thaly-does

[thaly-does]

“sotr is mid because you already know how it ends” shut the fuck up, the point of the book is that despite knowing how it ends you would have never known what actually went down because that’s the point of propaganda, the whole book is about the power of propaganda

[thaly-does]

The Purple Stone

hey everyone!! it would mean the world to me if you read my jayvik nosferatu/dracula the novel au. it has an element of self-insert, so i hope you enjoy. it is also epistolary bc i really really wanted to play with style! read on ao3 OR you can read it right here word count: 5, 272

Dearly beloved,

I crave your presence by my side, yet there would be nothing for you to see in this uncomely place, undeserving of your beauty. The roads are grey and fickle. My carriage sank in wet dirt three times, but I shall be persistent in reaching the prince’s castle.

It pains me how distraught you were by my leaving. You must understand that every action of mine is solely dictated by my concern for our well-being. This deal I was offered will be beneficial for us in a multitude of ways.

Hating my current damp and cold state, I close my eyes and picture our new home. A big green spot with soil for your gardening so fertile as if blessed by Demeter herself. A spacious study with grand windows where I could even put up a laboratory of my own. Soon as I leave the family business that dreads me daily. The discontent is little, yet persistent. You know how keen I am on gaining independence. Closing this affair will surely help me obtain it.

I imagine more than just mere objects. I can see my dear mother visiting us. I can even see our future children running around, with chins like mine and eyes like yours! Nonetheless, above it all, I picture you, my love. Joyful. Content. Our parting is worth the cost. I know it. I simply do.

Here I am, writing to you at each stop, just as promised. The horses are ready. Time for me to leave came sooner than expected. And so shall I be coming back to you before you know it, my dear.

Loving you with all my heart,

Jayce

My sweet girl,

I am seated on a bench in the middle of Zaun's main square. I can see the castle from here very clearly.

The locals are peculiarly reverent to their prince, albeit quite unfriendly to strangers like me. Perhaps it is their custom. Who am I to judge? Although their talk of him does nothing to make me understand his character. The Zaunites say the prince is a mysterious fellow. He prefers spending his time alone and leaves his castle very rarely. It matters not to me, of course. Our partnership is brief, born out of commodity rather than genuine connection. He signs the papers to acquire a mansion everyone has long forgotten about, moves into our blessed country with every piece of dusty furniture he owns and enjoys his retirement.

I must admit, there is one thing I did find surprising. According to the locals, the prince is a young man, my age, give or take, perhaps only somewhat older than me. Ever since we married, I have never felt more alive. Why would a man both his age and his status need to go somewhere else for retirement? Moreover, if he is a prince, what is it exactly that he needs to retire from? From what I understood, his position is a ceremonial one without any real power over this land. That would explain why I never even truly considered Zaun a royalty before,

I must bore you an awful lot! Me, going on a tangent about a man I have not encountered yet... This is highly unlike me. The air might be getting to my mind. It is rather dense and dirty here. There are times when the horizon looks a dark shade of grey.

I had time to indulge myself in a book of local folklore on the way here. The information was rather scarce, since not many of our scientists were interested in Zaun enough to publish anything in our mother tongue. Yet legends say Zaunite air used to be so bad children used to get sick simply by breathing in the horrid green smog. Babes used to drink vile poison instead of milk right from their mothers' breast. By Heavens, even thinking about it makes my heart sink. I suppose I must be thankful it isn't like this anymore. Nevertheless... It makes me wonder why their air was in such poor quality even before the industrial revolution.

 I remember a certain amount of foul fog on the streets when I was a child. The ventilation system put up by my dear Cait's mother, God rest her soul, did wonders for our city. I wonder if a similar device was applied there. In myths, it is said that Janna, the goddess of air, arrived from the far seas and made the filth disappear. Myths are nothing but reflections of the way people think about their surroundings, you know this as well as I do, my clever girl. I wonder what really happened.

Alas, the small cup of a certain dark concoction that was keeping me warm is over. I need to continue my journey. The hour is late. To be frank, I would have preferred to find a room to stay in for the night and visit the prince on the morrow. Despite my willingness to pay for the room and to almost certainly be ripped off, everyone around me is acting with a certain sense of eagerness, urging me to arrive at the castle today. Not the hospitality I expected, but I did not come here for pleasantries. Perhaps it is for the best. The sooner I visit my client, the sooner I come back to you and swoop you in my arms.

I am sending this letter this instant. There never is a moment when you are not in my thoughts. Tonight, soon as all business is concluded, I hope to spare a moment alone to picture me beside you in our bed.

I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. My beauty who is worth every splash of ink.

Forever yours,

Jayce

My love,

I am writing to you sooner than expected. My last letter to you was given to the postman mere hours ago, yet my current circumstances are so unusual I cannot help but share them with the person who matters to me most of all. None other than you, of course.

Here I am, in the prince`s castle. I finally learned his name, so now I do not have to simply call him «the prince» every time I mention him. It did make me feel rather silly, as if I was a maiden in a nurse`s tale waiting for her Prince Charming.

His name is Viktor.

I followed the pressing advice I was given by Zaunites and headed straight to the castle soon as I had sent you the first letter of the day. What an impressive sight it was up close! I could not get a clear view from a distance, yet soon as I arrived at the gates I noticed the patterns I saw in local architecture blooming in full power. This structure looks like nothing I had ever seen before. It truly is impossible to put into words. Think of a majestic castle with towers so tall and sharp they look as if they could tear the sky with their steeples. Think of a deep shade of violet stone, delicate, bendable like putty, yet still formidable, with an air of grandeur that, blasphemous as it might sound, only cathedrals have. Think of window grilles made of green iron, forming an intricate flower pattern.

 I have already re-read my description more times than I could count, pondering the ways in which I could make it better, yet words truly fade in comparison to the impression this view makes. What a sight! How I wish you were here to share this moment with me, to witness it all.

Despite its magnificence, I soon found myself thinking how desolate the castle looked. Abandoned, even. I began wondering how could it be possible for someone to truly live here. A quaint thought, considering I was just about to meet the host.

I knocked at the door and waited. For a long time, no answer followed. An unpleasant feeling gnawed at my soul. I almost thought myself mad. What if it all had somehow all been a cruel joke, as intricate as the castle`s decorations? Have I fallen for a nasty trick? Have I left you for nothing? I felt sick, yet I kept standing. At last, the door opened before me.

I saw no one. No servants, certainly no mysterious princes. I went in. The door locked behind me with a loud noise. A rapid breath of strong wind was the perpetrator, no doubt. I had no intention to run, so I went down the hallway.

To my surprise, it was not completely dark. The nature of the light, however, was curious. The candles in the hallway gleamed a pale shade of blue. A miracle for most eyes, a chemical reaction for mine. My mind quickly wandered to Goethe and his studies of light. What wonders await me in this iridescent blue?

The letter I am writing now is currently being illuminated by the same blue glow. The prince was courteous enough to provide me with this. There is not much else to see in my room, so I examine the candle. Perhaps the long road made me weary and I should have gone to sleep before attempting to write a second letter to you today. Still, I am almost certain that since the moment I came into this room and lit the candle… It did not melt at all. I see no dripping wax. The candle is exactly the same, solid and intact.

I could not keep my word and was not consistent in my narration yet again. Having walked only for a moment or so, I saw a door open in the distance. The same blue light inside, of course. I reached the dining room. This was where I finally met the prince.

He was sitting at the far end of an old table. I could not see much of his face, so I cannot give a proper description of his appearance just yet. Purple shadows cloaked his entire figure. I saw only glimpses of his shirt, his long neck, his soft curls. The only feature that truly stood out on his angled face were his eyes. Bright yellow, somewhat similar to a cat`s. Also calculating, intelligent, weary. He looked as if he could see me perfectly, despite the dim surroundings.

It was clear that he was expecting me, otherwise he would have told me to leave immediately. However, he did not greet me either. This responsibility fell on me. I introduced myself; I told him about my task. Not once had he interrupted me. The prince simply kept watching, observing me, as if he was the scholar and I was the frog that he was about to cut open. I did my best to remain confident and professional. I ended my speech by showing him the papers.

The contract itself had already been confirmed by him in writing, so all I needed was his signature. Sheepish of me, I know, yet I dared to hope that he would sign now and I could leave this place right away. There would have been nowhere for me to go, of course, since it were the Zaunites who put me in such a precarious position this late at night. I understand the queerness of my desire now, yet at that moment I simply wanted to leave.

This was the moment when he finally spoke. He said his name. He refused signing an important document so late at night, referring to a superstition that it would bring bad luck. I could have sworn that I saw him chuckle. I agreed to wait until morning.

«You must be hungry», - Viktor said afterwards. «Being all the way here… It must have been a long trip».

He offered me food that I accepted eagerly. Later, he brought himself. Viktor was surprisingly fast with that task. I could not help but notice a slight limp in his right leg as soon as he stood up. Impolite as it was, I still wondered what sort of injury could have brought this upon him. Was it a riding accident? Was he born with it?

The food was warm and delicious. It smelled better than everything I had been offered here before, too. Zaunites have a peculiar affection towards extremely unpleasant-looking seafood creations. I suppose this is why their drinks are so strong: they need to wash these horrid chunks of so-called fish down with something. If you were here, you would scold me for being so rigid with someone`s traditional cuisine. Then again, perhaps you would understand. You do know how easily I become unwell.

Viktor brought a whole feast for me only. As soon as I saw the platters of meat and cheese, I heard my stomach growling. I hardly realized how hungry recent events made me! The dinner looked appetizing even in unnatural blue lighting. For a while, we ate in silence. I meant to say «I ate», of course. At this point, clarifying further seems easier than rewriting the sentence itself: I wish to finish my strange tale and I know you will forgive its imperfections. Viktor must have eaten before. He brought me water to drink, which I was thankful for. Wine would have made my tired mind hazy, so I wouldn`t have been able to be writing this instant.

Viktor spoke to me again soon as he saw me fit to talk, not just munch. He spoke with a strong Zaunite accent, the strongest I have heard in these parts. I find their accent somewhat endearing. It sounds as if the tongue caresses every vowel before pronouncing it. I respect his willingness to address me in my language. Zaunite seems so different from ours. Their writing is nothing but a curious code of lines and circles for my unprepared mind.

He asked a little more about me. It was a nice change, I admit. People usually never care about who I really am. All they see is my position. High and respectable, yet not at all who I would like to become.

Our society makes our professions more important than our characters. As much as I love our city, this is a criticism that is inherent, a problem rooted in its premise, perhaps. If progress is the goal, why does it matter so little who the people behind it are? It might be different in Zaun. Everyone still does something, no doubt. Such is the nature of a human commune. Living together, creating together. Moreover… People seem united. Collaborative. They look out for each other, they have strong personal connections. It is very admirable.

I told him of my interest in science. I even confessed that he would be my last deal that would aid me in finally following my heart. Somehow, we ended up laughing about it. He has a pleasant laugh. Brief, yet sincere. As if he laughs rarely, so hearing it is a special occasion. I enjoyed listening to it. When I smiled myself, I realized the last time I did that was when I was saying goodbye to you.

«I am somewhat of an inventor myself», - Viktor said.

This was the moment when I could finally see him more closely. Viktor is a man in his early thirties with wrinkles around his eyes. High cheekbones, dark chestnut hair with traces of grey, full lips, aquiline nose. I even caught a glimpse of a mole above his mouth. It made me think of your moles. There was something both masculine and feminine in his delicate features. Due to his blue blood, I suppose.

We talked more about recent scientific studies. If I start boring you with details, I will certainly run out of parchment, so you must excuse my brevity. Viktor was surprisingly well-apprised on very recent discoveries. How, I wonder? I do not recall seeing a mailbox near the castle. I doubt he receives magazines. Does he stay in touch with the brightest minds of our generation? If this is the case, how come no one had ever mentioned a brilliant foreign prince? I am acquainted with several illustrious men of science myself. They have never mentioned anyone like Viktor.

The most wonderful part was that we stumbled across a topic that interested us both equally. We talked about magic and science. We came to the conclusion that true science always ends up having a little bit of magic in it. Both of these wonderful things are a part of nature. Both could be used for the good of the humanity.

There was one moment when I felt us in strong disagreement, yet no further discussion took place. I remember saying:

«Science is the pinnacle of man. God was the first creator of all. Adam, who did not yet create before leaving Heaven, was given power above all things by naming them. Now we are able to do more than just name. We search. We discover. And then, like Adam, we name our findings».

I went on, shaking my head:

«Forgive me if it sounds blasphemous. I never understood the hatred our church has towards magic».

«So you are in favour of maidens dancing naked by the fire?» Viktor replied in a playful manner. «Witches stealing babes for their sweet, sweet blood?»

«I don`t mean… Indecency. Or hexes».

I wish I could say I did not blush.

«I was continuing talking about creatures and creation. Nature is an enormous system that works perfectly all by itself. Of that, we are fully aware, thanks to newest discoveries. As of now, «how?» is a question answered. But what about «why?». God gives us the answer. God and his divine power. What is divinity, if not light magic?»

Viktor scoffed. He did not say another word in this regard. He did not enjoy my talk of divinity, as it seems. I am his guest, so I did not feel it fit to go on with the argument. He switched the topic swiftly and masterfully. We moved on to new power sources, and our little quarrel was quickly forgotten.

Our discussion, delightful as it was, could not have gone for long. There were no clocks in the dining room. My chatelaine watch was left at home. I could not risk losing something my father held so dear to his heart. Therefore, I have no way of telling the time on my own here. My feelings in this regard are mixed. I never considered relying on outer sources would become an issue. Before the castle, I saw clocks everywhere.

After what I could only assume was an hour or so Viktor paused. All of the sudden, he said:

«I dislike it when my words are met with yawns».

For a mere second, I could have sworn that my heart stopped beating. Blood rushed to my face, turning me a horrid shade of crimson, no doubt, while I was apologising as profusely as I could in my drowsy state. My mind was clouded by sleep, so his words sounded much louder to me than the way he really said them must have been.

To my relief, he smiled again. He rose his palm, signalling me to quit babbling.

«It is I who must say sorry, Jayce. I enjoyed your company so much that I wanted to keep you there. Come. Let us get you to bed».

On our way to the room where I currently am, I noticed a curiosity on his neck. Golden lines, somewhat similar to the ornament on the stones that I saw outside. I know of tribal ritual tattoos, but this was not a trace of ink on the skin. I believe that, had I touched it, it would have had the texture of a golden rim on a cup. A quaint comparison, I know, but they did seem… Solid. There was also the matter of his neck being too dark for his pale complexion. In this case, I did not manage to figure out the colour.

We stopped at the door. He wished me good night and went away. For some reason, he still took the contract with him. I did not protest. These are his papers, strictly speaking.

As I mentioned before, the room itself has nothing of interest. A simple bed, rather hard for my taste, a chair, a table. Not even a wardrobe to hang my cloak. Odd, but I suppose he does not receive many guests. I wonder what happened to the rest of his family.

In any case, I am not here for a history lesson. Viktor is a charming man, but I am still here on business. My main goal is finishing my task and returning to you. I hope tomorrow brings me more luck than it did to a certain Shakespearian character.

Ready to blow out the never-ending candle. I have no idea when will there be a chance for me to send this letter, so I shall speak to you in my prayers. I am trying to reach you. I am begging you to visit me in my dreams.

Holding you in my thoughts forever,

Jayce

My love,

How right you were all along. I should never have come here. I should never have left you. I should not have brushed off your fears and doubts as mere worries for my long journey. Your high spirit has always been more attuned to the Heavens than mine. You must have felt it, surely. You must have known. God has given you a sign and you did your best to keep me from visiting this place. Wretched. Cursed. Vile. Wicked. An insult to nature. An insult to the skies.

My quill is shaking as I write these words. I need to put my testament into phrases as soon as I can. This very moment, while I still remember every haunting detail. However, I doubt I could ever forget this horrible sight. Not in a thousand years.

The door is locked. I made my bed a barricade. He cannot reach me now.

I hope.

I am consumed by fear. Still, an effort must be made.

Here, my horrid tale begins.

I woke up early. The sun was still rising behind my window`s dark curtains. I had a night of disturbed sleep. Firstly, I did not realise how cold it was in the room. I was still shivering when I got under my heavy covers. In a desperate attempt to get warm, I lit the candle again. Leaving a real candle for the night is a direct violation of safety. Yet the blue candle stood unmelted even in the morning. Secondly, I had worrisome dreams. I cannot recall any of them, only that they were nightmares. Empty and blank, with no real plot.

Needless to say, I did not wake up well-rested. I stood in my room, but, as I said, there was absolutely nothing to do. I had nothing else to write at that moment. I tried sketching some ideas. None were decent. Viktor would not come. I heard no footsteps in the hallways.

The real nightmare began as soon as I decided to leave my bedroom and look for him myself. I got dressed and went out. I saw the same blue flames dancing on old stones.

The dining room where we conversed the day before was empty. Confused, I sat down and stayed there for a while. Nothing happened. No one came. I stood up with a sigh. What was I supposed to do? What was Viktor`s plan for me? Did I truly strike him as a person who would wake up at noon?

«Perhaps that`s what princes do», - I remember thinking, most irritated. «But my family made hammers».

Then, I came to a conclusion. Until Viktor wakes up, I can walk around the castle myself. It makes an impression of a mostly empty place, but at least I can pass the time by exploring its huge territory.

At first, my journey was fruitless. Whenever I went, I saw nothing but empty halls and locked doors. I was just about to give up on my quest when I noticed something strange. I stumbled across an old portrait in one of the halls. Judging by its style, it must have been painted about a hundred and fifty, maybe even two hundred years ago. Oh, my love. You would have known right away. How I miss you. How I wish to see you again. How I wish that it is possible still.

Forgive the tear stain. I must stay focused. I promised.

Despite the major differences in this painter`s ways and modern tendencies, it was clearly an image of one of Viktor`s ancestors. The resemblance was uncanny. Must be the eyes. His are truly out of this world. It was as if I was looking at Viktor`s own portrait. Which is not possible, of course.

There was something else with the painting. The right part of the man`s face was torn in half, as if someone was dissatisfied with it. I can understand that, but why settle for a portrait you dislike, if you are royalty? Why keep a ruined portrait at all? This queer encounter left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

Having walked some more, I reached a structure I did not notice before. Before my eyes stood a big glasshouse. From the outside, I saw nothing but plants. At first, I was even somewhat relieved. It was something that proved Viktor`s humanity. Here it is, a place where he grows fruit, vegetables, perhaps tea roses for his table.

How foolish I was.

The inside of the glasshouse was warm and humid. As soon as I entered a strong smell of flowers hit my nostrils. I even sneezed, although I do it quite rarely. Still, it was nice to stop feeling cold for a change.

There were many plants I had never seen in real life before. Some were known to me by botanical textbooks. My mother has a lot of them at home. I remember how she used to sit down and sketch them to relax when I was a child. To this day, this is what relaxes her the most. However, some plants I saw for the first time ever. Curious flowers in colourful, poisonous shades of green, yellow, pink and blue. Huge fruit, sickly sweet by its smell.

Oh, my sweet mommy. How it breaks my heart to think of her in this dark time. Give her a kiss from me.

My name is always in her prayers. No prayers could have possibly saved me from what happened next.

The greenhouse was so big it took several minutes of walking to notice… That thing. God, give me strength. Picture a purple egg the size of a carriage. It pulsates with a bright source of energy, glowing like a lamp. Now, imagine… How it would breathe. Because it looked like it was breathing. It looked like it was somehow alive. I have never seen a biggest insult to life itself. It was inhuman. God was not its maker.

This was way more than I bargained for. I felt sick in my stomach. My knees were shaking. Cold sweat was forming on my back. I needed to leave. Heaven knows I wanted to get out. But then I saw it… A figure inside the wretched egg.

Viktor`s figure.

This is the moment when I ran. I don`t remember reaching my bedroom. Somehow, I managed to find my way back. However, when I closed the door behind me, I realised something truly disturbing.

It was getting dark again.

I had an idea, as insane as everything that has been happening to me. What if Viktor, whatever kind of beast he might be, needs the egg to hibernate during the day? We only spoke at night, so it was as good of a theory as any other. Besides, there are many tales of devious creatures who are active during the dark but fear the cock`s screams. To think that he spoke with me about witches and spells! Knowing what he is now, I understand why he could not talk to me about God. Perhaps even saying His name is painful for a creature of Hell.

God`s name is what will protect me now. I begin my dire watch. God help me. May Michael, your strongest son, watch over me. One night is all I need. One night – and the next morning I run away from here, never to prioritise mortal possessions again.

I shall come back to you.

Jayce

Love,

I write this out of habit. It is clear that my last letters will never be sent to you. I shall see you much sooner.

We both will.

We are on our way to Piltover as I write.

My last encounter with Viktor did not go exactly as I planned.

The bed at the door could not keep him. He was too strong for that. I should have thought about it sooner.

Then… He showed me. He showed me what he really was. A true merging of magic and science. He was the final step of our evolution. I must admit that at that moment… I found out that he was everything I have ever dreamed of.

This was when I could finally see him whole. He came to me undressed. His body is smooth and solid, the same shade of purple that I saw all around the castle. Instead of muscles and veins there is nothing but thin golden lines. I did not err when I noticed them on his neck before. He was magnificent. Spectacular. His own creator.

«Centuries ago», Viktor explained. «I was no one. A dying boy by the village downstream. I spent all my life looking for a cure. And then I found one. The magic of this world heard my plea. I wanted to live and I would stop at nothing to go on. So I let it in».

He took a deep breath.

«Feeling the arcane inside… It made me powerful. Mighty, even. I gave myself to it. I gave it to our land, and my magic healed it. I gave it to my people, and they rejoiced».

I am not proud of my reply. All I could muster was:

«This is how you became their prince».

He laughed. It was the same laughter that I heard from him yesterday.

«Oh, Jayce. This is, eh… How would you say it… Lost in translation. I am not their prince. I am their Herald. For I am the bringer of a new era».

He took another step. He touched my chest and looked me in the eye. I saw his golden eyes gleaming with joy.

«And you are destined to help me save the world with magic».

What happened next… Oh, my dear. It is shameful on paper. Lewd, even.

He knew me, and I knew him. He was inside of me. He thrusted in me and I sensed the coldness of his thighs against my own. You will see it soon enough, for he has marked me for life. There are traces on my legs from the way his poisoned seed pumped my insides. It can never be removed.

 Sweet, sweet girl… Please know that, despite it all, I have never betrayed our love. I became his. But so shall you. So shall everyone else.

The arcane is ever so hungry, and we are coming.

[thaly-does]

I couldn't stop thinking about viktor's jesus era so here goes

[thaly-does]

heard someone say archive of our own should install a "dislike" button and I thought I should say this: no, there's absolutely no need for archive of our own to install a "dislike" button.

why? because archive of our own isn't tiktok or youtube or twitter/x where users can monetize their content. archive of our own is a nonprofit site run by fans for fans, which means every content — every fanfic — you see on archive of our own was made out of pure love and passion from the artists/authors.

ao3 authors write because writing about these characters is their happiness and passion. they write for themselves, but they were generous enough to share with you their creations.

they're not "content creators" the way tiktokers or youtubers or instagram models are. they don't "make content" for views and engagements that can be monetized.

so no, you don't get to "grade their works" unless they specifically and directly ask you to.

you don't get to "say what you dislike about their works" unless they specifically and directly ask you to.

you don't get to "dislike" works that are not made specifically to please you in the first place. you're just a guest in someone's house, a house in which they let you in because they were kind, you don't get to roam around their house and say what you dislike about their furniture. you don't get to roam around their house and say you "dislike their house".

of course, you can have your opinion about the house its host invites you in. but if it's a negative one and you find yourself not liking the house, the polite things for you to do is excuse yourself and leave without telling them you dislike their house.

and just because you personally dislike the house doesn't mean the house is "ugly" either. the house you dislike could be a favorite, most luxurious place to many others.

my point is, don't be entitled by wanting the rights to voice your disapproval of things that you get to enjoy for free. don't be entitled by wanting the rights to voice your disapproval of things that were made out of love and passion — things the artists made for themselves for fun.

it makes you look like an entitled jerk with main character syndrome. the universe does not revolve around you.

now repeat after me: don't like don't read. no one forces you to continue reading a fic you don't like. quietly leave instead of being rude to authors who write for free because writing is their source of comfort.

people are so used to contents that were made because it's a trend / contents like tiktok that were made with the main purpose of reaching high engagement and making profits that they forget sometimes things can be made out of love and be made just for fun. sometimes things are supposed to just be for people to enjoy, and if some people don't enjoy them, then they can simply leave without being unnecessary unkind.

[thaly-does]

I just got hit by realization that the most probable answer to "Why is there no Hextech in the AU universe" is that Jayce is dead. But not due to the explosion, no.

Jayce is dead because he stepped off that ledge. Because there was no one to interrupt him. Because Viktor, no matter how mesmerized by his research, didn't want to do anything with a man who got an Undercity child dead.

Jayce is dead because, in that universe, Viktor didn't believe in him.

[thaly-does]

this au lives rent free in my mind for about a year now IT IS SO THOUGHT THROUGH it's AMAZING. I squeak at every little detail

the amount of hurt/comfort there. oh girl

I had this idea about our beloved bg3 party as a real-life DND group AU in my head for a long while. I think I`ll never get to writing the big thing, because the amount of text I`m gonna have to write is Odyssey level. Unfortunately, I don`t have the time or the energy to focus on it after work. I made my peace with settling for less because there is one specific scene I can imagine writing, but it`s still only a draft as of now. Still, the ideas for each character and for the story as a whole were too important for me personally to abandon completely, so here goes.

ASTARION

Nothing too original here to be lore compliant. Unfortunately, he works at a club called «The Wasted Prayer» as a sex worker. The name of the club came from a dialogue piece between him and Gale when he says he tried calling to every god he could think of but no one answered

He graduated from Harvard Law School. Elle Woods style. Legally platinum blonde

One of the most popular metaphors for vampirism is addiction, so he keeps working for this AU`s version of Cazador because of that

Astarion is his character`s name of course. I thought his real name could be something so sweet that his life`s tragedy would seem even more devastating. Something like Angel

SHADOWHEART

Hot Topic queen. She works there. She also has about three million other part-time jobs. No one knows how she does it.

She uses the praying hands emoji all the time (this one )

At first everyone thought she was just a religious gal, nothing wrong with that. But the more she speaks about religion the odder her ideas become. There`s a slow realization that he «adoptive family» she grew up in was a full on cult. The cult stole her from her real parents whom she will definitely find one day

The best dressed. God`s favorite princess. God`s blackest lipstick. God`s skimpiest outfit.

The cult would give her a new name, something oldschool like Virtue or Prudence. Her real name would be Jennifer

GALE

Gale. Oh boy, Gale. He used to be a famous scientist along with that other cool professor who curated his work and was very interested in him (you got it! It was Mystra!) in every way possible if you know what I mean. Gale was never allowed to finish his studies because of a messy plagiarism conflict though. His field was strictly humanitarian, something like history. Mystra`s as well, so one day he just borrowed from her works because in his eyes they became so intertwined it didn`t even matter. She`s about 10-15 years older than him in this AU and took a liking to him when he was about 18-19 years old. Needless to say, their relationship was fucked up because of that power dynamic. Gale doesn`t fully comprehend that.

Gale is sure that there`s nothing to live for anymore. The orb in his chest represents his suicidal thoughts. He`s still a people pleaser, so he wants to off himself as soon as the campaign ends.

He works in a library and lives on its upper floor

He has a cat named Tara ofc!

Gale has a very good relationship with his mother, they call each other at least 2 times a week

KARLACH

She goes out of her way to hide her cancer diagnosis from the rest of the party. She got it while working for Gortash because of atrocious working conditions. She can`t afford the treatment, so she`s living every day like her last and tries enjoying it to the fullest while also not wanting to die. The treatment itself also scares her

Her name`s Kara

WYLL

BUT DON`T YOU WORRY! Prince Will (duh) to the rescue!

He`s the local mayor`s son but he has a difficult relationship with his dad

Wyll`s dad doesn`t approve of his relationship with Karlach

But Wyll couldn`t care less because he loves her and he`ll still do anything to help her stay alive

LAE`ZEL

I ship Shadowzel in this one so good for Lae`zel to have a goth gf

I think her name could be Liz (short for Elisabeth ofc but don`t you dare call her by the full name. She`s not a fan)

She has a prestigious military job despite being very young

She wants to go further in her career but certain parts of her character`s backstory imply that maybe… it`s not what she really wants…

HALSIN

A super chill guy who`s very nice in a chronically outside kind of way. Always wishes everyone good morning and good night in the discord group chat

He didn`t go far with his character`s name because his real name is Hal

His battle against Ketheric Thorm is based on his real life struggle to save the local park. A company called THORM ENTERPRISE would really like to destroy it and build a shopping center instead. I wonder how that goes…

MINTHARA

So I have a couple of weirdly specific ideas about her. Firstly, I think she`d be a cop. Secondly, her name would be Miranda. Thirdly, she has a very nice singing voice.

JAHEIRA AND MINSK

Listen, Jaheira is a DND pro. She`s old, okay? She`s been at it for ages!

I think that her real name is Eugenia Lesnova. She`s a Soviet immigrant who moved decades ago. She has no problem with technology whatsoever despite being a boomer. Others often joke that she`s a Soviet spy. She brings the best pirogi to every session. Her reasoning is that it`s way healthier than pizza that everyone would have ordered otherwise.

Jaheira is her classic character that she`s been playing for many years, so her backstory is very thought through and her roleplaying skills are out of this world.

Minsk is actually her son in this AU! He really wanted to join, so she helped him create his character.

WITHERS

The DM master who mysteriously disappears soon as the campaign is finished. Was it really Jergal? No. No way it was. Impossible. Right?

That`s all I`ve got for you today! As I said before, I`m definitely writing a piece of this AU as a fanfic pretty soon! It`s going to be about Isobel, Ketheric and maybe – just maybe – saving the park from the shadow curse?

I`d love to hear your thoughts and opinions about this AU or perhaps your very own modern AU ideas? Thank you so much for reading this! It means the world to me.

[thaly-does]

Dear golden boy, whose love language is physical touch

[thaly-does]

Headcanons 😧

Guys I know Jayce's grip isn't really "strange", it's my grip too, I literally referenced my own hand for him, but ppl always told me MY grip was a lil bit off so... 😭

[thaly-does]

Time travelling to Purgatory

i had a thought. what if the journey that ekko, heimerdinger and jayce had could symbolize travelling through purgatory. I'm an Italian Studies major so this will be full on Dante style.

Frst up is Heimerdinger. He goes the furthest into the past because his punishment is to see the part of the world that he failed to help. We know that Heimerdinger is one of Piltover's founders, dude's over 300 years old and he's also immortal. He takes pride in Piltover's accomplishments without magic, so he's more than reluctant to accept Hextech. Ironically, the way in which he let zaunite problems run so deep is the reason Viktor immeadiately thinks that this risky new technology he helped his new buddyboy invent is the ony way to help fellow zaunites and himself. l'm in no way calling Viktor selfless, but he couldn't have known that old men divorce cancellation would surprisingly solve the cities' problems.

Unlike Hell, Purgatory is all about time. You can earn your right to ascend to Heaven only after many years of contemplating your sins. This is exactly what happened to Heimerdinger. He's watching a new Zaun get born and clearly reminiscing on all the ways he failed the Zaun in his timeline. How he neither helped the people who lived there, nor understood them.

There's also an obvious teacher-student trope going on with Heimerdinger and his pupils. His role is not only that of a penetant sinner, but also of a mentor. In "Divine Comedy", Dante's guide through Hell is Virgil, a Roman poet to whom Dante looks up to. Virgil explains the whole hierarchy of Hell and the structure of Purgatory, but at a certain point he can't go further. As soon as they reach Earthly Paradise, which is technically still in Purgatory, Virgil announces that he cannot proceed, because it's forbidden. Virgil goes back to his softcore first level punishment in Hell for good people who weren't Christians. Dante is very distraught by that. Although Virgil clearly didn't die again, it still must have felt just like losing his beloved teacher. There's a similar scene between Ekko and Heimerdinger. He knows that he can't and shouldn't proceed further, so he sacrifices his life for his best student, which obviously saddens Ekko. Heimerdinger dies as a symbol of the old world, a world that is no more.

Jayce is also punished with time to contemplate his mistakes. His thoughts when he's looking at the fire are full of regret. He lost his way, he stopped doing what he thought was right, he let his dream become corrupted. "Divine Comedy" starts with Dante telling us that he's lost his way as well, both literally and metaphorically. It's the reason the entire plot happens.

Jayce has a nasty fall right at the beginning of his extadimensional journey. This is also a punishment of sorts. His hammer, aka the hextech weapon he swore not to make, fractures his leg in a brutal way. After that he's forced to climb up. Movement in Purgatory has the same direction. It's a mountain that you have to climb to reach Paradise. Jayce ends up reaching a Paradise of sorts. The best place in this dead world, that is. The contrast between the highest point in Piltover is stark. It's a vibrant, colorful, peaceful place, unlike the grey wasteland of metal corpse puppets below. Just like Dante, Jayce meets his long lost love in Earthly Paradise. Both Viktor and Beatrice show our heroes what to do next and help them leave Purgatory.

Might be a controversial opinion, but here goes. I don't believe Ekko felt as if he was in a good place where he could stay forever. I wholeheartedly disagree with teary posts such as "he was so strong to leave Heaven behind". How is that Heaven? It looks good enough at first sight, but imagine waking up in a world full of dead people. Sure, getting some closure is nice, but that's the only way to talk to them again. Imagine seeing your dying city thrive and knowing you would never have that in your world. I don't think Ekko was particularly strong for leaving. He could have indulged in that little fantasy for a bit, but he never lost track of what was important. It wasn't his world to live in, so he had to leave. And that is also torture.

Ekko meets his loved one in this world as well. Powder has a pendant in the form of a rose with two people's faces engraved in its petals. Vi and Ekko, two people she loves the most. Rose and love are deeply connected in Dante's work. The last cantos of "Paradise" tells us about a giant glowing rose that stands at the centre of the world. It's glorious, resplendent, beautiful, divine. I can't put into words how cathartic reading that last part is. Believe me when I say that the major part of Paradise is dedicated to describing and proving in a manner that is almost scientific how and why love is at the centre of everything. Love, quite literally, is the reason the Sun shines and the Earth exists.

Ekko loved Jinx, so he came back to her. Jayce loved Viktor, so he came back to him. Love saved the world. Just like in "Divine Comedy", this isn't an idle thing to say. It's a fact.

[thaly-does]

that type of flirting when I reblog all of your tumblr posts and give a little thought to each of them in the tag section like "omg your brain is genius and I'd love to kiss you and that's an amazing yaoi meta analysis and maybe we should go on a date???"

[thaly-does]

you do realize zaunite au viktor is basically kaz brekker right. it's important to me that you know it

[thaly-does]

Jayce and Viktor, knight/prince AU

[thaly-does]

jayvik Hogwarts au headcanons:

Viktor is muggleborn, or so he thinks due to the fact he grew up in a muggle orphanage. Jayce is a half-blood on his father's line, but he spent his childhood in a magical village. Jayce starts taking Muggle Studies for Viktor, but quits early as Viktor shows no desire to keep a connection to the muggle world.

They both get sorted to Ravenclaw. Viktor and Jayce share a dorm cause in Ravenclaw students sleep in pairs!!! They usually use one bed though, cause the other one is for books and other study equipment. They stop sleeping together around the 5th year because it starts to feel... Different. More intimate. They start sleeping together again during the 7th year soon as they start dating.

Everyone is certain they've been dating since the 2nd year.

Viktor has an incurable magical sickness that progresses slightly over time. Jayce spends all his free time with Viktor every time Viktor is in the hospital wing - and that's often, mostly filling him in on studying or reading out loud.

They play wizard chess like... a lot. Jayce gifted a really nice set to Viktor on their first Christmas in Hogwarts. Half the floor in their dorm room is covered in shattered pieces they were too busy to clean up. Viktor is constantly stepping on them, but he doesn't mind.

Jayce stays in the castle with Viktor during all the holidays first couple of years, later they both go to Jayce's home to spend the break there. Viktor also spends last two or three whole summer breaks at Jayce's.

From each visit to Hogsmeade Jayce brings Viktor something he thinks Viktor would like. Viktor isn't allowed to visit (apart from not having permission from the orphanage he keeps getting detention).

Jayce studies Ancient runes (it's one of his favourite subjects). Viktor studies it too from 3rd to 5th year, but doesn't go further. He keeps taking Numerology and Astronomy though.

Last two years they take Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Alchemy together. Jayce takes DADA yet Vik doesn't.

Both Viktor and Jayce study Alchemy and they're the only students in their course to do so. It's really... private studying there.

Viktor starts visiting the Restricted section really early on, like 3rd year. It's permitted cause he's so smart. (Will it backfire who knows)

Jayce plays quidditch as a chaser. Later he's made captain. Viktor pretends to hate quidditch (and he does hate flying), but he comes to every training session and every match to root for Jayce. He says it's because he "likes reading outdoors".

Jayce has the reputation of The perfect student. Viktor is the student who asks the "wrong" questions, tries too advanced spells too early and does dangerous experiments. Jayce tries to cover for him but no one ever believes him (even if they truly did it together).

Jayce is made prefect and then the Head boy, although he abuses this power a lot to let Viktor do whatever he wants no matter the rules. Also to take baths together during their last Hogwarts year.

Viktor likes to brew potions in their dorm rooms. One day he tells Jayce that room just stinks of him (it's really because currently Viktor is brewing amortentia). That's how they start dating.

Jayce invents the cure for Viktor's illness two years after graduation.

[thaly-does]

Harry Potter AU! 1/?

[thaly-does]

my jayvik cog charm is finally released!!!

it's 4 cm and 10$

also it can be remade into a set of earrings!!! really light and comfortable to wear (I do so myself)

you can order here:

but please contact me before purchasing for shipping details, please! I'll start sending them right after the New Year's celebrations

[thaly-does]

hey, come and see my hipolink account!

https://hipolink.me/thaly

all new merch will be popping right there ❤

[thaly-does]

my favorite "viktor talis" headcanon is that it was an academy issue. academic rules of publications and citations in all sorts of scientific works are rather strict, and in piltover academy there aren't many zaunite students, them having no house names or surnames or anything. so, during his first years there, everything viktor has to publish he publishes under heimerdinger's name, as his student and his assistant. viktor is bitter about it - this is his independent research - yet he has to comply.

it's different with hextech. they do everything together, they share every sleepless night and every deadlock but every breakthrough and every achievement too. and viktor could be okay with all the recognition swirling around jayce's name. jayce is better for the public, for making speeches and smiling to investors, anyway. viktor is content with being his partner, even if it's not on paper.

jayce is the one who's not content. jayce is the one who argues and tries to go against the system, because hextech must be referred to as the work of jayce and viktor. alas, eventually trying to break the rules proves inefficient.

so jayce does the next best thing - he starts writing his surname next to viktor's name. every time. every paper. everywhere. he even signs vik's notes. jayce shares the family name with his partner the same way he shared his life-long dream - no hesitation.

viktor simply says "thank you", but oh he is so impressed. he starts to think he's never felt as seen as he does with jayce.