#I mean very light spoilers but you might wonder

[probablygayattorneys]

Same energies

[donvampiro]

hello! I was wondering if you could write something with the monster trio+law with a clairvoyant reader where she can’t tell ghosts from real people and she sees ghosts on there ships and just starts freaking out cause they still retain the look of when they died. Please and thank u!

hii Anon! hope you’re doing well :) this is a very interesting concept! i really enjoyed writing these HCs. careful though because, as stated in my rules post, it’s max 3 chars when it comes to requests. but maybe you’re new to my blog so it’s totally fine Anon, don’t worry ❤️ i still added Law because i feel like this request really fits him indeed hehe. in any case, hope this post will meet your expectations! Love <3

MASTERLIST - Welcome

***

'Shadows of the past'

Monster trio & Law x (clairvoyant) fem!reader

Warning: mention of death & mourning, physical injuries & blood. contains some spoilers (Marineford ; Dressrosa) as well btw

Monkey D. Luffy

tbh i think Luffy would find your powers kinda cool at first, like he wouldn’t immediately get the measure of your concerns and the harm that your visions might cause you, particularly in their tragic, even traumatic nature

every time he'd hear you scream or saw you shudder, seized by fear because you thought you were meeting a “real” person whose body was more or less in good condition, he’d quickly comfort you, offering you a big smile and patting your back or your shoulder with a gentleness that is always reserved for you.

‘c’mon, (y/n), no need to be afraid! think about saying hello to those people instead. oh! say hello to them from me too!’

Luffy’s carefreeness about your natural gifts wouldn’t last forever though. it would only be after a very concrete event that he’d realize the weight on your shoulders that your power can be on a daily basis. in short, he would need a kind of trigger.

maybe it would happen while you’re both sitting on the deck of the Sunny, taking some time for yourselves and stargazing after a nice meal, a little celebration, who knows. smiling, Luffy seems somewhat lost in thought though. his hand is soft yet slightly calloused as it envelops yours in a comfortable silence; but as you’d turn to him, you couldn’t hold back a gasp, more vocal than you’d have liked, and Luffy would instantly turn to you, alerted.

‘(y/n)? what’s up with ya? everything’s okay?’

it was the first time you saw that while looking at your captain for some reason. you saw him, yes, next to Luffy — this bloodstained individual, covered in wounds, and whose cheekbones, although magnificently freckled, could not, however, soften the sight of his fiercely pierced abdomen. his mouth is dripping with blood but his smile is peaceful as he looks at Luffy, before your eyes meet.

your own heart drums facing his stopped one. you know who he is. of course you do. how could you not know? Luffy has told you about him so many times, in that voice that now made you question whether to answer, tell your captain what you're seeing or not. but your ragged breath, bulging eyes, and the light film of sweat coating your face leave you little room for hesitation as Luffy grabs your shoulder and shakes it lightly.

‘hey (y/n). are you seeing things again? tell me.’

reveal the truth in a low voice and you��ll see Luffy’s eyebrows furrow, in an expression that mixes all the emotions in existence. his eyes are lost in the void of his thoughts for a second before looking all around him, searching and calling his brother, finding you.

‘he’s here?! like, where? behind me? can you talk to him? wait, do you think he can still eat like, real food? or ghost food? i’m sure Sanji knows how to make ghost food anyway. i mean, we could have another meal so he can be with us! oh, and tell him that i—’

he talks a lot and his eyes are glassy, ​​with a tearful glint that doesn’t escape your gaze despite his huge smile. you stifle your own sobs, feeling the weight of Luffy’s grief as you see Ace’s ghost disappear into the starry night, in a painfully soft gaze. you shake your head in a sorry sigh, and your captain almost automatically stops speaking. his smile fades away — there’s no need to say more. he contemplates you for a moment, before lowering his head slightly and caging you in a long, silent hug.

that night, Luffy understood the weight of your powers, understood your fears. the ashes of the past were indeed frightening.

Roronoa Zoro

really, Zoro can’t help but be puzzled every time he sees you freaking out like this, shouting about how there’s such and such corpses wandering on the deck of the ship or the streets of some island where you and the crew made a stopover. the swordsman would never delve too deeply into your emotions when they’re negative; not that he’s not interested, but that he prefers to keep things simple between you two and avoid making you overthink.

still, he would always try to reassure you, and he’d do so assertively — without digressions or innuendos — but always wanting to make things easier for you and so that you’d no longer have to worry about seeing these deceased people, more alive than ever in your eyes though.

‘there’s no reason to be so scared, (y/n). these guys are no longer among us, they won’t hurt you. i wouldn’t let them anyway.’

his tone was gruff, but you knew better. Zoro was always protective of you, and you were grateful, but it wasn’t that simple. meeting lifeless gazes, looking at bloodied, weakened, sick or whatever bodies — you were seeing bereavement and pain personified all around you, almost every day, and you couldn’t shake your fears, despite your best efforts and the swordsman’s reassuring words.

this is why your sleep would be regularly stolen by these bloodstained specters wandering around, and today would be no exception, even if you’re snuggled up to Zoro — who seems deeply asleep. it was he who had suggested a nap together, to calm you down, but obviously the task was more difficult than expected.

despite your eyes being firmly closed, sealed so as not to see these presences you were feeling, you couldn't help but fidget, scared. in order to calm yourself down, you decided to get up and go get a glass of water in the kitchen. you stepped out of the cabin and the air was mild. everything was (very) surprisingly peaceful, and you took the time to enjoy the moment as you filled your glass, before slowly heading back to the cabin.

but as you open the door, you’re greeted not by Zoro’s sleeping figure, but by a bloodstained and destroyed body, which finally passes through you to continue on its way. terror makes you drop your glass and it crashes right into the cabin entrance as you scream.

the swordsman is jolted from his sleep and instantly turns to you, his gaze alert as he reaches for his swords — but you stop him, pointing at the broken glass dotting the floor; and your shaky voice immediately makes him understand what happened.

Zoro sighs and leaves the bed for a moment to come and get you, dodging the shards of glass before finally picking you up and carrying you, so that you both collapse on the bed, never breaking your embrace. he can feel your heart pounding in your chest as he whispers in your ear.

‘saw sordid stuff again?’

his voice is calm as your respective eyes meet. his gaze is stern, focused, attentive. you nod, and it’s in a — sweet, only for you — whisper that he concedes that it can’t be easy every day. maybe you need to talk about it more than he thought, after all. Zoro tightens his embrace around you, petting your hair as he lets a comfortable silence settle, before questioning you in a solemn yet uncertain tone.

‘hey, by any chance… have you ever seen, like, in your visions… a young girl with a sword?’

Vinsmoke Sanji

Sanji would be a great listener and always there to reassure you when your visions frighten you. he would empathize and understand the weight your powers can represent; so you can count on him to give you all the affection and consideration you need.

he is supportive. his goal would be to make sure that you don’t feel alone in the middle of all these more or less bloodstained ghosts, so that, whenever fear seizes you, he can be there to comfort you and bring you back to the world of the living.

in that sense, it would probably lead you to be more comfortable with your powers and to be able to talk about them more openly. you would be less afraid. and it’s sitting in the kitchen while Sanji is busy at his stove that you’d talk about this and that, your voice a sweet melody for the attentive ears of the cook.

‘you know, i’ve already seen ghosts around you.’

��� ‘ah? they should be more interested in you, (y/n)-chwan, you’re so much prettier.’, he’d reply, and you could hear the smile on his face.

you couldn’t stifle a laugh. with Sanji, things always seemed less dramatic, less scary. it was as if you could face all the troubles in this world but you could always get back up.

your laughter was nevertheless cut short by the presence you felt. you couldn’t help but shudder slightly and your eyes, riveted on the cook’s busy hands so far, eventually lifted towards a ghost behind him. this very ghost was also watching with great interest the recipe being prepared, all the while smiling tenderly.

‘there's one behind you right now, by the way.’

– ‘really?’, he chuckled, without taking his eyes off the vegetable he was cutting. ‘and what do they look like? not too… damaged, i hope.’

– ‘it’s a lady. a very beautiful lady.’

Sanji slowed down his cutting, his mind troubled for a moment. he certainly knew how to appreciate women, all women, but something inside him told him that this woman was different. what interest could the ghost of a dead woman possibly have in him? Unless…

‘(y/n), could you please… describe her?’

he had put down his knife, and the uncertain tone of his voice encouraged you to respond positively to his request; nodding then describing as best you could the woman standing next to him, looking at him with a soft smile.

as you spoke, the cook’s features tensed up, and you could see that he was holding back just about everything that came up to him. words, tears, everything. so you ventured to ask a few questions.

‘do you know this person?’, you’d ask timidly.

and maybe it was now up to you to lend an ear to Sanji’s sensitivity.

bonus:

Trafalgar D. Water Law

talking to Law about your powers would be complicated at first. in fact, he would have a hard time understanding why you would be so moved by every vision you have when it’s “just” part of your abilities. he would have a hard time understanding why you would continue to be afraid even though you’re aware of these powers of yours. everything would seem so… irrational to him.

You were coping with the situation as best you could — if he couldn’t understand, you weren’t going to force him. still, that was before you noticed this person. an individual that, as usual, you had taken for a living person, before noticing their bruised appearance and their spectral nature. this person who followed Law almost everywhere.

it was embarrassing, frightening at times, because this ghost’s presence was unpredictable and random, so you often found yourself jumping out of your skin and screaming in the middle of a conversation when they appeared, with Law looking at you in perplexity.

so you had decided to avoid Law a little, just to spare yourself a little, and to avoid having to broach this subject which you already had the feeling he wouldn’t be very receptive to.

however, Law, for his part, was actually very receptive to the fact that you were avoiding him. he saw it perfectly, and also felt that there was something you wanted to tell him, but didn’t dare to, or something like that. he felt lost about it: you knew you could tell him anything, right? or, had he done something that made you no longer feel comfortable talking to him?...

Law would confront you directly about it, not wanting to beat around the bush; and his heart was beating a little faster than he anticipated as he saw you searching for words.

‘well, i… i see… i often see a tall man around you, his face made up, with a large black coat, he’s very injured, with blood all over his face and… so… it makes me…’

– ‘“it makes you” what? what am i supposed to do?’

something snapped in his mind and his reply came out on its own, in a way harsher tone than he would have liked. Law’s grip on his nodachi tightens as he frowns. he looks hurt by this information over which you actually have no control. you shake your head — you knew he wouldn’t understand anyway, that he would only see your visions and fears as irrational, as always. you look away.

‘... nevermind.’

you start walking away, and Law runs his hand over his face with a heavy sigh, trying to process what just happened, and realizing his words were far too harsh. facing the loss of those who matter to us is already a trial. but seeing death walking around every day, even in moments that should give us rest… yeah, he too would freak out facing those kinds of visions eventually.

‘(y/n), wait’, he calls, catching up with you quickly. his voice remains monotonous, but you still hear the softness he always reserves for you. ‘i worded my question poorly. i… yeah, i think we should indeed discuss all this.’

you turn to him, your respective gazes seeking each other, and in his eyes lay torment as well as the apologies he can’t seem to voice. you nod, and he mutters.

‘i will try to understand.’

[candyskiez]

so, you've heard shows be recommended because they had gay characters. you don't really know what they're actually about though, and don't know if they'd be something you'd be into and are worried about spoilers. here's spoiler free plot summaries of em!

The Owl House

The Owl House starts out as a typical teenage girl goes into a fantasy realm story, but with a twist. Actions have consequences. The protagonist is a girl named Luz Noceda, who was being sent to a camp to make her behave normally by her mother after causing too much trouble at school. She ends up finding a place she's always dreamed of: a fantasy world. A world where everyone's so much weirder than she is. And she thinks, maybe if I don't belong out there, maybe people will like me here. Maybe I can be special here.

It's a story about found family, propaganda, erased history, living with disability, religious trauma, and neurodivergence. It's fundamentally a show about people who's brains work differently finding each other and making a family that treats them right. Definitely my favorite of the ones on this list. It's about people who've been oppressed being pissed about it and about finding yourself again after giving up on everyone around you for so long. It's basically a show about being a minority and trying to be understood and to understand yourself in the process. It's about growing up neurodivergent and how isolating it feels and figuring yourself out. It's about repairing broken relationships and parents who fuck up. And it's just. Such a love letter to anyone who was the weird kid in school. It's sad and heartbreaking and also so hopeful, and it's wonderful.

Content warnings: Abuse, Death, Grief, Animal Death, Suicidal thoughts, Vague suicide attempts, Depression, blink and you'll miss it s/h, body horror, religious trauma

She Ra and the Princesses Of Power

Adora was raised in the Horde since she was a baby, being fed propaganda about how cruel the princesses were. After learning how the horde actually was, though, she defects. But there's one problem. Her best friend, Catra, stays behind. Adora finds a sword that can transform her into She Ra, and might be the key to figuring out who she really is, while Catra takes her place as force captain.

It's a story about abuse, at the end of the day. Adora and Catra were stuck in a golden child and scapegoat dynamic, despite how much they care about each other. This leads to them knowing everything about each other but not understanding it. There's a fundamental disconnect between them, because both of their traumas are completely different. They have complete misconceptions about each other. Even in their initial split, they both have completely different perceptions of what's going on and why the other is upset. It's not a story about magic princesses, it's about the cycle of abuse and what makes it so complicated. Does it have flaws? Yeah. But ultimately I really really enjoy it, and when it does something right it does something RIGHT. Get through season one, it starts kids show-y but it gets very good during later s1.

Content warnings: Abuse (obviously), body horror, gaslighting (and I mean actual gaslighting, not what the Internet thinks gaslighting is), suicide, depression, flashing lights and eyestrain during the finale

Steven Universe

Steven Universe is a sins of the father story. Steven is the son of the leader of the rebel group The Crystal Gems, who's name was Rose Quartz. He navigates the confusion of being half gem and half human, as well as trying to figure out the mess of the rebellion and what his mother left behind. He's constantly in her shadow, for better or for worse.

It's a story about grief. How it impacts relationships, how it taints history, how it impacts family. It has some definite flaws, but ultimately it's about very flawed people who have lost so many people in their life trying to cope with it. Trying to handle what they lost and trying to adjust to life without them. It's about how expectations fuck a kid up and about agency and just a show about complicated relationships in general, at the end of the day. Also, it has some FANTASTIC music.

Content warnings: Grief, Abuse, body horror, very creepy people I don't know how to tag, heavy allegories for homophobia

Nimona

Nimona is a story about a guy who gets framed for murder. His name is Ballister Boldheart, a commoner who hoped to become a knight. It seemed everyone was waiting to watch him fail, so it was no surprise when he was the immediate target. Heavily injured and away from the man he loves, he's left alone trying to figure out a way to prove his innocence- until a strange kid comes into his life. This kids name is Nimona, and while he is intent on proving his innocence, she gave up on being anything but a villain a long time ago.

It's about deconstructing the model minority myth, trans rage, propaganda, and with a healthy dose of "FUCK the police".

Content warnings: Heavy injury, on screen suicide attempt, flashing lights

feel free to add more shows! just remember to keep the summaries as spoiler free as you can and add content warnings!

[exar547]

SUSIE REPLACES NOELLE IN THE PROPHECY (and that might be a bad thing for her)

a short, loose theory post based on some things i've noticed throughout chapters 1 through 4 so far!!

extremely major spoilers for Deltarune's story as of the 3&4 release, especially chapter 4, will be present ahead.

so, a pretty big theory has been spreading around since chapter 4's prophecies were first seen on the 3&4 release. if you've engaged with the Deltarune community recently as of late, then you'll probably have heard of the theory that originally, Susie's place in the prophecy was intended for Noelle. the biggest backer of this theory is this right here:

at first it looks like Susie, sure. you've got her basic silhouette, the hair is pretty clear, if you look at the torso you might see a resemblance to her jacket's shape. it isn't unreasonable to think this refers to Susie, it's what shows up along the prophecy listing the other two heroes when Susie creates a dark fountain and shapes a new Dark World based on what she wants it to include, and it's clear that the game wants you to think this IS Susie.

however, many people also noticed this about the silhouette: the torso shape can resemble a dress, like the one Noelle wears in the Dark World, or the skirt she wears in the Light World. same with the hair: it could be her's, too. this is further proven by other details in the silhouette; the lack of a defined muzzle unlike Susie, though Noelle definitely has a face more shaped to fit. and there's also, of course, the sword rather than an axe. if you didn't know, Noelle can actually equip some swords in-game during chapter 2!

"THE GIRL, WITH HOPE CROSSED ON HER HEART." can refer to Susie, but too can it refer to Noelle, even moreso i'd argue. Noelle is clearly struggling a bit with her life as we see: an overbearing mother, a father in the hospital, academic pressure and of course her lack of willpower to admit her feelings for Susie to her face. thus, the hope crossed on her heart i'd say fits Noelle more than Susie: Noelle is hoping her father recovers and leaves the hospital to come home, Noelle is hoping each day that her grades will meet the standards she must hold up to, and she is hoping to get closer to Susie.

overall, there's a lot of very strong evidence pointing towards the idea that Noelle was supposed to be the second hero of the prophecy. it's not hard to see why many support this theory, and so do i!

and this is what makes Susie so interesting, with the position she holds in the story. throughout the entirety of the game, Susie has made it a point that she doesn't bend to the will of some outer narrative, nor does she follow what she's told, only what she wants. it makes her more of a protagonist than Kris, at times.

...but what if i told you, that i think Susie's revolution could bring upon her downfall later on?

due to Susie accidentally taking someone else's place in the prophecy, things have begun spinning out of place. she's done too much that clearly wasn't meant to happen: she's befriended Lancer, who was clearly meant to be solely an antagonist, as silly as he is. she's become an antagonist herself for a short time, and multiple times she has completely subverted what Ralsei would have expected to happen, simply because she doesn't conform to a written story.

and unfortunately, this puts Susie in serious danger.

why's that? well, just as this theory begins with an image from the prophecy, so does it come back to that here... with this simple wording.

"LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL."

this is one line that people have been theorizing like crazy over too, and it's no wonder why. you can take the literal meaning (and seemingly the meaning Susie interprets it in as well), sure, makes sense, a romance between Susie and Noelle has been brewing over the course of the game so far, and that's clearer than ever after visiting Noelle's house!

...but then, there's the theory of the player's SOUL, as depicted right in her chest within the silhouette. the very same spot of the body Kris reaches into to rip us out of themself.

if you've seen the consequences of the Weird Route from chapter 2 all the way over to chapter 4, you'll know that the implication afterwards was that a part of the player's SOUL was left implanted in Noelle after we forced the THORNRING on her in the Light World. this is quite clear, at least to most, telling by the red splatter when it happens, and the unnerving red dot that can be seen later on if you choose to focus on what Noelle is doing, instead of Susie.

if in the Weird Route, the SOUL's essence has been implanted in Noelle, what does that mean?

if LOVE finds its way to the girl, could that refer to our SOUL?

and if that IS the case, does that mean the Weird Route is truly just the player accidentally setting the prophecy straight?

and if LOVE doesn't find its way to Noelle in the "normal" route...

then what does that mean for Susie's fate?

my theory, as simple as it gets, is that one way or another we are going to have to either force our SOUL onto Noelle in the Weird Route, or force it onto Susie in the typical route, depending on our choices. and if we don't want to force it onto either of the girls, then Kris might force it onto Susie themself.

now, that sounds a bit odd, right? if chapter 4 (and a lot of other subtle dialogue outcomes) is any indicator, Susie and Kris are absolutely CHILL by now (pun not intended sorry noelle). why would Kris want to inflict their own torture onto Susie, someone that Kris clearly sees as a close (maybe best) friend and possibly even admires?

well, they don't want to. that's why someone is going to make them do it; and that could be either us, or the voice from Kris' phone.

in chapter 2, accessing the Weird Route, which would eventually lead to Noelle having the SOUL forced onto her in chapter 4, requires precise, manipulative tactics as soon as Noelle joins your party. you go back, you make her freeze enemies, and you continuously force her to do things she clearly expresses she doesn't want to do, simply by repeating, pushing her to just, in simple terms, proceed.

obviously, this ends with a lot of destruction of the Cyber World, and it's a miracle Berdly is alive at all after everything. but let's be real: the point of all of it wasn't to be spooky and violent and kill everyone and woahhh genocide so scary!!!

it was to weaken Noelle's resolve. to make her less likely to resist, to make her not fight you. and when you later reveal your presence to Noelle in chapter 4, that exactly happens: she fails completely to defend herself, and she doesn't run much beyond scooting away on the couch.

i think in a similar way, Susie's resolve will be weakened as well. not necessarily through forced violence or through intimidation, but through persistence and carefully picked words, exploiting Susie's naivety and her love for the Dark Worlds and the Darkners within them.

it's hard to say how exactly it will happen, but i have a strong feeling that it will. in fact, i think we're already seeing early signs of our SOUL having an affect on Susie, as shown by the way that we are able to watch her without the requirement of Kris' presence, once every chapter, as encouraged by Ralsei. hoo boy, have i got a lot to say about how much involvement i think Ralsei might have, but i'm writing this at 2AM so i'll stop that train of thought here.

point is, the girls are both in serious danger of meeting the same fate that Kris has already met; puppets to the player. regardless of what route is taken, it's looking like one of them will have to get hurt.

but i think we can still change this outcome.

if you accuse Gerson (the old man) of not liking prophecies after he breaks one of them, he makes a very, very interesting point:

"Well now, a fairytale is a pretty little thing."

"Ain't it nice to believe a glimmer here and there…?"

"I jus' think, those words shine a bit too bright."

"A path so blue, it's all you can see."

"So I say… why don't we go between the lines?"

"It's darker there… Geheh… geheheh!"

and i think, more than anywhere else, this exact point that Gerson makes works the best when applied to Noelle and Susie's unfortunate positions. their so-called fates, as demanded by the prophecy. in fact, i think this line works so well with their situation, that it is actually foreshadowing.

i think THIS is exactly what we're going to need those Shadow Crystals for. to save both Noelle and Susie, rather than harming one in favor of the other.

Seam better cook up something good with those crystals.

and with that, i rest my case. feel free to reply with your own points and/or counter-theories, i'd love to debate this or just hear what others think of my theory!

[l3monlem0n]

Some Murder Drones Episode 7 screenshots I thought were interesting and my thoughts on them :>

SPOILER WARNING!!!! is spoilering

Nori, despite being a middle aged woman with a child, appears to be an Otaku or otherwise likes "edgy" and "scene" stuff, as well as listening to nightcore, very much like her daughter. Good for her tbh you're never too old to have fun

She also has a photo of Khan and what I can only assume is baby Uzi, though it appears to have blue eyes, but maybe it's just the lighting. Still very cute she has a pic of her husband

As well as all the previously mentioned Otaku stuff, she also drew herself as an anime character. She has a skinsona. Phenomenal (pos)

Nothing much here, just Uzi coughing up blood. Girl got the goop (gore) inside of her already

Lab Space. Apparently the Church was just down there and not even the humans know why. The canonicity of this is questionable; it could just be a joke

OT, as per google, stands for "Occupational Therapy". Makes sense for the context, and makes the bottom text funnier

"Fun Time To Universe Big Crunch: 87". The Big Crunch is a hypothetical way the Universe could end, where the universe folds on itself and shrinks into a single point. 87 "what" I don't know. If it's months, that 7 years and 3 months

Honestly the Murder Drones lore is super confusing. I think what this is trying to say is that every other Zombie Drone is doing poorly, (Except for Yeva), they are trying to reactivate 002 (Nori) via the USB. I'm not sure what this means. Maybe they only got the results they wanted from the two of them, and are trying again with Nori since she was the only other one that worked (also why they got Yeva when she failed; this may all be referring to how the episode opened up) Also, the date says SER. As revealed in the episode Cabin Fever, Copper-9 has months that Earth does not. SER most likely stands for Seramorris, the month revealed in that episode

Looks like the "bad event" wasn't the first one. Certainly was the last one though lol

Just a good pic of ghost/hologram V with the scary stuff. Might use this as a wallpaper

You can literally see the hole in his neck where N bit him in...

...And it's to the point his HEAD FALLS OFF. (including because I didn't notice the first time around)

Yup, the idea that Uzi became the Admin for N and V is completely true. I wonder what would've happened if she didn't, since Cyn didn't react whatsoever

friggin bug (very pos)

You would not believe how difficult it was to get a good pic of this (I'm using snipping tool lmao). Always a pleasure to see Uzi's doodles. Things her gun can do (upper right):

NOT judge her

Forced prom date (?)

Allows her to say she had friends before she frickin murdered them with sci-fi machinery

The cut off text at the bottom: Plan B: Normal gun + Shoot really fast

This is while Tessa is looking for something in the lockers. Claws, chains, magnets, Wings, and scribbled "HELP". Looks like the lockers were all specifically to hold the infected worker drones. Oof

We are in the future now baby. We have rererererereCAPTCHA. Funnily enough, it still couldn't stop a robot

There is a message board where someone who doesn't like robots is talking. They also are scared. Also no one else is using this system, which is unsurprising. "Ur aight ;)" Wait is the winky face intentional foreshadowing? Or unintentional?

We get the names of a bunch of other Worker Drones. Unfortunately for all 029 fans, her name was not visible. (also can someone tell me what "JWEB" could be short for?) And Yeva is said to have a patch. That may be the crucible thing idk

Cyn (which I will be calling this version Skyn [Skin + Cyn]) apparently took of the space suit just to give Doll the Withered Foxy jumpscare. Honestly really terrifying. If this photo was teased before release I think the fandom would've exploded

Just N being a good boy :3

The MDs, Cyn's pets. Nori refers to them as "Nerfed" so the "Entity" can ensure control, and says they were made to destroy other hosts. I don't know why Cyn would want them dead, but I'm not the loremaster here. YouTube line is there because I couldn't be bothered after the Railgun image

Probably already confirmed, but doubly confirmed that a symptom of the Solver is giving Drones organic insides. A Worker Drone body with a rib cage and guts. I wonder what would happen if the infection continued uninterrupted (also R.I.P. Doll I loved you :frown:)

I'm sure everyone noticed, but when Uzi tried to manipulate Tessa, the ERROR noticed appeared. Already hinting Tessa is not all she says she is

Apparently the Solver can create Black Hole Saws. Interesting development (Blackhole Blitz)

I know most people (I think) see this as a joke and N just being a bit of goofball. But honestly, I think he did it intentionally to shock Cynuzi and give Nori a chance. In the Pilot, he licked V's sword to surprise her too, which means he isn't unfamiliar with doing something weird and surprising for the advantage

Skyn eating Doll's core. R.I.P. Doll again. Seriously, was that Doll in Core Form like Nori was? Or was Nori a fringe case because she was "Exorcised" and this is just a regular core? Questions, questions. Also yeah the Solver also gives you a Core. Fun

This tag makes me think that this body is Cyn's actual body. Not longer a hologram, but her actual body from the mansion. The reason Tessa gave N, J, and V their names was because that was the first letter of their Serial Designation (she's very uncreative). However, Cyn's tag was slightly faded, which meant her SD couldn't be seen, so Tessa gave her the name "Cyn" after her P/N, even though the other 3 already have the same P/N as Cyn (Tessa, again, is very uncreative)...

...and for some reason, Cyn or the Solver, which ever theory you subscribe to, decided to wear Tessa as a skin suit for some twisted reason. It did help her with the Captcha. Also scary because this doesn't have the right proportions for an adult (unless Cyn really forced that skin on), which leads me to believe that this is a Younger Tessa, and she faked having an older voice. Maybe I shouldn't call her my wife... I'm sure Eldritch J is still available :^)

(Seriously, the eyes are burnt out, leaving two eye holes over the visor, so she gives herself two X eyes so it looks better. Also yeah we found out what that thing on the "It Came From Copper-9" poster came from. It really was Cyn or Skyn)

Just a frame of the final...frame... for coolness. I'm probably also going to use this for a background. Also, this is definitely Copper-9. You can see the ring and ringless moon together on the right. Uzi somehow got sent to orbit after falling in the meat hole

Well that was all for now. This series has consumed me entirely, body and soul, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Goodbye and goodnight

[lopposting]

some random thoughts i have coming up from the dlc.

DLC Spoilers [tw for dissociation trauma related topics maybe?]

for a couple of reasons. i think it's totally possible, that P and Carlo, never actually looked completely identical, in reality.

biggest thing, is that P has blue eyes and freckles and carlo did not. but I mean, even past these things.

Remember that geppetto was neglectful, it's also possible that he just didnt remember exactly how he looked like. he also remarks that he thought the Portrait of a boy was lost (implying to me there were no other existing pictures of him at that time). and the carlo at the end of "real boy" is kind of who geppetto expected or wanted back from the dead - not exactly Carlo.

lea also doesn't recognize him right away, and antonia says "for a moment there you looked just like [carlo]" after wearing the uniform and posing for her. For a moment. like he resembled him before but in that moment he was totally identical. then again, antonia's eyesight and probably lea's too is poor at this point (PD). its also been some time for both of them.

rosaura and antonia both say that P "looks like" carlo. "my new friend who looks like my old friend". The gentleman who resembles carlo. I mean, i guess theres no other way to put something like that, but for some reason it seems like an understatement now, if they looked exactly alike. you know what i mean?

we also get a couple of new pictures of carlo . well yes, its in a different style so no-one actually looks exactly the same as their in-game models (its just stylized a different way.) but it still makes me wonder.

the painting we find in base game however, is very identical to P, just without the freckles and eye colour. but that was also "taken" when he was so young. also, the same person can look so different even only because of time of day, lighting. so maybe its not true and not even remotely intended.

but its just some thoughts im having. and the idea is so fascinating to me, because. the thought that carlo never actually looked like P all that much to begin with is kind of painful. but its kind of sad and true, that your memories can change. that the truth might not be what you thought it was.

[EDIT: WAIT romeo thought we are carlo tho!! so idk.]

[bunni-v1]

hii, can I request "First Years Finding Out Your A Girl" with sebek and ortho please?

Ortho and Sebek Find out You’re a Girl?!?!?! (NOT CLICKBAIT!!!)

TW: Swearing (as usual lol); Ortho being creepy; Misogyny mention <3; Reader goes by she/her and is biologically female; Book 6 spoilers (very light, but still there); Bunni hasn't read Book 7 and therefore doesn't know what they're talking about :)

Info: Ortho x Reader; Sebek x Reader; Fem!Reader; Platonic

🍓Hi. If you’ve read the first part of this, I copy pasted the intro. Not because I’m lazy or anything (I’m a little lazy, but I’m a full-time college student who also has a part-time job, so I think I can be excused.) It’s mostly because… It’s a good intro. If people are just discovering this stuff then they can read it, but if you’ve read the first part you can just skip to the good good yk. Anyway, long-ass babble session, but I didn’t include Ortho and Sebek initially because they’re kind of new to the First year group so idk. Felt weird including them. Also, I haven’t read book seven so Sebek I bullshit a lot lol. Anyway, they’re here now, and I absolutely ADORE Ortho, so sorry if my favoritism shows.

First Years

Second Years

Third Years

Dorm Leaders

-Okay so, I know we’re all wondering, how the hell do you get away with hiding your gender for so damn long?

-Firstly, those ceremonial robes do great at hiding the figure. The only tell would maybe be your hair, but feminine men aren’t unwelcome at Nightraven College, so you mostly get a few questioning stares and that’s it.

-Secondly, Crowley wants to save his own fucking ass. He already has to hide from the press that he has a MAGICLESS student from ANOTHER DIMENSION here, he doesn’t need the fact that you are a woman ALSO on his plate. So, obviously, he helps you hide your gender from others.

-Grim knows, of course, and he keeps his mouth shut for a few yummy cans of tuna (and threats of being expelled from Crowley <3)

-Even when you were just a janitor, he couldn’t have the rumor that he put a “helpless” young woman to work. (Like it wouldn’t be expected.)

-So how do you two do it?

-Baggy ass uniform. Crowley gave you at least three sizes too big.

-Your figure is completely hidden. Sure, you look completely homeless, but at least you’re hidden.

-For your voice, you simply deepen it. After some point, you blackmail Crowley into giving you a potion to help with it, since it's so taxing on your voice. (Or maybe your voice is naturally deep!)

-Sam provides you (for an unfairly pretty penny (not too different from your original world…)) any feminine hygiene products you might need.

-Honestly, you’re set for being cared for, but it’s the adjustment period that’s the hardest part. 

-Truly, it’s very jarring to suddenly be thrown into both a magical world and be isolated in a man's world with nowhere to hide.

-At least in your world you had other women who could understand your struggles. Here though? You’re completely alone.

-You notice how… messy some of these guys could be. How some of them smell… really rancid. -How rough they were with you and each other.

-Honestly, it’s kinda eye-opening. The way men show affection to each other is oddly refreshing to watch and experience!

-Ace and Deuce specifically are a good… trial run.

-That’s not what we’re here to talk about though…

-For the most part, it's incredibly easy to hide yourself for the first while on campus. Everyone on campus is so self-absorbed that they don’t bother questioning you.

-Your only real risk factor is Savannaclaw, but it's easy to avoid those guys (minus Jack, of course).

-However, you can only hide your gender for so long… It’s mentally draining to keep up this facade all the time around people you care about.

-So… how do they find out?

Ortho 

-Okay, so Ortho is a little creepy weirdo. He’s a highly advanced robot who likely has autism, and loves his big brother a whole fucking lot. 

-(Side note: Can a robot, child, or thing have autism? Does that mean Idia programmed Ortho to be autistic? How silly of him.)

-It’s my personal head cannon that Idia DECKED this kid out in as much high-tech gear as he could get his hands on. 

-He’s equipped with some of the most complex medical features, therefore he has access to a database of all students at NRC’s medical files. (This is not legal, but he does not care for the law.)

-“But Bunni, what does that have to do with the prefect?” Well, Ortho is ALSO equipped with the latest medical scanner on the market.

-Think like Baymax, yeah? He can scan everyone one time and know every piece of medical knowledge readily available.

-Well, Ortho, the sweet little creep he is, automatically scans the medical information of any new person he sees/meets into his database — just in case it may come in handy.

-So, before he even KNOWS you. Before he speaks a single word to you, he knows you’re biologically a female.

-He scanned you without thinking and just shrugged his shoulders at it.

-You’re not from here, and you got thrown into this, so you being a woman doesn’t really matter too much to you being at NRC. 

-It honestly could’ve been anyone getting stuck here, so why should he question it?

-However, he notices that you are referred to with exclusively “male” pronouns, so he marks in your file that you are trans and moves on. 

-Again, who cares? He’s a magical robot guy based on his brother's dead brother. Who was he to judge?

-When he finally ACTUALLY gets to interact with you after being welcomed into the first-year squad, he’s very respectful of your gender.

-You are a man to him, therefore he refers to you with exclusively masculine pronouns.

-However, everyone in your little group already knows, and they assume that Ortho knows. So when they speak about you, they use feminine pronouns.

-Ortho, sweet as he is, immediately questions everyone as to why they’re misgendering you.

-Protective of the people he cares for at heart, he doesn’t like the idea that your so-called closest friends are misgendering you behind your back.

-Doesn’t believe them completely when they explain, so he goes to you because you’re the only one who knows who you really are.

-“Prefect!”

“Hey, Ortho! What’s up? Miss me?”

“Of course I do, but I have a very important question.”

“Sure, what do ya need?”

“Are you a woman?”

-At this point 90% of your friends know, but there is a handful that doesn’t… and you can’t be having that.

-You, of course, assure Ortho that you are not only a woman, but that your friends are not misgendering you behind your back.

-Relieved, he takes several of your friends off a hit list and removes the trans man label on your medical chart.

-Asks why you hid your gender in the first place.

-Promptly adds Crowley to a hit list (again).

-Ortho, out of EVERYONE at NRC, has absolutely zero behavior changes toward you. 

-He’s equally protective as he was before, he spends the same amount of time with you as usual, he doesn’t suddenly have some weird crush on you, and he’s still trying to set you up with Idia.

-Honestly, everyone should take notes from Ortho. He’s the best at this whole thing.

Sebek

-On the other hand… do not take notes from Sebek! He sucks at this! He sucks really badly!

-Out of all the first years, Sebek is not only the least close to you, but he is also incredibly mean. So you just… feel no obligation to tell him.

-In fact, you kind of… sort of… actively leave him out of the loop for a really long time.

-I mean, it's not an unreasonable thing to do. He is constantly berating you and putting you down for being human. You have no idea how he feels about women and you don’t want to find out first hand.

-In all honesty, he is the only person (other than Azul and the twins) that you’re really scared of finding out, and take extra precautions to ensure he doesn’t find out.

-However, you attend NRC, and nothing ever goes your way at NRC.

-Despite every precaution you take to keep your gender under lock and key, you overlook one thing.

-Malleus Draconia.

-His complete and total lack of social awareness is your downfall here. He finds out, and despite everything telling him to keep his mouth shut… he doesn’t. Because of course, he doesn’t.

-At this point, you’ve gone through most of your misadventures, and most — if not all — of your friends know you’re a girl.

-Hell, even Silver knows now. Everyone BUT Sebek knows.

-And he finds out because Malleus casually mentions it over dinner. Not even directly about your gender, he just uses she/her pronouns.

-Sebek, being Sebek, respectfully asks Malleus if he meant to say he. Malleus, of course, says no without a second thought.

-The shock and horror on Silver and Lilia’s faces was enough to be further confirmation.

-And Sebek’s world shatters.

-He was completely left out of the loop and also has a moral conflict now.

-As much shit, as I gave Sebek (as everyone gives Sebek) he RESPECTS women. His queen is a woman, and his mother is a woman. 

-In his eyes, women are some of the strongest people around. Regardless of if they’re human or not.

-You, on top of being a human from another realm who had successfully quelled several of the strangest students at NRC’s OVERBLOTS and came out on top, was also a woman.

-If that wasn’t strength, he didn’t know what it was.

-However, his bias against humans strongly clashes with his respect for women in this case.

-And it just… messes with his head. 

-He doesn’t treat you worse, in fact, he’s just… really awkward around you now.

-He doesn’t know if he should apologize or berate you for being a human, so he just stays stiff and glares at you.

-It's honestly more scary than him constantly talking down to you.

-However, once the two of you actually befriend one another, he apologizes to you. For everything, and explains where he’s coming from. Why he acted the way he did, how he really feels about you, and all that sweet shit.

-Afterwards, he is genuinely the best at keeping your secret (if he even needs to at this point).

-If there is anyone you can trust to keep his stupid mouth shut at NRC, it's Sebek. 

-His honor and pride force him into silence when it comes to secrets he promises to keep.

-In fact, if anyone is on your trail about it, he’s the first one to jump in the way and scare them off/shut them down.

[grimm-writings]

swallow

…ft! sunday x gn! reader

…tags! fluff, spoiler-free, first kiss, a shy sunday practising selfishness

…wc! 823

…notes! i’m obsessed with this nerd and want to give my attempt and writing how i feel he goes about romance (VERY AWKWARDLY). have at thee.

Don’t move.

Do not do anything.  Do not even respond.

It’s the one request Sunday made of you for the moment.  He revealed the fear that he would like to kiss you, but fear of anything unexpected occurring during it throws him off.  You understand; the idea of being vulnerable and under someone’s scrutiny can be extremely nerve wracking.

Thus, this was your solution.  You weren’t to reciprocate, you weren’t to place your hands anywhere, you weren’t to move even a muscle.  Sunday is still slowly coming to terms with being with you, never mind having you as his own.  This is a slow process, and you’re willing to do things at his speed.

Sunday is on his knees, level with you sitting on a chair.  His torso fits between your legs as he apprehensively glances up at you.  You grant him a reassuring smile, and nod at him.

Your eyes flutter shut as the besotted Halovian swallows down his anxieties.

He’s come this far.  It’d be a shame to miss out on you.

Sunday doesn’t dare touch or hold you, at least not yet.  His face approaches yours at a slow speed, as if he himself was slowed down by time.  His lip quivers when your breath fans against his own.

Cautious, Sunday allows himself the will to shut his eyes, lest he cowers and moves away once more.  Xipe help me, he internally scrutinises himself.  He can feel himself shaking.  How pathetic.  If he were more like a prince or some hero from a novel, someone truly worthy of you, he’d have already swept you off your feet.

Yet here he is, frozen stiff at the very idea of touching you.

He knows you’re resisting from encouraging him, reassuring him that it’s okay, he can take his time.  He doesn’t need to hear you to know it.  Your eyes flutter, tempted to open to spare him a glance, make sure he’s okay.

If he’s being quite honest, Sunday feels like he might faint.

Gloved fingers, trembling, push hair away from your face.  Even without looking at you directly, Sunday can imagine where you are, where all your features lay, with such clarity.  Has he memorised you so thoroughly?  He stares more than he thought.

His palm rests on your cheek.  For a moment, he wonders what it’d be like if it were skin-on-skin contact.  His hands, he doesn’t think they’re worthy of holding you so honestly, so purely.  This barrier of fabric is for both of your own sakes.  Sunday isn’t sure if he could bear the thought of being so intimate.

In his mind, he can hear Robin’s laughter– asking in disbelief if he truly is that timid.

It’s as clear as a glass cage, Sunday is utterly hopeless in your presence.

He doesn’t wish harm unto you, and considering his position, that’s a very likely thing.  You are the glass, reflecting back at him.  Shining, gleaming with a light Sunday vies for so ardently.

Your warm breath is like the sun wishing him nothing but pleasure for the hours to come.  He can imagine you withholding the temptation to smile, feeling the heat radiating off his cheeks against your own.

He’s weak.

He’s completely weak for you.

Lips brush against yours, at long last, and Sunday hesitates.  He’s so close, and he still finds himself freezing up again.  How long has it been?  Seconds?  Minutes?  The desire to be so meticulous about a mere kiss…  Losing that sense of control would mean disaster for dear Sunday.

It’s mind-boggling to him how perfectly his lips slot onto yours.  With precision, (practised?  Did he rehearse all this on a pillow or something?  Perish the thought!)  Sunday presses his mouth against your own.

As promised, you don’t move.

You do not do anything.  You do not even respond.

Chaste, pure, controlled.  Sunday has kissed you, as arduous and nail-biting the whole proceeding was.  He pulls away after exactly three seconds, you count, and your eyes flutter open to see him, at the most vulnerable he’s willing to be right now.

You can’t help but smile, resisting the urge to giggle right in Sunday’s face.

“Aeons, you look so stressed!”  You note.  You rub your hand over his clothed arm, that hovers awkwardly in the air after you moved away from where he was holding you.  “With that red face of yours, you nearly look like a swallow!”

Sunday avoids eye contact for now, merely humming a nervous laugh.  “I just… hope it was to your standard. You deserve it.”

You had to hold back all urges you had just to throw your arms around your love and kiss him all over.  Boundaries are there for a reason.  You take his tense hand in yours and squeeze it, bringing it to your chest, just over your heart.

“It was perfect.”

Sunday smiles, golden irises finally daring to meet yours.  “Yes.  I concur.”

[starryeyed-seer]

What Lurks Within: 99 whispers and what they might mean

The 6th Coil of the Labirynth of Tigers is full of Mystery but some of the most intriguing are found in the rare occurrence of the sealed door. Investigating it reveals one of 99 texts depending on random chance. They're a mix of everything, from deep lore to literature references to invitations to join a monstrous polycule.

Below the cut, I'm going to look at all of them and some thoughts as to what they might mean.

Spoilers for everything.

I've sorted them by topic, aproximately, so we're starting with the coil and moving out from there.

---

The Story of The Sixth and Seventh Coil

A lot are clearly snippets from the love affair of the seventh coil, and the tiger keeper too. These get a shoutout for being unabashedly Pretty Horny in a perfectly monstrous, sensual way. Congrats whoever wrote those.

Once a tiger prince and a finger king fell in love, the tiger welcomed the fingerking to live inside him and they became a new entity, the Seventh Coil. Everything about the union was forbidden, and they were locked away out of fear in the Sixth Coil.

"—two kings apart and a king together and it is only right and proper that you kneel—"

The Tiger Prince+The Fingerking are both kings, of a sort. As the shared body of the Coil, they are still a king. Being in their presence causes an inclination to kneel.

"—amusing that they thought this a prison, and not a sanctuary—"

The Labirynth might be a prison, but it is also a safe place they may be together considering their union is Very Illegal. As much as the Coil is trapped, they are together (and not fully cut off from the outside world either)

"—presence is a joy at last, after time-outside-of-time spent with a recusant court—"

"—it would have been better if they knelt of their own free wills—"

The tributes sent into the Coil exist as the 'court', and seem lost in a dream-like haze, which the liminal Is and Not nature of the Sixth Coil causes.

"—o lover, I see thee only in mirrors—"

"—the labyrinth has been so very cruel to you, dearest—"

The Tiger Keeper encountered the Coil in dreams, and fell in love. Seeing one's lover only in mirrors also can refer to the Prince/FK affair.

"—Consort dearest, your eyes will fill with scales—"

Being possessed by a fingerking changes one's eyes, but this also reminds me of eyeless skulls: the change of the nadir, where skulls will grow plating to cover the eyes entirely from enough exposure. Considering the links between light and sight, I do wonder if this is related: your vision of the world will change forever, away from that of regular vision (and the way Judgements prefer you to see the world?)

"—your devotions reached us on the dreaming airs, so sweet upon our tongue—"

"—rest among my coils. You have travelled far to be here—"

"—show me your paws; let me test thine sharpness—"

"—claws of silver and eyes afire—"

"—and of your pelt I shall make my bed—"

—pierce me, run me through, let my blood wash over your fur—

"—sip my venom; let me into your vein—"

"—and in these knots what limbs are bound—"

"—do you shiver as I bind you?—"

"—tighter and tighter until your bones collapse—"

"—and with this knot, I take thee—"

"—nothing to fear but each other—"

"—of banded fur and speckled bands—"

"—for a tiger to change his stripes—"

"—do you love what you have become?—"

"—are you sated?—"

"—there exist no two hearts that cannot be joined—"

Do I need to say anything about these.

Parabola and Dreamin'

Parabola is the home of Fingerkings, and where Tigers conduct their sacred war against them to keep the waking world safe, a duty they were raised up for by Stone herself.

—those cold seas beyond the edges of Parabola, where dreams die—

Parabola seems to be only part of the 'Is-Not', or an aspect of it. For example, Irem isn't what Is, but isn't Is-Not either. I'm not sure what this means: perhaps a link to the Slow River.

—the weeping pus of dead dreams—

—the dense dreams of the extinguished—

There's a lot of focus on dead/th dreams, and I have a theory on that I'll get to. Let's just enjoy how many there are.

—the extinguished dreams of the one they drowned—

Oh this is easy, that's Mr E------ (violently silenced by the Masters)

 —the black dreams of flukes, the icy dreams of catankeri—

Many flukes are on a whole bitterly angry about the deal they made with the Bazaar long ago. While rubbery men, their creations, dream of the Sea of Spines, Lorn-Flukes (the pissiest ones) are probably in darker dreams. Cantankeri are from Sunless Skies, in the High Wilderness, very grumpy isopods creatures which attack anything they dislike (most things)

—the faceless dreams of Snuffers—

Snuffers were long ago exiled from the Garden after the first Snuffer, the Thief-of-Faces, stole diamonds from Stone's womb and created Mt. Nomad as a 'weapon to serve its hate'. We don't really know a ton about what went on here. The Thief-of-Faces made the Snuffers in the Garden, but seems to have come from outside it. What is it? What does it want? Unknown. Hate. Snuffers are shapeshifters who can remove people's faces and wear them, so their dreams being faceless is likely because they lack a 'true face'. Faces/lacking is a reoccurring theme in FL tied to identity, with one of the things the Sapphir'd King requires before consuming souls in SSkies being the removal of one's Face and Name.

—if the Sun has a skin, does the Moon—

The Parabolan sun is called The Skin Of The Sun, it was made during the second city and is a glass bulb of iron, glass, and Cosmogone light. The Moon in Parabola resembles a sleeping cat, but we know little else of it. It's never been called 'the skin of the moon'.

—the brass from which their sun was forged—

The Skin of the Sun was forged, but it's never been called brass. Brass is devil associated, you could also call the orange-ish colour of Cosmogone 'brassy', but this is an odd reference.

I FORGOT ABOUT THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN THESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUN---

(thanks to @barnabusbarnabus for noting the dawn machine is made of brass!!)

—our caught kin in their galleries and prisons—

'Serpent Galleries' are a way of containing FKs. In stone, I think, I'm not 100% on the specifics but it's certainly a way of trapping them.

—and what blood seeps from their Boil—

The Boil of Calamities is a notable Fingerking who guards the Dome of Scales and the Parabolan Sun, AKA The Skin of The Sun. I'm not sure about it bleeding.

—to knot, to boil, to conjoin, to grow, to blister— 

Fingerkings have a tendency to join together into Congregations, many FKs becoming one complicated knot-entity. The 7th Coil is knotted like this in a way.

It's notable how often this is a reoccuring theme in FL: rats have rat-kings, spiders have spider-councils, there's a lot of creatures out there who present power through unionizing into some form of joined/hiveminded entity.

—the sourceless source of the Writhing River—

The Writhing River is in Parabola, and made of snakes. (There's non-fingerking snakes in Parabola, FK may be more the 'royalty' of sneks). You travel to the source in becoming a Silverer, where you find a rock one snake at a time emerges from, silver trees, and cosmogone sap you made your glasses from.

—can tell you why the Hanging Mountains despise the Smoking Sea—

Places in Parabola, I couldn't tell you why they hate each other though.

—a banner of shed skin—

Parabola is dominated by war, banners and snakeskin, pretty straight forward.

—a hollow shell for hollow kin—

Hard to say exactly. FK can't exist in reality without a vessel, and part of their history with devils is the fact devils are hollow.

—seven marches for seven cats, along the borders of dreaming—

Stone gave cats (and tigers) a mission to protect humanity from FK and the Is-Not, watching over the borders of dreaming. Seven is the number. 7 cats specifically occurs in the dreams you get after drinking Hesperidean Cider, in the 'dreams of the Garden'

The woman stands, her work done. Seven holes in the rich, springy soil. Seven neat mounds. All seven together The woman whistles, and cats slink out of the trees. They play, tumble and purr. Seven cats. The woman is overjoyed. She embraces you. She starts gathering the cats, near the holes.

—she who gave them the spear—

—our spear went slither-slice—

—not come to bring a sword, but a spear—

Spears come up in two places, both might be related: There's the spear the cats have, which was 'liberated from the Sleeping King'. it's used in Light Fingers to crack the Skin of the Sun and is a sacred relic to them.

There's also "a sky-spear" which Might Be A Thunderbolt. I'll get to the Storm connection later but I'm mentioning it now.

Kings and reality and unreality

—Parabola, and the hypocrisies of its creation—

Oh boy!!! LET'S GO! you know how crazy I am about Judgement lore.

Parabola being a 'hypocrisy' is expressed a lot. With Judgements dictating existence and deciding what Is, they're responsible for the line of what Is-Not, and likely the reason Fingerkings aren't allowed to exist.

—admitted unreality so they would not have to fix reality—

So. In ruling reality, the Judgements may have exiled things which didn't belong in their vision of what Is, and created the idea of What Isn't as a way to deal with that. Parabola may be then a dumping ground, or aftereffect of how Judgements prune reality to suit their ideal, hidden away by Being Illegal so others won't realize the reality they control is innately flawed.

—the place where they bury their mistakes—

The Neath has been referred to as something like this a lot. The 'their' may again be Judgements, and Parabola could be where mistakes are buried.

—no king has ever made a law without wishing for exceptions—

Judgements are Kings. They present as infallible gods, but they aren't. They're definitely hypocrites.

—none live by their own rules. It is not only the Mountain's parent who sins—

An accusation that (likely) Judgements do not follow the rules they enforce on others. With that in mind, 'the mountain's parent' is almost certainly the Sun, Sol, rather than the other parent of the Bazaar. The Bazaar is a sinner, but the Sun is the one who still acts as a proper Judgement while having had a secret affair and hiding his daughter in the basement.

—the forsaken products of furtive experiments—

Similar to 'burying their mistakes'. The Neath has been referred to as the Sun's experiment, it's a hiding place of illegal Shames, it's not a far reach to suggest this might be talking about the Neath. It also may be the case Parabola is like this for Judgements.

—what Law forbids, and what dark abides—

The stars have strict laws, but you can get away with a lot in the dark.

—they war as they play, toying, feinting—

Part of other clues around the Sixth Coil is the suggestion the war between FKs and Tigers is a false one or unnecessary one. They're in an ancient, endless war serving ancient forces and grudges... but why must it be this way?

—of dream, they made a cage—

Calling the 'they' here to be Judgements. Parabola is a cage for the Is-Not. Dreams are a prison for what can never be.

—and shapes are dreams before they are born—

But where do dreams come from? What does this mean?

—the burning dreams of wayward words—

—the words afire and the words excised—

—sulphurous and thought-executing fires—

The Correspondance is a language of fire, and the language of reality-defining Judgements. There's three references here to words being forbidden, exiled, violently stopped.

There's been plenty of assumptions and guessing going on throughout this, but here's my big swing:

Thoughts, dreams, words which cannot be by Judgement law are what make up Parabola. Fingerkings themselves may be some aspect of those exiled ideas, or born of them. I keep thinking about the name Fingerkings and the fact Judgements are also kings.

Could they be at all, y'know... the fingers... of Kings...?

Stars burn without end, creating eternal light and in most cases eternal day. Do stars sleep? I doubt it. Do stars dream? Not in sleep.

Do you think stars might want things which cannot be? As much as they shape and dictate reality, they obey the law of each other (to some degree, what with the hypocrisy). What happens then, to daydreams? To forbidden desires? Perhaps those things are burned before they can be born, exiled to unreality before they corrupt the Is.

—a cracked and broken Curve—

Reality, the Is, is called the Curve. It's called this extremely rarely, with my first immediate source being one of the endings of SMEN. It makes sense though: if reality is a Curve, than the reflection is another Curve, forming a Parabola. It's not been called cracked and broken before, but especially with SSkies there's an idea of the cosmos failing and dying. The stars are dying. They can't keep this idea of reality together like they used to, no matter how hard they pretend.

I have another thought on FKs and Judgements, but it involves

Storm!?

—eldest brother, eater-of-aeons—

Storm is an Aeginae, a cosmic dragon which consumes time. He's dead. There's another aeginae in the Neath, but I doubt we're talking about Nook here. Dragons are 'mercenaries' of the stars, and specifically are said to have an 'ancient pact' with them, which is different to how most being who serve Judgements are referred to.

Eldest brother is not something I believe has ever been connected to Storm before though.

—the thunder speaks not to us, my love—

—the mouths of thunderheads—

—the invisible worm, that flies in the night in the howling storm—

The fact there's so many of these connected to Storm really interests me. Especially since I'm about to add a few more. Storm being dead makes him 'invisible', one could say, and language-wise there is very little separating Worm from Wyrm. In fact, you can extend that out a bit: Dragon=Wyrm=Worm=Serpent=Snake.

Aeginae have a shared mother, the Burrower Below, who is said to gnaw at the roots of the world, something which invokes Níðhöggr, a dragon/serpent from Norse mythology. Storm is connected to Norse motifs in other ways, like the urchin Valkyrie.

The use of 'eldest brother' above also means we can tie some of the whispers that refer to siblings and family potentially to Storm:

—pale and wriggling imitations of he who hatched first—

—a thousand thousand siblings— 

—do you see me, siblings? Do you hear— 

The latter is the Coil calling out to FKs, but the link between 'siblings' 'eldest brother' and 'he who hatched first' seems like... something. Especially when you consider what dragons do, which is eat time.

—a thing that eats is a useful thing, if its hungers can be directed—

In Firmament, at one point there's a bit of an illegal timeline hanging around, and it is consumed by Storm. Beyond eating time as a concept, dragon's role may be to eat forbidden timelines. What pact do the Aeginae have with the Stars? Perhaps it's a mutual one: the dragons eat and exile all timelines the stars do not approve of, leaving one Is, and dragons in turn get lots of tasty treats.

Perhaps then Fingerkings are related to this. Born of eaten timeline which can never be, meaning they can never be. Related to dragons, but never allowed to be them. Maybe up close an Aeginae is just a billion tightly wound serpents. They do have enough eyes for it.

Other Lore Bits

—clocks, maps, glass, breath, hearts—

Treacheries!! These are ways the Neath isn't quite Right, the way existence can be a bit unreliable. Basically. The treachery of maps is why distance and location are unreliable or inconsistent. The one of clocks is why you can do an action which the story says takes 3 weeks but still have it be Auguest 22nd at the end of it. There's said to be seven of them, and 'hearts' is new to the list.

—all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well—

This is a common phrase that appears all across FL in a variety of ways. The Bazaar is often linked to it but so is everyone else. It's from Julian of Norwich

—Salt spoke to us before he left, but we do not remember—

Omg hiiii Salt!! The notion Salt spoke to the Seventh Coil is a mysterious one. How, when, and why did he stop by? Who's to say. After, he exited east out of the universe

—when the Nadir touched the Zenith—

The Nadir is the place of forgetting, full of irrigo, and part of what hides the Neath from Judgements so well. The Zenith is on the roof. I'd bet it's a place of remembering, but we haven't seen it yet. It's full of scribes. When they touched would be before the Neath was carved out of the earth.

—the cleaving-places where gravity is shorn—

Gravity is surprisingly consistent in the Neath, for being a rather lawless place. There's some idea of messing with and changing it using red science. The use of 'cleaving-places' calls to mind the roof to me, and the idea of the Nadir/Zenith once touching.

—needles to bind, bones to fold, glue to keep—

Very evocative of the Librarians in the Stacks, part of Firmament. There's much to the idea of people, timelines, realities as books, so there may be something to 'bind' and 'keep' here: laying down exactly what Is and Isn't by the process of archiving and defining it. Perhaps

—amalgamy that begat the Hound of Heaven—

Not totally sure still what happens when you 'Breed' monsters in the Labirynth, but this is how the Hound of Heaven is made: a snake that sniffs out devils. the amalgamy here is the act of creating a weird hybrid offspring, and similar to the creation of the 7th coil in that way.

—no mouth—

oh hey no-king :) This is a phrase related to the Discordance.

—from the First, a bronze mirror—

—from the Second, a dream of sunlight—

—from the Third, the taste of blood—

—from the Fourth, iron bars—

—from the Fifth, a craving of feathers—

The bronze mirror means 'the first mirrors' aka the entrance to Parabola. We didn't have perfect glass mirrors for a long time historically.

The dream of sunlight is the creation of the Parabolan Sun.

The third city is notable for being when the god-eaters and Mr Eaten occurred, though that's less Parabola related.

The fourth city was marked with a lot of conflict with Parabola. I'm assuming this is connected to that somehow.

I don't know what the craving of feathers means. I immediately think of flight, the desire to ascend, icarus, but how that links specifically to London and Parabola I'm not sure.

—pay with a little of the Will-Be rendered into the Might-Have-Been—

This is from if you take a certain Terrible Deal in Irem. Irem is 'will be',. 'What might have been' could be Parabola, could be the Stacks, could be something else.

—a lie, of course. But all lies can be made true, in time—

The division between true and false comes up often. What is true? Who decides it? A king can lie and that lie can become reality.

Literary references

Shoutout to house-of-mirrors for pointing out most of these. I. don't know my Old Proper English Literary references very well </3

—in that sleep of death, what dreams may come—

Hamlet. The dreams of the dead can be visited with Cardinal's Honey, or black honey, though those dreams seem to be unique to the honey rather than 'the dreams of people who are dead'.

—to break one's staff; bury one's book—

The Tempest. Very evocative of giving up power and leaving it behind, as it is in the original context.

—blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage—

King Leer. Also about storms and raging, like a certain dragon we know!

—vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts—

King Leer again, from the same scene. Few notable words to FL here: thunderbolts for Storm, but also courier relating to the Bazaar. (I doubt in this case courier means the bazaar though, just pointing out)

—shall I compare thee to a moonlit night—

Sonnet 18, originally is 'summer's day'. Moonlight represents possibility and dreams.

—but a walking shadow—

Macbeth.

—you have but slumbered here—

Midsummer night's dream. Link obvious.

—did he who made the Lamb make thee—

The Tyger, by Willaim Blake. Poem was referenced with the reoccurring dreams had during the Estival. Lamb like this usually means Jesus, it in full context of the poem is a line like 'did god who made the goodness of the lamb also make the ferociousness of the tiger? why?'. The poem also has a line of 'When the stars threw down their spears' which might be relevant to the several mentions of spears already covered.

EDIT:

"—of banded fur and speckled bands—"

Sherlock Holmes short story!

—the invisible worm, that flies in the night in the howling storm—

The Sick Rose by William Blake!

Other dregs

—what you think is a labyrinth may be a maze—

A labyrinth is traditionally actually a singular winding path, where a maze has branching paths and dead ends. Is the labyrinth of tigers a maze after all, with wrong ways? Or perhaps reality is not a singular winding path but one with many branches, constantly being sheared off...

(lost it when this hint came out because the labyrinth/maze idea of reality and judgements is something I'd just written into the latest chapter of my suncrab fanfic lol)

—see your heat, little mouse—

The 7th Coil is talking to us directly here as we search the coil.

—the heart is the heart is the heart— 

Also the name of the play the bohemians put on during the Estival! Hearts are important. There's a lot of em out there.

—yes yes yes yes yes—

Similar to the want want want want want want text you get for Temptation's presence within the coil.

—animal that you are, little more than squirming fluid—

Probably just the Coil watching us.

—writhing in the shadow they cast—

Hard to extrapolate much specific meaning here beyond the fact the FKs exist in the shadow of reality (and the Neath does too). The use of 'they' in this has often been suggestive of Judgements, so yeah: light is needed to cast a shadow, a shadow is a place without light, certain things writhe and live there

—those things which preceded them—

I try not to be stuck with my head in the stars but also another case where I think you could read the 'them' here to be Judgements. But it's been put here in the dregs because it's another very vague one that could mean anything.

With the idea of Judgements as unjust-kings who claim to be truly divine but are as fallible as their subjects, you have the idea of what there was before Judgements. Was there a before? If the Judgements truly aren't all-gods who have always dictated reality, then there must have been. Probably.

—and I shall not climb upon the scaffold they have made for me—

A very evocative phrase I can't confidently sort!

I think it could be related to the rejection of power and the way of kings: both the Tiger Prince and the Fingerking who became the 7th coil rejected their elevated places to commit the sin of love and chose each other. 'I will not stand up there above all, though they say it is My Place'

---

Anyway! These have been my many thoughts. I'm sure I'm missing stuff or a bit off or anything else... Please, feel free to talk about it with me! I want to know people's thoughts. I've held a torch for the Storm/Dragons/Snakes link for a while so seeing a bunch of hints that back me up was really exciting, but I also know I can be a bit blinded by how open to interpretation a lot of FL lore is. I see that crab everywhere....

[the-nosy-neighbor]

Time in the Julie Update

Whose fault is the early spring and ensuing actions?

Spoilers

It’s the clock’s fault.  Barnaby states in the radio show: 

WALLY: Thank you. Onto the going-ons… Tick-tock, tick-tock- The friendly face of our clock has spun! That means it’s time we bid our Homewarming season a heartfelt farewell as Springtime springs into Home once more! 

BARNABY: Feels like he spun a couple���a turns too early if you ask me! Whatever happened to askin’ a ground-dog if he’s seen his shadow before bringin’ in the spring? There just ain’t any courtesy left in this town! 

Now, we haven’t had this clock the entire time.  It is a new addition.  Also, they don’t have clock hands, so we don’t know precisely what is meant for clock spins.  I am assuming it is days, since we are early, but not super early, but also not .  If we don’t have hands, perhaps what is meant is that the clock unit itself spins, though with the same face, it’s hard to say.

Interestingly, we have two very close views of the clock face:

This concept says the eyes and the mouth moves, so potentially the clock face changes.  There is also the possibility that the nose spins to indicate time.  I’m not sure, though. 

But:  we have our first good look at Eddie’s watch, which we know from the above is the only other timepiece in Home.  Now, we know there is a clock in the rainbow monster den, but they aren’t in Home. We have seen something that looks like it might be Julie's clock (shared by Clown) but I haven't seen it on the site.

We can see that is shares the same face, and it is probably in the same orientation with no change to the features.

Earlier art depicting the watch:

The design has obviously changed.  This matches with the concept art for the clock, though.  I have suggested before that the watch is split into day and night because we have the horrors after dark.  I’m assuming the Eddie has the watch because he is out most of the day and not near the clock.  Could be something else, but that makes sense to me.

Julie confirms for us that they can’t be out after dark when she tells the flower that she has to go in because they can’t be out at night, but she will be back.  Sally introduced the idea in the Halloween storybook. She also points out the flower will be safe, insinuating that the neighbors would not be.

Regardforgetfulnesssilence:

Julie:  It’s gonna get dark soon and we’re not supposed to be outside.  You’ll be safe though!  I’ll come back soon.

Wally (Remember?) Did all that really happen, Julie?

Back to the original thought:  Clock turns.  Barnaby points out that the clock itself is early.  Concepts of time show up:

Sweet Briar: 

SALLY: For many clock turns, the good fairy Howdy would raise young princess Julie into a big and strong rainbow monster. But to keep her origins a secret, he would give her the name Sweet Briar.

Radio Show:

JULIE: (Doing a light, silly voice.) I’ll say! (Doing a low silly voice.) No! Me first, me first! (Doing a 3rd silly voice.) I’ll tell you, Mr. Frankly, it’s so lovely to be blooming in the same town as THE Julie Joyful!

FRANK: Is it? (Playful snort.) Even with the earlier Springtime?

JULIE: Wha-! (Doing a 3rd silly voice.) Especially for that! The early Springtime wake up call was just what mother nature ordered! Now Home can see my beauty for even longer than before!

Tearsremembranceinstability:

Julie:  (She sounds very sad.) Was that not enough?  Do you want to get me into trouble? Why are you doing this to me? Was it because of the early spring? Are you mad at me for that?  I don’t know why that happened.  It’s not my fault!

Regardforgetfulnesssilence:

Julie:  (She says it sternly.) You should be opening up by now.  I thought giving you some time to yourself would help…But spring sprung so many clock turns ago!  What do you have to say for yourself?

This does make me wonder about the length of clock turns. Spring sprung so many clock turns ago could mean that it is hours, but it could also be days. We don't have any indication that it is one day that this occurs. I don't think that flowers would notice the difference between 2 clock turns if it is hours.

[alexiethymia]

Boiling Hot Iron vs Lukewarm Water

Maomao's Way of Affection Part 2

[LN 12 spoilers]

I AM ACTUALLY FOAMING AT THE MOUTH. I mean I read it somewhere, but apparently yes, Maomao does initiate the kiss in the light novel. Even if she did accept his feelings, I always thought that it might have been too fast the way she was ready for a night visit already, but I always chalked it up to her upbringing in the pleasure district and her being fifty-fifty that Jinshi wouldn't actually try anything. But the fact that she is the one to actually instigate a kiss, and quite a sweet one at that, while Jinshi was sleeping. This scene in LN 12 really is in contrast to the scene in LN 5 where it was Jinshi who forced the kiss, and even to later on when Maomao ends up falling asleep and Jinshi restrains himself to a kiss on the forehead for replenishment.

It's hard to be coherent with my ramblings but one of the reasons why I love this series is the slow burn on Maomao's part which is really fulfilling, and the slight angst we get because of that, and not just on Jinshi's part.

Below is a translation from the Spanish translation of LN 12:

She just doesn't get it. He wants to step down from his position near the top of the country for a purpose. If that purpose was MaoMao himself, he would definitely have gone mad.

It's as hot as cast iron.

Maomao is not interested in such blazing heat. The only thing she can give back is a warm temperature.

Slowly puts his hand on Mr. Jinshi's cheek and feels his body temperature, which is the same as warm water. Her cheek was slightly colder. His eyelids were completely closed and he rubbed his cheek against my hand like a kitten to be pet. Looks like he sleeps, like he feels safe.

Maomao seems to struggle with the inequality of Jinshi's feelings and hers. She compares Jinshi's feelings to hot cast iron, and hers to warm water. And no wonder, to her, Jinshi willing to give up everything, including his position, for her, seems to be such a passionate love. As much as she snarks and would rather say that she could just do without all of Jinshi's gestures (*cough branding himself for example, this damn masochist cough*), she recognizes how much Jinshi has given up and is willing to give up for her, not to mention all that he has in fact given her.

She even goes to say, "I don't even have anything in return for you." When she says this line, I think that she isn't just referring to being unable to return the depth of Jinshi's feelings, but even their difference in position. As Suiren observes, despite Maomao's forthrightness, perhaps because of the environment they're in, she is very much aware of her station.

It's such a melancholic line coming from her. It seems to me as if she really is afraid of hurting Jinshi. She already doesn't like the thought of Jinshi being hurt like Luomen, but now she also doesn't want to be the one to hurt him. On top of that, for the normally aloof Maomao, it may be that she's starting to feel unconfident precisely because of the difference in position.

Maomao strikes me as a person who wants to be used. Even when she wasn't in love with Jinshi yet, she always seemed to want to be praised for doing a good job. So for her to think that it's just her who keeps receiving and receiving, while not being able to give anything back, the inequality (this time going in the reverse direction) must bother her a lot. She never used to care so for her to feel different from how she usually does because of Jinshi - caring about him, being unsure of herself because of him - oh she must hate how that feels so no wonder she wants to remove herself from the equation. But alas, it's too late.

Unlike Maomao though, I don't think that there's such a disparity between her feelings and Jinshi's despite that she describes his feelings as boiling hot and hers as warm. Yes definitely I feel that Jinshi's feelings may be stronger, but I feel that Maomao's is actually closer to his than she thinks. I think it may be because the nature of their feelings may be strongly influenced by their past.

Jinshi has always had the things he's loved taken from him. He wasn't allowed to prioritize a single thing or a single person because of the responsibilities he's had to assume from such a young age. Sure he's childish now but that may be because he had to grow up fast. Of course he would be desperate and slightly bit manic when it comes finally falling in love. He'll always feel that Maomao will be taken away from him unless he does something about it with his own hands.

Meanwhile, because of Maomao's complicated past with her birth parents, it's no wonder that Jinshi's passion unnerves her. Remember it was that same passion that caused her mother to hurt her. No wonder she doesn't want it. But when it comes to that feeling called love, that's the only version she recognizes because that's what she's been surrounded with in the pleasure district and even in the rear palace - lust imitating love, or even if it was love, a passionate and all-consuming love that destroys everything in its path.

But what does Jinshi make her feel? Trust. Safety. Even if her rational mind tells her that people's feelings change, Jinshi's constant proclamations that he will make everything be ok so that the both of them can be together may in fact actually reassure her. Heck, perhaps that was why Maomao goaded him to make that verbal confession a while back, precisely so she could have that assurance. She doesn't recognize it because she's never seen or had it, but perhaps this stability is something she's wanted her whole life. And I would say her feelings for Jinshi are nearly as strong as his for her, precisely because she feels for him the same way he makes her feel. Nothing passionate but also uncertain. But rather something warm and can be relied on. It's a feeling that pushes her to want to see him safe and healthy. It's a comforting and homey feeling that allows her to relax. And for Maomao who's always considered herself frigid, for her frozen heart to feel that warmth is also a tiny miracle in a way.

Jinshi is childish. Maomao is weird. But apart from their extremes, they're actually a lot alike - engrossed in their work, willful, but ultimately just. Apart from anything else, they're at ease when they can talk to each other. It's actually interesting for me to see how those emotions develop from Maomao's side since Jinshi is giving her space to take things at her own pace, another slow burn in a way. But while Jinshi's love is loud, Maomao's love is quiet. Even before this admission, it was always there, in the soft touches to the hair or cheeks, in being a refuge for rest and sleep, in her worry when he was overworking himself. The moment I would pinpoint that Maomao had actually already fallen in love with Jinshi was when she was contemplating Enen and Yao's relationship. She thinks to herself, "the more you cared for someone, the more you wanted a say in how they behaved - especially if that behavior involved hurting themselves." Now doesn't that sound familiar?

*Note - because I loved it and I'm impatient I'll share the translations for that particular scene in LN 12 in the comments section. One is translated from the Spanish version, while the other is translated from the Korean version. I got all of this from facebook. I'm quite interested to see how it'll come out in the English version.

[offtorivendell]

Is this proof that the mating bonds of the High Fae were corrupted along with Prythian's Cauldron? What might this mean for Azriel and Elain Archeron?

This post was written for @azrielappreciationweek Day 5: No Need For Poetry

Disclaimer: this is a theory that, while based on the text, makes no claim of being canon. My thanks as always go out to @wingedblooms, @elrieldreamer, @ladynightcourt3, @psychologynerd and anyone else who tolerates my nattering. And don't worry, this isn't nearly as long as my last post. 😂

Spoilers: the entire Maasverse to date is discussed.

High Fae and their mating bonds

@wingedblooms recently made a great observation: that the witches from Erilea had once taken up the Fae habit of "selecting" their mates. This especially caught my eye as I have previously theorised that all Singers could be witches or sorcerers of a sort. I think @psychologynerd also mentioned the same passage when she discussed the possibility of Azriel being a witch prince, which I absolutely hope is true.

The crone read her question in her eyes. “Our men dwell at our homes, where they are safe. This camp is an outpost while we conduct our business.” The Crochans had always given birth to more males than the Ironteeth, and had adopted the Fae habit of selecting mates—if not a true mating bond, then in spirit. She’d always thought it outlandish and strange. Unnecessary. - KOA, chapter 15

It even pairs nicely with the following quote, which @silverlinedeyes included in her discussion about true mates possibly being a bond type all of its own.

“After your mother never returned, your father was asked to couple with another young witch. He was the sole carrier of the Crochan bloodline, you see, and should your mother and you not have survived the birthing, it would end with him. He didn’t know what had happened to either of you. If you were alive, or dead. Didn’t even know where to look. So he agreed to do his duty, agreed to help his dying people.” Her great-grandmother smiled sadly. “All who met Tristan loved him.” Tristan. That had been his name. Had her grandmother even known it before she’d killed him? “A young witch was chosen for him especially. But he did not love her—not with your mother as his true mate, the song of his soul. Tristan made it work nonetheless. Rhiannon was the result of that.” - KOA, chapter 15

Those on their own were very interesting finds, but when we combine them with the now-canon fact that, per Silene's message, Prythian's Cauldron has indeed been corrupted, it shines the following passage from ACOMAF in an entirely new light.

The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced … those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. - HOFAS, chapter 19

I held out my own glass for Mor to fill. “He does need unusual amounts of coddling.” Azriel choked on his wine, and I met his gaze—warm for once. Soft, even. I felt Rhys tense beside me and quickly looked away from the spymaster. A glance at the guilt in Rhys’s eyes told me he was sorry. And fighting it. So strange, the High Fae with their mating and primal instincts. So at odds with their ancient traditions and learning. - ACOMAF, chapter 56

So at odds with their ancient traditions and learning.

Feyre suggested the primal instincts of the high fae mating bonds - at least as they currently exist - were "at odds" with their ancient traditions and learning.

Does this not sound like we should be questioning everything, especially in light of the information we learnt in HOFAS, which confirmed what some of us had previously wondered about the Cauldron having been tampered* with? It makes me wonder what, exactly, made these two facets of the current high fae become so at odds with each other.

* Kudos to @fawnandshadows for that brainwave years ago!

Why can Azriel smell the bond between Elain and Lucien before it has been consummated? That shouldn't be possible, especially as - like Cassian - he simply "suspected" that Feyre and Rhys were mates in early ACOMAF. Unless there's something we don't yet know, Amren was the only one who knew without being told.

Further, why does proximity to the "bondmates" become too much for even such a hardened soldier to bear? This doesn't seem normal.

Why does the Cauldron's magic appear to be associated with oiliness?

It has to be the Cauldron's corruption, right?

What if Azriel has been right all along... what if the Cauldron was wrong?

So... Azriel and Elain Archeron?

We know that Azriel's shadows can hide him from binding magic, such as the contract Thesan created to keep the peace in the High Lords' meeting.

Azriel squeezed, Eris thrashing beneath him. No physical brawling—there had been a rule against that, but Azriel, with whatever power those shadows gave him … “Enough, Azriel,” Rhys ordered. Perhaps those shadows that now slid and eddied around the shadowsinger hid him from the wrath of the binding magic. The others made no move to interfere, as if wondering the same. - ACOWAR, chapter 45

@mrspettyferr has previously wondered if this part of the shadows' power could have been why a true bond didn't snap between Azriel and Elain while at Hybern, either when she was in/freshly out of the Cauldron (or with Mor previously, if it turns out they share some sort of bond); do his shadows hide him from the binding magic/contract of a mating bond? Especially as SJM has used the term "shackled." It is an incredibly interesting thought, as I had only ever considered this ability in terms of defensive magic, and is part of the reason why I first took note of the passage below. Of course, we still need to answer why a mating bond would generate with Lucien in the absence of Azriel's soul; was there some sort of external interference, such as the Cauldron itself, or is it simply part of the function of at least one of the hypothesised bonds to snap into place if the nearby match is "good enough" for strong children?

@wingedblooms and I have previously discussed the potential for an evolution of the current mating bond (here and here), and many theories exist about how the bond may be dissolved. Will it be Nesta or Elain who use the power of the Cauldron to unMake it; will it be Truth-Teller severing the Elucien bond, per sleepyliv and @riddlecrux; or did Lucien and his spell-cleaving heritage unintentionally pull their bond thread loose and begin its unravelling back in ACOWAR, as once suggested by @nikethestatue.

Assuming that whatever exists between Elain and Lucien can be unMade, of course, I wonder if Azriel's shadows/magic could contribute in some way towards him "selecting" his own mate in the future, after reading the following exchange.

“No one’s got any rope?” Bryce asked pathetically. She was met with incredulous silence. Bryce nodded to Azriel. “Those shadows of yours could take form—they caused that cave-in. Can’t you, like, make a bridge or something? Or your blue light … you seemed to think it could have restrained the Wyrm. Make a rope with that.” His brows rose. “Neither of those things is remotely possible. The shadows are made of magic, just very condensed. These”—he motioned to the blue stones in his armor—“concentrate my power and allow me to craft it into things that resemble weapons. But they’re still only magic—power.” - HOFAS, chapter 16

Cassian gawked at Azriel, and I wondered how often Azriel had lent out that blade— Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife. Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade. I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife. - ACOWAR, chapter 69

Why did we learn that Azriel's shadows cannot make any sort of "bridge" or "rope" (aka a cord of woven threads, which is very reminiscent of a mating bond) to reach across the gap? It seems pretty symbolic to me, and marries nicely with Truth-Teller being described as "bridging the gap" between Elain and Azriel in ACOWAR's pre-war meadow scene. Will Azriel's shadows or siphons be able to help nullify the Elucien bond somehow? What about creation?

Purification?

I know @wingedblooms and @ladynightcourt3, at least, join me in my suspicions that - similar to Yrene in KOA - Elain's magic/light could purify a Valg (or similar) infestation from Azriel's shadows, which we now know are really condensed magic. If this is possible, could Az's shadows - once purified by Elain, of course (assuming Valg or similar corruption to the Cauldron, with Elain as the "executioner") - help to bridge the gap between his and Elain's souls with his magic, to meet hers half way? Thereby having Azriel and Elain "select" each other as true mates, just like the witches in Erilea once did?

Why did SJM say that Truth-Teller was bridging the gap between the two? Was it because it had been charged with sunlight and/or Elain's own light enough to begin negating a possible Valg infection in Azriel's magic, or that it will be charged enough to do so at some point in the future? Or will Gwydion or Truth-Teller's magics help to cleanse the hypothetically corrupted Cauldron bond that currently exists between Elain and Lucien? There are so many possibilities going forward.

Whatever ends up happening, this all seems very symbolic. Especially once you add in all of the "purity language" (not my term) that SJM used between Elain and Azriel. Imagine the pay off if it was always suggesting that Azriel sensed Elain's light could cleanse his magic and free him from Valg (or other) corruption?

That would be amazing foreshadowing. Sorry.

[ineedhaikyu]

Inspirational Drabble

Summary: The match between Inarizaki and Karasuno is about to start! The crowd was buzzing with excitement, ready to cheer their hearts out for their favorite team. As everyone prepared themselves, one person couldn't help but torment himself. Luckily, Asahi didn't have to drown in his self-deprecating thoughts as someone became a lifeline.

Word Count: 2.8K

Warnings: Spoilers from the manga, especially chapters 248 and 249! A lot of fluff. Inspired by the picture above!

Asahi tried his best to breathe as normal as he could. He had to stay calm, not just for his sake but for his team’s sake. All of their hard work paved their way all the way to Nationals.

Out of habit, Asahi traced the kanji of person (人) on his palm before swallowing it. It might look like a silly routine but it helped. Though for some reason, he wasn't as nervous as he usually was. They're playing against Inarizaki, one of the top favorites to win this whole thing.

Yet, here he was hoping to catch another glimpse of his opponents before the match officially started. Specifically, the girl that brought a storm of warm emotions inside his stomach. (L/N) (Y/N), Inarizaki's manager, the girl he met just yesterday but already made her way into his fast beating heart.

The eagerness to see her again began this morning when he woke up in the very shirt she gifted him. It wasn't just the fabric that kept him warm but the feelings he had for (Y/N) as well. It almost seemed to good to be true but once he replayed the conversations and read their texts from yesterday, Asahi could honestly believe that (Y/N) wasn't just his dream girl... She's the girl he wanted to be with.

But would she go for someone like him?

He hoped so and if not... Well, a guy could dream, right?

"On a different topic entirely," Suga began as everyone finished changing into their alternate uniforms. "I saw a girl carrying an Atsumu fan earlier. Is he an idol now?!"

"Actually, he pretty much is for high school volleyball. The Inarizaki team garners a different kind of popularity than Itachiyama." Coach Ukai explained. "They have a solid core of talent and a wide array of spectacular, crowd-pleaser plays. That makes them the ultimate contenders."

"We do see them getting interviewed on TV a lot too." Suga pointed out.

Asahi confirmed with a nod. "(Y/N) mentioned yesterday how they're always being interviewed by multiple reporters and journalists."

"Oh?" Suga smirked up at him. "Was this on your date yesterday?"

"N-No. We were just talking." He defended though he couldn't do anything to hide the stutter in his voice. "She even told me she once got interviewed."

"Woah, really? That's cool! I guess that's the advantage that comes with being a part of a high class powerhouse school. I mean, have you seen their cheering section? It's huge."

"And that means no one here... Not a single person in this whole crowd, thinks we have a chance."

To his and Suga's surprise, it was Daichi who voiced this sad fact. Asahi wondered if he was in an alternate dimension. Ever since last night, his friend has been wound up.

"Gah! Daichi, what's gotten into you?!" Suga shouted. "Pull it together, man!"

Asahi was just about to say something similar when he saw Daichi lips turn into a smile. His eyes gleamed with determination as he said, "Now I'm fired up!"

The two third-years sighed in relief, knowing they had nothing to worry about as their captain was back to normal.

"It's about time you snapped back to yourself, Daichi." Suga commented.

Asahi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. You've been awfully quiet since last night. Meek, even."

"H-Hey! I-I was focusing."

~

The moment Daichi opened the doors to the main arena everyone was blown away at the sheer intensity the crowd produced. The lights of the gym shined like mini suns above his head. The gleam of the laminated floor looked untouched, almost spotless. It was enticing, begging to be played on.

Then there was the crowd. Asahi can easily see their supporters standing behind their signature black banner, sporting their signature orange colors. It was a welcoming sight.

The warm reassuring feeling quickly left his body when he looked at Inarizaki's section. They had triple the amount of fans Karasuno had, not to mention they even had cheerleaders and a marching band. It almost made Shiratorizawa cheer section tiny in comparison.

Asahi clenched his fist tightly and took another deep breath to calm down his nerves. Though the Inarizaki's marching band wasn't helping his case at all.

Suddenly, the crowd cheered loudly and Asahi took this as a sign that their opponents have made their appearance. Which means-

(Y/N) walked next to Inarizaki's coach, looking unbothered by the amount of fans cheering for her team. The smile on her face was enough to calm his nerves from her intimidating teammates. Even from the other side of the court, his eyes met with her (E/C) ones. The connection was instant as they smiled at one another.

"Aran!!"

"Atsumu!!"

"Osamu!!"

"Okay." DU-DUM! "Let's go." Daichi's voice could barely be heard over the marching band's drums.

So he tried again. "I said, let's-" WAAAA!!

This time it was the cheerleaders' collective cheering.

Asahi watched as Daichi grew frustrated with the crowd's interference. So much so that the captain yelled from the top of his lungs, "LET'S!! GO!!"

"Yeah!!"

~

Official Warm-Ups

(Y/N) felt her heart lurch against her chest when she saw Asahi again. She felt a bit silly with how happy Karasuno's ace makes her, especially when they spoke to each other just a few minutes ago.

She shook those thoughts from her head. Now was not the time to daydream about Asahi.

'Focus! Your team needs you!' Thought her brain. 'Don’t get distracted!'

'But Asahi's so cute. He’s such a gentle giant.' Her heart argued. 'Omg, his biceps look amazing! Just imagine having those strong arms wrapped around you and having him lean down to kiss-'

'STOP! Now is NOT the time to think about that! At least, wait till AFTER the match is over.' Her brain tried to reason.

'Fine…' Her heart relented to her brain’s demand but it only took one more glance before crumbling once again. 'Those broad shoulders though… Asahi is literally hot guy status.'

“(Y/N)!”

“Yes, Coach?”

“It’s the twins' turn to warm-up and you know how superstitious they are. You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, sir."

She caught the ball with ease and made her way to where Atsumu and Osamu were waiting for her.

Ever since the Miya twins joined the club, they began a silly little routine of her tossing the ball for Atsumu to set to his brother. The first time was during the twins' first appearance playing for Inarizaki. Usually, the coach or assistant coach would do the tosses during warm-ups, but at the time they were occupied which led her to do the toss for them. Atsumu was perfect with his set and Osamu effortlessly spiked the ball. From then on, they demanded, Atsumu more than Osamu, for her to toss for them in future warm-ups, claiming she had the lucky touch.

(Y/N) smiled to herself at the memory. She didn't believe in luck but she went along with it. For two years, she tossed them the ball in each official warm-up and now that this was her last year with them... Well, they weren't going to change tradition now.

"You guys ready?" She asked them, tossing the volleyball up and down.

"Heck yeah!" Atsumu answered excitedly. He held up his hand for her to high-five. "No way are we going to lose."

(Y/N) laughed as her hand connected with his. She turned her attention on Osamu, the small pout on his lips was enough to know what was on his mind.

"The faster we win the match, the quicker we can go out to eat. I'll even treat you to dessert. How does that sound, 'Samu?"

With the promise of food, the twin straightened up and high-fived her. His eyes sparkled with joy. "Let's show these guys what Nationals is all about."

With both twins looking eager to start, (Y/N) stepped back and stood next to the net as the twins also went to their positions. Without meaning to, she looked over at Karasuno's players and internally smirked when all eyes were waiting to see the twins in action.

After counting to three, (Y/N) tossed the ball in a beautiful arch as it made its way to Atsumu's waiting hands. Not surprisingly, the ball was set perfectly for Osamu to spike strongly.

"Nice kill!" She told them, her chest swelling with pride.

"One more!" Osamu called out.

(Y/N) raised a brow and was about to ask why when she saw both twins sharing a look.

"Alright, last one!"

Tossing the ball one more time, (Y/N) watched as the twins jumped in unison and her smile grew when she witnessed Osamu displaying his setting skills for Atsumu to spike.

"Ha! Ha! Super body and soul switch time delayed spike!"

'If only they could find a better name for that move...'

Despite the move they just did wasn't a delayed spike, it still made the crowd go crazy, screaming several compliments.

After the twins waved to their fans, they made their way to her.

"How was that, (Y/N)-senpai?! It looked cool, didn't it?!" Atsumu bombarded, looking for her praise more than anything (as if the crowd's praises weren't enough for him).

"Amazing as always, Miyas!" She complimented them as she clapped both of their shoulders before making them lean down to her level. "What's your reason for doing that move?"

Atsumu looked smug while Osamu answered her. "We have to prove the other team what we're all about."

"Uh-huh..." (Y/N) raised a brow looking unconvinced with his answer. "Now give me the real reason."

The twins looked at each other and (Y/N) wondered if twin telepathy was real because a few seconds later Atsumu sighed before replying, "To intimidate that crush of yours. He kept starin' at you when you weren't lookin'. It's creepy."

Osamu lifted his head for a second before crouching back down. "He's still starin'."

"Oh my god, you guys. I appreciate you caring for me but focus on what's important, okay? Right now, in your eyes, Asahi is your opponent so just view him as that and nothing more."

And with that, (Y/N) gave the twins another pat on their shoulders before making her way to the bench. Unbeknownst to her, the twins didn't take her advice to heart. Instead, they focused on something else.

"Did ya notice how she's on a first name basis with that guy, 'Tsumu?"

The twin nodded as he placed his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowing on Karasuno's #3 from across the net. "They literally met yesterday, 'Samu! How did that samurai guy make an impression on our manager?!"

Osamu shrugged his shoulders because the answer was a mystery to him as well. "You're just jealous that (Y/N) likes him."

Atsumu whipped his head to glare at his brother. "AM NOT!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

Osamu sighed, not wanting to continue this argument. "Whatever. We still have to beat them."

"Without question. If he can't beat us then he has no right to even talk to (Y/N)-senpai." Atsumu declared.

"Agreed."

The twins took one more look at Karasuno's ace, making a mental note to pay special attention on the guy… and crush him.

~

National Spring Volleyball Tournament, Round 2

Hyogo Prefecture Rep: Inarizaki High School (3rd Appearance Straight, 31 Appearances Overall)

Versus

Miyagi Prefecture Rep: Karasuno High School (1st Appearance in 5 Years, 9th Appearance Overall)

~

It was time. Both teams stood on either side of the court, every member held a sense of seriousness as they tried to make themselves as imposing as possible.

At the sound of the referee's whistle, every emotion seemed to jump to another level. Asahi's hands fidgeted anxiously. Call it paranoia but he felt like he was wearing a large target. It looked like everyone wearing a black Inarizaki uniform were glaring daggers at him. He hoped it was just his imagination.

Then there was (Y/N) by the sidelines. Even from afar, he could see the excitement in her eyes. She looked so angelic with that smile of hers. He felt a wave of relief when he recalled how much support she gave him the day before.

"I’m not saying you should just get over yourself because we all have experienced some level of negative emotion in our lives, right? And it’s not as easy as turning a page in a book. Trust me I know. So believe me when I say this, it’s okay to express those feelings. Maybe one day, you’ll find solace in someone."

Asahi felt his spirits lifted when he thought about (Y/N)'s words. Solace... She didn't know it but that was what she became to him. Her words gave her comfort and alleviated all the strangling roots of anxiety that surrounded him. He smiled to himself at the memory. It was enough to fall for her all over again.

After mentally counting to three, both members of the Karasuno and Inarizaki team bowed down to each other and yelled, "Here's to a good game!"

Asahi's feet moved automatically to where the coaches were standing. His heart was still beating like crazy. His nerves were still going crazy because in a few seconds they were about to play a high caliber team that were the people's favorite to win this whole thing.

That's when Takeda-sensei came to the rescue and provided the much needed words of wisdom. Asahi listened as his head coach spoke, "You know... Two months ago, during the qualifier finals, no one thought we could beat Shiratorizawa either." A bright smile accompanied as he continued, "What say we surprise everyone again!"

"YEAH!!" They shouted in unison with Hinata and Nishinoya jumping with joy.

It was time for the announcer's to present to the crowd the starting lineup. Asahi took a deep breath as he waited for his name to be announced. Not wanting to look any more nervous that he actually is (and to hide away his fidgety hands), Asahi crossed his arms and tried to look brave.

Physically, he looked intimidating. Mentally... Well, it went something like this:

'Daichi's right. Nobody's paying any attention to us. I don't have to be nervous. Nope. Nuh-uh. I'm not nervous at all. Nobody's looking at me. That means I effectively don't even exist!'

With a furrowed brow, Asahi quickly shook his head at the thought.

'Wait, no. Now that I think about it, that was going too far. Heck, it was pretty sad!'

And of course his friends noticed how quiet he became.

"Asahi. Get over here." Daichi called, his voice full of authority and masking the slight anxiety he had. He didn't need his ace player to go down the rabbit hole before the match even started.

Suga couldn't help but laugh as he said, "I don't have to be a mind reader to know there's something laughable on your mind right now."

Daichi narrowed his eyes at Asahi. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it! That's an order!"

It was scary how frightening Daichi can get.

"I-I wasn't thinking a-anything bad." He defended through stutters. "At least... Not anymore."

Before Daichi could reprimand his ace, Suga cuts in with a slap on his shoulder and said, "Hey, don't make it obvious but (Y/N)-san has her eyes on you."

All the thoughts from a moment ago disappeared instantly at the idea of his crush paying attention to him. It gave him a new sense of motivation to play the best that he could. Volleyball was something he was good at, like really good, and (Y/N) took notice of his skills from yesterday's match. If he could impress her even more then maybe... He has a chance.

"Let's win this match and then win some more!" Asahi declared as he made his way to his assigned position. His aura was slowly but surely glowing with confidence.

Daichi and Suga sighed in relief as their ace finally looked mentally ready to play.

"Tell me the truth, Suga, was (Y/N)-san actually looking at Asahi when he wasn't looking?" Daichi asked his vice-captain.

Suga grinned. "Come on, Daichi. Just like I don't have to be a mind reader with Asahi, I don't need to be a psychic with (Y/N)-san. Those two are perfect for each other. Just you wait, a confession is going to happen in the future. Mark my words."

Daichi could only sigh at his friend's words but he didn't say anything against Suga's prediction. Even he could see the effects the pretty Inarizaki manager has on his gentle giant of an ace. He wouldn't be surprised if they kept in touch after all of this is over.

~

Little did anyone know, this wasn't going to be the last day for Inarizaki's manager to be a part of their lives, especially in Asahi's.

~

Next: Chapter Four

[rivereclipse]

Ichigo's Ray of Light

Hi! This is my first post related to IR and although I read several IR theories and analysis, I just wanted to share my cents about IR so please bear with my grammars as it was not my first language and there's a lot of spoiler written down there.

--

So as the title mentioned, we all know whom Ichigo's ray of light is. Well, it's definitely Rukia. Now, I always wonder why Rukia is Ichigo's ray of light. I think her name was based on a plant which sounds Rukia (sorry I can't find the said plant) and her name was actually written in hiragana. Kubo Tite also found out that her name's meaning was "Light" which fits the character and her purpose to the main character.

Rukia is really a catalyst to Ichigo. Aside from that she was the one who gave him the power and strength to protect his loved ones and people around him. He also mentioned in the end of Rukia/Soul Society rescue arc "Thank you, Rukia. Thanks to you... I think the rain... has stopped."

But how Rukia was able to stop Ichigo's rain and what was the connotation of rain on Ichigo?

Ichigo's mother died when he was nine years old. He truly believes he was the one who killed her because her death was unexplained and was no justice given. I think his inner soul was raining throughout the years he was depressed and was drowning in a lot of emotions. Loneliness, powerlessness, helplessness, disappointment. Those are the emotions he was feeling before meeting Rukia. I believe that he was grieving alone for his mother every year that they come to his mother's grave.

Ichigo was confronted by Rukia suggesting that his mother's death might be caused by a hollow which, he denied it and claiming that he was the one who killed her. Which leads them in a heated argument.

Rukia gave him space and waited for him to warm up to her and ready to share his burden with her which I think that lights up his heart a bit since he felt someone understood him. Someone understood what he really needed. He needed space for himself to digest what really happened and for him to allow his emotions to be channeled properly. I think she was very intuitive and understand how deep she will dive to his emotions. It is actually same goes with him but that's another topic.

I also think that Ichigo was not really able to talk how he feels about his tragic past and still in the process of figuring out how to deal with his emotions since he is still a teenager and that incident happens when he was a nine year old boy.

When Ichigo learned the truth about the young girl six years ago. How his mother was eaten because Grand Fisher's favorite was a woman when he was supposedly the one baited and will be eaten due to his high Spiritual Pressure. His emotions was stirred up and tries seeking for revenge and justice by settling it on his own hands when he was faced to Grand Fisher and mold his bait into the appearance of his mom.

His mother's last thoughts were transferred to the hollow so Ichigo was able to see her thoughts in which, she was grateful and proud of him. She also wanted him to leave peacefully and happy. Although he didn't defeat the hollow completely as it escaped but it did gave him a closure to his tragic past.

His father also comforted him and told him that he was not blaming Masaki's death. He wished him to get over his depression and live well and happy according to his mother's wishes.

He got a motivation to continue on being a shinigami and be strong since he wanted to protect and seek revenge for his mother's death or else his pride as a son, brother, and as himself can't face it.

If he wasn't a Shinigami, I think Ichigo will continue to carry on his grieving for his mom. He will not learn the truth about his mother's death. Worse, he will be much more drown to a lot of emotions while growing up and if he didn't address those, he may be miserable as an adult and a lot of traumas may resurface that he needs to address.

Rukia was the one who lights up and stopped the rain on Ichigo's world. She was the one who shed the truth by suggesting that a hollow may be the culprit. Somehow, she became the bridge on Ichigo's closure towards his tragic past. She also the one who gave him powers not only to protect his loved ones and people around him, but also an opportunity to defend his pride by not participating on his battle and help him.

She knocked his senses whenever he was feeling down whenever he feels disappointed in himself when his friends got hurt like Inoue and Chad when the espadas first visited the Living World and attacked them. She also believed him when he first feeling the hollow inside him. She is also the one who brings back his powers when he lost and feel powerless to Ginjo. She also uplifts him when he was betrayed by the people he loved and alone. She put faith on him when all the people in Soul Society thought he will sided with the enemy once he got his power back.

Somehow, I just wanted to give an emphasis on this panels/episode since I think it shows how Rukia was able to bring light to Ichigo and healing his past wounds by bringing closure to him. Although she did not do it directly but crossing paths with her ignites the destiny, knowledge, power, and transformation on Ichigo's life journey.

Truly, Rukia is the catalyst on Ichigo's life and truly the light of his life.

[sapphireshineonao3]

*inhales*

I ended up listening to Mavuika’s voicelines about the Six Heroes early since I couldn’t wait and I made an observation. No spoilers for the quest, just voicelines.

Mavuika speaks about all the other heroes with some kind of levity and admiration, her voice is more light and reminiscent sometimes.

HOWEVER, her voice line about Kinich is spoken just ever so slightly more somberly, her voice is heavy, more reminiscent than light, with just a hint of frank sadness. Her manner of speech is also different in regards to Kinich in comparison to the other Heroes, she talks about Iansan, Chasca, and Ororon more personally, she comments on how different Mualani is in comparison to Tupac. Mavuika always refers to the person directly in regards to the other heroes. But, for Kinich, she speaks about the Ancient Name of “Malipo” first and the qualities she admires. It’s not about Kinich personally, but the role he played in aiding her.

Why she does this, I do not know, but it further makes me wonder about their dynamic. Kinich was one of the first to awaken their Ancient Name, he’s from the same tribe as Mavuika, he is the successor of her childhood friend, even his signature weapon was one Kongamato used to use. There’s too many details, and this… this odd figure of speech, referring to Kinich by his ancient name and the role he played rather than him personally is interesting to say the least.

Taking into account their respective voicelines about each other, there’s an obvious distance between them, whether this distance is purposeful or not, I do not know. But taking into account how Kinich carries himself, I’m going to take a shot in the Abyss and say part of this distance is his insistence.

Voicelines regarding Kinich and Mavuika are below the cut, just for spoilers to be safe. Alongside some additional thoughts.

Kinich, “About Mavuika” - “For most of my life, I’ve been getting others to pay a price. Then, the Pyro Archon used the Ode of Resurrection to bring me back from the Night Kingdon, and suddenly I was the one paying the price… Only then did I understand it from both sides. To the stronger party, the “price” is a bargaining chip, and to the weaker party, it’s a sign of what’s at stake. What matters is whether you have the courage to make the gamble.”

Mavuika, “About Kinich” - “In addition to the Turnfire, Malipo has another meaning, “cost” or “price”. It may seem less overtly heroic compared to the other Ancient Names, but in truth, Malipo teaches us to be calm and analytical — to ask the questions people may not want to hear. Without people who possess these qualities, it’s just too easy for the rest of us to act on impulse and emotion, and to make decisions we’ll come to regret.”

What’s interesting now that I look at both of these lines, is that the both don’t refer to the person in question, but rather the role and title they wield. Looking at these two lines together, I now get the impression that something else happened when Kinich was brought back. Based on looking at his line again, he might have very well awoken his Ancient Names that day alongside his Vision. The “parties” referring to the former Six Heroes, Mavuika, and the abyss, and the “gamble” being Mavuika’s plan to jump 500 years into the future.

As for Mavuika… that ending line gives me the impression there!s more under the surface. Something happened and she is carrying that weight with her. Whether that’s in regards to Kinich or Burkina, I don’t know. Regardless, I think these two are hiding a lot more in regards to their dynamic, and I want to know what that secret is.

[lillotte17]

The Music Room

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS‼- Do Not Read unless you have completed the Dread Wolf's Regrets quest!!!!

AN: I have not finished the game, so I don't know if this will actually be part of my canon yet, but the world is currently awful and I...needed to be making something. But as I said: I have NOT finished the game yet, so if you leave a comment (pls and thank) do NOT write anything with spoilers in it!!!

Okay, on with the show!

~

Rill finds Inquisitor Lavellan sitting at the harpsichord in the music room. All of the other rooms at the Lighthouse had seemed barren when they had first started using it as their base, and even this one had apparently been used as some sort of storage space -there was an alarming amount of cheese for some reason- but the quiet here feels different in a way that is hard to quantify. Peaceful, as opposed to desolate. The light pouring through the windows is always bright in here. Always warm. The murals on the walls were still vivid when they came. Colorful and new. The most prominent one bears the symbol of the Inquisition flanked by howling wolves.

The woman contemplating it does not look like the fearsome hero who closed a hole in the sky and stopped the southern half of the world from falling into chaos, though. She looks small. And tired. And sad.

Rill clears her throat, feeling awkward.

“So. Not trying to complain or anything, but when you asked to come here, you did say that you could help by giving us insight into Solas’ history and his way of thinking and… Well. You were pretty quiet in there while we watched those memories.”

“I know,” Aili sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry. I’m just… I knew some of it. Bits of things he told me himself. Things I figured out…afterwards. And I knew there would be more. More I didn’t know. He’s thousands of years old, so I knew that the story of his life would be more than what he had told me, but…”

“It’s a lot.” Rill hums in agreement.

“Bit of an understatement,” Aili snorts. Her gaze drifts down, and she runs her fingers over the instrument in front of her. “…I didn’t even know he played.”

“So, tell me what you do know,” Rill says, casually plopping down onto a nearby crate, “It’s probably more helpful than you think.”

“I know… I know that he hates tea.”

“Right. Noted. Probably shouldn’t offer him any of Lucanis’ coffee either, then.” Rill grins, folding her arms across her chest.

“Probably not,” Aili agrees, returning the smile faintly. “He has a sweet tooth, though. He loves books. Loves learning. And teaching, too. He was always happy to share stories about places he had been, or spirits he had talked to. He paints beautifully. And he sketches, too. He doesn’t laugh very often, but when he does, it’s…”

She trails off, her face creased with grief and faint traces of longing.

“I’m sorry.”  She says again.

Rill shakes her head at the apology but gives her a curious look afterwards.

“You said that Solas was important to you; I’m guessing you didn’t mean that you were just really good friends?”

Aili shrugs.

“I thought that we were…something.” She glances around the room again, eyes landing on the mural of the slain dragon and the mourning wolf above it. “Now I’m not sure if even that was true.”

“Is that something he would lie about?” Rill wonders, her eyebrows ticking upwards, “Because that would be some valuable insight. He doesn’t strike me as the sort to use seduction as a manipulation tactic, but he seems comfortable twisting the truth about everything else, so…”

Aili sits for a moment in silence, frowning in consideration before finally shaking her he in the negative.

“It’s… No.” She fumbles briefly. “I know that given…given everything we’ve seen, it might be hard to believe, but… He has a kind heart. Truly. He wants to do the right thing. He believes in justice, and he wants things to be fair. He wants to help people when he sees them suffering. And he blames himself when he can’t. He just…comes to the wrong conclusions, sometimes, and he struggles to ask for help when he needs it. He… There would be no reason to -no point- in lying about his feelings for me. I was already his friend, and I took his advice seriously. He had my ear and my protection. He wouldn’t get anything out of it unless his intention was to be needlessly cruel, and…he’s not like that. He isn’t.”

“Then why were you doubting that you had something?”

“It’s…complicated.” Aili sighs. “It’s about time, I think. Or at least, part of it is. He feels things deeply. Passionately. Even if you can’t tell which words he’s telling you are true, you can always tell when something matters to him. And this place… Mythal is everywhere. In every mural. In every room. Statues. Paintings. Symbols. Everything is about her. For her. Even now. Even after taking Flemeth’s power and essentially killing her himself. His love for her, whatever shape or form it might have had, has colored every aspect of his life since the beginning of the world. And compared to that…”

She taps a single key on the harpsichord, letting out a high clear note.

“Mythal is the All-Mother. The Protecter. The bright and beguiling moon. And I…I am barely a candle flame.”

“You’re the Inquisitor. The Savior of the South. People still call you the ‘Herald of Andraste.’ You disbanded the Inquisition, and still managed to bring enough people together to hold back the darkspawn hordes while I fight the gods up here in the North. I think you might be selling yourself a bit short.” Rill says with a curl of her lips, trying to be kind.

“There will always be heroes, just as there will always be despots. I’m hardly unique in that respect.” Aili replies, striking another key. “A puny mortal striking back at false gods probably reminded him of his own past. His own struggles. Maybe that was it. Maybe there’s even something about me that made him think of Mythal. I don’t know. I don’t know what he saw in me. Or thought he saw. But look around. There are a few Inquisition symbols in this room, but beyond that… There is no trace of me in this place. Nothing he held onto. Nothing he felt was worth keeping.” 

Rill frowns. Fidgeting with her hands. Itching to pull out a blade to play with, but uncertain if the move would been seen as a threat.

“Sorry.” She offers after a few moments of silence. “I try not to talk to him very often, for obvious reasons. It’s still a bit creepy, if I’m being honest. Even if I did, though, I don’t think his romantic life would be something he’d be keen to tell me about.”

“It’s not your fault,” Aili assures her with a smile that does not reach her eyes, “He wasn’t keen to tell me either.”

“The Fade’s a funny place, though,” Rill says, gesturing at their surroundings, “I’m not always sure which bits of the things we’ve found here are from Solas, and which things we brought along ourselves. Lucanis found a book he used to read as a kid. Harding says she can smell her mom’s cooking sometimes. Neve said she can hear the sea when she wakes up in the mornings. Things like that, you know?”

The Inquisitor nods.

“Not surprising, given the nature of this place and the person who built it.” Aili says. “This was a refuge. For spirits and slaves fleeing tyranny. And for Solas himself, too. It wants to be welcoming. It wants you to feel safe.”

“It was different when we got here, though.” Rill tells her. “Bit empty. Bit sad. Lonely, almost.”

“Sounds like Solas,” Aili sighs, something close to exasperated fondness.

“This room though…” Rill sits up straighter, turning her head to glance at the sunlight painting patterns on the already painted walls. “It was always like this. It may be small and tucked away, but it’s honestly one of my favorite places in the Lighthouse. It’s always a little warmer in here. The sun’s always shining through the windows. The quiet in here feels like…comfort. Like home.”

“I feel like you’re trying to lead me somewhere, but I’m not sure where it is,” Aili chuckles.

“Well, you said it yourself, didn’t you?” Rill grins back at her, “This is the only room with Inquisition symbols in it.”

Aili blinks. Makes a face.

“There are also murals of Mythal in here. Because she’s everywhere.”

It is Rill’s turn to sigh.

“Maybe she is. Maybe he couldn’t escape from her. Maybe he never will. What she did. What she made him do. What was done to her. But the library with all his memories of her is big and dark and gloomy. And the statues of her are stiff and aloof and cold. And the little room upstairs he shoved a cot into to sleep is…just depressing, really.”

 She catches the older woman’s gaze. Holds it.

“It’s called the Lighthouse, but the beacon at the top isn’t where the light is. It’s not in some huge memorial room dedicated to Mythal. It’s here. There’s a chair with your seal on it, almost waiting for you to sit and watch him play. There’s the paintings on the walls. There’s… Look, when did this become me telling you about the Dread Wolf’s heart?”

“I have no idea,” Aili laughs in earnest this time.

“Really though, this is a good room. I like to sit and read by the windows in here sometimes. The light in here always makes be think of summer afternoons. The air has a sweetness to it, too. Something flowery. Heather, maybe. Or Lavender.”

Aili starts, her eyes going wide.

“What’s wrong?” Rill asks.

“You said it smells like lavender in here?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“It’s…the soap I use. For my hair. I always have.”

“Well, there you have it!” Rill grins in triumph. “He kept your memory here. Away from his regrets. Somewhere bright and happy. Well…as happy as Solas gets, anyway. Not too bad for a candle flame, eh?”

Aili laughs again.

“Thank you, Rook.”