#about haven; murder mystery party

[havenbsinclair]

Below the cut is a description of the night, the party, and basically how it all played out. There are spoilers, as well as a link to the full solution/scenario I used for the inspo of Haven's party, so please read with caution. (There will be a note at the beginning of the paragraph that starts to reveal the answers.)

Note: The characters tagged in this post were not the only people invited to the party. These are just simply the characters of the people that reacted to my post on the discord, which is what I based this summary off of. If you are not someone tagged below and you wanted your character to be there, we'll say they were one of the non-role-playing detectives as listed on the instruction sheet that I used.

In true Haven fashion, the guests arrived at Haven’s house close to 6PM - with the exception of the few that came early to help set up - and where probably not surprised to see the decorations that filled her house. Sure, she could blame the fact that she had an eleven year old at home who was just as obsessed with spooky things as his mother, but, in all honesty most of this was for her party guests. Decorations filled the kitchen and living room mostly, but she’d tried hard not to take away from the snacks and drinks - especially the margarita bar she had placed strategically in the kitchen. It was a lot of work,  but Haven enjoyed this type of thing. 

[This is where I start talking about the party so if you don’t want things spoiled for you, please don’t read ahead.] 

ROUND ONE

As the guests began to arrive and Haven had given them the opportunity to enjoy some treats, she handed out name tags to each guest - all which were selected at random - and instructed they’d be on teams seeing as how there were only 6 suspects and more than that attending her party. Along with the name tags, guests were handed character dossier’s - which they were instructed to remain closed until further told to read -  as well as some business cards with the character’s description on them. The groups went as followed: 

Penelope Ruiz, Orion Blakely, and Ann-Marie Siegert were working together as Dr. Chelsea Barren; the neighbor. @nelxruiz @orionxblakely @ann-marieseigert

Genevieve Hernandez, Stevie Wagner and Apollo Williams were working together as Kathryn Lawless; the friend. @genhernandez @steviexwagner @counselorapollo

Summer Cassidy, River Jackson, and Ali Webster were working together as Enrique Graves; The Farmhand. @summercassidy @riverxjackson @alitwebster

Beyza Senkan and Aindreis Blythe were working together as Michael Nightshade; the land developer. @beyzaxsenkan @aindreisblythe

Julian Heywood, Brady Levitt, and Amerie Chen were working together as Norman D’Adly; the brother in law. @julianxheywood @ameriechen @bradylevitt

And the last group to be assembled was Amayah Fontenelle and Nora Sinclair who were working together as Vicki D’Adly; the sister. @amayahxfontenelle @norasinclair

Once all groups were formed, groups were instructed to flip to their character dossiers (pages 29, 36, 43, 50, 57 & 64) and read only the scenario and who you are sections aloud. You all took turns doing so, starting with Chelsea and ending with Vicki. It is revealed with Michael’s info that a map has been sketched out, and now everyone knows the general layout of the property. To complete Round One, Haven read the scenario aloud, before giving further instructions. “One year ago, Robert Killingsworth bought the farm. Six months later, he was dead - leaving his widow Elizabeth to tend to their fledgling vineyard and winery on the outskirts of California’s wine country. With mounting debts and no idea how to run a  business, Elizabeth is desperate to sell the farm and recoup her losses. The fierce drought and shaky economy, however, have left Killingsworth Farm on the market for far too long. One early autumn day, six people passed through the gates of Killingsworth Farm to see Elizabeth.. One of them, a cold-blooded Killer.” 

Round Two

Once the pages were turned, you all were instructed to read the section titled “The Scenario” aloud, in the same order as before. It is at this time that guests were allowed to begin questioning each other, and Haven suggested that you all take notes so that you could help yourselves figure out who committed the crime. It was revealed when Norman announced they had gone into the bedroom in search of Elizabeth, they found a shrine of Elizabeth’s late husband, and one article caught their attention, revealing the newspaper article that revealed the cash reward which rose the question: who would need enough money to find out the answer, or come forward? Some questions were asked, while everyone made notes and Enrique’s team was challenged by Chelsea’s team when it was revealed that she’d seen him there a lot but he wasn’t checking anything out. Enrique’s team revealed that they were getting Kathryn’s help with homework, and that’s why they were there so much recently. 

Round Three

Haven instructed you all to turn the page and begin reading “The Scenario” aloud, just as before. Questions continue to arise after all things have been read. Michael’s team asked Enrique’s team who the woman was that joined him in the cellar, but it is later understood that it is Chelsea, and that the two were sleeping together. Though, that doesn’t stop Chelsea’s team from noticing that Enrique’s team helped the D’Adly’s with their luggage and noticed the boxes, causing Vicki to reveal that they are staying in their RV and sold their house because of Norman’s debts. It is not revealed that Enrique has a hand written note from Kathryn by a Samuel Friedmont. 

Round Four 

Now onto the fourth round of the game, Haven instructs that you follow the same instructions as before, and to really start to pay attention to what is being told because you are that much closer to finding the answer to the murder. It is revealed during this round that Chelsea saw Vicki head to the wine vault, Enrique was heading to the wine vault with Michael at 5:30PM, Kathryn found a note next to Elizabeth’s body, and Michael revealed he was drinking with Elizabeth when the lights went out in the wine vault. Finally, Norman overheard Michael call Kathryn ‘Aunt Kathryn’ and saw them together in the car, which had Norman’s team questioning it, where he revealed that Kathryn told him to hold onto sleeping pills, and revealed that if Elizabeth wouldn’t sell him the farm, he was to use it. Vicki was caught guard a little when her conversation with Kathryn resulted in a sly grin, and Kathryn’s team had to reveal that she had quit her job at the library that day to pursue Hollywood. 

Round Five 

With the guests in full sleuth mode, things keep progressing quickly. It is revealed in this round that Chelsea’s team had showed the paper that Enrique lost to Elizabeth. Enrique’s team revealed that the day that Robert was killed, Chelsea had had lunch with him and begged him to see her the next day; Robert used the term ‘over my dead body’ would she be allowed on his property again. Kathryn notices that one of the candlesticks in Elizabeth’s study is identical to one that Enrique gifted her months ago. Michael revealed that the handwriting on the bottom of the Samuel Friedmont note from the library is the same as the handwriting on Elizabeth’s suicide note. Norman reveals that he heard Elizabeth and Dr. Chelsea arguing earlier in the day about Robert’s killer, but Elizabeth wanted no part of it, and lastly, Vicki reveals that she saw the empty bottle of sleeping pills next to a corkscrew with the engraving To Elizabeth, I will always love you. Cheers to a new life together.” Questions begin flying as the teams began to figure out who did it, as more and more things are revealed. Once ready, the group opened up to pages 34-69 of their character dossier’s to reveal the answer to the murder. 

Round Six (The Conclusion)

The code words were assigned to each group and one person from each group read allowed the confession statements in order: Kathryn (Mystery), Michael (Mayhem), Chelsea (Murder), Enrique (Malice), Vicki (Mastermind), Norman (Madness). 

Kathryn started off by stating that she was innocent, and that only people that had been in the Rose Garden that afternoon could have access to the murder weapon (a corkscrew which was gifted to Elizabeth by Norman. 

Michael confessed that he was in the Rose Garden, but that he did not pick up the corkscrew, and that his mind was elsewhere because his aunt Kathryn wasn’t the best friend to Elizabeth that she made everyone believe. He stated that Kathryn was trying to inherit the farm through Elizabeth’s death, and that he was no part of the picture anymore; though he did try to kill her, but someone else got to her first. 

Chelsea revealed that she’d been sleeping with Enrique for inside information on Robert’s killer as the two of them (Chelsea and Robert) were having an affair. She struck gold to who really killed Robert - she thought it had been Elizabeth for the life insurance all along - but Elizabeth was having no part of figuring out who it was. 

Enrique revealed that he was the one that killed Robert with a candlestick blow to the head when he tried to have Enrique arrested after his past with drugs came back to surface. He was unconscious at the time of Elizabeth’s death and said ‘his word’ says he wasn’t the one that killed her. The group didn’t hesitate to give him side eyes though (they still aren’t convinced that he’s telling the truth)

Vicki revealed that she had the motive to kill her sister as she was trying to get money to move to Hollywood, and she was tired of being married; she also mentioned that her husband Norman wanted to be part of Elizabeth’s life again. She says she didn’t do it though, that she realized it would be easier to divorce Norman first, and that she’s certain Chelsea was spying on her and can vouch that she is innocent. 

Norman revealed that he saw Enrique and Vicki kissing from the Rose Garden and was so enraged he acted on it; so he flipped on the electricity, shocking Enrique and causing the lights to go out. Because of this, when he picked up the corkscrew moments prior, he used it as the murder weapon, only to realize when everyone was gathered in the Farmhouse that his eyes had deceived him, and that when he thought he had killed his wife in rage, he’d actually killed Elizabeth, his wife’s sister and the only woman he’s ever loved. I guess practically marrying wife’s twin doesn’t pay off after all, does it Norman?

With the reveal, which had been mentioned as the potential outcome by Enrique’s team, the party ended with drinks, snacks and talking. It was overall a great night, and Haven’s already talking about how she can host an even better party next year. 

Teams, who ‘figured out the answer’ and anything that required a selection was done so via random wheel. I did not personally select anything myself. 

[insomniacblonde]

people are hating on klck so hard and she’s totally wrong but like yall forget she’s literally a child of course she’s going to be wrong.

imagine you are a teenager (famous for being the time where people are desperately trying to be different and special for the sake of having an identity) and your parents are normal like accounting people and you go to the Aguefort Adventuring Academy (made for the Specialest Kids) and in your freshman year these six kids who are respectively the son of the richest most insane dude within 1000 square miles, a tiefling girl whose dad is an archdevil, kid whose dad was killed by a dragon and has a biological link to most of the mysteries he solves, the literal Elven Oracle, Chosen One of a god (and one pretty much normal guy, but look at the rest of the roster). of course you think theyre set up for success, because you are woefully mundane and they so clearly have everything figured out. theyre apparently so strong they fight a dragon at 15 years old (which the principal brought himself back from the dead for? because he also COMMITTED MURDER-SUICIDE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL SO THAT TWO OF THEM COULD LIVE???) while the rest of the freshmen stay in the far-haven woods. your adventuring party, the high-five heroes, is nice, and Lucy Frostblade is your best friend- she seems to think of you as one-in-a-billion, which you tell yourself is true. still, you see cracks- oisin and ivy would pick each other over the party any day, ruben votes against you because he knows youre upset about it, and mary ann is. there. then on your first real adventure out in the mountains, you are given a chaperone because you apparently can't handle yourselves- and you die anyway. rage brings you and most of your party back. lucy, however, stays dead, and you cant help but wonder if you simply werent special enough for her to get up again.

[asharkapologist]

A Day Off

A/N: this is just a silly little one-shot regarding my favorite rare pair in Criminal Case, Archie Rochester x Elisa Melody. This one-shot also prominently features Sebastian, one of @chelleinyy 's wonderful OCs!

However, TW for one brief mention of suicide, as well as spoilers for Mysteries of the Past.

With that being said, thank you for reading.

Archie Rochester had only been Deputy Mayor Lawson’s assistant for a week, and already Sebastian was concerned that Lawson was going to permanently damage his vocal cords with his constant bellowing at his assistant. 

Not that Sebastian could particularly blame him. Archie was a very unlikable, self-important young man. Sebastian was civil to him, but some days prior, he’d had the great misfortune of being stuck in the same room as him while the mayor and deputy mayor had a private meeting. Archie had prattled on about his accolades and his family’s power, while Sebastian had employed his talent of appearing attentive while barely paying any attention to Archie. Sebastian had dealt with people ruder than Archie, but Sebastian knew better than to antagonize the Rochesters. 

After all, because of Archie’s Mr. Alastor parties, six people, seven if you counted his valet who had taken his own life, had died. Even if Archie had not killed anyone himself and the murderers had worked independently without Archie’s influence--with the exception of his valet, of course--Sebastian was not about to make an enemy of him.

And that was not even mentioning Archie’s father, Senator Rochester, whom Sebastian had seen far more frequently. The man was cheerful and affable, especially to the mayor, but Sebastian was not an idiot. He knew tragic, unexpected, and mysterious fates tended to befall people who criticized the Rochesters or did too well in political campaigns against the senator. 

Sebastian sighed deeply away from the confines of the courthouse as he walked down the busy streets of Ivory Hill. He had been feeling somewhat helpless this past week. Mayor Castletown had recently, conveniently, disappeared for a fishing trip around the time Archie had been appointed as Deputy Mayor Lawson’s assistant. Sebastian suspected Castletown had done so in hopes that the anger his deputy mayor was feeling towards Malcolm Rochester would fade after the senator passed the bill monopolizing the press, and Castletown would be able to return to a harmonious Concordia. A Concordia free of strife between the deputy mayor and senator; a Concordia free of the multiple problems that had been recently affecting it.

Given how Deputy Mayor Lawson had had three verbal confrontations with Senator Rochester within the past week, all of which ended with Lawson either angrily shouting at the senator or storming from the room while Malcolm looked on with an innocent smile, Sebastian suspected the mayor’s hopes would be in vain.

Justin Lawson had taken the helm as much as he could as interim mayor while the actual mayor was gone, but many things he truly wanted to do--such as throw Malcolm Rochester out of office, Sebastian suspected--were unable to be done without proof of wrongdoing, or were outside of the limits of his office. Sebastian could not help but wonder, however, if Lawson was better equipped to be mayor than Castletown. Lawson was unlikely to blatantly ignore the severe problems Concordia struggled with, such as poverty and corruption. Sinner’s End and parts of New Haven and Coyote Gorge were testament to the fact that homelessness and poverty had only worsened over the past years, something Castletown had barely made an effort in fixing. 

Today, however, Justin Lawson might finally get a break from one of his least favorite members of the Rochester family, because although it was ten in the morning when Sebastian had left the courthouse some minutes prior, Archie had yet to appear at work.

Lawson had been simmering in his office for nearly three hours until he had finally approached Sebastian, who was sitting in the mayor’s office, trying to figure out what exactly he could do with his very limited power in the mayor’s absence as problems continued to mount, and said with an angry yet exasperated huff, “Sebastian, my assistant has decided not to appear at work today. I usually have him fetch me a cup of coffee…do you mind doing that for me, please? With all the sleepless nights I’ve spent recently, I desperately need it.”

Glad to be doing something useful to combat his growing sense of helplessness and feeling great amounts of pity for the deputy mayor, Sebastian had readily accepted the deputy mayor’s money and was now walking to Lawson’s favorite coffee shop to buy him a cup. He was halfway to the shop, a quick ten to fifteen minute walk away, and was passing by one of Ivory Hill’s illustrious parks.

His eyes wandered over to the park. Although it was November, Concordia was not a particularly freezing city, and while many people donned jackets and some blankets, several people were lying in the sun outside, napping, reading, or quietly conversing, carefree and free of worry, unlike him. His eyes fell on one particular young couple talking to each other on a blanket under a tree. Sometimes he wished that he could--

Wait.

Sebastian abruptly stopped walking and stared at the couple, shading his eyes from the sun and squinting at them.

Was that…?

He took a few steps closer to get a better look at the pair and his suspicions were correct. 

Archie Rochester was indeed one of the members of said couple, lying on his partner’s lap, looking up at her. 

Sebastian had seen several odd occurrences in his career, but still, his jaw dropped incredulously. For a start, he had not predicted that any woman would be interested in spending time with Archie after his Mr. Alastor scandal.

Sebastian searched his memory. He had seen that young woman before. She was a prominent party planner. Her name….Melody. Emma? Eliza? Elisa. That sounded right. Elisa Melody. 

Sebastian continued staring at Archie and Elisa. Although they were talking to each other, they were too far away for Sebastian to hear anything they were saying. 

Considering what had happened the last time Archie had attempted to woo a girl, Sebastian could not help but be slightly alarmed at Archie’s evident attraction to Miss Melody. Then again, when Archie was hosting his Mr. Alastor parties, Giulietta had not been aware of Archie’s obsession with her. Miss Melody was clearly very aware of Archie’s infatuation with her, given how she was allowing him to rest on her lap and seemed to be very much at ease. 

This was all a very rare moment of Archie being decent, deciding to casually speak with someone rather than what he would normally be doing now: antagonizing Lawson.

Well, for whatever reason Archie had skipped work, evidently to be with a young woman in the park, Lawson would still-- 

Lawson!

His coffee certainly wasn’t going to buy itself, and Lawson certainly deserved at the very least, a quickly-bought, hot cup of coffee. And standing and staring at Archie Rochester and Elisa Melody together in the park was not going to lead to Lawson drinking his coffee.

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the bizarre sight, Sebastian continued walking.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some forty minutes later, Sebastian entered City Hall and hurried to the deputy mayor’s office with a cup of coffee in hand, taking care not to spill the liquid onto his clothes, hands, or the floor. The line had been somewhat long at the coffee shop, and Sebastian had waited anxiously for his order to be taken and processed, his thoughts swirling between concern regarding Lawson’s high-strung emotions, and Sebastian’s puzzlement regarding Archie and Elisa. Upon hurrying back to City Hall, he had vowed that he would not be distracted by looking at the bizarre couple in the park. However, his curiosity had betrayed him, and he had been unable to stop his eyes from flitting back to the two of them ever so briefly as he passed the park. They had ceased talking, and instead appeared to be sleeping, nestled quite close to each other, which had only created more questions in Sebastian’s mind. 

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Lawson said, gratefully accepting the coffee. “It is wonderful to have a cup of coffee that is actually hot. Archie seems quite incapable of ever delivering coffee in an acceptable state to me; that brat always delivers room temperature coffee at best and cold coffee at worst, all with an insufferable smirk on his face; that pest is such a--”

Sebastian allowed Lawson to continue to air his grievances about his assistant, nodding and making verbal assents when appropriate, but his focus was elsewhere. He supposed that he could imagine Archie displaying public displays of affection, given his… strong feelings for Giulietta Capecchi, but his actions as Mr. Alastor were quite the red flag, so to speak. He was still not entirely sure why anyone would bother to enter into a romantic relationship with him. 

But while, unlike Archie, Elisa Melody was not morally questionable and Sebastian had never spoken to the party planner, he had heard that she could be somewhat rude and snappy, even if she was excellent at her work. It was difficult to imagine such a young woman like her, not being known for holding back her opinions, being interested in someone like Archie, who was not known for his kindness. 

But there they had been, both looking happy in each other’s company, Archie being unconcerned that he was skipping work, certainly privileged enough to believe he could get away with such truancy. But none of that explained how--

“Sebastian?” Lawson said, Sebastian’s attention snapped back at the deputy mayor, realizing he had been staring vaguely at the man, but not focusing on him. “Are you alright?”

Sebastian was no worse than he had been that morning, he supposed, just madly confused. But he knew that mentioning that he had seen Archie in the park would lead to nothing positive. He had a sudden image in his mind of the deputy mayor storming from City Hall, running to the park, and searching for his unruly assistant, yelling Archie’s name. That would be quite the embarrassing spectacle, although the press would be sure to love such a show. 

Lawson was already angry at his assistant. Either way, Sebastian mentioning he had seen him would worsen Lawson’s mood, and perhaps cause more rounds of ranting and gesticulating about how irresponsible, immature, and useless his assistant was. 

Sebastian would certainly visit Archie later and update him on his employer’s state, imploring him to return to work the next day, however. Lawson was close to his breaking point, and his assistant abandoning his duties a second day was sure to drive the deputy mayor closer to the edge and create more headaches for Sebastian. 

And with what he hoped was a reassuring, rather than forced, positive demeanor, said, “Yes, Deputy Mayor Lawson. Everything is perfectly fine.”

[aaronstveit]

new septembers readathon book recs

i like making lists so i thought it would be fun to make a list of recommendations that fit at least one prompt in case people were struggling to find books!! every book on this list, i have either already read & enjoyed, or it's on my tbr:) books i have not read yet will be marked by an asterisk! and if you're not joining the readathon, this can still help you find some good books to read this autumn :)

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith (a book about witches)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna* (a book about witches, a cozy fantasy)

Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz (a creepy/horror book, a short story collection)

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang (dark academia, a book that takes place (partially) in september)

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia (a book about a haunted house, a creepy/horror book, a gothic novel)

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman* (a book about witches, an autumnal romance)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (dark academia, a book that takes place (partially) in september)

Weyward by Emilia Hart* (a book about witches)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (a gothic novel, an autumnal classic)

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper* (a book about witches, an autumnal romance)

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass (a creepy/horror book, a september 2023 release)

Wild Is the Witch by Rachel Griffin* (a book about witches)

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones (a creepy/horror book)

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling* (a book about witches, an autumnal romance)

After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis (a murder mystery, a book with a red cover)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston* (an autumnal romance)

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo (a creepy/horror book, a book about a haunted house)

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow* (a book about witches)

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (dark academia, a book that takes place (partially) in september)

Legends & Lattes* by Travis Baldree* (a cozy fantasy, an autumnal romance)

Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, Berenice Nelle, and more (a graphic novel, a retelling/reimagining)

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas* (a book about a haunted house, a creepy/horror book)

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton (a graphic novel, a retelling/reimagining)

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke (a creepy/horror book, a short story collection)

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake* (dark academia)

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron (a creepy/horror book, a book with a red cover)

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher* (a creepy/horror book, a retelling/reimagining, a gothic novel)

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (a murder mystery, a book with an orange cover)

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill* (a creepy/horror book, a retelling/reimagining)

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Joseph Andrew White (a creepy/horror book, a gothic novel, a september 2023 release)

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson* (a creepy/horror book, a book about vampires, a retelling/reimagining)

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (a murder mystery)

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher* (a gothic novel, a creepy/horror book)

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie (a book with an orange cover)

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson* (a book about vampires, a creepy/horror book)

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (dark academia, an autumnal classic)

Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo* (a graphic novel, a book about witches, a book that takes place at a private/boarding school)

Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz (a murder mystery, a september 2023 release)

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu* (a creepy/horror book, a book about vampires, a book with a red cover, an autumnal classic)

Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (a book with a red cover, a september 2023 release)

Coven by Jennifer Dugan, Kit Seaton* (a graphic novel, a book about witches)

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould (a creepy/horror book, a book with an orange cover)

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes* (a book with a yellow cover)

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman* (a book with an orange cover)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson* (a creepy/horror book, an autumnal classic)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (autumnal romance, a book with a red cover)

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (a murder mystery, a book with a red cover)

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran* (a creepy/horror book)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (an autumnal classic)

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (an autumnal classic, a book that (partially) takes place in september)

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (a creepy/horror book)

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick* (a book with a yellow cover, a book that (partially) takes place in september)

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (a creepy/horror book, a book about a haunted house)

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall (a creepy/horror book)

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror edited by Tori Bovalino (a creepy/horror book, a short story collection)

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (an autumnal romance, an autumnal classic, a book with a red cover)

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (a creepy/horror book)

Dracula by Bram Stoker (a book about vampires, a creepy/horror book, an autumnal classic)

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (a creepy/horror book, a retelling/reimagining)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (a murder mystery)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (a creepy/horror book, an autumnal classic)

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow, Liz Lawson (a murder mystery)

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (an autumnal classic)

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (a retelling/reimagining, a murder mystery, a book that takes place at a private/boarding school)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare (an autumnal classic)

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (a murder mystery, a book that takes place at a private/boarding school, a book that (partially) takes place in september)

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (a murdery mystery)

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun* (a book with an orange cover, an autumnal romance, september 2023 release)

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado (short story collection, creepy/horror book)

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (a book with a yellow cover, a book that takes place at a boarding/private school)

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould (a creepy/horror book)

Crooked House by Agatha Christie (a murder mystery, a book that (partially) takes place in september, a book with a red cover)

Ace of Spades by Fariday Àbíké-Íyímídé (dark academia)

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas (retelling/reimagining)

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (a cozy fantasy)

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (an autumnal classic, a creepy/horror book, a book about a haunted house, a book with an orange cover)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (an autumnal classic)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (an autumnal classic)

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist* (a creepy/horror book, a gothic novel)

[girlactionfigure]

Seventy-six years ago, he disappeared.

Unable to find the truth regarding the disappearance of their son, his parents died by suicide, overdosing on pills two days apart in 1979.

To this day, his disappearance is still a mystery.

Raoul Wallenberg — whom the UN called “the greatest humanitarian of the 20th century” — risked his life to save the life of strangers he did not know, yet "he was not himself saved by so many who could have done so," according to Professor Irwin Cotler, the chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.

Wallenberg, called the Hero of the Holocaust, disappeared on January 17, 1945.

The Peace Page has written about Wallenberg before, how he is believed to have issued more than 10,000 protective passports and saved as many as 100,000 Jews, but like many individuals, he has many stories. The Peace Page will continue to update readers with new or additional information, when relevant, to continue to share awareness so their stories are not forgotten.

"Born a Swede, Raul Wallenberg is remembered as a (honorary) citizen of the world. He is an honorary American, honorary Canadian, and honorary Israeli. He was the first individual to ever receive honorary Australian citizenship," according to the Library of Congress.

He also received a U.S. education as an architect from the University of Michigan. He became an honorary citizen of the United States due to the efforts of House Representative Tom Lantos who was saved by Wallenberg in Hungary in 1944, according to the Library of Congress.

Today, January 17, 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:

“Today, we honour Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat in Budapest in the 1940s who put himself in harm’s way to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from persecution and death during the Holocaust."

“Mr. Wallenberg was a true humanitarian and hero, who led an important rescue effort that saved more Jews from the horrors of the Nazi regime than any other individual, organization, or government," Trudeau said. "A man of incredible bravery and courage, he went to great lengths to provide special protective passports – Schutz-Passes – to thousands of Jews, saving them from deportation to concentration camps. Mr. Wallenberg also created a network of safe havens operating under the protection of the Swedish flag, offering refuge to Jews fleeing persecution."

"Wallenberg, a non-Jewish Swedish diplomat, was a beacon of light during the darkest days of the Holocaust, and his inspiration remains so today. Prior to his arrival in the Swedish legation in Budapest in mid-July 1944, some 440,000 Hungarian Jews had been deported to Auschwitz in 10 weeks — the fastest, cruelest and most efficient mass murder of the Holocaust. Yet Wallenberg rescued some 100,000 Jews in Hungary in the last six months of 1944, demonstrating that one person with the compassion to care, and the courage to act, can confront evil, prevail and transform history," according to Cotler.

"He recruited 350 volunteers, rented 32 safe houses covered by diplomatic immunity, organised vital supplies of food and clothing, and issued thousands of “letters of protection”, official-looking documents that had no legal authority but were widely accepted by Hungarian and German officials, often with the aid of a bribe," according to the Guardian.

Despite the threats on his life, Wallenberg continued to try to help as many people as he could.

He even received a veiled threat from Nazi Adolf Eichmann. According to PBS' American Experience:

"In December 1944, the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg attended a small dinner party in Budapest; also at the table was the Nazi Adolf Eichmann. The two men were in Hungary on opposing missions: Wallenberg was there to rescue Jews; Eichmann was there to kill them. Their conversation was barbed. The war was almost over, Wallenberg pointed out. Why didn't Eichmann give up his task? Eichmann replied that he would do his job until the very end so that when he walked to the gallows he would know he had successfully carried out his assignment. The Nazi added that Wallenberg wasn't immune from danger, even a neutral diplomat, he warned, could meet with an accident."

Wallenberg did not know then that it wasn't just the Nazis, who were threatened by him.

In 1945, he was invited to the Soviet military HQ.

"He was last seen leaving Budapest by car to meet Soviet military officials in Eastern Hungary," according to American Experience.

That was January 17, 1945.

"He disappeared into the Gulag, with the Soviets first claiming that he died of a heart attack in July 1947, and then subsequently changing their story to claim that he was murdered — also in July 1947," according to Cotler.

"His family have never received an official explanation for his detention, although suspicions he was also spying for the Americans, and his connections with some senior German politicians – he negotiated his humanitarian mission with, among others, Adolf Eichmann – have been suggested," according to the Guardian.

Last year, Marie von Dardel-Dupuy, the niece of Wallenberg, said, “I want specific answers to specific questions . . . He was a great man who wasn’t afraid to do the impossible. He deserves for us to know what happened to him. His story is unfinished – the mystery must be resolved. There are still so many closed doors, and we must have help in opening them.”

"What happened to Wallenberg is not clear, but a Swedish-Russian working group in 2000 concluded that Russia had not proved that Wallenberg died of a heart attack (or through execution) in the Lubyanka Prison in 1947 as had been suggested by Soviet officials during the 1950s," according to the Library of Congress.

Trudeau said, "Tragically, Mr. Wallenberg disappeared after he was arrested by Soviet forces near the end of the war. While his fate remains unknown, his legacy lives on. In honour of his heroic efforts, countless awards, monuments, institutions, and anti-racism campaigns now bear his name."

"We must always stand up to hatred and racism," Trudeau said. "With compassion and courage, we each have the power to make a difference in the lives of those around us.”

[Photo from the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights]

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

[afalls14universe]

ʙʟᴜᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ || ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ

❝ 𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐒, ━━ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐆𝐎 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆?❞

・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

》 STATUS: ongoing

》 GENRE: murder mystery. teen drama. thriller. drama. romance. coming of age. young adult.

》 WARNINGS: this novel series contains thriller, (mild & possible) sexual themes, chilling themes, character (s) death, murder, alcohol use, drug use, sad themes, swearing, mature subject matter, touching moments, and funny/cheesy scenes.

・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

➽ SYNOPSIS:

IT BEGAN WITH TWO PEOPLE. Two people whose lives would change everything, and their love for one another would be the cause of a small town’s demise. It was the year, 1982, in a small town on the coast of Oregon. Phones had cords, pop culture took flight, dance moves were born and everyone knew everyone in that tiny little town. The name of this town was Blue Haven. No one ever thought that the safe, decent, and innocent town would be forever changed by the mysterious disappearance of star-crossed lovers, Enid Stuart and Campbell Browning. No one knew where they were or if they were still alive. And no one was prepared for what was to come in the following months.

➽ PARTS:

🔎 Announcement ⟶ book cover reveal...

🔎 Introduction ⟶ welcome to blue haven, we welcome you... published...

↳ the beginning and synopsis...

🔎 Prologue ⟶ it began with two people… published…

↳ the beginning to an terrible end…

🔎 Episode One ⟶ home again… published…

↳ After leaving her new life behind, Lillian Beck finds herself back in her hometown named, Blue Haven. Where the townspeople deal with the disappearance of young- lovers, Enid Stuart & Campbell Browning…

🔎 Episode Two ⟶ everyone is a suspect… published…

↳ Lillian and Harvey reunite. Amelia keeps a secret. The students of Crestview meet Sheriff Greyson and Detective Nuñez and learn about the missing kids. Charlie and Lillian work on a murder board. Harvey is forced to spend time with Lorraine. A shocking secret is revealed…

🔎 Episode Three ⟶ late night in blue haven… in writing progress…

↳ The aftermath of Amelia and Campbell’s sex tape. Elias delivers some harsh news to Amelia, causing her to reflect on her actions. Lillian joins Marigold and Charlie at Elias’ party. Lillian suspects there’s something strange about her new house. Harvey suspects that Lorraine is up to no good.

🔎 Episode Four ⟶ curiosity killed the cat… coming soon…

🔎 Episode Five ⟶ bittersweet symphony… coming soon…

🔎 Episode Six ⟶ the eventful aftermath… coming soon…

🔎 Episode Seven ⟶ fast times at crestview prep… coming soon…

🔎 Episode Eight ⟶ the blue crew… coming soon…

➽ EXTRA CONTENT:

🔎 Trailer ⟶ blue haven - season one…

・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

more episodes coming soon...

@ifalls14 @mellowladyangel @shippinggirl2424 @betzabobababi @taylarose @justyouraveragedorkygirl

[chryzure-archive]

what do chryzure/chrysijacks do for halloween? what does jacks think abt halloween? what does he think abt horror movies? do you have any top 5 moments or scenes in other media that make u think of chryzure?

chryzure is staying home and watching horror movies and playing horror video games (……….well, chrysi’s playing the horror games. azure is watching while he plays w the cats) and eating candy… they’re vv lowkey on halloween because they don’t need anyone but each other :) besides, chrysi feels like the halloween spirit is more fun when they go to the halloween parties BEFORE halloween because she likes having that day to her and azure.

chrysijacks is jacks dragging chrysi to a halloween ball + decking her out in a gorgeous gown and all her jewelry :3 jacks is also like. wearing adequate clothes. he’s not as pretty as chrysi unfortunately. anyway there are definitely Creachers afoot, along with curses, so chrysijacks halloween tends to be spent doing work :((( this is part of the reason chrysi tries to stay in on halloween bc she SWEARS that she attracts curses when she’s out and about on halloween.

related to that last one, emery likes to throw a lot of halloween parties at the house, so chrysi’s always like “:) awesome :) so many civilians to be in danger :) haha :)” and jacks is trying to distract her from her stress. at this point, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. THAT SAID, chrysi will happily bake halloween treats for emery + she wants her niece to have friends, so she won’t ever tell emery to stop throwing halloween parties. jst…. start doing it earlier in the month <333

this is only marginally related to those other ones, BUT i rlly like chrysijacks (w past chryzure, since azure is also there… yes this is my haven au for them) costume party with a murder mystery / curse twist to it…. jst feels nice and cozy and vv like something jacks was like “this will be a fun way to spend halloween, i swear everything will be fine this time :) yes, i’m renting out a haunted house. no, nothing will go wrong” <- FOOL.

i think that jacks would only enjoy halloween bc of the social life aspect… he likes going to parties. he likes the thrill of doing things. it’s a very busy time of year :) but he doesn’t understand the hype around the spooky-specific part of halloween, since he’s lived for so long (plus….. it scares him a little bit……….. :((……)

JACKS DOES NOT LIKE HORROR MOVIES!!! HE DOESN’T LIKE HORROR MOVIES AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! unfortunately, chrysi does. FORTUNATELY, jacks will just bury his face in the crook of her neck… he gets to be very very close to his gf :3

top five scenes that are super chryzurecore in media:

WHEN KALEN DENIED THE LAWS OF NATURE STATING THAT A DEATHSEEKER COULD NEVER BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE AND HE PULLED HIMSELF OUT OF HIS GRAVE, PURELY BC HE LOVED TEA SOSOSOSO MUCH AND HE WANTED TO BE WITH HER……………………. azure would also crawl out of his grave jst to be with chrysi <3333

that one scene in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind at the end where joel’s in his first memory of clementine and everything’s falling apart around him and he starts do reenact the way their first meeting went by leaving… then clementine asks him to stay… and the ocean starts filling the house and the house / his memories are falling apart around them and they kiss + she tells him to meet her at the beach where they met THEN AFTER HIS MEMORY WAS WIPED, HE STILL WENT THERE……,… “what if you stayed this time?” AAAGHH!!! heartbreaking but precisely what i would love to write for chryzure…….

frm tbhk, where hanako created a pocket dimension for nene to live in + he made himself as her classmate, all so he could save her from being a ritual sacrifice…. ohhh, the chryzure moment of it all…. ESP when he’s holding her unconscious body, except she’s not unconscious and she doesn’t know wtf to do in that situation 💀

… in severance, when mark s. went to therapy and was saying that ms. casey was a person too + he wanted that connection… also when they passed each other in that rlly narrow hallway on the way to the corrections room and they looked at each other and apologized… ALL WHILE YOU KNOW THAT THEY’RE MARRIED ON THE OUTSIDE + MS. CASEY IS ASSUMED TO BE DEAD….. idk if i’m being clear, but oh my goddd. oh my god. chrysi and azure…. her husband is her therapist but they don’t even know it and chrysi helped him feel more human down there… aghhhhhh,,,,,,

mayhem make out scene after they killed a ton of ppl + they’re covered in blood. yep. chryzure. also chryzure when they do that the second time, after azure “betrayed” chrysi—so he could sneak the key into her mouth.. kissing while being covered in blood is very chrysi and azure. jst so you know,…

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: For Fans of… The White Lotus

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path. But like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.

Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome expects, despite a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.

But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts - and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.

When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive.

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

When Liv and Nora decide to take their families on a holiday cruise, everyone is thrilled. The ship's comforts and possibilities seem infinite. The children - two eleven-year-olds, an eight-year-old, and a six-year-old - love the nonstop buffet and the independence they have at the Kids' Club. But when they all go ashore in beautiful Central America, a series of minor misfortunes leads the families farther and farther from the ship's safety. One minute the children are there, and the next they're gone.

What follows is a riveting, revealing story told from the perspectives of the adults and the children, as the once-happy parents - now turning on one another and blaming themselves - try to recover their children and their lives.

Mustique Island by Sarah McCoy

It’s January 1972 but the sun is white hot when Willy May Michael’s boat first kisses the dock of Mustique Island. Tucked into the southernmost curve of the Caribbean, Mustique is a private island that has become a haven for the wealthy and privileged. Its owner is the eccentric British playboy Colin Tennant, who is determined to turn this speck of white sand into a luxurious neo-colonial retreat for his rich friends and into a royal court in exile for the Queen’s rebellious sister, Princess Margaret - one where Her Royal Highness can skinny dip, party, and entertain lovers away from the public eye.

Willy May, a former beauty queen from Texas - who is also no stranger to marital scandals - seeks out Mustique for its peaceful isolation. Determined to rebuild her life and her relationships with her two daughters, Hilly, a model, and Joanne, a musician, she constructs a fanciful white beach house across the island from Princess Margaret - and finds herself pulled into the island’s inner circle of aristocrats, rock stars, and hangers-on.

When Willy May’s daughters arrive, they discover that beneath its veneer of decadence, Mustique has a dark side, and like sand caught in the undertow, their mother-daughter story will shift and resettle in ways they never could have imagined.

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams 

Dimple Pennington knew of her half siblings, but she didn't really know them. Five people who don't have anything in common except for faint memories of being driven through Brixton in their dad's gold jeep, and some pretty complex abandonment issues. Dimple has bigger things to think about. She's thirty, and her life isn't really going anywhere. An aspiring lifestyle influencer with a terrible and wayward boyfriend, Dimple's life has shrunk to the size of a phone screen. And despite a small but loyal following, she's never felt more alone in her life. That is, until a dramatic event brings her half siblings Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie and Prynce crashing back into her life. And when they're all forced to reconnect with Cyril Pennington, the absent father they never really knew, things get even more complicated.

[future-of-features]

Mga Sulat kay Kamatayan - 7/10/23

Before the Japanese occupation, there was once a mountainside town in Nueva Ecija called Iriga. Iriga was blessed with a fertile soil with plenty of flourishing crops. It was also located near a water fall, which allowed local people to obtain free access to potable water. It was a heavenly place for children to live, with all the playful animals that wander everywhere. Iriga was an ethereal place.

That was, until people learned to abuse their blessings. The townspeople of Iriga became selfish with their crops, and instead of selling it to the market, they went to enjoy it with themselves. They built a large wall of concrete and bricks to avoid tourists to visit the place. No more people were welcome to Iriga, and it became a sole thing for the people.

At first, the locals were overjoyed. They got to enjoy their flourishing crops, they got to bathe in the long water falls and they killed animals to feast with. Every night it was a party, and every morning people laughed about what happened the night before. Iriga was like a clubhouse where drunkards are scattered everywhere.

That was it when the gods in the heavens decided to intervene. They blessed Iriga with beautiful characteristics for the people to take care of, and not to harm. The gods put a decision to take lives of the hundreds of thousands of residents of the town. It was overheard by the Death, the mysterious "god" in a cloak with a scythe. He then decided to take this opportunity to take lives of the wasteful people of Iriga.

Then it happened. Death visited the town of Iriga and brutally murdered drunkards, farmers, fishermen and prostitutes. Death killed butchers and tax collectors. Nothing stopped Death.

Not until he saw a woman named El. El was the wife of an innocent farmer, and mother to three children.

With El's mesmerizing skin and ebony hair, she was someone men would climb mountains for. Her husband, Brin was one of the lives taken by Death. Brin was an innocent farmer who toiled soils all his life to feed his family. However, with the evilness of his neighbors, he was succumbed to the end of his life, too.

Ever since the mysterious and continuous increase in the number of deaths in Iriga, all the blessings that the gods gave to the town disappeared one by one. The dark soils lost its fertility. The water falls suddenly stopped flowing. The animals suddenly became endangered, some even went extinct. The once ethereal Iriga became a hell-like haven.

El was devastated with the loss of her husband. She wept everyday, walking around the mountains with her children, praying for her husband to be revived, as he was innocent unlike the others. Death began to stop taking lives continuously in Iriga, and watched the people suffer in despair. Some of which he enjoyed, but mercy struck Death as he watched El lose her sanity everyday.

Death left the town as it couldn't bear the pain in it. Death could not watch the people, especially El, cry in agony, wishing for their people to come back. The gods thanked Death, and they vowed to never bless another town again. As the wall of concrete and bricks begin to fall as it loses foundation, Japanese armies strike Iriga and begin to take lives. They started brutality to people. Without men conquering for them, Iriga begins to fall down.

El and her children runs away, and as Death watches them, he couldn't do anything to help. He couldn't take lives of Japanese armies as the gods didn't order him to. With the Japanese soldiers shooting and killing El's children, she runs for her life. She is all alone, without anyone with her. Her husband, her children, all gone—it's El and herself against the world.

She hides in a far away stone while crying nonstop, as she couldn't process the thought that she just lost her family within a time span of days. She was angry at the gods, angry at herself and angry at the people of Iriga. With nothing to lose, she grabs her bolo, and prepares to take her own life to be with her family once more. But she wouldn't want to, as this wasn't the dream that she had for her husband and for her children. She dreamt of a beautiful life, but with the fall of Iriga to the hands of Death and to the hands of the Japanese, it will now only remain a dream. She drops her bolo, but instead gets a pen and paper. She is struggling to write, but she still has a readable penmanship. She wrote this letter to death;

"Mahal na Kamatayan,

Hindi ko inasahan na sa isang iglap lamang ay kukuhanin mo ang buhay ng aking minamahal na pamilya. Noong nakaraang araw ay aking asawa, at kani-kanina lamang ay ang aking mga anak. Hindi lang ang pamilya ko, at pati rin ang bayan na aking kinalakhan. Ang mga taong nakikita ko araw-araw. Ang mga halamang malalago, ang talon kung saan kami'y naliligo noong araw. Ang mga hayop na kalaro ko na naging kalaro rin ng aking mga anak. Siguro nga'y kasalanan din namin, kung bakit mo kinuha ang Iriga sa amin. Kasalanan din namin kung bakit kami isa-isang nawala. Alam kong sa mga susunod na araw ay kukuhanin mo na rin ako, at mayroon lamang akong tatlong hiling, na sana ay mapagbigyan mo. Una, sa aking kamatayan ay isama mo ako sa asawa ko at anak. Pangalawa, patawarin nyo ang mga kasalanan na nagawa ng mga kabayan ko. Ikatlo, ay pagpalain mo ang bundok na ito kung anumang mangyari dito. Sinusulat ko ito sa iyo hindi upang magpaawa, ngunit nais ko lang ipagpasalamat na minsan ay pinagpala mo ako, sa isang pamilya na hindi ko ipagpapalit kahit kanino man, at pinagpala mo rin ako sa isang lugar kung saan naramdaman ko na ako ay ligtas. Marahil ay hanggang dito na lamang ang sulat na ito, maraming salamat sa lahat-lahat, Kamatayan. Maraming salamat.

Nagmamahal,

El."

[sunshine-in-a-bottle]

I'm super fucking torn about whether I should post all the Dragon Age/ Herald Dream Au Notes to tumblr as I work instead of just yelling in Vaults DMs because one one hand, I know there's like Two Other People who know what the hell I'm talking about. On the other hand, If I just posts in Vaults DMs I'm far more likely to get a response and possibly additional thoughts. I am struggling. Every Day I Wake Up.

Anyway, have some stuff for the AU, for the people who DO know what I'm on about, at least a little:

- The War Table consists of Punz as the Spymaster, Techno as the Commander, and Bad as the Ambassador.

- Sapnap and Dream were childhood best friends, but when Fereldan was struck with the blight they were separated. Sapnap ended up in Kirkwall, where he met George, and they were companions of the Champion of Kirkwall. Sapnap dragged George to Haven after he heard Dream was found as the only survivor of the Conclave. They missed each other so much.

- Solas and Cole still exist in this AU! Dream adores Solas and trusts him completely, and while Cole's insights make Dream uncomfortable, he also regards Cole as one of his people, and won't tolerate people attempting to hurt him.

- George loathes Solas with every fiber of his being, and most of their banter is extremely snarky. Throughout their time together George has made multiple attempts to convince Dream that they don't need him, but Solas is using his spies and a lot of really well timed incidents to make George look like he's just being silly and jealous. George isn't aware of who Solas really is (he doesn't care enough to go looking) he just doesn't like how much of a self important asshole he is, or how much he takes advantage of Dream's favor.

- Karl is this world's Dorian, and he's enjoying it very much. Karl going "Don't worry; I'm here, I'll protect you" to Dream lives in my mind rent free.

- More of Dream's party members include: Philza, who is a Knight Enchanter, HBomb, who is a Champion Warden, Tommy, who is an artificer Red Jenny. I have some vague outlines for stuff I want to do with them, and like three paragraphs of writing for Tommy and Dream.

- When Tommy suggests Jar of Bees, Punz is disturbingly enthusiastic about the idea. Techno is forced to take the soldiers out to go find the beekeeper, and he spends the entire time grumbling.

- Punz and Dream have a very important friendship in this AU. As some of the best lone mercenaries in their field, they ran in the same circles and took related jobs often, and grew to rely on each other. Punz worked hard to gain Dream's trust, and Dream has put in effort to make sure Punz always had food on the table, even if it risked not having any for himself. Despite this, Dream holds Punz at arms length (not willing to get so close to anyone after both the Blight and all the times he's been betrayed as a merc) and by the time Inquisition starts, Punz's position as Spymaster and Dream as the Herald has left their relationship strained.

- Dream and Techno playing chess also lives in my mind rent free.

- Foolish is responsible for all of Skyhold's repairs, and he's also in charge of making sure XD doesn't commit Criminal Activity. Most of this criminal activity is bothering Cole, who does not like him, but asking Dream questions and pissing off Solas are also his preferred pasttimes. XD can be found on the Courtyard roof holding a chicken in his lap.

- Sometimes Cole will just appear, put a cat in Dream's lap, and vanish. Catnip will mysteriously appear in Dream's pockets,

- Dreams mount of choice is the Dracolisk. His name is Arlo. (Spirit died before the conclave, taking an arrow meant for Dream)

- SNF used to do a lot of cuddling during DA2. DA:I they still can be found lounging together, this time attempting to coax Dream into a big sleep pile. Truly DTeam wins this.

- Yes Dream loses his arm in Trespasser. Sapnap, George, and Punz have collectively decided to murder Solas for it. After forcing Dream to rest.

- Dream takes Solas' betrayal really well! (no he does not)

- I have like five fanfics right now two thirds of the way done for this series, but every time I sit down to finish one I go "y'know this could be a bit longer" and then I get distracted.

Bonus:

[dailyadventureprompts]

Theme Week #13: Paladin 🛡

Another Week, another class! This time rather than varying the culture as I did with the fighter, I tried to throw out some VERY different interpritations of the paladin’s core theme, and I think I’ve got a delightful selection of prompts for you this week. 

His Majesty, King Marlow the Incardinate: That’s right, we’re starting off with a paladin BBEG, a wicked monarch who asserted his lawful right to retake his family’s throne with the help of a mercenary army and a whole lot of demons. Less heavy handed than your traditional dark lord, King Marlow is more interested in maintaining the status quo through the use of his fiendish envoys than bringing about any hellish end of the world. 

Corusakht, the Orphaned Splendor: A dragon escaped from the menagerie of a powerful sultan, now taken up residence on the royal necropolis and dissolving anyone she doesn’t like with her radiant breath. Equal parts victim and menace, the party can either help capture this dragon for great glory, or ally alongside it for great riches. 

The Sharp Glare of a Distant Sun: Victims in this murder mystery are found across the city are found with precise burnmarks through their skulls, indicating an archer of impossible skill somehow able to wield the sun’s own light as a weapon. At the same time, an enterprising noble with an interest in archeology exploits the situation for his own benefit, using the chaos as a means to increase his own prestige. 

Gate of the Dawnbreaker: These cryptic doors appear throughout the ages, foretelling of a coming doom and promising salvation inside. Made of celestial adamantine, the only thing that can open them is a true plea for deliverance. Within lays a safe haven, or possibly a gauntlet of challenges that will test whether the party is worthy enough to inherit the vault’s most powerful defenses. 

The Wrathful Squire: After accruing a reputation as heroes and dogooders, the party finds themselves dogged by a scrawny girl carrying a big sword and a LOT of attitude, who volunteers her services as a camp follower if the party’s warriors will teach her how to fight. There’s a lot more to this ragamuffin than meats the eye, and she may end up impressing the party with both her skill and her bravery in time. 

As always, I’m tremendously grateful for all my followers, but if you’d like to support my creative efforts, consider checking out the links below:

If you liked one of my adventure ideas and would like to leave a one time tip: https://ko-fi.com/villainforhire.

If you’d like to support Daily Adventure Prompts and future creative activity, consider becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/Villain4hire

[shepherds-of-haven]

So I follow MANY interactive fiction blogs and I just have to say that you're my favorite by a long shot because I just love answers that you give in response to hypothetical scenarios and AU's for your characters. Like you actually put in effort and give well-thought out answers, so I thank you for that. As for AU's I have one of my own if you don't mind please. What would be the RO's for a murder mystery a la Cluedo? Bonus points that they can't leave the mansion for extra chaos. Thank you!

Ah, thank you so much for your kind words! 💖 I'm lucky to be a part of such a great community of talented creatives and kind, genuinely awesome people! Interacting with readers is such a pleasure, even if I do fall behind on messages and such I'm so sorry

I'm in North America, so I was genuinely like "what on Earth is Cluedo" gkljglfdjgd only because it's called Clue where I'm from! But I, uh, never played it, so I'm just going to go off of my knowledge from Knives Out 😂

SETTING: a Southern Gothic mansion in an undisclosed location, owned by a woman only referred to in jest as The Autarch by her adopted children. It is a stately manor, richly furnished and glittering with wealth, though imposing and dark-windowed during storms.

CONTEXT: a powerful and wealthy tycoon referred to only as "The Autarch" or "The Iron Lady" was once feared across the country for her ruthless business dealings and formidable empire. In her middle age, a mysterious experience and the sudden death of her husband caused her to have a change of heart, abruptly abandoning her empire to her only son and devoting her life to adopting six orphan children. However, stopping her business dealings did not completely change her personality: she was a hard, unforgiving woman, and her relationships to her children (now all grown) can be described as "strained" at best.

In her declining age, the lonely Autarch in her high mansion somehow came to befriend a psychic by the name of Mimir of the Silver Eye. Only the servants were witness to what was said between them, and even then, they never had the full story. The most that anyone knew was that the Autarch began to express more interest in resuming her business activities again, to the disconcertion of her only biological son, Enik, who had helmed the empire on his own for the last twenty years. Meanwhile, Mimir moved into the mansion to keep her older friend company, and to help advise her on matters both business and personal.

One stormy night, the Autarch calls all 7 of her children back home in order to discuss matters of great importance, including her decisions about her will. Some came eagerly, and others with great reluctance--there were arguments had that were years in coming, and there were private talks between siblings who hadn't interacted in years. But the matter that the Autarch was keen to discuss was postponed: the storm knocked out the power in the mansion, and all turned into bed, sleeping fitfully in rooms they'd abandoned decades earlier.

They never discovered why the Autarch had called them to their old haunting grounds, either, for in the morning, she was found with a knife buried in her heart.

CHARACTERS:

- Riel Syndran. A world-famous private detective and consultant famed across the world for his ability to solve any mystery, no matter how old or tangled. He is known for being comfortable with ruthlessly manipulating interrogation subjects and suspects in order to extract the truth and solve his case no matter what; this obsession and willingness to massage the rules--although he claims the truth is his only goal, above all other things--is what makes him unsuitable for conventional police work, but his results speak for themselves. He arrives on the mansion's doorstep mere minutes after the Autarch is found murdered and is claimed to have been hired by an anonymous party, casting suspicion on his timing and the pre-planned nature of the death. His signature move is being recognized by various people as "the detective who solved the Apple Killer case" (or some other famous case of his) and replying in irritable tones that it was actually "the Orange Killer case, but you were close". He abhors smoking and has doctorates in body language analysis and psychology, as well as a law degree, and is gifted with a photographic memory. He picks invisible lint off of his sleeves while he thinks.

- Blade Bronwyn. An FBI agent (think Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks) who has been in the town of Old Haven investigating a string of serial killings across the country. He hears about the murder of the Autarch from the local police and arrives at the manor a mere hour after they were alerted, keen to investigate the murder as part of his ongoing case. He plays the straight man to Riel's more eccentric detection methods, and is seen more as a serious, by-the-books rule-follower determined to get answers. The suspects in the manor find him to be emotionally-insensitive, blunt, and grim-faced. He has a better sense of smell and sight than Riel does, as well as more combat experience, and is the only person in the manor acknowledged to be carrying a weapon. He takes his coffee black and very strong.

- Enik Goldenson. The Autarch's only biological child and the oldest. He was granted full control of her holdings and business empire when she retired in order to focus on raising her new family. He has made his disdain of his adopted siblings very clear, not least because he resents having to share his future inheritance with them. He has historically been a bully and cruel towards his mother. Rumor had it that he was once studying to become a priest. He has avoided returning to the mansion ever since Trouble knocked his lights out at fourteen years of age. He was once briefly engaged to fellow heiress Lavinet Naveen, who eventually spurned him, finding him "repulsive." He has the most bad blood among anyone in the family and is considered one of the prime suspects in the Autarch's murder, as it was possible that she may planned to cut him out of the will. Blade places his suspect status as RED while Riel believes he is at an ORANGE: Enik may be far too clever to kill his own mother under such suspicious and bloody circumstances.

- Trouble Alder. The first of the Autarch's adopted children, he was once an urchin running a street-fighting racket on the streets of New Haven. He was nicknamed Trouble for his surly temper and quick ability to get into fights and settle things with his fists, necessitating being sent off to a military boarding school in an effort to curb his violent tendencies as a teenager. He is extremely protective of his other adopted siblings, and while he resented the Autarch in his youth, he has begrudgingly come to respect her more for taking him in as an adult. He now works as a decorated sniper in the military and is working to earn his pilot's wings. The revelation that he kept military weapons in his room casts suspicion on him as a murder suspect, though Riel quickly dismisses him as not being a good enough liar to get away with it.

- Tallys Ironwood. The second of the Autarch's adopted children, she made her hatred of the old woman very well known, and had an even poorer relationship with her than Enik did. Tallys's parents were victims in an accident caused by one of the Autarch's manufacturing plants, and she has always felt that her subsequent adoption was mere lip service to atonement for the Autarch, while she would have rather stayed with her more impoverished aunts and uncles. She ran away multiple times in her youth and has not spoken to the Autarch since she was 18. Her overt hatred and reluctance in coming back to the mansion casts suspicion on her as a murder suspect. She has a degree in plant science and works as an environmental activist, particularly targeting products and campaigns by Enik's company, creating unspeakable friction between them.

- Ayla Aescar. The third of the Autarch's adopted children, nothing is known about her biological parents. She was adopted from a neighboring country and has since returned to it as an adult, making an effort to reconnect with her origins and culture. Her relationship with "the old woman," as she calls her, was more neutral, though it comes out that the Autarch frequently bailed her out in secret whenever Ayla ran into trouble, such as trespassing on Jalis government grounds. Nominally, she works as a photographer for a travel magazine, but secretly, she is an investigative photojournalist looking into various covert practices by the Jalis government. This brings up a question of whether the Autarch's killing was political, and whether it was actually meant for Ayla.

- Chase Trinaeste. The fourth of the Autarch's adopted children, it's joked that he was intended to replace Trouble when he was sent off to boarding school due to having a more charming personality and sweeter face. However, he ended up being the most troublesome one of the bunch, having multiple run-ins with the law from a young age and displaying various tendencies towards larceny, grand theft auto, and more. He had no shame about stealing and pawning off valuables from the mansion and was a well-known skirt-chaser, leading to constant stress in their household about what he was getting up to when he snuck out of the house at night. At eighteen, he disappeared from the mansion, and no one has heard from him in the intervening years since. He completely ducks any questions from Riel or Blade about what he does for a living, leading most to conclude that he has gotten himself deeper entrenched in the criminal underworld. This has cast obvious suspicion on him and his involvement in the murder, as he was known to steal from the Autarch herself. He seems to feel some measure of loyalty and possibly remorse towards his adopted siblings, but hides it well under a polished veneer of charm and casual swagger.

- Briony Stormbreaker. The fifth of the Autarch's adopted children In a dramatic fashion, she was discovered as a young child swept away in a huge flood caused by a storm, with no ability to communicate (or seemingly remember) anything about where she could have lived or who her family was. She was subsequently adopted by the Autarch and is one of the few who had a fairly good relationship with her, always expressing gratitude for giving her a home and family (though this brought her into conflict with siblings like Tallys, as she usually tried to defend the Autarch when she wasn't there to speak for herself). She was the sibling who always tried to unite the others, and their constant arguments and conflicts constantly broke her heart. She was an easily-upset child who tended to be babied by Trouble and Chase, but after constantly bullying from Croelle and Enik, she toughened up and began taking martial arts classes, abruptly displaying her own ferocious temper and violent streak as well as unusually powerful physical strength. She currently works as a passionate public prosecutor. She was heard conversing with the Autarch privately with raised voices, on the night of the murder, and is known to sleepwalk during violent storms. She even had a phase with an imaginary, sword-shaped friend as a child, as well as repeatedly claimed that she's seen ghosts in the manor. This perceived paranoia has led some to wonder whether she could have harmed the Autarch in her sleep. As Riel says, "It's always the nice ones." Blade: "Not in my experience." Riel: "Not in mine, either, but in some continuity, it must be true."

- Croelle. The last of the Autarch's adopted children. He was by far the most anti-social and troubled part of the family, refusing to speak to those he deemed beneath him and breaking Trouble's arm in a disturbing display of dominance as youths. Unlike Enik, his cruelty is more ruthless and matter-of-fact, the way an animal might treat another animal, rather than pointed and manipulative. Regardless, he was a terror to all of the other siblings, and he was eventually thrown in juvenile detention (and later prison) for killing members of a gang, seemingly in self-defense. However, he never cared to divulge the full details of the story, and has been serving his sentence ever since. No one besides the Autarch knew that he was coming until they arrived at the manor. Croelle claims that he and the Autarch had been exchanging letters for the last few years, and that he has begrudgingly allowed her back into his life, which was why she decided to invite him to this gathering upon his release from prison. However, there is currently no evidence that any such letters exist. As an adult, he is currently quieter and more mellow and has shown no particular proclivity towards violence, but there is always a sense of danger lurking in his eye regardless. His social skills have not improved by much. He is considered one of the absolute top suspects for the old woman's murder. His feelings on his adopted siblings or really anything are extremely unknown. He keeps asking everyone about free will, which annoys everyone except Riel.

- Shery Acquell. A longtime maid for the Autarch and one of her closest friends and confidantes. She alone has been caring for the Autarch in her declining health, ensuring that she has been receiving the proper medical care and dietary attentions, and even reading her books in the evenings. Their closeness has led some to speculate that the Autarch may have bequeathed a part of her inheritance to the maid, or that perhaps Shery was motivated to ingratiate herself to the Autarch to attain said inheritance. She was the last person to see the Autarch before her death, knows something about what transpired between her and Mimir, and ultimately reluctantly admits that she believes in the ghosts that Briony has seen, too.

- Halek Prince. The manor's live-in chef. He is one of the few non-family members staying in the mansion the night of the murder, and suspicion is cast on him when his cooking seemingly gives Ayla, Briony, and Red an allergy attack, leading some to posit attempts at poisoning. Mimir claims to have seen him in places where he shouldn't be or even couldn't be, and he is generally someone viewed as a good suspect for the murder. Riel thinks something else is going on here.

- Red Antiqua. Ayla's journalist partner who accompanied her to the mansion, partly to serve as a buffer for the family awkwardness and partly because he was curious to learn more about the reclusive Autarch. Nominally, he is a travel writer, but secretly, he is working as the same kind of investigative journalist that she is. His secret photographs of the manor prove to be a key piece of evidence in uncovering the murder suspect. He is forced to be confined to the manor, the same as everyone else, to prevent information leaks or runaways. He uncovers a secret doorway in his room and is too curious not to duck into it...

- Caine Tavadon. The son of the manor's groundskeeper, he is often seen with his dog, peeping into the windows of the manor because he's incorrigibly nosy. His witness statements lead Blade and Riel to key footprints on the grounds. He claims to have seen a strange figure staring down at him from the windows of the mansion before.

- Prihine Naveen. Enik's current fiancee, she accompanied him on this odious visit to his mother's manor and is a witness in the proceedings. Although they can barely tolerate each other, their shared ambitions for wealth and power keep them together as a polite though distant couple. A file in the Autarch's study reveals that she has been watching Prihine for some time and discovered that she was having a secret affair. The file indicates that she planned to tell Enik face-to-face, leading others to speculate that Prihine may have murdered the old woman in order to preserve her engagement. Enik remarks that there was a period of time where Prihine was not in bed.

- Lavinet Naveen. Prihine's older cousin, and Enik's ex-fiancee. They've technically known each other since they were children and were schoolmates at the same prestigious institution. The Autarch and Lavinet's father initially had designs to marry the two to forge a powerful alliance between their business empires. However, Lavinet quickly backed out of the engagement, finally admitting that she couldn't stand Enik and would never marry him. Although this has generally caused relations between the two families to become frosty, she has strangely remained on good terms with the Autarch herself, who always admired Lavinet's chutzpah and steely will. (This was just another reason for Enik to hate his own mother.) Lavinet was free to come and go to the manor as she pleased, and dropped in on the Autarch once every few months, as her family's manor is nearby. She only recently discovered that her own cousin, Prihine, is now engaged to her ex, and rushed over on the night of the murder in order to dissuade Prihine from the marriage or convince the Autarch to put a stop to it. This led to a four-way argument (between Lavinet, Prihine, Enik, and his mother) of epic proportions, meaning that Lavinet is not clear on suspicions of murder, either.

- Mimir. The psychic who somehow came into contact with the Autarch and began to convert her to the ways of the supernatural. She has been the Autarch's closest friend and confidant for months, even going so far as to move into the mansion. Many point out the obvious designs on the Autarch's inheritance and possible sinister intentions for taking advantage of the older woman, especially since no one but Shery knows what Mimir has actually advised the Autarch to do. However, Riel points out that there has been no traceable financial irregularities when it comes to Mimir; the Autarch doesn't seem to have paid her for her services, only providing Mimir with food and a roof over her head. The psychic speaks in extremely cryptic tones and lapses into trance-like states. Riel in particular scorns her for her supposedly psychic abilities, insisting that she is a fraud, until she comments on aspects of his past that no one could possibly know, shaking him. She is a prime suspect for the murder until it's discovered that Mimir insists on being locked into a windowless room, only being released by Shery in the morning, to protect herself from the ghosts that haunt the grounds...

[writeouswriter]

What's your favourite thing about mysterious small towns with a big secret? What the vibe that you like?

Ooh, that's a tough question, I don't actually know how to describe it and I have so many favourite aspects. But like one big thing is... I like the characters, and I like to like the characters, you know? Or like to hate em.

I mean, you get a lot of small town mysteries where the characters are all jerks or downers, protagonists and antagonists alike, small town small minds, stuff like that, you're not rooting for them, they're not rooting for themselves, or like you are supposed to be wary of these characters because they're shady and skeevy right off the bat, and where's the fun in that? No, no, no, I like the characters with quirks, with subtlety, with layers like an onion, goofy and friendly on the surface, with progressively darker secrets and backstories underneath. Also unique but still distinctly a part of this town. I like the façade being intact as well, that this is a picture perfect town maybe with a few hiccups until you start noticing those small little off things... off things that most locals just brush off, I like being a part of discovering the mystery, and of eventually being in on the secret when others aren't, though not right away. I like mysterious small town characters who you root for and laugh with and love to see and would go to parties with but still deeply fundamentally do not trust. I like characters you absolutely shouldn't trust and yet can't help but be disarmed and trust completely. I like characters who banter, who joke, who end up having the darkest pasts of all. Characters who are friends and interact like you would in any normal situation, like it's just another day, but in this case it's in extraordinary circumstance for anyone else. That's so muddled an explanation but... idk... Gravity Falls I think is a perfect example of this, though me trying to explain why would probably take me hours and you'd have to pay me to stop rambling because concise is not a word in my vocabulary. Like you love Grunkle Stan, but he's a conman for a living and you know he's got shady stuff going on. McGucket, you think he's just the goofy hillbilly but he's not. You're discovering the secrets with Dipper and Mabel. They're investigating this town but they're also having their summer vacation, they're making friends, they're doing their thing and then getting pulled into the strangeness, the mystery is never the background but neither is the town, like the getting to know the town and those in the town is integral to it, they're not set dressing. And the people in the town, they know this place is a little weird, not the whole scope, but it's kind of just how things have always been. There's so much more to say, but like I will be here all day. Haven is a slightly lesser known example, but again perfect. Loveable side characters that you trust about as far as you can throw them. And the town is a character in and of itself, it has its "thing," you know, the big secret that makes it what it is and the people who keep that secret. Atmosphere is also important, but the thing is, it can't just all be atmosphere.

I also like the very specific trope of female detective or the like assigned to investigate case in strange small town meets male detective or the like of strange small town and have to investigate together but he's privy to the town's secret and has to bring her into the secret and then they find out they both secretly have some kind of connection themselves to that secret... did I mention concise is not in my vocabulary?

But anyway, you go on goodreads or something like that and try to find mysterious or paranormal small towns and a majority of what you're going to get is either some variation of sad alcoholic writer who probably just lost his wife moves to small town to get away and is immediately (like immediately) targeted by cannibal murder cult or something like that, interacts with no one normally, learns nothing, goes out in a blaze of not so glorious glory, or you get YA sad whiny teen girl forced to move to weird small town and is immediately bullied by high-school mean girls before the insta love for sad whiny teen boy kicks in, and maybe there's monsters or magic but sad boy's more important (or vice versa gender swapped). Or on the adult end of that, a lot of paranormal erotica, which I'm not a personal fan of, but if you are, you know you do you. Or alternatively you get a small town that's all vibe no actual substance to it, flat characters, a painted set rather than a real place. I mean, of course disclaimer, they're not all like that, I'm exaggerating, but at the same time I'm not, these are broad ranges, but the sheer amount of times I've seen these exact plots and all is ridiculous.

But ignore my rambling.

Anyway again... I'm not even sure if there is a suitable answer in there, but yup, there you go.

[intergalacticwanderer]

The concept from this post of Molly haunting the M9 but disappearing when the Tomb Takers resurrect Lucien is something that I just. Keep thinking about.

First realizing something is up when Molly accidentally possesses Beau during the assault on the Sour Nest. Everyone being very confused after the fight as to why Beau is so agitated and shouting at nothing. Finally put two and two together that Molly is THERE but can only be seen or heard after possessing someone and there’s a bunch of sudden body hopping and even more shouting. Caduceus being very apprehensive and warning everyone else about the potential dangers but settles for being watchful when they insist it’s okay.

Molly hovering anxiously around Yasha while waiting for her to wake up, but not being able to explain the situation to her before visiting the grave and her still leaving the group in grief. Heavy conversations at the grave about what things are like for Molly now and that honestly, he really doesn’t like being a ghost, but not seeing a way out of it besides being destroyed because he doesn’t even know WHY he’s a ghost. Making an informal goal to fix things for Molly somehow, and Caduceus calmly and comfortingly offering to help him find a way to move on if he’d prefer to do that instead. A coat is still left behind as a promise.

Yasha meeting them again after they travel to the coast and the emotional moment where they’re finally able to explain what’s going on. The whirlwind of the next few weeks and months as they all travel together, Molly spending short stints riding along with someone else so he can at least FEEL something for a little while. Acting as a scout and look out for danger for the rest of the group, but everyone else being careful to not say too much about him around others.

(Standing on the deck of their ship, looking at the night sky splashed with stars and waves crashing around them and Molly longing, aching for the chance to feel the sea breeze in person. Wanting to chase the horizon and new experiences, bound to nothing and no one except for what he chooses.)

Being forced to watch, helpless, as Yasha is taken by Obann. A turning point as Molly insists on staying behind with Yasha, staying with her even as she’s controlled, he knows what being possessed looks like, that’s NOT her. It’s dangerous, yes, but less dangerous to him, he can stay with her, do his best to keep watch, she’s worth the risk. Truly splitting up for the first time since he started haunting them, barely seeing each other, connecting for a few frantic moments during a tense chase through the woods at night before Molly is gone again, following Yasha and Obann as they teleport away. Not realizing as they enter the Folding Halls of Halas that that was the last time they’d see him.

A hard fought but victorious battle at the Chantry of the Dawn. Yasha returned to them, only to be followed by that horrible moment of, wait, I thought he was with YOU, what do you mean he’s not with you? But Molly is no where to be found. By anyone. The realization that he might truly be gone for good, and no one was even there to see it happen.

Delayed grief hits home and it hits HARD. They lean on each other, be there for each other, and try to keep themselves occupied with the next tasks in front of them. A dinner with a possible new friend. Tricking a hag. Visiting the Menagerie. A betrayal, returning Nott to Veth, a party, a tough conversation with hope for the future, ending a war. Finally making their way to Traveler Con and Rumblecusp, memories slipping away under a strange influence (there was a coat), stopping that strange influence once and for all and receiving a vision more important that any of them could realize.

Going home and looking for information while deciding what to do next. Eventually coming to the decision to visit a grave for answers. Wondering if this might finally be the chance to give their friend what he’d been looking for, a chance to live, to feel again, but also guilt that they couldn’t do it sooner, worry that it might already be too late. They start digging for the body.

A body that’s not there.

A body that’s not there because he’s already alive again.

There’s elation and shock but also confusion and wariness. Why was the coat left behind? Why had no effort been made to contact them, to contact Yasha? What is going on?

Finding out what's going on several days later with the abrupt murder of Vess DeRogna and everything being thrown into chaos. Giving chase to figure out the answers to all the new questions, and upon finally catching up to this mystery, the person with the face of their friend? No memories, no recognition. Not Mollymauk. Lucien.

Being told that Mollymauk had just been a fragment of a larger whole, an insignificant speck that didn't matter (but he mattered to them) and has been reabsorbed. Putting two and two together with the timing of Lucien's resurrection and Molly's disappearance. Grappling with the implications of what this might mean, what does this mean for their friend? Not knowing the answer but pushing forward anyway, knowing that Lucien has to be stopped, and hoping somehow, someway, they might get their friend back, but not seeing how.

Traveling together is unexpected and even more confusing. Seeing echoes, reflections of their friend in Lucien, seeing the roots of where he came from but simultaneously seeing the ways he is NOT him (let her have her?!) and not knowing what to do with it. Having the choice made for them in the night, chasing after and fleeing away for their lives. Finding safe haven with a guiding star.

Taking only a moment to breathe before rushing ahead. Nearly tripping and falling when Caleb’s past comes calling but (barely) managing to get up again, returning and making their way into Aeor with Essek at their side. Felling three of the Tomb Takers and then the chase is on, racing against the clock and Lucien before catching up with him and Cree at a gate. Noticing something strange in how Lucien reacts to certain words, keeping it in mind as they jump after him into the astral sea.

Dealing with the figurative and literal nightmare that is Cognouza, stopping Cree, plane shifting a threshold crest, saving Yussa. Witnessing a coup by Lucien, who, for some reason, still tells them to run. Leaves them alive (why did I leave you alive?). A battle for the fate of the world.

Fighting back, talking back, and something inside him listens. Hears them as they reach out. Hammer, hammer, hammering away with both weapons and words in the hardest fight of their lives. Some even losing their lives, until, finally, they triumph, Cognouza Incarnate slain. Two lost lives restored... and one more left to try. To give another chance.

It fails.

They mourn, heartbroken. Figuring that if nothing else, he's no longer trapped. Wishing that they could have done more. Hoping that he will be able to rest. Caduceus sending up a prayer.

It succeeds.

Elation, shock, reunions, tears. Single words that speak volumes. Showering with love, they did it, they kept their promise, they did it! Returning to the Blooming Grove hand in hand, all nine of them at last.

Checking in with their restored friend that night and the next day. Coming back to himself and yet not. Memories are gone but he's not blank either, knowing he's with friends but not knowing how he knows. A mind that can't remember but a heart that does, feelings instead of names. A new name and a new start.

Danger follows them, briefly, but it is smacked down, dealt with. Humbled and brought low and given the amount of respect it deserves, which is to say, none. They exhale, exhausted but accomplished. Taking time for much needed rest.

Noticing things about him during the rest. Hugs that linger, clinging a little too tight. Hours spent lying in the grass, hands running through the blades over and over while watching the clouds. Visits to flower after flower, touching petals and breathing deep. Almost crying over a new food, a new taste before eating himself sick. Leaning in at any music, any song, attention lost towards anything else. Closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of nature in the evening, just being. Existing. Living.

Later traveling to Nicodranas. Him watching the ocean, transfixed. Walking to the shore, closing his eyes and breathing in as the sea breeze blows through his hair. Starting to cry without even knowing why. (His mind can't recall the memory, not yet, but his heart does, aching at the clarity. An ache that can hopefully be soothed, now that that longing has been fulfilled.)

Not even questioning it when he joins the crew of the Nein Heroez. Parting ways, but also knowing that they will ALL be seeing each other again soon (too much love amongst them for anything else), starting the next journey. Getting a second chance.

Living life. Being happy. And knowing that he will never have to be alone again.

[stephlynndrawings]

OC INFORMATION

(Because I will never not draw/ write about my ocs)

:readmore:

Wylarin Rosegrass (bosmer)

The vestige in ESO, she grew up in Malabal Tor in three village Tangledhaven with her parents Nithriel and Argorn and her four older siblings Brengolin,Mindra,Thoron,Sillas. (Thoron,Sillas and Wylarin are triplets). Wylarin was given to Manimarco to be sacrificed after a Drugblog attack where amidst the chaos she was snatched. Her family followed in hopes of rescuing her but they ended up forced to watch as she was sacrificed. Oops. Her family thought her to be dead until a year or so later she and an Imperial man and a Dunmer woman enter the village to help the Treethane who alerts the family about her miraculous return.

2. Mialee (Maven) Eytherlylth (wood elf)

From my first on going dnd campaign, she's the second youngest of her adopted mother Andraste Gladonelle's children. Her two older sisters and her are biologically related and were adopted after their parents were murdered and house set ablaze when Mialee was about 8. At one point after her birth, a curse was placed on her and she had no idea until after she turned 100 (a legal adult for elves) and a guy high on mushrooms told her. During her childhood after adoption, she and her sisters were taught the ways of courtiers and eventually were allowed to learn other things... mialee chose stealth and lock picking from Andraste. When she turned 98, she ran away from her family's mansion in Neverdawn and began exploring after joining the thieves guild which lead to her trying to steal from The Dragon's Nest and led her to meet two of her current party members and friends Gorgo and Ellis. They've now made it back to Neverdawn and she's undergone her naming ceremony... after dying again briefly(it's her specialty :p) and her adult name is Maven!

3. Mahanon Lavellan (dalish)

He was one of the hunters for his clan and was one of the best when it came to dual wielding. When his clan's keeper had caught wind of some peace talks at the temple of sacred ashes, she sent Mahanon to spy and return with news on which way the war would go. Instead of spying on the talks, he overheard a commotion and walked in on Coryphyus trying to sacrifice Divine Justinia. He jumped into action and was sent into the fade and barely made it out alive. He woke up in the dungeon at Haven where his journey to seal the rifts began. When he gathered enough power he sided with the mages with the belief that they deserve freedom and protection; its during the talks at Redcliff's Chantry that he meets his eventuall boyfriend Dorian. After the battle at Haven and his miraculous survival, he's named Inquisitor and he then had the most stressful few years of his life. Oh and uh...we don't talk about his arm.

4. Elana Lavellan (dalish)

Basically the same as Mahanon except she was one of her clan's warriors and was quite the brutal foe for anyone who dared attack their camps. She too jumped into action at the Temple of Sacred Ashes and also was apprehended briefly before going around sealing rifts. She met a mysterious "gray warden" Blackwall and fell pretty freaking fast for him but the two danced around each other for a while so she tried being with Solas but after their first kiss she went straight back to Blackwall. She also sided with the mages but thinks they still need some structure, just not in the circles. She too was named inquisitor and uh, yeah definitely don't mention her arm.

5. Elruin Rosegrass (Bosmer)

Elruin was born in the capital of Ghratwood, Elden Root, and after growing restless she started exploring her way through Cyrodil. Her memories during that stint of her life are hazy at best so she has no idea what lead her to Skyrim to begin with. While she thinks the landscape are pretty, she hates the snow and cold. Ironically, she was a homeowner before she learned of her status as a Dragonborn and even then she was wary to do anything about it... that was until she ran into Lucien Flavus and Inigo the Brave. The Two quickly became her closest friends and they also picked up Kaidan and Khash along her journey to defeat Alduin. At some point in her journey she adopted three children; Blaise, Lucia, and Alesian. Elruin and Kaidan quickly fell in love after she helped him with his personal quest and they got married in the Rift.

6. Ashtyn Malphia (high elf)

Part of my newest second campaign. Ashtyn is the hero of her hometown of Nogrin, after she continually stole back everything the capital city would steal from her town. Eventually she and her older twin brother Asher were caught and brought to their parents Reylynn and Erris for punishment. Since both parents supported their children's activities (since their businesses were jeopardized when things got stolen) they decided to send them to their grandfather Abian for "punishment". In reality, they spent their time in the thieves guild hideout learning how to properly steal from their doting grandfather, who is the leader of the guild. After their punishment was over, they were sent home to continue landing blows on the corrupt capital. Eventually the heists caught up to Ashtyn and she had a large amount of people in the capital who wanted her jailed so she was quick to leave town to protect everyone there. She settled down in Firwood and laid low to avoid attention. That wad until one night in the main hall where a fire started and she was quick to assist; shortly after a scout for the mayor of a nearby town approached her and asked her to go meet with him. She did and she was employed into his "first" adventuring party along with Rani,Nemo, and Dalon. They kinda royally fucked up their first task but luckily were still employed and headed off to Dalon's hometown to investigate a mine.

Feel free to ask me about them!

[hunxi-guilai]

Ah! I am mxy anon! My first part was about how wwx getting mxy's body sort of parallels jc and the golden core (only the intent is not as benign). Which when I thought about it, sort of reduced my frustration with wwx regarding mxy? Because to me, wwx was sort of dragged without consent from his peaceful death (which given his cultivation is maybe a you reap what you sow) into a body which is essentially a ticking timebomb, which is only diffused through, well, murder.

(follow-up to the last paragraph of this post, thematically related to the Mo Xuanyu section of this post, and in response to the tags on this gifset)

So I agree with you anon, in that Mo Xuanyu’s calling-back of Wei Wuxian’s soul absolutely mirrors the golden core transfer -- highly experimental, vaguely forbidden magic used to catapult the plot into a new dimension of oh shit, we’re going there? Consent issues everywhere you look? Motivated by at least one party’s desire for revenge? Check, check, and check.

I wish that we could’ve seen Wei Wuxian’s feelings on his resurrection explored more; there’s an excellent post out there somewhere that talks about the tonal differences between Wei Wuxian’s death in MDZS vs. CQL, but what’s important to note is that in MDZS, Wei Wuxian’s death is an active sacrifice, a final, powerful move full of agency where he chooses to destroy the Stygian Tiger Seal as best he can, and is torn apart by the backlash. Meanwhile in CQL, we are gifted with an unparalleled wangxian moment, but... Wei Wuxian’s death feels very passive, in a certain sense -- there’s this feeling of inevitability, like he’s been backed into a corner with nowhere else to go. What should I do? he wails, when he wakes up in the Burial Mounds in episode 31. Who can tell me what I should do? Already, he can feel the jaws of narrative closing in on the paths he can take.

I personally don’t have strong preferences for either version; what I’m more interested in is what Wei Wuxian’s mental landscape looks like when he comes back from the dead. MDZS!Wei Wuxian went down fighting, so his mischievous energy and vibrant vivacity when he comes back to life makes sense. But CQL!Wei Wuxian? CQL!Wei Wuxian wanted to die, and I think that makes such a huge difference in how we should read Wei Wuxian’s relationship with Mo Xuanyu’s sacrifice.

Ah, let me clarify the thoughts behind this part of the earlier post:

I’m actually kind of frustrated with Wei Wuxian for not looking into Mo Xuanyu more; I mean, I get it, you have a murder mystery to solve and a world order to topple, but I feel like Wei Wuxian, our empathetic pioneer of demonic cultivation, and likewise a victim of his own choice to pick death as the way out of a bad situation – Wei Wuxian, of all people, should care about who Mo Xuanyu was.

I meant this less as “Wei Wuxian is morally obligated to care about Mo Xuanyu” and more like “it’s extremely out of character for Wei Wuxian not to care about Mo Xuanyu.” This is the man who looked at a bunch of prisoners of war from a sect whose laundry list of crimes includes the massacre of Wei Wuxian’s childhood home, the loss of his golden core, torture, and throwing him into the Burial Mounds. And yet, despite all of this, Wei Wuxian looks at the Wen refugees and goes against the entire cultivation world for them, goes against Lan Wangji for them, leads them into the one haven he could think of which was yet another site of intense trauma for him, helped them build a new life and looked about himself and decided that yes, this was the hill he was going to die on (literally, in the case of the novel).

Wei Wuxian is so profoundly empathetic, from both his cultivation technique to his inability to watch injustice come to pass before him, that I cannot believe that he would come back to life and go “oh cool, new body! better pay off the mortgage on it in revenge” and just go on his merry way. 

This is the man who willingly engages in Empathy -- already a risky cultivational practice -- with multiple unrestful ghosts throughout the show (A-Qing, Nie Mingjue, and in the novel/audiodrama, the ghost of a prostitute in the Guanyin Temple). Yes, Wei Wuxian generally performs Empathy in order to get important information about whatever mystery they’re trying to unravel at the moment, but more importantly in doing so, Wei Wuxian becomes the medium through which untold stories can be told. 

Murder will out, and its voice is Wei Wuxian.

Voice is an incredibly important theme in CQL, especially when considered in context with the themes of legacy, reputation, and narrative. Again and again, the story asks -- what characters are allowed to speak, and what characters are silenced? Luo Qingyang/Mianmian, when she erases herself from the narrative, says you’re all louder! you’re all more rational! and storms out of the cultivation world; the entire story of Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan crashes down around an inability to speak, the forceful removal of voice. We learn, then: if no one hears your story, then no one will avenge you, no one will defend you. If no one knows that you’ve been wronged, no one will raise a hand to correct the injustice done to your life.

Through Wei Wuxian, A-Qing gets her story told. Nie Mingjue gets his story told. And yet, despite being there from the beginning, in more ways than one, Mo Xuanyu never gets his story told. 

Not in his own voice, at the very least -- we can piece together the outline of a life from the clues other characters drop, but we never get to hear Mo Xuanyu tell his own story.

I should mention that my frustration revolving around Mo Xuanyu’s character has less to do with Wei Wuxian and more to do with the narrative itself, and how it treats Mo Xuanyu -- namely, as little more than the plot device to bring Wei Wuxian back to life. We are given so little of who Mo Xuanyu was; pretty much everything we learn about him comes from the mouth of someone else, and in a world where reputation is shown to be an extremely fragile, fickle thing, I would hate to let my understanding of Mo Xuanyu begin and end with “gay and crazy.” Who was Mo Xuanyu, before Jin Guangyao got his hands on him? How much of that Mo Xuanyu was left, after he was banished? Did he actually try to seduce Qin Su, or Jin Guangyao, or was that all rumors and hearsay carefully cultivated by Jin Guangyao to make sure no one listened to a disgraced outcast?

For that matter, why didn’t Jin Guangyao just kill him, if Jin Guangyao needed Mo Xuanyu gone for good?

Likewise, what happens after Mo Xuanyu returns home? Folks have pointed out that, in order for a Wei Wuxian-looking-Wei Wuxian to successfully masquerade (hah) as Mo Xuanyu, Mo Xuanyu would have to spend years on the long con of wearing make-up, obscuring his features, wearing that godawful mask, so that the switcheroo can happen and no one notice (I diagnose Mo Xuanyu’s cousin with terminal stupidity and would you look at that, I’m right because he’s dead). But for Mo Xuanyu to pull off that kind of deception involves lengthy forethought and dedicated execution, which for me raises all sorts of questions about Mo Xuanyu’s mental state. How is it that he could execute a lengthy revenge plot, years in the making? What exactly was his flavor of insanity? Was it even real, or again -- another one of Jin Guangyao’s rumors?

I saw a super cool theory/interpretation of Mo Xuanyu’s mental instability as aftereffects of Jin Guangyao’s musical cultivation -- that Jin Guangyao, in addition to destroying Mo Xuanyu’s reputation, also royally fucked with Mo Xuanyu’s mind in the same way that he pushed Nie Mingjue over the precipice of sanity and into qi deviation. Which could mean that, in his journey to resurrect Wei Wuxian, Mo Xuanyu had to fight the fragments of his own mind to maintain continued concentration and focus long enough to do what needed to be done, which would mean holy shit, Mo Xuanyu is metal as fuck. 

And yet, all we’re told is that he was gay and crazy. Forget his shattered aptitude for cultivation; forget his iron will, his flashes of genius, his unprecedented success on the level of Wen Qing’s golden core transfer -- he paints his face! He likes men! He harassed the Chief Cultivator, and/or his wife!

And as for the blood... god, there’s so much blood. I’m always wondering what happened to Mo Xuanyu, but especially in the context of the ritual that brings Wei Wuxian back -- what happened to Mo Xuanyu. How many tries did it take him to get the ritual right? How many times did Mo Xuanyu lie, bleeding out in his own array, wondering if the next person to wake up in his body would be him, or another wronged soul he’d never even met? How many times did Mo Xuanyu rehearse his own death, and promise to himself that his vengeance was worth it, even if he’d never live to see it?

Mo Xuanyu deserves better. Mo Xuanyu deserves another chance, the way Xiao Xingchen does. But most of all? Mo Xuanyu deserves to have his story told.