Charles Acton

tfwarthur​:

hands down ideal relationship 10/10 <3333333333

arthur frankly 100% agrees w everything charles is selling about arthur tbh!!!!!  he’s like ‘is it hard to be this wise and gorgeous and glamorous and courageous at such a young age?  [ pause for effect ]  maybe for someone else!’ asdlkfjkjsdf like ambrose, arthur really thinsk he’s smth special but, unlike ambrose, arthur has enough brains to do smth which it which…arguably makes him worse buT here we are laksjdfkljsdf he’s also grown up as king, so that def can’t have any lasting ramifictions at all dslkajfsdjkf 

frankly charles is 100% RIGHT in everything he disapproves!!!  i def think, even in private, it depends how charles approaches it.  if its just friendly advice, he’d clap him on the back and maybe lowkey listen – or just tell him to ‘shut up and [insert charles’ turn of whatever activity they’re in the middle of or whatever],’ depending on his mood.  in the lowkey listening situation, tho, he might even grudgingly kinda do smth about it a lil bit – not enough that septimus would notice or feel he’d scored a win, never that, but a bit hahah  i do think that, since charles genuinely thinks arthur’s awesome and isn’t just ~saying stuff to ~get stuff, which i think is how 99% of arthur’s interactions go down, he gives charles a lot more ground than other ppl, tho arthur def is changeable and when he’s not in the mood he’s not

if, however, charles approached it in a disciplinary/accusatory YOU DID BAD BUCK UP FLY STRAIGHT etc, that would NOT fly and arthur would noT look kindly on that council alksdfjsdf tbh i feel like he has an official mistress expressly BECAUSE septimus told him to keep it on the dl oops alksdjfjksdf but he’d just smile – not quite with his eyes – and clap charles on the back, thanking him for his council, and then turn around and, like, banish him from court or smth lksdjafkjdf (only to summon him back again abt a week later bc he ended up getting stuck w ambrose talking to him instead and, arthur cannot STAND ambrose alksdjfkjsdf) bc he does noT accept criticism

arthur ALSO puts a lot of store by family – at least, kind of????? he’s…got issues w most of his family members bc, well, their family’s got issues, but yeah lsdkjfkjadsf i do think, growing up an orphan, he’s kinda sanctified both his parents in his head (which is part of why he despies charlotte, he sort of unpacks a lot of the issues the family has on ~her bc he sees her as an interloper whose tryna replace his mom etc but…idk how i got talking abt that lkajsdfkljsd anywayyyy) and so he kinda sees charles and his fav cousins as little glimpses into his mom, etc, and so there’s a degree to which his fam can do no wrong????? except septimus, but septimus is tryna control him so that’s its own thing aklsdjfkjdsf

so laksjdfkljds all that being said!!!!  i feel like yes…and yes!  that is, i feel like they probs are tight childhood friends AND i feel like he thinks charles is a wet noodle laksdjfkljds arthur is super reckless w a lil bit of a god complex so he’s like LETS DO THIS INSANE THING and charles is questioning it and arthur is like GODS MAN WHERES YOUR COURAGE and then promptly dies in a fiery wreck probably alksdjfkjdsfj no but!!! i feel like he does roll his eyes at him a loT but also charles has probs kept him from accidentally killing himself – and he NEVER gets credit for that asfgjklgfd meanwhile he should probs get a medal every other week for saving the king’s life smh

HAHAH tbh if they were tight childhood friends, then I think Charles would probably feel okay with privately voicing his concerns about Arthur’s behavior to him, but I also think it’s probably something he has done since they were kids and atp I feel like Arthur is just like ~shut up loser~ b/c most of the things Charles finds objectionably are also things Arthur sees as fun and everyone knows that Charles can be a total bore ;DDD

but I think even Arthur probably knows that it comes from a good place like Charles is only ever here to look out for the peeps he loves and Arthur certainly falls under that blanket!!! (It could also just be noise at this point since it’s literally been going on w/ them their entire relationship laksjflkjfd) 

Anyway, I do think that def compliment each other as friends with Arthur being more reckless and Charles being the more cautious (boring) one and lbr Charles is doubly stressed when Arthur is involved b/c he’s the litERAL king 

charles acton / total 225. (10 points for this week)

Cousin!!!! (aka one of the best relationships ;D)

Honestly being cousins w/ the actual king (almost) makes up for the fact that Arthur’s insufferable half-brother thinks that the relation extends to him!!!

Tbh as much as he definitely appreciates the connection, he does have a lot of loyalty for his family, in general, and even if Arthur wasn’t the king, he would still do literally anything for him!! Annnd he also has a lot of national pride and loyalty to the crown, too, so Arthur gets double points for that!! 

Because of this, I think Charles is probably more blind to Arthur’s faults than he might otherwise be. I don’t think he approves of Arthur’s flirtations/the fact that he has an official mistress while searching for a bride and I also think he probably finds his tendencies to want to do the opposite of what he’s told childish (even if I think he would also kind of understand the desire to escape blindly doing what others wish who would control him, as Charles has witnessed his own brothers being manipulated by their father). However, since both king and a cousin, I don’t think Charles judges him harshly on this, if at all -- definitely not as severely as he would if he was anyone else. 

(Also depending on their relationship, he might raise his concerns about Arthur’s behavior -- but it would only be to Arthur and Arthur alone and nEVER in front of anyone else. He would also not let a single word be said against him by literally anyone and would fight them on it even if he agreed with them #facepalm). 

charles acton / total 215. (15 points for this week)

tfweleanor​:

Eleanor’s first reaction to the name on the small slip of paper was that it was not, thankfully, Robert Persimmons.

Her second reaction was to turn to the priestess and ask if she might draw a different name. She could see Maria’s completely appalled face out of the corner of her eye as the priestess replied with a forceful whisper of no.

The Acton family was not one who the Turners found themselves associating with often, if at all. They were not like the Astley Family who managed to look past the fact that the Turners were not of the noble class. Eleanor could almost predict what thoughts were going through her escort’s head– he was such with a commoner and not just that, but also one of the infamous female dragonriders. How many strikes she already had against her! 

As someone who cared little for the nobility and their practices, Eleanor knew little of Charles Acton. She’d heard some mentions of him inheriting an Earldom now that he was engaged to Constance Astley and had seen him at a few of the Astley’s gatherings looking as if he might wish to be anywhere else. 

She half hoped that he wouldn’t bother to even seek her out, yet here he was standing in front of her and offering her his arm. Any hopes that she might have paired herself with a man who wasn’t particularly keen to follow traditions were slowly melting away. It was then Eleanor’s turn to decide then and there that she would do her best to be anywhere but in the company of Charles Acton over the next few days.

“I’d rather be called Eleanor if you please,” she replied dismissively. “Oh, apologies, I’d rather be called Eleanor if you please, my lord,” she added, making a dramatic curtsey. If Robert Persimmons was good for anything, it was inspiring the most elaborate bows. 

Ignoring his arm, she began heading towards the doors of the temple as the crowds made their way to the market. Eleanor was happy to leave the temple– the religious services had a way of making her uneasy. She preferred to keep her life in her own hands and not offer it up to the gods.  

“Tell me,” she asked him, glancing over her shoulder to see if he’d even bothered to follow after her. “Are you fond of cards?”

He had expected to be shocked by her behavior: only he hadn’t been prepared to find disfavor the first moments she spoke to him. What could she mean by speaking to him as though they’d known each other for ages?

“Forgive me,” He noticeably stiffened, “but I am not in the habit of referencing young ladies so informally when we have only just been introduced. I’m afraid that you shall remain ‘Miss Turner‘ when we are together.”

Charles had noticed her rather exaggerated curtsy and could tell that he was being mocked. It took all of his patience not to comment on her behavior, but it would have been clear to all who looked at him that he was irritated with her. To add insult to injury, she made a point to refuse his arm which had so clearly been offered to her, making him feel a fool.

Had he not have the strictest reverence for the Yuletide traditions, he might have given up on her, then and there, but he knew that his place was by her side and once this week was over and done with, he need not speak with her ever again. Charles was sure that they would both be happy with that arrangement. 

Her question about cards did catch him off guard. There was a mischievous glint in her eye that made him think that there was more to this question than was immediately apparent and he did not give his answer until he had caught up with her again. It was then that he remembered hearing that some of the Admiral’s daughters were often spotted gambling at card games held at the tavern as though they men.

Had he been a gambling man, he would have bet that she was certainly one of them.

The first thing Charles thought when his name was drawn was that his partner was first, unknown to him, but second obviously rather young. He could not help but sigh as he was sure she was a naive young lady who was experiencing her first season and who would be either very awkward and dull or be reveal herself to be both a terrible flirt and rather bourgeois.

When he heard her name, however, he knew that she must be one of Admiral Turner’s daughters: which meant that she was a member of His Majesty’s Most Honorable Aerial Brigade. A most distasteful employment for a woman. Charles audibly groaned when he realized this.

He couldn’t think of anyone worse to be paired with.

(That was not strictly true, but whenever Charles was at all inconvenienced, he tended to be rather dramatic.)

KATE!!! Honestly, I’m laughing so hard at these two getting paired together for Yuletide!! 

Charles is SO serious and I feel like he is also takes tradition and religion, etc, very seriously pLUS he’s very competitive lmao and I do not think he’s here for coming in second when they have to solve the riddles/puzzles, etc, and he definitely makes that clear to Eleanor. (Plus he feels like he needs to impress the Astley fam right now as Constance is his fake!fiancée and he also wants to impress Dorothea since he’s in love with her and basically he’s playing to win!!

I also think he’s just like ????? about Eleanor in general. He’s also a little too, uh, ~traditional and I think he doesn’t really think women should be dragon riders (not that he’d voice that to her!!) and he definitely would not approve of her gambling if he knew about that and yeah I feel like he’d basically be a little prejudice against Eleanor at the start!

Honestly Charles was not looking forward to this? 

He was eleven years old when his parents allowed for it and, as charles was a very serious boy, he considered such an event to be a test of his bravery 

He also felt that he might die if he wasn’t prepared for it alsjdflfj 

His elder brothers both loved the Feast of Noros ... for Nathaniel it was a night to forget about his cares as he prepared to be his father’s heir and for Peter, it was a night to indulge in the things he loved most (even at 12), which was food, fun, girls, and a bit of danger

Charles approached the entire evening wondering when they might be allowed to go home 

(Not to mention, he was in the middle of a very interesting book)

Charles’s costume was also kinda boring as he decided he wanted to go as the starless sky (his brothers said he wouldn’t fool the spirits with that one) but it was just an excuse to wear all black lakjdflajsf 

It was on this day, that Charles first encountered Alaric de Vere, who would eventually become his closest friend

Alaric and Charles did nOT get off on the right foot as Alaric was involved in a food fight with some other boys and one of the cakes went flying and hit Charles square in the face

Alaric came up and apologized to Charles, but Charles said that he needed to speak with Alaric’s father and talk to him about his son’s inappropriate behavior 

He definitely talked to Alaric as though he was an adult but he and Alaric were both 12 at the time aldfjlsfdj

Also that awkward moment when Alaric had to tell him that his dad was dead so if he wanted to talk to him, he might have to wait until the spirits come out