#MADE THE MORTAL MISTAKE OF CHECKING THE TAG and being curious to see how it was if sorted by kudos

[sunshades]

Rly is cringe to think about fandom Numbers because that shit is made up but it also it is about liking what u do and then it falling suuuper flat...

[emerald-amidst-gold]

WIP Wednesday

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Have I got a treat for every one this fine Wednesday! X3

Thank you @noire-pandora for the tag! <3

Cue the boys finally having a moment of blissful happiness! *wails*

---

Solas let his thumb ghost along an infant cheekbone, feeling the faintest grit of scales under it. “He reminds me of you.”, he said without really thinking, nostalgia and the tightening of fondness gripping his mind and heart as ivory plate shivered from his touch, but not one of pain.

I am not hurting him, tainting his scales black.

Fane chuckled from beside him. “Does he? I think I see the resemblance. The scales, I’m guessing?”, his dragon teased, uncommonly, but understandably in good spirits.

Solas hummed. “Mm,” He readjusted the cloak, smiling without reservation as the tiny dragon burrowed into it more, a sleepy whimper loosing from a sharp maw. “Not precisely. It is more his spirit--bright even in slumber, strong even when faced with adversity.”, he explained and couldn’t help but let out a quiet coo when another whimper escaped a slender form. “Shh, da’isenatha. You are safe.”

“Here,” Fane reached over, readjusting Solas’ hold a bit and fluffing up a bit of the fur lining to which the tiny dragon immediately sought it out. “..he wants warmth.”

Solas tilted his head, glancing up at Fane and smirking gently. “He is a snow dragon, is he not? Would heat not make him uncomfortable?”, he asked. He only asked due to how the other man practically whined when the fire in their quarters was just a tad too high.

Fane shook his head, eyes soft as they gazed upon his kin. “Not yet.”, he said, slowly taking his hands away when the ‘nest’ was deemed good. “Infant dragons seek warmth from their mothers for the first several weeks, but I think he’ll have to need a source of heat for much longer. His body can’t regulate properly. He’d die in the conditions our breed is supposed to thrive in.”

Solas felt his gaze go hooded when Fane gently ran a thumb along the crown of the dragonling’s head and his whole body felt like mush when a tiny purr rattled through the cloak and up his arms. It was followed by a soft squeak of satisfaction, almost looking as if the line of the infant’s mouth was smiling. It was such a beautiful, mortal sight that Solas didn’t know how much more he could take, but despite that, he pulled the dragon closer, offering him warmth as he desired.

He would grant any desire, any request if it brought a smile forward--on either dragon that he was blessed to know and to love.

Solas hummed, thinking. “Hm,” He shifted a bit, moving closer to Fane absently before settling and looked up into softened emerald and gold with a tentative smile. “Would a warming spell be unwise?”

When Fane only stared at him with a raised eyebrow and curious look, Solas felt the need to justify or rather, explain his request. He wasn’t trying to push magic as the only option, knowing the precarious thoughts on it, but if warmth was sought, warmth could be easily obtained.

Solas cleared his throat gently. “Most of the magic will be contained to my body, of course. The heat is the result of a delicate balance of core temperatures and the residual essence will be projected outwards.”, he explained, suddenly finding himself blushing as Fane’s gaze softened like butter and more or less saying, ‘Relax’. “Ah, in shorter terms, it is akin to a rune warming a basin of water.”

Fane chuckled. “I know what a warming spell is, my sky. You’ve done it for me countless times.”

Solas blinked, blushing more. “Ah, of course.”, he muttered, turning his face away and absently pulling the tiny bundle in his arms closer. What was going on with him? It was as if all thought processes had flown out the cave’s entrance, and had been carried away with the wind, lost to him.

“Solas,”, Fane called out to him, another chuckle lacing his baritone. When Solas didn’t answer the call with his eyes or voice, opting to pluck at a loose emerald thread, one of his dragon’s hands appeared upon his face, beseeching. “--look at me, my sky. Let me see what you’re feeling right now.”

Solas felt his lips draw tight, refusing to look up, but leaning into the blazing hearth that was Fane’s palm. He honestly couldn’t understand what was coming over him. Could it be the atmosphere--cool and soothing, ice and snow smelling fresh, smelling clean? Could it be the blend of emotions that permeated the air--stress ebbing away, gentle joy edging inwards? Could it be how Fane’s thumb began to stroke under one of his eyes--quietly praising, openly relaxing? He had no definitive answer, and for once, he did not care as a willowy body shimmied and huffed out a cool to the touch sigh, finding the perfect spot to resume their plunge into pleasant dreams. Did dragons dream, he wondered? Maybe he should ask, but not now. Now was the time to relish in silence, not soil it with noise beyond whispers and whimpers.

He wanted to cherish this sensation--this sensation of being alive, of being able to hope and imagine a brighter future than what the path depicted before him every day, every night, every hour. Pointed ears twitched as Solas heard Fane let out an airy laugh; the sound was exquisite and it made his body warm without the use of magic.

“I’ve never seen you act this way.”, Fane murmured, but his voice wasn’t displeased. It was more...in awe? Solas wasn’t sure, but he didn’t mind it as he gingerly began to stroke the tiny dragonling with the back of his hand--easily pulling bits of the Fade through to warm the leather. He knew he was acting...odd, but he couldn’t reign it in, couldn’t control the swath of gentle love and tranquility coursing through him.

Solas chuckled, fondness encasing him more as a serpentine head nuzzled against his warmed hand. “I have never felt this way.”, he said, breaking his vow of silence and his vow of not gazing up at his dragon.

The look on Fane’s face had the essence of love blooming into full blown adoration as Solas took it in. Emerald and gold were no longer two, but one--mimicking the most intense waters of the Fade since they appeared to gently glow. Their depths screamed, ‘I love you. I love you. Let me see. Let me see.’, and Solas felt his lungs tighten and his mouth go dry. He, too, wished to see, to see his dragon bask in life, and though it was subtle, Solas knew that that was what Fane was doing every time he caught jewelled orbs flicking downwards to check on their slumbering hope. A tenderly stroking hand was still prevalent upon Solas’ face and he couldn’t help but turn his head a bit to lay a light kiss against it, drawing an all encompassing gaze back his way and also pulling a voice just as sweet as the one in ebbing orbs.

“You’re happy.”, Fane whispered, a soft smile upon his features to match his glittering eyes. “I adore seeing you this way. It’s beautiful--you’re beautiful.”

Solas sucked in a quiet, but shuddering breath before letting it out slowly. “That is--” He clamped his mouth shut as Fane’s face appeared but mere inches from his own, earnestness all over it, as well as the desire to make him see.

“You are beautiful, my sky.”, Fane reasserted, stabilizing arms coming around to carefully embrace him, but mindful of who was between them. “If only you could see yourself right now, through my eyes, and soon, through his,” Solas followed the flicker of gold as it indicated downwards, his heart melting anew as the tiny dragon fidgeted as if it were dreaming. “..you’d understand completely.

Solas leaned into the arms encasing him, eyes going hooded as Fane began to nudge and nuzzle at his cheek and jaw. He felt so warm, so calm, so solid. The tiny dragonling was in his arms, heart perceptible as it beat against his arms, breaths calm and deep as slumber stretched on. His dragon was around him, shielding, holding, and drawing him closer to his form to where Solas could feel a strong, strong heart thumping in time with his own. It reminded him of when he and Fane used to sit along the forest floors just outside of Arlathan, blissfully at ease despite the loom of shadows. His dragon had welcomed him into a ‘hoard’ of one back then, and he was being welcomed again in a hoard of two.

He was being accepted by a being who never should have accepted him due to what and who he was, but actually came to love him, to take a form that had once been reviled and thought of as no better than an insect’s just to...be with him. Just as the little one in his arms, oddly warm despite an opposite affinity, seemed to accept him as well, allowing Solas to hold him, to..to care for him. How is it that he felt more kinship with the two proud creatures before him, one small, one dual in form, than he did with any elves or mages? He cared for his people, almost to a fault, but now, it felt as if his...heart was growing, reaching for more, thinking beyond to a world where...coexistence could truly happen this time.

How is it that he felt so alive when even things such as touching a page of a book or holding a brush felt numb?

“You are beautiful, ma’isenatha.”, Solas whispered, unable to keep the tremble from his voice as emotion began to overwhelm him and the sensation of Fane inching closer and closer as if to bridge the miniscule gap between had his heart yearning. “I am merely--”

Fane blinked once slowly, stilling the words that wished to flow. “A person.”, he whispered, a hand coming up to cup his cheek once more and a forehead coming to greet Solas’ own. “A person that’s made mistakes, made errors, but a person that’s loved, that’s cried, that’s cared.” A light kiss fluttered against his cheek, heat rising as surely as a whimper did from his chest.

“Cared so much as to warp the intention. I know what I have done, my dragon, and no matter the justifications, I committed an act unforgivable. To my people and to yours. If I am a person, I am but a shadow of one.”, Solas argued, gently turning his head down to witness pure white with only a splash of obsidian, but even that was pure to his eyes at this moment. He took a bit of the cloak in hand, swiping the edge under a closed eye gingerly and nearly wept when a pleased hum left the beautiful creature nestled in his arms. A question unearthed from that display of wonderful expression. “Would it...be wrong to name one of your kin?”

A pregnant pause, one that had Solas nearly backtracking, mentally smacking himself for being so foolish, but all the dread, all the self-loathing vanished like a barrier as Fane’s lips appeared against his own, warm, tender, and ever depicting of the man the other truly was; devoted. He froze up a bit, gingerly giving the tiny dragonling a squeeze, but no fuss was made, no whimper of discomfort sounded. Solas slowly began to relax, warmth filling him, eyes falling shut, and tilting his head slightly to slot his lips more flush with Fane’s own. The kiss was slow and sadly, fleeting, Fane letting out a quiet hum before pulling away with a hooded gaze and a truly bedazzling smile that made the lower lids of his eyes pull upwards.

Solas blinked, stunned and face warm despite the chill. “...Ma’isenatha.”, he whispered with a tone akin to reverence before unabashedly leaning into the wall before him and nudging against a beautiful jawline. He rested his head against Fane’s shoulder soon after, relishing its stabilizing demeanor, basking in how a hearty heart thumped and thumped and thumped with the drums of life against his side, linking with his own, while a tiny one fluttered against one of his forearms.

What had he done? What had he done to deserve this..?

Fane wasted no time in embracing him, bringing his arms up and giving him a tentative squeeze. Solas chuckled at that obvious display of carefulness, gaze going hooded as he stared up at a being who had defied so much as the little one in his arms did. Tenacity was indeed indicative to dragons.

“Did I break you?”, Fane asked, voice as soft as an echo of thunder, distant, but oh-so near.

Solas scoffed softly, smirking a bit. “Mm, perhaps a bit.”, he said, shifting his head back and forth against the leather of his dragon’s coat. Such a thing would make him bristle with discomfort any other time, but right now everything felt soft and truly perfect. It felt real. “Though, I know it was but your answer to my question.”

Fane chuckled. “Indeed it was.”, he said, glittering orbs of two tones rolling downwards to the slumbering dragonling. “I had a name in mind after I was sure he wouldn’t...die.”

Solas blinked before smiling a bit. “Is that so?”, he asked, smiling more when Fane nodded and his ivory visage flushed a light pink. “Then, the honor is yours, vhenan. Let the world know another dragon yet lives.”

Beauty was everywhere as those words fell from Solas’ lips. In the sharp lines of a devotion borne jaw, in the contours of cheeks and their related bones, in the curves of a smiling, a full blown smiling mouth, in bottom eyelids as they pulled upwards and the top shaded a heavily hue. In this moment, Fane appeared every bit of the beautiful person that he was--dual, but wholly one. Just as the curled up dragonling in his arms was. What had Solas done to deserve not one, but two, wonderful beacons; one, Devotion; one, Hope? He truly, truly did not know, but he wished for those two lights, those two lives, to shine forevermore.

They would endure, even if he did not. But perhaps, Solas would endeavor to push onward right beside, as a new set of sparkling tones--emerald and gold--gazed up at him sleepily, double lids flickering as the tiny dragon blinked away dreams and haze, and another set gazed down, wide-eyed and loudly joyful as those pools finally allowed themselves to fill with tears.

“Yune.”, Fane voiced the name with a shuddering, airy, but deeply joyful laugh. Tears began to roll down his pale cheeks, the delicate drip, drip, drip resounding off the stone ground, but Solas felt no guilt from them, no pain. For they were of happy make, of hope. “His name is Yune.”

Solas nodded, smile of happiness stretching his face to impossible heights, but he didn’t mind it. To bask in life was to share in its tender joy. And this time, he would allow it to permeate his mind and soul without shame, without guilt. For there was hope where there was otherwise not. A tiny questioning ‘chrp’ had Solas blinking gently, newborn orbs staring up at him curiously instead of looking down like the ones brimming with tears.

Those eyes, Solas offered a singular finger to the tiny dragon and felt tears prick at his own eyes as emerald and gold blazed with excitement and already, love. We will keep them colored, little one. Da’isenatha. A term that will be more commonplace. I promise.

“Welcome to the world, Yune.”, Solas whispered, feeling Fane come down to rest his forehead against the side of his eyes. The man was sniffling and quietly sobbing, and it had Solas letting out a shuddering sigh, leaning into the gesture eagerly as Yune--such a beautiful name--let out a squeak of acknowledgement and acceptance.  

Hope. What a beautiful light in the shadows--in this world he had wrought.

----

A bit lengthy, but I COULDN’T DECIDE! *screeches and curls up on the ground like the very dragon I created* 

Tagging (bask in the HOPE): @oxygenforthewicked @varric-tethras-editor @little-lightning-lavellan @dreadfutures @the-dreadful-canine @aymayzing @dungeons-and-dragon-age @drag-on-age @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @hoochieblues @whataboutbugs and anyone else who’d like to BASK with their own creations! (no pressure, as always! <3)

[imagine-loki]

Pride and Prejudice

TITLE: Pride and Prejudice CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 54 AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki was raised on Jotunheim as Laufey’s son after the war, but an agreement was then made that he would wed Odin’s daughter so Odin could secure the alliance of Jotunheim through the marriage. Loki, in turn, was raised to be king of Jotunheim, but how he views Asgard is far different from how Odin’s daughter is raised leading to a clash of cultures as well as uncertainty between the pair of betrothed youths.     RATING: Mature   NOTES/WARNINGS: Forced Marriage, not all fun and games. My first real step back into the Loki scene in over a year.

I had a chapter ready for this but it just did not make sense in the overall story so I had to rewrite it. I apologise for the delay.

The amount of comments I have received this week have really fed my inspiration to get my ass in gear and write. Thank you for them. The more I get, the more I love to write.

Tags - @skulliebythesea @asimovethroughthisworld @blackcherry26-blog @we-shadowhunter2901

Loki and Ella smiled politely as person after person walked towards them. All through it, Ella whispered the names of those who were coming towards them to ensure there was no chance of the Jotnar making a mistake and embarrassing themselves. 

Her parents watched silently as their daughter and her husband dealt with the newcomers and different realms peoples. “They seem so alike.” Odin frowned at his wife’s words and looked at her. “They are like two dancers, working with one another in a peculiar melody. Look how Ella uses her seidr to speak with him, telling him who everyone is. Sh starts the conversation to make him feel comfortable, then he takes over. The care he is taking of her, look at how he checks on her.” Frigga studied the pair. “They have grown as beings. He cares for her now.”

“He has changed.” Odin acknowledged. “When I was last here, when our daughter nearly died, he looked like he would rather walk on fiery coals than stand near her.” “Now he seems to wish to be in her company and nowhere else.” Frigga watched as Loki beamed and indicated to Ella’s stomach, which was, much to Frigga’s dislike, being shown very obviously to be carrying a child. In Asgard and Vanaheim, women did not declare their pregnancy, they simply kept dressing as they did before but with slightly bigger shawls to cover them. Their hair was tied back off their faces, declaring their marital status but her daughter wore tighter more revealing dresses and her hair loose. She disapproved entirely of it all but seeing the Jotnar women, especially those who they were told were carrying children, they seemed to declare their conditions proudly. It was peculiar to her but seeing it to be commonplace, as a royal who visited many realms, she knew better than to comment on the cultures of other realms. She thought Ella would not be overly comfortable in such a situation, but looking at her daughter, it was clear she was entirely at ease with everything. 

“If only it was like this from the beginning,” Odin sighed. 

“They needed to learn who they are first. Together, they are growing.” Frigga smiled slightly. “We went through something similar, if you recall?” “I did not almost kill you.” Odin pointed out. “I did everything I could to make you feel at home. I ensured you had company when I could not be with you and I most certainly did not make you feel as though your mind was in such a dark place that it had your seidr trying to fight it only to have it fight your very existence.” 

“Ella is not like any other, Odin. Her seidr is so strong. None other would have been so affected.” “That is not a valid argument for this and well you know it,” Odin growled. “Her seidr being so strong is all the more reason to be more careful of her.” “I know you want to keep her safe, but I fear that you forget, she is not the small little girl that loved sitting on your lap learning to play Tafl anymore.” Frigga pointed out. Odin grunted in annoyance as his response. “Is that what it is? That she has grown up? Is it making you feel old?” “Says she who was not entirely pleased to hear she is a grandmother because she thinks it makes her sound old?” Odin scoffed. “I am not angry she has left home. I prepared myself for such from the day Eir stated she was a girl, but everything that she has been through, everything we all have been through, and for to be so strong and for that to happen. She was born too early, her sickness, that attack on Svartalfheim…” “You will never forgive yourself for that, will you?” Frigga sighed, shaking her head. “You need to cease being so concerned about something that happened centuries ago.” “She pleaded to be trained and I dismissed it. ‘What reason would she have to know such things’ I said. She would never need it. If she had not been so proficient with her abilities with seidr, she would have been sliced apart. If she had not learnt spells to heal others, she would have died. I would have had to light my daughter’s funeral pyre. When she got ill as a child, I swore to protect her but I failed her and with him...I will never forgive myself, or him for that.” Odin shook slightly, remember the day he came to Jotunheim when Ella was so ill. “She has.” “She is a better being than I am, we established that years ago.” Odin growled. “I don’t want to hold it against him. He is, after all, young and the new leader of a realm we are closely tied to. The father of my grandchild but for what he did to her, even if I live a hundred thousand more years, I will not be able to forget.” 

Frigga rubbed his arm soothingly. “We can continue to remember but we must also let go of the anger, we do not wish for it to consume us.”

Odin sighed. “Seeing the manner in which they look at one another now, the manner in which they reference that child. I find myself being reminded that my opinion on the matter is not relevant in most ways. I am only sorry that our grandson will be raised on another realm and not with us. Hopefully, Thor may see sense some day and settle down, be as levelheaded as Ella. Ever since we told her of the life she was to have, she accepted it.” He paused for a moment. “It will be interesting if she ever has a daughter.” “She is still carrying one child and you are thinking of her carrying another? What allegiance are you planning?" 

“If you think that he will allow any allegiances to take place by such means, I fear you are entirely mistaken.” Odin scoffed. “Any granddaughter she gives us will not be used in such a manner. I am merely intrigued to see how they would consider dealing with any who suggest it.” Odin’s chuckle at the thought of Ella tearing some poor being asunder was cut short as he watched someone come close to his daughter and her husband in a manner he thought untrustworthy. 

“Odin?” Frigga noted the change in her husband’s demeanour. Odin simply waved his hand slightly to tell her not to distract him as he focused on the being walking towards them. When Frigga looked to where his eye was focused, she sighed. “Oh, Norns, what is he doing here?”

Odin recalled when Thor informed them of what happened at Ostara on Vanaheim, his jaw clenching as he did so. 

* When Ella noted who was coming towards them, she groaned internally. 

Immediately, Loki noticed her apprehension, so he looked for the cause of it by following her line of sight, his own humour becoming sour as soon as he saw who had entered the hall. He leant towards Ella slightly. “Ice daggers and your throwing knives at the same time?” He suggested. 

“Tempting, very, very tempting.” She responded lowly before standing stoically once more as the grouping came up to them. “Prince Nigel.” She bowed slightly. 

Nigel looked at her with a smirk. “My dear cousin, I see you are fulfilling the role of royal wife to the best of your ability.” He indicated to her stomach. “You are well and truly of this...domain now, it seems.” “Jotunheim is my home, so it very much is a domain I am happy to be a part of. With regards to my pregnancy, I am very fortunate to have been given a partner worthy of such a name which makes the process of carrying his child far more pleasant than can be assumed for others. How is your wife, actually? I have not seen her since you arrived.” 

Loki found himself biting the inside of his cheeks as he chuckled at Ella’s blatant comments. He noted the other Vanir with Nigel were clearly thinking similarly. 

Nigel however, did not see anything amusing. “She is at home in the Vanir palace, as is her place since declaring ones promiscuity to the realm is something not to be encouraged.” 

For a moment, Loki, Ella and the Jotnar around them, including Helbindi and Byleistr thought the Vanir royal to be joking, but the less than impressed look on his face as he glared at Ella’s stomach told them that he did indeed think such, resulting in more than one scoff. To her own shock, Ella was able to stifle her own laugh. “Norns, I was not aware a woman in a relationship, be she be married or otherwise was promiscuous should she come to carry a child, what with it being the sole purpose of the act of coitus.”

“You would, of course, take offence, as it referencing your own position, Cousin. None like to think themselves to be socially besmirched but your condition, the manner you present yourself, clothing and hair-wise, it only declares one thing, a lack of mortality and promiscuity.” 

Ella licked her bottom lip before cocking her head to the side slightly. “So pregnancy in a faithful relationship is promiscuous to you, Nigel?” He nodded. “How? Explain it to me.” He said nothing. “Do not give a statement as fact if it is not such. Tell me, in layman’s terms, how a woman, who is loyal to her partner, who partakes in consensual relations with him resulting in a child is akin to what you call a ‘whore’. I am only so curious to understand your logic on this matter, please, allow us to see as you do.”  

Nigel stood open-mouthed for a moment. Well….” “And what of the father’s of these young? The sires that breed them with their partners. Are they tarred with this brush also or is it simply us women that get so cruelly smeared as unclean, I am curious?” The look in his eyes told her his thoughts. “So your wife is a slut and you are pure? Oh, you silly little boy.” She stood in close to him. “You are very brave voicing such ludicrous claims in public. I would recommend not saying such things on this realm, Nigel, you will do yourself no favours. None will be too swift to stand by you as you say them. You and I both know who the many would side with on this, on this realm, Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim and such or do you recall how your cowardice through the war is viewed through the realms?” Nigel’s eyes darted to the side. “Oh yes, I heard of it, even here, and not from a single Jotnar, for they wanted to save me the shame of having one such as you a blood relative. When my brother and my mate sweat, bled and fought for the realms while you hid like a little bitch, a ‘ickle precious princess hiding behind excuses as to why he could not fight when the truth is there are poultry in a farmyard red in colour, that lay eggs and are called hens that are less chicken than you are.” She hissed. “I am not a whore and unlike you, my existence actually matters so get your filthy, misogynistic crap out of my sight before I make it that this coronation ends with your funeral and I will make it look self-inflicted or like an accident, as you plummet to your death for ever even considering insulting me, my mate and every female on this realm and so help me, if you even look like your considering scoffing at the females of this realm for their attire or for how many are currently celebrating carrying a child I will castrate you painfully for even thinking about thinking to laugh, I swear on the Norns themselves.” 

Nigel flinched and backed away slightly, glancing to Loki as he did. 

Loki, for his part, sneered openly. “I can see what you are thinking, ‘how could I let her act like this, act like she is in charge, does it make me less male to do so’. It does not because I will physically hold you down as she does it.” He hissed. “If you dare start trouble on our realm, you will bear the brunt of the consequences, I can assure you. What you did, trying to hurt us on Vanaheim for Ostara to get a reaction, this is not Vanaheim and you hold absolutely no power here and if one word of what was said as your warning so much as makes it outside of this and we will know and we will not take kindly to you rushing to your father or brother to defend your honour, Little Girl. You want to be a tough guy, I am right here, try it but I warn you, I am not in the mood for your petty behaviour and I can guarantee, one utterance of anything resembling ridicule for my realm and my brothers, my allies, Prince Thor and even his friends will stand by my side as I deal with you.” “You cannot say such things,” Nigel stuttered. 

“It seems he just did.” Nigel turned to see a grinning Thor. “Run along now, Nidge, Ella’s patience are wearing thin and none here can stop her, you know that.” 

Nigel scarpered quickly from their presence. 

“It’s rude to threaten your guests with castration, Ella,” Thor scolded. 

“It is rude to call your host a promiscuous whore also,” Ella argued. 

Thor, who had not been privy to that part of the conversation was forced to concede it was true. “That was brazen on his behalf.” He watched as Helbindi laughed and Byleistr stared worriedly at his sister. “Just do not do it in front of everyone, it may cause some to lose their dinner.” 

“I’ll try, but I cannot promise anything,” Ella smirked before eyeing their parents watching from a balcony close by. She merely smiled at them before going to greet another who had been so rudely delayed in doing so by Nigel’s prolonged time with them. 

* “She gets that from you,” Frigga commented to Odin. 

“I never threatened any man’s appendages.” “The manner in which she spoke, not what she said,” Frigga verified. “Thank the Norns she was born a girl. She is too vicious.” 

Odin said nothing of an instance that came to his memory when Frigga carried Thor where she all but swore to obliterate the building if one courtier did not cease staring at her in a manner she thought to be unacceptable. Looking at his daughter as she went back to smiling and being polite, he feared what would happen any that thought to insult Jotunheim while her husband was king. 

[blakelywintersfield]

I have a ghost in my car.

My first car was named "Baby", and I called her, well. Her.

My second car was also going to be a "her", but since discovering that it is haunted by some being or another, I've been working to call them by neutral terms only, since it's a little hard to ask a haunted car their gender.

Does the entity see themselves as part of the car? Separate but attached, like a person living in a house? Does their spirit reside in the electrical wires of the radio, or perhaps just the dashboard where they fiddle with the controls as they please. I do not know. I cannot ask a ghost in a car these questions. I mean. I can. But the likelihood of them finding a way to answer isn't high. Especially if they don't care too much for conversation.

"But Blake -- your car is old! It's probably just some faulty or loose wiring in the stereo."

I did consider this! Enough that I had it checked, at my mum's dealership, because that could be a possible fire hazard, yeah? But they said it all looks perfect. No faulty or loose wirings, just a normal stereo. This car had only one person who owned it before me, and he had it over 10 years. A family man, with two kids; no wrecks, no major issues with the car, just standard part repairs, maintenance, and replacement as needed for any standard vehicle. It is, by all means, the perfect used car, and dealership inspected before being given to me.

How did the spirit get in this car? Of course, I don't know the former owner. Only details from the dealership workers who told me what they knew, and little hints about his life that he left in his car -- accidental, or arguably on purpose for the intention of the next owner to just toss out. I'm naturally curious and skimmed documents, for no other purpose but to learn something about the kind stranger who just so happened to sell his perfect used car the day after I totaled my Baby, my first car, the old family car that lasted us 15+ years and, had I not looked right too long to merge, would have probably lasted me at least 10 more. A wonderful coincidence. Possibly fate, but I'm in no position to interpret the will of the random chaos that is the nature of the universe. Regardless of whether it was "meant to be" or "just so happened to be", this man unknowingly bequeathed his trusty old car to me.

According to the things he left, the car was manufactured in Indiana; he lived in Tennessee when he bought it; and eventually he moved into a comfy suburban-urban area in the state next to mine. Perhaps he moved into my state, since there are plenty of dealerships where those papers claimed he resides, making it unreasonable to travel 2 hours just to go to another; and decided to get a new car, one more cushy, more modern, better window tints, and bigger space, to drive one of his kids to soccer games; I hope those arm compressors were left intentionally in the car. I'd hate for them to be inconvenienced, considering they seemed to be a very modest, modern, nuclear family of the Midwest. One with enough patience and good sense not to wreck a car in one of the many Midwestern hellscape interstates, or even get into a fender bender, for 10 whole years.

But these are just assumptions, made by details I know about a man I've never faced, never so much as spoken to. He could be the All American Average Man, given a more nuanced temperament by the condition of the car. But he could have also been, had, and done things I wouldn't be able to tell from a car, its history, and some miscellaneous papers and various items left behind -- purposefully or not left unknown to all but him and his family. Maybe he was like me, and practiced magic of some kind. Maybe his kids made the common rebellious childhood mistake of playing with magic. Perhaps there was an accident, not one he participated in directly, but one he tried to assist in, that sadly ended unwell for some. Perhaps... it wasn't an accident. Maybe he got away with something, and All American Average Man, committing a One Time Atrocity, with enough intellect and wit to avoid mortal judgement, and enough sense to abandon a car right after -- or when it showed signs that it Knew. Or, perhaps, it came with the manufacturing, at the plant where it was constructed, or where the assembly parts were formed. Perhaps, it came from the very materials, the metals, the minerals, the plastics, that form the car.

I cannot tell, for I cannot ask. Well. I can. But I have no way of getting an answer. Easily, anyways. And I have no good reason to force whatever spirit resides in my car -- perhaps I should call it their car, since they most likely spend more time in it than I -- to answer questions purely to quell curiosity. Especially since they show no ill will. All I've dealt with is the stereo turning on when I've turned it off (it requires a genuine pressure to turn it on and off) and the volume turning up on it's own (the knob takes a few clicks to register a volume change, and takes a good finger muscle to turn). It's quite charmed me most times, and lightly startled at the worst. Namely when I mute a CD that I've played over a few times, for whatever reason, and it gets turned back on; or a song that I particularly like gets turned up. Whoever they are, I admire their love of music like I do -- and I'm pleased that they do seem to enjoy my taste in songs! Whenever my CDs are on random, and I think real hard about what I want to hear next -- it plays! Of course, I don't know if I can credit the ghost on this, or if it's my own ability to will things in existence, since that was common with my old Baby, and my ancient iPod. Or, perhaps, it garners a third option.

Perhaps, this spirit may not even be attached to the car -- but to me. If that's the case, then maybe they're a guardian angel, a beloved passed friend, the will of my endeavoring childhood self, or just... a random ghost that decided to tag around with me. I do not know. I cannot get an answer easily, and I have no reason to push for answers. It brings me no harm. If anything, it brings me companionship, a reason to better myself, a reason to be happier, be better, if to keep the phantom that walks with me content and happy while they stick around for however long they want -- or must.

However, if this is the same spirit as the Kleptoplasm that enjoys befuddling my family and, recently, my coworkers, then perhaps I may try to gently request that they let those items show up a little sooner to cause less grief to those around me. And in return, well. We'll take a midnight drive with the music loud and the windows down. That seems like a good deal, right?

And for those who might be wondering: my current car's name is Subasu, the Subaru.

[sleepyfan-blog]

I’m honestly really curious to see the first Ink/Cross encounter with Dream and Nightmare for the ‘bounty on their head/what I’m fighting for’ verse. I just feel like there’s a story there and I really love this verse too.

Dreamswap is by @onebizarrekai

Set in the same verse as this and this.

Characters and pairing: DS Dream, DS Nightmare, DS Cross, DS Ink, DS Dreammare, DS Crink

warnings: none

summary: DS Nightmare and Dream find Cross and Ink in what’s left of X-Tale

tag list: @anxiety-is-married-to-depression @angelofthehalfmoon @trainwreck-of-skeletons @hisame-amadashi​ @therandomskelekey

Nightmare had been sensing something… Off for at least a week. It wasn’t the despair of a genocide timeline (he had figured out what that sensation was decades ago. Dream had told him to interrupt whatever he was doing the moment he felt such a shift so that the  two of them- and as Justice Reigns continued to grow, a handful of strong and trustworthy individuals, both to evacuate the civilians, and to… Deal with the killer Determined Being. Still, if whatever it was pinged on his senses, it was something that they needed to deal with sooner rather than later. He sighed and stretched a little bit, frowning a little in concentration as he used his senses to find -

Ah, Dream was in the orphanage again. A small smile appeared on his face as Nightmare walked to where the orphanage was - wanting to give his other half some time there. He knew that Dream liked interacting with the kids - checking in on them to see how they were healing from what had happened to them, encouraging them to look towards the future, all that positive jazz.

He found Dream covered in kids, a bright smile on his face as a couple of them hid in his wings, giggling brightly. “Having fun?” Nightmare teased as he made his way through the sea of tiny mortals. “Or do you need to be rescued?”

“Hmm? Oh, I am fine. They decided to tackle me all at once, to see if they could find where I was ticklish.” Dream responded with a light laugh.

Nightmare’s eye lights brightened, and a wicked smirk appeared on his face “Ticklish, hmm? Have any of you figured that out, yet?”

The positive spirit narrowed his eye lights up at his mate a little “Nightmare…” There was a hint of a playful warning in the other’s voice.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out~!” The negative spirit responded, still grinning mischievously “I’m just curious if they’ve figured it out yet.”

“Nu-uh! We haven’t figured it out, lord Von Licht.” A tiny bunny monster responded, shaking xer head, their little ears flapping a little. Their eyes were wide and emotional aura adorably curious as they asked “Do you know?”

Nightmare hummed and nodded, kneeling down and gently patting the top of xer head “I sure do… We’re mates after all. But I’m pretty sure that he’d rather I keep that a secret. And I”m sorry, but I kind of need to steal him away from you all for a bit.”

All of the kids fussed a little bit, pouting adorably as they snuggled further into Dream “Do you really hafta?” A tiny lizard monster asked, tears threatening to fall from their face.

“Hey now, there’s no need for tears, kiddo…” Nightmare murmured, awkwardly reaching out to the kid, glad that they didn’t flinch away from him as he awkwardly patted the top of their head “It’s just boring adult things. You’ll have your fluffy angel back in no more than an hour or two, probably.”

Dream sighed and lightly whacked him with an edge of one of his wings “How many times must I ask you not to call me that? It encourages the others.”

Nightmare snickered a little bit at that “It’s what you get for being all fluffy, Dreamy-wings. ‘Sides you are my angel. You’ve been trying to keep me on the goody-two-shoes path since we were first created… And you’ve saved me when I needed it most.” Fuck. He was being sappy.

The expression on Dream’s face was soft and his aura was loving and Nightmare was going to hide no- where had Dream gone? The other’s voice spoke up from behind and above him (stupidly tall jerk) as a pair of familiar arms wrap around him, his wing folding around the both of them as well. “I love you too, Nightmare. Let’s go somewhere more private, hmm?”

Nightmare nodded, feeling a light blush dusting his cheeks “Yeah. Wasn’t lying about needing to talk to you about something.” He responds softly.

Dream nods, lowers his wings and says his goodbyes to the children, encouraging them to return to their studies before the two of them left the orphanage, walking to their private rooms hand in hand.

~

“There’s been a shift. I’ve been feeling it for about an hour. It doesn’t feel like a murderous one? But we need to see what’s going on. I… It’s important.” Nightmare explains the moment that they’re alone.

Dream frowns a little and nods “I can sense it as well - I will inform Champion that we will be leaving the timeline, and then we’ll search for this… Issue. Depending on what it is, we may need backup.”

The negative spirit nods, and waits impatiently for the message to be sent off, shutting off his eye lights and pacing around the room - the sensation is definitely intensifying and it’s making him antsy. He focuses on the connections between worlds, searching for the source of the pull, having not quite summoned a portal, but getting close to doing so.

Nightmare’s found the correct connection point when Dream comes back, nodding to him “Champion has been informed - he’s gathering a couple of teams, depending on what we may end up needing to do - be it disaster relief or… More drastic measures.”

The negative spirit nods, saying “I believe I’ve found the AU that needs help.” He opens the portal moments later and the two of them walk into the world together.

It’s… A completely blank, white space. There’s a yawning emptiness in this place, but Nightmare feels strongly pulled deeper inside of this space. Is it really an alternate universe? He calls out as loudly as he dares, his voice echoing faintly “Hello? Is there someone here? You don’t have to hide… We… We’re here to help.” Stars above and below he hopes that didn’t sound as awkward as he felt it was.

Dream sends him a small smile and gently grabbed one of his hands, squeezing for a moment before, nodding a little bit and smiling warmly at his other half. “I can sense something as well…”

They continue walking for a frankly unknowable distance, and a voice from further in this white void speaks out, confused and slightly terrified “I-Ink did you hear someone else speak a little bit ago?”

“Yes… It’s something new, Cross… Let’s go check it out.” The other voice responded, sounding vaguely curious. Two Sanses come running towards them at high speed, one wearing brown and blue clothes, the other in a monochromatic outfit that looks almost like a guard’s uniform.

Both of them have mismatched eyes, but the one in black and white clothing runs a little closer to the both of them, taking them in and murmuring softly to his friend “You… You see them too, right? I… I haven’t finally snapped…”

“If you see a winged golden skeleton and his purple companion, then no, you’re not crazy. At least no crazier than I am, because that’s who I see before me.” The other responds.. He has a bandolier of vials on his chest, each a different color.

Dream takes a step forwards, smiling kindly at both of the skeletons “Greetings, my name is Dream Von Licht, and this is my mate, Nightmare… What are your names?”

Both of them light up visibly at that, before they both sigh. The skeleton with one determination red eye light spoke up “My name is Cross, his is Ink… My… This was my world before it… Before I….” He hunched his shoulders as a wave of pain, sorrow and guilt floods the other’s emotional aura “Something terrible happened, and I was… I was alone for a long time. Then Ink came here, although he doesn’t remember how he’d gotten here in the first place, so neither of us know how to make a portal to leave.”

Nightmare’s eye lights glow brightly and, after sending a brief glance to Dream, walks towards the monochromatic skeleton, his voice warm and gentle - or his best approximation of that “Hey… No matter what happened here, I’m sure you did all you could to protect those who you loved… You’re not the only one whose made mistakes. Stars above only how much crap I’ve messed up in the past… But that doesn’t mean that you give up. Learn from the mistakes of the past and continue moving forwards. Dream and I run an organization that tries to bring peace and stability to the multiverse. I don’t know if we’ll ever truly succeed, but we’ve made some good progress in the worlds that we’ve reached out to. We can take you from this place and bring you to one of the worlds that - and don’t laugh at me, I didn’t name the organization - Justice Reigns, has helped. A post-pacifist Outertale. It’s a beautiful AU, filled with so many stars and worlds to explore…”

Cross’s eye lights turn into stars briefly, and the negative feelings within the other lower - in part because Nightmare is using his magic to gently draw off the other’s bad emotions,  while his mate is subtly increasing the positive emotions around the both of them “I… I like stars… But I… I want to help other people. I was trained to be a royal guard… I… I ended up failing my charges, but please… Your cause sounds like a noble one, and I want to help if I can. In any way that I can/”

Ink is watching the both of them - focused rather intensely on Dream for a couple of moments before he glances at Cross, and smiles with a tender warmth- and the other moves forwards slowly, gently grabbing one of Cross’s hands, squeezing it gently “Where you’re going, I’ll follow, Cross. I can’t say that I believe in much… But I do believe in your happiness,  mon ami.”

Cross blushes a little, smiling a bit wider at that, squeezing his friend? Mate’s? Hand back and nods “We… We’ll go with you. I’m not sure how much use either of us is going to be, but we’ll do all we can to help you.”

“Once we get the two of you back to our headquarters, we’ll see what sorts of abilities the two of you have, and then we’ll discuss options. There are many ways that you can help.” Dream reassured the both of them, smiling warmly as he spoke, creating a portal out of the world “Through this, and you’ll leave this world.”

Cross ran through it as fast as he could, Ink a half-step behind him, both of them genuinely excited to leave that dreary, blank space. Both of the emotive guardians chuckle a little as they follow the pair at a more sedate pace.

“So… So colorful…” Cross murmurs, staring around him at the forest meadow that Dream had opened the portal, kneeling down as he stared at the wildflowers that grew amongst the grass, his fingers trembling as he lightly touched the vibrant petals. “Ink… Ink have you ever seen anything like this?”

“No… My world was almost as empty as yours… I was… I was barely able to leave it and stagger into yours…” Ink answered earnestly, his eye lights swirling shapes and colors, seemingly unable to settle on one pattern or color, kneeling down next to cross and lightly touching the flowers as well.

The earnest wonder and joy in their emotional auras was a delight to see, though it spoke to just how long they’d been in that dreary void. Dream had been completely correct in starting them off away from other people - which were likely going to be incredibly overwhelming to the both of them for some time to come, Nightmare notes silently, grinning a little and leaning into his mate as he watched the pair of them stare and ever so gently touch the flowers.

“Take as much time exploring this place as you like. We are not pressed for time.” Dream encourages gently, wrapping an arm around Nighmare’s waist and nuzzling the top of his head a little, clearly content to stay put.

[amintyworld]

Official Reference Sheet for My DnD Gem Quest Party!

Hey guys, Minty here! I know I’ve posted a lot about my Gem Quest Campaign DnD Party, but I’ve never really explained their characters, or even the party NPCs, so this post will be a reference to that for anyone interested who wants to learn more about them! I may do a separate one for the villains if enough people are interested. Anyway, enjoy!

Also, don’t mind sending in a ask or two about them if you’re curious, I’m more than happy to answer! <3

Mind that this does contain spoilers for the campaign as a whole!

(TW: Abuse, Death, Abandonment, murder, homophobia, amnesia. Let me know if I should tag anything else!)

Scepter (Wizard/Monk, Aasimar, PC):

Family/Allies: Dawn, Goddess of the Light (Birth Mother), Abaddon (Birth Father, Assigned Guardian), Alan (Half-Brother, Guardian), Penelope (Step-Mother), Butler (Close friend), Del (Monk Teacher)

Backstory: Scepter was born the child of the Light Goddess, Dawn, and Abaddon, her mortal lover in an attempt to create a heir to take Dawn’s place as the poison Goddess Talona gave her slowly kills her. After his birth, they quickly realize he’s not immortal, and therefore not a suitable heir to replace Dawn. Despite Dawn’s protests, they send him to the Mortal Plane to live with his father, Abaddon. While Scepter grows up in a very fortunate and wealthy lifestyle due to his father’s black-market jobs, he slowly begins to find out that he’s the son of a god when he finds a gift from Dawn given for him - a magic broom. Abaddon tells Scepter his Mother, Dawn, didn’t want him because he was powerless and that he always will be. After Abaddon remarries to Penelope, Scepter begins to actively rebel against his parents and biding his time until he could leave, learning magic along the way, proving to himself that his father is wrong. After leaving, he goes to a monastery to be trained in the ways of the monks, which is where he meets one of his lifetime mentors - Del. Del taught him to fight as well as the ways of balance and how to control his power with his mind and not his emotions. 

Personality: Calm, Wise, Smart. A clear leader of the group who always comes up with plans to outsmart the enemy. Values the pursuit of knowledge and will stop at nothing to get it, which is one of his only weaknesses. He’s very driven and will stop at nothing to complete his goal. Charismatic, Scepter almost always knows just what to say, and often uses words more than violence. Level-headed, he often has to keep the others in the party in check. 

Alignment: Lawful Good

Relationship(s): Dawn, Goddess of Light (Familial, Bad)  Abaddon / Penelope (Familial, Bad)   Del (Familial, Good)   Princess Lathia of Osishri (Romantic, Warm)   

Gem (as of now): Scepter is the holder of the Water Gem, found in the Kingdom of Osishri. The Gem Spirit inside is Dewdrop. 

Other special items: Magic Broom, Campaign Magic Map (Greg)

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Prince Drive of Keri (Paladin, Human, PC):

Family/Allies: King Aster (Adopted Father), Queen Lianna (Adopted Mother, deceased?), Princess Naris (Adopted sister), Captain Elrik (Mentor), Noid/Evelyn Dior (Mentor/Birth Mother), Kane Estin (Birth Father, deceased), King Ayren (Adopted Uncle)

Backstory: After being found on the side of the road - soaked, cold, and alone, a nearby King and Queen take pity on the child and raise as their own, having not been able to have a child by blood. From the note, the only words that could be made out of the note was the word ‘Drive’, so they named their new son Drive. Drive grew up with happy days filled with fun and surrounded by love as he grew to want to become a knight and be as powerful as his father, even owning a wooden play sword he used to practice dueling with before he was ready to train. When he was nine, he traveled with his parents as a tragedy struck the kingdom - the two King’s younger sister, a duchess and her family were rumored to have been charred to ash by a dragon. As they searched for any hope of survivors, they found a small baby, the Duchess’s daughter, Naris in a trunk someone had stashed her in for safekeeping. Thus, Drive had a new adopted sister, and the two grew to become very close as the years ticked by. One evening, while going on a trip to their uncle, King Ayren’s Kingdom of Westria, the royal family was attacked by a group of horned creatures. The creatures nearly killed Drive but Lianna sacrificed herself so that he and Naris could get away to safety. King Aster was driven to a deep, depressive, grief - he blamed himself so much that he was determined to fix it and bring her back from the dead, pushing his duties and family aside and throwing himself into his work. One night he spoke of a gem foretold by legend to grant a wish, and he set out into the great unknown to retrieve it and fix his mistake. Upon his return with the gem, he demeanor completely changed into one of rage, cruelty, and manipulation. Drive was constantly fighting his own mind and his own ideas for his father’s expectations, making him feel like he was never good enough for his own father. When his father finally decided to set him on training to become the next Guard Captain in Elrik’s place, he was so excited that over the years he became numb and oblivious to how his father and more importantly, his sister changed. 

Personality: Determined, extremely protective, compassionate, and caring. Drive feels like the protector of the party, always wanting to help everyone - his kingdom, his home, his friends, and his sister. Perhaps too Charismatic, he’s too attractive and forced to wear a helmet to somewhat stunt his looks enough he won’t be bothered by random people. He can be a bit awkward sometimes and not really know what to say, but whenever he does say something meaningful, you know it’s from the heart. He’s also somewhat the combat trainer in the group in teaching both Naris and Lathia combat moves to help them. If anyone tries to mess with or hurt his sister, he will do everything in his power to take them down and make sure they can never hurt Naris again. His protective anger over his sister is his greatest weakness.

Alignment: Lawful Good

Relationship(s): King Aster (Familial, Tense), Princess Naris (Familial, Protective), Captain Elrik (Mentor, Respected), King Ayren (Familial, Tense)

Gem (as of now): Drive is the holder of the Earth Gem, found in an ancient forest women tribe founded under a God’s worship and word. Gem Spirit inside is Fern.  

Other special items: Signature Helmet

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Jango (Barbarian, Dwarf, PC):

Family/Allies: Sarnora (Mother), Grimdrak (Father)

Backstory: Jango grew up as the son of Sarnora and Grimdrak up in the dwarf mountain village. His family had a business of brewing ale, they often traded with merchants or other suppliers, since many of the towns and cities did not have the room or the money to distill ale. Jango grew up with the nickname ‘Little lion’, being one of the smallest dwarves in the entire village, yet with the heart of a mountain lion. He pushed himself day in and day out to do his part to help, and eventually over time he got strong enough to help handle the mill by himself. Overtime, his father became a massive drunk and would often end up drinking half their supply - his parents would often argue and fight late into the night. Finally, his mother had enough and kicked him out permanently - Jango has not seen him since. One day, a giant beast, one of the pack leaders of the mountain lions the village had been fighting, killed a large portion of the village overnight. Saddened, Jango set out on his own to kill the beast and save his village once and for all. After coming home with one of the beast’s teeth, he was crowned hero of the village. Now, he still works for the family business and helps his Mom run it when he isn’t out making deliveries. 

Personality: Chaotic, Unpredictable, quick to anger. When he’s not drunk out of his mind, Jango usually is quick to solve problems by fighting and violence, especially if said person does anything to set him off. He’s used to being powerful and isn’t used to being the one getting beaten down. Often the others work to reign him in, mainly Scepter. Though his ways are a bit unconventional, his intentions are mainly pure and his loyalty is true. 

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Relationship(s): Sarnora (Familial, Good), Grimdrak (Familial, Bad)

Gem (as of now): Jango is the holder of the Fire Gem, found in the kingdom of Keri in King Aster’s possession, then with Naris’s dragon form, leading to Drive joining the party. The Gem Spirit inside is Ember. 

Other special items: Bucket O’Ale

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Peanut AKA Galleria (Assassin, Dragonborn, PC):

Family/Allies: General Holly (Lover, deceased), Sasha (Friend), Undertaker (Mentor), Boss (Mentor), One (Mentor)

Backstory: Galleria began and grew up within the walls of the Cloaked castle and under the care of many of the others captured, and one of the few Dragonborns amongst the recruits. She was taken when she was barely a year old, and her village was raided, burned, and attacked. Her caretaker and mother, Connie Wilde, protected her with her life, but was too weak for the army and they were sadly separated. Connie was taken into slavery, and Galleria was taken into their army for her breath attack and poison immunities. She got the nickname Peanut from the other kids, since she was the youngest recruit taken. When she was about 6, she was put to training within her group under many of the Generals, where she met her friends Sarah and Holly. They were strong each within their own right, but together they were unstoppable. They advanced through the ranks, eventually coming under the command of the right hand herself, the ruthless Undertaker - known for sniffing out all and any traitorous behavior, being ruthless with her punishments and training and pushing all her recruits to their absolute limits just to see them waver and suffer. Though the training is rigorous, Peanut and Holly do well and support each other throughout it all. Sarah crumbled and was sent to become one of the guards of the castle, and deemed too weak to become one of the Cloaked. Holly and Peanut grew closer and bonded over watches and scouting missions. They were the perfect team to get rid of targets, and were barely ever apart. They both truly cared and loved each other, they acted as if they were dating, but they never really got super intimate or ever really made it official. They were back from a mission one day, and were hanging out in the dorm alone chatting about the mission and where they could pass by next when Peanut hugged Holly and then gave her a quick kiss. They kissed each other before, but this was the first time they risked it inside the castle - they stilled when they heard a gasp and saw Naris enter the room with their dinner, and she dropped it to the floor in shock. It didn’t take long for her to spill what she saw and when she did it was all over. Holly was tortured and eventually beheaded for her ‘traitorous’ actions, and Peanut was stuck in the dungeon on the list for her own public execution. The Undertaker, angry and embarrassed that she let a traitor slip by her grasp, she threw Holly’s beheaded head inside with Peanut to shut up her resistance and complaints, and to make sure she was hurt. This broke down her spirit and nearly broke her mind. Then, just when things seemed hopeless, the party passed by her cell and the rest is history. 

Personality: Skilled, Sly, and Smart. She can easily make her way out of almost any situation, and is highly skilled in murder and taking out targets, getting information, and leaving paractically no trail behind. Though she wears a calm and content look on the outside, her heart is badly broken and her sadness and anger over Holly still stew beneath the surface - Cloaked are taught to hide and dispose of all emotions, since they are an ‘inconvience’ and get in the way of getting targets taken care of and cloud the judgement of Loyalty. Many of the others are getting used to her casual murder talk as a solution to almost anything, and are kind of intimidated by her skill. Her tough personality hides a gentle and kind center. 

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Relationship(s): Sarah (Friend, Tense)  One (Familal, Warm), Boss (Mentor, Cold), Undertaker (Mentor, Cold)

Gem (as of now): Peanut is the holder of the Wind Gem, found in the infected village of Sewinda, that was deep in the clutches of Corruption’s control. With teh Mayor’s help, they restored and saved the village in return for the Gem. 

Other special items: None of note. 

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Princess Lathia of Osishri (Fighter, Osishirian, NPC):

Family/Allies: Prince Kyro (Brother), Queen Navine (Mother), King Garris (Father)

Backstory: Youngest in the royal family, Lathia has known nothing but the small bubble under the ocean for her whole life. Due to a curse placed in the royal family by the Sorceress Vivica, all women of the royal family must become model wives and all men trained to fight and protect - if they do not embrace these rules, on their 20th birthday they will die. This would be fine if it weren’t for the extra abilities the Sorceress gave them in return for being stuck under the ocean - elemental bending, represented by certain dyed colors in the hair of those with the talent. Thus, Navine had always been hard on Lathia and often pushes and forces her to practice and become the wife the curse expects her to be for her own survival. When her brother, Kyro, brings home Outsiders from above, she sees her slim chance of figuring out what life is really like up above, and what she’s dreamed it would be like. She sneaks around her family to the PCs for answers, and even begins to fall for a few of them. Drive, at her request, begins to teach her to fight, which after that night she practices frequently.  When Kyro gets attacked by the Sorceress Vivica on his Coming of Age day, Lathia doesn’t hesitate to save him, even when her impulsiveness almost gets her killed. The PCs save her and her brother, and help her while she’s recovering and dealing with Kyro, who’s now in a coma. Lathia finally realizes her feelings for Scepter after their night in the library, where they read until Lathia falls asleep in Scepter’s shoulder, in which case Scepter slowly brings her to bed and leaves her with a forehead kiss - Lathia was not completely asleep at the time. Upon waking up and realizing that the PCs went after the Sorceress, she packs a bag and sneaks out to save them on her own. Luckily, with her knowledge, she saves Scepter and Drive from Vivica’s spells, and Drive frees Jango from the cage Vivica threw him in. Once finally cornered, Lathia makes the ultimate sacrifice and reveals herself to fight and have them escape, not realizing her birthday was drawing near, turning her whole body to stone under the light of the moon. Her spirit quickly became trapped in the spirit waters that ran through Vivica’s lair. Once she was defeated into a pile of ash, the PCs finally met the reinforcements headed by Fernando - Lathia’s betrothed. Fernando and Kyro, now awake from his coma, go with the PCs to find the gem, and end up having to face Vivica’s Spirit Form. When they are in deep trouble, this is enough to trigger her Coming of Age and earn her own two bending abilities - water and shadow. While Scepter retrieves the Water Gem, Lathia confronts Fernando and tells him off, saying that she will never marry him. Once everyone is free and safe and the water gem is retrieved, Lathia makes a speech to her people and says that they will rebuild and make a new and better kingdom, putting her brother Kyro in charge as both the King and Queen step down. Kyro asks her why she couldn’t take it, and she tells him that she’s leaving, that she wants to explore this world, find new discoveries for her people, and help make sure that the PCs don’t get into too much trouble. He lets her go, telling her to keep her necklace their mother had given all of the royals in case they were ever kidnapped or lost, as a memento of them, and to lead her home. 

Once joining the party, she helps take down some of the Cloaked by charming and pretending to love them, a skill she’s sadly learned well with her years being in a forced relationship with Fernando. With a little encouragement from Drive, Lathia confesses to Scepter that same night, and they share their first kiss. When Scepter’s Dad makes a deal for a date with Lathia in return to give them the means of finding Naris, Lathia quickly agrees and Scepter saves her from being trapped and mind controlled by his own father. That night, they promise each other to not be reckless, to be safe and to always be there for each other. Once retrieving Naris, she begins to look after the girl a lot when the others are out, and gets to know her and care for her like one of her own. She almost loses Scepter, Drive, and Peanut when Corruption nearly kills them while inside their gems, leaving Scepter hardened, traumatized, and nearly emotionless. She tries her best to be there for him and comfort him, giving him space and time to heal. Even though she doesn’t completely understand what he went through, that doesn’t change the way she feels and her love for him.     

Personality: Strong-willed, Optimistic, Loving. She’s almost like the embodiment of the ‘He’s a little confused, but he’s got the spirit’ meme. She’s learning how to use a sword and get a grip on her new powers, still, she’s a very strong fighter. She can be a bit awkward at times, especially with her first real relationship with Scepter, or when she panics in stressful situations. She’s thoughtful and rarely ever jumps in headfirst - only if others are in serious danger. Despite her rocky relationship with her family, she still loves them and her Kingdom with all her heart. 

Alignment: Lawful Good

Relationship(s): Prince Kyro (Familial, Good)  Queen Navine (Familial, Neutral)   King Garris (Familial, Neutral)  Scepter (Romantic, Warm)

Other special items: Explorer’s Journal, Golden Jewel Necklace

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Princess Naris of Keri (Fighter, Human, NPC):

Family/Allies: Prince Drive of Keri (Older Adopted Brother/Mentor), King Aster (Adopted Father), Queen Lianna (Adopted Mother, deceased?), King Ayren (Adopted Uncle), Duchess Diana of Saxon (Birth Mother), Duke Bryce of Saxon (Birth Father), Captain Elrik (Family Friend)

Backstory: Naris was born the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Saxon, one of the few shared branches between Keri and Westra, and a peaceful region near the mountains. Sadly, tragedy struck all too quickly during a dragon attack, leaving the Duke and Duchess’s year old daughter as the sole survivor, locked in a chest and saved from the burning flames. Around a few months later King Aster and his adopted son Drive are sent to look for survivors once they hear the news of the attack, and find the child, taking her under their care and adopting her as their own. Sadly, tragedy struck only two years later with the death of Queen Lianna. The Queen’s death threw King Aster into a deep depression from grief and self-blame for her death, making the two sibilings closer and closer over the years as they help to support each other, especially after their father left to find one of the fated magical gems of legend and bring their Mom back to life. Upon his return, it didn’t take long for him to change into something more darker, putting pressure on, manipulating, and abusing his seven year old daughter. He swore her to secrecy and made her so scared of saying a word by promising if she did, Drive would be next. While Drive grew older, trained with Elrik and got better at fighting and becoming a better leader for his people, Naris’s spirit broke day by day as she tried her best to squeeze into her father’s mold for her, getting punished for even the smallest mistakes. Eventually, she fought back and grabbed her father’s sacred treasure - the glowing gem he’d returned with so long ago - and tried to break it and have it release its hold on her father somehow. Her father, angry, stabbed her on the side as she leaped through the window and made it into the woods. There, the gem began to speak with her, asking her what she wanted and promising her every wish and desire. Determined to finish the fight against her father and end his torture and hold on her once and for all, she wished to strike fear into her father’s heart, and turned into a fire-breathing dragon. She stormed the palace and tore it to bits, searching for her father to teach him a lesson, but eventually was stopped when the party pulled the gem away from her with the help of her brother, Drive. After some celebration, she convinces Drive to join the party.

She gets in over her head when she tries to prove she can make it on her own after some of the party call her ‘useless’, which ends up getting her into trouble with the forest tribe. After primsing she’d be more safe, the party gets kidnapped by the Undertaker that night and the truth of their father’s abuse is finally out in the air thanks to her. When the Undertaker realizes they’re kinda strong, she takes Naris and runs off, kidnapping her. She takes her to the Cloaked Castle to become her obedient servant, slave, and pet - torture increases for every act of rebellion, every mistake. Eventually they wear down her spirit and mind enough to somewhat brainwash her into forgetting Drive and her family entirely, believing that she’s the Undertaker’s daughter and calling her ‘Mother’. Once saved, things between her and Drive are tense to say the least, but slowly are making their way to somewhat normal and are trying their best to openly talk about what happened with their father instead of just trying to forget it. 

Personality: Strong-willed, confident, pure of heart, but sometimes a bit reckless. Still learning to fight from her brother and now Peanut, she’s determined to succeed and set things right for herself and make sure she’s never as weak or vulnerable as she was with her father, she promised herself that she won’t stop fighting, that she’d never give up fighting against people like her father. She has doubts about herself and her abilities due to her abusive past, and she struggles talking about it with her brother, who blames himself often for the abuse. Though she’s grown up very fast mentally, there’s still a bit of childlike curiosity and wonder to her about the world around her, and just topics she never got around to learning about on her own. She gets nightmares a lot and can be a bit averse to any physical contact at times due to her trauma. All in all, she still tries to see the best in people, and uses her adapted survival skills and tactics built up from her past to help get out of jams. 

Like her brother, she’s also very protective of those she loves and would do anything for them, and she cares about them deeply, often being the ones to heal them with her own healer’s kit after taught fights or battles. 

Alignment: Neutral Good

Relationship(s): Prince Drive of Keri (Familial, Close), King Aster (Familial, Cold), Peanut (Mentor, Respected), King Ayren (Familial, Tense)

Other special items: Pink Ribbon, Old Photo, Wooden Play Sword, Healer’s Kit

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Noid AKA Evelyn Dior (No Determined Class, Human, NPC)

Family/Allies: Kane Estin (Husband, Deceased), Jane Dior (Mother), George Dior (Father), Rose (Close Friend), Ketin Estin (Son, Deceased?)

Backstory: Evelyn Dior was born into the rich family of the Diors, famous jewelry makers. Her home life was extremely strict as she was taught what to do or say, and was quickly groomed into a ‘well-mannered’ lady in rich society. Though, she was not happy with the lessons or the awkward dinners between her and her betrothed, who was nine years older than her. One day, when learning about the business from her father, she met Kane - one of the miners who worked in getting the metal they needed to craft with - and they became good friends, then best friends, then romantic feelings began to bloom on her 18th birthday. When she finally confessed her feelings and was about to kiss him, her father broke it up and fired Kane, saying that he’ll make sure that he would never see his ‘little angel’ ever again, not if he could help it. He beat up Kane and quickly left. That argument sparked the final match to get Evelyn to leave her family for good and start a new life with Kane. With the help of her servant as well as best friend Rose, they snuck out before sunrise, leaving practically nothing behind.

The two quickly got married and Evelyn changed her last name from Dior to Estin, to officially leav her old life behind. Life was good and eventually they started a family together, Evie pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, the child was not strong enough to make it and began to slowly die as Evie just lies in bed, writhing in agony as the couple just cries and mourns their dying baby. Desprate, Evie summons a demon named Hragroth and they make a deal - the demon gives her a black stone to help save her child in exchange for the sacrifce of her eye. She agrees, and her child is saved. Kane finds out she did something and confronts her, leading to a bit of an argument between the two, and eventually Kane says that if she really had no other choice, he’ll stand by her. Their son is eventually born a few months later and is named Ketin, after his father. 

While Kane is at work, Evelyn begins to have odd moments with the baby in her arms or playing in his crib - she’ll just try to grab him or snatch something off him, something she couldn’t quite describe, or sometimes even hiss and growl at him, making him cry and snapping her out of it. Other times, she’ll act a bit off around Kane, and once he caught her sleepwalking and trying to throw their child into the burning coals of the fire. She goes to get rid of the stone but when her child is snatched from her arms and taken, she uses it without hesitation and straight up murders the baby-snatcher in cold blood with these dark tenticles coming up from the ground. She saves Ketin, but the townspeople see the whole thing. They accuse her of witchcraft and conspiring against the town, and despite Kane’s protests that it isn’t true, even he’ll admit he’s starting to become scared of his wife. 

One night, the town organizes a riot and begins to burn down Evelyn and Kane’s house, both still inside. Luckily Kane smells the smoke and gets them to safety, not before proclaiming that she needs to let them burn her at the stake and get rid of the demon inside of her, saying that it will be better for Ketin’s safety and the safety of the town, and he even calls out to them as they begin to march toward the two with torches and pitchforks. Evelyn finally goes completely berserk and murders nearly the entire town trying to escape with Ketin, a letter attached that she scribbled ‘Drive and take to the Diors’. She rushed through the rain and lightning as they chased her up a cliff, clutching her child close. She falls off the cliff, the black stone shattering into four pieces to become a part of the four phrophecy stones. The basket holding Ketin flies through the air and eventually lands toward the road, to be picked up by King Aster and Queen Lianna who couldn’t have a child of their own - calling the child ‘Drive’ since that was the only part of the note they could make out in the smeared and wet ink stained paper. 

As for Evelyn, she hears her husband cry out “NOOOO” as she falls, hitting her forehead against a rock and leaving her memories fuzzy. The ‘no’ turns into Noid, which she assumes her name is when she wakes up in a ravine, hurt and bleeding. 

Found by Scepter, who became her first friend and confidant, who asks about her past and makes her get kind of really upset, though he eventually forgives him. Recently, she’s realized she lost her baby and wants to find it because she misses it and doesn’t know what happened to her baby.  

Personality: Defensive, erratic, has good inetions and a good heart. Speaks in third person. Craves friendship and companionship. Hates talking about the past because ‘the bad memories hurt’. Hates all the Cloaked, thinks their parctices are wrong and wants to get rid of them all and stop their reign of terror. Is not much of a fighter, but will fight if she needs to, is more on the fighting tactic side of fighting. Being sheltered in a cave for years, she loves to learn what’s changed in the time she’s been gone. Always a bit of a wild card, Noid just wants to make friends and kick butt. Fun fact - she’s eaten a mostly vegetarian diet while living in the cave, but just discovered meat and loves it. 

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Relationship(s): Kane Estin (Romantic, Close), Jane Dior (Familial, Cold), George Dior (Familial, Cold), Ketin Estin (Familial, Loving Protector)

Other special items: Locket