#Christmas Crown Summons

[sonsofks]

¡Bankai Live Xmas 2023 de Bleach: Brave Souls Promete un Espectáculo Explosivo!

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[ellysdreamworldd]

ㅤ꒰ྀིㅤ 𝓽hings i scripted in my 𝓱ogwarts dr⠀ ಿৎ

ಿৎ there is a valentine's day ball with a red and pink dresscode, heart- shaped pastries and sparkly decorations. invitations must be sent in a heart shaped love letter. for those who haven't got a date, it's still possible to attend the ball thanks to a matchmaking spell which summons small cupids that float around the castle halls shooting arrows at supposedly compatible couples ( usually causes a great deal of gossip). there is also an anonymous love post where students can send letters and notes to their secret crushes.

ಿৎ i have some enchanted objects such as : a secret diary in which i write with an ink that is invisible to anyone's eyes but mine; a self-writing quill which writes as i speak; an infinite clothing rack inside my closet so it can hold all my clothes; a digital camera with neverending battery and storage

ಿৎ there is a winter themed ball before the christmas holidays when the great hall turns into a winter wonderland with ice statues , magical snowfall and stalactites hanging from above

ಿৎ there is a summer solstice ball before the end of the school year with fairy lights, flower crowns and colorful, flowy dresses

ಿৎ students can go to hogsmeade every weekend. in hogsmeade there are a lot of additional shops such as: a tattoo/piercing shop; a music store that sells vinyl players and records and musical instruments and supplies; an astronomy/divination shop that sells star charts, crystals, prophecy orbs and anything related to these subjects; a florist shop that sells magical plants such as lilies that glow in the dark or tulips that sing you to sleep; a trinket shop that sells the strangest enchanted objects; a jewellery shop that sells accessories with hidden properties; and finally a shopping mall enchanted with an undetectable extension charm, which makes it look like a rather normal building as long as you're standing outside, but as soon as you set foot in it , it turns into the biggest shopping centre you've ever been in

ಿৎ there is a school drama/theater club that performs a play on stage every once in a while

ಿৎ there are school concerts every once in a while where students who play instruments or sing can perform on a stage

ಿৎ common rooms are much bigger than what it shown in the movies , cause how could you have a party in there?? also, there are movie nights in common rooms & you can have sleepovers in dorms with people form other houses as well

ಿৎ there is a school yearbook with moving photos and quotes for each student

ಿৎ it always snows in winter and on christmas

ಿৎ there are quidditch cheerleaders

ಿৎ there is a school gossip magazine. the material for writing is mostly gathered from nosy portraits, along with anonymous tips sent in by other students in a specific letterbox. you'll never know if they tell the truth or not. either way, in hogwarts your secrets aren't safe.

[city-of-ladies]

A complex figure, Irene of Athens (c.750/755 - 803) was the first woman to rule the Byzantine Empire in her own name. For over two decades, she dominated imperial politics with a rare blend of resilience, cunning, and charisma. She also stood out for her philanthropic initiatives and enduring cultural legacy.

Empress consort

Irene was born in Athens between 750 and 755, into the Sarantapechos family—a locally influential clan of unclear standing, likely outside the upper echelons of the aristocracy. Her marriage to the young Emperor Leo IV in 769 was likely arranged to bind Greece more closely to Constantinople’s authority. Irene arrived in the capital that November and was crowned empress shortly after.

Her father-in-law, Constantine V, was a staunch iconoclast, while Irene already showed signs of favoring the veneration of religious images—a theological rift that may have created tension with her husband.

In 771, Irene gave birth to her only child, Constantine VI. When Leo IV died suddenly in 780, she was left to protect both her son’s inheritance and her own position.

Irene in power

Irene swiftly seized control of the government, and she and her son were proclaimed co-rulers. But her authority was soon challenged. Leo’s half-brothers, each holding the title of Caesar, conspired to overthrow her and install the eldest, Nikephoros, as emperor.

Irene dealt with them decisively. She punished their supporters and forced the princes into clerical life, effectively neutralizing their claim. Symbolically, she had them serve at the Great Church during Christmas Mass and restored a crown that her husband had removed from the Hagia Sophia—an act rich in political and religious significance.

She soon appeared alongside her son on imperial coinage and took a leading role in foreign affairs. In 781, she arranged his betrothal to Rotrude, daughter of Charlemagne.

Aware of her precarious position, Irene surrounded herself with loyal servants, notably eunuchs, whom she promoted to high office. Though often capable, their presence in military leadership roles drew resentment from the army. As a woman unable to lead troops herself, Irene depended on these trusted men—and the strategy was not without consequences, for some of her allies later proved treacherous and corrupt.

In 781, she dispatched an expedition suppress a rebellion in Sicily, which successfully restored Byzantine control over the island. Yet in the East, her policy faltered: a general defected during a campaign against the Arabs—perhaps out of hatred for the eunuch Staurakios, or due to Irene’s purge of Constantine V’s loyalists. The fallout forced her to pay a massive tribute to secure peace.

Pacifying Thrace

On the northern frontier, however, Irene scored lasting victories. In 784, she sent Staurakios to campaign against Slavic tribes in Thrace and Greece. His triumph brought back booty and captives, and Irene celebrated his return with honors.

In May of that year, she embarked on a public tour of Thrace with her son—a gesture that left a powerful impression. She fortified and renamed Beroia as Eirenoupolis (“City of Irene”), symbolizing renewal and imperial authority. Her efforts stabilized Northern Thrace that had largely escaped imperial control for two centuries. She cemented these gains by founding a new theme (the military-administrative division): Macedonia.

Champion of icons

A devout patron and builder, Irene founded the Convent of the Mother of God on Prinkipo and played a crucial role in resolving the iconoclasm controversy.

In 787, after carefully neutralizing potential military opposition, she summoned the Second Council of Nicaea. There, she overturned her father-in-law’s policies and restored the veneration of icons, marking a monumental shift in Byzantine religious life and reviving iconophile art.

Constantine VI attempts to rule alone

By 788, Irene’s name began to precede that of Constantine VI in official proclamations. She dominated his life and eventually broke off his engagement to Rotrude, arranging a new marriage with Maria of Amnia. She opposed Charlemagne’s growing influence in southern Italy and launched a military expedition that ended disastrously.

Frustrated, Constantine sought to assert his authority. In 790, provincial troops acclaimed him as sole emperor. He had Irene’s eunuchs punished and exiled, and confined her to the Palace of Eleutherios.

Yet his reign floundered. After a series of military defeats, including a humiliating loss to the Bulgars in 792, Constantine reinstated his mother as co-ruler. Their uneasy joint rule descended into chaos. As the chronicler Michael Psellos wrote:

“They went for each other, hit and hit back in turn, and now Irene exercised absolute power, now Constantine took possession of the palace alone, again the mother, again the son, until their conflict resulted in a disaster for both.”

Constantine further alienated the court by divorcing his wife and remarrying—an act that scandalized the clergy and nobility alike.

Sole Ruler of the Empire

By 796, Irene had outmaneuvered her son. She won over the army and her household through persuasion and bribes. In August 797, Constantine attempted to flee the capital but was captured by Irene's allies. Irene had him blinded in the porphyra, the chamber where she had once given birth to him.

Blinding, though brutal, was seen as a merciful alternative to execution. Whether he survived is uncertain; some sources suggest he lived until 805.

Now ruling alone, Irene struck coins bearing only her image. She used the masculine form basileus on some of her legal documents and used the masculine title autokrator, asserting full sovereignty.

Her rule wasn’t, at first, met with much opposition. Irene had carefully prepared her ascension.

Imperial philanthropy

Irene’s reign was marked by a deep commitment to philanthropy. Her concern for the poor seemed genuine, not merely political. She abolished taxes levied on soldiers’ widows and exempted orphanages, hospitals, and religious institutions from hearth taxes— a relief her successor would later revoke.

A prolific builder, she was interested in developing the capital. She funded public works, established soup kitchens, retirement homes, and free graveyards for foreigners and the poor. She reduced taxes and, in 799, distributed coins to the people during a ceremony.

The last years

Irene’s later years were fraught with challenge. In 798, she sent envoys to both the Arabs and the Franks, striving to keep military conflict at bay, but failed to secure peace with the Arabs.

She extended imperial administration into the Balkans and possibly created new provincial units in Greece. Her treasury remained strong, with substantial reserves at her disposal.

She fell ill in 799 and the crowning of Charlemagne as “Emperor of the Romans” by the Pope in 800 seriously undermined her legitimacy. The Byzantines considered themselves the true heirs of Rome, and the coronation was a major blow to Irene’s prestige.

She seems to have proposed marriage to Charlemagne, possibly to unite the eastern and western empires and ensure peaceful cooperation. Frankish ambassadors arrived in Constantinople, but the plan came to nothing.

By 802, dissatisfaction at court had reached a tipping point. Irene’s failure to designate a successor led to her downfall. Her finance minister, Nikephoros, staged a coup and was proclaimed emperor. Deserted by her allies, Irene was exiled—first to Prinkipo, then to Lesbos where she was closely guarded, most likely because she had plotted against her successor.

She died on August 9, 803. Her remains were later returned to the convent she had founded. That she managed to hold power for so long—despite lacking support and governing in a deeply patriarchal society—testifies to her extraordinary political acumen.

If you enjoy this blog, consider supporting me on Ko-fi!

Further reading: 

Garland Lynda, Byzantine Empresses - Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527-1204

Herrin Judith, Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium

[zannolin]

okay anyway i'm always posting minor details zero people care about in the narnia movies but in honor of prince caspian (2008)'s 17th birthday i am here to subject you all to More Things i have noticed and adore about this particular film, because i have gone mad with power.

literally i've never seen anyone talk about this but the filmmakers were SO funny for deciding caspian should leave his room through a secret passage in the back of his wardrobe. of ALL things. that's hilarious and i love it.

literally the shot for shot parallel of him looking out the cracked door + lucy and peter doing that in the first movie. give whoever did that an oscar. i don't care if that's not something they give oscars for. they should.

all the telmarine weaponry and heraldry features nautical imagery (compasses mostly) and sea eagles, which everyone tends to notice on the crossbows and whatnot, but also it's all over the place in really minor details, like the feathers carved into caspian's wardrobe

the pevensies all standing where their individual thrones were on the dais and their chests being arranged in the same way in the treasure house

the doorknob on the door to the treasure room has aslan's face on it

this is kind of an obvious one but it just makes me so happy for continuity's sake: you can see the pevensies' clothes they put on for the rest of the movie in their chests in the treasure house before they change into them—edmund's boots, peter's satchel and tunic, and susan's dress, namely. i love you thoughtful set dressing i love you attention to detail i love you preserved continuity

susan's dress having the daffodil motif on the bodice to match her crown and christmas gifts

peter's tunic literally has a sword stamped over his heart and i know, i KNOW i am reading way too into this but it has shields on the shoulders too and i think so often of that. peter the guy who carries the weight of protection. you know.

lucy's satchel strap having the same embossed pattern as her belt from father christmas

edmund's shield strap having the ivy pattern from his armor

reepicheep's sword with the barley and mouse motifs...the tiny mouse on the pommel....GAH

a reprised version of "the wardrobe" from when lucy first discovered narnia in the og film playing during her dream of seeing aslan

sometimes i wonder if peter didn't put edmund all the way up on a tower in the raid where he was supposed to stay and be out of the action because of edmund's tendency in the last movie and in this one to throw himself headlong into danger to help peter (as with the witch) which then backfired spectacularly given edmund literally hurled himself down a roof to kick a guy for trying to shoot his brother and nearly became a pincushion himself. but i sure think about this. choices that haunt me.

the detail of the magic circle when the witch is summoned and how it enchants you and the breath of the person inside it clouds like it's winter. shut UP.

oh yeah and did you know susan's leather breastplace/bodice piece she wears during the raid and the battle ALSO has daffodils stamped onto it + metal ones attached? now you do. (they're on her arm guard as well, you're welcome.)

peter's rallying cry for the raid being "for narnia" -> his rallying cry in the final battle being "for aslan". yes i'm still talking about this.

and while we're at it, the final battle soundtrack shifting from being the same score from "prince caspian flees" at the beginning of the movie to a reprise of the classic narnian theme. the fusion of caspian's music and narnia's. the shift from flight to fight. harry gregson-williams when i catch you.

i am not the first person to point this out but lucy's necklace in the farewell scene (which was given to her actress as a gift afterwards by the costume designer) actually looks vaguely reminiscent of a faun's horns, which may be a subtle nod to her friendship with mr. tumnus from before

anyway happy birthday gay people (caspeter) and incredibly minor details no one but me cares about. this movie ruined my life and i hope it continues to do so for many a year.

[callme-holly]

Hi

I was summoned by your post :)

Uhm some really domestic fluff with Darry? Like, decorating the tree together, or helping make Christmas dinner

Or I feel like Darry would secretly save up for something Reader is fixated on for a Christmas gift and just sneak it into their stocking or whatever when they're dead asleep

'𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 [𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

𝐚/𝐧 : probably wont post over christmas but enjoy y'all <33

The air was filled with the scent of cinnamon and ginger, no doubt from the candle burning away on the coffee table, giving the house a warm festive feel, and a Christmas tree occupied the corner of the living room, standing tall and bare. Darry had insisted on going and getting one; it’s what his parents would have done after all, and who were you to tell him no? Besides, it looked nice, and it would look even better once it was decked out in lights and ornaments.

“It’s gonna look real pretty.” Darry hums, his arms wrapping around your waist from behind, his chin resting on top of your shoulder, lips brushing the side of your neck. You don’t have to look to know he’s smiling softly. “I got the old decorations from the basement. They should last us this year.” 

You turn around in his embrace to wrap your own arms around his neck, looking up at him with soft, gentle eyes. “You’re not letting the boy help out?” 

He scoffs, shaking his head lightly. “You know how that went last year.” 

And, yeah, you do. Last year's decorations, despite being equally as beautiful, had been nothing short of disastrous, with mistletoe over every doorway and tinsel in every corner of every room. It took you multiple days to untangle the mess the brothers had made, and Darry vowed to never let them anywhere near the festive decor again. 

“Well,” you drawl, your hand cupping the back of his head, fingers running through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Guess that leaves me and you in charge then.” Darry grins, pressing a chaste kiss to the underside of your jaw. 

“Guess so,” He breathes against your skin, making your pulse quicken before he pulls away fully, turning to the box sitting precariously on the coffee table. 

It's packed full of all sorts of Christmas things: ornaments, candles, stockings, lights, the dreaded tinsel... There’s so much that you're unsure on where to even start, dragging out a roll of fairy lights that usually drape around the branches of the tree. 

 Darry looks over at you expectantly, raising an eyebrow as a low chuckle leaves him. “Give me those. You always end up making the knots worse.” You open your mouth, probably to protest, but he holds up a finger to forestall you, instead snatching the lights from your grip and working them back into their string-like form with large, clumsy hands. 

It's hard not to admire him when he's like this, his brow furrowed in concertration. His hair falls over his forehead in dark waves, and you resist the urge to push the strands back into place as he looks up at you with a triumphant grin. “There. All fixed… Now we just need to wrap them ‘round the tree.” 

Now it’s your turn to raise a brow. “I think I can manage that bit just fine.” You tease, taking the lights once more, knowing that it’d only end up messy if you let Darry help out.

It takes a little longer than you’d like to admit and a fair amount of frustration on your part to get everything perfectly in place, but soon enough, the tree is twinkling in the dim living room, decked out in ornaments and red ribbons. 

You smile proudly, taking a step back to admire your work, and Darry lets out a small huff of laughter, shaking his head. “We did pretty good, huh?” 

“Best job in town,” you respond, grinning at him before moving forward to wrap your arms around him, resting your cheek against his chest. He makes a soft noise in response, tilting his head down to plant a light kiss onto the crown of your head, holding you as close as humanly possible. You melt slightly against him, content to stand there for a while.

“Merry Christmas, Darry.” You whisper softly, pressing a soft kiss to his collarbone. He doesn't reply right away, seeming to ponder something for a second before responding.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.” His voice is quiet, almost a whisper, but it carries it’s usual warmth, and right there, under the glittering lights of the tree, you don’t think there’s anywhere else you’d rather be.

[diaryofanobsessivefangirl]

My headcannon for Sareth is that Jareth has watched Sarah since she was 11 like a dark guardian angel and when she reaches adolescence, caring turns into love.

Her actress mother has an affair with another actor and their parents divorce. During that period, Sarah receives The Labyrinth book as a gift from a relative.

Jareth knows whenever a mortal speaks his name or title 'Goblin King' and sometimes ventures into the mortal world to observe them out of curiosity and boredom. Things might even develop into someone foolishly giving away their children - at least that would be interesting.

So when little Sarah role-plays the story for the first time, Jareth comes as owl to her bedroom window. At first he doesn't think much of her. She is not the first child to summon him, and he wonders what kind of goblin this one would be.

The Goblin King watches long enough to see Sarah's family has been recently broken, and the mother she has idolized is out of the picture. The child seems to be coping with this sudden reality by escaping to her fantasies.

Shame, Jareth thinks, but such are mortal lives - subject to time, change and lost. He is flattered by the way the child speaks his name with such reverence, awe and fear though, so he decides to visit again, if the opportunity arrises.

The next visit is followed by the third, the fourth, and before he knows it becomes a regular occurrence. He is entertained by Sarah's vivid imagination, like Peter Pan was by Wendy's. Sometimes he sees her in the park gathering mushrooms for a fairy circle, sometimes she is at school (not completely lonely, but not popular among her peers either), but most times she is at home.

Once it was Christmas and her mother did not called. The owl watched the girl crying under the covers of her bed.

When her father found another mistress and wished for them to meet, a fight issued at the dinner table. She ran to her room and slammed the door behind her.

One nasty lad at school stole her notebook and ridiculed her drawings - castles, dragons, dwarves, and one particularly dark figure wearing a crown and an evil smile. Is that your boyfriend Sarah?, the boy mocked.

(Jareth watched motionlessly from a nearby tree. It was only at night that he also payed the boy a little visit. Something to awake his... imagination. The next day the lad had black spots below his eyes and shrieked when he saw Sarah. He moved to another school the next year)

Sometimes Sarah would fall asleep praying for someone who understood her to come, to take her away, far away from there. Jareth would then step into her bedroom and stand above the resting child. Gently he would lean forward and touch her forehead with his thumb, a warm pink light flowing out of his hand. Sarah would wake the next day feeling renewed after many pleasant dreams.

Take her away? Maybe. He has taken numerous children to increase his court, some from better backgrounds than hers, some less cooperative. All of them now without any recollection of who they once were, their parents (good or bad), nothing to make them sorrow or regret.

But turning Sarah into one of his dimwit goblins didn't sit quite right with him. If he had to imagine Sarah as anything under his domain, it wouldn't be as a goblin.

No, he decided, Sarah was a fairy. At first sight a delicate creature flying carefree - but like any small creature, ready to bite.

Sarah could be quite the brat when she stood up to her father, her teacher or a bully. Her bad behavior made him chuckle, as it looked so similar to his own. But below the immediate impression of a spoiled pre-teen running away from reality, Jareth saw a girl trying to remain hopeful and brave despite the turmoils of her young life.

So he remained close, finally having something to awake his curiosity and even sympathy after many centuries. He was there when she got a part at the school play, when she so seriously rehearsed her lines over and over again, trying hard to live by her mother's footsteeps. He was in the audience disguised as a mortal man the night of the presentation.

He was there when Sarah heard the news of her mother's car crash. And he was also there when her father announced he was engaged to his new mistress a couple of months latter.

[silylilyanimove]

I asked twitter users who would join me under the mistletoe. Here were their answers:

Galaco - She gave me her crown

Gumi - She thought it was a carrot but we kissed anyway

Gumi (Plushie) - Plushie kiss

CUL - Came out of her birthday cake for this

Fuiro - Fuiro...

Fuiro (again) - This time we weren't even under the mistletoe

Meiko - She took the crown

Cangqiong - Out from a magical mist, the butterfly appeared to kiss the bee.

Evil Lily - Uh...

Gumi (again) - Darn it, Gumi! I told you, the mistletoe isn't a carrot!

Oh well.

flower

Luka - Luka...

Ritsu

IA - Someone turned on the selep styled Christmas carols.

A Neru account asked to borrow my landline phone.

kokone

Minori

Madotsuki - Whoa, everything got creepy in here.

Gekiyaku - Had to make a summoning circle to get her here.

Me

[societyfolklore]

Loki’s Eggcellent Equinox Endeavour

Title: Loki’s Eggcellent Equinox Endeavour

Summary: Following his disastrously misunderstood Christmas gift-giving attempt, Loki turns his attention to Midgard's next major holiday: Easter. But after a deep dive into both modern customs and ancient pagan fertility rites, he becomes determined to outdo himself in a chaotic blend of Ostara rituals and misguided goodwill. The Avengers are not prepared.

Word Count:  1.5k

Warnings:  Silliness! Fluff nonsense- humour… (Well not funny funny.. just..this is a silly post)   No beta read, and not supper thought out either… just.. yeah..

A/N: This is following up on my Gift Giving Guide post at Christmas… Which in itself was not an original idea but inspired by a post made @mycroftrh. I’ve been sick all week and this is what came out of my slightly congested fever addled brain…

Avengers Tower – Somewhere Deep in the Library, Days Before Easter

Loki furrowed his brow, flipping through yet another ancient tome he had ‘borrowed’ from the British Museum’s closed archives. He was surrounded by glowing floating orbs of light, piles of texts, several scrolls, a terrarium of mossy rune stones, incense curling like smoke from a levitating censer, and a half-eaten chocolate bunny he'd taken apart with a ritual dagger for ‘examination.’  The air smelled faintly of lilac, steel, and mischief.

“Easter,” he muttered under his breath, “a rabbit deity of springtime... eggs imbued with life essence... pastel-coloured sacrifices... how quaint.” He rolled his eyes skyward as though appealing to higher intellects for mercy. “And humans revere this ritual with sugar and synthetic grass?”

He tapped his fingers against his chin, golden rings glinting in the light. In a swirl of green magic, he conjured a minor vision spell, images forming and hovering midair- cloaked druids welcoming dawn with chant and fire; baskets brimming with woven spells; children chasing eggs across flowering meadows. One image showed a Midgardian shopping mall with a man in a bunny suit posing for photos. Loki physically recoiled.

“This cannot be what remains of divine celebration.”

He muttered again in Old Norse, his voice echoing with power. The visions shifted to show ancient rites- women weaving wildflower crowns, couples dancing around towering poles of woven ivy, moonlit fertility feasts, and hares darting through sacred glades.

“But it’s not Easter, is it?” he murmured, voice turning thoughtful. He picked up a thick, leather-bound grimoire on Seasonal Rites and Fertility Cults of the Northern Tribes. The cover smelled of damp earth and old magic. “It’s Ostara. The spring equinox. The sacred celebration of Eostre- goddess of renewal, fertility, and woodland passions. The hare, her sacred beast. The egg, a vessel of returning life. Mortals remember so little of the truth.”

His smirk curved, slow and satisfied. He flipped through the pages, pausing on a diagram of a ritual involving gilded eggs and moonstone-infused offerings.

“Yes. Now that makes sense. At least someone on this backwards realm maintained a sliver of cultural dignity. Perhaps even a spark of instinct. A shame it’s buried beneath synthetic sugar shells and plastic grass.”

He stood, trailing one hand along the spines of the books, eyes gleaming with purpose and delight. As he passed a floating orb, it morphed into a map of Avengers Tower, glowing softly. “They want eggs? I shall give them eggs. They want rabbits? I shall give them a herald of the goddess herself. They want rebirth?”

He gave a low, dangerous chuckle, already summoning the first strands of enchantment with a flick of his fingers. A rabbit the size of a cat blinked into existence on the windowsill, its ears perked attentively.

“Let them be reborn... in delirious, chaotic wonder.”

Avengers Tower – Easter Morning

The screaming started just before dawn.

“WHY IS THERE A GIANT RABBIT IN THE GYM?!” Tony’s voice tore through the intercom system, the sound of something crashing and skittering echoing behind him.

“Correction,” Bruce called back calmly from another floor. “There are now thirty-two. And rising. But they are shrinking in size though..”

It had begun as a trickle. One or two glowing, eerily calm hares appearing in strange places. Then it escalated. Rapidly.

By the time the sun rose, the Tower was under siege by rabbits.

They were everywhere. In closets. In the vents. Sitting perfectly still on countertops, judging silently with unblinking eyes and faintly glowing fur. One particularly bold bunny had claimed Tony’s suit-up platform and refused to yield, even when threatened with an arc reactor blast.

Everywhere they went, they left gifts behind: small, shiny chocolate eggs scattered like arcane breadcrumbs. But these were not ordinary sweets. Each was infused with a unique spell- Loki’s own blend of mischief, meaning, and just a dash of spite. Some sang lullabies in foreign tongues. Some whispered secrets from other timelines. Some made whoever ate them speak in rhyming couplets for an hour. One made Steve temporarily see time sideways. Another turned Sam’s wings bright neon pink until he crash-landed into the kitchen.

Clint opened a cabinet and was greeted by four rabbits in tiny, rune-etched bonnets who immediately began chanting in a dead language. He closed the cabinet and walked away.

Natasha found an egg in her boot. It warmed against her skin, thrummed like a heartbeat, and then- when she threw it out the window- exploded into a cloud of lavender mist that lingered ominously for hours.

Clint then ended up following a trail of glittering eggs to a linen closet, stepped into what turned out to be a spatial loop. He entered six times before realizing he was stuck in a teleportation snare created by a particularly malevolent peppermint truffle. When he finally emerged, his watch was ticking backwards.

Bucky picked up an egg and sniffed it. “This better not be like the mead incident,” he muttered. The egg burst into sparks, and his hair turned a soft, shimmery teal. No one commented. They valued their lives.

By mid-morning, Sam was shouting from the ceiling rafters. “I JUST WANTED CEREAL!” he howled as two hares launched themselves from a cupboard like tiny, fuzzy missiles. “I WILL NEVER MOCK PAGAN RITUALS AGAIN!”

Tony tried to take control by ordering JARVIS to purge all foreign magical signatures. The system crashed within five seconds.

Even Vision, attempting to understand the rabbits, was last seen seated in the common room with a clipboard, three eggs in his lap, and a half-formed theory about “chaotic fertility deities and emotional transference.”

In the kitchen, a rabbit sat solemnly on top of the fridge, its paws crossed like a tiny monk. Whenever anyone approached, it hissed like a boiling kettle.

By the time noon arrived, the Tower had become a pastel warzone: a strange purgatory of chocolate, spells, and judgmental lagomorphs. And still, more rabbits came.

Thor found Loki in the greenhouse, perched serenely among over a dozen lounging rabbits, sipping herbal tea like a smug woodland prince. Ivy curled lazily up the trellises behind him, and faint choral humming emanated from an egg-shaped lantern nearby. A hare wearing a tiny crown of daisies hopped into Loki’s lap, and he scratched it behind the ears like a king dispensing favour to a loyal courtier.

“Brother,” Thor began, tone already exhausted as he stepped through a cluster of sun-dappled foliage. “You’ve unleashed a plague of enchanted rodents upon our home.”

“They are sacred messengers,” Loki replied smoothly, stroking the rabbit with fur like starlight. “Each one carries a blessing. Or a mild hex. The line between the two is rather artistic.”

“One of them hexed the elevator,” Thor deadpanned. “It now only moves when spoken to in limericks.”

“An improvement,” Loki mused. “Encourages poetic expression. I’ve long said Stark lacked verse.”

“You also hid three dozen spell-laced chocolates in the ventilation system,” Thor continued, stepping over yet another lounging rabbit, which blinked up at him with golden eyes.

“I may have over-committed to the symbolism,” Loki admitted, not remotely remorseful. “But the symbolism, brother! Ostara’s essence flows through all things: air, fur, cocoa. Would you have me squander the opportunity for divine resonance?”

“Someone’s coat rack came to life and is currently waging war against the Roomba,” Thor said flatly.

“Ah. The one in the north hallway?” Loki asked brightly. “That was one of my better enchantments.”

Thor gestured broadly, looking like he’d aged a decade in a single day. “You call this restraint?”

Loki only smiled, radiant with misplaced pride. “Come now, brother. This is subtle by Asgardian standards. Why, I’ve not even summoned a fertility fog. I think I’ve grown.”

By late afternoon, the team had rounded up most of the rabbits- though a few remained unaccounted for and were assumed to have formed a colony in the sub-basement, possibly developing a primitive society. Bruce had started tracking their movement patterns on a whiteboard and labelled the warren 'Bunholm'. No one asked him to.

Tony created a ‘Magically Problematic’ shelf in the lab for the leftover eggs, complete with biometric locks and a laminated warning sign that simply read: Don’t Touch the Chocolate. One egg had already turned his lab coat into a sentient garment that flinched whenever Steve got too close.

Steve, still speaking in Elizabethan verse thanks to a particularly stubborn caramel core hex, stood before the team in the common room and launched into an impassioned monologue about valor, rabbits, and the strength of camaraderie. The others applauded out of both pity and fear he might try it again.

Natasha was last seen slipping one of the eggs into a lead-lined safe with no label.

Even Clint, who had spent the morning arguing with a particularly aggressive hare in the laundry room, muttered something about 'kinda festive' before disappearing into the vents again.

Loki, watching the chaos unfold from a high balcony with a glass of mead and a smug tilt to his mouth, let out a contented sigh. He was draped in ivy and basking in the golden light of dusk like some triumphant fae monarch surveying his pastel kingdom.

This time, he thought, they almost appreciated it. There had been no screaming threats of exile, no immediate portal banishments, not even a direct punch to the face.

...Almost.

A/N:.... This is so ridiculous... I am sorry

[thecreaturecodex]

Grýla

Image © "Evanatt", accessed at their Pillowfort here

[Part 2 of a three part series on Icelandic Christmas folklore, following the Yule Lads. Which means yes, a Yule Cat is forthcoming. Earlier Icelandic writings emphasized Gryla's monstrousness; there are versions where she has three heads and forty tails and forty sacks. I quite like this design as a compromise between some of her most extravagant forms, and just making her an ogre]

Grýla CR 16 CE Fey This huge ogress has a crown of horns and four eyes, two in the normal places, one on her forehead and one on the back of her head. She has cloven hooves and clawed hands, and fifteen tails which she keeps tied up in two bundles. She carries a large sack thrown over her shoulder.

Grýla is a fey troll, a vicious giant who devours children. She lairs in a lava tube among frozen volcanic mountains. She is happy to feed on wild game and the occasional traveler for most of the year, but ventures forth in the wintertime begging for food in civilization, disguised as an old woman. In said disguise, she often offers to “take care” of disobedient children, by which she means murdering them, stuffing them into her bag of holding, and returning to her lair to cook and eat them. Unsurprisingly, Grýla is used as a bogey in areas where she has roamed long after her own attention has gone elsewhere.

Grýla prefers to pick on creatures weaker than her. She uses her fey magic and mastery over stone to disorient and hinder opponents, winnowing them down so she can fight one at a time. If she is feeling playful, she will use her many tails to disarm, trip, blind and annoy opponents, but once playtime is over, she merely tears them apart with her hands like fresh bread. Grýla values her own life, and will flee if she feels overpowered by using long step to take cover, then distracting enemies with mislead or project image.

Unlike a number of other bogeys, Grýla is the matriarch of a whole clan. These are her Yule Lads, a gang of fey miscreants who harass towns and farms during the winter solstice. The Yule Lads are friendly to their mother, and treat her consumption of humanoid flesh as more of an uncouth habit than a horrific crime. Grýla is on her third husband (having killed and eaten the previous two); this is the ogre glutton Leppalúði. He is as lazy as he is ravenous, so is happy to have his wife be the primary provider for their household. Their pet is the Yule Cat, a monstrous feline that more closely resembles a domestic cat the size of an elephant than any lion or tiger. Like many cats, this beast roams free much of the time, but always comes back around the home for a good meal.

Grýla CR 16 XP 76,800 Variant fey creature mountain troll CE Huge fey (augmented humanoid, giant) Init +3; Senses all around vision, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +24

Defense AC 30, touch 11, flat-footed 27 (+3 Dex, +19 natural, –2 size) hp 225 (18d8+144); regeneration 10 (acid or fire) Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +13; +4 vs. mind-influencing effects, +8 vs. charm and compulsion effects Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 27 Defensive Abilities rock catching, stubborn; Weaknesses vulnerable to sonic

Offense Speed 40 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 40 ft., long step Melee bite +23 (2d10+12), 2 claws +23 (2d6+12), 2 tail slaps +21 (2d6+6 plus vexing blow) Ranged rock +15/+10/+5 (2d8+18) Space 15 ft., Reach 15 ft. Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 2d6+18), rock throwing (120 ft.) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +21 [+25 casting defensively]) At will—stone shape 3/day—dancing lights, spike stones (DC 17), stone tell 1/day—confusion (DC 17), deep slumber (DC 16), earthquake (DC 21), entangle (DC 14), faerie fire, feeblemind (DC 18), flesh to stone (DC 19), glitterdust (DC 15), irresistible dance (DC 21), major image (DC 16), mislead (DC 19), project image (DC 20), summon monster VIII (earth elementals only)

Statistics Str 34, Dex 17, Con 25, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 10 Base Atk +13; CMB +27; CMD 40 Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Deadly Aim, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quick Draw (B), Toughness, Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +18 (+22 when jumping), Climb +30, Disguise +10, Intimidate +21, Perception +24, Sense Motive +22, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Common, Giant, Sylvan SQ change shape (human or ogre, alter self or giant form I), rocky stride

Ecology Environment cold mountains Organization unique Treasure standard (bag of holding type IV, other treasure)

Special Abilities Long Step (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, Gryla can teleport up to 180 feet as a move action. Rocky Stride (Ex) Grýla can move through any difficult terrain created by natural rock or stone without penalty. Spell-like Abilities Grýla uses her Wisdom modifier for the purposes of determining the DCs of her spell-like abilities and for concentration checks. Stubborn (Ex) A mountain troll gains a +4 racial bonus on all Will saving throws. In addition, if the troll fails a saving throw against a charm or compulsion effect, it can immediately attempt a second saving throw against the same effect on the next round to end the duration of the effect early. Vexing Blow (Ex) When Grýla hits an opponent with one of her tail slap attacks, she can make a disarm, trip or dirty trick maneuver against them as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. Grýla gains this ability and her tail slaps instead of a fly speed from the fey creature template.

[marypickfords]

The Stalls of Barchester (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1971)

“James had a genius for imbuing objects from the past with implacable malignity. The bronze whistle in “Whistle and I’ll Come to You”, the Saxon Crown in “A Warning to the Curious”, the Mappa Mundi in “Mr. Humphry’s Inheritance” and so on. Hitchcock claimed that his “Macguffin” could be anything or nothing so long as people were prepared to kill for it, and perhaps that’s why some of his films are compelling but ultimately empty constructs. James’ objects are truly frightening because they resonate with our deepest and oldest fears about what lurks in the darkness outside the comfort and light of the tribal campfire. A whistle blown could summon who knows what fears, or perhaps a terrifying storm, a crown buried in a coastal barrow was a sacred guardian against invasion and to remove it earns the ultimate punishment, and when Haynes sits in the Archdeacon’s throne in the choir stalls for the first time he puts his hand on the carved figure of a crouching cat that adorns his armrest, and his fate is sealed.” — Lawrence Gordon Clark, quoted in Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television (2017), edited by Kier-La Janisse.

[tsun-bun]

Decided to dip my toes back into writing and tumblr for @queengiuliettafirstlady and @candied-boys Ikemen Advent event! Fandom: Ikemen Revolution Prompt: Woolen Clothes Just wholesome Black Army shenanigans! (+ a lil Red Army at the end) I wanted to write something cosy! No particular pairings or anything Word count: 996 ------------------------- Though cold winds blew outside, it was warm and lively as ever in the Black Army headquarters. It wasn’t yet Christmas day (weeks away, even), but nonetheless the officers and Alice had been summoned by Seth for “Santa Seth’s Super Special Gift Extravaganza ☆”.

“… Seth, your naming taste gets worse every year,” Luka remarked as they all made their way inside the lounge.

“Bah!!” Seth shook his head dramatically. “This is why I have to get you in the spirit of the season, Luka!!”

“What’s it even supposed to mean? Ya got us gifts already? Ain’t it a bit early?” Fenrir tilted his head, confused.

“That’s why it’s special ♪” Seth chirped. “Now, now, everyone, please sit.”

At his instruction, they all took their seats, some more begrudgingly than others. Without further ado, Seth clapped his hands together, and spun about to fetch the presents. With a flourish, he gave each of them their own neatly-wrapped box - complete with glittering bows and cute name tags, of course.

“Don’t open them just yet!” he tutted, mostly to Fenrir - whose fingers were already itching to unwrap his present as soon as it landed in his lap. Beside him, Ray lifted up his own, giving it a shake to try and puzzle out what was inside.

At last, after twirling around the room, Seth was left only with one present to hold: suspiciously, his own.

“Wow, you really went all out, Seth!” Alice exclaimed, admiring all the sparkles and decorations. Of course, he had added extra ribbons specially for her.

“Aahh I knew a sweet girl like yourself would appreciate good presentation!”

Sirius regarded the present with more skepticism. “Shall we open them now?”

“Don’t you need your reading glasses first, old man?~” Seth ignored Sirius’ warning glare. “Okayyy, everybody, you can open them!”

For a few moments, the only sound in the room was that of torn wrapping paper: Fenrir eagerly digging out his present, Ray unable to quite contain a bit of childlike enthusiasm either, Sirius reluctantly (but nonetheless carefully) unfolding the paper, Alice teetering between excitement and worry as she tried not to ruin Seth’s hard work present-wrapping… while Luka unwrapped his with some sense of dread, as if something might leap out at him.

Soon, they had all opened the presents to reveal… Christmas sweaters. Though they were matching, they were all personalised to some degree: the wool dyed different colours and woven into festive patterns, alongside the more… unique choices, clearly willed into existence by Seth himself.

“Ta-daa!!” Seth triumphantly lifted his sweater up, his signature shade of green, patterned with cute little foxes in Santa hats. “Aren’t they just adorable?”

Sirius was the first to speak up. “Seth. What is this?”

His sweater proudly declared “Santa’s FAVOURITE DADDY”, decorated with silhouettes of his “children” - the Black Army brats and Chutney.

“Sirius, it’s fashionable for a refined older gentlemaaaaa–”

Seth flailed his arms as he ran away from Sirius, still clutching onto his sweater, its sleeves flailing around behind him.

“How many times do I have to tell you brats that I’m only 30?”

“I’m sorry, daddy Sirius~!” Seth called out as he wiggled away from the grumbling “old man”…

“Woah! Look, Ray, ours match!!” Fenrir excitedly held up his sweater against Ray’s - the Ace of Spades had a strange combination of dogs and guns. Even dogs WITH guns. Ray’s had a variety of kitty cats in regal poses, wearing crowns and capes fit for a King.

“… Not bad,” Ray decided with a smile, quietly satisfied to match with his bro.

Having escaped Sirius (for now), Seth nodded enthusiastically at them. “Right?! I thought we could all wear matching sweaters for Christmas day! Aren’t they sooo cute?”

“… Seth,” Luka spoke without looking up from his sweater.

“Yesss, darling angel?” Seth gazed down at him, eyes glittering with hope.

“Can I give mine back?” Luka casually destroyed that hope.

Seth looked appalled, wailing. “Nooo!! How could you say that?!”

“Luka, you have to admit, it is very cute…” Alice gently nudged him, a gleam in her eyes as if she was already picturing him in it.

It was alarmingly cute. With chubby-cheeked hamsters and angels, hamster angels even, with halos and wings, the wool all soft pastel colours.

“That’s the problem, Alice. And matching sweaters… aren’t we too old for this? It’s cheesy.” Luka pouted.

“But it’s perfect for the angel of the Black Army!” Seth chimed in.

“Please stop calling me that…” Luka muttered, blushing already as he imagined the future fawning he’d be subject to.

“Hmmm… I don’t know, I think it’s a sweet tradition,” Alice joked, showing off her own sweater, decorated with all the cute little candies and desserts she made and enjoyed in Cradle.

Ray reached over to ruffle Alice’s hair with a grin. “Just perfect for our resident sweets-lover, huh?”

Sirius rolled his eyes with fond exasperation before suggesting: “Well, if it’ll make the little lady happy…”

Luka sighed, relenting. “I guess I can wear it for one day…”

Seth brightened up immediately, pulling them both into a hug. “Yippee! We’ll be one big, festive family! ♡”

—

A few days later, somewhere in Red Territory, Edgar struck up a conversation…

“Have you heard from Luka recently?”

“Hmph, of course!!” Jonah replied, offended to even be asked. “I have to be well-informed to pick out the perfect gift for my dear baby brother.”

Edgar smiled so innocently that it could only mean he was about to say something very, very devious. “Why, then you’ve surely heard the Black Army officers are wearing matching sweaters this year–”

The sentence was barely out of his mouth before Jonah stormed off to go... shopping?

“Geez… how’s he planning to match without even seeing ‘em?” Kyle rubbed at the back of his neck, watching Jonah zoom off into the distance.

Edgar smiled enigmatically. “Oh, that’s half the fun of it.”

“Huh. Well, he’d better not come back with embarrassing sweaters for all of us…”

[quinloki]

WIP game!

rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Tag as many people as you have wips. People send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

〰 〰 〰

Thanks for the tag @shaanks \o/ I'mma try not to tag any of the same folks you did, to make sure and spread this around, wish my luck y'all

/hides face/ all your wips huh... 😳K. I'll just stick with what I'm actively working on, not the ones I tucked into hiatus so I could breathe a little easier. (NONE of these are SFW).

A Truly Mythological Christmas - Marco x Reader Hallmark AU - part of my 100k writing challenge for this month. Uses a lot of Hallmark style movie tropes, but also turns them on their head too.

Starling - Crocodile x Reader Omegaverse yandere multi-ending short story that became an unplanned part of my writing challenge this month ^^;

The Dragon's Clause - Sabo x Reader Fantasy AU where Sabo's the "grand duke" of the Gao Kingdom. He's friends with the Dawn Kingdom's newly crowned prince Ace, (and second prince Luffy)

Hey Doll - Thatch x Reader Government Mandated Marriage AU.

Heart of Gold - Law x Reader - The Grandline Metro AU, the last of the first four books for the series.

Just Like Fire - Ace x Reader - Modern AU where the reader is Sabo's sister. People are "cursed" vs having DF, and Ace is a fire fighter ^_^ Just 2 more chapters to go, I'm hoping to wrap it up before end of January 2025

By Any Other Name - Host Club AU - multi-series. The main story line will shatter into different endings like an otome game.

Souled Out - Demon!Eustass x Reader - You've lost your soul and summoned a demon to help. He has an appetite unrelated to your soul.

Hat Trick - (ah ha, oops, don't have this on Ao3... ) Law/Reader/Kid - Modern AU where polycule saves the day.

Passing Fascination - Yandere!Eustass x Reader - slow going, but canon-style AU where Eustass decides you might be the only One Piece he needs - whether you want him or not.

Honeysuckle: Red - Vampire AU I've been world-building. The Honeysuckle series will cover quite a few blorbos, but :Red is Eustass Kid x Reader.

Whew.

OH! and uh... The Pact ^^; Which is my OC Quill, and my friend's OC Lil' and it's a Quill x Marco (but I am oddly EXTREMELY shy about sharing it.)

Tagging: @lyndsyh24, @hannahbarberra162, @fanaticsnail, @mamaalpha, @cebwrites, @cyborg-franky

@theaceofflamesposts, @sanjis-all-blue, @leftsidebonfire, @mydisenchantedeulogy, @thus-spoke-lo, @vegalustirra

And anyone so inclined to join in can consider this an open invite \o/

[nolhann]

Bleach Brave Soul Christmas Special 2023 : Christmas Crown Summons | Artworks

Merry Christmas ! 🎄

[nei-ning]

Christmas Grimmjow has become my fave in Bleach: Brave Souls. Isn't he just adorable!? :D

And, PLEASE, watch his introducing video on Instagram to see his special move! That is the best! <3

[simshousewindsor]

THE ONE BEFORE

BUCKINGSIM PALACE, EASTON • JANUARY 2025

[Equerry]: The Foreign Secretary.

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: (bow) Your Majesty.

Queen Katherine: Mr. Budrow. Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: I was surprised to receive your summons, ma'am. Your office didn't say what it was regarding.

Queen Katherine: I have reason to believe that Oasis Springs is behind Mt Komorebi's recent seizure of the Strait of Sims Canal.

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: That is a strong claim, ma'am. What evidence do you have.

Queen Katherine: That's what I'm coming to you for. You're the foreign secretary. Find proof!

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: We could open an inquiry but we need something to go off of. Did Oasis Springs provide Mt Komorebi financial support, air support, ground support, tech support? What benefit would they gain?

Queen Katherine: With Windenburg weaker, our allies are weaker. I believe Oasis Springs is trying to regain control of Glimmerbrook and using Mt Komorebi as their tool.

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: His late Majesty was involved in those negotiations, privately. We were told to stand back.

Queen Katherine: It is my belief those negotiations are the reason Oasis Springs is now seeking retaliation.

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: If you are correct, this would be massive. If Oasis Springs is behind the Strait of Sims Canal debacle it will cause internasimnal outrage! The G6 could all propose sanctions on both countries!

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: There are actions we could take to stoke a response.

Queen Katherine: You intend to bait them?

Walter Budrow [M.P.]: It is a tactic, Your Majesty.

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

BEAVERDAM CASTLE, BRINDLETON BAY

Prince Rainier: Another tour?

Cmd Parker [Private Secretary]: Yes, Your Royal Highness.

Prince Rainier: Of-course she waits until she leaves to have me informed. She hates me. She truly hates me.

Cmd Parker [P.S.]: Sir, the request is not made by the queen but the government. They made the request before Christmas but Her Majesty chose to delay, so that you could enjoy the holiday. It is important the Crown visits these new commonwealth nations.

Cmd Parker [P.S.]: As consort, that responsibility falls to you. The Queen is needed here.

(Queen Rowena enters)

Queen Rowena: He's right, Rainier.

Cmd Parker [P.S.]: (bows) Your Majesty.

Prince Rainier: Give us the room, Will.

Queen Rowena: He is right. Duty first.

Queen Rowena: I remember my first solo tour as consort. I was miserable! Two whole months, I toured Mt Komorebi, South Marvania and Americreek. George was managing a crisis in Windenburg and the tour was already planned. I went. He stayed.

Prince Rainier: I don't know if I can be away from the kids that long. The Commonwealth tour was different because Kate and I were together.

Queen Rowena: Technology helps! You can video chat them. The time will also go by quickly, Rainier. I'm sure your dowry will be very full.

Prince Rainier: (silence)

Queen Rowena: (hug) Lara, Anthony and I are taking the train back to Windenburg tonight but I'm always here if you need to talk. I've been where you are, Rainier.

Prince Rainier: Thank you.

Queen Rowena: ...and turn on some lights! These candles make it very dreary in here.

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

BUCKIINGSIM PALACE, EASTON

Martin Lavelle [Private Secretary]: They have asked that we announce the Prince consorts tour after the state opening Monday. I've gone ahead and prepared a statement.

Queen Katherine: Thank you, Martin. How soon do you need my approval?

Martin [P.S.]: Immediately, ma'am. With everyone focused on the state opening, we have a shorter window to edit this large of a release so the more time we have the better.

Queen Katherine: Add it to the pile. I'll review it before I depart. I'll leave it on my desk with either edits or my approval.

Martin [P.S.]: Lastly, ma'am. Churchil is unwell. We received a call that he may only have days. I thought you would like to see him.

Queen Katherine: I would. When am I available?

Martin [P.S.]: You are free at 7 this evening or 8-8:40am tomorrow morning. You are not free again until the day after State Opening.

Queen Katherine: I'd like to go this evening.

Martin [P.S.]: I'll alert Highpark Gate. (bows) Your Majesty.

Previous | Beginning | Next

[merymoonbeam]

The Morrigan Part II.

This is a continuation of my post The Morrigan. In that post I talked about how Mor could be the High Queen. In this post we are gonna talk about her connection to Wild Hunt.

I went to look a the Morrigan's wiki page and found this.

It has also been suggested that she was closely linked to the fianna, and that these groups may have been in some way dedicated to her. These were "bands of youthful warrior-hunters, living on the borders of civilized society and indulging in lawless activities for a time before inheriting property and taking their places as members of settled, landed communities." If true, her worship may have resembled that of Perchta groups in Germanic areas.

we are gonna talk about two things in here -- Fianna and Perchta.

Fianna:

while I was writing my Wild Hunt post I found out that Fionn and Fianna are the wild hunt in Ireland.

and We have a Fionn in Acotar.

Rhys’s eyes flicked to Ataraxia, then to Cassian. “Some strains of the mythology claim that one of the Fae heroes who rose up to overthrow them was Fionn, who was given the great sword Gwydion by the High Priestess Oleanna, who had dipped it into the Cauldron itself. Fionn and Gwydion overthrew the Daglan. A millennium of peace followed, and the lands were divided into rough territories that were the precursors to the courts—but at the end of those thousand years, they were at each other’s throats, on the brink of war.” His face tightened. “Fionn unified them and set himself above them as High King. The first and only High King this land has ever had.”

So the Morrigan is linked to Fianna which is the wild hunt and we have a Fionn in acotar who has the same name of the leader of wild hunt.

now onto...

Perchta:

Perchta or Berchta (English: Bertha), also commonly known as Percht and other variations, was once known as a goddess in Alpine paganism in the Upper German and Austrian regions of the Alps. Her name may mean "the bright one" (Old High German: beraht, bereht, from Proto-Germanic *berhtaz) and is probably related to the name Berchtentag, meaning the feast of the Epiphany. Eugen Mogk provides an alternative etymology, attributing the origin of the name Perchta to the Old High German verb pergan, meaning "hidden" or "covered". Perchta is often identified as stemming from the same Germanic goddess as Holda and other female figures of Germanic folklore (see Frija-Frigg). According to Jacob Grimm and Lotte Motz, Perchta is Holda's southern cousin or equivalent, as they both share the role of "guardian of the beasts" and appear during the Twelve Days of Christmas, when they oversee spinning.

so she is connected to Holda(keep the red highlighted Frija/Frigg part in mind we are gonna talk about that) and with that they both share the role of "guardian of the beasts"

We have beasts in acotar, in Wild Hunt actually.

“Oh, I do not think so,” Lanthys seethed. “I rode in the Wild Hunt before you were even a scrap of existence, witch from Oorid. I summoned the hounds and the world cowered at their baying. I galloped at the head of the Hunt, and Fae and beast bowed before us.”

“We shall rebuild to what we were before the golden legions of the Fae cast off their chains and overthrew us. We shall resurrect the Wild Hunt and ride rampant through the night. We shall build palaces of ice and flame, palaces of darkness and starlight. Magic shall flow untethered again.” Nesta could see the portrait Lanthys wove into the air around them. She saw herself on a black throne, a matching crown in her unbound hair. Enormous onyx beasts—scaled, like those she’d seen on the Hewn City’s pillars—lay at the foot of the dais. Ataraxia leaned against her throne, and on her other side … Lanthys sat there, his hand laced through hers. Their kingdom was endless; their palace built of pure magic that lived and thrived around them. The Harp sat behind them on an altar, the Mask, too, but the golden Crown wasn’t there.

“The Daglan delighted in terrorizing the Fae and humans under their control. The Wild Hunt was a way to keep all of us in line. They’d gather a host of their fiercest, most merciless warriors and grant them free rein to kill as they pleased. The Daglan possessed mighty, monstrous beasts—hounds, they called them, though they didn’t look like the hounds we know—that they used to run prey to ground before they tortured and killed them. It’s a terrible history, and much of it might be elaborated myths.” “The hounds looked like the beasts in the Hewn City,” Nesta said quietly.

so Hounds/beasts= The Wild Hunt and through Pertcha The Morrigan is connected to the "guardian of the beasts"

moving on...

This next part is interesting.

In some descriptions, Perchta has two forms; she may appear either as beautiful and white as snow like her name, or as elderly and haggard. In many old descriptions, Perchta had one large foot, sometimes called a goose foot or swan foot. Grimm thought the strange foot symbolized her being a higher being who could shapeshift to animal form. He noticed that Bertha with a strange foot exists in many languages (Middle German "Berhte mit dem fuoze", French "Berthe au grand pied", Latin "Berhta cum magno pede", Italian " Berta dai gran piè", title of a medieval epic poem of Italian area): "It is apparently a swan maiden's foot, which as a mark of her higher nature she cannot lay aside...and at the same time the spinning-woman's splayfoot that worked the treadle".In the Tyrol she appears as little old woman with a very wrinkled face, bright lively eyes, and a long hooked nose; her hair is disheveled, her garments tattered and torn.

I talked about Swan maiden in my Seidr post.

In myths Frejya/Frigg(remember the red highlighted part) has seidr magic and Freyja also has:

Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chariot pulled by two cats, is accompanied by the boar Hildisvíni, and possesses a cloak of falcon feathers.

And swan maidens:

The swan maiden is a mythical creature who shapeshifts from human form to swan form. The key to the transformation is usually a swan skin, or a garment with swan feathers attached. In folktales of this type, the male character spies the maiden, typically by some body of water (usually bathing), then snatches away the feather garment (or some other article of clothing), which prevents her from flying away (or swimming away, or renders her helpless in some other manner), forcing her to become his wife.

So they have a "swan skin" with swan feathers which helps them shapeshift.

The question is...is Mor going to turn into a bird like the girls in Koschei's lake? Is she connected to Vassa? And more interesting thing is that in myths The Morrigan can shapeshift--into a crow.

The Morrígan is described as the envious wife of The Dagda and a shape-shifting goddess, while Badb and Nemain are said to be the wives of Neit. She is associated with the banshee of later folklore.

The Dagda...The Daglan in acotar who has the hounds and they had the Wild Hunt....

The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and fate, especially with foretelling doom, death, or victory in battle. In this role she often appears as a crow, the badb.

and lastly from Pertcha's page.

According to Jacob Grimm (1882), Perchta was spoken of in Old High German in the 10th century as Frau Berchta and thought to be a white-robed goddess who oversaw spinning and weaving, like the myths of Holda. He believed she was the feminine equivalent of Berchtold, and was sometimes the leader of the Wild Hunt.

Now I'm gonna talk more about Mor connection to Wild Hunt in acotar and some connections.

While talking about the hounds I took Lanthys's quotes. He was a part of the Wild Hunt.

“Oh, I do not think so,” Lanthys seethed. “I rode in the Wild Hunt before you were even a scrap of existence, witch from Oorid. I summoned the hounds and the world cowered at their baying. I galloped at the head of the Hunt, and Fae and beast bowed before us.”

But what is Lanyths actually? Cassian gives us this information. He is a First God.

Cassian took a bite of food. A good sign that this, at least, was acceptable territory. “When you lived in the human world, you had legends of the dread beasts and faeries who would slaughter you if they ever breached the wall, didn’t you? Things that slithered through open windows to drink the blood of children? Things that were so wicked, so cruel there was no hope against their evil?” The hair on her neck rose. “Yes.” Those stories had always unnerved and petrified her. “They were based on truth. Based on ancient, near-primordial beings who existed here before the High Fae split into courts, before the High Lords. Some call them the First Gods. They were beings with almost no physical form, but a keen, vicious intelligence. Humans and Fae alike were their prey. Most were hunted and driven into hiding or imprisonment ages ago. But some remained, lurking in forgotten corners of the land.” He swallowed another mouthful. “When I was nearing three hundred years old, one of them appeared again, crawling out of the roots of a mountain. Before he went into the Prison and confinement weakened him, Lanthys could turn into wind and rip the air from your lungs, or turn into rain and drown you on dry land; he could peel your skin from your body with a few movements. He never revealed his true form, but when I faced him, he chose to appear as swirling mist. He fathered a race of faeries that still plague us, who thrived under Amarantha’s reign—the Bogge. But the Bogge are lesser, mere shadows compared to Lanthys. If there is such a thing as evil incarnate, it is him. He has no mercy, no sense of right or wrong. There is him, and there is everyone else, and we are all his prey. His methods of killing are creative and slow. He feasts on fear and pain as much as the flesh itself.”(acosf)

So we learn quiet a few things from this quote.

Lantys is a first god.

First gods were near-primordial beings who existed before the High Fae split into courts, before the high lords.

They were beings with almost no physical form, but a keen, vicious intelligence.

But some First gods remained, lurking in forgotten corners of the land.”

Now how this connects to Mor? The Mor's acofas chapter.

In Mor's chapter we have this:

But Mor scented nothing, saw nothing. The tendril of power she speared toward the woods revealed only the usual birds and small beasts. A hart drinking from a hole in an iced-over stream. Nothing, except—.There, between a snarl of thorns. A patch of darkness. It did not move, did not seem to do anything but linger. And watch. Familiar and yet foreign. Something in her power whispered not to touch it, not to go near it. Even from this distance. Mor obeyed. But she still watched that darkness in the thorns, as if a shadow had fallen asleep amongst them. Not like Azriel’s shadows, twining and whispering. Something different. Something that stared back, watching her in turn. Best left undisturbed. Especially with the promise of a crackling fire and glass of wine at home. “Let’s take the short route back,” she murmured to Ellia, patting her neck. The horse needed no further encouragement before launching into a gallop, turning them from the woods and its shadowy watcher. Over and between the hills they rode, until the woods were hidden in the mists behind them. What else might she see, witness, in lands where none in the Night Court had ventured for millennia?(acofas)

She sees a shadows... and what we know about the first gods? with almost no physical form.

It stares back at her, watching her...and what we know about the first gods? but a keen, vicious intelligence.

She was in the lands where none in the Night Courth had ventured for Millennia... what we know about the first gods? lurking in forgotten corners of the land.

Did she saw a First God? Are there more like it? Why mor was the one to see it? This is where her connection to Wild Hunt comes from? She is connected to Wild Hunt? Maybe she is going to be the leader of the Wild Hunt?

Let's not forget that in Wild Hunt myth there are valkyries.

The Wild Hunt is a folklore motif occurring across various northern European cultures. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by a ghostly or supernatural group of hunters engaged in pursuit. The leader of the hunt is often a named figure associated with Odin in Germanic legends, but may variously be a historical or legendary figure like Theodoric the Great, the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag, the dragon slayer Sigurd, the WelshpsychopompGwyn ap Nudd, biblical figures such as Herod, Cain, Gabriel, or the Devil, or an unidentified lost soul or spirit either male or female. The hunters are generally the souls of the dead or ghostly dogs, sometimes fairies, valkyries, or elves.

and Mor in acosf suggested that she might join them.

Mor’s brows bunched. “So you really are learning Valkyrie techniques.” Nesta nodded. They’d been so busy during their dancing lessons that the details of training hadn’t come up. Mor grinned. “You mind if I start joining you once this business with Vallahan is over? I never got to train with the Valkyries before the first War, and after it, they were all gone.”

So Mor as the leader of the Wild Hunt?