#coining it project in progress

[tohakumaru]

once upon a time, there was a crow who lived too long for it own good. one day, death came to him: "crow, I think it's your time to go"; to which the crow lamented,

"i'm afraid i cannot go, for i have not yet found myself a bride. how could one leave, without once being in love"

death thought for a moment and agreed, "perhaps there's something in that. very well, keep looking, but i will be back."

so the crow kept living, and searching. for more than 300 years it roamed the earth. it stood at cross roads, perched on fences, flew accross star-lit nights, and basked its shiny black wings through sun and rain.

it cawed under rose-tinted windows and breezy barn-doors, frequented markets and fairs, even did its fair share of songs at spring-time dances. yet, tried as it might, the crow could not find someone to love. this was certainly not through a fault in character - the crow was just so content with itself, longing was something much unheard of.

and how could one be in love, without once yearning?

another 300 years passed, and time caught up with the crow. little by little, the fraying nipped at its tail, all the way to the back of its mind. sleep started to feel like dredge at the bottom of a wine glass. the crow found itself walking a lot now. the sky was just as beautiful as ever, but its feet found comfort in the sturdiness of the soil.

another sunny day, the crow was wandering through the woods when, from deep in the dark pine groves, came low hums and whistles in a foreign tongue that peaked its curiosity. following the sound, the crow arrived at a clearing to see a strange being: a maiden covered from head to toe in veils and cloths. she sat on top of a dark buffalo, hands deftly spinning wool from a drop spindle. the crow was awe-struck, and took a step closer.

the maiden looked up, greeted the crow with flutting lashes and glinting eyes behind the black black head-cloth. it knew then, that it was in love.

courting was a simple affair. the centuries taught the crow very well, on how to go about things. before another spring rolls around, the crow's wedding was all in place. man, beasts, birds and other things all came to rejoyce the matrimony of the crow and the maiden in black. they all sang and danced through 3 night and 3 days. afterall, it was not so often that a crow found love.

when the wine stopped flowing, the fireworks died down and the guest left, the crow and its bride went to bed. finally, under the cover of darkness, it gently lifted the black veil from her head. they gazed at each other adoringly, a smile drew on both their faces. with reverence, the crow pressed its beak against death's lips, and fell asleep.

[riality-check]

ao3 link

Heimerdinger’s class is set up… unconventionally. That is how Viktor thinks of it when he is being diplomatic. Ordinarily, he thinks of it as bullshit.

There is no graded homework, which means there is no homework in Viktor’s eyes. The material is trivial for the most part, and he does not see a need to waste time on practice problems he can guess the answers to. The class has two midterms, each worth a quarter of the grade, and one final project.

One project. Worth half the grade. Viktor read the syllabus five times to make sure he was not having a stroke.

To make it worse, the project had one instruction: make something.

When Heimerdinger failed to follow up that statement, Viktor worried the professor was the one having a stroke.

Viktor creates throughout the semester. He makes a semi-permanent cover for the smoke alarm in his dorm, fashions a hydraulic hinge to ease the load of pushing his unduly heavy door open, and copies the keys to the library so he can get to the better study spaces before it opens and someone else can steal the high chairs by the good windows.

He is not secretive about any of this. He is sure his roommate - Viktor does not remember his name, but he does remember how he talked of what the Academy was like when his father and grandfather attended - complained about his endless tinkering after he got his room reassigned. Yet he is only approached once by other students of the Academy.

A few other students on his floor, the kind that his old roommate frequently fraternized with, the kind with soft hands and heavy watches, approach him about building a machine to count money for their “semi-legal” poker matches. They tell him that he can even be in charge of the money for a cut, if he’d like.

The coin would not hurt. It would be nice to have something extra to spend, to be able to go into town with the rest of them and actually buy something instead of keeping his hands in his pockets. It would be nice to get fresh fruit from the market instead of the meals served at school. It would be nice to be able to afford a trip back down. He has some people he would like to visit. Some people he owes for being here.

He tells the other students no, that he cannot do it, but he would like to play if they ever had an open seat.

Viktor has no intention of ever wasting time gambling, nor does he have the money to begin the habit in the first place. He just wants to confirm what he suspects. And the other students do that for him, with tense smiles of whiter than white - strange that they have so many sweets here and yet they do not rot - that fail to reach their eyes.

They are perfectly content to have a trencher count their Piltie coins, but they would never want them sitting at the same table.

Viktor only makes useful things. It has been that way since he was a child, and his first semester at the Academy is no different. Everything he creates, from the window screen he rigged out of layers of wire scraps from the engineering laboratory (copied those keys as well) to the heat/ice pack he fashioned from chemistry lab leftovers, has a use. With the project deadline fast approaching, he figures he should do the same for Heimerdinger’s singular, inane project.

So, he makes a cane.

As the semester progressed, and as he learned from Heimerdinger’s surprisingly engaging lectures, he realized his current cane was insufficient. This should not have been surprising; he had been using it for years. It had cracked along one side, and it was a little too short as a result of his most recent (though less than impressive) growth spurt. In truth, he had probably needed a new cane for some time now, but he often had more pressing matters to attend to. If he had it his way, he would only replace it if it broke, but that would be worse long term. 

He knew that. He was not stupid.

The course gave him dedicated time to perfect a design that would, hopefully, last for a time, since he had almost certainly stopped growing. The course, being introductory, did not have a lab, so Viktor made his own. In his dorm.

It is little wonder his roommate leaves halfway through the semester. Viktor supposes maybe he was in the wrong for using his contraband soldering iron (found in the trash, only took a little coaxing to work again) past midnight, but he is of the opinion that his roommate should not have been bringing people back to the dorm to have sex with them. On weeknights. With Viktor there. Trying to sleep.

He thinks it breaks even.

In total, he makes two dozen canes. He plans every design diligently using the equations and principles copied down from Heimerdinger’s truly atrocious blackboard scrawl. He tries various materials and carves them into different shapes, testing what fits his hand better, what balances better, and what holds the most weight.

(He learns early to test the last factor leaning toward his bed. When a model he fashioned for the express purpose of testing the minimum amount of material necessary to function predictably snapped, Viktor failed to put his other hand out in time and smashed his face on the unforgiving floor.

Once his nose stopped bleeding and he could overcome the screaming pain in his leg to pull himself into his desk chair, he wrote down his observations.)

He pens all his observations, complete with schematics, equations, and graphs of the various factors that make a cane a good cane. It takes up ten sheets of paper, front and back, because why waste perfectly good space?

Viktor finds throughout the process that most canes are not good canes. They are uncomfortable to hold for long, or too weak, or too unstable, or some combination of the three. The more models he makes - and, in many cases, breaks - the more he realizes that most of the canes he has seen in the Undercity are not good canes. They are cobbled from scraps, from old parts torn from metal and wood and whatever else available. They are fragile and jagged, unyielding and practical. Just like his people.

If he can make a good cane quickly and cheaply, that could mean something. That could improve lives for so many people, however little.

Viktor would like to do more, but, as he has done all his life, he recognizes his limitations. He is a first year university student from the Undercity. He is the only university student from the Undercity. As much as his ambition craves doing something grand and good, he is not in a position to accomplish that yet. He must walk the tightrope. Roll over on command. Ask “how high” whenever they tell him to jump, always looking confused if he ever mentions the pain.

He grits his teeth. There is only the work.

All the final projects for all of Heimerdinger’s class sections are presented at an end of semester research symposium, open to the entire Academy. It is… overwhelming, to say the least. Heimerdinger teaches an inordinate amount of sections, judging from the plethora of people Viktor must dodge in order to arrive at his assigned table. He sets up his presentation, which does not take him very long, and looks around to see what he typically sees in Piltover.

Waste.

The other research projects are… Viktor cannot tell what they are. They are loud and flashy. They clack and whirr. Some of them play music, others destroy little block towers. Others still build them up.

Viktor cannot see a practical use for any of them. They are toys.

There was a time when he built toys. It was a time before he was confronted with the true magnitude of his own limitations - now that he is aware, constantly, he wonders how that was ever the case - and the cruelty some of humanity was capable of. He built toys for nothing other than the fact that he could, that it was fun to put parts together and have them work, that success delighted him.

But things change. Viktor grew up. He lost the time for toys, lost the drive for anything impractical. He became devoted to what mattered: survival and altruism. If it was not necessary, if it did not help, then he could not afford the waste.

The other university students, some who have surely known hardship but clearly never learned to starve, can. They build toys, contraptions that buzz and whirr and shine to the dazzlement of their audiences, who gather around their presentations to ooh and ahh over them.

No such audience gathers near Viktor. They pass him by curiously, eyeing him as the oddity and paying no attention to his work. They whisper behind their hands, and while the other voices in the room and the clack of the other frivolous machines drown them out, they are obviously talking about him.

City of Progress, and yet they refuse to see beyond appearances.

The rage bubbles up in Viktor, but he swallows it down. He smiles politely at passersby and converses pleasantly with those few who ask about his project. He bites his tongue when their gazes wander to the spectacles he is surrounded by. He resists the urge to sit on the edge of the table. 

They did not give him a chair. Good that today he experienced next to no pain.

Toward the end of the three hours, Heimerdinger arrives at his table. 

He only examines the presentation curiously. He does not comment. He simply writes on his notepad and offers a kind smile. Then he moves on to the next table, where he enthusiastically greets a student who made a glittering music box.

Viktor sees his grade during the next class. Stellar marks, but no comments. Satisfactory, but unremarkable.

The semester ends, and his other classes return the same grades. Perfect, but nothing more to say.

Viktor does not like attention. He is used to lingering eyes on him, whispered remarks as he passes by. He has been examined by doctors and openly judged in public. If he could exist without that clear prying that so many seem entitled to, he would. But with how he is built (wrong, he is built wrong, there is no amount of sickly sweet sugarcoating for it) that will never be a possibility.

But he wants his work to have attention. To be worth something. To be discussed. He wants to be known as an inventor, not a cripple.

So, as he spends the winter holidays between semesters fixing the subpar heating in his dormitory because he could not afford to go home, he resolves to be done keeping his head down. To cut the tightrope. To fly instead of jump.

If they are going to stare, he will meet their eyes. If they are going to whisper, he will answer. If they are going to make him a spectacle, he will construct a spectacle instead.

There is only the work. And he will outwork them.

Read the other part here. And another part here. And even more here. And even even more here. And here.

[askoverkill]

entirely unrelated to this but i was going to run my own AU thing in a similar style to yours, with asks giving input, but my AU actually has... combat. and i was wondering if you would have any suggestion as to how i would handle that to be the right balance of not-tedious (actually a little tedious it IS isat) but also not-nonexistent

// awesome! I love to hear people are making more projects. We need more works in the world. I hope you have fun 💖

// firstly, I want to talk about interaction. Using online feedback as a feature in the story has its ups and downs. The best advice I can give is tell the story YOU want to tell first most.

// If you need to send your own asks or post as a post instead, do so! It's super cool to get people to be creative and push the story in ways you'd never expect, it's rewarding and creative for both sides in the collaboration BUT ultimately, you are the director of the story.

// try to give every post a purpose. If you can fit more than one, the better. Does the post have a joke? Is it progressing the plot? Is there a fun character interaction? If it doesn't have anything, rethink your approach to it. Sometimes a post HAS to be set up for a later scene, but try to make it entertaining or introspective or something in addition.

(I'm struggling with this as we repeat plot beats. As a timeloop story, repetition is necessary to give what DOES change have importance. I'm still figuring out what's the best approach and how much to change each loop.)

Formatting: find a work flow that works best for you! I'm used to boring repetition and edits so Im fine making my blog so image heavy like this. Text works fine!!!! What matters the most is readability and your convince! Stories are already a LOT of work, don't give yourself anything more than necessary!

// PACE yourself. It's not a contest and you are doing this for free and for fun. If you're not feeling up to it, don't make anything. Breaks are a part of the process. I'm mega ADHD hyperfixating distraction coping and I AM NOT a good example of productivity. Don't judge yourself for your output. Focus on having fun and interacting with others.

// OK General askblog advice aside, now to focus on your actual question. It'd really depend on what you're comfortable with and the level of interaction you want for the story.

// it's important to remember this is a completely different format and medium than a video game. If you tried to make it into a video game you're going to fail. A fight in-game will have a hundred little inputs within minutes while an askblog takes IRL time between posts and asks.

// Polls have a minimum of 24 hours so they're a bit inconvenient for quick engagement like with askblogs let alone fights! If you really need fights, then simplify a single turn into an ask? A whole fight? Maybe spin a wheel or flip a coin? Maybe, since it's an ask format, have fans suggest outcomes and pick what's the most entertaining?

// alternatively, skip combat and just have it happen between posts. You've got a ton of options, and I'm sure there's way more I hadn't considered.

// work with what you've got and don't be afraid to simplify or ask for more advice. If anyone else has suggestions, feel free to shoot some here! Best wishes! 👌

[ladylokianna]

You will be me.

Characters: Targtowers brothers, but mostly Aemond (quite OOC). Warnings: 18+, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, mention of child death and child trauma, mention of death, sleep paralysis and panic attack, Aegon being a good brother and a good husband. Aemond a bit softer than usual, but I'm a softie for his soft side even if this is buried deep within him. Notes: I had outlined this little fic a month or so ago but it had been lying silent in my work in progress folder for a lack of inspiration and because I'm currently absorbed by another Hotd project. Except that a message from @lyssaelisa [this is for you, btw 💙] about Aemond's supposed (and perhaps nonexistent) uncle-like inclinations led me to pick up the draft again and torture this poor wretch some more just because I can.

PLEASE DON'T REPOST and please be gentle, english is not my first language and I'm quite rusty.

Words:3515 (also on AO3) Dividers: as always, the dragon divider belongs to @zaldritzosrose the thin green dividers belongs to @targaryen-dynasty

The shield creaks under the pressure of the spiked mace before shattering into several pieces with a sharp clang: he raised it at the last moment, just a second before the blow vibrated by Ser Criston landed on his skull instead of on the wooden shield.

He gets up quickly, furiously throwing what remains of the shield to the side, noticing the chattering and astonished exclamations of the courtiers observing his daily training only when the ringing in his ears finally subsides. In addition to the astonished gaze of the spectators, however, he notices that the attentive gaze of his mentor is also upon him.

"You are not focused." 

Criston's voice, stern but veiled with concern, comes to him muffled, distant, as if he were speaking to him through a wall.

"...what?"

"That blow could have killed you. Whatever the distress is, you must keep it at a distance when you have a weapon in your hand! Need I remind you that we are no longer playing with wooden swords?"

No, there was no need: for him the time for childish games has been over for years, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say there was never a time for him to play. "I don't know about you, Ser Criston, but I have a very different idea about play." he replies coldly. He politely declines with a nod of his head the shield a young page is handing him and grabs the sheath of his sword leaning against the wall, placing the weapon back in it as the chattering stops abruptly. "We are not done." "You are not, I am."

He walks through the courtyard with wide strides, returning into the castle and ignoring anyone who stands on his path, to lock himself in his rooms, locking every access.

He does not want to see anyone.

He does not want to hear anyone.

He ignores Ser Criston who has reached him, he ignores his mother, he even ignores Aegon who is trying to figure out what has gotten into him.

They are all outside his door, but he answers to no one.

He has been staring at the ceiling and its elaborate patterns for a while now: physically he's in that room, but with his mind he is wandering elsewhere. To the beach at Driftmark where it all began, to Vhagar's reaction above the skies of Storm's End and Daemon's retaliation, to Helaena's tears and Aegon's shattering rage. Perhaps they don't say it openly, no one dares, but somehow he knows that he is the one everyone blames for the massacre.

An unpleasant taste of acid rises up in his throat, and the burning sensation that follows brings him abruptly back to reality: he suddenly recovers, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand and only then remembering that he is not in his quarters, but in Sylvi's personal room at the brothel. There are no secret passages left open, no stolen coins, no more stench of piss and garlic of whoever tried to kill him.

"...Aemond?"

He averts his gaze from the ceiling and lays it on Sylvi, then observes, somewhat angered, how his body has decided to betray him despite the fact that usually the mere thought of her soft, welcoming forms is enough to ignite his senses.

"Sorry." he mumbles as if to apologise, resisting the urge to reach for the sheets to cover himself.

He feels Sylvi's warm hand moving up his thigh and stopping just above his groin, her lips brushing his stomach: she smiles at him understandingly and brings her hand back between his legs, trying once more. In vain.

"That's enough." he stops her gently, and Sylvi lies down by his side, waiting.

"What troubles you? If you wish to talk, I am willing to listen." she tells him, stroking his cheek affectionately. That touch reminds him of the first time he was in that room, of the thirteen-year-old boy he was and how understanding she was with him, to the point of lying to Aegon. If he got close enough, he would immediately remember the scent of her skin: a mixture of refined oils and something he can't describe but has always found soothing. "You're safe here."

It would be good to believe it, and the thought is so tempting. But if it was that easy for two henchmen to make it undisturbed all the way to the royal quarters of the Red Keep despite the guards, they would find no obstacle there.

"You can stay, you know."

He would do it again if he could. To remain all night, to abandon himself to her attentions and not think about anything, to let her take care of him. He shake his head and got out of bed, quickly dressing himself and handing her a bag of coins.

"... I think you are mistaken, my prince." says Sylvi. "I have done nothing of what you expect of me."

"Take it." he tells her, waiting for the woman to take the pouch from his hand: he has never treated her like a whore, never liked the idea of treating a woman as he has seen many other clients do, who humiliate brothel girls by throwing their fees on the bed, or worse on the floor.

Every woman is an image of the Mother...to be spoken of with reverence.

Sylvi gives him a smile and a nod, grateful, and looks at him as he adjusts the patch over his missing eye and the sapphire that fills his socket; somewhere in him still lives the tender, awkward little boy she met years before.

"Hmm?"

Sylvi's clear, intense eyes conceal something he can't recognise, and he doesn't know either what he hoped to find from her that evening, whether closeness and understanding or the temporary oblivion that pleasure offers.

"Thank you." was Sylvi's reply, in a whisper.

"That's fine, no need to thank me." he simply responds, before pulling the hood over his head.

Jaehaerys' bed has already been removed, as if that child had never existed.

But he has seen the blood-stained sheets, he has seen the mattress soaked in his nephew's blood, he has seen the horror of that night in Helaena's eyes, and in the fury with which Aegon tortured the slaughterer. He still has in his nostrils the sulphurous smell of Sunfyre's flames and the acrid, unnatural smell of a burning human body.

He stops at the threshold of the room, uncertain whether to enter or not: two grieving parents, one in the other's arms, Aegon's eyes red and veiled with grief.

Helaena's, dull. She merely remains motionless in Aegon's embrace, not reacting as he strokes her head, her hands entwined on her lap.

"...I wanted to spare you that procession but they didn't listen to me. Say something Hel, please. Come back to us, we need you."

He moves a step backwards determined to leave them alone not knowing quite what to do or say, and it is then that he felt two small hands grasp his: he lowers his gaze to meet Jaehaera's bright eyes, and in those eyes he reads too many questions he does not know how to answer because he knows there is no answer.

She gestures for him to take her up in his arms and he does so without hesitation, holding his niece close to him.

"What's wrong?" he asks her, without however receiving an answer, but only a glance and a caress on his cheek. A second later, Jaehaera takes his face in her small hands, resting her forehead against his. "Are you unwell?"

He does not dare to ask her if she is afraid, for he feels it: there is a tremor in Jaehaera's slender little body that is impossible to ignore.

"She no longer speaks, Aemond." Aegon begins. "My little girl doesn't speak anymore."

She hasn't spoken since that night, he explains to him shortly afterwards, ever since she saw the two men in the room and heard her brother die. Orwyle did all he could to help her, but certain mental pains are not as curable as physical ones.

Suddenly Jaehaera spreads her arms as if to imitate a pair of wings, and touches her chest.

"Morghul is still a little puppy, sweetheart, he's not yet ready to fly." Aegon interjects. But Jaehaera shakes her head, pointing a finger at Aemond's chest and redoing the same gesture with her arms. "You want to fly with your uncle?"

He looked at Aegon, then nodded approvingly, but waited for Helaena to give her permission with the child still in his arms.

All the way outside the royal chambers, Jaehaera does not take her eyes off him: she does not know it yet, but there is so much of her mother in her. The affection he reads in their eyes, the trust they put in him, their innate gentleness.

"You never flew with Vhagar before, didn't you? No, of course you didn't. She's huge, but she's good, you'll see."

When they arrive at Vhagar's, Jaehaera stretched out both arms towards the dragoness, giggling the same moment his majestic beast turns her head to look at them and let out a snort.

"Rytsas (hello), old friend." he smile, putting Jaehaera down. "Careful sweetling, let her sniff at you, there's no need to be afraid."

Soon, however, he notices that there is not an ounce of fear in her eyes: she lets Vhagar sniff her and then reaches out for her again, wanting to touch her.

"Give me your hand." he tells her, laying her little hand on Vhagar's muzzle and covering her with his own. "Can you feel her warmth? Yeah? You will feel Morghul's too. Look, she's watching you."

That ill-fated night had left a deep mark within her. Yes, the Red Keep was no longer a safe place -if it ever had been- and lately all it took for Jaehaera was a louder-than-normal noise to make her tremble with terror, but not with dragons. Never, with them. She must felt safe because unlike men, dragons were never purposefully evil.

"You are still too young to understand what I'm saying, but you're going to have a very strong bond with your dragon, Jaehaera. No other beast will understand you as thoroughly as Morghul will do with you: not a dog, not a cat. Nothing but your dragon." he say. "It will be beautiful, you'll see, beyond any imagination."

When he gets up again, he notices that Vhagar's eyes are now on him, and that she is looking as if she wants him to understand something.

"What? Come on, old girl, I'll take you to stretch your wings."

When he lifts Jaehaera onto the rope ladder, he assures her to stay calm because if she ever slips, he will be ready to catch her.

"Remember to fasten yourself to the saddle when one day you'll fly with Morghul, hm?"

She nods at his words, then leans forward, holding on to the saddle straps as her father had already shown her when she rode Sunfyre with him, leaving the handles free.

"Do you remember the command? Yes? Do you want to say it for me?" he asks her. Jaehaera looks at him, but remains silent. "That's okay, hun. You'll say it next time."

It took him a couple of moments to notice the figure next to his bed: he quickly grabs the dagger he keeps under his pillows and draws it, ready to strike a slash without a second thought.

"Jaehaerys!" he exclaims relieved, lowering the blade. "What are you doing here? You should be abed."

The nephew stares at him for a long time, without uttering a word.

"Are you alone?!" he asks him, stupidly. It is not that difficult to get lost around the Red Keep, especially for a child of his age, unaccompanied by anyone. "Did you get lost?"

He made a mental note to himself to point out to the nanny that she should pay more attention and prevent children and especially the heir to the throne from wandering around the castle without proper supervision.

Jaehaerys stretches out a small hand towards him, continuing to look at him insistently, letting him know that he is not there by mistake, he has reached his rooms on purpose.

"Let me accompany you back to your room." Aemond sighs, pulling the blankets aside and slipping on his boots. Jaehaerys takes his hand and guides him out of his rooms, through corridors plunged in darkness. Although he knows every corridor, every passageway, every inch of the Keep like the back of his hand, at some point -and he couldn't even say when-, Aemond loses his orientation, allowing himself to be led into an unfamiliar room illuminated by the faint light of candles and filled with the smell of beeswax and essential oils.

"Why have you led me here?"

The child points the table at the other end of the room, on which the veiled figures of the Silent Sisters, that he only seems to notice at that moment, have prepared a body awaiting its final journey. Inside a basket, beside the table, a sack stained with blood. And then, apart the smell of wax and oils, he could smell the metallic stench of blood and the darker one of death.

He still remembers when Daemon beheaded Vaemond Velaryon in the throne room, during that pathetic hearing, he remembers the strange and disturbing sound of Dark Sister making her way easily into Vaemond's flesh, he remembers the pool of blood on the floor and Helaena's horror-filled gaze: those moments, she confessed to him one day, often haunts her.

He took the hem of the cloth and lifts it slowly, discovering that the body lying there is too small to be the one of a man of the same size as Ser Velaryon, and Jaehaerys nods, as if to induce him to discover who is hiding under those bandages.

Seized by a strange sensation he obeys, drawing his dagger and unhesitatingly cutting through the bandages enveloping his head until the face of the body is revealed.

No, it was not Vaemond Velaryon, summarily executed for speaking a truth known to all and feared by his half-sister, but Jaehaerys.

He lets his gaze wander only a moment over Jaehaerys' pale little face before turning his head away, lest he should look at his coarsely stitched head, his bloodless lips and his features contracted into a perpetual grimace.

"No." he murmurs. "No, Jaehaerys, no. It... it can't be."

He was standing there beside him, they had just walked together. A couple of days before, they had spent an entire afternoon in the gardens, keeping Helaena ad Jaehaera some company.

"Don't pretend to be sorry, Uncle. Now look. Look at me." his nephew tells him, in a commanding tone and with words that for obvious reasons still don't suit him: something prevents him from looking away, and all he can do is standing there, looking at the corpse of an innocently dead child. "Look at what your actions have led to."

Admittedly, he had never been good at expressing his feelings, but the Gods knew that deep inside him he still loved those children.

He looked away as soon as Jaehaerys allowed him to, feeling his head heavy and his heart about to burst in his chest.

"Are you not satisfied, Aemond?" and it is his voice that is speaking to him. On the table, instead of Jaehaerys, is now him. The bloodless lips are his, the milky eye his, the pallor of death is on his skin. "One less obstacle in our path. One less."

"One less?" he repeats.

The corpse rises from the table and slowly gets closer, until he smells the revolting stench of its rotting flesh and looks into that vitreous eye. Its clothes are ripped and dripping with water, as is its hair, which seem entwined with what looks like... seaweed? In the left orbit, instead of sapphire, blood encrusts.

"Stay away from me!" exclaims, drawing his sword, and he receives in response a guttural laugh that vibrates deep into his gut.

"Your sword won't do you any good. I cannot stay away from you, Aemond, and you cannot stay away from me. I was you, and you will be me."

He swings the sword without a second thought, plunging it through the corpse or whatever that thing is with such vigour to sinking the blade to the hilt.

"Apparently you keep acting without thinking first..."

"I want the crown, but I never wished Jaehaerys to die!" he hisses, twisting the blade over and over as if to emphasise the point.

The other leans towards him.

"Keep telling yourself that. But we both know your heart is blacker than death." he whispers in his ear, laying a hand on his chest.

Aemond feels himself being pushed backwards,unable to put up any resistance. One step after another until the other pushes him sitting down.

He is in the throne room now, sitting on the seat that belongs to Aegon.

"This is what we crave, Aemond. This is what we long for. We are the younger brother who studies history and philosophy, we, who trains with the sword, we, who rides the largest dragon in the world. We should sit here. We earned it."

His reflection places the Conqueror's crown on his head and takes his face in its hands.

"King Aemond Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. This is what you long for. The throne, the crown, the power. Take it, Aemond. It's ours. It's yours."

Panic takes very few moments to take hold of him: he is awake, his eyes are open, but not a single muscle in his body responds to his commands. He feels his limbs heavy and wants to move and scream, but he cannot. He is trapped in his own body.

One less, Aemond.

Those words are echoing in his head in a kind of horrendous lullaby, and his body, already drenched in sweat, begins to shake violently. His breath is short, his heart is pumping like that first time he flew over Vhagar.

This is what you long for. The throne, the crown, the power.

Take it, Aemond. It's ours. It's yours.

He is no longer in the throne room, he is no longer in the Silent Sisters' chamber, but everything is whirling madly and the ringing in his ears intensifies as the seconds pass.

Is he about to go mad or is he about to die?

When he manages to move his legs again he gets out of bed, but his head throbs so loudly that he can no longer keep his balance and is forced to his knees, his hands pressing on his ears.

He catches his breath realising that he has been holding it involuntarily for several seconds, then he screams with all he had left in lungs: all the pain he has had to swallow and hide since he saw Jaehaerys' head in the sack and, afterwards, his funeral pyre.

He knows there is no time to call for help, and even if there were, who would ever come to his rescue?

Not his mother, that he has disappointed.

Not Aegon, that he should have supported.

Especially not Helaena, that he should have protected.

He will die there, on the floor of his rooms, crushed by the weight of a guilt that no one will ever be able to quieten.

I couldn't have... I couldn't have...

He keeps repeating it, his voice so faint that it disperses among the frantic pounding of his own heart.

He doesn't hear the door to the secret passage opening, nor the rustle of robes, but he still trembles uncontrollably even when he feels the warmth of two arms holding him and bringing him back to reality: it is Helaena, he recognises her by the affection she usually shows him, by the way she holds his head against her shoulder and brushes his damp hair away from his sweaty forehead.

"I'm sorry." he moans, without strength.

"It's not your fault."

"Let the Stranger take me." he adds clasping his dagger to his chest, when Helaena pulls him away to dive her worried gaze into his. "Let me… let me go..."

Helaena just hold him, but Aegon is everything that gentle. He tore the dagger out of his hand and slaps him twice on the cheek, grabbing his chin with rage and forcing him to look at him. In his eyes he has a burning look.

"Look at me, you twat. What the fuck were you thinking? Try it and I'll kick your arse all the way from hell, you hear me? Don't mess with me, Aemond. Whatever it is, don't you dare give up. Get your shit together, that Dragonstone cunt has to pay and I fucking need you. Because it's not your fault."

It's not your fault.

[shellsstardew]

you made me ship shelliot so hard it's not even funny 😭 like normally im not super into rarepairs bc it seems ppl ship them just to ship them but i legit see where you're coming from, especially in the same context as your comic where their story begins after elliot moves in. i actually love your comic i cannot wait for the next part (not trying to pressure you obv). ive never gotten too many hearts with either of them but your characterization just feels so accurate like i feel like I could see your story with their dialogue happening in the game and it wouldn't feel out of place at all. and also finally (oops ive been rambling), your art style isn't overly detailed but the facial expressions/body language/like perspective i guess of the characters, especially shane and elliot on the dock is so well done, the small changes in positioning work so well to communicate the change in their body language and its just really impressive.

sorry i yapped or if it was weird or something i promise i was not trying to come off weird 😭😭😭 i just really admire good fanworks such as yours and it's important to tell authors/creators that they're doing well and yeah

also if you (or anyone else) has any shelliot fic recommendations i would loveee to hear them :>

No but seriously it's so funny that your like "I hope I'm not being weird" meanwhile I reread over and over your super thoughtful message to keep me going 😭

YOU GUYS DON'T REALIZE I NEED THOSE HYPER DETAILED COMPLIMENT or my stupid brain will go like "Okay time to think you're worthless and that what you're doing doesn't matter"

No I can point at the screen and say "See? 👉📱 SEE?! 👉👉📱?" and it's putting another coin in the machine hehe

Anyway, thank you so much 😭

AND YES I HAVE FICS TO RECOMMEND! ONCE AGAIN, @cutethulu you know the drill hehe

Camellia Station, by Awdrey (Explicit - but it's only one short smut scene in the last chapter for now)

Now it's still in progress (updating once a month) and they still didn't smooch yet, but that's what you get when you fall into the Shelliott rabbit hole, hehe, you can't be picky

It's really well written and the author and I have a lot of similarities in our interpretations of Shane and Elliott :) Go give it some love!

Also some one shots by @mongoosingisme that I really love :

Untitled Shelliott Ranch Project

Herding cats (Explicit - Shane/Elliott/fem!farmer)

And UHHH maybe you've seen it already but I wrote one about Shells, it's an alternate ending to part 34 (it's my first one and I'm really proud of it teehee)

Shells, alternate ending, by shells_stardew (Explicit)

Also @visionofthebees wrote this one for me on the same concept :

One Shell of a Night, by Visionofthebees (Explicit)

Be warned it's EXTREMELLY SILLY and she didn't even reread it before posting, but I love it with all my heart it's so so funny hahaha

I love her so imma also recommend her Clint x Elliott fic too (yes yes you read that right, she's 10 degrees further than me on the crack ship scene) :

Falling Ore You (Explicit) (46 chapters, completed)

LISTEN SHE MAKES IT WORK OKAY! SHE REALLY DOES!

And also, check my bookmarks! They are some non-Shelliott stuff that I absolutely love in there! (BUT always ALWAYS check the tags before reading, there is also some dark stuff haha)

Here you go, hope I didn't recommend all the ones you already knew about, as we all know this is not an extremely popular ship so this is what we get, quality over quantity hahahaa 😭

[mythauragame]

Development Update - December 2024

Happy New Year, everyone! We're so excited to be able to start off 2025 with our biggest news yet: we have a planned closed beta launch window of Q1 2026 for Mythaura!

Read on for a recap of 2024, more information about our closed beta period, Ryu expressions, January astrology, and Ko-fi Winter Quarter reward concepts!

2024 Year in Review

Creative

This year, the creative team worked on adding new features, introducing imaginative designs, and refining lore/worldbuilding to enrich the overall experience.

New Beasts and Expressions: All 9 beast expression bases completed for both young and adult with finalized specials for Dragons, Unicorns, Griffins, Hippogriffs, and Ryu.

Mutations, Supers and Specials: Introduced the Celestial mutation as well as new Specials Banding & Merle, and the Super Prismatic.

New Artist: Welcomed Sourdeer to the creative team.

Collaboration and Sponsorship: Sponsored several new companions from our Ko-Fi sponsors—Amaru, Inkminks, Somnowl, Torchlight Python, Belligerent Capygora, and the Fruit-Footeded Gecko.

New Colors: Revealed two eye-catching colors, Canyon (a contest winner) and Porphyry (a surprise bonus), giving players even more variety for their Beasts.

Classes and Gear: Unveiled distinct classes, each with its own themed equipment and companions, to provide deeper roleplay and strategic depth.

Items and Worldbuilding: Created a range of new items—from soulshift coins to potions, rations, and over a dozen fishable species—enriching Mythaura’s economy and interactions.

Star Signs & Astrology: Continued to elaborate on the zodiac-like system, connecting each Beast’s fate to celestial alignments.

Questing & Story Outline: Laid the groundwork for the intro quest pipeline and overarching narrative, ensuring that players’ journey unfolds with purposeful progression.

Code

This year, the development team worked diligently on refining and expanding the codebase to support new features, enhance performance, and improve gameplay experiences. A total 429,000 lines of code changed across both the backend and frontend, reflecting:

New Features: Implementation of systems like skill trees, inventory management, community forums, elite enemies, npc & quest systems, and advanced customization options for Beasts.

Optimizations and Refactoring: Significant cleanup and streamlining of backend systems, such as game state management, passive effects, damage algorithms, and map data structures, ensuring better performance and maintainability.

Map Builder: a tool that allows us to build bespoke maps

Regular updates to ensure compatibility with modern tools and frameworks.

It’s worth noting that line changes alone don’t capture the complexity of programming work. For example:

A single line of efficient code can replace multiple lines of legacy logic.

Optimizing backend systems often involves removing redundant or outdated code without adding new functionality.

Things like added dependencies can add many lines of code without adding much bespoke functionality.

Mythaura Closed Beta

We are so beyond excited to share this information with you here first: Mythaura closed beta is targeted for Q1 2026!

On behalf of the whole team, thank you all so, so much for all of the support for Mythaura over the years. Whether you’ve been around since the Patreon days or joined us after Koa and Sark took over…it’s your support that has gotten this project to where it is. We are so grateful for the faith and trust placed in us, and the opportunity to create something we hope people will truly love and enjoy. This has truly been a collaborative effort with you and we are constantly humbled by all of the thoughtful insights, engaging discussions, and great ideas to come out of this amazing community of supporters.

So: thank you again, it’s been an emotional and amazing journey for the dev team and we’re delighted to join you on your journeys through Mythaura.

Miyazaki Full-Time

Hey everyone, Koa here!

We’re thrilled to share some news about Mythaura’s development! Starting in 2025, Miya will be officially dedicating herself full-time to Mythaura. Her focus will be on bringing even more depth and wonder to the world of Mythaura through content creation, worldbuilding, and building up the brand. It’s a huge step forward, and we’re so excited for the impact her passion and creativity will have on the project!

In addition, I’ve secured 4-day weeks and will be working full-time each Friday to dive deeper into development. This extra push is going to allow us to keep moving steadily forward on both the art and code fronts, and with Miya’s expanded role, the next year of development is looking really promising.

Thank you all for being here and supporting Mythaura every step of the way. We can’t wait to share more as things progress!

Closed Beta FAQ

In the interest of keeping all of the information about our Closed Beta in one place and update as needed, we have added as much information as possible to the FAQ page.

If you have any questions that you can think of, please feel free to reach out to us through our contact form or on Discord!

Winter Quarter (2025) Concepts

It’s the first day of Winter Quarter 2025, which means we’ve got new Quarterly Rewards for Sponsors to vote on on our Ko-fi page!

Which concepts would you like to see made into official site items? Sponsors of Bronze level or higher have a vote in deciding. Please check out the Companion post and the Glamour post on Ko-fi to cast your vote for the winning concepts!

Votes must be posted by January 29, 2025 at 11:59pm PDT in order to be considered.

All Fall 2024 Rewards are now listed in our Ko-fi Shop for individual purchase for all Sponsor levels at $5 USD flat rate per unit. As a reminder, please remember that no more than 3 units of any given item can be purchased. If you purchase more than 3 units of any given item, your entire purchase will be refunded and you will need to place your order again, this time with no more than 3 units of any given item.

Fall 2024 Glamour: Diaphonized Ryu

Fall 2024 Companion: Inhabited Skull

Fall 2024 Solid Gold Glamour: Hippogriff (Young)

NOTE: As covered in the FAQ, the Ko-fi shop will be closing at the end of the year. These will be the last Winter Quarter rewards for Mythaura!

New Super: Zebra

We've added our first new Super to the site since last year's Prismatic: Zebra, which has a chance to occur when parents have the Wildebeest and Banding Specials!

Zebra is now live in our Beast Creator--we're excited to see what you all create with it!

New Expressions: Ryu

The Water-element Ryu has had expressions completed for both the adult and young models. Expressions have been a huge, time-intensive project for the art team to undertake, but the result is always worth it!

Mythauran Astrology: January

The month of January is referred to as Hearth's Embrace, representing the fireplaces kept lit for the entirety of the coldest month of the year. This month is also associated with the constellation of the Glassblower and the carnelian stone.

Mythaura v0.35

Refactored "Beast Parties" into "User Parties," allowing non-beast entities like NPCs to be added to your party. NPCs added to your party will follow you in the overworld, cannot be made your leader, and will make their own decisions in combat.

Checkpoint floor functionality ironed out, allowing pre-built maps to appear at specific floor intervals.

The ability to set spawn and end coordinates in the map builder was added to allow staff to build checkpoint floors.

Various cleanups and refactors to improve performance and reduce the number of queries needed to run certain operations.

Added location events, which power interactable objects in the overworld, such as a lootable chest or a pickable bush.

Thank You!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of the post, we always look forward to sharing our month's work with all of you--thank you for taking the time to read. We'll see you around the Discord.

[m4rried2the-moon]

( 𝙋𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝘼 𝙋𝙄𝘾 ) 𓇢𓆸 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 & 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨

🪷🪞✨ blessings and lessons for taurus season

hello ! know this is a late time coming (sorry T_T) but this is what you may have learned this taurus season and what blessings you have or are going to receive <3

please listen to your intuition carefully and take only what resonates !

pile one 𓇢𓆸

blessings: three of coins, eight of cups, six of swords/the magician

lessons: eight of wands, ten of pentacles, ace of pentacles

the blessings you have/will receive this taurus season are collaboration with important people, getting asked for important and regarded highly in your endeavors. your blessings can also look like you taking what you know and using it to your advantage. seeing that you are being given the strength to leave situations that no longer serve you. there is an energy of 'master manifestor' with this forward movement, you are leaving behind situations that you may regret or feel guilty for this transition but you know you're receiving better.

lessons for you, pile one, are of knowing you are supported by the universe when you make decisions for yourself. you are learning that the stability that you seek is within you and you can create quite literally anything to your heart's desire. you may have received an opportunity for growth and messages of fruition from past efforts. overall you are learning that with hard work and self-love, your wildest dreams are at your fingertips.

pile two 𓇢𓆸

blessings: nine of pentacles, page of wands/ace of wands, the moon

lessons: five of wands, the lovers, three of swords, four of swords

blessings for you, pile two, may look like you coming into your own in the way of self-sufficiency and doing sh*t on your own. green lights ahead for any projects you've been wanting to start or finding new ones. inspiration is one of your gifts this Taurus season, you may also find this thriving energy to move you out of fear and paranoia. you are no longer subject to but the overruler of your inner world.

lessons this taurus season are centered around taking challenges in stride, combatting against ideas that do not fit your growth and progress. this cycle could also be teaching you to commit to your deepest wishes and go after what you want. you cannot allow heartbreak to stop you from being where you want to be. untie the blindfold, get a new perspective and step around what's "blocking" you.

pile three 𓇢𓆸

blessings: five of pentacles, king of cups, page of swords, judgement

lessons: seven of swords, three of wands, three of cups

blessings for you this taurus season, pile three, look like getting out of the cold of financial/emotional/mental poverty. you are looking at your life and how far you've come with an emotional maturity that is overtaking you recently. you are aware of what has lead to thinking less of yourself/circumstances and found a way to expand your emotional field to be a better friend to yourself. to look at your life and what you're building with more hope. this could even look like good news about something you've been wanting to start but have pessimistic about due to delays.

lessons for this season is to go easier on yourself when it comes to your ambitions and what you've worked hard for. these blessings sneak up on you like a surprise party and while you have been led on this entire time, you find that you are being celebrated at the end of the day. why? because your effort has amounted to exactly what you thought it would! so take it easy on your hopes

thank you for reading ! hope this helped and you got what you needed ! pls don't forget to like & reblog <3

[tamamatango]

(Lack of) Anime News Update: Sadly, I was right to be skeptical

THEY TOOK ALL MY COPIUM

A few months ago, a rumor emerged about the new Keroro anime project being a series in 2025 and a movie in 2026. I did a longer write-up on it here, but the tl;dr is that I said there was a chance due to the usual reliability of the leaker but that it could also be a misinterpretation of another source. I leaned toward more likely than not (hopium perhaps), but I did advise caution and to not strictly take it at face value.

I guess that was the right call because, well, here we are mid-February. The spring anime season starts in about a month and a half. And…no official news. Zip. Nada. The waiting game continues, it seems.

So, what was that Oizaki quote about? We don’t have hard confirmation, but my guess is that the spring 2025 series part was about a completely different seasonal anime Oizaki is directing set to begin in April. (Yes really I know the premise sounds ridiculous but it’s an adaptation of a light novel, sky’s the limit with those things.) This was revealed back in December. As for what the movie is, it seems to be still unknown. My guess is either an original project or something involving Kaleido Star, which also had a major anniversary recently. The interpretation of the Japanese that the series and movie were connected was in hindsight a mistake, but I wasn’t the only one to propose that reading, and it could’ve gone either way. Gotta love/hate ambiguity.

I could go more into how I think this mix-up happened but then I’d have to talk about twitter anime leaker drama, and while I am unfortunately pretty knowledgable about this subject, it is not fun to talk or read about so I’ll spare you the details. The main conclusion I have is that this account was not deliberately trying to trick anyone and rather just made an assumption and reported the info before actually checking against the evidence because they really wanted to be fast and get interactions, especially because a perceived to be competing account reported a less sensationalized, more accurate version a few minutes before. SugoiLite’s sources aren’t usually publicly visible but this time they pretty much played themselves.

What does this mean for Keroro, then? Personally I still think there will be a series (for reasons I explained in my post from last spring about the whole reveal) and I still think it will be this year, but in either summer or fall. That will have been at maximum a year and a half after the announcement (summer season starts in July, fall in October), which gives it a pretty standard anime production time, assuming the teaser trailer was released during early production. As for the movie? There’s not as strong of a reason to speculate that happening, but next year is the 20th anniversary of Movie 1, so the timing would line up pretty well. That’s just based on vibes, though, rather than any evidence at this time.

Look, I’d be pleased as punch for the Keroro PR account to prove me wrong tomorrow, but I’m quite confident that we lost the coin flip on this one. Before you get too down in the dumps, don’t forget that two major dates are around the corner: AnimeJapan in late March, closely followed by the next anniversary on April 3. I think we will see some kind of preview or at least a progress update around that time. If not…then maybe I’ll start worrying a bit about the chances of it making this year, but we’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. So hold onto your butts for just a little while longer! I think!

[bearloonz]

is there any lore you can share about your little toy ocs? theyre so cute

theyre a part of a little personal project ive wanted to make!! Ive been toying with (ahaha) the idea of making a video game :—] nothing big, just something simple but more than i usually do when it comes to my art. Something that gives me an end product to work for, a creative process to work through. its just a little story about Romeo (pink clown fella) learning how to exist around other people again.

Its still a long ways and a new adhd med prescription away from any proper progress. But, i think ive finally condensed down something id want to create. It’s very tailored to me, brightly colored, toy-like character designs, character focused and introspective and shit. After a long time watching myself trip and fall as i fail to commit to things or lose interest in them very quickly, this project is half an art thing and half a psychological thing as i try to see what makes my brain tick and what it takes to give me something I can really chew on.

thats all mostly creative rambling though . In truth these guys dont have Much going for them yet. Im not a huge oc guy and also my brain is weird so it takes time for me to settle on stories for characters. But! I can give you a little fun detail and that is the toys theyre based on :—]

Dear > full body puppet suit

catch > old boxy toy robot

Lace > jack-in-the-box

Romeo > ball-jointed porcelain (clown) doll

Poppy > gumball machine

Benny > sticky slap hand toy u get from a coin machine or an arcade prize counter yk

Sinclair > wooden puppet

Lionel > teddy bear :)

also heres some doodles of Romeo at their job :) they work at a craft store

[rhubarbplants]

Thoughts on the corruption in Pangi's house

(aka the Rhubarb making everything about Coin Duo show)

I have thoughts about the corruption in Pangi's house on the realm. Because if I remember correctly that wasn't where Pangi planted the corruption, that was in the therapy house. This house is newer, its the house he build with Ros so I have two theories about why so much corruption is growing there but not anywhere else.

The corruption started growing soon after Pedro was saved. This means it was after Pangi got back from the Null and the conflict with Pili2 was well underway and Lukey was already a somewhat established member of the realm.

There are two possibilities that are possible but aren't really my favorite's that I will outline first. The first is that the corruption is simply coming from Pangi himself. This is his house after all, the corruption sort of seems to be spreading from his bed. It is possible that the corruption spreads from his body to the house as he sleeps. The other theory is that the corruption is originating from Lukey as he is the one who built the cat tree for Pangi and Pedro and it coincides with when Lukey arrived though it doesn't really make any sense that Lukey would be the source of the corruption.

I personally like to view the corruption in Pangi's house as somewhat symbolic of his relationship with Ros. In the days immediately following the null, if I remember correctly, there was no corruption. It was not until Pangi chose to defend Lukey when Ros was saying she heard his voice in the Null that the corruption started to grow.

Pangi and Ros built that house together. When they were at their closest, spending hours at a time by each other's sides. It is a joint project. Also its not really where Pangi spends most of his time and I don't even think its where he has his spawn set. So while its not really the most important to Pangi its really representative for Coin Duo's relationship.

After Lukey arrived and Ros and Pangi sort of repaired their relationship the corruption stopped growing. That was until recently when they fought and are no longer on good terms. And now all of a sudden the corruption has started growing again. I would have to do more research about when the corruption in his house has spread to be sure but I do think it might have something to do with the two of them.

It just feels notable that Ros and Pangi are the two people most affected by the corruption (perhaps barring Pili) and the place on the server that is most affected by the corruption is the house they built together. Its certainly something I will be keeping an eye on as things progress and I would love to hear from others if you have any ideas about this!

[blisteryfingers]

Thoughts about Les Mis Châtelet, in no particular order. Pic dump included.

Things I loved:

- The production design and staging were absolutely breathtaking. Even though it was minimalistic set, they really did some phenomenal job with the projections, lighting, and clever juxtaposition. It really felt you missed nothing from the more elaborate set at all. The official pics really don’t do it justice. You just have to see it in person.

- Eponine was one of the best I’ve seen. I also enjoyed the Thénardiers.

- The costumes were so well-thought out! Apparently there were more than 220 costumes created for 40 characters. Being a Javert girlie (gender neutral), my absolute favourite was Javert. He nailed this look (even with the hands behind his back thing!)

- Javert joined the finale! He even approached Valjean and gave him a handshake.

- Stars was beautiful and magical especially the staging effects. Javert walked up one of the raised sets that was made to look like a balcony. As the song progressed, the lights dimmed, plunging him into darkness, while projections in front and behind him began to glitter. It was a dazzling sight, as though he was floating in space, among the stars. I would want to watch the show again just for that.

Things I didn’t like/on the fence about:

- I’m not too invested in any of the singers, even though on a technical level they were amazing. But apart from Éponine, I wasn’t really feeling as emotional as I expected to from a Les Mis production. To be fair, I was also distracted because my seat had a huge column that blocked a fair part of my line of sight.

- The choice to have both Javert and Valjean be bald…..they frankly looked like twins up there on the stage. Not sure if I like it. I appreciate the whole idea of them being two sides of the same coin, both representing Vidocq, etc…..still. Kinda took me out of it especially in the Confrontation.

- Another side effect of the baldness: it makes Valjean looking approximately the same age throughout the whole story, and it took real strength of willpower to believe this virile looking man was on his deathbed at the end. Also makes Bring Him Home less poignant as well. (ps this was called Comme Un Homme/Like A Man in the French, which I have a lot of thoughts about but…well, it’s the original lyrics so I’ll refrain from commenting)

Then, again, as a Valvert girlie (gender neutral) I just have a very high expectation out of the portrayals of these characters. I do appreciate and like a lot of what they achieved, however!

Fun fact the woman next to me was crying throughout the show, so maybe I would’ve felt more emotional if I was French 😆

Here are a few behind the scenes pictures.

[luludomardraws]

Hello weirdos.

Welcome to my weird as hell blog.

Fandoms that I usually go through:

SMG4 Murder drones; My little pony; Kirby; Miraculous; FNF; Mickey mouse; The owl house; Chikin nugget; Poppy playtime; Animator vs animation/Minecraft; Undertale AUs; Sonic comics; My singing monsters;

Projects in progress:

none

OCs:

DO NOT ACCEPT

Any kind of prejudgment

Fetish

NSFW

Toxic ships

Another thing:

I don't do commissions because I am only sixteen and don't know how to make dollars Change to Real (Brazil's coin)

[silvernyxchariot]

Hi :)

Please can i request headcanons of Kaveh x an artist reader who loves painting/drawing cute portraits of Kaveh <3 I love the image of Kaveh obsessing over each individual one

Kaveh x GN,Artist!Reader

⚠️Okokokok, I’m gonna get a little sappy in there, but is fine. It can be fluff if you want.

The architect is ecstatic to have someone with which he can share his own artistic ideals with, unlike with a “…certain Scribe who dismisses the value of artistry.” Yes, he said that with a sneer. Although it’s not the exact same as his work, buildings and inanimate objects he pours his soul into, he appreciates the detail you give in drawing people, other creatures.

To Kaveh, you see people. Kaveh admires that you show people’s identity through your work. In a world ruled by mora ($$$), hard coin, you show the world these people have individuality. To him, your art is that moment when you walk through a museum and find YOUR piece; the one that will make you stop and sit there for hours admiring it.

When it comes to your works about him, he’s more insecure than he lets on. “Oh! You’ve taken note of all my best features. The lighting, the angle, it just shows how determined I am,” are some of the things that he would say. But deep down, he wonders if you saw how tired he was that day or if you omitted any wrinkles he has developed.

It’s not that Kaveh doesn’t appreciate your gifts, he appreciates every little doodle and portrait you have of him. He admires them with you sitting in his lap, his head resting on yours (if you’re significantly shorter than him or otherwise on your shoulder) and Mehrak is looking over his shoulder, almost as if his floating briefcase were truly alive. You are the embodiment of beauty and goodness in his eyes.

Al Haitham notes that Kaveh has a collection of your works in a chest in his room. It doesn’t get lost in the clutter because Kaveh purchased a very distinct chest with a color scheme and design that reminded him of you.

On occasion, Kaveh will invite you on one of his expeditions, mainly within the forest areas of Sumeru for inspiration. This man cannot withstand the heat. He WILL complain each second, you’re out there or convince you not to go out into the desert with flattery, says something cheesy like, “But you are my muse.” And then, he places a padisarah behind your ear.

When Kaveh feels particularly empty, out of motivation, or dealing with a rough client, you can find him in the Mausoleum of King Deshret, his comfort spot from his hang out. He’s suddenly forgot his discomfort traveling through the desert to come out and draw, sketch, and distract himself. Seeing you when you follow him out there, he invites you to stay and camp with him under the starry sky and shares a blanket with you as you stay close to the fire that illuminates your drawings.

Although the last drafts of his newest project are done and the two of you can return home, he withholds this judgment. As you sketch him, who is distracted with his "work," he looks up and sketches you. It’s a silent moment yet comfortable feeling, and the two of you are always alternating looking at each other for reference. On the off occasion the two of you make eye contact, Kaveh will laugh, feeling that you two are on the same wavelength and will share with you his progress of your portrait. He will often say that your portraits are more accurate than his own because you capture the life of your subject, something that he claims to be rusty at.

A/N: Someone requested HC from me… 😯 I dunno how to deal with this./j

[theoraclenextdoor]

trick or treat: what’s coming your way this month? pick a pile reading 🦇  

with less than 15 days until halloween, let’s check-in. reach into the candy bowl and let’s see what tricks (challenges) and treats (blessings) are available for you this month. close your eyes and take a deep breath. now pick your pile.

pile i | pile ii | pile iii

all images from pinterest, dividers from @saradika-graphics

2023-2024. ©️ the oraclenextdoor. all rights reserved.

Pile One:

pile one, lately, it seems you’ve been deeply involved with your emotions, spending time navigating them as you work diligently on a project. you’ve likely been committed to this for quite some time, and the good news is that your hard work is leading to something lasting. this month, your efforts will be rewarded. however, there’s a major change you’re resisting. i see that it’s manifesting physically— whether through headaches, people literally getting in your way, or obstacles like being blocked from getting to work. there’s something within you that needs to shift, but your fear is holding you back. i sense that you’re avoiding this change because it reminds you of something you’ve been through before—something that hurt, something you fear might crush you again. but this fear is slowing down the momentum that’s trying to come through for you.

right now, you’re so guarded that this change can’t reach you. you don’t know exactly what’s coming, only that it feels scary. it’s okay to be afraid, but don’t let it stop you. walk with your fear. that’s the theme of this month: leaning into what scares you. step into the fear, pile one, while the choice is still yours. remember that “worst possible moment,” and recall how you moved through it. you’re not the same person you were back then—you’re stronger now, wiser. and even if something similar were to happen (though it won’t), trust that you’re far more equipped to handle it.

your treat is that things are progressing all on their own, with or without your permission. just keep putting in your effort, and let the rest unfold. the trick? that major change that you’re resisting. face it head-on. 🎃 

tarot cards: page of cups, eight of coins, ten of coins, two of wands, five of coins, three of wands, four of wands, the tower rx, the moon, eight of wands rx, the chariot

confirmation: princess— or prince’s— treatment, panera bread, the princess diaries, anne hathaway, phineas and ferb, bird watching, “three cheers,” pumpkin patches 

Pile Two:

you’ll know this pile is for you because it’s going to resonate in a way that feels long overdue. i almost had a hard time reading your energy—it feels like you’ve been quite protective of it, maybe even a little selfish with it. every card i pulled for you came out reversed, except for one advice card pulled separately. when this happens, we can flip the cards upright to reveal both an internal and external message.

pile two, there’s something you deeply desire, but up until now, whether it’s due to limiting beliefs, a lack of true faith, or being too caught up in the “how,” you haven’t fully opened yourself to receiving it. at some point, you even gave up trying. that brought a sense of relief, but it’s a false comfort. it’s easy to pretend you don’t want something until you’re reminded of just how badly you do.

i can see you’ve been going through a rough period, and you need to give yourself credit for how you’ve continued to show up. and by “showing up,” i don’t mean giving 100% every single day. it’s about doing what you can with the energy you have, and that’s worth celebrating. like i mentioned, you’ve been a bit guarded, likely because of everything you’ve been through. but here’s the thing—you’re also blocking yourself off from abundance by holding on so tightly. you know what you want, you know what success feels like, and you’ve got the energy to make it happen. what you lack is belief in yourself.

this month, your treat will come in the form of learning from others. someone close to you is going to achieve something that you’ve been wanting for yourself, and you’ll get a front-row seat to how they did it. this will give you the perspective and the missing pieces you need to reach your own desires. the trick is, you’ll have to keep your eyes open and be willing to learn. i see this lesson coming from a source you might not have expected—maybe even someone you’ve overlooked or underestimated. don’t let your pride stop you from taking this lesson in. if you do, this opportunity might slip right past you.

the phineas and ferb episode “last train to bustville” comes to mind. you’re candace in that episode. give it a watch this week and laugh at yourself a little (or a lot). it doesn’t always have to be so serious. 🖤 

tarot cards: eight of swords, three of swords, seven of wands, the emperor, king of wands, nine of coins, ten of cups, ace of wands, the lovers, three of coins

confirmation: dune, seeing doubles, sweater weather by the neighborhood, chappell ron, love songs on the rain, chloë grace moretz, beetlejuice beetlejuice

Pile Three

this is my spooky pile. someone has shown up for you, personally, pile three. this is an entirely channeled message. i actually started with this reading first even though i knew you’d be the third pile. and as someone who prefers order, it was a little weird. i get the feeling you’re hoping to mix things up this month, and this is the right time for it. this month, your talents lie in the possibilities that surround you. your treat is a wish you’ve recently made— one that’s bound to come true. i feel like some of you are rolling your eyes, calling this message cheesy. lately, i’d be inclined to agree. but the veil is so thin in october. this transformation will either come from inspiration or desperation. disbelief, doubt, and fear will trigger the latter. believe in yourself (and me), just once, and you’ll be surprised by what comes your way. as for your wish, i’m hearing something to do with “soundcloud, alarm clocks, and tinder”? i’m also getting new girl vibes. 

as for your trick— your challenge— it’s really your own mind. your cynicism has been off the charts lately and i feel as if you’ve been closed off for the majority of this reading. but that’s okay. the best person equipped to deal with your negativity is you. if you’re into musicals, have you heard the ‘epic’ saga by jorge rivera herrans? 

you’ll see the beginnings of this by or around mid-november. keep me in the loop and happy halloween 👻 

tarot cards: none, this was a channeled message.

confirmation: black cats, seeing joker in theaters, religious subtexts or undertones, “like moths to a flame”, mr. robot, water fountains by restaurants or by grocery stores 

[m4rried2the-moon]

⁽ 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘤 ⁾ 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩?

hello again! it’s been a min, this reading is to give guidance, a sign that you’re headed in the right direction and where that direction could lead.

please only take what resonates, listen to your intuition closely. don’t second guess that gut feeling!

pile 1 - nine of cups, four of coins, ace of swords, queen of swords (bottom: king of swords)

did you even need anymore proof, pile one? from the looks of it, you are holding onto your dreams/beliefs/truth like a a sword. cutting away anything that seems fallible. so are you on the right path, pile one? yes, and you are charging valiantly into what looks like recognition, success, and confidence that truly inspires (seven/six of coins). your progress is becoming more visible everyday, along with your assurance in this project. there’s not a lot of doubt here either, so i see that this path may be going so smoothly (getting heavy magician card energy from you guys; just effortless master manifestor energy). so you may veery well be in the know (maybe even deeply intuitive person) and you’re well on your way to receiving exactly what your working towards, remain vigilant and keep going!

pile 2 - seven of cups, page of cups, ace of wands, five of wands, eight of swords (bottom: the fool)

doubts and illusion is melting, pile two, and your trust is the warmth. you’ve taken a emotional risk of some kind, whether that’s stepping out to pursue a passion or person, you’ve invested in a path that leads to freedom on a deep level. haven’t felt this good in a while, huh, pile two? well, the good news any fear surrounding this is disappearing too, only giving you more clarity on how fulfilling this new opportunity truly is. and you seem to be giving into the promise of pleasure, as you should. this path seems intimidating but i’m seeing taking it leads to something fresh that you may not expect. if this is the right path for you, you seem to be trusting your intentions and going full throttle with the energy/excitement the universe has given you, so yes and the universe is literally supporting you! so excited for you, pile two! woohoo and congrats

pile 3 - six of swords, king of wands, seven of wands, six of coins, two of cups, page of cups (bottom: five of cups)

where else is there to go but forward, pile three? i see that behind you may be hurt and devastation from a trauma you’ve suffered earlier or recently. you haven’t let it break you though, you’re being guided by a sense of wanting to discover an emotional openness and divinely gifted sensitivity. through this pain, you’ve prioritized your own healing and it’s a heavy energy right now but not totally negative. it’s apparent that your path is towards not only your own healing but a much happier outcome contrasted from whatever you been through before. there’s a chance of emotional reciprocity from taking this path, and it makes sense seeing that you’re being guided by this strength of sheer hope and spiritual rawness. please, remember bad times don’t last forever, pile three, and wherever you’re headed next will revitalize you and even elevate your status from wherever you are now. with that in mind, i would say you’re going exactly where you need to, good luck and blessings, pile three!

that’s it for now, hope this helped and you got everything you needed <3 please remember to like/reblog!