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vermillioncourt-if · 3 months

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In south of the Siji Empire, there is a kingdom the sun favors, staying warm and bright through the year. Clothed in luxuriant ruby red silks, the gold of the sunrays, and adorned in feathers, its people are said to house the spirit of fire within themselves. They live their lives loving, desiring, and hating with incandescent fervor. Fueled by the flames of their namesake and the blessing of the sun, the air is ripe to burst into a unstoppable wildfire. Welcome to the Vermillion Court.

The Vermillion Court is a current WIP and new interactive CYOA novel. The focus is heavily on romance, drama, and the characters. It is inspired by fantasy period-piece C-Dramas (Chinese Dramas) and historical romance manhua/manhwa. It will combine pieces from multiple fantasy period-pieces, both Western and Eastern. It's being written in ChoiceScript.

This game is my palate cleanser for my main game, Under the Eyes of Themis. Updates may be slow since that game will receive most of my attention, but I will try to update at least once a month! Please feel free to send asks or anything, since this has quickly become a bit of a passion project!

Note: Because this is still a WIP, some names of characters or places may change. All names are presented as "Last Name" "First Name" and I will provide pronunciation guides in the game as well as on the info pages on the blog!

Genre: Romance, Drama, Court Drama

Rating: 18+ (Will include sexual content, potential violence, and typical warnings attached to fantasy period-pieces)

Tracked Tag: #the vermillion court

Demo || Romance Options || Side Characters || FAQ || Ask Guidelines || Tag Navigation ||

In The Vermillion Court, you are taken to the fantasy period-piece inspired world and continent of Nian. You play as the Fourth Prince or Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom, the child of the King of the Xiatian Kingdom and one of his consorts. As Fourth Prince/Princess, you have a pretty open schedule and a nice cushy life. Being among the first five princes and princesses makes you a prominent enough figure and with six siblings ahead of you in line, no one's really paying attention to what you want to do with your life.

The year is 730 and spring has just given way to the summer season. Various festivals and events are held across the Siji Empire to celebrate the season. At 21-years-old, you're all but happy to attend the social events of the season. Before you leave for the main city, your grandmother informs you that you should look for a partner while there. Apparently your father has been convinced by his favorite wife, Consort Xing, to start marrying you and your siblings off to the other kingdoms. You suspect it has to do with trying to make her son the Crown Prince and are dreading seeing your whole family together again.

Your personal guard and maid accompany you to the capital of Xiatian, where you start a season of festivities, social events, and romance, while also maneuvering the politics of your court and the drama that comes with it.

Play as a man or woman. Choose to be gay, straight, or bisexual

Customize the way you look. Decide what to wear to events to make an impression on the guests

Attend various festivals, parties, and social events to boost your reputation and make allies to help defend you against courtly drama

Choose to romance 1 of 6 characters: your Personal Guard, your Maid, a Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom, a Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom, a Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom, or a Courtesan

Each route follows the same set of 6 events, but each varies greatly from the others

Find a fiancé(e) before summer ends!

The Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom - You (he/him) or (she/her)

You play as the 21-year-old Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom. Your father is King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and your mother is his consort, Consort Huo Qinwen. You are 1 of their 4 children, having 1 older brother and a younger brother and sister, but that fails in comparison to your 18 half-siblings.

You are one of Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite grandchildren, which she proudly states much to the chagrin of your father's 4 other wives.

Appearance: player determined.

Your Personal Guard - Si Huaiqiao (he/him)

Huaiqiao is your personal bodyguard. He is 25-years-old and has been guarding you since you were children. He is very serious and a tad grumpy, always wearing a frown. He doesn't take his job lightly, coming across overprotective, even for a personal guard. He tends to be clueless when it comes to romance, often missing the many women and men flirting with him. You appreciate his work, but maybe you've come to see him more than just your guard?

Appearance: Huaiqiao is a very tall man, standing at around 6'4. He is muscular and fit and is considered to be very attractive. He has straight black hair pulled out of his face that falls to about mid-back when loose. He has clear fair skin and deep black eyes.

Your Maid - Xu Chanyu (she/her)

Chanyu is your personal maid. She is 20-years-old and has been helping you since you were 15. She is a clumsy maid, fumbling over her words and feet quite often but she tries her best and you've come to find her incompetence rather endearing. Besides, it's not like you keep her in your company because she's a good maid, but rather because she's the only assassin who's came close to killing you. Maybe you've come to see her in a different light?

Appearance: Chanyu is a small and lithe woman. She's about 5'0 and is deceptively strong, regularly holding her own against Huaiqiao. Her hair is a dark reddish-brown and her eyes are a dark brown. Her skin is tanned with some freckles.

The Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom - You Kounao (he/him)

Kounao is a noble from the Chuntian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. He is 21-years-old and is suave and charming. It's easy to see why the Chuntian Kingdom sent him as one of their envoys. Despite holding a position of importance, he tends to be a bit immature and childish, enjoying playing pranks on the other envoys who accompanied him. You find his company refreshing. Maybe you could pursue him as a potential husband?

Appearance: Kounao is man of average height and build, standing at about 5'9. He is fit, but not muscular. He is of partial foreign descent with clear brown skin and short straight black hair. His eyes are dark brown, nearly black.

The Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom - Shen Sandong (she/her)

Sandong is a noble from the Dongtian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. She is 22-years-old and is very quiet. Her facial expression doesn't change much and she prefers to keep to herself. She doesn't have much to say, but enjoys letting you talk. She's a welcome change of pace to the typically hectic palace. Her icy demeanor intimidates some people, but maybe you find it charming?

Appearnace: Sandong is a woman of average height at about 5'5. She is beautiful with long straight black hair and icy blue eyes. Her skin is pale and clear. She is thicker with a fuller figure than her counterparts from other kingdoms.

The Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom - Wei Duqiong (he/him)

Duqiong is a merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom who's come to the Xiatian Kingdom to boost his sales during the festival. He is 23-years-old and comes off as a bit shady. He's an effective business man able to charm even the hardest of buyers, but he's very private about his life, not enjoying small talk. You find him to be mysterious and intriguing, not really having met someone like him before. Maybe you'd like to take the time to get to know him better?

Appearance: Duqiong is a tall man standing at around 6'0. He is thin and lean. He appears to be from partial foreign descent. He has medium-length straight blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail and warm brown eyes. He has smooth light brown skin.

The Courtesan - Wu Nahou (she/her)

Nahou is a courtesan from one of the more popular courtesan houses in the city. Unlike her some of sisters, Nahou doesn't provide any physical services and just entertains at parties by playing music, dancing, and reciting poetry. She is 24-years-old and is pleasant and demure while working. Off the clock, she is more rowdy with strong opinions and a confident, self-assured attitude. Maybe you'd like to spend more time with her?

Appearance: Nahou is a shorter woman at about 5'3. She is of partial foreign descent with wavy red hair and hazel eyes. Her skin is pale with freckles and she's considered to be very beautiful. Her frame is more slight and willowy than simply thin.

#the vermillion court #interactive novel #interactive story #if wip #if game #interactive fiction #text based game #choicescript #choice of games #hosted games

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lilacslug · 7 months

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The Crown As a Metaphor For Drug Use

THE PARALLELS

Ice King's Crown, which will be referred to as "the crown" in this post, has many potential interpretations. I've seen people view it as a metaphor for Alzheimer's and/or mental illness in general. I believe there is a strong case for it being a metaphor for drug use, especially with the the information Fionna and Cake give us.

There are a few parallels shown. Throughout Fionna and Cake, Simon's shame of his time wearing the crown is front of center. He tries to avoid thinking about it as much as possible. He threw a little girl's Fionna and Cake book away because confronting his time as Ice King was too much for him. He hates remembering his time as an "insane" man as he put it. We also see that Farm world Finn, despite only being in that state for a few years, is still haunted by his time wearing the crown. This shame is also present in those who have recovered from an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Many will feel ashamed of the out-of-character decisions they made when they were under the influence.

Sometimes, when people take large doses of certain kinds of drugs, they can develop "substance induced psychosis" which often involves (typically persecutory) delusions, memory problems, and can involve hallucinations. The crown made Simon insane, but it also made him feel happy all the time, kind of like a high. When he would get bouts of loneliness or other negative feelings, he would quickly forget what made him feel bad in the first place. His thinking was often detached from reality, and he had complete amnesia of who he was before the crown. He had "wizard eyes" that allowed him to see the spirit world, but made it more difficult to parse what was actually going on in his plane of existence. This could be thought of as a metaphor for hallucinations. While the crown isolated him from his loved ones, namely Betty and Marceline, he was able to make other new magical friends (near the end of the show). The same thing happens to addicts when they start using.

MAGIC, MADNESS, SADNESS, AND DRUGS

In season 6 episode 38 You Forgot Your Floaties the concept of "Magic, Madness, and Sadness" is discussed. Essentially, Betty states that she believes each magic user has varying degrees of Magic, Madness, and Sadness. It seems that if a precious magic user loses their Madness or Sadness, they are no longer magical. Magic Man in the same episode could no longer perform Magic after losing his madness and sadness. Those who pursue magic may become mad and sad due to it.

Notably, in episode 6 of Fionna and Cake, The Winter King, we are at first lead to believe that an alternate Simon was able to cast his Madness onto Princess Bubblegum, but still was able to retain the powers of the crown. This seems to contradict Betty's MMS theory, however, background details suggest otherwise.

We see that Winter King Simon has an ice version of Marceline as a child living with him. This suggests that sadness, a great sadness even, still exists within him. He is just in the bargaining stage of grief (whether he is grieving her death or her no longer being in his life due to another reason is unclear). When our Simon states that he misses Betty, Winter King Simon states that he "hasn't thought about her in a long time". Suggesting he is in denial about the loss of Betty or no longer cared about her. He also suggests that Simon should create an ice version of Betty when he gets the new crown. After seeing Simon's reaction, he then backtracks and states that would be "unethical". These are examples showing that he clearly retained the lack of empathy that Ice King had gained when he had the crown, and this same lack of empathy is seen throughout many other "mad" magical users (Magic Man and Betty come to mind). I believe that this lack of empathy is very intentional, and that this apathy is meant to be a manifestation of madness (and sadness). It would explain how Princess Bubblegum, a candy elemental, is somehow still a magic user (despite not believing in it). Her apathy, along with her neurosis are forms of madness. Her being separated from the mother gum caused her sadness. She still follows this rule. Marceline, a half demon half vampire, had an incredibly traumatic childhood. Her angst and lack of empathy she is introduced with at the beginning of the show are her manifestations of sadness and madness. This understanding of MMS is valid for most characters in the show. The magical characters that we see that aren't outright mad or sad have this general apathy (Jake even has this apathy at times). The only exception I can think of off the top of my head is Lady Rainicorn, who we get very little screen time of.

THE REAL WORLD

But why is this relevant? Well, Madness and Sadness is a beautiful summary as to why someone would start to use drugs, and/or how someone would end up as a result of using drugs. Someone who is depressed or neurotic could turn to drugs to cope. Someone who was otherwise fine, when high out of their minds, can not care about the safety and wellbeing anyone around them. My mother was a user. I found out recently. She was incredibly depressed before I was born. She turned to weed, alcohol, and eventually crack and meth. Weed especially triggered paranoia in her. Long story short, she was put in rehab, and I'm proud to say she is more than 15 years clean. But, when she was using and I was a toddler, she neglected me to the point that I got taken away. Sadness and Madness: apathy is a manifestation of these two states. And these are all symptoms of drug use. And these are all symptoms of magic use. It's the same thing, a metaphor.

SIMON'S RELAPSE

There are a few common triggers that can lead to relapse. Some return to drugs due to outside pressure, or the isolation being clean brings. Just as ex alcoholics can feel isolated in a culture where alcohol is so prevalent, Simon feels isolated from this new magical world as a non-magic user. And now, just as a recovering alcoholic might fall into a binge after accepting one drink from their best friend at a party "they HAD to go to", Simon is longing for the crown so he can fit in again.

Sometimes people get addicted to drugs for a specific purpose. Maybe to help them be better at their job, or do better at school, or to help them relax. It is common, even years after someone stops using, to get the urge to relapse. If they were doing drugs for a specific reason, when that trigger comes up post drug use, they could get an urge to relapse. I believe we are witnessing Simon's urge to relapse in real time. Simon originally used the crown on a whim, but after that first time he would only use it to protect Marceline. Now, he has a problem: how is he going to help Fionna and Cake. This is similar to when he first started using regularly, then he needed to save Marceline from danger. So, his solution is to use the crown again. However, if we actually analyze the issue at hand, this is somewhat illogical. Fionna and Cake need to escape from the Scarab, and they need to somehow save their universe from being destroyed. This pursuit of the crown is actually not only unhelpful, but a waste of time. The crown WOULD solve the smaller problems of Fionna wanting a magical world, and Simon's feelings of isolation, but I do not believe it is the solution. And I believe that is the conclusion the show will come to as well. That seems to be the direction The Winter King seems to be pointing in.

Thanks once again to everyone for reading!!

#adventure time #fionna and cake #fionna and cake spoilers #adventure time Fionna and cake #adventure time: fionna and cake #the winter king #atimers #adventure time theory #fionna and cake theory #adventure time analysis #fionna and cake analysis #simon petrikov #ice king #long post

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eventideluminary-games · 3 months

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Genre: Romance, Drama, Court Drama

Rating: 18+ (Will include sexual content, potential violence, and typical warnings attached to fantasy period-pieces)

Tracked Tag: #the vermillion court

Demo || Romance Options || Side Characters || FAQ || Tag Navigation || Pintrest || Dedicated Side Blog

Play as a man or woman. Choose to be gay, straight, or bisexual

Customize the way you look. Decide what to wear to events to make an impression on the guests

Attend various festivals, parties, and social events to boost your reputation and make allies to help defend you against courtly drama

Choose to romance 1 of 6 characters: your Personal Guard, your Maid, a Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom, a Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom, a Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom, or a Courtesan

Each route follows the same set of 6 events, but each varies greatly from the others

Find a fiancé(e) before summer ends!

The Fourth Prince/Princess of the Xiatian Kingdom - You (he/him) or (she/her)

You are one of Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite grandchildren, which she proudly states much to the chagrin of your father's 4 other wives.

Appearance: player determined.

Your Personal Guard - Si Huaiqiao (he/him)

Your Maid - Xu Chanyu (she/her)

The Lord from the Chuntian Kingdom - Shen Kounao (he/him)

Kounao is a noble from the Chuntian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. He is 22-years-old and is suave and charming. It's easy to see why the Chuntian Kingdom sent him as one of their envoys. Despite holding a position of importance, he tends to be a bit immature and childish, enjoying playing pranks on the other envoys who accompanied him. You find his company refreshing. Maybe you could pursue him as a potential husband?

The Lady from the Dongtian Kingdom - You Sandong (she/her)

Sandong is a noble from the Dongtian Kingdom who's arrived at the Xiatian Kingdom as a diplomatic envoy. She is 21-years-old and is very quiet. Her facial expression doesn't change much and she prefers to keep to herself. She doesn't have much to say, but enjoys letting you talk. She's a welcome change of pace to the typically hectic palace. Her icy demeanor intimidates some people, but maybe you find it charming?

The Merchant from the Qiutian Kingdom - Wei Duqiong (he/him)

The Courtesan - Wu Nahou (she/her)

#interactive fiction #if game #if wip #interactive story #text based game #choice of games #hosted games #dashingdon #choicescript #interactive novel #the vermillion court

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ystrike1 · 5 months

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The reincarnated villainess cannot escape from the demon king's obsession - By 朝凪りん朝凪りん (6/10)

This one is seriously frustrating. An author reincarnates into her own novel. Everything is different. There's a demon king, and she wasn't a fantasy writer. She wrote historic drama. She's so dumb that it makes the story less enjoyable. The yandere is good.

Elisa wrote a sweet but dramatic tale about an evil illegitimate daughter, and a pure true daughter destined to return and take the crown.

She lies down and relaxes. All is well. She reincarnates before the main character, Iris, is impregnated by the prince. That's when Elisa starts doing horrible, illegal things to ruin her sister's perfect future. Elisa was never kind, but she leaves Iris be to be wooed by the prince.

It's all very sweet? Elisa wrote this novel...she should know her fate better than anyone. Iris has true love. Their father favors only her. The prince pushes every bully off of her flowery path. Elisa was always a poor replacement for the real daughter too. It's clear that they intend to get rid of her. Elisa became a villainess in an attempt to survive and get power. The original author KNOWS this but she thinks hiding in her room will solve everything.......she doesn't even make any alliances.

Idiot author reincarnator even cries at their wedding, like a fool. Completely oblivious to the fact that she's standing alone at the biggest social event of the season. She's of age, but she doesn't even have a date or a suitor. While Iris is literally in the royal family. It's politics 101. Elisa is CLEARLY being pushed out. One sister marrying, and one not even being considered by anyone, is kind of a big deal in a historic setting.

There's a Demon King running around.

Her memory is fuzzy.

She knows she died.

She doesn't remember how though, and the Demon King isn't trying to take over. He has the country gripped in fear, because nobody knows what he wants.

The obvious plot twist happens right after the wedding. Elisa has stained the honor of her family (she's an adopted daughter they no longer need) so she must marry a corrupt man. By the way its clear they've always despised her. They give her to a man that likes to beat women.

She's so dumb its unbelievable. She protests for 5 seconds, but then she remembers Elisa was a big fat meanie pants.

....maybe that means she deserves to get tortured???

Huh??.?

Did you forget you're the author???

You are not Elisa, and you are not responsible for her actions. You didn’t interfere with the royal wedding at all this time, so they're clearly being cruel because you've lost the power you once had. Elisa's villainy was the only way to survive in a pit of vipers that didn’t want her around. She's kind of the victim if you think about it for two seconds, but you wanna suffer forever because you were born in her sinful body...

...

I can't even...

Demon King Noah saves her from her constant idiocy. The truth begins to become clear. Her soul is connected to his. He dragged her into this world somehow, and he changed it to make it their ideal world. In the human world he was actually a small child, and the author was his other half. The age difference made being with her impossible so bang. New world. Is this world even real? Is Noah powerful enough to make a peaceful fantasy land exactly like her book?????

That would be incredible, but the author is dumb as a brick. A stump. Hey. Romance authors. Self insert crap ruins almost everything it touches. Please stop. Nobody wants to watch a brain dead doll get plowed. I would much rather see a terrified reincarnator run away in the middle of the night. She escapes to a border town. It shakes like a mirage. The whole world is a mirage. Noah appears and says he's been looking for her, and he made a world just for them....

But nooooooooooooooooooooooo erotica has to be dumb.

I'm most likely right about the child version of him luring her to her death. That's still cool, but she's supposed to be the author of this story. Any published author with a working brain would question what's happening. They'd be creeped out. They would explore. You can keep the page count the same too. It wouldn't be hard to remove all the dumb lines and replace them with her being suspicious of the other "humans", who don't quite feel real.

Wasted potential.

Squandered potential.

Boo.

I'm booing in the stands.

Don't marry a r****** just cuz your abusive not father tells you to.

Blah.

#The reincarnated villainess cannot escape from the demon king's obsession #yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended

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youreonlylow · 20 days

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I haven’t watched any critical role/dimension 20 stuff (I watched one ep of Vox Machina and do plan on watching more but haven’t gotten around to it yet) but fantasy high sounds fun. Do you think it’s a good entry point into their stuff or should I start with something else

Hey!

I do think fantasy high is a good starting point. Its high fantasy in the sense that its classic dnd but its set in a very “normal” setting i think they describe it as like an 80s high school but they have phones and stuff so its modern i think its more about like the stereotypical high school vibes where the 80s thing came from. i believe a lot of fantasy high is also available for free on youtube if you dont have a dropout subscription that also makes it a good starting point.

its currently on the 3rd season and was the first d20 show made but d20 is an anthology so most of their shows have like just the one campaign ranging from 4-20 episodes.

if you like the more classic political high fantasy stuff i think people generally recommend a crown of candy but i cant say much about it even though i watched bc i did so very casually and it is good but political/court stuff is just not my preference. it also has a 6 episode prequel show the ravening war which i enjoyed more than acoc.

i also highly recommend starstruck odyssey which is like a space setting and is just incredibly funny.

for something not d20 i just watched exandria: calamity which is actually dm’ed by brennan and is a prequel series as well but you dont need to know anything going in - i didnt. it was really great and a lot of people incl brennan say its some of the best dnd theyve played/watched

i also really enjoyed magic and misfits which is a d20 show and only 4 episodes ive seen that twice i think

tldr; yes fantasy high is a good starting point

#d20 #dimension 20 #ask

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muddyorbsblr · 8 months

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relinquish the crown: season 1

Series Masterlist Main Page

Covering the events from before Loki meets Reader leading up to his surrender of his claim to Asgard's throne, his confession, and the betrothal.

episode 1: at first sight

Loki returns to Asgard after centuries on assignment roaming the Nine Realms to a startling welcome and realization of exactly how much he'd missed while he was away

episode 2: no formalities needed

The morning you and Loki are formally introduced to one another

episode 3: midgardian amusements

Your friends introduce you to a "Midgardian prediction device" that spews out a few seemingly nonsensical predictions you probably should keep in mind…

episode 4: a trinket

Loki returns from an extended trip with a present for you

episode 5: too precious to sacrifice

At the banquet celebrating the Summer Solstice, Loki aids you in making a startling discovery about someone within your inner circle

episode 6: intrusive thoughts

New thoughts about Loki begin to take root in your mind when you wake up after the jarring events of the banquet the night before

episode 7: a glimpse, a touch, a tease

You find yourself plagued by vivid dreams and daydreams about Loki while planning out the festivities of the Autumnal Equinox

episode 8: to covet her

You seek counsel regarding the turn your affections have taken and come to a sinking realization of where you stand with Loki while dealing with an unwelcome visitor

episode 9: masked desires pt1

Season 1A finale | The culminating activity of the Autumnal Equinox has begun and you've entered the Masquerade Ball dressed in Loki's colors. For tonight, after all, "anyone can be anyone"

episode 10: masked desires pt2

Season 1A finale | You allow yourself to be whisked away by a charming masked stranger, indulging in the decadent thought that you were with the god you desired instead.

episode 11: from a world away

While dealing with the newfound headaches you struggled to explain or deal with, a visitor arrives in Asgard with the brazen intentions of courting (and eventually marrying) you

episode 12: plans & protestations

Tensions start to run high when you and Loki thwart Prince Damien's monopolization of your schedule and the visiting prince acts impulsively, making a declaration that could ruin your once bright plans for your life in Asgard

episode 13: what could be done

Loki and Frigga look for a way to prevent you from being married off to the Prince of Alfheim

under one condition [coming soon!]

as long as i've known you [coming soon!]

#dark!loki x reader #loki x reader #loki x female reader #loki odinson #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #relinquish the crown #muddyorbs writes

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fanfictilltheend · 1 year

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You should see me in a crown - Chapter 7 (Y/N Grimes/Negan Smith)

AO3 Link

Masterlist

Chapter 6 // Chapter 8

A/n: Ask and you shall receive!! Hope you guys like this chapter. Have plans for the eighth chapter too. LMK what you would like to see. Feedback is always appreciated strongly and idk how I feel about this chapter so any thoughts would be amazing! Also you can follow and request things from me here on tumblr or on AO3. Y/N is like 20 in this and Negan is whatever age he is in season 7 so if that’s too much of an age gap please turn back!

Warnings: 18+ smut do not interact if not 18+ afab!you, daddy kink, age difference, abusive!Rick Grimes, protective Negan, sexual touching, oral sex, blow jobs, orgasm denial, choking

Summary: Y/N sees Daryl and makes Negan let him come back to Alexandria for a homecoming dinner to be orchestrated by Negan of course. In order to get that though Y/N has to give something to Negan in return...

My time at the Sanctuary is going well so far. I get my own room and the wives are even nice to me. I think it’s because Negan spends most of his time fucking me which takes the heat off of them, but I don’t mind. I imagined them being like high-school mean girls or something, but I have nothing but good things to say about them. But then something dawns on me the day after Rick leaves and I feel guilty about not thinking of him until now.

“Negan,” I say when he gets back from a supply run. “Take me to see Daryl.”

Negan, who is polishing Lucille in his living room, looks up at me a bit guiltily.

“You don’t wanna see him, sweetheart, trust me.”

“The fuck are you doing to him?” I yell. My heart drops. “That man is important to me! He’s like my fucking uncle. Are you torturing him?”

“I need to break him,” Negan explains, an eyebrow raised. “He’s Rick’s right-hand man. Think about things from my perspective for a goddamn minute, why don’t you? I can’t just give him a fucking hotel room.”

“He can’t be broken, Negan. He’s practically the strongest man I know,” I impress. “There are other ways to mess with Rick.”

“I thought I was the strongest man you know,” Negan smirks.

“Stop fucking around, this is serious!” I shout.

“Damn, okay, Y/N. You know when you get assertive it gets me worked up. But what do I get in return if I were to let my enemy’s second in command go free, baby? I’m assuming that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I’m going to get,” I inform him, pressing a finger into his leather-jacket-covered chest.

“Is that so?” Negan grins, grabbing my hand. “Well, go on. You know you got me wrapped and I can hardly say ‘no’ to you, but I want something in return.”

“You can’t take anything more from Alexandria because we’re practically starving over there, but maybe you let Daryl go and you take me and him back to Alexandria and I…will personally announce my free-willed devotion to you and it will fuck with the whole town and especially Rick’s head.”

Negan thinks about it.

“Hmm, I like that. And we could have a family Welcome Home dinner,” he agrees, his grin getting wider. “Everyone will be there for the show. Carl, Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and baby sister, and you and me. I’ll even cook goddamn spaghetti free of charge. I make a mean tomato sauce.”

“You want a fucking family dinner, you freak?” I snicker.

“Trust me it will be worth it to see the looks on their faces. Especially Rick’s. But you know what? I need a little something right now to tide me over. What’s that gonna be, baby?” He smiles wide.

“First, you take me to Daryl right this instant and you stop whatever horrid torture techniques you’ve been doing to him. And then I’ll give you the best blow job of your life. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like you think you’re going to be the one in control of that blow job, but I can assure you, sweetheart, it’s going to be the other way around. Gonna have you absolutely choking on my cock, baby girl. No mercy.”

I swallow.

“Fine,” I say like it’s no big deal and I’m not a little nervous. “Take me to Daryl.”

***

Negan walks me down through the bowels of the sanctuary to where they keep the cells. I hope what I said is true and that Daryl didn’t break. I pray it. We walk until we reach a single tiny room with some stupid pop song playing on repeat inside it.

Negan opens the door.

“Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour!” he booms, holding up Lucille to remind Daryl not to try anything, the music increasing in volume as we enter.

Daryl is crouched down in a filthy sweatsuit, covering his ears from the annoying music.

“Y/N?” he asks slowly in a raspy voice, looking up cautiously. “That really you?” “It’s me, Uncle Daryl,” I say rushing over to him, grabbing onto his dirty hands. “Turn off that fucking music, Negan.”

And Negan actually does.

“The hell you doin’ down here?” Daryl asks in concern. “You ain’t a prisoner too, are you?”

“No, it’s not like that,” I explain. “I’m here to get you out. Tomorrow you’re coming back to Alexandria, okay?”

I try to hug him, but he flinches at my touch. My heart sinks.

“You are quite popular, ‘Uncle Daryl,’” Negan smirks down at him, unable to not insert himself into the conversation. “Y/N won’t shut up about you. You must have at least been decent to her unlike Rick the Prick. I, for one, did not wanna let you go, but Y/N is going to convince me in more ways than one if you catch my drift.” He winks and does that lean thing he’s always doing. “And tomorrow,” he continues, stamping his foot for emphasis. “When you go back home to your quaint little town, you will make it clear that it was Y/N who saved you, is that understood?”

Daryl says nothing, so Negan takes Lucille and makes like he’s going to strike him with her, but he stops the bat just before it would have collided with Daryl’s face. Daryl does not even flinch.

“Shit, you do not scare easily. I like that!” Negan grins gleefully.

“Stop it, Negan,” I snap. “We get it. Your dick is the biggest.”

“Goddamn right it is,” he chuckles and I roll my eyes.

“Y/N,” Daryl mumbles quietly, turning to me. “If he’s making you do stuff that…you don’t wanna do, I’m not worth that.”

“Trust me, Rick’s Little Bitch, she wants it,” Negan announces. “Could even give you a goddamn preview if you w–”

“Shut up!” I yell at Negan. “For once in your life, please shut the fuck up! I’m fine, Daryl. I promise.”

“You and he?” Daryl asks in his way of little words, gesturing between the two of you.

“Something like that,” you nod. “Give him some proper food, Negan, and some real clothes, and let him shower. Those are the conditions.”

“You know, I am a decent man and benevolent ruler, so I’ll allow those. I’ll tell Davey to get on that right away, princess. See? I am a man of my word. See ya tomorrow, Daryl. It's your big goddamn homecoming day! Now let’s go, Y/N, you’ve got something to give me.”

***

We return to Negan’s bedroom. I’m silent the whole way back.

“You mad at me, princess?” Negan asks, taking off his jacket. “‘Cause of how I treated him?”

“Honestly, yeah,” I reply, sitting down on his bed.

“Try to think of it from my perspective, honey, it’s not personal.”

“I know that, but you could at least be humane,” I point out.

“Think about if Alexandria had gotten ahold of Simon or Dwight–”

“We wouldn’t have tortured them. Plus, you already ironed off Dwight’s face. How can it get worse?”

“And do you know why I did that?” Negan asks.

I shake my head ‘No.’

“He ran away with Sherry and got Sherry’s sister, Tina, killed and my men had to save their sorry asses.”

I hadn’t known that.

“I’m cruel, sure, but I have reasons for doing shit, baby,” Negan assures me. “Cruel but not unusual if you know what I mean. For example, you know I’d never make you do shit you didn’t wanna do. If you’re too mad at me to blow me, you don’t have to. But I know the thought of it makes you so fucking wet.”

He’s not wrong. I want to say ‘no’ to spite him, but the things he says make sense even if I wish they didn’t. And I…I feel something really strong for him that I can’t even explain. He makes me feel so good and safe. He has rules that make sense, which is different from my life back at Alexandria with Rick where any second he could lose it on me and I always have to be on my guard. With Negan I know what I’m getting and if I say stop, he’ll listen. There’s something powerful about that. I want to make him feel good despite every instinct in my brain. I want him to hold and comfort me too.

“Fine,” I say. “But you fuck with Daryl again and I will personally end your life. Now sit down on the goddamn bed.”

“Damn, baby.” Negan grins. “So hot when you threaten me and boss me around.”

“We’ll have to explore that another time,” I smirk. “Shit, did that make you hard?”

“Just being around you makes me hard, baby. But yeah.” He sits down on the bed and palms the bulge at his crotch. “Bet you’re already wet though too.”

He’s not wrong.

I put my hair up and bend down between his legs.

“Take your pants off,” I insist.

“This isn’t for your pleasure, you little slut,” he smirks. “Maybe if you earn it.”

I roll my eyes and reach for his belt buckle, but he slaps my hand away.

“Did I tell you to?”

“No, Daddy,” I reply obediently.

“There’s my good girl. Now you may.”

Control freak. I undo the leather belt and remove it, then I unbutton and unzip his grey khakis and pull out his half-hard cock and balls.

My mouth waters.

“Now strip,” he orders.

I do slowly, pulling my shirt over my head to expose my breasts and I unhitch the bra and Negan swears. Then I pull off my pants and my underwear and shiver from the cold.

“Damn, baby. You look so good. Now, take me and get me all the way hard,” he orders. “In your mouth.”

And I do. I take his long, girthy dick and kiss the swelling head to tease and Negan groans. Then I take as much of him as I can down my throat.

Negan lets out a small moan as I suck and use my hands on the girth that doesn’t fit in my mouth. This goes on for a few minutes and Negan is fully erect in my mouth and it makes me so wet. I reach down to touch myself, but Negan slaps my hand away.

“This is isn’t for your pleasure, you little harlot. How many times do I gotta fucking say it, baby?”

“Sorry, Daddy,” I reply, looking right in his eyes. “You just make me so wet is all.”

Negan groans and squeezes the base of his cock.

“Tonight is for me, isn’t it, Y/N?” He growls, grabbing a handful of my hair.

“Yes, Daddy,” I reply disappointedly. “Ow!”

“Too much, kid?” Negan asks seriously.

“No, it hurt good,” I tell him, liking the pain.

“You little freak! You know, I think we need a safe word. How about ‘walker?’”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Daddy’s gonna fuck your mouth now, baby.” Negan tells me, looking down into my eyes. “It’s gonna be rough, but I know you can take it.”

“Do your worst,” I challenge and Negan snickers.

“God, I love that." He pulls on my hair again roughly, “Get to work, slut,” he growls, and with that, he shoves his fat cock far down my throat and I gag.

Then he holds the back of my head and fucks my mouth with vigor, not holding back. I have to grab onto his waist to keep from being knocked over by the force. Goddamn.

He fucks me so hard each time it makes a gluck sound that is so filthy I am soaking against my thighs. My throat feels raw and sore, but he keeps going. Then he pulls my head down all the way on his cock and I choke, my nose smashing against the salt and pepper pubic hair at the base of his prick. He holds me down for what feels like forever and I can’t breathe! Oxygen is all I can think about and the throbbing pleasure between my legs. Fuck!

Finally, he pulls off of me, and I think he’s done so I move to get up.

“Ah, ah, ah, Not yet, baby girl,” Negan sneers. “Aw, you thought I was finished? Nice fucking try.”

And then he’s grabbing the back of my head and forcing me back all the way down on his cock and I’m gagging and choking and tears are streaming down my face. My brain begins to get foggy from the lack of oxygen and my pussy drips further down my thighs as saliva and precum dribble down my chin.

“Damn, baby. Taking it like you were fucking born for it. What a perfect little slut,” he groans. He tastes so good. His precum is perfectly salty. “I’m close, angel. Fuck! Look how wet you are. Tell ya what: I’ll hold you down on me for ten more seconds and if you’re a good girl and don’t touch your aching, dripping little pussy, I’ll give you a reward.”

“Yes, please, Negan,” I moan, so desperate to cum.

“Is that what you call me?” he snaps.

“Yes, Daddy,” I whine. “Come on, please. Just do it. I’ll be so good for you.”

And with that, Negan sticks his cock back down my throat.

“One…” Negan begins with his usual snarky grin. “Fuck.” He groans in pleasure as his attractive face relaxes in bliss. “Two…Three...”

I start to struggle a little reflexively, my nose pressed against the patch of salt and pepper hair at the base of Negan’s prick, just below his hairy tummy, but he only grabs my head harder and holds me in place more tightly, which my pussy seems to like a lot.

“Be good for me now, Y/N,” Negan reminds me condescendingly, stroking the back of my head gently despite his firm grip, his voice low. “Four...Five…”

I can’t breathe! My brain screams out for air. I try to whimper, but only make a sad, strangled sound against him. Fuck, it feels so good.

“Six...Seven…Stay fucking still, baby!” he growls.

To stop me from trying to move, Negan wraps his large hand around my neck, and I moan, throbbing between my legs, pleasure buzzing inside me, aching to touch myself.

“Oh, shit, you really like that don’t you?” he smirks. “Eight…”

He squeezes his hand down around my throat and I see black spots around the edges of my vision. Fear pumps through my blood, but my spiking arousal is all I really care about as I hump against nothing but air. Negan smirks at my dancing, itching fingers.

“Nnnghhm!--” I try to moan desperately, my lower body shaking and spasming, staring up at him.

“Nine…Are you gonna fucking cum just from this!?” he exclaims. “You little whore!”

I cannot breathe! I cannot fucking breathe! I am going to fucking pass out! Or cum! Or both! Holy fuck!

“Ten…” Negan groans, and finally pulls out of my throat, loosening his grip on my neck, as my body twitches.

“Such a good little slut for me!” Negan exclaims enthusiastically, his voice so low it is almost a growl. “Now what do you say?”

“Thank you, Daddy,” I whine softly, my throat sore from overuse.

“Fuck, baby, I just slid my dick down your throat, and you thanked me for it!” he booms excitedly.

“Yeah, yeah asshole, sure–” I start to say.

But then he cuts me off by slapping my face with his dick and I can’t help but giggle.

He snickers too, looking down at my legs.

“Holy shit! You’re goddamn Niagra Falls down there, sweetheart. Want Daddy’s help with that?”

“Please,” I beg. “I am so horny for you, Daddy.”

“Touch yourself for me, baby. But do not cum!”

He pats the bed and I get up and sit on it next to him and start rubbing my pussy desperately. I let out a low moan as my fingers meet my clit. Negan stares at me and strokes his cock, cursing under his breath.

After a few steamy minutes of this, I insert and curl my fingers inside myself and begin shaking with the need to cum.

“Daddy,” I whine in a wrecked voice. “I’m close.”

“Holy fuck, here it comes!” Negan growls and he cums all over my chest with a shout.

“Would’ve swallowed it,” I tell him disappointedly, as he exhales deeply.

“You look amazing like that, baby. Holy moley, you look good!” he pants, wiping his brow. “Jesus.”

“Do I ever get to cum?” I practically yell, my face flushed with how horny I am, his cum dripping down my tits.

“Not tonight,” he informs me and I deflate. “You cum when I tell you you can. And if you touch yourself before I allow you to you will fucking regret it. You won’t cum for a week. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Daddy,” I whine. “But I mean are you sure I can’t cum on your fingers?”

“I have a surprise planned for tomorrow, angel, don’t worry,” he says surprisingly gently.

“Okay,” I nod. “Can we cuddle though?”

“Of course, baby girl. You were very good for me. Let me clean you up though first.”

He leads me into his bathroom and pats the counter for me to sit. I do and he wets a towel with warm water and cleans off my chest very gently. It feels nice. I yawn sleepily.

“Ready for bed?” he smirks. “You were so good for me, angel, truly.”

“You sure I can’t cum?” I beg. “Why is it my fault that you’re so hot?”

He laughs, his face scrunching up.

“You tempt me, kid, you really do, but I want you extra excited for my plan tomorrow. You’ll thank me later.”

I doubt that, but I let it slide for now.

We brush our teeth and then get into bed. I become the little spoon and he the big one.

“What if I just came from rubbing on your thigh? That’s not easy.” I try one last time.

“Shut up,” Negan snorts. “Go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. You made goddamn sure of that…”

A/n: Who's hyped for the Alexandria dinner? PLEASE give feedback I would highly appreciate it and I wonder if you guys are liking the direction of the story?????

Masterlist

Chapter 6 // Chapter 8

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norakbubbles · 30 days

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I just finished the final episode of Game of Thrones about two hours ago and....*sighs*

I have many feelings and I'm going to list them:

1. Braime and Theonsa could have been endgame couples if the writers weren't COWARDS-

2. "Bran the Broken" makes me giggle bc they literally couldn't find any other nickname for him

3. I still low-key think Gendry should have been king in the end, given he technically was supposed to have the iron throne after Robert died in the first place

3. Yaayyy Jon, Tormund and Ghost are together again (if s8 ended with me not being able to see Tormund for one last time I would've thrown hands)

4. Literally poor tyrion being made another hand of someone he barely knows when he doesn't want to

5. Bronn wanting to prioritize rebuilding brothels over ships makes me laugh

6. Robin Arryn's glow-up shocked me bc he actually doesn't look like an iPad kid anymore 👏👏

7. Sandor being one of the casualties in the final fight saddened me more than Jaime I'm sorry but it did

8. Ngl I forgot who Edmure Tully was for a hot minute when he showed up

9. Dany's death did not make me upset but Drogon's reaction to her death did idk why

10. Did anyone else go "Now what?" during the last few minutes? Like Sansa being crowned queen of the North and Jon and Tormund going off with the wildlings and Ghost? Like what are they gonna do now? There really aren't any more threats. If anyone does know of any still existing threats by the end of the series let me know

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mom is tired of hearing me yap about Braime all the time and my sis and I both agree that Theon should have been there with Sansa as she was crowned. I loved the series, and will most likely be moving on to HotD next bc I've heard it's good. Yes season 8 could have been better but in the end, we just have to accept that that's how the series ended and there's nothing we can do about it....

that's what fanfiction is for... 😗

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oftlunarialmoon · 4 months

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20 Princess/Royal Themed Ideas - OFT Royals

Ciao lovelies! Recently I’ve been finding joy in returning to my Princess Lifestyle! Which is kind of like Quaintrelle, but more royal themed. So, I wanted to make a new list of 20 Princess/Royal Themed Ideas! These ideas range from lifestyle ideas, writing prompts, video prompts, challenges, DIY ideas, beauty ideas, and more! All of these ideas are safe to do at home, and will hopefully make staying safe at home a little easier. (Repurposed for agere content 12/5/23, i originally wrote this post 5/20/2020 :-)

Let’s now get into this list, fellow Royals!

1. Every Royal needs a Crown! Make yourself a crown, or maybe buy one. Or even turn a headband into a crown! You could even make yourself a more “subtle” and “undercover” crown by making a small crown hair pin or hair clip.

2. On that note, why not go the extra nine yards and make a scepter? You could make yours look like a magic wand, or a traditional scepter, or even a magical girl item!

3. Give yourself a royal spa day! Relax into a bath filled with bubbles and bath fizzes, or maybe bath salts, or maybe even use traditional beauty remedies. You could even use a face mask or a body scrub! Not to mention, be sure to moisturize your face! ^-^

4. Write about your kingdom. What is it called? Who lives there with you? What are the people like? What is the terrain and the climate like? What is your currency? What languages are spoken there? What is the pop-culture like?

5. Write about what it means to you to be a royal! What values should one have? What duties? How should one behave? (Looking for inspiration on this prompt? Check out OFT’s Royal Lessons!)

6. Make a short look-book video of all your favorite Princess/Royal outfits! You can even center them around a theme like the season, colors, motifs, or more! If you’re camera-shy, make a capsule-wardrobe or mood board that reflects your royal style!

7. Challenge yourself to cook or bake something new today! You could try out a traditional recipe or make up something new!

8. Write about a historical figure that you look up to. What lessons can you learn from them? What do you admire most about them? Why are they important to you?

9. Write about a celebrity or internet celebrity that you admire. What content do they create? What about them is so inspiring to you? Why do you admire them? What attributes do they portray that you look up to?

10. Draw yourself in a royal self-portrait! It doesn’t have to be perfect. Think about how you view yourself (positively, I hope!). What aspects of yourself do you want to convey in this portrait? You could convey personality through what activity you’re doing in the drawing, or even through items your drawn self is holding!

11. On that note, write about YOU! What activities do you like? What is your favorite thing about your personality? What causes are you passionate about? What attributes make you who you are? Self-exploration can help you lead yourself to a more self-aware and self-loving state!

12. Take some time to learn about etiquette and write about something you learned. Why is it so important? What aspect of what you learned is relevant to the modern etiquette world? What aspects of what you learned might be outdated? When would you use the things you learned?

13. Lucky 13 😊 Writing Prompt! What superstitions do you have, or what traditions do you uphold? Why are these important to you? What founded these beliefs?

14. On that note, another writing prompt: take time to learn about a historical tradition of your choice. How was this tradition upheld in the past? Has it changed over time in any way? If so, why do you think it was modified? If not, why do you think it was preserved so well?

15. Make a video where you try something from another era. This could be a recipe, tutorial, food dish, hobby, anything! If you are camera-shy, try something new from another era and write about your experience. What did you learn?

16. Challenge time! Keep a dream journal for a full week (7 days). Did you discover anything new about your inner self? If you don’t dream, keep a journal of your sleep habits for a week. Have you noticed any patterns? Anything to improve or change? What about your current sleep habits is working well for you?

17. Challenge time! Spend two weeks practicing a new skill. By the end of the two weeks, write a post or journal entry about or make a video demonstrating the skill you learned. What did you choose to learn? How does this skill enhance your royal life?

18. Write or make a video about something that you’re passionate about! Why does it excite you? Why do you like it so much? What cool facts could you share about this topic? How did you first get interested in it? Passion and interest are big parts of Royal life!

19. Challenge time! Do something that is outside of your comfort zone (but still SAFE, okay?). Write about how you felt to push yourself out of your bubble. Was it enjoyable? Did you have fun? If not, what roadblocks do you think stopped you from having a good time? (Examples of this challenge include: cooking if one doesn’t like to cook, learning a new skill that’s high difficulty level, trying a new food, attending a virtual event, etc.)

20. Give your space a royally good cleaning. If cleaning is bothersome to you, think about it as though you’re doing palace chores! Dress up, play some music, and daydream while you work! (Credit to Princess Skye for this idea, you should read her “Palace Chores” post!)

If you do any of these ideas, leave a comment on this post or tag us on Instagram, or use #OFTreaders on Instagram! I'd love to see your responses!

#agere #age regression #sfw littlespace #sfw agere #age regressor #sfw age regression #agereg #age dreaming #sfw little blog #agere daycare #agere classroom #agere school

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jpitha · 1 year

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Just a Little Further 24

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Well.

This is new at least.

I've never had to quell a riot before.

Empress, please. This is more a brawl. When there's a riot, we'll let you know. We have seen riots, and this is no riot.

Okay, fine. There's something like two dozen people here and I see what looks like to be more security people, Mariens and Aviens and some Azurians on the edge of things, trying to get a handle on what is going on. Note to myself, I should go visit their offices later. Chairs from nearly restaurants have been taken and broken into clubs, and there is shouting and smoke and the clashing of flesh on feather on bone.

Wait, why is there smoke?

"Ava, Um'reli is there a fire here? I see and smell smoke."

"Um, one moment Melody.... Yes, there is a report of a small fire, but there's also this warning - it says something like Fire Suppression Offline, local assistance is needed." Sounds like we had some kind of Starbase wide fire suppression system but it doesn't work anymore."

All the Builder controlled parts of this place are broken. What is going on here? Was it on purpose or did they just fail because nobody was around to maintain them? "See if you can get it back online. It doesn't have to work forever, just to see if we can knock down the smoke. Turn the air scrubbers and air cycling too here, I don't want people getting ill from the smoke."

"On it, Melody." Um'reli is checking into it while Ava is helping with an overview of the area. It's a wide open area, kind of like the promenade on the lower level, but this area is... nicer? It has parks and gardens! We need to come up here more often. Why is it so drab down closer to the docks.

Well, it's nicer when a riot isn't going on I mean.

Sigh. Fine. Let's stop the riot and figure out what is going on. I take a moment and concentrate, and my crown and wings spring into existence. In fact, let's make those wings bigger and brighter. I'm going to need to be seen and heard. I connect to the Starbase, locate the local public address system - mentally wave to Um'reli and Ava as I go by! - and then...

S̴̨̲̗̥̯̯̩̤͒̎̔̽͊̐̚ṫ̸̝̱͈̙̆͋̌o̴͎͗̌̿̀̍̏̿̚͝p̸͚̐̀̕ ̶̯̌̈́f̵̤͙̪̖̗͖̳̼̺̐̏̊̒͒̈́̀̚̚i̵̡͈̼̱̭̼̻͖̳͋͒̄̊̾͌g̵͚͐͆̀͂͑̌h̶̛̤͙̆̋̍̄͑̓͠t̶̘̖̪͒́i̴̢̞̜̠̠͋n̷̛̪͚͙̞͚͒̀̃̔͂͊̊g̶̢̡̠͍̥̙̹̼̓̃͗ͅ!̶̨̥͎̄͘͝

I swear, it never gets old. Like I pressed pause on a video, everyone immediately stops. I put some work into my command this time, I specified fighting so that they can still move and breathe, but sure enough, everyone stops.

I put a little extra oomph into my presentation and tower over everyone. They turn towards me, fearful and I have their attention.

"Now then. What is going on here. Why are you fighting?"

Everyone starts talking all at once.

"-They started it when-"

"Those liars said that the Empress wasn't-"

"-There isn't enough food for-"

Wait that one. Another one about food? I heard a few of those at the presentation earlier.

"Cease your chatter. You. What was that about food?" I point to the Azurian close to me who mentioned food when they were all talking at once.

"Empress, the results of the last two harvests have been 15 and 20 percent lower than in previous seasons. The population here isn't dropping either. If this keeps up, the garden planetoid won't be able to support us!"

Okay that's serious, but it's not like ' drop everything and have a riot' serious - at least not at the numbers they gave me. What else is going on?

"Thank you, it's important to learn this. Please come to the Throne later and explain to me in more detail about your concerns. That's not enough to have a riot though, is it?"

"Oh the riot? No, that's not about the food supply. It's about them-" They point across the plaza "-not believing that you're holy."

Oh.

One of them, a Aviens, shouts from across the area "You're just someone who showed up and got lucky! You're not holy at all!"

Hisses and curses from this side of the plaza.

Awkward.

Well hold up now. This isn't fair to me. I never said I was holy, they just decided.

You did elevate The Smell of Soil After Rain to bishop during that presentation yesterday. I wonder if they're going around causing trouble in your name.

Hmm.

I stride out across the plaza to the other side. As I approach the people who think I'm not holy they shrink back. I wonder why for a moment and realize my wings and crown are still burning bright. Oops. Nothing like trying to convince people to stop arguing about my alleged godhood while looking like an angry God. I tone down the wings and crown (but I don't remove them entirely) and approach the Aviens who yelled that I wasn't holy. "Was The Smell of Soil After Rain coming around, giving you a hard time?"

The Aviens visibly crumbled. "They said that my family would be forgotten if I didn't attend services. That you ordered it. They said they'd remove my children from school."

What.

"What? No. Absolutely not. I am Empress, I don't need to be your God too. So long as you recognize me as Empress and Builder that's enough. Worship the way you please, or don't worship at all. Atheism it not forbidden."

I turn back to both sides of the crowd. "I will not punish those who choose not to worship me! So long as you accept that I am Empress, that I rule here, that's enough. Nobody here has to also worship me. I will... speak to my Bishop about their... enthusiasm. Nobody here will be compelled to worship. So please. Return to your homes after you assist the security forces here in cleanup."

Everyone looks around at each other, then back at me, still with crown and glowing wings, then back at each other and starts picking up litter and broken pieces of chair.

I turn back to the Aviens who I was talking to, put away my wings and crown and kneel down gently to speak just to them very quietly. They look up at me wide eyed.

"Just for your own information - and if pressed by anyone else I will deny it forever - you're right. I'm just a person who did something stupid, and now I'm Empress. My name is Melody, I like coffee and computer systems and being able to have time alone to read." It's almost a whisper.

They blink in surprise. This was completely unexpected for them. "Hi Melody, my name is Roar of Thunder and I work in an office building down on the docking level. I'm not entirely sure what our job is, but it's not difficult work. I enjoy cooking during my free time."

I stand back up. "It's wonderful to meet you Roar of Thunder. I love your name too." I look around as people continue cleaning up. "Tell you what Thunder. Come up to the Throne tomorrow. I bet we can find a more... stimulating job for you with us."

"That's... that's a wonderful opportunity Empress. I will be there tomorrow."

I spend a few minutes helping clean up the riot. I mean, why not, I'm here already, everyone will love it, and it's something to do. In the meantime Ava and Um'reli seem to get the fire supression going enough to fog some water over the smokier parts of the plaza and soon enough the smoke has dissipated and things are - if not clean - then at least cleaner. I give my thanks and as I get up to leave, one of the Mariens in the security coloration approaches me.

"Empress, thank you for coming up. We didn't even get to report back to headquarters that a riot had broken out yet, how did you know?"

This time I grin impishly. "This is just one of the things that can happen now that the Builders are back. We have eyes and ears all over and can assist quickly when needed. If you'll notice, we even got the old fire suppression foggers going in this sector. Hopefully soon we can get them operating everywhere again."

The Mariens looks amazed and salutes me sharply, then bows. "I am known as Kilad, Empress. I know my supervisor would love to thank you personally."

Ah wonderful! I was hoping to go see more of the security forces. What a nice coincidence.

"Please lead the way Kilad. I would love to meet them."

Kilad walks me across the plaza and through a park. There are trees and greenery, but of course I don't recognize any of the plants. They're very dark green and fragrant though. I wonder if they originated on a planet that has a dimmer star than Earth or our other colonies. Less light might cause them to evolve darker coloration to squeeze every drop of energy out of a weaker star.

We walk through the park and come out in another plaza, just like the one near the train station. At the far end of this one is another large, original looking building made out of the same stone as the Starbase and Administration offices and Bank. Clearly some of the institutions here were original - or the buildings were and they have been repurposed.

Kilad opens the door and I follow. Inside is a bustle of activity. Mariens, Aviens, and all the others are here. The Mariens are all colored the bright yellow of security while those without chromatophores are wearing smart yellow uniforms. Kilad walks up to a low desk in the back of the atrium. There's an Azurian sitting there in a yellow uniform with silver piping along the top. They must be the supervisor. Kilad salutes the Azurian and gives a report.

"Kilad, returning from the suspected riot near the hub station. Suspicions were confirmed, it was a riot between people arguing about the holiness - or not - of the Empress. Luckily the Empress herself showed up to quell the riot and explain that while people can worship her if so desired nobody will be forced to. She also explained that she will speak to her new Biship, The Smell of Soil After Rain about his proselytizing and ask him to tone it down." Kilad gestures behind themselves to me. "Additionally, the Empress herself is here, she'd like to speak to you."

At that, the Azurian looks behind Kilad and nods. I love how it seems like every single Azurian doesn't really care that I'm the Empress. It's refreshing. "Empress." They nod. "Thank you for your assistance, and for the official confirmation that nobody is required to worship you."

"It's quite all right. I'm glad to be able to get the word out that worship is not compulsory. Everyone is free to worship - or not worship - however they see fit. Can you explain to me what the role of your forces is here? It doesn't have to be a whole history, just the basics."

"Yes, Empress. We are the Security force on Reach of the Might of Vzzx" He pronounces Vzzx with a pop on the end. "This station is 100 people, and there are at least a dozen more across the whole of the Reach. We mostly help settle small disputes, assist with investigating petty crime and quell the occasional riot. For the most part, the residents of the Reach are relatively calm and open to working together. There is friction here and there, same as with anywhere, and with living spaces so tight conflict can break out. But, there is a strong sense of collaboration and community here too. You probably saw people cleaning up the riot they caused after it was quelled. That's not because you were there, that's a normal occurrence"

"Do you know any history? Do you know the role of your forces when they Builders were here in force?"

They indicate no, and seem a little sad about it. "Few records exist from then. When I was young, I asked some of the oldest staff here and they made it sound like things were much the same back then as now. It was probably different in that there were Builders able to detect and react to things sooner - like you and your Builders did today - but I imagine the day to day operations were much the same then as now."

"Thank you for the history lesson. What's your name?"

"I am Commander Sep."

"Thank you again Sep!" I incline my head slightly and walk out. I do wonder if I'm being too casual with everyone for a moment, but really this is who I am, how I want to rule. I hear FarReach's words and I'm reminded that she thought I was changing. That's not what I want to happen. I'm going to keep on walking around and talking to people and trying to learn as much about my new home as I can.

My new home. That's what the Reach is.

And I'm here to protect it and its residents.

I spend the evening up here visiting shops, talking to people, trying to learn as much as I can. It turns out most everyone here went down to the Throne this morning, so people are open later today to allow folks who missed their morning shopping to be able to get things.

I stop by a restaurant that looks nice and go to get dinner by myself. After I shoo away the entire staff who practically fell over themselves to be the one who took care of me and gently remind them they have other patrons who also need help, I enjoy my meal and even try out some of the tea that everyone here seems to drink. It's no coffee, but it's pleasant in its own way. It's hot and sweet and herbal and smells slightly of anise. I should see if I can get more to bring back. I think Um'reli might like it.

After dinner, I stroll slowly back towards the train and connect to the Reach and look for Ava and Um'reli. "Ava, Um'reli, where are you?"

"We're back at the Royal Dawn. Where are you Melody, it's so late!"

Is it? Hmm, I should figure out timekeeping here. It's hard to believe it's only been a few days since I left FarReach, I'm probably still on ship's time.

"Oh, after the brawl, I went and met the Security forces up here, and then I walked around talking to people, and got a nice dinner. Um'reli you have got to try this tea they have! I think you'd really like it."

"Oh? Thanks Melody, I will check it out next time we eat. Um, are you coming back? Omar is back too, he has a report about the High Line."

"I'm walking back to the train station now, I'll be home in a bit. No more than half an hour probably. Omar, do you want to tell me about it now while I walk or wait until I get back?"

"How about when you get back Melody. It still odd talking to people like this, it feels like I'm having a discussion with myself."

"Sure thing Omar, see you in a bit."

I make my way back to the hub station just as a train pulls away. As I watch it go, an Aviens is running down the platform. "No no no no, I can't miss my train! They're going to be so mad!" They reach the end of the platform and their feathers ripple and they look despondent.

"What's wrong? What about the next train?"

They look up at me and then see who I am and jump a little." E-Empress! I didn't expect to see you here. Um" And they bow.

"Yes yes, that's fine, but not really necessary unless I'm like, doing royal stuff. What's the matter? You sounded so sad."

"Oh Empress, that was the last train! There isn't another until tomorrow! I have to get back down to my home, my parents are going to be so upset to find out that I missed the last train home again and have nowhere to stay." They're practically in tears.

"Oh no! Well, I have to get down a level too so I can go home. I had no idea that was the last train - I'm still getting used to time here, it's different than where I'm from. Let me see what I can do. What's your name?"

"Oh, thank you, thank you Empress! My name is Sound of the City."

"It's so nice to meet you Sound of the City! Let's see about finding a way for both of us to get home."

I lead them to a seat on the platform and sit next to them. They snuggle up next to me and yawn deeply. Surprised, I look over and realize they're so young! It's just a child. If they were human, they might be a teen. All the more reason to get them home. I lean back a little and connect and search for the train subsystem.

Ah, there it is. They were right, that was the last scheduled train. Luckily though, when you're a Builder, you don't have to worry about things like schedules. Let's see, what train is closest... hmm? Whats that? There's something here marked 'Royal transport - offline' and it very close. Looks like it's over in a siding near here.

I dig a little deeper and it seems like it's a whole train just for the Empress. They must have used it when the previous Empress was traveling around the Reach. I remember in my dream how proud Aeche was of the transit system, I wonder if this was related to it? Well, it's the closest train, and this way I won't mess up tomorrows schedule either. I touch the train gently, and it activates. Basic systems check indicates nothing is wrong. I call the train. After only a minute, there's the trilling chime that indicates a train is coming.

"Sound, look. I found a train."

They blink sleepily and look up and gasp at what they see.

I have to admit, it is impressive. The Royal Transport is a subway train, but turned up loud. It's royal blue and gold and gilded with sweeping flowery designs. It's only three cars - the other trains seem to be between 6 and 10 cars - but what it lacks in length it makes up for in elegance.

I'm almost sad that the station is empty, this is something that needs to be seen.

"This train is beautiful, Empress! This is how we're going to get home?"

"Yup. It's the Royal Transport. It was designed for the Empress to move around the Reach in style."

We approach the door and I step in. It's carpeted! It's so plush. Sound of the City stands at the door, not coming in.

"What's wrong Sound? Come in"

"A-are you sure? It's a train for the Empress."

"And as Empress, I'm telling you it's fine. Please, come aboard. I'll take you home. It's only two stops."

I reach out my hand and they nervously take it and step in. The doors hiss shut behind us. I lead us to a seat and we both sit down. Only after we are seated does it begin to roll away, nearly silently. Sound once again snuggles up and is nearly asleep instantly. While we ride I search the train mentally. Oh! There's a log! The last time this train was used was...

74 years ago? That's it?

My head spins a bit. That's not that long at all. The Administrators had said that there hadn't been an Empress for 'three generations' I guess if they're not that long lived that could account for it. Also, given the robustness of what we build for space on our side of the galaxy, it would explain why things didn't really break down over here. It would also explain why the Gate system was almost completely intact. 74 years though. That's hardly any time at all in an interstellar empire.

But, the K'laxi! My last memories were of touching the Gate and doing an upload before going to visit them. They said that their histories and religion that mentions me and the Gates is a thousand years old.

What happened? Why were the K'laxi ignored? When did the last Empress touch the directory stone? The timing of everything doesn't make sense.

I really have no way of finding out here. Once High Line has been refitted, I think I need to go to the Wilds of Besmara, that mostly destroyed Starbase we saw first and see what happened there.

Then, the train rolls to a stop. Just as silently the doors hiss open and were back at my station. "Sound, wake up, we're here." I say gently. They rustle and blink and realizing they were sleeping on the Empress jump up, embarassed. "I'm so sorry!"

I laugh gently. "It's find Sound. I'm pretty tired too. Let me walk you home."

This is the latest I've been out, and the Reach is so quiet! The lights are down low, but it's still easy to see. Sound said they lived close to the station and they lead me there. It's a little block of apartments in between the bank and the Administrative offices. Convenient location, I bet this place was expensive.

As we approach the door, an older Aviens opens it ahead of us. Clearly upset they point a finger. "Sound of the City, you are late. How did you even get home, the last train arrived a while ago. Were you wandering around causing trouble after you got here?"

"No Father! I was working late to help Gemli finish up inventory and ran to catch the last train. I missed it, and thought I was done for when..." Sound gestures behind them to me. In the low light, I flare the crown and wings just for a moment and darken them again. There's a gasp and the adult Aviens bows low. "E-E-Empress! What are you doing here?"

"I too missed the last train home, and ran into Sound of the City weeping that they were going to be in trouble and had no way of getting home. I was able to call the Royal Transport and bring them and myself back home. I just wanted to make sure they made it home safely. I don't believe Sound should be punished, it seems that they got caught up helping a friend."

"O-of course Empress. Sound, get inside and wash up, it's past bedtime." Sound of the City hesitates a moment, then runs up and hugs me tight. "Thank you, Empress." and they wave and run inside.

"You're very welcome Sound of the City." I look at their parent and narrow my eyes just a bit. "They did not bother me, they did not put me out, I was helping because I wanted to. Do not give them trouble about this."

Their head bobs a nod. "Of course Empress. Thank you Empress, I really am grateful you brought them home. They get caught up helping friends and lose track of time. It's a regular occurrence with them."

"There are worse problems to have than being late because one is helping friends. People like that are what makes the Reach home."

"You're absolutely right Empress. I will do well to remember that."

"Good night then."

"Empress." The bow again and close the door gently.

I walk home, my head filled with worry about why the timeline for things isn't lining up. Something is wrong here.

Part 25

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

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retrieve-the-kraken · 1 year

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Young Royals Season 2 play-by-play analysis

The last episode, the climax to the conflict, the conclusion to this arc, the start of the revolution… it’s so dramatic, so tense and so satisfying.

(Ugh, why does it take me so long to find the gifs I want... Why can't I always find the absolute perfect gifs when I want them and I know they exist...)

Brace yourselves, because this analysis is LOOOONG. I can’t stop the thoughts, sorry. Too many moments, too many unspoken things that speak volumes…

EPISODE 6

The boys have been together for hours now, in their little bubble. As far as we know, there have been no food or bathroom breaks…? Just the two of them, making the most of every second together, just loving each other one last time… Then morning comes and the bubble bursts. Simon has to do the right thing, he knows that there’s a big chance that nothing will come off it, but he has to try. Even if it means that August won’t be next in line to the throne, which at least would be a giant blow for August, but an equally big one for Wille… but Simon has to try, he can’t just not do anything, he has to get some form of justice… and whatever happens after that they will deal with it together, hopefully.

So after hours of loving and being loved, Wille looks resigned again, watching as Simon gets dressed. He asks if he’s going there now, to the police station. Does it have to be now? Can’t we have more time together. Simon is heading to the police later, but he has to break up with Marcus first, once and for all. He hesitates before kneeling down next to the bed. If he doesn’t go now, he might lose his nerve. That forehead kiss, it’s so sweet, like he’s saying that everything will be alright, somehow. Like he wants to reassure Wille that it’s not the end, that there’s still love. Just kill me…

August is having a mental breakdown. He knows he can’t get out of this one without help. He knows that maybe the Royal Court can help him sweep the whole matter under the rug… But what if they don’t? He’s not entirely in there yet, he’s not exactly in their good graces yet.

“August, we are counting on you to not give us any problems whatsoever.” You’re on thin ice, August. They forgave you one scandal, they won’t forgive another. “You represent the entire Royal Court now.” Already? It’s like they’re already counting on Wille to give up, and August to need to step up. Way to keep putting the pressure on kids, by the way. Although August is of age, he’s still a fucking kid. But he will be tried as an adult…

“It’s silly, I will take care of it myself,” August says. Then he turns to the person who also already has a vendetta against Wille and Simon…

Listen, my work has let me see people’s different styles of public-speaking. Everyone has a different style, and there are some people that are more natural at it than others, some people seem to have been born for it… and some people just don’t. (And even the people who seem to be natural at it require training, they’re not just born knowing how to do it, it’s just easier for them to get it). I don’t have public-speaking abilities, although I could develop them, but I’m an introvert, and so is Wille. It takes more work than that. It’s not just knowing what to say, because anyone can read words from a page; it’s the delivery, it’s the power behind the words, and it’s the ability to look into a crowd and not lose your nerve… And the fact that they’re forcing him to give a speech at such a young age, during an event of such magnitude, without even giving him some sort of training first, is fucking unfair and mental. They just expect him to be a natural at it. Like becoming the Crown Prince suddenly means that he should be able to. Nah, it doesn’t work like that. It’s not an app or a plugin that you suddenly get, it takes work, especially if you’re not a natural… Fuck the Royal Court and Kristina.

Simon ghosting Marcus, but then showing up. And Marcus being all sour, because he knows, he knows everything. “You haven’t replied in days”. Guess what, Marcus? It’s not really your business. You’re not his boyfriend, no matter how much you wanted to believe it.

“Not compared to a prince, at least.” Fuck you, Marcus, you snob, you don’t know Wille. Wille being a prince is not a plus, it has never been a plus, in fact it’s been the biggest obstacle between them… You’re making Simon sound like an elitist, and that shows how little you know about Simon.

“You only brought me to make him jealous.” Well, you got that part right, but also, he brought you to distract himself, he was trying to move on. He wanted to like you, somewhat... (guess he dodged a bullet there...)

“I told you that I wasn’t ready for a relationship but you haven’t been listening to me.” Yes, and that negates the “perfect” thing. Stop being nice and telling him that he’s perfect, Simon. He’s not. He’s a manipulative snob.

“So it’s my fault that you treated me like crap.” OH WHO’S PLAYING VICTIM NOW…

You, sir, you are the problem. Not even the main one, no. Just a problem in Simon's life. Stop being so annoying.

“You see yourself as some kind of victim among all those brats.” FUCK YOU MARCUS. He IS a victim, he’s an outsider among all the privilege kids, he’s at a disadvantage and constantly reminded of it. He IS a victim of the system, the system rigged in favor of privileged kids, rigged in favor of the Crown, the system that protects powerful people and keeps the cycle of silence and oppression going. And he IS a victim of sexual harassment perpetuated by one of the brats. You have no fucking idea, Marcus. DO NOT believe a word he said, Simon.

And Simon tried to make it right, he tried to apologize, and Marcus just made him feel terrible and accused him of things that weren't even true. Simon doesn’t deserve that.

I still think it's ironic that Rosh and Ayub were like "Ugh, Wille's so toxic, you should totally hook up with Marcus, have a rebound," and Marcus turned out to be the toxic one... I'm not saying that Wille or Simon are perfect, and I know that what Simon did to Marcus was not nice, to ghost him, to use him like that, even if he had made it clear to Marcus that they were not a thing. But Marcus was full of red flags; he is a snob who thinks himself better than the "rich brats" at Hillerska, and doesn't fail to point it out; he calls out Simon for his relationship with Wille by saying that the thing that Simon liked about him was that he was a prince, which is actually the opposite; he absolutely LIED about not watching the sex video, because of course he did and that's probably what sparked his interest and made him approach Simon now, after knowing about him for much longer (everyone in Bjärstad knows each other, and their mums are literally friends, wtf); he used what he knew from his mother about the Eriksson family to manipulate Simon into not breaking things off with him; and he's slightly older so technically there's a slight power dynamic there. And as a final blow he accuses Simon of pretending to be a victim and loving the drama... You know nothing, you jerk...

(It reminded me so much of when August and Felice dated, and August was jealous at Felice's closeness to Wille, then going on and kissing Sara... and of course there's that little "funny" thing he said about her when we first meet him and find out what kind of person he is, and what he thinks of women... Of course August is much worse, the worst in fact, but Marcus was unexpectedly a wolf disguised as a lamb...)

The palatset is decorated with blue and yellow streamers and balloons and Swedish flags and other party decor. There will be a party after the Jubilee.

August with his back turned to the door, like a classic villain…

I think there’s an expression or a proverb or something for wanting something so bad that you would do terrible things to obtain it. There was a Huffington Post opinion article that someone shared on here recently on how the people who want to have power are precisely the people who should have it, whilst the people who are most suited to be in power are the ones who don’t want it at all. Real, good leaders are collaborative, they like to help others shine, they are selfless, they sacrifice. Power-hungry people are easily corrupted by power or by the desire to obtain it… August is so power-hungry he will do anything for it, and yet he’s not aware of what he would have to sacrifice for it and when the time comes he’s just not going to; Sara wants so bad to be part of the elite that she’s willing to screw over her own brother, lie to her friends, join forces with the worst person. Meanwhile, Wilhelm cares so little about being Crown Prince, and Simon has never cared about Wille’s title. In fact, the Crown has been for them both more of a hindrance than a promise… In fact, the only time that Wille uses his title is to weaponize it against August, but it turns him into a pretty bad person; he uses his power to get revenge on August, but it shows an ugly side of him. However, it doesn’t last long, because he’s not a narcissist like August. Once he’s back to being himself, to the person who doesn’t want the title, then he once again becomes perfectly suited for it. Beyond the royal title, beyond the inherited nature of it, Wille’s a good leader, he’s just young and misguided at times. That’s why therapy is so helpful to him, to understand his emotions, to find that balance.

August says he knows that what he did was unforgivable, “But Erik would not have let Simon go to the police.” HOW DARE YOU BRING ERIK INTO THIS. You do not speak for the dead, August.

“So now it’s my responsibility too to protect the Royal Family.” You’re just as bad as the Queen, August. You fit right in.

As it has been pointed out, Alexander doesn’t really work as the scapegoat: the video was recorded when Alexander had already been caught with the drugs; and it makes no sense to pretend that he’d still be in possession of August’s phone when the video was leaked either, a few days later, and already having been expelled. Especially since only a few minutes after the video was leaked, August had his phone with him and even answered a phone call from Minou from the Royal Court. Even if Alexander had had August’s phone, and had been able to record without unblocking the phone (August has an iPhone with a home button, so usually a fingerprint is required), it still would raise the question of when and how the phone was “hacked” to obtain the video, how long the video remained in the phone, etc. And August doesn’t seem to know that the Royal Court is in possession of the most damning evidence of all, the library computer from which he logged in and posted the video… As far as August knows the Queen and the Royal Court found out that it was August because Wille told them, because Felice figured it out and told him. So his whole plan is playing with fire and full of holes anyway. Either he and Alexander are too stupid to realize this, or they’re just counting of Wille getting scared. Which is why they’re warning him about what they’ll do if Simon reports.

And the weirdest thing to me is… Alexander is getting back at Will by willingly taking the blame for CHILD PORNOGRAPHY???? Something that he didn’t actually do???? He’s willing to be known as the guy who filmed the Crown Prince and Simon in an intimate moment and created a video that went infamously viral???? Like that could not have an impact on his future??? For fuck’s sake, he’s dumber than I thought…

But Wille is right, this whole stupid-ass plot won’t stop Simon from going to the police. But the drugs definitely will… There’s no escaping that…

“It’s time to stop this, everything calmed down once you denied the rumors… no one cares about the video.” “I CARE!”

Wille looks ready to commit murder. I would have loved him to use his headbutting skills to give August a nice purple bruise that would look really nice at the Jubilee.

I feel bad for Rousseau. That new owner is a dick.

“I want to be completely honest with you. No more secrets between us” says Felice, and Sara has been the most dishonest of the two this whole time…

“I’m in love with August.” Not “I’ve been sleeping with August” or “I have been seeing August in secret”. LOVE. Whoa.

This whole time Sara really thought that Felice would hate her for being in love with August just because he was her ex, when in reality it’s because Felice knows that August is a terrible person who can’t be trusted and Sara shouldn’t be in love someone like that… not knowing that Sara has been pretty bad herself and should not be trusted.

August being all “What’s this? The police? What is this police of which you speak?” Like he doesn’t know that Simon can knock him down and sit on him again and mash his face into the ground…

“I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the royal family. Maybe you should do the same.” Very well, thinks Wille, picking up the gun to kill August and protect the royal family from the threat that is August.

Simon stepping back, in case Wille does shoot August or something, but not trying to talk him down. “He’s about to confess.” Wille says it, letting him know that he’s serious, this will turn into an “accident” if August doesn’t confess.

It’s been pointed out before that that moment, when Wille is ready to shoot August for what he did to him, to them, when he flinches as Wille shoots into the air, is the first time that Simon sees how much the video leak affected Wille, but also how much he couldn't do anything about it. Even if he denied the whole thing on an interview, people still knew that was him on the video, he was still outed, his privacy was still violated, and his own family still betrayed him, and it changed him forever. And this is all that built up anger coming out. So if Simon still thought that Wille only did badly for a while and then he was fine, now he sees that Wille is deeply traumatized.

When August glances at Sara, Felice already knows… Sara just revealed to her that she’s in love with August, so if she knew that Simon was going to the police, she might have told August. And then Sara confirms it.

The look on Simon’s face when Sara looks guilty. He’s in absolute disbelief. They all are.

“I was in love with him.” This is the first time August is hearing this…

“I thought the damage was done since the video was already out there.” More proof that Sara didn’t really understand what Simon was going through, that it wasn’t just about the video, it was the wedge that was driven between him and Wille, it was the fact that August got away with it, that the Royal Court protected him.

And for all of Sara’s excuses, the fact remains that she chose August over her own brother, even before she was actually in love with August. Which means she chose the privilege that August offered over being loyal to her own brother…

“He wanted to come clean. And I believed him.” Like she really kept it a secret for that reason… No, Sara, you weren’t hoping that August would come clean, you just wanted to live in Manor house and be elite and potentially even become the future Queen…

“It wasn’t enough that you destroyed my family, you had to destroy another one.”

At this point August really believes that Wille might shoot him and starts to beg him not to. It’s like he almost believes that Wille has nothing to lose.

“You don’t even want to be prince.” And August is right. As he watches Simon walk away, Wille drops the gun to go after him, because Simon is much more important than the fucking crown, something that August doesn’t seem to understand, something he will never understand. Wille walks away toward Simon, because he won’t let August destroy that too. (If Wille has ever thought of a long-term future with Simon, of being each other’s family, that’s the family that he wants to protect now.)

“You’re despicable.” Felice realizing what Sara is capable of. Was their friendship real? Was it just convenient to Sara? To have access to Rousseau, to be with the most popular girl in Hillerska? If she betrayed her own brother, what’s keeping Sara from betraying anyone else?

Personally spitting on August is a nice touch. Wille is basically saying “I won’t get my hands dirty because of you, but this is how I feel about you, this is what you’re worth, scum.”

“You were going to confess, August.” Sara doesn’t understand the value of secrecy in this society. Also August confessing was never really a major thing for her until Simon found out and wanted to go to the police. Before that, she was fine with how things were, even when she saw how miserable her brother was…

“You know about the struggle to get what you want… we’re the same, you and I.” August comparing Sara being working class and wanting to fit in in an elite school to him wanting to keep his status and become next in line to the throne… yes, they are the same, but at different levels. I’m not excusing what Sara did, but August is definitely worse. “It’s what I love about you.” What? You love that she became ruthless and deceitful and treacherous? Because that’s what you are…

“I had no other choice.” To be precise, he had no other choice that would keep him out of potentially going to jail.

Simon is keeping all of his emotions inside. Wille hugging him brings them too close to the surface and he’s at risk of them spilling all over… the way his voice trembles as he says “please…”, like he’s about to cry, but he doesn’t want to cry here, not where someone can see him, he just wants to go home, he wants to get away from it all, even Wille. You can’t fix this, he’s basically saying. Everything is destroyed in ways that he didn’t even know, because his own sister, his own family, betrayed him too. It’s not even about just August, it’s also now Sara, and it’s everything that has happened to him since the moment he met Wille. He hasn’t had a moment of peace…

And Wille watches him go, knowing too that he can’t fix it either. And he’s still trapped…

Kristina doesn’t even know what Wille’s crying about, she just comforts him, sort of… and he smiles sort of (because despite what she has done to him, she’s still his mother, he still wants to trust her, be comforted by her). But she doesn’t ask him what’s wrong.

Simon’s face and eyes are raw from crying. He called his friends, who know the whole story, to vent… And Ayub and Rosh immediately jump to the conclusion that Sara must have been brainwashed by August to have done this, otherwise she would be incapable… is clear that they don’t know her either.

Linda, again, what’s up with you? Your son looks like he’s been crying himself raw, and his friends look morose. How do you not get that something more is going on…? Simon doesn’t want her to know, anyway, because it would break her heart. He’s the protector, he wants to protect his family. I agree with a lot of people who say that the events of that day show Simon that Wille really had no choice, that he was after all just acting like everything was fine but he was most definitely not fine. After seeing how he pointed a gun at August, nearly losing it, it's clear to Simon that Wille's never intended to protect August, but had not choice but to put up with him; that of course he was traumatized by the leaked video, but he was forced to deny it. And after finding out that even his own sister had betrayed him, Simon realizes that he has no choice either, that someone else will always have the upper hand. So now he will have to change his strategy if he wants to protect those he cares about, including Wille. “If everyone is going to protect their families, then I’ll do the same.” Simon is a lot like his mother, he sacrifices a lot for his family. Linda looks like she understands. She is proud of Simon and she will support whatever he decides.

(gif by @almostliving84, because I don't know how to search for it in the gifs search bar when I already know where the gif is...)

As I mentioned before, Kristina also went to Hillerska, she knows about the palatset, she knows about the secrecy culture. Her choice to send Wille to Hillerska was never really about making him into a proper prince, it was about keeping him out of the public eye so he could do whatever he wanted without it becoming a scandal. A plan which majorly backfired when the secrecy cycle was broken… by August of all people…

“Your mother is not as innocent as she’d like to appear.” Yes, we know. “Stop it, don’t put ideas into his head.” Don’t worry, Kristina, your son will never ever be like you.

Wilhelm looking in pain as he is forced to participate in this charade. “How are you, gubben?” Now she asks. Boy has been moping since before you got there, and you didn’t even care, until now when it’s too obvious to ignore.

“It just creates new and bigger problems.” The way that the video, that everything has been handled, is nothing new; everything that doesn’t fit into the mold is swept under the rug, every wrinkle is ironed out, and then everyone goes on pretending like nothing happened.

“It’s important to talk about your emotions, but you can talk to us about anything.” “But it’s not enough.” Indeed it’s not. Krissy, you wanted him to talk to a psychologist, but that’s not the solution to the problem. Wille has finally understood why he feels the way he feels, and he’s learned to communicate. But it’s not enough, what’s the point of talking if nothing happens? If nothing changes? He’s expected to learn to handle his emotions, but the root of the problem, of the thing causing his distress, his anxiety, remains untouched. The monarchy, the cycle of secrecy, the traditions… everything stays the same…

The crowd of girls gathered outside the room. Either word spreads really freaking fast, or Sara took a very long time to go back to her room… Or did Felice leave the door open and then start telling Stella and Fredrika about it so loudly that everyone heard? Judging from the fact that just now the housemistress arrives, maybe it hasn’t been that long…

Sara very subtly threatens Stella with outing her. She unfortunately doesn’t realize how much like August she is. Making threats when she doesn’t have the upper hand, when she’s being called out.

“Sara has proven that she’s not a friend. She’s not loyal.” Obviously Felice can’t talk about the real reason why Sara’s betrayal is so big, not in front of Stella, Fredrika or the housemistress, but she makes it very clear to Sara.

“I don’t know what happened, I’ve never been in love before.” But again, Sara wasn’t in love with August when she decided to keep this huge secret from Simon. She might have had been catching feelings, because they kissed and she was curious, but still she made that choice to get an advantage. “I could always tell right from wrong, but with him it all seemed right.” Bullshit, she always knew it was wrong. Otherwise she wouldn’t have threatened to tell Wille last season; otherwise she wouldn’t have implied to Simon that a person can’t help what they feel, when Simon felt rotten about “cheating” on Marcus. She knew it was wrong. “You’re so totally full of shit,” Felice calls her out. It’s been months of secrecy at this point.

August texting “Please, I feel like shit.” You should. The drugs he claimed he would stop taking soon beckon him. Another lie. Then he looks in the mirror as he practices the speech and says “to make you proud.” Irony.

Wilhelm is lying in bed, bathed in red light, and I first missed the symbolism of him playing with Erik’s lighter… playing with fire… Cities on fire, won’t you burn it all… before he looks at Erik’s cigarette case… He’s thinking of Erik, he still feels the weight of his title and the commitment of living up to his brother’s memory and legacy, but also maybe he’s wondering what Erik would tell him to do in this situation…

(Could not find these gifs in the search bar either, so I found it in @levok s page, thank you for it. Seriously, if anyone can teach this loser -me- to search for gifs when you already know where it is, so that it shows up with the credit and all, please teach me so I can fix this, and all the previous posts. Thank you.)

Never not loving the scene of Ayub and Simon talking as they’re both falling asleep, that’s a really supportive friend, we all deserve an Ayub. “But he wants to keep it a secret, and you don’t.” Not quite; Wille doesn’t want their relationship to be a secret, he he just knows that it was an option proposed by his mother, and he was desperate enough to consider it. Simon tells Ayub about the possibility of him and Wille being a secret relationship until they’re eighteen. As far as we know, he hadn’t thought about that again, since Wille mentioned it in the locker room, because he had pretty much discarded that option as insulting. Because it made him feel like a dirty little secret… But now… now it seems like an option again, maybe the only option… to be with Wille, even if it has to be secret. He’s also bathed in red light as he ponders it…

“Only you can decide,” says Ayub. The light turns from blue (the color of calm, security and inner reflection) to purple (the color of royalty, but also as the combination of blue and red, it contains the stability of blue and the energy of red, and it also symbolizes spirituality, creativity and wisdom, and perhaps more importantly, it’s the color of resistance of the queer community) to red (the color of love and passion), signaling that Simon might have already made his choice.

The stage is set; the Swedish flag, the pomp and circumstance… On the bus, Simon looks pretty serene. Like he already knows, he’s already made up his mind. He just hopes he doesn’t regret it. Meanwhile, Wille practices the speech, resigned to following the charade, fitting into the perfect image of a crown prince.

Felice emerges from a room (a random room under the stairs? I had decided in my head that she either went to Stella and Fredrika’s room, or even more likely to Madison’s, and slept on the floor, but the way that she leaves the door open…), to find Sara gone, the expensive riding pants the girls gifted her left behind, a major symbol of how she realized that she’s never going to fit in with the girls at Manor house. (By the way, how long did Sara take to go from Manor house to the entrance, if Felice found her gone already, but by the time the jubilee is already happening and people are arriving she hasn’t even left the premises…? How fucking far is Manor house from the main gate??)

August arriving like nothing’s happened. He thinks he’s in. He still has to stand on the back of pictures, but he’s still living it. Kristina looking at Wille like she’s gauging how committed he is to the charade, to pretending that there’s no bad blood with August.

Vincent and Nils tease August, like there’s no bad blood anymore either. Do they know he’s next in line, did he tell them?

Wille glances at August, sees how different they’re acting in that lineup. Whilst Wille feels so awkward and stifled, August looks like he fits right in. If it weren’t because he detests him, he’d give it all up to August, who actually likes performing like this.

August is so ecstatic about how well he’s doing that he momentarily forgot about Sara. Until he sees her. Things are not perfect, indeed.

August buying Rousseau for Sara thinking that’s what she wanted. No, she wanted you to be a better person. You can’t throw money at everything. And also yes, of course she wanted Rousseau, but how do you expect her to take care of it???? She has no money. Then as she leaves, he calls weakly after her, but then he walks the other way. Clearly he has his priorities in the right order, and she’s not as important to him as everything else.

Simon signals to Wille that he wants to talk. Wille probably thought that everything had gone to shit again, that Simon would never speak to him again… again… They go into the coat room, the place where they had their first kiss, where everything started… Wille is so tense, he’s so afraid of what Simon is going to say. He listens, apprehensive, until he realizes where Simon is going… “It’s not worth destroying our families over that. And it’s not worth destroying what we have.” Simon and Wille somehow, deep down, might already think of each other as family, as each other’s future. My heart…

“I want to be with you. Even if it has to be a secret.” The tension melts. “But no more secrets between us.” The little smile of joy, the little relieved exhale, the excited little nod… and meanwhile Simon is smiling so big that his eyes crinkle. Then Wille takes his hand, because he’s allowed again… Then they look at each other and they hug, and Wille is home again. He’s happy again. They both are. They still have each other.

And then Simon says ‘I love you’, and Wilhelm has been hoping to hear those words for so long, the confirmation that Simon feels the same way, and he realizes that it does not deserve to be a secret. He doesn’t want it to be a secret. That they both deserve more. That he wants to love Simon openly. If anything else happens that jeopardizes them being together, he can’t allow it. He hasn’t decided what he’s going to do yet, or when, but he needs to make sure that they (the Court) can’t go back on their promise of letting him be with Simon. He’a willing to fight tooth and nail for that. He can’t let anything get between them again.

Jan-Olof interrupts them (asshole), and Simon immediately backs away, drops his arms, but Wille is not so fazed, he’s almost defiant. He wants to touch and caress Simon so bad, but he can’t be as effusive as he wishes, because someone is watching, and that’s how it would be all the time. But he gives in for the moment, walking away casually. And Simon is being so brave about it, knowing that they’re good, that they’re finally on the same page, even if they’re not entirely happy with the page.

Sara hears the choir begin to sing. She is missing out on the event that she was sort of preparing for, imagining having to greet the Queen, learning what to say. She is once again an outsider looking in (or rather listening in). The event has lost its meaning.

Meanwhile Wille watches as Simon performs with the crowd, looking dejected, just another member of the group. Knowing what Simon can do as a soloist, knowing how much he loves hearing Simon sing, knowing that that was supposed to be a song written by Simon, a song he was proud of, a song that (he later found out) was about him, it really highlights how unfair and outdated the system is, to deny one student, one talented choir singer, to stand out.

Sara might change schools next season, now that I think about it. What if she’s too ashamed to return? Continuing to attend Hillerska would mean enduring gossip about her, hateful looks from Felice and Simon, judgement from Wille and the rest of the people who know what she did (Stella, Fredrika, the rest of the girls at Manor House, etc.) and having to encounter August.

In a misguided attempt to make things right with her brother, she calls the police to report August. She should not have made that call, not only because we know it might make things worse now, but also because it was not her place to make the report, it was Simon’s.

Wilhelm braving his anxiety and feeling ill and making a last second decision to do the speech, because he saw Simon’s worried face when smug August starts walking toward the podium. Giving up this moment to August means giving everything to August, and it means they win. They, the Crown, the Royal Court, the system, they win. And Wille can’t let that happen, he needs to regain control of the narrative again, for himself and for Simon. This is it, this is his chance, anxiety be damned.

The confused look on everyone’s faces. What the hell was that about? August’s face as he is forced to sit his ass back down. The “torture”, the humiliation at the hands of Wille continues. Karma, bitch.

And Krissy looking so proud, thinking that her plan worked. But no mi ciela, it wasn’t August that ultimately lit the fire under Wille, it was Simon. His decision to step up is not driven by hate, but by love.

I don’t think that Wille knew what he was going to say when he stood up to do the speech, he just knew that he couldn’t let August take over, because then it wasn’t only him and Simon getting stuck with August, it was everyone else. Taking away August’s chance to give the jubilee speech, for example, is not about having revenge on August anymore, it’s about fulfilling his leadership role, and realizing that if he doesn’t, then there won’t be a leader, but a power-hungry narcissist “in charge”.

Wille chooses to lead by example, stopping the cycle of silence and secrecy by telling the truth, being honest, and if he had let August, August would basically lead by example too but by continuing that cycle of secrecy and silence.

Also Wille standing up to do the speech instead of August was at first about putting Simon’s feelings first, before his own feelings of unease and anxiety. Simon who has just been hit in the face with such revelations, like Sara’s betrayal, and how far August was willing to go to screw him over and Wille, his threat to use his father’s drugs against him… and it’s so clear on his face how much he’s putting up with August for his and Wille’s sake, now having to be a part of the people who have to pretend that they don’t know that August committed sexual harassment against them, that August exposed them to the world and ruined their lives, Simon has to hide his feelings, his distress at knowing that, despite all those things, at any moment August just gets everything he’s ever wanted, he’s Wille’s backup, he’s one step closer to his beloved Crown… And Wille’s not having it. Not for himself anymore, but for Simon. He will sacrifice his own freedom for Simon, and for the greater good.

The girl with the phone thinking “whoa, he’s going off-script. Better stream this.” Simon looking nervous, knowing what’s coming. Boris looking so proud and amused. And Krissy on the verge of a fit, silently begging “stop”...

When Wille says “it was me in the video, the video of me and Simon,” the camera cuts to several faces, including of course the Queen and Simon, and a moment earlier to Boris looking all proud. But it wasn’t until the Netflix reel announcing Season 3, when they did the 12 Days of Christmas song, in the part where it goes “Four pretty words”, the four faces being shown are Simon, Kristina, Boris… and Stella… Stella looking shocked. I hadn’t realized that the first face they cut to after Wille mentions Simon is Stella’s. They focused, albeit briefly, on her reaction to Wille coming out… of course Stella’s sexuality is going to be a big thing next season, but I love how they focused on her, making it obvious that we’ll learn more about her.

I thought it was a nice little detail that the two students whom we see filming Wille, when Wille says that it was a private moment, they both look up from the screen of their cameras and instead look directly at Wille.

The cameras flashing at Simon, at his distressed face. Foreboding. And yet he smiles.

Wilhelm knows that what’s coming now is going to be difficult, but at least he’ll have Simon by his side. He glances skyward, as if to check with Erik, wondering if he’s proud of his little brother. Yes, Wille, I think Erik would be really proud.

He then looks defiantly at us, like he knows we’re here, watching, and his lips curl into the faintest of smiles, a rebellious, daring smirk. He has regained control.

My royals babies have truly been through the wringer, and I know that yet more challenges will arise for them in the third season. But they will be together, they will face them together, and although they have been changed forever, in good ways and bad ways, they have made each other stronger

#young royals #wilmon #young royals analysis #young royals thoughts #wilmon endgame #young royals season 2 #young royals s2

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