#Way of Unity of Man and Sword

[reulaux]

Xuan Su!Yue Qingyuan AU

Former slave Shen Jiu, staggering out of the burnt manor, staring blankly, "Qi ge didn't come back to save me... Qi ge must be dead..."

Head Disciple Shen Qingqiu, scrutinising the blackened bloodstain in the Lingxi Cave, asking Yue Qingyuan behind him, "Then…does that mean someone died here?"

Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu, throwing the tea set at the person who gifted it to him, fed up with the apologies: "Don't you dare call me by that name! Qi ge is dead! You're not Qi ge! Real Qi ge would never abandon me. Get out! Get out!"

...

What if it's true?

What if the thing/person that walked out of the Lingxi Cave isn't Yue Qi, but Xuan Su possessing his body?

===

In response to the comment, I'm imagining Xuan Su!Yue Qingyuan saying sorry to Shen Jiu because he 'killed' Shen Jiu's Qi ge but doesn't know how to explain so he fumbles around like real Yue Qingyuan does, which, I think, in this case, is harder to explain than in original Yue Qingyuan's case because neither Yue Qingyuan nor Xuan Su has an idea how it happened, and whether Shen Jiu is going to believe them if he just tells, because it's unprecedented and simply outlandish.

The previous generation Sect Leader and Peak Lords believe Yue Qingyuan fused his life force to the sword because they detect Yue Qingyuan's life force in the sword and Xuan Su's energy in Yue Qingyuan's body. Well, that's because Yue Qingyuan is in the sword and Xuan Su is in Yue Qingyuan's body.

Xuan Su learning to control limbs is seen as Yue Qingyuan recovering from the torn tendons and broken bones. Xuan Su not knowing how to exactly deal with humans as a human himself is seen as Yue Qingyuan being withdrawn and quiet from the traumatic ordeal. But it is all good to Yue Qingyuan's shizun who says, "Good, you've learnt your lesson. You aren't reckless anymore."

...

Maybe, at one point, Yue Qingyuan and Xuan Su realise drawing the sword for long enough time may solve their problem, but the Sect Leader and Peak Lords keep thwarting and preventing their 'suicidal' future sect leader for 'his own safety.' Maybe that's why Yue Qingyuan/Xuan Su pleads Yue Qingyuan's shizun to take him to fight Tianlang jun as an excuse to unsheathe the sword... Unfortunately that's still not enough. As we see in canon, Yue Qingyuan is still alive, not visibly aged or dying. To completely pull Yue Qingyuan back into his own body should mean drawing the sword long enough to make canon Yue Qingyuan dies.

Maybe after the previous generation ascended, Yue Qingyuan/Xuan Su tries at every chance to draw the sword to fight, but too bad, they grow too strong. Most of the time, just unsheathing for 1 inch and the enemies are already all dead...

Maybe they try having Xuan Su cultivates the Way of Unity of Man and Sword again so they swap back. To no avail, their places are even firmer. Maybe because Yue Qingyuan has already formed a core so their cultivation and places are stuck with this core...

Yue Qingyuan communicates with Xuan Su like other cultivators communicate with their own spiritual weapons. Only certain cultivators who are very in tune with spiritual weapons or spiritual energy can hear others' spiritual weapons speaking, and thus the real Yue Qingyuan's voice.

Actually Wei Qingwei's shizun should also hear Yue Qingyuan's thoughts aloud, but brushed it off as Yue Qingyuan's being fused with the sword anyway, and Xuan Su's being grumpy because it's locked in the Cave with its owner for a year and forbidden to be used thereafter, so it's quiet.

Wei Qingwei and Shen Qingqiu once they have high enough skills and cultivation occasionally hear Yue Qingyuan's thoughts when they are nearby. They would think they hallucinate, or that either they or the Sect Leader got cursed. Imagine in meetings, the 2nd and 3rd ranked Peak Lords hear Yue Qingyuan thinking out loud, talking to... His sword? Before really physically speaking... Weird, but okay...? So they visit Mu Qingfang seperately. And Mu Qingfang notices 2 Peak Lords having the same symptoms. He calls Yue Qingyuan to get examined too. And some Peak Lords rule out it's not actually a curse but... They still don't know what to call it. Maybe eventually they set up very strong, multi layered arrays to have their Sect Leader goes into 'seclusion' and unsheathes the sword inside, and take turn repairing the arrays from overpowered qi and sword eneygy, for a ridiculously long time...

---

Or maybe we go down the route where Xuan Su is an arrogant ancient sword so it doesn't bother going to rescue some slave, and additionally hates Shen Jiu for being the reason his wielder gets in this mishap, so the dynamic between Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu would be different from in canon. It would be the opposite of favouritism. Shen Qingqiu is going to be hated by not only the Peak Lords but also the Sect Leader. Would he still stay in Cang Qiong if no one treats him well? Maybe. Because this position gives him a place to stay, protection, and resources. Maybe because of his loyalty. Maybe because he still has some lingering affection for Qi ge and wishes one day the Qi ge who loved him would come back...

And Qi ge did come back.

Every time the Sect Leader draws his sword, he becomes kinder and kinder towards Shen Qingqiu, because Yue Qingyuan seeps through and gains more and more control. Shen Qingqiu notices but doesn't dare to raise his hope.

Then one day, Yue Qingyuan calls Shen Qingqiu "Xiao Jiu" and Shen Qingqiu is stunned. He has thought Yue Qingyuan had forgotten all about the little slave number nine and doesn't care about him anymore. Then Yue Qingyuan, now mostly Yue Qi, tells Shen Qingqiu what he has always wanted to all these past years, that he's first stuck in the cave, then in the sword, but he finally eventually comes back to Xiao Jiu now albeit very late.

--

Or in a darker AU, Xuan Su has always been a soul trapping sword.

It's not that Yue Qingyuan rushed and messed up connecting with his sword. It's that Xuan Su intentionally tricked and falsely guided Yue Qingyuan into putting his soul inside the sword. No matter if the user cultivates the Way of Unity of Man and Sword, is rushing, or does everything right, Xuan Su will always possess the user's body. And every time Xuan Su draws the sword, the sword is powered by the human soul he's trapped. That's why Xuan Su is a legendary sword, for its power, for only choosing the wielder with strong cultivation and talents, for the power of the sword emits isn't from its sword energy but the whole life force of the trapped soul. And if no one knows better and retrieves Yue Qingyuan's soul from the sword soon, Yue Qingyuan will forever perish, not even leaving soul to enter the reincarnation cycle. And when that life is gone, Xuan Su will just continue trapping another soul.

In case Xuan Su can trap many souls at the same time; those souls, maybe Shen Jiu, Shen Yuan, some OC!knowledgeable ancient sages, etc; might consult one another into tricking Xuan Su into releasing them.

[royalarchivist]

Quackity: I think it's going to be so exciting to see how this develops. I absolutely love to see the Red Team come back, you know, this whole kind of, you know, unity that they've put together that's put them in front, I love that. I love to see that. And now, I kind of want to destroy it now, right? I feel like that's like my character's purpose now. It's like, "Damn, my team is losing, let's find a way to not lose anymore." But yeah, I don't know, I– ramble over. I just love this.

Bagi: And I think it's a great addition for the role playing that we are going to do after this because we need to kill each other. And then after this, man, it's a lot of crazy stuff going on. I mean, Cellbit just killed me today, and I was like, in shock because I was standing still. I was just looking at his face. I couldn't even bring my sword, I was just looking. And then, man, after this sht is gone, we are going to have the craziest conversation ever.

Quackity: Yeah, so that's a really cool part. I saw that clip, and I feel like this is giving everyone a really good character development because keep in mind that right now, we are playing with no fcking rules, right? We're playing with what we think is right, we're playing with the cards that were dealt. But what I want to see is the development of everyone's characters right after.

There's gonna be... interesting conversations to be had. There's gonna be interesting arcs to be had based off of this event alone, and I think that's absolutely wonderful. And if there's something I can implore people to do is to not take it seriously. Like, this is literally for entertainment purposes, and I feel like for creators themselves too, it gives them an opportunity to develop– if they want to develop a character arc, that's cool. If they just want to play, that's cool too. I think people should not take it seriously, it's for entertainment purposes only, and I personally am so excited to see all the development that's gonna come after because we haven't even seen all of Purgatory yet.

[lilacargent]

At it again, from another angle this time.

‘Old’ weapons. Or at least redundant, as a species traverses into space the new technology makes an old gun or even older sword/arrow/spear and so on useless and nearly powerless. The new weapons are ‘ray this’ and ‘beam that’ ‘plasma so and so’ .

Ofcourse this makes sense, the energy based weapons are far less wasteful and lighter, easier to carry and easier to handle. No need to sharpen weapons with a plasma blade and even then, why use close quarters weapons if you have access to stun, kill or poison rays and many more.

On top of that many civilisations prefer to forget their less then stellar past and make analog weapons obsolete. When the humans joined the council many expected them to do the same. They didn’t, production stopped yes, but interested people could still partake in lessons and the old fashioned ways were shown off in museums. Training to be part of a spaceship crew still included lessons in their old weapons as an opportunity to be prepared for going to “newer” worlds.

So with that in mind i have a few little vignettes ideas and for ease’ sake its gonna be on the same ship, the Serpentine.

Important crew:

Primoz, captain -Limoyh a four armed species-

Krag, second in command (brother of Primoz)

Kit, dokter -avian, bird like, she has feathers like a swallow-

Ortez, ASR (all species resources, human resources in space) -kiltak, insectoid species, think ants but exoskeleton-

Lugea, helmsperson (does the steering) -rock like alien-

Artex, engineer/mechanic 1 -also Kiltak-

And then our humans:

Kamari, navigator -Eritrean woman- (has cat named Sidra)

Markus, weapons expert (knows how to use them and upkeep, also shields) -Swedish man-

Petrus, mechanic/engineer 2 -Italian man-

Lilly, administrator/note keeper (learns languages for fun)-english woman-

Yes i know all of this could have also been accomplished by saying they are all from America… nope this is more fun. This is under the assumption that to get into the joint academy for space faring you need to be able to speak and write English.

Obviously there are more people on the ship but these are most important

~~~~~~~~

1. Sparring

Ortez was having a good day, the serpentine had left port and was making good progress toward their next destination on w-kl-18, referred to as deltax by it’s residents, for a routine drop off.

In port on Unity (the planet where the council resides and the universal court is) they picked up the final crew members among who a ‘team’ of humans. Pre bonded humans were supposed to be less chaos inducing and easier bonded with the rest of the crew. Ortez was rather happy the captain listened to him on this matter.

The humans had been more diverse than he expected and were currently what they called ‘settling in’. He was on his way to the rooms they had.

‘Stop it please we’ve been here less than 4 hours!’ The soft voice he recognises as Lilly’s is barely audible over the loud clanging sounds. Rounding the corner Ortez sees a terrifying scene. The two human males locked together with two sticks made of metal baring teeth at each other, with a push the olive skinned man, he remembers is called Petrus, breaks the hold and goes in low swiping at the tall mans legs making Markus fall over.

Ortez is about to intervene when without a sound the dark skinned leader of the group seemingly appears without a sound behind him and runs into the fray with a similar stick.

Whacking Petrus stick away from Markus’ throat she steps inbetween “stop it. You’re scaring our ASR. We want to make a good impression remember.” The men look right at him and both put down the sticks, Markus puts his hand up in a ‘wave’ “sorry about that, Ortez it was right? We were just sparring.’ Moving further into the room he uncurls his front two claws tapping at the metal poles “sparring with this? We usually only do body to body training, this seems rather old.” Petrus speaks up to that “ah yes those are old earth weapons, we like keeping up a bit of skill with several kinds as a side activity. Don’t worry tho, we train with blunt weapons.”

Not entirely appeased the insectoid looks to the imposing woman, who seems entirely at ease even though two people had been fighting. When she caught his eyes, she smiled that terrible toothy grin “truly don’t worry, like Petrus said they are blunt and it is a way for us to let of some steam and keep in shape. But next time we’ll do it in the training rooms… right boys?” Pinning the two men with withering stares they nodded quickly.

Ortez did not know humans released steam, but he felt right now was not the moment to go into that. Saying his goodbye he skittered to inform the captain.

This was bound to be interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~

2. “The Roman empire”

“So you are telling me that at any given moment you could be thinking about a several thousand years old society that no longer exists and it would surprise nobody?” Artex was perplexed, when he and Petrus were working on the reactor core Lilly had wandered through and mentioned this old civilisation sparking heated debate. She thought the greeks were far more interesting but Petrus had been unmoved by her arguments. The other man speaks while pushing some buttons “well yea, the empire made great strides and amazing structures, Lilly just prefers the mythos of the greek while i enjoy the focus on millitary prowess.” Shrugging he looks up “don’t you guys have something like that?” Artex stretches his legs, all 6 of them in a wave like motion “not really, when change happened the history books were changed to make it seem like it was always that way” the human makes eye contact “wait so how do you know how to play -old civilisation- as a kid? We play fought with wooden sticks, wooden swords and branches we cut to look like guns…” that horrofied the insectoid, raised with violence like it was a normal thing.

Almost like they never left their dark ages

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

3. Whats in a name (bit off topic but the idea just kinda happened)

Te very first time the humans were introduced to their new crew there was a bit of a hiccup. When Kamari introduced herself they looked up a bit confused but went further down the row. After Lilly they came back around and referred to Kamari as moon. Now Kamari recognised the strange look, they had translators that only had basic human translation, which means that her name “Kamari” which comes from Arabic and is a word for moon/soft glow of the moon, is translated fully but not as name so when they speak to her it translates out of their language to English which would be moon. This is luckily easily fixed with an update, but it was something that stil spoke of how new the human race was to the cosmos.

Her cat Sidra made them laugh as that means Star so she was the moon with her star.

(Random thought about how multiple human languages could screw with translations)

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

Soooooo kinda had a 4th story that is pretty sad but also bad ass, but this is getting too long already

Imma write that in a new post over the coming days

Hopefully people like this, if you have prompts you’d like to see with this crew feel free to ask.

[deadpool15]

Let me

Beautiful. The only word fit to describe the Targaryen’s as a whole. They are viewed if nothing above society. Closer to the gods than men, as many would like to say. Though there is something quite different when it comes to Aemond Targaryen. The man is gorgeous, the most beautiful specimen you’ll ever encounter. There are times where I realize I don’t compare to such beauty or the royal life in general. You see, I have indeed grown from the silence and embarrassment I faced upon arrival. “You are to be wedded, a fine gentleman if I do say so myself. A match meant to bring forth unity for both houses. Securing us many things across Westeros.”

The words that had changed my life, in which I didn’t know at the time would mean for the better or worse. The life of status is quite new to me, from a certain age the idea of being a proper lady had been instilled in my brain. Then, a match as my grandfather believed the gods before us made themselves came along, the prince of House Targaryen wanted a wife. Aemond was the silent type, one couldn’t exactly understand what was going on with him. He was a tough one to figure out, and I was anything but patient except when it came to him. My dragon.

Watching as Aemond stepped into our chambers putting down his sword. He spent majority of his time training, I never blamed him for it, especially since he has started training me secretly. It took a while before I fully convinced him into the idea but with a few tricks up my sleeve if you know what I mean, he was on board. He starts to remove his tunic, leaving him in nothing but a pair of trousers. “It almost feels as if I’ve been waiting for hours, maybe centuries, dear husband.” He looks up so exhausted, it seems his usual high perception was gone. Not taking notice of me sitting up in our bed. He breaks out into a small smile.

That smile, it gives me peace. Anxiety and pain are forgotten, replaced with nothing but thoughts of Aemond. “It seems, you’ve decided to retire quite early to the bed chamber, haven’t you, gevī?” He moves toward the bed, caging me beneath his arms. “Yes, it seems that way. Yet, once I got here there was an absence of one’s presence. A person meant to ensure safety and warmth, but they aren’t in this very bed with me right now. If you would like a little help husband, there is currently no one blonde laying in this bed with me for our usual activities. Know any blondes?” Looking at him with a coy smirk he laughs at my statement.

A laugh only I can pull from him. Gives me a sense of grace, that only I have that power over him. “I would hope the only blonde you need is currently in the room with you. He says grabbing my chin firmly. Pushing him on the bed to sit beside me and whisper, “I would think we have the same person in mind, my dragon”. I grab a hold of his face, “in order to make this easier I would enjoy if you are the most comfortable, so let’s just remove this.” As I reach for his eyepatch, he takes a hold of my hand firmly. The other gripping my waist. “It’s just me husband, no one is here to judge or ridicule you. Even if they were they would have to go through me if they wished to talk about such lies.” I tell him while looking directly at his eyes. “They wouldn’t be lies.” He said quickly.

Grabbing both his hands firmly I place kisses on the inside of each palm. I wish for nothing but him to be his true self with me. To know I love him deeply. “You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever witnessed. Any woman should be lucky I even allow them to glance in your direction.” He laughs again, though this time it’s a full belly laugh. Coming straight from the depths of his throat. “You allow them, is that it little wife.” I start to place kisses all over his eye and then I remove the patch, this time he doesn’t stop me. Simply sits there basking in the glory. I grab my special tools. Whisking a brush hidden behind my back, slowly but surely start to smooth out the tangles and knots in his hair.

He finally takes notice of my appearance, a think silk nightgown. Leaving almost nothing to the imagination. For the right person, of course. He smiled holding me closely and placed a kiss on my shoulder blade. “I love you both.” I stop moving the brush, running my hands through his hair. Feels of silk. Glancing down to look at my growing belly and then back at him. Realizing this is paradise. Pulling him even closer, “I love you both as well, my love.”

[themodernwitchsguide]

tarot and their divinatory meanings (major arcana)

this is part one, with the major arcana. for the suit of pentacles click here, for the suit of wands click here, for the suit of swords click here, and for the suit of cups click here.

0 - The Fool

UPRIGHT: new beginnings, optimism and freedom (sometimes foolhardy), lightheartedness, infinite potential, lack of discipline, you are advised to take some risks

REVERSED: lack of caution/control, you need to be planning more, carelessness, apathy, even vanity/self-centeredness

I - The Magician

UPRIGHT: willpower, self-reliance, a chance to use your skill(s), creativity/diplomacy, creating things for/by yourself

REVERSED: deception, trickery, insecurity that you may hide, poor judgement, someone may be using you/lying

II - The High Priestess

UPRIGHT: wisdom, mystery, don't get so caught up in yourself that you lose your way, listen to your gut, a cloudy future, secrets

REVERSED: confusion, you may have been ignoring your intuition, ignorance, passion that may distract you

III - The Empress

UPRIGHT: a parent/nurturer, femininity/a feminine person, the divine feminine, hidden actions (that benefit you), safety, good fortune, building a future

REVERSED: uncertainty, too concerned with others, lack of satisfaction, infidelity, letting others decide for you too often

IV - The Emperor

UPRIGHT: masculinity/a masculine person, honor, discipline, authoritative, reason, pursue your goals with strategy and logic, you may take on a leadership role

REVERSED: a tyrannical/weak person or leader, immaturity, lack of self-control, confusion, someone making you feel poweless

V - The Hierophant

UPRIGHT: tradition, ritual, servitude, follow the grain, religion, mercy/goodness, timidity

REVERSED: feeling controlled, go against the grain OR overgenerosity, weakness of institution, eccentricity

VI - The Lovers

UPRIGHT: love, trust, unity, a couple that has overcome trials, romance, harmony between two people while still maintaining individuality

REVERSED: contrarieties, imbalance, lack of communication, avoiding taking responsibility, failure to overcome

VII - The Chariot

UPRIGHT: triumph, feeling vengeance/anger (not in a bad way), maintain focus and determination, control over a situation, create a plan or follow through with an existing one

REVERSED: defeat, lack of willpower OR obsession with goals, quarreling, unfavorable legal proceedings

VIII - Strength

UPRIGHT: power, energy, strength despite circumstances, capability to speak your mind, a compassionate person who others rely on

REVERSED: abuse of power, loneliness or jealousy, weakness, lack of conviction/faith, self-esteem issues

IX - The Hermit

UPRIGHT: search for inner truth, take a chance to be alone and do some introspection, potentially a mentor enters your life, meditation

REVERSED: seclusion would only be harmful, hastiness, unreasonable fear/caution, trapped in your own world

X - The Wheel of Fortune

UPRIGHT: fate, the tides will change (whether for better or worse), external forces are at work, live in the moment (if things are going well) OR have faith (if things are going poorly)

REVERSED: bad luck has plagued you, do not cling to a sense of control--learn to accept your situation

XI - Justice

UPRIGHT: judgement will come (good/bad), equity, truth, being treated fairly, negotiations, legal matters

REVERSED: bigotry, bias, living in denial, cruel punishment, bad legal judgements

XII - The Hanged Man

UPRIGHT: spiritual wisdom, life put on pause, stall if you can so that you may reconsider, sacrifice

REVERSED: selfishness, feeling of wasted effort, over-exertion OR not enough effort

XIII - Death

UPRIGHT: end of an era and beginning of a new one, change, transformation, reminder of mortality, let go of unhealthy attachments

REVERSED: resisting change, depression, fear of the unknown is holding you back, lethargy, inertia

XIV - Temperance

UPRIGHT: economy, do all things in moderation, patience, a level-headed person, re-evaluate your priorities, seek balance, connection with others

REVERSED: imbalance (the source of which is indicated by surrounding cards), misunderstanding, competition, too much of something

XV - The Devil

UPRIGHT: greed, overindulgence, entrapment to an ideal, bad external influence(s), dissolution/vehemence

REVERSED: breaking from bondage, rest, a new life direction--but not without some effort

XVI - The Tower

UPRIGHT: groundbreaking change, turbulent relationship--keep a level head, can indicate a disaster or just a sudden restructuring

REVERSED: tyranny, lack of or resistant to change, crisis looming on the horizon--let it happen

XVII - The Star

UPRIGHT: hope, recovering from a loss, a blend of past and future, bright prospects, faith, occult/spiritual power

REVERSED: arrogance, feeling of defeat/loss of faith, delays, indifference, lack of self-esteem

XVIII - The Moon

UPRIGHT: a warning, danger in the dark, stay focused on your path, secrets, your fear will only hinder you

REVERSED: silence, confusion, negativity beginning to fade, instability, deception--but not severe

XIX - The Sun

UPRIGHT: success, happiness, pleasure, a good relationship, contentment, share your gifts with others

REVERSED: joy--but less so than the upright meaning, perhaps you are unable to see the good things, over-optimism, uncertainty

XX - Judgement

UPRIGHT: change of position, renewal, self-reflection, past may come to give consequence, acquiring a purpose

REVERSED: weakness, indecision due to self-consciousness, separation, denial, take time for yourself

XXI - The World

UPRIGHT: completion, wholeness, travel, fulfillment/success, generosity, love for others

REVERSED: disappointment, you're missing something in your life, stagnation or an impending change that you're dreading

[moonlightazriel]

Son of the Darkness XX /// Azriel X F!Reader

Summary: Hidden for so long The court of shadows thrived, and things were great until the high lord's death, now the next in line should assume the crown of high lord of shadows, will he accept his duties?

Warnings: What can I say at this point? It’s all out war….

Word Count: 1,8K

Notes: Yep, Y/N’s speech was taken from Theseus speech from the movie Immortals, sue me

Son of the Darkness Masterlist

Main Masterlist

The extent of Hybern’s army was terrifying, thousands of men gathered to kill whoever dared to stand in their way. But as Y/N watched their troops, blue, golden, orange, black and yellow, all the armies from seven High Lords, she knew they had a chance.

Vivianne, the soon to be High Lady of Winter, held the human girl, Briar, in her arms. Evanore was around them, petting and talking to the white bears the army had. The atmosphere felt almost peaceful as they got ready for the battle.

It took two days to transport the whole army, going directly against Hybern. They had moved again, and they all came to the conclusion that Hybern was clearly postponing the battle, after all, he couldn’t get what Nesta took from the cauldron back, and now that she had more control over her power, he was probably scared of what she could do.

And now, they were ready to face that army, a few kilometres from where they originally planned to meet them. The witches have been draining power from the earth for a few hours, and the army was resting until it was time to face each other.

This time, Rune and the others would join, healing would have to wait, as all the force was necessary in that battlefield. They had also transported any human near the battle to Adriata where princess Cresseida was taking care of them.

Feyre and Amren had a plan to stop the cauldron and the army, needing to get close enough to touch it. And they’re also getting ready to release Bryaxis on that army. She hasn’t seen Feyre in a while. But she had checked on Elain, she was still afraid but wasn’t hurt.

The inner circle reunited, exchanging their comforting words to each other, some prayed to the mother, the witches kept to themselves but Y/N held her sword, in front of the NightFall.

“I am one of you, I share your blood and I share your fear.” The female yelled, her voice reaching the quiet soldiers. “But to run now, we offer our souls and the souls of the innocent to a terrible darkness.” One by one, the soldiers from her army started to hit their shields with their swords, the music echoing through the camp. Until every one who held a shield joined.

“We must stand and fight, their numbers count for nothing in that battlefield.” More chanting. “They are cowards, they hide behind their masks, they bleed like you and I.” She yelled even louder. Azriel watched with pride filling his senses as his mate encouraged the whole army. “Listen to me! Stand your ground! Fight for your honour!” The swords slammed against the shield. “Fight for the man beside you! Fight for those who bore you! Fight for your children! Fight for your future! Fight for your name! Survive!”

With her sword pointed to the army who gathered near the beach, waiting for the bloodbath, she yelled one more time.

“Let us write history with Hybern’s blood.” The soldiers behind her roared their fury, and they marched to the war.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

Battle happened everywhere, metal clashing against metal, the sounds of man dying filled her senses, so overwhelming and bone chilling, but she swallowed any trace of fear, going on her killing spree.

Bryaxis had just joined, the endless shadow passed by her, hummed in greetings to her. She could see Azriel in the skies, Rhysand’s power in huge waves, everyone who had magic in their blood used how they could.

The witches formed a unity, walking together, using both magic and their weapons to kill. Eris was behind Evanore, his eyes tracking her every move, Y/N felt her heart swell with happiness, she didn’t have to worry about her.

Her magic flared in strikes, men falling to the ground whenever they touched it. The necklace kept shining between her breasts, indicating that Azriel was alright. And when she couldn’t reach with magic, her sword was finding its target.

Everything was happening so fast, the three figures, The Bone Craver, Bryaxis and The Weaver killed hundreds in their path, the soldiers from Hybern were slowly being erased from the earth.

Trumpets sounded somewhere to the north, and Y/N watched from in between the commotion, three more armies joined, a green one from Spring Court, another orange one, Beron walked with more soldiers, Eris’s brothers mounting horses from in between the army, fire blazed and something exploded. The third army was made from humans.

The ash poison was burning in blue flames, giving them an advantage since now they didn’t have more poison to use, Y/N roared in excitement as she beheaded a male in front of her.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

Too tired, she felt too tired, her muscles burned, she wanted to stop, but she couldn’t. Blood soaked her hair and clothes.

She heard someone screaming for Cassian, she saw him flying to where Nesta stood at the top of the hill. And where he was mere seconds ago, the soldiers that stayed, were erased from the skies, as the King used the cauldron. The next shot was closer to his army than hers, and she concluded that he didn’t care about his soldiers, sacrificing them to get what he needed.

It was then that another trumpet sounded, and this time she was sure it didn’t belong to them. Azriel landed by her side, her shadows protecting them from anyone who tried to get close.

“They have a fucking armada. I saw Tarquin going there but there’s no way he can get rid of them alone.” He warned.

“Fuck!” Y/N cursed, and he felt someone approaching them. His eyes landed on the blonde male from the Bloody Moon ritual, the one who had upset her.

“Look at what we have here, the bastard and his bitch.” Luther spat. “I was looking for you.” He pointed at her.

“This is going to be good.” Azriel smilled.

Y/N stepped out of the shadows removing her helmet and retrieving them, she wanted to kill him with her pure force, not with her magic. She assumed a fighting instance, discarding her sword and going for a dagger instead.

“Hopefully your uncle is waiting for you in hell.” The male lunged for her, she spun to the side, getting out of the way, the sword cut the air, and she kicked him. His swords clashed against her dagger, and he punched her nose, blood pouring out of it.

“How does it feel?” She asked. “To always be beneath me? Never being able to be better than me, even if you tried so fucking hard.” He aimed for her once more, and she dodged, sweat ran down her forehead as she kept dodging and punching him sometimes.

They were both bloodied and panting. “Having to see everyone choose me, over and over again? Knowing you would never be good enough and that your name didn’t matter.” Luther screamed in fury. “That I earned my position and that a simple female will always be better than you.”

Luther descended his sword upon her, she rolled on the ground, quickly getting to her feet and impaling him with her dagger. Blood poured from his mouth. She held his shoulder, her eyes boring into his as life slowly faded from his body.

“It’s a shame that you chose this, we would be really good friends.” The male groaned and she let him fall. Turning to Azriel, he pulled her close to him.

“It’s okay now.” He reassured her, handing her the helmet and saying his goodbye, flying back to the battle.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

“The people from our court can see better in the dark, one of the perks of being born in the shadows.” Azriel thought, finding her again after twenty minutes apart. Her words ringed in his head, clear as the bright sky above his head. The plan formed in his mind and something in his chest told him that she would understand without the need of communications. So he did.

His wings flapped faster, making him go higher in the sky, so high that he could almost touch the sun, his syphons glowed, a bright cobalt light coming from them as his shadows moved in awe, waiting for what he was about to do. He knew where she was, and with all his power singing in his veins, his shadows descending upon the earth, engulfing her and at least 20 soldiers from Hybern that were surrounding her. The last thing he saw was the smirk on her face as the shadows covered their bodies until they disappeared in the black mist.

She felt them before she saw them, her sword hitting another one, as she defended herself, from the corner of her eyes, she saw the black shadows behind her, eager to get to her, brushing her face in between her helmet as they formed a dome around her and the enemy’s soldiers. She blinked, her eyes easily adjusting to the dark, she was quick to end with the man she was already in a fight with, while the others walked around in the dark, trying to see something.

They stumbled around blindly wandering, not being able to leave the mist wall that surrounded them. She smirked, walking around, her feet silent as she walked on the soft grass, the first, she cut his abdomen open with her sword, the armour they were using not that effective against the weapon that the witches had blessed, her blade screeched as she dragged it against the metal, cutting through it like butter, the man screamed in agony, the blood splashing on her own armour, the others assumed a defensive stance, not knowing where to aim or what to expect.

She ran, silent as a ghost, all the soldier could feel was the slightly change in the wind and the whistle of her sword, the weapon sharp, cutting through the air and the flesh of one of the soldiers, his head flying away as she already got ready to defend the blind blows they tried to land, their bodies bumped into each other, the metal cackling as they did so. She pierced the skull of one of them, with her dagger while her sword pierced the chest of another.

One by one, they fell, their blood running down her armour was the only resemblance of that they were even alive someday, she walked out of the shadows, the mist dissipating behind her, the blood pooled around the bodies, their horrid expressions marred their faces forever as she walked away. Azriel knew she could do it, but he couldn’t help the pride that filled his chest as he saw her walking out, blood covering her from head to toe, she looked in his direction. And that was when she felt it.

The bond snapping into place.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

Tagging: @allison-rosewood-maximoff @devilsfoodcake22 @fieldofdaisiies @valeridarkness @brekkershadowsinger @margssstuff @patdsinner33 @justdreamstars

[bbbuckaroo]

i think the entire 911 fandom situation is very interesting to witness because we've been saying this for years: buck and eddie girlies would have been at each other's throats all this time if their common ship hadn't united them. i think the current takes show incredibly well that the same people who hate bucktommy simply wanted eddie to have the queer storyline, with or without buck. i do understand that. people can have favorite characters and want them to have specific storylines. but now, from a narrative standpoint, bi eddie and buddie seem very unlikely to ever happen in canon. buck girlies get to enjoy canon bisexual buck kissing a man on screen and being in love while they cannot and probably will never get that for eddie. at least not with a man, and let's be real, that's all the hardcore antis seem to care about. i think now, given all that has happened in s7, we're finally seeing people's favoritism unveiled (not that it wasn't obvious the entire time) and there is less unity on where the story should go for buck and eddie. suddenly, i think for the first time ever, hardcore buddie shippers are truly forced to actually view buck and eddie as individuals that live alongside each other as besties while having their own separate lives. it's funny to me that antis act as if people have "abandoned" eddie. he is getting heavy focus in s7? he is still a main character? shouldn't people be happy that his character is further explored and his trauma is hopefully finally worked on? i feel like i appreciate canon eddie more than many eddie girlies do just because many eddie girlies seem to enjoy a highly fanonized version of him only. and that fanon version is being shattered, due to bucktommy and now with eddie being confirmed to still love shannon, the love of his life. it's good for the 911 ecosystem. i hope this adjustment period will end soon, and people will finally calm down about the buddie agenda.

I truly did not even think about Eddie vs. Buck being such a huge trigger for the drama, which I why I love these constructive discussions. And I agree that if not for their friendship/the discussion of Buddie it could have created a lot of tension (“Buck’s getting more screen time, they’re making Eddie look like the bad guy, it’s not fair this and that”). It’s one of the reasons I suspect that small radical group may end up imploding because if they’re not getting the attention they want from us they’re going to start fighting amongst themselves.

I agree that if not to Buddie the idea of Eddie being queer would have never come up but then again I’m not sure any girlfriend would have been good enough? It’s a double-edged sword. And I think the show has amazing queer representation and adding another character journey so similar to Buck’s would seem too repetitive and do a disservice to the others because it would feel like a trend.

I did a post a while ago with a bit of a rant about how Ryan seems so excited about his future character development (think he’s ready to portray some good angst) and it was automatically brought back to Buddie. How is journey is really about Buddie and how it goes back to that. And talk about a disservice. You’d think people would be THRILLED for Eddie to get his own individual storyline but alas no.

I haven’t always been an Eddie fan, I may be biased towards Buck but whether it was intentional or not, I always found him to be a bit selfish and his relationship with Buck a bit more one way or another. Which could be me totally misreading it but this sesson?! OMG I’ve fallen in love with him again. He’s so silly and playful, the basketball scene where he’s doing that little head bop makes me all sorts of 😍😍😍. I feel like it’s a true representation of who he js and that’s probably why all the Shannon drama is coming up, he’s going back to himself and that brings back a lot of repressed trauma. Ryan has done phenomenal and is vulnerability as a “macho” man is so needed to be seen nowadays.

I agree as with everything you’ve said, it’s time to focus on the characters as separate entities who will always gravitate back to each other. No matter how bad a fight Eddie and Buck have or will have, they have such a special (platonic) relationship that I adore. Thank you so much for your ask, it brings up so many good points and definitely offers hope that these sorts of mindsets will drive us to continue to push the positive and ignore the negative!

[theemotionmachine]

50+ Motivational Latin Proverbs to Elevate Your Thinking to New Levels

- Acta non verba ("deeds not words")

- Ad meliora ("towards better things")

- Ad victoriam ("to victory")

- Audere est faucere ("to dare is to do")

- Astra inclinant, sed non obligant ("the stars incline us, they do not bind us")

- Bono malum superate ("good will overcome evil")

- Carpe diem ("seize the day")

- Calamus gladio fortior ("the pen is mightier than the sword")

- Cogito, ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am")

- Cras es noster ("tomorrow, be ours")

- Dictum factum ("what is said is done")

- Duc, sequere, aut de via decede ("lead, follow, or get out of the way")

- Dum spiro, spero ("while I breathe, I hope")

- Ego te provoco ("I challenge you")

- Est modus in rebus ("there is a middle way in all things")

- Faber est suae quisque fortunae ("every man is the artisan of his own fortune")

- Familia supra omnia ("family over everything")

- Fons vitae caritas ("love is the fountain of life")

- Fortiter et fideliter ("bravely and faithfully")

- Gladiator in arena consilium capit ("the gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena")

- Grandescunt aucta labore ("by work, all things increase and grow")

- Humilitas occidit superbiam ("humility kills pride")

- Igne natura renovatur integra ("through fire nature is reborn whole")

- Incepto ne desistam ("may I not shrink from my purpose")

- Magna est vis consuetudinis ("great is the power of habit")

- Memento mori ("remember you must die")

- Memento vivere ("remember you have to live")

- Memores acti prudentes future ("mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be")

- Morior invictus ("death before defeat")

- Non ducor, duco ("I am not led, I lead")

- Omne initium difficile est ("every beginning is difficult")

- Ordo ab chao ("order out of chaos")

- Palma non sine pulvere ("no reward without effort")

- Pax vobiscum ("peace be with you")

- Praesis ut prosis ne ut imperes ("lead in order to serve, not in order to rule")

- Praemonitus, praemunitus ("forewarned is forearmed")

- Primum non nocere ("first do no harm")

- Qui non proficit, deficit ("he who does not advance, goes backward")

- Qui totum vult totum perdit ("he who wants everything loses everything")

- Sapientia potentia est ("wisdom is power")

- Si vis amari, ama ("if you wish to be loved, love")

- Sic parvis magna ("greatness from small beginnings")

- Sic vita est ("such is life")

- Suum cuique ("to each his own")

- Tempus fugit ("time flies")

- Tendit in ardua virtus ("virtue strives for what is difficult")

- Ubi concordia, ibi victoria ("where is unity, there is victory")

- Vacate et scire ("be still and know")

- Veni, vidi, vici ("I came, I saw, I conquered")

- Verba volant, scripta manent ("words fly away, writing remains")

- Vincit qui se vincit ("he conquers who conquers himself")

[jozor-johai]

Reread the AGOT Prologue last night, and I was so caught up this time in how the dynamics of that chapter are a microcosm of the class dynamics in Westeros.

Not such a long post, but putting it after the cut for ease.

Waymar Royce, of course, stands in for the Lords, with his wealth and name and undeserved authority, while one-named Gared and Will are the smallfolk.

In this chapter, with a speaking cast of 3, there's already this question of where does power lie? In this scene, the smallfolk outnumber the lords 2-to-1, and neither believe in Waymar, but ultimately each of them defers to the lord's authority (the ratio is much more extreme in Westeros at large, but this works for a 3-person dynamic). Will and Gared also trust each other, and trust each other's expertise, more than either of them think Waymar should be trusted in any capacity—he's not leader by merit (he has much less experience than either of them), he's not leader by popular appeal (they laugh at him in their cups), and he's not leader by age (younger than the both).

And we see already in this small moment the ways in which authority attempts to deal with usurpation—which we will see played out over and over again throughout the entirety of ASOIAF.

Gared challenges Waymar's authority on the basis of experience, which is a justified complaint. Faced with an inarguable position, Waymar responds with unnecessary cruelty: "you ought to dress more warmly, Gared." This is one way for the upper class to keep the smallfolk in line—to flaunt their wealth and advantage, and to push back visciously against challenges. This is the Tywin technique, one which we see done consistently throughout the series.

The significance of this being a mental confrontation cannot be overstated: when confronted with Varys' riddle, Tyrion later observes that the rule "All depends on the man with the sword." Here, Gared is the man with the sword—he's a man-at-arms, and the better swordsman. While "Will doubted it[Royce's sword] had ever been swung in anger," "Will would not have given an iron bob for the lordling's life if Gared pulled it[his own sword] from its scabbard." Gared could fully kill Royce here, if he dared. And so the challenge, for Waymar, is to make sure Gared never dares. Power lies where men believe it lies, so Waymar's job as authority figure is to demoralize Gared, so he does not outright challenge Waymar's authority. (This is the role of public humiliation—another 'Tywin tactic,' but which is also used broadly).

Perhaps Gared would dare to challenge Waymar's authority if he were not alone. When Varys follows Tyrion's thinking that the man holding the sword might have some real power, he questions: why do the men with swords obey kings at all, then? Tyrion posits: "Because these child kings and drunken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords." So perhaps the issue is unity, a majority feeling—one man cannot rebel, lest his own class turn against him, but perhaps many can. We see this as the series goes on in instances like with the Sparrows, who amass enough numbers that they can imprison the queen, or with the sellswords in Meereen, who might turn the tide of battle if they switch sides (to the side that they believe might win).

To gain this advantage, Gared and Will would have to be a united front. In the beginning of this chapter, Will was a neutral figure, he's not willing to actually challenge that authority, he didn't want to be involved in the confrontation, but knew "he known "they would drag him into the quarrel sooner or later." Later, though, after witnessing Gared's demoralization, Will nearly steps in himself—in defense of Gared, out of respect for Gared's experience, and in a moment of class solidarity, Will speaks up to defend Gared, and is cut off:

"If Gared said it was the cold …" Will began.

"Have you drawn any watches this past week, Will?"

Here, Waymar's goal, as ruling class of this interaction, is to prevent class solidarity within the smallfolk. If Waymar responded too rudely, or with too much aggression, this might bind Gared and Will together for certain, and Waymar might be usurped (this is the result of the repeated aggressions of Aerys II, resulting in his death, or the repeated aggressions of Tywin which spawned the aforementioned Sparrows).

So Waymar has to employ a different strategy: (still a bit snidely) Waymar plays the role of 'encouraging mentor,' invoking this idea that he deserves to rule by the merit of being inherently 'wiser' or a keeper of 'knowledge'. He suggests that Will figure out for himself, under Waymar's guidance, that the cold could not possibly have killed the wildlings. Led more gently by Waymar, Will seems to decide for himself that Waymar is correct. In short, Waymar is able to reposition Will to be on his side, not Gared's, by leveraging his initial assumed authority and the existing attitude of elite education, even as that makes Will go against his own first-hand experience.

This is another tactic that we see repeatedly used throughout ASOIAF (and the world)—the ruling class acting as though they are simply elevating the ("innocently wrong") subjugated class to a more aware and knowledgeable position. If we believe the Maester conspiracy, they are the most obvious example of this, but the fact that it is only the lords who have access to Maesters means this is implicitly true without even needing a conspiracy—the ruling class is already gatekeeping knowledge and education from the subjugated class. (As an aside: the Maester conspiracy, ironically, is only concerned with the possibility of an even higher authority secretly gatekeeping knowledge from the nobility—in other words, the fear that the Maesters are treating the Lords the way that the Lords treat the smallfolk).

So let's return to Varys' final proposed answers to his own riddle: "Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Others say it derives from law." Waymar has employed the knowledge-as-power against Will, and we're also constantly up against the backdrop of law-as-power: The Night's Watch.

Waymar references "Mormont," someone who Waymar does not want to disappoint, and they all consider the agreed-upon terms of the Night's Watch. Even in this microcosmic scenario, they are part of a system, one where this authority figure is, seemingly, held to his own authority figure, and one where the "rules" of the interaction have been determined long before now. In the end, once Waymar decides, "the order had been given, and honor bound them to obey." They have all agreed to a set of laws, already, which keep them bound to Waymar's authority.

So, ultimately, it is in this moment that despite Gared and Will being fully correct in their fears, despite being more experienced, wiser, older, and in all ways better rangers than Waymar, authority itself held true, and Waymar marched them all on towards his own death.

[fanficapologist]

Of Dragons and Maelstroms

Themes and Warnings: slow burn, enemies to lovers, blood, violence, explicit language, sexual violence, period-typical misogyny, sexual themes, smut, tension, marriage, jealousy, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, attempted sexual assault, breastfeeding, major character death, divergent timelines

Summary: Following the crowing of King Aegon, second of his name, Lady Maera Wylde, eldest daughter of Master of Laws, is called to return to the capital to assist her old friend, Helaena, in becoming accustomed to her new role as Queen. As well as navigating the complexities of court and discrediting the accusations previously made about her, Maera must also face Prince Aemond, having not seen him in three long years. Once allies, their relationship is no longer what it was when they were children, and they must find a way to live together for the sake of the Crown.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Prologue

King Jaehaerys and his Queen Alysanne sired thirteen children during their reign. The bloodline of this tale starts with the seventh born and forth son of these children; Vaegon Targaryen.

Vaegon the dragonless was considered as sour in personality as he was uncomely in his looks, known to be more drawn to his books than the sword. When he came of age and could not find a suitable spouse due to his general lack of personality, his eldest brother Aemon, successfully married, proposed a young friend of his wife to Vaegon, the Lady Edme Whitehead. Jaehaerys urged Vaegon to take this opportunity in order to further the Targaryen bloodline. Vaegon agreed but stated that once he had done his duty and produced a child, he would return to his books and studies

The marriage of Vaegon Targaryen and Lady Edme Whitehead began with great expectations, a union meant to strengthen ties between House Targaryen and House Whitehead. However, as the years passed, the once-promising alliance turned into a somber reflection of lost hopes and broken dreams. Vaegon was a man of ambition and charm, but his heart remained fixated on his interest in astronomy and mathematics. He had little interest in the domestic matters of marriage. The young Lady Edme, on the other hand, had been raised with romantic notions of love and unity, envisioning a future filled with affection and companionship.

The vast differences in their personalities became apparent as their courtship waned. Lady Edme longed for affection and attention, but Vaegon seldom found time to share in the joyous moments of married life with her. Despite the strain, they maintained a facade of unity before the court and their subjects. However, their inner turmoil was evident to those who cared enough to observe.

It took Vaegon 8 months to consummate the marriage. Thankfully for the Lady Edme, once the marital deed was done, she became with child. Edme birthed small twin daughters, Gael and Viserra, but shortly after passed away from child-bed fever. Relieved he was now released from the confines of marriage, Vaegon placed his daughters in the care of Edme’s parents, Lord and Lady Whitehead. Vaegon beseeched the newly crowned king, Viserys the First for another life path. The understanding King, seeing his uncles misery, suggested a life at the Citadel whereby he could serve the realm with his extensive knowledge. As Vaegon had only produced daughters and emphasised the sickliness of the twins to the senior maesters, insinuating that they would not live very long anyway, the citadel was happy for the prince to take the vows, relinquishing him of all titles and duties.

Lady Gael and her sister Viserra grew near the shores in the south of the Stormlands. Despite their small statures and shyness, both Gael and Viserra carried the unmistakable air of Targaryen nobility, their silver hair and violet eyes serving as a constant reminder of their illustrious heritage. Under the loving guidance of their Grandparents, the girls received the finest education, learning not only the customs and traditions of their own House Targaryen and the mother tongue of High Valyrian, but also those of the Seven Kingdoms.

The allure of marrying Targaryen women, even for a small chance to lay claim to the iron throne, attached many suitors for the twin girls. Both were married when they came of age. Firstly was Viserra, to Lord Byron of Morne, a house known for having strong Naval forces on the Straits of Tarth, an island off the coast of the stormlands. Gael, when she finally flowered, became the wife of Lord Jasper Wylde, shortly after his first wife’s passing.

Lord Wylde and Lady Gael produced 4 children during their marriage. On the birth of the 4th child, neither babe nor woman survived. Upon Lady Gael’s passing, Lord Wylde once again had to search for another wife. The twin sons he had produced with Lady Gael both caught the pox one year and passed at the young age of four. The only proof of this union ever existing was the survival of the third child; a daughter, Maera; The Jewel of Rainwood

Aemond returned to King's Landing on his dragon, Vhagar, following his visit to Storm's End. The journey had been a success; he had secured the Baratheon's support with a marriage pact. But in his pursuit of power and revenge, he had inadvertently murdered Prince Lucerys, the beloved son of Rhaenyra. News of Lucerys's death spread like wildfire through the Red Keep upon Aemond’s return. King Aegon, who had never been fond of his sister's bastard son, couldn't hide his joy at the tidings. He saw this as an opportunity to solidify his rule.

Queen Alicent, Prince Aemond's mother, wept bitter tears of distress and horror, fully understanding the grave implications this tragedy would bring to their family. The bonds of trust and alliances were unraveling, and chaos loomed. Aegon's wife, Helaena, was deeply affected by the news. She entered trance-like states, muttering words that no one could make sense of. She refused to eat, drink, or find solace in sleep. Her mental and emotional state deteriorated rapidly, and her suffering was a weight upon the entire court.

Desperate to support her tormented daughter, Queen Alicent sought help from the Master of Laws, Lord Jasper Wylde. They reached an agreement to send Lord Wylde's eldest daughter, Maera, back to the capital. Maera was to assume a role of friendship with Helaena and offer her support as the new Queen. The Red Keep, once a place of power and intrigue, was now fraught with tension and sorrow. The death of Prince Lucerys had set off a chain of events that threatened to tear the Targaryen dynasty apart, leaving those within its walls to navigate treacherous waters of political maneuvering and personal grief.

Notes: Hello! First fic I’m ever uploading and here’s a little summary to set the scene. PLEASE NOTE: whilst there will be events from the Dance of the Dragons within the fic, the timeline will diverge to suit the story

Also like this isn’t real, none of this is real, the universe is a creation of George R.R Martin. My writing won’t be perfect but constructive (not cruel) feedback is always appreciated.

Thank you so much for reading! Comments, feedback, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated 🖤

[tcfactory]

imagining a semi comedic bit of qqq being all "the leader is an ex slave, the strategist is an ex slave, are there any other ex slaves we should know about??" sqh admits he was an urchin. mqf was too. wqw is from a dishonored military family. there isnt a name for lords of the alcohol peak or the monk peak but sorry girl, only you and lqg are from 'respectable' breeding.

You joke, but for another fic I toyed with the idea of Mu-shidi being pretty quiet about his family because they were a clan of really evil cultivators up until like a few generations back. Like, "grandpa Fang worked really hard to turn his life around and dedicate himself to medicine and healing, but we are still not mentioning him in righteous circles because they would put the whole family to the sword for the shit he did when young" levels of evil. And now I really like the idea of the dishonored military family for WQW, I might hold onto that if you don't mind.

The lord of the beast peak is a wild foundling. The lord of the monk peak started cultivating late because he became a monk to leave behind a life of crime. Sorry QQQ, but you really are in the extreme minority here.

I don't know if I'm going to finish that other fic (the working title is 'Cursed Panacea' and it has very 'a world w/ unchecked papapa curses and flowers would really suck for the people actually living in it' ft. 'MQF has succubus ancestry and he fucking hates it' vibes) but here are some of the Mu-family relevant parts of the WIP. Warning for a lot of implied rape:

The story goes like this: the founding ancestor of the Mu family was an evil demonic cultivator, one that made it all the way to Body Unity with the power of her wicked arts, draining the cultivation of others to bolster her own. At that stage, however, she could no longer progress just by draining cultivation from others, so she started to consume powerful demons - one of which was a succubus matriarch that left her with a new, carnal craving. It drove her to distraction and when she won a clash against one of her long standing rivals, she could bear it no longer: she forced herself on the man there and then, in the wreckage of their fight. She discovered that dual cultivation could not only sate her new craving, it could bolster her cultivation far beyond her previous method of consumption, especially since her victim could last her a while before they perished from her ceaseless plundering of their qi. That is the origin of the wretched practice called human cauldrons. That is the origin of the Mu clan.

(...)

The tale goes like this: one day, a feared and loathed Mu-clan cultivator falls in love with his rival, a master of gu poisons just as feared as him, poisonous even to the touch. He stole a kiss during one of their many fights and has obsessed over him ever since, even during the three decades it took him to recover from the poison. Three hundred cauldrons are his to do with as he wishes, but he can only think of that toxic, deadly kiss. He starts courting the master of poisons and to his surprise his court is reciprocated. His beloved feeds him bits of his poisonous qi to slowly acclimate him to his deadly touch and he takes it all eagerly, even when each dose leaves him hovering on the edge of death for years at a time. They are as happy as such wicked men could ever be. However, one day someone finds a poison strong enough to affect even his beloved, a nameless toxin without a cure that is killing him before the Mu cultivator’s very eyes. In a last ditch effort, he prays to the heavens and swears that he would walk the righteous path until the end of his life if his beloved can be saved. With that solemn oath a thought comes to him and he uses his cauldron technique to take just the poison, just the wretched, harmful qi from his beloved. In his body, without the thousands of toxins to feed on, the poison is subdued and no longer deadly. They live, both of them, and they both thank the heavens for that miraculous strike of inspiration. They disappear after that. No more master of poisons, no more wretched keeper of cauldrons. Three centuries later the Mu clan is founded anew, by an eccentric master of medicines who is said to be able to concoct a pill for any ill and his fragile husband, a doctor so wondrously skilled they say he can cure everything except death. Their names are Mu Fang and Ran Hao. They are Mu Qingfang’s great grandfathers.

[lifehunted]

Maybe there was an ending out there where Darda could've succeeded. Killed Marika himself, taken up the mantle of the Frenzied Lord. Burned it all down, every bit of it, this disgusting and loathesome world that his family had set into ruin. Finally brought everything toward unity and peace within the ashes, if nothing more.

But this was not that ending, and he had not won. Darda was here, in the evergaol set for he and he alone, the true hero of this story sneering over him.

A watchful eye was kept steeled upon him- the single and sole eye left between the two of them, laughably enough. Keziah was armed, as he was no fool, but his sword was not drawn. He knows full well that Darda no longer has anything left to lose, nothing to gain in overpowering him.

"Ranni sure was generous enough to make a place for you. There's worse places to spend the rest of eternity than these gaols, that's for sure."

Darda's scorched eye sockets scrunched at the corners. Bemusement? Ridicule? Perhaps cynical disgust, or a mix of all this. He doesn't really give a shit about Keziah, but Ranni has always been more than enough conniving trouble. Before he can manage some comment toward this end, though, Keziah finally draws his weapon- no, it's a different one, a sword he's never seen the man wield before.

There's a distinct, holy glow to it. An odd, unmistakeable thrum of power. Keziah turns the blade over in his dragon-clawed hands, admiring it himself.

"... This is all that's left of Radagon. Marika too. But... I have no use for it, I think."

The glowing blade is tossed onto the grass before Darda, thumping where it lay. The larger man tilts his head toward the sound, instinctive, and after a moment he reaches for it.

... It's warm. Alive. No, perhaps that's just the hum of latent power, still coursing through the sword-corpse. A sorry state for Radagon, that's for sure. But again, it's still...

His mother. The god, the woman. The stranger he'd never known. Is this truly all that's left of such a legendary being?

....

Carefully, the sword is pulled toward himself. Cradled into his arms. A laugh, hoarse and mirthless, finally escapes him.

"And you're just giving it to me? After all this? My, you are a bleeding heart, aren't you. Gifting your ferocious prisoner a god-sword."

Keziah shrugs, roll of the shoulders. The smile he bears is also without warmth.

"You've got no reason to use it. Even if you manage to escape, there's nothing left. You've lost." And... well. He sure won't voice it. But as much as he detests this man, for almost ripping away what little Keziah himself has left. He does pity him, too. Can't say his intentions were altruistic, but at the least... he sympathizes.

....

And besides. It's terribly difficult for a man to kill himself, imprisoned, without at least some sharp manner of instrument.

"You will never leave here again, for as long as you live. Perhaps even past that. The very least I can offer is to return the body of your mother to you."

Darda sneers, lips pulling back until teeth bared. But he does, indeed, hold the weapon closer. His only company, it seems. What a shame.

"... Ranni's full of shit. She doesn't know the way ahead any more than the rest of us. A right shame."

Keziah rolls his eye. Unperturbed, he steps back, and begins to turn away. One single wave of a hand.

"Enjoy the rest of your sorry life, Darda. The good thing about almost everyone dead, at least, is there'll be almost no one to miss you."

His form fizzles out of the confines of the gaol, and he disappears. There's only the faint rumbling of the prison's magic, now. Darda sinks against the grass, cold and unwelcoming.

"... Ha. Hahaha. Well... good a time as any to catch up, isn't it? Mother."

The sword is silent.

[kassandras-one-braincell]

Soma x Reader - Teeth and Talons

Kinktober 04: Marking [explicit]

Contains: rough sex, scratching, biting, blood-drawing

Word count: 951

Ao3 link here.

Men, minors and ageless/default blogs DNI. You will be blocked immediately upon interaction.

You nearly lost her. The dirt tracks of Cippenham drowned in blood, and hers almost joined the crimson tides. She cast her shield to the wind; by some fortuitous grace, no sword found its way through her flesh, save for a few shallow slices. Narrowly, she lived to tell the tale of her recklessness. And you were furious.

Telltale signs of grief stained Soma’s face as her longship docked, staggering through the currents with fewer oars. There was no glory in death. She confided that much in you through hollow tears. Her faith had choked, and with no divine comforts, only you could console her grief. Weeks of agony she endured, hidden from the ghostly eyes of her drengir, finally slipped through the cracks of her numb visage.

With a weeping heart, you held her. Venom threaded your thoughts, cursing her stupid, stupid habit of succumbing to adrenaline, but you bit your tongue. Yet your mind refused to concede to the love you held for her. The bitter memory of your clash merely days before she departed for Hamtunscire haunted you: you pleaded for her to listen to reason, that her iron-forged loyalties amounted to nought if she never lived to uphold them, that the battle was ill-timed and ill-prepared. The screaming, the tears. The coldness of the furs beside you as she feigned sleep in the bed once belonging to a man who forsook her good, honest heart.

Soma harboured anger, too. It gnawed at her, taunting her grief. A valkyrie’s embrace was nothing more than a lullaby for shit-scared warriors before untimely eternal rest. Good warriors died singing it. Her good warriors.

Desperate for mortal solace, your bodies found one another – as they often did after Soma returned from battle, although never with such saddened fury. You wanted to kiss her. To strangle her. To sew your skins together so she could never leave without ripping you asunder. To stake her to the bed, to sob into her chest. To be whole again.

Woeful rage seeped into the first kiss. You loved this woman – by whatever force brought her home to you, did you fucking love her – and feared the intensity of that love died with her comrades. Feared that your anger was a nail in that coffin. But you were blissfully wrong as Soma spat her pure, earnest adoration for the bond you shared through gritted teeth. You were tangible, unlike anything she had felt other than pain these past weeks, and she tested this palpability with harsh rakes of her teeth against your flesh. Deep, sharp bitemarks littered your thighs at your plea, for you wanted to share her pain. She gripped your hand until her knuckles turned white as she lapped between your thighs, hissing anguished I-love-yous against your cunt.

Your lips found hers again as you trembled through the aftershocks of your orgasm. The salt of your savour muddied with the salt of her tears. You pressed a map of saline kisses into her skin, sinking your teeth into every scar that littered her body until all you tasted was flesh. Bit her down to her hips, where you knelt to fasten a harness when she begged to fill you to completion. You spared her worn palms the burden of leather, for it was all they had known after a brutal eternity with an axe in hand.

Pleasure laced itself into every thrust of Soma’s hips, but what you both yearned for, more than breath itself, was unity. Closeness. She lay atop you, her chest flush against yours, bracing the weight of her body on her forearms either side of your head so as to not crush you, although you wished she would. Her ragged breathing grazed your ear, her face buried into the crook of your neck so deep that you could feel the indent of the scar on her cheek.

She rocked into you slowly, with a heartbreaking rawness. There was love to be made, and she made it with a beauty so grotesque, so tender yet cannibalistic that nobody other than you would understand.

Your heart waned as the muscles of her back trembled under your splayed fingers. Your lips latched onto the skin of her shoulder, the sweat licking her flesh bittersweet against your tongue. Breathy moans were muffled against her scars and ink, but their vibrations carried into her veins.

Soma tilted her head to kiss your neck, soothing over a bitemark. She adjusted the angle of her hips, grinding her cock into the tenderest part of your heat, something you never thought you would find yourself wanting amidst your blissful togetherness until it happened. A strangled sound left your throat as your grip on her back tightened, your nails digging into her flexing muscle harsher than intended.

You felt her grimace under the sting. Moaning out an apology, you massaged the faint crescent markings with your fingertips.

But she craved the pain of it. It was the safest pain she’d felt all month.

“Scratch me up, sweetheart,” she rasped desperately against your shoulder. “Make me fucking bleed.”

“Soma,” you whispered, tinged with worry. Some of the cuts along her back were newly healed. She had bled enough for a lifetime—

“Please.”

Seldom did Soma ask you for anything, never mind beg. And you refused to deny her. Not now, of all times.

You clawed. You clawed until the skin of her back stained the underside of your nails. And as paper-thin streams of her blood kissed the air, her strained moan into your neck clawed its way into your heart.

“I’ve got you, love,” you murmured.

Raw, bloody, with mark after mark carved into one another’s bodies, she knew.

[mdhwrites]

Do you think if Owl House’s third season were longer instead of being crammed into 3 long episodes, it would’ve been better?

I actually did a blog about this literally the night before the S3 finale and the finale did not prove me wrong!

But I want to emphasize here that a lot of these problems... are due to S2 and S1. S3 is how it is BECAUSE of the writing choices the team made going into it. There were ALWAYS going to be problems with S3 because of how S2A was paced, because of the INSANE decisions made in the face of the shortening in S2B like the Collector. Just the insane amount of mismanaged time. But I like to provide evidence:

No usable villains: S1 had the most amount of threats that could be taken seriously and even they weren't treated the best. The EC were still mostly bumblers who could be taken out by Eda or Hooty with EASE, Lilith is used for comedy far more than threat in S1, even if her role as straight man works to keep some of her menace, Kikimora is barely there and Belos is introduced at the end of the season. All the one off villains are pathetic and usually defeated through brute force in their episodes proving that except by schemes, like Really Small Problems, they're all fucked going against Luz in S2 who now has actual power behind her. So by the end of S1, you have Hunter, Kikimora and Belos. S2A will then go on to make Hunter immediately not a villain, Kikimora a joke by the end of it and ignore Belos entirely until S2B while introducing no new real villains so now they only had BELOS and their time is running out. Also, their only human realm villain is a joke who got beat by Camila, let alone anyone with magic. Speaking of:

Edit: I straight up forgot to mention the coven heads but S2 does technically set them up... and then destroys the coven system, giving them no systemic power, and Luz literally saved all of theirs lives so they have no reason to fight her. Also because the Collector is straight up not a villain in S3, he would not be sending them out to kill people even if that were his style so they don't count as usable villains and neither does the Collector.

Power Scale Issues: In literally the sixth episode, Willow singlehandedly beats the shit out of an entire squad of trained MONSTER HUNTERS without even the element of surprise. She's just that strong. By S2's end, EVERYONE will be at her level. Luz at the START of S2, before glyph combos are introduced, takes down the Selkidamus effectively single handedly. She literally only needed physical strength of pulling the thing in and NO ONE acts like it's a question if she can slay it once she's given a sword. It's really fucking bad. And as they have magic in the human realm, all of these characters are still at that power level for what would have been the first half of the season. This means threats and villains are out of the question. How about character work?

Character Blandness: Willow has no character. She is wishy washy all the way through the series and this is true even in S1 where she is shy for half the episodes and also the most brazen person you know in the other half, sometimes in the same episode. Escaping Expulsion murdered about half of Amity's potential and Reaching Out made sure that there would literally never be a conflict about Lumity and made Amity only a bland love interest with daddy issues and her dad isn't in the human realm so you got nothing on her for the first half. Hunter had to have almost all of his shit dealt with by the end of S2 so he's a certified good guy at their side by the Day of Unity who at least half of the cast have accepted so all you have is backstory angst which they can only do so much of without it being repetitive or boring, especially if you want the BIG reveal to only happen shortly before his possession. Luz has her angst which can't be resolved until post Belos revealing it so you have half a season where NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING. You theoretically have Camila fluff and Vee angst/fluff potentially but people got pissed at Hop Pop and Sprig getting episodes dedicated to them in the human realm instead of the plot. How would most have reacted to characters who have made barely an appearance stealing half a season from the entire Hexide Squad?

Human Realm is Bad: By the end of S1, the Isles has cellphones, it has televisions, it broadcast news, it will fight for a wrong unjustly done, etc. S2 only doubles down as it introduces robots, child endangerment laws and other things that are just part of the human realm. That's why ALL of the fish out of water jokes in Thanks to Them are utter shit and require characters acting like complete morons because the two worlds are the SAME. And they have almost always been that way. The only difference is that one has electricity, the other has magic. As such, going to the human realm is just not compelling. It doesn't even have thematic reasons to do so except I guess to FINALLY actually show Luz being bullied and they didn't even do that in the specials.

And sure, stuff with the resistance could have been neat in the second half. The first half could have included good fluff like Lumity dates and Gus freaking out about the human realm for an episode. But... It would still be needing to introduce elements. It would still be scrambling for ways to fill the time because S2 killed most of the potential for the characters and was so focused on that goal, even in S2A, that it didn't introduce compelling plot elements for drama or good villains to play into its adventure elements.

Could it have been better? Possibly. But a lot of people felt how much S3's specials were just padding. Just wasted time. Now TRIPLE the length of the season?

Yeah... The shortening was a blessing, not a curse.

=======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[teecupangel]

i am already unfathomably attached to the transistor au (sent the same day you first posted the ask), and would love to hear more about how he breaks away from Lucy and the assassins. like, does he still do some Ezio memory diving with Shawn n Becca n Lucy before going AWOL? did Altaïr tell Desmond about Lucy's betrayal or did they figure it out based on Altaïr being suspicious of her and going digging?

does her death spur Becca and Shawn and/or Bill to start looking into Lucy or do they double down on the "she’s our friend and we trust her"?

im loving the stargate/tok'ra vibes of transistor in general, but especially having read stargate brotherhood by the ever-lovely esama. do Desmond and Altaïr like share brainspace or is it more than they just communicate telepathically?

and just for my own visuals, how does Des wear Altaïr’s sword? like at his hip or (stretching believability) on his back? horizontal at his lower back?

(anyways thank you for answering, your ideas are always so wonderful and inspiring and it’s actually kind of a problem when I just want to write something for all of them. but thanks, I hope you and yours are doing well 🧡)

The Transistor AltDes AU for those curious.

He didn’t need to break away from the Assassins because he and Altaïr decided to kill every single red in Abstergo’s Rome facility… which includes Lucy.

They run away afterwards, with the Sword of Altaïr having the properties of a Sword of Eden, including a shockwave that manages to destroy surveillance cameras and other recording devices.

The most they were able to save from the recording are videos of Desmond walking before the sword glows gold and the recording ends.

They don’t necessary thought it was Desmond until they learned that Lucy died by being beheaded. Others died from puncture wounds the size of the Sword of Altaïr in vital points of the body or, strangely enough, by what appears to be something similar to thunder strikes (this is, of course, a capability of the Sword of Eden as seen in AC Unity).

Becca and Shaun definitely believes that Desmond has fallen into the madness of the Bleeding Effect and they’re torn between wanting to save him because they believe it’s not his fault, it’s the Bleeding Effect, but also they can never forgive him for killing Lucy.

Bill is actually the one who believes there’s more to it because he believes that Bleeding as Altaïr wouldn’t have Desmond go on a killing spree. He saw Lucy as an enemy that needs to be cut down and, not only that, he might even believe that Lucy being the only one beheaded among them means something (it does, beheading is a common punishment for traitors that must die for the Levantine Brotherhood and it is also the way Umar Ibn-La'Ahad is executed by the Saracens).

Of course, Bill and Rebecca thinks Bill is doing this because he wants to protect his son (which is also true but Bill is also being logical about this)

Oh man, yeeessss. I love Stargate Brotherhood, mainly because I love Stargate and I love esama’s works hahaha. For this one, I think it would be fun if they believe that they’re just telepathically communicating but the truth is it’s sorta true? They’re communicating telepathically… for now but the more Desmond and Altaïr stay together (aka: they talk telepathically), the more their brains sorta… connect with one another. This is a key to how Altaïr can save Desmond later on as I have written in the reblog of the original ask.

My initial idea is that Desmond actually holds the scabbard on his left hand like Virgil in DMC because the sword itself is a one-handed sword so it would work.

But when he’s trying to go incognito, my first thought was a drawing/blueprint storage tube because I remember Blood the Last Vampire XD

But then I remember it looks like this:

And that won’t work because of the wing crossguard of the Sword of Altaïr.

Unless…

the wings can be folded which becomes a clue that the sword can change its form in some ways.

(Thank you! I would absolutely love it for you guys to write these ideas because there’s so many that I can’t do it myself but no pressure. I’m just happy to read your asks, reblogs and replies to any of the ideas I post XD)

[all-pacas]

persona 3 liveblogging:

omg arqa looks totally different. like i remember the weird purple vibe zone, but the way the walls are all curved, they really did a fantastic job remaking tartarus. like it just looks bony and curvy and creepy. i can't wait to see disco rainbow zone

other things i love: i really like the new shuffle time. the whole "unlock major arcana" thing is a nice gimmick, having random things to smash in the dungeon is mindless fun, i'm just really loving it all.

i also noticed skills like kouha are in the game now, meaning that dark/light aren't just insta kill only, meaning that ken and koro are gonna be MUCH more useful

god the new summon animations are SICK AS HELL

btw i did notice that junpei still can't use a katana. i actually have always loved that for him. he straight up wields a sword like a baseball bat and always will. i think that's wonderful. there is a Lot of characterization in skills in this game.

like the games always do some personality = skills corrolation. but like. junpei using a sword wrong. akihiko and shinjiro having matched personas. spoilers spoilers EVERYTHING about ken, including the fact that his evolved persona suddenly pivots HARD into healing. the fact that evolved persona are tied to plot and character development rather than social links. it's all so goooood FOR EXAMPLE:

akihiko just coming in with mazio when no one else has multi hit attacks yet is actually really cool. like probably was like that in the original, but now that they're all so much slicker it really is like. oh yeah he really has been doing this for years. oh yeah he's just Better.

i actually really like that in p3 -- when makoto joins, he's new to personas, but yukari has been in SEES for a bit, and mitsuru and akihiko have been fighting for 2-3 years already. like it just adds to the vibe. makoto is the team leader, but mitsuru is in charge, he's the new kid, everyone else knows more than you.

and that theme keeps going, too. shinji is the Retired Vet; aegis is a shadow fighting robot who has been at it 10+ years; fuuka and junpei and koromaru are newbies like you, ken is a newbie but has known about shadows for years -- i like p4 and 5's Scrappy Friends And Newbies All thing, but i like how p3's vibe is just. so different.

like yeah if you take the fighting games etc into account -- of Course it's the SEES crew that started the Shadow Hunters or whatever they're called, of course it's mitsuru who recruits the p4 kids; SEES is like. professionals. pro shadow fighters. and that has downsides the game very much explores -- there's a LOT of ptsd and mistrust and a lack of team unity EVERYWHERE, these guys aren't friends until the last half of the game -- but it also. man. i love these fucked up kids and their Drive.

and if that sounds all edgelord grimdark it's also the only game where a literal dog is a party member. no cute mascots who are secretly More. nope we have a 10 year old and a Dog. i love this game

OH ALSO i love the new translation? script? whatever it is? it's basically the same as i remember, but the terms of address are all different -- the menu refers to akihiko as "sanada," because that's what makoto does; yukari is takeba but junpei is junpei, i just. love when you can tell Relationship through Names

anyway akihiko hasn't shouted that he's BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! yet