#― know that the alchemist has power over the stars and not the stars over him. | alchemy

[deathleadsarc]

an ascension to further transmute the Soul to the One.

[deathleads]

ic. tags

― a witch need not fear the darkness | for she is darker | muse ― a history of creations most pleasantly foul | history ― unholy blood mother | death leading to oblivion | khrosteia ― know that the alchemist has power over the stars and not the stars over him. | alchemy ― the loves of the lilith | chimera ― the sanctuary of the witch | home of the belladonna ― sing sweet the danse macabre | music ― passions reigned high on display | aesthetics

[theatricalmage]

The brainrot took over and so here's a vat7k hadestown au!! Don't know if I'll develop it fully but I liked designing it at least!

More info under the cut:

- Varian, the Coronan royal alchemist, tasks himself with deciphering an incantation capable of bringing the world back into tune. Times are tough, and the royal family + Quirin are doing their best to cope with the meagre crop yields and desolate weather (Corona not really being the sunshine kingdom - hasn't been for a while). He wants to help and do good and I think he'd be a good Orpheus.

- Hugo, having moved about from place to place, still has his interest in alchemy and does what he can to get by. He plans on temporarily staying in Corona before looting, but he encounters a certain like-minded scientist at the Snuggly Duckling. I think him being selfish works especially well in Eurydice's role, having a more pessimistic view of the world. It also works with how he gets drawn to Donella's offer of working for her later on, leading him to his death.

- Ulla as Persephone! I was initially stuck on whether to have Rapunzel (and either Eugene/Cass) as her (and Hades) but I was drawn to the connection that Hugo has to Donella and the Donella/Ulla relationship in vat7k just works too well. In this case, Ulla won't be Varian's mother. She's still gonna be somewhat of an inspiration to him though, being the previous Coronan royal alchemist and for her intelligence. For half the year, she'll return to Corona with food, drinks, and alchemical compounds/inventions, bringing Spring and Summer to the world, if only for a bit.

- Donella would be such an interesting Hades, losing sight of her love for Ulla, heart filled with fear and hurt, leading to bitterness and cruelty. Ingvarr being Hadestown and how by being the esteemed Ingvarrian engineer, she'd be in charge of major technological advances across the kingdoms and so would wield a significant amount of power (like how Hades is literally the ruler of the underworld). Ingvarr essentially being a near death sentence for its workers while also displaying its technological prowess, all still shrouded in mystery and corruption - a place so otherworldly compared to the rest of the kingdoms.

I didn't want to modify the outfits too much nor the personalities,, if anything I imagine the general plot beats being the same as the original musical/story but with slight differences that'd you get inherently as a result of these characters. I wouldn't want it to be the case where it's just the show but the names are changed. I'd want this to still make reasonable sense in this AU, with the actions being understandable for this particular cast of characters.

For Hermes, I ended up picking Xavier, as he's most knowledgeable of old legends and stories, which would work in reference to the Hades and Persephone myth (and so Donella and Ulla)! He'd act as a mentor figure for V, someone who can guide him in uncovering the forgotten incantation. Quirin would still be the good supportive dad he is (even if he doesn't fully understand his son's project).

Last but not least, the fates!! often lurking in the background, I'm still a bit stuck on who it could be? I'm tempted to have it be Raps, Cass, and Nuru as they've had celestial connections at some point (and ya know how stars can represent fate), but I also love the freckled siblings dynamic so much. Also Team Radical... Maybe Raps and Cass can be their normal selves but their Sundrop/Moonstone counterparts are the manifested physical forms of the fates? They wouldn't be visible to the characters though, just voices in the wind.

Anyways yeah!! Those are my thoughts. Do let me know if you've got any cool ideas or questions. I'm really combining my interests at full force and there's nothing anyone, not even myself, can do about it quite frankly. 😮‍💨

[starcurtain]

hihi sorry to rant in your inbox but i hate when people use aven's line about jade that says her kindness comes with a price to make their relationship seem worse than it is. while the ipc is. well. the ipc i dont thinl it would benefit her to harm him like theyre both stonehearts AND hes her subordinate. personally i think the price he mentions is like, testing him like she did in her social media post with the ores. it certainly would be less incongruous with her want to guide those that come after her..

I think that people really struggle with Jade. They took one look at her dommy mommy appearance and her status as one of the top three in the Stonehearts and they just want her to be unrepentant evil soooo bad.

Don't get me wrong, she is definitely a master manipulator and she definitely has a specific personal goal she's working toward using the IPC as her vehicle to do so. Her overall idea of creating an endless vortex of desires that can't ever be sufficiently met is very Voracity-coded and not really the kind of idea a very well-adjusted person would be espousing. We have no idea how loyal she really is to the IPC's goal of aiding Preservation against Destruction in the War of the Aeons.

But she's also, over and over again, been painted as having "True Neutral" moral alignment in-game. She's literally xxxHolic's Ichihara Yuuko with a bad case of capitalism: She always demands a price, but never asks more than is fair.

It's literally Fullmetal Alchemist's first law of alchemy: Human kind can not gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.

All of Jade's exchanges are equivalent and none of her customers enter into a bargain without understanding the price they are paying. In fact, she won't even let Firefly try to make a deal at all without doing her research in advance to truly realize the extent of what she is asking for. Jade is inherently an honest businesswoman.

The issue is that greed is all-encompassing. The ability to have any wish granted is a temptation that virtually no one can escape in the end.

Therefore, I think the best way to understand Jade is as the Honkai Star Rail equivalent of Mephistopheles. In the legend of Faust, the eponymous Dr. Faust longs for more in his life--he is endlessly pursuing knowledge and power, but has hit the limits of his own ability. He meets the devil, Mephistopheles, who agrees to enter into a pact with him: Mephistopheles will fulfill all Faust's wishes while Faust is still alive, but then Faust's soul will belong to the devil when he dies. The deal is fairly presented. The terms are not unclear: If Faust agrees to the bargain, he knows what will happen to his soul in the end.

Mephistopheles doesn't trick him or force his hand when it comes to this bargain. Faust could say no. He could resist. But he doesn't. He agrees, because human greed and pride are simply that overpowering. He thinks he's smarter than the devil; unlike the thousands of others who have come before and suffered damnation for their deals with the devil, Faust thinks he is different, better than others, more deserving... The actual temptation doesn't come from the devil. It comes from human hubris.

Like Mephistopheles, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, Jade merely presents the choice--it's humanity's endless desire that leads to the downfall.

It's a snake and an apple and a contract for a reasonnnnnn, Jade haters.

So, I don't think that Jade represents any danger to anyone who can resist temptation. Firefly walks away from Jade's exchange entirely unscathed. Trailblazer isn't pressed into surrender.

But Aventurine?

To be honest, I think his relationship with her is a bit more complicated.

Aventurine likes Jade. She did him a solid when he was at his lowest in life. His character stories make it clear that he views her as, essentially, someone "safe" in the IPC, unlike other Stonehearts.

But... I do agree that Aventurine approaches Jade more cautiously than he approaches others. And I think that probably stems from a couple of different factors:

Jade has positioned herself as Aventurine's "pseudo-mother," and Aventurine responds to her as if she, indeed, a mother figure he has to obey. He is more respectful of her than anyone else we see him interact with in the game--Diamond and Opal get called by name, but Jade is always "Ma'am." Which is very close to "Mama;" this is not an accidentttttt. When Jade disrupts his banter with Topaz, Aventurine immediately does as he is told, hands over his room card, and simmers down. Even in joking social media posts, when Jade asks Aventurine to do something (judge the uncut jade stones she sent him), he does it even when she rejects his high demand for profit sharing.

But:

2. Jade actually failed Aventurine's moral litmus test. From the beginning of his adulthood flashbacks, we see Aventurine explicitly troubled by the fact that his human dignity was denied and that a market value was assigned to his existence. And not even a high value. He was sold for pennies. It's the ultimate mortification, and we can tell it is still bothering him to this day because even "future" Aventurine brings up the sting of that bone-deep insult during Aventurine's long walk through Penacony. In response to the indignity, Kakavasha gave his original master a moral test: Kakavasha says that he'll go willingly into the hellscape of the death maze if his master will give him 30 copper Tanba, just half his market value. His master refuses, demonstrating that he does not view Kakavasha as a human being, worthy of any respect. By refusing this tiny, insignificant request, the master exhibits his utter moral depravity, from which there is no return. In response, Kakavasha ultimately kills him and takes the 30 copper coins he asked for (nothing more, nothing less) from his corpse.

When Kakavasha meets Jade, he then makes the exact same demand: He wants 30 copper coins and exactly 30 copper coins. At this point, it is very clear that--to Kakavasha--the coins are emblematic of his value as a human being. (I promise you, somewhere in his apartment right now are the 30 bloody coins he took from his master's cold corpse.) His freedom, his dignity, his worth... All of these things hinge on being able to acquire the original 60 Tanba coins. Thus, those who refuse his requests for the coins also symbolically refuse his request for basic respect, his request to be seen as an equal human being who deserves to not be reduced to mere pennies on a bill of sale.

And Jade refuses this request. She treats the demand for Tanbas like a paltry sum and instead ignores the specificity of the request to give a general "We'll give you riches beyond your imagine, more than you could have ever thought to want." But that isn't what he asked for. She stepped over the request he actually made in order to supplant her ideas, on her terms. Kakavasha made the tiniest, most easily completed request in the world, and in failing to actually just respect what he personally wished for, Jade demonstrated that she ultimately will not really respect him.

Just like his slave master, Aventurine represents a value on a page to Jade. For this reason, even if she extends pseudo-maternal behavior to Aventurine and he laps it up like a starved kitten drinks up milk, we see that he remains more cautious toward her than he does to any other female character in the game. Aventurine comes across as more comfortable talking to Acheron than he sounds when he talks to Jade... Because in failing the most basic and seemingly meaningless test, Jade revealed exactly to what extent Kakavasha can--and cannot--trust her.

Does Jade actually mean Aventurine any harm? No, I really don't think so, and you're right, those who claim that she does are really over-exaggerating Jade's negative traits, mostly because they've almost universally got a strong anti-IPC agenda and hate everything from the IPC except Aventurine on principle. Everything in Jade's character stories points to her honestly wanting to develop the hidden talents of others, to "polish" rough cut stones into true gems, and to see her fledglings thrive. Kakavasha is someone she picked up out of the dirt and dusted off. If he excels, that means her faith was well-placed, her judgment was correct, and her team as a whole excels.

It's exactly like a business owner who takes great pride in producing a fantastic product. Only when the product succeeds can the business itself succeed.

But business owners see their products as objects, not equals.

Jade is a fairly neutral figure and I think she wants to see Aventurine grow and achieve greatness. But at the end of the day, their relationship is very predicated on the notion of investment (Jade puts up the original capital to make Aventurine great, and he repays her faith in him by generating wealth for the IPC). It is clear she just can't be trusted to value Aventurine as a person above a means of profit--and Aventurine knows (and accepts) that too.

[shanastoryteller]

Hayppy Valentines day you ingenious lady! Three faced goddess continuation? Maybe specifically about Tonys star-heart? ✨💖

a continuations of 1 2 3

Rhodey is going to kill him.

His grandfather outlawed necromancy in the kingdom, but Pepper's going to find someone break that law specifically to bring him back just so she can kill him again.

Tony's dirty and bruised and he probably has a concussion from his head wound and he really doesn't even want to think about the stitches in his side from the shrapnel that was pulled out of him.

He grew up in the palace. There were always magical healers around for anything serious. He's never had stitches before. He's known there was a certain amount of risk posing as Edward and working at the edges of the war, but he'd never expected them to go to this much effort to kidnap a damn alchemist!

"They're going to kill you."

He glances at his fellow captive and quirks his lips up. Yinsen doesn't have any talent with magic, but he does have exceptionally steady hands, which is almost as good. "Probably."

Yinsen sits on the opposite side of the cell from him, his hands hanging between his knees and still stained with Tony's blood. "The kingdom will fall."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," he says with forced casualness, even though it's absolutely true. He has no heir. "I'm good at my job, but I'm hardly the only alchemist and armorer in the country."

Yinsen tilts his head to look at him over the edge of his glasses. "We've met before, you know. It was at one of those hideously boring balls at the palace - you were deep enough in your cups that I'm not surprised you don't remember."

Well, fuck.

"I know that the king won't come for you," he continues, voice heavy. "Could you do what they're asking?"

"I'm not a god," he says tiredly. "To harness the power of a star - I don't know how they even got it down here, or got it that that size! You'd need," he pauses, then admits, "you'd need to ingest a fuck ton of mercury, and gold, and have a binding spell with some serious power behind it, and if that doesn't kill you, maybe it would work. But you'd need a lot luck to keep it from just consuming you anyway. Which is apparently what's happened to everyone else."

"A lot of luck," Yinsen repeats, "or the Goddess's blessing."

Tony snorts.

The Starks being Goddess blessed is just propaganda, something one of his ancestors thought up to keep their family in power.

If it were true, he wouldn't be the last Stark left.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Just read through the MKEgged tag, and where's Redson? I want to see the roller-coaster he goes on of "A baby!? Wait, who's the father If it can't be me? Oh, okay, no other parent. I'll step in and help, what do you mean the pregnancy has a high mortality rate!?"

Just this guy trying to figure out what he's feeling and how to handle things with this baby, because yay baby, but also No you're not allowed to die!"

Prev.

haha yes! XD

Red Son's bull-brain tells him "Whomst is the father!?" immediately, even if him and MK aren't in a fully romantic relationship yet. His infatuation tells him that only *he* can father Noodle Boy's progeny!

The fact that the pregnancy was magical in nature calms him down only a little bit... until he learns that MK's true species have a high maternal mortality rate due to this unique form of reproduction.

Red Son, busting on into MK's prenatal appointment: "Noodle Boy!! Who said that you're allowed to die!? I strictly forbid it!"

Red Son goes out of his way to investigate what knowledge is available on Stone Monkeys so he can devise a way to help MK survive and recover. He knocks on the door of every soul he can think of who would hold some idea of what to do; Lao Tzu, The Gold Star of Venus, and even Guanyin herself.

The alchemist and planet god both only had second-hand accounts of how Stone Monkeys lived, but provided copies of their literature all the same.

Approaching her old master was a little awkward, but the Bodhisattva Guanyin is a patron god of safe childbirth, and Red Son wanted to have their input on the matter. To her surprise, Guanyin was equally concerned for MK's well-being - and had already offered to attend the birth to ensure that they could monitor MK and the baby. Red Son learns from Guanyin that Sun Wukong himself had such questions many centuries ago, but curiously dropped the matter sometime after the Journey. Former master and disciple share a warm goodbye, finally reunited by their worry over a noodle monkey-boy.

Xiwangmu was still mourning the loss of her husband, so Red Son thought it improper to bother her on such a matter - but clearly Lao Tzu or Gold Star blabbed. The very next time Red Son stepped into the Celestial Realm, he found himself swept into a suffocating hug by the Queen Mother of the West.

Xiwangmu, weeping: "Oh, my little fire opal. You are so proactive! Scouring the Heavens and Earth to find a way to save your mate and child!" Red Son, confused: "EHH!?!?"

Turns out, the Queen Mother had a gut-reaction to hearing that her grandson's beloved ("WHO TOLD!?" shrieks Red) Monkey Prince was pregnant. And that reaction was; "GREAT-GRANDCUBS?!?!"

Red Son barely has a second to object. The Queen Mother weeps how the Jade Emperor is to miss the birth of his first great-grandchild, but that the pregnancy is a light in a very dark time for her and the court. She orders her court secretary to give Red Son unlimited access to the celestial library so that he can continue his research.

After the whirlwind of discovering that apparently even Heaven itself blames him for MK's Egg, Red Son turns to only two known members of the Noodle Boy's species.

Sun Wukong and the Six Eared Macaque.

The Macaque was the most difficult to get information out of since he kept slipping into the shadows whenever Red brought up questions on his species. Luckily one attempt/battle (it got out of hand) lead to the appearance of Sun Wukong on the scene.

Wukong: "What's the issue, firecracker?" Red Son, holding thick notepad: "I need to understand your species so I can devise a way to prevent MK's stone egg from killing him!" Macaque, turns off powers: "Oh! Why didn't you say so? I thought you were trying to dissect me or something!" XD Wukong: "We know almost everything there is on our species, so fire away kiddo." Red Son: "Yes! Finally! Question 1; in the case of self-spawned eggs, is the child a genetic clone of the parent?" Wukong & Macaque: (*both shake their heads*) Wukong: "Oh no. Its not a clone. You see, the Egg absorbs Dao from it's surroundings - not just it's parent. So it steals bits of DNA from whatever troop happens to be around. You know like friends, family-" Macaque, slyly: "Former mates." Wukong: "Former ma- hey!" (*glares*) Red Son, thinking: "So an additional source of life energy could supplement MK's own depleted supply?" Wukong: "Yeah... but the healthiest option is usually a dear friend or life partner. Someone who can cling to them and supply the most juice. Also helpful if the pregnant person wants their kid to look like their fave person." Macaque, knowing smile: "Or... whoever they have a big crush on." Red Son: (*hair-flames briefly flicker pink in blush as he imagines a red-furred baby monkey with calf hooves*) Red Son: "Wait. How come you both know so much about this topic? I know Sun Wukong has access to the celestial library, but Macaque has been barred from the palace grounds since the rebellion! Why do you share the same knowledge?" Wukong & Macaque: (*both start spluttering and choking on air*) Wukong, trying to find words: "You see-! We uh...!" Macaque: (*fades into background at 50% opacity, hiding face in scarf*) Red Son, realising: "Ah. I see. Thank you for your input, gentlemen." Wukong: "Where are you going now?" Red Son: "I'm going over to Noodle Boy's place. I have been invited for company." (*Red Son leaves. Macaque phases back in*) Wukong: "Well. The Egg might not be her doing. But she certainly wishes it was." Macaque: "I'm just glad they didn't try getting more out of us." Wukong, cheeky grin: "Like what? How we both know so much about Stone Eggs because once upon a time we wanted some of our own?" Macaque: (*hides face in scarf again*) "Shut up, peaches."

As for the Demon Bull parents? Well..

PIF, calmly writing letters: "Even if the child was not made the traditional fashion, we will both adore them all the same. I expect any grandchildren of mine to be as beloved as a prince or princess ought to be." DBK, arms full of baby shower gifts: "Make sure to note the exact hour, day, month, and year of the child's birth! It's very important for divining the calf's fortune!" Red Son, flames twitching: "Are you two-!? ARE YOU PLANNING A ROYAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT!?" PIF: "Do not shout dear. My mother visited shortly after you left. Seems that a certain child of mine has been asking around about celestial monkeys and safe magical birthing practices, and it's stirred the court's rumour mill. Me and the simians are planning a formal announcement once the child arrives." Red Son, blushing pink: "I would have gone through the same effort if I only considered them a mere ally." PIF: "I know you would. But a mere ally, does not donate so much life energy to the parent in hopes that the child becomes theirs." Red Son: (*blush grows even bigger, flames spit embers onto the surrounding furniture*) PIF, brushes embers off of desk: "Hopefully, Xiaotian doesn't experience the terrible heartburn I did whilst carrying you." Red Son: "Mother!" DBK, wincing with sympathy: "Only exacerbated by your cravings, my love! You had a great desire for charcoal and spiced meat on the bone."

MK texts Red Son a few hours later asking if he'd like to go out for some barbecue; "Just started craving it for some reason. Oh! And we should make sure to get cheese tea too! Acid reflux acting up rn and I need something to quench the flame."

Red is so down bad.

It's not all sunshine and baby monkeys though - there is genuine worry across the families about MK's condition. None more so than the men who raised him.

(*Red is leaving MK's place after a hang out session, when a certain pig-man in the kitchen speaks up*) Pigsy: "Hey... thanks for being there for him." Red Son, surprised: "Huh? Oh! No problem..." Pigsy: "I know you like him. Like, like-like him. I don't exactly approve but.... you've been going out of your way to find ways to help me. Make sure he..." Pigsy: (*trails off, eyes puffy*) Red Son: (*quietly approaches, awkwardly places a hand on Pigsy's shoulder*) Pigsy: "Promise me something." Red Son: "Ok." Pigsy: "If the worst happens... I want you to still be there. For them. Not just because you like him. But because you really care about him and his kid." Red Son, certain: "I do. I truly care for Xiaotian. And I wish to be there for him through it all. And if the unthinkable were to occur, I would still be there for them." Pigsy, wipes tears with sleeve: "Thanks, punk." Red Son: "Again, no problem." Pigsy, changing tone: "Now! What's with this letter I got saying MK and his baby are gonna be presented to the Heavenly and Infernal Court?" Red Son, remembers previous encounters: "oops."

Once he fully explains the misunderstanding in heaven, Pigsy whacks Red with a spatula.

[rolaplayor101]

After searching about, I've found others who've had and thought about the same issue that I did, which is that the Kingdom Hearts fandom has a HUGE amatonormativity problem. Which, yeah, most fandoms do, but the difference here is that the KH fandom is pretty small, which makes it way more prevalent.

There's a good amount of people who think Sora is aroace, grayromantic, or alloromantic asexual, but they keep it to themselves for risk of being harassed by shippers. They have to protect themselves with "aphobes DNI" on the few posts they do post about it. They have to continuously reblog their own art or go to a confession blog to lament about it.

And it's sad! This is saddening! And the thing is, I do ship SoRiKai. At least the minimum amount, enough to be fully invested in what's going on in canon. Because, canonically? They do care about each other intensely enough to usually go beyond the bounds of typical friendship. Especially Sora. The way he thinks, the things he does, it's all so grandeur in comparison to the things people do in real life for their friends. He flat out says he wants to be with Riku and Kairi forever in one of the first games.

The problem is that people still think being aroace means being apothi and aplatonic, but that's not the case. Sora feels platonic attraction so quickly, frequently, and intensely that it even puts off new characters he meets in the game. He's affectionate, uplifting, and confident(most of the time). But people can't see aroace people as a whole as anything but negative and loveless. Which is just plain not the case for all of us. Aspec people post about the different ways aspec people think all the time! It's mostly the only thing in the aromantic and asexual tags, and I frequent those a lot! So I'd know!

This is an issue thats brought up over and over and over again, and it's that being aroace-- feeling exactly zero romantic or sexual attraction-- does not mean you also feel zero platonic or queerplatonic (or sensual or alterous or any tertiary) attraction. It does not mean you can't feel attraction that is just as intense as allos feel romantic or sexual attraction. Sora has always attributed his strength and confidence to his friends, to his heart that belongs to all of his friends. He feels platonic attraction so intensely that it literally powers him up. It's the main theme of the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise.

Saying that Sora feels queerplatonic attraction towards Riku and Kairi does not mean he'd feel any less than if he were romantically and/or sexually attracted to them.

Thinking that queerplatonic and/or platonic attraction is less than romantic and/or sexual attraction is incorrect, aphobic, amatonormative, and exactly contrary to what Kingdom Hearts the franchise is partially trying to do.

Kingdom Hearts normalizes healthy, platonic, life-long relationships, which wasn't well represented in the early 2000s. Most media represented friendships as on the back burner, especially when pit against romantic relationships. Affectionate arospecs watched shows and movies when they were younger seeing the main character dismiss their friends, grow out of them, or outright hate them, and then have their problems be solved by a romantic partner. Toxic or unhealthy friendships (and also sibling relationships) were the norm, so having Kingdom Hearts, and a few other media I can't think of right now, be made where there's no romance outside of background characters and established ones fron Disney Movies, and where friendship is treated as equal and as the most important, was revolutionary.

Tons of Shounen anime do this, too. Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, Hero Academia, most sports anime. Then there's other stuff like most magical girl anime, Soul Eater, Little Witch Academia, Promised Neverland, Lucky Star, Baccano, most Miyazaki movies. A lot of popular anime are popular because people love the friendships between characters. And I bet most people in Kingdom Hearts love it specifically because of the friendships too. They like that they're friends. Because their friendships are wholesome, and healthy, and good. They make us feel good. KH isn't "Queerbaiting"(which is only ever brought up for mlm ships and never for aspecs or wlw) for having Riku and Sora care about each other and get along. Just because pop culture has forced f/m relationships start specifically because a girl and a boy get along(if even that happens), doesn't mean that all characters in all media that get along are romantically into each other. Both of those are bad and thinking that its not is a double standard. Platonic chemistry and romantic chemistry are not the same (even if pop culture media continue to try and make it seem like they are). But so many posts trying to prove Sora is actually canonically secretly in romantic love with Riku and Kairi only have evidence of him just being his regular old self, doing things he canonically sees as platonic-- things that are platonic.

It's not an issue of people headcanoning Sora with romantic/sexual attraction (or otherwise) for the other characters, it's about the harassing of other people that it's canon and the blatant aphobia and amatonormativity. All that's canon right now is that Sora cares about his friends, which includes Riku and Kairi, and the fact that I got so much negativity back for saying he's aroace and feels queerplatonic attraction for them only proves that some people in this fandom think aroace people can't care about anyone strictly because they don't feel romantic or sexual attraction. The aphobia in the fandom needs to be addressed, and the aspec content should be allowed to be post freely without push back.

TLDR; Once the main Kingdom Hearts fandom stops seeing every little interaction between certain characters as canonically romantic, it'll finally be a more open and healthy community that people won't be afraid to engage in.

I want this to be helpful to read and for someone to learn something. And if aphobia shows up again, maybe take that person to the side and say that's not cool? Defend us aspecs, please? Cause all that..really makes me feel bad about and put off Kingdom Hearts completely. (And again! I ship SoRiKai! But people that don't ship it shouldn't have to go through this either!)

[kingxgarm]

Ok

So, after spreading my info out, I have four different "rewrites" of Wish, all with their own (noncreative) names just so I can tell them apart

I'll be going over one of them in this post, they'll all get separate posts

The first one I've dubbed Yearning

It's more of a retake than a rewrite, as I've changed A LOT, almost only keeping the names of certain characters, I wanted to remove almost ALL the references to Disney movies, treating this more as a standalone movie than a 100th year special

So, CHARACTERS

Asha- Asha moves to Rosas, she does not live there, she is an alchemist, that's why she moves there, her hair and color pallete is the same, but she kinda looks more like Venti from Genshin (unfortunately), (I'll make drawing of my designs eventually, I don't have my sketchbook), she has been traveling since she was young, and after a few days of staying in Rosas, she is summoned by the King, she is meant to represent wishes, not necessarily good itself, but just wishes

Magnifico- Magnifico is a mage, he was born with magic, mages were given magic by dragons (that has some lore too), mages are not well liked by humans, his parents tried to hide in a rather large city, but were caught, Magnifico was saved and given to a trusted mage, that mage sent Magnifico to Rosas to be safe there, eventually his magic was discovered and he was made king (at age 9 👍), since Rosas was small and not very well informed of the outside world, they have never seen a mage before and thought Magnifico was a God, after he turned 25 he put a spell on himself that he would be immortal and never age to keep the people from worrying about him dying with no heir, he never marries, he only wants to keep the people happy, but he is not happy being king, magic takes a toll on users causing Magnifico to be very depressed, every month he calls an assembly and for an hour gives the people whatever they want, they walk up to a chair in a gazebo where he sits, announce what they want, and it's granted, Magnifico represents want, he wishes to be free but wnats to keep the people happy so he just does what he wants and not what he wishes

Dragons- there were seven dragons, each representing different forms of magic, they each (minus purple) had a childwith a himan to bring magic into the human race, red gave mages power over the elements (fire, water, air, and earth), orange gave mages the power over the mind (like emotional manipulation), yellow gave the power of deception (reality warping), green gave the power of physicality (power of creation and destruction), Blue gave the power of shape (shapeshifting and changing other stuff), purple gave the power of substance (learnable magic like alchemy and potion stuff), (Magnifico is related to the green dragon, and all alchemists are ruled by the purple dragon)

PLOT

Asha is taken to the castle because she's a well-renowned alchemist, she proves this by giving the king a potion of calming (at his request), and it works (ITS A WEED POTION /j), every day she is asked to become a royal Alchemist but she never knows how to answer, after a few days, instead of a potion of happiness that the king asks for, Asha gives him a potions of honesty and asks why he constantly asks for happiness potions, this is where they would sing a duet, but by the end the potion would where off and Magnifico would be very upset that she did that to him, arresting her, and locking her in a dungeon, they both pray to the stars (cuz religion ig, and cuz I wanted to get them in the story somehow), Magnifico for strength to keep the people happy, and Asha for a way to save the king from himself

This is as far as I got before I started writing the others, but I did figure out what to do for the ending, and even a sequel (where Magnifico has two daughters that grow up to be Maleficent and Mother Gothel, but I kinda don't like the sequel anymore, plus u haven't even finished the first one, also don't care for the daughter lore since I'm trying to seperate from the Disney canon)

Also yes, I did try writing songs for this, but the duet isn't finished, and the "This is the Thanks I Get" rewrite got moved to another rewrite, so.... (and I still need to rewrite it anyway cuz it contains too many elements of this story, UGH)

I'd greatly appreciate feedback, cuz ik damn well this probably sucks lol, the other ones are better (I'm lying to you), I want to improve this story, cuz there's still ideas I like (the magic system, wants vs. wishes, and the fact that the people of Rosas are the villain), but there's definitely stuff I don't like (Magnifico and Asha being pretty much the only characters, the fact that the "villain" isn't the villain, and maybe the name [I'm still not settled in on Yearning rn]), something just feels off about it to me, I can't put my finger on it

Wish rewrites

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

[clericofkelemvor]

Clip of back to back conversations with Araj Oblodra, the drow alchemist you meet in Moonrise who wants a sample of your blood and a bite from Astarion, when you meet her again in the city in Act 3 with a romanced Astarion in your party. Choices made in her conversation in act 2: gave her the PC's blood, backed up Astarion when he refused to bite her. This happens after there is a massive explosion in her home and she runs out.

Transcript below the cut

Astarion: And I will keep refusing until the end of time. I'm done bowing to the whims of others.

Araj Oblodra: Oh! My silk, what are the chances - it's /you/!

AO: Ah, and the heart-stopping bloodsucker. I hope you've changed your mind. My neck is yours, any time.

Tav: Astarion, we can leave if you don't want to be around her. (Astarion approves, Jaheira approves)

AO: Never say never.

AO: Forgive the mess. Your blood is far more volatile than I'd anticipated.

A: I'll be all right. Let's just get this over with.

T: Forget it. I saw how you made Astarion feel. I'm done with you. (Astarion approves)

AO: Nervous to see me again, is he? How sweet.

AO: But! We have quite a bit to discuss. What a wonder you came to my door just when you did.

AO: You see, it's /your/ blood that caused the conflagration you just witnessed. Imagine!

AO: It's a breakthrough in the sanguine arts the likes of which the world has never seen. The Grand Matriarch will have no choice but to restore House Oblodra after I present her with my research.

AO: But listen to me, rabbitting on about myself when I have you - the prize bleeder - on my very doorstep.

AO: If you'd come inside, we could discuss something far more exciting than drow politics.

AO: How I made him /feel/? What I propose goes well beyond such frivolities. We are talking about alchemical breakthroughss based on the blood that runs through /your/ veins, my friend!

T: And if it does?

A: I appreciate the thought, truly, but if this is something you want to look into…

A: Well, hearing her out won't kill us.

A: Well, death never stopped me before. I don't know why it should now.

AO: Now, now. I do think that's enough. When you see what I've been working on, bygones will all be bygones, I assure you.

The party follows Araj down to the lower level of her house.

A: If that's her 'formula' I can smell, it's even fouler than her blood. Gods below…

AO: Ah - a cosy little spot, isn't it? These four walls have witnessed greater alchemical triumphs than the keep of Urngath Dorrund!

AO: And now that you're here, the crown jewel of my research is soon to be faceted. All you have to do is drink Formula Gruna.

T: Formula Gruna?

AO: Well yes. Formulae Arkku through Fruak were spectacular failures. But Gruna - Gruna is different. Believe me!

T: What will this formula do?

A: Say no - the only thing she's offering is pain, and I- I don't want to see you hurt.

AO: When you first entered this home, you saw the incredible latent power within your blood exposed in all its nuances. Formula Gruna will unleash that power /within/ you.

AO: Risky. But - erm - safe!

T: I won't be drinking any mysterious formulas today, thanks.

AO: Not even for the betterment of the alchemical arts the realm over? Not event for /that/?

T: All right. Hand it over.

AO: Oh, marvellous. I've never been so excited for anything in all my days! Just - stand over there. Far over there. And drink up!

A: What are you doing? That had better go down the drain and not down your gullet.

Tav steps away and drinks the potion Araj gave them. An explosion occurs around them, doing low fire damage.

T (ambient): Am I… /explosive/?

T: You seem surprised. Had you expected me to die?

AO: Oh my- my heavens! You LIVED!

AO: This is incredible. I'm seeing stars!

T: Is this going to kill me?

AO: I'd hypothesised you wouldn't, my friend. And you've proven me absolutely correct.

AO: You are the world's first /detonative exsanguinator/. To put it simply: from this day on, your blood goes boom. big boom! Ahaha! It's incredible!

AO: All it needs is a spark.

AO: Certainly not. But it might do damage to anyone who makes you bleed without your express permission.

A: Naturally, I always ask first. I'm civilised, unlike you.

AO: There are other necks available for biting, of course. If you were so inclined.

T: Can you revert it?

T: You've had enough of my blood.

AO: What an odd question.

AO: Now, let me offer you a little treat. In exchange for the teensiest vial of your marvellous blood, I'll give you something that'll really throw your enemies for a loop.

AO: I'll only ask a /nominal/ fee in exchange.

AO: Now now, darling. Let's not be /rude/…

A: They said 'no'. You should learn the meaning of the word.

T: Why do you need /more/ of my blood so badly?

AO: My research will be quite worthless without proof. And my proof is running through your veins. I only need a tiny bit. Then - then my life will /truly/ begin.

T: I said /no/.

AO: Ah. I'd so hoped it wouldn't come to this. But I can't let my prize experiment walk out that door. I'd hoped to take a sample with your permission. But I can do without it.

Everyone rolls initiative.

[chaosprinceundivided]

Sail to the Shadowlands

The sea roared and roiled, the storms hurling scourges of lightning and hammering plowing fists of thunder. It was as if every god of its several waters were fighting them but the absolution of the ruinous inevitability pushed the defiance aside. The black ark pushed with its thousand oars and cruel ingenuity, its black hide pulsating and flexing with the slow growth of iron teeth. Eyes winking and gawking helplessly to the new world they were born to suffer through, even as bolt smashed and its fluids feeding the rolling waves, another would be doomed to replace it with many pupils. 

The Druchii scream, the survivors of the proud raiders suffering as surely as their former currency of flesh. Hundreds of elvish - and other - souls cruelly lashed by the giggling sirens of Slaanesh’s pain-artisans with their writhing whips. Their swooning voices coercing wretched minds to serve and thank them for each flaying crack and weeping wound that was doomed to fester as a Beast of Nurgle wanted to play with so many new friends. Some of the sadists loving at the misery wrought so bountiful, aroused even as a few were not missed in their salivating desires. 

The soldiery of Chaos warriors and marauders moving to aid in the reining and preparing for their course with their natural seafaring prowess, warbands of countless banners and praising hollering fighting the divine storm. The chromatic clashes of scarlets, violets, blues and greens and every color within the perceived spectrums, in the devotions of the Ruinous Powers and that of their present god-prince. 

Within the Lord’s Tower, a growing tumour of flesh-metal and splaying teeth was crawling on the already icon of terror, the Daemon Prince dwelled. The former seat of the Dark Admiral had become greatened into the great palanquin of alchemist-changed cadavers whilst the gargoylish prince sat. His vengeful golden gaze peering into the audience chamber that easily fit a Kislevite voi, in this case was the kneeling chaos lords and heralds that serve as his legion lieutenants. 

A poultry of his former conquest. Hundred strong, but the avarice burning in his black heart desired more. He has lost his grand kingdom. His daemonic legion. His power. Now, all of it must be reclaimed and the End Times was coming to this blighted world. Ursan had escaped him. 

Rulek Darksteel looked at his hand, as if still feeling the god’s claimed power within his very being. He was cheated. He had it. He ruled Kislev and more as its daemon king. A god in all right under the Greater Chaos Gods. He could still taste it. If it wasn’t, then he would have been destroyed after his physical destruction. No…He will reclaim it. All of it and more. 

Slowly grasping his taloned fingers into a knuckle-popping fist as he sat before his minions. Not all, he was missing his trusted generals. They were scattered in the Realms of Chaos, fighting for their gods but they will know he has returned. For now, Rulek looked to his immediate exalted champion. The hellplated warrior bearing marks of the Dark Prince yet the Undivided Star seared into his chestplate. Face obscured by the horned helm with his long caped arm crossing his chest in salute. 

“We are yours to command, my Unholy Tzar.” The champion, thick of his Kislevite accent, spoke. 

“Yes, you are…” Rulek said, the feel of the Festering Forest’s presence crawled on his hide. The off color green slithering over his shoulder and neck. Blighted wings flexed in their hugging drap along his spined shoulders like a pockmarked cape. Then he looked beyond his mortal sight, to the storm to see the coming islands. His assembled fleet were of longboats and elven ships stolen and remade in dark purpose, following the black ark’s leviathan bulk, the campaign against the Everchosen subdued for a greater purpose. 

For now, the elves of Nagarythe were his target. Be’lakor had a plot with the other fool to hold the title ‘Shadow King’ and the Dark Prince of Kislev will not allow his foe to hold an ounce of satisfaction, even if it means having the High Elves bowing before his might. And, as if sensing his coming intent, he could see them. Those bright souls commandeering a fleet of avian ships with their mages weaving the lores of magics to hold his fleet back. 

His maw salivated. 

“And my first command is to prepare for war. A great battle comes.” Rulek warned with a grin, his own sorceries were stirring and he rose. He called out with a voice that tore into the storms, every servant within his grasp heard his cry, “Prepare for battle!”

[alchemists-eve]

You feel the fissure between you and Kata redivide your selves. You are once again standing among the camp site, holding him by the neck.

Swinging his body around, you throw him to the ground. The earth erupts with dirt and grass. Sexcrus calls out to him, but his words fall on deaf ears.

It’s not hard to believe such an impact would kill someone, but Kata stubbornly survived. Slowly he stands to his feet as you look over him. Dusting himself off he says “I see you’ve finally figured it out. Took you long enough. You see..”

You cut him off with a snappy right hook. He stumbles back from the impact. You split his lip. He wipes the blood from his mouth, looking back at you severely before rubbing the burns on his neck. “You had better stop. If you’re not careful you’ll cross the point of n-”

“Shut up!” you roar, your voice shaking the grass and trees around you. You barrel forward winding up a king-hit. But before you can connect, he jabs you in the rib. You recoil, pain quickly returning to your body. You could feel the intensity, the flame that wreathed you in strength flicker. You pull back to put distance between you two.

“You felt that, didn’t you. Doubt. Weakness.” Your heart skipped a heat. “There it is again. Can’t you feel it growing?” As he speaks, he slowly walks towards you.”I don’t even need to touch you, I need only speak your weakness into being. This power is grand, but it’s a metal hard to temper. This is a power He grants me, and it is through His guidance that I can understand it.

Do you know what faith is? Do you know why I can so easily draw doubt into your mind? Pick a god and pray my dear, because right now it doesn’t matter who you believe in. But if you plan to stand against me with nothing behind you then you’ll be swept away.”

Kata’s creature rises up from its hunched over position. It collects Kata and places him on its back. “Look upon me and see what my God can offer.” 

The creature swings its mighty arm and strikes true. You are struck by the mighty mass of entwined vibes and green detritus that has been wrapped up in its body. 

“Do you believe in the god that changed you?” you ask, “Well I believe in the self who changed.”

The creature’s arm is returned to the earth as ash and dust. Your body remains unharmed and your being unscathed. You lunge towards the creature, striking firm into its centre of mass. Like a spider bite, a ring of flesh around where you hit rapidly decomposed and the hulking behemoth was thrown onto its ass. You climb up its now corpse and confront Kata directly. 

You grab him firmly by the shoulders and push him off the back of the beast. You both collide with the earth, him pinned between you and it. You open your mouth and roar. Flames erupt from deep within you, scorching Kata and the grass you laid on. You screamed like someone screams into a pillow, until your voice went hoarse and you began to see stars. 

You stood up, the charred body of the man who imprisoned you remained. Your fire had burnt out.

You walked aimlessly in the direction you saw people leave and hoped to find something different.

********

Don't forget that Alchemist's Eve is now on Instagram. If you've enjoyed the story, please reblog and tell your friends

***Next Part******Previous Part***

[deathleadsarc]

one could consider the Goddess Khrosteia to be a goddess forbidden by the more morally lawful of scholars. though she takes great care of her patrons, she is not exactly known for her goodness. there is no benevolence. once weakness is sensed, weakness is punished swiftly. she will rip through bone and flesh, tear apart the brain that so dares to forget their piety.

a show of weakness as her patron is a direct sign of contempt. of mockery. disrespect. Most of, if not all, of Qistina's nature is a direct result of Khrosteia's soul. Qistina is not a traditional reincarnation, as alchemy is not a power of humans. rather, it is a power of gods. specifically, Khrosteia, who dared to show her power against the other gods before her. She is rebellious and utterly thirsty to remain free. Khrosteia comes forth against Qistina's soul every time she uses alchemy to overexertion. Her body simply cannot contain the goddess's power within, she would break apart. However.

in moments, there is a certain catalyst that sparks against her abilities as an alchemist. when soul of Qistina and soul of Khrosteia join as one. her body may disappear, but what remains is the very thing found beyond the end of the light. She becomes an EinSof - a god before gods were born. power compressed within a body of blinding light. a eye to give sight to the soul within sits in the middle of what could be a 'face'.

it is not death itself. it is a creature that exceeds humanity and cosmic being alike. both Qistina and Khrosteia fight from within. Qistina remains alive because of Khrosteia, and Khrosteia is still alive because of Qistina. In this, they become One and their souls join with that EinSof, that creature that sits beyond soul and eldritch knowledge. She will be different, yet the same. Such a joining has only happened once, if ever so briefly ― the moment when both the lives of Qistina and Khrosteia were in danger. Tied to the witches pyre for her crucifixion, killing all life in the village. All person and leaf and soil and air. Though it quickly returned to her soul at the behest of Khrosteia's soul, having just awakened from Qistina's constant discovery of alchemy. Qistina does not know to this extent, but there will come a time when she does. The madness of Khrosteia will surely bring about this second coming and further destroy the world for its betrayal of Her.

[elliepassmore]

The Scarlet Alchemist review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, alchemy magic, conspiracies, monsters

This was not a book that was on my radar but it came as part of a book box subscription and I'm so glad it did! The idea of jewels being altered alchemically to be something the rich can eat to live forever is so interesting and has such layered connotations to it.

The story opens with Zilan talking with a client about doing a resurrection. We get quite a bit of info on conducting resurrections since Zilan and her cousin's have made this their side business in order to help their family stay afloat. I liked the way the resurrections were described and thought the details of the magic were interesting. I also think seeing a resurrection first-thing helps set the stage for how magic works in this world.

Since magic is based in alchemy, it's drawn from stones and gems, each of which has a different power depending on its properties and elemental alignments. Zilan, being both a resurrectionist and someone who wants to sit for the civil exams, has to know a lot about the different stones. Once Zilan is in the imperial city, we get to see more alchemists and different uses of stones, and I really liked seeing the innovative things people came up with. I thought it was particularly clever the way Zilan would fashion rings out of gems, metals, and stones in order to have a quick source for magic. The imperial alchemists in particular are the cream of the crop and thus are both extremely talented and extremely creative in how they use their magic. I liked the camaraderie amongst the imperial alchemists and thought they brought a touch of light to an otherwise dangerous court.

Zilan is someone who wants to climb the social ladder in order to help her family. She's immensely loyal to her cousins, aunt, and uncle, who took her in after her father left and her mother died. Zilan is a talented alchemist and has figured out the secret to raising the dead after only ever being self-taught. Thanks to her success and renown she's able to enter the world of the court alchemists and have a chance to provide for her family the way they've provided for her. Yet at the same time she feels a sense of unworthiness, of being the child they had to take in due to familial duty, and that leaves her feeling as though she needs to work extra hard to prove she's worth it (of course her family doesn't actually think of her as a burden, but it's hard for her to overcome). Her insecurities about having been taken in, and having a foreign-born father do cause some internal problems for her, which at times translate to spats with her cousins. Regardless, it's clear she loves them deeply and would do anything to help them and ensure their safety.

Yufei is Zilan's cousin/adoptive sister and I absolutely loved her character. She's described as being a classically beautiful girl and their culture's 'perfect wife' material but should anyone say that to her face she'll square up and make them regret the 'compliment.' Yufei is definitely the fighter of their trio and is fiercely protective of Zilan and her brother. I also appreciated her mischievous side and seeing how she could be playful as well as the serious scholar and the fierce fighter.

Wenshu is Zilan's other cousin/adoptive brother and is the cautious one of their trio. He's soft spoken and worries over things like cleanliness and getting into trouble. That being said, I think he and Zilan have similar insecurities, though coming from opposite directions. Zilan worries she isn't loved enough because she's a burden and half-Chinese, Wenshu worries Zilan doesn't love them because she's capable of rising so high and 'leaving them behind.' This does cause some friction between the two of them, but Wenshu loves her and his sister and it's clear his worries simply get the best of him sometimes (that being said, I think he does get upset with Zilan about some things out of her control). At times he acts as a mitigating influence at times to Zilan's desires and Yufei's impulsivity, and he provides some humorous moments as well.

Li Hong is the crown prince who hears of Zilan's renown and asks her to resurrect him after his death. He's a sort of bumbly fellow who does his best but definitely grew up rich and secluded in the imperial palace. While he's faced hardships and loss, he also doesn't totally understand how other people live and the kinds of things that might offend them. But Li Hong is open to Zilan's admonishments and does his best to do better in the future. He's definitely a big softy, and I liked seeing that juxtaposed with Zilan's more hard pragmatism.

The plot was enjoyable, especially since I came into this with no spoilers and so truly got to guess where things were going to go. There were definitely some surprises and twists, and I liked seeing Zilan and her allies/friends work together to overcome the threats looming in the imperial palace. There were also some really interesting things going on plot-wise with immortality, resurrection, and the monsters.

Overall I enjoyed this book and am greatly looking forward to the sequel. All the main characters were likeable and still distinct from one another, and I look forward to reading more about them in book 2!

[starres-stuff]

FFXIV Writes 2023 | Day 2 | Bark

“Dimitri over here!” A voice called across the vast room that they were called to in Camp Broken Glass. It was no more than four bells in the morning, perhaps five at this point it was difficult to tell in the snow-white hellscape the Sharlyan now stood in his crimson curls whipping against his face from the bitter wind that blew from every direction despite the fur hat he had been issued on arrival. How life even existed here was beyond him. The snow was beautiful but it felt like a tomb, a proper analogy to seeing the conditions they had arrived at.

“Hey, Jienuex snap out of it!” The voice called again “I think we are going to have to defrost his brain, Azane. He looks as if he has already lost all ability to function in this weather.” Dimitri knew that voice, despite the fact he did feel like he was lost in a trance, what dragged him out of it, however, was a warm giggle that came in the same direction. Ah, Azane, the woman who had turned him down more times than he could remember. She never had a reason for it, only that they would never work out. One of many heartaches of his youth and to this day she still had the power to move him from his thoughts.

“I was thinking!” He called out in reply, as he started across the creaky wooden floor towards the other side of the room where the Brother and Sister stood wrapped in large coats and hats like his with pink cheeks and noses sticking out to interrupt the bleakness of this day with familiarity.

“Do not do that! You know what happens when you think too many things catch on fire.” It was a third voice that was all too familiar to him and off to the side his eyes cast where he found the dark brown eyes of Weland, the man who had won Azane’s heart, the one man in all of Sharlayan that Dimitri might have actually been jealous of.

“Here I have a cup of coffee Dimitri, it tastes very strange. I don’t think I’ve ever had a cup like this before. It is oily and very bitter.” Saewara, her name sprung to his mind as soon as he heard her voice. A talented alchemist and the product of an affair between a member of the Forum and his Thavnarian maid. She was a beautiful woman and like many beautiful women he knew she was very invested in other beautiful women. She had been his best friend as long as he could remember and he made a beeline for her side and the cup of coffee she offered him.

“So they drafted us all for this little soiree into Goodwill Ambassador.” He said in a hushed voice, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone else in the room, but at the same time tilting his head to listen to the various dialects of Common tongue and regional languages that drifted around him. He could understand each of them, something he didn’t often admit to and while it could become overwhelming in a room this size it was one of the easiest ways to to learn about others and quickly. In this room, there was a lot of concern for the Citizens and a lot of anger about even being here when all the Garleans had done was destroy lives across the Star.

“Wait till you see her Dimitri.” Saewara whispered “I think she is one of the Commanders here. Her name I’ve heard is Lucia Junius. She comes from Ishgard but she is not by any means an Elezen.” Leave it to his friend to key in on the most powerful woman in a room she had a knack for it and it also came with the price of listening to her prattle on for days and nights about how lovely said woman was. “Mm, yes I had read about her in the dossier I was given in Ala Mhigo. I believe her to be Garlean in fact her last name fits the Empire’s naming conventions. There is another who seems to be in charge here, Maxima Priscus, also Garlean. They may come from a defected unit or even defected on their own due to the standards that the Empire has held for the last oh forty cycles or so.” Sipping the coffee which he found to match Saewara’s description precisely he wrapped an arm around the shorter woman and drew her in to help keep them both warm against the elements, which brought a smile to her face.

“It is scary here Dimitri.” She would murmur “Last night when we first arrived, we were in the caravan about two bells ahead of you I think. The camp was filled with non-stop barking. At first, we thought it was just a single dog but Zehex caught sight of an entire pack roaming just on the outskirts of the camp. There are a lot of guards here but really I just want to go home. I haven’t been to sleep since yesterday. When I tried I kept waking up from a nightmare that the dogs were chasing me through the snow! I would slip and then.” Saewara stopped speaking and sniffled softly before she whispered “Before I woke up all I saw was a puddle of blood on the ground and all of us but you lying near it. Did you know I am scared of barking?”

“I am used to it,” Dimitri replied calmly, giving the woman a tight side hug to remind her she had support here. What he did not say was that her dream had concerned him. He had spent the last ten cycles at least researching and studying occult-based knowledge. In fact when he was finally accepted to the Studium that had been his major. “Dogs have a sense you could say. My sister's dog, Dolly, tends to bark when she feels something is not right. They are protective creatures after all Sae, and some believe that they are able to sense spirits around them. We have come into a grave situation, I have not heard a death count as of yet but I am certain parts of the City are the final resting place for many. I could see the smoke rising around the capital on the road here. I am sure they are scared just like we are. Many of them lost their owners in this tragedy.”

He had barely said his thoughts when he heard for himself what Saewara and the others had heard before he arrived. First, it was the baying of a hound, the distinct mournful wail caught his attention with little effort, he had always felt they were the Sirens of the dead the way their voices sounded but soon it was not the only call into the night as other barks joined with theirs until it sounded like the camp was surrounded by multiple packs of canines who had found them as the most stable and safe place in the area. In truth, it made the Sharlayan shiver and hold his friend closer for it was such an eerie sound.

“I think they are lonely,” Azane said from the other side of him. In his conversation with Saewarya, the others had moved in towards them creating a little pocket of warmth. Good thing they were used to being close together like this or it would have been an awkward thing. “I want to cry listening to them. I wonder if there is any plan to take them food or at least water.” She stopped there, turned, and then buried her face into Weland’s chest before she said too much and lost control of her emotions in public. After all, Sharlayans were always serene and poised. That is what they had been taught since they were children.

“Hopefully the meeting starts soon.” Dimitri would finally say trying to distract himself and his friend from the barking. It was such a lonely sound but it almost made sense in the canvas of snow for it to exist but that didn’t make it right or better in any way.

“I would like to hear a status report on the Tempered.” he continued on “Father was certain that was where I would end up assisting with my occult knowledge. It is still strange that they are tempered. to me. It is well known that the Garleans struggle with Aether and I had always had the mind that they would be the last that could be Tempered. They also share the lack of dedication to the Twelve that we have. It does present quite an interesting topic of discussion about tempering if what I have heard is true.” By the time he finished speaking, two figures stood at the center table with a map they had spread open and the room had begun to quiet. This included his friends. The only sound that remained now besides muffled voices here and there was the baying of that hound he had heard and the barks that would reply back in the distance.

[oraclekleo]

Rano (E’LAST) - Good Boy / Brat / Sugar Daddy / Sir Tarot Reading

Disclaimer:

All celebrity readings have purely entertainment nature

I don’t know any of the celebrities personally

Don’t base life decisions purely on tarot readings

I can never guarantee any of what’s said in the reading

Feedback: Feedback is very important for content creators and for me it’s even more important. Please, let me know whether the tarot readings resonate. If there’s anything you dislike or find off about my readings (like wording, topics, focus), just tell me. I don’t want you to write 1000-word feedback, very simple comments will do for me to stay motivated. I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this but this is something I do for you, guys, and when I don’t feel motivated to do tarot readings, I have many other things to do. The more motivation I get, the more readings you will get to read. The logic is very simple but it’s two sided.

Reading Info:

Rating: 18+

Reading Type: Single - Couple

Requested: Yes - No

Requester: /

Deck(s): Dark Wood Tarot, Archetype Cards, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle

Spread: Good Boy / Brat / Sugar Daddy / Sir

Questions:

Good Boy (Soft Sub)

Brat (Bratty Sub)

Sugar Daddy (Soft Dom)

Sir (Hard Dom)

Celebrity Info:

Full Name: Byun Yongseop

Stage Name: Rano

Group: E’LAST

DOB: 10.12.1998

Blood Type: AB

MBTI: ESFJ

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Chinese Sign: Earth Tiger

Life Path Number: 4

Masterpost: E'LAST

Rano (E’LAST)

Full Name: Byun YongseopStage Name: RanoGroup: E’LASTDOB: 10.12.1998Blood Type: ABMBTI: ESFJSun Sign: SagittariusChinese Sign: Earth TigerLife Path Number: 4

Spread / Question: Good Boy / Brat / Sugar Daddy / Sir Deck(s): Dark Wood Tarot, Archetype Cards, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle

Good Boy (Soft Sub) - II The High Priestess, Hummingbird, Child: Magical

If Rano ever agrees to play a soft sub for his lover, it’s most likely out of pure curiosity and the fun of exploring new perspectives. He might be playing the role most diligently and with enthusiasm, as long as it brings new experiences and stimulus to him. Once the novelty of the experience is gone, Rano loses interest in this type of role as it’s not his natural state.

Brat (Bratty Sub) - 8 of Wands, Lizard, Advocate

Rano feels better in the brat role for sure. He’s likely to challenge his lover and retort cheekily to them. He’s super sensitive to tiny hints and will always know what buttons to push to provoke and tease his lover. It’s like if he could read the mind and decides to do the exact opposite of what his lover wants. Bratty Rano lives for the punishment, though. Riling his lover up is his goal and he can do so with astonishing speed. The punishment Rano secretly hopes for is overstimulation. Bratty Rano won’t stop teasing until he’s actually whining and sobbing out of complete exhaustion.

Sugar Daddy (Soft Dom) - 3 of Pentacles, Spider, Alchemist

Sugar Daddy Rano uses his authority and ‘sweetness’ to slowly trap his lover in a web of his power. Rano would only be sweet and caring in order to lure his lover into his arms and make them cut all ties with other people. Possessive, manipulative and making his lover spiral down into the depths of his charm, that’s a Sugar Daddy Rano. 

Sir (Hard Dom) - XVII The Star, 10 of Pentacles, Snake, Earthworm, King, Prince

What are the odds for Rano to have both King and Prince cards, really? Lol. Rulership without restraint, indeed. One can rise up to become an emperor but you are born to be a king and that’s Rano’s case. He’s born to be called Sir. He can persuade his lover that they’re so little in comparison to him. He has endless ruling potential. His reign is one that heals his own soul, it’s his happy end and ultimate goal to possess the utter power over his lover. And when he does, he can be graceful and kind but also strict, petty and a complete dictator. Rano uses his charm to gain control over his lover. His words drip like honey but it’s a snake's venom, intoxicating his lover's mind. Rano’s lust for pleasure knows no limits and his stamina is endless. He’s likely to leave his lover completely out of breath. His favourite plays include some sort of ties or handcuffs, anything to make his lover exposed to him, given to his mercy.

This is another one of my experiments and who could be better to test this spread on than my favourite dark prince Rano? 😁

It's something like Relationship role spread but more specific with the roles.

Let me know what you think and hit me up with suggestions who should be the next test subject. Only suggestions! I can't promise completing them and requests are still closed.

Thank you for reading!

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[kawaiichibiart]

Project Sekai AUs

I don't think this is gonna be a masterpost, but I wanted to give very quick (and kinda sorta pretty rough) summaries of all my Project Sekai AUs. If there's any you'd like to know more about, you can send me an ask, my inbox is open <3

Stand-In AU:

After all the units have formed and met in person, they begin to collaborate together. This has led to permanent side groups, such as FANTASISTA Squad, and to each group becoming more well known for who they collaborate with.

What started off as a friend assisting a friend when their group was down a member became a widely known method to expand their knowledge and abilities.

NPC AU:

An alternate universe where the original units (Leo/need, MORE MORE JUMP!, Vivid BAD SQUAD, Wonderlands x Showtime, and Nightcord @ 25:00) were never formed due to various circumstances, five new units take their place. Consisting of characters who were originally NPCs, each unit has similar, yet different, problems to their original counterparts. From a band doing their best to come together again, to a family torn apart from lies and broken promises.

STANDOUT, Blossoming ✿ ‪ Melodies, FR33LY 2M0RR0W, Phoenix Reincarnation, and the Night • Watchers are the new units.

Only 4 of these units grow and change, learning from their mistakes and using it to push their individual messages and dreams forwards, while the remaining one remains stuck in their ways, truly believing they are in the right.

Story of Evil/Reincarnated AU:

A villainous Prince and his loyal sister are reborn into modern times. Neither remembers their past at first, but memories slowly come back to them in their sleep. Often they're passed as dreams, some pleasant, and some more accurately being nightmares.

Neither knows what to do with this newfound information, but feel some reassurance that the sibling they cared for deeply is still with them, and that their loyalty for one another has yet to truly be broken.

Fantasy/Sci-fi AU:

An alchemist, half siren, and half-pixie half-elf stumble across an odd young man. He glows as bright as the sun and as dim as a dying flame. It takes a while for them to catch him, and much longer to find a way to communicate once they learn he is not from their world.

Born from the stars, Tsukasa has a fond love for the planet Earth, especially for the shows put on by humans.

There's more to this story, from a Princess and a Prince plotting to stop their wedding, to an Angel losing her wings for aiding a trapped siren.

Miraculous AU:

Kwamis have been around since the dawn of time, each with a gift/power to lend to those who wield their Miraculous, a magical jewel. As time goes on different people have wielded various Miraculous, from well known heroes to the most awful of villains.

With the Miraculous becoming more well known as the years go by, magic has begun to spread.

Once again, the Miraculous are being wielded by young heroes, each one chosen carefully and to the current Guardian's best knowledge.

Beauty and the Beast x Swan Lake aka The Cursed Kingdom AU:

Sekai is a very large kingdom with several smaller ones within. One of these kingdoms is rumored to be cursed and has been closed off. Any being who enters never leaves.

How could they? Dragons watch over the people and their Prince is as cold as ice.

When an infamous alchemist never returns from his travels, his friend, a young Knight, goes in search of him, until he, too, doesn't return.

His sick younger sister is the one who finds him after being worried for days and deciding to go searching for him. And that's when she realizes the cold Prince is the boy and her brother considered to be their younger brother.

Making a contract with him, she takes her brother's place (and later meets up with the alchemist who was also a prisoner) and refuses to look at her older brother as he taken away from the palace.

The Knight is returned to his home but immediately gathers three Knights to help him. One a fellow friend of the alchemist, one a dear friend of his sister (and perhaps more), and the last one was once close with the Prince.

Their goal is ultimately to get the eldest Knight's sister and the alchemist back and to safety, but the last Knight also wishes to see if he can get through to the cursed Prince.

The Secret World of Minori:

Based off the Secret World of Arrietty, Minori, Haruka, Airi and Shizuku are borrowers doing their best to get by.

Living near a cottage, the four tend to explore the vast garden and pond it has.

The four have their preferred places to explore and do their best to avoid the two girls who reside in the cottage.

Tsukasa:

Based off the story of Anastasia, Tsukasa is a Prince who lost his home, family and memories in a fire while he was young. Due to the loss of his memories, he has no idea who he is or where he is from.

Renamed Torpe, he lives in a quaint village orphanage. As he got older, he would go out for work. Torpe usually works with Emu Otori and Nene Kusanagi, two girls who do live performances in the village center. He will often play the piano whilst they dance and sing.

One day a man name Rui convinces Torpe, Nene, and Emu to help him with his latest con: Convince Princess Saki and Prince Toya that Torpe is the long lost Prince, and the two royals eldest brother, Tsukasa.