#I need help naming the patron of creation

[starry-skies-tell-no-lies]

The First Spinner of Light

When the world was far younger, there lived a girl who had been taught to spin by her mother and found nothing more enjoyable than to spin all manner of roving into the finest yarns ever seen. She was only extraordinary in the ways that all young children are, full of joy and life and potential.

Her family celebrated her talent as they did all of her siblings talents. They wore and sold the thread that she spun, and used the money to support themselves and ensure that there would always be roving on Arachne's spindle and wheel.

Word of her talent spread, and she would often receive offers of commission to spin new found fibers into stunning threads. She happily took most commissions, turning away only those that she was too busy for, as she enjoyed the challenge of learning something new.

Until one day, a man from very far away, and great wealth, thought himself entitled to her work as he believed himself to be the most important man in the world. He demanded that she spin him enough thread to be woven into a hundred yards of the finest cloth yet seen on earth.

She of course was still working on her latest commission, and her own projects. To start such a thing would be insane, she told the man. He did not care, and threatened the spinner and her family if she did not comply.

Seeing no other option the girl agreed, and only then did the man reveal the last requirement of this cloth. It must be made of a material never before seen on this earth. No other fabric could already be made of this fiber.

The spinner wanted to cry and weep, for she had seen and spun fiber from every end of the earth, and she did not know of any fibers left untried. She did not let her despair hinder her though, for the lives of her family were at stake, and she must succeed. She consoled herself with the thought of returning to them, and never seeing this horrible man again.

She worked on her other projects as she pondered what she could spin that had never been spun before.

She asked of the birds as they sang out her window what she hadn't yet spun, but they simply kept singing ignoring her.

She asked _______(patron with a focus on creating things/crafting) for advice, but that was the Wednesday that _______(pc) was busy making ________(ceramics) so they did not hear her pleas.

She continued to spin through the entire day and well through the night, pleading and asking anyone who would listen to tell her of some new thing to spin for her freedom and her family's.

In her distraction, she had not noticed night give way to dawn. Arachne, had not noticed The Lady of the Dark hearing her in the night. The Lady of the Dark's heart cried for this child who should not be in such a position, so she sought to remedy this for the child.

The Lady of the Dark knew of something that no one had ever spun, but she also knew that Arachne was one of the favored children of _______(pc) and would only need a little push to figure it out on her own.

Come dawn, a beam of light fell right where Arachne's roving ended, and as she continued to spin, some of the light was spun along with her roving. When she finished her latest appeal to ______(pc) she realized what she had done.

Crying in delight, she quickly set down her spindle, and sat down at the spinning wheel the arrogant man insisted she spin his thread on. It was enchanted so that none may steal the thread off of it, and if stolen the thread would return to him and him alone.

The girl sat there spinning for three days and three nights, until there was indeed enough thread to weave a hundred yards of fabric.

_______(pc) sustained her throughout the day, easing the soreness of her fingers, and ensuring the wheel spun true.

The Lady of Darkness took over in the night, singing to Arachne the first weaving songs to keep her in time. Kissing the spinner's brow, and holding her in comfort and strength.

When dawn ended the third night, and Arachne had finished, she knew not who had saved her, but gave her thanks all the same. (The Lady of Darkness did not blame this child for not knowing her, this was a child of daylight and warmth, a summer's child)

The man came to see Arachne's work, and praised her for her ingenuity. Never before had someone seen roving in light, and the thread she had spun was as radiant as the light she had twisted.

The man insisted that as she had so little trouble spinning sunlight, she might not be troubled to spin more thread for him. Enough thread for a hundred more yards of fabric each, in two new materials.

Arachne was angry, but once again found herself with little choice, and she thought, surely this must be the last thing he could ask of me. Just this one thing more and my family will be free from harm.

This time she knew what to spin. She spun moonlight, silvery soft, and cool as well as starlight, which glittered on the bobbin.

For three more days and three more nights, she spun without pause for food or sleep. She would have perished if not for _____(pc) and The Lady of Darkness sustaining her, but all of the thread was done come dawn at the end of the third night, and all of it made by her hand. Her family would be free.

Once again the man came to inspect the goods. He was privately astonished at how much this mere peasant child had made. He was more shocked that this family still chose to live in their countryside home without flaunting the wealth that this child surely brought.

He said he would give her a week's rest, but then the spinner would have a week to spin a new thread, of the same amount as the first three.

Arachne realized that this man would never stop. As long as he still lived and threatened her family he would be asking her to spin him all of the earth. She could not let this happen.

For the week she had to recover, she rested, and thanked ____(pc), and planned. She thought of all the things she could try to spin to end this man.

The only thing that would resoundly stop this man was a death, and she had none but her own to spin.

Now, it must be noted that in this time, the world was considered generally more flexible than most would think today. Arachne is the finest weaver of all time, and she possessed skill and talent beyond the wildest reckoning.

And so at the end of her week of rest, she reached and pulled and teased and tugged, and spent three days and three nights spinning her death. It was a soft and gentle death, slipping off in her sleep at an advanced age.

She spun her death and her dying moments, and out of a bit of spite, she was never proud of it, a bit of her anger slipped in as well. Itching the horrid man for all eternity.

Her death only took half of the time, but that was important as she spun the most indestructible thing she could imagine to ply next to her death. She spun her hope. her desire to be free, to keep her family safe. She spun and spun until she thought that surely all of her hope must be wrapped around the bobbin of the wheel.

She would come to realize with age that hope heals itself, and she would never run out, but that is a story for another day.

At last she had a thread made of death, and hope. Terrible and indestructible. When the man came, she begged him to allow her the honor of being the one to weave it into cloth.

He agreed, not caring exactly who made his fine fabrics, and gave her considerably more time to weave than he ever did to spin.

When the fabric was done, she again begged him the honor of allowing her to be the one to make him a coat of such a fine material. He again agreed, not caring how the coat was made, only that he wear it, an no one else have anything as expensive.

She sewed it all with threads of hope, and when the man put it on, he immediately fell dead, she sewed the coat closed, so that no one may free him, and immediately fell to the floor crying.

She had never wanted to be the cause for death. She had never imagine the life of a spinner would lead to violence, but here was a horrible man wearing her death, and her hopes all wrapped up in one.

At that moment ______(pc) could do no good, for they are never good at soothing tears. The Lady of Darkness donned her mantle, and swept Arachne into her arms.

She hushed, and rocked, and sang until the child of summer's light in her arms could once more breathe evenly. She consoled ARachne who had become far more than she'd ever hoped in ways she was not yet ready to embrace.

Arachne went home to her family, they were all safe until the end of their days, but Arachne had spun away her death and her age, she would forever remain living as long as the horrible man remained dead.

She was not the same girl before as she was before she learned how to spin light. No, she was not the same, but she learned how to spin many many more things for the love of it, as she was not entirely different either.

[enbyhyena]

Hey, wait! Please stop scrolling for a sec!

Please bear with me and read to the end! I promise it'll be worth it.

My name is Nexys, and I am queer and disabled. For years I have been striving to create the most tight-knit safe space (that's ACTUALLY safe) on the internet, using content creation as common ground. And we're really starting to take off!

But I need your help. Please reblog this post so that I may meet new people and make new friends! My community has been lifechanging, both to myself and to the people within it. I really feel like my Twitch, YouTube, and Discord communities have been making a difference in the lives of some of the most disadvantaged and marginalized people in the LGBT and neurodiverse communities.

We often play games like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Pokémon, with the occasional challenges and other genres thrown in. Sometimes we even invite our chat to play the games with us! So if this sounds like the sort of community you'd be interested in, please join our Discord Server so you don't miss out!

I'm a small creator, and due to my disabilities cannot hold down a normal 9-5 job, so any support and engagement from you—time or money—is a lifechanging opportunity that could potentially alter the course of my life and the lives of my loved ones. Even just dropping in to say hello would mean the world to me!

But I know time is a precious resource, so if you're too busy to sit in with us but still want to support the cause, for as little as $1/month you can become a Patron! And depending on the tier you choose, there may even be some free artwork and other fun perks in it for you!

Thank you so much for your time! Me and my community really hope to meet you, and we hope that you, dear reader, have a fantastic rest of your day/night! Happy Pride!

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🩷🤍🩶🖤🤎

[olympiantea]

You must think I'm such a ditz. Here I am talking away, and you don't have a clue who I am!

My name is Cyrena. In another world, I'm known as the goddess of inspiration. Some simply refer to me as the Muse. I am the spark behind all of your amazing ideas. I live for the moment my patrons' eyes light up, and they realize they can do anything they put their minds to.

Look around you. We can find inspiration anywhere; though some may need to dig a little deeper within themselves to find it. Inspiration is not some fleeting thing. It is the ever-present heart of all creation, and endless possibilities are just waiting to be discovered. Sometimes, in the most unexpected of places.

Whether you are an artist struggling to unlock your potential, a ruler solving a complex problem, or simply an individual hoping to find some beauty in life; I'm here to encourage and motivate you. I invite you to explore the beauty of art, contemplate the depth of thought, and the wonders of storytelling. Call on me. I will guide you through the realm of imagination. Let me help you turn your visions into reality. Your dreams are your canvas. Ask questions. Observe. Engage. Share your thoughts as we work to rekindle your spirit and remind yourself that you are an amazing and capable being.

My duty is a work of heart. Some may find me to be vapid and shallow, but I beg to differ. I am an observer. I am an empath. You couldn't possibly lie to me... your heartbeat will give you away. Yes, I love gossip and parties, and I may seem a flighty and little self-absorbed at times, but I promise that I only have good intentions.

Alas in this world, I am taking on a slightly different role. I am here to serve as a persona for a not so traditional college student who is in her final semester. She plucked me from my world to tell you all a story. To answer a question, really. Can we use modern digital storytelling, specifically a gossip blog, to reimagine the tale of the Trojan War, and engage a contemporary audience while still preserving the essence of the myth?

It's essentially Greek mythology meets Gossip Girl... except I'm not hiding my identity. I'm here to collect your details and spill all the tea.

Xoxo,

Cyrena

[olsenmyolsen]

You Left Us

master list

dark master list

Pre-(A Good Version of) Secret Invasion (Female Skrull Reader X Carol Danvers)

Summary: What happens when Captain Marvel returns after all this time...

Word Count: 5.4K

Content: Carol feeling guilty for leaving, Manipulative Nick Fury

It's just past sundown as black boots hit the ground with purpose.

A blonde woman in a white tank, black jeans, and a leather jacket moves through the small town until she reaches the street with the bar she's been looking for.

She pulls open the door and (Drumroll)...

Carol Danvers walks into a bar.

Jokes aside. You look up from your place behind said bar and watch the blonde scan her blue eyes across the other patrons until she lands on you. For a very brief moment, you feel small as her gaze lingers on you until she starts to come closer. "I need a name." The taller-than-you than you blonde says in a tone that drips with authority. You smile at her voice and decide that she can't be that bad.

Right?

"Ya know... Most people order first." You slide a drink menu in front of her that she doesn't even look at. "I'm looking for someone." She looks at you, and you can tell she's not messing around.

You sigh.

"Promise to order something if I help you?" You ask, making her smirk before nodding. "Okay, take a seat." You gesture to a bar stool that she slides into. "I'm looking for a woman." This makes you smile and laugh. "Aren't we all?" The blonde tilts her head. "I'm serious."

"Me too." You crack a smile and get nothing in return. You sigh again and lean down on the bar. "What does she look like?"

The blonde thinks before opening her mouth. "She's taller than me. Black hair. Blue eyes. Not like mine. She's... tough-minded. By the book. To a fault sometimes." The blonde chuckles a bit, surprising you.

You lean up and grab a rag as silence falls between you and the woman across the counter. "Know her?" She asks. You shake your head. "Sounds like a tough girlfriend, though." You slyly add. "Oh, she's not my girlfriend!" The blonde says matter-of-factly and a little too loud.

"Okay. Sure." Your voice goes a little high to let her know that you don't believe her. "What can I get you to drink?"

"So you don't know her?" You shake your head and lift up the drink menu. "No. I don't know your girlfriend. Order."

The blonde rolls her eyes at you. "Like I said, she's not my girlfriend."

"Okay..." You say before you open and close your mouth because what you want to say is, "okay so who is your girlfriend!" But that's too much, and she's not even looking at you now. Her blue eyes are darting across the drink menu.

"I'll take this one." She points to a cocktail of your own creation. "Coming right up." You smile and gently take the menu from her hand before getting to work. The blonde watches you intensely. But not long. She looks away when you look up at her after finding the correct bottle of mix.

"Can I get a name?" You ask as you start to shake the liquids around in a cup. "Yeah, her name is Mari-"

"No, no, no. Your name." The blonde closes her mouth. "I want your name." You smiled as the woman across from you was surprised by your interruption.

"It's Carol. Carol Danvers." She says.

You lay out a napkin and place a glass onto it before filling it with her blue cocktail. "It's Carol. Carol Danvers." You repeated as she watched your face concentrate on pouring the drink. "What about you?"

You easily give her your name before going to ring up her drink, but stopping. You turn back to blonde just as she puts the blue drink to her lips. She takes a sip and tries her best to hide the grimace on her face.

She fails, though, when her eyes meet yours.

"I'm sorry." She says while you laugh. "It's okay. I figured.." It hurts you a little bit, considering this drink was your idea to put on the menu. You go to take it back, but she stops you. "I don't hate it."

"Ah, yes, because people love drinks that they don't consume." You reply with a wink. Carol smiles at you, and you feel your body quickly get warm. She has an incredible smile.

"How about... a bourbon." She states.

"Of course." Youthink as you toss the blue drink while fixing her what she really wants. "You could've ordered this before."

"Yeah, but I thought if I ordered something special, you'd help me find Maria Hill." Her face gets serious as she waits for you to react to the name.

But you don't budge.

It's almost as if you don't know who she's talking about.

Almost.

"Ah, the not girlfriend." You say, making Carol sigh. "She's not my girlfriend. She's not even my type." She answers as she gets flustered when she sees your smile. "That's besides the point! I need her to lead me to someone!"

Your smile turns into a smirk, and Carol sees it. You look Carol up and down. "And who might that be?" You ask, only earning a half-playful squint of the eyes. "Why should I tell you?" You shrug. "You don't have to. But maybe just because I don't know this Maria person, maybe I know their boss."

"Trust me, if you don't know Maria, then you don't know who's above them."

You nod your head, agreeing. "Alright. Fine." You stop and take a quick look around. The rest of the patrons still around. "Can I ask you something?" Carol lifts her face up to look at you before leaning forward, grabbing the bourbon glass again, finishing it off. "Sure."

"What makes you think I don't know Nick Fury?"

What you just said makes Carol stop. The softness she's been letting slip rightens itself. You watched her furrow her brows and clench her jaw.

"Who are you?"

You ignore Carol's question and cup your hands to make your voice louder. "Alright! The bar is now closed! Don't worry about your tabs! I have a family emergency, so if you could please leave that'd be great! Thank you!"

The handful of patrons look at one another before groaning that they must leave but are happy that they don't have to pay.

Carol keeps her face stern and eyes on you as you watch the people file out.

"Take care." You pat the back of an older gentleman as he leaves. You close the door and lock it up before cautiously returning behind the bar. You feel like prey with the way Carol watches you.

A tired sigh leaves you as you lean back against the counter. Carol rises from her seat. "Who are you?" She clenches her fist and starts to tilt her head. "I won't ask again."

"Carol, let's not do this." You say, lifting a hand as if it were a white flag. "Then you better start talking." Her fist begins to glow as she grits her teeth. "How do you know Nick Fury?"

"Come on, Carol." You laugh and grab a cold beer from behind the bar. It's not your typical drink choice, but it looks pretty cool to drink if you're trying not to seem intimidated. "Who doesn't know the man with the patch." You put a hand over your left eye to boost your point. "I mean, he's a legend, is he not?"

Carol lowers her fist as you keep your calm demeanor. You walk around the back of the bar and to the half door, swinging it open to enter the common area.

You and Carol are now on the same side. She keeps a watchful eye on you as you walk closer and closer. Beer still in hand. "The man who founded a team of heroes all those years back." Carol backs away while still remaining stern as you sit down at the bar stool next to her. "Nick Fury." You sigh and look Carol in her eyes. "The man who said he would help us after you left." Your voice cracks when the you leaves your mouth.

Carols face falters.

"You're a Skrull.."

You nod your head and look away from Carol Danvers—the Captain Marvel. You scoffed as you thought about it. "So good luck finding him." You take a sip of the gold liquid and do your best not to react to the taste. "I sure as hell haven't heard from him since the blip... or even before."

Carol just watches you deflate your body as the words pour out of you. She didn't know what to expect when she walked into this bar, but a Skrull wasn't one of them. And in a matter of minutes, she went from being flirty to angry to feeling sorry with a good mix of guilt.

She did leave.

She helped others find homes out in the cosmos, including a smaller colony of Skrulls. But the ones here on Earth... She never came back for.

She could make excuses about why she didn't, whether it be because of one Lieutenant Trouble or the fact that she was scared to let people down. Regardless, she put her focus elsewhere and only returned to Earth when it was absolutely necessary.

Like today.

Which led her to you.

Carol looks over you again, and you can feel her eyes on you, but you don't make a remark about it. Instead, you let her look over your favorite pair of Vans, high-waisted jeans, and green flannel. Her eyes scan themselves down your rolled-up sleeves and to your hands. The veins going down to your fingers.

She watches as your right handle fiddles with the silver ring hanging from your neck.

It was the first real thing you ever bought for yourself.

Carol looks up and takes note of your features. From your scarlet lips to your eyes. She loves the way your hair flows down.

She would be lying if she said she didn't find you attractive. Carol did.

But to Carol, this wasn't your actual body. Right?

But to you, it was.

You've spent more time in this human disguise than your own Skrull form.

As strange as it is to some. You love it.

"Are you done?" You ask as you turn back to look at Carol. "I get it, but you can stop." You go to take another sip of your beer, but Carol takes it from your hand and sets it down away from you, making you look at her. "You said you haven't heard from Fury even before the blip. What do you mean?"

You look at Carol as if she's joking, but you can tell by the look of determination in her eyes that she has no idea. "You really don't know." You say not knowing whether you should be hurt or happy that Carol Danvers doesn't know about the way Nick Fury used Skrulls for his battles. "Just like you, he left us. Abandoned us. Threw us to the sides when wars from invaders above could be won with humans."

Carol can tell how much this has affected you. It clearly hurts to talk about, but you don't look like a soldier or talk like one.

But that's when it clicks.

"You lost someone?" Carol softens in the bar stool next to you and even makes the cautious effort to place her hand on your arm.

"I lost everyone." You sneer back but don't remove your arm from her hold. You look into her blue eyes, and Carol sees how the sadness is threatening to spill out. Without meaning to, Carol gently rubs her hand up and down your arm. It brings you comfort, and in this moment, you once again take in the beauty that is The Captain Marvel.

"I'm sorry." She says to you, making you look back from her lips to her eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss. I know these words don't do much, but you shouldn't have had to fight Fury's battles."

And just like that, a sincere apology and moment makes you sour.

Carol stops the movement of her hand as she can sense the tension coming off of you. "Well, it's not like you were around." You pull your arm away from her and get up. "Hey!" Carol gets up and follows you as you begin walking towards the back of the bar.

"That's not fair!" Carol counters as you pass your manager office to the bar before stopping at the set of wooden stairs leading up to your place. "Fair!?" You stop to question before turning around.

"You left!" You yell at the blonde, who doesn't back down. "You fucking left, and you want to talk to me about fair? I watched my parents die! I watched my brothers and sister become toys in a game that I never wanted to play! So don't talk to me about fair when you don't understand!"

Carol is quiet. She holds up her hands and takes small steps towards you. The closer she gets, the more she sees how the tears are beginning to fall. "I'm sorry. You're right." Carol says. "I don't understand." She puts her arms by her side as she stands right before you. "Help me. Help me understand." Carol looks deeply into your eyes.

You swallow the lump in your throat and hold one of your hands out as the other wipes your face. "Okay. Come on." You say through your broken voice. Trusting her.

The guilt lingers in Carols' mind as she takes your hand.

Little did you or Carol know how the touch of your hand lit the fuse. Fingers wrapped around one another before you led her upstairs to your place.

Your home.

You two are quiet as you open the door. Carol quickly surveys the open floor plan of your apartment. Modest is the word she would use.

It wasn't much, but it was home.

When you kicked the door shut, you gingerly removed your hand from Carols. "It seems kinda redundant, but would you like a drink?" You make your way towards the fridge in your kitchen. Conveniently placed to the left of the front door. "Whatever you grab is fine." You didn't acknowledge Carols answer; instead, you opened the fridge door and grabbed whatever two hard seltzers were waiting for you.

You turned around and placed them onto your cheap dining room table and waited for Carol to approach. She still stood at the door, taking it all in. She wouldn't lie. The more she looked around, the more she got it—an inside look into what makes you, you.

But eventually, Carols' eyes landed to you sitting at the table. And with a courtesy smile, she came forward.

"I hope mango is fine." You said as you cracked open your strawberry one. Satisfied that the taste of beer is out of your mouth. "That's fine." She says as she makes her way to the chair opposite of you. "I like your place." Carol is being genuine, and you can see that. "Thanks."

You take another sip before asking: "What would you like to know?"

Carol thinks and looks over your face. "How old are you?" She squints her eyes in a playful manner, reminding you of the Carol that was flirty not that long ago. "Skrull years or human?" You ask with a sheepish smile.

"Whatever you feel comfortable with."

You nod, grateful for that answer.

"27 human years." You tilt your head. "I think."

Carol nods and takes a look around your living room before her eyes look back. "What do you do for fun?"

You weren't expecting that, but you couldn't deny that removing the tension from the room is nice.

So you smiled. "When I have time, I watch movies, play games, listen to music. You know, the normal things." Carol nods. "Normal things." She quietly repeats and can't for the life of her remember the last movie she watched.

You notice Carol's hands grip the seltzer just a little harder. "What about you?" You look to Carols' curious eyes. "What do you do for fun?" Carol covers up her surprised face and stammers to think.

"Umm..." She tilts her head in thought as it slowly dawns on you that Carol Danvers is too busy to relax. Or to have fun. "It's okay." You interrupt her thought. "Forget, I asked." You sip your drink and look away from her blue eyes. But she shakes her head. "It's not like I don't like to relax... I just..." She sighs and goes to speak, but you cut her off.

"Carol, it's alright. Seriously, forget I asked..." You open and close your mouth to stop yourself from saying more, but Carol catches it. "What?" She asks in a less than soft voice.

You give in. "I guess... I just hoped something fun would've been worth your time up there." You point up to the sky. "I guess it would've made me feel... I don't know... better knowing that you had fun at some point, but it doesn't appear so. All work, no play." Carol stares at you. "I heard a human male say that once."

But that's not what Carol is staring at you for. "Why would that make you feel better?" Carol asks, and you bite the bullet. "Because then..." You clear your throat. "Because then you would've had another reason for your absence."

That hurts Carol, and you honestly weren't trying to hurt her. But sometimes your words shoot to kill when you don't mean to.

Carol leans back into the wooden chair, causing it to creak. The only noise audible aside from the Captain's exhale. "I'm sorry." Carol looks up to see your eyes on her. "I am. I'm sorry for not being here for you and your people." Carol leans forward as her voice grows to be more gentle. "I'm sorry you got dragged into fights that should've never been around. What others did to you was extremely unfair. I should've stopped-d them and kept my p-promise..."

Before you, Carol Danvers breaks.

She feels guilty and hurt for what had happened. She takes the blame and knows whatever she does now will not stop what has already happened.

Carol lifts her right hand to her face to cover her mouth as her left arm falls to the table. She looks away from you as tears fall from her gorgeous eyes. "I'm sorry." This time, she's apologizing for her emotions.

What a silly thing to apologize for.

You let go of the can in your hand and reach your arm across the table. Your hand is open to her. Carol sees this and shakes her head, but you don't budge. "Take it." You whisper.

Carol wipes her eyes and sniffles as she lets her hand lay into yours. The contact of her warm hands sends chills across your body.

You sit like that and look at Carol with admiration for what she's done, and for the first time, you're seeing Carol Danvers as something more than a myth or a so-called hero.

Instead, all you see is Carol.

A beautiful blonde woman who is doing her best not to let snot dribble out of her nose.

It's cute.

"Here..." You remove your hand from hers as you get up to walk behind Carol. The blonde, missing your contact, turns her head to watch you. She sees you go into the living area to pick up a box of tissues sitting in the middle of your coffee table. She smiles and turns around before you notice her eyes on you.

But you felt them.

When you return to the kitchen, you hand Carol the box and watch as she embarrassing blows her nose and clears her throat.

"Trash is behind you in that cabinet." Carol turns around and opens a cabinet door. "Huh.." She says a little too loud, making you raise an eyebrow—something the blonde sees. "I- I was just thinking maybe I should put the trash can I have on the ship into a smaller area so it's not in the way. Or smelling..." She looks away from you once she finishes rambling, afraid you'll be angry at her for mentioning another thing that's kept her away. Aka, her ship. Or because you'll ask her why her garbage she smells so much.

But you do neither.

Instead, you step closer and fold your arms across your chest. "Why do you only have one trash can?"

Carol turns back to look up at you. "What?" You smile at her and let out an exhale of a laugh through your nose. "I said why do you only have one trash can? Don't you have a cat?"

Carol nods. "Well, technically, he's a flerken... so what's your point?" You tilt your head with your arms still crossed. "My point is, is when the flerken... you know... what do you do with the waste? Put it all into the same trash?"

Carol does her best to bite back a smile, only confusing you. "What?" It's now your turn to ask.

Carol stands up with a her smile showing. "Flerkens don't poop.. they eat, spit up, and lay eggs."

Excuse me!?

"They lay eggs?!" You exclaim, waving your arms around with a fright. Carol nods her head in a duh manner before picking up and finishing off the rest of her drink, as your mind can't wrap your head around a cat laying eggs.

You're only knocked out of your thoughts when Carol shuts the cabinet where your recycling bin was kept. Thus, bringing you and Carol back into this post-apology reality.

"You know..." You say, interrupting the dead air falling between the two of you. "For the record, I truly don't know where Nick Fury is." You shift your weight from one foot to the other.

Carol nods and inhales with a click. "I figured. Any word on Maria Hill?"

You smile. "Ah, the girlfriend." Carol playfully rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "For the last time. She's not my girlfriend."

"You're right." You say, taking a step closer. "She's not your type." You look Carol up and down. She sees it and unbeknownst to you.... You are her type.

"Like you are?" Carol says back to shock you, but all it does is make you smirk. You take another step closer. And in a hushed tone, you say: "You and I both know that I certainly could be."

This makes Carol blush, and lucky for her, you walk past her as her cheeks grow red. Carol never thought you would be that bold.

You never knew you were that bold!

The words left your mouth quicker than you could stop them, which is why you're now standing by your shelf of movies. Ignoring Carols eyes on you. Hoping the look on your face will quickly fade.

Carol turns around and sees you shift your weight again as you hold the ring hanging off the necklace between your fingers.

Carol knows she should fish for more information or just leave and continue her search for Fury. But she doesn't want to. She's been alone, on her own, for so long that having company is good. But having good-looking company is even better.

Regardless of how rocky your situation-ship started.

"Looking for anything in particular?" Carol says, appearing by your side. You keep your eyes forward as Carols blue eyes linger in your mind. "Something you might like..." You respond. "I might like?" Carol looks at you with scrunched eyebrows. You nod before turning your head, and when you do, Carols face turns from one of confusion into a smile. Which in turn makes you smile.

"Well, how's the search?" Carol raises an eyebrow and bites her bottom lip. "G-good." You feel your cheeks flush and hate yourself over your stupid stutter because of a pretty smile.

You turn away and grab whatever two movies are in reach to get the attention away from your face. "Maybe these..." You hold out for Carol to take.

"Terminator 2, and... Scott Pilgrim Vs The World?? Okay, there's no way that second one is real?!"

"How come?" You ask, genuinely curious by Carols sudden declaration. She flips the Blu-Ray to the back. "First off, he's a man named Scott. No hero is ever named Scott- hold on..." You're about to correct that she literally knows a hero named Scott when: "He has to beat 7 evil exes for this girl that he likes!?!" Carol looks up at you with a mixture of glee and distaste.

Carol thinks the plot sounds fun, but she's worried about how they're gonna stretch out the story coming from someone who could kick the seven evil ex's ass. No biggie.

You just nod and take Terminator 2 back from her to put on your shelf. "So you wanna go with that one?" You point to the movie. "You mean I can keep it?" Carol asks, misunderstanding you.

"Oh.. no- I mean you can, but I meant like that's we to watch- like we could watch it. Together." You nervously ramble and gesture to the TV behind you, and thankfully, Carol picks up on the hint and squints her eyes before smiling. "As fun as that sounds..." She hands you the movie. "I still need to find Maria."

Your smile turns flat, and you sadly take the movie from her hands. "Right."

"She's not my girlfriend." Carol points sternly at you before you can say anything. "I know." You laugh.

"Still don't know where Maria could be?" You shake your head. "Estonia? Fiji? Anywhere, honestly." You think as Carol sighs. "But." Carol stands up straight. "I know there's a colony hiding in Russia. Rumor is they have a leader. Someone like me. Someone who's lost everything."

Carol frowns at your words and steps towards you, but before she speaks, you cut her off.

"I forgive you." She stands in front of you with her mouth dropped. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize."

Carol closes her mouth and swallows as she nods. "Thank you."

"Of course." You whisper before clearing your throat. "Gravik." Carol raises her head, waiting for you to continue. "That's his name. Their leader." Carols nods again.

"And Carol?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember, we were all put into tough spots. I don't know much about Gravik or how far gone he could be. But I'm sure that could've been me."

Carol understands you and thanks you again before stepping closer to you. You don't move. She takes the movie from your hand and carefully drops it onto your coffee table. Carol then takes your hands in her own and looks you in the eyes.

"You didn't lose everything. You have me. I promise."

Carol then moves her hands out of yours and brushes them up your arm. And before you know it, her arms are wrapped around your back as you are pulled into a hug.

It's gentle and soft as each of you test the waters. Leaning into one another feels nice and complimentary. Once settled, you inhale and feel butterflies erupt in your stomach.

Carol Danvers smells like Vanilla.

She discovers that you smell like Lavender.

"You have me." She whispers as you feel her breath hit your ear. You bite your lip and make an agreeing noise. "I should go.." The hug finally ends, and yet the both of you want don't want Carol to leave.

But she promised.

"Yeah..." You give Carol a sad smile and walk with her to the door. "You don't have to walk me out," Carol says as your feet hit the bottom of the steps leading back to the main entrance. "I know, but I wanted to."

Carol loves that.

As you and Carol reach the front door, you stop. "Oh shoot. Wait here!" You say, confusing Carol as you turn around and run away. "What?!" She asks, only to hear you yell, "Wait!" Followed by your feet running up the stairs.

It takes less than two minutes for you to come back down. Carol smiles when she sees you, and it grows when she sees what's in your hand. In fact, she laughs. "You didn't!"

"I did." You wave it at her. "Here." You give Carol your copy of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. "I have no way of watching this. Believe it or not, Earth is the only planet with Blu-Rays." She laughs as she speaks.

"I know." You reply.

"It's for when you come back." You sweetly say, making Carol happy. You trust her. "For when I come back."

Carol opens her arms for a hug, which is when you get bold again. You kiss Carol on the cheek as you accept the hug, momentarily stunning the hero.

Before she leans back to look at you. Red in the face.

"Hey, if you're going to kiss me. Kiss me."

As her words hit your ears, Carol leans forward and connects her lips with yours, and the soft, sensual sensation your lips got from just her skin explodes when you feel her pillowy lips. You close your eyes and savor this moment.

"Wow."

You agree with Carol as the two of you hold each other. Neither alone. You lean your forehead against the blondes. "Can I ask you something?" You open your eyes to see her already looking at you. "Go ahead."

"When I do return, how will I know.. that you're you."

That's a good question. You think for a moment before commenting to an answer. "Play Take On Me by A-Ha. I like the acoustic version more, and if you play the original, I'll be sure to tell you that." Carol listens to your words and grins to the thought of you belting out Take On Me.

"That could work." She smiles.

"Besides. You'll know it's me." Carol leans out of the embrace and cocks an eyebrow. "You're so sure?"

"I'm positive."

Carol smiles brightly and takes your words as truth. She then looks up to the sky. "I should go."

"Okay." You tell her, but the night is just starting between you two, and you don't want it to end. But at last, Carol unwraps arms from you. The feeling of her long finger on your skin makes you jolt. "Will I ever get to see you in your true form?" Carol asks as carefully as possible. You understand and don't get upset.

Instead, you smile.

"You're looking at her." You say, making Carol smile at you before grabbing your hand. "I trust and know that I'll be ready for whenever you do want to show me."

You nod and appreciate it. "But this is me, Carol."

Carol begins to glow. "And this is me." She winks before lifting your hand up to place a kiss on your fingers. "Remember my promise."

You nod. "I will. Good luck, Carol."

"Stay safe, Y/N."

Carol takes a few steps out from the awning of the bar. She looks back at you before turning into light, shooting like a rocket up and towards the infinite cosmos.

You smile and go to fiddle with the ring around your neck before remembering...

-

Carol lands in her cloaked ship that's in high orbit of Earth.

Goose, the every alert flerken, is immediately there to greet her and to meow about her lack of pets. "I'm sorry, Goosie." Carol pets the flerken and gives her some head smoochies before marching over to a console.

She taps buttons on a pad before a scan of Earth shows up. Carol hits some more buttons, causing the image of Nick Fury to pop with red letters on top.

MISSING Last Seen: SABER Base

Carol looks at Goose, biting her lip to form a plan. But then Carol remembers about the gift in her other hand. "Oh shit." She ungrips the Blu-Ray and paces over to her personal corner on the ship.

She goes to place the movie on to her side table, except something rattles inside. She freezes. Huh? Carol picks up the case again and hears the noise.

How did she not hear this earlier?

Carol opens the case to find the movie still intact, put sitting on top is your necklace with your phone number and a note.

"I'm happy I have you." - Y/N

Carol wore your necklace every day after that.

Until three years later when you gave her a new ring.

dividers by @/benkeibear

[bokettochild]

Okay but what if after Legend dies Hylia makes him a god and he watches over the Hero’s sprit and occasionally helps the other Links out of tough spots and pretty much stalks Hyrule cuz he is the biggest bunny softie

Firstly, the idea of Hylia elevating to godhood the guy who she's put through the most crap over the course of his life is....an interesting concept. Is she prolonging his suffering by giving him even more responsibility to handle even after death, or is she rewarding him for a job well done and allowing him to keep doing as he's always done, but now with the power to do so much more?

Add to that, what would he be the god of? I know I commonly portray Legend as being the embodiment of Life, so it could be that, but he might end up a patron deity of adventurers and magic wielders as well.

Regardless, if granted godhood, legend would 100% do his best to be on the lookout to help the heroes that come after him, regardless of the timeline because of course gods aren't hampered by silly things like that!

The gods aren't allowed to directly alter some things, as their creations do need to be allowed to live a little without having someone hold their hand and fix all their problems for them, but he pushes the boundary as much as he can, blessing items, creating random helpful things and of course occasionally ensuring that the worst case scenarios don't happen.

I think he'd create the blupees to be his eyes and ears in Hyrule to help him keep an eye on the world and the people in it. Grated, he knows they'll get shot at by Wild at least, but if they can't feel pain from that sort of thing and receive no injuries? He can help in another way and protect his little rabbits too!

Come Hyrule's era this guy is out here manipulating so much crap, you have no idea. A ten (twelve?) year old kid out alone in a strange country? Yeah, he's got his eye on this one. He doesn't KNOW that it's Hyrule at first, but there's something about him and he makes it a point to conveniently distract the monsters that still roam in areas that are at least somewhat out of this kid's path. He sends a little priest to make sure the boy is armed because good golly why are you out here without a weapon? And it's dangerous to go alone so wtheck?

By Wild's era he said screw it, I'm going down there. Cue Satori. Legend's over here watching the champion and enjoying it so much. Now he understands why Twilight looked so peeved so much. Gosh dang, Wolfie, he put you through the ringer!

Twilight, once he figures out why the rabbit-owl-horse knows his name, is not amused. He is glad to see his little brother again, although why do you look like this? Where's the pink fur and crap?

Legend's just glad he can sit back for most of the latter half of the kids journey and laugh at Twilight's suffering for once. He does help where he can, just little things the other deities can't chew him out for, and a multitude of blessed objects to make life easier.

Combine this idea with my God of War Warriors theory and he and the captain are just chilling in wherever the gods hang out, watching Twilight's suffering in 4K like the gremlins they are, with a running commentary. They only help when they can get away with it (they're still baby gods in comparison to the others) but they're keeping a watchful eye out.

[puppy-wife]

(I made this it's own post so it wouldn't get too long cause I know I'm gonna yap)

so there were a lot of ways I jumped in and just started doing shit, but I think the very first thing I did was make a first draft map of like, a general landmass (I actually based the initial landmass on the shape of Spain) and then I just started adding my own features and deciding climates and weather types and biospheres and created my primary landmass first (I went into it knowing I was designing one kingdom, not the whole world)

then once I had decided what the general shape would be, I was able to figure out the most likely places for major cities to be (one at the southernmost coast, one in the lagoon/bay, one deep in the forest high on a cliff easily defensible, one built into the mountains, one on the eastern shore, one in the middle by the giant lake, etc.

I think it was around then that I took a break from geography and created a pantheon of major gods and wrote a creation myth for the world. From there I had a few major historical events I knew I wanted, so I wrote down a very vague timeline.

at this point, I had enough places to start that I was able to pick a major city or location and I just wrote out a page of information. super basic stuff at first, name of the city, city leaders/nobles, notable features, notable shops, notable NPCs, and I would usually go ahead and create a number of threads for stories based in those locations and keep those in my DM Eyes Only document lmao

Then I kind of bounced around and did that and then I found some really good resources online for like, what do major civilizations need to have? and when I did a lore sheet for Castletown I wrote down a TON of information, cause it's a big city!! the biggest in Arcanum.

honestly from there I just kept bouncing around, never staying on one topic or location too heavily or for too long, and kind of followed a (chaotic) path led by my ADHD. Now at this point I have a map of the neighboring kingdom Ilshara, a custom calendar, it's own zodiac, a fuck load of minor gods and some gods from other realms, a bunch of fics for lore and worldbuilding, I even wrote a whole psionic system for d&d 5e that i never used lmao.

my biggest piece of advice as a GM is to follow the three layers rule. for any piece of lore you need three layers of Why to explain it. you can usually get away with less, but the more layers you can add, the more depth your world will have. so for example, why are these kobolds attacking travellers? well because they work for the dragon who's cave is nearby, and they need the gold because their dragon patron is sick and wealth is the only thing that helps them, and the dragon, well, it's sick because it's cursed by a witch that it slighted in the past, etc etc. that's what I did at least. most of my world isn't super well defined, and that's on purpose! I want to flavor it to fit the story I'm telling at that moment, and because I have sort of a natural understanding of the pattern of storytelling, I just sort of create without thinking too hard. so I like to give details to the major locations, and make everything else up as I go along (mostly)

lol this is so fun to talk about, thank you @valkyr-3 and if you (or anyone else really) are interested in seeing some of my lore documents, I do have them written in such a way that my players can access them anytime and probably find the information theyre seeking

[arthenaa]

Upcoming Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Auror! Reader Fic Details <3

Hi guys! As some of you may know, I'll be doing a Seb Auror Fic soon which will be based in the Philippines <3. Since there's no wizarding lore yet in the PH, i've decided to set the setting first before moving w the story. Here are the details below!!

MOODBOARD

Setting:

Mid-1800s, Philippines.

Hogwarts Legacy Setting will be adjusted slightly before the events of the fiction. (At this point I suggest just not getting into it too much im getting confused as well lmfao)

Details:

(About the Filipino Wizarding Community)

Philippine Magic has deep roots in the dark arts. Wizards and Witches back then often used and were masters in the arts of dark magic. It was often a misconception that the dark arts were inherently evil and while it did hold some truth to it, it all depends on how it's used. Filipino Wizards and Witches value the proper use of dark magic to use it to help people rather than harm them. However due to the misuse of said magic because of its great power, there is then a rise of magic users who seem to use it for personal gain. So these Wizards and Witches adapted their form of dark arts into the magic that can help combat sinister magic. This evolved into healing magic which is the main core of Filipino wizardry.

Marahuyo en Mahika Akademya | Philippine School of Wizardry

(place of reference: University of Santo Tomas)

A school formed to preserve the ancestral magic and history of Filipino Wizardry, Marahuyo en Mahika Akademya is a School of Magic for Wizards and Witches in the Philippines. Founded by Maria Ana Flordeliza Santos, she opened the gates to magic users so that they may expand their knowledge, academic prowess, and capabilities in the field of magic. The school's patron deity is Bathala, the god of creation and the being who granted mahika to the people.

The process of acceptance is quite peculiar. At the young age of 11 is when young wizards and witches will be doing a sacred ritual also known as Pagtawas. While the ritual is used to detect supernatural illnesses, it also detects magical traces within the person. It is a form of healing and a sacred ritual to determine one's fate. A piece of the person's hair will be burned on a special type of candle and then its wax will be poured into a basin. If the wax produces an image or a form according to the person's true self (some form a type of animal or plant) then the person does indeed have magic. If nothing happens, there is no magic within them. From then on, their parents will be responsible for the basic magic curriculum. At the age of 15, they will then be brought to the Akademya by carriages driven by the Tikbalang tribe. They have 5 years of magical curriculum to learn during their stay there. There are three houses to be sorted in Marahuyo en Mahika;

Mayari

known for their bravery, strength, determination, ability to excel in their most desired fields and leadership. They are categorized as the warriors.

Colors: Navy Blue and Beige

Hanan

known for their optimism in the unknown, courage in taking risks, perseverance amidst challenges, and an open perspective in life. They are categorized as the pillars.

Colors: Gold and Bronze

Tala

known for their willingness in helping others, their need for knowledge, vast creativity, and wisdom. They are categorized as the shepherds.

Colors: Cyan and Silver

Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry (aka PhilMaj)

(place of reference: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar)

The official governing office of the Philippine Wizarding Community. Inspired by Britain and America's Ministries of Magic, the PhilMaj was to be open not only to the PhilMaj community but to wizards all over the world thus the name in English. Founded by the 5 great Maharlikas (aka Aurors), the organization was created to protect the Filipino Wizarding Community from outside threats which includes 'SeroMahi' (Sero (Zero), Mahika (Magic) or the Muggles basically).

The PhilMaj exists independently and separates themselves from their seromahi counterparts as they see seromahis as a threat to their existence if they are to be found. With the Philippines experiencing a great force of oppression from outsiders, PhilMaj has done its best to stay hidden and away from its affairs (they are specifically known to hide too well that they have not encountered any type of exposure to the seromahi community. They, unfortunately, have strict rules regarding wizard —seromahi relationships and usually wizards or witches with mixed bloodlines take long processes to enter PhilMaj. MaraMahika (school) is an exception as it accepts all magic users despite their blood lineage).

Aurors also known as Maharlikas are divided in Divisions. Division I is for investigation, Division II is for order and Division III is social relations.

PhilMaj has different departments to tend to concerns.

Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Department of Protection of Magical Tribes and Folk

Department of Control and Care for Magical Creatures

Department of International Social Relations

Department of Magical Education

Department of Magical Businesses and Endeavors

Department of Magical Transportation and Building

Department of Recruitment and Referrals of Wizards and Witches

Department of Mysteries

Current location of PhilMaj is in Manila, Philippines. (Guarded by the Siyokoy Tribe in the waters of Manila Bay, the waters open like a door as it parts the way underground where the PhilMaj Headquarters reside)

____________________________________________

A/N: i have a shit ton of details in my notes but im sharing the general lore or idea of the magic world in the philippines. this counts as a teaser as well 😎 lmk if i've miswritten something or if some things dont line up. you guys can add ideas as well and ill add them in my notes hehe (if you wish to be included in this fic's taglist, reply to this post or any of my posts regarding this fic ty !!)

[foundry-fabrications]

Happy Halloween everyone! It's that time of the year again and that means it's spooky project time! Those who have been with me for a while know that every year for Halloween I put out some big thematic project for my favorite holiday. For this year, I wanted to keep the rework train going and rework a previous year's project. And that project is my Corpseweaver class!

Before we get started I just want to take a second to shout-out @dm-clockwork-dragon and his Necroficer class, which helped inspire many aspects of my own take on the "Frankenstein-ing" monsters together concept.

I also want to mention that I still have a huge GDrive folder of 100+ creepy creatures and malign monsters pulled from across the internet to inspire your own amalgams!

In a way I got lucky this year. I started reworking my corpseweaver MONTHS ago so I already had a lot of it done. I was hoping to have the basics done in time for a campaign I was going to be in but time got away from me and I ended up playing something else so I've just been slowly working on it over time. Before October even began the entire base class and one of the subclasses were mechanically done, which left only two more subclasses to finish and I needed to rewrite all the fluff text which was honestly pretty cringeworthy in my opinion.

So what are all the changes? IT'S A LOT! I reworked how the class collects resources and the amalgam creation system completely from the ground up. The old systems were overly complicated and REALLY bookkeepy so I simplified them. Now you get Flesh, Bone, and Exotic from creatures and you use those in specified amounts to make amalgams and make alterations. The system for doing so has been greatly streamlined. Now you have a dedicated stat block that all amalgams are based on and that gets modified throughout the creation process.

Another major change is that the base class is no longer a spellcaster, so all those features have been moved to a subclass of their own, the Skaab Scribe. I didn't like how based in normal magic the old class was as I always wanted it to be more focused on mad science, alchemical formulas, and occult ritual.

And one of the last huge changes is that the Soma Smith has been removed from the class completely and will likely never return, though the name does live on as the Fleshwarper has been renamed. As much as I liked the idea of the old soma smith, I felt that it didn't fit the class upon further examination. Its whole deal was about creating new life basically from scratch and that's not what I want this class to be about. That's actually a theme that I kept seeing in the flavor text throughout the class as I've been working on it, creating new life, and it's a goal of mine to remove it wherever possible. The class does not create life, it reanimates the dead, and in my mind those are very different things.

So yeah, on that note those are the biggest changes but obviously everything got touched in some way. As with many of my reworks, this one is an overhaul on a grand scale, and one I'm honestly quite proud of.

As for the updated aesthetics, however, I have mixed feelings. Overall I think they fit the class much better than the default theme I was using before but there's a lot of visual jank that I'm not a fan of. I also would have liked to use better artwork but I had so little time to finish this as it is. I was also forced into using GM Binder for this project instead of Homebrewery because the theme I chose doesn't work with HB very well so that was less than ideal. For smaller projects it's not a big deal but for something this huge all the weird little issues I have with GMB start to compound and get frustrating. It's not a system I like but it has its uses sometimes.

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[mangatxt]

it was either you or someone else who left a tag about android serizawa on a post i saw and i have not stopped thinking about him since he has been haunting my every waking second. if it wasn't you feel free to ignore this but if it was i Need to know about him

hey hal! hope you're doing well :D thanks for sending this. yup, that was me. oh boy, am i not Normal about him!

ALSO @crownorclover ain't Normal about him either. they have added so much time and thought to the AU too (hi rob bless u for putting up with me <3)

some backstory: android AU serizawa is actually part of an overall post-apocalyptic AU i had intended to complete for an AU Roulette 2023 prompt. unfortunately, i missed the deadline for that this month because i broke my tailbone. unlucky. but deadlines aside -- i'll still get back to it when i'm healed up enough to sit and write, because i NEED THESE THOUGHTS OUT OF MY HEAD IMMEDIATELY.

i wanted to write a post-apocalyptic AU with an iyashikei/healing/hurtcomfort type of feel. ecological collapse but lo-fi girl vibes. yokohama kaidashi kikou / yokohama shopping log is one of my favorite manga of all time and fits the bill exactly, so i was ecstatic to blend two of my favorite things ever.

for the uninitiated, that manga is written in episodic chapters and follows the day-to-day life of a humanoid android named alpha who is abandoned by her owner to run a seaside cafe in post-apocalyptic japan.

(i got excited so this got looooong. more + images under the cut!)

in episodic chapters, alpha interacts with the small collective of people and androids around her, and the narrative follows how humanity adapts to the reality around them, bands together as an inter-generational community, and still lives meaningfully and intentionally -- even in the absence of hope.

(also. i mean. you see the vision here.)

for the fic, i want to mix a good amount of YKK's overall vibe with MP100 canon. like YKK, the fic will be from the POV of serizawa, an advanced and immortal android running a cafe as the tides rise, the infrastructure crumbles, and the people around him continue to relentlessly age.

at the beginning of the fic, serizawa is on year ten of abandonment by his mysterious owner but still holds out hope that The President will return someday despite waning correspondence. in his daily life, he runs an aging rural seaside cafe that few visit (that is, aside from the insistent kurata tome, who would like serizawa's help finding merfolk and other ocean cryptids). he does not go out of his way to make connections with people whom he knows he will ultimately outlive. more than that, he deliberately isolates himself as much as possible to avoid it entirely and passively observes the world around him. he lives as efficiently as possible in a hazy, numb autopilot with no wasted motion and little room for function outside cafe responsibilities, even at the expense of coming off "uncanny" to potential patrons. he even falls into a cosmetic state of disrepair because he doesn't really see the point of his outer shell when it doesn't impede overall functionality. and while he doesn't know the purpose for his creation -- in general, he remains stubbornly committed to directives from an owner who never intended to return.

meanwhile, infrastructure failure displaces much of the human populace in seasoning city with catastrophic flooding and hazardous conditions. reigen -- injured and separated from mob, ritsu, and ekubo in the ensuing chaos, and completely wracked with guilt for his inability to change things -- follows rumors that the brothers survived on a boat to cuticle city and decides to risk the dangerous moped journey across the inhospitable terrain. he ends up literally crashing near the cafe -- where tome finds him and calls in serizawa for help. serizawa treats reigen's injuries, and, because reigen has nowhere else to go and can't continue his journey with a broken hand, allows reigen to stay at the cafe while he recuperates.

there's an inherent friction between the two of them in the early days of this arrangement. reigen's frustration and self-loathing for the present circumstances make him prickly; serizawa tries his utmost to keep his emotional and physical distance. they wrangle with a lot of human & android differences. initially, the more they learn of each other, the less they understand. serizawa calculates the chance of the kageyamas survival as near zero and thinks reigen is irrational for going as far as he does for a rumor -- wasting what little time he has. reigen scoffs at serizawa's misplaced eternal loyalty to an owner who has surely forgotten him entirely at the expense of enjoying his life.

as time passes and reigen works in the cafe, they start to gain an understanding and eventually, an appreciation for one another. reigen's appearance in the community brings in curious customers, which forces serizawa to open up to the idea that cherishing the small moments and departures from his programmed routine might make more meaning out of his immortal existence.

anyway, that's the gist of it! i don't want to give away the ending, but a couple other things in there that i'll highlight -- moped sharing, weird fish, wire and sensor play, trans reigen and android gender????, gratuitous coffee-making descriptions, found family, fireflies, big shirt / small pants, and seri's usb ports are in his mouth :D

thanks so much for asking about this! <3 it's so fun to talk about. i'm on the mend, so i'm hoping i feel well enough to make progress on this + finish the next sage advice chapter before i completely explode.

[theresattrpgforthat]

hi!!!! do you know of any poetry based/centric ttrpgs? solo or for more players!

THEME: Poetry Games

Hello friend, so I’m going to drop a few games that help you write poetry or use poetry creation tools, but I also recommend checking out lyric games! Lyric games are written such that reading them alone is a form of play. This means that reading these games is often an experience in itself, meant to evoke emotion in a similar way to the experience of reading poetry. It’s a movement within the ttrpg sphere that I’ve only heard of, but the conversations I’ve been witness to concerning lyric games is very intriguing.

Now, on to the recommendations.

No One Dies Alone in Revolution, by Robin Rudd.

No One Dies Alone In Revolution is a single-player poetry-writing ttrpg in which you play as an empyromancer, interpreting flame and smoke to identify each new revolutionary soldier's patron saint, all past martyrs of the cause, and composing the prayers they will call out in battle.

This game uses a deck of cards, a dice, and an associated oracle to tell the story of the saints who died, and the prayers you will write in their honour. This is a creative game deeply steeped in ritual, and I think it makes the poetry-creation process feel quite natural. The lines of the prayers have rules depending on the cards you draw and the dice you roll, determining metrical feet, details that must be included, and the emotions the prayer is meant to evoke. If you want a game whose emotions bleed out onto the page, you want to try this game.

Gentleman Bandit, by allison arth.

They call you the Gentleman Bandit, because no one knows your name. They call you a monster, a villain, a dealer of death.  But they don’t know you.

Not your Heart, your Poet’s Heart filled with rage or filth or the expansiveness of True Love; not your Grieving Heart loosed over a chasm, making a sound like the sorrow of wolves as it plummets toward wet river stones, cracked bones left to bleach.

In this writing-focused RPG, you personify the eponymous Gentleman Bandit to write a 13-line poem you'll leave for the dead — and the ones who discover them. Card draws guide the content of each line; optional dice rolls add poetic devices to further shape the experience and ratchet the difficulty.  Using a deck of cards, you consult an oracle to determine the theme and topic of each line of your poem. There are optional requirements you can include in your poetry creation, such as writing in meter, applying a rhyme scheme, using double meanings, or using words from a diction list. Your final poem will also help you determine your next poem, as you can compare your hand to different poker hands.

This game also has a multiplayer option, if you are playing with multiple people, and two successors: Moonblind and The Swallowtail. There's also the Gentleman Pirate supplement, for fans of Our Flag Means Death.

Reverie Cycle, by Caro Acersion.

Reverie Cycle is about a group of isolated individuals, each shunning their own troubles and trials. They record their waking thoughts in their journals, reflecting on the world around them. But at night, their dreams — poetic, sensory, abstract — blur and blend with each other, creating a shifting, liminal state of overlapping worlds. The poetry of these dreams cascades and reappears, and eventually tumbles into their waking world as well…

Reverie Cycle is a play-by-poem roleplaying game — it uses poetry as a form of play, and play as a form of poetry. You don't need to consider yourself a poet to play, but by the end of the game, you will be.

This is a game about dreamers, asking for help in overcoming obstacles they are afraid to acknowledge when they are awake. It’s also an online game, with instructions for setting up the game over a private chatroom, such as Discord. The game also comes with safety emojis that you can use as you play, allowing you to react using a shorthand that signals to the players that something about the current play needs to be changed without breaking the through line of messages. Character creation involves answering a number of playbooks for your character, and assigning their unique touchstones that show up in their dreams. If you want a collaborative poetry experience, I recommend Reverie Cycle.

Care for Hecuba, by Hy Libre!

These games are born from caring about helpless tragic characters. Hecuba, Medea, Semele, Medusa-- these are monstrous, vulnerable women whose function in the story is to gravitate toward an inevitable death. By playing these games you are caring for them, because Euripides and his contemporaries are dead and somebody needs to.

These games borrow tools and expectations from poetry, but they're all "playable". You might interact with them by just reading, or by asking a friend to play them with you, or changing them to be "playable" in a way you like, or by saying "Hmm!" and moving on.

These games have the rules written as poetry, and their modes of play may occasionally also bleed into your daily life - eripedes’ favourite game tells you to ‘clean your fucking room’, for example. This is possibly also an example of a lyric game, because it feels like you are playing it as you read it. The games feel very intimate, so if you want an intensely personal experience, consider Care for Hecuba.

[ladywavecutter]

Diamariel Wavecutter - High Elf Ambassador, Patron

“She seemed sweet enough but I couldn’t help but feel I was in a pool with a shark.” - Lieutenant Kyalan of the 6th regiment of the Silver Helms

Diamariel Wavecutter

Motivation: See the Asur take responsibility as mediators of allegiance between the mortal races. Short Term Ambition: Liaise a better trading relationship between Ulthuan and the Empire. Long Term Ambition: See Ulthuan rise to once again be the supreme global power.

The second eldest daughter to Lord Bel-Haner Wavecutter, Diamariel’s lot in life—one of privilege and prestige—was all but secured upon her birth. The only unseen variable was Diamariel herself. A hidden seadrake among her siblings, Diamariel proved herself ambitious and driven enough to secure herself a place in the court of the Everqueen as both dutiful ambassador and confidant to Allarielle the Radiant. Gifted in both the custom of court and the winds of magic, Diamariel has readily proven that eventually her machinations will, through charming diplomacy or arcane mastery,  come to fall in line with her decided outcome.

Background

Diamariel was expected to follow the path of domesticity taken by her mother and eldest sister: find a husband of good standing, raise his children and run a household of her own. It was perfectly ordained to the norms of her people - it was also regretfully boring and the very thought of such an existence made her skin crawl.

Through her guile, wit, and success in study of the arcane arts, Diamariel established herself as not only the rebel of the Wavecutter family, but made a name for herself as an agent and diplomat of the Everqueen Alarielle. She earned the Everqueen’s favor very early in her career, by way of an incident in which the then young Diamariel returned a great stag to the menagerie of Avelorn, from which point she slowly rose to see herself tasked with managing the Queen’s interests and affairs across the Great Ocean in the Empire and beyond.

On these endeavors, the Lady Wavecutter has found herself entangled in circumstances that have each given her a perspective of life outside of Ulthuan that so very few of her kin can boast of. One such expedition into the empire led the Lady to be embroiled in the unraveling of a conspiracy targeting the Supreme Patriarch of the Imperial Colleges of Magic, cementing the alchemists of the Gold College as a valuable personal ally. It was also during this expedition that through less than pleasant means she was first confronted with interpretations of the Asur, and their less than favorable depiction among the zeitgeist of the disenfranchised of Imperial society, as well as a keener understanding of how far behind the times Ulthuan had seemed to be becoming. 

The East of her Troubles

One of the things that puts Diamariel in stark contrast with many of her kin is her overwhelming sense of empathy to  both elf and man alike. This almost otherworldly emotional intelligence has positives and negatives which have manifested in the Lady’s complete willingness to pause her life in the face of unresolved turmoil. The most debilitating case of this occurred upon a series of burglaries against Asur residents of Altdorf. Upon confronting the thieves, instead of handing them over to the authorities, Diamariel did as she as most who know her would expect her to - engaging them in conversation.

It so happened that these thieves held Brustellite politics, disenfranchised by the systematic poverty experienced in the East End of Altdorf. They  attributed the economic inequality to the forced movement of established communities into this slum following the creation of the Colleges of Magic—an act of meddling by the Asur. Whilst she disagreed that the colleges and the Asur were solely the reason for the city’s ever broadening gap between aristocrat and urban poor, she sympathized with their plight, that their suffering was enough that they felt the need to lash out. In an attempt to put to bed at least some of the bad blood between the residents of the East End and help bring more wealth into the area for its residence, Diamariel established the Wavecutter Company Outreach Initiative.

This initiative began as a way to reach out to locals and get them working alongside Asur traders and sailors, picking up skills and trades starting with apprenticeships that would later on develop into employment. While currently in its infancy, she plans to expand the project to have generational impacts, though some, namely her fellow Asur, would regard her as more than a little eccentric for going this far simply due to the plight of some petty thieves with shaky political motivation.

Diamariel as a Patron

Characters serving Lady Diamariel will find their patron a warm and empathetic, but wise and tactful leader. As an accomplished diplomat, characters will find themselves embroiled in political intrigue, and, when the timing calls for it - action and peril. The political landscape of Ulthuan is a spider web of interconnected threads, weaved together to create a turbulent picture, irrespective of its orderly facade. It is a bureaucratic tumult that demands a great mind to fully understand and traverse, only becoming more daunting when outside influence and interests reach out to entangle themselves within it. 

Once having achieved the seemingly impossible task of learning to maneuver in this vipers den of princes, nobles, guilds and politicians, characters will find Diamariel both guide and taskmaster in understanding and exploring life within Asursociety. She may charge characters as messengers between lords that she is currently petitioning on behalf of her mistress the Everqueen, bodyguards to nobles who have received threats of violence from rival families (or even Druchii rogues), private investigators into matters of legal intrigue of corrupt politicians, and potentially mercenaries tasked with protecting missions of trade and diplomacy between Ulthuan and the Empire.

In short, the Lady Wavecutter is sure to provide her employees with duties to challenge or intrigue them. That said, she is highly attuned to the emotional and physical wellbeing of those who serve her and will equally look to push her employees into opportunities in which they can better themselves, as well as act as counsel for those who have earned her respect. This of course comes with the understanding that characters have earned her respect, and she is not above having those in her service prove their worth to her before any real investment is made on her part.

Traits: Weapon (Quarterstaff) +5

Skills: Charm 100, Cool 95, Dodge 89, Endurance 78, Gossip 100, Intimidate 46, Intuition 102, Leadership 100, Melee (Basic 55, Polearm 55), Navigation 65, Perception 102, Evaluate 102, Channelling (Azyr 80, Ghyran) 80, Language (Battle 100, Classical 100, Magick 85, Reikspiel 100), Lore (Magic) 85, (Ulthuan) 100.

Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Arcane Magic (Azyr, Ghyran), Attractive, Commanding Presence, Etiquette (Nobles), Night Vision, Noble Blood, Petty Magic, Read/Write, Savvy, Schemer, Second Sight 

Spells: Petty: Dart, Dazzle, Drain, Gust, Shock. Lore of Heavens: Comet of Casandora, T’Essla’s Arc Lore of Life: Forest of Thorns. Trappings: Grimoire, Staff of Diplomats, Best Quality Courtly Clothes, Map, Dagger, Magical License. 

Staff of Isha’s Envoy A staff expertly crafted to be bespoke for its weilder - gifted to Diamariel as a proof of office by none other than the Everqueen Alarielle the Radiant. This staff provides +1 SL to Channeling (Ghyran) Tests and +2 SL to Fellowship Tests

[dailycharacteroption]

Keeper of Construct (Inquisitor Archetype)

(art by nolan192 on DeviantArt)

It’s time for another archetype geared around killing and disabling constructs… but this one isn’t from construct handbook this time! So I am only halfway reminded of the biggest disappointment in First Edition for me!

In any case, this archetype is tied to the Goddess Brigh (and occasionally Torag), who presides over invention and machines. While the Whisper in Bronze is normally content to let inventors create in peace, sometimes it becomes clear that those that devote themselves to creating mechanical servitors and other wondrous inventions do so without the common benefit in mind. Those that use such constructs as vengeful assassins and tools of revenge, or that sic them on civilians as acts of terror and cruelty are her enemies.

Emulating her wishes and the powers of her herald: the Latten Mechanism, some of her priests take up arms against such violent and cruel creators, seeking to either free their constructed creations from them, or barring that, putting them down s they can no longer cause harm.

Such keepers are found both in Numeria and Alkenstar, where the worship of Brigh and the crafting of constructs is common, but they might be anywhere where constructs are found in great numbers, and their creators need policing, both in and outside the Lost Omens setting.

Divinely guided by their patron, these construct hunters are able to aim for the weak spots of constructed foes, bypassing the durability of most and at least somewhat piercing those that cannot be pierced by adamantine alone.

Their presence and knowledge of construct behavior allows them to make constructs hesitate, almost as if they were afraid.

Additionally, there are few that are more knowledgeable about construct strengths and weaknesses than them.

More powerful individuals can even command constructs that do not belong to them, even wresting them away from the direct control of their master, though this is limited in what they can command and how often they can do so.

This is a pretty solid construct-hunting archetype, though some of the abilities raise questions. Most constructs have DR bypassed by adamantine, so having limited ability to pierce other types of DR on constructs is a bit niche. Furthermore, while the ability to implant suggestions in constructs is nice, it does not say whether this bypasses the magic immunity of golems and golem-like constructs, which I feel is definitely a needed clarification. In any case, this archetype is a bit niche, but not so much so that they’re powerless outside of fights with constructs, but they can really excel in campaigns with lots of robots, clockworks, and other constructs about.

As written, these inquisitors seem to be focused on the preservation of mechanical life that can be saved, so if you’re looking for an archetype for a villain that seeks to destroy sapient machines for whatever reason, such as because they have gained sapience, this might not be what you’re looking for unless you outright change the flavor of the class, which could be fun if you want to apply it to a less benevolent god or philosophy.

The Brass Key clan of dwarves are famous for their clockwork marvels, which range from automatic mechanisms for running public works to full-fledged constructs. However, not all who create these wonders do so peacefully, so in the name of The Maker, there are sects of priests dedicated to putting a stop to such villainy and blasphemy.

The world of the Shattered Tower has been wiped nearly clean of life, leaving behind the relics of civilization and horribly monstrous wildlife alongside the automatons that survived their creators. Most machines try to live peacefully and find new meaning in this ruined world, but others still bear the programming of death and war that brought this ruin, forcing the others to take up arms to protect themselves and the last bastions of life.

The party needs a construct breaker to help handle the guardians of the tomb of Hakshesu, and they find one in Lova Windercoil, who is tasked with handling any automaton guardians while the party deals with mummies and other guardians. However, Lova cannot help but question the application of her divine gifts towards destroying constructs that are no danger to anyone but interlopers.

[rizaposting]

bff help 😭😭😭😭 i look up to you so much (and a lot of other royai/riza fan artists, but you seem the most friendly) and i wanna start posting my own riza art, but im scared ill be booed off the app 😭 any advice for first time fma artists? 🥺 i mostly plan on just making riza fanarts, a little riza x oc, stuff like that. thank you 💕

WAAAHH anon you're so sweet!! First and foremost GRABS YOU you should absolutely post your Riza art! Everyone should post Riza art forever because I'm starving and slurp it up. But you should ALSO post it because it's fun to create and share with people! No one is going to boo you off of the platform, and frankly if anyone tries to they probably need to take a long walk in nature and say hi to some people they pass on the street.

As far as advice, the biggest thing is to try to avoid the "# notes = success/good quality" thinking. It's totally natural to want feedback, and Internet Validation Numbers is encouraging! But if you post something and it doesn't immediately get attention, don't beat yourself up about the quality of your work. Some of my favorite pieces (drawings and writing) are "flops", but I try not to let that discourage me or sour how I feel about them. Sometimes it's just bad luck with timing; or good luck, oppositely

Okay now for more technical advice:

Schedule your posts on tumblr. I usually schedule my art to post at 7:30pm EST kind of arbitrarily, it feels like a good compromise of time zones. Please do know that you might flashbang yourself with your art every time (I do lmfao)

Reblog your work again the next day; mix up your timing and don't be afraid to do a few self-reblogs.

Tag your posts thoughtfully but not excessively, afaik only the first 5 tags are will be where it shows up (EDIT: apparently I'm thinking of 2014 tumblr and it's now the first 30 tags! But I would also posit you absolutely will never fucking need 30 tags. Over tagging will not help, so only tag what's relevant). Series name and acronyms, character name(s), and ship name are good. Also include a tag that you put on all your art so you and others can find it easily!

Comedy usually has more reach. People love silly memes and shitposts and frankly who can blame them! That's not to say serious posts don't also get attention, but just something I noticed

HAVE FUN!!!! this sounds so patronizing, but honestly it's best to do things that appeal to you and have fun with likeminded people. Your passion and enjoyment with telegraph through your work and it will make people smile!!!

I also just want to say that a lot of other Rizalikers are super friendly!!! It can be intimidating to talk to people, but we're all just freaks on the internet rotating a fictional character in our heads. The best way to get to know people is just to reach out and comment on their art/writing/silly posts. It doesn't need to be anything crazy! You can also join fandom discord servers to talk to them on a more casual (and frankly easier) platform, with less pressure because it's less 1-on-1. If you want to DM them (discord or tumblr) def go for it, but I would recommend against just saying "hi!" and then not following it up with anything else, because then I just go "hi!" and then I don't know how to push the conversation forward lol

I would love to see your creations and hear your Rizathoughts, Anon! I believe in you! I hope you decide to come play with us in this rizaspace. Feel free to message me off anon or send me a DM if you want to chat :]

[tenbirdsinatrenchcoat]

is there a specific process you have for creating dnd characters, or do you just let the characters happen how they happen ?? :0

bit of both tbh. usually characters start with a Concept or Idea, and they kinda form themselves around this sort of base without much input from me.

example: caspian came to be around when i played return of the obra dinn with my friends. kept thinking about doomed sailors and lo n behold, theres a guy in my brain. he formed mostly separate from the campaign i played him in, but the dm did give me some things like one of his patrons being a black dragon and the whole slavery bit.

example 2: everett came to be from the idea of "guy who gets his consciousness put in a robot, possibly against his will", which i proceeded to flesh out over the course of several weeks to months. did a LOT of talking w my dm for him and my dm provided a lot of stuff i could use, like the terminal disease that killed him.

example 3: sallygale came to be from a dream, actually, but the base was "wild west angels and demons" and the dream simply gave me her name as well as a basic plot and a few other characters that exist in her universe. her appearance came from a lot of playing around with the symmetry tool in CSP, and the vibes followed suit.

example 4: ven came to be from the general idea of "guy who wakes up in a river with no memories", which i had attempted once before with a bad toxic dm, which. didnt work out. worked with my dm a TON since ven needed some sort of basis in the world (which i decided was cloning) and she was super cool and helped me out with a lot of ideas. initially expected him to be a cocky guy with a tendency to start trouble, but he ended up being just the sweetest happy-go-lucky guy with a tendency to simply End Up in trouble.

this is too many examples. i need to stop.

but yeah usually my Guys™ (gender neutral) start out with some sort of base concept that gets built upon and fleshed out, and then at some point they stop becoming my creations and start becoming their own little beings who sit in my head and give me brainrot.

they do pay rent, though. the rent is me torturing them.

the concept always comes before the stats/species/class/character sheet/etc, as i cant really get connected to a guy i make off a pre-made sheet.

ty for asking and sorry for the text wall, i just REALLY love talking about my ocs. fr tho i appreciate that Someone is interested, makes me giggle and kick my feet. thank you :)

[foodandfolklore]

Santa Claus: Paganism or Commercialism

Probably one of the most recognizable icons of Western Winter holidays is Santa Claus. A plump man in a red coat with long white beard who gives presents to well behaved children on Christmas. But where did this character come from? I'm sure many reading will point out old Saint Nick as the origin. Others will draw comparisons to the Holly King and Green man. And there's at lest a few people convinced the whole thing is just a way to get us to buy more during the holidays.

Creation of Santa Claus is largely credited to Clement Clarke Moore, the Author of The Night Before Christmas. He says he combined traits of Saint Nicholas and his Dutch Handyman for descriptors. He's also the one who gave Santa his flying sleigh and reindeer. But he still called the character Saint Nicholas. The Name Santa Claus is thanks to Dutch immigrants who came to America. They called Saint Nicholas 'Sinterklass' which caught on as Santa Claus.

So who is Saint Nicholas that this Santa Claus is apparently based on? Well according to the stories, during the early Christianization of Rome, there was a man was extreme wealth and generosity named Nicholas. He would see people in need and not hesitate to help, expecting nothing in return. He also had a power to know who was guilty and who was innocent. Nicholas became a Bishop and after death, ascended to be a Saint. He is the patron Saint of Charity and Children.

So now he's got some kick ass Saint powers, and can keep on doing cool stuff. And the stories say he did. He would make more food to have enough to go around. Keep people safe. Heal children who died too soon. People loved this guy! They would celebrate him on December 6th; the day of his supposed passing. Children would leave their shoes outside hoping for a treat from the passing Saint.

Okay so, clearly Santa Claus has Christian Roots. Why do people think he's pagan. Well, for a few centuries, things start to get a little muddled. See, the Romans were like a cultural and religious melting pot. So over the thousand years of Saint Nick doing his thing, Christmas started absorbing aspects of other holidays like Saturnalia and Winter Solstice; even changing the date to better line up with these other events. And if you look at some depictions of art from before the Red suit was standard, Santa can sometimes be seen in greens with holly and mistletoe. So If the only information you have is 'Christmas Celebrations are based on Pagan Traditions' it's not a big mental leap to assume Santa is one of those Pagan Traditions.

But the truth of the matter is we didn't have a visual standard until the past 100 years or so. Saint Nick and Winter gift giving exploded in popularity all over Europe, but after a thousand years, baby Jesus took over. Maybe to put the focus back on him? But that didn't seem to remain popular, so a new, meaner version of Nicholas appeared. And I'm not talking about Krampus. His appearance and mannerisms varied from region to region. He would flog or kidnap disruptive children. It was basically all punishment, no reward. Not very magical.

Then people come to the new World of America. A new life, a new outlook, a new way to raise children. They brought with them their story of Saint Nick, now called Santa Claus, and Started telling stories about how he was sequestered away. Far north in the north pole, a place uninhabitable by normal people. He lives there, making toys with his elves, and flies around the world in a single night delivering toys to all the nice children. I never really thought about it much, but the story of Santa Claus really is a Uniquely American Folk Tale.

One last thing; how did Santa Claus Get his signature look? As I mentioned, the story the Night Before Christmas is What cements Santa as Fat, Jolly, and with a full white beard. But he mentions nothing of the colour of his clothes. Many people think that the red suit is from Coca-Cola ads, as before that he was always dressed in green. While I think it's true the Coca-Cola ads help popularize red as Santa's Color, they were far from the first to choose red. Add to that, if red was not selected, there's no guarantee he would be green. When people started illustrating the story The Night Before Christmas, lots of versions of Santa were made. One where he was in all yellow. Another where he was of short stature and brown. Icey blues. All kinds of ideas. Doing research, it seems Thomas Nast was the one who established the look of Santa. He dressed him in red to complement is rosy red nose, gave his coat white trim, a black belt, and topped it off with the signature Santa Hat.

Now that Santa had a Standard uniform, kids could recognize him instantly. Malls started to set up areas where you could take your kids to see Santa, encouraging you to go to shopping. Products need only draw a Santa on their package and boom, limited seasonal item. Sometimes it feel like Santa Claus was Created just to sell us stuff. But he wasn't. He wasn't even created to guilt us into a faith. He was created to bring a little magic a wonder into the holiday season. Regardless of what holiday you may be celebrating. Santa doesn't care. Santa only cares that if you are kind, that kindness should be rewarded.

[itssweetiedarling]

Beauty and the Bite

Astarion's life is forever changed when a mysterious being curses him to live as a vampire. Redemption seems impossible until he's given a chance - he must learn to love a young woman and earn her love in return. Ten long years pass before destiny finally presents itself in the form of a brave and selfless maiden named Tav. She offers to take her father's place as Astarion's prisoner, providing him with the opportunity he's been waiting for. However, their troubles are far from over. A cunning bard named Gaddis has his plans for Tav and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Chapter 1: Her Nose Stuck in a Book

The Library in Baldur's Gate was indeed a marvel, drawing in countless tourists with its vast collection of knowledge and rare manuscripts. Bards, in particular, harbored dreams of seeing their works proudly displayed on the prestigious high shelves alongside renowned literary masterpieces.

The shelves themselves were a testament to the rich history and cultural significance of the city. Each book, scroll, and manuscript told a story, contributing to the collective wisdom stored within the library's hallowed walls. Citizens who were fortunate enough to have their creations archived in this esteemed institution felt a deep sense of accomplishment and recognition.

Tav, with her vibrant curiosity and insatiable appetite for knowledge, had become a familiar presence within the hallowed halls of the Library. Her love for books transcended the ordinary, and she had developed a unique bond with the books themselves.

Each day, Tav would make her way through the labyrinth of bookshelves, her fingers gently tracing the spines of ancient tomes and her eyes lighting up with excitement at the prospect of discovering something new. The librarians recognized her passion and welcomed her as a regular visitor.

Her beauty was not only in her physical appearance but in the way her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Tav's thirst for knowledge seemed unquenchable, and the library became her sanctuary. Even if she wasn’t looking for books, she visited the library every day to sit down and read.

Today, that was exactly what she was doing. She was nose-deep in a book she picked up this week. She sat in her corner of the library, with her blue dress flowing to the floor like a waterfall. As she flipped the page, a blur of another person filled the corner of her eye. She turned away from her book and saw Gaddis.

Gaddis was a rather handsome man, often seen entertaining the females at the Elfsong tavern. His presence in the library was a rare sight, as the establishment usually catered to scholars and intellectuals. Gaddis, however, seemed out of place among the meticulously organized shelves and studious patrons.

Tav couldn't help but be intrigued by the sudden appearance of Gaddis. As he approached, a mischievous grin played on his lips, contrasting with the solemn atmosphere of the library. He greeted Tav with a bow, acknowledging her presence with a glint of familiarity in his eyes.

"Ah, Tav, the seeker of wisdom. Fancy meeting you in this sea of books," Gaddis said, his voice smooth and resonant.

Tav, momentarily confused by the unexpected company, closed her book. "Gaddis, what brings you here? I didn't think the Elfsong needed a break from your charismatic performances."

“Coming to see you.” Gaddis smirks.

Tav couldn't help but roll her eyes at Gaddis's cheeky response. If Gaddis wanted to keep his crush on her a secret, he wasn’t doing a good job at it. His intentions were as transparent as the crystal-clear streams that flowed through the forest outside Baldur's Gate.

"Well, you've found me, Gaddis," Tav replied. She has never been interested in the life of Gaddis.

Gaddis chuckled, seemingly undeterred by Tav's lack of interest. He pulled up a chair, making himself comfortable as if he belonged in the scholarly atmosphere of the library.

"I thought I'd take a break from the lively tunes of the Elfsong and delve into the world of knowledge," Gaddis explained, gesturing towards the shelves around them. "Who knows, maybe I'll find something intriguing enough to impress even you."

Tav raised an eyebrow, skeptical yet curious about Gaddis's sudden interest in intellectual pursuits. "Impress me with knowledge? That's a bold claim, considering your usual repertoire involves charming folks with fists.”

Gaddis leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eyes. "You never know, sweetheart.”

Tav, unable to resist a challenge, decided to play along. "Well, Gaddis, let's see if you can handle it. What topic are you interested in exploring today?"

Gaddis paused for a moment as if contemplating his choice. "How about something mysterious and adventurous? I've heard tales of hidden treasures and ancient artifacts. That should be entertaining, don't you think?"

"Hidden treasures, you say? I shouldn’t be suprised. But alright, let me find a book for you."

As Tav navigated the shelves with practiced ease, Gaddis observed her with a smirk. His eyes wandered down her body as she walked.

After a few moments, Tav returned with a dusty tome bound in worn leather. "Here you go, Gaddis. 'Legends of Forgotten Treasures.' It's filled with tales of hidden riches, mysterious maps, and daring adventurers. Give it a read, and we'll see if you can impress me with your newfound knowledge."

Gaddis accepted the book with a grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Challenge accepted, Tav. Who knows, maybe I'll discover a hidden talent for unraveling mysteries."

Tav picked up her books, placing them in her basket. “Now, thank you for entertaining me, but I need to go check in on my father.”

Gaddis laughs, “Your father always needs checking up on!”

Tav shot Gaddis a glare, "He may be getting on in years, but he's still sharper than most. Unlike some, he doesn't rely on bar fights alone to get by."

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I see him in the news as the city's new serial killer. He seems just about wicked enough to do something like that.”

That was Tav’s cue to leave. She gives one last look to Gaddis before departing. "You have a wild imagination, Gaddis. But I'll leave you to your treasure tales and sinister speculations. I have more reliable things to attend to."

Left to his own devices, Gaddis delved into the 'Legends of Forgotten Treasures.' The tales within transported him to distant lands, filled with mythical beasts, cunning rogues, and the allure of untold wealth.

As the evening shadows deepened, Gaddis found himself engrossed in the stories, occasionally glancing towards the library entrance, half-expecting Tav to return for him.

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