#queen's blade limit break

[vibrantbunny]

[luvendiary]

HII ITS THE NOD LOVER🫶🫶 CAN YOU DO A NOD X READER WHERE THE READER IS CHOSEN AS QUEEN AFTER THE POD BLOOMS AND ITS JUST FLUFF BC NODS GF IS NOW QUEEN<3

a/n: hello! long time no see. i´m in college now! life´s been crazy latelly, but i tried to clear my mind from the stress of it by writing for a while. i had such a hard time with this request. i have a draft of it that might never see the light that i worked on for months. eventually i just decided to start from scratch and wrote this in three hours. hope you enjoy!

Queen Of The Pod

Your muscles were aching and begging at you to give them a break. But you couldn't, not yet. You groaned as you tried to crawl back with whatever energy remained in your body. 

Your leafman uniform was plagued with burn marks from Mandrake´s rot. Some of it had managed to singe your body, but it had been stopped from doing any major damage by your protective pieces.

You lifted your head up just to see Ronin struggling on the floor, being held down by Mandrake´s staff. 

“Don´t touch him, you decaying shit!” you groaned out as you reached for your blade -or attempted to.

“Lie down princess”, Mandrake said, barely sparing a glance at your weak figure. “I'll be with you in a second”. 

He then refocused his attention on the General and with an evil grin pushed the rot towards his face.

Ronin´s eyes went wide as he attempted to put as much distance as he could between him and the black gooey substance. You knew he wouldn't be able to hold for much longer. His face was covered in bruises, and he had been through hell and back just to be able to protect the pod.

At the very last moment, Mandrake rerouted his staff, and brought it down on Ronin´s chest, burning deeply into his chestplate. As the General winced, he took advantage of his weak position and pinned him down to the floor with his foot.

“What is that saying you leafmen have?” Mandrake mused as he nonchalantly threw his staff over his shoulder. “Lots of leaves…something, something. Very inspiring”. He then raised the staff over his head, and his smirk turned into a look of rage and anger. “But in the end, every leaf falls and  dies alone…”

Ronin´s eyes went wide as the staff came down towards his face with sudden speed. However the blow never landed, and when he opened his eyes two blades were protecting his face from being completely consumed by the rot.

“No one is alone”, Nod said as he pushed the staff away from Ronin.

As if on cue, an army of leafmen dropped from the sky in perfect formation. You came to the sudden realization that moonlight was now filtering through the chamber, meaning that the pod would be able to bloom after all.

“Not even him”, you added as you pointed your blade menacingly towards Mandrake. 

The arrival of your boyfriend had been timed perfectly. You had the urge to jump into his arms and make sure he was alright, but you limited yourself to a discreet smile.

‘I'm glad you´re okay’.

Mandrake seemed to come to the same conclusion as you had. The leafmen´s presence meant that they were not occupied with his soldiers; the darkness was not a threat anymore. Frantically he tried to break through the soldiers and get back to the pod, however you and Nod intertwined your blades once again, blocking his way to the center of the chamber.

Mandrake let out a growl of frustration as he pushed and fought harder, but the blooming pod seemed to give you newly renewed energy. You felt Tara with you. It was because of her that you were doing this, you would make her proud. 

With your fuelled energy, you both thrusted your blades forward at the same time that the pod bursted with energy, throwing Mandrake backwards. You hurriedly ran towards the entryway ready to fight him in case he wasn't ready to give up yet, however his drowning screams caught your attention as he was swallowed into the trunk of a tree by his own rot.

You allowed yourself to sigh out in relief, exhaustion washing over your body once again. You saw Nod already helping Ronin up from the floor, and offering him his shoulder as support. 

“You alright old man?” you asked as you sheath your sword. 

“I´m fine. A little bruised is all”, he replied. “How's your leg doing? He burned you pretty badly”. 

Nod approached you, after making sure Ronin was in fact okay, and made you place your arm around his shoulder as he held you securely by your waist. 

The sudden weight of the situation dawned on you. It was over. He was gone, and so was she. You missed her. From the moment Tara died, you had not been able to process her death but rather had been focused on fixing the disaster it had caused. Now that you weren't on this quest anymore, her absence was palpable.

“I wish she could be here”, you blurted out. You felt Nod hold on tighter to your waist as he rubbed comforting circles with his thumb on it. 

“She is,” Ronin said breathlessly, as his gaze landed upon the blooming pod. Now that the battle was over, the people of Moonhaven had come out of their hiding places and were staring in awe at the light emanating from the pod. 

The light particles hovered over the flower before gently flying out. They traveled along the chamber, as if greeting everyone there. As if Tara was happy to see them safe. It slowed down as they reached your small group, stopping ever so slightly in front of Ronin and shimmering a little bit brighter, before making its way over to you and Nod. You expected the same greeting as Ronin had had. A final goodbye from your sister. However, the light did not leave your side, and instead it started to shine brighter and bigger. 

Nod carefully  removed his arm from around your waist, and gave you your space.

The light suddenly took the shape of Tara. You tried your best to remember your training and straightened up with your arms by your side. However, you couldn´t stop the few tears that had formed in your eyes from escaping.

“You did alright kid,” she said with the kindest of smiles. “You're in great hands”.

She glanced back at Ronin, prompting the General to smile.

“There's that smile…” Tara said as she returned her loving gaze back to you. “Take care of them for me”.

“I can´t. I´m not fit for being a queen”, you whispered as your voice broke slightly. “It should be you. You should be here…with me”.

Tara held on to your shaking hands, “I'll alway be with you”.  With a final smile, she placed a tender kiss on your forehead. A bright light suddenly surrounded you and before you knew it, Tara was gone. Well, not really. That deep sadness you had been holding on to was gone. You could feel her. She lived within you. And you would make her proud, her legacy would live on through you.

A soft calling of your name broke you out of your trance. Your head snapped towards your awestruck boyfriend who was looking at you as if you were a star. You came to the sudden realization that the pain in your leg was gone, and as you glanced down to check on your wound you were surprised to see your runiform replaced with a stunning green and white dress. The queen's dress.

“You look stunning…” he breathed out. A smile crept onto his face as he approached you and wrapped his arms around you. You buried your head in the crook of his neck and let out a small laugh as he lifted you up from the ground and spun you. 

“Nod!” you laughed out. “Put me down”. 

“As you wish, your majesty”, he said as he set you down once again and playfully bowed. 

The people cheered, in celebration of their new queen. To which you offered them graceful smiles.

“You know what this means…” Ronin said as he stood next to you, his helmet held firmly on his right arm.

“What?¨ you asked.

“Nod better shape up”. 

You laughed at that, and glanced back at your boyfriend who was staring at you with a lovesick smile.

“I guess he does”.

[princessconsuela120]

☁ FEARLESS ☁

— ☁

Summary: as the Curtis sister its practically known that you're off limits. However, Dallas Winston was never one to follow rules. Or in which your brother gave you a strict set of rules to stay alive in Tulsa, and you have done amazingly well at breaking all of them.

Warnings: I guess angst? Cursing

Author’s Note: rekindling my love for the Outsiders recently so if any has any other requests send them in!

— ☁

IT WAS ALWAYS A MATTER OF PRIDE WHEN IT CAME TO YOUR BROTHERS. You weren't too fond of that fact that you have been single for the past 16 years of your life was something they were proud of. They were your protectors, and it seemed as if all of Tulsa was aware of that. Though your oldest brother, Darry, would never fail to remind you that these were your wishes. Of course, the wishes you made when you were 9 and didn't know there were boys who existed besides your brothers. Ever since your parents passed, your oldest brother Darry was pretty much your dad. He was doing the best he could, and you knew that, but he couldn’t help but be protective as he is, now that his baby sister is all grown up. Now you were far from being a baby, which is were the Curtis brothers long list of rules came in.

number 1 - NEVER walk anywhere alone; there are thousands of greasers in this town, you are bound to find at least one who will take you home.

Now, this rule was ultimately demolished one day you failed to find someone to walk you, and had single handed lay taken down five socs alone with your switch blade. This seemed to scare your brothers more than the socs you took down, and ultimately the rule was no longer there to be followed.

number 2 - curfew is 9:00 no later.

though you would always argue with Darry, in a town as dangerous as Tulsa was for us greasers, 9:00 was a reasonable curfew. But, this rule was ultimately outlawed the second you start your new job at the Dairy Queen, where for whatever reason you wouldn’t arrive home from your shift until after 10:00. Now this was ruled by Sodapop as strictly for your job, but Darry seemed to know better. Turns out your shift at the Dairy Queen ended at 8:30, which only peaked your brother curiosity as to where the hell you could have been for the hour and a half that followed.

number 3 - always wear your helmet while riding you bike birdie, I can’t believe I even have to tell you that.

Though Darry was reluctant to even make this one a rule, seeing as it should be common sense, after a near death motorcycle accident, it seemed important enough to mention. Sometimes having a rebellious sister was fun for the boys, and other times it ended in nights in the hospital due to motorcycle accidents. What can you say, you liked the way your hair blew in the wind, and absolutely hated helmet hair.

number 4 - whenever you are home alone all doors and windows must be locked and shut.

the boys always tried to do everything in their power to make sure you weren’t ever home alone, but there were circumstances that couldn’t be avoided. Like when pony boy had school, and everyone else was working. Like Sodapop you had also dropped out of school early, to save the money. Now, if it ever happened you were home alone, let’s just say you found a way to not be.

number 5 - no pets, you can barely take care of yourself.

another obvious one in Darry’s opinion, and also Ponyboy’s least favorite rule. The two of you had been begging Darry to buy a pet for two years now, and every time the answer was the same. No. Sodapop was allergic to dogs, so that was ruled out, and you could barely take care of yourselves let alone a pet. However, after one particularly long ride on your motorcycle, you discover a tiny kitten who had been sneaking shelter in you bike’s motor. Something you had never seen before, and when you arrived home with the tiny blueish grey kitten, not even Darry had the heart to tell you to put it back. Harley, as you decided to name him, for obvious reasons, had become your new best friend. He was practically attached to your side, and turns out taking care of him was easier than taking care of yourself.

number 6 - tell your brothers where you are going before you go out, so if anything happens we know where you are.

you had argued on many occasions that this one was a bit much. You were 16, and perfectly trustworthy. There was no reason why Darry had to know where you were at all times, in a town that you could yell in the center and be heard in every corner. Now, seeing as phones weren’t as accessible as Darry had hoped, this rule was quickly abolished when you had gained a habit of taking Ponyboy out for rides on your bike, which never consisted of specific locations to track.

number 7 - no sneaking out, once you are in for the night you’re in.

Even though your room was your favorite place in the world, you couldn’t help but have a rebellious heart like the other greasers. With a curfew of 9:00, and daylight savings where the sun was still out and you weren’t, you started a habit of watching the sunset. Now, you had a rule for this and your brother didn’t. It was ruled unfair by yourself, when both you and Ponyboy started getting caught together, sneaking out to two completely different places. Poor Darry was bound to get a heart attack from you two.

number 8 - nothing illegal, this should be a rule of life not of the house, but if you go to jail I will personally lecture you myself.

Now, this one was a special occasion rule, added after a particular series of events. It was your first time ever doing anything illegal, and of course you got caught. Even though you had your best interest at heart, the police didn’t see it that way. It was your’s and Soda’s birthday, and you felt awful that the poor guy had to work. So you went to the store, and looked around for a record to buy as his present. Stevie Wonder, you and Soda’s artist, he pretty much represented your relationship with him. But when the time came, you realized you didn’t have nearly enough money to buy it. So you tried to sneak it out of the store. Of course, hiding a record that was wider than you under your shirt isn’t the best idea.

number 9 - keep your distance from the socs, we have enough beef with them, they would love to get their hands on the Curtis sister.

This rule was a follow up rule of almost every rule before it. The Socs were the center of all evil, and it was almost impossible to avoid them. It became its own separate rule after a particularly difficult run in. You tried, you really did, but it just wasn’t a fair fight. 6 against one, and you had left your blade at home. Two-Bit had found you while he was walking home the next morning, your brothers hearts each broke when they saw how beaten up you were. Darry wasn’t mad at you, he was mad at himself. So he made it a new rule.

number 10 - no rumbles, I don’t need any broken bones.

as a greaser, rumbles were basically inevitable, it was a part of life. Knowing you, you loved to give your brothers heart-attacks, and a rumble was no different. Every rumble before this one was fine, but this was a particularly rough patch. Everything was fine, and fair, and good. Until the damned Soc pulled a knife on you. Cut up y the bridge of your nose so bad, it left you with a nasty scar between your eyes. You loved it though, though it made you look tough. Darry however hated it, it was just a reminder that you weren’t as tough as you convinced him you were.

number 11 - no, and I mean absolutely no boys. You have three brothers right here at home and enough boys in the gang to be your family. You’re too young for a boy who will just take advantage of my beautiful baby sister anyway.

this was the important one. All other rules held less importance than this one. This is the ultimate, final rule. For as long as you were brown, Darry had made a promise, to himself and to you. He would protect you, and care for you, and never let anything hurt you. Now if that meant you would be mad at him for it for your entire high school life, he was fine with it, as long as he protected you. Now, the entire gang knew this rule and helped you to follow it. But we all know how Dallas Winston feels about rules.

[kings-highway]

I got myself the Haikyuu art book and I know most of you have probably seen most of these images but I wanna share my favourite pieces from it!!! (Its mostly Karasuno third years! who would have guessed!)

starting off STRONG we have some pastel third years and an image of Sugawara that makes me absolutely melt oh my GOD

We also have this bored-emperor-ready-to-behead-you image that is making me crazy (suga in this book is on POINT) and Kiyoko looking like a queen.

More Third year stuff - BABY THIRD YEARS WITH THE MOST ROUND SUGA IN THE WORLD LOOKIT HIS FACE

THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN THIS

WHY DOES BOKUTO HAVE BLADES TAKE THE BLADES AWAY FROM BOKUTO

ALSO this is the English translation but FUCK i was not expecting Aoba Johsai to be translated/changed to BLUECASTLE??? absolutely insane I love it.

"Angels" from the "Crow Detective Agency" has been breaking my brain but who the fUCK is John Bonsley what reference am I not getting

Also why did NOBODY tell me this was Daichi's reaction of Asahi telling them what Noya was up to in the timeskip?? ICONIC the man has NEVER had a thought. vacant.

ANYWAY THERES A 10 IMAGE LIMIT SO ILL PROBABLY MAKE A PART 2 WITH ALL THE LITTLE DOODLES AND SILLY BACKGROUND IMAGES THAT I LOVE

Theres SO many pages so I cant possibly get everything but <3

[violettduchess]

I don't know if your requests are open but I adore your kiss fics! I'm wondering if you could maybe do a kiss fic for Sariel Noir?

A/N: Here you go anon!

Sidenote: Kiss requests are always open. If you aren't sure which ones I have already done, there is a masterlist which you can check out right here

Sariel x Reader

Word Count: 545

You wouldn’t expect such tenderness from a man known as a devil. You might expect a kiss that bruises, that presses a whimper from your throat the way a flower-press crushes petals. You might expect the grip of his hands to be punishing, fingers digging into your softness like a trowel into soft earth. You might expect his goal to be pushing you to your limit, to dance you to the very precipice of what you can take, dip you backwards over the edge as dizziness swims through your body. The devil, after all, is heartless, relentless, and flirts with cruelty.

But you know better.

You know the side of him that, if it is a devil, it is of the fallen angel kind. He looks up from the papers piled on his desk as soon as he hears the door open, violet eyes suddenly luminous, their amethyst color shining like sunshine through a butterfly’s wing behind the lenses of his glasses. You approach him and he rises, the tide in its eternal, loving servitude to the moon. No words are needed between you as he opens his arms and you step into them, closing your eyes as the world tilts and he settles back into his office chair, you pulled along and held close to him. His embrace is as much strength, the bulwark of protection from the world’s dangers as it is the gentle, protective curve of a hawk’s wing over its young. He reaches up to free your flushed cheeks of a few wandering strands of hair, his hands cool against your skin. You smile and his breath is visibly caught in his chest, his expression that of a man who wants to resist the allure of looking at the sun directly….and not being able to help himself. You shift within the circle of his arms and stretch upwards until your lips touch his.

His mouth is immediately responsive, the softness of your kiss mirrored in the answering press of his lips. You do not move, sinking into the feeling of his lips on yours, the gentle hum of electricity passing between you, words of devotion and affection unspoken yet palatable. He shifts, tilting his head and catches your lip between his, holding you there a moment. Both of you are still, locked in a sweet embrace, two people in a timeless echo of all the lovers that have ever come before you. You are endless and undying, the moment between breaths, the space between heartbeats, a single drop of eternity shared between you and him. And then your lips move, the moment breaks, and stillness becomes propulsion. 

Your kisses grow less gentle as lips part, teeth and tongues uncaged. Where there was tenderness and peace, there is now hunger and want. Satisfaction and discontent are two sides of the same blade: each kiss both quenches and amplifies the fire burning low in your bodies. He tastes so good, he feels so good, what more could you want.

The answer is easy: You want more and more and more.

You have one last, coherent thought as his teeth drag red lines down the soft skin of your neck, as your fingers slide under his tunic, searching for skin: There is nothing as satisfying as giving the Devil his due.

Tagging: @aquagirl1978 @alixennial @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesrose @ikemen-prince-writers-posts @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @redheadkittys @dear-mrs-otome @firestar-otomeobsessed @curious-skybunny @kpop-and-otome @writingwhimsey @mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @otomefoxystar @neoqueen-sailorvirgo @myonlyjknight @queen-dahlia @aceuuuuu @scorchieart @bubblexly

[peachymilkandcream]

Ready or Not|Part 3|Yandere Levi x Evelyn

(A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying this series, I'm really getting into more of the whole obsessive side as well as kind of the mystery of who/if anyone helped Evelyn to escape. I've really been enjoying this and comment to be added to the taglist!)

WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, violence, mind breaking, misogyny, etc

===============================================

The door bursts open to Lili Strecker's office, a man she didn't much care to see again storming through with a heated air of vengeance. She ignored the small bead of sweat trickling down her neck, determined not to show fear to this man.

"Captain Levi, how good to see you again."

"I don't care to deal with your bullshit today Strecker. Where is my wife."

"I don't know what you mean, shouldn't she be at home resting? She shouldn't be up and about pregnant like she is."

His eyebrow twitched. "You know very well where she is and you're going to tell me."

She gave him a tsk tsk. "You know I can't tell you that, it's patient confidentiality. Just like how I would never tell your peers how the great Captain Levi's sperm isn't as gold as he thought."

His annoyance peaked, in his desperation to trap his wife with a child, Levi had in the past turned to a fertility specialist in an attempt to discover the problem and fix it. Even though Evelyn not getting pregnant initially was her fault, the specialists didn't take a liking to him when he mentioned that. She had always been rather soft to Evelyn, and colder with him. Maybe his wife had taken a chance on this rare moment of kindness and received help there, which is why he suspected her now.

"Is that a threat?"

"Only if you make it out to be one Levi. I'm through with watching men like you push around these women for your own selfishness. That sweet girl has done nothing but suffer in life and instead of controlling what's in your pants so she could find someone who really loved her. But you tricked her and now look where she is."

"Married to one of the most powerful men in the world, riches and comfort beyond her wildest dreams, giving birth to the strongest children that will carry on our legacy with pride."

"Forced to stay with a rapist and a psychopath."

In an instant Levi presses a blade to her throat. "Take it back."

"Would the prestigious Captain Levi really threaten to kill someone? Shocking."

Levi takes a long moment to calm himself, before stepping back and sheathing the knife. "You're right, it's not very becoming of me. I apologize."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion, in all the time since the Ackermans have sought her medical help she's never heard the Captain act this calm and collected before concerning his wife.

He pulls out a document and starts to read. "Dr. Lili Strecker, you are under arrest for harboring and assisting enemies to Eldia-"

"Wait what's going on here-" She cuts in as soldiers rush into the room to apprehend her.

"You will be taken from here to be kept in containment until you confess your crimes after which a trial will take place. Glory to Eldia-"

"You can't do this Levi! You hear me!? You won't get away with this!" Her struggling ceases when one of the soldiers hits her over the head with a wooden club, causing her to slip into unconsciousness.

"And long live the Queen."

===============================================

Evelyn had been taken in temporarily by the Azumabitos when she initially arrived. Having connections with her sponsor due to trading they were able to be convinced to take Evelyn and Furlan on their return trip home and help her get a fresh start in this new country.

Unfortunately for her, all of Evelyn's work experience was entirely useless. Active duty soldiers who fought Titans were useless here. Plus all her options were limited due to her condition. Housing was at an all time high with supply and demand being throughout the roof. Her fresh start wasn't looking to hopeful now.

Finally she settled on becoming a cleaning lady, it was the one thing she knew how to do well outside of slaying Titans and she could do it up until she gave birth. Some jobs even allowed her to take Furlan along so long as he behaved himself. The only good thing Levi had ever done was drill into her the importance of cleanliness, so making a good impression on her clients was easy, all of them wishing she had started her trade sooner so they could have had this clean of a house always. None of them ever knew her true story, not like she was going to tell them.

Anonymity was the only way she was going to survive. With the state of the world, Levi could have spies and allies in every part of the globe. She changed her name to Scarlett Westley, should anyone come asking around perhaps that would be enough to keep Levi at bay. Her appearance she wouldn't change, Evelyn believed that her husband had taken so much from her, he wouldn't take her entire identity. Deep down she was Evelyn Glass, not Scarlett Westley or even Evelyn Ackerman. That's who she was and Levi wasn't going to change it or taint it forever.

While the pain of seeing that vile man in the face of her sweet amd innocent boy led her to sob at night, she'd pull through. For them. For her confused son who asked where Papa was and why couldn't they go see him. For the child kicking in her womb at night, desperate to come out and see its mother was so distraught while it was forming. What was left of her life she would use it to ensure her children had everything they could. She would work for hundreds of hours if they meant they had the best of everything, so much that they forgot their father and what kind of man he was. She would raise them to be kind and caring people who didn't abuse their power for evil. They wouldn't grow up to be like him.

The thoughts were only comforting in the day, as soon as she shut her eyes, nightmares of Levi coming to take them all back haunted Evelyn's mind. Even though she told herself they were safe and nothing would hurt them again, something in the back of her head told her the opposite. Those words of Levi's ringing in her ears the last time she threatened to leave.

"If you burn that you'll be free to leave, but I'll be free to come after you."

[nerendus]

Datability/Fuckability of every Bloodborne boss

You know how it is....

Cleric Beast — First boss of the game and very simple. He's quite the acrobatic, and is permanently burned into my mind whenever I walk across the bridge. He has a lovely voice that he uses to scream at me from the very beginning of the game. 7/10.

Father Gascoigne — Do I really need to say anything..... Deep voice, bloody, tall, DILF, religious man. Being able to summon him in Central Yharnam and just twirl your hair at how tall he is..... Don't worry about his wife. His wife's dead. And his children need a new mom and I've already accidentally killed them, so there is absolutely nothing in the way of our fucked up bloody romance. 10/10.

Blood-starved Beast — You know..... I'll give them points for being in one of my favourite locations (the chapel, not exactly Old Yharnam), but the poison sweeping from every orifice of their body really is a major turn off. I love their mangly and skinned look, but I would rather not die while cuddling. 4/10.

Vicar Amelia — Probably the first boss to give me genuine trouble, but I'm alright with that! She was a very beautiful human woman and became an even more beautiful Borzoi woman. Even in her transformed state, she still holds firm to her values and religion, so she would never betray me just because now she's able to scream really loud. Her friends outside really don't approve of the relationship, but there's nothing more juicier than a forbidden relationship. 8/10.

Witches of Hemick — I'm not saying yes for her, she isn't really my type (her eyes are a little...too much), but the Mad Ones in the polycule are extremely lovely and I want them to hold me in their arms and protect me from all danger. 5/10.

Shadows of Yharnam — YES! MY DUDES! Seeing three robed guys slowly creep into view from the fog is already enough to make a lass swoon, but with the added Nazgul effect of them and just the overall fact that they are Pthumerian makes me so desperately be in the middle of whatever they got going on. Don't worry, the Queen will be fine on her own, she's already dead anyhow. 10/10.

Rom, the Vacuous Spider — MILF, loyal children, loyal to the cause that made her turn into a mindless cosmic spider at the bottom of the lake. Her very tiny legs are kinda silly, and I don't really have that much attraction to her, but I think we could be besties. 4/10.

Amygdala — YES! WOMAN ALIEN MOMENT! She is seven arms of beauty. There are two particular variations that I'm obsessed with: passed the Yahar'gul Chapel lamp, there's a lass that is...extremely dangerously hanging from one of the buildings, and a few of her arms are just dangling without any purpose as she just lazily looks down at us. The other one is back up the way we came, passed The Girls, and she's just clinging to the bars over this walkway, and you can get so close to her and see her heartbeat and she just stares down at you with all her tentacles and it makes my heart blush. 100/10.

Laurence, First Vicar — His human form, even though we just hear his voice, is an automatic yes, but this isn't about him, it's about his fucked up flaming transformation version. From the moment of the boss intro, it's obvious that he's just having a bad hangover, and I feel for him! I'll get a washrag and damped the flames before giving him a full bottle of Ibuprofen (I feel like he'd need all that) and taking a cuddle break with him on the altar. 8/10.

Ludwig, the Holy Blade — Honestly....his second phase is sorta attractive, but he really just gives me dad vibes instead of husband vibes. 2/10.

This is the end of Tumblr post due to photo limit, second part will be reblogged!

[pascalmode]

In The Stars (3 - The Inner Circle)

Guys I’m learning how to work tumblr (I have a taglist now, let me know if you want to be added to it;)). The love that I got in the last chapter makes me so BEYOND happy, and I’m grateful that people are giving both me and Asteria a chance. ily. Let me know what you think of this one:)

Az x TOG!OC

Words: 3k

Warnings: none, i think. Will az finally make an appearance in this extreme slowburn fic? who knows? i do. hehe.

Also posted on my ao3 (fortheloveofstark)

In a place dubbed the Night Court, Asteria had been surprised to see the sun rise in the morning. 

She hadn’t slept, so when the sun peered over the triad of mountains on the horizon, the female tracked its entire path upwards, unable to get her mind to quiet long enough to rest. 

Asteria can’t ignore what she’d left behind; Her brothers, the Realm she’d been deeply connected to since the day she was born over three and a half centuries ago, her entire way of being, and a war. 

She’d helped to start a war, and now it’s raging on without her. The Realm she called home, and called her dearest friend, would suffer the damages of it without Asteria there to heal it. Instead, a strange realm, a strange court, needs her help. And the Realm refuses her. 

Asteria had sent her magic through the house and channeled it down to the earth again, gritting her teeth from the effort as she did. She only has a small fragment of her magic left, a bottomed out, shallow well of power that she feels confined in. 

Feeling the bottom of it in a strange place made her want to break everything in the room, and even so, she reached out, and the Realm didn’t even dignify her with a response.

There was only silence. 

With a dagger in her chest Maeve had called Asteria the most powerful full blooded female on the planet. But she was wrong. Asteria was the most powerful fae of the Realm. Nothing and no one else compared. Her magic knew no limit. Her well of power had no end. By exiling her, sending her to her death, Maeve had changed the course of the war completely and turned it to be in her favor. 

The thoughts about the Fae Queen made Asteria restless, and she paced across the room she’d been provided so fervently that she’s surprised she didn’t put a rut in the floor. 

That’s how Rhysand finds her in the morning, knocking before he enters; dressed in a wondrous black shirt, jacket, and pants. 

“I take that you slept well,” Rhysand says, a brow raised and a feline smirk adorning his features, eyes tracking Asteria as she continues to pace, unwavered by the High Lord’s entrance. 

Asteria spares him an unimpressed glance, “I slept for seven days, Rhysand, I’ve rested enough.”

“Well then I guess I can’t ask if the bed was to your liking.”

“I’m sure it’s great.”

“What about the room?”

Asteria huffs, “It’s fine. Thank you.”

If she wasn’t in the middle of a downwards spiral about her own power and the fact that she’s stranded in a strange Realm, she would have told the High Lord that the room is the most luxurious thing she’s ever been provided. Asteria had been utterly speechless when she’d first seen it, taking in the silk of the sheets and the closet full of garments for her to wear. The blades she had on her person when she fell had been on the dresser, freshly polished and sharpened.

When she had been hiding some of her daggers and smaller blades around the room, the house had made a meal appear out of nothing, and when Asteria finished it, the plates and cutlery had vanished. 

Now, she has her beloved broadsword, a dangerous onyx blade that she’d named Querencia, strapped to her hip, a dagger sheathed on the opposite thigh, and Asteria had dressed herself in black pants and a navy blue tunic, both items found in the grand closet amongst others like them, as well as at least three dozen different gowns. 

She’d been sure to pull on her brown leather gloves as well, hiding what lay beneath.

“The inner circle is here, waiting in the office to meet you,” Rhysand says, hands clasped behind his back, “There are some things to discuss first.”

Asteria allows her pacing to slow, raising a brow to the High Lord, silently urging him to continue. 

“I think we should hide the fact that you aren’t from this world.”

Asteria’s pacing stops, and she slowly nods, folding her arms over her chest, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you are not the Realm Reader,” Rhysand explains, “Instead, you’re a seer, sent here on my request from Miryam and Drakon.”

“You want to withhold the truth.”

“I think it’s for the best. The idea of the existence of other Realms outside of ours is a frightening one,” Rhysand says, “One that has the potential to cause panic, and an existential crisis like the one you’re having.”

Asteria huffs a breath through her nose, a fraction of a laugh, “I’m not in crisis.”

“So the pacing was you being calm?”

“How about you get stabbed in the chest and exiled from your home after helping to start a war,” Asteria counters, “Let’s see how you react.”

“I imagine I’d handle it with my usual charisma.”

“And the deception of whoever you encounter?” The female adds. 

Rhysand sighs, “Asteria, I-”

“You’ve been in my head,” Asteria says, cutting off the High Lord and stepping closer to him, “You’ve seen my life, and you know that I’ve spent nearly every day of my immortal existence with someone else holding my tongue. So I don’t really care if your people have a crisis over who I am, or where I’m from. I won’t deceive them. I won’t lie. And if you want my help, you’ll tell them the truth too.”

Rhysand stares at the female, those night-filled violet eyes piercing her with something she can’t place when there’s a timid knock at the door. 

The door opens, and in walks a blue eyed, golden brown haired female that Asteria immediately recognizes from Rhysand’s memories.

Feyre Archeron, the High Lady of the Night Court. 

The Female eyes her mate, suspicion in her gaze as she moves towards the pair in the room. Asteria knows they speak in each other’s minds often, having felt it when she walked through Rhysand’s mind. She has no doubt they’re doing it now. 

After a moment, Rhysand’s lips quirk up in a devilish smile at whatever Feyre has communicated, and he turns back to the silver-haired female, “Asteria, this wonderous female is Feyre, my mate and the High Lady of the Night Court. Feyre, I present to you, our disturbance from the night of the solstice.”

“Rhys,” Feyre scolds, slapping the High Lord’s arm.

His smile grows, his hand finding his Mate’s back, “This is Asteria Relridaar. The Realm Reader of Erilea.”

Asteria eyes Rhysand, finally able to place how he stared at her before Feyre entered the room. 

He was looking at her with admiration. 

“It’s a pleasure, Feyre,” Asteria says, lips quirked up in a small smile as she bows her head slightly. 

The High Lady smiles, and Asteria decides she likes her immediately, “Don’t let Rhysand push you around,” Feyre says, “He’s more bark than bite.”

“You would know my bite, Feyre Darling,” Rhysand smirks, earning an elbow in his side and a stern glare from his wife. 

Asteria huffs out a small chuckle, she definitely likes the High Lady. 

Feyre takes a step closer to Asteria, her smile nothing but welcoming, and the silver haired female notes that they’re roughly the same height, “Are you ready to meet everyone?”

Asteria nods, looking to Rhysand as he says, “No lies.”

“No lies,” The female responds.

Following the High Lord and Lady into the hallway, Asteria lets her eyes wander across the walls, noting high quality, detailed paintings that she makes a mental note to look at closer once the meeting is over. Her pace doesn’t falter, though, and when they turn a corner and reach a set of elegant double doors of dark oak, Rhysand swings them open easily. 

Inside, Cassian stands near a expansive book shelf, flipping through a thick tome, Mor, the blonde female that Asteria had nearly sent through a wall, lounges on a beautifully crafted couch with a goblet of wine in hand, and beside her, another female with dark hair and a set of menacing eyes. 

Upon their entrance, the conversation in the room stops, and Cassian snaps his book closed with a satisfying clap.

“I see most of you are on time,” Rhysand greets, “An achievement on its own. Where’s our dear Shadowsinger?”

“Following up with a friend of his near the boarder,” Cassian dismisses, shelving the tome and crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Rhysand chuckles, turning to Asteria and beckoning her closer with a lazy wave of his hand, “No sense in keeping secrets. Our Spymaster is in a meeting a spy of his, I’m sure he’ll be with us soon.”

Asteria nods, stepping closer to the High Lord and his confident grin, watching as the females rise from the couch they’d been lounging on. 

Rhys gestures to the shorter of the pair, “This is Amren, our second in command.”

Asteria looks over the raven haired female, and doesn’t quite know what she sees. By sight, she’s standing before a fae, much like Asteria herself, but there’s something else. The way she holds herself, narrows her eyes and tilts her head as if trying to deduce things on her own, is different. Older. Both primal and ancient at the same time.

“You’re different,” Amren observes, making no effort of discretion while she scans over Asteria’s muscle packed form, blood red lips held in a knowing smirk. 

Asteria quirks a brow, “So are you.”

With nothing else said, Amren saunters back to the couch, sitting down and starting to run her fingers over the massive rubies that lay on a chain around her neck, her stare sending a shiver over Asteria’s spine. 

What she is, or what she once was, Asteria isn’t sure that she wants to know. 

Luckily the blonde steps forward, holding her wine and extending another goblet towards Asteria. She takes it, holding it carefully in one hand with a grateful nod.

“This is my cousin, Morrigan,” Rhysand introduces, “Third in command and overseer of our courts.”

“I’m also the one you landed a mean kick on yesterday,” The blonde says with a kind smile, clinking her glass against the one she’d handed Asteria, “You’re forgiven, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Asteria raises her glass in sync with the female, sipping the decadently flavored wine in an attempt to avoid apologizing for her behavior. 

“And you should call me Mor,” The blonde adds, “Welcome to the Court.”

Asteria swallows, “Thank you,” She says with a meek smile.

Looking back to Rhysand, Asteria realizes there’s one last person in the room. One that she’d already introduced herself to. Huffing out a loud sigh as the General steps forward, Asteria raises her goblet and downs the rest of the wine, hearing both Mor and Feyre chuckling at her actions. 

“And I assume you remember the General of the Illyrian Armies, Cassian,” Rhysand says, clearly amused by the silver haired female.

“I’m glad you had your fun yesterday, because it will never happen again,” Cassian drawls, a confident smirk resting on his lips. 

Asteria lets out her own huff of air in response, remembering how fast she had the massive winged male pinned beneath her. The corners of her lips quirk up on their own, “You sure about that, General?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Cassian says, jutting his head up in a challenging nod, “Brave enough for a rematch?”

“Are you?”

“While that does sound entertaining, and we’ll definitely be heading to the ring to see Cassian take yet another loss, we have some matters to discuss first,” Rhysand says, moving to lean on the edge of a grand wooden desk, “Now that you’ve met her, I ask that you brace yourselves for her introduction.”

Asteria clasps her hands behind her back, feeling a reassuring hand rest on her shoulder, turning to see Feyre beside her wearing a kind smile. 

The High Lady clears her throat, bringing the inner circle’s eyes to her, “This is Asteria Relridaar, and she fell from the stars the night of the Solstice.”

“The stars?” Cassian echoes, brows raised. 

Asteria nods, Feyre giving her arm an encouraging squeeze before the green eyed female continues, “I am not of this Realm. I was exiled from a place called Erilea, and I don’t know how it happened, but I landed here, in your Court.”

Morrigan is the next one to speak, “Why were you exiled?”

“Sorry, hold on,” Cassian interrupts when Asteria opens her mouth to speak, “Are we not going to acknowledge the existence of another Realm?”

Asteria looks towards Rhysand at the General’s panicked question, his gaze declaring; I told you so.

With a sigh, the green eyed female looks to Cassian, “There are an infinite number of other Realms,” Asteria says, goosebumps flooding over her arms beneath her tunic. She remembers the feeling when she was pushed, when she was falling. Before she’d passed out there were flashes of other places. Worlds with buildings that stretched high into the sky and bright lights, others filled with with only ocean and civilizations beneath its surface, and some with no life at all. But then her eyes closed, and she was met with nothing but darkness. 

Then she landed in Prythian, and she considered herself lucky. 

“Travel between them, however, is impossible unless an extreme amount of magic is used,” Asteria continues, “That much magic is only accessible by one being in that Realm, usually-”

“A Realm Reader,” Amren finishes, fingers still tinkling with the gems on her necklace, “You’re a Realm Reader, aren’t you?”

Asteria nods, “Yes,” Seeing the question on both Mor and Cassian’s face, the silver haired female takes another breath, “A Realm Reader has a deep connection with their Realm, and is able to access its well of magic as well as their own. Realm magic is endless and capable of anything, including opening the door between worlds.”

Mor nods slowly, “And that’s what you did?”

“That’s what I was forced to do,” Asteria confirms, “When I was young I swore a blood oath to a cruel, and wicked Queen. She controlled every aspect of my life for nearly three and a half centuries, two of those centuries she made my every move, every breath, a living hell. It took those two centuries for me to summon enough magic to shatter the blood oath on my own. And when I did, I ran.

“I followed a friend of mine to a different part of the continent and entered the service of a long lost heir with a mission I believed in. She wanted a better world. I fought beside her, and called her a friend when the Queen sent her forces after us, and we started a war in the Realm. The Queen had an armada engage us at sea, and when we made it to the beach, she was there. She had a member of our Court hostage, and brothers of mine still bound to her through the blood oath. I couldn’t fight her because she had that leverage over me.

“I handed her the dagger she stabbed into my chest, and when she ordered me to open the door between worlds, I refused. But she had my brothers. So I forced all the magic I had into the Realm and when I opened the portal she pushed me through. I was the most powerful fae Erilea had ever seen, and the Queen knew she’d lose the war if I opposed her, so she wiped me off the board completely. I was supposed to fall through worlds until I died, but instead I ended up here, in a Realm that apparently needs healing, with a sliver of the magic I had before. 

“I wasn’t exiled for my actions, or as punishment. I was exiled because I was seen as a threat,” Asteria finishes. Behind her back, her hands shake, one holding the other’s wrist, and that fist clenched violently. Her story is nothing but a story. She isn’t the hero, or the villain. She isn’t sure what her place in it even is. 

That’s why she shakes. 

She knows all the eyes in the room are on her, and that they had hung onto her every word. They’d heard her, and she didn’t realize how afraid she was that they’d turn her away completely until they nodded in understanding.

“Asteria is under the protection of our Court while she tries to heal the realm,” Feyre says, making Asteria turn to her, seeing blue eyes lined with tears, “And after, if you want to stay, we’d be honored to have you.”

Unclasping her hands, Asteria reaches out her still-shaking hand, taking the High Lady’s and squeezing it, voice breaking as she whispers, “Thank you.”

“I sent word to the Summer Court for permission to work on the land, until then, we just need to know what we can do for you, Asteria,” Rhysand explains, his tone low, as if testing Asteria’s very wellbeing after her confessions. 

“To be honest with you, I don’t know that there’s anything you can do until we can get to the battlegrounds,” Asteria shrugs, releasing Feyre’s hand and speaking directly to the High Lord, “It’s up to me, and me alone to gain the Realm’s trust.”

Rhysand nods, processing the silver-haired female’s words, and she can see him mulling it over when Cassian claps loudly, making Asteria raise a brow to him. 

The winged General takes a step forward, “In the meantime, you owe me a rematch, Realm Reader.”

Asteria can’t help herself, giving Cassian a loud bark of laughter, “You’re on, General.”

Just then, the doors to the office creak open, and close with a quiet snick, the room feeling a little darker than it had just moments ago. 

“You’re just in time,” Rhysand cheerfully greets, “This is Asteria, she’s about to put Cassian on his ass for the second time.”

There’s a deep, throaty chuckle, a foreign voice sending an involuntary shiver down Asteria’s spine, “I look forward to it.”

Rhysand’s smile grows, “Asteria, meet Azriel, the Spymaster and Shadowsinger of the Night Court.”

And when she turns, Asteria is met with the most devastatingly beautiful male she’s ever seen.

-----

Taglist:

@bionic-donut @hollyismentallyillhelp @younxii

[devi-nyx-elsword-theorist]

Okay this post is a small post of ideas, I personally want to see changes for Code Ultimate since it's my favorite Eve path ever since I started Elsword way back when.

The first one is optional, but I have mentioned over on the discord that Eve should just launch the Black Hole from Generate Black Hole, someone brought up the idea of it exploding and leaving a spatial distortion I forgot what effect it would have for "clearing utility" due to...............most endgame mobs seem unaffected by suction effects??

Critical Strike or what it should be renamed to in NA is Psycho Kinesis. I would rather we remove the bleed and the retract skill option, and it should just be CU's other bossing skill, the Pink Orbs are indicator of "extra" or "true" damage and their rotation could be random. I haven't really given it full thoughts.

Edit: There is an idea for Critical Strike, replace bleed debuff for defense break.

The BIGGEST clear change I would do is make Explosion Impact different. is Eve can use this skill at any time even in the air, to use the whip and launch an Electron Wave, the first one, then a 2nd one for later. BUT the Enhanced effect gives her a special Pink Electron wave which not only travels longer, and it has a large reach, it can do splash damage, this is a bit much for a new player or someone playing CU's path, but this would be a reasonable skill for Eve to rely on. but since it has to be used once before using the third, this means you can save onto it or use it whenever you need but reminder after the 2nd/3rd Electron Wave, it will be in cooldown.

Edit: instead of a Super-Armor, just make invincible for when she uses the skill to launch the Electron Wave

This next change will be controversial.

Converting Queen's Throne as its OWN passive at level 30, this means it will be replaced for a new skill in its place, but what it gains, is once you Awaken you will activate Queen's Throne like Proto-QQ. Since you'll retain Queen's Throne's effect, I was considering Eve gaining the ability on her X commands for her to have a chance to launch some Pink Electron Balls which are just a stronger form of Electron Balls. ( I know Antithese has her own but this is for CU.) And before someone says "This is unfair", look at Yama Raja and her 7 passives and then come back to me again, or we could "give" everyone else an extra passive and skills.

Due to the changes, I will change Queen of Vengeance to a set duration of how long you remain in Awakening. On paper this seems way too strong for an Eve to use, but this is strictly a limit that we the players can't influence more on Eve is, for an amount of time you remain in Awakening you gain an amount of All Skill Damage Increase plus MP Cost reduction, the max you can even get is 10% increased Skill Damage and 15% MP Cost reduction on skills the value will never change above that. But in PvP it will most likely be reduced to 5% each.

Edit: the other option is just keep the idea of awakening for an amount of time for the ASD increase. but keep MP Cost reduction as a given passive number.

Since Queen's Throne is changed I have no idea what skill for Eve to replace that with.

Edit: I have considered giving Eve a Nasod Blade as a replacement, but that's more work than already needed.

Reinforced Nasod Weapons is a hefty change which is, only activated during Awakening. the added Nasod Spear weapons are Explosion Impact (New) and Iron Scraps plus mod. But we're renaming Nasod Spear weapons as Ancient Nasod Weapons.

My other changes are Iron Scraps [mod] needs to linger and have a far larger range to even be considered a "homing clearing skill" not that many people use it as such but it has no reach.

Extreme Cutter (Mod as well) AND Assault Spear Judgement needs more damage, and a faster speed to be considered useful for damage potential and possible clearing potential.

After all of this and a really tired brain, I said my part of what changes could be done. Code: Ultimate is the Nasod Ruler of her own kingdom. The Metal Overlord that she cannot even reach because her baby sisters have some kits at their disposal that she doesn't have or doesn't do enough in.

[keeperofoverlookhotel]

Queen's Blade x Highschool of the Dead

[arachling2]

𝑼𝒑𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈,

He had always remembered it like one remembers a comfortable cage, his whole life almost like an empty room, that only had the breeze from the draft that came through the walls & misery for company. Of course, he wouldn't recognize his rearing as miserable at the time, as a youth, it was framed as the necessary stepping tones towards living up to divine expectations.

One could only imagine what it meant to be 𝘓𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘩's son, she, who is the paragon of chaos, the dark weaver, the hand behind the hand that stabs another in the back. Her machinations were beyond the understanding capacity of the simple mind, but whatever she intended for her little spiders, you can be assured it is likely a most foul fate to endure.

He was different from the others, the cabal of priestesses he called ilninil, kaoveh, ilhar, always asserted so. He was different than the others, better, stronger, he was born of the Spider Queen's blood & that made him the crucible within which 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐 & God were miraculously united in the flesh. In any other world, his heritage might've entitled him to indulge in a life of luxury, doted on by the pious, revered by common folk, but they were 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐 & there was little comfort (if any) to be offered.

Their culture is one that smothers out the weak, survival of the fittest, a 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐 must cleave through their own to obtain any status of note in the perpetual war for power. To be descended of a major house aids in that endeavor, but without genuine talent & skill, you might as well just walk yourself into an open grave & save an assassin the trouble.

Male 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐 are victim to societal convention, for every priestess of 𝖫𝗈𝗅𝗍𝗁 that falls, a dozen of her soldiers will fall with her. The ideal man must be swift, silent & obedient. His body must manifest as a well honed weapon, no different than the swords & spears in the hands of their betters. He must be lethal, unemotional, sound of mind, he must operate as blades do, with the biting chill of indifference for every pound of flesh carved.

A'byssel did live with a fair bit of privilege, given that the De’ana could be considered distant cousins to the 𝖣𝖾𝖵𝗂𝗋, but he could argue that all of his enjoyed luxury was hard earned. There was never a single second where he was not expected to prove himself worthy of his lineage. His quasi-divinity meant that his breaking point was harder to reach, not that it didn't exist. Every time legs buckled, he was forced to stand. With every bone broken, the sentiment was told to him that it would heal quickly& become stronger than before. The screaming ache of his back-breaking limits became a familiar presence, after forcing himself to meet them time & time again, he grew to know them, these torn muscles & shattered bones, just as well as one would know an old friend.

His training began as early as it was able, the women of the house taught language, the occult & the arcane while the lessons on the makings of a warrior were remanded to the discretion of others. 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐 are primarily raised by tutors or distant family, given the reclusive nature of the De’ana house, he remained in the main house under the various tutelage of multiple masters. They were kept in healthy rotation, whomever began to know too much for the Matron’s comfort was introduced to the orbb’s jejik or spider’s maw, an opening in the floor of the matron’s grand foyer through which the unwelcome were dropped. This constant shift in tutors ensured they did not live long enough to become a source of Intel, it also dissuaded the young 𝖫𝗈𝗅𝗍𝗁spawn himself from imprinting on any of them, knowing that most of them, if not all, would be swallowed by the maw.

His contact outside the stalactite was limited, selectively filtered by the women of his house who guarded him like the well kept secret he was. They reduced his exposure to the city where possible, which is the primary source of his quiet disposition even when in the presence of favorable company. Many powerful houses retain a master of secrets, which sounds like exactly what it is, an individual who specialized in the collection of valuable Intel that should not be known. It was these powers they hoped to evade with their purposeful obscurity, much to the irritation of the other matrons.

𝖬𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖾-𝖬𝖺𝗀𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 was his first true delve into living among peers, a bit of a rude awakening as his enviable size & cool demeanor made him more of a target than an asset to befriend. He learned very quickly of the duplicitous nature of other 𝖣𝗋𝗈𝗐, the underhanded tactics intended to give his dueling partners the advantage only showed him all the ways a knife could find his flesh. He'd also already become acquainted with the rigorous cruelty of masters, even though they lie at the bottom of some chasm now (surely impaled & long dead), he had their firm hands to thank for his notable success in both the Grand Melee & 𝖬𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖾-𝖬𝖺𝗀𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 as a whole.

Remedial lessons still commenced even after graduating the academy, the family did not agree that six months at 𝖲𝗈𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗋𝖾 was adequate tutelage for the spell casting skill they expected of him. He was taught the proper ways to channel spells, developing the ability to cast several cantrips on top of varying levels of spellwork that he combined with his adept physical prowess. Similar to his adolescent masters, the pressure for perfection persisted & the magical rebound of a failed cast was, on occasion, more agonizing than a split belly.

The only other event in his early life worthy of note was the falling of house 𝖣𝖾𝖵𝗂𝗋. In 𝖬𝖾𝗇𝗓𝗈𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗓𝖺𝗇, if one house attacks another & does not eviscerate them in the process, then the house initiating conflict will be annihilated themselves. They failed in their ambitions & the full force of the council, the houses & the academies descended on house 𝖣𝖾𝖵𝗂𝗋 to bestow upon them the consequences of their failure. Always keen to estrange themselves from their ‘ cousins ‘, the normally withdrawn De’ana participated in onslaught, lending their bright eyed 𝖫𝗈𝗅𝗍𝗁spawn to the fray to gain valuable experience from this battle of extinction.

House 𝖣𝖾𝖵𝗂𝗋 had lost 𝖫𝗈𝗅𝗍𝗁's favor, to do so without a skilled hand in diplomacy is the equivalent of inviting ruin upon your family line. Without her grace, no magic can be worked, no spells can be cast & should the other houses descend upon them, the Spider Queen would not bat an eye.

[lucienballard]

Glenda Jackson has died at the age of 87 after “a brief illness” at her home in London.

In a statement, her agent, Lionel Larner, said: “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London, this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side.”

Jackson bestrode the narrow worlds of stage and screen like a colossus over six decades. Though such a Shakespearean tribute would undoubtedly have had the famously curmudgeonly actor reaching for her familiar catchphrase: “Oh, come on. Good God, no,” nothing less will do for a star who emerged from a 23-year career break to play King Lear at the age of 82.

Not only did she win an Evening Standard theatre award for that performance, but she brought the audience to its feet by playing up to her ferocious reputation with an attack on the awards’ sponsor. For decades, the newspaper had scorned her as an actor, opposed her as an MP, she said, “so I’m left thinking what did I do wrong?”

Discovering that she liked acting, after being persuaded by a friend to join the local Townswomen’s Guild drama group, she applied to the one drama school she had heard of, Rada, with the proviso that she could only afford to go if she won a scholarship. She duly did. She was still a student there when she made her professional stage debut in the seaside town of Worthing in 1957, in a two-parter by Terence Rattigan, Separate Tables.

Six years as a jobbing actor and stage manager in repertory theatres around the country eventually brought her to the attention of the RSC, which she joined in 1964 just as the director Peter Brook was making a mark with a season entitled Theatre of Cruelty. He cast her in Peter Weiss’s Marat/Sade, as a prisoner assigned to play Marat’s assassin, Charlotte Corday, a performance that was recalled years later by the playwright David Edgar as one of the best he had ever seen, in a production that “changed British theatre for ever”.

By the time she finished making Women in Love she was six months pregnant with her son, Dan, the only child of an 18-year marriage to fellow actor turned antique dealer Roy Hodges. But far from slowing down for a while, two years later she was back, in a rollercoaster of roles. Her achievements in 1971 included Tchaikovsky’s nymphomaniac wife in another Russell film, The Music Lovers; Queen Elizabeth I, in an influential TV six-parter Elizabeth R which won her two Emmys, and a mouthy, placard-wielding Cleopatra in the first of a series of comedy turns for the BBC’s Morecambe and Wise Show. In 1973 she won her second Oscar as sparring lover Vicki in the romantic comedy A Touch of Class.

Any ambitions she may have had for a lead role in government were banjaxed by her outspoken opposition to the Iraq war. Grandstanding opportunities were limited to occasions such as the death of Margaret Thatcher, when she cut through sentimental parliamentary etiquette with her own salty verdict on an ideology of “greed, selfishness, no care for the weaker, sharp elbows, sharp knees”.

She followed her triumphal return to the theatre as King Lear with another award-winning performance, as the shuffling, vituperative 92-year-old widow A, in a Broadway revival of Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, and as Maud, the Alzheimer’s-struck protagonist of Elizabeth Is Missing (of which Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan wrote that she was “wonderful, in that vanishingly rare way that can come only from next-level talent as razor-sharp as it ever was plus 40 years of honing your technique, whetting both blades on 80 years of life experience.”)

She forsook her north London stronghold in her later years for a basement flat in the south London home of her son, Dan Hodges – now a political columnist whose views were markedly different from her own – where she gardened, watched her grandson growing up, and continued to pour the finest sort of scorn on any passing folly or hypocrisy.

[thetakenpokemon]

(Partial) Third Interlude Summarization

After the events of the Progria arc, the third interlude focuses on the transpiring events in Venhara as well as the Praxic Blades - the ones who will quickly become the main focus of the next arc.

For the Praxic Blades, they are currently on their way to Venhara due to the vision that Rinako had received. Although she’s no longer plagued by the nightmares, she still feels a strong sense of dread due to the message of Tiye - the Fourth Queen of Venhara - gave her. She was meant to ‘save the kingdom’, yet she had no idea what is even threatening said kingdom and how she can even do anything about it. Although she may be a skilled warrior, she does not possess nearly enough strength or capability to save an entire kingdom. The other members of the Praxic Blades are also incredibly uncertain, some (particularly Valence and Richmond) question if following this ‘vision’ is even a good idea, however ultimately Rodrigo and Artemisia give their full support to helping Rinako. Vedika however is merely just part of the ride and cares less regardless of the decision.

As for Venhara, it continues to focus mostly on the Dune Striders Abasi and Massika in their searches for the mysterious footprints. As time continues to pass they find these footprints becoming more and more frequent - as well as increasing in numbers. However they notice these footprints seem to come from a certain area in the desert, however they eventually find something that gives them a great amount of concern...

There is a brief moment where it focuses on an unknown individual from the GoT, a Night Watcher by the name of Asahi. He is a Greninja with a great skill in tracking as well as a keen sense of detecting anomalies, thus his skills have made him a prime choice in investigating the unusual storm and tracks in Venhara. As of currently he is in transit to the location through ship and will be arriving to the desert kingdom very soon.

Lastly there is an unusual scene taking place within another world in another universe, a vast structure once mentioned through the ‘From the Veil’ series. This location is the Vault of Glass, where a Fallen from House Winter is traversing through the dark labyrinths of the machine called The Vex. Eventually he stumbles upon an unlikely entity within its time-breaking chambers, and the resulting encounter causes chaos that may change everything for both the universe they originated and the universe of Pokemon.

Ultimately the next story is referred to as thus: The Venhara Arc.

---

(Note: I do have some incomplete posts of some of Abasi and Massika’s investigations in Venhara. Although I could simply just do a quick summary on their specifics, I have decided to instead revisit them and finish the posts instead of leaving them alone. It will only be a couple, however it will reveal what exactly Venhara will be dealing with - as well as how dangerous of a threat it is.

Additionally I did write a partial post of what happens within the Vault of Glass in preparation for the next arc, however I will also revisit it. Although the ‘From the Veil’ series is simply an ‘inside look’ on the happenings of the other universe to give context - be it events of said universe or the thoughts of individuals, this particular ‘From the Veil’ isn’t necessarily something that brings thought or context. This is an event that will actively affect the universe of the blog as well as shape the inevitable events that will transpire.

I don’t have a set time on when these posts will be released since my time has been very limited as of late, however you should be able to expect them eventually!)

[supersaiyanjedi14]

Pre maiden Raven vs Ironwood the two seem very different range vs melee, soldier vs bandit, “for the greater good” vs “being realistic” but at their core they are cowards who try to present an invincible front.

This is actually a matchup I've been thinking about at times. Beyond what you brought up, both stand as the most prominent rouge members of Ozpin's inner circle, their personal ideologies ultimately leading them to turn against Oz for one reason or another. Unfortunately, we have no information on how Raven fought before she became the Spring Maiden (unsurprisingly, getting access to godlike power is going to significantly affect your tactics and conduct), so the only real analysis for her can be made at her current state. And between Current!Raven and Ironwood, there is a clear and obvious victor here.

Still though, this is a fun matchup given their surprising commonalities, and it's not as much of a curbstomp as one may think. So let's take a look!

Raven Branwen, the Bandit Queen, vs. James Ironwood, the Iron Soldier. The Renegade Ideologues.

Physical: Both combatants are human around the same age, give or take 5 years, but that's where the commonalities end. While Raven's physical output is truly exceptional, Ironwood's cybernetics make him far more physically able, boasting superior strength and built-in armor that elevates his durability. Raven is definitely more agile even without her flight abilities, but given Ironwood's performance against Winter, I doubt she will be able to speedblitz him. The only meaningful physical advantage in Raven's corner is in stamina, as Ironwood has shown a surprisingly limited gas tank in prolonged combat, made all the worse by his reckless overextensions. Raven has shown a better ability to maintain her performance, and her cowardice ironically makes her the better survivalist. However, Raven's ability to outlast the general doesn't change the fact that it takes a hell of a lot more to put him down than it does her.

Martial: Raven and Ironwood both make full and ruthless use of their weapons, their differing fighting styles giving major advantages and disadvantages to each. Their skill levels are roughly on par, able to match Qrow and Winter respectively in live combat. Raven's swords provide superior melee effectiveness to Ironwood's hand to hand skill, whereas Ironwood's marksmanship has better ranged options, potentially keeping her at arm's length. Both are straightforward offensive dervishes who aim to overpower the opponent directly, and both have come up short against more subtle sneak attacks. However, despite lacking guns or a dedicated unarmed component, Raven's fighting style is still flexible enough to accommodate a wide array of fighting styles, and despite her overreliance on brute force, she has shown a greater willingness to resort to alternative tactics if her initial push fails. Ironwood, by contrast, doggedly sticks to the same routine over and over again until something breaks, and against a dedicated weapon specialist, battering assaults can only go so far.

Special: This is really the critical factor that makes this otherwise interesting matchup a mismatch. Quite simply, Raven wins via the Maiden powers. Ironwood's gravity Dust rounds are powerful and versatile, but they really don't compare to the freak storms that Raven can generate at the drop of a hat. While Mettle is a far more effective combat tool than Kindred Link or Raven's bird form, the sheer magnitude of Raven's abilities is enough to decisively overwhelm Ironwood, Winter's swatting of him being a strong potential scenario. While we don't know the specifics of Raven's pre-Maiden conduct, even her Dust blades provide her with more options, so a hypothetical battle with a normal Raven that conducts herself exactly the same as she does now would only differ in the severity of her victory.

In conclusion, Raven Branwen and James Iornwood are both highly capable and skilled warriors that stand comfortably in the upper echelon of their setting, but Raven dominated on the back of superior elemental power. However, I need to stress that although the deck is heavily stacked in the Spring Maiden's favor, Ironwood is not helpless. We know that Maidens can still be threatened by normal Huntsmen that can match their combat abilities, and Ironwood's comparable skill, superior physique, and sheer bloody ruthlessness means that he's going the be a major obstacle to anyone. In fact, if Raven isn't careful, it is entirely possible for Ironwood to score a dark horse victory analogous to Luke Skywalker's defeat of Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi; a more powerful and flexible champion physically overpowered by a particularly driven adversary. However, I do not consider this the most likely outcome given Raven's liberal use of her powers and Ironwood's limited sustainability, and when the general begins to burn out, the bandit will be intensifying.

I declare Raven Branwen the victor.

[flowerboycaleb]

(repost because the original post was marked as NSFW) still trying to tweak a few things with this series. i think i will present the songs in an unranked fashion, but i will still note which song is my favorite of the month! every song will be linked below and i rlly hope y’all enjoy this month’s list. (i’m surprised i was even able to get this done because i’ve been playing Zelda nonstop lol)

also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter

‧₊˚✧ BEST SONG OF THE MONTH ✧˚₊‧

“Tears Can Be So Soft” - Christine and the Queens

◇ featured on Paranoïa, Angels, True Love - Christine and the Queens (not yet released) ◇ genres: trip-hop, alt-pop

To be completely honest, I’m not super familiar with a lot of Christine and the Queens work. I love his feature on Charli XCX’s “Gone” and I thought his 2020 EP La vita nuova was pretty decent as well, but other than that I’m pretty much clueless. Despite that, his latest single absolutely blew me away. “Tears Can Be So Soft” takes obvious inspiration from 90s trip-hop, but god it sounds so incredible. The wispy, dreamy vocals backed against a string arrangement sampled from a Marvin Gaye song is a combo that works extremely well. I absolutely love this song and its probably my favorite of this month. If his next album is gonna sound like this, I’m super excited.

“Babylon By Bus” (feat. ShrapKnel) - billy woods & Kenny Segal

◇ featured on Maps - billy woods & Kenny Segal ◇ genre: abstract hip-hop

Maps, the latest collaboration between billy woods and Kenny Segal, is probably the most standout album of the month. Many of the tracks on the album could’ve made this list, but I wanted to limit it to a single one. “Babylon By Bus” is the song I’ve revisited the most. Like a lot of billy woods’ work, this song has that eerie and off-putting feel that makes him stand out. The verses from woods are very strong, but so is the verse from rap group ShrapKnel. I hadn’t heard of them until this and I will probably listen to more of their stuff in the future! Excellent song and an incredible album that I highly recommend.

“Justify Your Life” - George Clanton

◇ featured on Ooh Rap I Ya - George Clanton (not yet released) ◇ genres: chillwave, baggy, neo-psychadelia

George Clanton’s previous single, “I Been Young”, was my favorite song of last month and his latest single is one of my favorite songs of this month. “Justify Your Life” follows the 90s nostalgia of the previous single and I love this sound so much. Judging by the art direction of these two singles, it seems like this sound is what Clanton is going with for this new album which is super exciting. This track sounds a bit darker than the last, but it still has one of those choruses you just wanna obnoxiously sing along to. This upcoming album has the potential to be my album of the year given how incredible these singles have been.

“AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” - Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar

◇ genres: electro, pop rap

Breaking down this song and explaining why its good feels a little bit pointless. Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, two of the most important artists of our time, team up on a remix of a song from her excellent 2022 album RENAISSANCE. Obviously it’s great, look who is involved. Go listen.

“The Blades” - Squid

◇ featured on O Monolith - Squid (not yet released) ◇ genres: experimental rock, art rock

This new Squid album comes out in a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve enjoyed the bands earlier EPs and Bright Green Field, but I think this new album could very well be their best so far. “The Blades” is yet another great single. The band has been playing around with added touches of different genres into their sound and it just keeps paying off. The little elements of krautrock are especially a nice touch. I have very high hopes for this new album and I can’t wait to hear it.

“Space Orphans” - Ichiko Aoba

◇ genre: chamber folk

I’ve been slowly working my way through Ichiko Aoba’s discography after adoring her 2020 album Windswept Adan. I wasn’t aware of this new single until after this post was published so I’m adding it in post. This new single is a gorgeous, spacey, chamber folk ballad that is very easy to listen to. The soft strings that occasionally accompany her voice and guitar are a very nice touch. Every time I dive into the world of her music, I am completely captivated. 

“Cops and robbers” - underscores

◇ genres: noise pop, indietronica

I absolutely loved underscores’ debut album Fishmonger and I have been anticipating whatever they were gonna follow it up with. Their latest single “Cops and robbers” builds upon the sound of their last album, but with a bit more polish. It has elements of hyperpop mixed with noisy instrumentation and a chorus that is clearly inspired by pop-punk of the 2000s. These all work together so well. Hopefully this is leading up to a new album.

“sulky baby” - yeule

◇ genres: dream pop, indie pop

yeule is an artist whose music I need to dive into further. I enjoyed a good bit of their last album Glitch Princess, but I couldn’t have anticipated how great this song is. “sulky baby” is one of the finest dream pop songs I’ve heard in a while. I absolutely adore the way the hazy guitar lures you into the track before everything comes to create this incredible burst of dreamy goodness. This is without a doubt one of my favorite tracks of the year so far.

“Zeitgeist” - Maruja

◇ genres: experimental rock, art punk, post-punk

Fresh off of dropping a really impressive EP, Maruja returns with another great song. If you liked their debut EP, I’m sure you will love this new single. One thing I love about this band is their consistently interesting instrumentation. The bass towards the start of this track is really cool and adding saxophone into a post-punk song is always a recipe for something great. This band is on fire right now and I can’t wait to see what they have coming up.

“Master P (feat. Big Sean)” - KAYTRAMINÉ

◇ featured on KAYTRAMINÉ - KAYTRAMINÉ ◇ genre: pop-rap

KAYTRANADA and Aminé joined forces to make a very good summer album. There are plenty of highlights across the project, but I wanted to shout out this track in particular. “Master P” isn’t the most summer-y on the album, but I think its one of the biggest highlights on the album. I think this track has some of Aminé’s strongest rapping in a while and when Big Sean’s verse comes in the track is elevated even more. Really loving this one.

“Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo)” - Daft Punk & Julian Casablancas + The Voidz

◇ featured on Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition) - Daft Punk ◇ genres: disco, electronic

It kinda feels like cheating putting this on here, but I feel like I have to mention it. The 10th anniversary edition of Daft Punk’s magnificent final studio album dropped this month alongside a handful of new demos and extra songs. One such demo is a collaboration with Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. Daft Punk and Casablancas teamed up for the incredible “Instant Crush” which ended up on the album. I guess this demo was what eventually evolved into that song and I think it holds its own pretty well. If you liked their previous collab, I think you will find something to love about this demo!

[themajorbarkana]

Weekly tarot reading: 8 of Pentacles reversed and Queen of Swords–a message of discernment and priorities. 

The 8 of Pentacles reversed is a card about unbalanced concentration. You’re either focusing far too much on one aspect of your life and neglecting the others, or your focus is completely scattered (and I don’t blame you, after this rough retrograde!). 

The Queen of Swords brings in a sharp blade of concentration, signaling you to be discerning–especially when listening to constructive criticism. Some may come your way this week, and it’s important to take it to heart, especially since it will help you realign with your most important priorities. 

All in all, think about this: If you were to break down how much time you spend on tasks each week, would it match what you want your dream life to be like? If not, shift how you’re spending your time! 

(And, if that includes some tarot time, make sure you have this limited edition deck in hand! 😉)