#glory ( main verse threads. )

[sunnydalescoobiies]

THERE WAS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO GLORY THAN FINDING HER WAY BACK HOME. that might sound wholesome and sweet but the true meaning behind this goal was nothing short of horrifying. returning home for this god meant releasing absolute hell on earth. every and each portal imaginable, ranging from all sorts of unspeakable evil, would tear and bleed into this reality. doing this meant glory could take on her revenge against the other gods in her own world for banishing her from her realm. and what was life without something to look forward to? after losing to the pesky, mousy slayer in sunnyhell, she fled the city to recover and gather new and improved reinforcements that could successfully assist her in doing this terrifying endeavor. mystic falls is where her research has brought her to. this town had powerful supernatural energy that she was feeding off of and plenty of victims to go around. hopefully more promising henchmen would show their face and faith to her. after all, she was a god and not one to be trifled with.

WHEN GLORY PATROLLED THE BARS DOWNTOWN, SHE HAD SPOTTED SOMEONE THAT SEEMED TO BE STRONGER THAN THE OTHER IRRITATING ANT-LIKE HUMANS THAT INFESTED THIS TOWN. she seemed sure of herself and knowledgeable. after toturing the lowlife scum that dared called themselves the creatures of the night, all that information brought her to this woman. she was told she had powers unlike anyone else. if she couldn't fight for her, maybe she could point her in the right direction instead. she waited for her move before suddenly, in a flash, appearing in front of @salvatoreseer and not letting the poor girl have time to process the god's speed, she bombarded her with questions. glory tilts her head and lets a sly smirk tug subtly at the corner of her lips, “ hey beautiful. a little birdie told me you could help me out with a pesky problem that's been bothering me ” she started confidently. “ you got a minute ? not like you have much of a choice in the matter anyway but i'm tired of being the snot out of people. so, why don't you make this easy and just come with me ? i'll buy you a drink. ”

[anestofmuses]

The Fantasy Verse Details: Part one, Basics

(Because ya boy yapped a lot this is in two parts, yippe!)

Verse Tags: Fantasy au/verse: main tag, da verse: sub main tag,

No character specific tags 

Muses Specific to this Verse: Lucanis and Spite. (DA version), Beezelbub, Trudy (sometimes)

This verse is both its own universe and the general umbrella for muses that do not fit the modern-esque eras of the main shared verse(s).

Main Verse Details: kitchen sink ver

As this version, muses are adjusted to whatever universe they are either from (Lucanis,Bee) or to were they crossed over into (interacting with fantasy based muses), This varies greatly. But rule of thumb is  that we'll respect home verses and stick to canon.

DA Verse:

This Verse is either pre or during Veilguard and were Lucanis (and spite) are situated in, alongside Three lords of fortune, The trio travel around Thedas seeking secrets, glory and fortune naturally. All while running from the Templars. the crows and blighted foes alike. While Lucanis is busy trying to find a way to stab elven gods. No biggy.

Main Verse Details: Stand alone ver

As a stand alone verse. It focuses on the island nation that holds the Kingdoms  of The Sun, The Moon, Twilight and The Underearth. The majority of the populace are elves, a communal, moneyless species that like most fantasy typical elves, live for a long, long time.

Unlike their typical cousins, these elves are also culturally  Berserkers. They can tap into a primordial strength known as either the Sun or Moon Wrath. Like the name implies, it gives a huge boost to their physical strength, but makes them enter a berserker  state. For the Sun wrath, the elf and their surroundings get brighter and hotter, while the moon wrath wrath causes the area to get darker and colder. 

 In some rare cases, an Elf can access the Twilight wrath. Which increases their magical prowess too. But the beserk state is even more unstable. Strangely, No elf has been reported to enter an Earth Wrath, despite The Under Earth being the third most populous kingdom.

Common connections:

Though each kingdom has its own customs and religions. There are some connecting threads and customs that unite these very different people. For example:

No money is made or expected here, unless someone ventures into lands where money is required. Every citizen’s needs are provided by the kingdom’s governance or exchanged in bartering, a skill for a skill. Eg,  homes are provided for without question. But someone can say trade some root vegetables or someone’s delicious fish. A writer can exchange paper for some ore. So on and so forth.

Monarchs can come from nearly everywhere. Except for the clergy. It’s strictly forbidden for clergy to become political leaders and  royals must abandon their roles in order to become priests.

As society is communal, the emphasis is on the whole rather than the individual. It’s expected for others to care for one another. The disabled, elderly and young are treated as equals.

Polyamory is normal, it's considered strange to view it as wrong.

Though royal families can pass down their crown from heir to heir. No one royal family can rule for longer than 50,000 years and every five centuries, there is a choosing ceremony where every kingdom decides on if a monarch can lead or not. Any monarch can also be ousted at any time if they fail to care for their kingdom.

[thwipsthrown]

finally wrote a verses page, figured i should make it mobile-friendly too.

REMY ‘GAMBIT’ LEBEAU:

currently only one verse based in a nebulous version of the comics and x-men 97. assumes anna & remy are married to their civilian (but still mutant) third partner, robin. single ship with @hopedefined & @auroradicit.

PETER PARKER:

main verse: earth-1049. mix of tasm 1&2 and insomniac’s spider-man series. substitute teacher & freelance photographer. semi-retired hero. rebuilding the emily-may foundation.

second verse: earth-120703. post tasm 1&2 vanilla + nwh. a substitute teacher and freelance photographer working his way through a phd in science.

HARRY OSBORN:

main verse: earth-120704. tasm 2 au where harry agrees to give peter time to find a cure instead of going goblin. still oscorp’s ceo.

second verse: earth-120703. tasm 2 vanilla. honestly not my preferred verse but i’ll pull it out if need be. mostly cameos/when a villain is needed in a thread.

main verse: earth-199999. oscorp’s heir. got dusted, his mom died hours later. when he came back, he started self-destructing by partying, doing drugs, partying, and sleeping with whoever seemed interested. doing vaguely alright. as far as he’s concerned, his father thinks of him more as a ghost haunting the company – norman mourned him years ago. now he’s a burden he’s supposed to clean up and make his heir. an embarrassment. harry is more than willing to play the part, until he meets gwen stacy and peter parker.

private verse: earth-17. when norman osborn died at the hands of doc ock, his wife morgan osborn took his place as the ceo of oscorp. and when she took control of oscorp, she also took control of the kingpin’s criminal empire. harry, their son, aged fifteen, was immediately inducted into learning the family businesses, and now that he’s out of college, he’s the one in control. in a committed polycule with peter-17 (@localwebslingers), gwen-17, and mj-17 (@dothesaving).

GWEN STACY:

main verse: earth-65. drummer for the mary janes. ghost spider. gwenom. mainly follows the spider-gwen comics + headcanons. a little bit of earth-65B thrown in for funsies and itsv/atsv shenanigans.

second verse: earth-1048. drummer, gymnast, undergrad in biochem and masters in experimental science, oscorp employee. knows all the shady shit oscorp gets up to and may or may not have been subject in a top secret experiment or two. potentially either another spider-person, or a vessel for carnage. it depends on the context.

third verse: earth-120704. tasm 1&2 vanilla, without the fridge. gwen survives the clocktower (either by not falling at all or by peter actually catching her in time – dealer’s choice) and still goes to oxford. set after she gets her degree.

private verse: earth-17. when gwen stacy was fifteen, she started a band with her friends glory grant and betty brant, with her on vocals and drums, betty on bass, and glory on the keys. they named the band the fight and they were a hit at senior prom. after graduation, she admitted to her best friends, harry, peter, and mj, that she had a crush on all of them and formed their polycule. after finally gaining a rhythm guitarist in reformed bully flash thompson, the fight quickly rose to fame and now gwen’s a global superstar who’s frequently on tour. but she never fails to make time for her partners.

[talkaboutpathetic-tags]

OUT OF CHARACTER

⤇ ✸〖 out of character. 〗✦ 『 different strokes for different blokes 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 mun health. 〗✦ 『 chim-charred. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 mun commentary. 〗✦ 『 a real rival rouser. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 queue. 〗✦ 『 a gruff act to follow. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 dash games. 〗✦ 『 tag! we're it...! 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 starter call. 〗✦ 『 when pokémon worlds collide. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 plot call. 〗✦ 『 shapes of things to come. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 blog canon. 〗✦ 『 riding the winds of change. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 headcanon. 〗✦ 『 pursuing a lofty goal. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 self promo. 〗✦ 『 pedal to the mettle. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 blog promo. 〗✦ 『 glory blaze. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 promotion. 〗✦ 『 aiding the enemy. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 saved. 〗✦ 『 a pyramiding rage. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 psa. 〗✦ 『 smells like team spirit. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 positivity. 〗✦ 『 friends‚ rivals‚ lend me your spirit. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 analysis. 〗✦ 『 familiarity breeds strategy. 』 ✦ ⤆

IN CHARACTER

⤇ ✸〖 open. 〗✦ 『 you're pathetic *and* predictable. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 commentary. 〗✦ 『 you're pathetic. just like always. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 thread. 〗✦ 『 title. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 drabble. 〗✦ 『 title. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 photo. 〗✦ 『 pathetic. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 crack. 〗✦ 『 you gotta be kidding! talk about pathetic. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 musing. 〗✦ 『 i will not make the same pathetic mistake. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 aesthetic. 〗✦ 『 being pathetic is nothing to be proud of. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 team. 〗✦ 『 a pathetic trainer and his equally pathetic pokémon. 』 ✦

RELATIONSHIPS

⤇ ✸〖 reggie. 〗✦ 『 the sibling at the center of my every ambition. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 ash. 〗✦ 『 the student that became the pokemon master. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 dawn. 〗✦ 『 the stranger that insists i should know who she is. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 brock. 〗✦ 『 the breeder who tries to be my brother. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 barry. 〗✦ 『 the fan who admires me for some unknown reason. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 brandon. 〗✦ 『 the pillar that my brother (and i) could never overome. 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 cynthia. 〗✦ 『 the challenge‚ out of reach‚ who chose to offer guidance. 』 ✦ ⤆

VERSES

⤇ ✸〖 verse. 〗✦ 『 the wanderer: a journey to find my inner strength.〢❛main❜ 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 verse. 〗✦ 『 the gym leader: an exercise in guiding trainers along their journeys.〢❛sunnyshore gym❜ 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 verse. 〗✦ 『 the gym leader: an exercise in guiding trainers along their journeys.〢❛viridian gym {comashipping}❜ 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 verse. 〗✦ 『 the protégé: an exercise in humility〢❛cynthia's pupil❜ 』 ✦ ⤆ ⤇ ✸〖 verse. 〗✦ 『 the researcher: a redirection of talents; a development of understanding〢❛cynthia's apprentice❜ 』 ✦ ⤆

[tsunenikatsu]

Verses [[ WIP ]]

NOTE: Some verses include NPCs which are characters I will write for who are vital to the verse but their interactions will be very minor. Ex. If by some 'miracle' Katsuki fell unconscious, I would have an NPC take him to safety. If you see your muse as an NPC, please do not feel pressured to write in that verse!

NOTE for Single Ships: Few verses are in a single ship with a character but not with another blog’s muse. Ex. If I have a verse where Katsuki is in a single ship with Kyoka Jiro, all Jiros are open to ship with him. However, do not feel force that you have to ship if you are a Jiro rper!

Quirk Verses.

V. Above You All [ 14 and Under ] Child \ Teen Set where his quirk is in either early or much later development. Where he feels he like a natural born leader and above everyone. They're just setting stones to reach #1.

V. My Glory is Near [ 15-18 ] Main Verse Set where he's been accepted into UA. Where passing the entrance exams and overcoming hurdles came naturally. He's learning, understanding and doing everything possible to better himself. V. Turned into Somebody I Don't Know [ 15+ ] Black Swan AU Set where he didn't give Izuku much thought one night when the nerd hadn't come home yet. The minutes bled into hours, into days, then weeks where Izuku Midoriya went missing. During his absence, a villain slowly began to rise.

V. I'm By Your Side [ 18+ ] Pro-Hero Verse Set after graduating UA, as expected. Where the 3 years in high school prepared him for hero work. Still aggressive, still foul mouthed but his personality is more palatable.

V. Royal Ferocity [ 15+ ] Fantasy AU Set in a world of myth, magic and monsters. Where he is either prince or king of dragons. With their numbers dwindling, he won't hesitate to kill anyone to protect them.

Quirkless Verses.

V. Get Your Sh!t and Get Out [ 21+ ] Retail AU Set where he works as either a barista, baker, bartender. Meant for casual, slice of life threads.

Closed Verses.

TBA

[loganpente]

18+ Only

No Godmodding/Metagaming

Don’t Send Starters to my Askbox Unless Asked (memes are okay)

Always down to turn memes into threads

Ask if you need something tagged (I try to be diligent about this but may slip up or not catch something!)

Logan is a mix of book and and film canons- I lean towards the film in terms of world-building (domed cities, terms, etc.) but have pulled some of Logan's personality traits from the book. For instance he does become a runner of his own volition albeit with the intention of destroying 'sanctuary' so he can go out in a blaze of glory. I've also kept more of his book personality so Logan can be somewhat immature, impulsive and quicker to violence.

Other Blogs: @gowesten @withinycu @bianfu @impercre​ @eynsavalow​ @warriours​ @akcsha​​​ @cheerlaedere

For those unfamiliar with Logan's Run- Several years after a nuclear war and other disasters small remnants of humanity live in a carefully maintained Domed City. In these cities humans are raised by machines. There is no want, everyone has food, shelter and an endless supply of entertainment and pleasure. However in order to keep the Domed City from exceeding it's population all citizens are expected to report to Sleep Shops at the age of Thirty. Those who refuse are to report to the Sleep Shops are called Runners and they are hunted by Sandmen.

VERSES

v;sandman | Logan is a sandman living in the Dome Cities several hundred after an atomic war and other disasters have pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. While he doesn't question the system he can be pushed into questioning it.

v;runner | Logan is on the run, having chosen to run in the hopes of bringing down 'Sanctuary' to win some measure of glory. However life on the run has begun to open his eyes to the possibility that there's a world outside the Dome Cities.

v;cult | Logan grew up within a Cult, as before he left for his own reasons but is slowly coming to terms with how damaging the beliefs he grew up with were

v; homeworld | General sci fi verse albeit one where the entire planet follows the 'death by thirty' rule. Rules are much the same as they are in Logan's main verse though he can be shaken out of his complacency by outsiders.

[pika2482]

AOTD 1/5/2024 - Graduation (Kanye West)

[All albums are rated subjectively based off my own enjoyment]

4/10

I am not a very large fan of Rap. Sure, some songs catch my ear and I do genuinely love and enjoy, but I have never been able to get into the genre as much as I'd like to. Of course, that effected my review, but with my usual review header that I give before I even write down the rating, personal influence is much to be expected in this thread. I am not trying to be objective, that is not my goal. This is my album review thread. My rules. My bias. Your problem.

I disliked Graduation. Most of it didn't speak to me, and the songs had a tendency to linger on for far too long. The instrumentals rarely developed past the chorus, and it's home to the worst song I've ever heard (More on that later). Most songs I wanted to skip after the second or third verse, but in the spirit of fariness with the rest of the albums, I soldired on. There's a phrase in songwriting that goes "People can loop your song as many times as they want, but they can't make it shorter". Either cut everything past the 2nd or 3rd verse or develop the instrumentals some to give it some more merit.

Stronger in particular suffered from this. The backbone of the song is actually pretty damn good! Somehow they got Daft Punk to clear a sample, and I jammed with the song pretty hard. It just... dragged. If it ended at like 3:30 or 4:00 it would have likely scored higher, but pacing holds this song, and most of the album back.

There however Was a highlight, And it was a pretty good one too! I found myself genuinely Jamming to Homecoming. What a sick fucking piano riff dude, fuck I wanna LEARN that! Good beat, nice atmosphere, good enough chorus, a flow I could dig, and it didn't outstay it's welcome. I'm gonna be actually genuinely reaching for this on in shuffle. It suffered a bit from the same developmental issues but it's length helped alleviate that.

Other highlights included Stronger, Everything I Am, and The Glory, though they don't make the main highlight for some of the reasons mentioned in the second paragraph.

And now, the aforementioned "Worst song I've ever heard, Barry Bonds. Between it's mediocre flow and vocals, subpar sample selection, and mediocre chorus, yeah sure it's not terrible, just a forgettable 4 or 5 out of 10.

But then Lil Wayne's verse came on.

Some people don't know this, but I am on the Autism Spectrum. Not by much! Just enough to make me struggle with my social life and any type of large gatherings (No, not social anxiety, I'm a complete extrovert). I suffer from something called Sensory Overload, which is commonly found among people on the spectrum. What this means for me is that certain combinations of senses can severely overwhelm me. Overlapping sounds such as; a large amount of people talking at once, somewhat loud music, and the sound of a ping-pong table or basketball dribbling, have triggered this consistently in the past, and cause me to start shutting down. It can also be triggered by other senses, but for me it's usually induced by sound.

Now this next sentence is about the furthest thing from a compliment I can offer

Lil Wayne's voice immediately started triggering my sensory overload.

This combined with its sample choice gave me a Viceral reaction to the rest of the song, as I had to take a short break before continuing the rest of the album. I'd be hard pressed to find a song I hate more than this one.

Overall, a combination of "not my thing" and "I dislike this", with the exception of 3 songs I liked and one song I can compare to nails on a chalkboard. Not a great batting average for a 13 song album. I'd recommend The Glory and Homecoming, but that's about it.

Favorite Songs: The Glory, Homecoming

Least Favorite Songs: Good Life, Can't Tell, Barry Bonds, Good Night

[slphor]

the    sheepish    sin    awakens    from    her    constant    brief    naps  ,    lifting    her    head    from    the    folds    of    her    arms  .    she    had    processed    the    conversation    as    of    this    far  ,    and    HOPED    if    her    suggestion    may    be    of    assistance  .  .      ❝  I    DON’T    THINK    EITHER    WILL    RESOLVE    OUR    ISSUES    IN    HAND  . . .    our    main    mission    may    be    to    RESCUE    the    princess  . . .    but    mayhaps    having    a    goal    of    keeping    leverage    is    what    will    TRULY    assure    our    demands  . the    only    way    to    assure    this  . . .    is    to    use    their    OWN    words    against    them  . . .  ❞      while    her    head    continued    to    stand  ,    the    sin    of    sloth    opened    all    of    her    eyes  ,    along    her    neck    and    head  .    glowing    as    she    spoke    the    word    of    REVELATION  . . .             ❝  they    will    bring    into    it    the    glory    and    the    honor    of    the    nations  .    but    nothing    unclean    will    ever    ENTER    it  ,    nor    anyone    who    does    what    is    detestable    or    false  ,    but    only    those    who    are    written    in    the    Lamb's    Book    of    Life  .  ❞   the    moment    the    verse    ended  ,    the    sheep’s    extra    eyes    closed  ,    leaving    nothing    but    her    primary    orbs    to    stay    revealed  .    using    her    LAST    bit    of    energy    to    explain    herself  :

❝  we    present    their    HYPOCRISY    as    a    key  . . .    allowing    a    sinner    and    a    fallen    angel    into    the    kingdom    of    Heaven  ,    a    kingdom    of    purity  ,    TARNISHES    their    upper    hand  . . .    it’ll    be    a    key    of    non    refusal  .    not    only    to    guarantee    that    we    will    have    the    princess’s    return  ,    but    a    permanent    thread    of    information    that    could    DEMOLISH    the    spiritual    faith    Heaven    strives    on  .    it’ll    be    the    peace    that    Heaven    and    Hell    have    as    we    now    both    have    equal    power    against    one    another  .      it    won’t    be    an    attack  ,    though    it    won’t    be    a    negotiation    either  . it’ll    be    a    call    of    acknowledgment  . . .    that    we    are    no    longer    on    the    lower    ground  . . .           THE    DESTINY    of    HARMONY  . . .               though    of    separate    realms  . . .  ❞      Bel    finished  ,    slowly    laying    her    head    back    down  .    allowing    her    speech    to    fade    out    before    her    primary    eyes    close    to    rest    once    more  .

@dracoiaboli

It had been long enough since the whole fiasco. The cleanup crew was hard at work, bodies were being gathered, and soon demons would begin to rebuild the parts of Pentagram City that were lost. Within a few years everything would look good as new, though never quite the same.

With all that said, it was time to get to work. Satan had summoned the other sins to discuss the future of Hell, one he planned to lead alongside his fellows. At least those who would stick by him through what came next.

Sitting at the center of the table he'd address the many different Kings and Queens of demons, the rulers of all Hell, the goetia nobles in the background watching the proceedings. It was finally time to discuss everything, how Hell needed to change now that Lucifer was gone for good.

" We are here today to discuss what steps to take for the future. As you all know, after thousands of years Lucifer has met his end at the hands of Heaven. His daughter has been taken as a captive. Things are pretty grim right now, as I'm sure y'all done knew that much though.

Obviously we need to pull off a stunt to get back home quickly as possible. Part of what I want to discuss is how to do that. Now y'all know my way of doin' things. I'd love nothin' more to march up in there and grab her."

@qveenofgluttony @unhinged-greed @houseofasmodeus @infernal-feminae @slphor

[corrvptor]

@shinkv from here

        There’s a lot of chaos swirling around them and the half-galran almost misses the moment Keith gets hurt; but he doesn’t. Lotor is already hurrying over to the paladins side when one of the soldiers pops up with a blaster, ready to fire again. He moves without thinking and pins them both to the ground, a snarl escaping his throat. It’s instinctual--the need to protect the other half-breed; he shoves that mess back into it’s box. There’s no time to think about the tangle of emotions he can never quite sort out. It takes him no time to dispatch the soldier, much to used to killing. 

         Purple eyes slide back over to the other, stumbling along the wall. He could bring up the wound but knows what it’s like to need to appear strong. Instead he touches the others back to offer support without making Keith voice the issue. “Lets hurry back to the ship and make sure everything is in order. Is it ok if I ride with you?”

[shannonpurdyjones]

*plucks lyre to build dramatic tension*

So there's three main essays that have shaped Beowulf's cultural context in my mind, particularly as pertains to the poem's monsters (nothing obscure, they all appear in the Norton Critical Edition of Seamus Heaney's verse translation):

First and most importantly, Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics by JRR Tolkien.

The Interlace Structure of Beowulf by John Leyerle

The Structural Unity of Beowulf: The Problem of Grendel's Mother by Jane Chance

While they all explore different questions in the interpretation of Beowulf, the common thread I've taken from these essays addresses what critics have often viewed as the poem's shortcomings, namely its odd structure, lack of historical context for the modern reader, use of digressions (which several of these authors argue--imo correctly-- are not in fact random digressions but intentional references that mirror things yet to come in the present tense action of the poem), etc.

Tolkien asserts that Beowulf should be judged on its merits as a poem in the context of the time period and artistic movement in which it was written, rather than by the modern standards of backward-looking historians and literary critics. Within that context, both Tolkien and Chance make compelling arguments that the monsters are not simply flights of fantasy or out of place elements that weaken the poem-as-historical-document, but rather allegories intentionally constructed by the poet to mirror the fatal flaws of Germanic hall culture.

Grendel, with his petty jealousy and hatred of the joy of Hrothgar's retainers at Heorot, is an allegory for the dangers of a selfish retainer corrupted by his own greed who turns his back on the contract of loyalty to his Lord and the bonds of brotherhood to his fellow retainers and serves instead his own interests.

Grendel's mother, in turn, is a inversion of the traditional role of women as peacekeepers, both in terms of being physically married off to rivals in hopes of bringing peace between tribes, and in their role as cup bearer smoothing over tensions between men in hall. Women at this time were meant to be foils prioritizing the good of the group to men's tendency toward individualism, pride, and violence, seen repeatedly in the Beowulf poet showing us the women in the various historical illusions trying in vain to keep peace between their disparate kin. Grendel's mother is a perversion of these traditional gender roles; she has no husband to seek vengeance for her son and so attacks Heorot herself, taking on the "masculine" role of revenge-seeking retainer over the "feminine" role of peaceweaver and upending the usual balance of an already precarious society.

Finally, the dragon can be viewed as an allegory for both a selfish king who does not share his wealth, and the doom brought down on a people when a leader (Beowulf) chooses personal fame and glory (slaying the dragon) over the security of the group (leaving the Geats leaderless at the mercy of their rivals when he dies.)

Without going on any longer than I already have, I agree with these three author's various assertions that Beowulf should be taken as a poem written for an audience that would have been familiar with the interwoven timeline structure and poetic conventions that seem alien to us now. He was not a weak or sloppy storyteller, as has been suggested by some critics. Rather, because he could rely on his audience to understand the conventions of the form when the poem was written, the poet intentionally interweaves seemingly unrelated historical stories with the action sequences of Beowulf and the monsters to show the fatal contradiction inherent medieval Germanic culture: a society that in reality depends on cooperation and serving the common good in order to survive, but that celebrates above all else the fantastical deeds/cult of personality of the individual (making for itself male leaders who act rashly without thought of the consequences for those around them).

(Note: I am not a Beowulf or medieval scholar in the formal sense of either term, but merely an historical fiction writer who fell down the novel research rabbit hole of Northern Europe in the early medieval period. I have a lot of really smart friends with Masters degrees who could give much better analysis, I'm sure, but in lieu of that I highly recommend giving those three essays a read if this is a topic you're interested in.)

Grendel & his Mother 🌿🐠🐍🐺😈👻🍃🍂🌊🦴✨🌙⛰🌌

thoughts?

If this is asking about a show or new piece of media called Grendel and His Mother or featuring them as characters, I'm sorry to say I'm woefully bad at consuming new media while it is in any way relevant in the zeitgeist.

They're both bangers as allegories for the fatal flaws inherent in late iron age Germanic society tho

[cetacian]

"Well I wasn't going to eat him, he was just dumb enough to get trapped in my web." ~Glory-HasNoPlaceHere [Ruby] (meet my giant spider lady)

Grace looked over between the man and the spider woman. “I see... I mean I would understand if you had those instincts, even if I would ask that you find something to eat that wasn’t going to get people pursuing you. Regardless, why choose this area? You’re probably drawing a lot more attention than you realize, attention you likely don’t want.”

[amchara]

Herondales Don't Fail: Ch. 1 - The London Institute

Ao3 / 1

Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn (Kit/Ty), original characters

Wordcount: 5,412 words

Rating: Mature

Summary: It’s been almost five years since an epic line-up of Shadowhunter heroes and their allies closed all the portals to Hell. Now, demons are scarce and the Nephilim are searching for their purpose in this new world. Centurion Ty Blackthorn has been sent to London to investigate a potential new threat, while Kit Herondale has taken up a post helping to rebuild the London Enclave.

Kit was happy to accept the London Institute’s invitation to assist in the rebuilding of the city’s Enclave. But he didn’t count on being blindsided into joining the competition to become its next head - or being hated by most of its inhabitants who assume he’s only there because of his name.

Notes: This is the Kit POV story of "The London Files", which are one-shot or multi-chaptered fics set post-The Wicked Powers. Established Kit / Ty relationship, where they're about 22-23 years old. Set in the same universe as Effortless (Or, the time Kit almost earned an A-Level) but you don't need to read it to follow the story, although it will add a bit more context to Kit's relationships to the OCs (Ade and Ellie) in this fic - basically, they are his school friends from Devon.

You can find the main case file stories here and other stories set in the same verse here. I would suggest also reading 'Weather Change' as it's basically a prologue to this story, although this one can still be read independently.

The morning of his first day at the London Institute Kit woke up with cold feet, morning glory and Ty staring at him like he might burn a hole in his forehead.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” said Ty. 

“Good morning too, love,” Kit said, with a groan. His head was intermittently aching and he suddenly remembered last night. He had come back in after his night out dancing with Ellie and had pounced on Ty, who had leapt up from his report-writing in eager reciprocation. 

Kit looked down… yep, that was one huge hickey that he had on his left pec. And from previous history, he knew his neck probably looked like a drunk vampire had gotten at him. 

Ty’s gaze dropped down to Kit’s fingers searching out his neck. “Don’t worry, we can iratze them before you have to head to the Institute.”

Kit suddenly felt nervous, remembering the day ahead. For comfort, he reached out to trace his finger down Ty’s cheek, from grey eyes framed by darkest eyelashes to his perfect jawline.  

Ty closed his eyes. And then in a graceful movement, pulled Kit closer to him in the bed. His lips found Kit’s and they kissed with a tenderness that deepened after a few beats, Ty stroking his hair gently. 

Kit broke the kiss reluctantly. “Ty- what time is it?” They’d been in London less than a week and he hadn’t adjusted to the timezone yet. 

“5:45. You still have a couple hours before you need to leave,” Ty said, close to his ear, and in his voice, Kit could hear a dark thread promising a very good time in that intervening period. “Especially as you don’t have to drive in L.A. traffic.” 

“That is the sexiest thing you’ve said to me in about.... five hours,” Kit said, pressing a quick kiss on Ty’s cheek. Who needed sleep, anyway? Particularly given their recent schedules… Kit would always seize the opportunity.  

Ty lifted his head and his lips curved in a smile, eyes gleaming with smugness. “Good, as I still have several things I want to do before you leave this morning.”

He could feel Ty’s fingers tightening in his hair, directing his head back into a more advantageous angle that gave him access again to Kit’s neck, his other hand roaming downwards. Kit bit back a groan, and leaned into Ty’s shoulder. 

But a conversation from the previous night right before they had fallen asleep popped into his head.  Kit could feel Ty hovering over him, his lips stroking across his throat. He made his decision. 

“No,” he said. Ty stopped. Kit’s hands reached up and disentangled Ty’s hand from his hair. “Pretty sure we had a deal last night-”

Ty pulled back, with a small pout on his lips. “I was hoping you’d forgotten about that,” he admitted but a quick, shy glance upwards meant Kit was certain he was going to get his way. 

“Oh- you can definitely go back to sucking later on,” Kit told him with a grin, letting his eyes drift downwards suggestively.

Ty smiled enigmatically and he looked at Kit with a sardonic eyebrow raised as if to say - why are you waiting?

Kit responded by rolling so he was on top, straddling him and an incomprehensible noise came from the back of Ty’s throat. He reached up for Kit- but Kit pinned his hands easily over his head and leaned over him, his long hair falling around him and tickling the sides of Ty’s face. “My turn,” he said. 

Ty’s expression was of a person accepting their fate. “Okay,” he said, his voice full of desire and slight resignation. 

Kit smiled. He would accept the rare victory of Ty Blackthorn giving up control.   

--  

An indeterminate time later, and Kit entered the downstairs kitchen, freshly showered and ravenous. He nodded at Anush who was standing and peering over Ty’s shoulder as Ty pointed to something on his laptop screen, talking in a low voice. 

Anush was taking notes with fierce speed but managed to nod companionably as Kit crossed the brightly-lit kitchen. They both were dressed in smart trousers and collared shirts, with their Centurion pins flashing in the morning sunlight. “So we’ve considered that they may have stationed part of their network in France?” Kit heard him ask. 

“Yes- but,” Ty paused in his explanation. He tilted his head as he watched Kit turn around, pushing up his sleeves, and Kit wistfully admired the sight. Before they arrived in London, it had been almost six months since he had spent more than a day or two alone with Ty. And given their first London patrol and Ty's injuries, Kit was just thankful he had the chance at all to admire Ty in the early morning light. 

Admittedly, Anush wasn’t part of his domestic fantasy, but Kit supposed he had to make allowances, given how closely he and Ty worked together as Centurion partners.

But he had paused for too long, and he could see Ty about to ask a question. “You’re both starting early,” Kit said hurriedly, grabbing supplies for breakfast. He eyed the coffee machine with slight betrayal- he had sworn he had programmed it the previous night. Then he sighed - and stretched across the counter to turn the switch on at the wall. 

They’d visited the Herondale townhouse on Curzon Street occasionally over the past couple of years - ever since he and Jace had collectively agreed to restore it back to being a liveable home instead of a museum relic - but infrequently enough Kit still sometimes forgot the fact wall sockets in the UK had to be turned on. The coffeemaker gurgled to life. 

Ty rolled his eyes, distracted. “I still haven’t gotten the ban on bringing mundane equipment to the office lifted yet so Anush is taking physical notes for our meeting. It’s much less efficient,” he said, annoyance evident in his voice 

“Give it time,” Kit said, grinning. “You’ve only been working there for a couple days- once they realise their best Centurion is being asked to do his work with one hand tied behind his back, they’ll lift that laptop ban.”

“Excuse me- TWO best Centurions here,” Anush said jokingly, leaning across the table to grab another thick pile of papers. 

Ty gave Kit a small smile as he turned back to his screen. “I hadn’t realised how old-fashioned it would be here,” he said.  

“They’re very traditional here still,” Anush agreed with a sigh. “Honestly, if we can get them to listen, it’d make our lives so much easier to use a computer rather than handwritten notes. Plus filing would be digital and super easy,” he said, looking at their stack of paperwork. 

He turned back to Kit, who could see his sharp brown eyes scan up and down, a crease forming on his forehead. “Speaking of tradition… today’s your first day at the Institute right, Kit?” 

“That’s right,” Kit said, and he narrowed his eyes in return, as he started eating his breakfast. “Something wrong with how I look?” 

Anush shrugged as he held his hands up. “Nah, look man, you know I don’t care. But just so you’re aware… from what I’ve gathered in the week I’ve been here, the Centurion office takes its cue from the London Institute. Super traditional.” 

Kit raised his eyebrows and looked down at his clothes. The pit in his stomach deepened and he could feel the previously-squashed down anxiety rising. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small frown cross Ty’s face at Anush’s words. 

Kit took a deep breath. “I’ve packed standard issue gear in my bag for training but-” he said, defiantly crossing his arms. “They asked for Kit Herondale, that’s who they’re getting.”

Anush snorted and Ty looked amused. “They’re definitely getting a Herondale,” Anush said.

Kit pasted on a grin. “And who am I to deny them that experience?”

He gulped down the rest of his cereal and poured some fresh coffee into a travel mug. “But- speaking of, I am gonna head out- don’t want to give them any impression other than the one I’m trying to carefully cultivate.” He picked up the bag he had packed the previously evening, silently thanking his previous self for being proactive. 

He loped across the kitchen and bent to give Ty a quick kiss. “See you this afternoon for the wraith briefing?” he said and Ty nodded. “And Kit-” his hand tightened on his forearm and Kit picked up on the subtle warning. 

Kit squeezed back. “I know- I’ll keep my eye out,” he said. 

The mysterious text message they had received the night they arrived in London. The London Institute is rotting from within - tread carefully Herondale.       

--

Sabina was heading down from the armory to grab breakfast, when she came across her sister peeking around the corner of the corridor to the Institute’s entrance. 

She took in her sister’s appearance as she approached. Unlike the previous day, there appeared to be fewer scorch marks on Noura’s heavy duty apron she wore over her gear, which suggested that today’s experiments were going well. Or not well. She couldn’t really tell which but so long as Noura continued to avoid Evelyn’s notice for another couple of months until the new Head of Institute was decided, that was the main thing.  

Noura spotted her out of the corner of her eye and she waved Sabina over. He’s here, she signed, gesturing towards the front door. 

Sabina hurried over. No need for further explanation of who ‘he’ was. The legendary Herondale. And her competition; unless she was wildly mistaken about Evelyn’s meeting this afternoon. 

She debated whether to take a look but her curiosity and Noura’s slightly impressed look was worrying… she decided to risk it. She peeked. Noura pulled her away, grinning, to an alcove where they could talk. 

“Huh,” Sabina said, facing her sister so Noura could read her lips. “He’s… not what I was expecting.” 

She had met Jace Herondale when she had spent a month at the New York Institute, early in her travel year. As a newly Ascended Shadowhunter, and one who had only previously spent time in the old Academy when it came to Shadowhunter society, she hadn’t really felt comfortable exchanging more than brief pleasantries with him, even if he was only a year older. 

This Christopher Herondale, part of the group of heroes who had saved the entire Shadow world four years ago, wasn’t exactly built in that mold. Oh- he had the same broad shoulders and blond hair of his cousin but…

“He looks like a Shoreditch hipster,” Noura said, smirking. “Hot.” She feigned wiping her brow. 

Sabina rolled her eyes but internally, she agreed at her sister’s succinct summary. Well, the first part at least. 

Long hair pulled back into a high bun, dark fitted jeans, paired with an artfully faded t-shirt and converses, a canvas backpack casually slung across his shoulder.... if she hadn’t been otherwise informed, and he wasn’t standing in the entryway and chatting with acting Head of Institute, Roger Stormborn, he could’ve been any mundane she encountered on the Tube. Or as Noura said, a denizen of a certain popular East London bar area. Sabina also could have also sworn she spotted several ear piercings. Definitely not the traditional Shadowhunter look. 

She grudgingly admitted her sister’s second observation was also true. This Herondale was easy on the eyes. But Sabina had long ago learned how to adjust her internal hotness calibration for Shadowhunters- especially the long-lineaged Shadowhunter families, otherwise she wouldn’t have made it through the Academy. 

Plus, the fact that they were often assholes helped.   

She wasn’t sure if there was as much of a glow-up for Ascended Shadowhunters (though Noura had certainly attempted to quantify it via their skincare routine pre- and post-Ascension). But she did admit certain old Shadowhunter families seemed to have something of the ‘je ne sais quoi’ about their features. Even for…  

“Sabina!” A familiar Scottish baritone voice called from across the hallway. Jacob gave her a friendly smile, as he sought her out. “How is the armoury inventory coming along?”

“I’m on break, Dearborn,” Sabina said, with a polite nod. “But it’s coming along. How is library archiving?”

“Fascinatingly actually- if you’re going to the dining hall I’ll catch you up on-”

“I’m actually catching up with Noura so…” Sabina interrupted. She watched as his beautiful blue eyes slid across to her sister. “Of course- I’ll see you at training later,” he said, nodding to them both as he took his leave.   

Noura grinned at her sister and arched a questioning eyebrow, which Sabina ignored. She concentrated on the matter at hand. “What do you think people’s reactions are going to be?” she asked reluctantly, returning to the matter at hand. 

“Evelyn is going to freak out when she sees him. You know- she’s like, all ‘ra rah we’re Shadowhunters and need to hold ourselves to higher standards. I doubt she’ll be a fan, even if he is a Herondale,” Noura said, her dark eyes dancing with glee. “I’d be more worried about lover boy as your competition- but even then,” she shrugged, waving dismissively at Jacob’s retreating back.

Sabina bumped her shoulder. “Ugh- do not start,” she said. But she did feel faintly reassured; she trusted her sister’s intuition. Noura pushed back a strand of her short, black hair as it fell in front of her eyes, watching Sabina straighten up. She nodded in the direction of the Herondale. “Should we go and introduce ourselves?”

--

Kit sucked in a breath as he leapt backwards and out of reach of the broadsword that Jack- no, Jacob was swinging towards him. He hefted his own sword and spun around in an economical half-twist. With brute force, he angled his blade close to the opposing hilt, forcing his opponent to grunt and step back. 

Starting Shadowhunter training so late meant he was never going to achieve the sleek fluidity Emma, Ty and others had, which made close combat look so easy. But he had compensated for it with other strategies- pure strength and well-

He saw his opportunity and kicked out towards Jacob’s ankle, trying to force him off-balance to get under his guard. He grinned at the shock on Jacob’s face, which quickly turned into a scowl as Kit gained the upper hand in their one-on-one. 

He could hear murmurings from the small group gathered on the side of the stuffy training room hall, watching them. 

He also heard Jem’s warning voice in his head. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should, Kit and Emma’s dry voice when he pulled out his more unorthodox moves - save those tricks for the actual demons and work on your form when you’re sparring 

But he also heard the echo of Jace’s advice when Kit told him his plans to move to London. You have one chance to make a first impression, so make it count 

Kit’s fighting style was messy, dirty and… mundane. But effective, he thought grimly, gritting his teeth as he swung around and tapped Jacob under his armpit in what would’ve been a killing or heavily wounding blow if they were fighting for real. Given Jacob’s last name - Kit decided he wasn’t going to lose sleep if he fought a bit underhandedly to win against a Dearborn.   

Jacob’s eyes widened and he held his arms up. “I yield,” he said, stepping back. He gave Kit a considering look, as another of the London Institute’s Shadowhunters stepped into the training circle. 

The Institute tutor, Sabina Burakgazi had been one of the first residents Kit had met- alongside her sister, who was also standing on the sideline. In contrast to Noura’s enthusiastic greeting, she had been quiet and reserved, her fine-boned face polite and distant as she greeted him. Even in the training briefing she had given when he joined the afternoon session, she hadn’t given any indication she was seeing him as anything other than an additional body, which Kit was grateful for. 

Sabina stepped into the circle and Kit took the opportunity to do a quick pre-sparring evaluation. A few years older and a few inches shorter than him, dressed neatly in gear, with hair pulled back and held in a beige-coloured turban wrap, Sabina looked more ballet dancer than fierce warrior. But Kit knew that delicacy was likely deceptive. As she sauntered up, he was reminded of nothing more than the leopards that had watched him and Ty warily when they had last visited the San Diego zoo. 

“We’ll finish up here for the time being, Herondale,” she said. Her brown eyes flickered up and down in a business-like fashion, pausing briefly on his left wrist, which was aching slightly. He resisted the urge to rub it. 

Assessing. Like most Shadowhunters did when they learned his name- wanting to see one of the famous Herondale line in action, although Sabina was more subtle than most. Not that he blamed her. 

And at least most London Institute inhabitants seemed far enough removed from the front lines of the final battles to understand his role in them so there were more curious looks, in contrast to the pitying or scared looks he sometimes got when he visited the NY Institute. Evelyn’s invitation had been short and to the point- and while it had specifically requested him, there had been an oddly impersonal tone to it. Kit was hoping it might actually mean that London would be a good fit. Where he could be just an average Shadowhunter. 

Figure out if it was actually what he wanted.  

“We’ve been summoned to Evelyn’s office,” Sabina told him, holding up the fire message in hand before turning away, clearly expecting him to follow. 

Kit wiped the sweat off his brow, and looked down at his gear. “Without changing?”    

“Believe me, you do not want to keep her waiting,” Noura called out, and Kit could see a couple of the other young trainees laugh nervously. 

“Noted,” he said. He held out a hand to Jacob, wondering what his opponent would make of it. Jacob just clasped it briefly and said: “Good match.”

“You’re to come along too, Dearborn,” Sabina said, her mouth twisting slightly when she said his name. 

Kit noted Jacob’s face fell fractionally but he nodded, laying down his sword and flattening down his already perfect head of chestnut-brown hair.   

They both hurried after her.

--

Evelyn Highsmith - the regal Head of the London Institute sat in a high-backed chair in a corner, away from the bright August daylight streaming in and illuminating dust motes in the air. 

Despite her advanced age, she stood to greet them with only a slight lean on her eagle-headed cane. Kit vaguely remembered her from the whirlwind visit to London seven years ago. It had been the summer his father died, he met the Blackthorns - he found a place with the twins - and everything in his life changed irrevocably. 

He wasn’t sure she remembered him but her hooded, rheumy blue eyes watched him closely as he filed in after Sabina, Jacob following. 

The other two Shadowhunters took a sort of soldier’s ‘at-ease’ position in front of her, and Kit tried to imitate them, feeling awkward about it. In L.A. Helen and Aline didn’t stand on ceremony, and in New York, Jace and Clary’s style could be loosely called ‘chaotic coordination’ but clearly - as Anush had mentioned - things were more traditional here. 

Evelyn sat down, and pulled out several folders, clearing her throat. A soft snick of the door and the acting Head, Roger Stormborn entered, muttering apologies for the lateness. He moved to stand behind Evelyn’s chair, facing the three of them. Kit didn’t know entirely what the dynamic was there. Evelyn was in her ninth decade, Jace had told him, and should have stepped down years ago, but had refused to, particularly in the aftermath of the Dark War, and then the mess with the Princes of Hell and portals. Stormborn had been the de facto head for day to day activities. 

Not much was known about Roger- he seemed steady enough, if thoroughly unremarkable, according to Clary’s internal notes on the heads of Institutes. 

“Ms. Burakgazi,” Evelyn began by reading the first folder. “Top of your year at the academy, unusual for a mundane student. Ascended in 2012. Travel year with the New York, Buenos Aires and Jakarta Institutes and a secondment to Sydney. Joined full time with the London Institute and you’ve been with us for - five years now?��� Sabina nodded. “Named Institute tutor last year, following Amanda Cartright’s retirement.” 

Evelyn turned to Jacob. “Mr. Dearborn. From the Strathclyde Dearborns - your family has been attached to the Edinburgh Institute for five generations, including several heads…” Jacob stood up taller, if that was even possible, Kit thought. “Travel year included time at the Stockholm, Vienna and Moscow Institutes. Then back to Edinburgh. You were acting head at the Winnipeg Institute for two years before the decision was made to close it and transfer remaining Shadowhunters to Calgary. At which point, you asked for a transfer to London, where you’ve been assisting us in archiving the London Institute’s history.”   

Evelyn’s gaze moved to Kit, and he willed himself not to reveal his apprehension. Whatever was written in her file on that, he reminded himself, it would likely only be half of the truth. If that.

“Mr. Herondale. A late discovery of your Shadowhunter heritage and Herondale name at age fifteen. You had a brief stay with the Blackthorns of the L.A. Institute before Jem Carstairs and the warlock Tessa Gray were made your guardians.” As she chose to only refer to Tessa’s warlock nature and not her Shadowhunter background, Kit suddenly remembered Evelyn’s disdain for Kieran and Magnus. 

“Despite their limited ties to our Institutes and society, you still completed your training. Sometime during this period, it was also discovered that you were the ‘First Heir’ - a Shadowhunter/Faerie hybrid, who was-” Here, Evelyn looked down to read carefully. “Meant to bring the Faerie Realm under Shadows.” Kit could feel Jacob and Sabina try not to look at him at this stage. 

“Despite your Fae heritage-” Kit tried not to bristle “-in 2015, you joined your cousin Jace Herondale, and Clary Fairchild’s quest to Faerie to defeat the Princes of Hell, which of course, as we all know- led to the interdimensional gates closing.” Evelyn droned on. “In the preceding years, you’ve visited a number of Institutes, although none for an appreciable amount of time. No travel year mentioned.”  

“I had a mundane travel year-” Kit interrupted. Evelyn looked up in surprise, spectacles sliding down her nose. “I beg your pardon?”

“I er- spent a year in the mundane world, after the gates closed,” Kit said, defensively. 

“Well, that certainly explains the attire,” Evelyn said dryly, pausing to give him another unimpressed once-over. “Although not the persisting in its wearing.”

“Since then I’ve taken on several missions to the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. And spent extended time at the L.A. and New York Institutes.” Kit tried to keep his voice even. 

“Yes,” Evelyn said slowly, her gaze scrutinizing him once again before returning the paper. “You come very highly commended from those Institutes’ Heads.” 

She closed Kit’s file and then cleared her throat. “I imagine you all know why you’re here.”

Absolutely not a fucking clue , Kit thought, wondering why she had pulled the three of them out of training to basically read back their Shadowhunter resumes to them. Particularly him, given he had only arrived this morning. As far as he knew, he was an extra body, helping rebuild what used to be Europe’s largest Enclave but currently held mainly Shadowhunters a year or two out of their travel year. He snuck a glance to Sabina and Jacob, who both looked pale but determined.

Roger came forward, a troubled look on his face. With a sinking stomach, suddenly a suspicion formed in Kit’s mind.  “My health is no longer strong enough to run such an important Institute. I’ve been afflicted with a mundane illness that is proving troublesome for the Silent Brothers to treat outside the Basilias, and I can no longer put off the treatment needed,” said Stormborn.    

“Sabina, Jacob, Christopher,” He nodded at each of them. “You will be working together to run the Institute until December, and at that point- Evelyn will decide which of you will be the next Head.” 

Kit had thought years of therapy had cured him of the urge to run anymore. But it still seemed that the Shadow World could throw him curveballs to spur that habit. 

--

“Christopher, stay behind please.” Evelyn’s voice was brusque. 

Having half-expected the request, Kit returned to his previous spot and watched as the others filed out. 

Evelyn was writing and he studied the old, dingy paintings of Shadowhunters cutting down swathes of Downworlders behind the large desk as he waited for her attention to turn to him and to get his own swirling emotions under control. 

“Welcome to London, Mr Herondale. I imagine this meeting was something of a surprise to you,” she said finally. 

Kit resisted the urge to shrug. “I imagine seeing how I reacted was useful in some way to you.” If this was going to be how she wanted to play it, he wasn’t going to dissemble. He had seen Aline and Helen use this tactic in L.A. and - come to think of it, other Blackthorns- use the tactical withhold of information in order to throw someone off guard. 

There was a tiniest twitch of her lips, as she nodded. “Perhaps.”

In your invitation, you didn’t even hint at wanting me to be Institute Head- you lured me here under false pretenses, he thought. But he didn’t voice it outloud. He thought about his next few words carefully, trying to figure out how to best sell his objections while still communicating he wanted to remain in London. Close to Ty. “It seems a risk though, bringing in an outsider like myself who doesn’t know your practices and… traditions.” 

He watched her carefully, wondering if she might give clues as to why she chose him as a candidate. 

She pursed her lips. “You’re a Shadowhunter, Christopher-”

“-Kit.” 

“And you’ve gone through the standard training-”

“You mentioned my Fae heritage,” Kit said, trying to salvage the conversation. “Does that not disqualify me?” A slight stiffening of her shoulders was her tell - as he suspected- his ties to Downworlders did bother her. 

There was a narrowing of her eyes. “As much as I hate to admit it, times have changed - and it hardly prevented the appointment of Helen Blackthorn to the L.A. Institute, did it?”

Kit tried to backpedal. “I meant-”

“And from what I understand- it’s hardly a concern anymore, hmmm? No further claims to the thrones of Faerie, due to the loss of that magic.” Evelyn tapped the folder, her gaze steely. 

Kit froze, pushing down unwanted memories. Ash’s desperate, slipping grip as Kit transferred everything, every powerful jolt of magic, a legacy he never wanted, in order to save him and heal Faerie.

“I – no, I don’t have further claims to Faerie thrones,” he said roughly. 

He lifted his eyes. “But frankly, I’m not a suitable candidate for running this Institute, Ms. Highsmith.’ 

“Let myself and Roger come to that conclusion. You’re a Herondale who has survived missions that would’ve killed most Shadowhunters. You have a lot to recommend,” Evelyn said, a tone of finality entering her voice. “And your unorthodox background might just be what this Institute needs.”

Her gaze raked briefly over him. “That being said, I expect you to look like a proper Shadowhunter, Christopher. Including the hair. Starting tomorrow,” she said, turning back to her papers. 

Kit heard the dismissal. He nodded and turned on his heels, exiting, frantically recalibrating everything he had thought about London, and what this post might mean.

--

“Stormborn is retiring? That’s unexpected.” Jace’s voice sounded surprised on the other end of the phone. 

Kit scrubbed his face as he paced the length of the courtyard, ending up underneath the gate, just before the noisiness of the mundane world intruded. He had debated who to call post-Evelyn meeting (he wanted to tell Ty in person) and he figured Jace might’ve had some inkling about this. And if that was the case, Kit was going to kill him for letting him walk in unprepared. 

“Yep. End of the year. And somehow he and Evelyn have decided that I, of all people, am somehow one of the suitable candidates to run the Institute.” 

“Well-”

“Fuck no ,” Kit hissed. “Jace. I told you- that’s not what I wanted, coming to London.”

“Hey, fair enough- and I didn’t give that reference thinking you’d be handed the reins of the Institute.” Jace’s voice was conciliatory. “Especially on your first day. But you know…”

“If you mentioned the Herondale name, I will hang up,” Kit threatened. 

Jace laughed. “You said it, not me. What can I say- attention and authority just flows to us, Christopher. You might as well embrace it.”

“I’m 22, no way in hell should anyone be putting me in charge of anything,” Kit said. “No wonder the Institutes are floundering if they keep putting inexperienced idiots in charge.” 

There was a brief silence on the phone and Kit closed his eyes, remembering. “I mean- I’m referring to myself. It was different for you and Clary.”  

Jace let out a small chuckle. “You’re closer to the mark than you think. I’m referring to myself of course, not my darling wife. Yes-” In the background Kit could hear Clary’s voice. 

“Anyway, you’re also less of an idiot than you think and I say this having gone with you on patrol after eating two plates of Izzy’s cookies…” Jace’s voice softened. “See how it goes. It’s not like it’s being handed to you on a silver platter. And okay, you don’t like being reminded of it but c’mon- you could’ve gone to practically any Institute- but you chose London? Where Herondales have a long history of running the Institute?” Jace’s voice was skeptical. “Evelyn probably had to add you to the running list to fulfill tradition.” 

Kit luckily had a good comeback to that point. “I only came to be closer to Ty, now that he’s been reassigned. And anyway I still think they’re wrong,” he muttered. “Also- f tradition. Everyone keeps saying London’s traditional. So far it looks like it’s where fashion comes to die.”

“That’s Old World Institutes for you.” He could practically hear Jace’s grin. “My advice - give it a month or two. If you’re still thinking it’s not for you after that, endorse another candidate. I’m sure they’d appreciate the support.”

Kit remembered the wary glances Jacob and Sabina had given him, as they left Evelyn’s office. “Not sure about that...”

There was a pause and Kit tensed, wondering if he was going to get a further ‘Herondale name legacy’ spiel. 

But Jace was wiser and didn’t bother, likely anticipating how it’d land with Kit. “You know you’re welcome any time to come to NY again. Anyway, gotta go- Jossy is grabbing at my dagger and Clary is glaring at me.” 

“Yeah, I have to go too,” Kit said, looking at his phone’s clock. “Ty and the other Centurions are arriving soon to give a briefing on the wraith attacks.”

“Now, that I am interested in-” Jace said, his voice suddenly infused with the Institute Head authority that he could turn on instantly. “Send me a message if there’s anything new to report.”

“You mean, anything juicy that’s not in the official dispatches,” Kit countered. 

“In your new role you’ll be writing a lot of those official dispatches,” Jace reminded him. “But also, yes.”

“Will do,” Kit said. Then he remembered the ominous text message- but he and Ty had decided to wait until they had more solid evidence and he decided to keep it to himself for now. Other than this surprising news, there weren’t any immediate red flags that he could point to at the Institute- but then again, maybe this competition would help them both figure out where the message came from, and what it referred to. 

Either way, his arrival at the London Institute was not going the way he thought it would. 

--

Taglist: @dontmindmyshadowhunting @sandersgrey @of-same-steel-and-temper @thomastaircompassrose  @thechangeling @mferraz @kestrafagnor @gabtapia @alldagayships @blindbandit1515 @silvermagnolias @chaotic-halfblood-kit @fighting-god-69 @lifeofbrybooks @all-this-panic-still-no-disco @heloisacosta23 @kitheronthorn @idk-i-just-really-like-tsc @t0wergirl @immortal-enemies @ahumanbeingtryingherbest @chewriting @bookishjules

Please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list. :)

[eskelwolfed]

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 / 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 / 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐄𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐋 @eskelwolf

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬: cis male, he/him or non-binary, he/they. queer, prefers masc. demiromantic. bottom, submissive, switches when dynamic / chemistry is right.

he is open to ethical non-monogamous relationships in modern IF he did enough healing, and he's in his early thirties. Witchers aren't monogamous by default, they're also forced into solitude and emotionally damaged...so ....monogamy? Never heard of her.

𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭.

In any case Eskel is Not Straight™. He might be bi, pan or very rarely gay.

Modern!Eskel uses he/him and they/them, while I think he doesn't really think about this stuff in Witcherverse. He's just a man. That's all he really knows, besides that he fucks men, women and monsters.

Eskel is generally more submissive, bottom and masochistic leaning. He does switch in many cases, though.

Yes, in fact, Eskel is attracted to men and women but he would prefer a man, that's his default sexual preference since I headcanon him madly in love with Geralt in Witcherverse.

speaking of Witcherverse: Eskel's main romantic interest is Geralt. More on that in this post and this one. That doesn't mean he isn't involved with others, but it clearly became much harder to ship him with other muses. Every thread/dynamic/ship before the [date here] remains unchanged. It's safe to assume we ignore that Geralt exists or Eskel and him have parted ways on bad terms.

Eskel is kinky. While Eskel's modern verses are clearly more diverse and queer, most kinks apply to Modernverse!Eskel. BUT depending on the modern timeline/verse he is a virgin and is sexually inexperienced.

This list is not completed and more kinks might be added.

symbols explained:

🖤 absolute favourite

✅ yes pls

⁉️ unsure/not tried yet&no desire to try

😶 indifferent

👀 curious, willing to try

⭕ soft limit (= can be discussed in established ships.)

❌ hard limit

⏮️ as receiver

⏭️ as giver

Please note that any kink/position/sexual action not mentioned does NOT mean it's a hard limit necessarily. I could've just forgotten to put it on this list or I haven't thought about it yet.

Fave kinks/likes/turn ons are bold.

Kissing 🖤

Cuddling 🖤

Men* 🖤

Women* 🖤

Non-binary folk 🖤

Anal ⏮️ 🖤 - ⏭️ ✅

Biting ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Scratching ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Hair pulling ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Anal gaping ❌

Enemas ❌

Anal prolapse ❌

Piss Enema ❌

Cum Enema ❌

Light bondage ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Heavy bondage ⁉️

Light pain ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Heavy pain ⭕

Cuckold ⏮️ + ⏭️ 👀

Gags ✅ ⏮️ - ⏭️ 👀

Sensory Deprivation ⁉️

Spanking ⏮️ ✅

Caning ⏮️ 👀

Flogging ⏮️ 👀

Whipping ⏮️ 👀

Crossdressing ⭕

Feminisation ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ❌

Cock and Ball play ❌

Body worship ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Watersports ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ⁉️

Threesome 👀

Group Sex 👀

Orgy 👀

Glory Hole ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ⭕

Double penetration one hole ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Double penetration two holes ⏮️ + ⏭️ 👀

Spitroasting ⏮️ ✅ + ⏭️ 👀

Blowjobs ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Cunnilingus ⏭️ 🖤

Face Fucking ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ⭕

Face Sitting (without smothering) ⏮️ 🖤 + ⏭️ ⭕

Total Power Exchange ⏮️ 👀+ ⏭️ ❌

Heels ✅

Leather 👀

Lingerie ⏮️ 🖤 - ⏭️ ✅

Latex 😶

Breath play ⏮️ ⭕ - ⏭️ ❌

Choking ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Chastity ⏮️ + ⏭️ 👀

Orgasm Control ⏮️ ✅ + ⏭️ 👀

Orgasm Denial ⏮️ ✅ + ⏭️ 👀

Orgasm Torture 👀

Edging ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Swallowing ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Feet 😶

Spitting ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ❌

Name Calling ⏮️ ⭕ + ⏭️ ❌

Verbal Humiliation ⏮️ ⭕ + ⏭️❌

Degradation 👀

Pet/Master 😶⁉️

Slave/Master 👀

Collar and Leash ⏮️ + ⏭️🖤

Encasement ⁉️

Age play ⁉️

Race play ❌

CNC ⏮️ ⭕ - ⏭️ ❌

Somnophilia 👀

Dubcon 👀

Public Disgrace 👀

Face slapping ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ⁉️

Cock/Pussy slapping 👀

Cutting ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ❌

Branding ❌

Piercings (non sexual) ✅

Needle play ⏮️ 👀 + ⏭️ ⁉️

Omorashi ⏮️ ✅ + ⏭️ 😶

Voyeurism ✅

Exhibitionism 👀✅

Sloppy Seconds ⏮️ 👀 / ✅ + ⏭️ 👀

Unsafe Sex ⭕

Breeding ⏭️⭕ ⏮️👀

Toys 🖤

Nipple Clamps ⏮️ + ⏭️🖤

Monsters 👀👀

Aliens 👀

Vore/Unbirthing ❌

Ghosts 👀

Butt plugs ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Tickling ⭕

Sex swings 😶

Fetish clubs ⭕

Lingerie ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Corsets ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Speech restrictions ⏮️ + ⏭️ ⭕

No Safewords ⭕

Roleplay ✅👀

Uniforms 👀

Sex outdoors 👀

Fingering 👀

Morning sex ✅

Cockwarming ⏮️+ ⏭️ 🖤

Lotus position ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Doggy 😶

Missionary ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Riding ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Reverse Riding ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

Frotting ✅

Mutual Masturbation ✅

Sex in the car 👀

Extensive foreplay ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Multiple Orgasms ✅

Ice cubes 👀

Filming sex, photographs ⭕

Nudes ⏮️✅ + ⏭️

Sexting ✅

Phone sex ✅

Big breasts ✅

Small breasts ✅

Big cocks ✅

Small cocks ✅

Older partners ✅

Younger partners (18+) ✅

Taboo roleplay 👀

Under the influence of drugs ❌

Bimbofication ❌

Blood 😶

Scat ❌

Sweat 😶

Crying 🖤

Begging ⏮️ + ⏭️✅

Praise ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

Make up ✅

Messy ⏮️ + ⏭️ 🖤

One (partner) clothed, one (him) naked: ✅

Human furniture ⁉️

Gentle domination ⏮️ + ⏭️🖤

Kidnapping ⁉️

Servitude ⏮️ + ⏭️ ✅

[fatedcadenza]

★ Some Bowser's Castle headcanons I have! ★

- Everyday, cooks serve Bowser and Junior a large breakfast, lunch, and dinner that the Koopalings are able to join in the dining hall if they want to. If not, they can have the cooks arrange them meals to eat whenever they want; or they can prepare their own meals (though none of them typically do that outside of Ludwig rarely).

- For the Koopalings, they're able to go almost wherever they want in the castle. The only area strictly off-limits is Bowser's living quarters; though no one outside of Junior, Kamek, and Kammy are allowed to enter it without Bowser's permission. (In the v | one of bowser's many children. ;; ★ verse, since they're all his children the Koopalings can enter when they want.)

- The Koopalings each have their own living quarters, that are individually found in the seven towers connected to the castle's main body. They have a large bedroom, washroom, and a spare room that they can use for whatever they want. In Ludwig's spare room, he keeps his personal grand piano and desk where he sits to write his songs. Cleaners routinely come by once a week to clean their rooms and wash their bedding.

- Bowser is tended to by his own medical staff, which also oversees Junior and the Koopalings. There's an infirmary they can go to for examinations and treatment if they're feeling ill or have been injured. The medics often have their work cut out for them after a scheme of Bowser's has failed and everyone comes back wounded from fighting the Mario Bros.

- Mainly thanks to Junior, the castle has a massive playroom that has an assortment of toys, an indoor playground, and other means of entertainment. One of the most noteworthy objects is a large TV that Junior or the Koopalings primarily use to play video games. Cleaners have to stay on their toes to keep the room as sanitary and neat as possible.

- The castle has a few giant Chain Chomps anchored around its perimeter that act like guard dogs. They're cared for by a group of staff.

- The only instance the castle is open to the public is when an annual tour is held for the castle's lower areas. A guide shows visitors around and allows them to see a glimpse of the building's architecture, art depicting Bowser and older family members that used to rule as monarch, and objects of historical value. The guide also recounts some events and tales of the royal family's glory. Koopa children are abundant in this tour, and their adoration of Bowser is fostered by hearing and seeing how cool and powerful he is. Standard PR and all that.

Naturally, these all apply in my blog canon and might be referenced in threads.

[atelier-slime]

The Music and Story of Dragon’s Dogma

Or: How To Make The Best of a Shoestring Budget and Hamstringed Development

(tons of spoilers for Dragon’s Dogma and Dark Arisen ahead.)

links to music included throughout, pls listen if you can

If you’ve never played/heard of Dragon’s Dogma before I’ll sum it up quickly: It’s an open world RPG developed by Capcom that came out in 2012. It has some pretty massive enemies and features Shadow of the Colossus-esque climbing combat that allows you to clamber all over the massive bosses and hit their weak points for massive damage. The story follows the Arisen (your customizable player character) who is called arisen because they are brought back to life after attempting to battle with a massive Dragon named Grigori. Grigori revives you for showing courage in battle, but steals your heart and tells you that you must kill him to take it back. The Duke of the land is also Arisen himself, and tasks the player with slaying the dragon and bringing peace to the land. Very standard RPG fare.

A year later Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen came out. It included a postgame dungeon and a bunch of new content, and also a small change that fans absolutely fucking detested: The title screen theme was changed from “Flying Into Free” by j-rock group B’z to the much less interestingly named “Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen Main Title Theme”. I specifically remember threads at the time where people would complain about how “generic” or “soulless” they thought it was compared to the original.

t. redditor

I’ll grant that the Dark Arisen title theme does sound more like what you’d expect from a typical fantasy RPG from a purely surface level perspective, but it’s always been funny to me that “generic” was the word of choice for people whining about it, because it’s probably the most poignant and specifically tailored title theme you could possibly have for the game, and I’ve yet to see another game come anywhere close to the amazing shit they pulled off with the music and themes in Dragon’s Dogma.

The lyrics to DA’s title theme are a snippet of the first verse from “Eternal Return” (more on that later) which goes:

'Neath a faulted sky; cross loamless plains, and watered blight Ah! Where gone those days, once Glory shone so bright? Fallen 'neath baleful wings dark as night. Ah! A moment give to me Hark! Shall none hear this soul's tale, Of a land, benight?

After the verse the music trails off, with occasional notes here and there but no real melody. It may not be as hype as Flying Into Free, but what they’re doing here is none the less really cool. It’s the musical equivalent of “Once upon a time” or “A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away.” The singer is a storyteller, bringing you into the story with the song, and she’s waiting for you to press start to begin the next verse.

Now let’s check out “Eternal Return”. Eternal Return is the main leitmotif of the whole soundtrack. I’m too lazy to check every single song, but I’d be willing to guess that anywhere from 1/4th to 1/3rd of all the songs on the OST feature a portion of it in some manner. After the first verse heard in the title, the music swells and the middle 1/3rd of the song is all instrumental, with multiple changes in tempo and instrument including some fucking sick electric guitar riffs. It conjures up the idea of different events and trials on your adventure, both positive and negative, before it reaches the second verse which goes:

Pitiful man whom death has undone, Leaned upon a broken blade, looks too, skyward. Prithee above (Almighty One) Be this thy word? Cried out, begged for truth but no answer's sound be heard.

The “Pitiful man” being you/the PC. At this point in the story your character has been through the wringer, probably fought several of the dragons and other massive boss monsters scattered throughout the world and died a few times. They’re tired, ragged, at their wits end, and is basically just:

And while they don’t get a response from heaven, they do eventually find a deeper meaning:

Yet, now he sees the dragon's dogma, Unbound by time; all-binding, grand design. Land and skies, and seas yearn, Finish the cycle of eternal return. Finish the cycle of eternal return. 

Boom! Title drop! I don’t think any character in the game ever mentions the “dragon’s dogma” or even uses those two words together in a sentence. It’s only ever used in the lyrics.

This is where we get into super spoiler territory, so if you don’t wanna get spoiled turn back now. I would very VERY much encourage you to give the game a try if you haven’t before and are even the slightest bit intrigued, because it’s a truly unique experience and even as just a game it’s really fun and satisfying to climb up a giant ogre and stab it in the head.

Anyway.

If you’re played the game you’ve probably got an idea of what the dragon’s dogma is. For anyone who hasn’t though: While slaying the dragon is hyped up as the end of the game, it’s actually only the halfway point. Throughout the game you meet several other Arisen, including the Duke, but none of them seem all that interested in slaying the Dragon. Being arisen means eternal youth, so they don’t mind letting Grigori hold onto their hearts. You eventually find out that The dragon offers all Arisen a choice: Grant a wish in exchange for the life of their beloved, or do battle to regain their heart but potentially die in the process. All of the other Arisen you meet took the wish, leaving their beloved to die. When you kill Grigori, all of their hearts return, but it causes them to lose their immortality. A massive rift called the Everfall tears open the center of Gran Soren, releasing monsters into the sky. The Duke is reduced to a feeble old man. Another Arisen called the Dragonforged has been alive so long that when his heart returns he turns to dust. The Duke accuses you of conspiring with the dragon to curse him and his city, and the guards give chase. With nowhere else to run, you are knocked into the Everfall.

The Everfall is called the Everfall because you can fall forever. All along the walls of the endless pit are ruins filled with monsters which you learn come from different places and points in time. You eventually discover that your true purpose as an Arisen is to travel the Everfall and gain enough power to challenge and eventually replace the Seneschal.

this asshole

The Seneschal is essentially the god of Dragon’s Dogma. They keep the universe from collapsing through sheer willpower. But they were once Arisen just like you, and they became the Seneschal by killing the previous Seneschal, who was also once an Arisen who killed the Seneschal, etc. etc. ad infinitum.  Grigori, as well as multiple other drakes that you meet during the first half of your adventure, were also Arisen that failed to become Seneschal. (You can even become a dragon yourself if you die during the final battle.)

And that’s what the Dragon’s Dogma is. It’s their duty to challenge Arisen after Arisen until one strong enough emerges to keep the universe going. The infinite cycle of Arisen to Seneschal to Arisen again is the “Eternal Return” referred to.

The thing that’s so cool about the lyrics is that they pull double duty for the story. Are the “baleful wings dark as night“ the wings of the Dragon, or are they the wings of the countless monsters that pour out of the Everfall?  Are the “days once Glory shone so bright” the era of peace before the Dragon came, or are they the days before you learned the true nature of the universe? Are you “crying out to the almighty one” because of the hardships of your travels, or because they were once the same as you, and you don’t want to kill a kindred spirit? Despite having two distinct parts of the story with very different tones, the lyrics fit either way.

If you go back through the game a second time you start to notice all sorts of little details that tie into this, my favorite of which is the song “Star of Heaven”. It’s barely a song, only 30 seconds long, and is just the last 2 lines of Eternal Return, but context is everything. Star of Heaven plays when you step out into the overworld in the evening/at night. It blends seamlessly into the soundscape of the game (I never even realized the churchbell was part of the song until I looked it up later.) It comes whispered across the wind, often times drowned out by other sounds nearby:

Land and skies, and seas yearn, Finish the cycle of eternal return. 

The world itself is urging you onwards to save everything oblivion. Star of Heaven threads the needle directly between diagetic and non-diagetic music. Is there a literal woman singing the song next to your character? No. But is it something in-universe that your character feels and understands? Absolutely.

Another bit is the credits sequence that plays when you get the “true” ending. After you defeat the old Seneschal, you are given the Godsbane, the only weapon capable of truly ending their life. You become the new Seneschal, and if you continue playing the game all you are allowed to do is travel around the game world intangible and unable to interact with anything. The only other option available to you is to use the Godsbane on yourself, potentially ending the cycle once and for all. You get a nice little storybook montage of all of the characters you adventured with, but the last few notes are unmistakably the same lines as are in Star of Heaven.

If you play all the way through a new save on new game+, a new Seneschal will be there. If you’re connected to the servers, it will be someone else’s Arisen who became Seneschal, but if you’re offline, it will be your character from the previous game. “Naught lasts forever, yet all persists unto eternity.“ Finish the cycle of Eternal Return.

“Ok Slime,” you say, “That’s all well and good and extremely fucking cool, but why did they wait until Dark Arisen to change the title theme?”

For that yall will have to wait for part 2 because this post is already long as fuck.

[graceful-cure-swan]

((One thing I absolutely love exploring, regardless of what verse I’m using, is Tsubasa’s trauma and how and why a girl with her demeanor handles things the way she does. Her trauma in main verse is completely fantastic in nature— being brainwashed by a god from a different planet using a crystal that turns her negative feelings up 1000%— but she’s no less affected by it. Just the mere concept of having her agency stolen from her and having her mind and body controlled against her will to hurt someone, anyone, is just so devastating to her. Even though she was saved by her fellow Cures, the incident still haunts her to this day.

Meanwhile, her FFXIV verse self has seen a lot of people die, both by other people and by her own hands. She’s the WoL in that verse so she got to see the MSQ in all of its trauma-filled glory. Ironically, what happened to her in main verse is one of the few things that’s either incredibly unlikely or outright impossible to happen to WoL!Tsubasa because of the Echo.

Anyway, because a lot of my replies are mostly Tsubasa’s thoughts and feelings, I love showing the less cute side of her even if she won’t say anything out loud. It’s not something I spring on people in threads when it’s not relevant because that would be weird, but still. If you somehow read all of this, thank you. Sometimes, I just like to ramble about my baby for a while, okay?))