#Cavalier of the abyss

[amaliashiro]

[Cavalier of the Abyss]

An underrated manwha

One manwha I enjoy but didn't receive the attention it should. CotA is a collaboration between the artists Juder and the writter Ga On-Bi. Here's a synopsis:

Chaos has gotten itself a new Regis, Nex, a seemingly heartless ruler who destory everything and everyone who stand in his way. A small boy named Xix, who's contracted with an Evil is out seeking his revenge on Regis Nex for killing his village and Sister. When he gets his chance to kill Regis Nex, he loses completely and gets taken to the Royal palace. But once there, he see that there is something else going on in the background of the Royal Family, a Secret they don't want to be uncovered…

CotA is in fact a second part of a trilogy. The first one is Immortal Regis. I highly recommand to read it first because many characters are in both stories and we learn a lot about the lore.

I can highlight two main issues that could have contributed to is unpopularity or lack of acknowledgement:

Confusing story: Without reading the first part, it becomes really hard to understand how the story goes. In the first chapters, we are already in the middle of the action without proper introduction to the world and the main characters. I can compare it to the first season of Game of Thrones which was confusing because of the many characters, the subplots and the relations between the characters. As the story continues, many questions are answered and it becomes easier to understand.

Hiatus: The manwha was first releashed in 2008 and ended in 2018 with 150 chapters. The inconsistant releases made many readers gaving up or forgetting about it. As I said before, this is suppose to be a trilogy but the third part hasn't being releashed yet. In a blog, I read that the writter would like to end the story but the artists are already working on another manwha (Jungle Juice). So the story isn't really over!

However the story as good points:

Art: Gosh, the art is really good! Because of the long serialization, we can see how the artists have improved over time.

Character development: The characters all have goals and different personalities. For exemple, the ML was driven only by revenge at first with what he thought was the truth. Later, he questions is life goal as secrets are unveiled.

Love stories: We have different couples with different dynamics. We have betrayals, jalousy and angsts but also touching moments that are making us love their relationship and the hardships they had to endure. The couple I ship the most is Xix and Yuan! <3 I am planning to write about their relationship.

World building: I love a story with lots of lore because it adds complexity to the story and makes me reread to understand some parts.

[veryaren]

good fucking luck cavalier

[scandalouslamb]

if you get enough people wanting to kill god with you it could become a tlt type situation

peter, you are getting forcibly enlisted into the killing god squad, so that someone can make tlt jokes with me...

me packing a hollywood hair barbie on my trip to kill god: okay, i'm ready. now, who's going to eat my soul when the going gets tough?

[yaeggravate]

last attempt to bring this to light: the tl;dr of the khaenri'ah/kaeya/angel(seelie) connections

kaeya owns a book called adventures of angelos; in greek angelos means angel

kaeya (and venti's) favorite haunt is angel's share; the logo for angel's share is two angels drinking from a wine glass

kaeya and dainsleif like death after noon, an alcoholic drink whose main ingredient is absinthe. absinthe is created from wormwood (apsinthos), also the name of a fallen angel or star

the abyss mages chant in enochian which is the language of the angels. they chant in this language to regenerate their shields or control hilichurls. when kaeya spots the abyss mage back in the temple of the wolf, it speaks to him in enochian. kaeya claims he's "blessed with certain linguistic powers" when asked how he obtained information about the abyss twin

there is a tale of a seelie survivor (speculated to be columbina) singing in a strange unfamiliar language to the listener

arama says the seelie used to be as fast as a storm; kaeya has a stamina decreasing passive called hidden strength

when we first meet kaeya it's notably in front of the anemo god statue, which has wings, in front of the cathedral. kaeya is also seen in front of this statue in official art, his character teaser and in his hangout in the venti route

kaeya mentions he likes listening to hymns

the traveler notes the sinner is reminiscent of the upside-down defiled statue of the anemo archon, which also has wings

nabu malikata is a seelie survivor, her last name malikata can also mean angels in arabic (malayikata); seelie are heavenly envoys/angels. venti is seen playing with a seelie in an official video

seelie will seek humans for favors and lead them to treasure. even though it was a ruse, in his story quest, kaeya sought the traveler for help and guided them to treasure.

the jinn are born from waterlilies nourished by nabu malikata's blood. kaeya gifts the traveler a ~mysterious~ lamp said to have housed a powerful jinni.

the symbol for the spantamad darshan is a peacock which is based on the mythical peacock angel. this peacock existed in-game and was sacred. kaeya's constellation is a peacock. (it's possible the peacock was the divine bird simurgh -> fashioned from khvarena -> born from nabu malikata's body)

venti writes a poem to kaeya that could imply kaeya came from the dark sea. the ruins in the dark sea contain palaces of the seelie

both nabu malikata and columbina don't understand or possess human emotion. columbina is unbothered in every situation not unlike kaeya's cavalier attitude towards serious matters <- see crepus's death scene

in the official art for genshin concert 2021, venti and kaeya are shown holding a harp and a trumpet, both instruments associated with angels

[dmagedgoods]

I just really like the idea of Durge having previously dealt with Raphael, running into him with Amnesia and assuming they're in a relationship given all of Raphael's flirting and pet names. Durge deciding to kiss a shocked Raphael who goes along with it because he's been looking to find some kind of hold over them.

Anon, I need you to know how much this inspired me. I made a little story out of it with my own Durge Cian because it fits him so incredibly well. He's nothing if not obsessive. And especially obsessed with that devil. 😁

A Devil You Know? A Devil You Do?

Rating: General but a touch spicy

Relationships: Raphael/Durge (male, Cian)

Tags: obsessive thoughts, kissing, spoilers for act 2

Summary: Dark Urge Cian misunderstands his own obsessive thoughts about the local devil following him and assumes a relationship they don't actually have. - Much to the delight of the devil in question. AO3 ~ The picture was lively, like a vision haunting his every waking moment: Eyes of molten heat reaching out for his soul, the soul he yearned to possess, his elegant hair combed back, curling invitingly in his neck, calling for his fingers to bury themselves in its softness to bend his head to his liking, his expressive dark eyebrows, giving him too many hints, opening his emotions to him too easily, his aristocratic, suave features with a prominent nose and thin wide lips, indicating a dominating and controlling nature and other irresistible traits he wanted to lay open and dissect. He followed him with every step, even now Cian felt his presence while he was tossing and turning, restless, wide awake in the middle of this stinking, irksome camp surrounded by the darkness striking fear in the hearts of those around him. If only they knew. It was nothing but a weak shadow compared to the black abyss he felt in his very own chest. And yet. When he closed his eyes, he saw fire striking through its depth. – Burning hot on his skin and like a raging inferno in his guts. His fire. His torrid ambition. His glowing gaze. His fierce desire. He could feel it all, he could feel him with every breath. It was a game, wasn’t it? He is toying with me. ‘The mouse smiled brightly: It outfoxed the cat! Then down came the claw, And that, love, was that.’ He licked his paper-dry lips. There wasn’t much he could recall about himself, his memories kept withdrawing just in time whenever he tried to sink his fangs into their silhouettes, mocking him at the edge of his consciousness. And so did he. But his adoration for poetry, the way it resonated within him, brought him a profound, endearing joy. No, this was not a new development but an old, a familiar part of him the devil must have been aware of. ‘And that, love, was that.’

“You know me.” He spoke the words into the darkness. None of his companions roused from their sleep. But his invisible observer stayed silent. “And I know you, isn’t that true, devil? Despite the farce of an ‘introduction’, he had not only told him with his gazes, with his demeanor and luring sensuality, but with an open statement even, his little hint: ‘It's not every day one meets such a cavalier sinner such as yourself! A true, bloody pleasure.’ His pulse quickened, his blood rushed through his veins so loudly that he feared its noise would alarm the vampire. The strong bond he was sensing, the delight he felt, the growing desire: That devil and him, they were connected far beyond fleeting first impressions. You have been at my side, have you not?, he continued in his thoughts, so loud and focused that if Raphael indeed was near, he probably could hear them as clearly as his words, And now you patiently wait for me to remember. But even if I still lack the pictures and specifics as of now, I do remember you; a part of me recognizes what still lies buried. It would be impossible to forget a devil like you. He closed his eyes, listening for an answer that did not come. With a little smile, he turned to his side. The silence did not matter. Soon the truth would be revealed. - The child left the table with a self-satisfied grin. For someone her age, she was, well, bearable. Although, her victory was his, not hers, and – either way – mostly the devil’s, despite his defeat. Raphael’s reactions, their conversation, his comment when she disappeared into another part of the inn, and out of hearing, nothing of it left any doubt that he was after her soul and the game only had brought him closer to his goal. Naïve little girl. “The Theskan move suggestion was inspired,” Raphael said to him and now he himself was the one who felt a hint of self-satisfaction. Of course, he hid the fact that the devil’s compliment affected him.

“There is plenty about me you have no idea about.” “Don’t I, indeed …” Raphael did not attempt to sound convincing. “Or maybe,” Cian stepped closer. “That’s only what you want me to believe.” One of those vivid eyebrows wandered higher. “How long do you think you can fool me?” “Fool you,” Raphael repeated slowly and with a shimmer of amusement in his eyes, “And how exactly do you believe I'm doing th…” With calm determination, Cian closed the last distance between them and cut off his words by pressing his lips to his. Raphael’s eyes widened in utter surprise. He refused to return the kiss, keeping his mouth taut and inaccessible. Have I been wrong? Fear and a hollow cold spread through his insides, despite the warmth of the skin he was still touching, hands buried in the expensive fabric of Raphael’s clothes. Cian readied himself to step back and apologize – with calm nonchalance, protecting his pride or as much of it as he could save. But suddenly Raphael’s grip tightened around his hip. He didn’t allow him to escape. Instead, he moved his lips against his mouth and used his consequent little sound as an opportunity to tease his tongue with the tip of his. It sent tingling pleasure through his body and fierce heat to the very bottom of his soul. Relief flooded every fiber of his being, and he grabbed the devil harder. Raphael was taller than him, stronger too, still, he wanted to claim him as his, to remind him that he was. Prying his lips open further, he slid his tongue behind those pearly teeth, invading his mouth and deepening the kiss with unrestrained passion that now was returned with the same demanding harshness. Their tongues pushed against the other insistently, hungry for sensation, hungry for dominance. For the duration of their kiss, nothing else existed but the devil in his arms and his eager touch. But when they finally parted, he could feel the shocked gazes of his companions. Astarion overcame his surprise first and let out a delighted little laugh. “No no no, please don’t stop now, I was enjoying the show!” “You can’t be serious.” Wyll spat those words out with undisguised disgust. “I’m sure you two could get a room if you asked,” Shadowheart commented drily. Cian cleared his throat, and Raphael allowed him to retreat. “Forgive the spontaneous assault,” he said without paying much attention to the others. “But I needed the confirmation.” “The confirmation of what, if I may ask?” Raphael asked, the curiosity in his voice seemed genuine. Now it was for him to raise a brow. “That we know each other intimately. When did you plan to tell me the truth about our past? – About our connection?” Raphael hesitated. – His gaze piercing as if he was searching for something in his eyes. Did he try to find out how much of it he already remembered? Cian knew he would need to be careful with what he believed him until his memories truly returned. His partner or not, he was a devil after all. And they loved their little games and secrets. Eventually, Raphael smiled a charming smile. “Well, as you proved just now, it won’t be necessary to tell you anything about your forlorn past. It’s much more intriguing to watch it return to your eager mind.”

[onmyo-jin]

For the kiss meme, for @sharkbeneaththelotus nr 28: a kiss as a lie, heihua-- these are Abyss movie sad old men heihua

I'm still taking prompts from that list so head over to this post and send me a # and a ship!

Hei Xiazi can, for now, still see the looks Xie Yuchen gives him. He thinks he'll still be able to see them even when his eyes finally decide to retire, will still be able to feel them on his skin, burning questions that are never given the air to become words.

Xie Yuchen is not always kind-- which, let's face it, is part of what draws Hei Xiazi to him--but this kindness he does offer Hei Xiazi: he does not ask the questions neither of them wants to hear the answer to. Xiazi chooses to think of this as a kindness even when he can see Xiao Hua and his doctor friend muttering over the restorative possibilities of this insect venom. If he asked Hei Xiazi would have to tell him to stop doing that, to stop looking for a cure Hei Xiazi himself doesn't wish for, nor believes in. If he asked he might have to lie, and act cavalier, and Xiao Hua would see that for the lie it was. There is no good answer here.

So Xie Yuchen does not ask (does a man like that even know how to ask for things? Does a man like that not order, demand, or take what he needs?). He simply acts as though Hei Xiazi has said Yes, please cure me, help me, be the hero neither of us has ever been...

He doesn't ask even when they share a cup of wine at night, and Hei Xiazi doesn't remark on the ophthalmology textbook (ridiculously heavy, who even lugs that into a jungle) he saw Xiao Hua reading in his bedroom. The question lurks between them regardless, unspoken and heavier than the muggy summer evening air.

When Hei Xiazi tosses the cursed statue in the village pond there are other questions, which is only fair. But he can see the Question getting closer to the surface because of them, and decides to head it off before it can bubble up to make them face the ugly truth.

He steps close, and Xie Yuchen does not move out of the way. He could move, so easily, could be several steps away in a single leap, could push Hei Xiazi into the swampy pond below the wooden deck, could no doubt even think of other plans that would catch Hei Xiazi by surprise. Xie Yuchen is resourceful, and every time Hei Xiazi thinks he's onto him, has managed to understood most (never all) of what makes Xiao Hua tick, he does something newly incredible.

Like now. Xiao Hua stands his ground, and tilts his head up. It is a questioning tilt, facing Hei Xiazi, and this close there is no escape. The question lies between them now, bare and ugly and plain, but then, hadn't it done that all along?

Hei Xiazi grins--the one lie he can ever believably fool Xiao Hua with-- and closes his eyes for a moment. In the night-dark, behind sunglasses, he can be sure that Xiao Hua won't notice. The night-dark helps him see, still, even though the edges of his vision seem to be creeping in. It's a slow process: too gradual to notice until you suddenly notice a big difference, like forgetting to get a haircut. When he opens his eyes he can still see Xie Yuchen clearly, waiting for an answer.

He leans in closer still, until they are breathing the same air. Xiao Hua does not move even now, patiently impatient, awaiting an answer. His breath ghosts across Hei Xiazi's lips, and Hei Xiazi has never been a man of great self control when he could also simply indulge himself.

His lips still taste like wine when he licks into Xiao Hua's mouth, and he wants to savout the moment, but it feels like a lie even now: a soothing nothing, meant to lull Xiao Hua into complacency. An untruth that says Hei Xiazi isn't going anywhere, that they'll always have this. It is a lie he wants to believe himself, and he throws his arms over Xiao Hua's shoulders to hold him close, to hold on to this moment and this lie that he cannot make truth.

Xiao Hua grabs hold of his shirt and pulls him closer, kissing back with something that might be called desperation if Hei Xiazi were uncharitable. Let's call it enthusiasm instead. Unspoken between their rushed actions but still understood is this: they both want to pretend it's the truth-- and they both not it is not.

[luminous-doodles]

🧲⚰️

COA nortsop.

The drawing isn’t related to this but I was thinking of a COA au where we have “Trickster” as a paranormal investigator of sorts? The abyss has a part in it but it’s simpler to refer to it as paranormal activity. And he finds “Highway Cavalier” at his own race and Aesop figures that Norton is in a time loop where he has to continuously race on the same course until he finishes without getting killed by Bane/The Abyss. In my head, I want them to try to figure out a way to get out of the time loop while having a bit of slow burn throughout the entire thing.

[theriverbeyond]

if i were about to build a tomb to contain my love, my cavalier, my tether to immortality, what i defeated once and can never defeat again, the abyss of the emperor, i would simply have not chosen a women who's life partner i just killed to be the guardian/builder of that tomb. rip to john gaius but i'm different.

[gayofthefae]

Thinking about how crazy together is so meaningful because it isn't some romantic promise. It isn't just that, without context, "mad for each other" type "we'll go crazy together hypothetically".

It isn't hypothetical. The conversation that led them to that point is "I am scared I'm genuinely losing my mind because I become so immersed in my visions of monsters that I lose reality" "I am also scared that I'm losing my mind because I see people that aren't really there" "Hey, on the upside, maybe we can room together at Pennhurst Asylum"

Like that was the conversation. It was earnestly "our real life experiences and symptoms are making us actually worry about our sanity, let's promise not to tell anybody" and then Mike, loving in the way that he does, says "but it's some comfort knowing that, like everything, we're doing this together too"

And now I'm thinking about "I have no idea what's gonna happen next, but I think it'll be better if we work together. If we're a team. Friends. Best friends" and my other post about how if you look into it's kind of a version of "I want to jump into the abyss with you, I'll be less scared". It's also logistic, of course "us fighting won't help anything" but they had also already stopped fighting. So now I'm thinking about how, really, that's just a rephrasing of "Hey, well if we're both going crazy, at least we'll go crazy together, right?"

It's easy to isolate that line and think of it how it's used in other shows, more of a "hypothetically, we'll go crazy together", but in this, he was saying "this real thing that's happening is made better by you being here with me. I think we're gonna be okay."

And I sometimes read fanfics of it where it's more cavalier, but I feel like we need to remember that "craziness" was very stigmatized, just look at how they all treat Joyce's history with mental illness is season 1 - basically equating anxiety and depression as "only a matter of time before she fell into full delusion and hallucination". I don't think that they'll necessarily repeat it because it wasn't "let's go crazy together" it was "we are going crazy together". Without the real-time stakes to it, it doesn't mean the same thing so a callback would still be romantic but used in a different context, it would be different. It didn't mean "crazy together" like "let's take this supernatural risk together" or "hey, wanna do something crazy?"/"that was crazy of us!" They're using it as the stigmatized word that it is. They're using it with the weight that it holds.

It's closer, to me, to "Maybe I'm crazy! Maybe I'm out of my mind, but God help me, I will keep these lights up until the day I die if I think there is a chance that Will is still out there." - which makes sense with all the season 1 parallels between Mike and Joyce i.e. her seeing the lights vs him hearing the radio and everyone else is like "it's ok sweetie, we know you miss him"

I think the best subtext I can translate is what I already said: a lighthearted "Hey, well, at least maybe we can bunk together at Pennhurst."

edit: a better way to put it is I feel like it's this as opposed to how people usually treat as more of a "you die, I die"(-Dustin to Steve, s3)

[voloslobotomyservice]

Elias Blackwood

(he/him)

Class: Oathbreaker of Devotion Paladin

Race: High Half-Elf

Age: 32 years

Background: Folk Hero

Game Progression: Middle of Act 3

Elias grew up in the small village of Goldenfield, raised by his mother and father. Mama took care of the home while Papa, a cavalier, would go away on crusade. He also has one younger sister, Elora, who was born eight years after he was. After his father failed to return home from a crusade, he decided to devote his life to becoming the best paladin he possibly could. He trained for years, practicing on his dummy and fighting off monsters and fiends to keep his hometown safe, while also helping his mother raise his sister, who was only three when their father passed. When he was in his early twenties, Elias moved to Baldur’s Gate to start his career as a paladin. His first night in the city, he went to The Blushing Mermaid and met Leila, a rogue half elf. Although they were never in a relationship, he considers her to be his first love. They were in each other's lives for over ten years, even sharing a home and a bed together. One day, the two were out on a mission beyond the city limits and were attacked by a pack of gnolls. Leila lost her life in this fight, and Elias blames himself for her death. If he had just been a bit more courageous, didn’t miss his swings, then he could have saved her. Leila currently serves as his Dream Guardian, adding on to his ever-building grief after losing her.

In Act I, Elias makes a poor lapse of judgement and decided to attack a bugbear in the goblin camp. The creature wasn’t aggravated, but he thought that it would if he stayed around long enough, so he wanted to get the battle over with. Because of his actions, he broke his Oath of Devotion. The Oathbreaker Paladin paid him a visit, and gifted him Oathbreaker powers, along with a slightly altered (hotter) look.

Just outside of Rosymond Monastary, Elias (32) ran into Elora (24), who he had not seen in over ten years. They would still write letters to keep in touch, but she became worried when he stopped returning her letters. Worried for the worst, Elora set off to go find her brother and hopefully bring him back to Goldenfield, as their mother had fallen ill and needed his help. She had wanted to be just like her older brother and trained to become a strong fighter. Elora asks to join her brother's party and to help with whatever mission they are on. Elias accepts, adding her to the troupe with open arms and a strange story about how a tadpole was placed in his head. (If she could she'd probably want to romance Karlach but this page isn't about her!!!)

Over the course of his adventures, he’s had three hair styles: short and trimmed, a little loose, and all grown out

Near the middle of Act 3, Elora received a sending from a family friend that their mother has passed away. She is devastated due to the loss and takes it out on her brother, because he refused to go back home to spend her final days as a family. Elias tried to explain that his life was at risk with the tadpole and that removing it was his number one priority. Their conflict drove a wedge in their sibling relationship, and they didn’t speak for days. They finally spoke after defeating Orin the Red at the Temple of Bhaal, where it was Elora who actually knocked the changeling into the abyss below the temple. They both apologized for their cruelty towards each other, recognizing that they were the only family members they had left. Their friendship is stronger now due to all that they’ve gone through!

He is currently in a loving and devoted relationship with Shadowheart and they are so cute together that I want to cry about it. Watching them grow so much as individuals and as a couple has been adorable, and I know that post-game they spend the rest of their half-elven lives together. 🩷

[thewarmestplacetohide]

this is kind of embarassing but i have attention issues. do you have any short movies you recommended?

like short films? yeah!

The Haunted Castle (1896 | France): a cavalier encounters the devil in a castle. 3 minutes 18 seconds.

The Devil in a Convent (1899 | France): the devil torments a convent. 3 minutes 35 seconds.

Bluebeard (1901 | France): a new bride fears her husband killed his prior wives. 10 minutes 32 seconds.

The Infernal Cakewalk (1903 | France): the denizens of Hell do the cakewalk (warning: briefly features blackface). 5 minutes 41 seconds.

The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906 | France): a man makes a deal with the devil to travel the world. 17 minutes.

The Grandmother (1969 | USA): a little boy plants a seed in an attempt to grow a grandmother. 35 minutes.

Possibly in Michigan (1983 | USA): two women are accosted by a masked man. 11 minutes 45 seconds.

The Cat with Hands (2001 | UK): a cat wants to be human. 3 minutes 30 seconds.

AM1200 (2008 | USA): a man is drawn to a radio station by strange forces. 39 minutes.

Lights Out (2013 | Sweden): a woman hides from a ghost that's only visible in darkness. 2 minutes 41 seconds.

Curve (2016 | USA): a girl wakes up clinging to a curved surface over an abyss. 10 minutes.

My house walk-through (2016 | Japan): a tour of a strange home. 12 minutes.

Zygote (2017 | South Africa): two people are hunted by a monster made of human body parts. 23 minutes.

Salt (2017 | USA): a mother and daughter use salt to protect themselves from a demon. 2 minutes and 2 seconds.

Love, Death & Robots is an animated anthology show that has some pretty great horror episodes, too, including Shape-Shifters and Beyond the Aquila Rift.

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: I know we did this song and dance number before, but apart from Asura from Samurai Showdown and Ragna The Bloodedge from BlazBlue, who do you see as viable Guest Character material for Guilty Gear StrIVe? Especially since 2B appeared in GranBlue Fantasy Versus Rising.

It can be any character from games to manga and light novels. Let's hear your thoughts and ideas my friend.

Jae Hyuk Chae

Yes, you heard me.

From Immortal Regis/Cavalier of the Abyss.

Read the Manhwa and you'll understand.

(I'd also recommend the cast of Legend of Maian by the same author, Lim Dall Young).

[jaggededges123]

for the kiss prompt: 24. kiss to distract!

24. kiss to distract!

It was morning, and Colum Asht really didn’t want to be awake. His body ached as though he’d been crushed by a compactor, but really it was that his soul had been conspicuously absent for too long the day before. He always felt… addled, and weary, and a hundred other nasty things when Silas used him so thoroughly as he had the day before, like each of his component parts had been separated, put into a box, shaken vigorously, and then put together again by a blindfolded toddler.

But just because Colum felt like shit, that didn’t mean that Silas did.

And Silas Octakiseron was, annoyingly, a morning person. Early morning prayers were his favorite time of day—peaceful and meditative, unless of course you felt like a jigsaw with a dozen missing pieces.

“Brother Asht,” Silas’s voice intoned from somewhere very close to Colum’s cot, probably kneeling beside it, “it is time for morning prayer.”

Colum sighed, disgruntled, and rolled away, toward the foot of Silas’s bed. It made about half a dozen joints creak. “A cavalier is meant to care for her body first, to fulfill her primary purpose to her necromancer,” he quoted scripture from the deepest parts of his mind, the part that didn’t get all mixed up no matter how many times Silas sucked his soul out.

“That doesn’t mean you can neglect your soul,” Silas shot back. A small, smooth hand pressed against the bare skin of Colum’s shoulder, soft but relentless. “Rise, Brother Asht.”

Colum didn’t know what wires had gotten crossed the day before, but there was a terrible idea that sparked in him, and the rest of him was so discombobulated that he couldn’t stop himself in time from acting upon it. He sat halfway up in his cot, his blanket falling to his waist, and he pressed his face forward until his chapped, dry lips met Silas’s.

They were perfect, excessively so, as Colum’s uncle was designed to be in all things.

It really was just a peck, to distract Silas from his line of thought and hopefully to gain Colum a little extra much-needed rest so that he would feel more like a person when he woke up again later. He hardly felt it, though he did feel Silas’s full-bodied gasp.

“There—your holiness rubbed off on me. My soul will be fine. Now, let me sleep,” Colum huffed before dropping back to the bed like a sack of a hundred potatoes.

He didn’t hear Silas’s response, whatever it was. He was already sucked deep into the sweet relief of the abyss, that gentle cradle of nothingness.

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

16

Fifth skull.

Still in the present, in second person - we've not had a third-person, fake-flashback chapter in a good while, not since Ortus said that he wasn't actually her cavalier.

You grieved the loss of your diary from Canaan House, but your things had been filtered through Ianthe back to you, which meant that all you got was a small supply of sacramental paint and your old clothes. When you inquired about the diary, you received the blunt response that it had been burned on your own orders.

It's getting increasingly likely that the memory alteration was done on Harrow's request, then.

Getting a slightly better look at the other Lyctors this chapter.

And the messy relationship between Mercymorn and Augustine.

I’m going to give you three recommendations. One is to be in my airspace less. Two is to stop messing around with Cyth’s body. Three is to stop playing the rather dangerous game you’re playing—the one you said you’d stop.”

Interesting. Harrow did say earlier she thought she'd seen the body move... not move in itself, but be moved to an ever so slightly different position than it had been previously.

And what dangerous game?

Mercymorn’s voice floated back, somewhat strangled: “But I haven’t even touched Cytherea!”

Even more interesting, then, that Harrow and Augustine both think the body has been moved.

Augustine is a spirit magician, formerly of the Fifth house; explains the Fifth skull, then.

Revenants in particular are fun that way. Resurrection Beasts feed like revenants: they find thalergenic planets and guzzle them up wholesale, crack them open like clams, and take the soul for meat. Then they turn all that remnant thalergy into what we call the corpus, or the hive, and the thanergy—the dead clam itself—for armour. [...] This is where the Heralds come in. Unlike normal revenants, RBs have developed external actors, and those are the things that will attack the Mithraeum. We’ve nicknamed this the hive, and inside the hive are the Heralds.

Not exactly insects, but a lot of insect-adjacent metaphors being used here; hive - spider, web - insectoid, and they put fear in the hearts of even seasoned Lyctors.

Great news.

The Emperor said, “Once defeated, it can be forced down into the abyss, and from there it will not return.” “We hope,” said Augustine. “Oh, Lord, do we ever hope.”

So you can defeat it, in the river.

But Harrow doesn't have a cav to look after her body. At least, she hasn't found a way to connect to her cav yet.

It took her less than ten minutes to defeat that planet's soul, but that one wasn't a resurrection beast, not even close. In her current condition, her body isn't going to survive this fight.

[swaps55]

How do you think Sam would react to the overhead skylight in his cabin during ME2 and 3? With the whole him dying in the endless abyss of space and then it being right there when he sleeps, and if it did effect him, would anyone catch on?

This one hurts, and I can't wait to play with it.

Sam does not remember dying. Not consciously. Subconsciously, though, is another story.

A skylight to the stars over his bed should be fucking heaven for him. A respite from this hell he woke up in where his life is upside down. But it isn't. His cabin - sleeping in particular - makes him anxious and irate. When he does manage to sleep, he has nightmares (on top of the beacon nightmares, yay!). I think he'll probably wind up with a few panic attacks as the cherry on top, and at first he has no idea why, because he doesn't remember.

He won't be the one who figures it out, either. I'm not sure who does yet, but it could be Mordin or it could be EDI (my ME2 story outline is still a disaster). And it won't happen quick, because the closer Sam is to the edge of a cliff, the harder he will bite, kick, and claw anyone who tries to help him. He'll do anything to keep people out. So it takes people who are willing to see through the Asshole act for what it is - a cry for help. Because it's a good asshole act. A sample:

Dr. Chakwas is already waiting for them when they reach the medical bay, having gotten a heads up when the shuttle was en route. Garrus helps him onto a bed, then moves out of the way as the doctor begins her medical scan.

“It’s an unstable fracture,” she says with a note of concern once she finishes.

“Nothing a bone knitter can’t fix,” Shepard says curtly.

She sets the scanner down and folds her hands across her chest. “It’s not just the sternum. How long were you out there putting on a display, and when did you last eat?”

“I don’t have the glucose issue anymore, Doctor.”

“You are still a biotic, Commander, you have a glucose imbalance by nature,and if you continue to be so cavalier about—”

“Just fix the damn bone,” Shepard snaps.

Garrus’ mandibles quiver. Dr. Chakwas falls silent, gaze reproachful. “Very well,” she says tightly.

But once he does understand where that anxiety comes from, it'll be devastating. He takes such joy from the stars, and to lose that on top of everything else over something he doesn't remember at all is so unfair.

[undyingembers]

Ooooooh for the smut prompt! "I'll take care of you" for Len and Daeran? 👀

One of the things Lenarius had to get used to when taking Daeran for a partner was the nightmares. The first time had been the most intense and frightening, but it wasn't to be the last. Every so often whenever they spent the night together, that creature, the Other would wait right as Lenarius closed his eyes and faded from consciousness. There was always darkness in those dreams, and the feeling of being surrounded, but those nightmares would always fade as soon as Lenarius opened his eyes again, barely remembered. Never since that first night had he experienced that vivid separation from his own self, that despair.

Since that first night, Lenarius never brought those nightmares up with his lover. Secrecy was paramount. Lenarius had promised that he would protect Daeran from any danger, and that included keeping him safe from his patron until Liotr came back with more information.

Lenarius wondered if any other of Daeran's partners had such experiences. Lenarius thought back to all the rumors he heard about servants leaving the Count's employ due to strange happenings and wondered if Daeran's cavalier attitude was not the only force to have driven his lovers away...

That night was not as intense as the first, but it was close to being just as frightening. Lenarius was in darkness. It wasn't the darkness of a dreamless sleep, but he felt that all his senses were cut off. He could feel only emptiness as he reached out with each of his limbs, and the only sound was that of his heartbeat, which seemed to echo unnaturally in this abyss.

Time passed. Lenarius was aware of every second of it. He waited. And waited. For what seemed like hours. Nothing. No escape, and no telling when this would end. No. This being couldn't possibly keep him trapped in there...!

No, Lenarius wasn't going to stay trapped in that dream this time. The first nightmare, all his struggles had been futile. Lenarius fought again, thrashing, and willing with all his might to wake up.

The darkness was choking, overwhelming, but this time it wasn't hopeless. This time, all Lenarius's efforts and exercises took hold of the nightmare. The darkness started to fade. Little bits of lights came into being at the center of his vision. The great darkness receded slowly into a soft grey. Lenarius felt he was getting closer and closer...

...until he could finally open his eyes and wake up back in the Commander's chambers in the Citadel. He sighed with relief as he gathered the damask sheets around him and shook that unpleasant experience from his head.

Next to him, Daeran stirred. Lenarius chastised himself as he thought he might have disturbed his lover. But Daeran didn't wake up. The Count's face was scrunched up tight, and his lips moved ever so slightly.

"Daeran?" Lenarius called.

Daeran whimpered things Lenarius couldn't hear. The Count shook, gently at first, but then he let out a small cry as he thrashed to the side.

Lenarius grasped Daeran by his shoulders. "Wake up. Daeran..."

Lenarius shook him gently, but urgently until the thrashing stopped and the Count opened his eyes. Daeran gasped and breathed heavily as he looked all around the room, then at Lenarius.

Lenarius sighed with relief once more. "Thank goodness. Are you all right?"

"Just a nightmare," Daeran retorted, a little too quickly. "But thank you. This is...certainly a far better sight."

Lenarius brushed a hair from Daeran's face. "Whatever it was, I will protect you from it, always."

Daeran stared wide-eyed at Lenarius, his lips slightly parted. "I..." He smirked. "That wasn't one of your worst lines, but I suppose I'm happy you feel this way."

Lenarius turned his head away. Daeran cupped his chin and turned it back. He stroked Lenarius's face once or twice, before pulling him into a kiss.

"No nightmares," said Daeran against Lenarius's mouth as his hands ran down Lenarius's back and pulled them close. "Just us."

Lenarius parted just enough to reach for the lubricant still on the bedside table.

"Just us," he agreed.