is no goddamn Right Way, but we’re pressured into these kinds of performances, and then before you know it your priority is appeasing some dickweed on the internet who says m/f relationships can’t be queer, instead of your own happiness.

so, we start with milo’s crisis and we follow him through the journey of realizing that, hey, actually, this ain’t so bad.

hardest:

(4) “sick of dating apps, just gonna pygmalion myself a boyfriend” and (9) “the epic highs and lows of grocery store music” both went through several iterations, none of which i can remember now because mostly they were Fine, but they just didn’t pop.

when i landed on (4)’s, honestly i was a little miffed at myself for taking so long because that’s a phrase i made up and use a lot, so i should’ve had the chapter title from the get-go.

stevie’s story starts off with agitation with her dating app experience, which she worries is coloring her first impression of milo because he was nice to her and easy to talk to in ways that app matches aren’t—and then, BAM, he shows up to the bar where she’s sitting there thinking about him and proves her first impression right, as if she manifested him into existence.

now if only i could do the same thing for myself… that’s the dream, babyyyy.

favorite title vs favorite chapter:

i think both have to be (5) “how many degrees of separation are there between kevin bacon and your love life?”

there are several sociological concepts that have stuck with me since college (probably because the head of the department, who was the best dude but also the most notoriously ruthless grader, wanted me to major in soc, and i’m a sucker for a compliment). “six degrees of separation”—the idea that every person is connected to every person through no more than six other people—has a celebrity counterpart, “six degrees of kevin bacon,” which posits that you can trace every actor to kevin bacon.

i am a little bit obsessed with this, because the separation/kevin bacon rhyme alone is so deliciously SERENDIPITOUS, it blows my mind.

for milo and stevie, (5) is the moment where they realize the friends they’ve had in common for ~2 years, and it’s really only been timing that’s kept them from meeting until now (and the timing was a little tricky for me to sort out, too, but i’m happy with how i got there).

sometimes you just keep missing people until it’s Meant for you to run into each other, and i think there’s something deeply romantic about those prior missed connections. there’s a sense of “i could have been loving you longer, but maybe, this way, i get to love you better.”

and, even though milo doesn’t Love stevie yet at this point in the story, his pov in this chapter is circling this conclusion.

thank you SO MUCH for this ask, may love and light bless you for all time, forever and ever and etc. amen 💞✨

(if you’ve happened across this little ditty and want to know more about what’s your vibe?, here’s a link!)

#book tag: wyv #ask #authors on tumblr #indie author #chapter titles #writeblr #romance books #comedy books #queer author #queer romcom #queer romance #demisexual #asexual spectrum

[silentwillowwhisperer]

Okay do you agree with me that we were severely deprived of Ezor, Zethrid, Axca, and Veronica content? Because they would be the ultimate lesbian squad like

Do not even. Get. Me. Started.

Too late.

(warning: this is a loooooong post.)

My poor girls, they were so perfect! And don't forget Narti (blind lizard gal) because as much as I think Lotor's whole villain arc thingy was dumb, I will NEVER forgive him for killing her. Never ever ever.

I do refer to them as Lotor and the Lesbians in my head, so I think it's pretty clear what I think about them. (Small note: If they were a band that would be their name.)

And Veronica! She was so cool! You know she steals all the girls her brothers bring home. Like, 'Oh you met someone cool at work? I'm just gonna take her off your hands...' Let's be real, if Veronica was not a fictional character, she would be a notorious lady charmer.

And COME ON. Ezor and Zethrid were LITERALLY DATING. I will take NO ARGUEMENTS. Do we not remember that whole episode where Zethrid went berserk on the paladins cuz she thought Ezor was dead?? And how they looked lovingly into each other's eyes? They had an END SCENE together! Well, it wasn't about them, it was that thing about Keith taking over command of the blade but WHAT-EVER. They were 2 feet away from each other because they were inseparable and in. love.

look at them.

Wait I can do better:

I'm gonna scream.

And, yeah, they were technically canon but this doesn't count. If Shiro and the dude he married (..Curtis?) get a canon kiss then so do Ezor and Zethrid.

Before I start my little spiel and Veronica and Acxa, I'm just gonna leave a picture of Narti here for those of you who don't remember her.

She was the one without eyes who could see through the eyes of her cat (honestly so real in a fictional way, love that for her).

Ringing any bells? Yeah, I cried when she died. (I made a rhyme!)

NOW.

Veronica and Acxa. They would have been SO CUTE together. And even if they didn't get together, at the very least they should have been best friends. Like the kind of best friends where Acxa is adopted into the McClain family to the point at which she can always be found there just chilling in their house like she owns the place. The kind of best friends that finish each other's sentences and know EVERYTHING about each other. GUYS. This was the VISION.

And you know what? I gonna put a picture of them here in just a sec, but you ALL know what I'm talking about when I say that they had a klance-style bonding moment.

Do not even try to tell me that they did not have potential. They're making awkward love eyes at each other.

(Also, the limited fanart that exists of them is SO. CUTE.)

Honestly, if the show really wanted to show representation that bad, then why couldn't these ships be real? Adam is great and all that, but if we're going to introduce a queer relationship in the name of representation, then maybe don't kill him off for the sake of drama after only about 5 minutes total screentime.

In fact, Shiro's whole thing was messed up. Yes, I get that he's a queer icon, but why are these things being forced on him? Instead of putting him with another character that also only got 5 minutes of screentime, maybe his end scene could be something like, 'Shiro went and finally got the therapy he deserved' or 'Shiro and Keith spent quality time together now that they were no longer separated' or even, 'Shiro retired from military business and built a comfortable life for himself as a coffee shop owner.'

He. Does. Not. Need. No. Man.

Based on the fact that he still has that Garrison-issued arm, he is still in relations with them in some way. And maybe he quit and just got to keep the arm, but that needed to be specified. Are we forgetting his previous trauma? His periodic flashbacks? The fact that his body was taken over by alien life and used to INJURE HIS YOUNGER BROTHER? The very same brother that he was a role model to?

And maybe we could have kicked Lance's scene out and instead shown him with his family? That would have been a great place to insert Veronica and show them actually bonding like family. Did anyone else find it weird that we got basically no scenes of them interacting in space? With their personalities, they should have been gossiping and having spa days left and right, but there was nothing of the sort.

Wait, I'm sorry, I got off topic.

Where was I? Oh yeah.

The most talked about example of queerbaiting is always Klance because as main characters, they're in the spotlight, but these closeted lesbians do in fact exist.

Why did we get Allurance but not Ezor and Zethrid? They were SO CLEARLY compatible and they weren't toxic to each other like Allura and Lance. My main argument against that ship is because of Klance, it's because Allura had just lost someone important and rebounded to Lance, and Lance constantly tried to be the rock for her that she wasn't ready to lean on. He finally had what he wanted from day 1, and realized that if he really wanted it to continue, he would have to change in ways he wasn't ready for.

If that kind of relationship gets a kiss, then Ezor and Zethrid should get one too. They spent their whole time on the show supporting and relying on each other.

#vld #voltron legendary defender #voltron #tawny post #asks <3 #thanks for the ask! #ezor vld #vld ezor #zethrid #zethrid vld #acxa #vld acxa #veracxa #veronica mcclain #veronica vld

[unreadpoppy]

song as old as rhyme - chapter 3

{Beauty and the Beast AU - Raphael x OC (Elize)}

Chapter 2

Read on AO3

Taglist: @littlemoondarling

A/N: I'm so nervous about this chapter but it's here. Also part 4 might take some time cause I have the idea for what to do but I need to write it down, so hang on tight. Anyways, I think we're finally done with the set up!

While it was still nighttime, on the 8th day that Audifax hadn’t returned, Elize ran the streets of her town, heading straight to Mr.Antoine’s home. She knew this wasn’t appropriate but if there was anyone who could help her, it was the old librarian. 

She knocked on his door several times until he finally opened. 

“Mr. Antoine! I’m sorry to wake you but I -” Elize began speaking rapidly, until she was interrupted. 

“Goodness gracious girl, can’t you wait till morning?” He grumbled, eyeing her up and down  and it was then that Elize remembered she was still in her night clothes. 

“I-” 

“Get inside, before you catch a cold” He got out of the way and allowed her to enter his home. 

Although Mr. Antoine was a dwarf, his home was rather large and tall. He once mentioned it was due to his ex-wife being a human as the reason, but he didn’t like talking about that. 

When Elize tried to start talking again, he raised one hand up. “Hold a second, young lady. Go sit down while I make some tea and then you can tell me what’s so urgent.” She nodded her head and did as he told her.

The girl went to the living room and sat on the couch, but she struggled to stay calm. She kept shifting in her seat, crossing and uncrossing legs, and she began to bite her nails. As Elize did that, she looked straight ahead, her eyes focused on the wall, while her mind replayed the nightmares she had had. 

Suddenly, she felt wrinkled hands remove her fingers from her mouth and put a teacup between her hands. She nodded her head, as a thank you. Before she took a sip, Elize blew the cup a bit, just like her parents had taught her to do with hot drinks. 

“Now, tell me, child, what is bothering you?” Mr. Antoine asked, sitting next to her on the couch. 

She took a deep breath and said “Father’s missing.”

“What?” He made a face of disbelief. 

“He told he was going to Baldur’s Gate for some business, and that he’d be back in a week’s time, but it’s been 8 days and nothing, and I had a terrible nightmare and I feel like he’s in danger and-” 

“Breathe, Elize, breathe.” He put a hand on her back, rubbing it up and down. Elize took another sip of the tea. “What did you dream about?”

“My dad, kneeling in front of this man, begging for something, and then he was engulfed in flames and I could hear him scream.”

“What did the man look like?”

Elize closed her eyes, remembering what she saw. “He was sitting on a chair. He looked human, brown eyes and hair, with a few wrinkles on his face and a stubble. He had a smirk on as he talked to father, and he was dresses in fine clothes, like the ones nobles wear ” 

Antoine looked terrified. “Oh no, this is no good news.”

“What do you mean?” Elize put the tea cup down and faced the old man. 

He took both of her hands in his. “Listen carefully. I believe your father might be dealing with a cambion and a powerful one at that.”

“What?”

“This description, it fits the one of a cambion named Raphael. If what you saw in your dreams is true, your father is in serious danger.”

Elize furrowed her brows. She didn’t understand what any of this meant. “But… what even is a cambion?” 

Mr. Antoine let go of her hands and walked away, coming back shortly with a huge book in hands. Elize got up and helped open it on the table. He started flipping through pages until stopping on one with two drawings. One of a human person and the other of a devil. 

“They are the offspring of a devil with a human. Don’t be fooled by their human disguise, they are just as evil as any other fiend.” 

Her eyes skimmed through the pages while Mr. Antoine continued. “If you want to save your father, you’ll have to go to Baldur’s Gate.”

“But I- I’ve never gone outside the village. I don’t even know how to get there!”

Mr. Antoine once again left and came back with a rolled up scroll. He opened it and it showed a map showing the way to the city. “You can use this map to guide yourself and once you get there, you ask the people for directions.” 

Elize’s eyes were blown wide and she was struggling to breath. This whole situation was a nightmare in itself. Dealing with a fiend was bad enough, but the idea of leaving the comfort of her home to unknown lands was even worse. And having to talk with strangers didn’t make it better. 

She began to ask herself if she had done something to upset some god. 

“I…I…” She was speechless. Antoine put a hand on her cheek. 

“I understand this is difficult for you, but you must go, unless your father’s soul is doomed forever.”

“No!” She shouted. “I’ll…I’ll go. I have to.” She gulped. “But I don’t have a horse.”

“I can have that arranged for you.” He rolled up the map again and handed it to her. “Now, go back home, and pack your things. When morning comes, meet me at the gates.” 

Elize nodded her head and got up. She walked towards the door and opened it, the chill night air passing through her. They said their goodbyes and she headed home. 

‘Don’t worry, dad.’ She thought. ‘I’ll get you back home.’ 

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

One week ago. 

A man unknown to the city arrived at a brothel named Sharess Caress. 

When approached by the drow twins who owned the place, he said he had business with a certain Raphael. They led him to a room called ‘Devil’s Den’. The human gulped, as he knew this wasn’t a good sign. 

And still, against his better judgment, he walked in. 

It was a simple deal, really.

“I will give you 10,000 gold pieces for you to go to the gambling house a few streets from here.” Raphael explained. “There, you shall make your own fortune. Double, triple, what I’ve given you and in exchange, seven days from now, you’ll pay me back what I am owed.” He paused. “You are, of course, allowed to keep the rest that you earn.” 

“And what if I fail?” The human asked. 

Raphael made a face of fake concern, while giving him a pouch containing the money. “Don’t be so pessimistic, my friend. You will pay me.” With that, he got closer to the older man, a smirk forming on his face as his eyes darkened. “If it’s with your money or your soul is what is yet to be seen.” He snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving a smell of sulphur in the air. 

#raphael x oc #raphael x elize #not tav oc #raphael baldur's gate 3 #raphael bg3 #raphael the cambion #beauty and the beast AU

[thepringlesofblood]

Dimension 20′s Neverafter FPE (Fairytales Per Episode)

im going out of my fuckin gourd on this neverafter shit, and i have decided to make a list of what and how many fairytales/nursery rhymes are introduced in each episode. will update as time goes on but i make no promises as to how frequently. theories are not included in totals. allusions/references are.

disclaimer: i am coming at this from a primarily american, english-speaking, culturally christian background, though I have studied a lot of ancient mediterranean myth and religion, a little bit of norse myth and religion, and a little bit of arthurian legend.

please let me know if there’s a reference to something I missed or if you know shit I don’t. i’ve decided that for our purposes, whether a reference/allusion is intentional or not doesn’t factor into our final count - unintentional/ambiguously intentional allusions/references count too, not just obvious ones.

(especially about mythical middle eastern spiders. I only know anansi & arachne, and have a passing familiarity with jorogumo & ye xian, and none of those are middle eastern or fit the situation.)

update: the show is finished! I won’t be taking my various theories off, i think it adds flavor. just remember as you’re going down that I was updating this weekly-ish. I’m going to do another post in the future that is Just The Numbers, but for now, enjoy my rambling! [updatier update: here’s the Just The Numbers post]

Ep. 1

The PCs (and their backstories)

 Mother Goose (+1)

Hubbard (old mother Hubbard who lived in a cupboard) (+1)

Jack

jumped over the Candlestick (+1)

(implied) and the Beanstalk (bc of the giants everywhere) (+1)

theory: Sprat? (the rhyme goes “Jack sprat could eat no fat his wife could eat no lean/and so between them both, you see they licked the platter clean.” not directly mentioned but that was my first thought upon the whole turning to bones thing that like all the fat was removed from his body or smthin)

Ylfa (Little Red Riding Hood) (+1)

there are 2 wolves inside you. you are 12.

the big bad wolf is mentioned in the context of 2 stories, the 3 little pigs and little red riding hood, so (+1) for the pigs

Pib (Puss in Boots) (+1)

Pinocchio (+1)

Cinderella (stepmother’s official art says “Cinderella...” at the bottom) (+1)

theory: “The second fairy you have met in your life” so also a character in smthin else probably since cindy’s stepmom isnt usually magical

update: maybe the whole cannibalism thing made her magical? who’s to say

updatier update (post ep 7): so it turns out that the evil fairy =/= the stepmother, but is the evil fairy from sleeping beauty. i was right about the stepmother being in multiple different stories but boy howdy do i wish I wasn’t. 

Rosamund (sleeping beauty/briar rose) (+1)

Gerard (the princess and the frog) (+1)

Snow queen (mentioned by Elody) (+1)

the rest of the episode

the little red hen (+1)

i fuckin love this one.

the story’s basic but good - she’s makin some bread and at every step asks for help from the other barnyard creatures and they’re all like hmm nahhhhh and then when it comes time to eat the bread they’re all like yes please lemme help w that and she’s like uh no, where was this energy when i was making the damn thing? and eats it ‘without any help at all’

so brennan doing her as like ‘u gotta help or you don’t eat’ is fantastic. 10/10

Ol king Cole (+1)

The little old lady who lived in a shoe (+1)

(alluded to) Alice n Wonderland (rabbit and teapot) (+1)

theory: “the chandling caravan” sounds like it should be something, but I don’t know what it is, and google has not been helpful. same w boffit, lord bandlebridge, and cressida lumley.

total tale count: 16

Ep. 2

The nutcracker (+1) (herr drosselmeyer is the weird uncle who gives clara the nutcracker. also in every ballet his drip is consistently immaculate)

Snow White (+1) (mirror mirror…..leaned up against the wall)

(alluded to) Beauty n the beast (furniture coming alive) (+1)

theory: Eidelgrin means something, but I don’t know what it is.

total tale count: 3

Ep. 3

.........nothing new to report

Ep 4

the fairy with the turquoise hair (aka the blue fairy) is actually not exclusive to Pinocchio - she has her own book n everything. (+1)

(alluded to) the little mermaid (+1)

“a dancing princess who either cannot or will not speak near a beach.”

the little mermaid trades her voice for legs and in the OG grimm story it feels like stepping on swords whenever she walks so she kind of “dances” (rip)

there’s. So many rabbit and fox tricksters. And other clever cats. I don’t think any were directly mentioned (except that Pinocchio has some in his many adventures, which isn’t a new tale) so I’m gonna say (+1) for rabbit and (+1) for fox.

Update: a reply to this post mentioned a character named Reynard the Fox from medieval French literature that might be the reason that the Fox speaks with a French accent. I found more support for this theory below!

“Isengrim”

this is the name of the daggers Pib gets. Rabbit mentions that it’s a name that Fox called the Wolf.

In fact, there’s a tale called Ysengrimus from 1152 CE where Reynard the Fox tricks the titular character, a wolf! So, there’s one Fox story confirmed. No additional points since Fox already had 1 point, this is more confirming the specific story he was inspired by.

theory: also, if we know the accents Mean Something, then Rabbit having a British accent might point to Peter Rabbit.

update: i have noticed several posts calling Rabbit’s accent Australian. it can be hard for me to tell the difference and idk if the general European bent of these tales means that brennan’s British just sounds kind of Australian or if it Means Something. I’m sure there’s Australian trickster rabbits too i just don’t know them

no fuckin clue where the ring came from tho :/

the golden goose (another Jack/Mother Goose tale not specifically mentioned before) (+1)

plus the beanstalk thing is talked about more (not new info though)

total tale count: 5

Ep. 5

hey diddle diddle (+1) (the dish ran away with the spoon + the cow jumping over the moon are from this same rhyme)

also anyone catch brennan mentioning fiddle music as tim was healing pib? ik it was king cole related music, but also...hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle.

itsy bitsy spider (+1)

(alluded to) little miss muffet (+1) (tuffeton)

(alluded to) goldilocks (+1) (”just enough” oats)

1001 nights (+1) (scheherazade is the author of these tales, as well as a myth in her own right. I have not read 1001 nights. please tell me things if you know them)

“spider queen” (+1) idk what it is but its fuckin something

identifying information: guardian of a cave/maze. supposedly has a throne. 1001 nights-adjacent.

theories:

“the spider and the wind” tale 909 of 1001, spider isn’t in this one that much actually

not all folktales in the neverafter are in mother goose’ book, so it stands to reason that not all folktales in the Endless Nights are in 1001 nights.

however, all the folktales in the neverafter are European in origin (mostly medieval), so it would make sense that the folktales in the endless nights would be middle eastern or adjacent

ye xian - chinese folktale where there’s a spider queen

“that’s east asia not arabia” fair but consider: in the older translations, aladdin is a chinese peasant. the world of 1001 nights is already bigger than arabia, and stories travel much more easily than the goods being traded across asia and the mediterranean on the silk road at the time the stories were written.

jorogumo - japanese yokai. a spider that turns into a woman. again, extremely far away from arabia, but girl i am looking.

cave of thawr - islamic oral tradition of muhammed hiding in a cave and a spider protects him. there’s a similar jewish tale w david hiding in a cave.

unlikely, but if there’s beautiful tapestries and the mother of all spiders i have to mention my girl Arachne (greek myth)

all time famous mythical spider anansi (west africa) still doesn’t really fit the bill, and is farther away from arabia than arachne (greece, which had colonies in the middle east (along the mediterranean shore but still. water = trade = exchange of goods = exchange of ideas/stories)) but still possible

yes i got a degree in ancient mediterranean studies and am using it to ruthlessly analyze a comedy show instead of sleeping, what about it?

sinbad (+1) “Sinbad the Sailor” (the roc is part of this as far as i can tell)

magical palace w the tapestries of starlight (+1) there’s a fuckload of magic palaces in 1001 nights. idk which one this refers to but it’s Something. am currently combing the stories more closely to specify at least one.

theories

the bartender with the icy wound is definitely someone. my gut says someone from the snow queen - people get icy mirrors in their eyes n shit in there and oftentimes straight up don’t get better

the peddler of wares in the corner has to be someone

the name of the tavern being “the cock and toad” has to mean something. i did some googling. there’s lots of fairytales w toads and lots of fairytales w cocks (lol) but none I could find where it’s just the two of them together. it’s weird, w a lot of fairytales/fables/nursery rhymes its like rolling 2d8 on a table of 8 animals and then just making the title out of the two animals you get. statistically its likely that there’s a story out there called that but I can’t find it.

the fucking spidersilk ring. i will solve this riddle one day.

they say the name “Aesop” as in “Aesop’s fables” (like the tortoise and the hare) but no tales mentioned yet. worth looking into if you’re the curious sort tho. Pib is going to fuck this guy up, his stories are very animal-centric and definitely have some trickster cats.

total tale count: 8

Ep. 6

No new tales - expands on ones already mentioned.

It’s just Muffet and whoever Scheherazade’s spider is

at least we find out that the “spider queen” referred to the monstrous form of muffet and Scheherazade’s spider combined, and not some new wholly separate myth.

Scheherazade’s spider seemed a little...riddly? for lack of a better term? like the whole “something that does not breathe” thing was weird, and if it’s supposed to be a guardian or guide of some sort, riddles make sense.

honorable mention: In the adventuring party episode, brennan tells the fable of the scorpion and the frog.

total tale count: 0

Ep 7

many theories with little knowledge.

In the adventuring party, brennan straight up says that the sword of truth is a general archetype, not from any specific tale. didn’t know that was an option! so no points for the sword of truth, dope as it is.

p.s. anyone else get flashbacks to fhsy with the whole truth mirror thing? it’s a good concept I’m glad brennan’s bringing it back

I am assuming each artifact found in the spider’s lair either comes from a separate tale, or is an archetype. I’m only counting it if I can pin down a specific tale that it is from.

the gillesuit/haystack cloak (+1)

update: As of Ep. 9, we now know that this is called “the cloak of rushes” and grants advantage on stealth checks. it is almost certainly from the English fairy tale “Cap-o’-Rushes” which, confusingly, features not just a cap but a whole outfit made of rushes!

my first thought was little boy blue, which does come from the tales of mother goose. this makes more sense tho lol

the golden bridle (+1)

some cursory googling indicates that this is from the celtic tale of Guleesh. one night, upon hearing the Fair Folk partying in some ruins (had to look up what a “rath” was lol) and saying “My horse, my bridle, my saddle!”, he repeats what they’re saying and is suddenly on a horse with a golden bridle. the story isn’t about the bridle itself, but the horses feature prominently, and can fly and stuff. When Guleesh kind of breaks the magic, the horse turns into a wooden beam, so maybe putting the bridle on a wooden beam summons a horse?

update: in ep 13 & 14 (& the adventuring parties) they mention that a. it does not summon a steed - you need to already have a steed there, and b. it would only work on a beast, not a monstrosity.

so.......maybe it’s not the one from the tale of Guleesh. I remain optimistic.

the golden chair (+1)

an obscure one, to be sure. from a grimm fairytale with a weirdly christian bent, where a tailor convinces st peter to let him into heaven but then sits in a big golden chair which as it turns out is the chair god sits in, and fucks up by throwing the footstool at some lady on earth washing veils (?) and gets kicked out again.

it is very possible that this was not an intentional allusion, but rather meant to evoke a fairytale-like atmosphere. either way, mission accomplished!

honorable mention: mayor harold hopps, while not a fairytale character himself, looks exactly like and was apparently inspired by the guy on the Pringles can, who is 100% a modern-day folkloric character.

theories:

the black velvet cloak with stars on it

idk where this is from. the only story I could find w a cursory google that had star clothing was Allerleirauh aka Thousandfurs, about a princess whose dad who wants to marry her (gross) so she asks for a bunch of impossible stuff to be made before the wedding can happen to try and stop it, including a dress made of stars (and one made of every kind of fur in the world hence the title). but it’s not a cloak so no points.

i s2g i have heard of something called ‘the cloak of stars’ before but I can’t fucking find it. pls lmk if you can think of something

update: ep 9 - they ALMOST told us what it was fuck, they mentioned wearing it to escape from the stepmother but we have no name. also the ‘cap-o’-rushes’ tale is extremely similar to thousandfurs minus the incest, so I don’t think it’s from that.

the stick skeletons w/ flesh on them were minions of the evil fairy from sleeping beauty - not a new tale

total tale count: 3

Ep 8

correction: brennan mentioned in the adventuring party for this one that aesop himself may also be fictional, and that many fables contain him telling the fable as part of it, so we’ll officially count him as his own fable like we did with Scheherazade (+1)

the lion and the mouse (+1)

the boy who cried wolf (+1)

they did finally mention the scorpion and the frog (+1)

alphonse is there but “the mule” isn’t actually referenced as being part of any of aesop’s fables in the show (like, there’s plenty of mules in aesop’s fables but no specific one was referenced in the show)

total tale count: 4

Ep 9

BABA YAGA BABA YAGA BABA YAGA BABAYAGABABAYAGA!!!!!! (+1)

i love her so much. i truly understood emily’s excitement this episode. 

(alluded to) the princess and the pea (+1)

first time around I didn’t hear siobhan ask if anyone sees any stacks of mattresses without peas under them to sleep on lol

(alluded to) this little piggy went to market (+1)

idk if that’s the name of the rhyme or not, or if it has a name

it’s not in the captions but emily axford saying ‘well there has to be a market, right? cause this little piggy went to market’ is iconic

some sources say this rhyme is from Mother Goose lol

total tale count: 3

Ep 10

(alluded to) peter and the wolf (+1)

the baron’s named peter and there’s a wolf. that cant be a coincidence, the 3 little pigs don’t have set names

mostly retreading 3 little pigs territory. awesome battle set!

theories:

the soup could be an allusion to something but i think its just playing into this season’s theme of consumption and the end of the 3 little pigs

the council of kings might be from something

total tale count: 1

Ep 11

we get 5 kings from 5 tales on the Council of Kings (which seems diegetic and not a reference to anything), 3 of which we already knew, 2 which are new.

the little mermaid (the mer-king)

the snow queen (the tsar of snowhold)

the nutcracker (the mouse king)

the emperor’s new clothes (the naked emperor) (+1)

rumpelstiltskin (FINALLY) (the king of apogee) (+1)

Koschei the deathless (+1)

i had no fucking clue who this guy was until emily axford recognized him, thank you emily

at first I was scared the sealskin would be a selkie thing. it may still be, but that doesn’t appear to be the case in this specific situation

(alluded to) the binding of Fenrir, the wolf at the end of the world (+1)

there’s a norse myth where tyr (a god) puts his hand in fenrir’s mouth to show good faith. the gods want to put this magical leash/collar on fenrir, and since he’s not an idiot he says that he’ll consent to it only if tyr puts a hand in his mouth while they do it, to show that what they’re doing will not hurt or bind him in any way. the gods agree, but oops they lied, the chains are very much to bind him, and tyr loses his hand but the wolf is still bound.

but ylfa and mother goose are telling the truth! happy ending (for once lol) ^v^

I didn’t catch this one at first - thank you to the many posts about it in the #neverafter tag!

honorable mention

sheldon from ‘garfield and friends’

theories

the tavern-keeper (Natalia) doesn’t stand out to me as anyone specific so far, though her daughter is the second “snow-touched” person we’ve met (the bartender at the cock and toad had an icy wound over one eye) so im thinkin snow queen

there’s dwarves in other stories than snow white I’m sure, but these ones specifically say “snow white” on their intro card.

also, their names, Mürrisch, Schläfrig, & Arzt, mean grumpy, sleepy, and doctor in German. Grumpy, Sleepy, and Doc are all disney snow white dwarf names. nice.

another infuriating mention of the cloak of stars without any indication of what it does. I’m going to spontaneously combust.

one thing i do appreciate is the amount of taverns they run into. this is the third and i am very pro

total tale count: 4

Ep. 12

so many princesses!!!!! most of them already counted but still!!!

Rapunzel!!!!! (+1)

The North Wind (+1)

my classics major ass immediately assumed they were talking about Boreas, the Greek god of the northern wind lol

from what I can tell, this is from "East of the Sun and West of the Moon"

i’m sure The North Wind is from other things too, everybody loves personifying the wind

honorable mentions

Beast!!!!! i already counted the tale early on as a reference but it’s here fr now!!!!

Finally meeting the little mermaid!!! Also counted early on but this is her first appearance!

“the beast beyond no name” that Mira mentions in combination w the taut string that Pinocchio feels that means part of his story is happening soon whether he likes it or not makes me think it’s Terrible Dogfish time. But. I also think that it could be the literal Kraken.

there’s so many monsters in folklore that are just “really big scary fish thing that lives at the bottom of the ocean yet somehow also wrecks ships on the surface” i just don’t know which one brennan’s going for. my money’s on either Pinocchio’s Dogfish or The Kraken

Candlewick! jesus fucking christ! every time a bit of Pinocchio lore shows up, it’s already horrifying just from the whole story of Pinocchio being horrifying, but then Brennan leans into it in just the right way for it to be so much worse!

in the adventuring party, they mention several other tales, including the tortoise and the hare and the little matchgirl. they also (rightfully) dunk on Hans Christian Andersen for writing ludicrously depressing children’s stories.

total tale count: 2

Ep. 13

no new tales, dogfish, mer-king, & sea witch are from existing tales, but

CLOAK OF STARS LORE CONFIRMED

WE NOW KNOW THE CLOAK OF STARS IS CAPABLE OF CASTING 5TH LEVEL MAGIC MISSILE

THIS DOES NOTHING TO NARROW THINGS DOWN! BUT IT’S SOMETHING!!!!

also MANY tantalizing mentions of the golden bridle with 0 hints as to its capabilities.

total tale count: 0

Ep. 14

the sea witch is named Alba Mac Lír

several allusions here!

thank you @twoeelsforsupper for this observation!

“there is a legend called "the children of Lír" where a witch/stepmother turns King Lír's children into swans but does not take their voices, which ends up getting her found out. like the threads about voices and witches and stepmothers and transformations???”

“Alba” can mean several things

it’s the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland (this is probably what was being referenced)

in Latin, it’s the feminine nominative singular of the adjective albus, meaning “white”

in Spanish and Italian, it means “sunrise”

In Scottish Gaelic, “Mac” means “son of” so we have “Scotland, son of Lír”

good for her

also, if she’s one of the children of Lír, does that mean she’s one of the ones that got turned into swans?? much to consider.

so, plus one for the legend of the children of Lír! (+1)

FINALLY (finally) we get full cloak of stars lore.

its a fucking dnd 5e item. all this time and it’s legit just a reskin of Robe of Stars

it can take them to the lines between and shoot magic missile

i don’t know why i’m mad

total: 1

Ep. 15

yikes

no new tales, unless you count Clara The Horse Princess (she is not from anything as far as I can tell but I love her. also like Clara is the name of the nutcracker main character but we already counted the nutcracker so it wouldn’t be anything either)

total: 0

Ep. 16

thumbelina! (+1)

tom thumb! (+1)

I thought they were from the same thing but it turns out they have different origins, though there was a 2002 movie that had them be in the same movie.

tom thumb - English folklore, there was a 1621 book called The History of Tom Thumb

thumbelina - hans christian anderson tale from 1835, in the second volume of his Fairy Tales Told For Children series.

turns out he was actually inspired by Tom Thumb a bit, so it’s not convergent evolution or anything.

ngl - I mostly know the story of thumbelina from hearing julia from drawfee rant about how shitty of a movie it is in various streams/videos lol

all the jack stuff is stuff we’ve seen before - golden goose, giantslayer, nimble

UPDATE: in ep 17 adventuring party, brennan talks a bit about the multiplicity of jacks, and clarifies that there are TWO separate giantslayer myths.

Jack the Giant Killer - a Welsh fairytale about a warrior named Jack who fights a bunch of giants with a huge club and wins

Jack and the Beanstalk - an English fairytale about a young boy who accidentally grows a beanstalk to the Giant World and only “kills” the giant at the end by cutting the beanstalk down, leaving the giant to fall to his (their?) death.

So, while we’ve already counted Jack and the Beanstalk, this episode does introduce a new variation on Jack - Jack the Giant Killer. (+1)

henry hubbard is BACK!!!!! yes!!!!!

and tomás!!! and A L P H O N S E

I am v psyched for what comes next.

honorable mentions:

these aren’t explicitly Liliputians, but they do talk about gulliver in the adventuring party. I don’t think they talk about him in the actual show though.

total: 3

Ep. 17

holy shit. so many right off the bat, with brennan and siobhan going through a list of c-list folktales!

Fear Not (+1)

another grimm fairytale - not their finest work i see why this guy would be c-list lol

the brave little tailor (+1)

aka “the guy who kills a bunch of flies with his belt”

this is a for-real grimm fairytale about a guy who kills 7 flies at once, is very proud of it, makes a belt that says “Seven at One Blow” on it, and then goes out into the world and has his shit wrecked from various people misinterpreting what “Seven at One Blow” means

it’s hilarious

another jack tale!! Jack and Jill! (+1)

three blind mice (+1)

honorable mentions:

Henry talks about reuniting a clockwork man with a man in an eyepatch

this is all consistent with the Herr Drosselmeyer lore from all the way back in the first episodes of the show! We already counted him, so no new points, but still very cool!

also cool how brennan combined shoeberg w giant-slaying bc i mean how did they get all those ludicrously big shoes?

the golden goose shows Timothy all the versions of his story where they are one and the same. I’m not counting this as her showing him a new, separate fairytale, since it just overlaps two tales that we already have counted. also, I cried, that was a really intense part of the episode.

in the adventuring party they talk a lot about Narnia and “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.”

ik those aren’t exactly ye olde english fairytales, since they came out in 1950, but if Aslan wandered into the neverafter I’d count him for sure

we learn what the harp does!

the harp’s power is consistent with the jack and the beanstalk myth, but it also reminded me of several other myths about lulling beasts to sleep

e.g. Hermes of Greek mythology fame (and supposedly the inventor of the lyre) also killed the giant Argus after lulling half of his eyes to sleep with the lyre and boring the other half to sleep with various tales of his exploits. (Argus’ big thing was having a bunch of eyes all over his body)

lulling a beast to sleep is a common theme across cultures, makes sense that it’s the kind of archetype useful for the gang.

it’s very possible that some aspect of how baba yaga’s cottage was described alludes to some other Slavic folklore that I didn’t pick up on

total: 4

Ep 18

“The Wishing Star” (+1)

fuck disney for making it impossible to find real fairytales about wishing stars on google

there are many tales/nursery rhymes about wishing on stars. “star light, star bright” is the first that comes to mind, but I’m sure there’s others. we’ll count this as a multi-tale figure and give it +1

honorable mentions

so. The Trials of Baba Yaga could refer to several things.

The Tale about Baba-Yaga is a 18th c. folk story where Baba Yaga has one normal human son (???) who marries a normal human woman, who then has to prove herself by doing seemingly normal chores (milk the cows, shear the sheep) that she then finds out from her husband are secretly meant to kill her (the cows are bears, the sheep are wolves).

(aka a fucked up slavic version of the tale of eros and psyche.)

(not that eros and psyche isn’t fucked up, just in a different way)

There is a 2017 book called “Winston and Baum and the Trials of the Baba Yaga” I do not think this is what was being referenced, and as it is modern and not a folk story, I’m not counting it.

other stuff I can find about Baba Yaga also includes stepdaughters having to do chores with secret meanings - it’s a part of her Thing

I’m including this under the general Baba Yaga mythos, not as its own thing, but still cool stuff to know about.

Prince Johnathan of Apogee (that’s how the subtitles spell it)

so. wayyyy back in episode 11 we find out that the kingdom of apogee is where Rumplestiltskin happened.

I think that’s all the Apogee info we have, and with a name as vague as Johnathan I don’t think we can call it a reference to anything.

We got Mother Goose’s OG rhyme!!!

not a new story but very cool!!!

there’s more but I think they stopped at a good place

fun fact: I found an extra verse that isn’t in the one linked above

“Then old Mother Goose/that instant came in/and turned her son Jack/into famed Harlequin/She then with her wand/touched the lady so fine/and turned her at once/into sweet Columbine”

and then they go on with the rest of the book like that bit never happened

other fun mother goose shit

i thought that littlefinger and “chaos is a ladder” were fairytale quotes but they’re from game of thrones it turns out. ._.

total: 1

Ep 19

no new tales (it’s the finale pt 1) but several honorable mentions

“As you wish”

cinderella girl you are KILLING ME

for those not in the know, this is an allusion to The Princess Bride

in the context of the book & movie, it means “I love you”

could be unintentional but i highly doubt it.

the book is too recent to count as fairytale for our purposes (1973) but it is very much in that genre. god damn.

la bête saying “be our guest” alludes to the disney beauty and the beast movie obvs

“Something wicked this way comes”

quote from Macbeth, by Shakespeare

I don’t think Shakespeare counts as fairytales. idk the vibes are just off. ik it’s an Old Story but it isn’t a fairytale.

total: 0

Ep 20

this is it gang!

The Fairies

so in the 1880s, Andrew Lang wrote a series of fairytale books named after fairies of various colors. I’m counting each fairy who has a book named after them as a new tale.

EXCEPT: the Blue Fairy

ok look i fucked up yall. The Fairy With Turquoise Hair is re-named “The Blue Fairy” in a lot of adaptations, so when I previously counted her separately from Pinocchio bc she had her own book, I was referring to “The Blue Fairy Book”

so we’re not counting it here bc that would be counting it twice. apologies to the actual Blue Fairy.

The Red Fairy Book (+1)

The Green Fairy Book (+1)

The Orange Fairy Book (+1)

The Yellow Fairy Book (+1)

this is by no means all of Lang’s color fairy books. he’s got crimson, violet, grey, pink, you name it.

honorable mentions

Calvin & Hobbes is modern day folklore

I looked up to see if there’s any actual Aesop fables with a shark in em, closest I could find was a dolphin. Rip.

Beaky’s stint in the TAA lines up with Pinocchio’s story, so not a new tale. thank you for your service beaky o7

total: 4

total series tale count: 62

alas, the only mystery remaining is Scheherazade’s spider. someday I may come back to this post with new information about her, but today is not that day. If you know any middle eastern myths/fairytales/folklore/nursery rhymes that prominently feature a spider that guards a maze or guides people through caves, please feel free to reply/reblog with your knowledge.

this show has been a fun and wild ride. Here’s a shortened version of this post with just the numbers

thank you for coming on this journey with me - see you in the stories!

#d20 spoilers #d20 #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #neverafter spoilers #neverafter #original post #ongoing #dnd #folktales #folklore #myth #stories #fairytale

[cyberphuck]

ROYAL ASSASSIN ABRIDGED: PRELUDE

My friend Razz wants to understand my shitposting about the Farseer Trilogy, but doesn't want to actually have to read the books, so I'm summarizing them for them (and you)!

 Read previous entries

 LAST TIME, ON DRAGON BOOK Z: Fitz is a bastard who knows telepathy and talks to animals. He's taught to be an assassin, then goes up to the mountains on a mission and completely fails at it. His uncle tries to kill him. His OTHER uncle gets married.

 CAST OF CHARACTERS (holy shit there are so many characters in this book)

 THE FARSEERS

Six Duchies royal family, of which several members are now dead. This will include Farseers-by-Marriage (Dead or head-exploded characters will have their own category).

 FitzChivalry Farseer: The POV character, Prince Chivalry's bastard. Loyal as a K-Pop stan who still has a BTS McNugget meal preserved in their freezer. He possesses both the Skill (Professor X telepathy) and the Wit (Dr. Doolittle animal chats).

 Prince Verity: Currently King-in-Waiting, a lifelong second-in-command who was suddenly thrust into a leadership role when his older brother fucked off to be assassinated. Recently married, super strong in the Skill, does not ask for consent before mind-molesting Fitz.

 Queen Kettricken: Recently married to Verity, she came all the way from the Mountain Kingdom to clean up Buckkeep and be miserable because she's used to doing Crossfit in the snow and now she has to sit and pretend to laugh at other people's jokes.

 Prince Regal: The sneaky, moustache-twirling evil younger half brother of Verity. He killed like four people at Verity's wedding and tried to murder Fitz with a hot tub, and they just sort of let him get away with it.

 King Shrewd: The current king, currently pretty old and afflicted with some kind of wasting disease. Fitz is technically bound to him by a pact he made as a child, but they both kind of ignore that most of the time.

 Chade: King Shrewd’s older half-brother on the wrong side of the sheets. An assassin. Lives in the walls. Has a weasel. Came out of the wall into Fitz's room and taught him how to be an assassin. Sort of a father figure, but the kind that yells at you to hold the flashlight steady while he works on the car.

 Patience: Chivalry’s widow. Helicopter-parents Fitz whenever he comes within fifteen feet of her. The ADHD champion of the Six ooh is that a book on rare ferns?

 NOBLES

 Duke Brawndy: Duke of Ripplekeep, a pretty stand-up dude. Father to Celerity and member of the Fitz Fan Club.

 Lady Celerity: Has a big ol' fourteen-year-old crush on handsome, virile Fitz. She's pretty okay for someone who was named after a vegetable you put peanut butter on.

 Duke Kelvar: Remember him? He finally manned his fucking watchtowers at Neatbay. Fitz fanclub member. Husband to Lady Grace, his young hotness wife whose dog Fitz pulled a fish bone out of.

 CASTLE AND STABLE FOLK

 Burrich: Fitz's primary father figure, the kind that takes you to football games and Hooters to try to flush the Gay out of you. Stablemaster of Buckkeep, and also has the Wit. Used to be heterosexual life partners with Prince Chivalry. Took several blows to the head last book and seems to be okay.

 Hands: Fitz's stablehand friend. He's been relegated to background character.

 Lacy: Patience’s serving woman and bestie. Makes lace, nods indulgently and will stab you.

 The Fool: Albino freak-teenager with a special interest in cryptids and making up rhymes about farting. King Shrewd's jester.

 Justin: Part of the Skill Coterie. Hangs out with Serene most of the time, card-carrying member of the Fitz Sucks and Smells Bad club.

 Serene: The only female member of the Skill Coterie. Treasurer of the Fitz Sucks and Smells Bad club.

 Carrod: Local fop and member of the Skill Coterie. In this book he mostly sneers at Fitz and says cringe things while everyone else is trying to work.

 Burl: Part of the Skill Coterie... is Burl even in this book? I can't remember. Less dumb than you think he is.

 Will: Part of the Skill Coterie. Hangs out in shadows and stares fixedly at people.

 Molly Chandler: A candlemaker and servant who wants to go back to being a candlemaker. Girlboss. Fitz would buy her bathwater.

 Rosemary: Kettricken's page. She's just a little girl. So cute. What's she doing? Oh, she's coloring. Aww.

 Wallace: King Shrewd's servant and sometimes healer. One time the Fool calls him Wall's-ass.

 Bolt: A guardsman who shows up at the end of the book to punch Fitz repeatedly in the face. I only mention him here because he shows up in the next book as well.

 Blade: An older guardsman, Fitz fanclub member.

 ANIMALS:

 Cub/Nighteyes: A wolf soul-bonded to Fitz. Talks in italics. Possesses the single braincell out of everyone in the entire series.

 Sooty: Fitz’s horse. Best mare, perfect cinnamon roll and can do no wrong.

 Vixen: Burrich’s dog. Good dog.

 Slink: A weasel belonging to Chade.

 OTHER NOTABLES:

 The Red Ship Raiders: Mongolian Vikings who have been Viking their merry way up and down the coast, burninating villages and kidnapping people to be Forged.

 Forged people: Zombies. It's a tiny bit more complicated than that, but you don't find that out for another like, six books, so: they're zombies.

 Lady Thyme: A horrible old woman who is really Chade in disguise. The Elderlings: Who are they? What are they? No one knows. 

 DEAD PEOPLE:

 Chivalry: Dead from probably assassination.

 Queen Desire: Regal's mom, dead from drug use but Regal THINKS it was assassination.

 Rurisk: Dead from poisoning by Regal.

 Cobb: Dead from stab by Fitz.

 Galen: Dead from Skill-explosion by Verity.

 August: Okay he's not DEAD, but Verity Skill-megaphoned him and he went to live on a farm upstate.

 Smithy: Went back to his home planet after Cobb hugged him and told him he was a good boy.

 Nosy: Went back to his home planet after saving Fitz from dying in a hot tub.

 MAGICS (I know magic is not a character, but they do have to be explained somewhere)

 The Wit: The ability to “bond” with certain animals and speak with them, as well as sense life force and to do a kind of mental shove at people. You tend to act a little like the animal you’ve bonded to. Witted people are considered gross and animalistic and are run out of town or put to death.

 The Skill: Telepathy. Considered the “birthright” of the Farseers. Most people can sense it at least a little, but it takes inborn talent and a lot of careful training to do anything useful with it. Skilling apparently feels awesome but if you give in to the temptation to fully open yourself to it you can get sucked out of your own brain.

 NEXT TIME: Part one of Royal Assassin Abridged!

#rote #Fitzchivalry Farseer #robin hobb #ra abridged

[carlyraejepsans]

It's the perfect time of year

Somewhere far away from here

I feel fine enough, I guess

Considering everything's a mess

There's a restaurant down the street

Where hungry people like to eat

I could walk, but I'll just drive

It's colder than it looks outside

It's like a dream you try to remember but it's gone then ya (Pinch me)

Try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn when ya (Pinch me)

Try to see the world beyond your front door (Cuz I'm still asleep)

Take your time because the way I rhyme's gonna make you smile when ya (Please God)

Realize that with a guy my size it might take a while just to (Tell me)

Try to figure out what all this is for (I'm still asleep)

It's the perfect time of day

To throw all your cares away

Put the sprinkler on the lawn

And run through with my gym shorts on

Take a drink right from the hose

And change into some drier clothes

Climb the stairs up to my room

Sleep away the afternoon

[...]

On an evening such as this

It's hard to tell if I exist

If I packed a car and leave this town

Who'll notice that I'm not around?

I could hide out under there

I just made you say "underwear"

I could leave but I'll just stay

All my stuff's here anyway

#yes the entire lyrics. because fuck you that's why #LITERALLY THEE FUCKING SANS SONG OF ALL TIME. FUCK. #it's already perfect from the start but the fucking ''heh. just made you say underwear'' at the end just seals it. forever #god tali thank you so much for introducing me to this song. rotates him in my mind like a michael wave #spooktunes #undertale #sans #barenaked ladies #pinch me #Spotify

[kariachi]

Okay, so, topic of the day is Tetramand engagement customs, as presented to us through Princess Looma and her multiple engagements (this poor girl). We’ll be touching on the length of engagements, the custom of an engagement challenge, the opening of a lady to challenges right up until her marriage is made official, and the custom of presenting gifts to one’s in-laws.

That last one we’re hitting first so I can just straight up say, I am disregarding the majority of that fucking rhyme. It’s shoddy worldbuilding, and while that’s fine within the show because all it’s worldbuilding is shoddy, I am a grown adult who does not have to perpetuate that shit. So, this alien species does not somehow have a traditional rhyme that just so happens to closely mimic one utilized in the language-united countries of a backwoods mudball with only one change to reflect their own culture. No.

But. We can keep the conquering. Because that does make sense with the very competitive, high-combat culture we’re given with the Tetramand, that something like that would come into being. Presumably this a form of bride price, or a method of proving to one’s in-laws that their child will be well cared for. Since it seems to be done early on in the process as well, it could also serve as a way of attracting more, possibly better, suitors by showing what a man’s family stands to gain access to.

(Side Thought: There’s no indication that anything like this went down in regards to Looma and Kevin’s engagement, implying that he if nothing else presented himself as an orphan. There’s also the fact there’s no indication that Ben received an engagement gift from Looma’s father, which brings up the question of if that was potentially tied to Kevin’s orphan status. Of course there’s also the fact the gift was tied to an interest he and Kevin (and Looma) share, and that despite what could easily have led to bad blood he’s very affectionate and pleasant with Kevin the next time he sees him after the failed wedding, so the whole thing could just be that he’s specifically fond of this scruffy young alien.)

((Somebody give me an AU fic where Argit and Gar are in constant communication conspiring to make sure Kevin and Looma will work out))

This brings us to the next point on the list, which is these engagement challenges. Now, as we know them on Earth engagement challenges can take many forms, including challenges to the young woman herself, but they tend to be very one-and-done. You win, you get the woman, that’s it. But this is very clearly not the case for Tetramand, at least not those in Looma’s kingdom. One can be challenged at any point prior to the finalization of the marriage.

Remember, Ben becomes engaged to Looma at her wedding, and this is in no way considered odd. In fact it’s such a known option that Kevin twists things to go that direction to get out of the engagement himself.

This fact, combined with the length of traditional engagements- three years Earth time- leads to one very, very big question.

Why?!? Why is this the case? What, culturally, leads to this?

So, what are our facts? Tetramand women are stronger than the men, and can be up to half-again the size of them. To earn the chance at her hand a Tetramand man is expected to defeat the woman he’s eying in combat. Once he’s managed this, there’s a three year (Earth time, we don’t know how that translates to Khoron time) span wherein other men can come in and win his woman right out from over him.

I think we can safely say right off that these challenges are not intended as tests of strength. A culture where the women are half-again the size of the men and understandably stronger? Is not expecting men to overpower women to get their hand- no man would marry, or at least very few would, and we’ve both got no indication that men having multiple wives is a thing and direct indication that kids outside of wedlock are not considered valid, at least among the upper classes, so these women are getting married somehow. Presumably these fights are supposed to be challenges of skill, strategy, and cunning- three things that would let a man defeat a woman vastly stronger and larger than him.

(It would also add another layer to why Looma keeps beating all these men- she’s presumably Kevin’s age- so, 17 as per canon- and already a military commander, which is an accomplishment even for a royal in a highly militarized culture. Presumably, leaving aside the show being... itself, she’s got skill and strategy to spare if nothing else.)

This doesn’t answer the question though of ‘why do men keep getting chances at a woman once she’s found one’? There’s multiple possible answers, from women being a hot commodity- given the size and strength difference they’re probably the primary warriors, and childbirth is risky for anything, so women being the less common sex wouldn’t be too unreasonable- to some form of religious doctrine to encourage humility, to what I think might be most likely- giving men ample opportunity for upwards mobility.

Hear me out. There is no way in fuck Tetramand are not matriarchal. Again, the women can be half again the size of the men, this is not a patriarchy. Not unless the men have some serious shit going on, and we have no indication of that. Presumably Looma’s father is either acting as regent until she can take over or, if you follow DJW’s claim her mother is still alive just off on campaign, doing the classic ‘queenly’ duty of running things while the fucker actually in charge is off at war.

We see on Earth that marriage is often used, classically, as a way of climbing the social ladder. Depending on what determines social status among Tetramand, it may even form the primary way in which a man climbs the ladder, outside of possibly hoping his mother or sisters can climb the ladder and pull him up with them. And I think we may have some evidence for this in Kevin’s engagement to Looma. It serves as proof of a key detail- a man’s social position has no bearing on whether he can challenge and win the hand of a woman. These two are on completely opposite sides of the social ladder- one a royal heir and the other a foreigner with seemingly nothing to his name but a ship and a friend. This is a direct contrast to most Earth cultures of a similar bent, where a man would be expected to be in the general social range of the woman in question. And it’s not like Looma was desperate at this point, she was like 14 with plenty of time on her hands.

So, running with this theory, you get the long engagement to ensure that one guy doesn’t run in and snatch a young woman, presumably of status, up without anybody else getting a proper shot to prove themselves. If you combine that with potential religious aspects to the whole thing, it could make for an interesting bit of culture. Especially if we ask the question of ‘can you challenge someone twice’.

Since we’re here though, we should probably hit on a major factor to take into account- Looma’s social status. Looma is a princess, meaning two things here- 1) She probably had far more suitors than your average young woman would have. Royals are desirable, that is some social and financial security there. Most people probably only have a few challengers, if that. 2) All the rules? Really really matter for her. While status comes with power, it also comes with a lot of eyes and a lot of judgement along with them, royals and the like are generally expected to hold stronger to tradition than others, to maintain the proper appearance and the proper reputation. This means that while your average woman could probably get away with fudging rules, stretching them, ignoring them even, Looma most likely doesn’t have that luxury. Which is part of why she ends up desperate- she has to have a man who beat her while somebody of, say Gwen’s status, would probably be able to get away with fudging those rules.

And I was going to touch on the end of Rules of Engagement at this point, but it became a vaguely off topic rant so I will instead move it to it’s own post. Instead we will end with a repeat of a comment from my first post on this topic.

It’s definitely traditional for men’s relatives- most likely sisters and female cousins- to guard the venue during the wedding specifically to prevent last-minute challenges. Their guy managed to keep the woman for at least three years (more if you can rechallenge a woman you’ve lost) like fuck they are risking having to start over from scratch.

#thinky-thoughts #tetramand #ben 10 analysis