A king serves his country in many ways. He must care for his subjects’ needs, set roles of conduct, cooperate with leaders of other lands to ensure peace; he must live up to his subjects’ hopes and expectations and be a role model to inspire those around him. But there is one more duty a king must fulfill: to ensure there is someone to pass the torch to, should he not live forever.
If only it were so easy...
Written for the Pride and Positivity 2021 event. Help out by donating to one of the charities they’re contributing to this year!
-Transgender Law Center
-Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
-Sewa International (An Indian charity collecting funds for COVID relief)
Chapters (5)
...ouch.
This is so petty, it's hilarious. Only Pharynx would try to push his brother into a marriage so he could have some nieces or nephews to snuggle.
Overall, an interesting look at one of my favorite relationships. My only real complaints are that it feels short and that there isn't really a counterargument presented to "I don't like romance/sex, therefore I'm broken." Not everyone has to extend their bloodline through the next generation, Pharynx.
10864991
I honestly agree.
Oof
Holy shit, only Pharynx could jump through so many hoops to get Thorax married without actually telling why he wants him to get married. Tsunderebug strikes again.
What the heck, Pharynx? This is very elaborate if all you wanted a nephew or niece
10865060
That was part of the reason. He also genuinely wanted some sort of a backup plan for what happens in case Thorax dies and thought this would kill two birds with one stone
10865178
Gotta be honest though; calling his younger brother “useless” and a “disgrace to the regime” was a dick move.
10865228
He got a little carried away, yes
10865243
Yeah, no kidding... poor Thorax...
It took me way to long to realize that the cover is a drawing of thorax in the ace flag color scheme
Wonderful job Owtcast!
While I do believe Pharynx was a tad bit OOC in this story, I can see why it was needed. Thorax needed an external pressure in order to first seek out help from Spike and Twilight, and then overcome said pressure so he could feel fulfilled. I do enjoy that tad bit of snark at the end signifying one of the real reasons Phar was pressuring Thorax-though he probably would have come up with random excuses to get nieces/nephews, I doubt he would've been that stubborn at telling the truth for that long. But all in all, Phar's attitude, while frustrating in parts of the story, can be overlooked, and overall added to the plot of the story.
Thorax himself was very in character the whole story, and you really captured his frustrations in dealing with both his brother and his own feelings. (Though I am a bit intrigued on how badly those dates must have gone for him to receive such threats like what was mentioned). Thorax was written very well, same as his brother, and I greatly enjoyed him as this story's moosebug protagonist.
Long story short...fantastic job, I look forward to more in the future. Happy Pride Month. 🏳️🌈
10865315
It was my intention to not make it immediately obvious. The cover image for my last year's event entry included an actual rainbow flag and I got a f*@#ton of downvotes on the story and most of the comments. I wanted to avoid the hate-spamming this time if possible
10865504
Something tells me we don't want know the particulars of what happened on those dates
Thanks! Happy Pride Month to you too 🏳️🌈
10865624
No problem, the story was great! Happy pride!
As an Asexual person myself, most of the crap here is so relatable. This was good.
10868630
It may be relatable because, as an asexual, I've been through similar crap
10868660
Ive just been called weird. Mostly because ive been known to write gay, straight or sexual based stories despite not being in a relationship.
This is cute. I like this take on Thorax.
I can't help but wonder what his dates were like, but I think it was probably a good idea to skip over them in the story. I imagine it would be too easy to slip into cringe comedy or swing the other way into something sad or downright depressing. Either would have been completely antithetical to the story. There is nothing wrong with Thorax; he shouldn't be mocked or pitied, least of all by the reader.
I wouldn't mind getting to see him build an intimate-but-platonic companionship with someone one day though
“In my case, happy.”
I love this line.
YES. Thank you! Thank you so much! Just... thank you.
So it took me realizing that I'm several weeks late to reading this fic to realize I somehow wasn't already Following you.
Anyway, I'm glad to see this. I think Pharynx was a bit... much... and I honestly can't possibly imagine what Cinnabug of all people could possibly do to get the reactions from the 'ling mares that drove him to Twi and Spike, but I liked the conversations we did get and, well, Thorax has never been more relatable for me. I mean, I've never even bothered to try dating, mostly because I didn't want things like what apparently happened to Cinnabug in this to happen to me.
I kinda wish there was a little more here, like showing the 'lings actually forgiving Thorax and maybe apologizing themselves for, y'know, threatening and assaulting their kind, soft-hearted leader, but meh. I understand if you didn't have time or something.
By the way, was this is fic at all inspired by my comment on King of Love Bugs' third epilogue?
10889469
The rough idea for the story came up shortly after the last year's Pride and Positivity, or maybe near the end of the event but too late to actually write it, so I put it off to be written for this year's event. I'll have to check your comment to remind myself if it influenced something about the story, though. And no problem about only now watching me; I too still discover I forgot to watch people
10889469
Okay, just checked the comment, and well, I seem to remember thinking wait until you see what I'm about to write after reading the first part
10889608
Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?
10893069
You know the story King of Love Bugs by NavelColt? Damon made a comment on the final chapter on that story saying, among other things, something along the lines of having a headcanon about Thorax being aroace. This was around the beginning of Pride Month and also shortly after this year's Pride and Positivity event was announced, and I was at the time just about preparing to write this story (which I'd been planning to write for this year's P&P event ever since the last year's one).
10893138
Oh, now I get it. At first I thought you had something else coming.
10893149
Something else is coming, but not in the immediate future
(I mean the final part of the Walk Where There Is No Path series, and I have half an idea for a spiritual successor but that isn't even in serious planning stage yet)
10893170
Alright then.
ouch feel the burn of truth.
i so love how you have played Pharynx in this story.
and at the vary end the truth slips out Pharynx want's nephews and nieces he wants family.
I certainly wasn't expecting that curveball!
I understand being an "ace", from what I gathered, is hard when you do want a family but have no particular pull to love. Learning more of your version of these two are always a treat!