#2 chandeliers over island

[loujasna]

Seattle Kitchen An image of a medium-sized, elegant, l-shaped kitchen with a medium-toned wood floor, a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite countertops, a beige backsplash, a stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances, and an island.

[markwickens]

Dining - Traditional Kitchen

Mid-sized elegant l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This 1924 New Orleans, Louisiana home was remodeled in 2021 and it's fabulous. 5bds, 5.5ba, $2.425M.

Enter a large reception hall.

The sitting room is lovely in deep blue with a white marble fireplace and wide crown molding.

Off the sitting room is a matching dining room with a lovely marble art deco fireplace.

Beautiful light gray kitchen remodel has a distinctly French look. I like the black counters and how they contrasted the island with white.

Next to the kitchen is an elevator.

Love how they hid the laundry in closet so the bath looks beautiful.

Look at the size of this shower. Love the bench.

The primary bedroom is lovely. Enough room for 2 large shelving units and a corner fireplace. I like the details over the doors and the color of the muted color of the room. There's also a very light gold pattern on the ceiling, complemented by the gold chandelier.

This beautiful bedroom is also spacious.

It has a walk-in closet with a chandelier.

And, it has a nice en-suite.

Small home office has doors to the garden.

A luxurious bath with an armoire and a chaise.

Cute smaller bedroom has a corner fireplace, too.

The baths in this home are all beautifully done.

Wonderful upper deck.

The garden is so pretty, it has to be professionally landscaped.

Behind the house is a large, gorgeous pool and a second residence.

Some may call it a guest house, but it's full sized home.

This is beautiful, I wouldn't mind living in this house.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6028-Prytania-St_New-Orleans_LA_70118_M72306-90619

[sinning-23]

Glass Chandelier

Warnings: swearing, depictions of violence and bodily harm, reader has trauma

Chapter 2

Chapter 4

Chapter 3

“She’s a fast learner.” The woman speaks, pushing you forward.

He examines you, lifting your arms, poking and prodding at you like some prized heifer. Clicking his tongue, he forces your once dropped head upwards. Your hair is unkempt, knotted in places as well as your body suffering from the effects of malnutrition and dehydration. The cracks in your lips and the bones that peak beneath your skin are proof of that.

“What won’t be much help when she’s as scrawny as she is. You do realize we’d just be putting her on one of these Marine crews.” He speaks, circling you, using the bottom of his jeweled cane to push you forward.

You fall to your knees, a whimper slipping past your already chapped lips. He pokes more, the action making you curl into yourself, the line girls beside you stay facing forward, knowing they’d soon be observed.

“She is pretty though…what was your price?” He asks.

-

The rowboat is tiny and crowded. Two other girls were sold beside you and now you were being thrown to some ship. It didn’t matter, you’d spend your life here and if there was a god, they’d be merciful enough to kill you before your suffering was prolonged any further.

Wishful thinking.

The girl to your left shook, her clothes and hair barely hanging off her tiny frame. She sniffed and coughed, flinching when your new overseer shot a look of annoyance her way.

The girl to your right was about the same, a pinch taller than you, her hair buzzed with eyes that cocked like a pistol. She tapped away at her thigh in a pattern you’d try to decipher.

“You will bathe and be properly dressed and prepared. Once we arrive to the island you will be sold off as marines and serve the rest of your lives there. You’re here to pay off a debt. That is all.” The man explains, the sneer evident in his tone.

-

The three of you were carted away, the rope binding your ankles and wrists indenting itself into your skin. Despite your voice being hoarse, you try your hand at conversation. Maybe the three of you could escape? To be sold off to the people meant to protect you….it made you sick.

“We need to get out of here.” You whisper, the girl with the buzzed hair behind you panicking.

Her head shakes no, fingers trembling and fighting against her rope binds. The other one in front of you only coughed, breaths flowing in and out of her lungs as wheezes.

It was no use. Fear had already been instilled in them and nothing had even really happened. Yes being sold was no one’s dream but it was better than any thing else that couldn’t happened along the way. You try to wiggle out of the binds, friction only burning your wrists.

“These three. Do whatever you want with them, part of an owned debt. When these expire we’ll send more.” The man with the cane spoke along side a different man dressed in uniform.

You struggle more, panic beginning to seep into you. What would they do??? Whatever they wanted actually. And you had no say in it. Your life was being flushed down the drain before your very eyes and-

Your face is forced upwards, the grip on your cheeks becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“She’s a pretty one. The other two can do the cleaning. This one…” he grins, his breathe fanning your face and you choke in disgust.

“What're you useful for.”

______________________________________

You shiver, swallowing down anxiety that has risen and rest in your chest. The boat sways as you continue to part from the Baratie's dock. Sanji had finished his goodbye and was descending the stairs now.

His eyes twitched a bit at the fact that you and Zoro were sitting so close to one another. It didn't matter though, you weren't his to keep tabs over and it wasn't like he was insecure or anything. Hell, he was sure he was twice the man Zoro was. I mean who carried around 3 swords and a shitty attitude all day anyway?

Part of him stirs with a feeling of unease. The sea wasn't exactly safe for a lady like yourself but, he couldn't even make silly excuses like that with he way you defended yourself. He catches just the snipet of your body when you move toward the back of the ship, opting to stay put instead of pursuing you. what did this brtue say that had youtaking off so fast?

-

You rench, the contents of your stomach unwillingly spewing from your mouth and nose. the say of the ship isn't helping with the dread you feel, your hands trembling as you spew again, your insides squeezing painfully because at this point there's nothing left to give.

When was the last time you had one this bad? Youre palms are sweating and you dizzily stand to your feet. Three knocks sound and before Usopp can finish asking if you're okay you'd alreadyflung the door open and walked off, the back of your hand wiping your mouth.

Get it together.

The Baratie is out of sight now, Sanji standing at theships railing, sort of just....adjusting. Hes zoned out, the breeze brushing his hair every which way. His fists are gripped though, nils making his palms white.

You sigh, approaching him as calmly as you could. He doest move yet, just kind of frozen in place.

"Been a while since you've been on a ship? Me too." You admit, opting to give hi his spaceinstead of hover, mainly foryourown sake, you didn't think you could handle physical contact at the moment.

"Yeah." It's almost a whisper but he responds regardless. His grip had loosened a bit, but the indents of his nails were easy to identify.

...silence...

...and more silence...

"Ok! What would Nami do?" Luffy quips, tone loud, startling the both of you for a moment.

You startle, Sanji's once clenched fist going to the space between your shoulder blades. Fuck you'd almost forgotten how much bigger his hands were.

"Make a plan and then tell us about the difference between East and West." Usopp chimes.

"You said she was with Arlong? If that's the case then we need to go..." You quip, pausing for a moment, looking over the map. Yes being on that ship all those years ago was hell...but at least you picked up the skills necessary to sail overtime.

"Here. If my memory serves me correctly, he'll be here still." You explain, eyes narrow.

And so, the crew was setting sail in search of "Nami", someone you knew little about. All you could hope for was another feminine presence aboard once all was said and done.

Authors Note: Hey you guys sorry it took me so long to post the next partttt. Im gonna try and work at chapter 4 and shoot for more wordsss so uhh yeah! Also let me know if you'd like t be added to the taglist ;0

Taglist: @waannty @strangermeats @nymeriiia @noom147

[werezolft]

Pt. 2 of my Dead Boy Detective covers inspired by teen detective novels. More info and reference photos under the cut

I’ve continued watching this series on repeat while creating the novel covers. I really didn’t think I would get through all the episodes, I often stop projects part way through. I might do another post of the covers in chronological series order, as opposed to the order I drew them in.

Style, colors, and very often the actual poses are pulled from covers featuring The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and The Three Investigators.

I don’t know if you can tell, but I struggle pulling the concentration to add details to make forests look realistic. Something about trees takes more energy than I normally have, haha.

I don’t really have a lot more to add, but thanks for all the love on the first collection, it’s been very fun.

Also, happy pride month 🌈🌈🌈

[ Alt Text

Image 1: An orange-red spiral staircase descends down into darkness. Charles Rowland is higher up, wearing his typical hero outfit; red shirt, black trousers and coat with pins. He’s holding a yellow lantern, and looking behind him anxiously. Edwin Payne follows behind, shrouded in shadow, wearing white nightclothes. At the top in yellow italics is “Dead Boy Detectives”, and in off-white bold caps “THE CASE IF THE VERY LONG STAIRWAY”.

Image 2: A blueish green forest at night, a full moon peaking over the trees in the top left corner. In the foreground to the right stands Crystal in her purple varsity jacket and floral turtleneck, hair half up in buns. Next to her Charles is wearing his hero outfit, polo shirt is fully black. They both look on hesitantly. In the mid ground Edwin, wearing his long brown coat is looking up at the furious glowing blue ghost of Shelby. At the top in yellow italics is “Dead Boy Detectives”, and in off-white bold caps “THE CASE OF THE TWO DEAD DRAGONS”.

Image 3: Crystal and Charles sit inside of a sigil circle on the blue floor of a green subway car. She’s wearing a red jacket, yellow shirt, and tan pants. He’s wearing his hero outfit. Charles is facing Crystal, while she’s angled away from the viewer, both are looking at sheet-ghost David the Demon, who is covered in the same sigils as the circle they sit on, running out the open subway door. At the top in yellow italics is “Dead Boy Detectives”, and in off-white bold lettering “The Case Of Crystal Palace”.

Image 4: A green forest, and brown earth, illuminated by the light of a magically summoned golden chandelier. Under it is The Cat King, brown hair angled into cat ears, wearing a white turtleneck sweater and sparkling black overcoat with red stripes. His arms are folded behind him, and his yellow cat eyes are gazing with feigned disinterest at Monty Finch and Edwin. Edwin is wearing his long brown coat, complete with brown vest and trousers, white shirt and blue bow tie. His cat bracelet is visible on his wrist. Edwin stands in an apprehensive crouch. Behind him Monty, long black hair, red scarf, and black coat, is glaring at The Cat King over his shoulder. At the top in yellow italics is “Dead Boy Detectives”, and in off-white bold caps “THE CASE OF THE CREEPING FOREST”.

Image 5: A series of covers on a white background. From left to right, "The Case Of The Dandelion Shrine", "The Case Of Devlin House", "The Case Of The Dandelion Shrine" (alt cover), "The Case Of The Hungry Snake", "The Case Of The Lighthouse Leapers", “The Case Of The Two Dead Dragons”, “The Case Of The Very Long Stairway”, “The Case Of Crystal Palace”, and “The Case Of The Creeping Forest”.

Image 6: A series of book covers on a white background: “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators in The Secret of Skeleton Island”, “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, The Ghost of Blackwood Hall”, “Nancy Drew, The Mystery at Lilac Inn”, “The Hardy Boys, While the Clock Ticked”, “The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon”, “The Hardy Boys, The Disappearing Floor”, “Nancy Drew, The Hidden Staircase”, “The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow”, “The Hardy Boys, The Secret Panel”, and “The Hardy Boys, The Haunted Fort”.

[prince-kallisto]

Isle of Sages

Thinking about the island that NRC and RSA are both on, the Isle of Sages is very interesting name, and I realized how perfect it is. Of course, the island could be just named after the plant, thus rendering my argument and research useless, BUT ITS FINE...

The philosophical definition of a sage is someone who attained wisdom. This varies from the philosopher, who seeks understanding of the world and makes theories (just like me fr). By the way, there was also a title given to wise men in Ancient Greece, totaling up to The Seven Sages/Seven Wise Men. But when delving deeper into what makes a sage, it defines the differences between NRC and RSA, and I think two characters in particular highlight it:

Dire Crowley and Ambrose the 63rd.

To some groups in Ancient Greece, sages were revered as wise people, living the ideal life, and the word is sometimes evens synonymous with 'good person.' It's to the point that sages were regarded as god-like, and their actions were what a god would do. Sages were the only individuals who know true happiness and could never be harmed by life's troubles, illness, or even death. Nothing would contaminate their soul, for they knew true peace. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, even said sages were "who [had] knowledge of the beginning and the end, and all pervading reason which orders the universe in its determinate cycles till the end of time." Hm. Depending on the theories you have about the outcome of TWST, this quote hits a little close to home.

On the other hand, Plato, a famous Ancient Greek philosopher, DESPISED sages- or to be exact, sophists. Sophos is the greek word for wise man/wisdom, which could loosely be considered the equivalent of a sage. Coincidentally, sophists were TEACHERS who were said to have specialized in their craft, often in politics or ethics. However, their classes demanded steep prices, and Plato vilified them. In his work, The Sophist, he describes them as merchants of false knowledge, hunters of the young and wealthy, and athletes in the sport of words. They were delusional over their own god-like status. Basically, Plato believed that a sophists priorities were filling their classes with wealthy students to make money, as they searched for power over true knowledge. A sophists teachings revolved around persuasion and public opinion over law and justice. Basically, they made their living through deception (according to Plato).

...See where I'm getting at here?

With sages sounding like absolute saints or the rottenest swindlers, it sounds exactly of what's going on with NRC vs RSA, and no one sums it up better than the Headmages of their respective schools. Crowley is...well, Crowley, who is revealed to uphold nepotism in Book 4 with Kalim being Housewarden, is overall very, very greedy. Thinking about it, there's a money-related motivation in nearly chapter? The prologue with him and the chandelier, Book 2 with the Spelldrive games, Book 3 with the contract he made with Azul to share some profit from the Mostro Lounge, Book 4 and Kalim, Book 5 with the festival and ratings, Book 6 has Idia's family pay him off, not to mention any side events haha. Nearly all of these cases involves students. Plato is rolling in his grave

But Ambrose the 63rd gives off a more traditional wise and caring mentor vibe, who knew there was something wrong at the end of the Book 5 (personally i want to punt that old man out a window BUT the vibe of his character is important to note) because of the leftover magic in the stadium. He's not above showing off, so there's still that hint of eccentricity from the character he's twisted from: Merlin from 1963's Sword in the Stone. Speaking of Merlin, apparently he was considered the most powerful wizard in the world with THE ABILITY TO SEE THE FUTURE. By TWST standards and the fact that fae exist, Ambrose may not be in the top 5 mages, but he has to be incredibly powerful! The Marcus Aurelius quote feels so oddly relevant that I can't convince myself that it's a coincidence anymore. What do these old men know??

There is a layer of significance in the island's name, because in the Phantom Bride event, Rook even says that Crowley is his sage. Honestly, I think Rook is a little sus and I want to theorize about him too, but there is an actual connection between Crowley and a sage.

In the end, as like most of my theories, I don't actually know what any of this means haha. I'd like to think that it's a testament to both Crowley and Ambrose's power, and how their rule has 'shaped' the students that they govern. In Book 1, Riddle states that Crowley's habit of tolerating troublemakers is going to throw everything into chaos one day- and I don't think he's far from the truth. It really goes to show how Crowley might just be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, and how his own corruption is seeping into his surroundings (may or may not be literal 👀)

[starlight-starfury]

Buried Memories

Book: Blades of Light and Shadow

Characters: (F!Elf!MC) Raine Nightbloom x Tyril Starfury

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Light depictions of grief

Length: 2.2k words

Summary: Tyril finds something that may help Raine uncover the forgotten history behind House Nightbloom’s hidden past.

Tags: @watatsumi-island @lawrencebarkley @lilyoffandoms @choicesficwriterscreations

A/N: This fic is the second part of Haunted Memories. I thought since blades 2 is still ages away and I’m desperate for some House Nightbloom lore I’d try to make some up myself 👀

“Please tell me you at least found something?” Raine sighed later as the two descended the staircase leading back down to the Grand Library from the visions room. She could still feel the humming of the celestial altar pulsing in the back of her skull like an oncoming headache, a sensation the bright glow of the chandeliers adorning the ceiling above them wasn’t doing anything to ease. She wasn’t sure she could handle any further disappointment if it turned out their quest for answers regarding her past had hit yet another dead end.

Though their plan had been used as a last resort, it appeared their efforts had not gone unrewarded because Tyril reached for her hand, his expression solemn as they stepped out onto the marbled floors.

“I did.” He didn’t elaborate further, instead leading her past ivory pillars and endless shelves of books until they reached a narrow passageway lined with torches at the far end of the library, only coming to a halt once they stood before a large, wooden door engraved with intricate markings that Raine assumed to be ancient elven runes.

She raised an eyebrow questioningly. “I thought we had searched through all the archives?”

Tyril’s lips curved upward in a smile as he lifted his hand towards the door. “Not this one,” he paused for a moment. “I...had not thought it relevant to our investigation at the time, but it appears I was mistaken.” He glanced towards her and his expression softened. “I suppose answers always come from the places we least expect to find them.”

He turned and pressed his hand against the door, murmuring a low incantation under his breath, and Raine watched with awe as the symbols lit up with a golden glow at his words, slowly flooding the patterns with light as they weaved across the wooden surface like a sunlit river. Once the light had reached each of the door’s four corners, it swung open and the two stepped inside.

“The Archives of Forgotten Magic,” Tyril explained, sweeping a hand forward. Raine’s eyes lit up as she took in the sight. The walls were lined with shelves of colourful books that seemed to glow and pulse with life and magic, while glass cabinets held enchanted gemstones and crystalline jars containing powerful elixirs within. Across the room, half-melted candles and piles of scrolls were scattered across the polished oak tables, and above them a row of colourful banners swung gently from where they hung from the ceiling.

As she looked closer, Raine noticed each of the banners represented one of the main magical classes. A black banner with a pair of crossed swords embroidered in silver below a blast of white light represented the battlemages, while another of dark green fabric with the insignia of a grand oak tree surrounded by thickened vines and flowers stood for the naturalists. The final banner was of a deep, purple silk detailing an all-seeing eye surrounded by shimmering stars to represent the illusionist mages.

She was proud of herself for having recognised each of them, making slow but sure progress in learning more about her culture over the past few months. Though she did have one question. “Is it really forgotten knowledge if all this information is still here?”

Tyril chuckled as they walked further inside, his arm wrapped around her waist. “Not many have access to this part of the library, as it is mainly reserved for scholars and archmages. That, and most of this knowledge is widely kept from those beyond Undermount.” He paused for a moment as he mulled his words over before reaching across to pull a book from one of the shelves.

“The magic your mother used, I’ve read about it before.” He traced a finger along the book’s cover, the fabric a deep shade of midnight blue. “I believe she was a night mage, though they haven’t existed inside Undermount for centuries.”

Raine followed him as he approached a silver lectern on the far side of the room, not sure whether she should dare to get her hopes up. “And you think this information could be connected to my House? Or what happened to it?”

Tyril placed the book down on the lectern’s surface. “We’re about to find out.”

A bright light sparked to life and Raine raised a hand to shield her eyes as the book’s pages began to flick on their own, until the painted illustrations on the paper seemed to slowly rise off the surface in a mist of swirling vapour as they took on a life of their own. The images shifted until they displayed a stone archway, the bricks covered in grime and moss and Raine felt her heart sink as she realised where it was.

“Those are the deep catacombs,” she whispered, exchanging a worried glance with Tyril. “Why would it show us that?”

“It’s showing us where we can find answers regarding what happened to House Nightbloom.” He explained. “This is excellent news, Raine. There must be something in the catacombs that will provide us with the information we seek.”

She nodded slowly. “What about the ghouls, though? Last time there were six of us and you still nearly...”

“The passages are much safer now,” Tyril assured. “After we discovered the Starfury ancestral crypt, a proper path was constructed and is now being used to uncover the buried mysteries of our people.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps yours will be, too.” Raine looked up at him and smiled. “Then what are we waiting for? I believe we have an ancient mystery to solve.”

Despite Tyril’s reassurances that the passageways in the catacombs had been made safer, Raine still couldn’t shake the lingering feeling of unease in her stomach as the two made their way deeper inside. It was eerily quiet, and the only noise aside from their footsteps was the slow dripping of water from the stalactites above, forming small puddles on the dampened soil below.

She was too on edge to notice the rocks beneath her feet had come loose and Tyril reached for her wrist as she slipped.

“Are you alright?” He asked and she nodded, though something else had caught her attention.

From a thin crack in the ground, a small flower was stubbornly pushing its way through, deep in the darkness where things weren’t meant to bloom or grow.

“Is that...” she trailed off, reaching a hand forward to stroke the delicate, indigo petals, shimmering with a silver glow. At her touch, the flower burst open with a bright light that filled the darkened cavern, and she shielded her eyes at its radiance.

“It’s a nightbloom flower.” Tyril breathed, his voice filled with awe. “They were believed to be long extinct, but...”

Raine smiled a little as she stood back up. “Somehow they survived, like me.” She glanced back at the flower, its petals now unfurled to reveal a violet centre. “Why did it glow like that?”

“I believe your influence was making it stronger, it must have reacted to your touch.” Tyril turned back to face her. “We should see if there are any others, there might be more.”

She lifted her head, and the two scanned their surroundings until Raine’s eyes landed on another flower further down the path. “This way,” she gestured for Tyril to follow and more nightbloom flowers began to appear, lighting up with sparks as Raine walked past.

They began growing in such abundance that it almost seemed like a trail intended to be followed, so they kept going until she found a stone archway covered in them, glowing like a cluster of stars in the darkness.

She pushed aside the thickened vines and gasped when they revealed a room carved from dark stone, the nightbloom flowers casting an indigo glow upon the walls.

“What’s this?” She asked Tyril, who was equally amazed. “Each of the Great Houses has an ancestral crypt, and I believe this one is yours.” He looked back towards the flowers coating the archway. “They led you here.”

Raine stepped inside, the air in the crypt was dry and stale, and there was something haunting about the knowledge that no one had been inside this room for thousands of years or more.

“Raine, you need to see this.” Tyril said, and she followed him to where he stood on the opposite side of the room.

A series of carved paintings etched into the walls and adorned with gemstones depicted an elven goddess, with long, dark hair that flowed into the vast expanse of the night sky surrounding her. She held her hands outstretched in front of her and her eyes were closed, with a single moonlit tear spilling down her cheek.

He frowned as he pressed his hand against the cold stone. “This isn’t a goddess I recognise.” Beneath the painting, a series of runes had been engraved into a silver plaque. Tyril’s brows furrowed in concentration as he ran his fingers along its surface, wiping away the decades-old grime so he could read the scrawled inscription better.

“N’evala...madrivun?” He whispered then quickly translated it for Raine. “It says ‘The Nightmother’.”

She quickly moved to inspect the second painting, both eager and curious to find out more. In the next image, the goddess had been replaced by an illustration of an illuminated tear, shimmering silver as it fell towards the softened earth where it landed among the blades of grass and sprouted a single, violet flower.

“It’s the first nightbloom flower,” Raine whispered reverently. The final painting depicted the flower opening its petals to the moon and a figure emerging, reaching its fingers towards the night sky.

“Do you think...” her voice was soft, a little breathless with both exhilaration and awe, “that could be the House Nightbloom founder?”

Tyril studied the three paintings intently. “I don’t see why not. If House Starfury was founded by the daughter of the North Star, it is certainly possible that yours could be traced back to the Nightmother, whoever she may be.”

He turned his attention to a larger set of inscriptions on the wall, more recent than the paintings but still hundreds of years old. “Oh, what’s this?”

Raine peered over his shoulder, she might have learned a lot in the past few months but she still couldn’t decipher the ancient writing just yet. “What does it say?”

“It’s about their magic,” he explained. “After the war with the Shadow Court, it seemed their magical affinity being associated with the night was mistaken for corruption and darkness, until they were driven from the city entirely.”

She frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense, the Shadow Court were driven back to their own realm after the Great War.”

Tyril shook his head. “This was not very long after they had been defeated, so no one knew for certain that they had been entirely banished. Even so, paranoia and fear had crept into their hearts, and Undermount had been closed off to any outsiders even if they were not inherently a threat. Every interaction was treated with caution.” He looked away, lost in thought. “It is easier to place blame upon others while grieving, instead of facing the sorrows it holds. Still, the way they treated your ancestors wasn’t right. I’m sorry, Raine.”

She traced the walls with her fingers, the brittle stone crumbling away at her touch. “I’ll never know anything about them, will I?” She looked around solemnly. “About my parents, or who I am.”

Tyril frowned, stepping closer to her side as he laced his fingers through hers.

“You are not your lineage.” He said softly. “Their fate is not yours, it never was. And we cannot truly let our own light shine if we are always standing in the shadow of those who came before us.”

She smiled at that, and he pulled her closer, placing a light kiss on her forehead. “As for your parents, all I know is that they would be so proud, to have a daughter like you.” He met her eyes, a soft smile on his lips. “I’m proud of you.”

Raine wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stepping closer into his embrace, until she noticed something sparkling on an altar in the far corner of the room.

“What’s that?” She asked, and as she looked closer she saw it was an ancient elven circlet. The position it was in seemed unusual, as though a previous owner had taken it off and left it there. She carefully lifted it from the altar, watching entranced as the amethyst embedded in the centre glinted with a silver glow like fragmented moonlight.

“It used to be customary for each of the House heads to wear a circlet as a way to denote status.” Tyril explained. “Since you are the last of your House, it would be my honour to name you Lady of House Nightbloom, if it was what you wished.”

Raine turned the circlet over in her hands. “I don’t know...” she trailed off. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”

“Well, if you ever decide that you are, I’ll be here.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled brightly. “I know you will.”

Tyril glanced around the crypt once more. “Now, if we’re finished here?”

She tucked the circlet gently into her satchel. “Just one last thing.” Raine turned and picked one of the nearest flowers, then wiped away the grime on the altar, revealing a glistening surface.

And she laid down a nightbloom.

[patheticbatman]

I don’t do this super often, but when I was 13ish I spent hours thinking about Percy and Annabeth’s future house. Idk why. And I wrote out their magical house in an iPhone note. I updated it every so often for a couple years, but as an adult I leave it alone as a monument to my childhood and my OTP.

But I just saw a really cool themed house from that home tours blog (it was pirate themed!) and wanted to share my ‘home tour’.

Please keep in mind the following was written mostly in 2014 by a young teen who made some shit up. So some of it may not be canonly possible now/never was a thing 

Percy and Annabeth's underwater cave house

Front entrance: dead tree on edge of Chase cliff. Whisper Jackson, and a slide that can take you up and down using antigravity and gravity leads to the house. You can notice tiny little jewels all over the house, enchanted for anti monster.

First level hallway: kitchen, dining room with conveyer belt leading between, gym, living room, bathroom. This is the second lowest level. The rest of the floors also have the slides to get there.

Kitchen has a large island, with lots of counters and cabinets. The walls are turquoise and everything else is chrome grey, like the fridge and such.

Dining room as a chandelier of rainbows, with a mini fountain that spurts any drink you ask for is in the middle of a ring table that could fit 16. If you give a coin, it can create an iris message. The table is silver grey wood while the wall is also turquoise.

The gym is just a mini work out area. Not decorated.

The living room is decorated with pictures of their friends. It has silvery gray walls, blue furniture, and a ten ft by ten ft tv. The dead tree actually has many minisatelites disguised as moss. They are enchanted to actually literally grow.

Third lowest level

Party room twelve guest rooms with their own bathrooms

,library.

Party room is just a blue room with food slide from the kitchen, some rables, and a disco ball with a wooden track around the large room for skating. Percy, with help from a friendly kid of Boreas, sometimes turn it into a winter wonderland in the summer.

Spare room 1

Frank n Hazels room usually, or will be when they start doing stuff. Green painted with gold furniture pretty much describes their rooms

Spare room 2

Will and nicos room usually. Black and silver furniture with gold walls

Spare room 3

Rachel's room Murals and a rainbow everywhere. Every surface is painted. Wicker/newspaper/hodgepodge furniture everywhere

Spare room 4

Piper and Jason's walls are red, and furniture is purple and pink. Actually looks nice and not too girly

Spare room 5

Calypso and Leo's room, done in red and oranges. Ps all the rooms had a small window like the ones in the hobbit

Spare room 6.

Hedge and Mellies room, with cradle. Everything is in light blues and dark greens

Spare room 7

Reyna's and future partner's room

Purple walls with gold and silver looking furniture, and 2 dog beds for aurum and argentum

The rest are kids rooms/ unplanned for when the guests have kids. They are plain. The last is a sort of playroom, with same size tv (everyone has a 2 by 3 tv in room)

Top level

Percabeth's room, future kids room(4), mrs. O'Leary's room, the offices, window room, carport, and percy and Annabeth's iwn offices

Future kids rooms are in pastel blue, yellow, green and orange

Mrs. O'Leary's room is giant, with lots of rubber yaks and other toys, and bowls filled with food and water always (they refill themselves). Done in red and silver. with special portal just for her and her owners to go out to Central Park.

Carport is just a garage that has a magical door that allows car to go through tree portel.

Lowest level

Garden and port and demigod Runaway shelter

Port is this giant cave, hidden by the mist to look like a cliff face that makes mortals just suddenly think about other things to do. It opens up to the sea, and they have this great boat called the sea owl, with eyes on the front. It also has a submarine, a small seaplane, and an elevator that goes to two portals to Olympus, and Atlantis. Has automatic spell where you have the small air bubble around you and your stuff. is painted on by enormous mural by Rachel.

Garden

Fruit trees that make all fruits (a rare tree called a cornucopia tree) lots of flowers and a gazebo. Painted and lighted to look like the outside that day. In middle there is a five-tiered fountain that sprays a rainbow. First level is made of Stygian iron, then celestial bronze, then Atlantean silver, imperial gold, and then heavenly steel that has a little dirt in it with a blue stemmed silver First Orchid. Has imported bees

Demigod safe base

A special Door that opens only to demigods and their helpers. and only let's demigods in leads you to the shelter. It has an ambrosia and nectar fountain, a water fountain that could turn to rainbows, free drachmas sent from the gods (only those in need can grab them), and ten beds with heated blankets. Small altar. Fridge full of ever re supplying food. Cabinet full of whatever medical stuff you need. Door that leads to Percabeth house, but only opens when you have permission.

[felinecryptid]

Chasing Pasts in Shadows

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

please pay attention to the tags, there's some heavy stuff going on

Mr Reyes was a balding, rotund man in his fifties, who greeted them, showed them around the garden like a realtor and finally invited them into the parlour (A parlour!) to have some tea. Will was currently sat on the long couch with Mike crowding him in towards the right armrest and eyeing the plates suspiciously and worrying the rip in his black jeans . Max took the armchair nearer Mike, picking up one of the sandwiches. Mr Reyes took the last armchair, settling in with a sigh. “Oof. Bad knees, these days. I'm not as young as I was, back in the eighties,” he chuckled, “but you kids don't have to worry about that yet, hmm? I should hope not. Well, take whatever you’d like to eat and you can ask away,” He leant back into the plush of the chair.

Will nodded and reached in for a grape. ”Mr Reyes, before we start, if at any point of time you feel uncomfortable answering questions, do let us know. We want to know as much as possible about the case but not at the cost of your mental health. Do you understand?”

“I do.”

“Good. Max, hand over the recorder, please.”

Max passed it to Mike. Will reached out for it, electricity racing up when his hand briefly brushed against Mike’s. He fought down a shiver, clicking it on and placing it on the middle of the table, among the delicately arranged sandwiches, fresh fruit and cheese and crystal glasses of sparkling water. “Just say your name and age, we’ll take care of the rest.”

“Javier Reyes and 53.”

“Mr Reyes, you called us to investigate some disturbances in, um, your house. Could you please elaborate?” Will asked, chewing on his grape. It was delicious.

“Oh, what do you want to know about?”

“When did they first start?”

“About 10 months ago, I was in the kitchen to get a drink, I think, at 2 am in the morning, because the mini fridge in my room had broken down a few days ago. The entire house had blown a fuse, and some of my appliances short circuited before the fuse. Old faulty circuitry in an old house. So, I was getting a beer from the refrigerator, when the chandelier started swinging, just enough to be visibly moving. I thought nothing of it, going back to bed. Things progressively went worse from there,” Mr Reyes said. Will could see his fingers clenching hard.

“Worse how?” Max asked, reaching for another plate of sandwiches. “These are delicious, by the way.”

“I’m glad, Ms. Mayfield,” Mr Reyes smiled, his eyes losing a bit of their edge. “About your question, well, it didn't get bad right away. At first, it was swinging chandeliers, knives out of the wooden block, on the island or just my phone dying even if I charged it all night,” Mike, Max and Will glanced at each other. What the fuck? Mike mouthed silently.

Just keep listening, Max mouthed back.

Mr Reyes didn't notice their little conversation, continuing, “then I started finding the knives in increasingly weird places, like the library, behind a book I was thinking of reading, in the bath where I could have cut my foot on it, once I found a meat cleaver on the bedside table. I couldn't sleep again for the rest of that night,” Mr Reyes cut off, shivering. Will felt like it, too. Meat cleavers near his head? Will would run, screaming and never looking back.

“Are you okay, Mr Reyes? We can take a break if you like,” Will asked.

“No, no, it’s fine, it’s relieving to get this off my chest. I was so happy when I saw the Facebook ad,”

The what? Facebook? What the fuck was Lucas doing?

“If you are sure,” Will nodded.

“I heard footsteps, first on the floors above or below me, then it got closer, I heard it outside in the hallways, in the room adjacent to the one I'm in, and it always walks towards me. They start silent, barely audible, getting louder and louder til I'm sure there’s someone on the other side. Just there, looking, standing, staring. It’s gotten even closer since the last few days,” Mr Reyes' face was frozen in an expression of confused terror. Will felt sorry for the man. Mr Reyes seemed so optimistic, so happy. No one would ever think he was going through a horror film all the time.

Mr Reyes went on. “The footsteps are always coming from where I can’t see. I was making and eating dinner the day before, when the dreaded sounds came up, thud, thud, thud, behind me,” Mike inched closer to Will, a movement so minute, Will would have missed it if he wasn’t attuned to every single part of Mike. “I whipped around, sure I’d see the intruder, a squatter or something, but there was no one. Nothing. I decided I’d call someone, maybe a priest to have a look around the next morning. I threw away the rotting pb&j full of maggots-”

“Wait, rotting pb&j?” Mike asked, perplexed.

“Oh, yeah. It's been happening for some time but food goes bad the moment I take my eyes off them. It rots away like it's been sitting there for days. Liquified and maggots crawling through them,” Max set her plate of sandwiches down, a bit green in the face. “I'm not sure how that is happening, but I don't eat here anymore, my friends take me out for meals.”

“Mr Reyes,” What the fuck, Will asked, “Do you have any other place to stay for a while? All of this sounds like it’s very intense for you-”

“Oh no, Mr Byers, I can’t leave this place, not after- not after my dear Emily…” Mr Reyes choked up. “I can’t bear to leave this place, no. If I stay over at a friend’s, she won't come to me. She talks with me in my dreams, asks me how I am, we do things we normally do, like cooking together, reading in the library, kissing me, but if I don't come home, Emily doesn't come to me, only the sound of footsteps, getting closer,” A tear dropped down Mr Reyes’ face. Will felt unsettled. The things he was describing did sound like a true haunting, but what if it wasn't?

“Mr Reyes, I think it'd be good for you to take a stroll in the garden, get a breath of fresh air,” Will spoke up. “I insist.”

Mr Reyes slumped, breathing heavily. “Alright,” He said, after staring at his shoes, for what seemed like an eternity, “I'll take a short walk outside,”

Will turned back to the others the moment he left. “How are you guys holding up? If this case is true, it'd would be the biggest one yet, financially and paranormally,”

Max looked at Will. “You don’t believe him, do you?”

“It’s not that, I suspect other things as well,”

“Will,” Mike said, so softly near his ear, Will nearly jumped out of his skin. “I don’t think he's lying,”

“What do you mean?”

“Max, you can feel it right? It’s so heavy around him, It is coming off in waves,” Mike stared at the door Mr Reyes exited from.

“It’s still here though,” Max said. “If he was being haunted, then the intensity of the energy would cease the moment he left, but it didn’t.”

“But it’s different, they are not similar,”

“You mean there are more than one entities in this house?”

“It doesn't have to be an entity, Byers, it can be a object with history as well,”

“But this doesn't feel like an object, it feels separate,” Mike sighed loudly. “I don't understand.”

“So I was way off when I thought it was schizophrenia.”

“You thought it was schizophrenia? Have we not done this shit like a thousand times?” 

“Well, sue me, I was thinking of his mental health, Max. It has happened before, when it was just El, Mike and me.”

“Okay, okay, Max, calm down, Will can’t feel the traces so it’s not his fault. Will, thank you for looking out for us, I, uh, we appreciate it.” Mike looked at Will, eyes soft. Will felt his cheeks heat up.

The door swung open and Mr Reyes walked in, his face noticeably calm.

“I feel better now,” He took his seat. “We can continue.”

“Mr Reyes, can you show us the food thing?”

***

things are escalating, what is going to happen?

thank you for reading!!

once again this was only betad by grammarly and hemingway editor so please lemme know if there are any errors or weird dialogues bc english isnt my first language and some of it looked funky to me.

some more lore that i can't figure how to put in the story w/o infodumping

el's full name is Janelle Hopper

will and el are still step siblings

lonnie is out of the picture

el is hopper's bio daughter

el was never experimented on and she grew up a happy normal life bc hop and joyce got together when will and el were about 5

mike, will and el met in kindergarten, just like in canon

the only reason el has this backstory is because i personally want el to not have a trauma filled life

next part should be up tomorrow, same time ie 1800 IST, spam me with messages if i don't update ✨✨

tell me what part you liked!!

[sleepyblr-heart]

now that my girl's poll is up on @original-character-championship (btw, go vote for her) now is a WONDERFUL time to talk about her and her... well it is a life, that's for sure.

let's start from the beginning! (well.. not very beginning, i'll save that for another day.)

Present's girlfriend, Baton (any pronouns), is a show host, and is going to be recording in a special studio which is out of the country, so they walk to the airport together (neither of them can drive) and Present wishes Baton good luck on the show.

Unfortunately on her way home she's kidnapped. To compete on a different show. Called Battle For Penis (BFP for short.) Which is hosted by BFP host (he/him) on T Island. In fact all of the contestants were kidnapped for this. Including one person, Named Fog (he/they).

Present and Fog are placed on the same team, and get along great! They become friends, which Present doesn't typically have a lot of. Luckily nothing ever happens between those two!! And wowie, BFP has set up some popularity polls for the contestants!!!

Present turns out to be the fan favorite, so like any normal person BFP get Fog to put a spell (which he did not fully read) on Present. Just so she has purple eyes. Which was to keep track of her.

As a surprise to no-one The Spell Which Was Not Fully Read has Other Effects. Mainly, Present is now cursed with future vision. She isn't exactly aware of this for a while, just kind of assuming she'd having weird dreams and stuff. Until, you know, she foresees the death of one of the debuting contestants. You know. Normal things. Let's talk abt those contestants btw.

3 people debut instead of the intended 1 thanks to BFP losing his job and not having the funding to run another round of polls but this ain't about him so let's not worry about that! The 2 people that join Present and Fog on their team are Candy heart (he/they), who is Present's childhood bestie, and Snowglobe (she/they), a person who had been dead for 6 years thanks to a recovery machine malfunction.

They team up, they get along well, a challenge happens, someone almost gets crushed to death by a chandelier, someone else DOES get crushed to death by a chandelier while no one's around, all things that normally happen. Everyone besides Snowglobe is gathered round for elimination, and Present puts together that if Snow isn't here, then she's probably dead.

She leaves the group as soon as possible looking for Snowglobe, instead finding... A black ooze full of eyes, and a VERY dead body crushed under the chandelier. This is Snowglobe, and after some explanations from them about how she's a body snatcher and that she Will die unless she can find a host (Which she does NOT want to do because that means taking over someone's life) Present insists on letting her use her body. Eventually, Snowglobe agrees, her body disintegrates, and she takes over Present's body.

They work together for a bit to try to get Snowglobe a new body that is Not already a person, until they both realize that Snowglobe separating would kill Present in the same way that it destroyed her own body. Luckily, Baton is brought on as a replacement for Snowglobe (since she was also featured on the debut-er polls) and is able to get help from someone off the island, meaning that Present and Snowglobe are guaranteed to be revived when they separate.

They do separate, and are revived soon after at different recover centers, but they meet back up and are soon taken back to the island BFP is hosted on to continue competing.

After another challenge Fog decides that putting a bunch of people in a pocket dimension is a Good Idea, and puts the other team of competitors (including Baton and a few of her friends). Present and Snow realize something is wrong, and find the Big Fucking Fire which leads to the pocket dimension. Snow goes into investigate and hopefully find the others, leaving Present alone on the island.

Ok so this is the part where gods get involved. Mainly just to tell Present she's part of a prophecy, and that there's (apparently) a person who wants to end the world and She has to go deal with that. As you can guess she is very not on board and tries very hard to deny the possibility of her saving the world, but ultimately agrees to try.

Then a bunch of shenanigans happen Snowglobe accidentally get petrified by a god, Present is dragged in Fog's pocket dimension along with a god, she spends like. A month pushing around the statue of her Very Good Pal hoping to find an exit from what would be the closest thing to hell if hell did not exist... Se can jump over most of that. What's important is that They find a way out, and are brought to Present's house thanks to some divine help.

Speaking of divine, Another god (Yellow) Drops the news that he Accidently Made Present A Demi-God like Right After She Had a VERY REALISTIC vision of Baton coming home (he's still very much in the pocket dimension at that time btw.) So y'know. Wonderful timing!

anyways I'm leaving that on a cliff hanger. I can only be so insane at one time. (however any questions you may have i am Very happy to answer) Remember!! Go vote for Present!! Or Don't!! Honestly, whether she wins or not, either outcome is very funny to me!

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Zoey: Gold Gilt Dream

Designer’s Reflection: Gold Gilt Dream

Obtained: Lodden’s Night event

Rarity: SSR

Attribute: Gold/Elegant

Awakened Suit: Kiss of Butterfly

Story - transcripts from Designer’s Reflection

Chapter 1 - The Plans

Chapter 2 - The Start

Chapter 3 - The Feast

Chapter 4 - The Winner

Story - summarized

Zoey finishes going over her plans to the Justiciars. The mission seems simple: infiltrate Mercury’s collectors’ gala at Lodden Hotel and obtain a key from him.

She makes sure to arrive fashionably late to the gala, and she also dares to use Mercury’s own helicopter pad on the roof. The employees are stunned by her brashness. She continues past them without a second thought.

Once she is in the hallway, she signals the other Justiciars to sneak in behind her. Zoey finds her way to the gala, where she enjoys the champagne and the gossip.

Finally, Mercury arrives. Before anyone else can talk to him, Zoey snags him away and dances with him. As they dance, a sniper tries to lock in on Mercury. But the businessman is aware of Zoey’s plan, so he uses her as a human shield to protect him. The dance is ending, and the sniper has to take the shot now.

Zoey and Mercury pull away as the bullets shoot past them. The crowd screams and panics. Mercury’s men enter the grand hall with machine guns. Zoey leads them to the center of the hall, and then she uses her own gun to shoot down the chandelier.

It crashes in front of Mercury and his men, letting Zoey escape easily. Corleone contacts her and says they found the key. She meets them back at the helicopter. Finally, she has the key to Mercury’s secret base on New Wing Island.

But before that, she wants to enjoy the night a little longer.

Connections

-The first time Zoey encountered Mercury was in her Reflection for Mercenary Queen. She was betrayed by a lord from North, and Mercury barely regarded her as threatening.

-Zoey wants the key to New Wing Island, which is the secret base Mercury purchases in his Reflection for Street Tempest.

-While infiltrating the gala, Zoey hears about the mysterious Lady Anya. That is Nikki’s secret identity, and this Reflection takes place alongside the events for Chapter 6.

-During their dance, Zoey mentions that Mercury danced with Queen Lilith. This is a reference to the Reflection Sweet Doll.

Fun Facts

-After hearing about Lady Anya, Zoey comments to herself how Nikki is more daring than she looks. In the Index, Zoey reveals in her profile that she has a little crush on Nikki. It’s yet unclear if Zoey is bi, pan, or poly.

-In the story events for Lodden’s Night event, Zoey says that she saw a butterfly flying through a battlefield. That was the inspiration for this dress: butterflies are symbolic of change, and she was impressed by the gentle creature in a dangerous environment.

[dishtothedeath]

Maps | The Bed and Breakfast

Back to Maps

Lobby

The main and only entrance of the Bed and Breakfast. It’s a minimalist but extravagant lobby, with plush leather sofas, a fancy oak coffee table in the centre, and a crystal chandelier hanging above it. Plants and paintings decorate the room to provide some colour that pops against the white walls and marble floors. Cameras can be spotted in the corners of the room.

Practice Kitchen

An impressive kitchen space. There are two large fridges and two work spaces along the back wall, as well as four separate island workspaces. The practice kitchen seems to be deliberately small, so be sure to claim your spot before someone else does! There are cameras watching no matter where you look, from the ceiling, hanging over the counters, even inside the fridges.

Pantry and Freezer

It only makes sense that leading off from the practice kitchen is the pantry and freezer. Here you’ll find a variety of ingredients, herbs, seasonings, and spices stored there from all over the world. It should be enough to satisfy everyone’s cooking needs. Be careful not to lock yourself in the freezer though, it’s awfully cold in there! And yes, there’s more cameras inside!

Dining Room and Bar

The room is loosely divided in two—three large tables that seat eight people each are set to the left of the room, and on the right is an impressive bar with plenty of seating (and even a jukebox). The bar is stocked with many types of drinks and doubles up as a barista station for coffee and tea brewing. The jukebox plays just about anything on request, but by default it plays What’s New Pussycat on repeat, and on occasion, It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones. Cameras are easily spotted… as well hidden, in this room.

Playroom

A gamer’s heaven. In one corner are a couple rows of high-spec computers that host a handful of games. Unfortunately, they do not connect to the internet, but one can access basic offline computer programs. 

In the other corner sits a table purely for tabletop or card games! The shelf above it hosts a library of exactly that. Just remember to put all the parts back in the boxes when you’re done, and don’t chew on the pieces. 

PC Games: Minecraft, Among Us, Cooking Mama, Jackbox Games, Minesweeper

Tabletop/Card Games: Jenga, Uno, Cluedo, Monopoly

There is also a counter to the side of the room where you may find gamer snacks for all of your gamer needs: plenty of energy drinks, iced coffee/tea, bottled water, chips, and candy. Cameras dotted around the room will watch you game.

Home Cinema

Branching off of the playroom is the home cinema. A massive screen is mounted on the far wall, with several sofas and beanbags dotted around, decorated with warm, dimmable mood lights and a cosy carpet. Under the screen, a TV cabinet houses several gaming consoles, games, and DVDs. 

At the back of the room, is a counter full of snacks for movie watchers: soda, bottled water, popcorn, nachos, and candy. One of the cupboards hides extra blankets and pillows, just in case you fancy building a fort. There are even more cameras, watching you watch the big screen.

Movie List: Shrek 2, Ratatouille, Magic Mike, Dragon Ball Z, Glee (Seasons 1-6), Supernatural (Season 1 & 2), Mamma Mia, Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Birds, Rosemary's Baby, It, Monsters Inc, Sweeny Todd, Beauty and the Beast, 6 Curses, Without Soul, Not Without You

Console Games: Bloodborne, Mario Party, Super Mario Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Just Dance 2

Courtyard

The courtyard separates the main mansion from the living quarters. In the courtyard, you can find an elaborate grilling spot with picnic benches, as well as a greenhouse to the left with various fruits, vegetables, and herbs already mature and ready to harvest. To the right, there’s a lavish hot tub, welcomingly bubbling. 

The rest of the courtyard is decorated with pebbles, tall palm trees, and shrubs. Beyond the first white privacy fence, you can see a barbed wire fence that sounds like electricity is running through it, and several cameras watch your every move when outside. 

Living Quarters

Towards the back of the property, looming over the rest of the mansion, is a three-story high building that houses the lodgings for each of the contestants. Each half of the room has its own bed, bedside table, a desk and chair, and a wardrobe. There is an en-suite bathroom that is shared by both roommates. The bedrooms and bathrooms are the only places within the entire Bed and Breakfast that are without cameras.

1st floor

Room 1:  Haruki Kitamura and Phan Quang Liêm

2nd floor

Room 2: Fergus O’Hannigan and Jun’ya Kamata Room 3: Giselle Beaumont and Riley Machete  Room 4: Bonbon Bourbon and Emil Lund Room 5: Alfie Webb and Manquian Hou

3rd floor

Room 6: Charybdis di Prima and Sunny Park Room 7: Castella and Masaji Manaka Room 8: Morgan Fitzroy and Sunako Nari Room 9: Yukari Kamikita and Yuzuki Ono

Library

In the lobby of the Living Quarters is a library. Most of the shelves are host to books centered around everything to do with food, drinks, cooking, gardening, or whatever your little chef heart desires. There’s spare notebooks and pencils stored in drawers under the desks should anyone wish to take notes, as well as comfy armchairs for a spot of quiet reading. 

You can also find the entire Twilight series on one of the shelves. And indeed, more cameras studying your every move.

The Boutique

The room across from Haruki and Liêm opens into what looks like a little bakery. In fact, it's almost juvenile-- like a children's show television set. There's a cute orange, blue, and white tiled floor, and big white fluffy clouds are painted across the walls. Colorful mobiles hang from the ceiling with sparkling cardstock cutouts of bears, skulls, and red eyes. The counterspace is dominated by a glass display, behind which are various colorful presents on little displays. And behind the counter crowding most of the room sits… the largest animatronic puppet you've ever seen.

(See #the-boutique in the server!)

The Confessional

In living quarters, opposite the elevator, sits a very small room that is heavily soundproofed. The door is able to be locked after you enter it, and can only be opened from the inside when it is locked. Upon entering, you are greeted by a large armchair with a comfy pillow and a video camera staring directly at it. There’s a screen above the camera that blinks, recording, waiting. What secrets will you spill inside the confessional?

[innaneramblingsofamadman]

Chapter 2: Late Night Tea

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14200223/3/A-New-Alliance

Chapter 2: Late Night Tea

If you were to ask how the Addams manor in New Jersey looked, you’d receive various calls for haunted, a few pleas for gothic, and a chorus of magnificent. A monolithic home suited only for the Addams and those they allowed into its halls. This was not the case for the Reserve family home though, it was a massive log cabin crafted from smooth sanded oak logs, with massive awnings and tall ceilings. Furs lined the walls in a gargantuan living room near 3 stories high, with windows of equal height, a row of mounted head trophies ringed the semicircular space. Near the windows sat a shining black grand piano, and before that sat 3 couches in a half moon around a fireplace on the right wall. The left held what appeared to be a minibar, the walls lined with various bottles of spirits and wine. Down the hall to the right contained a large kitchen with cabinets made of the same oak, and charcoal gray granite countertops, an island lay in the middle with a large gas stovetop. To the left one could find the master suite, as well as a conference room, and a bathroom. 

The upstairs was far more simple, a balcony jutted out from the wall with a railing made of twisting branches, along the wall five separate doors sat closed and quiet. None of these rooms were remarkable; inside a queen size bed awaited with thick comforters to guard against the cold, a desk with spare pens and notebook, and an enchanted wardrobe designed to give the occupant the perfect outfit depending on the occasion. At the end of the balcony lay one extra door, in which came another enchanted room. The bathroom was enchanted so that any time the door was opened from the outside, the occupant would be moved to a liminal space mimicking the bathroom until they left, by doing this the house was insured against having too few bathrooms when many people were staying at once. What really tied the home together though was that all the strange angles of light, and conservative use of it as well, led to stretching deep shadows dancing along the walls and floor. A chandelier hung above it with all the candles lit in dancing flames that only added to the shadowy spectacle. 

But save the best for last, and only an Addams knows the truth in this, we come to the garden outside. Carpeted by bioluminescent moss, with mushrooms of all sizes and varieties lined up in neat and colorful rows, such an effect can only be upheld by magic as well, but it is the magic of the Keeper that allows these dark and damp loving little morsels to thrive in the dry environment. Beyond the garden rested a small lake where all manner of little devils called home, yet the water remained so still it shined like a mirror of the night sky. 

As both rider and hearse approached the building from the outside, Corvus let out a sharp whistle that rang clear and sharp into the mists. A moment later small blue flames lit up the edges of the driveway and led to an overhang where Lurch should park the vehicle. Inside though, Pubert was getting excited and jumping up and down on his seat as he peered out the window to watch the flames. But as soon as his eyes began to glaze over Morticia plucked him up and set him on her lap, out of sight of the little spirits outside.

“Be careful my little cat’s eye. The Will O’ Wisps are beautiful, but more than happy to trick you and lead you to your death, and I expect all my children to die in their 90’s at the youngest,” she ran her hand down the side of his cheek, “do you hear me my darling?”

“Yes mom.”

After pulling up to the house, Corvus led them on a quick tour of the building and showed each of them to their rooms while Lurch unpacked the car. Thing had crawled out of Wednesday’s pack and rested on her shoulder as they paced the echoing halls. Truth be told, it was far more comfortable and familiar than she had thought it would be. It had an eerie aura that all Addams homes tended to possess. She could see how care had been implemented into each facet of the cabin and that Corvus was going beyond his duties as Keeper by far. His singular goal and objective was to guard and report all things that Addams generations later down the line might need to solve mysteries or curses of their own without the same daunting task of months of research. In the basement, Wednesday knew the largest library of family journals and diaries was collected for this purpose alone. But Corvus had gone beyond that and turned the entire Reserve into a variable stockpile of magical components. With the land and beasts thriving as she had seen so far they could host an entire army of witches and never run dry of phantom tears, Grimm fangs, or gryphon blood.

Wednesday wanted into that library, there was no chance in her lifetime she’d find herself unprepared for a meeting such as this, she needed to learn everything about werewolves as she could in the time being to give her an edge. There were of course the obvious weaknesses she had learned from her father as a child; silver, wolfsbane, and fire were all good ways of either cornering or ending such a beast. But you had to get close to use those. She needed something that would manipulate or control them, something to perhaps make them more…agreeable, to her family’s terms in the new treaty. Whilst her mind had been wandering, Corvus finished the tour and said he would be in the kitchen making hemlock tea if anyone wished to join him.

First things first though, she needed a shower to wash off all of her parents' doting affection for each other that sat like a film on her skin from the long drive starting in New Jersey. It oozed off of them like tar. She excused herself to freshen up, giving Thing explicit instructions to stay in her room and check every corner of it for hidden passageways or places to hide things. Something deep in her soul, something she could feel was connected to her psychic power, was warning her the negotiations would last much longer than anticipated. Wednesday had brought this up with her mother once already, but Morticia had smiled and said her own abilities as a dove had offered no such warning, and that she felt things would go even better than expected. 

After her shower she changed into a pair of black pajamas and decided to go downstairs and have tea with Corvus after all, opting to not re-braid her hair just yet. Nobody but her family was allowed to see her looking anything less than murderous, and the twisted nature of her cousin made her all the more certain that he would take notice of the subtle show of respect she was offering by doing this. The older man was sitting on a barstool and leaned on the counter, one hand wrapped around a still boiling cup of tea while the other flicked through an old tome as though he had read it 7 times already. Perhaps he had, with a lifespan that long she could only imagine the amount of knowledge kept in the crypt of his mind. Her foot scuffed on the uneven flooring between the hallway and kitchen, and without so much as looking Corvus lifted a finger from his book. It traced a delicate rune in the air, leaving behind a trail of dark green in the air that seemed to pull in the light, and utensils began flying through the air as the magic took hold and brewed Wednesday a cup of her own tea that was then set down in front of the seat next to his. 

“Care to join me Wednesday? It’s the perfect night for a good read.” 

“I’d be more than happy, so long as I’m not interrupting your routine.” He chuckled a bit at that, and placed a bookmark in the old journal before turning to her. In the dark of the night outside she had assumed his eyes had been the same dark brown as the rest of the family, but she could now see her assumption had been wrong. Corvus’s eyes were not just black, they were all black. Pupil, iris, sclera, the entirety were black as the night with the same green sheen you’d find on a beetle’s carapace as the light reflected off of them. 

“There’s no routine to ruin, not for family. I’m not allowed many visitors out here so I welcome every opportunity to speak with someone other than Rue.”

“Rue? I wasn’t aware anybody else lived out here.” Wednesday’s confusion was plain on her face, and it made Corvus let out a dry laugh. Another rune traced through the air and all the windows crept open, and he let out a sharp whistle similar to the one from before, but with a musical melody reminding her of Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way.’ Out in the darkness of the night came a keening screech, a moment later a small creature sat perched on the windowsill by the sink. It had the head of a great horned owl, with razor sharp talons, and wings stretching out from its shoulders. The body reminded her of a bobcat, large and covered with ashy gray fur with a long curling tail tipped in black. “What is it?”

“She’s a gryphowl, a subsidiary family of gryphons and hippogriffs. They’re endangered now as their blood is easier to harvest than that of their larger family members, and twice as potent. They all share the same amount of magical energy you see, regardless of size, and it causes the magic in a gryphowls blood to condense to fit in such a small package,” Corvus raised his hand and it walked across the counter, leapt onto the island, and rubbed its face against his finger. “She’s as close to a familiar as I’ll ever get, I’ve been taking care of her since she was no bigger than my finger.”

“Fascinating,” Wednesday sat down next to her cousin, held a flat hand out to Rue, and waited. Rue sniffed at her at first, before rubbing her face up and down along Wednesday’s arm before flopping onto one side and resting her head in Wednesday’s palm. “What do you mean by ‘closest you’ll get to a familiar’? All witches have a familiar, it comes with being a witch.” He sucked in a deep breath and nodded at that, a pained expression overcoming his face.

“That’s true enough, but I’m afraid I must be the exception to that rule,” he began to pet the sleek gray fur and check Rue’s toes for barbs, “but an Addams familiar is one and the same as who the curse of love picks for them. Many of our family witches have supernatural partners with animal-like forms or instincts. Your great great aunt Liza was a witch of the highest order, and her husband Leopold was a very powerful werewolf. He served as both the object of her curse and her power.”

“And because you are the Keeper, you’re never allowed to find love,” Wednesday finished.

“That’s right, the only thing that can kill an Addams and make it stick is the loss of our love. Since I cannot love, I cannot die. At least not by any natural or easily obtained supernatural means. Beyond even that, I am a cross between two old and powerful witch bloodlines. My mother was an Addams, as you know, but my father came from a family of green witches known as the Enfants de la Décadence.”

“The Children of Decay,” Wednesday translated the french, and slipped her hand out from under Rue’s head to take a sip of her tea, “what’s the difference between the two?”

“The two of what?”

“What we are and what your father was, what is a green witch? I’ve heard of them but never met one.”

“You have an inquisitive young mind, for sure. A green witch will often forge their own connection or what they refer to as ‘the path,’ to whatever energies within nature most call to them. Some find deity work to their liking, others get along well with bogs or rainforests and use plants to their benefit, and the Children of Decay specialized in all things in nature that broke down the dead, returning their energy to the earth. Mushrooms, fungus, mycelium, insects, mold, scavengers, these are the things my powers tend to relate to. As well as a penchant for simple runic magic granted to me by my mother.”

“I see, thank you for clarifying,” she said and took another sip. Behind her eyes thoughts swirled together and blended in a haphazard sorting system. So green witch blood must also be the reason he looks so young after all this time, no Addams has lived past the age of 80 without at least a few white hairs. Yet he stands here after 200 years not looking a day over maybe 24. “I tend to ask many questions, if it ever becomes overbearing or bothersome please inform me so I can satiate my curiosity with other means.”

“I’ll be sure to, so long as you bring anything of import to me first. You may rule the family one day, but for now little cousin, this is my territory and I know all the secrets it holds. Speaking of which,” from the pocket of his vest he produced a large silver key, inlaid with a large sapphire at the end, “this will give you full access to the library to use at your discretion. Take care of the library and it will take care of you, it’s more alive than you might think.” Corvus winked and picked up his tea, scooping up Rue in his other arm. “I think it’s late enough now that if I don’t sleep, I may just miss the Sinclair’s arrival tomorrow. Goodnight Wednesday, sleep well.”

“Goodnight Corvus, thank you for speaking with me,” she stood with her hands behind her back, “it was enlightening to say the least.” He nodded to her with a wry grin, and began the walk down the hall to his own room. 

Tomorrow was both a nerve-wracking thought and an eager chance to prove herself, the restlessness had already gotten into her bones and made a new home for itself. Tonight she would not sleep, she would delve into the library and find any and all information she could on werewolves from her ancestors' personal accounts. 

Tonight she would feast on knowledge like a man starved for weeks.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This home is like living on a cruise ship. 1999 contemporary in Newcastle, OK has 3bds, 5ba, and is listed for $3.495M.

Look at the weird glowing light over the front door.

Wow, who keeps these floors shining?

The glowing ceiling continues inside the house. Look at the shiny black columns. I'm recognizing this house- I know that I posted it before.

The dining room ceiling is so unusual, that a chandelier isn't needed.

The monolithic fireplace. Have you ever seen anything like this? A giant curved hearth and columns.

Bar in the massive living room. Looks like a cruise ship or hotel, doesn't it?

So many architectural details in the ceilings and shiny black structures.

Must be the every day dining table, but where's the kitchen?

Ah. Here it is, and it's gigantic. Look at the glass block feature on the counter.

Look at the size of this island.

The pantry is open and off to the side.

The TV area has a fireplace with some sort of coats of arms or something that look like they're permanent.

Check out the size of the home gym.

Here's a big planter and glass block wall.

Upstairs, this is actually part of the primary bedroom.

Isn't this huge? The round bed looks like it's hovering. It's so not cozy, though- too open.

This is clever- the bed isn't actually round, it's in a round frame.

In the open en suite, there's a 3 tiered heart-shaped tub.

Doesn't this bar and the railings look like a cruise ship?

I like the colors of this TV unit.

Bedroom #2 looks like it's in the basement. There are no windows.

Look at the long driveway. There are 10 acres of land. This home has been listed and removed, trying to sell since 2008!

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3900-N-Grant-Dr-Newcastle-OK-73065/2142308377_zpid/?

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 8: WATER YOU WAITING FOR

Molfaun is a small planet (approximately half the size of Earth) that is 93.6% water-covered.

The technology of the planet as a whole was a little backward; while the undersea architectural techniques and hydroponics were impressive, many Laykul communities and empires were resistant to adopting computers and interstellar communication until relatively recently.

There are at present three major empires on Molfaun: Soulf, Bwurruu, and Vierun. There are also two minor empires on the planet: Uvvun and Yatz.

On the equivalent of July 16, Prosperity docks at the assigned coordinates, which appear to be an island. This island is 2.37 square miles, and dominated by a single skyscraper. There are other smaller buildings in a more classic architectural style on the island. Dotting the coast of the island are a great many glass-looking cylinders.

There is one other ship parked nearby, named Qraxoldov.

A single human-looking person exits the skyscraper, throws up her hands in a dramatic gesture, and then disengages her sformer to reveal a beige-colored Laykul. “Greetings, Prosperity! I am Glyon S’Gann, chief vizier to your patron, Her Imperial Majesty, Oglavia Den Troz, Empress of Soulf, Duchess of Stastoron, Shepherd of the Seas, and Guardian of the Salt. We will receive you in the imperial palace.” Glyon gestures to the skyscraper behind her. “There are ample bedchambers decorated in an array of styles to suit each and every taste. You are welcome to be assigned a room for yourself and optionally a roommate should you so desire.”

Indeed, there are a variety of bedrooms available on the 9th and 10th floors of the imperial palace, decorated to resemble various Earth media and decorating styles.

Glyon announces that a very generous partial stipend for safe delivery of the goods will be made, but the festivities will need to conclude before final payment can be rendered. Festivities, you may wonder. Oh, yes. Glyon announces that the “Earth Day” celebrations are to last at least two more weeks. Maybe three. Maybe four. Glyon can’t really say how long these will take- not all of the guests have arrived yet. Yes-- guests. The other ship crews. One other crew (Qraxoldov, captained by Marlene Olgrubic), is here, but the other two have yet to arrive. Until the festivities are over, Glyon has requested that the crew remain here. It is an unprecedented opportunity to be here, you see. Stay free of charge, chat with the royals, party with the other guests... Much to do.

Glyon promises two meals per 24 hours at no cost- one ticket for the food court, and one meal during the nightly hyper-party. See, there is always a party happening on floors 20 and 21, but the real party ramps up in the “night” part of the cycle.

The Imperial Palace floors

Floor 1: Grand entrance hall featuring some interesting chandeliers and wall art and a check-in desk

Floor 2: Post office and administrative offices for the Empire (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 3: Royal Banquet Hall (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 4: Food court selling a variety of foods and seating.

Floor 5: Lounge and spa offering services for pay. There is also a chlorinated swimming pool open to guests for a small fee.

Floor 6: Theater

Floor 7: Laundry, kitchens, and dishwashing (including space for guests to use marvelous replicas of coin-operated laundry)

Floors 8 through 12: Rooms like a hotel for guests and visitors

Floor 13: Museum of Soulf

Floor 14: Library and Bookstore

Floor 15: Cafe for 12 hours; Bar for next 12 hours (it rotates)

Floors 16 and 17: Sports courts (basketball, tennis, and some unfamiliar sports)

Floor 18: “Unclear” (visitors not allowed without supervision) 

Floor 19: Technology room (computers, video games, random devices like exercise machines)

Floors 20 and 21: Party rooms - there is always dancing and a DJ

Floor 22: Bowling Alley and a cash snack bar with “authentic” Earth treats (you can interpret this however you like). Bowling shoes

Floors 23 through 30: Storage (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floors 31 through 33: Administrative offices for the Empire (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 34: Throne Room (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 35: Kitchens (this is in addition to the floor 7 kitchen)

Floors 36 and 37: Residences for government officials (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 38: Emperor Consort’s chambers (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 39: Empress’ chambers (visitors not allowed without supervision)

Floor 40: Restaurant 

Roof: (visitors not allowed without supervision)

The inviting-looking glass cylinders on the shores of the island are off-limits for now, but these are elevators to the underwater splendor of Molfaun. The Easterly Beach  is open for swimming if so desired. The beach includes a sno cone and eel dog stand. Unfortunately, the shore is more rocky than sandy, but the water is clear and inviting.

Tasks and Guidelines for Players:

Let the admin know if you would like to room in the skyscraper, and if you would like a roommate. Please also state who that roommate should be. Optionally, Daphne is willing to help randomly assign roommates.

Feel free to explore anywhere that is not off limits to visitors. If you have any questions whatsoever about a location or the party, ask the admin.

Please don’t assume actions for the named NPCs, the other pirate crews, or any government officials.

Players can assume that they can have hook-ups with random Laykul NPCs that are not government officials, but may not with the pirate crew members without permission.

You may assume that if you go to the food court, for example, you will be served. The employees of the food court are not government officials, and may have a pleasant or awkward conversation with your character.

You are welcome to request conversations with the new NPCs in the Small Threads server.

We will be on this planet for a while. If you feel stuck or confused, you can always ask for help.

Please feel free to ask the admin if your characters would like to take a trip to the nearby outpost planet.

The Earth Day “festivities” are ongoing, but there will be specific bright points of events throughout this process.

[ranty-ramblestein]

(captions~) Jul 25th: Looks like Ken’s remodel turned out well!  Meanwhile, Mira refused to make the replacement I expected, so I just took the shirt from her to gift her later.  I also made an experimental umbrella experiment, but, like, I don’t think it’s good...

Jul 26th: Tucker had a cool dream and wrote to Croissant about it!  I love taking pictures of sunsets irl, so he knows what’s up, heh!

Today was also New Outfit Tuesday, so the finished outfit is under the cut... along with an edit I did to another Islander’s house!

pic 1: "Oh, I was wondering when that would go through!" pic 2: Mira invited Croissant over, so I decided to check up on the coat hanger... RIP. pic 3: 'Yes, You'll see it again sometime soon...' Croissant thought, grinning evilly. pic 4: I spotted Del doing his laughter exercise while I dropped off the puffy vest, heh! pic 5: "Oh, right!  How'd Mr. Nook do imitating my genius?" Croissant asked, Raymond rubbing off on him a little.. pic 6: “It’s perfect!  The Keroppi furniture were nice additions,” Ken smiled. "I'm glad you liked it!  I made sure I didn't go /too/ wild with stuffing furniture everywhere,"  Croissant chuckled. pic 7: I had an idea and made Palm Tree here... I'm not sure if it really works, though. pic 8: "Have I told him I like taking sunset pictures...?" Croissant wondered out loud. (*gives Croissant one of my traits*) pic 9: "Hmm, should I go with this, or the zen hair clip...?  Maybe I should decide on my wig first," Croissant decided, heading over to the vanity. pic 10: "Aaaa, I'm not ready to show him my new look!  I haven't even decided on shoes!" Croissant panicked, rushing the rest of the outfit-deciding process.

Have I ever used one of the big hairdos without a hat that constrained it?  I don’t think I have! I didn’t like any of the other shoe options, so Croissant winded up using a water egg item after all, heh!

Complete with fish bag~

'I guess he didn’t like my unplanned gift after all...’ Croissant sighed.

“Alright, I’m gonna add a bed for you!” Croissant smiled. “Can’t wait to see that!” Elvis grinned.

But first: I finally changed an exterior and made Elvis’ house more golden!

I chose the candle chandelier over the electric(?) one, and added some plaques to his wall... plus that bed!

The red carpet makes it look wayy cooler, right!?