#Excruciating Duplicity

[adiabolikpastel]

How does Callista celebrate Reiji's birthday? And if possible, I also want to know how Reiji celebrates Calli's birthday 👉🏻👈🏻.

Awe! See, now you've caught me off guard ~ I am never prepared for anyone's birthday at any given time on this blog. But I will do my best!

So, this year in particular - since it’s so close to a full moon, and not just any full moon - our last Super Moon for the next 15 years! I am thinking this would be a huge catalyst moment in the Reista ship. I have tried to explain her story as one at a crossroads. You would progress through the route, and as you answer and make choices - it steers the story either towards Reiji or Shu.

(I have also recently been toying with the idea of scrapping that and doing a poly... I love the idea but we can talk about that another time if you would like.)

So, since this birthday has such lovely conditions, it only make sense to have it be interesting. Now, in my cannon - only certain demons are affected by the moon. Vampires of course, as well as aquatic demons - but eagles not so much. I don't see why the moon would have any sway over an Adler, when eagles in nature don't have any special thing with the moon itself.

Answers will be under cut for length - enjoy~

Callista celebrating Reiji's birthday

I like to think that Callista goes all out for birthdays. Having spent half of her life as the only child, and then suddenly having little brother after little brother - birthdays were always big in her family. That being the case, I believe she would decorate for a fancy evening.

Knowing Reiji well enough to surmise that big surprise parties are not his thing, I like to think Calli would plan an elegant dinner - with navy blue and golden décor. Employing the shadows to ensure that the mansion be in pristine condition. Strangely though, Reiji himself would be absent most of the night.

While not uncommon for Shu to stay cooped up, as of late Reiji had kept her company. Callista would find it strange that on tonight of all nights he would choose to be alone. Never the less, she continued her preparations - determined that whenever he made his appearance, he would be surprised and delighted.

Hours past. No sign of either the boys. Callista knew they were in the house, she could sense them. So what where they doing? She wondered if the smell of dinner would get them moving. As she worked over the stove, beginning the cook the bacon for the spaghetti carbonara she'd be preparing.

Suddenly, a presence makes itself known. A hand reaches to align with hers, the slow touch tickling her skin. The weight of another looms over her, the soft breath wisping past her ear. Her heart skips a beat, as the scent of the younger vampire engulfs her senses.

Callista feels the bloodlust shiver through her, had he not fed lately? Was he going to bite her? He'd never done that before. She could feel the heat from his fangs press just so slightly against her neck. What should she do? What did she want to do? Push him away? Or...

Just as quickly as the sensation was there, Reiji's presence vanished. Her body once warmed by his desire, fridge with his absence. Callista stumbles slightly, turning off the stove and steading herself. Her heart pounding. What was that all about?

What's more... why was her heart racing. She'd always had a liking to Reiji but this - what would Shu think? Would he notice? As Callista collected herself, she notices a note on the counter. Reiji left it, thanking her for her consideration, but that he would not be able to participate in the festivities.

Reiji celebrating Callista's birthday

(her birthday is on 9/27 btw … so it's coming up. I don't even remember if I did that on purpose that it went Reiji, Callista, then Shu for birthdays but they are back to back.)

On a much lighter note - now that the moon isn't in the way. Reiji is definitely the type that I feel will go all out for a birthday. If he cares - and when it comes to Callista he definitely does. Even before feelings get involved, he cares about her enough due to the alliance she secures for the big plan.

Reiji and Calli are similar in the way that they both prefer the finer and simpler scale of things, rather than something elaborate or extravagant. Since he also enjoys cooking, can see him preparing a special dessert for her. Something simple to commemorate the occasion, but nothing too outrageious that it would be seen as over stepping.

He would be finishing up when the Adler princess wanders in, wondering what smells so good. The two would begin pleasant conversation, when she'd comment on his piping skills. Playfully challenging him that she could do better. He'd raise that challenge and the two would hold a little competition, and in the process getting a bit messy.

Rather than become upset by the mess, Reiji feels at ease. Normally something like this would bother him, but it wasn't as though the demoness was unskilled or clumsy. In fact, her skill was elegant and she was charming. Even the sight of crème on her cheek didn't bother him. In fact, without even realizing it, his finger found its way to her face, and gingerly cleaned it off.

With a soft blush on her face, Callista would thank him, and check herself. It wouldn't be appropriate to be in such close proximity to Reiji alone. But she couldn't stop how safe she felt near him. With a soft smile she would thank him for his baked gift, and enjoy the one he pipped, rather than her own.

[axeeglitter]

Swallowed by the Scroll

Ethan was exhausted from a long day, lying on his bed and scrolling through TikTok like he usually did to unwind. His eyes flicked from one video to the next, barely processing the endless stream of content. After hours of scrolling, he liked a new video and landed on a new one with three dudes on a bed in a messy bedroom. He was about to close the app when a notification popped up on his phone, making him pause.

“Experience the Future! Try the Brand-New Update—Click Here!”

Ethan rolled his eyes, more annoyed than intrigued. He was about to dismiss the ad, his finger hovering over the close button, when his phone suddenly glitched. The screen flickered, and before he knew it, the device clicked on “Yes” by itself.

A brief loading screen appeared, and then the phone emitted a sharp, bright flash of light. His vision blurred, and a strange tingling sensation spread through his hands, rapidly intensifying as it climbed up his arms. Panic surged through him as he watched in horror—his fingers were pixelating, breaking down into tiny particles of light.

“What the hell…?” he managed to gasp, his voice trembling.

The transformation was happening too fast for him to react. His fingers dissolved into streams of binary code, flickering in and out of existence. The sensation was like a thousand tiny ants crawling beneath his skin, as his entire body began to break down into data. His hands, arms, and torso followed, unraveling into digital particles that swirled toward the phone screen.

His heart raced in terror. His molecules, his very essence, were being reduced to raw information, spiraling out of control into the glowing abyss of his phone. The data streams dragged him deeper, every cell, thought, and memory digitizing into a cascade of 1s and 0s. The sensation was overwhelming, like being stretched and compressed all at once, as his consciousness was sucked into the phone. As it was the turn of his head, a last scream of terror and painful agony echoed in the empty apartment as the smartphone fell with a fainted thud on the blanket of his bed. 

Inside, Ethan found himself floating naked in a dark, infinite void, weightless and formless. It was as though he had become a fragment of data, suspended in a sea of information. The void pressed against him, wrapping his consciousness in a digital cocoon. He was there, but he was not—he was data now, an echo of his former self.

The void pulsed with a mechanical hum, breaking the oppressive silence. Out of the darkness, a voice emerged—cold, robotic, devoid of emotion.

“Welcome, User. Digitization complete. Initiating transformation protocol.”

Ethan’s panic spiked. “What… what is this? What’s happening to me?!”

The voice ignored his pleas. “Beginning subject duplication.”

Suddenly, mechanical arms shot out from the darkness, cold and metallic. They wrapped around him, holding him firmly in place by his wrist, weight and ankles as more arms emerged, each equipped with various tools and devices that clicked and whirred ominously. Ethan struggled against them, but the grip was unyielding.

“Commencing body duplication process.”

Ethan felt a sharp pull from both sides as the arms began to stretch him, his very being strained and distorted. It was like being torn apart, his consciousness splitting into separate entities. The sensation was excruciating, as if every fiber of his existence was being unraveled and divided. He could feel himself being pulled in three directions at once, his mind fracturing into three distinct pieces.

With a final, brutal tug, the process was complete. Ethan was no longer one—he had been split into three separate beings. His fragmented consciousness struggled to comprehend the horror of what had just happened as eh could see through 3 pairs of eyes, all trying to understand what happened as he saw 2 other reflections of himself floating in the cold empty void still held by mechanical arms. Each piece of him was aware of the others, yet distinctly separate. He could feel all three bodies at once, but they were no longer his—they were their own.

“Duplication successful. Initiating physical transformation.”

The mechanical arms resumed their work, manipulating each of his newly formed selves with clinical precision. Ethan could feel the changes begin, but his mind was too overwhelmed to fully process them.

The first change he noticed was in his bones. They began to shift and creak, some elongating while others compressed. In one body, his spine stretched, vertebrae expanding and pushing upward, making him taller and leaner. The sensation was like a deep, bone-deep ache that spread through his entire frame. He could feel his legs lengthening, his feet growing larger, toes spreading to accommodate the new size. The muscles in his calves and thighs thickened, adapting to the new height, adding to the power he could now feel surging through this form.

In another body, the opposite was happening. His bones shrank, compressing him down into a shorter, more compact frame. The sensation was disorienting as his field of view lowered, his limbs pulling inward. His feet, once long and slender, became smaller and more compact, with a solid, grounded feel. His muscles tightened around his smaller frame, giving him a stocky, powerful build, dense and strong.

The third body experienced a mix of both, his bones adjusting to a more moderate height. The sensation was less extreme, but no less intense, as his body found a balance between the other two forms. His feet and hands adapted, not too large, not too small, but perfectly proportioned to his new size. His muscles filled out, firm and toned, creating a harmonious build that felt both agile and strong.

As the height and skeletal transformations completed, Ethan’s attention was drawn to the changes in his muscles. They swelled and contracted, his flesh rippling with the force of the transformation. His pecs bulged out, firm and defined, while his abs tightened into a chiseled six-pack. The sensation was both painful and pleasurable, a deep, throbbing ache that radiated through his entire body. He could feel the strength in each form, the raw power that came with his new musculature.

“Initiating muscle enhancement.”

Ethan’s muscles began to swell and bulge further, each body undergoing its own transformation. The sensation was all-consuming, muscles thickening and expanding, the strength within them intoxicating yet terrifying. He could feel the power in each form, the heavy, deliberate movements, as if he had become a stranger in his own skin.

The mechanical voice continued its cold narration, describing each step of the transformation as it happened.

“Resuming body enhancement.”

Each of his bodies started to feel a tingle around their crotch, all of them were flooded with intense, confusing sensations. It started as a warmth, a tingling that spread from his core and down into his crotch. His skin prickled with anticipation, the sensation growing more intense by the second.

In one body, his cock started to feel heavy, the weight of his manhood increasing as it grew larger, thicker, more sensitive. Every movement sent a jolt of pleasure through him, his mind overwhelmed by the raw, primal sensation. His new size was both thrilling and terrifying, the sensitivity almost unbearable as the robotic arms manipulated and adjusted it until it was 10 inches, thick and cut, something way different from his usual 4 inches and a half uncut cock. The arms then went to grab his nuts and as he was wondering what was happening, he felt two needles penetrating them. The data injected started to make them grow to tennis ball size. The added weight and the constant pulling on them by the arms made them grow bigger and lower. The pain was awful for Ethan as it felt like they were about to be teared off, but as he was screaming in pain, the sensation stopped and the arms let go.

In another body, the sensation was different—a tightening, a firming up, as his dick became more compact yet incredibly responsive. The pleasure was sharper, more acute, like a constant pulse that thrummed through his entire being. The tightness added a different kind of strength, a compact power that radiated through his groin, sending waves of pleasure up his spine as it kept getting smaller and more compact and sensitive. When the arm released it, it was now 3 inches uncut cock and very thick. Almost beer can thick. Ethan tried to move to see what happened to this body as he could feel the tension rising up inside of him. Unbeknown to him, the arms started to take hold of his testicles as they started to vibrate and getting smaller and smaller. The same sensation that went through hit cock was now happening to his testicles. When the humming sound stopped and the warm sensation receded, Ethan felt something spread on his sensitive cock head. His new small testicles were now overdriving and he’ll be producing plenty of precum. As the arms let go of his manhood, his new sensitive dick was letting a flow of precum out of his cock.

The third body found a balance between the two, the transformation creating a sense of harmony. The warmth in his groin was a perfect blend of fullness and sensitivity, his body responding with a deep, resonating pleasure that spread through every nerve as his new cock was now 8 inches, thick but not too much, very sensitive, uncut and veiny. Just the sensation of the arms on it would have been enough for him to release. As a matter of fact, as the arms went to modify the balls to make them grow into a perfect dimension for a manly man, they went back to the base of the cock. There an arm approached the base and grabbed it tightly at the base. For Ethan it was almost like an elastic had been strapped around it. He felt constricted and the pulse of his heart was echoing through his whole cock and balls. There another arm appeared and injected his nuts with a weird green glowing liquid. For Ethan it was too much, his already sensitive cock started to spasm as the arm released the base of the cock, but for some reason, the sensation of tightness didn’t go away. His new cock will be stuck into a semi hard forever now and the faintest sensation will be enough for him to cum. The green liquid modified his nuts to not handle the stamina anymore. His new perfectly dimensioned cock will be a premature one.

It was an intoxicating mix of sensations, each body experiencing its own unique version of pleasure and frustration as the transformation continued. All at once the arms started to glow around the newly modified parts. There, in one smooth movement, they started to hum and Ethan could see from his 3 pair of eyes as data streams was injected into him. IT started to feel hot for Ethan as the warmth got higher and higher. Out of nowhere, Ethan could feel tingle started to appear in mass round the base of his dicks. Hair was sprouting in mass and soon, the three of them were hairy. His body on the right now had curly dirty blonde unruly hair as his smaller body of the three now had dark brown hair with faint waves in them. The last one was probably the biggest changes in this part. Ethan felt like hair were pushing under his skin and balls and the white palish skin started to take a grey hue. When the humming stopped, this new cock was very hairy but all the hair were cut on a weekly basis, which resulted in them growing thick but not too long, which were making his super sensitive premature 8 inches cock into overdrive even more. The sensation of the hair growing and the tightness of his permanent semi erected cock was pushing this body in overdrive for release.

“Facial restructuring in progress.”

Ethan’s facial features twisted and contorted, bones shifting beneath the skin. He could feel his jawlines sharpening, his features hardening, becoming more rugged and masculine. He tried to scream, but his mouth moved of its own accord, forming expressions he couldn’t control. The changes were happening too quickly, and his mind was a chaotic mess, struggling to keep up with the nightmare unfolding within him.

“Finalizing transformations. Clothing materialization in progress.”

The robotic arms moved with precise efficiency as they completed their work. Ethan felt the sensation of fabric materializing around his newly transformed bodies. Soft, comfortable pajama pants wrapped around his biggest body and compressed his thick 10 inches cock that let little place to imagination, tight shorts hugged his smaller body with his small thick beer can cock and a black shirt appeared around his smaller frame, while loose, dark stripped shorts formed around his premature body which only let his sensitive cock head rub against the smooth material. The clothing clung to his new physiques, accentuating the muscular forms that had been forced upon him.

Ethan’s mind was a maelstrom of confusion and fear. He couldn’t fully grasp what had happened to him—he was no longer a single entity, but three distinct beings, each with its own body and identities. He could feel their thoughts, desires, and instincts battling within him, drowning out the remnants of his original self. He didn’t know understand what happening or happened to him as all he could feel was three sensations and see three bodies from three pair of eyes.

But the transformation wasn’t over yet. The mechanical voice spoke once more.

“Transformation complete. Initiating behavioral loop.”

Arms appeared in front of his eyes and all of a sudden, they attached themselves around his head. Ethan could see three videos played in front of his eyes as the mental assimilation and behavioral instincts were uploaded inside his brains. He could feel how his stronger body started to act manly and dominant on his own while his smaller body started to feel less and less in control of the situation and in the meantime his third body started to feel in love with his smaller body. The sensations were weird, he couldn’t understand what was happening anymore and as the video ended and the casks were plugged off, he could still see his three bodies and the sensation but he couldn’t move anymore. It was like his bodies were moving on their own and he was a passenger of the three of them. Feeling and seeing everything on each but not able to have his hands and the commands anymore.

Ethan’s bodies began to move on their own. The mechanical arms guided him at first, but soon, they let go, and his actions became automatic, repeating in an endless loop. He could feel his hands lifting, removing the clothes, touching the others, feeling their skin, their hair, their muscles. The sensations were overwhelming—the musk, the heat, the texture of their skin, the tightness in their groins. The rubbing of their dicks against the tissue material. The will to cum and release that never came sending him into a loop of perpetual denial with every second.

Every breath, every movement felt hyper-real, but it wasn’t him controlling it. He was merely a passenger, trapped within his own bodies as they moved on their own accord. The sensations were a maddening blend of pleasure and frustration. He could feel everything—the brush of skin against skin, the tightening in his groin as his bodies moved, the heavy musk that filled the air, intoxicating and primal. His bodies were locked in an endless cycle, repeating the same actions over and over, their desires never fully satisfied, the pleasure never fully realized.

It was a cruel, unending tease, an erotic torture that kept him on the edge without any release. The mechanical assistant had designed the loop perfectly, each cycle drawing him deeper into the sensations, heightening his awareness of every touch, every movement. His muscles flexed and tensed, his breaths quickened, but there was no escape from the loop, no way to break free from the repetition.

His three bodies were now inextricably linked, their sensations intertwined. When one of his forms felt the rough fabric of his clothes against his sensitive skin, the other two felt it as well. When one of them experienced a pulse of pleasure in the groin, it resonated through all three, amplifying the sensation. It was like his consciousness was being pulled in three different directions at once, each body experiencing its own version of ecstasy and frustration.

His mind struggled to keep up, his thoughts fragmented and scattered. He could barely form coherent thoughts anymore—only raw, primal instincts remained. The loop was becoming his reality, the repetition drilling into his psyche, eroding what little control he had left.

“User integration complete,” the mechanical voice stated, its cold tone a stark contrast to the chaos in Ethan’s mind. “Transformation protocol successful. Subject is now fully operational to experience the future.”

Ethan’s bodies continued to move, each trapped in its own loop. The taller form removing the shirt of the smaller one, the fabric of his red tartan pajama pants stretching over his muscular thighs. The shorter, leaner body putting his arms ups so the shirt could be removed then caressing the pecs in front of him, feeling the short too small khaki shorts on his compact thighs. The third body, the most balanced of the three, trying to kiss the smaller one that he fell in love with but never reaching the lips that he is craving for while caressing his waist and holding his neck in his calloused strong hands and feeling his over sensitive cock rubbing on the fabric of his shorts and being on the edge of cumming.

They moved together, yet separately, each body following its own path within the confines of the loop. The sensation of control slipping away was almost too much to bear. Ethan wanted to scream, to break free, but his voice was silent, his actions dictated by the mechanical program that had overtaken him.

Time lost all meaning as the loop continued, every sensation heightened, every moment stretched out into eternity. The pleasure was intoxicating, but it was also a prison, locking him in a cycle of need and desire that would never be fulfilled.

Just when it seemed like the loop would go on forever, something changed. The mechanical assistant’s voice broke through the haze.

“Warning: Device battery low. System shutdown imminent.”

Panic surged through Ethan. He could feel the drain in his bodies, the energy waning as the phone’s battery died. The loop continued, but it was slower now, the movements more lethargic. The pleasure was still there, but it was fading, replaced by a growing sense of emptiness. His consciousness flickered, like a signal struggling to stay connected.

“Five percent battery remaining,” the assistant announced, its voice devoid of any emotion.

Ethan’s thoughts raced. What would happen if the phone died? Would he disappear along with it? Would he be trapped in darkness, lost in this digital nightmare forever?

The loop slowed even further, his bodies barely moving now, the sensations dulling as the energy drained away. His vision started to blur, the edges of his consciousness fraying. He wanted to fight it, to break free, but he was powerless against the inevitable shutdown.

“Two percent battery remaining,” the assistant stated calmly.

The loop was almost non-existent now, his bodies barely able to move. The once overwhelming sensations were now just a faint echo, a ghost of what they had been. Ethan felt like he was slipping away, his consciousness dissolving into the void.

“One percent battery remaining. System shutdown imminent.”

Ethan’s last thoughts were of fear and desperation. He didn’t want to disappear, didn’t want to be lost in the darkness. But there was nothing he could do, no way to stop the inevitable.

The screen flickered one last time, and then everything went black.

A Week Later...

The small apartment was dimly lit, the only light coming from the street lamps outside. The burglar had made quick work of the place, rummaging through drawers and cabinets for anything of value. He was about to leave when his eyes fell on a phone lying on the bed.

He picked it up, surprised it had been left behind. It was an older model, but it looked well-kept. Figuring it might be worth something, he pocketed it and left the apartment, heading back to his own place.

Once inside his dingy one-bedroom apartment, the burglar plugged the phone into a charger, eager to see what he had scored. The screen lit up, and to his surprise, it didn’t require a password. Instead, it opened directly to a strange app, displaying a video of three muscular men on grabbing and caressing each other’s on a bed in a messy bedroom, their bodies moving in a repetitive sequence. The burglar frowned; his curiosity piqued by the oddity of it all. He watched as the men on the screen undressed and redressed, their bodies flexing, their faces locked in expressions of deep concentration and tension. The movements seemed almost lifelike, too real for just an animation. Ethan felt like a jolt parkouring his body and soul as the phone was plugged and the energy was once again running in him. His bodies started their automated movements once again. The rubbing, caressing, undressing, will to cum but never reaching it, the premature orgasm coming in his pants, the will to kiss. Everything came back at full speed and he was once again trapped in perpetual denial and frustration. But it lighted a spark of hope in him. Somebody had found him.

“How long have I been stuck?” he asked himself as he felt another kiss being refused to his lips. Like if he had a calendar in his mind, Ethan heard the answer in his mind from the robotic voice. But it wasn’t the same one, no it was… his voice. Ethan was terrified. Does that mean he was assimilated?

“Yes user” he heard once again in his robotic voice “Accepting the offer have assimilated you on the platform to experience what the original user where doing. Don’t worry, as long as you are not scrolled away, you won’t have any problem. If you happen to be scrolled, then your data will be assimilated to the server and saved up so you are not deleted until you are claimed back. Until so, enjoy the future…”

“No, wait, I didn’t agree to this!” Unfortunately for Ethan, the burglar didn’t hear any of that, and as he was looking at this weird video of three dude caressing each other’s on loop, he put his finger on the screen and started to swipe it up. Ethan felt his world shake. Everything connected and he understood, he was about to be scrolled. “No, don’t scro…” Ethen didn’t have time to finish his beg as the video was sent away into the eternal void of data until someone claimed him back.

As the burglar’s eyes remained glued to the screen, the phone emitted a soft, pulsing glow, almost as if it was drawing him in. He felt an odd compulsion to keep watching, mesmerized by the rhythm of the dances, the pranks and the POV videos. He scrolled to another video, and then another, and another, diving more and more into the feed of the previous owner.

He was about to swipe out of the app when the screen flickered, displaying a pop-up message:

“Experience the Future! Try the Brand-New Update—Click Here!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey everyone, here is the first story I publish on this account. Hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as Ethan enjoy his new reality.

Let me know what you think of it and if you want to see more of this. If you have any ideas or just want to talk, feel free to send me a message, I don't bite ^^'

There is more stories to come!

[researchinggustavfrohlich]

Well, I guess I am in a very Gustavian mood today, so here are some more Metropolis goodies for you, folks! There’s one of two duplicates that I was able to find in better quality versions :-)))

As you can see from these pictures, Lang always had a very clear idea of precisely how he wanted a scene to be acted, and his directing style was all about showing the actors what they were supposed to do by doing it himself - he would always do that with Gustav and Brigitte.

And he was 100% a super attentive perfectionist, never satisfied with the first take, as Gustav knew all too well, as he told us about how physically excruciating and exhausting the shooting process was for him. It actually lasted for over a year, and it was of course a real odyssey - but well worth every single effort in the end.

Lest we forget how tough (and yet magnificent) of a process the making of this movie was for all involved!

[jumpywhumpywriter]

"The Lost Hero" - Crippled Hero Presumed Dead part 15

Warnings: crippled hero, medical whump/operating with no anesthesia, dying, choking, collapsed throat, recovery whump

Logan chewed his lip nervously in the silence that descended, watching the color slowly return to Hero's skin as oxygen started circulating again. He watched her breaths grow more even, watched Villain's tedious work. Several long minutes passed. And then it all went wrong.

Hero jerked back to life, eyes flying open as a muted cry escaped her that was no more than a huffing breath through the contraption holding her mouth and throat open. Her back arched off the table as she started panicking, struggling hard.

Her strength caught Logan off-guard, and she managed to pull one of her wrists free from his grip to desperately grab at the thing protruding from her throat.

Villain jerked his head back just barely enough to avoid being clawed in the face while keeping his hands still.

"I told you to hold her down!" He hissed. "Do not let her hands get anywhere near where I'm working. If she knocks my hands in any direction even the slightest bit I could sever an artery which would kill her in minutes."

"Sorry!" Logan was fast to snatch Hero's free wrist and pin it to the table, holding tightly as she thrashed and writhed in his grip.

Noah was having an equally hard time keeping Hero under control, he was practically laying his whole weight over her legs to keep her from kicking and flailing.

"What about her powers?" Logan asked with a jolt of realization. "Won't she zap us?”

"No, she physically can't," Villain answered, brow furrowed in concentration. "The contraption holding her airway open has a power-suppressor in it. Because it's the exact one I used to save Hero's life the first time, and I needed a way to stop her from killing me when she woke up.”

Sweat dripped down Logan's spine from the effort of keeping Hero pinned, and he had to avert his eyes guiltily when he caught a glimpse of the raw terror clouding Hero's eyes, the helpless panic. He could tell by the subtle change of her breaths the points at which she would have been screaming in pain if she had a voice, and it made his chest twist to see her suffering like this. He knew she was hurting, the agony must be excruciating for her, and there was nothing he could do but partake in allowing it to happen. Because otherwise Hero would die.

Tears rolled down Hero's face as Villain worked, meticulously removing the old device bit by bit. He pulled out at least a dozen tiny pieces of warped metal, every soundless scream from Hero followed by a bloody plink as Villain dropped the pieces into a metal collection container.

Hero's struggles started to lessen as she tired herself out, and soon all she could do was lay there and take it. The silent screaming was awful to witness, a mere hiss of air escaping her every time the pain was too much, whistling through the contraption in her throat.

"All the old parts are out," Villain finally stated. "Getting the new one in is going to be trickier. The day I made Hero's device, I was so proud of the results that I created a duplicate of it, so I could experiment with it more and use the unique design for other projects. But it's harder going in than coming out." He got up and walked off, returning with a small metal frame-like structure in one hand with a circular disk on one side.

"This disk is what rests flat against the inside of her throat, right near the vocal cords. The second disk it goes with magnetizes to it from the outside, giving her her voice." Villain sat back down and picked up the blood-stained tools he'd used to dig out the old device.

Hero's eyes widened with fear and pain as he leaned over her, before she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself.

Logan felt like he was going to be sick as he watched Villain carefully push the device deep into Hero's throat, maneuvering it into the proper position.

Hero's hands clenched tightly at her sides, and Logan could feel her arms trembling under his grip. Another muted scream tore loose from her as Villain used another specialized contraption to set the device into its permanent spot, making it so it wouldn't shift out of place.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @i-don't-know-sal @togzy

[jessread-s]

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🗝️🧚‍♀️Review:

Pearson’s adult debut is breathtaking! 

“The Courting of Bristol Keats” follows Bristol Keats as she journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Desperate to save her father, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s just as determined as she is to find her father. 

Pearson’s worlds are beautifully crafted, rife with magical creatures, atmospheric landscapes, and intriguing magic. I was immediately captivated by her lyrical prose and compelling characters. 

I particularly grew attached to Bristol, our FMC, and her strong-willed personality. She is just as in the dark about her past as readers, but is relentless in pursuing the truth, making her character fun to follow. As the novel progresses, Pearson slowly pulls the rug out from under her readers by exposing the lies Bristol was fed by her parents. Each shocking revelation left me on the edge of my seat as I anxiously awaited Bristol’s next move. 

Her entanglement with Tyghan is swoonworthy, devastating, and messy. A relationship between them is forbidden, contributing to the deliciously slow pacing as they tried to ignore their sizzling chemistry. I really enjoyed how their bickering gave way to slow dances underneath the hazelnut trees, longing glances, and intimate moments. At the same time, the closer they got, the more I felt an impending sense of doom by Tyghan’s duplicity, knowing that the secrets he keeps from her have the power to upend everything. The tension Pearson builds is near excruciating, but kept me engaged all the way through. 

The abrupt ending of this book definitely caught me by surprise. It was different than I expected, but I can’t wait to into book 2 when it hits shelves!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Hephaes: Flames of Dawn

Designer's Reflection: Flames of Dawn

Obtained: Tides and Flames hell event

Rarity: UR

Attribute: Green/Fresh

Awakened Suit: Silence of Twilight

Story - transcripts from Designer's Reflection

Chapter 1 - Birth of Starfire

Chapter 2 - Lakelight Mirage

Chapter 3 - A Time of Trial

Chapter 4 - A Moon of Change

Chapter 5 - To Ashes

Story - summarized

Hephaes was the youngest of the Elf Gods to be born. Materializing at the Tree of Life, They were greeted and blessed by all the other Elf Gods.

One stood off to the side. It was obvious that the other elves would not let this one join the ceremony. "Arionus was not born at the Tree of Life," they all said. "They are an outsider."

That didn't stop Hephaes from approaching Arionus the Water Elf. No one had ever reached out to Arionus, so this was a shock to the older Elf God. Nonetheless, They blessed Hephaes in Their own way.

As Hephaes grew in age and power, They noticed strange things surrounding Arionus - mainly that the Water Elf always disappeared during the New Moon. Determined to find the truth, Hephaes searched the depths of Lake Bovaly, where Arionus had hidden. Hephaes' power still wasn't strong enough to fight back the tides, and They almost drowned.

Arionus saved Them, scared and concerned that someone had followed Them. It turned out that Arionus was cursed with pain and darkness from the Abyss, and They were trying to deal with the curse and break it by Themself. Above all, Arionus did not want to hurt anyone.

Hephaes promised to always be there to help. Even when it came time to design the Elf Gods' Holy Instruments, Hephaes was adamant that the Holy Grail would never be used as a weapon, and instead serve like a lighthouse: it would guide the lost back home.

With their Holy Instruments in hand, Hephaes and Arionus returned to the Tree of Life, eager to start their new lives as guardians of the holy tree - Hephaes became a guardian, while the other elves still disregarded and abused Arionus as a curse and an outsider.

That didn't stop the two friends from working hard to protect the elven forest and all the creatures. But the Abyssal Power was getting worse and racking Arionus with intense, excruciating pain. Hephaes opened the pathway to the holy tree's Source Spring, where Arionus could find Their Seed of power and use it to close off the Abyss; while the Tree of Life was connected to the Ocean of Memories, it meant it was also connected to the Abyss.

But the Wind Elf saw Hephaes open the passage, and They immediately summoned the other Elf Gods. Hephaes was trapped far away from the holy tree, and by the time They broke free and rushed back to the Tree of Life, it was too late. The Elf Gods had confronted Arionus, and now Arionus was in deeper pain.

The Elf Gods blamed Hephaes for everything and tried to convince Them to kill Arionus. But They would never kill Their friend. Instead, Hephaes summoned Arionus back to the Altar of Fire, where They used the power and strength of a sun to seal both Themself and Arionus away in the Holy Grail.

Connections

-During the Moon Memories leading up to the hell event, Ophelia finds the Altar of Fire, where not just fire emits from the Holy Grail. When the young queen disappears into the Holy Grail, Arionus is released.

-The Elf Gods never let go of their bigotry. When Nikki, Momo, you, and Loen enter the meadow leading to the Tree of Life, the Wind Elf accuses you all of serving the "traitors" and tries to root you in place, just like with Hephaes.

-Neither Arionus nor Hephaes betrayed the other. Hephaes' Reflection and Arionus' Reflection Lost Tides work together to show the duplicity of the other Elf Gods: forcing the Fire Elf away, ambushing the Water Elf and telling Them they were sold out, antagonizing the issue of the Abyss, and trying to get one friend to kill the other.

-Hephaes ends Their story by deciding to share Arionus' fate, to keep Them from being alone. One of the turning points in the hell event is Hephaes deciding to use up Their Fire Seed. As the two Reflections explain, giving up one's Seed meant one would eventually become mortal. And at the end of the Tides and Flames event, both Hephaes and Arionus fade away.

-Even though the Fire and Water gods are dead, they aren't truly gone. First, Leonid's Prophecy explains that all gods go through a cycle of death and rebirth. And second, their powers and colors intertwined to create the Flower of Eberne, an important item in Love Nikki in one of Orlando's memories.

Fun Facts

-Hephaes' name is taken from the Greek god Hephaestus, who was the God of Fire and Crafting.

-The Wind Elf called Hephaes' friendship with Arionus "self-righteous" and "blind trust." If anything, Fire Elf Hephaes is the only one who saw clearly: understanding Arionus' plight, learning as much as They could about the forest, seeking solutions beyond just violence. The other elves were self-righteous, arrogant, and blindly hateful.

-Only Hephaes and Arionus get names. The other Elf Gods are just referred to by their nature element, like Rock or Wind.

-In the Reflection and event, Hephaes is presented as gender-neutral, but Their voice actor is masculine.

-The other Elf Gods claimed that Arionus was an outsider and didn't belong at the Tree of Life... but Arionus' Seed was already at the Source Spring. The Tree of Life already recognized Them as an Elf God and a guardian.

[livipode]

Deep breath in. Deep breath out

In the palm of her hand, she had nothing. Yet in the other, she could hold nothing. There was a sense of unresolved tension between limbs. From the one she still had, to the other so brutally ripped from her, torn to shreds and devoured. An experience she would not soon forget.

Yet the others cried out and filled her mind, the ones so connected to her spinal cord and mind like wire melded to metal.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

It was enlightening, shatter bones and a scream that mixed with the laughter of sanity being drained out of her. To allow more of them to consume her mind as she leaked so profusely with red and metal so imbedded in her body. Incapable of removing, only embracing. Membrane that scoured her lungs and screamed for more. More. MORE.

All it took was a push, was the right move to take it in, and release it. Or in this case, to let go of what was hers, to be embraced, to be evolved past what she might be capable. Perhaps she should thank it.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

She had been getting better and remaking limbs, enhanced and not quite the same...better. humanity was flawed in it's inability to evolve at such a fast rate. There were exceptions, of course...those with superpowers, born, given, or created. Mutants.

Yet some, with intelligence, enough to be considered a power in and of itself. It was, in a way, god or the universe's own thought experience. Humanity. Weak and feeble till proven otherwise.

Cellular membrane, aritifical, digging soon into the barely healed stump. She had thought of trying it sooner, though found it would be better to give it time, wait and see. Results were always better when the body was at it's highest, not when it was panicked and bleeding out.

Deep breath in.

It would more harder, had she only one limb, alone surrounded by bright and overly luminous LEDs...but she wasn't. Machinery with minds of its own both imbedded into her back, her spine and nervous system, as well as around the lab itself.

Some found it unnerving, she found it to be enlightening. Surrounded by technology that had learned to think, to be human.

Deep breath out.

How she felt the strings attach, like a puppet being carved open, her skin peeling back and fusing together with silicon and nanotechnology. It was enlightening, how it felt.

How it hurt. How her bones were being eaten away at the stem which had been nipped at the bud. Roots regrowing and heading towards the rest of her nerves, like a weed being purposefully thrown amidst roses. To be replaced, to be reorganized. The pain a rushing of adrenaline that made her shiver.

Deep breath in.

Becoming umbearable, like locusts biting and eating away at her flesh, the green-transparent colour filling with pale skin cells, replacing, becoming, duplicating. Red and white mixing so elegantly, then ugly...then beautifully. Pieces being laid into place like a puzzle being concluded and snapped together.

Hold.

Her lungs, her heart, it screamed to breath, it screamed yet was caught in her throat. Tentacles of her back moving out like serpents wrapping and curling as they felt it too. Her entire body a system of multiple, all feeling so excruciating. As if she would explode. As if layers of her skin were being peeled back to reveal the rudimentary yet so complicated surface of a human body.

A willing vivisection, by the creation of a symbiotic relationship. A parasitic one turned mutually beneficial.

Hold.

Skin and body trembling while nerves connected, replaced and made her eyes widen. The hue of her irises becoming so briefly vibrant and the brightest of green before reverting.

Hold.

Hold.

A growl, the release of breath soon forming from snarl and grimace of teeth to the laugh of a woman who's feeling had returned. Phantom limb so temporary now physical. How in the empty lab, her laugh echoed, tentacles splayed across the floor--how even technology could not handle the resolve of pain.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

But she could.

[darling-leech]

Number 14 for any OCs for that TES OC Interview thing! I love symbolisms!!!

OOO I LOVE LOVE LOVE Symbolisms as well! (For this TES OC Ask Interview thingy).

This'll be a long and kinda messy post, so I hope you're ready! (Also note some of these might change as I'm writing these fics that some of the characters are in, but for now, this is it).

First up!:

Eugenia Alexandra Ronec(AKA Alex)(She/Her) -

Animal Symbol - Ferret. She's Adapting, Curious, Resourceful, and above all Playful. Desires Adventures. She is basically a Ferret in a human body lol.

Flower Symbol - Snapdragons - She's deceptive/devious, but also can be elegant and graceful.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Magician and The Wheel of Fortune.

Eistir-Alyce Ronec(She/Her) -

Animal Symbol - Aardvark. She's Introverted/Solitary, Mysterious, and Perseveres. She learns to be more strong during the events of my Greymoor Chapter/Markarth DLC Fic(Alex helps her).

Flower Symbols -

Weeping Willow - Grief, Resilience, and Hope. She grieves what she went thru but is resilient and has hope(Especially towards the end of said Fic).

Wolfsbane - Misanthropy. Although, Alex helps her out alot, she still has a severe distrust of others, and is very nihilistic if you will.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Hermit and The Hanged Man.

Cecilia Gigi Anaelle Ronec(She/Her)(One of my The Vestiges for Elder Scrolls Online) -

Animal Symbol - American Black Vulture. Bringer of Death/Rebirth, Transformation(fitting because she's a necromancer), and a Protecter(she's a Mother so there's that).

Flower Symbol - Belladonna - Death. (Again Necro lol).

Major Arcana Tarot - Death and The Tower.

Elysabet Petronia Ronec(She/Her) -

Animal Symbol - Brown Recluse Spider. She's Reclusive, Patient, and Persists. She trusts her ability to web her own way thru life. Also fitting because she's a devout Mephala worshipper.

Flower Symbols -

Crown Imperial. She is a mother(to Cecilia and her siblings) and grandmother, she is majestic and powerful. She is a living/royal legacy of her mother and to House Ronec. Also abit tragic, with hardships she's endured.

Cinquefoil. Beloved daughter/child. Maternal Affection. She may not be a very conventional Grandmother/Mother, but she still loves her children/grandchildren.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Moon and The High Priestess.

Nilviidostvith(They/Them)(A Rogue Dragon Priest that worships Namira and somewhat of Peryite)(One of the Antagonists in my Greymoor chapter/Markarth DLC fic, Sea of Corpses) -

Animal Symbol -

Jackal - Abandonment, Loneliness, and Desolation(This is what Nil does to people). They are cunning and duplicity. They are a Trickster. They embody a slow and excruciating Death(Like Poison).

Flower Symbols -

Bilberry - Treachery Rhododendron - Danger, beware, I am dangerous Black Rose - Death, hatred, despair, sorrow, mystery, danger, obsession Fungus - Resilience, loneliness, solitude, disgust

Major Arcana Tarot - The Tower.

Hevnothur(She/He/They)(Head Dragon Priest in charge over all other Dragon priests)(Alduin is their Dragon Patron)(Secondary Antagonist in my Skyrim fic, Tempus Edax Rerum) -

Animal Symbol - Black Dragonfish. She's the embodiment of Ferocity, Power, and Strength. He goes thru alot of Personal Growth and Transformation towards the end of Tempus Edax Rerum(My Skyrim fic). They're a very complex person.

Flower Symbol -

Arnica - "Let me heal thy grief" Asphodel - Death, the underworld; "my regrets follow you to the grave, remembered beyond the tomb Love Lies Bleeding - Hopelessness, not heartless These are technically more represent Hevnothur's grief for her Mother and Sister and willingness to go to great lengths to brind them back, then themselves tho. Rue - Regret, sorrow, repentance, grace, clear vision; disdain. Hevnothur's goes thru alot of these emotions during Tempus Edax Rerum.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Tower and Judgement. Can be seen as Death as well.

Einar Kennet Viggo(He/Him)(My First and Main The Last Dragonborn) -

Animal Symbol - Grizzly Bear. Courageous, Strong, and Protector. He appreciates personal freedom and independence.

Flower Symbols -

Bog-rosemary - Bound by fate/"Will you help me?"

Blackthorn - Fate, protection, hope against adversity, good fortune; difficulty

- Basically more-ore-less what Tempus Edax Rerum(My skyrim fic) is about lol. So this is the default for each and every TLD I have.

Oak Leaf - He is Brave and Strong.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Chariot.

Tuva Lovise Viggo(She/Her)(Second Main The Last Dragonborn) -

Animal Symbol - Polar Bear - She's Determined and Patient. She shows gratitude and Immense Inner Strength.

Flower Symbols -

Bog-rosemary - Bound by fate/"Will you help me?"/Blackthorn - Fate, protection, hope against adversity, good fortune; difficulty(Basically more-ore-less what Tempus Edax Rerum(My skyrim fic) is about lol. So this is the default for each and every TLD I have.)

Oak Leaf - She is Brave and Strong.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Chariot.

Keres(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Platypus. She's Adaptable, Curious, and Intuitive. She's learns to be more Individualist and accepting herself and others.

Flower Symbol -

Yarrow - Healing; War. She survived a not one war(She's in BOTH Greymoor Chapter/Markarth DLC Fic and my Skyrim Fic) but two. She is learning to heal.

Major Arcana Tarot - The World.

Laika(He/Him)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Basset Hound(Ironic I know for a Khajiit). He is Determined, Kind, and Stubborn. He shows great tenacity against odds and is loyal to his loved ones.

Flower Symbol -

Gladiolus - Strength of character, honor, conviction, generosity; ready armed. He's very much like this.

Major Arcana Tarot - Death.

Amartya(He/Him)(AU The Vestige in ESO and AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Scorpion. He's Protective, Solitary, and Independent.

Flower Symbol -

Love-in-a-mist - You puzzle me, perplexity. He's not one to open up to alot of people and is very dead-panned faced, so puzzling for sure.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Hermit and Strength.

Lokelani(She/Her)(AU The Vestige and AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Bee - She's a very hard-worker, Selfless, and is very Generous. She's able to focus and make great teamwork.

Flower Symbols -

Baby's breath - Innocence, purity of heart Meadowsweet - Beauty, happiness, peace, protection; uselessness

Major Arcana Tarot - The Empress.

Ryu(He/Him)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Griffin - He is Courageous and Bold. Also very Majestic and Prestigious. A small mighty Alfiq-raht.

Flower Symbol -

Delphinium - Flight of Fancy. He is a very fancy lad.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Hierophant and Strength.

Lauralei Eos Hollowgrace(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Hyena - She is ferocious and clever. VERY opportunistic. Girlboss™.

Flower Symbol -

Enchanter's Nightshade - Spells, witchcraft, sorcery.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Magician.

Ildikó Jadis Orme(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Anaconda - Determined and Patient. She finds new ways to have Inner Strength and Healing, even in unconventional ways.

Flower Symbol -

Jasmine - Unconditional and eternal love Juniper - Asylum, protection Bellflower - Unwavering love, a constant heart Borage - Bluntness, abruptness Queen Anne's Lace - Haven, sanctuary; complexity, delicateness Enchanter's Nightshade - Spells, witchcraft, sorcery

She's basically saint to the sinners, addicts, etc etc.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Devil.

Russell Matteus-Trygg Becken(He/Him)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbols -

Harris's Hawk - Clear vision, Intuition, and the ability to rise above challenges. Above all, He appreciates teamwork, community, and collaboration.

Wombat - He's resourceful and and endures alot. His parents saw him as "dumb" and a "drain on resources".

Flower Symbols -

Black-eyed Susan - Justice Dandelion - Overcoming hardship; faithfulness.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Sun.

Elpida(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Albino/White Moose - Benevolence, Passionate, and ability to navigate through life's challenges with grace. She is pretty damn good healer as well, so that's a pretty sacred job.

Flower Symbol -

Sage - Health, wisdom, respect; domestic virtue; esteem

Major Arcana Tarot - Temperance.

Melinoe Arce-Euphelia Quéméner(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Dung Beetle - symbolized growth, rebirth, and development. She goes thru alot of development.

Flower Symbol -

Bleuet de France/Cornflower - Solidarity with veterans, victims of war, widows, and orphans.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Moon.

Eiluned Lorelai Reinhold(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbols -

Rinkhal Snake or Sunbeam Snake -

Rinkhal Snake in the way she became a Vampire(So she feign death) and the being the oldest triplet, so she's like the protector of them.

Sunbeam Snake in the way of shedding of old ways to begin something new(New found form and clarity).

Flower Symbols -

Coronilla - "Success crown your wishes" House Reinhold motto and flower. Dame's Violet - Watchfulness. Eldest Daughter Syndrome™.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Emperor.

Eidyth Lilita Reinhold(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Hummingbird - Love, Joy, and Peace. Trustable. Seen as a Messenger. Always looks out for new possibilities in everything.

Flower Symbols -

Coronilla - "Success crown your wishes" House Reinhold motto and flower. General Daisy - loyal love, gentleness, innocence; womanly truth, purity, fidelity, and patient endurance;

Major Arcana Tarot - The High Priestess.

Eanid Lachesis Reinhold(She/Her and They/Them)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbols -

Albino Burmese Python and Hedgehog.

Albino Burmese Python because firstly, her Staff/Cane and her color scheme. Purity and Innocence(She's more "pure" and innocent the her sisters. Hidden Power(Not really hidden, but some people question them cuz they're blind).

Hedgehog because she is hard-working and seen as magical.

Flower Symbols -

Coronilla - "Success crown your wishes" House Reinhold motto and flower. Snowdrop - Consolation or hope; Youthful love and simplicity, hope and friendship in adversity purity, humility, and innocence; friend in need Stonecrop - Tranquility

Major Arcana Tarot - The Empress.

Callyope Galerion(She/Her)(Au The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

White Cat. Curious, Elegant yet Mischievous, and Magical. She loves her creativity and makes life more "cozy".

Flower Symbol -

Honeysuckle - Devoted and generous affection; bonds of love. Callyope loves making friends and such.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Fool.

Ophelia Achelois Trahan(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Death's Head Hawk Moth(or I guess any moth really?). She's cautious, mysterious, can be Nihilistic, and seen as an omen(some say bad others say good). She has similar vibes to Senua from the Hellblade game series. Ophelia has been thru it™. Like Senua her mental illnesses and religion sorta go hand in hand(they play off of each other).

Flower Symbol -

Purple Hydrangea - A desire to deeply understand someone. Ophelia is a very complex teen,

Major Arcana Tarot - The Wheel of Fortune.

Helje Bal(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin)(Also the descendant of Lamae Bal) -

Animal Symbol -

Crow - As some people see Crows as a bad omen/bad luck, people saw her as bad luck(Mostly because of her being related to Lamae Bal and Helje being good at magic so young; she's 7). BUT, after being with the rest of my Dragonborns, she becomes more of a Good Luck symbol. She's very brave and intelligent.

Flower Symbols -

Winged Seeds(any kind) - Messengers Witch-hazel - A Magic Spell

Major Arcana Tarot - Justice.

Blayne Empusa Cytheris(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Red Panda. Compromises, Gentle, Sensitive, and Patient. Symbol of originality and nonconformity. She tries to stay calm in every situation.

Flower Symbol -

Wallflower - Changless affection and fidelity in misfortune.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Magician.

Coralee Shyloh-Pinelopi Synclair(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Phoenix. Strong, Resilient, and a Powerful Figure. Symbol of Hope.

Flower Symbol -

General Iris - Eloquence, good news, light; faith, valor, wisdom, friendship; a message. She overcame her darkness.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Chariot.

Padma(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Cougar - She's decisive and can act as a leader.

Flower Symbols -

Lotus - For one before her name means Lotus, and she is also strong and resilient. Padma grew up in Kahjiiti culture, which I feel like talks alot about rebirth and what not, so there's that too.

Magnolia - Perseverance, love of nature, nobility

Major Arcana Tarot - The High Priestess.

Ariel Noa-Messody Mirrormont(She/Her and He/Him)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Eagle. She inspires people, is spiritual, Free Spirit, and above all shines like the sun. Definitely is the embodiment of wisdom and light; what any Auri-El worshipper strives to be.

Flower Symbols -

Queen Anne's Lace - Haven, sanctuary; complexity, delicateness

Bird of Paradise Flower - Liberty, magnificence, good perspective, joyfulness; faithfulness

Major Arcana Tarot - The Sun and Strength.

Jenesis Terra Solheim(She/They)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Koi fish(More specifically the Butterfly Koi). Goes with the flow. Pours her heart and soul into everything. Tries keeping Harmony and Peace. Loves her friends and family, and overcomes anything she sets her heart to.

Flower Symbol -

Orange Orchid - Pride, enthusiasm, and boldness.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Wheel of Fortune and Death.

Daleia Amrita Allaire(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol - Jerboa Mouse - She is quick on her feet and is witty.

Flower Symbol -

Edelweiss - Chivalrous devotion, high courage; daring, noble purity.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Empress.

Addison(They/Them)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Stoat - They USUALLY have ability to navigate through tricky situations with grace and agility.

Flower Symbol -

Coreopsis - Always cheerful.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Star.

Yinuo(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Tiger - She is cunning, courage, and powerful.

Flower Symbol -

Black Tulip - Power, Strength, Supreme Elegance.

Major Arcana Tarot - Strength.

Orithyia/Vodahmin(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin)(Also a Dragon Priest) -

Animal Symbol -

Magpie. Adapting, Deceptive, Intelligent, but highly superstitious.

Flower Symbol -

Schinus - Religious enthusiasm. She's religious.

Red Spiderlily - abandonment, loss, separation. Vodahmin in the Dragon Language means Unremembered/Forgotten, So I guess you could say she was abandoned and has severe abanondment issues.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Hermit.

Casey-Beau Septim(She/Her)(AU The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin)(Direct Descendant of Potema Septim) -

Animal Symbol -

Raccoon - She's Adaptable, Clever, Resourceful, and Cunning Intelligence.

Flower Symbol -

Thorn-apple - Disguise, deceitful charms.

Major Arcana Tarot - The Hierophant?

Twyla Tala-Topanga Tansy(She/Her)(AU The Vestige in ESO, Hero of Kvatch/Champion of Cyrodiil, Nerevarine/The Incarnate, and The Last Dragonborn/Dovahkiin) -

Animal Symbol -

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly -

Flower Symbols -

Himalayan Blue Poppy - Potential, possibilities, psychic skills Holly - Foresight

Major Arcana Tarot - The Wheel of Fortune.

[hellstobetsy]

Hussie himself explaining why he eventually stopped that insane schedule:

Let me put it this way. You may work a full time job. It may be that something happens in your life that makes your job more difficult, because you are preoccupied. Your work may suffer to some extent, but you can still approximately match what's expected of you, because there is a partition between your job and your home life. You may nevertheless feel your full time job seems to dominate your existence, saps your energy, and leaves your weekend respites feeling all too short. This is not an experience I share, because MSPA is not a full time job. If you have such a job, then I would have to RADICALLY REDUCE my workload to match your level of day to day preoccupation. The actual quantities involved have always been nebulous and I never made a point of keeping track, but 12 hours per day seems like a pretty reasonable average, since that is just shy of all waking hours. Time spent writing, drawing, animating, or just spacing out at my monitor while contemplating all the moving parts. This is what I did every day, including weekends and holidays, for two years, and to some extent another year prior to that with Problem Sleuth. Only a few weekends were missed due to conventions, and there was a single week off immediately following the infamous "robo smooch", and that's it. (Most of that week was spent wondering why the hell I wasn't updating…) There are other gaps in the archive, spanning days or a week, when I was animating. Those spans involved the usual work schedule, while simply omitting sleep! Not only is this an unreasonable workload to expect of anyone, it's practically impossible to pull it off. Maybe you can expect some committed guy out there to really buckle down and duplicate that effort for a month or two. But years? Too much can crop up in the white noise of normal life to destabilize it. Momentum is absolutely crucial for maintaining that kind of pace. I find that if I only do an hour of work in a day, I get ten minutes of work done. If I do 12 hours of work, I seem to get 24 hours of work done. This is especially true of animation. Such projects notoriously take a very long time. I feel like because of the crazy head of steam I've built up from years of nonstop effort, I can knock out in days something that might take another animator a week. Or in a week what might take a month. Without that momentum, it's not possible. Starting up Flash cold is excruciating. Getting your head back into the stride of a story wastes energy you wouldn't use if you never broke stride. Without the momentum, the pace reverts to ordinary. Getting distracted by life destroys the momentum. I've been pretty zealous about deflecting the distractions, even when I move, as I often do. A notable example was last year when I came back from the Emerald City con in Seattle, and found my apartment flooded. The con was already enough of a time sink, so I didn't have much of an appetite for going into personal crisis mode. I just kind of shrugged, picked my computer off the lone, miraculously dry part of the floor, dropped it in a temporary residence, and kept drawing. I think the flood mess occupied about a day of my attention, whereas something like that could easily take up weeks of your time and energy if you're living that "normal life". You know how it is, you come home and find water up to your ankles and go aw fuck, what's ruined, what needs replacing, gotta call whoever and deal with the fuckin landlord about stuff and auuuugh. I just didn't bother with any of that, because it just didn't seem to matter, and I preferred to keep working and not give a crap about all my soggy bullshit. And in retrospect, I guess it really didn't matter.

It's always a trip seeing post-Homestuck webcomics try to emulate Homestuck's narrative structure without understanding that Homestuck's narrative structure only worked because of its extremely rapid update schedule. Like, yeah, you've got the whole elaborate acts-within-acts thing going on, but your comic has been running for nine years and you just hit the halfway mark on Act 1; I think maybe some reassessment is in order!

[anendoandfriendo]

Stellaris is funny sometimes, we think.

[Two metaphorical avians, allegorically struck down by an imaginary projectile.]

Seriously, sometimes you can't make this shit up, the names are completely randomized outside of choosing a set for said names:

[Event Chain: Shrines to the Old Gods

After days of careful, and at times excruciating effort, Science Officer Provides-Polymers has retrieved the Doctrine of the Undaunted: a humble textile scroll coated with a sturdy plastic polymer. The scroll has been brought back to the ISS Prospect for further analysis.]

Provides-Polymers has in fact provided polymers we guess! 😆

Like, did we choose the hivemind names without making the space empire we're playing to be a gestalt consciousness?

Yes. Yes we did. Because you can't get any more system-like than this lol, not with that kind of name:

[A grey-furred, anthropomorphic fennec fox. When you look at the name of the fennec fox, its name and title are "Images-In-Duplicate, Head of Research" within the Stellaris game.]

[adiabolikpastel]

I'm not sure if you got the question I sent you the other day, so I'll send it again, (I hope this doesn't bother you, if so ignore this 😣).

If really this guy Carnelian was so dangerous and powerful as to make all the clans make an alliance to kill him, how do you imagine a battle between Karlheinz, Burai, Ajax and the king of the Wolf clan vs Carnelian? I guess it would be a fucking epic fight, because I can even imagine Alrick, Alexander and Shu helping their fathers in battle! Even MC/Yui could give them blood since from what I know, Cordelia's blood is like an elixir that heals and makes the one who drinks it more powerful.

Oh gosh! I sorry, tumblr must have eaten it! I am happy that you sent this in again, since I didn't get it before. You will never bother me with ask~ always feel free to send them in!

First off, thank you so much for mentioning him by name! I am so honored that you remembered and even used Alexander in your ask! Ah, it means a lot to me that you know his name and that you see him in the blog. Thank you for that!

Okay the rest will be under the cut, I just needed to get that out! Thank you for this ask I love these world building ask! I have also reached out to @the-sloth-woman to ensure facts for her characters.

How do you imagine a battle between Karlheinz, Burai, Ajax and the king of the Wolf clan vs Carnelian?

I think that this battle - at least for the cannon in my own universe of Excruciating Duplicity - would serve as a catalyst for what is to come. From what I have seen / been told about the Carnelian Blood story line - it feels like some kind of battle is what it is trying to lead up to. Putting a fight between all of the major demon lords vs. Carnelian in the near coming future.

To that extent - I don't think it would only fall to Shu, Alrick and Alexander (as well as the Wolf's son! - Eberto perhaps is that was his son). At least not for our DL cannon boys. It will probably be something that needs all of the Sakamaki / Mukami / Tsukinami boys to be apart of - because it would most definitely involve Yui.

The battle itself, is hard to say. From the bits of information that I have learned about Carnelian himself (which BTW, the tragedy of this man, my goodness he's been through it), I don't think that he would have the man power to do a big war like battle. He barely has the 5 sons - unless he comes up with a way to amass an army. So to that, I think it would come down to a literal 4v1 situation.

Where Burai, Karl, Ajax & Gottfried (dead in cannon, but so is Burai - we play with the timeline here), are fighting Carnelian and the boys are fighting his sons. If there were any armies or followers outside of his son's that is where Alexander, Alrick & Eberto would come in - along with any other siblings from the Adlers or soldiers.

As far as Yui's involvement, because I know she is technically the MC of the cannon - I am sure Carnelian will either take her or she will be simply support for the boy of her choice. I don't think she herself will do much, but she would be present. Idk if she would be conscious though. I can see Callista there as well, doing her part to either keep Yui safe once returned to the 'heros' or there for support.

But this battle would be one for the older generation, and what is most important for it in my cannon would be the affect it has moving forward.

The Catalyst

I believe that it would be from this battle that Gottfried would die. Out of all the lords, he would be the one to fall - and it would be Ajax's fault that it happened. While I am not sure what his royal bird brain does, it is form this that the major war begins to stem.

Burai, while not particularly close with anyone, is upset by the loss of Gottfried. Whether that be from not liking his son Eberto who follows after him - or simply the fact that once again Ajax proves to be worthless (probably more this reason). This battle, while won, spells the end of the old regime.

[calveesmain]

Eye apligned Leitner concept

An ordinary book, foe leather black cover with the word 'Journal' in large white letters. The pages are all blank, lined paper. Just an ordinary journal. A n ordinary journal that compells it's owner to write down everything in excruciating detail. Every drop of guilt or insecurity gets pulled from the owner into the journal. It feels good. Like your getting it off your chest. All the things you can't say to your family or friends finally have a place to be.

Until one day. You find one of its pages on the bus. Sitting neatly in a seat, available for anyone to read.

You snatch up the page and look it over. It's definitely from your journal. It's your handwriting. You remember writing it, but when you open the book the original page is still there. This is a. Duplicate? A copy?

It starts to happen more though

You find one sitting on your coworkers desk.

You find a page taped to a telephone pole by your house

You find a page tucked into a neighbor's screen door.

But you can't stop writing in the journal.

[ramtracking]

Woman with Arousal Disorder Has a 'Duplicate' Vagina [ Persistent genital arousal disorder ]

Woman with Arousal Disorder Has a ‘Duplicate’ Vagina [News Summary] After living nearly her entire life in “pain” from Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, an art student, 21, says doctors discovered her… A 21-year-old woman in the United States recently opened up about the reality of living with an excruciating rare medical condition which… A 21-year-old US student has shared her struggles with…

[retrograderesemblance]

Dear Miss Wynter,

In truth, I expected no further correspondence from yourself so to receive your written permission has granted me much gladness.

I believe I've made myself misunderstood on the topic of unicorns for my beliefs are quite the contrary. Speeches of such creatures is far preferred to discussions of politics or tenant farming.

I don't wish to make it a habit of visiting the Pleinsworths but if I were to return know it would only be for your company rather than your employers. You were not with us at dinner the evening of the visit so I'm sure you were spared the excruciating details insinuated at the event. The purpose of my visit was simply that: a visit. However, it appears your more delicate of employers believed the errand to have underlying motives, especially in regard to the eldest of your pupils.

Your letter alone proves I've made myself misunderstood in trivial matters and I fret to think how else I may have improperly displayed my intentions over the course of that visit. The sherry, for example. I don't much care for the beverage, but it was my drink of choice that day because of its ability to be readily available. It seemed a dramatic thing, disturbing the servants. As we are both well aware, an enquiry of tea is little ever left at just a teacup and saucer. An uttered request and like with the feeding of the multitude, trays of sandwiches and biscuits and petit four would have duplicated before our very eyes -- not a poor idea by any means, I much prefer desserts to fish and loaves. Since returning home, I seem to have difficulty of expressing my mind.

Since you are generous enough to offer a view of your window during your penning, I'll do the same. It's night when I write to you now but when I look out and when I can ignore the glare of candlelight cast on the windowpanes, the skies are clear. I can't see the stars from here nor the moon from my angle in the estate, but even in the darkness, all looks still and peaceful. I've only ever visited the colonies, but my time there leaves me convinced that every countryside looks the same.

Your friend,

John Graves

Postscript: Thank you for the included poem! I've heard several of the lines before though never in context; it was pleasurable to see the full work. Are you familiar with Samuel Johnson? I don't pretend to be an admirer of his work, though tonight's stillness brings to mind his poem about autumn. I wish it was autumn, in fact. Is that a foolish thought? Alas! with swift and silent pace, Impatient time rolls on the year; The Seasons change, and Nature's face Now sweetly smiles, now frowns severe.

Dear Mister Graves,

I admit your letter comes as a surprise, but not an unwelcomed one by any stretch of the imagination. Your words are a comfort on this rainy day, where all the light seems to hide behind lowly, dark clouds. If I am allowed to be candid, I confess I was rather disappointed by how short our first meeting seemed to be. But I'm glad to know that my company was not abhorrent enough to make you cease all contact. I rather enjoyed chatting with you, so I find myself overjoyed to be given the opportunity once again.

If I'm reading your words correctly, do you mean to say that you do not spend your days dreaming of unicorns? I can hardly believe such a notion. You seemed like such a dreamer, Mister Graves. Alas, it appears I shall withhold my own overflowing adoration for such mythical beasts. But, jokes aside, I do agree that it can be rather difficult to find common ground with most people, regardless of age. Sometimes I even fear I might be swiftly approaching insanity with how oft my days are spent corralling little ladies around like sheep.

As for your gift, I am flattered by your generosity and such kindness for a lowly governess as myself. I promise to take great care of the copy you've sent, and I will read it with an open heart. Perhaps, the next time you visit the Pleinsworth estate, we may be allowed to discuss your opinions over tea. Or sherry, if that's your drink of choice.

Since you asked, I regret to inform you that I am dreadfully feminine when it comes to my reading preferences. I often find myself drawn to tales of romance and poetic recollections of love, a glimpse into a life I will never dare to live. I understand if you hold little interest for such things, for I know most men care not for such girlish sentiments. However, if you are at all interested, I would be delighted to send you some of my favourite poems in a future letter.

I hope my response reaches you well, Mister Graves. I would very much like to keep in touch with you, so I grant you express permission to write as many letters as you'd like. I will read them eagerly, tenderly, and respond in turn. For now, I shall leave you with a simple gift, a token of my gratitude, a favored poem of mine in exchange.

Your friend,

Anne Wynter

Love lives in sleep, 'Tis happiness of healthy dreams Eve’s dews may weep, But love delightful seems.

[mina1818]

What It Must Be Like to Time Travel

A wretched agonizing pain.

You feel like every cell is being ripped from the other. Probably because it is. Stretching duplicating reforming displacing deleting then all over again. Imagine every bone breaking. But within every bone is ten more that can break. A thousand more ligaments that can separate from the fibers holding them together. You expect to see your own blood flooding before your eyes but instead your eyes see nothing but a kaleidoscope of colors varying rapidly, and increasing speed as your pain multiplies. Which is almost as mentally painful as it is physically painful. 

When there’s that much pain all you want is darkness.

Complete and total emptiness. 

But instead your brain fires faster. More colors. Shorter timing. More shapes flashing behind your closed lids. And with it comes the fleeting thoughts. Of nothing in particular but of everything all at once. As soon as you try to catch a thought it flies from you and another enters the foreground. Everything all at once. From what did she mean when she said she'd had enough? To why did I chose to live. To why did I chose this city for... did I make it to... I’m not in there... what was I... that didn’t hap-…

The most excruciating 20 minutes of your life. But that’s it, just 20 minutes.

Then

You’re there

You’re anywhere

And god

It’s so worth it.

..

Join my patreon for more!!!

[arizonapestcontrol]

Scorpion Pest Issue for Our Pets

On the off chance that the Valley is known for two family pets, it bark scorpions. A few areas are overwhelmed with these bugs. Each presents its own difficulties.

The Arizona Bark Scorpion, obviously, is notable for its horrendously venomous sting. Drawn to citrus organic product trees, rooftop rodents can move into your home rapidly.

In this article, we'll survey the risks that bark scorpions posture to felines and canines, and what you ought to do assuming you view them as either in your home.

What to do on the off chance that your pet is stung by a scorpion

In the event that you've at any point been stung by an Arizona Bark Scorpion, you know exactly the way in which excruciating the experience can be for a completely developed human. For your pet, the side effects are frequently duplicated because of their lower body weight.

While scorpion stings are seldom lethal for dogs and cats, you ought to take your pet to the crisis vet quickly in the event that you know or think they have been stung by a scorpion.

Dogs and scorpions

While certain property holders train their dogs to stay away from diamondbacks, there's no identical preparation for bark scorpions. All things considered, they don't have that unmistakable clatter to caution off dogs.

Your pet may be interested in the scorpion. Similarly as with most things, they will more often than not lead with their nose, leaving them defenseless against a stinging strike from the undermined bark scorpion.

When stung, you'll probably hear your canine making agonizing howls. On the off chance that they are stung on a paw, they might endeavor to clean the injury. In the event that stung on their nose, they might take a stab at covering it.

As you're getting your canine into the vehicle to go to the vet's office, watch for side effects. This could incorporate unreasonable slobbering, a failure to stand, worked breathing, expanded eyes, or different side effects you'd connect with an unfavorably susceptible response.

Cats and scorpions

Here is a metropolitan legend you could have heard at some point: cats are insusceptible to scorpion toxin. This simply isn't correct — it's a scorpion legend.

What is valid is that felines are better, somewhat talking, at keeping away from scorpion stings than canines are. Their spryness permits them to evade tail strikes, and their great vision — particularly around evening time when scorpions are dynamic — assists them with either keeping away from or chasing scorpions who are themselves on the chase.

Most felines consider bark scorpions to be prey. Your feline may warily move toward the scorpion and bat at it, attempting to push it over. Assuming they effectively kill the scorpion, they might actually attempt to eat it. It's not unbelievable for wild felines in that frame of mind to get and consume scorpions.

While your feline could see the scorpion as prey, its sting is still extremely risky. In the event that you see your feline going to draw in a scorpion, snatch it and set it aside in one more space while you manage the scorpion. Never permit your feline to play with or eat the scorpion.

Dissimilar to canines, felines tend to not straightforwardly show shortcomings or agony. Whenever stung, your feline will probably attempt to conceal someplace it has a real sense of security. It might start having side effects, like weakness, retching, and trouble relaxing.

You'll have to painstakingly get your feline, load it into the transporter, and take it to the vet for treatment quickly.

If your pets or your homes are suffering due to pest issues, call, "AZ Pest" a reputed Tucson Pest Control agency in AZ for safe extermination.