THE COMING END THAT WALKS.

"In Bhaal's name..."

ahh okay this is a tricky one, because king/lionheart is not my trope in the sense that while I love it, it’s not my thing, ya know?

if you really want to hear about king/lionheart you need to talk to cat or maddi, probably. they are both kinda brilliance itself, and are the experts on king + lionheart dynamics.

messiah/machiavel on the other hand is so entirely my thing, tbh it probably shouldn’t even be considered in the same category as a trope? it’s more of a personal term/tag i made up with the inimicable mal (who gave me lots of clever + witty + horribly mean advice for this answer). but i shall endeavour to explain what i - personally - mean by messiah+machiavel and how/when it intersects with king+lionheart.

SO it can definitely be a subset of king/lionheart with a particular twist of context. you see for me, messiah/machiavel is always in a political context of some kind. it’s about that separation of skillsets in the political context: the charismatic shining-bright leader of people, and the vicious (often-but-not-necessarily-violent) cunning enforcer.

so to my understanding (which could be wrong!), king/lionheart has a couple of few components:

a) that status difference, where one of them really is a king, or of some other status defined by outside forces, and

b) a consuming, fiercely loyal mutual love that is

c) informed by their status difference so you end up having one being a swordarm/right hand type (lionheart) to the king, but behind the scenes that imbalance is kind of subverted/overcome by the love and respect they have for each other?

messiah + machiavel is something that can overlap with king/lionheart - where that emotional core of the dynamic exists - but not necessarily. it’s more about the political context + skillsets involved; leadership (messiah) + enforcement (machiavel). 

to expand:

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

was i meant to feel happy that my life was just about to change?

people like to tell you what you're gonna be.

i never am happy.

are you satisfied with an average life?

it's not my problem if you don't see what i see.

are you satisfied with an easy ride?

nothing comes for free.

it's my problem if i wanna pack up & run away.

do i need to lie to make my way in life?

they say i'm a control freak, driven by a greed to succeed.

once you cross the line, will you be satisfied?

nobody can stop me.

SHAMPAIN.

sleep is not my friend.

i feel celestial.

a bottle to myself.

savor the taste of fabricated wealth.

i'm drinking champagne to forget yesterday.

i wonder when the night will reach its end.

I AM NOT A ROBOT.

you've been acting awful tough lately.

but inside, you're just a little baby.

better to be hated than loved for what you're not.

it's okay to say you've got a weak spot.

just open up & sing.

you don't always have to be on top.

i'm vulnerable.

you don't answer the phone when it rings.

don't be so pathetic.

can you teach me how to feel real?

you are not a robot.

you're lovable, but you're just troubled.

you are so magnetic.

MOWGLI'S ROAD.

one life with one dream on repeat.

i'll escape if i try hard enough.

i have been told that i must take the unforsaken road.

i don't know who i want to be.

you say yes to everything.

will that guarantee you a win?

i'll do as i am told.

do you think you will be good enough to love others & to be loved?

OBSESSIONS.

give me a cigarette.

won't you quit your crying?

we've all got obsessions.

all you ever think about are sick ideas involving me, involving you.

i want to wipe out all the sad ideas that come to me when i am holding you.

don't let it make you feel sad.

i want to erase every nasty thought that bugs me every day of every week.

you never told me what it was that made you strong, or what it was that made you weak.

THE OUTSIDER.

don't get on my bad side.

hop into the backseat, baby.

these people are weird in here.

i'll show you some fun.

just because you know my name doesn't mean you know my game.

i'm in the wrong place.

is there more to lose than gain if i go on my own again?

i'm good at protecting what they wanna take.

i'm a fucking wildcard.

HERMIT THE FROG.

i feel i'm watered down.

i never knew you had such a dirty mind.

you used to be so kind.

my heart just burst like a glass balloon.

i was the wrong damn girl in the wrong damn room.

you're just a little bit too much like me.

did you find your bitch in me?

oh, you're abominable socially.

i wanna tell you a secret.

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➔ you're gonna be okay , just keep your eyes on me. ➔ don't move - you're going to make it worse. ➔ it's not that bad. ➔ you saved me once before , now it's my turn. ➔ you fucking idiot , you weren't supposed to take the hit for me. ➔ i told you not to do that! now look! ➔ you're lucky that i know basic first aid , or you'd be dead! ➔ stay with me, okay? stay awake. ➔ i'll be as gentle as i can be , i promise. ➔ you're bleeding - oh my god , you're bleeding. ➔ you told me it was a scratch , this is not a fucking scratch! ➔ there's so much blood. ➔ next time you want to play here , just don't. ➔ stop fighting me and let me help! ➔ you're banned from doing anything remotely dangerous. ➔ you could have died , what were you thinking? ➔ if you die on me , i'm going to be pissed off. ➔ you didn't have to be so reckless just to prove a fucking point. ➔ the wound will heal but you'll have a scar.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :