#and having an all powerful deity who ALSO a) still never is satisfied with his amount of power and control and b) thinks he know better than

[autistichalsin]

Analysis of each character's final words in the new Dark Urge evil ending

If you are romanced to a character, you have the option, when taking the new version of the Sins of the Father ending, to kill your partner in front of the others in your party, killing them with one last kiss. They then give their last words and pass away. I love each and every one and feel they are incredible characterization moments.

So let's break these down!

Lae'zel:

I... I am glad it was you. No other blade would have sufficed.

This is something that hammers home that, Vlaakith or no, Lae'zel deeply believes in all the ideals of a Githyanki. Life is a privilege for the strong, and death is the price of weakness. Further, if romanced, Lae'zel will affectionately call you "the source of my bruises" many times. If she has to die, if she has finally found the one person stronger than herself, then she is "satisfied" that it is you- who she both loved and admired. The only one she would ever consider worthy of besting her.

Karlach:

Fuck you.

Short, simple, and to the point, just the way Karlach does everything else. She's already gone through all her stages of grief with her engine- well, almost all of them. Anger still remains. She burns hot until the end.

Wyll:

I... I forgive you.

This isn't just Wyll being a good guy. This is heartbreak, and guilt. Guilt for not saving you from Bhaal's influence when he was so sure he had. Heartbreak that after he gave his literal soul to save as many people as he could, he couldn't save you- and couldn't save others from you, either. All he sacrificed, negated in an instant by the person he loved and trusted most. Of all the characters here, Wyll (tied with Halsin) sounds the most obviously broken, and it's easy to see why, given that he is self-sacrificing to a fault.

There was a set of scenes datamined from the game, where at the Morphic Pool, the Netherbrain would have taunted the players, causing them to hallucinate things related to their fears and insecurities. Wyll's would have been a vision of himself talking about how he was never a hero, how the Blade of Frontiers was a farce all along. One can't help but think about that scene here, wondering just how much blame, bordering on self-loathing, he might feel here.

Dark Justiciar Shadowheart:

I... I'm coming to you, Lady Shar.

Another short and simple one. By becoming a Dark Justiciar, Shadowheart has fully embraced the nihilism of Shar's teachings. Why be saddened or angry at her own death when this is just what she's embraced with all her sacrifices?

(Sidenote: this does also answer a question I had, namely, what was going to happen to everyone Durge kills. Thankfully it seems they aren't actually going to be sacrificed to him as such, and will indeed end up in the realm of their deities. This makes Bhaal's plan even DUMBER, because deities in DND lore need worshippers to have enough power to exist. Killing everyone at once just guarantees that soon after Durge dies as the last person alive, so too will Bhaal fade from existence.)

Selunite Shadowheart:

I... I thought we were going to save each other...

This Shadowheart rejected everything she knew. She was scared to defy her goddess, but worked up the courage- thanks to you. She thought you would have a new life together. She believed in you. She thought she would get to return the favor, and help you turn the page on Bhaal, too.

She's not just heartbroken for herself; she's heartbroken for you, too. Heartbroken at the life you denied both her and yourself.

Gale:

You made me want to live...

From the moment the orb entered Gale's chest, he knew he was at risk of dying. Then Mystra all but marked him as a dead man walking. But despite that, he finds love with you- and for the first time thinks maybe there is a purpose for him beyond Mystra. That he isn't more useful to the world dead. More than that, he wants to live to be with you, to enjoy your company and companionship. And then you kill him, and do the one thing WORSE than what would have happened if he'd never been pulled from that rock.

It almost would have been kinder to just hack his hand off the first time you met him, though Gale may or may not agree.

Spawn Astarion:

I should have killed you when I had the chance...

The angriest, most bitter response out of all the romanced companions, a step beyond Karlach's "fuck you." This is beyond "fuck you" and even beyond "I hate you." It's "I regret every moment I spent with you." You made him believe he could have better. That he could recover from what Cazador did. You even convinced him to spare the 7,000 spawn and that he could be something better than Cazador.

And now you reveal it was all a lie. Astarion is probably thinking that you talked him out of completing the ritual solely so he'd be easier to kill right here and now. How many regrets are flashing through his mind, how many moments where he wonders if things could have been different if only he'd done this or that, even aside from killing you?

All he wanted was to live as a free person. And then the first time he thinks he has that at last, he loses it as the world ends.

Ascended Astarion:

No... no, this can't be... I can't- you can't- no...

In contrast to spawn Astarion, ascended isn't angry, because he doesn't have the clarity, the ability to process what's happening. Spawn Astarion could tell he'd been betrayed.

But Ascended? Ascended, who went through so much to become one of the most powerful beings in the world, only to STILL lose without fanfare? And by you, his own spawn who he thought he had under his control? It isn't betrayal, because he is bluescreening; he can't comprehend what happened or how or why. How could he have been killed, and by you of all people? Was all he went through killing Cazador really for nothing? How could it be when he was supposed to be the most powerful? Was power actually meaningless all along?

He doesn't say anything of substance because he can't understand what's happening here.

Halsin:

Thaniel... goodbye...

Halsin is the oldest of all the companions. He's experienced the most loss of anyone; his birth family, his fellow Druids, and, for a time, Thaniel. He has had more than enough time to contemplate his own mortality, because he's already lived multiple lifetimes.

So here, two things are happening. One, he isn't expressing anger or betrayal at his murder- because he is more than wise enough, and humble enough, to understand that there are worse things than what has been done to himself. Instead of himself, he is thinking of the world he's leaving behind that is about to fall- and most of all, of his most important person, the one who gave him a purpose, who was there when no one else was, who he failed once and only just got back. The closest thing to a child he'll ever have. In his last moments, instead of himself, Halsin is thinking of those he loves.

And second, it's an almost deliberate snubbing of Durge. He willingly walked into that kiss, knowing full well it would be the last thing he ever did. He gave you his death, he pleaded with his own god to forgive you and him both. He gave you everything he felt he owed you, and no more- no begging or sobbing. Instead, he comes as close as he ever gets to selfishness, and spends his last moments thinking about the thing that makes him the happiest- which could have been you, in another life, if you hadn't done this.

Minthara:

No... we were meant to do this together...

Heartbreak, disbelief, and betrayal. You spent so many nights planning this out. She had been cast aside by her people, her goddess, and she was going to get the last laugh. She was going to crush them personally under her heel and prove she was the best (or second best, behind you) of all of them. She's devastated she won't get to help you torture all those souls and take what she feels was owed to her. But interestingly enough... no anger. Probably because it was overshadowed by the sheer heartbreak, but also a sign that even in those moments, she still admires you for your ruthlessness.

[floatyflowers]

Dark! Percy Jackson Reverse Harem x Reader|| Chapter Two

<<< Chapter One

Your eyes widen when you see Chiron being half horse half man.

"You are a centaur"

Chiron chuckles at your shocked expression.

"Indeed, I'm, and I'm here to guide you"

"Thank you, sir"

"Are you not going to greet me, (Wrong name)?"

You turn your eyes to stare at the dark haired dark eyes man with confusion.

"My name is (Y/n)" you correct him before asking "And you are?"

"Dionysus"

"As in the god who has a cult?"

"That's me, I miss my cult"

You nod in agreement, unsure if that was meant to be humor or a genuine confession.

"Yes, I used to rule an entire cult in ancient Greece. They all worshipped me and offered me sacrifices."

You feel a twinge of unease at the thought of being in a cult, especially one led by a god like Dionysus.

Still, you don't want to be rude, so you just smile politely and say.

"That's... great."

Dionysus nods, seemingly satisfied with your response.

"Well then," he says,

"Shall we continue on? I can show you around the camp and introduce you to some of the other demigods."

Chiron frowns, looking at Dionysus, finding his behaviour strange.

Dionysus is never friendly towards any demigod.

But now, he is offering to show you around.

Chiron never understood the gods obsession with you.

He assumed it has something to do with your powers.

"There is no need, but thank you for the offer, Luke showed me around the camp"

You say before turning towards the centaur.

"I will be going now if that's all"

The moment you take your leave, Dionysus sighs in disappointment.

"If only she was my daughter"

°°°

The cabin is all pastel pink and surrounded by flowers and cherubs statues, and it is also close to Aphrodite's cabin, which is not surprising.

But what made you uncomfortable is the glass window in your room.

You will need curtains for that later.

What is surprising is that you found tons of gifts on your bed and your wardrobe is filled with clothes.

And a note that says 'From your beloved grandmother. Aphrodite'

Also there are gifts from different deities.

For example, Hermes gave you a golden caduceus pendant with a blue diamond.

Apollo gave you healing potions.

Ares gifted you a dagger and also has a note with it 'Sharp enough to kill your enemies'

But what astonished you the most is the gift from Etos, it's a music box.

A cherubs music box, when you turn it on, it starts playing very enchanting music.

There is a long letter too.

My sweet demigoddess,

I write to you on this fine day to express my deepest love and adulation for you.

Your strength, courage, and power all demonstrate your divine ancestry, and your beauty and grace shine with the warmth of the sun.

My heart aches for you from far away, and all I desire is to embrace you in my arms and to watch you flourish with all that you are and can be.

This music box is a gift from me, once it starts playing, all monsters will flock away from you.

From your father,

Eros.

The strong fragrance on the letter makes you calm down.

To be honest, you don't hate Eros even though he never was by your side when you grew up.

Maybe the new life for you here, isn't bad after all.

°°°

"Capture the flag? As in fighting other demigods? no thank you"

You say, walking by Percy's side.

The boy showed up at your doorsteps first thing in the morning, and asked you to walk with him.

"Don't worry, I will protect you, if you stay by my side" 

You stop and look at Percy and cross your arms over your chest.

"Why did you tell Luke that I'm your girlfriend?" you inquire.

Percy smiles.

"Because you have always been my girlfriend, remember in grade one where you wanted to marry me and made a promis-"

You quickly stop him, your cheeks heating up from the childhood memories.

"I was a child"

"I don't care, a promise is a promise"

"What if I fall for another?"

Percy shrugs, with the smile still on his face.

"It would be like Icarus flying too close to the sun"

You raise an eyebrow but he continues.

"Another might get close to you but they will never reach you before they fall to their deaths"

Chapter Three >>>

[dumbkiri]

𝕯𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝖄𝖔𝖚 3

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐧 𝐱 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Please follow part 3 of Helaena!! AI love the character so much and I find almost nothing of her, the reader and Balerion have me ecstatic too!! You make art! Thank you for your attention :(

Yes! Please have Rhaenys and [Name] kill Aemond in the next part! On my hands and knees begging! Save The Queen Who Never Was!!

I apologize for the dragon fighting. I watched S2EP4 like 5 million times to describe dragon fighting, but my brain no work with that. As stated before, I am NOT familiar with GOT or HOTD (watched in once years ago), this is all made on the fly for a dear reader. So I apologize if it's "stupid" or terrible writing. But I will continue to write this for others that enjoy this series. Thank you for following along on this new journey.

There's also a sneak peek to a Targaryen x Stark story in the future....Sansa deserves love too.

The crackling of fire and the ocean waves crashing at the bottom of the cliff filled his ears along with the breeze combing through his hair. And the voice from the fire, which he normally heard on occasion, had been quiet for a long time. Tonight had to be different because of the strong need to light a fire in the night. 

Before Rhaegar died, the Lord of Light spoke to [Name] many times. Made the father devoted to his children because one of them was going to have a son powerful enough to defend the North from the long night. [Name] thought Rhaegar would have been the one to have that son. 

Obviously, he misinterpreted the Lord of Light. The son could come from Viserys’ line or maybe [Name] would have to have more children with Helaena to secure the prophecy from the god. Still, the voices stopped after Rhaegar. He thought he must have failed the god, disappointed the deity because he did not protect Rhaegar. Or get revenge for his fallen son. 

“I heard that you speak to the fire, uncle.”

[Name] lifted his head from the burning fire and saw Jacaerys making his way over to the edge of the cliff where he sat by his lonesome. 

A chuckle slipped past [Name]’s lips and he swept his legs over the edge of the cliff. “I speak to the Lord of Light, nephew,” His response was quick and to the point. Some people like his brothers described [Name] and Helaena to be odd; one spoke to the fire and the other spoke in cryptic messages. Aegon would tease and say that they were a special couple. The word special did not come from the heart, but Aegon’s way of saying simple. 

“I’m not sure I heard of that god before, it’s not any of the Old gods or even the Seven,” Jace pointed out expertly while taking his seat, the same way his uncle did, the small fire between them. 

“You’re right,” [Name] looked out towards the sea, the moonlight casting a blue hue onto the calm water, “I only experienced his existence in Essos when a Red Priest spoke to me with her alluring tongue.”

Jace snapped his head at [Name] and asked daringly, “Alluring? Did she get you in bed with her too?” 

“What?” [Name] leaned back in offense then looked over at his family member, “I’m hopelessly obsessed with Helaena, Jace. I’m devoted to her and her body, no one else can satisfy me, not that I would want them too.” The man turned to the fire when a stick broke in half. Lead Jace into the fire, let him see. [Name] felt a strong pull at his chest and his eyes drew over to his nephew when he spoke up. 

“So a red woman showed you her god and now you serve him?” 

“That’s not how I started serving him,” [Name] admitted quietly, thinking back to the night of his commitment. The vision he saw in the fire, the voices he heard all convinced him to serve the red god. “She found me tending to Balerion’s teeth after a battle with some assassins. I don’t like the smell of burning bodies, especially ones that linger between his molars.”

As [Name] told his story, the fire subtly grew hotter between the males. 

…

“Open wide, Balerion,” [Name] walked in front of his grumpy dragon with a bucket of sea water and a shirt from one of the dead men on the beach. Balerion huffed into [Name]’s face and turned away from the human with a disinterested groan. 

Reeling back in disgust from the smell, [Name] covered his nose with his forearm and pointed at his dragon with his free hand. Voice muffled, but loud, [Name] shouted, “Where are your manners? I’m doing a nice thing for Dreamfyre and myself! No living thing wants to smell your tarnished breath!” 

[Name] set the pale down and approached his dragon with a tired look on his face. He was warned about traveling to Essos for pleasure, but he wanted to get out of the castle. He wanted to stop hearing schemes and breathe for once. The air he caught flying was enough to fill his lungs and cleanse them. 

Yet one last stop on the beach almost got him killed. 

“Your dragon is very beautiful.” A woman’s voice startled the dragon and the rider, both snapping their heads to see the new person on the beach. She wore a red dress with her long dark hair cascading down the front of her chest. She held no weapon to his knowledge and her hands were placed in front of her. 

Balerion’s throat clicked in unease and he lifted his head off the sand, some grains falling onto [Name]’s defensive stance. 

“Give me one good reason why I should command my dragon not to burn you like I did the rest?” [Name] asked, his bloody hand gripping onto the handle of his sword. Skeptical of the woman, he didn’t let his guard down. If she was the one that sent the assassins, he would drag her by the hair and drown her in the sea. 

The woman in red smirked and answered, “I am not your enemy, Prince [Name]. I came here to help you realize your potential in the upcoming war between your families. You are to be a formidable ally, one that can bring balance.”

[Name] scrutinized her and gently commanded Balerion to stand down. His beast chuffed and set his head down back onto the sand. Then [Name] looked at the bucket of water, dunking the shirt into it. 

In his crouched position, [Name] began his interrogation, “Upcoming war between my families? There is no war, my lady. What are you insinuating?”

He noticed she was staring at his sad campfire and she asked quietly, “Your fire has dwindled, might I rekindle it?” 

“I asked you a question,” [Name] stood up and wringed the shirt of excess water, “answer it.”

The red woman nodded her head and approached his campfire, she messed with the stick and dry grass, explaining, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, my prince, but your father has passed away. With his dying breath, he told your mother that he wanted Aegon to inherit the throne. She-”

“Aegon?” [Name] scoffed and his face scrunched up in confusion, “That’s not right at all. My father has always wanted my sister to have the throne, for many years he’s always been adamant that Rhaenyra succeed him. Even if he suddenly changed his mind, why would it be Aegon and not me, the oldest, to inherit it?” 

The campfire burst into flames and [Name] looked at the woman who conjured up fire with only her hands. She looked into the fire and said, “Your mother believes otherwise, insisting that your father spoke Aegon’s name. The Hightowers have usurped the throne and war will follow in the days to come.”

[Name] rested his hand on the upper lip of Balerion and paused for a second. Aemond was going to be crowned King, taking the throne away from their father’s true successor Rhaenyra. His mother, Alicent, couldn’t be this dull to really believe he said that on his deathbed. Even when he and his brother were born, Viserys never named either of them heir. 

“My prince, please join me by the fire, I have something to show you,” The red woman’s voice spoke smoothly and [Name] blinked his eyes to focus back onto the beach. As if he was entranced by the color of the fire and the warmth from Balerion, [Name] removed his hand from the dragon. 

He walked over to the woman and Balerion groaned in protest, watching his rider carefully. The beast didn’t trust the red woman yet and it showed when he bared his teeth as the woman reached for his rider. She moved her hands back and smiled at the dragon letting the beast know she won’t lay a finger on his rider. 

“Look into the fire and tell me what you see.” 

[Name] kneeled down on one knee and did as he was told. He felt completely different from the fire. He saw images of a long winter, a sword of fire, a white dragon that breathed blue fire and a boy from his line in the future. Then he saw people made of ice with blue eyes, a marriage with a Stark girl,  and the long night that engulfed the north. 

“Do you see now, my prince,” The red woman whispered in his ear, “you must return home and protect your family at all costs. Protect them so that the Dragon in the North can be born. Without him, the Prince That Was Promised will fall.”

…..

“A Prince That Was Promised, huh,” Jace huffed in question and playfully joked, “If a woman like her whispered in my ears like that, I would follow her god too.” 

[Name] laughed and patted his sword next to the campfire and finished off with, “Then she blessed my sword with his power too. But I believe he wants you to see something as well. Look into the fire, nephew.” 

Jace awkwardly laughed and shifted on the balls of his palms, “I think I’m alright, uncle.” 

“Are you afraid?” [Name] furrowed an eyebrow and smirked, “Don’t tell me the heir to the throne is afraid of a vision in the fire. I suspected my nephew to be braver than that.” 

“Fine,” Jace grumbled and looked into the fire, seeing small embers fly into the dark sky. The seventeen year old only wanted to amuse his half-uncle by doing what he wanted him to do. He had no real incentive to do it, but he was curious to see if the red god was real or if his uncle really was crazy. 

The fire reflected in Jace’s eyes and [Name] saw the twists and snaps in the reflection. Jace’s lips parted open to speak what he saw in the fire, shocked to see the vision come to life in the flames. 

“I see the North, there is an alliance to be made and an oath to keep.”

[Name] hummed in thought while Jace blinked his eyes trying to peer more into the flames. 

“And I see-”

A huge gust of wind blew the fire out as Balerion roared past the men, Dreamfyre tailing her mate close by with a replying call. Jace ducked down immediately while [Name] laughed at the cowering position of his nephew. He fixed his clothing and his hair from the flyby, still laughing at the glare he received from Jace. 

“Apologies,” [Name] cleared his throat and picked himself up from the floor, reaching a hand out to the teenager. “Balerion likes to announce his arrival, I’m sure he didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Jace asked, taking the offered hand and stood up with the help of it. 

“From miles away,” [Name] answered, a grin on his face. 

Jace wiped his clothes off and sighed, “A warning won’t hurt next time.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” [Name] chuckled and followed after his fuming nephew with lighthearted apologies. 

Jace was soft of grateful to have his half-uncle at Dragonstone for many reasons. He looked up to [Name] when they were younger and admired Balerion from afar, too scared to ever approach the dragon. But [Name] tried to help Jace get over his fear of the Dread. 

[Name] never questioned his or Luke’s legitimacy either, claiming that his twin and younger brother were green monsters. That Aemond envied their claim to the throne. 

[Name] was a role model, perfect son of Viserys the Peaceful. The calm and deadly rider of Balerion. Nothing was truly bad about him. 

“He’s a cunt.”

“You shouldn’t speak that way about him, our greatest ally,” Rhaenyra scolded Daemon, the council members having a small meeting about their newest arrival to Dragonstone. While the Hightower-Targaryens found sleep, the meeting concluded with the Targaryen family. 

“He didn’t even demand my head or retribution for the death of his son,” Daemon growled out. 

Rhaenys shook her head and made eye contact with the ill-tempered man, “No, he barely acknowledged your name. He thinks differently of the whole situation.” 

“How so?” Corlys was also dumbfounded by [Name]’s sudden alliance with Rhaenyra. He also found it odd that [Name] didn’t want Daemon to suffer any consequences. 

“[Name] puts the blame on his mother and her sworn protector Cole for the death of Rhaegar. He sees Daemon’s order as revenge for Aemond killing Lucerys and-” Rhaneys faltered trying to find the right words to describe [Name]’s motive for all of this, “he believes Rhaegar’s death to be collateral. You weren’t after [Name]’s son, were you?” 

Daemon looked around the table and shook his head, “No. Not Rhaegar.”

“So you just proved him right,” Rhaenys continued on, “killing you or demanding any punishment from you will not bring him his son back. He’s learned that from you trying to avenge Lucerys. And he knows deep down that Rhaenyra is the rightful queen. He of all people should know that because he supported Rhaenyra’s claim along with Viserys.”

Jace nodded his head and vouched for his half-uncle, “[Name] has no desire for the crown even grandfather knew that. He never snickered behind my back or saw himself above me, never dished out the word ‘bastard’ like his brothers did.”

“He should hate me,” Daemon spat, “I killed his son!” 

Everyone looked at Daemon with wide eyes from his outburst and Rhaenyra breathed out of her nose. She knew what ate away at her husband. 

“Daemon, we know you feel guilty over the death of Rhaegar. Maybe this is [Name]’s punishment for you, to receive no punishment or consequences. To let you live on with innocent blood on your hands, to let you think of what you’ve done.” 

Daemon looked up at his wife and glowered at her, “If I had Balerion, I would have melted this castle down to its bones, burning every person alive in here.” 

Rhaneys straightened out her back and calmly replied, “Luckily [Name] knows how to use his authority on his dragon.”

Jace watched the back of [Name]’s head as he slowed down his pace to the castle. He didn’t know why, but Jace wanted to. 

“[Name], I’m sorry about your loss. I-I know how it feels to lose someone, not a child, but a brother.” 

Jace saw [Name] stop in his path and the young man turned around with a blank expression on his face. Perhaps Jace should have not said anything regarding Rhaegar, but [Name] spoke up with a soft voice. 

“Aegon wanted me to burn you all and Otto wanted to put the blame on Rhaenyra having the people dub her as ‘The Cruel’. But I know my sister, your mother, she’s just like our father with a bit more spirit in her soul. I could never burn the true successor to the throne and if I have to make my family bend the knee with the power of Balerion, I will.” 

[Name] looked up at the dark blue sky and said, “Rhaegar’s death opened my eyes and I’ve ignored the warnings from the red god. This time I will do anything for my family. Now come on, we can grieve together in the solitude of the castle walls.”

……

The next day, [Name] saw Rhaenyra’s dragon from afar, returning from her sudden trip to who knows where. Balerion noticed the golden dragon in the bright sun and called out in greeting to which Syrax replied with a screech of her own. Smiling softly at the interaction, [Name] commanded Balerion to do one last circle around his area. 

Rhaenyra watched in awe as she rode her dragon, seeing the Dread patrolling the skies in all his dark imagery. Larger than any dragon she has ever seen, she was hopeful that Balerion and [Name] were on her side. Especially after the conversation with his mother. 

She wanted [Name] to join in on the council meeting to discuss what was spoken too. To see if he had any advice of what his family could plan against her. So she urged Syrax to call for Balerion knowing that [Name] would catch on to the call. 

The golden dragon moved her head side to side and let out a high pitched bellow to signal the black dragon to come back. 

When [Name] heard Syrax’s call, he sighed and commanded Balerion to land on the beach where the black dragon made his nest.  Swiftly, he took his black helmet off and began climbing down the ropes tied to his mount. Balerion grumbled then rested his head on the sand with a huff. 

“Get some rest, Balerion,” [Name] took his gloves off next and placed his helmet next to his dragon, “we have tomorrow’s patrol as well.” 

As if responding to his rider, Balerion's chest rumbled in agreement, the dragon closing his eyes for that much needed rest. Although, the black dragon did want to go on a hunt with his rider. 

[Name] watched Syrax fly into the cave and he started making his long trek up to the castle. One of the cons of having a large dragon, you have to walk everywhere because it cannot sleep in a cave with other dragons. When [Name] was halfway to the castle, he saw a familiar red dragon fly out of the cave. 

“Princess Rhaenys?” [Name] mumbled then hurried up the steps to see what was wrong. 

When he made his way up to the council meeting, he spotted Rhaenyra looking pale and solemn. Helaena was by her side nodding to the words Rhaenyra spoke to her. Fearing that Rhaenyra was asking Helaena to fly out on Dreamfyre he interrupted the queen. 

“Your Grace,” [Name] huffed and briskly made his way over to his wife. He set a hand on Helaena’s shoulder and said, “Send me, you promised me that Helaena wouldn’t have to fly Dreamfyre.” 

Rhaenyra moved her eyes to [Name] and shook her head, “I was only giving Helaena some comfort, brother. Rhaenys is flying out to Rook’s Rest to provide backup to Lord Stuanton. There’s a possibility of her encountering Vhagar which is why you need to fly out with her. Now.” No time for goodbyes when Rhaneys was already flying out there. 

[Name] looked down at Helaena and her eyes glistened with a teary goodbye. 

“At once, Your Grace,” [Name] bowed his head at Rhaenyra and planted a quick kiss at the crown of Helaena’s head. Then he turned around demanding someone to give him a horse so he could ride out to Balerion. 

Helaena watched her husband disappear out of sight and she looked up at Rhaenyra, “I know he’ll come back, but…the cost of Rook’s Rest would be far too great. It’s never a good thing to fight amongst blood.” 

Rhaenyra looked away from the entrance and sighed. Helaena was right, odd as she may be. 

……

[Name] had Balerion glide right above the sea water, knowing that if he had his dragon fly any higher than that, they would be spotted quickly. His heart raced in his chest and [Name] prepared his mind to fight his brother, Aemond. His biggest foe and greatest enemy now. 

Aegon would never be on the battlefield just like Rhaenyra cause both parties were too important to be sent to battle. So he willed Balerion to fly faster to help Rhaenys against the green monstrosity that would soon come to Rook Rest. 

Upon seeing the cliff Rook’s Rest was planted on, [Name] saw Meleys fighting a very family light pink and golden dragon. Eyes wide in surprise [Name] urged Balerion to fly faster seeing the blood of Sunfyre rain down on the earth. 

“Aderī, Balerion,” [Name] shouted and the dragon grumbled in response. Then when they approached the cliff [Name] commanded Balerion to fly upwards parallel to the mountainside. The Lord of Rook’s Rest and his men felt a huge gust of wind blow them forward and turned around to see a giant dark beast rise into the sky with a thunderous roar. (qᵘⁱᶜᵏˡʸ)

High in the sky, [Name] spotted Vhagar flying her way towards the engaged Meleys and Sunfyre. “Naejot, Balerion,” The dragon rider growled in frustration seeing the highly focused gaze on Aemond’s face. (ᶠᵒʳʷᵃʳᵈ)

Meanwhile, Aegon held onto his mount hearing the painful cries leave Sunfyre’s throat. His ears shattered upon the noise that brought him sorrow. His mind racing a mile and his heart about to burst from his chest. That was until he heard the greatest roar in history rumble in the sky. His head snapped to the left and he saw Vhagar flying over to him with a determined Aemond on her back. 

“Thank the gods!” Aemond cried in relief, but that relief was washed away. The look on Aemond’s face, it wasn’t a look of help, but a demand for blood and death. 

“Dracarys!” Aemond shouted, the command Vhagar didn’t hesitate to defy. 

Rhaenys and Aegon looked at the impending doom, both bracing themselves for the fire building up in the back of Vhagar’s throat as their dragons fought amongst each other. 

Yet a desperate and willful demand shouted above Vhagar’s gurgling throat, “angōs, Balerion!” The black dread opened his mouth wide, snapping hard onto Vhagar’s flappy throat disrupting the line of fire. Vhagar roared out in pain while Aemond held tighter onto his mount, glaring at his brother who commanded Balerion to fly higher into the sky with Vhagar in his clutches. 

But they were already too close to the earth for the command to have any merit, so he watched. 

[Name] held onto his mount and watched Balerion hold onto Vhagar’s throat, squeezing tighter and tighter. Both large dragons took the show away from the smaller ones and [Name] couldn’t afford to look at Rhaenys when their biggest threat was in his grasp. 

Before Balerion could sustain any injuries from Vhagar’s talons, [Name] ordered his dragon to back away. Not wanting to spoil his attack, Balerion swished his head tearing into Vhagar’s throat a bit more then kicked the green dragon to the earth. Balerion spread his wings wide parallel to the ground and glided over the burning men and fallen dragon with a victory cry, his tail smacking into some men running away.

The Black Dread took to the skies and [Name] turned around to see Sunfyre succumb to his injuries from Meleys. The golden dragon cried out with a high pitched screech before hitting the forest ground in silence and a puff of fire. [Name] cringed and turned away from the tragic scene. This was all happening too fast, Balerion had years of battle experience, but he didn’t. Neither did Aegon or Sunfyre.

Aegon couldn’t have survived that fall, he thought. It wasn’t possible. While distracted, an attack from Vhagar happened upon Balerion who roared out waking up [Name] from his stupor. He looked to his left and saw a small chunk of Balerion’s right shoulder blade in Vhagar’s mouth. 

Quickly he held onto his reins with one hand and the other pulled Hellfire from its sheath. [Name] with strong legs, stood on his mount and began slicing at Vhagar’s saggy skin. The flames ate away at her flesh wounds. 

“Damn traitor!” 

[Name] ignored Aemond’s angered yell at him, for he was too focused trying to get Balerion help. 

“I’ll kill you right here! And force Helaena back home, to fight with her true family!” 

Hellfire burned brighter and [Name] stabbed Vhagar in her puffy cheek. Then he dragged his sword downwards to his mount forcing Vhagar to release Balerion because this fiery pain in her mouth was too much to bear. 

Vhagar bellowed into the ash covered sky and [Name] demanded that Balerion dive down to escape from Vhagar’s talons. With a tactical retreat, Balerion flew away just in time for Rhaenys to strike a critical blow onto Vhagar. 

Meleys attacked from behind and tore at Vhagar’s left wing causing the green dragon to breathe out fire into the sky. The Queen Who Never Was ended Aegon and Sunfyre, and now [Name] needed to pull his weight and end Vhagar. 

 [Name]’s heartbeat echoed in his head and he pulled Balerion back into the fight. If Aemond didn’t bring up Helaena in the fight, he would have left Rhaenys to claim the victory of killing Vhagar. 

But Aemond was his now. Brother or not, you do not threaten his wife. Rhaenys saw the Black Dread making his way over with strong beats of his large wings. That look on [Name]’s face said everything she needed to know and she had Meleys release Vhagar, flying high into the sky to see the end of the Green’s Dragons at Rook’s Rest. 

“Dracarys!” 

His commanding voice sent shivers down Rhaenys’ spine and for the first time, she actually witnessed black fire shooting out of Balerion’s throat. Even at the safe distance she was at, the heat from it was too much. 

Vhagar gave out a defeated bellow falling into the sea like a black fireball. A huge splash resounded in their ears and Rhaneys landed Meleys on top of Rook’s Rest looking down at the burning battlefield. Lord Staunton looked up at the princess and carefully asked, “Is it over?” 

Rhaenys breathed in and out watching the aftermath of four dragons fighting. She and [Name] just ended the war in one battle. Balerion and Meleys, injured yet fearlessly fighting with their riders, ended the lives of two dragons. Suddenly Balerion landed on the burning field and roared at the usurper’s men. 

One by one, men started surrendering with their weapons falling from their hands. Green banners left to be stomped on and she could hear some men whimper at the sight of the victorious dragons. 

“Yes, Lord Staunton,” Rhaneys breathed out, “It is over.” Her eyes dragged over and saw a paranoid [Name] on his mount. She unhooked herself from her mount and Meleys moved a wing down to Balerion's back.

Meanwhile [Name] tried to catch his breath, but his chest felt like it could explode. His grip on Hellfire loosened and he pounded at his heart with an ache. His throat closed up and his vision got blurry. 

“[Name], relax!” 

The adult male blinked the tears away and saw a clear vision of Rhaenys holding onto his shoulders. She must have jumped onto Balerion from Meleys with great expertise. 

“You need to calm down, breathe.”

She softly demanded, her face covered in ash morphed into worry as he said, “My own brothers, I killed them. My own blood.” 

Rhaenys’ eyes softened at his turmoil. “Aemond, you saw him,” She tried to reason with him, “he would have burned Aegon were it not for you. You stopped Aemond and his tyranny, no one would blame you for doing that. And I killed Aegon, not you. You’d be wise to remember that you fight for Rhaenyra’s claim, you support the rightful heir. No one is going to call you a kinslayer.” 

[Name] sucked in a deep breath and his shoulder slug forward in defeat despite winning a great battle for Rhaenyra. This happened all too fast and ended so quickly. Nothing was going to make him feel better right now. 

“Princess Rhaenys and Prince [Name]!” 

A voice shouted from the castle, it was Lord Staunton. 

“The Hightowers have fled with their remaining men and there is no sight of Aegon, but his dragon has succumbed to its wounds. Shouldn’t we chase them down on dragonback and horses?” 

Rhaenys looked back at the male adult in her arms and shouted back, “No! For now, we take this win and wait for Queen Rhaenyra’s orders on what to do next. Prepare Prince [Name] a hot bath and a meal. He fought well against his usurper brothers, it’s what you must do for him. And send a raven to Queen Rhaenyra. We have news to tell her.” 

News, [Name] thought. She didn't describe it as good news for the Queen. His brothers deaths were definitely good news for the blacks. Although for him, it was just news.

...........................................................

MUSIC THAT INSPIRED THIS CHAPTER

There Will Be No Mercy - Ramin Djawadi

Rook's Rest, Pt 2 - Ramin Djawadi

The Red Woman - Ramin Djawadi

[marte-14]

"Until we meet again, God Slayer"

The Shadow managed to separate the Heroes.

Sky and Time are alone against a horde of monsters, they are managing to keep up the pace for long, but monsters continue to arrive.

The situation got so dire that Time had to use the Fierce Deity mask. Much to his discomfort.

They win their battle, finally.

Sky stares at the Deity.

Time told them about this mask once. They all talked about their arsenal and how to use it, in case there was an emergency and the owner couldn’t operate a tool. The older Hero expressly said:" Don’t use it under any circumstances, unless the situation is so severe that it’s our last resort."

Now Sky understands why, the mask is powerful but it clearly comes to a price, judging by how it marked Time.

"Chosen Hero of Hylia." The Deity speaks, and Sky immediately knows that behind that voice there isn’t his brother:" As I expected you fight by my side, on my same ground." While he is expressionless, there is satisfaction in his voice:" I don’t merit such compliments by you." Sky responds:" You are very humble, as expected by the First of them all."

The Deity turns to Sky, now looking directly to him in the eyes:" I am not here for pleasantries. I am to warn you, Chosen."

"An important battle is on the horizon, against who I have no idea… But I know that you will have to use me."

Sky looks at him eyes wide open, in a bit of shock and worry. The Deity seems to feel his emotions:" While I have no powers to precisely tell what fate has decided. I can assure you on one thing… You will have no repercussions by wearing me."

Sky wasn’t really worried about that, he would even die to protect his brothers, having the marks of a Deity on his skin isn’t much.

But this seems to concern the Deity so he let him speak:" I know that the Hero of Time has warned you on using me. In his youth he abused of my powers once, I had to remind him that his mortal body has limits."

"On the other hand you, First Hero, do not need such reminders. In strength you and I are the same. On your own, you could have defeated the army we fought today, you have already did this before after all."

Sky feels that the Deity is a bit over exaggerating on his abilities, but it’s never a good idea to contradict a God or Deity.

"I will only help as enough is needed to ensure the success of your Quest and the safety of every Hero."

Sky is still shocked by his words but nods:" Thank you for the warning and the help. I will remember it."

Satisfied the Deity sheaths his swords.

"Until we meet again, God Slayer."

Time takes off the mask, falling to his knees exhausted.

----

Here I also add the time lapse of the drawing!

Hope you like it!

[yourlocaltreesimp]

I am still so new to the LU so please go easy on my requests. I am basically learning as I go and also because I am hesitant to request here. So here is my simple request.

I don't know if you do Yandere anymore but can I get Yan Time/FD(I love him so much;^;) and Wild reacting to reader confessing their feelings to them. I just want fluffy fluff. I might request again but I don't wanna overwhelm your bucket list.

Now I am going to do the first prompt, But put the second back in the inbox and it’ll get done… eventually?

TW: yandarism and all it’s accompanies (obsession, violence, etc), yan!reader

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Safety was a concept you didn’t know much of. It was like a bird, swooping nearer to you and diving away. It was something you once had wished for. Something you couldn’t have. Not with the struggles and strife of the world. It was something that lured, something so ironic once you realised that the very concept of safety often led people away from what was truly safe. In a world without real villains, there were only false heroes. And so, you settled for as close to safety as one given person could manage. But life is a shaky course, filled with so much unpredictability that it’s natural that your walls came crashing down eventually. Now, you were in a world with a true villain. One of evil for evil's sake, one whom it was easy to label as the bad guy. He ripped you from your home and with malice he chased until you met who you can only presume to be your hero. Who else could wield such a sword with such accuracy and grace that the gods themselves wished to emulate? Your heart felt like it was clawing at your ribs whenever the shadow man lashed at your hero. If only you weren’t injured. But it seemed your heart needn’t worry, your hero moving so quickly as to miss the blade, even as strands of gold and white were cut by the sweep of the villain’s blade. They clashed until your hero triumphed, pinning his rival under his boot with a glare of such power that you felt… oddly secure. His smile was wide and hungry and you saw a teal v shake that contrasted the tan of his skin and gold of his hair, blood red marks beneath his eyes that complimented the flush on his cheeks. The villain faded to dust and your vision went with him. Your hero picked you up, and in your fading mind you smiled and clung to that overwhelming feeling of safety. You now knew it, and you wouldn’t be letting it quietly slip by.

The deity knawed in Time’s mind, latched to the soul of the person he saved. Never once had he felt such a tug to any given person. Sure, there was that longing for home, for comfort, but that was never something he was meant to achieve. A lure to keep him moving, to keep doing as he was told. But you… what was it about you? Sure you were undeniably pretty in the way you must’ve been carved by the gods themselves -or been one, as far as the deity was concerned- but that didn’t explain the urge he felt. The urge to go looking for something tugged at his very soul, as if looking for something forgotten. There he found you and just knew. There wasn’t much thought before he drew his blade, and he didn’t resist the second consciousness aiding his steps and swings. There wasn’t anything but bloodlust, comfortable and warm, teeming beneath his skin. It was primal, something so base and inherit that as the shadow was caught beneath his boot all he could do was smile, baring his teeth. Of course the shadow faded away, but it seemed terrified. That thought stuck- that he was capable of making something so otherworldly no more than a scared boy. It felt justifying. Like the scared little boy in him had grown and was satisfied. And then there was you. Just you. Your sweet, content smile as he picked you up. He felt gratified, feared and loved. What they needed him to be and what he wanted to be. He couldn’t just let you leave now, him and the deity both agreed. You wouldn’t be safe without him.

[purple-eyesgreydragon]

"All who worship and feed me, the great snake, Cobraia. Shall never know the plight of hunger themselves." - Cobraia.

I've had the idea for a Cult of the Lamb 2 for awhile.

Cult of the Lamb 2: Missionary Journey

In it the Lamb decides to travel to reaches beyond the Lands of the Old Faith. Finding other gods to face and more followers to recruit. But they cannot do it entirely themselves. As there is still the main part of their cult to run. The Lamb recruits local, fellow bovine followers. Each gifted with a copy given crown, allowing them to wield vessel powers of their own. Their strength only able to grow by their own, and others' growing devotion to the Lamb. Able to call upon the Lamb should they need them. The Lamb's missionaries spread the gospel of the Lamb across the lands beyond. Facing vengeful gods of their own, who will not take the Lamb engrossing on their territory and devotion without a fight.

Cobraia is the God of Gluttony and ruler of the desert known as the Sweltersands. She is an all consuming entity, her hunger never to be satisfied. Those who chose to serve her and swear their devotion, she promises an everlasting fast. Cobraia consumes her followers hunger, she eats their fill. Many of her followers have gone their entire lives without ever starving. To which they worship faithfully, believing she truly spares them a great plight. Her favorite thing to consume are gazelles. The gazelles of Sweltersands are forced by her followers to reproduce nonstop to maintain their population, and continue to please the great snake. Cobraia hungers not just for sustenance, but for more power and devotion. Cobraia is very cunning and is a sly serpent in making bargains. Seeing through the eyes of all snakes in the world, She new the Bishops of the Old Faith would fall. She however agreed to devour the lambs of her land in contingency gain their favor. But Cobraia also keep something from them, to make a pact with The One Who Waits. However things did not go as anticipated. How was she to know The One Who Wait's liberation would be as a mortal to instead follow his promised liberator. Though Cobraia can still use her secret bargaining chip against the Lamb as well. Soon she will consume the red crown and absorb its power. The Lamb dare not face her, surely they'd surrender to her. Knowing in the great snake's possession, was what the Lamb wanted most of all.

Truthfully any who worshipped Cobraia would have nothing to fear from Heket. Cobraia always thought amphibians were inferior to reptiles.

Cobraia is known by many names. the God of Gluttony, the All Consumer, the Great Snake or Serpent, Saltan of the Sweltersands, Desert Deity, and the Great Devourer(Yes, I did that one on purpose).

[co-mixed]

Who will rid us of Moon Knight? 

It’s the 1980s and Moon Knight is just a one-time adversary-turned-ally in a Werewolf by Night comic book. He got some solo stories but he’s still mostly a question Marc (oh yes, I did). So what could go right if he got a solo book? 

Moon Knight was introduced as a mysterious mercenary hired by a group of rich baddies to capture Jack Russel (the title Werewolf). They gave him the signature costume and insisted that he call himself Moon Knight — something that Marc himself didn’t quite appreciate. But this origin didn’t stick around for too long and when the time had come for Moon Knight to swing into the pages of his own title, his story changed as well. The retcon even tried to honor that early story, turning the whole thing into Moon Knight’s operation. Instead of a sudden change of heart, he now died and came back to life with the help of a certain deity. Back then, Khonshu was a silent statue that may or may not have had any extra powers. But it was enough to birth Marc’s identity crisis that later was turned into DID. 

The new look

So Marc is gliding through the streets of New York, looking for trouble. Despite the city being infested with superheroes of all kinds, trouble he still finds.

When he gives up his merc ways, he adopts the persona of a rich boy Steven Grant who occasionally drives around in a cab and calls himself Jake Lockley. 

There is a strong early Batman vibe during these years, only Marc is struggling with more identities. His main one is Steven but he is way more comfortable with Jake. That’s not something he admits, it’s taken out of the creator’s notes. And a part of why he refuses to confront or even consider that fact is Marlene. 

Marlene is Steven’s girlfriend, and when I say Steven’s I mean just his. Jake calls her “lady”, and with Marc, it’s even more complicated. He was one of the mercenaries who killed her father, he was also the one who saved her from the same fate and we never learn how, but they do end up together. Marlene is the 1980s version of a badass – she fights, she’s not helpless, and while she does occasionally try on the flowery hat of a damsel in distress, that doesn’t happen often. 

In the beginning, she mostly waits for him by the bathtub (and I’m not joking, Steven has a bath in his bedroom and that bath serves as a secret entrance for Moon Knight). As the story progresses, though, we learn more about her but we’ll get to that. 

We mostly don’t interact with Marc - he is the one side MK is running away from and considers to be dead. Truth is, he replaced Marc with both Jake and Moon Knight. One satisfies the thirst for violence and the other is a simple down-to-earth guy, just like Marc was. Marc himself, he died in that tomb next to the statue of Khonshu. 

Marc’s lifestyle is what’s put a rift between him and his family, it got pretty bad too but what I like is that he doesn’t get that beautiful reunion. He doesn’t get anything — he can’t make peace with his brother or his father. Marc has to live with his mistakes lingering around him and that’s another reason he’s so eager to become someone else. If it was up to Marlene, he’d stay as Steven and give up Moon Knight. But we know better, he can’t do that (the Moon will haunt him). The only part of Marc MK is not getting rid of is ironically the baddies from his past.

Backup dancers 

Moon Knight is trying to help everyone else and fails quite often at that. I think that’s what I like about him. He can compromise, he operates in the grey area where he can let a murderer go if the murder is justified. His justice is never black-and-white. Like the Moon, it has spots. 

But he has a backup team to keep him balanced. To help all three personas survive and function. 

Marc has his old friend Frenchie. Frenchie hangs around the helicopter waiting to pick up MK from wherever and the only thing we really know about him is that he had the love of his life and he lost her. 

Steven has Marlene.

But Jake is the most outgoing of all. He hangs out at Gena’s diner, where he orders food and never eats it. He comes to Crawley (a street dweller) for information, and he even knows a cop (although that’s Moon Knight). 

It’s a big cast of characters and all of them get their own moments in the center of the story. Those moments though, are often tragic.  

Crosses 

While other comics of the time are careful with death, this one never shies away from it. Almost every character has a loss to face and each story is quite brutal. Redemption is never a given, certainly not for everyone, and that’s the leitmotif of the whole run. The good fight never truly stops not for Moon Knight, not for anyone. There probably isn’t enough good for Marc to do to erase his past. 

MK’s early stories have a similar vibe to Ann Nocenti’s Daredevil run. It’s always something socially relevant, from nazi sympathizers to crime on the streets as a result of poor economy. Moon Knight is a hero of the people, and his baddies are either unfriendly neighborhood criminals or some overseas crime lords. 

As the run finds its rhythm though, the genre changes. It now borders on mysticism and touches upon horror without crossing the lines of realism. It maintains this grounded approach, the possibility that it all could actually happen. In the world of Khonshu, Moon Knight is still very skeptical when it comes to magic, so his team-up with Strange feels like a door to the bigger universe of superheroes, not just street vigilantes. 

Brushes

There is no talking about Moon Knight without his significant look. For half of the run Bill Sienkiewicz serves as the lead artist, and that’s reason no.1 why this run is a must-read. If nothing else (and there is definitely something else), then check it for the stunning art. You can see how with every issue the visual style matures and changes, finding the perfect tone and balancing between impressionism and pop art. There is magic in these panels, and it makes more sense to see them than to talk about them. 

Stunning covers are present too. 

Early Moon Knight is not Moon Knight as we know him today. It’s a different book and it’s a product of the 80’s. It’s a special vibe and something you have to be ready to submerge into. If you are, you’re gonna have a hell of a great time. 

[mask131]

The myth of Apollo (6)

On to complete this little series I never had time to finish! As with my "The myth of Dionysos" series, I will end my loose translations with the section dedicated to Apollo in Félix Guirand's "Mythologie générale" (General mythology). As I said before, it was from the late 30s originally, so it is a bit old and some info might be outdated, but it was the dominant compendium for most of the 20th century, so it completes quite well the previous and more modern articles I shared before.

I/ Origins, traits and attributes

The etymology of the name « Apollon » is uncertain. None of those that were submitted are satisfying, be it its link to the old Greek verb “apello”, meaning “to push away, to repel”, or a potential tie to an ancient form of “apollumi/apollymi”, “to destroy” (Apollo “the destroyer” would be how he appears in The Iliad). Some even go as far as to try to link it to the English “apple” to make Apollo a primitive god of the apple-tree…

We are just as unsure when it comes to the god’s origins. Some think he comes from Asia: either he is a Hittite god, a double of the Arabian deity Hobal ; either he is a god from Lycia. Other meanwhile use Apollo’s close relationship to the Hyperborean to show him as a Nordic god, brought by the Greeks from Northern Europe during their migration. It is hard to choose between those opposite theories because each of them brings interesting and plausible ideas, while not actually presenting solid proof.

It must be said that the legend of Apollo is so diverging that it sometimes confines the myth into pure contradiction. For example, this deity which was the Greek god by excellence and the essence of Ancient Greece, somehow sides with the Trojan (aka, Asians) in The Iliad. And if we accept that Apollo comes from Asia, then why are his retreats identified as the Tempi Valley and Hyperborea, implied to be his native land? As for his attributes, they are so multiple and complex it is often hard to link them together.

Apollo is first and foremost a god of light, and a solar god – without actually personifying the celestial body itself, as the sun was identified with the specific god that is Helios. But as a light go he was called “Phoïbos”, “The Shining One/Bright One”, Xanthos “The Blond”, “Chrysocomès”, “Of gold hair”. He was said to enjoy most of all “high places”, the highest mountaintops and the promontories overseen the waters. It makes sense that this solar god would be the son of Leto, known by the Romans as Latone ; a deity who was very likely a night-goddess, and the double of the Asian Lada. As a solar god, Apollo is the one who helps fruits grow out of the earth, and this is why the first harvest was dedicated to him in Delos and Delphi. He was also a harvest-protector by destroying the rats that infested the fields (Apollo Smintheus) and repelling locusts (Apollo Parnopion). However, since the sun is also a murderous power whose rays were said to hit like shots, Apollo was seen as an archer god who threw far, far away his arrows (Hécatébolos) that caused sudden death. But, since the sun is also a benevolent power causing purification, Apollo was also the healer god that pushed away evil (Alexicacos). In this latter function, he seems to have replaced a more primitive Greek god known as Paeon (The Healer) and whose name is linked to the character of Paeéon that Homer names “the physicists of the gods”.

Apollo was also a god of divination and prophecy. Outside of the numerous oracles he owned in Asia Minor, Thymbra, Claros, Gryneium and Didymos, Apollo had sanctuaries all throughout Greece where people went to seek his council, as the god spoke there through his intermediaries, the Sibyl priestesses. Some famous examples of these sanctuaries were those of Tegyra and Thebes – in the Theban sanctuary, the Sibyl was none other than the daughter of Tiresias, Manto. Still in Thebes, by Pausanias’ time, one could find the stone on which Apollo’s priestesses stood to give his oracles, called “Manto’s seat”. This stone was later sent to Asia Minor, to create the Claros oracle. But of all the sanctuaries of Apollo, the most famous was of course Delphi, located in a deep grotto from which came out “prophetic vapors”. The priestess, called a Pythia, sat on a tripod at the entrance of the cave. Soon, under the influence of the god, she entered into a state of trance and, possessed by a “prophetic delirium”, she said fragmented and obscure sentences, interpreted in turn by the male priests of Apollo and by the members of the sacred council of Delphi. To give the power of divination to a solar god can be surprising, because in Ancient Greece prophecies usually were reserved to chthonian deities. And yet, Apollo ended up eclipsing all of those earthly oracles – as such, we have to consider that Apollo must have had his oracular powers before he entered Greece. This makes him very similar to the Assyro-Babylonian god Shamash, a sun god who has the power of divination ; and it would confirm the Asian origin of Apollo.

But outside of these facets of the solar god, Apollo has many, many other domains. Apollo was a shepherd/pastor god (Nomios) in charge of protecting herds and flocks. His epithet “Lycian”, if it isn’t simply an indication that he comes from Lycia, had been linked to some to the root “lux” of the Latin word “lux”, light – confirming the solar nature of the god. However, “Lycian”, in Greek “luxeioz”, is also linked to the word “luxoz”, “wolf”. Apollo might have been originally a wolf-god, or maybe simply a wolf-killer as his nickname “Lucoctonos” confirms. This all indicates a rural deity, which is to link to the way Dorians celebrated Apollo as a pastoral god called “Apollon Carneios” (Ram-Apollo). On top of this, Apollo was also the god of singing and of the lyre – this is how Homer painted him to us, as all the gods listening the beautiful melodies Apollo creates on his cithara. Apollo, finally, is a builder god and a colonizing god, who is said to “enjoy the building of cities, of which he always establishes the foundations”.

These many attributes lead one to believe that Apollo is actually the conflicting of several different personalities, and that he started out as an Asian solar god which, when brought over to Greece, was conflicted with a rural norther Greek god, the Apollo Nomios/Ram-Apollo of the Dorians.

II/ Depictions

Despite his multiplicity, Apollo always kept the same appearance. He was depicted as a young man of ideal beauty, with a strong body, a broad chest for narrow hips. His face was beardless and delicate, his high forehead crowned with thick and long hair, sometimes floating onto his back, sometimes tied into a knot with only a few curls falling on his shoulders. He was usually naked, or wore at most a chlamys. When depicted as a musician-god, he usually wears a long tunic with large folds. His attributes are the bow and the quiver, the shepherd’s crook and cithara. His dedicated animals were the swan, the vulture, the raven, the falcon, the cicada, the wolf and the snake. His favorite plants ere the laurel, the palm-tree, the olive-tree, and the tamaris.

III/ Birth of Apollo

According to the most ancient traditions, Apollo’s mother, Leto daughter of Coeos and Phoebe, was a wife of Zeus whose relationship with him was anterior to his marriage with Hera. It is as a former wife of Zeus that she appears in The Iliad, where she and her son protect the Trojans (probably due to their Asiatic origins). Hesiod also depicts her as such, adding that she wears a dark-veil, which seems a fitting outfit for a night goddess. It was only later that Leto became a mistress of Zeus faced with Hera’s jealousy – and the conflict between these two goddesses forms the main part of Leto’s legend.

When Leto, pregnant with Zeus, sensed she would soon start her labor, she went looking for a place perfect to deliver her babies. However, furious and jealous, Hera hunted her down, and forced her to cross Attica, Euboea, Thrace and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Leto kept asking each region, island and land if they wanted to welcome her, but all, fearing Hera’s wrath, refused. Hopefully Leto encountered the floating island of Ortygia, which was the final form of Leto’s sister, Asteria, which had turned into this landmass to avoid the lust of Zeus. Leto promised to Ortygia that, on its rocky and sterile ground, Apollo would build a splendid temple, and this gift had the island agree to welcome Leto. But Hera had made an oath that her rival would never give birth in a land touched by the rays of the sun ; to go around this restriction, Poseidon created a dome that he used to cover the island, and maintained by four pillars at the bottom of the sea. After the birth of Apollo, Ortygia’s name was changed into Delos, “The Shining One”.

When Hera realized she could not prevent the birth, she decided to slow it down as much as possible: while all the goddesses had come to Leto’s side to help her, Hera maintained by her side Ilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, forbidding her to go to Leto. During nine days and nine nights Leto suffered the pain of labor without being able to deliver her babies. Finally, Iris, sent to Olympos, managed to bring back Ilithyia. Finally, Leto gave birth to Apollo as all the goddesses screamed with joy, and the female Immortals washed young Phoïbos with pure water and wrapped him around in a white veil, closed by a golden belt (according to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo). At the same time, Leto also gave birth to a daughter, Artemis. (Sometimes, due to the similarity of names, Apollo’s birthplace was not identified as the Delos island, but as the Ortygia sacred wood, near Ephesus). Apollo’s birth, unfortunately, did not end Leto’s torment. Out of fear of Hera she had to flee Delos and hide in Asia Minor, in the Termite Land, later known as Lycia. One day there, as she came near a pond, she tried to drink its water – wicked shepherds prevented her to do so and soiled the water. Leto, as a punishment, turned them into frogs.

IV/ Apollo’s childhood; the Python snake

Apollo was not nursed by his mother’s milk ; instead he was fed by Themis with ambrosia and nectar. As soon as he consumed those products, Apollo threw away the cloth that wrapped him and gained a manly strength, which he immediately used to kill the snake Python. Python was a female dragon that had been birth by the Earth (Gaia) to act as Typhon’s nurse. Hera, who wanted to destroy her rival at all costs, had sent Python to track down Leto when she was about to give birth to Apollo ; hopefully, Poseidon had hidden Leto’s resting place in the waters, meaning Python, unable to find its victim, had to return to its lair on the wooden slopes of Parnassus.

Four days after his birth, Apollo went out in the world, in search of a land where to build his sanctuary. Armed with arrows that Hephaestus had forged for him, he went down from Olympus, crossed Pieria, Euboea and Boeotia, before finally reaching the Crissa valley. The nymph who ruled over this valley, Telphusa, wanted to keep her sole power over the region and so she treacherously advised Apollo to go into the wild gorge of the Parnassus where Python dwelt. When Python saw the god, it attacked, but the young deity killed it with its arrows, in a very long, agonizing, painful death. Once the body stropped writhing and rolling around, Apollo pushed it away disdainfully with his feet, saying “Rot now where you are”. In memory of this battle, the place came to be known as “Pytho” (from the Greek “puthein/pythein”, “to rot”), later changed into the name “Delphi”. As for Telphusa, the god punished her treachery by smothering her under a rock.

In order to purify himself from the soiling that the murder of Python had caused, Apollo exiled himself in Thessaly, in the Tempi Valley. Once the time of expiation for his crime was done, he returned to Delphi crowned with sacred laurel, with an entire cohort of priests who sang triumphant hymns. These events were celebrated at Delphi by the festival of “Septeria”, or the feast of celebration, organized every nine years. A teenager chosen among nobility was playing Apollo. Helped by other young men, he set fire to a wooden cabin meant to symbolize the house of the dragon. At the end of the Septeria, the same young men had to go on a pilgrimage to the Tempe Valley, where they performed expiation rituals, before returning to Delphi bearing sacred laurel.

[yuujiheart]

hello there 👋 i really like the way you view things i feel like there's way too much negativity surrounding this ending and not to invalidate anyone i don't think it's perfect but i personally was very satisfied and happy with it, especially with sukuna and yuji which Almost scared me we weren't going to get a conclusion on. isn't it so beautiful that yuji literally changed sukuna to his core? the he literally decided to try a different path in the next life because yuji showed him there's value in life and others outside just passing the time until death? it's such a powerful message for someone who didn't think there was anything more to life than just surviving and satisfying his basic needs. some people take the fact that sukuna didn't accept Yujis offer as a rejection and I wanted to hear your thoughts on this because I don't think that's the case I think sukuna is a very very veryyy stubborn individual that would not back down from his beliefs until he literally died/lost. as mahito said this was a battle of truths. i see so many people saying that's it and they'll part forever but their souls are canonly connected so much so that even other people could sense it like uraume, so much so that in one chapter i think mei mei was fearing that yuji could be unconsciously channeling his thoughts to sukuna via telepathy and give away their plan, while sukuna was possesing megumi! as you pointed out in a prior post and i also noticed yuji literally felt that sukuna was embracing his mindset in the afterlife how insane is that??? he was smiling up at the sky as if he could see him. these two will 10000% find each other in the "next life" and every other after it (and I'm definitely not writing a fic about that exact thing happening or anything) I'm sorry this ask isn't very much an ask tbh i just wanted to bother you because we have similar views jfkdkvj hope your day goes well you don't have to answer 🙏

Hi ... Yeah i agree that it is not the best but it certainly is not bad... But i can understand those who didn't like it as the majority of questions remain unanswered. I myself wanted some answers especially yuji related....what I really like was we were all ready to be disappointed but sukuna yuji again saved us😭😭...... I genuinely felt so relieved when I saw sukuna... I knew gege would give him the conclusion he deserved....

Post chp 237 my only wish for him was that he learns about love (through yuuji) dies satisfied... Like it was bare minimum and gege delivered it which made me so happy...

Although I still feel weird that he did not mention yuuji but at the same time I also can't deny that his calm and gentle expression, him accepting his faults, his wish to try a different path, him comforting and guiding uraume to North , every action of him screams yuuji .. And then him accepting that he has become boring coz he lost is chef's kiss.. You know why???? It's because that is what he used to call yuji 😭😭😭😭.... Even writing this made me feel so warm....Mind you he never called anyone else boring... . This is the level of effect yuji has on him.....

To think that he rejected all opportunities life gave him since he couldn't let go of the resentment he felt all his life... His wounds were so deep that couldn't help but inflict them back..And I understand that because in yorozu's flashback we saw how those heian nobles called him monster even though he was invited there as a "deity" by the emperor himself so we can imagine what he must have gone through when he was a child, weak...You know he went from this to this..

How tired he looks here, so done with life but here he looks so peaceful, composed . Like I can feel it that yuuji freed him from the shackles, from his curse... Him looking forward to trying a new path where he wants to live with someone rather than cursing them is just heartwarming...

Now about the rejection point.... I know many people use it to downplay yuuji's effort but I knew all that would become useless once we get sukuna's conclusion... ... You know this moment is very special because this is the only time we see sukuna being emotionally vulnerable.. Like you will only see his true emotions when he's with yuuji... Any other time his emotions are in control but with yuji his emotions are all over the place.. But I digress...

Well I feel he both accepted and rejected yuuji's offer...He calls yuji's kindness a farce but in the same breath he also acknowledges him.. Now if he believes yuji is acting which that grandpa knows yuji isn't as he has lived with him and said himself in 248 that he knows yuji. than what he's acknowledging him for?? That means either he's lying or it's yuji .which definitely isn't yuji...

And then he said to not underestimate him as he's a curse..notice how he pauses before calling himself a curse.. This is the first time he chose to address himself ..and this is enough to tell us how he views himself.. He enjoys fighting but never once did he call himself the strongest like gojo but a curse coz that's what he thinks of himself subconsciously....

What I felt at this moment was that he was trying to reject yuji by saying it's him who isn't capable of living with others... And yuji shouldn't forget that... later in 271 we did get to know that it's exactly what stopped him from getting help.. He rejected any opportunity to live with others because he wanted to curse others just like how others cursed him..

How I see this is as sukuna didn't want to live with yuji because he doesn't want to become a burden on yuuji especially after what he put yuji through, yuuji wanting to save him doesn't mean yuji should be responsible for him. Yuji finally got free from the burden of being his vessel so he deserves a carefree life..

And sukuna is too mature and proud enough to let yuji a kid bear the burden of his curse and so he chooses to die like a curse (south) so he can start anew as a human (north) .

But he didn't reject yuji completely which is evident in his wish to try a different path and that is to live with others and not curse them like yuji said. Sukuna type people believe in might is the right philosophy so all they need is a good beating to get things through their thick skull... And then all is good..

And If he really hated yuji or was furious at him he would have cursed him or would have rejected him outright like he has done before but he did not....

Although this is my personal opinion, I believe there's more to sukuna yuji that we have yet to see as sukuna went from calling himself a curse to accepting his faults and wishing to try a different path... Plus yuuji was assuring them that the finger is not dangerous and had this gentle look on his face remembering sukuna .. So maybe they did talk more or it's the soul bond ig..

Yes, I am surprised gege didn't give us an explanation on resonance but it definitely was a big issue as juju high literally excluded yuji from their plans.. So something must have caused this..Choso also mentioned in 251 that yuji sukuna souls are combined and that they are special case.. So I am hoping we get some more info..

Honestly I really wanted them to live together in this life but I don't want to complain as my mutual pointed out it was gege who showed us that this idea is feasible in the first place otherwise we all were almost convinced that yuji will die.. ..

Please do not write a fic , and definitely not send me the link, coz I definitely am so not gonna read it 🫣🫣🫣..

It's alright.. I have made this account specifically for sukuna and yuji. So if not them,then who am I even gonna talk about.... I am always ready to yap when it comes to yuji and sukuna..

[lelanida]

Why was Alef so fixated on getting rid of the other gods\their cults? If I understand the Pantheon lore correctly. Did Megabird know the other gods other than Angst?

That's a good question, actually.

Of course, the Megabird knew about other gods. They literally lived in her house. But I can't say that she was very close to them. The Pantheon feared her as a powerful cosmic entity that could bring you into non-existence with a flick of a wing. And Megan herself treated the gods like funny little animals (which most of them are lol). Translating the relationship of the Megabird and the pantheon into our language, it's like someone drew your oc, not to say that with much of talent, but it's still feels nice, isn't it? And Angst didn't care about the pantheon at all. It wasn't his area of influence.

The gods in my au are literally the same elders, only they don't have a physical body. They are in no way superior in strength to the elders and in some respects even inferior. They are also burdened with ordinary emotions and don't always do good things. In the situation of the Hidden Forest, the fact that Dryad died does not mean that she is good. Dryad was much older and more experienced than Teth, and in theory, it was she who should have taken the first step towards applying the two sides. Perhaps, after all, getting into non-existence is too strong a punishment for her, but I can not say that she suffered undeservedly. Her face was just begging to be punched. I hope she learns a good lesson from this if she can come back.

Alef is probably one of the most complex characters I've ever written. He is a being of light, the son and messenger of the Megabird, carrying her will. He was made for this purpose. That's what WE'RE ALL made for, if we're honest. In the beginning of his existence, Alef performed his function properly. After the overthrow of his first gods, Alef and Daleph set off on a grand journey through all the kingdoms in order to reunite the elders. But at some point, the family reunion campaign turned into a real crusade for the glory of the Megabird. By the way, Megabird herself was not informed about this. Let's face it, Alef is a bit of a narcissist and loves attention to himself. First, victory in the trials, then a warm welcome in the Daylight Prairie (which was just the main nest of worship for the goddess of light), triumph over the Dryad in the forest, all this fueled the ego of the young prince, and at some point he began to "do justice to the pantheon" for himself. Only he would never admit it, of course.

Why didn't the Megabird stop him? Even better question. I used to say a long time ago that Alef is the best creation of a Megabird, her pride. Contrary to popular opinion, I do not believe that 'Bird manipulated the Alef in any way. He wasn't her puppet at all. The bird does not interfere in the lives of her children just SO much that I will soon start composing songs about it. I apologize in advance if my actions lead to the degradation of the Megabird image in the fandom.

Megabird was fascinated by literally any Alef's act and never hindered his rivalry with the pantheon. And then, as we know, it became pointless to try to reason with the king. We all know this story. Alef decided to get rid of the old gods in order to prove first of all to himself that he could do it. Ognivo, for example, did nothing wrong but was overthrown anyway. Just by inertia from others. Alef, the second most powerful being of light after Megabird, does not tolerate disobedience to his address. So when the prince set foot in the Valley for the first time, the days of the deity were already numbered.

This situation looks pretty clear in my head, but when I sit down to describe it, my brain turns to jelly. I hope this answer will satisfy you!

[w1ngedv01d]

i’d like to know more about the gods in ur wildlife AU….

no pressure ofc!! also i love the premise i think that it’s great and neat and ya

Hello! Thank You for the ask! Hi!

So, obviously, we don't have all of the wild cards revealed yet, but that's Okay! I have room in the pantheon for more as things develop ^-^ I'm not revealing the real names of each god juuust yet, but I will list what wildcard they're connected to, and some titles if I've decided on those.

(Also tldr on the plot for newbies: The Wild Life Plot, mostly, except it's a set of trials where each wild card is connected to a God from a pantheon running the trials. And the participants are champions chosen by said gods)

The Wild Card/The Summoner - Grian! Not a God yet. He's currently just a (mostly) human person. He's in charge of drawing from the deck and allowing the deity of the week to affect the realm they're stuck in. When he pulls the cards from his deck, he immediately knows Which god is affecting the realm that week, and what the effects will be.

Growing/Shrinking Wildcard - The Gemini Twins! They're a set of, well, twin siblings, who are connected to being giant and being small, respectively. The older twin is a man, and a Giant, while his androgynous younger sibling is the tiny one in charge of the smallfolk. In myth, they were the ones who created Giants and smallfolk like pixies and such, waaaay back in the day. It's even said that the older twin, the Giant, helped build the Nether Fortresses with his own hands. They are inseparable and also STICKLERS for theme and aesthetic. So naturally, they chose Gem as their champion based on name alone. XD

Hunger Wildcard - The Zombie. They were a Giant, once, in the Time Before, and resurrected as a god with an unending hunger that normal food wouldn't satisfy. Myth says that they refused to harm their friends and townfolk, so resorted to eating anything around them, just to stave off the hunger. Rocks, plants, trees, anything they could find. They influence the realm by afflicting the participants with their own curse. The first Champion they chose was, of course, Cleo.

The Immortal Snail - The Zookeeper. This God is very similar to Scar in a lot of ways, to the point that -while there are certainly differences- people who know both would find the similarities eerie. He has a deep love of living creature, from cows to snails to mushrooms, and -as a notorious prankster- uses his armies of beloved creatures to cause mischief and pranks to the people around him. He wants a friendly rivalry with Scar so bad, and doesn't process that him being A Whole God and Scar being Just A Guy means there really isn't a power equality to even warrant a rivalry. He's a fun loving, life-loving, guy who tries to make friends with pranks! He had a wife, who was known for her connection to fungi and fungal growth, but she has not been seen in many decades, and is not seen as a current part of the pantheon. He never speaks of her whereabouts, but it is clear that he still has fondness for her. He has a unique fondness for Grian, and of course Scar was chosen as one of his champions.

Time Dilation - The Observer. This God is one of the newer ones, and little is known about her. When she takes over the realm, time starts out very slow, but the call from Grian to "Do Something Cool!" is very important, because as soon as the time effects kick in, cameras appear to take pictures of each Champion. Cameras and screens manifest everywhere, Watching. Tracking. This God is silent, and reaches out little to mortals, or even the other Gods. No one knows what she is thinking, the connection between her theme and powers, or even which one/s of the participants were her chosen Champion/s... or Why. It is said she takes rigorous notes on how the time acceleration affects each participant, but no one has ever found such notes, nor do they know why she would be taking them.

Trivia Bots - The Engineer. This God has been working with Mumbo's family for many, many years, and is the reason why Mumbo knows about the Trials- and how Mumbo and Grian even met. He has gone by many names in the past, many faces, many identities, as it suits him. Always an engineer, always an entertainer. But whether he be man, woman, neither, both, or some other option, it changes based on the generation and mood that takes him. This era, he takes the form of an older, heavy-set man with a large brown mustache and beer belly, who works in an old Tech Superstore that is now far more out-of-date and behind-the-times than it was when it first opened. That doesn't bother him too much, though. He doesn't care about being the best, or the first, as long as he's doing what he loves. Because of his connection to Mumbo's family, and often manifesting in the human world in some way, this God is one of the few to take on human names from the culture in which he is inhabiting. He has done so in this form, just as he has done all the others. While he can do other redstone type things, this guy loves robots, and has been fascinated by mortal trivia shows, which has led to the beloved Trivia Bots from his time affecting the realm.

[consumeroflemoans]

Nekomata... Bakaneko... Pussy willows... Cactus cat... Yule cat... Cha kla... Cat sith... Kitty kitty kitty

I've been somewhat dreading tackling these (and also dog and fox myths) because there are so many different creatures that originate from the same inspiration.

Bakaneko and Nekomata

(I love the ZZZ ads I'm getting during research)

Bakaneko are magical creatures that have developed biomimicry as a way of survival. Their young appear like normal cats despite being magical creatures. Due to this, they are most vulnerable during their youth. Having humans caring for them as they would a normal cat allows bakaneko to survive past their earliest stage of life. This habit has allowed the bakaneko population to flourish due to the increasing popularity of cats as pets.

Once they reach maturity, the choice of what to do is inevitably left to the bakaneko. Some choose to remain as cats if they're satisfied with the pampered life while others choose to attempt life as humans. Either way the older they grow, the more magic they accumulate. If they stay with a human, misfortune befalls said human and they typically leave to find another human to parasitically attach to.

Nekomata are far rarer and result from a bakaneko surviving for a long time, centuries typically. They're wickedly intelligent and tend to either live in urban centers or in the middle of nowhere.

The majority of these beings end up living with a contempt for humans, but some are affectionate and even view the humans they've lived with as family.

Cactus Cat

I had not heard of this legend until I started researching it and I love it. A cat gets drunk on cactus juice and wanders around the desert at night screaming, only killing people who mess with its cacti. If this doesn't scream 'Murica I don't know what does. He's just a spiky drunk boy.

They're not really known to be sentient but I want them to be just so I can have some bakaneko be like, "Yeah, that's my weird American cousin. We've been trying to get him to go to his local AA meeting but apparently, they don't let cats in."

i like to think these guys are very much still in cowboy times and just wander around the empty stretches of desert in the southwest. They're just chilling out there they don't want to leave.

Yule Cat

Anything related to holidays like Christmas gets a little odd to me. How do you explain that there's a massive cat that picks and chooses which children to eat based on the clothes they wear?

The answer? It's a legend. Well, mostly is one.

The yule cat itself exists, roaming the Icelandic countryside. It's likely an old god forgotten by time. There are quite a few animalistic deities that have lost their sentience and most magical power to time while their bodies remain immortal. This cat likely exists in that state. It roams its territory, avoiding any noisy machinery, and picking off stray wanderers out of habit.

Some humans living within and near its territory are aware of it and use its existence to make children behave. The Yule Cat will never truly come to pick them off. Not unless they truly are foolish and attempt to confront their legend.

Cha kla

These thai ghosts are somewhat related to the bakaneko. They're known for being more reclusive but easier to domesticate than their demonic cousins. Thai sorcerers tend to tame them to use in battle, as seeing or touching them can ensure death.

Some foreign sorcerers come to attempt to tame them on occasion, but the lives of these ghostly cats remain largely unchanged. Not many mortals want to brush against death or venture deep into the jungle to attempt to.

Cat Sìth

This cat is another that is a relative of the bakaneko. Fae, demonic creatures, and spirits are all entities that are closely related to each other when it comes to magical nature. Cats spread across the world alongside their human companions and as a result, the cat-like beings followed. These beings then evolved to match the nature of those around them.

The cat sìth in particular is more of a benevolent being than its other cousins. As long as the humans appease it, it's satisfied, similar to many fae.

I'm debating having it prefer rural versus urban areas. Because on one hand, it tends to hang around farms to take milk from cows, but on the other hand it would be really, really funny if there were a bunch of convenience stores that just keep losing their milk stock and only their milk stock.

[cabinette]

OC RANTING: Falkor And Lloyd!

Posting semi-huge posts about my own characters isn't really my style, but I wanted to have a proper place to stow away most of the info about these two, just for some peace of mind :)

(these are basically just greentexts of information... listen, I'm not good at this stuff!)

If you guys aren't somewhat familiar with these two already, let me introduce you to Falkor and Lloyd!

they're a duo of adventurers who are trying to make it big in the world of questing and adventuring so that their family lineage of much better adventurers are not ashamed of them.

Falkor Svend, a basic loser knight who probably has more luck talking to plants than he does not getting his ass beat up by every monster he encounters, and the one who carries him through every battle- a wizard called Lloyd Adrik, who has been cursed with unpredictable, uncontrollable ice magic!With no need for a staff or chanting of any kind. He's also cold-blooded, and his hair turned white, and a bunch of other stuff....... Which I will get into in just a moment!

Here's a rundown of Falkor

He was the runt of his brothers, a little dim, a little distracted, preferring to fight for fun and joy and kiddiness than really taking the time to learn tactics and techniques. now all his brothers are somewhat well known, and he's still just some dope who stayed under his parent's wing for too long. So then he made the decision to leave and go run around collecting gold and cute animals and pretty trinkets with a veeeeery powerful magician he made friends with!!!! yoppeee !!!!!! (His parents are just glad he's gone.)

On his armour, he wears an emblem that resembles a shell-shocked reptile looking down at itself in confusion. It's called "The Stupid Dragon" and it's from a very well-renowned fable within his world.

The story behind it goes a little something like this. it centres around a lizard who wanted to be a dragon with every molecule in its body that they trained nonstop every single day on how to fly through the air, how to control its breathing for fire-breath, collecting shiny things to have a hoard for themselves, they prayed to this heavenly deity up above- seeking for consolation, calling the deity's name night after night when it didn't answer. The deity was insecure, worried about being cast aside if they did not validate this small lizard's claims. So the deity had no choice but to confirm their belief of being a dragon, but the lizard was never satisfied. it was so wrapped up in their determination, it had to be petrified by a stronger, much more responsible god, fearing that if the lizard found out the truth, it would cause an outcry about the deity's mistake.

Anyway, not sure what the moral is but its something about lying for the better, and the consequences that come after it,

Falkor is often criticised for being like the lizard in the story. being too passionate about something he will never succeed in, simply because he wasn't made out to be one from the very start. He wears it to become better than the lizard. showing that even if he was just a lowly lizard, he would still earn his way to being a dragon..... or something. in reality, he just resonated with the myth and sees the dragon in solidarity. Who wouldn't, after all the times he tried his best thinking he was doing well, just to be put down by his brothers? Petrified on the spot for simply wishing to be something greater? Something he will never, ever be.

Anyway, here's some more basic information!

And his emblem up close

He's 5'11, 28 years old, and uses He/Him pronouns, he's got flat, wavy hair that's usually pressed down against his head, with tan skin spattered with an assortment of scars, but he usually covers them up anyway. He has bright brown eyes- beautiful when not marred with bruising, maybe he should invest in a helmet... He also has his emblem tattooed over the left side of his chest, over his heart. His armour is slightly unpolished and doesn't reflect as nicely. His padding and underclothes are greyish-white, as well as thick, brown leather gloves. His most prominent feature is his nose btw, it is visible from every. single. angle.

Here's a rundown of Lloyd

Lloyd was one of the only few people born in his prestigious sorcerer family without an affinity for magic. whether that be a divinity-defying connection with the stars or a healing so powerful it could bring the dead back, he ran off from his duties one day- stumbling into the treasury, where he grabbed the first "Grimoire" that he saw bound in frosty iron chains. It gave him nice snow magic, sure, and for a while, he kept up this illusion- visiting the treasury, showing his parents his "magic", then going back in the middle of the night. One day, his father found out about this and barged into the treasury- scaring Lloyd. in this fit of rage he yelled at Lloyd about being a charlatan, a disgrace, Lloyd, being the naive kid he was, simply absorbed all the magic within the book out of a fit of fear... Accidentally blasting his father with this magic, then shortly passed out. now he's cold-blooded. now his hair is as white as snow. now tumours of ice culminate on his skin, and it's all too much for this small boy to take. Every time he casts magic, a strange symbol on his forehead lights up, it's icy to the touch.

He got the Elsa treatment, one side of his father's face is now frozen into a perpetually shocked state, his lips chafed away to reveal the bone, his eye milky white with blindness, his hair now two-toned- resembling the shade that Lloyd's took on, and he is NOT happy about the similarities.

And so...... Lloyd brought disgrace, healers did what they could, managing to rid him of most of the side effects, and yet he still couldn't properly control his magic- bound to his new room inside an iron box, made to sit alone in isolation for days on end, rarely if at all being visited by his own family. He once nearly froze his own sister's hand off after begging her not to leave him alone. this was the final straw for his father, after many, many close calls... soooo he was booted! Onto the streets, with barely a penny to his name, (To think he could piece two and two together about being a decent parent, and uh, maybe not throwing out a teenager with unpredictable ice magic.)

After a few years of helping with other adventurers and trying to avoid freezing their heads off, (he gave into this urge like. once) he then found Falkor, who he instantly clicked with. Ao now they are friends who beat up monsters together !

Anyway, here's some more basic information!

(you'll have to forgive me for not having a good ref of Lloyd on hand, haha)

Yes. Yes I know that his symbol is the same one for ice pokemon LMFAO I swear this is what it looks like now!

He's 6'7, 27 years old, and uses He/Him pronouns, he's got thin, fluffy hair that's usually windswept over his face, one specific cowlick always just a little bit curlier than the rest, and I guess he's too unbothered to fix it. He has pale papery skin that's perpetually flushed red from the cold, he's only... A little bit insecure about it. His eyes turned a bright shade of cyan upon being inflicted with the curse, and he has huge ears. HUGE ears. I fail to demonstrate just how disproportionately big they are compared to his face in these refs but he hears all.

Their dynamic is a basic wizard x fighter trope, Lloyd does the fighting though, while Falkor's able to talk for him when he's too anxious to ask for no pickles. Here's some miscellaneous art of them :)

anyway, that has been my OC rant, if I ever decide to give their universe a name I'll probably be editing this post! 🤔😊 If you've gotten this far, please be my mutual and I hope to talk again about these two very soon

[roscgcld]

RYOMEN SUKUNA || my little flower

anime: jujutsu kaisen

characters: ryomen sukuna

pronouns: she/her 

notes: historical!sukuna x reader, slightly sexual (no smexy time involved lol - maybe another day ;)), quite fluffy towards the end

also - I’ve been reading so many sukuna hcs and imagines of him when he’s in his prime or during the historical era - so like excuse me as I politely simp for the man that is ryomen sukuna >< thank you 

references: https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/literature/Ryomen-sukuna.html 

Sukuna leans back into the futon with a tired sigh, two of his arms folded behind his head while the other two held you against him securely. His ruby red eyes glanced away from the ceiling to look down at the woman curled up in his embrace, sleeping peacefully against him whilst her own soft arms were wrapped around his muscular torso. He admired your peaceful features at first, but soon his eyes started to travel down your delicate neck and cleavage, your soft skin marked by dark splotches where he had marked you up for the world to see.

Just the sight of the hickeys and bite marks caused Sukuna to smirk once more, the feeling of pride traveling through him at the sight of the hickeys, both new and old, marring your skin. It was a sight he would never get bored of seeing, since it was a constant reminder to you that you were his and no one else’s. 

Many would question just how did this happen - how did a simple human manage to ‘tame’ the infamous Sukuna - the King of Curses, who spreads chaos and bloodshed in his wake? How did you, a mere human woman who looked far too kind hearted and warm, ended up with such a fearsome man? 

Well, how this came to be was actually a cute story.

You grew up in a small village in Hida province, where many cities treated Sukuna as their patron deity. He was what people would call quite a cold ruler - one who would not hesitate to bring terror and bloodshed down on a town that had angered him. But at the same time, he was quite the generous man as well. He protects the people of the Hida and Mino Provinces, and many towns had florish and grow under his careful guidance.

Your town was one of the may towns that worshipped the Cursed Spirit, preparing offerings on special celebrations and always paying your respects whenever you go up to the ichinomiya on the weekends with your parents. It was because of one of these special celebrations that drew Sukusa to you.

It was one of the many days where offerings were given to him by townspeople, in hopes that they will still continue to get some form of protection from the unknown. He was their patron deity, after all. Even though many times he does all the things he does for his own benefit, it was nice to know that there are some who are gullible enough to think he does it for them. But he it’s one to complain - many of the offerings are things he does not mind indulging in. The best crops from the harvest, women for his ever growing harem, beautifully crafted weapons and clothes are the few he can keep in mind

Many times, he does not care to go through the offerings himself - Uraume goes through all of them and then gives him a general overview of everything. However, as he was walking past one of the neat piles of offerings, a particular garment box caught his eye; causing him to pause before he unwraps it curiously. 

Sitting inside the carefully wrapped package was a beautiful dark blue kinomo made of the finest silk, the fabric so smooth that it almost felt like water slipping through his fingers. Packed along with the kinomo was a beautifully crafted haori, a simple yet beautiful crane woven into the haori in white, the details done so carefully that when worn, the crane moves with the shifting of the fabric. The packet also came with a matching hakama made from the luxurious fabric, and a beautiful kaku obi made from navy blue, white and silver carefully weaved together into in a beautiful talent.

It was because of the level of craftsman ship that had Sukuna curious - who was the mastermind of something so beautiful?

He had went to the town where the garment was from and after some digging about, discovered about you. A daughter to a family of tailors, you were quite well known for your talents in embroidery and your mastery of the loom. Having gotten such talents, you crafted many beautiful pieces, and one of them was gifted to Sukuna himself recently. 

When he first saw you, he was struck by your beauty; how you had such a warm smile no matter who you were referring to. How your movements were graceful yet swift, your needle and threat embroidering the most beautiful depections of animals and flowers without a single mistake. How your voice was so sweet and calming that he can physically feel the tension from his body starting to unwind ever so slightly. If he could, he’d love to listen to your voice forever - which was what he intended to do. 

The first time you two met was actually in the dead of the night; you had stayed up later then usual, carefully embroidering a water lily onto a long fabric for a personal tapestry you wanted to hang in your room. A candle was burning by your work table, casting the engawa of your home in a soft but comforting glow; enough for you to do your work without straining too much. You were so fucsed on your work that you didn’t notice how the flames of your candle started to flicker in the glass holder; even though there was the air was still. Your eyes didn’t trail up from your tapestry even as a large figure quietly entered the hallway you were in; only pausing when you felt a huge presence looming over you.

Your bright eyes flickered upwards and met with four pairs of ruby red ones staring right back at you; all four of them shining in amusement. “You are quite oblivious, little one.” Sukuna hummed out with a soft grin, to which you just gave him a confused look as you tilted your head ever so slightly. “How did you get into my house?” You asked quietly, not even acknowledging how the man before you looked very different from what you’re used to; from the four muscular arms sprouting out from underneath the dark blue haori, the very same one that you had made for him. to the extra pair of eyes he sported on his face. Or how the top of his head was clearly brushing against the simple weed roofing of your family home.

“Is that really the first thing you’re going to ask, little one?”

From that day onwards, things definitely went a lot smoother then Sukuna could have imagined. At first the lack of reaction from you confused him, but he found it quite amusing nonetheless. Even after finding out that he was the same deity that you had heard stories of since you were in diapers, you acted no differently around him. You still talked and laughed with him like he was any other human. which for some reason made his heart feel warm and fuzzy. It makes him want to gather you up in his arms, protecting you from the horrors of the world.

The two of you will continue to meet up in the night like secret lovers; many nights he’d just lean against one of the pillars of your family home, with you perched in his lap as you work on different projects every night; talking about things that happen that day, or the funny stories that the townsfolk would share with you whenever they drop by to mend and purchase clothes, or when they dropped off freshly dyed fabrics. During a few of these nights Sukuna had suggested if you can help him mend a few of his kimonos, which you agreed to without hesitation. Some days you’d ever create new kimonos for him as well, which he would wear quite proudly. 

Soon these innocent nights of talking and laughter, him watching you do your work under the moonlight, to having you gasping and crying out for him as he took you over and over again in his grand bedroom; watching quite gleefully as he corrupted your innocence, ruining you for any other man. Ever since the first night you two shared in his bed, he knew that there was no turning back - there was no one else for him but you. 

And there was no way he was going to let some puny human even try to get in between the both of you.

With that he whisked you away from the somewhat mundane and boring life in your town, making you his entire world. He showered you with the finest gifts and opened the more human side of him to you; one that he thought he had lost the moment he had decided to go down the path he did. But you pulled these emotions out from him with ease, making him realise that he can chase all the power he want till the end of time and that will never satisfy him completely. 

All he needed was you, and everything feels right in the world.

“I’ve lost you again, haven’t I?”

Sukuna’s eyes snapped towards the direction of your sleepy voice, watching how you gave him the most beautiful yet sleepy smile as you carefully shifted your body so it was pressed against his. He marveled how your naked bodies clicked together seamlessly, even with the clear size difference between the two of you. “You will always have my attention, flower.”

The sound of the simple nickname cause a small smile tug against the corner of your lips, remembering how that nickname came about. You have always love studying flowers, since you enjoyed embroidering different sorts of flora and fauna onto different tapestries that now adorned the walls of the home you two share. You had once told him about your love of flowers, and because of that, you had came home one day to the courtyard in your shared home turned into your private garden; with flowers from all across the country planted at every nook and cranny. 

When you had asked Sukuna about it, he just shrugs and gave you an indulge smile - as if asking were you really shocked by his gift to you. When he realised just how deep your love for nature was, he had started to call you ‘his flower’, and the name has stuck since then. “What a sweet talker.”

A chuckle rumbled deep within his chest as one of his hands found purchase along your back, starting to massage what he was sure were your sore muscles; watching in satisfaction as you melted more into his chest. “Only for you.” He admitted quietly, to which you just gave him a loving smile as you rest your cheek against his chest once more; a soft finger started to trace along the tattoos on his skin. This action caused him to relax further into the futon, sighing softly in content. “Sukuna? Can we take a bath?”

“I’m lazy.” Sukuna stated with a soft groan as he glanced down at you once more, only to be met by the soft pout that you just know gets him to give in. This caused him to scowl as he cupped your face in one of his hands, gently squishing your cheeks between his fingers as he pushes himself up into a seated position. “You little minx.” He growls playfully whilst you just gave him a teasing smile, straddling his lap with your legs on either side of his whilst one of your hands wrapped around his wrist; causing him to loosen his grip on you whilst letting out a loud sigh. “How annoying.”

His arms suddenly wrapped around you before he got up from the comfort of the warm futon, causing you to giggle as you wrap your arms around his neck. “Let’s go, flower.” He sighs dramatically before he walked you both to the bathroom, causing you to perk up before you lean over to press a loving kiss against his cheek; ignoring his soft eyeroll at your act of affection. As if he didn’t enjoy it whenever you do so. “I love you.”

“Of course you do.” He teases before he started to walk you two towards the bathroom, one of his hands skimming down to the small of your pack where a beautiful black tattoo rested against your soft skin; a tattoo that looks similar to the black lines that adorned his own skin. “You’re mine, after all.” He stated simply, causing you to roll your eyes at him playfully as he carefully sat you down on the wooden steps leading to the opening of the ofuro; watching as Sukuna started to prepare the bath for the both of you. “Wouldn’t it kill for you to just be a little nicer to me?”

Your teasing tone clearly didn’t win any points with him, who narrowed his eyes at you and before you know it you were suddenly pinned down against the wooden steps. A soft giggle left your lips at the narrowed eyes that stared back at you, causing Sukuna to scowl softly at your reaction. “Now you’re just asking for it, flower.” He growled before diving down to meet your lips in a passionate kiss; not being able to mask his smile at the sound of your soft laughter just as you wrapped your arms around him once more.

"My little flower..”

© roscgcld — all rights reserved to me, rose, the author and creator of these works. do not repost/translate/claim my work as yours on any platform

[neon-lights-stardust-nights]

Zelda S/Is? I wish to hear :>

I ship with a handful of Zelda characters, and have some feelings toward certain Links that I have a hard time pinpointing. Ganondorf has a tag here, but there's also Ghirahim, Zant, Vaati, and the Happy Mask Salesman. I also really identify with like several of the races. So! I came up with a way to satisfy all these!

Fae was original Ymir, a rogue and formless entity of pure chaos. A similar thing to the Majora's Mask manga's depiction of Majora's creation. Ymir would eventually but heads with more powerful deities, and find faerself against their priests. Unlike Majora, there was no way to contain Ymir in something as (potentially) solid and mundane as a mask. Ymir was cursed to roam the world a similar way the hero of time does, being reborn, but never being born the same way more than twice in a row. A forever changing creature still, amnesiac to faers true potential.

Ymir's first rebirth was as Fufunmi, a Minish. Fae was involved with Vaati before he went bad, and when Vaati returned to the Minnish people, re-entered a relationship with him. A rather uneventful life, that one. The cursed magic that made faer docile and mortal was its strongest, since it had no yet had the time to be worn down.

IDK how long Minish are supposed to live, but um... I like the idea they live a pretty long time. Fufunmi died some time during Four Swords, likely just before any of the actual game's events happened.

Ymir's second incarnation was as OOT generally began. As in, the history pre-game. Fae was born as Zanzo, a kokiri. It's said that Kokiri who leave die, but we've never actually seen it on screen. My personal interpretation is that they don't just like drop dead, they simply lose their semi-immortal status. So they grow up and die as other races would.

Zanzo left the forest a few years after Link was first dropped off, still a ways before he would begin his adventure. I don't have this all 100% fleshed out, but the idea is that fae knew a little more about faerself. A sense that something is distinctly wrong--as though fae had lived before, and that fae was not meant to be a forest child. Ganondorf was the one who found faer in this time, and took faer under his wing. Wanting to avoid any hiccups in the potential that fae COULD drop dead, he magic-ed faer up a special set of jewelry that basically kept a little of the Lost Wood and Kokiri Forest's magic! So Zanzo never grew up fully, but did grow up some.

OOT happened, and Zanzo got a Termina counterpart. True to the "cannot live same way twice," fae was born again as a Twili trapped in Termina. Velzin! This was partially planned, as Zanzo had taken to following The Happy Mask Salesman. Mostly because he had Majora's Mask, and Zanzo felt a strange sort of kinship with it. Obviously though, Skull Kid stole it, and was killed by Majora in the rampage (hence being split-second born in Termina as Velzin.)

All things considered, that's also uneventful. Link helps faer, gets a mask, and fae leaves with the salesman at the end. Velzin and the salesman had a certain "let me help you," "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP," dynamic, culminating in when the salesman convinced faer to allow Link to assist. So it's not a super eventful life, compared to working as a Kokiri warrior legend alongside Ganondorf.

The only reason Ymir was still a Twili by the time of Twilight Princess was because Velzin hadn't died. In my ideal world, Velzin would have played into the plot with Ganondorf in some fun re-incarnated lovers stuff. Velzin is a much more moral person by then than Zanzo was, so there could be some real angst in Ganondorf recognizing his former partner in faer.

There are also alternate versions of Ymir. Ymir also exists throughout the Ganondorf is Sealed timeline. That's not super fleshed out at all though.

I've played with the idea of a BotW version of Ymir that is a members of the Yiga clan, or a Sheikah version of Ymir being present in later parts of Twilight Princess. The magic constraining faer to mortalality is wearing out over the ages--faers births are quickly becoming less natural, and more instantaneous.

Of course I've also debated that Ymir (while still a being of pure chaos,) created the Tetraforce. The idea is that Ymir saw the goddess' triforce, and noticed the missing piece. Never one to let anything rest in peace, Ymir filled that empty space with its own "gift," to embody mischief and other impish qualities. Power is the ability to do it, Wisdom is knowing when, and Courage is the strength to follow through. The "tetraforce"'s meer existence is an affront to this format, fitting of being created by a being of chaos.

If I do keep this as lore, then my thing is that Ymir didn't have the time to bestow it upon any mortal, so all of Ymir's incarnation's carry the tetraforce.

If anyone (or you! Specifically!) has specific questions feel free to ask! Ymir and faers many incarnations aren't 100% done by any means.

[dangermousie]

Hello !

I was wondering whether you could rate and tell us of your top 5 favourite webnovels/cnovels of all time ?! (Sorry if this has already been answered lol😅)

Thank you, stay safe and have a nice day🖤

Awww, thank you and that is such a lovely ask!!!

From n1 to n5, here they are (they happen to be all danmei.)

1. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha) - my n1 forever and ever.

Taxian Jun, the horrific cultivation emperor of the world who razed cities and destroyed sects, is surrounded on his mountain. The righteous sects are terrified to confront him but tired of living, Taxian Jun consumes poison and dies by suicide at the age of 32. And opens his eyes as 16 year old Mo Ran, Mo Ran long before he became Taxian Jun, Mo Ran who is excited at a chance to save the one person he loved and lost. Oh, and to deal with his loathed shizun, the unapproachable and strict Chu Wanning, his past life’s biggest enemy.

I have no idea if it’s objectively the best on this list but it hits every trope I love, its bleak worldview (the world will change only incrementally but that’s enough, average person will not appreciate the sacrifice but it’s still worthwhile, and love is worth everything) mirrors mine, and the sheer complexity of the plot and cascade of plot twists each of which is insane and yet completely logical, is amazing (this is a rare novel where it’s even more fun to reread than read for the first time because you keep seeing all the hints and trail crumbs laid out that you did not see the first time.)

And the characters!!! I mean, this novel has multiple universes/timelines, a side trip to the Underworld AND the demon realm, a plot more twisted than a store’s worth of pretzels and yet the thing that hits me the most are the characters. Mo Ran is my favorite web novel character of all time and I love Chu Wanning so. All the secondary characters are wonderfully written (and some of them made me bawl) and they are all complex. My opinion of all of them changed many times over; the novel doesn’t make it easy to love some of them but then you do and it’s so worthwhile! That slow change is one of the delights of the novel - I started out disliking the unpleasant, superior Chu Wanning and cruel, callow Mo Ran and then I loved them so so hard and cried for them so so hard and was in awe of their heroism and sacrifice and selflessness and capacity to love.

Oh, and the fact that this novel does something almost impossible - it has its protagonist start out as so clearly irredeemable and then slowly and painfully and thoroughly redeems him (without ever letting the reader forget what it is he needs redemption for.)

Also, for a novel that made me cry so hard I felt ill, this book is just so damn funny with the most sarcastic sense of humor imaginable (the serious angst doesn’t even kick in until 90+ chapters!)

Anyway I should stop or I will write a dissertation. But this is the one web novel that I would put in my top 5 not just web novels but any novels in any shape or form. The plentiful trigger warnings are there for a reason so stay away if they are an issue, but if not, if anyone hasn’t read it yet, what are you doing with your life?!

2. Stains of Filth (Yuwu) - another novel by the author of 2ha. Clearly she just pushes all my buttons every time. This one is much shorter and has a plot that is twisty but less twisty than 2ha. Still, all that means is that intensity and the pain are more concentrated.

Aristocratic Mo Xi and former slave Gu Mang were both legendary generals of the empire and lovers. But Gu Mang betrayed the country and switched to the enemy. Now he is back as a peace offering by that country and Mo Xi has to deal with the fact that his feelings are as strong as ever.

This novel!!! So much pain and intensity!!! So many amazing plot twists and supporting characters. The same bleak world view, the same unjust society, the same protagonists doing right things despite the cost. Mo Xi’s intensity and inability to let go (he’s imprinted on Gu Mang and that’s it) is romantic, bone-shakingly intense, and tragic all at once. And oh Gu Mang! So many times I just wanted to reach into the book physically to protect him. The novel deals with unjust societies, memory versus personality, what it’s like to be good in a bad universe etc. And it both made me sob and giggle, repeatedly, and sold me on literally death-defying (but not honor-defying!) love.

Oh, and special shout out to the fact that like 2ha, you may start out hating some characters and end up a rabid fangirl (cough Murong Lian!)

3. Qiang Jin Jiu - a dense political tome that takes a while to get going but then it’s a runaway train.

In a fictional dynasty, Shen Zechuan, the only remaining son of a disgraced aristocratic family and Xiao Chiye, the younger son of a family of generals guarding the border join forces (and then something else) to get power and pull down the dysfunctional system.

This is so elegant and smart (a rare web novel I’d recommend to anyone who just loves solid period fiction) and you probably need a notebook to keep track of the politics and military strategy. These characters are very very smart not just because the author says so.

As to the characters, there is a large cast and I love many of them, but for me the novel is made by Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye. SZC is gorgeous and delicate and icy and can kill you before you have time to blink. Saddled with the sins of the family he had no pleasant interaction with, he claws his way out of hell (seeing the sinkhole he was trapped in, literally as well) to take down those who wronged him but also to amass power so all the tragedy and corruption won’t happen again and the whole rotten system comes crashing down. XCY is a military genius who is trapped as a hostage in the capital because the court doesn’t trust his family. He longs to return to the plains of home and to take his rightful place. The two men start out as bitter enemies, then reluctant and sniping allies, then as friends and eventually as one of the most gorgeous, tender, swoony OTPs.

Anyway this is one is a bona fide masterpiece, equal parts smart and emotionally intense.

4. Wu Chang Jie - are you an emotional vampire? I am and this novel is a banquet.

In a highly fantastical setting, we meet our protagonists - the sunny Xie Bian and the intense and surly Fan Wushe. Xie Bian is a human who assists his master in conveying souls to the underworld and making sure no mishaps happen. Bian is concentrated sunshine in human form and to meet him is to love him. When the novel opens, his drunk master brings back another human to be his shidi and assist with duties - said human is uncommunicative, intense and surly Wushe. Bian is excited to have a shidi but little does he know that a story dealing with the horrors of past lifetime is about to start.

Anyway, why WCJ? So many reasons. It has such a dark bleak worldview - this world is a horrifying system where powerful cannibalize each other’s cores for an impossible chance to ascend, where gods have sealed off their realm and all that’s left is neverending human misery and hell (the only way you’d see a deity is if they’d been sent down to suffer over and over and over), where even reincarnation doesn’t fix things and bad acts are often unpunished. And the novel then asks - is it worth being a good person in such a world? More, is it worth being a good person in such a world when nothing good has ever happened to you and you have been repeatedly betrayed due to your goodness? And the answer, on Bian’s part, is an uncompromising yes.

Ah yes, the other reason to love this novel - the protagonists and their fucked up fucked up relationship. Bian (who was Prince Ziheng in the past life) is so genuinely good. But he is that rare thing - good but not saintly, noble but not cloying. So much of the novel is his getting taken apart over and over and barely able to put himself back together every time but his soul is still as amazing as ever.

And then there is Wushe (who was Prince Zixiao in past life, Ziheng’s not-bio-related brother.) Wushe is not a good person. He is a monster. And he loves Bian/Ziheng more than his life and his soul and the entire world but he’s also the one who hurt him more than anyone else ever could and did it over and over. His love survived a literal century of torture in the worst kind of hell and refused the usual memory loss of new life. But it also humiliated and broke Ziheng down to his constituent parts.

One of the things that is so fascinating to me about this novel is the question of what can be forgiven/what should be forgiven/what kind of expiation is enough/can you ever love someone who you loved so much and then he hurt you so badly and is now repentant? And it never sweeps trauma under the rug or hand waves it away but deals with it head on.

If you want healthy relationships, you should stay far away from this novel but if intense insane ones with a feral barely human one capable of destroying the world leashed by love and guilt to the sane deeply good one is your bag, come right in.

There is also the world building and the fact that yes, the big fall out between Ziheng x Zixiao is based on not knowing all the facts but it’s not “why can’t you talk?! This is dumb!” But is totally in keeping with both events and their characters. It’s reasonable for Ziheng to do what he does and for Zixiao to misunderstand and decide Ziheng is now his biggest enemy (but still one he’s fixated on) and for Ziheng to never be able to clarify.

Anyway, once again this is trigger warning central so please heed those, but if they are no issue, this one is wonderful.

5. OK, this is hard and switches between Sha Po Lang, Heaven Official’s Blessing and The Golden Stage depending on my mood. So what the hell, I am gonna write about all of them.

Sha Po Lang - so smart and so much clever world building. There is enough politicking to satisfy a Qiang Jin Jiu fan, it’s steampunk, and our two protagonists - Gu Yun, the empire’s most powerful general, who’s loyal to the empire despite being badly wronged by it, and Chang Geng, a cursed prince with barbarian blood and horrifying childhood - are wonderful separately and together. This is a huge slow burn but it’s totally worth it! They fall in love with each other’s hearts and brains and ability as much as anything. (Yes, this is the one with the yifu thing. Gu Yun is made Chang Geng’s foster father when he rescues him and brings him back to the capital as a way to keep CG safe in imperial strife. They are 12 and 19 at the time so clearly it’s never a parental relationship.)

Heaven Official’s Blessing (TCGF) - I love it’s sprawling narrative and cast, I love its inventive setting and picaresque story. It’s hilarious and can make me cry. But the novel’s place on this list is due to Xie Lian who is part Kenshin part drama WWX part pure goodness wrapped in heartbreak and trauma wrapped in sunshine.

The Golden Stage - two smart and principled (yes, they both have principles different though they may be) men navigate their arranged marriage, their past friendship and their past break up, become a super couple (one of the healthiest danmei couples I’ve ever read and proves healthy doesn’t have to be boring), save the country and bring down the emperor or two and just generally this is my rainy day book.

I guess I didn’t write as much for the three n5 candidates as I did for 1-4 but my brain is beginning to curdle so...