i always thought the choice was mine and I was right but I just chose wrong i start the day lying and end with the truth that I'm dying for the knife chen yanyu 'daphne' spades' third ranked princess
hey, howdy, hey! it’s mali again ( she/they, 21, est ), and i’m back with my cwn2nd, chen yanyu ( aka daphne ). i’ve discovered that tumblr ims suck for me, so i’d prefer to text via twitter or discord. however, if you only use tumblr then no worries! i will try to navigate the dark trenches that are tumblr ims. if you’d like to plot with this lovely lady, give this post a like! if you’d like a starter based off of one of the sentence starters below, please respond with the corresponding emoji.
an endearing princess who holds her kingdom close, yet it is the freedom of her father which chen yanyu desires most.
STORY. ( tw: mentions of death, brief/light mention/implication of gore )— STATS.— VALUES. — PLOTS.
ONCE UPON A TIME … yanyu had a normal life. she lived with her father in hong kong for the majority of her childhood, and only saw her mother on occasional visits to the kingdom of spades. her father owned his own bakery in hong kong, and her mother was a diplomat in the kingdom of spades who specialized in foreign affairs.
it wasn’t the best life. she didn’t own a polished pair of heels or a plethora of silk dresses. her life was full of street markets, worn down pavement, and cramped apartment that she called home, though, yanyu wouldn’t have had it any other way.
IN THE KINGDOM OF … ( tw: mentions of death ) spades, yanyu didn’t want to leave her home, but she wasn’t going to disobey her own mother-- especially when her own mother was ill. what she wasn’t prepared for, however, was the chance to compete for the throne. it wasn’t yanyu’s decision to go, it was her mother’s. seeing her own daughter go to live a better life was the last memory her mother wished to have, and so she left.
years later after her mother’s passing, yanyu was met with another challenge. her father’s trial.
THE SWEET PRINCESS FELL TO HER KNEES … pleading for the queen to show mercy. her father could never betray the kingdom, right? after he raised such a gentle, loyal soul, how could he? there was no evidence against him-- just the whispers and disgusted looks of the palace residents. yet still, she kneeled there in tears as her father was carried away. and what was the price she paid for speaking out? being denoted from a second-tier princess to a third-tier princess.
SHE COULDN’T LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER …( tw: mentions of death ) not after her father’s trial, and definitely not after the murder of her own friend. she wanted justice, not revenge, which is why she decided to remain a princess-- no matter what tier she was. the only way to honor the fallen and release her father from his wrongful shackles was to earn the crown herself.
personality.
good-natured, sociable, enthusiastic, and curious are a few words that could describe the princess, though she is also a people-pleaser, sensitive, and stubborn. it’s hard not to get along with the princess unless you cross her or her family/friends.
yanyu is quite the ambivert. she has an introverted persona, and frequently claims she has a low social battery. however, she is quite the secret wild child. when she doesn’t have her head stuck in a book, she is snooping around with a friend living her best life. though she doesn’t like to show this side much, as her father’s image ( and partially her own ) in the palace is already tarnished.
yanyu is a hopeless romantic. often times hookups become potential love interests in her mind, though she tries not to get too attached. a serial dater, if you will.
bookworm
sentence starters.
🍓: [text] _____, you love me, right? so...could you do me a favor?
🍒: [text] HELP!!!! ( . . . ) THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ( . . . ) THERE’S A CUTE GUY/GIRL SITTING NEXT TO ME IN THE DINING HALL
🍊: “where would i be without you?”
🍍: “wait-- don’t leave! i was just about to tell you my big three.”
🍎: “where’s my attractive yet mysterious love interest that’s supposed to sweep me off my feet? i guess when they say these books are fiction they really mean it.”
🍋: “i think some of us here need to learn to be quiet, and by some of us i mean you.”
misc.
inspiration: dynasty ( rina sawayama ), sofia the first ( disney ), belle ( disney ), annie edison (community)
yanyu is her legal name, and daphne is her nickname/given english name. so for any friends who don't call her daphne or some nickname she might look at you a little weird (it's a bit formal for her liking).
hey everyone! this is a plot call for any event threads for daphne ( hyunsu’s will be posted on his page ). i left a few plots below, and if anyone would like to pick them up you can either dm me or comment on this post ( taken plots will be crossed off )! per usual, i’m mostly available on discord ( tinyyolks#6633 ) or twitter, but if neither of those work i will try my best to respond through tumblr. anyways, i hope all of you are staying safe and healthy!! happy midterm season btw.
if only it was every day that the kingdoms threw such festivities then perhaps daphne would be a little happier to consider herself a princess. it wasn't often that she had a chance to visit the kingdom of diamonds, yet one taste of life there had the princess wishing she could stay. the beautifully lit lanterns, the smell of fresh, piping hot meals, and the rhythmic tunes flowing through the crowds of people— it was enough to make daphne's heart scream. daphne didn't want the glitz and the glam that came with being a princess, she wanted this.
and the princess was glad that, out of everyone, she got to experience such an event with her very own friend, yurye. the two usually weren't spotted together, as daphne preferred to reach this specific friend through snail mail, but nonetheless, this was an opportunity she simply could not miss out on. a night of festivities with one of her longest-lasting friendships in the kingdom was what daphne considered to be real bonding. "what should we do first? shall we go to madam bari’s tavern for a quick bite? or perhaps we should. . ."
the princess couldn't help but notice the large crowd forming around what seemed to be a dance circle. how intriguing. the dance was no simple ballroom dance, no, it was something new— something exciting. "on second thought," daphne looked up at the prince. with so many letters passed between the two, one would think that the princess knew yurye's take on dancing, but surprisingly the princess couldn't seem to recall the topic ever being mentioned. was it too much to ask the prince to join her in a dance? she didn't want to run into the crowd alone! what if daphne ruined the choreography? she'd look like such a fool! and with all those eyes so fixated on the dancers, the princess's nerves got the best of her.
this was a test to see how strong their friendship really was. yurye wouldn't actually standby while daphne embarrassed herself, right? they were true friends, right?
daphne needed to convince yurye that this was a good idea. even if they tripped over their two feet, it was an experience worth sharing. besides, when the two were older they could look back on this moment and laugh. so she turned to him and put her big doe eyes into action. "yurye." ah, formalities. gotta add formalities to give it more oomph! "prince yurye," the princess pouted, "would you mind joining me over there? i would like to dance."
hey everyone! this is a plot call for any event threads for daphne ( hyunsu’s will be posted on his page ). i left a few plots below, and if anyone would like to pick them up you can either dm me or comment on this post ( taken plots will be crossed off )! per usual, i’m mostly available on discord ( tinyyolks#6633 ) or twitter, but if neither of those work i will try my best to respond through tumblr. anyways, i hope all of you are staying safe and healthy!! happy midterm season btw.
FALL HARVEST PLOTS ( 50s to 60s )
beggin’: oh, the local dances look so fun! although, daphne is a bit hesitant to join in. she doesn't want to make a fool of herself, especially in front of a large gathering of people. hence, she turns over to your muse with her biggest puppy eyes and begs them to join in with her.
i say a little prayer: daphne invites your muse out into the town and gets a little too excited by the lantern custom. she insists they spend time crafting their own together, as she believes the lantern could symbolize the strengthening of their friendship! and who knows? perhaps by the end of it they could start a custom of their own. ( note: must have a pre-established friendship. thinking this could be like the seoul love locks where they write cute notes to each other )
love potion no.9: your muse watches as daphne single handedly crafts as many trinkets as she can. why is she crafting so many? who knows! although, your muse can't help but notice the detail she puts into each and every trinket. it was like her life depended on the accuracy of each one she crafted. perhaps with such skill the princess could teach them a thing or two ( or end up making one for them ).
tequila: daphne wasn’t much of a drinker, but your muse seemed so excited that there was even a drinking contest that now--well, the princess was stuck in a sticky situation. the princess wasn’t much of a heavy drinker, in fact, she was quite the opposite. surprisingly, the contest wasn’t going that bad until they pulled out another shot of-- oh, no... tequila? this wasn’t going to end well.
ROYAL MASQUERADE PLOTS ( 70s to 80s )
girls ain’t nothing but trouble: daphne invites your muse to take a stroll with her around the courtyard for a breath of fresh air. although the two had barely just met, the princess believes your muse is as lovely as they appear, and wishes to befriend them. however, your muse can't help but think about all the rumors they've heard about the princess. is she really as peculiar as people make her out to be? is there a devil behind that angelic smile? there's only one way to find out. ( note: this plot can be used to either grow a connection or a grab for 'intel', i'll leave the muse's motive up to the mun! )
blame it on the boogie: daphne loves when the kingdom plans such events; your muse, on the other hand, does not. whether it be because your muse was born with two left feet or simply hates the formalness of it all, daphne is determined to make your muse have a good time. the night is young, and your muse can’t stand in the corner forever! why not grant the princess’s wish and dance with her just once?
i will survive: daphne could not believe her eyes. if it was anyone else, she would welcome them to the kingdom of spades with open arms, but no-- it had to be your muse. and daphne wished she had known sooner, for if she knew she would have avoided your muse like the plague. yet, coincidentally, the princess was quite literally dancing with the devil. hand in hand the two were, and despite daphne’s heart screaming at her to run, she had proven to not be strong enough. ( must agree to have an exes plot prior!! )
chiquitita: while the princess is catching a breath of fresh air, she catches your muse alone in the garden. but why? were they not enjoying the party? for whatever reason, they seemed quite sad, and the princess’s heart was too big to walk away from someone in need of a friend.
COSTUME PARTY PLOTS ( 90s to 00s )
lollipop: daphne catches your muse eating some of her favorite candy! of course, she's a bit jealous, but instead of asking for a bite what does she do? she leans in with a smile so sweet and asks, "can i have a taste?" ( kissy face )
disturbia: perhaps the princess had been getting too into the halloween spirit recently. she knew the story/movie wasn't real. . . right? there was no way the character was real. yet here she was, staring at the ominous figure dressed as the character of her nightmares. does she run? does she cower in fear on the dance floor? or does she face the person head on? ( muse must be dressed as something scary )
wannabe: she had much to thank her friend for because without them she wouldn’t have gone to the party in the first place. the two knew the rules, no one was to know the identity of the other, but what fun would a party be without a wingman? the two shared a few drinks before the party and agreed upon referring to each other as their codenames; however, a new problem presented itself, especially since daphne was a little to tipsy to keep track of where your muse had gone. where had your muse gone? all the princess could do was hope that your muse did not find another person to go home with, not without taking another shot with her at least.
telephone: there’s no use in the red mask, your muse can see straight through it. the sweet princess they knew was one more shot away from becoming her own worst nightmare. was trying to stop her the right thing to do? daphne seemed so happy in the arms of masked strangers. although, your muse was sure with all the attention she was getting, she wouldn’t stay too happy for long. isn’t she worried about her image? it appears not because now she’s dragging your muse to come dance with her. ( whether or not your muse continues to play hero or decides to join her is up to the mun!! )
if u seek amy ( nsfw...? ): the scarlet witch was a fitting code name for the princess. those doe eyes sure knew how to cast a spell on anyone, and tonight’s victim was your muse. they’ve heard the many whispers about the witch, how enticing she could be and how she could steal a heart within seconds. now your muse wasn’t sure if they should run or fall deeper into her gaze.
genie in a bottle ( nsfw...? ): the princess didn’t come to the party to stand there and look pretty, no, she came there to let loose! yet here she was, body to body with...well, she wasn’t too sure...and now they were trying to feel her up? hell no! she wasn’t going to be some easy girl they could toy so easily. if they wanted to spend the night with the princess, they’d need to play their cards right and prove themselves. ( we can discuss whether or not anything happens! )
shoop ( nsfw...? ): it was either the costume or the alcohol that gave the princess such courage. residing in the kingdom of spades taught her only one thing: if she wants something, she better reach and grab it herself. and oh, how she desperately wanted a taste of your muse. just one kiss--maybe more if she had the chance.
daphne loved when the kingdom held such events. the thought of waltzing with a partner made her heart flutter. it was the perfect love story! she would look into their eyes, her hand wrapped in their’s as she twirled her way around the ballroom, and that’s when she would know they’re the one. although, it was a shame that this event was specifically meant for all attendees to wear a mask. if there was a chance she would fall in love tonight, the princess would do anything to know who they were. maybe, since the event wasn’t strict on keeping identities a secret, she could just whisper her name into their ear, so they could find her later on . . . NO!
no one could know it was daphne. not even someone she fell in love with at first sight! anyone who had been around the kingdom of spades knew how hated her father was, and consequently how much of the kingdom wasn’t very fond of her either. and if they weren’t aware, well, all it took was a listening ear to hear about the rumors of how unlucky the princess was. then what? by then they definitely wouldn’t want to be around her. who knew if her bad luck rubbed off on others? it was time for daphne to face the music; no one would love her if they knew who she really was. so, until she was certain they wouldn’t run away, the princess had to keep her identity a secret.
now the real issue was finding herself someone's eyes to melt into, and it was hard when everyone’s face wasn’t recognizable. how could daphne tell familiar faces apart from complete strangers? furthermore, how was she going to tell whether or not they were her type? the night was full of surprises, and to her dismay, they were not the good kind. she only had two options: stand alone or hope her mystery partner was as dreamy as they were behind the mask.
her eyes scanned the room for a potential star to her romantic fantasy, and that’s when she spotted a slim figure standing along the walls of the ballroom. whether or not they wanted to be left alone didn’t matter because the princess already made the decision to steal their heart. yes, daphne was going to march over there and demand they spent some time with her! they’d see how lovable she really was and fall in love immediately!
her strides were filled with such confidence! it was as if she was ready to claim her own fate. the princess was tired of being a damsel in distress; she was ready to grab her prince charming by the hand and say, “hey! sweep me off my feet!” daphne’s heels stopped in front of the tall, mysterious figure as she gazed into his eyes. oh, wow. well, she thought she was ready to write her own story, yet it seemed as though the mystery man’s intoxicating gaze got the best of her.
“hello, i- well, would you possibly . . .” she was practically choking on her words as her mind got lost in his eyes, “i’m . . . uh . . .” snap out of it! hold yourself together, chen yanyu! the princess shook her head before politely greeting the man with a curtsy. “my deepest apologies. may i have this dance?”
it was in her darkest times that yanyu felt the most hopeless, yet she felt grateful to have the knight by her side. hopeless she was, but lonely she was not. there was no amount of money or gifts that yanyu could give to the knight to express her gratitude. thus, yanyu promised to repay the knight in the only way she knew how by being a true friend to seokmin.
the princess was careful not to disturb the knight often, as she knew how passionate he was with his work, yet ever so often yanyu would take it upon herself to prepare a meal for the two. doing this often came with weird stares from the palace chefs as she meticulously whipped together two lunch boxes, but yanyu didn’t mind the attention. after all, it was hard to care after having so much gossip tied to her name.
quality time over a shared meal was all yanyu wanted. she hoped that each time she came to the knight with the offer that, little by little, he could learn to lean on her the way she leaned on him.
with the clock on the wall striking noon, yanyu raced out of the palace with a basket in her arms. of course, she had to be the one running late! the princess hoped that seokmin didn’t mind, though she was sure he was hungry from all of his knight duties. and just before her legs could give out she spotted him in their usual lunchtime spot by the nearby lake. “seokmin gege!” the princess called out, waving her free arm frantically as if her voice didn’t announce her presence enough. before the knight could respond, the princess sat down next to him and placed the basket in the space between them. “i hope i didn’t keep you waiting for too long! let’s eat before the food gets too cold.”
a simple envelope arrives at your room, so nondescript you may wonder if it’s actually meant for you — until you notice your name written on the front in black, cursive letters. there is no sender but the envelope has been closed shut with a wax seal you know to be from @thecrownseer. it seems you have a message of upmost importance… but will you open it?
“a young child who appears to be of lower class notices an amulet you’re wearing. with eyes full of wonder and admiration, they bashfully ask if there’s any possibility that they can have it. however, the amulet was specially gifted to you as recognition of your talents and skills by the king and queen themselves. what is your response?”
a letter from the seer? yanyu’s interest has piqued as her fingers danced around the signature wax seal. she was careful to lift it up, slowly revealing the personal letter sent to her.
how odd.
was the seer trying to test the princess’s morality? yanyu wasn’t quite sure. after all, she felt as though the entire kingdom had an understanding of her character by now– considering how the past year had gone for her. staying true to her heart proved to be the hardest test yanyu had as a princess. yet, no matter how tempting it was to surrender, her morals were unwavering.
the princess hurried over to her vanity where she kept her stationery. from her drawer she pulled out her favorite pen and a sheet of paper before beginning her response.
although an amulet from the king and queen is an honorable gift for any princess to receive, the gesture of receiving the gift is more significant to me. to receive such a gift would be a memory i would not forget.however, i believe that any virtuous princess should be kind, compassionate, and generous. as a princess, we shouldn’t hold our value in what we wear or treasures we may possess, but rather who we are as people. hence, if a child, no matter the status, kindly asked for the amulet i would gift it to them without hesitation. as a princess i should lead by example, and i only hope that gifting this amulet to the child that they will use the amulet as a reminder to always remain kind, brave, compassionate, and most of all true to their heart.
yours truly,
princess daphne
the princess folded her letter upon completion, packaged it in a white envelope, and sealed it with her own wax seal before sending it off.
spending time with yunseo made her feel like a kid again. not in a bad way, of course. she felt free and as naive as her young soul once was. people like yunseo reminded her to loosen up every once in awhile, which is why yunseo was her favorite knight. most knights that accompanied yanyu on her daily strolls were too strict for her liking. what she wanted was a real friend, and that’s what yunseo was.
now the two were walking back to the palace after an evening stroll, and yanyu couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. who knew what tomorrow had in store for her? another boring knight? or perhaps a day trapped in the palace? either way, yanyu didn’t want to find out so quickly.
yanyu gazed at the palace in the distance before turning to her friend. “yungourd,” the princess crossed her arms, “why are we returning back to our rooms like children! the night is still young! let’s do something crazy like...” like what? yanyu wasn’t the type to stir up trouble, and neither was yunseo. “let’s have a race! first one back to the castle wins. the loser has to grant the winner 1 wish.”
Chul was walking down the hall when he saw the familiar princess in her usual spot at the massive water fountain in the courtyard, her sole attention focused upon whatever book she was reading. And he stopped by one of the large columns adorning the outer hall next to the court, pausing to study the princess from afar. Today was one of those rare days that the Queen had left him alone and he was going to head into town when the princess caught his eye.
Truth be told, he never paid much attention to her until her father’s imprisonment just a year ago. The news and situation spread like wild fire and he remembered pitying the poor girl. He thought she was going to break after everything that happened. With all the prying eyes and whispers around the palace, he didn’t deny that she caught his attention as she continued to stand tall wherever she went. They had run into each other a few times after that and she never failed to be polite and greet him kindly even when he merely nodded back stiffly. He couldn’t deny that she had piqued his interest slightly, mainly because he respected how well she maintained herself even after everything blew over.
And as a soft breeze blew through the courtyard, Chul decided that maybe he could potentially learn a thing or two from the princess. He also had no doubt that the Queen probably framed her father somehow and that meant that she could potentially know something that he could use in the future if ever he needed. Chul found himself heading towards her bluntly and she must have heard him because she looked up just as he approached her. Chul was about to greet her when another breeze blew and his long hair suddenly blew into his eyes.
yanyu couldn’t believe her eyes. one last kiss to solidify their eternal love before their tragic death? it was a cliché the princess was well familiar with, but that did not mean it did not tug at her heartstrings every time. the bittersweet romance of the star-crossed lovers made her eyes well up with tears. no! she had to put the book down before the real tears broke out. if anyone saw her they would think she was crazy, so it was best to just put the book to rest for another time.
every word kept reeling her back in. how could two people love each other so much? perhaps true love was real. a burning romance stemming from trust and enchanting encounters, that is what she wanted. to be in love with someone with such passion---- even if it had such a tragic ending. it was only a dream yanyu hoped could become a reality.
just one more page. she needed to know that the two were going to be okay despite being in such unfortunate circumstances. her poor heart needed to have the closure they couldn’t have. one more sentence, and she would close the book and hide it away!
yet, she couldn’t help but feel like there was a set of eyes on her, which made her a bit wary about reading the angst soaked pages in front of her. another word could cause her to break out into a full sob, and she couldn’t have people thinking she was any more crazy than they already thought. yanyu was already painted as ‘the traitor’s daughter’; she couldn’t afford another rumor spreading about her crying over fictional characters.
to read or not to read, that was the question. although, it wasn’t long before the question was answered for her. she spotted a strange figure briskly walking towards her, and her hands immediately closed the binded pages. as the princess looked up she realized it was none other than prince chul. phew! there was nothing to worry about, right? chul would never tell everyone her eyes were getting puffy over a fairytale, right? at least, he didn’t seem like the type to care about small things like that. the prince already had such a bold presence in the kingdom that he didn’t need gossip to keep his status alive. though, who knows? maybe the prince would surprise her.
“good afternoon, prince chul!” yanyu bowed her head cheerfully. she went to ask what the prince was up to, yet before she could speak, laughter erupted from her chest. “my, my! how do you keep such an intimidating aura with such fluffy hair!” yanyu sat back and watched as chul’s hair whacked him with each gust of wind. in an attempt to make the prince smile, she moved her own strands of hair to cover her own eyes. the princess cleared her throat before deepening the tone of her own voice as to impersonate the prince, “hi, i’m prince chul, and i--” well, it wasn’t funny if she was the only one really laughing at it. “ah, sorry! i didn’t mean any harm.”
have you heard? there was heavy smoke seen billowing from the seer’s tower. not long after that, the carriage of the seer was seen leaving the gates of the country. it seems they have an urgent message to deliver personally.
