#I had to draw this scene TT TT

[rapidhighway]

one of my favorite things in teen titans is robin wearing his own mask underneath the red x mask

[cryptidm0ths]

doodles from the past week of trying to listening to ep link ill get to the second half at some point idk

translation by haranami_

[works-of-heart]

Hi there, no shade to your art or anything as you seem like a decent artist, but your e/ucien art is really cringe. You know that Elain is physically repulsed by him, right? Drawing her and Lucien together is borderline r*pe and S/A at best. I don't understand why you e/ucien and gwy*riel shippers like drawing porn of noncon characters. It's really disgusting and harmful to the whole community.

Elriel is the only consensual couple, so I can understand the art of them. But even as you e/uciens like to point out Lucien is an S/A victim too, right? So it's not good to ship him and draw him practically r*ping Elain. I just find it odd of all these standards you guys hold yourselves to because it's your "ship". It's clear you don't even care about the character's needs or wants.

As I've stated, no shade you clearly have some talent. It's just a shame to see that go to waste drawing unsavory scenes between nonconsenting characters for your ship. I think your skills would be much better utilized drawing elriel instead. We have a great community of extremely talented artists, and the best part is our ship is cannon and consenting! We really do have it all!

Have a lovely day 😘

Hi anon!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoying my work! =3

I think you might have missed the point of fanart, so allow me to explain.

I am a fan of Elain and Lucien, so I will draw them. I can draw them in AU, in canon text, in fanon, in whatever manner I want. They are CANON mates, which is more than I can say for your ship. You go on about how they had an ALMOST kiss, but they didn't. Az calls their meeting a mistake then leaves to ignore her while he spends time with Gwyn and gets a spark in his chest thinking about her eyes lighting up with joy.

You say "no shade" to my work, but then say I'm drawing SA and I'm harming the community, and insult my ship. I fail to see how drawing mates in an intimate setting is harming anyone. Sounds like someone just doesn't like the fact that their ship ended in a BC and is paving the way for Elain and Lucien to be together.

Artist/writers will draw/write what they want to, and shouldn't feel shamed or bullied into doing something they don't want to, because you think your ship is morally superior. It's not. Az rejected Elain then fucked off, Elain isn't even shedding a tear over it. She handed back the necklace just as she did TT. Not looking back.

You enjoy your ship with your artists. I quite like mine very much, and I know come their book, we'll have even more canon to draw inspiration from. Until then I, and all the other writers and artists who support Gwynriel and Elucien will have fun with our fan works!

[emry-stars-art]

i am FERAL for the royal au and i am curious, what is neil and andrew's first kiss like in this au? all the art you drew is giving me thinky thoughts

[The thinky thoughts art in question] and THANK YOU for this ask!! (sorry about making u feral pls take care 🙏)

I don’t even remember how the scene idea came to me but I do remember thinking that royal au andreil first kiss would in fact be pretty different than canon only because Andrew, knowing Abram’s had bad experiences with touch beyond violence (I believe unlike canon), would somehow be even more careful about how he approached it (coming from the one “I want to see you lose control” is directed at. Impressive)

And also we’re in the middle of these two’s fun game of “is he trying to court me or am I making inappropriate assumptions” so that’s super cool and fun TT

Anyway read it here and have a little taster (but first go look at @astridsbirdskulls drawing of their kiss bc it’s SO sweet omg)

Find the royal au masterpost here 💕

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

What do we know, or can infer from the text, about the involvement of Háma, Elfhelm, or maybe even Erkenbrand from afar in the West, in the resistance to Gríma's influence at the court?

I think this requires a lot more “inferring” than “knowing,” but there is some info to go on that lets me draw 3 big conclusions, which are below along with some textual evidence for each. Most of it is about Háma because he’s the most prominent of these 3 in the story, but I’ve got something for everyone!

They understood that Gríma was a piece of shit, and they didn’t like the influence he had over Théoden. It says that (in nicer words) in an appendix of UT, where Tolkien notes that Gríma’s practice of issuing orders in Théoden’s name to Háma and Elfhelm “was resented.” We also see several instances in TT where Háma’s poor opinion of Gríma seems evident. He has Gríma hauled out of Meduseld “cringing between two other men” at nearly his first chance after Théoden’s healing, and he minces no words in telling Théoden that Gríma has been a thief and a sneak. It gives me a big sense of “FINALLY, I get to speak the truth about this guy and see him get what he deserves.” He also subtly disparages Gríma on the way to Helm’s Deep when another soldier tells him that Gríma would have an explanation for Gandalf’s seemingly odd behavior, and Háma responds by essentially saying, “True, but I don’t care what Gríma thinks. I trust Gandalf.”

Despite the fact that they didn’t like Gríma and viewed his influence as highly suspect, as long as Gríma operated through the authority of the king himself then no one felt empowered to directly defy him. That same quote in UT about Háma and Elfhelm resenting receiving Théoden’s orders through Gríma also says that the orders “were obeyed, within Edoras.” And this does make sense. Théoden wasn’t absent from the scene — he gave authority to Gríma, and that makes Gríma’s authority an extension of Théoden’s own. Directly defying an order from your king is a Big Deal. No one wants to do it, both from inherent loyalty to Théoden and because, obviously, it’s super risky. In TT, Háma gets demoted for walking too close to that line, and Éomer describes breaking a king’s order as something that might cost him his life (and he does, in fact, get jailed after doing it). So that’s an absolute last resort.

The fact that they wouldn’t directly contravene the word of Théoden/Gríma doesn’t mean that they did nothing. Instead, they worked AROUND Gríma when possible, undertaking things on their own initiative that were contrary to his intentions but that they could argue hadn’t been expressly forbidden. Examples of that include:

—Per UT: In light of the harrowing situation in Edoras, Théodred “assumed without orders” the general command of the defense of Rohan and, in this role, issued orders to Elfhelm to bring men to the Fords and resist the invasion of Isengard. Not only is Théodred acting without orders here, but so is Elfhelm because Théodred is not his boss. Elfhelm’s men are the KING’S OWN MEN, attached to the role of First Marshal, and Théodred, as Second Marshal, has no inherent right to command them. But Elfhelm CHOOSES to follow the order because he knows that it’s a good one and that a defense of the western border is needed even if Théoden and Gríma have taken no steps to accomplish it.

—Also on the I’m Taking Control Because It Needs To Be Done train is Erkenbrand, who UT notes took over military command in the West after Théodred’s death, “again without orders from Edoras,” so that Théoden and Gríma’s lack of action didn’t lead to even further disaster for Rohan.

—Most famously, we see Háma’s parsing of words around the directive not to permit weapons into Meduseld. He clearly acknowledges the alleged danger posed by Gandalf’s staff and so he clearly knows that he SHOULD deny Gandalf entry as long as he has the staff with him. But he also clearly wants to let him in with it and knows that Gandalf will only use the staff for good purposes, and so he decides to rely on the idea of the staff as a “prop for age” to muddy the waters enough that he can make his own judgment to let it in — the legendary “in doubt a man of worth will trust to his own wisdom” moment. He also chooses to rearm Éomer even though no one has ordered him to do that. It surprises Théoden (“how comes this?”), but Háma did it because he knows Éomer will further help get them out this bad situation.

So those are my big conclusions, with a bit of my sourcing for where/how I reached them. These guys were all in a really difficult situation, with a king who was clearly off the rails and a counselor who they knew to be corruptive but they couldn’t PROVE that. So if they couldn’t get rid of Gríma, the choices were to go full Treason Mode and defy Théoden’s direct orders or instead resist in more subtle ways by stretching roles and definitions and practices to fit what they knew needed to be done but without blatant insubordination. And so that’s what they did.

How does that sound to you? Plausible? Are there things anyone thinks that I missed? I’m always happy to hear the views of others! And thanks for the question and the opportunity to think more about 3 very cool dudes!

[cherllyio]

You’re scenarios for parent Pigsy were really fun 🤩

If you take requests could you make something similar for ShadowJadePeach (Macaque, Wukong, and Nüwa) being parents (or at least awkward step-parent in Macaque’s case) to MK (and maybe Bai He (LBD’s host)).

Please 🙏😊

I would love to! Lets go!

Macaque, Wukong, and Nuwa trying to be parents to MK( plus Bai He)

List:

Macaque and Wukong deal with all their issues, while trying to MK from going Apeshit.

Nuwa thinks she understand humans, because she made them, she doesent

"Nuwa, Wukong and Macaque babysitting Bai He and MK"

The scenarios are mostly silly little stories of them trying to be good parental figures or scenarios that could possibly happen in season 5.

Also, if anyone wanna draw or use any of the scenarios in any way, im completly happy with that! Just tag me, so i can reblog it and love it forever :)

Scenario 1: "Macaque and Wukong deal with all their issues, while trying to stop MK from going Apeshit"

This is acutally something, i think, could happen in the show.

So, Macaque and Wukong are trying to deal with all their past issues(which there is a lot of). And tts not going great though, and they end up having an argument again.

Suddenly MK steps into the room. He is really struggling with all the "mystic monkey busniess" going on in his life, so he thinks talking with the "mystic monkeys" would help.

Problem is, Wukong and Macaque are too mad eachother to do anthing to help, other than making it worse soooo. MK just leaves, now having it even worse with his "monkey fate", since earlier he had a small fight with Mei. Nothing big, but with Macaque and Wukong fighting, and them being an awfully lot like him and Mei, he is starting to get scared that they will end up like them. And that he will end up hurting Mei.

So in the middle of MK having this chrisis, a sort of Steven Universe future panic(if you know the refernce), Wukong and Macaque finally come to their senses and reailise something very important. To help MK, they have to understand what went wrong with them, so MK and Mei dont end up on the same road.

And in that way, we get the "Macaque and Wukong backstory" :D

Scenario 2: " Nuwa thinks she understand humans, because she made them, she doesent"

One day, MK goes to pick up Bai He from school(big brother and little sister vibes). Sadly it starts raining(a lot), so they cant get home. (Kinda like this scene from my neighbor Tortoro).

Nuwa sees this and picks them up, where she is then thanked and told that they quickly have to get Bai He home, before her parents get too worried.

But instead of just driving a little bit faster Nuwa goes almost full GOD MODE, and drives faster than fucking Wukong on his cloud. They almost drive several people over, several cars crash into eachother because of it, and a lot of people have gained new trauma because of it.

The kids are screaming, yet Nuwa just interepts this as to go FASTER.

They make it to Bai He's home, safe and sound, but lets just say that MK and Bai He are just gonna wait next time it rains that much.

(The reason MK didnt use his staff? He forgot)

Scenario 3: "Nuwa, Wukong and Macaque babysitting Bai He and MK"

Pigsy was supposed to take care of Bai He, because her parents were doing something that day, but something came up. And MK cant do it, because he accdently broke one of his legs, and Pigsy doesent wanna push him too much because of it.

And since neither Mei, Tang, Sandy or any resbonibly adult he knows, can help, he calls Nuwa, Wukong and Macaque.

The little trio sees this as a great possibilty to get closer to the kids, but its gets a biiiit chaotic with the following things happening:

Macaque gets a bit jelaous, and tries to train MK a bit, yet this ends in MK breaking his arm too(dont ask, neither of them dont know how it happend)

Bai He asks Nuwa if she can help her with her homework. This though ends up in Nuwa crying over Math homework.

Wukong tries to cook some food, but gets too cocky, and ends up making litteral poison, that could kill a god.

Dont worry, they order some Pizza, put on a show and they actually have quite a nice time after that.

Pigsy just finds them sleeping together on the couch, and suspects nothing. (though he was surprised the house wasnt burned down)

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Let's talk numbers, shall we?

Thesis: Sydcarmy draws in more viewers. Period.

We can all agree on the fact that The Bear S2 was the most Sydcarmy-friendly of the 2, even with Claire's addition, right? I mean, we can have different interpretations about certain scenes, but we can't deny they happened, i.e.: "I'm saying goodnight" storming out, the panic attack, and the under-the-table scene... etc.

@belassima got me thinking about numbers. I already had the feeling this was the case, but never really did the actual research till now and this is what I found:

Source: Collider.com via Nielsen / June 2023

And those were just preliminary figures in June last year from a week after S2's premiere.

The numbers obviously went up since. Astronomically so.

So it's undeniable, Sydcarmy brought in way more viewers last year than whatever viewers were already watching the show in 2022, because S2 was the most streamed one out of the 2 and it was inarguably the one with more Sydcarmy content out of the two. Full stop.

And that's not even taking into account SM activity. We all know that the #Sydcarmy movement is strong here on Tumblr, it's taking over TT, whereas Reddit and X seem to be 50%/50%, leaning more towards Sydcarmy on X, but only slightly. And YT is full-on Sydcarmy stand territory, although it doesn't really count because the anties do not create video edits of their Anti content, Sydcamy truthers do. So, it's like winning a 1 army war. Unfortunately, I don't have the actual figures, but they are quite easy to get, we just have to track the respective tags and keywords on each platform, I will not be performing such a time-consuming analytics assessment for free, of course. But feel free to jump into it, if you want to, I'd love to have those numbers too.

Conclusion: What's factual is that the Sydcarmy numbers on every platform and on streaming have only gone consistently up year after year since the show premiered in 2022.

IMO: I find it very hard to believe that Storer and/or the network/s don't care about this hard evidence, which is obviously equivalent to REVENUE.

All the major news outlets unanimously back this data up:

Deadline

Variety

IMDb

THR

Source: THR via Nielsen/June 2023

So, I'm tired of arguing from a merely subjective standpoint, whenever you come to me to tell me Sydcarmy is not a thing, etc... SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Remember to follow my tag #Gingerpovs 💋

[rexxkazu]

“It’s the beginning of your new undead life.”

I had just finished @naffeclipse​’s “The Lost Episode” and couldn’t not draw something for it. The episode is part of the main series “Cryptid Sightings” and you should definitely go check out this thrill of a read. I swear this story has me wrapped around its monstrously clawed fingers.

I had belatedly realized I had drew the scene a little wrong, hence Moon sitting beside the bed and not in it. I was reading pretty late so I must’ve just read it wrong TT

Little bonus doodle under cut :

[yourlovemalu]

I remember a comment saying "scene Obanai and hime gyaru Mitsuri", but no one had drawn them like that yet so I decided I would draw them like that (I know it's ugly but I tried TT)

I’ll probably post on my tiktok @yourlovemaluu

[sreyaya]

Hallo! Since I am graduating this year and expecting my college exam results, I have a smut idea weeeeee

Roommate Nort with him and the reader are childhood friends that also applied in the same college and they both passed. Just celebratory seggs teehee

Is it okay if it's male or gn I need more mxm content for my lonely gay ass :'))

Happy Graduation

College AU | Norton Campbell x gn!Reader NSFW

Content warning: no warnings really just gentle soft sex, no finishing scene, not proofread, 500 words, MDNI

(A/n: just wanna say happy graduation anon!! This story was just kinda bad but I want to give you something TT tried making it as gender neutral as i could, hope you enjoy!)

smut under the cut!

The last few years had been nothing short of a journey, relentless studying, annoying exams, and countless duties that seemed never-ending. Yet, here you were, finally standing at the end of that storm. The sense of relief that washed over you, it was a moment you had dreamed of for the past few years

Same for Norton, your childhood friend and roommate, shared your happiness too. The dean was kind enough to assigning you both to the same dorm room, trully Norton made journey far more bearable and enjoyable. Norton had grown into a charming person, differentiating on how he was childish back then, it made him far more attractive and the last thing you knew, you had fallen head over heels for him.

Receiving the final results as you both passed on, Norton suggested celebrating with a dinner out. It was nothing fancy, only some grilled barbecue while shit-talking about the unfairness of some professors before and little drinks here and there as a cheers for finally leaving that hell hole.

But as usual, a little too much to drink had led to one thing after another. Heartfelt confessions were blurted out in a moment of vulnerability between the two of you. Now here you both were, back in your shared dormitory, lips locked in a deep, passionate kiss, tongue fighting for dominance. Truth be told, you had never imagined that Norton would accept your confession. You were just happy to have that feelings off your chest, unaware that he had reciprocated the same feelings for so long.

His touch was tender, seeking your consent with every move. He kissed each part of you deeply, savoring the moment as if it were his last, each parts of your known physical insecurities. When his digits found their way to your entrance, you arched your back sharply, especially sensitive knowing it's your first time at this. Norton was honored to be your first, treating you so gently that made your heart swell with comfort.

Taking his time, he played with you, his fingers moving rhythmically in and out of your heat. His mouth was not left lingering, licking and biting your sensitive nipples, eyes looking up to catch your expressions of pleasure. Every moan, every gasp showing how skilled he was, preparing for you to take his size.

With care, Norton positioned you in a mating press, pressing you down so he could see your cute face throughout. His eyes, dark with desire, locked onto yours as he finally aligned himself with your entrance, the sensation of him entering you was overwhelming. Norton groaned deeply, the sound vibrating through your body, adding to the tension.

As he began to move, his thrusts were slow, considerate, each one drawing a new gasp from your lips. The room was filled with the sound of skin popping against skin, and whispered affirmations between the both of you. You could feel his restraint, how he's holding back for the sake of your comfort and pleasure.

Truth to be told, it was just an intimate night with feelings off the both of your chests, hoping to live the rest of your lives together, just like how you started it with him.

[hood-ex]

Still pissed that TT missed the perfect—and I do mean PERFECT—opportunity to use, "Hey, Rube!" in the flashback scene where John Grayson started fighting Tony Zucco. Look at these instances where Dick used or mentioned the term "rube." Raaah!! It would've been such an amazing callback!! Such a good way to draw a connection between Dick and John, and the circus culture they lived in!!

Instead we just got John and Mary trying to handle the situation themselves. But if they had just used, "Hey, Rube!" to call for backup, I would've been thrilled. I would've been like, wow, TT has actually done some intensive research into Dick's history—but nooo 😒. Instead, we just got this:

Nightwing (Vol. 4) #82

[amethystfairy1]

I just need to know. For that little human group chat. Why is Zed A.S.S.?

Also, I’ve been reading both of your au’s since the beginning. They are by far my favorite fics. Any ideas for how to write more? I like writing but can never seem to sit down with a doc for long before getting frustrated.

It’s a reference to the Aerial Sheep Service! It’s a recurring bit of his that he always drags Tango into! I especially loved the return of A.S.S in season 9 with the sheep whose hooves could never touch the ground 😆

How to write more??? Oooooh that’s a great question let’s see…

Always write what you’re feeling. That’s why I do my AUs the way I do. Instead of writing a singular narrative long run story novel style (which I have done) this style of the series of shorter pieces that all fit into a timeline had made writing a lot of content SO MUCH EASIER!

Plus, I’ve got both TTSBC and TT! Very different stories, very different worlds with very different themes! It gives me all the range I could ever ask for! If I feel like writing action I’ve got superheroes! If I feel like writing fluffy romance I’ve got so many ships in TTSBC! If I wanna do something dark and angsty and whumpy TT is here to deliver! I’m very happy with the current set up because it gives me the freedom to bounce around.

I’d also say don’t be afraid of starting and then stopping if you aren’t feeling it. I’ve rewritten so much stuff, or ditched ideas entirely! If you’re feeling it in the moment, just WRITE IT. And then figure out where it can fit later. Also find music they inspired you! I can’t draw like at all but I love making up ‘animatics’ in my head to different songs for TTSBC and TT and sometimes the scenes I imagine get so vivid I just HAVE to write them!

Hopefully that helps you get scribbling! Have fun!!!

[lunchtimebedamned1997]

Death Note Fanart Tiiiiime

(Speedpaint under the cut <3)

Had to start with my beloved, L. Hadn't seen the show in like, a decade, and L is still my fav, I love my little autistic king. If you wanna know what had stuck with me b4 the rewatch I actually posted about it.

(Spoilers under the cut as well)

Took a break from the Locked Tomb series to rewatch Death Note bc the all the L and Misa fanart on TT lately was making me have The Brain Worms lmao, and then after L's death I had to draw him to cope XD

Also - aoihlqowih; I did NOT remember the post-rain foot scene???? I oiaeh;aoiw Okay then haha yeah I see why so many people ship L and Light that was fruity as all fuck

Anyways, today I've been taking a break from DN to rewatch JJK s2 (I'm still too scared to finish the manga lmao - I'm like halfway through the culling games and alkfhoqihwo I've gotten too many spoilers and I'm afraid XD)

Anyways, it's been really fun getting back into anime and manga this year, and I also picked up Japanese again for the first time since middle school over the summer and that's been really fun to work on here and there, it's such a brain-scratching language for me haha

Speedpaint tiiime hehe:

tbh I'm surprised I didn't draw hands, that's so unusual for me these days it feels like.

[silverlinedeyes]

Pelias, Ruhn, Az, and Clotho(?)

Some theories

This post is a collection of theories @merymoonbeam and I have been kicking around for a while. Much of the credit of these goes to her—I’m just the one writing this post. But as usual with our convos, this snowballed into something much bigger than we initially anticipated 😅🤯

TW: this post discusses the lightsinger theory. If that’s not your thing or it’s triggering to you, don’t read past the break. And these are just theories (and some are crack theories at that)!

And finally, this is a crossover post and contains spoilers from CC and ACOTAR.

Was Pelias really Starborn, or was he a lightsinger?

In HOEAB, we’re told Pelias was the “first Starborn Prince.” That he “possessed what was basically an ocean of starlight at his disposal.”

We are also told that Pelias’ light was different than Theia’s.

In ACOSF, we learn that Fionn was betrayed by his queen (Theia) and his best friend and general (Pelias) who stole Gwydion (the Starsword) from him and killed him. We know from CC that Theia and Fionn (and Theia’s two daughters) then went through the Rift to Midgard, bringing Gwydion with them. It’s unclear what led to this betrayal, and why Theia “betrayed” Fionn and left with Pelias.

In HOSAB, things get interesting though. We learn that Pelias was “no true” prince. He slew Theia, stole “her” sword, forced Helena into marriage, and “corrupted” Theia’s line. He was only a “so-called first Starborn Prince” and an “imposter.”

Could Aidas (or Rigelus as Aidas) be telling us more about Pelias than he was just a traitor who didn’t deserve to be a prince? What if Pelias wasn’t actually Starborn, but something else? Something that could pretend to be Starborn? Something that could emit light but not truly activate or use the Starsword? A lightsinger?

This also would explain why Theia betrayed Fionn and left with Pelias, and also how Pelias was able to get Helena to marry him. If Pelias is a lightsinger, he might have used his lightsinging powers on them to manipulate them into it. And he also used those powers to make people see him as a prince.

Pelias, Ruhn, and the Starsword

In HOEAB, Ruhn tells Bryce, “The sword doesn’t work like that. Aside from being picky about who draws it, the sword has no power without the knife.”

This seems based both on legend and on Ruhn’s experience. By this, I mean that Pelias could no longer use the power of the Starsword after the knife (TT) was taken back to Prythian (by Theia’s second daughter???), and the Starsword also has no power when Ruhn uses it. Light “shimmers” *down* the sword when Ruhn is holding it and “glimmers” with starlight, but he cannot activate its power or use it as more than just a sword.

The use of the word “glimmer” when Ruhn is holding the sword is part of what led us to this theory. In the Azriel bonus chapter, when he first comes to the roof and finds Gwyn there, her sword is “glimmering” in the moonlight.

While this might actually just literally be caused by her sword reflecting in the moonlight, it’s also possible Gwyn is using her powers to make the sword “glimmer” here, just like the Starsword seems to “glimmer” with Ruhn’s starlight that he emits when he uses it.

[Interestingly, the priestesses’ stones also “glimmer” in the fae light at the beginning of the singing service scene. And Ianthe uses “some glimmer” of power to lull the guard to sleep in ACOWAR? Also lightsinger powers?]

Anyways, the thing is, Ruhn is wrong about the Starsword. The Starsword does have power without the knife. In HOSAB, we see Bryce actually use the Starsword for the first time:

Bryce didn’t stop to think as she unsheathed it. Starlight erupted from the black blade. Like its metal had been kindled with iridescent fire. …

The Starsword sang with light, her power flowing into it. Activating it. …

With shaking fingers, she put it back into its sheath. Dimmed its light. But the Starsword still sang, and Bryce had no idea what to make of it.

Bryce is able to activate the Starsword’s powers with her Starborn power and use it to kill things that are supposed to be unkillable.

So if Bryce is able to activate the Starsword’s powers with her Starborn power, why couldn’t Ruhn and Pelias? I guess it’s possible Ruhn can’t because he only has a small kernel of the (supposed) Starborn power, but that doesn’t explain Pelias. If Pelias was really a Starborn Prince, shouldn’t he have been able to use the Starsword without the knife?

Or…can they not activate the Starsword because they are not actually Starborn? And instead, they’re light comes from a different source—lightsinging?

Ruhn, Azriel, and Clotho (Gwyn?)

If Ruhn is a lightsinger, again, it seems like he only has a small amount of the power. Ruhn himself describes it as a “kernel.” It’s interesting, though. Unlike Bryce, who doesn’t seem to have to work hard at all to access her Starborn powers or use them, it causes Ruhn a significant amount of effort:

It ordinarily took Ruhn a good amount of concentration to summon his starlight, and it usually left him with a headache for hours afterward, but … He was intrigued enough to try.

Setting his index finger onto the crystal of the prism, Ruhn closed his eyes and focused upon his breathing. Let the clicking metal of the orrery guide him down, down, down into the black pit within himself, past the churning well of his shadows, to the little hollow beneath them. There, curled upon itself like some hibernating creature, lay the single seed of iridescent light.

He gently cupped it with a mental palm, stirring it awake as he carefully brought it upward, as if he were carrying water in his hands. Up through himself, the power shimmering with anticipation, warm and lovely and just about the only part of himself he liked.

Ruhn gets a headache when he tries to access his “Starborn” power, which is hidden deep down inside him past his shadows. It seems almost as if the powers work against each other? It might even be that Ruhn’s “light” power, whatever it is, dampens his Avallen powers, and vice versa? It does seem that Ruhn’s Avallen powers aren’t nearly as powerful as Cormac’s. Could this be why? Because his “light” power suppresses his Avallen/shadow powers?

And where Ruhn’s “light” power is and how it’s described is interesting. It’s this seed of “iridescent light” that’s buried down deep inside him.

The headaches is what @merymoonbeam first noticed—it reminded her of the headaches Az constantly gets. Maybe those headaches are related to Az using his shadowsinging powers?

But then we were talking about it more, and this scene with Ruhn finding his power made us think of the end of the bonus scene:

Something sparked in Azriel's chest, but he only nodded his thanks and left. He could picture it, though, as he ascended the stairs back to  the House proper. How Gwyn's teal eyes might light upon seeing the necklace. For whatever reason... he could see it.  

But Azriel tucked away the thought, consciously erasing the slight smile it brought to his face. Buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly.

Something sparked in Azriel’s chest. To “spark” means:

To ignite. To start a fire essentially. Could that spark in Azriel’s chest be the ignition of power in his chest?

And then this image of gwyn come to his mind, which he buries “down deep” inside himself where it “glowed quietly,” as @merymoonbeam has written about?

Did Clotho (or maybe Gwyn) plant a seed of lightsinger power inside Az?

Could this seed of lightsinger power dampen or suppress Az’s shadowsinging abilities? And is this why his shadows are missing in HOSAB chapter 78?

Or maybe that lightsinger power isn’t suppressing his shadowsinging abilities, but is instead being used to influence and control Az’s shadows from inside him…..

[tanith-rhea]

OMG thank you for writing my truth or dare prompt!! i really enjoyed it- youhurtmewithsomeoftheangst- bUT I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH. i could really picture it as it was happening and it was so cute. I'd love that complimentary piece but pls no rush TT get your sleep when you can dear, maybe a scene where larissa and reader carve their initials on the lake's dock or a tree or something?

Truth or Dare #2

Hey, there, lovely! Sorry for the wait, but here's a small-sized mess of fluff for your enjoyment. Hope you like it <3 EDIT: it contains angst, I just didn't realize it at first!

Larissa still remembered you, years after everything transpired. After graduation, you went your separate ways, but the sadness from the goodbye was nothing compared to the joy all your other moments brought to memory. Walking through the school grounds, she still saw all the signs, the marks left in time of your presence. No students really paid attention, and the few who spotted your initials didn’t care enough to wonder who the lovebirds behind it were.

“This is so stupid” Larissa laughed at you, suffering to carve her initial in the hard wood of the tree.

“Shut up, it’s romantic!” you laughed back, looking up at her. She leaned in, resting her shoulder on the tree and kissed you softly, “One day you’ll appreciate all my love gestures.”

“I already do,” she smiled warmly at you, biting her lip timidly. It was incredible how you could never feel normal about her. She smiled and you turned into putty, she looked at you like that and your legs were suddenly jelly, “I think I’ll never stop appreciating all of you.”

Her smile was devious now. How could she do that? How could she be adorably bashful in a second and a seductress the next?

“Don’t look at me like that, we’re in the open!” you tried to sound jokingly, her eyes told you of your failure.

She still had the drawings you made of her, still read your horrible poem on the back cover of her yearbook when things got too heavy and stressful. She still smiled remembering all the times you sneaked off for midnight strolls, or when you preferred to stay inside reading in bed, legs entwined and tea going cold on the bedside table.

She never found someone quite like you ever since. You kept contact in the first few months, after a few years it was only on birthdays, and after almost a decade you didn’t even have each other’s addresses anymore. Calling through a crystal ball seemed too awkward to attempt, even when the longing was too much. Larissa still remembered you, because there was hardly someone else she thought about.

[nikethestatue]

I'm so sorry for this because it's not a question, I just have to get something off my chest.

It makes me very uncomfortable when I see fanart of Azriel "rescuing" Gwyn from Sangravah. The the way that Gwynriels 1) twist canon to make it seem like Azriel carried Gwyn out of Sangravah when he only passed her off to Mor, but then 2) romanticize her horrific experience...it seems so bizarre. Maybe it's because I'm not a dark romance reader so I don't see the appeal to romanticizing rape, especially when the male character literally did his job and nothing more. I don't know, it's just weird to me that there are fan artists who romanticize this scene and then people in the comments talk about how much they love this pairing and how beautiful it is that Azriel rescued Gwyn.

Ultimately, I think it boils down to the fact that the ship has no canon scenes together.

With Elriel, despite the cries ‘they barely said anything to each other’ each interaction is a SCENE. Whether it’s the potato scene, the TT exchange, the rescue, sitting in the garden, Azriel carrying her in his arms, etc. it’s always a scene that you can illustrate.

With GAs—there are no scenes. How do you illustrate a smirk? He doesn’t do anything with her, he doesn’t approach her, he doesn’t even train her directly.

So Sangravah is the only time they feel there was togetherness between Gwyn and Azriel. Even if it was off page and we barely have any info and Azriel literally never mentions it (unlike Elain’s rescue). But it’s the one episode where they can have their imagination run wild.

Romanticizing a post-rape rescue is icky, but if you have nothing else to work with you do what you can, I suppose.

The funny thing is that azriel had rescued 3 women: Mor, Elain and Gwyn. The only one he ever brought up himself is Elain’s. It’s the only one that matters to him.

They can draw whatever pictures they want. Won’t change the outcome.