#the story takes place over approximately 4 months but she falls for the prince and his guard in that time? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dark-night-insomniac · 1 year

Text

| Dreamcatcher jiu x reader

Genre: medevial au, fluff and angst

| Word count: 6.1k~ Part 1

Warning: fighting, blood, injury, angst, cursing, threats, physical&mental abuse, historical inaccuracy~ switch from first person to third at some point

| Cast: Minji, Sua, Yoohyeon, Gahyeon and You

A/n: some of the other characters in this might get their own story ;)

Sua’s spinoff - Gahyeon’s spinoff coming soon

—————/———————/————

I’ve seen her a few times around the village

Even from a distance, the mysterious aura seeping through her gaze always seemed to catch my attention

I knew better than to mess with witches

But to say my not-so royal life was getting boring was an understatement

My family sent me to live in the rural edges of our kingdom, with the purpose of teaching me life the hard way, before becoming the head of the palace

So here I was, a prince, trying to stay undercover, living as a farmer under someone’s uncle’s roof

That women I keep seeing, i've never quite seen a beauty so surreal, ‘’maybe it was a spell’’ i chuckled to myself, or maybe it was something far more than what i expected it to be

——-

I struggle to remember the color of the walls inside the palace. Maybe they changed it now.

My father and mother had agreed on it, before being suited to lead the kingdom, I had to live the hard way. Living with a friend of a friend, a farmer that is, and for approximately 12 months.

Every descendant of the Crimson family that was in line for the throne had to prove themselves by doing so. But the way my father had thrown me out without a notice still left me hurt.

I felt the bitterness come back to the surface as I bit down on my already bleeding lip.The feeling was exactly what I needed for this instance.I picked myself back up, pushing away the stray hairs from my vision. My left side stung again as I received another blow to my ribs.

The small crowd cheered.

I wasn’t going to let that scoundrel make a fool out of me again. I targeted his leg, first grabbing his shoulders, then kicking his leg to be able to swipe my feet underneath his, making him fall successfully

The crowd cheered again

Seeing my enemy on the ground, I stomped my feet down to his throat.

I had enough…

I kept pressing down even after he tapped on my leg for mercy. It's only when one of my friends pulled me back that I came back to my senses. The crowd quickly gathered around me, celebrating another worthless win. ‘’Yea yea, i won, the show’s now over every one’’ i made a gesture for them to disperse.

The moment I could feel the breeze again, I looked around at the disappearing crowd.

We had this event between friends every week or so. The crowd was always changing, new faces every time. But one face seemed familiar through it all.

A slender figure, dark hair, and always that dark cape looming over her. My friends told me she was only around when I was the one fighting.

Villagers, farmers, foreigners, anyone could enter our fighting matches as long as they placed a bet. The crowd could place bets as well, delivering the money before being permitted to watch the show. It wasn’t anything professional, far from it, but it was a way for us to distract ourselves and get some money out of it.

I walked back to my older friend, looking down at the amount we had gathered

‘’How much did we get?’’ I asked

‘’Weird question for a royal like you y/n, shouldn't you already have all the riches in the land?’’ he quirked his eyebrow. I quicked some dirt his way.

‘’Hey! Do that again and you’re never getting your share’’

I huffed before sitting down by his side to help him count

——

After all, life outside the castle wasn’t too hard. Harsh but freeing in many ways that the 4 walls of that palace could never provide me.

I walked back home at dawn, walking a bit further away from the village. I stepped inside, noticing my adoptive family, each sitting around the table.

‘’Good evening’’ I announced myself before taking off my worn out jacket

‘’Did you feed the lambs and the chickens?’’ A stern voice asked me

I cursed under my breath

‘’Go outside to feed them and do not come back in until it's done. You'll sleep outside if you are too lazy for such minimal tasks. You might be royal blood, but from what i have seen of you, you'll never be as good as your father’’ he spitted at me

I felt both my fists clenching, breathe y/n, only a few more months…

‘’It's not because your a descendant of the Crimson’s family that you're any better than us, now go before I teach you a lesson’’

I exited the house, slamming the door behind me.

This is ridiculous, no one restocked the food for the chickens. I grabbed my satchel and made my way out further, nearing the woods.

I still wasn’t quite sure what these animals were supposed to eat to grow. I would usually steal from our neighbors gardens, gathering what I could so uncle could get off my back.

Like the usual routine, I sneaked past the small cabin, kneeling down before the small garden. I started filling my bag with anything I could grab.

I believed myself to be safe. That until I heard wood cracking agonizingly under someone's weight. I immediately ducked, laying on the ground as flat as possible. Footsteps grew louder and closer, that’s when I heard a shout and decided it was my time to run. I stood up and saw the old man pointing his gun at me, I ducked and started running towards the woods. Hearing cursing and gunshots following. I ran through bushes and trees, not looking back

I stopped a minute later, trying to catch my breath.

That's when I heard a voice humming. I hid behind a tree. I heard of these fables, the ones who were stupid enough to wander around the woods alone would often encounter what people called witches. Seemingly human, but with monstrous powers.

I tried listening to the humming. I felt warm, almost comforted by the sound. I racked my brain, trying to remember witches powers and their effects on the common mortal. That song she was humming, it must be some sort of spell or enchantment

I plugged my ears with my fingers. How was I going to get out of this?

‘’Running, like you always do y/n’’

Right, I looked around before stepping out from my hiding spot, ready to run once again

Unfortunately for me, grace wasn’t one of my fortee, nor was my vision so it seems, has i had failed to notice a small root sticking out from the ground, making me trip and fall down

The humming stopped.

I cursed under my breath. I looked up to be met with an oddly familiar face. She simply giggled, looking down at me.

I stood up before taking a step back, cautious to who or what i had encountered.

‘’You’re hurt’’ she almost whispered while looking at me

Her voice sounded like pure silk, something bringing me almost as much comfort as it had for fear a few seconds prior.

I knew better than to fall under a witches charm. Yet, I stood frozen as she approached me, unable to look away from her delicate features and her chocolate eyes. Her hand made contact with my face, making me slightly jump. Her gaze met mine again, this time seemingly worried.

‘’S-sorry’’ I mumbled. She smiled before letting go of my face.

‘’Make sure to clean that cut and put pomade on it, if you want it to heal’’ she looked down with a shy smile

‘’Oh..I will’’ I replied before shaking myself out of this trance like state

‘’I'll be on my way’’ she excused herself before walking away

I ran back to the cottage, feeding the chickens with what I had gathered before finally settling down inside. I looked at my reflection, a cut was present where the women had touched my face. I gathered water from the kitchen, taking a small bowl to bring some over to my room.

I sat down before plunging face first into the bowl. At least I could clean up the wound.

Satisfied, I undressed and laid down. I stared at the rotting ceiling, wood really couldn't last long against the rain I thought. I turned to lay on my side, staring out the window.

Images of earlier came to mind. I wasn't sure if I liked the woman I encountered or if it was only the spell of a witch, either way, I was probably only touch deprived.

She was just one of many faces I would come across and never see again.

——

Yet another crack of dawn fell upon the village.

I unwillingly opened my eyes to be blinded by the waking sun.

If I were to wake up early enough, maybe uncle wouldn't catch me leaving for the day. I wasn’t willing to fulfill my duties per usual, so I opted on escaping to the village for another of our fighting tournaments. I quickly dressed up in my red cardigan father had given me, before exiting by the room’s window. I walked through the field before joining the main path. After a few minutes, I knocked on my friend’s front door.

Only a few seconds passed before she opened the door.

‘’Y/n!’’ she exclaimed

‘’Ready for another successful day Yooh?’’

She nodded with a grin before following me outside. She left to gather any possible fighters while I set up the scene, simply marking a line in the dirt behind one of the houses in the village.

I then settled down Yooh’s bet’s hat, anyone agreeing to fight or to watch had to place a bet against us, thus making us quite the coin after each fight.

When Yooh came back with a crowd, we decided on an order. A few foreigners in town would be fighting a few locals, then, the winner would go against me for the final.

We collected the bets and let the fights start after explaining a few base rules.

——

The crowd started getting bigger after a few rounds. More and more familiar faces stacked up around the circle. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to be faced with none other than Lee Gahyeon.

‘’Well if it isn’t the princess herself’’ I teased, slightly bowing.

She grinned from ear to ear, making me do the same.

‘’Y/n, you know not to address me as such around here” she lightly scolded.

‘’How is the farm life treating you dear friend’’ I asked, a bit concerned.

‘’Better than you it seems” she teased, pointing out my rough figure.

‘’The difference between you and me Gahyeon, is that i'm letting myself have fun while away from the castle’’

‘’And I only have a month left before returning to my family, so who is really the winner here y/n?’’ she grinned

Gahyeon was a princess sent here for the same purpose as I was. Only difference being her coming from a different kingdom, one adjacent to mine. Our families were allies. Once they heard about our family’s famous tradition, they decided on sending Gahyeon out into the world as well.

‘’Well i suppose i'll be lonely then’’ I playfully winked at her, making her giggle

Our attention was brought back to the fight when Yooh announced a winner, it was then that I turned around and saw the hooded girl again.There was this insatiable feeling inside of me, I needed to know her name. But as I started walking towards her, Gahyeon pulled me back.

‘’Don’t think you're escaping from me so easily prince charming’’ she grinned

Although I would have joined Gahyeon's stories, I was still distracted by the stranger. I turned the other way again, meeting the mysterious eyes through the crowd.

Those eyes, I could recognize them anywhere, an object of fascination against my own will. I was taken aback once I realized it was the same woman I had encountered in the woods. But before I could do anything, she ducked with a seemingly disappointed expression on her face.

I tried following after her, but Gahyeon was there to stop me again as well as Yoohyeon this time. She called me in for the final fight. I stepped into the circle, looking up to see my opponent. I frowned, I had never seen this type of attire, probably a foreigner.

Yoohyeon announced the rules again, the winner would win it all. Enticing amount of money for anyone that wasn’t royal. The fight started and I was able to immediately put my opponent to the ground. He managed to pull me off a few times but I was not going to let him take the win.

I pushed him once again to the ground, he groaned before shouting some words I could not understand. I heard some commotion in the crowd and immediately turned around to yoohyeon, seeing the girl fighting the friend of my rival. They were trying to steal the prize from her.

I was about to run to Yoohyeon but my opponent pulled me back.

I felt a stinging pain in my left leg. I looked down to see the man pulling out his dagger out my leg. I let myself fall onto the ground, now clutching at the wound.

I screamed to Yoohyeon to warn her, to let them go so she wouldn't get hurt. The crowd had already corwarded away, leaving the 2 men against me and Yoohyeon.

She let them go after being thrown to the ground.

I got back on my two feet and approached her

‘’I'm so sorry about this situation, are you okay dear?’’ I asked worried

I helped her pull herself off the ground, it's then that I saw a tear running down her face.

‘’yooh’’ I wiped away the tears, turning her face towards me.

‘’Its my fault, i couldn't fight him off, and now he's gone with the money’’ she muttered out

‘’Yooh, no one could of predicted this, it’s my fault if anything, i told you to stop fighting them, i didn't want you to get hurt’’ I reassured

‘’why-’’ she stopped her sentenced when she looked down at my bloodied leg

‘’Y/n! what happened’’ she crouched, touching around the wound.

‘’That bastard had a dagger on him, but i'll be fine’’

She seemed to disagree with me and retrieved her hand from the wound, looking at the substance now on her fingers.

‘’I think he had poison on that dagger, look’’ she showed me the green substance that she retrieved from the wound.

She then stood up before pulling on my arm ‘’Follow me, we need to get some medicine for you’’

I stopped her ‘’Yoohyeon you also have injuries, please go rest back home, i'll fix myself later’’ She was about to fight my decision but I glared at her.

‘’Fine’’ she pouted

‘’I’ll bring you back home now’’ i left her no choice

‘’right, prince charming’’ she joked

‘’I do this because I care about you, not because I was raised this way’’

—--

You led yoohyeon back to the safety of her home before going your own way.

You looked down at your leg. ‘’I have to fix this now’’

You weren’t knowledgeable in medicine and even less poisonous substances. But you did know a friend that could help you on that matter. You didn't like him much, but it was better than letting that substance simmer inside your flesh.

You made your way to his house and knocked.

Quickly your eyes were met with a cocky grin from the tall boy.

‘’Well, well, how could I help my dear Y/n today?’’

You scoffed at him ‘’Well, one of the fighter decided it was a good idea to wound me with poison today’’

He frowned, now serious ‘’I see, let me take a look at it’’ he made sign for you to enter.

You sat down on one of the chairs in his cabin. He kneeled before looking at the wound, He seemed fascinated by it, letting out some noises of excitement

‘’Anything?’’ you asked

‘’Y/n, a master needs time to complete his work’’ he smiled

He stood up before going towards his bed, picking up a book from it. ‘’From the color, texture, that wound…I don't think that's going to kill you, not yet anyway. Only thing, I dont have the plant you need here for your remedy’’ he seemed pensive

‘’Can you help me or i am wasting my time here?’’

‘’I sure can, although the plant I need is a bit far from here. I do have a brief sketch of it that should help you find it’’ he explained, ripping a page from his book.

You took the page out of his hands before walking towards the exit. ‘’Your welcome!’’ he screamed towards you before you disappeared from his view.

——

‘’This shouldn't be too hard’’ you repeated to yourself while walking further into the forest.

You approached a small water stream, stopping there to refresh yourself after the long and painful walk. As you stopped there, you heard shouting in the distance

You stood up and walked towards the source, curiosity getting the best of you.

You quickly hid when you noticed a man pointing his gun at a hooded figure. Intelligible words were exchanged between the two before the man threw the person to the ground. In a matter of seconds he then aggressively stepped on their ankle before stealing their belongings.

You came out of hiding to confront the man but he was already running away. You ran to the women that was on the ground

‘’Miss, may I help you? Why did that men attack you?’’ You asked

You waited for her response but only heard her sniffle. It was when she turned her face to meet your gaze that you recognized her face. ‘’A witch’’ you accidentally blurted out ‘’Is that why he attacked you?’’ she nodded at the question

‘’I won't hurt you’’ you quickly jutted out

‘’I believe you, I have seen you quite a few times around y/n’’ she inquired.

You were shocked at the mention of your name. She seemed to notice your confusion and tittle her head with a smile

‘’May I know your name?’’

‘’Of course, I'm Minji, or Jiu for short’’ she smiled through the pain.

She tried standing up but failed due to her injury. You offered her your hand and helped her stand. She tried putting weight on her feet but groaned at the feeling, gripping onto your hand for support.

‘’Oh your ankle, I can help you back home’’ you reassured but her smile dropped.

‘’I dont think its a good idea to bring me back home seeing as though you have a lover waiting for you back there’’

You frowned, confused.

‘’The princess?’’ she quirked her eyebrow

‘’Oh, that is not my lover. We are friends’’ you replied. She simply nodded

‘’Wait, how do you know she's a princess?’’ you asked curiously

‘’She isn't exactly trying to hide it with her gold brooch’’ she replied, making you laugh

‘’I also have noticed your embroidery dear prince’’ she seemingly teased, making you blush

She let go of your hand and tried walking on her own but to no avail. You grabbed onto her again. ‘’Let me help?’’

‘’You know what i am don't you?’’

You slowly nodded, trying to understand what she was trying to say.

‘’Then you shouldn't be here, even less at my house, which is near the coven’’ she explained.

‘’Minji, you can't walk on your own, I promise i'll be quick and of no disturbance’’ you slightly bowed, long forgetting your own injury to help the women in front of you. She sighted, knowing she had no other choices but to accept.

‘’Fine, but you should wear this, so as to not be recognized as an intruder’’ She gently took off her hooded cape and gave it to you. She helped you put it on properly, tying the front and placing the hood above your head.

You noticed a small frown on her features before she gently touched your cheek

‘’You didn’t put pomade on it, did you?’’ she asked with a teasing smile

‘’Oh, I must of forgotten, i’m sorry’’

she simply replied with a nod and a grin

You gave your hand to Jiu, holding onto it firmly to help her walk back home.

——

After what felt like an eternity, you could see the edge of wooden roofs starting to peek through the foliage.

As you walked closer to the village with Jiu, you observed the magnificent sight. A witch’s village was nothing short of breathtaking, unlike the horrible descriptions in those fables. Although the sight was to cherish, with all its greenery and uncommon forms, the sight that was to your right couldn't be beaten. It would be a lie to say you hadn’t peeked at Jiu’s profile throughout the long walk. You grew fonder of her soft chocolate eyes and her inviting smile. Although you had been too shy or preoccupied by her state to talk, the silence seemed to be comfortable. The both of you enjoying each other's company while admiring the surrounding nature.

The exterior of the small cabins were painted of eccentric colors and flowers were surrounding each and every building.

You both walked closer to what seemed to be her house. She opened the door before you helped her in. She then sat down onto her bed before looking back at you.

‘’Thank you y/n’’

You simply nodded, watching her uncomfortable figure trying to chase away the pain.

‘’Could you please bring my pain medicine? It's in my underground storage behind my house, you should be able to find it by the wooden trap there’’

You weren’t sure about wandering in such a place, but if it was to help Jiu feel better, then you would do so.

‘’What does the medicine resemble? you asked, unsure

‘’It a red glass bottle with a leather cap’’ she smiled

Having all the information you needed, you hesitantly stepped out of her cabin. You walked towards the back side of the building. A few meters away from its back wall, you noticed the wooden trap. To your surprise it was left open, making it easier for you to climb down in.

The place was quite dark, with only a faint flame lighting the room. You approached the light to start searching for Jiu’s medicine.

You heard a faint noise behind you, but before you could turn to the source, you were pinned against the harsh textured wall.

‘’Who are you and why are you here?’’ a smaller women asked, her knife to your throat

You gulped, ‘’I'm here for Jiu’’

‘’How do you know any of ours name’’

‘’I'm a friend of Jiu’’ you tried explaining but to no avail.

‘’I don’t believe strangers’’ she mentioned before pushing you to the ground. She let her weight pin you down to be able to tie your hands with some rope.

She commanded you to get up before asking more questions

‘’Jiu has been gone for hours now, why should I believe you when you could be the reason of her disappearance?’’

‘’Listen, your friend was attacked and I simply helped her get back home’’

The smaller women didn't reply, but simply approached you, now curiously looking at the embroidery on your chest.

‘’The Crimson palace…what is royalty even doing here?’’ she asked herself. She then walked a few steps around the dark room, seemingly in thought.

She looked at you after pondering, ‘’Who are you?’’

‘’It's not important, we need to go help Jiu’’ you replied, impatient to get back to the injured woman.

she harshly grabbed your face ‘’It is important if you want your pretty face to get out of here unmarked’’ she snarled.

You hesitated, blowing your cover wasn’t exactly meant to happen during this ‘learning session’ away from the palace. Especially not to witches.

Her hand started clenching harder around your face.

‘’I'm the prince’’ you finally jutted out, making her let go of your face

‘’There you go, was that so hard?’’ she giggled mischievously before pushing you out the room and up the stairs

‘’Where are we going?’’ you asked, unsure of what she planned on doing with vulnerable royalty.

‘’You’ll see soon, won't you?’’ she teased. She seemed unbothered by your sligh panic, enjoying the effect she had on you. To your relief, she walked you back to Jiu’s front door. She opened the door before pushing you in, making you fall to the floor.

‘’Is this someone you know?’’ she asked after putting her feet down on your back.

‘’Sua, be careful would you?’’ Jiu snarled at her

‘’Yes I do know them, they helped me get back here’’ she confirmed before letting herself to the ground to untie your hands from the harsh rope.

She looked over you like looking over porcelain, looking for any marks that would predict future shattering.

‘’i'm fine’’ you whispered to her with a reassuring smile

She looked back to Sua ‘’Do you at least have any medicine for me?’’

‘’Here’’ Sua took out a bottle from her satchel and threw it towards the bed

‘’If they do anything, just alert us with a scream’’ she explained before leaving the both of you alone.

Jiu painfully pulled herself back up to bed, ‘’I'm sorry about that y/n, Sua is…very protective’’

‘’I can tell’’ you smiled ‘’It only means you’ll be safe here, makes my heart a bit lighter’’ you admitted. You weren’t sure if it was the product of your imagination, but you swore in that moment you saw blush spread across her face.

She opened the bottle Sua had given to her and took out some of the medication to chew on.

‘’Is that all?’’ you asked, unsure if the medication alone would help her ankle. She giggled at your question before taking out something from under her bed.

She revealed a small wooden box. She pulled some bandages out from it before starting to twist the material around her ankle. You quickly kneeled before her, offering to help her. She smiled before letting you take the material to finish surrounding her ankle. You gently secured her ankle with the material before letting her foot down.

A few seconds passed. Waiting for any response, you looked up to catch her staring at you with a fond smile. You immediately looked back down, a bit embarrassed.

‘’Thank you y/n’’ she grinned

‘’It's nothing’’ you smiled back before getting up

But Minji frowned, looking down at your leg. ‘’Did Sua really cut your pants?’’

You looked down as well, now remembering your own injury ‘’It is not Sua’s doing, it is from a fight’’

‘’Can I have a look at it, I may be able to help you in return for your services’’ she pleaded

Without a word you simply sat down next to her. Her hands wandered around the wound on your thigh. She gently raised the material off your skin. Her expression seemed pained as she traced the cut. ‘’Do you know why the blood seems greenish?’’ she looked back at you

‘’I believe my opponent had poison on his dagger, which he was not suppose to use regardless’’ you huffed

‘’I see’’ Jiu helped herself up and made her way to a cabinet, grabbing a small jar from it. She came back and gave it to you. You noticed the symbol on it, it was the plant you were looking for earlier. ‘’How did you know this was the right antidote?’’ you looked a Jiu, surprised

‘’Well witches do have a few tricks up their sleeves’’ she winked, making you smile

You looked back down at the wound, ‘’Do I just apply it directly?’’ you questioned

Jiu giggled ‘’No we have to clean it first’’ She grabbed a small bottle from one of her shelf

‘’Here is some alcohol’’ she smiled. You watched dreadfully as she opened the bottle

‘’Maybe we do not have t-’’ she cut off your sentence by pouring some of the liquid on the cut. All that could be heard was your muffled groans as you harshly pressed your lips together.

Jiu watched the liquid fizzle, like some kind of potion she would be working on. She was about to pour more but you stopped her, pleading her to not do so.

‘’Oh, I'm sorry, I didn’t realize it hurt bad’’ she apologetically smiled before replacing the alcohol bottle with the small jar. She opened it before placing a generous amount of ointment on your wound. She gently spread it so as to not hurt you.

It's only now that you realized how close she was to you. Her body almost colliding with yours, you could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. A feeling you hoped would become familiar.

She gave you some bandages to finish treating the wound. ‘’Here, you should be able to recover now’’.

You stood up to properly wrap the material around your leg. Once secured, you noticed how the lighting seemed to have faded from earlier. You looked outside only to confirm that night was indeed approaching.

‘’Well, I will be on my way now, thank you for everything Minji’’ you bowed

‘’No need y/n, thank you for rescuing me today’’ she smiled

You felt that leaving her was causing your heart to ache. After finally meeting the mysterious woman, would you simply return home and never see her again? At last, you knew these questions wouldn't be answered by staying in her home, so you opted on wishing her a good night before exiting her house.

You made sure the wooden door was safely closed and locked before turning around. You stopped in your steps, met with none other than Sua and one taller girl. Her eyes went wide before turning into a teasing look

‘’Ah Sua, I will be heading home now’’ you explained

‘’Curious, with how long the two of you were in there, I believed you were staying the night’’ Her words surprised you, making you blush.

The other girl eyed you curiously before speaking. ‘’If you aren’t interested in Minji, we could spend some time together as well’’ she smirked. Sua elbowed the taller girl ‘’Dong, this is not the time to court’’ ‘’Fine, my excuses’’ she replied before sending you a wink as she made her way back towards what you assumed to be her house.

Sua turned back towards you ‘’Leave’’ she sternly directed to you

‘’Yes miss’’ you replied before making your way out of the village.

—---

A week has passed since you last saw Minji. Although she would usually present herself during the fighting tournaments, you assumed she couldn't make her usual errands in town with her ankle.

It didn't stop you from wondering if she was well, if someone was taking care of her or if she was recovered

You had been busy with tasks at home, but you planned to visit her. So when the next morning came, you quickly exited the house to make your way to her, hoping you wouldn't be ambushed by her friends again.

—--

Making your way through the woods. you seemed to recognize the surroundings. The small stream, the flowers. Wasn’t this the place you first encountered Minji?

A sudden idea came to your mind. You approached the flowers, gently picking some of them. You place them in your bag, making sure to not fumble any of the petals before resuming your travels

—---

You saw the wooden roofs appear once again in the distance. You remembered the way, to your relief.

You carefully stepped foot into the village, looking around for signs of any of Jiu’s friends. When you judged the cost to be clear, you let yourself walk further into the small town. That's when you saw her, tending to some flowers near a cabin. She looked just as beautiful as the last time you had seen her. She was sitting on a small bench, her ankle still surrounded for protection.

You let yourself admire her for a bit, enjoying the scenery of it all. Although you felt peaceful at that moment, your heart started singing a song of its own. Its pace quickening at the mere sight of her.

Suddenly, Sua appeared behind her, bringing what looked like to be more flowers to tend too. And although Jiu hadn’t noticed you, Sua immediately did and took her dagger out before calling to you. She seemed to not remember you.She hastily made her way to you but Jiu finally turned around and made eye contact with you. She immediately smiled and called back the smaller woman, explaining to her you were the stranger who helped her a few days before.

Sua retreated before teasingly smiling at you once again. This time she let no word out, simply making a gesture for you to join Jiu.

You walked to where Jiu was sitting

‘’Y/n. How are you’’ she smiled brightly

‘’I am well, I hope you have recovered since our last meeting’’

‘’I do feel better, especially now that you are here’’ she teased before giggling at your shy expression

You reached into your bag, carefully pulling out the flowers you picked earlier. You looked down at them, breathing in before having enough courage to look back up at her. You placed the flowers in front of her, still holding onto them ‘’I wanted to give these to you’’ you shyly expressed.

You didn’t quite understand what was happening to you. You never felt much. You always passed as the cold hearted person who had no time to spare for any strangers. But here you were, feeling your chest fill with butterflies as you looked into this woman's eyes.

She gently took them into her own hands. Looking gleefully over them, smelling the different flowers you had brought to her.

She looked back at you with a grateful smile ‘’Thank you y/n’’

‘’They reminded me of you’’ you blurted out

She giggled, looking back at them ‘’Is that so?’’

For once in your life, you decided to act on your feelings instead of the logic your brain was trying so hard to push onto you.

‘’I like you..Minji’’ you looked at her, only to see her shocked.

Scared, you looked back down to your feet. That was until you felt her warmth close to you once again. You could recognize that feeling anywhere, her presence was one you could never forget, intoxicating yet a blessing.

You felt her fingers hook themselves under your chin, encouraging your gaze to meet hers. Her gaze looked sincere and loving. ‘’I admire you a lot y/n’’ she said in almost a whispers

‘’I'm sorry about what I said’’ You tried explaining yourself.

What you failed to notice all this time was that Jiu felt attracted to you as well, wondering at night where you were, if you also thought about her and missed her.

At the simple mention of her being a witch, people would either attack her or run, no one had been considerate enough to talk to her, let alone help her. You made her feel loved in a way no one before had been able too. Even when she had romantic interests, she would have to hide who she was. But with you, she let herself hope that things could be different.

Noticing the silence, you tried speaking up again ‘’I should of not sai-’’

Jiu wasn’t gonna let you finish that sentence, she wanted to let you know just how much she appreciated your existence. She pulled you in for the softest yet most passionate kiss. Her lips weren't rough nor distant, a perfect amount of pressure accompanied by a slow and loving rhythm.

You felt hypnotized, her lips casting a spell on you, her body pressing against you like she was the puzzle piece you were missing. Her hand gently grazed against the back of your neck while you held onto her waist.

for the first in a while, you felt happy. Like life had a meaning, like the world was given back its colors.

You once believed love was a curse, but if she was the one casting it, then it was well worth it.

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ecoamerica · 23 days

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corpsentry · 4 years

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behind the taylor swift gundam was in fact another, smaller gundam: a brief inquiry into the events of june 2020

so back in june this year june and i got together and we made this motherfucker of a story with this motherfucker of a thread to keep track of it all. but you already know that! and i’ve already got one foot and three elbows in my grave, so i’ll spare you the long-winded stuff. you wanna know how i wrote 93,035 words in 4 weeks? i’ll tell you how i wrote 93,035 words in 4 weeks-

-by linking you guys to copies of my planning documents because i feel like those words speak louder than any words i can offer in the present day. these are long documents. but they are also historical artifacts. very interesting. very weird. very, uh, full of cussing. so anyway, here’s

BIG DADDY: THE ORIGINAL PLANNING DOCUMENT

for those, like me, who have no motivation left in life to do anything and rely on summaries from others to acquire new knowledge, it all started with a single line.

prince of a fallen kingdom atsumu tries to kill hinata but falls in love with him instead

june, april something, 2020

with that in mind i tested the concept out with a few paragraphs of text, which you can find at the bottom of the Big Daddy document in the graveyard segment, accidentally sold my soul to the image of hinata with epaulettes, and then worked backwards, structuring an entire plot around two images:

a) hinata getting the shit beat out of him, with snark b) hinata and atsumu dancing in an empty ballroom under the stars

if you want a betrayal, you have to have something worth losing. if you want to fall in love with someone you don’t know, you have to meet them. if you have to meet them, there has to be a reason for that meeting, and so somewhere in between atsumu became a sword instructor and hinata the prince with daddy issues. june and i used this method of glancing anxiously over your shoulder to see what you’d missed to fill out the blanks in the story, after which i tacked up a bunch of post-its, typed out the plot, consulted june, typed out the plot again, and then broke the characters down into a bunch of questions, like ‘what do they want?’ and ‘what do they have?’ and ‘what are they afraid of?’

with the plot more or less ironed out, i decided it was time to start writing, and then i decided that i was actually too scared to start writing after all, so instead i set a couple of timers using classroomtimers.com (15-20 minutes long) and i sat down and i wrote about the world that hinata and atsumu inhabited.

each warm-up was 300-500 words long, and for the first few days, i’d write one before getting into writing the story proper. later these evolved into simply picking a scene from the story and launching straight into it, which became useful for opening those scenes later when i got to them organically.

then i got lazy! so i stopped. but these shitty little exercises were really useful for me because, unfettered by plot, convention, or any kind of tradition hovering over my shoulder, i was able to fuck around loosely enough to realize what i wanted this story to be. it was a very contrived kind of trial-and-error, an exploration of the characters, the story, but most importantly, the tone.

RESEARCH, PLANNING, AND VICTORIAN BOUGIE FASHION

this is a loose map of the castle and Important Locations within it, which i drew up at the start so i could keep track of where everything was and how i could get my characters from point A to point B. i wanted the story to have Some kind of internal logic, you know, even if that logic amounted to ‘a compass would function normally in this world whereas kageyama tobio would not’.

99% of my planning and organizing within those five weeks took place in this lovely dotted cat journal which my sister gave me for my birthday and i repurposed into a metaphorical Diary of Suffering while working on juno. i used it for everything from keeping track of narrative threads to clothing consistency checks, but the main purpose was this: each day at about 10 pm i’d crack open the cat book to a fresh page, stamp the date and the day of suffering at the top, and then write down a list of things i wanted to write, address, or fix today. then i’d sit at my laptop and write like a madman until about 7 in the morning. with breaks, of course, for sitting in the bathroom and staring at the wall and sitting in the kitchen and staring at the wall, but mostly i was writing. and complaining about writing. you were there, you probably remember that.

anyway, here are some pages from the cat book.

aside from the fact that my handwriting is complete shit, you can see that i made zero effort for any of this to be presentable. it was mainly a way for me to keep track of my thoughts because i have the attention span of an ikea wardrobe and tend to forget things as soon as i think of them. the lack of structure also mirrored the way that i went about writing juno. while i did proceed, for the most part, in chronological order, i had a lot of weird and useless revelations during lunch, which by this point was happening around 2 am, and in the 5 minutes before the exhaustion finally hit and carried me down to hell. i changed A Lot. again, to understand exactly how much the story evolved from day one onwards, please consult the big daddy document.

in the meantime, here’s something else.

once june sent over hinata and atsumu’s character designs i sat down like the fucking fool i am and spent 2 hours poring over a document about victorian and other fashion movements of the past so i could assign a noun, adjective, and verb to each element of their outfits. i don’t know why i did this. i certainly could have not, but i attempted to make sense of their ‘fits from a logistical perspective and that went into the cat book too. everything went into the cat book. the cat book is a relic of the past now, stuffed with artifacts such as the birth of oikawa tooru, and also his demise.

MEDIUM DADDY: EDITING, PROOFREADING, AND CREEPY MURDER CATS

i finished writing on june 26th, 2020, approximately a month after i’d first started planning, somewhere around may 27th or 28th. at that point i had about 90,000 words’ worth of story and no sanity left whatsoever, so i took a day-long break to stare at a wall and listen to taylor swift’s enchanted on loop.

and then i made a new document, which you can look at using the link above, and i laid out everything i had to do. i’d discovered a fuck ton of plot inconsistencies and general errors while writing and lying awake in bed at 9 a.m., sleepless in seattle, and now that i was free of the demon egging me towards the first finish line, it was time to Deal with them. i speed-scrolled through the draft, which was 200+ pages compressed into one google doc, because i like to tempt god’s wrath, and fixed up all the plot issues over the course of a few days. this was the fun part.

the actual, hard editing was the extremely un-fun part. i reread the entire thing, paragraph by paragraph, line by damn line, from start to finish, paying especially close attention to awkward phrasing, incomplete dialogue, and moments which had fallen flat in my haste to get on to the next one. this was really fucking terrible. i spent more time lying facedown on the floor than actually editing anything, but after a long time (about a week), that, too was done.

SMALL DADDY: TITLES, SUMMARIES, AND GOOD FUCKING BYES

i spent a good eighty days thinking about the title, though hilariously enough we ended up with something that was a blend of our names. june + elmo = juno, which is, all things considered, pretty perfect, but the process of picking the title was Hell, and i Did Not Come Up With The Title until about 2 hours before posting. you can take a look at the haphazard clusterfuck of my title-selecting process in small daddy, which is linked above.

so the title was a last-minute choice. so was the summary. and the chapter divisions. and actually all the songs in the playlist for juno. the day we dropped juno onto planet earth like a newborn baby pitched out of the sky, i spent an hour hunched over my laptop, cutting my 213 page google doc into chapters based on nothing more than a Vibe. two days before that, i also attempted to voice-act the entirety of juno, an affair which ended at the 20,000 word mark with a sore throat and the kind of exhaustion one typically wants to sleep in a coffin for 23 years to get rid of. so in all honesty, i did very little editing, which is why there are definitely minor typos and/or mistakes hanging out somewhere on that chunky ao3 webpage. but whatever.

my attitude by july 5th (was it july 5th? or 4th? somewhere around there) was basically whatever. anything so i could get finish this damn thing, chuck it out of the window, and never see another google doc until the next century. i’ve been asked a few times how exactly i wrote at a rate of roughly 2000-3000 words per day for four weeks straight, and my answer has always been this: i died. what died, you ask? my soul. my spirit. my Will To Live. i’m a creature of fixations, and juno was my fixation for june. will i ever be able to do this again? would i recommend this experience to anyone? is god real? the answer to all of the above is probably no. juno was a fever dream, and so is my cat book. and so are all the lattes i had. and so was my 9 am to 4 pm sleep schedule.

but what we made is real. the research, oikawa tooru, the 4 am conversations in which i was like ‘how the fuck do i end this’ and june was like ‘jade proposal’ (the proposal was her idea. all rise for twitter user atsuhinas. she is the mastermind behind all of the Inch Resting moments in this story; i just flapped a korok leaf in her direction and made sure the air circulation was working properly) are real as fuck, and looking back, there’s a lot i’d change, but i’m lazy. and college is starting. and anyway, i did write 93,035 words in just under five weeks, four if you don’t count the week of Editing Hell, so i think that’s pretty cool.

thank you for reading this to the end, and for following us on our journey through the enigmatic taylor swift gundam fic which quite literally consumed my entire twitter account for the five weeks i spent working on it. retrospectively speaking i really was butt-obsessed so i am frankly incredibly impressed with everyone around me for putting up with a Husk of a Man for a month. thank you for doing that. thank you for indulging my vague tweeting, and our butterfly dns, and for reading 93 thousand words of gay fanfiction set in a high fantasy world with epaulettes and galettes. on behalf of june, once again, we are incredibly grateful for all your support.

if you have any questions about specific aspects of the writing process, or anything you’d like to know in general with reference to JUNO, feel free to drop me an ask through my tumblr inbox, or through my curiouscat over here. i’m aware i didn’t cover everything, but there’s frankly too much to put in a tumblr post without passing away somewhere around the 56% mark, so let me know what’s on your mind, and i’ll try to answer that to the best of my abilities. but anyway, before i go, here are some

TAKEAWAYS

one: don’t try to write 93,000 words in five weeks. seriously don’t fucking do it you will end up jittery and sleep-deprived and you will leave all your friends on read for a month. pace yourself. set realistic goals. you wrote 2k this week? that’s fantastic. you wrote 4k in a day? you absolute motherfucker. i hope you’re taking a long fucking break tomorrow. your story will not run away from you, but if you run too fast, you will get tired, and then you will pass away.

two: you don’t have to know everything about your story before you start writing. in fact if you have a single camera shot of two characters holding hands under a rose garden awning, i think that’s fucking wonderful. if you look at big daddy, you’ll realize that my initial plot draft, and all the ones following that, are not perfectly aligned with the final version of juno. i improvised over half of the scenes in this motherfucker, and to be completely honest, some of the improvised scenes were the best. fucking oikawa tooru was improvised out of nowhere. he only got written in way later, around chapter 8 or something, because i realized i needed a plot device and a source of information to keep the playing table from toppling over. i Sat Down one day and was like ‘okay, it’s time to write oikawa into the introduction. because he matters now. he didn’t matter last week but now he does, and soon he’s going to be the fulcrum of the entire story, because it’s like that with oikawa tooru’. it’s okay to change your mind halfway. it’s okay to go back and rewrite entire scenes or segments. it’s okay to highlight 4 pages of fresh, sentimental writing, and hit delete. writing is a fluid process, and you Will make discoveries as you progress through your story alongside your characters. be understanding of that iterative process. be kind to yourself.

three: You Are That Motherfucker. you, me, your dog, your dog’s friend, your dog’s enemy, all of us are that motherfucker. i never thought i’d be able to write anything longer than the great big map, which was a much simpler, linear story in which the other main character did not appear in the current timeline until like the eighth chapter. juno was different. juno was the motherfucker, and i was scared shitless of it, and to cope with that fear joked constantly while writing that it’d never see the light of day.

but it did. it was a rocky process, and i was awake for 48 hours after posting it because of the sheer adrenalin stuck in my skull, but i got through it. and i wouldn’t have been able to do it without june, who stepped in when i flopped over facedown on the floor and dragged me to my feet like the badass friend she is, and without everyone else in my life, who put up with me talking about The Thing that i couldn’t really talk about, but juno’s up there now. forever, or until the internet collapses and civilization goes extinct. and if the nineteen year old clown with the attention span of an ikea armchair and an a level certificate from hell wrote the 93,000 word long thing, so can you. i mean this completely unironically and with every ounce of genuine emotion i can summon from the cracked asshole of my heart.

writing is hard. writing is scary. writing is an investigation of the world around you and therefore, by extension, yourself, and that kind of honesty is freaky. it’s like going skinny-dipping next to the president’s mansion. who’s going to see you? what if they take a photo? what if you lose your spot at university?

but don’t think about that. our world is overrun with stories the way cereal bowls are full of cereal, but it’s those stories that keep us all sane in the disgusting day-to-day muck of reality, so think about your story. what’s haunting you today? what message do you want to leave printed in font size 666 comic sans across the southern hemisphere of the planet? what will you be tomorrow?

a writer. you’re going to be a motherfucking writer.

#my stuff

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shewillreadyou · 3 years

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Becoming: Chapter 8- Cater to you

As always. I hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing.

A/N:Settle in for this one. It��s long. Please share, and comment. Let me know what you would like to see happen. Will Liam come through or disappoint her again? Will Raymond lay off?

Disclaimers: All characters are property of Pixelberry

Warnings: Sexual content. FLUFF, ANGST SMUT

Catch up: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Word Count: 3945

Pairings: Liam Rhys and MC (Karis Vasquez)

Song inspiration: Cater 2 U- Destiny’s Child

Be Kind: Hit the heart button, leave a comment or reblog. It makes a writer so so happy.

In Paris

It’s been a long awkward day and a text message from Liam left her even more deflated. She told him that it was ok, and that she understood but in the back of her mind she wondered if this was only a glimpse of the canceled plans, a portrait of how much of a priority she would be if she became his queen. She started to pour herself a glass of wine to soothe the sting in her heart she felt. She stopped and instead took a long swig directly from the bottle. Then she tucked the entire bottle under her arm and headed back into her room.

The next few days seemed like a blur. She texted Liam every day but kept things light, knowing that anything more would spill her true feelings onto the surface. Liam called her early Thursday morning. She dared not answer, sending him directly to voicemail secretly hoping it would elicit the same response as it had last week. She also knew that he knew her well enough that he would recognize the disappointment in her voice straight away.

In Cordonia

Braxton sends a weekly report to Liam concerning Karis’ safety. He has run off a few paparazzi who have taken pictures and noticed one guy following her a few different times, but never close enough to do her harm. Each incident is immediately reported to Liam. Liam was sitting trying to balance a budget following one of his father’s recent hospital stays. After a budget meeting, Liam just can’t seem to figure out the origin of a recurring charge that started the day he came back from Paris the first time after he reconciled with Karis. He confides in Regina who confirms his suspicions.

Meanwhile in Constantine’s office

The phone rings, it’s a phone call he had been expecting.

“Sir, I have the intel on KV, faxing it over now.” The fax comes through and Constantine reads it over.

Impressive, the orphan daughter of an alcoholic and a junkie, and still manages to get a full academic scholarship. Pre-law major with a minor in political science, she had maintained a 4.0 GPA her entire collegiate career while holding down a job. No criminal record, no parking tickets, a credit score of 815. Currently in Paris on a paid internship at Alaris Avocats. Lives alone. The only company she has entertained since in Paris is Liam, one Mr. Matthew David Carusso, and Raymond C. Perry.

He tucks the report into a drawer when he hears a knock on his door.

“Liam, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Father, I wanted to come to deliver the news in person. The council met while you were in the hospital and voted that due to your health and deteriorating mental capacity you are hereby relieved of your duties as the reigning monarch of Cordonia. You are now just a figurehead until my coronation. I told myself that your mental state must be the reason you are gambling with fate.”

“Son, I don’t know what you mean?”

“Save it. Let’s make one thing clear dear Father if we have to revisit this conversation it won’t end well. I have finally managed to do an audit for the month of June.”

All the color drained from Constantine’s face.

“You will pick up the phone this instant and order your man to stand down or you both will face my wrath.”

His face falls. “How did you–”

“The moment I left Paris I put a man on her. I know you don’t know what it means to protect the woman you claim to love. You failed my mother, but you taught me what not to do. Here’s what you fail to realize. I will protect her with my life. Your guy has been made 8 different times. Fortunately for him, he never got within 100 yards of her. My guard has been given an order to end anyone who attempts to harm her.

Meanwhile Thursday afternoon in Paris

After taking a leisurely stroll alongside the Seine River to clear her mind Karis got a text from Raymond.

She was just about to respond when there was a knock on the door. She grabbed her piece and headed to the door. When she cracked the door secretly hoping that it was Liam, she was disappointed to find a stranger in a black suit. She takes the safety off the .22 Liam left with her.

“Who sent you?”

When the man spots the gun, he ducks around the corner.

“Whoa, I am sorry if I scared you ma’am. Ms. Vasquez? I have been sent by Prince Liam. Could you put away the gun and come with me?”

She closed and locked the door and put the gun down in front of her while she called Liam to check the story.

The phone rang only once before he answers.

“Hey, angel!”

“Adonis, don’t you hey angel me. Did you send someone to my place to pick me up?”

He laughs, “Yes, and you pulled a gun on him?”

“That’s not funny. I was scared. What is going on? Where is he taking me? What do I need to bring?”

“I’m sorry, your right dear. I definitely didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to surprise you. Just bring you and stop with all the questions, future attorney. Just leave your weapon at home.”

She removed the magazine and placed the gun back in her small safe. She grabbed her purse, locked her place and followed the stranger out to a town car where again she was expecting to see Liam. Alas, the car was empty. He opened the door and when she settled inside, there waiting was champagne, flowers and chocolates. She smiled as she wondered what Liam could have possibly meant when he said that he wanted to “surprise” her. She knew that if it was anything short of him physically being in her presence she wasn’t interested.

The car quickly navigated the streets of Paris and before long approached the airport. They pulled onto the tarmac where Karis saw the private jet with the Cordonian seal. She had never seen anything like it before. Her mouth went dry, her pulse raced and her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest. Did the jet being here mean that Liam was inside? Before she could investigate further the door opened and the driver in the black suit took her hand to help her out of the car.

“You’ll need to board now, Ms. Vasquez.”

She made her way over to the steps of the private jet, a cocktail of nerves, adrenaline, and excitement course through her body as she ascended the stairs. When she gets to the top, there is a thin blonde who greets her.

“Lady Karis, on behalf of the captain, and flight crew welcome aboard. I’ll show you to your seat and make sure you have a comfortable flight. We should land in Cordonia in approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to make your flight more comfortable.

“I guess I’m going to Cordonia then, huh?”

The flight goes by quickly as Karis reads an ABA journal. She resists the temptation to text Liam and ask more questions. When the plane landed Karis met a handsome older gentleman named Bastien, he was the head of Liam security detail he leads her to a black suv with dark window tents. It looked very similar to the one she spotted in New York the night she met Liam. The door opened and finally, there he was; he looked exhausted. He wore dark shades to hide the dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t shaven. Black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt with the first several buttons undone. Damn, he was sexy. She went to greet him properly but Bastien stopped her.

In Cordonia

“Not here, Ma’am.” he hastily helped her into the car and they sped off down the Cordonian roads. Liam gave her an apologetic look as he reached across the seat taking her hand.

“Hey, Angel.”

“Hey, babe. Are you ok? You look terrible. What is going on?”

“It’s a long story. I’m fine. I will explain it all when we arrive at our destination.”

“Adonis? What is the meaning of all of this? Why couldn’t I hug and kiss you? You don’t have a wife or fiance’ your hiding do you? I told you from the start I don’t like bullshit.”

He smiles. “You definitely went into the right field. You are the only woman in my life. You couldn’t kiss or hug me because the paparazzi were all over the place. I will let them know about you when the time is right. They can wait, but for now, I want you to myself.” He squeezed her hand.

She raised her eyebrow, “If you say so.”

“Where are we going? I am not dressed to visit a palace and I’m starving.”

“Then lucky for you, I have all of those things covered.”

Just then they pull into the underground garage of a modern residential building situated on a hill. There are armed guards outside and inside the garage. The driver opens the door for Liam, and he comes around to open the door for Karis. The moment she is on her feet Liam pins her against the side of the vehicle, his lips taking hers in a deep, desperate, longing kiss. She grabbed him by the collar. Her knees buckled and when he finally pulled away they were both breathless. Her eyes widened as she wiped her mouth.

“What has gotten into you?” She smirked, still catching her breath.

“Welcome to Cordonia,” his deep voice rumbled in her ear. He smiled before taking her hand and leading her past the armed guard who stood at attention, into an elevator. He scanned his thumbprint before pressing a button for the penthouse. Bastien had gone ahead of the couple to apparently make sure it was clear. The elevator beeped and the doors slide open to reveal a modern open concept floor plan with floor to ceiling windows.

“It’s my apartment. Make yourself at home.”

Liam leads her through a large bedroom into the closet which is the size of her whole apartment back home. There are mostly men’s clothes and one section with an assortment of women’s clothing.

“Adonis, whose clothes are these?”

“Your’s. Everything here was selected specifically for you. It’s all in your size. You will have several options for the entire weekend. I know that you must be tired after the flight. You will find a basket in the shower with your pear-berry shower gel, scrub, and body butter. There is another basket on the counter top with a new tooth brush and anything else you might need. If there is anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask. Meet me out on the terrace.”

She stands there as tears threaten to spill from her eyes. He snakes his arms around her waist pulling her close. Her back is firmly against his chest. He gently kisses her on the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Hey, whoa, please don’t cry. I promise to feed you after you shower,” he whispers in her ear. She smiles instead turning to gently slap him on the arm.

“You did all this for me?”

“Of course, I want to give you the world.”

“I don’t need the world, Adonis. I just need you.”

She winds her arms around his neck clasping her hands together. She kisses his lips sweetly. “Come shower with me,” she says against his lips.

He smiles nervously, “Karis, I–”

She pouts, interrupting, “You don’t want to?”

He chuckles, “I absolutely want to. But it’s not a good idea. Our food will be cold and we have some things that are very important for us to discuss. But, I promise after, we can take as many showers as you want. There’s a tub in there too.”

“Ok, I’ll be quick.”

He kisses her on the cheek and leaves her to get dressed. When she stepped out of the shower she moisturized and wrapped a towel around her body heading back into the closet. She finds an assortment of lingerie in a gift bag wrapped in tissue paper. She is impressed. There are at least a dozen sets in different styles and colors. She decided on a pair of black lacy panties, a black bra, black shorts and a white blazer. She finished the look with some black and white pumps. She finger combed her hair and put on some lipgloss and headed out to meet Liam.

Liam stands to receive her and his jaw drops eliciting a blush from Karis. She bites her lip as he pulls out her chair.

“Karis you look, wow–”

“Thank you. Please, sit down. While I am hungry, I am more eager to chat about what you wanted to discuss.”

He motions for the chef to bring their dinner. When the entrees are uncovered Karis swoons.

“Adonis! Shrimp and grits? You remembered?” Hot tears spill from her eyes.

“Of course I did. It was the very first meal we ever shared. He reaches across the table and wipes her tears with his thumb.”

“I’ll get to it. I believe that it will give you a clearer picture of why I had to alter our plans this weekend.”

She starts to eat. “I’m listening.”

“First, as you know my father is ill. He has spent a great deal of time in the hospital. In turn, I have had to assume a great deal of his day to day duties. Because of his continued absences, the council had a meeting and has officially removed him as reigning monarch of Cordonia. It has essentially ascended me to the throne as new king of Cordonia. It will be official the night of my coronation. Because of the timeline my coronation has been moved up and the traditional social season won’t happen. I have to choose a fiance by my coronation. You are who I choose. You will always be my choice. Baby, my queen, I need you here with me, by my side.”

Her breath catches at his words. He is going to be the actual king of this beautiful country and he wants her of all people to be his queen.

”I want to be by your side, Adonis. I just have to figure out how to do that without compromising who I am.”

“I’m holding on to that. It’s not a no. I know that you hadn’t made up your mind. But if you decide that this is what you want we would move forward with your citizenship. I know we talked about you needing a house to sponsor you. There will be three houses Domvallier, Ramsford, and Cormery Isle essentially courting you for the opportunity to sponsor you, starting with a welcome ball tomorrow night in the duchy of Domvallier, a brunch on Saturday at Cormery Isle and Saturday night there will be a Beaumont bash.”

Overwhelmed, Karis attempts to change the subject. “Adonis, what about you? You have been talking about me this whole time. You have been working hard, doing your father’s job, you look like you haven’t slept, and planning this weekend for me? Let me just take tonight to take care of you.”

“I’m listening.”

She stands moving around the table and kisses him sweetly on his lips before pouring apple juice into his glass. She takes his fork, feeding him forks full of food while he runs his hand up and down her soft bare leg. She noticed the swell in his pants and smirks and shakes her head.

He smiles seductively. “I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying being fed by my woman. How else pray tell are you going to take care of me?”

She picks up his glass and places it in his hand. “Drink your apple juice.”

She grabbed the ceramic dish of apple preserves from the table and saunters back into the apartment, looking over her shoulder at him with hooded eyes.

He stands gulping his apple juice down quickly and followed her inside. She leads him to the bedroom. She grabs his hand and motions for him to sit.

“I’ll be right back.” She goes into the bathroom and starts a bath, lighting the aromatherapy candles to set the mood.

She moves back into the bedroom and kneels at Liam’s feet. His expression is unreadable. She unties his shoes and removes them, then his socks rolling them and place them neatly inside his shoe. She stands and bends at the waist making sure he gets a clear view of her cleavage as she removes his cufflinks and begins unbuttoning his shirt. She ran her fingers lightly down his chest before unbuckling his belt and pushing his trousers and boxer briefs to the floor.

“Karis–”

“Shhhhh,” she interrupts, placing one finger on his lips.

She takes his hand leading him to the bathtub. She turns off the water and invites him to get in.

“Are you joining me?” he asks.

She winks and bites her lip, “No, this is about you. Not me.”

She soaks a towel and lathers it up and begins to bathe him. He relaxes under her touch allowing her to take care of him for a change. He was sure that as she toweled his body they would connect. She instructs him to lay across the bed where she begins a full body massage starting with his feet. While she rubs, he groans.

“Tell me, if you had your way, what would this weekend look like?”

She moves to the other foot kneading it with her hands before moving to his calves. His eyes were shut, and a smile crept slowly across his face. Clearly he was enjoying this pampering from the woman he loved.

“In a perfect world, I’d be able to convince you to move here with me when you leave Paris. There are so many reasons that it would be ideal.”

She takes more oil in her hands and starts to stroke his thighs.

“I’m listening,” she says. But touching his body the way that she is, backfires and it is turning her on just as much as it seems to be turning him on. She squeezed her thighs together trying to hold off the white hot passion pooling in between them.

“I spoke with the dean of admissions at Cordonia U and you could still graduate by December if you did your last semester here. It’s a great program and it would be an asset, seeing how you are interested in international law.”

“I’m not convinced, but I’ll consider it,” she said as she straddled him and rubbed up and down his abs and pecs.

His hands move to her waist, “Karis, I really want to talk more, but I can’t concentrate with you being this close to me, touching me like this,” he growls as his hand slowly starts roaming up her side. She moves his hands and rolls off of him.

“I didn’t tell you to touch me your highness,” she smiled.

“Please.”

“Hands behind your head.” she said in a quiet voice.

He complied. She straddles him again and rubs oil on to his bald head as she kisses him. Their tongues tangle for a few moments before Karis moves down to nip as his neck and shoulders.

“Mmmmmmm, angel.”

She takes some of the apple preserves leaving a trail of it down his torso. She then takes her tongue swirling it around his nipple, before she places hot open mouth kisses down his torso licking the apple preserves. His length is so stiff he looks like a sundial. She bites her lips, her eyes dancing.

“See something you like my queen?”

“Oh, you have no idea…”

She crooks her finger beckoning him closer. He grinned as he rose from the bed. She backed him into the wall, hands gripping his thighs. He goes to tangle his hands in her hair.

“Hands behind your head, Adonis. Let me take care of you.” He huffs, but complies. She takes her hand and with her thumb smears the bead of pre cum over his tip. She licks him from base to tip before taking the head in her mouth. Liam’s head falls back in ecstasy. She twirls her tongue around the tip while pumping the shaft with her hand. As she bobs on his length taking more and more with each movement.

“God, you’re an angel. Your mouth is heaven, my queen.”

She looks up at him and leans in making him completely disappear into her mouth. She can feel him throb and twitch and knows he won’t last long. She doubled her effort as she massaged his balls. It was enough to send him over the edge, and he exploded in her mouth. She stood licking the spillage from her lips and then swallowing while gazing into Liam’s eyes. He collapses on the bed.

“That was insane.”

She blushes, “well I am clearly crazy over you.”

He laughs.

“I know, that was cheesy.” She pops the button on her blazer letting it fall off her shoulder.

His breath visibly catches in his throat. “Karis you’re resplendent.”

She shimmies out of her shorts and panties.

“Keep the heels on.” Liam says as he sits up on the edge of the bed.

Karis slowly sways her hips over to Liam straddling his lap taking his lips in a hungry kiss. His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her in close, his bare chest against hers. He breaks the kiss.

“I need to taste you.” he says in a deep baritone voice that vibrates her chest.

She pushes him back onto the bed and straddles his face steadying herself with her palms on his chest. His large hands palm her backside guiding her as she rolls her hips on his tongue.

“So wet and sweet,” his muffled words send electric pleasure currents through her body as he continues to use his tongue with precision. He inserts a crooked finger in search of her g-spot. He alternates from licking to sucking her swollen clit as she moans his name. “Oh, Adonis!!!”

“Let me hear you, my queen.”

His words are enough to make her come undone. Her thighs clench on his head and he continues to flick his tongue as she creams in his mouth.

He flips her over, pinning her ankles above her head. “Your legs go on for days in these heels,” he says. Her only response was a smile as she was still catching her breath. Her sensitive clit still throbbing, Liam plunges easily deep inside of her tight center and she howls.

“How does it feel?” he asks as their bodies slap together, sounding like a slow clap at first.

“Adonis, you are incredible, but I want to be on top.”

He gathers her in his arms and flips her on top without breaking their connection, “as my queen wishes.”

He takes her breast in his mouth as she plunges down on his length. Her pace picks up and he lets out a primal roar meeting her rhythm. “Yes, my king! Give it to me.”

He rolled his hips and tugged her hair. Her body spasmed and tears flowed from her eyes. Watching her orgasm is one of the most beautiful things he has ever seen. The combination of her moans, the grind of her hips and the clinching of her center around his length was enough for him to join her over the edge. He pulls her onto his chest and just as they both begin to fall into an easy slumber, there is a knock on the door. Liam slips out of bed and into his boxers before cracking the door.

“Sir, it’s your father. I need you to come with me.”

Tagging:

@txemrn

@pixie88

@khoicesbyk

@blackkingliamstan

@mom2000aggie

@shannonwrote

@shanzay44

@bbrandy2002

@hopelessromanticmonie

@fanjessfic

@dcbbw

@lucy-268

@choiceslady

@twinkleallnight

@blackkingliamstan

@bebepac

@shanzay44

@mainstreetreader

@romereadingshop

@romewritingshop

@lem-20

@texaskitten30

@maurine07

@queenjilian

@secretaryunpaid

#choices #trr #fanfic #fandom #fanfiction #the royal romance #choices fanfiction #prince liam #Meet Karis #king of cordonia #shewillreadyou #raymond who #kim reads #kim writes #kim reblogs #follow shewillreadyou

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coll2mitts · 4 years

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#47 The Muppet Movie (1979)

Welcome to Muppet week! There are 7 Muppet movies on this list, so instead of watching them in the order they appear (and having to pay for several months of Disney+), I’m going to present them chronologically. I’m curious to see how they evolved over time, and if their quality diminishes.

For watching my fair share of The Muppet Show as a kid, I’ve never had the privilege of watching The Muppet Movie. Let me tell you straight off - it is a gem. The first scene shows the Muppets attending a screening of the movie you’re about to watch. Statler and Waldorf call the movie studio a dump, Professor Honeydew comes at Fozzie with a great burn (Well, then you’ll have to get another apartment, won’t you?), Sam Eagle displays his stoic patriotism (Does this film have socially redeeming value?), Gozno cuddles with a chicken - it’s all there. When the movie finally starts, we are treated to Kermit singing the iconic “Rainbow Connection”.

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The first 5 minutes of this movie are a great indication of what the rest of it holds in store. It balances slapstick humor, puns, social commentary, 4th wall breaking gags, and emotional beats that catch the viewer off-guard in their earnestness. I lost my shit laughing one moment, only to tear up in the next.

The story is an approximate retelling of how The Muppets were formed. After serendipitously running into an agent in his swamp home, Kermit decides to travel to Hollywood and audition for a casting call looking for a talented frog. On the way, he runs into Fozzie, who Kermit tries to save from some unruly patrons of the El Sleezo Cafe by distracting them with a snazzy dance. Fozzie pulls the ‘ol “drinks on the house” gag, which sends the mob up to the roof so Kermit and him can sneak out. They decide to drive Fozzie’s Uncle’s Studebaker (his natural habitat) on a cross country road trip adventure so they can pursue their dreams of making millions of people happy.

We are then treated to the most jaunty song - I was literally bopping to it the minute it started. Kermit and Fozzie perform their best comedy duo gags, and it is intensely joyful.

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But, of course, Kermit and Fozzie’s trip is immediately derailed by the pursuit of Doc Hopper, who wants Kermit to be the mascot for his frog leg restaurant chain. This is disturbing for a wide variety of reasons, of which Kermit vocalizes in the best line of the movie...

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Kermit reiterates to Doc that his request is heinous, but Doc will not take no for an answer. This leads Fozzie and Kermit to employ unconventional means to try and evade him, including having Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem paint the Studebaker to blend in exactly with a billboard advertising a soda.

They soon after run into, literally, “The Prince of Plumbers” Gonzo and his chicken Camilla, and the 4 of them head to the state fair. With all those show chickens walking around, Gonzo gets a bit of a wandering eye, which triggers Camilla’s jealousy. They observe a beauty pageant awards show where Miss Piggy is crowned (of course), and Kermit falls in love with her at first sight.

In order to appease Camilla after his previous digressions, Gonzo buys every balloon in the joint, which sets him aloft, sailing about 7 knots away from the fair. The gang follows after him in a panic, but Gonzo can only appreciate the view from on high.

After a car chase scene between the newly formed gang and a shotgun-wielding Doc Hopper, Gonzo comes crashing down after a billboard pie hits the pursuing vehicle. Miss Piggy (who doesn’t know what’s going on) convinces the car to stop somewhere for the night, and she puts the big moves on Kermit, exhibiting all the traits of her extra self.

Right when things are starting to get hot and heavy, Miss Piggy is called by her agent, abandoning Kermit at the table. He commiserates with Rowlf, only to find out that Doc has kidnapped Miss Piggy and is holding her ransom.

Much like The Muppet Show itself, this film is packed full of celebrity cameos, including (but not limited to) Lillian from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Reuben from Oceans 11, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, and Steve Martin. The most entertaining bit may be Mel Brooks’ portrayal of a mad German doctor who is only interested in lobotomizing Kermit for funsies.

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After Kermit’s failed rescue attempt, Miss Piggy decides she’s had enough of this damsel in distress nonsense, and kicks the everliving shit out of her captors, with the craziest eyes I’ve seen on a puppet since Meet the Feebles.

After a brief patriotic interlude (presumably to appease Sam), a flat tire forces the gang to pull over and sleep by the side of the road around a campfire. Without help, Kermit is disheartened that he and his friends will not be able to make the audition in time. Gonzo, who is a little like a turkey, sings a song that perfectly articulates everyone’s feelings about finding other people who share the same dream, and their quest to live it.

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“There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met. Part heaven, part space, or have I found my place? You can just visit, but I plan to stay. I'm going to go back there someday.”

The songs do a great job at illustrating the characters’ personality, and they change genres depending on who is singing it. Gonzo is weird, but he’s a mushball at heart, which is reflected in the quiet sincerity of the song.

After Kermit’s very important introspective conversation, The Electric Mayhem show up, informing Kermit they were inspired by his journey, too, and they can give everyone a lift to Hollywood. But not before heading into a ghost town to have one final showdown with Doc Hopper, who has now amassed a gang to take Kermit and his friends out. Animal eats their new friend Honeydew’s conveniently presented growing potion and scares away Doc Hopper and his group of bandits.

The Muppets successfully make their Hollywood audition, and the studio head takes one look at Kermit and decides to offer him the “standard rich and famous contract”. Kermit and his friends immediately start shooting a movie, reveling in the fact they found each other, and now they are doing what they love.

The amount of love put into this movie shows in every aspect. The story itself is referential to the feelings of Jim Henson and his team, and the end scene where all their puppet creations are singing a revised version of “Rainbow Connection” hit me straight in the feels. The craft aspects of the movie, too, are just impressive, and there were several scenes I was amazed by:

Kermit playing a banjo in the swamp

The wide shot of Kermit riding a bicycle, and the adorable faces he makes

Kermit and Fozzie dancing at the cafe (2-3 KICK!)

When The Electric Mayhem play in the church, every shingle, floorboard, window, and plank of wood holding it together moves with the beat of the song.

Gonzo sailing across the sky like the original Carl Frederickson

The entire set recreation of the plot of the movie, only for it to be destroyed by a crazy light technician a minute later

The costumes, of course, are amazing. Miss Piggy’s constant wardrobe changes, especially in the romance montage, were stellar. I appreciated they made Doc Hopper look like a discount Colonel Sanders. Also, I want Gonzo’s hat with the tiny little faucet on it.

I really can’t chat up this movie enough. This is my peak aesthetic, and I’m glad this project forced me to watch it. This whole thing might be worth it for the mere fact this movie is now in my rotation.

I have a feeling it can only go down from here.

#unwarranted opinion #100 best musical movies of all time rotten tomatoes

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shadowsong26fic · 6 years

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Index Post

This list will be updated as and when I remember to. My fanfiction is primarily hosted on AO3 (though I do have an old FFN account if you can find it), but I figured this would be a good idea/make things easier to find, especially for the content that’s Tumblr-exclusive, as well as my original fiction which is hosted elsewhere.

Stories marked with an * are complete.

My AO3

Star Wars:

Precipice

An AU in which Anakin Skywalker does not follow Mace Windu and the others to Palpatine’s office after they leave to arrest the Chancellor. As a result, he doesn’t get that final push over the edge, and doesn’t Fall.

…well, that’s where it starts, anyway. Our Heroes reunite with some old friends and pick up some new ones; Sidious find substitute apprentices…the story continues on for several years after the breakpoint, with the Rebellion gradually taking shape and the twins growing up, as well.

Content warnings for war, genocide, strongly implied child abuse (not from any of Our Heroes; Palpatine is raising a child), the Emperor is a POV character.

On AO3

Bonus Fic 1: Father’s Day; Untitled*

Bonus Fic 2: 100k; Margins*

Bonus Fic 3: One Year Anniversary; Secrets*

Bonus Fic 4: Valentine’s Day; All My Love, - A*

Bonus Fic 5: Mother’s Day; Untitled*

Meta, answered asks, deleted scenes, etc., can be found in the Precipice Verse tag

Updates (theoretically/ideally) approximately once every week/two weeks, usually somewhere between Thursday and Sunday night.

I have been on semi-hiatus for the past few months due to getting super-busy at work and then Moving, but I’m planning to get back on track for June, so we should be back to regular updates in the near future! ::...knocks on wood::

Distaff

In which Anakin Skywalker is a cis lady and the twins' gestating parent.

This story’s working title was The Crack AU That Takes Itself Too Seriously. In essence, Anakin Skywalker is a cis girl. So is Padme. Anakin still somehow gets pregnant. She is very confused. Everyone is very confused. And then ROTS happens...

Content warnings for war/violence; also, while no one is, has been, or will be assaulted, the topic of sexual assault does come up a couple times. I believe I’ve left a note on all the chapters where it comes up.

On AO3

Bonus Fic: Mother’s Day; Untitled*

Meta, answered asks, etc., can be found in the Distaff tag

Updates as and when I complete material, does not have a fixed schedule.

Masks

A near-canon AU in which Emperor Palpatine has a daughter.

An In Spite of a Nail AU, for the most part; though I tend to operate in a blended Legends/official canon. For those of you who follow Precipice, this is essentially Lavinia’s story if she existed in a canon-aligned timeline, rather than a true AU.

On AO3

Meta, answered asks, etc., can be found in the Masks Verse tag

CURRENTLY ON HIATUS

Auxiliaries

This is an AU in which Queen Amidala’s ship stopped someplace other than Tatooine for repairs. (The rest of TPM goes basically as in canon–someone else blew up the control ship, I’m sort of handwaving that detail, at least for now).

Eventual ObiAniDala; either Anakin-centered vee or full triad, I haven’t decided. There will also be at least one key OC involved, though I haven’t actually introduced her yet. This is the most divergent timeline I’ve written (or probably will write) for SW, but I have a lot of fun with it.

Auxiliaries is a little different from how my other stories are structured, in that it’ll be told as a series of short fics/vignettes in the overall AU (the title of which will be explained in later sections), not necessarily in chronological order.

General content warnings for war/violence/slavery; anything else that comes up in a specific story will be tagged accordingly.

A Day at the Races: Part One; Part Two [upcoming]; Part Three [upcoming]

Around three years after the Naboo Crisis, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent on a mission to Malastare, and meets a certain champion podracer for the first time…

Bout*

Five years after meeting Anakin Skywalker on Malastare, Obi-Wan is back at the Temple, observing a senior initiate saber class.

Updates as and when I complete material, does not have a fixed schedule.

The Phoenix

About halfway between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Luke and Vader crash onto a planet that is essentially a typical fantasy world.

A crossover with my original fantasy world, The Farglass Cycle

Content warnings for some body horror, slavery, impending genocide, some mostly oblique references to previous genocide, other violence.

On AO3*

On Dreamwidth*

In theory, there are two other parts to this story, working titles The Caladrius and The Hercinia. I do intend to put them up eventually and have been poking at them off and on, but do not have an estimated completion/start date or anything at this time. So it’s less a hiatus and more a…waiting for the next season to start, I guess…?

AU Outlines

Heralds of Star Wars (Jedi of Valdemar?)

Crossover/fusion with the Heralds of Valdemar series.

The Rabbit Hole AU: Part One; Part Two

Temple-raised Palpatine

Bail Unfucks the Timeline

Exactly what it says on the tin.

Distaff Variant 1a

A Distaff AU in which Palpatine’s solution to the problems presented by Anakin’s pregnancy is to poison her and induce a miscarriage because yes I do in fact write AUs for my AUs. CW for discussion of miscarriage/abortion, as well as the same as the main/actual story.

Ventress and Her Tiny Time-Travelling Conscience: Part One; Part Two

In which ten/twelve-year-old Luke Skywalker walks through a Magic Canyon and lands about a year/year and a half before the end of the Clone Wars.

Everyone Is Time-Travelling and No One Will Admit It

Okay, okay, so the title is a little bit disingenuous; the entire PT trio is time-travelling (but they’re the only ones), Anakin and Obi-Wan have told each other but no one else, and Padme is keeping things entirely to herself. CW for some portions that could read as suicidal ideation (i.e., the last like ten minutes of the animated BatB movie ‘maybe it’s better this way,’ with a side of Act Five of Cyrano de Bergerac.)

(Also, I may end up redoing/reworking this one at some point)

Distaff Variant 2

A distaff AU in which Anakin decides to go to Utapau with Obi-Wan. Which, if she weren’t, y’know, pregnant, would probably have been the best possible thing for her to do...

Let’s Go Steal a Crossover: Part One (Background); Part Two [Upcoming]

A crossover between an AU of Masks!Verse (specifically, the Lavinia Organa AU, the background for which is described in Part One above) and Leverage.

You can also check out the AU Outlines tag

One-Shots:

Sanctuary: Tumblr; AO3*

Rey wants to find her place in all of this. When she finds a reference to Mortis in one of Luke's books, it seems as good good place as any to start looking…

To his family, send him*

In a world where Shmi survived, Obi-Wan brings Luke to safety.

It’s Like Déjà Vu (All Over Again)*

Three days ago, Padme Amidala closed her eyes for the last time in a sterile white room on an asteroid at the edge of nowhere. Three days ago, she opened them again in a sleek, chrome starship, watching Dorme put the finishing touches on Corde’s headdress, her own weighted braids a comforting blanket on her back.

Padme decides to change things, decides she can save Anakin this time. Except, as time passes, she starts to realize things aren’t happening exactly the way she remembers…

Content warnings for war, violence, referenced genocide, referenced murder, these two dorks and their AOTC angst…

The Magic of Midwinter*

A little more than a year after the start of the Clone Wars, Padme, Obi-Wan, and Anakin celebrate Naboo's Midwinter together.

Written for JediFest 2017 December Drabbles exchange; Prompt: ObiAniDala, Holiday

These Three Remain*

Immediately after the Festival of Light (and Obi-Wan's stint undercover as bounty hunter Rako Hardeen), Anakin and Padme leave Coruscant on impulse, in response to an anonymous tip sent to Padme's office about vital intelligence hidden in a cache of stolen goods. But things go terribly wrong, and they find themselves stranded and injured, with limited resources and no one knowing exactly where they are.

Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, when Padme and Anakin don't return as planned, Obi-Wan does everything he can to find them and bring them home.

Their situation, dire though it is, forces the three of them to process everything that just happened, and what it might mean for their relationship, moving forward.

Written for SWBB 2018.

Untitled Mother’s Day Ficlet*

Quick, meditative little ficlet about Shmi and Anakin and lullabyes/bedtime stories.

Original Fiction:

The Farglass Cycle

This one is very difficult to summarize. It’s a big, sprawling fantasy world with loads and loads of characters. The main plot has to do with a war with Feredar, one of the major nations on the continent. Principal characters involve certain members of the Feredar royal family, members of the royal family of the City of Glass, who are primarily fire-mages; a water-mage pirate captain and her lover and sister; a water-mage who was held captive in Feredar...The war is kicked off when a prince from Glass goes into Feredar as a spy, to find out if the situation there regarding the enslavement of mages is serious enough to justify a war.

Content warnings for war, violence, slavery, impending genocide. There’s also a serial killer subplot, and some espionage and murder.

(...I need to get better at summarizing things...)

This archive, as a note, is incredibly out of date—I think I last updated it in December of 2014.

Lux

It’s the thirtieth century, and the Biblical Apocalypse is about to begin. Translator Mariko Anders gets swept up in the action when she meets and falls in love with the titular Lux, an Alien whose species she can’t quite identify. There’s also an immortal wandering around who periodically gets his memories erased, a sprawling human Family that traces itself back a thousand years, the newly-awakened Horsemen, the Antichrist and the Second Coming are growing up in hiding, and, of course, angels—some terrifying, some warm, some a little bit of both.

Basically: the Apocalypse. In Space.

(With lesbians.)

(Archive last updated in December of 2014.)

Battlestar Galactica:

Serenissima

Joseph Adama is the Doge of Venice, which is in graceful decline from its peak of maritime economic and naval power. His younger grandson, Zak, has recently eloped to King Louis' court in France with one Kara Thrace, and a dangerous politician, Thomas Zarek, is soon to return from a twenty-year exile related to the untimely death of a previous Doge.

Between Don Zarek's imminent return and the likely imminent increase in the Serene Republic's long-standing rivalry with the Ottoman Empire, Doge Adama wants to shore up a few alliances. He arranges for Laura Roslin, a widowed noblewoman, to marry his similarly-widowed son, Commander William Adama. His elder grandson, Lee Adama, is likewise engaged to the young daughter of Cardinal Gaius Baltar. The first wedding is to take place immediately, the second in approximately a year.

In Istanbul, the Sultan, John Cavil, is indeed scheming and preparing to launch a massive attack on Venice, while internal politics within his own family and court may not be quite as clear-cut as he thinks.There are spies everywhere, and nothing is certain but that looming problems foreign and domestic promise trouble for the Serene Republic in days to come...

A Total AU set in Baroque Venice, somewhere between 1650 and 1750. One key OC is involved, because I like my OCs. Cowritten with tigerkat24.

Currently more or less on hiatus.

For Sorrow Sung

Nineteen days before Baltar's trial is set to begin, a teenage girl is shot just outside of Dogsville. Helo investigates.

CURRENTLY ON HIATUS

Nothing AO3; Livejournal*

Alternate ending to Crossroads: you never know how you'll meet the end until there's nowhere left to run.

End of Line*

Poetry; stream-of-consciousness in prison, persona poem.

[I believe that’s everything I actually posted; I may update this if I find something else digging through my archives. I know I wrote some bits that I never posted anywhere for various reasons]

Supernatural:

Note: I’ve more or less fallen out of this fandom, so pretty much everything listed here can be considered on semi-permanent hiatus; though I’m happy to discuss them if anyone’s interested.

Heaven on Their Minds

An In Spite of a Nail AU where Judas Iscariot is a key player.

Arc One: Livejournal; AO3*

While Castiel tracks Crowley down, looking for the Colt, Bobby finds a reference to a Weapon that can banish anything. Seeing a shot at a Plan B, Sam and Dean go to meet with a professor who might be able to help them track it down. From there, they are put on the trail of Judas Iscariot, who is not exactly what history claimed he was.

Arc Two*

It's been eighteen months since Lucifer and Michael were trapped in the Cage, and Sam now has his soul back at last, but things aren't going as smoothly as hoped. With the war between Raphael and Castiel heating up, Gabriel scrambling to keep his old lies from coming back to haunt him, Judas AWOL, and whispers about Purgatory floating around, it isn't going to be easy to keep things from totally falling apart at the seams. Again.

Then, one day, Dean gets a call from Jo about an old friend wandering back into their lives...

Arc Three*

Gabriel is struggling to control the chaos in Heaven in the wake of Castiel’s destruction. Meanwhile, with Castiel gone, his wall gone, Lucifer and Leviathan everywhere, Sam gets closer to Judas. After all, no one knows psychic pain, and guilt, and the long, hard road to redemption, better than the two of them.

Sidestories

These are bits and pieces that take place in the Heaven on Their Minds universe, but, for various reasons, didn’t make it into the main story. All of the ones up there take place either prior to or during Arc One, but reference a significant spoiler.

There were further arcs planned, but I don’t anticipate them turning up, due to the aforementioned falling out of the fandom.

The Promises of Angels: Livejournal; AO3*

Nick has never been anything more than a pawn, and he knows that--but even a pawn, strategically placed, can change the game for everyone.

It's a world full of angels, demons, and humans all fighting for control of the board. And while all he's really playing for is what he was promised in the first place--peace that never seems to come--Nick finds himself dragged back into a high-stakes game he can't afford to lose. No matter how much he wants to break free, it becomes increasingly clear that something buried deep inside him has changed, in ways he can't possibly understand; ways that just might keep him involved in the horrors that Heaven and Hell both inflict on humanity and, in the end, make things better--or worse. Along the way, there are friends and foes, wardens and protectors, and those who would try to use him to shape the future they want to see...

This is canon compliant until, depending on how you’re counting, Swan Song or Goodbye, Stranger; most of what happens up through Goodbye, Stranger could theoretically happen alongside canon events/doesn’t contradict anything we see onscreen, but sets up the significant AU from that point on.

There were originally sequels planned, but as I’ve largely fallen out of this fandom, I doubt they’ll materialize.

Cartography Verse

Named for the Seanan McGuire song.

Moving On*

While Dean is in Purgatory and Sam is in Texas, Jody joins a grief support group and stumbles onto a case. Canon-compliant through 10x23.

Compliance*

Three years after meeting Nick, Jody learns the rest of his story. Canon-compliant through 10x23.

Fragments: Livejournal; AO3*

In an attempt to talk Sam out of seeking Lucifer’s help with the Darkness, Dean tracks down the next best thing on Earth--Nick. As it turns out, he’s closer than they think, and the trace of Grace left in him when he was dispossessed may be vital to defeating the Darkness. Unfortunately, Sam and Dean are not the only ones chasing Archangel fragments, and at least one other person on the trail seems willing to kill Nick to get what they need...

the summers die; one by one: Livejournal; AO3*

The aftermath of Hammer of the Gods. CW for discussion of canonical character death.

Avatar: the Last Airbender

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. I’ve more or less fallen out of this fandom, as well, though there’s a chance I’ll get back to it at some point. Almost everything I wrote was one-shots, and they’re scattered around in several different places. I don’t expect to put out any new content in this fandom for the foreseeable future.

I’ll probably dig around and put together a specific link list at some point, but for now, a lot of it is on AO3, some of it is on my LJ, under the avatar tag

Miscellania

Lighter than a Feather*

Wheel of Time fanfic; The night after Rand and Nynaeve cleanse the taint from saidin, Mazrim Taim goes to deal with an Asha'man who recently snapped. CW for murder and saidin-taint madness. Some alternate character interpretations, as well. Spoilers through Winter’s Heart.

This was originally going to be the springoff point for a much longer AU. I don’t know if I’ll ever write it, even if I fall back into this fandom, but I may take some of the concepts/plans and file the serial numbers off for an original fantasy story.

The Epic Crossover RP OF DOOM

(I linked the Tumblr tag because it’s easier)

A crossover between Precipice, Marvel/MCU, BSG, The West Wing, Castle (technically), Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, Thin Man, Thrilling Adventure Hour: Beyond Belief, and The Phantom of the Opera.

Cowritten/RP’d with tigerkat24. OCs abound.

The Blood to be Repaid*

A crossover between The Farglass Cycle and Pirates of the Carribean

Support of Family*

Sequel to The Blood to be Repaid

The Hands of Cain*

A crossover between The Farglass Cycle and Criminal Minds

#miscellania #shadowsong26fic

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tripstations · 5 years

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Honeymoons that are worth the money

If you want to splurge for your dream honeymoon getaway, here are six once-in-a-lifetime, luxury trips across the globe.

1. An African safari and beach combo

“The bush-and-beach combo, an African safari then staying at a fabulous beach resort, is one of the most popular honeymoons I plan,” says Katie Frederick Jacobson, a SmartFlyer honeymoon specialist who has organized more than 1,000 honeymoons in the past decade.

She recommends honeymooners first go to a popular safari destination like Kenya and stay at a top luxury safari lodge, like Singita properties. The average stay there is $4,000 per night, and extras like hot-air balloon rides over scenic landscapes average about $1,000 per couple.

Then Jacobson suggests honeymooners hit the islands off the coast, which are secluded and romantic. Stay at a place like North Island Resort in the Seychelles, where guests can arrive via helicopter. “Stay in Villa 11, the same villa where Prince William and Kate Middleton stayed for their honeymoon,” says Jacobson. Rates are around $7,000 a night.

Newlyweds spend an average two weeks for a bush-and-beach honeymoon, according to Jacobson, and these trips typically start around $30,000 and can go as high as $100,000 for the whole trip.

2. Around the world

Due to demand, Jacobson plans extended “around the world” honeymoons where newlyweds start in a relaxing beach destination then hop around to various countries. These are longer honeymoons that range from two weeks to two months.

“Think: starting in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, heading to Tokyo for the best sushi restaurants, going to the markets in Bangkok, then a tiger camp in India, exploring Paris, heli-skiing in Iceland then going home,” Jacobson says. Or some combination thereof.

Jacobson says she organizes three to five customizable honeymoons a year that are two months or longer and often planned around a special experience, like Cherry Blossom season in Japan or a big sporting event like the Australian Open.

Couples on these kinds of trips also often spend time on a luxury train like Belmond Trains or boutique cruise line like Aqua Expeditions to mix things up, says Jacobson. Some will even have friends meet up with them for a portion of their honeymoon.

“Around the world” honeymoons stop at anywhere from three to 30 destinations, depending on the trip, and prices vary from $5,000 to $276,000.

3. Peru and Brazil

Pago a la Tierra ceremony in Sacred Valley, Peru

Black Tomato

South America’s exotic attractions, from jungles and beaches to ancient ruins, make it popular with honeymooners, especially Peru and Brazil, which are among the most visited countries on the continent.

Black Tomato, a luxury travel company that plans high-end adventures, offers a 10- to 12-night trip through Peru, which goes to Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Brazil, including Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. Co-founder and CEO Tom Marchant tells CNBC Make It, “In Rio, we arrange the ultimate champagne breakfast at the feet of Christ the Redeemer, watching the sunrise hours before the throng of tourists descend, meaning we have access before the monument opens to the public.”

Other exclusives on this trip include fast-track access for lines at Machu Picchu, a private Pago a la Tierra ceremony (traditional Peruvian blessing to the land) with a local shaman in Cusco, and cooking lunch with Michelin-starred chef Virgillio Martinez Veliz, including delicacies like sea snails cooked using medicinal herbs. This trip costs about $10,000 per person, excluding flights, but a shorter version trip between six to seven nights would cost $8,000 a person. Honeymooners can add on extras to any itinerary, including paddle-boarding down the Amazon River.

Black Tomato says it arranges approximately 150 over-the-top honeymoons a year.

4. Italy road trip

Italy ranks as one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world, and honeymooners are known to visit several cities and regions, like Rome, Amalfi Coast and Venice.

Jenna Mahoney, travel editor for Bridal Guide magazine, says one of the most memorable, once-in-a-lifetime trips is with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, which offers a famous vintage car for honeymooners to drive across the country for a road trip, staying at three properties along the way: Four Seasons Hotel Milan, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze and Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat.

Couples can choose either a 1960 Giulietta Spider, a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Cabrio or a 1956 Porsche 356A Speedster.

“The couple is followed by a personal driver, so they have a photographer handy to take photos of them along the way,” Mahoney says. There is also driver in a second car to provide road assistance and mechanical support, valet parking at every stop and refueling service.

The trip, which takes newlyweds through the Tuscan countryside, Florence, Milan and the French Riviera, is fully customizable. Couples can stop at museums, restaurants, cafes and scenic views at their leisure, and Four Seasons’ concierge provides recommendations and suggestions in an itinerary.

Price depends on what a couple elects to include in their itineraries. Doubles at Four Seasons Hotel Milano start at $703 per night; Four Seasons Hotel Firenze at $850 per night; and Le Grand-Hotel d Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons hotel, at $1,747 per night. A $4,100 rental deposit for every car is required.

5. Private island in the Caribbean

The Caribbean has many expensive private island resorts, like Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, where a stay is $77,500 a night, but you can find more affordable options.

“There’s an island off the coast of Belize called Gladden,” says Mahoney. “What makes it so special from the other private island resorts in the region is that there are only single parties on the island at a time.” This means you have the entire island to yourself.

“You can eat wherever you choose on the island, all the activities are just for you and the staff will happily take you to the mainland to experience the ruins or to neighboring islands to hang out.”

The rate is $2,950 for two people per night, and it includes all meals by gourmet chef, all beverages, all activities (like snorkeling and SCUBA), spa treatments (a rarity for an all-inclusive resort) and round-trip helicopter transfers from Placencia Airport in Placencia, Belize, about 35 minutes away.

6. Island hopping Maui and Lanai in Hawaii

Jacobson recommends a Maui and Lanai combo, with a stay at Hotel Wailea in Maui, the only adults-only property on the island. “It’s very quiet, relaxing and romantic.”

After a few nights, she suggests taking the hour-long ferry over to Lanai (which costs $30 one way) and staying at Four Seasons Lanai.

“The island has just the resort and a small town; the rest of the island is untouched.”

There are activities like horseback riding, ATVs and boat trips, as well as beaches.

A one-week trip can cost between $4,000 to $8,000.

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Amazon River in Iquitos, Peru

Black Tomato

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