#Briar Earnest

[mossarchives]

Even as the seasons change, some things stay the same <3

Flipped version and Close-ups under the cut :)

[marigoldbaker]

What would Khalid have said to that? That was the thing: he forgave everyone everything, all the time. You could kick him down a hill, shove a sword through his ribs, dissect him in a laboratory, and he’d thank you at the end of it. He’d see the good in you, somehow, impossibly, even when you weren’t good, even when you were just a spoiled-rotten bard who couldn’t handle how fucking awful everything was everywhere. And now he was dead, and Immy was gone, which meant no one was there to see anything—just Jaheira, who wasn’t kind enough to kill Briar, and who didn’t know all the right words to say that would make Briar feel like it was still okay to be here.

[mossarchives]

My child,,,

-pitches Briar at you like a baseball- for doodles if u want :)

Boop !

[solxamber]

I loved the platonic Malleus helps Yuu get Idia fic and I was wondering if you could so something similar with Cater or Trey or Vil or Leona or Floyd? You can choose, anything like that would be amazing my liege.

you asked and i answered, i love this concept so much

Fae Courtship 101: Romance for Dummies || Floyd Leech

In your desperation to confess to Floyd, you made the grave mistake of recruiting Malleus for help—now the only thing you’re courting is death.

For reasons beyond mortal comprehension—beyond your own comprehension—you have fallen for Floyd Leech.

Floyd. Leech.

The man who treats personal space like a suggestion, bites people for fun, and once chased a first-year across campus while laughing like a slasher villain because he was “bored.”

The man who once tried to sell you to Azul in exchange for a really nice hat. The man who could, at any given moment, be contemplating something as simple as “what’s for lunch” or something as horrifyingly chaotic as “what if I threw the prefect off the third-floor balcony to see how they bounce?”

It’s a bad idea. Objectively, scientifically, in every single way, this is a mistake.

Grim and Deuce have been holding interventions. The ghosts of Ramshackle have been looking at you like they’re already preparing to welcome you into their ranks. You're rapidly losing the moral high ground in any discussion about Ace’s bad life choices.

But the heart wants what it wants. And unfortunately, yours wants to make terrible decisions.

Which brings you here, pacing alongside Malleus Draconia, crown prince of Briar Valley, king of ominous nighttime strolls, and your designated therapist for the evening.

“I just—I don’t get it, Malleus!” you wail, gesturing wildly as you stomp through the moonlit campus. “I should like normal people! People who don’t consider attempted murder to be a love language! I should have instincts!”

Malleus hums in thought. “Hm. Concerning.”

“Exactly!” You throw your hands up. “I should be running in the opposite direction! Instead, I’m over here, wondering if he’d bite me gently if I asked nicely!”

Malleus stops walking.

You stop too, looking over to see him gazing at you with a carefully neutral expression. There’s a brief silence. A beat. And then, slowly—gravely—he nods.

“Understood.”

You blink. “...Huh?”

He turns to you with the air of a man who has just accepted a sacred duty. “You have chosen a perilous path, Child of Man.”

You stare. “I—??"

“But fear not,” he continues, raising a hand to his chest in solemn promise. “I shall help you attain your romance.”

Silence.

A breeze rolls through the courtyard. A crow caws in the distance. Somewhere, Grim is experiencing a deep sense of foreboding.

“…You’re going to what?”

Malleus nods again, expression determined. “Leave it to me.”

You suddenly have so many regrets.

Grim looks at you the way a doctor looks at a patient about to flatline. Gravely. With pity. With deep concern for the irreversible damage.

"Okay, listen hench-human, I’ve let a lot of things slide, but this? This I gotta ask—do you hate life that much?"

You blink at him. "What?"

Grim waves his little paws dramatically. "First, you fall for Floyd of all people. That’s already a death wish. And now, you’re actually listening to Malleus for dating advice? What’s next? You gonna ask Kalim for tips on financial responsibility?!"

You open your mouth. Close it. You… okay, you really have no defense. But before you can say anything—

There’s a knock at the door.

And you don’t even have to guess who it is.

You open it to find Malleus standing there, his expression set in earnest determination. In his hands is a book that looks older than your grandmother. The kind of ancient tome that looks like it holds dark secrets, forbidden spells, possibly even a recipe for soup made from human souls.

Standing right next to him, grinning like a goblin, is Lilia.

You feel your soul leave your body.

"Ah, Child of Man," Malleus intones. "I have found it. The ultimate guide to fae courtship rituals. You shall use these techniques to win the heart of your eel."

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Lilia cackles. "Do you know how long it's been since I’ve seen these methods in action? The devastation! The absolute carnage!"

You stare at them. You stare into the abyss. The abyss grins back.

Grim looks at you, his face a perfect picture of someone watching a loved one make the worst life decisions in real time.

"You’re really doin’ this, huh?"

…You sigh. "Yeah. I’m really doing this."

You are simply minding your own business, walking to class like a normal person, when you spot Floyd approaching from the other end of the hallway.

As always, you smile at him, because you have fully accepted your fate as a fool with horrible taste in men. You expect him to either grin back or threaten to suplex you for fun—classic Floyd things.

What you do not expect is the sudden sensation of a phantom hand shoving you forward.

And just like that, gravity wins.

You crash into Floyd with all the grace of a drunk goose, smacking into his chest with enough force to send both of you stumbling. Floyd barely moves (because he is built like a problem), but you rebound like a cartoon character, nearly falling over before his hands land heavily on your shoulders.

For a brief, dizzying moment, you stare at him.

Then, slowly, your brain remembers what just happened, and you whip around—

Only to see Malleus standing at the end of the hallway, looking extremely pleased with himself.

He gives you a smug, regal nod.

He is also holding a book titled "How to Romance for Dummies."

You are going to throw hands with a literal prince.

Before you can implode, Floyd’s grip on your shoulders tightens. You turn back to him, only to find him looking entirely too displeased about being your impromptu landing pad.

“Shriiiimpy,” he drawls, squinting at you like a judge in a courtroom drama. “What’s up with that, huh? Tryna tackle me first thing in the morning?”

“I—I tripped!” you stammer, trying to collect the shreds of your dignity. “I didn’t mean to crash into you, I swear!”

Floyd hums, unconvinced. Then, after a beat of consideration, he shrugs.

“Aaah, whatever.” His fingers dig just slightly into your shoulders, a slow grin stretching across his face. “You still ran into me, soooo… you owe me.”

You blink. “Wait. Owe you?”

“Mhm!” His grin widens, teeth sharp. “Now ya gotta hang out with me today.”

You blink again. Slowly. You could argue, but you have a sneaking suspicion that it won’t get you anywhere, and honestly? Maybe this is exactly the opening you need.

Maybe… Malleus isn’t that bad at this.

You take that last thought back immediately.

Because not even a day after that whole hallway fiasco, Malleus finds you again, pulls you aside with all the gravitas of an ancient ruler about to bestow divine wisdom, and insists that, in order to properly court Floyd, you must—

Compliment Floyd’s strength three times. At first, you thought, okay, easy enough, I can just tell him he’s strong and call it a day. But then—THEN—Malleus, in his infinite wisdom, handed you a quill and parchment and declared, “It must be in verse. Poetry carries the weight of true devotion.”

And now, here you are.

Standing in front of Floyd Leech. Holding a piece of paper with the most cringe-inducing attempt at poetry you've ever written in your life.

Floyd, to his credit, was already giggling the moment you approached with a look of sheer suffering. But when you clear your throat and attempt to actually read the thing—

"Oh mighty Floyd, with hands so bold—"

He just. Loses it.

Absolutely wheezing, doubling over, practically using you as a support beam to keep himself upright.

You glare at him and continue, determined to power through:

"A force unmatched, a tale retold—"

Floyd: "PFT—!!!"

He’s straight-up crying at this point. Tears. You swear you hear Jade laugh somewhere in the distance.

You don’t even make it to the third compliment. You just turn on your heel and walk away before your soul crumples in on itself like a dying star.

Malleus, watching from afar, sighs in clear disappointment. “You lack dedication,” he murmurs, shaking his head like an elder watching the youth fail at life.

You absolutely regret everything.

You don't know why you keep letting Malleus give you advice. Actually, no—that's a lie. You do know. It's because the second he heard you liked Floyd, his eyes lit up like he’d just been given a personal quest by the divine forces of romance, and now he refuses to rest until your love is secured.

Unfortunately, this means you are currently locked in yet another horrendous discussion about fae courting rituals.

"Scent-marking is a vital step in courtship," Malleus declares with the kind of grim authority that should be reserved for battlefields, not this. "He must recognize you as his."

You blink at him. "Oh, like giving him my hoodie or something?" That’s normal. That’s doable. That’s the kind of thing people do when they like each other, right? You’ve seen couples swap sweaters before. Maybe Malleus is finally onto something not-insane.

Malleus shakes his head gravely. "No. You must present him with something you have personally scented. Ideally, by rolling upon it."

Silence.

Rolling upon it.

You stare at him. He stares back. Completely serious.

You try to process what he’s just suggested. What he has just, with full sincerity, told you to do.

"Malleus."

"Yes?"

"You want me to roll around on an object like a dog and then give it to Floyd."

"Precisely."

You briefly consider just walking into the ocean.

It takes twenty full minutes to talk him down from this absolute lunacy and convince him that simply giving Floyd a sweater you’ve worn will do the job just fine. He looks at you the way a disappointed coach looks at a failing athlete.

"If you are not dedicated to the craft," he mutters, "you cannot expect great results."

You pretend you don’t hear him.

Fast forward to the next day, and you are sitting in class next to Floyd, who is draped over his desk in a deep and powerful boredom coma.

You pull out the sweater and awkwardly nudge it toward him.

"Here."

Floyd immediately perks up. Dangerously interested. He tilts his head, peering at the sweater like you’ve just handed him a rare treasure.

"Eh? What's this?"

"It's mine. You can have it," you say, trying to play it cool, despite the fact that your entire soul is trying to flee your body from embarrassment.

Floyd picks up the sweater and—without hesitation—presses his face into it.

You almost die. Right then and there. Instant expiration.

He leans back in his chair, grinning way too wide. "Heheh~ You smell nice, shrimpy~"

You barely manage to hold onto your composure. You are barely hanging on.

Malleus, watching from the hallway, narrows his eyes and mutters, "It is not the worst effort... but it lacks the impact of true commitment."

You ignore him. You ignore everything. You're just grateful that—for once—this wasn’t completely unhinged, and that Floyd somehow seems to like it.

"Nothing says romance like a meal made with your own two hands!" Lilia declares, slamming an ancient, definitely cursed cookbook onto the table.

You blink down at it. The title is in some language that makes your vision swim just looking at it. The edges are charred, the pages stained with substances you’re 70% sure are not food-safe, and Malleus—Malleus Draconia himself, looks a little unsure.

That should have been your first hint.

But you? A fool. An idiot. A desperate, love-struck buffoon? You press forward.

“Alright,” you sigh, rubbing your temples, already regretting this. “What ingredients do I need?”

Lilia beams, flipping to a page that looks like it came from an alchemist’s horror novel.

"Let's see! We’ll need:"

• Moonshade Truffle,

• A pinch of Sablethorn Dust,

• Three drops of Evernight Basilisk Extract,

• Seven Tears of a Joyful Banshee,

• And a Love-Smitten Fire Spirit’s Breath!

…

You stare.

"Lilia."

"Yes, beastie?"

"These sound like potion ingredients."

"Oh-ho!" Lilia chuckles, waving a hand. "You humans always get so caught up in technicalities. But what is cooking if not a kind of magic?"

…No. No, this is actual magic. You are not making a love potion, but this sure as hell sounds like one.

But, like the fool you are, you go along with it. You spend far too much money (your entire savings) at Azul’s Most Definitely Not a Scam Emporium for all of these ridiculous ingredients. He knows you’re up to something dumb. He does not care. He simply profits.

And now, here you are. In the Ramshackle kitchen. Grim watches from a safe distance behind a chair. Malleus stands off to the side with his arms crossed, looking like he is rethinking his life choices. And Lilia, that menace, is watching you mix the ingredients like a proud mentor.

Everything is going fine. Suspiciously fine.

And then—

"Alright, time to bake it!" Lilia claps his hands. "It says here to bake at 350 for 20 minutes!"

You nod. This is reasonable.

"However!" He flips the page. "In the olden days, we used a slightly different method."

Malleus frowns. Your stomach drops.

"Instead of 350 for 20 minutes…" Lilia hums. "It says here—750 for 10!"

…

"What."

"Don’t be shy! Give it a try!" Lilia gestures for you to do it.

Malleus shifts, looking like he wants to intervene. Grim is slowly backing out of the room. You ignore all of this.

Because you are an idiot.

You turn the oven to 750. You shove the pan inside. You watch in real-time as your dignity burns.

The oven makes a sound ovens should not make.

Something explodes. The smell is indescribable.

When you pull the pan out, it is a pile of pure, blackened charcoal.

You are horrified. Malleus looks concerned. Grim looks betrayed.

"Are ya tryin’ to kill me, Henchhuman?!" Grim yells. "I thought we were friends!"

But Lilia? Lilia is nodding approvingly.

"Ah," he sighs, nostalgic. "Just like how I remember it."

…This man should not be allowed in kitchens.

But you, an absolute buffoon, take the charred remains of your so-called courtship offering and bring it to Floyd anyway.

You find him in the cafeteria, dump the plate in front of him, and sit down. Defeated.

Floyd stares. Pokes it with a finger.

And then, he looks at you.

With pity.

"Shrimpy." His voice is gentle. You feel a chill of fear. "You goin' through hard times or somethin'?"

…

You die inside.

Your cooking was so bad that Floyd Leech—FLOYD LEECH—was feeling sympathy for you.

You have never known such shame.

You sit there, staring into the distance like a soldier who’s seen too much. A philosopher pondering the futility of existence. A person who has scent-marked a sweater and written poetry at the behest of a fae prince who thinks you’re simply not dedicated enough to the craft of love.

You are contemplating life, death, and the many, many decisions that have led you here.

And then, Jade sits beside you.

You don’t even flinch. You should. You should be wary. You should immediately launch yourself into the bushes and prepare to be interrogated in some terrifying eel version of psychological warfare. But you don’t. Because you have nothing left.

So you just turn your head slowly, look at him with the dull, hollow eyes of someone who’s really going through it.

Jade looks positively delighted.

"My, my," he says, in that syrupy, knowing voice of his. "What could possibly put you in such a state?"

You inhale. Exhale. Consider your options. Death is looking really attractive.

"I don’t want to talk about it."

Jade hums, obviously entertained, but then—then—he decides to make it worse.

"You know," he muses, "even Floyd has started to get concerned."

You blink.

"…Huh?"

"Oh, yes," he says, resting his chin on his hand, enjoying every second of this. "Between the odd gifts, the unusual behavior, and your general aura of suffering, even he has begun to notice. Which means you are being particularly obvious, because he rarely pays attention to anything that isn't entertaining."

You don’t even have the energy to be embarrassed.

"What’s your point?" you mutter.

Jade smiles like a predator about to land a final, devastating strike.

"You should simply tell him. Because this…?" He gestures vaguely at your soul-deep despair. "This is rather pitiful."

You stare.

You process.

And, somewhere in the depths of your heart, you realize he’s right.

You are in shambles.

Like, properly, horrifically, soul-crushingly in shambles. You’ve been through so much. You've spent weeks engaging in increasingly deranged behavior at the behest of a well-meaning yet hopelessly out-of-touch fae prince. You've endured ritual poetry readings, scent-marking disasters, and a culinary war crime that left you emotionally and financially bankrupt.

And now, standing in front of Floyd Leech—the very cause of your descent into insanity—you finally snap.

"I LIKE YOU!" you blurt, voice cracking like a cheap mirror. "I LIKE YOU AND I'VE BEEN ACTING LIKE A LUNATIC BECAUSE MALLEUS SAID I HAD TO FOLLOW FAE COURTSHIP RITUALS AND I—" your voice hiccups, borderline hysterical, "—I THINK I LOST A PIECE OF MY SOUL WHEN I TRIED TO BAKE THAT DAMN CAKE BUT IT'S FINE, BECAUSE APPARENTLY THAT'S JUST WHAT LOVE IS??? AND I DID IT ALL FOR YOU, FLOYD, BECAUSE I AM A DUMB IDIOT WHO LIKES YOU FOR SOME REASON."

You gasp for air, because this has been a lot.

And Floyd?

Floyd is laughing.

Not just a chuckle, either. No, this menace of a man is bent over, hands on his knees, actually wheezing with mirth as if you’ve just performed the comedy routine of the century. His shoulders shake. His teeth glint in the light. He looks absolutely delighted.

And you? You just stand there, a broken, hollow shell of a human being.

"You should’ve just told me, Shrimpy~!" he cackles, wiping a tear from his eye. "I like you too, y’know?"

...

There’s a moment of silence as your poor, battered brain struggles to process this information.

"WHAT."

Floyd grins, like you haven’t just endured weeks of psychological torment at the hands of a dragon prince. "I mean, you’re fun! You make me laugh, and I like squeezin’ ya. ‘Course I like ya!"

Before you can even begin to formulate a response, he lunges forward and grabs you in a hug so tight that your ribs beg for mercy. You are crushed, consumed, engulfed in the sheer force of his affection. Your spine may never recover, but at this point, what’s another injury to your dignity?

And honestly? You don’t care.

Because he likes you.

Floyd likes you back.

Which means—you realize, tears pricking your eyes in relief—you never have to perform another insane fae courtship ritual again.

No more humiliating poetry. No more dubious scent-marking. No more playing Russian roulette with your digestive system in the name of romance. You did it. You won.

And then Floyd leans down, cups your face, and kisses you.

It's a little rough, a little overwhelming, but you melt into it anyway, because Sevens, you earned this.

Somewhere in the distance, Malleus Draconia watches from the shadows.

Arms crossed, nodding sagely, he looks upon his greatest success.

"My expert techniques," he murmurs, pride swelling in his voice, "have secured my child of man their eel."

Behind him, Lilia wipes an imaginary tear.

"Beautiful," he sighs.

Masterlist

[kiame-sama]

Would Papa Hades mind if I rant to him my frustration over how people always make him a ‘Bad Guy’ in our world?

Whenever Movies that have Greek Mythology in it, it always pissed me off when they make Hades the Villain (I feel like it’s just because Hades is the God of the Underworld that automatically makes him ‘Evil’)

Literally out of ALL the Greek Gods, Hades is actually the NICEST of the Gods (He was willing to let a mortal man take his wife out of the Underworld but he must not look at her because she’ll be sent back during the journey until they leave his realm) and was never unfaithful to his beloved Persephone

There was a myth that he had ONE lover, but that was BEFORE he met his Beloved

Would Papa Hades appreciate that I don’t see him as evil just because he rules over the Underworld? (Because since he’s one of the Great Seven so he’ll naturally be feared for his powers and authority)

Warnings: Papa Hades in his 50ft form, comforting ancient Shinigami, daily allotted sunshine/shade garden time,

For reference, this is approximately the current height difference:

~~~~~~~~

"-but I mean, why do they always have to make Hades out to be bad? I don't think my Hades is bad and I don't think you're bad either. You're probably the only one I've met in this world who didn't immediately try to make decisions for me. You haven't collared me, or taken me away from where I want to be, or tried to control me in any way. You're even letting me sit on your shoulder and talk your ear off in the garden because I wanted some time away from it all!"

The giant Shinigami was leaning his cheek on his hand, listening attentively to your every word. You both were seated upon a shadowy throne he had summoned in the stone and briar garden of Ramshackle. It was a good distance away from the building itself and no one was willing to tell the Shinigami he couldn't protect you.

Deep in the shadows, watchful eyes thought better of challenging a being of myth and power. Some were dissuaded from the prospect altogether, seeing such an ancient being so casually attending the soft Human prize. Not all who hunted sought harm, but even the insane knew better. Smaller predators will almost always give space to a bigger predator. No need to die this day.

The giant Shinigami was enjoying the history lessons from your world, curious that your own history had beings so similar to him that even shared his name. He also appreciated the fact you were so passionately defending his doppelganger in your world. Truthfully, the similarities between him and the Hades of your world was not lost on him. Perhaps the Humans of your world were originally from Twisted Wonderland and simply forgot over time after crossing to a different realm. If that were the case then he had much to consider.

Still, he appreciates how relaxed you are around him, now trusting in his willingness to act in your best interest. He had always afforded all of the Humans under his protection the ability to choose. The only difference now was he had to keep a closer eye on you than he did the Humans leaving his isle.

"I'm glad to be living up to your expectations, Little One. So long as it is your wish to stay here, I will aid you however I can. Young Idia has updated your phone to contact me directly should you ever have need. I must say, it is nice to hear of your home, you speak so little about it. I'm sure you have your reasons, so I won't pry. I'm thankful you trust me enough to share all of this with."

"Well, it's hard not to trust you. You've kind of been amazing."

It soothed the wounded depths of the old Shinigami's heart to hear such earnest words. You truly did trust him and he treasured that more than you would likely ever know. The mourning shawl had adorned him many long centuries. Those centuries were some of the most painful for him, yet that pain was lessened and balmed by your simple trust and affection. He treasured that.

[twisted-beez]

I've seen sooooo many fics where Malleus is courting y/n and gives them his "greatest treasure" or the "heart of his treasury" as a courting thing, and it's always some fabulous expensive jewelry or glamorous gem of a family heirloom.

But y'all.

We all know his most prized possession is Gao-Gao Dragon.

---

Imagine Malleus Draconia earnestly gazing into your eyes as he presses his prized tamagotchi into your palm. Your hands cradle the little device. His own lithe fingers wrap around them.

"He is yours to care for."

Youre breathless. And bewildered. Once you've discovered air again, your gaze seeks Malleus's for answers. You find only a soft verdant in his eyes. Springtime, and hope, and blossoming things. Affection like a birds song and warmth like down feathers. A world you could waltz in forever.

It is clear this gaze is meant only for you.

"Why?" You think you know.

"It is Briar Valley tradition," he begins. The tenderness in his voice makes your heart swoop.

"To vie for the affection of one whose love and affection we ardently seek with a gift." Malleus's lips curl into a smile. His thin slitted eyes narrow to teasing half-lidded pleasure at the growing red on your cheeks. Earnest as he means this to be, he cannot help but be tempted by your bashful nature. "One's most precious belonging, to be precise. For that is the only thing that comes close to the heart of one's most beloved."

Your heart thrums too loudly to think and you pull Gao-Gao against your chest.

"He'll miss you, you know. I doubt I can care for him as well as you always have," you admit. "We'll have to schedule plenty of play-dates with...?" Come to think of it, you can't recall if Malleus ever gave a name to Gao-Gao's friend. He had always called it just that.

It appears he hadn't, because there's a pause and a solemn hum as Malleus thinks.

"Roaring Drago," he decides.

"That's practically the same thing!" You laugh in fond protest. Malleus feigns a pout in return.

"I quite like it though."

He can't hold it for long before a smile breaks through his guise. Silence settles between you both- comfortable, but a little shy- until you feel soft lips pressed against your forehead.

"My dearest beloved," he near-whispers against your skin, "I vow to bring you all of the happiness in the world, as you have brought me."

[llondonfog]

waltz right in

work really took it out of me this week. here’s some papa vanrouge. wc 1.3k who am i  you can waltz right in; i was made for you.

Lilia’s hearing was once legendary. 

Baul used to proudly remark to anyone hapless to the barrage of his booming voice how their own General Vanrouge had once determined the exact number of approaching troops, their accompanying horses, and the precise location of a squeaky cart wheel (rear, to the left) pulled by a three-legged donkey clinging to the foggy shroud of the Briar Valley forests blindfolded, tied to a tree trunk, and more than a little inebriated.

(That had been in the early days. The early days when Meleanor would roll her eyes with a smitten indulgence Lilia had not known she was capable of at Raverne’s earnest declarations of how to entreat the humans, how to enter into a new century of peace unlike any previously thought possible.

The early days, before any of them, with their brilliant youth and unlimited power, understood the true costs of war.)

His hearing is still quite keen, one of the few abilities left to him that has not begun to deteriorate so cruelly with time, only now he does not find himself attuned to the clanking of armor rattling the tranquil mountainside peace, the soft whisper of a sword unsheathing beneath the cover of darkness, or the curious and foreboding absence of animal chatter in the dense underbrush. 

Lilia wonders what the General would think, to know that his battle-hewed senses have so seamlessly shifted to listen for the quiet shuffle of socked feet over a wood floor and the stifled breaths haunted by the ghost of tears. 

He knows what, or rather who, he will find as he glances up from the half-finished letter he’d been writing to acknowledge the small figure lingering at the doorway to their living room, half-skulking in the shadows all the while gazing out at Lilia as if he might be the dawn itself.

“Another nightmare?”

Silver nods, eyes large and wet in the flickering light of the fire, and Lilia wonders again what the General might think, to hear how soft his voice has become, to know that the sight of a child, this one in particular, so in distress pains him worse than any iron-tipped spear driven deep into his heart. 

It startles him at odd times, frightens him even, how quickly he’s adjusted to this. 

The letter is easily forgotten, pen and parchment left aside on the table next to his current, lumpy armchair, as he wordlessly opens his arms to welcome the gangly bundle of tiny, sharp-edged limbs that wriggles its way into his lap, his own chin settling into a tufted cloud of hair that seems iridescent in the flame, catching the light as if Lilia held the sun itself in his embrace. 

(The sun or the moon, some days it is hard to decide which Silver takes after most. Either way, it’s blinding and Lilia has long made peace with the fact that he’s never cared much about his own health.)

Satisfied that the boy has made himself comfortable, Lilia coaxes a blanket from the sofa to float across the room and drape itself around them, swallowing a grin to himself at the rather adorable sight of only Silver’s eyes visible over his makeshift cloak. Their light and wonder has yet to return, and he nudges the boy gently until he can direct Silver’s gaze over to the shadows dancing together against the backdrop of the hearth. It’s easy magic, barely a drop in his dwindling reserves; a bunny hops carefree in a meadow of swaying flowers, a bird flutters its wings joyfully in an invisible breeze before soaring through the skies to return to its nest, a squirrel gaily scampering about the forest floor, collecting acorns— Lilia’s heart does an odd beat at that.

But it does the trick. Silver’s tense posture has begun to melt in his arms, and he’s even participating, calling out requests and giggling even when a shadowy butterfly breaks free of its scene to land on his nose, tickling his face with its intangible feelers before bursting into a soft shower of multi-colored sparkles. Lilia joins in his laughter, releasing the spell as they both sink back into the armchair, a tangled up bundle of smiles and limbs.

“It was so dark,” Silver whispers suddenly after their laughter has subsided and Lilia’s found himself absently stroking through that spider-silk hair with his claws, and the sheer ache of loneliness in his voice nearly takes Lilia’s breath away that he has to check to ensure he hasn’t accidentally pierced the boy’s arm. “And so quiet, Toto, there was— it was like I was the only person left in the whole world. I didn’t think anyone would ever find me again, I didn’t know how they even could.”

Lilia doesn’t know which is worse; the fact that Silver never dreams about that awful night when he was spelled into sleep for his own protection, or the fact that he dreams about the aftermath, about the long and lonely wait. 

But he knows a little something about darkness. And a little something about loneliness too.

“ . . . do you remember what you told me about the groundhog? What does he do each winter?” 

Silver scrunches up his face in confusion at the question, but instantly replies, hard-pressed to forget anything that involves his dear animal companions. “Hibernation?” His tongue trips over the word clumsily as he looks up for Lilia’s approving nod. 

“And as I recall, Malleus was out with you in the forest, so you asked him what that meant. Can you tell me what he said?”

Lilia watches with no small trace of fondness as the boy begins to parrot the words perfectly, amused by how completely Malleus’ words have been committed to memory.

“He said that groundhogs are a type of animal called a mammal, and that they burrow deep in the ground to keep themselves warm and safe during the winter,” Silver recites, a finger curling around a loose thread in the blanket while he thinks on the prince’s explanation. “They eat a lot of food before they do so that they can stay healthy, and then they sleep and sleep and sleep until the snow has all melted for good.”

Simplistic enough for his purposes. Lilia nods in confirmation as Silver settles back in his arms, the question remaining clear enough on his little face. “Don’t you think hibernation sounds a lot like your dream?” he murmurs, and the boy’s eyes widen now in wonder. “I imagine it’s pretty scary at first for your groundhog friend. He’s deep in a dark burrow, alone and away from all of his friends, and he knows it’ll be a long time before he wakes up.”

He lets Silver ruminate on that, and can see the awed appreciation in his gaze for the bravery of all the little creatures that know they must subject themselves to the order of nature for the chance to see a new spring.

“But there’s a difference you should be aware of,” he continues, and Silver’s head snaps up in confusion, mouth open— “You, my dear, are not a groundhog!” Lilia declares with a gentle tickle of his fingertips against the boy’s side and grins openly when full giggles erupt from the blanketed bundle in his lap, Silver squirming and laughing as he unsuccessfully tries to wriggle away from Lilia’s inescapable torment until the last of the worry pinched around his face vanishes for good.

“You are not a groundhog,” he repeats softly, and bends forward to press a kiss to the boy’s head. “And I will always find you when winter ends.”

“Always?” Silver asks him sleepily, fully spent from their conversation, and Lilia thinks about how much he used to hate the melting snow, the warmth of the sun in spring.

“Always.” 

[yuurei20]

Malleus Facts Part 45: Humans (pt1)

Malleus seems to have a complex relationship with humans, refusing to make a Magicam account and to participate in the VDC despite Lilia’s invitation, as he has no desire to be put on display for them.

Malleus claims missing out on Housewarden meetings does not upset him because “Humans always avoid (him). This is nothing new,” but Lilia suspects otherwise.

Malleus insists that it is not his fault that he does not attend the meetings. Malleus says, “The humans who fear me for no good reason are to blame," breaking Lilia’s phone and angering him.

Malleus reflects, “Perhaps he’s right and, deep down, I believe it impossible for fae and humans to understand one another. That would explain why I’ve not put forth an earnest effort to get closer to them. But were I to conduct myself differently…what can I do to bridge the gap between myself and the other housewardens…?”

Malleus’ solution is to transport the Housewardens to Diasomnia without their consent, which does not go over well.

Afterwards Malleus admits that he hasn’t put sufficient effort into trying to get to know humans or getting them to understand him, acknowledging that he has failed but does not know why. “Their standards are so vague, and their sensibilities are so strange. How difficult it all is.”

When Lilia asks if he regrets leaving Briar Valley Malleus responds, “You know better than anyone that I don’t. I find my life here quite pleasant. I’ll continue to put forth effort in the hopes that one day I’ll understand them. I’m sure we’ll come to a mutual understanding in another, say…hundred years or so.”

[insideous-beez]

Briar Valley wholey welcoming Malleus's little sunshine human partner bc fae are kinda petty but sunshine human bae is super wholesome and not at all petty, and the fae see that as some divine benevolence blessed unto their kingdom. A servant accidentally spills something on the human? "Oh no biggie!" And they laugh it off with a shimmer of light that rivals a thousand suns. The human is attending court and someone makes a passive aggressive comment? The human addresses it with such sincerity and earnest will to cooperate that the commenter melts and feels so bad they never do it again. All of Briar Valley reveres how wholesome Malleus's lover is and cry tears of joy to have their revered Ruler of the Abyss showered with love and joy by this wholesome little human.

Aka: all of Briar Valley simps Mal's hooman bc hooman is too pure for this world.

[ventique18]

Edit: this post was made months before Diasomnia release.

- Delusional OC sketches and headcanons: Malleus' mama and papa -

*seduce, not saduce lmao sorry I'm tired

Malleus Draconia never met his parents, but Lilia could vividly remember them as if he only last saw them yesterday. Malleus' father (whose name also happened to be Malleus) was a student of his and had a consistent air of superiority about him-- he walked and talked with such confidence befitting that of the majestic horns that adorned his head like a crown. In dragon anatomy, you see, large, beautifully sculpted horns are a clear indicator of how fertile and desirable its genes were. So there was never a doubt that this man was a natural attractor for many a woman.

... Except nobody ever stuck with him. The prince had a terrible personality. He went on and on, on and on with prattling about anything and everything under the sun (actually mostly about weapons and griffons and philosophy and geography) to the point that ladies thought he was self-centered and was looking for a mirror to marry, rather than a wife. That was not true however. He was simply an excitable boy.

He had reached a record age of three centuries (still wifeless) when he decided that being stuck in Briar Valley was limiting his viewpoint of the world. He had enrolled at an academia overseas, and that was when he met his future bride: Matilda. Upon meeting eyes with her, he had known that it was love at first sight. (It was not. He merely thought having another dragon fae as queen would benefit his country.) And so, relentlessly, day in and day out, he pursued her in order to win her affection.

The lady simply treated him like furniture, however.

Still, everyday he would sit at her table in the library. He would first attempt to flirt with her, but as he noticed how focused she was in drafting her blueprints, he would give up and eventually become engrossed in whatever he was studying. He would scribble down notes and make commentaries to himself about this and that, and to be honest... She found that quite endearing. He had a frivolous mouth, but he was earnest in his pursuit of developing his country.

She had been secretly watching him, and one fateful day, she accidentally let out a giggle. A secretive acknowledgment of his presence. And of course, sharp as his draconic ears were, he returned her gaze and happened upon her beautiful smile.

That was when he realized that the words he sang to her-- the "you're lovely as blooming flowers in the spring", "your voice is as melodious as a crystal bell in winter"-- were all very, very true. The next words he had uttered were finally taken straight from his heart, and then for the very first time since they met, she had replied to him with lips upturned in an elegant crescent.

The following year, when he returned to Briar Valley for the holidays, his mother Maleficia almost squealed in pleasant surprise that her son had brought home a lovely bride. It was a blur after that. Lilia could recall how the castle seemed to have turned upside down with how lively it had suddenly gotten; secretive dates, a wedding, a coronation, pregnancy woes, and... a sudden despair.

The couple had created life, but paid for it with their lives.

Whenever Lilia was recalling this story to the toddler he was tucking under the covers, he would come to a sudden halt. Little Malleus would ask why, but he would just shake his head and ruffle the boy's hair.

"I was just thinking how great a king and queen your father and mother had been. They were strong, and brave, and kind..."

"Will I grow great like them, too?"

Lilia paused and gazed into the boy's eyes. Then, with a smile, he stroked his tuft of hair and patted him to sleep.

"Of course, dear. Now sleep. A future king needs to be strong and healthy to be great. You won't grow up without sleep!"

They were gone too early. Far too early; they never even saw what their child looked like beneath the shells.

For now, he would burn every moment of this boy's tiny smiles in his memory, so that he could recall in detail every moment of this child's beautiful life when he finally reunites with his old friends.

[lesbianfakir]

Ever After High/Princess Tutu Au: Duck

Fakir • Mytho • Rue

Role:

Since Princess Tutu dies without ever being with her prince she has no children. Thus, a volunteer is needed to fill the role of Tutu in the Prince and the Raven. The Ever After High faculty searched long and hard but could not find an eligible student who would agree to Tutu’s fate for this iteration of the Prince and the Raven. Only when Drosselmeyer, a rogue narrator cast out for his attempts to drive stories with happy endings to tragedy, interfered with the course of the story that a suitable candidate was found: a little duck who longed to be human. Duck is given human form and a spot at Ever After High on the condition that she follows Princess Tutu’s fate and confesses her love only to vanish.

Royal or Rebel?

Rebel. Despite her obligation to fulfill Tutu’s fate Duck does not want to turn into a speck of light. However, she is afraid to speak out as a rebel for fear her humanity will be taken away from her. While she grows bolder as the story progresses, initially she resigns herself to looking for ways to break her curse in secret.

School Life:

Duck is terrified of falling in love as she knows it will be her demise. She has a crush on Mytho, and she tries to avoid him as much as possible, though they are often placed in the same classes as they are from the same fairytale. Duck avoids dances and dates. She has a hard time making friends. If she starts to feel as if she has the potential to fall in love with a person she runs away. With her fear growing stronger as her destiny approaches, this happens all too often.

Magic Abilities:

Duck can transform from duck to human form. She can also walk on water. Unfortunately, she was not gifted with Princess Tutu’s ability to dance gracefully and effortlessly, so she has to work twice as hard in ballet class.

Friends: Rue, Fakir, Briar, Cupid

Rue always rooms alone and so she was less than pleased when she was assigned a room with Duck at the last minute. Moreover, though neither of them are fated to be with him, the two princesses share a prince. Despite Rue’s wariness at the new girl, Duck’s earnestness wins her over. Rue eventually agrees to tutor Duck in ballet and the two become good friends. However, Rue becomes jealous and resentful upon learning Duck means to change her fate and as such the two have a complicated relationship.

After a rocky start, Fakir became Duck’s best friend. They bond over their deaths in their shared fairytale and their commitment to changing fate. Duck feels safe around Fakir because they have an agreement to keep their relationship completely platonic. Duck confides her fear of falling in love and vanishing, and he understands completely. Fakir fully expects to die young, and dating is the last thing on his mind. They even go to various dances and events like Thronecoming as friends.

Duck relates to Briar a lot as they’re both terrified of their fate but scared to try to change it. Duck stays up with Briar when she’s too scared to go to sleep and they chat all night long. Briar throws Duck a no-dates-allowed anti-prom so she can feel included.

Love is one of Duck’s biggest fears and she often goes to Cupid for advice. Cupid feels immense sorrow at Duck’s fate but tries to help as best she can.

[mossarchives]

The most popular girl in Golden Grove ~

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

pre-execution drama in the loguetown au, could make for a bit of PR mess; The cry to cut comes through the sound of several rifles cocking, Mihawk barely hears either through the ringing in his ears. But he feels the rifles raise in their blocky arcs, and he's already pulling Shanks back before they come to bear. No, Mihawk yanks Shanks back with almost every ounce of strength his has in his body, and barely arrests the boy's desperate charge forward. He hooks his fingers into Shanks' collar, desperate himself to keep hold of him, but Shanks rips himself free and runs forward.  "Tarō!" he shrieks, so shrill that even steps away from him Mihawk winces. "Tarō!"                                      From behind the row of gun muzzles pointed at them, movement comes from within the ring of guards around the prisoner, Mihawk feels the shock that sweeps outward at Shanks' cry like a like a gust of wind. But he has no attention to spare for what that means; one of the Marines steps out of formation to block Shanks' path, his rifle swinging free as he seizes Shanks around his upper left arm and bodily throws him in the opposite direction, Mihawk's direction. Shanks crashes against him and they both stumble backwards for a few feet before Mihawk locks his legs, one hand fisted tight in Shanks' white jacket, his arm yoked across the boy's shoulders. "No!" Shanks cries, but it's with a dazed quality that makes his voice less earsplitting than moments ago. He's disoriented but thrashes weakly, Mihawk puts everything he has into maintaining his hold on him. "Let go!" Mihawk does not let go. His breastbone aches where Shanks' head slammed into it, and under the pain his heart is beating a rapid tempo. The ringing in his ears has not cleared, and he's suddenly aware of an accompanying pressure on the base of his skull. It bears down on his shoulders and seems to envelop his body with every passing second, until his knees wobble, filled from nowhere with a bone-deep ache.  For a single moment he wants nothing more than to drop to his knees to relieve it. What is- What is happening-  Mihawk's body jerks forward and the pressure recedes, morphing into a burn in both arms, Shanks has recovered enough to begin to struggle in earnest, straining forward and threatening to break from Mihawk's grasp again.  From later on in the same scene;

It's in pure desperation that he fights Mihawk's hands now, and as he fights, he screams. Mihawk has never heard Shanks make those sounds before, but he has heard them all the same. 

An ewe lamb had gotten stuck in a briar patch once, and had torn itself half to shreds before it had been found. It had been screaming when Mihawk had gotten to it, and went on screaming and screaming as Mihawk had bloodied himself trying to get it out of the thicket, the pain of torn skin and fingers an afterthought. They had been the screams of a child, but not the screams of a human, both guttural and agonized together. Those are the screams that come from Shanks now, and Mihawk's fingers tingle with the memory of a thousand needle-sharp points. In his arms Shanks feels no different from that baby lamb, warm and red and insane from the pain.   "Tarō!" Shanks howls, nothing human in that cry except for the name of the dead man in front of them. The Tarō mentioned in these scenes is an actual member of the Roger pirates, here and here,

[tamarackbaumann]

((If u still want Tamancers, well, Ill take any excuse to talk about my girl,,, There's art of her here on my artblog: https://mossarchives.tumblr.com/search/Briar+Earnest)) Briar deviates from the main story of OLNF bc I wanted her to exist at the same time as my Qiumancer, so she's lived in Golden Grove her whole life. She gives Qiu a run for their money for being the most popular person in school, but the rivalry is loving for the most part.

Briar's arc is very rooted in finding what sparks joy for her regardless of what her parents want for her. Her mother tries to live very vicariously through her, and for steps 1 and 2 Briar tries her best to be a dutiful daughter! Even though it puts a lot of strain on her relationships in step 2. In step 3 she decides to take control of her own life and leans into her interests in science and medicine, as well as finding the joy in the things from her childhood she genuinely enjoyed!

Her relationship with Tamarack is very much a mirror of how their arcs are very similar. Briar is very enamored with Tam right off the bat, as she's very much in her fantasy princess era. In step 2, Briar will immediately fight anyone who says anything snide about Tamarack, no matter what it is. Talk shit, get hit (verbally). Step 3 Briar has circled back to her fairy tale romance, but now she wants to be the glittering knight who sweeps Tamarack off her feet with roses and gifts.

Tamancers is a term. I love it.

Also, it's fun how you and I did opposite things where we made one of our mcs just a part of golden grove already to mirror another mc being the one to move in. Now onto the dynamic.

That sounds AMAZING. The mirror of tamarack's arc, back to being interested into fairytale romance stuff in step 3 but instead wanting to be in the knight role? Sapphic daydream. A good way of taking the step 2 part of the dynamic and molding it back into the childhood they deserved.

Yeah. You get what I mean? Science and medicine knight. Good luck with the studies Briar I'm sure you can do it

[grelleswife]

Oh man, as an anime only I'm scared. Please tell me Edward isn't like Yuri Briar about his sister.. Cause that guy really turned me off to that anime 🤮

Hi, anon! While Edward’s earnest, intense nature makes him deeply protective of Lizzy and inclined to view O!Ciel as unworthy of her (which…to be fair…he ain’t wrong on that account 😅), his relationship with her doesn’t approach the levels of weirdness we see with Yuri, based on what I recall from the manga (but keep in mind that it’s been a minute since I read the Weston arc). The Midfords by and large are good eggs! Edward’s role as Lizzy’s self-appointed hype man can be a tad uncomfortable at times, but it’s nowhere near as egregious as Kuro’s other problematic elements.

[briar-ffxiv]

Character Associations: Briar Redfeather

[ Art by @shadesofblades ]

List 3-5 items for each section!

🌿EMOTIONS/FEELINGS🌿

-> Curiosity -> Caution -> Joy -> Anxiety -> Optimism

🌿GREETINGS🌿

-> Warm Smile -> Shy Wave -> Your name said with obvious happiness. -> Hug

🌿COLOURS🌿

-> Forest-green -> Honey-gold -> Earth-brown -> Rose-gold -> Cream

🌿SCENTS🌿

-> Soft leather -> Warm earth -> Polished wood -> Hint of honey -> Lanolin (from the sheep)

🌿CLOTHING🌿

-> Green ruana cloak -> Fingerless leather gloves -> Woolen shirt -> Soft leather boots

🌿VICES/BAD HABITS🌿

-> Biting his lip when nervous -> Covering his mouth when he smiles or laughs -> Wringing his hands -> Bad at self-care/will push himself to the point of collapse -> Impulsive/reckless

🌿OBJECTS🌿

-> His mother's druid staff -> His father's carved bow -> His grandfather's knife -> Leather-bound journal -> Wooden pendant with Oschon's symbol

🌿BODY LANGUAGE🌿

-> Constantly moving, flicking ears, reminiscent of a deer (I refuse to not headcanon that Elezen ears are expressive!) -> Bright eyes that can turn unnervingly intense when he finally meets someone's gaze -> Slim hands that are seldom still -> Quick, shy smiles -> Open, earnest expression (i.e. - he can be read like a book most of the time)

🌿AESTHETICS🌿

-> Sunlight through forest leaves, dappling the earth below -> The quiet sounds of sheep as they graze, wandering peacefully over fresh grass -> An arrow being smoothly drawn, released to fly straight and true -> Scarred hands both gentle and steady while tending to an injury -> Soft singing in a sunny kitchen filled with the smell of baking bread

🌿SONGS🌿

-> Coyotes by Modest Mouse -> Soldier, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos -> In The Woods Somewhere - Hozier -> Running With The Wolves - Aurora -> Dance with the Fire - Karliene -> Run Boy Run - Woodkid

Tagged by: @miqojak - Thank you! <3

Tagging: @shadesofblades @midnightmagicks @valdiis @naejlas-axe @prettygayway @scholarlostintime @loldragoon-ffxiv @starrysnowdrop @mimble-sparklepudding @seasaltandcopper @calico-heart @ythealleycat and anyone else that wants to do it!