#And had DREAMS and AMBITION and fate in humanity. And he is just such a fun character to follow I had such a riot with this episode

[atomicengineerdetective]

I've been watching Hazbin Hotel in prime. Just watched episode 5 and I gotta ask

Why, oh, WHY DON'T I SEE MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT "MORE THAN ANYTHING" WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE HAZBIN HOTEL MUSIC???

Like I get it, the song before it "Hell's Greatest Dad" Is a bop reminiscent of other music from the era its parodying. I loved it.

BUT why are you only putting clips of that song when this MASTERPIECE comes a few minutes after

I honestly don't even know where to begin with this song. The visuals are beautiful, especially when we get moments like this where you can just see the absolute LOVE this man has for her daughter is so sweet and Heartwarming I just-

The voices are fenomenal but what else can you expect from the broadway talents of Erika Henningsen and Jeremy Jordan.

There is also the whole Symbolism with passing the baton to the next generation and stuff. I- I can't even get into the specifics right now Im too emotional.

But above all else THE LYRICS

ESPECIALLY THAT LAST ONE

"I'M GRATEFUL YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER/FATHER MORE THAN ANYTHING"

DO YOU WANT ME TO CRY?? CAUSE I AM. I AM BAWLING MY EYES OUT RIGHT NOW.

It's just so fucking beautiful man. Probably the best song I will hear all year. Obviously my favorite from Hazbin.

[craig960114]

story by me (craig)

I are literature

In the quiet town of Doodleville, there lived a peculiar doodle named Craig. Craig was no ordinary sketch; he was a cat with a mission. Despite his simple appearance, Craig harbored ambitions far grander than his humble origins suggested.

From a young age, Craig possessed an insatiable curiosity and a keen intellect. While his peers contented themselves with idle doodling, Craig spent his days studying the world around him, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. He learned about history, politics, and the intricacies of human behavior, all from the confines of his paper realm.

As Craig grew older, his ambitions expanded. He yearned for something more than the confines of Doodleville. He dreamed of venturing beyond the borders of his sketchbook and making his mark on the wider world.

One fateful day, Craig's opportunity arrived in the form of a stray pencil left unattended on the edge of his page. With a mixture of determination and excitement, Craig seized the pencil and began to draw. He sketched a doorway leading out of Doodleville, and with a final flourish, he stepped through into the unknown.

The world outside was vast and full of wonders, but it was also fraught with danger. Undeterred, Craig embarked on a quest to carve out his own destiny. Along the way, he encountered a colorful cast of characters, from mischievous doodles to formidable adversaries.

Despite the challenges he faced, Craig never lost sight of his ultimate goal: to leave his mark on the world and reshape it according to his vision. With each obstacle overcome and each victory achieved, Craig grew stronger and more determined than ever before.

In the end, Craig's journey was not just about conquering the world, but about discovering his true self and realizing his full potential. As he stood atop the highest peak, surveying the realm he had conquered, Craig knew that his adventures were only just beginning. For Craig was not just a doodle; he was a legend in the making, destined for greatness beyond the confines of his paper kingdom.

[seonghrtz]

𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 ✶ geto suguru

꒰ daylight ! ꒱ geto suguru, a powerful fairy who has had his wings taken from him, finds himself falling in love with the girl who has been cursed by his mother.

❛❛ if you're kind, you might discover something extraordinary you can do ❜❜

pairing. fairy!geto suguru x (aurora)fem!reader.

contents. maleficent universe, fluff, angst, childhood friends to lovers, forbidden love (?), he fell first he fell harder, royal!au, slight age gap (geto is 4 y.o older than reader), mentions of death, maleficent is geto's mom, ooc geto.

amy's note. hi sweetie, this is amy!!! i was so excited to write this one in particular. i love geto so much, and i think he deserves more, but since we are talking about him, it will obviously have a little angst, but with lots of cute and happy moments. i think geto is the one who best fits the whole aesthetic of maleficent, and here we are!!! i hope you enjoy it and have a good read <3

comments and reblogs are very much appreciated!

𝕺𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄, there was a vast enchanted forest called the Moors. This forest existed a long time ago, even before humans settled within its borders, and it was home to countless magical creatures who lived free. Creatures that humans had never dreamed could exist. They all had their uniqueness and strangeness, and even though they were from different species, they lived in harmony with each other ⸻ something that sometimes even members of the same species could not do. The Moors were neither a kingdom nor a dynasty. Hierarchy was unknown among its inhabitants, everyone was equal (even with their differences). However, the forest had its guardians, the fairies. Fairies, specifically forest fairies, were powerful beings who served as protectors of the forests. They were responsible for keeping the Pillar of Harmony intact and protecting the forest from those with evil and malicious intentions.

When the first humans established their kingdom near the edge of the forest, the relationship between them and the inhabitants of the Moors was one of the best ⸻ which seemed surprising. Curiosity ran through both worlds, which were close but different in many ways. However, as the years went by, this friendly relationship seemed to become more unstable and fragile.

Until the fateful day when Moors lost his guardian to human greed.

Stefan, the young prince of the human kingdom, had greed and selfishness in his heart when he tried to dream that one day he could control the Moors as well as his own kingdom. But things didn't go according to plan and it backfired.

On a frosty dawn, Stefan and a few guards set out on a mission to capture the wings of the Moors' guardian fairy, imprison her, and finally take over the forest. Not as discreet as they should have been, they entered the forest before dawn, armed and determined. Things began to go wrong when, instead of capturing the guardian fairy, they first captured her four-year-old son, Geto Suguru.

The little fairy boy, who was absent-mindedly wandering through the forest, watching the day creatures rest while the night creatures went on with their lives, didn't notice the humans approaching with their evil intentions, and the next thing he knew, he was grabbed by the arms. The boy whimpered and cried, trying desperately to free himself from the arms that were twice his size and stronger than his frail frame. Geto let out an agonizing scream as he felt the metal chains wrapped around the beginning of his wings. The pain and burning made the boy choke on his screams and tears, which mingled into a painful sound.

Once Stefan had gained the wings of the helpless child, he pursued his ambition to gain the wings of the Guardian of the Moors. Geto was thrown to the side, writhing in pain and crying for his lost wings. The pain seemed unbearable. Not just the physical pain, but the pain of knowing that he could no longer fly, that he would never touch the sky again. His freedom in the sky, where no one could reach him, had been taken from him when he was still a helpless child.

"My son..." Geto heard his mother's voice and her footsteps approaching his slumped body. "My dear son... what have they done to you?"

"There you are, Guardian of the Moors." Stefan spat out the words with contempt.

"Young Prince Stefan of the realm of men..." the fairy said, trying to control her anger, "Give my son back his wings!”

"If you give me yours, I might think about returning his... if I don't take them for myself in the future."

"You will regret this moment." The woman's hand closed tightly on her staff.

"And why would I regret it? You're a freak!"

"Your wife is pregnant with a beautiful baby girl who is about to be born, and in a few months, if not weeks, you will take over your human kingdom... it would be a shame to have something as precious as your daughter taken away from you."

"How do you know that, you witch?!" the man shouted angrily.

"Listen, everyone," the fairy said, drawing everyone's attention as a green spell emanated from her, "The princess will indeed grow up with grace and beauty and be loved by those who know her, but at sunset on her eighteenth birthday, she will stick her finger through the spindle of a spinning wheel and then fall into the deep sleep of death! A sleep from which she will never awaken unless awakened by a kiss of true love! And this curse will last forever, no power on earth can change it!"

"How dare you curse my daughter, barely born!" Stefan drew his sword from its sheath and positioned himself to attack the guardian.

"And how dare you rip my son's wings off and think you'd get away with it!"

Geto's eyes blurred with tears and an unbearable pain in his back as he watched his mother fight the future king. The little boy couldn't keep up with what was happening, his head was spinning and the only thing he could see was his mother's last breaths as she was caught off guard at a clear disadvantage in the unfair fight. As his mother fell to her knees, he felt the earth tremble and huge thorns grow larger along the edges of the Moors. Frightened, and not knowing what those giant thorns were, Stefan and his companions fled with Geto's wings, happy that they had killed the guardian of Moors and won her son's wings. Without enough strength, the boy crawled over to his mother's fallen body. He rocked the woman from side to side, trying to wake her, but his actions seemed to be in vain. His mother's heartbeat could no longer be heard. With a tightness in his chest, Geto lay down on his mother's lifeless body and cried himself unconscious.

Deep down, he wished this was all just a nightmare that would end the next day. And he would live happily ever after with his mother.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

With the Wall of Thorns, Moors was protected from any threat from humans or any other creature that tried to take over the forest. Geto thought that time would make him forget that tragic night in his life, but he couldn't have been more wrong. But time only helped him develop a dislike for humans and their arrogance and greed. Time helped Geto work hard to train his powers and learn to live without his wings. Even at the age of eight, he had incredible abilities that might have taken longer to learn.

The sun was rising in the east, and while the nocturnal creatures went to their shelters, the daytime creatures awoke to the sun's rays and began their day. Little Suguru, eight years old, followed the forest path to a lake he always went to in the morning. Ever since he was a baby, his mother had taken him to the pond to pick some of the plants that grew around the edge of the pond. It was a little routine that kept his mother's memory alive.

Geto just didn't expect to be followed that morning.

"Who's there?" The boy turned when he heard the hurried footsteps, but there was no one there. He returned to his destination, but the footsteps followed him again, "Whoever it is, I don't want to play!" A low chuckle echoed through the room, causing Geto to roll his eyes. With an idea in his head, he started on his way again. When the one following him was least expecting it, Suguru quickly turned around to see a little girl half his age fall to the ground, startled by the boy's sudden movement, "What do you think you're doing following me?" Geto crossed his arms in front of him, but all he got in return was a giggle.

Geto watched the little girl sitting on the ground. She didn't seem to belong to any of the species that sheltered in the Moors. She resembled Geto physically, but she didn't have wings or a pair of horns.

"Why do you have horns?" the little girl asked with a smile. She stood up, slapped her hand on her baby blue dress, brushed the dirt off it, and stared at the boy in front of her.

"Because I'm a fairy." Geto rolled his eyes and returned to his morning chores, "Now leave me alone!"

"My fairy aunts don't have horns!" The little girl followed Geto with light footsteps.

"That means we are a different kind of fairy."

"Wow! There's more than one kind of fairy?" the little girl smiled, "I'd like to be a fairy!"

"And why would you like to be a fairy?" asked Geto curiously.

"Because you have magic powers! And some fairies can fly too!" she said, her eyes shining, "I can't do anything interesting or unique, even though my fairy aunts keep telling me I'm a princess, whatever that means, I don't have anything extraordinary about me..."

"If you're kind, you might discover something extraordinary you can do."

"Can I... can I touch your horns?" The little girl asked.

"Um, just once!" Geto leaned down a bit so that the little one could touch his horns.

Geto thought that this little interaction would end right there, and that he would never see this little girl again in the vast forest. He just didn't expect her to come down to the lake with him every morning to talk about anything and everything.

Her presence could fill the boy's loneliness.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

When that little girl told him there was nothing extraordinary about her, Geto was absolutely sure it was a lie. And he seemed to prove it with every passing year. And the passing years never scared Geto, but perhaps his feelings were the only things that could scare him.

Within a few months, the presence of the little human at his side had become commonplace. It was difficult to spend any time apart. They had become inseparable best friends. They were always running around in the forest, playing with each other and with the other creatures that lived there. And from time to time, the girl even helped Geto practice controlling his magic. They shared stories and secrets.

And there was only one secret that he had never shared with her...

Every day, Geto Suguru fell more and more in love with that gentle, delicate human being.

Geto didn't know when he fell in love, for him there was no right moment, he just fell in love. And maybe his feelings were the biggest problem. They couldn't be together, not when they were from different species, or when she was the child his own mother had cursed before she died ⸻ a fact that wasn't hard to discover. The young fairy would have to suppress his feelings and accept that they could never be together in this universe. However, Geto decided to enjoy every minute of his friendship with the human who had stolen his heart until her eighteenth birthday, when she would return to her home ⸻ the human kingdom.

"It's a very nice gift, I'm sure she'll like it," said Dival, the shape-shifter who had been rescued by Geto's mother and had since become the advisor and right hand of the Guardians of the Moors ⸻ and who had also advised Geto in his training.

"It's just a souvenir..." Geto sighed, looking at the amethyst necklace he had made.

"You should tell her your romantic feelings for her..." Dival watched the quick movements of the boy's chest.

"I can't do that, Dival"

"Why not?"

"First of all, she is a princess. Just as I have my responsibilities as the guardian of the Moors, she has hers as the future ruler of the human kingdom. Besides, we're different species. You know how humans treat anything that is different by their standards. Not to mention that we're just friends, that's how she sees me and will always see me..."

"And all this keeps you from being happy in love?" Dival crossed his arms.

"These things aren't as easy as they seem..." Geto sighed softly, "Especially when your feelings aren't reciprocated.

"You should definitely get rid of this idea of unrequited love. She likes you! You can see how she looks at you and how she treats you!"

"It is not like that! She's just kind to me, like she is to all beings. I don't get any special treatment." Geto clutched the amethyst necklace in his hand, afraid of losing it, and left for the young princess' house. "See you soon, Dival!"

"How stubborn he is!" Dival muttered to himself as he watched Geto's figure disappear between the thick-stemmed trees in this part of the forest.

The conversation he'd had with Dival a few minutes ago replayed in his mind: could she possibly reciprocate his romantic feelings?

The answer seemed to be right in front of him…

Geto stopped walking quickly when he noticed the young princess singing a love song while dancing with another human. Perhaps Suguru had to worry about how this tall, white-haired, blue-eyed young man had managed to get past his mother's wall of thorns. But the dreamy smile on the young woman's face made his heart squeeze with pain and fear. The fairy looked away and decided that it would be best to wait until the princess left for her kingdom to deliver her gift ⸻ if only he had the courage.

The young fairy made his way to the lake he used to go to with his mother, which had become one of his meeting places with the young princess, and sat on a rock by the shore, watching the crystal clear water and the aquatic creatures that lived there. Geto didn't know how long he stayed there, pondering feelings that should never have blossomed.

"Sugu!" The princess's voice snapped Geto out of his deep thoughts, and the boy turned back, murmuring her name.

"What are you doing here?" Suguru asked, she should have been on her way to the castle by now.

"You didn't think I would leave without saying goodbye, did you?" The girl smiled and sat down next to the boy.

"I thought you'd be more excited to see where you came from and to see your parents again."

"Yes, I'm excited... But then I remember that I'm leaving all this behind and I get scared..." she sighed.

"You can come back, you know." Geto turned to the princess.

"But the thing is, sometimes I don't know if I really want to go! It's a completely different world, even though it's right next door. And I don't want to leave you..." she looked up at the clear blue sky, it would be a while before it darkened. "Could you come with me?"

"You know what they did to my wings and my mother, I don't think I'll be welcome there." Geto sighed deeply. A few years ago he had told her the fateful story of the day King Stefan invaded the Moors, but he hadn't told her that it was his father who had orchestrated the attack and torn off his wings.

"I know, I just don't want to be away from you."

"Come to me whenever you want, I'll be here waiting for you." Geto gently held the princess' hand and placed the stone from the necklace in her palm. The young woman smiled gently and hugged Suguru until he gasped for breath, drawing a laugh from her.

And Geto, deep in his heart, hoped that she would come back as soon as possible.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

Geto put his hand to his forehead and took a deep breath. He was sitting on a kind of throne made of twisted logs and thorns, the place he usually used for one of his duties as Guardian. The sky was dark and the stars were not visible, and Geto found himself clinging more and more to the mere memories that floated through his mind.

"Geto! Geto!" Dival's desperate voice came from afar in his raven form, flying as fast as he could.

"What now, Dival?" Geto watched as the crow turned into a human in front of him.

"They're invading the Moors!"

"WHAT?!" Suguru quickly got up from his seat, eyes wide with disbelief at the news.

"Your mother's curse somehow came true and King Stefan was furious, he sent troops to attack the Moors, but apparently the wall is keeping them out, but I'm afraid that won't last long."

"The sleep curse has come true..." Geto sighed" Suguru looked at a random spot on the ground, his face blank, "She will sleep forever..."

"Can you wake her?" Dival asked.

"I've tried over the years, when I found out she was the princess my mother cursed, it didn't work."

"Can't you try now that the curse has come true?"

"I could try..." Geto looked at Dival, who seemed to be hiding something, but revealed it by looking for ways to wake the princess. "First we have to get there, then I'll think about waking her."

"You'll have to get past the king's troops first."

"That's the least of the problems, Dival," Geto smiled sideways.

And indeed, the troops of the human army were no match for Geto Suguru's power. With a flick of his finger, the fairy immobilized the soldiers, sending them into a deep sleep until he could reverse the spell. Determined, he made his way to the castle, using his magic to clear the way and avoid any unpleasant and unnecessary conflicts.

"King Stefan..." His voice rang out from the throne room, drawing the king's attention.

"You!" the king said in a voice of disgust.

"Well, I think you know that we have some unresolved issues in the past that make me hold on with all my might so as not to crush that tiny little brain of yours. However, due to the current circumstances, I'd like you to listen to my somewhat irrefutable proposal." Geto's hands closed on the staff that had once belonged to his mother.

"What do you want?"

"Wow, that was pretty quick to convince you..." a sideways smile appeared on Suguru's lips, "If you, noble king, withdraw your troops from the Moor's border of your own free will and never come near my forest again, perhaps I can wake your beloved and sweet daughter."

"Can you wake her?" the king's voice came out choked. In addition to his ego, his daughter's life was at stake.

"Only on my terms!" Suguru lied.

"I promise, I promise to leave your forest alone, just save my daughter!"

"I hope you keep your promise or the consequences will be unimaginable." Geto's voice was firm, "Take me to the princess."

The king, still unsure of his decision, ordered one of his guards to take Geto to where the princess rested in her deep sleep. As the fairy entered the huge, luxurious room, he encountered a figure he didn't like very much. The white-haired boy turned towards Suguru, his hands clenching the wooden staff. Geto's purple eyes met the crystal blue of the stranger he had caught dancing with the princess in the forest not long ago.

"Black hair and a pair of horns? You must be the guardian of the Moors," the blue-eyed boy said.

"Get out of here," Geto said, controlling his tone.

"Wow, the princess said you were kind, I don't see much of that kindness," the boy smiled sideways and crossed his arms in front of him. "I bet your kiss would wake her up..." he muttered to himself, getting ready to leave the room.

"What did you say?" Geto looked at the stranger suspiciously.

"Nothing." The boy smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I have some diplomatic business to attend to with the king."

After the boy left, Geto made his way to the princess's bed, where she slept peacefully. This was not a new sight; they had already fallen asleep by the lake they visited every day ⸻ it seemed like yesterday that Geto was studying the princess's features, memorizing all her curves and smallest details under the starry sky. But unlike the last time they had slept in each other's company, when the first rays of sunlight had awakened him and the princess had cracked a broad smile and wished Suguru a good morning, she wouldn't wake up now, not if the spell wasn't broken. Geto sighed, he had been quietly trying to remove the spell from his mother ever since he had discovered that she was the Princess, Stefan's daughter, but nothing was strong enough to break it. And even now, after years of training and trying to control his power, nothing woke her.

"I'm sorry..." Geto's voice came out lower than usual, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you! It's my fault that I was so weak that none of my attempts to free you from this curse worked. I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you needed and be who you wanted, I'm not worthy of having you by my side, not when the only thing that prevails in my heart is hatred. You're too good for this world, too good for me. I wish I could do anything to have you by my side... just once." With a trembling hand, Geto reached for the icy cheek of the sleeping princess and slowly moved closer, touching his lips lightly to hers. He whispered another apology and turned, ready to flee the castle and fortify the wall around Moors, knowing that the king would not let his lies go unchallenged.

"Sugu...?" The weak, sleepy voice of the princess made the fairy stop walking quickly and turn towards the young woman. "You came to see me?"

"I just wanted to see if you arrived safely."

"I just fell asleep..." She sat down on the bed and smiled, "Couldn't you stay a little longer, I want to show you the castle... please."

"Then let's go..." Geto relented.

"Come on, I want you to see everything here!" She smiled openly and hugged Suguru tightly before wrapping her right arm around the fairy's left and leading him through the castle corridors to the throne room where Stefan was.

When they arrived at the scene, the king looked in surprise at his daughter, who was well and awake, and observed the intertwined arms with disgust.

"Arrest him!" the king shouted to the guards, who attacked Suguru, knocking his staff from his hand and binding him to his arm with steel chains, causing the fairy to scream in agony. The princess looked up in horror and saw Geto being carried away, writhing in pain. She tried to save him from the guards, but was stopped by other guards at the king's behest.

"What are you doing?" she looked at the king with watery eyes, "Let him go, please! He hasn't done anything! Please leave him alone!"

"Don't worry, child, I'm just saving our kingdom from this freak!"

"Freak?!" the young woman looked at her parents in disbelief, "He's a living being, just like us! He's never done anything wrong, no evil! Geto Suguru is the kindest person I know, please let him go!"

"HIS MOTHER CURSED YOU, DO YOU THINK I'LL FORGIVE HIS KIND FOR THAT?!"

"How can you blame him when you are the real culprit?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"My fairy aunts told me that you stole Geto's wings and killed his mother in an attempt to take over the Moors." Tears streamed down the young woman's face, "How could you dare to do such a cruel thing, he was just a child!"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? THEY TOOK YOU AWAY FROM ME!"

"And you took away his mother! Forever!" The princess wiped her tears with her hands and released the guards. "Because of their selfish desires, the Moors are afraid of humans, afraid of losing their families and their freedom, they are not hideous monsters, they have feelings too. And I can't stay in a place and with people who feel entitled to destroy the lives of everything that is different from them!"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

The princess ran frantically through the castle corridors as she fled from the guards. After arguing with her father, she soon fled the place, determined to find Geto and free him from prison so they could return to Moors. Looking for a place to lose the guards, she entered a dark room and waited for the guards to pass by. When the sound of footsteps quickly faded, she breathed a sigh of relief; now she would have one less problem to worry about when she found Suguru. However, something piqued her interest when she noticed something in the middle of the room. It looked like a cupboard covered with a long, thick, dusty cloth. She approached the object and, without thinking twice, pulled the cloth down, revealing what it was.

The huge glass box allowed her to see inside, and the young woman couldn't hide her surprise when she realized that she was standing in front of Suguru's wings, which had been stolen by her father.

‘They are beautiful...' the young woman thought, staring in wonder at the pair of wings in front of her. However, she quickly snapped out of her trance when she heard footsteps in the hallway. She took a deep breath, picked up the wings, wrapped them in the cloth, and carefully ran to the catacombs where the cells were.

Noticing that no one was in the catacombs, the princess left her wings in a hidden corner and, on tiptoe, picked up the key hanging on the wall near the exit and went to the cell where Geto was.

"Sugu...?" She whispered, searching the darkness for the fairy. When she heard the boy call her name, she let out a relieved sigh and opened the cell, approaching the fairy in the corner, who was writhing in pain, her wrists aching from the handcuffs. Gently, the princess removed the handcuffs and asked him to wait for her while she fetched something. She walked quickly, picking up Geto's wings where she had left them, but the wings seemed to move on their own with each step she took as she approached him. When the wings slipped from her hands and met their true owner, the princess was even more amazed to see Geto with his majestic wings.

"As much as I'd like to admire you longer, I'm afraid we have to leave as soon as possible before they come looking for me here!"

"Why are we running away?"

"I may have had a fight with my father..."

"You did what?" Geto asked incredulously.

"I had a fight with my father after you were taken away, I can't let my father treat you like that."

"You shouldn't have fought with him... not for me. You just came back home, you found your family again..."

"Why don't you let me save you just this once?" the young woman took Geto's hands in her own, "When I arrived here, I must admit I was excited by the idea of a new world, new places to explore and new people to meet, but at no time did I feel like I belonged here, not like I did in Moors. So please, take me home with you..."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Geto asked, trying to hide his happiness at what he had just heard from the princess.

"I am absolutely sure."

"Then let's go home!"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

The princess clung to Geto as tightly as she could while the fairy flew through the sky as if there was no tomorrow. Over the years, Suguru had resigned himself to never experiencing that feeling of freedom again, but apparently he was wrong. Having his wings again seemed like a dream, and to his happiness, it was a dream come true.

When they arrived in Moors, the princess asked Dival to deliver a letter to the king, saying that she had run away and would return to the forest and live there, where she had always felt at home, but that she could occasionally visit the kingdom and spend time with her biological family if they wanted her around.

"Are you going to fly around all night?" The princess asked with a smile as she watched Geto approach her.

"Maybe, it feels too good to stop."

"Your wings... They are beautiful... may I touch them?"

With a feeling of déjà vu, Geto approached the princess and allowed her to gently run her hand over the black feathers of his wings.

"Thank you... for saving me and for loving me as much as I love you."

"Wha... what?"

"I like you, Suguru. I like you so much that sometimes I feel like my heart will explode if I stay by your side for too long... you're my everything. That's why I want to be selfish and have you by my side until the end of this world."

"Well, I think I'll be more than happy to stay by your side until you don't want me anymore." Geto approached the princess, placing one of his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to his body, while the other rested on her cheek, his thumb making a light circular caress of her skin. Slowly, Suguru brought his lips to hers and gave her a soft kiss, which was immediately returned by the princess. Even though he had dreamed of this moment for a long time, Geto didn't rush into the kiss, but enjoyed and savored every moment that their lips were together, as if they had all the time in the world.

"I love you more than you can imagine..." When they broke apart for lack of air, Geto rested his forehead on hers and smiled openly, it all seemed like a dream and if it turned out to be a dream, he didn't want to wake up ever again. The fairy's hands closed around the young woman's waist and he hugged her tightly, as if she could disappear from his arms at any moment.

"But I love you more." The princess said as she rested her cheek on Suguru's chest and listened to his heartbeat, which was slowing down.

"That's impossible, darling!" Geto smiled openly and kissed the princess's forehead, "But I'll let you believe it is."

© SEONGHRTZ, 2024ㅤ⸻ㅤall rights reserved. please do not copy / steal / translate / modify any of my works !

[rxgirlie]

The Verdict- Chapter One

Pairing: Vincent Renzi x OFC

Warnings: None (as of now)

A/N: I have eleven chapters of this written so far but a slew of changes to make and things to add. In order to not burn myself out, I won’t be posting this on any sort of schedule. None of this has been beta’d and I’m posting in the midst of a covid fever dream so if there’s any mistakes, simply ignore them.

The morning fog hung low over Paris, a delicate shroud that veiled the city in mystery and whispered of stories untold. Among the ancient streets and grand boulevards, a tale was about to unfold—one that would intertwine the lives of two distinctly different souls.

In the heart of the city, Vincent Renzi stood before the towering edifice of the Palais de Justice. His silhouette, a solitary figure against the sprawling architecture, was a testament to the weight he carried. At forty, Vincent had the kind of presence that commanded attention—not just for his refined appearance, but for the intensity that simmered beneath his calm exterior. Today, that intensity was sharper, fueled by the stakes of the case that awaited him inside.

Vincent was not merely a lawyer; he was a defender of justice, a role he embraced with unwavering dedication. The case he was about to undertake was personal, representing his friend Sandra, who had been caught in a nightmare she claimed was a fabrication. Accused of a crime as sensational as it was tragic—pushing her husband out of a window—Sandra's innocence was a truth Vincent held unshakeable.

As he made his way through the corridors of justice, Vincent's thoughts were on the battle ahead. The case was complex, tangled in a web of evidence and emotion, and it demanded not just legal expertise but a deep understanding of human nature. It was a challenge Vincent was ready to face, driven by a conviction that the law, in its purest form, was about protecting the innocent and uncovering the truth.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, an ambitious American lawyer was preparing for a journey that would change the course of her career. With a keen interest in international law and a hunger for experience beyond the confines of American courtrooms, she viewed the opportunity to shadow a French lawyer as a doorway to a new world. Little did she know, her path would lead her to Vincent Renzi, and together, they would embark on a journey that would blur the lines between professional collaboration and personal connection.

Paris awaited her with its charm and challenges, a city ripe with history and alive with the promise of adventure. As she packed her bags, she imagined the streets she would walk, the cases she would explore, and the people she would meet. Among those imagined faces was Vincent's, a partner in law she had yet to meet but whose reputation had preceded him.

The stage was set, the players drawn to their marks by fate and ambition. As the American lawyer's plane touched down on French soil, the first chapter of their story began to write itself, against the backdrop of Paris and the looming majesty of the French Alps. Little did they know, their encounter would be a confluence of minds and hearts, a trial of their beliefs and convictions, and a testament to the unexpected paths life can take.

____________________________________________

The chambers of Vincent Renzi were a world apart from the skyscrapers and modern glass facades that the American lawyer, Leah Bardin, was accustomed to. Nestled in a historic building whose stones whispered tales of centuries past, the office was a reflection of Paris itself—timeless, elegant, and steeped in stories waiting to be told.

Leah stepped inside, her senses immediately enveloped by the rich aroma of aged books and the subtle hint of espresso—a stark contrast to the sterile bustle of her New York firm. She was greeted by walls lined with volumes of legal tomes, certificates of commendation, and an array of photographs capturing moments of triumph and camaraderie.

At the heart of this sanctuary stood Vincent, his back to the door, engrossed in a mountain of case files that sprawled across his desk. The morning light streamed through the window, casting him in a silhouette that accentuated the deliberation in his posture.

Hearing the soft click of the door, Vincent turned, his gaze meeting Leah’s for the first time. In that moment, an unspoken assessment passed between them—a lawyer's instinctive evaluation of an opponent, colleague, and unknown entity all at once.

"Mademoiselle Bardin, I presume?" Vincent's voice broke the silence, his English tinged with the melodious accent of his homeland.

Leah extended her hand, the firmness of her grip belying the flutter of anticipation she felt. "Leah Bardin. It's an honor to meet you, Monsieur Renzi."

Vincent's study of Leah was brief but thorough. Despite his initial reservations about allowing an American lawyer to shadow him, he couldn't deny the determination that shone in her eyes. It was a look he recognized—a reflection of his own passion for the law.

"Please, call me Vincent. 'Monsieur Renzi' makes me feel like one of those ancient tomes on the shelf," he said, a hint of humor softening his features. "I understand you're here to learn about international law, but I must warn you, the case we're embarking on is not for the faint of heart."

Leah’s response was immediate, her resolve clear. "I didn't come all this way for an easy lesson. I'm here to learn, to contribute in any way I can."

Vincent regarded her for a moment longer, then nodded, the initial barrier of formality giving way to a burgeoning respect. "Very well. Let's get to work."

As they delved into the details of Sandra's case, Vincent was surprised by Leah’s insightful questions and her quick grasp of the complexities involved. Leah, in turn, was captivated by Vincent's depth of knowledge and his passionate advocacy for his friend.

Their first meeting, initially marked by caution, evolved into a dynamic exchange of ideas and theories. It was clear that despite their different backgrounds, they shared a common dedication to justice. As the day wore on, the foundation of an unexpected alliance was laid, their mutual respect a testament to the potential of their collaboration.

As Leah left Vincent's office that evening, the streets of Paris bathed in the golden hue of sunset, she felt an exhilarating sense of purpose. And for Vincent, watching her silhouette disappear into the maze of the city, there was an acknowledgment, however grudging, that Leah Bardin might just be the ally he needed in the battle ahead.

[shuttershocky]

Something I've been wondering for a while now, what is the thematic meaning of Shiro's "Who says a copy can't surpass the original?"

Exactly what it says on the tin.

Gilgamesh calls Archer a Faker for the exact same reason Archer tries to kill Shirou: they do not have any individuality, much less the soul of a hero, to begin with. Their existence is as a shadow of someone else.

"Emiya Shirou" does not truly exist as a person in Fate/Stay Night. Survivor's guilt and intense PTSD has hollowed him out to see himself as a tool for other people and not as a person. All of his skills like cooking, cleaning, and repairing were learned to serve others. He has no wish but to fulfill someone else's (Kiritsugu's) dream, and his ideals are borrowed from that same person. He has no real personal goals or ambitions (he tells Taiga he wants to be a superhero), and places no value at all on his own life, which is why his actions in the 5th Holy Grail War are downright suicidal.

Even when the visual novel reveals an intelligent, sarcastic, highly analytical voice inside Shirou, all of that goes flying out the window upon seeing someone's injury triggering his PTSD, creating that vacant stare and suicidal, nonsensical rationality that has had anime-onlies calling Shirou a vapid idiot for almost 20 years.

This is why the nature of the spell Unlimited Blade Works is important to understanding his character. As a rule, projection magecraft only ever copies the "image" of a weapon. It is seen as a functionally useless branch of magecraft, as a projected sword cannot copy the strength and durability of the original, much less replicate its unique powers.

But Unlimited Blade Works does. While its projections aren't perfect copies, they are able to replicate the unique powers of the original and at least a portion of their strength, turning Projection from a useless magic trick into an incredibly powerful ability.

This is because Unlimited Blade Works is a reality marble, which is a spell that takes the form of a person's internal world AKA their personhood, their self-meaning, what-have-you. On a story level, this means that Shirou's deep psychological issues which led to him de-personing himself and seeing himself as a weapon gave him an extraordinary understanding of the existence of a weapon, meaning that since this guy only ever thought of himself as a sword, when he projects a sword he doesn't just create the image of a sword, he creates a real one.

On a thematic level however, Unlimited Blade Works symbolizes how Shirou reacts to the statement that all he is, is a copycat. Even if his weapons, just like his ideals, are borrowed, the power that his blades wield is very real, just like how those copied ideals hold true meaning to him. He WILL be a hero, even if it's only chasing after the image of a true hero, or even if he only is a hero for one person.

So when Fate/Stay Night asks "who says a copy can't surpass the original?', it's asking if authenticity matters vs human effort. If a painter that makes a living by forgery creates such an immaculate copy of the masterworks that it evokes the same power as the original, does that not make the forger a master as well? If some no name ghost wields the most famous sword in the world with the ferocity and skill of the sword's equally famous owner, does that not make the ghost a swordsman of renown as well?

In that case, if you truly want to test the copy's worth, it would be vs the original, which is why in the route Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou fights Gilgamesh, the original hero and the true owner of all weapons of renown in the world, who claims every legendary name in history as mere thieves to his treasury.

This is also why Shirou defeats Gilgamesh, despite being weaker, less skilled, and a mere human vs a heroic spirit. Shirou may have been a copy, but the most original of all originals didn't want victory just as badly as the copy did, otherwise he would have taken the threat seriously enough to use Ea and win immediately. He took his natural superiority (and thus, the fight) for granted, did not put in anything but the minimum effort, and then got surprised that the other guy who worked for every advantage landed a critical hit on him.

That's when Gilgamesh says "I will admit, in this moment, you are powerful"

[inamindfarfaraway]

It's so cool that the Viren-Claudia-Callum foil triangle each have a different approach to the "I would do anything for you" sentiment that they all define themselves by.

Pre-coma Viren doesn't fully mean it even when he believes he does. He says that his loyalty is to the best interests of his family and humanity, but as K'ppar points out in his dream, he keeps putting his own ambition and self-importance before anything else. He doesn't consider sacrificing his life for Harrow until Harrow brings it up. Even after that, he never once thinks of giving up the dragon prince's egg; the belief that the prince was killed is part of the reason the assassins are here and returning him to them might appease them, might at least make them spare Harrow's son, which the man Viren loves as a brother would obviously want. He orders Soren to kill the princes to guarantee Viren the throne. He orders Claudia to save the egg instead of Soren if she had to choose. Harrow, Ezran, Callum and his own child are not worth losing the power of Zym to his enemies for. He isn't willing to sacrifice his power or vision, his selfish interests, but is instead willing to sacrifice the people he loves, which is why he's evil. The promise is conditional. But what lets him redeem himself is that the love at the base of it really is unconditional. He still loves Harrow and genuinely expresses this in his dream, overwhelmed with relief when he appears to be alive. He still loves his children, even after all the horrible things he does to them and the lack of remorse he shows for those actions until his death. The coma reminds him of that enduring love, and makes him reevaluate how he dismissed it.

Claudia is the opposite. When she says she'll do anything for someone, she means it with everything she has. Herself, her moral integrity, other people's lives, the fate of the world - nothing is more important to her than her perceived responsibility to her loved ones. Including what her loved ones themselves want. But she can also change her mind about who she loves, at least enough to see them as against her rather than with her. Callum is her friend, until he isn't. Soren is her family, until he isn't and only Viren is worth protecting. Like her father’s did before her, her value of Soren’s wellbeing has been slipping from “That’s all that matters” to “That doesn’t matter!” People can be disqualified by opposing her desires and ideology. The promise is unconditional, but the love isn't.

And then you have Callum, who seems to have the best approach of the three. He means his promise when he says it and will never rescind it later on. His devotion is both absolute and everlasting. He will do anything for Ezran and Rayla, putting them before his own interests; and he would never consider them expendable. That's great! After all, having conditions of worth in relationships they don't belong in is bad. It leads to Viren and Claudia hurting, manipulating and betraying their family and friends, and such behaviour feels viscerally wrong. They're traitors. They're abusers. Those are serious crimes. Those labels are grievous insults meaning ‘Bad Person’. But unlike both Viren and Claudia, Callum doesn't have the arrogant belief that he always know best to warp his love into something self-serving. His genuine selflessness prevents him from ever becoming that kind of person. He does cut ties with Claudia, but only after she proves to be untrustworthy and have enduring harmful intent toward him, his brother and Rayla, so it's a perfectly reasonable boundary to set. His version of "I would do anything for you" just makes him caring and heroic. Right?

Until you realize that technically, if he had to kill everyone else on the continent in order to save Ezran and Rayla, all evidence from canon suggests that he would.

[gabessquishytum]

Let’s bring some other mythology into Dreamling, shall we?

Specifically, Ganymede. Zeus, as we all know, is an entitled, horny bastard. In the legend of Ganymede, Zeus was so compelled by his beauty that he flies down as an eagle and kidnaps him to serve as his cup bearer.

So Hob is minding his own business in the fields one day when a shadow passes overhead. He looks up just in time to see the glint of talons before he’s wrenched up and flown by an eagle as big as he is, to Mount Olympus.

Hob is not down for this. He defies Zeus at every turn, spilling wine, running away, trying to literally fight a god…but gods are immortal and powerful. Zeus mostly finds it funny. After all, there’s nowhere for Hob to go.

After centuries, Hob is resigned to his fate and being a decently obedient servant. Eventually the shine wears off of him and Zeus, being a bastard, sort of forgets about Hob and moves on to other pursuits. Hob is still his cupbearer and he wanders around Olympus, without purpose until one day he stumbles across the god of dreams. He’s stunningly beautiful, standing by himself at a party. So even though he shouldn’t, Hob goes to talk to him.

Turns out he is a little bit of a loner but he opens up as Hob chats away at him. Secluded in their corner, they end up talking all night. Morpheus is not like the other gods, seeming to disdain them. He also thrums with power, more than any other god Hob has ever met. But he is kind and respectful. He thanks Hob for refilling his wine every time. He even plucks a sprig of nightblooming jasmine and offers it to Hob.

By the time the night is over, Hob wishes it had been this god, not Zeus who swept him away. Hob is tired of Zeus and his family is long dead. So, he steals away and enters the temple of Morpheus. He kneels down at the altar in the moonlight and pours out an offering of wine. He doesn’t care if it starts a war, or if Zeus kills him for his impudence. He makes his plea to serve a new god.

Ooo this is a great hot take!! Good stories always start with "and Zeus was horny".

But since the whole thing where he was plucked out of the sky by a giant eagle, Hob’s life has been pretty boring. Being a cupbearer isn't wildly exciting, and Zeus only fucked him a couple of times before moving on to some other poor victim.

Morpheus, though? He's fascinating to talk to. He wants to hear about Hob’s dreams and ambitions. He's so obviously different from every other being Hob has met, and of course he's absolutely gorgeous so that helps.

Meanwhile, Morpheus is a little bit enamoured with the cup bearer of Zeus and all his witty, funny remarks. He thinks that the man has the capacity to do far more than pour wine for the gods, so when Hob prays for his assistance, Morpheus answers him. He decides that Hob can serve as his high priest from now on, and make sure that his temple is maintained and his worshippers are served. With the sanctity of priestdom placed on him, Zeus won't be able to take Hob away again. And Morpheus will have direct access to his new favourite human.

Morpheus soon makes a habit of visiting the temple - it's only polite to check that Hob is doing OK! The fact that Hob looks absolutely ravishing in his priestly garb has nothing to do with it of course. And in return, Hob makes impressive sacrifices to his god. First in the normal ways, and then he does some reading of ancient texts, and then he begins dedicating his orgasms to Morpheus, transferring his own pleasure to his patron.

Morpheus is greatly pleased. Even more so, when he sees Hob pleasuring himself on the sacred altar. He knew that Hob was destined for greatness, and he has a feeling that he might make the most wonderful consort for the dreaming...

[sculptorofcrimson]

Inspired by @sister-calliope !

Forgive me, a collection of random thoughts where I’m rambling again on traitor!Valdor…

Can't even focus(oof), I must be getting old…

~~~~~~~

Ramblings about Traitor!Valdor 

The most loyal of his servants, turned to treachery.

As a final insult, he kept the Apollonian Spear. 

So he could know forever what he could have had, what he could have dreamt, but never attaining it. Feeling human only when he kills, feeling joy siphoned from a dying Loyalist’s mind, feeling happiness only in the scant few seconds between one kill and the next. 

Maybe he’ll fight against the Emperor. Maybe he’ll die just like how the Thunder Warrior Primarch died, marching to battle with a doomed coup, knowing they’re here to slay him, knowing he’s here to die.

Maybe he’ll flee into the Webway. Maybe he’ll become the dreaded King in Yellow, but instead of reining in his efforts, instead of obeying his master’s will, the former Custodian will become blasphemy incarnate, here to break His throne. 

Or maybe Valdor will win the Blood Games, for one last time. He was His bodyguard for millenia, he knows when He’s vulnerable, he knows when He dies. The Emperor dies not with a scream or a warcry or a glorious, fateful death, but in silence, smothered by the hand of His formerly beloved servant turned assassin. The Shadowkeepers will tear him apart, of course, limb from limb and shred his auramite plate from plate, but He’ll be dead. 

Or maybe, just maybe, Valdor would do nothing at all. He’ll simply leave, his duty complete, the Custodes forever wondering what became of him, what became of the greatest of the Ten Thousand? Maybe he won’t try to avenge the dead. They’re dead, after all, and his sins would never be expedited. What use is vengeance to a dead man? Valdor is merely a sentinel, charged with observing while others acted. He had watched while the Cataegis were born, while they died, while he betrayed them. To watch, to wait to act, but this act will never come, this lost servant will never come home. Maybe he’ll settle down, in a distant cold star, reminding him of what he lost to gain the powers he had. Was the bargain worth the price? Was it truly worth the price? 

The First Custodian once lead the golden, he once served a god-king, before whom His words could fell an army. Now he walks alone, watching and waiting for a time that will never pass, clad not in armor but in furs and iron. The cycle ends where it began, beneath frost and winds so like Maulland Sen he could sometimes almost-dream of the thunder and the iron, that his perfect memory could fail him and he could almost remember what it felt like to dream, to be a young creature again, so full of ambition and possibility and words before the Emperor had laid down His claws. 

And finally, maybe he just might come crawling home. The old dog, having his fill of adventure and obedience, the prodigal general limping home with his head bowed and neck bared. Because what else did Valdor know? In truth, he do not really know where else he could go. He wanted nothing, he lived for nothing, he desired nothing save that of his lord, and that too was gone, by his own betrayal. 

He lived for the Emperor. He’ll die by Him too. 

Staggering home, his armor charred and cracked and missing in pieces, the Apollonian Spear dragged behind him like the limp tail of a dog who no longer wished to fight. They’ll bind him in chains and drag him before his former master like the traitor he is, and Valdor, obedient once more, no longer resists. The Emperor drags him home, and Valdor, quietly, without protest, without even a trace of hatred one would have expected from a traitor, accepts his endless penitence with grace.

He will never be forgiven. Not when he had betrayed Him so thoroughly, not when his sin could only be expedited in blood. The Emperor no longer utters the name “Constantin Valdor” with such adoration, in fact, He no longer utters his name at all. For a hero to be born, they must be preserved, their stories written in blood for a lifetime. Yet, till eternity ends, not a single soul would hear the name “Valdor” within the Imperium, even though he had fought and bled so vehemently for the Imperium. He will cease to matter, when his very deeds fade from the Imperium’s memory. Because while his penitence will never end, and the formerly glorious Captain-General will never be forgiven.

Some say that, for the great sin of his treachery, the Emperor removed all traces of insubordination from His favored servant. Some say He removed even what remained of Valdor’s soul, to ensure he would never be free again. For all He had taken from him, he still had plenty to lose, plenty the Emperor could seize within His golden claws and rip away.

Some say the mute Captain-General no longer speaks, in fact, he no longer communicates for fear of whatever heretical taint had led him down such a cruel path. Not a single word save a nod or bow for his lord. Nothing left of the man once known as Constantin Valdor, nothing behind those dead eyes except for resignation, resigned in the same way a badly beaten dog shows its belly, nothing left except for obedience in a mind too broken to even hate. Nothing more than an automaton marching on an endless crusade. A crippled bird, that having tasted freedom, still chose the bars of its cage.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

It's been some weeks but here I am now to respond to your response lol. So first of all, I'm definitely leaning towards nocorro but tbh I have like a few versions of this au in my head, all of which lead Spider down different paths depending on his love interest (or lack thereof) because I feel like each one would bring out something different in his ikran ambitions:

Spider/Neteyam - he fulfills his dream of becoming a racer.

Spider/Lo'ak - he eventually travels all over Pandora to learn everything he can about ikrans, becoming an expert in caring for, training, and riding them.

Spider/Kiri - he becomes an amazing ikran caretaker, focusing his energy on the health and well-being of them.

Spider/Rotxo - he realizes that the na'vi avoid riding the forest ikrans (which I imagine are what would dominate the forests of the Metkayina's islands) because of their size but he is just the right size. This leads to him being the first to utilize the smaller island ikrans with an interesting twist.

Spider/Ao'nung - he actually creates ilu racing in this one lol, it's all part of this storyline in my head where he manages to use his knowledge of both ikran training and human animal training methods to adapt to an ilu style and bond/train an ilu into helping him escape Quaritch. I'll tell you more info in another ask if you want it's a whole thing.

Spider/Tsireya - he paves the way for a new ikran sport: a mash between equestrian trick riding/vaulting, with quite a bit of acrobatics included.

Spider & the Sullies - he becomes their personal trainer, bonding with each individual family member and their ikrans and helping them to make their own marks on the ikran rider community all while helping to heal the distance within the family (among Jake and the boys specifically). I like to think that in this one he bonds with a forest ikran and carves out a place in ikran racing all his own.

And these are all very much active in my mind. I've always loved the idea that just one choice, one source of influence, could change your fate. I like the idea that there's a universe where Spider and Neteyam fall in love and become an ikran racing power couple and I like the idea that there's another universe where Kiri beat Neteyam to the punch and instead Spider focuses on all he can do to care for these amazing creatures, etc.. You can see what parts of him each path brings out.

On another note, some of your hc's will definitely be making an appearance because there were a few that I loved and thought fit so perfectly with what I pictured. I look forward to you seeing which ones stuck with me lol. And I love that others have their own interpretations that they want to write about! It'd be so fun to see what others come up with! Fun fact: I never intended for Spider to become a racer himself, I was vibing with the concept of him being this amazing ikran whisperer who brings a different perspective to the bond between person and animal, but because of the reaction that you and others have had I've added that into my thoughts!

Anyways, I know I work slowly but trust and believe I can't wait to get the next installment out so hang in there! Oh, and I can't believe I forgot to send you a link to my newest fic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48596428

You totally don't have to read it, I'm still not even 100% sure if I like it myself, but idk I've sent you a link before so it'd just feel rude if I didn't now that I've started to? Does that make sense? Another update is that I will in fact be adding on to Follow Me Down to the Peach Tree, which I figured is something you might look forward to :)

~ CherryApollo

Hello icon CherryApollo. I'm so sorry this ask has taken me SO long to respond to, I wanted to read back on our old chats to refresh my memory but just like the nocorro accidentally mated post that an anon asked me to find the other day, I cannot find the posts even though I know it's tagged properly. I don't know if maybe it doesn't show up unless the tag is in the first few tags of the post? Someone send help.

BUT ANYWAYS, we will have to just focus on this. I agree that every Spider love interest just brings out a different side of Spider, which would result in different Spider ikran racing ambitions all around. I find it interesting that he travels in the locorro one, because I've always associated it with Kiri and Spiri. The yearning to explore more of Eywa's creations and to connect with her in different ways, and to meet more Na'vi and to see where and how they live. It's so Kiri to me, just wanting to be more a part of Pandora and see more of Pandora. I don't hate it for Lo'ak though, he's so restless and he is such a fast and adaptive learner when he's invested.

I am OBSESSED with the idea of Spider and a forest ikran, and I'm shocked no one has done it yet. They are! Spider sized!!! It's so perfect! He can fit into smaller spaces and make tighter and faster maneuvers and turns, and I bet him and Neytiri could spend hours seeing how traditional ikran racing could translate to this slightly different creature and style.

OBVIOUSLY I want more info on Spider escaping Quaritch via ilu bonding?? That's amazing, it shakes up the whole story! Would he find Awa'atlu right away or would he end up at a different village first? I have been drawn lately to the Spider escaping and finding the Sully's fic's I've seen around, although I've never seen one get past a few chapters. It's such an interesting concept!

I absolutely adore always when people are inspired by my thoughts, and I think it will be so so fun to see what sticks and what you liked and what you change!!! Please don't worry about working slow, I've been answering slow lately.

AND I SAW YOUR NEWEST FIC, I am so behind on my fic reading but I checked yours out before I posted this. I commented :) and please, it's not rude at all to send me a fic, sometimes I miss them in the shuffle so I appreciate it!

I ALSO HAVE BEEN SO OBSESSED WITH THAT FIC, I'M SO EXCITED THEY'LL BE AN UPDATE. I'll tell you, I have been so stuck on the idea of writing something original in its world. Loosely in its world, I guess, but just a soulmate world where if your soulmate is dead you can see their ghost, but also all the ghosts can all see each other as well. I've been stuck on this idea of a person whose soulmate is a ghost and as a result they're kind of an unattached loner. They are a private investigator who uses their ghost soulmate talking to other ghosts to help solve crimes. I'm thinking that they'll end up with another person whose soulmate is dead that they meet, a sort of vibe where they aren't the others supposed person but maybe things worked out the way it was supposed to in a fucked up way. It's just a weird concept I haven't been able to get rid of that I figured I'd let you know you inspired, lol.

[goodfish-bowl]

It Came to Me in a Dream

Part 1

DP Side Hoes Week 2024 Master Post

Day 6: Nocturn - creation

Summary: Dreams are said to be the organization of the mind while one sleeps, and often reveal something the individual already knew in a new light. Nocturn might not be the ghost with the ability to see the future, but dreams are often one of the easiest ways to nudge the Realms of the Living in a particular direction. 

Word Count: 512

AO3 Link

Nocturn was familiar with these kinds of favors for the Master of Time. They were simple enough for him to do, though rather lacking in the creativity he preferred to express when interfering with the dreams of the living. Dreams were perceived to be the organization of the mind, and the window into the subconscious, and by providing the correct nudge, it was easy to push the minds of the living in a desired direction. Nocturn often found an idle curiosity as to what became of these dreamers, the resulting revelations and thoughts, and most importantly, the creations from them. Dreams made reality, it was the ultimate actualization of his own work. 

But to influence, even fully direct these dreams was something close to sacrilege to Nocturn. He understood their purpose well enough, dreams were important to the progression of time after all, small nudges, ambitions, and so on. It was a simple, and easy way to put an idea into the mind and have that individual think it was their own. It was unintrusive enough that Clockwork could fully exploit that method of influence without angering the Observants. Nocturn thought it was rather coy of the old Time Master, so despite his dislike of it, he played along.

It had taken some exhaustingly long meetings with the old ghost to work out a proper agreement for his services, but there was one reached. For so little effort, he usually either received a good, extended rest for himself within a slowed/paused pocket of time, and knowledge of future and past events through the lenses of dreams. He rarely took interest in the mortal or the visions he was sending them. Nocturn occasionally took some creative liberties within the presentation of these crafted dreams, since they were his own, handmade creations after all, and he allowed himself the satisfaction of knowing he had an impact on the fates of a Realm. He had only earned the ire of the Master of Time just once for his creativity. It was not good to drive Clockwork’s chosen prophets and visionaries mad, after all. Nocturn couldn’t do anything about it, though, when they were already that way. 

This particular instance, the Clock Master had requested Nocturn to send a very peculiar dream to an equally peculiar mortal man. He asked for the reason, and upon hearing that this series of events would influence the very existence of the Realms, paid particular attention. It was rare for a singular mortal to influence so much, let alone something that could potentially affect him. Nocturn was to send this human future knowledge of artificial portals to the Realms, and images of the realms themselves, though the latter aspect wasn’t as unique. Just the concept was so unfathomable, but if that’s what the Ancient of Time had requested, then so be it. These portals would exist, in time. These dreams were simply to make sure of that. Most peculiar indeed. 

In this case, Nocturn was going to pay particular attention to the creations of the mortal known as Jack Fenton.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale's Monologue: Humanity lost

"No! Not this! Anything but this!?" The Villain screams as he ran to his beloved partner in crime.

She was about to finish her incantation, opening the portal to bring the world of darkness into the their world.

The hero and his party remained alert, having dealt the final blow to the evil Sorceress. All that was left was the evil Sorcerer.

"Its over Vernoc. Your Ritual was stopped. There is no point in continuing." The hero spoke.

Vernoc picked Velma into his arms.

She was alive... but fading fast.

"Beloved..."

"Save your strength. We can heal you and then..."

"Finish the Ritual... bring the Utopia we dreamed into reality."

"But without you..."

"Dont throw away your ambitions because of me."

"My ambitions were because of you. The world of darkness, the world we would live forever. What about our lives together... our future family."

Velma shed tears as she touched Vernoc's face.

"Fate be so cruel as to separate me from my beloved..."

Velma kissed Vernoc and he felt her power envelop him. Her last gift.

She turned to black dust. For the magic they used kept them alive but left no soul, it was impossible to revive. Velma was gone.

Vernoc stood up. A Dark Aura bursting from Vernoc. He roared as black tears streamed down his face.

The force of power was pushing the heroes back.

"You called us evil!" He began as he stopped his shouting. His body clearly emanating power.

"You called us dark magic users, sorcerers of evil. You called us monsters, you called us every vile insult you could muster. Yet you never tried to reach out to us, you never tried to ask us why we did what we did. You never once believed that maybe we could be right!"

"But that never mattered to me. As long as I had my beloved Velma, Every rock, every plant, every mountain and every living creature could curse us, yet we would not falter. We would be happy in spite of the cruel actions of the world. We were in defiance just by existing!"

The Villain took another step forward.

"But now you crossed the line! You took the ONE thing I cared for! The one person that kept me from being alone in this god forsaken planet! You who claim to be justice, who claim to be righteous, you are hypocrites and fools!"

"Her love was the only thing I felt grateful for being born."

"Vernoc..."

"Say farewell to your loved ones beside you. That is my final act as a man."

They watched eyes wide as Vernoc began to change. Horns protruded out of his head, his skull altered and became more angular, his teeth sharpened to a needle like appearance. His eyes went from white to red. His body grew multiple arms and a pair of batlike wings.

Vernoc the Sorcerer was now Vernoc the Darkling.

"Now heroes, fight the monster you created! Let your Justice clash with my Despair!"

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Part 2 of Dean Priest's headcanons (written in a great hope he shall be forgiven): *Please, read the first part before reading this*

He likes talking to Emily about books and giving her advice on her writing - until he realizes she's, in fact, talented. And he starts hating her talent. It means he will not be able to keep her - she'll be out of his grasp.

He hates Teddy Kent, because he has everything Dean doesn't. "But," Dean thinks, watching Mrs. Kent - "Not a mother like mine".

He is overwhelmed with a vindictive joy when he watches as Teddy Kent shakes Emily's hand in the most polite fashion. He smiles at the boy (Dean's smile is just as cynical as his laughter) and his and Teddy's eyes lock, for a moment. "I won", Dean seems to say, and, for a second, there is a spark of anger in Teddy's face. But that boy turns and leaves, not once looking back. "He doesn't want to give me a satisfaction", Dean thinks and his smile widens. Emily's eyes are closed, so she doesn't notice his expression. Dean never mistakes gaiety for happiness.

There are times Dean hates himself for lying to Emily. He comforts her, that winter she is ill. He's gentle, compassionate, understanding. Deep inside, beneath the fear, hopelessness and guilt, lies a sense of being needed. He remembers his mother. You are enough. Oh, but is he? He clings to the memory, as he holds Emily's pale, thin hand.

Their summer of happiness is the most beautiful period of his life. He can't believe his luck. He buys the house Emily loves, because he wants to make her happy. And undo... what he said. "But," he tells himself, "she'll be fine." He buys her a writing desk and tries to fight down the fear, when she looks at this indifferently.

He begins to love the house, too. A home. He and Emily are going to buid a home of their own. A happy home, where there are no fights, no resentments, no hatred. This house is disappointed - like Dean was - and it wants it to live. He wants to live. Somehow, the house become Dean - they're one. Waiting. Hoping.

He hungs his mother's picture on the wall. When Emily asks, why his mother looks so sad, he remembers the time she had cried, with her head on his childish pillow. Because she married a Priest. Right then, he vows to himself that Emily will never cry, if he is able to prevent it.

He almost kisses Emily. Later, he wonders what might have happened if he succeeded. But, as with Douglas, he'll never find out.

There is a short period of time his laughter loses the cynical ring. But when Emily tells him she can't marry him, Dean thinks that his laughter has never sounded less human-like.

He tells Emily the truth, for he can't live a lie. He doesn't believe when she says she forgives him. Disappointed House is disappointed again - just like he is. Houses, as people, cannot escape their fate.

Again, he's back to travelling. Back to escaping. He will never hear Emily say she's going to miss him. It doesn't matter, he tells himself. He doesn't even pretend to believe it.

He loves The Moral of The Rose. He rereads it every time he feels depressed - so, of course, he knows it by heart very soon. I am glad I didn't kill her dreams. Somehow, this thought makes him hate himself a little more, because it is only because of her these ambitions are alive.

He feels an odd sense of gaiety, somehow, when he hears about Teddy and Ilse. "He'll never win, now. He will never have Emily. None of us won." Buthe feels tired... old... and certainly not enough.

It doesn't even hurt when he learns about Emily's engagement. There is an odd sense of relief - he no longer has to dread the day he is going to find out.

He gives Emily the house, because he doesn't have a use for it, anyway. It deserves to live, to be loved - it deserves to be a home. He hopes this Kent boy is going to be good to her. He hopes he'll give her all the love Dean wanted to give. He hopes that Kent will make her shine. Dean couldn't make her shine - he'd almost killed her light. Perhaps he's too broken to fix. "You are enough" his once mother said. Perhaps it was only a dream, but he clings to this thought. It is all he has.

[mediterraneanmenace]

Pairing: Raphael x Raksha (OC, not Tav/Durge) I consider Tav a separate character with their specific story elements - Raksha never gets abducted by the Mind Flayers, nor she ever gets a tadpole. Her home is also not Baldur's Gate but the city of Helgabal, in the kingdom of Damara! :)

Warnings: 18+ for sexual themes (in later chapters), age gap (Raphael is like... *several* centuries older, if not millennia), slow burn.

Summary: Eleven years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3, Raphael's attentions for a young, ambitious tiefling turn into something deep enough for him to want her as his bride. There's only one problem - Raksha slays infernal beings for a living. (This is pretty much an experiment feat. a Raphael more in touch with his human feelings)

"Perfume lingers about your flesh Like incense about a censer; You charm like the evening, Tenebrous, passionate nymph

Ah! the most potent philtres Are weaker than your languor, And you know the caresses That make the dead live again!

You tear me open, dark beauty, With derisive laughter, And then look at my heart With eyes as soft as moonlight"

[Les Fleurs du Mal — Charles Baudelaire]

[24 Ches, 1481 DR]

Raphael's mind was so inconveniently clouded by that mortal; a tiefling whose veins bore Archdevil Baalzebul's blood - his father's greatest and most hated rival.

Four long years he'd been watching, stalking her since she started her rise to Paladin Captain at nineteen until now, at twenty-three. At first, the Cambion didn't give much weight to her androgynous visage appearing in his dreams; not until he found himself fantasizing more and more about his hand lost in the sea of her inky black hair, with her muscular arms around his neck...

If Mephistopheles' ambition to oust Asmodeus mirrored his own, Raksha's rapid promotion wasn't too different from Baalzebul's rise as the Master of the Nine Hells' favorite - but unlike his father, Raphael saw that as something worthy of praise rather than enmity.

Fate was not without irony for the man who adopted and raised Raksha was the head of an extremist sect of the cult of Ilmater, the "Martyred Father" - the young tiefling's zealotry was one of the main reasons she managed to climb the ranks so fast: her dedication to purge the world from vice and sin brought her to the deepest pits of Avernus to fight against evil in its home.

But that didn't deter Raphael from wanting Raksha for himself, even if he was everything she fought against: she was the forbidden fruit, the sweetest he would ever taste.

He would stay in the mirror room at the House of Hope for hours, scrying the tiefling go about her life, without knowing he even existed if not for some fleeting glances whenever he visited the court of the Lord she served, the cathedral she lived at or the training grounds his beloved Paladin would train at along with her companions.

Raksha would look at him and ignore his presence as yet another curious, random person wanting to see the famous Holy Vengeance, whose sword slayed countless fiends from the Hells. Korrilla, sick of seeing the pathetic state of longing her boss was in, decided to prod him into doing something.

"Just go talk to her. You had a thousand mistresses" - the Warlock thought for a split second to her sister - "This... Raksha can't be too different from all the others, no?" "You are right, many were the lovers to entertain me in my boudoir"

Raphael's thoughtful eyes fixated on Raksha's reflection in the Scrying Eye and an almost paternal smile appeared on his lips: she was practicing the speech for her nomination as Holy Inquisitor that would have taken place that very night. He knew she wouldn't have stopped until it was perfect. A formal, high society event that would culminate in a ball was the crowning moment of a lifetime of sacrifices for her.

"But she's... Something I rarely met in all these centuries. A kindred spirit"

Korrilla didn't have a hard time figuring out why: personality wise, Raksha was incredibly similar to her master's younger self with her pompous, brash attitude - a pride not unwarranted, given her accomplishments.

"I guess it makes sense" the Warlock thought, shrugging. After all, that was the same man who would fuck an Incubus glamoured to look exactly like him so falling in love for someone who had a brain similar to his wasn't too far off.

"I'll have to ask you to keep an eye on the House for me tonight, Korrilla" - Raphael ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture - "I have a ball to attend to"

[wingedblooms]

Hidden depths

We know that flowers, and in particular roses, are associated with Elain. Sarah has referred to Elain as a rose bloom in a mud field, a blooming flower in an army camp, and a bloom of color and sunshine even in winter. She embodies light and beauty and color, and has been admired (and hated) for that trait, which her own mother encouraged and belittled:

Elain is pleasant to look at, her mother had once mused while Nesta sat beside her dressing table, a servant silently brushing her mother’s gold-brown hair, but she has no ambition. She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes.

But roses have layers. And that is what makes the rose symbolism in ACOSF even more important compared to what we have previously seen: the carved rose and rose amulet have hidden depths. Secrets that need to be uncovered. Sarah uses both gifts to suggest that there is more to our hopeful seer than meets the eye.

The Carved Rose

After reviewing the chapters around each bonus scene, I realized the carved rose’s appearance actually mirrors Elain’s change over the course of solstice. This may be another hint for her connection to the goddess of fate in CC, whose image remains elusive because she takes too many forms to capture. It certainly seems no coincidence that those we have met with the power of sight, and those who work in intelligence, also take on different forms or change their appearance. I have speculated that Elain’s dogged inquiry of Amren’s ability to change her form might foreshadow her own ability to change form. @kimsnnn noticed that this scene parallels another with Amren and Nesta. In that scene, Nesta pointedly asked about Amren’s silver eyes before we see silver flames surface in her own gaze, and in response, Amren predicts Nesta’s magical eruption at the end of the blood rite. So, there’s a decent chance Elain can change her appearance. In response to her questions, Amren says there’s no going back to being human. But returning to her human life does not make sense at this point, so could there be a different meaning? Might Elain go back in a different way? To a time to when a clever, human warrior lived instead? That would fulfill my wildest seer dreams. Regardless of what happens, I believe the solstice sequence leading up to Azriel’s bonus chapter intentionally hints Elain’s (half-)hidden gifts:

In Chapter 55, Nesta returns to the cottage and finds the rose Papa Archeron carved for Elain on the mantel:

She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.”

Then, in Chapter 56, Nesta draws our attention back to Elain’s rose when she faces the traumatic memory fire conjures of her father’s death. She describes its appearance, half-hidden in shadows and made of a dark wood, and proximity to a primal goddess, who Nesta suspects is the Mother.

It was a fire. Not her father’s neck. Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. Another log cracked, and Nesta flinched. But she remained sitting there. Staring at that carved rose.

So how does this appearance and proximity apply to Elain? Let’s take a look at the next two chapters. In Chapter 57, Sarah first shows us what Elain’s dark side looks like when she wears black and is overshadowed by Nesta:

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.

As @thesistersarcheron mentioned in her post, Elain’s dark appearance in the Court of Nightmares (CoN) seems purposefully plain and modest. It lacks the vibrancy we’ve come to associate with her immortal appearance. Is it the clothing, jewelry, lighting, or some magic she possesses? She was the one who admiringly recalled in detail how Nesta used clothing and jewelry to lure a wealthy man away from someone who snubbed her sister. Without that recounting, this entire strategy wouldn’t exist. It intentionally makes us wonder, as it is meant to, about her abrupt change in appearance. Is it possible she borrowed her own sister’s strategy? After all, what good is keen observation if you don’t learn from the behavior of others? And, most importantly, it works: Eris remarks on how Elain, renowned for being the most beautiful sister, is outshined by Nesta. Even the setting is perfect for this strategy since the CoN served as a dark and terrifying facade of the Night Court for centuries to hide the secret, lovely beauty of Velaris.

It’s also important to remember that Elain has experience using her appearance to influence, or mislead, others. She is not afraid of getting her hands dirty for a pretty result, as Rhysand mused in his bonus chapter earlier. In ACOWAR, for example, she also did what was necessary to protect and save humans: she insisted on being the one to convince Graysen to give them sanctuary, given their familiarity, and even proposed a human glamour to ensure he would still listen to and trust her. He loathes the fae, so this strategy made sense and may have worked had Jurian not blown her cover ahead of time. Why is this glamour significant? It dims her immortal glow and makes her appear drab, muted, and ordinary, much like her appearance in the CoN. In fact, Sarah even uses some of the same phrasing:

Gone was the faint glow of immortal health; the face that had become a bit sharper. Gone were the pointed ears, the grace. Muted. Drab—or in the way that someone as beautiful as Elain could be drab. Even her hair seemed to have lost its luster, the gold now brassy, the brown mousy. Elain studied her hands, turning them over. “I hadn’t realized … how ordinary it looked.”

In the very next chapter (58), Sarah draws our attention to Elain’s appearance again as she glows with her usual immortality on solstice in Velaris, home to the Court of Dreams:

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. Gone was the ill-suited black dress from the ball, replaced by a gown of amethyst velvet, her hair half-up and curling down to her waist. She glowed with good health.

Nesta is surprised by Elain’s sudden appearance (again) and scans her from head to toe, as though she can unearth her secrets. Could it be that she is taking lessons in stealth from Azriel or her friends? What has she been doing all this time, in the shadows?

Curiously, she isn’t the first sister to look at Elain in surprise and wonder. In ACOFAS, Feyre and Elain are shopping for solstice, and wisely sensing her sister’s discomfort, Elain helps reframe their task:

“It’s their tradition, though,” Elain countered, her face still flushed with the cold. “One that they fought and died to protect in the war. Perhaps that’s the better way to think of it, rather than feeling guilty. To remember that this day means something to them. All of them, regardless of who has more, who has less, and in celebrating the traditions, even through the presents, we honor those who fought for its very existence, for the peace this city now has.”

For a moment, I just stared at my sister, the wisdom she’d spoken. Not a whisper of those oracular abilities. Just clear eyes and an open expression.

Leveraging her keen observation and long memory, Elain offers timely insight to Feyre and helps her overcome the discomfort she feels about buying gifts when there isn’t a dire need to do so. Surprised by her sister’s wisdom, she looks at her closely. How did she know exactly what to say and when to say it? Did those oracular gifts still exist? There was no whisper of them. Through this exchange, we also learn that gifting means something to Elain. It’s not just about giving and getting more stuff. Her gifts are always useful and chosen just for the receiver, subtly revealing just how much she sees and cares. They spread beauty and joy and hope even in the bleakest of moments.

In the next book, we find out that her gifts from the Cauldron—whatever they are—remain intact, and we see Elain’s keen observation and vivid memory quietly help her other sister. She provides timely insight (again) to Rhysand and Cassian, which in turn brings Nesta joy and beauty and hope on solstice. Neither the CoN scene, where she dances to her heart’s content, nor the musical gift, which gives her endless music at her fingertips, would have happened without her sister’s insight. Our lovely seer sees and understands more than people realize.

I believe it is significant that this parallel of sisterly surprise occurs during the events of solstice both times. First, in a scene where Elain and Feyre learn about the threads of Void and Hope…

“I call it Void. It absorbs the light. Creates a complete lack of color.”

“You made it?” Elain asked, now staring over her shoulder toward the tapestry.

A solemn nod. “A newer experiment of mine. To see how darkness might be made, woven. To see if I could take it farther, deeper than any weaver has before.”

&

“The silver thread,” Elain asked. “What is that called?”

The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sister’s gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. “I call it Hope.” The weaver explained to my sister, “I made it after I mastered Void.”

I stared and stared at the black fabric that was like peering into a pit of hell.

And then stared at the iridescent, living silver thread that cut through it, bright despite the darkness that devoured all other light and color.

…and then again in a solstice sequence where Elain reflects Void and Hope in her appearance, leeched of brightness in the Court of Nightmares and glowing with immortality in the Court of Dreams. Is it a coincidence that, unlike Elain, Nesta glows brightly in a court associated with nightmares? It’s possible that the silver thread embroidering Nesta’s dress is more than a mere thread. And wasn’t it Amren who suggested Nesta would create not a Dread Trove, but a Trove of Nightmares with her powers? On the other side of the coin, Elain is associated with a sleeping garden. Would her powers therefore create a Trove of Dreams? The Night Court, and the High Lord himself of course, embodies both nightmares and dreams.

My friends and I have talked about the Void and Hope scene often and @silverlinedeyes even wrote a post about Elain wearing or using Void in her story. After learning about these threads and what they symbolized, did she learn how to harness Void (darkness) and Hope (iridescent light) in her appearance? How far/deep can she take it? Is it connected to her murky realm, like I have theorized, which links her to the Cauldron and grants her access to Void? Will she use the Void to peer into Hel and create Hope by securing allies, like Aidas and others? I believe that’s exactly what she’s going to do and it’s interesting that there are potential hints (in blue above) for it in the Void and Hope scene.

When she glows on the darkest and longest night of the year, Elain is bright despite the darkness in color. She has developed a particular habit of wearing amethyst on solstice, so I did some investigating. Amethyst is a calming color that is associated with the gemstone. It can change color when exposed to the light (interesting), and appear warm (red) or cool (blue) as well as light or dark. The gemstone is believed to have protective and healing properties. Some even believe it can connect wearers to the divine and produce more soothing dreams, as well as lead to greater understanding and peace. A fitting color for a seer who is connected to gods, shifting, knowledge, and renewal in the Court of Dreams, no?

The Rose Amulet

The solstice sequence leads to Azriel’s bonus chapter, where he gives her a rose amulet (historically used for help/protection) that is strikingly similar to the carved rose and Void and Hope:

The golden necklace seemed ordinary—its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of colors would become visible. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, lifting it from the box. The golden faelight shone through the little glass facets, setting the charm glowing with hues of red and pink and white. Azriel let his shadows whisk away the box as she said softly, “Put it on me?”

&

Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The faelight gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn.

Elain’s appearance and behavior parallels both the rose amulet and carved rose. As a gift, this rose sends a clear message: Azriel knows there is more to Elain than meets the eye. He knows she has hidden depths, and that acknowledgement may be one of the many reasons she embraces it so emphatically.

It is also no coincidence that, like her appearance, her behavior is mostly hidden in the book and bonus. She’s a mystery, or what you might call a secret, lovely beauty. But I think Nesta gives us a big hint, which is then mirrored in the bonus chapter: the carved rose is next to what she believes is the Mother. And it is the Mother that Azriel invokes when they are together. In fact, there is quite a bit of religious language in their encounter…

Letting his scarred fingers touch her immaculate skin.

He prayed she didn’t peer down. Prayed she didn’t understand the shift in his scent.

He’d beg on his knees for a chance to taste it.

Sacrilege for his fingers to touch her.

Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them.

Offer and permission.

Sarah makes it clear that Azriel is desperate to worship Elain. Is this another hint for her link to the Mother? I speculate about this in a reblog on her murky realm and its connection to divinity and fate. Elain may have even experimented with these powers in ACOSF, starting off as a gentle voice and gradually building toward a luminescent (protective) hand.

Iridescent light began flowing from Nesta’s body. Into Feyre.

Tendrils of light drifted between the sisters. And one, delicate and loving, floated toward Mor. To the bundle in her arms, setting the silent babe within glowing bright as the sun.

The iridescence filled her, filled Feyre, filled the bundle in Mor’s arms, lighting his friend’s face so the shock on it was etched in stark relief.

A bargain. With the Cauldron itself. Yet Cassian could have sworn a luminescent, gentle hand prevented the light from leaving her body altogether.

The Mother. The only being who would see the sacrifice Nesta had made and give a little back. Perhaps it was she who had peered out at them through the Mask.

By the end of ACOSF, we see the pretty result of this influence:

Her father had died for her, with love in his heart, and Nesta held love in her own heart as she pulled the small, carved rose from her pocket and set it upon the gravestone. A permanent marker of the beauty and good he’d tried to bring into the world.

She found Feyre and Elain waiting halfway down the hill, Nyx now dozing peacefully in Elain’s arms. Her sisters beamed, beckoning her to join. And Nesta smiled back, her steps light as she hurried down the hill to meet them.

If Elain can use her seer (which seem to be a combination of oracular and mystic) abilities to help, will she continue to act quietly in the shadows? Or will we finally be able to see what our secretive seer is up to in the next book? I’m personally hoping that Sarah begins to shine a light on these mysterious activities in CC3.

[canmom]

seasonal animes: Zom 100/Bucket List of the Dead

watched 5 of the current 6 episodes of Zom100 (I'm watching Zoombie's releases, which have Crunchyroll's translation with better typesetting).

tricky to know what I think...

visually there's nothing to fault - it's got energy and style all over and every episode brings a new crazy impressive sequence, with great choreography to music and inventive staging. that's why I'm watching it, and it consistently delivers! kVin has already written about the strength of the team behind it in great detail. the consistent bright colours of the zombie blood, the use of yellow, the seamless transition between real and abstract - all kick ass.

narratively... it's certainly direct with its themes, but not at all in a bad way, and it's a meaty subject matter for which the whole irreverent take on zombie movies is a fitting metaphor. it won't say it in so many words, but it's clearly about philosophy, finding the 'good life'.

As You Know, the zombies in Romero's movies stood for Consumerism(TM). if the modern world has a deadening, dissociative affect to it, we pull that further, and we get literal walking dead. alongside that is a huge element of wish fulfilment in zombie/post apoc stories: the idea of a reduction to a simpler world, where all the complications of society are stripped back. sure, everyone may die, it's tragic, but the protagonists are given a stage to come into their own as a badass hero type full of Machiavellian virtù.

zom100 doesn't bother with the smokescreen of tragedy, and indeed it uses the contrast between the feelings of of the protag who's getting to live his best life against the backdrop of collapse as a source of comedy. but then it's about poking and prodding at that wish fulfilment, trying to define it more sharply.

our protagonist wasted years at a hyper-exploitative 'black company' but now he's freed, he has to face existential aimlessness; his friend found material and social success but no personal fulfilment and had to conquer his fear to pursue his real dream; the blatant tsundere love-interest girl is too narrowly focused on survival to enjoy her life - each one seems set up to explore some facet of the human condition. the ED shows a fourth member of the MC group, who will presumably explore some other angle of 'how do you live'. if you know how much I like NieR Automata, you can probably imagine that's a theme that's up my street.

so what's the "but"? well it's just so much hetero guy pov lmao. I just... do not connect to the MC, and the show is very heavily structured around providing a stage for him to work out his shit.

for example, it's maybe a little too obvious in introducing characters to demonstrate the theme of the episode, then feeding them to zombies as soon as their purpose is served. the fate of the flight attendants in episode 4 especially bugged me: for our main two boys, the flight attendants are an opportunity to prove their masculinity and sexual prowess (the MC's ability to 'score' is questioned, while it comes effortlessly to his friend). so these girls show up and they hang out; one of the girls has sex with the friend and then promptly dies. the other refuses sex to our protagonist but she talks about her ambitions providing some insight to him and then gets chomped - don't you see, she was reminded of her childhood memories, she had one good day, ah, mono no aware! meanwhile the cynical and slightly arrogant leader of the flight attendant group is the most fun of them all, but she's just zombiebait. the protagonist grieves for all of one minute but then cheers himself up.

and of course you expect characters to die frequently in a zombie story; and the whole point of the show is that the MC's cheerful affect is completely inappropriate for a zombie apocalypse. but the effect of storylines like this is to that it's so manifestly a world of effectively invincible protagonists, where everyone else is basically an NPC. our protagonist will embarrass himself and suffer pratfalls for a joke, but ultimately this is a world that exists to serve him, and he acts like on some level he knows it!

all the same, I'm curious where it will go once it finishes establishing the main cast group.

on a more niche note, it's interesting observing that 'hypercompetent hacker girl in a big coat' is becoming fixated as a love interest pattern. the big coats are cool, so fair enough.

[rphunter]

Hi there! 

My name is Shiro, and I’m looking for someone who’s just as self-indulgent and passionate as I am for reverse harems. I want someone who enjoys large amounts of men who want to romance our characters and can play upwards of 20 characters, as I will be doing the same. 

Info about me ~ I am a 22-year-old woman (she/her) who lives in EST. I am in university and work, so my responses will vary. However, I try to respond when I can, as role-playing is my hobby. 

Rule #1. You must be 18 or older! I am not role-playing with children. 

Rule #2.  Please be able to respond multiple times a week. Nothing kills my vibe more than waiting for a response every two weeks. I understand we have lives outside the internet, but I’m more likely to forget and become disinterested in the role play as time passes.

Rule #3.  Ladies, gents, non-binary folks: this will be a double-up role play if I haven’t made that clear yet! 

Rule #4. I am a semi-literate to advanced literate role play. BUT don’t force yourself to write more than is necessary. I’d rather have quality over quantity. I’m fine as long as I have something to work with. Now, onto the fun ~

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Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High is a school for the extremely wealthy or, in YC’s case, the highly talented. However, no amount of talent will help when YC accidentally drops an eight million yen vase in a music room. The vase was the property of Ouran High School Host Club, a group of attractive young men who, for a fee, provide their time and affections for their lovesick clientele: the female students. Fascinated by this strange new specimen, a poor and clumsy commoner, they force YC to work for them until the debt is repaid, but they get much more than they bargained for…

Options: 1.2.3.4.5

Hakuoki

Disguised as the opposite gender, YC has come to Kyoto searching for their missing father. This doctor developed a magical elixir that increases the drinker's speed, strength, and healing abilities. Instead of their father, they stumble across a battle between the Shinsengumi and the Furies, evil vampire-like creatures of their own making.

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12

Kamigami no Asobi

YC discovers a mighty sword that transports them to another world. There, this ordinary high school student finds themself face-to-face with the mighty Greek god Zeus, who has an unusual request: remain in the dimension he has created and attend a school of legendary proportions. Zeus acts as dean for a school of young, misguided gods. The bond between humans and gods has weakened, and it is now up to YC to teach the gods about love and what it means to be human.

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10

Free!

When Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rin, and YC were in elementary school, they swam together in a relay race and won the match. As Rin was on his way to Australia to train to become an Olympic champion, the gang decided to bury their trophy in a time capsule and retrieve it when they all had grown up. Now, Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and YC have reunited in high school and decide to dig up the prize. But on the way there, they run into none other than Rin, and he's determined to show Haru who's the best! As a result of this fateful meeting, the four friends decide to start a swim club, along with fellow classmate Rei, and their rival's little sister Gou as the team manager. Can the gang hold their own against Rin and prove their skills at the Prefectural Tournament?

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17

Uta no Prince Sama

When YC gets the chance to take the entrance exam for Saotome Academy for the Performing Arts, it seems as though they’re one step closer to their dream of composing songs for their favorite singer, Hayato. However, this is no gleeful high school musical experience, and YC is hiding a dreadful secret that may silence their musical ambitions forever. And even if they do get into Saotome, the competition will be more brutal than going on Japan’s Top Idol!

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17

Dance with Devils

YC has the perfect school-to-life balance, but all of that’s thrown into chaos when they discover that several of their handsome male classmates are actually demons in disguise.

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7

Amnesia

When YC regains consciousness in an unfamiliar place, they have suddenly lost all memories of everything that happened before August 1. What is this place, and what were they doing there? Who are they, and what sort of life had they lived?

Options: 1.2.3.4.5

Diabolik Lovers

After their father moves and leaves them behind, YC arrives at the mansion they must now call their home, unaware of the horrors that await them. For YC’s new housemates are vampires, and they’ve been sent to live with them by the church as their prospective spouse-to-be. But what sounds like the subject of a romance novel soon turns to despair, as these fanged beauties are delighted to have a new plaything to torment and will stop at nothing to force themselves upon them and drink their blood. YC must now learn to cope with their new life of being sadistically abused at every turn, whether they’re called derogatory slurs, forced to feed the vampires’ bloodlust against their will, or being treated like the garbage they see them to be.

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12

Vampire Knight

Cross Academy is a school with a difference: in a unique and experimental setup designed by the headmaster, it has a Day Class consisting of ordinary humans and a Night Class filled with vampires. YC and their friend Zero Kiryu are school prefects whose job it is to make sure the secret of the Night Class is always safe; they patrol the school grounds at night and supervise the switchover of classes at dawn and dusk to prevent any 'accidents' from happening. While Zero is suspicious of vampires and hates the idea of sharing the same space as them, YC admires the Night Class for their beauty and sophistication; they are especially intrigued by their charming leader, Kaname, because he once saved their life. However, as YC quickly learns, not all vampires are amiable like the Night Class, and as terrible events unfold, YC must ask themself whether in a world where vampires are the hunters and humans are the prey, peaceful coexistence can really be achieved.

Options: 1.2.3.4.5.6.7

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