#I LOVE LORE

[mediumgayitalian]

The infirmary door creaks slightly as Nico pushes it open, wood swollen in the summer heat. He freezes, listening for the sound of angry curfew harpies, but luckily there don’t seem to be any around (they tend to camp around the Hermes cabin, understandably).

The infirmary is much darker than it usually is, letting the three or four people in it overnight rest. Some softer lights are on at the nurse’s station, making the blonde head under them glow. Nico pads forward, steps a practiced silence on the clay tiles. He can’t see if Will has his hearing aids on under his hair; he probably does, because Nico can’t imagine him on duty without them. Either way, he makes sure to approach the medic from in front, tapping the counter when he’s close enough. Will doesn’t startle, only glances up, flashing a smile — he heard.

“Hey, darlin’,” he greets.

Nico rolls his eyes, firmly holding back the smile that tries to force its way on his face. “Hey.”

“Nightmares?”

Surprisingly, no, although maybe that’s just because Nico couldn’t fall asleep at all. After the third hour of trying — which was, frankly, remarkable, he should get an award for staying in his bed the entire time like the Mature Person He Is — he gave up, figuring he might as well put all his annoyance to good use. And Will, for some reason, is endlessly amused by Nico’s complaining, so it’s his personal mission to make the stubborn boy crack. One day, gods help him, Nico will turn that usually sunny grin into a scowl, just so he can make an irritating Apollo-related comment about it.

(He’s hoping for the same eye twitch he gets when he attempts any ‘Underworld-y stuff’).

“Something like that.”

Will hums, but doesn’t press. After a minute he gestures to the spinny chair behind the nurse’s station. Nico takes the hint, ducking through the half-door and sitting on the old leather.

He likes the infirmary at night. Maybe it’s a strange place for him to find so much peace — ghosts often linger here, many of them pained, and it always smells of rubbing alcohol and eucalyptus — but he likes it anyway. It’s less visually sterile than a hospital, more akin to an apothecary, and the whole place always feels warm. Will’s off-tune humming echoes quietly as he works, mixing with the soft snores of the few patients and the repetitive grinding sound of whatever poultice he’s currently preparing. If Nico wasn’t so randomly wired, the sounds would lull him to sleep. They have before.

“Prepping for tomorrow,” Will explains when he catches Nico looking. Some of the softness on his face fades as he tightens his jaw. “I’m sure we’ll need it.”

Nico uncurls slightly from the armchair, peering curiously forward. He’s not sure what’s more intriguing — whatever healing magic Will is prepping, or the uncharacteristic bitterness in Will’s voice.

“…Need what?”

“Everything.”

“Oh, well, thank you, that clears things up nicely.”

Will snorts. His grip on the mortar loosens.

“C’mere, then, I’ll show you.”

When Nico is close enough, he sets down the pestle, revealing very fine, almost bleach-white powder.

“Shells,” he reveals, pointing to several still-whole ones. He smiles slightly. “It’s the kids’ job to gather ingredients, and this is probably their favourite. They’ll play with the naiads for hours to get enough, Gracie’s always tuckered right out after.”

Nico matches his small smile. Gracie, Will’s youngest sibling, is a cute kid, obsessed with mermaids. He imagines collecting seashells from the Greek version of mermaids is practically a dream come true.

“What’re the shells for?”

“They’re pure calcium carbonate, basically. Good for dyspepsia, which won’t help for capture the flag, but also good for caustic burns, which will.”

Nico nods. He has, for some reason, spent enough time around the apothecary to pick up more than a few medical terms – largely because Will talks like he swallowed a pre-med textbook, which isn’t that far off from reality.

“Why use shells, though?” He gestures to the powder Will is still crushing, even though Nico can’t imagine it getting any finer. “Why not just have Chiron order the stuff? It’d probably be easier.”

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t work as well.” Apparently finally satisfied with the crushed shells, Will tips the powder out into a much bigger bowl, then sets it aside. He carefully selects six of the whole shells and begins to crush them – Nico winces, because the first few cracks are much louder than he was expected in such a quiet room. “Whatever Chiron ordered would be crushed by machines, in a factory, probably made from chalk or limestone. It would still function as an antacid, sure, but –” Will pauses for a minute, facing Nico fully. His voice is softer, and he has to lean in to catch it. “Seashells held living beings. For years, they were homes. Maybe for an entire lifetime. And they were gifted, willingly, by spirits of the sea, and then crushed by human hands. At least three exchanges. There’s magic in that, and that makes them more powerful.”

As Will crushes the new shells, Nico steps up beside him, reaching into the larger bowl and digging into the powdered carbonate. The granules are finer than sand, fine as sugar – he buries his hands in them and concentrates, and in seconds he can feel the tiny remnants of spirits in them. Not souls – there is no human death lingering here – but thousands and thousands of fractured pieces of something that was once living. His arms tingle, goosebumps raising all over his flesh.

“Huh.”

Will grins. “Yep.”

Nico watches him out of the corner of his eye as he works. He is totally focused on his work, face slacking again as he sinks into the motions of it: twist, twist, scrape, check grain size; over and over, again and again. His arms must ache. It’s something like three in the morning, he’s been on duty since ten. Nico knows him too well to assume he’s been sitting idly for any of that time.

“Why don’t you ever play capture the flag?” he asks, surprising himself. He’s not usually one to break silences. Will tenses slightly beside him, and the rest of the words come tumbling out of his mouth, although he was unaware he’d been holding them in so tightly. “I mean, you’re always on shift. I know you’re in here a lot, but you like training, usually. Especially stuff where you get to run around. I would’ve guessed that –”

“I know that capture the flag is important,” Will interrupts. His hands have gone still. Nico snaps his mouth shut immediately. “Obviously. Everyone needs to keep their skills sharp.” His presses his lips together. A particularly loud snore from one of the patients makes them both look over, and it’s a long time before he speaks again.

“But I don’t like when we play war against each other,” he says. He turns to Nico and smiles humourlessly. “I know it’s dumb. But it just feels…I dunno. I’ve treated the injuries after the fact for years – too many of them aren’t accidents. Besides, I’m more help here, anyway. Chiron’s a field medic, anything more serious will need the infirmary.”

He abruptly turns back to crushing the shells, clearly ending the conversation. He has also begun humming again – aggressively and upbeat. The tension is gone from his shoulders, but his knuckles are white against the grip of the pestle.

He is not telling the full truth, Nico thinks. Will is a bad liar. All Apollo kids are, but Will especially – he squirms.

But Will is his friend. And Nico can take a hint – or maybe a silent begging to drop it.

“What time does your shift end?” Nico asks. “Six?”

Will slumps in relief, shooting him a genuine smile. “Yeah. Austin’s taking over for the morning while I sleep, then I’m back again at 2, just before the game starts.”

“I’ll stay up with you, then.”

“Absolutely not, doctor’s orders, Nico, you need to sleep –”

Nico places his hands over Will’s shaking ones, fleeting. His stomach erupts in a way he’s learned to ignore. The tremor in the medic’s hands finally stills, grip loosening.

“I’ll stay up with you.”

“Yeah,” Will says finally, starting the pestle up again. “I guess that’s fine.”

———

part two

[izelthewashbear]

Hey I just noticed something in Life series

Why do 3/5 winners team up with Jimmy in the season after they win?

Grian teams up with him in Southlanders in Last life

Martyn teams up with him in Big Dogs in Secret Life

Now Scar teamed up with him in their new team in Wild life???

I know Scott and Pearl don't fit into this theory that well but they also weren't exactly his enemies in Double and Limited life respectively right?

I have some ideas but I'll wait with revealing some of them :>>

[strange0-0storm]

Mmmm lore doodles

ALSO I started writing lore about Kori and decided to post it so RAH It's silly

[scooburst]

WOW TODAY IS THE DAY! NOW YOULL ALL GET TO SEE WHAT IVE BEEN BUILDING UP TO FOR SO LONG!

ITLL BE SO FUN TO DROP THIS ON YOU AT 4PM TODAY.

[sleepybriars]

I have no idea how people make their posts pretty but here is a snippet if anyone is interested :3 I'm retelling book 7 events as a way to character analyze lilia because hes very intriguing ...

☆🌹☆

It had started as indifference, a feeling of mild exasperation that the humans would dare to raise their swords, like a mockery of challenge.

So how did it come to get this far? Lilia cannot remember, not when every day and every month ticked by all the same. Perhaps a century ago, it was just one little sailboat that had arrived on Cape Sunrise. But now the humans outnumber the fae who live here, their population multiplying as fast as one can blink. Sometimes it feels more like an uphill battle, the Silver Owls–human soldiers–used their sheer number to make up for their lack of skill.

Lilia cut them down, because that was his job. Some days were worse than others, especially at first. Those days were when a soldier's body would fall at his feet, the iron helmet rolling off at the impact. He would look down into the lifeless eyes, and realize how they were nothing more than a child, fighting a war they had little understanding of. Hardly an adult, how could they understand when this conflict has stretched multiple generations? He'd wonder if they were born with that ire in their heart when they raised their sword, ire for the fae and greed for the resources that Briarland holds. Or was it taught to them, told a warped view of the truth to nurture that unfounded fear into an iron weapon? Did the origins even matter, when that hatred had the same outcome of unending violence?

Lilia didn't know how to feel. Humans, sending their children to fight a battle that their grandparents had sparked. There was a burning tar coiling in his body, eating at every fiber of himself from the inside out.

The General, nowadays, has stopped looking down.

It's difficult to cling to morality in the wake of all of�� this. Is it better to hold onto it, or let it go? For some reason, Lilia's kept his claws on it, maybe laying dormant but still there. Definitely still there, because he's staring through his mask directly into the eyes of three humans and he has yet to drive his magearm through them (and one of the humans is half-fae, which is something Lilia cannot comprehend). He's told them to get lost, but they've stubbornly refused. He's giving them an out even after their outrageous gall to have come this deep into the Briarlands, and they dare to keep their shoes rooted in the grass?

"Did you not hear me the first time?" The General grits out, not bothering to hide the annoyance growing in his tone. His hand curls threateningly around the hilt of his magearm. "Leave, before I make you set foot in the Underworld."

He's bluffing, would he really have it in himself to strike them down? He's given so much of himself to this war. Maybe not willingly given, maybe it was little pieces taken from him bit by bit. And maybe it'd be easier if they were wearing the same iron helmets of the Silver Owls, easier if he couldn't see—but he does see, and the oldest among the three (four? Does the little direbeast count?) looks hardly seventeen. The boy has peculiar silver hair, a colour he's never seen on a human so young. Then there was the case of the boy beside him, similarly aged if not a bit younger. Half-fae, half-human, and donning the surname Zigvolt alike to Lilia's elected commander. He wanted to believe it to be a lie, humans are no stranger to lying in their faces, but the resemblance almost had him wryly laughing right then and there at the commander's mortification. Similar shades of mint green hair, and the same loud personalities. Who would've thought that someone from Baur's proud family had relations with a human?

[chaimeanstea]

Athenaeum? Like... Athenaeum worlds??? DESTINY REFERENCE?????

mmmm

Mayhaps

[adaines-furious-feast]

I think Junior Year could have really used maybe five more episodes. I dunno how this work work pacing wise, but there was just so much plot.

Just five more episodes would have been good to explore the Rat Grinders more, get that confrontation with Bobby Dawn re Sandra Lynn, confirm Jace/Arianwen, Gorgug considering his relationship to rage after they found out about Porter, just more interactions with Porter after they found out the truth.

Idk maybe I just want more Fantasy High, but I think five more episodes would have been good.

[tawnytroll]

I hate Fun Fair Surprise and not because it’s mediocre at best, I can handle mediocre, I eat mediocre for breakfast, I love when Branch says or does anything. No. I hate it because I can’t justify why these four characters are even at the Fun Fair! They’re seemingly trapped there with a bunch of other nameless trolls, but where is everyone!? Who is holding them prisoner there? Why are they all so calm about it? Whole thing is incredibly uncanny to me.

[habitual-creatures]

Jesus fuck yall have no idea how much I want to just yap about Harpy and Firebrand but I CAN'T because I have other lore to plan and just abbshagahabahahabb-

[erial-c]

the project meridian audio uploading while i was in class is killing me . LET ME IN!!!!

[shewaslikeasunflower]

story summary of lovebound au atm: Ninten & Giegue are together in Sunshine Forest, surviving and hiding from other people. Tonight, they decide to head out to see what’s around on Nowhere Islands.

Time ticked by as the two explored Tazmily Village, walking through all of the paths they discovered. Before they even realized it, it was already nearly sunrise.

•“Ninten, let us return to the forest before they are awoken from slumber.”

•“No need to talk all fancy...”

Hurriedly, they head back through Forest Grotto, with twigs and bark snapping under them as they sprinted into Sunshine Forest. Dawn was already leaving them by now; they were running out of time.

They kept going until they hear something from behind them.

“What is that thing with you..? W-Who even are you? You're not from Tazmily…”

They turn their heads to see a pretrified young boy, holding a few chopped wood clutched in his hands, looking up at the treacherous creature by Ninten’s side. Without warning, Giegue fully takes over him without second thought, and he tackles the earthling he sees before him - immediately aiming to get rid of the eye witness. They fight, the boy kicking desperately as his claws reach for him. He manages to pin him down, and gets ready to use a PSI move, and..

Pain courses through Ninten’s body from the hard smash from behind his head, yet he can’t feel it, as he quickly falls to the ground. Giegue stays a part of him as his body goes unconscious, forced to stay conscious inside his head for him as he’s passed out to make sure he's okay. He was reckless. And he hurt Ninten again.

A few hours later, Giegue flutters his eyes open. His eyes immediately glare up to the earthlings standing before him in the enclosed space he’s trapped in.

•“Will he be okay..?”

•“Who knows, who cares. Whoever — no, whatever it is — it's foreign to Nowhere Islands.”

•“…”

•“But he looks hurt. I'll just make sure once he's calmed down..and then we can ask him questions later.”

•“That's fine, I guess. We just need to know where he came from..”

Claus and Lucas are now available in my askblog!!

[yankaphobic]

I absolutely hate how this one turned out but oh well

My exam is over btw I'm back with more art and doodles 😎

[daylo9]

FIVE (!!!) HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT MEN (us) WHO DIED (got trust issues) UNDER YOUR COMMAND (Jorge's, the lying liar)

OMGGGG IT'S GETTING CLOSER AND I'M GETTING CLOSER TO YOUR HOUSE TO GIVE YOU A HUG

[malk-with-tea]

Character card for Clematis!

2021 version under the cut

[vulto-cor-de-rosa]

Something I only noticed in the end of the last episode, the light on Ranboo's mask is on when the fog is in effect, blinks when they start to notice that something is up and is off when he actually see's what's up. SO COOL

[atomicmxses]