#but i love the idea of this little trickster spirit who doesn't really have to be here making the conscious decision to stay

[to-be-a-dreamer]

Talked about this in the Discord with Chandler a bit but I cannot get over how all six of the PCs in Neverafter are super involved with the main conflict, they all have high stakes in the outcome, and they all have a genuine reason or adversary that is forcing them to be on this adventure except for Pib.

Like, Rosamund started out looking for her true love, her literal only goal in life up until that point and now she's involved with a huge plot to bring awareness to everyone in the Neverafter, and she's the key to every side, not just her own, turning the tides in their favor. Mother Goose is the only person with the ability to end the Times of Shadows, but he has to work with the rest of the party to learn how to use this ability if he wants to save everyone he cares about. Pinnochio literally doesn't have a choice; he has been cursed, his father is being held captive, he's being manipulated by the Stepmother to do her bidding, and he has absolutely no way out of this. Even his afterlife has been stolen from him and he's being forced to keep going, no matter how much he doesn't want to. Ylfa may seem like she doesn't have very high stakes and, other than Pib, she has the most physical freedom to leave if she wants to. However, emotionally, she is absolutely trapped in this adventure. The only parental figure she has is on the quest, she doesn't really have anyone else that cares about her, these five idiots absolutely need protection, and every sign in her life is pointing her back to these five other people on this journey. She could leave, yes, but she won't, because she doesn't have anywhere else to go. Gerard, like Rosamund, joined up with the group because he felt like they could help him find his true love, Elody, and that once that goal was accomplished everything would be okay again. NOW he's being used as a pawn for the fairies who are trying to convince him that the only way to get his Happily Ever After back is to do what they say and prevent the "awakening" of the people of the Neverafter. He's made an agreement with a fairy now, he's not getting out of this adventure.

NOW PIB PUSS IN BOOTS OVER HERE. He's just a guy. He's just a funky little trickster spirit who doesn't have to be here. He was with Pinnochio to get some money to help him back onto his feet paws, but he could have easily left with the rest of the caravan. There's no wicked stepmother forcing his hand, no evil fairy using him as a pawn, no giant goose haunting his dreams. He could have stayed in the forest with Rabbit to let Fox take the next turn and nothing would happened to him. He could have turned tail (ha) and ran away with Alphonse to save his own skin and just found a new story to screw up. He could have stayed in the teapot carriage with time stopped for the rest of his life and literally no outside forces would have cared enough to stop him. He's just a cat. He can do what he wants. He's just a trickster spirit whose only purpose is to fuck shit up. It's hilarious and I love it.

Personally, I can't wait to watch how Zac and Brennan tell the story of a random cat with no personal stakes in this fight finding a purpose in companionship, learning to care about other people, and being willing to sacrifice his own comfort and happiness to help his friends. I can't wait to watch this little shit who only exists to play tricks and cause chaos learning to trust and love and protect. We've already seen that Cat is more empathetic and caring of the humans in his stories than Fox, and I think we're gonna watch Pib slowly begin to grow attached to the rest of the party. I think he is going to spend this next life, the life he promised he would use to play even greater tricks, bonding with people he should be fooling and using his cunning to protect them instead. I can't wait for Pib to look his archetype, his destiny, dead in the eye and say "no".

I can't wait for Pib to have stakes in the fight because his family has stakes in the fight.

[thegnomelord]

Gnome, my good man, what's your thought on a trickster spirit!reader within the cod monsterverse? Like, he can be a malicious or a purely mischievous spirit who likes to mess with things and play around. As all spirits are, he's a free one, and refuses to be tied down—relationship wise. Which would probably be for some good angst in regards to one/some of the boys pinning for an unrequited!reader. Anyways, I can just see him being an absolute menace to the other boys :3

Better yet if he's a regular fuckbuddy, but even during sex he's still running his mouth, making crude jokes or some offhand comment that makes his current buddy all "???". The only way to shut trickster!reader is to stuff his mouth with some dick or ride/fuck him so good all he can get out is a bunch of whorish moans.

Just.... thoughts on trickster spirit!reader 😞😞

ooooh yessss, trickster spirit reader like anansi that's very clever but also a fucking troll. Reader that's an absolute menace to anyone in charge, a giant pain in the skull that takes every word seriously, as Price figured out when he remarked 'It's raining cats and dogs' and trickster reader literally made it rain cats or dogs, or some general said trickster reader was driving him up the wall so he ended up stuck on the ceiling lol.

Also I absolutely love love love the idea of brat reader and brat tamer 141. Like, you're a free spirit, to try and chain you don't is about as good of an idea as making the spirit of the sea stay with the sailor who loves her, and the old heartless man of the sea can tell you how well that goes.

So the boys let you roam, they let you have your fun; Holding your gaze across the bar when you're flirting with a faceless stranger, not pushing when you shrug their hand off your shoulder to go grind dance with a person you just met, biting back and resisting following you when you disappear to the bathroom for a quick fuck. You're not oblivious of their jealousy, your kin thrive on creating these emotions in others, and quite frankly it's fun to see how far you can push them.

But oh, little trickster, they may let you do as you please, but that doesn't mean your actions don't have consequences.

MDNI

Eventually you burn away all their patience, eventually, the need to show you why it's them you always return to burns too hot and you end up pinned on the bed, or the floor, or whatever semi-flat surface is around.

This time you're pinned beneath Soap who's half shifted, big burly body bruising your hips with the strength of each bounce, sharp claws digging into your ribs to give him a good hold on you. The headboard bashes against the wall every time he fully drops down on you, the springs creaking and digging into your back.

"Fuck puppy-" You moan so loudly you're sure half the base can hear but you can't give a single fuck about it when his ass is so tight around your cock. "So good- shit, you feel- fuck, fuck, fuck- really know how to chase that bone huh- hm!-" Your mouth runs automatically, the your hands sneaking out of the handcuffs easily so you can grip his hips.

Soap is beyond words, animalistic wolf brain too preoccupied with getting your cock as deep in his ass as he can. His tail wags back and forth, wide canine tongue stuck out of his mouth as he bounces on your cock harder, thick thigs tensing to drive you deeper into his velvet soft depths.

"Oh no you don't." Gaz snickers and snatches your arms. He's much more graceful than Soap when he sits on your chest, leaning over you and pinning your hands over your head. "You didn't let us touch you, you're not touching us." He smirks, the tip of his cock laying against your lips, and you could be fooled into thinking he's a trickster too.

You grin and purposely clench your teeth, looking up at him with challenge.

Gaz clicks his tongue, keeping your arms pinned over your head with one hand. His other hand curls into your hair and tugs just as Soap clenches around you. You're in no way responsible for the whorish moan that falls from your lips, eyes closing and mouth opening.

Your eyes fly open when Gaz pushes his hips and shoves half his cock into your mouth. "There you go, got your tongue." Gaz chuckles, pushing his dick a bit deeper. Another sharp tug is all it takes for your mouth to close around his shaft, eyes hooded, hollowing your cheeks as you suck on his cock. Gaz's cock muffles your moans when you get a taste of his precum as it beads down your throat, your mind melting through your cock as the two sergeants fuck all that trickster intelligence out of you.

[amysgiantbees]

Dead Boy Detectives Cat King Spoilers

I ADORE the Cat King and I'm really fascinated by him and I just love how detailed everything about him is.

A few thoughts on him...

I love that he's living at Empire fish company to harken to his royal status.

I adore the head-cannon that he's Desire's child. With his golden eyes that remain no matter his form. Desire's actor even tweeted about it!

He asked which boy put the spell on his cat. Also, the cat's comment in the murder house ep that "the Cat king won't like this" and the implied rest of that sentence I feel is "when he finds out, when we report back." But at the end of the Dragons ep we can see the cat's eyes glow, implying he's magically looking through them. I know I'm assuming a lot but he seems to let the cats do their thing most of the time and report to him if they feel like it. It might even be a two way thing where they allow him to look through their eyes, he can't force it. I just think it's interesting what powers he has. Also it's interesting how his relationship with the cats work. Knowing cats, they have to want to report back. They don't just do it out of obligation. So, I'd like to think he's a pretty decent ruler. Or even my head-cannon that he doesn't really rule them more protects and acts as their go between, between themselves and other creatures.

His powers so far: Personal resurrection. Teleportation (but maybe just to pocket dimensions). Shapeshifting. Binding spells or just magic in general much like Edwin can practice magic from books. All very indirect kinds of magic which really suit his trickster spirit vibes.

I love that his loneliness is tied in to almost every interaction he has with Edwin. From insisting that he likes to keep things consensual then putting a spell that forces them to be closer. To watching out for/stalking Edwin with his cats. To forcing him to tell the truth but only a little bit in a kind of desperate attempt to get Edwin to see he cares about him and embraces him for who he is. Edwin calling him lonely really doesn't come from nowhere to humanize him which I love. It's great that even the minor character's motivations are well thought through in the show.

I feel like he took to Edwin so quick possibly just out of pure desire. But also people love to say animals are great judges of character, especially cats, they're discerning. So I love the idea that even if Thomas was repressing the fact that he is lonely a part of him knew it and recognized that loneliness in Edwin. As well as what his actor's mentioned in interviews that Thomas is so free and has so few inhibitions and thus just enjoys messing with stuffy old Edwin so much.

Me enjoying Thomas' moral greyness does not mean I'm condoning his behaivour. But it certainly doesn't bother me for multiple reasons. Firstly, his actor is SO charismatic. It really does make a difference that he's just SO fun to watch. Also, not that I've never been harassed by a queer guy before, but him being not straight does help beat the creep vibes in my mind. Also, the way that he will push a boundary but say or do something that softens what he's done helps. Like ranting and raving in the woods that Edwin will regret this but instead continuing to try to protect him from Esther. I think he clearly cares enough about Edwin that if Edwin was REALLY that uninterested in him and uncomfortable he would of just have given him a different punishment. Also, it's a fair punishment. He binds Edwin just like Edwin bound that cat. He's an ambiguous trickster fantasy creature, I'm willing to let a lot slide due to the fact that he clearly has an important role in the story and people's lives as a disrupting and mischievous influence.

I also am not particularly bothered by any potential creepiness from the Cat King as the way in interviews everyone talks about him is that he had a very specific role to play. He was made to be Edwin's sexual awakening. Yes he could have just been a guy that like always seems to be obliviously shirtless going on runs or something like that and it would have been less problematic. But, for one, I'm sure Edwin's seen that before and just looks away when it happens. Two, Edwin is SO repressed I think it makes a lot of narrative sense that he needs someone SO pushy and desperate in return to wake him up. And also he then contrasts against the purity and sweetness of Edwin's love for Charles. I don't see this as condoning this behaivour because real people aren't deeply repressed Edwardian ghosts that couldn't access therapy even if they wanted to on account of being dead.

Furthermore, as I'm sure many people have seen in recent popular discourses media does not need to be morally pure. I don't think that should be a get out of jail free card though. Or that creatives should be allowed to make whatever offensive shit they want and then say but "it's art" or "it's satire". Context matters. It's important how you frame something. And sure the Cat King is not punished for his bad behaivour but he is framed in such a way that I feel like he is not supported for it either. He doesn't get "rewarded" with Edwin in the end. He's not even guaranteed to have his company in even a platonic way since they're heading back to London and he, presumably, has to stay in his kingdom (he calls himself A cat king so I'm assuming there's others elsewhere so he probably can't go to London and intrude on another's territory. Or maybe he's A cat king in that there's just one at a time but there's a history of them).

Also, I've seen some people be uncomfortable at the age gap between Edwin and the Cat King, but to quote one of my favourite YouTubers Kennie J.D. "They're brooding hot 25 year old teenagers". They're both actors in their 20's. They could both theoretically be playing immortals frozen in their teens. I get that Thomas looks older but none of them look like teens. Edwin's actor has a 5 o'clock shadow. The most info we get about Thomas' age that he's meant to be appearing as is that he says "he's not a daddy type" according to him. Admittedly his actor says that when he was imagining a backstory for him part it was that he thought he and Esther were ex's. So that does lend to the idea of him being frozen as an adult. So I'd definitely say it's a grey area. But also people arguing it's not weird because they're all kind of ageless anyway, I do disagree with. As a TikToker, Babbity Kate, I like pointed out just because Edward is over 100 years old doesn't mean Bella dating him isn't less weird than her dating Carlisle. There's a difference, it matter's a person's maturity.

I just hope we get a Season 2 and the Cat King sticks around for it. Hope Edwin misses him XD

Other people with great takes on him: https://www.tumblr.com/weareinastormoffuck/749853517024559104?source=share

[deadbydangit]

As I was about to write something else, I noticed two bunnies hopping along in my backyard and it gave me an idea for something else. Please enjoy!

When the Reader brings home an animal.

Deathslinger, Nightmare, Spirit, Trickster, Ghostface

Deathslinger

He would've been perfectly content just drinking in the bar with just you.

And it had been that way for a long time.

Till you came back one day hiding something in your shirt.

"Okay. I'll bite. What is it?"

He thought you were hiding a gift or something.

He wasn't expecting you to pull out a kitten.

"No."

No matter how much you plead and cry.

No, don't give him those puppy dog eyes.

No, you can't-

Ugh, he can stay the night.

Okay, only till he finds a good home.

Well... He's your cat now.

You walked in on him one day, speaking to someone.

"Alright Fluffy. Now I may be the man around here, but if I'm not around you gotta promise to protect them. Ya' here?"

The cat was on the bar table next to him, lapping up a bowl of water.

Talking to the kitty like they were old friends.

He doesn't really do the baby talk thing.

"I trust you. I know you love them as much as I do. So we have to work together."

Don't tell Caleb you saw that.

He'll totally deny it.

But if his little Fluffy catches a rat, he's going to put that cat on a pedestal.

He's super proud of his cat.

"Look at that Darlin'. We won't be having any pest problems."

Nightmare

No, stop. Stop right there.

You're trying to sneak something in. He can tell.

Empty your pockets....

Both of them!

A frog?

Where did you get a frog?

Whatever, no, you can't keep it.

No, don't look at him like that. The answer is no.

No. Seriously.

Augh! Fine! But he wants nothing to do with the damned thing.

It's your pet. Not his. He won't be taking care of it.

You started noticing books on frog care around the house.

"It's not good to give them water that hasn't been purified."

"You aren't feeding him enough."

"You can't touch them like that."

So much for it being all your pet.

He's basically taking over.

It's like he's taking the frog as his own child.

It's pretty cute to walk in and see Freddy having full conversations with the frog.

"So yeah, trials were pretty good today. That David asshole really got what was coming to him."

Don't remind him of the time when he didn't want the little critter.

Because he will firmly deny it.

Spirit

It's a toss up over who would be the first to bring an animal home.

You don't even have to try and sneak it in.

Is that a puppy?

And Rin is all over the dog.

Kisses, hugs, plans on what you'll need to get, and all the possible names!

She is a huge softy for animals, especially fluffy ones.

"Oh! Let's keep her!"

She's the type to bring any animal home and ask to keep them.

And the baby talk this girl can do.

"Who's my wittle pumpkin? Who's the cutest wittle baby ever? It's you! Mommy woves you. Yes she does."

She won't even care if you're in the room to witness this.

Hell, join her in spoiling the puppy.

And outfits, she has so many outfits for the dog.

You have no idea where they even came from.

You will never see that pup without something on.

Hair bows, bandanas, hats, sometimes even little shirts or dresses.

She will find matching clothes for the three of you.

Don't think this dog won't be the most spoiled thing ever.

Trickster

Are you hiding something from him?

You are!

What's this? You've been hiding a bunny in your closet?!

He doesn't really care that you've been hiding it.

He's upset that it might receive more attention than him.

Ji-Woon is the super jealous type.

So jealous that he'll be glaring at this rabbit whenever you're carrying it.

Whenever you say you're about to go feed your bunny or play with them, Ji-Woon refuses to let you go.

You should pay more attention to him.

You should only pay attention to him.

Isn't he enough?

He'll come around though.

If the bunny makes you that happy, then he'll tolerate it.

Just make sure to give both of them lots of attention.

Ghostface

He actually was the one to bring the animal in.

"Hey babe, check out what I found!"

That's a snake.

That... Is that safe?

"Don't worry. He's super chill, see?"

He will shove that snake in your face.

He seems to have really tamed this animal.

You're going to be the one taking care of the snake.

It's name is Hisses, apparently.

"Yeah, like kisses, but he hisses. So it's Hisses. Get it."

Being terrible at naming things aside.

Danny is really happy.

The way he shows off his darling snake.

"Hey Sally! Look!"

He really enjoys showing people who are or potentially are afraid of snakes.

That power he gets over them.

It's going to get him into a significant amount of trouble.

But he's just so happy, and who are you to take that happiness away from him.

[fbfh]

Connor Stoll dating headcanons

1.1k words

Gender neutral reader

I'll add the read below once I'm off ~mobile~

I might reference my dating Travis post a little so if you haven't read it yet here's the link

Since Connor is the younger brother he's obviously gonna have more of that 

What's the word

Crackhead energy

He also has a little more of a baby face

Which is just fucking adorable

His hair is shorter on the sides too

Like go much shorter and it's basically an undercut

They practically have their own language of inside jokes and references and stuff

The longer you're around them the more you start to pick up

Connor's so proud when you get references without having to explain 

He absolutely will not date someone if Travis doesn't like them

Thankfully Travis sees how much Connor likes you and goes easy on you

Connor is a non stop bad idea machine

I hope you're ready to act as 60% of his impulse control

He likes climbing trees with you

"I will never be to old for this"

Just sitting

Existing together in the foliage 

Will absolutely make "y/n and Connor sitting in a tree" jokes as an excuse to kiss you

An absolute imp of a man

Like if you didn't know better you would think he's some sort of trickster fairy boy like Puck

Constantly on the verge of pulling some bullshit

Speaking of Puck

I feel like he likes a midsummer nights dream a lot

He doesn't talk about it much though

[John Mullaney voice] that's the thing I'm SENSITIVE ABOUT

Like he’s seen all of the film adaptations 

And has very strong opinions on all of them

When he found out that fairies and nature spirits were real he almost shat himself 

Quotes it under his breath sometimes 

He doesn't bring it up for a long time

Like he barely even talks to Travis about it

But when you've been together for a while you'll eventually find out how much he loves it

You quote it back to him sometimes 

It always makes his heart happy 

Loves going thrifting with you

Please look at anything from the blog shifty thrifting 

Because that's the kind of weird shit you two find together 

Make sure to hold his hands a lot

It helps with the whole accidental theft thing

This goes without saying but like

Prank🗣wizard🗣

The last summer before Travis started college 

Connor grabs you at like 9pm and shoves you into the bathroom

You're like woah there tiger

He holds up a shopping bag and has that look on his face

"I got wind that Travis is planning to dye my hair green as an end of summer prank, but I'm beating him to it"

You're about to point out that dying Travis's hair green days before he starts college is probably not the best retaliation

Before you can he rips open a box of platinum blonde dye and hands you a pair of gloves

"He can't dye my hair green if I beat him to it"

You spend like two and a half hours getting his hair from his warm chestnutty brown to Billie Eilish neon green

You can hear the laughter and yelling from Hermes cabin past midnight when Travis pulls down his brother's hood

And Connor, without opening his eyes, whispers

"Too slow, man"

The camp fucking riots over that for the next week

Easily one of his most legendary pranks he's ever pulled

He has a lot of that "your cool wild free spirited manic pixie dream boy boyfriend from high school" energy

Expect a lot of rooftop picnics

Mostly with takeout 

And lots of kissing 

But who's complaining 

"Take out and make out" - Connor probably

He finds stuff that makes him think of you 

And he wants to give it to you

But he is the most awkward gift giver e v e r

He usually just tucks presents here and there and waits for you to find them

Like an affectionate raven

“That’s a nice necklace,” 

“Yeah thanks, it’s one of my favorites”

Neither of you bring it up but you both know how much it means 

So Travis is at college learning psychology 

And Connor's really proud of him

But it sometimes gives him this bad feeling in the pit of his stomach when he remembers his brother has it all figured out and he doesn't 

It makes him feel bad about all the goofing off he does

He brings it up to you at one point 

His head is on your stomach and you're watching the stars 

Your fingers move to play with his hair while you take a second to collect your thoughts

"I mean, you can't really hold yourself to that standard, Con. He has had three more years to think about this stuff,"

"I know, I feel like I'm just so far behind,"

"You're not behind, you're younger. That's not a bad thing. Plus, that youthful glow you still somehow retain makes you so good at connecting to the younger kids at camp. That's really important."

He breathes out a laugh as he realizes you're right

"I mean, just last week I saw Emma and Harley trying to short sheet Nyssa's bed!" 

"Seriously? Emma and Harley?"

He laughs more at the idea of Nyssa getting short sheeted 

Emma had been so shy and withdrawn since she'd come to camp

It was really hard to get he to participate in camp activities and training, and Chiron was a little worried 

Something kind of clicked for Connor that night

A few years later when he would have aged out, he talked to Chiron about being a year round councilor 

Chiron agreed enthusiastically, and the number of little demigods coming out of their shells faster and faster rose every year

He sometimes lets younger kids call him Connie, which never fails to make them giggle

He kissed you once in front of a group of elementary school aged kids practicing with wooden swords and you couldn't help laugh at the chorus of "EEEEEW"s that errupted

You both sometimes go eeeew! After you kiss and it never fails to make you laugh

Tldr; Connor Stoll is so sweet?????

How did he get to be such a loving boyfriend????? 

We may never know

But we'll have fun on the way

You always do with him

[beautifulterriblequeen]

The Thief and the Tinker, Part 4: Circles and Cycles

part 3

Part 4

Viren: *smirks and plinks Runaan's coin to Ethari*

Ethari, furious: You throw another Moonshadow at me and I'm gonna lose it.

Circles and Cycles

Angst rating: 8/10

Back to Ethari, because we're not done with him yet. Ethari is soft, but he isn't weak. He won't be a willing pawn for Viren. He loves Runaan to the point of invention, and his devotion is more constant than the moon itself. He'll agree to do what Viren says, and he'll be Very Sad. But his spirit is in no way broken. Viren bribing him with the coins containing his family will only have the opposite effect. It'll give Ethari something to fight for.

We could get Focused Chaos Ethari. We could get Angery Trickster Ethari. We could get Rules, What Rules? Ethari. Let him try to steal the coins, try to break them, try to kill Viren, and be stymied at every turn, until he settles and seems cowed. And then all he does is craft his way out of the problem.

What if we are gifted with Iron Man Elf Ethari, who pretends to build a fake Key for Viren, but meanwhile he's really building a coinbuster with whatever he can get his hands on - primal stones, magically imbued gemstones, stolen artifacts, his own arcanum, his own reputation as the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove. He'll use almost - almost - anything, to stop Viren and free his family.

Ethari may have to choose between those two things, though. And he's a hero, deep down, just like his family, just like his daughter. If he has to choose, he'll choose to stop Viren and save Xadia. He'll pay the same price as his family has if he must.

He'd let Viren think he was motivated purely by wanting his family back, but Ethari is far too steeped in the illusion and sacrifice for that to be all there is to his motives. It's a so-close-and-yet-so-far thing, how he and Viren almost embody the same ideals. Almost. Ethari would take one look at Viren, who just burnt down his whole Forest, he'd see the biggest threat in Xadia, and he'd say anything to get a chance to stop this juggernaut of destruction from getting his hands on whatever that ultimate power really is, locked behind that missing key. If he has to abandon his people and bawl his eyes out to convince Viren he's in, then he will.

And Viren wouldn't make it easy for him. He knows clever when he sees it. He went through all this trouble to persuade Ethari to work with him. He would need to keep Ethari as off-balance as possible to ensure that he keeps working as he should.

Angsty jewelry, anyone?

Viren giving Ethari his husband in pendant form to remind him what he's working for, when Viren and Ethari both know full well that only dark magic can open the hellcoins. Ethari wearing another pendant of his love, except it's not a metaphor this time. It's literally his love, in a coin around his neck.

Viren would love making Ethari stay close to him of his own free will if he ever hoped to free Runaan. Making people bind themselves to you is a big power flex. Remember that TDP stream future-season teaser note about Bait being in a creepy restraint in a future season?

This card is written on in all-caps, so that really could be "Bait" or "bait," or--knowing this show--both. Viren's been using Runaan as bait for Ethari all along. Putting his coin in a dark magic pendant casing for Ethari to wear would be a great parallel for that. Oh god. Oh man.

Maybe he'll stab the coin's scary casing right through that circle on Ethari's chest, right over his heart, make that Iron Man reference really obvious. Ethari also losing his shirt at some point, for angsty Viren-related reasons? It's more likely than you think. I mean... Ethari is literally involved in both forms of forging at this point. Shirt's gotta come off for uhhhh work reasons. And because he's hot. Because of all the forging. Mmhmm. I mean how else are we finally going to discover what his markings look like this is research I swear

I mentioned that I liked god-tier villains, right? Yeah, this is amazing. I haven't wanted to die and ascend over an idea for quite a while, but Ethari vs Viren in a drawn-out battle of wills would kill me in the best way. Especially since, while it looks like they're essentially fighting for who gets Runaan, they're truly fighting a much larger battle with much higher stakes. They're fighting for the future itself. It's an epic struggle between the Narrative of Strength and the Narrative of Love. And we've seen what happens, over and over, when the Narrative of Strength gets to call the shots.

On a meta note: If Ruthari's story arc isn't a love letter from one trauma survivor to another, and on a broader scope to all survivors who see it, I don't know what is. Sometimes life just chews us up and spits us out and we can't stop it and it breaks us. But sometimes we can reach out and grasp the chance to help each other, even after that, even when it hurts a lot, because we know what it means to be loved, and to love, and to want a safer future for each other and for people we'll never meet. The future is worth standing together for, helping each other back up for, fighting side by side for, even if you can't see how it'll end, or even how to begin. We are stronger together, and sometimes we need to fight for our "together" before we can fight for anything else. And that's worth it, every time.

This is glorious, it's beautiful, it's tragic, it's amazing, it makes me want to dance, it makes me want to scream into the void, it makes me want to slap someone with a semi truck. No, someone specific, don't worry, and he super deserves it.

Because Ethari is going to win. He was always going to win. He's soft, and he's clever, and he hasn't forgotten what love means. It's what he's fighting for. Not power, not control. Love. He doesn't want to dictate Runaan's future or anyone else's. He just wants his husband--and everyone else--to have one at all.

So he's going to win.

What thwarting Viren looks like, I couldn't possibly guess. TDP is no stranger to angst, so there will probably be a high cost involved in outwitting the dark mage. Maybe not everyone can be rescued from the coins. Maybe Ethari will lose his life, or his soul, or his vision, or something else really angsty. Viren could even kill him and resurrect him as a smoky craftsman, or a zombie craftsman, or something equally biddable but horrible. The only thing I'm sure of is that Ethari would never willingly make a working Key of Aaravos Ethari as long as there's a chance Viren could possess it. But I do believe that if he gets the right opportunity while he's busy saving the world from Viren's dark intentions, he'll break his husband's hellcoin open somehow and set him free, even if he has to smile at the devil to do it.

Ethari understands the difference between "you can" and "therefore you should." He might sacrifice his own world to save his husband, but he'd never sacrifice someone else's world. That's one of the Moonshadow cultural limits I've noticed: they accept boundaries when it comes to other people's autonomous rights, especially regarding life and death.

These limits could get pushed. Ethari will be under great duress and emotional strain if he goes through this kind of interaction with Viren. And maybe he will choose some dark things. Everyone else has. But I'm placing all my eggs in the basket labeled "Saved By Love." Either I'm right, or I'll get the best angst omelets in the universe. And I do love omelets. A villain invented them, you know. ;)

Another support for Ethari not making the key for Viren: the real Key exists!

Callum has it right now. The plot doesn't need Ethari's key (yet? ever?), but it does need Ethari to learn what he's made of, to stand up for something, or against something, or both at once. And once he learns what he will and won't do and the universe has rewarded his discovery with the return of his beloved husband then Ethari will be ready to take on whatever else the plot has in mind for him.

Depending on the plan, all of these events could happen in S4, as a setup for even bigger things to follow. Viren's wishes can be thwarted here and the show's overall tension will only continue to rise. It would let Ethari flex yes pls his skills so we know who he is, it would show how driven Viren can be for a long-term goal, it would let Claudia saunter further downwards, it would reveal some human/Moonshadow history, and it would resolve the seasons-long tension regarding Runaan's fate, allowing for the cycle of speculation, feels, angst, and Ruthari fanart to begin again. ;) Viren would need to find another way to pursue his long-term goal. And Callum's Key will get a little more clarity on just how important it is to the fate of the world - which will make everything he does, and everyone he talks to, and anyone who knows what he's carrying, intensely important.

Nyx is gonna steal it isn't she, omg chaos birb

To Viren, Ethari was a main course, meant to be devoured and consumed in his lifelong quest for something that will finally satisfy. But to Ethari, Viren was just empty calories to be passed over in favor of ordering his perennial favorite dish, one more time.

Once Ethari escapes Viren's clutches with as much of his family as he can rescue, Viren may turn back to looking for the real Key, especially if someone's seen it recently. Hunting a kid probably seems easier than hunting a full-grown Moonshadow craftsman who just outsmarted him. okay so maybe Nyx stealing it would be a good thing and save Callum's life

Ethari could go on to help repair the Sunforge, or rebuild the Moonhenge, or work on constructing Moonshadow villages in Katolis if he hasn't been ghosted for abandoning everyone after the forest fire. He might build magical devices for any number of reasons, to help all kinds of characters. Hopefully, wherever he goes, he'll have Runaan with him, in some way, for at least a little while. Cycles be like, and I feel like Runaan will not want to remain still for long, for whatever reason. Does he need revenge, atonement, justice, a new body, to find Rayla, to find Ezran? He'll be back in action as soon as he can, I think.

Okay, but, I'm so soft at the thought of a scene where Runaan and Ethari come before King Ezran. The husbands tried to save their people Runaan's way, the old way, and it only continued to endanger them. Following the cycle, as Moonshadows do, was the wrong move. But the son of the last human Runaan killed reached out with mercy and broke a thousand years of suffering and sorrow and hatred. Ezran did what Runaan couldn't: he saved the Moonshadow elves from total destruction. And that, more than anything else in the world, could soften one very broody assassin's heart toward humans again.

What would Runaan do, if his heart truly changed toward humans? What would he say to Ezran? I could see him struggling for a long moment before dropping to one knee to pledge his heart as he once had to do before the Dragon Throne. He doesn't know any other way but to serve. Ezran, reading the whole room and everyone's feelings before he tells Runaan that No, we don't do that here. That he's free, and free means free. No chains, no oaths. Just trust and friendship. He should get to make his own decisions for a change, even though that can be hard and scary sometimes. Runaan being genuinely scared, because that's too much freedom. But he's not alone. He has Ethari, and Ezran, and Rayla, and Callum, and their people, and their allies. And no matter what else happens, the people of Katolis - elven and human - will find a way forward. Together.

part 5

[lampea-by-lamplight]

okay so this isn't really an oc intro bc i'm not cruel enough to put all of them on one post

so this is kind of for ask games? so i can actually reblog them? for my two followers who are the same person? anyway @myreidola witness just how many characters and plots tsenpha has and realise that there will be many more

lobelia

junk and disorderly & associates

maeve shea: faerie, junk shop owner, knows more than she lets on

dio: tiripts (aka demon), stressed best friend, drinks too much milk

cande: spirit of deep water, likes freaking people out, maeve's kid

amanta segreti: half fae half elf, artist, lives in the woods (in a house)

noam de witte: half human half slegna (angel adjacent), runs a kid's home, co-parent with maeve (techically)

grant taggart: human(?), work with noam, highly uncomfortable with the idea of love

robbie lamar: human, ex-pirate (probably), obsessed with his hair

sarah desrosiers: human, ex-noble girl, an absolute dumbass

daichi mutō: half human half elf, tinkerer, has lightning magic

mission statement not as advertised

briony april: ex-spirit of healing, not paid enough for this, likes cake

alastair lykaios: human, expressionless and done, bad with feelings

dracul: lizard folk, will bite a table, tends to go with violence

orion griffin 1: human, original orion, cowardly and not ashamed

orion griffn 2: human, copy orion, impulsive and not ashamed

kyria ash: human, archalogist, holds a brain cell (it isn't the only one)

darius heidrich: human, king of lobelia, not as much of an asshole as he seems

assassins & shifters & mediums oh my

malyn chaise: human but death touched, dark sense of humour, likes books but also bows and arrows.

hemlock: human, assassin, only son of the king of lobelia

flannery: fox kin (selkie, but a fox), works in an entertainment troupe, main source of treason

galena holzmann: human, healer, also a dancer in flannery's troupe

spirit squad

astra: spirit of the stars, daughter of the spirit of magic, lives in a cave

august: spirit of the sun, got an ego problem, likes honey

aliena chaise: spirit of stories (eventually), day drinker, gets into trouble a lot

mael: spirit of madness, has goat horns, solves problems by creating other problems

cedar: spirit of healing, briony's twin brother, bad choices were made

caelestis/celeste: spirit of air, trickster, will sleep for a few thousand years out of boredom

pyrrhos: spirit of fire, plays instruments, absolutely terrible with words

kelda: spirit of water, anger issues, has multiple arms made of water

meallán: spirit of lightning, unrepentant wanderer, likes artistic displays

jade: spirit of earth, lives underground, views a lot of people as his children

florence: spirit of nature, somewhat bloodthirsty, doesn't like having his time wasted

sorcha: spirit of light, spouse of nisha, operates a theatre house

nisha: spirit of darkness, spouse of sorcha, fond of songbirds

vega: spirit of birds, holds an oracle-esque position, likes drama

attor: spirit of decay, chills in clearings a lot, vaguely snake-like

bernice chaise: human (ish), likes to tell stories, fond of things that go bump in the night

irides: spirit of the rainbow, likes to dance, almost never wears shoes

messis: spirit of the harvest, beastly in appearance, only soft for a very short list

luana: shark mermaid, princess, scholarly and diplomatic

joie richelieu: shapeshifter, water mage, down to fight whenever and wherever

rio: clown fish mermaid, no sense of style, defensive about it

zenith: shark merperson, very stylish, history buff

cenric: butterfly fish merman, king, luana's adopted dad

terran spencer: human, merlora village leader, cenric's lover

sin du shriek

pride: tiripts, put together at all times, the ringmaster of the sin squad show ig

lust: shapeshifter, the dancing queen of the sin squad show, has a thing with someone in a town they visit

wrath: half human half tiripts, smug little bastard, can't keep his mouth shut

sloth: possessed doll, throws knives when annoyed, is the cook and demands respect

gluttony: revenant, slow but in a "my processing speed is low" kinda way, mainly with sloth

greed: elf, chills in the background drinking something alcoholic, doesn't talk much

envy: bioluminescent merperson, mildly pissed at all times, does the special effects i guess

gladiola

convenient marriages of the royal kind

nicklaus aetos: human, high king of gladiola, seems stoic but is actually really soft

rhea dwerryhouse-aetos: human, high queen of gladiola, extremely chaotic

snakes and birds and repression

lian anguis: snake folk, schemey schemer who schemes, just wants money

ignus anatidae: half human half slegna, significantly less schemey, on the hunt for his brother

the vampiress detective

connor flynn

foxglove

odhran conroy

rosita misterio

biolutoxireautogem

rory

victerria

begonia

rise up & take the crown you forge

giselle delphine popławski/mint: human, displaced princess, lightning mage in a family of water mages

viper: elf, thief with eyes on a prize he won't reveal, probably has a joke for everything

nightshade: faerie, assassin who really wants to poison this one guy, can be sweet

gertrude fortier: human, leader of aforementioned rebellion, definitely aiming to get mint on the throne

silvester jeż: shifter, childhood friend, definitely going through some stuff at this point

a town named magebelle

anisette panettiera

mona cory

nari raconteur

thundra corcoran

astir

sweets & evidence boards

rojda kartal: elf, owns a bakery/cafe, definitely has secrets and definitely likes being mysterious

nihan kartal: elf, started the whole detective thing, mainly operates out of their sister's backroom

osiris lycan: vampire, subsists on a diet of coffee and sugar, not as aloof as he seems

róisín flores: human, wears pretty dresses, just wants to have a talk with whoever keeps cursing him

oscar bonheur: shapeshifter, has nature magic, no one can remember him arriving, just that he was always there (or was he...)

here's my fin & here's my hand

luana: shark mermaid, princess, scholarly and diplomatic

joie richelieu: shapeshifter, water mage, down to fight whenever and wherever

rio: clown fish mermaid, no sense of style, defensive about it

zenith: shark merperson, very stylish, history buff

cenric: butterfly fish merman, king, luana's adopted dad

terran spencer: human, merlora village leader, cenric's lover

it's about the journey

claude

sariel

vérène asteromne

on folk heroes and history

malra

okeanos

rodan

composa

amber

dianthus

courting blood

formeo

hitomi

harvest of light

eoforwine

olwen

hunting for something more

cerise verger

cian fehér

gemma steinmann

kayden rigel

ophelia hagan

sage corentine

of books and mist and blood that spits

forsaken

mistral

tamasa

the bride who carries death

candide brodeur

jerome

the princess ruse

dei

bos

faust

hallie

hyacintha

when heart, mind and soul become one

agrona einar

alexei

ezekiel

linden van der berg

armista

cyrus

seron van laren

editha du blair

phantoms of distant past

amor von østerberg

medeia voss

dáire

oriole van willigen

lilios

an adventuring party walks into a tavern

astrophel

darya grönvall

fitzgerald de fresel

floros

osian malley

tabi

for glory and for honour

anastasia highglory

sometimes a family is villains

alastor

corianne mary

karen

nisha 'eloise'

olindo

skipper

tangi

wisteria reverie

what once was missing, what once was found

imogen 'echo' laguardia

myostea

herbalism & other mysteries

eric hamr

iaso ylva

keir

revenant amore

annalise

gabriel

set a course

grace-anne

james

the cursed grudge

dax

gilda

the death of creation (and what came after)

galiora

under a blue moon

alix

clover howell

paeonia

a matter of opinion (blessings and curses)

barbara clacher

daphne caldwell

melia virág

mordecai

noir schuler

criminals on stage

dolos

heinrik

hinata

ludmila

mako

maya

nari

viola

love at first sight (and again)

lin

ume

veil van aalsburg

wing beats of fate

saitō kasumi

saitō kazuo

rosalius

donna

eislyn bellamy

orphne moreno

émile

prosper de león

vinnie

saguaro

from golden sands

matthias

morgan

nailah

thirteen

antares

australis

cauda

elnath

hamal

hydor

kaus

mali

meb

nashira

ros

spica

zosma

tulipa

contemplation amongst trees

islwyn

onyxre

how i met my cyborg

mith

soraya

victoria martin

of machinery and mischief

hawthorn

sorrell

tally cogsmith

ordeals at the sand bar

cordelia

lir

ophelia 'lia' douglas

these days (our crystal souls)

darkness

light

despair

diamanté

linnie

madame x

zafiro

alma

callahan

moirai

avila

boann

fenrir

gulielma

henrietta

pamphilos

pandora

sonia

blythe wyse

calum garcía

coralie lavoie

lucas hollingsworth

luella lafleur

luka casper sinclair

rainer merrick

wren gardner

urtica

the kingmaker

beatrix von schwarzenberg

[wordstrings]

I CANNOT believe I didn't think of that???? But I DID IT

Also, the reasons you didn't ask for:

Jack: Lawful Lee- hes so innocent and pure and still has the mind of a child. He doesn't understand the embarrassment that might come of just asking Cas, or Dean, to just wreck him cause he had a bad day. He has no reason to go it via retaliation (like some people *cough* Dean *cough* he just asks for it

Kevin: Neutral Lee- Kevin is the MOST embarrassed about being tickled, and will NEVER make a move to try to be on the receiving end. But when hes had a rough day with the tablets, or starts complaining a little too much, the brother feel they gotta take his mind off it. What better way than pinning him down and tickling the snot out of him. Kevin of course doesn't actually mind, and the boys know that, from the little to no heat his threats give off. But he'll never give them true verbal or physical verification.

Meg:chaotic Lee- ESPECIALLY in her later seasons when she decides to help the boys. A quick quip here, a jab at their egos there? A well placed death threat? And the boys and Cas are taking her down, just like she planned. (This ones a little shotty, I didn't really know who else would fit here, if you got ideas, lay em down!)

Cas:Lawful switch- I mean. Does this one really need an explanation? Yes? Well okay- much like his surrogate son, he's not overly shy about asking his boyfriend to be taken down. He does seek retaliation from Dean sometimes, but thats really just because he knows Dean likes that kind of play, and he's more than happy to endulge him. His ler side, is often kept for Dean (he will take down Sam or Charlie or Kevin when necessary, but only when necessary or asked). He's grown to learn Deans ticks and signs that he wants to be tickled. But being the good wholesome boyfriend that he is, always waits for those signs to show up cause he doesn't want Dean to ever be uncomfortable (although, he's kidding himself if he thinks Dean isn't always craving it, but thats beside the point)

Charlie: Neutral switch- Her ler side is more so quick jabs to sides, flutters of fingers up ribs, or spidering up spines. Enough to get a squirm and a gasp or giggle out of her assailant, but nothing more, unless of course the entirety of the bunkers residents are ganging up on Dean- then she'll join the antics, but otherwise likes to stay on the outskirts, and just tease everyone (shes a big reason why Dean gets into Lee moods a lot. You can't just give him a quick squeeze and move on! Thats like letting him have one bite of his burger and then taking it away!!). Her Lee side is also relatively secluded. When she's in a Lee mood, she focuses on one single assailant (usually Sam) to prod poke and flutter. They eventually get annoyed enough that they take her down, and reducer her to giggling mush. Her Lee moods are few and far between, so it took everyone in the bunker a while to figure it out

Dean: chaotic switch: the chaotic switch to rule all chaotic switches. When hes in a Lee mood, you'd better believe no one wants to be in the same room with him (and all have Cas on speed dial for this reason. Oh you thought it was cause he's an angel of the lord that could help with monsters? No, its to deal with a problematic Dean Winchester). He becomes /unbearably/ annoying until someone decides to FINALLY take him down. If he's been annoying enough, to enough people he'll earn himself a swarm of angry friends picking certain body parts to destroy, and it becomes a family affair. If Dean is in a ler mood, forget about not being in the same room. You should be in a different country yesterday. He is relentless, taking down anyone in arms reach. Even running after them down the hall, "you gotta keep your endurance up, what if I was a vampire Kevin, huh? You'd be DEAD". Cas is also usually called to clean up this mess. Although, if Cas in unavailable, a well placed threat about calling Gabriel usually gets him to mellow out until Cas can be his guinea pig (shameless throw out: petition for the boys to FINALLY get Cas a pet God damnit).

Sam: lawful ler- due to the years of torment he was subject to by his brother, he's not big on being on the receiving end, but that doesn't mean he's not afraid to dole it out. His "traumatic" memories leaves him being more empathetic to his victims, and only taking them down necessarily, or when they outright as for it, some actually asking, some... more around the bush (*cough* DEAN *cough*). He takes immense joy in tickling Charlie, because he knows he's the main person she goes to when she actually wants to be tickled. And he's always willing to lend that hand... or fingers.

Benny: neutal ler- you CANNOT tell me he did not take Dean down in purgatory at least once. And when he joins the family of the misfits, his first reaction is "why does everyone tickle eachother do damn much??" He finally realizes that its because their lives are so full of sorrow, death, destruction and overall sadness, its their way of brightening everyone's spirits when needed. Hes also realized its a common form of affection throughout the bunker. His first experience with it was Charlie goosing his side. He wasn't overly fond of the feeling, but was content with watching everyone take eachother down for a long time. It wasn't until a few months into living with everyone that Dean kept /pestering/ him nonstop for three days. It was Cas who eventually told him that Dean was trying to get him to tickle him. He obliged, somewhat hesitantly. He confront Dean about it afterwards, and Dean just blushed, and told him he wanted him to be part of the family, more than just a shadow around the bunker. After that, Benny started settling in a little better, and even joined in tickling others when he had the chance. The only one he allows to actually tickle him now is Charlie, anyone else will be tickled to hysterics immediately.

Gabriel: chaotic ler- Gabriel isn't around the bunker often. He'll show up for holidays, select birthdays, and hunts he's needed on. Otherwise hes pretty scarce, doing whatever gabriel/loki/trickster/whatever he is this Tuesday. Every once in a while he'll pop up on days other than those listed above. On the days he is around, everyone is always on high alert. Gabriel LOVES to mess with his new family, and his older brother complex trumps even Deans. And unlike Dean, no one sees Gabriel coming. He is not afraid to use his grace from the other side of the bunker, or pop up behind his unexpected victims to tickle them with his fingers and wings the old fashioned way. However... Gabriel is the most dangerous when summoned. Can you guess who's in the most danger? I'll give you a minute. Thats right, Dean freaking Winchester. And Gabriel does not like being prayed to on days he isn't planning on joining those in the bunker, and will surely dole out whats coming to to culprit of those forced to bring in backup (although, who is Gabriel kidding. If it got to the point they had to pray for him, he's really just feeding Dean what he wants)

Cliff notes: Dean is just a mess but everyone loves him

First of all, when did Tumblr let asks get this long? Not complaining – I just pride myself on keeping up on all the quirks here and this completely skipped my radar. It’s glorious.

I agree with so much of this, so hard, but I must acknowledge that the switch row is true Perfection. I’m with you on the chaotic lee conundrum, though - and the closest feasible replacement I can come up with is Garth. (Ideally, I’d still probably put him in neutral instead of chaotic, but whaddayagonnado.)