#webs of fate

[hydropyro]

I looked and didn’t find any of this pair

Abdirak (&/?) Zevlor WIP chapter for WoF

Abdirak considered his options for a moment before he uncoiled the Scourge at his hip. He could find a cane or a switch — he certainly did not want to damage the man before the long road ahead — but as he ran a hand over the Hellrider’s bare shoulder and felt the thick, almost leathery skin, he felt more at ease. The man could take more than the average person.

Zevlor swallowed audibly as Abdirak moved around him, examining him where he knelt on the stone floor, his hands clasped behind him as he had been instructed.

“Contrary to what I believe you were hoping for — this is not a punishment.” Abdirak ran his hand under the tiefling’s jaw and lifted his face to meet his eyes just a moment before he moved around the other shoulder. “You have not done anything to warrant punishment — and certainly not anything for which I am an authority to prescribe punishing.

“When was the last time you cried, Commander?”

Zevlor flinched at the question and his lip curled in a distasteful grimace. “I’m not a commander anymore—”

Abdirak came in front of him and caught his jaw in a rough grasp, lifting his head again and glaring down at him. “I did not ask, Commander. What I asked was when you last cried. When did you last allow yourself to grieve?”

[hydropyro]

1. Born and raised in Menzoberranzan — second son of a lower Noble House.

2. Father is unknown definitively. Good relationship with mother.

3. Standard education for drow noble males. Did well. Wasn’t best of his peers but was promising. Intended on climbing the ranks by being chosen as a mate by a higher house.

4. Never had time for hobbies. Before the tadpole he was working to best serve his House. After the tadpole he is still figuring out who he is. He leans heavily on his companions.

5. He had duties for his House but never needed to ‘make ends meet’.

6. His House was blessed with many girls so his only brother is much older than him. Best childhood memories are of lessons from his brother.

7. Unalived himself out of guilt and was brought back to serve Kelemvor as his cleric.

8. Nothing steady or formal. Most social interactions between houses were entirely political, including those of a sexual nature.

9. He was never ‘taken’. He was placed on board. He was to serve under Minthara Baere. He was not supposed to have woken up on the ship and so wasn’t supposed to know about the tadpoles. Despite learning of the Ilithid parasites, he continued with his mission — driven by a desire to serve his House and impress the Baenre’s

10. Fighting. Yes.

11. Emotions. Definitely

12. Currently not a good one. After Lolth and then the whole issue with the Absolute he would rather avoid gods. Kelemvor was good to him, but even he used him as a tool. Alakvyr is not opposed to participating in worship of Loviatar with Abdirak, but is not interested in becoming a Loviatan.

13. Everything about the surface is wonderful and terrifying. The wilderness moreso because civilisation tends to follow familiar structures that are easier to adapt to with his own experience, whereas surface wild vs Underdark wild are entirely different.

14. Other than the blatant racism, he likes it

15. He was resurrected to serve Kelemvor with the express purpose of destroying the Absolute. In game he romanced Lae’zel, though that is not canon for his story.

16. He used to feel indifferent. He believed that he was superior to most and that he had the right to kill due to his might or for Lolth. But the first time he actually experienced killing during the Grove Raid he felt awful and unalived himself out of guilt. As a cleric of Kelemvor he is expected to avoid unnatural death and only likes to kill if necessary.

17. Very good. Thus is the way of noble drow. He is apathetic to it.

18. Purposelessness

19. A purpose

20. Raiding the Grove

21. Unsure. He loves a man who cannot fully dedicate himself

22. Canon: Abdirak, detailed in “Webs of Fate” and “Blessed Agony”. In game: Lae’zel. He eventually becomes close to Astarion platonically after a very rocky beginning

23. Skip

24. Stoic/scary/drow

25. Unbothered. The reputation drow have isn’t necessarily undeserved — and he in particular is not guiltless

26. No, though he did ‘borrow’ something from Abdirak when he went away so he wouldn’t miss him.

27. Fine. It’s what he was trained to do

28. Depends on the pressure. Physical pressure: fine. Emotional pressure: not good

29. Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes.

30. Find a purpose

30 Questions for your Tav

These questions can be used as an Ask Game or just answering them all for fun character development!

(Dark Urge edition here)

What was your Tav’s place of birth and raising like?

What relationship did your Tav have with their family/guardian(s) growing up? Has that changed with age?

Did your Tav receive any formal or informal education? If yes, how well did they learn? If no, why not?

What hobbies does your Tav have? How did they acquire these interests?

Did your Tav have any formal or informal employment? If yes, what was their job? If no, how did they make ends meet? How did they feel about it?

What is your Tav’s favourite childhood memory?

What circumstances led to your Tav becoming their Class/Subclass?

Did your Tav have any romantic and/or sexual relationships prior to their illithid adventure? If yes, who was it with and what was it like? If no, how did they feel about being single?

What was your Tav doing when they were taken by the mind flayers?

What would your Tav consider to be their greatest skill? Is this accurate?

What would your Tav consider to be their greatest flaw? Is this accurate?

What opinion does your Tav have about the Gods?

How does your Tav feel about the wilderness?

How does your Tav feel about the city?

What motivates your Tav to either embrace or resist the tadpole?

How does your Tav feel about killing?

How good of a liar is your Tav? How do they feel about lying?

What is your Tav’s greatest fear?

What is your Tav’s greatest desire?

What is your Tav’s greatest regret?

How does your Tav feel about love?

Has your Tav become particularly close to anyone romantically and/or platonically in their journey? If so, who, and what is the relationship like? If no, why not?

What are 2-3 songs that your Tav would relate to?

What first impression does your Tav give off to strangers?

How does your Tav feel about what others think of them?

Does your Tav have a treasured item with them? If yes, what is it and why is it special? If no, how do they feel about item sentimentality in general?

How does your Tav feel about giving and receiving orders?

How well does your Tav function under pressure?

What advice would you give to your Tav?

What are your Tav’s intentions/goals after the end of the game?

[itsmeimcathy]

faust (1858) by charles gounod | le fantôme de l'opèra (1910) by gaston leroux | wuthering heights (1939) by william wyler | la belle et la bête (1947) by jean cocteau | labyrinth (1986) by jim henson | van helsing (2004) by stephen sommers | the phantom of the opera (2004) by joel schumacher | crimson peak (2014) by guillermo del toro | consumed (2014) by david cronenberg | nosferatu (2024) by robert eggers

[flabbergastedpigeon]

taylor hebert from Worm, who's done absolutely nothing wrong in her life ever

I'm only at 10.x so no spoilers, please!!

[gothicrepetitions]

MARY, SAM AND THE HUNTER'S LIFE, THE FAMILY BUSINESS: on getting out and coming back

[figurecollection]

Figure Maniacs vol.18: Saber (Artoria Pendragon) Garage Kit by T's System, from Fate/Hollow Ataraxia

Merchant Garage Kit by T's System, from Ragnarok Online

[jynmelshian]

season 1 episode 11 / season 2 episode 11

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: annual energies and relationship milestones

my best friend is newly engaged, as i said recently, which has inspired me to focus a little more focused on love and romance posts than you typically would see from me. i previously covered annual energies and some broad themes associated with them, so i thought lets look a bit more at the romantic themes seeing that it's over a year later (since that post) and i have seen WAY more webs at this point and picked up on some other trends.

something to keep in mind though - these are COMMON energy markers, any of this can happen any year. these are just the best case scenarios in my opinion.

for instance you can get married in a 22 year, but i feel like it may not last long term or it might be an elopement that upsets the couple and those around them long term...

or you could have a baby in a 12 year but need a c-section.

just some examples. by no means should you feel limited by what i say below!

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

let's get to it!

energies that indicate meeting your person

3 (the empress): finding a relationship where both people feel nurtured. it's a loving connection with a great potential to become something beautiful. this is a connection where you can dream about a life and a family together.

5 (the hierophant): meeting someone who shares your values and beliefs. this often leads to a conventional, committed relationship, often marriage.

6 (the lovers): friends to lovers energy for sure - it starts with simple conversations and evolves into love. it more often than not leads to meaningful and deep connections.

10 (the wheel of fortune): suggests that meeting your future spouse / person could be a part of your destiny, often through unexpected or "serendipitous" events.

17 (the star): the relationship is blessed/guided by a higher power. destiny seems to bring you both together. you can sleep well knowing you're on the right path and that the universe is bring you a significant relationship.

19 (the sun): a connection will bring happiness, warmth, and a sense of completeness.

21 (the world): finding a partner with whom you feel whole, a sense of completion, and/or a deep understanding. this leads to a long-term, potentially lifelong partnership.

energies that indicate moving in together

4 (the emperor): moving in together often requires a stable and organized environment, which aligns with the themes of the energy such as establishing a solid foundation and practical arrangements.

5 (the hierophant): moving in together can be seen as following milestones in a relationship leading towards a more traditional or serious commitment (like shared housing).

7 (the chariot): directly linked to movement and travel. represents taking control of one's life and moving forward, which can include physically moving to a new home or location.

energies that indicate becoming engaged

4 (the emperor): suggests that a relationship is entering a phase of solid commitment, usually it's the formalizing of a bond through engagement if that is the next phase of commitment in terms of your relationship.

5 (the hierophant): suggesting that a relationship is moving toward a more traditional and committed phase - if you are in a relationship, it is likely that the next step will be an engagement.

6 (the lovers): this energy is all about love, union, and making choices that align with one's heart. it can symbolize making a significant commitment, like being engaged.

11 (justice): there is a desire to make things official, usually this is an engagement leading to marriage. this is the most common marker i see in the years where people get engaged to one another.

19 (the sun): suggests a joyous occasion, like getting engaged, where both parties feel a sense of fulfillment and happiness surrounding their future together (there might be a large engagement party to celebrate).

21 (the world): signifies reaching a milestone. it can indicate that a couple is ready to complete one phase of their relationship and move into the next one, like engagement.

energies that indicate a wedding/marriage

4 (the emperor): often this is a sign of "securing" the partnership, which can extend to the formality and structure of marriage.

5 (the hierophant): represents tradition, societal norms, and formal ceremonies. this energy can signify a traditional marriage or commitment in the eyes of the community/law, suggesting a formal union. all of the events of a wedding are ticked off: engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette, bachelor, rehearsal, ceremony, reception, send off, and honeymoon.

6 (the lovers): the union of two individuals. it doesn’t always spell out marriage ceremony, but it often comes up in the context of a relationship oriented commitment.

11 (justice): this can indicate making things official through marriage.

13 (death): this could be a symbol of a brand new era in your relationship (aka marriage).

19 (the sun): this energy can symbolize the happiness and celebration of a wedding, suggesting that marriage will bring joy and fulfillment to the couple.

20 (judgment): like 13, this could be a symbol of a brand new era in your relationship (aka marriage).

21 (the world): indicates that a partnership has reached a stage where marriage feels like the natural and fulfilling next step. symbolized a long-term commitment.

energies that indicate having a child

2 (the high priestess): often this energy shows up when a couple has been trying to no avail to become pregnant and suddenly does. this is because this energy signifies hidden or secret aspects of life (like the early stages of pregnancy). the energy is also connected to the moon and other feminine mysteries.

3 (the empress): the most obvious energy linked to pregnancy and fertility - it symbolizes motherhood, creation, and nurturing. there is a strong possibility of pregnancy in these years

17 (the star): symbolizes hope. this is a time of fertility and holds the possibility for new beginnings. may suggest a blessing or a dream come true (becoming pregnant after a period of trying or waiting).

18 (the moon): deals with cycles (ovulation), intuition, and hidden aspects of life. like 2 energy (but more common in the outer ring) this energy signifies the mystery of pregnancy and the feminine cycles. sometimes i see this in the ring where people weren't trying and tested negative or they don't show (physically or publicly) when pregnant.

19 (the sun): can signify a healthy, happy pregnancy, and the birth of a child (come on it's a kid on a horse). suggesting a positive outcome (you test positive hCG on the stick or with blood).

20 (judgment): suggests the arrival of a new life / the transformative experience of becoming a parent. this could also be a positive sign for couples looking to adopt or foster a child (as it could be a sudden and somewhat unexpected change of events (the list is often long)).

21 (the world): symbolizes the completion of a cycle, such as successfully conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term (if not beyond the "due date"). can represent the fulfillment that comes with creating life.

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[hydropyro]

Ship Tag

Thanks for the tag @firlionemoontav

I’ll tag @ankhegs-in-my-salad, @insanefan, @m-u-n-c-h-y, @tavyliasin

Ship 1: Hellweave

Ship 2: Alakdirak

[saltair-and-webweaves]

One single thread of gold tied me to you

past lives, børns/you had me at hello, mhairi mcfarlane/elektra, sophocles/the wedding date (2005)/invisible string, taylor swift/walking home, marie howe/robert james waller/ @billypotts /@hermoonlit-world /call me maybe, carly rae jepsen/invisible string, taylor swift

requested here

[the-cassandriad]

i've not written poetry in years (i'm more of a novelist) but i allowed myself some cassandra thoughts (as a treat). i actually had a lot of fun with this and i'm desperate to do more with the idea in the future so we will see.

inspired obviously by my own muses, @two-bees-poetry for the brilliant contrapuntal poems about greek myth, and anne carson, specifically when she talks about cassandra's speech being split in two and her bridging of past and future!

more of my logic in the tags because i'm annoying!

[oscahpitlane]

something so fun about them getting the same award at the same place on the same day, just in different divisions

which is also the same cup lando had his 481 kart

[lesbiansagainsttheatre]

in bed, in love

that's enough, let's get you home, will wood / au lit: le bassier (in bed: the kiss), henri de toulous-lautrec / dust and ashes, natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812 / le sommiel (the sleepers), gustave courbet / fool's fate, robin hobb / memorial to a marriage, patricia cronin / being alive, company / le lit (the bed), henri de toulouse-lautrec

[figurecollection]

[hydropyro]

Thanks for the tag @tavyliasin :)

I will also put a cut in for length :D I am going to use your musing and do the first Paragraph, as often a single sentence can not really set the scene well enough to warrant deep thought or analysis.

1. It was not unusual for him to have been invited to travel and give lessons on his ministrations. Nor was it unusual for his holy work to be — misunderstood — by those extending the invitations. He enjoyed the calls from healers and the like who sought his Maiden’s guidance and gifts through his skilled hands. He did not so much enjoy the requests from thieves and butchers and torturers who hoped he could use his gifts to procure information and secure uncouth deals.

Webs of Fate (Abdirak is a companion Abdirak/Tav) starts out SFW

2. Alakvyr followed Abdirak through the darkened halls of the temple. Though he was not fond of them, Alakvyr had visited a few of the various temples to Loviatar in the year that he had followed the Pain around Faerûn. They were each incredibly unique — and yet unmistakable.

Chaperone — Chapter from Webs of Fate (Abdirak/Tav voyerism) NSFW

3. Tav stepped away from the Elfsong Tavern to clear their head. Astarion and the others were — justifiably — celebrating back upstairs. Tav was incredibly happy for their companion. Though he would remain a spawn, he was finally free.

A Devil You Don’t (Mephistopheles/Tav dub con Raphael is going to have an aneurism) very NSFW

4. He was doing it on purpose — teasing and tempting Alakvyr before denying him for one reason or another. Abdirak had gone as far as pulling the drow close, his fingers grasping the metal ring Alakvyr wore around his throat and putting his other hands down into the drow’s smallclothes. Petting his stomach and thighs while exploring Alakvyr’s mouth with his tongue — before bidding him farewell to run some ‘errand’ that Alakvyr was not invited to accompany him in.

Hobbled — Late Webs of Fate chapter (Abdirak/Tav) NSFW

5. Raphael gave a satisfied sigh as he sat up in bed, looking out over the tumultuous landscape. He stretched - his wings fluttering at the apex of the motion - and pulled himself to his feet. His House of Hope had moved from its suspension above the Styx to a grounded position - still with a spectacular view.

Hellweave (Raphael/Gale) starts SFW

6. Alakvyr had not been able to rest that night. Having Lae’zel with him made the drow feel a bit more at ease about leaving the Loviatan in the Bhaal temple, but he still worried.

Safe — Chapter from Webs of Fate (Abdirak&Alakvyr) SFW

7. She was panting when they stumbled together into the moon shield’s protection. No one had followed them all the way to Last Light, thankfully, but Jaheira had little doubt that they were aware of its presence.

Raheira Raheira (Jaheira/Raphael) SFW but suggestive

8. Abdirak stood to clear his plate. He moved over to Alakvyr and held out a hand. “Are you through with yours?”

Lessons Learned — Late Webs of Fate Chapter (Abdirak/Tav) NSFW

9. Abdirak was panting when he tried to cast another healing spell on the bhaalist, but his magic was depleted. His throat was sore from his laughter and he did not know how many hours he had beat the man to the point of death, only to heal him again.

Githyanki — Chapter from Webs of Fate (Abdirak/Lae’zel) NSFW

10. Abdirak and Karlach were chatting heartily about food as the small group of adventurers made their way through the city, Alakvyr at their head. He got one foot up onto the first step of the temple before he froze as though a spell had been cast on him. The Loviatan recoiled — the way a regular person would react to severe pain — and took a few quick steps back onto the cobble path.

Punishment — Chapter from Webs of Fate (Abdirak & Tav) SFW

Analysis — In the first lines everyone is doing something. 3 of the ten open with the characters thoughts or feelings, but the others are X did X. However, in the paragraph I feel like it goes to explain how the character is feeling about what is happening — so a mood is set after the scene is set.

I don’t dislike this and I don’t think I would change it necessarily. It draws attention to important things immediately, and then the story can ‘pan out’ to the bigger picture.

Side note: I love my bois apparently

I’ll tag @firlionemoontav, @dude-wheres-my-ankheg, @dark-and-kawaii, @m-u-n-c-h-y , and @insanefan — and anyone else who wants to play :)

10 First lines challenge

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able to and see if there are any patterns!

Tagged by the ever wonderful @redroomroaving

I'll tag in...ahh this is hard I always forget people's usernames so I'm just searching the @'s here... @sweetmage @thylyre @laserlope @ineadhyn @hydropyro and anyone else who would like to - also if you would like to be tagged in for future writing tag games please let me know directly too and I'll make a proper list for a change! Anyway I'm going to take mine only from published works, not WIPs, and will put them all below the cut. I doubt the lines will be spicy, but the fics almost certainly will be~

Piercing storm-grey eyes regarded you quietly, assessing your distress in mere moments. From: Abdirak - Toothache Comfort (Collection of short "x Reader" pieces)

For a rare change of pace, it seemed like the sun was shining on the streets of Baldur’s Gate. From: ATG 16 - Bonded? Thrice (Astarion/Halsin/Tav threeway chapter of the longfic)

By the time they got back to camp, Gale was struggling not to double over. From: Weaving the Blood Moon (Bloodweave entry in my Red Moons of Faerun menstruation fic series)

Sleep did not come easily to Haarlep. From: The Nightmare, The Dream, and The Spaces Between (A chapter in the Raphael/Haarlep prequel longfic series, The Scent Of Cinnamon)

Several tendays passed by in a blur. From: The Dress, The Duck, and The Cambion's Patience (Another chapter of that longfic)

Lord Enver Gortash hissed a long sigh of frustration from between clenched teeth, leaning back on the edge of his desk the moment the last of the day’s guests left. From: Bloodlust and Bhaalists (The DurgeTash entry into the Red Moons of Faerun series)

Durge. That’s what she called him. From: Two Heads Are Better Than None (A Durge/Tav one shot, written for a prompt request)

Raphael walked down the corridors of the House of Hope, inspecting all the recent renovations. From: The House Of Hooooooooohno (A cursed little one shot which pairs Raphael with the House of Hope itself...?!)

“I don’t know about this,” Gale protested, even as he kept pace with the men either side of him, the three walking with arms linked at the elbow like old comrades. From: Between a Blade and a Sharp Place (A Gale/Astarion/Wyll threeway one shot)

The moon hung precisely half full in the sky as Abdirak smiled - Selune may not have been his goddess but like clockwork her light always heralded this particular devotion to the Maiden. From: Hymns of the Red Moon (The first in the Red Moon series, in which Abdirak spends a night of worship alone)

Analysis

This is a tough one. Ideally I would've like to take the first paragraph as a few of those are exceptionally short, especially compared to my averagely very long sentence.

The Longfic Chapters (ATG, Scent of Cinnamon) are lines that have an air of continuation to them, illustrating the change of time or mood within the character or setting with a short opener. The following lines in all 3 cases are far longer - it's like giving just a quick bite first then reeling in a much longer line. It's also not doing a lot of scene setting or action, as I tend to write chapters as scenarios so they have a building pace to them. Red Moon Series each open on a clear depiction of the focus character and how they're experiencing the moment. Abdirak is seeing the signs and finding the beauty in them as the torment of his body begins, whereas both Gale and Gortash are steeped in their frustration and agony from the beginning, desperate to end the day and just not have to deal with things any more. The other one shots almost all start immediately with a name, opening on our POV character and identifying them quickly, following with either a simple action, thought, or dialogue. The character comfort short assumes you know exactly who owns those eyes and aims to pull you in to the moment without the name, to set the scene swiftly for a much shorter piece. Overall I think it's hard to really narrow down any techniques I use for openers - I vary things depending on the piece, but only very rarely do I open on dialogue or dynamic action. Whilst I love those things as tropes and as a great way to start a story, I tend to prefer to walk through the door rather than taking a running start - which is likely partially why all my works end up running longer than I expected because my natural instinct is a building pace. I enjoy taking the time to build the tension, slowly pull on that elastic until you think it can't possibly stretch any further then- SNAP let it all go as the payoff reaches a sprinting pace, preferably with that time at the end to let things cool back down rather than sprinting into a dead end wall. I'm quite tempted to do this again with last lines but not today, far too tired for that! Again if you want to tag in and do this one, use me as your tag in! Or let me know and I can actively tag you in to this one or the next~

[elizaaarts]

[AU] Little Nightmares: DARK FATE (PART 66)

> NEXT (coming soon)

> PREVIOUS

Everything was very peaceful, I needed to add more drama to this story HEHE

Okay, let's go!

It's quite obvious that Bruce was very nervous about Jack and the others' presence, hence the rush to leave, especially because Jack's group is made up of much older teenagers (Jack is even a young adult) and besides the fact that Jack himself has powers. I know, Six also has powers and can destroy everyone there, but we have to remember that she has a very strong emotional block, so it's very difficult for her to be able to use her powers for now. And another thing is that Six is reluctant to go... why? Could it be because Jack has similar attitudes to Mono? Could it be because she feels needy?

Another thing is that well, Jack is acting weird, which is pretty obvious, what is his goal then? I believe that if he was someone bad, why would he save them? Well, there are a lot of questions about this character and yes, I want to play with your minds :] ✨️

MONO AND WENDY ARE BACK AND- well, another fight coming up again? How annoying! You wouldn't expect Wendy to be a fierce person, she's the most peaceful of the group and sees the bright side of things BUT getting punched by your best friend and knowing the truth behind it would make you scared, right?

This part should have come out over the weekend, but I didn't have time to finish it and I could only release it now because I don't want to delay!

*By the way, I did see the LN 3 Showcase and the news! I hope that the information that is released does not affect my comic but rather adds more stories to the lore of this universe. I really hope that happens! Yes, I'm insecure HEHE 👉👈