#The Sky sings creation into existence.

[blackvahana]

I sat and plucked the strings, I called him in. All his waves, all the tides to the shore. A call so strong, a siren so big, that even the ocean itself is pulled.

Eyes are great spheres with central dots, gelatinous, liquid, strange substances both there and not. Fish eggs, babies seen in the light when held to eclipse the sun. That's what I watched, that's what I called; it wasn't just the sparkling core but the peripheral hagfish expulsions - and those expulsions' expulsions. All the world brought to me, all the limbs held with puppet strings.

I called, he was brought to answering. Fate, mind, thoughts, personality, the repetitive learned states, the state-learning, ideas, future possibilities, the gentleness of flesh, the sharpness of consciousness-bone. Echoes, but simultaneous. Thunder at the same time as lightning, brought together not because one must follow the other but because both were brought together.

I still fail to understand, but at least I understand that that lack of understanding is a willed ignorance born from... understandable things.

There, you said, was the place you last were, just below the surface. When I wake it will be there. This is a Creator's act, a Creator's mind, a Creator's reverence for the Created. Understanding of the Trinity, embodying it. The siren call emanates from the deepest, most fertile underwater volcanoes, the point at which my face presses against the surface.

There was a reason we went up there in the first place. The revelation and self-destruction was wanted all along. Apotheosis, they call it; even those who have reached it need to play this game through again and again and reach it again and again. This is... Old God re-apotheosis, the eyes opening to another truth, more eyes across your scales, more revelatory bliss, and I am that. Nothing is lost when all is lost. All is gained when all is lost. Nothing is lost, all is had. All is had and all is gained.

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Guizhong (don't mind me re-dropping this with the fixed ones, shh)

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ THROUGH THICK AND THIN ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. with your kin swept away by the cataclysm, you have no one to rely on other than your wits. the curse of being immortal has you start fresh in the modern world as a citizen of inazuma, living alongside humans and yokai. throughout your life in the moral realm, you’ve met many interesting people. out of all of them, one becomes your rock and a shoulder to cry on. out of the blue, you say whatever is in your heart. they’ll reach out for your hand to let you know they're listening.

CHARACTERS. arataki itto, gorou, yoimiya

CONTENT. gn!reader. canon-compliant. immortal au. hurt/comfort. 0.5k wc. rewrite of phase six at my old main blog @/verxsyon. itto is half- immortal due to his oni blood. gorou is fully immortal due to him being some sort of yokai. yoimiya stays mortal. references to voicelines when you ascend characters to phase six, or in other words, from level 80 to 90. they’re part of the dialogue, which will be italicized.

VERA. you can tell from the old title that i’m terrible with titles. what even is phase six? good thing rewrites exist, amirite?

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ARATAKI ITTO

once an oni, always an oni. that’s a farewell from the villagers when they drove him out of his home for an incident he wasn’t involved in, just because of his half-immortal heritage. the streets ridiculed him; he spent so long fending off for himself until he met granny oni. you remind him of his younger self, even the strongest people need support the most.

“this is the cliff that me and the boys go to sing our hearts out to, you know, loosen up,” he says. “if you want, make sure you’re loud and clear so the ocean can hear you. i gotta warn you though, my voice is so amazing that it’ll blow you away.”

“but in all seriousness…” he helps you up on your feet, and you’re able to see the beauty of the world down below — the ocean that is waiting to hear you sing and the unknown ahead. “just because i made it to the top doesn't mean i’m gonna forget all the things you've done for me, okay? i’ve still got your back, anytime, anywhere.”

𝄞༉‧₊˚. GOROU

top dog. the ever-victorious pointy-eared general. those nicknames are what he believed he didn’t deserve. an immortal like yourself, he has lived through and fought in countless wars for centuries to be acquainted with loneliness. most of his best soldiers are gone. that kid teppei, one of his brightest, is gone. he’s never been so afraid.

“out of all the wars i fought in, this war against the shogun scared me the most,” he confesses, squeezing your hand tightly. “i wasn’t ready to face any more casualties after teppei. i wasn’t ready to lose both kazuha and the traveler after almost getting executed by her judgment. and when i thought all hope was lost…”

“… you were there beside me to assure me that it’s not. i should be the one thanking you. to return the favor, i’m always here to listen if you need me.” his face lights up and his tail starts to wag. “with momentum on our side and close camaraderie, we are unstoppable. thank you for your guidance. this is a victory that belongs to the both of us.”

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YOIMIYA

despite being a mortal, she understands the perspective of an immortal through fireworks. mortal lives are fleeting, she had said to the traveler. once launched into the sky, they disappear. whereas for immortal lives, they can keep watching them disappear forever and ever. she knows that she’ll be gone while you continue to live on, but it doesn’t explain her rather cheerful demeanor.

“oh, why am i happy?” she tilts her head to the side. “well, it’s not because i’m about to leave eventually. it’s because you’re here with me. i’m glad to be able to spend this moment with you. whenever i look at my creations, i don’t think of them being a representation of every mortal living here.”

“i think about the enjoyment i had watching them with my pops, my friends, and my special someone. even when i’m gone, you still believe i’m here.” she stands firm and proud, flashing a peace at you. “never fear, yoimiya is here! evil begone! justice prevails! think this is a good way to introduce the powers you've taught me to the children? isn’t it cool? hehe! hey, tell me if anyone picks on you, too. i’ll stick up for you!”

[wutheringvibe]

December 28 - I keep falling. Off rhythms, off rituals, off promises. promises whispered to myself under the soft glow of imagined tomorrows. Journaling every day felt like a promise too, but promises, like stitches, often snap when pulled too tight. But anyway here i am trying again. The sun is out today, shining bright, but the wind steals its warmth. It’s the kind of weather that feels like it’s trying to tell me something, sharp, brisk, and fleeting. i didn’t dress for it, as usual. my summer clothes cling to me in defiance, they are my second skin. winter weather, though, holds my heart, it feels like coming home. i sit with my pen, feeling its weight like it’s carrying more than ink. I love the way it feels in my hand on such days, the way it presses into paper, leaving lines so permanent, so unapologetically real, like truth written into existence, as if marking time itself. My palm skates across the page, a small rebellion against the cool surface of the paper. The pen becomes more than an object. It’s alive, an instrument, an extension of my thoughts. I think about the way my fingers cradle it, for a moment, it feels like holding power, creation, the world. Did God feel the same when he shaped things? Was it a pen he used, or a paintbrush, or maybe just his hands, raw and bare, palms pressed to nothing until it became something? I wonder if he felt the peace i feel when i hold my pen. There’s a vision I hold close, one I’ve carried since I was a child, a backyard bathed in sunlight, a gentle wind nudging the clothesline into song. The clothes sway, soft cotton ghosts dancing against the sky. It’s a quiet heaven, removed from the relentless noise of the world. The air sings a soft song, the sun casts its golden fingers over everything, and peace settles like dust on an undisturbed surface. This image keeps returning to me, unannounced, unbidden, grounding me when the world feels too sharp. It’s strange, how a fragment of a childhood dream can linger, outlasting years, outlasting doubts. My teacher had asked us where we’d like to live. That's when it first came to me. But I couldn't answer her. I didn't have the words to describe how the wind of that sunny afternoon felt in my imagination. And that feeling hasn’t ever left me. I am still trying to find my way to it. That backyard, that moment, that wind. that imagined peace. But peace, I’ve learned, is slippery. It dances just beyond reach, a game of hide and seek with no end. It’s there in glimpses, slipping through your fingers the moment you try to hold it. Outside, I hear new born pups crying. New lives, fragile and fleeting, fighting for survival. Most will not see spring. Their tiny tragedies pass unnoticed, unmourned, just like so much else that vanishes quietly from the world. Life goes on, with or without our permission. Sometimes I wish I could stop running with it. I wish the plants would claim me, take me into their fold. Their roots don’t wander, their leaves don’t ask questions. Rooted and swaying to rhythms far older than time, their harmony is enviable. They sway to the wind and bask in the sun’s embrace, content with simply being. I imagine myself as one of them, soft green and unburdened, listening to the quiet hum of the earth. I wish to shed this skin of noise and human yearning, to just dance in the cool breeze and breathe without want. There’s a strange comfort in the simplicity of things. There’s comfort in becoming part of something larger, something still. There's peace in these quiet moments, like clothes on a line, like the pen on paper. Like dreams of a far-off backyard, swaying, soaking in the sun. A peace which runs away from me again and again. I wish i could bottle it up

[0v3rcast]

Gnaw (4)

You stand at the precipice of Liyue. The land of Geo. The resting place of a corpse-god, the dragon Rex Lapis, and the home of Archon Zhongli.

Though some part of you hopes that they'll be less hostile, you can't help but feel that Liyue will simply be more of the same.

More suffering. More death.

But now you have a gift. A way to protect yourself. The symbol of one of your loyal creations, and a font of power from which to draw destructive energy. You are not alone. And you will not fall so easily.

You step through a boundary, a line between the nations, and the world changes. Suddenly, the sky does not feel so vast. The air feels thinner, and the ground beneath your feet feels... denser. More present. As though the soil and stone of Mondstadt was gravel.

You take a few moments to breathe, to aquaint yourself with lungs that go unaided by Anemo, and begin walking.

Somewhere in the distance lies the Stone Gate. You decide to avoid it and the people of Liyue as best you can.

You decide to experiment with the abilities you now have so you can defend yourself if need be.

First, you should probably learn to sense them, starting at the symbol upon your wrist.

After a minute of concentration, you feel the faintest twitch of static in your veins. The subtle hum of energy that now calls you home.

You move the energy sluggishly, slowly convincing it to travel along your veins, and it proceeds to gain speed.

By the end of your first hour of 'training', there is a storm in your chest, your heart pounding thunder down your ribs, your blood singing with voltaic power.

It feels good.

You are unaware that special organs are rapidly growing in your dermis and flesh to allow you to conduct electrical energy safely.

You are unaware of the way billions of neurons are rearranging themselves to make your use of this power instinctive.

You are unaware of the way your entire nervous system is editing itself, allowing you to pump your body full of electro energy without a cost to your health.

You are unaware that you could now shrug off chewing on a power plant generator's active primary circuit or that you would register lightning as nothing more than a mild annoyance.

What you are aware of is the ball of lightning hovering over your hand. You grin, victorious.

(Electro watches from their throne at the peak of existence, smug smile on their face.)

Your doppelgänger howls in agony as they carve a spiral into the space between their shoulderblades with a blade that oozes molten gold.

They cannot allow themselves to be discovered as a false God. To be revealed now would be a waste of all their work.

To lose the luxuries they rightfully deserve is so horrible a fate that they'd rather maim themselves to keep up the illusion.

Soon, their acolytes will arrive.

They command that their 'imposter' shall be killed on sight.

Five Archons obey.

(They do not notice the way their Gnosis begin to dim.)

You spend two weeks slowly navigating the terrain of Liyue and exploring your new abilities.

You've learned to weave the energy into your limbs to vastly speed them up. You've learned to push that energy into your nails and teeth, turning them into vicious claws and fangs.

You've learned to push the energy into your brain to increase your reaction time and slow the world around you to a crawl.

Days of travel are collapsed into mere hours as you become a purple-streaked blur that rushes across the terrain fast enough to run up cliff faces and across water.

...you've also had countless bloody noses and scraped limbs, gotten enough dirt in your mouth to fill a flowerpot, choked on a multitude of flying bugs, and nearly drowned trying to water-walk.

Fruit and vegetables are bountiful, but you can't quite shake the urge to find some new small creature and bite down into it and fill your mouth with delicious red-

No. You are better than your urges. You are a person, not an animal, no matter how tempting the idea is.

Unfortunately this peace does not last.

You run across a small patrol of Millelith members, each bearing a weapon of some sort.

"Fuck," you hiss, ducking into the treeline to hopefully avoid being found. It's too late.

One of them cries out in alarm, and the entire group is instantly alerted to your presence.

You learn from the orders their leader is barking that you are now to be slain on sight.

Spears are leveled in your direction, arrows are nocked and readied, clubs and greatswords rise.

You easily avoid the arrows, your body humming with electro energy, and the first to swing their blade at you is met with a spear of lightning through the brain, their body writhing violently at the end.

You dispel the spear and dodge a mace, giving the woman bearing it a blast of electrical energy straight to the face, turning her head to ash and instantly killing her.

An arrow slices your side as you toss the headless body away from you, and the wound immediately begins to sizzle as it mends in a golden scar.

You reach into the head of the archer from a distance and send a jolt of power into his brain, flash-frying nerves and swiftly ending his life.

You don't remember ever being as clumsy and slow as they are before you had Electro. Are humans this pathetic, or are the Millelith just awful?

Five more stand in your way.

You gather the charge within your gift and send it out as a bolt of raw electro energy.

The leader is hit, but does not die. They are instead surrounded by a potent magnetic field. The metal of their armor and the metal of their squadmates attract to each other, and they're slammed together.

The five of them struggle to part themselves, pathetically squirming in place. You put them out of their misery to save them the embarrassment.

As soon as that's done, the gravity of your actions hits you. You just killed eight people.

You're horrified - but they were going to kill you first, weren't they?

Should you feel horrified for defending yourself from people who wanted you dead?

...should you feel anything for these people? Some part of you still desperately clings to the idea that this is all some fucked-up dream or a game.

It ceases to matter when elemental energy erupts right in front of you, and Kequing lunges out of a teleport to cleanly slice off your head.

As your vision begins to blacken, and the world drifts away, you watch your headless body stagger backward a few steps and then drop.

"Maybe next time," you mutter without sound, as the darkness swallows you.

Deep purple blood oozes from the stump of your neck as every trace of your corpse disintegrates.

("I will put you back together, my maker," whispers the Abyss. "I will always put you back together.")

((Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche @thatdeadaquarius @ssak-i @imyme20 @fried-lotud @acacla @itz-luna @iruiji @crierofirony @itsredactedlove @sweetsthetik @leafanonsforest @oxyotl @kkazuyass @featuredtofu @resident-cryptid @d4y-dr3am3r @crimson-ashes @red1sg0n3 @the-real-fandom-person @code-roevember @yourlocalsourwolf @rhoswen-drake @minimari415 @reversearrowhead

[nadas-dirthalen]

One Single Person Asked, So Here's A Dirthamen Theory Infodump!

shoutout to @damallarky for activating MY trap card on this long af post.

Since there's a lot, the explanations are going to exist without some of their sources/context. This post can only go on so LONG lmao.

So. Dirthamen theory time under the break, to spare the eyes of anyone who doesn't want the TIRADE.

First big theory: I think Dirthamen and Falon'Din were split in two at the time of their creation into what we recognize as the Evanuris they are. And I think Elgar'nan did it, poorly, and then Mythal fixed his mess.

Oh, and I think they were an Envy demon. That's important. Now let me explain.

We know sundered spirits are possible, given both the Vir Dirthara in Trespasser (Ghil-Dirthalen, the librarian, was sundered) and also some, uh... spoilery Veilguard stuff. Sorry everyone.

Second, there's a lot to explain what Envy demons are like. They really want to be mortal, for one thing. Second, they're shapeshifters. Oh, and also?

Envy is never satisfied, however. The demon's bottomless cravings to be more—more powerful, more skilled, more inspired—cause it to seek fresh prey, leaving a trail of stolen identities behind.

Who's this sound like? Who, that Solas might have dissed for having an "endless appetite for adulation" as we went through the Temple of Mythal?

Also, Dirthamen and Falon'din are the first of Elgar'nan and Mythal's "children." Time to dip into Dalish legend and pick out what I think are the kernels of truth.

[Elgar'nan] was the first of the elven gods, born of the sun and the earth. According to elven legend, the sun grew jealous of the favor shown by Elgar'nan for the things of the earth, and so burned them to ashes. In retaliation, Elgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky, and only later relented because of Mythal's intervention. He was convinced, with her help, to restore his father to the sky on the promise that the sun would set each night.

There's a lot to go over here. I'm gonna break down why I have bolded what I bolded.

So we know that the words for "sun" and "spirit" are almost the same thing in the elvish language. And we ALSO know that the Fade is oft called the "sky," and the Deep Roads/Titan Things are referred to as "the earth." These are then contrasted in Trespasser as places where magic works differently — the "unchanging world" is described as having the "pull of the earth," forcing everything to be more corporeal, more real (and also lowkey singing of lyrium.)

Put that all together, and when I read 'the sun grew jealous of the favor shown by Elgar'nan for the things of the earth', I think about a spirit being jealous of Elgar'nan's corporeality and his work with "earthly" magic.

Then we see that "the Dalish believe that when Elgar'nan buried the sun in the abyss," this caused the dwarves to be afraid of him because of whatever happened down there. And only Mythal was able to intervene to end this process.

And my favorite point? The promise that the sun would have to set each night. The sun becoming two different things: day and night. Light and dark.

Spirit and demon? Maybe reflection and shadow.

See, my theory is that Dirthamen and Falon'Din are two natures of the same spirit: the first half wisdom, because even Envy demons hunger for knowledge, and the second half still demonic, because of everything we know about Falon'Din. His hunger for adulation. Power.

This is also echoed, faintly, in the Chant of Light. "[...] And grew jealous of the life they could not feel, could not touch. In blackest envy were the demons born." (It mentions that this is after the creation of the Veil, but I think humans just... got that one wrong.)

As well as...

Now, with their Father's eye elsewhere, the firstborn At last created something new: Envy. They looked upon the living world and the favored Sons and daughters there, covetous of all they were. Within their hearts grew An intolerable hunger. Until, at last, some of the firstborn said: "Our Father has abandoned us for these lesser things. We have power over heaven. Let us rule over earth as well And become greater gods than our Father."

So, in summary: I think that Elgar'nan came across a super jealous, super powerful demon and decided, extremely clear-headedly, to throw it down toward the Titans and... do something horrifying to it. Mythal intervened, and out came Dirthamen and Falon'Din, sundered. One cut off from its demonic nature (perhaps unwilling/not able to see/hear/speak properly? Like the priests in the Temple of Dirthamen?) and the other left with nothing else.

Second big theory: Dirthamen left Falon'Din's side and joined the Mythal-Solas side of the Evanuris war.

First, there's these mosaics. Fen'harel, Mythal, Dirthamen, and Andruil.

Second, there's Dirthamen mosaics right when you start the elven ruin part of Trespasser. (featuring my Lavellan looking less than pleased.)

And third? Bear with the fact that I have no pictures of the actual room. But in the same room in Trespasser where you find the painting of Solas removing valasslin, there are 5 mosaics lined up on both sides of that big hall, in the same order. Falon'Din, Dirthamen, Fen'harel, Mythal, Dirthamen.

To me, it reads as: Falon'Din and Dirthamen were a pair, then Fen'harel happened, then Dirthamen and Mythal were on the same side.

Third big theory: Dirthamen's valasslin tells a story.

(If you saw this on the source post, you can skip it, it's copied here just to have everything in one place.)

I'm gonna reference this post a lot, but suffice it to say: I'm going off an educated guess that triangles referenced in elven art/society represent the Veil, and diamonds represent the Fade.

That said, behold my terrible penmanship, because I've had a theory that Dirthamen bounced since I took a really critical look at Inky's and Bellara's valasslin.

I'm going off the assumption that Dirthamen's valasslin is a raven flying downward. Beak at the tip of the nose, wings spanning the cheeks. There's some third eye imagery on Inky's chin (which would be above the beak, since we're looking upside down) and, crucially, a big ring on the forehead that looks like it's been broken through.

It looks like Dirthamen has broken free of the forehead ring and has escaped. And what's surrounding that ring? You got it. Triangles. There's small triangles on the wings as well, and another on the beak. But the largest, which I haven't written down, is at the bottom of the chin. Almost like that third eye forced its way out, with massive magic. (Note also, every "feather" on the wings is a very warped triangle.)

It feels like a narrative that says: Hey. Dirthamen isn't in his prison. He got out. His mind/magic broke him loose.

I take it as Chapter One of the Dirthamen Valasslin Chronicle™, because when I look at Bellara... (please, suffer my penmanship again, I'm so sorry)

I see two birds sitting on either side of a big third eye. And what is under them (but above her eyebrows)? You guessed it!!! Triangles!!! And, on the other side of that sort of natural line of her brow? Diamonds.

(Tiny side thought: I think the birds bring on swirly branches reminiscent of Mythal's valasslin is indicative that Dirthamen was part of her side/rebellion with Solas, but that's its own post)

Anyway. Two birds sitting on this side of the Veil. The Not-Fade side. And what are they sitting around?

A huge third eye, itself on a set of two triangles. To me, it's implying all-seeing-eye energy, and also implying that Dirthamen is watching. From THIS side of the Veil.

And that, to me, is a very interesting Chapter Two of the Dirthamen Valasslin Chronicle™. A conclusion as much as a warning.

Last big theory: I think Dirthamen was involved with Andraste during her lifetime—if not as Shartan (who I think might've been an agent of Solas), then as Havard.

There's so much of this theory that's just vibes and gut feelings, but I think that all of the Evanuris had their grubby little fingers in Andraste's life, because I think that they knew she was harboring Mythal.

Andraste was born the same year that Dumat was slain. And, knowing what we know from the DA:tV combat trailer (I'm sorry, everyone), we know that the Evanuris did, in fact, have archdemons. My theory is that Dumat was Mythal's, and that either Andraste or her half-sister were born with an old god soul. Her sister's death is, I think, the moment when Mythal proper (the same piece that's in Flemeth now) entered Andraste's body.

And I think all the Evanuris knew, through their agents, through their own archdemons, through the darkspawn hivemind—you name it.

I think all the Evanuris had agents playing roles in everything in Andraste's life next. I think Solas tried to appear to Andraste in dreams as the Maker—which, mind breaking under an old god and Mythal, did not go super well or translate super clearly. When that failed, I think Solas sent Shartan to help.

But meanwhile? I think Havard and Maferath are representative of Dirthamen and Falon'Din. For starters, they were inseparable childhood friends until Maferath's betrayal. He's also shield-coded, just like Dirthamen's Wisdom is a shield. He's repeatedly referred to as The Aegis in the Chant of Light and elsewhere.

Havard pledged himself to Andraste's cause, though was too late to save her life. This echoes how I believe Dirthamen switched sides, but not fast enough to save Mythal.

Maferath betrayed Andraste (and also Havard, by consequence) out of jealousy, much like I believe Falon'din was the catalyst for Mythal's murder.

Havard carried on after Andraste's life ended, quietly bringing her ashes to a sacred temple, where those who accompanied him there would go on to guard eternally. Much like how I feel Dirthamen is still out there somewhere now, watching. Waiting. Learning.

To what end? Well, I hope we find out in Veilguard. (I kind of hope we find out through Bellara, specifically. Or Lucanis, from... perhaps... the Falon'Din side of things. Maybe, tragically, both.)

If you stayed this long, YOU'RE A HERO! Clap for yourself! And thanks for reading! And tell me if I'm wrong on any counts!

[talonabraxas]

"To Protogonos [i.e. Phanes], Fumigation of Myrrh. O mighty Protogonos (First-Begotten), hear my prayer, twofold, egg-born, and wandering through the air; bull-roarer, glorying in thy golden wings, from whom the race of gods and mortal springs. Erikapaios (Ericapaeus), celebrated power, ineffable, occult, all-shining flower. 'Tis thine from darksome mists to pure the sight, all-spreading splendour, pure and holy light; hence, Phanes, called the glory of the sky, on waving pinions through the world you fly. Priepos (Priapus), dark-eyed splendour, thee I sing, genial, all-prudent, ever blessed king. With joyful aspect on these rites divine and holy consecration (telete) propitious shine." - The Hymns of Orpheus

Phanes Talon Abraxas

Phanes – The God of Creation And New Life

Phanes is the god of proliferation and new life. He was hatched from the cosmic egg and created the world as it came to be. A dual deity of light and goodness, Phanes is a vague figure in Greek Mythology. His symbols are the egg, the serpent and the zodiac circle.

Phanes’ Origins

Based on the Orphic Tradition, before the beginning of conscience and existence, Chronos (Time) created the cosmic egg, out of which emerged a deity with large golden wings on his back, wearing a helmet on his head and bearing an obscure serpent around his body. His name was Phanes Protogonos (First-Born) and he was the first deity that brought light and shaped the world. Other sources regard him as more of an abstract personification of the universe rather than an actual god, placing Nyx, The Greek primordial Goddess of Night as the first deity that came into being.

Roles and Responsibilities

Phanes’ primary role was to beget the world and make life. After the creation, he ruled over the cosmos and paved the way for the rest of the gods to come.

Phanes – The God of Creation And New Life

[tales-from-the-aether-ttrpg]

A Guide for Adventures - Entry 3

On Mythical Creatures 

Myths, fairy tales, and legends speak of creatures so rare many question their existence and they may only be witnessed once every few centuries. But fear not, dear adventurer, Mythical creatures are very real and more common than you may realize. When one thinks of Mythical creatures, they often first think of Unicorns, Phoenixes, or other creatures of fairy tales but as a fledgling adventurer, you must be prepared for the more common Elementals and the incredibly rare Shades. The three types of Mythical creatures vary vastly in appearance, attitude, and purpose but they all share a crippling vulnerability to lightning. It is commonly thought that Mythical creatures are direct conduits for magic and thus, are more susceptible to lightning as lightning has a tendency to absorb magic. 

The creatures fairy tales and myths discuss are formally called Fables. These creatures are completely immune to the passage of time and do not age. It is believed that Fables are created when a mortal dies. As you may know, mortals' have spirits or souls or whatever you may believe resides inside of us. When we die, our spirit returns to the Aether but in order for this process to take place, a minor bridge is created just like a magician casting a spell. On very rare occasions, an Aether Spirit may slip through to possess the corpse, transforming it into a Fable. 

If your initial response to this transformation is, well, shouldn't Fables be a type of Macabre creature? Yes, dear adventurer, this is a valid inquiry. No one quite knows what Aether Spirits are but they aren't dead or alive and the transformation that creates a Fable isn't one of necromantic origins. Since the transformation has never been witnessed and recorded, I cannot give you certainty other than this: Fables are vulnerable to lightning instead of fire, the element that Macabre creatures are vulnerable to. The Aether works in mysterious ways. If you are lucky enough to encounter a Fable, perhaps you can learn the answers for yourself. 

The most common Mythical creature an intrepid adventure is bound to cross is an Elemental. These chaotic beings are born of the pure magical energy of nature. Most often, this takes the form of natural disasters but they can also be created when nature is threatened or in the aftermath of an immense surge of magical energy. Elementals created during natural disasters usually only exist for the duration of the disaster in which they increase the havoc of the natural disaster ten fold before disappearing just as quickly as the disaster itself. 

Elementals created by surges of magical energy or threats to their environment are not nearly as temperamental or temporary. These elementals can live for centuries in which they are often driven by a need to protect the natural elements that created them or prevent disasters. There are some scholars who believe that every part of the world is protected by an elemental that shifts and transforms with the environment but I have never encountered such a being in all my travels so take this as you will. One trait that seems to bind all elementals together is their ability to see the weaves of magic that bind all things. Every elemental I've spoken to describes the world as a pattern of swirling magical energy that sings to them. 

The last and rarest type of Mythical creatures are Shades. These beings are so scarce that even many scholars don't believe in their existence but I had the honor of meeting one in person. He appeared to be made of clay and was just as lost to his existence as I was. The encounter left me more intrigued as to Shade's existence than I ever had been before. It seems that Shades are unfinished pieces of creation. Like meteors, they fall from the sky as fully formed adults but… they are clearly incomplete. Shades are blank slates that take on features of those they surround themselves with over time. The Shade I encountered spoke of an immense feeling of longing but he knew not what for. What exactly Shades are is unknown but many scholars have debated their existence for centuries. If you have the fortune to meet a Shade, consider yourself blessed by what every gods you believe in.

Professor Dara Ignatius of the Institute for Wandering Minds in Itzel

This is a peak at some design elements of my TTRGP Tales from the Aether. This is not dnd. If you think some of these ideas are interesting, check out my pinned post follow for more updates :D

[rainbowsky]

Привет, Sky! Снова спасибо за твой блог, обожаю тебя. Смотрела очередное выступление Сяо Чжаня и думала о том, что у него, и еще у некоторых певцов/актеров много песен о любви, но сами они не имеют отношений официально, и иногда даже фанаты не знаю о каких-либо отношениях в принципе, как будто их никогда и не было. При этом они так эмоционально и трогательно исполняют песни о любви. Ок, про Сяо Чжаня всё понятно :) Но я задумалась может ли действительно человек, не имевший отношения, любовь, чувства и не пройдя весь этот путь в связи с другим человеком - петь о любви и понимать о чем он поет и как это выглядит в глазах других. Что ты думаешь об этом?

Translation:

Hi Sky! Thanks again for your blog, I love you. I was watching Xiao Zhan's latest performance and was thinking that he and some other singers/actors have a lot of love songs, but they themselves are not officially in a relationship, and sometimes even fans don't know about any relationship at all, as if they never existed. At the same time, they perform love songs so emotionally and touchingly. Ok, everything is clear about Xiao Zhan :) But I wondered if a person who has never had a relationship, love, feelings and has not gone through this whole path in connection with another person can really sing about love and understand what he is singing about and how it looks in the eyes of others. What do you think about this?

Hi retrojen, thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! 🥰

I don't believe that someone has to have experienced romantic love to give a beautiful, deeply compelling performance of a romantic song - no more than someone has to be religious to put a lot of power into a hymn, or need to have lost a loved one in order to put a lot of pathos into a song about grief. Art is about creation, and about tapping into the human experience.

One of the most beautiful aspects of humanity is the empathy that we often have for one another. If we are compassionate and open, and if we are creative spirits who seek to understand the world around us, we can tap into each other's experiences and feelings. We do not have to have experienced them firsthand to have a sense of them, or to share in another person's joy or pain (of course we can't live what we haven't experienced, but we can tap into an awful lot just by being open to it).

And our emotional experiences can also be a reflection of what is missing in our lives just as much as they can be a reflection of what we have in our hearts.

For example, someone does not have to have experienced a deep romantic love to be able to tap into a longing for love. Someone doesn't have to have a spiritual belief in order to experience spiritual anguish or need for greater meaning in their life. All of these emotional experiences can lead to incredibly powerful artistic expressions. Especially for performers and actors whose calling in life is to present a glimpse of human experience they might not have had themselves.

And we know that both GG and DD have experienced loss and hardship in their lives. DD spent his entire youth away from his family in another country, GG's grandfather passed away just a few years ago. There are no doubt a lot of other experiences we don't know about (and that are probably none of our business). Heck, just being a queer person in a country that is increasingly hostile to that is hardship enough.

Both GG and DD have talked about how they have a taste for sad and very emotional love songs. I think that is just a natural extension of any creative, sensitive, open-hearted person's taste for the human experience. Those kinds of songs speak to us because our hearts are open to the full scope of human emotion. Sweet songs don't always carry the same emotional intensity as sad ones, nor can they dig into our depths the way that sad ones can.

So no, I don't think that anyone needs to have experienced romantic love to be able to tap into those emotional depths and bring a powerful performance of a love song.

Having said that, you and I both know that GG and DD do have that deep romantic experience. Let's be real. 😅

I talked about GG and DD's creative and sensitive personalities in this post.

I commented on a similar topic related to aeroace people writing about love and sex a while back. You can find that post here.

I also talked about something similar in my post about queerbaiting, which you can find here.

[escaronarts]

ETSY STORE  II  FACEBOOK  II  INSTAGRAM  II  ESCARONARTS

For SALE HERE! (Website)

Or HERE! (Etsy)

With the strenght of a fiery stallion and soul of a colibri you will never be able to tame this mighty beast. But if he deem you worthy theres no limits of what the two of you can acomplish.

In the world were Colibris kind roam free people adore and co-exist with them and nature. In this world birds are sacred. Birds, you say. Why birds? Well, let me explain. I told you people there co-exist with nature, but that wasnt always the case. Once they kept polluting the planet to the very extent in wich all the birds fell from the sky and died. They knew it was happening but they couldnt hinder it, wouldnt change. And then one day there were no more birds, not a single one. That was the harsh reality and a very real wake-up call for humanity. You might think it was then to late for anything to be done at all, but the people did manage to turn things around, and today they live in harmony with their planet, caring for it dearly. However, sadly, the birds never returned. But, you say, what has this to do with Colibri and the horses? You see, one day a horse was born that didnt look like the traditional kind and absolutely not like its brown parents. The foal was jet black with the softest feathers around his neck and tail. It was quite perplexing. And it didnt stop there, more and more foals were born different. Browns and grays, whites and multicolored ones of all variations. And then people realized, the horses reminded of different bird species! Truth was, the horses had taken the spirits of the birds into their hearts to carry and protect. And this is how they still exist, two souls in one body. One day the birds might be able to return to the world in own bodies again, to once more travel the skies and sing their songs. But until then the horses will keep safeguarding their spirits, and the humans will keep doing their best to restore the planet in wait and hope of that time to come.

*****

MADE: They come to me when they want to be given form, whisper in my mind who they want to be, show me glimpses and let me work. Im sure I cant create their exact images but I try my best. When I start I never know what will be in the end, but I trust the process, I trust them, and it hasnt failed me yet. I believe these beings exist, even if we in our physical realm cannot see. And I believe they are here for a reason, for us, to help, inspire, move, awaken, and to the ones adopting them specifically - connect, a bond thats meant to be. I believe, do you?

Colibri is a traditionally handmade, original, unique and one of a kind artwork made entirely by me. His face is first sculpted in super sculpey, that I later casted in resin for durability and painted carefully with acrylics. His body is made of high quality fauxfur that Ive designed, trimmed and sewn over a sturdy wire and batting frame together with a blend of feathers (seen in mane and tail). He is fully posable in both neck, tail and legs. However, as with all of my creations he is an artwork and not intended as a toy for kids. Lots and lots of hours, effort and soul went into this guy, to give him his physical form, and there will never be another one like him.

COLIBRI SIZE; Height: 11.8 inches (30cm) Length: 12.6 inches (32cm)

© 2023 Linda Escaron Lundqvist - all rights reserved

[milksnake-tea]

One day, after dinner, while my younger sister and I were lounging about in Mr. Gopher Wood's yard, we spotted a fledgling Charmony Dove all on its own. That baby bird was tiny, it didn't even have all of its feathers, and it couldn't sing. When we found it, it was already on its last breath, having fallen into a shrub — probably abandoned by its parents. We decided to build a nest for it right there and then. However, thinking back, that winter was unusually cold, with fierce winds at night in the yard, not to mention the many poisonous bugs and wild beasts in the vicinity… It was clear that if we left the fledgling in the yard, it stood no chance of surviving until spring. So, I suggested we take it inside, place it on the shelf by the window, and asked the adults to fashion a cage for it. We decided that when it regained its strength enough to spread its wings, we would release it back into the wild. The tragic part — something that we'd never considered — was that this bird's fate had already been determined long before this moment… Its destiny was determined by our momentary whim. Now, I pass the power of choice to you all. Faced with this situation, what choice would you make? Stick to the original plan, and build a nest with soft net where the Charmony Dove fell? Or build a cage for it, and feed it, giving it the utmost care from within the warmth of a home? I eagerly await your answer.

I'm waiting for you behind the curtain. Following the Asdana tradition, I invite you to enjoy a stage play in three acts before the Festival begins. History is a mirror reflecting the universe's true essence. Let's use this opportunity to delve into the rich history of Penacony and the Aeons. Within it, naturally, the future takes shape.

Let us commence with the dawning of the world.

After the Dusk Wars, darkness veiled the sky, and chaos consumed the earth. Ena the Order emerged, destined to restore all existence. That marked the first day.

THEY gathered nebulae and forged them into picks, thus creating a grand lyre with black and white keys. Strike the white keys, and the sun rose. Strike the black keys, and the moon rose. And so, the cycle of day and night arose. That marked the second day.

THEY transmuted streams of stars into inked nibs, creating symbols to be pronounced and counted. THEY molded stardust into flowing rivers, assigning the righteous upstream and the unjust downstream. Thus, all things were marked, and the world learned to discern between good and evil. That marked the third and fourth days.

THEY used the planetary rings to establish the law, forging a code of conduct among the masses. A grand lyre with black and white keys served as an instrument, while symbols of articulation and numerical notation took the form of musical notes. The downward-flowing river became a melody, and the canon of law dictated the form. Thus, all mortals found their unique place within this symphony. That marked the fifth and sixth days.

THEY imbued the world with meaning, perfecting all things in the heavens and on earth. Then, THEY rested from the labors of creation. Yet, all beings cried out to Ena — 'Under the banner of the Order, you have defined all things in the Cosmos... but this made us realize that we are but puppets in your hands! Thus, on that day, all beings united and cast the Aeon into the abyss of oblivion. That marked the seventh day.

Looks like we won't be able to convince each other. Now that our conflict has been destined, let's unveil our Paths and reveal to the universe the true path. However, before the prelude to the future begins, please take a moment to ponder the questions I've posed...

Is darkness equal to daylight? Are sinners equal to the righteous If you are born weak, which god should you turn to for solace?

[themoonstonechronicler]

would you mind telling me about your blonde oc? they seem cool :]

(no pressure tho) (def no ulterior motives)

i like how i know exactly who you're talking about despite having several blonde ocs. ok this is Ara! (really sorry if this makes no sense btw. and im really sorry this is so long)

Ok so I dunno how to explain Ara without going into depth on parts of the magic system. To put it simply, there are three magic systems: Divine, Singing, and Fairy. Ara was born of a race of divine beings, the Viltivlynli, giving her a "divine heart"(the latent ability for divine magic. it is not "awakened" tho, meaning she cant use any divine magic)

Fairy magic is embodied by fairies, who are beings that represent different natural things(ex: for every tree, there's a fairy, for every rock, there's a fairy, for every cloud, there's a fairy). Fairies that embody more prominent or large natural things are more powerful(ex: the sun, all bodies of water, all forests), and rule over the lesser fairies. Fairies can, if they want to, dissolve their essences and merge it with a child being born, creating a Swirlvein. This kills the fairy, but gives the child fairy magic proportional to how powerful the fairy was. Upon Ara's birth, the fairy of the sun underwent this process, giving Ara fairy magic.

Now Singing magic is an elemental magic system, working on the principle that there are seven entities that embody the seven elements(winter, sky, light, shadow, earth, fire, and water) in their entirety, and there are seven slightly weaker "mirror" entities to check the seven elemental ones. These fourteen entities are naturally on a different plane of existence than the "Waking"(the normal plane), and the only impact they have is the magical Singing energy they emit, allowing normal Singer mages to harnass and use it. However, the entities can, when someone is being born, attatch themselves to the child. This brings them slightly closer to the Waking, and permanantly alters the child, physically, mentally, and magically. The child is now extremely powerful and magically volatile, and can channel the power of the entity bonded to them into the Waking(but not too much, or they will "Fray" and burn up). Emotion triggers this magic. The elements also have different ideals attatched to them(ex: winter is purity, logic, and solitude, water is destruction, layers, and fear), the entities embodying the purest forms of these ideals in personality. The child they bond to is thus changed to embody these ideals as well, though to a less extreme degree than the entity. Ara was born bonded to the entity of Fire(called Lis), and Fire's ideals are caprice, whimsy, emotions, creation, and fury. This altered her psyche to match these ideals, though not to a completely extreme degree. People bonded to these elemental entities are called the Lifalrarothli.

(these beings of magic(fairies, elemental entities) generally want to find the most powerful host possible, so when one child is bonded to an entity, more will attempt to bond it. This means that there are just several extremely op people running around, and Ara is unfortunately one of them.)

ALRIGHT NOW INTO WHATS UP WITH ARA

So continuing with my theme of magic=neurodivergency from all of the energy altering how their brains work, Ara was born pretty fucked up from all of this. To make it worse, the Viltivlynli(the divine race she was born into, they rule the main continent.) had just had a pretty bad experience with the last two Lifalrarothli(Luthralani and Irsewyn, winter and sky respectively, both went batshit and caused a cataclysmic storm that messed everything up before Irsewyn died and Luthralani started a revolt and a new rebel kingdom in the north.) SO the Viltivlynli weren't too happy when Ara, a new Lifalraroth, and a volatile one at that was born.

Now, they decided that they had given Luthralani and Irsewyn too much freedom, and that isolating Ara would work until she went insane(the Viltivlynli think that around the age of 18-24, the Lifalrarothli go insane or catatonic.) So Ara was basically kept in a room and guarded by priests for most of her life, up until she was seventeen. Despite this, she had managed to make three friends. Aurtaral, a high ranking Viltivlyn who was actually bonded to her twin entity.(those are the ones meant to counter the elemental ones. the Viltivlynli think those and the people they are bonded to are stable and good, since they are less powerful and can stop the elemental ones.) He was basically sent in to chat with her occasionally, try to stop her from losing it, and they ended up becoming friends. Aurtaral's pretty serious, has a strong sense of justice, and wants to do his part to help the world. Another friend was Fesi, Aurtaral's kind of sister, who wasn't bonded to anything, but did have the latent divine magic that all Viltivlynli had. She was a kind of loose cannon, cheerful and jaded, not listening to anyone, which annoyed everyone. The next friend was Senatha, Fesi's girlfriend who was a really accomplished swordswoman. She has a big complex about needing to constantly doing whatever she can to help people, and is interesting, because she's a spy for Luthralani, the rebel Lifalraroth of winter who is in charge of the kingdom in the north defying the VIltivlynli.

Alright, so at this point, Ara's really really messed up. All of the qualities given to her by her magic(emotion, caprice, etc.) have been pushed to even more extremes by her isolation. She's desperate for any kind of connection, has a lot of self loathing due to her magic(which she thinks is her fault), and is terrified of going insane. She's also intellectually disabled. She's a ticking time bomb, and when she's seventeen, the start of the story, it goes off. When she and Aurtaral are hanging out, Aurtaral makes a tiny comment about wanting the best for her, and everything shes been holding in spills out and its not pretty. She's yelling about how clearly he doesn't, since he hasn't done anything to help her, or how he hasn't used his influence to get her out of this room. And since her magic is triggered by emotion, she's setting shit on fire and growing messed up plants and causing storms. This causes a panic, Aurtaral runs, and the guards get her under control eventually and put her in a solid iron room for a few months(iron stifles magic).

In there, it's her, her elemental entity Lis(who is incoporeal and only visible to her), and a random wind fairy named Brigit who's been following her around(and definitely isn't spying for Luthralani.) Ara is distraught and hates what she did and is spiraling into a lot of self-loathing. But Lis is furious and says Ara was completely in the right and should have killed the guards. Brigit is on board with Lis, but Ara doesn't like Brigit because Brigit keeps messing with her.

Eventually she's let out, and is pretty tentative, Aurtaral's still kinda mad at her, Fesi feels bad for her, and Senatha secretly approaches her with a proposition. Senatha says that if she wants to have better living conditions, if she wants to have freedom, and if she wants to help the world, she could switch sides and join Luthralani's rebel kingdom. (Luthralani's rebel kingdom and the VIltivlynli are basically in a cold war currently.) Ara, though initially horrified, thinks it over, with Lis and Brigit both urging her to join. She eventually asks if she could meet with Luthralani, just to see what they're like before deciding, and Senatha agrees.

So Luthralani arranges for them to dream-meet up and chat about her decision, and they both show up. Ara is immediately awed by Luthralani(Luthralani has all three kinds of magic, but unlike Ara, their divine heart is awakened and can be used.) and asks what it'll be like if she joins them. Luthralani says she will be honored, since Lifalrarothli are well respected in their kingdom. They say Ara will be granted more freedom, will be taught by them personally how to control their power, and will have the opportunity to fight against the Viltivlynli who hurt her(though they don't emphacize that bit yet). Ara is basically immediately sold, both by what Luthralani is saying and by Luthralani, because the way Ara sees it, Luthralani and her are the same, and Luthralani's saying there's nothing wrong with her, and she can give good things to the world. Luthralani is validating Ara and all the things she's thought about and feels guilty about.

So Ara is now working with Luthralani, but still doesn't want to leave the VIltivlynli just yet, so she sticks around, and finds herself growing angrier at Aurtaral and the Viltivlynli, with Luthralani and Brigit's egging on. I think this is getting way too long so I'll cut it short and just say that eventually she gives herself away and she and Senatha have to run away to Luthralani's kingdom, causing collateral damage in the process, breaking the cold war and launching the continent into war. Aurtaral grows really angry and decides that Ara went insane and is being manipulated, and needs to be killed for everyone's safety, though hes sad about it. Fesi gets sad for letting her friend group fall apart, then decides she's not gonna let that happen to anyone else, and starts a secret anti-war organization that smuggles refugees into safe locations. Meanwhile Ara is really happy in Luthralani's kingdom; she's made some friends(Eskarisai and Ki'Taolu), and she's started working as part of the war effort against the VIltivlynli. This means she's zipping around and burning cities to help Luthralani, who's she's grown really dependant on for affection. She's also really clingy to her new friends, and they're all a little scared of her. She's really pissed at Aurtaral and the VIltivlynli now, as Luthralani has almost fully convinced her that they're pure evil and she should set them on fire.

ANYWAY im gonna stop there(around 1/3 of the way through the series, im really sorry if this is confusing or too long but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING I LOVE TALKING ABOUT HER IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK ME

[celiaamb]

The sky is empty,

God has left us, abounded us, to burn, on this hell we made for ourselves. At night, satan laughs at us, priding himself for not kneeling in front of such a creature. Simple mortals who act like they are immortal, idiotic fools who destruct themselves alone, without my help, but curse my name for those demons they became.

At night, satan laughs at me, she sinned and punished herself all alone he sings.

The angels despise us, for how profane we made the creation of god, how cruel and barren we made this earthly heaven, a useless sacrificed maiden, but to whom was this offering dedicated, who did it pay ? They too went away and shall lit the flames and awake the waves.

On this gigantic space, infinity will be know as damnation, demons reigns are over, we took the power. Cemeteries are filled with bodies but no tombs, no affection can endure this chaos, before trying it is already lost. Sadness plays itself like love, addicting and much more intense, it is a hopeless existence, it is a life sentence.

Once avid it is now l'appel du vide who caresses our hearts, who murmures our names, how to land without aims ?

Blind, in plain sight, Lucifer hides, yet is not near to be deciphered, did we look away purposely, did we close our eyes on agony ?

We will suffocate and satan will rename this planet inferno, no, but dear don't you hear the devil calls this earth home. Oh disastrous hubris, outrageous greed, the humains are out of humanity, full of vain futilities. Once fertile grounds have now come to be empty, of any vitality. Don't you see god has left us, for this is our punishment, we have been judged and left to face our own demons.

Clay will burn from the fire.

I wouldn't bet a dime on humanity, I too wouldn't have kneel.

-CeliaAmb'

[corleonewrites]

Wandering winds

AU: The Terror (2018)

James Fitzjames x Original Female Character fanfic

Summary: Alexandra Walton’s life was always surrounded with sea: either it was her walks near the seashore with its cold waters, or deep sea of her senses. Her father taught her to throw herself headlong into it, without fear of being drowned and she used to it since her childhood. She dived into love with the same courageous way. And even when everything and everyone was talking about the hopeless state of things she continued to believe in the opposite: that her loved one will return to her safely.

Chapter 7. Its wings are almost free – its home, its harbour found

note: I had to change the date of publication of collection of Poems By Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell to match the story (in reality it was published in 1846, when the particular scene of the fanfic took place in 1845, so some arrangements needed to be made, hope you will forgive me for doing so)

Poems which are mentioned in this chapter are by Emily Brontё: A Day Dream and The Prisoner

______________________________________________________________

The nature was slowly waking up from long winter's sleep: snow was melting, birds were singing louder and more joyful, days were becoming longer again.

One afternoon in March, when the meeting at the reading club has just finished – I came back home just in time for afternoon tea. When the kettle was still boiling in the kitchen – I sat in the living room and began to read book of poems.

But my mind wasn't concentrating on words: Sophia and I talked with each other for almost whole walk back home. She didn’t storm me with questions about James, she knew that after Mister Charming I promised myself not to tell anyone about my romances, not only because I was afraid of being rejected again, but also because didn’t want other people to see my expectations falling apart. Let them gossip about fake romances and creating stories of their own, but not let them being involved in something that was not their business.

What Sophia did say instead was her confidence in Commander Fitzjames.

“It is as clear as the ocean or the blue sky, my dear Alexandra”, my friend smiled and took my arm, walking through the streets of the city, “I will stop believing in the existence of true love if mister Fitzjames is not proposing to you in upcoming weeks”.

She said it in such manner as she was the future teller. If the marriage between me and James was indeed going to become true. And I wanted it. I truly wanted to be missis Fitzjames with all my heart and senses, I wanted to be everything that that name meant to me. It was pure love and I was not afraid to think so. But for me ‘love’ wasn’t a simple five-letter word.

For me it was understanding, just James and me and let the rest of the world go by without us noticing it. Just the two of us living our lives together without doubts, ever-lastingly. Love has to be built on trust and knowledge. Nothing could possibly change it. And I wanted my deepest desire of such love to be true.

…So, resting on a heathy bank, I took my heart to me; And we together sadly sank Into a reverie…

Silent morning after Winter's Dream was foggy and calm. The echoes of the deep surreal dream still sounded in my ears like the sound of the sea in a shell when I woke up. For a brief second, I didn't understand where I was. Glimpses of previous evening appeared in my mind and awakened those sensational feelings which filled my senses tremendously.

I wanted to feel such unexplainable senses longer, for the rest of the day. Those laughs, those talks, those dances, and those tender moments of quietness with James after the party.

…The music ceased; the noonday dream, Like dream of night, withdrew; But Fancy, still, will sometimes deem Her fond creation true…

Someone knocked at the front door waking me up from thoughts and memories. Few moments later the servant entered the living room:

"A letter for you, miss", the man was holding a silver platter in his left hand with the letter, forcing me to put my book aside and looking at him with curiosity.

It was from Commander James Fitzjames.

Without further delay I opened the letter, when my heart began to beat just a little faster.

"Dear Alexandra,

Hope you are well and enjoying the arrival of beautiful days of early spring. I am writing to you with an offer which, I want to believe, you will accept. I am inviting you to visit British Museum. I have heard that they have opened very curious exhibition now, the whole city is talking about it. Will you accept my offer? Whenever you can. I am looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely yours, James"

I reread the letter again, running my index finger over each sentence. His handwriting was beautiful, without unnecessary squiggles and curlicues. James sounded confident, yet unsure if I was going to accept his invitation, it surprised me, but in a good way.

I wrote the reply almost immediately with agreement to meet him as soon as possible, even though I was still afraid to develop our communication and encounter, because the fragments of a once broken heart still sometimes scratched me from the inside. But my senses trusted what my family and Sophia were thinking about James, and the way of how Alexander was confident in him gave me security.

That's how I began to spend more time with Commander Fitzjames. After the visit to British Museum at the beginning of spring, other visits and encounters followed.

We visited art galleries, theatre plays, ballets, operas, horse races. Our walks along the coast or in the park were countless. Later in spring my father invited James for dinner couple of times, when Alexander invited James for tea.

With every new encounter James and I felt that we were becoming closer and closer to each other. Those deep silent glances, shared jokes, the tension, it was all there. James was very gentle, kind, thoughtful, no sweet words needed to be told: everything that he did express his special feelings towards me.

Spring was in its blossom when me and Commander Fitzjames plunged into very sacred deep feelings, which felt like the ice-cold waves of ocean.

______________________________________________________________

One weekend at the beginning of May was special in some ways: on Thursday evening, right in the middle of family’s dinner, Alexander casually informed that he invited James to spend that weekend in our mansion in the country. My brother wanted to show him the werf where he was building his ship and had couple of boats to sail in the river. I stayed emotionless, but everything was burning inside me.

Commander arrived on Saturday morning and my family came down to greet him. It was gloomy spring day, but the rain bypassed us and Alexander had a chance to show James the werf in the blossom of spring, when the ice finally melted. When they were there, I took my horse Jupiter and took a long ride around the area, disappearing in the woods and riding along the shore of the river, looking at my brother and commander from far away.

My rides with Jupiter always seemed endless, and if I could – I would run with him for days and nights, leaving everyone behind. And stop thinking about everything that bothered me.

There was no surprise to anyone that I returned back to mansion only before the tea – I missed lunch, and didn’t really have appetite. My family always knew that I deeply loved such rides and never forbade me to ride Jupiter as long as I wanted to.

When I entered the living room, James, who at that time was talking to my brother, sitting in the couch, looked at me with a very curious, even surprised gaze – I was wearing a pair of gaucho trousers with the white canvas blouse which was both feminine and rugged, and high black boots, which in the morning were well-polished, but now slightly dirty because of high grass and dirt. He never saw me in such sharp and bold look before.

“Would you like to have a ride with me tomorrow, mister Fitzjames?”, I asked commander, without even giving second thought about it, this question just came out, because of the euphoria of emotions I had after the ride: excitement, courage, rush of blood in my veins.

“Of course, miss Walton”, neither did James give it a second thought as his acceptance was sharp and fast.

“True commander as he is”, I thought to myself when going upstairs to my room to have a bath and got ready for the evening.

Even though nothing happened on Saturday, as James and I spent most of our time separately – Alexander and even my father had feelings that commander Fitzjames would propose to me. I was always surprised with their confidence, especially when they were telling all their dangerous stories when their lives were on the verge of death. They reassured me that when battlefields or expeditions were collapsing – they knew that they would return home safely.

______________________________________________________________

Despite the fact that the morning on the next day was sunny – the clouds away in the sky were dark-grey and there was a sense of an impending rain in the air. But I thought that there was plenty of time for us to enjoy the ride and even sit on the grass and have little chat.

I went down the stairs, wearing the same outfit as I wore the previous day and felt myself confident, strong and even domineering. Commander Fitzjames was waiting for me in the entrance hall, sitting on the couch, his hands were holding white gloves and the whip. He stood up in the second he noticed me entering the room, nodding and smiling lightly.

In that moment I could only say "Let's go, shall we?" and opened the front door to the outside, where the sun and the wind lured us in.

The same wind followed us everywhere our horses galloped, as if picking them up, forcing to run faster than time itself. We left behind the mansion, the fields, skirted the riverbank, jumping over stumps and cliffs. James never left my sight, he was on a par with me, sometimes I would overtake him, which made me burst into bright laughter, but commander always caught up with me, as if this was our unspoken competition, where only the two of us could be the winners of the race.

At some point, the ribbon came undone and my long hair began to move in the wind, which made me feel a sense of liberation from past heartache as well as freedom and opening my heart to new sensations. James had caught up with my horse again, and smiled at me, and I smiled back, telling myself that from now on I wouldn't have any secrets from him.

______________________________________________________________

I told James everything about Mister Charming. It was not very pleasant experience for me, it seemed that the wound in my heart that was almost healed had reopened and cold blood was flowing out of it.

We were standing by a big tree next to the mansion, giving the horses a break from our fulfilling ride of a lifetime: I was leaning against a tree trunk, and commander was standing in front of me, leaning slightly against me, his left hand was on a tree trunk as well.

The cold wind suddenly rose, the tall grass rustled loudly, and only now it became noticeable how the sky darkened sharply, which scared me. I looked at the sky, where the darkness of the storm clouds gathered over us, but then my gaze fell on James, as he held my hand tightly and said in his sharp voice:

“You won’t be hurt again. Never. I won’t let it happen, Alexandra”

“James…”, in that moment I could whispered only commander’s name, when he leaned closer to me, but then the first drops of rain gradually began to turn into a deafening downpour, never letting us kissed for the first time.

We were forced to take our horses back to the stable and ran inside the mansion, when the thunder crashed dreadfully over our heads.

______________________________________________________________

The living room was quiet. Alexander and father were nowhere to be seen, but I figured that they probably decided to wait for the rain to finish in the werf.

I was looking at James, when he was walking around the place, observing portraits: every face and pose has been studied closely, silently, only the calm chime of the clock standing in the corner of the living room could be heard.

When he stopped near mine, I froze. My portrait was drawn right before Alexander came back home from the opium war; it was finished just before my 28th birthday. James was looking at it closely: I was standing beside the small table with white gloves and a vase with peonies – my favourite flowers.

My hair was loose, only a velvet black headband was on my head. The glint of a blue velvet dress could be seen clearly. The dress was with a crinoline and a black belt at the waist, opened neckline showed a pearl necklace. My hands were holding the fan. The background showed our mansion in the countryside, every detail was accurate, it showed the real atmosphere that surrounded me.

Commander’s gaze lingered on my eyes on the portrait, which were soullessly staring into the distance, reflecting the emptiness and nervous expectation of my brother's return at that time when the portrait was drawn.

He then moved to look at Alexander’s and then my mother’s portraits, which were hanging on the opposite wall.

"Only now I can see how Alexander looks a lot like your mother", James said quietly, looking carefully at the portrait of my mother, paying attention to her eyes, "But you have the same colour of the eyes"

I smiled sadly and glanced at the portrait. My early memories of Lady Catherine, how kind and caring she was, how she smiled and laughed suddenly became very real as if I saw her few minutes ago.

"Indeed. But my character is more like my father's", I sighed with a smile on my face, "Unfortunately, I don't remember my mother's character that much, she died when I was a child"

"I'm sorry for your loss, Alexandra", James didn't fight the urge to take my hand once again, because it was against the rules in high society, besides, by this time, we spent a lot more time together. He held my hand softly, as if he was afraid to break it.

“Thank you”, I sighed once again and finally smiled at commander, “But I do remember how she used to read poems and stories to me and Alexander, before it was time for kids to go to bed. I think that my love to poems passed on to me, some of poems I know by heart.”

“Can you read one of your favourites to me, please?”, James looked at me with curiosity and a smile.

Of course, I couldn’t resist. In fact, during that weekend I was rereading book of poems written by Brontё’s sisters.

“It’s called 'The Prisoner', I said and sat on the sofa, “It is my favourite poem written by Emily Brontё. It is very dear to me, it is so pure, so strong and breathtaking”, I stopped, catching my breath: my fascination with the poem overwhelmed me.

James smiled again: “I’d love to hear it”.

He sat beside me, the firelight from the fireplace reflected in his eyes.

Raindrops pattered on the window, and the roar of the wind was heard outside. The lit fire in the fireplace crackled pleasantly. We could hear the soft ticking of the clock in the room with only two of us were sitting.

These small moments created that intimate atmosphere that wanted to be placed in my memory.

I glanced at James, who was sitting patiently near me in the big sofa. Only couple of millimeters separated us from each other.

I sighed quietly and began to tell the fragment:

"Still, let my tyrants know, I am not doom’d to wear, Year after year in gloom, and desolate despair; A messenger of Hope, comes every night to me, And offers for short life, eternal liberty.

He comes with western winds, with evening’s wandering airs, With that clear dusk of heaven that brings the thickest stars. Winds take a pensive tone, and stars a tender fire, And visions rise, and change, that kill me with desire.

Desire for nothing known in my maturer years, When Joy grew mad with awe, at counting future tears. When, if my spirit’s sky was full of flashes warm, I knew not whence they came, from sun, or thunder storm.

But, first, a hush of peace —a soundless calm descends; The struggle of distress, and fierce impatience ends. Mute music soothes my breast, unuttered harmony, That I could never dream, till Earth was lost to me.

Then dawns the Invisible; the Unseen its truth reveals; My outward sense is gone, my inward essence feels: Its wings are almost free– its home, its harbour found, Measuring the gulph, it stoops, and dares the final bound.

Oh, dreadful is the check –intense the agony — When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see; When the pulse begins to throb, the brain to think again, The soul to feel the flesh, and the flesh to feel the chain.

Yet I would lose no sting, would wish no torture less; The more that anguish racks, the earlier it will bless; And robed in fires of hell, or bright with heavenly shine, If it but herald death, the vision is divine!”

It was quiet for a couple of moments. My heart was bursting out from my chest and I realized that I was breathing heavily as if I just came back from the ride with Jupiter.

It felt like James was looking at something that was not in the room, maybe even not in the same world, his gaze was distant and I was afraid to say something to wake him up from his thoughts.

Suddenly, he stood up from his seat and turned to me, clutching his white gloves in his hands. He then placed them on the sofa and looked at me, his gaze was sharp, his posture was straight and formal.

I will remember what Commander James Fitzjames said to me in the next moment for the rest of my days.

“I am aware that I am just a commander in Her Majesty's Navy and you deserve only the attentions of the full Admiral of the Fleet…”, the man stopped and looked at me, when I couldn’t move and was afraid to breathe, “…But I can make a sure and undoubted guess that you know that you're aware of the intensity of my feelings towards you, Alexandra”

I looked at James with eyes wide opened, being afraid to ruin the tender sacred moment between us.

“We can’t ignore how your hand runs to find mine and mine is always in rush to find yours wherever we can. And always found each other, found our glances, found our moments together.”, he continued, and got down on one knee, taking my hands in his, “I love you, Alexandra Walton, and I want you to be my wife, my leading light, my dearest companion. Would you accept my proposal?”, James whispered and looked into my eyes, as if he was afraid that he would hear “no”.

A shudder ran through my whole body, and tears of joy stung my eyes. I couldn’t believe my ears, I couldn’t believe my senses, I couldn’t believe that what Alexander and Sophia said to me earlier was becoming true. It was still impossible to realize that only in January everything felt different and complete opposite. Until I met Commander James Fitzjames.

I slowly touched his cheek, stroking it and smiled warmly.

“I don’t want full Admiral of the Fleet. There is no one else in the world, but you for me. No one, James. I love you with all my heart.”

Commander finally smiled cheerfully and in that exact moment our lips merged in a long-awaited kiss when the thunderclaps grew outside, and at some point it seemed that our souls merged with this roar and the bright light of lightning, awakening long-cooled feelings and pure love.

______________________________________________________________

Wandering winds masterlist

[emotionalhxc]

PART 2: Strawberry Hospital Instagram Q&A Q: Also do you like Sky Eats Airplane? Some of your songs give me the same vibe

N: "lowkey in shock that this band was brought up to me because they were (partially) the reason I found out what a DAW was in the first place because I read some interview of theirs back then describing their method of creation or something formative memories of listening to this one on a school computer in 5th grade" Q: When making an EP, do you usually have a "concept" or "vibe" before making the songs? N: "mostly! it is typically reflective of whatever sonic fixations I had in the years preceding the release itself + a culmination of whatever emotions are stirred up by life circumstances once I have that intersection pinned down, it begins to take a form of its own"

Q: Is there a story behind the Phantasmaphilia album art? It's so mesmerizing *0* N: "indeed ! the dead insects themselves were found outside of where I was living during the completion of the album, around this time of year. myself and some old friends collected them and brought them inside to scan in for the sake of the cover artwork. as for the bathtub image source, I am actually not holding my own legs but another person (out of frame) but we were wearing swimming trunks haha I wanted to create a feeling of ghostly vulnerability and I appreciate said old friends for helping me realize my vision at the time" Q: your music heals me and makes life bearable, thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤️‍🩹 N: "I am so so grateful... thank you for sharing with me, it keeps me pushing forward knowing that my music reached you in the same way that other music heals me too (hug)"

Q: Squall. I love that song so much. I would love to hear your reasons for that song. N: "oh yes Squall! I wrote that for an internet friend who lived somewhere that was basically a perpetual snowstorm, I would stay up late talking with them and it meant very much to me during that period of time to me, the flurry of splittercore kicks and icy trance lead melodies reminded me of a blizzard" Q: How did you get your name? N: "strawberry hospital? or neptune? I'll answer both! strawberry hospital was intended to follow the naming trend of many bands and artists I grew up with, but also represent the otherwise polarizing thematic elements (bittwersweetness) and stylings present within the music and lyrics my name Neptune is chosen but I have kept it for over a decade now, it reminds me of the ocean and a cold planet very far away from here"

Q: Ilysm I sry if this is a dumb q but are the songs on halfawake all vocaloid or ur voice N: "awe no questions are dumb! the original release is exclusively vocaloid as I was too anxious to include my own singing in my songs in 2016. but the live version of the song is special, because I sing the chorus with my own voice instead. other albums feature a combination of my own voice and vocaloid (with exceptions)" Q: what is your bowling ball size? N: "this question is so unrelated I love it... so I cannot bowl to save my life and maybe I'm missing a double meaning here but they say a bowling ball should be 10% of your own weight right? in that case, like 12? I am unfortunate epitome of gay people failing at sports stereotype"

Q: what's your personal favorite song you've ever release?? 🖤 N: "Halfawake, Memento, Phantoma, Azure, Rhythm 0" Q: so like whats next for uu? N: "I'd love to play a few more shows before the year ends... maybe an international one? we shall see... otherwise trying to explore new forms for the project to take, I never want to reiterate what has already been established to the point of monotony heh" Q: I really love Tacit ❤️ and would love to know what it's about N: "Tacit is an apology for not being able to fulfill the role of what somebody would like you to be for them. not exactly a hard rejection but an assuring one (if such a thing exists) ... sometimes you need to use your head over your heart? I struggled with this at times p.s. it was heavily influenced by the haibane renmei OST!"

Q: Would you ever go on a tour! Californian fan here and I love you and your music :D N: "it will happen someday I am certain, playing a show in California feels obligatory (in a good way) plus I have had a few invitations from fellow musician friends that I need to take them up on" CONTINUED INTO PART 3 ON MY NEXT POST

[hermesserpent-stuff]

Your AU has dragon gods?

I am very interested. Tell me more please ^_^

ive talked about them very briefly before and they are a little more involved in claws and calls. but I love them so! I'll link the first post for record keeping but ill cover that and more here

Basically the dragons have three main gods with each species having personal deities that were once normal dragons that achieved godhood through some feat or through their nature, like gaining sainthood or legendary status.

but back to the main three.

Fyrwynd, Erthabyrth, and Monewaeg

Im going to ramble so heres a cut for the scroller. Feel free to ask about any part of this!!

None of these have a set species or gender or size. they shift as needed for dragons. worship mostly consists of piling bones a certain way and shooting off venom, fire, or what ever projectiles they can, and asking them for aid and giving thanks

Fyrwynd- god of fire, flying, life, day, sun, wind, storms, joy and fear.

This dragon will normally look like a long snakish dragon with hundreds of wings (but can have fewer) they normally are made of fire or storm clouds when visiting. Nightfurys, skrills, and most speedy flying trick dragons tend to worship fyrwynd the most.

Erthabyrth- god of earth/rock/land, nesting, defense, ice, stars, volcanoes, death and birth

She normally appears as made of stone, or exploding lava, or dense ice. Their body typically has two wings and four legs. dragons with thick armor and dragons about to lay eggs worship them. especially gronckles.

Monewaeg- god of the sea/ocean/water, moon, swimming, fighting, venom, pain and healing

This dragon normally appears made of water or moonlight or both. they have two legs and two wings when they arrive, with acid/venom dripping from their mouth. Changewings and Nadders typically hold them as their main god.

Okay! onto creation myth as told by hiccup in claws and calls in chapter 54.

--

As he begins to sing, the dragons around him still their constant sounds, adults, and fledglings both settling to listen to the tale.

It is one of the first that Toothless had told him after Hiccup had gained an understanding of dragonese. It took place at dawn as they flew high above the clouds, golds and oranges chasing the purples and blues of the night and the stars winked out one by one.

“~There once was nothing. No ground, sky, or water. Darkness could not exist because fire did not provide light to see it.~”

Hiccup begins to pet the two small dragons in his arms, comforted by their rumbling. The song is a rolling tune with no true beat. It rolls with growls and chirps.

“~There was a great breath from the Unnameable in that shade and light burst forth, creating light and dark. Three layers could be seen, presses tight like the layers of rock. The sky, the water, and the land. Fyrwynd fell from the light and flapped her wings, forcing the sky to rise from the water. Erthabryth awoke and pushed up from the depths of the water to form the lands. Monewaeg churned up the water and spat the moon into the sky to light the night as Fyrwynd slept.~”

He goes into details of each of the three god’s attempts to form life on their own. But only by joining together did dragon-kind form. He mentions the sneezes of the Unnameable forming other gods and letting humans and other creatures form but keeps the focus on the three main dragon gods.

--

then there is my own silly story for the subspecies of nadder told by Silverbreath in chapter 54

--

His eyes widen as Silverbreath lifts her head from Duskclaw’s back and responds with her own tale, dragons all silently and respectfully listening.

“~Monewaeg grew weary of seeing dragons only breathe fire and lava and gas and turned to Erthabyrth to create a new dragon. They consulted the first Nadder, admiring her spines and tail, and asked that she let her newest eggs be touched.~”

The Frost Nadder whispers out a tale in which the first Nadder got the gods to gift her children all sorts of powers, with Duster crooning along with the tune. Other Nadders chirp along. Hiccup listens closely trying to memorize each line. Stories are important. History is important. When she finishes the song, Hiccup softly speaks.

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