#cross riven

[imhereformr]

Omg i loved star crossed! I cant waittttt!!

You're gonna have to at least a few weeks cause I'm completely reworking it and changing the ending I had planned (though I have 2 ideas and I'm really not sure which to go with...), but I am mad motivated for it rn so hopefully that pans out 🤞🏻

And no I will not give hints about what they are

[brontios-helm]

Destiny 2: Final Look Back

[leftforthestars]

THE BASIC PREMISE OF DIVNITYS CACOPHONY EXPLAINED !!!!!!!!!!!!!

so i have a bunch of ocs for this universe, and ive talked about them occasionally but i realized i havent explained the story. so uh. the premise will be under the cut because its pretty long.

The Gods are dead. The Angels, of lower rank than that of the Gods, yet still Divine Beings, have taken over. Every century, the current Angel of Time chooses one mortal to possess. The mortal, always a young prophet in training, is guided by the Angel. The Angel helps the prophet's visions slowly become clearer, and the prophet gives the Angel a chance to feel what it's like to have the body of a mortal.

To feel.

Every "Guided" (prophet who has been the subject of possession), however, has said the same thing.

"The Reflection is drawing closer."

What exactly The Reflection is, no one knows. But it's probably important.

Now enter a young mortal, an elf with a passion for thievery.

Her names are Estella and Riven.

This century's possession is near, and Estella's best friend, Echo, a human seer, is the one everyone thinks is going to be the Guided.

And sure enough, he is.

But something's different than the descriptions of the other possessions of the Guided of the past.

---

Polyeidus, the current Angel of Time, was always known among the other Angels as being something of a control freak.

No one knew why or how they got to the rank they did.

As the possession draws near, they choose the prophet who will be the quickest to train. They plan to do this as efficiently as possible. Possess, Guide quickly, and leave the body. Possess, Guide quickly, and leave the body. Repeat this as many times as necessary, instead of taking it slow.

Will this harm, maybe even kill the human? Probably.

But does Polyeidus care? No.

The human is going to die anyway. Why not just make it sooner?

---

All Riven can do is watch.

The possession is always necessary.

Any attempts to stop it will only lead to greater tragedy.

All it can do is sit there as an Angel puppets its friend's body.

In the brief moments that the Angel finally leaves, Echo looks terrified, as if he's seen something he shouldn't have.

He constantly mutters to himself anxiously.

"The Reflection."

Estella can't bear to see Echo like this, so on a night where the veil between the sky and the heavens is especially thin, she leaves him by himself, and goes to the top of a hill.

It throws its dagger up, down, and up again, and soon the dagger doesn't come down.

...

There's a crack in the sky.

The crack grows, multiplies, and becomes a widening hole.

The sky, the barrier has been broken.

The hole is like a mirror. Riven can see herself standing there, staring up in shock.

This is The Reflection. The event that is supposed to lead to the end of the world. The thing that so many prophets have seen.

And now the thief has to fix what it broke.

[kifkay]

silly headcanons about Winx characters’ home planets (part 1)

Linpheans rarely say, “I love you”. to them, it does not encapsulate the depth of their devotion properly.

instead, they use words that are much more… “poetic.”

for example, Bloom would casually thank Flora for helping her apply a salve to a burn of hers:

”thanks, Flo, love ya!”

and Flora would earnestly reply:

“My soul, I would part with my liver sooner than I would part with you.”

which… intense for us, Eartherns, but for Linpheans — love is not something to be treated casually.

among Linphean vernacular: “my soul”, referring to any one person you love; “my liver”, when referring to a friend you cannot live without; “my sun/moon/flower”; “my pillar”. also, when talking about a couple: “those, who were fated by the stars”.

(fun fact, all of these are real terms of endearment I took from my language <3)

she is very openly affectionate with her girls, but it takes her a bit of time to start acting similarly with the boys.

Helia and Timmy are decently well-travelled/well-learnt, so they know of this Linphean custom and are not surprised. Nabu absolutely returns the same energy to her.

Brandon just kinda takes it at face value (“you are my lifetime, friend” “👍”).

but Sky and Riven are absolutely bamboozled by how sweet Flora is, and try to awkwardly reciprocate.

like, Flora patches Riven up after a battle, and pats him on a back with:

“let the rivers of our lives cross together into an ocean forevermore, my golden friend.”

and Riven looks more scared than he ever was fighting goddamn Valtor, and whispers:

“you smell very nice?..”

Riven is obviously uncomfortable being as vulnerable and affectionate as she, so he resorts to using sweet nicknames (a-la “dove”, “love”, “sunshine”) and giving Flora compliments.

Sky is also unused to this level of affection, so whenever he is forced deal with it — he just malfunctions. literally dissociates. cannot reply for a solid twenty minutes.

He does think it’s very sweet though, so he starts taking care of Flora like a little sister. making sure she always has a little snack on a mission, giving her his jacket when it’s cold out, importing rare flowers for her, etc.

after a couple of years together, the winx and the specialists adopt this way of expressing endearment into their vernacular, and confuse the shit out of everybody else.

[synnthamonsugar]

Mara sits cross-legged in the canopy shade of Riven's wing. She wets the pad of her thumb with the tip of her tongue, then uses the moisture to hold a bundle of fresh-picked asphodelia in place. Riven turns to watch. On this day, her head is the size of a Fallen pike. She is vibrant blue with a yellow and red crest . . .

- Riven, The Dreaming City lore book

My entry for One Last Wish, a Destiny 2 ahamkara zine. Check out the full book & all the entries @onelastwishzine!

[screebyy]

Part 3 wheeeee :)))))

and FYI Night of Ascents is referencing the Awoken's celebration on the anniversary of the day they left the Distributary, which was revealed in the Hiera Hodos lore tab that was released w/ this past dawning :)))

Prev | Next Part 1

Panel 1: In the dreaming city, Jolyon is leaning back casually against a white stone wall covered with green vines with pink flowers. His arms are crossed and he is looking down, lost in thought. Crow is walking around a corner towards him, up a rocky path with blue gemstones embedded in natural rock formations. It is almost dusk, and the setting sun is casting soft golden light and deep blue shadows on the scene. Crow: “Jolyon, hi…” Jolyon: “Hey.” Crow: “You wanted to talk?

Panel 2: Close up of Jolyon’s face. He turns his head towards the camera, to glance at Crow from the corner of his eyes. He looks sad and a little uneasy, like looking at Crow is painful for him. Jolyon: “...”

Panel 3: Jolyon turns his head away, looking off into the distance. His expression is not visible. Jolyon: “I used to live out here. When we first came to Sol.”

Panel 4: The landscape Jolyon is looking out at, split into two panels. On the left is the present day in the Dreaming city - the sun is setting behind a ridge, and a white set of stairs is visible winding up the mountainside. There is a white statue embedded in the rock, and there are trees and grass growing along the sides of the staircase. On the right, is the same ridge in the distant past, before the Dreaming City was created - the rocks are barren and desolate, and there is a crashed metal ship painted with red stripes that has long since been abandoned on the mountainside. The windows of the ship are glowing with light from inside. The silhouette of a tall person is inside the ship, opening a sliding hatch on the side of the ship to greet another, shorter person standing outside. Jolyon: “In the hull of an old cargo ship, just under that ridge.”

Panel 5: In present day, Jolyon is still leaning against the wall. He looks down and away from Crow, who is staring out at the landscape. Jolyon: “Before Mara and Riven reshaped everything.” Crow: “I remember...”

Panel 6: Close up of Jolyon’s face in profile. He is staring down at the ground, and looks distant. Jolyon: “...”

Panel 7: Jolyon looks back at Crow with a determined and slightly wary expression. Crow looks back at Jolyon, though his expression is not visible. Jolyon: “You told me about the Dawning. You remember what we celebrate here?” Crow: “Yeah…”

Panel 8: Close up of Jolyon from over his shoulder, as he looks at Crow. His face is not visible. Crow (offscreen): “The Night of Ascents.”

Panel 9: Jolyon turns back towards the ridge, looking up at it with a grave expression on his face. Crow looks away from him, glancing back up at the mountainside with a sad, distant Jolyon: “Do you remember coming here? The first one?” Crow: “...”

Panel 10: Close up of Jolyon, centered around his shoulder. Only the bottom half of his face is visible, and his expression is unreadable - he is still looking forward, out at the ridge instead of at Crow. Crow (offscreen): “I remember.”

Panel 11: Jolyon pushes himself up off the wall, and turns towards Crow. Jolyon: “Technically, it isn’t for a few more weeks, but….”

Panel 12: Close up of Jolyon, staring straight at the viewer. There is still a pained, sad expression in his eyes, though he looks like he’s trying to hide it. Jolyon: “Will you walk with me tonight?”

Panel 13: Close up of Crow, who looks surprised by the request. Crow: “Y-… Yeah.”

Panel 14: Wide shot of Jolyon and Crow climbing the white stone staircase that leads up the mountainside. Jolyon is a step ahead of Crow. Crow: “Of course.”

[unknowntoyou2205]

Innocence meets trouble

Info: For some reason the new girl catches Riven’s attention, and it’s not just because she’s put in second year

Riven x reader

Riven jumped on Skys back as they walked through the entrance of the school building. It was the first day of second year and Riven had just caught Sky talking to a first year. The teasing had begun, and Sky could only roll his eyes at his roommate and best friend before they bumped into someone.

Y/n’s hands shook slightly as she carried her bags through the yard. Her first day at a new school and y/n knew that she would stand out. Having skipped a year already due to her advance in magic, Dowling had decided that she would be better off in a more advanced class, which didn’t sit well with y/n. She would already stand out due to her relation to Stella, cousins by marriage, but that would inevitably take a back seat when people found out about her skills. Not watching where she was going she ended up bumping into someone, knocking against a wall as a result.

-------

“I’m so sorry.” The blonde guy gasped, grabbing her arm to steady her.

“Watch where you’re going.” The raven haired beside him snapped.

“My fault, wasn’t watching where I was going.” Y/n stated, looking down at her bags now on the ground.

“First year?” The guy asked, hitting Riven’s arm.

“No second.” Y/n flinched, rubbing her shoulder.

“I don’t recall seeing you last year.” The Raven guy stated, narrowing his eyes at her.

“I’m new, first year here but second year of classes.” Y/n explained, not liking explaining herself.

“Well I’m Sky, this is Riven, Specialists, probably be in some of your classes.” The blonde haired introduced himself and his friend.

“Y/n, second year, fairy.” Y/n spoke, waving slightly at the end.

“Here, et us help you with these bags.” Sky suggested, holding an arm out to grab some of y/n’s bag.

“I’m out of here.” Riven stated, holding a peace sign as he started walking backwards.

“Riven.” Sky tutted at his friend.

“Seya later.” Riven stated, walking off, glancing back at y/n as he left.

“I’m sorry about him. He wasn’t like this last year.” Sky apologized, smiling at y/n as he grabbed her suitcase.

“It’s fine. And as opposed to these, I got it, thanks.” y/n smiled softly.

“I insist, the least I can do after bumping into you.” Sky stated, and y/n chuckled lightly before allowing Sky to lead the way.

Riven wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. For some reason he couldn’t stop staring at the new girl. He refused to acknowledge the newbies, but there was something about this girl that he could not shift, and currently, he was standing at the upper floor, looking across at where y/n was standing, watching the party down below.

Y/n stood at the corner, away from all the people that were walking along the halls, observing the scene down below. She wasn’t one for crowds, but she knew that if she didn’t turn up than she would draw more attention to herself than she cared for.

“You know you could just talk to her instead of stalking her.” Sky spoke, coming up from behind him.

“I don’t know what your talking about.” Riven spoke, taking a swig from his drink.

“Alright than.” Sky smirked before moving away from him.

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

“Staying away from the people, smart as a newbie.” A voice called to her, and y/n turned to see Sky walking towards her.

“I’m not one for crowds.” Y/n shrugged, crossing her arms.

“Funny, neither is Riven.” Sky smirked, pointing towards his friend that was looking over at them.

“I would of thought him the opposite.” Y/n remarked.

“He likes to portray that image, but trust me, he’s a softie at heart.” Sky smirked, winking at her.

Two weeks since her first day, y/n decided to walk the grounds on her free day to see what was around to do. She mostly kept to herself, having an error in the assigning of rooms lead to y/n having her own room, but she didn’t mind that. It made her days more calm, she wasn’t one for madness, and it helped with the questions. Which is why she would often walk the grounds on her own, walking down the path towards the specialist area.

Riven turned his attention to the girl in front of him. The two had rarely spoken since they bumped into each other the first day of term, but there was something about her that wouldn’t leave her mind. Deciding to ignore her, he took out his box of cigarettes and stood up. Y/n frowned at the box as he walked off.

“Hello stranger.” Sky called out to her as she walked by the bench area.

“Hey.” Y/n smiled , eyeing Riven as he sat beside his friend.

“What’s got you around this area?” Sky asked, and Riven looked up at the girl.

“Just walking around. Scouting out the area.” Y/n shrugged.

Y/n walked on further before seeing an outline of trees ahead of her. Looking around, she opted to leave the grounds and head into the hooded area. She knew it would be dark, but that meant that it would most likely be abandoned.

“I don’t see the hype of them.” Y/n stated.

“That’s because you’re a goody too shoes.” Riven stated, smirking at her as he walked off.

“Ignore him, he’s been acting like this since summer.” Sky stated.

“Gotcha.” Y/n nodded before walking off down the path.

Branches cracked under her feet as she made her way into the forest. Birds could be heard and the soft wind against leaves made her smile. She loved nature, which was probably why she gained the ability of earth and it’s elements. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t see the foot that was sprawled across her path, leading to her to trip and fall. She groaned and looked to the side before screaming at what she saw.

Riven glanced behind him only to take a double take before jumping away from his position in shock He grabbed y/n out of reflex before pushing her behind him as he screamed out for someone. It wasn’t long before Silva turned up and he crouched beside the mauled and obviously dead man that was leaning against a tree. He opted to send the students back and alert Dowling about their discovery, and Riven couldn’t help but throw a worried glance at the girl beside him.

“Geez, I’m not that bad looking.” Riven rolled his eyes at her reaction.

“Not you.” Y/n snapped, pointing behind him.

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

Y/n sighed as she crossed her arms across her chest as she walked her way through the halls. Students looked her way before whispering to each other, and y/n knew what it was about. Word spreads fast around the school, and by now both students and teachers knew about y/n in the woods. The image from the woods had haunted her the night before, and she didn’t want to speak about the day. She wanted to forget it, however hard that would be.

Riven was leaning against a pillar outside, smoking a joint when he seen a certain h/c headed girl walk out from the school building, trying to avoid the crowds of students that were walking. Seeing her looking down at the ground, Riven opted to call the girl over and try to talk to her.

Riven nodded before moving away from the pillar and heading off to where Beatrix and Dane were standing, watching them talk. The trio that were known for mischief, and y/n only watched as he left, seeing as he placed an arm around Beatrix, looking over their shoulder as they walked away.

“Hey, y/n.” He called out, and y/n froze at the familiar voice. “Come here.” Riven finished, and y/n looked at him, unsure.

“Yes?” She asked, unsure of what the boy would want.

“You okay?” He asked, showing small hint of concern.

“Why do you care?” She asked, frowning at him.

“Yesterday was freaky, I know I seen it.” Riven shrugged.

“Yeah well you use a joint to help, I don’t.” Y/n narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why are you so hostile, I am only asking if you’re okay.” Riven stated, placing his hands up in mock surrender.

“Sorry.” Y/n muttered, looking away from him.

“Want one?” Riven asked, offering his joint to her.

“I’m good.” Y/n scrunched her nose at the strong smell.

“Look seriously, if you want to talk, I’m here.” Riven stated, looking down in confusion as to why he just said that.

“Thanks, I guess.” Y/n squinted at him, unsure how to respond.

--------

The following days, Y/n spent most her time in her dorm, avoiding being seen as much as possible. Riven had grown worried for the girl, and would find himself staring at the back of her head when they were in class together. He had left the relationship he had with Beatrix and Dane, so he had grown to find his feelings for the girl had changed. The two often caught eyes with each other and a short smile would be exchanged. Small conversations would be exchanged, and y/n would still grimace at him when she would see him smoking or up to mischief which would lead to him smirking at her with that boyish smile.

As teacher brought the class to a close, Riven watched as y/n packed her bag and quickly left before the other students left for the day. Y/n threw her bag over her shoulder as she left, and Riven noticed her phone slide out of her jean pocket, landing on the floor. Seeing that y/n clearly hadn’t noticed the loss, Riven moved forward and grabbed the phone off the floor before rushing after.

She glanced up at them as their hands brushed together briefly. Riven raised an eyebrow at her as he felt a tingle as she moved away from him. Y/n only smiled at him before moving away from him. The two held contact with each other before y/n blinked, looking down to break it. Riven cleared his throat and smiled, waking backwards before finally turning.

“Hey, /n, wait up.” Riven shouted at her, waving her phone at her.

“Hey Riven.” Y/n smiled weakly at him, and Riven could see that she was tired.

“You dropped this.” He stated, holding the phone out to her.

“Oh, thanks.” Y/n nodded at him, taking her phone from him.

Riven looked down for a minute, thinking before deciding to try and catch up to y/n. He watched ahead, bumping into students as y/n turned the corner. Cursing to himself, Riven moved quicker, not taking a second glance at those who shouted at him as he moved quickly to get to her, when often he would glare at them. Y/n turned off to a quiet corridor, and Riven stopped at the turn to see y/n struggling with her key. Riven looked back as two girls came whispering to each other as they opened their dorm and walked in, both looking at Riven and y/n before the door closed. Riven coughed slightly, and y/n looked over her shoulder at him before finally getting the door open.

“Riven?” Y/n called.

“Yea?” The rave haired boy turned around.

“No, it’s okay.” Y/n shook his head, cursing herself for calling him.

“Y/n?” Riven asked, walking back to him.

“It’s nothing.” Y/n shook her head again, walking away from Riven.

Riven looked at y/n and moved closer to her. Y/n watched Rivens shadow as it creeped towards her.Feeling a hand being placed on her arm, y/ looked at it before looking up at Riven. She flicked her hair back and smiled up at the boy and he sighed, unsure if he should be doing this.

“Y/n,” Riven started, only to stop himself.

“You followed me?” Y/n asked, narrowing her eys at him from her door.

“I’m confused by something, I’m not sure how to act.” Riven shrugged, not looking away from her.

“Confused about what?” Y/n asked, looking at Riven intrigued by what he wanted to say.

"You, me, I dunno?" Riven stated, shrugging.

"Well maybe say it and it might be helpful." Y/n shrugged, trying to be helpful.

"There's something about you, that, won't leave me. I find myself enjoying our short chats. Brief as they are." Riven started, and y/n looked down as she blushed.

"Riven."

Y/n could only close her eyes as she allowed Riven to move closer to her. Her breath caught in her chest as there lips met, and she melted under Riven’s touch. The kiss was brief and when they pulled away, y/n looked up at Riven in shock

“We are two completely different people.” Y/n commented.

“Sometimes opposites attract.” Riven stated before leaning in.

“What does this mean?” Y/n asked, squinting up at him gently.

“I dunno, we’ll see where this goes.” Riven shrugged, before smiling softly at her.

“I’d ike that.” Y/n smiled, before leaning her head on his chest.

[zalia]

Truth to Power, Chiasmus, and the Final Shape (or, has anyone else noticed we're playing the story backwards?)

Through a set of circumstances, I ended up getting onto an unhinged rambling session at 3am so thanks to my friend who let me (one time when different time zones was actually useful).

Some of this may be a little bit of a reach, but I think it bears out, and i've put the truly out there thoughts at the end.

Contains spoilers for Season of the Wish finale, and basically of Destiny, including the Final Shape trailers and ViDocs.

Okay, lets talk about Truth to Power and Ikora and Arach Jalaal's discussion of it in the Witch Queen CE.

Truth to Power is a lore book from Forsaken and it is... odd to say the least. It starts out as a message from 'Eris' and then cycles through other characters Eris > Medusa > Quria > Dul Incaru > Savathun, and then back again. It includes a 'choose your own adventure' section, a hidden challenge to defeat Shattered Throne solo at light level 999, a hidden note to data miners, and talks a lot about Ahamkara, the Distributary and the Dreaming City, black holes, and Savathun's (potential) plans regarding it. Especially the idea of moving through worlds contained within worlds via black holes.

In the Hidden Dossier decoded from the Witch Queen CE, Ikora and Arach Jalaal discuss this book, it's many readings, and what it might mean.

One thing that comes up is that the story uses a literary device called 'chiasmus'

REY >> JALAAL Look at the structure of the text. At first, Eris is real. Then we learn Eris's voice is a deception by Medusa. Then we learn Medusa is nested inside Quria. Then we learn Quria is a fiction of Dûl Incaru. And at the center, Savathûn reveals herself to be the parent of it all. We are headed inward, as if moving from parent to child universe. Then we proceed in reverse. Savathûn is revealed to be a fiction of Dûl Incaru. Dûl Incaru a simulation by Quria, and so on. So in the end, Truth to Power moves outwards. Just as Savathûn plans to move. In from our universe and out to the Distributary— Or out from our universe to its parent. JALAAL >> REY Oh. I see. I see! A literary structure like that is called a chiasmus, and chiasmus means "crossing point"! Like a wormhole or a portal! It was hidden in plain sight.

They can also be thought of as ring structures. We end at the beginning.

Which incidentally is the tag line for the Akashic Revelation lore from Season of the Deep about a Guardian trying to enter the portal in the Traveller and getting visions of his original human life!

Which will become relevant i swear.

Lots of people have commented about the finale cutscene from Season of the Wish, and how it mirrors Forsaken - with Crow at Cayde's mercy, vs Cayde at Uldren's mercy. And you can kind of look at Crow's story in general as a reflection of Uldren's. Crow resurrected > Imprisoned by Spider > Manipulated by Savathun > Growing into himself and his freedom as a guardian > Reconciliation with Mara > Jumping through a portal to another facet of reality

vs

Uldren following Mara out of the Distributary > the growing distance between him and Mara > Prince of the Awoken, tricking Guardians, visiting the Black Garden > his growing madness leading to his imprisonment in the Prison of Elders and manipulation by Riven (who was controlled by Savathun) > Death

There's another cycle (there are many cycles) I noticed with Saint and Osiris.

Vanguard Commanders > Separation+Exile > Saint's loss of the Light + death > [Sundial Incident] > Osiris' loss of the Light and imprisonment > [Nezarec Tea Incident] > Recovery+being reunited > Vanguard Commanders

We've also had in the ViDoc the mention of receiving the Khvostov because it's the first weapon we ever use in D1, returning to the freeway we were resurrected at, returning to the beginning.

With me so far?

We've ended Season of the Wish with a redux version of the final fight of D1 Vanilla - the destruction of the Black Heart. Symbolically bringing us back to the start of our journey. But if you look at a lot of the themes of recent seasons... we've been travelling backwards loosely through a reflection of D1's storylines.

Season of the Wish/D1 Vanilla

In D1, we are guided to enter the Black Garden and destroy the Black Heart created by the Vex. This is the story where we first encounter Mara and Uldren who send us to get the eye of a Vex Gate Lord to enter the Garden. Which involves us going to the Ishtar Academy on Venus to find out more about the Vex (incidentally this is also where the Vex Citadel is located - something which has been very prominently visible in the Starcrossed Mission).

In Season of the Wish, we are following up work done by Maya Sundaresh and Chioma Esi of the Ishtar Collective on the Veil which was revealed to be what the Black Heart was trying to recreate. We're working with Mara and Crow (and Crow even lampshades the original story in a joke about the eye of a Vex Gate Lord!). Eventually we end up confronting the Vex and destroying a new copy of the Black Heart.

Season of the Witch/The Dark Below

In the Dark Below, we are guided by Eris to stop the resurrection of Crota by disrupting a ritual, and eventually kill him in his Throne World in the Crota's End raid.

In Season of thr Witch, we take part in a ritual to tithe to Eris to help her ascend into becoming the Hive god of vengeance so that she can cut Xivu Arath off from her Throne World

Eris: Crota's soul is banished. You have given me the gift of vengeance. I thank you… - D1

Season of the Deep/The Taken King

I admit that this is out of order and a little more of a stretch, but chiasmus is not necessarily an exact thing and I think the parallels are there.

In The Taken King, we are confronted with Oryx's fleet arriving in the system to get revenge for the killing of Crota. He destroys a large portion of the Awoken Fleet who were there to buy us time, including killing Mara Sov (she had a plan and got better!). We have to pretend to be Ascendant Hive to face him on the Dreadnaught (which is created from the body of one of the Worm Gods) and we take shards of his sword to create our own. Eventually we face him in King's Fall, use his hoarded stolen Light and free it to defeat him.

In Season of the Deep, we have the sudden reappearance of Titan in the system sent by Xivu Arath. We have Sloane who has willingly become half Taken to learn about Xivu's plans and undermine them, and she is supported by Ahsa, one of the proto-worms who is seemingly akin to the Worm Gods (Eris uses her name and the name of her slaughtered family in her ritual in Season of the Witch, alongside the names of the Worm Gods). We save Ahsa, Sloane is possessed briefly by Xivu but recovers. We also enter a pyramid and take a gift of Darkness (Wicked Implement) left to us by Xivu.

Also we have a whole dungeon about the Lucent Hive trying to resurrect Oryx and Xivu's voice memories regarding him and everything about the Hive.

Season of Defiance/House of Wolves

In House of Wolves, Skolas, Kell of Wolves, is freed from his imprisonment by one of the Nine. he declares himself Kell of Kells, frees his followers from the Prison of Elders, attempts to assassinate Mara Sov. Mara, angered by this, gives Guardians the freedom of the Reef to hunt Skolas down as he tries to unite the various houses. He eventually breaks into the Vault of Glass to bring Wolves from the past to aid him. We stop him, capture him, and eventually kill him in the Prison of Elders. This leads to a very slight improvement of relations between the Reef and the City, although the Awoken, barring Petra, are still mainly ambivalent and Mara is absolutely only interested in us as a means to an end.

In Season of Defiance, the Shadow Legion are capturing humans and Eliksni and imprisoning them on the pyramid ships. We are aided in their rescue by Misraaks, once of the House of Wolves (as was his mother) now Kell of Light (and potentially Kell of Kells eventually???), and Mara Sov, who comes to aid us, willingly using her power to let us walk the Ascendant plane in order to rescue our people. It very much solidifies the alliance between the City and the Reef.

So essentially, House of Wolves is former allies of the Reef turning on them to destroy them. Season of Defiance is former enemies banding together to save their people.

Also Taniks is in House of Wolves, and conspicuously mentioned in Season of Defiance.

Lightfall/The Red War

Again, out of order slightly, but the more I think about it, the more I see the parallels.

In the Red War, the Last City is attacked by the Red Legion led by Dominus Ghaul who is obsessed with claiming the Light, and captures the Speaker. The Guardians lose the Light and are driven out of the City. We have to regain our Light abilities from the Shard of the Traveller that we are guided to. The Speaker is killed after admitting the Traveller doesn't speak to him. We go to gather our allies once more, assault the City, fight Ghaul who is then destroyed by the Light when the Traveller awakens. The Black Fleet is shown to activate at the edge of the System.

In Lightfall, we follow Osiris who has had a vision of Neptune. We arrive in Neomuna which is a City under assault from the Shadow Legion led by Calus (who was exiled and deposed by Ghaul). Our Light abilities are suppressed so we have to master Strand which is seemingly a product of the Veil. We gather our allies, including Caiatl who had taken over command after Ghaul's death, and combat the Shadow Legion's assault on Neomuna. We fight and defeat Calus who has been granted Darkness abilities. But the Witness communes with the Veil, damages the Traveller, and most of the Black Fleet leaves the system to enter the Traveller.

Season of the Seraph/Rise of Iron

In Rise of Iron, we're called by Saladin Forge, the last of the Iron Lords, to stop the Eliksni House of Devils from taking control of SIVA, the nanomachine plague which killed the other Iron Lords when they went to seek it to save humanity, because Rasputin got mad that the Traveller resurrected his son as Felwinter. We fight the SIVA animated corpses of some of the Iron Lords and destroy the replication chamber. We fight the Devil Splicers who have been augmented by SIVA.

In Season of the Seraph, we are working to recover a damaged Rasputin and stop Xivu Arath from taking control of Rasputin's Warsat network and weapons. We enter bunkers to recover his data, including returning to Felwinter Peak to recover Felwinter's memories which leads to Rasputin sacrificing himself to save humanity, where before he had sacrificed the Iron Lords for his own selfishness. We also fight Witness animated corpses of Eliksni (the Scorn) and Eliksni Wrathborn infected by Xivu Arath's cryptoliths (which can also infect computer systems). Eramis, once a Baron of the House of Devils has to see and grieve her friends and comrades turned into mindless puppets, as Saladin once had to see the Iron Lords turned into puppets by SIVA.

I think there's also a note to be had about how we're doing these repeats. In D1 the vast majority of the time, we are alone. We are not yet the Young Wolf, the Godslayer, the hero. We are just one random Guardian.

In D1 vanilla, there's no real mission control. You have Elsie Bray tell you to follow a signal and give you some info, but then you are on your own. Mara and Uldren are quite relaxed about potentially getting you killed. In Season of the Wish, we are guided by Osiris and Mara, aided by Crow. We have people with us every step of the way. At this point in D1, Petra was more or less exiled from the Reef. In Season of the Wish, she is one of Mara's greatest supports, and you can hear how much Mara cares about her.

The Dark Below has you guided by an Eris who is alone, untrusted and seen as crazy at best, or a genuine threat to the City at worst. She has nothing in her life but vengeance. In Season of the Witch, we have an Eris who has Ikora and Drifter and Mara there to support her and who trust her. The worry is mostly for her rather than about her.

We have gone from the Last City being a last bastion of humanity with the whole universe against us, to one of two cities, filled with those we had once called enemies.

Conclusion

So yeah, a theory that we're travelling back through our story, a chiasmus (there may well be other parallels in previous seasons too) which is taking us right back to the start of our story.

Except here's the thing... Elsie Bray is the one who starts things off by having us destroy the Black Heart. It's implied to be the major event that changed things. But Elsie's timeloops are stated to always take her back way before our resurrection, to the moment when Cayde becomes Hunter Vanguard.

Well, we're just about to get Cayde back.

So what happens when you reach the beginning/end of the story and yet it continues? We're outside the boundaries of this story now! Off the path we've been following!

But unlike when we were resurrected, alone save for Ghost, when we go into the Pale Heart, we will not be going alone. We've come through the chiasmus and we've done things better, built alliances, made friends, united the Light and the Darkness.

So when we step beyond the boundaries of the storyI would suggest one thing – Guardians make their own fates.

The actual unhinged theorising

So, there was one connection my mind made at like 7am when I briefly woke up after going to bed at 4am. A Chismus is kind of like a labyrinth.

In English, Labyrinth is often synonymous to maze, and it can be! However maze and labyrinth are also used as specialised terms - a maze is a multicursal puzzle with many branching paths, while a labyrinth is unicursal, and has only one winding path to the centre and out again.

You can see them in lots of places, including places of worship where they can represent symbols of pilgrimage, or a path to enlightment/salvation. Walking them can be used as a form of meditation. And historically they've also had sometimes been used as a way to trap evil spirits, or turn away evil.

So a Chiasmus is a ring structure, and you follow it from start to finish then back to start, and a labyrinth is a unicursal winding path that takes you to the centre and then back out again, and the story of Destiny is (loosely) following that structure.

There is one specific labyrinth I think it's worth looking at.

This is a labyrinth carved into the portico of Lucca Cathedral in Italy. The inscription is Latin and translated reads "This is the labyrinth built by Dedalus of Crete; all who entered therein were lost, save Theseus, thanks to Ariadne's thread"

This is the seal for Season of Arrivals... oh hey that... that looks familiar.

This is from the Live Action Witch Queen trailer showing the Cradle on Mars with... oh wait... is that... the same fucking labyrinth?

It crops up in a lot of places in Destiny. You will see it everywhere.

Where am I going with this?

Look at the inscription for the Lucca Cathedral labyrinth: "This is the labyrinth built by Dedalus of Crete; all who entered therein were lost, save Theseus, thanks to Ariadne's thread"

We know the story of Thesus and the Minotaur. He was able to find his way through thanks to a spool of thread given to him by Ariadne (oh hey, guess what subclass we just got in the last expansion...).

Well, Ariadne's Thread is the name for a method of solving puzzles by an exhaustive application of logic to all available routes. Wikipedia says about this method:

At any moment that there is a choice to be made, make one arbitrarily from those not already marked as failures, and follow it logically as far as possible.

If a contradiction results, back up to the last decision made, mark it as a failure, and try another decision at the same point. If no other options exist there, back up to the last place in the record that does have options, mark the failure at that level, and proceed onward.

That sounds kind of Vex-like huh? Or even more specifically... sounds almost like what Elsie Bray has been doing. She is reset each time to the last set point (Cayde becoming Hunter Vanguard), and in each loop she tests paths up until destruction. It's how she comes to realise that she has to be the person who finds stasis first.

Each loop cuts off a branch of the maze, a set of possibilities that do not lead to the right outcome. And cutting off each branch until there is only one path turns it into a labyrinth.

I've thought for a while that it feels like something is iterating, working through every option until all the pieces align and there is only one path. Making sure the chiasmus works.

Piecing together a perfectly constructed bomb to take on the sword, which will detonate into the exact kind of chaos that Guardians are good at.

I apologise for the extreme longness of this post. I really hope it is semi-coherent at least?

[missmirakell]

Your honor, they are in love.

ID under the cut

GLOAMING JOURNEYER

WE FOLLOW PATHS OBSCURED.

"The path to the Witness is within sight. We do not know what shape Riven's bargain will take, but I know that we two will not make that crossing."

Drifter listened quietly as Eris spoke, her voice tense. The dark tendrils flowed thickly from beneath her bandage.

"I watch as those closest to me edge toward oblivion," Eris said, her hands restless in her lap. "Ikora. Mara. I am unused to helplessness."

She looked to Drifter, her mouth a tight line. When she spoke, it was a ragged breath, "It's happening again. We will be alone at the end."

Drifter stood after a quiet moment. Eris watched him curiously. He reached out and took her by the hand. She rose, following his silent urging. Then he put his arms around her.

She tensed. He began to step away, unsure. But then her arms came up and she clung to him for a desperate moment. She felt the words in his chest as he spoke again.

"I remember what you said. I think about it more than I should these days."

"What did I say?"

"That we'll live in the night if we have to. We do it for what comes after."

Eris nodded, and sighed. The pair parted, but he kept a reassuring hand on her arm.

"So this is where you wish to be," she said cautiously. "At the end of all things?"

"Nowhere else."

"No more schemes to leave Sol?"

He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head, smirking. "Nah," he said, and looking into her eyes. "I'd miss the moonlight."

[frost-queen]

Shimmering light (Fem!Reader x Stella)

Requested by: anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly@denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn

Sky puffed loud when you had kicked him in the chest. He doubled, reaching for his chest with a pained expression. – “You are out of shape Sky.” – you said teasingly, lowering your foot. Sky looked up, wanting to speak, but couldn’t yet. It made you laugh loud. – “Riven would be delighted to hear this.” – you told him as Sky straightened his posture. Having moved his hands to his hip, pointing at you. – “Don’t!” – he replied with a scowl.

It made you hum thoughtfully just to tease him more. Sky groaned grabbing a stick. He let it hit down on you. As a response, you had set your hands high as the stick came in contact with your wrists. – “Nice try darling.” – you moved your head for him to see your silly smirk. – “Sky, Y/n enough training!” – both of you heard. Sky lowered his stick.

Turning around, you straightened your posture at Saul coming your way. – “Good foot work Y/n.” – he whispered to you, patting you on the back. You threw Sky a mockingly smile just to rub it more in his face. Sky rolled his eyes. The other specialists gathered around as Saul had whistled loud. Riven came jogging over, looking all smug.

“Y/n.” – he said throwing an arm around you. Pressing your face close to his chest. – “Riven.” – you mumbled out, feeling squashed in his grip. Punching him in the armpit, he released his grip on you. You took a breather, shooting him a glare. Riven laughed finding himself amusing. Saul cleared his throat to make him stop interrupting. – “It’s time for your assignment.” – Saul explained.

He stepped aside as a group of fairies approached the training grounds. – “You’ve got to be kidding me.” – Riven puffed out, turning annoyed around. – “Scared Riven.” – you teased, tickling him under his armpits. Riven’s body squirmed, making him jump away from you. He gave you an annoyed look. Sky chuckled beside you. Saul snapped his finger to stop your little distraction.

“I’ll assign you your fairy.” – he started. He started pairing up some fairies and specialists. Amongst them stood Stella with her friends. She made brief eye contact with you. Her hand subtle going up to greet you with the smallest of nods. You smiled briefly back at her as response.

“I hope I get paired up with Sky.” – you heard her say to Musa. Musa gave her little attention, throwing glances from afar to Riven. – “Stella.” – Saul called out, making Stella straighten her back. – “Y/n.” – he called out, gesturing to the middle. Stella’s eyes widened as you came to the centre. Bloom had to push her forwards or else she would’ve remained still. Stella and you joined before Saul. Saul nodded at you.

You took Stella by her sleeve, pulling her aside. There you waited for everyone to be paired up. After pairing up gave Saul the subject to start training with each other. You and Stella moved a bit away from the group. – “Sorry I’m not Sky.” – you told her. Stella glanced up to you with a bit of shock in her eyes. Tilting her chin a bit up, her attitude changed.

“It’s better than Riven.” – she answered. – “Ouch.” – you replied hurt by her comment. Stella swallowed nervously, looking down. You had lowered yourself to pick up a fighting stick from the ground. Turning around you handed one to her. Stella stared rather strange at it. – “I’m not touching that.” – she said moving the stick away with one finger.

It made you sigh loud. – “Take it.” – you insisted. Stella crossed her arms. – “In case you forgot Y/n, I have my powers to protect me. I don’t need no sweaty stick.” – she said back cocky. You exhaled deep lowering the fighting stick. – “What if for some reason you can’t rely on them?” – you asked, pulling your shoulders up. Stella scoffed at what you said. You had a bit enough of her attitude. – “I’m here to protect you so maybe cut the whole stuck up princess act!” – you called out.

“It’s not an act, I am a princess.” – Stella replied loud. It made you throw your hands up. Throwing the stick on the ground, you gave up. Walking off, you had quite enough of her. – “Where are you going?” – Stella shouted getting on her toes. You ignored her, continuing to walk away. Stella lowered herself, looking hurt down.

She noticed some other pairings looking at her. It made her feel shy and small. Biting her thumb a bit, she went her own way. At first Stella thought about skipping. But then the guilt came. She felt guilty for acting like that towards you. She decided to change coarse and search for you. She eventually found you at the lunch tables. Stella took a deep breath before walking over.

You quirked your eyebrow up when she came sitting in front of you. – “Does her royal princess require something?” – you said bitsy. – “Y/n.” – Stella replied trying to reason with you. You crossed your arms, leaning back in your chair. Stella took a deep breath. – “I’m sorry.” – she said making you stare curious at her. You noticed how uneasy and vulnerable she felt.

“I…I didn’t mean to be so…” – she started. – “Bitchy?” – you answered for her, making her chuckle. – “Yes that.” – she agreed. – “Great, we agree on one thing.” – you teased seeing her smile. – “We agree on more things Y/n.” – Stella spoke. – “Like what?” – you asked intrigued. – “Like how good looking I am.” – she said making you quirk your eyebrow at her. – “Kidding!” – she laughed out, touching your arm. It didn’t make you laugh, rather just gaze at her.

You took a deep breath, placing your hand on hers. – “Stella, I’m not the one you should be building your walls up to.” – you told her. – “Remember last year?” – you pointed out. Stella nodded, remembering. – “The time I blinded that girl.” – she said looking down. You joined your other hand to hold hers in yours. Your action made her look up to you. – “No, after that.” – you corrected.

Stella smiled saddened at you. – “You were there.” – she said. – “I was there.” – you repeated. – “I was there when you were at your lowest. I kept you going. I made you shine as bright as ever Stella. So… don’t go acting all cold towards me with our history.” – you talked. Stella smiled brighter.

“You are better than Sky.” – she answered. – “You are what I need.” – Stella finished staring at your eyes. You smiled back at her. – “Oh how much better I feel.” – you responded dramatically, making Stella stomp your arm. Laughing loud afterwards. Both of you got up, heading back to the training grounds.

*

You kicked the door open after having heard Stella scream. Her eyes turned to shock when you busted in the room. Your eye immediately fell on her mother. With your batons you went for her mother. Forcing her face down on the desk. Arm between your baton on her back as your other one pressed her back against the desk. – “Y/n!” – Stella called out with tears in her eyes.

“This is the last time that you hurt her!” – you grunted out, pressing her mother’s cheek harder on the desk. Her mother was furious. Squirming under your grip to get free. – “You wait till I am free!” – she threatened. – “Do your worst.” – you responded coldly. Stella stared in shock, hands to her mouth at the display. Her mother raised her hand as Stella caught the faintest of light.

“Y/n!” – she alarmed you. You saw the light as well, quickly pulling back before she could blind you. Your own reaction made you stumble back. Her mother rose, eyes reflecting fury. She pointed her hand at you, casting a blast of light towards you. You fell back against Farah’s bookcase.

Books dropped to the ground with you. Stella gasped loud with tears in her eyes. – “You specialists think you are equal to us!” – she spitted out. Raising her hand as light emerged from it. – “You have just signed your own death.” – she called out. – “No!” – Stella shouted coming to stand in between. Arms wide open. – “Step aside child!” – Her mother casted out.

“No! I won’t let you hurt her!” – Stella defied against her mother. Her mother scoffed amusingly, finding it humorous her daughter would stand up against her. – “I won’t let you touch her!” – Stella replied determined. You looked up amazed to her. Seeing how strong she appeared. Her mother rose her hand either way, ready to cast light at Stella for being in the way.

You got up, wrapping your arms around Stella. Calling it out, you pulled her down with you, before the light could hit her. The light hit the bookcase instead. Making more books drop down. Hitting you and Stella all over.

You had moved your arms around Stella, protecting her. Stella slowly lifted her head, coming close to yours. For a moment the two of you stared at each other. You smiled, brushing your thumb against her cheek. Stella breathed out a smile with tears in her eyes. Her mother scoffed disgusted ready to cast again. You pulled Stella in your embrace to protect her. – “I’m sorry.” – you whispered to her.

Stella hugged you back, tightly. – “Not a word.” – she whispered back. Both of you closed your eyes, waiting for the impact. The door swung open, Farah entering with Saul. Saul launched for Stella’s mother, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back. Farah turned to look at you. – “Are you alright girls?” – she asked as Saul escorted Stella’s mother out.

Stella and you stared a bit confused at each other. – “We are.” – Stella spoke with a smile. You helped each other up, embracing one another again.

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

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!

[brontios-helm]

Destiny 2: Open-Handed

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

The North Cascades elk herd is a cluster of some 1,600 animals whose domain, like so many habitats, is riven by a highway. From 2012 to 2019, Washington state records show, at least 229 elk were killed by cars along a stretch of State Route 20 in the Skagit Valley. The situation imperils humans, too: In 2023, a motorist died after swerving around an elk into a telephone pole.   “My own nephew had an elk collision, and I’ve nearly had collisions myself over the years,” said Scott Schuyler, a member of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, who is also the tribe’s natural resources and cultural policy representative. “We have an obligation to protect our neighbors and ourselves and these animals.”

To many observers, the solution has long been clear: a wildlife bridge, flanked by fencing. But building such a structure would cost around $8.5 million, a daunting expense. “There didn’t seem to be any money out there on the horizon that could make this happen,” said Jennifer Sevigny, a biologist with the nearby Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, which co-manages the elk herd.

That changed in November 2021, when Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—a package that included the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP), a grant initiative that would distribute $350 million over five years to states, Native tribes and other entities for animal-friendly infrastructure. Although Sevigny knew the competition for grants would be fierce, she submitted a proposal for an elk bridge when the program launched in 2023. “Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to get it,” she said.

When the recipients of the first $110 million in grants were announced in December 2023, however, the Stillaguamish was among them. Once the grant agreement is finalized, the tribe will partner with the Upper Skagit to convene biologists and engineers to design the bridge, which is expected to take four years to construct.

The Skagit Valley overpass wasn’t the only tribal winner: Of the 10 Western wildlife crossing projects selected for the initial round of WCPP funding, four were Native-led. “It was really awesome to see that (experience) come to fruition,” said Shailyn Wiechman, connectivity coordinator at the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and a member of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. But tribal-led connectivity projects on and adjacent to reservations still face obstacles—and money remains a big one.  

[laurarolla]

So Destiny 2, yeah? There's an element I've seen running through this season that, when combined with a common theory of how we will cross through the portal into the Pale Heart, gives me an idea about a possible old detail that could be important next season.

This year, each season sees the Guardians and their allies using dangerous powers to overcome a substantial challenge, pushing themselves to their limits in the process but pulling back from the edge just in time. Mara Sov empowers us with access to the ascendant plane that puts substantial strain on her, Sloane uses her partial taking to facilitate communication with Ahsa at the risk of being driven mad by Xivu Arath, Eris Morn becomes the Hive God of Vengeance while refusing to give in to the temptation of dominating the whole of the Hive in perpetuity, and next season, the big prediction is that we will use the incredibly dangerous Wish magic to open the portal to the Pale Heart.

I'm left to wonder if the dead ahamkara have the power to actually help us in this case, as while their magic continues after death, it seems far less powerful. But what if there were a living ahamkara to help us, or rather, a soon-to-be living one?

Credit to @thefirstknife for snapping a picture of this:

In the middle of this room, only in the game during Season of the Lost about two years ago, is the last egg of Riven, the last ahamkara. Fynch's little conspiracy theory from The Witch Queen campaign was right: there is one left. And while this little detail is years old by now... this is Bungie we're talking about. They wouldn't put this here without some idea for it, and they hopefully wouldn't forget it when the perfect opportunity to use it rolls around.

After all, what could be a more fitting way to push dangerous power to the limit than to entrust our future to a godlike child?

[dimsilver]

hey so @hollers-and-holmes made a great post yesterday which reminded me of this old poem I wrote!

Christus Ostiarus

Thou art the stairway, Thou the door

The threshold and the key

Became the means of ent’ring in

That I might dwell with Thee

For ‘cross the threshold of Your love

You lift your holy Bride;

The doorway is securely formed

Of riven hands and side.

No effort of my own could make

That portal fair unbar;

For I, the Bride with sullied dress

Have wandered off afar -

and foreigners have had my love

And still my heart is bent;

But, yielding not, You ransomed me

And bound in covenant

my heart to Yours - and all my shame

Has fled, and all my sin;

For love will make me lovely yet

since Thou hast entered in.

[whoeverl]

⚔️Riven x fem!reader 💛 Bad Boys Bring Heaven To You

Requestsed? No

Summery: based on the song ‘Heaven’ by Julia Michaels

Trigger warnings: none

Riven had always been the rebel of Alfea, the one who thrived on pushing boundaries, challenging rules, and stirring up trouble. He was the epitome of the ‘bad boy’ persona, complete with a devil-may-care attitude and a magnetic charm that drew others in like moths to a flame. Amidst the vibrant halls of Alfea, where magical energies crackled and friendships blossomed, Riven stood out with his brooding demeanor and the air of mystery that surrounded him. He was a puzzle, a complex enigma that nobody dared to fully unravel. His antics were legendary, his reputation notorious, yet his heart remained veiled from prying eyes.

Y/n, the fiery and fiercely independent fairy, found herself inexplicably drawn to Riven’s allure. Despite warnings from her friends about his tumultuous nature, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart whenever their paths crossed. There was an undeniable chemistry between them, a clash of personalities that sparked an unusual connection. One evening, as the sounds of laughter echoed through the school grounds and the stars adorned the sky like diamonds, Y/n found herself alone with Riven. They stood atop one of Alfea’s towers, the world beneath them a tapestry of magic and wonder. “I don’t understand you, Riven,” Y/n confessed, her voice laced with curiosity and concern. “You’re a puzzle I can’t seem to solve.” Riven’s gaze softened, a rare vulnerability flickering in his eyes. “Maybe some puzzles aren’t meant to be solved, Y/n. Maybe they’re meant to be felt.” He reached out, his fingertips brushing against hers, sending a surge of warmth through her veins. In that fleeting moment, amidst the whispers of the night, they shared a connection that transcended words. The melody of their hearts beating in unison echoed the sentiments of a forbidden love, a love that danced on the edge of chaos and serenity. As the night wore on, they talked, laughed, and bared their souls to each other, unveiling layers they had carefully concealed from the world. Y/n discovered the depth behind Riven’s facade, the pain he harbored, and the longing for acceptance that fueled his rebellious spirit. The song ‘Heaven’ by Julia Michaels played softly in the background, its lyrics weaving through the air, echoing the emotions swirling between them. They found solace in each other’s company, creating a fleeting paradise in the midst of their tumultuous world. But as the first rays of dawn painted the horizon, reality came crashing back. Their love, forged in the shadows, faced the harsh light of day and the scrutiny of their peers. Reluctantly, they parted ways, knowing that their worlds were too different, their paths destined to diverge. Yet, in that brief encounter, they had discovered a slice of heaven in each other’s presence, a fragile yet unforgettable moment that would forever linger in their hearts. Y/n watched Riven disappear into the morning mist, a bittersweet ache settling in her chest. She whispered the song’s refrain into the wind, a silent tribute to the brief, passionate encounter that had brought a piece of heaven into her life.

Characters list

Riven masterlist

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Free Day # 1: Hunter

----

Riven exhaled, wiping off her chakrams. They weren't as clean as she wanted, but they'd do until she made it back to Stonewood. Her chocobo chirred nervously as she put the cleaning cloth back in one of the saddlebags.

"Easy." She said, reaching up to pat the bird's neck. In the middle of the road was the corpse of a fiend, having met it's demise at the edges of Vauban's chakrams and the power of Riven's Weave spells.

"Miss! Are you alright?!" Both Riven and the chocobo started, the Tonawawtan woman turning around. Two men in the blue dusters of the nearby garrison soldiers were hurrying towards her.

"It's alright! I'm..." Riven trailed off, eyes widening. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she recognized the pair.

"Captain Sauveterre! Major Varlineau!" Estinien closed the gap, striding over to Riven.

"Miss Sadler. You're not hurt, are you?" He demanded, eyes rapidly flicking over Riven.

"I-I-I'm fine! I'm not hurt!" Oh gods, why had her voice suddenly gotten so high pitched?! Riven clutched her chocobo's bridle, struggling for some measure of self-composure as anxiety twisted her stomach.

They didn't see me summon, did they? Her particular Weave was apparently unheard of, and the Scions were still trying to divine the intent of the spirits that had seemingly latched onto her. Then the anxiety turned into butterflies as Estinien drew even closer, still looking down at her.

"You're...unharmed." He breathed. "Good. That's...good." Riven swallowed rapidly, praying that her voice would sound normal.

"I can defend myself, Major." She answered. "And if it's too much for me to handle, I run away. Don't see any shame in admitting some things are above my skill to handle."

"You look like you'd learn how to overcome that particular obstacle fairly quickly." Estinien replied. A small smile was spreading over his face, and Riven wanted to swoon, he looked so handsome. Next to his commanding officer, Reinhardt coughed.

"I think I see Mz. Gohtawyn." He said, watching as both Riven and Estinien jolt away from each other and look around. Estinien was the first to give him a dirty look, and Reinhardt just deadpanned back at his commanding officer.

"I'll pearl for the cleanup crew to come by and get this off the road." He said. "Unless you want me to question Miss Sadler?"

"Go do that." Estinien ordered, eyes flashing annoyance. Reinhardt shrugged, moving some feet away.

"Were you hunting this fiend in particular?" Riven seized the change of subject gratefully, letting go of the chocobo's bridle to quickly brush down her travel-gown.

"It's one of them." Estinien answered, and Riven's eyes widened. "Something's been luring the lot out of whatever darkhell holes they live in. We weren't this busy when Van Baelsar was trying to muscle in on everything and everybody, nor when you lot were dealing with that fake priest up north."

"Luring them out?" Riven repeated.

"Aye. Invading their territory, killing their minions..." Estinien gestured. "While normally I wouldn't have a problem with it, whoever this hunter is, they're messy. Whatever they don't kill, goes hunting in the immediate area. We've had a rise in merchants and travelers asking for bodyguards--and the other day we even had to protect one of the supply trains." The elf crossed his arms, looking at the Tonawawtan woman.

"Don't suppose you've heard or seen anything lately, have you?" Riven hummed at the question, biting her lower lip. She didn't notice Estinien's sharp inhalation, nor the way he suddenly shifted position.

"Actually...you might want to stop by town tonight." She began. "There's a trio of newcomers that have been around for the past week. They speak like Far Easterners, and have the armor and weapons to match."