#raven feathers translations

[ravenfeatherstranslations]

Punishing Gray Ravens: Interlude Chapter 14 Now Available:

Chapter 14 is fully translated and ready to go! You can read it here: Link

RFT ONLY publishes work on MANGADEX! If there are any other manga sharing site that shows our translated work they are stealing! And probably loaded with viruses! Read on MangaDex for a better experience!

[circeyoru]

The Raven’s Deer

[Alastor x Zestial’s Little sibling!Reader]

Part 1 (here) — Part 2

Zestial speaks in [archaic dialect redolent of early modern English], so something like Shakespearean English and you speak that same

Where as Zestial is a bat-like demon, you’re a raven demon with two pairs of retractable black feathered wings on your back. Your appearance was similar to that of an angel, but it was more of a mocking to them since you have an inky substance that would float around you

Different to Zestial who instills fear with just a look and/or his appearance, you tone it down and is arguably the more approachable of the two. Though others can’t see this as a free pass to bully you as you were more prone to violence than Zestial too

You do speak ‘funny’ as the modern sinners would whisper and sometimes try to instantly translate your words with their phones, especially those that were unlucky enough to meet your shopping requirements. But you can speak ‘normally’ in a way that everyone understands. You just don’t to watch them struggle more

Your big brother and you rule over your batch of souls in a small district that you two share and guard, your brother overseeing a mansion while you oversee the surrounding forest. Your people were your silent servants with powers that were useful to you and have signed contracts with you, soul-binding or otherwise

Being as old (do NOT use that word since you died young) ancient as you were, you’ve seen your fair share of the rise and fall of overlords. Though not one as interesting as Alastor. At first, you were merely enjoying some wine while you read whatever was in your collection. Then you heard screams of agony and pain in your room. You were positive there was no one being tortured at the moment, so where did it come from?

The radio had come to life on a shelve of yours. You twitched your fingers, bringing the radio closer to you, the screams were indeed from the device before you. But you never turned it on and this was the first time you heard such music. You left it playing to see when it would stop, to your delight, it never did

Well, until the culprit behind such an act came forward. The screams died down a bit, but not entirely gone as he made his name known. “Greetings, sinners and demons of Hell! I am Alastor, The Radio Demon!”

“Fitting.” You mumbled out as you listened, from then on, you’d leave the radio playing. Sometimes Alastor was hosting and other times it was those screams. You even talked about it with Zestial, expressing your fascination to this new demon

Your older brother, growing curious and intrigued, asked for Carmilla to host a meeting to see who were still surviving. As luck would have it, it was the day after the extermination. The pair of you were positive Alastor had been safe and alive since he was having a wonderful time broadcasting, all the while Carmilla, Zestial, and you listened and done your own activities in your safe underground room deep within the forest

Your ravens had been the ones to collect the angelic weapons for Carmilla to experiment and create her weapons, even perfecting her fighting style. Since you were more physical and violent than Zestial, you happily trained with Carmilla, even helping her. In exchange, she made sure your wings were even deadier than before, now having angelic coat. Your wings were your weapons

The meeting was uneventful to say the least, Zestial and you didn’t need it to see what Overlord was alive since Zestial could name every demon behind the scream on the radio. See, he was the one with more information and a nack for those things. The pair of you really do complete each other

What caught your interest (and maybe slight fancy) was Alastor. You and Zestial arrived right behind Carmilla and took your seats side by side, ignoring all the Overlords you passed by. Their aura and presence were lacking to say the least, it was no wonder Alastor could overthrow these bunch. You noticed Husk and Niffty missing though

The formal meeting between you and alastor came only when you were delivering some demon bodies to Cannibal Town. You dropped by where Rosie would be without checking if she had company, so you made quite an impression

Alastor blinked with his head tilted as Rosie suddenly got up from her seat and opened one of the bigger windows. Then you appeared, your wings undercovering from the cocoon you wrapped yourself around to enter through the window without breaking it. “Oh, so nice to see you!” Rosie hugged you, careful to avoid your wings even after you shifting it away from her. You returned the sentiment. “I always told you there’s no need to drop bodies for my people.”

“T wast a valorous way to ex’rcise. (It was a good way to exercise)” You waved it off. “Thy people w’re joyous to seeth me anyways, so I’m m’re than joyous to giveth those folk a valorous meal. (Your people were happy to see me anyways, so I’m more than happy to give them a good meal)”

“Oh, where are my manners? Here, allow me to introduce you to our rising Overlord friend.” Rosie guided you over to where Alastor was seat, he immediately got up when you neared. “This is Alastor, The Radio Demon, I’m should you’ve heard. And this is The Nightmare Raven.”

“Quite a pleasure to be meeting such a legend, I’ve heard tales of you!” Alastor bowed a bit, then taking your hand to kiss it. “Never in my weirdest dreams would I think we’d be meeting so causally, my dear.”

“Charm’d I’m sure. It’s a pleasure to beest meeting thee as well. Thy radio did broadcast given thee quite the nameth, broth’r and I has’t been listening and wast ent’rtain’d. (Charmed I’m sure. It’s a pleasure to be meeting you as well. Your radio broadcast given you quite the name, brother and I have been listening and was entertained)” You smiled back

Turns out, you and Alastor hit it off quite well and enjoyed your time well enough that Alastor started acting more intimate behind closed doors. A relationship even Zestial didn’t mind but he sure as hell threatened Alastor a bad time if your heart was broken in any way, shape, or form. Alastor swore, “I’d never leave such a beauty and terror alone. Why, I’d think your lovely sibling is worthy of all things!”

LIAR

The first year of his disappearance, you thought he was busy with a human contract up above. But there was none. The second year, you thought he was perhaps taking a break from interacting with you since you were a bit more clingy than he’d like. The third year, you thought an exterminator got to him. The fourth year, you accepted his disappearance and broke down. The fifth year, you were suddenly active when you caught wind that Husk and Niffty were alive but still bound by contracts, you searched high and low, but no Alastor. Not even his radio played new screams. The sixth year, Zestial comforted you and suggested you drop your interest in Alastor. The seventh year, you locked yourself in your forest. Only leaving and observing the city by your ravens

Alastor flinched when Zestial spoke of you, he eyed the raven on the ancient Overlord’s shoulder, it was on the side away from him, so he was a bit grateful. Perhaps it was a luck thing that you weren’t joining the meeting and Zestial came in your place with the raven. He did feel a shiver when Zestial spoke of your state, how you were not yourself and more drawn back and distant

He honestly never expected to leave for so long. 7 years, 7 exterminations. The times after the two of you met, both of you were tolerant of the other under your shared interest and use of the other. It was merely beneficial, like business partners. Yet he found himself more adaored by you as time passed. He had planned to confess and solidify the relationship between you two, but then came his disappearance

“May I see the darling?” Alastor asked, begged. He needed to make things right

Before Zestial could answer, or perhaps he was waiting for your cue, the raven on his shoulder screamed loudly, motioning its head as if to peck at Alastor. Then came Zestial’s cold tone, different from the previous carefree one when he greeted Alastor. “I believeth mine own sibling hast nay w’rds ‘r timeth to spareth f’r thee, Alastor. (I believe my sibling has no words or time to spare for you, Alastor)”

Note: Yes. I took a break from the requests. But you can still send your ideas for me to write. It's just taking time for me to come up with ideas on how to write it~ I love reading and writing some of your interesting and silly ideas~ Keep them coming!

Circe Y.

MASTERLIST

[dlartistanon]

Shining and Nightingale: Connection, Plot Beats, and How Their Story Makes (Even) More Sense If You Read It As Romantic

Introduction

Belonging to the Followers faction, Shining and Nightingale were among the first 6* operators introduced at launch. With damage mitigation as their niche, Shining is a single-target medic who specializes in reducing incoming physical damage, while Nightingale is an AoE medic whose specialty lies in reducing incoming Arts damage. This post will delve into everything we know about them and how it's so gay, oh my god

Design Analysis

Upon first glance, you notice how they compare and contrast each other visually: Shining is dressed mostly in black, Nightingale in white. Shining has long, thin white horns that gently jut outwards, while Nightingale has thick, black horns that fold inwards. Shining keeps her hood on by default, giving her a mysterious and secretive appearance. She has dark brown eyes, Liz has light blue ones. Shining’s outfit is tattered and ragged, really giving off the vibe of a wanderer (a “roaming doctor”, as she puts it), in stark contrast to Nightingale’s clean and put-together attire. If you squint, Shining almost looks like a harbinger of death, whereas Nightingale is angelic. Both of them wear the insignia of the Followers, a Terran version of the Caduceus. Shining wears it on a necklace (and is the actual leader), while Nightingale has it etched onto her clothes. One of the black straps on Nightingale’s outfit also reads “The path to light is dark”.

The predominant colors in both their respective skins are the complementary blue and orange. Just as black and white are opposed, so is the contrast between blue and orange. Within Shining's Silent Night, there are flickers of red-orange accents in the form of crystals, while in Nightingale's Elegy, there is the vibrant blue of her bluebird and its wings/feather. Despite Shining’s skin being a summer/beach outfit, the overall atmosphere is foreboding, given the moonlit background, presence of crows/ravens, and color choices. The backdrop in Nightingale’s is very characteristic of Gothic settings.

The strongest theme tying both their designs (and stories) together is The Gothic, an atmosphere and aesthetic best exemplified and symbolized by moody, somber colors (often black) and the gnarled, twisted branches of dead trees found in both their designs, as well as pertinent cast. (We will discuss more on their narrative ties to The Gothic)

Nightingale is featured (alongside Myrrh) in the song “Spring’s Pulse”, while Shining’s song is called “Winter Absolution”. Spring and Winter are opposing seasons, different times in which life either flourishes or hibernates. Green and red (as well as blue and red) are contrasting colors, highlighting life and death. As well as white and black, often symbolic of purity and sin.

Additionally, one of the Latin verses in Shining's song translates to:

"Sing, my tongue, redemption. Of my flesh, the mystery sing. Of the blood, all price exceeding. Shed by my immortal being. Destined for the world's redemption. From a noble womb to spring."

Profiles/Voice Lines

For the longest time, the most we could gather from their past was that Nightingale was a victim, a prisoner, forced to heal others while captive and that Shining had rescued her before they came to Rhodes Island. She has a host of ailments that mere Oripathy can't be the sole cause for, including amnesia. Through other clues, we eventually learn that Shining had a connection to someone called "Confessarius" ("Confessarii" when referring to a group), something she is noticeably evasive and uncomfortable about.

Later, the mystery slowly began to unravel as many theorized that Shining herself was involved with Nightingale's imprisonment, evidenced by Liz drawing the similarities between Shining and her captors. A shared past dripping with intrigue.

It was these seeds that provided a tantalizing story of atonement, of redemption, from someone who had committed a terrible transgression against another, complacent in her pain and suffering, whom she eventually grew to care about--so much so that Shining decided to sever all ties to her former compatriots, slaughtering many and freeing Nightingale, running away together. Shining, disgusted with her actions, spending the rest of her life atoning for her sins, of which she feels she can never be forgiven for.

The juxtaposition of Shining, unyielding with her sword, covered in the blood of her once-fellow Confessarii, and her being exceedingly gentle with Nightingale as she leads her to someplace safe, away from that room, her captors, that tower, where they (she) can���t hurt Liz ever again. The fanon that Shining was complicit in what made Nightingale the way she is, and that she is currently atoning for those sins, was largely embraced by fans.

Nightingale’s Operator Record #1 - A Song and a Blue Feather

The Op Rec is a good showcase of the Followers dynamic (with Liz as the Lady and her two knights), but it also serves to show more of Liz's personality. We only get a very baseline interpretation of who she is as a person via her official file, but seeing her interact with Nearl and Shining gives us a clearer picture of just how strong-willed she is. She goes against Shining's warnings in order to soothe the pain of an Infected child, particularly because his father was inadvertently exacerbating his condition through what Liz calls "a cage of love" (foreshadowing?).

Throughout, we learn more about Liz's Arts, specifically that they give her empathic qualities and come with the drawback of shortening her lifespan every time she heals. The game-breaking ability to reverse Oripathy symptoms comes with equivalent exchange. Liz takes on the pain of others in order to make them feel better.

Near the end of the record, Liz asks if Shining is mad and to not blame Nearl for helping her. Shining's original call to avoid the town was born out of being concerned with Liz's health, but she admits that she should've respected Liz's decision. This is a stance that we then see get repeated in their future appearances in both side stories and the main plot--Shining prioritizing giving Liz agency, when she previously had none. Even when it results in Liz's condition worsening, something that Shining struggles with accepting at the same time, communicated through her asking Liz if her feeling more pain was necessary.

Nightingale’s Module #1 - Closed Hope

The module basically states outright that Nightingale views herself as a burden for having to rely on Shining and Nearl to help her navigate through life. This is another example of Liz's strong-willed personality peeking through.

"But for me, results speak loudest. Because I endured a little more pain, others can be born anew. This is very good. But… if I could be like ordinary people, without this physical pain, that spark of hope in my heart would surely shine a little bit brighter. Unfortunately, as I am now, I can only rely on others to survive. Like a light crystal in a lantern. Even if the lantern door is open, even if the light can bring warmth to others, the crystal itself is still fixed inside. It is fixed there, because it has no ability to move on its own. 'Nightingale, Nightingale––' I hope that one day, I will also be able to spread my wings and fly… just like the bird next to me. 'Nightingale, wake up already––' Until then, I must impose upon them yet more to take care of me.

...

'What's the matter, Shining?'"

In her Op Rec, she had even told Shining that if her legs had cooperated with her, she would not have asked Nearl for help, and that she would've gone out to heal that boy on her own. It's letting us know that she longs to be independent, and that she can't idly sit by as a passive observer when she has the ability to help others. Liz won't even let her own disabilities stop her from doing what she wants.

It's not a coincidence how Shining's presence in her module is represented by the analogy Liz uses to describe her predicament. Shining rescued her = the cage door is open. However, the crystal itself can't move = Liz's debilitating condition. Shining played her part in putting Liz in the cage to begin with. Shining is not only her savior, caretaker, and companion, there's a darker undercurrent as well.

Near Light

In Maria Nearl, Nightingale and Shining get a brief mention and cameo around the time Nearl crashes into the Major stadium. A connection can be made with Liz's Op Rec in which we evidently see that she and Nearl have a more physical (and arguably openly affectionate) dynamic compared to Liz and Shining. Before Nearl leaves to help her sister, we a get a brief look into her and Liz's parting conversation, in which Nearl assures Liz that she'll be okay and that Liz still has Shining with her.

In Near Light, where they get more screentime, we have the iconic Nearl and Nightingale slow dance underneath the streetlights. In the CG itself, Shining can be seen hanging back, sporting a smile. She calls Liz beautiful unprompted, which results in Liz getting a little bit flustered, already so from dancing with Nearl.

Beyond these instances fleshing out the NearLiz leg of the triangle, it's also a purposeful depiction of Shining intentionally distancing herself from Liz, presumably due to her guilt for her past actions. And how that can be extrapolated into Shining feeling as though she is unworthy to partake in that same kind of intimacy. This self-loathing mentality is once more reflected in Nearl the Radiant Knight's second Module--here's a rough translation:

"I suddenly felt a little regretful - after all, I have always hated my bloodline. I have never tasted the beauty of home and the meaning of family. She deserved to have it all, deserved to be noticed and blessed and I deserved not to be a part of it."

However, at the end of Near Light, we get the scene where Shining makes a decision to go back to Londinium with Nightingale, preparing us for their subplot with Confessarius. This exchange hangs over them like a cloud, as well as further cementing Shining's firm resolve to always remain by Liz's side, no matter her own misgivings about everything else. Even if the rest of the world is muddled in her eyes, the only thing that stays clear and in view, is Nightingale. Nothing else matters more.

Chapter 10-18

The depth of Shining’s feelings for Nightingale is truly something to take note of. "My place is always at your side" is practically a textbook subtextual/indirect confession. "I will always be at your side... for as long as you’ll have me." Because we must know that Liz has a choice. She will not impose her own wants onto Liz. Should the day arrive where Liz no longer wants her, Shining will honor it, as much as it hurts.

The way Shining navigates and conducts her feelings towards Liz in this manner is very reminiscent of the medieval concept of courtly love, which is essentially a kind of romantic love without ever imagining it to go any further. The lack of consummation is not only expected, but ideal. That the love existing in and of itself is satisfying.

The scenes where we see Shining holding back help supplement this reading. It also plays well into how the Followers are basically the "knight in shining armor" idea codified into three individuals with corresponding dynamics. For bonus points, courtly love has ties to spirituality, which coincides with another aspect of Shiningale's story with identity, fate, and their conflict with Confessarius.

The fact that Shining 's most immediate plans for the future all have to do with Nightingale is only the tip of her unending devotion. "I’ll stay with you, and go wherever you want to go, as long as you want me". And for Liz to quickly ask if Shining will come with her wherever she wants to go suggests that the love is reciprocated.

Chapter 11-10

Through a series of revelations, we discover that the current head of the Confessarii is Shining's father, who is possessing the body of her younger brother. And that Nightingale was an experimental subject whose physical body is a construct, making her the equivalent of an artificial human/homunculus.

The whole scene we see just how both Confessarius and Salus view Shining, Nightingale, and their relationship. As randmsapphic puts it, the method in which they talk about Liz as an object with a purpose and that Shining's attachment to her is nothing short of a phase speaks volumes as to how dismissive and strangely self-assured that Shining will come to her senses and do the right/rational thing and bring Liz back to help her. They entertain the notion of saving Liz by way of pushing Shining to return to them, because they are the only ones who can save her. Instead of immediately resorting to threats, they rely on manipulation, pulling the "family" card, preying on and weaponizing Shining's guilt and desire to help Liz. It's not subtle--this dynamic could very easily be seen as the reactions homophobic relatives would have.

In particular, Confessarius's fixation on bloodline purity is insanely creepy and not only comes off as very homophobic, but ableist as well. Him suggesting they can build Liz a new body is coercion to get Shining to obey him (which also implies that he thinks Shining's attraction to Liz is purely physical). Salus emotionally abusing Shining by saying that all of Liz's pain is Shining's fault. Attempting to shame Shining by claiming she abandoned her family for a stranger. Does it not have the vibes of homophobia saying that Shiningale's love/relationship isn't real and will never work?

Chapter 12-10

The way Shining utterly ties her sense of self-worth to Nightingale, literally describing herself as Liz’s sin… she will not refer to Liz with possessive pronouns, but will do it to herself for her. The longing, the guilt, the resolve, the codependency… is incredibly yuri. Back in Chapter 10, Shining has an exchange with the Nachzehrer King where she says the moment she was born, she had carried sin. After the dinner in Chapter 11, she tells a Confessarius soldier (before cutting him down) that she hates herself most of all.

Of all the ways to describe her relationship with Liz, Shining decides on "I am her sin". There is poetry in how she refrains from using any kind of possessive language about Liz. Shining belongs to Liz, but Liz belongs to no one. "I am hers, and she is everything to me". It goes back to how she somewhat keeps her distance despite the overwhelming devotion. "I cannot touch her with these sinful hands".

Shining truly exemplifies devotion. Whoever was responsible for writing Shining’s dialogue is pulling out all sorts of stops to have her express her love for Liz in every way without outright making her say the words "I love Liz".

Chapter 13-9 (unfortunately tumblr has an image limit so i can't cap the entire subchapter; you really should read it yourselves for that delicious Shiningale goodness)

Kal'tsit: The way you look at Nightingale isn't just with compassion. You're not just her doctor—she's healing your fears too. Her body has its issues, but she's a member of the 'Followers', as well as your companion, and not a delicate flower that needs your protection.

Nightingale: I'm fine, Shining. You don't have to look after me so meticulously.

More examples of Liz's strong character! A dynamic becomes even more interesting when the one you thought was less-dependent turns out to desperately need the other. By this point, you should know that Shining places Nightingale incredibly high up her list of priorities. The narrative makes it no secret. They continue to hammer home that, despite being her caretaker, just how much Shining is dependent on Liz. Liz has already internally talked about how she hates having to rely on Shining and Nearl because of her ailments. In her other appearances, she makes it even more apparent with her dialogue. While Shining mends Liz’s aching body, Liz is the one who soothes Shining’s hurting heart.

Confessarius: Poor 'Liz'. She think it's all her fault, because of the momentary kindness you showed her.

When you remember that Liz's Arts make her empathic to pain, it takes on another layer of meaning when she wants to take away Shining's suffering. It's reasonable to assume that Liz also had an attachment to Shining, even if you see it as such because Shining "brought her to life". But the vibe you get from her dialogue shows a strong affection and compassion for Shining. Arguably instinctive, considering the "nature" of who Liz originally was. A wandering spirit, a memory, a soul that was drawn to Shining because she felt her crushing pain and wanted to help her. An intangible presence given life by an achingly lonely and hurt individual.

Another post by randmsapphic suggests that Liz's "childhood memories" of her and Shining were in fact fabrications that Shining had imposed onto Liz, in some desperate attempt to have a connection with another person, which this scene confirms. Shining was so happy with Liz's creation that she quickly became attached to her. Is this a sort of twisted love/affection that was born out of Shining's self-loathing? Or her being born into a very dark and messed up lineage in which her fate is a doomed one, and so she latched onto Liz as a means of escape and a way to feel close to someone? It may have started off as such, but by the time we reach this point, the love grew to be genuine.

Remember in Liz's Op Rec, where she described the father hurting his son by keeping him in a cage of love?

The bluebird losing its strength the farther it travels away from home is a metaphor and reflection for how the Confessarii treat Liz, their experiment. This is the basis for her captivity. Combined with Shining's sudden shift into a cold demeanor when she had previously been warm to Liz, this only served to psychologically and emotionally damage Liz, as well as compound Shining's guilt for having continued to follow the wishes of her family.

At some point, prior to deserting, Shining had wiped Liz's memories, perhaps out of said guilty conscious, or a means to a fresh start, or even her own way to stop Liz from feeling any pain associated with those memories, but she was still afraid of what would happen should Liz recover them, which had been happening little by little. Shining had resigned herself to believing that Liz would hate her, would want nothing to do with her, if she ever found out the truth. She had to wrestle with the very real possibility that attempting to save Liz could mean losing her, or being separated from her. Shining never once saw Nightingale as a burden; she was only ever happy that Liz exists.

Credit to randmsapphic again: Every time Shining draws her sword, it's a viscerally unpleasant reminder of her eventual destiny. It's both the only way to truly free Liz, and is the bind that keeps her shackled to a doomed fate. When Confessarius offers her the sadistic choice between killing him (thus giving up her soul) or return Liz to captivity... what should she do? There is no choice here.

The way Confessarius keeps (creepily) phrasing it as Shining “giving birth” really does paint him to be a disgustingly vile patriarchal figure set on destroying not only Shining’s autonomy, but her life and relationship with Liz. How a woman is treated as an object, her worth limited to only serving as a breeding ground for the next generation. This read continues to make even more sense because remember the Confessarii dinner scene? The way they talked like they expect Shining to come home after having had her fun with Nightingale reeks of how society views lesbian relationships as not real/practice for men/just a phase. The proverbial Class S? Shiningale really is just Arknights-flavored Class S Yuri. If a Shining Alter has her pick up her sword again, it could very well symbolize her reclaiming her bodily autonomy and fighting for her love, and for the chance to have a life outside of what the patriarch(y) wants for her.

The more I read about the Shiningale in Chapter 13, the more I’m thinking that this can’t be anything else but yuri. Even the role Confessarius is playing as a villain/obstacle they have to overcome. A man getting between them by manipulating their feelings for nefarious purposes?

Liz telling Shining that she prefers her current name, how it encapsulates so much of who Shining is as a person; she's not just a means to an end for the Confessarii, she's more than what they've instilled in her since her birth. The Followers are all light-themed, and Shining is no exception. She broke Liz out of her cage and showed her the world. And Liz is the light of Shining's life, as was mentioned all the way back to her voiceline.

Liz telling Shining that she's always loved the name that she gave her... that she holds dear any and every part of Shining that's a part of her. Her gently chastising Shining for making the decision to sacrifice herself to save Liz... Don't give yourself up for me, especially without asking me. That's not what I want. For all the times that Shining made sure Liz knew she had a choice, this was the one time she didn't. Couldn't. And Liz won't have that. Whatever trials that await them, she wants to face them together with Shining.

The way Confessarius described Shining’s feelings towards Nightingale as “your rebellious love for her”. He knew that she would love Liz and factored that into his plan/manipulation of Shining. I don't know about you but… I don’t think there’s any other way to interpret that. No heterosexual explanation.

Realistically speaking, we know actual gay characters can’t make it past the censors unless it’s tragic (see Scavenger) or unrequited (see Tomimi). But Shiningale have like… playable immunity. It’s “implicit” enough to not trigger the censors but at the same time how can you not see it as romantic?

Their relationship is basically up there with Talulah/Alina. And I'd even go so far as to say that it's more explicit than Talulah/Alina. To my knowledge, they never used the word “love” to describe how Talulah felt about Alina. Just "friend". I know there's a point where subtext gets ridiculous enough to become maintext, but then that leads you to question why some get the "friends" label while others are allowed to use "love".

Could it be platonic love? Sure, of course you can love your friends. But would you pledge your entire life to a friend? What's so "rebellious" about loving a friend? (Interestingly, I think the JP translation calls it "immoral love", which is even more eyebrow-raising) Regardless, love exists between Shiningale. Confessarius knew it, and factored it into his schemes. He counted on Shining to love and cherish her. Shining loves Liz, that much is undeniable. And Liz loves her back, enough to stop Shining from sacrificing herself to save her. He's literally weaponizing the love they have for each other.

Shiningale and The Gothic

I had mentioned before that both characters' designs as well as the narrative beats of their story have Gothic literature elements. I want to make a list of the ones I could find that relate to them as characters and as a narrative:

A focus on medical conditions, doppelgangers (the "pure" Confessarii looking like each other), forbidden power/knowledge, the dichotomy between light and darkness, imprisonment, rebellion, isolation/seclusion, gloominess or a gloomy setting, the grotesque/macabre, terror/horror, justice vs revenge, good vs evil, fear and suspense, the supernatural/paranormal, female victims, prophecies/curses/omens, mystery and secrets, involvement of the clergy/religious figures (confessor/absolver of sin), the dead don’t stay dead/hauntings, romanticism

The Gothic hero is “weakened by love”, they either rescue their love interest or pine away in despair

Significance of blood (relations) and inheritance, the duality of giving and denying life

An examination of family structure, patriarchy, hereditary suffering

Dreams/nightmares, memories

Secrets, past sins, sins of the father, darkest deeds

Driven by love, duality of man (appearance)

Dwelling on the melancholy, of wistfulness and regret, but not overcoming kindness

Concept of “othering” from society (Shining split herself away from her blood family to be herself and with Liz, her chosen family

The protagonist’s passionate love is torn between his desire to achieve the beloved and the family’s disapproval, control, and choice. Gothic novels also tell the tales of love in vain. The lovers are parted due to the conspiracies of the people opposing them being together

Gothic sexuality is usually somewhat repressed—women are expected to be pure and somewhat helpless while men are expected to be quietly predatory. It's also patriarchal, with men making moves and women reacting to them

Homosexuality = the love that dares not speak its name. Repressed sexuality, forbidden desire

Female Gothic protagonists are often committed to justice, unwilling to compromise their values, loyal, respectful of others, curious, intelligent and devoted to their faith. Some are gentle, kind, likeable, clever, witty, quiet, supportive, thoughtful, hard-working, independent and strong. Others are courageous, witty, brave, determined, knowledgeable and socially competent. On the flip side, some are also strong-willed and outspoken to a fault. They’re often socially awkward, depressive, melancholy, brooding, solitary and selfish. Some are jealous, fiercely territorial, deceitful, powerless and deceptive. Others, like their male counterparts, are prone to violence

Male Gothic protagonists are often conflicted, solitary, tortured, brooding, and secretive, self-loathing, wracked with guilt, have a self-hate of their own existence

Female-centric Gothic stories often trend towards obscured/anticipated fears, focuses on persecuted women and the domestic space she risks entrapment within/disturbed spaces

Food for Thought

Ryuzakiichi has a knight original character. Tell me... this doesn’t just look like Shining without horns? THE RESEMBLENCE IS UNCANNY.

Knowing this, I'm convinced that he split the concept of a "knight in shining armor" into two characters: Nearl and Shining. Nearl embodies chivalry. Shining embodies devotion.

The followers dynamic can best be summarized as two knights swearing fealty to one lady, but what's interesting is that while Nearl is the most obvious depiction of a knight, it's actually Shining who serves the role even harder, because she is quite literally Liz's knight. Which tracks with how Shining looks nearly like a carbon copy of his OC. She's the one who rescued the princess from her tower, while simultaneously being the "wicked witch" who put her there in the first place. And just like a Gothic hero, is tormented and sees herself as a monster.

Comparison to the main plot of Shadow of the Colossus. The driving force is that Wander commits acts (largely agreed to be treasonous) in order to revive Mono. The relationship between Wander and Mono is left up to interpretation as to whether it's platonic, familial, or romantic, but most fans of the game seem to theorize that Mono is indeed Wander's love interest.

Normally I despise turning the Followers into a nuclear family unit in any direction (especially people saying Liz is a minor and infantilize her to be the designated "child"), but for a moment, seeing Shiningale looking at Nearl’s portrait, my brain interpreted them behaving like Nearl’s (substitute) parents being proud of her accomplishments.

This was not helped by stuff like Shining’s teasing ("Look at you, our knight acting snarky"), Liz asking if she and Shining were also Nearl’s family, and some apparent discussion about Mlynar being a "bad end" Margaret who lost his own light (his brother and sister-in-law, Margaret’s parents).

If Shining and Nightingale are to Nearl as Schnitz and Yolanta were to Mlynar, then that might also explain why he dropped his jerk behavior for one second just to compliment how the two Sarkaz were good for his niece. If Nearl had never met Shining and Nightingale, her own light might’ve gone out too...?

IN CONCLUSION

Shiningale are complementary in so many ways. It really feels like several aspects of their characters are tailor made to match; you can’t have one without the other, their development is tied together… soulmates. Hopefully this post helps encourage you to consider their story in a certain lens if you hadn't before.

To quote a CN post I saw on the matter after Chapter 13 was released (rough translation): "Shining's sword pieced Nightingale's heart, and Liz came alive. Liz's existence helped give Shining emotions. Liz became Shining's redemption. Shining renounced her old name and Liz cherishes hers, a transformation of two people choosing to fight and change their destiny. Although Liz is physically fragile, her spirit and will are very strong. Although Shining has excellent swordsmanship, her self-hate and inner turmoil weigh her down. They are truly complementary in every sense."

They each want to take away the other's pain. Shining doesn't want Liz to die. Liz doesn't want Shining to die for her. They are each other's mutual salvation.

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

Six of Crows Russian Edition

Today I found this gorgeous gem at the bookstore!

So a few years ago I moved overseas to live in a Russian speaking country. I am not in Russia, for the record. The national language here is not Russian, but it is commonly spoken in my city.

Today at the bookstore I looked for a copy of Crooked Kingdom for the cast of Shadow and Bone to sign this May when I go to A Storm of Shadows and Crows convention in Paris. I don't own a copy of SOC or KC in English and there's no chance of finding one where I live. The next best option was getting a book in the local language and calling it a souvenir of my time abroad. To my delight I found this lovely Russian edition of Six of Crows!

More stunning artwork below.

There were multiple versions of the books to choose from. The original art and the Netflix artwork were available too. The most impressive part was finding copies of the original covers WITHOUT the Netflix sticker. (Haha, suck it Netflix.) To the right, not pictured were King of Scars and Rule of Wolves.

I've never seen this cover variation before. It was an exciting find!

The Russian version I bought is illustrated by (I assume Russian?) artist Eva Eller.

I didn't see a copy of Crooked Kingdom with illustrations by the same artist at this bookstore, but it must exist. Mine was the last copy of SOC with the Russian artwork. Maybe it was sold out?

Google Translate titles the book Six of Ravens, lol. But that's just a translation error because a little google-foo showed that ворона (pronounced vorona) means crow. Interestingly, while typing the title, I learned that вор (pronounced vor) means thief. Interesting how similar the words crow and thief are in Russian. Checks out.

Above is the art printed on the side of the pages. Love how it still includes the side of the pages colored, just like the original books.

The hardcover underneath the jacket is a crow. It's not the same as pictured on the original CK cover, but it is similar. Love the messy, broken, bent feathers, yet the crow is still able to fly. Metaphor for our six characters? Absolutely!

The book was wrapped in cellophane so I didn't realize there was even more art inside! Here is the inner cover. IT'S BEAUTIFUL! The back is the same. It captures the foggy haze of Ketterdam so well.

The flaps of the book jacket are images from the inner cover. But there's a cracked texture over them that gives it a gorgeous grittiness.

The candle is the left side of the inner book jacket. Sorry the image isn't flat, I didn't want to damage the jacket by straightening it out.

The right side of the book jacket shows all the Crows!

Let's appreciate how Matthias looks snow pale and serious. Inej is taller than Nina -- she must be standing on a step stool. No clue why both of their eyes are closed, especially when Nina is the one pointing to the paper. They are lovely. Kaz has on his scheming face. Jesper is as handsome as every version of him should be. And Wylan looks bored AF because A.) he's already memorized the map he drew or B.) he can't read whatever document Kaz has in front of them. Wait, no, Wylan is making heart eyes at Jesper. All of the above can be true.

Inside is a small illustration at the beginning of each chapter, which changes with each section.

You can also see the Crow's names written in Cyrillic. Inej, Kaz, Nina, and Matthias translate easily. Jesper uses the д (letter D) and ж (pronounced like zhe) letter combination that makes his name sound like Zhesper since there is no J in Cyrillic. It's worth pointing out (again) that Wylan's name does not translate perfectly. There is no W in the Cyrillic alphabet. (As someone who also has a W in their name, I sympathize with Wylan here.) I'm no expert in Russian, but I'm pretty sure -- with the help of google translate -- that Wylan is pronounced as Oo-ai-len. Poor boy can't catch a break.

Each of the five section of the book use different chapter art. They all do an excellent job capturing the atmosphere.

The paper is so thin that you can easily see the printing on the opposite side. Not ideal for an edition that's otherwise this lovely. Oh well.

Given that Ravka is fantasy Russia, it's not a surprise to find the Grisha Verse books in Russian.

I am so excited to bring this book to Paris for the cast to sign!

[tasteleeknow]

ZIPPER TWO

PAIRING: minho x fem!reader GENRE: smut. fluff. established relationship. minho pov. CONTENT: 18+ only. shy reader. desperation. mutual obsession. unprotected intercourse. body worship. grinding. subtle corruption!kink. possessive behaviour. WORD COUNT: 3.4k

SUMMARY: it’s minho’s turn to dress you up.

PART ONE | DRABBLE: SWEAT | PART TWO

do not repost to other sites, including translations.

He knows what to get you the moment you suggest he choose an outfit for you in return. He orders it from the floor, still splayed out on his back after you’d pecked his forehead and left to shower. Telling you that would ruin the fun, though. So he doesn’t. He enjoys the way you get more and more impatient, the way you struggle to keep your enthusiasm hidden from him. You want it; you want him to wrap you up in a pretty little bow of his choosing so he can unwrap you again. You're his to play with and you like it. 

It wasn’t a revelation, how much you enjoyed the sex. He knew that. The new part was the extent of it, the news that you felt… something close to the way he felt about you. Obsessed was the word you’d used. He liked it, the idea of you being filled with him in this other way.

The package had arrived a few days earlier. He’d hidden it away until he knew you both had a day free. He wanted an entire day to enjoy it, to savour it.

“Do you wanna go see a movie?” you mumble from your position on his lap. You’re spread out on the couch, head on his lap as you scroll through your phone. The leg you aren’t resting on bounces as he anticipates his plans for the day.

“No.” 

You lower your phone to look up at him. “What do you wanna do, then?” you question. 

He smiles, tracing his finger over your face and ignoring your question. 

He’s only slightly discomforted when you grumble at his lack of answer and pull yourself up from his lap. He’ll have his fill of you soon, he reminds himself. 

“Answer me,” you insist. 

“Okay,” is all he says, amused by the way your bottom lip pushes out in a small pout. He grabs your arm as you attempt to stand and pulls you back into his lap. “I have a present for you,” he mumbles into your shoulder, lips brushing your warm skin. 

“A present?” you question, still a little grumpy before you suddenly pull back from him to see his face. “You mean…”

“It’s under the bed if you wanna—” 

You clamber off his lap before he can finish, disappearing down the hallway and leaving him there to adjust himself a little in his shorts. Don’t get excited before you even start, he reminds himself. He chuckles a little to himself at his own anticipation. It was stupid really, to be this pent up when he’d been anything but deprived of you. Still, he was ravenous, never satisfied—and the idea of you walking out in minutes wearing what he picked out of you was like dangling a steak in front of a starved animal. 

He holds his breath when you peek around the corner about 20 minutes later, big eyes giving away your nervousness. His fingers twitch where they rest on his thigh, itching to palm himself again. He fucking knew you’d get all shy on him. Perfect. 

“Show me, baby,” he encourages, attempting to keep his coaxing gentle and calm.

“Is this really what you picked?” 

“Let me see.” 

You step around the corner hesitantly, looking down at yourself and attempting to pull the tiny white dress down your thighs a little. He drops his head back, closing his eyes for a moment to gather himself. Your sweet, shy voice is what forces him to face what he’d voluntarily brought upon himself. 

“Is it alright?” 

His lips pull into a lopsided smirk at the absurdity of the question. Alright? He drags his eyes over you, from the white sheer stockings pulled up to your thighs, the tiny dress that he’s sure barely covers you from behind, to the white feather wings peaking over your shoulders. He pulls himself to his feet and takes a few slow steps towards you. 

“You’re fucking angelic,” he mutters when his eyes finally meet yours. You laugh, a small breathy one. Still shy. “Come here,” he says. 

You take a small, hesitant step towards him. Then, when he holds his arms open, you practically leap at him—wrapping your arms around his neck and clinging to him like you hadn’t climbed off his lap mere minutes ago and were reuniting after a long separation. He squeezes you as hard as he can without taking your breath away, luxuriating in the feeling of you against him. 

“Why this?” you murmur into his neck, soft lips brushing his skin. 

“You’re my angel,” he whispers, nuzzling into your hair a little. “So sweet, mm?” 

“Yours,” you mutter, clinging onto him tighter. 

“Mm, baby. All mine.” 

His hands run down your back to play a little with the hem of your dress, the tips of his fingers brushing against your warm skin.

“I think you should put the shirt on,” you whisper into his neck. 

He pulls away a little so he can see your face. “Why’s that?” he asks, smirking a little at the innocent expression you’re managing to maintain. He’s surprised you hadn’t asked him to wear that thing everyday since you’d bought it, especially after the day you’d dropped to your knees when you’d found him working out in it.

“Don’t you think it’ll looking nice…” you don’t look at his eyes as you speak, fiddling instead with his collar. “If you wear all black… black and white…” you finish. 

“You want us to match? Are you planning to leave the house in this?”

You shake your head slightly, mumbling something under your breath. He tilts your chin up with one of his fingers. “What was that?” he asks. 

“Will you put it on?” you ask, sweetly. “I just—I… had this dream…” 

“Mm?” 

“You were in all black…. and I was in white… a bit like this.”

“When did you have this dream?” 

“The day you… wore the shirt to work out.” 

“The dream you were grumpy about?”

“I wasn’t grumpy,” you mumble. Then you look up into his eyes. “Please, Min?” 

You know just as well as he does what he’s going to say next, what he always says when you ask something of him. 

“Okay.” 

You detach yourself from him quickly, turning to dash off. You stop after a few steps and turn back to him to press a soft kiss to his cheek. Then you’re gone. He watches you disappear around the corner and out of his sight before he collapses back onto the couch to wait. He closes his eyes, trying to preserve the image of your tiny dress swaying around your hips as you’d excitedly bounced away from him. He’d spent the last few weeks attempting to picture it, the way your soft thighs would look framed by the white stockings and the short hem. He hadn’t been able to do it justice. 

You didn’t wear dresses or skirts often, and never this short. He imagines making you wear it around the house, keeping his eyes on you as you stand on your tiptoes to reach something in the kitchen. He could approach you from behind, press you into the counter and slip his fingers into your mouth. He keeps his eyes closed and his head back when he hears you reenter the room. 

“I got it,” you announce as you climb over him, pressing your soft lips to his neck. He groans a little as your fingers slip under his shirt. “What is it?” you question, fingers stilling. 

“Preparing myself.” 

“Prepare?” 

His eyes flutter open as he lifts his head and there you are, a little angel perched in his lap. He did this to himself. He pulls his shirt over his head, replacing it with the black shirt you hand him. 

“Good?” he questions as you adjust the zip, ensuring a large portion of his chest is showing. 

You nod, eyes fixed on where you trace over his chest with your fingers. 

“It’s my turn,” he reminds you, amused with the dazed expression on your face. They’d sewn something into this shirt, he’s convinced; threaded aphrodisiacs or fairy dust into the stitching. 

“I know,” you sigh dreamily, offering him a small shy smile before pecking his lips softly. He hums, wrapping his arms around you and tugging you closer—brushing his lips over yours. You aren’t kissing properly yet, just exchanging breath, tickling each other with your lips. 

He’s the one to give in first, hand moving to hold the back of your head so he can slot his lips between yours properly. You’re sweet, sweet and all his. Then a tiny sound slips from your mouth and he’s had enough, enough of waiting and being patient and calm. He holds you tightly as he pulls you both up from the couch, refusing to remove his lips from yours for a single moment. You take small steps backwards as he guides you towards the bedroom, the journey made much harder by his refusal to detach from you. 

“Stand here for me,” he says, desperation leaking from his voice. He pulls your arms from around his shoulders, leaving you standing at the end of the bed. He takes a few steps away from you, giving him the space he needs to take you in fully. 

He can’t help but be proud of himself as he trails his eyes over you. He always liked when you got shy around him. It made him feel like you cared, like your feelings for him overwhelmed you. It gave him hope. Your fingers fiddle with the hem of your dress, pulling it down a little. He drops to his knees and shuffles towards you, hands reaching out to wrap around your thighs—just above where the stockings end. 

“So soft,” he mumbles, leaning forward a little to brush his lips over your thighs, inhaling the sweet scent of your body wash. He can’t resist flicking his tongue out, taking a small taste of your warm skin. “Angel,” he mutters. 

Your fingers thread into his hair at the top of his head, just to play with the strands, not controlling him in any way. He’s grateful, because he needs to be in control this time. It’s his turn to play. 

His nose brushes over your skin as he moves up your thigh until he reaches your dress. He knows you love his thighs, but he doesn’t think you know how much he loves yours. Do you know how soft they are… or how hard it makes him the way they get warmer close to your centre? It reminds him of how it feels to be buried inside you… how hot you are around him. 

He takes a deep breath as he lifts the hem of your dress. Then he groans, dropping his head as he realises what you’ve done. 

“There wasn’t any underwear,” you say innocently. “I just put on what was in the box.” 

He lifts his eyes to your bare pussy and presses a kiss to your mound. He’d assumed you would wear some of your own underwear, and hadn't thought to buy any special. You’d clearly thought it was intentional, that he wanted you like this. A happy mistake. 

“I should take you out like this. Let everyone see how fucking perfect you are, hm?” he says as he stands and pulls you into his body. “My perfect little angel. Only I’d know your little pussy is naked under here.” He kisses the corner of your mouth. “They’d have no fucking idea.” Then the other corner. “You look so innocent… so sweet… they’d never imagine you’re not wearing panties, hm?” 

Your big eyes widen a little, flicking across his face in an attempt to determine his sincerity. “It’s too short.”

“Mm? You don’t wanna?” he asks, untangling your hair from the feathery wings attached to your back. “Are you too shy, baby?” 

You nod, pressing your face into his neck. 

“Mm, I know, angel. It’s okay.” he soothes, threading his fingers into the hair at the back of your head. “You’re mine, aren’t you? Just for me.” 

You nod again, humming against his skin. He can feel his heart racing in his chest, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to put action to his words, to show you how much he means it. You’re his, you’re his in the way he looks down at his hand and considers it his hand. He imagines separating himself from either would be equally devastating. Obsessed, was the word you’d used. 

“Can I have you now?” he whispers, lips brushing the skin behind your ear. 

“Can’t lie down with the wings.”

He hums. “You’ll have to stay on top, then.” 

You pull away from his neck, brows pulled together a little in confusion. “You want me on top?” you question. “For your turn?” 

“Is it that unbelievable?” 

“I guess not. It’s just—”

“It’s what I want,” he says, interrupting you. “I promise.” 

He has to catch your wrist when you go to climb onto the bed. “Not yet,” he says, tugging you back towards him. “Wanna try something else first.” 

You smile, a knowing smile. 

“What?” he asks. 

“I knew there would be something else.” 

He pulls your mouth to his, unable to resist when your pretty lips are pulled into a tiny teasing smile. He knows what he has planned will test his self control, that this whole exercise has been a form of self torture. He’d dressed you up as a little angel, he was the one that forgot to provide you with anything to wear underneath, he was the one pulling you against him now and slipping his cock from his pants, he was the one lifting your dress up so he can slip his already throbbing cock between your thighs. 

He groans as your warm cunt slips along his length, wet and ready for him. “Squeeze your thighs together, baby,” he instructs, barely pulling his lips from yours long enough to get the words out. You obey, trapping his cock in the tiny little gap between your warm pussy and soft thighs. “Yeah,” he breathes. “Just like that.” 

You whine into his mouth, practically clawing at his shoulders in an attempt to get closer to him. He understands the feeling, arms around you tightening a little harder as he devours you. You’re so warm, so warm and soft, wetness leaking out onto his cock. All his. 

His hand slip down to your hips, giving him the leverage he needs to start slipping back and forth a little against you, fucking into the little gap you’ve made for him. “My little angel,” he gasps. “Letting me slide my cock against you like this…” 

You nibble on his top lip a little before responding. “Feels nice, Min. So nice.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Mm, you always make me feel so nice.” 

He groans, pulling you hard against him. He can feel the air kissing his tip, his cock slipping all the way along your cunt to poke out between your thighs from behind. He imagines how it must look, how you must look in the tiny dress and thigh high stockings, being held up against him on your tiptoes, little pussy being used to warm his cock. Then you start sucking on his neck, little mumbled praises slipping out between sucks. 

Your feathery white wings fan over him, making him feel like he’s enclosed in you, consumed. His fingers dig a little into your hips as he pulls you back and forth on his cock, balancing between letting himself go and holding back, being patient. Then he pulls back a little too far and when he pulls you towards him again his tip nudges your twitching entrance. He stops, sucking in a deep breath, maintaining control. He’s throbbing against you, tempted to slip the tip inside you and have a small taste. He won’t last, he knows he won’t. He holds you still for a moment, gathering the self control he needs to pull back and continue as he was, letting his cock slide against you again—spreading your lips to coat his cock in your slick. 

Your suckling at his neck is messier now, sloppy. You’re whimpering between kisses and he drinks in the sweet sounds: nectar. 

“Please,” you whimper. “Inside.” 

You only need to ask once at the best of times, but like this? He has no chance. He reluctantly pulls himself from between your thighs and takes your hand, leading you onto the bed with him. Your eyes are watery, a clear sign of your desperation. He wants to make it better, make you feel nice. 

He lies on his back, guiding you to settle over him. He can’t look away when you sink down, your wings spread out behind you. His little angel sinking down onto his cock, teary eyed and…. obsessed.. with him. So warm… so warm. He can feel you pulsing, clenching at his cock as you process him finally filling you. It’s everything and still, never enough. 

“Okay?” he breathes when he’s buried, stuffing you full. 

You nod, blinking down at him. 

“Ride me, angel,” he encourages. “Bounce for me.” 

You nod before rising off him, lace framed thighs working hard to lift yourself up. He holds you there, fingers brushing over the tops of your stockings. When you sink down, it’s with a pretty whine, pretty whine, pretty angel, pretty, pretty, pretty. He squeezes his eyes shut. You did this to yourself, he reminds himself. 

You work yourself over him, up and down, and he lifts the dress up so he can watch the way he sinks into you, a visual to accompany the feeling of your wet warmth sucking him in. His breath hitches at the sight of him disappearing into you. He’d never be used to it, to being inside you. 

“Minho,” you whimper his name just before falling over his chest, wings enclosing him underneath you. 

“Got you,” he says, voice tight as you roll your hips into him—grinding down onto his cock. 

He needs you under him. Needs to make you feel good. He tugs the bands holding the wings to your back down your arms, getting a little help from you when you realise what he’s doing. As soon as you’re free of them he’s flipping you underneath him, pinning you to the mattress. 

“Thought you wanted me on top,” you breathe, blinking up at him. 

“I did, I did. You were so pretty, baby. So good.” He presses into you again, dropping his head to your shoulder. “Need you like this now.” 

“Mm, okay,” you sigh, wrapping your arms and legs around him. The stockings are a little scratchy against his skin, a reminder of how pretty your legs look with the transparent white fabric wrapped around them. He wonders if you’d be okay with wearing them out. Maybe with a skirt that was a little longer, a little less risky. He wants to run his hands up your thighs in public, trace his fingers over the spot where they press into your skin. He’s sure he’d catch people looking at you, running their eyes over you and wishing you were theirs. 

He grinds into you, shoving you up the mattress a little. His. He pulls back, fucking into you a little harder this time. His. He licks a long stripe up your neck to your jawline. His. 

“Min,” you whimper, prompting him to pull his face from your neck. “Kiss?” 

You say it so sweetly he feels the kiss has to match, a gentle touching of lips that contrast with the way he’s bouncing your tits with the force of his thrusts. He cradles your face in his hands as he peppers your face with the same type of gentle kiss, consumed with the need to show you how sweet you are; how even before you’d ever put the feathery wings on he’d thought you were as close to a real angel as he’d ever seen.

You run your hands over his chest, pushing the shirt aside a little. “Love you,” you whisper as he’s pressing a light kiss to your temple.

please reblog and share your thoughts. caption, tags, replies, or ask box, i read it all. feedback is what motivates me to write more!

↳ general masterlist

[yuurei20]

Do you have a master list of the translated novel chapters so far? Or someplace to read all of them at once? If not, thanks anyways!

Hello hello! A compilation thread of translations from the first novel can be found here! It is not a complete translation of the entire novel, just a few blurbs that I found interesting for being different from the game, if that is okay :>

I hadn't put together a compilation of second-novel translations because it is still ongoing, but I can list them now!

(Disclaimer: I am very, very much not a writer, I promise that the actual book is much more well written than this, and I encourage everyone to read the official translation when it is released! The first novel is coming in August, 2024, from Viz Media!)

Introduction "In a corner of the prestigious magic school, Night Raven College, there stands an old, unused dormitory."

Yuuya and the Rumors “'What's the matter? You look a bit down,’ says the ghost."

The Classroom “'There's no way that Ramshackle can compete on the same level as our dorm—that’s a crowning moment. Us, being mocked like that? We wouldn’t stand for it.’"

Bakery Day "Yuuya hands over the money he had promised to Ace and Deuce, then lines up for his usual lunch set, alone."

Ruggie in the Cafeteria (pt1) "Yuuya looks over his shoulder to the sight of a skinny boy standing behind him."

Ruggie in the Cafeteria (pt2) "Thinking about it, Yuuya realizes that he can’t recall seeing Japanese food or sweets since coming here."

Ruggie in the Cafeteria (pt3) "Each dorm at Night Raven College has its own distinguishing characteristics."

Ruggie in the Cafeteria (pt4) "‘You mean they have good teamwork?’ Yuuya recalls an earlier conversation with Ace."

The Botanical Garden Scene "Ruggie and Leona are both from Sunset Savanna, with Ruggie coming from a humble upbringing in the slums as a hyaena beastperson, who are generally regarded with contempt."

Riddle and the consequences of overblot "When Riddle enters the Mirror Chamber, the other dorm leaders cast open and obvious glances his way. It has been like this ever since that day."

Leona and the Housewarden Meeting "‘Remember. What was it like two years ago? Last year? How did it feel to be used as a stepping stone to showcase the power of Lord Malleus Draconia?"

Riddle on Leona: The Housewarden Meeting "'I don’t really mind putting him in the Hall of Fame,’ says the Ignihyde Housewarden in an unenthusiastic tone over his speaker."

Yuuya and Grim's Club Yuuya and Grim were told by the headmage that they would both have to choose the same club.

Meeting Pomefiore (pt1) "Having reached the Hall of Mirrors, Yuuya faces the mirror that, according to Deuce, will lead him to Pomefiore. It is splendid, adorned with a large peacock and framed in its feathers."

Meeting Pomefiore (pt2) "‘You came to see the student of ours who was hurt, did you not? Here he is.’ With a gesture from Rook, a second-year student steps forward."

For reference: Night Raven College Dorm Roommate Situations

Yuuya in Class "‘We’ve got that strategy meeting at lunch today—Yuu, Grim, you two gotta come, all right? No running off. The Housewarden isn’t mad anymore, so don’t be so freaked out.’"

The accidents befalling Spelldrive players "‘Yuu will come with me.’ ‘Eh? 'Yuu will come with me?’’ Yuuya echoes Riddle’s words back at him with a puzzled look."

Meeting Jade and Floyd (pt1) "'Jade Leech and Floyd Leech, twin second-year students. Jade is vice-housewarden of Octavinelle—he is also in my class.'"

Meeting Jade and Floyd (pt2) "‘Ah!’ A loud call echoes out over the grounds. 'Over there—isn’t that Lil' Goldfish?’"

Meeting Jade and Floyd (pt3) "‘Ah, nice to meet you. I’m…’ ‘Yuu-san, I believe. I have heard of you. It is an honor to meet the new student of the rumors.’"

Meeting Jade and Floyd (pt4) "Yuuya finally understands why Riddle looked so displeased when they first arrived."

Meeting Silver and Lilia (pt1) "Silver is often doing physical training, even on days when he has no club activities."

Meeting Silver and Lilia (pt2) "Silver accepts the towel with a casual ‘thank you,’ and wipes the sweat from his forehead. The birds chirp back, as though in response."

Meeting Silver and Lilia (pt3) "Lilia is as cheerful as he is lively. His sweeping gestures are so mismatched with his small stature that Yuuya cannot help but smile."

Riddle on Malleus "‘Someday, I'd like to ask Malleus-senpai what he thinks makes a good Housewarden.’"

Pre-Practice Match (pt1) “Perhaps it is because they are all so focused, but no one seems to have noticed them yet."

Pre-Practice Match (pt2) "The students who surround Yuuya's group are a mix of beast-people and others, each with impressive physiques and vibrant yellow shirts—the dorm color—stretched tight over their muscles."

Pre-Practice Match (pt3) "Only Ruggie makes a chuckle of sound, jogging to Leona’s side."

Pre-Practice Match (pt4) "Yuuya gives Cater a hopeful glance, but Cater’s expression is surprisingly stern."

Pre-Practice Match (pt5) "‘Shi-shi-shi!’ Ruggie laughs like air is escaping from him—a unique sound."

Spelldrive Practice Match (pt1) "Deuce is about to respond when suddenly both he and Ace are enveloped in light, their school uniforms transforming into their gym clothes."

Spelldrive Practice Match (pt2) "Colliding with another player Deuce tumbles onto the ground, but quickly regains his feet. Yuuya breathes a sigh of relief."

Spelldrive Practice Match (pt3) "'This has got to be a joke. You mocking me?’ Leona asks, lifting one hand and forming it into a fist."

Spelldrive Practice Match (pt4) "As Cater says, the unity of the Savanaclaw students—led by Leona—is overwhelming."

Spelldrive Practice Match (pt5) "Spelldrive is a timed sport, and a considerable amount of time still remains."

Leona and Jack (pt1) "It was three years ago, when Jack was still in middle school."

Leona and Jack (pt2) "‘The important thing isn’t how hard you try. It’s the result. Results are everything.’"

Leona and Jack (pt3) "Filled with frustration and sorrow, Jack clenches his hands into fists and leaves to return to the dorm, in silence."

Meeting Malleus (pt1) "‘Who's there?’ ‘Ah—' Suddenly, a voice from the darkness."

Meeting Malleus (pt2) "Yuuya quickly drops his eyes. Regardless of what those horns might be, it must be uncomfortable for one to have their physical attributes stared at in such a manner. Perhaps he has been rude."

Naming Malleus (pt1) "‘—and I guess it’s because I was so surprised, but I didn’t get any sleep at all last night.’"

Naming Malleus (pt2) "'The only reason you can say that is because you’ve never met Hornton.’"

Meeting Jamil and Kalim (pt1) "‘Why Jamil, Kalim. I did not expect to see you in the cafeteria.’"

Meeting Jamil and Kalim (pt2) "‘Information gets around quickly.’ ‘We just so happened to hear about it. May we bother you for the details?’ In response to Riddle’s inquiry, Jamil narrows his eyes."

Meeting Jamil and Kalim (pt3) "Jamil waits in silence for the conversation to pause, and then continues once more."

Riddle and Unique Magics "‘It's not something that just anyone can do. But the foundation for unique magic often lies in common, basic spells. A mage takes those spells and combines or improves upon them as needed.'"

Jack and Yuuya "First-year student, Jack, has been selected to play for Savanaclaw."

Meeting Azul (pt1) “'Oh my, is that Jack Howl of Savanaclaw?’"

Meeting Azul (pt2) "‘My name is Azul Ashengrotto, and I am honored to be the housewarden of Octavinelle. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.’"

Leona Collared "Leona fights to remove the collar by force, his hair whipping about his face in his violent struggle."

Facing down an overblotting Leona, Riddle has a confession to make "Riddle confronts the glowering Leona with determination. ‘I am not mocking you. Leona-senpai. I respected you.’"

Leona and Lilia "Riddle is already looking ahead. He has his regrets and his turmoil, but he still continues on the path of becoming a good housewarden."

Leona's Unique Magic (pt1) "From somewhere comes a low voice. At first Yuuya cannot tell who it is, but looking around him he notices Ruggie, his eyes dark and shimmering."

Leona's Unique Magic (pt2) "Yuuya looks up at the sky in a daze, and then feels something tickle at his ankle. Gently moving sand is pricking at his skin."

Leona and Ruggie, to overblot (pt1) "‘Leona-san, what are you thinking!?’ Ruggie steps in front of Leona. ‘Why would you use your unique magic like this…if you keep going—‘ ‘Why?’ Leona interrupts. 'Obviously, it’s to shut you all up.’"

Leona and Ruggie, to overblot (pt2) "‘Right, Ruggie? I really can't stand people who don't listen. I thought you would've figured that out by now. You're skilled at reading people's moods and selling them flattery, after all.’"

The Transformation "‘It is you who should be silent!’ Lilia shouts."

Cater and Yuuya "'Ruggie is lying nearby. Yuuya wraps one of Ruggie’s arms around his shoulders and Grim attempts to take a share of Ruggie’s weight by grabbing onto his thin waist, but the limp body weighs them down."

Ruggie Wakes Up "Jack's agile wolf body slides across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirtying his fur. Leona gives him a cold, piercing glance."

The Overblot Battle "Columns of sand rise up and advance towards Ruggie and the others, engulfing everything in their path."

Leona and Falena "From the moment I was born, there’s been a boulder on top of me that’s too heavy to move."

Post-Overblot Leona (the flashback monologue) "I grew tired of thinking, so I decided to enroll at Night Raven College, though I had no interest in it. I knew I was just running away from the pain, but my heart felt lighter, nonetheless."

Jack and Leona (pt4) "‘All this messing around. We don’t have time for this!’ Released from Ruggie’s unique magic, Leona rubs against his reddened cheeks and raises his eyes."

Trusting Riddle "In the very front row, Riddle puts a hand to his mouth as he shouts, ‘What are you getting despondent over? Defeat Leona-senpai, beat the crap out of him!’ The normally refined Riddle swings his fist around."

The Exhibition Match (pt1) "The disc passes to Deuce as he races down the side of the field. Deuce is not as skilled as Ace, but he has stamina, and he is fast on his feet. He effortlessly overtakes the grouped players of Yuuya and the others, steadily advancing towards the goal."

The Exhibition Match (pt2) "With a glance for the ghosts who come for him, Leona sharply calls out, ‘Jack!’"

The Exhibition Match (pt3) "Ruggie and Jack rush to Leona, who has fallen to his knees, his hands flat on the ground."

Cheka (pt1) "‘Unca, I finally found you!’ Something bounces like a ball into the infirmary."

Cheka (pt2) "Cheka looks to Jack with his large, round eyes, only to turn abruptly about and go to hug Leona again."

Cheka (pt3) "'Perhaps realizing that he is being laughed at, Cheka looks around the room with a curious look."

(While these translations are still ongoing, a summary/comparison of the the second novel and the game has completed! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8)

[prince-kallisto]

I never noticed this line from Masquerade Sebek before, but it surprised me how he mentions that his cape resembles bird feathers. His cape is only on his right, and Silver’s cape mirrors his by being on his left.

In Sebek’s groovy, we get a better shot of the cape from the back, and it certainly does resemble a bird’s feathers. It’s specifically mentioned that Sebek and Silver’s outfits were made to compliment Malleus as “his knights.” The paralleled dragon wings definitely got a lot of attention, but I never realized this part about both of their capes!

I am a firm believer that the Halloween events in particular are special cases of foreshadowing the late game. There’s a reason why it’s such a huge event every year, with even unique, animated trailers (a treatment only the opening and dorm trailers have gotten). So I wonder if this was a reference to not only the live action Maleficent, but to Levan (Malleus’ father). In the live action, Maleficent turns Diaval from a crow into a human, telling him she “needs him to be her wings.” Levan was similarly compared to this, by being Meleanor’s “eyes, limbs, and husband.” (Translation credits to GasMask on YouTube🐦‍⬛)

Edit: Also a potential parallel to Meleanor specifically, with Silver and Sebek forming the “left and right generals” to Malleus, who heavily resembles her

Silver and Sebek’s wings put together make a fully winged cape, not only the dragon wings on their shoulders, but the feathered wings as well. This seems like yet another homage to both Meleanor and Levan, with the combination of dragon and bird (it has not yet been confirmed what type of Fae Levan is, but his overall character seems to be inspired by Diablo and Diaval, Maleficent’s ravens). I believe the closest other example of a winged cape would be Crowley.

And as I was watching more of Glorious Masquerade today, these lines stuck out to me. In-universe, these masquerade outfits were patterned from designs from over 500 YEARS ago. The people of the City of Flowers would emulate nobles, royalty, merchants, and knights for festival periods. Now, I’m sure Noble Bell College were able to design such fitting designs for the NRC boys because it’s revealed that Crowley gave Rollo A LOT of documents relating to the students. So I’m sure the patterns were adjusted and decorated to fit each individual student with the information they got regarding their background and dorm.

But over 500 years ago is an interesting number, don’t you think? Sebek remarks that he’s amazed that an attire outside of Briar Valley could elevate Malleus’s elegance and beauty. But…what if that’s not the case? What if Malleus’ outfit was patterned after a Briar Valley outfit from over 500 years ago? Or rather, specifically inspired by Levan’s outfit?

Levan was in charge of foreign affairs and was a diplomat. He was an reputable and excellent envoy (a messenger or representative for diplomatic missions). Shockingly in Book 7, when General Lilia was traveling the world to try and find ways to hatch Eggleus, he went to the City of Flowers. I’m sure the story of Meleanor and the Human-Fae war was twisted by the Silver Owls, so the City of Flowers turned on the Fae during that time period. So what if there was a time before the war that Levan visited the City of Flowers? (Translation credits to OtomeAyui🐦‍⬛)

I am running woefully low on mobile photo post limits lmao, but if you look at the masquerade outfit designs, Malleus’ is the most distinct. His overall outfit definitely has the City of Flowers flair, but look at the others- where there are themes of shoulder pads, and ruffles and thicker cloth at the sleeves. Yet Malleus’ is the only one with transparent sleeves that expose his arms, and a square neckline. Why is only one outfit patterned so far from the traditional norm? (Playful Land Lilia was also said to have this distinctive and old style of neckline compared to the rest of his classmates, so it’s been theorized that this is/was potentially a fashion trend in Briar Valley).

In the above photo, I’m also surprised at how Malleus’ mask curves a little to resemble a beak. With Malleus’ shoulder feathers that have infamously been noted amongst the fandom to resemble Crowley’s, Malleus seems to have a raven theme with the mask and black feathers.

And bringing back what Rollo said about 500 years, in Book 7 we visit Lilia’s dream that first begins 400 years ago. 500 years ago is when Lilia received an admissions letter from NRC. I can’t say for sure when the Human-Fae war started, but Levan went missing around 100 years after. The point is- he was around during that 500 year time period that Rollo mentioned

So…all in all, I suppose this isn’t some lore-shattering theory/headcanon haha, but I wonder if Levan, in one of his previous diplomatic missions, visited the City of Flowers pre Human-Fae war. The way I envision it, Levan established a relationship with the City. After all, Lilia and Meleanor describe him as a kind man who sought to reunite all kinds of human and Fae together. So while he was there, some locals took note of his attire- perhaps even sketching him as well. Remember what Rollo said of the city taking inspiration for festival clothes from royalty and nobles, which Levan fits perfectly under that description. This was before the war, so the locals were kind and not afraid of him, unlike how they were with Lilia post-war

And through some twisted hand of fate, Malleus was best suited for the pattern inspired by his own father from 500 years ago. Perhaps Silver and Sebek’s cape resembling bird feathers were patterned after Levan’s wings as well? Because even though NBC definitely made unique outfits for the NRC students, why does Diasomnia of all dorms have this feather and raven theme? 👀

…

I like the implications that Crowley has been to the City of Flowers before haha. It’s a very nice and safe place, he says 🌸🐦‍⬛

[possibly-a-table-or-just-gay]

MY MASSIVE SCHOOL ART PROJECT IVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR LIKE SIX WEEKS!!!!!

The brief was a linoprint design with the prompt of "Hometown" :D

Translations under the cut:

HOME TOWN

Drawing of a two-headed dog: I took a lot of inspiration from shows and podcasts like Gravity Falls and Canp Here And There, where surrealism and strange happenings are the norm

Drawing of an Irish Elk: *I scribbled it out bc it contained information about where I live specifically, which I don't want online for obvious reasons*

Acrylic painting of an ice cream cone: I like the warm and cool shadows and how the left side is facing the light while the right is in shadow

PRIMARY SOURCES

*under the left drawing of lichen* Dry

*under the right drawing of lichen* Fresh

RAVENS AND CROWS

*top left* Ravens tend to be bigger than crows, and a lot fluffier. Jackdaws look very similar to crows, but while ravens & crows have dark eyes, jackdaws have very light eyes

*bottom left* crow feather ➡️ seagull feather➡️ swan feather➡️

SCOTT CHRISTIAN SAVA

*top right* Scott Christian Sava is traditional artist from New York who mainly uses gouache and watercolour and has amassed a large following from sharing his process on platforms like Tiktok and YouTube. He has said he was heavily influenced by JC Leyendecker, Marvel comics and the Art Noveau movement.

*above the manatee* One thing I really like about his art is the way he uses blotchy shapes to show light and shadow, and how that makes his paintings feel like something out of a storybook.

*in between the manatee and the unicorn* I also like the use of shapes and patterns in the background of his work to frame the subject, almost like a stained glass window.

*above the unicorn* Samples of paintings from his "National Animals" series, and my attempt at painting the national animal of Ireland in this style

[petrolstationflowers]

Are feathered friends better than human coworkers? Why not try out an Ornithology career for your sims! Once more requested by @catrillion, we wanted to work on something that incorporated a specific form of laws protecting animals, and came up with this.

This job is available for YA - Elder, and you can join via the Arboretum. Please note you will need to either play this in Moonlight Falls or save the Arboretum lot and place it in another neighbourhood for this to show up in game!

You will need to level Fishing, Science, and the hidden skill WildlifeFriend. This latter one maxes out at level 6. You can change and track this using MasterController, and the metrics in the job panel will update as you progress it.

No opportunities, uniforms, or books, and the lower levels will not have a carpool so make sure to send your sims to work manually!

Please note if you want to use this, you must have Nraas Careers installed for it to show up!

There are three custom tones:

Read Journals (increase Science) Socialise the Birds (WildlifeFriend) Survey the Park (Fishing)

Meet/Hang With Coworker have also been changed to "Meet Birds," and "Chill With the Birds."

If anyone can translate for me, I'd be very grateful!

Level descriptions under the cut:

Enthusiast - 10 simoleans p/h, 10:00 - 16:00, M-F

Description: You’ve loved birds for as long as you can remember; the family budgie that sat on your finger, the class cockatoo that someone taught to swear. You spend most of your days working the checkout at EverFresh Supermarket staring out the window at the trees in the car park, where a flock of parakeets have their nest. Maybe it’s time to spread your wings and look for a more interesting job?

Amateur Ornithologist - 15 sp/h, 10:00 - 16:00, M-F

Description: You’ve bid farewell to the checkout and instead set up camp in the local park, photographing birds for your local twitcher group on Sims Social. The pay is chickenfeed (unless you photograph Mothman himself) but your online friends might know where you might find something that pays more of the bills…

Park Volunteer - 20 sp/h, 09:00 - 17:00, W,T,F,S,U

Description: Now this is certainly better than the supermarket! The pay is still terrible but you get to spend your time outdoors at your local wildlife park – and most importantly, with your avian associates. Clean out their pens, guide lost tourists, and do a coffee run or three; you might make enough friends to get a little higher on the perch.

Conservation Education Guide - 40 sp/h, 09:00 - 18:00, W,T,F,S,U

Description: Despite their awkward reputation, ornithologists are a chatty lot when it comes to their favourite subject. The general public don’t tend to know a lot about birds, muddling up their crows and their ravens, and think that leaving out generic birdseed is just as good as black sunflower seeds, raisins, and tasty mealworms. Give them a lecture to remember – oh, and try to shill the organic bird food in the gift shop.

Intern - 45 sp/h, 09:00 - 18:00, W,T,F,S,U

Description: An actual job title and pay that doesn’t leave you eating ramen all week! Granted, it’s a lot of book learning along with the hands-on experience, with long hours studying and memorising complicated Latin names, but keep at it. Onwards and upwards!

Park Ranger - 55 sp/h, 05:00 - 14:00, W,T,F,S,U

Description: You’ve finally got your hat but it looks like you’ll be wearing a lot of them; being a park ranger means dealing with the public too. As well as showcasing the beauty of the natural world, you’ll be delivering activities to guests and raising awareness of just how important it is to keep their natural habitats safe. Hope visitors like trail walks and nest building competitions!

Bird Keeper - 60 sp/h, 05:00 - 14:00, W,T,F,S,U

Description: Finally, a flock of your own! You’re in charge of the bird habitat at the park, taking part in the captive breeding program and making sure the conservation effort is going according to plan. You’ll be hands on developing research projects and coming up with new enrichment ideas for your charges – a pity the higher ups said no to a birdie disco ball in the main office.

Conservation Delivery Manager - 75 sp/h, 09:00 - 17:00, M-F

Description: Another flock, but this time the underlings are a team of people rather than baby birds. You’re responsible for a team of wardens across the local area, sending them nationwide to ensure they deliver conservation projects funded by City Hall. There’s a lot of business plans and project management, but someone needs to make sure resources are allocated properly (and birds can’t hold a pen).

Protected Sites Advisor - 90 sp/h, 09:00 - 17:00, M,T,F

Description: You’re deep in the science side of ornithology now; working with local farmers to make sure their food production methods are environmentally friendly, reducing the impact of climate change, and ensuring that important ecosystems thrive and flourish. You’ll also get the chance to pitch sites for new developments and green spaces – so if you want a Birdie Bistro & Bar serving Band Slams & Baked Angel Food Cake, now’s your chance!

Ecologist - 150 sp/h, 09:00 - 17:00, M,W F

Description: You’re out of the suburbs and into the woods – time to be a consultant! You’ll be travelling all over SimNation to various sites and places that have the potential to become the latest havens for your bird friends, writing up surveys and reports to convince the mayor of Barnacle Bay perhaps they can build their luxury flats somewhere else and not disturb the local condor population. Ecological assessment work might not sound the most interesting on paper, but it’s hugely important to make sure you’re protecting birds for generations to come – children and eggs alike.

With thanks: To MissyHissy's career building tutorial!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 swap bodies with their familiars

- to set the scene -

You've been doing steady research on the implications of having the body of an Arcana. Part of that has included concocting a few experimental spells designed to stabilize your connection to your body when you need to journey through the realms without dragging it with you. You've tried writing down several concepts, such as having an added anchor for your consciousness, or storing your body in your gate or a pocket realm. You haven't been getting the most sleep lately, so you head to bed before your beloved returns, completely forgetting about the pages of spell circles left on the table.

All you know is that when you roll over the next morning to snuggle closer to your love, you end up staring a very confused animal in the face. It seems your beloved wanted a better look at the spell circles, and now their consciousness is in their familiar's body, while their familiar's consciousness is trapped with your beloved's body in the magical realms. It seems you'll have to wait until their familiar brings their body back to reverse the switch.

You slowly turn back to the animal watching your every move. "... can you at least talk?"

(A/N - yes, I briefly looked up animal facts for this, but if my Google searches led me wrong please let me know! - brainrot)

Julian

Fortunately, ravens do have the capacity to mimick human speech

Unfortunately, it's slightly unsettling to hear Julian's dramatic ramblings in that kind of screeching, squawking voice. He sounds like a cartoon parrot, but hoarser

"Yes, my love, I *CAW*, it seems I can speak, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, I *SCREECH* I don't know how I did this ..."

His normal pacing and dramatic poses translate into a very skittish raven hopping back and forth along the headboard and fluffing up every two steps

He's beginning to spiral a little, a feather or two floating onto your pillows, so you approach him and offer your arm for a perch

It's very hard not to laugh when he pauses to caw "thank you" every few pecks of cured meat and berries

Is very hesitant to try flying after his first attempt indoors sent him into a window. Perches on your shoulder the whole way through town, trying not to dig his talons in

Once you get out to the fields he gives it a try and falls completely in love with the sensation

You notice him performing all kinds of acrobatic tricks, pausing every now and then to bring you a berry or two

Keeps gently running his beak through your hair the whole way home, letting out soft warbles the whole time

Mazelinka shows up at your door as the sun is setting, brandishing her soup spoon and telling you to come collect your "ridiculous boy" from her rafters

You've prepared everything in advance, as soon as you walk into the same room the switch is undone

The first thing he's doing is wrapping you up in a hug. He missed holding you

Malak is too relieved to have his wings back to engage. He's taking off through the nearest window

Several days later you'll be doing some reading up on ravens (in case anything like this happens again) and discover that the berries and acrobatics and warbling and gentle preening were all courtship rituals

Oh, and ravens mate for life

Asra

Snakes don't have much capacity to speak

But at this point, your magical connections with both Asra and Faust make it fairly easy for him to think into your mind like she does

As soon as you manage to tune in, all you can hear are giggles. "... Asra? You in there?"

*giggles* Please, call me Fassstra, the limb-itless *uncontrollable laughter*

You don't know if you should be amused or frustrated with the way they're rolling clumsily around, trying to figure out their new dynamics of movement

It's very clear that it's not Faust you're holding as soon as you pick him up. Faust has a tendency to rest along your shoulders

Fassstra the limb-itless apparently prefers to wind themself along your upper left arm under your shirt, where they can peek out of your collar to blep at the world; or rest their neck along your collarbone, head pressed to your heartbeat

You don't know anything about the care and keeping of snakes, so you lock up the shop and head over to Aisha and Salim's

They're very happy to have you for the day, and even come up with a magic beacon to help Faust find her way back in Asra's body

Thankfully it seems Faust ate shortly before the switch, so you don't have to worry too much about food

But you do notice the way the two alchemists keep smiling and chuckling at Fassstra (the limb-itless)'s behavior

They keep winding the end of their tail around your arm and pressing their belly across your shoulder blades

Your figure it's just his way of hugging you

You're clearly more worried than they are. The thoughts you get from them are all lazy giggles and daydreams while they cover you with snoot boops and snek kisses

Refuses to rest anywhere else. You're warm.

It only takes a few hours before Asra's body suddenly flops onto the carpet, sprawled across the floor and very sweaty

It seems he inherited his teasing nature from both his parents, because they waited until he couldn't hide his blush to tell him that his mating requests weren't subtle at all

Nadia

If you thought Chandra was elegant before, she's regal now. Unfortunately, her attempts to turn owl hoots into speech are not sophisticated in the slightest

However, she can bob and shake her head, so you stick to yes and no questions

"Are you hungry?" *slight bob*

"Would you like me to bring you a mouse?" *rapid shaking*

"How about some cuts of raw steak?" *very hesitant bob*

When you first offer your arm to her, she refuses and instead flaps and hops over to the glove she uses for Chandra. She's very wary of hurting you with her talons

It turns out Chandra is heavier than she looks. Your arm is quite tired by the time you reach the kitchen

You're able to clear her schedule for the day and arrange for your meals to be brought to the Palace gardens. She's very careful to stay as still as possible until you transfer her to a low hanging branch

You set the palace fountain up to be an easy portal and pass the morning relaxing in the grass, watching her figure out the business of flying. She finds that she loves it

You settle down in a gazebo nearby around lunchtime, which is when you notice her perk up a little

She starts bringing you small flowers, using her perch on the back of your chair to rub her cheek against yours

At one point she kept running her beak along your hairline and daintily adjusting the collar of your shirt

You manage to keep the gardens empty to protect Nadia's privacy when her body returns, and when she splashes out of the fountain it's a matter of seconds before they switch back

Chandra flaps off to hunt and Nadia immediately whisks you away for a long bath. Being a bird felt a bit messy for her

You'll find out later that owls initiate courting with gifts of food, and that paired couples often preen each other and rub cheeks to bond and show off their courtship

If you bring this up with Nadia she will blush and assert that you are the ideal mate

Muriel

Your suggestion to try speaking will be met with a hard stare and embarrassed huff

Wolf faces, it seems, are plenty expressive. Considering how well the two of you already understand each other without words, it's not as difficult as you would expect

You've seen Inanna hunt and eat her own food plenty of times before (rabbits and deer, usually) and you keep waiting for Muriel to head out and do that

But he's stubbornly curled up in a ball, ignoring the stomach rumbles you can hear from the other side of the room, because he doesn't want to take a life

Trying to convince him otherwise will result in him turning his back to you with an annoyed huff, briefly swiveling his head around to give you an apologetic lick

You'll have to break into the winter's supply of dried meat. He'll accept it if you feed it to him by hand

You already know Inanna will mostly likely return with his body on the mountaintop Muriel uses to cast runes so you hike over with him next to you

Close next to you. Very close. To the point that your thigh is brushing against his flank with every step

When you finally get to the top and sit down he alternates between pacing in patrol circles and snuggling up to you

He'll be approaching you, making quiet little whines, bumping your nose with his and tucking his snout under your chin as he leans against your side

You figure that it's a product of his anxiety (he's trapped in a wolf's body, and he's not a wolf!) and give him as many reassuring snuggles as you can

Muriel's body will suddenly appear just around lunchtime, lying on his side and out of breath

You brought everything you needed with you, and Muriel's no stranger to magic, so they're back to themselves in a few minutes

You realize how little you knew about Inanna before this, so you'll stop by the library next time you're in town and do some research

Apparently all that snuggling and nuzzling was a wolfy attempt at courting you

Portia

Her immediate response to your question is a loud, long, meow. She will fix you with those big eyes and keep yowling until you stop asking the impossible of her

Now that you've determined where her body is, she's hungry and she's ready to eat and she's letting you know

You know Pepi has cooked chicken all the time, so that's what you make for her

She'll bat at a piece of paper and bring you a pen. Eventually you figure it out and write "YES" and "NO" in big bold letters for her to point to

She spends the hour or two after breakfast with the zoomies

You can tell from the look on her face that she's having the time of her life. She can climb so high! She has such good balance! She can go so fast! She can leap from the roof and watch you scramble to catch her!

Eventually mid-morning hits and she gets drowsy. You've decided to stay in the cottage and garden, as that's where Portia's magic is most anchored and where her body will most likely appear

The day passes drowsily, Portia snuggled into your lap while you read, but then shortly after lunchtime she gets a second wind

Only this time, she's focused completely on you. Standing between you and anything you're holding, rubbing against your legs and arms and face nonstop, rolling around on the carpet in front of you, and meowing so much you wonder if something's wrong

It's difficult to ask her that, because she's made it clear that she can't speak, and asking her only makes her more agitated

Sometime in the afternoon you turn around to see Portia's body curled up on the sofa and you're able to switch them back

Several months later, you notice Pepi acting up again, rolling, meowing, constantly rubbing up on your and Portia's ankles. You remember seeing this before and comment on it:

"Is it going to get worse? I remember you being much more extreme."

She'll turn bright red and stammer as she explains that this is behavior typical of cats trying to attract a mate

Lucio

It's a little unsettling, because Lucio has two familiars, and he naturally only swapped bodies with one of them

Which is why Mercedes is still dozing happily as Melchior fixes you with the most doleful, confused, loving gaze

When you ask if he can speak, Lucio (in Melchior's body) only manages some strangled grunts and whines, which wakes up Mercedes, who promptly begins to freak out

Mercedes is a familiar after all. He can tell what the situation is, even if he doesn't know how it happened. No self-respecting dog would expect to wake up to his master's soul in his brother's body

You sit down and explain what happened as well as you can, which helps Lucio relax, which helps Mercedes relax, which stops the barking

You're not worried about Melchior finding his way back with Lucio's body because Mercedes makes for a perfect beacon

As soon as he tries running, it's the only think Lucio does for the next several hours. He can go so fast! There are so many things to chase! There are so many things to smell! Speaking of smell ...

He keeps smelling you. And the more he sniffs, the more insistent he becomes. What starts as occasional sniffs of your hand becomes a constant attempt to get a good whiff of your privates

Which let's be clear - you are not a fan of

At first you just brush him off, but as he gets more invasive you snap and respond like he's a real dog: "Bad Lucio! Get Down! NO."

The wide eyed-whimper you receive makes you apologize immediately, and one scritch behind the ears later all is forgiven

You do keep having to push him off of you

Melchior will appear with Lucio's body shortly before bed, and you'll switch them back right away. Mercedes is overjoyed

You will finally get to ask Lucio about his behavior though: "What was up with all the sniffing? Did I smell weird?"

And he will get defensive: "Is that so wrong? Do you want me to tell you that you smelled good? You smelled good!"

[skyeslittlecorner]

It's 2nd April, so - time to meet the first lucky winner~

As I promised, today the first fanfic for your MCs and OCs. It's quite funny, because the first person in the draw turned out to be the one who entered last. Dear @de1-os, congrats! Looks like your waiting was a good strategy~

Writing was a challenge, after all, this is my first fanfic like this. But I had a great time doing it. Asher is a fascinating character, above all with a very sensible approach to these demons. I hope you will like it!

Note: If anything sounds wrong and ooc, please let me know. I'll change it. If you want, you can also change it yourself, it's entirely up to you, and you can edit these texts however you want.

Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes, especially if I mixed up pronouns. I write in my native language, where there is no equivalent of "they". I could have translated something incorrectly and not noticed when editing. Then let me know too, of course I will correct it.

Words: ~1200

WHB MC Shuffle | Asher

Asher was the first to leave Leviathan's office. Prematurely - as the waiting Astaroth noticed - because the meeting had recently begun. The councils of Hades ended when their king released them. At least that's what he heard. In Gehenna, they ended when the king kicked them out. 

The demon stared at Asher, trying to guess what happened inside. But it wasn't easy when the only thing that changed in their expression was a wrinkled nose. They could just as easily be disgusted or angry as they could be terrified.

“Didn't everything turn out the way you wanted?”

Only a quiet grunt escaped Asher's lips. What were they supposed to say? What always happened, happened today too.

“Glasyalabolas.”

A few days ago, His Majesty Leviathan summoned the descendant of Solomon to attend an extremely important meeting; what was important, only he knew, because Asher was as bored as a pug during political talks. Today's session seemed even less interesting than usual. They achieved a new record of disconnection from the surroundings. They stopped listening before the nobles even started talking. What could they do? They were surrounded by a bunch of hot men, instead of stupid politics, they could have chill out a little. For example, unbutton the shirts to let the chill breeze brush their skin…

Astaroth's snap awakened them before the train of imagination could gain momentum.

“Huh?”

“I asked what he did this time.”

Legs carried them forward, away from this office, as if Asher were afraid that the boredom would spill out and consume them again. Or, even worse, Glasyabolas's hand would land on their thigh again. Although, actually, it wouldn't be that bad. He was quite hot. Except he was an asshole. But what could they do, it only increased the possibilities… They forced themself to at least partially come to their senses. Even though, the fantasies about Glasyal were much more interesting. Yes, they were angry with him, but they still could appreciate a good body and certainly even better skills. It's not easy to shake a connoisseur out of their professionalism.

“He is being himself.” Asher grumbled under their breath. “I'm starting to get fed up with him.”

“Maybe you should take a break. I know a place you might like.”

The place in question turned out to be a cramped shop. The shelves were full of suspicious drugs, they all smelled of herbs and that unusual, sleepy fog surrounding Hades. Raven feathers, stone amulets, and reptile scales were stuffed among laurel branches and incantation ribbons. Astaroth, wrapped in snake coils, looked like one of the exhibits. Surrounded by the mysticism of this place, he seemed even sexier than usual. But why did the demon brought them here?

“Look.” The man pointed to the jar of clay standing at their feet. “These are lumps of earth collected from the place where His Majesty Lucifer fell into Hell.”

Asher bent down and picked up a small thing that looked more like a vial.

“Should it really be standing that low? Someone will kick it and everything will fall apart.”

“The thing is, these stones are extremely…”

They put the jar on a shelf among engraved beads and blue-labeled containers. Old wood groaned and splinters appeared from the bottom.

“…heavy.”

“Never mind.” Asher quickly put that quirk back where it was. It occurred to them that they might throw it at Glasyalabolas. Maybe he would finally get his shit together.

“You're wrinkling your nose again. Are you thinking the same thing as before?”

“Maybe… I'm sick of him, you know? I want to throw it in his face.”

“I think you should let your desires take over. Be corrupted. Be yourself.” Demon reached for a drug with a blue label. “But I propose a more sophisticated way.”

“What do you mean?”

“These are sleep oils with little side effect. You fall asleep faster, but you wake up much more tired.”

Without much thought, Asher grabbed a package three times its size.

“We'll take it.”

The gift they had prepared didn't look suspicious. An ordinary pillow that smelled of lavender. People lie perfectly, so explaining it was supposed to be easy. Asher had some credible stories ready. In fact, they were even a little disappointed that Glasyal didn't ask where the gift came from. All that was left to do was wait.

On the first day, there were no signs of fatigue. As they sat in council, Glasyalabolas was as great and immovable as a mountain. The next day, the mountain hunched its shoulders, but so slightly that they barely noticed it. On the third day, dark circles began to appear under his eyes. The next evening, after a meeting in which Glasyal had given up even teasing them, another thing humans are good at stirred in Asher. Delicate, barely audible remorse.

they stood outside Glasyal's room, trying to think of why they wanted their gift back. Yes, the demon was annoying, but maybe, just slightly maybe, they a little, just a little liked him. Maybe it's a souvenir from another demon? Or maybe a pillow that is always warm on both sides and was mistaken for a real gift? Before Asher could think of anything, the door opened. Weird. They didn't knock.

“Do you need anything?”

“Yes.”

“Come in, then. I know you've been standing here for quite a few minutes.”

Even though Asher entered the snake pit with a straight face, their heart was racing. First, they entered the demon's room. A handsome demon. A terrifying demon. They regretted it even before the door closed behind. Maybe they should come back after all? 

All doubts were doubled when Glasyalabolas leaned forward, as if bowing, and took their hand.

“Two can play this game, you know that?”

Not only Asher's heart but also his breathing reached the pace of an asthmatic after a marathon when Glasyal placed their hand on his cheek. He rubbed their fingers under his eye, and the circles that were supposedly from lack of sleep became blurred. Everything that was speeding up, suddenly stopped. Makeup. It was makeup. And worst of all, when they looked closer, the makeup was of very low quality. 

“You think I can't recognize sleeping herbs? Especially since you poured so much into this pillow? Even a corpse would be disturbed.” 

Instead of letting go of their hand, Glasyal ran their fingers over his lips. They were surprisingly soft and warm. Asher couldn't help himself. They pressed harder, wondering if his tongue was as soft. Anxiety fought with desire as they stared at his tongue as it lazily licked its lips. Fuck. Before they take this pillow away from him, they can still use it in this bed.

They took a step closer and grabbed the dark horn to make sure the demon wouldn't get up. And that he won't have any stupid ideas. Glasyal just muttered under his breath, something that sounded like a cross between a groan and a laugh.

“It was a punishment to stop acting like an asshole.” 

“I guess it didn't work.”

“In that case” Asher tugged the horn, forcing Glasyal to bow even lower. “Looks like I'll have to work on this more bluntly.”

The demon knelt down. However, if Asher thought for a moment that he would politely give up, their legs immediately buckled under them. Glasyal grabbed them around the waist and lifted their shirt with his teeth, licking, nipping and biting their lower abdomen.

“I want to see you try.”

That evening, neither of them needed a pillow anymore.

[ravenfeatherstranslations]

Punishing Gray Ravens: Interlude Chapter 13 Now Available:

Final Liv Chapter 13 is fully translated and ready to go! You can read it here: Link

RFT ONLY publishes work on MANGADEX! If there are any other manga sharing site that shows our translated work they are stealing! And probably loaded with viruses! Read on MangaDex for a better experience!

[cordeliahrose]

Lucifer

Lucifer is a Latin word coming from the words lux, meaning light, and fero, meaning to bear or to carry. Literally translating to light-bearer.

Lucifer as a Roman Deity

Lucifer has had many faces throughout history. One of these being the Roman deity of the morning star, or Venus, considered the male equivalent of the goddess Venus. He is attributed to being the god of enlightenment and illumination. Lucifer is often depicted carrying a torch, and said to be equal in beauty to the goddess Venus. Due to being the morning star, I can also see Lucifer being associated with war as well. Especially considering his association with learning and knowledge, as well as that Venus also historically had war epithets. 

In the Greek pantheon, they separate the morning star and the evening star into two seperate deities, being Phosphorus/Eosphorus and Hesperos. Eosphorus meaning “dawn-bringer”, and Phosphorus meaning “The bearer of light”. Phosphorus and Hesperos are the sons of Eos, Goddess of dawn, and Astraios, God of dusk. Phosphorus is the father of the Hesperides, nymphs of the evening time and light of the sunset.

Lucifer in Abrahamic Religions

Historically, Lucifer was never mentioned in the Bible at all. His name being associated to Christianity nowadays is due to a mistranslation of a poem about a fallen king. However, he is a big part of Christian culture now, and there are myths associated with him. 

Lucifer was said to be the most beautiful and intelligent of God’s angels. He was God’s right hand. Until he defied God. There are many different versions of the fall of Lucifer. 

One version of this story says that Lucifer became overly prideful of himself, his beauty, intelligence, power, that he thought himself worthy of being worshipped equal to God. Because of this, God cast him out of heaven.

Another version is that Lucifer was jealous of Jesus Christ. He gathered the angels and brought forward the idea of worshipping him instead of Jesus. Some of the angels sided with Lucifer, while others did not. There was a meeting between God, Lucifer, and all of the angels in which God said that their rebellion was unforgivable. There was a war between the two sides, but ultimately God and his angels won. Lucifer and the angels who followed him were banished from heaven.

Lucifer in Modern Witchcraft

In more modern witchcraft, there is a tradition which states that Diana, queen of witches, created Lucifer when she split herself into two pieces, darkness and light. She kept the darkness for herself, and Lucifer kept the light. Lucifer and Diana also have a child, Aradia. In this tradition, Lucifer is seen as the god of light, and masculine energy. One of the most influential sources for this tradition is The Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland.

Lucifer in Demonolatry

In demonolatry, Lucifer has many titles. Prince, King, Emperor, Lord. Lucifer is a demon of transformation, enlightenment, awakening, self-discovery, self-empowerment, and more. He is usually attributed to the element of air, and also pride.

Lucifer’s Associations

Anything with the * symbol next to it means that it is my own UPG.

Animals:

Snakes

Rams

Peacocks

Corvids (crows, ravens)

Cats

Spiders

Moths

Colors:

Black

Grey

Gold

Red

Teal

Blue, especially pale blue*

Purple* 

Crystals:

Obsidian

Onyx

Hematite

Celestite

Seraphinite

Garnet

Sunstone

Clear quartz

Carnelian

Ruby

Copper 

I am aware that copper isn’t a crystal. 

Plants:

Apples

Pomegranates

Roses

Cinnamon

Cloves

Lavender

Blackberries

Sage

Black pepper

Garlic

Lilac

Spicy peppers*

Other:

Stars

The number 7*

Spring equinox

Autumn equinox*

Offerings

Strawberries

Blackberries

Chocolate

Apples

Pomegranates

Honey

Spicy foods*

Sweet things, especially baked goods

Juices, especially apple or grape

Coffee

Roses

Feathers

Devotional Acts

Shadow work

Learn about the sciences or the arts

Create art of any kind

Face your fears

Learn about any of his associated animals

Magical workings, especially those that fall under his sphere of influence

Learning in general

Developing  your psychic abilities and spiritual senses (the clairs)

Spiritual progression

Anything marked with the symbol * means that it is my own UPG

[deltachipcookie]

My take on Keyleth's Timeless Body feature for @artists-guild-of-exandria's Spells n Stuff showcase! If you want a slightly more detailed breakdown of some of the thought processes behind each panel, check out my thread here on my twitter.

As a general overview- The panels are all separated but sewn together by the threads of fate, still connecting the party. Each of the panels (except for Vax's) have a prominent raven or feather within them, and they all have flowers, to signify visits from both Vax and Keyleth. I've tried to match up the flowers in each with some fittingly meaningful plant- Vax has his Snowdrops, while Scanlan has a Juniper bonsai. Grog's flower is a Chamomile, which means Energy in Adversity, while Percy's Edelweiss means Devotion and Courage (and translates to Royal+White).

I had a *lot* of fun with this piece, especially trying to add in little details! Keyleth's long lifespan has been on my mind for *years*, and I'm glad I finally managed to draw something that captures that a little bit!

Please do not repost, or use without my permission. Likes and reblogs are appreciated! If you like my drawings, please consider following me, or sharing the commissions link in my pinned post.

[eirianerisdar]

hi! i'm really loving icarus, you're a wonderful writer! but i just had a quick question. i love the flock graphics, and they're super helpful! would it be possible for you to maybe list the species of birds for the main 'characters' of the story as well? you don't have to post example photos or anything crazy, but i think just a list like that would be helpful too. sometimes i forget who has what kind of wings, and i think having a list so i can google image the bird would be great.

if that's not something you want to do or don't have time to do or something, no worries!! i really appreciate you taking the time to write icarus in the first place <3

Oof I might as well do a general guide! I never thought a maxiel wingfic would spawn so many specific wing allocations but here's the general list:

Paddock wings in Icarus:

Current grid:

Daniel Ricciardo - Scarlet Macaw (colourful, nimble flyers)

Max Verstappen - Peregrine Falcon (raw speed, inherited from his mother)

Sergio Perez -Crested Caracara (a type of mexican bird of prey)

Lewis Hamilton - Greater Bird of Paradise (beautiful wing plumes, lovely singer)

George Russell - Blue swallow (beautiful metallic-blue feathers, scream like madmen when they fly)

Carlos Sainz - Spanish Imperial Eagle (white epaulets, very regal)

Charles Leclerc - White Dove (need I say more? Perfect white wings, exploited because they're pretty but so intelligent in pathfinding)

Lando Norris - Lucifer Hummingbird (Small, colourful, likes to hover in place)

Oscar Piastri - Little Lorikeet (One of the smaller types of Australian parrot. Very cute)

Yuki Tsunoda - Japanese Long-tailed tit (Photos should be self explanatory. They fly like ballistic missiles)

Alexander Albon - Crested Fireback (National bird of Thailand. Beautiful dark blue and fiery plumage)

Logan - Blue Jay (Commonly found in Florida. Blue, like Logan's current posting, and his eyes)

Pierre Gasly - Osprey (A bird of prey often found near coasts along the European shoreline, and Pierre is from Normandy)

Esteban Ocon - Black Stork (Tall, gangly, also migrates through France)

Fernando Alonso - Kestrel (a type of small bird of prey, hunts by biding their time and waiting then divebombing)

Lance Stroll - Snowy Owl (Lance is cuddly ok and I didn't want to make him a Canadian goose because that's his dad)

Valtteri Bottas - Bullfinch (Look it up. The picture is self-explanatory. The manliest of men)

Zhou Guanyu - Chinese Red-Crowned Crane (A crowned crane for the champion of the universe, as translates his name)

Kevin Magnussen - Raven (Viking. quoth the raven.)

Nico Hulkenberg - Crow (he keeps coming back. As wily as many of their bird counterparts but has a bad rep for being a bad omen)

Retired drivers or drivers not currently on the grid:

Sebastian Vettel - Swiftlet (Extremely good fliers, reaching up to 160km/h and pulls insane G-forces)

Mick Schumacher - European robin (Very cute. Universally liked. Same wings as his father)

Nico Rosberg - Eurasian Sparrowhawk (a bird of prey that hunts by ambushing before a high-speed, agile chase)

Jenson Button - Northern Harrier (hunts in a high-speed flight close to the ground, exceptionally good listeners)

Mark Webber - Cassowary (look up a photo. Just look at it.)

Kimi Raikkonen - Giant Albatross (King of gives no shits, flies very long distances without a care)

David Coulthard - Bush-Stone Curlew (White trousers!)

Romain Grosjean - Red-tailed Hawk (I chose the bird of prey that could best mesh with the phoenix metaphor)

Antonio Giovannazi - White-spotted Starling (Very pretty plumage)

Daniil Kyvat - Great Bustard (I honestly don't remember why. Distributes in Russia)

Nyck De Vries - Common European Sparrow (Small. Commonly found. Unfortunately often hunted)

Nikita Mazepin - Flamingo (Need I say more)

Sir Jackie Stewart - (Clipped) Merlin Wings (Extremely fast Scottish bird of prey. In-fic, Jackie was one of the generation of drivers that clipped their wings, permanently robbing them of flight)

Team Principals and people in the paddock:

Toto Wolff - Black Swan (self-explanatory)

Christian Horner - Golden Eagle (A bit pompous. Matches his hair)

James Vowles - Magpie (Utterly clever, not from any particular prestige)

Fred Vasseur - Partridge (Affable. Cuddly.)

Guenther Steiner - Shoebill (self-explanatory, look up a photo)

Cyril Abiteboul - Eagle Owl (something about his face is very Eagle Owl)

Micheal Italiano - Kookaburra (laughs when they shouldn't)

Zak Brown - Chicken (self-explanatory. Literally and metaphorically)

Andreas (mclaren) - Common Quail (short lifespan)

Mattia Binotto - Pigeon (wants to be as pretty and loved as Charles. Is a public nuisance instead)

Otmar sznafnauer - Peacock (Struts around, can't really fly)

Resident Bastard:

Jos Verstappen - Cuckoo (Cuckoos are brood parasites, and lay their eggs in nests of birds of other species'. The cuckoo parent therefore does nothing while other birds raise their young)

[dread-red-queen]

🚫 Do not re-upload/edit my shots/art without my permission🚫

Raven & Goro's Japanese Wedding

the 1st screenshot is them at the Temizuya where they cleanse there hands and mouth to purify themselves

I couldn't figure out how to get a shot of them offering the Sakaki (this is offering a branch from the sacred tree to the gods usually food and Saki are also offered)

I also couldn't get a shot of them during the Sansankudo

Sake drinking or sansankudo = Three three nine times is the literal translation of sansankudo. An integral part of a Shinto wedding ceremony involving drinking sake The physical act involves three cups, one small, one medium and one larger. The sake is poured from a special vessel that looks like a teapot. Each cup is poured in three increments. The groom sips three times from the small cup first, the bride follows. The bride then sips from the medium cup three times and the groom follows.

then there vows and of course Goro kissing his new bride though that bit I added myself I'm unsure if they kiss there brides like in a western wedding.

"Hai, Chikaimasu." = I promise (basicaly this is like saying I do) this is in reference to there wedding vows.

Ravens kimono would be referred to as a shiromuku (this is a pure white silk kimono) and Goro's that I photoshopped is referred to as a Montsuki (this is a formal black kimono with white inner layers usually 5 layers in total, the family crest on his shoulders is the Kanji for Bamboo (Takemura) and the Kanji for Feather nestled inside representing Raven. I took some liberty here, as they decided to make there own family crest. normally this crest would of been Goro's family crest but in my story I've gone with him not having a family crest due to coming from a poor background and Raven suggesting they make there own, in a sweet moment between them

please if I have got anything wrong let me know, I did alot of research into tradition Japanese weddings so if I have misinterpreted or got something the wrong way round or translated anything wrong do correct me in the comments