Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

Multimuse RP Blog. Indie. Penned by Ivory. 18+.

[wulfhalls]

I hate ai so much. what do u mean I have to question the material reality of every image now. this is no way to live wtf

[canwriteitbetterthanueverfeltit]

Hello! I'd like to share with you a character work game! I call it "Six Secrets" and honestly it's a work in progress but I'm sharing it anyway

List six secrets that your character has.

1 is an open secret

2 is a secret the people close to your character know

3 is a secret that your character wouldn't really care about getting out

4 is a secret exactly one person knows anything about

5 is a secret no one knows about but they sort of want to come out/to tell someone

6 is a secret no one knows and they desperately don't want anyone to know about.

You can also decide who knows and how

The secrets don't have to have anything to do with your actual plot! The secrets can have super low or super high stakes! It doesn't matter! But you will absolutely have a better idea of your character's intentions and state of mind, and you may wind up coming up with some new plot points/obstacles to play with

[dustxandgold]

@theyweartheircrownswithpride

Aziz tapped his fingers on the wooden table he was sitting at, mentally going over the last few days. It had been a lot to say the least; the Auradonian monarchy descending into authoritarianism, the onslaught of villains, thr announcement of the Isle's reestablishment, anf finally, his decision to abdicate and run away so he could help Katie.

Katie Norrington, his new partner in crime. They'd been friends since their days together at Auradon Prep, but their drastically different lifestyles and destinies had often kept them out of each other's reach. Now they were together on the same side of history, in this strange pirate haven that Aziz had only ever heard tales about. It was as exciting as any adventure, but still, he was an outsider with only a fake identity -Amir, wandering pirate and merchant from Agrabah - and his connection to Katie to protect him from Tortuga's ruthless residents.

Essentially, he wanted to be able to stand on his own. And as he stood there, watching the pirates go about their day, an idea began forming in his head. He turned to Katie, a small smirk on his lips.

"Okay, Norrington. Remember that conversation we had back in school about pirate theft? I think it's about time I learned. What about that guy in the back?" he asked pointing to a lonesome middle-aged sailor who seemed too-many glasses deep in his drink.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

Katie found herself distracted, not only by Auradon’s abrupt descent in political anarchy, but by Aziz. It stunned her that he had abdicated- let alone for her, something she still couldn’t wrap her mind around. But she was also stunned he’d managed to sneak his way across the empire (her own connections granted them passage to Tortuga). It made sense for the two to run for Tortuga, and she remained grateful to Jack for his help. But getting Aziz to blend in was another matter entirely. Her Aunt Giselle and Uncle Josh had managed to cobble together an outfit for him from clothes left behind at her mother’s tavern, and Aziz had no business looking as good as he did in a billowing white pirate shirt.

That was also distracting her.

And the fact was, he did look bloody good in that stupid shirt. On top of that, *now* he wanted to learn to steal?

Katie was doing her best not to stare at him, but she couldn’t manage to keep her jaw closed when he announced that.

If Aziz wasn’t already undercover, she would have demanded to know who he was and what he’d done with her friend.

As it was, though, Katie was committed to helping Aziz keep a low profile. Accordingly, she shook her head:

“Not a bad pick. Rum’s always a good distraction. But you need to make sure he doesn’t have any friends around,” Katie gestured to the other tables in the tavern.

“Otherwise, they’ll all go after you, and that nice sword we acquired for you will be for nothing,” she bit her lip, “You could go for him when he stands up to go to the bar for a refill, or try the guy in the corner over there.” She lifted her head slightly in the direction of a dimly lit corner of the tavern, where one man sat at a table alone, the candle wax dripping onto the wood before him.

“If you go for him, though, keep a steady hand on your dagger,” Katie instructed, feeling as if she’d fallen off the edge of the world herself. She never would have imagined she’d be teaching the Prince of Agrabah how to *steal.*

“Both are good targets,” Katie acknowledged, “Your choice, Amir.” The name was foreign on her lips, but she was so used to lying that it came out sounding completely natural.

[askascarlettletter]

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

(Say, from aziz to katie maybe? but i'm down for anything)

"Because, al-Hamed, someone's got to keep you from getting robbed. For the love of all that's holy, keep your hands in your pockets," Katie grumbled, "You know, for someone whose dad was an infamous thief, you're a surprisingly easy mark." Half in triumph, half in jest, she tossed his wallet back at him. Simultaneously, she kept her hand on her sword arm, warding away any pirates who had come to visit APC for Parents' Day and thought to go after the Agrabanian prince.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

Katie winked, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” In truth, she’d been nicking and replacing things from the other students for ages. It was partly to keep her skills up, partly for amusement, and partly (for a chosen few) her love language. She didn’t keep what she stole from those she cared about. Some trinkets- such as those she’d taken from Audrey and Chad -she kept as potential leverage. But she quickly resold most goods she stole, well aware that having hot merchandise in an empire like Auradon was not a good look for her. Plus, if she ever needed to make a quick getaway, the less belongings she needed to carry, the better.

At Aziz’s metaphor, she nodded, “Yes, exactly! Defense instead of offense. ‘Know thy enemies,’ and all that.” She didn’t blanch at his use of Tourney terms- in fact, she went to most of his games. Then again, most of APC attended, but Katie liked to think she understood more of the strategy than the blathering cheerleaders.

Katie stifled a laugh at the thought of Aziz robbing anyone. But her laugh faded abruptly when she realized he was serious.

“Okay, al-Hamed. But discretion is key,” she emphasized. Katie wasn’t sure how the handsome Agrabanian prince was going to keep a low enough profile to pull this off, but if he wanted to learn, who was she to stop him? Then again, maybe his heightened profile might be an asset. He’d just have to pick his marks carefully.

Katie scanned the other students, looking for a suitable option, “Though actually…you might have better luck using your charms as a distraction. Find someone so wrapped up in your *fantastic* personality they aren’t watching where your hands go.” Her eyes alit on Jane, currently seated at a picnic table nearby the field, and clearly waiting for Carlos to arrive.

“Like her. See if you can snatch her phone.” A phone, Katie figured, could be played off as an accidental swipe if Jane noticed.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

love your paras! do you think chad is a little ooc though?

OOC: thank you for the compliment! Regarding your question, I can see why you would think that at first glance- but actually, I don’t! Chad is definitely still not the brightest bulb (and you can see that in the flashback dinner scene of “Watercolors Fade,” one of my Audrey paras), but keep in mind, thus far, we’ve seen him only in Audrey’s POV.

In canon Descendants verse, Chad is shown to be nasty to the VKs initially, a bit insecure, definitely wanting to be king- but also, VERY into Audrey when he realizes he has a chance with her. When he interacts with Audrey, he’s obviously not going to be rude to her (the boy literally abandons Cotillion to rescue her, after it’s implied she’s ignored him the whole film). What does that look like? I would say a stereotypical prince wanting to be there for his princess! Now is Chad himself *actually* a true noble prince? I don’t think so, but I absolutely think he wants to play the *role* of one. He knows what a prince is *supposed* to do. So when Audrey- whom he sees as a true princess -needs him, the natural thing for him to do is rescue her, whatever that looks like. That’s why he immediately steps in as her boyfriend.

Chad notices when she’s feeling down and insecure herself, so the natural thing for him do is compliment her and comment on her beauty.

Chad knows EXACTLY what a fairytale prince should be like, and he’s going to try and display those behaviors.

That being said, he still does have a suspicious, distrusting streak with the villains (but again, in his mind, fairytale princes slay the dragon. They don’t befriend them). You see that pop up too.

Finally, with regard to him calling out Sierra at the Welcome Dinner- Chad very clearly knows what Auradon “should” be like, and the values its denizens “should” display. He calls Sierra out the way he does because she isn’t displaying those values and behaviors (behaviors that he KNOWS she has been taught and knows as well). He’s much more polite than when he calls out the VKs in D1- because Sierra is a fairytale princess -but he is comfortable calling out what he sees as bad or villainous behavior. The difference is he changes his tone/words depending on who he’s talking to.

TLDR Chad knows what a fairytale prince is supposed to be like and tries to embody those behaviors because he feels it’s his role- that being said, he doesn’t act like one around villains. He’s still dumb.

Regardless, I think my man deserved a redemption/growth arc of sorts, so you’ll see that in his paras.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

(Say, from aziz to katie maybe? but i'm down for anything)

"Because, al-Hamed, someone's got to keep you from getting robbed. For the love of all that's holy, keep your hands in your pockets," Katie grumbled, "You know, for someone whose dad was an infamous thief, you're a surprisingly easy mark." Half in triumph, half in jest, she tossed his wallet back at him. Simultaneously, she kept her hand on her sword arm, warding away any pirates who had come to visit APC for Parents' Day and thought to go after the Agrabanian prince.

[dustxandgold]

Aziz tried to fake an offended look, but truth be told, he was kind of into it.

"Look, my father only stole because he had no other option...and then he married the Sultan's daughter. Why would I pick up this...skill if I'm...me? ", the prince said, raising an eyebrow at her. He was using a humorous tone, but there was a vulnerability to it; had Aladdin married anyone else, who's to say what might've become of his children? Maybe it was a good thing that Aziz was consistently caught off-guard by Katie.

"Actually, now that I think about it," he continued, "why did you learn how to steal, Norrington? I mean, your mom's...loaded," he wondered. "Was Tortuga so bad for you growing up?" He couldn't imagine any other reason why someone would want to learn how to steal.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

Katie huffed, “It’s not that *you* need to steal! I just think you’d be better at, you know- *not* getting pickpocketed? Like, wouldn’t your dad have taught you?” Absentmindedly, she dug through her purse, then tossed another Agrabanian coin at him (she’d forgotten she’d nicked that one off him yesterday).

At Aziz’s question about her upbringing, she froze. Katie knew he didn’t mean anything by it, but thinking of her childhood- and her precarious position in their world -sometimes rattled her. Still, she did her best to seem blasé as she shrugged:

“It’s just…what we do there. It’s not that Tortuga is bad- it’s just the last haven of piracy left in the empire.” *How* they’d managed to get away with it under the dowager king was the real feat, but the mermaids of Atlantica- bless their soft hearts -had adamantly defended the pirates of Tortuga, saying they’d saved Atlantica from the East India Company.

Sure, it was a complete and total accident they had, but the pirates weren’t exactly going to admit that, especially when it saved their skins from being sent to the Isle. Still, the threat of being sent there hung like a specter over their heads, so the pirates of Tortuga trained their children not only in the ways of piracy simply for the wealth of it all, but also for the day when Adam finally gave up the charade and tried to send them there anyway.

“It’s not like I starved growing up,” Katie murmured, “but my mother taught me everything she knew to protect me. If she hadn’t, I’d have been an easy mark, too. So…” she tried to play it off with a smile, “think of it like an insurance policy. I may not *need* it, but it keeps me safe.”

Katie wasn’t sure the Agrabanian prince would truly understand. Despite his father’s background, he’d been born into a world of wealth and privilege, at the pinnacle of Auradonian society. He’d always had a place here. It was true Katie had wealth- though she had to hide it in several fake bank accounts Scarlett had set up for her -but Aziz had only to knock and doors would not only open, but the red carpet would be rolled out for him. Katie just managed to skate by, her role murky and unclear. It wasn’t that doors were shut in her face- but if there was a list, she definitely wasn’t on it.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

(Say, from aziz to katie maybe? but i'm down for anything)

"Because, al-Hamed, someone's got to keep you from getting robbed. For the love of all that's holy, keep your hands in your pockets," Katie grumbled, "You know, for someone whose dad was an infamous thief, you're a surprisingly easy mark." Half in triumph, half in jest, she tossed his wallet back at him. Simultaneously, she kept her hand on her sword arm, warding away any pirates who had come to visit APC for Parents' Day and thought to go after the Agrabanian prince.

[rpmemestbh]

Personality Starters

(as requested by anon)

Starters:

❝Why do you have to be so stubborn?❞ 

❝I know you better than you know yourself.❞

❝You don’t have to be so rude.❞

❝You’re so dynamic, that’s what I love about you.❞

❝You need to learn to put yourself first.❞

❝Fuck love.❞

❝Well that was brutally honest.❞

❝Perfectionism only ends in disappointment.❞

❝I have to be perfect.❞

❝You don’t have to act so tough.❞

❝Why do you pretend not to care?❞

❝Don’t you believe in me?❞

❝I don’t think you’re as apathetic as you think you are.❞

❝I love your zest for life.❞

❝You’re really brave.❞

❝That took a lot of courage. Thanks.❞

❝Life really isn’t as great as you make it out to be.❞

❝Life really isn’t as bad as you make it out to be.❞

❝I don’t understand you.❞

❝You don’t understand me.❞

❝I know you’re only mean because people were mean to you but is this really what you want?❞

❝Your smile is contagious.❞

❝Why are you so self-critical?❞

❝Thanks for trusting me.❞

❝Of course I trust you.❞ 

[skcgsra]

modern-day fairytales: queen of hearts

“Curtsy while you’re thinking. It saves time.”

[lilac-rph]

Cut the bridge we're on —

( cut it down, cut it down )

Going 'til it's gone —

( cut it down, cut it down )

Sabotage it all — Just to watch it FALL

[cracked-aesthetics-moved]

                             Alice In Wonderland Aesthetic~

[nephilimdaily]

You really know how to hurt a guy.

[dykeofcornwall]

If We Were Villains: Meredith Dardenne & Richard Sterling

Meredick, Filippa had coined that particular term at the end of our second year, when the two of them were newly in love and at their most obnoxious.

[witching-by-the-willow]

the feminine urge to collect daggers

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

Watercolors Fade, Part 4.75 (Audrey)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 4.5 Cora, meanwhile, stood up straight, keeping her eyes on Ben as he politely applauded them. Her chin was tilted up slightly, and she didn't smile. Audrey resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at the VK. She had no head ornamentation- tiara or otherwise -but Audrey recognized that stance. It was the stance of someone trained to be royal. It was a jarring sight on a VK. Even Mal had yet to master it. "Who does she think she's kidding?" Chad whispered, chuckling into his wine glass. He swirled the liquid around the goblet, expecting his tablemates to echo him. Instead, silence reigned until Aziz commented: "Everyone, apparently." Unlike Chad, he didn't sound derisive, merely surprised and curious. What they knew about the Isle was heavily restricted. Official sources had their version, and then the VKs themselves occasionally dropped hints of unofficial information. The AKs did know that both royalty and nobility weren't recognized on the Isle. Royals were derided, and former nobles like the Tremaines playacted their manners amongst themselves, but had no standing. In either case, Cora's bloodline would have given her no esteem on the Isle, and as Audrey herself had once told Evie so long ago, royal status of villains went unrecognized in Auradon. So what's she doing? She can't be- But when Cora stayed standing, refusing to sit until the exact same time as Ben (even as the other VKs took their seats as the applause died out), Audrey realized she was. Cora was trying to present herself as a royal in Auradon. She's just as mad as her mother.

Audrey had only thought it, but Ariana Rose actually said it aloud: "Imagine, a VK playing at being a princess in Auradon. Who would have thought?" "It wouldn't be the first time, Audrey. Or have you forgotten how that turned out?" Sierra smirked, taking a sip of her champagne, "I haven't." She lifted her glass in toast to Mal at the high table, then took another sip with a giggle. "That's a low blow, Sierra," Aziz said, teeth clenched. It was hard to rile the Agrabanian prince up, but he'd already seen Sierra's reel from earlier in the day as well as her attempt at taking another one of the Aurorian princesses. The normal social media rivalry between Jordan and Sierra didn't bother him, but playing with people's emotions for clout certainly did. Additionally, it went against the Auradonian values of chivalry, consideration, and decency they had been taught to respect. "If you weren't a lady," Chad added, hand resting on his hip, "I would have drawn my sword already. However, giving the longstanding relationship between Cinderellasburg and Charmington, our own friendship, and the values of chivalry, I'll hold off." All mirth had vanished from his tone. "Low or not, don't you all get it? The ways we were taught to do things don't actually work. There's no use following all that stuffy etiquette when there's an easier path to glory!" Sierra crossed her legs, white gown clinging to her figure. Her lips were painted red as blood, and while she had inherited her mother's famous beauty, she hadn't seemed to inherit her kindness. Or if she had, she'd discarded it recently. "That's what you think this is for? Glory? If that's all we valued, anyone could be royals, Sierra," Ariana riposted, reaching for Audrey's hand beneath the tablecloth. Audrey herself was rarely at a loss for words, but she kept reminding herself that Sierra would get her just desserts sooner or later. I wish it would come a little sooner. "That's just it. Anyone can be. They can be thrown up into renown and be exalted, and those of us born into it can lose everything in seconds. This isn't about glory, or integrity, or virtue. This is about survival," Sierra explained, "And if those people from the Isle know anything, they know about that." "No one's saying they didn't go through terrible things," Aziz interjected, "and yes, these times are unprecedented. But is antagonizing your friend really going to help?" he shook his head at his tablemates, the question clearly rhetorical, "Now come on. I'm sure this crop of VKs are going to cause chaos, like they always do, royal or not. But what I want is for us all to have a drink, get through a few waltzes, and cause chaos at the afterparty. Like we always do. What do you say?" The Agrabanian prince raised his glass to them all. Chad shook his head, but lifted his with a grin. Ari waited for Audrey's decision. Audrey herself knew Aziz was right. So she smiled and raised her own crystal glass. But as she clinked it against Sierra's, the Charmingtonian princess' blue eyes sparkling with mirth, Audrey couldn't help but wonder if Sierra was right, too.

[theyweartheircrownswithpride]

Watercolors Fade, Part 4.5 (Audrey)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 Audrey ignored them all, instead keeping her gaze on Prince Chad of Cinderellasburg. Her sometimes fiancé was waiting for them, and as the princesses arrived, he swept them both a courtly bow: "My lady." He pulled out Audrey's chair for her, somehow managing not to trip over his own cape (lined with peacock feathers, if she wasn't mistaken), while Prince Arthur the Younger (known as Artie to them all), pulled out Ari's chair. Their table- composed of Auradonian royals -was completed by Princess Sierra of Charmington, seated next to Prince Aziz of Agrabah and already scrolling her phone with abandon. No doubt Sierra was trying to figure out the engagement numbers on her reel about Ally. Hope it was worth it, Sierra, Audrey thought darkly. Her eyes flickered a few tables back- to where those considered part of the Auradonian nobility were. Jordan and Jane were next to Ally, whose eyes were red rimmed as she sipped from a cup of tea. Dressed in a floor-length gown of ice blue and accented with a black sash, she had never looked more like the lost little girl her mother had once been. Audrey nodded to a solemn Jordan, who gave her a nod back: Take care of her. I will.

The evening always began with a speech from Fairy Godmother. "Welcome back to Auradon Preparatory College!" The former fairy, now their headmistress, beamed at them, "It is so exciting to see you all, back where-" "Goodness doesn't get any better," the crowd obediently chorused, raising their glasses to Fairy Godmother.

"Exactly!" Fairy Godmother clasped her hands with delight, "Now, you are all familiar with our rules, of course-" her eyes alit on the table of newest transfer VKs, and she swallowed before amending: "For those who are not, I urge you to review our student handbook. We specifically bar robbery, poisoning, murder, treason, coups, sorcery, and beheadings. Failure to abide by those rules will you see expelled, with no exceptions-" "There's always an exception," Sierra muttered, "The key is to figure out how to be the exception. Like she did." The Auradonian royals looked at the high table, where seated behind Fairy Godmother were King Ben, Lady Mal, and their immediate court: Evie, Jay, and Carlos. The side of the table belonging to the king's lady was noticeably more full than his own, and Chad shot Sierra a dirty look. Sierra merely grinned and blew him a kiss back. Audrey frowned at the egregious breach of etiquette. Aside from Sierra blatantly ignoring manners, Sierra also was rubbing salt in a wound, and one that Audrey herself sometimes forgot: Chad had lost things too. Chad and Ben had once been much closer than they were now, his outburst at the first Parents' Day voicing what many of the AKs thought and feared, but being one of his (few) breaks in media engagement. Still, Ben didn't like to hear his quest for utopia, nor the integrity of the VKs, questioned, and he had subtly distanced himself from Chad since. Ben had never seemed to remember that everything both Audrey and Chad had predicted had come true. It was sheer dumb luck that this particular batch of VKs had decided choose the path of good at the last minute. It could have been worse. Audrey surreptitiously squeezed Chad's hand under the table. He gave her a soft smile in thanks, and they turned back to the front to hear the next speech: "-as will skipping class. The heart of your journey here is your education, and it is my duty to ensure you don't forget that. With that being said, I will now turn it over to His Majesty, King Benjamin Florian of Auradon." The hall clapped, some more enthusiastically than others. Ben, oblivious to the tension, rose to the occasion. He stepped up to the mic: "Thank you, Fairy Godmother, and thank you to all of you for being here! Auradon Preparatory College is the most prestigious institution in all the kingdoms, and it wouldn't be that way without each and every one of you! Fairy Godmother is right: the core of APC is our learning, and so, most of all, I would like to thank my girlfriend, Lady Mal, for always teaching me more than I ever thought possible." He gestured grandly to Mal, who blushed with embarrassment. Carlos and Jay whooped in support, while Evie applauded so vigorously Audrey was surprised the leather gloves between her hands didn't catch fire. Audrey managed to fake a polite smile while Ariana kept her displeasure confined to a distasteful curl of her lip. Surreptitiously, Sierra turned her phone towards the girls, and Audrey kicked Ariana under the table. Her cousin didn't flinch, instead fluttering her eyelashes at Artie while she schooled her face to be smooth as the glass of a magic mirror. We are not your next hit on InstaRoyal, Sierra. "Speaking of things we never thought possible, I'd like to give a big welcome to our newest students joining us from the Isle: Hermie Bing, daughter of the Ringmaster; Yzla, daughter of Yzma; Diego, nephew of Cruella; Mason, son of Madam Mim; Eddie, son of Edgar Balthazar; and Cora, daughter of the Queen of Hearts." A spotlight swung to a corner of the ballroom, where three tables of VKs were seated. A long moment passed, and a footman walked over to the table with the new arrivals and whispered to them. They stood up, seemingly puzzled by the attention. Hermie and Eddie were awkward, but stood back to back as if to protect themselves from a threat. Yzla and Mason waved to the assemblage, Yzla hesitantly at first, Mason confidently and with a rakish smirk. Diego gave a two-fingered salute to Carlos.