#Mythical Weaver

[ofscribesandmen]

[nickysfacts]

wish all of you who are reading this a wonderful day and that you learn something new every day!

🎋🌠🎋

[allgirlsareprincesses]

Super-proud of this and excited for next week's Episode 2! Please watch and share!

Crash Landing on You Part 1 mythic deep dive

Cowherd and weaver with @allgirlsareprincesses

Full video:

Also available as a podcast:

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Hiw kinnara could realistically work?what could be their internal anatomy, where should be wings ,legs,arms, nsfw parts, ? Typical kinnaris have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. Did I can use your kinnara drawings in my work?

kinnara: a hindu and buddhist mythical being with the upper half of a human and the lower half of a bird, wings included. the art I've found through internet search seems to vary on what type of bird is typically used. They look fun! actually reminds me of this other human-bird design I reblogged a while back (though this one makes the bird part much, much bigger than the human part)

(image description: two statues of humanoid figures with a bird body at their hips. end description)

I think if you did it similar to the post I linked, most of the internal and reproductive anatomy would match that of a bird, with the human torso part having things like the lungs, stomach, heart, and the bird part having more of the digestive system. that's just how they line up

the traditional of a kinnara basically just puts the legs int he normal human place and then attached bird parts around the hips, which works fine for their presentation as mythical figures having some manner of spiritual and symbolic importance. I don't expect them to look anatomically correct in this context. but if they're going to be used as a fantasy people, I think this arrangement of body parts is a little crowded and awkward, and the post I linked above has a more reasonable arrangement. however, I also think the bird and human sections can be drawn in different proportions depending on personal preference. here's my sketches:

(image description: simplified sketches of humanoid figures that have a bird body below the hips, not unlike a centaur. on the top half of the image are sketches of a bird-taur with a more natural bird body, having the legs further back while the wings are closer to the humanoid hip region. the lower half of the image shows a bird-taur with the legs in front of the wings. there are sketches of the full body, simple skeletal forms, and the bird-taurs in flight. end description.)

you can use these sketches as a reference if you want, but if you'd like to have nicer art for actual presentation in your project, please commission me! my commission info can be found here on ko-fi. I'll be able to prioritize detail and quality through a commission in a way I don't do with the quick art I make for tumblr asks.

reproductively speaking, most birds only have a cloaca, but some male birds do have a penis. it just stays internal until it's erect. finding an actual specific list of bird species with a penis was a little annoying because for some reason all these articles were quite vague like "oh, ducks, ostriches, and some other birds" like no, I need to know all of the specific species please! Figuring out non-human reproductive systems can be stunningly tricky sometimes.

anyway here's one article on the matter

and here is another article

from my research, here's just a list of bird species that have a penis:

ducks, geese, swans, ostriches, emus, tinamous. and there are also some birds that have a pseudo penis, such as cassowaries and red-billed buffalo weavers.

apparently all birds do have the genetic potential to have a penis, but they just don't grow one. so it might be an ancestral trait! that's kinda neat. personally, I have given my bird folk, the quetzalin, a penis that remains in the cloacal wall and emerges when erect. and yes, it's curly, though nowhere near as nightmarish as the penis on a duck lol. so you go ahead and have whatever fun you want with bird folk genitals.

[tanoraqui]

rereading the Dalemark Quartet because of this fantastic podcast series, and a few notes:

I really cannot imagine Duck as looking like anything but my own younger brother. I don’t imagine Tanaqui as looking like myself, despite the many years of having this username and relating intensely to DWJ’s first girl narrator & mythic history-weaver trope. I don’t have any problem imagining Gull, Robin or Hern as they’re described. But Duck, young or grown, looks like my little brother (who, for the record, is currently doing grad school chemistry, which is definitely a sort of magery).

I’d argue that Mitt and Navis have a parallel moment of first-meeting, future-of-the-country-deciding Mutual Vibes Check to Hern & Kars Adon. It’s just that Mitt is 3 years old at the time, so Navis is mostly going “why is there a toddler here. …Hildy-coded, though”, while Mitt has gotten all the way to “he’s a little strange but I can and will trust him with my Dream of a Better World.” (They are both correct.)

I’m having a LOT of thoughts about the fantasy trope of “there used to be magic & gods but now there’s less or none at all”, and all its variations, in comparison to Tolkien and modern works. But I’m having so many that it needs to be a separate post and maybe short essay.

The structure of the series is so interesting. It’s not chronological at all, which actually makes the gap—15 YEARS—between books 3 and 4 even more agonizing to imagine waiting through. Books 1-3 are all separate tributary rivers pouring into 4, and each one ends on more of, in effect, a cliffhanger: Cart and Cwidder with a fairly normal “this adventure is entirely resolved but there are likely more to come.” Drowned Ammet wraps up the story but is lacking some denouement, they never actually reach the North, it’s just safely in sight, it’s clear that they will reach its relative peace & safety—but we don’t see them do so, and we don’t know what happens to them when they do. And Spellcoats! Has a vision of how the plot will resolve, but very pointedly ends before showing it! All we have to know what happened to any of the characters is a historically uncertain postscript, and the knowledge that (more) modern Dalemark exists as it does! Much less any mention of anyone or anything—except technically the earl and earldom of Hannart—from either of the previous books. And she left the readers like this for fifteen years!

If I’d been a teen in the late 70s reading these books as they came out, when Crown of Dalemark was accounted in the mid-90s, I would’ve screamed aloud. I would love to know if anyone reading this post did have that experience.

[demifiendrsa]

South of Midnight | Official Gameplay Trailer

South of Midnight will launch for Xbox Series and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) in 2025. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Title Logo

Key visual

Screenshots

Overview

About

From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action adventure game set in the American Deep South.

As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and -if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.

Key Features

A Dark Modern Folktale – When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy are interwoven, and ancient creatures from folklore emerge. In this coming-of-age adventure, Hazel journeys forth to rescue her mother and delves into a haunting web of folklore and family secrets, untangling her own identity.

Confront Mythical Creatures – Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.

Haunting Beauty of the Gothic South – Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.

[hobbitsetal]

The Hoard

The year the dragon came had been shaping up to be a bad one. The crops were barely adequate. The deer were skittish, the boar extra fierce, the fish sleepy and hard to reach. The old folks in the village predicted a hard winter, predictions born of fear and grief and anger that boiled down into pessimism. 

Inada, as the village leader, tried to counter such talk, but there was little she could say. The food would be stretched thin at best. The old and the very young were likely to die. All she could do was squirrel away extra portions where she hoped Trovar’s men would not think to look, and pray she could save some lives in the winter.

At the end of the summer, he came. They saw his shadow first: big as a cloud, almost to be mistaken for a cloud’s shadow. But no cloud had those curved wings or that long tail, and they knew what he was before he landed and changed shape and strode into their village. He was tall, dark-haired and golden-eyed, and he was surprisingly young. Inada had sons grown and older than he, she thought. 

Dragons lived to be five hundred years or more. But after all, before one could be five hundred years, one must be ten and twenty and thirty. Perhaps it should not have been so surprising that he looked no more than twenty summers, if he had reached even that many.

They watched, huddling in doorways, stopped at their work, clutching their children, as he walked through the long street and the square in the middle of the village where they traded when the peddler caravans passed through. His arrogantly lifted head swiveled, taking in the shabby village and the silent inhabitants watching him.

What reason could he have for coming to their village? They’d heard of dragons taking over lands, of course. Anywhere west of Elbiss, where they had driven the dragons out and hunted them now with frost weapons and relentless hatred, anywhere else might fall prey to a dragon. Some ate humans. Some enslaved them and forced them to produce whatever the dragon chose to hoard. Some, the less powerful, especially since Elbiss had cast them off six hundred years ago, lived among humans as ordinary citizens. Not every dragon could be a tyrannical ruler, it seemed.

There was nothing in this village to rule over, even if this one meant to be a tyrant. They didn’t have so much as a name for their village. They lived near no mines, gold or ores or jewels. Their forests were not unusually rich with game or fish. No mythic beasts lived near that anyone knew of. They were not renowned for crops or goods. The only unusual feature to their village was the twice-yearly visits from Trovar and his men, but even that was not so remarkable. Small villages with no protector often fell prey to bandits.

So they watched and braced themselves to learn this dragon ate humans. 

He sniffed the air and then turned toward Inada, gold eyes boring into her. “You. You are responsible for this place?”

She curtsied immediately and kept herself from falling to her knees. Better not to kneel. If she had to beg, she wanted someplace to lower herself to. “Yes, my lord.”

“It’s shabby.”

What did he care? Dragons never lived where others did. Still, all she could say was, “Yes, my lord.”

“You are not a knight protector. What are you?”

“I-I am…a weaver?” As with everyone else in the village, she was what was needed at the moment. They all tended little vegetable crops, they all fished, they all wove. Some, like Alma, were better at things like twisting flax fibers together. Some, like old Gregoire, were better at fishing. But they all did whatever needed to be done. They were too tiny to have specialists in the different trades, though she would have liked to have been a weaver.

He snorted impatiently, smoke clouding around his head. “You have those among you young enough to breed. Why does your village not flourish more? Are you lazy?”

Indignation choked her a moment, overriding her fear. Lazy? “We are a tiny village, my lord,” she said. “How can we thrive when those stronger than us come to take the best of what we have?” 

Of all the irony, a dragon demanding why they did not flourish was too bitter to be borne. 

“You have no one at all to stand up for you?” He turned as he spoke, casting the question–the challenge–out to the rest of the village. No one met his eyes.

Inada swallowed down tears and rage together, dropping her own gaze to the dust. “What do you want from us, my lord?” she asked quietly.

What would anger get but a village reduced to ash? What would resistance earn them but bones and perhaps one person left to bury them? Making herself sound humble, making herself bend her head and round her shoulders was not hard when she had done the same for the lesser threat of Trovar and his men.

“Bah,” he said, and turned away. A dozen steps from her took him to a clear space. He leaped into the air and changed as he leapt. The wind from his wings staggered her and sent up a great cloud of dust. 

And then he was gone, leaving them baffled and a little dirtier than they had been. Slowly, the villagers trickled toward Inada, necks craned to track the dragon.

“Will he come back?” Hella asked.

“I don’t know,” Inada said.

A restless murmur ran through the crowd. Eventually, they shuffled away, different scattered groupings muttering the same fears and wonders and answerless questions to each other. Inada went back to weeding her garden with her forehead furrowed. Surely the dragon would not come back. He had strolled through their village for curiosity’s sake and found they had nothing of worth. Surely Batran would protect them from more oppression than they already bent under. She sent up a silent prayer to that effect and resolved to sacrifice something small when she had time.

They saw his shadow a few more times that week. He seemed to be circling around the top of the small mountain that loomed over their village. Once, Old Horace said that Young Horace saw the dragon flying with a boar in its claws. That troubled Inada for a day, until Hella pointed out that perhaps the dragon was in the area only to hunt. That would explain his curiosity and his subsequent lack of interest. After all, there were plenty of boar for one with the stamina and strength to take them down.

Inada had other worries. Trovar was coming. The delicate balance of giving enough to satiate him and keeping enough to survive, of placating without arousing suspicion, weighed on her. Two years ago, his men had found one of her hidden stores and Trovar had been angry with the village. They had beaten her and taken extra food in punishment. The winter had been lean indeed. Last year, she had barely dared to hide anything. Trovar had been more merciful, sensing her defeat. But the village could not afford another winter with as little as he liked to leave.

She daydreamed of a protector. They would send out an appeal and someone would answer. A lord with restless men, inclined to be merciful, or a band of Elbissian warriors eager to deal justice, or better, a group of armed travelers seeking someplace to settle and join.

Foolish fantasies. A lord’s men were as likely to pillage as Trovar’s. Elbissian warriors were concerned only with hunting dragons, whether they offered harm or no. And armed travelers might kill the villagers and take the village for themselves rather than join peaceably.

Young Horace came running one golden day in the autumn to announce breathlessly, “They’re coming!”

Inada uttered a prayer under her breath and tipped a little vinegar into the dust as an offering. Then she strode out to supervise the half-yearly tribute. Bags of grains and dried fruit, casks of fruit wines and fish pickled or dried, racks of animal furs and smoked meats: they laid out what they had for Trovar’s men to take.

They watched the cloud of dust approaching. Then they heard the singing: raucous, bawdy songs, bellowed cheerily. And then Trovar, followed by his men, came out of the woods and strolled toward them. He was of middle height, compact with muscle, with a full beard and dusty clothes that had once been fine. He was quick to smile and he had a taste for pinching women’s buttocks and teasing them. In other circumstances, when she had been young, Inada might have laughed at such liberties even as she slapped his hands away. In these circumstances, at her age, such liberties were a veiled threat.

The villagers huddled in the square. Trovar’s men would wander through their houses, picking what they pleased, while their comrades watched the villagers and made sure no one had thoughts of rebellion. They would sort through the food. And then they would leave again, with their stolen bounty piled high on shoulders and the two pack mules, and the village would be left to face the winter.

Trovar strolled up to Inada and chucked her under the chin. “Inada. Lovely as ever. I swear, you look younger than you did in the spring! All that summer sun has you glowing.”

She looked at some point past his shoulder. “I am older, that is all.”

“Bah, you are younger! You’ve found some unicorn’s horn, haven’t you?”

He teased, she knew he teased, but the question sent a chill down her spine. If they had something precious and kept it back from him, the consequences would be unthinkable. “I have found nothing but more grey hairs.”

He clicked his tongue. “Really, Inada, you must learn to take a compli–Who by Batran’s balls is that?”

Startled, she turned to see what he was looking at. The villagers were parting, scattering, for the dragon. He strode through, gold eyes locked on Trovar. Smoke hazed the air behind him. “You,” he said, and his voice was a growl. “You take from them?”

Trovar snatched for his sword. “What is it to you?” he snapped back.

Inada backed away from him, huddling into Hella. 

“You are done,” the dragon announced. “Leave.”

The sword rang as it came free of the scabbard. Trovar was not a man used to denial. Trovar was a man used to force and to taking what he pleased. Trovar was a man who died by dragon flame, foolish to the end. 

The dragon did not waste time watching his ashes fall to the ground, as the stunned villagers did. He turned his gaze on Trovar’s men, lips peeled back from his teeth. His teeth were pointed, sharp: predator’s teeth. “Leave,” he said again.

They dropped what they held. They bumped into each other in their hurry to flee. The three archers among them made no efforts to string their bows or reach for their arrows. Empty-handed and silent, they scurried away while the wind blew their leader into the dust of the road.

Inada looked at the dragon and tried to think of something to say. Thanks, perhaps, or ask him what he wanted of them, or– But her throat stayed closed. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.

The dragon surveyed them, chin ticked up slightly. “I am Lord Cazadan Isvrayne, and this is now my village. You will build me a dwelling on top of the mountain, according to my specifications, and then you will build me a hosting house. I will not permit bandits or miscreants to harm you. Your village will thrive under my rule. Am I plain?”

Glances flickered among the villagers. There was a catch. There must be a catch. Why would a dragon choose to protect them for nothing more than the cost of building a home and a guest-house?

“My lord–” Inada began, voice wavering.

His gaze settled on her. “You are a tiny village,” he said. “Unimpressive. But I will make you thrive. My kind will see how well I can manage and protect, and your kind will see the benefits of my rule. The best of what you have will grow your village.”

“Yes, my lord,” she said, voice faint.

He nodded once. “Send someone up to the mountaintop with me to begin marking out where my dwelling will be. The rest of you, put this food away. The flies will get to it.”

And then he leapt and changed and sent dust everywhere as he winged away, heading for the mountaintop.

“What was that?” Hella whispered.

“I do not know,” Inada whispered back. “But…Jola should go to the mountaintop.” Jola knew much about building houses. Her grandfather had been the most skilled carpenter their village had ever seen.

It would be a month before the village understood what had become of them, a month before shock wore off and they settled into the mundanity of working for a dragon. In that month, they let themselves feel cautious joy over their sudden abundance. Old Horace spearheaded the efforts to weatherproof their homes. Inada supervised parceling out the food properly and setting the excess aside into stores. They might even have enough to trade in the spring, she thought.

It was a month before they all fully realized that they had become a dragon’s hoard, and that Lord Cazadan would protect them with his life.

[river-in-the-woods]

“Yin-Yang theory is based on the philosophical construct of two polar complements, called Yin and Yang. These complementary opposites are neither forces nor material entities. Nor are they mythical concepts that transcend rationality. Rather, they are convenient labels used to describe how things function in relation to each other and to the universe. They are used to explain the continuous process of natural change. But Yin and Yang are not only a set of correspondences; they also represent a way of thinking. In this system of thought, all things are seen as parts of a whole. No entity can ever be isolated from its relationship to other entities; no thing can exist in and of itself. Fixed essences are abstractions; there are no absolutes. Yin and Yang must, necessarily, contain within themselves the possibility of opposition and change.”

Ted Kaptchuk. “The Web That Has No Weaver.”

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hi, sorry if a bother you with this ask but... How you see Apollon's actions in the Marsyas' story? I mean, i still love him, but is hard to try to find a explanation to his actions in this myth. He cheated to win a contest and did a very cruel punishment to the loser.. Again, i don't hate him for that, or i don't love him lesser, but i feel very afected with this myth and i don't would like to ruin the relationship for that. I know gods could be cruel, but that was to far and was disgusting 😞

Khaire Anon,

Thank you for your ask. I would like to start by saying that Hellenic Polytheism is not a religion that engages in mythic literalism. What this means is that the myths we have, describing the actions of the gods, are fables; fictitious stories meant to teach some kind of lesson, reinforce a societal value, or create an analogous story to explain natural phenomenon.

In short, myths are just stories meant to make a point of some kind.

You can read more about the difference between mythic literalism and mythic symbolism in this post about Zeus or this post by @sag-dab-sar that discusses Myths as Sacred Scripture.

The myth you reference is discussed in a variety of sources, including Pseudo-Apollodorus, Pliny the Elder, and Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (source) - not all of which tell the exact same story or include the exact same details.

By the broadest strokes, Marsyas' story can be interpreted as a fable meant to reinforce Sophrosyne, temperance and self-control; seen as the opposite of Hubris, excessive pride and transgressions against The Gods. Marsyas' story mirrors that of Arachne - the weaver who challenged Lady Athena to a weaving contest.

Both of these myths can be interpreted as meaning to show that disrespecting The Gods, challenging their power, and thinking oneself above them is an act that will always be punished to the highest extent.

Additionally, some myths were created outside of a religious intention - and meant to be analogous with politics and political power. In this way, both of these myths can also be interpreted that challenging the power of the government will always be punished to the highest extent.

Whatever way you slice it - at the end of the day Apollo did not literally flay someone alive for challenging his skill and authority. It's just a story with any number of interpretations.

If any of this was confusing or if you have any follow up questions please don't hesitate to reach out via our ask box or our DMs.

Eirene - peace and farewell,

- Aön

[talonabraxas]

THE EL ARE ANGELS “Mushrooms are the original angels. Angel in its oldest root of the word: messenger of Hebrew mal'akh and ancient English aerendgast. Root messengers. Weavers. Communicators. Sew dirt to plants, trees to trees. They hold ecosystems together like conversations, making sure every strand of chemical in question reaches their plant receiver. “Like angels are said to send messages from a higher realm, mushrooms connect us with messages from an even older prehuman paradise: the mythical underworld.”

[autumnmobile12]

Felt like sharing some speculation today:

All right, so we know My Hero Academia has the something of the same premise as X-Men in the sense that select a group of humans were suddenly born with powers, the whole 'evolution leaps forward’ deal.

We see in My Hero how the First Generation of people with Quirks, especially the ones who appeared non-human or semi non-human, were originally ostracized like the mutants of X-Men are, but then more people were born with powers and then more people had powers until it became a widespread phenomenon and ‘normal’ people became the minority and society had to restructure itself to accommodate the new normal.

But have you read The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black?

The plot is a 19th century doctor who theorizes that mythical creatures like the minotaur, harpies, sirens, and the like all existed millions of years ago but slowly interbred with humanity and eventually died out altogether.  So he believed that when someone was born with extra fingers, limbs, a tail or otherwise didn’t have the typical human shape, it wasn’t so much a mistake in genetic coding as it was the extremely recessive genetics of those ancient creatures trying to reoccur in the modern day.

...

Definitely an interesting premise, so now I’m wondering if the My Hero world has a cult, conspiracy theorists, or even some scientists/historians that have similar views regarding mythology.

If this whole Quirk thing happened back in the Stone Age where no one had the benefit of science or awareness of DNA, anyone born with an otherworldly power would have been worshipped as a deity. Or the ones born with a non-human appearance would have been reviled as monsters.

So following the idea of The Resurrectionist, maybe the sudden appearance of superpowers did lead people to take a closer look at the old myths and consider the stories of the gods/goddesses of old were originally stories of people with 'Quirks' who rose to power.  Humans with meta-powers ruled the world for a few centuries, then those powers inexplicably died off. For a variety of reasons or maybe unknown reasons, humanity lost that history but remembered the old stories and chalked them up to just myth until the powers that made it possible began to reappear full force several millennia later.

Some myths began as historical events but in being handed down hundreds of generations, the multiple tellings and retellings exaggerated them into the realm of impossibility.

Lightning/electricity powers:  Zeus, Thor, Hinon

Fire powers:  Hephaistos, Surtr, Hestia, the phoenix

Foresight:  Any seer, prophet, or oracle that appears in any myth ever

Ice powers:  Yuki-onna, Skadi, Morana

Water powers:  Poseidon, Chalchiuhtlicue, Anuket, Tlaloc

Plant-related Quirks:  Demeter

Gigantification Quirks: Giants, titans, nephilim

Ryukyu:  Is a dragon.  ‘nuff said.

All Might:  Herakles

Tokoyami having a bird head but otherwise appearing human is pretty reminiscent of the old Egyptian gods.

Hawks:  Any winged creature; take your pick.  Personally, the one that comes to mind for me is Hermes.  He only had wings on his sandals, sure, but the trickster archetype resonates.

Tsuyu: Naiads, nymphs, rusalki, any kind of water fae

Momo: Sedna (created sea life from her finger bones), Ukemochi no Kami (produces food from her own body)

Best Jeanist: This one's a bit of a reach, but the fabric thread thing coupled with the long, spider-like limbs kinda brings to mind the story of Arachne the weaver.

We do get a nod to Ancient Greek mythology with the prison Tartarus.  What better place to lock away beings with god-like powers than the prison of the Titans itself?

Obviously an incomplete list, but you see my point.

Personally, I'm leaning toward cultist ideology with this one as I find it hard to believe every civilization would have forgotten about a previous appearance of Quirks. But civilizations die off, civilizations are overrun by others and their histories are suppressed, maybe this hypothetical 'previous Quirk phenomenon' wasn't as widespread as the current one and so fewer people were affected and therefore fewer people were alive to verify the truth of facts, maybe this hypothetical time was from an age of oral history and nothing was documented properly, so not impossible just really, really improbable.

Still, I love mythology and I find it an interesting headcanon to think about.

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Archetropy

In some way, I see archetropy as embodying one's own symbolism. Or is it perhaps becoming a symbol yourself? To take on a role, to be in the framework, to embody or identify in some way with an archetype, or trope. Compared to being something monstrous, mythical, or celestial, to have an archetrope feels like wholly embracing, living, and being something, plus a bit more. It gets a bit fuzzy and there has been discussion of how having archetropal identity can share similarities to having a conceptual identity. Yet, the distinction is there, for one is a solid identity, being it, or existing alongside it (conceptual alterhumanity), and the other is something more like a symbolic or metaphorical relationship (archetropal alterhumanity).

If I were to say I have a solid relationship with orange or dream, I'd call those conceptual alterhumanities. For me, Mew, ninja, and Bond Weaver are the roles, archetype that I have, taken on, or are already. They are not solid identities, but almost like a lifestyle, something that has a shape, a hole which I myself fill in.

In the case of Mew, it's the mythical, whimsical, cryptid nature of Mew. But it's also a sort of special side character in a game that isn't all-powerful like the big L Legendary pokemon, yet it fills its own niche. The little mischievousness is also tied in, and a flavor of chaos. I am not a Mew, or identify with Mew, but because of all these attributes that I have, my impression of what Mew is, the role Mew filled, which I myself have, Mew is a paratype-archetrope (or, paratrope) to me.

I feel like ninja is self-explanatory. This is definitely one of those chicken-or-egg situations. Is it because of my Naruto hearttype being a potential past life that I have this something with the archetype of being a ninja? Or is it something more generic, a past life outside of Naruto, which I'd suspect to be some sort of Japanese warrior, potentially a shinobi. And it's not just ninja, I have a penchant for stealth genre games, sometimes you are some sort of assassin, and sometimes you are some thief. I guess ninja wrap those two and more up neatly into a single package.

What is Bond Weaver?

It is something I already embody and live by. I have a self-made title, 縁結ぶ星の夢化竜, bond-weaving starry Dream Dragon. The bond in question, currently English translation is much lacking and doesn't translate well at all, possibly due to not having such a cultural concept. I'm talking about yuan fen, Wikipedia translates it as "fateful coincidence", a concept in Chinese (and other Asian cultures that has Chinese roots, potentially Buddhist roots) that talks of one's potential connection in life that was due to past lives, like a seed that's planted, a web that had been woven over centuries. I like to talk about it a lot in my earlier alterhuman community life, and I wish to introduce the concept more in a more official setting, it is such a wonderful concept. Some may think of only "fate", "destiny", or even "soulmate", and they are all kinda touching a bit on the concept that is yuan fen. It's like trying to translate certain Chinese words into English, the complexity within a single or two characters is so difficult to express, even with a dozen English words used, it still can't really encompass the whole thing. Yuanfen is like that. I have written a bit on my view of how it is very prominent within alterhumanity, and just in general what it could be. I will transcribe it over to Tumblr and dreamwidth at a later date, or write up a new one. What I do on the regular is that I connect others. If someone expresses a need for specific sub-communities, and I happen to know or are in them, I try to get them an invite into those spaces. Or if some folks share similarities, if not identical experiences, I try to connect them to each other. Sometimes it is me learning niche words and tossing them at people should they need it, but that's something the community already does. Sometimes it's simply me sitting down with someone and helping them figure out their alterhumanity, whether that's their appearance or any possible way they connect to something. These all seem like something any community member does, but I'd like to think that I especially embody the role of being someone who Connects others. In a punny sort of way, perhaps that's why I enjoy and like Othercon and Otherconnect so much. Maybe I can jokingly call it an Otherconnect archetrope.

Although, if English weren't the community's primary language, or if it were to be more accessible, I'd probably call myself a Yuan Connector archetroper. Or just have my title directly used, ("Fate") Bond-Weaver archetroper.

[antispopausandstuff]

my SPOP universe pt. 1 - character bios ( very long, i'm sorry )

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disclaimer // note - it'll be SPOP-focused, but i do take a 'few' things from the original show and implement them here.

preferred style(s) - ATLA // LOK, ROTTMNT, LMK ( s1-s4 ), Spiderverse, or Kill la Kill

( part of the reason for these styles is the VFX, battle coordination, and creature // environmental design, esp with vibrant media like Spiderverse, ROTTMNT, and LMK )

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theme song - something akin to "The Call" by League of Legends or "The World That Ends in Three Days" by Koji Kondo, ROZEN, & Celica Soldream.

rating - PG-15 ( i'm not a writer for young children and don't handle things in a very kid-friendly way )

note - here's some gender // sexuality hcs of the characters, though it isn't all of them.

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established changes:

the runestones don't exist

the cast is 18+ unless stated otherwise

roles will be changed for plot relevance or sense ( for ex, neither perfuma, entrapta, scorpia, spinerella, or netossa are royals )

the first ones are not evil

mara and adora are the only she-ras

most ships will remain noncanon

there's no white people here, sorry

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cast ( pt. 1 ) . . .

Adora - Long Lost Princess of Eternia, Force Captain ( former ), Daughter of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, and She-Ra. 20 yrs old, 5'0, was abducted as an infant, from her home planet, and taught to be a solider for the Horde. raised by Shadow Weaver and Hordak ( it's separate care, not romantically coded ). unofficial caretaker of Catra.

she was raised to be very serious and no-nonsense like, always remaining calm and strategic in drastic situations to prevent the worst case scenario. due to this built-in stoicism, along with other factors, Adora struggles with interpersonal relationships and knowing her own sense of self, including what she is or isn't comfortable with ( such as unnecessary conflict ).

before She-Ra is even a possibility, the weight of the world was already bestowed upon her shoulders, and she sets on carrying out her duty to protect the world from those who wish to harm it.

beneath it all, however, Adora is a young woman who desires connection and peace. she secretly hopes for that to be her reward.

design would be inspired by Cal, Zav 1, Zav 2, Zav 3, and Fern ( blue guy ) by animatorroseoak, Midas by sleeepybacon, and with these details by me! outfit color palette would go from black and red to white, gold, and blue. just to clarify, though she is mythical, she'd still be afro-latino coded.

theme song - Song of Healing by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Glimmer - Princess of Brightmoon, Daughter of Queen Angella and King Micah, and Leader of the Rebellion. 19 yrs old, 5'6, was raised by her widowed mother ever since she was an infant. due to her lineage, she is a demigod and will likely live longer than the average Etherian.

ever since she was born, Glimmer's powers were too great for her body to handle, causing her to lose control very quickly, especially when her emotions were heightened. Angella brought her to Castaspella, her aunt and the greatest sorceress on Etheria, to teach her control and balance.

Glimmer has always been a bright mind with an even brighter personality, striving for excellence and success, and has never let her misfortunes, whether it be her powers going haywire or a plan not going through, weigh on her. at least, that's what she shows to her people and mother.

but, on the inside, she is actually very insecure over her lack of understanding of her own powers, what her mother thinks of her, and how she can handle being future Queen. afraid of change and what fate could hold for her, Glimmer is avoidant of talking about her upcoming role to Brightmoon, seeing Castaspella again ( they haven't talked in years ), or taking a break from her leadership in the Rebellion.

design would be inspired by Ube by kleahvii, Mika by kienan_lafferty, Marlowe & Buwa by sleeepybacon. high focus on the astral theming, with minor details of the angelic theme. i imagine her with either pinkish blonde hair or black hair with pink and blue ombre streaks. her species would be a hybrid of elf ( Micah ) and chimera ( Angella ).

theme song - Termina Field by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Bow - Guardian of Whispering Woods, Friend of Madame Razz, Best Friend of Princess Glimmer's, Son of George and Lance, and Co-Leader of the Rebellion. 20 yrs, 6'0, is a runaway from home after a particularly bad argument ensued between himself and his family. he is a pacifist and uses his archery to assist, not to cause harm ( or, at least, irreversible harm ).

his reasons for running away aren't exactly known, even to Glimmer herself, and he always gives half-truths or not-necessarily-lies to anyone who asks about his family and history. but he is very open about his beliefs, his current living situation ( currently resides in the Whispering Woods ), and how he feels.

as the Rebellion's mechanic and stealth strategist, Bow uses his technological intelligence and creativity to aid his allies. he's proven time and time again to be reliable, intuitive, and thinking of just about everything. whether or not that's a good thing.

in contrast to his secrecy, Bow is open-minded, well-meaning, and has a very strong belief in kindness. after living in the Whispering Woods on his own for a few years, and experiencing hardships unbeknownst to anyone else, he aims to be the example for others that people weren't for him.

design would be inspired by Jequ and Agnes by dewfroq, and Earth-42 Miles Morales in Across The Spiderverse. i think i want to make him a cyborg-type of character.

theme song - Goron Lullaby by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Angella - Queen of Brightmoon, Mother of Princess Glimmer, Widowed Wife of King Micah, and Angel of Etheria. 47(?) yrs old, 7'5, her exact origins are unknown, even to her daughter. some speculate that she was born from a star or moon, others guess she is from a different dimension entirely. the only one who even had an idea was the late King Micah.

benevolent, calm, and wise, Angella has been Queen for longer than she has been anything else. in some ways, she considers that a blessing. in others, she considers it a curse. accepting her fate decades ago, the pain has dulled enough to be barely noticeable.

though most don't know it, she has lived way longer than almost any of the Etherians, having experienced more than the Horde's genocide and eventual war. maybe even the universe beyond Despondos.

her abilities align, though not rely on, with the moons and stars, especially with specific constellations. but, as Despondos has a lack of those constellations ( and there are much less stars in the sky ), Angella has not reached her full power in decades.

it's only to Glimmer that she shows her true self, the self that is curious, easily endeared, and overall heartful and passionate, which is a stark contrast to the all-knowing, mysterious, powerful being that is the Queen of Brightmoon. because of this, her daughter has a hard time explaining to others that her mother isn't as stonewalled as she appears.

design would be inspired by Lucifer by fourleafisland, Sera by idolomantises, and Lifegiver and Sold Adopt Design by sleeepybacon. she is a flight-based chimera that has a lot of astral and angel theming, with her facial features obscured by a secondary, smaller set of wings.

theme song - Song of Time by The St. Louis Ocarina Trio

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Hordak - Emperor of the Fright Zone, Father of Adora, The 'Big Boss'. 55 ( appearance wise ), 6'7, his origins are about as unknown as Angella's. it's unknown if he even likes or dislikes to discuss it, as no one has dared to ask him about his life before the Horde.

having brought Etheria to its knees decades ago, Hordak is easily bored or disinterested in his surroundings, often indulging himself in sadism for entertainment. however, he does have a soft spot for his children, Imp and Adora, and finds enjoyment in their company.

when She-Ra comes around, he isn't all that irritated. in the beginning, at least. in fact, he's rather riveted by the new challenge. discovering her identity, however, made all the difference. now, he constantly has to pick between being a father and being an Emperor.

design would be inspired by Fei by cronchy_baguette, Jacks by par0llel, Unnamed OC by crazycomet107, and Miguel O'Hara Illustration by sairasays. his design would definitely be a mix of cyborg and beast, lots of predator and prey metaphors.

theme song - Elegy of Emptiness by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Shadow Weaver - Sorceress of the Fright Zone, Second In Command, Mother of Adora and Catra. 50(?), 5'11, was raised in the Crimson Waste, but ran away and became a student in Mystacor at a young age. after obtaining the dark arts, however, she was banished and considered a freak of nature. soon after, she was found by Hordak.

the 'freak of nature' title didn't leave, however. rather, Shadow Weaver had to embrace it in order to become immune, using her dark magic to protect and provide for herself and whatever or whoever she needs to succeed or gain power.

she keeps most, if not all of her relationships at arms length, paranoia and trust issues running deep. though this doesn't exclude her daughters, Adora and Catra, it's less so with them. even if it's for separate reasons.

after Adora turned on the Horde, this instilled Shadow Weaver's already unstable mindset and kicked it into overdrive. obsessive, aggressive, and erratic in behavior, she eventually becomes a danger to herself and others.

design would be inspired by Peter Pan & Captain Hook Illustrations by sairasays, The Heads and The Witch by kelpible, and Arek ( 3rd form ) by sleeepybacon. her design would be parallel to her life as Light Spinner.

theme song - Midna's Theme by Monsalve

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Catra - Cadet of the Horde ( former ), Force Captain, Daughter of Shadow Weaver. 19 yrs, 5'7, was abducted as a toddler and taught to be a solider, though succession rates are varying. she was originally born in a Kingdom, but her memories are limited and she's rather uninterested ( or unmotivated, it's not clear ) in finding out where she's from.

as she was raised by Shadow Weaver, Catra became an odd mix of codependent, lazy, defiant and aggressive, borderline sadistic, obsessive, and jealous, driving away most people, which only solidified her unhealthy relationships.

once Adora left the Horde, she was no better than her mother, in terms of mental decline, and it was part of the reason why she became Force Captain. unofficially speaking.

design would be inspired by Eralisto by animatorroseoak, Bacon 1 and Bacon 2 by sleeepybacon, Cairo by cronchy_baguette, and Elliot by spam0_llel. i like to think her design becoming more and more feral // unhinged as she develops.

theme song - Majora's Mask by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Scorpia ( Lynda ) - Force Captain, Ex-Warrior of the Crimson Waste, Sister of Octavia, Harbinger of Poison. 21 yrs, 6'3, a fighter with a tough exterior, but a gentle soul. once she gets to know you, anyway. in her time in the Horde, she has formed a bond with Octavia and knew of Catra and Adora, but hadn't met them personally until Catra becam Force Captain.

after running away from the Crimson Waste after killing the leader, Scorpia was recruited by Hordak for her strength and poison // paralytic touch. though, it wasn't exactly like she had a choice.

when meeting Catra, the two were at arms-length for a while, with Scorpia being a little off-put by the other's intensity in bringing Adora back. but, somehow, they eventually become friends. as much as they could be, anyway, considering the circumstances.

design would be inspired by Gora ( tall, dark-haired goliath ) by pen.lilixeesketche and Tora and Gabu by par0llel. i read up the original character's details and decided to have kind of a 'mish-mash' of the original and reboot ( not quite, though ).

theme song - Bolero of Fire by Giulio Capone

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Entrapta ( Es'Tra ) - The Fae of Entanglement, Lady of Dryll, Heart of Technology. Late 40s ( forgot specific age ), 4'10, works for the Horde as their technician, isolated and muted, but finds comfort in the Emperor's company. when he has time for that.

no one really knows why or how she got there, but it's evident that she's chronically exhausted and has a habit of becoming hostile with those who don't respect her space ( it's how she met Catra one on one ). when she's in a better mood, however, she's more likely to talk, but not guaranteed, and shows to always have more knowledge than anyone would expect.

in the rare instances she's completely happy, Entrapta is very friendly, engaging, and there's an increased percentage she'll share technology // technological-know-how with you.

design would be inspired by Bitten Lady and Faubron by animatorroseoak, Eris by boots.oc, and Remi by par0llel. lots of plant cycle symbolism in her environments and hair.

theme song - Song of Storms by ROZEN

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Double Trouble ( Rebekk ) - Diamond of Mischief, Multi-Mask, Fae of Deceit. Early 20s ( exact age is unknown ), 5'11, a busybody that absolutely hates the Horde, which helps them not give a damn about anything more than bare minimum privacy, and who also happens to be Glimmer's cousin, adopted by Castaspella.

when they're not busying spying on the Horde, Double Trouble spends time working on their own plays and shows or trying to play around with their peers, being a generally needy person that craves attention and validation. it's not hard to make them happy, though. usually, a simple compliment makes their entire day.

none of their family knows of their work, though. and they'd like to keep it that way.

design would be inspired by Rue by lizard_b.rain, Thraniavas by spidertams, Cantaluse by animatorroseoaks, and Original Character Animation by kelapabiru. a random design tidbit that doesn't really matter, i like to think their hair is dyed blonde, but they have brown // black roots.

theme song - Minuet of Forest by Giulio Capone

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not all of the character biographies, not even close, but i'm currently working on pt. 2 as we speak, so that'll be out soon! probably will have a pt. 3 and pt. 4, though, there's a lot to go through.

thank you for reading! this and pt. 2 took forever.

[lloydfrontera]

a list of crimes bk moon has committed against me personally with the sequel in no particular order but you will Know which ones i feel more strongly about anyway:

javier smiling to himself and getting all nostalgic as he watches rakiel because he reminds him so very much of lloyd

like seriously this man cannot stop comparing the two of them and getting quietly happy because it brings back fond memories it is heartbreaking he literally has to remind himself to not get swept in sentimentality several times every time he talks with rakiel

and as if that wasn't enough damian and rakiel remind him so much of himself and lloyd that he ends up offering to help them without even thinking about it. like. he feels so identified with them, remembering how hard it had been for him and lloyd to go through that whole ordeal on their own that he just. tells them they have his support before he even realized what he's doing. he wasn't planning on doing that. good work on not getting sentimental babe.

when lloyd and javier are on a call planning how to defeat the demon king, despite the awful circumstances javier can't help but smile and then laugh at himself because no matter how terrible the situation is he still finds it enjoyable to prepare for something with lloyd like they used to do. "it was a feeling similar to a distant longing. or a joy that felt like going back to the past"

javier is pining so hard. like. it's insane.

AND HE JUST KEEPS SMILING SOFTLY WHENEVER HE GETS CONFIRMATION THAT LLOYD STILL HASN'T CHANGED HE'S STILL THE SAME PERSON JAVIER SPENT HIS LIFE WITH SOMEONE SEDATE ME

anyway

lloyd asking rakiel about javier. asking how he's doing. acting all nonchalant about it even kind of annoyed. and then once he's alone. sighing and then smiling faintly. "like the smile he used to smile at someone"

"'so you're doing well? i'm glad' a feeling that blooms for a moment. a memory that's suddenly missed."

i am. going to fucking explode.

and then. there's their actual face-to-face conversation. which. oh my god. i don't even know what to start with.

javier always saying "it's been a while lloyd-nim" no matter how long it has been since they last talked?? because any time at all is too long???

lloyd saying that if anyone hears him say that they'll think they're gyeonwoo and jiknyeo. y'know. the mythical forbidden lovers that live in different realms and can only meet when the stars align so to speak.

y'know. just casually comparing your protagonists to one of the most romantic and tragic couples in mythology. no biggie.

and again. javier smiling when he sees that lloyd is still just the way he was when they were together. hello. hi. can i help you.

lloyd knowing exactly how long it's been since they saw each other in person. down to the very day. "107 years, 7 months and 17 days".

javier getting really, really, really happy about it. about lloyd still being the same. and thinking that, maybe, lloyd feels the same way deep down.

lloyd being so very, very casual about saying "it's been a while so i'm glad to see you" very specifically calling back to the very thing javier says to him whenever they talk.

and then. and then javier. thinking as he sees lloyd leave. that it was really nice to meet him after so long. and that the sight of him leaving still felt the same as it did before. and wondering if those gyeonwoo and jiknyeo lloyd mentioned before felt like this too.

javier. comparing what he feels at seeing lloyd leave. to what the cowherd and the weaver girl felt at separating again.

bk moon i am crawling on your ceiling

anyway if this novel doesn't end with the barriers between hell and heaven falling apart so lloyd and javier can spend the rest of eternity together instead of helplessly pinning over the other and reminiscing over the lifetime they already spent together i will throw someone off a bridge <3

[azalora-the-azerite-dragoness]

If Azalora's life were featured as a novel, what would it be called?

Azalora's Enchanted Odyssey: The Azerite Dragon's Tale

Above: Book Cover | Upon the back of the book the summary reads as follows:

In the mystical realm of Azeroth, where magic and wonder intertwine, Azalora, a majestic dragon infused with the potent energy of Azerite, embarks on a journey that will define her destiny.

Formerly the corpse of a dead bronze dragon, her bones became imbued with a shard of the dragon soul during the defeat of Deathwing. Some years after her body underwent a drastic transformation, reinvigorating her with the essence of life through the power of azerite. This comes about when azerite begins to bleed upon the dragon's corpse enabling Azalora to be reborn.

Now with life granted once more, Azalora moves through enchanted lands filled with mythical creatures and forgotten magic. She seeks to understand her new abilities and the true purpose for her existence. Along the way, she befriends a diverse group of allies, from a cunning rogue with a heart of gold to a death knight who is still blessed with the light. Together, they uncover ancient secrets that hint at a greater battle looming on the horizon.

However, their journey is shadowed by the relentless pursuit of the Void, an entity of darkness and chaos that seeks to consume all light in the universe. The Void, personified as a sinister force known as the Shadow Weaver, grows stronger with each realm it corrupts. Its minions, twisted by darkness, chase Azalora, drawn by the pure, radiant energy of Azerite flowing within her. The Shadow Weaver aims to harness this energy to unleash a void storm that would plunge Azeroth into eternal night.

Azalora must harness her newfound powers, forge alliances, and face her fears to thwart the Void's malevolent plan. Her odyssey becomes not just a quest for personal understanding but a battle for the soul of Azeroth itself. In a tale woven with courage, friendship, and the magic of Disney-like storytelling, Azalora learns that even the darkest shadows can be dispelled by the light within one's heart.

@safrona-shadowsun - thanks for the ask! This was actually really fun to answer, LOL! I hope I did it justice LMAO

Mentions: @unabashedrebel & Zyriann Lichbane

[invinciblerodent]

10 for all of them? <33

Question list here!

Oooh, fun!! I love this one!!

10. Do they have any nicknames for each other? Who uses terms of endearment more?

.... though I think I'm going to have preface- for the most part, I don't really think any of my guys are the traditional "nickname" type of people.

I'm going to start with the longest and most convoluted one, lol.

For starters, I think Marcus isn't really a "casual nickname" guy- I don't think he can bring himself even just to call Bellara "Bel" for the longest time, and when he does, and she likes it, it sort of becomes the only one he falls back on.

Generally, given the distance he keeps from most people, he's a Full Name And Title type of a person (it'll take him a while to get from "Professor Volkarin" to "Emmrich" just like it does for her, for instance), and he doesn't even have a living language that's his own only to fall back on, because afaik Nevarra just... speaks Trade as its official language.

(I'm still strongly considering having him think of another, dead language as his native tongue because, well, he is a bloody crypt orphan who was raised primarily by crypt-keepers and corpses. I really quite like the thought that something like that on top of his already present difficulties with social cues would kind of cripple his self-expression in his youth- I think it fantasy-fies and accentuates the fact that he's masking so hard 24/7, but I'm hammering out the details of that still.) (I'm thinking of an Old Nevarran, that's sort of an offshoot of Orlesian, and is spoken by a handful of spirits as a native language, and by the mortalitasi in a perfunctory way, way deep down in the catacombs.)

As for her, right now, not having seen that much of the actual romance yet, I'm really liking the thought that she would call him something sweet and obscure in Elven without telling him what it means, and then he'd come across it in some old text, completely on accident.

I'm about to get Very Weird with this, but... like five years ago, I came up with my own little Elven legend (because I'm So Normal and Dragon Age is not at all my Very Special Interest, lol).

I shamelessly based it on mushing together the legends of Orpheus and Eurydice and the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: it was, in a nutshell, sort of a creation myth about about the daylight cycle, and at the same time, it was this ancient metaphor of the cure for Tranquility, told through the story a woman, a powerful mage, rescuing her lover who got "trapped in the Fade" in a "bargain for power", and either succeeding, or failing in doing so, depending on the clan that tells it.

In that, I called the mythical lovers Nereba ("night", the woman who, depending on the story, is either rushing in ecstasy to embrace her lover with each nightfall, or bringing accursed darkness to all the lands in her rage and despair over his loss) and Vunin ("day", the man who is sort of a metaphor for Elgar'nan and his hunger for power, but who is either bending his head in love of the gentle darkness of his beloved, or dying as punishment for his greed in a burst of colorful agony each night).

Anyway, very long trip to take for such a thing, but in that story I made up, I had Vunin call his love "ma'sulahn'nen", which in modern Elven would mean "my joy", but in context, it also shares a root with the word "suledin", and means "my enduring/persistent/tenacious one". (Which, what is Rook as a protagonist if not that, lol.)

I like to think of that as an obscure, archaic term of endearment (and sort of admiration, awe, a tender respect of one's lover) that Bellara and not many others would know, but Marcus might still accidentally come across it in his studying of everything Elgar'nan during the plot of the game.

....And then the next time she says it, he'll flush from the chest up, like his head is being sloooooowly filled up with boiling water, lol.

Ver might consider something familiar and traditional like an "amatus" for all of a split second, before casting it aside.

It just... feels too jarring to her. Being Soporati, and fairly low class even within that, she kind of can't look at someone she loves the way she does, and think of a word she most associates with tragic lovers' lofty expressions of devotion from classic literature, soppy poetry, old songs in Ancient Tevene, and little old couples that have been married for 50 years. It'd be like calling him her gentleman caller, or idk, her pumpkin-wumpkin. It just does not jive. In her head, Davrin and "amatus" go like ketchup on pudding.

On the other end of it, with the emphasis Davrin seems to put on names within the story (not the Gloom Howler but Isseya, not "the griffons" but Beaktooth and Heidas and Stormwing, etc.), I also think that by the time they get close enough to where calling each other an affectionate nickname wouldn't feel out of place, he'd already kind of be set in "Rook" being the name (which I guess IS already a nickname) that best and most honestly describes exactly what she means to him.

So I like to think that the way he says her name already sounds like an endearment, be it "Rook", or her actual name, her naked name, and she occasionally falls back on "Warden" in the same tender, vulnerable sort of way.

It just really tickles me to imagine that, from the outside, it can look to all the world as if they're not even a particularly affectionate couple, or like they can be mistaken for Friends Who Flirt Too Much (which, not entirely untrue), when in reality they've just... somehow, over time, covertly turned the most mundane interactions into borderline-saccharine expressions of affection.

.... one extra thing tho, you could try to tell me that that damn voice of his wasn't just made to groan "baby", breathless and desperate into the crook of someone's neck, but it would be fruitless, because we both know that I'm right.

And I'm also right when I say that there's no way he hasn't been known to throw in a spine-tinglingly rumbly, deep and proud "that's my girl" on occasion.

While she doesn't think (or admit?) that she has a praise kink, that does nevertheless make Ver kinda fumble whatever it is that she's holding, without fail. (I think Davrin finds that equal parts adorable and hilarious, and makes not-infrequent use of it- with not always the purest intentions.)(That's right, he uses it while sparring, both as legitimate praise of her skill, and to distract her and create an opportunity to regain the upper hand. Of course. Certainly not because he knows being called "his girl" gets her ferociously horny.)

.... okay one last thing and I shut up, her "ex" used to call her "Catulla" as a joke. It's because she's from an area I call Catsbane, where locals call themselves cats, and that's a jokingly feminized form of the Latin word I've declared is Old Tevene for "kitten", "catulus". It's already not funny in context, and even less funny if you have to explain it.

Anyway, for the years they've known each other (both literally, and in the, uh. Dragon-Age-ified-version-of-biblical sort of way), that's a big inside joke between them, but it tickles me to think of the delicious misunderstanding it's gonna create when they meet Adris (now a Warden himself) in Hossberg. Just imagine that a random guy, who is also an Elven Grey Warden, fondly calls your then-situationship "kitten" in front of you in their shared native language. Fucking awkward is what that is.

(yeah i'm reusing this one, because i really like it)

And finally, I already absolutely adore how from what I've seen, every second breath of Emmrich's ends in a casual exclamation of "dearest" or "my dear" or "my love" or "darling" or any other of the syrupy things he can think of, while Tristan just... calls him Emmrich. (Might experiment with a bit of trying-to-be-sexy by lowly whispering "Professor" in a slightly mocking, taunting way.)(You can't tell me that it's not going to work. It is going to work, too well in fact. Poor 40-year-old virgin is going to be very overwhelmed by the kind and amount of horny his 60-something lover can be.)

Tristan is, however, very much unused to anyone addressing him as anything other than "Rook" or "Thorne". So the first time he hears "dearest", he'll be completely off his game, for what feels like the rest of the day. Visibly in a much better mood that usual, smiling when nobody is looking (and not even a way that's sarcastic, sardonic, sparse, but warm, welcome, straight-up honest-to-Andraste tender), and him being too happy to take being teased over it as an insult will be a very important step in him slowly opening up.

(I kind of like the thought of him coming out of that exchange, and Neve saying something like "would you look at that, it seems like the Sun has finally come up!" or Harding saying that it's nice to finally see him smile again, and instead of wiping that smile off and trying to reclaim his Gruff Warden persona, Tristan would just chuckle. And blush???? Which in turn throws Harding and Neve off their game for the rest of the day, too.)

...... anyway I've gone on long enough, I don't need to start thinking about Fereldans and the term "pup" as an endearment, I've already embarrassed my guy more than enough, lol. He already had a Time reconciling within himself that he's not just bi, but also inexperienced and sort of submissive, he doesn't also need to be hopelessly turned on by getting his head pet, or being called "pup".

He doesn't need to, but he can.