#BLACKSCALE

[savaugn]

Savaugn for @blackscaleofficial

[agilneanrose]

How dare he?

She knew what it looked like, how it cast her into a fragile light when he retold his tale of woe, and at once she had reached for Burrich’s hand. A hand she held gently, resting delicate fingers on his gloved palm, motionless but seeking the warmth that it had to offer.  The hold maintained the entire time the ebon knight spoke, a reminder to keep her tongue in check and her lips soft. 

While Burrich sat to her left, quiet and watchful, the ebon knight sat across from her. He had given up his rebellious stand and now hunched in his chair with his sword held in one hand directing the blade tip to the floor. The blade was naked, and so with each word, he clenched his fist until the leather of his glove offered no more protection. Instead, it peeled as did his flesh, until stale blood leaked to the floor. He knew what he looked like: some forgotten king speaking for the last time of how he earned his seat, sword, and rage.

How dare he?

How many times has the story been told, retold and each time the facts were tweaked just a touch? Four? He had come to Duskwood on accident, traveling with another but the Sunshield name was not whispered and soon he knew where his anger should be directed.

Us. 

Her. Holia. 

And what would the people of Darkshire think if they knew the Sunshield’s as scarlets? His first threat, not the last.

“I saw her pile of bodies...” He had said and though she didn’t look, she could see Sir Folcard and Sir Marric at the door, at least Sir Folcard would agree the story was different this time. This time he saw the Commander Sunshield instead of seeing only her men commit the crime against humanity and innocence. 

“...Watched her henchmen take a boy away to be slaughtered like cattle. She didn’t object, she -ordered- it. And then she came for me and mine.” 

His wife and children -his claim that it was Holia Sunshield’s men that slit their throats and then caused his death. Or it was her men that did it and he held her to blame? Or it was she who ordered the execution .. Or was it she who knew and said nothing to save the innocent? 

In the end, the death of himself and his family had settled at the feet of Holia, a missing Holia, and in her stead, the Sunshields were to blame until that very meeting where he absolved them of the burden of restitution. Absolving it under the belief that the crimes were acknowledged, and Holia’s name, honor, and reputation property destroyed.

How dare he - - does he not know who she is? She is a legend.

@theoldlord

@burrichgreer

[urban-renaissance]

[quiverpaw]

dude i've never drawn bipedal characters like. on purpose. but i'm doing a fantasy rp and my character is this like werewolf dragonborn thing. so i tried

the colors are moreso what he looks like during courting season, outside of it he's duller and a little less fluffy. his werewolf form is about a foot taller but maybe ill draw that later

[dinrelsanddragons]

Back to Blackscale thought pot hours– in Age of Calamity, the Blackscales are absolutely working with the Hyrulean crown. They join much earlier than the Yiga Clan, but not too long before the Calamity revives, I imagine. I need to replay the game, though.

They're much more loyal to Zelda and her sincerity than Rhoam, even though Rhoam ended the Shiekah oppression. Honestly, though, it's mostly because Lambda feels a strange kinship with Zelda and wants to be her friend, and Raithyon tends to be a sucker for his kids. Not to mention Reownha likewise tends to follow Lambda because she idolizes her sister, so Lambda ends up forming a lot of the Blackscales' opinions on various faction leaders.

Is this an excuse for the Blackscales to interact with the Yiga in AoC verses? YES IT IS!

[fromtheempress]

Fish Fridays feature: Naga of Cataclysm: The Blackscale and Idra'kess tribes

The Blackscale naga, along with their deadly siren, the sea witch Ophelia, occupy the reefs known as the Obsidian Breakers, a subzone in the Twilight Highlands where many Alliance ships have crashed, their crews mesmerized by Ophelia's song and destroyed by her power.

In the quest "Sirens' Song", the dwarven quest giver Ephraim Hardstone tells the player that Ophelia lures sailors in with her song, appears to them as a beautiful Night Elf, and then obliterates them while she has them entranced. The hero is tasked with slaying the siren, who is later revealed to be a sea witch, thus saving future crewmen from her wrath.

"We'll lash ourselves to the mast, we will. We'll shour our eyes. We'll stuff our ears with wax. And when her beautiful illusion drops.. we'll strike"! -Ephraim Hardstone

The Blackscale naga are as follows:

 Blackscale Mistress

 Blackscale Myrmidon

 Blackscale Raider

 Blackscale Seacaller

(Source: Wowpedia)

The Blackscale Seacallers and Myrmidons haunt the wreckage of the ships Ophelia leaves behind, appearing as the killable objective in the quest: "Naga Reinforcements", given to the hero by the human, Simon Chandler (Alliance). The Blackscale Raiders and Mistresses themselves appear in the quest "Blood on the Surf", in which the hero is asked to  "rip off their fish heads and pull out their spines" by the Dragonmaw orc quest-giver Gralok (Horde).

The Blackscale also have a leader, Fathom-Lord Heth'Jatar,  who appears in the Twilight Highlands near Dragonmaw Port, and who is spearheading an attack against the Horde in the quest "Blast him!" Given to the hero by the goblin Fergus Gearchum, the quest entails the hero luring the naga leader in with the Heth'Jatari conch, calling the Fathom-Lord from the sea and destroying him with mortar blasts.

Fathom-Lord Heth'jatar. (source: Wowpedia)

The Idra'kess tribe of naga are found in Vashj'ir, in an area known as the Shimmering Expanse. They, along with their leader Overseer Idra'kess, are overseeing the mining of an Ancient (also referred to as a "Wild God") of the sea, "Nespirah", for powerful pearls, with the eventual aim of controlling her mind and using her for war. Both Allied and Horde forces have been enslaved to further this end, which leads to the eventual revolt of the slaves against the naga. Both Admiral Dvorek (Alliance) and Captain Vilethorn (Horde) look to the hero for weapons and gear to stage their revolts, respectively.

Once the revolt has begun, the hero then turns to Overseer Idra'kess. Once his two Mistresses are dealt with, the hero is free to kill the Overseer, thus ending his control over Nespirah, who proceeds to treat the naga as if they were viruses inside her body. It is unknown what exactly happens to the Idra'kess naga, as the hero must leave the Ancient quickly after freeing Nespirah and the slaves, but one assumes that they meet a terrible fate.

Overseer Idra'kess. (Image source: Wowpedia) The Idra'kess naga are as follows:

Idra'kess Ambusher

Idra'kess Enchantress

Idra'kess Harpooner

Deepseeker Crab

Idra'kess Mistress

Idra'kess Prophet

Idra'kess Sentinel

Idra'kess Warlord

Fun Facts and Speculation:

In the "Blast Him!" quest, it is made known to the hero that Fathom-Lord Heth'jatar rules over the Blackscale Warrior caste. There appears to be different castes within the different naga tribes, and warriors themselves are held in high regard.

According to the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne game manual, sea witches "have often been associated with the coming of prodigious storms, but few have actually seen them rise from the sea and lived to tell the tale".

In Wowpedia, in reference to the quest "By Her Ladys' Word", it is speculated that there are three caste systems within the Idra'kess, and that the caste that controls Nespirah is associated with enslaving and overseeing.

“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of  Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.

Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.

[ventique18]

Malleus: "Very well. Come forward, those who wish to return to ash."

The camera turns back to Yuu and Grim. They're trapped! But suddenly, someone who isn't Grim makes a noise...

Grim: "I heard it too! Who was that?"

???: "Ugh, my entire body hurts..."

Lilia: "Does Malleus never get tired? Oh how hard it is to pacify a dragon..."

Lilia: "Oh? Where am I? But I was just at Castle Blackscale..?"

Grim happily greets him, but Lilia's still surprised.

Lilia: "I.. woke up. So this is reality?! Did Malleus lift his magic?"

Lilia: "... Anyway, what a terrible state this lounge is in! There's rubble everywhere and the walls and floors are covered in thorns!"

Suddenly he hears a large screech!

Lilia: "This voice... Malleus?"

Grim: "The NRC guys are fighting this huuuge dragon Malleus!"

Lilia: "Oh no. I must stop Malleus at once! Flames, burn these thorns away!"

BUT HE COULD'T. HIS FLAMES DIDN'T EVEN SPIT OUT A LICK.

Lilia: "..!!! That's right, I'm already... Damn it! But, I can't just give up like this!"

He grabs a candelabra and just starts hacking away at the thorns with it.

Lilia: "I may not be able to use magic, but I can still do this much!"

Yuu: "I'll help!"

Lilia: "I mustn't let him sin any more than this! If he does, then he'll reach a point of no return, just like what happened to Maleanor! I won't let that happen!"

[urban-renaissance]

TEN YEARS STRONG (at Golden Gate Bridge)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hii! I hope your feeling better, I can totally get the need to take a break since I've had a few surgeries myself. But, I've been a bit confused and since we've had some information in different books, character dialogue, and some events, I wanted to know if we could get some things that we know so far on Briar Valley since we have yet to get a hometown event, though I hope one hurries up so we can see new outfits and such

Hihi ^^ No worries, I’m doing okay. Most of my energy’s back, though there is still some pain when I eat.

This is the lore I could find about Briar Valley! (If you’re looking for fae lore, check out this post.) I will continue to add to this as I discover new details and as new Twst content comes out.

Briar Valley is located on Briarland (the continent). It is in the northern part of Twisted Wonderland. This continent is very mountainous and filled with steep cliffs. Some forests are pitch-black.

Starshower shrooms grow in a small part of Briar Valley. These are deep blue mushrooms with a flowing star pattern on their caps. They send out glowing spores only on nights of meteor showers and are said to make an excellent soup stock.

The land used to be full of mystium mines, but in modern day it’s a scarce resource because it was mined into obscurity. Mystium is a very powerful metal that changes shape depending on its mage. Lilia, for example, wields a magearm made of mystium.

The capital city is Draconopolis, It is surrounded by Mt. Dread and Dragontail Peak, which are perilous, stormy mountains charged with magic that heals fae but hurts non-fae. Castle Blackscale, where the queen resides, is in the capital.

Castle Wildrose lies outside of Briar Valley. It is where their princess lives and commands her soldiers. However, Castle Wildrose was lost to human invaders ~400 years ago. It becomes neutral territory again in modern day Twisted Wonderland ~mid-May of the main story.

There is a stretch of forest called the Tenebrous Woods.

It can get very cold; when the snow on Thunderclap Mountain melts, it becomes icy freshwater.

Maleficia is the current queen, and Malleus the crown prince. All other Draconias are (presumed) deceased.

Briar Valley has a group of senators. They are described as very ancient fae whose physical bodies have already parted from the world of the living. However, their spirits remain (so they can still communicate and use magic).

Most of the population are nocturnal fae (though there also seems to be pixies, which are diurnal fae); there are some humans, but they are a minority group.

The union of a fae and a human is highly frowned upon and discouraged.

A little over ~500 years ago, humans first arrived on a boat on Cale Sunrise. Their population multiplied quickly and they now they inhabit all the land east of Howling Canyon. Unfortunately, they also “cut down [fae] forests, lay waste to [fae] mountains, and plunder [fae] resources.”

The Thunderclap Mountains surrounding Briar Valley were on e filled with valuable magestone and ore deposits.

A human-fae conflict that consumed the continent. A union of human warriors, the Silver Owls, sought to invade the land and claim its resources for themselves. This effort was spearheaded by Heinrick Istvan, Silver’s biological uncle. Heinrick desired the Princess Glow/Majestic Ember, the powerful magestone on Princess Maleanor’s staff. He also wanted to take her unborn child and raise the baby dragon as his own steed.

Malleus’s mother, Maleanor, fell in a battle against Silver’s biological father, the Dawn Knight ~400 years ago. Malleus’s father, a fae nobleman known as the Dragoneye Duke and the Left General, Raverne, went missing while on a diplomatic trip to an eastern human fortress.

Raverne is a rare case of a fae that is open-minded and willing to consider other races; he is credited with saving Lilia’s invite to NRC + encouraging him to go there to study, as well as teaching Lilia the human common tongue. Most fae from BV appear to be prejudiced towards humans due to their bloody history.

~400 years ago, a human-fae peace treaty (for Briar Valley) was signed.

It is implied that Briarland was carved up by the human nations that invaded it, then driving nocturnal fae only to a small region (which we now know as Briar Valley).

Lilia served as the Right General until Maleanor died; though she ordered him to protect her egg and deliver it to the capital, Lilia was called a traitor for abandoning their princess. He was banished from the capital city for this.

Sebek’s grandfather, Baur, also served in the royal guard, alongside Lilia. To this day, Baur tells tales of their country’s greatness and defends Lilia’s decisions.

~178 years ago, Malleus was born thanks to Lilia sacrificing his life force to him. Malleus’s birthday is now considered a national holiday. This may be because he is a prince, but it could also be that it was very difficult to hatch him. He has to go to many ceremonies on that day, and the citizens release fireworks into the sky.

Castle Wildrose was claimed by the Dawn Knight and his countrymen. However, Swordsvale falls in a conflict among humans for land + resources, orphaning baby Silver.

~17 years ago, Lilia found Silver in the abandoned and briar-ridden Castle Wildrose. He surmises that an enchantment was placed over the area to keep people and animals away, but locals also think the place is cursed or haunted.

Those who serve in the Royal Guard typically retire in honor and are gifted a home in the capital and other gifts.

“Night’s blessings” is a phrase shared among Briar Valley folk. It is like saying “good luck” or “be well”.

There are public magic competitions. For example, Sebek once attended one with his older siblings. Mages competed to see who could change the color of a dress to match a sample dress.

The citizens of Briar Valley are highly reliant on magic and use it as if on reflex. They use magic for many daily things, such as laundry and cooking.

Briar Valley is not technologically developed. There is little to no electricity, with few places having internet. However, book 7 has Maleficia donating valuable fae research and technologies to NRC, which seems to suggest the opposite.

There are barely any forms of public transportation; flying from point A to point B is the norm.

Writing letters or sending cards appears to be a common form of communication. Malleus and his grandmother send cards for holidays, and Lilia suggests writing letters and sending physical photos when courting someone.

Chunks of its history are not known or recorded, even to its own citizens. For example, Silver and Sebek are not aware of the circumstances around Malleus’s birth or about the warring period.

Those beyond Briar Valley don’t know much about it either, though it is mentioned that there is a picture of Lilia from his war general days in a school textbook.

Blessings can be given at birthdays and weddings. The fae who bless newborns may become their lifelong guardians or watch over them.

Birthday celebrations are very formal affairs.

Spinning (thread) is culturally significant, and the occupation is considered blessed.

The citizens do not hang their clothes to dry on trees, as there is a local myth that animals will steal those clothes away.

Most people collect ingredients by hand (hunting, fishing, foraging, etc.).

There is no trick-or-treating on Halloween. Instead, the people will burn a scarecrow in the town square at midnight, then dance until morning. They also carve lanterns out of wood instead of pumpkins. Malleus is tasked with using magic to light all those lanterns.

Cotton candy is a classic snack sold at their food stalls. There was a period in Briar Valley’s history when no one was able to spin thread, so someone was clever enough to invent cotton candy instead.

Briar Valley’s berry juice is famous. Lilia says they are a “must-have”, especially at birthday parties.

The forest where Silver and Lilia live grows strawberries and acorns, which they sometimes pick.

Briar Valley is famous for its spinning industry, producing incredible fabrics and embroidery from special bug cocoons and plants. These fabrics are prized and so rare that not even Kalim’s father can regularly see them.

Traditional attire has beautiful embroidery.

Briar Valley artisans have passed down their spinning craft honed over generations.

Black is considered the most noble color. This is why the royal family usually wears black.

Dragon fae are considered the most powerful of nocturnal fae. It seems that the royal family and some nobles are dragons.

Those of the Briar Valley royal family adorn their horns. This is because horns store an immense amount of magical power.

[murkysirenblue]

I'm tired of this searching, would you let me let go? 🌊⋆｡𖦹 °.🐚⋆❀˖°🫧

You can also read this on ao3

Words: 3.1k

rewrite of a previous fic :p rewrote it in one evening no beta reader- you can probably tell so apologies for the writing my fishies!

You awoke to a painful, pulsating throb in your head, in a bedroom that isn't yours after another failed escape attempt. When will Malleus just let you go?

Content warning: HEAVILY implied non-con, non-consensual kissing, yandere malleus, minors dni please 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

You awoke to a painful, pulsating throb in your head. A groan escaped your lips as you opened your eyes- finding the world spinning before you. You rubbed your bleary eyes, hoping to clear your vision as you sat up.

As your sight returned and the pulsating in your head turned to a dull throb, you looked around, quickly realising that this wasn’t your room. Nor was it the room you were put in when you were taken to Blackscale Castle. When Malleus took your freedom.

The room itself had an air of elegance and regality so stifling you felt embarrassed merely laying down here. As though such a grand room was beyond allowing someone such as yourself to sleep here. Much of the room was black, with dark grey cobblestone floors and thorny gold embellishments littering the corners of furniture and along the edges of the chairs. Even the curtains looked to be some of the fanciest pieces of fabric you had ever seen. 

The bed also had by far put the one you had been sleeping in in the guest room to shame- dark green silken sheets like a soothing balm underneath your aching legs. There was little light in the room, the curtains drawn closed and the chandelier in the middle of the room remaining unlit; had you not been so on edge, you would have been able to slump over and fall back asleep like a fairy tale princess. The room even had a fireplace at the opposite end, its dim green glow slightly blocked by the black and green couch suite in front. 

The almost seven feet tall horned fae so close to you he was practically sitting atop of you also gave a hint that this wasn’t your usual room.

His hand moved towards your sullen face, gently caressing your cheeks as his face turned to yours. As his eyes scanned you over, slowly making their way to meet yours. The way he held you, it was gentle yet with a possessive longing laying inches beneath the surface, barely contained behind hungry green eyes. As though you’d disappear if he looked away for even a second.

“My dear, you’ve finally awoken,” he spoke softly, his velvet voice cool and composed.

You flinched beneath his touch, knowing there was no point fighting back, “What am I doing here, Malleus?” you sighed, your tired voice dour and anxious. 

He tilted his head slightly, before letting out a lighthearted chuckle, “You truly do not remember?” his eyes sharpened for a moment, “Perhaps that blow to your head hit harder than Lilia and I suspected,”

Whatever darker thoughts lay in his mind, he quickly shook away, “Anyhow, it was a mere error in your judgement that led to it, make not attempt to think too hard on it- it would be wise to avoid anything that could cause your headache to worsen,” He said as his hand moved to push stray strands of hair off your face.

He then pulled you into his lap, busying his face into the crook of your neck, stroking your head and breathing in your scent. In his spare time and away from the prying eye of the senate he often held you like this. Perhaps before all of… this, back in your NRC days you probably would have let him, maybe you would have enjoyed it even. Yet here, with all these riches and comfort you never had before, it was an expectation.

Everything you did was for him. Something could only happen if he willed it. Most of it benefiting you was only because he wasn’t a complete sadist. Comfortable beds, beautiful clothing, all of it was to be repaid with something you could never give him- your love.

As he hugged you, you continued to think, and memories of the nights before slowly came back.

You had a silly idea, to tie all the dresses and sheets in your room together to make a rope and try to escape the towered room in which you were held. In theory, it could be argued that it was your most desperate- and most idiotic- plan yet, thought of during one of your many sleepless nights. However, you had made it surprisingly far before you were knocked out by a guard. 

Even now you remembered how the grassy expanse of outside felt on your bare feet, the cool night air blowing against your face. That grin plastered on your tired face. That taste of freedom, a feeling no sweeter than how the sun would have felt so close against Icarus’ face. So warm, so fleeting. 

“When can I go outside again, Malleus,” you muttered sleepily.

“Well, after that stunt, I would have had you locked here for the next few months,” you looked back at him quizzically, “But I have chosen to forgive your transgressions- just this once,” he said, a soft smile gracing his features.

Now you were surprised. Typically your punishments for escaping had a habit of…worsening. You had only just a week ago regained the ability to leave your room unguarded after a three month ban, and even that had been softened from the original complete ban of leaving your room. 

“I was talking with Lilia earlier today while you were still asleep,” oh no, “He believes that I may have been too harsh on you since you’ve arrived. That perhaps I should prove my love for you rather than punish you for refusing to believe it,”

“Maybe you should try prove you're not sick in the head first,” you thought to yourself, remaining limp as he continued to coddle you like a child's favourite toy.

He often told you such things, that he would prove his love to you even more, leading him to cling harder to you. You usually couldn’t help but glimpse outside, looking down unto the strangers who had more freedoms than you could ever hope to. Expensive gifts of jewellery and dresses, flowers and showers of praise and poetry, all words and physical objects he thought could fill the void he tore into you.

Punishment was what you usually faced for not complying with his endless need for love, for trying to regain your lost freedoms. You’d long grown tired of Lilias cruel smirk as you cried.

“Malleus,” you said firmly, sitting up so that you were no longer pressed against him- his hands remained on your hips, though that couldn’t be helped with him.

He looked at you, a quirked eyebrow was your permission to continue speaking.

“All of this, this isn’t love, it’s obsession- it’s sickness. You’ll only make a fool of yourself if you continue down this path,” you said,the scrunching of your eyebrows being the most emotion you’d shown since your brisk affair with freedom.

His clawed hands tightened their grip on you, poking uncomfortably into you. His viridescent eyes widened in shock as he spoke, “Not love?” his tone sounded unsteady- perhaps you had spoken against him too soon, “What else could I be feeling for you if not love,” you watched his jaw clench up, then relax rapidly. You found he often did that when attempting to hold himself back.

You could almost feel bad for him, with the way it looked like you had shattered his whole world. You had said similar things to him before, in those first few weeks with him. With how he was able to merely wave your words off at the start, you felt shocked with how he acted now. Part of you wanted to stop where you were, to apologise and suck up to him like how you usually would when you did something wrong. To kiss his face and not get hurt. 

But you couldn’t stop yourself from speaking.

“We were good friends, Malleus. I could have- I would have come to love you naturally. Without you having to kidnap me. I trusted you, but you ruined that trust,” frustration gave way to a bottled up anger, your voice cracking as you spoke and tears beginning to spill from the rims of your glaring eyes.

His eyes sharpened to a glower at your words, his own shaky voice raising an octave, “If you know you would have come to love me, why won’t you accept your fate?”

You merely gawked in return trying to pull away from his hands to face him completely, “Why should I? You’ve forced this life onto me! Like I’m just some doll you can play around with”

Malleus scoffed, actually scoffed at your words, as though you were a child throwing a tantrum.

“You need to take me seriou-” you yelped as you were cut off by him suddenly wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into his chest as he rested his pointed chin on top of your head, “Yuu, you may not understand everything right now, but soon you will. I’m doing this for your future, for our future,”.

It was now your turn to scoff at him, “So by taking my freedom and my right to choose my own future, you’re ‘helping me’,” you said, trying to push against him.

He sighed, constraining your struggling arms in a single hand as he held you into a more sinistar bridal position.

“Freedom would have meant nothing for you considering your background. You have no birth certificate, no legal documents, nothing. Had we never crossed paths- had I never came to help you… what would have happened to you? I doubt the headmaster would have offered much support once you graduated, and who’s to say those two fools from Heartslabyul could have helped you. You have no chance out there on your own. You have no chance without me,” the worst part of this was his unwavering eye contact. He never looked away from you as he spoke with that infuriating soft tone, as though he were lecturing a child. 

And the hardest part for you to accept, was what if he was right?

“No, I refuse to believe that!” you snivelled, more tears spilling down your cheeks as your voice descended into an inconsolable whimper.

He must have loosened his grip, as you were able to push away the hand gripping yours, moving to bury your face into your palms. He allowed you to sit there in his lap, sobbing as he delicately traced patterns into your sides. You hated how comforting it felt. You hated him.

“My love, I apologise but reality is far too often harsh,”.

He pried the arms hiding your face away, moving to wipe away your tears as you tried to look away from him, “Please, do stop crying. You know how much it hurts for me to see you so upset,” He whispered as a hand clutched your waist, the other moving to stroke your head.

You hated how gently he treated you, how he never laid a finger on you. Part of you wished he would hurt you, or even lock you away in the darkest dungeon he could so you could feel rational in your hate for him. You felt trapped in Malleus’ suffocating embrace, his arms wrapping around you like briar thorns, digging into your skin.  Your hatred felt sticky inside the layers of your flesh, yet also like a lump in your throat you couldn’t swallow or cough up. 

Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate-

Everything was burning inside you, your tears, your feelings, a painful fire you couldn’t put out or weaken. Malleus merely fueled this fire, not enough to make it blow up but enough to keep it alive. A steady stream of oxygen it couldn’t help but swallow up, the weakened flame slowly consuming you.

Your eyes finally met his after looking away for so long. That stupid, sweet concerning look on his face caused yours to twist in bitter resentment.

“I hate you,” you whispered.

Malleus’ eyes widened, a look of shock staining his typically unreadable face. To watch his ears twitch in disbelief as he tried to comprehend what you could have said was the sweetest sight you could have ever wished to have seen. Thunder rumbled in the distance, rolling closer to the castle as rain pitter pattered against the stained glass windows.

“You- hate…?” his voice was barely above a whisper, as though if he said it any louder it would be true.

After what was minutes- thought felt more like hours- passed, he finally spoke again.

“No. No, you don’t. You're still confused from your injury. Perhaps it’s in your best interest to go back to sleep and heal,” His eyes drifted shut as he spoke firmly, readjusting the place of his nails against your clothed flesh.

“It’s not up to you to decide how I feel!” you retorted.

An audible tsk left his lips as he pulled you from his lap, pushing you against the bed as he roughly pulled the covers against you, “Lilia was correct, you are very confused after such a harsh hit against your head. Sleep. Now,” 

It wasn’t at all like him to order you around so harshly, yet blinded by your anger you continued to dig your own grave, “You can’t tell me what to do either!” you struggled against the blankets he tried to wrap around you, the sounds of rain harshening against the window the only sign of his anger.

“As your future husband-”

Something about that felt like the last straw to you. The last delusional statement you could even stand to hear from him. Before you yourself even realised, your hand slipped out of the silk sheets, cutting him off as you harshly slapped him, the sound reverberating through the room.

He paused, you paused- though the thunder outside only got worse. Lilia would likely be appearing soon now. 

He let out a loud huff, no longer able to tell himself you were just confused at that moment. 

Your hand that was awkwardly half hanging in the air found itself now pressed against the pillow next to your head by an infuriated Malleus. The anger on your face bled into fear, quickly regretting your actions.

“Child of man, I suggest thinking before acting in the future,”

“Ma-Malleus, I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have-” your stuttering was quickly halted by the look he gave you, his pupils thin as a needle.

“I don’t want to do this to you, dearest, but perhaps it's time I begin to show the extent that I love you,” He spoke through gritted fangs, the barely contained rage evident on his face. 

He grabbed your chin, lifting your lips to his for a messy one-sided kiss. 

You yelped as you attempted to pull away from him, resistance not yet gone.

As soon as your hands went from merely pushing at his shoulders to desperate hits, he quickly seized you by the wrists, holding them in the air to the point that you had to lean up to have any chance at comfort.

His split tongue slipped into your mouth as he kissed you harder to make up for your lack of passion, swirling against yours and making you shriek in disgust. 

You managed to lift your head up, one side of your face freed as you yelled out, “Someone! Anyone, please heLP-”

Malleus grabbed you again, forcing your mouth back against his, as he pushed you back into the mattress by the shoulders. Thankfully, he didn’t put his whole body weight on you.

Just as he was about to do… whatever it was he was planning on doing to you, a loud knock at the door stopped him in his tracks. 

“Malleus, is everything ok in here?” it was Lilias muffled voice from the other side, and you internally rolled your eyes. 

He wouldn’t help you, you knew that by now. He’d likely see your position on the bed and do that annoying little smirk as he hopped away gleefully, as though he wasn’t looking at a crime scene. As though anything Malleus was doing was normal.

The horned fae in question let out a small, irritated huff, covering your mouth with a hand as he flicked his other wrist, lifting whatever sound blocking spell was on the room.

“You need not worry, Lilia. And I request no one bother me for the rest of the evening,” 

You could only imagine the surprised little grin spread on that red eyed faes face. That causal simper leaving his lips as he stared down at the door.

“My oh my, Malleus, such scandal- I shall ensure that no one comes by,” he chuckled.

Somehow the situation you were in felt as though it were being rubbed in your face. Although he was behind the door, you couldn’t help but feel his ruby eyed gaze on you, judging you, laughing at you.

The black haired fae atop of you made no attempt at a reply, resealing the sound barrier on the room, Lilias footsteps on the cold cobblestone floors growing more distant- and only with a mere flick of his wrist.

As though that interaction reset him somehow, there was no longer as much anger and coldness present on his face. His hand left its place on your face, hanging awkwardly next to his torso.

“Yuu, nobody aside from myself can hear you now. Please, please just accept this, I don’t want to have to tie your hands, but I will if I must,” his tone had done a complete 180, all that anger likely bottled somewhere else. Tucked away so that obsession could consume him once more.

You begrudgingly ceased your struggling as he leaned further on you, tightening his grip on your hips as he tried to make out with you- basically just forcing his serpentine tongue halfway down your throat. There was no point in struggling when he got like this. You shut your eyes as you let him begin unbuttoning your nightclothes. If anything, it was better to suck up to him so that he’d forget you slapped him, or that you said you hated him.

Where would you go this time, while you pretended you were somewhere else.

“I promise my love, I’ll be as gentle as possible. It’ll be like nothing you’ve ever experienced,” he whispered against your face, hands travelling upwards over your torso, groping wherever they could.

You tried to drone out his deep voice- maybe you were at the park on a sunny day. And Grim was pulling at your sleeves, begging you to help him open a can of his favourite tuna. The one he would always sneak in the picnic basket. You would be giggling as you peeled back the lid, watching the joy in his eyes.

Maybe Ace and Deuce were also there, bickering over something stupid…Maybe they would be playing makeshift together…Maybe Grim would join in too.

It had been so long since you’d seen the sun.

[enden-k]

short story summary here, again

im including some of my old, traditional art of the og comic i drew years ago to the recent ones BWAHHAH

[the nobody] vindrael lyndis

age: around 23 in human years

height: ~163cm

species: high elf

the protag. vin was born in a small village in the kingdom of Morgana. hes a high elf, a species that is known for their intelligence and masters of the summoning arts. all elven species are known to be very tall and ethereal and beautiful; they are born with both sets of reproductive organs and are not assigned a gender at birth (going agender by default) until they choose it themselves if they wish to do so. vin identifies as male. unlike the average high elf, vin is much shorter and bland looking which troubled him all his life. he was and is often overlooked by others as he doesnt stand out. to make up for that, he possesses extreme intelligence and a talent for the summoning arts much surpassing an average high elf. he studied and worked extremely hard and became one of the greatest summoners in the kingdom until the king himself ordered him to the court to make him his personal summoner. the king was the first ever person who truly noticed and praised him for his talents and vin started to develop feelings of romantic nature. when he learned of the betrayal, hes even more shocked and hurt than titus. he failed to see the kings change and manipulation due to his feelings clouding his eyes and mind and it shook him deeply. he comes off as timid and polite but has actually quite the temper and bad mouth. he overthinks a lot and is always stressed and on the verge of losing it. despite his rational thinking, he tends to act impulsively when hes teased and messed with too much. everyone else in their group is crazy strong and op and vin often feels like he doesnt fit in there, constantly doubting his worth and powers. he often envies others and its a trait he hates about himself; he envies zydonia specifically for the confidence he wishes he had himself. after the kings betrayal, vin feels extremely lost and insecure in the world and latches onto titus as his new meaning of life. he puts his well-being over his own, considering it to be his duty to his prince, and would follow him everywhere even if he often gets upset with titus rash decisions and empty head. titus considers them best friends and treats them both as equals but vin still treats him as a prince, putting some distance between them. only when zydonia makes him learn to prioritize his own needs and well-being and stop putting titus on a pedestal does vin grow more secure and their friendship truly turns into a warm and mutual, equal one.

[the worlds enemy] zerevni-ir yggdra dragonya ova-akhyn ngdragryl i-ihm avna (Z Y D O N I A)

age: in human years around late 20s/early 30s estimate

height: ~194cm

species: goldhorn dragon

the last dragon of his kind. a jailed king with no clan to rule anymore. the dragons are mythical beings living "above the world" and are divided into 4 clans; the goldhorns, the whitetails, the redclaws and the blackscales. each clan possesses a unique ability, ancient magic, which is passed down from king to king. the goldhorns magic is restorative, healing; the ancient magic is "resurrection" zydonia is not of royal blood. he was a common dragon and had loving parents. due to a tragic event caused by his carelessness as a child when he barely learned how to fly, he fell off the edge of the world to the mortal realm, broke his left horn and lost his parents when they tried to retrieve and protect his dying form from human hunters who were attracted by his fall. bc of his broken horn, zydonia lost a part of his dragon powers and his dragon form, turning into a much smaller, humanoid form. his parents death set off his berserker mode, a state a dragon goes in when overwhelmed by intense emotions and unleashing their powers in an extremely mass destructive burst. zydonias wrath was the most powerful and destructive anyone has ever witnessed and it led to him unintentionally wiping out the entire region. the goldclaws were attracted by his powers and came to the rescue; he was healed and brought back by the king who adopted him as his own son, fascinated by his powers and potential. despite his lost dragon form, the dragons still considered him as one of their own. even when he took over his deceased adoptive father and became king, he was loved and respected. he inherited the clans magic but is unable to use it bc of his broken horn, making him a flawed and unworthy king in the eye of another, specific dragon clan who soon came up with a plan to get their claws on his magic, murder him and take over (leaving this all out so this wont get any longer than it already is) back to the present, he was jailed in a dungeon when he got careless and was eventually busted out by titus and the others. ofc his jailbreak didnt go unnoticed and soon hes wanted all across the lands since hes considered a threat to the world due to the annihilation of an entire region when he was a kid a long long time ago; his powers as a grown dragon are much more destructive now and he possesses just one horn. he made a deal with titus; helping him grow strong and stop his father in exchange for busting him out of the dungeon and helping him find his lost horn to regain his form and powers. zydonia is very proud and confident and shameless. he comes off as easygoing, seeking amusement and always speaking his mind, no matter how naughty or "unkingly" it might be. despite his behavior, he still carries himself with a kings aura so its pretty clear he has royal manners and knows how to behave. he simply chooses not to, for the fun of it. hes stronger and more powerful than anyone else but does not brag about it and rather teaches the others how to "suck less" and get better. he only steps into fights when he knows the enemy is outclassing the others. zydonia has his eyes set on vin and loves to banter and tease. it seems he prefers people who dont like him at first and are not afraid to be honest and speak rudely to him.

[the failed prince] titus von morganastatt

age: 21 years

height: 187cm

species: human

the failed 2nd prince of Morgana. he had an older brother who he loved dearly and a onesided relationship to his father; his father neglected him a lot and didnt pay him much attention, rather favoring his brother aris who was way smarter and more capable than titus. his brother always tried to shield him from their father, willing to take on all the royal duties so titus could have a much more innocent childhood without his fathers sharp eyes and strict hand. its why titus never had to bother much with politics, diplomacy or all the "paperwork" that comes, only focusing on honing his body and eager to fight exciting battles. he doesnt understand much of such things and his father regards him as stupid and not capable to follow into his footsteps and run a country like the strict king he is himself. when aris died, it destroyed both titus and his father. unlike titus tho, his father let the grief consume and corrupt him and soon he started to plan to sacrifice his remaining son to zydonia to resurrect aris, offering a hundreds bodies for the magic to work, including vin and bell who were accompanying titus. he wasnt aware tho that zydonia is unable to use the ancient magic bc of his broken horn. titus was already aware that his father had some wicked plans and knowing for certain now makes him want to stop and save him. he pretends to be dead and starts a new life, learning how to be a proper king unlike his father and growing stronger so he can confidently return to his home and face him and end whatever he started. titus is a very purehearted and kind prince; always believing in the good of people even if someone wronged or insulted him. hes naive and a little dumb at times and always needs a bit to fully understand things. he admires vin a lot bc of his intelligence and considers him his best friend since he always stuck around him. he also looks up to zydonia and learns a lot from him, both useless and useful things in all kind of matters. when he becomes king later on, a lot of the way he handles things is how he learned from watching zydonia since hes also a king.

[the assassin] bell

age: 22 years

height: 168cm

species: human

originally hailing from an assassin clan, she was ordered to join the royal army as an undercover knight and assassinate the royal family. however, she was assigned to titus own knights and when they met, they immediately became friends. just like titus, bell is chaotic and easygoing. the way she talks might be considered rude which is smth titus finds amusing and refreshing. she behaves very bold and doesnt care what others think. when they make their deal with zydonia bell is the first who announces she will follow titus and "beat the kings ass". she was ordered to assassinate the family but after becoming friends with titus, she doesnt want to carry out that order. the clan always kept her in the shadows and theres many things she wasnt allowed to do or enjoy; titus, vin and zy are her first friends and she decides to follow their light and do the things she wants and not what is expected of her. so, pretending to have died in that dungeon is also freeing her and allowing her to live a life she always wanted. bell is really strong (both physically and verbally) and skilled; shes often considered to have "bad manners" but doesnt care how others think of her. she doesnt hesitate to kick someones ass if theyre becoming annoying. shes perceptive and a quick thinker but still a bit silly at times. she and zydonia share the same chaotic energy and combined they definitely destroy vins nerves in record time.

[stochastique-blog]

Lol

Real recognize real shout out to @rosegoldclothingco #tau #tauology #royal #royalty #streetfashion #streetstyle #streetfashion #tau #tauology #hypebeast #streetfashion #streetlook #saintselection #blackscale #style #blackfashion #stylist #fashion #instafashion #clothing #clothingline

[misspepeshi]

Verathion Dreadflame.

The favorite of Those Who Rule in The Overworld.

Doted and spoiled, he was given the Sun Realm, the most beautiful realm of all. The soil was golden, the air warm and welcoming, the fauna and flora a vibrant copper, gold and silver, and loyal.

All High Fae and Low Fae respected him. Respected his abilities, his powers. He who created the Low Fae.

His Crimson Flames could alive and unalive. His charisma, his strength, was unparalleled among the fae kin.

Yet what he had wasn't enough. The more he wanted, the more dangerous he became. He wanted what the other High Fae had. The Realms, their powers, their creations... all of it. He wanted Seira Moonwhisper. The High Fae of the Moon Realm.

He started a war between his race. He placed everything on the line.

He took them down one by one. First, Fyrrax Blackscale, the High Fae of the Skies Realm. Then Elowen Undergrove, the High Fae of the Fauna and Flora Realm. Then Tariel Hightide, the High Fae of the Water Realm.

It was only a matter of time before he came for Aelar Dreamweaver, the High Fae of The Underworld.

Yet he was about to reap what he sow. He was about to have a taste of what he had created.

For someone had been watching his every move, his every strike and kill.

It only took a silver sword coated in Crimson Flames through his heart, through his Fae Core, to end him.

Vaelren Dreadflame.

[saber-toast-tiger]

WOF - into the wild

KINGDOM OF SAND

LEADER

Queen Bunting - a greyish she-dragon with a large scar across her shoulder, sandwing

DEPUTY

Raptor - a dark brown dragon with orange scales dotted on him, and an orange tail, sandwing

HEALER

Sagebush - a lighter brown she-dragon with a black sail and light yellow speckled scales and underbelly, has lots of herbs scattered on her, sandwing

TALONS

Lion - a majestic, golden dragon with large wings and a large barb, sandwing

Taipan - a large darker yellow dragon with even darker scales that resemble stripes, has large claws and wings, sandwing

West - a big, average looking dragon sandwingDrought - a sleek dark greenish dragon, sandwing

Lark - a pale sandwing with darker scales and sail, and an unusually longer tail, sandwing

Roadrunner - a swift, pale, greenish dragon, sandwing

Wildflower - a very pale yellow she-dragon, sandwing

Mulgara - a small dusky brown she-dragon, sandwing

TALONS IN TRAINING (claws)

Dusty - a dark brown dragonette, sandwing

Ringtail - a small, skinny, dark brown dragonette with pale yellow scales on the tip of his tail and his underbelly, sandwing

Sandy - pale ginger she-dragonette, sandwing

Firecracker - a handsome orange dragonette, skywing

Gray - a greyish dragonette, sandwing

MOTHERS

Flamingo - a beautiful, albino she-dragon with light pink scales, sandwing

Brittlebush - a pretty grey yellow she-dragon with darker spots on her scales, sandwing

Golden - a pale ginger she-dragon, sandwing

Sunstone - a pale yellow she-dragon, oldest mother in the Clan, sandwing

ELDERS

Hyena - a big dark brown dragon with most his his tail missing, sandwing

Stork - a greenish yellow dragon with small ears and horns, oldest dragon in the sand kingdom

Papyrus - a small pale yellow dragon with darker scales scattered on his body, sandwing

Owl - a pale brown she-dragon, oldest she-dragon in the sand kingdom, virtually blind and deaf, sandwing

Diamondback - a once pretty yellow and pale yellow torishell looking she-dragon with large fangs, sandwing

KINGDOM OF NIGHT

LEADER

King bloodhunter - a large dark blue tinted dragon with a broken tail and large claws, has webbed claws and a fin for a sail, nightwing/seawing hybrid

DEPUTY

Blackscales - a large grey tinted dragon with large front feet, nightwing

HEALER

Riskteller - a small light blue tinted dragon with a running nose, has silver scales by his eyes, nighwing

TALONS

Sharptail - a blue tinted nightwing with a small tail

Boulder - a dark brown dragon, mudwing

Clawbreaker - battle scareed dark purple tinted dragon, nightwing

Nightwatcher - a rare black nightwing with white spots on his scales

TALONS IN TRAINING

Bandit - a purple tinted dragonette, nightwing

Windwatcher - a green tinted dragonette, nightwing

Lighthealer - a light blue dragonette, nightwing

MOTHERS

Dawnheart - a small orange tinted she-dragon, nightwing

Brightsky - a blue tinted she-dragon with white patches of scales, nightwing

ELDERS

Aquarius - a thin grey dragon, nightwing

KINGDOM OF RAINLEADER

King Taro - a tall rainwing with a long tail, rainwing, main color: aqua

KINGDOM OF SEAS

LEADER

King Cyclone - a huge light blue colored dragon with a twisted jaw, seawing

DEPUTY Oyster - a dark blue colored dragon, seawing

DRAGONS OUTSIDE OF THE KINGDOMS

Yoruseeker - an old dark blue she-dragon, nightwing

Banana - a plump, friendly dragonette, rainwing, main color: hot pink

Barley - a large brown dragon with white scales, mudwing

[twisted-bumblebee]

Someone asked me about what Diabella's dream would be in book 7 and I realized it needs so much backstory and headcanon preamble.

So before I can explain Diabella's dream, I need to explain 3 main things.

The history/culture of Raven Fey and Diabella's clan/family's beliefs and way of life

Diabella's relationship with her parents and their expectations of her vs her grandmother's relationship with her.

Diabella's current wants vs needs dilemma

Long text blob under the cut. Be warned, this post contains my own lore for a type of fey and history of one island of Briar Valley, as well as headcanons on how the monarchy would be. It's centered around my OC and so therefore it might not align with your ideas/beliefs. It might also contradict some in game lore. Also this is a first draft so everything is subject to (and likely to) change.

Early book 7 spoilers ahead, if you've read the entirety of Lilia's dream, you'll be fine.

1. In my headcanon, Raven Fey are a semi-common type of Nocturnal Fey (loosely based on the dark fey from Maleficent 2) that tend to live in various mountainous regions of Briar Valley. They build their homes into the sides of cliffs. It would be a mix of cliff-dwelling style, and the nest-like creations of the dark fey seen in Maleficent 2.

I generally headcanon them with Celtic cultural vibes due to Celtic folklore having many many references to fey, plus the mountainous landscape surrounded by water of Briar Valley always makes me think of the Scottish highlands.

Diabella's family dwell on the yellow X, but her clan controls the entire island circled in blue. The clan goes back to the founding of Briar Valley and have controlled the island NE of Castle Blackscale for centuries.

When Briar Valley was first coming together under one rule, Diabella's clan chief was offered peerage and the support of the crown in exchange for loyalty to the crown and military protection of that area. (I imagine there were probably pirates/seafaring marauders at that time.) The clan chief at the time was given the rank of Marquess and that nobility line goes all the way down to current day, where Diabella's grandmother is the current marchioness of the isle.

Diabella's parents are addressed as Lord and Lady Thorne, as courtesy titles. Technically Diabella and her brother might also be entitled to courtesy titles, but it tends to get complicated at that point. (This isn't super important tho since Sebek is constantly calling Malleus "Lord" when "Your Highness" or "His Highness" would be correct. Even in Japanese he chooses to call him Waka-sama rather than Malleus-denka? So i assume either Malleus asked them not to treat him as a prince at school and this is the best compromise Sebek can manage, or titles are like whatever in the twst universe).

Diabella's clan is a little bit war-like. They've accosted ships exploring too close to their shores in the past, and eagerly sent soldiers to the war portrayed in Lilia's dream. Fighting and pillaging were considered glorious back then. The clan itself was formed through conquest and adoption of smaller clans until the entire island was ruled under one chief.

Around the time of the death of Maleanor a rift formed in Diabella's clan. There was major disagreement over support of Maleficia. Half the clan saw her as a weak ruler unable to rout the humans out of incompetence, while half remained loyal to her. Diabella's grandmother, Marchioness Thorne, was a young chief at the time and was able to keep the clan united through dedication to each other above all.

They have a rich culture beyond fighting. Given the harsh environment they live in, they have historically been prolific hunters and fishers. Most of their fruit and plants are obtained through trade. They have traditional folk songs and dances that incorporate flourishing wing movements. They also have sky dances done entirely in the air. Traditionally their history was recorded orally through song.

In the modern era, they still retain the old ways of hunting and dance and song, but they also rely on technomancy and receive formal, modern education with written history. The best way I can describe modern life on the island is rustic without being backward, if that makes sense.

Diabella's grandmother staunchly seeks to preserve the old ways. She taught Diabella old folk songs, traditional fighting techniques, traditional hunting techniques, and made sure she was fluent in their fae language (both the more common variety, and the island's dialect).

Diabella's mother was also taught all this, but Diabella's mother was less interested in the old ways and much more interested in bringing the island prosperity by improving the clan's relationship with the royal family further. When Diabella was young her mother decided to move the family to the capital city where Castle Blackscale is. Diabella, her mother, and her father live there to this day. Diabella's brother, Davian, is a bit of a black sheep and rebelled throughout his childhood until he was permitted to live with their grandmother. He loves Diabella dearly, but she has complicated feelings towards him. To simplify, Diabella's grandmother and brother embrace the old ways, while her parents are rejecting them to a degree. Thus, Diabella is caught in the middle.

2. Diabella has a complicated relationship with her immediate family. She loves them all, but has grievances with them all as well.

Diabella's mother is similar to Riddle's mother in that there is a lot of pressure on Diabella to meet her mother's expectations. Her mother wants more power, prestige, and therefore security from the royal family. So she expects everyone in the Thorne family to behave like perfect nobility. Perfect posture, perfect grades, perfect manners, perfect musical performance, and perfect speech were just some of the expectations put onto Diabella and Davian from a young age.

Davian rebelled, purposefully behaving in unfitting ways and receiving poor grades. He demanded to move in with his grandmother in exchange for shaping up his grades, and Diabella's parents finally relented. Once there, his grades and behavior improved greatly, so the parents didn't see any reason to force him to return. He flourished under the freedom and traditionalist teachings their grandmother offered. Diabella was jealous, but was too obedient by nature to force her parents' hands like Davian did.

After enough whining, they did allow her to spend summers with her grandmother and brother. Those were some of her best memories growing up: flying freely along the cliffs, dancing and singing by bonfire, and listening to folk tales before bed.

The rest of the year, she attended school and royal gatherings in the capital city. It was there that she was introduced to Malleus (by her mother's plan) and encouraged to be a playmate of his. Diabella's mother began scheming to have Diabella be a marriage candidate for Malleus at this time, despite them both being so young. Her mother still has this hope for Diabella to marry Malleus in the current timeline, which is a source of distress for Diabella. Malleus doesn't know of the scheming, and Diabella won't tell him or Jade out of embarrassment. (She actually doesn't tell Jade much about her family at all.)

Diabella holds her grandmother in the highest regard, and is very close to her. Diabella's grandmother is one of the few people Diabella can be completely open and honest with.

Diabella loves her parents, but dislikes talking with them. She feels suffocated by their expectations for her. She doesn't want what they want for her, and she feels unable to tell them that. Phone calls home often feel like interrogations most of the time. Since Diabella came to NRC at Malleus's suggestion (it was actually Lilia's, but her parents don't know that.) they want her to excell academically so as to not embarrass their family or Malleus. If she gets 98/100 on a test, they want to know what she got wrong and why. They encouraged her to join the science club but she was able to convince them that the Mountain Lovers Club was academic.

Diabella also loves her brother, but their relationship is marred by Diabella's jealousy and resentment towards him. She never told him how she feels, but she blames him for leaving her alone to bear the full weight of her parent's expectations. She wishes she could live with their grandmother too, and resents Davian for it. Most of all, she is ashamed and frustrated that she couldn't force her parents to give her the life she wants, unlike Davian.

He's not family but I also want to mention Malleus, her childhood playmate, whom she loves platonically to this day. She sensed his loneliness even as children. Their playtimes were always supervised and both children could sense the tension of the adults. Malleus was powerful and volatile, so the adults had to be vigilant and ready to break up any childish disagreement and discourage rough-housing of any kind. Being restricted to calm activities like chess or enjoying music with an uncomfortable air in the room makes it difficult to bond with each other organically. So even though Diabella was a friend to Malleus, they weren't close until they were much older and allowed more space and freedom in their interactions.

3. Diabella wants to live freely, embracing her culture in its entirety. She wants to be free of the mold her mother is so determined to put her in.

She's often pondered if she could be happy if she followed her mother's plan to the letter, and yes, she probably would be happy enough. Marrying your best friend isn't the worst option in the world and maybe she could grow to love him romantically and live a very fulfilled life. But what restrictions would that come with? Would she be able to tend her own garden? Fly unescorted whenever she wanted? Visit her grandmother anytime? Royals often lead very structured lives, and that's not what Diabella wants. Not to mention, she has no idea what Malleus wants in terms of marriage.

Her relationship with Jade further sours her view towards her mother's plan. She feels guilty for keeping Jade a secret from her parents, but she knows they would disapprove of the relationship.

As for what Diabella needs, she is reliant on her family's support for now, and is unsure if her brother will someday become Marquess or if her mother will insist on passing the title to Diabella. So she feels obligated to her ancestry to be available for that title and the responsibility it brings. She needs to learn to carve out her own life and assert herself while also staying true to her ancestors.

So finally, her dream.

Diabella's dream is a what-if scenario where she got to grow up with her grandmother. In this dream, Diabella's true feelings and desires are laid bare. It takes place inland on her home island where Diabella is seen diving off cliffs only to ride the air currents back up with a flourish and unfettered joy on her face. Silver notes he's never seen her look so untroubled. Yuu, Grim, Silver, and Sebek call out to her, but she doesn't recognize them since in this scenario, she never met any of them nor went to NRC. She questions how they traveled here since the island is difficult to get to, and regards them with suspicion when they can't answer her confidently.

I want to keep Diabella's dream short like Sebek's since it really just needs to provide insight that Diabella isn't happy with her current life. I think the rest of the dream would be the Yuu gang bumbling through helping Diabella hunt a deer, before they start questioning her on what she remembers of Malleus and that's when the dream would unravel. She would get that headache and be like "Malleus... used to be my friend when we were kids. My mother made me play with him. Right?" Very unsure about the veracity of that. And then Malleus would show up all hurt and triggered that the dream she wanted was a world where her life diverted from his. And that's what would snap her out of it, because a life completely separate from Malleus isn't what she wants at all. Before she can express that, the Yuu gang yoinks her and they flee.

[dinrelsanddragons]

I keep seeing folks posting sketches of their ocs and stuff and I'm sitting here with my sketchbook going '... yeah if i stop before it's 100% done i can't post it.'