#Love Poem in Which My Mother Does Not Appear

[queenxfirefly]

Spoilers/Theories on Annabel Lee

Some thoughts on what I think Annabel and Lenore's undoing could be.

This is a lot of crazy insane speculation so humor me.

First, I would like to point out how much they emphasize Annabel having Panic Attacks apparently, according to her father, she used to have these attacks often, before Lenore. Her father thinking she has outgrown them.

My thoughts on that is, maybe she does have a heart condition but it was brushed aside due to her being 'Hysterical' as they would say.

This was a time where Hysteria was the most well-known and frequently recorded mental illness of women during the Victorian period. Latin hystericus, or “of the womb,”

The reason I think this is hugely due to the amount of time we see Annabel have her attacks.

It appears that she is unable to breath very well either. Could be the panic attack but it could due to a condition she wasn't diagnosed for.

Her ears are ringing here. Which seems to be bothering her. I am no doctor but it seems like she may be suffering from something.

What more intrigues me due to this theory of mine is that her specter has no heart, or a hole where her heart should be.

Could be some form of foreshadowing that her heart was the problem. Maybe she had a weak heart. I mean, where is Annabel's mother, we haven't heard of her. It could be that she died due to the same condition and Annabel might already know she has this same defect in her heart.

The reason why I think Annabel may already know she has this condition is one I may have overanalyzed. Maybe. After going through the phobia arc again I tried to put the phobia with each of the characters. To my finding, Annabel's phobia is chronophobia.

Maybe she feared wasting time is because she thought she didn't have lot of time left. She may have gotten deathly sick before the wedding. So, in the Edgar Allen Poe poem titled "For Annie" she dies young of an illness. While Lenore is based on... well, "Lenore" and "The Raven" I feel she strongly follows a lot of Annabel's as well. We know in both "Lenore" and "The Raven" the narrator suffers from a mental breakdown due to their lost love. I feel Lenore may have tried her best to keep Annabel alive but in the end, may have murdered her out of mercy and Annabel wanting to stay alive to be with Lenore (resulting in the 'betrayal' & 'murder'). Maybe the below image can be taken bother ways in Lenore's guilt.

Lenore could have taken her own life as well from the grief. I hope not, as that is very dark and depressing. Then again, a lot of Edgar Allen Poe's work is. Hopefully not though. I don't mind being wrong.

Even the below image in the beginning shows the heartbeat then a Flat-Line like from a electrocardiogram.

I am not the sure on this last part as it is speculation. It could have been anything else but the rest of it seems somewhat worth looking into right... right?

Please leave your thoughts, ideas, comments,

[missheavenfield1215]

Have you noticed that Beetlejuice and The Corpse Bride have the same climax??

A dead person

Who wants to marry a living person

Although it was against the will of that living person

When I realized this... I couldn't stop drawing

Beetlejuice ~Corpse Bride AU~

*In this AU, everyone is an adult*

*All my drawings are below in this post*

In this AU, Lydia takes the role of Victor, Beetlejuice is Emily, Elder Gudnekt could be Otto, Adam and Barbara would be the Everglot couple (of course, here, they have no bad intentions).

Lydia and her father, Charles, come from the great city of London, to expand their funeral services franchise, in addition to having gone through another marriage.

Charles had Lydia's mother, Emily, who passed away when she was 8 years old. At work, Charles met Delia, who was suffering from a fatal illness, but never told Charles that she was sick. So 4 years after their wedding, Delia also passed away.

To forget his grief, Charles became obsessed with his work and abandoned Lydia in their grief (as she also got along well with her). Lydia doesn't want to get married and hates the idea of being trapped forever in a useless marriage, which will only take away her freedom. Although she thinks that marriage is just a contract, deep inside her, she really feels that if she falls in love, it will only bring her pain and sorrow, just like her father.

Beetlejuice, here called Lawrence Shaggoth, is the only son of the honorable aristocratic marriage Shaggoth. In his youth Lawrence had a preference for men, but despite that, Adam was one of his friends. But when the time came for Lawrence to marry a young woman that his own mother raised so that Lawrence would "become normal." Juno is a homophobic bitch, so after receiving the news that her son was eloping with his lover, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Juno bribed Lawrence's lover, who really only wanted the young man's money. Juno told the boy that she would pay him whatever he wanted, if he took Lawrence, destroyed him emotionally and murdered him. The boy did so, but the young woman Juno had "adopted", Angeline (Miss Argentina) had witnessed the whole sinister plan.

Juno learned that once Lawrence married, he would inherit everything as stipulated in his father's will. So, to continue with the lie, Juno took a young prostitute to "convince" Lawrence to escape and leave everything behind and thus demarcate him from the surname Shaggoth, since in her eyes, Lawrence was unworthy of such a title. But it turned out that she found out about his affair with a boy, and apparently he was cheating on him.

Lawrence, about to die and feeling betrayed and very scared, recites a poem to calm himself, but he does not know that this poem would be his condemnation and his salvation. Once the conditions stipulated in the poem were met, it would come back to life.

That's why Lawrence needs Lydia to marry him, because then he will come back to life, but he doesn't really have the idea of really falling in love with that "someone" to help him.

Here Adam and Barbara are also aristocrats, but their family name is in decline and they are on the verge of poverty. They decide to adopt Adam's youngest nephew, named Vincent, to prepare him for a marriage with which they can cope with the imminent poverty that awaits their family. They believe it would be best if Vincent chooses his future wife, and he chooses Lydia to marry and she is forced to do so by her father.

Lydia runs away from the engagement after finishing the wedding rehearsal and, as if to mock her father, she says: "I'd rather marry a dead person than someone who doesn't know me!"

It is then that Lawrence appears and proposes to marry him and when he comes back to life, he will help her escape the country and her father.

But neither of them really expected to fall in love with each other when they got to know each other in depth.

But there is the problem of Juno, who no longer has money and it is then that she uses Lydia's disappearance to extort money from Charles and promise him that she will look for the young woman.

And after thinking about all that... That's when I started drawing

"I just want to be alive... And I... "

"I don't want to be alone"

"In this cruel world"

These are small test sketches

Here's a closer shot of a Beetlejuice killed by his lover...

This is Lawrence, moments before his death. When his lover asked him to elope with some of the wealth, Lawrence dressed in his white wedding suit, but it was dyed red when a shotgun bullet pierced his ribs. (yes in the same place where Lydia stabbed him in the musical, both wounds were caused by a stab wound in the back... A betrayal)

Well... I had many things to say... But in essence that is the basis of everything.

This AU really works with any version of Beetlejuice, but mostly works best with the Headcanons of the musical.

(New information, I'm going to upload the update on my headcanons about this AU, when the post is ready, here will be a link)

[pddngchi-artblog]

And here they are! Last post haul for today, I’ll continue on tomorrow o7 these body models are part of a twst project I’m doing where I’m mostly just making reference model sheets of the twst casts’ physical appearance based on my headcanons of them ꒰ᐢ. ̫ .ᐢ꒱

See the full headcanon list under cut!

Riddle Rosehearts

- He has a condition called "Huldu's Blessing," which is a genetic mutation that was believed to be a fae's blessing to a mother and her future generation. This blessing is well known in the history of faefolk and generational curses/blessings. Pieces of a poem depicting this phenomenon was scattered around The Briar Valley and Pyroxene until it was recovered in the mid 1800s by researchers.

- "Huldu's Blessing" is characterized by smooth yet sensitive skin with no blisters nor hair. People with this genetic mutation are at risk at extreme temperatures, such as cold or heat.

- This condition also made Riddle appear doll-like, with how natural and vibrant the pink of his cheeks and nose is.

- He is underweight due to the diets his mother arranged for him, causing his ribs, collar bone, shoulder bones, and pelvic bone, to be slightly prominent.

- He has a rectangular body.

—————

Leona Kingscholar

- He developed an intricate pattern of scars from the center of his palm up to his forearm due to exertion of his Unique Magic. In magical situations, he would rarely use it, unless it is an emergency. The exertion comes from his daily training of controlling the feedback of his Unique Magic to him as well as its output. These scars resemble cracks and fractures found on dried up soil or concrete, and they faintly shine like ichor under the sun as well as glow in dim light.

- He has body hair all over his legs, arms, chest, and down to his crotch. He has a few moles scattered some place in his body.

- He has a set of horizontal scars around his neck and a set of vertical ones on his right breast. Both are results from a fight he had in his second year at Night Raven College.

- He has an almost an hour-glass shape to his body, but closely resembling an inverted triangle. He has a pudgy stomach that is mostly seen on the side and when he is sitting down. He is also quite muscular due to his genetics, despite the lack of abdomninal muscles.

—————

Azul Ashengrotto

- Genetically, he is more on the heavier side. This is because his species of merfolk live a bit deeper underwater where the temperature is cold and the pressure is greater than the ones in the surface. Having thicker skin, a larger body mass, and bioluminescent skin, are all part of his species’ biological evolution.

- He is much larger than male octopi, including the tweels. His top surgery scars appear as though they are part of his natural body markings, only appearing much lighter than the rest of them. In his human form, they resemble curling octopus tentacles. The dots appearing above those tentacles are actual markings that line across his breasts.

- He has an genetic eye condition called “Chameleon Eyes” and he has the basic type. This genetic condition allows his eyes to adapt to the color or pattern of his environment. He can also camoflauge himself into any surface but this is only done in his original merfolk form. As a human, he cannot camoflauge.

- Although Azul lost a considerable amount of weight in his early to mid adolescent years, he retained his body shape and mass due to his genetics. He has rolls of love handles and fat, his lower body appearing larger than his upper body.

- He has a congenital limb deformity, specifically fibular hemimelia (Type 1A). One of his tentacles are shorter and appear more swollen the rest whose tapered to an end. This resulted in his slow locomotor abilities in the water, but it does not hinder his strength as an octopi merfolk. Transforming into a human did not remove this deformity, therefore, Azul walks with a cane. (See link)

- His body hair are actually speckles, remnants of his merfolk form. They appear similarly to body hair because of his transfiguration potion. However, he is hairless, and has smooth soft skin. He also has stretch marks starting from his stomach then thighs.

- He has a triangle or pear-shape body.

—————

Kalim al-Asim

- As dancing is one of his passions since he was a child, he has grown to be agile and flexible. Although not an excellent fighter, he has the decent skill of fending for himself in light physical altercations.

- He has some scattered freckles and patches on his back. He also has some subtle arm and leg hair that isn’t too noticeable unless one would get a closer look.

- He has small, faint scars all over his palms and fingers, a scar under his neck, and a streamline scar starting from his left breast down to the side of his torso. The streamline resembles fractured capillaries in shape, and it caused a significant discoloration of his skin. This was because of a poison he injested in secret when he was training his body to be immune to certain poisons. He tries to hide this scar from his family and from Jamil (more so to save Jamil if he was ever accussed of negligence) but failed. So, he made an excuse, and said that this scar was a result of the most dangerous (and known to be the last) kidnapping that occured to him when he was 12 years old.

- He has stretchmarks on his thighs and his lower back.

- He has anemia.

- Because of good genetics, Kalim is considerably built, having broad shoulders and some muscles to his arms and legs. He has a rectangular body type, almost resembling an inverted trapezoid (See Pavitr Prabhakar in ATSV 2023).

—————

Vil Schoenheit

- Although he does have body hair in his limbs, he makes it a habit to shave to maintain a smooth and clear skin.

- Because of her diet and good genes, he never had any acne, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, or any sort of blemishes on her face. However, having deep eyebags are hereditary, so Vil makes it a habit to rejuvenate her skin to lessen the darkness of the eyebags.

- She has a genetic eye condition called “Chameleon Eyes” and have the subtype “Obscura Eyes.” This allow the eyes to reflect inverted images from the environment, but this is only noticeable in enclosed and lighted spaces, such as photoshoot rooms or interview rooms. This becomes one of Vil’s defining traits as an artist and model. (Inspired by koutingmiao’s distinct trait for her TWST OC Micah.)

- He is quite muscular around the upper torso, having a faint outline of abdominal muscles, and muscular arms that are not too evident unless flexed. She underwent boxing and fencing training, and makes it a habit to go to the gym twice a month with her personal trainer.

- His appearance is quite adrogynous; her curves making her feminine and her hard angles making her masculine. Despite how well-built he is, he is still slender, closely resembling an hour-glass body type (See Marina and the Diamonds and Helga Sinclair from Atlantis: The Lost Empire).

—————

Idia Shroud

- He is very underweight. Collar bones, balls of his shoulder, and a few ribs are peaking out of his skin due to this. He also has prominent hip dips. His thinness makes him almost appear gaunt, accentuating his cheeks and jaw slightly.

- As a result for the curse bestowed to his family, his hair emulates fire, but he and his family are naturally blue-haired. This means Idia have body hair over his legs and some on his arms. His hair varies by temperature. Despite being blue, the heat is not at all intense, but rather mellow and controlled. The fire of his hair can spread from surface to surface depending on the intensity of his emotion, but it can disappear within seconds once he is calm.

- His family’s genes makes their skin dull and pale, allowing veins to appear at some parts of his skin, and explains why their lips are blue. His eyes are also hooded with prominent dark eyebags circling under them.

- He has lumbar scoliosis and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

- He is quite lanky and it is why his clothes easily dwarf him.

—————

Malleus Draconia

- Curiously he’s quite built but also slender (somewhere in the middle)

- He has no visible scarring or blemishes, but dark scales does litter across his limbs and body similar to how body hair or body blemishes work.

- He is quite warm, surprisingly, with thermal spots found on the palms of his hands, his fingertips, his nape, and his chest.

- Majority of her scales gather around the area of her tailbone wherein her tail can morph out of her skin as she pleases.

- Her nails are naturally sharp and nearly dark at the tips.

- There is a space under her shoulder bones where her wings will morph out on its own. It is a painless process for him, even though the bones stretch out from the area and membrane forms seemingly from the plane.

[h1mmel]

About the 7s visual novel's characters and their symbolism

Taking a break from fanfiction to infodump about my favorite thing ever, which is symbolism in etymology! Sit down because this is going to be a long one... and if you read the whole thing I applaud you and also would love to talk about your thoughts!

Lin Zhaoyu

The origin of her name is actually stated in game itself, coming from the Book of Odes- a Chinese poetry book. Meaning literally, "morning rain," it is taken from the following poem. The letters that make up her name are bolded.

蝃蝀在東、莫之敢指。

女子有行、遠兄弟父母。

朝隮于西、崇朝其雨。

女子有行、遠兄弟父母。

乃如之人也、懷昏姻也。

大無信也、不知命也。

Here is the translation of the poem:

The part about her being untrue to herself in marriage rings very true.

Li Sushang

The symbolism of Sushang's name is connected to that of multiple other characters, despite the literal meaning of it sounding quite simple on the outside. You might see her name via MTL written as "plain clothes," but it's a stark oversimplification of something that's partially lost in translation.

素 (Su) refers to plain silk which has not been dyed, or white silk.

裳 (Shang) is a dress.

The first letter of her name is shared with her mother. Between Sushang, Suyi, Lingshuang, and Su Mei, there is a correlating theme of clothing that I will touch on in each of their sections.

Qin Suyi

As she had amnesia, Suyi does not remember her birth name and was gifted a new one by Fu Hua. Following the trend of how she named Su Mei, her name was also taken from the book of odes. The word Suyi appears in two different poems- again, I've bolded it as written in both.

揚之水、白石鑿鍪。

素衣朱襮、從子于沃。

既見君子、云何不樂。

揚之水、白石皓皓。

素衣朱繡、從子于鵠。

既見君子、云何其憂。

揚之水、白石粼粼。

我聞有命、不敢以告人。

And the translation:

The second poem:

庶見素冠兮、棘人欒欒兮、勞心慱慱

兮。

庶見素衣兮、我心傷悲兮、聊與子同歸兮。

庶見素韡兮、我心蘊結兮、聊與子如一兮。

And the translation:

From the second poem, you can see the references to grief in regard to clothing. While Suyi and Sushang both have the same literal translation of their names, "plain clothes," Suyi's name also carries an additional symbolism. The second letter of her name, 衣 (Yi), refers to a robe instead of a dress, so her name refers to "a robe of colorless silk." This specific term is used in certain contexts to refer to mourning garments, as it is customary to wear white while mourning in some parts of Chinese culture.

This theme of dye is continued in other contexts, where Suyi is known among the Seven Swords as "The Blade of Ink-Dyed Incense." Additionally, her Xuanyuan sword, while known in English as Ebonstyle, is also referred to in Chinese as "Ink-Dyed Incense"- but the word for ink used is different between the two. (It is not letting me copy/paste Chinese words right now so, source: trust me bro)

To delve into my personal thoughts, I think it's so clever that Sushang is "a dress yet to be dyed," while Suyi is a mourning garment, since Sushang still has a long life ahead of her, and Suyi has passed on. Anyways please hit me with a car.

((fun fact: the last letter of Suyi's name, Yi, is shared with Raiden Mei (Yayi), hence why her name comes through MTL as "bud clothes" sometimes 😭😭))

Su Mei

We actually do not know Su Mei's birth name either! She was given a new first name by Fu Hua, and was going to be given Zhaoyu's last name (Lin), but chose to take her mother's surname instead. The reason as to why she chose (or was recommended by Fu Hua) to change her name while still remembering her birth name is unclear.

At Zhaoyu's recommendation, her name also comes from the following poem of the Book of Odes:

It is not letting me highlight the text :,) so the part of the poem that is her name is "margin of the water." Mei specifically refers to where the bank of a river meets the water.

Fun fact: Her surname Su is shared with the MANTIS Su! It is said in legend to also be the surname of Xuanyuan's descendants.

At a time where Filial Piety was of the utmost importance, her changing her surname to take her mother's surname is significant. To change your surname from your father's name could be seen the same as disowning him. At the time, women did not change their names to that of their husband when getting married, hence QIN Suyi vs LI Shen or LIN Zhaoyu vs MA Feima.

While not significant to her name itself, she continues Sushang and Suyi's clothing theme. Her ability revolves around being able to see the threads of fate and predict things that may happen. Hence, it is said about her that anything she says will come true. It's never mentioned in the text, but if you zoom in up close to this art of her, you can actually see her threads surrounding her.

From the threads plus her hair color, it makes me think of the legend of "The Red String of Fate," which is ironic being that she says she does not love anyone.

Cheng Lingshuang

Yes, she does share a surname with Cheng Lixue, but no, they are not related. Lixue was named by Fu Hua, and her surname comes from the philosopher Cheng Yi, and a saying about his disciples waiting for him in the snow, hence Lixue- Snow. Their names are so similarily themed that it's likely not a coincidence on Hua's behalf, but it's more of a homage than them actually being related.

Lingshuang means ice frost. It does not come from the Book of Odes.

To continue the talk on Filial Piety, Lingshuang is the only character to not go by her surname, either in character or on her actual dialogue name tag. She's only referred to as her full name twice, once when she is introduced as a baby, and twice when Senti is beefing with Sushang and low-key throwing shade on her master's name. Lingshuang is a character who ignores societal rules, and Filial Piety is no exception- she has no reason to care about her family or her father, so she disregards her name.

Any instance of her name being translated as "Ling Shuang" is a following mistake on HYV's localization team. (I did personally email them and they fixed it 😭😭😭) It was because the translators did not receive the context that she doesn't use her surname, so they assumed how her name was separated by first and last, as Chinese names don't have spaces between the two. If you spell her name with a space in the middle I will show up at your house at 3am.

The theme of clothes continues from her kid's as she has a loom in her house which she uses to make silk. She says that honing her fingers in such a way is also a way to hone her martial arts.

Ma... Yanqing, Feima

Ma Feima means "the horse is not a horse." He changed his name to this after getting married because he hated his past identity. It comes from "Bai Ma Fei Ma," a Chinese grammatical paradox that does not make sense in English. Don't ask me to explain it because I can't, but it means "the white horse is not a horse."

Ma means horse, and is also the most common surname within the Chinese Muslim community (specifically the Hui people.) It is used often in reference to the prophet Muhammad.

Yan means swallow, continuing Hua's bird theme.

A lot of his names and titles relate to horses. He really likes horses. A lot.

Jiang Wanxi & Wanru

These two get the smallest part because they aren't developed enough for me to GAF (I'm sorry 😭) basically their names come from a poem in the Book of Odes, which is funny since Hua isn't even the one that named them.

I hope if you read this that you enjoyed this session of Fun Facts With Mel and please tell me your thoughts. I also definitely forgot something so I might go back later and add things. Thank you for reading!

[lilac-ravenclaw]

50 OC Questions

These are questions are from @localravenclaw ‘s post. Thanks so much for reading; I would love to read about other MCs!🪻

1. Describe your OC's physical appearance in detail.

She is both Latina (on her father’s side, he was from South America) and British (on her mother’s side). She has long black hair that is usually in a French braid and draped over her shoulder. It’s very wavy when out of the braid. She has lilac color eyes, honestly I haven’t decided from which parent she got them from. She has tan skin and a tiny freckle high on her left cheek, just below her eye. She is petite and has a hourglass figure. She does have a few light scars on her back. The caretaker at the orphanage would verbally and physically “discipline” the children. Raven would try to step in so none of the littler kids would be hurt. She is self conscious about anyone seeing them.

2. Why'd you choose your OC's name?

For most RPGs, my character is always named “Raven”, so for HL it wasn’t any different lol. For her last name, honestly, it was an inside joke. I love the 70s show Fawlty Towers, with John Cleese. It only ran for about a dozen episodes but it’s hilarious. It was the first last name I could think of😄

3. How does your OC feel about their birthday?

Her birthday is Jan. 29, 1874, and she only cares about to a bit because her favorite poem, The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, was first published on that day in 1845. She only starts to care more when Sebastian gives her a birthday gift in their sixth year, which are tiny gold snake earrings. It was her first ever birthday gift ever. (Side note: my birthday is also Jan. 29. I tried to think of another day but making her an Aquarius too just felt right ♒️)

4. How does your OC and their parents get along?

Unfortunately, Raven doesn’t know who her family is. She lived at the orphanage as long as she can remember. She won’t go looking for them, as she figures they would’ve already have come back for her at some point. In my story for her, the caretaker gave her the last name “Fawlty”, (and yes misspelling it on purpose) as another way to torment her. Though she keeps the name to prove to others that she isn’t “faulty”.

5. What's something you'd never put your OC through again?

Being alone. She has too many people around her that genuinely cares. Especially with having Sebastian in her life, she will never be alone again.

6. What's your OC's go-to comfort meal?

Breakfast foods. All kinds, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomatoes, and toast. There’s just something about a nice breakfast that makes Raven feel warm and cozy. It’s the simple things in life🍳

7. What career path would your OC take?

Though she feels it’s expected for her to be an Auror, Curse Breaker or working for the Ministry. Ultimately she has a love for music, specifically singing. She does try out for the choir at Hogwarts. The only person who knew was Poppy and she gave Raven the courage needed to try out their sixth year (now that she wasn’t in the middle of stopping a goblin rebellion!). She also knows how to play the piano too, and taught herself to play, however, she doesn’t know how to read sheets of music. 🎼

8. What's something your OC can't do?

Can’t say no to someone who needs help. Since no one was really there for her growing up at the orphanage, she believes that no one should feel helpless no matter the size of the problem. If she can help, she will!

9. What is your OC's ideal romantic partner?

Someone who will stand by her side and love her no matter what. They make her feel like she does belong and won’t be judged. They believe in her and encourage her to do what makes her happy.

10. Does your OC like to spend time alone or with others more?

Honestly, Raven can go either way. She loves spending time with her friends, especially Sebastian, and does prefer her close circle of friends. Though she is content with taking time for herself by either reading a good book, or practicing her music in the Room of Requirement.

11. What time does your OC usually go to sleep?

Depends really, school nights she’ll try to go to sleep at a decent time, if there isn’t too much homework. On weekends or summertime she’ll stay up late with Sebastian or hanging out with other friends.

12. Where in the sibling order is your OC?

Unknown, as far as she’s aware she is an only child.

13. What's the worst thing your OC's ever done?

Harming the orphanage caretaker. The caretaker was “disciplining” one of the smaller children and accusing them of stealing something from her room. Raven had just about enough of it with her and wished a bookshelf to fly across the room and slam into her. Everything had happened so fast and it took a moment for her to realize that’s exactly what happened. All the other children had looked at her with wide eyes and she quickly grabbed what few possessions she had and ran away. That was a few days before Professor Fig had come to the orphanage to gift Raven her Hogwarts letter. He was able to find her hiding out at a near by in a couple days later.

14. What would it take for your OC to kill someone?

By them hurting someone she loved/cared very dearly about.

15. What item does your OC hold most dear?

A copper cameo brooch given by Sebastian. It was a Christmas present, and was surrounded by little pearls and had the Ancient Magic symbol engraved in the center. She has worn it everyday since.

16. How does your OC unwind?

Practicing her singing and playing piano. She does want to learn how to read sheet music, but ends up just playing from the heart. Of course reading! Broom flying as well, as she finds it therapeutic. Even just relaxing with Sebastian in the Room of Requirement or Undercroft.

17. What's your OC's star sign?

Aquarius! Aquarians are intellectual, curious and can be deeply social. They are represented by the Star card in the tarot. They are determined to make a powerful difference in the world. ♒️

18. What kind of drunk is your OC?

She doesn’t normally drink, but she would be very chatty and giggly.

19. Who does your OC end up with?

Sebastian Sallow. He is her whole world and everything comes naturally with him. Her day doesn’t feel complete until she’s shared it with him. With him she feels anywhere they go, she’ll always be home.

20. Who is your OC's role model?

Professor Fig. He was her first father figure and the first to believe and guide her through such a challenging time. Not only with simply learning how to be a proper witch, but helping her learn about Ancient Magic and taking on a goblin rebellion.

21. Is your OC big on revenge?

Not necessarily. If she can, Raven will tell said person how she feels right then. If it’s minor she won’t go out of her way to get back at them. If it’s critical then she will do what it takes to get back at them.

22. If your OC ever got the chance, would they go back in time? When would they go?

Ultimately no she wouldn’t go back. Through her hardships growing up she believes it made her the woman she is. Though if she could go back, it would be to try and save both Lodgok and Professor Fig.

23. What's your OC's favourite memory?

Getting her Hogwarts letter would be one. She always felt there was something more to her life but didn’t fully understand what. The picnic her and Sebastian went on the summer before their sixth year. They had finally confessed their feelings for each other and had their first kiss.

24. Will your OC ever admit to being wrong?

Always! No one wants to admit they’re wrong but Raven knows it’s the right thing to do. She feels it’s better to put her feelings aside and admit when something is her fault and go from there. Except with Imelda, because she finds it funny to get her all riled up over nothing, especially when it comes to quidditch.

25. Is your OC doomed by the narrative?

Possibly. Not sure where the next game is going to go. All these little things I wrote about Raven is for me only and I fully look forward to see what will happen in the sequel!

26. Would your OC get along with you?

I would think so!☺️

27. What's one thing your OC will never get over?

Her fear of being alone and losing everyone she loves. She went from having no one to having a family in such a short time. To have that all taken away would be heart breaking.

28. Is your OC going to make it?

I’d like to think so. She’s been through so much but each time becomes stronger from it. Plus it helps to have the love of her life by her side. Sebastian gives her that extra boost of strength she didn’t know she needed.

29. Does your OC look their age?

Yes!✨

30. What weird pet would your OC have?

She has a pet Flying Fox Bat named Agnes since her seventh year. They can have a five foot wing span, and she’s basically as long as Raven is tall. So it took a bit for Sebastian to come around with her keeping Agnes. But Agnes is a bit sweetheart and loves being part of the family. Mini story of Agnes was she was living in captivity at the London Zoo and escaped one day. Making her way to the Forbidden Forest, Raven found her alone while taking a hike late one evening. They had an immediate connection and she’s taken care of her ever since. 🦇

31. Does your OC care a lot about their appearance?

Yes and no. Personal hygiene of course. Brushing a braiding her hair, definitely. If it’s a regular day then she does not mind wearing a casual outfit. Going out on a date with Sebastian, then she’ll put on a little makeup and get dolled up more because… why not?💄

32. What's one food your OC can't stand?

French Onion Soup. It was what was mostly served at the orphanage. Yuck!

33. What animal do people associate your OC with?

Probably the same as her Patronus, which is a black bear. That animal is known for their adaptability and resourcefulness. Others will see her as a fierce opponent who will protect herself and those close to her. Only those close to her will know of that softer side she usually keeps hidden away.

34. What's your OC's "thing"?

Depends on what the “thing” refers to… 😅🤔 if it’s behavioral then it’s fiddling with her braid when she’s nervous and can’t figure out what to say, thus being an awkward mess. If it’s material then probably her cameo brooch. If it’s physical then her lilac eyes of course!

35. Random fact about your OC

Despite being Latina, she doesn’t speak Spanish. Because Raven doesn’t know where part of her heritage comes from she never learned.

36. Would your OC sleep with a clone of themself?

…no…🫣

37. What part of yourself do you love in your OC?

Her loyalty to her the people she loves/cares about the most.

38. What's the lowest point in your OC's life?

After being “disciplined” crying herself to sleep and feeling so alone. Wishing and dreaming of a better tomorrow.

39. What's your OC's biggest achievement?

Finding a family. She believes family isn’t about blood, but finding people who will always be there no matter what and accept you for who you are.

40. Does your OC ever go back home?

She considered her “home” to be wherever Sebastian is. The orphanage was never her home.

41. How would your OC adapt to the modern world?

Since she loves music so much I think so. There’s so much emotion to express through music. With that I think she can adapt pretty quickly.

42. Does your OC have any unique talents?

As stated, she sings and plays piano. 🎤🎹 Though it takes a long time to finally share that passion with others.

43. Does your OC exist in canon or AU timeline?

Canon, I think.

44. Is your OC a people person?

Only with those in her inner circle. She will be cordial to others, unless they’re rude to her and then they won’t be worth her time anymore.

45. Did your OC ever have an alternative name?

Whatever her birth name was, but she’ll never know.

46. Does your OC possess any special powers?

Just being able to wield Ancient Magic.✨

47. Is your OC allergic to anything?

Just to people who are rude and mean to others for no reason.

48. Does your OC have a lot of uncommon knowledge? How do they know it?

I guess knowing able everyday muggle things that would seem weird to other people only growing up in the wizarding world.

49. Does your OC have any scars or birthmarks with an interesting story?

She has some scares from being “disciplined”, thankfully she can cover them with everyday clothes.

50. What do you love and hate most about your OC?

I hate that she isn’t real and that the wizarding world isn’t real😆 Otherwise no, I don’t nor can I hate Raven. I love her courage and kindness. That she’ll fight no matter hard things may seem, and always get back up after falling down. She’s had to overcome so much and was alone for so long but now she has a family.🪻💜

If you have finished reading then thank you so much!💜

[tamlinweek]

Prompt List, Part 1: Days 1 - 3

It’s January! Tamlin Week 2024 is in April, and it will be here before we know it! Are you feeling the pressure to make something, but you’re not sure what yet? Here are some ideas to get you started!

Day 1: Heir of Spring/Human Tamlin

“Oh, I can play a mean fiddle, but High Lords’ sons don’t become traveling minstrels. So I trained and fought for my father against whomever he told me to fight, and I would have been happy to leave the scheming to my brothers. But my power kept growing, and I couldn’t hide it—not among our kind.” ~ACOTAR Ch. 19

Heir of Spring

What was Tamlin's childhood like when he was growing up?

What was his relationship like with his mother? His father? His two older brothers?

How did his blossoming powers manifest?

When did they start to appear?

What would his life have looked like if he had become the traveling minstrel he had always wanted to be?

As the last of his line, what does it mean for the future of the Spring Court if he does not produce an Heir of his own?

Human Tamlin

In ACOTAR, Tamlin was born a High Fae, and a High Lord's son at that. In the original Ballad of Tam Lin, the female protagonist named Janet asks him if he was ever once a mortal man. Tam Lin says he was, but he was kidnapped by the Queen of the Faeries when he fell off his horse.

How would Tamlin's story have changed if he was once mortal, like Feyre?

What if the roles were reversed, and he was the mortal hunter, and Feyre a High Fae?

What if Tamlin found a way to become human, to forsake his immortal life?

Would that be a selfless act, or a selfish one?

Day 2: Poet/Warrior

Poet

“Your list of words was too interesting to pass up. And not good for love poems at all.” When I [Feyre] lifted my brow in silent inquiry, he said, “We had contests to see who could write the dirtiest limericks while I was living with my father’s war-band by the border. I don’t particularly enjoy losing, so I took it upon myself to become good at them.” ~ACOTAR Ch. 19

When did Tamlin first start writing poetry?

When he wanted to become a traveling minstrel and play the fiddle, did he write his own songs?

What were the dirty limericks contests like?

What other kinds of poetry did he write, if any?

Warrior

“I never expected—never wanted—my father’s title. My brothers would have never let me live to adolescence if they had suspected that I did. So the moment I was old enough, I joined my father’s war-band and trained so that I might someday serve my father, or whichever of my brothers inherited his title.” He flexed his hands, as if imagining the claws beneath. “I’d realized from an early age that fighting and killing were about the only things I was good at.” ~ACOTAR Ch. 19

How old was Tamlin when he was forced to join his father's war-band?

When did he first meet Rhysand? How did they meet?

What was it like living in the camps with his father's war-bands?

We know that Tamlin participated in dirty limericks contests. What else did he do while training?

What was training like?

Who else could he have met in the bands?

Which side of Tamlin do you find more captivating? The warrior, or the poet? Or do you prefer the dichotomy? Romantic vs destructive; soft vs sharp; light vs dark? There is no wrong answer!

Day 3: Mates/Flower Language

“High Fae mostly marry,” he said, his golden skin flushing a bit. “But if they’re blessed, they’ll find their mate—their equal, their match in every way. High Fae wed without the mating bond, but if you find your mate, the bond is so deep that marriage is … insignificant in comparison.” ~ACOTAR Ch. 19

Tamlin may not have a mate in canon, at least not yet(!), but what if he did?

Who is it, and how do they meet? Or, perhaps, is his mate someone he’s already met?

If you’re not fond of mates as a trope, how would he woo a significant other? With flowers, perhaps?

Flower Language

There will be a separate post in the future discussing the Language of Flowers in depth, but for now, let's take some inspiration from Shakespeare:

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance: pray you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts. There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's some for me: we may call it herb of grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died: [Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5, Line 175]

"Rosemary is particularly associated with remembrance of the dead, and pansies get their name from pensées, the French for thoughts. Fennel represents marital infidelity and columbine flattery or insincerity. Rue, also known as herb of grace, is very bitter and stands for regret, repentance and sorrow. Daisies are a symbol of innocence and the violets, now withered, mean faithfulness." - source

Now let's consider the language of flowers as it pertains to ACOTAR:

After a while, I paused in the rose garden. The moonlight stained the red petals a deep purple and cast a silvery sheen on the white blooms. “My father had this garden planted for my mother,” Tamlin said from behind me. ... "It was a mating present." ~ACOTAR Ch. 19

Tamlin's father planted the rose garden for his new mate. What do the roses represent, and how do the colors impact their meaning?

What other flowers might be important to Tamlin?

Aside from expressing affection, what other messages could be sent using the Language of Flowers?

Consider flowers signalling a secret meeting, or sending a warning, or, if you want to get cheeky, consider the Tumblr-based Flower Shop AU: "How do I passive-aggressively say "F*ck You" in Flower?" as a way to explore floriography in the Spring Court.

Even though the prompt encourages the use of Flower Language, there is more symbolism to plants than flowers alone. What trees or herbs could be used to enhance a message in the Spring Court?

Let your imagination run wild!

We hope these questions and prompts have inspired you! Part 2 discussing the next three days of prompts will be coming soon!

[scotianostra]

On 27th March 1625, King James VI died.

James Charles Stuart has many facts, myths and urban legends surrounding him, this is just one of them.

Rumours have abounded for centuries that James was a homosexual, I'm not saying he wasn't but at very least you might call him bisexual, he did after all father seven children to his wife, only three of whom survived. Known for writing poetry, there is little doubt he loved his wife, Anne, and wrote many poems and love letters to her throughout their marriage. Most of the rumors of James’ sexual orientation came from Sir Anthony Weldon, who was a bitter enemy of the king, whose writings were published long after James was dead.

One of the most amusing quotes from King James regarding marriage and women was when, at the Hampton Court Conference, the Puritan leaders complained of a line in English wedding vows where the groom says to bride “with my body, I thee worship.” James’ response was “If you had a good wife yourself, you would think all worship and honour you could do her, were well bestowed upon her.”

James supposed lover was George Villiers was a courtier who became a favourite of King James I. The King became infatuated with him and made him Viscount in 1616, Earl in 1617, Marquis in 1618 and Duke of Buckingham in 1623. Outmanoeuvring his rivals the Howards, Villiers was appointed Lord High Admiral in 1619. He manipulated the lovestruck King James to gain unprecedented control over royal patronage, rewarding himself and his family generously. He married his relations into the most important families in England. His own marriage was to Lady Catherine Manners, only daughter of the wealthy Earl of Rutland. Was their friendship more than platonic? To coin a Scottish phrase, "

Mibbes aye mibbes naw."

James had a deep and terrible fear of witchcraft and personally oversaw many witch trials while ruling in Scotland. He saw witchcraft as a branch of theology and even wrote a famous treatise titled Daemonologie, in which he dealt with sorcery, magic, and even vampires and werewolves!

James had a relatively peaceful reign, except for the infamous Gunpowder Plot, and kept taxes low. He was known as both the British Solomon and was called “the wisest fool in Christendom” by the King of France. James was both a brute and a gentleman, a sloth and a scholar, a boor and a poet, paranoid and cunning.

Perhaps we should look at his mother's French Emissary Monsieur de Fontenay who had the following to say regarding the young James’ character and traits:

“I have been well received by the king, who has treated me better in reality than in appearance. He give me much credit, but does not show me much kindness. Since the day of my arrival he has ordered me to live in his house along with the earls and lords, and that I shall have access to him in his cabinet just as the others have… .

To tell you truly what I think of him – I consider him the first prince in the world for his age. … . He apprehends and conceives quickly, he judges ripely and with reason, and he retains much and for a long time. In questioning he is quick and piercing, and solid in his answers. … He is learned in many languages, sciences, and affairs of state. more so than probably anyone in his realm. In a word he has a miraculous wit, and moreover is full of noble glory and a good opinion of himself.

Having been brought up in the midst of constant fears, he is timid and will not venture to contradict the great lords; yet he wishes to be thought brave.

He hates dancing and music in general and especially all the mincing affectations of the court … .

From want of proper instruction his manners are boorish and very rough, as well in his way of speaking, eating. dress, amusements and conversation, even in the company of women.

He is never at rest in one place but takes a singular pleasure in walking; but his gait is very ungainly and his step is wandering and unsteady, even in a room. His voice is thick and very deep as he speaks. … He is weak of body … But to sum up, he is an old young man. …

He misunderstands the real extent of his poverty and weakness; he boasts too much of himself and he despises other princes. In the second place, he disregards the wishes of his subjects; and lastly, he is too idle and careless in business and too much addicted to his own pleasures, chiefly hunting. … He told me that he really gave greater attention to business than he seemed to do for he could get through more work in one hour than others could in a day. …"

James ruled Scotland as James VI from 24th July 1567 and, as you might recall from my post a few days ago, ruled in England, Wales and Ireland as James 1st from 24th March, 1603. He died 27th March, 1625 at Theobalds House, and his remains lie in the Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey.

The third pic shows James's body next to Henry VII and his queen in the vault

[mytaylorisswift]

THE END (I)

I'm not happy that the Eras Tour is coming to an end.

Oh, I get it: nothing lasts forever and poor Taylor must be exhausted by now (although, well, we're talking about Taylor Swift, that woman who can't live without working on five things at once). Plus, she's already broken all the records ever broken, she's entered the radar of the few who didn't know of her existence yet, and she's shaken the planet bringing joy, happiness, sisterhood (I'm a boy, but I'm in) and excitement wherever she's set his shiny boots.

I've been so lucky to have been able to attend three Eras: One in Madrid, another in London, and another in New Orleans. Before that, I'd already seen countless videos on YouTube and Tiktok, many of them covering the entire concert. And yet, in all three I was as excited as if I had never seen it before, as if I had been in Glendale when no one yet knew what they were about to see, and I screamed like a maniac when Taylor appears, rising like what she is, a goddess, while singing Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.

How different the emotions are at a Taylor concert and at a football game, my other passion. In football everything is violent, from the playing field to the stands; the screams of the spectators are full of aggression and fury. In the Eras Tour the emotions are just as powerful or more, but the nuance is totally different: they are red like passion, golden like love, dark blue like the midnights. There is no aggression or fury, there is happiness and joy in a safe space.

And Taylor gives it her ALL. For more than three hours she doesn't stop, moving with that powerful feline elegance around all the stages, without losing energy, without losing her smile, without ceasing to watch over us, her swifties. "Mother is mothering", of co9urse.

Oh, and she sings.

She sings with that beautiful, nuanced voice, which can also be powerful if she wants, or crystal clear, or childlike and playful. She sings her own lyrics with her own melodies (not forgetting her wonderful collaborations, which I will dedicate another post to) and, oh, many of those songs are poems, and not just poems, but good poems.

Oh, and she plays.

She plays with everything she does: from the buttons on an elevator to a subtle change in her outfits, everything is full of clues that lead to other clues that, sometimes, lead to...

(To be continued)

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

hello my darling lin 💞 i'm afraid i can't keep it to myself any longer, i must know all about your character tags, they're simply too intriguing 👀.

Ahhh, my loveliest Lizzie! Thank you so much for sending this ask my way, it was such a lovely and generous surprise to find in my inbox today! 🥹❤️ I have a lot of different tags for five separate works so, please, bear with me as I briefly try to elaborate on all of them skdskfjsksfjsk. I apologise beforehand for my seemingly endless rambles, though I hope it will turn out to be interesting nonetheless! 🥰✨️

VOIEVOD:

The majority of my tags come from my medieval magnum opus sksksk because numerous distinct characters are already detailed and elaborate in my mind — let’s dig into them! I do have to confess that some of these tags have yet to make a proper appearance, but I have prepared them in advance, just in case.

( oc: if i cannot move heaven i will raise hell ) — Vlad Dracula. This phrase is a well-known quote from Virgil’s Aeneid: “Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.” I have always felt that it perfectly encapsulates Vlad’s entire life — he is quite the prototype of a Machiavellian ruler willing to resort to more violent methods if needed (which we know very well from history, after all). Throughout the works, he repeatedly acknowledges his belief that he is destined for hell and expresses his willingness to sacrifice his soul for the greater good of his people. And he is also a very strong-willed and stubborn person who will always find a way to achieve his goals, whatever it costs him.

( oc: sanctuary ) — Cătălina. At first, I greatly hesitated to use this symbolism as I truly believe this remarkable woman is defined by much more than her role as the royal mistress and the mother of the voivode’s sons, and I try to depict that individuality of her character. However, this role does significantly influence her life and defines many of the decisions she makes. Throughout their relationship, Vlad sees Cătălina as his sanctuary because she accepts him as he is, loves him despite his perceived defects, and offers him a sense of belonging and peace. Sure, he loves that she keeps him on his toes, but this acceptance and the notion of having a kindred spirit give him the feeling of healing and safety. He can take off the many masks and let himself be exposed as he is, deep down. She also serves as a sanctuary for their sons, acting as the family’s anchor since they spend most of their time with her.

( oc: golden child; lion boy ) — Mehmed the Conqueror. His tag comes from the beautiful poem written by madzieloss on Tumblr, with the whole quote going, “Golden child, Lion boy; Tell me what it’s like to conquer.” I initially tried to use one of Mehmed’s poems from his diwan to make it a bit more personal, but this particular poem works perfectly because it encapsulates Mehmed’s whole essence — the Sultan of the Empire, the gifted child, the great conqueror. I also love using the recurring theme of gold and sun for his character. Gold represents the splendour of the Ottoman Empire, as well as his personal visuals (a lot of rich clothes and jewellery, the gilded Ottoman armour, his ginger hair and beard). Sun is the lovely little dichotomy seen in his character as it is both radiant and invigorating (his manners, generosity, education, intellect, aspects of rule), and merciless and blazing (his cruelty and the destructive sides of his politics towards other countries). Like the sun, he can either help grow or burn everything down.

( oc: the dragon ) — Vlad Dracul. I hate admitting that I could not come up with anything even remotely unique for Vlad’s dad as his moniker Dracul literally means “the Dragon” skdhskfskdks. However, the nickname was used for a reason, and we do not fix what isn’t broken in this house. The dragon’s role in medieval symbolism reflects a complex interplay between themes of heroism, morality, and the battle between light and darkness — on the one hand, the creature is seen as a protector and symbol of power, strength, and courage, but on the other hand, a dragon also represents a cunning and dangerous figure. He is called “the Dragon” both by people who admire him and despise him, so it shows the double meaning and the complexity of a ruler’s nature. At the same time, the meaning also spills over to his private life as he is both a figure of protection and (unwilling and unintentional) destruction to his family.

( oc: of burning martyrdom ) — Mircea Dracula. The eldest sibling is without a doubt the most tragic figure in the entire story, and I wanted his tag to reflect the tragedy and inevitability of his fate. He was killed at nineteen at the hands of his father’s enemies and in the cruellest way imaginable, and the “burning” part hints at some of the circumstances of his death. In his own way, he dies as a martyr because he dies refusing to give up his beliefs — and he is a martyr figure because the majority of his short life is marked with great struggles.

( oc: keeper of secrets ) — Alexandra. This tag is supposed to represent all the inner turmoil and complexities fighting one another inside Vlad’s younger sister. Because the two siblings share most of their personality and physical traits and are also close in age (there is a three-year gap between them), Vlad has always had a fond spot for his little sister and always considered her his little confidante — hence the meaning of keeping secrets. In return, Vlad has always been the brother who has granted Alexandra the most freedom and experience. She also keeps many secrets because there is a lot of her she has to repeatedly suppress inside of her — as I have mentioned, Vlad and Alexandra are quite alike, but Vlad’s personality tends to be accepted more while the same traits in Alexandra are often frowned upon.

( oc: cel frumos ) — Radu Dracula. My laziness shows here once again as that is Radu’s moniker, meaning “the handsome” or “the beautiful”. Radu has been given a fair share of horrible portrayals in media over the years, so I aim to further develop his character and show the varied aspects of his personality that are frequently overlooked. I initially tried to find something that would suit his complicated character but eventually settled on the nickname itself as it nicely shows the irony of his life and the most defining issue of his life — always being disregarded and reduced to only a sliver of his being.

( oc: cel mare ) — Ștefan the Great. (Or, as I like to call him, Fane.) There is no possible tag that would fit the famous Voivode of Moldavia and Vlad’s cousin (Vlad’s mother was a Moldavian princess) more than his own nickname, “the Great”. He is considered a national hero in both Romania and Moldova and undoubtedly earned his monicker through his actions.

OPEN HEART:

( c: i rise with my red hair and i eat men like air ) — Laura Levchenko. Her tag comes from Sylvia Plath’s poem called Lady Lazarus and, although I wanted to find a fitting quote from Lesya Ukrainka to represent Laura’s roots (that form a great part of her being), this one has the right amount of sharpness and edge fitting for my darling spitfire. Her fiery hair is undoubtedly one of her trademarks, and the quote also represents an independent spirit that will not be pushed down by being seemingly “inferior”. It also shows her own stance towards men, beginning with the painful experience with her dad and marking her whole life, as well as people who look down upon her.

( c: veni vidi vici ) — E.R. This is incredibly embarrassing because I was desperate to find something better for Ethan, something more fitting for his character… but there it is skdksfksldls. I do not think this quote even needs any introduction, so I will mention instead that “I came, I saw, I conquered” expresses the way Ethan achieves everything he sets his mind to, as well as the ferocity with which he pursues all his goals. When we compare his character to Laura’s, it might also imply the briskness with which he achieves certain things in life as a straight white American man — as opposed to Laura who is not only looked down upon for being a woman but also has to face a lot of xenophobia in her life. (You also want to re-enact the Ides of March on him sometimes but… I digress sksksk.)

CRIMES OF PASSION:

( c: this ghost sitting year after year upon my heart ) — Milena Rosa. This quote comes from Federico García Lorca’s play Yerma, in Spanish being, “este fantasma sentado año tras año encima de mi corazón”. I have to admit that I have yet to get myself familiar with Milena and craft her character in detail the way she deserves, but we know from canon that Jimmy’s tragic death greatly defines not only her own inner life (because she battles with all the demons his loss has inflicted upon her) but also the trajectory of her future career and the purpose she finds in her mission.

( c: bleeding sun ) — T.T. Trystan’s tag is from Lucie Thésée’s Poem, and the full quote goes, “Handsome as life and poison. Sun-blood handsome. Bleeding sun.” This was an instant fit because Trystan is undoubtedly the product of the environment he grew up in — Drakovia is both a place of beauty and vibrance, but we know its regime is bloody and deadly. Trystan will also never suppress the essence of who he is, and his character is both full of life and somewhat fierce (sometimes even violent) in nature. A lot of my worldbuilding for the story comes from my own experience as an Eastern European, and this little corner of the world is brimming with endless contradictions, so I tried to come up with something that would evoke that as closely as possible.

THE WAYHAVEN CHRONICLES:

( c: i am the sea and nobody owns me ) — Kimberley Cunningham. Kimble is my TWC newborn that I have only recently crafted into a character she should have been from the very beginning. Her tag is actually the legendary quote uttered by Pippi Longstocking which, apart from its fierceness, also fits Kimberley’s playfulness and carefree approach to life. She is a rebel through and through in every aspect of her life, which stems from the disastrous nature of her relationship with Rebecca. Her main objective in life is to do the exact opposite of what she is told, and she enjoys shocking people around her. But, just like the sea, she can be tempestuous and unpredictable, and some of her decisions can be quite destructive. Kimble ends up in the love triangle which kind of mirrors the rest of her life — initially harmless fun turns complicated and messy.

( c: a ribbon of loneliness ) — Sydney Brannagan. My poor baby Syd has been characterised through his melancholy since the very first moment, so I needed to find this little nugget that would instantly evoke his inner world. Then I found this quote by Jenny Slate that goes, “I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that there will always be a ribbon of loneliness running through who I am.” Loneliness runs through Sydney not only in the sense that he is such a sorrowful soul, but also because a part of him always feels so detached from others. All his life, he has felt like he has to prove his worth to his mother to feel accepted, and he also unconsciously builds a wall around him as the time goes by. In the professional setting, his personality does not stand out in any particular way — he is diligent and polite, some might even consider him a bit bland.

BLEEDING HEART:

I do feel like I need to give a bit more context for this interactive fiction beforehand, especially because there is only Chapter 1 out so far. The story is a retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula through the point of view of Mina Murray, and the first chapter already explores several wonderful themes I cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on! I have a very clear idea of who I want Mina to be, how she struggles in the setting and society she lives in, and how her personality drives her emotions and decisions. I do not know if my personal HCs will align with the story as it progresses, but there is nothing this user cannot tweak to her liking skdhskfjfksks.

( c: growing fruit around cyanide ) — Wilhelmina Murray-Harker. Mina’s tag is a part of a poem from a collection called Swallowtail by Brenna Twohy and goes, “Peach pits are poisonous. This is not a mistake. Girlhood is growing fruit around cyanide. It will never be your for swallowing.” Essentially, it encapsulates the conflict between who Mina seems to be on the outside and who she truly is on the inside. I have always felt like the Victorian times were one of the most suffocating periods for a woman to live in, and Mina always has to suppress a huge part of herself to somehow “fit the mould”, hence how she grows fruit around cyanide. Just like the society, her relationship with Jonathan also suffocates her — her engagement is a choice made out of reason, but she does not feel fulfilled with him in practically any way, which ultimately drives her into the arms of Dracula.

( c: the master of the night ) — Count Dracula. His tag is just the tweak of the quote from Bram Stoker’s Dracula: “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” Since he commands all the creatures and phenomena of the night, I have changed the bit to the “master”. I wish I had anything interesting to add to his character but, so far, I am waiting to see what he turns out to be like in Bleeding Heart — I know we are able to make him be the big villain or give him redeeming qualities, so I will wait and see which route will seem more fitting to me though I do play around with the idea of making Dracula more redeemable and a different character more villainous). Also, Count Dracula the Vampire has absolutely nothing to do with Vlad Dracula the Voivode in my fictional world — I know merging the two into one character is very popular, there is even one novel that did this that I absolutely love, but… not happening here lmao.

[miracles-and-butterflies]

dolores headcanons?

Sure thing! Here’s some Dolores headcanons:

Dolores’ full name is Dolores Victoria Estrada Madrigal

She claims that she’s named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

She started talking very early for babies

Her first word is “Papí”

Young Dolores was very curious and asked lots of difficult questions

Most people (including Dolores) don’t think she’s like her mother, and they are wrong

Agustín taught her piano up until her gift ceremony, in which case Señor Molina (from my fanfic: The False Madrigal) took over and taught her every instrument she could get her hands on

Her first reaction to her gift was “Abuela, Isabela and Luisa are kicking each other”, and then she started crying from the noise

If you couldn’t tell, she is a bit of a tattletale

She was that pupil in school

She was really excited to be a big sister

But enhanced hearing and Camilo are a horrible combination

Dolores very passionately complained about babies for the next few months and tried to convince Bruno to adopt her, so she could move into his tower to be further away from them

When Mirabel was born, she went straight to her parents and asked, “Why does everyone hate the new baby? Like, what did she do? She’s not even cried yet. Is she dead?”

She changed her mind about babies upon spending time with Mirabel, who was just as quiet as she was

She and Isabela would switch their siblings around, in the hopes the adults wouldn’t notice

Félix taught Dolores sign language for when she got too overwhelmed

Dolores didn’t want a vision from Bruno because everyone says they’re bad, but Isabela, who already had hers, kept badgering her to get one

Needless to say, she was right

She would cry to her parents and question if anyone actually loved her

She initially thought Bruno’s disappearance was a prank (as she could still hear him in Casita)

Has a passion for music, of all cultures and any point in history

Every birthday she would ask for a new instrument

She was a child with expensive taste

Her favourite instrument is the bandola

She was the lead singer in the church and school choirs during her teen years

She wasn’t the first person to find out Pepa was pregnant with Antonio, she was the second; first being Bruno

Was one of the people who wasn’t pleased with baby Antonio, though that was mainly the age gap and noise

Definitely receives favouritism as the only daughter (additionally, she’s not a chaotic shit)

She loves opera

Loves romance novels

Definitely the child who read “Romeo and Juliet” in class and decided she wanted to be Juliet

When Isabela started dating Mariano, Dolores didn’t really know who he was

It wasn’t until Isabela demanded her help writing back responses to his love poems that Dolores fell in love

And realised that Isabela screwed her over again

As time went on, Isabela stopped attempting to write back and just gave the letters straight to Dolores for her to deal with

She isn’t solely to blame for spreading gossip, her side of the family is shit at keeping their mouths closed

She is the type of person to drop spoilers with no warning (books, theatre, rat telenovelas, etc)

She really wants to go to Italy one day

She is pansexual

As a teenager, her colour was more of a pinkish red, to be more like Abuela

In spite of everything, she has a great admiration for her grandmother and wants a close relationship with her, as she does with Isabela

Eventually she gave up trying to be Isabela’s copy and just accepted being second best

Her jewellery were gifts from her parents

She is an adult with expensive taste

Dolores has a collection of earmuffs

She makes at least one trip to Julieta a day to get healed for some form of headache from the noise

She frequently answers questions for Mirabel to be helpful. However, she can be very blunt and (prior return of magic) monotone, making her appear cruel and uncaring

Dolores did not mean to throw Mirabel under the bus during the dinner scene

Though she doesn’t always clearly show it, she loves her brothers dearly

She describes Mirabel as her metaphorical sister and would swap her with either of her brothers within a heartbeat

She thinks she should be part of Isabela and Luisa’s competitions of who is Mirabel’s better sister. But, then again, thinks they probably don’t allow professionals

Is probably the only grandchild that should be allowed and would do well at running Encanto after Alma. However, she does lack a little bit of compassion (see this post)

Her and Mariano properly got together several months after he and Isabela broke up

They did, however, get married within the next two years

Making them the shortest courtship out of all the Madrigals, since Alma and Pedro

Speaking of, Alma fully gave her blessing to the pair of them as they were truly in love

Mariano does want children, but has never outright demanded a lot or an exact number and would be grateful with whatever - Dolores’ comment of five was only to mess with Isabela

Dolores does NOT want five babies. One or two is fine

She definitely has triplets in the future

[wallflowergirl2006]

My DDLC + OCs Headcanons-

I was bored and decided to this instead of being productive. (JKJKJK!!)

Monika- Cis girl (She/It) but in a forest deity type of way. Definitely has a love for music (Piano) and poetry. She is very much a lover girl when she falls in love with someone. Definitely neurotypical (I can’t pick up any ND vibes from here.) Pansexual Icon OFC! Definitely listen to that one Keyshia Cole song “Love” and Laufey. Has a bit of obsessive tendencies but not as much as Yuri. Definitely prefers tea over coffee. Still very much a perfectionist but is trying to get better at taking breaks when she needs it. I also headcanon her to be Swedish. (She’s a bit delulu 😺)

Sayori- Agender (She/They) She doesn’t really care how you refer to her as long as isn’t rude. Definitely Onmisexual (Pref for Guys) They have signs of ADHD but it was never confirmed whether she has it or not but the signs are there. (Parents didn’t get her checked out.) She prefers cold/warm foods and drinks. <— (Projection) She’s not a fan of people who dislike their friends or people who bash their friend’s interests. She definitely has depression if you know her well enough you can tell when their mood changes or when their happy go lucky facade is breaking. Sayori likes milk but prefers strawberry milk over chocolate. She definitely listens to Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor. (Definitely listen to Love Story by Talyor on repeat.)

Yuri- Demigirl (She/Her) She is a girl but not at the same time. She is lesbian demisexual in my opinion. She gives off Toriel (Undertale) vibes. She loves horror but something tells me she likes reading about women’s history as well. (Specifically Jeanne d'arc, Emilia Plater, and Empress Sisi’s stories.) I headcanon her to have Autism <— (Projection) and some obsessive traits. I also hc that she, Imogen (OC), and Sayori go to therapy together. She also doesn’t like to admit it but she sometimes likes reading with Natsuki. (I like to think that they trade books with each other but they think of each other as well.) (Like Natsuki will maybe pick up a Manga that has a few scary elements in it for Yuri while Yuri will try to find a horror or thriller book that is not too scary for Natsuki.) Definitely listen to Mitski, Marina and maybe The Neighborhood.

Natsuki- Transfem (She/Her) I hc her as Bi-Questioning. Like she knew she liked men but when she looks at pretty girls she can feel her heart flutter and a small blush spread across her face. (She also started to question herself when she noticed herself liking some females in the manga she reads.) She definitely has a lot of anxiety from her father’s outbursts. Which developed a lot of problems for her like being very reserved, she tends to push people away and has built a very high wall to keep people out but she desperately craves friendship and something like a sisterhood. (Examples: SSO: The Soulriders, MLP: The Mane 6, or even the Mario Princess: Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Pauline (Ik Pauline isn’t a princess but shhh 🤫) and she loves Manga and short stories. Listen to Lana Del Ray, Olivia Rodrigo and possibly Mother Mother.

MC- Demiboy (He/They) Definitely Aroace (Specifically Lithromantic Gray-Ace) He is very much neurotypical. He originally came to the clubroom to get with the girls but after a while his attraction towards the girls faded and they kinda stayed because they liked the girls company and because he was getting the hang of poem writing thanks to Monika. They give off Kris vibes from Deltarune. (Appearance wise) Very much introverted and socially awkward towards people and is a bit dense. He is a gamer but tends to stick to chill games rather than action pack ones. (Ex: Stardew Valley, Abzu, Animal Crossing.) But on rare occasions he does play Detroit becomes human, Untitled Goose Game, and Life is Strange. Listens to Will Wood, Pitbull, and James Arthur.

(OC) Imogen- Cis Straight Girl (She/They) Has Audhd (Autism and ADHD) and Social Anxiety Has a hard time making friends due to her autism and social anxiety making her a loner at school. <— (Projecting) Surprisingly MC was the one who came up to them and asked them to join the club. They were hesitant at first but MC reassuringly told her that it would be a great opportunity to make some friends and when she heard the word “friends” she immediately said yes. They love Greek Mythology and Dystopian themed books and they also indulge in romance books. They also happen to be a gamer as well. She mostly plays adventure games and some visual novels. (Ex: Sky: Children Of Light, Never Alone, Starshine Legacy, and Slay The Princess.) Imogen and MC watch each other play sometimes. (Like he could be playing Animal Crossing while Imogen is playing SSO {Star Stable Online} ) Very very much on the introverted side but is very passionate to talk about her interests. Also she listens to Beach Bunny, Kesha, and Loreen.

They are also in a QPR with their partner Zane.

(OC) Zane- Nonbinary (He/They) Aroace (Cupioromantic & Asexual) Neurotypical as well. He was a very extroverted person with any person they interacted with. Before they came to terms that they were Aroace they tried so hard to get those “romantic feelings” but every time he tried it always failed. He gave up on love for a bit but then a pretty girl (Imogen) came and invited them to a literature club? He decided to go with it and join the club. He is very much an expert at poetry but the literature he enjoys is Mystery and Graphic Novels. They give off great big brother vibes.. Is pretty much a big goofy teddy bear. Developed queerplatonic feelings for Imogen. They were the one who asked her out because she was too anxious to do so. Listens to Cavetown, Alec Benjamin, and Bo Burnham.

All together HCs-

MC and Sayori were both best friends when Imogen joined the two. Sayori immediately invited them with open arms.

Natsuki and Zane both team up to try to convince Monika and Yuri that manga and graphic novels are literature.

Imogen suggests that they could do book reviews and recommendations sometimes for a club meeting instead of just doing poems.

Like I said before Yuri, Sayori and Imogen are therapy buddies (They're also trying to get Natsuki to go to therapy but Natsuki is stubborn and says that she doesn’t need therapy.) (She very much does need it 😹)

Yuri and Natsuki spend time with each other in bookstores, cute cafes and maybe even at Yuri’s house doing a variety of things. From reading to binge watching shows to listening to random podcasts and music.

Monika and Sayori are such hopeless romantics wanting to be loved and appreciated by a significant other.

Sometimes the group will go to someone’s house and watch movies together. Everyone gets there early so everyone can have a turn picking a movie.

Zane is a very affectionate person while Imogen is very touch starved and she literally melts when Zane shows her any form of affection.

Everyone in the club has codenames for when they're talking shit about someone (That’s not in the club..)

Everyone cares and loves each other in many different ways.

Yuri and Monika often try different teas together and tell each other how they feel about it.

Yuri, Zane, and Imogen get along really well because of interests in books.

Sayori tries her best to help Natsuki with her eating habits. (Like sharing her lunch or carrying around an extra snack.) and Natsuki bakes Sayori some yummy treats in return for her kindness but not without saying that she was only doing it because she didn’t want to owe her anything.

That’s about it.. (Not doing ships unless it’s for my OCs.)

(Also Tell Me Why I Had Such A Hard Time Spelling Straight??? 😹😹)

[thepeacecheesecakegives]

Hi movies this is my first post ! I’m actually nervous writing this but I want my Blog to be one of poetry but also communication ! I want to teach and also learn , see things from different perspective this poem is one I wrote in the middle of the night after seeing a gruesome video of the genocide that is happening in the middle eastern right now. I can’t put into words what they are going through or what’s going to happen , but I can and will use my voice in efforts to speak up !

This piece is titled

RAINBOWS HAVE MEANINGS

By Kalia Walker

Rainbows have meanings

Like wounds have healing

Even if scars will have to take place

Maybe even despite the pain

we can still go into the healing stage

we know that healings possible

and so is recovery

Thats why I’m praying for youth and for answers and a little security

So I say if a rainbow comes only

after the rain has dried

Can I say everyone finds

comfort the moment the last tears dry ?

Is it safe to say even every storm maybe

there’s still a chance to be okay

It has to be ,right ?

like the Sun shining despite

knowing if has to reset every day

It’s like still being present each day

knowing when darkness hits

the sun is just at bay

It has to work in that sense

It’s having faith that rainbows come certain

after every storm and to this day

it’s still proven true

that’s why I still have faith

people have good heart even in the chaos of war

War which is a vicious cycle I hope one days gets replaced with peace ,

maybe there’s a way to see

even in ugliness there’s still beauty underneath

How can we change and how can we keep peace

Maybe we start by realizing

rainbows have meanings

And so does innocent lives

despite what land or territory you were born to even if we have to

March everyday and

equality isn’t the first time its being said

but we’ll repeat it

for years to come

until no life being under

another’s

gets through our heads

It’s hard seeing the full case

or sit through a lecture

it’s easy keeping our eyes on screens

until we see something that makes us look away Even when we do it doesn’t change that fact that bloodied bodies are on the concrete

doesn’t change the fact babies

aren’t spared in war or out of it

it makes you question what else do we take for granted that some desperately fight for

why must blood be on the ground

Where kids could’ve skipped on

why is blood on cement that

chalk should’ve been on

Why is justice a sacrifice innocents must make

Rainbow have meanings right ?

You promised no more floods

but look what state we drown in

God I’m scared

and lost and confused

despite never knowing what’s really going on

just Whats seen on the news

If we weather this storm

let us promise to be better

I might not understand the costs

that must be made

but I can’t sit here and act like fire starts

without someone first casting a flame

I feel scared and I feel I have no right to be

Not when Cindy is living in Palestine streets

Not when war is still a method of communication that each country serves not when …

It’s too much to say

How can we sit

when others

are crouched over dying

But like every storm in the midst of war

Justice will have to be planted in our own ways

Rainbows are for certain

just like the Lord’s return after all

rainbows always appear after each storm

I can’t voice the pain and first hand experience these people are going through , so I Won’t I’ll just use my human Emotions and Values knowing “what good is fighting for land with no one being alive to dwell in it “

prayers to everyone and I stand on the side of children mothers and all innocents ! I hope even tho this is more of poem I can’t wait till I can write some FF and also some original stories and make some mutual I love you guys , let’s be friends !!!

[hp-poetry-fest]

April round-up

Unheeded (Three Sonnets) by NoFlyApterygidae || 343, G || Albus/Minerva

Dumbledore's spirit occasionally appears within Hogwarts, not a ghost but a sort of echo of devotion. Now, he considers an almost-romance with McGonagall that never was in the form of three Shakespearean sonnets.

Ouroboros in Tribute by @serenaew || 790, T, Podfic || Snape & Harry

Blood, I have learnt, is thicker than water. The life of a fallen Prince, as remembered by the father he had never known. Severitus(-ish).

Great Wine, Beautiful Sentences by @patriceavril || 4k, M || Wolfstar

The war outlook is bleak, but Sirius and Remus remind each other of all the joy left in the world.

it's complicated by @wavingfromtheside || 143, G || Greengrass family

A haiku and a free verse poem on mothers and daughters.

Engulf by @maesterchill || 216, T || Drarry

Gathering potions ingredients in the Forest, trainee Professor Draco Malfoy stumbles across the Resurrection stone. Whilst examining it, he unwittingly Summons the shade of his former lover. Engulfed by grief, he begs Harry for a way for them to be together again. It will take ancient elemental water magic to achieve that which he craves so desperately. But can Draco conquer his lifelong fear of the Black Lake and all that lies within her to do what needs to be done?

A bouquet of kisses by @patriceavril || 10k, T || Jily

There was a glint of indignation in her eyes, and a flush bloomed in her cheeks, contrasting with the smudge of earth. James had never wanted to kiss her so badly in his life – quite a feat, considering he had spent a good part of the last few years daydreaming about kissing her. Five times James wants to kiss Lily and one time he does.

Don't Go Into The Library by @acanadianmuggle || 600, G || Vikmione

Viktor Krum's Impression of the Hogwarts Library. Inspired by Alberto Rios' Poem "Don't Go Into The Library".

Vertices, Or Something by @floydig || 1k, NR || Drarry

Harry is a hitman who can’t die. Draco tried to kill himself last year. Harry returns from a mission, Draco wears bright pink boxer briefs, and Harry calls Death a cunt because he can. Or: we’re taking a deep dive into Harry’s head. Malfoy asks if I died this time. It’s a joke because I can’t die. Turns out when you cheat Death too many times, the cunt doesn’t want you back. What does that mean for me, that not even Death wants me anymore. Yeah I call Death a cunt. Malfoy wants Death and Death doesn’t want me and we’re in a fucking love triangle like in the movies.

Deathflight Blues by @autumnsup || Tom Riddle

When Tom Riddle dreams, he dreams in green.

Desiderium by @thehoneybeet || 6k, E || Drarry

Their club, their loo, their writing on the wall—it has to be enough. Until it isn’t.

Sunny skies look dreary when you’re far from me. by @mkaugust || 0.3k, NR || Wolfbucks

All my firsts are with you, Even still, even now With you hidden from my view.

[unpopularwriter25]

It’s me again ^0^ I rlly liked the last one w/ Keiko and I have one more oc for kny if thats ok? :D

Name: Sora Hoshino

Age: 23/24

Gender: Female || Sexuality: Straight

Appearance: Sora’s short, only 150cm tall. She’s plump and chubby, having a pear shaped body. (Sora has chubby turnip legs hehe). She has black to purple hair which is often tied up in a bun. She has a scar across the middle of her face, reaching up to her nose. Sora has earrings shaped as a star. Hoshino wears the usual demon slayer uniform (black) but sleeveless. Sora has a dark blue haori which do not cover up her shoulders. The bottom is decorated with white constellations. Her eyes are often seen as tired, but her smile is soft and gentle. Sora also wears a monocle on her right eye!|| Weapon: Sora uses a scythe which also doubles as a grappling hook!

Personality: She’s quite shy upon first encounters, often hesitating to even squeak a single word from her throat. But as the Constellation Hashira warms up to the person, Sora tends to speak quite loudly and often talks with excitement and enthusiasm about her interests. When she’s on missions with younger slayers, Sora acts like a mother figure. Sora makes sure that the slayers are comfortable and have some hope in themselves before and after the mission. “Objection! I disagree!” Is not something Sora would outright say, often silently withdrawing herself from the conversation. In all in all, Sora is a shy but yet, loud and enthusiastic character. She enjoys taking care of those younger than her and enjoys talking about her interests.

Hobbies: Sora spends her free time researching and working on biology and chemistry. She enjoys helping Shinobu in her free time at the Butterfly Mansion. She also enjoys chasing snails and other insects. Sora does get quite angry when someone insults the bug or crushes it. The Constellation Hashira often researches about bugs or constellations (obviously). She based her breathing style off of her love for constellations and the stars. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and writing!

Likes/Dislikes: Sora enjoys spending time with children. Playing, comforting, feeding, you name it! She likes curling up in a warm room, being cuddled and just reading her favourite book in silence. Sora also enjoys physical affection, and is her main way of showing her love (if she’s not reading cheesy poems or yapping about some new bug she read about). Sora does not like it when someone insults a random roach she had found and now keeps as a pet. She gets easily angry when they do so. In general, she does not like insulting unless it’s to an evil person/demon. Sora doesn’t enjoy being alone for too long, it starts to get to her slowly. Hoshino is also ashamed of her body, thinking she’s too wide or chubby.

A bit of background information: Sora used to be a mother and wife, unfortunately both have passed away due to a demon. Hence why she has decided to become a slayer. Sora often questions her ability when it comes to missions, wondering if she could really protect the people she loves. (Sora does bash herself if one of the slayers she is working with gets seriously hurt).

ANYWAYS TYSM!!!!!! AHHH!!! This is super fun for me as I get to see who (my already shipped) ocs get to be paired with! This allows me to experiment with all sorts of new ships. I really am super happy, TYSM!!!!

Thank you for the request!! I hope you enjoy!!

I ship you with Tengen Uzui!!

Tengen’s larger-than-life, flamboyant personality is a perfect counterbalance to Sora’s shy and reserved demeanor. His confidence and assertiveness can help Sora feel more at ease and gradually draw her out of her shell. Conversely, Sora’s gentle and nurturing nature can temper Tengen’s occasional brashness, grounding him and providing a calming influence.

Once Sora warms up to someone, she becomes loud and enthusiastic, similar to Tengen’s always-energetic persona. This shared enthusiasm can create a vibrant, lively atmosphere when they are together, fostering a strong, supportive bond.

Sora’s motherly instincts towards younger slayers align with Tengen’s protective nature towards his comrades and wives. Both characters are deeply compassionate and prioritize the well-being of those around them, making them a formidable team in both battle and daily life.

Their shared experiences of loss (Sora losing her family, and Tengen his siblings and many comrades) create a foundation of mutual understanding and empathy. This common ground allows them to provide each other with emotional support and comfort.

The significant height difference between Tengen (198 cm) and Sora (150 cm) creates a visually striking pair. Tengen’s tall, imposing figure contrasts with Sora’s petite stature, emphasizing his protective role and her delicate yet strong presence.

Their physical contrast can also lead to endearing interactions, such as Tengen often looking out for Sora, and Sora providing subtle, nurturing care for Tengen.

Tengen’s flamboyant and colorful style, with his headband, flashy attire, and jewel-adorned look, contrasts beautifully with Sora’s dark blue and black uniform decorated with white constellations. This visual diversity highlights their unique personalities and strengths.

Sora’s role as a mother figure to younger slayers complements Tengen’s protective nature. Together, they can create a supportive environment for their comrades, ensuring both physical safety and emotional well-being.

Tengen’s experience and skills as a Hashira can help mentor Sora in combat techniques and strategies, while Sora’s nurturing side can aid in caring for injured or traumatized slayers, complementing Tengen’s efforts.

Sora’s Constellation Breathing techniques, which likely involve intricate and celestial-themed moves, can synergize with Tengen’s Sound Breathing, which focuses on rhythm and explosive power. Their combined abilities can create a unique and formidable fighting style, covering each other’s weaknesses and enhancing their strengths.

Sora’s scythe, doubling as a grappling hook, offers versatility and agility in combat, complementing Tengen’s dual Nichirin cleavers. This combination can lead to innovative strategies and dynamic teamwork in battle.

Both characters have experienced significant loss due to demons. This shared history allows them to understand each other’s pain and provide mutual support. Tengen’s resilience and confidence can help Sora build her self-assurance, while Sora’s gentle, nurturing presence can offer Tengen the emotional solace he sometimes needs.

Tengen’s unwavering confidence can inspire Sora to believe more in her own abilities, helping her overcome her self-doubt and insecurities about her body and skills. In turn, Sora’s empathetic nature can help Tengen connect more deeply with his own emotions and those of others.

Tengen’s Sound Breathing, which utilizes sound waves and explosive techniques, can be complemented by Sora’s Constellation Breathing, which likely involves precise, celestial-themed attacks. This combination can create a powerful and versatile combat duo, capable of handling various types of demons and battle scenarios.

Sora’s grappling hook scythe adds a layer of mobility and surprise to their combat tactics, while Tengen’s agility and strength can provide the brute force needed in battles. Their different yet complementary fighting styles allow them to adapt to various challenges and support each other effectively.

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

For the send a fic idea ask:

What are your thought on a Phantom of the Opera vampire AU? 👀

OMG OMG OMG

I do not have the brain to write one, but I WISH I did and I am SO excited to share why.

About two years ago I got into a minor debate about whether "sexy" vampires are a "modern" invention or if there's any basis for it.

Now my standard for "Modern" as far as vampires go is BD and AD ("Before Dracula" and "After Dracula")

So the answer to that was "Yes and No".

No, because "original," vampires of Slavic folklore are mainly zombie-like.

Bram Stoker's classic Gothic novel is largely considered the birth of the modern vampire in pop-culture, and that's TRUE

BUT

He is NOT the first example of the Vampire as a fantastical erotic stalker in media.

Now most people probably do know that Dracula was predated by John Polidori's The Vampyre and Varney the Vampire or the Feast of Blood by several decades.

But the ORIGIN of the erotic vampire predate THEM by more than a century.

Widely considered the first appearance of a vampire in media is the 1748 poem Der Vampire by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. (Read more about that here)

The poem is notable, not only for being the first recorded appearance of a vampire in fiction, but also for its intense erotic subtext.

So how does all this relate to a PotO Vampire AU? Well because when I rediscovered this poem after getting into PotO I discovered in it a few things that connect it, albeit loosely, that connect it to Phantom, some things I think will probably jump out to you as well, including, what I think, is the ideal title for a PotO Vampire AU.

Here is the text of the poem's English translation, which is, like the first translation of Phantom of the Opera, flawed but iconic:

My dear young maiden clingeth Unbending. fast and firm To all the long-held teaching Of a mother ever true; As in vampires unmortal Folk on the Theyse's portal Heyduck-like do believe. But my Christine thou dost dally, And wilt my loving parry Till I myself avenging To a vampire's health a-drinking Him toast in pale tockay. And as softly thou art sleeping To thee shall I come creeping And thy life's blood drain away. And so shalt thou be trembling For thus shall I be kissing And death's threshold thou' it be crossing With fear, in my cold arms. And last shall I thee question Compared to such instruction What are a mother's charms?

If I ever DID work up enough of an actual story to write a PotO Vampire AU, I would, without restraint entitle it "But My Christine, Thou Dost Dally"

But the other section I highlighted you'll notice is the mention of Tockay.

Now Tockay appearing here is not an astonishing thing. It's a sweet Hungarian wine, and as the poem alludes to the Eastern European origins of vampiric lore, the likening of a maiden's blood to this particular wine is not at all shocking.

What does make me smile to myself a bit is the fact that Tockay is also mentioned in both Dracula and The Phantom of the Opera. Its not really a massive bombshell in either of these places either, because Dracula himself serves Jonathan Harker at his castle in Romania, with his tasty roast chicken dinner; and Gaston Leroux has Erik serve Christine a duvet of Chicken with tockay during her stay in his house by the lake.

(Also not too much of a stretch in the case of PotO because Tockay was very in vogue in the early 20th century and only fell out of favour following the Great War when availability became scarce. But Gaston Leroux was a noted admirer of Dracula, and even mentioned Erik reading vampire serials in the original Gaulois serial.)

Tl;dr I have the perfect title for a PotO Vampire Fic

I just don't have the brain to write it.

Yet.

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Little Dark Age (MGMT)

Giddy with delight, seeing what’s to come/The image of the dead, dead ends in my mind/Policemen swear to God, love’s seeping from the guns/I know my friends and I would probably turn and run

"It has such a dark ominous vibe in the music alone. There is so much nuance and double meanings behind the lyrics. It's about mental illness and secrecy. It's about the state of the world and politics. It's about how we're regressing into a "dark age" of intellectual darkness and a lack of "writing" (human art and creativity). It's about the darkness of humanity in general. It's about not being able to hide from the pain of the world or the actions you have taken. It's just so. Gahhgg. No matter how you interpret it, it cuts deep."

At the Price of Oblivion (Homestuck)

"This song doesn't actually appear in the comic, but it's representative of a sequence in which the two main characters, Rose and John, encounter Bec Noir, the murderous demigod who killed each of their respective parents. The two of them square up, and John is INSTANTLY killed. Rose, who's been infected with the power of eldritch gods from beyond reality, flies into a murderous rage and fights Noir SINGLEHANDEDLY. While we don't see the conclusion of the fight, we're lead to believe Rose at the very least had a chance at victory"

HOLY SHIT THAT BEAT DROP! Genuinely such a blood-pumping, hype song. Also the beat drop coincides perfectly with... well. SO it starts with these two protagonists just kind of standing there trying to process their parents' deaths and then Right on the beat drop like 2 seconds in one of them gets impaled from behdand dies and the rest is the other fghting a losing battle in her FuckedUp Eldritch Horror form along w/ soe other shit. Anyway. Ultimately one of the reasons this song really fuk me up is because of Rose in general Rose is such a fun character and I love her so much and this scene is part of a turning point for her. I love ranting to myself about characters and Rose is one of my favorites to rant about because there are a few separate times where one of my favorite poems, TS Eliot's The Wasteland, is referenced in connection with her. I've gotten halfway through a like. 7 page essay about how The Wasteland and Rose are connected--it has a lot to do with knowledge, and grief, and shit like that. This scene is sort of the accumulation of all of that symbolism. Rose is a Seer of Light, which means her role in the game is to help her team by being an arbiter of information of sorts. It's her job to know things, basically. The Wasteland is a poem about the aftermath of WWI. The specific passage referenced in connection to Rose is at the very beginning of the poem--part 1, The Burial of the Dead. The passage talks about the cruelty of springtime, as it melts the snow that had covered and numbed the barren swathes of land that had been ravaged by the war. Ultimately, however, it's talking about memory--being able to see the wasteland again means having to remember that it exists, why it exists. It goes on to talk at length about the pain of being a surviving soldier of the turmoil of WWI--how alienating it was to understand war like no one around you, how painful it was to live with that knowledge, to have to confront the grief of others who did not survive daily. In this arc, Rose does a lot of really risky things and basically gets herself killed twice because knowing what she ended up knowing drove her to those ends. Much of Homestuck is a story of loss of innocence, of growing up, and Rose exemplifies that here. She has to choose to look, for her sake, for her friends' sake, and it ruins her, in many respects. She is the first to know about her mothers' death, which leads to a wild eldritch psychological breakdown. She is the only one to find out about the tumor in time, which leads to her trying to sacrifice herself to fix it. Anyway. As someone obsessed with Knowing(TM), this song is an absolute banger that to me still manages to capture that undercurrent of Rose's wild, desperate grief--and the desperate determination that forced her onward even so."