#zephyr ryder

[pathcrier]

Obtained a PS5, finally able to replay Andromeda without my room turning into an overheated mess.

Meet Zephyr! Biotic trained, always wanted to follow in her older cousin, Commander Shepard's footsteps, chronically confused and winging it.

[erisluna35ocblog]

Blog Guide:

I started this blog to organize my OC lores for those who are interested and want to get to know them better. It's a little complicated as I tend to put them in AUs, and they end up somewhat different depending on the story they're in yet I try to keep the cores of their characters the same. It will take a while before this blog starts posting original content as I put a lot of stuff on main that I will reblog here for now. I will expand and update this as time goes on.

Main OCs:

Keagan Gerald "Kaji" Aurelio Ashworth

Fiona "Fuyu" Kuznetsov

Shizuke Midorikawa

Blair Crawford

Blake Crawford

Natalia Hale

Damien Guerrero

Zephyr Ryder

AUs:

OG STORY - this is the tag I use to label my original concepts for these characters. Before their better known ML AU incarnations, I pictured them in this fairytale-esque fantasy au with Keagan as the main protagonist. Prince Keagan had a leisurely life as the spare to the throne who's only responsibility is tying down the most powerful knight of their generation to stay on their kingdom's side forever through marriage. Everything was set on a track and he had no intention of fighting it. He likes his hedonistic life as a prince and he gets along well enough with his fiance, it's not worth losing over a thing called "freedom". His destiny was agreeable to him... that is, until he learns of a horrible secret that puts his fiance in danger but she can't know about it lest she dies by her own sword because she is stubborn about protecting everyone like the goddamn knight she is. The prince is forced to take matters into his own hands and run away from the capital, recruiting an unlikely group of outcasts, creating enemies from the shadows and have his fiance and his other childhood friend try to drag him back home.

ML AU - this is the tag I use to lump together all stories set in the show called Miraculous Ladybug.

BTaL - Between Truths and Lies, posted on Ao3 and FF.net. Acronym can be pronounced to sound like "Beetle" lol. The basic premise is its lowkey a future gen fic focusing on the new heroes, Shizuke Midorikawa as Ladybug and Blair Crawford as Chat Noire. Follow their journey as they struggle through superheroing, magic, love, grief and one evil butterfly lady.

N2CatS - No Two Cats are the Same, posted on Ao3 and FF.net. Acronym can be pronounced like "N-2-Cats". It's the time travel story set midway S2 of BTaL that features canon characters and how they deal with being stuck with my ocs for a week. Focused mainly on character study. It jumps off from an alternate end to Ephemeral where Sass's last resort ends up yeeting Adrien and Blair into each other's eras. Can be read as a stand alone despite its references to BTaL, as most references come with an explanation or much context isn't needed to be understood. Though reading BTaL first does enhance some of the references and enhances foreshadowing.

Otome Game AU - You know those manhwas where the protagonist, usually female, wakes up one day into the romfan world of the otome game or novel she was reading before she died? And she's in the body of the villainess, or the heroine or some extra? This AU, that's my entire main cast. A group of tired and stressed college students were working on a game for their thesis. They either worked themselves to death or their kidneys gave out from too much red bull or maybe they were half asleep walking home when truck-kun came for them, who knows. Thing is, they all died. Individually woke up into the body of the character that was modelled after them - which explains how none of them realizes they're not the only one who reincarnated. Chaos ensues. Can they all come to the same page before its too late?

To go directly to the most important notes, go to:

CHARACTER ARTS NOTES AND OTHER INFO

[erisluna35ocblog]

Excempting those with the standard pair of parents that actually stay alive to keep raising them we have:

Blair and Blake: in stories where they're lucky, they're taken in by a family friend. In storied where they aren't, they get raised by a sort of mentor figure who plans to use them.

Shizuke: grandma's boy whether his parents are alive or not.

Natalia: papa's girl with mommy issues, her mother abandoned her. Father stepped up.

Damien: neglectful or absent parents, he finds a sort of parental figure in Travis Ryder. For better or worse. It doesn't last though.

Zephyr: with his dad in jail and his mom doing whatever, his babysitters Damien and Natalia are like the parental figures he didn't know he needed.

Who raised your OC when they were growing up?

[sammys-magical-au]

When the Eldrich Meets the Ethereal, part 2!

Posting short fics like this is starting to become a habit 😅 not that I’m complaining, this is fun!

This is a follow-up fic from When the Eldrich Meets the Ethereal, which was a gift to my good friend @wouldntyou-liketoknow, and to her fic that was a sequel to mine, Talking in Your Sleep. (I’d highly recommend reading these before you read this if you haven’t already 😉)

The characters of LeviathanPat and Sylphanie both belong to her, but the rest are my own, save for Jack Harkness and Toshiko Sato from Torchwood, who are briefly mentioned (also, this short fic contains mild spoilers for Torchwood: The Alternate Universe season 4, if you’ve been following that series, so read with caution)

Warnings include nightmares and descriptions of body horror, and with that out of the way, let’s get into it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I… have to go away for a little while,” Sam had said - all the while avoiding direct eye contact, “I’m not sure where exactly, but… I’ll know everything by the time I get back.”

Jay knew by now that when they phrased it like that, it wasn’t a mission Jack had sent them on. Sam was either following a gut feeling, or someone else - someone who existed between plains of reality and was nearly older than humanity itself - had asked her to go.

The latter option always made Jay’s guts twist with anger. There was something about Harmonia and the Ancient Ones asking Sam to do things for them on a whim that just irked him - even if Sam didn’t seem to mind or even seemed happy to do whatever they asked.

Jay just didn’t like the fact that his spouse could be controlled so easily like this. No one told Sam what to do, not even ethereal beings from the beginning of the universe. Jay knew that well enough, but Sam seemed to have forgotten…

Maybe she’d just mellowed over the years. The absence of constant abuse and religious trauma making her more likely to simply follow instructions from “spiritual higher-ups”, so to speak.

Even if that was the case, Jay still wasn’t sure he liked it.

He was distracted from his thoughts, however, when his and Sam’s daughter, Alexa, cautiously walked into the living room.

“Alexa?” He asked softly, “what’s the matter, dear?”

“It’s nothing,” Alexa murmured, giving him a smile that he knew was forced, “just… Dad… does it feel a little cold to you?”

Jay blinked. Now that he thought about it… there did seem to be a chill - the kind of chill that you knew without investigating had spread throughout the whole house, which was especially unusual considering the warm, tropical evening outside.

“It does…” he answered Alexa.

“Might be Rift stuff,” Alexa said, “should I text Jack or Aunt Tosh?”

“Not right yet,” Jay replied slowly, “we’ll just wait and see if anything happens first.”

Alexa paused at this, phone in her hands and thumbs presumably poised over the keypad. Then she nodded.

“Okay.” She said quietly.

“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart,” Jay assured her, “I’m sure it’s nothing. You know better than me that sometimes weird things happen around a Rift - especially this one.”

Alexa nodded again, but didn’t say anything more.

Jay knew she was still on edge - and he couldn’t blame her, he was too, something definitely felt off in the air tonight.

He just hoped it didn’t have anything to do with Sam, and that she was alright.

~~~

“...𝖂𝒽𝖆𝓉 𝓀𝖎𝓃𝖉 𝖔𝒻 ℊ𝖆𝓂��� 𝖉ℴ 𝓎𝖔𝓊 𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖓𝓀 𝓎𝖔𝓊'𝓇𝖊 𝖕𝓁𝖆𝓎𝖎𝓃𝖌?…”

Sam sat bolt upright in the hotel bed with a loud gasp, hand instinctively reaching for The Lion’s Breath - even though it had all been a dream, and it wasn’t like the sword would’ve done much to protect them, they felt like they needed it.

They sat there in the dark, panting and sweating and pointing the sword at a non-existent enemy, for a good five minutes before their frantic heartbeat finally began to slow down.

Allowing The Lion’s Breath to transform back into the simple bracelet they typically disguised it as (they weren’t sure they were comfortable just setting it aside at the moment), Sam reached out through the dark with their other hand until the cotton sheets turned to soft, warm fur.

Zephyr stirred slightly as their fingers reached her, shuffling a little closer to her owner in her sleep, but didn’t wake. Sam slowly lay back down beside her, pressing their body into the massive feline’s shape and realizing they were shaking - although that might’ve been from the sudden dry coldness in the room, one that Sam was certain hadn’t been there when they’d arrived back at the hotel.

Now that they were awake, they could remember that finding their way back here hadn’t been much trouble at all. Though they did faintly recall looking back in the direction they were certain that The Abnormal Orchard had been in and not being able to see it. Although, after having gotten a good look at Pat in the dream, they had an easier time believing that was just some clever trick of reality the eldrich being had pulled - whether it was specifically to freak Sam out or just something he always did.

As harrowing as the conversation with Pat had been, along with the frightening knowledge that a creature one could only imagine in their wildest nightmares actually existed out there… it wasn’t just that that was bothering Sam. Something about the appearance of his supposed counterpart, who’s name Sam didn’t dare try to think of in case it melted their brain, had equally chilled them to the bone.

Seeming to sense their nervous thoughts, Zephyr nuzzled into them with a sleepy rumble, and Sam finally felt themself begin to actually relax, though the strange coldness in the air didn’t seem to want to subside at all.

Their back was now facing the window, and even though they weren’t exactly happy with that, they’d much rather be cuddling Zephyr than facing away from her. Even if it meant being more vulnerable to whatever was outside.

If only you could twist your neck all the way around without breaking it like Pat. A small part of them joked, and they almost laughed. The only thing that stopped them from it was the shiver that ran up their spine at the memory of Pat taunting them in the dream-that-really-hadn’t-felt-like-a-dream, head twisting at unnatural angles as he spoke. Jesus, that fucker was creepy, and they knew he liked that Sam thought that of him. But for some reason, right now he didn’t hold a candle to the ethereal being who had suddenly shown up - Pat definitely knew her, but hadn’t been expecting to see her.

Something about the way she’d made Pat simply disappear, the way she’d looked at Sam with all those eyes of hers… she was almost scarier than Pat.

Did Harmonia know her? Sam wished they could ask her, but to contact the Ancient Ones they’d have to go back to sleep, and right now there was no way in hell they were doing that.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Sam’s eye, and they glanced up to stare at the wall of the hotel room.

Nothing moved, and the wall was cast in darkness - not even the moon outside was at the right angle to shine any light through the window.

For some reason, that was a hundred times worse than seeing anything.

Just as the feeling of uneasiness started to pass, Sam saw it again. A tiny pinpoint of radiant light dancing across the wall.

This time it didn’t disappear immediately, and Sam sat up to peer at it, leaning over Zephyr’s sleeping form.

The tiger stirred, but still didn’t wake.

The tiny speck of light kept shimmering and bouncing up and down against the room’s nasty yellow wallpaper (ironic that it was that color, considering how Sam felt right now), even ever so slightly seeming to grow in size.

At first, Sam wasn’t sure what the hell to even make of it, until they remembered that light typically didn’t just randomly appear on surfaces without an outside source.

Outside…

Slowly, with a sense of dread creeping into their bones, Sam turned their head around to look out the window.

Despite the darkness in the city outside, somewhere in the near distance, there was light. Glowing and ethereal, just like in Sam’s dream, just like… her. And it was moving, getting steadily closer as Sam watched, finding themself standing right next to the window without realizing they’d moved at all.

Now, Zephyr awoke, her head abruptly snapping up as if on command and a growl rumbling in her throat as her piercing peridot eyes searched the shadows of the room.

Sam glanced back at her, holding their hand up to signal her to stay put, and when they looked back to the window, the view of the city was blocked by a massive, luminous face.

~~~

Deep in the impossible jungle, a place so full of life and light and a sense of peace one might think they’d found the biblical Garden of Eden if they stumbled upon it, another great beast raised her head.

Harmonia swiveled her ears around, listening to the faint wind whisper through the trees. Something had definitely awoken her, and it had done so for a reason.

“Luca?” She called faintly into the night, but no reply came.

Regardless, the Leonasus stood from her nest and stretched, waiting for an answer to come to her.

That answer came in the form of Barsus, the Pronghorned Wolf, slinking out of the shadows of the trees, his amber eyes gleaming with a light of their own.

“Harmonia.” He rumbled, dipping his head in greeting. Harmonia copied the gesture.

“Barsus. What brings you here?”

“Can you not hear the voices in the wind? They have a message for you and I.”

Harmonia tilted her head at him.

“Us? Why us?” She asked, swishing her tail.

Barsus stared at her gravely.

“Because we are the only ones who ever met… her.”

The single word sent a shiver through Harmonia’s wings, and she instantly found herself in a vision - or perhaps more of a memory - of when she was no more than a cub.

Back then, the island now known as Saint Lucia had been dominated by the Ancient Ones, though it wouldn’t be for much longer.

Barsus was a little older than Harmonia, standing next to her on wobbly stilt-legs as she struggled to stand at all.

Harmonia couldn’t remember what had happened before or after this moment, only that the sky had suddenly turned dark - so dark even the light of the stars could not get through - and great balls of fire shot across it, as the ground shook with the distant sound of an agonized wail of despair.

The adults had begun murmuring to each other, all with worried looks on their faces, and a common name that was repeated over and over was a name Harmonia was not familiar with - “𝕾𝓎𝖑𝓅𝖍”.

Time seemed to pass quickly, but while fire still rained from the sky, a luminous figure appeared, a creature neither Barsus or Harmonia had ever seen before.

She was crying, tears of burning sunlight falling from her many eyes, and the adults all gathered around to comfort her as she wept, telling them of a terrible mistake and a lost love.

“Mama,” Barsus asked when his mother broke away from the group, having promised to hunt a Cloud Buffalo in the hopes that it might help calm this strange visitor, “who is she? Why is she so sad?”

Barsus’ mother simply glanced back over her shoulder at the despondent newcomer, a look of deep sadness in her amber eyes.

“She is a friend,” she answered finally, “a friend who needs our help. She has done something that has broken her own heart.”

“Can we help?” Harmonia had spoken up.

Barsus’ mother gazed fondly down at her for a moment, then smiled, nodding.

“Yes. Perhaps you can, if you go and sit by her.”

The two of them had made their way to the strange visitor’s side, Harmonia’s legs so wobbly that she hardly made it, but eventually a few of the visitor’s eyes had fallen on the little ones who had appeared next to her, and some of the pain in her expression seemed to ease.

“𝕺𝒽, 𝖑ℴ𝖔𝓀 𝒶𝖙 𝖞ℴ𝖚…” she cooed in a voice like howling hurricane winds, “𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖕𝓇𝖊𝒸𝖎ℴ𝖚𝓈 𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖓ℊ𝖘. 𝒰𝖓𝓉𝖔𝓊𝖈𝒽𝖊𝒹 𝒷𝖞 𝖙𝒽𝖊 𝖈𝓇𝖚ℯ𝖑𝓉𝖞 𝖔𝒻 𝒽𝖚𝓂𝖆𝓃𝖎𝓉𝖞.”

Back then, Barsus and Harmonia hadn’t known what “humanity” meant. That was before any human had ever set foot on this land.

Sometimes, Harmonia still wished she knew what Sylph had meant - although she had an idea.

Had humans destroyed her homeland too? Was that the heartbreak Barsus’ mother had spoken of?

It seemed like she might be finally getting an answer.

“She has returned.” Harmonia murmured, and Barsus dipped his head.

“She has.” He replied.

“But why?”

“That I am not sure of. But I feel that the universe wants us to know she is here for a reason.”

“Agreed. We must leave immediately. I had hoped Sam would have gotten home by now, but I could send one of the Guardian Cobras to relay a message to her family.”

“That seems like a good idea. I will wait here for your return.”

Barsus sat down in the tall grass where he stood, and Harmonia dipped her head to him before spreading her wings and leaping into the sky.

From above the treetops, she could see that the Tree of Life had taken on an unusual glow, slightly brighter to look at than normal. It almost hurt her eyes to gaze upon it for too long.

That was definitely a sign from the universe as well.

Harmonia wasn’t sure why Sylph had returned, but it seemed she might be in need of their help, and if that was the case, Harmonia would follow her parents’ teachings. Helping other beings was the way of the Ancient Ones, even when they themselves were much weaker than they had once been.

She only hoped that after all these thousands of years, Sylph remembered them all as well as they remembered her.

~~~

Jay was finding it hard to sleep.

He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong - and even without it, it was still so damn cold in the house, cold enough that Jay was considering getting up and rummaging through the closet for his old long-sleeved pyjamas he’d bought when he, Sam, and their kids had still been living in Wales.

Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him. Sometimes the air in a room felt colder when under the covers just because the bed was so warm. That had to be the reason. Or maybe he was just overtired.

Jay took a deep breath that turned into a yawn, rolling over so his back faced the bedroom window.

The bed felt so empty without Sam. Now that he thought about it, not having his living-furnace of a spouse sleeping next to him might’ve also been contributing to the chill in the air. The only part of Sam’s body that didn’t radiate constant warmth was their feet, which were always cold, something their older brother Daniel had always said they should get checked out since it could mean they had poor circulation.

Sam would always roll their eyes when he said that, tell him they’d give him poor circulation if he didn’t leave them alone about it.

A smile had found its way onto Jay’s face as he thought of Sam. He could almost imagine them suddenly climbing into bed next to him after a late-night weevil round-up, snuggling up close to him and complaining about being dragged out of bed at this hour, pressing those cold toes of theirs in between his legs and making him shriek loudly enough to wake Athena in the nursery at the end of the hall.

Jay was startled from the half-fantasy, half-dream by the sound of the horses braying outside.

He had sat up in bed before he knew it, the vision of Sam being there shattering in the face of whatever had caused the horses such distress.

Throwing the covers off of him (and in doing so noting that the room was, in fact, still as cold as he’d expected it to be), Jay got out of bed and ran to the window, pushing it open to scan the yard for anything that might have disturbed the horses. However, their frantic neighing soon subsided. Jay could still hear them nickering to each other, but that sound was quickly replaced by something else.

Ssssssssssssss…

At first, Jay thought it was the wind in the palm trees outside. Their leaves were dry this time of year, so they usually made a hissing sound when the breeze picked up.

But then it came again, louder and closer than before.

Sssssssssssssssssss…

Jay stepped back from the window, frantically looking around. The noise seemed to be coming from everywhere at once - above, below, directly in front and behind him, his left and his right.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…

The sound was now more like that of the steam coming out of a boiling pot who’s lid had just been lifted, or someone pretending to be a snake, or-

Jay froze.

Pretending to be a snake, or actually a snake? He thought.

The notion seemed ridiculous, since the sound had to be coming from something pretty big - larger than any animal besides maybe a blue whale could ever possibly be - but now that the thought of snakes had entered Jay’s head, he couldn’t deny that the organic hissing likely couldn’t have come from anything else.

His thoughts were confirmed when there was a dull scraaape from the balcony outside, followed by a faint creak as the door was pushed open.

Hiiiissssssssssss…

Jay fell back with a cry of fear, tripping over his feet and falling out into the hallway, landing hard enough to feel a sharp pain shoot up his spine from his tailbone as it hit the floor.

The long, shadowy form that had broken and entered into the bedroom slithered further across the floor, then raised its impossibly large head and blinked down at Jay with three massive, glowing yellow eyes.

Its forked tongue flicked out with another tiny hiss, and then, to Jay’s utter bewilderment, it spoke - without even opening its mouth.

“Do not be afraid, I do not come to bring you harm.”

Jay realized his mouth was opening and closing as he breathed heavily, but no words would come out.

“I am Serpentus,” the massive snake continued, “a friend of Harmonia, and of the human named Sam.”

That finally snapped Jay out of it. This was an Ancient One, not just some random talking snake.

That really should have been more obvious.

“Sam’s not here,” Jay replied steadily, with an edge to his voice, “Harmonia sent her away on some quest, or whatever you call it.”

Serpentus bobbed their head, and Jay realized they were nodding.

“That is why I am here. Something has occurred elsewhere on this planet tonight, and Harmonia had to leave to take care of it. She asked me to tell you so that Sam does not worry if they return before she does.”

As much as Jay was annoyed that this was the way the Ancient Ones were passing on this strange message, he knew Harmonia was right to suspect that Sam would worry if they came home and she had gone.

At least the Ancient Ones cared enough about Sam to ensure they wouldn’t worry needlessly - they’d done enough of that in their life, and not just over weird semi-mythical Rift-creatures, Jay knew that better than anyone.

He dipped his head briefly in respect.

“Thank you,” he murmured to Serpentus, “I’ll tell her that.”

Serpentus flicked their tongue out again, then wordlessly made to slither back out the way they’d come.

“Wait,” Jay said, “do you know if Sam’s alright? Has this… other thing Harmonia has to deal with affecting them?”

Serpentus blinked at him, head tilting to one side as their tongue poked back out and tested the air for a bit longer this time. Then they unhelpfully answered, “that, I do not know.”

~~~

Sam couldn’t help but scream and jump back from the window, just as Zephyr leaped from the bed and came to stand defensively next to them, still growling softly.

The massive face in the window remained impassive, thousands of eyes the color of smoky quartz all trained on Sam and their feline companion.

The being’s gaze focused on Zephyr, and slightly softened.

“𝕾𝓁𝖊ℯ𝖕 𝖓ℴ𝖜.” She murmured, and suddenly Zephyr had sunk to the floor in a ball, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.

“What did you do to her?!” Sam barked against their better judgment, defensiveness momentarily overcoming their fear.

The being’s eyes all slowly moved back to Sam.

“𝕯ℴ 𝓃𝖔𝓉 𝒷𝖊 𝖆𝒻𝖗𝒶𝖎𝒹,” she said, “𝖘𝒽𝖊 𝖎𝓈 𝒶𝖘𝓁𝖊ℯ𝖕, 𝓃𝖔𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖓ℊ 𝒸𝖆𝓃 𝒽𝖆𝓇𝖒 𝖍ℯ𝖗.”

Sam took a shuddering breath.

“Who… what are you?”

“𝕴 𝖆𝓂 𝒮𝖞𝓁𝖕𝒽.”

The last word was indiscernible, but it still sounded familiar.

“That’s what he called you.” Sam said, once again without thinking.

Pain momentarily flooded the being’s gaze, but quickly vanished.

“𝖄ℯ𝖘. ℒ𝖊𝓋𝖎𝒶𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓃 𝒶𝖓𝒹 ℐ… 𝖈ℯ𝖗𝓉𝖆𝒾𝖓𝓁𝖞 𝖘𝒽𝖆𝓇𝖊 𝖆 𝖍𝒾𝖘𝓉𝖔𝓇𝖞.” She said.

Sam wanted to say that based on what they’d seen, Pat and this being definitely shared much more than just “a history”, but decided against it.

An angry ethereal being was just as bad as an angry eldrich being, and by now Sam knew better than to tempt either.

Instead, they dipped their head respectfully.

“I see,” they murmured, “forgive me for not being courteous. Your presence here startled me.”

“𝕴 𝖈𝒶𝖓 𝖘ℯ𝖊 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉.” The ethereal being said, with a hint of annoyance. “𝕿𝒽𝖆𝓉’𝓈 𝓌𝖍𝓎 ℐ 𝒸𝖆𝓂𝖊 𝖍ℯ𝖗ℯ. 𝖄ℴ𝖚 𝖆𝓇𝖊 𝖎𝓃 𝒻𝖆𝓇 𝒶𝖇ℴ𝖛ℯ 𝓎𝖔𝓊𝖗 𝖍ℯ𝖆𝒹, 𝖑𝒾𝖙𝓉𝖑ℯ 𝒽𝖚𝓂𝖆𝓃. 𝖄ℴ𝖚 𝖉ℴ 𝓃𝖔𝓉 𝒷𝖊𝓁𝖔𝓃𝖌 𝖙𝒽𝖎𝓈 𝒸𝖑ℴ𝖘ℯ 𝓉𝖔 𝖘ℴ𝖒ℯ𝖙𝒽𝖎𝓃𝖌 𝖑𝒾𝖐ℯ ℒ𝖊𝓋𝖎𝒶𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓃.”

“I understand,” Sam replied, head still bowed, “but I think you may not know the reason I’m here. I was sent here by ethereals like yourself.”

“𝕿𝒽𝖊𝓃 𝓉𝖍ℯ𝖞 𝖘𝒽𝖔𝓊𝖑𝒹 𝓀𝖓ℴ𝖜 𝖇ℯ𝖙𝓉𝖊𝓇 𝓉𝖍𝒶𝖓 𝖙ℴ 𝒶𝖑𝓁𝖔𝓌 𝒶 𝒻𝖗𝒶𝖌𝒾𝖑ℯ 𝓂𝖔𝓇𝖙𝒶𝖑 𝖙ℴ 𝒸𝖔𝓂𝖊 𝖘ℴ 𝓃𝖊𝒶𝖗 𝖙ℴ 𝒶𝖓 𝖊𝓁𝖉𝓇𝖎𝒸𝖍 𝖊𝓃𝖙𝒾𝖙𝓎.”

Defensiveness flared inside Sam again.

“They sent me here to assure that they weren’t in danger. I am connected to them in ways that shield me from Pat. Besides, he said they might know you, if you are who I think you are.”

“𝕿𝒽𝖊𝓃 𝓉𝖊𝓁𝖑 𝖒ℯ - 𝓌𝖍ℴ 𝓈𝖊𝓃𝖙 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖍ℯ𝖗ℯ?”

“The Ancient Ones.”

The world seemed to stop for a fraction of a second - and, considering who Sam was talking to, perhaps it actually did.

“𝕿𝒽𝖊 𝕬𝓃𝖈𝒾𝖊𝓃𝖙 𝕺𝓃𝖊𝓈…” the ethereal being echoed.

“That’s right,” Sam replied, finally finding the courage to look up into her face again, “I am bonded to the Ancient Ones, chosen by the universe itself to defend the space-time Rift they call home and assure that the balance of the cosmic energies in the galaxy remains intact. I wield the etherium sword named The Lion’s Breath, and I am The Queen of Hearts.”

The ethereal being stared at them for a moment longer.

“𝕿𝒽𝖊 𝕼𝓊𝖊ℯ𝖓 𝖔𝒻 ℋ𝖊𝒶𝖗𝓉𝖘,” she murmured finally, “𝖙𝒽𝖊 𝖕𝓇𝖔𝓅𝖍ℯ𝖘𝒾𝖊𝒹 𝓈𝖆𝓋𝖎ℴ𝖚𝓇 ℴ𝖋 𝖙𝒽𝖊 𝕬𝓃𝖈𝒾𝖊𝓃𝖙 𝕺𝓃𝖊𝓈. 𝕸𝓎 𝒶𝖕ℴ𝖑ℴ𝖌𝒾𝖊𝓈, 𝖞ℴ𝖚𝓇 𝓂𝖆𝒿𝖊𝓈𝖙𝓎.”

“Just ‘Sam’ is fine.” Sam replied with a wince.

It felt weird for an ethereal being to be calling them ‘your majesty’, even if Sam had been fond of the term in any way - which they weren’t. It was likely just a formality.

This being wouldn’t need to have any real respect for them, she wasn’t the one they were connected to.

“𝕾𝒶𝖒,” the being echoed, “𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖒𝒶𝖞 𝖈𝒶𝖑𝓁 𝓂𝖊… Sylphanie.”

Sam nodded respectfully.

“Sylphanie,” they repeated, “I’m glad there’s something I can call you that I can say without my brain melting through the roof of my mouth.”

To their surprise, Sylphanie laughed, though it sounded more like huge sheets of metal scraping together on a building site, or an old, rusty machine trying to do its job one last time before collapsing under its own weight.

“I’m here to ensure the safety of the Ancient Ones,” Sam explained when the sound died down, “they sensed your buddy’s presence nearby and wanted to make sure he wasn’t coming after them.”

“𝕿𝒽𝖊𝓃 𝓉𝖊𝓁𝖑 𝖙𝒽𝖊𝓂 𝓉𝖍ℯ𝖞 𝖍𝒶𝖛ℯ 𝓃𝖔𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖓ℊ 𝓉𝖔 𝖋ℯ𝖆𝓇,” Sylphanie said, “𝕷ℯ𝖛𝒾𝖆𝓉𝖍𝒶𝖓 𝖎𝓈 𝒶𝖓ℊ𝖗𝓎, 𝖘ℴ𝖗𝓇𝖔𝓌𝖋𝓊𝖑. ℬ𝖚𝓉 𝒽𝖊 𝖎𝓈 𝓃𝖔𝓉 ℴ𝖚𝓉 𝓉𝖔 𝖍𝒶𝖗𝓂 𝒶𝖓𝓎𝖔𝓃𝖊. 𝒲𝖊𝓁𝖑, 𝒶𝖓𝓎 ℯ𝖙𝒽𝖊𝓇𝖊𝒶𝖑𝓈, 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉 𝒾𝖘.”

Sam nodded awkwardly.

“Thank you,” they said, wishing they could know more about her past with Pat, but smart enough to know that asking a deity-like being nosy questions was a good way to end up dead - or worse, “I’ll tell them. Though from what I gathered at The Abnormal Orchard, I was already fairly certain of that.”

“𝖄ℴ𝖚 𝖆𝓇𝖊 𝖜𝒾𝖘ℯ 𝒻𝖔𝓇 𝒶 𝒽𝖚𝓂𝖆𝓃, 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉 𝒾𝖘 𝖖𝓊𝖎𝓉𝖊 𝖈𝓁𝖊𝒶𝖗,” Sylphanie murmured, “𝖕ℯ𝖗𝒽𝖆𝓅𝖘 𝖎𝒻 𝓎𝖔𝓊 𝒽𝖆𝒹 𝒷𝖊ℯ𝖓 𝖆𝓁𝖎𝓋𝖊 𝖆 𝖋ℯ𝖜 𝖍𝓊𝖓𝒹𝖗ℯ𝖉 𝖈ℯ𝖓𝓉𝖚𝓇𝖎ℯ𝖘 𝖆ℊ𝖔, 𝓌𝖊 𝖜ℴ𝖚𝓁𝖉 𝖓ℴ𝖙 𝖇ℯ 𝓌𝖍ℯ𝖗ℯ 𝓌𝖊 𝖆𝓇𝖊 𝖗𝒾𝖌𝒽𝖙 𝖓ℴ𝖜.”

Sam had absolutely no idea what that meant, but again, they knew better than to ask questions.

Besides, at that moment, Sylphanie looked up into the sky, and Sam leaned closer to the window to see what she’d seen.

At first it just looked like two of the stars against the blackness of night were shining brighter than the others, but as Sam watched, they realized these weren’t stars at all, and they were slowly getting closer, turning to brilliant silver and gold.

The gold ball of light took the shape of a massive winged lion, with a silky flowing mane and blazing blue eyes, and back legs that ended in pale pink hooves instead of paws.

The silver orb became an amber-eyed wolf the size of a horse, with three sharp horns like those of a ram on its head, and that appeared to be walking on nothing but the wind.

Sam opened the window and jumped out onto the ground, momentarily forgetting about Sylphanie.

“Harmonia!” They exclaimed, “Barsus! What are you doing here?”

“The wind directed us to come here,” Barsus answered, “there’s been another disturbance in the universe tonight.”

“And I believe we’ve found her.” Harmonia added, stepping up to Sylphanie.

Now that Sam was outside, they could see the way Sylphanie’s body seemed both there and not-there, flowing in intricate billowing patterns like clouds in the wind, or translucent silk. She glowed like the afternoon sun, though if one looked closely, they would notice small ribbons of rainbow colors twirling within her form. Her flower-like head and shoulders were dotted with thousands of eyes, the only things dark about her, though they still glowed from within, as though someone had held a light up to a piece of amber.

She had been staring at Harmonia and Barsus since they appeared in the sky without saying a word, and now she bent closer to them, as if trying to get a better look at them both.

“𝕸𝓎 ℊ𝖔ℴ𝖉𝓃𝖊𝓈𝖘…” she murmured, “𝖎𝓈 𝒾𝖙 𝖗ℯ𝖆𝓁𝖑𝓎 𝓎𝖔𝓊? 𝕿𝒽𝖊 𝖉ℯ𝖆𝓇 𝓁𝖎𝓉𝖙𝓁𝖊 𝖇𝒶𝖇ℯ𝖘 𝕴 𝖒ℯ𝖙 𝖆𝓁𝖑 𝖙𝒽𝖔𝓈𝖊 𝖞ℯ𝖆𝓇𝖘 𝖆ℊ𝖔?”

“It is us, 𝕾𝓎𝖑𝓅𝖍,” Harmonia answered as she and Barsus both dipped their heads respectfully, “we heard your voice on the wind and thought perhaps you needed our help again.”

Again? Sam thought, but was too awestruck to say out loud.

“𝕴 𝖉ℴ 𝓃𝖔𝓉,” Sylphanie said, “𝖇𝓊𝖙 𝕴 𝖆𝓂 𝓋𝖊𝓇𝖞 𝖕𝓁𝖊𝒶𝖘ℯ𝖉 𝖙ℴ 𝓈𝖊ℯ 𝓉𝖍ℯ 𝓉𝖜ℴ ℴ𝖋 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖆ℊ𝖆𝒾𝖓, 𝒶𝖓𝒹 𝓉𝖔 𝖘ℯ𝖊 𝖍ℴ𝖜 𝖞ℴ𝖚’𝖛ℯ ℊ𝖗ℴ𝖜𝓃 𝓈𝖎𝓃𝖈ℯ ℐ 𝓁𝖆𝓈𝖙 𝖘𝒶𝖜 𝖞ℴ𝖚. 𝒴𝖔𝓊𝖗 𝖕𝒶𝖗ℯ𝖓𝓉𝖘 𝖜ℴ𝖚𝓁𝖉 𝖇ℯ 𝒽𝖔𝓃𝖔𝓊𝖗ℯ𝖉 𝖙ℴ 𝓈𝖊ℯ 𝒽𝖔𝓌 𝓈𝖙𝓇𝖔𝓃𝖌 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖇ℴ𝖙𝒽 𝒶𝖗ℯ, 𝖆𝓃𝖉 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉 𝓎𝖔𝓊’𝓋𝖊 𝖋ℴ𝖚𝓃𝖉 𝖙𝒽𝖊 𝕼𝓊𝖊ℯ𝖓 𝖔𝒻 ℋ𝖊𝒶𝖗𝓉𝖘.”

“Thank you, 𝕾𝓎𝖑𝓅𝖍,” Barsus rumbled, “and we are honoured to be in your presence once again.”

At that moment, there was an abrupt wrrouwr! from inside the open window of the motel, just before Zephyr shot out into the night.

She pranced up to Harmonia without hesitation, chuffing and rubbing her head under the larger feline’s chin.

“Hello, my dear,” Harmonia said adoringly, “oh, how I’ve missed you. You must tell me all that has happened, my love.”

Sam smiled warmly as she watched the mated pair, but found their gaze subconsciously drifting to Sylphanie’s face. They were shocked to see that an almost mournful expression had manifested in her thousands of eyes.

“𝖄ℴ𝖚 𝖍𝒶𝖛ℯ 𝒻𝖆𝓁𝖑ℯ𝖓 𝖎𝓃 𝓁𝖔𝓋𝖊 𝖜𝒾𝖙𝒽 𝒶 𝓂𝖔𝓇𝖙𝒶𝖑 𝖇ℯ𝖎𝓃𝖌.” She said to Harmonia after a long silence, in which she simply stared at the two as they nuzzled each other.

“I have.” Harmonia murmured.

“𝕬𝓇𝖊 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖘𝓊𝖗ℯ 𝓉𝖍𝒶𝖙 𝖎𝓈 𝓌𝖎𝓈𝖊? 𝒜 𝓁𝖔𝓋𝖊 𝖜𝒾𝖙𝒽 𝓈𝖔𝓂𝖊ℴ𝖓ℯ 𝓈𝖔 𝖉𝒾𝖋𝒻𝖊𝓇𝖊𝓃𝖙 𝖋𝓇𝖔𝓂 𝓎𝖔𝓊𝖗𝓈𝖊𝓁𝖋 𝖈𝒶𝖓 𝖔𝓃𝖑𝓎 ℯ𝖓𝒹 𝒾𝖓 𝖍ℯ𝖆𝓇𝖙𝒷𝖗ℯ𝖆𝓀.”

A different sort of sadness crossed her face, and suddenly Sam understood all too well what her connection to Pat was, and why he had reacted the way he had to seeing her again.

“I understand this,” Harmonia said, “but I have taken a lesson from the humans I now share my home with, that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”

Sylphanie seemed to consider this for a moment, then bobbed her head in a way that made her flowing body wave like sheets on a clothesline when the wind got stronger.

“𝕻ℯ𝖗𝒽𝖆𝓅𝖘 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉 𝒾𝖘 𝖔𝓃𝖊 𝖆𝓇𝖊𝒶 𝒾𝖓 𝖜𝒽𝖎𝒸𝖍 𝖍𝓊𝖒𝒶𝖓𝒾𝖙𝓎 𝒾𝖘 𝖘𝓂𝖆𝓇𝖙ℯ𝖗 - 𝖆𝓃𝖉 𝖇𝓇𝖆𝓋𝖊𝓇 - 𝓉𝖍𝒶𝖓 𝖆𝓃𝖞 𝖊𝓉𝖍ℯ𝖗ℯ𝖆𝓁 ℴ𝖗 𝖊𝓁𝖉𝓇𝖎𝒸𝖍 𝖇ℯ𝖎𝓃𝖌 𝖎𝓃 𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖘 𝖚𝓃𝖎𝓋𝖊𝓇𝖘ℯ.” She said.

“I… guess I’ll take that as a compliment?” Sam huffed.

“𝖂ℯ𝖑𝓁,” Sylphanie sighed, ignoring Sam’s comment, “𝕴 𝖇ℯ𝖑𝒾𝖊𝓋𝖊 𝖒𝓎 𝒷𝖚𝓈𝖎𝓃𝖊𝓈𝖘 𝖍ℯ𝖗ℯ 𝓉𝖔𝓃𝖎ℊ𝖍𝓉 𝒾𝖘 𝖋𝒾𝖓𝒾𝖘𝒽𝖊𝒹. 𝕭𝓊𝖙 𝖓ℴ𝖜 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓉 ℐ 𝓀𝖓ℴ𝖜 𝕴 𝖘𝓉𝖎𝓁𝖑 𝖍𝒶𝖛ℯ 𝒶𝖑𝓁𝖎ℯ𝖘 𝖎𝓃 𝓉𝖍𝒾𝖘 𝖗ℯ𝖆𝓁𝖒, ℐ 𝓌𝖎𝓁𝖑 𝖗ℯ𝖒𝒶𝖎𝓃 𝓃𝖊𝒶𝖗 𝖙ℴ 𝒾𝖙.”

Barsus and Harmonia both dipped their heads again.

“We thank you for that,” Harmonia said, “and until we meet again, may the cosmic energies look faithfully upon you.”

“𝖀𝓅𝖔𝓃 𝓎𝖔𝓊 𝒶𝖘 𝖜ℯ𝖑𝓁,” Sylphanie replied, her ghostly form beginning to melt into the shadows, “𝖆𝓃𝖉 𝖙𝒽𝖆𝓃𝖐 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖆𝓈 𝓌𝖊𝓁𝖑. 𝒲𝖍𝒶𝖙 𝖞ℴ𝖚 𝖍𝒶𝖛ℯ 𝓈𝖍𝒶𝖗ℯ𝖉 𝖜𝒾𝖙𝒽 𝓂𝖊 𝖙ℴ𝖓𝒾𝖌𝒽𝖙 𝖍𝒶𝖘 𝖇ℯ𝖌𝓊𝖓 𝖙ℴ 𝒽𝖊𝒶𝖑 𝖆 𝖜ℴ𝖚𝓃𝖉 𝕴 𝖓ℯ𝖛ℯ𝖗 𝖙𝒽𝖔𝓊𝖌𝒽𝖙 𝖈ℴ𝖚𝓁𝖉 𝖍ℯ𝖆𝓁.”

With that, she faded from view completely, though the way the hair on Sam’s arms remained standing upright for a few moments, along with the fact that it took a bit for the chill in the air to go away completely, told them she wasn’t fully gone just because she couldn’t be seen.

“Well…” they said finally, realizing they were shaking a little, “that was… a very weird night.”

~

{EPILOGUE}

“Guys! Wait up!”

“You shouldn’t have come with us if you couldn’t keep up!”

The peace of the jungle was disrupted by the sound of bickering human voices, those belonging to Athena, eleven, and Lucas, fifteen. With them - and being much quieter - were their older sisters, Hanna and Alexa, both in their early twenties.

Lucas turned on Athena with a leering smirk.

“‘I’ll tell Dad if you don’t take me with you!’” He mocked, and Athena stuck their tongue out angrily.

“Leave them alone,” Alexa cut in before their arguing could escalate, “and shut up, both of you. Did you not listen all those times when Mom told us not to draw attention to yourself when out in the woods?”

“We’d get away,” Lucas retorted, “the short one might be easy prey, though.”

“STOP, Lucas!” Athena shouted, making to hit him, but Alexa held them back.

“Don’t, he’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” She murmured.

Ahead of them, Hanna, the oldest of the four, stopped in a clearing bathed in sunlight from a gap in the trees and placed her hands on her hips.

“Hey, ‘Lexa?” She called over her shoulder.

“Yeah?” Alexa replied, ignoring Lucas and Athena as they continued making faces at each other.

“I think we’re about to be in big trouble.”

“What? Why?”

Alexa followed Hanna’s gaze, and immediately realized what she was talking about.

“Oh…” she mumbled, just as a massive winged lion and a three-horned wolf that seemed to be walking on thin air descended from the sky and into the clearing.

From the lion’s back lept Zephyr, who raced to greet Lucas and Athena as if it was perfectly normal for her spirit-bond’s children to be wandering in the jungle.

Sam jumped from the wolf’s back, The Lion’s Breath in hand and looking ready to scold their children before the four of them could even come up with an excuse.

“What are you kids doing out here?” They demanded the moment their feet touched the ground.

“Uh oh,” Athena muttered under their breath, “busted…”

“Okay, first of all, I’m twenty three,” Hanna objected, “and Alexa is twenty one, we’re adults now.”

“You’re still incredibly young, and you’re avoiding the question,” Sam shot back, “not to mention you brought your little siblings out here too.”

“We were just gonna bring Lucas, but Athena said they’d tell…” Alexa said lamely, realizing too late how stupid and childish that argument was as Sam raised an eyebrow at her.

“We can take care of ourselves.” Hanna added.

“Which I don’t doubt,” Sam said dryly, “I’m just not pleased that you took it upon yourselves to come out here for the first time.”

Hanna and Alexa looked at each other in confusion.

“First time?” Alexa echoed as they both looked back at Sam.

“Yes!” Sam exclaimed, “I wanted to take you myself! Now, you didn’t get in any fights with any wild animals, did you?”

“Uh… no?” Hanna replied uncertainly.

“Good,” Sam murmured, putting their arms around their daughters’ shoulders and leading them back towards the Ryder Estate, “your first encounter with a wild beast is important, and I want to be there to see it.”

Zephyr paused at the edge of the trees before following her human companions, glancing back at the two mythical creatures still waiting in the clearing.

Harmonia blinked fondly at her.

“Go on, my love,” she said, “we will see each other again soon.”

Zephyr chuffed in response, tossing her head before bounding after Sam and their children.

“Well. That was certainly an interesting experience.” Barsus murmured beside Harmonia, who nodded.

“Indeed,” she agreed, “it was. Though I was happy to see 𝕾𝓎𝖑𝓅𝖍 again.”

“As was I. And I have a feeling that this is not the last we will see of her either.”

“I feel the same. Though I suppose we will have to wait and see.”

“We will. But until then, what shall we do?”

“Take care of our own, and keep in mind that she is always nearby.”

Barsus nodded, and then, with a wisp of pale golden smoke, the pair disappeared, leaving the clearing looking as though it had always been empty.

@inkbedou @the-matpat-ever @insane4fandoms 🫶

[sparrowswritingnest]

5?

- Sunny Farley: Sunshine and Warmth

- Cyra Barnett: Courage and Reformation

- Islwyn: Dragons and Forests

- Cleo Press: Creativity and Playfulness

- Verity Moore: Self Discovery and Freedom

- Zephyr Siedel: Science and Self Expression

- Azure Lightfoot: Stories and Protection

- Citrus Arlette: Trees and Fruit

- Luana Green: Nature

- Flick Barton: Archery and Orchestra

- Lyric: Music and Free Will

- Ryder Colborn Kelly: Medicine and Duty

- Kelera: Plants and Death

- Pippa Morningflower: Creativity and Life

- Jax Celestee: Stars and Protection

[unboundprompts]

Name ideas with like a pirate/sea vibe/theme if that make sense?

Character Name Ideas that have Pirate / Sea Vibes

-> feel free to comment suggestions, I'll do my best to add them to the list.

Male:

Ronan

Thorne

Finnian (Finn)

Caelum

Arlen

Merrick

Kai

Leander

Cormac

Cassian

Seamus

Bram

Alaric

Ryder

Dorian

Eldric

Hawke

Carver

Lucian

Varek

Female:

Marella

Selene

Coral

Moira

Seraphine

Ondine

Delphine

Elara

Maris

Lorelei

Isolde

Lyra

Anya

Thalassa

Mira

Astrid

Freya

Sabine

Lirienne

Isla

Gender-Neutral:

Harbor

Reed

Vale

Morgan

Rowan

Calypso

Storm

Neriah

Mariner

Sol

Ripley

Cove

Astra

Salem

Kitt

Finn

Jules

Zephyr

Lennox

[imsofinnacrashout]

The Gilded Cage and the Serpent’s Kiss

Ellie Williams x Fem reader

Summary: Ellie and reader go into the games with the fault that who will win, who will live, who dies and who will tell the story.

Part I: Seeds of Rebellion

Chapter 1: The Offering

The treaty rolled back to when my great-great-great-grandparents were alive, a pretty long time, huh? Not long enough, I was turning eighteen today. When I was born, when every baby was born, the parents had to sign a treaty to accept their kids into the games. Dad won the games when he was eighteen, he was now forty-one. He told me it was for Tommy since Tommy got picked to enter, so he volunteered to do it for him, but since I was the only child, I had to go even if I didn't want to. Tommy was my uncle, the best, to say the least.

“Y/n, get up, the reaping is today!” Dad called out for me to get up, and I got up and grabbed the dress Ellie's mom had made for me. Ellie and I were inseparable ever since mom died she was there and ever since her dad abandoned her and her mom for ellie being a ‘dyke’ as he would say i was there for her. We were the best of friends, but I thought of her more than that, hoping she felt the same. I slipped the pretty floral Miami-bound blue sundress as I slipped my ballerina flats on. Walking outside of my room as I entered the bathroom to fix my hair, clipping it into a French barrette that was my mom’s. Dad came up to me.

“You look just like your mother, munch,” Dad says with a warm smile, as I return the smile as he puts on a mockingbird necklace on me. My parents gave me that nickname because, according to my whole family, I knew how to eat and I wasnt a picky eater, that I’d eat anything, which was still true.

“Dad, whose necklace is this?” I asked, looking up at him, waiting for his response.

“Your mom’s,” he said he got ready as we went to the reaping with Ellie and her mom.

“You look beautiful, angel,” Ellie compliments me as I blush, thanking her. I took in her appearance, she had on dress pants and her black converse with a shirt her mom tailored for her.

“Wow, I can't believe you finally wore something other than your jeans and hoodies,” I teased as I hugged her before we went inside the reaping, praying I didn't get in, neither did she.

“Welcome to the 25th Hunger Games!” the escort said with a smile. How could she be smiling?

“We will be changing this up this year! There will be 2 girls and 2 boys from each district!” the escort says. My heart dropped to the ground, my eyes wide, I glanced at Ellie, who was standing next to me.

“And each district will have a mentor from the capitol,” she announces. Great this shit show will be beneficial for them.

“From district 1, Dina Baker, Desarose Emille for the girls, now for the gentlemen, it will be Harvey Green and Damon Bennett. For district 2, it will be Sienna Rogers and Abby Anderson, for the boys, Midas Thompson and Odysseus Fisher. For the district 3 Circuit Bellweather and Tesla Gear, and the boys, Volt Tinker and Binary Bolt, for District 4, the girls, Coral Reef and Marina Tide, and the boys, Finn Mariner and Caspian Wave, for District 5, Ember Spark and Radiant Volt and the boys Ignis Flare and Zephyr Current. For District 6, Velocity Swift and Jetta Rail, and the boys Axel Gearshift and Pilot Ryder, for District 7, Willow Bark and Hazel Wood, and the boys Silas Branch and Forrest Timber, for District 8, Indigo Weave and Scarlett Thread, and the boys Loomis Spool and Tanner Hide.For District 9, Harvest Rye and Avena Field, and the boys Barley Seed and Flint Wills. For District 10, Daisy Meadow and Liv Stockman, and the boys Angus Herd and Clay Hoof. For District 11, Clementine Grove and Briar Thorn, and for the boys, Rowan Seedling and Cyrus Bloom, for District 12, Y/n Miller and Ellie Williams, and the boys, Jesse McMillan and Ash Driller.” as she finishes announcing the names my heart drops not only am I in the games so is Ellie. We walk up to the stand as I look at my dad in fear.

The soldiers took us to a room that Ellie and I shared, so we could say goodbye to family members. As I see my dad come in, I hug him tightly.

“Dad, I'm scared, I don't want to do this, I can't-” I said, panicked tears falling down my face

“Baby girl, you have to, im sorry, I love you with all of my heart, don't ever take this off, okay, I love you so so much,” he said as he wipes my tears, hugging me tighter. They dragged my dad out as I cried.

They took us to the train so we could drive to the arena. We were going to be human entertainment that sick asshole. Ellie and I saw Jesse and Ash talking to our mentor. I walked up to them, Ellie following soon after. “Im Silas, your mentor,” he said as I spoke

“Where are you from? The capitol?” he shook his head

“District 12,” he spoke as I scoffed

“You're a liar,” I said as he shook his head again

“Im not. I won the 2nd game when I was sixteen. And was your father’s mentor when he was a tribute,” he stated

“What?” I uttered as he nodded

“How many people can win?” Ash asked with urgency as Silas just shrugged. The escort named Aurelia showed all four of us our stylists

“This is your stylist, Lumiere, Jesse,” she tells Jesse with her strong British accent, as she reaches to ash

“Ash, this is your stylist, Rhapsody,” she said, reaching out to me and Ellie

“Ellie, this is your stylist, Silhouette,” she told her, finally reaching towards me

“Y/n, this is your stylist, Glimmer,” she told me as I glanced at my stylist, she was beautiful to say the least.

“Why do we need a stylist?” I asked as Aurelia turned to face me

“Well, for the events, of course,” she answered

“What events?” Jesse asked

“Go off shoo to bed. You kids have a long day tomorrow,” she said, cutting the conversation. We went off to bed, but as I went inside my room, Ellie slipped inside as well

“Ellie, you have your room. Is everything ok?” I asked as she grabbed my face, kissing me, I grabbed her face, kissing her deeper before pulling back.

“Wait, why did you just kiss me?” I asked

“Because I love you, Y/n, from the moment I saw you, I’ve loved you,” Ellie confessed as my face heated up

“You mean it?” I asked

“Of course I do,” she said as we kissed again, moving to my bed, making out as she moved lower to my neck as i pulled back

“Ellie, we shouldn't not here” I vocalized

“Why not?” she asked

“When we’re alone, I promise you, but not now, not here” i told her as she nodded

“Be my girlfriend,” she asked as I nodded in joy as she went back to her room. I changed into a nightgown left for me on a mirror as I got into bed to sleep.

[cielxxphantomhive]

𓆩 DRAGON NPT 𓆪 NAMES ;;

Draco , Ryu , Aiden , Leviathan , Doryu , Dracul , Raptor , Cadmus , Leo , Ivan , Chief , Ryder , Otis , Rome , Flynn , Declan , Nior , Zephyr , Blaze , Aeris , Archer

PRNS ;;

horn / horns , scale / scares , roar / roars , fli / flight , spike / spikes , thorn / thorns , mys / mystery , coil / coils , wra / wrath , bite / bites , ix / ixs , zie / zier

TITLES ;;

Scaled [ X ] , [ X ] who hoards jewels , [ X ] with wings , the [ X ] of all dragons , [ X ] hidden in darkness , Reaper of [ X ] , [ X ] who collects [ X ] , Ruler of [ X ] , Shadow flying above [ X ] , [ X ] who flies

[acronym-chaos]

Phantom (Minecraft) Inspired ID Pack

[PT: Phantom (Minecraft) Inspired ID Pack]

[ID: A purple thin line diivder shaded at the bottom. End ID].

Names

[PT: Names].

Adrian, Aiden, Alaric, Aria, Ash, Asher, Astrid, Aurora, Bram, Calypso, Casper, Celeste, Ciaran, Corvus, Dahlia, Damien, Darius, Dorian, Echo, Eirwen, Elara, Elias, Elysia, Ember, Erebus, Faye, Felix, Fenris, Finn, Gideon, Haze, Hunter, Ingrid, Iris, Jett, Juno, Kai, Kane, Kiera, Lark, Leif, Lila, Lucian, Luna, Lyra, Magnus, Mara, Marlow, Niamh, Nyx, Oberon, Ophelia, Orion, Pandora, Persephone, Phoenix, Raine, Raven, Rook, Rowan, Ryder, Selene, Shade, Skye, Soren, Storm, Sylas, Talon, Thalassa, Thorne,, Veda, Vesper, Willow, Wraith, Xander, Zephyr, Zephyrine, Zora

Pronouns

[PT: Pronouns].

Ae / Air / Airs; Astra / Astral / Astrals; Bat / Bat / Bats; Clo / Cloud / Clouds; Dark / Dark / Darks; Dusk / Dusk / Dusks; Ethe / Ether / Ethers; Gho / Ghost / Ghosts; Gloo / Gloom / Glooms; Hau / Haunt / Haunts; Mist / Mist / Mists; Moon / Moon / Moons; Ni / Night / Nights; Noct / Noct / Nocts; Phan / Phantom / Phantoms; Shade / Shade / Shades; Shade / Shadow / Shadows; Sky / Sky / Skies; Spir / Spirit / Spirits; Star / Star / Stars; Sto / Storm / Storms; Twi / Twilight / Twilights; Veil / Veil / Veils; Wind / Wind / Winds; Wisp / Wisp / Wisps

Titles

[PT: Titles].

A Ghostly Specter, A Haunting Presence, A Nocturnal Flyer, A Silent Stalker, A Wraith of the Night, The Dark Avenger, The Dusk Dweller, The Ethereal Entity, The Ghostly Menace, The Haunting Phantom, The Moonlit Terror, The Nocturnal Menace, The Shadowy Apparition, The Skybound Haunter, The Spectral Being, The Starry Wraith, The Veil Wanderer, The Wisp of Night, [Pronoun] From the Night, [Pronoun] Who Flies in the Dark, [Pronoun] Who Haunts the Skies, [Pronoun] Who Hunts by Moonlight, [Pronoun] Who Lurks in Shadows

[ID: A purple thin line divider shaded at the bottom. End ID].

Made for @rwuffles' 700 followers event!

Day 2: least favorite video game character (sorry for all Phantom lovers out there, i dont hate it but its definitely bottom tier)

Also tagging @pronoun-arc @id-pack-archive

[erisluna35ocblog]

This is a little hard cause I do have a pokemon au but my gyms for them are less strict on elements and focuses more on tactics or stats.

Keagan: Specializes mostly in fire types with some grass and flying for coverage. Signature mon is either Arcanine or Houndoom. Takes advantage of sunny day tactics, overwhelming opponents with speed and offense. Very unstoppable force themed.

Fiona: Mainly specializes in ice and steel, but her gym is more themed for defense and uses every means to boost it. Snow to boost her ice types, steel types who are bulky in general, and all of them being some kind of dual type for coverage. Her signature mon however, is an Alolan Sandslash with Slush Rush, making use of its speed.

Natalia: Water and Poison type specialist. Between all the toxic, toxic spikes, aqua rings and hp steal moves like draining kiss and giga drain, her main tactic is passive hp draining while outliving opponents. Moves like mean look or whirlpool keep her opponents from switching out. Her signature mon is Mareanie, with the ability Merciless.

Shizuke: Grass and Fighting types are his specialty. Signature mon is Whimsicott, who keeps his team set up with Prankster. Much like Natalia, he takes advantage of status ailments, but his is more on sleep or paralysis to give himself more turns instead of poisoning away their health. He also makes use of moves like counter, reversal and retalliate, to keep ahead of his enemies despite losing HP.

Damien: Doesn't seem to have a real specialty as his pokemon ranges from Ground, Rock, Normal and Steel types. He focuses on big bulky pokemon like Fiona, but with sandstorm instead of snow as his favored weather. I see him as more of an early game gym leader who largley holds back to give newbies a learning experience.

Zephyr: Electric, Bug and Flying specialist. His team messes around with switch ins using baton pass and u-turn and volt switch. He has his pokemon sabotage their stats with moves like Charm, Screech, String Shot, or Superfang. All his pokemon have high speed stats. Works best in double battles. His signature mon is Pachirisu.

Blair: Psychic, Dark and Ghost specialist with Espeon as her signature mon. Fights dirty using moves and abilities to punish set ups. Status ailments? Her Espeon has synchronize. Lower her stats? Defiant or Competetive. Boost yourself? Psych up or Punishment. She's a pain in the butt to fight. Trying to gain an advantage against her is futile, best to fight her straight up.

Blake: Also a Psychic, Dark and Ghost specialist with Umbreon as his signature mon. Contrast to his sister, he fights to endure. He will Haze away your set ups. Will-o-wisp down your attacks and HP. Messes with you using Parting Shot. If his pokemon die, they get the last laugh with Grudge or Memento. And when he's down to his last mon, he has a Supreme Overlord Kingambit sitting in the back at max stats.

If your OC was a pokemon gym leader, what type would they specialize in?

[sun-marie]

10 19 23 for the OC questions!

tysm for the ask!! <333

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design?

Any oc that has tattoos is one I consider to be "complicated", but Marco adds on top of that really busy armor AND a sci-fi gun, so I'm gonna go with him.

(it's part of why I've basically only ever drawn him once or twice, with most of his armor either off or covered lol)

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

Oh okay! I think for this one, I'm gonna go with Zephyr <3 like I've mentioned before, she was really the first oc I had to build from the ground up, and so I feel really involved in a lot of her character. She has a lot of qualities that I admire in other people; a strong balance of physical and mental prowess, an impressive amount of discipline, an appreciation for the arts, a level head in intense situations, etc. I enjoy exploring and thinking about her relationship with her family and how that shaped her into the person she is today, and in some ways I feel like she represents a lot of things I'm not, but aim to be <3

23. Introduce an OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Oohh, interesting! I don't think I have many OCs that have undergone super drastic changes (at least while remaining the same ocs), but I have a few that have had minor changes. Sabina was originally a Mountain Dwarf before I decided that being a Meadow Folk fit her vibes better, Ruathym was originally going to be my first Ace OC before deciding BG3 was not really the best game to try that with (since he was basically constantly rebuffing advances from the other companions💀) and Vanessa's design has slowly been inching closer and closer to the default Jane Femshep design with the red hair lol

some OC questions <3

[sammys-magical-au]

Zephyr being Sam’s ultimate friend and emotional support animal 🥹 (who is also just a tiny bit jealous at times 🤣)

@wouldntyou-liketoknow a bit more SAS/Sam stuff!

[caxycreations]

Since we've drawn Ryder now...

[hannahhook7744]

My Ships;

Janlos.

Huma.

Hil.

Humail.

Haudrey.

Chil (Gil and Chad).

Dizzy x Celia (don't know their ship name).

Cevon (Cj and Zevon).

Soaring Angel (Claudine frollo and LeFou Deux).

Bronze Mate (Sammy and Gaston the 3rd).

Hunted flower (Clay and Ginny).

Mad Governor (Mad Maddy and Rick Ratcliffe).

Tiger Hood (Tiger Peony and Bobby Hood).

Jade and Jonas (Jay's cousin and Uma's crew mate).

Hunter x Eliza x Jim jr( Carlos's cousin and Jane's cousin, and The kids from Lady and and tramp).

Melody x Zephyr (Ariel's kid and Esmerlda's kid).

Jonnie.

Bal.

Devie.

Captain Tremaine (Anthony and Harriet).

De viled Dwarf (Diego and Derek).

Mad de vil (Ivy and Gordon).

Lil Chaca (Li Shang Jr and Chaca).

Pinocchio x Alice.

Lottie and Lars (Charlotte and Hans' nicest brother).

Heddie (Hermie and Eddie).

Rela (Reza and Yzla).

Rap (Ruby x Hap).

Flirty Goth (Anxelin x Tyrone ).

Michael John, son of Milo and Kida and Kailani, the daughter of Nani and David Kawena.

Jackata (Jackson the son of Tarzan and Jane and Katalina, daughter of Kuzco).

Yi-min and Quincy son of Quasimodo and Madeline.

Elle x Jace Badun.

Nakoma x Thomas.

Nizhoni (Nakoma and Thomas's daughter) x Marlon (Merida's emo son).

Herkie x Emile (Zephyr's sister).

Attaang (Nakoma and Thomas's daughter) x Shilo/shy.

Nina x Grouchy (Tina's daughter/Tyrone's twin and Grumpy's other son).

Hanny (Hadie x Danny Darling).

Mozenrath and Sadira.

Isabella Madrigal x Bubo Marquez.

Mirabel Madrigal x Miguel Rivera.

The canon Encanto ships.

Luisa Madrigal x Ryder Nattura.

Tartie= Tulip Lampwick x Artie Pendragon.

Foul Puppet/Puppet Fellow= Pin x Julie Foulfellow.

Hans Westergaard x Drizella Tremaine.

Anastasia Tremaine x Jacob Laythn (the baker).

Tiger Lily x Lampwick.

Jordan x Ally.

Freddie x Zevon x Cj.

Sea three x Royal two.

Nina x Aziz.

Princess Eilonwy x Alexander.

Weighted Tremaine= Gaston Jr and Debbie Tremaine.

Bromtrina= Brom Bones and Katrina.

Charlars= Charlotte La Bouff and Lars Westergaard.

Featuring some ocs of @casinotrio1965 , mine, and @cleverqueencommander .

[erisluna35ocblog]

Character Art, Notes and other Info:

General:

Meaning of Names

Notes on main ships

Notes on affection

Shizuke's Canon Events

Main Cast Relationship with their Mothers

Main Cast Relationship with their Fathers

Characterization Across AUs:

Fiona Kuznetsov

Keagan Gerald Aurelio Ashworth

Natalia Hale

Shizuke Midorikawa

Blair Crawford

Blake Crawford

Damien Guerrero

Zephyr Ryder

ML AU:

ML AU Intro

ML AU Timeline

Shizuke and Blair ML AU first concept art

Shizuke and Blair emoting 1

Shizuke emoting 2 Blair emoting 2

ML AU love square chart

LadyBlair and ShizuChat ships

Shizuke and Blair N2CatS flashbacks

Shizuke and Blair akumasonas (?)

Natalia and Blake akumasonas

Natalia's boyfriend is too tall

Team Roles (mainly Shizuke and Blair)

Kaji Fuyu and Blake ML AU first concept art

Blake Kaji and Fuyu ML AU digital art

Concept Scenes for BTaL

Full Cast ML AU Chibis

Ai and Chihiro Tsurugi

How Chloe Bourgeois influences a good chunk of my cast

Picture Compilation of Blair compared to my Lila art

Blair as Li Impiratrice

N2Cats as of Chapter 16

This is a Traumatic Experience

How my OC cast would think of the Canon Cast

Complicated

Spoilers: Kaji and Fuyu find out about Gabriel

Leo the model son vs Keagan the dweeb cousin

Notes: How Shizuke refers to People

Cover Series: Ai and Leo Parallels

Cover Series: He was Always Out of Reach

Cover Series: I hate her

Cover Series: Jerk

Cover Series: I Don't Know Her

Cover Series: First Love vs Current Love

On the topic of Hero Names

ShizuBlair Compilation (ML AU):

ShizuBlair are not on a date

ShizuBlair are finally dating

Blair is sick. Love sick.

Blair is a Demiromantic

Shizuke carries a picture of "Hawkmoth"

ShizuBlair kiss

Barbie Mugshot Meme

Shizuke is moving on

Keagan selling pictures of Shizuke to Chat Noire

LadyNoire early dynamic

Falling for Blair is like the Five Stages of Grief

OCs and their Canon Counterparts for N2CatS:

Blair and Adrien (N2CatS official cover pic in FF.Net)

Blair and Lila

Blake and Lila

Shizuke and Marinette

Keagan and Blake and Alya

OC Design Notes (ML AU):

Shizuke Blair Blake Natalia

The Past Gen Heroes (ML AU):

Bianca the Vixen

Travis the Peacock

William the Butterfly

Jordan the Bee

The parents on set

ML AU vs OG Story Notes:

Shizuke Blair and Kaji, ML AU vs OG Story character evolution

ShizuBlair, ML AU vs OG Story dynamic

Shizuke, ML AU vs OG Story characterization

ML Reverse AU:

Blair as a villain notes

Shizuke as a villain

Shizuke vs Blair on redemption

If they had a Reverse Special

The Good Guys

Reverse!AU Shizuke Midorikawa pic

Reverse!AU Blair Crawford pic

Reverse!AU Fiona Kuznetsov pic

Reverse!AU Blake Crawford pic

Reverse!AU Keagan Gerald Aurelio Ashworth pic

Ship to Where?

Scene: Blair is perfectly fine

OG Story:

OG Story Main Cast

OG Story Character Archetypes

OG Story finale outfits

Natalia the Sea Witch

Lucia the Sorceress Princess

Lucia and her Puppets concept art

OG Story Keagan's opinions on ShizuBlair

OG ShizuBlair based on a picrew

Book 1 Shizuke vs Book 2 Shizuke

Headshots: Crawford Parents Side Characters batch 1 Side Characters batch 2

Otome Game AU:

OG notes and art

Revamp notes

Writing Struggles:

How S5 Killed my Writing

How I Cope with S5 Killing my Writing

[hellobloger0000]

Baby Boy Names: A Guide to Meaningful, Modern, and Memorable Choices

When it comes to choosing baby boy names, parents often find themselves overwhelmed by endless options. Whether you're seeking something timeless, trendy, or culturally significant, a baby's name carries meaning that can last a lifetime. This guide offers insights into current naming trends, name meanings, and how to select the perfect name for your little boy.

The Emotional Weight of Baby Boy Names

A baby’s name isn’t just a word—it’s an identity. The name you choose can shape how others perceive your child and even how your child sees themselves. That’s why more parents today are investing time in researching baby boy names that are meaningful, culturally rooted, or personally significant.

Unique Fact: A study by the UK’s Office for National Statistics found that shorter names (with 3–5 letters) are gaining popularity faster than longer ones, due to ease of spelling and pronunciation.

Popular Baby Boy Names of 2025

Every year brings new trends in baby naming, influenced by pop culture, history, and global events. In 2025, baby boy names with international appeal, spiritual meanings, and gender-neutral tones are rising in popularity.

Top Trending Names

NameOriginMeaningEliasGreek/HebrewThe Lord is my GodAidenIrishLittle fireAsherHebrewHappy, blessedLeoLatinLionEzraHebrewHelper

These names are simple, elegant, and rich in meaning, making them top choices among parents.

High-volume related keywords: top baby boy names 2025, modern baby boy names, popular baby boy names

Nature-Inspired Baby Boy Names

More parents are turning to the natural world for name inspiration. Nature-themed baby boy names often evoke strength, serenity, and uniqueness.

Examples:

Forest – Symbolizing growth and connection to earth

Ocean – Reflecting calm, power, and depth

Sky – Open, limitless, and poetic

Flint – Rugged and elemental

Unique Fact: According to BabyCenter, names related to natural elements have seen a 30% increase in popularity over the past five years, with “Ocean” leading the charge for boys.

Unique and Rare Baby Boy Names

Not all parents want a name in the top 10. Some are looking for rare baby boy names that are both meaningful and unique. These names help set your child apart while still being easy to pronounce and remember.

Unique Picks:

Ansel – Of German origin, meaning "follower of a nobleman"

Koa – Hawaiian for "brave" or "warrior"

Jairo – Spanish/Greek, meaning "he shines"

Thayer – English occupational name, rare but strong

Zephyr – Greek for "west wind"

High-volume related keywords: rare baby boy names, uncommon boy names, baby boy names that stand out

Unique Fact: The name “Zephyr” saw a 150% rise in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024, boosted by celebrity usage and a growing interest in mythological names.

Culturally Rich Baby Boy Names

A growing number of parents are choosing baby boy names that reflect their heritage or have international flair. Culturally rich names often come with deep meanings and connections to language, religion, or geography.

Names by Region:

Arabic: Zayd, Tariq, Imran

Sanskrit/Indian: Aarush, Vivaan, Neel

Hebrew: Eli, Micah, Caleb

Greek: Andreas, Nikos, Leon

Unique Fact: The name “Vivaan” has ranked in the top 20 baby boy names in India for three consecutive years, symbolizing vitality and enthusiasm.

Celebrity-Inspired Baby Boy Names

Hollywood continues to influence baby name trends. Many celebrities opt for bold or unique names that quickly catch the attention of new parents around the world.

Examples:

Knox – Chosen by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Tennessee – Used by Reese Witherspoon

Crew – Used by Chip and Joanna Gaines

Ryder – Son of Kate Hudson

While some may be unconventional, these names often spark new trends in baby naming.

Unique Fact: “Crew” broke into the top 300 U.S. baby names in 2023, after barely ranking a decade ago.

Biblical and Spiritual Baby Boy Names

Biblical and spiritual baby boy names have stood the test of time, often appreciated for their strong roots and meaningful symbolism. These names offer a sense of tradition, faith, and continuity.

Popular Biblical Names:

Isaiah – “Salvation of the Lord”

Nathaniel – “Gift of God”

Caleb – “Whole-hearted”

Levi – “Joined in harmony”

High-volume related keywords: biblical baby boy names, spiritual names for boys, religious baby names

Unique Fact: “Levi” has gained traction not just for its biblical origin, but also due to its association with the iconic denim brand, appealing to both traditional and modern tastes.

Modern Baby Boy Names with a Twist

If you're looking for a name that feels contemporary yet rooted, consider names with modern spelling or uncommon syllable combinations.

Creative Modern Names:

Zayden – A twist on Aiden and Jayden

Kyro – An edgy spin on Cairo

Jaxson – A modern variation of Jackson

Maxton – Combines Max and Braxton

Onyx – Sleek, strong, and gemstone-inspired

Unique Fact: Names ending in “-on” or “-en” (like Jayden or Brayden) have consistently dominated the baby name charts for boys since the early 2000s.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Baby Boy Name

Say It Aloud: Test how the full name sounds when spoken.

Check Initials: Ensure initials don’t accidentally spell anything awkward.

Test the Name Over Time: Imagine your child at different ages with the name.

Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of meanings in other languages if the name is unique or global.

Partner Input: Choose a name that both parents connect with.

Unique Fact: A BabyNames.com survey found that 65% of parents consider name compatibility with siblings when choosing a baby’s name.

Tools and Resources for Finding Baby Boy Names

Baby Name Generators: These help generate random names based on criteria like origin, style, and length.

Baby Naming Books: Comprehensive lists with meanings and cultural references.

Parenting Forums: Real-time discussions with other parents can help narrow down options.

Name Meaning Websites: Understand origins, meanings, and global variations.

Final Thoughts

Choosing baby boy names is both a joyful and challenging journey. With so many options—modern, rare, nature-inspired, or culturally rooted—it’s all about finding the one that feels just right. Think beyond trends and consider how the name will grow with your child, from toddlerhood to adulthood.

No matter the route you take, remember: the perfect name tells a story, and that story begins with you.