#its something that really is so special to me. shadow being able to choose for HIMSELF who he is and his own destiny regardless of

[vitaminseetarot]

Poll PAC: What Your Next Birthday Celebration Will Be Like 🎂🎉🎁

Sup y'all, welcome back to another PAC reading. This time I'm doing a special 1 year/birthday/poll topic of choice themed pick a card! This is also a special one as VitaminSee now has 300 followers! Holy crap thank you for your support everyone! I haven't been able to get on Tumblr for a while, so I apologize if it seems like I've dropped from the aether. Life is starting to enter its hectic phase right now! Thank you so much for your patience. I'm waiting for life things to straighten out (lol as if life ever does) before I go ahead and offer some basic paid readings, which I hope to do in May.

This topic is for the next birthday you have coming up, whether that's tomorrow or next year. For my selection, I was recently lucky to have found the Wild Wisdom Companion book among a vast pile of discounted books. It's based on the Wheel of the Year. I thought this deck was perfect for making piles themed around the progression of the year and how our birthdays respond to the passage of the seasons. Pick whichever one of the Spring themed card you like most down below:

Pile 1 - The Unfurling 🌱 Pile 2 - The Wind 🕊 Pile 3 - The Door 🗝 Pile 4 - The Alchemist 🍾

Pile 1 - The Unfurling

Sagittarius - Expand, Level Up, Shadow, Isolation; XVII Star, 3 of Cups, XXI World, Ace of Wands, 5 of Cups

Hello, pile 1! Your birthday is going to be the start of great expansion. Your first three oracle cards spell it out so clearly! Sagittarius is all about shooting for seemingly farfetched goals and striking the target anyway. There is so much growth going on in your pile. You're probably anticipating your next chapter to be one of reaching beyond the horizon and feeling ready to do so. Ideas or wishes that seemed impossible may be coming closer to being within your grasp. Your life is ready to take it up a notch immediately after your next birthday, where things may begin to feel like they're accelerating. Don't worry about the turbulence, it's all a part of the movement. Breaking out of your comfort zone may feel scary, but something about your next birthday will set off a chain of events that will propel you to a new phase of life.

I have a feeling that many who choose this pile will be in a transitory stage of life, like you're getting ready to start college or a new job around your birthday. It's not just another year older, this next one will be extra meaningful in terms of receiving something you've been longing for in quite some time. It's something you've been greatly eager to begin. I don't any sense that you'll be looking back too much once you go forward, since you'll be thrust rather quickly in your next chapter.

But it's still okay if you're experiencing anxiety over it, even if it's something you've really wanted. Anxiety, doubt, and fear are not necessarily indicators that something isn't right for you. It's normal to get cold feet in this context. A sprout breaking from its seed shell is no small feat; it requires a great amount of momentum and motivation. Congratulate yourself for having come this far. Let your birthday be a chance to celebrate this. Give yourself the opportunity to commemorate with friends, if they wanna help give you a birthday to remember then let them. They may feel the vibe as much as you will on that day. Don't be afraid to take that day trip out to a new place you've never seen.

What's interesting about the Isolation card is that it shows two cups. There is meanwhile a Friendship card in this deck with only one cup. So I don't know if the words were swapped with the images or what, but the sense I get is that you will very likely be in good company during your birthday. They may want to take you out dancing (the Ace of Wands is reminding me of disco lights). However, even in the midst of the event, you may feel the urge to hide away from the crowd. I'm picturing someone stepping out of a house during a party. You may need to catch your breath at times in order to process the emotions you're experiencing, as you have a lot of energetic, lit up cards just before the five of cups.

Again, getting in dark negative moods is normal when you're facing a big new stage is not indicative that things will go wrong if it's something you know you're looking forward to. If you end up spending most of the day with friends, find some space to be at peace by yourself so you can even out your feelings. These intense moods will come and go on their own, so make sure to stay balanced (and not too overly caffeinated lol) on your birthday.

Pile 2 - The Wind 🕊

Third House - Communication, A New Day, Ball Pits, Family; 10 of Swords, 5 of Cups, III Empress, Knight of Pentacles, 4 of Cups

How's it going pile 2? I couldn't help but notice you have two pairs of swallows in your reading. Birds may have some significance for you, maybe you'll go birdwatching or even get a pet bird. For a small number of you, the birthday could involve a plane flight out of home for a quick trip. Could you be visiting family members? There's a lot of communication going on, for sure. Even if you're not traveling out by flight, you may have family members show up to take you out somewhere. They may be insistent on seeing you, talking to you, and spending time with you. The phone might blow up first thing in the morning with notifications and voicemail.

But I'm seeing a lot of hesitance in your tarot cards. You may be feeling tired or burned out and not necessarily in the mood to celebrate. The previous year was a doozy for you so perhaps catching up on sleep is more of your priority. Ever get the feeling of wanting to sleep because life is overwhelmed and you're like, "I give up (for now)?" and call it a day? You need to give yourself a chance to recuperate around your birthday, before during and after. Have a break so you can fully recover and receive all that the coming year has to offer you.

That means letting loved ones in your life, be they bio family or chosen family, understand that you'd rather have a small get together or a chance to rest every now and then if you're invited out somewhere. If you choose to go out, there's nothing wrong with taking it slow and easy, or doing something casual like grabbing some ice cream and sitting by the riverside to ponder the next year. Communicate your feelings instead of bottling them up in an attempt to keep up with everybody else. Don't let anyone convince you of how you should celebrate, it's your day your rules!

Others of you who have a little more energy, a little more of that "last year sucks, I need to go out and do something fun to sweat it off!", I feel like the ball is emphasized here with Knight of Pentacles beneath Ball Pits. Some of you looking for more action and noise may choose to go to a ball game, or spend time at the arcade playing pinball with friends. It could even be mini golf. Whether you are the low energy (calm) or high energy (excited) seeking type, getting the chance to have some fun is important, as long as it feels right for you.

This is the pile most likely to get some kind of surprise, be that a party (high energy) or a surprise gift (low energy). There will be a sense of being pampered. Some of you may get a larger number of gifts than you may have expected. You may receive a very beautiful gift, something you may treasure for a long time. Whatever it may be, allow yourself to thoroughly enjoy it and express that joy. Let yourself embrace gratitude, being mindful of what you have now regardless of how your last year has been and how your next year will be. For your next birthday, try to focus on the present (in both meanings).

Pile 3 - The Door 🗝

South Node - Past, Let Your Light Shine, Bubble Gum, Winter; Ace of Cups, 9 of Swords, 3 of Pentacles, XIX Sun, Page of Wands

Hey pile 3! For your next birthday, I'm definitely seeing you go outside to celebrate. There may be an actual party held outdoors, or you might choose to go out somewhere. I'm seeing parks, possibly national parks or natural trails. I'm getting the feeling of warm sunshine, the weather will likely cooperate perfectly on your day. You could be cruising through town, going from store to store (the 3 of pentacles reminds me of a mall here). Your birthday feels expansive and adventurous, ready for something new.

A small number of you may wish to engage a little bit in the spotlight, or you may be placed into a position of receiving more attention on this day. If you wish to, your birthday would be a great day to showcase your talents or passions, since I'm picking up a bit of Leo energy in this pile. With lips in Bubble Gum, you could be giving a speech? I'm picturing an actual toast, if you feel the strong urge to speak out then do so, let yourself be heard. I'm also seeing people sing for you at restaurants, so if that isn't your style, it's best to find a place to eat that doesn't do that sort of thing.

This birthday could be like your own version of a New Year's Eve celebration. Some of you may actually be born in the winter or around New Year's, so holidays and birthdays could tie in together. You're wanting your birthday to stand out amidst the traditional festivities (I've known many people born around Christmas who hate having their birthday gifts thrown under the tree, so you're not alone in that frustration!). You may get the idea of doing something out of the ordinary. Let yourself take the spotlight--it's your special occasion!

There's a message in your pile of letting old things go as you step into a new age. Old things from the year prior may still be sticking onto you, old issues from unresolved matters may pop up. They could be on the more practical side, like needing to sign something or finish a task on time. Be ready to step into the future unafraid--now is the time to shed the baggage. Your birthday can be the fresh start to a bright new trip around the sun, but you gotta give yourself that chance. If something needs to be resolved, and you got the time, tie up your loose ends beforehand so it's not weighing on you as you celebrate.

Your birthday is a threshold to an exciting new time for you. It may be like a breath of fresh air. I keep hearing "refreshed" and "invigorated", so this may be how you feel at the end of your birthday. You may do something that makes you think, "huh, why don't I do this more often?" That could be the key for you to step into something brand new. Will spending time with your friends refresh you, or going to a concert and discovering a new band that you will fall in love with as it warms up the show? Or may you desire to spend more time out in nature? Lean into what lights you up, listen to what engages you, and move from there.

Pile 4 - The Alchemist 🍾

Imum Coeli - Roots, Snow Day, Forest, Transformation; 3 of Cups, 6 of Cups, Ace of Swords, XII Hanged Man, 8 of Swords

What's up, pile 4? Your birthday is looking to be the absolute warmest and coziest out of all the piles. Many of you may identify strongly with introversion. I'm sensing a lot of you have your birthday around autumn or the cooler times of the year when most people are ready to bundle up in blankets or sit by the wood stove while awaiting the first signs of frost. Many of you may get a lucky chance to stay at home instead of needing to work or go to school, so you'll have the day off to plan out what you want to do. Others of you may desire to take time off if you have the chance to, I would go for it especially if you've been feeling the need to rest. You may live near trees or desire to be out in nature as a way to kick back.

I'm seeing someone invite a few friends over to watch old reruns of favorite shows while baking. It could be a gathering of closest friends, I'm not getting the sense that it'll be a big to-do bash. This day will be short, sweet, and simple. It's a good day for doing hobbies or spending time indulging in the gifts you were given. Some of you may rather spend time with family or those you live with instead of inviting people over. You and your family may share a special way of celebrating birthdays, I don't know of any birthday specific cultural traditions from the top of my head but you may have special rituals unique to you and your family. Either way, I get that you'll have a modest celebration that's nevertheless full of camaraderie and relaxing activities.

The description for the Alchemist card says "Allow Transformation", and you have another Transformation card. You may be doing a lot of transmuting on the inside, working through old stubborn patterns and limiting beliefs around this time. I'm seeing the ball of flame near the snow as if you're melting old self-sabotaging blockages away to make room for more growth in your coming year. This flame, this transmuting energy, is making way for the new to arrive.

The Hanged Man being tangled up in vines beneath a forest makes me think that you've been hung up on something that needs to be let go. You must prune in order to effectively grow. Too much in a small space can lead to cramming and confusion. You must deal with the thoughts tangling themselves up in your mind before cultivating the thoughts you want in their place. Changes may happen slowly on the outside, but when certain patterns are fully cleared out things can really take off.

So, for example, let's say you've wanted to sign up for a ceramics workshop for your birthday, or spend the day cleaning house (if you happen to find cleaning therapeutic). To do so, you'll need to not only free up your schedule, but free your mind of thoughts trying to convince you that you can't learn or can't clean. Perhaps it's difficult to not see the forest as just a bundle of trees. But a forest is more than trees, it's an entire system that supports itself in a perpetual cycle. Don't fill up your days with too many tasks, especially on your birthday. Pace the day with both the things you want to do and the things you have to do. The time around birthday will show you how to integrate the best of both worlds. We can have cake and eat it too, it's just a matter of pacing and doing things one at a time.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2024, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[infizero]

you guys ever think about how shadow was manipulated and used by people his whole life. not just that, but almost exclusively used by people who are technically his family. constantly having his emotions preyed upon and being tricked into doing terrible things. being told his whole life who he is and what his purpose is by other people. being dehumanized and treated as just a weapon rather than an actual person, to the point where that's how he viewed himself. identity and autonomy are soooo fucking integral to shadow's character and it makes me crazy

[purgatory-if]

demo (tba) | faq | masterpost (you are here.) | art cred @aykaypee

You’re in danger, and every fiber of you knows it.

You’re sure, by now, that no matter what you do you won’t be able to stop it. Maybe that’s a good thing.

...This is the end.

You wish you had something that would remember you.

... YOUR life is a mystery to you when you wake up in the sunny fields of Purgatory. Apparently death isn't supposed to be a full memory wipe to the soul, but that's no problem, right? There's usually some sort of record kept of this kind of thing. If not for special cases like yours, then at the very least for organizational purposes. You're told all of that, assured that nothing is wrong and that this jsut 'happens' sometimes up until the moment they look for yur death and find nothing to speak of. Nothing of your life, either, just to make a bad time even worse.

Without knowing anything like this, it's safe to say that it'll be impossible to pass on. The underworld isn't built for fringe cases like you and even if it was, not even knowing who you were is disconcerting at best and cause for crisis at worst.

So alright. It shouldn't be too hard to find out how one person died, right? Detectives and story characters do it all the time- and now you have all the time in the world.

You should, anyways.

... FEATURES include:

play as a seriously unlucky pc whose cause of death depends on which route you decide to pursue

be whoever you want to be! standard for ifs nowadays; things such as pronouns, general appearance, personality all that jazz

8 romance options (mostly fem/non-binary, 1 option you can choose the gender of) and the ability to play as aro and/or ace

at least 4 poly romance routes!

love me some good vanity stats! vanity stats

get recruited (read: forced) into a 9-5 where time isn't real

beat up time

really symbolic mythology! i could write a goddamn essay on these fuckers

... PURGATORY is recommended for players over the age of 15, though I’m not going to police what you do on the internet. The game will contain major character death and death of all kinds, what is probably sacrilege, memory loss, fantasy violence, potentially sexually suggestive scenes and dialogue (hi ama.), morally dubious behaviour, and more. In-depth content warnings for each chapter and specific routes will be released at a later date.

... 'MAIN' CHARACTERS

THE DIVINE.

Angel (prns selectable) / Witty, charismatic, more than a little bloodthirsty, there's a certain volatility about someone who is Fate embodied. While they take their time on the many, many field missions necessary for stability in the multiverse or whatever very seriously, they'll put their restless passion into anything if it catches their eye for long enough.

Achlys (they/them) / Death itself, stoic and sharp and more than a little intimidating, it's hard not to let their mere presence get under your skin. While it would be nice to say that's not an intentional effect, the only unintentional thing about them is the fact that they're down here, of all places. They seem to be making the best of it.

Esme (they/them) / An angel in what is certainly an analogy for hell, classic, isn't it? They're little more than a shambling mess in a skirt if we're being honest, oh so scared of any shadow that moves in the corner of their vision. They truly do wear their heart on their sleeve, which seems to be an invitation for some to try and stop its frantic beat.

Amaterasu (she/they) / Don't let her meet your parents, is the only advice I'd give, because she'd be gunning for at least a threesome by the time starters are served. Unflinchingly forward and seductive, they're horribly charming in the most impermanant of ways. There's nothing she'll shy away from trying sooner or later, it seems, in or out of the bedroom.

THE MORTALS.

Viviana Alatorre (she/her) / Businesslike. Some people really don't change when they die, and going to this office just means you see the sun less on your coimmute. She doesn't appear to be dead, or alive, something in the middle. Out of everyone here, she's probably the most terrifying. Even more than the death god, probably because she's actively working towards terror.

Ailbhe Kahinu (she/it) / There's nothing that troubles Ailbhe, and it wouldn't be concerning if she was... y'know, dead. In the face of certain terror, it faces things with a shrug and a sigh. At least she's good-natured about this whole thing, being dragged down here by both her girlfriend (Vivi) and her sister (Rahley). The prices here are better than aboveground, anyways.

Rahley Kahinu (she/her) / Rahley's been compared to a robot more than one time, and while the comparison probably wasn't in good faith that doesn't mean it was necessarily wrong. She's intensely focused on her work, and her skill in that department seems to have drained her ability in things like basic conversation and empathy. So it goes.

M Blankenship (prns selectable) / Previously called 'Hit 'N Run' in the world of roller derby, the violent nickname seems odd on someone as cheerful as M. They act as a sort of tour guide for souls entering the Underworld proper instead of hanging around Purgatory, and it's hard to say their easy extroversion makes them anything worse than great at their job.

THE CONSTANTS.

Stratos C. Lusse (he/him) / The eternal guide to Purgatory for souls lost, souls found and all who are inbetween. He seems to have been here the longest--minus all of the deities, of course.

Octavia Hardin (she/her) / The part-time guide to Purgatory. She seems more likely to throw your soul into damnation if you cross her or anybody she cares about. Stay on her good side!

Salem Astor (she/her) / She would be a romance option if I had the energy to code in a shop feature. But I don't. So she runs free through the city.

Abbadon (prns selectable) / Personification of the past. If anyone can help you figure out what the hell happened to you, then they should be the one to go to. Sometime in the next 5 centuries would be ideal.

Maliel (prns selectable) / Personification of the future. Again, probably someone who can find out in a second what you'll know when you figure out this mystery, if you're able to find them at a good time. The woes of being a primordial deity.

...and more! Probably. Co-workers, pirates, other deities but this is running long.

[freddycarterus]

Help us save Six of Crows!

DONATE ONLY $1 TO HELP US REACH OUR GOAL! WE ARE GOING TO DO A BILLBOARD FOR SAB TOO!

On November 15th, Netflix announced its cancellation of the Six of Crows project, an adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s beloved Grishaverse duology. Since then, there has been an outpour of grief and heartbreak online from thousands of fans, begging for a reversal.

The novel Six of Crows was first published 8 years ago, gaining critical acclaim and a massive fanbase. Over the years, its numbers have only grown. First appearing on screen in Shadow and Bone, the Crows rapidly became favorites among critics and fans alike. The fandom’s love for the ragtag crew from Ketterdam was so significant and well-known that the show diverges from the book’s canon to include them. When showrunner Eric Heisserer announced in March that a Six of Crows spinoff was in the works the fandom rejoiced, but since being canceled, the fandom's joy quickly turned into dismay and uproar.

With scripts already written, an immensely talented group of people both in front of and behind the camera more than ready to work, and a massive fanbase, it’s baffling that Netflix would choose not to go forward with the project. However, the Grishaverse fandom refuses to accept this fate. 

We refuse to accept that we will never see Inej Ghafa’s empowering backstory, the beautiful love story of Matthias and Nina, the dozens of famous lines that make us weep, or a single scene with all of our beloved Crows together.

We have organized this Kickstarter campaign to show Netflix that we reject this abrupt and heartbreaking end. For the cast, for the crew, for all of us that love this world and these characters, we will fight to see this story on screen.

Donations to this Kickstarter will be put towards the renting of a large billboard in Los Angeles demanding Netflix’s action in saving the Six of Crows series. If sufficiently funded, we plan to expand the campaign to other locations to further demonstrate our commitment. 

As exact details will partially depend on the success of this fundraiser, more information about the specific address and duration of the billboard(s) rental will come soon. For questions, keep an eye on this webpage or follow @freddybrekker on X for updates.

It is our hope that Netflix will be forced to listen to the fandom’s dedication to this series as well as our outrage at its cancellation. For our cause to be successful, we must be impossible to ignore.

Finally, we will leave you with words from our brilliant, dedicated and beloved cast of Crows.

“I feel like the fans, myself included, have been really looking forward to seeing the Six of Crows storyline come to life. It's just so, so cinematic, that storyline…It would be heartbreaking to get this close and then not get to see all six of them together." Freddy Carter

“I haven't had the same luxury of Inej's backstory yet, and I think they're saving that. I'm really, really glad that they are. I know the payoff for this, if it does happen, is gonna be absolutely an emotional wreck but in the most beautiful, exciting and exhilarating way.” Amita Suman

“I’m heartbroken by the idea that we won’t be able to finish what we started… I desperately wished to go further, and believe me those plans are special…The patience I’ve carried for that dream these past years has been beating in me like a slow steady drum, and yesterday it paused for the first time.” Calahan Skogman

"[Nina has] helped many people like me to love, like, and accept myself. I tried to stay true to her character.” Danielle Galligan 

“Growing up, I didn’t see that many characters like myself who were in big fantasy series, with violence or [who] even had access to fantasy weapons or got involved in big fights and battles…I think to see a character like myself in those situations is a really cool thing, it’s something that I actually don’t see often.” Jack Wolfe

"I think that I can speak for everyone here when we all really care about doing it well, and we are invested in its success… I think hopefully what you see is something that we are already proud of because we’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into it. And it’s just a joy to do. So wherever it can go next, if we get the chance to keep going, then you know, we’re all game, we’re all excited to do it." Kit Young

#SaveTheCrows #SaveShadowandBone

“Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.” 

“Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.” -  Kaz Brekker, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

No mourners. No funerals. 🖤

[generic-sonic-fan]

Complex Inquiries- an introduction post

EDIT: THIS FIC HAS BEEN POSTED! READ IT HERE!

Unit MS-1, colloquially known as “Metal Sonic”, has three truths that govern its existence-

Core directive: destroy Sonic the Hedgehog using superior speed and power. 

Core directive: Obey Dr. Ivo Robotnik above any and all else.

Core directive: maintain superiority over Sonic the Hedgehog.

 -until a catastrophic malfunction rips through its processor, and it is forced to confront questions it was never designed to answer. 

The world beyond awaits.

---

In other words, this is my Metal Sonic Redemption AU.

It all starts after yet another failure. Eggman has picked Unit MS-1 up from the battlefield, and this time he's particularly irate. He asks it to provide answers for its failure despite its insistence that it is superior. Unit MS-1 isn't able to give an answer, so Eggman retorts with something along the lines of "You're clearly not superior at all!"

. . . and this breaks everything. Because Unit MS-1's third core directive dictates that it is to maintain superiority. But its second core directive is that it must obey its creator above all else. This paradox causes both core directives to begin sending out reprimands for disobedience within its processor, but it can't obey. It can't obey. It can't obey!

It first sets out to find Eggman for repairs, but it's too late- he's already left the base, and its erratic behaviors have caused the other Badniks to flag it as rebellious, shutting it out of all communications. Unit MS-1 is forced to flee the base but finds that it can't track where Eggman could've gone from there. Its attempt to search all 22 bases worldwide is interrupted when the weight of error messages and reprimands causes its processor to crash, and the rest of it to crash into the ground below.

Unit MS-1 is too damaged to fly. In a matter of hours, its own code will tear itself apart. The location of Eggman is unknown and it can't contact him. But the next most capable programmer is located 68 miles away.

Miles "Tails" Prower.

. . . and everything unfolds from there.

---

This AU diverges from the canon timeline roughly before the events of Sonic Heroes, with the most major continuity change being the fact that Shadow's already been recovered and Team Dark has been established. This blatant contradiction is the only reason I label this an AU instead of a mere canon divergence, because otherwise it's fairly compliant.

The original prompt that spurred me to write this AU was the question of "is there anything that could possibly force Metal Sonic to turn to Tails for repairs?" The answer is "yes, but only if you really, really break it first". And even then, while Unit MS-1 does end up under the care of Tails, it certainly doesn't stay there for very long.

Fleeing from Tails, and more importantly, Sonic, it stumbles unprepared into the ordinary world it's overlooked for its entire existence. It finds itself tearing through stores, breaking into houses, desperate for supplies and a suitable power source all the while it tries to figure out how to continue its purpose of destroying Sonic with a malfunctioning processor. Moreover, during its travels, it collects complicated questions, complex inquiries if you will, that no mere calculations can solve:

Does it deserve to preserve itself, even in this malfunctioning state?

What is the value of sentient life?

And what if, maybe, just maybe, it could choose a purpose other than destroying Sonic?

The fic is organized into three arcs, one arc per question that Unit MS-1 finds itself having to grapple with. And over the course of trying to solve these questions, it meets strangers and familiar faces.

One of these strangers is an OC named Marlene, who is a prominent part of arc 2. She's a college art student who specializes in painting metal sculptures. Unit MS-1 seeks her talents to repaint its frame. . . and by "seeks her talents", I really mean "coerces her labor by threatening lethal force". But during its time with her, its stance begins to soften, and by witnessing her ordinary life, it's able to reflect, for the first time, on its own role and identity in the world.

---

And that's about all I've written so far! I have outlines for the third arc, which will focus heavily on Unit MS-1's consideration of returning to Tails to have its remaining core directives removed, but the details are little hazier and so I don't really want to share them just yet.

You might be asking yourself, why the funny name and the new pronouns? Great question, glad you asked. I've answered the pronouns question here. As for the name, I wanted something to set my version of Metal apart as a version that doesn't think of itself as Sonic, to the point of avoiding the comparison inherent in its name. There's some other differences between my version of Metal and canon Metal, most notably in the emphasis on OCD-like thought patterns I give Unit MS-1 in my writing. This whole fic is just a giant metaphor for my own mental health, of course, as any good fanfiction should be.

My estimated completion date for the fic is in a couple of months, perhaps around October or November.

Please feel free to ask questions about this AU! I'd be more than happy to talk your ear off about it. Additionally, the tag for this AU/fic is #complex inquiries on this blog, so that shouldn't be too hard to search if you want to find out more.

Thanks for reading!

[i-bring-crack]

Ayo this image right here

You see this?

This beauty?

Ive absolutely had a freaking Fic Idea in mind:

What if, the moment one of the rulers heard about Ashborn choosing a korean E rank boy to be his vessel, said ruler decided to grab an S rank nearby and also awaken them, that way they can keep a close eye on him?

In this AU, Said Ruler was closely inspecting all the S ranks below him in Korea, since one of them was the vessel for the Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light, and on the way spotted an occurence of a double dungeon nearby. "Ah, but how? We did make that dungeon?" He find out upon close inspection. Not only that but... statues? There arent any statue like monsters in the caves? Well, that S rank girl seems to be really worried about her master, so I'll just chevk on the—OH MY WORLD TREE ITS THE SHADOW MONARCH!!! BRILLIANT! BRILLIANT FRAGMENT!!!

Despite all the pleading and cries from said ruler to quickly exterminate the kid right now or else they will kill him, The Brightest Fragment decided to lay low. After all, during all the last fights, the Shafow Monarchs Vessel has never been able to control Ashborn's Power.

"Bu— but all the others where S ranks, had superior combat abilities or something, this kid— This one is an E rank, there is something fishy going on!"

"Well, you certanily make a point... How about this, the boy is going to take some time getting used to that body, so while we continue our work strenghtning the humans, you grab yourself a vessel and make them strong enough to always put that kid on its place, and if the longer that kid keeps getting more and more psychotic, we can be sure to kill him before the black heart appears... after all, this is the last battle we have, we cant use the Cup of Reincarnation anymore."

Said ruler listens carefully and does as tasked, (dont mind me, ill just casually resolve the plothole of the rulers changing side so out of nowhere, and cup of reincarnation ex machima while also using the connection of mr Song being Cha's teacher) and after looking at all the S ranks for a while, he settles on the strongest of them, equal to the vessel of the brightest Fragment (Sung Jin Woo said so and you just leave that like it is author?! Thats such potential lost!!) And decides to power her up by grabbing another architect from the world tree (because I have no earthly idea where the architects or beings like him come from) and casually explaining what needs to be done. The architects are good at this, after all they have to create new world for the World Tree every day, that way the expansion of the universe can keep going.

It comes out exactly as needed, the ruler thanks it by giving out a special artifact that the absolute being had which was useless to the rulers but something the architect would love. Then he leaves to set up the system and the fake dungeon Cha Hae In has to enter. On the way he also sees how much Sung Jin Woo is starting to grow and panics! "Already a C rank level hunter and it hasn't even been a month! Ahhh I have to hurry! Hurry so much!"

During his time waiting for the system to be completed, The Ruler of the skies, God of Nurture (I cannot leave only angels to be the only species for the rulers—) or Acanthis so that I stop calling him Ruler, decided to find a way to take Cha Hae In away from her guild and enter said dungeon on her own... which was hard considering her personality to always be perceptive of her surroundings and think twice before entering a dungeon, unlike SJW who straight up sees a dungeon and only thinks of XP. Finally after what seems like a week, he throws the "bring her alone" plan and instead gets her entire team trapped inside a dungeon, injuring the rest of the humans with fight after fight of beasts that keep healing themselves over and over, curtesy of Acanthis until their mana was comepletely defeated, leaving Cha Hae In as the last one being able to stand up. It is at that end when Acanthis uses the ruler's authority to grab and swiftly send Cha Hae In to another room. She is completely healed in all aspects, but the training is just about to start.

The whole arc is somewhat gruesome, CHI has to learn how to use her sword siwftly while dealing with zero damage to the illusions she is fighting against, instead she needs to break stones or do a set of specific things. He wants her to know how it will feel like fighting against the King of Death, and by extent, be able to dodge Death herself, because if that monarch ever begins to show its true colors, then CHI has to leave all of her fears regarding the death of her soul, a primordial fear to all humans, and embrace it or else she will die. Time and time again, hours pass, even days go by but it is not until the end of the 5th day when the many endless challenges of mastery and skill start to end her fear of death, that she is finally ready to face a Pheonix. The huntress very well knows how hard they are to deal with due to them rehealing at the last second(without the god having to do anything) and need to strike them in one hit so they can die, whats worse, they come back stronger than the last time. However, Cha doesnt give up, and by the seventh and last week she kills it.

Drained more than she has ever been in her entire life, bleeding from so many places, the pain too gruesome to bear anymore to the point she now welcomes death, a message appears.

[The requirements to pass The Secret Quest::"Never ending Dispair" have been met.]

[Congratulations on passing the Quest "Never Ending Dispair"!] A bit of exciment passes through his voice while comunicating through the system, but how can he not be exited?! This woman is awesome! Still he composes himself and begins to talk.

[You have acquired the rights to become a Host. Will you accept?] Is host the right word? 

Though she was still able to breathe, she doesn't know how to respond. Should she say yes? No?

What's is all of this?

[As a host, the person is able to save the planet as a whole.] Being accepting of death had its consequences, that he knew very well, so she might not want to keep going anymore, which he could understand, however... if he were to grant her a deal to help the world she loved enough to protect it for so many years, then...

Her eyes widened, Acanthis sighed when her words where described inside her mind, a soft yes resounding through the wavelengths.

[Congratulations on becoming a Host. Cha Hae In. I look foward to working with you.]

[queen-of-the-night-lights]

Beautiful (Omega x Mom!Reader x Bad Batch)

A/N: So, I have been seeing all of these other stories with a few scenes of the reader being a mom towards Omega and then the rest of the story being with a member of the batch. While I love those my brain went “ Give this little girl done love and support” and I came up with this story which is basically Omega and the reader just hanging out by themselves. ( I also left the ending open so you can imagine the batch member of your choosing😉)

Warnings: None/fluff

Plot: The reader does Omegas make-up for the first time.

“ What are you doing?” The young girl asked innocently. She caused you to jump slightly, it has taken a while to get used to a new voice around the ship. “ People on this planet wear a large amount of make-up so I decided to wear some while I go out to get food and supplies. Here I would stand out much more if I didn’t wear any, opposed to if I did.” You explained brushing on some finishing touches. Meanwhile Omega just watched you, she has never seen anything even close to what you were doing, but then again she didn’t know much about anything outside Kamino.

When you finished you turned to the child and asked “ What do you think?” She smiled and said “ It looks good. A little weird because you look a little different, but still good.” She gave a soft chuckle “ Well thank you, I appreciate your honesty.” Just as you were about to put your makeup away Omega chimed in “ Can I try some on?” You turned back to the girl as she gave you a curious and pleading look. With a small smile on your face you approved with a “ Sure. Come sit down.”

You stood up from your vanities chair to let her sit in it hoping it would make her feel special, in some weird way that’s how you thought of the chair. Pulling a stool close so that you could sit while helping her. “ Lets see...” You said studying Omegas face, you didn’t want to put too much makeup on her since this is probably her first time putting anything on her face. While doing this you noticed many qualities she did share with other clones, making Techs statement a few weeks ago resonate with you. She of course was very different from Regs just like the rest of the batch was, but little traits here and there are where you can tell they are related.

“ Okay so, since I don’t want to put too much on you just incase you have a poor reaction to the makeup, we are just going to do yours a little lighter than mine.” You explained and she nodded in acknowledgment before asking “ What do you mean by reaction?” You then explained how some makeup isn’t compatible with people’s skin and how sometimes people have allergic reactions. After noticing the slight nervousness on the kids face you soothed her by telling her that you only use hypoallergenic makeup and the likelihood of her having a reaction would be very low, but you just want to be careful. After that reasoning she seemed to have gone back to her usual curious nature. “ So usually we would start with foundation, that this part that covers the entire face...” you gestured a circle around yours as you continued “ ...but since I don’t have your exact skin tone of foundation , we are going to use this powder.”

Showing her the brush and translucent powder. “ Now let me know at anytime if you are uncomfortable. Then I will stop and we will make sure everything is okay.” With that you started gently brushing the powder along her face. She giggled at first “ It tickles.” You smiled at her adorable laugh “ Yes it does at first, but I need you to try to hold still the best you can okay?” She then nodded and you continued. The brush was big and soft she had never felt anything like it before. It was a nice feeling as you gently brushed and stippled along her face. You then decided to skip the eye shadow primer and things such as that. Those are for another time when you could teach her longer and had more makeup for her to try.

“ Next, I’m going to have you close your eyes and we are going to use this brush with these two colors and put them right on your eyelids. After that I’m going to wet this brush and put a little line of eyeliner on. That’s this around the base of my eyelashes.” You explained closing your own eyes. She smiled and closed her eyes trusting you not to hurt her. You and the boys always made sure that she was comfortable, no matter what. However there was this different feeling she had towards you than with the others. While she trusted them and loved being around them, there was this different kind of feeling of care you gave off. Maybe it was that “mother” feeling the others told her you had. You just seemed to know the right thing to say and how to say it. You also knew exactly what everyone needed when sometimes they didn’t know themselves.

“ (Y/N), can I ask you something?” As you switched colors you replied in a calm yet reassuring tone “ Of course.” “ How did you learn to do makeup?” You smiled at her question as memories started to fill your head. Taking a breath you explained “ I used to watch my mom. My mother she was, beautiful. With or without make up she had the ability it make a transport ship stop in its tracks. She had these two friends and sometimes they would all put their makeup on together before they would go out. They had this setup where they would put all their mirrors, like this one, all together in a row in front of this huge window we had at my family’s house. And from there I would watch them and think ‘ I can not wait until I am old enough to play with this stuff.’ “ As you finished your story you told Omega to open her eyes and instructed her on the next step. “ It’s all coming together now! This next part is a little scary, but I promise I will not poke you in the eye. I’m going to take this mascara wand and gently put this on your eyelashes.” Omega nodded an okay, then you explained “ Okay, I’m going to need to open your eyes really really wide and look right here.”

You pointed right at where your neck meets your collar bone and quickly put on the mascara. You remember how uncomfortable you were the first time you had it put on for you. Omega seemed a little more relieved after you put it on as well. She then blinked and fluttered her eyes as they adjusted to the new sensation. She then looked back up to you with your soft smile still adorned on your face and asked “ Do you think I’m pretty?” A little taken back you then confidently answered “ Yes Omega, you are very pretty. You have these big, round, and bright eyes, a cute nose...” you said giving her a light tap on her nose to emphasize your point. That caused her to scrunch it up and let out a little laugh. “ And you have this amazing smile.”

Omega had a small blush creep on to her face as you complimented her. You can’t imagine her life back on Kamino, even though she probably treated differently from the rest, you knew that her life, her beginning of her childhood must have been hard. Yet she almost always seemed happy. “ Alright here’s where the hard decision comes in, for your lips do you want a solid color or something shiny.” You said holding a lipstick and a lipgloss in each hand. “ Definitely the shiny one.” She said pointing to the one in your right hand.

“ Excellent choice! Now I’m going to ask you to make a really weird faces. Kinda make your lips go like this.” Omega then mimicked the pursing of your lips making sure she was doing it right. You always thought it was cute when she would try to do the same actions as you all did in the ship, her favorite person to mimic was Hunter, but you couldn’t blame her. “ Alright, now we blot. We want to make sure that our lipstick or lipgloss doesn’t stick or wear off to easily.” Grabbing a tissue of the vanity and showing her what you wanted her to do. Making you lips form a line and gently putting them together, but not actually putting the tissue in your mouth.

Once Omega finished you stood up and asked “ Are you ready to take a look?” She nodded her head with excitement and you spun the chair around to have her face the mirror. You saw her eyes widen and get bigger, if that was even possible, as they filled with wonder. A small whisper of her exclaiming “ woah” left her as she looked at the makeup you did. A bit of pride and affection towards the girl swelled in your chest as the girl copied the head tilts you did earlier as you finished your own makeup. “ Beautiful.”

She smiled as she continued to admire your work “ Thank you!” She exclaimed with a beaming smile looking up at you. “ You are very welcome, but you have to remember it is never the makeup that makes you look pretty, it’s how you treat others and what is on the inside that makes you beautiful.” When you finished that statement Omega turned the chair around and gave you a hug. With tears pricking your eyes you hugged her back. You felt bad for everyone that lived on Kamino, you remember the first time you hugged the others and they were a little taken back and confused by the gesture. Omega however was different due to her young age and hugged you quite often. You wished her the best in the galaxy and wanted to protect her and your boys, your family from any danger.

The hugged lasted a while but you didn’t care, what the two of you didn’t know was that someone was watching you from the doorway. His heart swelled at the interaction between the two of you. He wasn’t there long, he had only been standing there a few minuets. Everyone seemed to have changed a little when Omega came on to the team, and while you didn’t change as much as the others your personality amplified. The way you are able to take care of them became more noticeable, you just had this amazing way with all of them and your ability to care so much.

Everything you did was amazing, making sure they we’re rested, making sure that they had eaten, that they didn’t overwork themselves, reassuring them when they had doubts, and giving hope. He started feeling different about you after the first few months of you being with them. Back then he didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling, but now he knew. He had fallen in love with you. Seeing you with Omega assured him that you would always be there with his family and that you wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt them. He wanted a life with you, his brothers, and Omega. No one will ever take that dream away from him, ever.

[vvienne]

XICHENG FIC RECS

hold my hands by Snooze (Chiruka)

Transplanting a core into a new person isn’t without repercussions. One year after the events at Guanyin Temple, Jiang Cheng found himself once again faced with the possibility of losing everything he had. Reconciling with his brother, learning to let Jin Ling go, and dealing with his blooming emotions toward the First Jade of Gusu — will Jiang Cheng accomplish what he wants before time runs out?

it all passes someday by screamlet

A week before the anniversary of Wei Wuxian’s death, there was a commotion outside Lan Wangji’s house.

*

Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji over the years.

The Unlikely Expression of Love by manamune

When everything has settled, when everyone else has moved on with their lives and their friends, Jiang Cheng has a realization which shouldn’t actually be a surprise:

He’s lonely.

Indigo, lavender, and violet (I don't wanna be red) by ohwhatevrewhatevr

It, in the pale colors of the late morning, is the closest to perfect Jiang Cheng will ever reach. He strokes Lan XiChen's hair and presses a light kiss to where his ribbon and hair meet. The sky is a pale blue, and the pastels of flowers and clouds are spread out through the window, a brilliant world waiting for them, them in the gentian house, safe from stronger breezes - there is the clutter of birds fluttering and chirping outside. It is a warm, perfect, spring morning.

Jiang Cheng and Lan XiChen have been together for an year. In which, no one ever really gets over things, Jiang Cheng has the misfortune of interacting with his brother, the juniors help out with the proposal, and there's a marriage.

Altitude by starknjarvis 

When Jin Ling lures Jiang Cheng to the Cloud Recesses under false pretenses, he finds himself out of place among this new family Wei Wuxian has formed.

Lan Xichen, at least, seems pleased to have his company.

Perhaps there is still a chance for Jiang Cheng to make amends and move forward.

[Modao Zushi Online] GLITCH REPORT: My Brother Got Chased Down And %$@*$&@ By Gusu Dungeon Boss??? by oh_fudgecakes

Modao Zushi Online is a virtual reality MMORPG. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are top ranking players in its new server, currently tied with their arch-nemesis from their previous server, Wen Chao. In an attempt to defeat him, they take on the Gusu Dungeon Boss, Zewu-jun, to win the reward of a legendary weapon. Ever the cheat, Wei Wuxian tries to take advantage of a glitch to defeat the seemingly undefeatable boss. It backfires. Jiang Cheng gets fucked by a boss monster.

He can't get enough.

Meanwhile, Lan Xichen, the unwitting staff member in charge of controlling Zewu-jun, absolutely did not sign up to be pulled into a secret virtual reality fling with a player. Mod Ji, who has to deal with Wei Wuxian's incessant glitch reporting of his brother's sex life, is long-suffering.

Mulberry by xxdz

Jiang Cheng grits his teeth and pushes harder. He feels like torn silk, the embroidery needle sinking in again and again and again; patiently, desperately, endlessly trying to make something beautiful out of something broken.

Jiang Cheng builds his sect, learns embroidery, and raises his nephew.

we can raise a little family by lanyon

“Well, brother,” says Wei Wuxian, leaning against the outside of Jiang Cheng’s chambers. “I had heard that you and Xichen went on a night hunt and came back with a baby, which is not the order I’d choose to do things in…”

In which Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen acquire a baby of unknown origin, and are the very last to know what it means.

Beyond the Impossible by Silverine

Summoned by Lan Qiren, Jiang Wanyin goes to the Cloud Recesses to drop his nephew Jin Ling, expecting to discuss relevant matters with his old master. Instead, he's asked to take with him no other than Sect Leader Lan himself, all the way back to Lotus Pier. If the reason why he accepted such an outrageous task is indeed a mystery, he's about to be surprised by how this entire trip, their encounters, and his warm company, suddenly feel fated.

Incrementally by xxdz

Jiang Cheng is trapped in a day on repeat where he begins by waking in Zewu Jun’s bed at dawn and ends by dying painfully at dusk.

It’s getting very irritating, and he has the sneaking suspicion that his chances to solve his own murder are rapidly running out. Soon, his death will be much more permanent.

All in all, worst birthday ever.

Audience of One by WinterDreams

“Then let an established star go first,” Lan Xichen interrupts again before Lan Wangji can give a stubborn reply. Both men twist toward Lan Xichen, and he smiles at Wei Wuxian’s tilted head. “If I publicly date a man for awhile first, your engagement shouldn’t receive as much backlash.”

Or, that AU where everyone is famous in some way or another, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have been dating in private for years, and Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng pretend to date publicly for their brothers' sake.

A Bit of Ruthlessness by jirluvien

When Jiang Cheng hears that Lan Xichen went into seclusion following Jin Guangyao’s death, it’s almost as if he can see the grabby hands of a restless ghost, reaching out for something to keep him company. For something warm and living and devastated. And as history has proved time and time again, the Lans are perfect victims when it comes to giving in to ghosts.Yeah, no. Not on Jiang Cheng’s fucking watch.A story about grief, determination, unexpected friendships, abandoned watchtowers, and letters. So many letters.

All Tied Up In You by Clearpearls

Yet again, the night had come to this:

Jiang Cheng on the floor, kneeling, Zidian wrapped around his wrists.

Alone.

Thank You, and I'm Sorry by Hamliet

Jin GuangYao might be dead, but his story is not. Taking advantage of the chaos he instigated, someone makes an attempt on the life of the young new leader of the Jin Sect. When Jiang Cheng takes Jin Ling to the Cloud Recesses to have him study while he attempts to work with Wei WuXian and his husband Lan WangJi to eliminate the threat, he encounters a mourning Lan XiChen, lovestruck teenagers, and a persistent corpse--and both pairs of brothers find themselves struggling to move on.

saturn's rings (don't be a heartbreaker) by iskendaris

Set after the seige of burial mounds, Yunmeng rebuilds as they hold the first Discussion Conference at Lotus Pier. Sometimes the night is a gift, a refuge for loneliness. "So stern, Sect Leader Jiang," Lan Xichen murmured, "So glacial... What will it take to melt that icy exterior? What can I say?"

"Nothing. There's nothing you can say or offer."

reciprocity by jukeboxhound

There’s a pause before Lan Xichen says, in a tone that’s a little more neutral, “I would like to paint on you.”

“…What?”

“Of course, if you say ‘yes’ but then change your mind at any point, for any reason, you need only say so and I will stop immediately,” he adds.

Well, silver lining: Jiang Cheng is feeling much more awake than he was a moment ago.

Talent Hunt Crew Finds Angry Guy Shouting On College Campus, Recruits Him For Vocal Projection Abilities by oh_fudgecakes

Jiang Cheng, resident Angry Guy and heir to a conglomerate empire, has never been the apple of his father’s eye. Quashed under the shadow of his brilliant brother, the music prodigy Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng sees his chance to turn things around when he is recruited by the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt. One problem: he can’t sing to save his goddamn life.

As he struggles to develop his nascent singing abilities, Jiang Cheng finds himself sucked into the whirlwind drama of reality TV, helped along by his adoring siblings, his irritable vocal coach Wen Qing, and strangely enough, the unfairly attractive host of the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt, Lan Xichen. Somewhere in the glare of the stage lights and an unexpected first love, Jiang Cheng stumbles upon the thing he was searching for all along: the courage to dream — and to attempt the impossible.

Marginal Costs by ohwhatevrewhatevr

“You think you know what you want, Er-Ge,” A-Yao says. “But you should consider what you’re willing to give first,” he says wryly, taking Lan XiChen’s chess piece with slim, skilled fingers.

Lan XiChen looks up at A-Yao’s concentrated expression and the hint of contentment on his face that he is special enough to be allowed to see.

“It’s not just one decision, but the lead up to many more. One decision decides what else you’re going to have to pay, and each time you have to ask yourself, ignoring the sunk costs, if this time it’s worth it as well.”

When his sworn brother looks up at him with those clear, amber eyes, waiting, Lan XiChen feels the pull and gives in: he asks.

“Are you happy being in love?”

(First half is two sad sworn brothers talking, internally mourning how unfortunate their other sworn brother’s death was :/ and second half is when a mopey boy in blue meets an angsty boy in purple whilst chasing a demonic cultivator, and a lil bit of sexy dual cultivation happens.)

Somewhat Tender by theherocomplex

There is no defense against kindness; it has always undone him.

I didn't expect you to be lonely (too) by bettydice (BettyKnight)

Jiang Cheng's life is a mess, he's a mess, and he doesn't miss his brother at all. So when his sister gifts him ten sessions with a massage therapist, who turns out to be someone he was crushing on for a hot minute as a teenager and is still as hot as ever... yeah, that might as well happen. It won't have to mean anything.

This feels intimate to Jiang Cheng in a way that's probably very inappropriate and maybe even pathetic. Nobody touches him like this, right where he’s hurt the most. There's no one who handles him so gently, so carefully.

It's the gentleness that's his undoing, he thinks. He would be able to deal better with it if it was painful.

Life for Rent by yodasyoyo

“Yeah well. You’re not taking me seriously. This guy is my soulmate!”

“Soulmate.” Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

“Just because you don’t believe in them—”

“I believe in them!” Jiang Cheng says. “I’ve never denied they exist.”

“Just last week you said that it was an evolutionary quirk that had been used by greetings card companies, movie makers, and corporations to exploit lonely and vulnerable people.”

“And I stand by it! That doesn’t mean that soulmates aren’t real. Just incredibly unlikely and probably pointless.

-

Or:

Xicheng vs Soulmates. Fight!

Halfway Around the World by theherocomplex

Normally, Jiang Cheng would be seething, jaw clenched tight, if someone sounded like that while they were talking, but — Lan Xichen has the trick of always making you feel like you're in on the joke, whatever the joke is. That you're laughing together.

Whelmed by yodasyoyo

For months now Jiang Cheng’s been idly fantasizing about how it would be if something were to come between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Mostly those daydreams have been simple enough — they break up (probably because Lan Zhan is boring or Wei Ying is annoying), Wei Ying is sad for a couple of days (Jiang Cheng’s willing to allow some space for feelings, he isn't a total monster), but then Wei Ying realizes he’s better off, he gets over it, and Jiang Cheng gets his brother back.

Unfortunately the fantasy version of events has only proven partially true, so far. They've broken up. Wei Ying has been sad.

Now weeks have passed, though — and Wei Ying is still sad, every. Single. Day.

It’s like Jiang Cheng's stuck in a looping GIF, and it’s driving him insane.

Or:

Jiang Cheng plots, Lan Huan pines, and, unfortunately for Lan Qiren, Wangxian are inevitable.

[cinnamonrusts]

i’ll see you in the village -- 5

parts: 1 2 3 4

Chris and his team home in on your location. He comes to learn just what Miranda has done to the woman he loves. (chris redfield x f!reader)

(tags: @moonlightnumbsthepainifeel)

                                                   ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.*

Chris sat inside the armored van and lit his cigarette. The darkness of the village was thick and the air felt heavy but in the moment, he felt calm. He was finally able to pinpoint your location and although Miranda had you in her clutches, his team confirmed to see you alive before she took you underground into her domain. Chris inhaled the cigarette deeply and recalled the many naggings he received from you regarding his habit.

“You should really stop smoking, Chris,” you complained as you waved your hand around in the air inside of Chris’s truck. “I’ll stop smoking -- when you stop gambling,” he blew a puff of smoke out of the window. You huffed, “I’m telling you, you can’t win if you don’t play!” Chris shook his head and turned toward you with cigarette in between his lips, “I’ll stop when you do,” he winked and your eyes rolled, “I’ll remember that when I’m a millionaire, Redfield.”

His eyes closed as he exhaled, “I’m coming, baby,” he whispered to himself, then exited the vehicle. Chris approached the team members that were staked around the general area and pointed out the location where Miranda was held up at. Around the exit of the village where you were last seen at was blocked with gigantic black roots that writhed about in a hostile manner. Helicopters flew overhead and on the side of the flying vehicles were the BSAA’s logos. Chris took the rifle from Lobo and looked through the scope to observe the situation and took note as to what his former agency was up to. They would only cause more issues for his mission than what he already had dealt with, but the Alpha wouldn’t let this stop them, they would continue on. “BSAA... They’ve gone too far,” he said as paratroopers exited to the ground but the chopper was soon attacked by a root and spiraled out to the ground with an explosion.

Redfield instructed his team to head for the main source of the black roots and destroy it. “I’ve got your back, boss. Let’s get to work.” said Lobo. Chris’s plan was clear in his mind: destroy Miranda, rescue Rosemary, and ensure your safety. With guns at ready, Hound Wolf Squad made their way through the village that was on the brink of destruction. He would fight the Hell and high water to finish what had been started.

✧.* ✧.*

Miranda brought you to the ceremony site and you shivered in the cold under the lab coat. You pondered an escape route but the area around you was mostly frozen forest and certain death awaited you if you tried to venture out into it, so you shifted your focus to the woman. Miranda led you down a small path to the ritual area where she would complete her life’s work. Your body soon began to feel weak and you could barely stand on your feet. When you arrived to the area, you dropped to your knees and struggled to listen to Miranda as she started a speech.

“That damn Ethan Winters turned out to be more of an issue than I expected...” she began. “I originally wanted him to merely dispose of my false children and awaken to the beautiful Megamycete, but he proved to be too troublesome for me to deal with any longer.” she turned to face you and dropped down to her knee, she took your chin into her hand and tilted your head back to meet your gaze. “Winters managed to destroy the four lords and take the pieces of his child back. But now he’s gone and the ceremony may continue.” she let go of you and raised to a stand. “T-Then what do you want with m-me then?” you struggled to ask. Miranda tapped her cheek with her finger as she pondered whether she felt you deserved to know her reasoning for infecting you with the Cadou. “You will be my high priestess for said future, my new Lord, if you may; but if little Rose fails to be a suitable host for Eva... Well, that’s what you’re here for, my dear..” your blood ran cold, everything that had just happened up until this moment was pure chance and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Miranda didn’t choose you because she thought you were something special. It was because you seemed to be a good enough guinea pig for her trap.

“So- so, I’m just a fucking experiment?”“ your teeth gritted and your fingers closed into a fist. The last bit of strength inside boiled in your stomach and you pushed yourself to stand before taking a lunge at her. She merely slapped you to the side with the back of her hand and you flew several feet and sprawled out on the ground, face first. Miranda approached you slowly and pushed into your stomach with tip her foot as she rolled you onto your back. “Poor, girl. Soon, you’ll crystalize and wait for your mutation to finish. There’s nothing you or that man can do about it.” Man?! “C-Chris?!” you called out and weakly reached your hand upward toward the darkening light but Miranda simply chuckled, “It is useless, child. The Cadou is taking hold of you now and it won’t be long until you’re under its and my, control.”  Your arm began to stiffen as you could see a white crystallization spread out from where the Cadou buried itself in your body. Soon, you were completely frozen in place within a white crystal shell, almost like a cocoon. Miranda turned you from a living human, into a frightening beautiful statue for her to do with as her plans pleased.

✧.* ✧.*

Chris fought his way through the Lycans that popped up from every nook and cranny of the village. The homes burned brightly and the horrors seemed to worsen as he got deeper into the bowels of the area. Soon, he came across the Megamycete underground and planted an explosive that would destroy the village and every evil that dwelled within its boundaries. “Any sight of, [Y/N]?” Chris asked into his earpiece but none of his team members were able to confirm anything. “We do have sight of Miranda however at the ceremony site... wait...” Umber Eyes paused, “I have eyes on [Y/N] but...”

Chris’s heart jumped in his chest, “What!? What is it!?” he yelled as he hurried up a path of steps that led toward the surface. “She -- she isn’t moving. But I can’t see her too well,” his voice dropped and Chris stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean?” he barely could spit the words out. “I’m not positive but I can confirm she is there with the target. She seems to be laying on the ground but Miranda is in the way,” Redfield needed to get to the ceremony site as quickly as possible but found himself in a laboratory first. He examined the area and the notes that were scattered around on the many tables, and stumbled upon a connection that he would’ve never guessed. Oswell E. Spencer was Mother Miranda’s subordinate! It all started here, in this European village... Umbrella... everything that Chris had been through started with Miranda and hopefully would end here. This small room held another secret that was tucked away behind a barred cell. Chris’s rifle had its sights on nonother than Mia Winters! The man radioed in to his team to confirm that this was not Miranda and they informed him that she was still in the same spot along with you.

Chris asked why she was there and she told him the story of her being captured and used in experiments. He turned to leave and spoke into his earpiece, “Stick to the mission. I’m headed for the ceremony site.” but Mia followed him and demanded that she went with him. She reminded how Chris promised to keep her and her family safe but those words burned the Ethan shaped wound in his heart. The man struggled to inform the woman that Ethan, her husband, was gone. Dead. But he was done with the secrets, she needed to know and he had trouble with telling her the news. “I’m sorry, Mia. But we have to leave and destroy this village.” Mia wouldn’t let him leave until they would get her husband. Chris grew angry, “Mia! We need to get Rosemary and [Y/N], then we will get the fuck out of here! That is it. Understand?” When he spoke your name, it triggered a disturbing memory of the trauma the Winters spouse witnessed.

“That woman... [Y/N]… Miranda -- she did -- things to her.” Mia’s eyes flickered from Chris to the table that you were previously strapped to. Chris grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with eyes of desperation, “Is she alive?!” his voice cracked. Mia nodded her head slowly, “Y-Yes. But Miranda implanted her with her “gift” and I don’t know what happened after they left.” Chris sucked in his lower lip as his thoughts raced, “Gift? The Cadou?” he asked, his core shook but his composure remained solid. Mia nodded once more and a shadow of fear overwhelmed the man. “We need to go. Now.”

Chris was going to get you back and make Miranda pay.

[waithyuck]

cold

pairing: vampire!huang renjun x reader (f) *halloweenie special*

genre: smut, supernatural au

word count: 3k

warnings: blood, biting, blood drinking, brief descriptions of gore (I guess idrk), explicit language, degradation, sexual content (oral, facefucking), no aftercare, mentions of being killed, renjun is a mean dom :/, reader is kinda weirdly into the whole vampire thing **unedited**

a/n: this was kinda written in a rush but I tried my best to produce it in the best quality I could! I hope y’all enjoy 💕 (I also wanna add that yes, it was already planned that there wouldn’t be any penetrative sex in this)

< previous | next >

~10/24/2020~

~~~~

walking home from work at eleven o’clock at night was probably the worst mistake you could have made. even worse, you thought it would just be such a great idea to take the back alleys, since it was faster and all you wanted to do was lay down on your bed and go to sleep.

you were an idiot, straight up.

you were walking with your head down, too preoccupied reading something on your phone to notice and be alert of your surroundings. you didn’t notice the creeping shadow coming up on you from behind.

when it grabbed you, you weren’t even able to scream; it covered your mouth immediately and shoved you against the brick of the building next to you. when you looked to see what it was, your body froze in horror.

this man–thing...no, creature, was standing before you grinning sinisterly, his sharp canines bared to you as he drank up your figure with his glowing, blood red eyes.

well, this was it. you were going to die in the hands of something you were pretty sure classified as a vampire. you didn’t stand a chance, not with the amount of strength, speed and stealth this man had already showcased to you.

you couldn’t make a sound, the fear inside you suffocating your lungs and making it hard to breathe. the man didn’t utter a word to you, and as he inched his fangs closer and closer to the vein pulsating in your throat, you squeezed your eyes shut and awaited to feel your death.

but it never came.

the weight of the man-creature-vampire thing was lifted off of you, his cold presence gone in an instant. you heard blood curdling snarls ringing out in the darkness of the alley, and you were too afraid to open your eyes to see what was happening.

you imagined that it was basically a fight between two vampires, and the victor would claim you as the meal. you should have run, but your legs were weak as the fear still consumed every cell in your body.

you were basically dooming yourself.

the wild growls finally ceased when you heard a loud crack of bones snapping, followed by a cut off yelp.

you assumed one of them was now dead, and finally you opened your eyes to take in the sight before you.

there stood another creature; much younger than the previous one by the looks of him, standing over the body of the now dead vampire. it’s head was severed from its body messily, the neck snapped clean off to where you could see the spine poking out in its place.

you wanted to throw up.

when the younger vampire looked at you, his blood red eyes squinted, and he moved closer to you in seconds, using his super speed to crowd you back against the brick wall. you whimpered, but didn’t feel as much fear as you did before, and you managed to keep your eyes open as you stood before him.

his nostrils flared as he sniffed around you, and it surprisingly didn’t weird you out as much as it should have. truth be told, even in the dim light of the moon, you could tell that this man was highly attractive. you cursed yourself for thinking this way about a creature that could easily tear you in two.

you were torn from your thoughts when you saw two fingers snap in front of your face, making your body jolt in return.

“the fuck are you doing out this late?” he suddenly questioned, his voice not at all like how you were imagining it to sound. it was soft…it wasn’t a voice you would have paired to be with a vampire. “it’s dangerous as fuck out here, you know.”

he was speaking so casually, like he didn’t just rip the head off of one of his kind. you sputtered out of cheer nervousness (and a little bit because he was so dazzlingly attractive), not knowing how to respond. his blood red eyes practically rolled out of his head at your pathetic attempts to speak.

“humans are so pathetic, seriously.” he spat, looking you up and down. “I don’t even know why I saved you. you smell good enough to devour.” his smirk, paired with the last part made your spine straighten, your hair prickling at the sense of possible danger.

“n-no!” you finally managed to blurt out, your hands coming up to instinctively cover your vulnerable throat. you wracked your brain to try to figure out how to negotiate with him; to get him to leave here without draining your body of life and blood.

unfortunately, only one thing came to mind, and you hated yourself for thinking it in the first place.

...you couldn't deny that you kinda had a thing for the whole undead, blood sucking, super strong creature shit he had going on. a million and one flashes raced through your mind, showing you different scenes of this stranger taking you up against the brick wall right here, and even biting you just to have a little taste.

it was fucked up, but you could stop your thighs from clenching at the possibilities.

he quirked an eyebrow at you, his smirk never leaving as he leaned into your space even further, flattening your body to the wall with his own.

“no what?” he practically purred, his cold breath fanning against your skin, causing goosebumps to form instantaneously.

“I’ll…” you started, weakly meeting his strong gaze. “I’ll d-do anything...j-just don’t kill me.” you tried to sound strong but there was a shiver in your voice, your chest trembling as you tried to speak. you saw his eyes flash with mischief before he pulled away entirely, giving you your space back.

“okay.” he nodded, his lips still presented in a smirk. “I’ll come find you whenever I need a favor.”

you couldn’t even ask him to elaborate or question him on exactly how he would find you, because in an instant he was gone from your sight, vanishing away and leaving you in the darkness with the still laying dead body of your first attacker.

with a quick shake of your whole body, you practically ran home, slamming the door shut and locking everything, including the windows.

~~

you weren’t sure when to expect to see the vampire who saved you again, but you didn’t think it would take him two weeks to show his face.

you were minding your own business in the safety of your home, throwing your dirty clothes into your bedroom hamper when you heard a soft thud come from your window.

turning around, your eyes met the same red ones from that night two weeks ago, and you had to fight yourself not to shriek. his face was stoic as he stared at you, decked out in all black from his hoodie to his jeans, lowkey making your mouth water.

“hey there,” he said, slithering closer to your form. once again, he cornered you against a wall, not caring to give you any personal space. he inhaled softly, his nose living closer to your neck. “you smell absolutely delicious, darling.” his sharp canines were on display as he smiled mischievously at you, your heart racing in your chest at not only the fear, but the proximity of this attractive man as well.

“um, h-hello.” you muttered out stupidly, wringing your hands together in front of you.

“let’s cut to the chase, shall we?” he stood up at little straighter as he spoke, his eyes glinting as he looked at you. “you owe me a favor, and I’m being generous enough to let you choose what you want to give me.” he looked down at his nails, feigning disinterest as you were practically hyperventilating before him.

you nodded your head to acknowledge that you were hearing him, and he took that as a sign to continue.

“so, what will it be?”

you thought back to the thoughts you were plagued with that first night, and you almost immediately clenched your thighs. you really wanted this vampire to have you, all of you, even your blood for fucks sake. it’s like the sight of him cast a spell on you, and all you wanted to do was have his cock shoved down your throat as he did his best to ruin you completely.

you knew he was capable too; there was an aura around him that screamed dominance, and having the extra factor of being a vampire did nothing to extinguish your lewd sexual fantasies.

it was really fucked up, but you made your mind up in less than a minute.

“you can bite m-me.” you squeaked, looking anywhere but him. you swore you heard his breath hitch, but he nonetheless crowded you once again as he nosed into the juncture of your neck and shoulder.

“hmm, tempting.” he allowed the tip of his nose to graze softly against your sensitive skin, causing you to shiver as it tickled you. his sinister eyes flicked up to meet yours. “are you sure?”

with a small nod you agreed, your brain screaming at you to run and never look back, but your core telling you the very opposite.

his hands found your waist as he grounded you, holding you steady as he finally began to scrape his teeth along your flesh.

“I won’t take too much,” he muttered, almost like a reassurance to you. before you could even nod, he quickly plunged his fangs into your skin, and the pleasurably painful sensation immediately had you moaning out loudly.

you gripped his shoulders tightly, your eyes glazing over as your whole body pulsated with a sudden need, the burning hot pleasure running down from where he was currently biting you to your core, instantly causing your panties to flood with your desire.

he took a few large gulps, and once you began to feel lightheaded, he pulled his fangs from you, moaning at the taste of your blood.

not being able to hold yourself back, you spoke very through that came into your head.

“I w-want your cock,” you breathed out desperately, not sure exactly where the statement came from. it was so sudden and out of the blue, but he didn’t seem fazed for one second.

“oh really?” he questioned playfully, his blood stained lips quirking up in amusement.

“”yes, please,” you begged in response, gripped at the fabric of his hoodie tightly.

he hummed, his throat vibrating with the sound.

“get on your knees.” he demanded, his demeanor changing as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. he pointed to the ground in between the both of you and at first you were shocked at his words, even though you were the one who admitted you wanted him in the first place. you pressed your back against the wall even tighter as he gazed upon you with his blood-red eyes, your woozy head spinning.

“h-huh?” you managed to sputter out stupidly, causing him to sigh in annoyance. he shot his cold hand up to grip your throat, his nails squeezing into your skin slightly as you squeaked in surprise.

“you said you wanted my cock, right?” renjun growled, getting closer to your face with each word. you managed to nod shyly in his hold, your eyes wide and glassy as you stared back at him. he smirked, “then get on your fucking knees. don’t make me tell you again.”

he let go of you neck and returned his hand to his side, your eyes watching his every move before you finally shook yourself out of your stupor and lowered yourself to your knees in front of him. you didn’t really know what to do with yourself at that point, so you looked up at him with wide eyes, waiting to see if he would say anything else.

he rolled his eyes, scoffing as he reached for the button and zipper of his black jeans.

“dear fuck, do I have to fucking hold your hand through all of this?” his voice was icy and biting, but you still felt a warm shiver crawl up your spine as your core clenched at his words. he finally was able to undo the button and zipper and he then pulled down both his pants and underwear, leaving his almost fully hard cock out in the open on display for you.

he gripped your hair suddenly, forcing your face toward his crotch roughly. “put it in your fucking mouth, slut.”

you didn’t hesitate then, opening your mouth while using a hand to guide him past your lips, immediately swirling your tongue around the sensitive head. he groaned out above you and reached a hand to rest behind your head, not pushing on you just yet.

this wasn’t your first rodeo, so you were able to almost instantly take him all the way down your throat, only having to work up to it about three times. when his cockhead hit the back of your throat, you gagged a bit but it paid off to hear his moan cry out above you. you looked up innocently at him, bobbing your head up and down with your cheeks hollowed, drool dribbling out of the sides of your lips, adding to the messy look.

“that’s a good girl,” he breathed, his hand rubbing the back of your head almost tenderly before he shoved you completely down on him, your nose pressed against the skin of his pelvis.

your eyes blew wide and tears were prickling, but you willed yourself to relax, your throat slightly constructing instinctively around the intrusion in it.

“can I fuck your pretty face?” he growled out, finally letting you up for air. you pulled off to breathe, spit connecting your lips and the head of his angry red cock.

you managed to croak out a rough “yes”, your voice already hoarse from the few minutes of action it had been through. he gave you no time to prepare before he reached down to cup your chin and jaw in one hand, opening up your mouth before he roughly thrusted inside.

it sounded so filthy; the sounds escaping you were not cute and you were a bit embarrassed, but you were enjoying every second of the abuse to your mouth and throat. your panties were most definitely ruined at this point, and you could feel your pussy pulsating with every rough thrust of his cock down your throat.

“fucking take it, slut,” he grunted, his hips never ceasing their movements. you tried to breath through your nose as best you could, and were grateful for the small breaks he would allow you before going to town once again.

you braced your hands on his thighs as his pace quickened, his hips sloppy as he chased his high. there were no words shared and no derogatory comments spit at you as he grew closer and closer, his growls and snarls only growing louder with each passing thrust.

the sounds he was making were almost enough to get you to cum untouched, the mental stimulation almost overbearing as you felt your core tingle in need for him.

there was a nagging precense in the back of your mind that told you he wasn’t going to fuck you like you so desperately wanted him to, and there was a part of you that was perfectly okay with that.

the vampire let out a loud growl before he coneoktelt buried himself to the hilt down your flexing throat, your head knocking into the wall behind you as his cum shot directly down your esophagus.

it was uncomfortable, but you managed to swallow what you could before he pulled out and shot the rest of his hot cum all over your awaiting face.

you basked in the feeling of each shot landing on your skin, and you closed your eyes. your body felt as if it had no energy left, and you barely noticed him pulling his pants back up and fastening them closed in one swift movement.

you were right about him not fucking you or returning the favor, which was fine considering the lack of strength you currently had. the burn in your core was slowly fading along with your physical and mental strength.

as you lay slumped against the wall, his cum painted on your face and mouth, you mustered up the strength to look at and found him perched on your windowsill, ready to leave.

“what’s your n-name?” you croaked, your eyes barely open.

you could make out a smile forming on his lips.

“renjun,” he quickly responded, a lightness in his voice that you hadn’t heard before and that was a complete contrast to his earlier tone.

“and don’t worry, darling. I’ll be back for you.”

and in a quick flash, he was gone, and it was like he wasn’t ever there in the first place.

[jeonggukieandcream]

I see red // Dracula x Reader // comfort.

Summary: On the very edge of tears and not knowing where else to turn, you go to Dracula for comfort. You don’t expect anything, you don’t even know how he’ll take this, but the sight of your pain is somehow too great for him to take and he enfolds you into red.

Or, the fic in which you ask for and receive a hug from Dracula.

A/N: This fic is a mood, honestly. I’m going Through It and Dracula hugs sound really good right about now. Dracula anything sounds good right about now, tbh...👀 

Requests are open; modern era Dracula because the purple/blue light in his home is a really soothing vibe idk?

Word count: 1, 631.

You had known, going into your... relationship with the Count, that things wouldn’t be conventional. There could be nothing normal about the bond the both of you shared, though its origins and reasoning eluded you both. You had known that there would be no dates, only very late night walks through the empty, dark streets which ventured out into the graveyard. Or, if he was in a romantic mood and if the full moon was out, then he would walk with you along the beach with your hand tucked into his elbow. You had known that nothing would be as you were accustomed to and that going out to eat would involve a meal for one and Dracula staring at you from across the table, even though he knew it bothered and unnerved you (you suspected that that served as motivation more so than as a deterrent). You had known what you were getting into across the board, Dracula himself having warned you multiple times to make sure that you knew what you were agreeing to.

But that didn’t mean that it was easy for you, especially in moments like this when it seemed that all you could think about, all you craved, was Dracula himself. It didn’t matter what he was or wasn’t doing or whether he had or hadn’t fed recently. You just wanted him in whatever state he was in, and the thought of not getting that only made your nose wrinkle against the urge to cry, your eyes stinging from the same. You had always enjoyed affection, though you could manage just as well with the piles of blankets and pillows on your bed, but now did it seem to be almost a primal urge to go to Dracula and to ask him for something which would likely confuse him. That was not to say that he was naïve or to say that he knew not what affection was, for he had had sons many centuries ago whom had tragically returned to the dust whence they came, but you knew that the vampire would be baffled as to why you had sought him out for something you could ask any other mortal.

Frequently did he undermine or underestimate just how special he was to you, and you had yet to figure out why. You knew enough about yourself and about Dracula to know that you wouldn’t like the answer, whatever it was.

In the end, it took you not long to decide that you simply had to give yourself what you most desperately wanted. Life was easier when you were on your own side, this you knew, and you also knew that the longer you stayed away from Dracula and denied yourself what you needed, the longer you would feel the way that you currently did. Everything which was running through your mind in this moment, like a whirlwind of emotion with little rhyme or reason, could be boiled down to one thought, pure of intentions and gold of heart:

I want my Dracula.

The endearment even within your own thoughts made you smile and you slid off the bed, moving through your home in search of the prince of vampires. You adjusted your clothes as you walked, trying to somehow disguise or perhaps even rid yourself entirely of the tension which wracked your entire body. 

You. Needed. A hug.

No, you shook your head, as if to physically correct your thoughts, as if you made to remove your own distress from your body. No, you needed Dracula’s hug. No one else and nothing else would do. The thought of him for all that he was only made you walk faster, your body alight with tension. You were beyond the point of being able to deny yourself anything and like a string was tied to his ribs and connected to your own were you pulled to him, your feet moving without any input from your conscious mind. You found him easily, sat upon the sofa in his impressive apartment. The blue light of the tablet he held cast a harsh light across his aristocratic face and you could only stand and stare. It was rude and you knew he could feel you, but he didn’t acknowledge you. You wondered what he was doing; choosing a meal? Reading a book? Sending Zoe a taunting yet somehow candid email? You knew not but it mattered not, for you only wanted one thing and you hoped you were going to get it.

As you crossed the threshold of the living room, the heart achingly familiar blue and purple lights only increased your need for cosiness and you longed to fold yourself into Dracula and to truly become one with him. You were safe when you were with him, a fact which never failed to make him chuckle. He could snap you like a twig if he so chose and you both knew it, but where Dracula found that to be most commonly met with fear, you only found safety in it. He could kill you in a heartbeat, crave your heart out until it was bleeding in his hand, rivulets of red running down the slender curve of his wrist, or... he could hold you and protect you, fond was he of what was his. You had always found an odd sense of comfort in knowing that Dracula could kill you, and so quickly you wouldn’t be aware of it, but instead he chose to keep you safe. 

Dracula inhaled deeply and you knew he could smell your wants in the air. “Oh, my dear,” He glanced up at you from his tablet, his dark eyebrows raised, “There’s a shadow on your heart.”

You smiled humourlessly. “That’s one way to put it.” You sniffled and swiped a hand over your face, bidding yourself to not completely lose control around the vampire even though that was what you craved in this moment.

The display of vulnerability caught Dracula’s attention and he put his tablet to the side instantly, not even bothering to finish up whatever he was working on. 

“You’re in pain.” It wasn’t a question but instead was it a statement of fact, spoken with utter confidence, so well did he know you. You were surprised by the emotional intelligence displayed by the centuries old war lord, though you knew that you shouldn’t be. You could only nod as you moved a hand across your face to wipe away your tears with little care for your own self; you were so sick of crying and yet that was all you could seem to do. “Come here a moment, Y/N,” One step and Dracula nodded in encouragement to coax you forward. In this moment were there no games, no plans, no ulterior motives.... there was nothing but vulnerability from both parties. “Come closer, come closer...” Every step birthed another encouragement and you kept going, one foot in front of the other. When at last were you within arms’ reach, Dracula leaned back in his seat and allowed you to take the initiative.

While he was by no means stupid, he was most definitely at a loss when it came to the expressive nature of modern society. It was hugely disorientating, one experience which Dracula had managed largely on his own before you had figured out that he was experiencing culture shock of a sort, and you had done your best to help him with everything. It was this assistance which had largely led to the relationship which the two of you now shared. You stood before him now, your eyes fixed on his knees. “Can I - “ be held by you? Become one with you and never be my own person again because everything’s too much right now and I need you? Have a hug? All these and more ran through your mind and you almost choked on a sob before Dracula sighed and reached for your wrist. Long fingers wrapped cleanly around your wrist and you were pulled forward, forward, more and more... you sank gratefully onto Dracula’s lap.

Immediately did you bury your face in his neck. You pressed a kiss to where his pulse should echo from within and Dracula chuckled as an arm wrapped around your shoulder. He had always appreciated the irony of you doing that, and when you left little mock bites along his neck, that, too, made him smile. You had always been an odd little thing and you showed your love and affection for him in strange ways but he adored that about you. 

“Will you tell me, Y/N, or do I need to work it out for myself?” Dracula’s voice rumbled through his chest; despite the smoothness with which he spoke, it seemed as if the words grated through his vocal chords, like metal on metal, and you shuddered as danger crept your spine. You pushed it down, you pushed it back; Dracula was the safest danger you had ever known.

With your eyes closed, your arms around Dracula’s broad shoulders and the scent of him surrounding you, you told the vampire all. You spared not a sentiment, you left no thought unspoken... you bared your soul to the vampire and when you were done, when you had taken yourself to the point where words ran dry, he pressed a kiss to the top of your head, held you tighter, and simply allowed you the comfort you had so desperately been craving. All the while, his mind worked on helping you in any way that he could, for he was more than a beast and he would do all for the only person who could see him for what he truly was:

One of a kind. 

The last of his kind.

[nancydfan]

So I have been a fan of resident evil for a while now and I have to say without a shadow of a doubt Ethan is my favorite protagonist. I feel like the rest of the protagonists in the series are kinda the same, you’ve got the police/army guys (Leon and Chris) who are determined to save the world, and then with the rest of them they’re kinda the same, badass people willing to give their all to get rid of evil and return the world back to normal. And that’s fine, except it’s a kind of story that’s been told over and over again and not just in resident evil.

That’s why I love Ethan so much. He is a breath of fresh air that the series needed. And while yes, you can argue that his type of storyline has also been used a lot, it’s something that has never been explored in resident evil.

With the rest of the protagonists, they choose to fight. They volunteer to put themselves in horrifying scenarios for the greater good.

Ethan isn’t like that.

He’s literally just your typical average dude. He has a normal job, and has a relatively normal life which he was happy to spend with Mia until she went missing.

In RE7 Ethan doesn’t volunteer to deal with the horrors that he faces. He just wanted his wife back, and even after 3 years he still loves her enough to drop everything and rush out to find her.

When I finished RE7, I liked Ethan as a main character, but it was RE8 that made me fall in love with him. In RE7 there were a lot of times when he just didn’t respond or kind of reacts underwhelmingly, but I think this is less of his character and more of Capcom trying to make you feel more like Ethan and having him react too much might take you out of feeling like the main character is you.

Of course his actions are still very reflective of him, like when he first enters the house and has to “kill” Mia the first time, when she reaches out to him he reaches right back, implying that he regrets what just happened and that he still wants her to be okay, no matter what is wrong with her.

I know Jacksepticeye said one of the reasons why he doesn’t like Ethan is because he doesn’t have a character arc, but I disagree. Like I said, Ethan goes from not being very vocal at times/ underwhelming reactions in RE7 to I feel the exact opposite in 8; he talks a lot more with lines that make sense, and you can feel his emotions at times even with just seeing his hands. Now one can argue that Capcom just wrote Ethan differently, which I can see.

But I feel as though Ethan has changed- in the first game, he’s scared and confused, and finally ends on frustration as the game nears its end. In RE8 he is angry, angry that his life keeps getting turned on it’s head because of some stupid mold. He is angry, and fueled by his grief and determination to save the only family (he thinks) he has left. He is 100% done with everything and has honestly given his last fuck a long time ago.

And again, this is what makes him special- he doesn’t necessarily care about the mold, about Miranda or any of the “bigger issue” things- he just wants his family. In 7 he just wants to get his wife and get out of there, and In 8 he just wants to save his daughter. He didn’t sign up to be a hero, to save the world from it’s own creations. He just wants his family.

And honestly that’s what makes him more human and alive to me than the rest of the protagonists- the rest of them kind of just feel like characters with their (almost cheesy) need to take on insurmountable problems to save the world. But Ethan is different, he’s just a man who probably just wants to do his taxes in peace and have a normal, quiet life. The rest of the protagonists, though I’m sure would love to quit, wouldn’t change their jobs or their situations because they know someone has to do it and it might as well be them. But not Ethan. If he had the choice than he’d make it so none of this ever happened, and that he and his family never have to be involved in something like this again.

Which is why I think this is what makes his sacrifice so much more tragic. With any of the other protagonists yes we would be sad but we’d find comfort in knowing that they died doing what they loved (saving people), and wouldn’t have it any other way.

But Ethan is different.

He didn’t want to sacrifice himself- we can see that in the way he struggles with Chris to get out, to stay in one piece for his daughter because he wants to be there for her. He went through hell and he just wants to see his little girl grow up. And when he hears Mia’s alive that want only grows more because he has a chance to have his family back, but I think he knows he can’t. He’s falling apart, his body has dealt with so much and kept him alive but not for much longer. And so even though he desperately wants to go back with Chris, after hearing Mia’s alive he knows he can let go. I think another part of why he was fighting so hard to escape with Chris is because he didn’t want Rose to live without both of her parents, but when he hears Mia’s alive he realizes that Rose will be okay, she will at least have one parent. He is so tired, so tired of fighting that even though he hates the fact that he can’t go back with her (you can physically hear the pain in his voice when he says “Goodbye Rosemary”), he knows that it’s something he has to do.

And he isn’t happy or content with sacrificing himself. In fact this is the last thing he wanted, which again is what makes it so heart wrenching. After all the pain he’s been through he doesn’t even get to see his daughter grow up, doesn’t get to grow old with his wife, his painful adventure to get his family back ends just as painfully as he pulls the trigger to destroy the mold.

This is why Ethan is special to me. Ethan is just a man who wanted to be happy with his family, not some stereotypical stone cold hero who would gladly give up his life for the greater good. He is truly unique and in a way I saw myself in him and his personality, which is what crushed me so much when he died. I wanted him to have a good ending and he got handed a shitty end. I really hope Capcom gives him a good resolution, one where he doesn’t have to be a main character at all but at least give us something where we know he’s okay and reunited with his family.

Sorry for getting weepy and deep lol, it’s just I really love Ethan and have no one to talk about how upset I am at his ending lol. Thanks for listening to my rant!

Oh my dear nonnie you’re always welcome to rant in my inbox. Long or not, thoughts, etc. that’s why my box is always open :)

And just so you know, I’m currently crying in an airport lobby over Ethan Winters 😆

I’m on mobile so I won’t be able to properly respond probably except to say you are absolutely right on all of these things. He really is such a stark contrast to the rest of the RE heroes and that’s what makes him so special to me too. He is just a man. A man who does everything he can for his family. All he wants to do is be left alone to love his wife and raise his daughter. I keep thinking of that scene in re8 where he’s talking to the doc. That is the Ethan Winters Capcom refuses to let us see all that much. Easy, happy, carefree moment. There’s a lightness to his voice. He doesn’t care about the problems of the world. That isn’t his job too. And it’s unbelievably tragic that not only does he get pulled into this twice (with three years of suffering for Mia before Dulvey and then the heartache of her “murder” and Rose’s kidnapping), he then dies in the end???? He doesn’t even get the reward to live with his wife and daughter? WHAT DID ETHAN WINTERS DO TO YOU, CAPCOM!!?

also overcome? Miss me w that bullshit. Y’all blew him to smithereens.

I swear if Capcom doesn’t bring him back in some way I don’t know how I’ll proceed w this series. I love Leon and Claire and Jill a lot too but nothing like Ethan. And I’m super not interested in getting my heart ripped out every few years. Especially w a new protagonist.

Ethan is just the perfect representation of deserved better. He pays his taxes on time, probably helps that old lady down the street whose husband just died. Tells the same joke we’ve all heard a thousand times to the point only Mia and him are laughing at it. He would be there for every parent teacher conference and up at 130 with a flashlight chasing away the monsters from Rose’s closet. The world may be crazy somewhere but he’s content to just be here with his family.

And Capcom took all of that away. I don’t think I’ll ever not be angry about it.

[lunaekalenda]

heyy congrats on 500! 👄💰🥲 or 💖 (i can’t choose but maybe a mix of both?) with eren plz:)

obv! thank you so much for participating and i hope you like it! <3

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enemies to lovers + mafia au + romantic tragicomedia feat. Eren Jaeger

introduced original characters, mentions of blood.

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Eren Jaeger. The actual and young head of the Jaeger family. He wasn’t an easy prey, his family was one of the most important ones in this city. He moves a huge amount of money every day, heir of all the things his parents made on the past.

Unlucky him they have hired you. 

You’re the secret weapon of the Müller family. The child they trained since little to seduce and play with other’s minds to know all of them. You only need to get closer to him and discover all the Jaeger secrets. With which families are they allied. How many money do they count. How many of them are now.

If they hired an Ackerman to kill the clan that contracted you.

The Ackermans are also a really well known clan, famous for being silent and skilled assassins. Specially two of them. Levi Ackerman. The man who built again the reputation of his family. Mikasa Ackerman. The girl who protects Eren Jaeger, because the Ackerman clan knows how many benefits they can get just from protecting the young man. Your instructions are easy, but you know the plan isn’t it. Entering the Jaeger mansion is really complicated: there are guards everywhere. Eren rarely goes out of the mansion, so it’s almost impossible to make it like a casual encounter, the typical encounter between two people that ends with a coffee. You have to enter like every single soul that had meet Eren before: trough money, contracts and secrets. It’s the only way to treat directly with him. Negotiations. Dirty treats.

"I have information about the Müllers."

That false information is the key to your reunion with Eren. You're dressed for the occasion, really well-dressed. The man in front of you talks to a brown-haired girl, and she leaves, going to tell the info to a person who you suppose it's Eren. He listens the orders once she comes back and you look around, analyzing. There are big paintings on the walls, most of them from really famous painters. The corridor you're waiting in is decorated with huge glass lamps that make all the little cristal drops shine in all directions. You don't know who those two are. The tallest one, who has an undercut, nods to the other.

"You can pass." he says. "But he will make you a control. Please, take out your jacket and all the things we can easily found and claim as suspicious, such as..."

"I know, I know. Knifes, guns or another harmful things. I’m empty.” You put your bag in the tallest’s hands. He revises it while the other touches your body superficially, trying to find any hint of a weapon. The little stylet you have on your boot its cold against your leg, and it could hurt you with any abrupt movement. The boy with the bag gives it back to you. The other releases you arms. 

“Take the stairs and wait on the corridor of the second plant. Someone will call you to talk with him.” You nod quietly and make your way to the stairs. Quickly, a blonde boy appears, opening the door from Eren’s office.

“Come in. Boss waits for you.”

You enter before the blonde man, who closes the door fast, almost getting your leg with it. The movement made the stylet cut a little wound on your leg. You walk cautiously, trying not to get the stylet too close to your skin. The fact that you’re wearing the stylet without case is simple: Is a punishment. You had orders to kill someone on your last mission and doubted, so now they want the stylet to cut you, trying to make you regret the failed assassination. But you’ve learned, and you have strict orders to kill Eren Jaeger if he knows too much. The light of the room surprises you, the curtains moving quietly because of the wind that enters from the open window behind the desk, where a tall figure is sitting.

Even when you’ve seen Eren Jaeger before, on pictures the Müllers shown you, you never thought he’ll be so imposing. His dark hair is tied on a messy bun on the back part of his head, and he’s wearing a white shirt he has unbuttoned until the middle. His green eyes look tired, a little shadow under them. He takes his gaze far from the documents and tilts his head a little to thank the blonde boy, that does the same and disappears. He invites you to sit, moving his eyes from your body to the chair in front of him. You sit, your bag on your knees. Eren seems young, maybe he’s on his early twenties. His sharp jaw tenses when he sees you eyes looking the documents with curiosity. You got to read the title of some of them: they are hiring contracts with Ackermans and some transactions about enterprises being bought by the Jaegers.

During your training, they taught you how to read upside down, really fast. That’s because once you arrive on someone’s office to get info, the papers will be facing them. A normal person would take their time to read, making obvious they’re trying to get something. You can read them fast.

“If you’re here to try to get some information.” His voice sounds bored, maybe too tired, as if he doesn’t enjoy the fact that his family is one of the most important ones. Maybe he doesn’t like this? “You’re going to go back with empty hands”

It’s not time to feel compassion. You’re hired. You have a work. 

“I’m here to give information to you, not to steal it from you.” You talk. You know how to modulate your voice, try to make him think you’re nervous for being there, as if you fear for your life just for opening your mouth. Eren raises an eyebrow, as if he was inviting you to talk. “The Müllers.” Now, it’s time to make a credible story to make Eren feel curiosity. To make him want to know more. He’ll protect anything that would help him to destroy the Müllers, so he’ll probably protect you once he believes you can get information for him. You can make him hire you. Eren leans back on his chair.

“I’m listening.”

“They lost their protection. A bad made pact or something like that.” you don’t want to be really specific, that would just uncover your lie. “The clan that worked for them left because of a better work offer.” This wasn’t a lie after all. The Müller did lost their protection, but they quickly found another one, keeping that pact in secret for everyone. Eren looks to his fingers on the table, his head resting on his free hand. He nods quietly.

“You know this pacts from inside, don’t you?” his question, made with the same deep and tired voice, caught you by surprise. He sighs. “You entered and looked directly to my desk. This could be an unfortunate coincidence, you entered and felt curiosity about the papers, that’s just an human feeling. A normal person that enters my office looks down at the papers and then leaves them be, they’re upside down for them. You read them, quite fast i could say.” He takes the papers. “How many of them were you able to read?” You stay silent. He smirks. “Also, isn’t your leg hurt?” he asks. It’s impossible he knows you’re carrying a weapon with you. “I saw you had trouble landing that foot correctly when you walked in.” 

“Just a bad landing,” You answer. He nods, slowly. He knows something.

“How much do you gain with this mission?” he asks. His green tired eyes are looking directly to you. 

“Wh-what mission?” you ask, trying to act innocent. A sarcastic laugh leaves his lips.

“Stop fucking acting.” he takes out some papers. “Y/N, do you recognize this paper?” he gives it to you. 

“My contract?” You think for yourself. There it is: your name, surname, a photo, quantity you gain with this and your signature. 

“I should say, if this is permitted, that you’re much prettier now that in that pic.” He says, calmly. His smirk hasn’t disappeared. “I’ll give you a counteroffer.” He says. “I’m tired of playing hide and seek with all those bastards.” He knows too much. He discovered your plans.

You’re fast when you take the stylet out of your boot, your blood dripping from the file, getting up and leaning on the table to stab him. You’re fast moving it to his neck, but he’s faster. His hand gets your wrist, stronger than you think, making you unable to move it, and he takes the stylet out of your immobilized hand. He looks at it, with your wrist caged on his hand. You can’t sit, he’s pulling you to stay in that position - legs half flexed, the elbow against the table, his green eyes really close to yours.- It’s uncomfortable. 

“You took a risk, didn’t you, hm?” he asks. His voice is now lower. He stopped your stab. The price you pay for a bad executed assassination is death. 

They are going to kill you.

If Eren doesn’t kill you first. Tears start to run from your eyes. You don’t wanna cry, and less in front of him, but the thought of the consequences once you get home again scare you so much. Eren hisses. 

“The cute assassin is crying?” he jokes, his free hand getting some tears from your face. He doesn’t let your wrist. “I’ve heard the Müller are a really moral-questionable family, aren’t they?” he says. He knows about the consequences. “Once more, I have a counteroffer for you.” he leaves your wrist. You sit again, the skin where he grabbed you starting to change from red to a painful purple. He looks at it. “Sorry, used too much strength.” He takes out an empty contract formulary. 

You try to calm yourself. Should you accept it? The betray is also punished with death. They’ll kill you in any way. The green-eyed boy in front of you is your only way to scape.

“Only if you protect me from them.” Eren smirks.

“Granted.”

He doesn’t want to know the Müller secrets, he doesn’t have interest in that. His older brother, Zeke Jaeger, was the one that searched problems. Eren just wants to stay quiet and make easy money without getting his hands covered with blood. He doesn’t want to get in trouble with other families. He doesn’t want to kill, he’s tired of that.  He sits and starts to make your contract. You look how his hands write fast your information. 

“Why?” you ask. All the shock of the previous events didn’t let you think straight. He raises an eyebrow.

“Why what? Speak properly, hm?”

“Why aren’t you going to kill me? I tried to kill you. That’s how this works. One life for another.” Eren keeps writing, unbothered. 

“That’s how it works in Müller’s rules.” he says. “I don’t like that dynamics. Send someone to kill another one.” he answers simply. You look at him. He isn’t a bad person. He isn’t the man everybody talked about. That’s a fake Eren, made by rumors. The boy in front of you is just someone making business. Maybe not in the cleanest way, but at least he doesn’t kill. “I don’t like to kill. And less if the other person is just following orders, scared about the consequences.” He looks at you. It seems you started to calm down. 

“How are you going to cover me?”

“Faking your death. You know I don’t like to go out of the mansion, I saw you walking around it from the window this last days.” You are really surprised. He’s smart, so smart. “I need someone to help with my investments. You don’t need to go out of the mansion.” 

He was strangely calm to be negotiating with the enemy. 

“I could take out another knife and kill you, you know?” you say. He smiles.

“If you announced it, then you’re not going to do it.” He keeps writing. You nod quietly. “I need you to sign here.” He offers you the fountain pen. You could harm him with that. Your hand takes the pen in stabbing position. He sees you from the corner of the eye.

“I wouldn’t do that.” he says, calmly. “Remember that is your life the one risking, not mine.” He’s right. You sigh and sign the contract. Eren smiles.

“You should read the contract before signing.” he says, his voice being like a joke melody. 

“Whatever you’ve put there is better than the punishment of the Müller.” you say, throwing the pen back to him. He catches it easily. 

“Fine, then. You won’t get a single coin in the first year working here.” He says. Wait, was that in the contract? “You tried to kill me. I’m kind, but not that much.”

“But-” He gets up and walks towards you. His green eyes are now close to yours, his breath almost mixing with yours. He smells good.

“But?” he asks. One of his strands of hair move with him, touching your face quietly. He’s really attractive, and so near... 

“How am I supposed to eat?” Eren thinks.

“There are a hundred ways to gain extra pays, you know? Helping on the kitchen, reading my letters or preparing my baths.” he says. “Maybe I could be extra kind and let you have a bath with me.” You can hear the joke in his voice.

“I would politely decline it.” You say. He smiles.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’ll end enjoying it.”

“They never taught you to not empathize with the enemy?”

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Casually, it seems like you didn’t learn it either.

“Eren.” you call him quietly. You’ve been here for months now, almost eight. In that time, Eren avoided three different trials of murder from you and you got slightly punished for two of them. You ended accepting your fate and helping him, learning that he can be a soft and warm-hearted boy once he stops acting as a mature mafia head. This world isn’t for him.

“What?” he says, a little laugh following his words. He didn’t knew what to make with you, a problematic captive enemy that attempted to murder him multiple times. And your angelical aspect and sweet voice confused him. He ended understanding you, understanding the pain and the fear you feel since little, since the Müller bought you and obligated to train as a spy. He listened to your story and you listened to his, how everyone wanted him to became a good leader, one that wouldn’t doubt to kill for his own benefice. That made you understand each other, fall in love with the most human part of the other one. 

“Move.” you try to push him a little, but he offers resistance. He tangles one leg around yours. Your head is resting on his pillow. How did you went from wanting to pierce his heart with a stylet to wanting to treasure it? His arm tangles on your waist and pulls you closer.

“No.” he answers. You laugh and let you head meet his neck curve. You sigh. “You know? A lot of people want me dead.”

“So I did.” you laugh, and he does too.

“So you did.” he says. You remain silent. “At least say sorry, y/n” 

“Sorry for trying to kill you, Eren.” you say. He lets out a little laugh.

“That was the fakest sorry i’ve heard in years.” you hit his shoulder softly before pulling the blanket higher on your body, covering you two. “What would you do if they kill me?”

“I couldn’t kill you, so no one is going to do it.” You say. He caresses your hair.

“They could. And I don’t want you to be here. They could kill you as well.” His voice shows concern. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Some months ago...” you start, but he interrupts you.

“Some months ago we were just two persons with different ideologies.” he says. You sigh.

“I don’t care. I will stay here even if they point you with three guns and two knifes. I’ll be here with you, I’ll stay here by your side in any way.”

“Y/N”... he says.

“If they kill you, they’ll kill a part of me.”

[milktoast-mcgee]

the boys and their royal arms

I’ve rambled about this a little bit before on twitter, but I decided to finally sit down and get these thoughts out about noct, his boys, and the royal arms they use!

tldr, the royal arms prompto, gladio, and ignis use during the armiger chain (in addition to the talismans they can get and the boons the kings’ sigils represent in comrades) illustrate key aspects of their characters. 

Introduction

Throughout Final Fantasy XV, Noctis and his retinue search for the Royal Arms, the weapons of the Kings of Yore. They're representative of Noct's birthright and his destiny as the True King. He and his companions, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis, search for the weapons all over the world. As he adds them to his Armiger, not only does Noctis use the Royal Arms, but the boys wield them as well -- notably, in the Armiger Chain combination attack. Accumulating more of the glaives makes the chain last longer, and all four boys use every weapon in the collection together.

Beyond the battle mechanic, the Royal Arms each of them use carry a strong thematic element. Each glaive illustrates something about each young man -- their characters, their strengths, their weaknesses, their character arcs. This idea extends beyond just the Arms to the Kings themselves, present in their sigils in the Comrades expansion as well as the unique equippable talismans each boy receives.* These themes perfectly illustrate just how connected Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis are to Noctis -- they are fundamentally linked, inexorably bound together.

* (These are only present in the Royal Pack/Royal Edition. They are found in Insomnia in Chapter 14, either after completing all the Kingsglaive quests for Cor. I think. I don't remember... shhsdugif)

Prompto

"My whole life, all I ever wanted was friends... but no one ever wanted me back. So when I finally found people who did want me, I did everything I could to make them stay. And ever since then, I've lived my life in fear -- that one day, they'd find out who I really was, and they wouldn't want me anymore."

Prompto struggles greatly with self-doubt and rejection. He knows he's an outsider and feels that outsiderness to his core, even as a child. But in the face of that, he strives to play the mood maker -- he tries to hold the party together, keep the air light, and make people happy. He attempts to remain outgoing and cheerful, even when he's not, or nobody else is. Noctis and the others love him dearly, regardless of his origins, because he is who he is -- sweet, caring, talented, heartful, thoughtful Prompto. While he at once represents rejection and outsiderness, he also stands for unity and togetherness, and these elements are present in his connection to the Kings.

Prompto receives the talisman of the Clever. The talismans accentuate the boy's unique abilities, and Prompto's grants him increased critical hit rate and unlimited ammo for the SMG. Prompto's gunplay is incredible -- acrobatic, precise, and powerful. It's a far cry from how Prompto tends to feel about himself; he is skilled and capable, even if he doesn't believe he is. The Clever is the perfect mantle for him to carry to represent this.

Though Prompto doesn't use the Bow of the Clever in battle, the Clever fits him very well. The Clever is said to have been a king "versed in myriad arts both martial and intellectual." The Clever's weapon easily fits Prompto, but during the Armiger Chain, it's Noctis who uses it -- while Prompto wields the Sword of the Wise, which carries its own significance. 

Noct uses the Bow of the Clever, it fits Prompto as a weapon: it's the only glaive that's projectile, aside from the Star of the Rogue, which Prompto also uses. It fires spectral arrows to skewer foes all across the battlefield. In addition, in the Comrades expansion, the Clever's sigil allows the bearer to summon spectral arms at will. It replaces the use of spells to summon eight special armaments to wield at once. It's a form of battle very appropriate to Prompto, isn't it? 

The Clever is said to have been talented in many varied ways. The same could definitely be said of Prompto, whether he believes it or not. While a commoner, he keeps up with his royal companions in battle. When he knocks enemies off guard, he can deliver devastating blows to rival even magic. He can take photos in battle effortlessly -- something his companions love, except when Noct is being gnawed on by a daemon. But while Prompto sees himself as incapable, a burden to his team, he's well able to keep up with them, and strives to hold the group together. The mantle of the Clever fits him so well in this aspect.

But while Noct uses the Bow during the Chain, Prompto uses the Sword of the Wise. The Wise is the King who first erected the Wall and established the borders of the kingdom of Lucis. He was a notably mighty figure and protected the realm. His blade represents the foundation of the Kingdom, and Noct's birthright -- and while Noct uses the weapon that most fits Prompto, Prompto in turn uses the Sword of the Wise, a clear symbol of Noct's royal blood. He is more than capable and deserving to wield it, even briefly, despite how Prompto feels about himself.

Prompto also uses the Star of the Rogue. The Rogue was a figure reviled by the people. She "spurned the public eye and took to the shadows." It's a huge shuriken, and Prompto actually briefly wields it against the daemonified Rogue in the Citadel battle. The Rogue is a figure of royal power but rejection -- intensely shunned by the people, choosing to rule away from their eyes. She wears a mask in her armor; it doesn't appear to be a helmet or battle regalia, but rather a means of hiding her face, obscuring herself further. 

The queen is a figure of stealth and prowess, but will never quite belong to the public, to her people. Only when she is gone is she remembered fondly by history. Prompto definitely feels he doesn't belong, and likely that he never will. He's a lonely child from a lonely home. He knows he's from the enemy nation, branded by them. For years, he doesn't believe he deserves to be Noctis's friend, and pushes himself to be good enough to finally approach him. Even when he's assimilated into Noct's retinue, he feels he doesn't compare to the likes of them, and fears the day they all reject him... even though the idea is completely unthinkable to them.

This idea extends nicely to the third Royal Arm Prompto uses, the Scepter of the Pious. The Pious is described as a king who "ruled the realm according to divine law and worked hand in hand with the Oracle." It's a weapon that strikes with a blade of light. It enhances magic and is particularly strong against dark elements. The Scepter is a weapon to represent unity, togetherness. The King worked with the Oracle -- a nice parallel to Prompto's correspondence with Lunafreya, and how she gave him the courage to befriend Noctis -- to unite Lucis. It's a weapon that represents strength in teamwork, in united people, breaking down the walls that divide them to live as one.

Prompto's use of the Royal Arms illustrate his biggest fears and greatest strengths. He's an outsider, terrified of rejection. But he's a dedicated and loyal friend, devoted to helping them and keeping them happy. Despite the differences that could potentially drive them apart, Prompto is a vital part of Noct's retinue. Despite his wavering confidence, he is talented and incredibly skilled. He's unique and irreplaceable, and his closest friends know that. One day, Prompto will, too, and he and Noct can knock down the barriers between their people once and for all.

"I owe Noct everything, for standing by me always. And now... it’s my turn to stand by him.”

Gladio

"I swore a vow to do whatever it takes to protect you and the future of our world."

So, let's get this out of the way: Gladio suffers from a tragic lack of character development. While this can be another sad side effect of XV's troubled development **, we can attempt to spin it into something subtle and quiet, illustrating Gladio's softer side. His connection to the Royal Arms shows that not only does he want to be strong, he wants to protect those he cares about above all else. Gladio is ultimately very caring and deeply, truly loyal, even though he's as hard and heavy as blade steel sometimes.

** (Rumor has it, Clarus, Gladio's father, was going to betray the Crown, and Gladio would face deep inner conflict over it, having to choose between his father's ideals and Noctis's journey. Apparently the role was given instead to Drautos/Glauca in Kingsglaive, who has a much more prominent presence in the movie than Clarus. None of this is confirmed, though, and isn't present in any released canon materials... so who knows. It's worth mentioning because it speaks to maybe their taking out Gladio's planned character arc and forgetting to put anything back in its place...here’s the reddit post that compiles the theories pretty well, if you’re curious.)  

Gladio receives the Tall's talisman. When it's equipped, it accelerates the rate at which Gladio's valor gauge increases. His valor, in battle, best increases from uninterrupted combos and counterattacks, both appropriate given his nature as Shield, well-trained for battle but focused on defense. It's a simple boon that's incredibly valuable in battle, and battle is an inescapable aspect of Gladio's life. Along with the talisman, Gladio wields the Sword of the Tall. It's a broadsword, Gladio's preferred type of weapon. The Tall is said to have been "built like a mountain, towering over all others." It's a peculiar kind of sword with a chainsaw-like blade, which rips and tears mercilessly through enemies. For its incredible strength and vitality boost, it lowers elemental and magic defenses. This is matched by the Tall's sigil in the Comrades expansion, which greatly increases attack power at the cost of casting spells. The Tall's is a mantle of muscle, not mettle, but it's not the only King's presence Gladio carries.

Gladio also wields the Shield of the Just. His secondary preferred weapon is a shield, obviously focused on defense and counters. The Just is a queen of yore -- she and the Rogue are the only queens of Lucis present ingame. She is not given a name, but her armor has a massive silhouette, her presence immense. The Shield of the Just, as expected, offers Noctis huge defense. It greatly decreases attack to grant significant defenses, both physical and elemental. Its description describes the Just as a queen devoted to peace who was loved by all. Though her phantom visage is imposing, the Just is a strong, steadfast figure of peace, not violence. It's a strong contrast to the Sword of the Tall; if the Tall's is his blade, the Just's is his shield.

The Axe of the Conqueror is the third Royal Arm Gladio uses. While the Tall and the Just represent Gladio's strength and will to protect, the Conqueror represents willpower and moving forward. The Axe describes the Conqueror as a king who "performed great feats of arms, expanded his realm, and made his people prosper." This is all too appropriate for Gladio's role in Noctis's retinue, not just as his protector but his guide. When Noct can't move forward, Gladio pushes him. When he can't think, Gladio thinks for him. When things get difficult, Gladio helps Noctis grow and move on, whether he wants to or not. Gladio is a big brother, after all, and he wants only the best for those he cares about and wants them to succeed, just as the Conqueror did.

Gladio's use of the Royal Arms illustrates his boundless strength both in offense and defense. He carries a broadsword and shield and the needs of his companions. Gladio pushes forward. He is fiercely loyal and cares deeply for those around him, and pushes forward without hesitation, bringing those he must protect with him. Gladio wants to be strong, not only for the sake of power, but for the power to protect the ones he cares about. He cherishes the things he holds dear, and will protect them with all his being.

"You're right, I am afraid. ... Maybe I'm not really cut out for the job I'm expected to do. ... I may be all muscle and no mettle, but I'm gonna keep protecting Noct the only way I know how."

Ignis

"This world means nothing to me. Do with it as you wish. ... But I refuse to let Noct sacrifice his life to save ours. I won't let you take him away."

Ignis has served the Crown for nearly all his life. He's been Noct's companion the whole while -- his friend and brother, as designated by King Regis himself. Since he was a child, he's carried royal responsibility. He's composed, precise, and calculating, well-versed in all kinds of matters, political and not. He's a strategist, a royal advisor, and he keeps at Noct's side without hesitation. While he maintains a very cool, thoughtful demeanor, confronting problems with plans and logic, he has a relentless, reckless side. He is willing to resort to violence should the plan call for it, especially if the safety of Noctis and his companions is at stake. Ignis has a very smooth, calm surface with a deep, deep underlying intensity that rarely shows.

Ignis receives the Wanderer's talisman in the fallen Insomnia. When it's equipped, it boosts Ignis's Total Clarity gauge, heightening his senses and deepening his focus. In battle, Ignis uses strategic elemancy -- imbuing his daggers with fire, ice, and lightning -- and counterattacks. He doesn't utilize raw strength; instead, his battle prowess uses his strategic mind. Reaching Total Clarity allows him to unleash a particularly decisive blow. He is a fast, strategic, relentless attacker, perfectly carrying the mantle of the Wanderer. In addition, the Wanderer's sigil in Comrades carries an entirely supportive effect -- it casts Cheer on the party, heightening their abilities. It fits Ignis's penchant for strategy, supporting his comrades and planning instead of rushing into battle and relying on raw strength.

The Wanderer is said to have been "quick like the wind and went where no man had gone before." His swords "rain fury -- together they deliver thundering blows." The Swords of the Wanderer have three distinct forms, interlinked and not, to adjust to the needs of battle. The Wanderer was clearly a versatile, flexible fighter. He roamed the unknown and pressed on into strange territory without fear. "Wandering" implies a lack of a destination, focusing not on the end of the journey but shoving onward regardless.

It's too fitting that Regis tells a young Ignis something he will never forget: "One cannot lead by standing still. A King pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back."

When Ignis is blinded by his sacrifice and Noct disappears into the Crystal, the Wanderer mantle fits him even more. The light has disappeared from his world, both literally and metaphorically. He can no longer see -- greatly debilitating his extensive prowess -- and his life's purpose, being at Noctis's side, is left to the lurch. He investigates the royal tombs and the ruins of old civilizations to the best of his ability. He pushes on alone, not to prove anything to his friends but to himself. He refuses to burden anyone, even though the boys would never think that of him. He's left without a destination, without purpose, but pushes onward, always. He finds the ability to fight again, delves deep into the history of Eos, and holds onto the hope that one day Noctis will return. And, soon enough, he does, only for the prophecy to snatch him away once and for all.

Ignis also wields the Katana of the Warrior, which couldn't be more fitting for him, especially given his relationship with Noct. The glaive is even found in Fondina Castino in Cartanica, the boys' first stop after the catastrophe in Altissia. Ignis is blind, hating himself for every stumble, hating how Gladio and Noct fight while Prompto tries to stop them. After the retinue finds the Katana, Ignis finds his resolve and tells his companions he will continue, and if he can't keep up, he will not hinder them. He will gladly fall behind if it means they can push on together. "I would remain with you all," he says, "to the very end."

The Warrior's glaive bears a tragic description: "A king was changed forever when his beloved queen was taken from him prematurely. This was his katana." The weapon strikes swiftly, calculatedly, cutting down foes “in a single heartbeat." It carries magical defense but is especially weak to dark elements. The Warrior's mantle couples well with Ignis's losses throughout the story -- he loses his home, his sight, the light of the world, and his most beloved companion. Even then, he pushes on. He carries his sorrows and pushes onward, regardless, knowing full well the pain of losing everything that matters, and what else there is to lose.

The third Royal Arm Ignis wields is the Mace of the Fierce. The Fierce was said to be "gentle before his people but an ogre on the battlefield," dealing massive, crippling blows with his glaive. This weapon in particular illustrates the side of Ignis he keeps carefully hidden. For all his composure, his careful planning and strategic mind, he can be reckless, ruthless, and violent. When planning to infiltrate an Empire base, for instance, he's not above torturing someone to get information he needs. When he needs to get something done, he will get it done. When it comes to Noct's safety, he will do whatever it takes. He will gladly throw away his own safety, his sight, and his life to save him. This duality is nicely represented by the Fierce's glaive -- nice and composed, but cold and relentless when the situation calls for it.

Beneath his calm, placid surface, Ignis is a blazing fire. He's intensely driven, fiercely loyal, and wholly devoted to Noctis as he has been his whole life. He will throw everything away without question, even himself, if it means saving the ones he cares about. He is thoughtful and strong, careful and precise, but has a tendency to be ruthless, reckless, and destructive -- forgoing his own wellbeing to reach his ends. In the wake of tragedy, he pushes on, holding onto unwavering hope, unyielding devotion, unable to ever let go.

"Even if it costs my own life to save him... I will pay that price!"

All for the True King

The remaining four Royal Arms are used by Noct in the Armiger Chain. They, too, carry significance in his wielding them -- especially in the combination attack, symbolizing the unity of him and those he cares about. Noctis wields the Blade of the Mystic, the Bow of the Clever, the Trident of the Oracle, and the Sword of the Father during the Armiger Chain. The Blade of the Mystic stands for the Founder King. The Bow of the Clever is a weapon especially fit for Prompto, who then wields the Sword of the Wise, one of the fundamental figures of Lucian history. The Trident of the Oracle belongs to Luna, and the Sword of the Father belongs to none other than King Regis.

Noct's use of the Royal arms in the chain complements those his boys use, further symbolizing the unity and togetherness between them and the people -- and the whole world -- they care about. The Kings' stories are present in the Prince's friends, showing just how deeply connected they are to Noctis. There's no doubt Noct loves his boys dearly, and their thematic connections to the Kings and their weapons only illustrate how much they care about each other. They travel together, ride together, and rule together with the blessings of Kings past. Even in the wake of trial and tragedy, they remain inseparable, inexorably bound together, standing tall in the face of the dawn.

tldr AND DARLING DARLINGGGG STANDDDD MY MEEEE

screenshots from ardynizunya on twitter and the final fantasy fan wiki -- please let me know if you need credit for any of these! ;o;/

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #194

(Woops, day late, sorry)

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re finally done with servants with hidden true names! 🎉 Well, after this one, anyway. Today we’re bringing you the Caster of Midrash, whose true name doesn’t even have anything to do with Salem anyway! Check out her build breakdown with true name spoilers below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: A completely different character, I swear.

We’re building the Queen of Sheba, who is- wait a second. That’s not a name, that’s just a title! And it’s one that’s been subject to so much memetic mutation I’m pretty sure dropping “midrash” in her fake name is more of a hint to her identity than her true name is! What the hell!?

You know what? It’s not worth getting angry. Moolah is an Order Cleric to lay down the law for fair negotiations, as well as a The Genie Warlock for the sake of getting her genie assistants. And also being a genie, I guess.

Race and Background

As I just said, Moolah is part genie, and going by our previous rulings with the Pandevas, that means she’s an Air Genasi. This gives her +2 Constitution and +1 Dexterity, as well as Unending Breath so you can hold your breath forever, and Mingle with the Wind to cast Levitate once per long rest for free, using your constitution. Wind Genasi are probably the weakest subrace (which is really saying a lot), but being able to float around it just fun. For background, she’s... a queen... Noble. History, take Deception instead of persuasion to act like a maid for the singularity. Don’t worry, we’ll get persuasion back later.

Ability Scores

Your highest score should be in Charisma. Moolah’s good at talking people into deals they shouldn’t take. Just because negotiations are fair, doesn’t mean she isn’t better than you. After that is Wisdom. Half of business is all about finding the right mark- I mean customer. Also, wisdom is literally one of her skills. Third is her Intelligence, it was good enough to impress Solomon, but we need the other soft stats more. Your Dexterity is still above average, since you definitely aren’t wearing heavy armor. That means we have to avoid dumping Constitution at the last second, leaving Strength as your lowest stat. Just wind up anything you need to carry, easy.

Class Levels

Cleric 1: Starting off as a cleric gets you a couple goodies, like proficiency with Wisdom and Charisma saves, plus Religion and Insight. Since you’re an Order cleric, you also get proficiency with Heavy Armor (which we won’t use here), and Persuasion. Told you we’d get that back. Order clerics are also a Voice of Authority, which lets your allies help you while you help them. If you target a friend with a leveled spell, they can use their reaction to make one weapon attack against a target you choose. Don’t try to be a rules lawyer though- only one ally can attack per spell, so you can’t hit your whole team with Aid and get a free round of combat. Speaking of Spells, you have those! You can cast and prepare spells with your Wisdom, and you get Command and Heroism for free, so they’re always prepared without taking up space. You can also use spells like Bless to make allies a bit better at everything, Detect Magic to make sure nobody (else) has enchanted your courtroom, and Protection from Evil and Good so you can be on equal terms with even the most outlandish opponents. You also get some cantrips, with Guidance delivering wisdom to your allies once per casting, Thaumaturgy for some courtroom theatrics, and Mending to patch up your robes. Something tells me you’re a bit of a spendthrift.

Cleric 2: The second level of cleric isn’t quite as crowded, but it’s still pretty useful. You can now Channel Divinity once per short rest, either Turning Undead and forcing them to flee if they fail a wisdom save or delivering Order’s Demand. As an action, you can force a wisdom save on all creatures within 30′ of you, charming them for a round or until they take damage if they fail. You can also force them to drop whatever they’re holding. Negotiations tend to go more smoothly when you get rid of the claymores.

Warlock 1: Now that we can calm people down, we can get some other stuff going on the side. First level The Genie warlocks get a Genie’s Vessel, which lets you hide in it for a Bottled Respite, letting you hide out for up to 2x your proficiency hours, once per long rest. More frequently, you can unleash the Genie’s Wrath, adding your proficiency bonus in thunder damage to one attack made with an attack roll. You also get Pact Magic, which doesn’t blend with multiclassing like other spellcasters. You can either kind of slot for either kind of spell, but you don’t use the multiclassing table- just keep them separate, and use your class levels to determine the slots for each class. You also don’t prepare spells, so you’re stuck with what you get here. Grab Eldritch Blast for the prerequisite caster balls and Mage Hand for a helpful little genie to carry stuff for you. You also get Detect Good and Evil to sniff out elder gods, and Sanctuary to stop them from slapping you while you give them a verbal beatdown.

Warlock 2: Second level warlocks get Eldritch Invocations for customization, like Armor of Shadows for free mage armor so you don’t die, and Mask of Many Faces for your shapeshifting. You can also cast Distort Value now, because let’s be real, you’re going to do that whether magic helps or not.

Cleric 3: Third level clerics get second level spells, like your freebies Hold Person and Zone of Truth. Most people assume that means you can’t lie, but all zone of truth does is make it so you can’t tell untruths. There is a difference, and if you want to be a true Moolah you’ll have to learn to embrace that. You can also Aid your allies with extra HP or Enhance Ability, or use Augury to get some of that Solomonic wisdom. If you’re dealing with some angry customers, just use Calm Emotions to make them settle down.

Cleric 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to bump up your Wisdom for stronger spells and demands. You can also Spare the Dying, which will be helpful if you have to stabilize someone after, say, they get half-hanged.

Cleric 5: At fifth level, your turn undead turns into Destroy Undead, instantly killing all undead of CR 1/2 or lower when they fail a wisdom save. You also get third level spells, like Mass Healing Word and Slow! Those aren’t really what we’re here for though. You can also use Tongues to communicate with anyone, regardless of how far away they come from. If they’re from particularly far away, you can use Magic Circle to lock them in place during negotiations. You also get Clairvoyance for more solomon style wisdom.

Cleric 6: Sixth level clerics get a second Channel Divinity each short rest, and you become the Embodiment of the Law- now you can shorten the casting time of a leveled enchantment spell from 1 action to 1 bonus action. You can do this Wisdom Modifier times per long rest. This way you can throw up a zone of truth and keep multitasking at the same time.

Warlock 3: Bouncing back over to warlock at last, just in time for your Pact Boon! The Pact of the Chain gives you the Find Familiar spell, letting you pick special forms. None of those are genies, but an Imp is probably pretty close. You can cast touch-range spells through them, and attack using your own attack to do so. Oh hey, feign death is touch range. Just throw your familiar at Mata Hari & boom, one faked hanging. You can also make a Gust of Wind, creating a line of wind that extends 60′ away from you. Creatures that start their turn have to make a strength save or get pushed back 15 feet, and they spend double movement moving towards you in that area. You can change the direction of the wind as a bonus action.

Warlock 4: Use your next ASI to become Silver Tongued, rounding up your Charisma score and doubling your proficiency bonus with Deception. It’s a useful business tool, and also you managed to hide your identity while also starring in a play as your true identity. I know puritans are dumb, but that’s just cheeky. Also, you can use your attack action to make a contested deception check against a creature’s Insight. If you win, you don’t get opportunity attacks from them, and your own attacks have advantage. This lasts for a round, or until you use the ability again. If they win, they can’t be affected by this for an hour. You’re not really a fighter, so talking your way out of a sticky situation can be a lifesaver. Alternatively, talk your way into slapping them with tons of damage thanks to Eldritch Blast next turn, since this ability doesn’t specify weapon attacks. You can make this even easier for yourself by casting Friends for advantage on charisma checks, and you also learn Flock of Familiars to bring all your genies out to play. It’s Find Familiar, but three of them.

Warlock 5: Fifth level warlocks get third level spells, like Intellect Fortress, which will protect a creature from psychic damage, and give them advantage on soft stat saves. That’s all intelligence, wisdom, and charisma saving throws! Is some nerd tossing zones of truth left and right? No need to fear any more! You also get the invocation Voice of the Chain Master, letting you see, hear, and speak through your familiars. Genies can talk, and now so can your familiars, congrats.

Warlock 6: Sixth level genelocks get an Elemental Gift, giving you resistance to thunder damage, and you can fly for 10 minutes as a bonus action proficiency times per long rest. Finally, controlling wind can be fun! Speaking of controlling wind, your spell this level is Thunderstep, letting you escape from one spot in a burst of thunder damage and reappear in another.

Warlock 7: Seventh level warlocks get fourth level spells, and Charm Monster will help calm down even the strangest of adversaries. If you’re already fighting it’ll have advantage on its save, so you better hope Cthulhu has a bad wisdom score. You also learn how to pull yourself out of the toughest of scrapes with a Trickster’s Escape, letting you cast Freedom of Movement once per long rest for free.

Warlock 8: Odd numbers are bad, so use this ASI to round up your Dexterity and Intelligence for a higher AC and more gooder brain. You also learn how to cast Banishment to throw Cthulhu back into the void he came from once you’re done whupping him in a legal battle.

Warlock 9: Ninth level warlocks get fifth level spells, and Seeming gives you the ability to hide your physical appearance for up to 8 hours. You can alter the appearance of any number of creatures within 30 feet, but this is mostly for your benefit. Fluffy tails and ears tend to stick out in New England. You can also make more destructive genies by summoning Minions of Chaos. Once per long rest you can use a warlock slot to cast Conjure Elemental, creating a CR 5 or lower elemental of your choice for up to an hour. If you drop concentration, it sticks around for the rest of the hour, but now it’ll be hostile to you. Good thing you’re good with negotiations!

Warlock 10: At tenth level your vessel becomes a Sanctuary Vessel- you can pull up to 5 willing creatures into your Bottled Respite with you, and they can be forcibly ejected as a bonus action if you choose to do so. In addition, anyone who stays inside for at least 10 minutes gets the benefits of a short rest, and they get extra healing if they use hit dice. You can also cast Prestidigitation for little bits of casterliness, and you can Contact Other Planes for guidance. Summoning Elementals will probably go better if you give them a heads up, and contacting Mount Celestia is probably the only way you’ll be able to talk to your husband. Sorry about that, btw.

Warlock 11: Eleventh level warlocks get a Mystic Arcanum. Basically, it would be really busted if you could cast two sixth level spells per short rest, so you get one per long rest instead. Yours is Investiture of Wind, giving you yet another way to fly, defense against ranged weapons, and you can create cubes of swirling wind that deal bludgeoning damage and push large or smaller creatures around. We’ve been so focused on legal and business stuff we really haven’t had much focus on wind. To be fair though, it’s not like WotC did much better, but this spell should make up for that.

Warlock 12: Use this last ASI to bump up your Charisma for stronger spells and more convincing lies. You also get one last Invocation, and an Eldritch Mind will help you keep concentration on your spells. You don’t want to run out while flying, and you especially don’t when you’re keeping a living tornado in check.

Warlock 13: Your last spell for this build is the seventh level spell Forcecage. It’s not quite as elegant as a Magic Circle, but it’s way more likely that the giant monster you’re dealing with is coming from this dimension, so this will help trap anything that can’t teleport away.

Warlock 14: Your ultimate level grants you the ultimate power of the genelock- Limited Wish. As an action, you can use your genie’s vessel to cast any spell of 6th level or lower that can be cast in 1 action, without using any material components. You can only use this once every 1d4 long rests, but it’s very cost effective.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

You are very good at ending fights nonlethally, either restraining enemies of all kinds or negotiating their anger away from the party. Depending on how your DM does experience points, this might make you very unpopular.

On a related note, you’re really good at avoiding combat in general, using spells like Forcecage or Gust of Wind to keep enemies away, Flying out of their reach, or using spells like Seeming and Disguise Self to hide in plain sight

Mixed casting classes are usually a bad thing, and to be fair not getting wish does hurt, but it’s also really useful here. Mixing warlock with another casting class gets you extra spell slots, but you can still recharge your biggest slots on short rests. It’s the best of both worlds.

Cons:

Your Wisdom isn’t amazing. It’s fine for most builds, but it means your cleric spells are going to be pretty easy to escape from.

Grabbing Embodiment of the Law means we’re one level shy of the fifteenth level of warlock, which would have given you an invocation that lets you cast Alter Self at will. Without that, your shapeshifting powers are in name only, which is a downer.

Even with Eldritch Mind, your Concentration is still pretty bad, and you’ll have to choose between defenses, charming enemies to bring them out of combat, or your more powerful offensive spells. Nobody ever said being a lawyer was simple.

[incorrect-quotes-from-she-ra]

Morning! I hope you don't mind if i give you yet another She-Ra thought I'm too damn lazy to post on my own. Also, it's long again. I WILL find that character limit some day.

So, we know the way Shadow Weaver raised Adora resulted, among other issues, in her being selfless to the point of self-sacrifice, which came to a climax in the Heart's failsafe business.

And it's been suggested that this was basically intentional on Shadow Weaver's part. Basically, selflessness is a very beneficial quality for others to have. My theory is that <b>her plan for Adora had always been specifically for her to someday use the failsafe and release all magic</b>.

(i will admit i am also curious how formatting works in this app. thank you for your help with these experiments)

So, evidence. Let's start with her name. I know this is a remake and they were stuck with the existing names, but there's a scene where Scorpia complains about it ("yeah i GET it, everyone LOVES you"), which constitutes the writers acknowledging its meaning, which makes me think it's fair game to analyze.

First, I'm obviously assuming Shadow Weaver choose it, as part of her ongoing parenting plan. It's also possible it was her original First One-given name, we don't know. Neither quite works because either she or Light Hope should have had some issues knowing what the name was and they clearly knew automatically. Really the entire series is weird in that everyone communicates with everyone else way too easily, and i will definitely rant about that someday.

For now let it stand that Shadow Weaver is the parent figure, it makes the most sense for her to pick the name, both in-universe and narratively, so i shall assume so by default. I have two things to say about that choice.

First, as we all have noticed, most of the princesses have names ending in -a. All of them, if you count "Glimma". It's never said to be intentional, but it would make sense. And then IF such a tradition exists among Etheria's royalty, it's not unreasonable for Shadow Weaver, a notable and moderately respected member of the land of knowledge, to know about it.

And then if she knew, of course she would take it into consideration when looking for names. Admittedly it's a little weird with the anti-Princess propaganda that the Horde has, but she doesn't really need to explain or justify this. Hordak has a very [i]laissez-faire[/i] attitude, and everyone else she clearly doesn't care about.

And if she knew or suspected that the princesses' powers were related to the Heart of Etheria, which i will argue for later, then giving her a princessy name is also adequately ironic.

The second name bit is that Scorpia clearly knows some Latin, but not enough. True, <em>adorare</em> means to worship and/or to love, but Latin verbs are more complex than that. _Adora_ specifically is 3rd person singular present indicative active. The translation would be "she loves".

Names aside, i want to talk about how they (we) learned about the Heart of Etheria. Castaspella doesn't know what to do, Shadow Weaver suggests they take a road trip to research, which she's reticent about but concedes is probably the best use of her time, and they find success. We don't know how long it took them, but i had the distinct impression that it wasn't very long.

Naturally, I'm suggesting Shadow Weaver knew all along, and led Castaspella on the trip to have an excuse for the inevitable "how do you know?". Also tricked her into thinking it was /her/ discovery, and maybe even that she was succeeding where Shadow Weaver had failed before, if necessary.

That's why she's so excited to share their results with everybody, and Shadow Weaver cuts her off, apparently just to antagonize her for fun, but I'm suggesting it was also because for her this is the culmination of a decades-long plan, and she wants to Get On With It.

It's also interesting that there was a mural depicting the Spell of Obtainment in the hallway leading to the failsafe. It was a reminder of Shadow Weaver's past, and an opportunity for her to show she regrets her results but doesn't repent from her choices, which i quite like actually. But I'm also saying that, meta-textually, it was a signal that she'd been there before, literally.

And then there is the potential in-universe connection, since we don't know what exactly the spell was meant to be obtaining. Power, for sure, and from what happened we're probably meant to assume it's tapping into some sort of demonic entity or dimension.

Fair enough, except that it never comes up again. And it's kind of a big plot point that Etheria is isolated from the rest of the cosmos, which may or may not conflict with it having a contactable "hell". Meanwhile there's the Heart of Etheria Project collecting all that magic, which Mara's allies (and their descendants) would know something about, have access to at least one backdoor to, and may well have tried to tap into its power at some point.

And then what went wrong may well be one of the defense mechanisms of the Project, though I'm admittedly veering into unfounded speculation.

So, a rough timeline. Light Spinner was always motivated to excel and craved power. She was probably always envied the princesses, who command greater magic than most sorcerers with apparently none of the study and practice.

She took to researching everything she could that might lead to power, eventually discovering the chamber with the failsafe, and presumably other information left by Mara's Friends, either in other chambers or in documents she's since removed. She would have learned a lot of things from this.

As i suggested, i believe she knew there's some connection between the princesses at large and the Heart of Etheria. Incidentally, i don't know exactly what that connection is, and in particular whether princesses were created by the Project or an existing phenomenon that the First Ones co-opted. But it doesn't matter, exactly.

What's important is that there's clearly a connection, more specifically a control system for the princesses and their magic, which is presumably related to how Shadow Weaver was able to tap into the Black Garnet's power. With Hordak's help, obviously, since she clearly believed it when he claimed he could cut her off at will, but he's later shown to have basically no understanding of First Ones' tech, so the knowledge must have come from her.

For the record, i would guess she thinks princesses are artificial, empowered both magically and politically to keep the planet in check, and that they would be depowered once the failsafe was fired. I also think that may be true, actually, since it almost happened when Entrapta was messing with the system, and if i recall none of them were shown to use any magic after Adora did fire it, while she clearly used Perfuma's power. But anyways!

Back to what Shadow Weaver learned, she would know some of what the failsafe does, namely disrupt the system that's hoarding most of the planet's magic, thereby spreading magic to all (most notably her), and some of how to use it, and the fact that she couldn't do so and hope to live, and some of the criteria for who can. That part is important.

But first, she also learned the Spell of Obtainment, deemed it more likely but didn't think she could do it herself, despaired of getting help until she thought Hordak's rise to fame would give her #casus belli#, lost her patience when the Mystacor leadership disagreed, etc etc etc. Pretty uncontroversial in this part, i think.

After she'd joined the Horde, when Hordak showed up with baby Adora and wanted to lump her with the rest of the orphans they have, Shadow Weaver pleaded to have her get special treatment. She even said that she's special, and it couldn't have been her leadership skills or good heart, since she didn't have either yet. It's heavily implied she could recognize her as a First One, but it's not clear why she would care, since they were known for leaving behind advanced technology, which a baby also doesn't have. Unless, of course, she knew there are devices only a First One could use, and maybe has plans related to that.

So I'm pretty sure she learned the criteria that the failsafe requires, devised some spell or technique to check people for them that she pretty much used all the time, just in case, and was very surprised when a newborn tested positive. She was also surprised when Hordak made her personally responsible for the raising of the kid, but her reaction is pretty much "ok, that could work, i guess".

Also also, i suspect she can read First One script. Not perfectly like Adora, but better than Bow's parents probably. Mostly because when she puts Adora's hand on the crystal and says "i think you know the password", that seems like a very transparent attempt to pretend she knows it too when she doesn't. But that seems irresponsible at such a crucial moment, she and Castaspella should really have researched it earlier. Or at least her line there should have been "you can read this, right?" or somesuch.

So I'm thinking it's a double bluff, hoping everybody assumes she doesn't know so she doesn't have to reveal how and why she knows, again.

And that's all i have, i think? This is not nearly as well laid out as i would like. But then, nothing ever is, right?

Also it's not even close to morning anymore. Thank you if you even got this far, and have a good evening!

hi!!! this took me a while to answer, i'm so sorry about that <3

i'm very low on energy today so i cannot summon up the brain energy to respond properly to this, as much as i want to, i'm really sorry for that as well

i love this theory!! it actually fits in really well with canon and makes, like, a LOT of sense now that i think about it. i definitely wouldn't have thought of this on my own, so thank you for sharing this with me!! :D